bees:" and by Aristides, that "All' governors are by nature superior to those that are under their command;" that "This is a law set by nature, that the inferior should yield obedience to the superior; and if any man should account the abrogation of this law to be a sign of liberty, he did deceive himself; the law of nature being hereby inverted, which requireth us to yield unto the eminency of our superiors, and to live according to the direction of our governors." And for the regal authority in particular, Seneca doth tell us, that "Nature" did first find out a king :" Polybius, that "Without any art, and by the guidance of nature itself a monarchy was first of all constituted:" Diotogenes the Pythagorean, that "Of* those which by nature are most honorable, the best indeed is God, but upon earth and among men, the king:" Yea, and Aristotle himself too, that " By nature not only the father hath the rule over his children, but also the king over those who are within his kingdom." XVIII. But however in the constitution of these man's hand may be an instrument, yet being once constituted, whether supreme or subordinate, in all of them we must respect the commission received by them from the founder of "all rule, authority and power" at the beginning, and the resumer thereof into his own hands · Πάντες μὲν οὖν ἄρχοντες φύσει κρείττους τῶν ὑπ' αὐτοῖς. Aristid. in orat. Platon. 1. tom. 3. edit. Græco-Lat. in 8. pag. 76. * Νόμος γάρ ἐστιν οὗτος φύσει κείμενος, ὡς ἀληθῶς ὑπὸ τῶν κρειττόνων καταδειχθεὶς ἀκούειν τὸν ἥττω τοῦ κρείττονος· καν τις ἐλευθερίας σύμβολον ποιῆται τὸ διαφθείρειν τὸν νόμον, αὑτὸν ἐξαπατᾷ. Aristid. in orat. de concordia ad Rhodios, tom. 2. pag. 391. · Οτι ἀξιοῖς μεταβάλλειν τὸν τῆς φύσεως νόμον, ὃς κελεύει τὴν τῶν κρειττόνων ὑπερβολὴν ἀνέχεσθαι, καὶ ζῆν πρὸς τὸ ἡγούμενον. Aristid. in orat. de Paraphthegm. tom. 3. pag. 673, 674. u "Natura commenta est regem." Senec. de Clemen. lib. 1. cap. 19. W Πρώτου μὲν οὖν ἀκατασκεύως καὶ φυσικῶς συνίσταται μοναρχία. Polyb. hist. lib. 6. * Τῶν μὲν φύσει τιμιωτάτων ἄριστον ὁ Θεὸς, τῶν δὲ περὶ γᾶν καὶ τὼς ávoρwnwc ¿ ẞaoiλeug. Diotog. apud Stobeum, serm. 46. * Φύσει τε γὰρ ἀρχηγὸς πατὴρ υἱῶν, καὶ πρόγονος ἐκγόνων, καὶ βασιλεὺς Tuv Baoiλevoμivwv. Arist. Ethic. Nicomach. lib. 8. cap. 13. 2 1 Cor. chap. 15. ver. 24. again at the end of the world; both because "We make those things our own unto which we impart our authority;" and because in all power established upon earth there is represented unto us an image and superscription of that high eminency which is in him whom St. Paul worthily glorifieth with the style of "The blessed and ONLY Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; who ONLY hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto, whom no man hath seen nor can see, to whom be honour and power everlasting." In which words it is not unworthy our observation, that the apostle nameth him the "only potentate," in the same sense that he saith, he "only hath immortality." For, as angels and the souls of men have immortality indeed, yet not originally from themselves, but by his donation who only hath it absolutely in himself, without dependence upon any other: so are there other potentates also, yet such as hold of him in chief, who hath only all fulness of power in himself, and distributeth what proportion thereof he thinketh meet to those whom he hath intrusted with the government of this world; according to the acknowledgment of King David, "Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty; for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all. Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all, and in thine hand is power and might, and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all." : XIX. Why the woman ought to cover her head (that is, her faced) in the assembly, and not the man, St. Paul a "Omnia nostra facimus quibus authoritatem nostram impertimur." Gloss. in cap. 1. extr. de præsumptionib. et cap. 1. de transactionib. ex illo Justiniani imp. in c. de vet. jur. enunt. lib. 1. "Omnia merito nostra facimus, quia ex nobis omnis eis impertietur authoritas." b 1 Tim. chap. 6. ver. 15, 16. 1 Chron. chap. 29. ver. 12, 13. d As in Jerem. chap. 13. ver. 3, 15. ver. 30. with chap. 19. ver. 21. 4. Esth. chap. 6. ver. 12. and 2 Sam. chap. "Mitris et lanis quædam non velant caput, giveth this for a reason: "The man is the image and glory of God, but the woman is the glory of the man." If we respect either those inward perfections wherewith God endowed the soul at the beginning, as knowledge' in the mind, "righteousness and true holiness" in the will; or that outward dominion which God granted to mankind over the other creatures; it cannot be denied but male and female both were created by God "inh his own image." But if we consider them as they stand in mutual relation one unto the other, or as they are heads of the economical government; the man being "head of the woman," is the immediate image and glory of God, but the woman is the image and glory of the man, deriving all her power and splendor from him, as the moon doth from the sun, according to that of Justinian: "The wives receive lustre from their husband's rays;" and those solemn words which the women of Rome were taught to use at their nuptials, "Ubi tu Caius ego Caia," in effect this, "Where' thou art master, there am I to be mistress." XX. So, (to rise higher than household government) God in Scripture is made "them head of all principality and power;" both of the "principalities" and powers in heavenly places," whose ministry he useth in the invisible, and of the "principalities and powers" here below, whose labours he employeth in the visible administration of the things of this world: unto both of which therefore he is pleased to impart as well his own name, as the title of his own children. For as angels, "ther chief princes," invested sed conligant; a fronte quidem protectæ, qua proprie autem caput est, nudæ." Tertullian. de veland. virgin. cap. ult. e 1 Cor. chap. 11. ver. 7. Ephes. chap. 4. ver. 24. 11 Cor. chap. 11. ver. 3. Col. chap. 3. ver. 99. * Αἱ γαμεταὶ συνεκλάμπουσι ταῖς τῶν συνοικούντων ἀκτῖσι, τοῦτο αὐ· Taiç Tov vóμov didwкórog. Justin. Novel. 105. 1 Ὅπου σὺ κύριος καὶ οἰκοδεσπότης, καὶ ἐγὼ κυρία καὶ οἰκοδέσποινα. Plutarch. in quæstionib. Romanis. m Col. chap. 2. ver. 12. with 1 Pet. chap. 3. ver. 22. n Col. chap. 3. ver. 10. P_Dan. chap. 10. ver. 13. Tit. chap. 3. ver. 1. with the glory and power of God, are styled gods3, and "the sons of God;" so the princes and judges of the earth have frequently the title of gods" in holy Wrtt: and in one place, of gods, and the sons of God both together. "I have said, ye are gods, and all sons of the most High." Which in the Chaldee paraphrast is thus rendered: "Behold, ye are reputed as angels, and all of you as it were angels of the most High." Such affinity in this respect there is between those celestial "spirits", sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation," and those terrestrial "angels" of God," who are "his ministers to us for good;" even "God's ministers continually attending upon this very thing," as St. Paul witnesseth. With whom among the heathen also Plutarch agreeth fully, where he maketh the government of a kingdom to be "a ministration of God," and affirmeth magistrates to "bed God's ministers for the care and welfare of mankind, either in distribution of good things not yet had, or in the preservation of good things not yet enjoyed." XXI. Now these higher powers, unto whom it is "the will of God" we should "submit ourselves for his sake," are distinguished by St. Peter into two ranks, the supreme and the subordinate; the king, the supreme; 4 Luke, chap. 2. ver. 9. * Μετ ̓ ἀγγέλων δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ. 2 Thess. chap. 1. ver. 7. • Psalm 8. ver. 5. with Heb. chap. 2. ver. 7, and Psalm 97. ver. 7. with Heb. chap. 1. ver. 6. Job, chap. 1. ver. 6. and chap. 2. ver. 1. and chap. 38. ver. 7. Exod. chap. 21. ver. 6. and chap. 22. ver. 8, 9. 28. Psalm 82. ver. 6. * V. Epiphan. hæres. 40. edit. Græco-Lat. pag. 284. Psalm 82. ver. 1. * Λειτουργικὰ πνεύματα εἰς διακονίαν ἀποστελλόμενα. Heb. chap. 1. ver. 14. 2 Sam. chap. 19. ver. 27. * Θεοῦ γὰρ διάκονός ἐστί σοι εἰς τὸ ἀγαθόν. Rom. chap. 13. ver. 4. * Λειτουργοὶ γὰρ θεοῦ εἰσιν, εἰς αὐτὸ τοῦτο προσκαρτεροῦντες. с Ὑπηρεσίαν θεοῦ τὸ βασιλεύειν ἡγούμενος. Plutarch. in Numa. ὰ Ὑπηρετεῖν θεῷ πρὸς ἀνθρώπων ἐπιμέλειαν καὶ σωτηρίαν, ὅπως ἂν θεὸς δίδωσιν ἀνθρώποις καλῶν καὶ ἀγαθῶν, τὰ μὲν νέμωσι, τὰ δὲ φυλάττωσι. Plutarch. ad principem indoctum. e 1 Peter, chap. 2. ver. 13. 15. ↑ "Egregium culmen habentem," as Didymus Alexandrinus here noteth. 66 the subordinate, such governors as are sent by hi for the punishment of evil doers, and the praise of the that do well:" sent by the king, I mean, it being the "o fices of him that hath the highest and greatest place c government, to choose such assistants as shall rule togethe with him in the administration of those things which be long to the public utility;" so saith Philo: and after him Libanius to the emperor of his time, "Indeed, if it were possible that your own bodies might be every where, there would be no need that any magistrates should be sent by you into the provinces, you yourselves being able to administer justice unto all, as the sun is sufficient to give light unto them but seeing that cannot be, you govern them by others, and by their sentence you do determine justice." Which made St. Paul profess before Festus the governor, sitting at Cæsarea upon the bench, that he stood (not at his, but) at "Cæsar's judgment seat;" the other supplying his room only in that present place of judicature. The compiler of the apostolical constitutions (personating those times wherein the civil government stood opposite to the Christian faith) doth thus express this distribution: "Thou shalt fear the king, considering that he is the election (or ordinance) of the Lord: thou shalt honour his magistrates as the ministers of God, for they are revengers of all iniquity." Where for St. Peter's nynuóνες, it is observable that he useth the word ἄρχοντες, which Ἐπ ̓ ἄλλοισι δ' ἄλλοι μεγάλοι, τὸ δ' ἔσχατον κορυφοῦται βασιλεῦσι. Pindar. Olymp. 1. sub fin. § Προσήκει τῷ τῆς ἀνωτάτω καὶ μεγίστης ἀρχῆς ἀξιωθέντι αἱρεῖσθαι διαδόχους, οἱ συνάρξουσι καὶ συνδικάσουσι, καὶ τ' ἄλλα ὅσα κοινωφελῆ συνδιοικήσουσιν. Philo in libro de creatione principis. * Εἰ μὲν οὖν οἷοντ ̓ ἦν εἶναι πανταχοῦ τὰ ὑμέτερα σώματα, τῶν ἀρχόν των οὐδὲν ἂν τούτων ἔδει τῶν ἐπὶ τὰ ἔθνη παρ' ὑμῶν πεμπομένων, ἅπασιν ὑμῶν τοῖς δικαζομένοις ἀποχρώντων, ὥσπερ αὐτῆς τῆς τοῦ ἡλίου λαμπηδόνος. ἐπεὶ δὲ τοῦτο οὐχ οἵόντε δι ̓ ἑτέρων αὐτοῖς ἐφεστήκατε, διὰ τῆς ἐκείνων γνώμης ὑμεῖς τὰς ψήφους τίθεσθε. Libanius, in ora. κατὰ τῶν προσεδρευόντων τοῖς ἄρχουσι. Acts, chap. 25. ver. 6. 10. * Τὸν βασιλέα φοβηθήσῃ, εἰδὼς ὅτι τοῦ κυρίου ἐστιν ἡ χειροτονία. τοὺς ἄρχοντας αὐτοῦ τιμήσεις ὡς λειτουργοὺς Θεοῦ, ἔκδικοι γάρ εἰσι πάσῃ ἀδικίας. Const. apostolic. lib. 7. cap. 17. |