St. Ambrose, "that without fear of punishment he may offend, yet is he subject to God, who oweth nothing unto any; and to whom more by him is owed, unto whom more by him hath been committed." Regum timendorum in proprios greges, Over subjects kings command, Kings are under Jove's high hand. And therefore "Whatsoever they shall unjustly, and wickedly, and in a tyrannical manner practise against the law, to the overthrow of right, therein," saith Irenæus, 66 they shall perish by the just judgment which cometh equally upon all, and in none, or nothing, is deficient." Whereupon that famous Eremite, Anthony, writing unto Constantine the Great, and his sons Constantius and Constans, gravely advised them, "not to esteem their present estate to be great, but rather to remember the judgment which was to come:" which also the Catholic bishops afterward were not unmindful to put Constantius in remembrance of, when he laboured so earnestly to propagate the Arrian heresy. And the prelates assembled in an Italian synod, five hundred years after that, do "humbly sug ditus est, qui nulli debet; imo plus ipse debet, cui plus commissum est." Ambr. in Psal. 118. serm. 86. Horat. carm. lib. 3. Od. 1. vide et Sueton. in C. Jul. Cæsare, cap. 16. ex Cæsare ipso, in Juliæ amitæ laudatione funebri. "Quæcunque ad eversionem justi, inique et impie contra legem, et more tyrannico exercuerint, in his et peribunt, justo judicio Dei ad omnes æqualiter perveniente et in nullo deficiente." Iren. adv. hæres. lib. 5. cap. 24. 9 Μὴ μεγάλα ἡγεῖσθαι τὰ παρόντα, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον μνημονεύειν τῆς μελ-. λovons Kρioεws. Athanas. in vita Antonii. • Ηπείλουν τὴν ἡμέραν τῆς κρίσεως. tam agentes. Athanas. in epist. ad solitariam vi "Cavendum summopere principibus, ut quia minime nunc judicantur, ne in futuro judicio ab omnipotenti Deo gravius judicentur : secundum apostolum : Etenim horrendum est incidere in manus Dei viventis. Nos vero qui debitores sumus ut fideliter annunciemus, idcirco humiliter suggerimus, quod silere non audemus." Synod. Regiaticin. anno 850. habit. cap. 16. Wherewith that of Otto Frisingensis also may be compared, in his preface before his history unto the emperor Frederick Barbarossa, "Cum enim, juxta apostolum, omni mortali VOL. XI. C C gest" the same unto princes, which (in respect of their calling) they profess "they dare not be silent in;" that "they should take special heed because they are not now judged, that in the judgment to come, they be not more severely judged by Almighty God: according to that of the apostle: It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." The same apostle in his epistle to the Colossians, speaking of the mutual duties of servants and masters, setting this down as a general axiom: "He" that doth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done; and there is no respect of persons:" and then presently subjoineth: "Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal, knowing that ye also have a master in heaven." And in his epistle to the Ephesians, treating of the same argument, when he had laid the like general ground for the recompence of well-doing, as he did in the other for doing of wrong: "Whatsoevery good thing any man doth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free;" he addeth in like manner: "Ye masters do the same thing unto your servants, forbearing threatenings ; knowing that your master also is in heaven, neither is there respect of persons with him." The reason is universal, you see; and so is applicable as well to the prince in the commonwealth, as to the master in the private family. Whereupon the Scripture elsewhere telleth us in express terms, that God "accepteth' not the persons of princes;" that "hea leadeth princes away spoiled, and overthroweth the mighty;" that "heb changeth the times and the seasons, he removeth kings, and setteth up kings;" that "he cutteth off the spirit of princes, and is terrible to the kings of the earth." horrendum sit incidere in manus Dei viventis, regibus tamen, qui nullum præset ipsum supra se habent quem metuant, eo erit horribilius, quo ipsi cæteris possunt peccare liberius." Heb. chap. 10. ver. 31. * Col. chap. 4. ver. 1. Job, chap. 34. ver. 19. b Dan. chap. 2. ver. 21. Col. chap. 3. ver. 25. y Ephes. chap. 6. ver. 8, 9. a Ibid. chap. 12. ver. 19. c Psalm 76. ver. 12. Upon the consideration of which judgments of God, (oftentimes inflicted by him even in this world, but most infallibly in the world to come) King David groundeth this admonition of his unto those great ones: "Bed wise now therefore, O ye kings; be instructed, ye judges of the earth, serve the Lord with fear." Whereof if you will have a more large paraphrase, you may take this out of the sixth chapter of the Book of Wisdom; "Hear therefore, O ye kings, and understand; learn ye that be judges of the ends of the earth. Give ear, you that rule the people, and glory in the multitude of nations. For power is given you of the Lord, and sovereignty from the Highest; who shall try your works, and search out your counsels? Because being ministers of his kingdom, you have not judged aright, nor kept the law, nor walked after the counsel of God. Horribly and speedily shall he come upon you: for a sharp judgment shall be to them that be in high places. For mercy will soon pardon the meanest; but mighty men shall be mightily tormented. For he which is Lord over all shall fear no man's person, neither shall he stand in awe of any man's greatness; for he hath made the small and great, and careth for all alike." But leaving God to his own work, (which he in his infinite wisdom knoweth best how to order) let us look to what concerns ourselves, and consider that subjection which God hath charged us to yield unto our governors. d Psalm 2. ver. 10, 11. PART II. THE OBEDIENCE OF THE SUBJECT. OBEDIENCE to authority is by Eschylus rightly termed “ The mother of felicity ;" by Philo the Jew, “The best and most profitable thing in our whole life." And therefore Theopompus, king of the Lacedemonians, hearing one attribute the safety of Sparta to the skill which their kings had in government, made answer, that this was to be ascribed rather to the obedience which the people so cheerfully rendered unto their governors. For in Spartaa, above all other places, the most powerful citizens shewed themselves most obsequious unto the magistrates, and by * Πειθαρχία γάρ ἐστι τῆς εὐπραξίας μήτηρ. Æschyl. in Επτὰ ἐπὶ θήβας, ver. 203. b" ̓́Αρχεσθαι, τὸ κάλλιστον καὶ βιωφελέστατον. Philo, in lib. de Joseph. Θεόπομπος ὁ βασιλεὺς τῶν Λακεδαιμονίων, πρὸς τὸν εἰπόντα σώζεσθαι τὴν Σπάρτην, διὰ τοὺς βασιλεῖς ἀρχικοὺς ὄντας. Plutarch. in præceptis gerendæ reip. 4 Ἐν δὲ τῇ Σπάρτῃ οἱ κράτιστοι καὶ ὑπέρχονται μάλιστα τὰς ἀρχὰς, καὶ τῷ ταπεινοὶ εἶναι μεγαλύνονται, καὶ τῷ ὅταν καλῶνται, τρέχοντες, ἀλλὰ μὴ βαδίζοντες, ὑπακούειν νομίζοντες, ἢν αὐτοὶ κατάρχωσι τοῦ σφόδρα πείθεσθαι, ἕψεσθαι καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους. ὅπερ καὶ γεγένηται. Xenoph. de Lacedam. repub. " Ι their example drew the rest to do the like: as "knowing" obedience to be the greatest good, both in cities, in armies, and in private families." So writeth Xenophon, in his book of the commonwealth of the Lacedæmonians: which elsewhere he amplifieth more largely, in this speech which he makes Chrysantas use to his countrymen the Persians: “ Consider', I pray, what town of their enemies can they take who will not obey? What city of their friends can they keep that are disobedient? What army that is irregular and tumultuous can obtain a victory? What readier way can men make to receive an overthrow in battle, than when every one shall begin severally to consult of his own safety? What other good thing can be effected by those that do not obey their superiors? What cities can be well governed? What houses can be preserved? How can ships be brought to the coast whereunto they are bound? By what means more have we ourselves acquired those good things which we now enjoy, than by obeying our prince? For hereby it came to pass that by day and by night we did both speedily come unto the place appointed, and with our whole forces following our prince carried all before us; while we left none of those things half done, which were enjoined unto us. And therefore as it is apparent, that obedience to our governor is the greatest means to purchase good things; so assure yourselves likewise, that the very same • Επείπερ ἔγνωσαν τὸ πείθεσθαι μέγιστον ἀγαθὸν εἶναι καὶ ἐν πόλει, καὶ στρατιᾷ, καὶ ἐν οἴκῳ. Xenoph. de Lacedæm. repub. · Εννοήσατε γὰρ δὴ, τὶς ἂν πόλις πολεμία ὑπὸ μὴ πειθομένων ἁλοίη; τίς δ ̓ ἂν φιλία ὑπὸ μὴ πειθεμένων διαφυλαχθείη; ποῖον δ' ἂν ἀπει θούντων στράτευμα νίκης τύχοι; πῶς δ ̓ ἂν μᾶλλον ἐν μάχαις ήτ τῶντο ἄνθρωποι, ἢ ἐπειδὰν ἄρξωνται ἰδίᾳ ἕκαστος περὶ τῆς αὐτοῦ σωτηρίας βουλεύεσθαι; τί δ ̓ ἂν ἄλλο ἀγαθὸν τελεσθείη ὑπὸ τῶν μὴ πειθομένων τοῖς κρείττοσι ; ποῖαι δὲ πόλεις νομίμως ἂν οἰκήσειαν; ἢ ποῖοι· οἶκοι σωθείησαν; πῶς δ ̓ ἂν νῆες ὅποι δεῖ ἀφίκοιντο; Ἡμεῖς δ ̓ ἃ νῦν ἀγαθὰ ἔχομεν διὰ τί ἄλλο μᾶλλον κατεπράξαμεν, ἢ διὰ τὸ πείθεσ. θαι τῷ ἄρχοντι; διὰ τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ νυκτὸς καὶ ἡμέρας ταχὺ μὲν ὅποι ἔδει παρεγινόμεθα, ἀθρόοι δὲ τῷ ἄρχοντι ἑπόμενοι, ἀνυπόστατοι ἦμεν, τῶν δ ̓ ἐπιταχθέντων οὐδὲν ἡμιτελὲς κατελείπομεν. Εἰ τοίνυν μέγιστον ἀγα θὸν τὸ πειθαρχεῖν φαίνεται εἰς τὸ καταπράττειν τἀγαθὰ, οὕτως εὖ ἴστε ὅτι αὐτὸ τοῦτο καὶ εἰς τὸ διασώζειν ἃ δεῖ μέγιστον ἀγαθόν ἐστι. Xen. lib. 8. κύρου παιδείας. |