A treatise of civil policy

But the question now is, if all power of governing (the Prelate, to make all the people Kings, saith, if all Sovereignty) be so in the people, that they retain power to guard themselves against Tyranny? And, if they retain some of it, habitu, in habit, and in their power? I am not now unseasonably, according to the Prelates order, to dispute of the power of lawful defence against tyranny; but I lay down this maxim of Divinity; Tyranny being a work of Satan, is not from God, because sin either habitual or actual, is not from God, the power that is, must be from God; the Magistrate as Magistrate, is good, in nature of office, and the intrinsical end of his office, Rom. 13. 4. for he is the Minister of God for thy good; and therefore a power ethical, politic, or moral, to oppress, is not from God, and is not a power, but a licentious deviation of a power, and is no more from God, but from sinful nature, and the old serpent, then a license to sin: God in Christ giveth pardons of sin; but the Pope, not God, giveth dispensations to sin. 2. To this add, If for nature to defend it self be lawful, no Community, without sin, hath power to alienate and give away this power: for as no power given to man to murder his brother, is of God, so no power to suffer his brother to be murdered, is of God; and no power to suffer himself (à fortiori) far less can be from God. Here I speak not of physical power, for if free will be the creature of God, a physical power to acts which in relation to Gods law are sinful, must be from God.

But the question now is, if all power of governing (the Prelate, to make all the people Kings, saith, if all Soveraignty) be so in the people, that they retaine power to guard themselves against Tyranny? And, if they reteine some of it, habitu, in habit, and in their power? I am not now unseasonably, according to the Prelates order, to dispute of the power of lawfull defence against tyranny; but I lay down this maxime of Divinitie; Tyranny being a worke of Sathan, is not from God, because sinne either habituall or actuall, is not from God, the power that is, must be from God; the Magistrate as Magistrate, is good, in nature of office, and the intrinsecall end of his office, Rom. 13. 4. for he is the Minister of God for thy good; and therefore a power ethicall, politick, or morall, to oppresse, is not from God, and is not a power, but a licentious deviation of a power, and is no more from God, but from sinfull nature, and the old serpent, then a license to sinne: God in Christ giveth pardons of sinne; but the Pope, not God, giveth dispensations to sinne. 2. To this adde, If for nature to defend it selfe be lawfull, no Communitie, without sin, hath power to alienate and give away this power: for as no power given to man to murther his brother, is of God, so no power to suffer his brother to be murthered, is of God; and no power to suffer himselfe (à fortiori) far lesse can be from God. Here I speake not of physicall power, for if free will be the creature of God, a physicall power to acts which in relation to Gods law are sinfull, must be from God.