Saints No Smiters, Treatise · Section 8
§ 8. More arguments are urged from censures, and determinations in the New Testament.
A Fourth argument I deduce from those places of holy scripture which censure, condemn and denounce woe unto those practises, which the Doctrine of the Quinto-Monarchians incites men to, and they magnify as the fruits of Gods Spirit. The Apostle Peter 2 Epist. 2. 9, 10, 11. The Lord knowes how to deliver the Godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment, to be punished. But chiefly them that walk after the flesh, in the lust of uncleanness, and dispise Government, or Dominion, presumptuous are they, self-willed: they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities: whereas Angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not a railing accusation against them before the Lord. Which is seconded by St. Jude v. 8, 9, 10. Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise Dominion, and speak evil of dignities. Yet Michael the Arch-Angel, when contending with the Devil, he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, the Lord rebuke thee. But these speak evil of the things they know not. In which passages those holy Apostles rank, the despisers of Dominion, those that speak evil of dignities, not among the Saints, but amongst the most accursed reprobates (though those Dominions and dignities were as bad as might be, in respect of their personal qualities and actions) yea the Arch-Angels example is brought in as not daring to bring against the Devil himself, when there was a contention about Moses his body, a railing accusation; but referred it to the Lord to rebuke him, teaching thereby, that such terms, as contain threatning, contempt, reproach of Governors, and dignities, are altogether unsuteable to Saints, and such as they should not dare to utter, though they contended with the Devil himself, much less with men, that are in Power and Authority, much less to smite them, and directing how to deal with them, when they be injurious, to wit, to defer their cause to God for his suppression of them, and threatning wo to the practisers of contempt of Dominion, and speaking evil of dignities. All which are contrary to the Doctrine of Quinto-Monarchians, who revile, dispise, threaten them, commend the smiting of them, as the generation work, promise rewards to them that do it. Whence I infer that Doctrine which animates men to such practises, as are damned by the holy Apostles St. Peter and St. Jude, is damnable and Antichristian. But such is the Doctrine of Quinto-Monarchians, concerning their vilifying and smiting civil powers: therefore it is damnable and Antichristian.
If any object our Saviours answer, Luk. 13. 32. to some Pharisees, who said to him, get thee out and depart hence, for Herod will kill thee, bidding them, go ye and tell that Fox, behold I cast out Devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected; I answer, these words do not at all contain any vilifying of the Kingdoms of the fourth Beast, or contempt of the Kings of the earth: But a reproof of Herods evil qualities of craft and crueltie, and a professed resolution of his going on in his work with undanted magnanimity, till the time came of his laying down his life, with a prediction, that it should not be where Herod had jurisdiction, but at Jerusalem. As for that which we read, Isai. 37. 22. This is the word of the Lord which he hath spoken concerning Sennacherib King of Assyria, the Virgin the daughter of Sion hath despised thee, and laughed thee to scorn, the daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her head at thee, it gives no allowance for one of the Lamb's followers to express contempt of the Kings of the earth; though they were all of them (as they are unjustly charged) the lovers of the Mother of Harlots, and Abominations of the earth; this being a breach of a plain rule in the New Testament, requiring subjection to them, and condemning contempt of them, which is not in a holy triumph of faith, but rather in a proud self magnifying, or factious animosity, not a deriding of their threats, and Blasphemous desparaging of God, as was that which the Prophet from God fore-told the Jews should do to a King, that had no Authority over them, but was an hostile Invader of them, and by express warrant from God, but a vilifying of the powers that are termed the Kingdom of the fourth Beast, as opposite to the Kingdom, power and glory of Jesus Christ our Lord; though the Apostle Peter expressely bid, Honour the King, even then when the King was of the fourth Beast, as they speak, and opposite to the Kingdom, power, and glory of Christ Jesus. The Prophet Isaiah never taught the Jewes to vilify Manasseh his Kingdom, or Authority, notwithstanding his reprehension of his wickedness, and prediction of his calamity: And in like manner, though preachers called to that Office, may in a fit way shew Princes their sins, and declare their danger: Yet in no sort are they to vilify their Authority, or contemn their persons. Nor may men pretend the imitation of the holy Prophets boldness, unless they can shew their commission, and are endowed with their Spirit and power: Nor may men, who are but private persons, take upon them to do as Christ did when he drove the buyers and sellers out of the Temple.
Which will be more fully proved by a fifth argument taken from some resolutions, or determinations of our Lord Christ, which condemn such attempts & practises, as the Quinto-Monarchians Doctrine animates to, upon pretence of zeal for Christ and his Kingdom. Luke, 9. 54, 55, 56. When Christ was to go to Jerusalem, he sent messengers before his face, and they went and entered into a Village of the Samaritans to make ready for him. And they did not receive him, because his face was asthough he would go to Jerusalem, and when his Desciples James and John, saw this, they said, Lord wilt thou that we command fire to come down from Heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? But he turned, and rebuked them and said, ye know not what manner of Spirit ye are of. For the son of man is not come to destroy mens lives, but to save them. In which resolution our Saviour condemns the motion of James and John, to have fire come down from Heaven, to destroy the Samaritans, for their not entertaining of Christ, in imitation of Elias, out of zeal for Christ; because it was not out of the same Spirit that Elijah had, nor agreeable to the end of Christs coming, and his Gospel, which were not to destroy mens lives, but save them. Now then the Doctine of Quinto-Monarchians, which urgeth their smiting work, which tends to the destroying of mens lives, and not the saving of them, out of a zeal, as they conceive, for Christ and his Kingdom, though there be no other then a private, or rather an haughty factious Spirit in them, is contrary to Christs resolution, and therefore indeed damnable and Antichristian. Nor hath it indeed in Christ, or his Apostles Doctrine, or example any warrant; but is an imitation of that pernicious use of the later Jewes, which was taken up in a perverse imitation of Phinehas his act Numb. 25. of Elias, 1 Kings 18. 40. 2 Kings 1. 10. and some others, out of zeal for their Law, without Authority, to destroy those things and persons, which they judged contrary thereto, as in the stoning of Stephen, Act. 7. St. Paul Acts, 14. 19. &c. In which they were carried furiously, and violently without any legal judicial proceeding, hearing and sentence by Authorized Judges; which caused so many seditions, and such outrages, as at last provoked the Romans to make a most horrid destruction of that people, and ruin of that state. To which the Quinto-Monarchians opinon, and practise hath been too like, and, if not stayed, would bring the like effect on Church and State with us. The other determination is that of our Saviour in the case of Peters drawing his sword to rescue Christ in the garden from the Soldiers, which came to take him, and striking a servant of the High Priests and smiting off his ear, which our Saviour disallowed, bidding him to put up his sword again into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword, Matth. 26. 52. where our Lord, who had bid them buy swords, Luke, 22. 36. a little before, yet forbids the drawing of it, and smiting off the ear of a servant of the High Priest, though it were out of zeal for him, it being against an Officer by a person without Authority declaring the evil consequence, which would follow on such usage of it. Now the Quinto-Monarchians smiting civil powers out of pretended zeal for Christs Kingdom without any authority in a furious heart of spirit is much more apparently contrary to Christs resolution in Peters case, and therefore is censured justly to be damnable and Antichristian.