vi Treatije of r;hripian Equttie. and !land.lll ncode of the fame h1mfelfe,and /A therefore i¥ to doe as he would be donevnto: But efpcc•allyaChnUian man, who lookes for forgiueoelTe ar Gods h•od for IllS owne linnes, mu(f nccdes forl:)iuc hli brother. -so rbat to a Cllrilhan man, there is a double bood or rea(on, to uehim to this duty. One ts as hce is aman, therctoremullhcc forgiue hi1n that offends h1m, that fo another man may alfo forgiue him,when heofFenderh.For rhere is none, but bcelt·lt;a man,a11dliuing a– mong!! men,he mull nceJs otl'end, Another more forc1bl..ealon is, as hec is a Chr1llian, therefore mull he forgtue, becaufe el!o, how can he in reafon demand or pray for forgiue· nell< ar Gods hand for many thoufand otfen· B ccs of his own!!, and thofe exceedmg great, when another man cannot obramc torgiuc– nelTe at hu bands, fur a fewcfmall offences/ ThiS duty is of gre.rer neccfiiry then all the iormer:for vpon pracbfe of rh19,depends the prcfcruacjon of peace: but where rhi! is not prad:ifcd,there 1s no religton,nor con!Cu~nce, nor faluarlon: for wbere there" no forgiuing of another man, that man is not forgtucnat God•hands. Andheewhofelinnes are nor tn Chritl fcrgiucn, and taken away, that man is in thcllareofdamnarion,and till he be for– giuen;hc c. an neucr be faoed :but hcc can ne· uer be forgiuen, rill hee forgiue his brother: and fo it is plarne, that euen faluation lt felfe, C m fome fort, dependa vpon rhc p•ad1fcol this: duty,yecnotas:acaufe, burasallgnc:,or an effect offaluation.Furrhis isnor true,rhat euery onewho fo'l;iucs, is fort;iuen of God, but this is trut,rharu·hofocuer js forgiuen of God,wrl forgme hisbrether.So then,neirher inrea(on,nor inrellgion,can aman Jookefor forg•uenelfe himfelfe, vnletlehec make con· fcience to forgiue anorher. Yea God harh made eucry man aludge in thiscafe, rocon· demne himfelf,if he do it nor,when he praies .<uery d·ay,rhat God would forgiuehim euen fo,as he dorh forgiue others, · Yet inrhis dutyofforgiuingourwardln– ·iurics,twocauriOnsarctobe remernbred. J, That rhereisa umewhen aman rsnottofor– beare& futfor,bur may llandvpon hisguard, D aoo defend himfclfe from rhe iniurie: and ihac is, whcnhtshfeis mdan~c:rcd, aswhen·a man isalfaulrcdbya theefe,"r by hiS deadly enemy, whof<ckeshiSlife, andcan haue no helpc,he is ill rhar cafe tohelp himfel(c,when bee mullcirher kill or bee killee,rhen reafon and religionb1ddeshim defend hrrnfclfe:and Qeeing tn chatc~ft, that aman c:annot haue the Magillra·tcs hdpe,rbat bcaoesrhefword for h<S defcncc, God pu_rs fortharrime, the fword into a mahsowntrand,and makes hrm aMagi11rate for rhar rime,and occafion, For in cafes of fuch extremity, God al!oweseuery man ro bceaMagillrarc, notondyrode– fendhi mfclfe,bureueo to kill hioenemy,if it bceunpol1iblcaoy wayciie to faue his owne Jif!:_a_nd rbrs defe~mansfelfc,hinders n.>r the dury of forgiuing; for fo farre n;ulfa man forbearc and forgruc, that hee bcfurcto defend his owne lrfc. !1, rhe Ic.:cond place, thoughaman forgiu~ thcm_turyandwrong done vnto hinJJyer may hefat<lyrn(oruecales,goeto law lorrecom· pence of rhat wroog. lr is a diuelliJh opinion ro rhe world,rhar a wancannctgo to law,and bernchamy:wc mu£1 know,rhar a man may go to law,and yetbe in chariry: lor to forgrue th~ maliCe, ~nd to fuc for recompcocc, are rhrngs rndtfterenr 1 ltisnor fomuchchamy to forbcarc che recompence, as iris ro fOr· giue themalice. If therefore a manforgiue noc the malice, hccis oucofcharnyJ but het mayfue forfarisfaClwn, and beero charity, TheScr~prure lorbiddeth not mens •oin~ ro law,but telstbem how they fi•ould d~ll: Jaw is noc_cuill,thoughcomenttous men,and \o"n· coofcronablelawyers, haue vilelyabu(ed ir: but is Gc''' ordinance, and may lawfully bee vfed,fo ir be.on this manner: Fir!l,itmufl not bee for euery trifle, euery trefpatfe, euery ill word; bur in rhefccafcs, a manuboth to forgiuc the mahcc,and tore. mtt che recompcnce,becaufche is ltdeor no. rhingarallhurrbyll. Forexample,A poore man !leales a hule mcare from rhee m his hunger,l<r rhe law rake hold on him,bur pur– foe thou himnomore for it, chcnby the law thouneedes mull, Asainc, rby neighbours callell dorh rrefpalfe thec,rhou mull nor goe to law for ir, rhc malice bee ir more orl<lle, rhou mull forg•uein Chriliianity,& fur con· f<lencefake,and the damage isfo (mal,asrhar rhercforcrhou marll not go to law for11, For rhclaw rs abufed in being execur<d vpon lfl· Aes,aod thofelawyers!hamothem(clues,and dilhonourtheir profcffion, who are wlllrng thareuery rrefpalfe of fucpeocedamages,be an a<lion mthe law : this is one of the caufes of the bafeand vile names that arc giuen re. the law and lawyers in thefc daies, becaufc thelaw isimployed vpon fucb rriHes. And it is to be wi!hed,. tbar the fuprerneMogillrat<· would takeorder ro rellraioe rbis generail c– uill: that contentious mer. and vnconfciona· blelawycu might not coofpire rogarher, to pell<rthelawwirh rbefctriAes;& thogb men be fo vnconfcionable,as to run to the Jaw for cucry trefpa!Te, yet!hould lawyers befo con· fcionablc, aodfowife, as they llwuld dr~ue them from thelaw again.ThirdJy,rhyneigh– bourgiues rbee ill words, raifeth orcarmrh eutllr~Jes ofthee: eqllitifit,not!ogoe to law for euery cuill word, bur roconhdcr,rbat for rhe mahce,thou ar11o forgioe11; and for the damage it cannot bee great, bccaufe many mens tongues are no .£launder, neuher arr rhouany rhingworfefor 11, cfpcctally~·hen bee darenor llaod ro rhar he harhlaid, as for the moll partrhey doenor.. . Thefecond caution iagorng ro law,rs,thar ir mull not bee the 6rfl, bur the la!I meancs of peace.Law isakinde ofwarre;~~.!:_:_rtOre warrc ..
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=