life of righteous men preserves and forwards the common
good, since they are the chief part of the community. Therefore it is
in no way lawful to slay the innocent.

Reply Obj. 1: God is Lord of death and life, for by His decree both
the sinful and the righteous die. Hence he who at God's command kills
an innocent man does not sin, as neither does God Whose behest he
executes: indeed his obedience to God's commands is a proof that he
fears Him.

Reply Obj. 2: In weighing the gravity of a sin we must consider the
essential rather than the accidental. Wherefore he who kills a just
man, sins more grievously than he who slays a sinful man: first,
because he injures one whom he should love more, and so acts more in
opposition to charity: secondly, because he inflicts an injury on a
man who is less deserving of one, and so acts more in opposition to
justice: thirdly, because he deprives the community of a greater
good: fourthly, because he despises God more, according to Luke
10:16, "He that despiseth you despiseth Me." On the other hand it is
accidental to the slaying that the just man whose life is taken be
received by God into glory.

Reply Obj. 3: If the judge knows that a man who has been convicted by
false witnesses, is innocent he must, like Daniel, examine the
witnesses with great care, so as to find a motive for acquitting the
innocent: but if he cannot do this he should remit him for judgment
by a higher tribunal. If even this is impossible, he does not sin if
he pronounce sentence in accordance with the evidence, for it is not
he that puts the innocent man to death, but they who stated him to be
guilty. He that carries out the sentence of the judge who has
condemned an innocent man, if the sentence contains an inexcusable
error, he should not obey, else there would be an excuse for the
executions of the martyrs: if however it contain no manifest
injustice, he does not sin by carrying out the sentence, because he
has no right to discuss the judgment of his superior; nor is it he
who slays the innocent man, but the judge whose minister he is.
_______________________

SEVENTH ARTICLE [II-II, Q. 64, Art. 7]

Whether It Is Lawful to Kill a Man in Self-defense?

Objection 1: It would seem that nobody may lawfully kill a man in
self-defense. For Augustine says to Publicola (Ep. xlvii): "I do not
agree with the opinion that one may kill a man lest one be killed by
him; unless one be a soldier, exercise a public of