The Practice of Piety

4 If thou have fallen out with any in the day, let not ⟨p. 400⟩the Sun go down on thine anger that night. If thy conscience tells thee that thou hast wronged him, acknowledge thine offence, and ^*entreat him to forgive thee. If he have wronged thee, offer him reconciliation, and if he will not be reconciled, yet do thou from thy heart forgive him, Matth. 5.23: But in any case presume not to be thine own revenger. ²For in so doing thou doest God a double injury: First, in offering to take his sword of Justice out of his hand as though he were not just: having reserved the execution of vengeance to himself.³ Secondly, in usurping authority over his servant, without referring the cause to his hearing and censure, ⟨p. 401⟩being his and thy Master. Besides, thou art too partial to be a Revenger. For if thou be to execute revenge on thy self, thou wilt do it too lightly; if on thy enemy, too heavily. It belongeth therefore to God to revenge; to thee to forgive.

4 If thou haue fallen out with any in the day, let not ⟨p. 400⟩the Sunne goe downe on thine anger that night. If thy conscience tels thee that thou hast wronged him, acknowledge thine offence, and ^*entreate him to forgiue thee. If hee haue wronged thee, offer him reconciliation, and if hee will not be reconciled, yet do thou from thy heart forgiue him, Matth. 5.23: But in any case presume not to be thine owne reuenger. ²