Justice vindicated from the false fucus [i.e. focus] put upon it, by [brace] Thomas White gent., Mr. Thomas Hobbs, and Hugo Grotius as also elements of power & subjection, wherein is demonstrated the cause of all humane, Christian, and legal society : and as a previous introduction to these, is shewed, the method by which men must necessarily attain arts & sciences / by Roger Coke.

CHAP. III. Of Virtue.

1. THat Virtue is not always placed in a mean between two extremes, * 1.1 and those extremes to be Vices, according to the opinion of the antient Philosophers; I do subscribe to Mr. Hobbs, cap. 3. art. 32. de Cive; And that from the reason he there gives, viz. that Fortitude in a good cause is a virtue, although it be in the extreme. Nor does quantity in giving, be it much, little, or indifferent, make Virtue, but the cause of giving. To these may be added Gratitude and Patience, Justice and Obe∣dience, which are not placed between any extremes. But if I assent to Mr.

Hobbs in this, I cannot less dissent from him, where cap. 3. he makes Virtues to be the Laws of Nature; and cap. 2. art. 1. the Law of Nature to be the Dictate of Right reason. For,

2. Virtue is the doing or forbearing any action, as it is dictated by * 1.2 Right reason, from the Law of a Superior, or from some Notion known to an Intellectual creature.

3. All Virtue is either Theological, Moral, Humane, Familistical, * 1.3 Personal, or Prudential.

4. Virtue being by the definition, the Dictate of Right reason from * 1.4 some superior cause or notion; Theological virtue is a Dictate of Right reason, from some revelation of God in the Scriptures, which otherwise had been impossible for any man by the light of humane nature to have attained to. By Theological virtues I do not mean only those three most eminent virtues of Faith, Hope, and Charity, but all those actions of obe∣dience due to them who have oversight of me in the Lord, as a Christian; and to whom I owe my obedience not by any Law of Nature, but as com∣manded by God in the Scriptures.

5. Moral Virtues are those Dictates of Right reason which flow from * 1.5 that light of Nature, engraven in the minds of Men, for the conservation of peace and society among Men, so long as they live in this world.

6. Humane Virtues are those Dictates of Right reason, by which Subjects, Wives and Children, conform their actions to the Laws or Pre∣cepts of Supreme powers, Husbands and Parents.

7. Familistical Virtues, are those actions of Servants done in confor∣mity to the commands of the Masters of Families.

8. Personal Virtues, are those actions (which are dictated to divers men from principles of innate good nature) of Temperance, Continency, Patience, Liberality and Frugality; whose contrary extremes are vices and sins.

9. Prudential Virtues are not dictated from any Divine or Humane * 1.6 Laws; but from some Principles known to the understanding (which are more or less, as men are more or less intelligible) whereby some Princes govern more prudently then others, and some Masters of families govern their servants more prudently then others. And these Virtues have not re∣ference only to the government of Men, but to other actions; as Prudence in managing of an Estate, is a Virtue; or in mens governing their actions, so that they are esteemed, and not despised by other men, are Virtues: yet these actions are no where commanded, or forbidden by any Divine or Humane Laws. These Virtues are always placed in Empire, not in Obe∣dience.

10. God having made Man a rational creature, and endued him with * 1.7 an immortal Soul, capable of eternal happiness, hath revealed himself su∣pernaturally in the Scriptures to Men as reasonable creatures; so that they directing their actions conformable to his precepts therein contained, might by faith or believing on him hope for eternal happiness.

11. The end of all Moral Virtue is, that men may preserve peace and * 1.8 society, so long as they live in this world: And God hath made Man a so∣ciable creature, as well as intellectual and rational; and therefore hath en∣graven these eternal and immutable Laws of Nature in the minds of all mortal men, that by conforming their actions thereunto, they might pre∣serve

peace and society with men. And though these of themselves are not sufficient to pully man up to eternal happiness; yet let no man hope, that despising these Laws of the great God of Nature, upon a pretended Faith he shall ever attain it.

12. But because the Law of Nature does oftentimes command in Thesi * 1.9 only, and Humane Laws ex Hypothesi: as, Thou shalt not steal, and shalt give every man his due, is from the Law of Nature; but that this thing is mine, and that thing another mans, is by positive Humane laws. So though Moral virtues be always the same, yet Humane virtues differ, accordingly as Laws in divers places are different. Thus it is a Moral virtue in Wives and Children, to honor and obey their Husbands and Parents; but as a Humane virtue, the doing of such a thing may be Virtue at one time, and Vice at another, as it is commanded or forbidden by the Husband or Parents. So that Humane virtues in Subjects, Wives and Children, are necessary to the conservation of society, where the laws or principles of such actions are not plainly repugnant to Divine laws.

13. The end of all Familistical virtue is, that Servants by all just and * 1.10 lawful means intend the good of their Masters, and make no dissentions or discontents in their Families.

14. God having made man after his own image, as well in body as in * 1.11 soul; (for, He that sheds mans blood, by man shall his blood be shed, for in the image of God made he man:) It is not therefore to be expected that any man should, without sin against God, abuse the highest and noblest part of Gods creation. All men therefore, in the first place, ought by all just and lawful means to do well to themselves, and not by any excess or intemperance to abuse that body which God hath made in his own image.

15. Theological virtues relate to the attaining of Eternal happiness: * 1.12 Moral, Humane, and Familistical, to the conservation of society and peace in their several places: Personal virtues, to the preservation of that body which God hath entrusted every man with keeping so long as he lives. We have spoken of the end and difference of Prudential virtues, Parag. 9.

16. In all prudent and profitable actions, Prudentis est fortunam semper * 1.13 in concilio adhibere: But that man who directs his just and moral actions to Fortune, or the time and tide of mens affections, shall soon be accounted a Weathercock and Time-server. In all prudent actions or virtues, there is no other obligation or penalty, more then the reward or profit of the action, and loss for the folly of imprudent actions: But in just and moral actions, men must consider their duties, not profit; and are obliged to them, notwithstanding temporal loss or trouble.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Introduction. Virtue is not fited always in a mean be∣tween two extremes.
• * 1.2

  What is Virtue.
• * 1.3

  How manifold is Virtue.
• * 1.4

  From whence Theological virtue is de∣rived.
• * 1.5

  What are Moral vir∣tues, and from whence de∣rived. What are Hu∣mane virtues, and from whence caused. What are Fa∣milistical vir∣tues. What are Personal virtues.
• * 1.6

  What are Prudential virtues, and from whence derived.
• * 1.7

  The ratio fi∣nalis of all virtues, and how they dif∣fer. First of Theological virtues.
• * 1.8

  The end of Morality.
• * 1.9

  The end of humane virtue.
• * 1.10

  The end of Familistical virtues.
• * 1.11

  The end of Personal virtues.
• * 1.12

  The difference between The∣ological, Mo∣ral, Humane, Familistical, and Personal virtues.
• * 1.13

  Whether just and moral actions or virtues are to be enquired into by for∣tune, as are Prudential?