We continue with Melanchthon on Romans 13 from his 1529 work on the letter, the Dispositio orationis in Epistolam Pauli ad Romanos. In the paragraph added today, Melanchthon goes after Plato and his Republic. This should not, however, be construed as a “Christian vs. classical” or “Christian vs. pagan” tendency, or at least as only that. Melanchthon criticizes Plato for inventing a type of polity that could never exist in the world as it actually is, which is the same criticism that Cicero, one of Melanchthon’s guiding lights throughout his life, made: Better, then, to interpret his comment here as a sort of Christian Ciceronianism.

Translation

Romans 13

Proposition: “Let everyone be subject to his own magistracy.”^[1]  [Paul] adds reasons taken from the dignity of magistracy, and from the punishment that avenges the scorn of magistracy. Here, it is again apparent that Paul teaches the commandments about morals in a different way from how philosophers teach them. For he teaches us about the will of God, because πολιτεία [politeia, “polity,” “constitution,” “government”] is a divine ordinance, just as the changes of time—winter, summer, day, night, and the continual courses and movements of the stars—have been created by God and are preserved by him. In the same way, God has ordained and preserves πολιτειίαν [politeian], magistrates, and laws in the world.

There have been many fanatical men, even in our time, who have contended that a Christian is not permitted to hold a magistracy, because the gospel frequently prohibits vengeance. They have therefore thought that magistracy is robbery and unjust violence. Paul fortifies us against this impious and seditious opinion, and teaches that magistracy is a divine ordinance or a good work of God. The result of this is that those who hold a magistracy are engaged in a lawful and honorable office.

No one has the requisite words to do adequate justice to how many uses this teaching affords both to magistrates and to subjects. For magistrates can perform the duties of their offices with a good conscience when they know that their type of life and their administration are pleasing to God. And they are bold to await and seek help from God (since they act in his stead), in order that he may defend and govern his ministers. No armies, no citadels are able better to fortify princes in the midst of so many dangers and traps of the devil as this trust in divine help. Next, no reason more effectively moves the minds of men to obey the magistrate than if they know that he is a minister of God and must be respected, just as other sacred things must be, and that this obedience is performed not for me, but for God. As we honor sacred ceremonies because they have been commended to us by the Word of God, so pious minds honor the magistrate, because he has been commended by the Word of God, and they recognize that the blessings of God, justice, and tranquility come to us through them.  

In addition to these points, they understand that magistracy cannot be overthrown by human violence, because they know that it is defended by God. And because punishment or vengeance is the work of God, they in no way doubt that those who are seditious will pay the penalty. In this way, the teaching of Paul nourishes reverence toward magistrates and laws. What similar thing do we read in Plato’s Republic? Paul teaches that laws and magistrates are an ordinance of God. Plato condemns the form of the commonwealth that actually existed in his day; he fashions a πολιτειίαν [politeian] that is new and in no way harmonious with the judgment of human reason; and he reviles kings as if he were a jester.