Authority - Subject Relationship

I remember my first day of high school (a million years ago) when my English teacher was reviewing the rules of the classroom and how we (the students) were expected to behave and interact with each other. I specifically remember him saying that he wanted us to treat him appropriately although he wasn't going to demand respect from us. As a kid I thought this was an interesting idea. Up to that point, I had always been told to respect my teachers simply because they were the authority in the classroom. Mr. Wood was the first teacher/authority I knew who understood that real respect was something to be earned and not demanded. We, the students, had a choice to make... We had the freedom to respect him or not.

For some reason I have always been interested in issues pertaining to power and control (not sure if this is good). For this reason, the following passage from Book V stands out for me.

God made thee perfect, not immutable;
And good he made thee, but to persevere
He left it in thy power, or ordained thy will
By nature free, not overruled by fate
Inextricable, or strict necessity;
Our voluntary service he requires,
Not our necessitated, such with him
Finds no acceptance, nor can find, for how
Can hearts be free, be tried whether they serve
Willing or no, who will but what they must
By destiny, and can no other choose? (V.524-534)

When I think of 17th century England, I am automatically engaged with a society that was struggling with issues of power and control. I think the concept of the absolute sovereign is very interesting and very convenient (in terms of controlling the masses). Although Milton is concerned with obedience to the divine authority in the above passage, the concept can clearly be used with authority to the governing body. Milton addresses the relationship between the authority and the subject. I believe he is stating that obedience is only valuable when the subject has the choice. If the subject chooses obedience, than that authority has the internal (conscience) and the external (voice, action) obedience of the subject. When the subject is forced to obey, the authority has only the external obedience.