A people is bound to preserve the privileges and rights of their parliaments, which are but representatives of themselves, when they act according to the trust committed to them by the people. But when they betray that trust, and engage in conspiracy with the sovereign, the people cannot own such as their representatives, but must regard them as perjured traitors, and therefore as divested of that power and authority which is now returned to the hands of the people. In such case it is incumbent upon the people to secure themselves, their religion and their liberty, in the most efficient way Providence will permit. Their aim should be to extract themselves from the tyranny, and maintain their rights and adhere closely to the fundamental constitutions, laws and practices of their native realm. Evil laws bring in desolating judgments upon a nation; evil laws corrupt the whole body politic, demoralise the people and lay waste their heritage. Their duty, especially that of Christians, under such dispensations is --
- To acknowledge that God's hand is lifted in judgment against them: Who gave Jacob to the spoil and Israel to the robbers? did not the Lord, he against whom we have sinned? (Is. 42.24)
- To humble themselves under the hand of God (2 Chron. 12.7-8)
- To accept the punishment (Lev. 26.40)
- To repent and forsake their sin and their rebellion against God, as held forth in Solomon's prayer (1 King 8.46-48)
- To cry to the Lord for help and deliverance
- To strive earnestly for the righteous rule and dominion of Christ over that nation, and the extirpation of antichrist
- To bewail the abominations of their wicked rulers and to keep themselves separate from all their defilements, having no fellowship with works of unbelief and darkness, but rather reproving them
- To pray for such rulers as enemies and persecutors, to pray for their restraint and conversion, as did Stephen (Act. 7.60)
- To own subjection to them only as to a judgment (Neh. 9.36-38) and not confederate with them in any of their perversity: Shouldest thou help the ungodly and love them that hate the Lord? therefore is wrath upon thee from before the Lord (2 Chron. 19.2)
- To use all lawful means to be delivered from their violence and rapacity. Thus were the prophets hid in a cave from the malice of Jezebel; thus was Moses hid from Pharaoh (Heb. 11.23); thus did Christ withdraw himself out of the way of his enemies (John 8.59 etc); thus did Paul flee from Damascus; thus Joseph and Mary fled from Herod; and the wise men disobeyed his request and avoided him.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Duties of Christians Under National Judgments
Anthony Hayter, The Delight of Kings: A Compendium From A Hind Let Loose - Gen. 49.21 [ie., a compendium of A Hind Let Loose by Alexander Shields], pp. 26-27:
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Praise the LORD! Finally sound teaching on what our duties are when a nation is under judgment! Thank you. I believe this is a timely lesson for the Christian citizens of America.
ReplyDeleteDo you know where a copy of Hayter's The Delight of Kings: A Compendium From A Hind Let Loose - Gen. 49.21 can be obtained?
ReplyDeleteI used to have a copy but loaned it or lost it.
prorege at dollarnoncents ( com )
I obtained a copy from a friend, and have written to ask him if he has any more, but otherwise I am afraid I don't know where other copies can be obtained at this time.
ReplyDeleteI too think it is timely in our day and age to consider the Lord's hand upon us as a nation, and how we as American Christians ought to respond.
Andrew,
ReplyDeleteThis is very good information. But I have a question. It seems as if the "Compendium" puts "all lawful means to be delivered from their violence and rapacity." with exclusions by withdrawing from the nation. At least that is how I read it by it's examples.
What are your thoughts here about lawful revolutions?
As John Milton said in his work "Tenure of Kings": " ... those powers that do the contrary, are no powers ordain'd of God, and by consequence no obligation laid upon us to obey or not to resist them."
And I believe it was Brutus the Reformed Huguenot who gave an example of scripture with the following. "We have another very clear example concerning the town of libnah which was the dwelling place of the priests. For it revolted from Jehoram the sixth successor of David that it might no longer be subject to him; the reason for that revolt is given in the context of the history, namely that King Jehoram had forsaken the Lord God of his fathers."
Do you think the "Compendium" is against use of arms to resist? And what are your thoughts on these quotes about resisting and revolt against unlawful governments?
Hi Michael -- Anthony Hayter's "Compendium" is a summary of Alexander Shield's "A Hind Let Loose," which is perhaps the most famous treatise by a Scottish Covenanter in defense of the right to resist tyranny. Hayter writes elsewhere "It is our duty to resist tyranny, whether ecclesiastical or civil, as did Daniel." I concur with Milton, Brutus, Hayter and Shields, et al., that tyranny can and should be resisted with force as a last resort when, as Calvin said, a lesser civil magistrate is there to interpose for the people. You may find my series of posts on resistance to tyranny to be of interest.
ReplyDeletehttp://virginiahuguenot.blogspot.com/2009/06/rebellion-to-tyrants-is-obedience-to.html
http://virginiahuguenot.blogspot.com/2009/06/rebellion-to-tyrants-is-obedience-to_24.html
http://virginiahuguenot.blogspot.com/2009/06/rebellion-to-tyrants-is-obedience-to_4101.html
http://virginiahuguenot.blogspot.com/2009/07/tyranny-maxim.html
Andrew,
ReplyDeleteThank you for the answer and information.. Quick question: What if there is no lesser civil magistrate to interpose for the people? Should the people just have to live with it, obey, and/or leave the nation? Do we then have no other recourse when a ministeral magistrate veers into tyranny and even enforces evil laws?
By the way, where can I read the entirety of Alexander Shield's "A Hind Let Loose"?
Michael,
ReplyDelete"A Hind Let Loose" is available on Google Books here:
http://books.google.com/books?id=boAAAAAAMAAJ&dq
Calvin says that without a lesser civil magistrate to interpose, it is the lot of people to suffer and endure patiently and, of course, only obey tyrants in the Lord. I think it is a personal decision as to whether to leave the nation as the Marian exiles like John Knox did or stay as others have. But all should pray that the Lord will raise up faithful greater and lesser civil magistrates who know their duty to kiss the Son and serve the people whom they are charged to protect.
Blessings!
Another thought, In our country the highest government is not the people who run the government but the constitution of the United States with the Declaration of Independence. It seems to me that the Constitution and the Declaration grants the people the power to over throw a government that violates the Constitution so in a form the people would be obeying the magistrate of the land (the Constitution) by raising arms against lesser magistrates (Congress, Supreme Court, President, etc) that are violating the laws of the nation and that they are most likely evil violations.
ReplyDeleteSo does this change things at least for our country since the highest magistrate is the Constitution?
I think the "Supreme Law" of the land is the Constitution, according to the Constitution, and it provides for a process of amending itself and allows public officials who violate the law to be punished. The legal status of the Declaration is a matter of debate, although it gives strong precedent to the theory that tyrannical governments can be resisted and abolished. I personally would not view the Constitution as a magistrate, but as a law, or legal standard (which I think is defective since it fails to honor the Kingship of Christ and opposes God's moral law at various points). I do think a lesser civil magistrate is necessary, following steps of appeal and due process, to oppose a greater tyrant.
ReplyDeleteThis blog came to my attention, because my thoughts have recently turned to the material authored by A Hayter, in light of the current poloitical debate in this country. Having co-inherited the copywrite to all A Hayter's published and unpublished writings, I am wondering if readers of this blog have an interest in a new edition of this booklet? The contact email is sanon1214@juno.com. J. Hayter
ReplyDeleteMr. Hayter -- Thank you for writing! Speaking for myself, the answer to your query is "Yes!"
ReplyDeleteThanks for this brother. May all of Christendom read and do these things.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this brother. May all of Christendom read and do these things.
ReplyDelete