p. 485 | Duty of Civil Magistrates Towards Religion

International Religious Liberty Association · Chicago, Illinois · Jul 19, 1900

FromThe American Sentinel, The Sentinel of Liberty, Vol. 15, No. 28.

Duty of Civil Magistrates Towards Religion.

By Roger Williams

The civil magistrate either respecteth that religion, and worship which his conscience is persuaded is true, and upon which he ventures his soul, or else that and those which he is persuaded are false.

Concerning the first, if that which the magistrate believeth to be true, be true, I say he owes a three-fold duty unto it:

First. Approbation and countenance, a reverent esteem and honorable testimony, according to Isaiah xlix, Revelation xxi, with a tender respect of truth and the professors of it.

Secondly. Personal submission of his own soul to the power of the Lord Jesus in that spiritual government and kingdom, according to Matthew xviii, I. Cor. v.

Thirdly. Protection of such true professors of Christ, whether apart, or met together, as also of their estates, from violence and injury, according to Rom. xiii.

Now, secondly; if it be a false religion (unto which the civil magistrate dare not adjoin, yet) he owes:

First. Permission (for approbation he owes not to what is evil), and this according to Matthew xiii, 30, for public peace and quiet's sake.

Secondly. He owes protection to the persons of his subjects (though of a false worship) that no injury be offered either to the persons or goods of any. Rom. xiii.—Roger Williams.