But that government that is
not consonant to the divine institution, and those governors, that are
not advanced to the place of supreme rule, in a Christian land, by the
people, regulating themselves by the divine law, cannot be said to be
the powers ordained of God. It is not merely the conveying the imperial
dignity by men unto any particular person, that constitutes the power to
be of God; but because, and in so far as this is done by virtue of a
warrant from God and in agreeableness to his law that the action has the
authority of God upon it.
Hence, if in this matter there is a substantial difference from, or
contrariety to the divine rule, then there is nothing but a
contradiction to God's ordinance: this must needs be granted, unless it
is maintained that God has wholly left the determination of this
ordinance to men, absolutely and unlimitedly, giving them an unbounded
liberty to act therein, according to their own pleasure, which is most
absurd. From the whole, it follows, that more is requisite than the
inclinations of any people, to constitute a lawful magistrate, such as
can be acknowledged God's ordinance.
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