i i eA 'Treatife of ·Chrijlian Equitie. \Apoltlevrgctb vs_to make tt k~o\y~e,is, be·_, A ;caufc thcrcJS a prtuy hypocnhe 1·n- our na• · :wrcs, wt!.crcbywcc aregiUeo to make lhew of more rhen is in vs. Againit whkh vicewe do truly labour,when we labourto make Our vcttues mantfdl and knowne to the world, that fo the tree may be knowne by hiS fruits: he iJJ a holy & rdtgious man 1 nOC \ll'ho know– eth,andcan talkewcll,but he who(Crdtgtoo and holinelfe is knowne in the world, and feene of men:he is a mcrc~full man,ohvhofc mercymondotalle. So he isancquall and vpnght man,whofe Equity is felr, aud found by them who dealewJth lum. Let therefore our ac'\:ionswith men rdllficthcvcnucs of our hearr,tbar men wholiuewith vs,& dcale B . with vs, may be able to fay for vs, that we arc potlelfed wuh rhofe vertues; for this is to be truly good,not when a man can fpeake well, or tellofhisownegoodnelfe, but when other men feelt,feele lt,andfpeake of 1t. Hirherto.ofthe meaning ofrhe"'ords. Now that whichwas Pat11!exhorration to the Philipprans, thall bee mine to all <rue Chri(l:lans:Lrt ]Oiir Equal b~k._norrm toal mm. Youhauclcarncdwhat 1t is, a-nd how it is to beepratbfed :tt nowrcmaines,that wee con– tent not our felues with rbc bare knowledge, but take noriceOf ir, as of a doClrine belon– gtng tovs,andpmitinpraCbfc in all our dea– lings, publ1kc and pr~u>re, yea and make it manifeil to theconfcicnces of all men,good c ani:l bad: fo thateucryman,withwhome"'ee deale,may ra!le~nd fecleof our Equiry,and b<e able to tefl1fie of vs, •hat Equuy bearcs rule in all our aCliuns: thus if we dee,wce are Chri(iiaos nor in name,and profdliononly, but in Geed and rruch. And to perfwodc vs all eo this holy dutie, let vs vfefome few rcafons tomforccit :and amongll all the reafons that might bee broughr, rhere is none bcnerthen this here v(ed in the text(Thr ,U,duat !Jand.) But before weecome eo fpe•ke of it,ler vs confider of oneorher, which doth moll na: cunlly inforce this exhortation;and it i~this~ was due vnco them by the Ju(hce ot chat law> which was giucn them. But now, bcholde Gods Eqmty,and moderation of the IuOrce of that law,he Unkes them nor pre(ently,•s the tenour ot rhel•w, and theirdefert rcqui· red, ne_nher with the fir a' norfecond death, but dcterrcs the fullexecurion, layingvpon them (tor·the pref<nt)'a lclfe punifltment, namcly,a fubfeClion to the firll death, and a gullrindfc of thcfecond, that is,of damnati~ on. B~!holdc a rnarue1klus mltigation,by tllc tcnour of thar.law, their bodies and (oules lhould both.haue prrfently died, and bocne caft IOtohell,but God in mercy fufpends and dcterres the execution of it,and ondy £hikes dd~m.rbody w~th mvrral1ty,wherebyhewas fubteCl to the hrU dtath, and his foule wit!> gurlrinclfc, "hereby he was fubieCl to the fe. cond death: by which mitigation it came to palfe,chat as Ad•m by h•srepentance,after– ward_quite efcaped rite fecond deoth, fo hee tailed nor of rhe fir(! death till nine hundred 'ycarcsafter. If apriiOnercounts it a mc.rci– tuJJ f~uour of rhc Prince, o.rrhe Judge, when after his iudgement to dre,hc is repriued bur oneyearc; then what amerci(ull rnirigatmn ~as this 10 God, to repriue our firl.l parents tor fo many hundred yeares? This was the fir!l atlion of Gods mercy to man, and this concernes all mankindc generally, but efpe· caally Adamand t'ur. But thcfecond doth more neerely con– cerne all merl} ~So foonc as a man commits any tinne, cilotlrhen is bee guil11e of eternall damnation, b~caufehe harh broken tbe l:w: for the ctll'tl;.of theJaw Is not onely a guilti– neffe, but-a fubiedion to the wrath of God, prefently co!;l;influ~led vpon thelinncCOin· mJtted).wirncillt any intermillion: (o thatfo oft as aman finnerh,fo ofrdoth hedcierue to be plunged fouleand body into hciJ,wuhout beeing fpared one houre. If therefore the Loril did'cail·renne thoufand into hd in one houre,hc did butIullice,fo'rfo tbe law rc<JUi· reth: but fee the mercifullmoderacion of the Lord: though wedeferuc cuery houre to bee God f11eweth moll admirable Equityand' moderation towardsvs, therefore cught wee I? to!hew it onetowards another: ltisthe rea.. fonof the holy Gho!t,BeJ' mtrcifull,.ujoHT' hr•ueniJ Fathrruomcifuii.WonderfulliSthc ·moderation that God fhcweth ro man,andit appcares cfpeciallyin fourethings, 1vhereof cwo belongto all men,and theotherrwo coneaU into hell, yet is eucry houre and minute of ourliues,full ofthe mercy and moderati· onoftheLord: fo aschougbour linnes crie fllrdamnaiton prefently,yer God llaieth hrs hand, and dothnot execucerhefentence of damnation vpon the llnuer inllaorly afrer his finne, no notin one of reo rhoufand, but [pareth euery man m.;ny yearcsJome more, fomelelfe, but all more tlm1thcir finnes de· ferue,ortheiaw requirerh. vVcofccn reade, and alwaies 6nde,that God heares thec,ncof finners:burwe feldom readc,that God heares rhecrieoffinne, for if heealwaies heard ir, when finnecries for vengeanceto him, hoe 01ould turnevs all into hell in one houre:thi• is a wonderfull patience and moderation in God,and yet beholde~ greater. ccme hiS Church. 1 he fir!lAClionofGod,wherein hefhew– erh great moderation rowardsal mcn,is this: A law w::asgiu~n toourfiril parents, Eauttot. of thu rm, i[Jotldoe,youdie for it: and that a doubledeatli,boch of body and foule. But they atr,and fa brake the law, and cherby did vndergoe the penaltyannexed :'b'y force and vertuewherot;thcy flwuld haue died prefent· ly,the death both ofbody and foule,and this j had beene no Extremi~ie,~ur Iollice, for this 'For whereas wee by our linnes doe eucry houre plunge our felues into hell, asa man : thar ' '• I
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