Evening journal., 1903-06-29
DR.. BUDDINGTON ON LAW
Resisting Civil Government, He Says,
is Resisting Ordinance of God.

The Rev. o. G.. Buddington preached
sermon in Bethany Baptist Church yester-
day on the "Dvine Element in Civil Law
and Government" His text was: Rom,
1912 The powers that be are ordained
of God Whosoever, therefore resisteth the
power resisteth the ordinance of God: and
they that resist shall receive TO them
selves damnation.
He said in part:
The explanation Of the word power, or
powers" means authority, or,the embodi-
ment of authority i'm law and government.
Therefore IT can be understood as saying
whosoever resisteth, resists civil govern
ment.
Law and Government is of God.
Tint God purposed government for man
Is to be found in the constitution of mans
being. lie is a social being, and lives in
communities. Living in communities ne
must have law and government The first
government of man was tribal. As seen in
days OF Abraham and contemporaries.
Then the Theocracy as established by
Jehovah. God himself as King and his law
elaborated as found i'm the Book of Levitt
Gus. Then the kingdom as established with
Saul as first king. The Lord and his
apostles lived under the laws and govern
ment of the Roman Empire. And this when
in Its decline. The reference in the New
Testament to laws and government are
to the Roman Empire. Unjust were some
Of its laws; dssolute often were its en-
perors. yet it was government and because
1t was government it was to be supported.
SO history shows that civil government
and law is of God.
1t must be necessarily so II they are OF
God. How we may resist the ordinance OF
God in civil law. The great essentials, the
foundation principles have been trans
ferrcd to the civil code from the Divine
code. The Divine says, Thou shalt not
kill" So says the civil. The Divine says.
Thou shalt not commit adultry." SO says
the civil The Divine says, Thou shalt
not steal" SO says the civil. The extern
sion Of these laws from the Divine code,
and Incorporated in the civil covers almost
entirely all that protects the life, social
purisy, and property of man.
1t is clear from this that resisting the
civil code Is to resist the Divine. A law
growing out of the law "rhou shalt not
KILL" is one that the accused of killing
shall have trial, and that his condemna-
tion slhall be based either on confession of
the accused or on the evidence of witt
nesses. The law further says that the ac-
cused shall have trial by jury In the pres
ence cf the count.
1t further declares that the condemned
shall be executed by the chosen officers of
the law. Resistance ito this is resistance to
the ordinance OF God. 1t matters not what
is the nature Of the crime of the con-
demned 1t matters not how many partici-
pate in resisting. Whether one or five, or
five hundred, or five thousand. it is resist
lance to Gods ordinance.
So the Scriptures declare. Does the his
tory of resisting civil show this Examine
history as recorded I'm this Book. There is
some instructive reading in the Book OF
Judges from the 10Th chapter to 2ist. in
elusive. In these chapters are found the
accounts Of a lapse into idolatry by the
priesthood. piratical expedition to city
Of innocent inhabitants, and slaughterine
them in cold blood; the account of a case
of rape. and murder; and the climax in the
account of slaughter of 25.lOO of Israel
as the result of IL. Why refer to this
Each Of these accounts begin with the
statement. There was no king H
AAAtNAA
which was right in his own eyes" And at
the close of account in the last verse OF
, the last chapter there is a repetition of tn,
J words. 'uhere was no king In Israel il
lthose days but every man done tha
which was right I'm his own eyes" Histor,
has Eeen repeated. That history is beinl
repeated i'm our history. In our ministers
meeting OF last Tuesday a brother rosl
, retired 7 had the strong arm of law aroun'
me and family for protection 10 life AM
I property. This morning ! am deprived O
H. Five thousand people last night tool
It away. The riotous proceedings I'm thi
city night by night have demonstrated 3,
! The evidence As at hand that we hav
p sown the wind and are reaping the whir
}. wind Judge not that ye be not judged
with what judgment ye judge ye shall b
judged, and with what measure ye mete
shall be measured 70 you again"