Today’s Readings Podcast Description

Does the Church possess the authority to enact laws that bind the conscience before God? In these opening sections of a new chapter, Calvin draws a careful line between useful constitutions that preserve order and discipline, and human traditions that claim necessity for salvation. The conscience belongs to God alone; it cannot be placed under the tyranny of man-made religious obligations. Paul himself refused to lay any unnecessary fetter on believers, knowing how easily freedom in Christ could be wounded. Civil laws may be obeyed for conscience’ sake because God has ordained magistrates, yet even they do not reach the inward government of the soul. Still less may ecclesiastical constitutions invent new forms of worship or declare free things to be necessary. Christ alone is the Lawgive ...