The constitutions of Maryland and New York are founded in higher

Hearken, children of the ages, to the solemn words of Ezra Stiles, who proclaimed: “The constitutions of Maryland and New York are founded in higher wisdom.” In these words lies the eternal truth of governance, prudence, and the guiding hand of insight. Stiles observes that the very foundations of law, when rooted in reason, virtue, and foresight, are capable of sustaining societies through trials, discord, and change, drawing their authority not merely from power, but from the enduring principles of higher wisdom.

Stiles teaches that true constitutions reflect the accumulated understanding of human nature and justice. They are crafted not to serve transient whims, but to preserve the rights, liberties, and welfare of the people, guided by principles that elevate both the state and the soul. In recognizing Maryland and New York as founded upon higher wisdom, he honors the deliberate thought, moral consideration, and vision of the framers who sought to enshrine equity, order, and enduring governance.

Consider the life of George Washington, whose leadership in the establishment of the new American states was guided by both courage and deep reflection. He understood that a constitution must endure beyond personal ambition, serving the people and the principles of justice. His careful stewardship in the adoption of governance frameworks exemplifies Stiles’ insight: the wisdom embedded in these constitutions sustains a society through turbulence, ensuring that law and liberty march hand in hand.

The ancients, too, revered the principle of higher wisdom in governance. Plato, Aristotle, and Cicero extolled the necessity of laws grounded in virtue and reason, capable of guiding citizens toward justice and stability. Stiles’ reflection resonates with this timeless understanding: constitutions are not mere documents, but instruments of moral and civil order, crafted to channel human energies toward the common good, reflecting insight that transcends the ordinary and ephemeral.

Thus, his counsel is both reflection and inspiration: honor the wisdom upon which these laws are founded, study them, and allow their principles to guide action and judgment. Higher wisdom embedded in constitutions provides both framework and compass, sustaining communities, protecting rights, and nurturing the commonweal across generations.

Carry this teaching, children of generations yet unborn: recognize that the foundations of law and governance are sacred, imbued with higher wisdom. Let their principles guide your actions, inform your conscience, and preserve the balance of justice and liberty, ensuring that the structures of society endure, noble and just, through all the ages.