The Whole Duty of Man

The Whole Duty of Man is an English high church 'protestant' devotional work, first published anonymously, with an introduction by Henry Hammond, in 1658. It was both popular and influential for two centuries, in the Anglican tradition it helped to define. The title is taken from Ecclesiastes 12:13, in the King James Version of the Bible: Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

The consensus view of modern scholars is that the likely author was Richard Allestree, but at the time of publication (towards the end of the Interregnum) the High Church tradition it represents was a politically dangerous position. The authorship was well concealed, and it has been noted that the work has been attributed to at least 27 people, beginning with Hammond himself.

Half a dozen other works appeared as by "the author of The Whole Duty of Man". A folio collection was published in 1684, edited by John Fell. Fell asserted that all the attributed works were from a single author.

One of the candidates as author is Dorothy, Lady Pakington, under whose roof Hammond lived. In discussing her, Mary Hays noted as other candidates Accepted Frewen, William Fulman, Richard Sterne, and Abraham Woodhead. Others mentioned in the Dictionary of National Biography article on Pakington by William Dunn Macray are Fell, Humphrey Henchman, William Chappell, and Obadiah Walker.

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