Calvinism - pagina 17

Constitutional Liberties.

1895 •]

659

honor the leaders. Sovereignty can be imposed by God upon a few, upon many, and upon all. This does not touch the If, however, Calvin is free to choose, he preprinciple itself. fers a republic.

He

read too closely the annals of the sins of

royal autocrats, not to dislike despotism.

entrusted to

many

there

is

less

In an authority

temptation to tyranny.

And what must be done when the authorities oppress Never, says' May a private person take up arms And when the authorities issue orders that are conCalvin.

the land

.''

}

honor of God, not even then. Refuse obedience, and suffer the penalty. But when Calvin is asked, whether "This then there is no way of resistance, he quickly adds: For if there observation I always apply to private persons. trary to the

be any magistrates appointed for the protection of the people, as the Ephori at Sparta, or the popular tribunes at Rome, or the three estates of Parliament, then, I am so far from prohibiting them, in the discharge of their duty, to oppose the

violence or cruelty of kings, that

I

affirm, that if

they con-

nive at kings in their oppression of their people, such forbear-

ance involves the most nefarious perfidy, because they fraudulently betray the liberty of the people, of which they

know

that they have been appointed protectors by the ordination

of God."

With Calvin

is

found the origin of the system of

secondary authorities, of the motto under which de Conde rose against Charles, the Netherlands against Philip, England's Parliament against the Stuarts, and the American colonies With Calvin is found the gloriagainst the mother country.

ous principle from which has germinated constitutional public

law. Finally, a point which

this:

is

no

less

worthy of emphasis is According to his in-

Calvin opposed non-intervention.

Europe was not an aggregate of independent Hence it was the states, but formed one family of nations. duty of the prince of a neighboring realm to interfere, when-

ternational law,

ever a prince committed

a:n

offence against his people.

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