t the knave, he
can easily give vent to his personal anger and vengeance in his pulpit
utterances, censuring and rebuking as he pleases, and then claim it is
all in obedience to the demand of office and for the good of the
people.

Again, a judge, a mayor, or other prominent official, desiring
revengefully to satisfy a personal grudge, can more successfully
accomplish his object under the title of the office he bears and the
obligations imposed upon him for the punishment of the wicked than in
any other way. This practice now frequently obtains since the world
has learned to use the Gospel to conceal its malice and knavery, to
adorn it with the name of a divinely appointed office. It ever uses
the name and Word of God to cloak its infamy. But who is vigilant
enough to elude such knavery and to make the children of the devil
honest? Let him who would be a Christian, then, take heed how he shall
answer such accusation. Assuredly God will not allow himself to be
deceived. He will, in due time, relieve the innocent victim of
injustice, and his punishment will seek out the wicked. Peter says,
further:

"But committed himself to him that judgeth righteously."

32. Who revealed to Peter the nature of Christ's thoughts upon the
cross? The apostle has just been saying that Christ reviled not nor
thought of revenge, but rather manifested love and good-will toward
his virulent enemies. How could Christ approve such malice? Truly he
could not endorse it. Nor could he commend his enemies for crucifying
him and putting him to death upon the cross without cause. No such
conclusion may be drawn. The devil and his adherents must not construe
the passage to mean license to heap all manner of torture and distress
upon Christ and his saints as upon those who must not only patiently
bear these things, unmoved by revengeful desires, but must render
gratitude to their persecutors as if their acts were praiseworthy. No;
this can by no means be permitted.

Could I be said to suffer innocently if I am obliged to confess I am
well treated? Several times in this epistle Peter admonishes
Christians not to suffer as evil-doers, thieves, murderers. But if I
suffer innocently and am unjustly treated, I am not to justify the
ill-treatment and strengthen the enemy in his sins; for, so doing, I
would approve his conduct and assume the guilt attributed. That
principle would be pleasing to the Pope and the devil and to tyrants;
they would willingly h