The Christian Life Part 3 Volume 4, Part 1 · Chapter 3
CHAP. III. Of Justice in preserving the Rights of Men, as United together by Natural Relations: and as joyned together in Society.
III. WE will consider Men as Rational Creatures united together by Natural Relations; such as Parents and Children, Brothers and Sisters, and consanguineous Kindred; in which several Relations they have their peculiar Rights appertaining to them. Thus Parents by giving Nurture and Education to their Children, have a natural Right to be beloved and reverenced and obeyed by them; and for Children to with-hold these Dues from them is not only a foul Ingratitude, but a great Injustice: they owe their Parents for their Lives and Limbs, for the health of their Bodies and the use of their Faculties; and what a small Composition is there in their Love and Obedience for so great a Debt? They borrowed their Being from their Parents, and therefore are their natural Subjects, Properties and Pensioners; and to be sure every Lord hath a Right to the Obedience of his Subject, every Owner to the Disposal of his Property, every Benefactor to the Love of his Pensioner; and consequently every Parent, who is all these together, to all the Respects and Duties from their Children. And so on the other hand, Children have a Right to be treated as Children to their Parents, that is, as their natural Images and Copies, as parts of their own Substance, as Flesh of their Flesh, and Bone of their Bone, or as themselves derived and multiplyed; which giveth them a natural Right to be dearly beloved and kindly treated, to be fed and cloathed, instructed and provided for by their Parents, according to their power and ability: and for any Parent not to render these Dues and Rights to his Children, is not only an unnatural Cruelty, but a barbarous Injustice. And then for Brethren and Sisters and consanguineous Relations, their partaking of the same Blood and Substance, as being coined in the same Mint, and more immediately derived from the same Root and Fountain, giveth them a natural Right to be mutually beloved, and esteemed, and relieved, and assisted by one another; and they cannot be unkind, ill-natured, or hard-hearted towards one another, without breaking all the tyes of Nature, and being unjust Violators of its sacred Rights. These in short are the Rights which accrue to Men, as united together by Natural Relations.
IV. Fourthly and Lastly, WE will consider Men as Rational Creatures joyned together in Society: and because Society is natural to Men, and that not only as they are Rational Creatures, but as they were always born and bred in society; therefore whatsoever Rights accrue to them from hence, may be justly ranked among those Rights which are Natural. And Men being by Nature united in Society with one another there doth from thence accrue to us a Right to all that is necessary to the obtaining the common Benefits of Society; otherwise our being united in Society would be perfectly insignificant to us. Now the common Benefit of Society is mutual Assistance, Comfort, and Support; to the obtaining of which these things are absolutely necessary. First, Love. Secondly, Peace. Thirdly, Truth. Fourthly, Repute. Fifthly, Protection. Sixthly, Communication in the profits of Intercourse. To all which every Man must have a Right, by vertue of his being in Society; otherwise he is in Society to no purpose. These things I shall but very briefly insist on, because I have handled most of them at large upon another occasion.*Christian Life. Vol. I.
I. BY vertue of our being united in Society, we have a Right to be beloved of one another for being all incorporate Members of one Body, we naturally owe each other a mutual Sympathy and Fellowfeeling of each other's Pains and Pleasures; without which we can never be concerned as we ought to succour and relieve one another. If I partake in another's Joys and Sorrows, it is my Interest to contribute all I am able to his Happiness; but unless I am Partner in his fortunes, it will be indifferent to me whether he be happy, or miserable. And as it is Sympathy that engageth us to a mutual Assistance, so it is Love that engageth us to a mutual Sympathy; it is Love that confederateth our Souls, and causeth us to espouse one another's Interests; and therefore so far as we fall short of this, we must necessarily fall short of the end of our Society, which is to aid and assist one another: which we shall never do, unless we are constantly inclined to it by a mutual Benevolence. But while we hate, and malign one another, our being united together in Society will only furnish us with surer means and fairer opportunities to wreak our spite upon each other. So that not to love one another while we are thus associated, is not only uncharitable, but unjust; since we thereby rob one another of one of the most necessary means to obtain the End of our Society. For when Mens hearts are divided, 'tis impossible their hands should be long united in a mutual Defence and Assistance: so that by withdrawing our love from each other, we do, so far as in us lyeth, excommunicate one another from the common Benefits of Society; which since we have all a Natural Right to, is highly dishonest and injurious.
II. BY vertue of our being united in Society, we have a Right to Peace; that is, to live peaceably and quietly our selves, so long as we do not causelesly vex and disturb others. For Society being nothing but an united Multitude, it is indispensably necessary to the preservation of its Union, that every individual Member should quietly comport himself towards every one, in that degree and order wherein he is placed; because as the Health of natural Bodies dependeth upon the Harmony of their Parts, so doth the Common Good of Societies, or Political Bodies. It is Peace and mutual Accord which is the Soul that doth both animate and unite Society, and keep its parts from dispersing, and flying abroad into Atoms; which nothing but Force and Violence can hinder them from, when once they are broken, and divided. For he that cannot enjoy his Peace in Society, is in a worse condition than if he were out of it, and lived in some solitary Desart alone by himself: for there is no Solitude so dismal, as a vexatious and quarrelsom Society. Whilst therefore men are of an unpeaceable Temper, and do affect to live like Salamanders in the Fire of Strife and Contention; they are the common Pests, and Nuisances of Society: for wherever they dwell, they lay an Imbargo on all sociable Communion, stop all the Inter-changes of good Offices between Men, turn all Conversations into Tragedies, and convert all Societies into Maps, and Images of Hell, that black and dismal Region of dark Hatred, fiery Wrath and horrible Tumult. And whereas by the Fundamental Laws of Society, every Man hath an undoubted Right, not to be disturbed in the Enjoyment of his innocent Pleasures, not to be hindered in the advancing his lawful Profits, not to be interrupted in the prosecution of his reasonable Designs, not to be detained in his Afflictions, or vexed and grieved with causeless Aggravations of them; it is the proper business of Litigious Spirits to invade and overthrow these Rights, and so far as they are able to turn every Man out of the Possession and enjoyment of them. So that they are a publick offence and injury to Mankind; and ought to be looked upon as so many Common Barretors in the World. In short, every Man by vertue of his being in Society hath a Right to Peace, so long as he demeaneth himself justly and peaceably towards others; he therefore that disturbeth another Man's Peace, unless it be in the defence of his own, or other Mens Right or Peace, is an Infringer of the natural Rights of humane Society.
III. BY Vertue of our being united in Society, we have a Right to Truth; that is, we have a Right to know the true sense of each others Minds and Intentions, whensoever we pretend to report and discover it by our Speech; for it is only our Speech that capacitateth us for a rational Society. Our Words are the Credentiaries and Intelligencers of the society and Intercourse of our minds; and it is only by these that Souls do correspond and communicate their Thoughts to one another: it is by these that they mutually divert their sorrows, and mingle their Mirth; impart their Secrets, communicate their counsels, and make mutual compacts and agreements to supply and assist each other. And indeed Words are the Rudders that steer all Humane Affairs, the Springs that set the Wheels of Action a going; and the Hands work, the Feet walk, and all the Members and all the Senses act by their direction and impulse; and there is scarce any Communication, or Intercourse among men, but what is transacted by their Speech. So that if Men were under no Obligation to express their Thoughts truly to one another, there could be no such thing as humane Society in the World; for it is impossible their Minds should converse, while their words do falsly Eccho and report their Thoughts. In a word, Society and Conversation being the great Bank and Exchange of Souls, Truth and Integrity herein is the one publick Faith of Mankind; which every Man vertually engageth himself to keep, by being and continuing a Member of humane Society. For humane Society being a Society of Minds, implyeth in the very Nature of it an universal Contract and Agreement to signifie our Minds truly to one another; and therefore since Words are the natural Instruments by which this signification is made, every Man by vertue of that Contract hath a Right to have the true meaning of every Man's Mind in his Words, to have every Man turn himself inside outward to him whensoever he speaketh, and to measure his words by his meaning, and his meaning, so far as he is able, by the Truth and Reality of things. And therefore whosoever lieth, or equivocateth to another, by laying Ambushes in his words, or lurking behind them in reserved meanings, doth thereby injuriously deprive him of the natural Right of Society. And therefore, by the way, whatsoever the Romish Casuists may pretend, Equivocation is as great an Injustice as Lying; as being both directed to the same end and purpose, viz. to rob those whom we speak to of their Right to our meaning and intentions; which he who equivocateth doth as effectually, as he that lyeth So that in reality an Equivocating Iesuit is as great an Out-law to Society, as a common Lyar; nor can his ambiguous words be any more depended on than false ones, for the signification of his meaning; but if what he falsly or equivocally affirms to be his Mind and Meaning, he attesteth with his Oath; he doth not only thereby wrong Man, but horribly affront God. For an Oath is a solemn Invocation of God, to bear Witness to what we assert, or promise; and therefore if what we assert be false, we call God to witness to a Lye; which is to suppose either that there is no God at all, or which is a thousand times worse, that God is as great a Lyar as our selves. For he that calleth God to witness what he saith, must be presumed to believe that God will witness for him, and consequently that God will witness falsly; if what he saith be false; which is such a Blasphemy against the God of Truth, as no Vengance can sufficiently expiate. And as in the matter of Assertion every Man hath a Right to Truth, so he hath also in the matter of Promise; provided he be promised nothing but what is lawful and possible: and therefore for any Man to promise what he intendeth not to perform, or go back from his promise when he lawfully may, or can perform it, is an Act of unjust Rapine: and I may every whit as honestly rob another of what is his without my Promise, as of what I have made his by it; he having an equal Right to both, by the fundamental Laws of Society. But if he promiseth with an Oath, as in matters of publick Trust and Administration we usually do; he doth not only owe a just and punctual Performance unto Man, but to God himself, whom he calleth to witness that what he sweareth he intendeth to perform, according to the true and natural Meaning of his Words: and he solemnly invocateth God to avenge his Non-performance. So that if he fail of what he hath promised by his Oath, or doth not execute it according to its true meaning; he is guilty not only of a high Injustice to Man, but of a horrid Prophanation of the name of God; whom he hath solemnly called to witness to a lye, whose Wrath he hath imprecated on his own head, and whose Justice he hath obliged by a dreadful Contract severely to avenge his Perjury. He therefore who lyeth, equivocateth, or forsweareth himself, whether it be in asserting or promising, violateth that universal Contract truly to signifie our meaning to another, which humane Society implyeth, and upon which it is founded; and whilst he doth so, there is no Intercourse can be had with him, but he is a Creature by himself, an Enemy to the World, that liveth in a state of war with all Mankind, and out of all Laws and Obligations of humane Society: and so whilst he continueth in it, and pretendeth to observe its natural Rights, he doth by his Equivocations, and Lyes wrong and injure all he converseth with.
IV. BY Vertue of our being united in Society we have a Right to Credit, and to a fair Estimation among one another. For the great end of humane Society is, that by their mutual Intercourses Men might aid and assist one another; and it is for this purpose that Men combine themselves into Societies, that thereby they may enjoy a delightful Conversation void of Fear, Suspicion, and Danger; and by exchanging their Labours, Counsels, and Commodities may be mutually helpful and beneficial to one another. And this End no man can ever attain, without having a fair Credit and Estimation among those with whom he dealeth and converseth: for who will trust to a Man of a lost Reputation? Or who would willingly have any Intercourse with one whom he cannot trust and confide in? Credit is the main Sinew that holdeth Society together, and there is scarce any Conversation or Dealing between Man and Man, but what requireth a mutual Trust, and Confidence in one another. Since therefore all Trust and Credit is founded upon good Repute, every Member of our Society, who hath not forfeited his good Name, hath a natural Right to be well-reputed and spoken of; and whosoever either by false Witness, publick Slanders, or private Whisperings endeavoureth to attaint an innocent Man's Reputation, doth thereby injuriously attempt to exclude him from the Conversation of Men, and shut the door of humane Society against him. And this, how lightly soever it may be thought of, is one of the highest Acts of Injustice that one Man can offer to another; for a good name, saith Solomon, is rather to be chosen than great Riches, and loving favour rather than Silver and Gold. Prov. xxii. 1. And indeed in its consequences it is much more so to every Man; because upon his good name his ability to do good to himself, or friends, or Neighbours, the Success of his Affairs, his best Comforts, chiefest Interests, and dearest Conveniencies of Life, yea and sometimes his Life it self dependeth: so that in defaming of others we commonly rob, sometimes murder, and always injure them; and there are no damages so irreparable, no wounds so incurable, no Scars so indelible as those of a slanderous Tongue. For wheresoever its venomous Arrows fall, no eminency of Rank, dignity of Place, sacredness of Office, no innocence of Life, circumspection of Behaviour, benignity of Nature and Deportment can protect Men against them; no Force can resist, no Act can decline them, no Vindication assoil their mischievous impressions, but still, aliquid adhaerebit, let the Innocence they wound be never so well cured, some mark of dishonour will remain. Whosoever therefore either forgeth, or spreadeth, or rashly entertaineth a Slander against any Man, doth in so doing injuriously offend against the natural Rights of Society, and is at once a Thief, a Ravisher and a Murderer; a Robber of the good name, a Deflowrer of the Reputation, and a Murderer of the Honour of his Neighbour. And yet, Good God, how strangely doth this unjust and villanous Practice prevail in all Societies and Conversations of Men! Among whom it is grown so common to asperse causelesly, that no Man wondereth at it, few deslike it, and scarce any detest it: but whilst the black-mouthed Calumniator is blustering against all that stand in his way, and exhaling his poisonous Breath from his venomous Heart; he is heard not only with Patience but with Pleasure, and looked upon as a Man of a notable Talent, and judged very serviceable to the Party he is engaged in. So that now this odious Vice is grown a fashionable Humour, a pleasing Entertainment, a knack of carrying on some curious feat of Policy: and so Epidemical is the mischief grown, that it is dangerous for a Man who hath any sense of Honesty, or Iustice, to come into any Conversation, without being tempted to wish himself sequestered from Society, and to cry out with the Prophet, Jer. ix. 2, 3. Oh that I had in the Wilderness a lodging place of way-faring Men, that I might leave my people and go from them; for they are an Assembly of treacherous men, and they bend their tongues like a bow for lyes.
V. BY vertue of our being united in Society, we have a Right to Protection from one another: for it was for this Reason that God brought us forth in a state of Society, and linked us to one another by the Inclinations of our Nature; that so we, who are singly a sort of the most defenceless Creatures, whom nature hath not furnished either with the defensive, or offensive Armour which is natural to other Creatures, might by a Union of Forces be able to secure our selves against Forein Outrage and Violence; and being associated for this end by the Law of our Nature, we are thereby obliged, so far as we are able to defend one another. All Mankind are One Body, incorporated by the Charter of Nature, whereby every Member is obliged to stand by and assist his Fellow, so long as he acteth as a Member, and keepeth within the Rules of Humane Society. Whilst therefore I do not by offending others, offend against the Charter of Nature, I have a Right to be defended by every Man, so far as he hath Power and Opportunity; and whosoever offendeth me, ought to be looked on and proceeded with as a publick Offender against the Corporation of Mankind. For the Whole is concerned in every Part, and as he that bruiseth the Toe offendeth the Body, and engageth every Member against him; so he who wrongfully hurteth any Member of the Humane Society, is thereby injurious to the Whole, and ought to be repelled and opposed by every Member of it: and he who refuseth to aid his Fellow-member when injuriously struck at, and it is in his power to defend him, is a Traytor to the Common Cause, a false-hearted Turn-coat and base Deserter of the Society of Mankind. He that can patiently sit still, and hear his Brother's Name torn in pieces by a slanderous Tongue, when it is in his power to purge and Vindicate him, robbeth him of the common Rights of a Man: he that can see his Brother's Life injuriously exposed, either by open Violence or secret Practice, when it is in his power to rescue him, treateth him like an utter Alien and Foreiner to Mankind: he that can suffer his Brother to be robbed of his Estate, or defrauded in his Property, when it is in his power to defend and right him, unjustly with-holdeth from him what he oweth him by the Charter of humane Society; and in so doing doth not only offend against his Brother in particular, but also against the whole Society of which he is a Part and Member. So that in short, as we are all united by the God of Nature into the same Corporation, we are obliged in Iustice manfully to defend each others Lives, Estates and Reputations; and if we wilfully permit any Fellowmember to be murdered, slandered robbed or cozened, when it is in our power to prevent it, we do not only wrongfully with-hold from him his natural Right to be defended by us, but foully betray the Common Interest of Mankind; for both which we shall one day give a dear Account to the supreme Head and Soveraign of all Societies.
VI. Sixthly and Lastly, BY vertue of our being united in Society, we have also a Right to share with one another in the profits of our Commerce and Intercourse. For as of all other Creatures we are the best fitted for Society, by reason of that peculiar Faculty we have of communicating our Thoughts and Minds to one another; so of all other Creatures we stand in the greatest need of it, by reason of our Insufficiency to supply and relieve our selves. For as for other Creatures, after they come into the world, they are much sooner able to help themselves than we; and after we are most able to help our selves, there are a world of Necessaries and Conveniencies without which we cannot be happy, and with which we cannot be supply'd without each others Aid and Assistance. And therefore God created us in Society, and imprinted sociable Inclinations on our Natures; that being by them combined and united together, we might be mutually helpful to one another, and ready to assist and supply each other, according to our several Talents and Abilities, with such necessaries and conveniencies of Life as the condition of our nature requireth. This therefore being one main End of our Society, viz. to be dutiful Ministers of God's Providence towards one another, in supplying those wants and necessities which he hath made, and which he hath made to be supplyed by our mutual good Offices and Ministries; every Man hath thereupon a Right to be aided and assisted by every one with whom he hath any dealing or intercourse; and to have some share of the benefit of all that Exchange, Traffick, or Commerce, which passeth between him and others. For every Man hath a Right to his own Labour, and Industry; and therefore if another be benefited by mine, it is but just and equal that I should be benefited by his; that he should so exchange Labour, or Commodities with me, as that my Necessities should be served as well as his own; and that while he reapeth what I sow, and enjoyeth the harvest of my Labour, he should repay me such a share of his, as my Convenience and Necessity calleth for. But if he ingross all the profit of our Exchange and Commerce to himself, he is rather a Wen of the Body Politick, that draweth all the nourishment to himself, and starveth the neighbouring Parts; than a regular Member, that contenteth it self with such a share as is proportionate to its own bulk and magnitude, and gladly permitteth his Fellow-members to live and thrive as well as he. So that for any Man in his Dealings with others, to take advantage from their Necessity, or Ignorance, to oppress or over-reach them; to use them cruelly, so as wilfully to damnifie them, or hardly, so as either to take all the advantage to himself, or not to allow them such a competent share of it as is necessary to support and maintain them, according to their rank and station; is an injurious Invasion of that natural Right, which the very end and design of humane Society giveth them.
AND thus you see what are the natural Rights of men, considered as Rational Creatures inhabiting mortal Bodies, and united to one another by natural Relations and Society; all which Rights are inherent in them antecedently to all Humane Laws and Constitutions; and though there had never been any other Law but that of Nature, yet they might have justly claimed them of one another, as Eternal Dues which no Laws can cancel, no Custom dissolve, no Circumstances make void or abrogate. So that to do justly with respect to Mens natural Rights, is to render them what we owe them by the Obligations of Nature, as they are Rational Creatures; to treat them equitably, to do them all the good, we can justly desire they should do to us, if we were in their Circumstances; quietly to permit them to judge for themselves, without endeavouring to tyrannize over their Minds by persecuting, censuring, and reviling them, because they are not of our Opinion; to suffer them freely to comply with the Dictates of right Reason, and not to put them either by force, command, or presumption upon any wicked and unreasonable Act; in a word, to pay them all those fair respects that are due to the dignity of Humane Nature, to treat them Courteously, and Humanly, and not to bespeak or use them as if they were so many Dogs, or brute Animals; these are Eternal Dues, which every rational Creature oweth to his own Kind, and which we cannot withhold from one another without high Injustice to humane Nature. But then as we are Rational Creatures inhabiting these mortal Bodies, we are obliged in Justice not to maim or destroy or captivate one another's bodies; unless it be in the necessary defence of our own Lives, Estates, or Liberties; not to deprive one another of our necessary Livelyhood, and Subsistence; but out of our Abundance to supply the pinching Necessities of the Poor and Needy. These things we owe one another as we are all the Tenants of God, sent down into this lower World and quartered in these Houses of Clay: and if we rob one another of what we are thus intitled to by the present State and Condition of our Being, we are extremely unjust to God and to each other. Again, as we are rational Creatures united to each other by natural Relations, we are obliged to render to each other all those Respects and Duties, which the Nature of our Relation calleth for; as we are Parents, to love and instruct and make suitable provisions for our Children; as we are Children, to love and reverence, succour and obey our Parents; as we are Brethren or natural Kindred, to love and honour, succour and relieve one another: and if we with-hold from each other any of these Rights or dues, which the nature of our Relation calleth for, we make an injurious Inroad upon the most sacred Rights and Inclosures of Nature. Lastly, as we are Rational Creatures united to one another by natural Society, we owe Love and Peace, Truth and Credit, Protection and Participation of Profit to one another. Whilst therefore we hate and malign, and vex and disturb each other; whilst we lye and equivocate, and violate our Promises and Oaths; whilst we refuse to defend each other's Lives, Estates or Reputation; and usurp all the profits of our Exchange and Intercourse, not allowing those whom we deal with a sufficient share to subsist and live by; we trample upon all the Natural Rights of humane Society, and demean our selves as open Enemies, and Out-Laws to Mankind.
WHEREFORE in the name of God, if in this degenerate Age, whereinto we are fallen, Christianity hath quite lost its just Power and Dominion over us; let us be honest Heathens at least, though we resolve to be no longer Christians: if we will needs be deaf to the voice of our revealed Religion, yet for shame let us attend to the voice of our Nature, and not leap down at once from the Perfection of Christians into the wretched Condition of Beasts and Devils. O for the Love of God and the Honour of those noble Natures he hath given us, stop at Men at least, though you are fallen from Christian; and do not by your Cruelty and Inhumanity, Frauds and Calumnies, Oppressions, Lyes, and shameless Perjuries at the least approach towards that, at which Humanity starteth with horror and amazement; do not defame and scandalize your Natures, and render your selves a shame and reproach to the name of Men, by these your outragious Invasions of the common Rights of Humane Nature.