Com.5. The Duties of' Sitperiours. Chap+ 333 tells the Prophets in MaIachy,that be badmade them defpijedandvile before all the peo- ple, the reafon whereof isgiven in thenext words,becaufe they kept not hii words: but Mai. .9. hadbeenpartial inhis Law. And for the fame caufe God threatens Eli, becaufe he honoured his Sons before God,whereas they lhould have honoured him, he honour- ed them; and when he fhould have fharply reproved them for their faults, he in- I Sam.2. vç. treats themas an Inferiour would do a Superiour, though they had di(honoured God by canting the people to loath the Lords Sacrifice through their lewd carriage, yet he was not fenfible either of Gods honour or his own, and therefore God threatens to take from him the honour of the Priel}hood, and to make his houle poor and bale : for thofé that honour me, faith God, I will honour, and they that de_ fpifeme fhall be lightly efteemed. And we fee alto in another place, that God tells the people by his Prophet, that be will give children to be their Princes, and babes Efa,3.4, 5 to rule over them ; the reafon is exprell in the next verte, the child(hall behave bimfëlfproudly againff the innocent, and the bafe againft the honourable. 4. As this orderetlablifhed'by God mull be maintained, fa mull it not be a bare refemblance ofAuthority, without execution ; Superiours mull not be like dumb idols, that have eyes but fee nor, mouths and (peak not, &c. Put they mull ufe and exercife their Authority, they mutt take care withSaint Paul, that they Which are under them fludy to be quiet, and to do their own butinels. And if any under him break or tranfgrefs, then to (hew that he bath not his Authority in vain; but r The(.q.tt. .4 propter vindit7am malorum, to be a revenger of Gods wrath agæinff them that doevil MatRom:t3Ir.25a3 If they do not well, he is to punilh ; if they do well, then to encourage them, with an ettge ferve bone, well-donegood and faithful Servant. The wife-man tells us, that a King that ftteth in judgment ( is not like an idol but ) fcattereth away all evil with his eyes, his very looks mull expel evil ; That prov.vo.8. men may know he fits there, for encouraging ofthe good, and difcouraging of the evil, he mull be a terrour to the workers of iniquity, faith the Apoftle, and Rom.13.3 thewife man tellsus, that the way of the Lord ( whole deputies Rulers are) if Prov.I4.a9. firengtb to the upright man, but fear Jhall be to the workers of iniquity. Fear is proper for them, they ought to fear; but fotne do not fear, becaufe an idol is in place; this is a (name to a ruler, when he is not terror maleagenti ; but much worfe it is, ifhebe terror beneagenti a terror to him that dothwell, if he perfecute loch above others. In this cafe we muff know, that patellas non datur nifi adverfus villa, contra vie ',amines nolunt potentes, nopower is given from God but to corral vice : He mull not tyrranize, God gave no power to destroy, but profit man- Aug.1..de kind. Tnntt. There arethe four general duties which concern Superiours. a. The manner ofGovernment of a Superiour is, fiat that he be anexample to Inferiours: in hitnfelfKing David (hewed it,! will wal1,(laith he) with a perfelï heart; he would be an example to his people. Saint Augultine in the place before quoted, PCala.o.t.3. have potentiam plane oportet unufquifq; appetat, ut potentfit infeipf &miro modo ad- ver ur et umpro et o. Every man Ihould delire this power over himfelf; and !.3' de 7rárE. I fPf P fPf v which is more, againft himfelf, and yet for himfelf, that is, againft the rebellious pallions and affections of his own nature, that thereby he may bring himfelf to goodnefs. 2. The next is (after hebath thus governed himfelf) to govern others with mo- deration.it was Gods rule in the Law roSuperiours.thou (halt not rule with rigour. He mull know,(that as the Heathenman laid) this átxcty to rule,was not given him Levit.a5.43 d4á r?, ti2ïpasaváv nor d'° zd fßgav,to look (lately and to call men as he liff,and much Iefs for /Sat Sat to conffrainmen to his own mind in a proud manner by contume- lious words and tyrannical deeds. In every Chrillian all Suso excels of anger; and ,vtxgía bitterness and xtavyñcrying outßsaa0nfdaand railing,ought to be far froth the Ephef4. 13 rneanefl, and therefore from him that is in the highefl place, who ought to be an Prov.z8.5t: example to others. Solomon coun(cllcth the Governour, that he be not tanquam leo rugiens, as.a roaring lion over thepeople: and the fonofSyracides advice is,Be not a lion in thy hang, not frantick among thy Servants. The Prophet compares evil Rulers to roaring Lions;andcorrupt Judges to evening Wolves which leave not the bones till themorrow. Therefore good Governouts tonfi exPiefs moderation, for as Saint zepl1'3'3 Greg-
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