Romans ii: "He
that ruleth, let him do it with diligence"; [Rom. 12:8] as who
should say: "Let him not allow himself to be led astray by what
other people or classes of people do; let him not look to this
work or to that, whether it be splendid or obscure; but let him
look to his own position, and think only how he may benefit those
who are subject to him; by this let him stand, nor let himself be
torn from it, although heaven stood open before him, nor be
driven from it, although hell were chasing him. This is the right
road that leads him to heaven."

Oh, if a man were so to regard himself and his position, and
attended to its duties alone, how rich in good works would he be
in a short time, so quietly and secretly that no one would notice
it except God alone! But now we let all this go, and one runs to
the Carthusians,[50] another to this place, a third to that, just
as if good works and God's Commandments had been thrown into
corners and hidden; although it is written in Proverbs i, that
divine wisdom crieth out her commandments publicly in the
streets, in the midst of the people and in the gates of the
cities; [Prov. 1:20 f.] which means that they are present in
profusion in all places, in all stations of life and at all
times, and we do not see hem, but in our blindness look for them
elsewhere. This Christ declared, Matthew xxiv: "If they shall say
unto you: Lo, here is Christ, or there, believe it not. If they
shall say: Behold, He is in the desert, go not forth; behold. He
is in the secret chambers, believe it not; they are false
prophets and false Christs." [Matt. 24:23-26]

XXI. Again, obedience is the duty of subjects, that they direct
all their diligence and effort to do and to leave undone what
their over-lords desire of them, that they do not allow
themselves to be torn or driven from this, whatever another do.
Let no man think that he lives well or does good works, whether
it be prayer or fasting, or by whatever name it may be called, if
he does not earnestly and diligently exercise himself in this.

[Sidenote: The Limits of Obedience]

But if it should happen, as it often does, that the temporal
power and authorities, as they are called, should urge a subject
to do contrary to the Commandments of God, or hinder him from
doing them, there obedience ends, and that duty is annulled. Here
a man must say as St. Peter says to the rulers of the Jews: "We
ought to obey God rather than men." [Acts 5:29] H