“He (the Puritan) prostrated himself in the dust before his Maker, but set his foot on the neck of his king.” — Benjamin F. Morris, The Christian and Character of the Civil Institutions of the United States
No earthly authority is absolute and the only heavenly authority that exists is. That is why the Puritan bowed before the throne of heaven without reservation and approached the thrones of men with determination. He knew enough to lower himself before the former and to raise himself up against the latter when it raised itself beyond its permitted jurisdiction. The Puritan's faith in God through Christ provided confidence before the throne of God and man.
Acts 5:29
Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, "We ought to obey God rather than men."
Christ is the King of kings and Lord of lords. When kings defy their King, citizens are obligated to defy them in order to honor Him. To defy a tyrant in his tyranny is to obey God. To obey a tyrant's defiance of God is to disobey God. To go along to get along only makes you an accomplice. To accommodate evil is to approve of it. You are what you tolerate.
Hebrews 4:16
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
If you are permitted to stand before the throne of God, you can stand anywhere. If God grants you to rise in His presence, you can rise up anywhere. If we are emboldened by Christ to have confidence before His Father's throne, we can be emboldened by Him to have confidence before any other. If we are accepted by God on His throne, we can face rejected by a man behind his desk. If by grace through faith we can stand before God Almighty, we can stand before any man. If in Christ we need not fear our Father, we need not fear our brother.
Psalms 118:6-7
The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? The LORD is for me among those who help me; Therefore I shall see my desire on those who hate me.
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