pro te orationem facis sed super te maledictionem inducis saith Anastasius thou prayest not for thy selfe but bringest a curse vpon thy selfe And therefore willeth our Sauiour when ye shall stand and pray forgiue Mark 11. 25. least your prayer be turned into sinne and pull downe a curse instead of a blessing Forgiue thy neighbour saith the Wiseman the hurt that he hath done thee so shall thy sinnes be forgiuen thee also when thou prayest Should a man beare hatred against man and desire forgiuenesse of the Lord He will shew no mercie to a man which is like himselfe and will he aske forgiuenesse of his owne sinnes If he that is but flesh nourish hatred and aske pardon of God who will intreat for his sinnes Remember the commandements O remember the commaundements thou hast broken so shalt thou not be rigorous against thy neighbour consider diligently the couenant of the most high and forgiue his ignorance Eccles 28. 2. to the 8. O remember the mercilesse debter with what indignation his Lord did vpbraid him Mat. 18. 32. O euill seruant I forgaue thee all the debt because thou prayedst me oughtest not thou also to haue had pitie on thy fellow euen as I had pitie and commiseration on thee So his maister was wroth yea more wroth with this not forgiuing of an hundred pence to his fellow then for all his owne debt of ten thousand talents that he ought him and deliuered him to the Iaâ—lors till he should pay all that was due So likewise shal mine heauenly Father do vnto you except ye forgiue each one to his brother their trespasses Agree then with thine aduersarie quickly while thou art in the way with him lest remaining thine aduersarie he deliuer thee to the Iudge and the Iudge to the Sergeant and the Sergeant cast thee into prison verily I say vnto thee saith Truth it selfe thou shalt not come out thence till thou hast paid the vttermost farthing of thy sinnes Mat. 5. 25. But if thou forgiue saith x De vâ—rb Dâ— cap 5. Austine instead of a Iudge thou shalt sind a Father for a Sergeant to arrest thee an Angel to transport thee and Paradise instead of the prison Forgiue them that trespasse against thee against thee a worme of the earth though thou canst not forgiue them that trespasse against God But alas saith y Comment in Mat. 1â— Ierome we are contrariwise bountifull and free to forgiue iniuries and wrongs done against God when in our owne wrongs we keepe hatred to the death If our brother blaspheme God open his mouth against heauen we quickly forgiue him but if he curse or reuile offend or harme vs we say not like Saint z 2. Cor. 2. 10. Paul I forgiue him we pray not with Stephen Lord lay not this sinne to his charge so farre short come we of the Saints nay of the heathens in this most Christian dutie that euer was commaunded We reade the Graecians had a sanctuarie and altar whither they vsually went all to forgiue their mutuall wrongs saith Fulgosus and Sabellicus For at Athens as a 〈◊〉 gerend praeâ—ept Plutarch reporteth it was enacted a decree obliuionis iniuriarum of forgetting Iniuries for when Thrasibulus had freed the citie of those thirtie tyrants and restored it to peace he made a law that none should remember any iniuries past which the Athenians called the Law of Obliuion And we b Tr 〈…〉 in 〈◊〉 lib â—â—ap 5. ex S 〈…〉 reade no lesse of the Emperor Aug. who though of a most tenacious retentiue memorie iniurias tamen cum primiâ— obliuisceretur wold yet forget wrongs as soone as they were offered O remember these implacable Christian be ashamed yea for euer confounded for thy euerlasting malice These were but c Ephes â— â— Gentils in the flesh at this time without Christ to instruct them Loue your enemies Mat. 5. 44. These were alients from the common wealth of Israel without that law to enforce them Thou shalt not reuenge nor be mindfull of wrong Leuit. 19. 18. These were but straungers from that couenant of promise â—â—ye forgiue men your heauenly Father will forgiue you Mat. 6. 14. These had no hope of that reward in long-suffering Blessed are you when men rebuke you and persecute you and say all manner of euill against you falsly for great is your reward in heauen Mat. 5. 1â— â—hese were without God in the world without his spirit to direct and without his grace to restraine them And these hauing not the law and doing by nature the things of the law yet shal iudge thee which by the letter of the law and spirit of the Gospell art a transgressor of both law and Gospell Rom. 2. 27. Shall not these iudge vs shall they not iudge vs Châ—istians who haue the law to threaten our hatred with iudgement and a Gospell to till on our loue with sweet promises of mercie If none of these could yet should we for his sake forgiue our brother who as d â—lut 〈◊〉 Agâ—silaus wrote to one for Nicias si insons est dimitte sin vero mei causa dimitte omninò autem dimitte hath himselfe written to vs many letters for our brother desiring vs Râ—mit one another if any haue a quarrell but if not yet euen as I â—â— Christ remitted you in any wise euen so do ye Col. 3. 13. 2. Râ—m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Each one For his Apost here sets vp a Siquis for loue that is lost scarce to be found on the earth Si quis if any Gentleman or other high or low rich or poore hath sound his brother offending God the owner requests him to restore him to him againe with the spirit of meekenesse that forgiueth all offences Thou must take on thee this his yoke of vnitie which is so easie to be caried by two and his burthen of loue which is so light for euery one to beare Mat. 11. 30. We reade in the law that for the building of the tabernacle God by Moses imposed a tribute on the people of Israel which should not exceede halfe a Shekel e Vide 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 17. 24. aliâ—s Exod 30. 13. which was but 10. pence as our English Translators esteeme and value it Mat. 17. 27. which taske was of Gods purpose exacted so litle that the poore might be able to contribute as well as the rich vers 15. And there is come a commaundement from Augustus the Emperour of heauen and earth that each one should forgiue if any be wronged and al the world be taxed with a subsidie of loue which if it consisted like that ten penny-tribute in donando in giuing onely many rich men of their superfluitie might cast in much but seeing it is condonando giuen in forgiuing the poore widow with the loue of God and neighbour as with two mites may cast in more then they all and say like f Act. 3. 6. Peter Siluer and gold haue
Paul our wedding garment of loue according to his white robe of mercie Col. 3. 12. Now therefore saith he as the elect of God holy and beloued put on the bowels of mercie kindnesse modestie meeknesse and long-suffering forbearing one another and forgiuing one another sicut euen as Christ forgaue you As the elect of God that is if ye haue any internall seale to your soules of your election holy if any externall signe of sanctification to make it sure to your selues beloued if any experience of the loue of God to his Saints put on not for a forenoon like your cloake which in heat straight goes off againe nor for an houre like your hat which goes off at euery wrong that meetes you in the way but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 put on f Beza 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Col. 3. 12. neuer to put off againe the bowels of mercie toward the vnmercifull kindnesse toward the vnkind modestie toward the immodest meeknesse toward the cruell and long-suffering toward the hasti-minded man After whose example sicut euen as Christ forgaue and loued you his enemies as himselfe gaue them this new commandement Ioh. 13. that we loue another sicut euen as he loued vs that we loue one another A new commaundement g â—erus 〈◊〉 in Ioh. 13. because by him renewed from that Pharisaicall tradition h Mat. 5. 43. Thou shalt hate thine enemie New because oftener and more excellently commaunded in the new then old Testament new because otherwise in the new then the old commanded in that with a sicut teipsum loue thy neighbour as thy selfe in this with a sicut â—go dilexi vos as I haue loued you that ye loue one another New because now confirmed with greater examples of God the Father and Christ his sonne new because though iudiciall and ceremoniall yet this euangelicall loue remaineth for euer and new because though to day discharged tomorrow it must be renewed to loue one another sicut euen as he loued vs. And what was the measure deare Christian of that sicut His Apostle meteth it out by foure adiuncts of our basenesse and demerit Christ when we were yet of no strength died for the vngodly Rom. 5. 6. Christ the onely Sonne of God died the most shamefull death of the crosse for vs when we were yet of no strength by nature yea sinners by profession yea vngodly by defection nay enemies by rebellion We had neither strength to stand in iudgement nor righteousnesse to satisfie the law nor godlinesse to moue mercie nor friendship to procure pardon and yet saith the Apostle yet notwithstanding or rather withstanding all these Christ when we were yet all these died for vs. Christ suffered saith i 1. Pet. 3. 18. Peter the death most ignominious for sinnes the cause most odious the iust for the vniust the persons most vnequall that he might bring vs to God the end most glorious This sicut of his loue himself measureth out with a sic dilexit Ioh. 3. 16. as if he had bene sicke of loue as the spouse Cant. 2. 5. k speaketh and that sicknes of loue with those foure dimensions brâ—adth length heighth and depth of his loue Ephes 3. 18. himselfe meteth The onely Sonne of God there is the height was sent downe there is the depth into the world there is the breadth that it might haue euerlasting life without end there is the length of his loue Saint l Ser. t. de Adâ—â— Dom. Bernard measureth the quantitie of his loue with the same dimensions what was the cause sayth that Father Vt maiesâ—as tanta there is the height De tam longinquo there is the length Descenderet there is the depth In mundum locum tam indignum this is the breadth of his loue Quia misericordia magna quia miscratio multa quia charitas copiosa because his mercie reached vnto the clouds because his mercie was for euer without end because it reached to the deepe below because his mercie was ouer al his workes as the Psalmist speaketh it was a sic dilexit a loue-sicke affection strong as death that he should loue vs Tantus tantum tantillos tales he so great vs so little such enemies and with such loue saith m De dilig Dâ—o Bernard alluding to those foure dimensions of Saint Paul O that I had the tongue of men and Angels to decipher his loue to thee his enemie that this n 2. Cor. 5. 14. loue of Christ might constraine to do good to thy foes O remember we in the loines of our father Adam like strangers from God were going downe from Ierusalem to Iericho from heauen to hell and fel among theeues who robbed vs of our raiment and robe of righteousnesse O remember how they wounded vs so sore that from the top of the head to the sole of the foote there was no whole part in our bodies and soules but wounds and swellings and sores full of all corruption leauing vs not halfe like that traueller but quite dead in trespasses and sinnes Ephes 2. 1. and forget not deare Christian how then this good o Luke 10. 33. Samaritane as he iourneyed and came from the bosome of his father cured vs when both Priest and Leuite like Iobs friends Phisitions of no value passed by vs no eye pitied vs to do any thing vnto vs or to haue compassion vpon vs nay no creature in heauen or earth p Psal no man could deliuer his brother or make agreement vnto God for him for it cost more to redeem their soules so that they might let that alone for euer Then then this Sunne of righteousnesse being in the q Phil. 2. forme and glorie of God went backe ten degrees in our nature as the Sunne did in the diall of Ahaz and tooke on him the forme of a seruant that in the rags of our flesh he might Câ—drus-like tast death for his people He then came vnto vs when like r Ezek. 16. Israel we lay tumbling in our blood and bloodie sinnes bound vp our wounds and said Ye shall liue powred in not oile and wine but sweate and blood into our sores set vs on his owne beast nay Å¿ 1. Peter 2. 24 caried our sinnes on his owne body on the tree made prouision for vs and tooke out not two pence siluer and gold or t 1. Pet. 1. 18 19 corruptible things but his precious blood that great price of our redemption 1. Corinth 6. saying for man his enemie to his offended father like that good Samaritane to the host for the stranger Whatsoeuer he hath spent I will recompence it or as v Philem. 17. 18 Paul gaue his word to Philemon for his vagabond seruant Father if thou count our things common receiue him as my selfe if he hath hurt thee or oweth thee ought that put on mine accounts I Iesus haue written it in blood with mine owne hand I will recompence
we were before because we haue left vs no enemies to stand in awe of and feare So true was that saying of a Ibid. Antisthenes That a man rather needes deadly foes to deterre him from notorious faults then honest friends to admonish him to vertue So truly replyed b Plut. libel de multâ— amic Chilo one of the seuen Wise men of Greece to one boasting that he had not a foe Then saith he thou hast not a friend And therfore as Plutarch wrote a booke titled De capienda ex inimiâ—is vtilitate Of the good that comes by our enemies and proued the title good so made c T 〈…〉 Chrysostome a whole sermon intitled Diligamus etiam nos persequentes Let vs loue euen our greatest enemies Seeing as his brethrens great enmitie and dishonour brought Ioseph greatest amitie and honour or as Telephus receiued cure from the rust of that speare wherewith Achilles wounded him or as he that meant to smite Iason to death opened but his dangerous impostume to his health so an enemies tongue which is as sharpe as a speare or a sword doth but cure while it cutteth and heale while it lanceth and letteth vs bloud in the swelling veine of some vanitie that we may confesse like him vna eadémque manus vulnus opcmque tulit The same hand that killeth maketh aliue that bringeth downe raiseth vp that maketh poore maketh rich that bringeth low exalteth and professe with Zachary in another sense Luk. 1. 71. that we receiue as the originall reades it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 health from our enemies and good from the hands of all them that hate vs. Which hearty loue of our foes and dismission of displeasure seeing it consisteth in the remission of their faults and the giuing ouer of anger in the forgiuing of their wrongs our Sauior from the parable of the mercilesse debter straitly chargeth each one to forgiue from our hearts their trespasses seuenty times seuen times vnto our brethren and that vnder this condition If mine heauenly Father shall forgiue you your sinnes Mat. 18. 35. Wherein Hearty loue and reconcilâ—ment consisteth in forgiuing whether we respect the condonation not forbeare but forgiue or the remitters not some but each one or the maner not from the teeth but our hearts or the matter not thoughts or words alone but all their trespasses or the times when not vnto seuen times alone but vnto seuenty times seuen times or lastly the partie to be pardoned who is our brother this key of knowledge should so vnlocke our sealed-vp affection and set open our hearts that as the Corinths had in d 2. Cor. ◠〈◊〉 Pauls our brethren should haue a large roome in our hearts And first touching this act of 1. CondonatioÌ„ Forgiue heartie loue in remitting we must if our brother offend vs forgiue him commaundeth Christ our Sauiour Luk. 17. 3. 4. If he offend vs I say for if man trespasse against man it may be pardoned or iudged saith old Ely but if a man trespasse against the Lord who will pleade for him 1. Sam. 2. 25. k Ioh. who can forgiue sinnes but God alone Neuerthelesse if he offend thee dimittendâ— habes potestatem imò necessitatem Thou maist yea must as l Lib. 3. in Mat. 18. 15. Ierome speaketh forgiue For marke who said forgiue and to whom he said it saith Saint m Serm. 3 1. dâ— verb. Apost Austine truth to his scholers the chiefe pastour to his sheepe the king to his souldiers the Lord to his seruants Christ to his Apostles God to man Height to wormes creeping below on the earth who hath voluntarily bound himselfe with an obligation to forgiue vs if we keepe the condition to forgiue our brethren Mat. 6. 14. Neither is it negligently to be passed ouer n Lib 2. cap. 18. dâ— serm Dom. in 〈◊〉 saith that Father that of all those petitions which he taught vs to pray withall this onely of forgiuing he chiefly commends vnto vs which because it is of greatest weight and importance as Pharao his dreame was doubled it is ingeminated twise together vnto vs Mat. 6. 15. For in no other petition we so pray as to bargaine and indent with God but in this alone Forgiue vs as we forgiue others In which couenant if we lye and forgiue not our brother totius orationis nullus erit fructus all the other petitions are made in vaine and fruitlesse is the rest of the Lords prayer seeing our sins are not forgiuen vnlesse we forgiue In this o August hom 40. de frat charit alone we make an indenture with God and subscribe the condition with this prouiso As we giue for them that trespasse against vs. Which p Idem Euchir ad L 〈…〉 cap. 73. if we performe without all doubt verba sponsionis huius implentur we keepe the condition of this obligation which is such If ye forgiue men their trespasses As if he had said q Ibid. serm 31. dâ— verb. Apost Thou man hast a debter euen thy brother who hath offended thee and I haue another debter euen thy selfe who hast grieuously offended me that which thou doest to thine will I do to mine for so thou in thy prayer desirest me If thou forgiuest I do forgiue if thou retainest I retaine against thee or rather thou against thy selfe r Idem serm â—â—2 de Temp. Forgiue therefore ne dum fratri negaâ— misericordiam tibi claudas patris indulgentiam lest whilst thou denyest mercie and shuttest vp thy hart froÌ„ thy brother thou shut the gate of mercy with thy father For there shall be iudgement and that mercilesse too to him that sheweth no mercie Iam. 2. 13. And indeed deare Christian Å¿ with what face canst thou say the Lords prayer with what conscience canst thou aske the maker of heauen and earth forgiuenesse of then thousand talents when thou doest and hast not nor wilt forgiue thy fellow seruant an hundred pence thou I say a worme crawling twixt heauen and earth t Take heede lest thou heare of that iust Iudge Phisition heale thy selfe thou perswadest me to mercie which thou thy selfe wilt not impart to thy brother thou intreatest me to haue patience when thou wilt not heare thy brother intreating for his debt thou intreatest me to blot out all my hand writing against thee and yet thou suest thy brothers bill of offence 〈◊〉 debitor est in carcere tu in Oratorio thy debter is in prison and thou in the Church to aske forgiuenesse thy prayer shall there be heard I will forgiue thee as thou forgiuest him that trespasseth against thee O foolish man tibi contradicis in oratione thou prayest against thy selfe saith u Serm 2 de 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—râ—m Austine Lord forgiue me my trespasses as I euen as I forgiue them that trespasse against me but Lord thou knowest I forgiue not them that trespasse against me therefore O Lord forgiue not me Non
Iudgement in his soule Thou art cursed from the earth iudgement in his goods The earth which opened her mouth to receiue his blood from thine hand mistrusting no harme from brothers which were but two on the earth l Ambr. lib. 2. de Caâ—â— Abel c. 10. Nam quomodo poterat suspectare parrâ—â—dium quae adhuc not viderat homicidium for how could it suspect brotherly murder which had not yet seene man-slaughter the earth is cursed for thy sake not as it was to thy father Adam to giue m Gen. 3. 17. no fruite without his sweate and labour but when thou shalt till the ground it shall not yeeld thee henceforth her strength And thirdly iudgement in his bodie a vagabond and a runnagate shalt thou be in the earth And after sentence see how this condemned caitife is caried from the barre with despaire of mercy My sinne is greater then can be pardoned with horror of iudgement My punishment is greater then can be borne and with terror of conscience Behold thou hast cast me this day from the earth and from thy face shall I be hid and whosoeuer findeth me shall slay me But of whom saith that n Ambr. lib 2. de Caâ—â— Abel cap 9. Father was he afraid to be slaine that had none with him on earth but his parents He might feare iustly the incursions of natural brute beasts who more beastly had broken the course of nature he might feare rightly the teeth of wild beasts who brutishly had fleshed them with mans blood yea the blood of his brother He could not presume of the subiection of fowles who had taught them that a man might be killed He might now also feare the hands of his parents who had taught them that parricide might be committed and that they would learne to practise a murder who had taught him the precept in their original sinne This is Cains punishment in his person and yet see the taint of his blood in al his postetitie whom Noes flood washt away saith o Lib. 15 de â—iâ— Dâ— cap. 20. Austin from the face of the earth when it could not wash away their scarlet sinne of blood double died both in Caine the threed and in his of-spring the cloth and garment of vengeance whom the holy Ghost deigneth not to name in reciting the catalogue of Adams posteritie Gen. 5. for the face of the Lord is against them that did euill to cut off saith Dauid their remembrance from the earth For he would not take them in his mouth nor make mention of their names within his lippes as if that curse of the Lord had fallen on his progenie Psal 109. Let his posteritie be destroyed and in the next generation let his name be cleane put out O that all Caines which thirst the bloud of their Abel that all Ismaels which persecute their Isaac that all Esaus which pursue their Iaacob to the death would beware to follow the way of Caine that they might not perish in the gaine-saying of Core Are they Graecians or Barbarians wise or vnwise let those reade Plutarch a naturall man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of brotherly loue and these their owne bodie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of lime-loue how those brethren and twins of the bodie eyes eares hands and feet loue one another and for shame of their soules be reconciled to them who are flesh of their flesh and bone of their bones And surely if we yet looke further to the rocke whence we 2. Brother naturall in blood which is each man are hewne and to the hole of the pit whence we were digged if we consider Adam our father and Eue that bare vs we shall find that we haue all this p Iunius Polan in Mal. 2. 10 one father Mal. 2. 10. and all this one mother who is mater omnium viuentium Gen. 3. 20. aut iustiùs morientium as one q Ferus in Gen. 3. 20. cals her the mother of all men liuing or rather dead while they liue in her trespasses and sinnes and all men therefore brethren Gen. 9. 5. and this brotherly kinred of men made by him who made all mankind of one bloud Act. 17. 26. For as r Ser. 1. de â—eâ—uâ— Leo truly said of neighbour that euery man whether friend or foe bond or free is our neighbour so fratrem vt proximum vel omne hominum genus accipere debemus saith Å¿ Lib 2. in Zâ—c cap. 7. Ierome and Saint t Lib 2. locut de Exod. Austine Euery man is our brother by nature as our neighbor in the vse of naturall things Through which coniunction of mankind the very heathen u Cic lib. 1. Ossâ— could see in the twilight of nature that certaine duties of amitie and fellowship are naturally due from all men euery one to other and therefore x AEsch â—rat cont â—â—sâ—ph Arist lib. â—â—hetor ad Theâ—â—ect vsed the name neighbour as our Sauiour doth here brother generally for all men And indeed seeing as y Homil 51. ad Pop. Antioch 1. The greater world preacheth concord and vnity to man Chrysostome well noteth the God of all hath giuen all but one house the world to be domesticos naturae the houshold of nature that father of lights hath light all but one candle the Sunne to be filios lucis iust and vniust children of that light seeing he that spreadeth it out like a curtaine hath couered all but with one canapie and roofe of heauen to be one family of loue And seeing the feeder of euery liuing thing hath spread all but one table the earth at which boord we are all companions of one bread and drinke all of one cup the ayre doubtlesse this communitie of naturall things should breed such a common vnitie in nature as should make men in this one house to be of one mind and sons of one light to walke in loue as children of the light and the familie vnder one roofe to walke in this house of God as familiar friends and companions at one table to eate their meate together with singlenesse of heart as it vnited those Saints because they had all things common Act. 2. 44. Which communion of all things naturall if it cannot knit men in one with these bonds of nature yet beholding the common vnion of all things amongst themselues the musicke of this harmonie should breed concord and peace in man the son of peace For whether we lift vp our eyes to heauen aboue behold it is there the heauens declare the glorie of God in their peace and the firmament sheweth his handi-worke or whether we cast our eyes on the earth below behold also it is there both preaching peace to his people and to his Saints that they turne not againe Wherefore as z Prou. 6. Salomon sent the sluggard to the pismire as his schoole-maister to bring him to labour a Esâ— 1. Esau the vngratefull to the oxe and asse to learne