England's Duty Under the Present Gospel Liberty
John Flavel's treatise emerged in 1689 as England underwent the momentous religious and political shifts following the Glorious Revolution. With the Act of Toleration extending legal recognition to Protestant nonconformists after decades of persecution, Flavel found himself addressing a nation suddenly granted unprecedented religious liberty. Writing as a Presbyterian minister who had endured ejection from the established church and years of clandestine ministry, he sought to guide both magistrates and citizens in understanding their responsibilities under this new dispensation of freedom.
Flavel argues that gospel liberty brings not license but heightened obligation, both to God and neighbor. He develops a theology of religious freedom rooted in divine sovereignty rather than natural rights, contending that God grants liberty to nations for the advancement of true religion and the salvation of souls. The magistrate's duty shifts from enforcing religious uniformity to protecting the conditions necessary for gospel proclamation and Christian discipleship. Citizens, meanwhile, must exercise their newfound freedom with wisdom and gratitude, avoiding both the extremes of antinomianism and the temptation to abuse liberty for selfish ends. Throughout, Flavel weaves together scriptural exposition, practical counsel, and urgent appeals for national repentance and reformation.
The treatise has endured as a significant articulation of Reformed political theology at a crucial historical juncture, offering insights into how seventeenth-century Puritans understood the relationship between civil government and religious practice. Modern readers encounter in Flavel's work both the theological foundations of religious toleration and the pastoral heart of a minister who lived through persecution and emerged to counsel wise stewardship of freedom.
Who should read this: Students of political theology and church-state relations will find Flavel's arguments illuminating, as will those interested in how Reformed Christians have historically understood religious liberty. This is not light devotional reading but requires engagement with seventeenth-century theological and political categories.