Exposition of Romans 13-16, Exposition of Romans · Chapter 1 · Verse 2
VERSE 2. Whoſoeuer therefore reſiſteth the Power, reſiſteth the ordinance of God: and they that reſiſt, ſhall receiue to themſelues damnation.
IN this Verſe is a ſecond reaſon to enforce ſubiection to higher powers, and it is taken from the contraries, thus, We may not reſiſt, Therefore wee ought to be ſubiect: for that is to be done whoſe contrary is to be abhorred.
The Antecedent is proued by two arguments: the firſt from the quality of the fault: the ſecond from the greatneſſe of the Puniſhment.
The quality of the fault is, that he which reſiſteth powers, reſiſteth the ordinance of God. The puniſhment is great, euen Damnation.
He which reſiſteth: To reſiſt, ſaith one aMuſculus in loc., is not to be ſubiect: and the Greeke word bforeign.notes ſuch a reſiſting, as when a man is contrary to the order eſtabliſhed; and this is either by force; as rebels: or without force; as by contumacious denying of the lawfull commandement in things Ciuill or Eccleſiaſticall: or by a cunning cluding, and crafty auoiding of the Law; or by hindring iuſtice from due execution, by wrong information and falſe ſuggeſtion: For Princes often ſee and heare by other mens eyes and eares, and therefore ſeldome ſee and heare the truth: And by this meanes a good, and wary, and wiſe Prince is bought and ſold; the ſubiects abuſed and wronged without the knowledge, and contrary to the intention of the Prince, as Ziba abuſed Dauid and his maſter alſo c2 Sam. 16.1: & ſeq. & 19.24. & ſeq..
Reſiſteth the ordinance of God: Here is another word which is tranſlated to reſiſt, which ſignifies to ſtand againſt dforeign., whether it bee by force of armes, or arguments: It is a military word; and ſuch Paul vſeth, that wee may vnderſtand refuſing to obey, to bee a greater ſinne then wee make reckoning of.
And he which reſiſteth. Here is the ſame word with the laſt: the word reſiſteth is three times vſed, and eueryevery time put in the preſent tenſe: but in the Greeke onelyonly the firſt is in the preſent: the two laſt in the time paſt: as if you ſhould render it; He that reſiſteth the power, hath reſiſted the ordinance of God; and he that hath reſiſted, ſhall receiue damnation. This is obſerued by a learned man fCaietane., who thereby noteth that many times when we doe not obey Magiſtrates, we intend not to reſiſt them; but when we hauehave not obeyed, then it is plaine we hauehave reſiſted.
Shall receiue to himſelfe damnation. He ſaith not, it is like, or it may ſo fall out; but peremptorily, He ſhall receiue.
Damnation. Puniſhment here by the hand of the Magiſtrate, whoſe lawes he hath broken, and eternall puniſhment in the world to come, if he repent not.
Receiue to himſelfe. They are the cauſe of their owne iudgement, and hurt themſelues more then the Magiſtrate by their diſobedience.
A grieuous puniſhment remaines for them which reſiſt authority: Doctr. Pro. 17.11. A cruell meſſenger ſhall bee ſent againſt an euill man who ſeeketh rebellion: Pro. 24.21.22. My ſonne, feare the Lord and the King, and meddle not with them that are giuen to change, or are ſeditious: For their calamity ſhall riſe ſuddenly, and who knoweth the ruine of them both: Eccleſiaſtes 8.1.2.3.4.5. and 10.20.
Though we muſt not reſiſt, Obſer. 1 yet we muſt not obey vnlawfull commands by doing them: for the power of a Prince is limited: and if it agree not with the word of God, then hath place that ſaying: We ought to obey God rather then men.
It was the nefarious voice of Antoninus Baſſianus Caracalla, Emperour of Rome, which hee ſucked from his mother, Si libet, licet: If it like mee it is lawfull. Hee murdered his brother Geta, and requiring Papinian a famous Lawyer, to defend his fact, receiued this anſwer: It is eaſier to commit parricide then to excuſe it; for which he, cauſed him alſo to be ſlaine. Godly Princes are contrary to Caracalla, and godly ſubiects are like to Papinian, rather chooſing to dye, then to doe that which is worſe then death.
The men of Calecut will doe whatſoeuer their Emperour commands, though it be to worſhip the diuell, as they ſay they doe: but we muſt Feare God, and the King.
Princes may not bee reſiſted, Obſer. 2 but they may be reproued by them which hauehave a calling to doe it, ſo it bee in wiſedome and humility; and ſo that the reproofe of the fault no wayes tend to the preiudice of their power.
It is not lawfull by any humane or diuine law reuealed, Ʋſe 1 for a ſubiect or inferiour Magiſtrate to take armes againſt his Prince, though a wicked man.
Though Saul vniuſtly and tyrannically perſecuted Dauid, yet he neuer lift vp his hand againſt him, but honoured him aliue and dead, as you may reade in his Story: of which Bucanus writes dangerouſly and erroneouſly fBuca. l. com. loc. 49. de Magiſtratu. quaeſt. 77..
Our bleſſed Sauiour would not ſuffer Peter to defend him with his ſword againſt the preſent authority though it did vniuſtly.
Peter commands all ſeruants to bee ſubiect, not onelyonly to good maſters, but to the froward g1 Pet. 2.18..
Take heed how thou reſiſteſt thy Prince vponupon any pretence, or takeſt part with ſuch: and ſuffer not thy ſelfe to be deceiued by any thing thou ſhalt reade in any learned mans workes which may tend thereunto: and of theſe eſpecially beware of a book intituled Vindiciae contra tyrannos, ſet forth by Stephanus Iunius Brutus, to the diſhonour and diſparagement of Kings and Princes.
Abhor Inſurrections, rebellion, treaſon: great is the ſinne, Ʋſe 2 and great is the puniſhment: as may appeare in the puniſhment of Corah, Dathan, Abiram: of Abſolon, Sheba: of the Guizes in France: of the Gowries in Scotland: of the popiſh Prieſts, and diuers Ieſuited Gentlemen in England, both in Queene Elizabeths dayes, and now in the dayes of our moſt gratious King Iames, whom all, God the ordainer and defender of Kings, brought to ſhame and ruine for their treaſonable practices.
The perſons of Kings and Princes are ſacred; The Poet ſaid, and wee ſay, Sacred Maieſty iforeign. Homer.. They are the Lords anointed, and God hath a ſpeciall care of them. Great deliuerance giueth he to his King kPſal. 18.50.. It is hee that giueth ſaluation to Kings, that deliuereth Dauid from the hurtfull ſword lPſal. 144.10..
From a wonderfull eſcape of Titus at the view of the wals of Hieruſalem, Ioſephus collects, Imperatorū pericula Deum curare mIoſeph. bel. Iud. l. 6. ca. 2.that God takes care of Princes in their danger.
Aulus Gellius nA Gellus Noct. At. l. 5. c. 9., alſo reports of a ſtrange deliuerance of King Craeſus: Hee being ouercome in battell, and being followed by a ſouldier who was ready to hauehave run him through not knowing he was the King; *foreign.a yong man the Kings ſonne being borne dumb, ſuddenly ſpake, Man kill not Craeſus; wherevpon his life was ſaued.
Alphonſus King of Arragon would ſay that the liues and ſoules of kings were not ſubiect to the will of priuate men, but in ſecurity vnderunder the care and protection of God.
This may euidently appeare in the manifold deliuerances of that bleſſed Saint, our Noble Queene Elizabeth.
And of this our moſt gratious King Iames hath beene a pregnant example: God grant he may alwaies ſo be. Amen.
When the King commands, Ʋſe 3 ſee thou obey: for if thou refuſe, thou fighteſt againſt God himſelfe reſiſting his ordinance, & ſo the Lord himſelfe interprets, namely himſelfe to be oppoſed, when the commands of Magiſtrates are not obeyed oSee Exod. 16.8..
Pretend not conſcience, Num 16.11. 1 Sam. 8.7.or religion for thy refuſall: Thy conſcience thou ſaiſt ſmites thee if thou ſubmit to orders Eccleſiaſticall commanded: but for diſobeying the Magiſtrate, and reſiſting the ordinance of God, thy conſcience ſmites thee not. Take heed, this is the way to plucke vponupon thy ſelfe the wrath of God, to thy condemnation.