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PATRIARCHA, or the Natural Power of Kings
PATRIARCHA, or the Natural Power of Kings
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Scanned, proofed and corrected from a facsimile of the original edition for your reading pleasure. (Worth every penny!)
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The text, taken from the R. Chiswell,London editon of 1680 has been modestly updated with modern equivalent words and phrases to improve the overall reading experience of this late Middle English classic.
***
An excerpt from the beginning of the first chapter:
That the first Kings were Fathers of Families.
THE Tenent of the Natural Liberty of Mankind, New, Plausible, and Dangerous. The Question stated out of Bellarmine: Some Contradictions of his noted. Bellarmine’s Argument answered out of Bellarmine himself. The Royal Authority of the Patriarchs before the Flood. The dispersion of Nations over the World after the Confusion of Babel, was by entire Families, over which the Fathers were Kings and from them all Kings descended. All Kings are either Fathers of their People, Or Heirs of such Fathers, or Usurpers of the Right of such Fathers Of the Escheating* of Kingdoms Of Regal and Paternal Power, and their agreement.
* Reversion of land held under feudal tenure to the manor in the absence of legal heirs or claimants.
Since the time that School-Divinity began to flourish, there hath been a common Opinion maintained, as well by Divines, as by divers other learned Men, which affirms, Mankind is naturally endowed and born with Freedom from all Subjection, and at liberty to chose what Form of Government it please: And that the Power which any one Man hath over others, was at first bestowed according to the discretion of the Multitude.
This Tenent was first hatched in the Schools, and hath been fostered by all succeeding Papists for good Divinity. The Divines also of the Reformed Churches have entertained it, and the Common People everywhere tenderly embrace it, as being most plausible to Flesh and blood, for that it prodigally distributes a Portion of Liberty to the meanest of the Multitude, who magnifie Liberty, as if the height of Humane Felicity were only to be found in it, never remembering That the desire of Liberty was the first Cause of the Fall of Adam.
But howsoever this Vulgar Opinion hath of late obtained a great Reputation, yet it is not to be found in the Ancient Fathers and Doctors of the Primitive Church: It contradicts the Doctrine and History of the Holy Scriptures, the constant Practice of all Ancient Monarchies, and the very Principles of the Law of Nature. It is hard to say whether it be more erroneous in Divinity, or dangerous in Policy.
Yet upon the ground of this Doctrine both Jesuites, and some other zealous favourers of the Geneva Discipline, have built a perillous Conclusion, which is, That the People or Multitude have Power to punish, or deprive the Prince, if he transgress the Laws of the Kingdom; witness Parsons and Buchanan: the first under the name of Dolman, in the Third Chapter of his First Book labours to prove, that Kings have been lawfully chastised by their Commonwealths: The latter in his Book De jure Regni apud Scotos, maintains A Liberty of the People to depose their Prince. Cardinal Bellarmine and Calvin, both look asquint this way.
***
The text, taken from the R. Chiswell,London editon of 1680 has been modestly updated with modern equivalent words and phrases to improve the overall reading experience of this late Middle English classic.
***
An excerpt from the beginning of the first chapter:
That the first Kings were Fathers of Families.
THE Tenent of the Natural Liberty of Mankind, New, Plausible, and Dangerous. The Question stated out of Bellarmine: Some Contradictions of his noted. Bellarmine’s Argument answered out of Bellarmine himself. The Royal Authority of the Patriarchs before the Flood. The dispersion of Nations over the World after the Confusion of Babel, was by entire Families, over which the Fathers were Kings and from them all Kings descended. All Kings are either Fathers of their People, Or Heirs of such Fathers, or Usurpers of the Right of such Fathers Of the Escheating* of Kingdoms Of Regal and Paternal Power, and their agreement.
* Reversion of land held under feudal tenure to the manor in the absence of legal heirs or claimants.
Since the time that School-Divinity began to flourish, there hath been a common Opinion maintained, as well by Divines, as by divers other learned Men, which affirms, Mankind is naturally endowed and born with Freedom from all Subjection, and at liberty to chose what Form of Government it please: And that the Power which any one Man hath over others, was at first bestowed according to the discretion of the Multitude.
This Tenent was first hatched in the Schools, and hath been fostered by all succeeding Papists for good Divinity. The Divines also of the Reformed Churches have entertained it, and the Common People everywhere tenderly embrace it, as being most plausible to Flesh and blood, for that it prodigally distributes a Portion of Liberty to the meanest of the Multitude, who magnifie Liberty, as if the height of Humane Felicity were only to be found in it, never remembering That the desire of Liberty was the first Cause of the Fall of Adam.
But howsoever this Vulgar Opinion hath of late obtained a great Reputation, yet it is not to be found in the Ancient Fathers and Doctors of the Primitive Church: It contradicts the Doctrine and History of the Holy Scriptures, the constant Practice of all Ancient Monarchies, and the very Principles of the Law of Nature. It is hard to say whether it be more erroneous in Divinity, or dangerous in Policy.
Yet upon the ground of this Doctrine both Jesuites, and some other zealous favourers of the Geneva Discipline, have built a perillous Conclusion, which is, That the People or Multitude have Power to punish, or deprive the Prince, if he transgress the Laws of the Kingdom; witness Parsons and Buchanan: the first under the name of Dolman, in the Third Chapter of his First Book labours to prove, that Kings have been lawfully chastised by their Commonwealths: The latter in his Book De jure Regni apud Scotos, maintains A Liberty of the People to depose their Prince. Cardinal Bellarmine and Calvin, both look asquint this way.
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