A92147:456
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.
What if he turn Tyrant, and destroy his Subjects with the sword? The Royalists say, they may sly: but when they made him King, they resigned all their power to him, even their power of flying; for they bound themselves by an oath (say Royalists) to all passive and lawful active obedience: and, I suppose, to stand at his Tribunal, if h• summoned the three Estates, upon Treason, to come before him, is contained in the oath, that Royalists say, bindeth all, and is contradictory to flying.
What if he turne Tyrant, and destroy his Subjects with the sword? The Royalists say, they may slie: but when they made him King, they resigned all their power to him, even their power of flying; for they bound themselves by an oath (say Royalists) to all passive and lawfull active obedience: and, I suppose, to stand at his Tribunal, if h• summoned the three Estates, upon Treason, to come before him, is conteined in the oath, that Royalists say, bindeth all, and is contradictorie to flying.
Arnisaeus▪ a more learned Jurist and Divine then the P. Prelate, answereth the other Maxim, The end is worthier then the mean leading1 to the end, because it is ordained for the end. These means, saith he, which refer their whole nature to the end, and have all their excellency from the end, and have excellency from no other thing but from the end, are less excellent then the end; that is true, such an end as medicine is for health. And Hugo Grotius, l. 1. c. 3. n. 8. Those means which are only for the end, & for the good of the end, and are not for their own good, also are of less excellency, and inferior to the end. But so the assumption is false. But those means which beside their relation to the end, have an excellency of nature in themselves, are not always inferior to the end. The Disciple, as he is instituted, is inferior to the Master; but as he is the son of a Prince, he is above the Master. But by this reason, the shepherd should be inferior to brute beasts, to sheep. And the master of the family is for the family, and referreth all that he hath for the entertaining of the family: but it followeth not therefore the family is above him. The form is for the action, therefore the action is