Skip to main content

Ursinus on the Duty of Magistrates to Enforce Both Tables of the Decalogue

This is from Ursinus's commentary on the 5th commandment of the Heidelberg Catechism (which should count for something since, you know, he wrote the catechism):


"The duties of magistrates may be reduced to these heads,

1. To require from their subjects obedience, and external propriety according to both tables of the Decalogue.
2. To enforce the precepts of the Decalogue, by defending those who yield obedience to it, and punishing such as are disobedient.
3. To enact certain positive laws for the maintenance of civil order. By positive laws, we mean such as determine and prescribe those circumstances which are necessary for the preservation of the order and honor of the state, and which contribute to the obedience which the law
of God requires.
4. The execution of the laws which they prescribe from time to time.

There are two extremes in opposition to the duties of magistrates. The first is remissness, or a want of proper attention to their duties, which shows itself, either in not requiring from their subjects obedience to the whole Decalogue; or in not enacting such things as are necessary for the preservation and order of civil society; or in not defending the innocent from the wrongs which may be inflicted upon them; or in not enforcing, or punishing too lightly those who violate the law of God, or such positive laws as have been enacted from time to time. The other extreme is tyranny, which consists either in demanding from their subjects what is unjust; or in not punishing those who sin; or in punishing them more severely than the offence which they have committed calls for."

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Why Pastors Shouldn't Preach In Jeans (Especially Skinny Jeans)

By: Thomas F. Booher I can't think of a better way to get labeled a legalist than to title a post like this. Hopefully by the end you will not see this as legalism and will see this as what it is- my attempt at describing what I believe is proper ecclesiology as defined by God in Scripture. So then, what is church? What does Scripture say we should be doing and not doing on Sunday mornings? That's what I want to explore. The Bible says to gather together in Christ's name; to teach, encourage, and admonish one another; to sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in our hearts to God (Heb. 10:24-25; Mat. 18:20; Col. 3:16). There are to be deacons (Acts 6:1-6) and elders (Ti. 1:5) in the church who act as overseers, and in the case of elders, are the shepherds of the flock who teach the word and rebuke with authority (Ti. 1:9).  God must call one to be a pastor/elder (Eph. 4:11). As such those who are called by God to preach the word are held to a ...
11 comments
Read more

William Gouge's Domestical Duties: Quotes and Comments

 I hope to begin a post here that I periodically update, of quotations from William Gouge's Of Domestical Duties. I am going to quote from this version primarily: https://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/sdg/gouge/Domestical%20Duties%20-%20William%20Gouge.pdf  The book has been said to have been as popular as Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress and Matthew Henry's commentaries in its heyday. Gouge was one of the chief members of the Westminster Assembly of Divines, which gave us the Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms. In short, the substance of what Gouge wrote was held by most all the Westminster Divines/Puritans on home and family life, regarding marriage, children, duties of husband to wife, wife to husband, children to parents, parents to children, and also servants and masters to one another.  Here is an extended quotation of Gouge that I will start with, and add to later. Enjoy.  "The third reason taken from an husband's resemblance unto Christ herein, ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Some Problems in the PCA (Presbyterian Church in America)

By: Thomas F. Booher NOTE: I posted what's below to Facebook on this day, December 6, 2016. I wanted to post this here for record keeping and so that it can have a more visible and permanent viewership for those concerned or wishing to be more informed about the PCA.  I would like to explain my love for and grave concerns within the PCA (Presbyterian Church in America), the denomination in which I am currently a member and have served as a ruling elder. The state of the PCA is, in my estimation, not a consistently conservative, orthodox, and confessional one. I believe it is in the midst of much compromise, and I do not think that the average lay person is aware of it. It grieves me to say these things. I wish they were not true. I grew up in the PCA, and until several years ago I was still under the delusion that all was well in this denomination, that it was, by and large, holding fast to the Word of God. I still believe that there are many...
11 comments
Read more