honor." (Romans xiii. 1 to 7.) Now, be pleased to remark, that the apostle has expressly and repeatedly assigned the reason why so much respect and obedience is due to the higher powers, or to the ruler, or magistrate; "for he is" (says the apostle) "the minister of God to thee for good" &c.; and again—"for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil:" and again—"for they are God's ministers;" that is, they are God's ministers while they maintain justice and righteousness in the execution of their public charge, howsoever deficient their characters may be in other respects, as private individuals; but, on the other hand, such an unjust ruler as Ananias, for instance, who sat to judge according to law, and yet commanded a person to be beaten contrary to law, such a ruler, I say, cannot be esteemed a minister of God to us for good, or a minister of God in any respect whatsoever. A man, who "is notoriously guilty of perverting the laws, and of abusing the delegated power, with which he is entrusted, by acts of violence and injustice, is so far from being "the minister of God," that he is manifestly "the minister of the devil;" which is the express doctrine of the common law of this kingdom, according to the most approved and most ancient authorities; wherein we find it applied not merely to inferior rulers, but to the supreme magistrate, even to the king himself,[1] if he rules contrary
- ↑ The celebrated and learned Henry de Bracton says,—"that a king can do nothing else upon earth, as he is the minister and vicar of God, but that only which by law he may do," &c. And, a little further, he adds,—"His power, therefore," (says he) " is of right, (or law,) and not of wrong, (or injury,) &c."—"That a king ought, therefore, to exercise the power of right, (or law,) as the vicar and minister of God on earth, because that power is of God alone; but the power of wrong (or injury) is of the devil, and not of God, and the work of which soever of these the king shall do, of him he is the minister whose work he shall do. While, therefore, he does justice, he is the vicar (or minister) of the eternal king; but he is the minister of the devil while he turns aside to injustice, for he is called king (rex) from well ruling, and not from reigning; because he is king while he rules well, but a tyrant while he oppresses the people committed to his charge with violent (or
