A92147:449
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.
9. Those who are before the King▪ and may be a People without ⟨p. 144⟩a King, must be of more worth then that which is posterior,1 and cannot be a King without them. For thus Gods self sufficiency is proved, in that he might be, and eternally was blessed for ever, without his Creature, but his creature cannot subsist in being without him. Now the people were a people many years, before there was any government (save domestic) and is a people where there is no King, but only an Aristocracy, or a Democracy; but the King can be no King without a people. It is vain that some say, the King and Kingdom are relatives, and not one is before another; for its true in the naked relation, so are father and son, Master and servant, Relata simul natura; but sure there is a priority of worth and independency for all that, in the father above the son, and in the master above the servant, and so in the people above the King, take away the people, and Dionysius is but a poor School-master.
9. Those who are before the King▪ and may be a People without ⟨p. 144⟩a King, must be of more worth then that which is posteriour,1 and cannot be a King without them. For thus Gods selfe sufficiency is proved, in that he might be, and eternally was blessed for ever, without his Creature, but his creature cannot subsist in being without him. Now the people were a people many yeares, before there was any government (save domestick) and is a people where there is no King, but only an Aristocracy, or a Democracy; but the King can be no King without a people. It is vaine that some say, the King and Kingdome are relatives, and not one is before another; for its true in the naked relation, so are father and sonne, Master and servant, Relata simul natura; but sure there is a priority of worth and independency for all that, in the father above the sonne, and in the master above the servant, and so in the people above the King, take away the people, and Dyonisius is but a poore Schoole-master.