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Archive for the ‘Two Kingdoms Theology’ Category

Rutherford’s Due Right on the temporal & spiritual swords

Posted in Church of Scotland, Church Order & Discipline, Establishments, Samuel Rutherford, Two Kingdoms Theology on July 9, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Samuel Rutherford on the two jurisdictions, the “two swords” of a Christian realm in his Due Right of Presbyteries (1644):

Christ hath provided an Ecclesiasticall power to remove scandals betwixt church and church; for the Magistrates power is civill, and put forth by the Sword, and by carnall weapons. Christs aime in this, Mat. 18.19. is to remove scandals, and gaine soules. v. 15. If he heare thee, thou hast gained thy Brother. The Sword of the Magistrate is not ordained to gaine soules to Repentance. That Lord who careth for the part of a visible church, doth he not far rather care, in a spirituall way, for the whole (310-311)?

The following is a lengthier passage addressing the particular issue of how a Christian magistrate may or may not use his power to “compell persons to a Church profession.”

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Quest. II. Whether the Magistrate hath power to compell persons to a Church profession?

    Anent Magistrates sundry things are questioned to make presbyteriall government odious. And first our brethren complaine that our Churches are constituted by the authoritie of the Magistrate, (a) Robinson saith, it was a presumptuous enterprise, that people were haled against their will into covenant with God; to sweare obedience to the protestant Faith, being a profane multitude, living before in grosse idolatry, and that by the authority of the supreme magistrate; for the commandement of the magistrate (say they) can make no members of the visible Church, or of Christs body, because it is a voluntary act of obedience to Christ, that men adjoyne themselves to the visible Church. Ergo, none can be compelled thereunto by the authority of the Magistrate; faith may be compelled; it cannot bee compelled. For the clearing of this question, these considerations are to be weighed.

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Jus Divinum on the respective powers of the “two swords” in a Christian realm

Posted in Christendom, Church of Scotland, Constantine, Establishments, The Civil Magistrate, The Sacred Ministry, Two Kingdoms Theology on July 3, 2026| Leave a Comment »

The following is chapter 9 of Jus Divinum Regiminis Ecclesiastici: Or, the Divine Right of Church-Government (1646) by several anonymous Presbyterian ministers in London at the time of the Westminster Assembly of Divines. Here is classic Reformed “Two Kingdom” theology, where the distinct, co-ordinate, and collaborative powers of church and state in a Christian land are set forth.

Listen to this and other recorded chapters here. Or scroll down to view a facsimile in a PDF.

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6. Of the proper receptacle and distinct subject of all this power and authority of Church government, which Christ hath peculiarly entrusted with the execution thereof, according to the Scriptures. And, 1. Negatively, That the political Magistrate is not the proper subject of this power.

    THUS we have taken a brief survey of church-government, both in the rule, root, kind, branches, and end thereof, all which are comprised in the former description, and being less controverted, have been more briefly handled: Now, the last thing in the description which comes under our consideration, is the proper receptacle of all this power from Christ, or the peculiar subject intrusted by Christ with this power and the execution thereof, viz. only Christ’s own officers. For church-government is a spiritual power or authority—derived from Jesus Christ our Mediator, only to his own officers, and by them exercised in dispensing of the word, &c. Now about this subject of the power will be the great knot of the controversy, forasmuch as there are many different claims thereof made, and urged with vehement importunity; (to omit, the Romish claim for the Pope: and the Prelatical claim, for the bishop;) the politic Erastian pretends that the only proper subject of all church-government, is the political or civil magistrate: the gross Brownists, or rigid Separatists, that it is the body of the people, or community of the faithful in an equal, even level: they that are more refined (who stile themselves for distinction’s sake Independents) that it is the single congregation, or the company of the faithful with their presbytery, or church-officers: the Presbyterians hold, that the proper subject wherein Christ hath seated, and intrusted all church-power, and the exercise thereof, is only his own church-officers; (as is in the description expressed.) Here therefore the way will be deeper, and the travelling slower; the opposition is much, and therefore the disquisition of this matter will unavoidably be the more.

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    The Kingdom’s collateral gains

    Posted in Church of Scotland, Social Byproduct, The Kingdom of God, Two Kingdoms Theology, Vital Godliness, Vox Patrum on May 24, 2026| Leave a Comment »

    Now, O men, if ye will not be allured with the beauty and excellency of the princess, wisdom herself [Prov. 3:13-19], then, I pray you, look what follows her. That which now ye are pursuing after with much labour and pains, and all in vain too, is here in her train. Look how the comparison is stated. Christ Jesus would catch us with a holy guile, and, if it had success, O! it would be a blessed guile to us. Ye have large and airy apprehensions of temporal things, which ye call needful, and ye cannot behold eternal things. Ye know not the worth of this kingdom. Ye conceive that godliness is prejudicial unto you in this life, that the kingdom of grace will make you miserable here; and that ye cannot endure. Ah, be not mistaken, come and look again. If godliness itself will not allure you, if the kingdom itself will not weigh with you, then, I pray you, consider what an appendix, what a consectary these have. Consider that the sum is added to the principal, which ye so much seek after. But ye refuse the principal, the kingdom. Ye have not right thoughts of godliness, “for godliness is profitable unto all things, having the promise of the life that now is, and that which is to come,” 1 Tim. iv. 8. Now, is not this “a faithful saying?” If ye believe it so to be, is it not “worthy of all acceptation?”

    Hugh Binning

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    Christ’s “coming” through Constantine

    Posted in Christendom, Constantine, Eschatology, Two Kingdoms Theology on April 21, 2026| Leave a Comment »

    The following extract is taken from Jonathan Edwards’ magisterial History of the Work of Redemption.

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    IV. That the state of things which is attained by the events of this period, is what is so often called the kingdom of heaven, or the kingdom of God. We very often read in the New Testament of the kingdom of heaven. John the Baptist preached, that the kingdom of heaven was at hand, and so did Christ, and his disciples after him, referring to something that the Jews in those days expected, and very much talked of, which they called by that name. They seem to have taken their expectation and the name chiefly from that prophecy of Daniel in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, Daniel 2:44, “And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom,” together with that in Daniel 7:13-14.

    Now this kingdom of heaven is that evangelical state of things in his church, and in the world, wherein consists the success of Christ’s redemption in this period. There had been often great kingdoms set up before, which were earthly kingdoms, as the Babylonian, the Persian, the Grecian, and the Roman monarchies. But Christ came to set up the last kingdom, which is not an earthly kingdom, but an heavenly, and so is the kingdom of heaven, John 18:36, “My kingdom is not of this world.” This is the kingdom of which Christ speaks, Luke 22:29, “My Father hath appointed to me a kingdom.” This kingdom began soon after Christ’s resurrection, and was accomplished in various steps from that time to the end of the world. Sometimes by the kingdom or heaven, is meant that spiritual state of the church which began soon after Christ’s resurrection. Sometimes that more perfect state of the church which shall obtain after the downfall of Antichrist. And sometimes that glorious and blessed state to which the church shall be received at the day of judgment, 1 Corinthians 15:50, the apostle, speaking of the resurrection, says, “This I say, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.”

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    Davenport’s, “A Discourse about Civil Government in a New Plantation Whose Design is Religion”

    Posted in Constantine, Establishments, New England Puritanism, Two Kingdoms Theology on December 16, 2025| Leave a Comment »

    Where all, or the most considerable part of free Planters profess their desire and purpose of enjoying, and securing to themselves and their Posterity, the pure and peaceable enjoyment of the Ordinances of Christ in Church-fellowship with his People and have liberty to cast themselves into that Mold or Form of a Common-wealth, which shall appear to be best for them. Tending to prove the Expediency and Necessity in that case of entrusting free Burgesses which are members of Churches gathered amongst them according to Christ, with the power of Choosing from among themselves Magistrates, and men to whom the Managing of all Public Civil Affairs of Importance is to be committed. And to vindicate the same from an Imputation of an Under-Power upon the Churches of Christ, which hath been cast upon it through a Mistake of the true state of the Question.

    Reverend Sir,

    The Sparrow being now gone, and one days respite from public Labors on the Lords-day falling to me in course, I have sought out your Writing, and have reviewed it, and find (as I formerly expressed to your self) that the Question is mis-stated by you; and that the Arguments which you produce to prove that which is not denied, are (in reference to this Question) spent in vain, as arrows are when they fall wide of the Marks they should bit, though they strike in a White which the Archer is not called to shoot at.

    The terms wherein you state the Question, are these:

    Whether the Right and Power of Choosing Civil Magistrates belongs unto the Church of Christ?

    To omit all critical Inquiries, in your thus stating the Question, I utterly dislike two things.

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    Read the rest here or view a facsimile of the original below. I have also recorded it in audio here. Also view all our audio resources at WPE Audio. This discourse is especially meaningful to me personally, since my ancestor, William Ives came over the Atlantic with John Davenport and eventually signed his name to the original town covenant of the New Haven Colony in Connecticut.

    Davenport-John, A Discourse about Civil Government in a New Plantation Whose Design is ReligionDownload

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    Vermigli on the godly prince

    Posted in Establishments, Political Theory & Theology, Protestantism & Romanism, The Civil Magistrate, The Godly Prince, Two Kingdoms Theology on December 2, 2025| Leave a Comment »

    While doing some research in a related area, I ran into this first article by Torrance Kirby in the great Italian Reformer, Peter Martyr Vermigli. I know rather little of him, though he has been recognized as a major figure alongside Calving, Bullinger, etc. I wasn’t aware of how involved he was with the Church of England. As of the moment, I haven’t read the following two I post here, but they look similarly interesting. Here’s the source for these online.

    Kirby-Torrance, Vermigli on the Godly PrinceDownload
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    William Ames, “Of War”

    Posted in Christian Ethics, Conscience & Casuistry, Two Kingdoms Theology, William Ames on December 9, 2024| Leave a Comment »

    William Ames (1576-1633), a very notable English Puritan and delegate to the famous Synod of Dort, wrote on the ethics of war and warfare in his work on conscience. If you are patient enough to try to read it with its antiquated typeset, by all means—see below. (A big hint: many “f’s” are actually “s’s.”) Or you can listen to me read it to you here!

    William Ames, Of WarreDownload

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    Durham on magistrates about religion

    Posted in Establishments, Patronage, Puritans & Puritanism, Sacred & Secular, The Godly Prince, Two Kingdoms Theology on March 12, 2024| Leave a Comment »

    “10.  He may and ought to remove all false worships, and endure no corrupt preaching, or writing, or meetings for that end, or administrating of corrupted sacraments, or any ordinance other than what is allowed; for, Josiah did cause the people stand to the Covenant that was made, and having removed all idolatrous worship, he made Israel to serve the Lord, that is, he made them abandon corrupt worship, and wait on pure ordinances, as keeping of the sabbaths, offering of sacrifices, etc. and that according to the manner prescribed by the Lord.

    “Neither was it a wronging of their liberty, to do so, because:

    1.  It was the preservation of their liberty, to keep them from the abominable bondage of these evils.

    2.  It was their duty to abstain from these, and to follow the ordinances purely, and the magistrate may well put people to that.

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    A welcome hearing for establishments

    Posted in Articles, Church of Scotland, Confessional Subscription, Constantine, Establishments, Free Church of Scotland, Historiography, Medieval Church, The Church in America, The Kingdom of God, Two Kingdoms Theology on March 4, 2024| Leave a Comment »

    Establishments got some good press last week, at least on a respectable Reformed podcast. Kudos to Christ the Center for welcoming on Timon Cline to a panel discussion last Friday. While I’ve never heard of Timon before, I am sure going to read and listen to more of him. And I’m sure I’m not alone!

    The panel discussion focused on Dr. Alan Strange’s newly published book, Empowered Witness: A Panel Discussion on Politics, Culture, and the Spiritual Mission of the Church. Giving feedback and critiques were D. G. Hart, Nick Wilborn, and Timon Cline. I’ve not read Strange’s book, so I’m only commenting on the video. The discussion up to Timon and related rejoinders was interesting enough. But Timon sure rocked the boat pretty hard when he brought up the obvious (at least from a historical Reformed perspective and not an American echo-chamber), that is, what about the spiritual nature in the church in light of the classic, confessionally Reformed and Presbyterian endorsements of religious establishments?

    It’s clear that Dr. Strange was a bit flustered, though keeping a gracious demeanor. Sadly, though a respectable and accomplished Reformed scholar whom I otherwise appreciate, Strange’s response to Timon was more or less a rigmarole of informal fallacies and non-answers. Hart, however, just became flummoxed and unhinged. In contrast to Cline’s calm, measured demeanor, and even more importantly, to his much more careful, close, and logical reasoning (they guy’s a practicing lawyer, and it shines), Hart just full-on melted down, notwithstanding a clever little jab about Timon’s alleged tap-dancing like James Cagney. But even that was more amusing than apropos, as it only thinly veiled his chagrin. The young no-namer clearly bested his betters.

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    Presbyterians during 1832 cholera outbreak

    Posted in Ordinary Means Ministry, Public Health, Sabbatarianism & the Church Calendar, Sacred & Secular, Social Issues, Two Kingdoms Theology on April 1, 2020| 3 Comments »

    A few striking observations from a favorite anecdote in John G. Paton’s autobiography, below. If I’m not mistaken, this would be referring to a cholera outbreak in 1832 in the U.K.

    1. Healthy believers long for the courts of the Lord and don’t let lesser things get in their way. 2. However, it appears that godly Scottish Presbyterians in the early 19th century believed that public health crises could warrant church closures (or at least effectively cause them by population controls). 3. And apparently, the same believed that the state could mandate such closures (or at least effectively, etc.) in the interests of public health.

    Not an argument that any of our churches must necessarily close under the present circumstances; just an observation to help put some strong opinions out there in context.

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