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Lawes Divine

Things To Remember While Reading Excerpts From "lawes Divine, Morall And Martiall":

King James I believed he ruled by the divine (guided by God) right of kings. Therefore all laws, although written by royal representatives, such as the officers of the Virginia Company, directly came through God and the king.
Because the laws were "divine," punishment for disobedience was extreme.
Analysis of each word in the title of the excerpt reveals much about the nature of the Lawes: "Lawes"—laws; "Divine"—guided by God and also used as a name or title of an individual clergy member as "the reverend Divine"; "Morall"—morals (the rights and wrongs of behavior as approved by the ruling authority, and overseen by God); "Martiall"—martial law, or law enforced by military authority—in the case of the English settlements the marshal and his appointed officers enforced the "Lawes."
The Lawes Divine illustrate how the first settlers in America lived under laws granting no liberty or civil rights.