"By the Light and Law of Nature, They Shall be Judged": A Study of the Synchronicity of Law and Religion in Late Eighteenth-Century Nova Scotia

ANTHONY M.C. ALEXANDER

ABSTRACT

In Canada, modern conceptions of law tend to be resolutely secular. Such was not always the case, however. Historically, the legal and religious were inextricably linked in the public consciousness; this article presents a case-study of this phenomenon by examining the synergistic relationship between law and religion as it existed in colonial Nova Scotia in the late eighteenth century. A textual study of the surviving sermons of Anglican Bishop Charles Inglis, the most prominent religious leader in the colony, reveals a strong theme of support for the Rule of Law. Theoretically, Inglis's vision was closely tied to the Natural Law principles of Sir William Blackstone, the foremost legal mind of the day. More pragmatically, the Bishop's message dovetailed with the political aims of Nova Scotia's secular authorities, who both recognized and rewarded the Church of England for its role in cultivating loyalty, social order, and respect for the legal system among the populace.

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Citation: (1991) 49(2) U.T. Fac. L. Rev. 147.
Copyright © 1991. University of Toronto Faculty of Law Review.
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