Chapter 20: Of Christian Liberty, and Liberty of Conscience
And because the powers which God hath ordained, and the liberty which Christ hath purchased, are not intended by God to destroy, but mutually to uphold and preserve one another; they who, upon pretence of Christian liberty, shall oppose any lawful power, or the lawful exercise of it, whether it be civil or ecclesiastical, resist the ordinance of God. And for their publishing of such opinions, or maintaining of such practices, as are contrary to the light of nature, or to the known principles of Christianity, whether concerning faith, worship or conversation; or to the power of godliness; or such erroneous opinions or practices, as either, in their own nature, or in the manner of publishing or maintaining them, are destructive to the external peace and order which Christ hath established in the church; they may lawfully be called to account, and proceeded against by the censures of the church.
Changes from Westminster Confession of Faith (1646), Paragraph 20.4
And because the powers which God hath ordained, and the liberty which Christ hath purchased, are not intended by God to destroy, but mutually to uphold and preserve one another; they who, upon pretence of Christian liberty, shall oppose any lawful power, or the lawful exercise of it, whether it be civil or ecclesiastical, resist the ordinance of God. And for their publishing of such opinions, or maintaining of such practices, as are contrary to the light of nature, or to the known principles of Christianity, whether concerning faith, worship or conversation; or to the power of godliness; or such erroneous opinions or practices, as either, in their own nature, or in the manner of publishing or maintaining them, are destructive to the external peace and order which Christ hath established in the church; they may lawfully be called to account, and proceeded against by the censures of the church.and by the Power of the Civil Magistrate.
And because the Powers which God hath ordained, and the Liberty which Christ hath purchased, are not intended by God, to destroy, but mutually to uphold and preserve one another; They, who upon pretence of Christian Liberty, shall oppose any lawfull Power, or the lawfull exercise of it, whether it bee Civil or Ecclesiasticall, resist the Ordinance of God. And, for their publishing of such Opinions, or maintaining of such Practises, as are contrary to the light of Nature, or to the known Principles of Christianity, whether concerning Faith, Worship, or Conversation; or, to the Power of Godlinesse; or, such erroneous Opinions or Practises, as either in their own nature, or in the manner of publishing or maintaining them, are destructive to the externall Peace and Order which Christ hath established in the Church, they may lawfully be called to account, and proceeded against by the Censures of the Church, and by the Power of the Civil Magistrate.
Westminster Confession of Faith (American revision, 1788), Paragraph 20.4
And because the powers which God hath ordained, and the liberty which Christ hath purchased, are not intended by God to destroy, but mutually to uphold and preserve one another; they who, upon pretence of Christian liberty, shall oppose any lawful power, or the lawful exercise of it, whether it be civil or ecclesiastical, resist the ordinance of God. And for their publishing of such opinions, or maintaining of such practices, as are contrary to the light of nature, or to the known principles of Christianity, whether concerning faith, worship or conversation; or to the power of godliness; or such erroneous opinions or practices, as either, in their own nature, or in the manner of publishing or maintaining them, are destructive to the external peace and order which Christ hath established in the church; they may lawfully be called to account, and proceeded against by the censures of the church.
Is GOD alone Lord of the Conscience, and hath left it free from the Doctrines, and Commandments of men, which are in any thing contrary to to his Word, or beside it, in matters of…
Our Confession here lays down very clearly the position that the civil power is a Divine ordinance, and that as such it has its own legitimate sphere. This the Christian in the…
