Christianity a Doctrine of the Cross, Doctrine · Chapter 5
CHAP. V. Of passive Obedience under Invasions of Legal Rights among the Jews.
AGreeable to this belief and practice, of the Christians under the New Testament; was that also of the Jews under the Old Testament, in this case.
This was seen in their Carriage towards those Kings, both in Judah and Israel, who introduced and set up an Idolatrous Worship. To bring in, or to maintain Idolatry, was an Invasion upon the Law of their Land, as well as upon the Rights of God. Yea, and that in a point, which may seem the very ground and bottom of their Law, and among the most fundamental, as many now to move Stirs would have taught them, in the Jewish Constitution. For the Civil State of Jury, was at first a Theocracy. The true God, was not only their God, whom they were to observe in regard to another World: but their King too, under whom they were incorporated, and to unite together as a Society of this World. As a Polity of this World, they were Gods People, who modell'd their Constitution, and prescribed them their Laws, from whom, and in whose Name, was Legislation and Judicature, and who, as their supreme Orderer and Director, was to be consulted, for Peace and War. The Law of Moses, whom Longinus calls the *foreign p. 34.Legislator of the Jews, was the Law of their Land. And this Law, was a political Covenant betwixt them and the true God, all to be observ'd in keeping under him, not in Defection from him. Hence, the going to serve other Gods, is by way of eminence call'd working Wickedness in breaking or transgressing his Covenant. Deut. 17.2, 3, &c. And accordingly, Moses, having the two Tables of the Law in his hands, which he †v. 9.11.calls the Tables of Gods Covenant with the Jews; brake both the Tables before their eyes, when he saw them fallen from the Worship of God, to the Golden Calf. Thereby noting the Covenant to be broken by Idol Worship, and that these Laws or Tables, were a Charter or Covenant, to incorporate them under the true God, not under Idols. Deut. 9.17. And answerably, on any such defection, such Inquisition and Procedure, both towards Seducers and Seduced, was appointed thereby, without any Allowance of Misprision or ‖c. 13.8.9.Concealment even of the dearest person, as is proper for the highest State Crime. c. 13. and c. 17. So that for any King, to go to set up other Gods in Jury; was not only to act illegally, or break thro Laws and Statutes among them; but to undermine the very bottom of all their Laws, and break in upon the main and most important things in the Jewish Law or Constitution.
Now Ahab, suppressed the Worship of the true God in Israel, which was the legal and establish'd Religion; banish'd and put to death the Prophets, extirpated the Professors, in Appearance, so far, as that they seem'd even clean gone to *1 King. xix.14.Elijah himself. And having pull'd down the Worship of God, prescribed by Law; set up the Worship of Baal, that was forbid by Law, and all by his own Authority. Here, was mere Will and Power, over-ruling Laws; and illegal Invasion and arbitrary Power, in the most tender and fundamental points: and all this acted to the highest Extremities, and with greatest Outrage. But yet all this would not authorize their levying War, and rising in Arms, against this impious and illegal Invader of Religion and Laws. Even Elijah, whose Spirit goes further in opposition and return of ill, than †Luk. ix.54, 55, 56.Christs doth, calling down fire from Heaven to consume those that were sent to take him: yet opposes all this, only by freedom of Confession, and saves himself by flight, and enjoys his Soul in Patience, and seeks Redress by Prayers and Trust in Providence. But never sollicits, nor seeks to stir up the many Thousands in Israel, both Priests and People, who possibly might have some Remains of Faith and Zeal for the Lord of Hosts, to defend their legal and establish'd Worship, and keep out Heathenism against their King, by Insurrection and Rebellion. But wicked, idolatrous, and illegally administring Ahab, and his House, were to hold his Crown, till God himself, who is the rightful Judge of Princes, expresly deposed and disauthorized them, and, not by mere course of Providence, but by ‖1 King. xix.16. & 2 King. ix.5, 6, 12, 13particular Nomination, and the anointing of a Prophet, set Jehu upon his Throne.
What more common among the Kings of Israel and Judah, than to persecute the true Worship of God; and to set up, and impose a false one, in its stead. All the Kings of Israel, were open and plain Idolaters. And so were several, of the Kings of Judah. Particularly, *2 Chron. xxviii.2, 3, 24.Ahaz shut up the doors of the House of the Lord, fell to the Abomination of the Heathen, and made him Altars in every corner of Jerusalem. And †2 Chron. xxxiii.Manasseh, brought the Heathen Idols into the very Temple of Jerusalem: excluding and banishing the true God, whole Worship was setled by Law, from his own House; and setting up the Abomination of Idols, which the Law forbad, in the most publick places. Here, is legal Truth, arbitrarily turned out: and illegal Error, as arbitrarily set up, even in the authorized and most publick places, the Churches and Temples of the Land. And this, against all Religion, and National Laws; even those, that in the style of many now to stir up Insurrection, would be call'd most essential to the Civil Constitution it self; and which were not dependant on the King, either to make, or to repeal them. But Elijah and Elisha, Micha and Isaiah, and all the other holy Prophets, who, of all persons, were the fittest, as the Trump of God, to sound to Arms, and call men to rise in Gods Cause: yet, when sent to cry out, against this dishonor of God, and breach of Laws, they did it only as Confessors, not as Ring-leaders to Rebellion. They never attempted this course for redress, nor stirr'd up the People, to defend God and the Laws against their Kings by armed Resistance, or by Deposing of those impious and arbitrary Princes.
To descend now from Religion, when taken into the Law, and made a Civil Right, to Property. Saul persecuted David, not in any way of Law and Justice, but of mere wilful Fury and Cruelty, to shed his innocent Blood: as he had already done, by the Blood of a ‖1 Sam. xxii.18.Number of Priests, without any regard, either to the Innocence of the Men, or the Sacredness of their Function. This sure was an Invasion of Rights, not only the common Rights of Humanity, but of their Civil Rights, of the sixth Commandment saying Thou shalt not kill, which was not only the Law of God, but the Law of their Land, or of Jury. Now whilst Saul was acting thus against Law, and invading Rights; doth David think he has lost all claim to his former Submission, and may be looked on thenceforward, and opposed, as a mere unauthorized person? No, but owns him for the Lords anointed at that very time; and thereupon, that he could not do against him, what was unlawful against one, of that Character and Denomination. How can I stretch forth my hand against him, and be guiltless, seeing he is the Lords anointed. 1 Sam. xxvi.9. Like as afterwards, whilst Pilate was passing an unjust Sentence in a Case of Blood, and that against his own Conscience and Confessions: our Lord still owns him as one, that had Power over him from above. Jo. xix.11.
Such likewise was the breach of Property, when Ahab, against all Law and Justice, seized Naboth's Vineyard, together with his Life, which was a much more valuable Freehold. And when Jezabel fill'd all places, with illegal Executions; keeping alive the Priests of Baal, whom the Law utterly and inexorably destroy'd; and destroying all the Prophets of the Lord she could find, good Obadiah venturing his life, to hide and maintain an hundred of them by Fifties in a Cave from her fury, all whom the Law protected. And when the Kings and Princes, of Judah and Israel, were complained of by *c. iii.14, 15.Isaiah, for Exactions, and Oppressions, and perverting of Justice. As others were by †Jer. xxii.17.Jeremy, ‖Ezek. xxii.27.Ezekiel, ‡Hos. vi.9.Hosea, *Am. v.12Amos, †Mich. iii.1, 2, 3.9, 10, 11.Micha, ‖Zeph. iii.3.Zephaniah, &c. for Grinding the Faces of their Subjects, shedding innocent Blood, and turning aside the Poor in the Gate from their Right. But tho here was breach of Laws, and legal Properties: yet was this never allow'd, as a just Pretence for the injured Subjects, by force of Arms to do themselves Right, and rebel against such invading Princes. The holy Prophets talked of no Forfeitures of Crowns, or Depositions of Kings, or discharge of Duty and Allegiance, on these Accounts: but refer'd them to God, the Supreme Judge, to right them against their invading Sovereigns. This in those days was their Maxim, as it is in the Words of Rabbi Jeremiah; No creature may judge the King, but the holy and blessed God alone.
‖See An Inquiry into the meas. of Submis. to the Sup. Au…. Art. 8.Some, indeed, think to turn by the Scriptures of the Old Testament, forbidding this Resistance among the Jews, as of no force with us, because they had Kings immediately delegated by God, either in Answers from the Cloud of Glory, or Unction by Prophets. And what was there forbid against such a King, they think is only of force under others, who come in by like special prophetical Delegation.
Now as to this, it solves not the Argument, from the Dueness of Non-resistance to Jewish or Israelitish Kings: for that was as due to those that wanted, as to those that had these immediate Nominations. It was as due to Ahab, and all those other Kings of Israel, that were such Invaders of Laws and Rights, as I observed, as to Jeroboam, or to Jehu. And yet, among the Kings of Israel, Jeroboam, and Jehu alone, had this prophetical Nomination; all the rest coming in by humane Titles, like the Kings of other Nations. And as due to Hezekiah, and Josiah, and all the other Kings of Judah, that were Kings by descent; as to Saul, or David, who were set up by immediate Message from God. And yet, after David, and Solomon, the Crown in Judah, went by the course of Descent in the Royal Blood, without any Interposition, so far as we can see in Scripture, of Gods personal Nomination. Even in Joash's Case, who was set up against Athaliah after six years possession, no such thing was pretended. Jehoiada the Priest, who managed that Revolution, not pretending for young Joash, any Message of a Prophet, or Answer from the Cloud of Glory, which, had that been their method of setting up Kings in those days, he, as chief Priest, should have consulted; but only his heritable Right according to the Constitution of Jury, or being of †2 Chron. xxiii.3.the House of David.
Besides, Non-resistance, and other Duties to Sovereign Governors, do not depend upon the method, or way of coming into Power; but only on that rightful Power and Authority, they are come into. Honor thy Father, obey Magistrates, submit to the King as supreme, be subject to the Higher Powers, and other like Sayings of Scripture requiring these Duties, look only at the Authority. If a Man is the true Father, the rightful Power, and the lawful King, they ask no more to make all these due to him: making no difference, whether he comes to have this Right, by an Humane Title, or by a Divine.
Now all that Gods personal Nomination doth, is, as other personal Titles do, to fix the Power in a certain person. It gives no inlargement of Power, or greater extent of Prerogative. And not widening or enlarging the Authority, it can make, or call for no more Duty. And accordingly, these Duties, were as much the due of those Kings, that came in by humane Titles among the Jews; as of those, who were personally named by God himself. And they are as due, to any Kings of other Nations, as they were to Jewish Kings. For Government, is instituted of God, for all Nations, as well as Jury. And Obedience to Governors, is a natural Duty. So that Subjects of all Governments, are call'd to pay these Duties, as much as the Jewish Subjects were. Now to bid men be subject, and submissive, and obedient, and not to resist, and the like, are as plain and full, as I noted at first, as the most ordinary Understandings need to be taught, against all Resistance. What said God more than this against Resistance, to the Jews, when he named any King himself? Nay, if we come to make Comparisons, where are the Sayings against it, under any such Kings, so numerous and express? And these are as plain, if Men are willing to understand what God plainly tells them, when spoken in case of a Roman Emperor, who had a humane Title▪ as they would have been, in case of Saul, who had a divine Title.
They are due to any persons, as having Gods Authority, and being his Vicegerents. Thus ‖Rom. xiii.1, 2.4, 5.S. Paul notes of all Duties of Subjects, and particularly of Non-resistance, saying, They that resist shall receive Damnation, as resisting the Powers that be of God, and the Ordinance of God, and requiring Subjection out of Conscience, because they are Gods Ministers. So that as to matter of Resistance, any other King has the conscionable Bar against it, as much as a King of Gods own naming, if he be but Gods Minister and Ordinance. But now the Power of Kings by humane Titles, is Gods Power, and God owns this way of coming in, and empowers them as much, as those that come in by his own personal Nomination: declaring, that their Power is his Power, and that they are his Ministers and Ordinance. All which, S. Paul says as expresly of the Roman Emperor, as he could have said of any Prince, immediately call'd out, and commission'd by God himself.
The seditious Jews, I conceive were of this Opinion, that the Heathen Powers, not set up by any Revelations, but left to humane Claims, were not Kings of Gods making. And so were wont to despise, and speak slightfully of them: Despising Dominion, and speaking evil of Dignities, as S. Jude says of the Seditious Judaizers, v. 8. But S. Paul tells such Men, that these Powers, were as truly of God, as any of their own Nation: and that Gods Command, for obeying Powers, was as much for obeying these, as it had been for obeying them. There is no power, saith he, but of God. And he that resists the Power, resists the Ordinance of God. …, the Divine Precept, viz. the fifth Commandment, or other Precepts, that oblige Subjects, and empower Princes, and give as much Duty to these Heathen Powers, as they had done to any among the Jews, Rom. xiii.1, 2.
And like to this, of the different ways of their coming in, making no difference in our Duties to them, we find in other instances. In point of Property, we come into our Lands and Possessions, by an humane Law and Allotment; but they came into theirs in Canaan, by a *Numb. xxvi.53, 54, 55, 56. and cap. xxxiv.13.17.29.divine. But yet there is as much Stealing, and a breach of the eighth Commandment, in taking away our things from us; as there was, in taking away theirs from them. And in case of Servitude, the Primitive Masters came by their Servants, either as their Captives, taken in War; or as their Purchase, bought with money like their Cattle in the Markets: but we by Contract, all our Servants voluntarily submitting themselves to us, and at their own choice. Yet, for all this different Rise of Masters Powers, when once Servants are got under them, the same Gospel Precepts, of Diligence, Fidelity, and not answering again, &c. do equally oblige in both Cases. The Duties respecting either Power, or Property, depend not on the particular manure of coming in: but only on the Rightfulness, and Degrees, of that Power and Property, which any Persons are come in to. More Power, I grant, there is in some Princes, and more Liberties to some Subjects, than to others, according to the difference of Civil Governments and Constitutions. But since the Power of the Jewish Kings, was a Power limited by Laws, as ours is; an Invasion of Laws and Rights, can no more justifie Resistance in our Case, than it did in theirs. And to say they did not come into this limited and Legal Power the same way, makes no difference as to this business.
The Scriptures of the New Testament likewise, †Ib. Art. …they endeavor to turn off, by saying, they only bind us not to resist, when true Religion has Laws against it: but for all those Precepts, we may resist, when it has a Law on its side. If we may do thus, when we have a Law for Religion: then, since Law is as good in one Case, as in another, when we have a Law for Liberty, or Property, or any thing else. But this, as I have shewn, is contrary to the sense of those Gospel Precepts, and to the Belief and Practice of Gospel and Primitive Times. Which tied up the Hands of Christians, when they suffered illegal things, and were treated by their Governors, in numerous and most concerning Points, against the Laws.
Again, ‖Ib. Art. 10.they say those Precepts were directed against Jews, who were not for submitting, or paying Allegiance, to Foreiners, or Heathens. Admit they had one Eye against these: yet, at the same time, they had as much against any others, that would have run into the same Jewish Practice, or have been for making Warlike Resistance to those Powers, on any other pretences. The thing those Precepts are plainly for securing, is Non-Resistance to those Powers, notwithstanding any thing, that could be alledged against them. And as the Jews might pretend in those days, that they were Foreiners, and Heathens: so might others, and with as much truth too, that they were Invaders of Laws, of Rights, and Liberties. And yet for all these, or any other pretences Seditious Spirits should start, the Apostles peremptorily injoyn all good Christians, to own them still as Gods Ordinance, and to forbear all warlike Resistance towards them, not only for wrath, but for Conscience sake. And thus, in obedience to those injunctions, they all practised at that time: as their followers did, in the succeeding Persecutions. And the Scriptures are written for a Rule of Christs Church, alike in all times: as much to us, as they were to former Ages. So that these Precepts, both of Old and New Testament, are as binding upon us, as ever they were, upon either the Jews, or the Primitive Christians. And whatever pretences were pleadable in their Case, whilst the Inspired Pen-men told them they were bound not to Resist: to be sure those same pretences, can never Cancel our Obligation more than it did theirs, or make it lawful for us do it. We must follow them to Heaven, in the same way the Apostles taught, and they took; or else we are not like to get thither at all.