Chap. 3 3. An Expofitiòn upon the Bokof j o B. Verf..2. 193 lvliniflers Lyonsto fcare his flock, nor Bulls to gore them, but Shepheards CO feed them and watch over them. And efpecially when the hand of God is upon any, our hand iliould not. For conclufion, take here the laws ofa jua difputation. Elihu in 'this Preface (1 have yet gone no farther) gives fob free leave to anfwer, and iet himfelfe to the battaile with him, and promi- feth to deale with him in the faire'% and in the .meetefl way he could withor delire. It is the obfervation of amoderne Expofi- ter upon thisplace, confidering the equanimity andgentlenelfe with which Elihu engaged himfelfe to inannage this difpute. If Inch afpirit ( faith he ) could be found as here Ebhu profeffeth Levateraea,. in this controverfie With fob, howfame might all our controverfies be ended ; but we feemo Men every where magifierially impofng one upon another, yea magif$ratically. If they cannot rmrofe mage- fierially, and make others believewhat they fay, becaufe theyfayit, then they will impale magiftratically, the Magifirates'word (hall makeway,iffrength ofargument cannot.And (faith he) when they have di fputed a while and anfwer is made, they will not receive an- fwer, but tell ofprifons, of[word and fire. Thus he taxed the Po- pifh Magiftrates ofthole times, who layed indeed a molt heavie hand upon all who fubmitted not to the Babylonifh yoke. 'And it were well if there were not fomething of fuch a fpirit, a bitter fpirit, an impofing fpirit, a fpirit of dominion over the faith of o- thers remaining at this day ; but that we could with fweetnefs and q"entlenefs treat about our differencies, and fay as this man did ( though a man full of zeale fortruth ) to our diffenters, we will not terrifie you with the Maoiflrates fword, nor will we dealeby fubtlenefs ; we will not perfwade you by bonds and pri- fons; Our terrorfhall not makeyou afraid, nor our handbe heavie upon you, neither willwe provoke other hands to be heavieon you ; we will carry all things fairely, amicably, Chriflianly, waiting in the ufe of propermeanes, counfels, convt lions, and prayers, till God 'hall make way into every mans fpirit to receive the truth. Thus fa -re Elihu hath ( likea fubtie Orator) prefac'd it with Ha£fenus exor- fob, to,prepare him for an attentive hearing, for a candid con- dtue+ fequitur firuaion of,and a ready condifcention towhat he had ready to pr0P0 to. propofe, and fay. C
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