Practical Commentary of 1 Peter Volume 1, Chapter 2 · Verse 13,14
Verse. 13, 14.
Submit your selves unto every Ordinance of man for the Lords sake, whether it be to the King, as Supreme.
Or unto governours, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evil-doers, and for the praise of them that do well.
IT is one of the falsest, and yet one of the commonest prejudices that the world hath always entertain'd against true Religion, that it is an enemy to civil power, and government. The Adversaries of the Jews charged this fault upon their City, the then Seat of the true worship of God. Ezra. 4.15. The Jews charged it upon the preachers of Christian Religion Act. 17.7. As they pretended the same quarrel against Christ himself. And generally the enemies of the Christians in the primitive times loaded them with the slander of Rebelion, and contempt of authority. Therefore our Apostle descending to partacular rules of Christian life, by which it may be blameless, and to silence calumny, begins with this, not only as a thing of prime importance in it self, but as particulary fit for those he wrote to, being both Jews, and Christians, for the clearing of themselves and their Religion, Submit your selves &c.
There are in the words divers particulars to be considered, all concurring to press this main duty of obedience to Magistrates, not only as well consistent with true Religion, but as indeed inseparable from it, not to parcell out the words into many pieces, they may (I conceive,) be all not unfitly compris'd under these two 1. The extent of this duty. 2. The ground of it.
First The extent 1. To all Civil power, of what kind soever, for the time receiv'd, and Autoris'd. There being no need of questioning, what was the rise and original of civil power either in the nature of it, or in the persons of those that are in possession of it, for if you will trace them quite through in the succ…ssion of ages, and narrowly eye their whole circle, there be few crowns in the world in which there will not to be found some crack or other more or less. If you look on those great Monarchies in Daniel's Vision, you see one of them built up upon the ruines of another, and all of them represented by terrible devouring beasts of monstrous shape, And whether the Romane Empire be the fourth there, as many take it, or no, yet in the things spoken of that fourh and the rest, it is inferiour to none of them, enlarging it self by conquests in all parts of the world; and under it, were the Provinces to which this Epistle is address'd; yet the Apostle enjoyn's his brethren subjection and obedience to its Authority.
Nor is it a Question so to be mov'd as to suspend, or at all abate our obedience to that which possesses in present where we live; What forme of government is most just and commodious?
God hath indeed been more express in the officers and government of his own house, his Church: But Civil Societies he hath left at liberty, in the chusing and modelling of Civil government, though alwayes indeed overruling their choyce, and changes in that, by the secret hand of his wise and powerful providence; yet he hath set them no particular rule touching the frame of it, only the common rule of equity and justice were to be regarded, both in the contriving and managing of Government; And yet though it be some way defective in both, they that be subject to it are in all things lawful to submit to its Authority, whether suprem or subordinate as we have it here expressely, whether to the King as Supreme, Namely To the Emperour, or to the Governours sent by him, which though a Judicious Interpreter refert's to God, and will not admitt of any other sense, yet it seem's most sutable both to the words, and to the nature of the Government of those Provinces to take that word To him, as relating to the King, for the them that are sent, Answers to the other, The King as Supreme, and so is a very clear designment of the inferiour Governours of those times, and places. And whatsoever was their end that sent them, and their carriage that were sent, that which the Apostle addes, expresses the end for which they should be sent to govern, and at which they should aime in governing, as the true end of all government. And though they were not fully true to that end in their deportment, but possibly did many things unjustly, yet as God hath ordain'd authority for this end, there is alwayes so much justice in the most depraved government, as is a publick good, and therefore puts upon inferiours an obligation to obedience, and this leads us to consider the Second thing The ground of this duty.
2 The main ground of submitting to humane authority, is the interest that divine authority hath in it, having both apponited Civil government as a common good amongst Men, and particularly commanded his people obedience to it, as a particular good to them, and a thing very sutable with their profession it is, for the Lords sake. This word carries the whole weight of the duty, and is a counter balance to the former, which seem's to be therefore on purpose so expressi'd, that this may answer it. Although Civil Authority in regard of particular formes of Government, and the choyce of particular persons to govern, is but a humane ordinance or mans creature, as the word is; yet both the good of government, and the duty of subjection to it, is Gods ordinance, and therefore for his sake submit your selves.
1. God hath in general instituted Civil government for the good of humane society, and still there is good in it, tyranny is better than Anarchy. 2. 'Tis by his providence that Men are advanc'd to places of authority. Psa. 75.6, 7. Dan. 4.25. Iohn. 19, 11. 3ly. 'Tis his command that obedience be yeelded to them Rom. 13.1. Tit. 3.1. &c. And the consideration of this tyes a Christian to all Loyalty and due obedience, which being still for the Lords sake cannot hold in any thing that's against the Lords own command, for Then Kings and Rulers, leave their station, Now the Subjection here is, be subject to them, as it were in your rank, still in subordination to God, but if they go out of that even line follow them not. They that obey the unlawfull commands of Kings do it in regard to their God no question, but that their God, is their belly or their ambition, or their avarice.
But not only ought the exercise of authority, and submission to it be in things just, and lawful in themselves, but the very purpose of the heart, both in command and obedience should be in the Lord and for his sake, this is the only straight, and only safe rule both for Rulers, and for people to walk by. Would Kings and the other powers of the world consider the supremacy and greatness of that King of whom they hold all their Crownes and dignities, they would be no less carefull of their submission and homage to him, than they are desirous of their Peoples submission unto them.
I will not speak at all of their civil obligations to their people, and the Covenant of justice that with good reason, is betwixt them in the fundamentall constitutions of all well ordered Kingdomes, nor meddle with that point of the dependance that Humane Authority hath upon the Societies of Men over whom it is, according to which it is here call'd Mans ordinance or creature. This is a thing that the greatest and most absolute of Princes cannot deny, that all their authority is dependent upon the great God, both as the Author of it in the generall, and the Soveraigne disposer of it to particular Men, giving the kingdomes of the earth to whom he will, and therefore he may most justly require obedience and fealty of them, that they serve the Lord in fear, and it they rejoyce in their dignities over Men, yet do it with trembling in sense of their duty to God, and that they throw down their Crownes at the feet of Christ the Lords anointed.
And to this they are the more oblig'd, considering that Religion and the Gospel of Christ doth so much press the duty of their peoples obedience to them, so that they wrong both it, and themselves very far in mistaking it, as an enemy to their authority when it doth not only, not prejudge it, but confirms it, and pleads for it. Sure they do most ingratefuly requite the Lord and his Christ, When they say (as Psal. 2.) Let us break their bands asunder and cast away their cords from us. Whereas the Lord binds the cords of Kings and their Authority fast upon their People, not the cords of Tyrany indeed, to bind the Subjects as Beasts to be Sacrifices to the Passion of their Rulers, But the cords of just and due Obedience to their Kings and Governours. The Lord doth (as you see here) bind it upon all that profess his Name, and strengthens it by the respect his People carry to himself, enjoyning them, that for his sake they would obey their Rulers; so that Kings need not fear true Religion, that it will ever favour any thing that can be call'd Rebellion, but on the contrary still urges Loyalty, and Obedience, so that as they ought in Duty, they may in true Policy and Wisdom befriend true Religion, as a special friend to their Authority, and hate that Religion of Rome which is indeed Rebellion, and that Mother of abominations that makes the Kings of the Earth drunk with her cup, and makes them dream of increase of Authority while they are truly on the loosing hand. But besides that they owe their Power to the advancement of Christs Kingdom so employing themselves, by strengthening it, and doing themselves good, they confirm their own Thrones, when they erect his, as it was said of Cesar that by setting up Pompey's Statue he setled and fastened his own.
But it is an evil too natural to Men to forget the true end, and use of any good the Lord conferr's on them. And thus Kings and Rulers consider not readily, for what they are exalted, think 'tis for themselves, to honour and please themseves, and not to honour God and benefit their People, to encourage and reward the good (as here it is) and punish the wicked, they are set on high, for the good of those that are below them, that they may be refresh'd with their light and influence, as the Lights of Heaven are set there in the highest parts of the World for the use and benefit of the very lowest. God set them in the Firmament of Heaven, but to what end is added, to give light upon the earth, and the Mountains are rais'd above the rest of the earth, (not to be places of prey and robbery, as sometimes they are turn'd to be) but to send forth streams from their Springs into the Valleys, and make them fertile, the Mountains and Hills, greater and lesser Rulers, higher and lower are to send forth to the People the streams of Righteousness and Peace. Psal. 72.3.
But 'tis the corruption and misery of Mans nature that he doth not know and can hardly be persuaded to learn, either how to command aright, or how to obey; and no doubt many of those that can see and blame the Injustice of others in Authority, Would be more guilty that way themselves if they had the same power.
'Tis the Pride and self-love of our Nature that begets disobedience in Inferiours, and violence and in…ustice in Superiours. That depraved humour that …ies to every kind of Government a propension to a particular disease, that makes Royalty easily degenerate into tyranny, and Nobles Government into faction, and popular into confusion.
As civil Authority and subjection to it, is the institution of God; so the peaceable correspondence of those two, just Government and due obedience is the especial gift of Gods own hand, and a prime blessing to States and Kingdomes, and the troubling and interruption of their Course is one of the highest Publick Judgments by which the Lord punishes oftentimes the other sins both of Rulers and People. And whatsoever be the cause and on which side soever be the justice of the cause, it cannot be look'd upon, but as a heavy Plague and the fruit of many and great provocations, when Kings and their People that should be a mutual blessing and honour each to other are turn'd into scourges one to another, or into a devouring fire, as 'tis in his Parable Iud. 9.20. Fire going forth from Abimelech, to devour the Men of Sechem and fire from Sechem to devour Abimelech.