Page:Discourse Concerning Unlimited Submission.djvu/40

24 tender mercies are over all his works. It is blaphemy to call tyrants and oppreors, God's miniters. They are more properly the meengers of atan to buffet us. No rulers are properly God's miniters, but uch as are just, ruling in the fear of God. When once magitrates act contrary to their office, and the end of their intitution; when they rob and ruin the public, intead of being guardians of its peace and welfare; they immediately ceae to be the ordinance and miniters of God; and no more deerve that glorious character than common pirates and highwaymen. So that whenever that argument for ubmiion, fails, which is grounded upon the uefulnes of magitracy to civil ociety, (as it always does when magitrates do hurt to ociety intead of good) the other argument, which is taken from their being the ordinance of God, mut necearily fail alo; no peron of a civil character being God's minister, in the ene of the apotle, any farther than he performs God's will, by exerciing a jut and reaonable authority; and ruling for the good of the ubject.

in general. Let us now trace the apotle's reaoning in favor of ubmiion to the higher powers, a little more particularly and exactly. For by this it will appear, on one hand, how good and concluive it is, for ubmiion to thoe rulers who exercie their power in a proper manner: And, on the other, how weak and trifling and unconnected it is, if it be uppoed to be meant by the apotle to how the obligation and duty of

obedience