Thelawofnatureexcepted，itbelongedtotheessenceofallotherlawstobemadeknowntoeverymanthatshallbeobligedtoobeythem，eitherbyword，orwriting，orsomeotheractknowntoproceedfromthesovereignauthority。Forthewillofanothercannotbeunderstoodbutbyhisownword，oract，orbyconjecturetakenfromhisscopeandpurpose；whichinthepersonoftheCommonwealthistobesupposedalwaysconsonanttoequityandreason。Andinancienttime，beforeletterswereincommonuse，thelawsweremanytimesputintoverse；thattherudepeople，takingpleasureinsingingorrecitingthem，mightthemoreeasilyretaintheminmemory。AndforthesamereasonSolomonadvisethamantobindtheTenCommandmentsuponhistenfingers。*AndfortheLawwhichMosesgavetothepeopleofIsraelattherenewingoftheCovenant，hebiddeththemtoteachittheirchildren，bydiscoursingofitbothathomeandupontheway，atgoingtobedandatrisingfrombed；andtowriteituponthepostsanddoorsoftheirhouses；*2andtoassemblethepeople，man，woman，andchild，tohearitread。*3

　　Norisitenoughthelawbewrittenandpublished，butalsothattherebemanifestsignsthatitproceedethfromthewillofthesovereign。Forprivatemen，whentheyhave，orthinktheyhave，forceenoughtosecuretheirunjustdesigns，andconvoythemsafelytotheirambitiousends，maypublishforlawswhattheyplease，withoutoragainstthelegislativeauthority。Thereisthereforerequisite，notonlyadeclarationofthelaw，butalsosufficientsignsoftheauthorandauthority。TheauthororlegislatorissupposedineveryCommonwealthtobeevident，becauseheisthesovereign，who，havingbeenconstitutedbytheconsentofeveryone，issupposedbyeveryonetobesufficientlyknown。Andthoughtheignoranceandsecurityofmenbesuch，forthemostpart，asthatwhenthememoryofthefirstconstitutionoftheirCommonwealthiswornout，theydonotconsiderbywhosepowertheyusetobedefendedagainsttheirenemies，andtohavetheirindustryprotected，andtoberightedwheninjuryisdonethem；yetbecausenomanthatconsiderscanmakequestionofit，noexcusecanbederivedfromtheignoranceofwherethesovereigntyisplaced。Anditisadictateofnaturalreason，andconsequentlyanevidentlawofnature，thatnomanoughttoweakenthatpowertheprotectionwhereofhehathhimselfdemandedorwittinglyreceivedagainstothers。Thereforeofwhoissovereign，noman，butbyhisownfaultwhatsoeverevilmensuggest，canmakeanydoubt。Thedifficultycocsistethintheevidenceoftheauthorityderivedfromhim；theremovingwhereofdependethontheknowledgeofthepublicregisters，publiccounsels，publicministers，andpublicseals；bywhichalllawsaresufficientlyverified；verified，Isay，notauthorized：fortheverificationisbutthetestimonyandrecord；

　　nottheauthorityofthelaw，whichconsistethinthecommandofthesovereignonly。

　　Ifthereforeamanhaveaquestionofinjury，dependingonthelawofnature；thatistosay，oncommonequity；thesentenceofthejudge，thatbycommissionhathauthoritytotakecognizanceofsuchcauses，isasufficientverificationofthelawofnatureinthatindividualcase。Forthoughtheadviceofonethatprofesseththestudyofthelawbeusefulfortheavoidingofcontention，yetitisbutadvice：itisthejudgemusttellmenwhatislaw，uponthehearingofthecontroversy。

　　Butwhenthequestionisofinjury，orcrime，uponawrittenlaw，everymanbyrecoursetotheregistersbyhimselforothersmay，ifhewill，besufficientlyinformed，beforehedosuchinjury，orcommitthecrime，whetheritbeaninjuryornot；nay，heoughttodoso：forwhenamandoubtswhethertheacthegoethaboutbejustorunjust，andmayinformhimselfifhewill，thedoingisunlawful。Inlikemanner，hethatsupposethhimselfinjured，inacasedeterminedbythewrittenlaw，whichhemaybyhimselforothersseeandconsider；ifhecomplainbeforeheconsultswiththelaw，hedoesunjustly，andbewrayethadispositionrathertovexothermenthantodemandhisownright。

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