The Divine Right and Original of the Civil Magistrate, Chapter 5 · Section 1 – Section 2
CHAP. V. SECT. I.SECT. I. Of the ſeveral acceptions of the word Ordained, being put for an action of God.
THe firſt thing to be done for the inveſtigation of the meaning of this clauſe, ordained of God, is to take notice of the force and uſe of the word Ordained, and the different uſe of it.
The word foreign or foreign ſignifies to ordain, conſtitute or appoint. It is commonly applyed,
1. Either to matter of buſineſs.
2. Or to perſons.
To matter of buſineſs or action, and then it is uſually put to ſignifie the appointment or alotment of the circumſtances of a thing to be done, as the certain time, or place for it, [as Act. 28.23. Matth. 28.16.]
2. To perſons, and then it imports the ordering or ſetting apart of a perſon to ſome ſpecial benefit, office, work or ranke among others, [as Act. 13.48. & 22.10. Luk. 7.8. 1 Cor. 16.15.] Here it hath reſpect to perſons (for Powers are put for the perſons inveſted with power) the Powers foreign, are ordained of God, or ordered, ſet apart, appointed to their office, work and dignity by him. In the next verſe the Apoſtle ſaith, the power is foreign, the ordinance of God, or, as the word bears, his edict, ſanction or conſtitution. To them that are converſant in Scripture, and other books of Divinity, it is at firſt ſight evident that there is a ſenſe wherein all things that be, or fall out in the world, even the ſins of men, are ſaid to be ordered or diſpoſed by God: and there is a ſenſe whereby it is peculiar to ſome things to be diſpoſed or ordered by him. If we here take the word in the former ſenſe, there is nothing peculiar, no more ſpoken of, or for the powers here argued and pleaded for, then is univerſally extenſible to every other matter, and in ſpecial to all humane occurrences, or affaires, be they in themſelves never ſo inordinate and irregular. The Magiſtrate that is here ſaid to be foreign ordained or ordered of God, and the Rebel that is ſaid verſ. 2. to be foreign a reſiſter, or oppoſer of himſelf to this order of God in the Power, both are in this large acception ordained of God. Wherefore to me it ſeems neceſſary that we think of a more reſtrained ſenſe of this word, and diſcern what that is, and for this purpoſe thus to diſtinguiſh of it.
There is a twofold order, ordination or diſpoſition to be aſcribed unto God, as ſet down by him.
1. The order of his counſel, and working, or of his purpoſe, and proceeding in Providence.
2. The order of his word or law, or the order which he inſtituteth for his creature, particularly for man.
Of the former, the order of his own counſel, way, and working we read, [Act. 13.48. Pſal. 119.91. & 8.2. Jer. 31.35, 36. Iſa. 30.33.]
Of the latter, the order of his word, revealed will, or law given to man [1 Cor. 9.14. & 14.30. Col. 2.5. Heb. 7.11. Pſal. …1.5.]
Of the former we may again diſtinguiſh. By the order of his purpoſe, and providence God ordereth,
1. Things either effectively or operatively; when by his working will and concourſe he poſitively and immediately acteth to or in upon them; thus he ordereth all poſitive effects in their natural beings.
2. Or privatively, or by way of permiſſion, or non impedition, and ſo he is ſaid to order, that is decree and diſpoſe the being of ſin, in that he leaves his reaſonable creature to himſelf, under an objective temptation.
And the former of theſe two, his effective, operative ordination is again diſtinguiſhable. He effectually orders things,
1. Either productively, or to the cauſing of a thing to be.
2. Or directively, that is, by preſcribing to the thing that already is, or diſpoſing of its ſtate and courſe. And thus he is ſaid even to order ſin, to wit, in its progreſs and conſequents; for although as to the being of ſin, his ordination be only permiſſive, or non-impeditive, yet as to its progreſs, end, and conſequents his Providence is effective*Aliud eſt facieus, aliud factum, aliud utrum que ordinans. Qui facit malum facinus, is auctor eſt mali: qui ordinem diſponit in faciente & facto malo, is non auctor eſt mali, ſed mali ordinator bonus ad bonum. Malum non vult Deus, ſed ordinem vult, & ſervat in malo. A voluntate hominis acceſſit malum: a Deo ordinatio eſt univerſalis, atque ſingularis providentiae ipſius, etiam quae ſumme mala ſunt diſponens, & in ordinem cogens ſapientiſſimè. Junius in Collat. cum Arminio, in Arminii oper. pag. 385, 386..
Theſe two, the order of Gods counſel and hand of Providence, and the order of his word, law, or inſtitution given to man, are manifeſtly different, and in reference to the preſent ſubject neceſſary to be diſtinguiſht. The difference may be taken thus:
1. The former order is the rule, model, or platform of Gods own wayes, the latter is to be the rule and patern of mans doings.
2. The former extends to all creatures and beings; the latter only to the reaſonable creature, and his moral acts, as being only capable of a law.
3. The former ordination is alwayes accompliſhed, and takes place without fail; the latter is not ſeldom put back and contradicted†See Mr. Caryl on Job c. 11. v. 10. pag. 67..
4. The former orders all actions and things; the latter alwayes appoints that which is good and acceptable in the ſight of God, and onelyonly that.
In a word, to illuſtrate this matter by ſome inſtances ſutable to the ſubject we have in hand. By the latrer kinde of ordinance, Iſrael ſhould have continued under Samuels government, when they rejected him, and deſired a King. Abſalom ſhould have been ſubject to his father and Soveraign David, when he roſe up againſt him to ſeiſe his kingdom. Jeroboam and the ten tribes ſhould have kept in allegiance to Rehoboam, when they caſt him off. Athaliah ſhould have yeelded obedience to the poſterity of Ahaziah, when ſhe took the Kingdom from them into her own hands. The Kings rulers and people of the earth, of whom [Pſal. 2.1. Act. 4.25.] ſhould have payed homage unto Chriſt when they conſpired againſt him: and by it the Angels that ſinned ſhould have kept their firſt eſtate (or principality) when as they left their own habitation. Jude 6.For ſo God had ordained to each of theſe reſpectively by the order of his law, precept or inſtitution. Unto this ordinance, or order of God is oppoſed all that atáxie, confuſion, and diſlocation which any ſin brings into the world. And in reference unto this order it is that all indecorum or ſedition in any relation or ſociety among men is diſclaimed of God, and ſaid not to be of him, [1 Cor. 14.33.] For, God is not the author of confuſion, but of peace.
Whereas by the former, the ordination of Gods counſel and providence, the contrary to the order of his law, and will revealed to man for his rule often cometh to paſſe; even the things which (in reſpect of Gods ordinance given to man to obſerve) are moſt diſordered, confuſed and prepoſterous, are done*See Mr. Caryl on Job c. 9. v. 24. pag. 331.. By this order of God, the Iſraelites rejection of Samuel, Abſaloms rebellion againſt David, Jeroboams, and the ten tribes defection from Rehoboam, Athaliahs uſurpation to the dethroning of Ahaziahs children, the confederacie… of the …lers and people againſt Chriſt, yea the Apoſtaſie of the evill Angels, and all other irregularities are (as above was ſaid) ordered and diſpoſed by God. Who knoweth not (ſaith Job of ſuch events) in all thoſe, Job 12.9, 10. ſee alſo verſ. 17, 18, 19, 20, 21.that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this? in whoſe hand is the ſoul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind. For although theſe conſidered in their own nature, being obliquities and depravements, are moſt croſſe to the order of his word, and to the rectitude, and holineſs of his nature, and therefore as ſuch we cannot (without blaſphemy) attribute them to his working will or hand; yet in as much as his wiſdom, and power can extract excellent things out of them when once they are occurrent, his juſtice, and goodneſs may will their ſufferance, and when they are emergent, his wiſe and powerful hand may direct, bound, terminate, and with other ingredients, ſo can temperate them, that much good may be educed from them, and therefore ſo he orders, or ordains them.
Take for inſtance of the divine ordination about the evill acts of the creature, and alſo of the difference betwixt the order of Gods commandement, and the order of Gods Counſell and Providence above noted, that paſſage concerning Joſephs ſelling into Egypt by his brethren, [Gen. 45.5, 7, 8. & 50.20.] and peruſe the words in the text it ſelf. There was in that event the order of juſtice, and of that mutual love, care, help which God hath preſcribed to Brethren, broken on the part of thoſe ſons of Jacob, as alſo that order of Gods counſell concerning Joſephs preheminency above his brethren, which God had declared was intended to be broken by them; but the order of Gods counſel about that and other things is by his moſt wiſe, potent, and holy Providence therein, yea and thereby kept and performed; theirs is an act of ſelling, Gods is an act of ſending Joſeph into Egypt; their act is ſinful, God… is righteous; their act in the intent of it on their part in pernicious to Joſeph, Gods act both in the purpoſe and event of it is moſt eminently preſervative and beneficial both to Joſeph, to his Father,CHAP. V. SECT. II. to thoſe his ſellers, and to the Egyptian King, and people: with many others. Thus the order of Gods commandment may direct one courſe, the order of his counſel and Providence may ſteer quite another.
SECT. II. What the ſpecial and proper acception of the term Ordained of God, is in this text.
HAving thus expreſſed the importance in general, and diſtinguiſhed the ſeveral acceptions of this clauſe, ordained of God; our next work is to diſcern poſitively and particularly the purpoſe of it in this text. There being this variety in the uſe of it in divers places of Scripture, as it's brought in on divers occaſions; the queſtion is, how we are here to take it.
For this, my reſolution is, that in this ſentence of the Apoſtle, ordained of God, importeth not meerly the proceeding of the things from God providentially, as Providence is put to ſignifie Gods counſel and acting, but ſuch a being from God as carryeth in it his inſtituting or appointing of it by the warrant, or ſanction of his word, law, precept, or commandment. Although it be true, and may be ſaid, that the riſe, the ſtanding, and the falling of every civill power is, as all other occurrences in the world whatſoever, are ordered and diſpoſed by the counſell of Gods will, and the hand of his acting. Yet I conceive this not to be the thing which the Apoſtle here only, or ſpecially (if at all) takes in, or intends; but the main thing within his porpoſe, and aime to be the aſſerting of Gods preceptive ordination of the Civil Magiſtracy. My aſſertion then is, that this Propoſition, The Powers that be are ordained of God, is a poſitive declaration of the divine right, property, or title which thoſe powers which are meant in, and are the ſubject of this text, have to their place of dignity, and rule, and to the obedience of every ſoul within the Civil ſtate by virtue of the Law, revealed will, or warrant of God delivered in his word, or otherwiſe promulgated. And this I aſſert in oppoſition to that claim or title which ſome would build upon this text for ſuch as obtain the upper hand, or a prevalent poſſeſſion, by virtue of a meer eventual Providence, underſtanding this term ordained, of ſuch a being of God.
They that would found the power upon meer eventual Providence, by virtue of theſe words, do not well agree what it is that they would build upon them. Some of them underſtanding the words to give a title, property or right to any perſon or perſons that hold poſſeſſion of the place of rule, in as much as they are in by Providence. Others admit the meer occupant to be an unwarranted, unlawful, unjuſt Ruler, but they ſay, he being in place by the order, or ordination of divine Providence, he is therefore a Power to be obeyed. But my aſſertion ſtands againſt both theſe, affirming this ordination of God not meerly to import a providential poſſeſſion, but withall, and eſpecially a preceptive inſtitution or legiſlative ſanction. Which if it hold and be made good, will infer, that meer eventual Providence doth not by the authority of this text, either create a title, or command obedience to an unentitled power. The Power which this text intends it doth juſtifie, or imply neceſſarily to be a lawful, enrighted, or entitled power: but then it bottometh this right and title, not upon eventual Providence,CHAP. V. SECT. III. or a meer poſſeſſory act, but upon the warrant of the word, or law of God, here called his Ordinance.