Assyrians, by the Chaldeans; the confidence of Babylon, by the Medes and Persians, after Cyrus had subjugated the Medes. The ingratitude of the kings of Israel and Judah, and their impious rebellion, notwithstanding his numerous favours, he repressed and punished sometimes by the Assyrians, sometimes by the Babylonians. These were all the executioners of his vengeance, but not all in the same manner. The former, when they were called forth to the performance of such acts by a legitimate commission from God, in taking arms against kings, were not chargeable with the least violation of that majesty with which kings are invested by the ordination of God; but being armed with authority from heaven, they punished an inferior power by a superior one, as it is lawful for kings to punish their inferior officers. The latter, though they were guided by the hand of God in such directions as he pleased, and performed his work without being conscious of it, nevertheless contemplated in their hearts nothing but evil. XXXI. But whatever opinion be formed of the acts of men, yet the Lord equally executed his work by them, when he broke the sanguinary sceptres of insolent kings, and overturned tyrannical governments. Let princes hear and fear. But, in the mean while, it behoves us to use the greatest caution, that we do not despise or violate that authority of magistrates, which is entitled to the greatest veneration which God hath established by the most solemn commands, even though it reside in those who are most unworthy of it, and who, as far as in them lies, pollute it by their iniquity. For though the correction of tyrannical domination is the vengeance of God, we are not, therefore, to conclude that it is committed to us, who have received no other command than to obey and suffer. This observation I always apply to private persons. For if there be, in the present day, any magistrates appointed for the protection of the people and the moderation of the power of kings, such as were, in ancient times, the Ephori who were a check upon the kings among the Lacedæmonians, or the popular tribunes upon the consuls among the Romans, or the Demarchi upon the senate among the Athenians; or with power such as perhaps is now possesed by the three estates in every kingdom when they are assembled; I am so far from prohibiting them in the discharge of their duty to oppose the violence or cruelty of kings, that I affirm, that if they connive at kings in their oppression of their people, such forbearance involves the most nefarious perfidy, because they fraudulently betray the liberty of the people, of which they know that they have been appointed protectors by the ordination of God. XXXII. But in the obedience which we have shewn to be due to the authority of governors, it is always necessary to make one exception, and that is entitled to our first attention, that it do not seduce us from obedience to him, to whose will the desires of all kings ought to be subject, to whose decrees all their commands ought to yield, to whose majesty all their sceptres ought to submit. And, indeed, how preposterous it would be for us, with a view to satisfy men, to incur the displeasure of him on whose account we yield obedience to men! The Lord, therefore, is the King of kings; who, when he hath opened his sacred mouth, is to be heard alone, above all, for all, and before all: in the next place, we are subject to those men who preside over us; but no otherwise than in him. If they command any thing against him, it ought not to have the least attention; nor, in this case, ought we to pay any regard to all that dignity attached to magistrates; to which no injury is done when it is subjected to the unrivalled and supreme power of God. On this principle Daniel denied that he had committed any crime against the king in disobeying his impious decree; (i) because the king had exceeded the limits of his office, and had not only done an injury to men, but, by raising his arm against God, had degraded his own authority. On the other hand, the Israelites are condemned for having been too submissive to the impious edict of their king. For when Jeroboam had made his golden calves, in compliance with his will, they deserted the temple of God and revolted to new superstitions. Their posterity conformed to the decrees of their idolatrous kings with the same facility. The prophet severely condemns them for having "willingly walked after the commandment:" (k) so far is any praise from being due to the pretext of humility, with which courtly flatterers excuse themselves and deceive the unwary, when they deny that it is lawful for them to refuse compliance with any command of their kings: as if God had resigned his right to mortal men when he made them rulers of mankind; or as if earthly power were diminished by being subordinated to its author, before whom even the principalities of heaven tremble with awe. I know what great and present danger awaits this constancy, for kings cannot bear to be disregarded without the greatest indignation; and "the wrath of a king," says Solomon, "is as messengers of death." (1) But since this edict has been proclaimed by that celestial herald, Peter, "We ought to obey God rather than men:" (m) let us console ourselves with this thought, that we truly perform the obedience which God requires of us, when we suffer any thing rather than deviate from piety. And that our hearts may not fail us, Paul stimulates us with another consideration; that Christ has redeemed us at the immense price which our redemption cost him, that we may not be submissive to the corrupt desires of men, much less be slaves to their impiety. (n) (1) Prov. xvi. 14. (m) Acts v. 29. (n) 1 Cor. vii. 23. END OF THE INSTITUTES. The first number indicates the Book; the second the Chapter. mmm A. ADAM'S fall, the cause of the curse inflicted on all mankind, and Angels, their creation, nature, names, and offices, i. 14. B. Baptism, a sacrament; its institution, nature, administration, and of infants perfectly consistent with the institution of Christ Celibacy of priests, iv. 12. C. of monks and nuns, iv. 13. Christ proved to be God, i. 13. necessity of his becoming man in order to fulfil the office of a his assumption of real humanity, ii. 13. the union of the two natures constituting his one person, ii. 14. the consideration of his three offices, prophetical, regal, and his death, resurrection, and ascension to heaven to accom- truly and properly said to have merited the grace of God and Christ imperfectly revealed to the Jews under the law, ii. 7, 9. Christian liberty, its nature and advantages, iii. 19. Christian life, scriptural arguments and exhortations to it, iii. 6. Church, the necessity of our union with the true Church, iv. 1. teachers and ministers of the Church, their election and iv. 12. power of the Church, relating to articles of faith, iv. 8, 9, discipline of the church; censures and excommunication, state of the ancient Church, and the mode of government ancient form of its government entirely subverted by the Confession, auricular, iii. 4. true, iii. 4. Confirmation, papal, iv. 19. Conscience, its nature and obligations, iii. 19. Councils, their authority, iv. 9. Creation-of the world-of angels-this clearly distinguishes the true God from all fictitious deities, i. 14. Death of Christ, ii. 15. Depravity, human, total, ii. 3. D. Descent of Christ into hell, ii. 16. Devils, their existence, power, subtlety, malignity, i. 14. Discipline of the Church, iv. 12. E. Election, eternal, or God's predestination of some to salvation and of trine, iii. 22. testimonies of Scripture in confirmation of this doc- a refutation of the calumnies generally, but un- justly, urged against this doctrine, iii. 23. confirmed by the divine call, iii. 24. |