538 An Expofition upon t e Title of his being ; but Elohim the Title of his power, is attributed to the Magiflrate, Pfal. Sa. r, 5. Obferve alto, that fubje &s may not examine by what way or mean Princes get their power, whether by right or wrong, for Paul knew that the Romans had by great force made themfelves the Lords of the world, yet he will have the prefent powers obeyed. Laftly, Paul fpeaks not of the per - fons, but of the fun&ions, which moil be refpe&ed, be the Governors good or bad. Mens deformities cannot extin- gu ifh Gods ordinances ; nor can divine funElions be Ieffe honourable by hu= mane frailties : it is a groffe malice or bl ìndneffe not to diflinguifh the fins of the usan, and the worthinéffe of the Magiftracy. DIALOGUE II. Vert. e, 2. For there is no power but of God, and the powers that be, are ordained of God. Who- foever therefore refifteth the power,refifi- eth the ordinance of God, and they that re- fill, 'hall receive to themfelves damnation. TI MOT HEUs. 11Ow doth our Apofile proceed ? S t L. In thefe words, and the verfes following, he rendreth fundry and weighty reafons why we ought to be fubje& to Magiirates, whereof the firft is taken from the efficient caufe and author, which is neither fortune, nor chance, nor men, nor Angels, good or bad, but only God himfelf; whole or- dinance we are bound to reverence, and be fitbje& to it ; but powers or Magi - firates are Gods ordinance, therefore we mull be fttbje& to them. This is the firft argument which may be thus fur- ther preffed and urged. It is comely and an hone(} thing to fubmit our felves unto that order which comes from God,who is not the author of any thing] that is evill: therefore Peeing Màgiftracy is a thing which God hath let among(( mew, it is a feemly and honeft thing to Chap. 13I fubmit our (elves unto it. T t M. May we not gather from the firfi words, that there are fundry powers, and that they are all o f God, one and other ? S r a. Yea, this Text implyeth, that there are fundry kindes of powers, and that they come all of God,their firff author, becaufe he faith in the plurall number [the powers that be] are ordained of God, which propofition being uni- verfall, fhewes that the former exclufive propofition (no powers but of God,] com- prehends all, and is as much in effevit, as if the Apoflle had Paid, all powers,both high,middle,or low,private or publick, civill,or Ecclefiaflicall, or whatfoever powers it be, have God for the ordainer thereof. Here 'Ictus obferve for diftin- &ion fake,that iron, the very beginning of the creation, God gave unto man a threefold power. Firft, over himfelf, which is the rule of uncorrupt reafon, over our fenfes and appetite in the foul of man, and may be likened unto the government which the mailer hath over the Scholars :,cif this it is written, Ecclef.7. 23. That God made man rights- 'our. And in Ecclefiafiicus 15. He left him in the hands of his own eounfell : and as Mofes fpeaks Peut. 3o. 19. Hefet before him life and death, good and evil]. Man is not like a Done or block (which can- not move but from an externall caufe moving it) but hath in himfelf the be- ginning of motion, whereby he could by the power of his will, apply himfelf unto good or evill, to chufe or refute, till by abufing his free will, in not re- fufing to eat the forbidden fruit,he loft both it and himfelf. The fecond power given to man in his firft creation, was over Beath, and Fowles, and Fifhès, ac- cording as it is written, Gen. 2. 26. Let him rule over the ft(her o f the tea, &c. Here- unto accordeth that in Pfal. 5. verf. 6, 7, 8. This was loft by Adam, but refto- red by Chriff. The third kinde of power was that which he gave to man over man : ofthis there be fundry forts, the firft of all was the power which the husband had given over Isis wife, Gen. 2. 21. & 3. 16. The next unto this, was the power of the Doubt. Solution. The kinder of power.
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