A92147:328
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.
2 Assert. Slavery of servants to Lords or Masters, such as were1 of old amongst the Jews, is not natural, but against nature; 1. Because slavery is malum naturae, a penal evil, and contrary to nature, and a punishment of sin. 2. Slavery should not have been in the world, if man had never sinned, no more then there could have been buying and selling of men; which is a miserable consequent of sin, and a sort of death, when men are put to the toiling pains of the hireling, who longeth for the shadow, and under iron harrows and saws, and to hew wood, and draw water continually. 3. The original of servitude was, when men were taken in war, to eschew a greater evil, even death, the captives were willing to undergo a less evil, slavery. S. Servitus, 1. de jur. Pers. 4. A man being created according to Gods image, he is res sacrae, a sacred thing, and can no more by natures law be sold and bought, then a religious and sacred thing dedicated to God. S. 1. Instit. do invtil. scrupl. l. inter Stipulantem. S. Sacram. F. de verber. Obligat.
2 Assert. Slavery of servants to Lords or Masters, such as were1 of old amongst the Iews, is not naturall, but against nature; 1. Because slaverie is malum naturae, a penall evill, and contrary to nature, and a punishment of sinne. 2. Slaverie should not have been in the world, if man had never sinned, no more then there could have been buying and selling of men; which is a miserable consequent of sin, and a sort of death, when men are put to the toyling paines of the hireling, who longeth for the shadow, and under iron harrowes and sawes, and to hew wood, and draw water continually. 3. The originall of servitude was, when men were taken in warre, to eschew a greater evill, even death, the captives were willing to undergoe a lesse evill, slaverie. S. Servitus, 1. de jur. Pers. 4. A man being created according to Gods image, he is res sacrae, a sacred thing, and can no more by natures law be sold and bought, then a religious and sacred thing dedicated to God. S. 1. Instit. do invtil. scrupl. l. inter Stipulantem. S. Sacram. F. de verber. Obligat.
- 1Slavery not natural.Slavery not naturall.