A Call for a Public Fast Beginning on May 1st at noon until May 2nd at noon.

Public Notice from the Presbytery of the Puritan Reformed Church in Brazil

Subject: Declaration of the Position of the Puritan Reformed Church in Brazil as to current circumstance relating to the new coronavirus.

Date: 4/20/2020

Introduction

In this time of confusion among nations, in which many have publicly stated that the Churches of Christ must close, the Presbytery of the Reformed Puritan Church in Brazil found itself in need of making this present statement:

I. That formal meetings should be continued, which includes the celebration of the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper.

II. Let solemn fasting be observed on the first day of the month May [2020], seeking humiliation for the sins of ourselves and of our nation, so that, in the current circumstances, our entire country—rulers, churches and families—repent of their sins and, consequently, God’s wrath be mitigated.

III. That the Law of God must be received as superior to the laws of men. Consequently, civil laws, when in compliance with the Lord’s commandments, they can be obeyed; when not, that is, when civil laws prevent a required duty or promote any forbidden sin, should not be obeyed.

Since the Word of God is the truth itself (John 7:17) and it recommends us to inquire and look for the examples of those who came before us, “for we are but of yesterday” (Job 8:9) and “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning” (Rom. 15:4), the three points mentioned above will be briefly presented below along with: 1.) biblical foundations and 2.) historical examples, with the purpose of glorifying the Name of the Lord through His wisdom revealed in the Scriptures, as well as satisfying the minds and hearts of those who seek in everything to please this God in sincerity.

I. THE SOLEMN MEETINGS MUST BE CONTINUED

1.) Biblical Foundations

1. By the example of King Solomon, who, in his edification and dedication of the temple, said that, “If there be in the land… pestilence” or “whatsoever plague, whatsoever sickness there be” (1 Kings 8:37), the one who “spread forth his hands toward this house” (v. 38), that is, to remain worshiping, which is confirmed in verse 33, he would be heard and forgiven by God (v. 39).

2. By the example of King Jehoshaphat, who, being notified that “the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them other beside the Ammonites, came … to battle” against themselves (2 Chron. 20:1, 2), worshiped to God and said, “If, when evil cometh upon us, as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house, and in thy presence, (for thy name is in this house,) and cry unto thee in our affliction, then thou wilt hear and help” (v. 9). The example of this confirms what was said by King Solomon in the previous example.

3. By the example of Moses and Aaron, when God judged the Israelites for murmuring against them, shortly after the judgments he had made on the case of Korah, Dathan and Abiram. When the Lord’s wrath was unloved, He sent a plague (Num. 16:46) that claimed the lives of 14,700 Israelites (vs. 49). Instead of departing from the religious duty of worship, Aaron publicly worshiped God, that the wrath of God might cease, thus standing “between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed” (v. 48).

4. By the example of the Apostle Saint Paul, who did not fail to serve God in the ministry entrusted to him, even in the face of many difficulties, tribulations, infirmities, persecutions and even the imminence of losing his own life (Acts 20:19-24; 2 Cor. 11: 24-28), Scripture recommends us to be willing to undergo all kinds of suffering in the service of Christ (2 Cor. 4:7-18 with 6:4, 5).

5. For loving God above all things is the first and greatest commandment. Consequently, the commandments concerning our neighbor, together with the preservation of life, must be observed in relation to the first greatest commandment, which is to love God above all things. (Matt. 22: 36-38).

6. Whoever wants to save his life will lose it (Matt. 16:25).

2.) Historical Examples

1. Johann Von Ewich, a German reformer, physician and professor of medicine of the 16th century, dealing with solemn meetings during times of plague, prescribed precautionary measures proper and proportionate to the needs presented, and this without the absolute impediment of solemn meetings: “Concerning the meetings of the church, this advice must be given: that they do not come in heaps or in crowds, neither when going, nor when coming, and that neither the flock is in large numbers in one church, where they will be cramped and close, especially in a city; since there are many places suitable for this purpose, in which divine worship, that is, the exposition of the Word of God and the administration of the sacraments can be done. For although these things may, perhaps, appear only small and of little importance to some, still, no means that can remove the infection should be omitted.”[1]

2. Martin Luther, during the bubonic plague in Wittenberg, in August 1527, whose mortality is estimated to have been above 30 percent,[2] wrote that although it was lawful to preserve if from the plague, still, the worship should remain. In his letter dealing with whether it was lawful or not to run away from the plague, when he starts talking about practical measures, he says: “First, someone must admonish the people to attend church and listen to the sermon, so that they learn, through the Word of God, about how to live and how to die. [...] Second, everyone should prepare in time and be ready for death, going to confession and taking the sacrament every week or two.”[3]

3. William Gouge, during the plague that hit London in 1625 and killed about 30,000 people in one year, reaching a mortality rate of 20 percent of the population,[4] which, at its peak, according to the same author, killed 4463 people in one week,[5] said:

“1. God sanctified the ministry of His Word to teach and perfect faith and other necessary Christian graces. Therefore, attend the ministry of the Word; appear reverently; mix faith with your hearing; and, for that, add obedience to everything.

2. The sacraments were ordained to seal the promises of God, for the greater strengthening of our faith [...], be conscious of its frequent participation. However, examine yourself, and so eat that bread, and drink from that cup.”[6]

4. Rev. J. B. Radasi, sent by the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland on a mission to South Africa in 1919, during the time of the Spanish flu, a flu that, for example, killed around 35,000 people in Brazil alone, wrote that five months before the month in which wrote the letter, “thousands and thousands of natives died, and also Europeans. So many that you couldn’t bury them all. In some cases, entire families have been swept away, fathers, mothers and children dying. Mines had to be closed and all work was interrupted. ”[7] In addition to all this, the same reports that this disease had affected the very family, in addition to costing the life of a close person:

“My wife and family, and everyone on the mission, was bedridden. I was the only person who escaped the mission. However, by God’s mercy, everyone was recovered in my family, with the exception of one little orphan girl, who, being with us, we lost her.”[8] Despite this, he writes that worship was practiced every Sabbath (that is, every day of the Lord, Sunday), as you can see in the text below: “The elders are currently assisting in the preaching in communities every day on Sabbath. We were very happy to have them back with us as they are of great help for me, since services are now regularly throughout Sabbath, in these communities, provided that they have returned.”[9]

3.) Conclusion

From the biblical testimony, therefore, we learn that to close the doors of the Church would be to neglect the main means by which God would remove His heavy hand on men. Furthermore, by the examples of the ancient servants of God, who thus understood what would please Him, we are encouraged to love His glory more than life itself.

II. A SOLEMN FAST DAY MUST BE APPOINTED AND OBSERVED

1.) Biblical Foundations

1. So God commanded, through Moses, Solomon and others, what is to be done in times when His wrath poured forth plague, sword, famine or any other calamity (Deut. 28:61, 62 with Deut. 30:1-3 and 2 Chron. 7:14).

2. So we are instructed by the example of the God’s people who fasted when called by Samuel to repentance (1 Sam. 7:3-6).

3. So we are instructed by the example of Ezra, who voluntarily fasted when the people were in sin (Ezra 10:6).

4. So even the people of Nineveh did, when they heard the preaching of the prophet Jonah. This example shows how widespread was this practice even in places where the true God was not worshiped (Jon. 3:4-10).

2.) Historical Examples

1. Our Worship Directory says, “WHEN some great and notable judgments are either inflicted upon a people, or apparently imminent, [...] publick solemn fasting (which is to continue the whole day) is a duty that God expecteth from that nation or people”[10] If our churches close, we will not be able to provide such an act of obedience to God in a public and solemn way.

2. The twenty-fifth synod of the Reformed Churches France, in the year 1626, decided that “during [...] the plague, the off-season weather, the devouring sword, the desolations of war ”, the solution would be to close the churches, but decreed the following: “May a solemn day of fasting and supplication be maintained and observed in all the churches of this kingdom, the first Thursday next March’s fair [...].”[11]

3.) Conclusion

From biblical testimony, therefore, we learn that fasting is a medium ordered by Scripture by which we humble ourselves by sins of ourselves and our nation, thereby seeking to remove His wrath upon us. Furthermore, by the examples of the old ecclesiastical decisions, we reinforce this duty.

III. THE LAW OF GOD MUST BE RECEIVED AS SUPERIOR TO LAWS OF MEN.

1.) Biblical Foundations

1. The children of captivity, after stopping reconstruction of the temple by order of the king and by the violence of the enemies, resumed work even before Darius allowed the resumption of construction and did not submit to the tyranny of Ahasuerus, when they were encouraged by the prophets Haggai and Zechariah (Ezra 4:23, 24 with Ezra 5:1, 2).

2. Daniel was not afraid of the king’s decree which commanded none to pray to any God but Darius for a period of 30 days, loving God’s glory more than life itself (Dan. 6: 7-10).

3. The apostles, when warned by Jewish authorities not to preach the gospel, replied that it is more important to obey God than men (Acts 5:29).

4. King Artaxerxes, commanding obedience to the true God (Ezra 7:26), acknowledged that failing to promote the religion of the God of heaven (Ezra 7:21) would attract His wrath on the king and his sons (Ezra 7:23).

5. Kings who do not kiss the Son, that is, who do not govern according to His rules and precepts, will perish in the way (Ps. 2:12).

6. “For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil” (Rom. 13:3), and since the worship of God is a good work, in which He is glorified and the needs of our neighbor’s soul are attended to, we must not fear continuing to worship. Since civil authority is, according to what St. Paul says, a deacon[12] of God, that is, a servant of our Lord for good (v. 4), he should serve Him by promoting true worship and not preventing it.

2.) Historical Examples

1. Johannes Althusius: “The magistrate is bound by universal administration to administer the kingdom or the community, according to the laws prescribed by God [...].”[13]

Elsewhere, it says that its “care and administration of the kingdom” must be “according to the order established by piety and justice”[14] For, as he also says, “the objectives and limits of the mandate are in the Ten Commandments ”[15]

2. John Knox: “So the first thing that God requires of an aspirant to the throne or of a king is: the knowledge of His will revealed in His Word.

The second is: a whole mind and willing to do the things that God commands in His law, without declining to the right or to the left.

Kings do not have absolute power in their government to do as they please; their power is limited by the Word of God; so it is that when they hurt someone whom God did not order to be wounded, they are but murderers. And, if they spare who God ordered to be wounded, they and their thrones become guilty of iniquity, of which the earth is full, for lack of punishment.”[16]

“God forbid that ever I take upon me to command any to obey me, or yet to set subjects at liberty to do what pleaseth them! My travail is that both princes and subjects obey God.”[17]

3. John Calvin: “The duty of magistrates, its nature, as described by the word of God, and the things in which it consists, I will here indicate in passing. That it extends to both tables of the law, did Scripture not teach, we might learn from profane writers; for no man has discoursed of the duty of magistrates, the enacting of laws, and the common weal, without beginning with religion and divine worship. [...] Seeing then that among philosophers religion holds the first place, and that the same thing has always been observed with the universal consent of nations, Christian princes and magistrates may be ashamed of their heartlessness if they make it not their care.”[18]

But the objective of temporal government is “to foster and maintain the external worship of God, to defend sound doctrine and the condition of the Church, to adapt our conduct to human society, to form our manners to civil justice” [...]

“But in that obedience which we hold to be due to the commands of rulers, we must always make the exception, nay, must be particularly careful that it is not incompatible with obedience to Him to whose will the wishes of all kings should be subject, to whose decrees their commands must yield, to whose majesty their sceptres must bow. And, indeed, how preposterous were it, in pleasing men, to incur the offence of Him for whose sake you obey men!”

“The Lord, therefore, is King of kings. When he opens his sacred mouth, he alone is to be heard, instead of all and above all. We are subject to the men who rule over us, but subject only in the Lord. If they command anything against Him let us not pay the least regard to it, nor be moved by all the dignity which they possess as magistrates—a dignity to which no injury is done when it is subordinated to the special and truly supreme power of God. On this ground Daniel denies that he had sinned in any respect against the king when he refused to obey his impious decree (Dan. 6:22), because the king had exceeded his limits, and not only been injurious to men, but, by raising his horn against God, had virtually abrogated his own power. On the other hand, the Israelites are condemned for having too readily obeyed the impious edict of the king. For, when Jeroboam made the golden calf, they forsook the temple of God, and, in submissiveness to him, revolted to new superstitions (1 Kings 12:28). With the same facility posterity had bowed before the decrees of their kings. For this they are severely upbraided by the Prophet (Hosea 5:11).”[19]

4. James Bannerman: “The responsibility of the civil magistrate is not limited to what respects his own being or wellbeing. He finds, from the revealed will of God, that there is another society of Divine appointment, co-ordinate with the state, but different from it in its nature and in its powers. He learns that the great aim of this society is to advance the interests of the Gospel among men, and to promote the cause of truth and righteousness in the world. [...] Further still, in the fact that they are both ordinances of God, equally appointed by Him, and equally responsible to Him, the civil magistrate is able to see that they have duties one to another in the way of promoting each other’s interests as fellow-workers in the same Master’s service.”[20]

5. William Tyndale: “So far yet are the worldly powers or rulers to be obeyed only, as their commandments repugn not against the commandment of God; and then, ho [halt]. Wherefore we must have God’s commandment ever in our hearts, and by the higher law interpret the inferior: that we obey nothing against the belief of one God, or against the faith, hope and trust that is in him only, or against the love of God, whereby we do or leave undone all things for his sake; and that we do nothing, for any man’s commandment, against the reverence of the name of God, to make it despised, and the less feared and set by; and that we obey nothing to the hindrance of the knowledge of the blessed doctrine of God, whose servant the holy day is.”[21]

6. Westminster Confession of Faith, in its original version, in Chapter XXIII on the Civil Magistrate:

“I. GOD, the supreme Lord and King of all the world, hath ordained civil magistrates to be under him, over the people, for his own glory, and the public good [...] (Rom. 13:1-4; 1 Pet. 2:13, 14). [...]

“III. [...] he hath authority, and it is his duty, to take order, that unity and peace be preserved in the church, that the truth of God be kept pure and entire; [...] and all the ordinances of God duly settled, administered, and observed (Isa. 49:23; Ps. 122:9; Ezra 7:23, 25-28; Lev. 24:16; Deut. 13:5, 6, 12; 2 Kings 18:4; 1 Chron. 13:1-9; 2 Kings 23:1-26; 2 Chron. 34:33; 15:12, 13).

3.) Conclusion

Through biblical testimony, therefore, we learn, forcefully, the following doctrines: 1.) the primacy of the duty of obedience to God, 2.) the magistrate’s duty to promote true worship and 3.) the duty to resist what is required of us, when contrary to the Word of God. Furthermore, by the examples of those who came before us, as well as many others who gave their lives for the cause of Christ, enduring chains, persecutions, among other things, we are encouraged to do the same, thus testifying that all human authority must be subject to divine authority. Since obeying the command not to worship is both contrary to God’s will and an incentive to the tyranny of the rulers, we conclude that the Lord’s servants must continue to worship Him publicly, even though this is contrary to the magistrates’ will.

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NOTES:

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[1] Johann Von Ewich, The Duetie of a Faithfull and wise magistrate, in preserving and delivering of the common wealth from infection, in the time of the plague or pestilence.

[2] Chris Sundheim, “Pastors and Pestilence: Martin Luther’s Views on the Church, Christians and the Black Death,” Historia 6 (1997): 20–21.

[3] Martin Luther, “Whether One May Flee from a Deadly Plague” (1527).

[4] A. Lloyd Moote, The Great Plague: The Story of London’s Most Deadly Year, p. 10.

[5] William Gouge, God’s Three Arrows: Plague, Famine, Sword, In Three Treatises. I. A Plaister for the Plague. II. Death’s Death. III. The Church’s Conquest over the Sword, §23, p. 31.

[6] William Gouge, God’s Three Arrows: Plague, Famine, Sword, In Three Treatises. I. A Plaister for the Plague. II. Death’s Death. III. The Church’s Conquest over the Sword, §67, p. 111.

[7] Rev. J. B. Radasi, The Free Presbyterian Magazine and Monthly Record, Vl. 24, no 3, July 1919, p. 89.

[8] Ibid.

[9] Ibid., p. 90.

[10] The Directory for the Publick Worship of God. “Concerning Publick Solemn Fasting.”

[11] The Acts, Decisions and Decrees of The XXIII National Synod of The Reformed Churches of France held in the town of Alez, and province of Sevennes. II. XXVII. 16, p. 197

[12] Greek: διάκονός.

[13] About Vows and Oaths, p. 13.

[14] Ibid, p. 19.

[15] Ibid, p. 34.

[16] John Knox. To Enemies of the Truth. São Paulo: PES, 2013. p. 18-19.

[17] John Knox. Knox’s First interview with Queen Mary on 4th September 1561, at Holyrood.

[18] John Calvin. Institutes of the Christian Religion. IV.xx.9.

[19] John Calvin. Institutes of the Christian Religion. IV.xx.2 and 32.

[20] James Bannerman. The Church of Christ. vol. 1. p. 131-132.

[21] William Tyndale. “A Pathway into the Holy Scripture” Doctrinal Treatises and Introductions to Different Portions of the Holy Scriptures. p. 25.