CERTAINE GODLY AND MOST necessarie Annotations vppon the thirteenth Chapter to the Romanes set forth by the right vigilant Pastor Iohn Hoper by Gods calling Bishop of Gloucester GOD IS MY HELPE GOD IS MY HELPE Psal 7.11 AT LONDN Printed by Robert Walde-graue dwelling without Temple-barre neere vnto Sommer-set House 1583. To my very louing and deare beloued sellowlaborers in the word of God brethren in Christ VVILLIAM IENINS Dean of the Cathedrall Church in Glocester IOHN VVILLIAMS Doctor of the law and chancellour and to the rest of al the church apointed there to serue the liuing God with all other Archdeacons Officials Deanes Persons Vicars and Curates within this the Kinges Maiesties diocese of Glocester grace mercy from the Lorde euer liuing in the bloud of Iesus Christ our onely Sauiour IF THE DANGERS AND perils of S. Paules time dearely beloued ministred and gaue occasion vnto him for to feare of the losse of such people as then were conuerted vnto the knowledge and vnderstanding of Gods holy word least by negligence or corrupt doctrine of the Bishops and pastours they might be seduced and brought into errous doubtlesse the daungers of this our time that be not onely to be feared least such as knowe the truth be by errour seduced and brought from the truth or els by continuance in vngodly life continue in the truth in vaine But also that the most part of people be yet ignoraunt and not conuerted vnto the truth should minister and giue occasion vnto vs a great deale more to bee vigilant and circumspect not onely to keepe those in truth to whom God hath reuealed it But also to winne and conuert with all prayer diligence preching and other instruction such as yet be ignorant and out of the way vnto the truth and knowledge of Gods word And so much the rather because we see by experience and also feele it in our selues that the iust God is offended and angrie with our sinnes and will not be contented vvith these troubles miseries and crosses that already he layeth vpon vs but doth doubtlesse prepare make ready many more and more greenous Our office therefore is to be diligent and circumspect for the people of God and now the hand of God being stretched foorth to admonishe the flocke committed vnto our charges in time least they dye and their bloud required at our handes Certaine I am that our sinnes bee the onely cause wherfore this most iust God is offended and certaine we bee that the onely waye and meanes to please and quiet him againe is to leaue washe away our sinnes VVhat the sinnes of the people be vvhere vvithall God is thus offended you that haue the ouersight of them knovv or yee ought to know I meane not to descend particularly to any sinne least peraduenture I might seeme to be timereous and ouer hardy to iudge more then I perfectly know or els in naming suche sinnes as manye good simple people haue not hearde of might rather learne to augment the euill they know then to learne the good they know not It is the duety of euery good pastour and curate diligently to search and knovv what vertue is most meet to be commended and vvhat vice most to be reprehended in the Church that he serueth I vvill leaue therefore the vnknovven euils vnto metro the sheepheard of euery parishe requiring him to marke the sinnes of the people after and by the estimation of Gods worde and thereby to pender the condition of his people least that he cause them and do the same him selfe swallow a Camell and be chooked vvith a flee leape ouer a blocke and stumble at a straw Before all things see that the people know their commandements and the vvorkes thereof apertaining vnto God in the first table that they honour no vvrong not false God nor yet the true God a vvrong vvay but as he hath commaunded him selfe in the olde Testament and the nevv And also that they auoyde all suche sinnes faultes and disobedience as bee contrary to the commaundementes of God in the second table And for a helpe vnto you and also to the people in this behalfe I haue set forth here the 13. Chapter of S. Paule to the Romaines vvhich intreateth of all the second table and duetie of a Christian man hovv he should vse him selfe vvith and tovvardes all sorts of people Most heartily praying you and also in Gods name and the kings maiesties name commaund you that as many as serueth any cure vvithin this Diocesse that can not for lacke of learning or exercise teach or preach him selfe to the people the like doctrine that they doe euery day reade vnto the people this 13. Chapter as I haue here set it forth that the people may learne to knovve loue and feare the better the Kinges maiestie and other such Maiestrates as be by him appointed ouer the people And all such as God hath giuen grace of preaching vnto in their Sermons shall oftentimes inculcate and persvvade this argument and rule of obedience vnto the people And the cause vvhy I haue vvritten in this chapter more then an other and thinke it very expedieÌ„t to be now taught vnto the people is the great dangerous offences and sinnes of the richer sort of people and also of the poore both in this shier and also other the kings maiesties in this realme And certaine I am that both of them shall dye eternally if they amend not VVherefore to deliuer my soule I giue such as bee commended by God and chokinâ—es maiestie vnto my charge vvarning of the iudgement and damnation to come before The rich man so incrocheth gathereth togeather and obtayneth so much into his ovvne handes that he alone possesseth the earth liueth thereby and his poore neighbours ready to dye for lacke so that hee is brought into Tantalus paine meat and drinke cattell and corn inough of euery side of him yet shall rather dye for laeke then that vnsatiable and neuer contented couetous persons will price their goods so as poore men their wiues and their children may be able to bye reasonable penyworthes of Gods aboundant plenty and riches that he bringeth out of the earth These men except they repent cannot bee saued nor be partakers of the merites of Christes passion For God vvould the rich to giue vnto the poore but our men that care neither for God nor the Kings lavves vvill neither giue nor sell what soeuer necessitie do require If they wold not care for Gods word yet should they haue respect to nature and to their countrie though the poore man be not a rich man yet is he a Christian and thy country man of whome nature and countryship requireth thee to haue compassion The poore man partly prouoked by necessitie need and partly of vnchristian hatred disdaine he hath at his neighbours wealth and prosperitie conspireth worketh prouoketh and desireth by all meanes to oppresse and rob his richer neighbour and will by force
strength treason sedition commotion assemblance and gathering togeather of such as he is him selfe against Gods lawes Gods ordinances Magistrates and superiour powers take away and vsurpe euery mans goods he careth not how Not remembring the iudgment and terrible damnation of God for his so doing and that it is his bounden duty to suffer and beare such needes and necessities as God layeth vppon vs for our sinnes And that vpon paine of hell fire no man shoulde reuenge his ovvne wronges but commend him selfe to God who can and vvill heare the prayers of the poore in their troubles and needes And that they should offer their supplications to the kinges maiestie and to such other as be appointed for the redresse of such oppression and wronges and not to take weapons armour and force against God and his ordinances In case the Kings maiestie and the rest apointed to see poore mens causes redressed will not hearken to their clamour doubtlesse the ire and vengeance of God will punish them and so much the rather if the people quietly and obediently commend their causes vnto him the which it they do not they perish eternally For there is no traitour nor seditious man can be saued but obedieÌ„t and quiet men shall inherite the kingdome of heauen and such as suffer wrong and not such as do wrong or intend to reuenge by strength their owne wrongs Therefore to keepe the people of this Diocesse from the displeasure of God and their King and my selfe from euerlasting damnation I require you most diligently to teach them this chapter euery weeke one part of it the Saterday at euensong the other the Sunday at the morning prayer and the third part the Sonday at euensong Thus fare ye all wel and God giue vs grace al well to discharge our offices commended vnto vs. Yours with all my heart Brother and fellow-preacher Iohn Gloucester To the Christian Reader _â—He office duty of a christian man is contained in two parts The firste that be vse himselfe aright and reuerently with God The seconde that hee vse him comely and honestly with man In the Epistle to the Romans from the beginning S. Paul hath fully and sufficiently declared the duty and office of man towards God towardes the end he declareth how we may honestly do our duties towards men Both these offices must diligently be knowne and exercised And because a ciuil outward life seeme it neuer so honest is meere and very hipocrisie and can not please God except the mind and soule inwardly bee well affected towards him I thinke it conuenient briefly to declare wherein S Paul in this epistle doth put the religion of the heart of man towardes God and then we shall the better descende vnto such dueties and offices as appertaineth to all maner of persons as well publique as priuate First S. Paule perceiueth that the grace and promises of God cannot be knowne of man vntil such time as he be brought to acknowledge and displeasure of his sinnes The Phisition Phisicke be vnprofitable vnto such as know not that they be sicke as Christ sayd Math. 9. I came not to cal the iâ—st but sinners to repentaunce Therefore we must know the wound of our soules and the sickenesse of sinne before we can get any profit by the grace of God We must confesse that all men and women except Christ are borne the children of yre and of Gods displeasure and that we beare about in vs synne that alwayes repugneth the spirit wherby we are acertayned that we be always subiect vnto synn as S. Rom. 11. Paul sayth be concludeth al men vnder synne because he might haue mercy vpon al. Seing we are all synners and the rewarde of synne Rom. 6. Ephe. 2. S. Paules conclusion where be sayth we are borne all the children of Gods displeasure is true How then may we be deliuered from this great yre and displeasure 1. Ioh. 4. Rom. 5. By the mercye of God the father towards vs that first loued vs or we loued him whiles we were yet his enemies But what is that wherewith all we may be annexed and reconciled vnto God by his mercy when there is no good thing in 〈◊〉 but all filthy sinful It is Iesus Christ the son of God most dere beloued in whom the father is conteÌ„ted by whoÌ„ he is recoÌ„ ciled vnto al sinners that repent beleue his promises Mat. 3.17 Ephe. 12. Col. 1.2 Rom. 8. Phil. 2. for the merites sheding of Christs bloud his dere beloued sonne After that we see and perceiue so great a mercy pitty of our heauenly father that wold not fauour nor spare his only sonne to dye for our redempio but gaue him to the most cruel vile death of the crosse forvs how should not we trust to so merciful a father in al our troubles aduersityes whether they be of body or soul Why should we not cal onely vpon so merciful a God Mat 11. If we do thus amend our liues beleeue his promises and study a better lyfe Luk. â— we shall not onelie be saued by his mercy but also glad to serue him and walke before him in innocency purenes of life also obediently quietly in the world giue reuerence and loue to all persons accordingly to whom honor honor to whom loue loue to whom iustice iustce to whom mercy mercy Vnto this christian â—uietnes reuerence loue and feare doth at the scripture exhort vs cheefly this present 13. chap. to the Ro. For the vnderstanding wherof the better I note at the beginning a certaine diuersitie and difference of persons There be and euer hath bene some publique persons and some priuate persons Publique persons be those that beare any office rule re giment or dominion in a common wealth as a king with all his iustices Maiors Sheriffes Baliffes Constables and other Priuate persons be such as be subiectes vnder these officers These two persons must be diuersly vsed the duety that is due vnto the one is not due vnto the other in ciuill respectes And seeing we must liue with both these persons and states apointed to be in the world by almighty God S. Paul in this Chapiter is very diligent to teach instruct vs how we should liue accordingly in truth and honesty towards them both The diuision of the Chapter Partes 1 VVhy the superiour powers should be obeyed Partes 2 How we be debters of loue to the publique person and Magistrate and to the priuate person that is a subiect indifferently Partes 3 Containeth an exhortation to innocencie and honestie of life that the truth being once knowne and receiued euery man should abstaine and kepe him selfe from filthinesse and vncleane life The first part concerning the obedience of the Magistrates The Text. Let euery soul submit himselfe vnto the aucthority of the higher powers SAint Paul pronounceth generally that euery soule that is to saye euerye man shoulde
be obedient vnto the higher power in a kingdome and monarchie where one is appointed to rule all the subiects of the same realme are bounde to obey the King appointed by God of what condition state or degree soeuer they bee as the king himselfe is bounde to bee obedient vnto the lawe and vnto God where as the laws be not contrary to the lawe of God and the lawe of nature And here is no exception to bee made No man in a kingdome is or oughte to bee priuiledged or exempt from the obedience of the king which is the higher power And the ecclesiasticall lawes that doe exempt and priuiledge any spirituall as they be called or temporall person from this generall rule Euery man be obedient to the higher power is damnable and hereticall manifestly condemned by the word of God For Christe and his Apostles payde tribute Mat. 17.22 Rom. 13. and other duties vnso the Higher powers of the earth And the powers that heere S. Paule speaketh of be not onely Kings emperors but also such as be appointed to any publique office and common regiment eyther for a King where as is a Kingdome or in the place of a King where as the state of the common wealth is no monarchie but a rule and dominion commended to many To all these S. Paule commandeth obedience honor reuerence and loue to be borne And this is specially to be noted in S Paule that he sayth simply and plainely we should obey the higher powers to confute argue and reprehend those that cloak and excuse their inobedience cyther for the age of the rulers or els for conditions and maners of the rulers And that age dischargeth no man for inobedience the worde of God declareth how that hee was present to helpe yong kings 2. Chro. 〈◊〉 and to defend them in their vnder age as it is to bee seene by king Iosâ—as Also God punisheth young Kinges as often as they walke not after his worde as it is to bee seene by Iehoiacim 1. Chro. 36. that was crowned in the eight yeare of his age and within three monethes and Tenne dayes for the Synnes he committed before God he was taken prisoner by Nabuchadnezer Euen so was Manasses beeing of 12. yeares of age Neither doth the maners and condition of the Magistrates excuse our inobedience thogh they be naught For Paule biddeth vs looke vppon the power and ancthoritie of the higher powers and not vpon their maners 1. Pet. 2. * And S. Peter commaundeth the seruauntes to obey their Masters though they be euil So Ioseph obeid Pharaoh and Christ our sauiour Pilate S. Paule the emperours of Rome Caligula and Nero. And when S. Paule commaundeth vs to be obedient he meaneth not onely we shoulde speake reuerently and honorably of the higher power or make curtesie vnto him but to obey the lawes set foorth by the powers except they commaund thinges against gods laws Act. 5. then must * we obey more God then men and yet not to striue and fight with the Magistrates but suffer patiently death rather then to offend God or els our obedience is no thing but hipocrisie and dissimulation Who wold accept his own childs making of curtesie when all his facts be contrary to his commaundement What master woulde bee content or thinke his seruaunt did his duety in putting of his Cap and in his doing contemneth all his maisters lawes and commaundements The lawes of a Magistrate be of two conditions and sorts eyther they concerne God or man If they concerne or appertaine to God either they be according to the word of God or contrary to the word of God If they be according to the word of God of necessity and bondage vpon paine of damnation they must be obeyed If they be repugnant to the word of God they shoulde not be obeyed Yet rather shoulde a man suffer death then to defend him selfe by force and violent resisting of the superiour powers as Christe his Apostles and the Prophets did If the lawes concerne and appertaine vnto man and vnto things Ciuill they must simply without exception be obeyed except they repugne and be contrary to the law of nature Exod. 1. As Pharaohs lawes and commaundementes was to the Midwiues that they shoulde haue killed all the men children that the women of Isralites brought foorth Seeing Sainte Paul commandeth vs to giue obedience vnto the higher powers howe muche be these men worthy hell fire that resist them both with hand hart and tong Exod. 22. In the book of Exodus the people is commanded not too speake euil of the higher powers read that place learn to detest abhor those runagats that euery iâ— tauern and taphouse spew oute their blasphemous and traiterous talks Exod. 23.22 against the magistrates when they shold rather look vpoÌ„ their own faâ—â—ts studie to amend them And also pray God to do thesame in the Magistrats that it might please him of his greate mercye to amende and redresse all thinges that be amisse After that S. Paul hath generally coÌ„mmanded al men to be obedient to the higher powers he sheweth the causes wherefore they should be obeyed The text For there is no power saith he but of God The powers that bee are ordeyned of God Whosoeuer therfore resisteth power resisteth the ordinances of God BEcause that naturally there is in euerye man a certaine desire of libertye and to liue withoute subiection and all maner of lawes except suche as please him selfe Sainte Paule is not content generally to exhort and commaund all men to obedience of the higher powers but giueth many greate and waighty causes wherefore men shoulde bee obedient and in subiection vnto them The first is because the office of a Magistrate is the ordinaunce of God and seeing all the ordinaunces and powers of God are to be obeyed necessarely it followeth that with out al tergiuersation hipocrisie and collusion the Magistrate must be obeyed except we will say in some respectes God is is not to bee obeyed And of this reason of Saint Paule wee muste uote Firste the dignitie and honour of a publique person that his office and place is the ordinance and appointment of God And therefore the Magistrats be called Gods in the holy scripture Exod. 22. Psal 82. For no man can come to the office of a Magistrate but by the permission and sufferance of God Many times some persons come vnto the place of a ruler by false and preposserous meanes as those doe that for a priuate lucre or priuate hatred to other put vp them selues and pull downe those that God hath appointed But such vngodly comming to honour God suffereth and appointeth for the sinnes of the people such euill and dissembling hiporrites to raigne But let the King and Magistrate be as wicked as can be deuised thoght yet is his office and place the ordinance and appointment of God and therefore to be obeyed And as it is the
subiectes duety to obey them so is it their duety to watch and be circumspect that they trouble nor vnquiet any thing in their offices contrary to the word of God whose officers they be In case they doe although the subiects may not nor vpon paine of eternal damnation oughtnot by force nor violence to resist the officer in his high power yet he should and is bound to thinke him selfe that God can and will as wel reuenge the abuse of his office in him as punish the subiect for the disobedience of his ordinaunces towards the higher power If it be true that S. Paul saith the higher power to be the ordinance of God it is very damnable iniquitie that for any priuate affection or other vniust oppressions for any man to depose the Magistrats from their places and honor appointed by God or els priuily or openly craftely or violently to goe about to change or alter the state and ordinance of God and there withall God is sore offended as it doth apear by the grudging and murmuring of the people against Moses in the desart Sam. 8. the which thoughts and conspiracies of the people against their Magistrate and gouernour the Lorde punished with Death Num. 14. and kylled them all before they came to the land of Canaan For euen as Kinges and Magistrates be appointed and ordayned of God euen so be they also defended by him as it appeareth by Dauid Iosaphat 2. Sam. 17.18 and other And the sedition and treason redounded alwaies to the destruction of the people at length as is to be seene in Absolon Architophell Catlime Brutus Casius and other that destroyed not onely them selues but also the people by such treason and disobedience against the ordinaunce and appointment of God as yee may see here by the text of S. Paul that followeth which is his second cause why the higher powers should be obeyed And as he sayd first they should be obeyed because their place and authoritie is the ordinaunce of God so now in his second cause he sheweth what great daunger and perill it is to resist and disobey Gods ordinaunces The text And they that resist shall receiue to them selues damnation A◠though hee had sayde least yee shoulde thinke it a light thinge but a trifling matter to withstand and disobey the Magistrates vnderstand ye that in your so doing ye withstand and fight against God and therefore yee prouoke iudgement and vengeaunce against your selues and be culpable and gyltie of Gods euerlasting displeasure if yee repent not and giue ouer your obstinate and disobedient rebellion Here Saint Paule hath set foorth the ende and successe of sedicion Treason conspiracie and rebellion to say destruction both of body and soule Who is able to contend and fight with God and ouercome him Is not he onely almighty and onely strength Absolon with a thousand traitours against one true subiect preuailed not against his father Dauid but dyed the death of a traitour Euen so did those whom before I named And as saint Paule speaketh here Mat. 26. so speaketh Christe to Peter Hee that stryketh with the swoorde shall perishe by the swoorde if Gods worde bee true as it can not be fals al such as do by thought word or deed intend to trouble vnquiet change aulter moue or resist the ordinauce of God which is the Magistrates and higher powers must needes of necessitie perishe as well in this world as in the world to come except they repent and cease from doing of euil Now goeth S. Paul fourth with the text The Text. For rulers be not to be feared of such as doe well but of such as do euill BY these wordes S. Paule declareth two things First he warneth the Magistrate of his office least when he shal perceiue it to be the ordinance of God and that no man should more resist and contrarye it then to resist and contrary God should waxe arrogant and proude and beginne to fauour and flatter himselfe to much vnder the tittle and pretence of Gods power But God forbid sayth saint Paule that the Magistrate shoulde thinke any such thing he shoulde remember rather that hee is appointed to his place to defēd helpe preserue such as be good and punish such as be nought euill This commandement did God command to the higher powers in the commō wealth of the Israelites and that they shoulde not lift vp their hearts aboue their brothers Exod. 18. Num. 27. Deu. 1.16 and 17. 2. Par. 39. Psal 72.82.101 but to vse indifferencie iustice with all indifferently without exception of persōs as ye may read in the holy scripture The second part of S. Paules words commendeth the Magistrats for their vtilitie and commoditie in the common wealth because that by their authoritie euill doers among the people are punished and corrected that honest and true men maye liue in rest and quietnesse And for this commoditie and necessary vse we bee bound to obey them For through their diligence labour and paynes vnder God we eate heare the worde of God labour bring vp youth househouldes be in quietnesse the goods thereof with Cities Townes and Villages of the realme These commodities be great and worthy of thankes especially to God and then to the higher power Saint Paule followeth his purpose with these wordes The Text. Wilt thou be without feare of the higher power Do well then and so shalt thou be praysed of them WHere as before he sayd the high power was a feare to euill doers in these wordes hee sheweth how men may be without feare of the Magistrates to say if men do wel for wel doing pleaseth Gods order and Gods order beeing pleased feareth not nor punisheth the wel doer And whereas Saint Paule speaketh of feare to the higher power we muste vnderstand that feare is of two sortes one is if loue and good will anexed and knit with reuerence and loue and this feare is onely in godly and vertuous men that delight to be ordred and ruled after the order and appoyntment of God The other feare is annexed w e spite hatred enuy disdain the wisheth ther were no order law nor Magistrates and those that bee to destroy them o◠to bring them out of credite and estimation among the people This feare is wicked and damnable and a testimonie of an euill and cursed conscience and forbidden here in this place by S. Paule Saint Paule continueth in the commendation of the Magistrates saying The Text. For he is the Minister of God for thy wealth HEre Saint Paule addeth an other commendation of the higher power the which consisteth in two members wherefore he shoulde be obeyed The firste is because he is the Minister of God The second because hee was instituted and appointed by God for the wealth and commoditie of the subiect In this that Saint Paule calleth him the Minister of God he putteth the subiect in minde againe that who so euer contemne or disobey the
higher power Lu. c. 10. contemneth and disobeyeth God And so sayth Christ who so contemneth such as I appoint and send contemneth me And the same saide God vnto Moses They haue not cast of thee but mee Also the magistrate there is warned to take heede he doe nothing but as the minister of God to rule and gouerne after his word Deu 17. â— Cor. 4. For this God requireth of him that he be a faithfull minister And whensoeuer hee begin to waxe lofty hauty arrogant and proude let him remember S. Pauls wordes that he is but a minister And where as S. Paul saith the magistrate is ordeined for the wealth of the people he must take heede of the end wher vnto he is appointed be in need as God wold him to be a wealth and saluation of the people to defend iust causes and to condemne such as be vniust to remoue false and supersticious religion and to plant true and godly religion to maintaine such as profite the Churche and flocke of Christ and to remoue such as hinder and deceiue them S. Paule now prosecutetd his matter and sheweth who should feare the higher powers with these wordes The Text. If thou do euill then feare for he beareth not a sworde for nought but hee is the minister of God to take punishment of them that do euill EUen as S. Paul saith here that the cause of feare to an euill man is that the Magistrate beareth a sword Euen so doth he declare that it is not inough for the Magistrate to beare a sword but to vse execute the sword as the sinnes of the people require to punish and kil them if the law so find them gyltie and for feare of the vse of the sword which is not in vaine they should keepe euill doers in obedience and feare and so much the more because hee is the minister of God and his punishment is the very hand and will of God when he punisheth euill doers And it is not he that killeth but God whose place he occupieth beeing a Magistrate and higher power For God commandeth him to punish Exod. 23.22 Liuit 19.20 Deu. 19. and not to fauour such euill and naughty persons It is very diuilishnes to accuse the Magistrates of euill doinges when they punish or put to death euil doers seing in their thie doing they be none other but Gods Ministers And where as the scripture forbiddeth punishement and reuenging it meaneth that no priuate man shoulde reuenge his owne cause nor fight at his pleasure but rather suffer wronges if the law will not redresse it And if the iudge and Magistrate in a cause of the law for lucre feare loue friendship or any other respect kill any man that is not worthy by the law to die the iudg and Magistrate is a very murtherer And so he is if hee saue any man that the lawe condemneth For hee is as saint Paule saith a Minister of God who neuer saueth one and condemneth the other in like causes Saint Paule when he hath sufficiently deelared the dignitie and honour of the higher power gathereth by two necessary causes more that the Magistrate is to be obeyed with these wordes The Text. Wherefore yee must needes obey not for feare of vengeaunce onely but also because of conscience THe one cause wherfore we must obey is the feare of paine punishment the which the Magistrate must minister by the commaandement of God vnto all such as disobey and contemne the ordinance of God The other is conscience for although the magistrat do not sée nor know how thou doest disobey breake the order of God or els if thou couldest by power and strength ouercome the magistrates yet thy conscience is bound to obey that for many causes First because the magistrate is the ordinaunce of God then because disobedience breaking of Gods law troubleth the publique comon peace giueth other stomack incouraging to disobey Al these euils followeth disobedience the which of conscieÌ„ce we are bound to eschew auoid Ther be some so indurates past grace the think themselues not bound to obey this order and higher power appointed commanded of God but doubtles those shal perish with their captains as Aâ—chiâ—â—phel did with his Absolon If the higher power commaund any thing contrary vnto Gods word they shoulde not be obeied Notwithstanding there shoulde be such modestie sobernesse vsed as should be without all violence force and rebellion As Peter and Iohn vsed saying God is more to be obeyed then man And so in saying of truth they continued in the truth without mouing of sedition and suffred death for the truth as Fabian and Ciprian holy martyrs and recordes of God suffered in Affrica vnder Decius the Emperor of Rome How we are bound in conscience to obey them S. Paul declareth further saying The Text. And euen for this cause pay yee tribute for they are Gods ministers appoynted to the same purpose IF we were not bound in conscience to obey them we should not need to pay tribute vnto them but seeing we ought to pay tribute Taxes and subsidies we know they doe defend vs against al force violence and wronges of our ennemies Therfore tribute is a note and knowledge of our obedience which we must pay willingly 〈◊〉 gladly of duety as Christ sayth giue vnto God the which is Gods and to the emperor that which is the emperors S. Paule sheweth the cause why tribute ought to be payed vnto the higher powers because saith he they be ordeyned of God to preserue and defend the common wealth in peace and quietnes to punish the euil and to defend the good And without the magistrates helpe this can not be done as yee may read in the booke of the Iudges how the people fel into al mischiefe when they wanted a lawful Magistrate and superiour power and euery man did as it séemed best in his owne eyes And in the Prophet Esay Esay 3. the Lord threatneth the wicked Hierusalem because there was none in it worthy to beare rule EueÌ„ as subiectes be bound to obey this higher power so must the higher power alway take heed that vertue good men be coÌ„mended and euil men with sin and disobedience punished Now followeth the second part of the Chapter The text Giue to euery man therfore his duety tribute to whom tribute belongeth Custome to whom custome is due feare to whom feare belongeth honour to whom honour pertayneth WHen S. Paule hath sufficiently told vs our dueties to the higher power he descendeth from that particularity and one sort of persons to a generallitie how we should do our duties to al maner of persons First generally he saith we shoulde giue euerie man his due Then numbreth he certaine kinds and particulers of duties Tribute we owe to kings and Magistrats that must we faithfully pay or els the with holders commit theft therfore Christ payed tribute Custome is the reuenewes or profites