Short Treatise on Political Power

by John Ponet, Anthony Comegna (Editor)

John Ponet was the Anglican Bishop of Winchester at a raucous and revolutionary time in English History. King Henry VIII had recently inaugurated the English Reformation and established the Anglican Church, staffed in part at least with emerging radicals like Ponet. When the Catholic Queen Mary I determined to roll back Protestantism, Ponet and hundreds of others fled to Europe. During his exile, Ponet wrote Short Treatise on Political Power, which argued that the people can and should punish—perhaps even execute—wicked monarchs. Ponet's tract anticipated great liberal thinkers for centuries to come. By 1776, the Short Treatise rested (well-worn) on many Patriots' bookshelves.

Genres: Politics

76 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1556

Reviews

[Luke · Rating 4 out of 5]

“If a prince robs and spoils his subjects, it is theft, and as a thief ought to be punished. If he kills and murders them contrary or without the laws of his country, it is murder, and a murderer he ought to be punished. If he commits adultery, he is an adulterer and ought to be punished with the same pains that others be.”

Read as an recommended interlude to David Hall’s “Calvin In the Public Square.” Ponet’s argumentation is simple, easy to follow, and eloquently put. It often felt elementary to me, but I suppose that’s just because I’ve grown up in a civilization undergirded with these ideas. Perhaps the undergirding needs to become part of the facade again: a lot of the things said here would have some Evangelicals twiddling their thumbs and looking earnestly at the ceiling.

[W. Littlejohn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This edition is the authentic 16th-century text, complete with bizarre characters, out-of-control spelling and funky vocabulary. No, it's not that I'm that hard-core, it's that I accidentally grabbed the wrong edition off the library shelf and then was stuck with it over the weekend while travelling, so I went ahead and read it.

This book is one of the best and most balanced of the early Reformed resistance theories...gives you a good idea of just how intertwined with politics the Reformation was. This is way more level-headed than John Knox, but still pretty unsatisfying, I should think, as a Christian political theory; the New Testament seemed to play almost no role in these fellows' ethical thinking.

[Joshua Lister · Rating 3 out of 5]

For the historical value alone, this is worth a read. I also think that Ponet draws many correct conclusions concerning the relationship between God, rulers, and those ruled. The government is God’s minister of justice and they should bow to His word just like the rest of us.

However, Ponet could use a more detailed explanation of how we should apply his treatise. The basis of government is from the consent of the people. The people are responsible for holding their rulers accountable to God’s law. How does his treatise not justify the Christian version of Robespierre’s reign of terror? I don’t think Ponet would take political resistance that far, but those questions are raised in his treatise and left unanswered.

[Jeremy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this on EEBO for my Calvin class with Dr. David Whitford. He said Ponet made a significant impact on the American Colonies.

Ponet tackles 7 questions:
1. How did political power originate, and how is it to be used?
2. Do rulers have absolute power?
3. Are rulers subject to the laws of God and the laws of their own countries?
4. In what things and how far are subjects required to obey their rulers?
5. Do all of the subjects' belongings belong to the rulers?
6. Is it ever right to depose or kill a tyrannical ruler?
7. What confidence should be given to rulers?

Read again on March 8-9, 2015, for prelims.