While reading through Peter Marshall and David Manuel's book The Light and the Glory recently, I ran accross an interesting section which I found very helpful. I hope that each of you finds it to be equally interesting and reavealing to you too.“When Does Tyranny Become Tyranny?
· "By Scripture, it happens when a ruler breaks the commandment of 2 Samuel 23:3 (KJV): He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God..
· "By Puritan interpretation, constructed before the first Pilgrims and Puritans embarked for America, it is when a ruler knowingly and deliberately contravenes the will of God, thus making it impossible for his subjects to follow that divine will.
· "By the Magna Carta, which established English common law, it is when a ruler ceases to act under that law and denies his subjects their rights, as guaranteed by that law.
· "By pronouncement of James I: “A king ceases to be a king, and degenerates to a tyrant, as soon as he leaves off to rule according to his laws.”
· "By Parliamentary interpretation, it is when Englishmen have measures imposed upon them, such as taxation, without their consent or even representation.
· "By every one of these definitions, James II’s attitude toward the Colonies was tyrannical. As the Puritans saw it, he was the rebel…."
You’ll just have to read the book to find out the rest!
Caleb
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