Exposition of Romans 13-16, Exposition of Romans · Chapter 1 · Verse 4
VERSE 4. — But if thou doe that which is euill, be afraid: For he beareth not the ſword in vaine: For he is the Miniſter of God, a reuenger to execute wrath vponupon him that doth euill.
IN theſe words the Apoſtle, by a like figure as before, ſheweth that Magiſtrates are a terrour to cuill workes: as he hath ſhewed the Magiſtrate to be amiable to the good, and that they may reioyce in him; ſo here he maketh him terrible to the wicked, that ſuch as will not doe well for the louelove of vertue, may by feare of puniſhment be kept in awe.
Here are two things: a Propoſition, He that doth ill, hath iuſt cauſe to feare: a Reaſon, from his power and authority, He beareth not the ſword in vaine: and this is ſet forth by the Author of his power, which is God: Hee is the Miniſter of God: and by the end wherefore he receiueth ſuch power in regard of the wicked; To execute vengeance or wrath vponupon him that doth euill.
If thou doe that which is euill: Morall euill, or Ciuill, contrary to the Decalogue, or particular poſitiue lawes and Canons of the Church or Commonwealth, or place where thou liueſt; which Lawes and Canons to be the ſame in all places and Countries is not neceſſary.
He beareth not the ſword in vaine. There is a twofold ſword; of the Word, in the mouth of the Miniſter, by admonition, ſuſpenſion, excommunication; and of iuſtice, in the hand of the Magiſtrate, which is here meant; and here are two figures: 1. a Metonymie of the ſigne for the thing ſignified; the ſword for authority: Then a Synechdoche; one kind for all coactiue power.
He beareth. According to the faſhions of Princes, who hauehave certaine Officers going before them carrying the Enſignes of their power. Thus the Romanes had certaine Bundels of rods, and axes, carried before their Magiſtrates, by 12. Sergeants: and the Kings of England, Scepters, and a Sword.
In vaine. He carries not the ſword for faſhion or for a ſhew, but as hauing power of life and death: He may reproue with words, and he hath power alſo to ſtrike with the ſword: Dau. 5.19. Ʋana ſine viribus ira: Authority were but an idle name, if it were not inueſted with the power of the ſword.
He is the Miniſter of God: as before.
A reuenger to execute wrath, &c. Ʋengeance is proper to God, and by God communicated to Magiſtrates, who otherwiſe had no power to reuenge; neither may inferiours execute priuate reuenge.
Wrath. The wrath of God: or puniſhment; ſo called, ſignifying all manner of caſtigation, as mulcts, ſines, impriſonment, baniſhment, proſcription, death, &c.
The Magiſtrate is appointed for the puniſhment of them which doe euill: Gen. 9.6. Who ſo ſheddeth mans blood, Doctr. by man ſhall his blood be ſhed. By this Scripture the power of the ſword is confirmed to the Magiſtrate. So Exod. 21.14 and S. Peter affirmeth that Magiſtrates are ſent for the puniſhment of euill doers: 1. Pet. 2.14.
May the Magiſtrate pardon, Queſt. a malefactor deſeruing to die by the law of God, and conuicted?
The Supreme Magiſtrate may, Anſw. and alſo encreaſe or diminiſh puniſhments according to circumſtances, if it be more for the good of the Common-wealth, and no fraud to God or good men: So Dauid aggrauated the puniſhment of theft by his ſentence vponupon a rich man, which ſhould hauehave ſtolne the only ſheepe of his poore neighbour a2. S…m. 12.56..
Alſo he forbore Ioab, that wilfully murdred two famous men, Abner and Amaſa; for he was a valiant man, in great account with the people, and there was great need of him. But Salomon executed Ioab, and in the flower of his wiſdome, vponupon good reaſon pardoned Abiathar the Prieſt, a man worthy of death b1. King. 1.26..
Warre, Vſe 1 a cruell thing I confeſſe, yet lawfull and neceſſary ſometimes by this place: as he may draw his ſword againſt a priuate troubler of the Common-wealth, ſo againſt a publike, whatſoeuer Eraſmus ſaith to the contrary cEraſm. Adag. Chil. 4. Cent. 1. Adag. 1..
The Saints by Faith ſubdued kingdomes, and turned to flight the armies of aliens, Hebr. 11.33.34.
When the Souldiers demanded of Iohn, what they ſhould doe: If he had miſliked warre, he would hauehave bid them to hurle away their ſwords, rather then bid them be content with their wages, as Saint Auguſtine hath obſerued dAug. epiſt. 5. Marcel. … diriſſime. to 6. l. 22 contra Fanſt…m, cap. 74.. So that warre is lawfull; and if the King command, lawfull for the ſubiect to draw his ſword, but not without his authority.
It is the duty of Magiſtrates to puniſh offenders. Clemencie is moſt commendable in Princes. Vſe 2 Nero in the beginning of his Empire, when he was requeſted to ſet his hand to the execution of an offender, would ſay, vtinam neſcirem literas, I would I could not write, which procured him great louelove among the people.
And Theodoſius the yonger being asked, why hee neuer executed ſuch as iniuried him; anſwered, I would to God it lay in me to reuiue them which be dead eSecrat. Schol. Eccleſ. hiſt. l. 7. 5. p. 22., A princely voice.
Yet ſeuerity is neceſſary, and God requires that wicked men ſhould be puniſhed. Impunity is a great entiſement to ſinne.
It is true which the Orator fAeſchines. foreign.ſaid, There is no profit of that Gouernment which hath not inſtruments of puniſhment for wicked men.
It is profitable for the Common-wealth, for the ſafetie of the Good, who are in ſome ſort wronged, when wicked men are ſpared. The Phyſitian purgeth our bodies of peccant humours, and the Soueraigne Magiſtrate is the Royall Phyſitian of the State. A wiſe King (ſaith a wiſe King gProu. 20.26.) ſcattereth the wicked, and bringeth the wheele ouer them.
Alſo for the amendment of the bad, who are puniſhed euen for this alſo, that others may be warned by their example: If they will not amend, let them be made Triacle, to expell the poyſon of ſinne out of others.
The execution of Iuſtice in this kinde, is like Thunder, which ſtriketh few, but feareth many hPoena ad paucos, metus ad omnes.. Smite a ſcorner, and the ſimple will beware, Prou. 19.25. So God will hauehave the entiſer to Idolatry iDeut. 13.11., the falſe witneſſe kDeut. 19.20., and the incorrigible ſonne lDeut. 21.21., to be ſeuerely puniſhed for a warning and example to others.
Magiſtrates are not to bee a terror to the good, but to the euill: Dat veniam coruis, vexat cenſura columbas, is a foule miſtaking of the marke: They muſt diligently examine matters, that they may pronounce right iudgement; neither muſt they proceed for fauour or affection, for they iudge not for man, but for the Lord, as ſaid a iuſt King m2 Chro. 59.6..
It is reported of Artaxerxes long-hand Emperour of Perſia nJ. Lypſii monitorum & exemplorum polit. l. 2 cap. 9., that when his fauourite Satibarzanes ſued for an vniuſt thing, being drawne thereunto by the promiſe of a great ſumme of money; the Emperour commanded his Treaſurer to bring ſo much money, and gaue it to his fauourite: Hold thee, ſaith hee, though I giuegive thee this, I ſhall be neuer the poorer, but if I grant thy ſuite, I ſhall be much the vniuſter.
We are to praiſe God for our Gouernours, and good lawes, Vſe 4 without which no man ſhould trauell in ſafetie, nor keepe his owne houſe: alſo to pray for the Magiſtrates, that they may be all of them louers of Religion, Iuſtice, Vertue: for according to their example, are the Commons for the moſt part faſhioned. In the time of Iulius Caeſar, ſouldiers; of Auguſtus, ſchollers; of Nero, Poets and Stage-players flouriſhed, becauſe theſe great ones were ſuch: As certaine flowers moue according to the motion of the Sunne, ſo do the common people imitate the liues of their Superiours.