;8 Co Chap.B. The Duties ofPrinces and People. m.5. citcemed him as the light of the Kingdom, and fay, that thou .quench net the zr. 17. light of Ifrael ; ifhe (hould mifcarry, they accounted themfelves to be but in dark- . nefs. 2. Another part of their Duty is, to bear with their Princes infirmities ; if they fail at any time, to cover theirfailings, and tobury them in Glence : the contrary to this is, when men blaze abroad the faults of their Governours , and fpealc evil ofthem, a thing feverety forbidden in Scripture, which counts it a kind of biaf-' phemy to fpeak evil of thole whoare in Gods place. They have blafphemed thee, Exod-z . ulr. and flandered the footfteps of thine anointed, faith the Pfalmift ; Thou (halt not revile the Gods, nor, curie the Ruler of thy people, faith God. And Saint Peter notes it as a high degreeof wickednefs, in the Seétaries and hypocritical Profeffors of his 2 Pet. z. to. time, that they defpifed Government, prefumptuous they were, felf-willed, and were not afraid to fpeak evil of Dignities; &e. And the Preacher goeth home, , Ecdef to.zo forbidding even to with evil to the King, though it be in thy thought, much let's openly. It is true, Elias, when Ahab b=came a troubler of Ifrael, by permitting 7ezabel to murther GodsProphets, and fet up the worfhip of Baal, told him fromGod, that hennas the troubler of Ifrael and thereupon this 'extraordinary Prophet convinced theKings Errour, put to death the falle Prophets,and left Ahab to Gods judgments, if he amended not ; this he did by fpecial and immediate Commifon from God, which otherscannot follow, unlefs they have the like warrant. Now for under-Officers, what their Duties are. The duties ofunder-Officers are,. Exod. 18. zt. T. They mull be men of courage, able men, not drawn by favour or power of great men. They mull not be drawn afrde by fear, or favour ofany. Now how Peut. is. 19. may that be ? if they fear God. This takes away all vain fear ofmen, andcorrupt affeétion, and makes them confiant in their way. 2. They mull be true and juli, 3. iri not wrefting judgment for bribes. 3. Theymutt be wife, having not only prn-- dentiam, in general, but prudence to know how to apply general rules to particu- Prov, 26.21, lar cafes, and when to ufe equity and moderation. Where this is not but fools are 3 preferred to bear rule ; it is as Solomon faith, as if one (hould guilda potfherd, or as if a precious (tone Should be buried in a heap of. (tones. Where this prudence is wanting, Power is like aSword in amad -mans hand, he is like.a fool, that if he have a pellet in his Crofs-bow, eryes, have at you 5 and fo lets it fly at any without diftint` ion. If this benot fit in Kings, much lefs iii thofe which arefubordinate to Exod. 18:, 2. to him. And that theft qualities are in him mull beknown to the Tribes,to thofehè lives amongft. r. If he be not couragious,hewill be feared with fi nonfacias,nones amicus Cafa- John 19. 12. and fo he will be an accepter ofperfons. So z. If he benot juft, he will ac- Pov28 221. cet a gift. It was the fault of Felix s In the firfi cafe, He that refpeels perfores will X9.4 tranfgrefs forapiece' of Bread: Ih the latter, he that receivetb gifts, overtbroweth a Kingdom. And thirdly, if he want underftanding, every one will defpifehim, and hisauthority will be contemptible : therefore he muff have all thefe qualities , that fo he may judicare juffitiam, and that juffiçmè, give judgment and that moil jufily. He mull not pervert the Law, thereby to colour his opprefiìons, like thofe the Pfal- mift fpeaksof, who fit irs'thrchair ofwickednefs, and frame mifchiefby a law. If he Pfalrn 94: 20. be fuch a one like the unjuft Steward that wafted his Matters goods, if heabufe his Princes Authority, who hath intrufted him, he ought upon complaint to be put outof his Stewardship, and that by him that puthim in, that fomore fit may he in his place. CHAP.
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