l'. ;. t! Y Nt k.ä fi 332 Chap.4; The Duties of Sllperioltrs. Com,S, whereas all tyranny is effentiallp unjufi: and fome Kingdoms may refpea the profit both ofPrince and People ; as when a People not able to defend themselves, com- mit themCelves to a potent Prince for protection and fafety againft potent Enemies, and fo become his Subjects. 3. Although it betrue, that in fome Kingdoms, efpecially eleciive, the benefit of the people is principally regarded ; and as Cicero faith, Fruendx juffitie caufa Reges conffituti, that Kings are appointed for adminiffring ofjuflice ; yet it follows not hence, that the People are above their King ; for the Tutor or Guardian is for the good of the Pupil, and yet the Guardian or Tutor hath Power and Authority over the Petpii : and if any fay, that the Guardianmay beremoved if he fail in his trot}, and there- fore the fame may be done in Princes ; I anfwer, that this holds in Guardians, be- caufe they have Come above them ; but in Kingdoms.becaufe there cannot boa pro- grecs in infinitum, there mull of neceHìty be a flop in Come, who, becaufe they have no Superiour,muftif they offend be left only to God,who will either punifh them,if he fee it needful, or elfe fuller them for the punishment and trial of his people : for as Tacitus faith, as we bear with the barrennefs ofthe Earth, or intemperate feafons, and the like natural accidents, which cannot be avoided ; fo muffthey bear with the avarice and luft ofRulers, Vitia eruptdonee homiest:, fednec bier continua, &meliorutn interventu penfantur ; there will be faults in Government, fo long as there aremen i but they are not alwaysnor laffing ; and betides they are ballanced by the change of good Rulers intervening. And therefore M. Aurelius laid,' that as Magiffrater are to judg of private perfoets, fo are Princes to judg ofMagiftrates, andGodalone ofPrinces. aljt 4 lib To which purpofe is that fpeechof a French Bifhop to their King , mentioned in Greg. Turon, Si quit de nobis, ORex, juffiti.e tramites tranfeendere voluerit, a to cor- ripipoteff, fi to vera exceris, quis tocorripiet ? loquimur enim tibi, fed fi volueris, au- dit ; fi autem nolueris, quit to damnabit, nifi qui fe pronunciavit eß ju/titiam ? If any ofus offend, O King, thou maiff correli us, but ifthou Ails exceed, who fhail coma Nu. lib.g. thee ? Ire may fpeakunto thee, and ifthou wilt,thou maiff hear ut.; but if thou wilt not, tone can condemn thee, but he who is Juffice itfelf? And that of Irenæut is as excel- lent, as common : Cujus juffu nafeuntur homines, bajos juffs &Reges conffituuntur; by whole coinmand or appointment they are born men, by his appointment are Kings conffi- tested. Nor doth it make againft this, that the People are fometimes punished for the fins of their Princes : as t Kong: 4.16. and 2 Kings to.t7. for this was not be- cause the People did not punish or reftrain the exorbitances of their Kings, but be- caufe by tacite confent, or otherwife, theydid communicate in their fins , and be- fides,God having fupretne Dominion over the lives of all, may make ufe of it,there- by to punish Kings by raking away their Subjeas. 3. Becaulè God hath made by his Commandment a dilinetion and difference of degrees, as Tome to be Parents,fome Children; Tome Superiours,and Come Inferiours; Superiours mutt take heed that none pervert this Order,, or fader a parity or equali- ty, or to fubmit to thofe whom God hath placed in a lower Rank. sibieit. ' But why did not the Prophet Nathan keep this order in his fpeech toKing David, r Kings 1.26. but Paid, Me thy(errant, and Zadok the Priefi, and Benajah the Son of Jehojada , and Solomon shy Son: thereSolomon cometh fail, though the Kings Son. Nathan knew well enough in what order to place him. But the bufinefs brought before David concerningSolomon (whom Davidhad prornifed, and God had ordai- ned to fueceed in the Kingdom) he placed him !aft, as if he had Paid, ddonijab isa- bout to ufurp Kingly Authority,and carried the bufinefs clofely, calling force private friends to him, and not only pales by Me, and Zadok the Priest, and'Benajah, but even Solomon thy Son, beloved of God, andby him deltinate to fit on thy Throne after thee. So that Solomon is put in the lati place Emphatically, as if the negleétand contempt done to hirn were molt offentve to God and David. And vet take this by Gal. 4. r, the way,that the heir ofall in bes minority, or during hisfathers life, differethlittle from a ferrant, though in poffìbility to be Lord ofall. Soperiours mutt thereforekeep that Authority which God bath given them,and not pervert that Order which God hath fct,as force do by their floth and negligence, suffering their Inferiours to be their Equals; and othersby their wickedness, where- by they become vile in their peoples eyes,and fo as a ¡tiff punishment fromGod, lofe that Authority and Reverence,which the People ought to give them. For thus God tells
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