A TREATISE ON THE CHURCH OF CHRIST. PART V. ON THE RELATIONS OF CHURCH AND STATE. INTRODUCTION. AMONGST the various questions connected with the church, few are of more intricacy than those which concern her relations with the civil magistrate, and few are of more importance, at least theoretically. In the present day we need scarcely prepare ourselves to combat the doctrine of Augustinus Triumphans, Alvarus Pelagius, Hostiensis, Panormitanus, Sylvester, Hugo S. Victor, Durandus, Turrecremata, Pighius, Stapleton, Bellarmine, and the modern Ultramontane party, that the pretended spiritual monarch of Rome is invested with a superiority in temporals above the kings and princes of the world; that he is entitled to judge, depose, create sovereigns, to exact homage from them, and to absolve subjects from their allegiance. This doctrine has been so completely refuted by Bossuet, and by all the great writers of the Gallican a In his great work, the Defensio Declarationis Cleri Gallicani. church, and is so little likely to come into controversy, that we may lay it aside. There is more danger in the present day from the principle of Hobbes, Tindal, and other enemies of christianity, who pretend, that religion may be dictated by the civil power, and that the church is the mere creature of the state. A learned bishop has observed, that "Infidelity in later times has been employed in endeavouring to subvert christianity, by first merging its authority in that of the state. Hobbes, in the seventeenth century, made this the foundation of his grand attack upon the christian religion; which he endeavoured to subvert, by inculcating that all religion depended on the civil power, and had no other claim to respect and obedience than as being sanctioned by the will of the magistrate. The deists of the last century almost all argue upon the same principle, though not so openly avowed. The French revolutionists effected their diabolical purpose by similar means and to this day, scarcely any attack is made upon revealed religion, which does not proceed upon the implied principle that religion is purely a creature of the state, a political engine for keeping mankind in subjection, and which may be lawfully upholden or overthrown at pleasure, by the civil power "." b Another principle equally dangerous and untrue, is that of Locke, Hoadly, and the modern dissenters, that the office of the christian magistrate has nothing whatever to do with religion: that he cannot, without interfering with the office of Christ himself, either support the church by law, or protect its doctrine and discipline that he ought to treat all religions with a just Van Mildert, Boyle Lectures, vol. i. p. 504. 3d ed. and impartial indifference, and permit the propagation of heresy even within the church. The doctrine of Warburton and Paley, that the civil magistrate is bound to establish the largest sect, without reference to the truth of its faith, is also a very dangerous and erroneous position, which is derived from the principles of Locke and Hoadly, that the civil magistrate has nothing to do with religion, and that all opinions are equally acceptable to God. In fine, the doctrine maintained by the Ultramontane party amongst the Romanists, and by the Presbyterians, and too much countenanced by some of the non-jurors, divests the civil magistrate of his reasonable privileges in the church, renders him the mere executor of its decrees, and is inconsistent with the principles of the Reformation, the existing constitution, and therefore the general interests of the catholic and apostolic churches established in these realms. Such are the different opinions between which we must endeavour to trace the path of truth: a task peculiarly arduous, because, as the learned De Marca, archbishop of Paris, says, "By the constitution of things, these powers (of church and state) are in such close proximity, that it is difficult even for a very wise man to discriminate in each case their disputed boundaries. Certain general rules indeed may be assigned, by which they may be separated, but many things happen to be specifically laid before us, which may deceive the most skilful judges "." с Taylor, Ductor Dubitant. p. 545, ed. 1676, mentions their principal writers. d De Marca, De Concordia Sacerdotii et Imperii, Præfatio. CHAPTER I. ON THE ORIGINAL INDEPENDENCE OF CHURCH AND STATE. I. THAT the sovereign power in every state is established by the divine ordinance, and that it is in all civil and temporal matters to be obeyed by every worshipper of the true God, is a doctrine most continually inculcated by holy scripture, as in the following passages. "By me kings reign and princes decree justice "." He removeth kings and setteth up kings "." The prophet Daniel says to the king of Babylon, "Thou O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field, and the fowls of the heaven, hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all." And our Lord Jesus Christ in no degree diminished the dignity or power of temporal rulers, in the establishment of his spiritual kingdom; but testified as well by his precept and example, as by the mouth of his holy apostles, that it is the will of God that the faithful should be obedient to the temporal powers. Thus we find our Lord de a Prov. viii. 15. b Dan. ii. 21. Dan. ii. 37, 38. h claring that "his kingdom is not of this world "," refusing to be "a judge or a divider" of inheritance, forbidding his disciples to assume the authority and domination of earthly princes', or to take the sword in his own defence, and enjoining us to "render unto Cæsar the things that be Cæsar's, and to God the things that be God's "." And the doctrine of the apostles was exactly the same. "Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake; whether it be to the king as supreme; or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him "." "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers; for there is no power but of God; the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God; and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. . . . He is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath but also for conscience sake i." "I exhort therefore, that first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority: that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty." It is needless to add to these passages the accordant testimony of catholic tradition in proof of the universal duty of obedience to the temporal rulers in all civil and temporal matters. It is evident that every one is bound to obey the temporal rulers, and therefore that they are in all civil matters supreme, and not subject d John xviii. 36. Matt. xxvi. 52. h 1 Pet. ii. 13. i Rom. xiii. 1–5. 1 Tim. ii. 1, 2. |