Ray Fava, Evangelical Dark Web, and the Doctrine of Lesser Magistrates

Because Ray appears almost entirely unfamiliar with the Abwehr conspiracy and the broader resistance, he makes the mistake of asserting this false claim multiple times in our debate.

A lesser magistrate is defined within the Magdeburg Confession by their position within a hierarchy. They are subject to a "higher" or "superior" authority (such as an Emperor or a Monarch) but still possess a distinct, lawful authority within their own jurisdiction

The confession gives examples of permitted/righteous armed resistance by “inferiors against superiors" within the context even of military leaders like "a Master of the Horse". The confession grounds this in "the law of nature", a concept I'd imagine EDW would be fond of:

"The most praiseworthy and powerful emperor Trajan, out of the innermost sources of natural law, pronounces on this question of defense by inferiors against superiors in political affairs. When he appointed a Master of the Horse for himself, he handed a sword to him, saying, 'Use this sword against my enemies, if I give righteous commands; but if I give unrighteous commands, use it against me.'

This saying is celebrated and is truly of the law of the nature, that is, of divine law. Therefore, just as Christ in the gospel does not abolish the knowledge of theoretical or practical principles, or the Law of God itself, but rather establishes it, as the Apostle says, so neither does He abolish this opinion concerning necessary defense, but rather, Christian magistrates may piously use it – nay, they are under obligation to do so, because of the commandment of God, as we have already demonstrated at length by testimonies, arguments, and examples from the Word of God."

Here are some figures from the Abwehr conspiracy and the broader July 20 resistance network:

Henning von Tresckow - Major general and chief of staff of the German Second Army, formerly a key officer at Army Group Centre, with real military command authority and the ability to shape or transmit orders through the Wehrmacht chain of command.

“I am still totally convinced that we did the right thing... When, in a few hours’ time, I go before God to account for what I have done and left undone, I know I will be able to justify in good conscience what I did in the struggle against Hitler.”

Helmuth James von Moltke - War-administration councilor in the Abwehr/OKW and expert adviser on international law and the laws of war, giving him official state-military legal authority to resist immoral military policy.

He wrote to his wife that he stood before the court “as a Christian and nothing else,” and that the Nazis were terrified because he had discussed the “practical, ethical demands of Christianity” with clergymen.

Wilhelm Canaris - Admiral and chief of the Abwehr, exercising official military-intelligence authority beneath Hitler’s regime.

Hans Oster - Major general and senior Abwehr officer, using an official military post within the state’s command structure.

Friedrich Olbricht - General and head of the General Army Office, controlling key Reserve Army machinery used in Operation Valkyrie.

Albrecht Mertz von Quirnheim - Colonel and chief of staff to Olbricht, positioned inside the Reserve Army command system that issued Valkyrie orders.

Carl-Heinrich von Stülpnagel - Military commander in occupied France, holding territorial command authority over German forces and security operations there.

Paul von Hase - Berlin city commandant, holding direct military authority in the capital during the attempted coup.

Fritz-Dietlof von der Schulenburg - Civil servant who became district administrator of Fischhausen, later deputy police president of Berlin, and then government president and deputy regional commissioner of Breslau.

These men were not private vigilantes; many were subordinate public authorities acting from within real offices of delegated command, administration, or jurisdiction.