A92147:569
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.
and certainly, if you give to a King a Prerogative above a Law, it is a power to do evil, as well as good; but there is no lawful power to do evil, and Doct. Ferne is plunged in a contradiction by this, for he saith, Sect. 19. pag. 58. I ask when these Emperors took away lives and goods at pleasure, Was that power ordained by God? No. But an illegal will and Tyranny: But, Pag. 61. The power though abused to execute such a (wicked) commandment, is an Ordinance of God.
and certainly, if you give to a King a Prerogative above a Law, it is a power to do evill, as well as good; but there is no lawfull power to do evill, and Doct. Ferne is plunged in a contradiction by this, for he saith, Sect. 19. pag. 58. I ask when these Emperours took away lives and goods at pleasure, Was that power ordained by God? No. But an illegall will and Tyranny: But, Pag. 61. The power though abused to execute such a (wicked) commandment, is an Ordinance of God.
- 1A contradiction in Ferne.
It is objected 1. For the lawfulness of an absolute Monarchy.1 The Eastern, Persian, and Turks Monarchy, maketh absolute Monarchy lawful, for it is an Oath to a lawful obligatory thing, and judgment, Ezech. 17. 16, 18. is denounced against Judah, for breaking the Oath of the King of Babylon, and it is called the Oath of God, and doubtless was an Oath of absolute subjection, and the power, Rom. 13. was absolute, and yet the Apostle calleth it an Ordinance of God. The sovereignty of Masters over servants was absolute, and the Apostle exhorteth not to renounce that title as to ridged, but exhorteth to moderation in the use of it,