A92147:442
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.
5. But simply and absolutely the people is above, and more excellent1 then the King, and the King in Dignity inferior to the people; and that upon these Reasons. 1. Because he is the mean ordained for the people, as for the end, that he may save them, 2. Sam. 19. 9. a public shepherd to feed them, Ps. 78. 70, 71, 72, 73. the Captain and Leader of the Lords inheritance, 1 Sam. 10. 1. to defend them, the Minister of God for their good, Rom. 13. 4. 2. The Pilot2 is less then the whole Passengers, the General less then the whole Army, the Tutor less then all the children, the Physician less then all the living men whose health he careth for; the Master or Teacher less then all the Scholars, because the part is less then the whole: the King is but a part and a member (though I grant a very eminent and Noble Member) of the Kingdom. 3. A Christian3 people especially is the portion of the Lords inheritance, Deut. 32. 9. the sheep of his pasture, his redeemed ones, for whom God gave his blood, Act. 20. 28. And the killing of a man is to violate the Image of God, Gen. 9. 6. and therefore the death and destruction of a Church, and of thousand thousands of men is a sadder and a more heavy matter then the death of a King, who is but one man. 4. A King as a King, or because a King is not the inheritance of God,4 nor the chosen and called of God, nor the sheep or flock of the Lords pasture, nor the redeemed of Christ, for those excellencies agree not to Kings, because they are Kings; for then all Kings should be endued with those excellencies, and God should an be accepter of persons, if he put those excellencies of Grace upon men for external respects of highness and Kingly power, and worldly glory and splendour; for many living Images and representations of God, as he is holy, or more excellent then a politic representation