08

08.36 Some Anabaptist Views on Government©

Balthasar Hubmaier, Concerning the Sword

(i) Balthasar Hubmaier, Concerning the Sword, 1527

Even a blind man can see that a Christian may with a good conscience be a judge and a council member to judge and decide in temporal matters. Even though the contentious and the litigious sin, yet would they sin far more if they were to bring their matters before unbelieving judges. Now if a Christian may and ought to be a judge in his pronouncements in the power of the divine Word, so he may also be a protector with the hand of justice and a punisher of the unrighteous. For of what good were law, court, and judge if one were not obliged to execute and carry out the penalty on the wicked? What good is a shoe if one dare not wear it? Observe dear brothers that councils, courts and laws are not unjust. The judge too may and ought to be a Christian even though the contentious parties sin and are not prepared to be wronged. Thus also a Christian may — according to the order of God — bear the sword in God's stead against the evildoer and punish him. For it has been so ordered by God because of wickedness for the protection of the pious (Rom. 13).

If we take the words of Christ to heart and ponder them we shall not err. Christ says: You have heard that it has been said: You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy. Notice this: who is an enemy? Why, a man whom one hates or envies. But a Christian should never hate or envy anyone, but love everybody. Thus a Christian magistrate has no enemy, for he hates and envies no one. What he does with the sword, he does not out of grudging or hate, but at the command of God. The punishing of the wicked is not hate or envy, or enmity. If it were, God himself would be a hateful and envious enemy of man. But he is not. When he punishes the evil, he does it not from envy or hate, but from justice.

Therefore a just and Christian judge does not hate those he punishes. He is sorry from his heart at the offences of such evil folk. Whatever he does is by the order and solemn command of God. God made him his servant, and gave him the sword for the execution of justice. He has to render an account on the last day, as to how he has employed that sword. His sword is nothing else than the beneficent rod and scourge of God, with which he is commanded to chastise the evil. Now what God calls good, is good; if he should bid you to slay your own son that would be a good work.

God does many things through his creatures as his instruments which he could do alone, without them. But he wants to employ us, that we may serve each other, and not be idle. He wants everyone to serve in the office to which God has called him. One must preach, another be a soldier, a third till the fields, a fourth work in some other way...

(ii) Jacob Hutter, Plots and Excuses, 1535

They answer us and say that the saints also warred to protect their law, religion, and faith. They say that David and many others have also gone to war and try to defend their folly in this way. Our answer is that David and others did indeed fight. It was customary in their time. Indeed the Lord commanded them to hate their enemies and to exterminate them. We do not deny this. For at that time servanthood had not been distinguished from sonship and the road to glory had not yet been revealed. Thus the law was their schoolmaster and they were imprisoned under external statutes until the time of Christ. He was to liberate those who were under the law so that they too would receive sonship....

Again the godless say: you do not want to be subject to the government nor to pay taxes, when after all it is written that one should be subject to all human ordinances and whoever resists the government resists what God has ordained.

To this we reply that we do not wish to resist the government. Far be it from us to resist what is neither against God nor our conscience. Rather we would suffer violence for the sake of truth, for through the grace of God we are prepared for all good works and to give to everyone what we owe them before God according to divine testimony ... be it taxes, interest, the tithe, service, and customs duty or whatever it is called—whatever does not contribute to the destruction of man .... We do it not because of the threat of penalty but for the sake of our conscience. However where the government or power expects something beyond the order of God and its demands which is not normally given and which afflicts our conscience such as taxes in war and similar things which contribute to the destruction of men, then we say with Peter that we must obey God more than man. We do this not from wantonness but because of our conscience and because we fear God in this matter. For how could we be innocent before our God if we did not go to war ourselves but gave the money that others could go in our place? We will give nothing nor help in such matter in order that we retain a clear conscience before God and not become partakers of the sin of others and dishonour and despise God.

(iii) Hans Denck, Recantation, 1527

The Lord Christ says: You shall in all things not swear in the same way in which he also forbids us to be angry, to cast judgement or to call someone a fool. Not that it is wrong in itself, but in order that no occasion or cause be given to all flesh to use the same and expect it to be pleasing to God, since in fact everyone misuses them however good the appearance might be. For this is the way in which everyone uses his oath as though what one says can never fail. Thus people often contract together what is openly contrary to Christ without daily swearing in a frivolous and thoughtless way. But whoever has the mind and spirit of Christ confirms, promises or swears nothing than that which he may in fact do with a good conscience, namely what he is obligated to do on the basis of the teaching of Christ, such as not stealing, not killing, not committing adultery, not taking vengeance and the like. In any case, he will not affirm these things except on the basis of God's grace; not what He will do but what he desires to do so that he does not make any unwarranted assumptions.

In summary, whatever anyone may in truth speak he may in fact also call God to witness for it. Much more may he do this with preachers as with holding up his hand and the like, and it makes little difference whether one calls it swearing or not; it was never in the mind of Christ to forbid this. Paul says I call on God to witness as though he meant to say God may call my soul to account if I do not speak the truth. It is no different than when we swear today and say this or that I will or desire to do so help me God. And that also means that if it is in fact not my intention may God not help me.

(iv) Menno Simons Distressed Christians, 1552

We are aware that the magistracy claims and says that we are allowed to swear when justice is on our side. We reply with the Word of the Lord very simply. To swear truly was allowed to the Jews under the Law; but the gospel forbids this to Christians. Since Christ does not allow us to swear, and since the magistracy, notwithstanding, proceeds according to their policy, although contrary to Scripture, and since the Scriptures may not be set aside by man, what shall the conscientious Christian do? If he swears, he falls into the hand of the Lord. If he swears not, he will have to bear the disfavour and punishment of the magistracy.

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This is our position and understanding in regard to this matter. Inasmuch as the Lord has forbidden us to swear at all (understand in temporal matters) neither sincerely nor falsely, as was said; and has commanded that our yea shall be yea and our nay, nay; and since Paul and James also testify to this, and since we know that no man nor commandment of man may take the place of God and his commandment, therefore it is that we in temporal matters dare not affirm the truth in more than yea or nay as the case may be. For thus the Word of the Lord teaches us.

We say, in temporal matters, and for this reason: Because Christ sometimes in his teachings makes use of the word verily and because Paul called upon the Lord as a witness of his soul. For this some think that swearing is allowable; not observing that Christ and Paul did not do this in regard to temporal matters as in matters of flesh and blood or money or property but in affirmation of the eternal truth to the praise of God and to the salvation and edification of their brethren.

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