N00896:53
The excellency of a public spirit discoursedThe excellency of a publick spirit discoursed
The excellency of a public spirit discoursed: in a sermon, preached in the audience of the General Assembly of the province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England, May 27. 1702. Being the day for election of counsellors in that province. / By Increase Mather. ; [Four lines of quotations]The excellency of a publick spirit discoursed: in a sermon, preached in the audience of the General Assembly of the province of the Masachusetts Bay in New England, May 27. 1702. Being the day for election of counsellors in that province. / By Increase Mather. ; [Four lines of quotations]
printed by B. Green for Nicholas Boone, 1702
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
3. The Welfare of a People depends much on what Laws they have. Good […] Walls and Bulwarks for the […] ⟨p. 18⟩Peoples Liberty and Property. They are the very Sinews of the body Politic. Next to Religion, the happiness of a People consists in Civil Liberties. The Jewish Writers have a Celebrated saying among them, That if the Sea were Ink, and the Heavens Parchment both would not be enough to Write down the Praises which are due to God for Liberty. Now civil Liberties are secured by the Establishment of Righteous Laws for that end. That which the Legislative Power ought to aim at is not so much the Interest of a particular man, as of the people in general. The light of nature says, that Salus populi est Suprema laex, the safety of the People is the Supreme Law. Nor ought there to be any Law which shall be really prejudicial thereunto. Among the Venetians if any proposal is offered, the first Enquiry, is, will this which is proposed be for the welfare of the Republic? So it should be in the establishment of Laws, but such Laws cannot be without the concurrence of the Rulers of a People. These things show that it is their duty in a special manner •o seek the Pub•ick welfare.
3. The Welfare of a People depends much on what Laws they have. Good 〈…〉 Walls and Bulwarks for the 〈…〉 ⟨p. 18⟩Peoples Liberty and Property. They are the very Sinews of the body Politick. Next to Religion, the happiness of a People consists in Civil Liberties. The Jewish Writers have a Celebrated saying among them, That if the Sea were Ink, and the Heavens Parchment both would not be enough to Write down the Praises which are due to God for Liberty. Now civil Liberties are secured by the Establishment of Righteous Laws for that end. That which the Legislative Power ought to aim at is not so much the Interest of a particular man, as of the people in general. The light of nature says, that Salus populi est Suprema laex, the safety of the People is the Supreme Law. Nor ought there to be any Law which shall be really prejudicial thereunto. Among the Venetians if any proposal is offered, the first E•quiry, is, will this which is proposed be for the welfare of the Republick? So it should be in the establishment of Laws, but such Laws cannot be without the concurrance of the Rulers of a People. These things shew that it is their duty in a special manner o seek the Pubick welfare.