A loyal subiects looking-glasse, or A good subiects direction necessary and requisite for euery good Christian, liuing within any ciuill regiment or politique state, to view, behold, and examine himselfe in, that he may the better frame the course of his life, according to the true grounds of the duties of an honest and obedient subiect to his king, and to arme himselfe against all future syren songs, and alluring intisements of subtill, disloyall, dissembling, and vnnaturall conspirators, traitors, and rebels. Collected for the most part out of both olde and later writers, whose names are in the next page set downe. Wherevnto are brieflie added sixe speciall causes of vndutifull subiects disloyaltie. By William Willymat.

CHAP. VI.

Concerning the absteining from taking in hand or inter∣medling with any part of the Magistrates office.

HEmingius in his Euchiridion theologicum reckoning vp all those duties which subiects ought to performe and obserue towards higher powers and lawfull Magistrates, maketh this one among the rest, Non irrumpers in partes officii magistratus, * 1.1 sed magistratui cognitionem deferre, si quid ad reipublicae salutem pertinere videatur: that is to say, It is not falling nor fit for a subiect to thrust himselfe into any part of a magistrates office, but to tell it to the ma∣gistrate and to make him acquainted with it if any thing seeme to be for the safety of the common-weale. For the better vnderstanding of this duty, subiects must learne and note that all the people in a common-wealth in any king∣dome, country, or citie may be sorted into three seuerall kinds of people, and there is none but they appertaine and belong to one of those three, and those are first Emperours, * 1.2 Kings and Princes within their seuerall empires, kingdoms, and iurisdictions: secondly subordinate or subalternall ma∣gistrats who haue and hold their commissions and authori∣ties from the first: and thirdly priuate subiects which are to be ruled and gouerned by the first and second sorts of men, hauing no publike charge nor office to attend vpon but on∣ly each of them his owne priuate busines according as his owne place, function, and calling requireth. So then here

you see the difference betweene the prince, the magistrate, and the priuate man: Now this sixt duty which here is to be entreated of, concerneth neither the first nor the second kind of men, but only the third, which is the priuare man or common subiect without any lawfull calling to any autho∣rity or office: this last kinde of men may not intrude them∣selues without any lawfull calling into any manner of action or office that of right belongeth vnto the lawfull magistrate for that is not to Giue vnto Caesar that which is Caesars, but ra∣ther to take and vsurpe that which is Caesars vnto his owne∣selfe. * 1.3 Vnder this duty are conteyned especially two things, whereof the first is, that moderation which all priuate per∣sons ought to obserue in publique affaires, namely that they may not of their owne motion without any calling busie themselues in publike affaires, nor intermeddle in the go∣uernment nor reformation of them, nor take vpon them rashlie any part of the Magistrates office, nor attempt any publike thing. If they espie any fault in the common poli∣cie that needeth amendment, they must not stirre at all ther∣in, nor take to themselues authority to redresse it, or once vn∣called to put to their helping hand, hauing their hands in that respect as it were bound behinde them: but they are to shew it to the superiour, who onely hath his hands lose to dispose and order publique matters; and if the superiour do then commaund them and giue them libertie and authoritie to deale therein, they may put it in execution, as being furni∣shed with publike authoritie. The second thing conteined in this sixt duty, is the casting off, or laying away all vindic∣tiue resolutions, * 1.4 all taking vp of reuenge for a mans owne proper iniurie is here forbidden, for the reuenge for iniuries receiued, or any wrong committed against any priuate per∣son belongeth properly to God, who saith, Vengeance is mine, I will repay: & to the Magistrates Gods deputies, to whome God hath committed the sworde, not for nought, but to be Gods minister, to take vengeance on them that do euill, that offend by doing wrongs and iniuries to others; in this case then, when any priuate person takes vpon him to reuenge

and requite an open iniurie done to himselfe, he giueth not vnto Caesar that which is Caesars, but by reuenging with his owne hand, he forgetteth a loyall subiects dutie, and com∣mitteth a manifest wrong against the King and his Magi∣strates, by vsurping their office vnto whom only the sworde belongeth for reuenging of all iniuties committed against any of his people. So that to conclude in few words, this sixt dutie of a loyall subiect, it is, that priuate men may not at∣tempt any publique Magistrates office without a lawfull commission or calling, neither to reforme any thing amisse, nor to doe any good in the common-weale, nor yet to re∣uenge himselfe against his aduersarie for any receiued wrong, for vengeance is to be committed only to God and to the higher powers, to whom only it doth by right appertaine.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Priuate men may not inter∣meddle nor take vpon them the office of the ma∣gistrates without a lawfull calling.
• * 1.2

  The peo∣ple of eue∣ry king∣dom, coun∣trie or city, may be de∣uided into three sorte.
• * 1.3

  Two things to be conside∣red vnder this sixt dutie of subiects to Caesar.
• * 1.4

  The re∣uenge for iniuries to whom it belongeth properly.