Sec. 232. Whosoever uses force without right, as every
one does in society, who does it without law, puts himself into a
state of war with those against whom he so uses it; and in that
state all former ties are cancelled, all other rights cease, and
every one has a right to defend himself, and to resist the
aggressor. This is so evident, that Barclay himself, that great
assertor of the power and sacredness of kings, is forced to
confess, That it is lawful for the people, in some cases, to
resist their king; and that too in a chapter, wherein he pretends
to shew, that the divine law shuts up the people from all manner
of rebellion. Whereby it is evident, even by his own doctrine,
that, since they may in some cases resist, all resisting of
princes is not rebellion. His words are these. Quod siquis
dicat, Ergone populus tyrannicae crudelitati & furori jugulum
semper praebebit? Ergone multitude civitates suas fame, ferro, &
flamma vastari, seque, conjuges, & liberos fortunae ludibrio &
tyranni libidini exponi, inque omnia vitae pericula omnesque
miserias & molestias a rege deduci patientur? Num illis quod
omni animantium generi est a natura tributum, denegari debet, ut
sc. vim vi repellant, seseq; ab injuria, tueantur? Huic breviter
responsum sit, Populo universo negari defensionem, quae juris
naturalis est, neque ultionem quae praeter naturam est adversus
regem concedi debere.
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