Page:The Great Encyclical Letters of Pope Leo XIII.djvu/262



application is produced. Otherwise said, if every political form is good by itself and may be applied to the govern- ment of nations, the fact still remains that political power is not found in all nations under the same form; each has its own. This form springs from a combination of historical or national, though always human, circumstances which, in a nation, give rise to its traditional and even fundamental laws, and by these is determined the particular form of govermnent, the basis of transmission of supreme power.

It were useless to recall that all individuals are bound to accept these governments and not to attempt their over- throw or a change in their form. Hence it is that the Church, the guardian of the truest and highest idea of political sovereignty, since she has derived it from God, has always condemned men who rebelled against legitimate authority and disapproved their doctrines. And that too at the very time when the custodians of power used it against her, thereby depriving themselves of the strongest sup- port given their authority and of efficacious means of obtaining from the people obedience to their laws. And apropos of this subject. We cannot lay too great stress upon the precepts given to the first Christians by the Prince of the apostles in the midst of persecutions: "Honor all men: love the brotherhood: fear God: honor the king"; and those of St. Paul: "I desire, therefore, first of all, that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men: For kings and for all who are in high station, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, in all piety and chastity. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God, our Saviour."

However, here it must be carefully observed that what- ever be the form of civil power in a nation, it cannot be considered so definitive as to have the right to remain immutable, even though such were the intention of those who, in the beginning, determined it. ... Only the Church of Jesus Christ has been able to preserve, and surely will preserve unto the consummation of time, hei