4-4-0 A Treatije·of (hrijlitmEquitie. is lorfetted :but ro raltc this aduantagc, is th A gainaand dcalings,that his mancrofdealing, extremitieofthe law:themoderation i!l,tO re-. mull nol oncly be warranted by thelawes of mit the fame forfciture,in part,or jnwhole,~ , tbelan4,b~t eucn by Gods word alfo: & this thou !halt fee rcafon in equihe.and conf~i' , "to bcknowncand taken for agcnnalltulc cncc: Thi& modlrlftionM in1hU c•fe. Pubbfte et~ all thtS creatife.And he chat wtll duly con· _ quztie , andwithouuhis, thcr.~;;an Pc no ltt.. f1dcr tbetrtiedifferenceof ~.w,(fnirie and· mo.. ring oflaods)bccwixrman and m~o.· , ._ der•tion, as they arc here dcfcrtbed, may lee So for finesandrents, the law faich , ThoH l1ow to carrie himfclfe in all his dealings, fo m41f/ nMk! th< mof/ of, thin< ' "'"': H o!J1ou aschey may bee warr~ntable: bocb by our !!retch this law as farre aschevery wor.ds wi)l owne lawes,andby che word ofGod.' bcare,then maiell thou makefuchl!nes a~d · To refprne then to the matter,and to end rents, •• may grindethe faces of ~he poor.e, this poifll .ofpublike equitie:Ifany map !hall foas no man fhallliue vnder.[hee: but ihus obicd:, that this mcderAtiotJ is awrong to the to doe,is Exlmniu'<,and beyond the purpofc law:Ianf~er,it is not :- foriris neitheragainft ofthelaw. · , theiA'Il',UOr altogethcr/ujidnthe/aw,but oneTb• mfd<rAtun in thiscafeis,not to cake all B ly bfjidrsthe(lrifld/ meAni•g ofthe fa.,, Nay it thoumaidlget , burfotofine and re~t!hY is included in the law,asw~ll asthecxtrcnnty lando,as herhattake• them,may liue ofthem' ·i•,though not in the fame manner:lor thee.<- Thercafon ofthis01tirigAtio• is,bec~ufF, entremitJ11 warrarited ~y the .laws miiig~tion is uic and hatred, may ofteq make many men but tollerated: the law alloweth extre~,iry, offer: more for afarme, then it iswonh, w but ir onelyadmirrccha mitiglltion. Sorhen, crotfe and hurt thdr neighbour, or to get all bo.tbcxtrtmitit andmitig•mon 1 are within the into thcirowne hand. Here thcrforc,though law, buriri• in the h•nd print1pally ofrhe rne law dothyecld thee all rhat,which a man Mag10:rare, andinfatne cafcs of orhermen doth wil,lingly olfcr,yet mull thine own conalfo to difccrnc the fcucrall circumllances, fcience.be aJaw vnto thee, to make thee a \);hen the one is to bee executed, and when moderatour ofrhat cxtrcmitie. · the other: forfometimc one i!! the iu£liccof Let tbefe three e"amples ferue for many. the law,and fomctime the other : and accor· NowintiJofe·and all other pu~like de~lmgs dmgasthcfetwo are itifllyand wifely execubetwixt men in the world; a man obferues redor neglected, fo is the iu!lice of rho law PuMfe! '1"iti< , when hede~leth not wi tjl his executed or neglcCled. neighbour, according 1 to that ~xtre,mltJ , The want of thiscquicie in mens publike which the llrickt words ofrhe law will beare: c aClions,isthe eaufe ofmuch cruclry,oppre(Jibut according to that Moder•tioH, wh1ch on, and inequalitiein dealingsbetwixt man goodconfcicnce requireth; and which the and man: bccaufc ~xtremititisfor themoll: lawitfelfe in fome cafes doth admit• .By rhe p.1rr oncJy rc:gardcd, &mitigtttionis banifhed knowledgeofthcfetwo, a man thar bath any out ofallbargaines. And iris impollible, to confcience,may feehow to carrie himfclfe, in keepe good <onfcicnce in forfcirurcs of all thefeciuillatfatres,in aneuen,vpright,and bonds,and in forfeiture oflands, furccylhips, equall courfe, and warranrablc nor onely by fincs,rents,an<\fuch kindeofaClions, vnlelfe the law ofrheland , bot euen by che law and there be due regard had to rhe practifeofrhis word ofGod. publike cquitie.Men therfore,mu!J-confider Andlmakethis dillinClionofthelaw of thattheyareChrillians, and liueina Chri· theland,andthe word of God, bccaufe wee llian Commonwealth : And they mullnot are to lenow this for arule: Th.al eNerr~xtr~- lland onlyvpon thelaw, and rhe aduantage ~i~. w~icha lllw in the flrirJeft ttcception doth that the Jaw giues. As they are men, they I Affoard,i¬ rP~trrtft~lt~Mao bevrgeJ /J; the t41Drd I haucalaw of_thccountry, which mayallow •(qod:••d7''not.,irhft•ndingil i4good, conutniextremitie : but as theyare Chrt!lians, they ent,andrequi{ite, thAt the extrtmitie6e warrttn- D liuevndera lawofGod,theecernal law which ttd /J]tht lf4w, lucttufl infome c•ftJ 1 itm•ft r~eeds mull iudge them at thelall day:thc righteous ~' <x<eHttd, Thelawes of men, mayordaine Jaw, which no creature /hall euet be able ro and appoint extremities: butthelawof 9od blame ofiniu!lice,or ofextremitie: andmen mullrdlvs, when to vrge them, andwhen mull know, that God himfclfe commands to moderate them : So then, when a man this cquitieofoneman toanorher, . takcsrhe extremitie, he doth that, tharis a!- But ifmen, for rhe feareofGod. wtll not wales warrantable by tholaw:bucinfomecadeale eqHaiiJ Andmod<rAitfJ, with chem thatfcs,isnotwarranrable by God• word, which are in theirpowcr;but /landllriCllyvpon forcommandcrh a Mitig4rJ·o,, when there. is feiturcs and other extremities: chen mull rhe good reafon forir. But he that takerh theexgodly Mag1llratc exrrcife hispower , and by tremirie, \vhenthere ts no iufi cawfe of mirithe force ofhisauchoritie, caufe them to migatinsit, andagaine doth mttigareit, when rigatc rheir extrcmitie, and eo pur in praClife the:re" caufc,his courfe is not ondy warranrhat equity ~>hich becommeth Chrt!ltans. tablcbyrhelawesofmen, buteue·n by·thr And let cucry ludge and Magi!lrate know, IawesofGod al(o,For it Isthe duticofeucry rhatby the law of rhc cucrlalling Gcd, he Cbrillianman, to remember inall his bar· 1 norondy may , bur1s bound thus to doe tt.. them,{ ,., (Ill
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