We Have Another King

What is the task of the government in regard to the church? For this our fathers said, “The government has a right circa sacra, but not in sacra. This means the government has a task concerning the church, not in the church. They may not interfere in church matters.

In the past the government often abused its authority and its task, and they began to meddle in church business. They wanted to have some say in the election and calling of ministers. In the time of the Arminian controversy the magistrates protected and promoted the Remonstrants and chose their side. They even began to oppress those who were truly Reformed.

Indeed, the government has often abused its power and should not have power in sacra. The church should decide what is or is not error, but the government must support the church; it must make society peaceful and promote the spreading of the gospel.

Groen van Prinsterer gave a few examples of how the government could do this. He said it should promote the gospel preaching. The government should make a declaration requesting the churches to have a prayer day. It should appoint chaplains or ministers for the army and navy. It should promote and support Christian education. They should punish the misuse of God's name and the desecration of God's day. The government should acknowledge God by calling upon His name officially at the opening and closing of their meetings. It should support and assist the church. It should try to root out all that threatens the prosperity of the church. The government should be as a wall around the church, not a prison wall, but a protecting wall. It should make the conditions for gospel preaching as favorable as it can. The government should try to root out all that threatens the church of God.

The government should be as a wall around the church, not a prison wall, but a protecting wall

It is clear that our fathers, when speaking about the kingdom of the antichrist, meant the Roman Catholic church at that time. Our fathers also were very much opposed to the teachings of the Anabaptists. Calvin, who labored in Geneva and became influential as a leader of the Protestant churches, also believed that the government had to punish heretics. Sometimes, in extreme cases, this was literally done with the sword. Our fathers have always maintained that there must be freedom of conscience, that the destruction of the kingdom of the antichrist is not what Emperor Charlemagne did by forcing the people to become Christians. But they said that as soon as people worship publicly and bring their worship on the street and promote their unscriptural ideas publicly, then the government has a task to restrain it, and, if possible, to prevent it. In that respect our fathers did not believe in complete freedom of expression. They believed in freedom of conscience, but not in equal rights.

We believe that as a father is in his family, and ministers and elders are in the church, so the government also has to be a father. It should be a loving father. If a father were to give complete freedom to his children, would he be a loving father? Would he seek the welfare of his family? Would a government which understands it is responsible to God give freedom to shedding of blood, to promoting blasphemy and public mockery, because there should be freedom of expression or equal rights?

There must be freedom of conscience, but there may not be an unrestricted and unlimited permissiveness toward all kinds of wickedness and errors which grieve God. We are not like Israel of the Old Testament, which was a theocracy. But yet we believe that as the kings were responsible to God in the Old Testament, so the government is still responsible to God today, because, as Paul says, it is the minister of God to them for good. And woe to the government, and to the fathers in the families, and to the ministers and elders in the churches, and to anyone who has authority, if he does not use his authority to promote the honor of God and, if possible, to destroy that which dishonors God. That was the opinion of our fathers.

The teachings of our Confession and of our fathers can be summarized as follows:

1. The civil government has a task and obligation in regard to both tables of the law.

2. In regard to the first table, this task has a positive and a negative side.

3. The positive side is the obligation to protect the sacred ministry of the church.

4. The negative aspect is the obligation to break down the kingdom of the antichrist and everything which supports that kingdom.

5. The positive task to protect the holy ministry does not include or imply any involvement of the government in the internal matters of the church. The sovereignty of the church as well as of the state may not be violated.

6. The negative aspect is that the actions of the state are to be restricted to sinful public matters. Personal freedom of conscience is essential and may not be violated.

7. The civil state has the right and the calling to use the sword for these public transgressions, but it must do this with wisdom and when it is most fitting according to the circumstances.

8. The extreme punishment must be given only in cases of stubborn, continued resistance against the church and in cases of assaults to destroy the true religion. Then, if there is no other way, the government has to use the sword.

In regard to the government, we have to reject the errors of the Anabaptists, who opposed the government as something of the world and of the devil, and said, “We believers, we are the kingdom of God.” They went to Munster and founded a new theocracy, a new kingdom of God. This was a disaster and became an open dishonor to God.

Our duties in regard to the government are:

a. Subjection. Christ says, “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's.” We are to honor and respect the government. We have to obey them except in cases where they demand things which are contrary to God's law. Then we have to obey God rather than men.

We read in Proverbs 24:21, “My son, fear thou the Lord and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change.” Also the apostle speaks of it in 1 Peter 2:17: “onour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.”

b. Earnest prayer for them. In Jeremiah 29:7 we read, “And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the Lord for it [even if it is the oppressor]: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.” And the apostle says in 1 Timothy 2:1-2, “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.” May the Lord give us much prayer for those who are placed in positions of authority, also for our government.

Indeed, there are many reasons to be very concerned about the direction in which the government tries to lead the nation. Sadness and grief should fill our hearts because of the sins of nation and church.

May we humble ourselves before the King of kings. We read in Joel 2:17, “Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God?”

May the Lord give such intercessors for government and nation, bowing in true humiliation before Him. Then there would be hope for us and our children.

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