A92147:554
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.
2. A Prerogative Royal must be a power of doing good to the people, and grounded upon some reason or law: but this is but a branch of an ordinary limited power, and no prerogative above or beside law. Yea, any power not grounded on a reason different from mere will or absolute pleasure, is an irrational and brutish power; and therefore it may well be jus personae, the power of the1 man who is King; it cannot be jus coronae, any power annexed to the Crown: for this holdeth true of all the actions of a King, as a King. Illud potest Rex, & illud tantum quod jure potest. The King, as King, can do no more, then that which upon right and law he may do.
2. A Prerogative Royall must be a power of doing good to the people, and grounded upon some reason or law: but this is but a branch of an ordinarie limited power, and no prerogative above or beside law. Yea, any power not grounded on a reason different from meere will or absolute pleasure, is an irrationall and brutish power; and therefore it may well be jus personae, the power of the1 man who is King; it cannot be jus coronae, any power annexed to the Crown: for this holdeth true of all the actions of a King, as a King. Illud potest Rex, & illud tantum quod jure potest. The King, as King, can doe no more, then that which upon right and law he may doe.
- 1Jus personae, jus corovae.Jus personae, jus corouae.
3. To dispute this question, Whether such a Prerogative agree1 to any King, as King; is to dispute whether God hath made all under a Monarch, slaves, by their own consent: which is a vain question. 2. Those who hold such a Prerogative, must say, the King is so absolute and illimited a God on earth, that either by law, or his sole pleasure beside law, he may regularly and rationally move all wheels in Policy; and his uncontrolled will shall be the axletree on which all the wheels are turned.