Exposition of Romans 13-16, Exposition of Romans · Chapter 1 · Verse 3
VERSE 3. For Rulers are not a terrour to goed workes, but to the euill: wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? doe that which is good, and thou ſhalt hauehave praiſe of the ſame.
4. For he is the Miniſter of God to thee for good.
THe occaſion and order of this Text may be from the latter part of the ſecond verſe, but the Argument is principally to be applied to the precept in the firſt verſe. So Chriſoſtome and Caluin.
The Argument is taken from the end for which powers were ordained, which is the good of mankind, in theſe two branches: Reward and puniſhment, the ſinewes of gouerment. Thus,
That which is ordained for the ſingular good of Man, is to be obeyed, ſubmitted vntounto, and not reſiſted.
But Powers or Magiſtrates were ſo ordained: For there can be nothing better then that good men ſhould be rewarded, and euill men puniſhed.
This Argument is firſt ſet downe, in theſe words. For Rulers are not a terror to good workes, but to euill: and afterward repeated to the end of the 4. verſe.
Rulers. This word is ſo generall that it extendeth it ſelfe to domeſticke gouernors, but here is to be vnderſtood only of them which hauehave the power of the ſword, whether they be ſupreme, or ſubordinate.
Are not a terror to good workes but to euill. We muſt feare God and the King: and authority languiſheth where it is not feared: But yet Rulers are not, that is, ought not to be, a terrour: To good workes: workes for workers, the effect for the cauſe; but to ill workes, that is, workers, the Apoſtle ſo ſpeaking, becauſe men are to be rewarded or puniſhed according to their workes.
Good and ill workes. Not ſo Theologically, as a good worke, that is done of faith of a ſincere minde, and for the glory of God; & ill works contrarilie, for the Magiſtrate cannot iudge of this: but ciuilly good or euill, which are according or contrary to the lawes diuine, humane, poſitiue, municipall, of Kingdomes, Cities, and Corporations, whereby the conuenient and neceſſary diſcipline of eueryevery State is eſtabliſhed.
This is repeated in the words following: and the repetition elegantly ſet forth by a Rhetoricall communication, whereby both parts are declared, firſt, that Rulers are not a terrour to the good. Secondly, that they are a terrour to the euill.
The firſt, in theſe words: Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? doe that which is good, and thou ſhalt hauehave praiſe of the ſame: verſe 4. For he is the Miniſter of God to thee for good.
The ſecond, in the words following to the end of the 4. verſe.
The firſt hath two parts: A Queſtion and an Anſwer.
The Queſtion: Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? As if Paul called vntounto him a fearefull and carefull ſubiect, who ſtudied ſo to liue, as that he might not offend the Ruler, nor come within the dint of his ſword.
The Anſwer: Doe that which is good, &c. Where we hauehave an aduice, exhortation or praecept, and the reaſon.
The Aduice: Doe good: that is, obey and reſiſt not: He meaneth not the profeſſion of Chriſtianity, for that bred hatred: but ſuch good as was ſo in the iudgement of the Heathen themſelues, which is a ciuill conuerſation, agreeing to the lawes of the State wherein we liue.
The Reaſon: And thou ſhalt hauehave praiſe of the ſame. The fruit of ſubiection is praiſe: a ſweet fruit, and of all exceedingly deſired, though it may be deſerued but of a few.
Praiſe is here largely taken, as Tehillah in the Hebrew, implying not onelyonly immunity of puniſhment, as a verball commendation; but a partaking of all liberties, freedomes, priuiledges, commodities of a good ſubiect, according to the lawes.
This is confirmed for better aſſurance and incouragement from the end why Magiſtrates were ordained, which is the good of man, as before: He is the Miniſter of God to thee for good.
He is the Miniſter of God. The word which is ordinarily giuen to Miniſters of the word, is here giuen to the Miniſters of the ſword.
There is a great agreement betweene them: in regard of the Lord whom they ſerue, which is one and the ſame, euen the Lord Ieſus; and in regard of the common end of both their Miniſteries, which is the good of men.
But there is alſo great difference, in regard of the obiect, and the manner: The ciuill Magiſtrate is for the Naturall, Morall, Ciuill and Spirituall good, by the power of the ſword. The Miniſter of the Word, is for the Spirituall good; not by Law or force, but by preaching the word, adminiſtring the Sacraments, and execution of Eccleſiaſticall diſcipline: vntounto which alſo reacheth the power of the Magiſtrate, not to execute them in his owne perſon, but to ſee them executed.
For good. What good? For naturall good, that thy life and ſafety may be preſerued. For Morall, that thou maiſt bee brought from vice to vertue: Ciuill, that thou maieſt ſafely enioy thy poſſeſſions, and that ſociety and publike honeſty may be defended and maintained: For Spirituall, eſtabliſhing the true worſhip of God, as the keeper of the firſt Table of the Law.
To thee, euen thee which art a Chriſtian alſo, who of all others, wert leaſt in ſafety, if there were no Rulers nor Lawes.
Magiſtrates are ordained for the praiſe and good, Doctr. of the good and them which liue in order: Prou. 14.35. The Kings fauour is toward a wiſe ſeruant. And 16.13. Righteous lips are the delight of Kings, and they louelove him that ſpeaketh right. 1 Pet. 2.14. Gouernours are ſent for the praiſe of them which doe well. Of this Dauid is an example: Pſal. 101.6. Mine eyes ſhall be vponupon the faithfull in the Land, &c.
But many liue in order and doe good, Obiect. which yet receiue no praiſe, but vexation. How is the Magiſtrate then for their good?
It is thus anſwered by one, aAnſelmus in locum.Si bonus, nutritor tuus; Anſw. ſi malus, tentator tuus eſt; Nutrimenta libenter accipe; ſic etiam tentationem vt aurum probere: If he be a good Magiſtrate he is thy nouriſher; if an ill one, he is thy prouer; take thy nouriſhment willingly, and alſo thy triall, that thou mayeſt be proued to bee gold. And thus by another bCaietanus in locum,, when a man doing good is perſecuted, this commeth to paſſe, non ex natura operum, ſed ex abuſu poteſtatis. Not of the nature of the workes, but by the abuſe of the power.
The Vſe is for Magiſtrates and Subiects. Ʋſe.
For Magiſtrates.
1. They are the Miniſters of God, therefore let them take heed what they doe, for they iudge not for man, but for the Lord, who is with them in the iudgement: let them feare the Lord, and take heed; for there is no iniquity with the Lord, nor reſpect of perſons, nor taking of gifts: as ſaid King Iehoſhaphat to his Iudges c2. Chron. 19.6.7.; as alſo our good Iehoſhaphat to this purpoſe admoniſheth the reuerend Iudges before the riding of their Circuits.
2. Let good Magiſtrates bee comforted: many troubles accompany gouernment and the due execution of Iuſtice, many ſlaundrous ſpeeches of euill men: but Magiſtrates are Gods ſeruants, and he will beare them out, and reward them.
3. Magiſtrates muſt remember that they are aduanced for the good of ſubiects, not for the honour onelyonly of their perſons and families, nor at all that they ſhould be licentious without controulment, as Nero, Tiberius, Caligula, &c. Magiſtrates differ from the reſt of the people, not by Impunity, but by vertue and equity: and are to reſpect the vtility of the people, not their luſt.
It was the word of Aelius Adrianus, who ſucceeded Troiane in the Empire of Rome; Non mihi, ſed populo, ſignifying that which he often was heard to ſay; Ita ſe Rempublicam geſturum, vt ſeiret rem populi eſſe non ſuā; that is, that he would ſo gouerne the Commonwealth, as knowing it was the wealth of the people, not his owne.
The principall ayme of Kings, Princes, and Magiſtrates muſt be the good of them which obey them, and therefore they are called Benefactors dforeign. Luke 22.25.: and indeed a good King or Magiſtrate is a Benefactor, and mans greateſt friend vponupon earth eforeign..
Now the Magiſtrate procureth the good of ſubiects three wayes.
1. By eſtabliſhing and maintaining true Religion: A State without the true Religion, is like a City without wals, or a houſe without a foundation; and ſtories record, infinit euils to hauehave betide Kingdomes for the neglect of true Religion. Kings are to be nurſing Fathers of the Church and of Religion. Such of old were Dauid, Ezechias, Ioſias, Conſtantine, Theodoſius; ſuch of late was our famous Elizabeth, ſuch a one now is (bleſſed be our God) our moſt Noble King Iames, the tendereſt Father of the true Church, and the greateſt defender of the faith vponupon earth.
2. By hearing the cries of the poore, receiuing their petitions, and redreſſing their wrongs: So did Dauid, ſo did Salomon, ſo doth King Iames: I thinke neuer any King more, neuer pretending want of leiſure, as ſometimes Antipater, in matters of this kind.
3. By ſeeing to the making of good lawes, and their execution: Populi ſalus ſuprema, lex: Law is the chiefe ſafety of the people. But what are good lawes, if not duly executed, and without reſpect of perſons: we hauehave good Lawes againſt drunkenneſſe, and yet for want of due execution, through the negligence doubtleſſe of inferiour magiſtrates, it daily encreaſeth to the great damage of the Commonwealth.
The not executing of good lawes vprightly, is an intolerable iniury to the ſupreme Magiſtrate; for from hence is many times the alienation of the ſubiects from their Prince. This cauſed many to depart from Saul to Dauid: 1. Sam. 22.2. and this was the pretended ground of Abſolons rebellion; and this alledged as the cauſe of the depoſition of Richard the ſecond. Moſt worthy therefore are all Iudges, Iuſtices, and ſubordinate Magiſtrates, of moſt ſeuere puniſhment, which ſhall through negligence, corruption, fauour, hatred, &c. wrong the Maieſty of the ſupreame Magiſtrate, the authority of good lawes, and the ſafety of the common people.
As it is a damned thing for a Phyſitian to be corrupted to deſtroy his patient, whom he hath vndertaken to reſtore to health; ſo for a Iudge or Iuſtice, any way to peruert iuſtice, and not duly to execute good lawes: Cambyſes cauſed ſuch a Iudge to be ſlaine eHerodot. l 5. Valer. Max. l 6. c. 3..
For Subiects.
1. To reuerence, louelove, and pray for their Gouernours, as for the miniſters of God ſent for their good.
2. To obey the Lawes: vntounto which here are two motiues: Firſt, obedience bringeth praiſe; of thy fellow Citizens; of the Magiſtrate; of God. Secondly, ſuch obedience is called doing good: whom then doth it better become then ſuch as glory to be accounted profeſſors of the Goſpell?
But in what degree a good worke? euen in the higheſt of the ſecond Table, in which obedience to Magiſtrates is in the firſt place commanded; and Saint Paul wiſheth Titus to put the people in remembrance that they be ſubiect to Magiſtrates, and obedient, and ready to eueryevery good worke fTit. 3.1.: as if there were no good workes to be expected from him that obeieth not the Rulers: I wiſh ſuch ſeriouſly and in the feare of God to conſider hereof, who reſiſt and oppoſe the lawes and conſtitutions of the Magiſtrate in certaine matters of order in the holy ſeruice; both refuſing to obey, and making a ſleight matter of ſuch diſobedience, though it pertaine to one of the higheſt tranſgreſſions of the ſecond Table.