"No man's life shall be taken away, no man's honor or good name shall be stained, no man's person shall be arrested, restrained, banished, dismembered, nor any ways punished... unless it be by virtue or equity of some express law of the country warranting the same, established by a General Court and sufficiently published, or, in case of the defect of a law in any particular case, by the Word of God." — Massachusetts Body of Liberties, drafted by Nathaniel Ward (1641)
Which feature of the Body of Liberties reveals its distinctly Puritan character?
- A
Recognition of feudal manorial courts
- B
A Latin oath required of all magistrates
- Ccheck_circle
Authorization to apply Scripture as law where statute is silent
- D
An establishment of common-law jury trials in maritime disputes
Explanation
The clause permitting recourse to "the Word of God" when statute is silent reflects the Puritan conviction that biblical law was an authoritative legal source, distinguishing the code from purely English common law.