Chapter XIV.

No doubt the apostle admonishes the Romans105    Rom. xiii. 1. to be subject to all power, because there is no power but of God, and because (the ruler) does not carry the sword without reason, and is the servant of God, nay also, says he, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. For he had also previously spoken thus: “For rulers are not a terror to a good work, but to an evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? Do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of it.  Therefore he is a minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid.” Thus he bids you be subject to the powers, not on an opportunity occurring for his avoiding martyrdom, but when he is making an appeal in behalf of a good life, under the view also of their being as it were assistants bestowed upon righteousness, as it were handmaids of the divine court of justice, which even here pronounces sentence beforehand upon the guilty. Then he goes on also to show how he wishes you to be subject to the powers, bidding you pay “tribute to whom tribute is due, custom to whom custom,”106    Rom. xiii. 6. that is, the things which are Cæsar’s to Cæsar, and the things which are God’s to God;107    Matt. xxii. 21. but man is the property of God alone.  Peter,108    1 Pet. ii. 13. no doubt, had likewise said that the king indeed must be honoured, yet so that the king be honoured only when he keeps to his own sphere, when he is far from assuming divine honours; because both father and mother will be loved along with God, not put on an equality with Him. Besides, one will not be permitted to love even life more than God.

CAPUT XIV.

Plane monet Romanos (Rom. XIII, 4-7) omnibus potestatibus subjici, quia non sit potestas nisi a Deo, quia non sine caussa gladium gestet, et quia ministerium sit Dei; sed et ultrix, inquit, in iram ei qui 0150B malum fecerit. Nam et praemiserat: Principes enim non sunt timori bono operi, sed malo. Vis autem non timere potestatem? fac bonum, et laudem ab ea referes. Dei ergo ministra est tibi in bonum. Si vero malum facias, time. Ita, non in occasione frustrandi martyrii jubet te subjici potestatibus, sed in provocatione bene vivendi, etiam sub illarum respectu, quasi adjutricum justitiae, quasi ministrarum divini judicii, hic etiam de nocentibus praejudicantis. Dehinc et exequitur quomodo velit te subjici potestatibus, reddere jubens, cui tributum, tributum; cui vectigal, vectigal; id est (Matt. XXII, 21) quae sunt Caesaris, Caesari, et quae Dei, Deo; solius autem Dei homo. Condixerat scilicet Petrus, regem quidem honorandum; ut tamen tunc rex honoretur, cum suis rebus insistit, 0150C cum a divinis honoribus longe est; quia et pater et mater diligentur , cum Deo non comparabuntur. Caeterum, super Deum diligi nec animam licebit.