Page:Discourse Concerning Unlimited Submission.djvu/41

 obedience to tyrannical, oppreive rulers in common with others of a different character.

apotle enters upon his ubject thus—Let every oul be ubject unto the higher powers; for there is no power but of God: the powers that be, are ordained of God. Here he urges the duty of obedience from this topic of argument, that civil rulers, as they are uppoed to fulfill the pleaure of God, are the ordinance of God. But how is this an argument for obedience to uch rulers as do not perform the pleaure of God, by doing good; but the pleaure of the devil, by doing evil; and uch as are not, therefore, God's miniters, but the devil's! Whooever, therefore, reiteth the power, reiteth the ordinance of God; and they that reit, hall receive to themelves damnation. Here the apotle argues, that thoe who reit a reaonable and jut authority, which is agreeable to the will of God, do really reit the will of God himelf; and will, therefore, be punihed by him. But how does this prove, that thoe who reit a lawles, unreaonable power, which is contrary to the will of God, do therein reit the will and ordinance of God? Is reiting thoe who reit God's will, the ame thing with reiting God? Or hall thoe who do o, receive to themelves damnation! For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? Do that which is good; and thou halt have praie of the ame. For he is the miniter of God to thee for good. Here the apotle argues more explicitly