Men are gods, or, The dignity of magistracy, and the duty of the magistrate…

The God of heaven doth not cast away the perfect man, nor help the evil doer, Job 8.20. He beholdeth the righteous with favour, he woundeth the heads of sinners, Psal. 68.21. He cutteth off the workers of iniquity: He killeth and maketh alive, with him is the fountain of life, Psal. 39.9. as waters flow from Fountain, so doth life from God. And he can easily slay men, Job 4.9. By the blast of God they perish. To save and kill is a God-like privilege: The power of life and death is in the hands of these earthly Gods: they enliven with their smiles; their favour or the light of a Kings countenance is life; they kill with their frowns; The wrath of a King is the messenger of death, Prov. 16.14, 15. Herein their dignity and civil God-ship appeareth that they can give (by reprieve or pardon) or take away a life which is forfeited to the Law.¹ Caesars speech was high (when he was opposed by Metellus in his taking away the money out of the Roman Treasury) Let me alone, or I will kill thee presently; and then to qualify his threat, and magnify his strength, he told him, Young man, thou knowest it is harder for me to speak it, then to do it. But this is certain, Rulers are not for nothing called Powers, Tit. 3.1. It is in their power (though not to Tyrannize at their pleasure, yet) to execute the Laws even to the death of the offender.

The God of heaven doth not cast away the perfect man, nor help the evil doer, Job 8.20. He beholdeth the righteous with favour, he woundeth the heads of sinners, Psal. 68.21. He cutteth off the workers of iniquity: He killeth and maketh alive, with him is the fountain of life,