A92147:533
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.
Judgement and Righteousness did alway accompany God and the King in all they do. But some to this purpose say better; The Law, rather then the King, hath power of life and death.
Iudgement and Righteousnesse did alway accompanie God and the King in all they doe. But some to this purpose say better; The Law, rather then the King, hath power of life and death.
Arg. 2. The power that the King hath (I speak not of his gifts)1 he hath it from the people, who maketh him King, as I proved before: but the people have neither formally nor virtually any power absolute to give the King, all the power they have, is a legal and natural power to guide themselves in peace and godliness, and save themselves from unjust violence, by the benefit of Rulers. Now an absolute power above a Law is a power to do ill, and to destroy the people, and this the people have not themselves, it being repugnant to nature, that any should have a natural power in themselves to ⟨p. 185⟩destroy themselves, or to inflict upon themselves an evil of punishment to destruction. Though therefore it were given, which yet is not granted, that the people had resigned all power that they have into their King, yet if he use a Tyrannical power against the people for their hurt and destruction, he useth a power that the people never gave him; and against the intention of nature: for they invested a man with power to be their father, and defender for their good, And he faileth against the peoples intention in usurping a• over power to himself, which they never gave, never had, never could give, for they cannot give what they never had, and power to destroy themselves they never had.
Arg. 2. The power that the King hath (I speak not of his gifts)1 he hath it from the people, who maketh him King, as I proved before: but the people have neither formally nor virtually any power absolute to give the King, all the power they have, is a legall and naturall power to guide themselves in peace and godlinesse, and save themselves from unjust violence, by the benefit of Rulers. Now an absolute power above a Lawis a power to doe ill, and to destroy the people, and this the people have not themselves, it being repugnant to nature, that any should have a naturall power in themselves to