Johannes Althusius: Politica - Hubertlerch.com - HubertLerch.com

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the associated body, and renders to each his due, with rewards for the good and punishments for the wicked. … The magistrate
gives evidence of this desire to serve well by a twofold course of action. [§ 33] He gives evidence of it, first, when he shows by
his deeds that he is not the proprietor of the goods and rights of the realm and its subjects, but their faithful steward and
defender constituted by the general mandate of the associated body, and that as he became magistrate by the grace of the
universal association so he continues to be dependent upon it. [§ 34] He gives evidence of this desire, secondly, when he shows
that his government and administration are directed to the glory of God and the welfare and benefit of subjects and citizens. By
these two actions, a good, pious, and faithful magistrate is known. He is loved by his subjects because he first loves them. …
XXV
[§ 1] THIS COMPLETES the discussion of benevolence, the first aspect of the acquired and extrinsic attitude toward imperium. We
turn now to the second aspect of an acquired authority, which is reverence. A reverent attitude toward the magistrate derives
from imperium and a favorable opinion about the magistrate’s exercise of authority. Giovanni Botero, however, distinguishes
between reverence and authority.
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Respect for authority, Lipsius says, is a reverent opinion of the supreme magistrate and his
position that has been received and impressed on the minds of subjects and aliens by the magistrate’s administration of the
realm. …
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[§ 3] This respect for authority is composed of the admiration and fear that arise from the ruler’s form of
imperium, his greatness, and his moral qualities. The form of imperium ought to be austere, constant, and well managed if
respect for authority is to be obtained. … [§ 15] The greatness of the ruling magistrate, who doubtless has sufficient resources
available for conserving what he has and securing others, should be a means for obtaining firm respect for authority that is both
straightforward and befitting a king.
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[§ 16] This greatness is conferred by wealth, arms, counsel, treaties, and the success of
his ventures. … [§ 24] Through his life and moral qualities, too, the magistrate may acquire respect for his authority, as Lipsius
says.
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This maybe accomplished through inward and outward strengths, especially those that are contrary to the weaknesses
toward which rulers are most easily impelled because of their ruling power: licence, flatterers, and other irritations. [§ 25] The
inward strengths consist of piety, foresight, courage, fidelity, modesty, temperance, self-restraint, and self-confidence. …
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XXVI
[§ 1] SO MUCH FOR DOCTRINE and knowledge of those things that are necessary to the magistrate in the administration of the
commonwealth. We have called this doctrine the first part of political understanding. We turn now to the other part, namely, to
its practice. This is the experience of things known through one’s own attempts and examples. “My mind has discovered and
digested many things.”
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…
[§ 3] Practice and experience can teach the magistrate about things to be done and to be omitted by which the position of the
commonwealth and its security are conserved.
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He learns that he should not confide too much in a friend or relatives; that he
should attempt to meet every evil and problem at the beginning so that evil does not have time to increase and gather strength;
that in the greatest extremities and perils he should withdraw for a season, for with time everything changes; that, on the other
hand, he should not directly oppose the strength of the multitude, but accommodate his sails to the wind as a skillful sailor does,
and permit for a time what he cannot prevent; that he should not neglect small disorders that are likely in time to become
greater; that he should not handle at the same time many grave and arduous enterprises that cannot be expedited at the same
time; that he should undertake no new enterprises in the first year of his magistracy and imperium, especially unexpected ones;
that he should not commit himself to chance and misfortune, but prepare himself for each particular time and occasion;
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that
he should prefer the old to the new, peace and tranquillity to war, the certain to the uncertain, the safe to the perilous; that he
should apply no force where it is not proper, especially that he should cause no injury to the church; that he should not engage in
continuous wars with neighboring countries, nor with subjects, who would thereby become ever more provoked with him and
alienated from him; that he should never be militarily unprepared, since an unarmed peace may be precarious and brief; that he
should seize the opportunities offered in any enterprise, and not neglect them; and that he should not trust anyone he has
injured. [§ 4] Experience of this kind is required in a magistrate.
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[§ 5] WE TURN NOW TO CHOICE, the other member of political prudence. This is the right judgment by which the magistrate
discerns and separates the upright, useful, and good from the dishonorable, useless, illicit, and harmful, and aptly accommodates
the former to the business at hand. … [§ 6] This choice or judgment should be tempered by a certain distrust and concealment.
It should be tempered by distrust so that the magistrate may be slow in giving his confidence and approval, may believe nothing
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