The Bill of (Presbyterian) Rights
The Bill of (Presbyterian) Rights by Rev. L. John Gable
September 8, 2019
I think it is important to give credit where credit is due, so I give credit today to Oscar for suggesting this sermon and short series. Each time we offer an Inquirer’s class we spend a little bit of our time talking about what makes Presbyterians Presbyterian. We touch on the history and theology of our denomination dating to the time of the 16th century Reformation and the distinctiveness of how we govern ourselves. We are governed by the Session, 15 men and women called “elders” who, during a three-year term, have responsibility for the oversight of our mission and ministry. Note, it is the elders, not the pastors, who have ultimate responsibility for what goes on around here, so if you have any complaints talk to one of them; but if you happen to like what’s going on feel free to talk to either Oscar or me.
But the most important, and I think most interesting, part of our discussion with our new members is when we talk about what are called the Presbyterian Preliminary Principles as these help to shape and define not just what we believe, but how we are called to do life together, both in here and in society, as a church, as The Church, as members of the Body of Christ.
There are eight Preliminary Principles of Church Order laid out in the opening two pages of the Book of Order, the constitution of the Presbyterian Church. Think the Bill of Rights which we hold dear and firmly to as Americans, inalienable rights and privileges which no one, no body, no government or authority can take from us, such are the Preliminary Principles of Presbyterianism. As I mentioned, there are eight of them, dating back to 1788 when they were introduced to the first General Assembly meeting of the Presbyterian Church in the USA. Of the eight I think three of them are of particular importance, and offer us a distinctly Presbyterian perspective, as we do life together, beginning with:
GOD ALONE IS LORD OF THE CONSCIENCE. This opening principle reads, “That ‘God alone is Lord of the conscience, and hath left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men which are in anything contrary to His Word, or beside it, in matter of faith or worship. Therefore we consider the rights of private judgment, in all matters that respect religion, as universal and unalienable. We do not wish to see any religious constitution aided by the civil power, further than may be necessary for protection and security, and at the same time, be equal and common to all others.” Put in to context this principle affirms that ultimately each of us, each of us as Presbyterians and all people, are accountable to God, and God alone, in matters of faith and our practice of it. It affords us the rights of private judgment in all matters that regard our religion. What this means is that faith is ultimately a personal matter between you and God. So while we are called together into a body, the Church, a company and community of believers, (again I affirm that we are not intended to do this life of faith alone but in the company of others), but ultimately your faith and your practice of it is a matter which must be worked out between you and God, without the dictates of the government, the Session, or even the pastor. In short, faith cannot be coerced or dictated or manipulated.
Admittedly this principle gives a great deal of freedom and latitude to each of us as to what we believe (or don’t believe) and how we practice (or don’t practice) our faith as long as what we do and believe is not “contrary to the Word of God”. That is one of the reasons why, when we welcome new members, we ask them to affirm three very basic questions of faith, rather than requiring them to sign a list of specific things they confess to believe or practices they promise to do or not do. We Presbyterians ultimately believe we are answerable to God and not to one another much less any other authority in matters of faith and our practice of it.
But along with the freedom this principle gives us it also shifts the responsibility of faith and practice squarely on to each of our shoulders or hearts. I only teasingly say to our new members, “If God alone is Lord of the conscience then one day when you stand before the throne of God you won’t be able to say, ‘But John said’ or ‘Oscar said”. Each of us must take responsibility for our own faith and good practice of it. With freedom comes responsibility, and our Presbyterian tradition gives both of those to us.
Paul instructs as much in our passage from Romans 14. One might think that he would have been very restrictive as to what the early adherents to the faith should believe and do, but to the contrary, in this passage and elsewhere, he gives a great deal of latitude and cautions us not to judge one another over points of disagreement. In verse 1 we read, “Welcome one another, but not for the purpose of quarreling over opinions” and again in verses 10-12 he writes, “Why do you pass judgment on your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God…so then, each of us will be accountable to God”, and in the 22nd verse, “The faith that you have, have as your own conviction before God.” The first Preliminary Principle of Presbyterianism is that God alone is Lord of the Conscience.
The second, which is really the fourth of the eight, is that TRUTH IS IN ORDER TO GOODNESS. Historically this principle is applied in this way, “to know the truth is to do the truth”, that there is an inseparable connection between faith and practice, between truth and duty; which means we can’t just sit in here and nod our heads in agreement with what is preached or taught or gleaned from Scripture without then committing ourselves to actually putting those truths in to practice; to do that would be the epitome of hypocrisy. “Truth is in order to goodness…To know the truth is to do the truth” which of course begs the question Pilate asked of Jesus, “What is truth?” In this principle that question is not asked rhetorically or hypothetically. The truth being referred to here is plainly given to us in Scripture. The truth is Jesus Christ. The truth is living by His Great Commandment “to love God and neighbor”, and His Great Commission to “go and make disciples of all nations”. The truth is to live according to the teachings and instruction of the Lord which, as the Psalmist writes, is a“lamp to our feet and a light to our path” as it leads us in the way of righteousness and salvation. The hypocrisy in our faith comes when we say, “Yes, I believe that. I agree with that” but then make no effort or attempt to practice those truths which are plainly given to us. Truth is in order to goodness, truth leads to goodness.
Before we move on let me add that the inverse of this principle is NOT necessarily true, “goodness is not in order to truth.” What I consider “good” for myself or my clan does not always lead to what is good or true for all people; in fact, too often what is good for me or us or our kind, is not good for others, those not like us at: socially, politically, economically, ethnically. We know ourselves too well to accept the lie that just because something is good or beneficial for me that it is good for all, so we must continually be on guard to check ourselves and our motives, by asking “Is what I am seeking really the truth or am I just chasing after that which is good for me, what benefits or advances me or protects my comfort or status quo, that I then call “the truth”?
Again, Paul, while talking about practices of the observance of dietary laws, writes, “I know and am persuaded that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it is unclean (vs 14)….Blessed are those who have no reason to condemn themselves because of what they approve (vs 22).”
The third and final Preliminary Principle, really the fifth of the eight, is the one that I think is perhaps the most important, the one that most clearly sets us apart as Presbyterians, the one I wish could be stenciled on the walls of every room where the Session or committees or Sunday School classes meet, anywhere discussions are held and decisions are made. The Principle is this, that “PERSONS OF GOOD CHARACTER AND PRINCIPLE MAY DIFFER.” Let me repeat that, “persons of good character and principle may differ.” Note, it doesn’t say “will” differ, or “might” differ, we know that much about ourselves, but “may” differ, are “allowed” to differ. You name the topic and I guarantee you if there are two people debating it there will be three different opinions. But this principle states that we “may” differ, that it is alright, that it should be expected and perhaps even encouraged that we should differ with one another. This is the acknowledgment that we will not all be of the same mind on all things, even we who profess to be followers of Jesus Christ and members of His body, and that no one of us has a corner on the truth, but that we need one another and our differing insights and opinions as we seek the truth. And in the meantime of our seeking the truth, this principle states, “in all these we think it the duty both of private Christians and societies to exercise mutual forbearance toward one another.” Put another way, we must learn to agree to disagree agreeably.
This is what Paul means when he writes “Welcome those who hold different convictions of faith, but not for the purpose of quarreling over opinions (vs 1)… Don’t despise or become judgmental of those with whom you disagree, rather welcome them as God has welcomed them (vs 3)…then pursue what makes for peace and mutual up building (vs 19).”
One of the great critiques of Christianity historically is that when we come to points of disagreement with one another we split into different churches, different bodies, different denominations. Unfortunately we Presbyterians have gotten this down to an art form. Now I will admit that there are many good reasons for the various denominations, but the fracturing of the Church along denominational lines is understandably very confusing to non-believers as they look askance at who we are and how we act, particularly toward one another. Too often when issues come up which are divisive in the church we assume the position of a circular firing squad, lobbing bombs of criticism and critique and character assassination against those who are also members of the Body of Christ. What kind of witness is that to an unbelieving world? “Who are we to judge”, as Paul writes to the Romans and Jesus states repeatedly throughout His ministry?
So what are we supposed to do in times of disagreement with one another? Just smile and pretend those disagreements don’t exist? No. In our mutual commitment to Christ and to one another as members of His Body we can put these Preliminary Principles into practice as we acknowledge that persons of good character and principle may differ as together we seek the truth: the truth of Jesus Christ, the truth of Scripture, the truth which leads to goodness, ultimately trusting that God alone is Lord of the conscience which is an encouragement to prayer and mutual forbearance and non-judgment or division in our times of disagreement.
These three principles alone (God alone is Lord of the conscience, truth is in order to goodness and persons of good character and principle may differ), even if I had nothing else to go on, would make me glad to be a Presbyterian.
I believe we could make a huge difference for the cause of Christ in the Church and in our culture, anxious and divided as it is, if we could put these Preliminary Principles into practice, in here and out there. May it be so.