334 Chap.4. The Duties of Sttperinitrr. Com.q. Gregory faith, Summum in regibus bonumeft, infubjeflos non fevire, It is the chief cam- Greg. in Reg. mendatiouofa Governour not to be(harp towards his Subjefls. The third Rule is, he muft not like Saul begin well, andend ill. It is faid of Saut King of Ifrael, that he had reigned two years over Ifrael when he had reigned fat mote, becaufe the firít two years he reigned well, and after did degenerate; and fo now, ufually Governours are careful to rule well at the firft entrance into their Szek,rr.u. Government, but afterwardspoll guinquennium Neronis, after Nero's jiveyears; like the Princes in Ezekiel, that account the cityas a cauldron, and the people as Alb in the midll of it. Now for the inforcing the obfervation of thefe four Rules upon Superiours, and that, as it is in Daniel, they may know that the molt high ',dab in theKingdoms of Dan.4.2425 men, andgiveth it to wbomfoever he pleafetb; There are fix reafons laid down together in the Sa Pfalm. t. The fiefl is verfe t. God ftands among them; heffands in the congregation of the mighty, and judgeth among the Gods: From whence he infers the reproof verf. i'fal.82. 2. How long will you give wrong judgment, aad accept the Perforas of the ungodly verfe.a. Peeing (as in the precedent verfe ) God ftandeth atnong you, and fee th your aéti- ons, and not only fo, but is a judg among you, and will exacu an account of you. 2. The fecond reafon (in the next two verts) is grounded upon the end,why this Power is committed to them. to defend the poor andFatherlefe, them that be in need, the poor and weak; and not to opprefs them : theirPower is contra vitia, non contra hommes, not againft men, butfin. 5 3. The third is from the evil confequences that will follow ifthey donot execute Juftice. In the fift verfe he teils them, Well, chufe you, ifyou will be wilfully igno- rant in tenebris ambulare, wall; in darknefs, do fo : But this will follow by your ignorance, all the foundationsof the Earth will be out of courfe,conentientùr omnia fundamenta, all things will go to wrack , you will bring ay out of order by it. 4. The fourth is becaufe their Power is not abfolute, but onlydelegate,verfe. 6. Ibave faidyou aregods, indeed you are none.The meaning of thisplace is expounded by Chrift himfelf, john to. 35. They are calledgods, becaitfe the word ofGod came to them, that is, they had commifíron fromGod ; there came a commiJon fromGod to you it was but adelegatepower, therefore you are not to rule abfolutely and fim- ply,but bycommiffì'on,for you have a Superiour,and God will havean account from you. 5. And for abufingthat commflìon, pootball die like men, there fhall be no differ- ence; but in your death from other (he flraightway cbrreéteth himilf)you(hallfall wifd,6.6, like Princes ; you (hall not die like ordinary men, as it is in the book of Wifdom : potentespotenter punientur, mighty menfháll be mightily tormented. 6. Laftly, becaufe they have fought themfelves by this Honour whichGod had bellowed upon them, therefore God will arife and take his inheritance into his own hands, ( which they have negleéled) and he will judg the earth himfelf, as it is verf. 8. which is more fully expreffed by theProphet Ezekiel ;They bave eaten thefat, and clothed themfelves with the wool, they killed them that are fed, but they Hzek themfelvesfed not tbeflock; that is,they have been content to receive theHonour, but 34.3 havenot performed the duty,God will arifeand take his inheritance into hisown bands : he will difcharge the dutyhimfelf. There are two Queftions concerning Obedienceto Superiours to be refolved, be- fore we enter upon theparticular duties,neceffaryfor the right underftanding ofthat which follows : becaufe in the handling of thole particulars we fhall have eceafròn to treat ofObedience. I: Whether Inferioursowe any Honour to one that is evil. The refolution of which mutt be affirmative, according to that of the ninth to the Romans, where the Apofile reafoneth in the likecafe,That the unfaitbfulnefa ofmancamsfruflrate the Rttm.r.3: promife ofGod i And fo it muff be faid in this cafe, that the wickednefsof an m can- not take away the Commandment, nor make void Gods Ordinance And Gods Ordinance it is, for the Powersthat be, areordained ofGod as the Apoale fpeaks.there- fore it is not the evil of the Perlon that can Make void his Ordinance. 7 Q iteit.r. !how
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