Early Christian Church History #16: Government & Rulers;Roman Catholicism Veils Truth

We have great examples of the Early Church as the Vaudois and Waldenses, and other pre-Reformation believers illustrate. However the sad fact remains that the apostate Roman Catholic system of religion developed & began to replace Biblical truth as held by the early pre-Nicene Christians with man-made traditions & unscriptural doctrines.

Pre-Nicene Christians in regard to civil government, laws & rulers held to the following:

1. Honor the king & government
2. Obey the government when government is not in opposition to God
3. Do not aid in persecuting Christians
4. Pay required taxes
5. Pray for rulers & those in authority
6. Bless & pray for those who persecute them
7. Government officials ought to be just
8. Disobey or change unjust laws
9. Believing providence, that God ultimately governs the world
10. Christ is King & presently Christians are in the Kingdom of Christ

Post-Nicene Roman Catholicism which developed after 325 A.D. established the following "traditions" that replaced the Biblical commands & those of the pre-Nicene early Christian church:

1. A ruler can non-violently coerce non-Christians
2. A ruler can violently persecute heretics & pagans
3. The Pope can bless invading armies
4. If the Pope says to massacre a town then the massacre must take place
5. If Pope says to slaughter the Jews then the Jews must be slaughtered
6. If Pope excommunicates a king then king can be disobeyed
7. If Pope excommunicates a king then no taxes are to be paid to the king
8. Church leaders can kill other Church leaders for control
9. Jewish synagogues are to be destroyed
10. Destroy heretical churches & pagan temples
11. Organize crusades non-Christians in other countries