Confession of the Christian Religion, Confession · Chapter 26
CHAP. XXVI. Of a magiſtrate.
SEing wee hauehave nowe ſpoken, of the firſt kinde of men whoſe labour God vſeth in the gouernance of the church, namely eccleſiaſticall miniſters, and their dueties, and other matters belōging vntounto them: it remaineth, that wee alſo brieflie declare what our faith is, concerning the other kinde, that is, the ciuill magiſtrate. For the Lord doeth alſo vſe his miniſterie, eſpecially if he bee a chriſtian, to the defence and preſeruation of the church.
I. Euerie magiſtrate, whether godly, or vngodlie, is of God, and therefore no magiſtrate ſimply to be reſiſted.
Wee beleeue therefore, that euerie magiſtrate, aſwell impious as godlie, Rom. 13.1 1. Pet. 2.13 Rom. 13 7is from the Lord God, and is the miniſter of God, for reuenge of euill doers, and for the praiſe of well doers: and therefore that he is to be feared, & to be honoured, and his commaundements, which may be done with a good conſcience, & without breach of Gods law, Rom. 13.5to be obſerued: and that not onelyonly for feare: but alſo for conſcience ſake: namely becauſe the Lord ſo cō maundeth. Therefore in reſpect that he is gods miniſter, Rom. 13.2he is not to be reſiſted; for who ſo reſiſteth it, reſiſteth Gods ordinance, and God himſelfe.
II. A magiſtrate that commaundeth any thing againſt God, muſt not be obeyed.
But yet if a magiſtrate commaund vsus any thing againſt the will of him who ſent, and whoſe miniſter he profeſſeth himſelfe to bee: we doubt not, with the Apoſtles, to denie obedience vntounto him, Act. 5.29and to ſay, wee ought to obey God more then man: whenas indeed, ſuch a magiſtrate is not in that behalfe the miniſter of God. Wherefore if we muſt be ſubiect and obey the magiſtrate, for conſcience ſake & not for feare onelyonly: Rom. 13.5then we conclude, that where we cannot for conſcience obeye him, neither ought wee there for feare to obeye him. In other matters, Rom. 13.2whoſo reſiſteth the power, we knovve, that he reſiſteth God, and ſhall receiue to himſelfe damnation.
III. We muſt praye for all magiſtrats, that, vvhat there dueties are, they may indeede performe: and what the duetie of euerie magiſtrate is.
But ſeing the duty of eueryevery free magiſtrate is to hauehave a diligēt care, both in making lawes, in giuing iudgement, and alſo in puniſhing offences, that their ſubiectes maye liue vertuouſlie, and after Gods lawes, the ſumme wherof, is that we ſhould liue in this world, Tit. 2.12ſoberly (therfore chaſtly and honeſtly) and rightly, (therefore peaceably with our neighbours) and godlilie (towardes God,) and that no princes can performe this of themſelues, vnleſſe God indue them with a knowledge of their duetie, & ſtirre them vp both to will and to performe: therefore that which we do according to the Apoſtles precept, Phil. 2.13 1. Tim. 2.2the ſame wee teach others that they ſhould alſo do: namely, that they muſt pray for all magiſtrats, of what ſorte ſoeuer: that they maye both bee willing and able to performe that which is their duetie: & ſo may bring to paſſe, that we may lead a quiet & peaceable life in all honeſtie and godlineſſe: that is, that wee may liue all friendly and in peace on with another: that a publike honeſtie may be obſerued, and true pietie and religion preſerued and encreaſed.
IV. It belongeth principally to a chriſtian prince, to take vppon him the care of chriſtian religion.
And if he bee a chriſtian and godlie magiſtrate wee beleeue that it chieflie belonges vntounto him, that beſides the regard of the publike and politick good and profite, of the publike and politick peace and honeſtie, he ſhould alſo take the peculiar care of chriſtian religion: ſith the Lord hath made him the keeper of both the tables, Ioſ. 1.8 Deu. 13.2 &c.and commaundeth him, that as a prince he alwaies keep the law of God in his hands: that he may puniſh aſwell idolaters and blaſphemors, falſe Prophets and ſeducers, as murtherers and adulterers: and the ſame is aboundantly confirmed by examples of godlie kings in Iſraell, and chriſtian princes, Conſtantine, Valentinian, Theodoſius, Iuſtinian & others: who, not onelyonly as priuate men, but alſo as kings ſerued the Lord, according to his commaundement: euen as concerning their duetie and office, Tō. 2. ep. 50.Saint Auguſtine moſt learnedly noted out of the ſecond Pſalme, and declared it to Boniface.
V. The office of a godly prince concerning religion is two fold, and wherein it chieflie conſiſteth.
Now ſith the duetie of a godly prince, that is, a magiſtrate which hath a free power ouer any people, and authoritie within his iuriſdiction to inſtitute and reforme religion, is twofold, which hee oweth to Chriſt and to the church, in the cauſe of religion, one, about ſuch things as belong vntounto religion: the other reſpecteth men which are in his iuriſdiction and ſubiect vntounto him: for the firſt, our beleefe is, that he ſhould diligently take heede, that by the pure word of God rightly vnderſtood, and expounded by the verie word it ſelfe, and according to the principles of faith (that which they call the analogie or rule of faith:) religion may be inſtituted in his dominion or kingdome, or where it is inſtituted, may bee kept found and pure: or where it is corrupted, may be reſtored and reformed: to the glory of God, and ſaluation of his ſubiects. For this we read hath beene commaunded of God, and of Moyſes, and euer obſerued of all godlie princes.
VI. A declaration of the former opinion by the parts.
We beleeue therefore, the duetie of a godlie magiſtrate is, firſt to knowe out of Gods word generally, and according to the ſumme of the pointes of faith, which is the true and chriſtian religion, and which is the apoſtolicall doctrine, whereunto the church is to bee reformed: that he may do or dare to do nothing onelyonly by the iudgement of others, but alſo vponupon his owne ſure knowledge. Then, this being thus knowne, to hauehave a care that miniſters which are meet men for the office, not by his owne choiſe, but according to the rule of Gods word, may be choſen, called, and ordained. Thirdlie, to bring to paſſe, that by them, both the doctrine of ſaluation deliuered in the holie ſcriptures, may be ſet forth, expoū ded and often beat vppon and alſo the ſacraments according to Chriſts inſtitution adminiſtred: yea and the diſcipline ordained of Chriſt, exerciſed. Fourthly, to hauehave a regard to this, that ſchooles may be erected, wherein aſwell good artes and tongues may bee diligently taught, as alſo the holie ſcriptures faithfully expounded, and the ſtudious may learne the ſumme of chriſtiā wiſedome. Fiftly, wherby miniſters and teachers may be held in their duety, and ſo true religion by them preſerued in the church, to do their beſt, that priuate cō ſultations, yea and alſo prouinciall Synodes as is ſaide before, may at leaſt twiſe in the yeare be called Sixtly, to carrie a ſpeciall care to the goods of the church, that they maye bee beſtowed on the right, that is on the true godly vſes: and that all neceſſarie things bee ſupplied to the church, and to the miniſters thereof.
VII. A godly prince ought not to deale with all men of a diuerſe religion, after one manner.
But ſeing (to ſay ſomething brieflie of the other duetie of a prince concerning religion) there be diuerſe kinds of men, which a prince may hauehave vnderunder his gouernement, namely either meere infidells: or ſuch as indeede profeſſe Chriſt, but yet are alſo open idolaters, or in manie things apoſtataes from the apoſtolicall church, or in ſome article of the faith manifeſt heritikes, or elſe erre vppon ſimplicitie: or ſuch as are rightly perſuaded in all matters: we doe certainly hold, that a prince ought not to vſe one kinde of meaſure towards all theſe ſortes: for ſome of them are to be loued, cheriſhed, and honored: ſome to bee winked at: ſome not to be ſuffred: other ſome to be quite cut off: and none muſt bee permitted to blaſpheme Chriſt, or to worſhipp idolls, or retaine vngodlie ceremonies.
VIII. All men muſt be ſubiect to the higher powers: and all the higher powers muſt be ſubiect to Chriſt himſelfe and to his word.
Laſtlie we beleeue, that eueryevery ſoule, that is, Rom. 13.1euerie man, none except, and therefore alſo euerie inferior power, muſt bee ſubiect to the higher and greater power: yea and that ſuperior power alſo, no leſſe then the inferior, and all other men muſt bee ſubiect to Chriſt the king of kings, and Lord of all Lords. Apo 17.14 1. Tim. 6.15.For it is Gods will that they ſhould al kiſſe the Sonne: and bowe their neckes vnderunder the yoake of his diſcipline. And therefore wee beleeue that it belongeth to the true gouernment and edification of the church; that princes ſhould chiefly ſubiect themſelues to be taught, admoniſhed, and reformed by the word of God: whereby others, by their example, may doe ſo alſo the more chearfully: and that if they refuſe to do it, the princes or rulers, maye more freelie puniſh them for it, and compell them to their dueties.
IX. Errors.
We therefore condemne all contemners of magiſtrats, rebells, ſeditious perſons, enimies of their common wealth, and whoſoeuer doe either openly refuſe to performe their dueties which they owe to their rulers, or doe craftely ſhift the ſame. We condemn by name the error of the Anabaptiſts, ſaying it is not lawful for a chriſtiā man to beare office, much leſſe to vſe his authoritie ouer his ſubiectes in the courſe of religion: affirming, that it is free for all men to follow what religion he will, & none ought to be compelled to faith: We diſallow them alſo, which giuegive authoritie in religion vntounto magiſtrats, onelyonly (as they ſaye) for names ſake: denying that they hauehave authoritie to call Synodes, to conſult about religion, to reforme churches, and, to determine out of the ſcriptures, ſuch thinges as pertaine to the peoples ſaluation: and will hauehave them to bee nothing elſe, but the executors of thoſe things which the biſhop appoint. As alſo neither do we allow thoſe magiſtrats, who without a ſufficient knowledge in the cauſes, do alter religion vponupon their owne pleaſures; do condemn men neuer heard, and ſpoile, and confiſcate their goods: ſet downe rules of religion, not out of the ſcriptures, but rather againſt the word of God: and beare themſelues, not as ſeruants of God, in the church of God, but as Lords ouer the churches: nor will bowe their neck vnderunder the yoake of the ſonne of God. For whome, that they may hauehave a greater knowledge of God, and better mindes, wee praye and beſeech God the Father, and the Lord Ieſus Chriſt.