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

It is the gospel which commandeth us, & teacheth us to believe and repent; and to the Gospel are we beholding for accepting our repentance, which the law would never do: which indeed is so far from accepting repentance, as it never intendeth nor aimeth at repentance directly in it self: and therefore in it self, it is worthily called the ministry of condemnation. So then behold a most straight law, and a most merciful God: so straight a law, as (if that mercy were not) it would never give us one hour to repent in, nor receive us to favour though we repented presently, but presently upon our sin cast us into hell. O therefore taste and see how good and gracious the Lord is: the law cannot have his extremity, nor the devil his will upon us, who is the Jailer of the law; and is malicious, though the law be just: and so by the extremity of the Justice of the one, & the extremity of the malice of the other, no man should live one hour in the ⟨p. 73⟩world, were it not for the wonderful mercy and mitigation of God, who contrary to the course of the law, both accepteth men when they repent, and gives also time to repent, and thus hath God done, as in the beginning with Adam, so in all ages: To the old world, after many preachers sent, and many hundred years patience, and many thousands of sins ripe for vengeance, yet God gives 120. years more: O how many millions of sins did they commit against him in that time? and yet had they repented at the last, they had been saved, but all was in vain, and therefore in the end God sent a flood, and swept them all away. Even so, and more patiently hath God suffered us, in these latter days. But how comes it to pass then, will some say, that we have not a flood as well as they? Surely because his mercy was great to them, but wonderful to us, we are as evil as they, yea if we judge aright, and consider duly all circumstances, our sins are far more, yea far more heinous then theirs were: so that we deserve a flood ten times more then they did, and if God dealt ⟨p. 74⟩but justly with us, where he brought one upon them, he should bring and hundred on us: and if Justice bare the sway, she should us sweep away, one generation after another, with a continual flood. But mark the moderation of God, more to us then to them, who deserve worse then they.

It is the gospell which commandeth vs, & teacheth vs to beleeue and repent; and to the Gospell are we beholding for accepting our repentance, which the law would neuer doe: which indeede is so farre from accepting repentance, as it neuer intendeth nor aimeth at repentance directly in it selfe: and therefore in it selfe, it is worthily called the ministerie of condemnation. So then behold a most straight law, and a most mercifull God: so straight a law, as (if that mercy were not) it would neuer giue vs one houre to repent in, nor receiue vs to fauour though we repented presently, but presently vpon our sinne cast vs into hell. O therefore tast and see how good and gratious the Lord is: the law cannot haue his extremitie, nor the deuill his will vpon vs, who is the Iayler of the law; and is malitious, though the law be iust: and so by the extremitie of the Iustice of the one, & the extremitie of the mallice of the other, no man should liue one houre in the