A92147:177
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. If God doth regulate his people in making such a man King, 1not such a man, then he thereby insinuateth that the people have a power to make such a man King, and not such a man. But God doth regulate his people in making a King. Ergo the people have a power to make such a man King, not such a man King. The Proposition is clear, because Gods Law doth not regulate a non-ens, a mere nothing, or an unlawful power; nor can Gods holy Law regulate an unlawful power, or an unlawful action, but quite abolish it, and interdict it; the Lord setteth not down rules and ways how men should not commit Treason, but the Lord commandeth loyalty, and simply interdicteth men of treason▪ 2. If people have then more power to create a King over themselves, then they had to make Prophets, ⟨p. 12⟩then God forbidding them to choose such a man for their King, should say as much to his people; as if he would say, I command you to make Isaiah & Jeremiah Prophets over you, but not these and these men. This certainly should prove that not God only, but the people also with God made Prophets; I leave this to the consideration of the godly. The Prophets were immediately called of God, to be Prophets, whether the people consented that they should be Prophets, or not. Therefore God immediately, and only sent the Prophets, not the people; but though God extraordinarily designed some men to be Kings, and anointed them by his Prophets, yet were they never actually installed Kings, till the people made them Kings. I prove the assumption, Deut. 17.—14. When thou shalt say, I will set a King over me, like all the nations round about me. 15. Thou shalt in any wise set him King over thee, whom the Lord thy God shall choose, one from amongst thy brethren shalt tho• set King over thee, thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, which is not thy brother. Should not this be an unjust charge to the people, if God only, without any action of the people, should immediately set a King over them? Might not the people reply, We have no power at all to set a King over our selves, no more then we have power to make Isaiah a Prophet, who saw the visions of God, to what end then should God mock us, and say, make a brother, and not a stranger King over you?