If the act of a convention whose own legality was at best doubtful could deprive the consecrated of their position, was the Church a Church at all, or was it the mere creature of the secular power?
And what, moreover, of conscience?
It could not be an inherent part of the Church's belief that men should betray their faith for the sake of peace.

Later thinkers added the purely secular argument that resistance in one case made for resistance in all.

Admit, it was argued by Leslie, the right to disobey, and the fabric of society is at a stroke dissolved.

The attitude is characteristic of that able controversialist; and it shows how hardly the earlier notions of Divine Right were to die.
[Footnote 10: _The History of Passive Obedience_.

Its author was Jeremy Collier.] These theories merit a further examination.