A57975:657
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.
2. The King cannot be happy, nor the people safe; nor can the King do good in saving the needy, except he have the uncontrollable and unlimited power of a Tyrant, to crush the poor and needy, and lay wast the mountain of the Lords inheritance: such Court-ravens, who feed upon the souls of living Kings, are more cruel then Ravens and Vultures, who are but dead carcasses.
2. The King cannot be happy, nor the people safe; nor can the King doe good in saving the needy, except he have the uncontrollable and unlimited power of a Tyrant, to crush the poore and needy, and lay wast the mountaine of the Lords inheritance: such Court-ravens, who feede upon the soules of living Kings, are more cruell then Ravens and Vultures, who are but dead carcasses.
1Williams B. of Ossarie answereth to the Maxim, Salus populi, &c. No wise King but will carefully provide for the peoples safety, because his safety and honour is included in theirs, his destruction in theirs. And it is, saith Lipsius, egri animi proprium nihil diu pati. Absalom persuaded there was no justice in the Land, when he intendeth Rebellion. ⟨p. 223⟩And the poor Prelate following him,2 spendeth pages to prove that Goods, Life, Chastity and Fame dependeth on the safety of the King, as the breath of our nostrils, our Nurse-father, our Head, cornerstone, and Judge, c. 17.6.18.1. The reason why all disorder was in Church and State, was not because there was no Judge, no Government; none can be so stupid as to imagine that. But because 1. They wanted the excellentest of Governments. 2. Because Aristocracy was weakened so, as there was no right. No doubt Priests there were, but Hos. 4. either they would not serve, or were over-awed, no doubt in those days they had Judges, but Priests and Judges were stoned by a rascally multitude, and they were not able to rule; therefore it is most consonant to Scripture to say, Salus regis suprema populi salus. The safety of the King and his Prerogative Royal is the safest sanctuary for the people. So