L111. 1I I. OfDn- A H. I Sn 1 1 A dead!) ;and hatred doth moll rancle the heart, when it iskept :n andl•mle . IY,J' --- : 1am1ot give ourJifttr to an HIICirCHmcifed tuon; here wasGqcUn the ll2.A ~ :.. ~a1an 1 in theheart: The bloud~<ltofall projeCts haveever~vom tobecolourc ,.; R.eli- I gion:becaufe the worfe any rhmg IS, rhebetter ~W lt defires tOmake; anO COntrorily, the better colourispur npon any vice, themore odtousitis; for as every limnlationaddesro an evill, fo the belt addes molt ev!ll : themfclves hadtskenthe daughters and filters ofuncircumcifedmen; yea Jacok himfelfedid fo; whymight not an uncircumcifed man obtaine their filter ? Or ifihere be adifference ofgiving and raking; Jt had beenwell, ifithad not beenonly pretended. It had beene an happy R.avifhment of Dinah, that fhould have drawne a whole Countrey into the bofomeofthe Church: but here was aSacrament intended, not to thegood ofthe foule, but tomurder ofthebody: It wasahard ralke for Ha111or and Sechem,not only 8 to put the knife to theirown forelkins , buttoper£\vadeamultitude to fo painful! acondidon. TheCons ofJ.,oh diffemble with them,they with the peop!e.(Jhall wot their flock a,/fubjlanct he ouo?) Common profit is pretended; whereas onely SechemJ pleafure is meant. No motiveisfopowerfull to the vulgar fort, as thename ofCommodity; The hopeof this, makes them prodigall oftheir lkin and blood; Not the love ro the Sacrament, not the love to Sechem: finifrer refpeets drawmore to the profeilion Cilf B.eligion, then confcience: if it were not for the loaves and fifhes, the train ofChrifr would be leffe. But theSacramentsofGod miC-received, ne1•er profper in the end. Thefe men are content eo fmarr, fo they may gaine. And now that everyman !yes fore ofhisowne wound, Simeon and Levi mfh in C armed, 2nd wound all themalestodeath : CNrfcdbe theirwrath,for itwufierce, and their rage,for it n>aJ crueii.Indeed,filchineffe fbould not have been wronghc in Ifrael: yet murder fbould not havcbeene wrought by Ifrael ;' ifthey had beene fit.Judges (which were bur bloodyexecucioners) bowfarre doch the punifhmemexceed the fault?To punifh above the dffence,is no leffe injultice,then to offe11d:one offendeth and all feele che revenge:yea all(though innocent) (uffer char revenge,which he that offended,deferved not.Sech"" finneth,bucDinah tempted him:She chat was (o lighc, as eowander abroadalone, only togaze, I fearewas nor over difficult eo yeeld : And ifhaving wrought her !bame, he had driven her home withdifgrace to her Fathers cent, fuch tyrannous lufrhad jufrly called for bloud: but nowhe craves,and offers, and would paydeare for bur leave eo give facisMon. D Toexecute rigour upon a fubmiffe offi:nder,ismoremercileffe than jufr: Orifthe puni!bment badbeenbochjultandproporcionablefrom another, yet from them which had vowed peaceand affinity, ic was fhafllCfully un jult. To difappoimche rrult ofanother, and 10 neglect ourowne promifeand fidelity for private purpofes, adds faichlefneffe unco our cruelty. That they were impotent,it was through cheir circumciGon: whit impiety was this; in ltead ofhonouring an holy figne, eo take anadvantage by it ? What !brickingwas there now in rhe frreers ofthe City ofche Hivites? And how did the beguiledsiclxmitJ,when they f>wthe (words ofche cwo brethren,die curling che Sacrament in their beans,which had betraied them? Even cheircmfes werethe fins of Simmt and Levi; whofe fact, though icwere abhorredby cheir Facher, yet ic was feconded by their brethen. Their lpoile makes good the E others (]aughrer. Whowould have looked 10 havefound this outrage in the f.lmily ofJmh? ,Howdid chat good Patriarke, when he faw Diwah comehomeblubbered and wringing her hands, Simeon and Levi fprinkled with bloud, wilh that Leah had been barren as long os K•chel! Good Parents have griefe enough (though they fufraine no blame) fur their childrens finnes : What great evi!ls arife from (mallbeginnings! The idle curioftty of Din•hhath bred all chis mifchiefe; B.avifhmenc follows uponher wandring, upon her ravifhment murder, upon the murder fpoyle : Ir isholy and IOfe 10 be jealousofthe firlt occafions ofevill, either done or fuffered. Of _,
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