/ . . . J1 Treatije ofChnijlian Equitie. 447'1 lwartsto be the la.II meanesof pulrliko peace, I J\. the tr.lall qfthygood name, when rhou art fo ;(o1houlJ :hela" be the l•ll meanest<> bev. flaundetG'ir an~ ~y fuch, asrhatthy credit is .fd, forth' atwn1ng of priu.re peace. All pubhkelyllldangered:forrhefc,and fuch like j ( mcane~mu(tbe mc:J ere:thou go eo law, and caufes,thou m:ucfl:goc ro law,when byo'rhc£ if1 1 onewJJI ferue,then Jsche law ordained fOr mvrc caiJe mean_es, rhou canllnotprocurea 1 rhe:,wherby ro recoucr thyrighr,&,ro mainreafonable fat~sfaelion. For then iris \'nb,\~- raineEquiry;for asrogotola" for a trifle, or full rofuefor tbcgreate!l ca~fein the wmld. atthcfirtl,uextr<mi•y.aodfuiniu.ry:foroso The trurholall thiS dodrmcdorh P~11/ torhe law for acaufc fufficieor, aodafter o· reach thcCorimhs, whomchecreprooueth thermcanes vfcd in vame, is Iu(llce and E· ofthree faultSo'l.tharrhcywenr to law bcfpre · quiry,and no extremity., heathen lodges. :. for euery caufe. 3· they. Here therefore Ier all ChriUians learoe v[ed no priuarc meanes of fari•fadion, bur how to go to law; and ther>rherl doo vrge ran to the law atthe firll. this poior,becaufe the law is notoriou OyabuThe firll of r,hefe cannot beour finne, f<ii fed: and 1t is almoll incred1ble, what infinite 111ee haueno heathen lodges, in as much as fummes and matfes ofmoney,are daily fpmr our!lateand gouernemeur, by the mercie of in it mo!lvnnecellarily:infomuch asthe law- B God is nor hearhenillJ,burwe haue aCbrilliyersdoeexceedeinwealrh, any otherfort or an commonwealth. Bur the other two are I calling ofmen in this whole realme. the general! (ores of rhts land; let vs there· For reformation wherof,lermenbutlcarne fore labour to hcale them, and ro couer our and prad:ife rhe two former rulr : J, Law is fhame: Jet vs remember_that not Cxtrmmir, nor ordained to be aIudgeofeuerymHe: It OH/ Equitie becomesa Chnllian;and let eueis aflume toour law that men be fuffered in ryman take heed of rhis, as hecwould bee the comruor!,wealrh to arrelleach other for itnowne to bee aChn!lian: forrhe kno•·nc debts of[mall value,foas ten times,&orbcrbadge of Chri!liamrie,ismemfulnelfe: the whiles twenty rimes as much is fpent fOr the more mercifull,the better Cbrillian. For he recouery of them, a• the principal! is. Are harh ra!led deeper of Gods mercies to him· nor wee a Chri!lian common wealth I why felfe,and therefore he is mc~cifull ro his brathen haue wee not the wifedome to appoint rher; and the worfe Chrillian, the lelfemer· another, an eaGer and a diretler w~y for the, cifull,for he neuer felt Gods mercies to hirurecoueryof fuch debts?and if rberebe no o· fclfe, therefore he cannot be mcrcifull to his rher way,why dorh not a ChriUian man llay brother. Now togoe to law for euery rrjflc, for ir,orlofeit rarherrhengo \Olaw fori!! It c orto neale lawvpon thy brother, or to fue is a fl~ame for our nation, r)l" rhe,rc fl10uld him before rhouolfer him peace, it argue<a be at oneAffifes ouerEn~;land,fomany bunhard heart, and vnmttcifull, and farce from dred adions of rrefpatfes, whcr~itl the damrhis duty of forgining: burro be loath to go mage is little or.nothing. To,t~lorme thefe, ro law,and to pur it olfas long as may be.,and is aworkeworthy ofa Prince,anl!cueryman firU to giue •·arning; and to olfer peace, ond !lJOuld pur his helping-hand ro ir. . nor ro doe ir,bur in matters ofwaighr,ir argu· Sccondly,let law be rhy la(l r~m.edy.This crhamerciful! heart,and fuch a oneas is rearule control!unorhe~foulemiforderinour _dy roforgiue, and fccha oneinwbome the · land. Menarefued when theywould gladly SpiritofGod doth dwell. .. , compound 1 when they •·ould willinglyfaris· And rhus I hope I haue opened rbisdury fie by priuare order, they are cornpolled to of forgiuing,and forbcaring,in fucb fort,as a anfwcrby law.And yet there isaworferhing Chri!lian may fee bow topraC\ifeir, "'lth eothen this: the law which !hould bethe lall, is fort to his confcience, and alfo without ony noronely madethe fir(! mcanes,burwhereas great loffein this world,or burr ro hi• e!lare. it!hould beeopen and publike, it isvfed as a ( _ And thuamuch for the foure feuerall du· clofe and fecrer.meanea; it flcales ypon men D tiesand degrees of priuare Equity. (as the phrafe rs.) For men are fued afore Now hauing openedthe n.rure &kindcs they know, and great charges come vpon ofChr;(!ian Equity, letvsprcceedcfurther them, ere they are rolde of it by them that . in rhetexr. LetJO•r Equitie (fai!h the Apofue them. IsrhiS Eq01ry? yea ts 1t notrarher flle)be_lzm>wnrto•.U men. The words import, cxrrcnllty I Andyer (alas) how common IS that ltiSour du11c, not oncly to knowrhi• it in moll places. Let thereforeeuery Chrivenue, and the nature of it, •nd to bee able fiian m•n, remember his lctfon here taught to talkeof it, bur in all our affaires publ•kc b,J> theApoille,LtiJ.OHre~mt]"'""'"'"'to.•& and pnuate,and lO all our dealings wirh men, m~n.Buw feems t~en,will fame fay,rhat men fq to put it in pradife, thar men may fee ir,& may not go to law, I anf••cr, thou maiell go harir may be known to other men:and rhat ro Jaw,rhough not for tnfles,yer for things of Jrhey may bee able to auouch forvs that our ·1,\'aight,asfort~e pur~uit ofanotor.ious thief, dealmg is vpriglu, equall, and indifferent, to Ills du.cand IU(l tmll : for the utle ol thy ioyned wnh equity and moderation,and free lands : for the rccouery ol thy IU(l and due from exrremiue and opprcfficn: this is the debts ofvalue: and ofthy ch,&lds porllt>n:for meaningofthat wh1ch w·eareharecomman· rbc mak1ng llraight of great accounts : for ded byrhe Apo!l!e.And the rcafcn why rhc Pp • . Apo- •'"
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