Project Gutenberg's The Duty of Submission to Civil Authority,, by J.F. Moor
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
Title: The Duty of Submission to Civil Authority,
A Sermon Preached in the Parish Church of Bradfield, Berkes,
on Sunday, November 28, 1830, on Occasion of the Late
Disturbances
Author: J.F. Moor
Release Date: March 14, 2013 [EBook #42331]
Language: English
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DUTY OF SUBMISSION ***
Produced by Gerard Arthus, Paul Clark, cover image from
Google Print and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team
at http://www.pgdp.net
Transcriber's Note:
Every effort has been made to replicate this text as faithfully as
possible.
Italic text has been marked with _underscores_.
THE DUTY OF SUBMISSION TO CIVIL
AUTHORITY.
A SERMON,
PREACHED IN THE PARISH CHURCH OF BRADFIELD, BERKS,
ON
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1830,
ON
OCCASION OF THE LATE DISTURBANCES
IN THAT NEIGHBOURHOOD.
BY THE REV. J. F. MOOR, M.A.
LONDON:
PUBLISHED BY JAMES NISBET,
21, BERNERS STREET;
AND SOLD BY J. RUSHER, READING.
MDCCCXXX.
_Should any Profits arise from the Sale of this Sermon, they will
be devoted to Charitable Purposes._
The following Discourse lays no claim to originality. The Author
acknowledges his obligation to the excellent Bishop Beveridge for many
valuable and leading thoughts contained in it. But having thrown them
into a new form, and having had it suggested to him by some members of
his congregation, that the publication of them, at the present eventful
crisis, might, under the divine blessing, be useful, he has consented
to let them appear in print. The Author deeply feels the awful
responsibility which, in these turbulent times, more especially devolves
upon every minister of the sanctuary--to withhold nothing from the
public which may have a tendency, through the powerful influence of the
Holy Spirit accompanying it, to strengthen the walls of our spiritual
Zion, and to preserve among us "that righteousness which" alone
"exalteth a nation." It is with the earnest prayer, that the following
pages may in the perusal of them be blest to these ends; and that, if
they are, all the glory may redound to Him, to whom alone it is due,
that the Author sends them to the press.
A SERMON, &c.
1 PETER ii. 13, 14.--_Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for
the Lord's sake; whether it be to the king, as supreme; or unto
governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of
evil doers, and for the praise of them that do well._
One of the charges brought against the early Christians by their
enemies, was, that they were rebellious, and despisers of civil
authority; and accordingly we find the Apostles, in all their Epistles
to the different churches they had been instrumental in planting,
strongly enforcing the duty of submission to "the powers that be:" for,
brethren, a more false imputation cannot be thrown upon true
Christianity, than that which charges it with giving the slightest
countenance, either to rebellion or a contempt of authority. True
religion will ever make men the best and most loyal subjects, as well
as most faithful, and upright, and conscientious, in the discharge of
all the other relative and social duties of life. A man cannot be a
Christian indeed, who "despises dominion, and speaketh evil of
dignities."[1] The Apostle Jude, speaking of such, classes them among
those that are "sensual, not having the Spirit." But if this be the
case, we seem to have fallen upon times wherein, whatever be the
profession of religion that prevails, there is little of the reality of
it left. How few are obedient to the "powers that be, as ordained of
God!" How general is the indifference shewn to the office and authority
of the magistrate! How many seem to consider religion altogether a
separate thing from the submission due to their rulers; whereas the one
as necessarily grows out of the other, as the branches do out of the
stock of the tree. And who, then, that has witnessed the riotous and
tumultuous proceedings of our misguided people for the last few weeks,
which has led to the issue of the King's Proclamation, now affixed to
the door of our church, will not be ready to take up the complaint of
the Psalmist, in saying, "The godly man ceaseth; the faithful fail from
among the children of men."[2]
I purpose, therefore, for the conviction of those who may have partaken
of the disorderly spirit which has been abroad among us, as well as for
the establishment and comfort of the truly pious and submissive
Christian, to endeavour, in the present discourse, to explain and
enforce, from the Apostle's words in the text, the duty of SUBMISSION TO
CIVIL AUTHORITY; and I shall,
I. Shew the NATURE and EXTENT of the DUTY.
II. The MOTIVE by which the Christian is to be actuated in the
discharge of it.
* * * * *
I. I am to endeavour to shew the nature of the duty enjoined in the
text, "Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man." We must understand,
then, first, _What is meant by every ordinance of man_; and this the
Apostle himself explains to us in the following words: "Whether to the
king as supreme, or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him."
From which it is plain, that every ordinance of man, means all that are
entrusted with the government of the place or country in which we live.
To all these the duty enjoined in the text refers. And we should
observe, that it refers to them without any allusion to their respective
_characters_. The command does not say, submit to the king, as _good_,
and _wise_, and _mild_ in his government; neither does it say, submit to
the magistrate as being _equal_ in their administration of justice; but
it says, submit "to the king as supreme," that is, as deriving his
authority not from man, but from God; and, therefore, as responsible to
God alone, for the manner in which he exercises it. And again, submit to
the magistrates or to governors, as those that are sent by the king, and
therefore, as answerable to the king alone, or to those whom he may
appoint to judge them, either for the right or wrong administration of
justice. What, then, it may perhaps be asked, is a wicked king, or are
unjust governors to be submitted to, in the same way that those that are
good and just are? Is their character and conduct to make no difference
in the submission due to them? The Apostle, in the text, makes no
difference whatever. It belongs to God to punish a wicked king, because
it is from God the authority he abuses, by his wickedness, is derived:
"By me," he says, "kings reign;"[3] and it belongs to the king, in a
similar way, to punish unjust magistrates, because "by him they are sent
for the punishment of evil-doers, and for the praise of them that do
well." Hence, then, whatever be the character of the king, and of the
governors sent by him, the submission due to them from the people is the
same. This, too, is remarkably confirmed by the conduct of the Apostle
Peter himself, and of the early Christians in general. At the time when
the Apostle wrote the Epistle from which the text is taken, one of the
most wicked and cruel tyrants that the world perhaps has ever seen, was
upon the throne of the Roman empire. Not only was he avowedly, in common
with the rest of the then known world, (except Judea,) a heathen, but he
was one of the worst, and most degraded of them, abandoned to the lowest
vices, and taking delight in the sufferings of his people. You may judge
a little of his character, when I tell you that he is related to have
set on fire the capital city of his dominions, and afterwards charged
the Christians resident in it with his own crime, and caused as many of
them as could be seized, to be put to death. And still later in his
reign, both St. Peter and St. Paul suffered martyrdom by his orders. And
yet, brethren, this is "the king" to whom, "as supreme," the Apostle
exhorts Christians, in the text, to submit themselves. This is the king
to whom, we know, he not only exhorted others to submit, but to whom he
submitted himself, even "unto bonds, and imprisonment, and death. But if
the duty of submission to civil authority extended even to such a
monster as this, and to the governors that were sent by him; if the
Gospel gave no sanction to rebellion, even under such a reign as this,
but, on the contrary, required of its professors a patient endurance of
all the cruelties they were exposed to in it; how much more must the
Gospel require submission of him who lives under a just and a righteous
government. We have not a heathen Nero for a king, but one whose throne
is established in righteousness, and who is ever ready, when applied to
through the lawful channel, both to defend the oppressed and to relieve
the distressed. Well, therefore, may it be said to us, "Submit
yourselves," &c.
But it may perhaps be asked, _what is it to submit rightly_ to every
ordinance of man? 1st. _It is to offer no resistance to the powers that
be._ This St. Paul shews in Rom. xiii. 1. &c. where, describing the
submission required of Christians, he opposes it to the act of resisting
them: "Let every soul," he says, "be subject to the higher powers;"
(and, be it remembered, he is here writing to those, who were living
under the government of the cruel Nero;) "for there is no power but of
God; the powers that be are ordained of God; whosoever, therefore,
resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God." It is plain,
therefore, that any open _act of resistance_ to the king, or the
governors sent by him, is a breach of the duty enjoined in the text. Any
_conversation_, too, that excites others to such resistance, is a breach
of it. There may be resistance in words, as well as in deeds; and those
who excite others to rebellion, though they do not themselves engage in
the open act, are nevertheless with them partakers in the guilt.
Cherishing any _principles_ of resistance in our hearts too, is a breach
of the duty. Such resistance, indeed, is not to be punished, as in other
cases, by the arm of civil authority. It is not for man to punish for
principles, or for the thoughts and intents of the heart, unless the
person holding them, render them mischievous, by communicating them to
others; but though they be never made known to others, yet, if they are
cherished in the heart, they are known to God, and in his judgment, the
person holding them is as guilty, though not to the same degree, of
resistance, as though he had given utterance to them in words, or
proceeded to any open acts of violence. Clearly then, would we submit to
every ordinance of man; we must offer no resistance, either open or
secret, either "to the king as supreme, or to the governors sent by
him." But it may perhaps occur to some one to inquire, how are we to
act, if either the king, or the governors sent by him, command us to do
something which is _contrary to the laws of God_? Are we then to offer
no resistance to them? Here the saints of old are an example for us. How
did the three Jewish youths act, when they were commanded to worship the
golden image, which the wicked Nebuchadnezzar had caused to be set up in
the plains of Dura? Did they offer any resistance "to the king as
supreme?" Did they endeavour to raise (as it is more than probable they
could easily have done, from their rank and influence in the province of
Babylon) a rebellion against him? No: they would not obey, indeed, the
impious command of the king, because it was contrary to the commands of
God; but they willingly submitted to the punishment which the king
ordered to be inflicted on them. Here they offered no resistance.
Remember the noble answer they made to the king, when they knew that the
fiery furnace was awaiting them; "O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful
to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is
able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver
us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king,
that we will not serve thy gods, neither will we worship the image which
thou hast set up."[4] Similar to this, also, was the conduct of Daniel
under the wicked edict of Darius, which forbad him to make prayer and
supplication to his God. Daniel did not rebel against the king's
authority, though he would not obey him in opposition to God. He
preferred the lion's den, either to rebellion against his sovereign, or
to disobedience to his God.[5] And so too the early Christians acted
under the persecuting edicts of the Roman Emperors. They never resisted
the authority of their governors, though they refused to obey them in
every thing contrary to the commands of God. While they were firm in
their adherence to the truth, they were submissive to the power of the
magistrate. They "obeyed God, rather than man;"[6] but they willingly
submitted to the punishment to which such obedience exposed them. They
preferred oppression to resistance, persecution and martyrdom to
sedition and rebellion. And such, brethren, should be the conduct of the
Christian in every age and country. Even suppose it possible, (which,
thank God, under our just and mild government, we have no reason to
apprehend, but even suppose it possible,) that we should have a wicked
king, and unjust governors, who were to impose upon us, commands
contrary to the laws of our God, still we must, with the Jewish youths,
and with Daniel, and with "the noble army of martyrs," rather suffer,
than resist. There appears to be no limitation to the command; "Submit
yourselves to _every_ ordinance of man."
But further, submitting to every ordinance includes, not only offering
no resistance to the civil authority, but also _giving it our assistance
and support_. Those cannot be said to submit to every ordinance of man,
who, when a spirit of rebellion is abroad in a land, use no exertions
to suppress it. Many are apt to think that, if they sit quietly at home,
and take no part in what is going on amiss, they are free from blame,
and are fulfilling their duty; and certainly, as far as shewing no
disposition to join in any acts of rebellion goes, they are right.
"Meddle not," says the wise man, "with them that are given to
change."[7] But more is required of the Christian, especially in
troublous times, than this. "He that is not with me," saith the Saviour,
"is against me, and he that gathereth not with me, scattereth
abroad."[8] Those, _i. e._ who stand neuter in the cause of Christ,
professing to take neither one side nor the other, are reckoned as his
enemies; for by their indifference they add strength to his enemy's
cause. It is the same, then, with regard to the king, and the governors
sent by him. Those that are not with them are against them; those that
refuse to support their authority, that do not willingly come forward,
at whatever risk to themselves, to assist them in enforcing the laws,
are in reality giving countenance and strength to the rebellious. It was
on this very ground that that bitter curse was pronounced against the
inhabitants of Meroz, which we find recorded in the song of Deborah,
Judges v. 23. They were quiet, peaceable inhabitants of a little
town,[9] on the borders of Canaan, and the only fault that we hear of
them, was, that, when the Israelites, the chosen people of God, were
engaged under his guidance, in destroying the Canaanites, they remained
at home, without declaring themselves either for or against them: but,
saith the angel of the Lord to Deborah, "Curse ye Meroz, curse ye
bitterly the inhabitants thereof; because they came not to the help of
the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty." Whence it is
evident, that the Lord requires of his people a decision of character
and conduct suited to the circumstances in which he places them. It is
not enough for them "to cease from doing evil," they must "learn to do
well."[10] There must be activity toward that which is right, as well as
an abhorrence for that which is wrong. There must not be a sitting
still, like the inhabitants of Meroz, but an avowing ourselves on the
Lord's side. And this applies with as much force to the precept of the
text, as to any which the Scriptures contain. Would we submit ourselves
to every ordinance of man, we must not only stand aloof from those that
oppose themselves, but we must cast in our lot with those that support
them: we must be as zealous in the defence of our governors, and as
ready to aid them in the execution of the laws, as others are to weaken
and destroy their authority; and this leads me to observe, further,
That the submission required in the text implies also _obedience to the
laws the governors give us_. He cannot be said rightly to submit either
to the king or to the governors sent by him, who refuses to _obey_ the
laws they enjoin. Should those laws indeed be contrary to the laws of
God; should, for instance, any earthly prince command us to worship any
god except our own God, or enact that murder, or theft, or adultery, or
any other crime forbidden by the word of God was lawful, then we must
obey God rather than man; then indeed we must act as we have seen the
saints of old did--not break out into acts of rebellion, but submit to
the punishment of the laws, "suffer for righteousness sake,"--"take
joyfully the spoiling of our goods," and be willing to be led either to
prison or to death, rather than rebel against the ordinance of man, or
disobey the commands of God. But while we have a king whose throne is
established in righteousness; while we have a government which, in all
the laws it enacts, is, as to all essential points, of necessity guided
by the word of God, our submission to our governors must include
submission to their laws. While _they_ are restrained from enacting any
laws that are contrary to the laws of God--_those_, it is plain, who
refuse to obey _their_ laws, do in fact refuse to obey the laws of God.
While the laws of the land and the laws of God are one, in breaking the
one we break the other, so that if it could be said of the early
Christians living under a _heathen_ government, "Whosoever resisteth the
power, resisteth the ordinance of God; and they that resist shall
receive to themselves damnation,"[11] with how much more truth may it be
said of us, if, living under a _Christian_ government, we refuse to
"render unto all their dues, tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to
whom custom, fear to whom fear, honour to whom honour."[12] No,
brethren, without obedience to the laws there can be no right
submission. Such then is the general outline of the duty enjoined in the
test, "Submit yourselves," &c.
* * * * *
I now pass on to show,
II. _The_ MOTIVE _by which the Christian is to be actuated in the
discharge of this duty._ Did the Christian look no higher than to his
_worldly interests_, he would surely in these find a very powerful
motive to comply with the exhortation in the text. Who can estimate the
present blessing of a quiet and well ordered government? Who can tell
what a privilege it is to be able, to sit, as many of us have done, in
this hitherto happy land through a long series of years, "every one
under his vine and under his fig-tree, no one making him afraid!" And
who, on the other hand, can describe the horrors of a turbulent and
disordered state of society? I would ask any well-disposed person,
whether in the scenes of disorder and confusion which have prevailed
around us for the last few weeks, he has not heard and seen enough to
shew him the value of the precept, "Submit yourselves," &c. But these
are not the grounds on which the submission of the Christian is
founded--it is not from any consideration of mere worldly advantage that
his motive to submission is drawn--the Christian has a _higher_ and
_nobler_ motive to submission, and it is this which the apostle urges
upon him in the text--"FOR THE LORD'S SAKE." _It is the command of him
whom the Christian loves_--that he should submit. The Lord, to whom he
owes his life with all its blessings, enjoins it; the Lord who came down
from heaven, and "took upon him the form of a servant," "and became
obedient unto death, even the death of the cross," to "deliver him from
the wrath to come," and to restore him to everlasting life and
happiness, has commanded it; He who ever liveth interceding for him at
the right hand of God, and who is continually procuring for him gracious
supplies of his Spirit "to help his infirmities," and to enable him to
"fight the good fight of faith," that he may "lay hold on eternal life;"
He it is that says to him, "Submit to every ordinance of man." And can
the Christian refuse the command of Him who has done, and continues to
do, such great things for him? Must not the love he bears his Saviour
constrain him to comply with his precepts? Can he think for a moment,
that One who gave his life a ransom for him, would ever lay upon him a
single command that was not conducive to his everlasting interests? No,
brethren: if he has "tasted that the Lord is gracious," if he has felt
any thing of his redeeming mercy, in blotting out his transgressions,
and restoring him to that spiritual life, and that hope of everlasting
life, which he had forfeited by the fall, he will no longer deem "his
commandments grievous," but will count them "the joy and the rejoicing
of his heart;" and finding this therefore among the number of them, he
will be ready, with David, to say, "I delayed not, but made haste to
keep thy commandments."[13]
But further, not only because it is the command of God, does the
Christian submit, but because _his submission tends to the glory and
honour of God_. If he were to _refuse submission_, he would bring
_disgrace_ upon that holy name whereby he is called. Whenever a
professor of the Gospel becomes instrumental in stirring up sedition, or
in exciting disorder and confusion in his country, all the evils he
occasions are immediately charged by the enemies of God upon his
principles; they lay it all to the score of _his religion_, as if that
had a tendency to make him rebellious and disobedient, and thus the
blame of all the mischief he foments is charged indirectly upon God
himself, and thereby his name is dishonoured and profaned. But to the
true Christian, brethren, this is matter of deep and unfeigned regret;
the name of God is precious to him, His honour is dear to his soul; he
cannot bear that He should be lightly esteemed, or that any reflection
injurious to his character should be cast either on his word or on his
works. And therefore, that he may never be instrumental to this, he
submits himself to every ordinance of man.
Nor is this all: if the name of God is dishonoured by the Christian's
refusing submission, it is _honoured by his yielding it_. When he "leads
a virtuous and godly life in all quietness and honesty," the power of
the principles he holds is seen. Men are constrained to admit, that the
religion he professes is something more than an empty name. They cannot
deny its efficacy in subduing the unruly will, and regulating the sinful
affections of the heart. Religion then appears what it really is, "the
power of God unto salvation:"[14] and thus honour is brought to God's
name. Seeing their good works, men glorify God in his people. But this
is the point at which all the wishes, and prayers, and endeavours of the
real Christian are constantly aiming. This is the object of his most
ardent desires; this is the end that he is continually proposing to
himself in all his thoughts, and words, and actions, that God, both in
him and by him may be glorified; that "His name" may be "great among the
heathen," and hence, therefore, as the apostle well expresses it, "he
must needs be subject not only for wrath but also for conscience
sake."[15] These then are the grounds on which the submission of the
Christian is founded; this is the high motive from which it springs; he
submits for _the Lord's sake_.
And now, brethren, have I made the duty enjoined in the text plain to
you? have I shown you in a scriptural manner its nature and extent, and
the motive which is to actuate the Christian in the discharge of it?
Suffer me then, in conclusion, to draw from what has been said, a few
words of serious _admonition_ and _exhortation_, suited to the present
circumstances of our country. Let me admonish you to _beware of those
who, in these disturbed times, would induce you to think lightly of the
duty we have been considering_. Many such are abroad in our land. Many
wicked and evil designing men would induce you to believe, that there is
no connexion between religion and the submission due to the king and to
the governors sent by him. But "to the law and to the testimony!" You
will learn from them, that wherever there is true religion, there will
of _necessity be submission to civil authority_. A man cannot be a
faithful subject to his heavenly King, and at the same time a traitor to
his earthly king. If a man "fears God," he will "honour the king;"[16]
and if he fail to honour the king, it may be safely concluded, that he
has not at heart "the fear of the Lord."
Are there then any here, who are dissatisfied with the government they
live under? who are disposed to listen to those "that are given to
change," and that would stir them up to acts of violence and outrage,
not only in opposition to the authority of their governors; but to the
disturbance of the public peace and tranquillity? The religion of
such men, whatever be their pretensions to it, is _false_, and
_unscriptural_, and _vain_. You have never yet been taught (if I speak
to any such) "the truth as it is in Jesus." You have never been brought
with the simplicity of children--to listen to the instructions of the
word of God--you have never been enlightened by the influence of his
Spirit, to "behold wondrous things out of his law"--you have never
learnt, under the teaching of his Spirit, "the excellency of the
knowledge of Christ." If this had been the case with you, if you had
been humbled, enlightened, and sanctified by his Spirit, his
commandments would be no longer grievous to you; you would "esteem all
his commandments concerning all things to be right."[17] And the precept
of the text, therefore, would be as dear to you, and as respected by
you, as any of the rest.
But, brethren, unhumbled, unenlightened, unsanctified by the Spirit of
Christ, reflect upon your condition and prospects! You may resist the
authority of man, and may escape for a season the penalties incurred by
it; but can you resist with similar impunity the AUTHORITY OF GOD? Can
your hands be strong, or your hearts endure in the day when he shall
deal with you? No! "Be not deceived, God is not mocked."[18] If you are
not now humbled under the sceptre of his grace, you will, ere long, be
crushed by the rod of his power. If you are not now brought in the
humility of faith to the cross of Jesus, and there taught by the
renewing of your minds, that the yoke of his commandments is easy, and
the burden of them light, when he comes, as he will quickly, "to
be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that
believe;"[19] but "taking vengeance on them that know not God, and obey
not his Gospel;"[19] you will be "punished with everlasting destruction
from his presence, and from the glory of his power."[19]--"Turn ye, turn
ye, then at his reproof, for why will ye die?" Rest not in an empty
profession of the Gospel, that does not bring you into submission to its
precepts. Get, while the means are afforded you, a _practical_ knowledge
of its truth. Receive _Christ_, as He is continually offered to you in
the Gospel,--a Prophet to teach, a Priest to atone for you,--a King to
reign over, and to govern you. And, oh! if you are once brought to such
a reception of Christ as this; vain will be the efforts of evil
designing men to seduce you from the submission due, either "to the
King," whom God's providence has set over you as "supreme," or "to the
governors" that are "sent by him for the punishment of evil doers, and
the praise of them that do well." If Christ rules "in your heart by
faith," you will certainly be ready, _for His sake_, to tread the same
path that Prophets, Apostles, and Martyrs have trodden before you. You
will feel with St. Paul, that "rulers are not a terror to good works,
but to the evil"--that they "bear not the sword in vain"--that they are
"the ministers of God to you for good"--"avengers to execute wrath upon
every soul that doeth evil."[20] You will be ready, in a word, as well
in _civil_, as in spiritual matters, "to obey them that have the rule
over you, and to submit yourselves."[21]
And "should tribulation arise, because of the word;" should those days
be at hand, which, we are told, _will_ arrive, before the end
cometh,--when "there shall be on earth distress of nations with
perplexity," and "men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking
after those things that are coming upon the earth."[22] Should these
days be at hand, look back for your _direction_ and _encouragement_ upon
that cloud of witnesses, who through faith have obtained the promises.
Recollect, how the Jewish youths walked unhurt, through the presence of
the Saviour with them, amid the flames of Nebuchadnezzar's furnace--how
"their faith quenched the violence of fire."[23] Recollect how the faith
of Daniel "stopped the mouths of lions."[24] Recollect how the faith of
the Apostle Paul enabled him to say, in the face of bonds, and
imprisonment, and death, "none of these things move me;" neither count
I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy,
and the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus to testify the
Gospel of the grace of God."[25] Recollect how thousands of others, "of
whom the world was not worthy," were enabled to go to the cross, to the
rack, and to the stake--"rejoicing that they were counted worthy to
suffer shame for His name."[26] And bear in mind, that the same faith in
a crucified Saviour, which made them "more than conquerors," and secured
to them, "through the blood of the Lamb," a crown of immortality and
life,--if it produce in you similar effects, "working in you both to
will and to do of God's good pleasure, whatsoever is well pleasing in
his sight," and making you willing "to suffer the loss of all things,"
rather than rebel against any ordinance of man, or disobey any precepts
of God, is still able to secure for you a similar victory. Never be
induced, therefore, by any artifices, or any threatenings of the enemies
of God's truth, to let go your dependance on the Saviour, or to renounce
your allegiance to his laws; but, "building up yourselves in your most
holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of
God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal
life;"[27] and then will the promise at last be yours--"if we suffer
with him, we shall also reign with him."[28]
THE END.
J. Dennett, Printer, Leather Lane, London.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Jude, ver. 8 and 19.
[2] Psal. xii. 1.
[3] Prov. viii. 15.
[4] See Dan. iii. 16, &c.
[5] See Dan. vi.
[6] Acts v. 29.
[7] Prov. xxiv. 21.
[8] Matt. xii. 30.
[9] Its exact situation is unknown, as modern travellers inform us that
no traces of it now remain.
[10] Isaiah i. 16, 17.
[11] Rom. xiii. 2.
[12] Rom. xiii. 7.
[13] Psal. cxix. 60.
[14] Rom. i. 16.
[15] Rom. xiii. 5.
[16] See 17th verse of chapter whence the text is taken, and Prov. xxiv.
21.
[17] Ps. cxix. 128.
[18] Gal. vi. 7.
[19] 2 Thess. i. 8, 9, 10.
[20] See Rom. xiii. 3, 4.
[21] Heb. xiii. 17.
[22] See Luke xxi. 25, 26.
[23] Heb. xi. 34.
[24] Heb. xi. 33.
[25] Acts xx. 24.
[26] Acts v. 41.
[27] Jude 20, 21.
[28] 2 Tim. ii. 12.
End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Duty of Submission to Civil
Authority,, by J.F. Moor
*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DUTY OF SUBMISSION ***
***** This file should be named 42331.txt or 42331.zip *****
This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
http://www.gutenberg.org/4/2/3/3/42331/
Produced by Gerard Arthus, Paul Clark, cover image from
Google Print and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team
at http://www.pgdp.net
Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions
will be renamed.
Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no
one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation
(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without
permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules,
set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to
copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to
protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project
Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you
charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you
do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the
rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose
such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and
research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do
practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is
subject to the trademark license, especially commercial
redistribution.
*** START: FULL LICENSE ***
THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE
PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK
To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free
distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work
(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project
Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project
Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at
www.gutenberg.org/license.
Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm
electronic works
1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm
electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to
and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all
the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy
all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession.
If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project
Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the
terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or
entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.
1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be
used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who
agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few
things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works
even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See
paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project
Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement
and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
works. See paragraph 1.E below.
1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation"
or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project
Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the
collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an
individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are
located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from
copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative
works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg
are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project
Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by
freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of
this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with
the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by
keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project
Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others.
1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern
what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in
a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check
the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement
before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or
creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project
Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning
the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United
States.
1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:
1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate
access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently
whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the
phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project
Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed,
copied or distributed:
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived
from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is
posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied
and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees
or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work
with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the
work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1
through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the
Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or
1.E.9.
1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted
with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution
must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional
terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked
to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the
permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work.
1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm
License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this
work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm.
1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this
electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with
active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
Gutenberg-tm License.
1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any
word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or
distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than
"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version
posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org),
you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a
copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon
request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other
form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm
License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.
1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying,
performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works
unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing
access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided
that
- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method
you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is
owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he
has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the
Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments
must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you
prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax
returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and
sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the
address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to
the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation."
- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies
you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he
does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm
License. You must require such a user to return or
destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium
and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of
Project Gutenberg-tm works.
- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any
money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the
electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days
of receipt of the work.
- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works.
1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm
electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set
forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from
both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael
Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the
Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.
1.F.
1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable
effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread
public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm
collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain
"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or
corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual
property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a
computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by
your equipment.
1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right
of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project
Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all
liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal
fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT
LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE
PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE
TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE
LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR
INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
DAMAGE.
1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a
defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can
receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a
written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you
received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with
your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with
the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a
refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity
providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to
receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy
is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further
opportunities to fix the problem.
1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth
in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO OTHER
WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO
WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.
1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied
warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages.
If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the
law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be
interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by
the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any
provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions.
1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the
trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone
providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance
with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production,
promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works,
harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees,
that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do
or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm
work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any
Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause.
Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm
Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of
electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers
including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists
because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from
people in all walks of life.
Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the
assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's
goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will
remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure
and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations.
To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation
and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4
and the Foundation information page at www.gutenberg.org
Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive
Foundation
The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit
501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the
state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal
Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification
number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg
Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent
permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws.
The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S.
Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered
throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at 809
North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email
contact links and up to date contact information can be found at the
Foundation's web site and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact
For additional contact information:
Dr. Gregory B. Newby
Chief Executive and Director
[email protected]
Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg
Literary Archive Foundation
Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide
spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of
increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be
freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest
array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations
($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt
status with the IRS.
The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating
charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United
States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a
considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up
with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations
where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To
SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any
particular state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate
While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we
have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition
against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who
approach us with offers to donate.
International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make
any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from
outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.
Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation
methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other
ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations.
To donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate
Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
works.
Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm
concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared
with anyone. For forty years, he produced and distributed Project
Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support.
Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed
editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S.
unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily
keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition.
Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility:
www.gutenberg.org
This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm,
including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to
subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.
