Selected quad for the lemma: love_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
love_n	good_a	love_v	see_v	11,238	5	3.6618	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09403	Hepieíkeia: or, a treatise of Christian equitie and moderation. Deliuered publikely in lectures by M. W. Perkins, and now published by the consent of his assignes in Cambridge by a preacher of the word	Perkins, William, 1558-1602.; Crashaw, William, 1572-1626.	1604 (1604)	STC 19699; ESTC S106090	38,157	104

publike Equitie grounded vpon the word of God Now followeth the second kind of Equitie called priuate namely that which is to be exercised betwixt man and man in their priuate actions But ere we goe further some may demande the difference betwixt publike and priuate actions Priuate actions of men are such as are practised amongst men without any helpe of the lawe as contrariwise Publike actions are such as cannot be performed but by the helpe of the lawe and the hand of the Magistrate Wherevpon it followeth that publike actions may be betwixt priuate men and priuate actions betwixt publike persons there is a publiknes and a priuatenes as I may tearme it both of men and actions A man is priuate vntill he be exalted vnto some authoritie in Church or Commonwealth then he is a publike person An action is priuate as long as it is begunne and handled betwixt two men and needeth not the publike voice nor censure of the law to determine it and then it is publike For example a Magistrate may haue dealing with an other man or two Magistrates together If they determine it together betwixt themselues it is a priuate action because they doe it not as they are Magistrates but as they are men and so there is a priuate action betwixt publike persons So a priuate man no Magistrate may haue a trespasse a debt a forfeiture or any other action or demand against another man wherein because he cannot come to a reasonable and equall ende by priuate meanes he craues the helpe of the law and the voice of the Magistrate and so here is a publike actiō betwixt priuate men Now this vertue of Equitie respecteth not the publiknes or priuatenes of the persons but of the actions therefore as that is Publike Equitie which is exercised in the determining of publike actions which come to the iudgement of the law so that is Priuate Equitie which is practised in the managing of Priuate Actions which are begun and concluded priuately betwixt man and man and neuer come to publike hearing nor triall of the law Now let vs come to search more neerely into the nature of this vertue Priuate Equitie is a moderate euen and equall carriage of a mans selfe in all his priuate wordes and deedes towards all other men and all their words and deedes First I say it is a moderate carriage of a mans selfe that is betwixt both extreames neither bearing all things nor reuenging euery thing Secondly I say towards all other men wherein I comprehend all men all sorts of men husbands wiues Magistrates subiects teachers hearers masters seruants Parents children men women neighbours in townes fellows in societies in seruice in labour In a word none are excepted who any way doe liue or conuerse together but of them all it is true that if there be not a moderation and a forbearance one of another there can be no peace amongst them but their liues shall be all as it were a hell vpon the earth Seeing therefore the necessitie and excellencie of this vertue is such that the due practise of it is the ornament of families and societies and the comfort of a mans life in this world let vs enter into more particular consideration thereof Priuate Equitie hath foure degrees or principall duties First to beare with naturall infirmities Secondly to interpret doubtfull things in the better part Thirdly to depart from our owne right sometimes Fourthly to forgiue priuate and personall wrongs Of all these briefly and in order The first dutie of priuate Equitie is to beare with the defects and infirmities of mens natures with whome we liue as long as they breake not out into any great inconuenience or enormitie These infirmities are manifold as for example frowardnes or morositie of nature bastines slownes of conceit dulnes of wit suspitiousnes desire of praise and such like These and many other naturall infirmities must a Christian man beare and tolerate patiently in those with whome he conuerseth as with his wife his child his seruant his friend his neighbour c. And so long must he beare with them as they are kept within a meane and breake not out into extremitie Of these the holy Ghost speaketh Prou. 19. 31. It is the glorie of a man to passe by an infirmitie that is if he seeth in his brother weakenesses of nature which doe not arise from setled malice or cankred corruption it is a mans glorie and praise alwaies so farre to moderate himselfe as not to see them nor to take notice of them at least not to be mooued nor disquieted at them and oftentimes so litle to regard them as though they were not done To this end saith the Apostle 1. Cor. 13. Loue suffereth all things that is all things that may be borne with good conscience are done by them whome we loue Now any thing may be borne with good conscience which is either so priuate or so small that the wrōg is onely ours and no dishonour thereby ensueth to Gods glorie nor ill example to the Church all such things loue suffereth And indeede it is the propertie of true loue to passe by many wants and the more that a Christian is rooted in true loue the more infirmities will he passe by in them whome he loues he setteth no limits to himselfe how many or how long to beare but euen all that are infirmities of nature many hard words many angrie fits many needles surmises many vnkindnesses will he put vp and as it were not see them whose heart is possessed with true loue wisdome and the scare of God and thus must euery one doe that will practise Christian Equitie For this is a mans glorie and commendation Let vs lay this doctrine neerer to our consciences by cōsidering the nature of this vertue in some few examples A man hath a wife or a woman a husband in whome there is the feare of God and honest and faithfull loue but he or shee is subiect to anger or to hastines or to an austeritie in their behauiours or it may be it is not in their natures to practise those outward complemēts of kindnes which others can doe with great facilitie These and such like are but weaknesses of nature in them that feare God therefore must loue couer them and beare them and oftentimes not take notice of them and the rather because he or shee that hath not such hath either the like or greater weaknesses all which if one forbeare not in another it is not possible to liue in peace and comfort But if this part of Equitie were practised it is scarce credible how much it would augment the happines and adde to the comfort of them that are married Againe a man hath a seruant carefull and willing ynough to obay and please his master also trustie and faithfull but he is slow in his busines and doth not dispatch things appointed him to the minde of his master not so speedily not so readily nor with

that facilitie as his master requireth What is to to be done in this case to see it and alwaies to checke him for it and to gall and gird him with it and euer to be casting it in his teeth and threatning him for it is the extremitie which here the Apostle condemneth The Equitie then in this case to bee performed is in consideration that it is not a fault of malice but of nature not of idlenesse nor carelesnesse but of a naturall weakenesse the Master must gently tell him of it and priuatly and seldome and aduise him what are the best helps for nature in this case And though he see not that speedie amendment which he desireth yet is he to beare with him as long as he is trustie diligent dutifull and willing and for those so many good properties he must beare with his wants and not be too sharp either in reproouing or in correcting him for them In the the third place A man hath occasion to confer often with another man by reason that they are neighbours or speciall friends or of the same calling and course of life but one of them is hastie and soone angrie and it may be in his talke either for the matter or the manner of it he cannot but shewe his anger Extremitie in this case is for a man to deale roughly with him to contradict and crosse him to denie what he saith to stand stifly to our our owne opinion to be angrie againe with him But on the other side Christian Equitie teacheth a man not to see it nor take notice of it nor to be angrie againe nor to checke him for it but to put it off by gentle words soft demaundes and other talke and to yeild to him as farre as a man may doe in good conscience without betraying of the trueth And by the way in conference hold it alwaies for a rule of Christian wisedome and priuate Equitie neuer to sticke stiffely to any opinion vnlesse it be in a plaine trueth and of great moment Now thus doing to our brother and sparing his weaknes and continuing on our speech as though we sawe not that he was angrie hereby the conference holds on and loue is continued as afore But if contrariwise we take the aduantage of his infirmitie and display it and rub him for it if we be as short as he and stand stiffely vpon points then the conference is broken off without edification and heart-burning riseth betwixt them in stead of true loue Thus we see in these examples how in a Christian moderation we are to beare and to forbeare the naturall weakenesses of our brethren if we purpose to liue in any comfort with them in this world Yet this forbearance must be with two conditions First that these wants be wants of nature not of malice nor of old rooted setled and cankred corruption Secondly if they whome wee forbeare containe thēselues within conuenient bonds and doe not exceede nor breake out into any outrage or extremitie for then they are not to be forborne but to be tolde and reprooued for them and a mans dutie is not to winke at them but to take notice of them and to shewe open dislike of them But in as much as these are wants of nature as it is infirmitie in the one to shewe them so it is the glorie and praise of the other to pardon them yea it is a token of wisedome and good gouernment and a signe that a man is a louer of peace and consequently of religion and of God himselfe to passe by them The practise of this dutie maintaines peace in kingdoms countries states cities colledges families and all societies of men Thus much for the first dutie The secōd dutie of priuate equity is to constru interpret mēs sayings that are doubtfull in the better part if possibly it may be this is to be vnderstood of all men though they be our enemies and this must a man do if he will liue in peace in this world Our nature is giuen to take men at the worst to depraue mens deeds and words to peruert them to the worst sense that may be and this is commonly the cause of debate and dissention in the world But the dutie of Christian Equitie is contrary hereunto namely to thinke the best they can of all men to construe all doubtfull actions in the better part and to make the best sense of all doubtfull speeches if we haue any probable reason to induce vs to it The Apostle makes this the propertie of loue 1. Cor. 13. Loue thinks not euill that is not onely then when there is manifest and good cause to thinke well but when it is doubtful if it may by any meanes haue a good meaning if by any means it may be well thought of loue will make a man thinke well of it the more specially a man loues another the more equally indifferently and Christianly will he interpret all his sayings and doings The want of this dutie and the practise of the contrarie is the cause of more troubles tumults garboiles fallings out and heartburnings in kingdomes countries societies and families betwixt man and man then any one thing in the world besides Dealing thus with the wordes of Christ cost him his life for when Christ said Destroy this temple I will build it in three daies they interpreted it of the temple of Ierusalem when as he meant of the temple of his bodie And the wrong and sinister interpretation of Dauids ambassage by his neighbour king Hanu● was the cause of that great war betwixt two mightie kingdomes the Israelites and the Amonites which cost so many thousands their liues For when Dauid sent Embassadours to comfort him after his fathers death he and his wicked counsellers interpreted it that he sent spies and intelligencers to find out the weaknesse of the land It cannot be spoken what broiles hurliburlies and confusions in kingdomes what contentions in eommon-wealthes what factions and diuisions in colledges societies what disquietnesse in families what vnkindnesse and falling out amongest old friends and what separation euen amongest them that should be neerest are daily in the world by reason of this sinister interpretation of mens words and deeds We therefore that doe professe our selues the children of peace must learne to make conscience of this the due practise whereof is the conseruation of peace And further in this dutie one thing more is to be remembred namely that we must not giue too sharpe a censure euen of the open and manifest euill sayings or doings of our brother we must not iudge them to be done carelesly when it may be they are done ignorantly nor deliberately when it may be they are done rashly nor presumptuously when it may be they are done vpon infirmitie nor to be done vpon hatred or malice to vs when it may be they are done for an other cause nor may we iudge an euill thing to be done for want