Page:The Net of Faith.pdf/737

 After reading what I have written someone may object, saying that I am disparaging all power. Let him not think unless he wants it so. I am not holding it in disrespect but I give it the honor due. I say it is good as long as God can work through it. But I do not approve of the things which evil people do with power. I accept authority as long as it is baptized – that is the way I like to call it.

Secular authority is necessary for the governance of temporal things, useful to the world, holding it together; the world would fall apart without it. I say this using human logic, so to speak. However, since God is the Lord of the world, capable of governing it even without this human authority, and since we presume that it is his pleasure to have the world managed through authority, – that is, through rulers as his officials as it were – therefore those who hold power over this world have the obligation to rule it justly for the greatest good of all. 265*