'DireBions for Obediwce to the HigiJer PoJVers. ~hite you negleel-;he Iutere.ff andautbori.ty of God in yo~r Rulers, you (orfc:it tht acctptance, pro– telii~;t :~.nd rew.:rd of God. Subjects as wdl as fcrvants mufi: learn that great ldfon; Co1. 3· 23, 2 4 , 25· And w!Jatfoeverj•t do, d,1 it heartily M to the L?rd, 11-nd not unto men; k,.11owing thJt of the Lord )'t. p 1 JIJ receive the rewar (f the inheritance, j Jr ye {erve the Lo,-4 Chrifl : But he that dotb wrong jh 3 U rtccivt for tbewrent, thatheb.Jthd.me, iiHdthere isnorefpell ofperfons. So Eph.6. 5,6,7, 8. M.igi– llratc~ arc as truly Gods Officers as Preachers : And therefore as he thar hearcrh Preachers hearcrh him, fo he thar oblyeth Rultrs obcyeth him : The rxcepdons are but the like in both cafes: It is not every thing that we murt rect>ivc from PreaciJerJ ; nor every thing that we mull: do at rhe command of Rulers : But both in their proper pl.Jce and wrJrk_, mull be regarded as the officers of God; and not as men that have no h;ghcr Authority thln tJ1eir own to bear them our. 1) §. 26. Dir._.Ct. 4· Let no vice-s of tbe pcrfon caufe .}'IJ!t to f ;rget the dignity rif hU office: The au~ VireU. f• rhmi1y of afinful Ruler is of God 1 and mull a'Ccordin~ly be obeyed : Of this read Hi£hop Bilfon at hrgc in hi;; excellent Trcatife of ChriHian SubjeCtion ; againfi the Papifis t~at excommunicate and tlrpofL P1inces whom they account Hnerid<s, or favourcrs of them. Thoft fms which wjll damn a mans {Qui and deprive him of Heaven, will not deprive him of hi5 Kingdom, nor difoblige tbe fub~ Vic1or. mir. jcd-s from their obedience. An Infidel, or an ungodly Chri,llian ( that is, an Hypocrite) is capable f~ith of viao– of bcing a Prince, as well as of Ueing a P4r<'nt, Husband, Mlrler : And the Apofilc h.ath taught all r~a~zu Procon~ as wdl as JerV.lJtts: their duty to fLrCh, 1 Per. 2· 18, 19, 20,2 '· SorvantJ, be /itbjet:l toyour Majlers ;~l ,of c~r~ Tr'ilh' a!i fear: and ;zot only toibc f!,Ood and gem le, but aJfo to the fraward: For thH H tbauk.:wortby ,if evt1;~'t~l.~c a man for confcicttct tiJward GtJd, c.nduregrirf,fitjferingwrongfu~y? For wh3t ~lory if it ifwbenyou are Arr.ianperfc,; hNjfctcd f ur )'OUT fault s you tak.§ it pativztly? but if n·bm ye do wtll and [ujfer {or it ye take it pa- ~uun~ u\urp– ticnlly, tbH is accept.!<ble witb G~d: For evCit berrunto were ye caUe~•. Though it be:: a rare mercy ro p;olr~b~~r,li'oi have Godly Rukrs, and agreJ.t Jlldgemcnt to have ungodly ones, 1t 1S fuch as mufi be born. commiffi~ femt>erliJe– Uiimus lubebatur; and tbe like of Srhajlir1n and othci-s. p. 46o. ~· 27· Direct. 5.· Do n t either divtt'gc 9T aggrav:~te the vicn ofyonr Govern9urs to thtir dijhonour. Dire&. S· Fortheir Honour i; nectj[Jr) tJ tbe publick, good. If they have not care of their own honour, yet their fubjt.Ch mull: have acare of ir. If once They be diflJonourcd, rhey will the more eafily be coijtcmned, hated atld difob,yed. Therefore the d,HlOncuring of the Rulers tendeth to the diffi>lution of the Goverprncnt, and ruine of the Common·wealth. Only in two cafes did the ancient Chrill:ians aggra· vate rhe wickcdncfs of thci.r Govcrnours. 1. In cafe they were fuch cruel monfiers as Nero, who Jived ro the mifcry of mankind: 2. ln cafe: they were not only open enemies of the Church of Chrifl, but their Honour O.ood in competition with theH_onour of Olrill:ianity, piety and honelly) as in JulianJ cafe: I confe[s againfl Ncra and Julian both living and dead (and many like them,) rh_t tongues and pens of wife and fobcr perfOns·have._ been very free : But the fifth Commandment is not to be forgotten, Honour thy Father and Mother. And I Per. 2· 17· Fear God: Honour the Mark. 1 . 1 o. King.~ Though you mull not call evil g·1od, yet you may conceal and hide evil : Cbam was curfed tor & 1o. 19. opening his fathers n..akcdnefs. Though you mufl flatter none in their fins, nor hinder their Repcn~ tance, bur further it by all righteous means, yet mull you fpeak Honourably of your Rulers, and en~ deavour to breed an Honourable dleemo~ them in the peoples minds ; and not as Come, that think they do well if they ·can fccretly make their RulerS fecm odious, by opening and a,ggravating their faulrs. 9· 28. Dircc:\'. 6. Subdue yoJtr pa[fions, that 110 injJtrieJ which you may {uffer by them, nuy Diretl. &. difturb ;•ow rcaj:m, and m.zk,! J re difhonoHr them by way of rcvengt. lf you may not revenge your fdvcs on priv.;te m.t:n 1 much le(s on folfagijfrateJ :. And the 'Ton;.ue may be an unjull:,revenger, as well as thcbamL Paffion will provoke you robe tclhng all men, [Thus and thus I was ufed], and to per~ fwade ym\ that it is no fin to tell tht truth of what you {uffcred: But remember that the puhlick,_good and the houottr of Godr officers are of greater value, than the righting of a particular perfon that is injuted. Many a difcon!Cnted perfon hath [et Kingdoms on fue, by divulging the faults of Governours f-or the righting of themfelve:s. , Obj. But jhall cruel a;zd :mrighteo~M or perfecuting mm d(} mi{cbicf aJZd not hear of it, mr be bumhled for it ? A>f«<. r. Preachers of the Gofpel, and others that have opportYoity, may privately tell them of ir, to bring them to repentance ( if they will endure it,) without difl1onouring them by making it publici{. 2. Hiftorians will tcU poil:criry of it, to their perpetual infamy, ( if repentance and well·doing recover not their honour.) Flacrerers abufe the living, but Truth will dillionour La;np;·id. f.titb their wickedncfs when they are tlead; For it is Gods own deer:~' that t.he memory ofthe juft ir bleffed, ~;sAtl~:~,Sevebut the n.1me uf the wi.ck,_cd jhaU rot, Prov. Io. 7· 3· And God h1mfclf wtll fully be avenged upon the Amavitlire~ impenitent foe ever, having told you that ir were better for him that orfcndeth one of his little ones, r:ttQS homi– that amilllone were hanged about his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the Sea. And is not ncs, vehe~ all t?i~ enough, ~ithou.t ~he rcvcng~ ofyour paffionatc tongues ?_* T~fpe4k_ evi~ of digni1ie~, and defpife ~~::~c~ef~:Jommrun, andbrmg r,;Jlmg &ccu[attollr, arc the fins of the old hccnt!OUS Hereucks. Chnft left us his mid.ins ne· example n<>r to revile the meanefi when we arc reviled, r Per.. 2· 2j. If you believe that God will quid d; fe juftitic the innocent, and aveoge them fpeedily, Lu~ iS. 7, 8. what·need you be fo forward to jufiific aft;emmfcri~ and avenge your ftlvcs? :~~';;,~!. Hi- . {for. p. 131. Ti!:<crius l-c!'ua luto & fanguinc IU3.cerata; fui tegendi p~ritiffimu~ :artifex; totw:s umen roReritatis ocu!is paruir, D~o hypecnfli.U detr:.llt·•l~e !arv<l'ple..'}emc. • 11 lv~ttb. 18. 6, Mark 9• 4t. luk. 17.t. •Jud, 7· S, 9• · C c cc c cc 2 Obj.
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