Page images
PDF
EPUB

tines, and worse Any-thing-arians; in order to justify their own Atheistical Actions, or unwarrantable Professions.

IN the golden Age of former Days, Kings liv'd like Gods; as the good Governours and kind Guardians of mortal Men, the great Diftributers of Rewards and Punishments among the Good and the Bad, the Virtuous and the Vicious; fuitable to right Reason, Juftice and Judgment, according to the exact Will or Counfel of Jupiter: And to this End, as Hefiod wifely obferves, τότο γέρας βασιλήιον ἔχον, they took their regal Office, and from hence deriv'd their publick Administration. The Moral of this heathen Fiction is at least a glorious Enfample, Emblem and Argument, not only of their Authority and Conftitution, but alfo of their Duty and divine Appointment. But the Holy Scripture has put this Cafe beyond all Difpute of their being God's Anointed, and his Vicegerents upon Earth; invested originally with an indefeafable Right, and uncontroulable Prerogative, and a Power not liable to any popular Coercion; but, fave only to himself alone, intirely Unaccountable. Such a King as this Monarch, knowing well whofe Minifter he is, will always be the more merciful to his People; notwithstanding his unlimited Sway: And as the Royal Pfalmift has it, CII. V. 20. He will readily imitate his Maker, and willingly condefcend; to hear the Groaning of the Prifoner, to loofe those that are appointed to Death. Redeeming of Slaves, Captives and Prisoners for Life, is the nobleft A&t of Charity, Clemency or Justice, that can be perform'd; and it would be the greatest Mark of Honour in a Kingdom, to grant them their Liberty, or procure

them

them their Redemption, either at Home or Abroad; from Banishment and Bondage; from Captivity and Imprisonment, at any reafonable Rate. Such gracious Deliverances will certainly glorify both the King and his Country!

[ocr errors]

I. JUSTICE, like the Sun, is both glorious and communicative of its Virtues. The Powers of it are ordain'd for the common Weal and publick Welfare of Mankind. It prevents People from worrying one another, like Dogs or Wolves, either in hot or cold Blood; and preferves the Peace of the World. Humane Society, either natural or civil, could not fubfift without this Bond of Friendship. The juft Man will do no Wrong himself, nor fuffer others to do any Injury; but give every one his Due, and diffufe Good to all in Thought, Word and Deed. If he is in Authority, he will command nothing but what is right; prefer a publick before a private Intereft; and diftribute his Favours or Frowns, according as People perform their Duty, or tranfgrefs it in their respective Stations. If he is in Subjection; he will study Concord, live in Obedience to the Laws, and cultivate the Profperity of his native Country: content with his own Condition, without hankering after Places, Preferments and Dignities; or hunting into higher Matters of Government among State-Medlers and News-Mongers. This is the faithful Character of Juftice, and its compleat Votary; as it acts for its own Sake, in the Comfort of being eafy, quiet and peaceable: without expecting any other Reward or Retribution. TRUE

H 3

1

TRUE Philofophy, fays Socrates, is to know and practife, both privately and publickly, thofe Things that are juft, honeft or praife-worthy. This is that Prudence, which teaches us to govern both our Domeftick and Civil Affairs with Peace, Happiness and Applaufe. Justice is the very Perfection of all Duty; and comes up by Degrees to the Image of God, in fome Refemblance of his Effence, or Likeness of his Attributes. The great Cicero, although a noted Republican, calls it the Queen of all other Virtues; That is, in other Words, the Empress of the World. She makes a notable Distinction between the Good and the Evil Doers, between the Righteous and the Wicked; in the juft, equal or impartial Diftribution of her Graces and Civilities to the one, as well as in her Corrections and Chaftitements of the other: to prevent Confufion, a Chaos and Hotch-Potch of Government, as the wife Seneca obferves; or making a Gallimamfry of Virtue and Vice. No Kingdom, Common-Wealth or City can be well-rul'd or kept in a happy Eftate, without both divine and humane juftice: for by the former, we are united to God in Devotion and good Will; by the latter, we are closely knit to our Neighbour Man in the strictest Ties of Mercy and Humanity. We are every Man of us bound to the Love of our great Creator in the first Place, above all fublunary Things, or tereftrial Confiderations; by whofe Almighty Fiat, we all started into Being at a Word fpeaking: and after that, we are as much oblig'd to the Juftice of Charity towards our poor Chriftian- Fellow-Creatures by the Law of Niture, Nations, and civil Society; both for our own Well-Being and Well-Do

ing here Below. That is Piety; this is Pity; and a most reasonable Compaffion as well as Duty. UPRIGHT Dealing, without any Fraud, Craft and Cozenage, ought to be requir'd in every Man's Calling, Practice or Profeffion; that People may not live in a State of War, and worfe Mifchiefs of Rapine, Robbery or Murder; but in Love of Honesty and Union. Justice is as infeparable from Honour and Virtue, as the Shadow is from the Body in the Sun-fhine. It calls-in the Poffe of all other Virtues to its Affiftance; especially Temperance, to know how to moderate any private Paffions, and govern our revengeful Piques: to inftruct a Man how he may not fuffer himself to be overcome with Wine, infnar'd with Women, inflav'd with Gluttony, inthrall'd with Luft, and involv'd with Avarice, or any other inordinate Defires and exorbitant Motions of Concupifcence, depriving a Perfon of the right Ufe of found Reafon. This would be wronging himself, with a Witness! Exact Juftice will neither do any Injury it self, nor fuffer any Mischief to be done to the Afflicted; but endeavour to preserve others, either at the Peril of its own Life, or the Hazard of Preferment and Fortune. 'Tis a chaft Virgin; whose Reputation is not to be violated, but by Death. Any other Violence can do her Virtue no Harm. It allows no Rapes among Women; and a Man cannot be ravish'd of it, without his own Confent or Compliance. There can be no abfolute Compulfion of the Will. 'Tis only a meer Jeft, the Subterfuge of Perjury, and the deluding Evasion of Confcience. Juftice, whether it be diftributive, always acts according to the golden Rule of

H 4

doing

doing as we would be done by; in all Cafes, Controverfies, and Confiderations of Defert, Dignity or Punishment: Or if commutative, it ever keeps the Ballance even in all Bargains, Contracts and Promises, to an exact Performance of Duty or Fair-Dealing. The Scales, Weights and Measures must be all true Standard, and just to a Hair's Breadth. It allows no Over-reaching and Exaction, either in Buying or Selling, under fevere pecuniary Penalties. It makes no partial Difference among Men, whether taken in this or that Sense; with any Regard either to their Friendship, Kindred, Wealth, Poverty, or Nobleness of Birth.

A

THERE muft alfo needs be fome fort of Justice even among Pirates, Thieves and Robbers themselves; or else they could never hang fo long together thriving in unfupprefs'd So. cieties. Government it felf would be in a State of Diffolution, without Laws to repress fuch barbarous Violences, and. punish fuch arbitrary Offences. Juftice must be done, and Judgment given without Favour or Affection, as well as Corruption and Bribery. In old Time the Father did not spare his own Son, for the Prefervation and Support of the publick Safety. The Egyptians painted their Judges without Hands, and their Lord Chief Justice with his Eyes blind-folded. The Grecians and Romans greatly encourag'd all Profecutions of bringing Offenders to condign Punishment; if they were not litigioufly commenc'd upon private Satisfaction or Perfonal Revenge. The Lacedemonians were fo fafe by the terrifying Severity of their Judgments in this Respect, that for a long Time they us'd neither Locks for

« PreviousContinue »