The Second Helvetic Confession
CHAPTER XXX
Of the Magistracy
THE MAGISTRACY IS FROM GOD. Magistracy of every kind is
instituted by God himself for the peace and tranquillity of the human race, and
thus it should have the chief place in the world. If the magistrate is opposed
to the Church, he can hinder and disturb it very much; but if he is a friend and
even a member of the Church, he is a most useful and excellent member of it, who
is able to benefit it greatly, and to assist it best of all.
THE DUTY OF THE MAGISTRATE. The chief duty of the
magistrate is to secured and preserve peace and public tranquillity. Doubtless
he will never do this more successfully than when he is truly God-fearing and
religious; that is to say, when, according to the example of the most holy kings
and princes of the people of the Lord, he promotes the preaching of the truth
and sincere faith, roots out lies and all superstition, together with all
impiety and idolatry, and defends the Church of God. We certainly teach that
the care of religion belongs especially to the holy magistrate.
Let him, therefore, hold the Word of God in his hands, and
take care lest anything contrary to it is taught. Likewise let him govern the
people entrusted to him by God with good laws made according to the Word of God,
and let him keep them in discipline, duty and obedience. Let him exercise
judgment by judging uprightly. Let him not respect any man’s person or accept
bribes. Let him protect widows, orphans and the afflicted. Let him punish and
even banish criminals, impostors and barbarians. For he does not bear the sword
in vain (Rom. 13:4).
Therefore, let him draw this sword of God against all
malefactors, seditious persons, thieves, murderers, oppressors, blasphemers,
perjured persons, and all those whom God has commanded him to punish and even to
execute. Let him suppress stubborn heretics (who are truly heretics), who do
not cease to blaspheme the majesty of God and to trouble, and even to destroy
the Church of God.
WAR. And if it is necessary to preserve the safety of the
people by war, let him wage war in the name of God; provided he has first sought
peace by all means possible, and cannot save his people in any other way except
by war. And when the magistrate does these things in faith, he serves God by
those very works which are truly good, and receives a blessing from the Lord.
We condemn the Anabaptists, who when they deny that a
Christian may hold the office of a magistrate, deny also that a man may be
justly put to death by the magistrate, or that the magistrate may wage war, or
that oaths are to be rendered to a magistrate, and such like things.
THE DUTY OF SUBJECTS. For as God wants to effect the
safety of his people by the magistrate, whom he has given to the world to be, as
it were, a father, so all subjects are commanded to acknowledge this favor of
God in the magistrate. Therefore let them honor and reverence the magistrate as
the minister of God; let them love him, favor him, and pray for him as their
father; and let them obey all his just and fair commands. Finally, let them pay
all customs and taxes, and all other such dues faithfully and willingly. And if
the public safety of the country and justice require it, and the magistrate of
necessity wages war, let them even lay down their life and pour out their blood
for the public safety and that of the magistrate. And let them do this in the
name of God willingly, bravely and cheerfully. For he who opposes the
magistrate provokes the severe wrath of God against himself.
SECTS AND SEDITIONS. We, therefore, condemn all who are
contemptuous of the magistrate – rebels, enemies of the state, seditious
villains, finally, all who openly or craftily refuse to perform whatever duties
they owe.
We beseech God, our most merciful Father in heaven, that he
will bless the rulers of the people, and us, and his whole people, through Jesus
Christ, our only Lord and Savior; to whom be praise and glory and
thanksgiving,for all ages. Amen.
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