John Knox concerning godly resistance to tyrants:For now the common song of all men is: ‘We must obey our kings be they good or be they bad, for God hath so commanded.’ But horrible shall the vengeance be that shall be poured forth upon such blasphemers of God, His holy name and ordinance. For it is no less blasphemy to say that God hath commanded kings to be obeyed when thy command impiety than to say that God by His precept is author and maintainer of all iniquity. True it is, God hath commanded kings to be obeyed, but like true it is that in things which they commit against His glory, or when cruelly without cause they rage against their brethren, the members of Christ’s body, He hath commanded no obedience, but rather He hath approved, yea, and greatly rewarded, such as have opponed themselves to their ungodly commandments and blind rage. John Knox regarding the responsibilities of the lesser (local) magistrates to punish tyrants:Only at this time I thought expedient to admonish you that before God it shall not excuse you to allege: ‘We are not kings and therefore neither can we reform religion nor yet defend such as be persecuted.’ Consider my Lords, that ye are powers ordained by God (as before is declared) and therefore doth the reformation of religion and the defence of such as injustly are oppressed appertain to your charge and care, which thing shall the law of God, universally given to be kept of all men, most evidently declare. Which is my last and most assured reason why I say ye ought to remove from honours and to punish with death such as God hath condemned by His own mouth.These are cited from The Appellation of John Knox.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment