A92147:1038
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.
The fifth and last opinion is of those who think if the King command Papists and Prelates to rise against the Parliament and our dear brethren in England in wars, that we are obliged in conscience, and by our oath and covenant, to help our native Prince against them, to which opinion with hands and feet I should accord, if our Kings cause were just and lawful, but from this it followeth that we must thus far judge of the cause, as concerneth our consciences in the matter of our necessary duty, leaving the judicial cognizance to the honourable Parliament of England. But because I cannot return to all these opinions particularly, I see no reason but the Civil Law of a Kingdom doth oblige any Citizen to help an innocent man against a murdering robber, & that he may be judicially accused as a murderer who faileth in his duty, & that Solon said well, beatam remp. esse illam, in quâ quisque injuriam alterius suam estimet. 1It is a blessed society in which every man is to repute an injury done against ⟨p. 380⟩a brother, […] injury done against himself. As the Egyptians had a good law, by which, he was accused upon his head, who helped not one that suffered wrong; and if he was not able to help, he was holden to accuse the injurer, if not, his punishment was whips, or2 three days hunger, it may be upon this ground it was that Moses flew the Egyptian. Ambrose commendeth him for so doing.
The fift and last opinion is of those who think if the King command Papists and Prelates to rise against the Parliament and our dear brethren in England in warres, that we are obliged in conscience, and by our oath and covenant, to help our native Prince against them, to which opinion with hands and feet I should accord, if our Kings cause were just and lawfull, but from this it followeth that we must thus far judge of the cause, as concerneth our consciences in the matter of our necessary duty, leaving the judiciall cognizance to the honourable Parliament of England. But because I cannot returne to all these opinions particularly, I see no reason but the Civil Law of a Kingdom doth oblige any Citizen to help an innocent man against a murthering robber, & that he may be judicially accused as a murtherer who faileth in his duty, & that Solon said well, beatam remp. esse illam, in quâ quisque injuriam alterius suam estimet.