'--~----------~-=----------------------- t 8 d nExpojition ofChrifls we haue p,ff.mafter.s, fo in othercountries, c- A 1pccially in •.Pn-fw, there were like offi.e<rs ' who by :1.uthoridc from their Kings or Empc– rours, might t3kc.tncns cattcll; nay men thcm– fcluts, and vfe them for traucU.and carriag_c, at . -their plcafurc:~and· it is like, the.Icwcs had got this.cufiomc among thern at~~r their captiuitic, · bM1t.11:Js.. ~as· may in part appcarc, Oy thf'it- b campdling 'Sim•n •f SJY<n< to beAr< .Chrtjf1 a•Jfc whm : thq met him. Now Chrill fpcakcs here ofth~ a:bufcofthis authoritie; laying,. Tbatif aman corl1pt!!tbu wrongful!J, vnd~ coloHr of the M a~ gijfrate.r tUsth(}Yitie, tg goewirh him one mile, goewith him tw:Jine: that is,_rarhcr thenby re– Jilting thou lhouldclt rrucnge thy fclfc, goe · with him two miles-: whence bee giucs to ~ll B infcriours acom:nandcmcnt,tobearc patiently th~ wrongs that arc done vnto them ~Y thdr &tperiours, &: r~tber to fuffcr adouble wrong, ' then fcckc to rcucngc thcmfelucs by priuatc rcfi!bncc. Here then we {ce 3 iu!t ground of reproofe ;;r~ri~~~s. ·ofinfctiours for fundric pnt1tfcs ofimpatience towards their fupm·iours; as firft, "'·hen aman i is attached by anofficer,to make violent rcfiit– ance. This proetifc fwaructh from the Rule of Chriit, for f3y thou art atuchcd wonglully,yet thou oughteftto acknowledge Gods ordinacc in Magi!tracie, and to obey the fame, without offering priuate rcucngc. Secondly, it often falls out, that Land-lords and men of wealth, opprelfe the poorc, by indoling of common hnds, and fuch like; nowhereupon the poorer fort vfc to raile againit thcm,andto,curfe them: C but this praEtife is alfo here forbidden by our Sauiour Chrift;for albeit the rich men fin zric– uoufly in opprctling the poorc, yet the poorc mull fuffcr rather double or treble wrong, then by curfing fpccchcs fcck prim:ttercucngc. ~~~f!;cf~'~ Againc, in this example we may fee a third 011 rs. k~ndcofwicked men; to wit, aB fuch as beeing fuperiours, doe wrong: and violence ;to their interiours, as crucll MagiHrates, opprdling Landlords, caucllingofficers,vfurcrs, and fuch like: thcfe are here called mill onu by our Sa– uiour ChriH, and therefore they muff learne tO fhcw mcrcic, and lcauc off wrongandvio– lence, if theyJooke to cfcape to be iudged as D cuill ones at the lait day. ;~:~~i~fitic ' Thus we fee th~ three: particular examples tulf.:ring:. of Wrongs, wherein men may not reuenge themfdues priuatly, Now from them all ioym– ly confidcrcd, we may note two points; Firft, that the calling Qfa Chrillian is a ftatc.offi,tfe– rin&, x.Pet. '~· lO.:ll. If yn rak,!it patient– ly J>hen !" fliffor J>r.ng for ,.,1/.d•ing, rhu u prai{e worrhjt, for }ff are htrtltntocalled: and therefore if we \\•ould declare our fclucs to be the'truc mCbcrs ofChrHt we mu.tl: fhcw forth patience ill bearing wron'os~ without feeking rcucngc. This was Chri!ttieffon to his Difci- • plcs, for hauing tolde them of atlliCHons to I . c: tuk.u,,~,. I com(', hebids them to cpojfoJTt rheirfoHle.r wirb -·-···--t'atiene<: fo whm the fpirit of God fets down _-· M .mh.5. ~±.!.:__ the atlliclions of the Church, hec addcs this as a11 Item, d heu J1 the patience of the ~~~~~:·.~~~o. Sai~ts. We thercf?r~ mu,A: labour to repel I all maltce ~nd ra~cour whcm\'~ fuffcr:vniuiHy,re– mcmbnng thts rule of ChnH, that nt·hcr then we offer priuate rcu~nge, Y\'e mull fuffcr the doubling and trebling ofthe wrong. It is true indeed, this is hard for Odh andblood to doe· bm ifwe be but flcO'l,that is,naturall!i\cn,whY doe we profdfc our fclucs ro be ChrHHans?for hte that h11th not th({pirit>of God, is none of hi:~, Rom.S · 9· And ifwe be in the fpirit, v/cmufl: obey the motions thereof, and lcOJ:mc ofChrift who was mcckc and humble, and following him we {hall find icit for our foules. Secondly,when Chdil fCts down the.fc th(ee examples of fi1ffcring wrong , he appl ies him– fclfc to the prefcnt outwarddbtcoftht Iewes which was this;For one man to futfer wrong of another in his bodic,:md in his goods, andyet to reil contented, without rdcife or amends: Now thecaufeof this their miferableCot)diti· on, wa~ their fcruitude to the Romanc. ·Empe– rour, who a little bcfors:: ChrjH~ conltning, had n:mooucd the fcepter.fromJuda,alid tna-dc lu-1 da a Prouince tribucaric vn~o RomG,fo.~s~hcy ' were rulednot bya Pr·incc •of thcirrownc~ but! by aforr~inc er.cmics Dep.u\ics. 1 · "" ~ ,.., ' 1 In thi., e!btc we tl\\}'fac the mifcrablc con- ~i~~~~;:rc. l dition ofany peoplethar'are In bondage to a ''""~' forrainc cnemic,thcir ~j~cs arc cucryw~,mifcthi11;. rablc;for befides thrir'pcrfonall·bond:igc,rh cy arc con(hained to fuffc1·lo!Rs and \\'~OJ\g~, in goods, in~hcir names, Y~ithout all rcmedjCor releifc.Tljt ~onfideration hercofmqlt tca(hv., Firlt to be heartily thankfull vnro God,for the happic out(\'ard peace, V:·hich with the Gofpcl of Gods grace we t\ow cnioy vnJcr our ~oueraigne, beeing free from fubicCHon vnto any forrainc po\\'er.Secondly,topray earndtly vnto the Lord, for the good cHate, life, and healthof our Prince, by_ Whomvndcr God,wc enioy fuch ioy and profp£ritic ; as al.fo for the continuance of Gods holy hand of p.r 0 tcction to prcferue chc whole laqd againfi all forrainc power wharfocuer.Thirdly,to repcnrvafainedlyofal our.finhcs,that fo we turningvnto God frvm them,he may continuevnco vs thofe bappie daics of peace, whqdn we hauc {recdomc fi:om fubicClion to forraiuc tyrannie : for our finncs arc our ~frcatcll foes , they lay open the ports of our bnd$, and tbegatcs of our..citics to the fpoyling cnemic; they will pull downe our fhong,walls, and ta~c a\o\·ay the (lrcngth of our armed men : nq CQCrnics ca_n d_oc vs fo muchharme as our ownc finncs : aud therefore we mufl buii)blc our felucs for them, and jfwe h::~;uC not repented, nowwe mufi heginn~ and ..iF we ~:me b,cgunnc, we: mpfi procecdc and renew the fame more and morc.Ifwehad felt the mifc:rieO'tfub,\cCHon to forraincpowci;as the(c Jewe~ nq~ did, it wquld touch vs: and there~ , fore befo;f:~th~fe C!lills corn!= vpon vs, let vs mcctc ous G,od by true repentance, that fo ",.. ., ' he . ---=-.:··:---·- - ·
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