A92147:317
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.
There be none under a Law of God who may resist1 a lawful call to a lawful Office, but men may resist any impulsion of God stirring them up to murder the maniest and strongest, and chief men of a Kingdom, that they may reign over the fewest, the weakest, and the young and lowest of the people against their will, therefore this call by the sword is not lawful. If it be said, that the Divine impulsion stirring up a man to make a bloody conquest, that the ire and just indignation of God in Justice may be declared on a wicked Nation, is an extraordinary impulsion of God, who is above a Law, and therefore no man may resist it. Ans. then all bloody Conquerors must have some extraordinary revelation from Heaven to warrant their yielding of obedience to ⟨p. 85⟩such an extraordinary impulsion. And if it be so, They must show a lawful and immediate extraordinary impulsion now; but it is certain, the sins of the people conquered, and their most equal and just demerit, before God, cannot be a just plea to legitimate the Conquest: for though the people of God deserved vastation and captivity by the Heathen, in regard of their sins, before the throne of Divine Justice, yet the Heathen grievously sinned in conquering them, Zach. 1. 15. And I am very sore displeased with the Heathen that are at ease: for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction. So though Judah deserved to be made captives, and a conquered people, because of their idolatry, and other sins, as Jeremiah had prophesied; yet God was highly displeased at Babylon for their unjust and bloody Conquest, Jer. 50. 17, 18, 33, 34. c. 51. 35. The violence done to me and to my flesh, be upon Babylon, shall the inhabitants of Zion say; and my blood upon the inhabitants of Chaldea, shall Jerusalem say. And that any other extraordinary impulsion to be as lawful a call to the Throne as the peoples free election, we know not from Gods word, and we have but the naked word of our Adversaries, that William the Conqueror, without the peoples consent, made himself by blood, the lawful King of England, and also of all their posterity; And that King Fergus conquered Scotland. 5. A King is a special gift of God, given to feed and defend the people