New England has been reeling ever since...
[quote=timmopussycat;425236][quote=Backwoods Presbyterian;425069]I do not know if any of you have read this before but it is well worth your time. An Abstract of the Laws of New England,
as They Are Now Established.
printed in London in 1641.
JOHN COTTON Quote:
Short Historical note:
I don't think Cotton can be blamed for the title but it does contain an error. Cotton's laws (for he did write them) were never law in New England. In 1536 Cotton was asked together with some other ministers and magistrates to "assist some of the magistrates in compiling a body of fundamental laws". Cotton worked independently and presented his draft, but it did not become law at that time. In 1638 another committee, not including Cotton returned to the task. One of this committee was Nathaniel Ward whose, Body of Liberties was circulated among the towns in 1641 and for the next 7 years work continued on the project.
Cotton's work differs from what was finally approved in a very significant way. Cotton believed that the Mosaic judicials remained as obligatory as the moral law, the code that was utimately adopted did not do so.
For further details see Sameul T. Logan Jr. New England Puritans and the State in Theonomy: A Reformed Critique from which this summary is drawn.
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Adam Brink, Livermore, California
Grace Church of Pleasanton, PCA
He who was punishable by death under the judicial law, is punishable by death still; and he who was not punished by death then, is not to be punished by death now.
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