Coin. $. The Duties .ofSuperiours. Chap.q whom God hath let them. Their honour is conferred. upon them , not meetly for themfelves, and their ownbenefit ; but alto for thofe that areunder them, not one- ly ut prefint, but ut proftnt toprofit themthat are tinder.them, a well al to be overand above them r and this is it that makes their place the more weighty. King Davidwas ',Calm í 8.7i: taken from the Sheepfold.to be King ; and why ? adpafcendum Ifrael, that be might 2 Cor.ts.r¢c feed andgovern ( the word importsboth) ,7acob Us people, and Ifrael bisinitritance. Sc. Children are notfor Parents, but Parentsfor their Children. The Heathen by the light of Nature only law this , that SuperiorityWas ordained for Inferiority, and the Prince for the benefit ofthe People. For God at the firff, confideringthat Chil- dren were unable to help themfelves , by reafon of their inability and defec`Fs when they are young, and the danger that might befall them, not onely in their In- fancy, but even before they are born, ordaineda Duty to be íhewn,and an Office to be done for them, even before they are born; there is a care of them to be taken by Parents when they are in the Womb,before they are able to give them Honour ; and for this careof Parents, they are afterwards to exhibit Honour to them when they are able. And underthis Head is that the Apoflle mentioneth, They mull nourilhand cberifh, Ephe. 9.29. and account them that are under them as their own flesh ; as Mnfes who carried the Numb. ri. r3. people inhis Bofom asa Nurfe, and made their welfare his fcope : and as our Saviour Trtatth a§41. thews the example ofan Henwho gatheretbher Chickens under her wings, to defend them from ravening and Chong Fowls. And this loving, nourifhing,and defend- ing, are fpecial ends why uperiours were ordained. And therefore thereafon is ad- ded to the Commandment in Exodus 20. andenlarged in Deut.S.r 6. That shy days maybe prolonged, &c. and that it may gowellmith thee which as was mentioned be- fore is expoundedby fome,not as a Promife, but as the Duty and End ofSuperiours, viz. That they under God prolongmens days, and are or ought to bemeans that it may go well with them. This is one End of their Superiority. They are not fet over the people colligere aureammeffem, to fcrape Gold and Silver for themfelves their own profit and cafe is not the endof their Authority,though many times Ru- lerslook at nothing elfeJt was the fin ofthe Princes in Ezekielr time, They accounted theCity as a Cauldron. and thepeople theflefh to befod in. Evil Rulers take their own Ezek. cafeand fecurity, while the profit of the People and Inferiours is no whit regarded. Therefore not without caufe are the twoHeads before named, of Defending and Nourifhing Inferiours, fpecial Duties ofSuperiours towards them. This which is commonly affirmed, that the end ofGovernment is the good ofthe Annotat. 29. Inferiours, muff be underffood cumgranofalis ; for from this Principle mifunder- of the end of flood, Come have colleEled, that becaufe the end is above the means,and more noble, Government, therefore SubjeFks are above their Governours, and fo may call them to account for people beKa- their mif government, and judge or punifh them,and remove them ifthey fee caufe : hove their from which falle Colleflions made by feditious and turbulent Perlons, infinite Governours. Troubles, Confuhons, Rebellions, and Defolations have followed. Wemutt know therefore, t. That to procure the good ofInferiours, is indeed the Dutyof Supe- riours,and one end why God committed the people to them ; but not the foie or principal end oftheir Authority : for Princes receive their Power only from God, and are by him eonttituted and intruftedwith Governmentofothers, chiefly for his own Glory and Honour, as his Deputies and Vicegerents upon Earth, for they are his Minitiers, Rom:r3. fo that the principal end of their Government is the advance- ment ofGods Honour, who is the Supreme King and Lord ofall the World : and therefore if they fail in performance of this Trull, they are accountable only to him who intrufted them,and not to the People whom hehath putunder them,and whom he nevßr authorized to call them to account, but to appeal only to him. 2. It is not generally true, that all Government is only for the benefit of thofe that are governed : for force Government there is eneerly for the benefit of the K Grit. de ju= Superiour, as that of a Lord or Mailer over his Servant; for the profit ofthe re bell; &pa Servant is herein meetly extrinfecal and adventitious : force Governments cts[ib.r.c.a. are for mutual good of both, as that of a Husband osier his Wife; and fo " 8. Tome Kingdoms may be for the benefit of Kings as when they are obtai- ned by a juts Conqueft, which are not tobe accounted tyrannical, becaufe they are juft ; for there may be a jufi Title by Conquefi, when the War is upon juft grounds, T t 2 Where-
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