A92147:459
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.
The Prelate and his followers would have the Maxim to lose credit; for then (say they) the shepherd should be inferior to the sheep: But in this the Maxim faileth indeed. 1. Because the shepherd is a reasonable man, and the sheep brute beasts, and so must be excellenter then all the flocks of the world. Now as he is a reasonable man, he is not a shepherd, nor in that relation referred to the sheep and their preservation, as a mean to the end; but he is a shepherd by accident, for the unruliness of the creatures, for mans sin, withdrawing themselves from that natural dominion that man had over the creatures, before the fall of man: in that relation of a mean to the end, and so by accident, is this official relation put on him; and according to that official relation, and by accident, man is put to be a servant to the brutish creature, and a mean to so base an end. But all this proveth him, through mans sin, and by accident, to be under the official relation of a mean, to baser creatures then himself, as to the end, but not as a reasonable man. But the King, as King, is an official and Royal mean to this end, that the people ⟨p. 151⟩may lead a godly and peaceable life under him. And this official relation being an accident, is of less worth then the whole people, as they are to be governed. And I grant, the Kings son, in relation to blood and birth, is more excellent then his Teachers: but as he is taught, he is inferior to his Teacher: but in both considerations the King is inferior to the people; for though he command the people, and so have an executive power of law above them, yet have they a fountain power above him, because they made him King, and in Gods intention he is given as King for their good, according to that, Thou shalt feed my people Israel: & that, I gave him for a leader of my people.
The Prelate and his followers would have the Maxime to lose credit; for then (say they) the shepherd should be inferior to the sheep: But in this the Maxime faileth indeed. 1. Because the shepherd is a reasonable man, and the sheep bruit beasts, and so must be excellenter then all the flocks of the world. Now as he is a reasonable man, he is not a shepherd, nor in that relation referred to the sheep and their preservation, as a mean to the end; but he is a shepherd by accident, for the unrulinesse of the creatures, for mans sinne, withdrawing themselves from that naturall dominion that man had over the creatures, before the fall of man: in that relation of a meane to the end, and so by accident, is this officiall relation put on him; and according to that officiall relation, and by accident, man is put to be a servant to the bruitish creature, and a meane to so base an end. But all this proveth him, through mans sinne, and by accident, to be under the officiall relation of a meane, to baser creatures then himselfe, as to the end, but not as a reasonable man. But the King, as King, is an officiall and Royall meane to this end, that the people