I.E. Lex Rex:
Neither do I believe, that the Magistrate is not subordinate to the Kingdom of Christ, as mediator, but subordinate to God as creator only. Though some divines teach, that there should have been kings and supreme powers in the world, though man had never fallen in sin, and a Saviour had never been in the world, and so that kings are warranted by the law of nature, and nations, and not by any law evangelic and mediatory; yet we think with reverence, this argument not strong, for generation and creation and multiplication of mankind should have been in the world, though never a sinner nor a Saviour shoudl have been in the world, yet are creation, generation and multiplication of mankind, by our divines, junus trelacaitus, gomaras, Calvin, Beza, Melanchton, Polarnus, Rollucus and many others, and with warrant of the word of God, made means subordinate to the excecution of the decree of predestination to Glory, which decree is executed in Christ, as the mean and meritorious cause of salvation purchased in his blood. What [though] heathen Magistrates as Magistrates know not Christ as mediator; ergo, they are not means subordinate to Christ's Mediatory Kingdom[?]. It follows not; for by Christ, the wisdom of God, kings do reign, [cf Prov 8], though many of them know him not. As they are created by Christ, as the second person of the Trinity [cf John1], though they know not the second person of the Trinity. It is their sin that they know him now. [1644] [Samuel Rutherford on the extent of the Mediatorial reign of Christ]
Labels: Samuel Rutherford
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