CHAP. I. Of Justice , as it preserves the Natural Rights of Men : and particularly in reference to their Bodies .

HAVING in a former Discourse asserted and explain'd the Nature of Moral Good and Evil in Humane Actions ; I shall now distinctly consider the Sum of all that Moral Duty which we owe to God , and to our Neighbour ; as the Prophet hath compris'd it in these words , He hath shewed thee , O man , what is good ; and what doth the Lord require of thee , but to do justly , to love mercy , and walk humbly with thy God ? Mic. vi . 8. I begin with that Duty which God requires of us towards our Neighbour : and 't is all imply'd in the two distinct Vertues of Iustice and Mercy .

IN discoursing of Iustice , I shall endeavour these two things : 1. To shew what that Justice is which is requir'd of us towards our Neighbour : 2. To prove , that it is grounded upon such immutable Reasons , as do render it a Moral Good .

I. I shall endeavour to shew , what that Justice is which is owing to our Neighbour . In general therefore , Iustice consisteth in giving to every one his due ; in which latitude it comprehendeth all matter of duty : for every Duty is a due to God , or our Neighbour , or our selves , and accordingly every performance of every duty is a payment of some due ; and , as such is an act of Righteousness . And therefore in Scripture Good Men are frequently stiled Righteous , and the Whole of Vertue and Goodness is called Righteousness , because it is a payment of some due either to God , our selves , or our Neighbours . But Iustice being here consider'd as a distinct , and particular Vertue , must be understood in a more limited sense ; viz. for Honesty in all our dealings with men , or giving to every man his due with whom we have any Intercourse . And wherein this consisteth , will best appear by considering what those things are which are due from one Man to another , or what those Dues and Rights are which men may claim by the eternal Laws of Righteousness . And these are twofold , 1. Natural , and 2. Acquired .

I begin with the First , viz. the Natural Rights of Men , which are such as appertain to Men , as they are Reasonable Creatures , and dwelling in Mortal Bodies , and joyned to one another by their natural Relations , and by Society . For in all these capacities there accrue to men certain Natural Rights which we are obliged in Justice not to violate , but so far as we can to secure and make good to one another .

First , Therefore we will consider men as dwelling in mortal Bodies ; Secondly , As Rational Creatures ; Thirdly , As joyned to one another by natural Relations ; Fourthly , As naturally united in Society ; and I will shew what Rights there are redounding to them from all these Respects , and Considerations .

I. WE will consider Men as dwelling in mortal Bodies , in which there is a twofold Right accruing to them : 1. a Right to their Bodies : 2. a Right to their bodily Subsistence .

I. As dwelling in mortal Bodies , they have a natural Right to their Bodies , and to all the Parts of them , for their Bodies being the Tenements which the great Landlord of the world hath allotted to their Souls during their abode in this terrestrial State , are upon that account their undoubted Right ; which unless they forfeit , they cannot be deprived of without manifest Injury and Injustice . For if God gave this Body to my Soul , it is certain that immediately under him my Soul hath a Right to it , and holding in Capite as it doth from the Supreme Proprietor , is Tenant at will to none but him , for this its earthly Habitation : so that antecedently to all Humane Laws and Constitutions , every Soul is vested with a natural Right to its own Body ; as being placed in and put in possession of it by the God of Nature ; and till by its own free Act it hath alienated , or forfeited its Right , there is none but God , ( who hath reserved to himself the Soveraign and absolute disposal of it ) can justly either dispossess a Soul of its Body , or of any Part or Member of it ; or offer any violence to the Body , ▪ or put it any farther out of its Souls Disposal , than God himself hath done by placing it under the outward Restraints of Government . So that for any one either to kill or dismember a Body , whose Soul hath not forfeited its Right to it ; to ravish , inslave or imprison a Body , whose Soul hath neither alienated , nor forfeited its Right to dispose of it , is a piece of high and crying Injustice . In short , God hath placed the immortal Soul of man in the Tenement of a mortal Body , in which it hath thereupon the Right of a Tenant at will , that holdeth at the pleasure of his Landlord ; by whom it is impowred to injoy it for its own Habitation , to defend it against outward Violence , and dispose of it for its own needs and conveniences . So that unless he be impowred by God , there is no Man can rightfully destroy or dismember , or without his Consent , inslave or imprison another Man's Body ; unless it be in defence of his own Life , or Livelyhood , or Liberty , which every man hath a natural Right to defend . But then since for the common Good and Defence of all , God hath placed his reserved Authority over our Bodies in the hands of humane Government , it is no violation of the Right of our Souls , for the Government under which we are placed , to destroy or dismember , inslave or imprison our Bodies ; whenever by offending others , we render it necessary for the Defence and Good of All. And since the Government hath , so far as the Common-Weal requireth , God's own Authority over our Bodies in its hands ; it is no more injurious to our Souls , for That to dispose of our Lives and Members , Livelyhoods and Liberties , for the common Security and Good ; than if God himself should do it immediately ; since the Government doth it by his Right and Authority , which is Paramount to all the natural Rights of our Souls . But for any others either to take away the Life , or Members of anothers Body , except it be necessary for their own defence ; or to endeavour the carnal Injoyment of anothers Body , except it be by the party's consent ; or to inslave , or imprison anothers Body , except it be upon free Consent , or just Forfeiture , is an outragious Invasion of the natural Rights of humane Souls .

II. As Men dwell in mortal Bodies , they have also a Right to their bodily Subsistence . For , for God to give them a Tenant's right in their mortal Bodies would be very insignificant , unless we suppose he hath therewith given them some Right to those outward Goods , that are necessary to their Maintenance and Subsistence : For God being the Supreme Proprietor of this lower Word , as well as of those Tenements of Flesh we live in ; it must needs be supposed , that , as by placing our Soul in this Body , he hath given her a Right to it ; so by placing our Body in this World , he hath given it a Right to such a portion of this World's Goods , as are necessary to its Repair and Maintenance . And though in the unequal Division of the World , that now is , he hath given to some a larger share of it than to others ; yet it is not to be supposed he hath so appropriated All to some , as to leave nothing for all the Rest. For as all Men are equal in their natural Faculties and Indowments , so according to original Constitution they were also equal in their outward Properties and Possessions ; and all things being promiscuously exposed to the Use and Injoyment of All , every one from the common Stock assumed as his own Right what he needed . And as for the Inequality and private Interests that are now among us , they were By-blows of our Fall ; for it was Sin that introduced our Degrees and Distances , that devised the Names of Rich and Poor , begot Ingrossings and Inclosures of Things , and forged those two pestilent words Meum and Tuum , which have since ingendred so much Strife and Mischief in the World . And though God hath made these Inclosures Rights by his long and continued permission of them , yet he hath not thereby parted with his own Right to them ; He by an immuteable Right is still Paramount of all his Creation , and every thing in it unalienably belongeth to him . And as for those inclosed Properties , with which he hath vested us in such unequal Proportions , he hath committed them to us as Stewards , and not transferred them upon us as Masters ; and so without any Injury to us , may appropriate what Part of them he pleaseth to what Use he pleaseth : which when he hath done , we cannot without manifest Injustice otherwise dispose of that appropriate Part , than to the use and service for which he hath appointed it . Now out of every mans Estate and Property he hath actually reserved some Appropriate portion to be disposed of to the Poor and Needy , who have nothing else to subsist by ; and in this part of our Estates the Poor have the same Right from God , that we have in all the other Parts of it . So that this World being now cantoned out so very unequally among men , yet according to God's Allotment every Man hath Right to such a Share of it , as is at least sufficient to keep him from being starved , or pinched with Extremity of Need ; and in this Method God hath assigned to every man a Child's Portion , which in some fair way or other ought to be obtained , viz. either by legal Right , or by humble Request ; which latter , in Conscience , ought to take effect , as well as the former . For now according to this later Constitution he hath appointed the Rich to be his Stewards and Treasurers for the Poor ; with a strict charge that they dispense to every one his meat in due season . The Honour of distributing is conferred on the former , as a tryal of their Fidelity and Bounty ; the Right of receiving is conferred on the latter , as a tryal of their Patience and Gratitude : and thus God hath wifely projected , that all his Children should be both effectually ▪ and quietly provided for ; that one man's Abundance should supply another's Wants , that so there might be an Equality , as St. Paul expresseth it , 2 Cor. viii . 14. For since no Man can enjoy more than he needeth , and every Man ought to have so much as he needeth , there could be no great Inequality among men , if things were administred according to the Institution of God . But if out of our Abundance we refuse to relieve the poor Man's Necessities , we are unjust both to God and him ; to God , because we misapply his Goods , and cross his Orders ; to him , because we wrongfully usurp , and detain from him the portion which God hath allowed him ; and so under a Vizard of Right , and Possession , we are no better than Robbers in the Account of God ; when by refusing to relieve our Brothers necessities we spoil him of his Goods ; his Goods I say , by the very same Title that any thing is ours , even by the free Donation of God . 'T is the hungry Man's Bread which we hoard up in our Barns , his Meat that we glut , and his Drink that we guzzle : 't is the naked Man's Apparel that we shut up in our Presses , and do so exorbitantly ruffle and flaunt in ; and what we deny out of our Abundance to an Object of real Pity , and Charity , is in the account of God an unjust Usurpation of his Right . For by the Institution of God , I owe every man this Right ; not to see him pine , and perish for want , whilst I surfeit , and swim in Plenty . And thus you see what Rights appertain to a Man in his first Capacity , viz. as inhabiting a Mortal Body .

CHAP. II. Of Justice in preserving the Rights of Men , consider'd as Rational Creatures .

II. I Proceed in the second place to observe , That there are other Rights accruing to Men , as they are Rational Creatures : for it is this indeed that giveth a Right to common Justice , to be governed by Laws , and by Rewards and Punishments , that we are free and Rational Agents who can chuse or refuse , and determine our selves which way soever we think fit or reasonable . For without Reason , and Free Will , we could no more be capable of Laws , nor subject to Rewards and Punishments than Stones or Trees are : For no Law can oblige a Being that hath no Power over his own Actions ; nor can he deserve to be rewarded when he doth well , nor punished when he doth evil , if it be not in his Power to do otherwise : and therefore Beasts cannot be said to do either justly , or unjustly towards one another ; because whatsoever good , or evil they do one another , they do it necessarily , and it was not in their power to do otherwise . But because Men are free Agents , and have power to determine themselves either to do good or evil to one another ; therefore of right they claim of each other the mutual Performance of such Goods , and Forbearance of such Evils as agree or disagree with the State , and Condition of their Natures . And hence every Rational Creature hath a Right to be used and treated by those of his own Kind , agreeably to the state of his Rational Nature ; and for one Man to treat another otherwise , is not only hurtful , but also injurious . Now the Rights which one Rational Creature may by the condition of his Nature claim of another , may be reduced to these four particulars ;

First , Every Man has a Right to an equitable Treatment from every man . Secondly , Every Man hath a Right to judge for himself so far as he is capable . Thirdly , Every Man hath a Right not to be forced , or impelled to act contrary to the Judgment of right Reason . Fourthly , Every Man hath a Right to be respected by every man according to the dignity of his Nature .

I. EVERY Man hath a Right to an equitable Treatment from every man , that is , to be treated according to the measures of that Golden Rule of Equity prescribed by our Saviour , Matth. vii . 12. Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you , do ye even so to them , for this is the Law and the Prophets , i. e. in all your Intercourses with men , suppose you had exchanged conditions with them , and that you were in theirs , and they in yours ; and be sure you do them all that good , which upon a due consideration of the case , you could reasonably expect , or desire of them , if you were in their persons and circumstances . And this Right of being treated by others , as they would expect to be treated by us , supposing they were in our Circumstances , ariseth from that equality of Nature that is between us , which giveth every one a right to be equally treated by every one , and to claim all those good Offices from others which they might reasonably claim of him , if they were in his state and circumstances . For we being all propagated from the same Loins , and partakers of the same Nature , every Man in the world is by cognation of blood , and agreement of nature every man's Brother , and Kinsman . We are all but so many several Streams issuing from one common Source , but so many several Twigs sprouting from the same Stock ; we are all of us but one Blood derived through several Channels ; but one Substance multiplyed , and dilated into several Times and Places , by the miraculous Efficacy of the divine Benediction . We are all fashioned according to the same Original Idea , resembling God our common Father : we are all endowed with the same Faculties , Inclinations , and Affections ; and do all conspire in the same essential Ingredients of our Nature : and there is nothing doth distinguish , or diversifie us , but what is accidental to our Being ; such as Age and Place , Figure , and Stature , Colour and Garb ; so that every man is not only our most lively Image , but in a manner our very Substance , or another Our Self , under a small Variation of present Circumstances ; which Circumstances are to be considered in every application of the above-named Rule of Equality to our Actions . If I am superior to another , either in my place , or Relation , or in the Goods of my Mind , or Fortune ; I am only obliged by this Rule , to do that by him which I might reasonably desire he should do by me , were he as much my Superior , as I am his . But when all Men naturally as such are equal , and do stand upon even terms and level ground , there ought to be no other Inequality in their mutual Treatment of one another , but what is owing to the Inequality of their Circumstances : and he who doth that to another man , which upon good Reason he would not have another do to him in the same Circumstances , doth unjustly usurp a Superiority over him , which neither Nature , nor Providence alloweth of . For there is no Proposition in the Mathematicks more self-evident than this , Paria paribus conveniunt , equal Things agree to equal Persons ; and therefore since we are all equal by Nature , whatsoever things are due to me , must by the same reason be due to another in the same Circumstances ; and therefore he that denieth to another Man that which he conceiveth he might justly claim of him in the same condition , unjustly with-holds from him a Right that is due to him as he is his Equal in Nature .

II. EVERY Man hath a Right to judge for himself so far as he is capable : for we must either suppose that every Being hath a Right to use its own Faculties , or else that it hath its Faculties in vain : for to what purpose serve its Faculties , if it hath no Right to make use of them ? And to what purpose serveth our Faculty of Reason , but only to judge for our selves in all such matters as fall within the Sphere of our Cognizance ? Which if our Reason be debarred of , it standeth for a lonely Cypher in our Natures and is altogether useless and insignificant ? And if in any thing our Reason hath a Right to judge for us , then much more in matters of Religion , in which our highest and most important Interest is concerned . So that to deny it the Right of judging for us here , is to render it useless in our greatest Importance , and to disable our best Faculty from being serviceable to our best Interest . 'T is true , there are sundry Controversies about religious Matters , which every Man's Reason cannot judge of ; the Arguments pro and con depending either upon Criticisms of Language , or Metaphysical Niceties , or ancient Histories ; which are all beyond the Comprehension of persons of mean and vulgar Understandings : who are therefore obliged in all such matters as these to submit to the Determination of their lawful Guides and Governours . But as for the great and necessary matters of Religion , they are plain and obvious to the meanest Understanding ; and consequently herein every man ought to exercise his natural Right of judging for himself , and not swallow his Religion blindfold , without trying it by the Test of his Reason . And certainly they who remove the Cognizance of Religion out of the Court of Reason , take away that which doth most properly and naturally fall under its Determination . For Religion is the Chief End of Man's Creation , as he is a reasonable Being , and thereby capable of Religion : and to be sure where the End is natural , the Means must be so too . And therefore as Horses that were made for Burthen , have a natural Ability to bear ; and as Birds that were made to fly , have a faculty and Wings for that purpose ; so rational Souls that were made for Religion , must needs be supposed to have some Power naturally placed in them , for the Exercise , and Iudgment , and Choice of it . And what else can that be but their Reason ? So that to deny Men the Liberty to judge for themselves in that which is their natural End and highest Interest , is as great a piece of Violence and Injustice as can be offered to humane Nature . And of this very matter the Church of Rome is highly guilty ; for it commandeth Assent without Evidence , and imperiously requireth Men to believe her Doctrines without examination ; to rely implicitly upon her Authority and swallow down her Faith by the lump , without ever inquiring whether it be Physick , or Poyson . For the leading Principle of the Romish Religion is this , that the Churches Authority is the Reason of our Faith , and that Men are bound to believe what she believeth without any further proof or evidence ; by which tyrannical Proceedure She useth her wretched Children , as the Philistins did Sampson , first putteth out their Eyes , and recreateth herself with their Blindness and Ignorance . For unless they wink hard , and believe at a venture whatsoever she proposeth , they are sure to feel the Edges both of her spiritual and temporal Swords ; and though they are never so modest , peaceable and humble in their dissents , to incur her Anathemas , which have always the sting of Fire and Faggot in the tayl of them . Now what is this but to force the Opinions of Men , and drive their Reason from its Throne of Judicature ? For he that punisheth a man barely for his Opinion , doth in so doing endeavour to rob him of his natural Right of judging for himself : which is the greatest Tyranny in the World , it being an exercise of Dominion over the minds of men , which are subject only to the Empire of God . 'T is true , if in judging for themselves Men take up Opinions that are vicious , or destructive to Government , their wicked Practice is justly punishable according to the proportion of its Malignity ; for otherwise Men's right of judging for themselves will soon be made a Sanctuary for all the Villanies in the World . And though no Man ought to be punished barely for his Opinion , yet he may be justly punished for practising his Opinion , though his practice be indifferent in its own Nature . For indifferent Things which God hath neither commanded , nor forbidden ; are the proper matter of all humane Laws ; and therefore if upon a false Opinion that what the Law enjoyns is not indifferent , but sinful . I practise contrary to the Law , I am justly punishable ; because my Mistake altereth not the nature of the thing . If it be indifferent , it is a proper object of humane Laws , whether I think it so or no ; and as such may justly be imposed ; and the Imposition being just in it self , our not complying with it is justly punishable . Once more ; though no Man ought to be punished for his Opinion , yet he may be justly punishable for making a publick Profession of it ; for there is no doubt but Men may be restrained by Laws from propagating their little Opinions into Factions , and dividing themselves upon every different persuasion into opposite Parties . Otherwise it will be impossible , considering the Passions of Men , to maintain any Unity , or Concord in civil , or sacred Societies . And therefore where such Restriction is , Men ought to be satisfied with this , that they freely enjoy their liberty of Opining , and are not deprived of their natural Right to judge for themselves ; and so they ought either to keep their little Opinions to themselves , or at least not to vex and disturb the Publick by a fierce Endeavour to propagate them to others . And this due Deference to Men's natural Right of judging for themselves , hath been always punctually observed in the Church of England ; for it neither damneth , nor censureth , persecuteth , nor destroyeth Men upon the score of difference in Opinion ; provided their Opinion doth not lead them to wicked , or seditious practices ; but hopeth well of all that live well , and receiveth all into its Communion , that desire it ; provided they believe but the Apostles Creed and the Doctrine of the four first General Councils . 'T is true , it forbideth Men so to profess their Dissents to the Articles of its Doctrine and Discipline , as to seduce her Children from her Communion and list them into Factions against her ; and this every Church must necessarily do , that valueth its own Peace and Preservation : but it pretendeth not to invade the Liberty of their Thoughts , or to lay rigid Restraints on their Opinions ; and so long as they dissent from us modestly and peaceably , they may enjoy their own Opinions , and our Communion too . And as for those Forein Communities of Christians that differ from us , we pass no severe Sentences against them ; but do believe , and hope , and earnestly pray that the God of all mercies will pity their Errors , and connive at their Defects , and finally unite them to us for ever in the blissful Communion of the Church Triumphant . Nor doth our Religion obtrude it self upon the minds of Men , by the bare Warrant of an imperious Authority ; but fairly appealeth to our Understandings , and casteth it self upon the tryal of our Reason ; exacting of us no further Assent , than what the evidence claimeth upon which it is founded ; and is so far from exacting of us a blind-fold Assent to it without Examination , that it readily exposeth it self to the severest Enquiry , and asketh no other favour but to stand , or fall by the impartial Sentence of our Reason . It telleth us both what we are to believe , and why ; and not only alloweth , but requireth us to examine the grounds and reasons of it ; in all which there is not the least Shadow of imposing on Men's minds , or usurping on their Rights of judging for themselves . But alas ! 'T is not only the Church of Rome that is guilty of this unnatural Tyranny : for how many are there of all Parties among our selves , that cannot endure the least Contradiction , but expect all Judgments should bow to theirs , and receive their imperious Dictates for Oracles ; and are ready to censure all that dissent from them as Men of Reprobate Minds , and to hate and persecute them , because they cannot believe as fast as they ? As if no Man had a Right to carry his Eyes in his own Head , but They ; and their Understandings were to be a Rule , and Standard to the whole World . If another Man differeth from me , do not I differ as much from him ? And hath not He as much Right to judge for himself as I ? But He is mistaken , you will say , and I am not ; and possibly He is as confident that I am mistaken and not he ; and if I think I cannot be mistaken , I am more mistaken than He : but certainly it is neither Presumption for him to know more than I , nor Sin to know less . What then is to be done , but to leave one another in the quiet Possession of each others Right ; and not to hector and swagger upon every difference in Opinion ; because he that differeth from me , hath as much Right to judge for himself as I , though he refuseth to prostrate his Understanding to mine ; which for any Man to expect , is a most unjust Invasion of the common Rights of Humane Nature .

III. EVERY Man hath a Right not to be forced , or impelled to act contrary to the Judgment of right Reason . For right Reason is the natural Guide of all reasonable Creatures ; 't is the Light of their feet and the Lanthorn of their paths , and the Star by which they ought to direct their courses . And what can be more unjust , than to force any Man to act against that which is the Law of his Nature ? For if He who gave me my Nature , gave me right Reason for the Law and Guide of it , I must necessarily have an undoubted Right to a full and free permission to follow it ; otherwise he hath given me a Law in vain . And if I have Right to a full permission to follow the Law of right Reason , then for any man to impel me to act counter to it either by hope , or fear , or any other motive , is a high Injustice to my Nature . For he who induceth me to do any wicked , or unreasonable Action , which I should not have done , had not he induced me to it , doth in so doing so far as in him lyeth , not permit me to follow the eternal Laws of right Reason . As for instance , the Law of right Reason requireth me , when I pretend to give Evidence to any matter of Fact , to testifie nothing but the Truth to the best of my Knowledge ; he therefore who endeavoureth either by promises , or threats to suborn me to testifie falsely , doth thereby hinder me , so far as in him lyeth , from hearkning to the call of right Reason . Again , right Reason requireth me to make good my Promises , whether they be to my Superiors , Inferiours , or Equals ; and much more when I confirm them with an Oath ; he therefore who by any means endeavoureth to persuade me to falsifie my Word , or Oath , doth in so doing , so far as in him lyeth , not permit me to follow what right Reason prescribeth . Once more , right Reason commandeth me to bridle my Appetite with Temperance and Sobriety ; he therefore that by force , or persuasion endeavoureth to make me drunk , doth to the utmost of his power with-hold and restrain me from following that which is the Law of my Nature . In a word , he who by command or threat , promise or persuasion putteth me upon any sinful Action , is not only guilty in the fight of God of the Sin which I commit by his inducement ; but also of doing a high Injustice to my Nature , of putting it out of its true biass , and not permitting it to move and act according to the Laws of Reason ; which is a piece of the most outragious Violence that can be offered to a rational Creature . Besides that by inducing another Man to sin , I do , as far as in me lyeth , betray him to eternal Punishment ; which is as barbarous an Injustice to his Soul , as the Devil himself can be guilty of . For should I not call that Man a treacherous Villain , who while he pretendeth to embrace his Friend , should secretly stab him to the heart ? And is it not a much more bloody Villany , under a specious pretence of kindness and good fellowship , to stab my Brother to the Soul , and wound him to eternal Death ? But whilst like a heedless Wrastler , I thus eagerly endeavour to give my Brother a fall , it is a thousand to one but I fall with him , and bear him company to eternal Torment .

IV. Fourthly and Lastly , EVERY Man hath a Right , as he is a reasonable Creature , to be respected by every Man , according to the dignity of his Nature . For as in particular Kingdoms the King is the fountain of honour , and every Man under him ought to be respected according to that Rank and Degree of dignity , which the royal Stamp hath imprinted on him ; so in the universal Kingdom of the World , God is the fountain of honour , and every Being under him ought to be treated and respected , according to the dignity of its Rank , and suitably to that Character of Perfection which God hath imprinted on its Nature . Since therefore Man is so highly advanced by God in the Scale of Beings , as being not only a sensitive but a rational and immortal Creature , he hath a Right to be treated as such by all that are of his Class and Order . And for a Man to treat a Man otherwise , is wrongfully to depose and degrade him from that noble Rank of Being wherein the God of Nature hath placed him . For whatsoever his outward Condition may be , I ought to consider him as a Man , as One that is placed in the same rank of Being with my self ; though he be my Slave , or Vassal , I ought to respect him as an Individual of my own Kind , and not use him rudely , harshly or contemptuously like a Dog ; though he be poor and mean in his outward Circumstances , yet I ought to regard him as a Branch that is sprung out of my own Stock , and not to contemn and despise him as if he were a Creature of an inferior Species : though he should be a Fool , or a Mad Man , yet I ought to respect him as my Brother Man , i. e. endowed with the same Faculties with my self , though through the unhappy defect of his bodily Organs he cannot exert and exercise them ; and not to scorn and deride him , as if he were an Ape , or a Baboon that seemed to be made on purpose to be laughed at : yea though ( which is worst of all ) he should be a lewd , or wicked Man , yet I ought to consider him as a Stem of my own Root ; and not abuse , disdain or vilifie him , as if he were only a two-legged Brute , or an upright Animal . So that there is a respect that is eternally due to Humane Nature , where-ever it is , or whatever disadvantages it is attended with , it is stamped with the Image of God , and that ought to be reverenced by the whole Creation . And therefore whoever useth a Man inhumanly , affronteth both God and his own Kind , and violateth the most sacred Rights of Humane Nature . If therefore we would render to Men their Natural Right and Due , we must take care not to behave our selves rudely and insolently , superciliously or contemptuously towards them ; and we must endeavour , as much as in us lyeth , to accommodate our selves to their particular Tempers , and not be froward and untractable , or tenacious of our own Humour , especially when it lyeth in another Man's way ; but be apt to recede and give place , that there may be room for other Men's humours , as well as ours . For what reason is there , that our particular humour should take up all the World ? We have no more Right to be morose , or inflexible , than other Men ; and should they be as unyielding as we , we must either stand at a perpetual Bay , or resolve to justle with every one we meet , till we have forced all to give way , or they have forced us . For whilst we want this Complaisance towards others , we are in Society like irregular Stones in a Building , which are full of roughness and corners , that take up more room than they fill ; and till they are polished , and made even , will not permit others to lye near them . This respect therefore we owe to the humane Nature , which is common to all men , to file off that unmanly sharpness and ruggedness of humour , which renders us perverse and untractable in our Conversation ; that so we may be able to compose our selves into such respectful , courteous and obliging Deportment towards all Men , as is due to the essential Dignity of humane Nature . And thus you see what Rights are accruing to Men as they are Rational Creatures , and consequently what Acts of Iustice , as such , they owe to one another .