The Beautify of Magistracy, Errata 1
Errata.
PAge 232. line 19. for to render evil for good is God-like. read, to render good for evil is God-like. p. 238. l. 9. for are the sons of God by nature and office. r. are the sons of God by name and office.
This sheet must be placed by the Book-binder after page 188.
THE Dignity of MAGISTRACY, AND THE Duty of the MAGISTRATE.
PSALM. 82. 6, 7.
I have said ye are Gods, and all of you are Children of the Most High.
But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the Princes.
THE Book of Psalms may not unfitly be called The Analogy of Faith, the Directory for Practice, the Epitome of Scripture, the Plat-form for Prayer: It is abbreviated in two words, *Hosanna signifieth Save I pray thee, or preserve I beseech thee.Hosanna, †Allelujah, Praise ye the Lord.Allelujah. Prayer and Praise being the sum and Substance of the whole Book.
It is a throng of holy affections (saith one) each passion acting a part, wound up to the highest strain by the Spirit of God, breathing Poetical eloquence into the heavenly Prophet.
This 82. Psalm containeth a reprehension of Princes, for their oppression of the people, and it is propounded partly by way of Objurgation, partly by way of Affirmation.
The Text presenteth us with a Concession of the Magistrates Allegation for their illegal proceedings. They argued that because they were Gods, they might tyrannize over men; That the stamp of a Deity on them would make them currant com, though they were never so light. The Holy Ghost granteth them to be Gods, but denyeth the consequence, that therefore they may live as they list, and rule according to their lusts, or do the work of the Divel: For though they are Gods in respect of their Places, and Power, yet they are Men in respect of their frailty, and nature. They must die like men, and fall like one of the Princes.
The 6. verse cloatheth men with Maiesty; I have said ye are Gods, &c.
The 7. verse cloatheth Gods with Mortality: But ye shall die like men; They are Gods, foreign, that is, in their Politick capacity in regard of their power and rule; but they are not so foreign, in their Physical capacity, and in regard of their nature and essence.
Though ye are now above others,go Dixi Concessio est, qua tamen ostendit Propheta, nihil perversis Iudicibus praesidii fore in facta persona quam illis Deus imposuit. Calv. in loc. yet shortly ye shall be laid as low as others; and then ye shall both answer, and suffer for wronging of others: The height of your places will not excuse the wickedness of your practices: for though ye are high, yet there is one higher then the highest of you, to whom you must give an account of all your injustice and oppression.
We see then that the sixth verse containeth a Concession of the Magistrates power, how it is by divine appointment and institution.
In it we may take notice, First, of the Magistrates Honour; Ye are Gods, and children of the most High.
Secondly, The Author of it. I have said it.
Or the Text presenteth us, … ▪ With the Magistrates Commission; Ye are Gods, and children of the most High. 2. Its Seal or Confirmation; I have said. The Commission for Magistracy is here confirmed under the broad Seal of Heaven.
I, i. e. I that am the Lord of Lords, and King of Kings,The Meaning of the words. the mighty possessor of Heaven and Earth; I that am Commander in Cheif of the whole world, and have power to appoint whom I please to be my Vicegerents, do call and constitute you to be my Deputy-Lieutenants on earth. I whose word is sufficient warrant for any Office, or Ordinance; I have said ye are Gods.
Have said. How God speaketh, is a point almost unspeakable. God speaketh or …aith as well as man, but not after the same manner; he doth not form a voyce by such organs or instruments of speech. But when God speaketh, He doth either create a voyce in the air, as Matth. 3. 17. or declare and make known his mind, sometimes secretly and immediately to the spirits of the Prophets; so that phrase The word of the Lord came unto me, so frequently used in Scripture, is to be understood; sometimes publickly and mediately by the Prophets to the people.
So then, I have said, that is, I have in my Word manifested this to be my will; That ye sho… … Gods amongst men, Exod. 21. 28. I that speak … none may (or who dareth) disannul it: I who said … there be light, and there was light; I who appoin… … the Sun to rule the day, the Moon and the Stars … rule the night; I have said, Be ye Gods, and … shall be Gods. I have appointed you in power an… dignity to excel others, and to rule over them on earth, as the greater Luminaries do the lesser in the Heavens.
Ye are Gods. That is, in my place and stead amongst men. To receive honour from them both of reverence and obedience; To distribute justice amongst them both zealously and impartially. To be terrours to evil doers, and encouragements to them that do well; To govern from love to my Name, according to the rule of my Law, for my honour and praise, as likewise the good and profit of the people.
The word God is taken diversly in Scripture,
1. Properly, and so it is given only to him who is Essentially and by Nature God. Who is an Infinite being of himself, and from whom all others have their being. And in this sense it is mentioned sometimes Generally without any Limitation, to a certain person, as Heb. 12. ult. Iohn 4. 24. sometimes Singularly with a Determination to one person, as to the Father, Iohn 3. 16. to the Son, Rom. 9. 5. 1 Tim. 3. 16. to the Holy Ghost, 1 Cor. 3. 16, 17.
2. Improperly, and so it is given to them, who by nature are not Gods. As▪
1. To the Devil in regard of his unjust usurpation, and wicked mens corruption, 2 Cor. 4. 4. He is called, The God of this world: He usurpeth the honour and Soveraignty of God, Matth. 4. 9. and the wicked world obeyeth him, as if he were a God, Iohn 8. 44. The God he is, not of the world simply, but of this world, of this sinful world that lyeth in wickedness, 1 Iohn 5. 19.
2. To Idols in regard of the false perswasion of degenerate man,Caelestes, Aerii, Terres…res, Marini dii. As many Gods as creatures almost amongst the Heathen. 1 Cor. 8. 4, 5. There are Gods many, and Lords many; that is, in their concelts, who were Heathen (They worshipped stocks and stones, any thing, yea almost all things) though an Idol be nothing, in the judgement of a Christian; It is nothing saith the Apostle, i. e. formally, the thing signified is nothing, yet materially it is something, as made of wood, or brass, or the like.
3. To Magistrates, Exod. 4. 16. who have their Commission from God, Rom. 13. who do the work of God, 2 Cor. 13. Rom. 3. 4. who ought to do all for God, 2 Chron. 19. 6.
And all of you are children of the most High. It was no wonder that they were called Gods: for here they are the children of the most High: Now children are called after their Fathers Name.
This term Son of God, And ye all sons of the most High. Ain…w. leg.or child of the most High is attributed
1. To Christ, because of his Eternal Generation, Psal. 2. 7. He is the only begotten of the Father, Iohn 3. 16.
2. To Angels, both Because of their practice; they serve God, not as slaves a Master; but as children a Father, chearfully, heartily, with fisial alacrity and delight. And because of their priviledge; God useth them not as slaves, but sons. They are near him alwayes, beholding the face of their Father, Matth. 18. 10.
3. To men, and that in regard of the purity and holiness in them, they resemble God as a child his Father; or in regard of the grace and favour God bestoweth on them; in these respects all believers are the children of God: Or in regard of their power and greatness, they are priviledged to be higher then others in place, as sons are before and above servants. And they are like him in their Dignity and Authority;Ainsw. in … so Magistrates. The Chaldee paraphraseth, As the Angels of the high God; because Magistrates should be like Angels for wisdom, 2 Sam. 14. 24.
The words being thus opened, will yeeld us this Doctrine.