Well, God created man. And when He created man, He created him within the context of authority and dominion, and limited freedom. And He put man under God's gentle dominion. The dominion of God is very gentle, brothers and sisters. And when God made Adam and Eve and put them in the garden and said they were to dress it and keep it—you notice, dress it and keep it! The very fact they had to look after the garden was a restraint on their freedom. Adam couldn't simply say to his wife, "Eve, I'm going to fish today," and then get up the next day and say, "I'm going to fish tomorrow." He couldn't do it! Because God had said, "Dress the garden and keep it."
He didn't work hard; God's dominion was gentle and God's commands were very, very kind, and God's ways are very easy and His yoke is light. But He did tell them that there were certain things they couldn't do, and certain things they were to do. He said, "You're to increase and multiply, and fill the earth with others like yourself, and look after the garden." It was very easy. But they chose to revolt against God. And that limited authority which God had given them in the garden, they chose to extend over themselves and over everything. And yet God in His kindness spared the rebels.
I'm awfully glad that God didn't put this thing into my hands! When I think of what Adam and Eve did, and what a calamity they brought down upon the world, I would be a little indignant at that pair. What is it that Milton says in Paradise Lost? How our grand parents, blessed by all beside, for one little restraint broke the will and word of God. All they deserved was what the fallen angels got: to be hurled down to Tartarus, there to be held in chains against the day of judgment. But the kindly God spared the rebels. And He went and found them naked—symbolic of their moral and spiritual shame—and He gave them garments. They made for themselves first of all a poor, pitiful effort; and then God came and killed the beast and put the skin on them to tell them that there must be blood shed, and there must be a robe that isn't of your handiwork, a robe of My making, to hide your shame.
And so they went out and populated the world, and God organized society, and God conferred limited authority on rulers. Now remember that: if we didn't have rulers, we'd have anarchy. Just as if we didn't have order in nature we'd have chaos, so if we didn't have order in society we'd have anarchy. Everybody would do as he pleased, and there would be no living in the world at all.
God conferred limited authority on certain men and called them rulers: Caesars, Kaisers, Kings, Emperors, Presidents, Prime Ministers—men elected by the people to rule over them. And I'm for that, my brethren; I believe in organized society. I believe in organization, law, and government. But I believe the fewer laws the better, and the less government the better! That marks me as a Republican down on the other side of the border. I want as few laws as possible, but I want laws. And I want as little government as possible, but I want government.
God gives men rule pro tem—just for a little time, for a little while. In the meantime, God has ordained a day when He shall judge men by Jesus Christ the Lord.
And God organized society and conferred limited authority on these rulers, but it was always pro tem. Remember that: no matter who it is, it's pro tem. When that tart-tongued New Englander, Calvin Coolidge, was president, somebody asked him how he liked his job. He said he didn't like it particularly because there was no room for advancement, and beside that, you couldn't keep the job! It's always pro tem, just for a little time, for a little while. And in the meantime, God has ordained a day when He shall judge men by that Man whom He has appointed, Jesus Christ the Lord.