A92147:1358
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.
2. We cannot admit that God giveth Royal power immediately, without the intervention of any Act of Law, for it is an Act of Law, that Deut. 17. the people chooseth such a King, not such a King, that the people by a legal covenant make Saul, David, and Joash Kings, and that God exerciseth any political action of making a King, over such subjects, upon such a condition, is absurd, and inconceivable; for how can God make Saul and David Kings of Israel, upon this political and legal condition, that they rule in Justice and Judgement, but there must intervene a political action, and so they are not made Kings immediately. If God feed Moses, by bread, and Manna, the Lords act of feeding is mediate, by the mediation of second causes; if he feed Moses 40. days without eating any thing, the act of feeding is immediate. If God made David King, as he made him a Prophet, I should think God immediately made him King; for God asked consent of no man, of no people, no not of David himself, before he infused on him the Spirit of Prophecy; but he made him formally King, by the political and legal Covenant betwixt him and the people. I shall not think that a Covenant and Oath of God is a Ceremony, especially a Law covenant, or a political paction between David and the people, the contents whereof behoved to be De materia gravi & onerosa, concerning a great part of obedience to the fifth Commandment of ⟨p. 459⟩Gods Moral Law, the duties Moral concerning Religion, and Mercy, and Justice, to be performed reciprocally, between King and people. Oaths (I hope) are more then Ceremonies.
2. We cannot admit that God giveth Royall power immediatly, without the intervention of any Act of Law, for it is an Act of Law, that Deut. 17. the people chooseth such a King, not such a King, that the people by a legall covenant make Saul, David, and Joash Kings, and that God exerciseth any politicall action of making a King, over such subjects, upon such a condition, is absurd, and inconceivable; for how can God make Saul and David Kings of Jsrael, upon this politicall and legall condition, that they rule in Iustice and Judgement, but there must intervene a politicall action, and so they are not made Kings immediatly. If God feed Moses, by bread, and Manna, the Lords act of feeding is mediate, by the mediation of second causes; if he feed Moses 40. dayes without eating any thing, the act of feeding is immediate. If God made David King, as he made him a Prophet, I should thinke God immediatly made him King; for God asked consent of no man, of no people, no not of David himselfe, before he infused on him the Spirit of Prophecy; but he made him formally King, by the politicall and legall Covenant betwixt him and the people. I shall not thinke that a Covenant and Oath of God is a Ceremony, especially a Lawcovenant, or a politicall paction between David and the people, the contents whereof behoved to be De materia gravi & onerosa, concerning a great part of obedience to the fifth Commandement of