It is against the background of crime and vice that bedevil human society that human rulers must be seen. The task of government is to maintain law and order and to punish wickedness and vice in the quaint words of the Book of Common Prayer. Of course, there are many other functions but this task is a primary one. We should remind ourselves that when this epistle was written the Emperor Nero was on the throne. Nero became a most dissolute ruler but as the Emperor he was entitled to respect.
Most governments are better than chaos.
They will be called into account either in this life or the next. Josef Stalin may die in bed and Adolf Hitler commit suicide to escape human justice but neither they nor any ruler will escape the judgment of God. It is therefore the duty of rulers to enact wise laws and the wisest laws are those that reflect God's laws. It is the duty of the law to be impartial. The rich and powerful are not to be favoured at the expense of the poor and disadvantaged.