Of Synods and Councils, XXXI:4

Synods and councils are to handle, or conclude nothing, but that which is ecclesiastical: and are not to intermeddle with civil affairs which concern the commonwealth, unless by way of humble petition in cases extraordinary; or, by way of advice, for satisfaction of conscience, if they be thereunto required by the civil magistrate.


Church assemblies are to restrict themselves to ecclesiastical matters unless their advice on civil matters is solicited by the civil magistrate. In other words, there is to be a strict separation of church and state on the part of the church. The church should not "meddle" in strictly civil matters unless consulted.

Now, at the time of the Confession's writing it was broadly assumed that the civil magistrate would be a professing Christian and would conduct the affairs of state accordingly. There is a hint in the language that church assemblies could gently remind the civil magistrate of concerns touching upon conscience. But I rather doubt the divines had any idea that church-state relations would be routinely hostile. The fact that such relations have come about--or, that in the United States presently it is thought that the civil government should be "neutral" toward religion in general (but actually hostile toward any specific observance of religion except for secularism)--suggests that this chapter of the Confession is a candidate for revision.

Tomorrow: The fate of men after death.