A92147:1297
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.
4. He feareth they deny Subsidies, which are due by the Law of God, Nature, and Nations, whereas Parliaments have but their deliberation and consent for the manner of giving, otherwise this is to sell Subsidies, not to give them.
Ans. Tribute, and the standing Revenues of the King, are due by the Law of God and Nations; but Subsidies are occasional Rents, given upon occasion of War, or some extraordinary necessity; and they are not given to the King as Tribute, and standing Revenues, which the King may bestow for his House, Family, and Royal Honour, but they are given by the Kingdom, rather to the Kingdom, then to the King for the present war, or some other necessity of the Kingdom, and therefore are not due to the King as King, by any Law of Nature or Nations, and so should not be given but by deliberation and judicial sentence of the States; and they are not sold to the King, but given out by the Kingdom, by Statute of Parliament, to be bestowed on the Kingdom, and the King should sell no Acts of Justice for Subsidies.
Ans. Tribute, and the standing Revenues of the King, are due by the Law of God and Nations; but Subsidies are occasionall Rents, given upon occasion of Warre, or some extraordinary necessity; and they are not given to the King as Tribute, and standing Revenues, which the King may bestow for his House, Family, and Royall Honour, but they are given by the Kingdome, rather to the Kingdome, then to the King for the present warre, or some other necessity of the Kingdome, and therefore are not due to the King as King, by any Law of Nature or Nations, and so should not be given but by deliberation and judiciall sentence of the States; and they are not sold to the King, but given out by the Kingdome, by Statute of Parliament, to be bestowed on the Kingdome, and the King should sell no Acts of Justice for Subsidies.
5. He dare not speak of the consequences, if the King grant Bills of Grace, and part with the flowers of the Crown. Ans. He dare not say, The people shall vindicate their liberty by selling Subsidies, to buy branches of the Prerogative Royal, and diminishing the Kings fancied absoluteness: so would Prelates have the King absolute, that they may ride over the souls, purses, persons, estates, and Religion of men upon the horse of pretended absoluteness.