A92147:189
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.
The P. Prelate saith, a thing is immediately from God three ways.1 1. When it is solely from God, and presupposeth nothing ordinary or humane, antecedent to the obtaining of it. Such was the power of Moses, Saul, David. Such were the Apostles. 2. When the collation of the power to such a person is immediately from God, though some act of man be antecedent; as Matthias was an Apostle. A baptized man obtaineth remission and regeneration, yet aspersion of water cannot produce these excellent effects. A King giveth power to a favourite to make a Lord or a Baron, yet who is so stupid as to aver the honour of a Lord cometh immediately from the favourite, and not from the King. 3. When a man hath by some ordinary humane right, a full and just right, and the approbation and confirmation of this right is immediately from God.
The P. Prelate saith, a thing is immediatly from God three waies.1 1. When it is solely from God, and presupposeth nothing ordinary or humane, antecedent to the obteyning of it. Such was the power of Moses, Saul, David. Such were the Apostles. 2. When the collation of the power to such a person is immediatly from God, though some act of man be antecedent; as Matthias was an Apostle. A baptized man obtaineth remission and regeneration, yet aspersion of water cannot produce these excellent effects. A King giveth power to a favourite to make a Lord or a Baron, yet who is so stupid as to averre the honour of a Lord commeth immediatly from the favourite, and not from the King. 3. When a man hath by some ordinary humane right, a full and just right, and the approbation and confirmation of this right is immediatly from God.
- 1Sacr•. Sa. reg. Ma. 5. 2. pag. 20. 21, 22, 23.
The first way, Sovereignty is not from God. The second way, Sovereignty is conferred on Kings immediately, though some created act of Election, succession, conquests intervene, the interposed act containeth not in it power to confer Sovereignty; as in Baptism, Regeneration, if there be nothing repugnant in the suscipient, is conferred, not by water, but immediately by God. In sacred Orders designation is from men, power to supernatur all acts from God: election, succession, conquests remotely and improperly constitute a King. To say in the third sense that sovereignty is immediately from God, by approbation or confirmation only, is against Scripture,