Saints No Smiters, Treatise · Section 9
§ 9. Quinto-Monarchians Doctrine of smiting civil powers urgeth to resisting of evil and self-revenging forbidden by Christ and his Apostles, and to most horrid Murthers, and great confusions.
A Sixth argument against the Doctrine of smiting civil powers, in order to the setting up of the Fifth-Monarchy, is taken from those texts of scripture, which forbid resisting of evil and avenging our selves. Our Lord Christ. Matth. 5. 38, 39. reciting out of the Law of Moses words interpreted, as allowing retaliation of wrongs with the like, as those who threaten to others, that they will give them as good as they bring, he on the contrary tels his Disciples, But I say unto you, resist not evil: But whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. Which is not to be understood simply and absolutely, as if that turning the cheek were to be done alwayes in the act it self: But in a comparative sense, rather than make a brawl or fight, take further injury signified by the proverbial phrase of turning the check: now if Christians be forbidden to fight, when they are injured, to recompense evil for evil, then much more are they forbidden, being private persons, to whom the sword is not commited, of their own accord to begin a War even with superiors, and to proclaim it in order to procuring of good, as the Quinto-Monarchians Doctrine moves Saints to. Likewise St. Paul, Rom. 12. 17. Recompense to no man evil for evil v. 19. Dearly beloved avenge not your selves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it written, vengeance is mine, I will repay it saith the Lord, v. 21. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. 1 Peter, 3. 9. Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: But contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing: When David had cut off Sauls skirt, his heart smote him, and he said unto his men, the Lord forbid that I should do this thing unto my Master the Lords annointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord, 1 Sam. 24. 5, 6. The Lord judge between me and thee, and the Lord avenge me of thee, but mine hand shall not be upon thee. As saith the Proverb of the Ancients, Wickedness proceeedeth from the wicked: but mine hand shall not be upon thee. v. 12. 13. And David said to Abigail, blessed be the Lord God of Israel, which sent thee this day to meet me, and blessed be thy advice, and blessed be thou, which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood, and from avenging my self with mine own hand, 1 Sam. 25. 32, 33. Which shew, that herein both in the old and new Testament holy persons agree, that a King is not to be smitten though in hostility without cause, by any of his Subjects, though he were anointed to be King after him, that revenge of injury, oppression or persecution, though it extended to the slaying the Lords Priests, & to an endeavour to slay the annointed Captain of the Lords Host, is not to be attempted by a private person or subject, but to be referred to the Lord. Therefore the Doctrine of Quinto-Monarchians, urging subjects and private persons to smite their superior civil powers, and to avenge the supposed injuries and persecutions of Saints by their own hands, is contrary to Christ's, his Apostles, and Davids determinations in the holy Scriptures, and consequently damnable and Antichristian.
That which I find alledged for their practise, is in these words, The Banner of truth displayed, p. 59. All the blood of Gods people is found in Babylon: For they (i. e. her civil powers Revel. 16. 6, 6.) have shed the blood of the Saints and Prophets, Rev. 17. 6. ch. 18. 24. and 19. 1. Jer. 50. 14. now therefore God by way of recompence and retalliation, hath ordained, that the Saints shall be his instruments by which he will execute his vengeance upon the powers of the world, who are all of them murtherers: accordingly God commands his people (and 'tis their duty to obey) to reward Babylon double as she rewarded them; yea, and double unto her all those plagues, deaths and stripes, that she hath inflicted on you, Revel. 18. 6. and they shall give her blood to drink, and she shall be burnt with fire, for strong is the Lord that judgeth her.
Wherein many things are taken as granted which are false, and the whole (if it were granted) would be insufficient to acquit them from guilt of opposing Christs precepts in that way of recompence and retaliation, which they incite to. 1. That all the powers of the world are murtherers. Which proposition contains such a crimination as God only is fit to charge them with, if it were true, sith he only knows all the powers of the world, and is privy to all their thoughts, designs and actions. 2. That the civil powers of the world are Babylon, or her civil powers. Now Babylon is termed the great, which shall become the habitation of Divels, Rev. 18. 2. and, I think, it is undoubted with all sorts of Writers and intelligent persons, that Babylon the great there meant is the same with the woman, Rev. 17. 4. termed v. 1. The great whore, upon whose forehead was a name, written, Mystery, Babylon the great, the mother of Hariots, and abominations of the earth v. 5. which is interpreted v. 18. And the woman which thou sawest, is that great City which reigneth over the Kings of the earth. Which commonly those who are acquainted with the Histories of the times, in which St. John received his Revelation, even Papists themselves, do take to be Rome, known to be the only City which sate on seven mountains as v. 9. is expressed and reigned then over the Kings of the earth. But how all the powers of the world now in being, or the Nations of Europe, even the Protestant should be Babylon or her civil powers, or, as elsewhere they say, the streets of that great City, and Rome-Babylon, is unintelligible to me. Rome it self, and that which is called the Patrimony of St. Peter, and the territories in Italy now subject to the Pope may be termed Babylon, and the Civil powers therein may be termed her Civil powers, and perhaps all the territories subject to the Pope in Ecclefiastical affairs may be meant by the streets of the great City mentioned Revel. 11. 8. because they yield subjection to the Roman Pope in spirituals. But how the States which do reject the Pope's power in Temporals, as the King of France, or the Duke and Senate of Venice, who stood out against Pope Paul the fifth, when he interdicted them, because they would not repeal their Laws, or release their prisoners though Ecclesiasticks, should be termed the civil powers of Rome-Babylon is not easie to be understood; much less, how the Kings of England, Denmark, Sweden and such other Protestant States, Nations and Princes as have rejected the Popes jurisdiction and authority, both in civil, and Church matters, and impose oaths of disclaiming the Popes supremacy in Spirituals, and their authority in Temporals through their Dominions on their Subjects, should be nevertheless the civil powers of Babylon, and their Countries the streets of the great City Rome-Babylon, is it conceiveable by me. If the Predecessors of these did subject themselves to the Pope in former ages, yet they are not therefore termed Babylon, but Kings of the earth who commit fornication with her, and give their power to her; but neither of these can be said of those Princes, though Successors to them, who have abandoned the Popes errors and corruptions in Religion, and his jurisdiction wholly.
3. It is suggested, that all the blood of Gods people is found in Babylon: For they (i. e. her civil powers Rev. 16. 6, 7.) have shed the blood of the Saints and Prophets, Rev. 17. 6. ch. 18. 24. and 19. 1. Jer. 50. 14. And it is true that Jer. 50. 14. it is said, put your selves in array against Babylon round about; all ye that bend the bow, shoot at her, spare no arrows, for she hath sinned against the Lord. But this is not meant of Rome-Babylon, nor of her civil powers, but of Babylon in Chaldaea many thousand miles distant from Rome, and long before these daies, or St. Johns, wasted. And yet it is not said of that Babylon that it shed the blood of the Saints and Prophets, though I deny not she is charged with the blood of the Inhabitants of Zion, Jerusalem-Israel, Jer. 51. 35. 49. It is rather charged on Jerusalem by Christ, that she killed the Prophets and stoned them that were sent unto her, that upon her might come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel, unto the blood of Zacharias Son of Barachias, whom ye, saith Christ, slew between the Temple and the Altar, Matth. 23. 34, 35. 37. It is said Rev. 16. 4, 5, 6. And the third Angel poured out his vial upon the Rivers and Fountains of waters and they became blood. And I heard the Angel of the waters say, thou art righteous, O Lord, which wast, art, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus: For they have shed the blood of Saints and Prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink, for they are worthy. And it is most probable (though there be that conceive the Rivers and Fountains of water to have been the Cities and Provinces of the Roman Empire under the Pagan Emperors, and that to them is ascribed the sheding of the blood here mentioned) that this is meant of the Papal Empire, sith it is the same which is charged on the woman, Revel. 17. 6. and Babylon Rev. 18. 24. who must be different from Rome Pagan, by reason of the things said Rev. 17. 10, 11, 12. concerning the ten Kings, which had then received no Kingdom, when St. John received this Revelation, but should receive power as Kings one hour with the Beast, &c have one mind, & give their power and strength unto the Beast: which could not be understood of the Roman Pagan Emperors, who received not power and strength from Kings, but gave power to them so, as that they ruled under them by their power, and therefore is to be interpreted of later times; which the event shews to be most probable to have been the times, wherein the Kings of Europe having divided the Roman Empire into ten Kingdoms did yet all of them sooner or later adhere to and support the Papal Dominion; which brought in errors, heresies, idolatries and superstitions, which have, and yet do corrupt the western Churches, and for maintenance of which a sea of blood hath been shed by the instigations of Friers, Jesuites and other Emissaries of Rome. Upon these especially Brightman, Mede, and some others, conceived the third vial to be poured out. But all are so far from making the Rivers which shed the blood of the Saints and Prophets, to whom blood was given to drink to be the Civil powers; that Brightman makes the pouring out of this vial to have been begun by Q. Elizabeth and the Parliament 1581. making the reconciling of the English Subjects to Rome a capital offence, and makes the then Lord Treasurer William Cecil the Angel of the Rivers, by reason of the book put forth by him termed the English Justice, wherein the putting to death of Romish Emissaries is defended. Which is also the opinion of Mede, though he add also the memorable overthrow of the Spaniard in 1588. the English and the Dutch (whom Robert Parker conceives resembled by the Angel of the waters as seated in a watery Country) by sea and land, abundantly pouring out the Cup of the mighty hand of God. But be the civil powers the shedders of the blood Rev. 16. 6. and 17. 6. and 18. 24. and 19. 2. yet it can with no colour be charged on those civil powers, that have not in obedience to the Pope acted this tragedy, but have opposed it, and avenged the blood of the Saints by execution of just laws made against the Instigators and actors in the shedding of the blood of Protestants. I cannot take upon me to absolve the civil powers from the guilt of shedding the blood of Saints and Prophets, as being ignorant how far any have been actors therein, or connived thereat; nor do I know what Gods way may be of imputing the blood-shedding of Saints and Martyrs, though by Ancestors hundreds of years ago, upon the posterity succeeding. Christs sentence against Jerusalem, Matth. 23. 34, 35. 37. makes me astonished, and to say as David Ps. 119. 120. My flesh trembleth for fear of thee, and I am afraid of thy Judgments, and with Daniel ch. 9. 8: to say, O Lord to us belongeth confusion of face to our Kings, to our Princes, and to our Fathers, because we sinned against thee; Yet hoping that the Princes and people of these Nations have been humbled, and are before God at this day for the evils committed by their forefathers under the Papacy, I trust I may add with Daniel v. 9. To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him. Sure I am it is a bold presumption which the Quinto-Monarchians have no warrant for, to charge the blood of Martyrs, shed long before their times, on the civil powers of this Generation, unless they were privy to some overt act, whereby they have shewed their approbation of it, and their readiness to tread in the same steps.
4. It is said, that therefore God by way of recompence and retaliation, hath ordained, that the Saints shall be his instrument by which he will execute his vengeance upon the powers of teh world, who are all of them Murtherers: Accordingly God commands his people (and tis their duty to obey) to reward Babylon double, as she rewarded them; yea, and double unto her with all those plagues, deaths and stripes, that she hath inflicted on you, Revel. 18. 6. And they shall give her blood to drink, and she shall be burnt with fire, for strong is the Lord that judgeth her. To which I reply. 1. that all this runs upon a palpable mistake, that the powers of the world, or the civil powers, are the Babylon, which is to be rewarded double, Rev. 18. 6. whereas it is manifest that the Babylon to be rewarded double, is that great mighty city. v. 10. out of which Gods people are to come. v. 4. which is to be utterly burnt with fire; though the inhabitants are also included, whose sins reached up to Heaven. v. 5. Glorified her self. v. 7. yet the civil powers of the world cannot be meant there, sith it is said. v. 9. And the Kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning, standing a far off, for the fear of her torments. 2. It is another mistake as if God had ordained that the Saints, or Gods people, without any other circumscription should be his instrument, by which he will execute his vengeance upon Babylon. For though it be spoken to the people of God, Revel. 18. 5. To reward Babylon as she rewarded them, in the cup she hath filled, fill her double, yet it be said, Revel. 17. 16. And the ten Horns which thou sawest upon the Beast, these shall hate the Whore and shall make her desolate, and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. For God hath put in their hearts to fulfill his will, and to agree, and give their Kingdom unto the Beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled. Whence it appears, that it is so far from truth, that the civil powers of the world are Babylon, and are to be destroyed in order to Babylons downfall, that they are distinct from Babylon, so as to stand a far off and lament her some of them, and others are to be instruments of burning her with fire. And therefore although the people of God, which are to come out of Babylon, those who are with the Lambe, called faithful and chosen, Rev. 17. 14 may be with the Kings that burn her, and being escaped out of Babylon, may be instrumental to its destruction, being joyned with the Kings, yet it doth not appear, that God hath ordained the Saints, who are only private men, and no Kings, shall do it by themselves, by their own power, but in conjunction with them or subordination to them, and therefore in the executing of vengeance on Babylon, there will be execution by the civil powers of the world, not upon them, and Saints are bound in order to this smiting work, to maintain civil powers, not to smite them, or separate from them. 3. Though the words, Revel. 18. 6. be in the Imperative mood, yet it doth not thence necessarily follow, that it is Gods command to his people, which it is their duty to obey, or else they sin against God, to reward Babylon, but it may be understood as a prediction of what should be, not as a command of what ought to be done by them as their duty, as the like expressions, Jerem. 50. 2. 14, 15. 21. 26, 27, 28, 29. (which are imitated Rev. 18. 4. 6. Revel. 19. 17. Isai. 56. 9.) are to be expounded, or as a permission allowing a person to do it, as when St. Paul saith, 1 Cor. 10. 27. Whatsoever is set before you, eat, asking no question for conscience sake: which doth not injoyn them to eat whatsoever was set before them, so as that, if they did not eat, it would be their sin; for then they should be required to be gluttons; but is an indulgence to them, allowing them liberty to eat as a thing not unlawful, but indifferent, which, unless further admonished, they might eat without scruple of conscience. 4. That it is not a command to the people, who did come out of Babylon, nor their act to reward double to Babylon, and fill to her double, but a prediction of what shall be done by others, may be gathered in that the reward to them, is to be construed to have been the slaughter of them, and the cup, which Babylon filled, was the cup of blood, which she was to drink of, Revel. 16. 6. now then those persons who were rewarded, to whom this cup was filled by Babylon, are such as had been put to death by Babylon, and therefore could not reward her double, or fill her double in the cup which she hath filled, unless they were raised from the dead, and consequently could not be the same individuals, who are invited to come out of Babylon, Revel. 18. 4. 5. Upon this consideration it is also probable, that the rewarding, and filling, Revel. 18. 6. is ascribed to the Martyrs killed, because God did it by reason of the cry of their blood, which is intimated by the words, v. 20. Rejoyce over her, thou Heaven, and ye holy Apostles and Prophets, for God hath avenged you on her, and other words, Revel. 11. 18. do intimate the same. Which, if true, is nothing to the smiting work of the Quinto-Monarchians, by military power turning their Plow-shares into swords: but only intimates the efficacy of the blood of Martys to bring divine vengeance on Babylon. 6. But were it granted; that the people of God invited to come out of Babylon, Revel. 18. 4. were the same numerical persons, who are commanded to reward Babylon double, and to fill her double in the cup, which she hath filled, and they are to do this by smiting with the sword; yet this is nothing to the Fifth-Monarchy-Men in England, unless they should be in Babylon at that time, when Gods people should come out of her, and did so come out of her. And therefore there is no command, Revel. 18. 6. for them to smite till then, but they are to put up their sword into the sheath, and to lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty under their Governors, else they will be guilty of resisting and self-revenging condemned by Christ and his Apostles, which was to be proved.