A92147:314
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.
1. Assertion. A people may be by Gods special Commandment, subject to a conquering Nebuchadnezzar, and a Caesar, as to their King, as was Judah commanded by the Prophet Jeremiah to submit unto the yoke of the King of Babylon, and to pray for him, and the people of the Jews were to give to Caesar the things of Caesar; and yet both those were unjust conquerors: for those Tyrants had no command of God to oppress and reign over the Lords people, yet were they to obey those Kings, so the passive subjection was just and commanded of God, and the active unjust and tyrannous, and forbidden of God.
1. Assertion. A people may be by Gods speciall Commandement, subject to a conquering Nebuchadnezer, and a Caesar, as to their King, as was Iudah commanded by the Prophet Ieremiah to submit unto the yoake of the King of Babylon, and to pray for him, and the people of the Iewes were to give to Caesar the things of Caesar; and yet both those were unjust conquerours: for those Tyrants had no command of God to oppresse and raigne over the Lords people, yet were they to obey those Kings, so the passive subjection was just and commanded of God, and the active unjust and tyranous, and forbidden of God.
2. Assert. This title by conquest through the peoples after consent may be turned into a just title, as its like the case was with the Jews in Caesars time, for which cause our Saviour commanded to obey Caesar, and to pay tribute unto him; as Dr. Ferne confesseth.1 But two things are to be condemned in the Doctor: 1. That God manifesteth his Will to us in this work of providence, whereby he translateth Kingdoms. 2. That this is an over-awed consent; now to the former I reply, if the act of conquering be violent and2 unjust, it is no manifestation of Gods regulating and approving Will, and can no more prove a just title to a Crown, because it is an act of Divine providence, then Pilate and Herod their crucifying of the Lord of Glory, which was an act of Divine providence, flowing from the Will and Decree of Divine providence,