1. Reformed Theologians on the Importance of the Issue
Undermines Representational Principle
Reformed churches have generally believed that the New Testament presents voting as a leadership/representational issue that was only appropriate for men (see Acts 1:16,23; 14:23 (Greek], 1 Cor. 14:34-35; 1 Tim. 2:11-12; 1 Cor. 11:3-16), and that this New Testament practice was simply the continuation of the Old Testament practice of voting by heads of households (see for example the implications of 2 Sam. 16:18; Deut. 1:13; 27:14; Josh. 24:15; Judges 9:2-3,6; 1 Sam. 11:1; 2 Sam. 16:18; 17:14; 19:14,42-43; 1 Kings 1:9). In their minds this automatically ruled out the vote for children, since children must not rule over men (Isaiah 3:4,12), and it also ruled out the vote for women, since they were not to exercise authority over men (1 Cor. 14:34-35, etc.). However, in the last 150 years feminism, democracy and socialism have gained such an influence in society that Reformed denomination after denomination has reversed this ancient practice of voting by head of household. Now it is common practice to give the vote to all communicant members.
Undermines Family Role in the Church
R. L. Dabney complained about the new innovations that were taking place in his day, and said that universal suffrage is not only unbiblical, but that it is also highly destructive of the family’s position in the church.12 The leadership of a father as the representative of his family within the church is completely removed when he no longer casts the only vote for his family. Churches with universal suffrage are no longer made up of families – they are made up of individuals.
This is why modern churches feel free to bypass the father and to work directly with the children and the women. If the family can bypass the father’s leadership in the church by way of representation, is there any logical reason why the church cannot bypass the father’s leadership by way of ministry? It is no wonder that family interests are being unwittingly undermined in most modern American churches through women’s and youth ministries.13 The church is no longer a republic - it is a complete democracy. Family members can cancel out each other’s vote, thus breaching the family solidarity. Family-Integrated churches are beginning to recognize the many destructive forces that are at work in modern churches. Universal suffrage is one of them.
Undermines the Regulative Principle of Government
Perhaps one of the most important doctrines to come out of the Reformation was the Regulative Principle of Government: that is, churches only have the authority to do what is explicitly authorized in the Bible. Big Church Government was just as anathema to the Reformers as Big State Government. So the Reformers insisted that it was not enough to say that the Bible didn’t forbid a given church practice. They insisted that the Bible must explicitly authorize a given practice. Presbyterians have always been the strongest advocates of this doctrine of the Regulative Principle of Government.14 As James Henley Thornwell said, “The Church’s motto is, ‘Whatsoever is not commanded is unlawful.’”15 Nowhere is universal suffrage commanded or seen in the Bible. On the contrary, the only examples of voting given in the Bible are examples of men voting. The implications of one’s stand on voting are enormous.