A92147:555
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.
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.
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 vaine 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 wheeles in Policie; and his uncontrolled will shall be the axeltree on which all the wheeles are turned.
- 1The question touching Prerogative Royal, vain.The question touching Prerogative Royall, vaine.
4. That which is the garland and proper flower of the King of 1Kings, as he is absolute above his creatures, and not tied to any law, without himself, that regulateth his will; That must be given to no mortal man, or King, except we would communicate that which is Gods proper due, to a sinful man; which must be idolatry. But to do Royal acts out of an absolute power above Law and Reason, is such a power as agreeth to God, as is evident in positive laws, and in acts of Gods mere pleasure, where we see no reason without the Almighty, for the one side, rather than for the other; as Gods forbidding the eating of the tree of knowledge, maketh the eating, sin, and contrary to reason; but there is no reason in the object: