A57975:409
Lex, Rex
Lex, rex The law and the prince : a dispute for the just prerogative of king and people : containing the reasons and causes of the most necessary defensive wars of the kingdom of Scotland and of their expedition for the aid and help of their dear brethren of England : in which their innocency is asserted and a full answer is given to a seditious pamphlet entitled Sacro-sancta regum majestas, or, The sacred and royal prerogative of Christian kings, under the name of J. A. but penned by Jo. Maxwell the excommunicate P. Prelate. : with a scriptural confutation of the ruinous grounds of W. Barclay, H. Grotius, H. Arnisœus, Ant. de Domi P. Bishop of Spalata, and of other late anti-magistratical royalists, as the author of Ossorianum, D. Fern, E. Symmons, the doctors of Aberdeen, &c. : in XLIV questions.Lex, rex The law and the prince : a dispute for the just prerogative of king and people : containing the reasons and causes of the most necessary defensive wars of the kingdom of Scotland and of their expedition for the ayd and help of their dear brethren of England : in which their innocency is asserted and a full answer is given to a seditious pamphlet intituled Sacro-sancta regum majestas, or, The sacred and royall prerogative of Christian kings, under the name of J. A. but penned by Jo. Maxwell the excommunicate P. Prelat. : with a scripturall confutation of the ruinous grounds of W. Barclay, H. Grotius, H. Arnisœus, Ant. de Domi P. Bishop of Spalata, and of other late anti-magistratical royalists, as the author of Ossorianum, D. Fern, E. Symmons, the doctors of Aberdeen, &c. : in XLIV questions.
London: printed for John Field, 1644London: printed for Iohn Field, 1644
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
Ans. All this is an argument from fact. 1. A wicked Magistracy may permit perjury and lying in the Common-wealth,1 and that without punishment; and some Christian Commonweals, he meaneth his own Synagogue of Rome, spiritual Sodom, a cage of unclean birds, suffereth Harlotry by Law, and the whores pay so many thousands yearly to the Pope, and are free of all punishment by Law, to eschew homicides, adulteries of Romish Priests, and other ⟨p. 137⟩greater sins: Therefore God hath given power to a King to play the Tyrant, without any fear of punishment to be inflicted by man. But 1. if this be a good argument, The Magistrate to whom God hath committed the sword to take vengeance on evil doers, Rom. 13.3, 4, 5▪ 6. such as are perjured persons, professed whores and harlots, hath a lawful power from God to connive at sins and gross scandals in the Commonwealth, as they dream that the King hath power given from God to exercise all acts of Tyranny without any resistance. But, 1. this was a grievous sin in Eli, that he being a father and a Judge, punished not his sons for their uncleanness, and his house, in Gods heavy displeasure, was cut off from the Priesthood therefore. Then God hath given no such power to the Judge. 2. The contrary duty is lying on the Judge, To execute judgement for the oppressed, Job 29.12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17. Jer. 22.15, 16. and perverting of judgement, and conniving at the heinous sins of the wicked, is condemned, Num. 5.31, 32. 1 Sam. 15.23. 1 King. 20.42, 43. Esa. 1.17. & 10.1