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124 honor." (Romans xiii. 1 to 7.) Now, be pleased to remark, that the apostle has expressly and repeatedly assigned the reason why so much respect and obedience is due to the higher powers, or to the ruler, or magistrate; "for he is" (says the apostle) "the minister of God to thee for good" &c.; and again—"for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil:" and again—"for they are God's ministers;" that is, they are God's ministers while they maintain justice and righteousness in the execution of their public charge, howsoever deficient their characters may be in other respects, as private individuals; but, on the other hand, such an unjust ruler as Ananias, for instance, who sat to judge according to law, and yet commanded a person to be beaten contrary to law, such a ruler, I say, cannot be esteemed a minister of God to us for good, or a minister of God in any respect whatsoever. A man, who "is notoriously guilty of perverting the laws, and of abusing the delegated power, with which he is entrusted, by acts of violence and injustice, is so far from being "the minister of God," that he is manifestly "the minister of the devil;" which is the express doctrine of the common law of this kingdom, according to the most approved and most ancient authorities; wherein we find it applied not merely to inferior rulers, but to the supreme magistrate, even to the king himself, if he rules contrary