174 CIVIL POWER IN THINGS SACRED. making laws, whether the king, the nobles, nor the people, or all these together, yet still the particular executionof these laws must be committed to many particular magistrates or officers, and they are usually fixed in a subordination to one another, each of them fulfilling their several posts throughout the nation, in order to secure the general peace. V. In all these forms of government there is, as I hinted before, a compact of agreement between the governors andgo- verned, expressed nor implied, viz. that the governors shall make it their care andbusiness toprotect the people in their lives, . liberties and properties, by restraining or punishing those who injure, attack or assault them ; and that the governed submit to be punished if any of them are found guilty of these practices And also that they oblige themselves to pay such homage, honours, and taxes,'and yield such assistance to the governors with their natural powers, and their money or possessions, as may best obtain the great ends of government, and the common safety of the whole society. VI. For this purpose therefore, each person by this com- pact willingly abridges himself of some part of his original liberty or property, for the common service of the society of which he is a member: Andhe engages himself with his powers andcapacities to defend and preserve the - peace, and order, and government of the society, so long as he and his fellow -subjects are protected by it, in the enjoyment of all their natural rights and liberties. The very reason of man and the nature ofthings show us the necessity of such agreements. VII. From this view of things it appears, that though no particular form of government, besides the ancient Jewish, could claim divine right, yet all government, in general, is originally from God, as he is the author of nature and reason, and the Godof order and justice : And every particular govern- ment which is agreed upon by men, so far as it retains the original design of government, and faithfully preserves the peace and libertiesof mankind, ought tobe submitted to, and is supported by the authority of God ; for it is God our creator, who by the light of reason hath led mankind into civil govern- ment, in order to their mutual help, and preservation, and peace. In this sense it is that the two great apostles Peter and Paul vindicate civil governors, and demand subjection to them from christians; Rom. xiii. 1 -4. Let every soul be subject to the higher powers ; for there is no power but of God: The powers . that be, are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinanceof God, and they that resist shall re- ceive to themselvesdamnation, that.is, are coirdemned ; for rulers are not a terror togood works, but to theevil. .I Peterii. l3. Submit yourselves to every ordinance ofmanfor the Lord's sake; whether
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=