6t §. 9· But 011 the other fide in all thcfc Cafes following, I am bound to forgive and lct go my tight. Prop. I· As the Church may dcclart to penitent finners, the remillion of the eternal punifhrnent fo may ir remit the temporal puni{hment of excommunication to the penitent; Yea, this they ar~ obligedby Chrifi to do, minifl:crial\y as under him. §• 1 o. Pr,p. 2· When the Repc:ntanceand fatisratlionof the finner is like to conducc more to the publici< good, and the honour of God, and other Ends of Government, than his punifllmcnt wOuld do, a private man may not be obliged to profccutc him before the Magifi_rlte, and the M<~gifirate harh power to forgive him as to the penalty which it bclongcth to him to inflict: (Though this m•y not t :xtend to the remitting of crime; ordiuaril.Y and frequently, nor tO the remitting· of .f;me fort of htyNoUJ crimes at all; becaufe this cannot attain the ends of Government as aforefaid ). • 9· I 1. Prop. 3· All periOnal wrongs fo far as rhey are mc,·rly azainft .-Jy [tlf, and diG.blc me not frcm my duty to God and my Ntighbour, I may and mull forgive: For my own intenft is pur more in rr.y own power; and hen: iris that I am commanded to forgive. If you fay that I am bound to prefnve my own life and foul as much as anothcrs; 1anfwer, It's true ; I am bound to prc– fervc ·my own and anothns ohimatr1y for the fervice and glory of Gr:d ; and Gods inrereft in me I cannot remit or give away. As there is nu ob\igation to Juty but what is Originally from God, fb thtrc is none but what is Ultimately for God, even to Pkafc aud Glorifie him. • O~j. But if thU beaU IjhaU fcry)ve no wrong1: for there U none whicb dot/J not fome way hinder me in nry duty. An[w. Yes, there may be many" to your body, y0ur .efiate al'!d name, which yet mJ.y be r.o difablement or hinderance to you, except you make ic fo yoY!r felf : As if you receive a box on the Eu, or be flandered or rtvifed where none heareth it but your [elf, or fuch as will make n"o evil ufe of it·, or if a Jittlc be diminifhed injmioofly out of a fu~e1fl~ous. efi~te,or fo as to be employed as well as you would havedone. 2· But I furthc:r anfwer thts ohJCfrton m the next propofiriom. 9· 12. frop. 4• If my patient fi.tlfcring a pcrfom.l injury., which forncwhat hindcreth me from my duty, be like to be as great a [ervice to God, or to do more good, than ~y that duty I 010uld do, 1 ought to pafs by and forgive that injury : Bcrcaufe then Gods interefi t<?bligeth me not to vindic:ate my right. · • · 9· '3· Prop. S• If when I am injured, and thereby difabled from doing Come good which I fl1011ld elfe have done, Jam not able by feeking reparation or rhe punifbnient of the pCifon, to recdver my capacity, ;md promote the fervicc of God, I am bound to pafs by and remit that injury ( I fpeak r.ot of the crimiJtal pnt, but the i1ljmy as fuch: fo~ a man may be bound to bring a Thief to pu– niihment, on the account of Gods honour, and the common Good, ( tP,ough elfe he might forgive the injury ro himfelf.) 9· 14• Prop. 6. If it be probable that he that defraudeth me of my EOate, will do more good wi1h it than I Chould have done, I am not bound to vindicate it from him for my own intereft ( Though as he is criminal, and the ctimc is hurtful, as an ill example, to the common good, fo 1 may be bound to it ) : Nay wtre it not fOr the faid criminal rcfpect, I am bound rather to let him take it, than m vindicate it by any fuch means as •would break Charity and do more hurt than good. 9· 15· Prop. 7• If I am abfolutcly truOed with the Perfon or Ellatc of another, I may fo far forgive the wrongs done to that other, upon fufficient reafons as well as againll: my fclf. 9· 16. Prop. 8. A private man may not. ufurp the MagH\rates power, or do any act which is propfr to his office, nor yet may ha break his Laws, for the avenging of himftlf : He may ufC no orher means than the Law of God and his Soveraign do allow him. Therefore he may not rail or HVile or fhnderor rob or flrikc or hurl any (unlefs in cafe of defence as aftt:rward ), nor take any other prohibited courre. 9· 17• Prop. 9.' No rigor or fcverity mull be ufcd to right my felf, where gentler means may probably d0 it ; .but the moll harmlcfs way mull firfl be trycd. 9· 18. Prop. 10. In general, All wrongs, and debts and damages mull be forgiven; when the hurt is like to be greater which will come by our righcing our fdves, tl11n th:lt which by for– bearance we {hall fllflain : And all mull be forgiven where Gods L1w or t.nans forbiddeth us not to forgive. Therefore a man that will here know his duty, mu{i conduct his actions by very great prudence (which if he have not himfelf, he mufi make ufe of a guide or Counfellour): arid he mufi be able to compare the Evil which he fulfcwh with the evil which will in pro– bability follow his Vindicatioo, and to difcern which of them is the greater : Or elfe he can ne– ver know how far ar.d when he may and mull forgive. And herein he mull obferve, 9· 19. 1· The hurt that cometh to a mans fo•l is greater than the hurt that befalleth the body: And therefore if my fuing a man at Law be like to hurt his foul by uncharitablencfs, or to hurt my own, or the fouls of others by fcandal or difiurbances, I mull rather futf(r any meer bodily in– juria, than ufe that means : But if yet greater hurt to fouls would follow that bPdily futfcring of mine, the Cafe is then altered the other way. So if by forgiving debts or wrongs, l be Jiker to do more goodw the fou{of him whom I forgive, or others, than the recovery of my own, or the righting of my felf is likt any way to equal, I am obliged to forgive that debt or wrong. ~· zo, z, The good or hurt which cometh to a community or to many, is .c.etcriJ parib1~! to be more regarded than that whi,h, cometh to my felf or a~y one alonr:. Becaufc many are of
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