In Chapter 11 of “When to Disobey,” Pierre Viret shows how a Christian appeals to the magistrate, how he seeks protection while at the same time serving God. He frames the discussion in this way; “If you are in a country in which someone does you an injury, you can have recourse to the magistrate of the place if the matter is worthy of it and if it requires it, and if you can do this by honest means without dishonoring God and without violating the love you owe to your neighbor.”
