A92147:853
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.
Prelate betwixt the person in linea physica, we must take (physica) largely here and in linea morally, obedience, fear, tribute, honour is due to the person of the King, and to the man who is King, not because of his person, or because he is a man (the P. Prelate may know in what notion, we take the name (Person) but because God by the peoples election, hath exalted him to Royal dignity, and for this cause ill doers are to subject their throats and necks to the sword of the Lords Anointed's executioner or hangman with patience, and willingly, because in taking away the head of ill doers, for ill doing, ⟨p. 272⟩he is acting the Office of the Lord, by whom he Reigneth; but if he take away their heads, and send out the long-tusked Vultures and Boars of Babylon, the Irish Rebels to execute his wrath, as he is in that act a mis-informed man, and wanteth the authority of Gods Law, or mans Law, he may be resisted with Arms. For 1. If Royalists say against this, then if a King turn an habitual Tyrant, and conduce an hundred thousand Turks to destroy his subjects upon mere desire of revenge, they are not to resist, but to1 be subject, and suffer for conscience. I am sure Grotius saith, If a King sell his subjects, he loseth all title to the Crown, and so may be resisted, and Winzetus saith, A Tyrant may be resisted, and Barclay, It is lawful for the people in case of Tyranny to defend themselves Adversus immanem saevetiam, against extreme cruelty: and I desire the Prelate to answer how people are subject in suffering such cruelty of the higher power, because he is Gods ordinance, and a power from God, except he say, as he selleth his people, and barbarously destroyeth by Cut-throat Irishes, his whole subjects refusing to worship Idols, he is a man and a sinful man, eatenus, and an inferior power inspired by wicked counsel, not a King, eatenus, not a higher power, and that in resisting him thus, the subjects resist not the ordinance of God.
Prelate betwixt the person in linea physica, we must take (physica) largly heer and in linea morali, obedience, fear, tribute, honour is due to the person of the King, and to the man who is King, not because of his person, or because he is a man (the P. Prelate may know in what notion, we take the name (Person) but because God by the peoples election, hath exalted him to Royall dignity, and for this cause ill doers are to subject their throats and necks to the sword of the Lords Annoynteds executioner or hangman with patience, and willingly, because in taking away the head of ill doers, for ill doing,