A92147:681
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. The King cannot be happy, nor the people safe; nor can the King do good in saving the needy, except he have the uncontrollable and unlimited power of a Tyrant, to crush the poor and needy, and lay wast the mountain of the Lords inheritance: such Court-ravens, who feed upon the souls of living Kings, are more cruel then Ravens and Vultures, who are but dead carcasses.
2. The King cannot be happy, nor the people safe; nor can the King doe good in saving the needy, except he have the uncontrollable and unlimited power of a Tyrant, to crush the poore and needy, and lay wast the mountaine of the Lords inheritance: such Court-ravens, who feede upon the soules of living Kings, are more cruell then Ravens and Vultures, who are but dead carcasses.
Williams B. of Ossarie answereth to the Maxim, Salus populi, &c. 1No wise King but will carefully provide for the peoples safety, because his safety and honour is included in theirs, his destruction in theirs. And it is, saith Lipsius, egri animi proprium nihil diu pati. Absalom persuaded there was no justice in the Land, when he intendeth Rebellion. ⟨p. 223⟩And the poor Prelate following him, spendeth pages to prove2 that Goods, Life, Chastity and Fame dependeth on the safety of the King, as the breath of our nostrils, our Nurse-father, our Head, corner-stone, and Judge, c. 17. 6. 18. 1. The reason why all disorder was in Church and State, was not because there was no Judge, no Government; none can be so stupid as to imagine that. But because 1. They wanted the excellentest of Governments. 2. Because Aristocracy was weakened so, as there was no right. No doubt Priests there were, but Hos. 4. either they would not serve, or were over-awed, no doubt in those days they had Judges, but Priests and Judges were stoned by a rascally multitude, and they were not able to rule; therefore it is most consonant to Scripture to say, Salus regis suprema populi salus. The safety of the King and his Prerogative Royal is the safest sanctuary for the people. So