Page:Fugitive slave law. The religious duty of obedience to law- a sermon, preached in the Second Presbyterian Church in Brooklyn, Nov. 24, 1850 (IA fugitiveslave00spencer).pdf/19

 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 overthrow the government itself; for no man owes a half-allegience to government, or can commit a half-high-treason; and besides Law is too important and delicate a thing to have its majesty trifled with, by the wicked nonsense of a half-obedience. Let it be carefully remembered also, that violent resistance to Law cannot be justified, when there is no fair prospect of overthrowing the government, and being able to establish a better one. To justify violent resistance to the laws, it is not enough that the government is unjust and its laws unrighteous; it is necessary also, that there should be no good ground to hope for a cessation of that unrighteousness in some peaceful way, and that there should be a prospect of some good to be gained by the resistance, which good shall be worth more than all the labor, and treasure, and strife, and blood, which the revolution shall cost. Let it be carefully remembered, too, that violent resistance on any one point is rebellion on every point, for "he that offendeth in one point is guilty of all:" such resistance is opposition by force to one entire government―is just a conflict with the powers that be; so that any resisting individual or number of individuals who commence a violent resistance on any one point, have cast