A treatise of civil policy

The Prelate, whose tribe seldom saith truth, addeth, As a fatherly¹ power, by God and natures law, over a family, was in the father of a family, before the children could either transfer their power, or consent to the translation of that power to him, so a Kingly power (which succeedeth to a paternal or fatherly power) to govern many families, (yea & a Kingdom) was in that same father, in relation to many families, before these many families can transfer their power. The Kingly power floweth immediately from God, & the people doth not transfer that power, but doth only consent to the person of the King, or doth only choose his person at some time. And though this power were principally given to the people, it is not so given to the people as if it were the peoples power, & not Gods for it is Gods power, neither is it any other ways given to the people, but as to a stream, a beam, and an instrument which may confer it to another. M. Anton. de domini. l. 6. c. 2. n 23. 23. doth more subtly illustrate the matter, if the King should confer honour on a subject, by the hand of a servant, who had not power or freedom to confer that honour, or not to confer it, but by necessity of the Kings commandment must confer it, nothing should hinder us to say, that such a subject had his honour immediately from the King: so the earth is immediately illuminated by the sun, although light be received in the earth, but by the intervening mediation of many inferior bodies and elements, because by no other thing, but by the sun only, is the light as an efficient cause in a nearest capacity to give light, so the Royal power in whomsoever it be is immediately from God only, though it be applied by men to this, or this person, because from God only, and from no other the Kingly power is formally and effectively that which it is, and worketh that which it worketh, and if you ask by what cause is the tree immediately turned in fire, none sound in reason would say, it is made fire, not by the fire, but by him that laid the tree on the fire. John P. P. would have stolen this argument also, if he had been capable thereof.

The Prelate, whose tribe seldom saith truth, addeth, As a fatherly¹ power, by God and natures law, over a family, was in the father of a family, before the children could either transfer their power, or consent to the translation of that power to him, so a Kingly power (which succeedeth to a paternal or fatherly power) to governe many families, (yea & a Kingdom) was in that same father, in relation to many families, before these many families can transfer their power. The Kingly power floweth immediately from God, & the people doth not transfer that power, but doth onely consent to the person of the King, or doth onely choose his person at some time. And though this power were principally given to the people, it is not so given to the people as if it were the peoples power, & not Gods for it is Gods power, neither is it any other waies given to the people, but as to a streame, a beam, and an instrument which may confer it to another. M. Anton. de domini. l. 6. c. 2. n 23. 23. doth more subtilly illustrate the matter, if the King should confer honour on a subject, by the hand of a servant, who had not power or freedom to confer that honour, or not to confer it, but by necessity of the Kings commandment must confer it, nothing should hinder us to say, that such a subject had his honour immediately from the King: so the earth is immediately illuminated by the sun, although light be received in the earth, but by the interveening mediation of many inferiour bodies and elements, because by no other thing, but by the sun only, is the light as an efficient cause in a nearest capacity to give light, so the Royall power in whomsoever it be is immediatly from God onely, though it be applyed by men to this, or this person, because from God onely, and from no other the Kingly power is formally and effectively that which it is, and worketh that which it worketh, and if you ask by what cause is the tree immediatly turned in fire, none sound in reason would say, it is made fire, not by the fire, but by him that laid the tree on the fire. Iohn P. P. would have stollen this argument also, if he had been capable thereof.