Vindiciae Contra Tyrannos

A Defense of Liberty Against Tyrantsby Stephen Junius Brutus "Despite its brevity, the Vindiciae’s sharp defense of the right of subjects to resist unjust or ungodly rulers even to the point of armed rebellion helped shape the political theories of John Locke in England and the American Founding Fathers. Its arguments on the rights and responsibilities of rulers and subjects continue to be relevant today as we consider the limits of the power of the government and the rights of citizens to oppose governmental overreach." ~from Glenn Sunshine's Introduction In 1572, Roman Catholic soldiers slaughtered thousands of French Huguenots for their Protestant faith. This calamity forced many Protestants to ask whether taking up arms against a king was even lawful. Many Christians thought that even in the case of persecution, kings had absolute power and lesser magistrates had no right to resist them.  Vindiciae Contra Tyrannos: A Defense of Liberty Against Tyrants, written by an anonymous H