efully noticed, that no man or body of men
has any right to say, that they will be without government, without
Law, or that religion has nothing to do with the question of their
civil obedience to Law. Such obedience must _be a part_ of their
religion, or they cannot be Christians. It is a part of the _will
and ordinance_ of God.

Among politicians and statesmen, the idea of what they call "the
social compact" is a very familiar idea, and sometimes figures
largely. They mean by this, that there exists between the different
members of every civilized and orderly community, a tacit "compact"
or agreement, by which each individual tacitly or impliedly consents
to surrender some of his natural rights into the hands of the
community in general, or the hands of its government, in order to
have the power of the community in general, or power of its
government protect him in the enjoyment of others of his rights.
Thus, they tell us, that each man receives a benefit from the power
of society or government, which he could not secure by his
individual power, and receives it in return for the individual
natural rights, which he surrenders to the general society or
government: so that, on the whole, this "compact" between him and
the body politic is beneficial to him. For example, he might not be
able to defend his farm from the violence of unjust men, who might
deprive him of it; and so he procures the aid of civil government to
defend it for him, and in return for this benefit he consents that
his farm shall be taxed, and consents also to forego his personal
right to defend it himself in any manner he could, and let the
government defend it for him in their own way. So of all other civil
provisions, rights and duties under the civil government.
Politicians are accustomed to refer them all to "the social
compact."

I do not complain of this idea of a "social compact," when the idea
is presented merely as a justification of government, or as an
_explanation_ of the propriety, necessity and equity of Law. But
when it is presented as _the foundation_ on which civil government
reposes, though it may satisfy a citizen, it ought not at all to
satisfy a Christian. The truth is, there is no such "social
compact." The idea is only a fancy. Human government is not founded
on any such "social compact" at all. It either exists by force, or
it is founded on the will of God, in every case. Its _just_
foundation is the will of God. And when m