Page:Discourse Concerning Unlimited Submission.djvu/45

 i.e., uch as rule for the good of ociety, which is the only end of their intitution. Common tyrants, and public oppreors, are not intitled to obedience from their ubjects, by virtue of any thing here laid down by the inpired apotle.

add, farther, that the apotle's argument is o far from proving it to be the duty of people to obey, and ubmit to, uch rulers as act in contradiction to the public good, and o to the deign of their office, that it proves the direct contrary. For, pleae to oberve, that if the end of all civil government, be the good of ociety; if this be the thing that is aimed at in contituting civil rulers; and if the motive and argument for ubmiion to government, be taken from the apparent uefulnes of civil authority; it follows, that when no uch good end can be anwered by ubmiion, there remains no argument or motive to enforce it; if intead of this good* end's being brought about by ubmiion, a contrary end is brought about, and the ruin and miery of ociety effected by it, here is a plain and poitive reaon againt ubmiion in all uch caes, hould they ever happen. And therefore, in uch caes, a regard to the public welfare, ought to make us withhold from our rulers, that obedience and ubjection which it would, otherwie, be our duty to render to them. If it be our duty, for example, to obey our king, merely for this reaon, that he rules for the public