Reformed Confessions
36/37Of Magistrates
  1. God and His Word
  2. 1There Is One Only God
  3. 2By What Means God Is Made Known unto Us
  4. 3Of the Written Word of God
  5. 4Canonical Books of the Holy Scriptures
  6. 5Whence Do the Holy Scriptures Derive Their Dignity and Authority
  7. 6The Difference Between the Canonical and Apocryphal Books
  8. 7The Sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures to Be the Only Rule of Faith
  9. 8God Is One in Essence, Yet Distinguished in Three Persons
  10. 9The Proof of the Foregoing Article of the Trinity of Persons in One God
  11. 10Jesus Christ Is True and Eternal God
  12. 11The Holy Ghost Is True and Eternal God
  13. Creation and the Fall
  14. 12Of the Creation
  15. 13Of Divine Providence
  16. 14Of the Creation and Fall of Man, and His Incapacity to Perform What Is Truly Good
  17. 15Of Original Sin
  18. Christ and Redemption
  19. 16Of Eternal Election
  20. 17Of the Recovery of Fallen Man
  21. 18Of the Incarnation of Jesus Christ
  22. 19Of the Union and Distinction of the Two Natures in the Person of Christ
  23. 20God Hath Manifested His Justice and Mercy in Christ
  24. 21Of the Satisfaction of Christ, Our Only High-Priest, for Us
  25. Salvation in Christ
  26. 22Of Our Justification Through Faith in Jesus Christ
  27. 23Our Justification Consists in the Forgiveness of Sin and the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness
  28. 24Of Man's Sanctification and Good Works
  29. 25Of the Abolishing of the Ceremonial Law
  30. 26Of Christ's Intercession
  31. The Church and the Sacraments
  32. 27Of the Catholic Christian Church
  33. 28Every One Is Bound to Join Himself to the True Church
  34. 29Of the Marks of the True Church, and Wherein She Differs from the False Church
  35. 30Concerning the Government of, and Offices in, the Church
  36. 31Of the Ministers, Elders, and Deacons
  37. 32Of the Order and Discipline of the Church
  38. 33Of the Sacraments
  39. 34Of Holy Baptism
  40. 35Of the Holy Supper of Our Lord Jesus Christ
  41. Government and the Last Things
  42. 36Of Magistrates
  43. 37Of the Last Judgment

The Belgic Confession · Article 36

Of Magistrates

  • Article 36 of 37
  • 1 min read

Article 36

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; 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 magistracy with the sword, for the punishment of evil doers, and for the praise 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 be thus destroyed, and the kingdom of Christ promoted. They must, therefore, countenance the preaching of the word of the gospel every where, that God may be honored and worshiped by every one, 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 ways, and that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.

Wherefore we detest the error of the Anabaptists and other seditious people, and in general all those who reject the higher powers and magistrates, and would subvert justice, introduce a community of goods, and confound that decency and good order which God hath established among men.

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