De Iustitia in Hostem

« Ἠκούσατε ὅτι ἐρρέθη· ἀγαππήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου καὶ μισήσεις τὸν ἐχθρόν σου. ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν· ἀγαπᾶτε τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ὑμῶν καὶ προσεύχεσθε ὑπὲρ τῶν διωκόντων ὑμᾶς, ὅπως γένησθε υἱοὶ τοῦ πατρὸς ὑμῶν τοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς...»

Secundum Mattheum V. 43-45.

Iohannes benivolo lectori SPD.

O benivole lector, audivisti eos qui iustitiam nullam in bello esse opinantur? Ne cives aut captivi hors de combat, id est extra proelium, trucidantur plerumque prohibetur; praeter quod nulla alia regula in bello vel proelio ipso agnosci solet. Si autem curandum est ut etiam hostes vel inimicos diligamus, ut supra affirmatum est, quis non videt officia et iustitiam in hostem conservanda esse?

Quod Cicero quoque in libro primo De Officiis explicat: « Maximum autem exemplum est iustitiae in hostem a maioribus nostris constitutum, cum a Pyrrho perfuga senatui est pollicitus se venenum regi daturum et eum necaturum, senatus et C. Fabricius perfugam Pyrrho dedidit. Ita ne hostis quidem et potentis et bellum ultro inferentis interitum cum scelere approbavit. » Sed quis hodie consilium huius profugae non approbet?

Neque in foro quodvis officium, modo ne fraus scelestissima fiat, agnosci potest. Haec autem verba Ieremiae Taylor, qui peritus episcopus in ecclesia Anglicana erat, e libro eius c.n. Rules and Exercises for Holy Living, bene monstrant quae officia in foro conservanda sint: « In prices of bargaining concerning uncertain merchandises, you may buy as cheap ordinarily, as you can; and sell as dear as you can, so it be, 1. without violence; and, 2. when you contract on equal terms with persons in all senses (as to the matter and skill of bargaining) equal to yourself, that is, merchants with merchants, wise men with wise men, rich with rich; and, 3. when there is no deceit, and no necessity and no monopoly: for in these cases, viz. when the contractors are equal, and no advantage on either side, both parties are voluntary, and therefore there can be no injustice or wrong to either. But then add also this consideration, that the public be not oppressed by unreasonable and unjust rates: for which the following rules are the best measure. »

Ne tibi qui iustitiam vel in foro vel in bello negligunt suadeant praecipio, O benivole lector.

Te tuosque inimicos valere iubeo.