Treatise of Civil Policy, Treatise · Question 38
QUEST. XXXVIII. Whether Monarchy be the beſt of governments?
NOthing more unwillingly doe I write then one word of this queſtion. It is a darke way; circumſtances in falne nature may make things beſt to be, hic & nunc, evill: Though to me it is probable, that Monarchy in it ſelfe, 2. Monarchy, de jure, that is, lawfull and limited Monarchy is beſt; even now in a Kingdome, under the fall of ſin, if other circumſtances be conſidered.
But obſerve I pray you, 1. That M. Symmons, and this poore Prelate, Loyall ſubjects beliefe. ſect. 4. pag. 7. Sacr. sanct. Reg. maj. c. 2. pag. 26. 27.do ſo extoll Monarchy, that there is not a government ſave Monarchy onelyonly, all other governments are deviations; and therefore M. Symmons ſaith, pag. 8. If I ſhould affect another government then Monarchy, I ſhould neither feare God, nor the King, but aſſociate my ſelfe with the ſeditious: and ſo the queſtion of Monarchy is, 1. Which is the choiſeſt government in it ſelfe; or, which is the choiſeſt government in policie, and in the condition of man falne in the ſtate of ſinne. 2. Which is the beſt government, that is, the moſt profitable, or theThe queſtion concerning the excellency of Monarchy above other formes, various according to divers conſiderations. moſt pleaſant, or the moſt honeſt? For wee know that there bee theſe three kinds of good things; things uſefull and profitable, bona, utilia; things pleaſant, jucunda; things honeſt, honeſta; and the queſtion may be of every one of the three. 3. The queſtion may be, which of theſe governments be moſt agreeable to nature? that is, either to nature in it ſelfe, as it agreeth. communiter, to all natures of elements, birds, beaſts, A…gels, Men, to lead them, as a governour doth, to their laſt end, or which government is moſt agreeable to men, to ſinfull men, to ſinfull men of this, or this Nation; for ſome Nations are more ambitious, ſome more factious; ſome are better ruled by one, ſome better ruled by many, ſome by moſt and by the people. 4. The queſtion may be in regard of the facility or difficulty of loving, fearing, obeying and ſerving; and ſo it may be thought eaſier to love, feare and obey one Monarch then many Rulers, in reſpect that our Lord ſaith, it is difficult to ſerve two Maſters, and poſſibly more difficult to ſerve twenty or an hundred. 5. The queſtion may be in regard of the power of commanding, or of the juſtice and equity of commanding; hence from this laſt I ſhall ſet downe the firſt Theſis.
Aſſert. 1. An abſolute and unlimited Monarchy is not onelyonly notAn abſolute Monarchy the baddeſt of governments the beſt forme of Government, but it is the worſt, and this is againſt our Petty Prelat, and all Royaliſts. My reaſons be theſe, 1. Becauſe it is an unlawfull Ordinance, and God never ordained it; and I cannot aſcribe the ſuperlative degree to any thing, of which I deny the poſitive: Abſolute government in a ſinfull and peccable man is a wicked government, and not a power from God, for God never gave a power to ſin. Plenitudo poteſtatis ad malum & injuriam non extenditur. Sozenus Iunior conſ. 65. in cauſa occurrenti, l. 2. Ferdinand. Loazes in ſuo conſ. pro March. de Velez. pag. 54. n. 65. And ſo that learned Senator Ferdin. Vaſquez. pag. 1. lib. 1. cap. 5. n. 17. 2. It was better for the State that Epiminondas could notEpiminondas his watchfulneſſe. ſleepe, then that he could ſleepe, when the people was dancing, becauſe, ſaid he, I wake that you may have leave to ſleepe and be ſecure; for he was upon deepe cogitations, how to doe good to the Common-wealth, when the people were upon their pleaſures. Becauſe all Kings ſince the fall of the Father-King Adam, are inclined to ſin and injuſtice, and ſo had need to be guided by a Law, even becauſe they are Kings, ſo they remaine men. Omnipotency in one that can ſin, is a curſed power. With reaſon all our Divines ſay, the ſtate of ſaving grace in the ſecond Adam, where there is non poſſe deficere, they cannot fall away from God, is better then theA power to ſin worſe then a power of nonſinning. ſtate of the firſt Adam, where there was poſſe non deficere, a power not to fall away; and that our free-will is better in our countrey in Heaven, where we cannot ſin, then in the way to our countrey on earth, where we have a power to ſin, and ſo Gods people is in a better caſe, Hoſ. 2. 6, 7. Where her power to overtake her lovers is cloſed up with an hedge of thornes that ſhe cannot finde her paths; then the condition of Ephraim, of whom God ſaith, Hoſ. 4. 17. Ephraim is joyned to Idols, let him alone. So cannot that be a good government when the ſupreme power is in a ſinfull man, as inclinable to injuſtice by nature as any man, and more inclinable to injuſtice by the condition of his place then any: and yet by office he is one that can doe no injuſtice againſt his ſubjects; he is a King, and ſo may deſtroy Vriah, kill his ſubjects, but cannot ſinne; and this is to flattering Royaliſts the beſt government in the world. As if an unchained Lion were the beſt governour, becauſe unchained, to all the beaſts, ſheepe and lambs and all others, which with his teeth and pawes he may reach, and that by vertue of an ordinance of God. 3. What is on man under no reſtraint, but made a God on earth, and ſo drunk with the graunder of a ſinning-God, here under the Moone and Clouds? who may heare good counſell, from men of his owne chooſing, yet is under no reſtraint of Law to follow it, being the ſupreme power abſolute, high, mighty, and an impeccable god on earth: Certainly this man may more eaſily erre, and break out in violent acts of injuſtice, then a number of Rulers, grave, wiſe, under a Law. One being a ſinfull man, ſhall ſooner ſin and turne a Nero (when he may goe to hell, and leade thouſands to hell with him gratis) then a multitude of ſinfull men, who have leſſe power to doe againſt Law: and a tyrannous killing of innocents, and a ſubverſion of Lawes, Liberties and Religion, by one who may by office, and without reſiſtance of mortall men, doe all ill, is more dangerous and hurtfull, then diviſion and fraction incident to Ariſtocracy. 4. Caeſar is great, but Law and reaſon is greater: by an abſolute Monarchy all things are ruled by will and pleaſure above Law; then this government cannot be ſo good, as Law and Reaſon in a government by the beſt, or by many. 5. Under abſolute Monarchy a free people is, actu primo, and in themſelves inſlaved, becauſe though the Monarch ſo abſolute ſhould kill all, hee cannot be controlled; there is no more but flight, prayers and teares remaining, and what greater power hath a Tyrant? none at all, ſo may we ſay. An abſolute Monarch is, actu primo, a ſleeping Lion, and a Tyrant is a waking and a devouring Lion, and they differ in accidents onelyonly. 6. This is the Papiſts way, Bellarmine de Pontif. l. 1. c. 1. and Sanderus de viſibili Monarchia, l. 3. c. 3. Turrere in ſum. de Eccleſ. l. 2. c. 2. prove that the government of the Church is by an abſolute Monarch and Pope, becauſe that is the beſt government, which yet is in queſtion. So Royaliſts prove Common-wealths muſt be beſt governed by abſolute Monarchs, becauſe that is the beſt government, but the Law ſaith, it is contrary to nature, even though people ſhould paction to make a King abſolute: Conventio procuratoria ad dilapidandum & diſſipandum juri naturali contraria nulla eſt, l. filius 15. de cond. luſt. l. Nepoſ. procul 125. de verb. ſignif. l. 188.Monarchy in it ſelfe conſidered is the beſt government. ubi. de jure Regni l. 85. d. tit.
Aſſert. 2. Monarchy in its latitude as heaven and earth and all the hoaſt therein are Citizens, is the beſt government abſolutely, becauſe Gods immediate government muſt be beſt, but that other governments are good or beſt ſo farre as they come neere to this, muſt prove that there is a Monarchy in Angels, if there be a government, and a Monarchy amongſt Fiſhes, Beaſts, Birds, &c. and that, if Adam had never ſinned there ſhould be one Monarchy amongſt all mankinde. I profeſſe I have no eye to ſee what Government could be in that State, but paternall, or maritall; and by this reaſon there ſhould be one Catholique Emperour over all the Kings of the earth; A poſition holden by ſome Papiſts, and Interpreters of the cannon Law, which maketh all the Princes of the earth to be uſurpers, except theſe who acknowledge a Catholique dominion of the whole earth in the Emperour, to whom they ſubmit themſelves as Vaſſals. If Kings were Gods and could not ſin, and juſt as Solomon in the beginning of his reigne, and as David, I could ſay Monarchy ſo limited muſt be better then Ariſtocracy, or Democracy. 1. Becauſe it is fartheſt from injuſtice, neereſt to peace and godlineſſe; m. l. 3. §. aparet. ff. de adminiſtrat. tutor. l. 2. §. noviſſime. ff. de Orig. jur. Ariſtot. pol. l. 8. c. 10. Bodin. de Rep. l. 6. c. 4. 2. Becauſe God ordained this government in his people. 3. By experience it is knowne to be leſſe obnoxious to change, except that ſome think the Venetian Common-wealth beſt; but with reverence, I ſee ſmall difference betweene a King, and the Duke of Venice.
Aſſert. 3. Every government hath ſome thing wherein it is beſt.Every forme in ſome conſtruction, beſt. 1. Monarchy is honorable and glorious-like before men. Ariſtocracie for counſell is ſureſt. Democracie for liberty, and poſſibly for riches and gaine, beſt. Monarchy obtaineth its end with more conveniency. 1. Becauſe the ſhip is eaſilier brought to land, when one ſitteth at the helme, then when ten move the helme. 2. Wee more eaſily feare, love, obey, and ſerve one, then many. 3. He can more eaſily execute the Lawes.
Aſſert. 4. A limited and mixed Monarchy, ſuch as is in Scotland A mixed Monarchy, b…ſt.and England, ſeeme to me the beſt government, when Parliaments with the King, have the good of all the three. This government hath, 1. glory, order, unitie from a Monarch, from the government of the moſt and wiſeſt it hath ſafety of counſell, ſtability, ſtrength; from the influence of the Commons, it hath liberty, priviledges. promptitude of obedience.
Object. 1. There is more power, terrour, and love in one, then in many.
Anſw. Not more power, 2. terrour cometh from ſin, and ſo to nature fallen in ſin, in circumſtances a Monarchy is beſt.
Object. 2. It is more convenient to nature, that one ſhould be Lord then many.
Anſw. To ſinleſſe nature, true, as in a father to many children.
Object. 3 Monarchies for invention of counſels, execution, concealing Toloſſan. de Rep. l. 13. c. 12.of ſecrets, is above any other government.
Anſw. That is in ſome particulars, becauſe ſin hath brought darkneſſe on us; ſo are we all dull of invention, ſlow in execution, and by reaſon of the falſneſſe of men, ſilence is needleſſe, but this is the accidentary ſtate of nature, & otherways there is ſafety in a multitude of counſellers: one commanding all without following counſell truſteth in his own heart, and is a foole.
Object. 4. A Monarch is above envy, becauſe he hath no equall.
Anſw. Grant all; in many things a Monarchy is more excellent, but that is nothing to an abſolute Monarchy, for whom Royaliſts contend.
Object. 5. In a multitude there be more fooles then wiſe men, and Bar…l. cont. Monarch. l. 1. c. 39.a multitude of vices, and little vertue is in many.
Anſw. Meere multitude cannot governe in either Democracy or Ariſtocracy, for then all ſhould be rulers, and none ruled, but many eyes ſee more th…n one, by accident one may ſee more then hundreds, but accidents are not rules.
Object. 6. Monarchy is moſt perfect, becauſe moſt oppoſite to Anarchy, Symmons Loyall Subj. unbeliefe. §. 4. pag. 7.and moſt agreeable to nature, as is evident in Plants, Birds, Bees.
Anſw. Government of ſinleſſe nature void of reaſon, as in birds, bees, is weak to conclude politique civil government amongſt men in ſin, and eſpecially abſolute government, a King-Bee is not abſolute, nor a King-Eagle, if either deſtroy its fellowes, by nature all riſe and deſtroy their King. 2. A King-Bee doth not act by counſell borrowed from fellow Bees as a King muſt do, and communication of counſels leſſeneth abſoluteneſſe of a man. 2. I ſee not how a Monarchy is more oppoſite to Anarchy and confuſion, then other governments, a Monarch as one, is more oppoſite to a multitude, as many; but there is no leſſe order in Ariſtocracy then in Monarchy: for a government eſſentially includeth order of commanding and ſubjection. Now one is not, for abſoluteneſſe, more contrary to Anarchy then many, for that one now who can eaſily ſlip from a King to a Tyrant, cannot have a negative voice in acts of juſtice, for then ſhould he have a legall power to oppoſe juſtice, and ſo for his abſoluteneſſe he ſhould be moſt contrary to order of juſtice, and a Monarch becauſe abſolute, ſhould be a door-neighbour to diſorder and confuſion.
Object. But the Parliament hath no power to deny their voices to things juſt, or to croſſe the law of God, more then the King.
Anſw. It is true, neither of them hath a negative voice againſt law and reaſon, but if the Monarch by his exorbitant power may deny juſtice, he may by that ſame legall power do all injuſtice; and ſo there is no abſoluteneſſe in either.
Object. Who ſhould then puniſh and coerce the Parliament in the caſe of exorbitance?
Anſw. Poſterior Parliaments.
Object. Poſterior Parliaments and people both may erre.
Anſw. All is true, God muſt remedy that onelyonly.