Of Church Censures, XXX:1

The Lord Jesus, as King and Head of His Church, has therein appointed a government, in the hand of Church officers, distinct from the civil magistrate.

For 21st century American Protestants this chapter might provide some challenges. The Westminster divines had rather pronounced views on the spiritual authority of church leaders that will sound strange and perhaps even threatening to our egalitarian patterns of thinking.

But this chapter certainly begins with a statement every Christian can endorse: the Lord Jesus Christ is the head of the Christian church; indeed, he is Lord of all. This is a truth well established by now in our consideration of the Westminster Confession. See chapters VIII:1 and XXV:6 as well as Ephesians 3:23 and Colossians 1:18.

In his glorious wisdom, the Lord has seen fit to delegate some of his authority to local church leaders. He has appointed governing officers distinct from the civil magistrate, because the church is not co-extensive with the state. Not everyone who lives in a particular country also belongs to the church. This idea contrasts to that which prevailed through much of the 16th century in Europe, where the thought frequently was that the personal faith of the country's ruler would define the faith of all of his subjects as well. From this is a short step to the idea that religious dissent is treason against the king.

According to presbyterian thought (and the Westminster Assembly was chiefly, but not entirely, composed of presbyterian churchmen) the church government is apostolic in authority and presbyterian in form--that is, constituted as a plurality of elders. The principles of government set forth in the Scriptures include: Christ alone is head of the church; elders are chosen by the people over which they are to rule; all ruling officers are equal in authority; each particular church must have a plurality of elders; church officers are ordained by the presbytery (made up of the ruling eldership of the entire region or whatever organization is applied); and there is right of appeal from the smaller to the larger body.

Tomorrow: The keys of the kingdom.