The second part of The nonconformists plea for peace being an account of their…

§. 13. Lib. 3. c. 3. p. 130. Rul. 1. That in every Commonwealth there is a supreme power, is without all question—It matters not whether this supreme power be subjected in one or many, that's as to the Goodness or badness—not the absoluteness of it.—He that hath the supreme power is only under God—suppose a King that hath Power of the Militi, and his ⟨p. 88⟩Senate of making Laws, and his people by their Committees of raising money, This power of making war, and Laws and Levies is the supreme Power, and is that which can do all things: And though one be accountable for monies, and the other subject to Laws, and two of them under the power of the Sword, yet this is but the Majesty or supremacy parted, and whether well or ill I dispute not, but when it is parted and when it is united, it is all.—

§. 13. Lib. 3. c. 3. p. 130. Rul. 1. That in every Commonwealth there is a supream power, is without all question—It matters not whether this supream power be subjected in one or many, that's as to the Goodness or badness—not the absoluteness of it.—He that hath the supream power is only under God—suppose a King that hath Power of the Militi, and his ⟨p. 88⟩Senate of making Laws, and his people by their Committees of raising money, This power of making war, and Laws and Levies is the supream Power, and is that which can do all things: And though one be accountable for monies, and the other subject to Laws, and two of them under the power of the Sword, yet this is but the Majesty or supremacy parted, and whether well or ill I dispute not, but when it is parted and when it is united, it is all.—

P. 133. But then it must be considered that the absolute power of the Prince, is but an absolute power of Government, not of Possession. It is a power of doing right; but not a power of doing wrong; And at the worst, it is but the power of doing private violences for the security of the public. He is Princeps Regni, but not Dominus; a Prince, not a Lord; and the distinction is very material. For to be Lord signifieth more than the supreme power of Government; It means an Absolute power to dispose of all lives and all possessions; which is beyond the power of the King or Prince: He that is a King, rules over a free people, but a Lord rules over Slaves, Tacitus, according to the popular humour of the Romans, supposed the power of a King to be too great a Violation of Liberty: but Domination was intolerable —The supreme power of Government is at no hand a supreme power or an arbitrary disposer of life and fortunes; but according to Law, or according to extreme necessity which is the greatest Law of all. In the sense of Honour and moderate power the King is a Lord: but not in this sense of law: By a Lord is meant He that hath power to dispose of the goods of the Vassals, but that a King or Prince hath not. This is not the supreme power of Government: A King is not the Lord of his Kingdom; of the Territories of his Subjects.—