Corn.s. The Duties of Superiou "".r. Chap.4 3 r' be TUkTOis fucb as keep order, though the Superiour do not: 2. Becaufeevery Rep hath a certain breadth orlatitude,fet and limited bybounds on both fides, then he tranfcends the nature of a Superiour,that prefcribes any thing beyond thofebounds : as if the Princeof this Land !hall command any thing to be done in thole Countreys where he path nothing to do. Or ifI be bound to obeya man, whole Power, is only in fpiritual things, I am not bythe fame reafon to obey hAn in temporals,whereof he hath no cognizance; he is not to command out ofhis feries,he mull not recedereaprt'ncipio. But ifa King or Ruler obferve thefe two points of Order, that he do not leave hisferler, not recedere a principiò, we are abfolutely on obey him. It is Paid in the Gofpel, Noman canferve two Maffers, GodandMammon , becaufe Match. 6. z : their commands are contrary : But thecafe here maybe thus reconciled, Dominus& fervcu, Godand the Princehis MiniJier,are but one Agent ; becaùfe there is a fubordi- nation. In this cafe there is but one MaJler,till thePrince break the order himfelf,and bea'Mafter againll Order,and do etagere altare,contra altare,erelï-oneAltar againJt ano- ther:for it is in order as it is in nature. The Prince is thechiefmover & Commander, others command underhim. Now in Nature heavy things defcend : and ifon any occalion adconférvationem univerfi, they dobreak their natural courfe and afcend,ihis is out oforder, yet is requifite for a greater goodof the ilniverfe. Soit is in matters ofthe Common-wealth. lithe inferiour Magiftrate command one thing, I muli not obey him, if a fuperiour Magiftrate command another, for a greater good of the whole Land. Some are ofmore honourable Eftate than other, and the higher place Luke 14. 8. any one hath,the more honour he hath, and in that refpeet the greater Duty be- longs to him. Feffut was honourable, yet Nero more honourable ; and if Saint Paul "Alts fear that Feflru will break Order,he will appeal to Nero. And we fee, ifa man be be- fore a Judge ofan inferiour place of)udicature, he is free fromhim ; ifa fuperfdray come from a Superiour Judge to takethe matter into his hands. And fo when the firft mover ofall, God, and his Word or Command cometh, it gives afiperfedeas to all other Commands, and appeal is to be made to him. Our Saviour in another place faith, Be not afraid of them that ;kill the Body. In Luke 12.4. which place it is plain, that his meaning is, that though we fhould not break off our Obedience from thofe that havethat Power,as long as they keep within theirfi- ries, yet ifonce they break Order,then fear them nor, but him that after the Body is led, bathpower tocalf the Body into Hell, which is God ; otherwife the Caveat were needlefs. And the conclufion in this Point is, to fay withS.Pcter and S. yohn, when the Priefts commanded them to preach no more in the Nameof Jefut, Whether it be AEts4. 19. right in tbèfight ofGod to hearken untoyou more thanunto God, judg ye. And when they wouldnot take this for an anfwer, but urged them as before, they plainly told 5.2 . them, Deo potins quam bominibus, we ought to obey God rather thanmen. The reafon of this Randeththus : God'bath takenorder for the inaugurating of every Son ofhis,into hispolicía or Government; for our aórfassywmuftbe i" áesi oïs, our conversation muff be inheaven, as the Apol8le fpeaks : and in another place , we Phil. 3 20. fhould befellow- Citizens with the Saints. Achild is no foonerborn, butferiae ad bap- Ephet: 2.15° tifmum, be is carried to Baptifm; fo that he is no fooner in the World, but he is pre- fently lent out again : for there he renounceth the world and giveth it over ; and confequently he is to receive his Laws fromHeaven, his to Oath being Ja- cramentummilitare, to fight again]! the world, flefband Devil. And in this refpck it is, that men cannot recedeor go backward from their firft Vow. If therefore a Superiour command extraferiemfoam, out ofhis order, we muff re- memberour firft Vow, and difobeyhim ; but in regard of that which hath been laid, that God andhe are but one Agent; in whatfoever lawfully he commands, we muff give him chief and efpecial Honour and Obedience. Let him command out ofhis Line, then God and he are twoMatters : and God of the two is to be pre- ferred. Wehave examplesin this kind. For the firft Commandment which requires the loveof God before and above all others ; ifFather or Mother , or any Superi- our command any thing contrary to our love we owe to God, we are not to o- bey; for our Saviour faith He that cometb to me, and bateth not father Luke 14. i6.-_ and mother, is not worthy of me. He expounds himfelf elfewhere by phefquam V v me, ,
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