Casuistical morning-exercises the fourth volume /

And they have upon them one eye more than, as I fear, some of them think of so much as they should, and that is the Eye of the great and most Holy God. He sees what is done upon the Throne, and at the Council-board, what in the Parliament houses, and what in the Courts of Judicature, what Bills are drawn, and what do obtain the Royal Assent, what Laws are enacted, and how they are executed.

Now that the Punishment of Vice and Suppression of profaneness is a special part of the work and duty of their place, is evident from this, Rom. 13.4. He is the Minister of God, an avenger to execute wrath upon him that doth evil. Let the man be what and who he will, let him be clothed with what circumstances he will, let him make what Figure he will, if he will do evil he must suffer for the evil that he doth. If men will take a lawless Liberty, the Ruler must take vengeance, if they will do the evil of Sin, He must see to it that they suffer the evil of Punishment. This is the work of his Office, He is the Minister of God for this purpose, being ultor irae divinae, and having a vial of wrath put into his hand by the Sovereign Lord of Heaven and Earth, which he is to open and pour out upon the Children of disobedience, who are, for their being such, meritoriously filii irae, the Children of wrath.

Now that the Punishment of Vice and Suppression of prophaneness is a special part of the work and duty of their place, is evident from this, Rom. 13.4. He is the Minister of God, an avenger to execute wrath upon him that doth evil. Let the man be what and who he will, let him be cloathed with what circumstances he will, let him make what Figure he will, if he will do evil he must suffer for the evil that he doth. If men will take a lawless Liberty, the Ruler must take vengeance, if they will do the evil of Sin, He must see to it that they suffer the evil of Punishment. This is the work of his Office, He is the Minister of God for this purpose, being ultor irae divinae, and having a vial of wrath put into his hand by the Soveraign Lord of Heaven and Earth, which he is to open and pour out upon the Children of disobedience, who are, for their being such, meritoriously filii irae, the Children of wrath.