A97353:320
The second part of The nonconformists plea for peace being an account of their…
The second part of The nonconformists plea for peace being an account of their principles about civil and ecclesiastical authority and obedience ... : mostly written many years past, and now published to save our lives and the kingdoms peace, from the false and bloody plotters ... / by Richard Baxter.
London: printed for John Hancock, 1680
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.
11. The people are not the fountain of power, nor the donors of it; nor, as such, have they any right to Governing, either to use themselves or to give to others; Though they or part of them may have some in Democracies by the species of the Government, or in mixed Governments; but otherwise they have none by Nature. The Government of Republics is not by an arbitrary Collation of each mans personal power to some one: But God hath prevented them, and made it necessary by the Law of Nature and Scripture, that there be Governors as his Officers under him, to whom the people shall submit, in all cases where such can be had; and hath given them universal Laws according to which they must Rule.
11. The people are not the fountain of power, nor the donors of it; nor, as such, have they any right to Governing, either to use themselves or to give to others; Though they or part of them may have some in Democracies by the species of the Government, or in mixt Governments; but otherwise they have none by Nature. The Government of Republicks is not by an arbitrary Collation of each mans personal power to some one: But God hath prevented them, and made it necessary by the Law of Nature and Scripture, that there be Governours as his Officers under him, to whom the people shall submit, in all cases where such can be had; and hath given them universal Laws according to which they must Rule.
12. But because Nature hath given no one person or family a Right more than others, to Rule Kingdoms antecedently to the peoples consent, therefore the people had at the forming of such societies the choice of those persons or families that should govern, and without their consent none were capable recipients of that power: so ⟨p. 54⟩that as the Kings Charter immediately giveth the power of a Mayor, or Bailiff to the person whom the Citizens shall choose, which choice giveth him no power but only maketh him capable to receive it from the Kings Charter; even so Gods Law and Charter obligeth the people to choose or consent to that family or person that shall Rule them, and giveth Authority (with obligation to use it) to those whom the said consent hath made the capable due recipients.