acting it, or not hindering it when he might and ought, by concealing it, or receiving it, is bound to make reftitution to his neighbour; if without him the injury had not been done, but was done by him or his affistance; because by him his neighbour is made worse, and therefore is to be put into that ftate from whence he was forced.

That perfon, who intends a small injury to his neighbour, and acts it, and by it a greater evil accidentally comes, is obliged to make an entire reparation of all that the injury, which he intended, and of that, which he intended not; which yet was only confequential upon the former acts, going farther than he at firft proposed it; because his original mischief was the cause thereof.

Whoever hinders a charitable perfon from giving alms to a poor man, is tied to reftitution, if he hindred him by fraud or violence.

Whofoever refuses to do any part of his duty (to which he is otherwife obliged) without a bribe, is bound to restore that money which he has unjustly taken.

Such as by fact, or word, or fign, either fraudulently or violently does hurt to a neighbour's body, life, goods, good name, friends, or foul, is bound, as far as poffible to be done, to make restitution in the several inftances. The adulterous perfon is tied to make provision for the children begotten in unlawful embraces, that they may do no injury to the legitimate by receiving a common portion: and, if the injured perfon demands money, he must fatisfy him with money. So the murderer is bound to reftitution, by allowing fuch a maintenance to the children and near relatives of the deceased, as they have loft by his death, confidering and allowing for all circumftances of the man's age and health. The flanderer and backbiter who hath really leffened the fame of his neighbour by fraud or violence, is bound to restore it by a confeffion of his fault, giving teftimony of his innocence or worth, doing him honour, or (if that will do it, and both parties agree) by money. Whoever hath wounded his neighbour, is tied to the expences of the furgeon and other incidences, and to repair whatever loss he sustains by his disability to work or trade; and the fame is in the case of false imprisonment; in which, and all

other

169 other cafes, the injured perfon is to be restored to that perfect and good condition from which he was removed by my fraud or violence, fo far as he can. That a ravisher must repair the temporal detriment or injury done to the maid, and give her adowry, or marry her if the defire it; because this reftores her into that capacity of being a good wife, which by the injury was loft, as far as it can be done. Such as rob a neighbour of his goods, or detain any thing violently or fraudulently, are bound not only to restore the principal, but all it's fruits and profits, which would have accrued to the right owner during the time of their detaining. Thus the facrilegious, the detainers of tithes, cheaters of mens inheritances, unjuft judges, falfe witneffes, and accufers; those that do fraudulently or violently bring men to fin, that force men to drink, that laugh at, and disgrace virtue, that perfuade fervants to run away, or commend fuch purposes, violent perfecutors of religion in any instance; and all of the fame nature are all in juftice obliged to make reftitution. And, in like manner, he that hath wronged fo many, or in that manner, (as in the way of daily trade) that he knows not in what measure he hath done it, or who they are, must redeem his fault by alms and largeffes to the poor, according to the value of his wrongful dealing, as near as he can judge. Whofoever has contracted debts, must as foon as he can, discharge them; for as we read that Jefus Chrift pronounced falvation to the house of Zaccheus in the fame day that he had made reftitution; fo if we do likewise, we have the fame hope that he will grant us his falvation.

The End of the First PART.

THE

it

NEW Whole Duty of Man.

PART II.

SUNDAY IX. CHAP. IX.

.

I. Of our Duty to our Neighbour. II. Of the Duty of the People to their Prince. III: Of the Duty of a Prince to his Subjects. IV. Of the Duty of Civil Magiftrates. V. Of the Duty of the Laity to their Minifters. VI. Minifters, by whom commiffioned. VII. Their Duty. VIII. Their fuperior Advantages. IX. Are fubject to the Laws of their Country. X. Of Detraction.

Our duty to

bour.

I.

"H

AVING gone through the duties of the firft table, the order in which the comour neigh- mandments ftand, leads us now to furvey our duty to our neighbour. And it is obfervable, comparatively speaking, that the importance of every duty, and the malignity of every breach of our duty, ftand higher in the catalogue of virtues and vices, according to their rank and priority, in the ten commandments. Thus the fins of disbelieving God, or worshipping idols, condemned in the first and fecond precept, are more heinous crimes than taking God's name in vain, and breaking the fabbath. Thus the fins against heaven, prohibited in the first table, or the first four commandments, are more heinous provocations than the transgreffions committed against man, in the fix last.

Again, thus the duties we owe to focieties, or the relative duties, are faftned upon us by stronger ties than those we owe to fingle perfons, by reafon of the extensiveness of their influence, and the general good. And we must at fight allow, that murder is more criminal than adultery, adultery more criminal than theft, theft more criminal than flander, and flander worfe

worse than coveting. From this reasoning we chuse to affign the first rank to the fifth commandment, (though the author of the Old Whole Duty of Man has not followed this most natural method) when we treat of the duties of the fecond table. And

Here we must lay the foundation in justice and Do justice. benevolence. We must do juftice to every man

in publick and in private, we must do to others as we would they should do to us: we must practise univerfal benevolence, or love our neighbour as ourselves, knowing who is our neighbour. These are the very vital, the indifpenfable ingredients, of human fociety in general, and of chriftianity in particular. And I think it will not be reckoned a mere digreffion to fettle these two corner-ftones a little. Therefore,

Observe, that this rule of doing to others as we would they fhould do unto us, is not what other people actually do, but what we would they should do unto us. If we go no farther than the act of retaliation, as the common practice is, and if we justify ourselves in this manner, faying: fuch a man refufed to do me a kind office, when it was in his power; power; and why should I serve him; he treated me with rigour and severity, when he had opportunity, and why should not I treat him in like manner; this is not doing as we would be done by; it is the language of paffion, and not of reafon, or of one filled with the grace of God. Can we be justified in doing what we condemn in another: or fhall that be a fault in him, and a virtue in us?

By the law of nature we are allowed to defend ourselves, but never to take vengeance: and christianity teaches us not to measure our own by the behaviour of other men. Nature requires gratitude for benefits received; and this is an excellent temper, though much wanting in the world; yet chriAtianity calls us to fhew kindness to thofe, who have not conferred any benefit upon us, and even to those that hate us and despitefully use us.

Again, what we actually would that others should do to us, is not in all cases a rule of our duty; but the lawfulness of the action is to be prefuppofed; for, I may not do or forbear a thing to my neighbour merely because I am content or de

firous that he should do or forbear the like to myself. Now that defire of mine must first be known to agree with God's commands: because, a drunkard may be willing to be made a beast by another: but it is not the more lawful for him to do the like to his neighbour. So a man upon evil courfes cares not to be disturbed in them by the reproofs of his fuperiors or friends but that does not leffen his obligation to be a monitor to other finners, especially to thofe under his care and go

vernment.

In like manner, when we are in different circumstances, we are not obliged to do exactly the fame things to them, as we defire or expect from them: God in the courfe of providence places men in different stations and conditions, and has affixed duties peculiar to each of thefe ftations. Therefore, the intention of this maxim cannot be to confound all relations, and the duties belonging to them; as if all that a father may expect from a child, or a master from a fervant, or a prince from his fubjects, was therefore to be done by fuch fuperiors to thofe that are under their direction: but only that a father, a prince, a mafter, fhould confider what he fhould reasonably defire and expect, if he was a child, a fubject, or a fervant; as is plainly intimated by the apostle, after he had laid down the duty of fervants, faying, and ye mafters do the fame things unto them; not just the fame actions, as they by their station are obliged to do to you; but perform the duty of your place, as you expect of them the duty of theirs; as for inftance, ye muft forbear threatening, and all rough morose ufage of those under your care.

Neither do we fulfil this rule by doing that to others, which we might be glad they would do to us; but it confifts in this, to do all that we can expect from them, as matter of duty and right. For though a poor man might be glad, that a rich perfon would give him a part of his estate, so as to make his circumstances eafy and plentiful: yet the rich man, who is mafter of his own eftate, may lawfully gratify fuch a defire; but he may as lawfully refufe to do it. In like manner,

The duty to love our neighbour as ourselves, is not Love thy either that we should love any neighbour with equal tenderness as ourselves; for that I conceive is

neighbour.

hardly