The wrath of kings is very much dreaded, especially of

absolute monarchs, who have the possessions and lives of

their subjects wholly in their power, to be disposed of at
their mere willBut the greatest earthly potentates in their
greatest majesty and strength, and when clothed in their
greatest terrors, are but feeble, despicable worms of the
dust, in comparison of the great and almighty Creator and
King of heaven and earth. t is but little that they can do,
when most enraged, and when they have e!erted the utmost
of their furyThe wrath of the great King of kings, is as
much more terrible than theirs, as his majesty is
greater. "uke #$%&,'.(states) *And I say unto you, my
friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after
that, have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn
you whom you shall fear: fear him, which after he hath
killed, hath power to cast into hell: yea, I say unto you,
Fear him.*
+onathan ,dwards
Sinners in the Hands of an Anry !od "#$%#&
The essence of government ( mean good government)
consists in the making and e!ecuting of good laws-laws
.that provide for/ the common .welfare/ of the governed
0e may very safely assert these two things in general,
without undermining the government% 1ne is, That no civil
rulers are to be obeyed when they .make laws/ inconsistent
with the commands of 2od3ll commands running
counter to the declared will of the supreme legislator of
heaven and earth, are null and void% 3nd therefore
disobedience to them is a duty, not a crime.-3nother thing
be .argued/with e4ual truth and safety, is, That no
government is to be submitted to, at the e!pense of that
which is the sole end of all government,55the common good
and safety of society.
+onathan 6ayhew
A 'iscourse (oncernin )nlimited Submission and *on+
,esistance to the Hiher -owers "#$./&
"et none suspect that mean to disswade people from
having a just concern for their own rights, or legal,
constitutional privileges. 7istory, one may presume to say,
affords no e!ample of any nation, country or people long
free, who did not take some care of themselves8 and
endeavor to guard and secure their own liberties. 9ower is
of a grasping, encroaching nature, in all beings, e!cept in
him, to whom it emphatically :belongeth;8 and who is the
only King that, in a religious or moral sense, :can do no
wrong.; 9ower aims at e!tending itself, and operating
according to mere will, where5ever it meets with no
balance, check, controul or opposition of any kind. <or
which reason it will always be necessary, as was said
before, for those who would preserve and perpetuate their
liberties, to guard them with a wakeful attention8 and in all
righteous, just and prudent ways, to oppose the first
encroachments on them.
+onathan 6ayhew
0he Snare Broken "#$11&
0hen our ancestors left the kingdom of ,ngland, they were
subjects of that kingdom, and entitled to e4ual privileges
with the rest of its subjects8 when they came to 3merica,
where no civil constitutions were e!isting, they joined
themselves to none% the lands which they entered and
possessed, they ac4uired by purchase, or by con4uest of the
natives% they came over of themselves, vi=. were not
colonies sent out, to make settlements by government8 not
to mention the intolerable oppressions, by which they were
driven out, crossed the 3tlantick, and availed themselves of
possessions, at their own ris4ue and e!pence, and by their
own sword and prowess. >ow, in 3merica, they were still
subjects of the kingdom of ,ngland, or they were not8 if the
former, then they were entitled to enjoy, in 3merica, the
same or e4ual privileges, with those enjoyed by the subjects
residing in ,ngland-if the latter, then that kingdom had no
right of jurisdiction over them, and they were in a state of
nature, at liberty to erect such a constitution of civil
government as they should chuse. ?pon the supposition
that they were still subjects of that kingdom, let us consider
what rights and privileges they were entitled to enjoy%
6oses 6ather
America2s Appeal to the Impartial 3orld "#$$.&