A30577:108
The glorious name of God, The Lord of Hosts opened in two sermons, at…
The glorious name of God, The Lord of Hosts opened in two sermons, at Michaels Cornhill, London, vindicating the Commission from this Lord of Hosts, to subjects, in some case, to take up arms : with a post-script, briefly answering a late treatise by Henry Ferne, D.D. / by Jer. Burroughs.The glorious name of God, The Lord of Hosts opened in two sermons, at Michaels Cornhill, London, vindicating the Commission from this Lord of Hosts, to subjects, in some case, to take up arms : with a post-script, briefly answering a late treatise by Henry Ferne, D.D. / by Jer. Burroughes.
London: printed for R. Dawlman, 1643
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
But what if authority be abused, may we resist? Is 1not passive obedience required, if active cannot be given?
- 1Ob.
There is a great deal of difference between the 1commands that are from abused authority, and the commands that are from the wills of men in authority, but not from the authority of those men. That is abused authority, when those to whom power of making Laws belongs, shall make evil Laws; in this case there is no help, but passive obedience, or flying, until some way may be taken for rectifying that Authority that is abused. But when men that are in authority command any thing out of their own wills, which is no Law, it is not Authority that doth command it; in this case there is no resisting of Authority at all, although the thing be denied that is commanded; in such a case if we neither yield active nor passive obedience, we cannot be said therefore to resist authority: For as Samson said in another case, If you do thus and thus unto me, I shall be but as another man: so if these men who are in place of authority, do such things as the Laws and Government of the Country will not bear them out in, they are but as other ⟨p. 33⟩men; yet some reverence ought to be showed to their persons, both in words and actions, in regard of their place.
There is a great deale of difference between the 1commands that are from abused authority, and the commands that are from the wils of men in authority, but not from the authority of those men. That is abused authority, when those to whom power of making Laws belongs, shall make evill Laws; in this case there is no help, but passive obedience, or flying, untill some way may be taken for rectifying that Authority that is abused. But when men that are in authority command any thing out of their owne wils, which is no Law, it is not Authority that doth command it; in this case there is no resisting of Authority at all, although the thing be denyed that is commanded; in such a case if we neither yeeld active nor passive obedience, we cannot be said therefore to resist authority: For as Samson said in another case, If you doe thus and thus unto me, I shall be but as another man: so if these men who are in place of authority, do such things as the Laws and Government of the Countrey will not bear them out in, they are but as other