(This declaration, promulgated to defend the freedoms and liberty of the entire Church of Jesus Christ in Canada, was drafted September 2020 in the Niagara Region following a summit meeting of Christian leaders concerning the freedom of the church)

THE NIAGARA 2020 DECLARATION:

ON THE LIBERTIES OF THE CHURCH IN CANADA FROM SEA TO SEA

PREAMBLE

In view of various culture-abandoning errors and a broad decline presently inflicting and marginalizing the Church, and at a time in the Dominion of Canada when our civil society is renouncing, both in law and socio-cultural life, its historic Christian heritage in pursuit of liberty without the Gospel, justice without God's law, truth without the Scriptures, flourishing without obedience, atonement without the cross, love without faithfulness, peace without repentance, salvation without Christ, and a world without creational norms, it is incumbent upon a faithful Church to set forth to all powers and authorities, the claims of Christ and the freedom of His Kingdom people, the Church (Matt. 28:18-20; Eph. 3:10; Col. 2:15; 1 Tim. 1:9-11, 17; 3:15; 1 Pt. 2:16-17; 5:11).

In a national cultural context in which ultimate sovereignty is rapidly being seized by – or readily surrendered to – the State, imperilling inherited liberties and exposing our civil government to divine judgment, we must be mindful that freedoms not fought for are soon forfeited.

Therefore, in response to our national spiritual crisis, we declare:

WHEREAS Jesus Christ claims total authority over the nations as the Creator and Ruler of the kings, judges, and governors of the earth (Ps. 2:7-12; Ps. 110; Luke 23:3; John 19:11; Acts 17:7; Eph. 1:20-23; Phil. 2:9-11; Col. 1:15-17; 1 Tim. 1:17; Rev. 1:5);

AND WHEREAS the one, holy, catholic (i.e. universal) and apostolic Church has been founded by our Lord Jesus Christ long before all temporal authorities of this Dominion of Canada came into existence (Matt. 16:18; Mark 3:13-19; Eph. 1:22-23; 4:7-13; Col. 1:18);

AND WHEREAS the Church of Jesus Christ does not have her position in the nation assigned her by the permission of civil government, but jure divino – she has her own organization and she possesses her own office-bearers (Matt. 10:1-15; 18:15-20; 28:18-20; Acts 14:23; 1 Cor. 5:9-13; 6:1-7; Eph. 1:22-23; 4:9-13);

AND WHEREAS the sovereignty of the State and the sovereignty of the Church exist side by side, instituted by God and in service to God, mutually limiting each other as recognized in the Scriptures and applied in Magna Carta (Mark 12:13-17; Acts 5:29-32; Rom. 13:1, 4; 1 Cor. 6:1-7; 2 Cor. 10:3-6; Eph. 1:22; Phil. 2:9-11; 1 Tim. 2:1-4);

AND WHEREAS various kings and queens of the Dominion of Canada have confirmed in the British Parliament the Great Charter which grants that the Church "shall be free, and shall have all her whole Rights and Liberties inviolable" (Magna Carta, 1297);

AND WHEREAS our Head of State, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, in her Coronation Oath (1953) swore that to the utmost of her power she would "maintain the Laws of God and true profession of the Gospel";

AND WHEREAS the Royal Coat of Arms of Canada invokes the universal dominion of the Lord's anointed King, Jesus Christ, over the land in its national motto: A mari usque ad mare (taken from the Latin Vulgate translation of Psalm 72:8: Et dominabitur a mari usque ad mare, et a flumine usque ad terminos terrae, meaning "He shall have dominion also from sea to sea and from the river unto the ends of the earth");

AND WHEREAS the Supremacy of God over the Dominion of Canada is clearly acknowledged in the preamble to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms: "Whereas Canada is founded upon principles that recognize the supremacy of God and the rule of law";

AND WHEREAS freedom of conscience and religion, expression, thought, opinion and belief, peaceful assembly, and association is enshrined in the international law common to all civilized nations and as fundamental freedoms in section 2 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms;

WE THE UNDERSIGNED, representatives of various confessionally orthodox churches, denominations, organizations, and fellowships, DECLARE that the following God-given and historically inherited liberties of the Church are to be observed, maintained, and protected in the Dominion of Canada today and forever:


Article 1. Liberty in all spiritual matters

Article 2. Liberties related to the Holy Bible

Article 3. Liberty to preach the Gospel

Article 4. Liberty of doctrine

Article 5. Liberty of conscience

Article 6. Liberties related to the Christian family

Article 7. Liberties related to ministers of the Gospel

Article 8. Liberties related to gatherings for religious worship

Article 9. Liberties related to taxation

Article 10. Liberties to be enjoyed universally without partiality

The full text is at The Niagara 2020 Declaration