Post revised: the Doctrine of the Lesser Magistrates

This post was a little harsh in the first draft, on the medical professionals who profess to be Christian.

The doctrine of the Lesser Magistrates

Matthew Trewhella has written an excellent book called “The Doctrine Of The Lesser Magistrates: A proper resistance to tyranny and a repudiation of unlimited obedience to civil government” in which he outlines the doctrine of the lesser magistrates.

Matthew Trewhella explains that the doctrine of the lesser magistrates is a Christian doctrine and declares that “when the superior or higher civil authority makes an unjust/immoral law or decree, the lesser or lower ranking civil authority has both the right and duty to refuse obedience to that superior authority. If necessary, the lower authority may even actively resist the superior authority.”

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Indeed, it is a doctrine that predates Christianity and was well-known in secular Rome. For instance, Roman Emperor Trajan said to one of his subordinates, “Use this sword against my enemies, if I give righteous commands; but if I give unrighteous commands, use it against me.”

In his book Trewhella recounts various instances of lesser magistrates opposing the authority of their superiors, in order to protect the innocent. Martin Luther in particular benefitted from this doctrine: Prince Frederick the Wise interposed himself between Emperor Charles and Martin Luther, protecting Luther from Charles’ order to Frederick that Luther be arrested by having Luther supposedly abducted, but really, spirited away to a hiding place.

Trewhella says that when a law is unjust “the lesser magistrate has a duty before God to uphold the good regardless of the new definitions of ‘law’ created by the State. Historically, the practice of the church has been that when the State commands that which God forbids or forbids that which God commands, men have a duty to obey God rather than man. The Bible clearly teaches this principle.”

John Knox and John Calvin both cited the doctrine of the lesser Magistrates. It is deeply ingrained in early Protestantism.

Trewhella gives another name for this doctrine, interposition: “Interposition is that calling of God which causes one to step into the gap! - willingly placing oneself between the oppressor and his intended victim. Interposition is demonstrated when someone or some group interposes or positions themselves between an oppressor and the intended victim. This can be done verbally or physically. The lesser magistrate demonstrates the doctrine of interposition by placing himself between the tyrant or bad law - and the people.”

Trewhella also cites Daniel’s resistance to the King’s command to worship no god but him, and the Three Young Men who refused to worship Nebuchadnezzar’s golden statue which is in the book of Daniel also, as well as the story of the midwives in Exodus 1, and the interesting Biblical story of the people of Israel protecting Jonathan from Saul’s ridiculous command that anyone who eats anything after the battle would be executed in 1 Samuel 13.

Early Church history has examples too: Bishop Ambrose denied Emperor Theodosius entry to the church until he repented, after Theodosius killed 7000 people in Thessalonica in reprisal for the murder of some Roman officers.

This book is well worth reading and ought to inform the Christian response to the next pandemic. My pessimism comes to the fore here, though: even at my own church I encounter many, perhaps most, of the people are intransigently unrepentant for having supported the lockdowns and the vaccine mandates: I can barely find anyone who will willingly pray with me for those medical workers who lost their jobs.

Particularly distressing is the situation of those who worked at the lowest tier of the medical profession, who were carers and labourers and helpers in nursing homes, some of whom had no other training or profession to turn to, who were mandated out of a job.

The government quite effectively rooted out the good, righteous, principled medical professionals: it was like an inverted parable of the tares. God must wait for the plants to grow before he sorts out the wheat from the tares, but the government rooted out the wheat all at once and left the weeds behind;

Christian Medical Professionals who were complicit

Young medical professionals in particular who profess to be Christians but who did not lift a finger against the unjust mandates are brainwashed and unfortunately need to have some sense knocked into them, and I pray that God will do this, before they murder someone by following the government guidelines.

I believe that if they know there might be another side to all of the government assertions during Covid, the Lord will not give them peace for as long as they resist the goad like Saul and insist on toeing the bureaucratic line and giving the experimental injections — sadly I believe for some of them it will not be until they see and understand that their own families have been harmed by their complicity that they will turn around — repent — submit their whole lives to God — and seek the mind of Christ in their profession — as well as scientific proof, data and honesty, which are inseparable from the Spirit of Truth in every intellectual profession.

How will it be when we must all stand up in front of God and give an account of ourselves, for a Doctor who did not even try to find out the truth? Who did not weigh the options up to work out what is the best thing to do for their patients? Who did not even want to take the time to listen to the other side of the story, when it comes to the mRNA vaccines?

There are treatments available for vaccine injuries. Dr Robert Clancy is one person who has worked out treatments.

Some were merely ignorant, and gave the mRNA injections while trusting the authorities. But this is not good enough any more: if someone has told them - if someone has alerted them to the fact that there might be another side to the story they need to seek out the truth, they need to ‘seek peace and pursue it’, they at least need to look for the truth and try to find it, in their own field of expertise. They should be praying every day that God shows them the truth about these things, and shows them what to do! I hope they are. God’s grace is the only help we have here.

Today I am committing to praying for these medical professionals every day, for “to him whom much is given, much will be expected,” and many people are heading for disaster, because they do not build upon the foundation of Christ but upon the shifting sands of their own comfort and security.

I admit also that we all must first examine ourselves to make sure each of us is building on the foundation of Christ and not on our own shaky foundations.

God have mercy on us all. We cannot achieve anything in our own strength but must rely on the grace of God.

I will also be praying for God to raise up lesser magistrates who actually have the kahonas to stand up against tyranny the next time the ‘powers that be’ attempt to bring in mandates or try to have another pandemic.

May God help us all.

https://archive.org/details/doctrineoflesser0000trew

CHANGE LOG:

This article was a little harsh on Christian medical professionals. Some were simply ignorant rather than complicit. I have toned it down a little, and I acknowledge that we’re all potentially in the same boat. Any one of us might be complicit in evil, unknowingly, or even knowingly, God forbid. None of us is so secure that he or she cannot fall, but we all can operate only in the grace of God.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00GTDM3KW

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