Confession of Faith: Article XXXVI

The reason that there is a government is not so flattering; it is because of our depravity. We cannot do without government.

The Lord has given to government the sword, the power for the punishment of evil-doers and for the praise of them that do well. It is also their duty to protect the sacred ministry and thus remove and prevent all idolatry and false worship.

We might ask, what does it mean to “remove and prevent all idolatry and false worship”? It sounds so theoretical, so impossible. Is this article still relevant? Is it still applicable today? How can this be applied to our present situation? You understand this is quite a controversial article.

How must that be done today? In order to answer that question we should first try to define what the magistrates are, what the government is before God, and what the Lord calls them. In God's Word they are called by different names:

a. Kings. Isaiah 49:23, where all government can be referred to by the name of kings.

b. Princes. Isaiah 1:23, “The princes are rebellious.”

c. Elders. Exodus 24:9, Moses, Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders were the magistrates at that time.

d. Judges. Isaiah 1:26, “And I will restore thy judges,” that is, thy government, thy magistrates, and thy counselors.

e. The shields of the earth. Psalm 47:9, “The princes of the people are gathered together, even the people of the God of Abraham: for the shields of the earth [the government] belong unto God: He is greatly exalted.”

f. Gods. Psalm 82:6, “I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the Most High.”

Especially this last name indicates that the magistrates have a very high position according to Scripture.

We read in Romans 13 that the government is considered to be the servant of God, the minister of God. God's servants are ministers, but we also could say that in God's eyes the president of a country is His minister. The government is the minister of God. That is a very lofty, a very honorable title. The higher powers are of God, and they are ordained of God; and whosoever resisteth that power resisteth the ordinance of God. So a government is not a manmade institution, but it is ordained, it is appointed by God; it is an ordinance of God. Those rulers are a terror to the evil; they are not a terror to good works. The government “is the minister of God to thee for good” (verse 4), and “he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.” So the government is a servant of God, a minister of God.

Why did our fathers believe that the government had a task also in regard to error, to destroy the kingdom of the anti-Christ and to promote the kingdom of Christ?

This article is based on Scripture. It is not in conflict with our presbyterial church government; it does not intrude into the spiritual rights of the church or give the government the right to do so. However, this article does not acknowledge a neutral state. It does not recognize a government whose calling would be to give equal rights of protection to truth and lie, and equal rights to idolatry and to the true service of God.

We all know that “equal rights” is a term we read every day. We may not discriminate. It sounds like a kind of blasphemy to say that there are not equal rights for everything. But I would say this is just the basis of the battle that is going on today in this country and all over the world. According to some, there must be equal rights for everything: for all persuasions, for all opinions, for freedom of expression to its fullest extent, whatever filth and horrible things there may be, in art, in print, or in the spoken word. Freedom of expression, equal rights, protection for truth and lie — it is up to the person whether he chooses this or that, but it is not the task of the government.

The government “is the minister of God to thee for good.”

The question is: Does the government have the task to determine what is true and what is a lie, and to protect the truth and prevent both the promotion of the lie and the spread of false religion? Must the government protect the true church, and suppress and, if possible, destroy the dominion of the kingdom of the anti-Christ?

To our fathers this was not just an academic question, but they saw it as a very essential thing. Now we live in a society which always speaks about equal rights, about freedom of expression, liberty and justice for all. But what do we then mean by that liberty? Should the government stay out of anything which concerns religion or philosophy and only take care that nothing will disturb others, so that there is room for anything, whatever it may be? Should everyone's lifestyle be considered okay, as long as it does not harm others? Should each be free to express and practice his own sexual preferences, with no restriction to this expression? Should we do what feels good, and as long as it is with mutual consent, it is all fine? Instead of the infallible rules of God's Word, should the corrupt desires of the human heart be the norm for what is bad or good? How very dangerous it is to go that way, in the path of this secular humanism which is so prevalent in our days in the government, society, and schools. Therefore we now live in a country where spiritual poison, immorality, blasphemy, dishonoring God, and undermining His law in marriage, family, and church, are allowed or even promoted and protected by our government.

God's Word says that the government is the minister of God. That already should teach us something. A minister, a servant, should not do what the people tell him to do, but what his Master tells him. God's Word tells us the Master of the magistrate is God. They are accountable unto Him, as I am, and as you as parents are, and as is anyone who has some position of authority or some responsibility. We are responsible, and so is the government.

Calvin wrote to the king of Navarra in 1563 that it is the office of the government to take care that God would be served rightly. Our fathers have stated in the first Helvetic Confession, Article 26, “It is the task of the government to protect and promote the true honor of God and true religion, with punishment and removal of all that blasphemes God.”

The second Helvetic Confession says in Article 30, “The government must use the sword of God against criminals, revolutionaries, blasphemers. They must also punish the uncorrectable heretics who continue to blaspheme the majesty of God and disturb and pollute the church of God.”

The Confessio Gallicana says in Article 36, “The government must use the civil sword to subdue all rebellious ones, evil-doers, and those who promote false religion.”

The Confessio Scoticana in 1560 stated in Article 34, “The governments are appointed to the protection of religion in order that they may suppress all idolatry and superstition in their territory, as we see in David, Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah, Josiah, and other kings.”

The Synod of Dordt, in 1618/1619 in its 177th session, said that the government should remove the Roman Catholic priests from their official services. That was quite a strong statement.

The Westminster Confession in 1648 said, “It is the duty of the government that all blasphemy and heresies should be removed.”

So we could go on. Rev. De Cock, one of the leaders of the secession from the State Church, said openly in 1834, “God's Word demands that the government may not permit equal protection of He and truth, but must seek to cast down the power of antichrist and must promote the kingdom of Christ.”

From where does the idea of equal rights come? During the French Revolution, in 1795, the theme was “Liberty, equality, fraternity.” Those three words were essential to the men of the revolution. They wanted liberty for everything. They also very much insisted that the church should stay out of anything that was government business, and that the government should have nothing to say about any kind of religion, but leave it up to the people themselves. The French Revolution really promoted the idea that there is an area in which God has nothing to say. That area is the government. The government is accountable only to the people, but not to God. But what does God's Word say in Proverbs 8:15? “By Me kings reign, and princes decree justice.” And Romans 13:1 states, “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God.”

— to be continued —

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