A92147:1021
A treatise of civil policy
A treatise of civil policy: being a resolution of forty three questions concerning prerogative, right and privilege, in reference to the supreme prince and the people. / By Samuel Rutherford professor of divinity of St Andrews in Scotland.A treatise of civil policy: being a resolution of forty three questions concerning prerogative, right and priviledge, in reference to the supream prince and the people. / By Samuel Rutherford professor of divintiy of St Andrews in Scotland.
London, : Printed and are to be sold by Simon Miller at the Star in St Pauls Church-yard near the West end., 1657 i.e. 1656
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.
except Royalists say, that we are not to perform the duties of the second Table commanded by God, if an earthly King forbid us; and if we exercise not acts of mercy toward our brethren, when their life is in hazard, to save them, we are murderers, and so men may murder their neighbour, if the1 King command them so to do; this is like the Court-faith. 2. The Kings power of wars is for the safety of his people; if he deny his consent to their raising of Arms till they be destroyed, he playeth the Tyrant, not the King, and the law of Nature will necessitate them, either to defend themselves (seeing flight of all in that case is harder then death) else they must be guilty of self-murder. Now the Kings commandment of not rising in Arms, at best is positive and against the nature of his Office, and it floweth then from him as from a man, and so must be far inferior to the natural Commandment of God, which commandeth self-preservation, if we would not be guilty of self-murder, and of obeying men, rather then God. So Althusius Polit. c. 25. n. 9. Halicarnas. l. 4. Antiq. Rom. Aristo. Pol. l. 3. c. 3. 3. David took Goliaths sword, and became a Captain, a Captain to an host of armed men in the battle, and fought the battles of the Lord, 1 Sam. 25. 28. (and this Abigail by the spirit of prophecy, as I take it, saith, ver. 29, 30, 31.) 1 Sam. 22. 2. 1 Chron. 12. 1. 2. 3. 17. 18. 21. 22. not only without Sauls consent, but against King Saul as he was a man, but not against him as he was King of Israel. 4. If there be no King, or the King be minor, or an usurper, as Athalia be on the Throne, the Kingdom may lawfully2 make war without the King, as Judges cap. 20. The children of Israel, four hundred thousand footmen that drew sword went out to war against the children of Benjamin. Judah had the power of the sword when Josiah was but eight years old, in the beginning of his reign, 2 King. 22. 1, 2