Modern History Sourcebook:
John Calvin:
On Civil Government and Resistence
And for private men, who have no authority to deliberate on the regulation
of any public affairs, it would surely be a vain occupation to dispute which would be the
best form of government in the place where they live. Besides, this could not be simply
determined, as an abstract question, without great impropriety, since the principle to
guide the decision must depend on circumstances. And even if we compare the different
forms together, without their circumstances, their advantages are so nearly equal, that it
will not be easy to discover of which the utility preponderates. The forms of civil
government are considered to be of three kinds: Monarchy, which is the dominion of one
person, whether called a king, or a duke, or any other title; Aristocracy, or the dominion
of the principal persons of a nation; and Democracy, or popular government, in which the
power resides in the people at large. It is true that the transition is easy from monarchy
to despotism; it is not much more difficult from aristocracy to oligarchy, or the faction
of a few; but it is most easy of all from democracy to sedition. Indeed, it these three
forms of government, which are stated by philosophers, be considered in themselves, I
shall by no means deny, that either aristocracy, or a mixture of aristocracy and
democracy, far excels all others: and that indeed not of itself, but because it very
rarely happens that kings regulate themselves so that their will is never at variance with
justice and rectitude; or, in the next place, that are they endued with such penetration
and prudence, as in all cases to discover what is best. The vice or imperfection of men
therefore renders it safer and more tolerable for the government to be in the hands of
many, that they may afford each other mutual assistance and admonition, and that if any
one arrogate to himself more than is right, the many may act as censors and masters to
restrain his ambition. This has always been proved by experience, and the Lord confirmed
it by his authority, when he established a government of this kind among the people of
Israel, with a view to preserve them in the most desirable condition, till he exhibited in
David a type of Christ. And as I readily acknowledge that no kind of government is more
happy than this, where liberty is regulated with becoming moderation, and properly
established on a durable basis, so also I consider those as the most happy people, who are
permitted to enjoy such a condition; and if they exert their strenuous and constant
efforts for its preservation and retention, I admit that they act in perfect consistence
with their duty. And to this object the magistrates likewise aught to apply their greatest
diligence, that they suffer not the liberty, of which they are constituted guardians, to
be in any respect diminished, much less to be violated: if they are inactive and
unconcerned about this, they are perfidious to their office, and traitors to their
country. But if those, to whom the will of God has assigned another form of government,
transfer this to themselves so as to be tempted to desire a revolution, the very thought
will be not only foolish and useless, but altogether criminal. If we limit not our views
to one city, but look round and take a comprehensive survey of the whole world, or at
least extend our observations to distant lands, we shall certainly find it to be a wise
arrangement of Divine Providence that various countries are governed by different forms of
civil polity; or they are admirably held together with a certain inequality, as the
elements are combined in very unequal proportions. All these remarks, however, will be
unnecessary to those who are satisfied with the will of the Lord. For if it be his
pleasure to appoint kings over kingdoms, and senators or other magistrates over free
cities, it is our duty to be obedient to any governors whom God has established over the
places in which we reside.
Source:From John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, translated by John
Allen..
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Modern History Sourcebook. The Sourcebook is a collection of public domain and
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© Paul Halsall, January 1999
halsall@fordham.edu
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