v. 4. and this is the true reason of our subjection Wherefore you must needs be subject not only for wrath but also for conscience sake 4. There is another objection against what the Apostle affirms that there is no power but of God the powers that be are ordained of God For is the power of victorious Rebels and Usurpers from God did Oliver Cromwell receive his power from God then it seems it was unlawful to resist him too or to conspire against him then all those Loyal Subjects who refused to submit to him when he had got the power in his hands were Rebels and Traitors To this I answer that the most prosperous Rebel is not the Higher Powers while our natural Prince to whom we owe obedience and subjection is in being And therefore though such men may get the power into their hands by Gods permission yet not by Gods Ordinance and he who resists them does not resist the Ordinance of God but the usurpations of men In Hereditary Kingdoms the King never dies but the same minute that the natural Person of one King dies the Crown descends upon the next of Blood and therefore he who rebelleth against the Father and murders him continues a Rebel in the Reign of the Son which commences with his Fathers death It is otherwise indeed where none can pretend a greater right to the Crown than the usurper for there possession of power seems to give a right Thus many of the Roman Emperours came to the Crown by very ill means but when they were possest of it they were the Higher Powers for the Crown did not descend by inheritance but sometimes by the Election of the Senate sometimes of the Army and sometimes by force and power which always draws a consent after it And therefore the Apostle does not direct the Christians to enquire by what Title the Emperours held their Crowns but commands them to submit to those who had the power in their hands for the possession of Supream and Soveraign power is Title enough when there is no better Title to oppose against it For then we must presume that God gives him the irresistible authority of a King to whom he gives an irresistible power which is the only means whereby Monarchies and Empires are transferred from one Nation to another There are two Examples in Scripture which manifestly confirm what I have now said The first in the Kingdom of Israel after the ten Tribes had divided from the House of Iudah and the Family of David God had not entailed the Kingdom upon any certain Family he had indeed by Ahijah the Prophet promised after Solomons death ten Tribes to Ieroboam the Son of Nebat 1 Kings 11. 29. c. but had afterwards by the same Prophet threatned Ieroboam to destroy his whole Family Chap. 15. 10 11. Baasha fulfils this prophecy by the traiterous murder of Nadab who succeeded his Father Ieroboam in the Kingdom and usurpt the government himself and slew all Ieroboam's house 28 29. v. This Murder and Treason is numbred among the sins of Baasha for which God afterwards threatned to destroy his house as he had done the house of Ieroboam 16 Chap. v. 7. and yet he having usurpt the Throne and got the power into his hands and no man having a better Title than his God himself is said to have exalted him out of the dust and made him Prince over his People Israel v. 2. Elah succeeded Baasha who had no better Title than his Father and yet Zimri who slew him is accused of Treason for it v 20. Zimri usurpt the Kingdom when he had slew his Master but he was only a vain pretender to it when he wanted power for when the people who were encamped against Gibbethon heard that Zimri had killed the King they made Omri King and went immediately and besieged Tirzah where Zimri had taken possession of the Kings Palace who finding no way to escape set fire to it himself and died in the flames of it And now Israel was divided between Omri and Tibni but those who followed Omri prevailed against those who followed Tibni and Tibni died and Omni Reigned v. 21 22. All which plainly shews that where there is no regular Succession to the Kingdom there possession of power makes a King who cannot afterwards be resisted and opposed without the guilt of treason and this was the case of the Roman Empire at the writing of this Epistle and therefore the Apostle might well say That the powers that be are ordained of God That whoever had the Supream power in his hands is the higher power that must not be resisted But it was otherwise in the Kingdom of Iudah which God himself had entailed on Davids Family as appears from the example of Ioash who was concealed by his Aunt Iehosheba and hid in the house of the Lord for six years During this time Athaliah reigned and had the whole power of government in her hands but yet this did not make her a Soveraign and irresistible Prince because Ioash the Son of Ahaziah the right Heir of the Crown was yet alive And therefore in the seventh year Iehoiada the Priest set Ioash upon the Throne and slew Athaliah and was guilty of no Treason or Rebellion in doing so 2 Kings 11. Which shews that no usurpations can extinguish the Right and Title of a natural Prince Such Usurpers though they have the possession of the supream power yet they have no right to it and though God for wise reasons may sometimes permit such usurpations yet while his Providence secures the Persons of such deposed and banished Princes from violence he secures their Title too As it was in Nebuchadnezzar's vision The tree is cut down but the stump of the roots is left in the earth The Kingdom shall be sure to them after that they shall know that the Heavens do rule Dan. 4. 26. 3. The Apostle adds the punishment of those who resist the higher Powers They that resist shall receive to themselves damnation Where by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 judgment and damnation it is plain the Apostle means the punishments of the other world Prosperous Rebellions are not always punisht in this world but they are in the next And therefore we must be subject not only for wrath for fear of men but out of Conscience towards God and a reverence of his righteous judgments The sum of all in short is this That all men whatever their rank and condition be not only Secular but Spiritual Persons not only private men but subordinate Magistrates not only single men but whole Bodies and Communities the united force and power of a Nation must be subject to Soveraign Princes that is must obey all their just and lawful commands and patiently submit even to their unjust violence without making any resistance without opposing force to force or taking Arms though it be only in their own defence For Soveraign Princes are made and advanced by God
was the Lords Anointed which is the very reason the Apostle gives in the 13 Rom. 1 2. because the powers are ordained of God and he that resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God For to be anointed of God signifies no more than that he was made King by God Thus Iosephus expounds being anointed by God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one who had the Kingdom bestowed on him by God and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one who was ordained by God For it seems by this phrase he look'd upon the external ceremony of Anointing to be like imposition of hands which in other cases consecrated Persons to peculiar offices For this external Unction was onely a visible signe of Gods designation of them to such an office and when that was plain they were as much God's Anointed without this visible Unction as with it Cyrus is called God's Anointed though he never was anointed by any Prophet but onely designed for his Kingdom by Prophesie 45 Isai. 1. And we never read in Scripture that any Kings had this external Unction who succeeded in the Kingdom by right of inheritance unless the Title and Succession were doubtful and yet they were the Lord 's Anointed too that is were plac'd in the Throne by him So that this is an eternal reason against resisting Soveraign Princes that they are set up by God and invested with his authority and therefore their Persons and their authority are sacred But yet there are some men who from the example of David think they can prove the lawfulness of a defensive though not of an offensive War For David when he fled from Saul made himself Captain of four hundred men 1 Sam. 22. 2. which number soon increased to six hundred 1 Sam. 23. 13. and still every day increased by new additions 1 Chron. 12. 1. Now why should he entertain these men but to defend himself against the forces of Saul that is to make a defensive War whenever he was assaulted by him 1. In answer to this I observe that David invited none of these men after him but they came Volunteers after a Beloved Captain and General which shews how formidable he could easily have made himself when such numbers resorted to him of their own accord 2. When he had them he never used them for any hostile acts against Saul or any of his forces he never stood his ground when he heard Saul was coming but always fled and his men with him men who were never used to flie and were very ready to have served him against Saul himself would he have permitted them And I suppose they will not call this a defensive War to flie before an enemy and to hide themselves in Caves and Mountains and yet this was the onely defensive War which David made with all his men about him nay all that he would make and all that he could make according to his professed Principles that it was not lawful to stretch out his hand against the Lord 's Anointed And when these men are pursued as David was by an enraged and jealous Prince we will not charge them with Rebellion though they flie before him by thousands in a company 3. Yet there was sufficient reason why David should entertain these men who voluntarily resorted to him though he never intended to use them against Saul for some of them served for spies to observe Saul's motions that he might not be surprized by him but have timely notice to make his escape And the very presence of such a number of men about him without any hostile Act preserved him from being seized on by some officious Persons who otherwise might have delivered him into Saul's hands And he being anointed by Samuel to be King after Saul's death this was the first step to his Kingdom to have such a retinue of valiant men about him which made his advancement to the Throne more easie and discouraged any oppositions which might otherwise have been made against him as we see it proved in the event and have reason to believe that it was thus ordered by God for that very end It is certain that Gad the Prophet and Abiathar the Priest who was the onely man who escaped the furie of Saul when he destroyed the Priests of the Lord were in David's retinue and that David enterprized nothing without first asking counsel of God But he who had anointed him to be King now draws forces after him which after Saul's death should facilitate his advancement to the Kingdom 2. It is objected further that David intended to have staied in Keilah and to have fortified it against Saul had not he been informed that the men of the Citie would have saved themselves by delivering him up to Saul 1 Sam. 23. Now to maintain any strong hold against a Prince is an act of War though it be but a defensive War And I grant it is so but deny that there is any appearance that David ever intended any such thing David and his men by God's appointment and direction had fought with the Philistins and smote them with a great slaughter and saved Keilah from them and as it is probable did intend to have staied some time in Keilah But David had heard that Saul intended to come against Keilah to destroy the Citie and take him and enquires of the Lord about it and received an answer that Saul would come against the Citie He enquires again whether the men of Keilah would deliver him up to Saul and was answered that they would And upon this he and his men leave Keilah and betake themselves to the strong holds in the Wilderness But now is it likely that if David had had any designe to have fortified Keilah against Saul he would have been afraid of the men of the Citie He had 600 men with him in Keilah a victorious Armie which had lately destroyed the Philistins who oppressed them and therefore could easily have kept the men of Keilah too in awe if he had pleased and have put it out of their power to deliver him to Saul But all that David designed was to have staid there as long as he could and when Saul had drawn nigh to have removed to some other place But when he understood the treacherous inclinations of the men of Keilah and being resolved against all acts of hostilitie he hastened his remove before Saul drew near So that these men must find some other example than that of David to countenance their rebellion against their Prince for David never rebelled never fought against Saul but when he had a very potent Armie with him he and his men always fled and hid themselves in the Wilderness and places of difficult access The sum is this God from the very beginning set up such a supreme and soveraign power in the Iewish Nation as could not as ought not to be resisted This power was at first in the hands of Moses and when Korah and his companie rebelled against him God
vindicated his authoritie by a miraculous destruction of those Rebels for the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up Afterward when they came into Canaan the ordinary exercise of this power was in their High-Priests and Iudges whom God raised up whose sentence and judgment was final and must not be resisted under penaltie of death when the Children of Israel desired a King this soveraign and irresistible power was transferred to him and setled in his Person Saul was the first King who was chosen by God and anointed by Samuel but for his disobedience was afterwards rejected by God and David the son of Iesse was anointed King to succeed after Saul's death But in the mean time David was persecuted by Saul who sought after his life And though he himself was anointed by God and Saul was rejected by him yet he durst not resist nor oppose him nor defend himself by force against the most unjust violence but fled for his life and hid himself in Caves and Mountains Nay when Saul was delivered into his hands by God he durst not stretch out his hand against the Lord 's Anointed But to proceed in the story Solomon David's son who succeeded him in his Kingdom did all those things which God had expresly forbid the King to do He sent into Egypt for Horses 1 Kings 10. 28. He multiplied Wives and loved many strange women together with the daughter of Pharoah women of the Moabites Ammonites Edomites Zidonians and Hittites 1 Kings 11. 1. He multiplied Silver and Gold 10 chap. 27. contrary to the command of God For this God who is the onely Judge of Soveraign Princes was very angry with him and threatens to rend the Kingdom from him which was afterwards accomplished in the days of Rehoboam but yet this did not give authoritie to his Subjects to rebel If to be under the direction and obligation of Laws makes a limited Monarchie it is certain the Kingdom of Israel was so There were some things which the King was expresly forbid to do as you have already heard and the Law of Moses was to be the rule of his government the standing Law of his Kingdom And therefore he was commanded when he came to the Throne to write a copy of the law with his own hand and to read in it all his days that he might learn to fear the Lord his God and to keep all the words of this law and these Statutes to do them 17 Deut. 18 19 20. and yet he was a soveraign Prince if he broke these Laws God was his Judge and avenger but he was accountable to no earthly Tribunal Baasha killed Nadab the son of Ieroboam and reigned in his stead 1 Kings 15. 25 26 27. and for this and his other sins God threatens evil against Baasha and against his house 16 Chron. 7. Zimri slew Elah the son of Baasha and slew all the house of Baasha but he did not long enjoy the Kingdom which he had usurpt by treason and murder for he reigned but seven days in Tirzah which being besieged and taken by Omri he went into the Palace of the King's house and burnt the King's house over him with fire and died v. 18. This example Iezebel threatned Iehu with Had Zimri peace who slew his master 2 Kings 9. 31. and yet Nadab and Elah were both of them very wicked Princes And if that would justifie Treason and Murder both Baasha and Zimri had been very innocent This is a sufficient evidence how sacred and inviolable the Persons and Authority of the Iewish Kings were during the time of that Monarchie But it will not be amiss briefly to consider what obligations the Iews were under to be subject to the higher powers when they were carried captive into Babylon Now the Prophet Ieremiah had given an express command to them Seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives and pray to the Lord for it for in the peace thereof ye shall have peace 29 Jer. 7. Which made it a necessary duty to be subject to those powers under whose government they lived And accordingly we find that Mordecai discovered the Treason of Bigthana and Teresh two of the King's Chamberlains the Keepers of the door who sought to lay hand on the King Ahasuerus 6 Esther 2. And how numerous and powerful the Iews were at this time and what great disturbance they could have given to the Empire appears evidently from the book of Esther King Ahasuerus upon the suggestions of Haman had granted a Decree for the destruction of the whole People of the Iews which was sent into all the Provinces written and sealed with the King's ring This Decree could never be reversed again for that was contrary to the Laws of the Medes and Persians And therefore when Esther had found favour with the King all that could be done for the Iews was to grant another Decree for them to defend themselves which accordingly was done and the effect of it was this That the Iews at Shusan slew three hundred men and the Iews of the other Provinces slew seventy and five thousand and rested from their enemies 9 Esther 15 16 17. Without this Decree Mordecai did not think it lawful to resist which yet was a case of as great extremity and barbarous cruelty as could ever happen which made him put Esther upon so hazardous an attempt as to venture into the King's presence without being called which was death by their Law unless the King should graciously hold out the golden Scepter to them 4 Esth. 11. and yet when they had obtained this Decree they were able to defend themselves and to destroy their enemies which is as famous an example of Passive Obedience as can be met with in any History And therefore the Prophet Daniel acknowledges to Belteshazzar The most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy Father a Kingdom and Majesty and Glory and Honour and for the Majesty that he gave him all People nations and languages trembled and feared before him Whom he would he slew and whom he would he kept alive and whom he would be set up and whom he would he pulled down 5 Dan. 18 19. And if these Heathen Kings receive their power from God as the Prophet here affirms St. Paul has made the application of it That he that resisteth resisteth the ordinance of God This may serve for the times of the Old Testament and I shall conclude these testimonies with the saying of the wise man who was both a Prophet and a King I counsel thee to keep the King's commandment and that in regard of the oath of God Be not hasty to go out of his sight stand not in an evil thing for he doth whatsoever pleaseth him Where the word of a King is there is power and who may say unto him What dost thou 8 Eccl. 2 3 4. CHAP. II. The Doctrine of Christ concerning Non-resistance LEt us now consider what Christ and his Apostles taught