A92147:866
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.
Ans. To obey the Kings personal will, when it is sinful, (as we now suppose) against his legal will, is a sin, and a disobedience to God, and the King also, seeing the Law is the Kings will, as King: but to obey his Legal will against his sinful personal will (as it must be sinful, if contrary to a just Law) is obedience to the King as King, and so obedience to God. 2. You take the Kings person to be himself; but you take quid pro quo, for his person here, you must take not Physically for his suppost of soul and body; but morally, it is the King, as a sinning man doing his worst will, against the Law which is his just and best will, and the rule of the Subjects: and the Kings personal will is so far just, and to regulate the Subjects, in so far, as it agreeth with his legal Will, or his Law, and this will can sin, and therefore may be crossed without breach of the fifth Commandment: but his Legal Will cannot be crossed without disobedience both to God and the King.
Ans. To obey the Kings personall will, when it is sinfull, (as we now suppose) against his legall will, is a sinne, and a disobedience to God, and the King also, seeing the Law is the Kings will, as King: but to obey his Legall will against his sinfull personall will (as it must be sinfull, if contrary to a just Law) is obedience to the King as King, and so obedience to God. 2. You take the Kings person to be himself; but you take quid pro quo, for his person here, you must take not Physically for his suppost of soul and body; but morally, it is the King, as a sinning man doing his worst will, against the Law which is his just and best will, and the rule of the Subjects: and the Kings personall will is so far just, and to regulate the Subjects, in so far, as it agreeth with his legall Will, or his Law, and this will can sinne, and therefore may be crossed without breach of the fifth Commandement: but his Legall Will cannot be crossed without disobedience both to God and the King.
Symmons, p. 28. The Kings Personal will doth not always presuppone passion: and if it be attended with passion, yet we must bear it for conscience sake. Ans. We are to obey the Kings Personal will, when the thing commanded, is not sin; but his Subjects as Subjects, have little to do with his personal will in that notion. It concerneth his domestic servant, and is the Kings will as he is the master of servants, not as he is King in relation to Subjects; but we speak of the Kings personal will, as repugnant to Law, and contrary to the Kings will as King, and so contrary to the fifth