ShawWCF 23

Robert Shaw’s Exposition of the Westminster Confession: Chapter 23

Articles 1–2
The Sacred Scriptures are a perfect “rule of faith and manners.” They prescribe the duty incumbent upon men in every station and relations, whether as members of the Church or of the commonwealth - whether as rulers or as subjects. Any summary of Christian doctrine, therefore, which did not exhibit the duty of civil rulers, especially in reference to religion and the kingdom of Christ, would be extremely defective. This subject, accordingly, occupies a prominent place in the Confessions of all the Reformed Churches; and the harmony of these Confessions is a strong presumptive proof that the doctrine of the Holy Scriptures on this interesting topic is neither ambiguous nor “hard to be understood.”
It is true that sects have sprung up, at various periods, which have held principles subversive of all civil government, and hostile especially to all interference of the civil magistrate about matters of religion. The German Anabaptists who, in the sixteenth century, produced such dreadful commotions, maintained that, “in the kingdom of Christ civil magistrates were absolutely useless.” And even after their principles were modified by Menno, they “neither admitted civil rulers into their communion, nor allowed any of their members to perform the functions of magistracy.” They also denied “the lawfulness of repelling force by force, and considered war, in all its shapes, as unchristian and unjust.” Similar sentiments were broached by the English sectaries, at the period when the Westminster Assembly was sitting. Among the many pernicious errors vented at that time, we find the following: - “That “tis not lawful for a Christian to be a magistrate; but, upon turning Christian, he should lay down his magistracy: That it is unlawful for Christians to fight, and take up arms for their laws and civil liberties.” It is well known that the lawfulness of war is still denied by the Society of Friends, or Quakers.
In opposition to such opinions, our Confession here teaches–I. That magistracy or civil government is the ordinance of God. II. That magistrates are appointed for the promotion of the public good, in subordination to the glory of God. III. That Christians may lawfully accept the office of a magistrate. IV. That magistrates ought to maintain piety as well as peace and justice. V. That they may lawfully, now under the New Testament, wage war upon just and necessary occasions.
I. Magistracy, or civil government, is the ordinance of God. Several eminent writers have supposed that government is founded in the social compact; but it has been more generally held that government is founded in the will of God. When it is asserted that magistracy is a divine institution, it is not meant that it is of direct and express divine appointment, like the office of the gospel ministry. Nothing more is intended than that government is agreeable to the will of God. It is his will that the happiness of mankind be promoted. But government is indispensable to their happiness–to the preservation of peace and order–to the safety of life, liberty, and property. Nay, it is necessary to the very existence of any considerable number of mankind in a social state. The deduction natively follows, that it is the will of God that government should exist; and this deduction of reason is amply confirmed by the express declaration of an inspired apostle: “There is no power but of God; the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever, therefore, resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God.”–
Rom. 13:1–2
. It is to be observed, that magistracy was instituted by God, as the moral Governor of the world, and is not derived from Christ as Mediator. This forms an important distinction between the civil and the ecclesiastical powers. “The King of nations,” says Gillespie, “hath instituted the civi1 power; the King of saints hath instituted the ecclesiastical power. I mean, the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth, who exerciseth sovereignty over the workmanship of his own hands, and so over all mankind, hath instituted magistrates to be in his stead, as gods upon earth; but Jesus Grist, as Mediator and King of the Church, whom the Father hath set upon his holy hill of Zion (
Ps. 2:6
), to reign over the house of Jacob for ever (
Luke 1:33
), who hath the key of the house of David upon his shoulder (
Isa. 22:22
), hath instituted an ecclesiastical power and government in the hands of Church officers, whom, in his name, he sendeth forth.” It may be further remarked, that, although God has instituted civil government, yet he has not enjoined any one form of government as obligatory upon all communities; he has left it free to the several countries to choose that form which they think fittest for themselves; and in this respect the Apostle Peter calls it a the ordinance of man.” -
1 Pet. 2:13
.
II. Magistrates are appointed for the promotion of the public good, in subordination to the glory of God. Magistrates are called “the ministers ofGod for good.”–
Rom. 13:4
. They are invested with dignity and power, not for their own honour and advantage, but for promoting the welfare of society; especially “for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.” As this is the design of civil government, so this end is in some measure gained even by the worst of governments. But when this design is systematically and notoriously disregarded–when rulers become habitual tyrants, invading and overthrowing the liberties and privileges of the nation–the governed must have a right to remedy the evil. This is a principle essential to true liberty, and it was acted upon in our own country at the Revolution.
III. Christians may lawfully accept of the office of a magistrate. It cannot be questioned that, under the former dispensation, some of the most pious men, such as David, Josiah, and Hezekiah, exercised this office with the divine approbation. There are also many predictions which clearly intimate that Christians should execute this office under the New Testament dispensation.–
Isa. 49:23
,
Ps. 72:10–11
. Those who consider it unlawful for Christians to bear such an office, chiefly rest their opinion upon the example of Christ (
Luke 12:14
), and upon his declaration to his disciples.–
Matt. 20:25–26
. But though Christ came not to exercise temporal dominion, and though he repressed the ambitious temper which then manifested itself among his apostles, and interdicted them and the ministers of the gospel in succeeding ages from holding such an office, this does not exclude all Christians from executing that function. Were it unlawful for Christians to accept of the office of a magistrate, it would follow, either that there must be no magistrate at all in Christian countries–which would involve them in anarchy and dissolution–or else, that magistrates who are not Christians must be established among them; and who does not perceive the absurdity of this?
IV. Christian magistrates ought to maintain piety, as well as justice and peace. The apostle (
2 Tim. 2:1
) exhorts, that prayers be made by Christians “for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.” “What Christians are here to pray for, that magistrates must be bound to promote as their end; and this is not simply “a quiet and peaceable life,’ but “in all godliness and honesty.’ Rulers are not, in their official capacity, to be indifferent to godliness any more than to honesty; both are to be countenanced and promoted by them.–
Ezra 6:8–10
.”
V. Christian magistrates may lawfully, now under the New Testament, wage war upon just and necessary occasions. War must be regarded as a great evil, but in the present state of the world it is sometimes necessary; and if a nation were to adopt and act upon the principle that war is absolutely unlawful, it would soon become a prey to its ambitious neighbours. Under the Old Testament, wars were undertaken by the express command and with the approbation of God; but he could never command and approve of what is morally wrong. In the New Testament, too, there are various circumstances stated which countenance the lawfulness of magistrates waging war, and of Christians bearing arms. When the soldiers inquired of John what they should do, he said unto them, “Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely;” but he did not command them to relinquish their profession, as unlawful; on the contrary, the precept which he added, “Be content with your wages,” supposed them to continue in their situation.–
Luke 3:14
. The first Gentile convert who was received into the Christian Church was a centurion; but Peter, when he baptised him, did not require him to give up his situation in the Roman army.–
Acts 10
. To determine the several cases in which war may be justifiable would be out of place here; it may, however, be generally stated, that aggressive wars, or such as are undertaken to gratify views of ambition or worldly aggrandisement, cannot be justified; but that defensive wars, or those which, as to the first occasion of them, are defensive, though in their progress they must often be offensive, are lawful.
ShawWCF 23