International law; Natural law; War (International law)
We have an instance of the former kind in the conduct of our Saviour,
who, on the way to Emmaus, pretended to the disciples, that he was
going further; here was a harmless stratagem, unless we interpret the
words, as expressive of his intention to have gone further, if he had
not been prevented by their efforts and entreaties to detain him. And
in another part of the sacred history it is said, that he intended
to have passed by the Apostles on the sea, that is, he intended to
have done it, had he not been so earnestly importuned by them to go
into the ship. There is another instance too in the conduct of Paul,
who circumcised Timothy, though he knew the Jews would conclude from
thence, that the ordinance of circumcision, which in reality had been
abolished, was still binding upon the descendants of Israel, and that
Paul and Timothy were of the same opinion. Whereas Paul had no such
intention, but only hoped, by that means, to open for himself and
Timothy a way to more familiar intercourse with the Jews. Neither could
an ordinance of that kind, when the divine obligation was repealed, any
longer be deemed of such importance, nor could the evil of a temporary
error, resulting from thence, and afterwards to be corrected, be
regarded as equivalent to the opportunity, which Paul thought to gain,
of making it conducive to the introduction of Christian truth.
The Greek Fathers have given the name of ECONOMY, or MANAGEMENT
to stratagems of this kind. On this subject there is an admirable
sentiment in Clement of Alexandria, who, in speaking of a good man,
says that "he will do many things for the benefit of his neighbour
alone, which he would not otherwise have undertaken."
One of these stratagems was practised by the Romans, who, during the
time that they were besieged in the Capitol, threw some loaves of
bread into the enemy's camp, that it might not be supposed they were
pressed by famine. The feigned flight, which Joshua ordered his people
to make, to assist him in his designs upon Ai, affords an instance of
a stratagem of the second kind; the ensuing mischiefs of which may be
considered, as some of the effects of lawful war. The ORIGINAL DESIGN
of that pretended flight does not at all affect the question. The
enemy took it for a proof of fear; and he was at liberty to do so,
without debarring the other of his right to march this way, or that,
with an accelerated or retarded motion, with a shew of courage, or an
appearance of fear, as he might judge it most expedient.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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