commonplace book unit one
Week one: In this week’s readings we read James I “Address before Parliament.” In it James described the meaning of freedom and how people deserve a fair treatment from the government because you only get pure freedom from God. In James Harrington’s Oceana he described the difference between the modern and ancient governments. John Winthrop has two writings that we read and they were about how the new government of Massachusetts should be.
1. “Kings are justly called Gods, for that they exercise a manner or resemblance of divine power upon earth.” James I, “Address before Parliament,” (1610), CAPCT, Vol. 1, p. 4
2. “Now government is no other than the soul of a nation or city: wherefore that which was reason in the debate of a commonwealth being brought forth by the result, must be virtue; and forasmuch as the soul of a city or nation is the sovereign power, her virtue must be law.” James Harrington, Oceana (1656), CAPCT, Vol. 1, pp. 23-30
3. “To conclude, Oceana, or any other nation of no greater extent, must have a competent nobility, or is altogether incapable of monarchy; for where there is equality of estates, there must be equality of power, and where there is equality of power, there can be no monarchy.” James Harrington, Oceana (1656), CAPCT, Vol. 1, pp. 23-30
4. “[…] we must help him beyond our ability rather than tempt God in putting him upon help by miraculous or extraordinary means.” John Winthrop, "A Model of Christian Charity" (1630), CAPCT, Vol. 1, pp. 13-18
5. “This liberty is maintained and exercised in a way of subjection to authority; it is of the same kind of liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free.” John Winthrop, "Little Speech on Liberty" (1645), CAPCT, Vol. 1, pp. 18-19
Week two: This might be one of the most important readings in our book and its John Locke’s Second Treatise on Government which describes popular sovereignty and the natural rights of people. John Trenchard and Thomas Gibbons also contributed to our readings by
1. “Kings are justly called Gods, for that they exercise a manner or resemblance of divine power upon earth.” James I, “Address before Parliament,” (1610), CAPCT, Vol. 1, p. 4
2. “Now government is no other than the soul of a nation or city: wherefore that which was reason in the debate of a commonwealth being brought forth by the result, must be virtue; and forasmuch as the soul of a city or nation is the sovereign power, her virtue must be law.” James Harrington, Oceana (1656), CAPCT, Vol. 1, pp. 23-30
3. “To conclude, Oceana, or any other nation of no greater extent, must have a competent nobility, or is altogether incapable of monarchy; for where there is equality of estates, there must be equality of power, and where there is equality of power, there can be no monarchy.” James Harrington, Oceana (1656), CAPCT, Vol. 1, pp. 23-30
4. “[…] we must help him beyond our ability rather than tempt God in putting him upon help by miraculous or extraordinary means.” John Winthrop, "A Model of Christian Charity" (1630), CAPCT, Vol. 1, pp. 13-18
5. “This liberty is maintained and exercised in a way of subjection to authority; it is of the same kind of liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free.” John Winthrop, "Little Speech on Liberty" (1645), CAPCT, Vol. 1, pp. 18-19
Week two: This might be one of the most important readings in our book and its John Locke’s Second Treatise on Government which describes popular sovereignty and the natural rights of people. John Trenchard and Thomas Gibbons also contributed to our readings by