Quia ilia potestas, (juris) solius Dei est; potestas autem injuriæ, diaboli, et non Dei; et cujus horum opera fecerit rex, ejus minister erit, cujus opera fecerit (Rom. vi. 16.) Igitur dum facit justitiam, vicarius est Regis Eterni; minister autem diaboli, dum declinat ad injuriam." Bracton, Lib. 3, c. 9, p. 106-7. The lawful power is from God alone; but the power of wrong, is from the devil and not from God; and whosesoever work a king shall do, his servant he is, whose work he does. Wherefore, when he does justice, he is the minister of the Eternal King—but when he does unrighteousness, he is the servant of the devil. "Dicitur enim rex, a bene regendo, et non a regnando; quia rex est dum bene regit. Tyrannus, dum populum sibi creditum, violenta opprimet dominatione." Ibid. For he is called a king (ruler) for ruling righteously, and not because he reigns. Wherefore, he is a king, when he governs with justice—but a tyrant, when he oppresses the people committed to his charge.
"For though custom, tribute, fear and honor, are certainly due to him, who is the minister of God to us for good; yet surely no honor is due, or ought to be rendered to the minister of the devil; to the perjured violator of a public trust, who in the eye of the English law, is not even worthy of so much as the name of a king." Granville Sharp's "Law of passive obedience," p. 75.
"All men therefore, be they ever so rich, or ever so poor and mean, are required to vindicate the cause of truth, justice and righteousness, whenever they have a favorable opportunity of doing so;" p. 89. "An hereditary knowledge of good and evil, is a talent committed to all men, for the use or abuse of which therefore, all are accountable in exact proportion to the extent of the gift;" p. 89, 90. "The hasty revenger of his own cause, is so far from being a friend to the community, or a lover of liberty, that he himself, is actually a tyrant; because he neglects the necessary doctrine of christian submission to personal injuries; and is ready to revenge his own cause, with his own hand, and to usurp all the distinct offices of Judge, Jury and Executioner. He is so far from vindicating the law, like the generous and patriotic apostle, for the sake of national liberty, that he manifestly sets himself up above the law, (which is the first characteristic of a tyrant) and thereby renders himself) in fact, an open enemy to liberty, and consequently a disgrace to society," ibid.
"When they (men) are freest they have limits, for they are not infinite; nay, when they are most free, they are most bound to good order and to right reason." Sadler's Rights, p. 135.
And in Blackstone's Commentaries, Chitty's edition, 1826, we read:
"The law of nature, being coeval with mankind, and dictated by God
