Lex, Rex, or the Law and the Prince Quotes

“Arbitrary governing hath no alliance with God.”
― Samuel Rutherford, Lex, Rex, or the Law and the Prince: A Dispute for the Just Prerogative of King and People

“What is warranted by the direction of nature’s light is warranted by the law of nature, and consequently by a divine law; for who can deny the law of nature to be a divine law?”
― Samuel Rutherford, Lex, Rex: The Law and the Prince, a Dispute for the Just Prerogative of King and People, Containing the Reasons and Causes of the Defensive Wars of ... Help of Their Brethren of England. in Whic

“Rutherford held that the people were the “fountain-power” of political authority, and that they were the ones who delegated this authority to the magistrates. He also demonstrated that when such authority was abused, the people had the authority to rescind that delegation.”
― Samuel Rutherford, Lex Rex: The Law is King

“Rutherford presents several arguments to establish the right and duty of resistance to unlawful government. First, since tyranny is satanic, not to resist it is to resist God—to resist tyranny is to honor God. Second, since the ruler is granted power conditionally, it follows that the people have the power to withdraw their sanction if the proper conditions are not fulfilled. The civil magistrate is a ‘fiduciary figure’—that is, he holds his authority in trust for the people. Violation of the trust gives the people a legitimate base for resistance”
― Samuel Rutherford, Lex Rex: The Law is King

“the import of the book was that even the king must obey the law, because the king is also under the law.”
― Samuel Rutherford, Lex Rex: The Law is King