Works, Part 4 · Religious instruction · Chapter 46
CHAP. XLVI. Of Magistracie or Gouernment.
AFter that Iethro, Exod. 18. 21. had tolde Moses a better course in theConfer Exod. 11. 21. with Deut. 1. 13. gouernment of the people, hee describeth what manner of men they should bee: and to the properties which are there set downe, there may be added three in the first of Deuteron. vers. 13.1 Magistrates must bee men of wisedome.
First then, Magistrates must bee wise: that is, skilfull in all those causes which shall come before them, otherwise, if they be not men of knowledge, they be not fitte for that place. Yea, though they bee well minded, and willing to doe good; yet if they hauehave not knowledge of those things which they must deale in, it is not sufficient. For as in handicraft matters a good man is not straightway a good Artificer: So, and much more is it in this waightie calling.
2 Secondly, it is required that they bee endued with prudence or experience, for Sapientia How wisdom & prouidēce differ.and Prudentia doe thus differ: that the former is the generall comprehension of knowledge of things: the latter is the experience of that knowledge in particular actions. Experience in other things doth shewe how necessarie this propertie is. For wee see in2 Magistrates must be prudent men. Physicke and other Artes, manie by much reading to hauehave obtained singular knowledge; so that they thinke with themselues they could doe great matters, yet when they come to hauehave the vse of their knowledge in some particular maiters, they are oftentimes behinde hand, and their knowledge for want of experience doth soone faile them; the reason hereof is this, by reading they get the knowledge of generall rules, which when they are applied to particular cases are altered by circumstances, and manie exceptions may be made against them. So that in all Artes and Sciences this is generally holden, that so much is thorowly and soundly knowne, as is knowne by experience. It is necessray therefore that a Magistrate bee not onelyonly a man of knowledge, but also that hee be well experienced in the matters that be incident to his calling.
3 The third propertie necessarie for a Magistrate is, that hee bee of a good heart and3 The Magistrate must be a man of a good heart & courage. courage. For although hee bee able for his knowledge and experience to deale in anie matter, yet if hee hauehave not a couragious heart to goe about them, the others will little profite him. And if wee consider with whome hee shall deale, and in what matters, how hee is subiect to the rebukes of those that are aboue him, to the hatred of his inferiours, and to the euill speeches of all, then wee shall easilie see how needefull it is for him to hauehave courage, that hee may proceede in his calling, and with nothing be discouraged.
4 It is fourthly required, that they bee such as feare the Lorde. By this feare of GOD 4 The Magistrate must be a man fearing God.they shall both examine their courage whether it bee good▪ and also they shall moderate and rule it by the same feare. For as courage when it once passeth the bounds of knowledge and experience, doth oftentimes prooue to be but a heady rash boldnesse; So likewise, if it bee not seasoned with the feare of GOD, it doth often ende in oppression. This feare of GOD, with whomsoeuer it preuaileth, doth cause them to abstaine from doing of wrong to anie, as Ioseph reasoneth with his brethren; I feare God, therefore I will not doe you wrong: as contrariwise, wheresoeuer it is not truly planted, no sinne so great, nor no wickednesse so grieuous, which men for their pleasure sake will not easily bee brought to commit: as Abraham, Genesis, …0 answereth Abimelech. Therefore must Magistrates euermore set the feare of God before their face, as Iob, chapt. 31. doth witnesse, that hee himselfe did, that thereby they may both make a conscience in doing Iustice, and also be kept from doing wrong.
5 Fiftly, it is needfull that they bee true dealing men: this true dealing hath first respect to the M…g…rates themselues, that whatsoeuer they spe…,The Magistrate must be one that to … to de… truely and to walke vprightly. The Magistrate may not respect persons. and what they promise, they be carefull to performe, and that … they thinke. This simple and vpright dealing doth pur… …a…e …re vntounto a Magistrate. Secondly, it hath respect to the case that they … to … that they take pa…es to search out the truth thereof, and giuegive righteous … r…quireth. For as the Lord iudgeth according to right, so ought they …re his Ministers. Therefore they must not further the euill cause of a good … though otherwise he be good; neither must they hinder the good cause of any man, th…gh otherwise he be euill: they ought not to be carelesse of a stranger, because he is a stranger, neither must they goe busily about the euill cause of their friend or neighbour, because he is their neighbour or their friend. To conclude, they must neither behold the perso… of the rich nor of the poore to peruert iudgement for their cause, but giuegive true iudgement without respect of person.
6 Sixtly, they must be haters of filthie gaine. Couetousnesse is the mother of appression6 The Magistrate must hate filthy gaine. The differēce between oppression and extortiō. Gifts. and extortion, which doe differ in this, that oppression hath the colour of … and law, and extortion is when man getteth by hooke or by crooke and careth not how, so he may hauehave it: but these two are not onelyonly here forbidden, but euen the lou… of …e; and rewards, which are of such nature, that they will blinde the eyes of the prudent, and sloppe the eares of the righteous. Yet is it not altogether vnlawfull to giuegive gifts and rewards, for Salomon saith, that a gift in the bosome pacifieth much strife, and if it be …ly bestowed, it prospereth whithersoeuer it turneth. Againe, Mordee…y and H…sters …east is mentioned with this commendation, that they sent gifts eueryevery man to his neighbour: but when they are giuen with corrupted purposes, or receiued to peruert right, then are they of all men to be abhorred, but specially of Magistrates.
7 The seuenth and last propertie of a good Magistrate is, that he be well knowne to all7 The Magistrate must be a man well knowne, and well reported of. men: and this hath respect to all those that went before; he must be knowne then to be endued with wisedome and experience, to be of a valiant and couragious heart, to hauehave the feare of God before his eyes, to be vpright in his dealing, and a hater of filthie gaine. So Paul would hauehave the Ministers to hauehave a good report euen of those that are without. And surely it is great reason that they should be well knowne, or else they shall hardly hauehave any credit with vsus. For the weakenesse & corruption of our nature is such, that when he who is not well knowne vntounto vsus shall speake as sound a truth, and deliuer it peraduenture more plainely; yet doth not his word beare so much cred…t with vsus as another whom we know, and hauehave some experience of. For our natures do for the most part suspect strangers, and we are loth to commit our selues and our matters to them we know not. Wherefore to the end that Magistrates may beare credit among vsus, it is very meete that they should be well knowne and their gifts also.
8 This doctrine must teach vsus first to consider what calling the Lord hath in mercy placed vsus in, and whether we hauehave gifts answerable to our callings, that we may thereby be brought to pray vntounto the Lord that he would giuegive vsus that which we hauehave not, and increaseVse of the former doctrine. that which we hauehave, and euermore supplie that which is wanting. Secondly, it serueth to teach vsus to giuegive due honour to those in whom we see the true properties of Magistrates to be, and to acknowledge their lawfull calling. Thirdly, that in all our elections we make choise of such Magistrates as are endued with these properties. Fourthly, that we may pray that such Magistrates may be profitable where they are, and that the Lord would giuegive them to such places as hauehave them not. And last of al, that the Lord in mercy would vouchsafe to giuegive these properties to all Magistrates, which now are set ouer his people, and to furnish them plenteously therewith.
9 When the Lord gaue the Israelites water in Rephidim, he named the place after their sinne Mossa, and not after the miracle that he wrought, that they might both see his mercy, and be also put in minde of their sinne. And this ought Magistrates to doe in punishing sinne. The Lord had often before forgiuen them, and now when they had sinned most grieuously he punished them, so as they might still perceiue his merciemercy. So ought the Magistrate to rebuke the people for their sinne, and let them know it, yet so asThe Magistrate must temper louelove, merciemercy, and iustice together. they mingle mercy and louelove with iustice. And this ought to be also in the discipline of the Church, all meanes must be vsed, and al kindnesse shewed, so that the fault be reproued, before we come to the last meanes of excommunication.
10 As euerie one is higher in degree, so ought hee to shewe a greater measure of faith.
11 Ioseph saith, God made him a father vntounto Pharaoh, that is, a Ruler: for so it is afterDiscipline. expounded, and ruler of all his land. So Eliakim the Ruler of the people is called a Father, because he should not hauehave such a care for himself, as Shobna had, who neglected the people,The Magistrate is specially to care for Gods glorie, and the safetie of Gods people. and hewed out sepulchers for himselfe, but should specially seeke for the glorie of God, and the safetie of the people: and so did Ioseph winne the hearts of the Aegyptians by his curteous dealing: hee went not about to prouide any thing for his children after him. By this wee are taught what manner of men our Magistrates should bee: for if they hauehave a speciall louelove to their countrey, selfe-louelove will bee decreased: but if they bee giuen to heape vp for themselues and their posteritie, the louelove of their countrey will be quickly shaken off. And this is to moue vsus to pray for our Magistrates, and also in our selues to bee profitable to others so much as in vsus lieth: for we are not borne (as the very Heathen confesse)Psalm. 16. 3. to our selues, but for the benefit of others also. The want therefore of the feeling of this, may serue vsus for a triall of our religion and godlinesse.
12 The Lord often doth vsus much good when wee see it not, hee giueth vsus many benefites and blessings by his Ministers and Magistrates which wee perceiue not, yet this is a punishment when wee cannot see the meanes whereby the Lord doth vsus good: and therefore wee must take heede to this, for when the case is thus, it is dangerous.
13 This is to bee noted generally in Christianitie: it is a small matter to receiue religion, when plentie of all things doe come with it. And so in particular callings wee see: who would not be a Magistrate or Minister, so long as he may be in credit, and hauehave all obedience yeelded to him without trouble? But if contempt come with affliction, how feweContempt of Magistrates be there that will stand and abide in their callings, to giuegive God the glorie in looking for that issue which he thinketh good? Who would not be a married man, if all his life might be as the mariage day? but when a man is married, hee must prouide for his wife and children, yet with heede that hee doe nothing with an euill conscience for them. Againe, for that a man must forbeare the manifold infirmities of his wife, and ouercome them with wisedome: how few are there that will continue in mariage, giuing God the glorie? So is it in the Magistracie and Ministerie.
14 Exod. chap. 16. 27. 28. it is written, that there went out some of the people to gather Manna, but found none: whereupon it is said, that the Lord reprooued Moses in theseNote. words: The Lord saide to Moses, How long refuse ye to keepe my commandements? Moses had not prophaned this Sabbath, but the people, and not all but some: yet the Lord rebuketh Moses, because this people were committed to his charge. Thus wee see what waightie accounts the Lord will require at their hands, who hauehave the ouersight of others, they must giuegive an account for them. Againe, inferiours must be often admonished, not to despiseThe sinnes of the people imputed to the Magistrates and Ministers. the gouernement and instructions of such as the Lord hath set oner them, but willingly receiue them, and carefully follow them. If any be so carelesse, that he respecteth not his owne health and welfare, yet let this moue him to some further consideration of his doings, that by his negligence hee puts other in danger, and is hurtfull to those that are set ouer him. This the Apostle Paul also willeth the Corinthians wisely to consider, 2. Cor. chap. 12. verse 21.