A guide to godliness or a Treatise of a Christian life showing the dutiesA guide to godlynesse or a Treatise of a Christian life shewing the duties

WE have spoken of the duties of piety contained in the first Table. And now we are to entreat of the duties of righteousness, and sobriety required in the second: under righteousness, comprehending all duties which we owe to our neighbours; and under sobriety, all those which belong to our own persons. By righteousness, we understand a virtue or habit which ordereth the whole man to the good of our neighbours; as the mind and understanding, to think; the memory, to remember; the will, to desire; the affections and passions, to covet and affect; the whole body, to act and perform all things which we know good and profitable both for their souls, bodies, name and state, for their temporal welfare and prosperity in this world, and their everlasting happiness in the world to come. The general rule of which righteousness is, that we do all that, and that only unto others, ¹which we would have others do unto us; and consequently, seeing we desire that our neighbours should with all the powers of their mind and body advance, as much as in them lieth, our good in all things respecting our souls, bodies and states; Justice and righteousness requireth the same at our hands towards them; namely, that to the uttermost of our power we ⟨p. 134⟩be ever ready to do all things which tend to their good, and to the preservation of their honour, person, life, purity, chastity, wealth and good name, not so much as entertaining a thought, or first motion in our minds or hearts, which in any of these or other respects may tend to their hurt and prejudice. Of which Justice or righteousness there are two parts; the one distributive, whereby we do give unto every one their due, and that which of right appertaineth unto them; in which is to be observed a geometrical proportion, which hath respect in this distribution unto every man according to their place, person and such other relations and circumstances, and is in all things carried with due regard of equity and moderation. The other is commutative, which is usually exercised in commerce and mutual dealings and trading one with another, as in changing, borrowing, lending, buying, selling, letting, setting, and such like affairs of this life; The general rule whereof is, that we keep from no man his right, but pay every man his debt and due.