163. (IV.) Charity in Judges. If they look to the Lord and shun evils as sins, and render just judgments, they become charities in form; because they do goods of use, both to the community and individuals in the community, and so to the neighbor. And these they do continually, when they judge and when they are not judging; because they think justly, speak also justly, and do justly. For justice is of their affection; and in the spiritual sense it is the neighbor. Such a judge determines all cases from what is just, and at the same time from equity; for they cannot be separated. And then he judges according to the law, for all law has both of these for its end; and so when a cunning man strives to pervert the sense of the law he ends the suit. In judging, to regard friendship, or a gift, or relationship, or authority, or other consideration than that everyone who lives according to the laws shall be protected, he holds to be a sin; and he holds it to be so even if he judges justly, and justice is not in the first place, but in the second. All the judgments of a just judge are of charity, even when he inflicts fine or penalty upon the criminally wicked; for thus he emends them and guards against their doing evil to the innocent, who are the neighbor. He is indeed as a father, who if he loves his children castigates them when they do evil.