American Quotations by William J. Federer 2024

Massachusetts General Court (1649) regarding a Sephardic Jewish merchant who arrived in the Colony, pronounced it would: <Allow the said Solomon Franco, the Jew, six shillings per week out of the treasury for ten weeks for his subsistence till he could get his passage into Holland.> 1649MG001 -- American Quotations by William J. Federer, 2024, All Rights Reserved, Permission granted to use with acknowledgement. Endnotes: 1649MG001. William J. Federer, American Quotations (2014). Massachusetts General Court (1649), regarding a Sephardic Jewish merchant.

Connecticut General Court (1650)  Capital Laws Section of the Code, offenses and their punishments: <1. If any man after legal conviction shall have or worship any other God but the Lord God, he shall be put to death. Deut. 13:6, 17:2; Ex. 22:20. 2. If any man or woman be a witch, that is, has or consults with a familiar spirit, they shall be put to death. Ex. 22:18; Lev. 20:27; Deut. 18:10, 11. 3. If any person shall blaspheme the Name of God the Father, Son or Holy Ghost with direct, express, presumptuous, or high-handed blasphemy, or shall curse...

Maryland Toleration Act (April 21, 1649) transformed the Colony of Maryland, which was founded initially as a refuge for persecuted Catholics, into a region that gave Christians of all denominations religious liberty: <Forasmuch as in a well governed and Christian Commonwealth matters concerning Religion and the honor of God ought in the first place to be taken into serious consideration and endeavored to be settled, Be it therefore ordered and enacted by the Right Honorable Cecilius Lord Baron of Baltimore absolute Lord and Proprietary of this Province with the advise and consent of this General Assembly: That whatsoever person or persons...

New England Synod of Churches (September 30, 1648) defined the nature of civil government, the function of civil magistrates and the duties of citizens: <I. God, Supreme Lord and King of all the world, hath ordained civil magistrates to be under him, over the people, and for his own glory and the public good; and to this end hath armed them with the power of the sword for the defense and encouragement of them that do well, and for the punishment of evil-doers. II. It is lawful for Christians to accept and execute the office of magistrate when called thereunto. In...

Massachusetts Bay Colony Cambridge Platform (1648) recorded in the Plymouth Colony Records IX, 1663, listed the proposal of William Vassall and others: <1. CHAP: XVII: Of The Civil Magistrates power in Matters Ecclesiastical...It is lawfull, profitable, & necessary for christians to gather themselves into Church estate, and therein to exercise all the ordinances of Christ according unto the word,..because the Apostles & Christians in their time did frequently thus practise, when the Magistrates being all of them Jewish or pagan, & mostly persecuting enemies, would give no countenance or consent to such matters. 2. Church-government stands in no opposition to civil...