I !. PHIL. 4· s. L~t TOHT moJer4tion •f mindr be k._n9WIU to 411 mm: the LArd H 41 hAnJ. HE Apo(!JeiO rhis chapter, giuerh fundry exh~rrat1ons to many Chri£lian dutie•.ln r)lc pr~ vcrf.ro pcrfeuerancc mfaith'and true religon. In th~Tc'cond an:l thlfd vcrfcs, ro muruall concord.' In the fourth vorfe, to ii lj>ir'iruallwy m the Lord. •' ' · In•rf11s 6ft vcrfe, heexhorrerh tti'the ver· rtle~t>fEquiric,or moderationof mio'de, Our EnglfTh trannariOn'f'•commonly' readc it thus: Ltt1our pati~nt mindt bek._,own)~ ..11men: •'h•ch though it beetruely and well fa1d, ><t the words tranOated haue a larger ai>d fuller 1 'cigmficatlon. Therefore according to the naruf~and force o~the words, I rather thufc: t({fc3delt thus: Lrtyo~r tquifJ or moderatio~t ormr,J..r be k_nawne,&c: .. The •·ord! cbnuiinctwoparts. i. ,\A~ c~hortation;LerJofJrctJHitJ bek.nown · to'tttfih/n, 1 . An eXccHe'n'C'I'eafon to enforce it:' rh~ Lord iuit1i4hd; ·· \ \ ·\rlie drift onil f~ope of the·exhortation is to perfwade thePhilippians,and in them the "hole ~hurch,to the praCl1feofEquiry. Now this EquitJ, w)>ereunto rh~ holy~· po(\Je fo earncJlly ~~hp<tcth, i• a -.;ortb1c, Chri!lianvertue,fo excellent, as thccarcfull praCli(e thereof; is tbe marrow and !lrength of acommon-\\.·calc, and where it i, there camlOt be bur peace and Ccnrcmment•Jn all eflates; and fo ncceffary,as wirhoUffOC:pfa· Cbfc- of 1r, nohoufc, t3mdy, foc1etie, ciltic, common-weahh, kingdomc, or Church can· !land or continue. Indeed a kinguome m•y bcobt;~.ined by force and armcs, byviolence and cruelty: bur it cannot !landor continue without rhi~ equity, and Ctw{ban mod<:ra– tion betwixt man and-men. Nay ciutU focic– ty, and common dealing becwixr man and man,cannor conrinue,vnJclfcOnc man yccld to another. In aword,rherc can be no peacr– ln families, no found or laDing louc be– rwixr man and wifc,nor anycomforrablcqu1 crncs,wherc one doth noryecld to theother, and one be;rcwirh anorher in many rhings. And t>ll be fo in mauiage, ...hichisthenca, \ rcll coniunf.i:ion, and the moaexcellent and pcFfeCl (oCICty,which i• in rhis world: then i• it much more true, tn all mher foclc[ICJ of mco,that there can beno peacc,no Chrilli· an nctghbourhood,no rrue (riend!hip, vnlcs onebcarewithanother, and one towards a· nother clo carry }1i111fclfcUl aneucn and mo. dcr;uccour(t'. Scc1ng therefore this is fo ncceJfary and excellent • vcrruc,(liauc purpofed to fpeake lot' 1r J.t large. Let vs tbcn cx:lminethcfetwo /point": 1. the nature of it. z. the kiudesoflt. / For cbc firfl; {hri/fiom~qHUJ U "rArt 11mi ,~.~.;e!l.:~>~t V/!tlll!, t~thercbJ men vfe 11 trH~nuAne, ••J ) A And•neqt~~O-modtr~ti®in•O rhtirAffllirttud dea/tngs 'Wilh '!un, r~r tbt mAintt~lning of iNfhcr, ••Jpre(<rN""'"•f P'""· This ltaketo be the true defcnption of tho generall n~ture of . thu venue: and herein, F~tll,I fay it isaver– . tue,wh1ch IS conuerfant about praCliting ofa · moderation 10 all our courfeo and dealings ~~~h mtn. For we men f:&nvfe nO meane nor rnederariono>ith God,btll ifwe doe euill,it is all roo much,and 1fwee doe good,it is all too Inde: againe,equiryand moderation io to be performed of God towards men, and not of menrowards God, For if mendeale not •· qu1Jly to•·a·rdoGod, 'the fault is theirs, and nor his,God is notthe·workfor·it·buufGoo B dealt nor moderately with men,'the wo 1 1d' would not laflonehourc. Andla!lly, "h'"· · there arc no filuft:s, thcreisnoforeiuepclf~ · where110 infirmitieP, there needesflomode: ~ation•: but in God there is i10 wanr, no er· roor,no •.mpe1 tectwn ; but hh loue,his m·cr·, i <y,and h~t workesofJoueandm~r9 towards mankinde, and to bisC'hurcb efpecially arc . mofi perfect, therefore there needes no:no.·. dcr;tion, nor forbcarancetow~rdsGod bHt to– w•rds mm,who beiog ftclland blood,a~d full "1 bLinfirmities, (from which regeneration 1t , - idfe doth notfullyfreevs) do the~fore £land : ill nccdc of this vertue to bee pral!tifcd a- · mongll rhem : clfe their focicry and fcllow– lliipcaomorendurc. And furthcr,all men in C Tllis cafe arealike,& thereforeon• hath good cau(ero beuewuh another. TbePriuce is llefl• and blood as well as his fubieCls: the husband IS Hefl1and blood as wellasthc wife "; the Pafior IS aman ash" peopleand hea· rers arc. Hence it follo"eth, that therefore one is filbietl ru infirmities, as welJ as an o· - ther: andrh~rfor.clconclude,that in all our cour(esand dealings ofmanwith man in this world, there mu£! be pratlifcd..(hrifli•nmo– d~rAtion. Secondly,! fay in the defcription,that the end of this verrue,istcl' rnaint4ineiNjlice, 4ndt~ reftruepeAce: whichtwo are rhevery finewes and llrengrh ofa Chri(lian kmgdomr: for D wh:re we_cloe E:~t to orhe':men, as we wouJfl o!lierslhould dorovs1thtr•i4••i•fl~<•. And where wee "'Ill not palfcbyfruaiJ faultB, and furbrare infirmtttrs,tbt"reco~~nNenopt11ce; fuch. Is the excellency of thi.svertue,asit ferues to rnainraine two other fuchgrcat :and princi– pall verrurs, as An~ cucn rhc heart, and the braineof rhe common.wealth, namely, Iu· !liceond Peace. But for rl•c more exa~&particulor know· lodge ofthenature of this nccclfary vertue: let vsdeli:cnd to the particular branches and kindes of it, Chr~!lianEquitic therefore, is eitherpub· likc,orpriuarc. '•
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=