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Neighbour in Bargains or Matters of Commerce, and all Extortion and Oppreffion of him by taking Advantage of his Ignorance or Neceffities. Many are the Precepts to this Purpose in the holy Scriptures: Ye fhall not opprefs one another; but thou shalt fear thy God. Levit. xxv. 17. Thou shalt not defraud thy Neighbour, neither rob him; the Wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all Night until the Morning. Lev. xix. 11, 13. Ye shall do no Unrighteousness in Judgment, in Mete-yard, in Weight, or in Meafure. Ibid. Ver. 35. Let him that stole Steal no more, but rather let him labour, working with his Hands the Thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Eph. iv. 28. The Divine Law forbiddeth even all inordinate Defires after any Thing which belongeth to others. Remarkable to this Purpose is the tenth Commandment, Thou shalt not covet thy Neighbour's Houfe, thou shalt not covet thy Neighbour's Wife, nor bis Man-fervant, nor his Maid-fervant, nor his Ox, nor his Afs, nor any Thing that is thy Neighbour's. We must be fo far from actually injuring others in wrongfully depriving them of any of their Poffeffions and Enjoyments, that we must not indulge any Thought or Inclination in our Hearts tending that Way. On the Contrary, we fhould

fhould be ready, as we have Opportunity, to affift them in Preferving their Properties and valuable Interefts, and fhould, instead of Grudging and Hindering, be forward to promote their lawful Gain, allowing them all reasonable Advantages, as we would have others in the like Cafe to allow

to us.

Our natural Rights alfo extend to the Preferving of our Reputation or good Name. This is a moft valuable Bleffing which greatly contributes to inable a Man to go through Life with Comfort to himfelf, and Usefulness to others. The wife Man declares, that a good Name is rather to be chofen than great Riches. Prov. xxii. 1. And therefore the Injuring a Man in this is at least as great an Injuftice as the Wronging him in his Property. Every Man hath a Right to have his Reputation unblemished, till he has done fomething to bring a Stain upon it; and therefore to defame him, to fay or do any Thing which tends to detract from his Reputation without juft Grounds, or needleffly to expose him by open Calumny, or fecret Whisperings or Backbitings, or to endeavour to leffen his Eftimation by Ridicule, is doing him great Wrong, and is wounding him in a fenfible Part. This we all eafily per

very

ceive in our own Cafe: And furely it is fit, that we should be especially careful of the Reputation of others, as we would have others be of ours; and that we should not do any Thing caufeleffly to hurt or impair it. This feems to be one Thing intended in the ninth Commandment, Thou shalt not bear falfe Witness against thy Neighbour. And again it is faid, Thou shalt not go up and An as a Tale-bearer among thy People. Lev, xix. 16. Speak not Evil one of another, Brethren. He that fpeaketh Evil of bis Brother, and judgeth his Brother, fpeaketh Evil of the Law, and judgeth the Law. Jam. iv. II. And it is given as the Character of the Man who fhall abide in the Tabernacle of God, and dwell in his holy Hill, that he backbiteth not with his Tongue, nor doeth Evil to bis Neighbour, nor taketh up a Reproach against bis Neighbour. Pf. xv. 3.

This leads me to add, That, among thofe Rights which are naturally due from others to us, and from us to others, may be alfo reckoned Truth which Men owe to one another, both in their Words and in their Actions. Every Man thinks he has a Right to expect from another that he should speak Truth to him, this being the proper End and Ufe of Speech; and a Lye has gene

rally,

rally, in all Ages and Nations, been accounted a base Thing. For a Man to promife that which he intends not to perform, or, if he then intends it, to break it afterwards, when it is in his Power to perform it, is looked upon to be a Breach of the Rules of Juftice; and a Man that is thus treated by another thinks he has a Right to complain that he is not fairly or juftly dealt with. And it is certainly equally fit that he should himfelf fpeak Truth, and fulfil his Promises and Engagements to another Man, as that another should do so to him. Truth fhould fhew itself, not only in our Words to each other, but in our Actions and whole Deportment. This lies at the Foundation of all Fidelity, and of that mutual Credit and Confidence, which is one of the strongest Cements of Society. And accordingly it is frequently infifted upon in the Word and Law of God: Whatfoever Things are true, whatfoever Things are boneft or venerable, whatfoever Things are just think on thefe Things, i. e. fo as to practise them. Phil. iv. 8. Ye fhall not deal falfely, neither lye one to another. Lev. xix. 11. Putting away Lying, Speak every Man Truth with his Neighbour; for we are Members one of another. Eph. iv. 25. And in the Defcription before referred

to,

to, it is mentioned as a neceffary Part of a righteous Man's Character, that he speaketh the Truth in his Heart, and that he weareth to his own Hurt, and changeth not. Pf. xv. 2, 4. He is true and faithful to his Engagements, even where the Keeping of them may feem to turn to his own Lofs and Damage.

Finally, all Men have a natural Right to be treated with Humanity, Kindness, and Decency, as being Partakers of the fame common human Nature. This may be regarded as that which is justly due from all to all, and which hath it's Foundation in the natural Equality that is among all Men, confidered as Men, all of the fame Species, and originally of the fame Stock and Family. Whatsoever Difference there may be between fome of the human Race and others in their outward Stations and Circumftances, for preferving that Subordination which is fo ufeful and neceffary in Society, they should never forget this. Men fhould be treated by us as of one Blood with ourselves, having Bodies alike framed and conftituted, and Souls endued with the fame natural Faculties and Powers; and therefore not with haughty Contempt and Difdain, with Harfhnefs and Rigour, ex

cept

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