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Whose Right Is It to Govern the World? Who Has Governed It?
Having traced out in the preceding chapters the nature of man, his
destiny and parentage, spiritual and temporal; what his object is in
being here; what his relation to this earth is; his moral agency; and
shown that God has never controlled his actions; we will next enquire
a little about the earth; whose right it is to govern it; and who has
governed it.
It will not be necessary to say a great deal here about the earth,
and its organization, for we have touched on this subject before, and
it is one about which there should be no dispute among believers in
the Bible. I will briefly state, that Paul says, "For by him were all
things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and
invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or
powers: all things were created by him and for him." Colos. i. 16. This
being the case, without further investigation, we will examine whose
right it is to govern it. If the world be the Lord's, he certainly
has a right to govern it; for we have already stated that man has
no authority, except that which is delegated to him. He possesses a
moral power to govern his actions, subject at all times to the law of
God; but never is authorized to act independent of God; much less is
he authorised to rule on the earth without the call and direction of
the Lord; therefore, any rule or dominion over the earth, which is
not given by the Lord, is surreptitiously obtained, and never will be
sanctioned by him. I am aware that kings and queens are anointed and
set apart by their different ministers, according to the different
forms and creeds of the several countries over which they reign. There
are two things necessary, however, to make their authority legal, and
to authorize them to act as God's representatives on the earth. The
first is, that they should be called of God; and the second, that
the persons by whom they are anointed are duly authorised to anoint
them. First, then, it may be necessary to observe, that, if kings
and queens are of God's selection, and are his representatives, they
must themselves be appointed by him; for if not so, how can they be
considered his representatives? The prophet Hosea complains, that "they
have set up kings, but not by me; they have made princes, and I knew
it not." viii. 4. If they are sent by him, they must understand their
office and calling, and the designs of the Lord concerning the people
whom they govern, the same as a governor of a province, or a minister
plenipotentiary, receives his credentials from the prince or court
whom he serves. If, then, we examine the position of kings, and their
relationship to their divine Sovereign, we shall find that there are
only two ways for this calling to be legal. It must have been given,
either by God, through revelation to the ancestors of the reigning
kings, and handed down in an unbroken descent to the present time;
or, otherwise, given by direct revelation, and they set apart by a
prophet of the Lord God. But no nation, kingdom, or king in existence
will acknowledge either of these ways. All the kingdoms that are now
in existence were founded by the sword, without any respect to God. In
relation to their anointing, the question would naturally arise, Who
authorised the ministers to anoint those kings and queens? For if the
persons officiating have not the authority thus to anoint, and set them
apart, to execute God's law and reign over the nations, their anointing
will avail them little: it will be merely the anointing of man without
the direction and sanction of God.
Authority to anoint kings and queens, in order that they may be the
anointed of the Lord, must be given in one of three ways. It must
first, have been given by revelation to the primitive Christian Church,
authorising them to administer in this ordinance, and empowering their
successors to do it; secondly, by direct revelation; or, otherwise,
it must have been transmitted from the ancient Jews, through a lineal
descent. In regard to the first, we find no such record in the New
Testament; neither Jesus, nor his Apostles, nor any of the seventies,
nor elders, ever administered in this ordinance, or spoke of it as
being associated with the powers of their ministry. Consequently, no
power can come from there.[A]
[Footnote A: I am aware that the Roman Catholic ministry will tell
us, that they have traditionary authority to anoint kings, and to
perform many ordinances that are not contained in the Scriptures.
Without, however, arguing the point of their authority here, I would
briefly remark, that in order for the administration to be legal, it is
necessary that the kings themselves be called of God; that this call is
requisite, as well as the anointing; and that, if they possessed all
the power they claim, they have no more right to anoint a man to be
king, who is not called by God, in one of the two mentioned ways, than
any officer of state would be authorised to confer an office of trust
or honor on any individual, the gift of which was vested in the king
alone, if the king had never appointed the individual. All intelligent
persons must see that either appointment is illegal, and consequently
null and void. The following from a French History, is interesting, and
needs no comment: it shows clearly the design of its usage first in
France:--
"La ceremonie du sacre etait-elle connue en France avant l'inauguration
de Pepin?
"R. Non; elle n'avait jamais ete employee: mais Pepin se servit de
cette ceremonie empruntee des Juifs, inconnue jusqu' alors, pour
imprimer a la royaute un caractere plus auguste; cette coutume s'est
perpetuee depuis pour tous les Rois de France. II commenca a regner,
752, A.D.
_Nouvelle Histoire de France, par Louis Ardent, p. 47. Paris: chez
Corbet, Libraire Quai des Augustins._]
In regard to the second position, all Christendom deny present
revelation; and thus from their own confession they have not obtained
their authority from that source; and in regard to the third, if
there was authority associated with the Jews to ordain kings, the
Christians certainly could not claim a Jewish rite; for the Jewish
nation and authority were all destroyed: "they were broken off because
of unbelief." Rom. xi. 17, 19, 20. The Christians obtained all their
authority to officiate from Jesus Christ, and not from the Jews.
Whichever way you look at it, there is no foundation for any such
authority, and consequently the anointing is all a farce, for it does
not originate with God.
But here let us enquire a little further, Does God set up Christian
kings to fight against Christian kings? and Christian subjects to
destroy Christian subjects? I know they call upon God; but what to
do? In their wars they ask him to destroy one another. This patchwork
dominion, and mongrel Christianity, although they may be quite feasible
in the dark, yet they present a curious spectacle when brought into the
light of Truth.
It may be asked, Has not the Lord given authority to kings to reign?
Yes; he has, to two kinds: to one, to accomplish certain purposes that
he had in view relative to the nations; to the other, to rule over his
people--these were legally called and anointed by him. Of the first
kind, was Nebuchadnezzar; he had a kingdom and dominion given to him,
so say the Scriptures, but certainly not to govern God's people, for
he made, and caused to be worshipped, a large golden Image; and put
Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego into a furnace for not doing so. What,
then, was his calling? First, it was to govern a wicked and idolatrous
people; and secondly, to fulfil the will of God, in the punishment
of his people. As the people over whom he ruled had given themselves
up to idolatry, they had an idolatrous king given to them for their
ruler, for the Lord, never having given up his right to govern the
world, gives the people kings according to their deserts; and although
he may not give them _legal authority as His representatives_, yet
by his overruling Providence, he places wicked men in a position
that they may have power over a wicked nation, both to trouble that
nation and themselves. Such was the case with Pharaoh, king of Egypt;
and also with Salmanaser, king of Assyria, when he defied the God of
Israel. Such was the case with some of the kings of Israel, in the
rebellions of that people; and with Belshazzar, king of Babylon, who
was eating and drinking with his wives and concubines in the palace
at Babylon, when the handwriting was seen on the walls, "God hath
numbered thy kingdom, and finished it. Thou art weighed in the balances
and art found wanting." Dan. v. 26, 27. Babylon was destroyed; and
so fully have the purposes of God been accomplished in relation to
that magnificent city, that the place where it then stood is now a
desert. And such also will be the case with the nations and kings of
the earth, in the last day, as spoken of by Zechariah. "Behold, the
day of the Lord cometh . . . . . For I will gather all nations against
Jerusalem to battle . . . . . then shall the Lord go forth and fight
against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle." xiv.
1-3: also read the 39th chapter of Ezekiel. Here, then, is a slaughter
the most terrible that could be conceived: the armies actually cover
the land, and so dreadful is the slaughter, that they cannot bury the
dead, so that their stench shall stop the noses of the passers by. The
fowls of the air are commanded also to assemble, that they may eat the
flesh of kings, captains, and mighty men; and yet those kings, princes,
and rulers will, by the providence of God, be given to the people as a
chastisement, that the Lord may punish both kings and people on account
of their iniquities. Daniel clearly exemplifies this subject in the
following words, in speaking of the judgements that should come upon
Nebuchadnezzar. He states, that these judgements were "to the intent
that the living may know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of
men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the
basest of men." iv. 17. Another duty that wicked kings have to perform
on the earth is, that of being used by the Almighty as a scourge or
rod to punish nations that are corrupt. Hence when Israel had sinned
against God, and the Lord determined to chastise them, he told them,
through his prophets, that he would punish them by Nebuchadnezzar, King
of Babylon. Accordingly, Nebuchadnezzar came against Jerusalem, and
took the Children of Israel captive to Babylon, with the vessels of
silver and gold belonging to the Temple. And God afterwards punished
Babylon for its transgressions; Cyrus, king of Persia was raised up by
the Lord to chastise it.
But did either of these kings govern God's people? or were they
ordained by the Lord? No, only as his sword to execute his judgements
on the nations. Such, also, were Alexander, Caesar, and others; and
hence Paul tells the Christians in his day to submit themselves to
kings and rulers. And why? These men were ordained for a certain
purpose, and it was not for the Christians to set in order the affairs
of God's kingdom, nor to regulate the world. The Lord would do that
in his own time and way; it was for them to wait for the time "of the
restitution of all things."
Another order of kings were those that were anointed to reign over
God's people, the children of Israel. Such was Saul, who was anointed
by Samuel; such also were David and Solomon, and many of the kings
of Israel. Those kings that were anointed and acknowledged of the
Lord were not only kings but priests. Hence, Saul, when he had sinned
against God, and the Spirit of the Lord was withdrawn, "enquired of the
Lord, and the Lord answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim,
nor by prophets." 1 Sam. xxviii. 6. David also acted as a priest, and
could obtain knowledge or revelation from God also, for when Saul was
rejected, and sought David's life, David called for the ephod, used
by the priests: see Exodus xxviii. "And David said to Abiathar the
priest, bring hither the ephod. Then said David, O Lord God of Israel,
thy servant hath certainly heard that Saul seeketh to come to Keilah
to destroy the city for my sake. Will the men of Keilah deliver me up
into his hand? Will Saul come down, as thy servant hath heard, O Lord
God of Israel? I beseech thee tell thy servant. And the Lord said, He
will come down. Then said David, Will the men of Keilah deliver me and
my men up into the hand of Saul? And the Lord said, They will deliver
thee up." 1 Sam. xxiii. 9-12. Here we find David actually enquiring of
God for direction, and obtaining information. The Lord had forsaken
Saul, and would not answer him; but he would and did answer David: see
also the xxiii. 2; and xxx. 8; and 2 Sam. ii. 1; v. 19-25; xxi. 1; 1
Chron. xiv. 10-14. From the whole of the above we learn, that David
took no step without enquiring of the Lord. Solomon also, acted as a
priest as well as a king; and it is said of him, that Solomon loved
the Lord, walking in the statutes of David his father. And the Lord
gave him wisdom, and instructed him in the affairs of his kingdom. When
he prayed unto the Lord, and asked of him wisdom, God granted him the
desire of his heart, and gave him with wisdom, riches and honor. "And
Judah and Israel dwelt in safety, every man under his vine and fig
tree, from Dan to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon;" and when he had
finished the temple, he offered his sacrifices, and acknowledged the
God of Israel; and he prayed for the nation over which he ruled, not by
proxy, but himself. "And Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in
the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his
hands towards heaven;" and then he uttered a prayer for himself, his
people, and nation: see 1 Kings viii. 22. And we read that afterwards
the Lord appeared to him, and said unto him, "I have heard thy prayer
and thy supplication, that thou hast made before me: I have hallowed
this house, which thou hast built, to put my name there for ever; and
mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually. And if thou wilt
walk before me, as David thy father walked, in integrity of heart, and
in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded thee, and
wilt keep my statutes and my judgements: then I will establish the
throne of thy kingdom upon Israel for ever, as I promised to David
thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man upon the throne
of Israel. But if ye shall at all turn from following me, ye or your
children, and will not keep my commandments and my statutes which I
have set before you, but go and serve other gods, and worship them:
then will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them;
and this house, which I have hallowed for my name, will I cast out of
my sight; and Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all people:
and at this house, which is high, every one that passeth by it shall be
astonished, and shall hiss; and they shall say, Why hath the Lord done
thus unto this land, and to this house? And they shall answer, Because
they forsook the Lord their God, who brought forth their fathers out
of the land of Egypt, and have taken hold upon other gods, and have
worshipped them, and served them: therefore hath the Lord brought upon
them all this evil." 1 Kings ix. 3-9.
Thus, then, these men, delegated and appointed of God, acted as his
representatives on the earth. They received their kingdoms from him.
They were anointed by prophets of God, who received the word of the
Lord concerning them, as in the case of Saul and David; and if they
departed from God, he chastised, or removed them, as in the case of
Saul and David, and of which the history of the Kings of Israel is a
striking example, and faithful commentary. Those that were faithful
among them sought to know the mind of God, and to carry out his
designs. The greatest, most powerful, and prosperous rule that ever
existed among them, as a nation, was that of Solomon, who asked, and
obtained wisdom from God; and that wisdom as a necessary consequence
brought honour, happiness, security, riches, magnificence, and power.
Thus those kings that were righteous, who received their kingdoms from
the Lord, went to war, or proclaimed peace by his directions; they
were his representatives on the earth, and governed his people as the
Lord's anointed. Yet even the monarchy of the House of Israel was
not in strict accordance with the will of God; but originated in the
rebellion and pride of the children of Israel, who, wishing to be like
the nations around them, being dissatisfied with their judges, desired
of the Lord a king. The following are their words, and the Lord's
answer: "Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together,
and came to Samuel unto Ramah, and said unto him, Behold thou art old,
and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like
all the nations. But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give
us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the Lord. And the Lord
said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that
they say unto thee; for they have not rejected thee, but they have
rejected me, that I should not reign over them. According to all the
works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of
Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me, and served
other gods, so do they also unto thee. Now therefore hearken unto their
voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and shew them the manner
of the king that shall reign over them. And Samuel told all the words
of the Lord unto the people that asked of him a king. And he said,
this will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: he will
take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to
be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots. And he will
appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and
will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make
his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots. And he will
take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be
bakers. And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your
oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants. And
he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to
his officers, and to his servants. And he will take your menservants,
and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses,
and put them to his work. He will take the tenth of your sheep; and
ye shall be his servants. And ye shall cry out in that day because of
your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the Lord will not hear
you in that day. Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of
Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us; that we
also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and
go out before us, and fight our battles. And Samuel heard all the words
of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the Lord. And the
Lord said to Samuel, Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king.
And Samuel said unto the men of Israel, Go ye every man unto his city."
1 Sam. viii. 4-22.
We find that this thing was displeasing to the Lord; they resisted the
counsel of God; but as they were the Lord's people, he listened to
their requests, and gave according to their desires; he felt bound to
fulfil his engagements, and, if they would not walk fully by the rule
that he required, to give a government of their own asking, which, if
not so good as the one he proposed, was nevertheless sanctioned by him;
and that order once established, those kings set apart, and anointed by
him, had a perfect right to look to him for his guidance, which they
did, and inasmuch as they performed his will, as his representatives,
were blessed of him. For kings could not be blamed for the order that
existed, they did not originate the government; it was the people, all
they could do was to rule according to the direction of the Lord. But
this was not a perfect government. The Lord had his eye on something
yet more glorious, something in which the salvation, and happiness of
the world were concerned; a rule of righteousness, when, not only one
nation, but the kingdoms and dominions of the whole earth, should be
given to the Son of God; and when all nations, kindreds, people, and
tongues should serve and obey him; and as the earth belonged to him,
and the people also, that he should govern them. Such will be the case
as we shall hereafter show, and a system be introduced that will not
only benefit one nation, but that will govern all nations, bless the
whole of the human family, and exalt and happify the world. All these
things that have existed, are merely temporary arrangements, adapted
to the weakness, ignorance, and wickedness of the human family, in
the times of darkness, and power of Satan. If the above is the case,
in regard to the best of these governments, even that of the House of
Israel, what is the situation of those who are governing, without even
any pretensions to have received their government and authority from
God! It may be asked, What is to be done in this state of things? how
are they to be regulated? This is worthy of our attention, but as we
shall devote some time to this hereafter, we will content ourselves
with saying, this is God's work, and not man's. He has these things in
his hands, and he must arrange them; confusion, revolt, rebellion, is
not the way to bring these things about; for if the world is already
evil, this will only make it worse. Besides, the kings and rulers of
the present day are no more responsible than others; they did not make
the nations as they are, they found them so; neither are they appointed
to govern the world, nor do any of them profess it. According to their
most extended calculation, their power would be confined to their own
nations. Some of the kings and queens of the earth seem to be actuated
by a desire to promote the happiness of the nations with which they
are associated, and over which they rule. The Queen of England is
almost universally beloved by her subjects, and that deservedly; she
has been mild and pacific in her course, and her rule and dominion
have been as near right as it is possible for a government to be under
existing circumstances. If there are evils, she did not originate
them, she found them so. She has kept her covenant that she made with
the nation, and sought the welfare of her subjects, and they owe her
fealty, and ought to render to her obedience. And as she, nor no
monarch, is set to build up the kingdom of God, or establish universal
rule, as a monarchy without authority from God, it is perhaps as good
a form as could exist. The Emperor of Russia, with all his faults of
government, nevertheless possesses many good traits; at any rate he
seems to reverence the Lord. Some time ago, when the cholera broke out
in St. Petersburgh, the inhabitants supposed that their wells had been
poisoned; a large number of people assembled for the purpose, as they
thought, of finding out, and punishing the aggressors. The excitement
was very great. The Emperor, hearing of the tumult, rushed into their
midst and said, "My children, you are mistaken in supposing that the
wells have been poisoned, and this is the cause of our affliction, this
is a judgement that has come from God, let us fall down before him,
and ask him to remove his scourge from our midst;" whereupon he fell
upon his knees in the midst of the people, and prayed to the Lord to
remove the plague from among them. He has a strong impression that God
has a work for him to do on the earth; and in this he may be right.
Although he is not delegated to establish the kingdom of God, he may
nevertheless be appointed as Caesar, Nebuchadnezzar, and others, as a
scourge to the nations, and so fulfil his destiny, for as we are on
the eve of great events, and a fearful doom awaits the nations, some
powerful means must be made use of, in this as well as in other ages,
to bring these things about.
Some may remark on the foregoing, Does not Paul say, that "the powers
that be, are ordained of God?" Yes, and so say I; but all powers
that are ordained of God, do not rule for his glory, nor are they
all associated with his government and kingdom. Nebuchadnezzar and
Belshazzar were ordained of God, but they were both idolaters. Cyrus
was ordained of God; but he was an heathen. God regulates his own
affairs; and while the world is in a state of idolatry, apostacy, and
rebellion, he, by his providence, overrules the affairs of the nation,
as Daniel says, "to the intent that the living may know that the Most
High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will,
and setteth up over it the basest of men." Dan. iv. 17. But others will
say that Paul tells us "to be subject to the powers that be." So say I.
God will establish his own government: the cavillings, rebellions, and
contentions of men will not do it; and it is proper for well disposed
persons to wait the Lord's time, to be peaceable and quiet, and to pray
for kings, governors, and authorities. This was what Jeremiah taught
the children of Israel to do, "And seek the peace of the city wherein I
have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the Lord for
it, for in the peace thereof shall you have peace." xxix. 7. It is very
evident, from what has been shown, that there is no proper government
nor rule upon the face of the earth; that there are no kings who are
anointed, or legally appointed of God; and that, however much disposed
any of them may feel to benefit the world, it is out of their power, it
exceeds the limits of their jurisdiction, it requires a power, spirit,
and intelligence, which they do not possess. We see, moreover, that
tumults, commotions, rebellions, and resistance are not the way to do
it. It requires more wisdom than that which emperors, kings, princes,
or the wisest of men possess, to bring out of the wild chaos, the
misery, and desolation that have overspread the world, that beautiful
order, peace, and happiness portrayed by the prophets as the reign of
the kingdom of God.