ordinati because they are ordained of God as S. Paul in expresse tearmes Rom. 13.1 ordeined they are not only permitted but established by providence by precept it is the same reason which our Saviour himselfe gives of this title Joh. 10.34 he calleth them Gods saith he to whom the Word of God came that is cui speciale venit dominandi mandatum to whom the speciall Word of God came to give them power to rule there is no authority but is from God he is not only the permitter but the author of it All Magistracy is Gods Ordinance Should we seek to the fountaine and originall of all power we shall find God Almighty investing man with a threefold power at the first First with that which is called liberum arbitrium free will he erected in Man a Magistracy and power over himselfe ut {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} pre esset {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the leading rationall part of the Soule he made the Leader and Commander over the inferiour appetite hee made man Master and Governour of himselfe till his fall overthrew that internall Magistracy Secondly he gave a second power of man over the creatures that he should be Lord of them Dominamini animalibus terrae rule ye over the beasts of the earth Gen. 2.8 Thirdly he at that time gave a power of man over man which when there were but two persons could only be potestas maritalis in uxorem the power of the husband over the wife the Magistracy could only appeare in that and in that it did Gen. 3. â—6 But as the World increased so did this power extend it selfe First in potestatem Patriam into the paternall power of parents over their children Then secondly in potestatem herilem into the power of Masters over Families and as humane society multiplied so did God by the light of nature imprint in man a knowledge of the necessity of Order and Government he taught them by their own bodyes that some members must be superior to others and from the Bees and Cranes Men learned to choose a Ruler over them Indeed we find Magistracy implicitely instituted by that peremptory Law Gen. 9.6 That whosoever shed mans bloud by man should his blood be shed Now that any man should promiscuously at his own pleasure execute the Law upon a murderer without warrant would make him still a murtherer and introduce confusion It must therefore suppose a Magistrate who should have power to execute this Law upon offenders Rulers then are all of Gods appointment they stand by vertue of his Ordinance be there different ways of administration of Power different States and formes of Government yet are they still from the same author Ecclesiasticall and Civill governements Monarchies and Democraâ—ies hereditary Crownes and Magistrats chosen by suffrage of the People Kings and Parliaments all are ordained by him For his providence doth variously call the sons of men to authority and orders severall formes of exercising Magistracy Thus in that people Which he had taken into his owne speciall immediate care he ordained various ways of Government by Captaines as Moses and Joshua by assistance of a Counsell of 70 Elders by Judges and then by Kings and so mediatly in severall Common-wealths he ordaines severall Magistracies though not by his owne immediate appointment yet by the agreement of men such as shall best consist with the constitution of the People and upon all those he hath stamp'd the character of his authority they are not rashly to be disobeyed or altered they are Gods by his ordination Yet there are scruples raised against this third reason that all Magistrates are called Gods because ordeined by him for some would take away the foundation of it Surely say some Objectors all Magistrates and their power cannot be from God 1 Object For first they are his own words by his Prophet Hosea 8.4 They have set up Princes but not by mee they have made Princes but I knew it not Solu It is true indeed God speaking there of the rending of the Kingdom from the son of Salomon by Jeroboam saith that they have set up Princes but not by him and yet himselfe tels Jeroboam by his Prophet Ahijah Behold I will rend the Kingdome out of the hands of Salomon and will give the ten Tribes to thee 1 King 11.31 In one place God saith the people had done it in another himselfe had done it surely then the rending of the Kingdome was from God as a just revenger for the sins of Salomon the rebellion of the people without consulting with him was not from him Jeroboam's power was from him though not the peoples rebellion and revolt still all authority finds him for the author and therefore they are called Gods 2 Object But secondly they cannot all bee ordeined of God and so be stiled Gods for that reason for then would all the worst and most tyrannicall governments claime God for their Patron hath he ordeined Tyrants and made them Gods on earth Did he appoint Nimrod and Pharaoh Did he set up the Babylonian and Persian Tyrants Did he authorize the Mahumetane Sultuns and set up Governements that prove scourges to the sons of men Solu To answer this we must first know that all tyranny is the corruption of Government it is not that sound and lawfull authority of which God is the author Government and Governors have all their degenerations and corruptions as Politique Writers describe them and these are not from God but from the vices and wickednesse of men permitted by him for their punishment There are three things which must be considered in all Governments in every Ruler There is first ipsa potestas the power it selfe and this is by the Will and Ordinance of God in whose hands soever it is for by him Kings raigne and though in anger he gives a King yet still he gives him Hosea 13.11 Secondly there is acquisitio potestatis the obteining of this power this may often be by usurpation by corrupt unlawfull meanes and of this God is not the author he may permit evill Governors by forceable or unjust meanes to get that power into their hands unlawfully which himselfe hath lawfully constituted Thirdly there is Executio potestatis the execution and use of that power which if it be abusive exceeding the limits of Iustice can no way be ascribed to him but to the wickednesse of men Tyrannicall oppression establishment of superstition and errour by a lawfull though an abused power have no relation to Gods ordinance they find no support or authorization from him Yet those who execute them still quoad potestatem in respect of their power are from him they are ordeined by him and in that respect are called Gods in Scripture We must yet adde a fourth reason why Magistrates are called Gods and that the best and most proper quia Deum imitari debent because they are or should be like God himselfe in their actions and qualities
A SERMON PREACHED At St. Bartholomevvs the lesse in LONDON on the xxvii day of March 1642 Being the day of the Inauguration of our Soveraigne Lord King CHARLES By WILLIAM HALL Minister of that Parish and now thought fit to be published LONDON Printed by T. Badger for Samuel Brown 1642. To the Right Honourable Sr. IOHN BANKS Knight Lord chiefe Iustice of the Court of Common pleas and one of his Majesties most honorable Privy Counsaile My Lord THis Sermon being delivered by a son of mine whom it hath pleased God to call to his speciall service in the Ministery of his Gospel upon the anniversary day of the Inauguration of our gracious Soveraigne the 27 of March last In the passing of it not only thorough my eares for I may well be deemed partiall but of diverse others of the then Auditors who surely could not be partiall it found such approbation as wee did not thinke fit it should be confined within those narrow limits of a small Parish but that it should bee communicated to others by this diffusive way of silent speaking by these dumb Characters to the eyes eares and hearts of all who please My Lord I have long studied to find out some way or other whereby I might returne some acknowledgement of those many undeserved favours which I have received from your Lordship and having the free tender of this Sermon from the Deliverer of it as a pledge of his duty to mee I could not but think fit I having nothing else so worthy to present it to your Lordship the rather First because the subject of it is touching Rulers and Magistrates amongst which your Lordship sits in none of the lowest rankes Secondly because it teacheth the duty of the people to their Rulers and Magistrates and how they ought to deport themselves towards them in words and actions A thing very necessary in this licencious age of ours where every man conceives hee may not only thinke what hee list but utter what he thinkes be it of the greatest or highest I shall humbly desire your Lordship to set apart one vacant houre for the perusall of it and consider it comes from a higher Spirit than from the spirit of the Speaker Wherefore it cannot bee altogether unworthy Your Lordships sparing so much time for contemplation of it We shall wish it may prove acceptable to Your Lordship And for us both the Author and the Presenter Wee shall ever as exceedingly obliged rest desirous to take hold of all occasions to offer to Your Lordship all fit testimonies of our duties and respects and shall ever remaine Your Lordships most humble and affectionate servants in all we can performe NATHANIEL HALL WILLIAM HALL EXOD. 22.28 Thou shalt not revile the Gods nor curse the Ruler of thy people THe Pulpit is not to bee made the theater to vent politique Discourses Nor is it the taske of the Preacher of the Gospell to busie the minds of the people with Civill matters who are more easily fixed upon them than upon Divine It hath been one of the diseases of our age not only for Laick preachers but some of the lawfull Ministers of Christ to make the matters of the times the subjects of their Sermons more than matters more necessary to Salvation they have taught {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the course of the World more than the Crosse of Christ My Text though it concern Politique Government will not I hope ingage me to such an error to unprofitable discourses of Policy or intermedling with the times which is not for edification yet you see it is fitted to the day The day is both Gods and the Kings and therefore challengeth the remembrance of those duties which God requireth towards Kings and Governors Neither indeed is such Doctrine more seasonable in respect of the day the anniversary of our Princes inauguration than for those dayes wherein we live The {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} or liberty of the tongue extends so far that every man or woman make themselvs the Censurers of Magistracy one disrelishing and taxing the actions of the sacred Senate of our Common-wealth another throwing his private imputations upon the person of Gods annoynted One undertaking that which only is peculiar to the highest to stand in the Congregation of Princes and be Iudge among the Gods another using such language as that of Shimei to David or as innocent Naboth was falsly charged to have used against King Ahab The propounded Scripture wil meet with both kinds of presumption for God forbid we should so reprehend one sort of presumers as to countenance the other All sorts of Governours are here united in my Text both the supreame and subordinate and may they never be disunited among us censorious or bitter speeches against both kinds are severely prohibited Thou shalt not c. God himselfe had now made knowne the Morall Law in ten precepts upon Mount Horeb and Moses having a Legislative power derived to him from God himselfe propounds Ceremoniall and judiciall precepts to the people The one sort to prescribe those formalities wherewith God would be worshipped the other to order their politicall government for the better maintaining humane society in that populous Common-wealth of Israel This latter sort of judiciall Lawes we shall find to begin in the first verse of the former chapter where we shall finde them intituled judgements which God commanded Moses to set before them Judgements quia sunt leges secundum quas judicandum est because they were Lawes according to which judgement in judiciall tryalls was to proceed in Israel Many particular Lawes there are to prevent private injuries betwixt man and man and here in this precept the Law giver addes a peremptory precept for deportment towards publike persons Thou shalt not c. It is indeed a Morall precept in its owne nature a streame derived from the fountain of the fift Commandement as those are the strongest and most obliging judiciall Lawes which have neerest dependance on the Morall Law and therefore is of perpetuall efficacy and obligeth all to perpetuall observation but is here placed among the judiciall or politicque Lawes for double reason First Because it concerned the policy or government of the Common-wealth the duty of men towards their Magistrates Secondly Because upon breach of this precept the Delinquents should be proceeded against by the Civill Magistrate and in a judiciall course punishment be inflicted This was now made a penall statute to Israel aswell as it was a branch of a morall Commandement and though we find not the nature or degree of the punishment expressed because God leaves that arbitrary to Magistrates who would be forward enough to punish indignities to themselves yet is it most probably conjectured to be no lesse than death it selfe for notorious open railing upon the highest Magistrate He that railed on his Father or Mother was to be put to death Chap. 21.17 and surely no lesse was he to suffer
will not give his glory to the sons of men While the people cry out to Herod that it is the voyce of God and not of man they draw down a sudden vengeance upon him for immediately the Angell of God smote him and he is eaten with wormes Acts 12.23 There contrary to the old verse deliraat Achivi Rex plectitur the people flatter and the King is smitten It was the frequent affirmation of the late Heroick and Victorious King of Sweden that he feared the peoples ascribing too much of that glory to him which was due to God would bee a cause that God would remove him before the work was finished and perhaps it was a speech too Propheticall Wee must not ascribe First Gods Power his Omnipotency to Princes and Rulers as Flatterers have made weake Princes believe that they had power to do any thing that their will was a Law that Quicquid libet licet that they should be able to bring any designe to passe be it never so impossible or unjust this was Jesabell to Ahab dost thou now governe Israel and canst not do this Whereas the power of earthly Gods is circumscribed both by Law and by the short limits of humane power they neither may nor can doe all things they are Dii but non Omnipotentes they are Gods but not Almighty Secondly we must take heed we do not ascribe to them Gods glory that is not make them the utmost objects of our thankfulnesse or the first and prime causes of any happinesse that betides us we must looke beyond them in our deliverances give glory to God on High above those on earth Many eminent and unparalelled blessings God Almighty hath conveyed Beloved upon this Nation by meanes of those who are called Gods amongst us our gracious King and Parliament and more we expect by their meanes he is not worthy of a tongue or a heart that will not acknowledge them but take we heed we do not forfeit them all by ascribing too much to the second causes and too little to the first by looking more to them for safety than to him from whence it commeth As I am confident none of those Worthies will arrogate it but take up that of David Non nobis Domine Not unto us ô Lord c. So let us also ascribe the honour of all ultimately and principally to God for thine is the Kingdome and the Power and the Glory Surely it is the Lord's doing if our liberties be asserted our Religion setled our selves secured Blessed and renowned for ever be the sedulous Procurors and the Royall ratifier of it But let not our thankfulnesse to them make us forget God above Gods they be called but not Dii imprimis glorificandi Gods principally to be glorified here is neither an injunction of adoration nor of flattery But a negative command it is either because negatives are more peremptory and generall they bind ad semper For it is never lawfull to do evill in no place by no person or because the first worke of Reformation must be by not doing evill But as in the Decalogue or Morall Law affirmative precepts do include negative and negative the affirmative so here we may conceive this negative precept to comprehend also affirmative duties to Magistrates and so shall consider it both wayes negatively and affirmatively And first as it is a prohibition Thou shalt not raile or revile or curse so it includes three sins to be avoyded First it is Contra resistentiam in factis it is against resistance in actions for the Argument is good in Logique à minore ad majus we must not revile or curse in words therefore we must not resist in actions There is a threefold distinction of resistance observed by some One is Precepta negligendo by neglecting commands For this is a kind of resistance A second Peter Martyr observes Fraude by deceiving or mis-informing Princes or Rulers for such abuse is indeed no better than an unfriendly opposition and may come in rightly understood under the title of resistance A third is aperta vi by open violence this is surely prohibited inclusively by Gods Cōmandement Thou shalt not revile the Gods as it is expresly by S. Paul whosoever resisteth the power resisteth the Ordinance of God Rom. 13.12 Rebellion against authority which God hath set over men is contrary to his precept to the practice of all his Servants If indeed such earthly gods and rulers there shall be who shall impose impious or dishonest commands contradictory to the Laws of God it is then no breach of this Commandement to disobey him for then they cease to bee called Gods properly they are rather Diabolicall the Immortall God is rather to be obeyed than they according to the determination of the Apostles It is better to obey God than man Acts 4.19 Yet even then find we not resistance countenanced against them in private men Much difference and many restrictions there are amongst the Casuists how far the whole Civill State united in it selfe may oppose the supreame Ruler but all agree upon such cases only as can hardly be imagined to fall out in Christian Common-wealthes If there be any such resistance tolerable it must be say they First where there is direct and absolute Tyranny executed upon Lives and Consciences Secondly where there is flat Idolatry introduced by force Thirdly where there is none other refuge left but resistance neither flight nor suffering and in these cases which God forbid should ever go further than supposition there are so many cautions added for moderation and against revenge that they who maintaine resistance lawfull yet might aswell conclude it impossible to be merited unfit to be executed But as for us who are but private persons there is no difficulty but that we may resolve against all resistance without an extraordinary perscription The Lacedemonian resolution becomes Christians to their Rulers Si duriora morte imperetis potius moriemur if yee command things harder than death we will rather dye There is no allowance of offence or opposition against those whom God hath set over us the Primitive Christians have no armes but preces lachrymae against their furious persecuting Magistrates Saint Ambrose useth no other force but of his strongest Petitions Rogamus Auguste non pugnamus Surely there is no resisting the Ordinance of God that is the first thing included in the prohibition Secondly as it is a negative precept so it forbids maledicentiam in verbis railing or reviling in words God hath not allowed man a liberty of reviling his neighbour his equall nor are mens tongues at their own command so absolutely as to vent that which their malice or virulency shall dictate against any man for did not the Law of man take cognizance of their slanders yet if they shall give account of every idle word much more of every malignant and slanderous word against their brethren The cursed speaker is a greater enemy to himselfe