Template:Civil Government
Civil Government
The civil government is the result of civil law and civil law is the result of the hearts and minds of the people.
The Civil Authority is the power of the people, over their government.[1]
“The civil law is what a people establishes for itself.”[2]
There are many forms of civil government but there are at least two basic types or approaches to civil government. Understanding civil law is essential to understanding civil governments.
All civil governments begin with civil rights being agreed upon by men.
All rights originate with the Creator of mankind. We see those rights as endowed by Nature and Nature's God.[3]
Natural rights must exist before civil rights may be established. Natural rights are primary or original rights and maybe either individually held by everyman and passed from generation to generation through natural families.[4]
Civil rights are rights established by civil government. Those governments may be formed by the civil powers being vested in a collective or a ruling body of law makers or even just a single dictator or king. The citizen then enjoys right more by privilege that natural rights.
Civil rights may also be established by mutual recognition of the entire society of citizens through custom and usage. Such societies are usually governments of voluntary participation where all rights and responsibilities of governance remain with every individual.
Understanding Republics and what types of Citizens may exist is important in understanding different types of Civil Rights. Israel at its beginning was one of the earliest forms of a republic.
The Levites represented the government but they did not rule over the people. In fact, the people only supported the Levites with a tithe "according to their service". This left the civil power of government in the hands of the people where there was no king and most all taxation or government support was voluntary. The power to force offerings to take care of the needy of society was not in the hands of a bureaucratic government but the people themselves. Since religion was how you take care of the needy of society, pure religion was caring for a societies welfare needs unspotted by the "bureaucratic governments of the world". This same type of system was used by the early Church.
Constitutional republics may vest some power in their leaders to rule over limited aspects of society. Once the voice of the people vest some of their power or right to rule themselves in a political office the tendency is for that power to grow and liberty to decline until the people cry out again.
Certainly, the election of Saul in 1 Samuel 8 shows those who study history what happens when you grant power to rulers. The Bible warns and prohibits alternative systems where men are ruling judges making laws and if men choose to elect a ruler there are limits you were to write in your constitution and have your priest read daily. The priests were to provide a system of appeals courts in their Cities of refuge.
“Man is a term of nature; person, of the civil law”[5]
Compare these two types of civil government:
- In one the government is supported by Freewill offerings of the people, usually in a network of small groups.[6]
- In the other the government is supported by compelled offerings called tribute or taxes on the use of property or labor provided through taxes.[7]
- In the early forms of civil society fact and law was determined by a gathering of the peers of a community in the form of became known as a Jury. It was the responsibility of every man to attend to the weightier matters of law.[8]
- In less free society men are chosen to judge the law as lawmakers or "Ruling judges".[9]
- In the former property rights are held by the individuals within families passed from generation to generation and the people are the state.
- In the latter property rights are mere legal rights and held as part of One purse.
- In the former the people govern themselves seeking righteousness tending to the Weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith which include caring for the needs of our neighbors and the widows and orphans of our society through Pure Religion in matters of health, education, and welfare. We are NOT to provide for the needy of society through the Covetous Practices and the men who call themselves benefactors but who exercise authority one over the other like the socialists do.
The Way of Christ was like neither the way of the world of Rome nor the governments of the gentiles who depend on those fathers of the earth through force, fear and fealty who deliver the people back in bondage again like they were in Egypt. Christ's ministers and true Christians do not depend upon systems of social welfare that force the contributions of the people like the corban of the Pharisees which made the word of God to none effect. Many people have been deceived to go the way of Balaam and the Nicolaitan and out of The Way of Christ and have become workers of iniquity.
The Christian conflict with Rome in the first century Church appointed by Christ was because they would not apply to the fathers of the earth for their free bread but instead relied upon a voluntary network providing a daily ministration to the needy of society through Faith, Hope, and Charity by way of freewill offerings of the people, for the people, and by the people through the perfect law of liberty in Free Assemblies according to the ancient pattern of Tuns or Tens as He commanded.
The modern Christians are in need of repentance.
"Follow me!" —Jesus the Christ.
- One of the most important things to do is to become involved in a network of Charitable Practices. Everyone should want to join a Living Network of Love and Charity.
- If you think you have a calling to be a Minister of God or you might want to dedicate your life to Christ as an Ordained Minister of His Holy Church, contact us to start the process of discipleship and become the benefactors who exercise only love, NOT authority.[10]
- The latter the people rejected God electing leaders to exercise authority one over the other to obtain benefits at the expense of their neighbor through their ruling Benefactors.
- ↑ Among the first modern experiments in civil government took place in 1636 when Roger Williams, a Christian minister, founded the colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. He sought to create a "wall of separation" between church and state to prevent corruption of the church and maintain civil order as expounded upon in his 1644 book, Bloudy Tenent of Persecution.
- ↑ Jus civile est quod sibi populus constituit.1 Johns. N.Y.424, 426.
- ↑ Declaration of Independence
- ↑ Da 4:3 How great are his signs! and how mighty are his wonders! his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation. Da 4:34 And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation:
- ↑ Homo vocabulum est; persona juris civilitis. Calvinus, Lex.
- ↑ Le 22:18 Speak unto Aaron, and to his sons, and unto all the children of Israel, and say unto them, Whatsoever he be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers in Israel, that will offer his oblation for all his vows, and for all his freewill offerings, which they will offer unto the LORD for a burnt offering; Le 22:21 And whosoever offereth a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the LORD to accomplish his vow, or a freewill offering in beeves or sheep, it shall be perfect to be accepted; there shall be no blemish therein. Le 22:23 Either a bullock or a lamb that hath any thing superfluous or lacking in his parts, that mayest thou offer for a freewill offering; but for a vow it shall not be accepted. Le 23:38 Beside the sabbaths of the LORD, and beside your gifts, and beside all your vows, and beside all your freewill offerings, which ye give unto the LORD. Nu 15:3 And will make an offering by fire unto the LORD, a burnt offering, or a sacrifice in performing a vow, or in a freewill offering, or in your solemn feasts, to make a sweet savour unto the LORD, of the herd, or of the flock: Nu 29:39 These things ye shall do unto the LORD in your set feasts, beside your vows, and your freewill offerings, for your burnt offerings, and for your meat offerings, and for your drink offerings, and for your peace offerings. De 12:6 And thither ye shall bring your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, and your tithes, and heave offerings of your hand, and your vows, and your freewill offerings, and the firstlings of your herds and of your flocks: De 12:17 Thou mayest not eat within thy gates the tithe of thy corn, or of thy wine, or of thy oil, or the firstlings of thy herds or of thy flock, nor any of thy vows which thou vowest, nor thy freewill offerings, or heave offering of thine hand: De 16:10 And thou shalt keep the feast of weeks unto the LORD thy God with a tribute of a freewill offering of thine hand, which thou shalt give unto the LORD thy God, according as the LORD thy God hath blessed thee: De 23:23 That which is gone out of thy lips thou shalt keep and perform; even a freewill offering, according as thou hast vowed unto the LORD thy God, which thou hast promised with thy mouth. 2Ch 31:14 And Kore the son of Imnah the Levite, the porter toward the east, was over the freewill offerings of God, to distribute the oblations of the LORD, and the most holy things. Ezr 1:4 And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, beside the freewill offering for the house of God that is in Jerusalem. Ezr 3:5 And afterward offered the continual burnt offering, both of the new moons, and of all the set feasts of the LORD that were consecrated, and of every one that willingly offered a freewill offering unto the LORD. Ezr 7:13 I make a decree, that all they of the people of Israel, and of his priests and Levites, in my realm, which are minded of their own freewill to go up to Jerusalem, go with thee. Ezr 7:16 And all the silver and gold that thou canst find in all the province of Babylon, with the freewill offering of the people, and of the priests, offering willingly for the house of their God which is in Jerusalem: Ezr 8:28 And I said unto them, Ye are holy unto the LORD; the vessels are holy also; and the silver and the gold are a freewill offering unto the LORD God of your fathers. Ps 119:108 Accept, I beseech thee, the freewill offerings of my mouth, O LORD, and teach me thy judgments. Le 19:18 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD. Zec 8:17 And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith the LORD. Mt 5:43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. Mt 19:19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Mt 22:39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Mr 12:31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. Mr 12:33 And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. Lu 10:27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. Ro 13:9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Ro 13:10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. Ga 5:14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Jas 2:8 If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:
- ↑ Ge 4:17 And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch. Ge 4:23 ¶ And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: for I have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt. 24 If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold. Mt 11:12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.
- ↑ Mt 23:23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier [matters] of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
- ↑ 0430 ^םיהלא^ ‘elohiym \@el-o-heem’\@ plural of 0433; n m p; {See TWOT on 93 @@ "93c"} AV-God 2346, god 244, judge 5, GOD 1, goddess 2, great 2, mighty 2, angels 1, exceeding 1, God-ward + 04136 1, godly 1; 2606 1) (plural) 1a) rulers, judges 1b) divine ones
- ↑ Matthew 20:25-26 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;
Mark 10:42-43 But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them. But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister:
Luke 22:25-26 And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.