Justice vindicated from the false fucus [i.e. focus] put upon it, by [brace] Thomas White gent., Mr. Thomas Hobbs, and Hugo Grotius as also elements of power & subjection, wherein is demonstrated the cause of all humane, Christian, and legal society : and as a previous introduction to these, is shewed, the method by which men must necessarily attain arts & sciences / by Roger Coke.

DEFINITIONS.

1. SOciety, Aristotle in lib. 1. Pol. cap. 5. truly defines to be made up of many * 1.1 divided parts or persons; so that there must necessarily be Unum quid quod imparet, alterum quod pareat.

2. There are six sorts of Society. First, of Supreme powers and Subjects. * 1.2 Secondly, of Magistrates and those committed to their care or government; and this is most properly called the Civitas, especially where the Magistrates and those in their jurisdiction have a priviledged or exempted authority peculiar to them, and not the same with that which is not contained in their jurisdiction. Such are the Societies of our Civitates, Boroughs and Corporations in England, where the Magistrates jurisdiction is exempt and priviledged from the ordinary jurisdiction of Magistrates, where these priviledges and immunities are not. Thirdly, of Husband and Wife; and this Society the Greeks called Gamaca. Fourthly, of Fathers and Children, which is called Patrica. Fifthly, of Masters

and Servants, which is called Despotica. Besides these, there is a sixth Society, which is proper only to Christians, viz. of Bishops, Curates, and Congregations committed to their charge.

3. Potestas est jus imperiale in aliqua persona, cujus praeceptum con∣tinet * 1.3 rationem obedientiae.

4. There are four kinds of Powers, viz. Divine, Humane or Natural, Legal * 1.4 and Ecclesiastical.

5. Divine power, or right of Command, is that power which is by highest right solely and originally in God, and incommunicable to any Creature, from whence all other Powers are mediately or immediately derived.

6. Humane power is a right of Command, created immediately by God, or * 1.5 immediately derived from the Law of Nature.

7. Legal power is a right of Command, which is not immediately derived * 1.6 from any positive or natural law of God, but from some Humane law.

8. Ecclesiastical power is an institution of our Saviour, and left to continue * 1.7 in the Church of Christ, until his second coming to Judgment.

9. Force or Tyranny, is an usurpation of Command of any Creature, or company of Creatures, not created by any law of God or Man. Nor is it the com∣manding of one alone, which makes Tyranny: the very Grecians could account the Athenian Thirty to be Tyrants; and so could the Romans the Decemviri and Triumviri. And no question but it was malice and spight, which made the Grecians call all Kings Tyrants; and both Romans and Grecians to make all Kings to be Ravenous creatures. And all those Kings who abuse their power, are by men usually called Tyrants, not justly. I find no such title given to Saul, Ahab, Ahaz, Nabuchadnezzar, but Wicked and Idolatrous, often. Nor is a Father or Husband, less a Father or Husband, if they abuse their powers, because they have a right of Command.

10. Dominion or Government is the exercise of Command by any Creature * 1.8 or company of Creatures, who have a right, or no right of Command. So that though all Government or Dominion be the exercise of Command, yet is not all Government the exercise of Power; as the Dominion or Government of Thieves, Robbers, and Pyrates, &c. is the exercise of Command, who yet have no right of Command.

11. All Power is Right, but all Right is not Power; as Jus Proprietatis * 1.9 & Usufructuarium, is Right, not Power.

Notes

• * 1.1

  What is So∣ciety.
• * 1.2

  How mani∣fold is the Society of Men.
• * 1.3

  What is power.
• * 1.4

  How many kinds of powers are there. What is Di∣vine power.
• * 1.5

  What is Hu∣mane power.
• * 1.6

  What is Legal power.
• * 1.7

  What is Ec∣clesiastical power. What is force or Tyranny.
• * 1.8

  What is Do∣minion or Government.
• * 1.9

  How Potestas differs from Jus.