The place of Government and the place of Love

Romans 13:1-14

 

1            Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.

God has established order in the universe.  This includes the family, the church, and the nation.  Being in one does not excuse us from the obligations of the other.

Tertullian taught a positively engaged religion with regard to public officials.  This is at the very time when persecution was taking place and is all the more admirable because of it.  Positive relation with the State was not based on how the State was treating the Church at any given moment.  Paul is writing to the very place that will eventually take his life.

Without ceasing, for all our emperors we offer prayer.  We pray for life prolonged; for security to the empire; for protection to the imperial house; for brave armies, a faithful senate, a virtuous people, the world at rest, whatever, as man of Cæsar, an emperor would wish.  These things I cannot ask from any but the God from whom I know I shall obtain them, both because He alone bestows them and because I have claims upon Him for their gift, as being a servant of His, rendering homage to Him alone, persecuted for His doctrine, offering to Him, at His own requirement, that costly and noble sacrifice of prayer dispatched from the chaste body, an unstained soul, a sanctified spirit, not the few grains of incense a farthing buys²--tears of an Arabian tree,--not a few drops of wine,--not the blood of some worthless ox to which death is a relief, and, in addition to other offensive things, a polluted conscience, so that one wonders when your victims are examined by these vile priests, why the examination is not rather of the sacrifices than the sacrifices.  With our hands thus stretched out and up to God, rend us with your iron claws, hang us up on crosses, wrap us in flames, take our heads from us with the sword, let loose the wild beasts on us,--the very attitude of a Christian praying is one of preparation for all punishment.³ Let us the soul, beseeching God on the emperor’s behalf.  Upon the truth of God, and devotion to His name, put the brand of crime.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .             There is also another and a greater necessity for our offering prayer in behalf of the emperors, nay, for the complete stability of the empire, and for Roman interests in general.  For we know that a mighty shock impending over the whole earth--in fact, the very end of all things threatening dreadful woes--is only retarded by the continued existence of the Roman empire.  We have no desire, then, to be overtaken by these dire events; and in praying that their coming may be delayed, we are lending our aid to Rome’s duration.

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²[Once more this reflection on the use of material incense, which is common to early Christians, as in former volumes noted.]

³[A reference to kneeling, which see the de Corona cap. 3, infra.  Christians are represented as standing at prayer, in the delineations of the Catacombs.  But, see Nicene Canon, xx.]^[1]

 

Origen taught that we must obey the law of God where it conflicts with the law of the State.

As there are, then, generally two laws presented to us, the one being the law of nature, of which God would be the legislator, and the other being the written law of cities, it is a proper thing, when the written law is not opposed to that of God, for the citizens not to abandon it under pretext of foreign customs;  but when the law of nature, that is, the law of God, commands what is opposed to the written law, observe whether reason will not tell us to bid a long farewell to the written code, and to the desire of its legislators, and to give ourselves up to the legislator God, and to choose a life agreeable to His word, although in doing so it may be necessary to encounter dangers, and countless labors, and even death and dishonor.  For when there are some laws in harmony with the will of God, which are opposed to others which are in force in cities, and when it is impracticable to please God (and those who administer laws of the kind referred to), it would be absurd to condemn those acts by means of which we may please the Creator of all things, and to select to those by which shall be come displeasing got God, though we may satisfy unholy laws, and those who love them. ^[2]

 

2            Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.

3          For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you.

4          For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.

5            Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience.

6          This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing.

Origen views the governance of the church as of greater importance than the governance of the state.  Some were urging that the church seize the government, but he has a different approach.

Celsus also urges us to “take office in the government of the country, if that is required for the maintenance of the laws and the support of religion.”  But we recognize in each state the existence of another national organization, founded by the Word of God, and we exhort those who are mighty in word and of blameless life to rule over Churches.  Those who are ambitious of ruling we reject; but we constrain those who, through excess of modesty, are not easily induced to take a public charge in the Church of God.  And those who rule over us well are under the constraining influence of the great King, whom we believe to be the Son of God, God the Word.  And if those who govern in the Church, and are called rulers of the divine nation -- that is, the Church -- rule well, they rule in accordance with the divine commands, and never suffer themselves to be led astray by worldly policy.  And it is not for the purpose of escaping public duties that Christians decline public offices, but that they may reserve themselves for a diviner and more necessary service in the Church of God -- for the salvation of men.  And this service is at once necessary and right.  They take charge of all -- of those that are within, that they may day by day lead better lives, and of those that are without, that they may come to abound in holy words and in deeds of piety; and that, while thus worshipping God truly, and training up as many as they can in the same way, they may be filled with the word of God and the law of God, and thus be united with the Supreme God through His Son the Word, Wisdom, Truth, and Righteousness, who unites to God all who are resolved to conform their lives in all things to the law of God. ^[3]

Gregory wants them to come to the aid of the Word by legislation.  This involves punishing what is wrong, and promoting what is right.  This represents a major development since the Church was now the primary influence in the government. 

Originally, the pagans ruled and their morality was enforced.  Then Christianity ruled, and its morality was enforced.  Increasingly, libertarians are promoting the concept of no morality in law as a way of finding a middle ground.  In the end, it will not be left up to the individual, but an alternative morality other than Christianity will be imposed.  Gregory would not appreciate the American cultural drift especially as represented in the absurd decision of the US Supreme Court in overturning the Texas Sodomy Law. 

“I enact this for Laymen too, and I enjoin it also upon all Priests, and upon those commissioned to rule.  Come to the aid of the Word, all of you to whom God has given power to aid.  It is a great thing to check murder, to punish adultery, to chastise theft; much more to establish piety by law, and to bestow sound doctrine.  My word will not be able to do as much in fighting for the Holy trinity as your Edict, if you will bridle the ill disposed, if you will help the persecuted, if you will check the slayers, and prevent people from being slain.  I am speaking not merely of bodily but of spiritual slaughter.  For all sin is the death of the soul . . . . Here let my discourse end.”^[4]

For Gregory, this was not just a negative thing, but also positive.  That is, he notes with approval that clerics were not to be taxed.

            (Constantine and Constantius had granted exemption from the military tax to all clerics.   This privilege was, however, abolished by Julian, and was restored by Valentinian and Valens: but the collectors of revenue often tried to levy it on them in spite of the exemption. . . .)^[5]

7          Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

For Tertullian, honor was only to go so far.  It was not to lead to idolatry.

Therefore, as to what relates to the honors due to kings or emperors, we have a prescript sufficient, that it behooves us to be in all obedience, according to the apostle’s precept, “subject to magistrates, and princes, and powers;” but within the limits of discipline, so long as we keep ourselves separate from idolatry.  For it is for this reason, too, that that example of the three brethren has forerun us, who, in other respects obedient toward king Nebuchadnezzar, rejected with all constancy the honor to his image, proving that whatever is extolled beyond the measure of human honor, unto the resemblance of divine sublimity, is idolatry. So too, Daniel, in all other points submissive to Darius, remained in his duty so long as it was free from danger to his religion; for, to avoid undergoing that danger, he feared the royal lions no more than they the royal fires.^[6]

In another of his writings he defines what he thinks belongs to God as opposed to what belongs to Caesar.  Man himself is in God’s image, therefore it is man that belongs to God.

 “Render unto Cæsar the things which be Cæsar’s, and unto God the things which are God’s.”  What will be “the things which are God’s?”  Such things as are like Cæsar’s denarius--that is to say, His image and similtude.  That, therefore, which he commands to be “rendered unto God,” the Creator, is man, who has been stamped with His image, likeness, name, and substance.^[7]

 

8          Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.

 

The rule of law is really an internal law.  The real answer is up to religion.  This Justice Sanders admitted to me in a conversation.

 

9          The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself."

10        Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

11        And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.

12        The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.

13        Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.

14        Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.