We believe that our gracious God, because of the depravity
of mankind, hath appointed kings, princes and magistrates, willing that the
world should be governed by certain laws and policies (i.e., police or
police-regulations; French: polices);
to the end that the dissoluteness of men might be restrained, and all things
carried on among them with good order and decency. For this purpose, he hath
invested the magistrates with the sword for the punishment of evil-doers and
for the protection of them that do well. And their office is, not only to have
regard unto and watch for the welfare of the civil state; but also that they
protect the sacred ministry; and thus may remove and prevent all idolatry and
false worship; that the kingdom of antichrist may thus be destroyed and the
kingdom of Christ promoted. They must, therefore, countenance the preaching of
the Word of the gospel everywhere, that God may be honoured and worshipped by
everyone, as he commands in His Word. Moreover it is the bounden duty of every
one of what state, quality or condition soever he may be, to subject himself to
the magistrates, to pay tribute, to show due honor and respect to them, and to
obey them in all things which are not repugnant to the Word of God; to
supplicate for them in their prayers that God may rule and guide them in all
their way and that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and
honesty. Wherefore we detest the Anabaptists and other seditious people, and,
in general, all those who reject the higher powers and magistrates and would
subvert justice, introduce community of goods, and confound that decency and good order, which God
hath established among men (Belg. Conf., 36).
COMMON
GRACE ARGUMENT:
Exponents
of the theory of common grace have appealed to this article of the confession
for proof that the natural man can do
good works before God in civil life. The natural man is able to perform
such civil good by virtue of an influence of God on him that has nothing to do
with regeneration.
(I)
Herman
Hoeksema (1886-1965)
It is self-evident that Article 36 does not speak at
all of such an influence of God on the sinner that enables him to do civil
good. The article speaks of the magistrates’ power whereby sin is restrained in
public life … [If it were true] that an influence of God urges the natural man
to do good, the police might be abolished. But since that declaration is
untrue, the sword-power is peremptory in society …
… Article 36 of the Belgic Confession that synod quoted refers to the sword power of
the magistrates. But nowhere does it suggest a general operation of the Holy
Spirit whereby the progress of corruption in human nature is checked. Man is
constantly bridled by the Most High, mediately and immediately, in all his
actions, but he is always wholly corrupt.
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(II)
More to
come! (DV)
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