Training · The 1689 Baptist Confession
The civil magistrate
Where civil authority comes from, and what Christians owe it.
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Where does civil authority come from?
From God, who has appointed magistrates under him and over the people, for his glory and the public good.
Two things follow, and they pull in opposite directions on purpose. Government is genuinely authorised, so it is not to be despised - and it is under God, so it is not the highest authority there is.
Everyone should respect the authorities in charge, because every authority comes from God, and the ones that exist were put there by him.
Romans 13:1Confession 24.1
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May a Christian hold public office?
Yes. In office they are to uphold justice and peace according to the sound laws of their own country, and they may wage war on just and necessary occasions.
The 1689 was written by people who had lived through a civil war and were still legally suspect. Saying plainly that believers may serve in government, and that just war is lawful, was as much a political statement as a theological one.
Some soldiers asked him, 'And what about us? What should we do?' He said, 'Don't use force to take money from anyone, and don't accuse people falsely. Be content with your pay.'
Luke 3:14Confession 24.2
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What do Christians owe the civil authorities?
Obedience in all lawful things, for conscience' sake and not only from fear of punishment - along with prayer for those in authority.
The qualifier is the load-bearing part: in all lawful things. Obedience is owed within the authority God gave, and it has already been said that God alone is Lord of the conscience.
First of all, I'm urging you to pray for everyone - ask God to help them, speak up for them, and thank God for them.
Pray for kings and everyone in authority, so we can live peaceful, quiet lives, marked by respect for God and integrity.
1 Timothy 2:1-2Confession 24.3
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What authority does the state have over the church?
None. The magistrate is given the sword for the public good, and nothing beyond it.
The omission is the point, and you only see it against the original. The Westminster Confession of 1646 gave the civil magistrate a role in calling church assemblies and in suppressing error; the Baptists, who had been on the receiving end of exactly that power, cut the clause. It goes with the claim that God alone is Lord of the conscience, and with the claim that a congregation has its authority directly from Christ.
Confession 24