Johannes Althusius: Politica - Hubertlerch.com - HubertLerch.com

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pastors and governors of the church are held to their duty, and any controversies concerning religion and defects in church
management are recognized, corrected, and removed. Secondly, he will distribute suitable rewards to pious worshipers of God. …
[§ 43] In these assemblies the clergy ought to examine and discern from the Word of God whether doctrine is sound and life
corresponds to it, whether divine worship is uncorrupted and the sacraments rightly administered, whether ecclesiastical discipline
prospers, whether schools are well constituted, whether church properties are correctly managed, whether false teachers and
corrupters are dealt with, whether false doctrines circulate, whether the diaconate to the poor is rightly handled, and whether
there is anything in the house of God that the magistrate should make his responsibility. These assemblies shall also provide that
useful books on orthodox religion are produced, printed, published, and sold in the realm, and likewise that distinguished and
excellent men useful to the church and commonwealth are attracted to the realm or province. The decrees of these assemblies
are ordered by the supreme magistrate to be made effective in the entire realm and in the provinces thereof.
[§ 44] Corresponding to these assemblies are visitations of the churches. Some of these visitations are special and domestic.
They are conducted by the minister of the local church joined by the senior presbyter in the area. Others are general. These are
conducted in church assemblies by an inspector
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of the church joined by a local political official. Some general visitations are
conducted in provincial synods by several designated inspectors and some political counselors of the magistrate. [§ 45] In these
visitations the examination, inquiry, investigation, and exploration of doctrine and life occur. Doctrine is examined according to
the articles of faith and the catechism, and life according to the established precepts of the Decalogue. An inquiry also occurs in
these visitations concerning the state of the church and schools, the management of church properties, and the life and doctrine
of the ministers of the church and of those for whom the ministers are responsible. The visitation also investigates the
maintenance of church ministers and their families and the training of their children, lest the ministers be in want or constrained
because of family privation to practice such a way of life that their ecclesiastical vocation is upset, impeded, or disrespected, or
lest after their death their wives, children, and families are driven unavoidably to charity and live in humiliation.
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[§ 46] Furthermore, the magistrate shall provide not only that these ecclesi[chastical ministers conducting the visitation
perform their office well, but also that, if necessary, political ministers help them in it. For this reason, he shall order that
ecclesiastical and political ministers extend mutual services to each other, and confer and communicate aid and counsel, as Moses
and Aaron did.
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But the magistrate should not permit political ministers to impede or disrupt ecclesiastical ministers. …
[§ 48] Then the magistrate shall decree and promulgate laws concerning the preaching of sound doctrine; the right
administration of the sacraments; the arrangement for adiaphorous matters according to decorum and good order; the
announcement and convocation of catechetical classes, schools, and synods; the punishment or dismissal of mischievous or
useless ministers of the church; discipline of the church; the calling of pastors; the diaconate to the poor; the management of
church properties; and weddings and funerals. And if there are other things necessary for ecclesiastical administration that he
decrees by his regulations, he should prescribe each and every one of them according to the sure reason and order of the Word of
God. But the political magistrate should be very careful in this activity not to apply his own hands to these matters, but commit
and entrust them to the clergy. He should concern himself only that the external actions of men conform to laws. And all men,
even clergymen, are to comply obediently with these laws.
[§ 49] The distribution of suitable rewards accomplishes much by engendering a love and zeal for religion in the people. When
the pious worshipers of God are held in good repute, esteem, and honor, they are advanced to public offices and responsibilities
for which they are equal and fitted. By this means the piety of the other life receives and enjoys the benediction and benefits of
this life. …
We now turn to the defense and protection of orthodox religion and divine worship, of which there are two headings. The first is
the reformation of the church, and the other is the removal and abolition of any impediments. [§ 50] There is no doubt that the
correction and reformation of the church from all error, heresy, idolatry, schism, and corruption pertains to the magistrate. …
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[§ 51 ] The administrator ought to establish and permit only one religion in his realm, and that the true one. [§ 52] He shall
expel all atheists, and all impious and profane men who are obstinate and incurable. There is no doubt, however, that a
magistrate can admit impious and profane men in whom there is hope of correction to sound and pure worship, or to those
external means by which God wills to bring men to the true religion.
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But he should by no means permit atheism, epicureanism,
libertinism—that is, manifest impiety and profanity—in the realm.
[§ 53] I also consider that a pious magistrate can in good conscience permit Jews to live in his dominion and territory, and to
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