all of which, being intended for the benefit of public
corporations, are given or paid as the price of liberty
and privilege of trade and commerce. And to this
may be added, such necessary instances of self-defense
as a person may be obliged to, when maliciously and
villanously attacked in his character or goods, by
persons perhaps designedly taking advantage of his
Christian temper, or profession. Or when perhaps
a person may be maliciously charged with, and prosecuted
for crimes not only peculiarly dishonorable to religion,
but even capital, as has been the case with some individuals.
In all such cases, self-defense at law becomes necessary
before the ordinary courts and judges of any nation,
or place of the world whatever, when such defenses
are admitted without the formal and explicit acknowledgment
of the lawfulness of unjust or usurped authority (when
such happens to be in place, as in the instance of
Paul’s appeal to Caesar, Acts xxv), or acting
any otherwise contrary to justice and charity.
And with regard to the other branch of the sentence
where it is observed—“That a difference
ought to made between those things that cannot be had,
nor yet the value and equivalent of them, unless the
person actually give it,” &c.: This is
sufficiently explained in a paragraph, page 163, near
the foot. Prayers for God’s blessing on
any government—enlisting and bearing arms
in their service—accepting offices and places
of power from them—swearing oaths of fidelity
to them, &c.—are such things as can by
no means be got, nor yet the equivalent of them, unless
the party actually consents and grants them.
These, therefore, and, such like, are the only instances
of action which, the Presbytery judge, do, in their
own nature, contain and express a proper and explicit
acknowledgment of the lawfulness of that authority
which they immediately respect.]