spared one houre If therefore the Lord did cast ten thousand into hell in one houre he did but Iustice for so the lawe requireth but see the mercifull moderation of the Lord thogh we deserue euery houre to be cast into hell yet is euery houre and minute of our liues full of the mercie and moderation of the Lord so as though our sinnes crie for damnation presently yet God staieth his hand and doeth not execute the sentence of damnation vpon the sinner instantly after his sinne no not in one of ten thousand but spareth euery man many yeares some more some lesse but all more then their sinnes deserue or the lawe requireth We often reade and alwaies finde that God heares the crie of sinners but we seldome reade that God heares the crie of sinne for if he alwaies heard it when sin cries for vengeance to him he should turne vs all into hell in one houre this is a wonderfull patience and moderation in God and yet behold a greater For whereas we by our sinnes doe euery houre plunge our selues into hell as a man that violently castes himselfe into a gaping gulfe see Gods wonderfull mercie we thrust our selues in and he puts vs backe he staieth vs with his own hand and so keepes vs out See what a sea of mercies the Lord doth power vpon man for how can that but be an infinite sea of mercies which is shewed to so many thousands of men so many thousand times in one houre If his mercie did not moderate the extremitie of his lawe there should not be one man left vpon earth but all in one houre cast into hell but God staieth his Iustice and staieth his lawe yea stayeth vs who our selues would execute the law vpon our selues and so cast our selues into hell hee keepes vs out and giues vnto vs a longer time to repent And this is true in all men to some he giues longer to some shorter but to euery one some where as the law giues not one houre to any man nay the law is so far from giuing time torepent that it admits no repentance at all no though a man should sinne but once and instantly after that one sinne humble himselfe in repentāce and craue fogiuenes the law will not accept him to fauour nor yeild forgiuenes nor allowe his repentance for the law can do nothing but this either iustifie and reward him that fulfills it or condemne and punish him that breakes it further then this the law by it selfe goeth not It is the gospell which commandeth vs teacheth vs to beleeue and repent and to the Gospell are we beholding for accepting our repentance which the law would neuer doe which indeede is so farre from accepting repentance as it neuer intendeth nor aimeth at repentance directly in it selfe and therefore in it selfe it is worthily called the ministerie of condemnation So then behold a most straight law and a most mercifull God so straight a law as if that mercy were not it would neuer giue vs one houre to repent in nor receiue vs to fauour though we repented presently but presently vpon our sinne cast vs into hell O therefore tast and see how good and gratious the Lord is the law cannot haue his extremitie nor the deuill his will vpon vs who is the Iayler of the law and is malitious though the law be iust and so by the extremitie of the Iustice of the one the extremitie of the mallice of the other no man should liue one houre in the world were it not for the wonderfull mercie and mittigation of God who contrary to the course of the law both accepteth men when they repent and giues also time to repent and thus hath God done as in the beginning with Adam so in all ages To the old world after many preachers sent and many hundred yeares patience and many thousands of sinnes ripe for vengeance yet God giues 120. yeares more O how many millions of sinnes did they commit against him in that time and yet had they repented at the last they had beene saued but all was in vaine and therefore in the end God sent a flood and swept them all away Euen so and more patiently hath God suffered vs in these latter daies But how comes it to passe then will some say that we haue not a flood as well as they Surely because his mercie was great to them but wonderfull to vs we are as euill as they yea if we iudge aright and consider duely all circumstances our sinnes are farre more yea farre more hainous then theirs were so that we deserue a flood tenne times more then they did and if God dealt but iustly with vs where he brought one vpon them he should bring and hundred on vs and if Iustice bare the sway she should vs sweepe away one generation after another with a continuall flood But marke the moderation of God more to vs then to them who deserue worse then they He gaue vs not an hundred and twentie but many hundreth yeares and brings no floods of Iudgements but spares vs from yeare to yeare and from age to age that so we may either repent and escape hell or when our time is come drowne our selues in damnation and so be the principall cause of our owne destruction It may not vnfitly be noted in this place that sometime God may be said to cast a mā into hell and sometime man himselfe God throwes a man into hell when for some monstrous and contagious sinne he takes away a wicked man in the midst of his wickednesse by some suddaine Iudgement and so sends him to hel But a man plungeth himselfe into hell when God giues him leaue to liue and libertie and time to repent but he continueth carelesly in his sinnes till he die and so casteth himselfe violently into damnation Nowe such is the mercifull moderation of God that for one man whome he casts into hell as he did Iudas presently vpon his sinne a hundred wicked men cast themselues into hell abusing that time and libertie which he gaue them to repent in and so bringing vpon themselues swift damnation Let euery man therefore euery day of his life when he considereth the thousands of sinnes that are committed that day and seeth no flood of water fire nor brimstone to come vpon vs let him wonder at gods mercie and say with the Prophet It is the Lords mercie that we are not consumed Furthermore this moderation of God to all men hath another branch Euery mans ill conscience is to him like the fire of hell and doubtlesse the torment of conscience is a part of the very reall torment of hell now if euery man had but Iustice he should feele presently after euery sinne the very torment of hell namely the sting and torment of a guiltie accusing conscience but see the mercie moderation of God he inflicts it not presently but onely giues the sinner a pricke or a little pang as it were when
he hath sinned but the raging furie of the conscience which is the greatest hell that is vpon earth he deferres till the houre of death or the day of Iudgement When therefore thou hast done euill and feelest a pricke in thy conscience and a cheeke but no more remember that euen then if God did not moderate his Iustice thou shouldest feele the extreame horrour of thy conscience which would ouerwhelm thee as a burden which is to heauie for thee to beare Thus then we see the marueilous mercy of God wicked men are his sworne enemies for sinne is that which offends him aboue all things in the world yet so great is his mercy and so large is his moderation that euen his enemies tast of it euery day and houre Thus much of Gods Equitie and moderation to all men Now secondly this moderate mild dealing of the Lord is more speciall to his Church and children and that also shewes it selfe in two actiōs First of al Iustice requireth that euery mā should pay his debt cōmon reason tells vs that words promises cannot passe for paiment but due debt must be satisfied Now euery Christian man is in a great debt to God that debt is obedience to his lawe for Christ came to saue vs from the rigour of the lawe not to free vs from obedience to it but how doe we pay that debt euen as he doth who oweth ten thousand pounds and craueth to pay it by a penny a yeare for so we owing perfect obedience in thought word and deed and also puritie of nature the root of all we I meane the best holiest mē of all haue nothing to tēder to God but a fewe good desires and grones of the heart and a seely poore endeauour all which is vnto that which the law requireth like vnto one penny to ten thousand pound Yet behold the mercie of God and his compassion to his children these our desires and that our indeauour comming from the truth of our hearts doth he accept for perfect payment and that man who hath an heart fearing God and a care and desire to please god in all things and in his place and calling endeuoureth it accordingly is the man whome God loues and embraceth in the armes of his mercie though he be far frō that which in debt and dutie he oweth to God Thus doth God testifie of himselfe in Malachie I will spare you euen as a father spareth his owne sonne that serueth him Now wee knowe there is no sparing nor forbearance like vnto that A father bids his little sonne do this or that which is farre aboue his strength the child not cōsidering the difficultie but looking only at his dutie and desiring not only to please his father goeth about it and doth his best and yet when all is done he can do nothing to it at all now the father reioyceth in this willing obedience of his sonne and approoueth in his child the will and indeauour though he cannot doe the thing he bids him Euen so doeth the Lord spare his children he commaundeth vs to keepe his lawe and it is no more then out dutie which notwithstanding of our selues we can doe no more then a little child is able to carrie a milstone yet if we willingly goe when God commaunds vs and doe our indeauour and all we can and grone vnder the burden and desire to doe more this our desire and indeauour proceeding from faith from a son-like willingnesse doth the Lord accept for the perfect deede This is no small moderation but great and wonderfull For whereas we owe perfect obedience and he might iustly challenge it and for want of it make vs pay it with soule and all he is is cōtent to take a will a desire and indeauour which is all we can and is in effect nothing at all In this world that man would be extolled for his mercie who will take of his debter a penny a weeke who oweth him 100. pound or that takes all he can pay and accepts his good minde for the rest Oh then howe mercifull is our God who for so great offences and so huge a debt as ours is to his Maiestie is content to accept of our indeauour and heartie desire the heart tongue of man cannot sufficiently magnifie so great a mercie Thus much for the first Againe the mercie and moderation of God towards his children appeares thus There is not the best man but he sinneth there is not a sinne so little but in Iustice it deserueth a whole world of punishments yea all those curses denounced in the lawe euen all those plagues threatned Deut. 28. all which in Iustice should ouerwhelme him presse him downe crush him to nothing But behould the mercifull moderation of God he is content to lay no more crosses on his children then by his owne grace which he also giues them they shall be able to vndergoe and in the end to ouercome also When his children sinne as when do they not doth he punish them according to the proportion of their sinne no for then all the curses of his lawe should be heaped on them for one sinn and if he did so he did but Iustice nay he deales so with them as it is not to be called a punishment at all but rather a chastisement for a punishment must be in some sort proportionable to the offence but that which he laieth on his children is nothing at all to their sinne and therfore it is no punishment properly but as it were the chastisement or correction of a father to teach his sonne his dutie and to reforme him and bring him home from his euill waies and therefore not in the rigour of a Iudge but in the loue and wisdome of a father he first considereth what we are able to beare and then laieth no more on vs then we may well beare and which is most wonderfull of all he giues vs strength to beare them To this ende speakes the Apostle to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 10. There hath no temptation taken you but that which befalls the nature of man Wherby he imports thus much that there are temptations and crosses in Gods Iustice due for sinne and which he hath in store readie at his pleasure which are so great so heauie and so fearefull as the nature of man could not possibly beare them but should sinke vnder them and perish as did Cain and Iudas and such like Amongst these an euill conscience is one which is so intollerable as the wise man saith Prou. 14. 18. A wounded spirit who can beare it But the crosses he laieth on his children are alwaies such as they beare with comfort for a time and at last with ioy doe ouercome them A notable example hereof we haue in Salomon of whome God saith to Dauid If he sinne I will chastise him with the rod of men as if he shold haue said I could in my iustice for Salomons great sinnes
others and of whose amendment there is no hope Now suppose a young boy pinched with hunger cold and pouertie steales meate apparell and other things for releife beeing pressed to it by want and not hauing knowledge or grace to vse better meanes to put this person to death for this facte is the extremitie of the law in respect of the circumstances of the person who did it beeing a childe and of the end for which he did it to releiue his wants Now the moderation in this case is when vpon these considerations that first he is not an olde nor a practised theife but young and corrigible one that beeing reformed may liue long and prooue a good member in the common wealth and secondly that his theft was not hainous but the things he stole were of small value and thirdly that he did it not vpon a malitious cruel and iniurious intent but to releiue his hunger and want The equitie or moderation I say in this case is not to inflict death for that were extremitie but to determine a punishment lesse then death yet such a one as shall be sufficient to reforme the partie from his sinne to punish the fault to terrifie others and to satisfie the law Thus in this example it apeares manifestly what this moderation is and what is extremitie which is contrary to it and the same might we see in many more Now hauing thus considered these two together here vpon we may see what this publicke equitie is namely nothing els but a moderation and mittigation of the extremitie of a law vpon honest and conuenient reasons and in such cases as were not directly intended in the law The obseruation and due practise of this equitie is the glorie credit and honour of all publicke assemblies as assises sessions and all courts of iustice and without the obseruation of this when need is all that they do is flat iniustice in that case For they lame and maime the lawe they fulfill but the one part of the lawe for in euery lawe there are these two thinges the extremitie in plain tearmes and the mittigation implied and these two together make the lawe perfect and the glory of the lawe standes as well in practising of mittigation as in the execution of extremitie nay sometime it standes in the mittigation and not in the extremitie insomuch as the moderation is then the equitie of the lawe and the extremitie is more iniustice And as this is the glory of the lawe so is it the glory of Iudges and Magistrates thus to execute the lawes and to temper them with such discretion as neither too much mittigation do abolish the law nor too much extremitie leaue no place for mittigation Therefore to make an end of this point two sortes of men are here reproueable First such men as by a certain foolish kind of pittie are so carried away that would haue nothing but mercy mercy and would haue all punnishments forfaitures penalties either quite taken away and remitted or at least lessoned and moderated they would also haue the extremitie of the lawe executed on no man This is the high way to abolish lawes and consequently to pull downe authoritie and so in the end to open a dore to all confusion disorder and to all licentiousnes of life But I need not to say much herein for there are but few that offend in this kind mans nature beeing generally inclined rather to crueltie then to mercie This fault proceedeth either from a weakenes of witt and an effeminatenes of minde and then a man is vnfit to be a Iudge or else from vaine glorie and a base and affected popularitie and such a man is vnworthy to be a Iudge But in the second place this doctrine and the very scope of this text condemnes another sort of men which are more combersome that is to say such men as haue nothing in their mouthes but the lawe the lawe and Iustice Iustice in the meane time forgetting that Iustice alwaies shakes hands with her sister mercie and that all lawes allowe a mittigation The causes of this euill are two 1. The generall corruption of mans nature which is alwaies readie to deale too hardly with other men as also too mildely with themselues and partially in their owne causes 2. And secondly for the most part such men doe gaine more by lawe then by equitie more by extremitie then by mittigation as the souldier liues better by warre then by peace and as the flesh-flie feedes on the wound that cannot feede on the sound flesh so these men gaine by law that which they can neuer get by equitie for equitie and moderation breede vnitie and if all men were at vnitie what should become of them but extremitie breeds variance for in reason one extremitie drawes on an other and so in mens variances they are set on worke and the more the better for them These men therefore sticke so precisely on their points and on the very tricks and trifles of the law as so the law be kept and that in the very extremitie of it they care not though equitie were troden vnder foote and that law may raigne vpon the earth and they by it they care not though mercie take her to her wings and flie to heauen These men for all their goodly shewes are the decayers of our estate and enemies to all good gouernment For though they haue nothing in their mouthes but Iustice Iustice and haue banished mercie yet let them know that Iustice will not stay where mereie is not They are sisters and goe alwaies hand in hand they are the two pillars that vphold the throne of the Prince as you cannot hold mercy where Iustice is banished so cannot you keepe Iustice where mercie is exiled and as mercie without Iustice is foolish pitie so Iustice without mercie is crueltie So that as these men haue banished mercie so within a short time they will send Iustice after her and crueltie and oppression will come in their rooms which are the very ouerthrow of all estates These men when they are made practisers of the law Iudges or Magistrates are to learne this lesson which the holy Ghost here teacheth Let you Equitie be knowne to all men and let all Magistrates thinke it their honour to be counted mercifull Iudges let them reioyce as well to shew mercie when there is cause as to execute extremitie when there is desert and let them labour for that Christian wisdome and discretion wherby they may be able to discerne when mercie and mitigation should take place and when extremitie should be executed If inferiour Iudges or Magistrates be negligent herein then must we haue recourse to the Prince the highest Iudge on earth and vnder God the first fountaine of Iustice and mercie whose care must be that as Iustice and mercie not one of them but both together doe vphold his throne and fasten the Crowne vpon his head so he likewise see them both maintained and take
order that in the execution of his owne lawes there be alwaies a roome as well for mercie and mitigation as for Iustice and extremitie This must he doe because his lawes cannot be as Gods lawes are Gods lawes are perfect and absolute and of such an vniuersall righteousnes as that at all times and in all places they are of equall strength and of the same equitie in all cases and therefore are to be executed without dispensation relaxation or any mitigation which cannot be offered vnto thē but with iniurie and violation But mens lawes comming from their owne wits are imperfect and so in all cases they doe not hold the same equitie and therefore must needes be executed with a discreet and wise moderation This moderation is publike equitie and this publike Equitie is the scope of this text and the due practise of it in the execution of mans lawes is the glorie of all Christian Commonwealths Hitherto of the first and principall branch of Publike Equitie To proceede further As this publike Equitie principally stands in the moderation of the laws of men so it descends more specially euē to all the publike actions of a mans life so that by the rule and direction of this Equitie thus described men may know how to guide themselues in suing bondes and taking forfeitures and how men may with good conscience carrie themselues in suretyships in taking of fines in letting of leases and in all manner of mutuall bargains betwixt man and man By vertue of this a man may see how to frame all these and such like actions in such sort as himselfe shall reape credit and gaine ynough his neighbour helpe and succour by him For in forfeitures of bonds forfeitures of lands or leases in suretyships in rents in fines and all other dealings of men togither there are these two things First the extremitie that is that which the law will affoard a man in that case and there is secondly the moderation of the extremitie vpon good and conuenient reasons let vs consider of them in some fewe examples A man is bound to another in an hundreth pound to pay fiftie at a day The same man not by negligence but by some necessitie breakes his day and afterwards brings the principall debt Now to take the forfeiture is in this case extremitie though the law doth yeeld it And if a man stand vpon this extremitie he deales not honestly and equally but hardly and extremely with his neighbour and the law cannot free him in this case from manifest Iniustice What is then the moderation in this case Euen this to take thine owne and remitte the forfeiture the reason is because the cause groūd of appointing a forfaiture was not for aduantage but only for the better securitie of the principall which seeing thou hast thou hast that which the law did intēd thee Againe his breach was not wilful or with purpose to hurt thee but against his will If therefore thou beest directly damnified by his missing thy day without all aequiuocation then take thy reasonable dammages out of his forfeiture if not then remitte the vvhole forfeiture and this moderation is publike equitie And without this there can be no buying nor selling borrowing nor lending betwixt mā man See another example One takes a lease of thee for yeares to pay thee such a rent for not paiment of that rent his lease to be voide The poore man misseth his rent day now what saith the lawe his lease is forfeited but to take this aduantage is the extremitie of the lawe the moderation is to remit the same forfeiture in part or in whole as thou shalt see reason in equitie and conscience This moderation is in this ease Publike equitie and without this there can be no letting of lands betwixt man and man So for fines and rents the lawe saith Thou maiest make the most of thine owne if thou stretch this law as farre as the very wordes will beare then maiest thou make such fines and rents as may grinde the faces of the poore so as no man shall liue vnder thee but thus to doe is Extremitie and beyond the purpose of the lawe The moderation in this case is not to take all thou maist get but so to fine and rent thy lands as he that takes them may liue of thē The reason of this Mittigation is because enuie and hatred may often make many men offer more for a farme then it is worth to crosse and hurt their neighbour or to get all into their owne hand Here therefore though the lawe doeth yeild thee all that which a man doeth willingly offer yet must thine owne conscience be a lawe vnto thee to make thee a moderator of that extremitie Let these three examples serue for many Now in these and all other publike dealings betwixt men in the world a man obserues Publike equitie when he dealeth not with his neighbour according to that extremity which the strickt wordes of the lawe will beare but according to that Moderation which good conscience requireth which the lawe it selfe in some cases doth admit By the knowledge of these two a man that hath any conscience may see howe to carrie himselfe in all these ciuill affaires in an euen vpright and equall course and warrantable not onely by the lawe of the land but euen by the law and word of God And I make this distinction of the lawe of the land and the word of God because we are to knowe this for a rule That euery extremitie which a law in the strictest acception doeth affoard is not warrantable to be vrged by the word of God and yet notwithstanding it is good conuenient and requisite that the extremitie be warranted by the lawe because in some cases it must needes be executed The lawes of men may ordaine and appoint extremities but the law of God must tell vs when to vrge them and when to moderate them So then when a man takes the extremitie he doeth that that is alwaies warrantable by the lawe but in some cases is not warrantable by Gods word which commandeth a Mittigation when there is good reason for it But he that taketh the extremitie when there is no iust cause of mitigating it and againe doth mittigate it when there is cause his course is not onely warrantable by the lawes of men but euen by the lawes of God also For it is the dutie of euery Christian man to remember in all his bargains and dealings that his manner of dealing must not onely be warranted by the lawes of the land but euen by Gods word also and this is to be knowne and taken for a generall rule in all this treatise And he that will duely consider the true difference of extremitie and moderation as they are here described may see how to carrie himselfe in all his dealings so as they may be warrantable both by our owne lawes and by the word of God To returne then to the
beate him with scorpions and bring him to nothing by my heauie hand but I will consider he is my child and but a man therefore will I lay vpon him no more then the nature of man is able to beare As God dealt with his sonne Salomon so this is Gods voice to all his sonnes vnto all my Church and Children will I vse such lenitie and moderation and in my chastising of them I will so abate the rigour of my Iustice that by my hand and rodde they shall not be pressed downe but rather raised vp in new obedience and learne thereby to feare and loue me more then before This should euery Christian man seriously consider of and thinke with himselfe how much this bindes a man to deale moderately with his brother when the Lord deales so moderately with him Thou sinnest God chastiseth thee most mildly and laieth not on thee the thousaÌ„d part of these crosses which in Iustice he might doe Shall the Lord deale thus moderately with thee for thy many and so great sinnes and wilt thou deale so hardly with thy brother in his fewe and small offences against thee remember therefore in thy dealing with thy brother this dealing of God with thee and certainely thou canst not forget the one if thou hast tasted of the other Shew thy selfe therefore that thou hast beene partaker of Gods fauour and that thou hast felt in thy soule the sweetnesse of his mercies by beeing milde mercifull to thy brethren out of that great sea of mercies which God lets flowe ouer thee all thy life long let fall some droppes of mercie on thy brother and remembring how God deales with thee deale not thou with thy brother alwaies so hardly nor so straitly as thou maiest or he deserues Let these foure mercifull actions of god towards thee be foure strong bonds to tie thee to the obedience of this dutie to be milde and mercifull to thy brethren remembring euery day how moderately God deales with thee and howe farre from that extremitie which thou deseruest And to mooue vs hereunto let euery man be well assured that the more he hath tasted of Gods mercie the more shall men taste of his mercie and the more sinnes that a man hath forgiuen him at gods hands the more will he remit and forgiue in his brother and the more he feeles in his owne soule Gods loue and mercie to him and the more neere he is to God by his faith and repentance the more carefull will he be to deale gently with his brethren and the reasons hereof are these First God forgiueth not a man his faults but vpon condition that he shall forgiue his brother God is not mercifull to a man but vpon coÌ„dition he shall be so to all men with whome he deales Secondly the mercie of God to vs in forgiuing our sinnes is not made knowne to the world by any meanes more then this when a man is not hard and extreame but equall and mercifull in his dealing with men Whereupon therefore it followeth that the further a man is from God and the lesse that he hath felt of Gods loue to him the lesse moderation will he performe to his brother Let euery man then be ashamed by these his extreame courses with his brethren to make it known to the world that he is an Impenitent sinner himselfe vnreconciled to God and his sinnes vnpardoned and let no man thinke he shall escape that censure if he be an vnmercifull man for certainely it is imprinted in mens dealings whether they be in Gods fauour and their sinnes are pardoned or no. Let therefore euery man when his owne crooked nature or the deuill makes him boyle against his brother in anger and vrgeth him to vse him hardly and extreamely consider with himselfe and say I liue vnder God I am more in Gods hand then this man in mine I haue offended God more then he me and if I had my desert I had now beene in hell for my sinnes but yet I liue and by his mercie I am spared and am here still But hath God spared me that I should pinch others hath he beene mercifull to me that I should be cruell to others surely therefore I will be mercifull and moderate to my brethren more then they deserue least God take his mercy from me and then what shall become of me but to be throwne suddainly into hell which I deserued long agoe nay I will by my equitie and moderation towards my brethren mooue the Lord to be still more mercifull to me without which his mercie I cannot liue one day in the world Hitherto of the Exhortation of the Apostle and of the great moderation of God to man Now followeth the Apostles reason The Lord is at hand These wordes beare two senses or meanings The first of the last iudgement the second of Gods presence The first is thus framed if the holy Ghost meant of the last iudgement Be you equall and moderate one towardes an other for God is readie in his great and generall iudgment to iudge all men and then happie is he that findes not Iustice but tasts of mercie and who shall tast of mercie then but he that shewed mercie in this world But if secondly the holy Ghost meant of Gods presence then is the argument framed thus God is present with euery man and at euery action to testifie and iudge of it and either to approoue it and reward it if it be vpright equall and mercifull or to correct and punish it if it be extreame and void of equitie therefore let your equitie be knovvne to all men Both senses are good but we will cleaue vnto the latter It is then all one as if the holy Ghost had said Vse equitie and moderation in your dealings and remember who is at your elbow stands by and lookes on readie to iudge you for it Surely there can be no better reason then this if it be setled in a mans heart for a theefe or a cut-purse if he saw the Iudge staÌ„d at his elbow and looked vpon him he would not doe euill he would stay his hand euen because he seeth that the Iudge seeth him who can presently hang him A strong reason with men and it keepes euen bad men from leud practises Consider therefore when the Iudge of Iudges the Lord of heauen and earth stands by and seeth and markes all thy actions whether they be towards thy brother as his is towards thee This ought to make the greatest man on earth feare how he deales cruelly or hardly with his brother But worldly men will not be perswaded of this but when they are laying their plots to deceiue their brother and when by iniustice and extremitie they pinch and wring him they thinke in their hearts God seeth them not nor doe they euer thinke of God but labour that God may be out of all their thoughts This is the cause of all sinne in the world for thence is it that mens hearts are hardned and that they care not how extremely they deale with men because they thinke God seeth them not nor wil cal them to account for it and doe with them as they haue done with their brother Hence comes all iniustice crueltie extremitie suits in law for trifles taking forfaitures of leases and of bonds and taking all aduantages Hence comes it that one man will not spare an other one day nor forgiue one fault nor passe by any infirmitie nor put vp the least iniurie nor yeelde one inch from his right but if his brother offend neuer so liule vpon neuer so apparent weaknes he shall heare of it on both sides as they say and if he deserue ill he shall haue his deserts to the full Thus hearts are hardened affections are immoderate bowells of compassion are shut vp loue and pitie are banished and in their roomes raigne crueltie and iniustice Moderation dwells in corners but extremitie is that which beares sway ouer all the world what is the cause of all this Surely first because men are vnsanctified and haue not repented of their sinnes so they feele not that God is moderate and mercifull to them Secondly they perswade not themselues that God seeth them therefore against this blasphemous thought the roote of all euill and cause of all sinne arme thy selfe with this reason of the Apostle and resolue of it that this is the eternall trueth of God and shall stand for euer The Lord is at hand and seeth and obserueth thee all thy doings Therefore as thou wilt escape his mightie and fearefull hand season thy doings and dealings with moderation and if thou hadst nooÌ„ cscience nor no mercie in thee yet be mercifull remeÌ„bring who seeth thee and deale moderately and equally in the sight and presence of so moderate so milde and so mercifull a God so mercifull a rewarder of him that deales moderately and so powerfull a reuenger of him that deales hardly and extreamely with his brother Let vs then ende with the Apostle as we began Let your Equitie and Moderation be knowne to all men for God is at hand And thus much out of Gods word of Publike and Priuate Equitie wherein I haue not spoken all I might but giuen occasion to others to enter into further consideration thereof Trin-vni Deo gloria a Fulk in prâ—â— in Tâ—st Rheâ—â— b Pius Gregoâ—â— Sixtus â— Paulus â—ius 4. Pius 5. Gregor Sixtus 5 Vrbanuâ— Gregor Innocen Clement 1. King 18 1. Sam. 5. 2 〈◊〉 4 19. 〈…〉 〈…〉 a Nund ver 603. b Catho reforma de mort de vita Prophet Calr in 〈…〉