OCR Text |
Show E363 the community. [373 He that refills fueh magif‘, ‘1 know, it is faid, that the magiftrates Were trates, does in a very enipliatical fenfe relifl the ordinance ofGoD ; he is an enemy to mankind, at the time when the apoftle wrote, heathens; and that Nero, that monfter of tyranny was then odious to COD, and juftly incurs the fentence emperor of Rome ,that therefore the apoflle or condemnation from the great judge of quick and dead. Obedience to fuel-i magifirates is yielding obedience to the will of GOD ; and by enjoining fubmiflion to the powers that then were, does require unlimited obedience to be yielded to the worft of tyrants. Now not to infill upon what has been often oblerved, viz. that this epiftle was written molt probably therefore ought to be performed from a facred regard to the divine authority. 1 ‘ about the beginning of Nero‘s reign, at which FOR any one from hence to infer, that the apoftle enjoins in this text unlimited obedience time he was a very humane and merciful prince, to the worit of tyrants, and that he pronounces damnation upon thofe that refill the arbi- volent to the publick, and fhewed every act trary meafures of fuch pelts of fociety, is juit as good fenfe, as if one lhould affirm, that becauie the fcripture enjoins us obedience to all the laws of Goa, therefore we may not oppoie the power of darknels, or becaule we are commanded to fubmit to the ordinance of GOD, therefore we may not refill the minii'ters of fatan. Such wild work mull be made with the apollle before he can be brought to fpeak the language of oppi‘ellion. It is as plain (I think) did every thing that was generous and bene- ot‘merey, and tendei‘nefs to particulars; and therefore might at that time jullly deferve the charafier of the iiiiniller of Goo for good to the people ; Hay, waving this ; we will {up-- pofe that this epiftle was written after that Nero was become a monlter of tyranny and wickednefs, it will by no means follow from thence, that the apoltle meant to enjoin unli« mited fubiee'lion to fuch an authority, or that he intended to affirm, that fuch a cruel as words can make it, that according to this defpotick authority was the ordinance of GOD. The plain obvious fenfe of his words (as we text,.n.o tyrant can be a ruler; for the apoftle's have already feen) forbids fuch a conllruétion definition of a ruler is, that he is not a terror to to be put upon them ; for they plainly imply good worlts, but to the evil; and that he is a thong abhorrence and difapprobation offucli a character, and clearly prove that Nero, fo far for thus he was a tyrant, could not be the mini- {ter of Goo, nor have a right to claim lub- one who is to praife and encourage thofe that do well ; whenever then the ruler encourages them that do evil, and is a terror to thofe that do pwe‘ll, i. e. as foon as he becomes a tyrant, lie Iorteits his authority to govern, and becomes the mmu'ter of iatan, 'nd as inch ourrht to be eppoiid D l"E million from the people; fo that this ought perhaps rather to be view'd as a fevere fatyr upon Nero, than as enjoyning any l‘ubniiilion to 111111]. T |