Concerning Good Order and Obedience to Rulers and Magistrates
Part One
Almighty God has created and appointed all things, in heaven, on earth, and in the waters, in a most excellent and perfect order. In heaven he has appointed distinct (or several) orders and ranks of archangels and angels. On earth he has assigned and appointed kings and princes, with other governors under them, all in good and necessary order. The water above is kept in place, and rains down in due time and season. The sun, moon, stars, rainbow, thunder, lightning, clouds, and all the birds of the air keep their order. The earth, the trees, seeds, plants, herbs, grain, grass, and every kind of beast keep themselves in their order. All the parts of the whole year, such as winter, summer, months, nights, and days, continue in their order. All kinds of fish in the sea, the rivers and waters, with all the fountains and springs, yes, the seas themselves, keep their fitting course and order. And man himself also has all his parts, both within and without, such as soul, heart, mind, memory, understanding, reason, speech, with each and every bodily member, in a profitable, necessary, and pleasant order.
Every degree of people, in their vocation, calling, and office, has a duty and order appointed to them. Some are in high degree, some in low; some kings and princes, some inferiors and subjects; priests and laymen, masters and servants, fathers and children, husbands and wives, rich and poor; and every one has need of another. So in all things the good order of God is to be praised and commended, without which no house, no city, no commonwealth can continue and endure (or last). For where there is no right order, there reign all abuse, carnal liberty, gross disorder, sin, and Babylonian confusion. Take away kings, princes, rulers, magistrates, judges, and such ranks of God's order, and no man shall ride or walk along the highway unrobbed; no man shall sleep in his own house or bed without being killed; no man shall keep his wife, children, and possessions in peace; all things shall be held in common; and there must follow all mischief and utter destruction, both of souls, bodies, goods, and commonwealths.
But blessed be God that we, in this realm of England, do not feel the horrible calamities, miseries, and wretchedness which all those undoubtedly feel and suffer who lack this godly order. And praised be God that we know the great and excellent benefit God has shown toward us in this regard. God has sent us his high gift: our most dear Sovereign Lady Queen Elizabeth, with godly, wise, and honourable counsel, and with other superiors and inferiors in a beautiful and goodly order. Therefore let us subjects do the duties to which we are bound, giving hearty thanks to God and praying for the preservation of this godly order. Let us all obey, even from the bottom of our hearts, all their godly proceedings, laws, statutes, proclamations, and injunctions, with all their other godly orders. Let us consider the Scriptures of the Holy Spirit, which persuade and command us all to be obediently subject: first and chiefly to the Queen's Majesty, Supreme Governor over all, and next to her honourable counsel, and to all other noblemen, magistrates, and officers who by God's goodness are placed and appointed.
For Almighty God is the only author and provider of this state and order just named, as it is written of God in the Book of Proverbs:
Through me kings reign; through me counsellors make just laws; through me princes bear rule, and all the judges of the earth execute judgment. I love those who love me. (Proverbs 8:15-17)
Here let us mark well and remember that the high power and authority of kings, together with their making of laws, judgments, and officers, are the ordinances not of man but of God; and that is why this word, Through me, is repeated so many times. Here too it is well to consider and remember that this good order is appointed by God's wisdom, favour, and love, especially for those who love God; and therefore he says, I love those who love me.
Also, in the Book of Wisdom, we may plainly learn that a king's power, authority, and strength is a great benefit of God, given of his great mercy as a comfort in our great misery. For we read this spoken there to kings:
Hear, O kings, and understand; learn, you that are judges of the ends of the earth; give ear, you that rule the multitudes: for your power is given you by the Lord, and your strength from the Most High. (Wisdom 6:1-3)
Let us also learn here, by the infallible and undeceivable word of God, that kings and other supreme and higher officers are ordained by God, who is the Most High; and therefore they are here diligently taught to apply and give themselves to the knowledge and wisdom necessary for ordering God's people committed to their governance (or those whom they are charged by God to govern). And they are also taught here by Almighty God that they should acknowledge they have all their power and strength not from Rome, but immediately from God Most High.
We read in the Book of Deuteronomy that all punishment belongs to God, by this sentence: "Vengeance is mine, and I will repay." (Deuteronomy 32:35) But we must understand this sentence to belong also to the magistrates, who carry out God's office in judgment and punishment by good and godly laws here on earth.
And the passages of Scripture that seem to remove all judgment, punishment, or killing from among Christian men ought to be understood in this way: that no man, by his own private authority, may be a judge over another, may punish, or may kill. Rather, we must refer all judgment to God, and to kings and rulers, and to the judges under them, who are God's officers to execute justice, and who by the plain words of Scripture have their authority and the use of the sword granted from God. So we are taught by St. Paul, the dear and chosen Apostle of our Saviour Christ, whom we ought diligently to obey, even as we would obey our Saviour Christ himself if he were present. Thus St. Paul writes to the Romans:
Let every soul submit himself to the authority of the higher powers. For there is no power but of God; the powers that be are ordained of God. Whoever therefore resists the power resists the ordinance of God; and they that resist (or are against it) shall bring damnation on themselves. For rulers are not to be feared by those who do good, but by those who do evil. Would you be without fear of the power? Then do well, and you shall be praised for it; for he is the minister of God for your welfare. But if you do what is evil, then be afraid; for he does not bear the sword for nothing; he is the minister of God, to take vengeance on the one who does evil. Therefore you must obey, not only for fear of vengeance, but also for conscience' sake. And for this same reason you pay tribute too; for they are God's ministers, serving for this very purpose. (Romans 13:1-6)
Here let us all learn from St. Paul, the chosen vessel of God, that all persons who have souls (he excepts none, exempts none, neither priest, apostle, nor prophet, says St. Chrysostom) owe, by bound duty and even in conscience, obedience, submission, and subjection to the high powers that are set in authority by God; for they are God's lieutenants, God's deputies, God's officers, God's commissioners, God's judges, ordained by God himself, from whom alone they have all their power and all their authority. And the same St. Paul threatens no less a pain than everlasting damnation to all disobedient persons, to all who resist this general and common authority; for they resist not man but God, not man's device and invention, but God's wisdom, God's order, power, and authority.
Part Two
Since God has created and arranged all things in a fitting order, we have been taught, in the first part of this Sermon concerning good Order and Obedience, that we too ought, in all commonwealths, to observe and keep a due order, and to be obedient to the powers, their ordinances, and their laws; and that all rulers are appointed by God so that a godly order may be kept in the world; and also how the magistrates ought to learn to rule and govern according to God's laws; and that all subjects are bound to obey them as God's ministers, yes, even though they be evil, not only for fear but also for conscience' sake.
And here, good people, let us all mark diligently that it is in no case lawful for inferiors and subjects to resist (or stand against) the superior powers; for St. Paul's words are plain, that whoever resists shall bring damnation on themselves, since whoever resists, resists the ordinance of God. Our Saviour Christ himself and his Apostles received many and various wrongs from the unfaithful and wicked men in authority, yet we never read that they, or any of them, caused any sedition or rebellion against authority. We read often that they patiently suffered all troubles, vexations, slanders, pangs, and pains, and even death itself, obediently, without tumult or resistance. They committed their cause to him who judges righteously, and prayed for their enemies heartily and earnestly. They knew that the authority of the powers was God's ordinance; and therefore, both in their words and deeds, they always taught obedience to it, and never taught nor did the contrary.
The wicked judge Pilate said to Christ, "Do you not know that I have power to crucify you, and power also to release you?" Jesus answered, "You could have no power at all against me, unless it were given you from above." (John 19:10-11) By this Christ plainly taught us that even wicked rulers have their power and authority from God. And therefore it is not lawful for their subjects to resist them by force, even though they abuse their power; much less, then, is it lawful for subjects to resist their godly and Christian princes, who do not abuse their authority but use it to God's glory and to the profit and benefit[1] of God's people.
The holy Apostle St. Peter commands servants to be obedient to their masters, not only if they are good and gentle, but also if they are evil and harsh, affirming that the vocation and calling of God's people is to be patient and on the suffering side. And there he brings in the patience of our Saviour Christ to persuade obedience to governors, yes, even though they be wicked and wrongdoers. But let us now hear St. Peter himself speak, for his own words best assure our conscience. Thus he expresses them in his first Epistle:
Servants, obey your masters with fear, not only if they are good and gentle, but also if they are harsh. For it earns thanks if a man, for conscience toward God, endures grief and suffers wrong undeservedly. For what praise is it if you are beaten for your faults and take it patiently? But when you do well, and then suffer wrong, and take it patiently, then there is cause to have thanks from God. For to this indeed you were called; for so did Christ suffer for us, leaving us an example, that we should follow his steps. (1 Peter 2:18-21)
These are the very words of St. Peter. St. David also teaches us a good lesson in this matter. He was many times most cruelly and wrongfully persecuted by king Saul, and many times also put in jeopardy and danger of his life by king Saul and his people; yet he never resisted, nor used any force or violence against king Saul, his mortal (or deadly) enemy, but always did his liege lord and master king Saul the most true, most diligent, and most faithful service. So much so that, when the Lord God had given king Saul into David's hands in his own cave, David would not hurt him, when he might, without any bodily peril, easily have killed him. No, he would not even allow any of his servants once to lay their hands upon king Saul, but prayed to God in this way:
Lord, keep me from doing that thing to my master, the Lord's anointed; keep me from laying my hand upon him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord. For as surely as the Lord lives, unless the Lord strike him, or unless his day come, or he go down to war and perish in battle, the Lord be merciful to me, that I lay not my hand upon the Lord's anointed. (1 Samuel 24:6, 10)
And that David could have killed his enemy king Saul is plainly proved in the first Book of Samuel,[2] both by his cutting off the edge of Saul's garment and by king Saul's own plain confession. Also at another time, as it is recorded in the same Book, when the most unmerciful and most unkind king Saul was persecuting poor David, God again gave king Saul into David's hands by casting king Saul and his whole army into a dead sleep; so that David, and one Abishai with him, came by night into Saul's camp, where Saul lay sleeping with his spear stuck in the ground at his head. Then Abishai said to David, "God has delivered your enemy into your hands at this time; now therefore let me strike him just once with my spear to the earth, and I will not strike him a second time." (1 Samuel 26:8) By this he meant to kill Saul with a single blow and make him sure for ever. And David answered and said to Abishai, "Do not destroy him; for who can lay his hands on the Lord's anointed and be guiltless?" (1 Samuel 26:9) And David said further, "As surely as the Lord lives, the Lord shall strike him, or his day shall come to die, or he shall descend (or go down) into battle and perish there. The Lord keep me from laying my hands upon the Lord's anointed; but take now the spear that is at his head, and the cruse of water, and let us go." And so he did. (1 Samuel 26:10-11) Here it is plainly proved that we may not resist, nor in any way hurt, an anointed king, who is God's lieutenant, vicegerent, and highest minister in the country where he is king.
But perhaps someone here would say that David, in his own defence, might have killed king Saul lawfully and with a safe conscience. Yet holy David knew that he might in no way resist, hurt, or kill his sovereign lord and king. He knew well that he was only king Saul's subject, even though he was in great favour with God, while his enemy king Saul was out of God's favour. Therefore, however much he was provoked, he utterly refused to hurt the Lord's anointed. For fear of offending God and his own conscience, he dared not (although he had occasion and opportunity) once lay his hands upon God's high officer the king, whom he knew to be a person reserved and kept, for his office's sake, only to God's punishment and judgment. That is why he prays so often and so earnestly that he might not lay his hands upon the Lord's anointed. And by these two examples St. David, who is named in Scripture a man after God's own heart, gives a general rule and lesson to all subjects in the world: not to resist their liege lord and king, not to take a sword by their private authority against their king, God's anointed, who alone bears the sword by God's authority for the maintenance of the good and the punishment of the evil, who alone by God's law has the use of the sword at his command, and who also has all power, jurisdiction, rule, restraint, and punishment, as supreme governor of all his realms and dominions, and that even by the authority of God and by God's ordinances.
Yet another notable story and doctrine, in the second Book of Samuel, also serves this purpose. When an Amalekite, by king Saul's own consent and command, had killed king Saul, he went to David, supposing he would receive great thanks for his message that he had killed David's deadly enemy. And so he made great haste to tell David what had happened, bringing with him king Saul's crown, which had been on his head, and his bracelet, which had been on his arm, to prove his tidings true. But godly David was so far from rejoicing at this news that immediately he tore his clothes off his back, mourned and wept, and said to the messenger, "How is it that you were not afraid to lay your hand on the Lord's anointed, to destroy him?" (2 Samuel 1:14) And at once David made one of his servants kill the messenger, saying, "Your blood be on your own head; for your own mouth has testified and witnessed against you, confessing that you have slain the Lord's anointed." (2 Samuel 1:16)
Since these examples are so clear and evident, it is an intolerable ignorance, madness, and wickedness for subjects to make any murmuring, rebellion, resistance (or withstanding), commotion, or insurrection against their most dear and most dread Sovereign Lord and King, ordained and appointed by God's goodness for their benefit, peace, and quietness.
Yet let us undoubtedly believe, good Christian people, that we may not obey kings, magistrates, or any others, even our own fathers, if they should command us to do anything contrary to God's commandments. In such a case we ought to say with the Apostles, "We must rather obey God than man." (Acts 5:29) But nevertheless, even in that case, we may not in any way violently resist or rebel against rulers, or make any insurrection, sedition, or tumult, whether by force of arms or by other means, against the anointed of the Lord or any of his appointed officers. Rather, in such a case we must patiently suffer all wrongs and injuries, referring the judgment of our cause to God alone. Let us fear the terrible punishment of Almighty God against traitors and rebellious persons, by the example of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, who rebelled and murmured against God's magistrates and officers, and so the earth opened and swallowed them up alive. Others, for their wicked murmuring and rebellion, were utterly consumed by a sudden fire sent from God. Others, for their perverse behaviour toward their rulers and governors, God's ministers, were suddenly struck with a foul leprosy. Others were stung to death by strange and wonderful fiery serpents. Others were so sorely plagued that there were killed in one day fourteen thousand seven hundred, for rebellion against those whom God had appointed to be in authority.
Absalom also, rebelling against his father King David, was punished with a strange and notable death.
Part Three
We have heard before, in this Sermon of good Order and Obedience, plainly proved both by Scriptures and by examples, that all subjects are bound to obey their magistrates, and for no cause to resist (or stand against), rebel, or make any sedition against them, yes, even though they be wicked men. And let no man think that he can escape unpunished who commits treason, conspiracy, or rebellion against his Sovereign Lord the King, even if he commits it ever so secretly, whether in thought, word, or deed, ever so privately in his own private chamber by himself, or openly conferring and consulting with others. For treason will not stay hidden; treason will come out in the end. God will have that most detestable vice both exposed and punished, because it is so directly against his ordinance, and against his high principal judge and anointed on earth. The violence and injury committed against authority is committed against God, against the commonwealth, and against the whole realm, which God will have known and deservedly (or worthily) punished one way or another. For it is notably written of the Wise Man in Scripture, in the book called Ecclesiastes:
Wish the king no evil in your thought, nor speak any harm of him in your private chamber; for a bird of the air shall betray your voice, and with her feathers she shall reveal your words. (Ecclesiastes 10:20)
These lessons and examples are written for our instruction. Let us all therefore fear the most detestable vice of rebellion, ever knowing and remembering that he who resists (or withstands) common authority resists (or withstands) God and his ordinance, as may be proved by many other passages of holy Scripture.
And here let us take heed that we do not understand these, or other like passages, which so strictly command obedience to superiors and so strictly punish rebellion and disobedience, to be meant in any way of the pretended (or counterfeit) power of the bishop of Rome. For truly the Scripture of God allows no such usurped power, full of enormities, abuses, and blasphemies. Rather, the true meaning of these and such passages is to exalt and set forth God's true ordinance, which is the authority of God's anointed kings and of their officers appointed under them.
And concerning the usurped power of the bishop of Rome, which he most wrongfully claims as the successor of Christ and Peter, we may easily see how false, feigned, and forged it is, not only in that it has no sufficient ground in holy Scripture, but also by its fruits and doctrine. For our Saviour Christ and St. Peter teach, most earnestly and consistently, obedience to kings, as the chief and supreme rulers in this world next under God; but the bishop of Rome teaches that those who are under him are free from all burdens and charges of the commonwealth, and free from obedience toward their prince, plainly against the doctrine of Christ and St. Peter. He ought therefore rather to be called Antichrist, and the successor of the Scribes and Pharisees, than Christ's vicar or St. Peter's successor; seeing that not only in this point but also in other weighty matters of Christian religion, in matters of the remission and forgiveness of sins and of salvation, he teaches so directly against both St. Peter and our Saviour Christ. Christ and Peter not only taught obedience to kings but also practised obedience in their conversation and living, for we read that they both paid tribute to the king.
And we read also that the holy Virgin Mary, mother of our Saviour Christ, and Joseph, who was taken to be his father, went at the Emperor's command to the city of David, called Bethlehem, to be taxed along with others, and to declare their obedience to the magistrates for the sake of God's ordinance. And here let us not forget the blessed Virgin Mary's obedience. For although she was highly in God's favour, and Christ's natural mother, and was also far gone with child at that very time, and so near her delivery that she gave birth on her journey, yet she gladly, without any excuse or complaint, for conscience' sake undertook that cold and foul winter journey, being meanwhile so poor that she lay in the stable, and there she gave birth to Christ.
And in keeping with this, see how St. Peter agrees, writing in express words in his first Epistle:
Submit yourselves (or be subject), he says, to kings, as to the chief heads, or to rulers, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do well; for so is the will of God. (1 Peter 2:13-15)
I need not expound these words, they are so plain in themselves. St. Peter does not say, "Submit yourselves to me as supreme head of the Church"; nor does he say, "Submit yourselves from time to time to my successors in Rome"; but he says, "Submit yourselves to your king, your supreme head, and to those whom he appoints in authority under him; for in showing your obedience, it is the will of God." God wills that you be in subjection to your head and king. This is God's ordinance, God's commandment, and God's holy will: that the whole body of every realm, and all the members and parts of it, shall be subject to their head, their king; and that, as St. Peter writes, for the Lord's sake, and, as St. Paul writes, for conscience' sake, and not for fear only.
Thus we learn by the word of God to yield to our king what is due to our king, that is,[3] honour, obedience, the payment of due taxes, customs, tributes, and subsidies, love, and fear.
Thus we know in part our bound duties to common authority; now let us learn to fulfil them. And let us most insistently and heartily pray to God, the only author of all authority, for all those who are in authority, as St. Paul directs, writing thus to Timothy in his first Epistle:
I exhort therefore that, above all things, prayers, supplications, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men, for kings, and for all who are in authority, that we may live a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty; for that is good and acceptable (or allowable) in the sight of God our Saviour. (1 Timothy 2:1-3)
Here St. Paul makes an earnest and special exhortation concerning the giving of thanks and prayer for kings and rulers, saying, "Above all things"; as if he might say, "By all means, principally and chiefly, let prayer be made for kings." Let us heartily thank God for his great and excellent benefit and providence concerning the state of kings. Let us pray for them, that they may have God's favour and God's protection. Let us pray that they may ever, in all things, have God before their eyes. Let us pray that they may have wisdom, strength, justice, clemency, and zeal for God's glory, for God's truth, for Christian souls, and for the commonwealth. Let us pray that they may rightly use their sword and authority for the maintenance and defence of the catholic faith contained in holy Scripture, and of their good and honest subjects, and for the fear and punishment of the evil and vicious. Let us pray that they may faithfully follow the most faithful kings and captains in the Bible: David, Hezekiah, Josiah, Moses, and others like them. And let us pray for ourselves, that we may live a godly life in holy and Christian conversation; so we shall have God on our side, and then let us not fear what man can do against us. So we shall live in true obedience, both to our most merciful King in heaven and to our most Christian Queen on earth; so we shall please God, and have the surpassing benefit: peace of conscience, rest, and quietness here in this world; and after this life we shall enjoy a better life, rest, peace, and the everlasting bliss of heaven. May he grant this to us all who was obedient for us all, even to the death of the cross, Jesus Christ; to whom, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, be all honour and glory, both now and ever. Amen.
Original "commodity" (= benefit, advantage); the modern word now names a traded good.↩︎
The 1859 text calls this "the first Book of the Kings," the older (Vulgate) name for 1 Samuel; the "second Book of the Kings" mentioned below is likewise 2 Samuel.↩︎
Source reading uncertain here: the clause introducing this list ("what is due to our king, that is") was reconstructed from heavily garbled text in the 1859 edition.↩︎