Boultbee on Articles XXXVIII, XXXIX: Of Christian men's Goods, which are not common; Of a Christian man's Oath

No direct source is suggested for these Articles. Bnt the Augsburgh Confession,’ the Helvetic’ and other foreign Se- £>nned Confessions contain similar articles. The calumnies of their Boman opponents made the Beformed Churches veiy anxious to destroy any possible identification of themaelYee with the fanatical sects.’

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For general consideration we take, together with these Articles, the two last clauses of the thirty-seyenth. We have thus before us four allied subjects.

1. The lawfulness of capital punishment.

2. The lawfulness of military service.

3. That community of goods is not the Christian law*

4. That judicial oaths are lawful.

The negative to these propositions was maintained by some of those fiinatical sects who are grouped together under the name of Anabaptists. We may again refer the reader to Article VII., p. 62, for some account of these disturbing sects. And for further illustration we may quote Luther. * They teach that the Christian must possess nothing, must take DO oath, must hold no magistraey, must give effect to no judgment, must slay none, must not defend himself, must desert his wife and children, with other portentous precepts.’ The same errors are copiously illustrated in the Parker Society’s series.*

The notions combated in these Articles have been main- tamed at different periods of history by various obscure sects. The most prominent of those who, in modem times^ have

’ xvi. de Rebus Civilibns. * zzx. de Magistntm

• See Jewel’s * Apology/ P. iii. C. ii. Div. 1. ^ See article Anabaptist in the General Index.

THE QUAKEES. 307;

denied the first, second, and fourth of these, has b«en that of the Quakers. They were not, however, within the view of the firamers of the Article, since they arose subsequently, in. the time of the Commonwealth. Nevertheless, in the opinion of Mosheim,* George Fox, the founder of Quakerism, derived his doctrines indirectly from some of the Dutch mystics ; and these were certainly connected with some sections of those known as Anabaptists. And it is also true that the mysti<3 and fanatical notions, which had been rife in Germany for some centuries, found expression during the ferment of the Reformation among the Anabaptists. The fanaticism of George Fox was reduced into a philosophical and theological system, with much learning and ability, by Robert Barclay in 1675. Since that time Quakerism has been a consistent and coherent creed, and has dropped all its earlier extrava- gances. This part of its code of morality will be found considered in the Fifteenth Proposition of Barclay’s Apology.

The Scriptural Treatment of these Subjects.

Old Testament examples will scarcely su£Sce under any of these heads, inasmuch as our opponents contend that in this respect the law of the New Testament is in advance of the Old Testament.

\t is needful to draw a preliminary distinction between what is lawful to man in his private capacity as an individual, and what is lawful to him as an official person, being, as St. Paul says, a ’ minister of God.* The student will recall the argument, pressed so often in Butler’s Analogy, that the or- ganisation of human society is distinctly from God, inasmuch as it is a necessary consequence of man’s nature, as a social being formed to live as a member of society. Hence, in a certain sense, all rulers of men have responsible duties and powers, distinct from their duties as individuals, and are, as St. Paul calls them, * God’s ministers.’ Care must be taken to allow no confusion of moral principle in drawing this dig-

1 Cent. x?ii. II. u. 6.

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Jinckum. The law of love and of care for human life, feelings, and happiness, binds alike ruler and subject. The application of that law in a particular case may require the indiyidual to fergiye, and the ruler to punish. Without this distinction between the principle and the mode of applying the principle, many precepts of Scripture (even the simplest) must often be a mass of confusion.

Thus Matt. Y. 16 commands us to let our good works be seen; Matt. yi. 4 bids us carefully to conceal our alms; Matt. vii. 1 absolutely forbids us to judge ; Matt. yii. 16 giyes us the rule by which we may judge. Probably few persona are, even for a moment, perplexed by these apparent opposites in dealing with the outcomings of certain principles in dif- ferent cases. But we must style it a perverse treatment of similar unqualified announcements of the Christian duty of individuals, which has led to the tenets condemned in the Articles now under consideration.

1. The Lawfulness of Capital Punishments.

In the New Testament the leading persons are continually brought into collision with the authorities. It will be uniformly found on examining the instances that the authority is recognised, however wrongfully a particular officer may act.

We have further the direct recognition of this exercise of the power. (Acts xxv. 11 ; Rom. xiii. 1-4 ; 1 Pet. iv. 15.)

To this must be added that the original command (Gen. ix. 6) was primaeval, universal, and distinct from the Jewish law.

2. The Lawfulness of Military Service.

The distinction between public and private duties must here be strongly insisted upon. In the execution of justice, which God has in a certain degree committed to man ; in the defence of the weak, and of the welfare and happiness of those who are entrusted to the care of the community ; some amount of force and violence is, to say the least, necessary. If there is to be a ruler (under whatever name) that ruler must be empowered to exercise force. No property, no right, no hap-

piness can be preserved without it. In a word, without it society could not exist, and the non-employment of force in a sinful world would lead to the reign of wicked force. If, . therefore, the law of love, of charity, of the protection of the affections and interests of human life, requires force, it follows that the forceful agent of the ruling power exercises a lawful calling, and is empowered to use what amount of violence (even to death) may be requisite to carry out his duty. If this be so, it is impossible to draw the line of right between the employment of the policeman against violence and wrong emanating from a domestic foe to society, and of the soldier against the multitudinous violence and wrong offered by a foreign enemy. This is quite apart from the right or wrong of any particular war. It is probable that these will usually be more or less intermixed in the present conftised state of human affairs ; and it will follow that in ordinary cases it will not be the soldier’s duty to act on his own private judgment as to the merits of the war in which he may be engaged.

These principles being premised, we are prepared to find that the New Testament recognises the military profession as an incident of the present state of man, and nowhere hints that it is unlawful.

See the cases of instructions to soldiers, Luke iii. 14, and of the centurion received, as such, into the Church (Acts x). Many metaphors are drawn from military service in a manner which could scarcely have been done were it unlawful.

Moreover, Horn. xiii. 4, recognises the use of the sword.

3. That Community of Goods is not the Christian Law.

This subject is easily dealt with. The principles involved will be these : —

1. The ideas of property arising out of the fruits of industry, which are involved in the notion of society as it exists by virtue of the natural law of God.

2. The necessity for liberality and bounty, which have no place if the Christian has nothing individually his own to give.

3. The exact treatment will be the consideration of the cases

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10 ARTICLES XXXVm. AND XXXIX.

in Acta iy. 32, 34, 35, and v. 1-10. It will be needful first to examine how far the transactions there described were required as a law of the Church (^Acts v. 4), and then further to enquire whether in point of ^t the community of goods was afterwards imposed as a law in the Churches founded by the apostles, and recognised in the Epistles as existing or needful. There can be no question as to the result of such an examination.

4. That Judicial Oaths are LawfuU

It may well appear that, apart from the general question of oaths, the English formula may be thoroughly defended. For it simply consists of a solemn (at least such it ought to be) petition to the Almighty that the person so attesting may speak the truth, or perform the truth in the premises. The simple ceremony added to this of kissing the book of the Holy Crospels, appears (to say the least) an innocent and significant testimony that the person so attested has that faith which is the basis of such an appeal.

But the general lawfulness of judicial oaths is usually de- fended, apart from the Old Te.«fciment, by our Lord submitting to be put on his oath before Caiaphas (Matt. xxvi. 63, G4). By the language of St. Paul in many passages (e.g. Rom. ix. 1 ; Gal. i. 20, &c.). And by the apparent recognition of such

oaths (Heb. vi. 16-18).

In this case the declarations in Matt. v. 34-37, and Jamed

V. 12, must be classed with many positive assertions alluded

to in p. 308, which must be understood not by our arbitrary

decision, but as they stand qualified by other passages. Nor

can there be any difficulty in this to one who has closely

studied the manner and the phraseology of Holy Scripture.

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INDEX.

tot

AKABAPTISTS, described by Hard- wick, 62 Apocrypha, use of, 49 Apocrypha, why rejected, 58 Apollinarians, 19 Apostles’ Creed, 68 Apostolical Succession, 198 Arians, 17 Arminianism, 146

Arminianism and the Synod of Dort, 163 Articles (Ten) of Henry Vni., xv

„ (Forty-two) of Edward VI., xvii „ of 1668, xviU Athanasian Creed, 70 Atheism, 4

Atonement, Care in stating the Doc- trine, 24 Authority of Scripture, Augustine on, 53 Augsburgh Confession, xt

BAPTISM, Calvin on, 247 Baptism, Classification of Doc- trines on, 229 Baptism, Hooker on, 289 Baptism, Roman Doctrine of, 226 Bull’s D^etuio Fidei Niceni, 13

CANON, History of the, 56 Canon of Smpture, as defined in Art. VI., 47 Capital Punishments lawful, 808 Causes, how classified in the Schools, 94 Celibacy of the Clergy, 274 Clement of Borne on Justification, 92 Communicatio Idlomatum, 21 Communion in both kinds, 265 Cpmmunity of Goods, 309 Concuplscentia, 79

Confirmation, Boman Doctrine of, 218 Consubstantiation, 253 Creeds, their early Use, 70

Deity of the Son, 16 Descent into Hell, 30

EPISCOPACY, whether of Ataolnte necessity, 196 Episcopal Order, different Theories on

the, 201 Eyil Ministers to be condemned, 222 Excommunication, 276 Extreme Unction, Boman Doctrine of,

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HABIT defined, 93 Homilies, their Authority, 282

TMMACX7LATE Conception of the Vir«

X gin Mary, 129

Images and Belies, 188

Incarnation, the, 18

Indulgences in connexion with Super* erogation, 125

Indulgences in connexion with Purga- tory, 186

Infant Baptism, 248

Inspiration of Holy Scripture, 49

Intention, Boman Doctrine of, 228

Invocation of Saints, 190

JETTNE, Bishop, on Atheism, Fanthe* ism, and Positivism, 5 Judgment, 37

Justification, Bishop Bull on, 108 Calvin on, 98 Clement of Borne on, M Council of Trent on, 95

M

INDEX.

Jnstification, Homily of, 100 Hooker on, 108 Luther on, 97

*t

LAMBETH Articles, 162 Latin in Divine Service, 205 Latria and Dulia, 191

MATRIMONY, Boman Doctrine of, Merit, de eongruo and de condigno, 120 Military Service, lawful, 808 Mosaic Law not binding, 61

„ maintained by some Puri- tans, 66

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Nature of the Incarnate Son, 19 Kegotiations with Lutherans by Henry

Viri., xvi Kestorians, 20 Nicene Creed, 69 Notes of the Church, 161

OATHS, Judicial, 810 Orders of the Ministry in the New Testament, 203 Orders, Boman Doctrine of, 214 Original Sin, Council of Trent on, 80 „ Scholastic Doctrine of, 78

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tion, 15 Verson defined by Mclancthon, 4

„ Waterland, 9

Polytheism, 4 i*redestination, Baxter on, 148

„ Augubtiiie ou, 144

„ Calvin ou, 146

Presence in the Lord’s bupper, Calvin

on, 266 Presence in the Lord’s Supper, Scotch

Confession on, 267 Prctience in the Lord’s Supper, Hooker

on, 267 Presence in the Lord’s Supper, “Water- land on, 269 Procession of the Holy Ghost, 40 Protesrant, Origin of the Name, 64 Purgatory, 184

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„ Waterland on, 289

„ Mozl^ on, 286

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„ of Christ, 85

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SACRAMENT, Definition of, 210 Sacrament, Meaning of the Wdd,

Sacrament, Boman Definition of, 213 Sacraments, their Efficacy, 217 Sacrifice in the Euchailst defined br

Waterland, 270 Sacrifice of the Mass, 368 Satisfaction defined by Hookeiv 2^ Semi-Arians. 17 Session of Christ, 87 Sin after Baptism, 184

„ against the Holy Ghhoet, 186

„ its Definition, 24

„ Mortal and Venial, 183 Spinoza’s Morality, 6 Sufferings of Christ, 21

„ their PnrpoBe, 28

Sufficiency of Scripture, Hooker on, 53 Supererogation, 124 Supra-’ and Sub-lapsarianiKn, 149 Supremacy, Royal, 285 „ Papal, 288

Synbolism, its Derivation, 67

Trinity in Unity, 9

U Unit&riauism, 7 Unity of God, 7

YULGATB declared Authentic bj Boman Church, 62

WATEBLAND on St. John vi., 262 Wnrtembei^ Confession, xv

yWINGLIANISM, 265

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BOULTBEE’S COMMENTARY ON THE 39 ARTICLES