A92147:246
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.
Ans. The P. Prelate might have thanked Spalato for this Argument, but he doth not so much as cite him, for fear his theft be deprehended, but Spalato hath it set down with stronger nerves, then the Prelates head was able to copy out of him. But aJac▪ de Almain, and bNavarrus, with the Parisian Doctors said in the Council of Paris, that politic power is immediately from God, but first from the community; but so, that the community apply their power to this o• that Government, not of liberty, but by natural necessity, but Spalato and the Plagiarist Prelate do both look beside the book. The question is not now concerning the vis rectiva the power of governing in the people, but concerning the power of government, for these two dister much, the former is a power of ruling and Monarchical commanding of themselves, this power is not formally in the people, but only virtually; and no reason can say, that a virtual power is idle, because it cannot be actuated by that same subject that it is in, for then it should not be a virtual, but a formal power. Do not Philosophers say such a Herb virtually maketh hot▪ and can the sottish Prelate say, this virtual power is idle, and •vaine given of God, because it doth not formally3 heat your hand when you touch it. 2. The P. Prelate who4 is excommunicated for Popery, Socinianism, Arminianism, and is now turned Apostate to Christ, and his Church must have changed his faith▪ not we, and be reasonlessly ignorant to press that axiom, that the power is idle that cannot be reduced to acts; for a generative power is given to living and sensitive creatures, this power is not idle though it be not reduced in act, by all and every individual sensitive creature. A power of seeing is given to all who naturally do, or ought to see, yet it is not an idle power, because divers are blind, seeing it is put forth in action in divers of the kind; so this power in the community is not idle, because it is not put forth in acts in the people, in which it is virtually, and is put forth in action in some of them, whom they choose to be their Governors; nor is it reasonable to say that it should be put forth in action by all the people, as if all should be Kings and Governors.