A92147:901
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. Particular nature yields to the good of universal nature, for1 which cause heavy bodies ascend, aerie and light bodies descend; If then a wild Bull or a goring Ox, may not be let loose, in a great market-confluence of people; and if any man turn so distracted, as he smite himself with stones and kill all that pass by him, or come at him; in that case the man is to be bound, and his hands fettered, and all whom he invadeth may resist him, were they his own sons, and may save their own lives with weapons; much more a King turning a Nero: King Saul vexed with an evil spirit from the Lord, may be resisted; and far more i• a King endued with use of reason, shall put violent hands on all his subjects, kill his son and heir; yea, any violently invaded, by natures law, may defend themselves, and the violent restraining of such an one is but the hurting of one man, who cannot be virtually the Common-wealth; but his destroying▪ of the community of men sent out in wars, as his bloody emissaries, to the dissolution of the Common-wealth.
2. Particular nature yeelds to the good of universall nature, for1 which cause heavie bodies ascend, aerie and light bodies descend; If then a wilde Bull or a goaring Oxe, may not be let loose, in a great market-confluence of people; and if any man turne so distracted, as he smite himselfe with stones and kill all that passe by him, or come at him; in that case the man is to be bound, and his hands fettered, and all whom he invadeth may resist him, were they his owne sons, and may save their owne lives with weapons; much more a King turning a Nero: King Saul vexed with an evill spirit from the Lord, may be resisted; and farre more i• a King indued with use of reason, shall put violent hands on all his subjects, kill his son and heire; yea, any violently invaded, by natures law, may defend themselves, and the violent restraining of such an one is but the hurtingof one man, who cannot be virtually the Common-wealth; but his destroying▪ of the community of men sent out in warres, as his bloody emissaries, to the dissolution of the Common-wealth.