Thus far and no farther

A commenter at David Warren's blog accuses Mr. Warren of not advocating Christian solutions to problems in the Middle East. Warren replies,

The Christian has no business hating his enemies, or settling scores from the motive of revenge. But neither is he deprived by faith of the most elementary right of self-defence, nor under an obligation to permit the slaughter of himself & others — whether they be his fellow Christians or not.

In condemning appeasement, I am addressing the moral responsibility of the state, which it shirks at the risk of its own legitimacy, even survival. It must maintain boundaries. It must declare, “Thus far & no farther.” It must declare, impersonally, in defence of those boundaries, “If you do this, we do that.” And it must do, consistently, what it has declared: no more & no less. That is the upright course, & the mark against which I judge the state’s success or failure.