Ecclesiastes 8:4

Where the word of a king [is, there is] power: and who may say unto him, What doest thou?

Ver. 4. Where the word of a king is, there is power.] Ibi dominatio. He hath long hands, and can reach thee at a great distance, as Mithridates did when with one letter he slew eigthy thousand citizens of Rome that were scattered up and down his kingdom for trading's sake. a So Selimus the great Turk, in revenge for the loss received at the battle of Lepanto, was once in a mind to have put to death all the Christians in his dominions, in number infinite. b Charles IX of France is reported to have been the death of thirty thousand of his Protestant subjects in one year's time, A.D. 1572. See Daniel 5:19 .

And who may say unto him, What doest thou?] viz., Without danger. What safety can there be in taking a bear by the tooth, or a lion by the beard? I dare not dispute, said the philosopher to the Emperor Adrian, with him that hath thirty legions at his command, Neque in eum scribere, qui potest proscribere, nor write against him that can as easily undo me as bid it to be done. c Howbeit Elias, Micaiah, John Baptist, and other holy prophets and ministers have dealt plainly with great princes, and God hath secured them. John, Bishop of Salisbury, reproved the Pope to his face; and yet the Canonists say, that although the Pope should draw millions of souls to hell with him, none may dare to say unto him, What doest thou? But Philip the Fair made bold with his Holiness when he began his letter to him with Sciat Fatuitas Tua, &c. So did the barons of England in King John's days, when declaring against the Pope and his conclave, by whom they were excommunicated, they cried out thus in their remonstrance, Fie on such rascal knaves. d Adelmelect, Bishop of Sherborn, A.D. 705, reproved Pope Sergius sharply to his face for his adultery. e So did Bishop Lambert reprehend King Pepin for the same fault, A.D. 798. f And Archbishop Odo, King Edwin, burning his concubines in the forehead with a hot iron, and banishing them into Ireland. g Father Latimer dealt no less faithfully with King Henry VIII in his sermons at Court. And being asked by the king how he dared to be so bold to preach after that manner, he answered that duty to God and to his prince had enforced him to it; and now that he had discharged his conscience, his life was in his Majesty's hands, &c. Truth must be spoken, however it be taken. If God's messengers must be mannerly in the form, yet in the matter of their message to great ones they must be resolute. It is probable that Joseph used some kind of preface to Pharaoh's baker in reading him that hard destiny; Gen 40:19 such, likely, as was that of Daniel to Nebuchadnezzar, "My Lord, the dream be to them that hate thee," &c.; Dan 4:19 or as Philo brings him in with an utinam tale somnium non vidisses, &c. But for the matter, he gives him a sound, though sharp interpretation.

a Val. Max., lib. ix.

b Turk. Hist., fol. 885.

c Praesens praesentem Pontificem redarguit, et Polyeraticon conscripsit. Jac. Rev, 145 .

d Marcidi ribaldi.

e Walsing.

f Epit. Hist. Gallic., p. 30.

g Godw., Catal.