Job 34:18

"Who says to a king, 'You scoundrel!' " These words are referred to God, who is the King of kings and rulers, and exercises his power on everyone, so that no rich or poor is privileged.

"He is ungodly, he who says to the king," You do wrongly. You do not have to speak so, because you are not an impious man. Notice, "he that saith," and not he that saith; it would not be enough, to be impious, to have said in passing; we are really responsible when we act. habitually. "And to princes: You act in the most impious manner. As if he were saying to the Angels: Except Michael your leader, you all act in the most impious way. And if we accuse of so much. impiety the princes, much more the king will be accused:

Who saith to a king, Apostate: who calleth leaders ungodly. We know often that most of those who rule exact an inordinate degree of dread from their subjects, and that they wish them to venerate them not so much for the Lord's sake, as in the Lord's place. For they exalt themselves with pride of heart within, and despise all under them in comparison with themselves, nor do they advise them with condescension, but oppress them with authority: because, in truth, they set themselves up with lofty thoughts, and do not acknowledge themselves to be equal with those over whom they happen to rule. Against this pride it is said in the Book Ecclesiasticus, Have they appointed thee a ruler? Be not lifted up, but be among them as one of them. [Ecclus. 32, 1] This pride the Lord also reproving by the Prophet in shepherds, saith, But ye ruled over them with austerity and with power. [Ez. 34, 4] For the good advice which they offer to their subjects, they bring out as ordering, rather than as advising with them: for the very reason, that to say any thing to them as if they were on equal terms, they consider a degradation. For they rejoice in their singular preeminence, and not in the equality of their creation. But because the Lord carefully considers those swelling hearts of rulers, it is well said against them, Who saith to a king, Apostate. For every haughty ruler falls into the sin of apostasy, as often as, through pleasure at his ruling over men, he rejoices in his peculiar distinction. For he considers not under Whom he himself is, and exults over his equals, for that he is as it were not their equal. But whence is it that this root of evil springs up in the heart of rulers, unless it be in imitation of him, who, having scorned the society of angels, said, I will ascend above the height of the clouds, and will be like the Most High? Since then every ruler, as often as he prides himself on ruling over others, is cut off, by falling into pride, from dependence on the Chief Ruler of all: and, because when he despises his equals who are subject to him, he does not acknowledge the supreme dominion of Him under Whom all are equal; it is rightly said, Who saith to a king, Apostate. But since by domineering over others they lead their subjects to impiety by the example of their pride, it is fitly subjoined, Who calleth leaders ungodly. For they would lead them into the way…