Saints No Smiters, Treatise · Section 7
§ 7. More arguments are urged against Quinto-Monarchians Doctrine, from precepts and examples of holy persons.
A Second argument against the smiting of civil powers, I draw from those words of St. Paul 1 Tim. 2. 1, 2, 3. I exhort therefore, that first of all supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for allmen: For Kings, & for all that are in Authority, or excellency, or eminent place, or sovereign dignity; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness & honesty. For this is good & acceptable in the sight of God our Savior. Therefore, it is likely, hath reference to what he had said before. chap. 1. 18. Because of the Prophecies that went before of thee, that by them thou mightest war a good warfare, I charge thee, and exhort thee, and first of all I exhort thee; being to add other exhortations, or, as we read it, that first of all, that is, as the chief or prime thing of all other; supplications against evils, prayers for good things, intercessions for others, thanksgivings be made for all men; all sorts of men, even for Kings, or Emperors (who were then persecutors of Christians and promoters of Idol service) and all their undergovernours, to the intent we may lead a quiet and peacable life free from Invasions, Robberies, and Injuries in all godliness, and honesty, gravity, or seemliness: For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour. Whence may be inferred, 1. That intercessions are to be made for the worst of Kings, even the persecuting Emperors of the Fourth Monarchy, and for all that are in authority, or dignity. 2. That there should be thanksgivings for them. 3. That this is good and acceptable in the sight of God or Saviour. 4. That this is a benefit to Christians, that they may lead a quiet and peaceable life by means of Kings and persons in authority. 5. That to this Christian teachers are to exhort. 6. That first of all they should do this, or exhort them to do this first of all, or as chiefest of all. Whence I argue,
That work, and the inciting to it, must needs be damnable and Antichristian, which is directly contrary to that, which St. Paul exhorts in the first place, or chiefly to be done; this I should think none should deny, who acknowledgeth St. Paul to have been an Apostle of Christ, and to have known and delivered in this Epistle the mind of Christ: But the work of smiting civil powers, and the Doctrine of Quinto-Monarchians, inciting thereto by accursing them, stirring up hatred against them, exposing them to disobedience, contempt, opposition of such as are under them, is directly contrary to that, which St. Paul exhorts in the first place, or chiefly to be done. Which no man that is well in his wits can deny, cursing, stirring up hatred against civil powers, exposing them to disobedience, contempt, opposition of such as are under them, being as directly contrary to praying, and giving thanks for them, as black to white, bitter to sweet, and raising War, and taking up Arms, and smiting them being diametrally opposite to leading a quiet and peaceable life under them, or by their means, and counting this to tend to the promoting of Christs Kingdom, contrary to the Apostle who makes it a hinderance of godliness and honesty, and judging that to be the generation work of illuminated, and the most sincere Saints, which is contrary to what St. Paul saith is good, and to expect, that God should reward, and highly regard men for doing that smiting work, is contrary to what St. Paul makes acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour. Now that Doctrine which is thus contrary to St. Paul, must needs be damnable and Antihristian, and therefore the conclusion followes, that the Doctrine of the Quinto-Monarchians smiting work of civil powers, is damnable and Antichristian. I know no exception against this, but what was against the former argument, and is refelled, and therefore I pass on to a third argument.
The third argument I shall urge against the Doctrine of smiting eivil powers is from the examples of Christ, his Apostles, the holy Martyrs and Saints of the first and best ages of the Christian Church, which should be as a Rule to the succeeding. Concerning the example of our Lord Christ it is manifest, that our Lord Christ was Subject to his Parents, his Mother Mary, and his reputed Father Joseph, Luke 2. 51. that though he pleaded immunity from paying the didrachms, or shekles translated tribute money, Matth. 17. 25. yet he paid it, that he might not offend the Collectors, or Rulers who imployed them, who, whether they were the Officers of the Romans, or of the High Priest; and the mony paid for the use of the Temple, as Cameron in his Prelection on that scripture argues; yet it shewes he was voluntarily, though not necessitated, resolved to have regard to Rulers of every sort, that he might therein be an example to us of Subjection. Which is more fully proved by his answer to the High Priest adjuring him, Matth. 26. 63. by his confession before Pontius Pilate, 2 Tim. 6. 13. mentioned as imitable by Timothy v. 12. And most of all by his sufferings even unto death, in which the Apostle Peter 1 Epistle 2. 21. Tells us, that Christ also suffered fo us, leaving us an example, foreign a copy or written description, or impression, that ye should follow his steps, and this is applied as an argument, why they should submit themselves to every Ordinance of man for the Lords sake; not meerly out of fear of punishment, but in obedience to Christs command, or conformity to his pattern, and these humane Ordinances are named to be Kings, Governours sent by them, Masters not only good and Gentle, but also froward. Whereby it is plain, that our Lord Christ by his Subjection, both active and passive, imposeth on all Saints Subjection to all sorts of Rulers, whether Houshold, or Ecclesiastical, or civil in the Common-wealth, as a necessary duty, and therefore the Doctrine of Quinto-Monarchians teaching it as an incumbent duty, on the most illuminated (as they fancy it) Saints to disclaim not only Ecclesiastical Rulers, but also civil powers in order to their smiting work, and also to smite them is damnable and Antichristian. Nor can here the pretences of their being of the fourth Monarchy, from Rome, Oppressors, Idolaters, Antichristian, salve the matter, fith those Priests of the Jewes, and Roman Governours, to whom Christ yeiled Subjection, were as bad, and every way as obnoxious to their criminations of the present Governours, as any now be. Assuredly the present Governours in these Nations, cannot be charged with such things as Pilate, Caiaphas, and the rest of those Governors, to whom Christ was subject, were chargable wth without extream impudence. This argument is further confirmed from the examples of all the holy Apostles, Martyrs, and Confessors in the primative times of Christianity. Instances might be given in James, Peter, Paul, who doubtless could as easily have killed their persecutors as Ananias, and Sapphira, or strucken them blind, as St. Paul did Elymas the Sorcerer, yet submitted themselves to imprisonment, pleaded their cause before Roman Rulers, appealed to Caesar, suffered even to death. In the times following the Christians served under the persecuting Roman Emperors in their Wars, and though they were in number many, dispersedover their Empire, and had Arms in their hands, whereby they might in appearance have been able to have defended themselves against the violence of their persecutors, yet they chose to suffer under the tyrannous Emperors, that then were, rather than to rise up against them to revenge themselves, because their Christian profession did forbid them, as Tertullian, Apolog. c. 37. ad scapulam. c. 2. Cyprian ad Demetr. and others plead for them.
Out of these and other examples, which might be produced, we may argue thus. That Doctrine which teacheth men to do contrary to the examples and profession of our Lord Christ Jesus, his Apostles, Martyrs, Confessors, Saints in the first and best ages of Christianity, is damnable and Antichristian. But such is the Doctrine of the Quinto-Monarchians, concerning their smiting of civil powers, as is manifest by comparing them, therefore it is damnable and Antichristian.