A92147:271
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 contrary to the scope of his book, which is ⟨p. 64⟩all for the subject and seat of Sovereign power, against all order hath plunged himself in the deep of Defensive arms, and yet hath no new thing. 1. Our law of Scotland will warrant any subject, if the King take from him his heritage, or invade his possession against Law, to resist the invaders, and to summon the Kings intruders before the Lords of Session for that act of injustice: Is this against Gods Word, or Conscience? 2. The Sanhedrim did not punish David; Ergo, it is not lawful to challenge a King for any one act of injustice: from the practice of the Sanhedrin, to conclude a thing lawful or unlawful, is logic; we may resist. 3. By the P. Prelates doctrine, the law might not put Bathsheba to death, nor yet Joab the nearest agent of the murdering1 of innocent Uriah, because Bathsheba's adultery was the Kings adultery, she did it in obedience to King David: Joabs murder was Royal murder, as the murder of all the Cavaliers; for he had the Kings hand-writing for it. Murder is Murder, and the murderer is to dye, though the King by a secret Let alone, a private and illegal warrant command it. Ergo, the Sanhedrin might have taken Bathsheba's life, and Joabs head also: and consequently the Parliament of England, if they be Judges (as I conceive God and the Law of that ancient and renowned Kingdom maketh them) may take the head of many Joabs and Jermines, for murder; •or the command of a King cannot legitimate murder. 4. David himself, as King, speaketh more for us then for the Prelate, 2 Sam. 12. 7. And Davids anger was greatly kindled against the man, (the man was himself, v. 7. Thou art the man) and he said to Nathan, as the Lord liveth, the man that hath done this, shall surely dye. 5. Every act of injustice doth not un-King a Prince before God, as every act of uncleanness doth not make a wife no wife before God. 6. The Prelate excuseth Nero, and would not have him resisted, if all Rome were one neck, that he might cut it off with one stroke (I read it of Caligula; If the Prelate see more in History then I do, I yield.) 7. He saith, the thoughts of total eversion of a Kingdom, must only fall on a mad man. The King of Britain was not mad, when he declared the Scots Traitors, because they resisted the service of the Mass;