Ben,

First, I wasn't saying that the father was breaking the sixth commandment; therefore the mother was obliged to help. My point was that the sixth commandment involves the obligation to protect life, and if the father forbade that the mother fulfill that obligation, then he would be commanding her to sin. EDIT - Never mind this first point.

Second, as a result, I was trying to point out that whether you want to view the mother as a "lesser magistrate" or "ordinary citizen," it follows that she is obligated to disobey the father because she is being commanded to sin. Seeing as the American Revolution involved a situation where (presumably) the citizens were not being forced to sin, it would seem that the argument from analogy breaks down at this point. We would need some analogy where the "citizen" is obliged to obey but the "lesser magistrate" is permitted/obliged to arise against the "greater magistrate." In your analogy, all "citizens" would be obliged to disobey against the "greater magistrate," in which case it doesn't accurately represent the American Revolution.

Third, if it can be shown that lesser magistrates are permitted (perhaps obliged) to arise against greater magistrates, and that the Founding Fathers were indeed lesser magistrates, then you've got me convinced that the American Revolution was not an unlawful rebellion.

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Ben Maas. . . . .Facebook
In college, attending First Presbyterian Church (PCUSA), Ada, OH, and
Belle Center Reformed Presbyterian Church (RPCNA), Belle Center, OH
When at home, attending Covenant Presbyterian Church (OPC), Mansfield, OH

“Prayer is as natural an expression of faith as breathing is of life.”
-Jonathan Edwards-