Martin Luther
The purpose of secular government
“…to punish the wicked and protect the just” (Luther 7).
This statement sets forth the notion as the secular government as security for otherwise law-abiding people within society.
Origins of this responsibility are divine in nature, “…a result of God’s will and ordinance”, furthermore their ability to mete out punishment is sanctioned for the peace and order of society (Luther 6).
The threat of potential violence then is thus a tool employed by the secular government.
Implications on early Modern State
The ability of the government to try cases and exact punishment (or reward) is a significant faculty that contributes to the legitimacy of the early state. Through this faculty, citizens within a state feel secure and insured should their rights (later elaborated with Locke) be infringed upon. Thus, they have a means to combat injustice done against them.
“Secular government has laws that extend no further than the body, goods and outward, earthly matters. But where the soul is concerned, God neither can nor will allow anyone but Himself to rule” (Luther 23).
This statement shows the extent of political authority, namely the control of interior life which in this statement is specified by Luther as the spiritual or religious life.
Implications on early Modern state
The division of private versus public spheres becomes elemental to the limits of influence exercised by political authority. This separation complicates, or less pejoratively, details the intricate relationships individuals have within the larger political domain. Elements of private life such as personal religion for instance are noted as insignificant with regard to developing states because they complicate rather than en ...