A92147:429
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.
Answ. Though this be not the place due to the doctrine of Resistance,1 yet to vindicate the place; I say, there is not one word of any lawful remedy in the Text, only it is said, [Greek or Hebrew], Et clamatis in illa die a faciebus regis vestri: It is not necessarily to be exponed of praying to God, Job 35. 9. by reason of the multitude of the oppression, They make the oppressed to cry, [Greek or Hebrew] clamare faciunt, Isai. 15. 4. And Heshbon shall cry. [Greek or Hebrew] The armed soldiers of Moab shall cry out. There is no other word here, then doth express the idolatrous prayers of Moab, Isai. 17. 12. and Habak. 2. 11. The stone shall cry out of the wall [Greek or Hebrew], Deut. 22. 24. You shall stone the maid [Greek or Hebrew], because she cried not [Greek or Hebrew]; but she is not to be stoned, because she prayed not to God, Ps. 18. 4. Davids enemies cried, and there was none to save, even to the Lord, and he heard not. 2. Though it were the Prophets meaning, they cried to the Lord, yet it is not the crying of a people humbled, and in faith speaking to God in their troubles, Zach. 7. 13. They cried, and I will not hear, therefore Royalists must make crying to God out of the bitterness of affliction, without humiliation and faith, and such prayers of sinners as God heareth not, Psal. 18. 41. Joh. 9. 31. Isaiah 17. 12. to be the only remedy of a people oppressed by a Tyrannous King; now it is certain, God prescribeth no unlawful means to an oppressed people, under their affliction, therefore it is clear here, that God speaketh only of evils of punishment, such as is to cry in trouble, and not be heard of God, and that he prescribeth here no duty at all, nor any remedy. 3. All Protestant Divines say; Ex particulari non valet argumentum negativé, from one particular place, a negative argument is not good. This remedy is not written in this particular place, therefore it is not written at all in other places of Scripture; so