A treatise of civil policy

Assert. 4. The King is an head of the Commonwealth only metaphorically, ¹by a borrowed speech, in a politic sense, because he ruleth, commandeth, directeth the whole politic body in all their operations and functions. But he is not univocally and essentially the head of the Commonwealth. 1. The same very life in number that is in the head, is in the members: there be divers distinct souls and lives in the King, and in his Subjects. 2. The head natural is not made an head by the free election and consent of arms, shoulders, legs, toes, fingers, &c. The King is made King only by the free election of his people. 3. The natural head, so long as the person liveth, is ever the head, and cannot cease to be a head while it is seated on the shoulders: The King, if he sell his people, their persons and souls, may leave off to be a King and Head. 4. The head and members live together, and dye together: the King & the people are not so; the King may dye, and the People live. 5. The natural head cannot destroy the members, and preserve it self: but King Nero may waste and destroy his people. D. Ferne, M. Simmons, the P. Prelate, when they draw arguments from the head, do but dream, as the members should not resist the head. Natural members should not, or cannot resist the head, though the hand may pull a tooth out of the head, which is no small violence to the head. But the members of a Politic body may resist the Politic head. 2. This or that ⟨p. 129⟩King is not the adequate and total Politic head of the Commonwealth: and therefore though you cut off a Politic head, there's nothing done against nature. If you cut off all Kings of the Royal line, and all Governors Aristocratical, both King and Parliament, this were against nature; And a Common-wealth which would cut off all Governors, and all Heads, should go against nature, and run to ruin quickly. I conceive a society of reasonable men cannot want Governors. 6. The natural head communicateth life, sense, and motion to the members, and is the seat of external and internal senses: the King is not so.

Assert. 4. The King is an head of the Commonwealth only metaphorically, ¹by a borrowed speech, in a politique sense, because he ruleth, commandeth, directeth the whole politique body in all their operations and functions. But he is not univocally and essentially the head of the Commonwealth. 1. The same very life in number that is in the head, is in the members: there be divers distinct soules and lives in the King, and in his Subjects. 2. The head naturall is not made an head by the free election and consent of armes, shoulders, leggs, toes, fingers, &c. The King is made King only by the free election of his people. 3. The naturall head, so long as the person liveth, is ever the head, and cannot cease to be a head while it is seated on the shoulders: The King, if he sell his people, their persons and soules, may leave off to be a King and Head. 4. The head and members live together, and dye together: the King & the people are not so; the King may dye, and the People live. 5. The naturall head cannot destroy the members, and preserve it selfe: but King Nero may waste and destroy his people. D. Ferne, M. Simmons, the P. Prelate, when they draw arguments from the head, do but dream, as the members should not resist the head. Naturall members should not, or cannot resist the head, though the hand may pull a tooth out of the head, which is no small violence to the head. But the members of a Politique body may resist the Politique head. 2. This or that