A92147:1180
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.
P. Prelate, They infer, 1. They cannot without violation of a Divine ordinance, and breach of faith resume the authority, they have placed in the King. 2. It▪ were high sin to rob authority of its essentials. 3. This ordinance is not [Greek or Hebrew] but [Greek or Hebrew], and hath urgent reasons.
P. Prelate, They inferre, 1. They cannot without violation of a Divine ordinance, and breach of faith resume the authority, they have placed in the King. 2. It▪ were high sin to rob authority of its essentials. 3. This ordinance is not 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 but 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, and hath urgent reasons.
Ans. 1. These nameless Authors cannot infer that an Oath is broken, which is made conditionally; all authority given by the people to the King is conditional, that he use it for the safety of the people, if it be used for their destruction, they break no faith to resume it, for they never made faith to give up their power to the King upon such terms, and so they cannot be said to resume what they never gave.
Ans. 1. These namelesse Authors cannot inferre that an Oath is broken, which is made conditionally; all authority given by the people to the King is conditionall, that he use it for the safety of the people, if it be used for their distruction, they breake no faith to resume it, for they never made faith to give up their power to the King upon such tearmes, and so they cannot be said to resume what they never gave.
2. So the P. Prelate maketh power to act all the former mischiefs, the essentials of a King Balaam he is not worthy his wages, for Prophesying thus, that the Kings essentials is a power of blood, and destructive to people, Law, Religion and liberties of Church and State, for otherwise we teach not, that people may resume from the King Authority and power to disarm Papists, to