[Magistrate’s to punish idolatry, as keeper of two tables of the law].
“And this is the cause (I conceive) why great Divines have said the object of the Magistrates power as a Magistrate is the externall man, and earthly things, because he doth not in such a spirituall way of working, take care of the two Tables of the Law, as the Pastor doth; and yet the spirituall good and edification of the Church in the right preaching of the Word, Sacraments, and pure discipline is his end. It is true, whether the blashemer professe repentance, or not, the Magistrate is to punish, yea and to take his life, if he in seducing of many, have prevailed, but yet his end is edification, even in taking away the life; for he is to put away evill, that all Israel may feare, and doe so no more; but this edification is procured by the sword, and by a coactive power, and so the Church power and the kingly power differ in their formall objects, and their formall ends.”
Samuel Rutherford ** 1600 – 1661, The Due Right of Presbyteries or, A Peacable Plea, etc. Lon 1644. p. 398
[Deut. 17; Magistrate’s to read the law].
” It is true as King hee is oblieged to read continually in the booke of the Law of God, Deut. 17. and to know what is truth, what heresie, in so farre as hee commandeth that Pastors preach sound doctrine, and that as a Judge hee is to punish heresie.”
ibid., p. 429
[Punishment requires witnesses for all Old Testament crimes which are perpetual as to equity].
” It is clear the question must be thus stated, for all the lawes of the old Testament (which we hold in their Morall equitie to be perpetuall) that are touching blasphemies, heresies, solicitation to worship false Gods and the breach of which the Godly Magistrate was to punish, command or forbid onely such things as may be proved by two or three witnesses, and which husband and wife are not to conceal, and from which all Israel must abstain for fear of the like punishment. Deut. 13.8,9,10,11; Deut. 17.5,6; Levit. 20.1,2,3,4,5. But opinions in the minde, acts of the understanding, can never be proved by witnesses and such as neither Magistrates nor Church can censure.”
Samuel Rutherford, A Free Disputation Against Pretended Liberty of Conscience etc… (Lon-1649). p. 47
Note how Rutherford believes in the laws equity but he doesn’t use the word ‘equity’ to disestablish the continuity of the case law.
Bret, nice batch of quotes on this subject. Since most of them are from the 16th and 17th centuries, I’m wondering if there are similar views taught by the well-known Reformed theologians in the 18th, 19th, and 20th.
You think Rutherford’s head would’ve exploded if he saw what was happening in 2008? I do. Lex Rex indeed.
http://politeuma.us/2008/08/executive-crimes/
Joshua,
I’ll have to see what I can dig up from those centuries. I know guys like A. A. Hodge and Thornwell and Dabney have quotes out there. Maybe some of my theonomic friends can help me find some quotes from the 20th century.
Thanks. I’m wondering when and where the R2K “secular sphere” idea took hold, if it hasn’t popped up just recently. Maybe that’s in Hart’s book.
My initial reaction to Clark’s past comments on this blog was that the Reformed have always taught that the magistrate does have the coercive power to guard the first four commandments. These quotes you post are demonstrating that. My instinct now tells me that the notion of the “secular” realm of government (i.e., full-blown pluralism, not mere Christian tolerance of denominational differences) couldn’t have risen to prominence until the 18th century, if it even existed prior to that.
Joshua,
I had a friend send me a paper written by a Ph.D. candidate arguing that in America the whole idea of the Spirituality of the Church came strongly to the fore with the the Second War for American Independence. The argument in the paper is that the spirituality of the Church was contended for as a way to remain neutral in the brewing war climate. Interestingly enough the author argues that the push for this idea that Government shouldn’t be “theocratic” came from men serving in Presbyteries in border states. I’ll have to see if I can find that article and give a condensed version of the paper here.
Keep in mind that Ana-baptists have forever believed in a kind of “secular sphere idea.” If you read Baptist Minister’s Greg Boyds recent release on the subject of Church and politics you can see the ana-baptist mindset coming through. On this score Escondido and ana-baptist thinking while not exactly the same come out in a very similar place.
I’ll try to dig up some of those later quotes and post them soon.
Bret
Having tapped Rutherford, give us some Gillespie. 17th Century I know but perhaps with Sam R. the most influencial in composing WCF and more theonomic than most modern theonomists.
Gillespie is coming.
And R2Kt hell is comin’ with him…