The Origin and Province of Civil Government
By Willard Allen Colcord
By Willard Allen Colcord, Author of "The Rights of Man" with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine." 1 Tim. 1:9, 10. It entered "that the offense might abound," and came "that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful." Rom. 5:20; 7:13. The redeemed will neither need nor know the law of God in this form. And to those who even now become converted, its prohibitions against sin become promises of grace and power to keep from sinning. Much less do they need the prohibitions of civil law to restrain them from trampling upon the rights of others. They would not do thus were there no civil laws and no civil government. The law of God in their hearts—the law of love—prompts them to the very reverse course,—not only to respect the rights of others, but to bless them, to be loving and kind to them, and to do them good. Questioner.—"But do not the Scriptures teach that we are to obey the powers that be?" Answer.—Yes; the Bible is very plain and emphatic upon this point. It says, "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God." Rom. 13:1. Instead of encouraging disrespect for civil government and those in civil authority, the Scriptures teach Christians to be obedient and respectful to them. To Titus Paul writes, "Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work." Titus 3:1. And Peter says: "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. For so is the will of God, that with well-doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men. . . . Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king." 1 Peter 2:13-17. Questioner.—"Upon what ground, then, can you claim the right not to observe Sunday when the law commands that you shall?" Answer.—While the Scriptures teach respect for civil authority, they nowhere indicate that this authority is unlimited in its scope and field of action. Metes and bounds are set to it. It has been given no right whatever to enter the realm of religion; that is, to prescribe to men in matters of faith, or assume to indicate to them their obligations and duties to God. The same Bible that teaches us to be subject to the powers that be, teaches that in case of any conflict between the requirements of the powers that be and the requirements of God, "we ought to obey God rather than men." Acts 5:29. Sabbath observance is a duty which men owe to God, for the Sabbath itself belongs to God. It is "the Sabbath of the Lord thy God," "holy unto the Lord." No civil authority, therefore, has any right to legislate in regard to Sabbath observance; and when it not only presumes to do this, but commands men to observe as the Sabbath a day which God has not commanded to be observed as such, but, on the contrary, has indicated as a working-day, men have a right not to obey such a commandment, but to obey God and observe the day which He has set apart and blessed. Questioner.—"You believe, then, that we have a right to resist the powers that be?" Answer.—No; a man may refuse to comply with a wicked or unjust law, and not resist the authority or power that made the law. There is a difference between resistance and refusing to obey a law with which one can not conscientiously comply. Resistance implies the use of force. This the Christian is not to use. Explaining how he could refuse to comply with the Act of Uniformity and the Conventicle Act of 1662 and 1664 under Charles II, and still respect the powers that be, Bunyan said to the clerk of the court, who was urging Rom. 13:1 as proof that he should comply with these acts: "Sir, the law provides two ways of obeying; the one to do that which in my conscience I do believe that I am to do actively; and where I can not obey actively, then I am willing to lie down and suffer what they may do to me." The latter is what Bunyan did. For twelve long years he was imprisoned in Bedford jail, because he chose to worship God according to the dictates of his own conscience instead of according to the manner prescribed by acts of Parliament. But in refusing to comply with these religious laws, and while undergoing this imprisonment, he was not "resisting" the powers that be.
W. A. COLCORD.