Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1863-08-15

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because civil government Is ordained o
God, therefore all civil governments are o
divine appointment and equally obligatory
upon society, and thus frequently making
void tue commandments Of God through
the laws and traditions OF men! But nei
ther reason nor revelation ever Taught such
an absurdity, thus making God responsible
Tor every system of despoIism, oppression
and cruelty that has afflicted humanity. 1t
is the institution of civil government that
God ordains, and not the governments of
this world, many of which do not recognize
God. . ... .. '.
Did God ordain the bloody code Of Ora.
co, which punished oil crimes, from the
least to the greatest, with death? Did
God o"doin tho code of Tycurgus, which
decreed that mothers should murder their
feeble children? Did God ordain the gov.
ernment, both Of Pagan Rome, and Pupai
Rome, even while Ieeking with the blood
of maryred saints2 Is The government of
Despotlc Austria and Republican America
equally ordained of God2 Aud was the
government Of America before the Revolu-
ton aud while we were yet subject to
England, ordained of God? If so, wherein
did our fathers differ from the traitors who
are nov endeavoring to overthrow the gov,
ar af this oanptry
10 afiirni that SO far as civil governments
are right, they are ordained Of God is eva.
sion. 1t is simply affirming selfevident
truth. so far as anything is right, God
endorses it. So far as the devil quoted
scripture 10 our Savior he was right: but
not when he sought to defeat his divine
mission and plunge the world deeper in sin
aud moral night. eu ...... r f..
T. The same is true of civil government.
Ordained Of God, it may nevertheless bear
the marks of human sefshne IS without for.
teitlng its claim to divine origin. But
when human selfshness. by legislation,
strikes down the Fundamental principles Of
justice, denying to IN minbood its inal enable
rights, and trampliug it in the dust under
the iron hoof of despotism, tn en- such 60
Vernment is au apostacy from G cd, and by
its very corruption, absolves its subjects
from The duty Of peaceable submission l,
is under such circumstances that the doc
trine becomes true:--" Resistance to tyrant
is obedience TO God" since q cd bus no at
tribute that can take sides with Injustice
oppression and corruption
But permit me to call your attention
moro especially to the question Of divine
Jurisdiction in civil government, aud
whether the civil code has any right or
power to impose on its subjects aught iu
opposition to e;ernal rectitude; = also,
whether law is obligatory when it contra.
venes aud readers null and void the coul,
maudmeuts of God. .Hu-J .i HI 'r"
Now, as to Jurisdiction, little need be
i"ald; for we claim that it is among the
Selt'eyidcnt truths that the creator and
maker Of all God-who o,dains the
powers that be, is the absolute and uDiver.
sal law'giver aud supreme head of all go.
vernment human and divine. The juris.
diction, therefore, Of God, in civil govern
ment, is absolute, and there is no appeal
from lis decisions. ii. fa.. t..., -.l-..'
Blackstone says, "The law Of nature, be.
ing coeval with mankind, and dictated by
God himself, is of course superior in cbli
CATION to any other. 1t is binding over
the globe--in all countries and all times.
No human laws are of any validity if con-
trary to this, and such of them as are
valid, derive all their force and all their
authority, mediateIy or Immediately from
this original" p. 27, vol l.
In accordance with Blackstone is the
universal law maxim, which afirms, I" Lex
nature lex Suprema;" that is, ''The law of
nature is the supreme law" But why
multiply arguments, Authorities aud max,
inns, to prove what all must ad NIT wto be-
lievc in the being and perfections of an in.
finite God. 1t would be the climax oil
absurdhy to admit the existence Of deity
aud then deny his authority over the de-
pendent creatures Of bis power aad the sub.
fjeets of bis universal administration. 80
Having shown that God not only or.
dains civil government. but also exercises a
supreme jurisdiction over it, We are now
prepared for the inquiry whether an un.
righteous law can ever be obligatory
/ law which conflicts with No tural justice aud
thigh moral principles. 1t would seen
wholly unnecessary 10 make such an in.
quiry, but for the fact that modern ethic:
sometimes coplravepe. the higher law by
}coutendpg for a comprehensive expediency
and choice ofievisq7ud cd llnds ii ,oseo6 d
u President Waylaud says, In bis "Moral
Philosophy"-"We have no right to obey
an uurighteous law, since We must obey
ibC9od NJ all hazards. .sLp 40S The sam ,