534 A patientman whereunto re fembled. Clemencie,a profitable vertue. ReaÇms for Chri4s patience to- wards the Pharifeesat this time. VponPaffionSunday Slaue (mote Chrift inCaiphas his houfe, he did not offer him his other cheeke, but toldhimas one that was fencible of the wrong he had done him, ifi haue emsllToken,bearewitneffiofthe euill;but if1 hasewenfpoken,whyfmitefl thou me ? Saint .dsgnfline anfwereth hereunto, that to turne the othercheeke to an angrie man, is notfo much tobe vnderftood departeoperis, as depreparationeanimi , Not in regard oftheworke,by offering the cheeke,asof thepreparation ofourmind;forthat were but to put a fword into a mad mans hand. And inanother place he faith, That it is anhyperbolical! kindof fpeech, forthat Chrift didpretend, That hee that is offendedshould be fo fare from reuenging a receiued iniurie , that hee should rather willingly receiuea new, than reuengean old wrong : And therfore ifour Sauiour Chriff returned this anfwer to that rude andrough -handed Soul - dier, (Cur mecadn ? Whyfinitefl thou me ? ) it was either becaufe this his flattery, which he was willing ro expreffe to the High Prieft by this his crueltie , should not thereby be authorifed,or becaufe it might not beprefumed,that Chrift had loft the refpeéì due to the Priest ; or becaufe that no man fhould fufped, that thereremained any rancor in his breft,or delireof reuenge , ( which they that heard him fay,That theSonne of Man should come with power and Maieffie, and that he had another Kingdome,where legions ofAngels should (hew thcm- feluesfor to doe himhonour, might wellfufpeEt ;) or peraduenture he retur- ned him that anfwer for to pacific him, itbeing fo mild and gentle. In a word, The Rocke in theSea, the Anuile in the Forge, the Iuft in the earth, continue fell quiet ; the one enduring thewanes , and fuffering the furges of the feast the otherthe strokes of the hammers ; and the third, the injuries ofhis enemies. My enemies halecompaffidme about likefomany Bees,fo manyBals,andfomany Dogs, grinning their teeth at me, butit netsher troubles menorgrienesme, for 1 emfufßcient- ly reuengedofthem. Saint t."fuguflme dothhere askethe queftion, How (ô thou Kingly Prophet)art thou reuenged of them Marrie by infltuóting them in the truth,and bydiffuading them from their errours. robhauing receiuedgreat iniuries from his friends, as tauntingwords, and falfè teftimonies,the reuenge that hewoke of them,was, Topray vnto God for them,and togiue thetagood and who lefome councell, as Saint Gregarie hath noted it; Flie therefore from the faceof thefivord. Thirdly, he reada Leeture vnto Princes andPrelates, of that mildneffe and gentleneffe, which they ought to profeffe towards theirSubidts. Saint Bernard faith, That ifChrift did condemn Peter for drawinghis fword, when they carne to lay hands onhis Matter, and for cutting offofMalcdjrs his eare, it was, That Chollerdid not well become him, who was afterwards tobe a Gouernor oftheChurch, where hefhould meete withmany aç alalchke. There is not any thing that dothmore conferueScepters and Crownes,than clemencieand truth. Alexander Sentries was fo foft andmild an Emperour, that fomedid murmure thereat, laying, he would draw his Empire into contempt,and be leffeesteemed ofhis Subieäs. Whereuntohe anfwered, Though it fhould beofleffe efteeme, Iam lure it will be more fecurcanddurable. Saint LAugufline, Saint Gregorie,andSaintterome,make this doubt, Whyour Sauiourdid not as well reply to their callingof himSamaritan, as for telling him that hehad a diuell : And they refolueit thus, That concerning thefe two iniuries, the one was an affront done to his person, the other to his Do- ¿trine : for the wrong that was done to his doEtrine, becaufe it touched the honour of hisfather hee was bound to anfwer thereunto. For a feruant mutt not bee filent, much leffe a fonne, in the agraaios, and iniuries that are donc unto
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