2. Know and remember that the desire for punishment is the desire for vengeance, and is not proper to a rational creature, such as man is. This desire is only natural to the animal in man. And therefore man must endeavor to deliver himself of this desire, and not to find excuses for it.
3. What must you do when a man is angry with you and would harm you? Many things can be done, but one thing surely you must not do: you must not do evil, that is, you must not do as the other man would do unto you.
4. Do not say that if people are good to you, you will be good to them also, and if men will oppress you, you will oppress them also. But if men do good unto you, do good unto them likewise, and if men oppress you, do not oppress them in turn. Mohammed.
5. The doctrine of love which admitting no violence, is important not only because it is good for man, for the soul of man, to suffer evil, and to render good for evil, but also because good alone can stop evil, can extinguish it, and keep it from going further. The true teaching of love finds its strength in that it extinguishes evil, not permitting it to blaze up.
6. Many years ago people began to appreciate the lack of harmony between punishment and the highest qualities of the human soul, and started to invent all sorts of theories whereby this low animal tendency might be justified. Some say that punishment is necessary as a deterrent, others that it is necessary for correction, still others that it is required so that justice might prevail, as though God could not establish justice in the world without man to impose punishments.
But all these theories arc empty phrases, because at their root are evil sentiments: revenge, fear, selflove, hatred. Many theories are being invented, but no one decides to do the one thing needful, namely, to do nothing at all, leaving him who has sinned to repent or not to repent, to reform or not to reform, while they who invent all these theories, and who apply them in practice, might leave the others alone and merely see that they themselves lead a righteous life.
7. Render good for evil, and you destroy in the evildoer all the pleasure he sees in evil.
8. If you think that someone is guilty before you, forget it and forgive. And you will learn the happiness of forgiving.
9. Nothing rejoices people as much as to have their evil deeds forgiven, and to be paid good for evil, nor is anything as blessed to him who does so.
10. Goodness overcomes all things, but is itself invincible.
11. You can withstand all things but goodness.
Rousseau.
12. Render good for evil, forgive all men. Only then will evil pass from this world, when every man obeys this injunction. Know that this is the one thing to be desired, the one thing to strive for, for it is the one thing that will deliver us from the evils from which we suffer.
13. He has the highest honor before God who forgives those that injure him, for their offences, particularly when they are in his power. Mohammed,
14. Then came Peter to Him, and said. Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him, till seven times?
Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, until seven times, but until seventy times seven.
Matthew, xviii, 21,22.
To forgive, means not to do vengeance, not to render evil for evil, it means to love. If man believe this, then the thing is not what the brother has done, but what you ought to do. If you would correct your neighbor in his error, tell him meekly that he has done wrong. If he fail to hear you, do not blame him, but blame yourself for not knowing how to tell him suitably.
To ask how often we may forgive a brother, is like asking a man who knows that to drink wine is wrong, and has resolved not to drink any more wine, how often he ought to reject wine when it is offered him. Once I have resolved not to drink, I shall not drink, no matter how often wine is offered to me. The same is true of forgiveness.
15. To forgive is not merely to say "I forgive," but to take out of your heart all malice, all unkindly feeling towards him who has injured you. And in order to be able to do this, remember your own sins, for if you do, you are bound to remember worse deeds of your own than those that have evoked your anger.
16. The doctrine of non-resistance to evil by the use of force is not some new law, but merely points out the transgression of the law of love which people wrongfully sanction, it merely points out that the sanction of the use of force against your neighbor, whether in the name of retribution, or in the name of the alleged deliverance of yourself or others from evil, is incompatible with love.
17. The doctrine that if you love, you cannot seek vengeance, is so clear that it follows from the sense of the
teaching as a matter of course.
If, therefore, there had not been a word said in the Christian teaching to the effect that a Christian must render good for evil, and must love his enemies and those that hate him, any man understanding the teaching could deduce from it this commandment of love for himself.
18. In order to understand the teaching of Christ about rendering good for evil, it must be understood correctly, and not as now interpreted, with excisions and additions. The entire teaching of Christ is in this: man lives not for his body, but for his soul, to fulfill the will of God. But the will of God is that men should love one another, should love all men. How then can man love all men and do evil to others? He who believes in the teachings of Christ, no matter what is done to him, will not do that which is contrary to love, will not do evil to others.
19. Without the prohibition of rendering evil for evil, the whole Christian doctrine is empty words.
20. Then came Peter, to Him, and said. Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Till seven times ?
Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee until seven times, but until seventy times seven.
Therefore is the Kingdom of Heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.
"And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.
But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.
The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
Then the lord of tbat servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him and forgave him the debt.
But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellow-servants, which owed him an hundred pence; and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat saying, Pay me that thou owest.
And his fellow-servant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying. Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
And he would not, but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.
So when his fellow-servants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told imto their lord all that was done.
Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, О thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desirest me:
Shouldst not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow-servant, even as I had pity on thee?
And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.
So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses. Matthew, xviii, 21-35.
VI.
Non-Resistance to Evil by Force is as Essential in Social
as in Personal Relations
1. People insist on remaining as evil as they were, yet they desire that life nevertheless should improve.
2. We do not know, we cannot know wherein consists personal happiness, but we firmly know that the attainment of this universal happiness is possible only with the fulfillment of that eternal law of goodness which is revealed to