the guilt of ignorance to go on without punishment, but
demonstrated the law to be the best and the most necessary
instruction of all others, permitting the people to leave off
their other employments, and to assemble together for the
hearing of the law, and learning it exactly, and this not once
or twice, or oftener, but every week; which thing all the other
legislators seem to have neglected.

19. And indeed the greatest part of mankind are so far from
living according to their own laws, that they hardly know
them; but when they have sinned, they learn from others that
they have transgressed the law. Those also who are in the
highest and principal posts of the government, confess they
are not acquainted with those laws, and are obliged to take
such persons for their assessors in public administrations as
profess to have skill in those laws; but for our people, if any
body do but ask any one of them about our laws, he will
more readily tell them all than he will tell his own name, and
this in consequence of our having learned them immediately
as soon as ever we became sensible of any thing, and of our
having them as it were engraven on our souls. Our
transgressors of them are but few, and it is impossible, when
any do offend, to escape punishment.

20. And this very thing it is that principally creates such a
wonderful agreement of minds amongst us all; for this entire
agreement of ours in all our notions concerning God, and our
having no difference in our course of life and manners,
procures among us the most excellent concord of these our
manners that is any where among mankind; for no other