THE NET OF FAITH
by Peter Chelčický
translated by Rev. Enrico Molnár
CHAPTER 27
THE ORIGIN OF STATE SOVEREIGNTY
[ However, in restraining the evil-doers the state has to resort to the evil-doers’ technique, which is bad and un-Christian. Those who work for the sovereignty of the state are not without sin. The Christians should have nothing in common with the pagans and the pagans nothing in common with the Christians except for living together. The pagans depend on outward authority, while the Christians depend on the goodness and love that come from the inner life. Chelčický finds this authority of the ‘inner man’ even in the Old Testament. ]
The Jews, having been brought into the Promised Land, lived safely under the protection of God and His laws, living in perfect freedom and having no temporal lord with authority to rule over them and no one to whom they were obliged to pay taxes. And they remained in this freedom for four hundred years, as can be found in the Scriptures. But later, through Satan’s insinuations and through their own sins – having rejected their Lord God and His protection – they begged Samuel for a king saying:
“Set up for us a king that may judge us like all the nations around us!” But the thing was evil in the eye of Samuel who spoke of these things to the Lord. And the Lord said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people according to all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you but me from being king over them. Like all the deeds that they have done to me from the day I have brought them up from Egypt even to this day, inasmuch as they have forsaken me and served other gods, so they are also doing to you. Now, therefore, listen to their utterance, and give them a pagan king.”[357]
Having asked for a pagan king, they committed a great sin. The Lord sent thunder and rain that day, and the Jewish people said,
“We have added to all our sins the wickedness of asking for ourselves a king.”[358]
[ In asking for a temporal ruler, the Jews scorned God and His law. Just as they rejected divine order by inviting a king to rule over them, similarly also the Christians rejected God by accepting the Donation of Constantine. Before, Christ had specifically set his people apart from pagan authority, not geographically, but spiritually ] by purity and innocence, setting the Church apart as a pure bride to be betrothed to her one husband, Christ.[359] They belonged no more to themselves but to him who died for them.
[ It was only in that perfect separation from the evil world of temporal affairs that it was possible for the “dwelling of God to be with men.”[360] ]
What the Emperor could not accomplish by tortures he obtained by favors and gifts; he joined their faith only to drag it into the unfaith of his paganism.
[ Emperor Constantine and Pope Sylvester are accomplices in a great conspiracy against God. But this would not be so bad as the fact that they declared their transaction to be of divine sanction. The alliance of Church and state was declared to be in accordance with the true faith, and whoever now dares challenge it is condemned as a heretic. ]
CHAPTER 28
WYCLIF’S THREE TYPES OF GOVERNMENT
[ This chapter contains Chelčický’s commentary on Wyclif’s theory that there are three types of government, namely, divine, human, and angelic,[361] and that every Christian has an authority, not civil, but evangelical. The prophets had such authority, and such have the Christian prelates. Pagan kings exercise temporal authority through civil laws and spiritual kings through the law of the Gospel. Commenting on this dualism, Chelčický says: ]
Do not mix poison with honey: for the poison, even though mixed with sweets, will not turn into medicine but will always remain poison. Poison can do naught else but kill human beings.
[ Therefore, do not drink Antichrist’s poison offered to you by Caesar, but abide only by the apostolic honey. ] The Pope, too, has mixed poison with Christ’s gospel. The foolish person, being attracted to it, cannot escape its venom; he will drink it like gospel. And now therefore, since they have mixed so much poison with the gospel, they can offer much more for drinking than they had before. Thus, under the name of Jesus, they can bring the whole world into paganism. Indeed, in his name they feed the world with poison…
CHAPTER 29
THE ORIGIN OF CHURCH AUTHORITY
[ This chapter deals with the rule and administration of ‘King Jesus, contrary to the rule of kings and countries.’ He is responsible to God only and dependent from Him. This was foretold to Mary by the angel of the Annunciation: ]
And you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the House of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.[362]
[ His rule was foretold even in the Old Testament: ]
“He shall be ruler over Israel.”[363]
When Pilate asked him, “Are you the Jewish king?” Jesus answered by saying, “As you say, I am a king. It was for this that I was born and for this that I came to the world, to give testimony to truth. Everyone who is on the side of truth listens to my voice.”[364]
[ Jesus is therefore the true ruler of the Christians, and he shows his power by overcoming the ruses of the devil, by releasing the captives from the prisons and all iniquities of the world.[365] And, since everything that man hopes for, everything that a Christian finds valuable in this life, is to be found in the Kingdom of Jesus, man can give his true allegiance to no one but Christ. Chelčický compares the temporal kingdoms of princes and the spiritual kingdom of Christ, and exclaims: ]
O, how small and barren are the dominions of pagan kings compared to the dominion of Christ! The temporal power heaps burdens and sufferings upon its subjects instead of freedom and consolation. And yet, the Kingdom of Christ is so powerful and perfect that, if the whole world wanted him for king, it would have peace and all things would work together for good.[366] And there would be no need of temporal rulers, for all and sundry would stand by grace and truth. The need of kings arises, indeed, because of sins and sinners… But if King Jesus ruled, all evil would fall away.
[ A temporal state rules by force and compulsion; the Kingdom of Christ rules ] by free will so that every one may choose of his own accord to leave the way of sin for the love of (Christ) the King, to be ruled by him inwardly. Therefore, if one, two, or more are willing to submit to his dominion, they must first abandon sin… The beginning of his kingdom is at the end of men’s sins… But if his kingdom is defiled, evils immediately spread and multiply. This immediately evokes the necessity of temporal kingdoms to punish excessive sins by the arm of their authority… And they punish with revenge and without charity… The end of Christ’s kingdom is salvation; the beginning of earthly rule is perdition. This is what happened to the rebellious Jews who in their pride chose to obey a man king – and how terribly they had to suffer! It is to their punishment that God says:
I am your destruction, O Israel; who can help you? Where is your king now, that he may deliver you, and all your princes that they may rule you, of whom you said, “Give me a king and princes”? I gave you a king in my anger, and I took him away in my wrath.[367]
Because of their sins he made their land a waste and a horror … and made them prisoners of the King of Babylon for seventy years.[368] [ The earthly rulers and the state authorities are the punishment of God for disobeying His laws. Good kings may improve the subjects’ physical well being and the Christians can grow in their faith; if the kings are bad, the Christians must suffer their iniquities for the sake of salvation. But in either case, neither the good nor the bad rulers can really help the people who are bad. Only they can be saved who are ruled by King Christ the Crucified. ] And it will help no one even if St. Peter should rule over him in the fashion of temporal kings. [ Wise people therefore seek naught but to serve King Jesus, and they shall prosper in his courts. ]
[357] 1 Samuel 8:4-9, AT.
[358] 1 Samuel 12:18-19, AT.
[359] 2 Corinthians 11:2.
[360] Revelation 21:3.
[361] “Hic oportet notare distinctionem … quod aliud est dominium.divinum, aliud evangelicum, et aliud humanum; ipsum autem subdividetur, cum aliud civiliter coactivum, et aliud evangelice regimentum; primo modo non debet ecclesiasticus dominari, sed secundo modo debet quilibet Christianus modo suo dominari quilibet; et sic prophete erant reges eorum quibus a Deo preficiebantur, et prelati tempore legis gracie sunt reges eorum quibus spiritualiter sunt prefecti, et tanto verius quam reges seculi, quo officium regendi exercent in animam. Alii vero ad regimen corporale primo respiciunt; solo tamen quod mundani cum vulgo, solum acceptans sibi famosius, vocant solum regem, potentem seculi communitatis, principaliter ac corporaliter humanitus regitivum…” Iohannis Wycliffe Tractatus De civili Dominio, I, ch.11, (Reginald Lane Poole, ed., London, 1885).
[362] Luke 1:31-33, RSV.
[363] Micah 5:2, Matthew 2:6.
[364] John 18:37.
[365] Titus 2:14.
[366] Cf. Romans 8:28.
[367] Hosea 13:9-11, AT.
[368] Jeremiah 25:11.