Larger Catechism and the Civil Magistrate

[Reformed Covenanter]

In the answer to question 191 of the Westminster Larger Catechism it says that the church is to be "countenanced and maintained by the civil magistrate".

I was wondering if any PB members could tell me precisely what the word "maintained" means in this context?

Can it be proved that it means financed by the magistrate or just established by the magistrate?

While I hold the church is to be established by the state, I do not believe it is to be financed by the civil government.

 

[VirginiaHuguenot]

There is a clear parallel, I think, between the use of the word "maintained" here and "maintain piety" in WCF 23.2. The resources of the state are to provide not only legal protection/sanction ("countenance") to the true church but also the resources by which true religion may be supported.

I think this must mean that all resources of the state should be aimed at the promotion of the true religion, including the financial resources of the state, whether this means endowments to the church (recall that, even apart from the regular ministry of the established church, the Westminster Assembly itself was funded by Parliament, as were universities and colleges for ministerial students), tax exemptions for church property and officers, funding for law enforcement to uphold the Sabbath, censor attacks on Christianity in print, supress false, anti-Christian churches, and the like.

The purse strings of the state should be directed to the advancement of the cause of Christ and his church: the means by which this is achieved may vary but to exempt financial resources of the state from this aim is not consistent with the teaching of the Westminster Divines.

Robert Shaw, An Exposition of the Westminster Confession of Faith, p. 294:

4. Christian magistrates ought to maintain piety, as well as justice and peace. The apostle exhorts, that prayers be made by Christians 'for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty' (2 Timothy 2:1).

What Christians are here to pray for. that magistrates must be bound to promote as their end; and this is not simply a 'quiet and peaceable life', but 'in all godliness and honesty'. Rulers are not, in their official capacity, to be indifferent to godliness any more than to honesty; both are to be countenanced and promoted by them (Ezra 6:8-10)'.[6]

[6] M'Crie's Statement, p. 139.

J.G. Vos, The Westminster Larger Catechism: A Commentary, pp. 555-556:

3. How is the church to be countenanced and maintained by the civil magistrate?...(c) The church should be countenanced and maintained by the civil magistrate, by being protected in the security and enjoyment of its rights and freedom; also it is proper for the state to "countenance and maintain" the church by remission of taxes on church property, etc. (d) Our standards to not teach that both true and false churches are to be countenanced and maintained by the state.

The Original Secession Magazine (1867-1868), p. 658:

To get rid of the principle of establishments, it was further contended by Drs. Buchanan and Candlish that it is not in the Confession of Faith. This was abundantly refuted by Dr. Begg and others, who showed, as Dr. M'Crie does in his "Statement," that it is in the 23d chapter of the Confession, where it is declared to be the duty of the civil magistrate "to take order that all the ordinances of God be duly settled, administered, and observed." It was showed too that the Larger Catechism, in explaining the second petition of the Lord's Prayer, declares that the Church ought to be "countenanced and maintained by the civil magistrate" -- a statement which, as made by the compilers of the Confession, may at least be taken as fixing and explaining its meaning. And in a word the proof-texts appended to the Confession were appealed to as demonstrating that the duty of civil rulers as laid down in that document, involves the giving of legal protection and pecuniary support to the Church of Christ.

Robert Alexander Shafto Adair, The established Church of Ireland, past and future, "Appendix," p. xiv:

The Westminster Confession of Faith, chap. xxiii, sec. 2, teaches that civil magistrates ought especially to maintain 'piety' as well as 'justice and peace.' Taken in connection with the more specific statement in the Larger Catechism (ii. 191), it is clear that the compilers of the Confession intended in the maintenance of piety the support and endowment of the Church as the Divinely-appointed agency for promoting piety in the land. In answer to the question -- 'What do we pray for in the second petition?' we have these words: -- 'We pray that the Church' may be 'countenanced and maintained by the civil magistrate.'

John Owen, A Survey of a Discourse Concerning Ecclesiastical Polity, in The Works of John Owen, Vol. 21, p. 213:

For the present be it granted, that it is the duty, and in the power of every supreme magistrate, to order and determine what religion, what way, what modes in religion shall be allowed, publicly owned and countenanced, and by public revenue maintained in his dominions.

 

[Reformed Covenanter]

Thanks Andrew; this is what I thought. Personally I see no Biblical warrant for ministers, or ministerial colleges being funded by taxation though I believe that the state should suppress Sabbath desecration, blasphemy, idolatry, anti-Christian religions etc. Indeed I hold that for ministers to be paid by the state is a form of Erastianism, as they are thus reduced to being civil servants.

Before anyone else jumps in please note that I have no wish to debate the issue just now, it would probably be best to start a new thread for those wishing to do so.

 

[Reformed Covenanter]

Andrew

Do you know what Thomas Ridgely says in his commentary on the Larger Catechism concerning this matter?

 

[VirginiaHuguenot]

Andrew

Do you know what Thomas Ridgely says in his commentary on the Larger Catechism concerning this matter?

Sure thing - that was the first place I looked but his comments didn't seem to clarify the financial focus of your question (though his comments are of course good). But here is what he says:

6. We are to pray that the church may be encouraged by civil magistrates; that their government may be subservient to Christ's spiritual kingdom; that, according to God's promise, 'kings may be' its 'nursing fathers, and their queens' its 'nursing mother;'[h] that by this means the church may have peace and safety, and not be exposed, as it has often been, to the rage and fury of persecuting powers; and also that magistrates may be guardians, not only of the civil, but of the religious liberties of their subjects, which are necessary to complete the happiness of a nation, and bring down many blessings from God upon it. We are also to pray that God would not only incline magistrates to advance religion, by rendering the administration of civil government subservient to that purpose, but that by a steady adherence to it themselves, they may strengthen the hands of the faithful, and encourage many others to embrace it. If, on the other hand, they are disposed to exercise their power in such a way as tends to the discountenancing of religion, and the weakening of the hands of those who profess it; we are to pray that God would overrule their counsels, and incline them to deal favourably with those who desire steadfastly to adhere to it.

 

[Reformed Covenanter]

Thanks Andrew, that is interesting because the rest of your quotes seem to explicitly affirm financial contributions, yet, with the exception of John Owen, they are much later than the period of the Westminster Assembly. Perhaps the historical argument is not as clear as I thought? However, Calvin definitely affirmed the state should finance the church (see commentary on Is. 49:23) so I would be surprised if many Puritans took a different view.

 

[VirginiaHuguenot]

An additional contemporary resource worth consulting on this point is Jus Divinum Regiminis Ecclesiastici: The Divine Right of Church Government by the Sundry Ministers of London (London Provincial Assembly at Sion College). In defense of their proposition that the the "power of the [civil] magistrate is circa Sacra, not in Sacris," these ministers, who were jus divinum presbyterians, who likely included some members of the Westminster Assembly, cited:

The Helvetian church thus: Since every magistrate is of God, it is (unless he would exercise tyranny) his chief duty, all blasphemy being repressed, to defend and provide for religion, and to execute this to his utmost strength, as the prophet teacheth out of the word; in which respect the pure and free preaching of God's word, a right, diligent, and well-instituted discipline of youth, citizens and scholars; a just and liberal maintenance of the ministers of the church, and a solicitous care of the poor, (whereunto all ecclesiastical means belong,) have the first place. After this, &c. [Corp. Confess. in Helvet. Con. 36, p. 92. - 1995 ed.]

 

[Reformed Covenanter]

Thanks for this quote Andrew, this is very useful; the problem is proving definitely that the WLC definitely teaches that (though it would not surprise me if it does).