Calvinism - pagina 144

CALVINISM AND POLITICS.

'

140

need

This

of

does

however,

not express

not immediately

man

;

and

in

of

assert

with emphasis

itself

the mature

in

hberty

personal

the

conscience, It

itself.

does

the child, but only

in

same way

the

it

mostly

among undeveloped peoples, and is irresistible only among highly developed nations. A man of ripe

slumbers

and

development

rich

exile, will rather suffer life

become a voluntary imprisonment, nay even sacrifice will rather

than tolerate constraint

itself,

And

conscience.

in

the forum of his

the deeply rooted repugnance against

which for three long centuries would

the Inquisition,

not be assuaged, grew up from the conviction that

This

imposes on

ion.

In

the

the

first

assaulted

place,

it

human

life

place,

it

must cause

obligat-

this liberty of

by the Church

must give way

man.

in

government a twofold

to be respected

conscience

second

and

violated

practices

its

itself to

;

and

in

the

the sovereign

conscience.

As find

regards

its

the

first,

the sovereignty of the Church

natural limitation in the sovereignty of the free

personality.

Sovereign within her own domain, she has

no power over those who

And

live outside

of that sphere.

wherever, in violation of this principle, transgression

of power

may

occur,

the

government has

to respect

The Church member one whom

the claims on protection of every citizen.

may she

not be forced to tolerate as a feels

other

obliged to expel from her circle; but on the

hand no

citizen of the State

must be compelled

to remain in a church which his conscience forces

him

to lea\'e.

Meantime what the government

in this respect

demands

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