Of Prudence. Its Foundation is Charity, its End Tranquillity and Prosperity on Earth, its Office to reconcile Duty and Convenience, and to make Vertue subservient to Tempora Welfare. Of Prudence in Religion, Friendship, and Empire. The End of Prudence is perfect Charity.

CHARITY is that which entereth into every Vertue, as a main Ingredient of its Nature and Perfection. Love is the fountain and the End of all, without which there can be no Beauty nor Goodness in any of the Vertues. Love to one self, Love to GOD, Love to man, Love to Felicity, a clear and intelligent Love is the Life and Soul of every Vertue, without which Humility is but Baseness, Fortitude but Feirceness, Patience but Stupidity, Hope but Presumption, Modesty but Simpering, Devotion but Hypocrisie, Liberality is Profuseness, Knowledge vanity, Meekness but a sheepish Tameness, and Prudence it self but fraud and Cunning. For as all other Vertues, so is Prudence, founded on Charity. He that is not Good can never be Prudent for he can never benefit himself, or others. For the Designes of Prudence are to secure one self in the Exercise of every Vertue, and so to order the Discharge of ones Duty, as neither to hurt a mans self in his Life, Estate, Honour, Health, or Contentment, nor yet to fail in the Attainment of that Worth and Beauty, which will make our Lives Delightful to others, and as Glorious to our selves, as Beneficial and Delightful.

PRUDENCE hath an eye to every Circumstance, and Emergence of our Lives. Its Designe is to make a mans self as Great and glorious as is possible, and in pleasing all the World, to order and improve all Advantages without incurring the least inconvenience: To reconcile our Devotion, Obedience and Religion, to our Interest and Prosperity in the World: To shun all extreams, to surmount all Difficulties, to overrule all Disadvantages, to discern all Opportunities, and lay hold on all Occasions of doing Good to our selves. Its Office is to consult, and contrive, and effect our own Welfare in every Occurrence that can befal us in the World, and so to mingle all Vertues in the Execution of our Duties, that they may relieve, and aid, and perfect each other, in such a manner as at once to be pleasing to GOD, profitable to his Creatures, and to our selves.