Objections Answered | 8

8. John the Baptist Did Not Rebuke the Soldiers

Objection.

When the soldiers demanded of John the Baptist what they should do, one of the directions that he gave them was to be content with their wages.

If their occupation had been unlawful, then he would not have directed them to be contented with the wages of wickedness.

Answer.

John the Baptist was under the Mosaic economy, the new dispensation not having commenced. He was only the forerunner of the Lord, a herald to sound his approach.

But he gave the soldiers another direction, i.e. to “do violence to no man,” obedience to which is totally incompatible with war, as that is nothing else but violence. Only hinder soldiers from doing violence to any man and you stop at once the whole progress of war.

Therefore, if the directions of John are insisted on as gospel authority, then they will prove much more against the lawfulness of war than in favour of it.