ney, which the Law does not
guard for us; and we have very little indeed, which we could
effectually guard for ourselves. If this protecting, guarding Law is
not enforced,--if the Law is obstructed, or crippled, or baffled, or
violently set at naught; then, the security of civilized society is
gone, and our property, our liberty, our rights, privileges and
life, just lie at the mercy of every unjust man, and any violent and
excited band of the wicked!--So important to us is the potential
dominion and regular administration of Law.

Moreover our very rights in religion, our privilege to have the word
of God and read it, to worship God according to the dictates of our
own conscience, to preach the gospel and hear it, are rights and
privileges, which, in this unjust world, we could not enjoy for a
single year, aside from the protection and potential administration
of human government.

If this human government, the government of Law, cannot be
maintained, therefore, there is nothing on earth valuable to us,
which is secure for a single hour! If the Law cannot be enforced,
then government is at an end and anarchy reigns, and all is
confusion, uncertainty, and violence! Order, civilization,
Christianity is not safe!

There is indeed a _limit_ to the obedience due to human government.
Such government may become, and sometimes does become, so unjust,
oppressive, tyrannical, and cruel, as not to answer the designed,
and righteous, and beneficial purposes of government for a whole
people; and in such a case, it deserves no respect as an ordinance
of God, for it is then acting contrary to the will of God and the
necessity of society; and the injured and oppressed people may
justly rise in rebellion against such a government, and overthrow
it, if they can. But, let it be carefully remembered, that any
violent resistance is positive rebellion against the government; and
either that resistance must be crushed, or the government must be
overturned. There is no middle way--there can be none. In such a
case the whole authority and power of the government come into
direct hostility and conflict with the violence which resists the
execution of Law; and government must crush that violence, or that
violence must crush the government. A government is at an end, a
nullity, when it cannot execute its laws. Let it be carefully
remembered also, that violent resistance to Law cannot be justified,
when there is no righteous design to overthr