Civil government is an ordinance of God, established by Him to punish evildoers and praise those who do good. We ought to submit in the Lord to all lawful commands of rulers, not only to avoid punishment but for conscience's sake. We are to offer supplications and prayers for kings and everyone in authority, so that under them we may lead quiet and peaceful lives in all godliness and honesty.
We acknowledge the supreme government of this kingdom to be the king and Parliament as now established and freely chosen by the kingdom. We must uphold and defend civil laws and officers established for the good of the commonwealth. We thank God for the way the present king and Parliament have overthrown the oppressive episcopal hierarchy under which this kingdom long suffered, and we honor them for it. Regarding God's worship, there is only one lawgiver who can save and destroy, Jesus Christ, who has provided sufficient laws and rules in His Word for His worship. To impose further rules would imply that Christ lacked wisdom or faithfulness in providing for His house. Our wisdom, duty, and privilege are to keep Christ's laws alone. It is the magistrate's duty to respect the liberty of human consciences, which is most precious to conscientious people and without which other liberties are scarcely worth enjoying. Magistrates must protect everyone under their authority from wrong, injury, oppression, and harassment. Likewise we must do everything within our duty to honor and support them and to seek the well-being of the commonwealth. In religion especially, we must be fully persuaded in our minds that what we do is lawful, knowing that whatever is not of faith is sin. Just as we cannot act against our understanding and conscience, so we cannot refrain from what they oblige us to do. If a magistrate commands otherwise, we must submit our persons passively to the magistrate's power, as saints of old did. Blessed is the one who loses life for witnessing even to the smallest part of the truth of Jesus Christ.