A09403:121
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.
God showeth most admirable Equity and moderation towards us, therefore ought we to show it, one towards another: It is the reason of the holy Ghost, Be ye merciful, as your heavenly father is merciful. Wonderful is the moderation, that God showeth to man, & it appears especially in four things, whereof two belong to all men, and the other two concern his Church.
God sheweth most admirable Equitie and moderation towards vs, therefore ought we to shew it, one towards another: It is the reason of the holy Ghost, Be yee mercifull, as your heauenly father is mercifull. Wonderfull is the moderation, that God sheweth to man, & it appears especially in foure things, whereof two belong to all men, and the other two concerne his Church.
The first Action of God, wherein he showeth great moderation towards all men, is this. A law was given to our first parents, Eat not of this tree, if you do, you die for it: and that a double death, both of body and ⟨p. 68⟩soul. But they ate and so brake the law, and thereby did undergo the penalty annexed▪ by force and virtue whereof, they should have died presently, the death both of body and soul, and this had been no Extremity but Justice, for this was due unto them by the Justice of that law, which was given them. But now, behold Gods Equity, and moderation of the Justice of that law, he struck them not presently, as the tenor of the law, and their desert required, neither with the first nor second death, but defers the full execution, laying upon them (for the present) a less punishment, namely a subjection to the first death, and a guiltiness of the second, that is, of damnation. Behold a marvellous mitigation: by the tenor of that law, their bodies and souls should both have presently died, and been cast into hell, but God in mercy suspends and defers the execution of it, and only strikes Adams body with mortality, whereby he was subject to the first death, and his soul with guiltiness, whereby he was subject to the second death: by which mitigation it came to pass, ⟨p. 69⟩