The divine institution of magistracy and the scripture precepts in the erection of civil government and in the appointment of governors were held by the martyrs. They also held that persons invested with authority should be fearers of God and professors of the true religion, as well as persons of ability and moral character.
The Covenanters believed that an obligation lay upon a nation, by their rulers, to favour and support religion. They considered this as due, in the first place, to the Prince of the Kings of the earth, whom all nations are to serve. In the second place, they saw it as forming the only sure basis of national virtue, union, peace, and prosperity. Yet they were also jealous for the liberty of the church.
They would not submit to an Erastian supremacy, placing the church in the subjection to the State; nor did they assume an authority over the State, requiring its subjection to the church.
They drew the distinction between civil and ecclesiastical authority, with judicious exactness; and, without confounding these two things, required their co-operation, each in its own sphere, as co-ordinate powers under one Supreme Divine authority.
In giving facilities and protection to true religion, they did not confound the constitutional exercise of civil authority with the base prostitution of it for State or personal benefit.
Divine Law
Be it right or wrong, such is the fact, that the reformers did not exclude religion from national concern. They found things civil and religious recognized in the same divine law, connected in the complex nature and relations of man, related also in the necessary connections of things, and joined in the corruptions against which they protested.
However, nothing was more remote from their minds than the idea of propagating religion by force. They disavowed and abhorred the propagation of religion by other than the weapons of Scripture, argument, prayer, and example, even though they were in their perilous circumstances to assume the attitude of defense.
Despite the fact that they positively disavowed, as horrid murder, the killing of any person, because of a different persuasion and opinion from them, they were nevertheless the victims of false accusations to the contrary. Such accusations were clearly unfounded. (This article has been adapted from “Religious Principles of the Scottish Martyrs” by Andrew Symington.)
For more information about the Biblical view of civil government and/or the Covenanters, please visit PuritanDownloads.com. There are many Biblical Reformed theology resources at that site.
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