5.' P E T I T I O N. upon the Lords Prayer. 91 fence committed again(l vs by man, but Go D forgiueth vs as great committed againll him by vs : and why then fhould wee not forgiue beeing fo forgiven. L'onfder?1is lt weefay, wee deferue better, fo doth Goo of vs: It wee fay wee meant himno harm, no more cloth God vs : If he bee our inferiour, foare wee the Lo &D s inferiours : lf wee hue not ofhim, no more doth God byvs : Ifwe haue many times forgiuen himwith.warning to doe nomore, fo bath God to vs, andmuch ofiner: fo that no caufe can wee hndcto retayne anyma1ice,fwec weigh thinges well. Wherefore moll carefully marke it. Lail of all, heere is no number of times noted, and theefore euen fcauenty times frauen rimes wee muti forgiue , No number that isieuerand as often as wee are offended. And the Lord forgiueth vs times of times do- without number. ted.. Trnethis allthia, 0411 confere it, but O hard forfief 1 and bloodtoperforme So was it to beleeue as hee ought in apowrefull God, but yet what Both bee LORD 1 beleeue, helpemyvnbeleefe: Sodoe you (lrjue with your felfe, fight with frayltie hand to hand : forgiue as the Lord willinable moll willingly, and what Marh corruption or imperfetion cleaueth in fo liked an action, pray to the Lord of mercy to dally it away,and dayly to flrengthen better to doe what ought euer to be done : and ailuredly he will, feare not. e fnddoenotthefewordes, thi,skeyou, pr e Malice any things' Magifiracy, andthe puniJhmestafoffenderstb at bane trefpaffedatatnfEgood Lams? No indeed not awhiti for it is farre fromthe Lordsmeaning in Mete wordes to prohibite theeues and murtherers to bane their due defert giuen them by fuch men and Lawes as are prouided in that refpeft. And therefore euen the fame Lord that appointed this forme of prayer, appoynted alto that fin fhould bee taken away by punifh- ment, eitherexprefed by himfetfe, or left to the Magi fratehis appointed officer toappoynt, according as thecircum( lancesof times, places, perfons,and facts Gen.8:. Mould require. And touchingthismoll lawfull authoritie, of all the places of Exod. t E. Scripture that might bee brought ( which indeed are many) let thefe two fuffíée: Destro, r. Firfì that it was Paid by good lehofophat to the Judges, fo carefully by him appoin- s :Chro..r9. ted,when the Lord had a little awaked him, that they fhould take heed what they did, becaufe they executed not the judgements of men, but ofGod: which God, faithhe, will bee with you in the caufeofiudgement. Therefore let this feare bcvpon you, take heed and doe it for there is no iniquitie with the Lord our God, neither refpeftofperfons , nor receiuingof reward. The fecond place isRo,t3.3 4 out of the Apoflle to the Romanes : where after declaration of this authoritie to be from heauen, we are in exprelle worries told, that ifwedoe euillwe haue good cauCe to feare : for the Sword is not borne for nought, but the Magílirare is the MinjflerofGo D to take vengence on him that doth. Moll plaine therefore you fee, that forgiuing our brother his trefpalfes,taketh not away any publike or private punifhment, either ofMagiflrate, or Parent, or Mailler that by lawe both of God and man (hall be due. For thefame God that biddeth the one commaundeth alfo the other, and bee neuer ouerthroweth his owne commaun- dementsone with an other, as one contrary to himfelfe, but they (land toge- ther. t>ïfay thena Chri ffian profecateby Law before a Magiflratea wrong done unto him,& feekethe puniJhment ofit? You fee by that which bathbeene fayd, he may. For how can the authoritie of Kings and Princes, Iudges andMagiflrates bee good andfrom God, and the vfe ofthat gouernment and power, by vs or any that areabufcd be euer culli Sure, ly if they may punilh,they may an beecomplained vnto and delred to punifh. Nay ifdiftreffed, wee vfe notthe ordinance of God for our heipe, we tempt God and we do not well.The Apof:tlePaule diffretfed, Cent amefienger to to the cheif captaine to op vnto him the Inver confpiracy gainll him,that by his good heipe his life might be fáfe.And afterward dif#relTedagaine,heappealed from a corrupt k bench
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