divine intervention that it was created, and by man’s social
nature that it endures. And by virtue of men’s choices there are
two states (cities), the City of God, and the City of Man. As Plato
asserted, the state was “the individual writ large;” thus, the
individuals who love the world are members of the City of Man,
and those who love God are members of the City of God.
The state, then, exists for the sake of peace. Without the state
there would be anarchy, a disorder brought about by man’s fallen
condition. This peace, however, is not a divine and complete
peace as exists in the City of God, but one of convenience. It is
an external one which yields the semblance of order, which
allows the unredeemed men to pursue their temporal goals.
Those who are the elect use the temporal order to facilitate their
path to the City of God.
The tools for the enforcement of this peace are the laws.
Augustine considered law that which has evolved or been
imposed by a ruler to insure the maintenance of earthly order.
Earthly law is concerned not so much with justice, but with
order. True justice is impossible in the City of Man. If justice is
that each receives his due, then justice cannot exist on earth. Full
justice, like full peace, exists only with God in Heaven.
Law is vested in the power of the ruler. It is enacted to
maintain order and a measure of justice. And though it is not
necessarily just, it is binding. Since the state was divinely
instituted, those in power hold, in a sense, a power that has been
ordained from above. Society is a compact between the citizens
and the rulers, and obedience to law is a part of that compact. It
may be coincidental, but there is a similarity here to Plato’s Crito
where Socrates justifies obedience to the law even though it will
mean his own death.
Obviously, the law of God is superior to all others. But
Augustine believes that the natural law, innate in man since
Adam, is the Golden Rule— “Do unto others as you would have
them do unto you.” Individuals must never violate this rule.
Also, when there is a conflict between the state’s law and God’s
law, the Christian must obey God. Therefore, the Christian must
obey the state’s law in all cases, except when there is a clear
conflict between the state law and religious law. However, if for
the sake of his religion the Christian must violate the law of the
state, he is still subject to the secular law and must not evade the
148 Political Theory: The Relationship of Man and the State