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。