Article 48

Notes

1. *The supreame Magistracy of this Kingdom wee acknowledge to be the King and Parliament (now established) freely chosen by the Kingdome, and that we are to maintaine and defend all civill Lawes and civill Officers made by them, which are for the good of the Commonwealth: and wee acknowledge with thankfulnesse that God hath made this present King and Parliament honorable in throwing down the Prelaticall Hierarchy, because of their tyranny and oppression over us, under which this Kingdom long groaned, for which we are ever ingaged to blesse God, and honour them for the same: and concerning the worship of God; there is but one Law-giver, which is able to save and destroy, James 4. 12. which is Jesus Christ, who hath given Lawes and Rules sufficient in his Word for his worship; and for any to make more, were to charge Christ with want of wisdome, or faithfulnesse, or both, in not making Lawes enough, or not good enough for his house: surely it is our wisdome, dutie, and priviledge, to observe Christs Lawes onely, Psal. 2. 6. 9, 10, 12. so it is the Magistrates dutie to tender the libertie of mens consciences, Eccl. 8. 8. (which is the tenderest thing unto all conscientious men & most dear unto them, and without which all other liberties will not be worth the naming, much lesse injoying) and to protect all under them from all wrong, injury, oppression and molestation; so its our dutie not to be wanting in nothing which is for their honour and comfort and whatsoever is for the well-being of the Common-wealth wherein we live; it is our dutie to do, and we beleeve it to be our expresse dutie, especially in matters of Religion, to be fully perswaded in our minds of the Lawfulnesse of what we doe, as knowing whatsoever is not of faith is sin: and as wee cannot doe any thing contrary to our understandings and consciences, so neither can we forbeare the doing of that which our understandings and consciences bind us to doe: and if the Magistrate should require us to doe otherwise, we are to yeeld our persons in a passive way to their power, as the Saints of old have done, Jam. 5. 4. And thrice happy shall he be, that shall lose his life for witnessing (though but for the least tittle) of the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ, 1 Pet. 5. Gal 5.

Proofs

Each links to the Scripture index: what else cites the passage.

1. aRomans 13:1–4; 1 Peter 2:13–14; 1 Timothy 2:1–3

Related texts

• First London Baptist Confession of Faith (1644) 48.1