Logged out
Access All our Essays in an Instant
Swap your work for FREE access, or pay £4.99 for instant access
Did the increasingly radical resistance theories of the late sixteenth century have any effect in pr
Member rating: No Rating | Words: | Submitted: Mon Jun 19 2006
Page Preview
On the left is an image preview of every page of this document, and below are the first 150 words with formatting removed:
Did the increasingly radical resistance theories of the late sixteenth century have any effect in pr Calvin had a maxim that leaders were "ordained of God" and that good leaders were therefore blessings upon a people, whereas bad leaders were punishment for "the wickedness of the people". Calvin was aware of the problem of inciting rebellion against Catholic princes and the repression it might bring - a fear confirmed by the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre - but he did reserve the right to passive disobedience, especially where staying within the law required one to neglect or overturn a duty to God. He also claimed that magistrates were appointed to restrain the "tyranny of kings" and so they had the right to rebel and overthrow intolerable governments. Calvin's thesis was unclear, as it failed to set down all the practical means and justifications for rebellion. The magistrates never found out who they were...
To see the full version of this document, and 145,348 others
