Samuel von Pufendorf (January 8, 1632-October 13, 1694) was a German philosopher, historian and jurist. The son of a Lutheran minister, he studied theology at the University of Leipzig and law at the University of Jena. In Copenhagen, during the war between Sweden and Denmark, 1658, he was imprisoned for eight months, and upon release traveled to Leiden where he published a complete system of universal law, 1660.
He was Professor of the Law of Nature at the University of Heidelberg in Germany and the University of Lund in Sweden. He served as royal historian for the King of Sweden, 1677, and later for Elector Frederick II of Brandenburg.
Baron von Pufendorf’s Latin work, The Eight Books On The Law of Nature and Nations, 1672, which stressed natural law over man-made law, and On the Duty of Man and Citizen, 1673, were standard in colonial colleges. Samuel Pufendorf's writings exerted a definite influence upon the framers of the Constitution. In 1775, Alexander
Hamilton wrote:
<Apply yourself, without delay, to the study of the law of nature. I would recommend to your perusal Grotius, Pufendorf, Locke...> 1632SP001
Samuel de Pufendorf wrote that God:
<Exercises a Sovereignty not only over the whole World, or over mankind in general, but over every Individual Human Person: Whose Knowledge nothing can escape: Who, by Virtue of His Imperial Right, hath enjoin'd Men such certain Duties by Natural Law, the Observance of which will meet with his Approbation, the Breach or the Neglect, with His Displeasure: And that He will for His Purpose require an exact Account from every Man, of his Proceedings, without Corruption and without Partiality.> 1632SP002
Pufendorf stated:
<Atheists are not, strictly speaking, God's Enemies...but His Rebellious Subjects, and consequently guilty of Treason against the Divine Majesty....It is no such obscure matter, therefore to assign the particular Species of Sin, to which Atheism belongs...> 1632SP003
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American Quotations by William J. Federer, 2024, All Rights Reserved, Permission granted to use with acknowledgement.
Endnotes:
1632SP001. William J. Federer, American Quotations (2014). Pufendorf, Samuel de. Alexander Hamilton, "The Farmer Refuted," 1775. Verna M. Hall, The Christian History of the Constitution of the United States of America: Christian Self-Government with Union (San Francisco: Foundation for American Christian Education, 1962, 1979), p. 250. John Eidsmoe, Christianity and the Constitution-The Faith of Our Founding Fathers (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, A Mott Media Book, 1987, 6th printing 1993), p. 65.
1632SP002. William J. Federer, American Quotations (2014). Samuel de Pufendorf, The Law of Nature and Nations. Verna M. Hall, The Christian History of the Constitution of the United States of America: Christian Self- Government with Union (San Francisco: Foundation for American Christian Education, 1962, 1979), p. 270. John Eidsmoe, Christianity and the Constitution-The Faith of Our Founding Fathers (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, A Mott Media Book, 1987, 6th printing 1993), p. 65.
1632SP003. William J. Federer, American Quotations (2014). Samuel de Pufendorf, The Law of Nature and Nations. Verna M. Hall, The Christian History of the Constitution of the United States of America: Christian Self- Government with Union (San Francisco: Foundation for American Christian Education, 1962, 1979), p. 279. John Eidsmoe, Christianity and the Constitution-The Faith of Our Founding Fathers (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, A Mott Media Book, 1987, 6th printing 1993), p. 65.