A26924:576
The English nonconformity as under King Charles II and King James II truly stated…
The English nonconformity as under King Charles II and King James II truly stated and argued by Richard Baxter ; who earnestly beseecheth rulers and clergy not to divide and destroy the land and cast their own souls on the dreadful guilt and punishment of national perjury ...
London: printed for Tho. Parkhurst, 1689
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
M. I can no way judge what they meant, but by what they did. I find they have absolutely denied all right of defensive Arms in the Subject or Parliament, and that's all that I speak of: From whence I must needs suppose, that their sense was, that all men have Propriety in Estates, Wives, Children and Lives, and that the King ought to Govern them by Law, and wrong no Man, and that Judges ought to do right by Sentence, tho' the King forbid them. And that Sheriffs and Justices must ordinarily execute the Law: But if the King by force restrain them, or give Commission to any Subject by force to violate any Law or Sentence, or to take away any Mens Lives or Estates, it is not lawful by defensive Arms, for any Sheriff, Justices, or any others to resist. This is plainly the sense of the Militia Act, and of our Oaths.
M. I can no way judge what they meant, but by what they did. I find they have absolutely denied all right of defensive Arms in the Subject or Parliament, and that's all that I speak of: From whence I must needs suppose, that their sence was, that all men have Propriety in Estates, Wives, Children and Lives, and that the King ought to Govern them by Law, and wrong no Man, and that Judges ought to do right by Sentence, tho' the King forbid them. And that Sheriffs and Justices must ordinarily execute the Law: But if the King by force restrain them, or give Commission to any Subject by force to violate any Law or Sentence, or to take away any Mens Lives or Estates, it is not lawful by defensive Arms, for any Sheriff, Justices, or any others to resist. This is plainly the sence of the Militia Act, and of our Oaths.
L. I pray you let us end this tender Controversy.
M. I have yet a few more doubts to be resolved. Politics being the Foundation of Juris-prudentia, I doubt not but you have studied Politics: I pray you tell me why all Politics placing a Republic in the predicament of Relation, do make the bonum publicum to be its essential terminus in the definition.