Politica sacra et civilis

Lawson’s Politica is a systematic treatise on politics in church and state, and is arguably the most significant work of political theory to have been printed during the Restoration crisis of 1659–60. The work was widely discussed during the seventeenth century and its conceptual vocabulary applied in discussions of the Revolution of 1688–9, when it was also posthumously republished. Despite Lawson’s fame, however, his work fell into relative obscurity during the eighteenth century but it has recently been the subject of renewed scholarly interest. Politica has been reassessed as both historically and theoretically significant, and Lawson’s contextual and interpretative importance emphasised, as a writer who enriches our understanding of Hobbes and Locke. This new modern edition is the first to be based on, and to correct, the rare and badly printed edition of 1660 and the partially corrected edition of 1689. Containing full scholarly apparatus, it is designed to make this significant work accessible to students as well as specialists through a substantial introduction and notes, contextual material and bibliographical guide.

• The first modern edition of the Politica • An important text for the understanding of the Restoration of 1660 and the Revolution of 1688–9 • Key contextual material for the study of major thinkers of the seventeenth century, such as Hobbes and Locke

Preface; Editor’s introduction; A note on the text; Bibliographical guide; Principal dates; Epistle to the reader; Dedicatory poem; The arguments of the several chapters; 1. Of government in general, and the original thereof; 2. Of government in general, and of a community civil; 3. Of an ecclesiastical community; 4. Of a commonwealth in general, and power civil; 5. Of the manner how civil power is acquired; 6. Of power ecclesiastical; 7. Of the manner of acquiring ecclesiastical power; 8. Of the disposition of power civil, and the several forms of government; 9. Of the disposition of ecclesiastical power: and first, whether it be due unto the Bishop of Rome; 10. Whether the civil state have any good title to the Power of the Keys; 11. Whether episcopacy be the primary subject of the Power of the Keys; 12. Whether presbytery or presbyters be the primary subject of the Power of the Keys; 13. That the government of the church is not purely democratical, but like that of a free state, wherein the power is in the whole, not in any part, which is the author’s judgement; 14. Of the extent of a particular church; 15. Of subjection in general, and the subjects of a civil state; 16. Of subjects in an ecclesiastical polity; Biographical notes; Index.