Rulers are not a terror to
good works, but to the evil. Do that which is good, and thou shalt
have praise of the same, for he is a minister _of God_ to thee for
good." We are commanded to be "subject for conscience' sake."
Magistrates "are God's ministers."--What could be plainer?--This is
_religion_: not politics, but religion. Human government is
"ordained of God." Magistrates are "ministers of God," to whom men
are commanded to be "subject for conscience' sake."
This, therefore, settles the principle, on which obedience to human
government is the religious duty of men. There may be a point where
that obedience may justly stop, (a matter which we shall consider
soon;) but the great principle before us now is an important one,
namely, that human government and Law are things which exist by the
will of God, and men are bound to submit to them on that high
ground. This is the general rule. This is a _religious_ duty;
whatever exceptions we may be able to find sometimes, among the
diversities of human Law and human condition under it,--or when
human Law would interfere with the first class of our duties, which
God does not allow it to do. "The powers that be, are ordained of
God."
Let it, therefore, be carefully noticed, that no man or body of men
has any right to say, that they will be without government, without
Law, or that religion has nothing to do with the question of their
civil obedience to Law.
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