Submission to Rulers

Ezekiel Hopkins, 1633-1690
January 31, 1669
 

1 Peter 2:13-14, "Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good."

WERE nothing else required to a Day of Humiliation, but the solemnity of public sorrow and a sad review of former miscarriages; if a fast did only lay a tribute upon our eyes, and tears were the whole amercement of our crimes: I myself should have judged the text now read, much improper to the occasion; and should rather have chosen some of those passionate lamentations, that might have opened a fountain in every eye to flood this place, and turn it into a Bochim. But, because the best sorrow is amendment, and reformation the truest repentance, I therefore thought our most sincere mourning for a slaughtered monarch, would be to learn and practice our duty to the living.

I believe there are none of us here, but do, from our very hearts, detest and execrate that horrid villainy, which we this day bewail; and account those hands accursed, which were so impiously embrued in the royal and sacred blood of their sovereign and God's anointed. Let us therefore testify our abhorrence of that bloody crime, by our present submission: and, by our cheerful obedience, if not expiate the sin and guilt; yet, in some measure, redeem the credit and glory of these nations.

I have therefore pitched upon these words of the Apostle, Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man, for the Lord's sake, etc.

And they are one of those many rules prescribed in this latter part of the chapter, for the right ordering of a Christian conversation, that it might be blameless and inoffensive.

For, though it were both the primitive principle and practice, in all lawful things to yield ready obedience to the will and command of their magistrates; and, in all unlawful, cheerfully to devote themselves to sufferings: yet, as appears by their Apologies, they were clamored against by the Heathens, as heady and seditious, authors and leaders of factions, disturbers of the public peace and pestilent enemies to the state.

This accusation was altogether undeserved; and indeed incongruous, both to their temper, and the rules of their profession. It was a very unlikely thing, that THEY should aim at worldly greatness, whose first entrance into Christianity was the renouncing of the world: that THEY should embroil the state in rebellion against their prince, who never lift up their hands, but in prayers to God for him: that THEY should intend to get the sovereignty and dominion to themselves, who never thought of any other crown but of martyrdom; and that, which followed upon it, of glory. They were not such martial and fighting Christians, as the men of our times.

And we may well wonder, if this generation, who have been so hot and fiery about little circumstances; and thought the debate of a rite, or the mode of discipline, cause enough to warrant arms, and blood, and the ruins of kingdoms; if they had lived in those Primitive and Apostolical Days, how they would have comported themselves under the tyranny and cruelty of their heathen emperors. Certainly, if only a conceit and fancy of superstition could now levy armies, and draw out the sword against those, who were acknowledgedly of the same doctrine and faith with themselves; who held the same Profession, the same Baptism, the same Head, the same God, the Father of all, and agreed in all the substantials of one and the same Religion; we may well think that they would have flown out into all the extremities of blood and violence, when no other choice lay before them, but either death or idolatry. Those, who could now think it lawful to depose and murder a Christian King, would, no doubt, have thought it meritorious to assassinate a Pagan Persecutor. The Church had been then militant in another sense than it was: and Christ might have had many Hectors, but few martyrs.

No, the mild and calm spirit of the Gospel taught them otherwise, Flying or dying was their only refuge; and prayers and tears, their only weapons. To read the histories of those first days of the Church, is but to wade so far in blood. Such multitudes perished, of each gender, of all ages, by wild beasts, by fire, by the cross, by the sword, by all the witty cruelties that rage could invent or power execute, that it is a wonder there were persecutors enough to destroy them; and a far greater wonder, that there were any left to succeed in the profession of the same faith.

But it was here true, what one of them said, Sanguis martyrum est semen Ecclesiæ:"The blood of martyrs is the seed of the Church:" whence sprung up such a numerous company of Confessors, as, by their invincible patience, not by opposition and resistance, wearied out their tormentors; who had not strength enough to inflict, what the Christians had strength enough to suffer. Yes, so thick was this seed sown, that Jerome‡ assigns no less than the blood of five thousand martyrs to every day in the year; only excepting the first of January from so deep a Rubrick.

And that, which I cannot but account the hardest and sorest trial of their patience, was, that whenever it pleased Almighty God to send any notable plague upon the world, as sickness, or drought, or famine; whenever the sea or rivers broke out, or a worse deluge of barbarous and savage nations broke in upon the Roman confines, straight the outcry of the rabble was,hristianos ad leones: "Away with the Christians to the lions:" as Tertullian witnesses in his "Apologetic:" straight the anger of the gods must be appeased with the blood of Christians, who, for refusing to sacrifice, must themselves be made victims.

Now, though it be a great provocation to become turbulent and seditious, when men are causelessly suspected, and punished as such already: yet, says our Apostle, though you are so dealt with, spoken against, and persecuted as evil-doers, herein show yourselves to be Christians, who aim at greater matters than what your emperors are jealous you will attempt to take from them; and be not only victorious in your constancy under sufferings, but loyal also in your obedience under suspicions and false accusations. Though they speak against you as evildoers, as it is verse 12 yet submit yourselves to every ordinance of man, for the Lord's sake.

The words contain in them;

An authoritative Command of obedience: Submit yourselves.

The Object, to which this obedience must be yielded: Every Ordinance of Man.

The Division of this ordinance of man into supreme and subordinate: Submit to the King, as supreme; and to Governors sent by him, as subordinate.

The Duty of all governors, and the end of all government expressed: and that is, The punishment of evildoers, and the praise of them that do well.

The Motive, which enforces this exhortation and command: Submit to them for the Lord's sake.

There are but two terms in the text, which require explication.

The one is, what is meant by every Ordinance of Man.

The other, what force lies in that abjuring expression, for the Lord's sake.

As to the former; Every Ordinance of Man may be taken, either, 1. For every Edict and Constitution, every Law and Command, which issues forth from those who are in authority over us: called, therefore, an ordinance of man, because envigorated by human authority. Or, 2. It may be taken for Magistrates themselves. And, indeed, thus it ought to be understood in this place. And so the sense is this: Whatever lawful form of magistracy or government you live under, Submit yourselves unto it. And it is here called an Ordinance of Man, êôéóéò áíèñùðéíç, a human creature; not as though magistracy were only a human invention, or a creature of man's making: for, so, Peter should contradict Paul, who tells us, Romans 13:1, 2. There is no power but of God: the powers, that be, are ordained of God. And he, that resists the power, resists the ordinance of God. But yet this ordinance of God is here called an ordinance of man, both because it is appointed among men and for the good of men; and because, likewise, the several forms of government were at first modeled, as human prudence and convenience dictated. Magistracy is an ordinance of God, in respect of its original institution; but it is an ordinance of man, in respect of its particular constitution and modification.

Then, as for the motive, Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake; this can bear no other sense, than upon the account of God's command, as you would do an acceptable service to him. And it is tantamount to that other place, Romans 13:5. You must needs be subject, not only for wrath, that is for fear of the prince's wrath, and the direful effects that may follow upon it in case of disobedience; but also for conscience sake, that is because of those obligations, which lie upon conscience from God's commands. For nothing can be done for conscience sake, which is not done out of respect to God's authority; who is the only supreme Lord of Conscience, and bath strictly bound it to all duties of submission to his under-officers and viceregents upon earth: so that disobedience to the ordinance of man rests not there, but becomes rebellion against God himself. Princes rule by virtue of God's commission and authority: they are his lieutenants in the world; and, therefore, to disobey them, is to rebel against that sovereign and divine authority by which they reign.

Hence, therefore, let us observe; That obedience to earthly kings and governors is a duty we owe to them; and not to them only, but to the Great King and Governor of Heaven and Earth. Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake.

Man was at first created after the image and similitude of God; and one great part of that image consisted in his dominion over the creatures. But kings, in this particular, approach much nearer unto the divine resemblance and have fairer strokes of this image drawn upon them, than any other men: they are raised in power and sovereignty, not only over the brute and irrational creatures, as others are, but over men themselves; and are lords of those, who are lords of the world. As Adam was therefore like unto God, because inferior to none but him; so are they. The image of divinity is so conspicuous in their dominion and sovereignty, that, upon this very account alone, God takes them into co-partnership of that glorious name, whereby himself is known: Psalm 82:6. I have said, You are gods: whatever they be for other endowments, whether virtuous or vicious, persecutors or favorers of religion; yet, in respect of sovereignty and dominion, they are the visibly and lively images and portraits of God upon earth. Now as a contumely or dishonor done to the image or statue of a man, redounds only to the dishonor of the person whom it represents (and therefore states, to punish those, who are either dead or fled out of their reach, have been oftentimes known to execute their pictures) so it is here: disobedience to the lawful magistrate reflects contempt upon God himself, whose image the magistrate is; and, by despising government, and speaking evil of dignities, men only invent a way how they may rebel against and depose God in effigy.

But it is not my design to make a panegyric, in magnifying kingly power; but rather to give some instructions concerning that submission and obedience, which we owe unto it upon the command of God.

Never, certainly, was it more needful than now, rightly to, state how far and upon what grounds we are obliged to obey the powers that God has set over us. Which possibly we may gain some light to discern, by a thorough sifting of these following distinctions.

We must distinguish of Rulers:

For they are either Lawful Magistrates or Usurpers. And, blessed be God, that we may now, without danger, make such a distinction as this is.

As they, so their Commands may be either lawful or unlawful.

Obedience to their lawful commands may be considered as due, either in point of Prudence, or else in point of Conscience.

Obedience in point of conscience, is either Active, in performing what is required; or Passive, in suffering what is threatened.

I. Out of these Distinctions, I shall form several PROPOSITIONS, resolutory, as I hope, to my subject in hand.

i. NO SUBJECTION IS DUE TO AN UNLAWFUL AND USURPING POWER, UPON GOD'S COMMAND AND FOR CONSCIENCE SAKE.

Some, of late years, who have been mighty reluctant to dispute titles against their present interest and advantage, have earnestly opposed this assertion; affirming that usurped power, though it be unlawful in the acquisition, yet becomes so far lawful when acquired, as to oblige conscience itself to submission. A strange and absurd opinion this! as if that became lawful by being accomplished, which was wicked and sinful in being but attempted. Then must prosperous wickedness hereafter be taken for virtue; and the only way to justify a bad undertaking must be to go through with it. No: it is not a rude, boisterous power, which may perhaps be like an irresistible torrent, and bear all down before it; it is not this, but right and title, which invests a magistrate. Magistracy and authority is too sacred a thing to be entailed upon the longest sword and the strongest arm. And, certainly, if actual possession of sovereignty can make good any usurper's title unto it, and make him the power ordained of God; by the same reason may any plead title to your houses and estates, who can, either by force or fraud, make entry upon them.

But yet, as absurd as this doctrine is, Scripture is alleged for it: and, of all, that place is especially insisted on, Romans 13:1. There is no power but of God: the powers, that be, are ordained of God. Hence they collect, That the very being or existence of a power makes it the ordinance of God, and obliges even conscience itself to obedience.

But here, it is not the Apostle's intent to assert, that the being of a power makes it lawful; but that those lawful powers that are, are God's ordinance and appointment.

And this appears,

1. Because the word åîïõóéá, which is here translated power, is not any where used in the New Testament, but only to signify Authority, and a Lawful Power.

Yes, when the Devil himself used it, Luke 4:6 he would willingly have had our Savior understand him in this sense. And, not to insist on this, the very notation of it from the verb åîéóôé, licet, proves the only proper use of it to be for Lawful Power.

2. This power, which the text speaks of, is such as may not be resisted. Whoever resists the power, resists the ordinance of God: and they, that resist, shall receive to themselves damnation: verse 2.

But that power, which has no title to sovereignty besides present possession, may be lawfully resisted, without the sad doom of incurring damnation for so doing. What frequent instances have we in the Book of Judges, of the revolutions of the Israelites' affairs! often in the possession and under the oppression of their neighboring kings, until God raised them up deliverers to rescue them from that bondage and slavery; they did not think they were, for conscience or for God's sake, bound to obey the usurping powers they were at times under: no; though their usurpers might plead sometimes twenty, sometimes forty year's prescription to strengthen their title. Not to instance in all the particulars I might, for that would be too tedious, what shall we think of Jehoiada's proceedings, not only in resisting, but in deposing and putting Athaliah to death? clear it is, that she had the sovereignty in possession, and stood seised of it above six years; yet none, I hope, will affirm, that Jehoiada resisted God's ordinance or incurred damnation, by deposing her and restoring his rightful prince. Again,

3. Since the only title that an usurper has to sovereignty, is his resisting and destroying the lawful power, it will follow, that a damuable act, as this is, may of itself confer a lawful power, if invasion or possession alone can make it such.

Which is an opinion so wild, that sobriety and reason abhor it. It is true, indeed, many have been rightful sovereigns, who ascended the throne by flagitious crimes, and the murder of their predecessors: but yet the title could never be devolved upon them by their wickedness, but either by elective or hereditary succession. They have resisted and destroyed the lawful powers, only to make way for their own title to take place: but never can it be conceived that rebellion should give a title; or that God should give a man such a form of deputation, as does at once confirm his authority and seal his damnation. It is evident, therefore, that lawful sovereignty is not founded upon actual possession, but a fixed and settled right; and, consequently, wherever an usurping power is advanced, neither God nor conscience requires submission to it.

And, yet, to give the contrary opinion some plausible color, it is here objected, that those very persons, whom the Apostle speaks of, and whom the believing Romans ought not to resist upon pain of damnation, were but usurpers; the Caesars intruding, by force and violence and the ruin of the commonwealth, into the supreme authority.

To this may be answered; That, not to dispute their right in first seizing the Roman Empire, which possibly (as I think in most, if not all other governments) might be unjust enough: yet it is as certain and as clear as history can make anything, that they were, by the free votes both of Senate and People and all the authority of that state, settled and acknowledged for their rightful magistrates, and enjoyed the title and power for some succession of emperors, before the Apostle wrote this Epistle. And therefore obedience was due to them, upon the account of conscience, and for God's sake. But it no way follows, that because the powers that then were were God's ordinance, that therefore every power that is at any time existent must needs be so too.

That is the First Position.

ii. UPON PRUDENTIAL AND SELF-PRESERVING PRINCIPLES, SUBMISSION MAY SOMETIMES BE YIELDED TO THE LAWFUL COMMANDS OF AN UNLAWFUL AND USURPING POWER.

Lawful commands I call them, not as though such had any right to command; but because they may command that, which is right and lawful to be done. Now, though it be every man's duty, by all likely and probable means, to endeavor the suppression of an usurping power; yet prudence, and that sovereign law of self-preservation, must dictate to him the way and mariner how it may be accomplished: which until it be found feasible, it is but precipitateness for any man to oppose himself naked and defenseless against armed violence. This rashness does but throw away a life, which, if preserved until fairer opportunity presents itself, might become greatly serviceable to the rightful prince: and, instead of deposing, does but secure the usurper; alarming him against the future attempts of others, to which confidence and security might else expose him. And therefore Jehoiada did not declare against Athaliah, until he had engaged the officers of the army; and laid his combination so, as reason might vote it would prove successful.

But enough, and too much already, of usurped powers.

Therefore,

iii. WE OUGHT TO OBEY THE COMMANDS OF THE LAWFUL MAGISTRATE, IN THOSE THINGS, WHICH ARE IN THEMSELVES NECESSARY TO BE DONE, AND OUR INDISPENSABLE DUTY; AND THAT, NOT ONLY OUT OF CONSCIENCE TO GOD, BUT ALSO OUT OF CONSCIENCE TO HIM.

Such are all the duties of the Law of Nature, and of the written Law of God, which the magistrate ought to enforce upon us by his authority: for he is Custos utriusque Tabulæ: "The guardian of both Tables of the Law." And, though the duties therein prescribed, do beforehand bind the conscience to the practice of them; yet also is the guilt of transgressing them aggravated by the addition of the magistrate's command: and it is no contemptible security added to the laws of God when they have a guard of human laws set about them; and none can violate the laws of God, but he must also wrong and violate the authority of his prince. As, for instance: we ought to worship God after a right and due manner; we ought to honor our parents, to abstain from theft, murder, and adultery; though there were no human laws to require it from us: but yet, when the magistrate shall interpose his authority and enjoin the very same, these duties lie then more pressing and binding upon our consciences: for then the strength of divers commands is put together into one; and we are doubly obliged to these duties, both by those laws of God which expressly require them, and also by another law of God which requires obedience to our magistrates. Of this, I think, there is no doubt at all made; and, therefore,

iv. IF THE THING COMMANDED BE INDIFFERENTLY LAWFUL, AND APPEAR SO TO US; that is, if it be in its own nature such as we may either do it, or not to do it without sin; THEN ARE WE TO BE DETERMINED BY THE MAGISTRATE'S COMMANDS, TO DO WHAT HE REQUIRES, AND TO ABSTAIN FROM WHAT HE FORBIDS.

For though, after the magistrate has interposed his authority, the thing remains in itself still indifferent: yet it no longer remains so, as to our practice; but it is a sin in us, not to do what lawfully we may when he requires it. For I suppose a magistrate has a greater command over his subjects, than any father has over his children: since the magistrate is the Common Father, Pater Patriæ; and children are bound to obey him rather than their parents, when their commands contradict one the other. Now which of you does not assume to himself such an authority over his child, as to think him bound in duty, to do that, upon your command, which, before you commanded him, was merely indifferent, and might either be done by him or not done? The same obedience, therefore, which you expect from your children in things indifferent, the same you owe to your prince, and the authority that is over you.

And therefore it is a most absurd opinion, which some have taken up, that things, in themselves indifferent, become unlawful when imposed: as if that were unlawful to be done, when commanded, which was lawful to be done, even without a command; or anything could be lawful, when only permitted, but sinful, when enjoined.

And, as it is hugely absurd and irrational, so it is very dangerous and pernicious: for it cuts the very sinews and plucks up the very roots of government. It cashiers and abrogates the far greater part of all human laws; and abridges the magistrate's authority in enjoining anything, but express duties, commanded before of God in Scripture.

And see what a wild consequence will follow upon this tenet. For if things, indifferently lawful, become sinful, when imposed; then, by the same reason, they must needs become necessary, when they are forbidden: and so, consequently, whatever of this nature the magistrate shall forbid, men must look upon themselves as bound in conscience to practice. And what monsters lie in the womb of this consequence, any understanding man may at first glance perceive: what is this, but to spell the magistrate's authority backwards; and to give him that power over your consciences by his prohibitions, which you deny to his commands and injunctions? This tenet, therefore, is most ridiculous, most foolish, and most pernicious.

We ought then, in all things in themselves indifferent and appear so to us, to give ready and cheerful obedience to the commands of our lawful magistrates; and that, for the Lord's sake. And, here, they are not little prejudices, nor little inconveniences, because such a command crosses my former customs or my present humor, that can supersede my obligation.

No; nor is it lawful, without very great and pressing reasons and almost a necessity, to choose the passive part of the command; to undergo the penalty, rather than fulfill the precept: and that, because the penalty is only annexed, as the secondary will of the magistrates, to enforce the precept; nor does the law primarily aim at punishment, but at conformity to it. This is to be accounted the will of the magistrate, whose will is our obligation in all things that are lawful and indifferent. And therefore to choose the penal, before the preceptive part of obedience, without very weighty and necessitating reasons urging us thereunto, cannot altogether be excused from disobedience; because it comes not up to that conformity, which the magistrate principally intends.

That is the Fourth Position.

v. IF THE THING BE INDIFFERENTLY LAWFUL IN ITSELF, BUT APPEARS DOUBTFUL UNTO US, AND WE CANNOT RESOLVE OURSELVES WHETHER IT BE LAWFUL OR EVIL; I THINK WE ARE OBLIGED, until we receive dearer light and information, TO TAKE THAT PART OF THE DOUBT, WHICH THE MAGISTRATE COMMANDS US, AS BEING THE SAFEST AND MOST SATISFACTORY TO CONSCIENCE.

And my reason is this: because the obligation, which lies upon us to obey the magistrate's commands, is certain; but the unlawfulness of what you doubt is not so: and therefore his authority ought to preponderate with us; and make that our undoubted duty, which was before but a doubted and suspected sin. Indeed, the Apostle tells us, Romans 14:23 that whatever is not of faith, that is whatever is not done or forborne with a rational persuasion of the lawfulness of doing or forbearing it, is sin; and that whoever doubts, is damned if he eat:but, in this case, the magistrate's commands do not engage you to do anything doubting, but rather will solve your doubts, and disentangle you from the snare in which your conscience was held. For though the nature of the thing be not at all changed by his commands, yet your doubtful mind may be well settled: for, upon his command, you have reason to think that your duty, which before his command you could not absolutely conclude to be a sin.

That is a Fifth Position.

vi. IF THE THING ENJOINED BE IN ITSELF SINFUL AND UNLAWFUL, OR AT LEAST APPEAR SO UNTO US, THEN TAKE THESE TWO FOLLOWING RULES.

1. We ought not, upon any pretenses or inducements whatever, to yield Active Obedience to such a command.

In this case, that plea of the Apostle's holds good, and will do so forever, Acts 5:29. We ought to obey God rather than men: and, Acts 4:19. Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge you. And, in this case, it was not rude nor uncivil, but a noble and truly heroic answer, which the Three Worthies gave unto Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel 3:18. Be it known unto you, O king, that we will not serve your gods, nor worship the golden image which you have set up. For, when princes' commands contradict the commands of God, they carry no authority in them to enforce our active obedience; no more than the commands of an inferior magistrate do, when they contradict the laws of the supreme. Yes, we are not to yield active obedience, not only when their commands are expressly against the commands of God; but when we are truly in our own consciences so persuaded: for conscience rules us in God's name, and whatever it dictates it believes to be the very will and mind of God; and, therefore, to slight the voice of conscience, is interpretatively to slight the voice of God; and those, who will not follow the voice of conscience when they believe its dictates to be the will of God, would not follow them though indeed they were so. But, then, we must be sure that we have express word and warrant from God; and not take up with doubtful and obscure texts, and more doubtful and remote consequences, to dispense with us from that obedience, which is evidently and frequently required.

But,

2. Though we may not yield active obedience to the unlawful commands of our superiors, yet we are bound to yield Passive Obedience to them.

For all human laws consist of a precept and a penalty. Where the precept may not be obeyed, yet the penalty must be submitted to, with all patience and quietness, though it reach to the loss of our estates, or of our liberty, yes, the dearest of all our possessions, life itself; unless we can prudently withdraw ourselves, and avoid their rage by flight.

That is the Sixth Position.

vii. WE OUGHT, IN NO CASE WHATEVER, TO RESIST AND REBEL AGAINST THE LAWFUL POWERS, WHICH GOD HAS SET OVER US; yes, though they should use their power unlawfully: for whoever resists the power, resists the ordinance of God: and they, that resist, shall receive to themselves damnation.

As it is in the government of a state or nation, if any inferior magistrate abuse his power over you, you are not presently to oppose him by any violent or illegal proceedings; nor to make any insurrection against him, and pull him off his tribunal, or divest him of his authority; but to appeal to the prince and supreme magistrate, for redress of those wrongs: so likewise here, if the supreme magistrate should abuse his sovereign power, and command you to do what God, his superior, has commanded you not to do, and shall punish you for not obeying him and offending God; you are not to resist, nor make conspiracies against him, nor to raise tumults and seditions to depose him from his authority; but only quietly and meekly to appeal unto God, who alone is his judge and ruler, and to beg him to take your cause into his cognizance, and redress your wrongs and injuries.

Yes, put the case as high as we can: suppose that Christian subjects should live under the dominion of a prince, who, as he is a God in respect of power, so be is a Devil in respect of cruelty and mischief: suppose the two worst cases that can befall them:

That he should enjoin them superstition and idolatry.

That he should oppress them by persecution and tyranny.

If ever there were a specious pretense for subjects to say, Shall I smite him, shall I smite him? it is in this supposition. Here seems the best cause, and the highest equity in the world, to deliver the world from a monster, and the Church from a devil. Yet, I say, neither of these can justify rebellion against him, or revenge upon him. Was there ever a more accomplished and consummate wretch than Nero? a man, who made the martyrdom of Christians his pastime; and burnt them in the streets of Rome to light him from the stews. And yet Paul commands the Roman Christians to submit to him for conscience-sake, and threatens them with damnation if they resist. No, we ought in this case (though it be far from the fiery spirit of our times) to receive blows, but not to strike again; and rather to endure the greatest of cruelties, than lift up our hands to revenge them.

And, indeed, there is a great deal of reason for it.

For,

1. Punishment is an act of vengeance.

Now revenge is such a wild untamed thing, that God has not trusted it in any private hands; but reserved it to himself, who can best dispense and govern it: vengeance is mine, says the Lord, and I will repay it: Romans 12:19. So that none ought to intermeddle with this part of justice, but those, whom God has Empowered thereunto, and made his substitute officers and ministers to dispense it; and that is only the magistrate: Romans 13:4. He is the minister of God.… a revenger, to execute wrath upon him that does evil. None are to be revengers, but God and magistrates: magistrates, upon evil men; and God, upon evil magistrates. Private Christians have nothing to do with revenge, or punishment: no, not to inflict it one upon another; much less upon their rulers: and, if they do, as they rebel against men, so they usurp upon God, and put themselves in his stead.

2. Princes are supreme to all but God; and therefore accountable to none beside him.

All human power is subordinate to theirs, and derived from it: for from the chief, do other magistrates receive their authority and commission; and therefore cannot any human power punish those, on whose authority they depend.

3. What a wide gap for all manner of confusion and disorder, would this open to the world!

Who, that fancies himself aggrieved and wronged, would not presently make a party, and sound the trumpet, and proclaim that he had equity and justice on his side, and so hurl all into tumults and wild confusion? But, though you may have suffered real injustice; yet you ought not to rebel. The Wise Man has long since condemned the striking of princes for equity: Proverbs 17:26 whether for their equity's sake, or your. And the Apostle reckons it the glory of a Christian, and an acceptable service to God, patiently to endure when we suffer evil for doing well: 1 Peter 2:20, 21. What glory is it, if, when you be buffeted for your faults, you shall take it patiently? but if, when you do well, and suffer for it, you take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. For even hereunto were you called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow his steps.

Yes, even religion, the best and most precious of all our enjoyments, is too weak a cause to justify rebellion and insurrections. To think, that, upon the account of religion, or any form or mode either of worship or discipline for which men are zealous, they may lawfully oppose, yes and depose the authority that God has set over them, is a tenet utterly irreligious. And, truly, religion can never so much suffer by the fiercest persecution, as by such wild and rebellious principles. It is a doctrine quite contrary to the true genius and constitution of Christianity. In the primitive times, for the long space of three hundred years, until at length the Roman emperors gave up their names to Christ, those, who commanded the whole world, set all their wit and force to crush this growing doctrine, but were still disappointed in this attempt. Whence this defeat? was it because they were overborne by the too powerful resistance, which the Christians made against them? nothing less: for though almost every city, every village, every family, yes their camps and armies abounded with Christians, as Tertullian witnesses in his "Apologetick;" yet, under all those savage and barbarous persecutions, which butchered them up like sheep appointed to the slaughter, we never read of any insurrection against the lawful magistrate.

Nay, the Fathers boast and glory of this conquering patience of the Christians; and challenge the Heathen to produce any one instance of a mutiny or sedition, wherein a Christian was engaged. Notwithstanding their vast numbers, which might make them potent; notwithstanding they were all devoted to ruin and destruction, which might make them desperate‡; and despair added to power makes it invincible: yet we read of no tumults, no uproars, no wars raised by them in the state; for the peace and prosperity of which they prayed dying; and took the sword rather into their throats than into their hands: nor was it their method to propagate Christianity and true religion, by any other blood but their own.

This was the way, by which the Primitive Church thrived: which sent more Christians to Heaven, and gained more to be Christians on earth, than ever the pomp and splendor of it has done since.

This was the true evangelical spirit, which taught them to obey their magistrates' commands in what was lawful; and in what was otherwise, either prudently to avoid their rage by flight, or patiently to endure it by dying. They had not learned that Lirry, that the Saints are the only Lords of the world: that all the Ungodly (and all must be such, whom they pleased) were but Usurpers and Intruders upon their Rights: that they must "Overturn, overturn, overturn," to make way for the kingdom of Christ; intending, no doubt, to set themselves, one at his right hand, and another at his left, in that his kingdom. The doctrine of the Gospel taught them not these violent and rebellious principles: but it is as full of peace as it is of purity; and instructed them to acknowledge their magistrates' authority, to pray for their prosperity, to obey their commands cheerfully, or quietly to suffer punishment: and this, though they had abundant provocation to resist, and probability of being successful. Much more damnable therefore is it, when there is no such provocation given; when religion, and piety, and justice are only pretended; when godly princes discharge their conscience and their Christian duty, in the government committed unto them: much more damnable is it, I say, yes damnable to the utmost degree of damnation, for subjects, upon every whimsical discontent, to resist, imprison, depose, and murder them; while they cheat and cozen the world with the pretenses of saints, but do the works of devils.

II. And, now, had this doctrine been more pressed and more pondered of late years, WE HAD NOT THIS DAY HAD THIS SAD OCCASION TO BE HUMBLED FOR THE UNPARALLELED WICKEDNESS OF YESTERDAY.

A day it was, that, were it not that it afforded us an opportunity to testify our abhorrency and detestation of that bloody villainy which it once saw, we might well wish that the year would skip it over; and imprecate it, as Job does the day of his birth, Job 3:3, 4, 5. Let that day perish … let it be darkness: let not God regard it … neither let the light shine upon it: Let darkness and the shadow of death stain it; and a perpetual cloud dwell upon it. A day, that has brought an indelible blot and infamy upon these nations, and made us a reproach and scorn to the whole world; and, what is worse, has exposed religion itself to contempt and hatred, and made it a reproach to scorners, who, while they saw those very men, that so highly pretended reformation and the power of godliness, embrue their hands in royal and sacred blood, have been ready to conclude, that to profess religion is nothing else but to seek a varnish and color for some black and horrid wickedness. This has rendered the reverend name of godliness, despicable and odious to profane spirits; who, while they saw none privileged to act their rapines, revenge, injustice, and most wrongful usurpation and tyranny, but those whose mouths were as full of a glorious profession as their hands were of wicked deeds, have charged all those impieties upon the score of religion, and made it bear the burden of those crimes with which it is not consistent.

It was once the glory of the Protestant Religion, that it taught subjects to account the persons of their princes sacred and inviolable; supreme to all under God, and accountable to none but him: and, possibly, this one doctrine has been no small advantage to make it gain so much ground in so short a space. But, now, our adversaries triumph in the shame of our profession, when the most notorious regicides, who not only avow the doctrine, but publicly perpetrate the fact of deposing and killing a king, are found among those, who pretended to be at the greatest distance from Romish principles and practices.

There is, indeed, a great difference between the doctrine of a Schism, and the doctrine of a Church; between the practice of a Nation, and the practice of a prevalent Faction in the nation. And, blessed be God, we have this still left to silence the recriminations of all anti-christian adversaries, that, to depose and assassinate kings, is not the doctrine of the Protestant Church, but of the Romish Synagogue. And, as it was not the doctrine of the Church, but of a Schism: So neither was it the fact of the Nation, but of a rebellious and prevailing Faction in it; nor could their armed violence reach the head, until they had first destroyed the body both of Church and State.

But it is not the work of this day to excuse any; but to stir up all to bemoan this bloody and horrid crime: a crime, the most horrid and accursed, that ever was acted under the sun, but only when a miracle eclipsed it from looking on. Though the histories of all nations abound with the sad tragedies of their lawful princes assassinated by their subjects: yet we may still remark, that their wickedness was either so timorous or so modest, as to endeavor to hide the blood they shed; and dared not be otherwise guilty, but with those advantages of night and secrecy, which might make them appear innocent.

But, here, royal and sacred blood is theatrically spilt; and the fact avowed by the impudent pomp and solemnity of villainy. Villainy so profligate, that it scorned to proceed in a clandestine manner: but, as it was resolved to out-do all the examples of former regicides; so to outface all, that should dare to oppose or condemn it. And, therefore, to add ceremony and scorn to murder, they erect a pageantry of justice: summon the Throne to appear before the Bar; arraign Majesty, before which awe and reverence should have made them tremble; condemn him for their own crimes; and execute that wicked sentence, with all the ostentation that triumphant spite and malice could invent.

And that, which makes all this the more odious and execrable; all this was transacted under forms of justice, and specious pretexts of the glory of God and the interests of religion. Here, the Faith bleeds, together with the Defender of it: religion itself suffers, by the vile hypocrisy of those, who pretended to a higher strain of godliness in practice and reformation in discipline, than yet the world had ever known. And it is likely to suffer an eternal reproach, so long as there are any Popish Blasphemers, to cast it into the teeth of Protestants, that they never thought their religion pure enough, until it was washed in the blood of a Christian King, of the same profession with themselves. O prodigy of wickedness! that ever justice should be pretended to the committing of a crime so full of dread and horror, that it might well puzzle and nonplus justice how to punish it, and mercy how to forgive it! that ever the increase of true piety and the advancement of the honor of religion, should be made a color to the shedding the blood of a king; a fact, that gave religion the most mortal wound that ever it received, since it was first planted in the world by the blood of our Savior! And yet those sacred names, the Purity of Worship, the Reformation of Abuses, the Honor and Glory of God, Law and Justice, and the due Liberty of the Subject, must be made a stale by those men (who could not else have successfully acted such a devilish part, unless they appeared like angels of light) to promote an impiety, whose direct design and natural consequence was to overthrow and root them all out: and, when they had cast out and slaughtered, not only their brethren, but their common father, set up their cry with those hypocrites in Isaiah, Now the Lord be glorified: Is. 66:5.

And as this fact was in itself most impious, so it was most fatal in all its train of consequents. Nothing, but ruins and mischiefs; extortion, distraction, sacrilege, injustice, the blood of many and the tears of all; personal, domestic, and public evils; rents and divisions at home, scorn and contempt abroad; have almost ever since followed, one upon the neck of another: and, would to God they were so little felt and known, as to need recounting! Nor, indeed, was it fit, that so horrid a crime should have any better attendants. And, truly, how could it be otherwise, where oppression and violence were the only legislative power? where anarchy and tyranny, the two extremes of government, were always striving for the upper hand? where our lives, liberties, and estates depended only upon the rude vote of the sword? Our laws, the common fence and security of the nation, and every man's best and richest patrimony, were themselves outlawed by the private interests of a few ambitious malecontents: our Church rent in pieces by schisms, errors, I heresies, damnable doctrines of devils; not only publicly broached, but publicly patronized too.

And, yet, some easy minds are ready to think those times happy, because of the liberty, or rather indeed the licentiousness, of religion. But, was religion indeed in so good a plight, when, in a junto, the necessity and usefulness of the ministry was put to the question? when learning, religion, and the holy and precious ordinances of God depended upon the rotten breath of a company of men of rotten and corrupt minds, whose gain was their godliness, and who had nothing holy belonging to them but what they got by sacrilege? Was religion in so good a plight, when we daily feared an interdict upon our public assemblies? when the solemn worship of God was interrupted and affronted, by every one, that had but impudence and enthusiasm enough to do it? Nay, indeed religion was vanished into canting phrases, into an empty and notional profession; and that very profession, dwindled away into innumerable sects and schisms, errors and heresies: that, certainly, none can think it was in a prosperous condition, but those, who think religion then prospers, when it is not much, but manifold. Those, who tolerated every sect, every opinion and religion, seemed so to carry themselves, as if within a while they would have expelled the true: for, certainly, when once men in power can allow of false doctrines, the next step is to embrace them; the next, to impose them.

Yes, the fickleness and instability of our usurped governments, which might give us hope of relief, proved only the frequent renewing of our misery: one power still succeeding another, in the same design; all seeking to advance themselves, upon the ruins of the public. I remember an Apologue of an ulcerated man: when his friends would have driven away a swarm of flies that had been long sucking his sores, "Let them alone," says he: "these are pretty well sated; but if you drive them away, fresh ones will come, with fresh appetites, and more torment me." So, truly, it fared with us, in our tosses and change of governments: when one swarm of our governors had their greediness and avarice somewhat glutted, then were we consigned over unto another; who ate the very flesh of these nations, and drank their tears and blood. Yes, and what was both the reproach and aggravation of our misery, those flies were but the offspring of dirt and dunghills: our plague was like that of Egypt, the very dust of the earth crawled upon us: the meanest of the people were our rulers: and, out of those brambles, proceeded fire, that consumed the cedars of Lebanon. And, according to the pedigree of our princes, such were our priests and teachers: if any could but prate nonsense, and prove it by blasphemy, this was a sufficient consecration into the office: this was enough to make him a most admired light, who indeed was but an ignis fatuus; leading the silly and deluded rout, through the bogs and precipices of error and heresy, into perdition.

This was the posture both of Church and State, in those blessed times of Religion and Liberty, which they so much boast of! and which were so highly advanced by those men's zealous endeavors, that they were grown quite out of reach, and almost out of sight: and, had not God, by a miracle of divine mercy, interposed, within a while we should neither have had the face nor the name of Religion or Liberty left among us. But he infatuated their counsels, and defeated their designs; and, when there was no visible power to break them, he dashed them in pieces one against the other, until they mutually brake themselves. So let all your enemies perish, O Lord But let the King rejoice in God, and joy in your strength; through the mercy of the Most High, let him never be moved.

Now, although it has pleased Almighty God to break that yoke from off our necks, and to set us free from that oppression and violence: yet we ought not only to detest, but to bemoan the outrages and wickednesses, which were they committed; and seek to God, that he would avert from us those plagues and judgments, which the guilt of a part may deservedly bring upon these whole nations. For this is the unhappiness of being linked, though not in conspiracy, yet in national society, with evil-doers; that, although we first suffer from their sins, yet we may afterwards suffer for them: when but one Achan had sinned; and that not so heinously, as to make him either a murderer or a regicide; God punishes the whole camp of Israel for it, and causes them to flee and fall before their enemies: Joshua 7:11. Israel has sinned.… for they have taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled: it was but the fect of one private man, and yet God charges it upon the whole: Israel has sinned, and they have taken. Such a malignant influence has the very community with wicked men, though we have no communion with their wickedness, to diffuse guilt and judgments upon a whole nation. Believe it, blood is a loud and crying sin: the first, that was ever spilt, was heard as far as from earth to Heaven: Genesis 4:10. The voice of your brother's blood cries unto me from the ground: and Revelation 6:10 the souls under the altar cry with a load voice. How long, O Lord, holy and true, do you not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And if the blood of private persons be so audible in God's care, how much more loud and vocal is the blood of a slaughtered monarch! especially when the blood, oppression, and ruin of so many thousands as were involved in the direful consequences of that fatal day, join their voices with it, assault Heaven, and cry aloud for vengeance. Let us then cry mightily to God, that the voice of our prayers may be louder in his ears, than the voice of our provocations: and let us by our tears wash away that foul stain which lies upon our profession; and beg of God, that he would pour out a plentiful effusion of the blood of Christ, to cleanse these nations from the guilt of blood: for nothing less than the blood of God, which could expiate even for the shedding of itself, can expiate for the shedding of the blood of a King.