A92147:1027
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.
Answ. This may well be retorted, the Politic Head cannot then move, but upon politic reasons; and so the King cannot move to wars, but by the Law, and that is by consent of Parliament, and no Law can principle the head to destroy the members. 2. If an Army of cut-throats rise to destroy the Kingdom, because the King is in lacking, in his place, to do his duty, how can the other Judges, the States and Parliament, be accessory to murder committed by them, in not raising armies to suppress such robbers? Shall the inferior Judges be guilty of innocent blood, because the King will not do his duty? 3. The politic body ceaseth no more to renounce the principles of sinless nature, in self-defence, because it is a politic body, and subject to a King, then it can leave off to sleep, eat and drink; and there is more need of politic principles to the one, then the other. 4. The Parliaments and Estates of both Kingdoms move in these wars by the Kings Laws, and are a formal politic body in themselves.
Answ. This may well be retorted, the Politique Head cannot then move, but upon politique reasons; and so the King cannot move to wars, but by the Law, and that is by consent of Parliament, and no Law can principle the head to destroy the members. 2. If an Armie of cut-throats rise to destroy the Kingdome, because the King is in lacking, in his place, to doe his duty, how can the other Judges, the States and Parliament, be accessorie to murther committed by them, in not raising armies to suppresse such robbers? Shall the inferiour Judges be guilty of innocent blood, because the King will not doe his duty? 3. The politique body ceaseth no more to renounce the principles of sinlesse nature, in self-defence, because it is a politique body, and subject to a King, then it can leave off to sleep, eat and drink; and there is more need of politique principles to the one, then the other. 4. The Parliaments and Estates of both Kingdoms move in these wars by the Kings Lawes, and are a formall politique body in themselves.
Obj. 2. The ground of the present wars against the King (saith D. Ferne, sect. 4. pag. 13.) is false, to wit, that the Parliament is coordinate with the King, but so the King shall not be supreme, the Parliaments consent is required to an act of supremacy, but not to a denial of that act. And there can no more (saith Arnisaeus de jure majestatis, c. 3. in quo consistat essen. majest. c. 3. n. 1. and c. 2. anjur. majest. separ. &c. n. 2.) be two equal and coordinate supreme powers, then