Chapter 20, Paragraph I
Of Christian Liberty and Liberty of Conscience – The Freedom Purchased by Christ
Summary
This paragraph unfolds the glorious liberty purchased by Christ for all believers. True Christian liberty is not the casting off of law or authority—it is deliverance from bondage and the freedom to serve God in love. Christ frees His people from every enemy that enslaves the soul: the guilt of sin, the wrath of God, the curse of the moral law, the tyranny of Satan, the dominion of sin, and the dread of death and damnation. The believer is no longer a condemned criminal but a reconciled child, no longer a slave under fear but a son who serves from love.
This liberty includes not only deliverance from evil but entrance into joy. Through Christ, believers have free and direct access to God. They obey not to earn favor but because they already possess it. Their worship is no longer shadowed by fear, but animated by gratitude. The sting of affliction is removed, the grave is robbed of victory, and even death becomes the servant of glory.
The paragraph also notes that the saints of the Old Testament shared this same essential liberty—they too were freed from sin’s curse and served God as His children by faith in the promised Christ. Yet, under the New Covenant, this liberty is enlarged: believers are freed from the burdensome ceremonies of the Mosaic system, enjoy greater boldness of access to the throne of grace, and receive a fuller outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The gospel age, therefore, is an age of greater clarity, intimacy, and power—the sunlight where the saints once walked in dawn.
Historical Context
The Westminster Divines penned this doctrine in a world scarred by tyranny, both civil and ecclesiastical. Against Roman Catholic bondage, they declared that Christ alone is Lord of the conscience—no human power may impose upon the believer what God has not commanded. Against Antinomian libertinism, they insisted that Christian freedom is not lawlessness but joyful obedience born of love.
The Puritans cherished this liberty as a sacred trust. Their cry was not “No law!” but “Christ’s law freely obeyed.” They believed the gospel transforms duty into delight: the believer is now most free when most faithful, for the will set free by grace is the will most gladly bound to God.
Key Biblical References
- Romans 8:1–2 – “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus… the law of the Spirit of life has set you free.”
- Galatians 5:1 – “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.”
- John 8:36 – “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
- Hebrews 4:16 – “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace.”
- Romans 8:15 – “You have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’”
Summary Statement
Chapter 20, paragraph I defines Christian liberty as freedom from bondage and freedom for obedience. It is not autonomy, but adoption. Christ has freed His people from sin’s guilt and power, from fear and condemnation, from the tyranny of Satan and the sting of death. He has brought them into the glorious liberty of the children of God—access to the Father, indwelling of the Spirit, and joyful obedience born of love.
The gospel thus transforms both duty and desire: the law no longer condemns, but instructs; service no longer enslaves, but delights. The believer now stands in grace, walks in freedom, and serves in love. The cross has broken every chain, and the Spirit has filled every heart with the cry of sonship: “Abba, Father.”
Chapter 20, Paragraph II
God Alone the Lord of the Conscience
Summary
This paragraph proclaims one of the most defining and liberating truths of the Reformed faith: God alone is Lord of the conscience. No human authority—civil or ecclesiastical—may bind the conscience in matters of faith and worship beyond or against the Word of God. The believer’s ultimate allegiance belongs to God Himself, whose revealed will alone may command the heart.
Christ purchased liberty not only from sin but from the tyranny of man’s inventions in religion. When men impose doctrines or practices that contradict or exceed Scripture, and demand obedience “out of conscience,” they usurp the authority of God and betray the very liberty for which Christ died. To submit to such bondage is not humility, but disloyalty to the Lord of the conscience. True faith bows only to divine revelation, not to human decree.
The Confession then condemns the demand for implicit faith—the idea that believers must accept church teachings without understanding or evidence—and blind obedience, which subdues reason and conscience alike. These are not marks of piety but of tyranny. God calls His people to intelligent worship and willing obedience, grounded in truth and enlightened by the Spirit. Christian liberty is not the right to believe whatever one pleases—it is the freedom to believe and obey God alone.
Historical Context
This statement struck at the heart of Roman Catholic domination, where implicit faith in the Church’s authority was demanded, and conscience was subjected to papal decrees. It also answered Erastian and authoritarian tendencies within the civil and ecclesiastical structures of seventeenth-century England, which sought to dictate belief and worship by law.
The Puritans, shaped by persecution, held this doctrine dearly. They had seen the danger of consciences enslaved to human ordinances—vestments, ceremonies, imposed liturgies—and here they proclaimed that the conscience may be ruled by none but God. Yet this liberty was never license; the conscience is free from men, not from God. It is bound to His Word alone.
Key Biblical References
- James 4:12 – “There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy.”
- Matthew 15:9 – “In vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.”
- Acts 4:19 – “We must obey God rather than men.”
- Romans 14:4 – “Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls.”
- 1 Corinthians 7:23 – “You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men.”
Summary Statement
Chapter 20, paragraph II teaches that the conscience of man is sacred ground, where only God may rule. Human authority may govern conduct, but not belief; compel behavior, but not worship. The Christian’s conscience is bound to the Word of God, liberated from every decree that contradicts or adds to it.
True liberty of conscience is therefore not freedom from authority but freedom under the right authority—the lordship of Christ. To demand blind obedience or implicit faith is to destroy both liberty and reason. But to live under the Word, illumined by the Spirit, is to walk in the truest freedom: a conscience captive to God alone, joyfully subject to His truth.
Chapter 20, Paragraph III
The Purpose and Misuse of Christian Liberty
Summary
This paragraph guards the doctrine of Christian liberty against its distortion. Some, under the pretense of freedom in Christ, claim license to sin or indulge the flesh. But such misuse of liberty is not freedom—it is a return to bondage. To practice sin or to cherish lust under the banner of grace is to destroy the very purpose for which liberty was given. Christian freedom was purchased not to make sin safe, but to make holiness possible.
The end of Christian liberty is service: that, being delivered from the tyranny of sin and Satan, believers might serve the Lord without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him, all the days of their life. True liberty does not cast off obedience; it delights in it. The gospel frees from fear and guilt, not from godliness. Grace does not loosen the reins of holiness, but strengthens the heart to pursue it in love.
Thus, liberty is not the right to do as we please, but the power to do as we ought. The Christian is most free when he is most obedient, for he now serves God as a son, not as a slave. Sin enslaves; holiness liberates. To use liberty as an excuse for sin is to turn the cross into license and grace into disgrace.
Historical Context
The Westminster Divines wrote this line with the Antinomian controversy fresh in mind. Some within the Puritan movement had twisted the gospel of grace into a doctrine of moral indifference—claiming that since believers are not under law, they are free from moral obligation. The Divines answered firmly: Christian liberty is never liberty to sin, but liberty from sin.
They drew their definition of freedom from Luke 1:74–75—the prophecy of Zechariah, in which redemption’s purpose is declared: deliverance from enemies so that God’s people might serve Him in holiness. The Reformed tradition has always seen sanctification as the goal of liberation. Grace frees us from guilt to restore us to joyful service.
Key Biblical References
- Romans 6:1–2 – “Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means!”
- Galatians 5:13 – “Do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”
- Titus 2:11–12 – “The grace of God… trains us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions.”
- Luke 1:74–75 – “That we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him.”
- 1 Peter 2:16 – “Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil.”
Summary Statement
Chapter 20, paragraph III proclaims that the freedom purchased by Christ is not a cloak for sin but a call to holiness. Liberty’s purpose is service—loving, joyful, fearless obedience to God. The believer has been freed from Pharaoh not to wander aimlessly, but to worship on holy ground.
To misuse liberty for lust is to return to chains; to use liberty for righteousness is to walk in the freedom of the sons of God. The gospel does not whisper, “You are free to sin,” but rather, “You are free from sin.” True liberty is found not in self-indulgence but in sanctified service—where fear gives way to love, and obedience becomes delight.
Chapter 20, Paragraph IV
Christian Liberty and Lawful Authority
Summary
This closing paragraph brings harmony to two divine institutions often placed in tension: the powers God has ordained in society and the liberty Christ has purchased for His Church. Both originate with God, and both are meant not to destroy, but to uphold one another. Christian liberty does not abolish civil or ecclesiastical authority; it purifies and preserves them. The believer’s freedom in Christ never nullifies his duty to obey lawful power, for to resist legitimate authority is to resist God Himself, who ordained it.
At the same time, liberty must be exercised within the bounds of truth and godliness. Those who, under the guise of liberty, promote doctrines or practices contrary to the light of nature, the clear teaching of Scripture, or the peace and order of Christ’s Church, may rightly be corrected. When such teachings threaten the unity or purity of the Church, the Church has the duty to censure them; and when they endanger public peace, the magistrate has the duty to restrain them. Thus, liberty is not anarchy, and authority is not tyranny. Both stand under God and serve His glory and the good of His people.
The true harmony of Christian liberty and lawful power is found in their shared goal: that all things be done decently, peaceably, and in obedience to Christ, who is the King of kings and Head of His Church.
Historical Context
This paragraph was written in a turbulent political moment. The Westminster Assembly met during the English Civil War—a time when questions of liberty, authority, and conscience burned fiercely. The Divines sought to balance two principles:
- Against tyranny, they defended liberty of conscience from domination by church or state.
- Against lawlessness, they denied that liberty of conscience justified rebellion, heresy, or moral disorder.
Their doctrine of liberty was therefore disciplined liberty—freedom within order, conscience within truth. Both Church and magistrate were to preserve peace and godliness, not to dictate belief, but to protect the conditions under which the true faith may flourish.
Later Presbyterian writers clarified that this paragraph does not justify persecution for conscience’s sake, but affirms that public peace and orthodoxy are legitimate concerns for both Church and state when exercised lawfully under God.
Key Biblical References
- Romans 13:1–2 – “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities… whoever resists resists what God has appointed.”
- 1 Peter 2:13–16 – “Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution… live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil.”
- 1 Corinthians 14:40 – “Let all things be done decently and in order.”
- 2 Thessalonians 3:6, 14–15 – “Keep away from any brother who walks in idleness… have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed.”
- Matthew 18:17–18 – Christ’s command for ecclesiastical discipline within the Church.
Summary Statement
Chapter 20, paragraph IV teaches that true Christian liberty is not liberty from order, but liberty under order—the order God Himself has established in Church and state. The gospel frees the conscience from human tyranny, but it never frees the believer from obedience to lawful authority exercised within God’s will. To claim liberty as license for rebellion or heresy is to twist grace into chaos.
The same Christ who purchased liberty also ordained authority, and in Him the two are reconciled. The magistrate’s justice and the Church’s discipline are not enemies of freedom, but its guardians. Thus, liberty and law, conscience and command, grace and government—all find their true harmony under the lordship of Christ, who reigns over every power, both in heaven and on earth.
Apologetic for Retaining the 1646 Position
1. Christ’s Kingship is Comprehensive, Not Compartmental
Christ is not only Head of the Church but King over all creation (Psalm 2; Matthew 28:18). His mediatorial reign extends to nations, rulers, and magistrates no less than to pastors and congregants. To sever His civil kingship from His ecclesiastical rule, as the American revision does, is to truncate His crown rights.
The 1646 confession recognizes the one kingdom of Christ expressed through distinct but complementary offices—Church and State—each accountable to His revealed will. Christ’s authority does not end at the church door; He is Lord of kings as well as of consciences.
2. The Covenant is Corporate and Public
Biblical covenant theology is never purely individual. God covenants with households, nations, and peoples (Genesis 17:7; Deuteronomy 4:5–8). Civil rulers therefore act as federal heads within their sphere, bound to uphold justice in both tables of the law.
The 1646 view honors that corporate reality: magistrates must preserve the external peace and godliness of the commonwealth as an expression of covenant fidelity. The American revision, by contrast, collapses the covenant into the private sphere, as if God dealt with individuals only, not with communities under His moral government.
3. Liberty and Order Are Covenant Allies, Not Opponents
The 1646 confession insists that Christian liberty and lawful authority are designed to uphold one another. The believer’s conscience is free from human inventions in worship, but not from divinely ordained order in society. True liberty flourishes under righteous law; unbounded liberty degenerates into chaos.
The American alteration, though politically expedient, too easily separates liberty from order—making “freedom of religion” an abstraction detached from the moral law of God. The 1646 view maintains liberty as ordered freedom—freedom within covenant obedience.
4. The Magistrate Remains God’s Minister
Romans 13 describes civil rulers as “ministers of God” (diakonoi Theou), not secular administrators. They are accountable to divine justice and must govern according to God’s revealed moral order. To deny their duty toward the first table of the law is to imply neutrality in matters where God claims absolute allegiance.
The 1646 confession upholds that magistrates are ordained to reward good, punish evil, and guard the external peace and purity of religion—not as priests, but as stewards. The American version strips the magistrate of this covenantal accountability, effectively declaring a secular order independent of divine truth.
5. The Gospel Does Not Abolish Christendom—It Fulfills It
The New Covenant does not dissolve public religion; it deepens it. Isaiah prophesied of the nations streaming to Zion (Isaiah 2:2–4), and kings bringing their glory into the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:24). The nations are commanded to “kiss the Son” (Psalm 2:12), and Christ’s dominion is proclaimed “to the ends of the earth.”
The 1646 position sees this as the outworking of the gospel in history—the discipling of nations under Christ’s moral reign. The American revision, by contrast, confines the gospel to a private or ecclesial domain, leaving the nations to wander without covenantal obligation.
6. The 1646 Position Reflects Biblical Symmetry: Church and State under One Lord
In Scripture, the Church wields the keys of the kingdom (discipline, doctrine, and sacraments); the State wields the sword of justice (external order and peace). Both are covenantal instruments of God’s rule. The 1646 confession balances these spheres beautifully—neither confusing nor separating them.
The American revision, reacting against European tyranny, went too far in the opposite direction, divorcing Church and State as if they were unrelated kingdoms. This dualism undermines Christ’s integrated lordship and the biblical unity of truth, law, and grace.
7. Christian Liberty Is Protected by God’s Law, Not by Secular Neutrality
True liberty of conscience is preserved only where Christ is honored as Lord. A civil order that claims neutrality toward religion inevitably becomes hostile toward it. The 1646 confession sees that a magistrate who refuses to acknowledge Christ’s authority does not preserve liberty—he erodes it.
History bears this out: secular “neutrality” always gives way to pagan coercion. But when the magistrate acknowledges Christ and upholds His law, both Church and State flourish in their proper harmony, and liberty of conscience is genuinely safeguarded.
8. The 1646 Confession Is Eschatologically Optimistic
The 1646 vision is inherently postmillennial—it anticipates the leaven of the kingdom transforming nations and cultures under Christ’s reign. The gospel conquers not by coercion, but by conversion, and its civil expression is a righteous order that reflects the moral law of God.
The American revision, while safeguarding the church from state corruption, unintentionally retreats into a pessimistic ecclesiology—a church surviving in a neutral or hostile world rather than discipling it.
Conclusion
The 1646 Westminster Confession preserves a whole-covenant vision of Christ’s kingdom:
- Christ is King over all realms.
- Magistrates and ministers alike are covenant servants.
- Law and gospel work in harmony.
- Liberty and order uphold, not oppose, one another.
The American revision, though understandable historically, reflects the Enlightenment’s separation of sacred and secular, replacing Christ’s crown rights with the myth of neutrality.
Thus, the 1646 position stands as the more biblically comprehensive, covenantally consistent, and theologically faithful expression of Christian liberty—where every sphere bows before Christ and every conscience is truly free because every power is truly His.
Covenant Presbyterian Church 