Fifty Godly and Learned Sermons (The Decades)

The peers do watch for the common ⟨p. 152⟩people, if they do rightly discharge their office, not showing them selves to be detestable tyrants, they judge the people, they take up controversies, they keep justice in punishing the guilty, and defending innocents, and lastly, they fight for the people. And for the excellency of their office, which is both the chefest and the most necessary, God doth attribute to the Magistrate the use of his own name, and calleth the princes and Senators of the people, Gods, to the intent that they by the very name should be put in mind of their duty, and that the subjects might thereby learn to have them in reverence. God is just, good, righteous, and one which hath no respect of persons. And such an one ought the good Judge or Magistrate to be. Monks and Hermits do praise their profession and solitary life, extolling it above the skies: but I think verily, that there is more true virtue in one politic man, who governeth the common weal, and doth his duty truly, than in many thousands of of Monks and Hermits, who have not so much as one word expressed in the holy Scriptures, for the defence of their vocation and vowed order of living: yea, I am ashamed that I have compared the holy office of Magistrates with that kind of people, in whom there is nothing found worthy to be compared with them, in so much, as they flee from the labour and ordinance that God hath made profitable for their people and countrymen. Truly, if the Prince do faithfully discharge his office in the common weal, he heapeth up to him self a number of very good works, and praise that never shall be ended. Therefore the Magistrate must be obeyed, and all his good and upright laws. No sedition or conspiracies ought in any case to be moved against him. We must not curse or speak evil of the Magistrate. For God him self in his law doth charge us, saying: Thou shalt not speak evil of the Gods, nor curse the Prince of the people. If he chance at any time to sin, let us behave ourselves toward him, as to our father. Of whom I have spoken a little before.

The péeres do watch for the commō ⟨p. 152⟩people, if they do rightly discharge their office, not shewing them selues to be detestable tyraunts, they iudge the people, they take vp controuersies, they keepe iustice in punishing the guiltie, and defending innocentes, and lastly, they fight for the people. And for the excellencie of their office, which is both the chefest and the most necessarie, God doth attribute to the Magistrate the vse of his owne name, and calleth the princes and Senators of the people, Gods, to the intent that they by the very name shoulde be put in minde of their duetie, and that the subiects might therby learne to haue them in reuerence. God is iust, good, righteous, and one which hath no respecte of persons. And such an one ought the good Iudge or Magistrate to be. Monkes and Heremites do prayse their profession and solitarie life, extolling it aboue the skies: but I think verily, that there is more true vertue in one politique man, who gouerneth the common weale, and doth his dutie truely, than in many thousandes of of Monkes and Heremites, who haue not so much as one word expressed in the holy Scriptures, for the defence of their vocation and vowed order of liuing: yea, I am ashamed that I haue compared the holy office of Magistrates with that kinde of people, in whome there is nothing founde worthy to be compared with them, in so muche, as they flée from the labour and ordinaunce that God hath made profitable for their people and countrimen. Truely, if the Prince doe faithfully discharge his office in the common weale, he heapeth vp to him self a number of very good works, and prayse that neuer shall be ended. Therefore the Magistrate must be obeyed, and all his good and vpright lawes. No sedition or conspiracies ought in any case to be moued against him. We muste not curse or speake euill of the Magistrate. For God him selfe in his lawe doth charge vs, saying: Thou shalte not speake euill of the Gods, nor curse the Prince of the people. If he chaunce at any time to sinne, let vs behaue ourselues toward him, as to our father. Of whome I haue spoken a little before.