Saturday, July 10, 2010

The Duty of Nations

James R. Willson, Political Danger: Essays on the Mediatorial Kingship of Christ over nations and their political institutions 1809-1838, ed., Gordon J. Keddie, pp: 260-261:

Nations Must Acknowledge Christ

Nations are bound, in the constitutions of their government, to recognize formally the authority of the Mediator as their King.

The duty of nations as nations

It is the duty of all individuals who compose a nation to obey Christ. Therefore, the collective body should expressly acknowledge Emmanuel as sovereign Lord. This recognition ought to be embodied in the fundamental law of the empire. When every person in the commonwealth "is under the law to Christ" (1 Cor. 9:21), the whole nation, in its convention representing all, is bound by the law of God, to do homage to Him "who is Lord of all." "All the parts are equal...to the whole" (William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England [London, 1791], Book II, p. 164). As then, when acting apart, every man owes allegiance to Christ, so, when acting together, they cannot nationally be freed from their [obligation] to "the King of kings." "And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people" (Acts 3:23). "Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake" (1 Pet. 2:13). Man, who is subject to Christ, ordains civil government by the will of the majority, in the name of the Lord. And this is the formal reason of the willing submission, or obedience. It is for the Lord Christ's sake, from whom the people derive their right to frame the government, by whom the moral laws of the empire are enacted, whose honor and glory are to be promoted, and for whose sake alone that allegiance is due to this ordinance of man.

1 comment:

  1. Hello,

    Huguenots, I have not come across
    French Calvinists often.

    I enjoy the blog template. Congratulations on the interview.

    Russ (via Blogger next blog)

    ReplyDelete