Duties of Magistrates in the Westminster Confession
The Westminster Confession of Faith says that magistrates “ought especially to maintain piety, justice, and peace…” This is an important, and now much contested, comment about the duties of magistrates. In appears in the second paragraph of its 23rd chapter, which says,
It is lawful for Christians to accept and execute the office of a magistrate, when called thereunto: in the managing whereof, as they ought especially to maintain piety, justice, and peace, according to the wholesome laws of each commonwealth; so, for that end, they may lawfully, now under the new testament, wage war, upon just and necessary occasion.
The confession does not intend to say that only Christian magistrates are bound to maintain these things, as if non-Christian magistrates were not. In making this comment, it is describing “the office of a magistrate,” an office which Christians under the new covenant may lawfully accept and execute. All magistrates ought to maintain these things.
Modern readers might think on first glance that “piety” simply refers to doing good, or they might be aware of the classical background of the word and think of filial piety and patriotism. While piety may include these meanings, it also refers to religion, and it is piety toward God that is especially meant in this context.
Piety was often used as a synonym for religion, as when William Gouge, a member of the Westminster Assembly, wrote that the duties commanded for the observance of the sabbath were “duties of piety” and “duties of mercy.” Another example is when Gouge wrote that “Chiefe Governours are to take chiefe care for publique acts of piety” as he commented on Exodus 17:15.
The inclusion of piety in this list was not without controversy. Baptists excluded it from their version of the paragraph in the Second London Baptist Confession (1689), so that it reads, “they ought especially to maintain justice and peace.” Nevertheless, both Congregationalists in their Savoy Declaration and American Presbyterians in their edition of the Westminster Confession of Faith retained the original paragraph unchanged, piety and all. This confessional contrast is one confirmation that piety refers especially to religion.
In other words, the good that civil government ought to promote is not merely material, but also religious. This would have been obvious to both Jews and Gentiles in the ancient world. Where biblical thought and pagan thought differed was in their conception of religion. The apostles did not need to teach pagan rulers that they were supposed to promote religion, but they did need to teach them the true religion.
Another clue that “piety” refers to religion is found in how men at the Westminster Assembly wrote of magistrates having this threefold duty. Samuel Rutherford, one of the Scottish commissioners to the Westminster Assembly, wrote in his catechism that magistrates had a threefold duty. “Q. What is the duty of the king and magistrates? A. They must maintain religion (Deut. 17:19; Exod. 18:21; Isa. 49:23; Ezek. 7:27), peace (1 Tim. 2:2), and justice (Num. 35:31, 33; 1 King. 20:42; Job 29:12, 13).”
Stephen Marshall, an English member of the Westminster Assembly, also wrote of this threefold duty in his sermon on 1 Timothy 2:2, “The Civil Magistrates Power in Matters of Religion Proved” (1657), saying, “In the Doctrine, are three parts of the Magistrates duty. First, Publick peace. 2. That the people live in honesty. 3. Godly. The two first there are none have doubted of, but the third is the question of our times.” This third duty, that the magistrate “must take Care that his people live in all Godliness,” was what was relevant to the main point of his sermon. As honesty referred to justice among men, so godliness referred to religion, to piety toward God.
Is it not true (who dare deny it) that the Magistrate is bound to provide that men live honestly in matters of the second table? to make lawes about it and see to the execution of them: why then must he not provide for Godlinesse, under the first table; the Holy Ghost hath joyned them both together in the Text.
The proof-texts that the Westminster Assembly gave for this statement about the duties of magistrates were Psalm 2:10-12, 1 Tim. 2:2, Psalm 82:3-4, 2 Sam. 23:3, and 1 Peter 2:13.
1 Peter 2:13 pertains to the following phrase in WCF 23.2, “according to the wholesome laws of each commonwealth,” recognizing civil government is a “human institution” in its particular forms and practice, with allowable variety from state to state within limits. Forms of government may differ, and each commonwealth will have its own laws, although these laws ought to be wholesome, in accord with God’s law and wisdom.
Psalm 82:3-4 teaches that rulers must maintain justice and deliver the afflicted from the hand of the wicked. “Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked.” Civil rulers must maintain justice among men, rendering true judgments, enforcing justice against evildoers, giving justice to those who have been wronged.
Psalm 2:10-12 especially refers to the maintenance of piety as it calls the kings and judges of the earth to “Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry…” Rather than leading their nations to cast off the yoke of the Lord and his Anointed (Ps. 2:1-3), rulers are to serve the Lord with fear and submit to the Son of God, the ruler of kings on earth.
2 Samuel 23:3 refers to ruling in justice and piety: “He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.” As Matthew Poole (1624-1679) comments on this verse, “And so here are the two principal parts of a king’s duty, answerable to the two tables of God’s law, justice towards men, and piety towards God, both which he is to maintain and promote among his people…”
Probably the most important text among these proof-texts is 1 Timothy 2:2. In 1 Timothy 2:2, Paul exhorts Christians to prayer “for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.” In other words, the aim of civil government, that we should pray is achieved, is the flourishing of peace and order in society, godliness (that is, piety toward God), and honesty. That is, justice among men; for as the Geneva Bible comments, “This word includes every type of duty, which is to be used by men in all their affairs.”
Stephen Marshall’s interpretation of 1 Timothy 2:2 was not innovative. A similar interpretation is found in John Calvin’s commentary on the verse, where he says,
By exhibiting the advantage, he holds out an additional inducement, for he enumerates the fruits which are yielded to us by a well regulated government. The first is a peaceful life; for magistrates are armed with the sword, in order to keep us in peace. … The second fruit is the preservation of godliness, that is, when magistrates give themselves to promote religion, to maintain the worship of God, and to take care that sacred ordinances be observed with due reverence. The third fruit is the care of public decency; for it is also the business of magistrates to prevent men from abandoning themselves to brutal filthiness or flagitious conduct, but, on the contrary, to promote decency and moderation.
He goes on to say,
On the other hand, princes, and all who hold the office of magistracy, are here reminded of their duty. It is not enough, if, by giving to every one what is due, they restrain all acts of violence, and maintain peace; but they must likewise endeavor to promote religion, and to regulate morals by wholesome discipline. The exhortation of David (Psalm 2:12) to “kiss the Son,” and the prophecy of Isaiah, that they shall be nursing-fathers of the Church, (Isaiah 49:23,) are not without meaning; and, therefore, they have no right to flatter themselves, if they neglect to lend their assistance to maintain the worship of God.
It should probably be noted that the Greek word for “godliness” is εὐσέβεια, the Greek equivalent of the Latin pietas. We have two words in English for the same concept, one Latin-based (piety) and one Anglo-Saxon-based (godliness). Our English Bibles prefer to use “godliness,” but translators of theologians like Calvin render his use of pietas with both words. Godliness and piety are synonymous terms, especially in this context.
Some later commentators on the Westminster Confession of Faith have given special attention to the inclusion of “piety” in this list with “justice, and peace.” Scottish commentator Robert Shaw (1795-1863) writes,
“Christian magistrates ought to maintain piety, as well as justice and peace. The apostle (2 Tim. 2:1) 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.” “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.”
American commentator A.A. Hodge (1823-1886) also notes in The Westminster Confession: A Commentary,
Christian magistrates should also seek in their influential positions to promote piety as well as order. 1 Tim. ii. 1, 2. This they are to do, not by assuming the functions of the Church, nor by attempting by endowments officially to patronize or control the Church, but personally by their example, and officially by giving impartial protection and all due facility for the Church in its work; by the explicit recognition of God and of Jesus Christ “as Ruler among the nations;” and by the enactment and enforcement of all laws conceived in the true spirit of the Gospel, touching all questions upon which the Scriptures indicate the will of God specifically or in general principle, and especially as touching questions of the Sabbath-day, the oath, marriage and divorce, capital punishments, etc., etc.
Someone might ask whether it is right to expect civil rulers to maintain piety, when they might not be Christians. On the one hand, it is possible for unbelieving rulers to take steps toward this end, as is demonstrated by biblical examples (Dan. 3:28-30, Ezra 1, 6). On the other hand, it is true that believing rulers will be much more fitted to fulfill this office well. The situation can be compared to how a man is duty bound to maintain piety in his home and seek the spiritual good of his wife and children regardless of his spiritual condition – and some unbelieving husbands married to believing wives might be relatively helpful and supportive in this regard – but once he is converted, he is better fitted to do this, and all the more accountable to do so.
Magistrates ought especially to maintain piety, justice, and peace. A people is blessed when these things flourish among them. This doctrine concerning the magistrate should encourage and direct those who serve in civil government. It is important to not lose sight of the main things amid the drama of politics. It should direct us as citizens of our commonwealth, that in our political engagement we seek a government that maintains these things. It should encourage us to honor and maintain civil government, keeping in mind these fruits of good government. It should also direct us in our prayers for those in positions of authority, that God might make them a blessed instrument for the maintenance of piety, justice, and peace. May we also work and pray for the encouragement of Christians in government and for the conversion of those who serve in government and are not yet Christians, both for their own sake and so that they may be better fitted to fulfill their calling for the blessing of all.
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