A92147:1048
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.
8. The Law of God, commanding that we love our neighbour as our self, and therefore to defend one another against unjust violence. l. ut vim. ff. de just. & jur. obligeth us to the same, except we think God can be pleased with lip-love in word only, which the Spirit of God condemneth, 1 Joh. 2. 9, 10. cap. 3. 16. and the sum of Law and Prophets, is that as we would nor men should refuse to help us, when we are unjustly oppressed, so neither would we so serve our afflicted brethren. l. in facto ff. de cond. & demonstr. § Siuxor. Justit. de nupt.
8. The Law of God, commanding that we love our neighbour as our selfe, and therefore to defend one another against unjust violence. l. ut vim. ff. de just. & jur. obligeth us to the same, except we thinke God can be pleased with lippe-love in word onely, which the Spirit of God condemneth, 1 Ioh. 2. 9, 10. cap. 3. 16. and the summe of Law and Prophets, is that as we would nor men should refuse to help us, when we are unjustly oppressed, so neither would we so serve our afflicted brethren. l. in facto ff. de cond. & demonstr. § Siuxor. Iustit. de nupt.
9. Every man is a keeper of his brothers life, there is a voluntary homicide, when a man refuseth food or physic necessary for his own life, and refuseth food to his dying brother; and men are not borne for themselves. And when the King defendeth not subjects against their enemies, all fellow-subjects, by the law of Nature, of Nations, the Civill, and cannon Law, have a natural privilege to defend one another, and are mutual Magistrates to one another, when there be no other Magistrates. If an Army of Turks or Pagans would come upon Britain, if the King were dead, as he is civilly dead in this juncture of time, when he refuseth to help his subjects, one part of Britain would help another: As Jehoshaphat King of Judah did right in helping Ahab and Israel, so the Lord had approved of the war. If the left hand be wounded, and the left eye put out, nature teacheth that the whole burden of natural acts is devolved on the other hand and eye, and; so are they obliged to help one another.