A09403:115
Hepieíkeia: or, a treatise of Christian equity and moderation. Delivered publicly in lecturesHepieíkeia: or, a treatise of Christian equitie and moderation. Deliuered publikely in lectures
Hepieíkeia: or, a treatise of Christian equity and moderation. Delivered publicly in lectures by M. W. Perkins, and now published by the consent of his assigns in Cambridge by a preacher of the wordHepieíkeia: 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
Cambridge: printed by John Legat, 1604Cambridge: printed by Iohn Legat, 1604
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
And thus much for the four several duties and degrees of Private Equity.
And thus much for the foure seuerall duduties and degrees of Priuate Equitie.
Now having opened the nature & kinds of Christian Equity, let us proceed further in the text. Let your Equity (saith the Apostle) ⟨p. 65⟩be known to all men. The words import; that it is our duty, not only to know this virtue and the nature of it, and to be able to talk of it, but in all our affairs public and private, and in all our dealings with men, so to put it in practise, that men may see it, and that it may be known to other men: and that they may be able to avouch for us; that our dealing is upright, equal, and indifferent, joined with equity and moderation, and free from extremity and oppression: this is the meaning of that which we are here commanded by the Apostle. And the reason why the Apostle urgeth us to make it known, is, because there is a privy hypocrisy in our natures, whereby we are given to make show of more then is in us. Against which vice we do truly labour, when we labour to make our virtues manifest and known to the world, that so the tree may be known by his fruits: he is a holy and religious man, not who knoweth, and can talk well, but he whose religion and holiness is known in the world, and seen of men: he is a merciful man, of whose mercy men do taste: So ⟨p. 66⟩he is an equal & upright man, whose Equity is felt, & found by them who deal with him. Let therefore our actions with men, testify the virtues of our heart, that men who live with us, and deal with us, may be able to say for us, that we are possessed with those virtues; for this is to be truly good, not when a man can speak well, or tell of his own goodness, but when other men see it, feel it, and speak of it.
Now hauing opened the nature & kinds of Christian Equitie, let vs proceede further in the text. Let your Equitie (saith the Apostle)