The Dutiesof Supieriours. Com.5. or evidentlywitbrut the limits andbounds of their Authority. Thus Thorn.2.z. q, roar. a. 5. Cajer. ibid. TheSummits in verb. Obedientia. Ceihus de juffitia & jure lib.z. cap.6. dub.4,5,6. Valent.z.z. Difput.7, q.;.p.2 ¿ttc whence it follows, that the higbrit Power under God being in Kings andPrinces, therefore Obedience is-due to them in all thing,. which. are not evidently forbidden byGod. So that SubjeFls are not to bufie them- felves about the thing commanded, to knowparticular reafonsfor the Iawfulnefr ; but, if after moral diligence fit to be ufed in all anions ofweight,, it appears not unlanful or forbidden by God, they ought to obey ; and the reofon is evident, becaufe the Superiour bath his Commiffon from God, and fo his Commands are to be lookedupon as proceeding from Gad whole Deputy'be is ; and therefore they are fuficient ground and warrant for our Obedience (Godhaving commanded us, fo frequently in Scripture to obey our King ) r s I Pet. z. UMW} it appears clearlythat he exceedshex Commigion, and that bisCommands are croft 13. to the immediate Commands ofGod. Ifay clearly and evidently,becaufe in things doubtful we ought toobey (the command ofa Superiourbeing a determiningofthe doubt),for thoughit's true, that no man ought to do any thing with a doubting confeience, for whatfoever is not of faith is fin, Rom. 14. yet the Command ofaSuperiour is fuficient caufe toremove the doubt, he being Gods De- puty to refolve on in doubtful cafes, fo that his Command is a refolving ofthedoubt, after Deut.t7.8,9,, which we ought no longer todoubt. For as S. Bern. faith, Ipfum quem pro Deo habe- 1o. mus, in omnibus quenon funt aperte contra Deum, tanquam Deum àudire debe- mus 5 Him who is in Gods (lead to us,we ought in all things whichare not plainly againft God, to obey as God himfelf. And S. Augufline faith, that a man Mayjujiy obey an unjufl Princecommanding a thing doubtful, ( he inftances in War ) fi quod ju- betur vet non effe contrapreceptum certum fit, vel utrum fit, certum non ell ; if ei- ther it be certain that his command doth not erasany Commandof God, or uncer- tain that it doth. For herein wemore certainly obcj God himJelf; when we obey the cer- tain. commands ofbit Deputy, whereas, obeying a doubtful commandofGod we cer- tainly, difabey his Deputy,andby confequent God himfelf ; and therefore according to that Rule, in dubiis pars tutior eligenda eft, in doubtful things it's bets to go the faith way. It'smorefafe so obey than difobey,for it is certain, the thing is commandedby Gods Deputy, and uncertain that Godbath forbidden it ( as is fuppafed' in all doubtful cafe! ) andfo bydifobeyingwe run into a certainfin ofdifebedience to Godinhis Deputy, to avoid an uncertain fin againft God immediately. Befides, indubiis melioreft conditio pofhdentis, PoffelTion is a good plea when the cafe is doubtful, and therefore the Superiourbeing inpoffejon ofhis Authority ought to be obeyed, in what hecommands, though itfeem donbtfnl.to us ; for Quifque preiu- mitur effe bonus, donec conflet decontrario, and fo the commands ofSuperiours muff be prefumed to be lawful till the contrary plainly appear : He'thatis not aping ore isforus,Luke gao.So that they take awrong eourfe andperplex their Confeiences that fay, this is unlawfu1, forwhere is it commanded in Scripture ? when as they ought tofay, this is lawful being commanded by my Superiour, for where is"itforbidden in Scripture ? For though the command ofa Superiour cannot make that lawful in itfelf, which is for- bidden by God, yet it may enable me ina doubtful cafe to do that lawfully, and accepta- bly, which without fuck a commandhadbeen finful and liable to punihhment.Confcience indeed ira judge immediatelyunder God ; yet as Alex. Hahnfaith,it is fo only infuck things as are immediately commandedor forbidden by God,bat in other thingswhich God bath left toAuthority, it muff beguided and regulatedby Authority : and this Dollrine it fo neceffary in praxi, at Suarez well notes, for the preferving ofGovernment, andpre -- venting ofSedition,tbat publickPeacecannot otherwife,be maintained.Neither let anyfay, It isaping- myConfcience; far what is only doubtful, is no more ageinft the Conici- ence, than withat, andwhen thefoul hangs even, as in doubtful cats, if the weght of Authority willnot turn the (tale, either the Authority ismade verylight, or there is fame fault in the beam, as onefaith. Nay,feeppofe they do not well incommanding, yet fo long asthere appears no fin in obeying, Tolle quod tuum eft, & vade, (as, S.Bernardfaith ) Take what is thine, and go thy ways, thou /halt not be accountablefor the evil that fol- lows. The excellency ofObedience is to look at Gods Willreprefented to us in his Subiti- tute, whichmay make the fameatf,whichit may be wasftnful in him that commands be- come an ail acceptable andrewardedbyGod in him that obeys. CHAP.
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