actions and things as are necessary, and in themselves just and lawful
by a moral obligation"--may be reckoned the payment of county tolls on
highways and bridges, for the benefit of an easy and commodious
passage--keeping watch in cities which have no settled or regular
guard, to prevent public damage by fire or otherwise. In like manner,
the payment of custom in public markets or fairs, or of town dues, 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.]

End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Act, Declaration, & Testimony for the
Whole of our Covenanted Reformation, as Attained to, and Established in Britain and Ireland; Par