God & Politics in the 17th Century

Reading the selection of political readings this week in our study of historical context, I was interested - but not surprised - to see the importance and prominence of Christianity in the political discourse at the time. This is in sharp contrast the political language we’re used to in modern America, where religious ideas are tread pretty lightly when discussing our political system (for the most part, with the exception of a few religious radicals). These reports and opinions were written well before the idea of a separation of Church and state really cemented itself anywhere in the world, and it is interesting to see how visibly religion mingled with the ideologies of political leaders and commentators.

In the report on Charles I trial and execution, Charles I makes a great effort to paint the picture of the sinners (his opponents, the people who are putting him on trial) versus the good and faithful Christian leader. In a speech he gives directly before his beheading, Charles I says, “…what sin you bring upon your heads, and the judgments of God upon this land, think well upon it; I say think well upon it before you go further, from one sin to a greater.” Understandably, Charles I was probably in a panic at this point, scrounging to say anything that might make his executioners hesitate. However, I think it’s really interesting that he explicitly threatens them with retribution from God himself if they go through with the execution. This goes hand-in-hand with the notion of the time that God gave kings the divine right of ruling. Charles I is using that idea to plead his case, but the rebels that are overthrowing him are unaffected by it. I think this probably indicates something of the progressing political ideas of the time, that the divine right of kings might have been falling to the wayside in lieu of a justified overthrow. Despite Charles I’s guilt-tripping of his people, they still cry “Justice, justice, justice!” when he is killed.

Political thinkers of the time are definitely still focusing on religion, though – just not necessarily in the way that the British monarchy might want them to. While some men still twisted religion to the benefit of the nobility (see: Robert Filmer), writers like Milton and Gerard Winstanley use religion to challenge and question the practices of the monarchy and nobility. John Milton asserts that “all men naturally were born free, being the image and resemblance of God Himself.” He uses this idea to protest a tyrant imposing himself upon a people, since all people have liberty. Milton believes that the people should be able to judge a leader and have the ability to “choose him or reject him, retain him or depose him.”

Winstanley uses religious principles to protest the ownership of land. According to Winstanley, the nobility are withholding “the freedom of the earth” from the poor. He states that “True religion undefiled is this, to make restitution of the earth, which hath been taken and held from the common people by the power of conquests formerly, and so set the oppressed free.” Winstanley uses religious ideas to make a case for making land available for public use, against the main interests of the nobility.