For the first; Christian Equity, is a rare and excellent virtue, whereby men use a true mean, and an equal moderation, in all their affairs and dealings with men, for the maintaining of justice and preservation of ⟨p. 4⟩peace. This I take to be the true description of the general nature of this virtue: and herein, First, I say it is a virtue, which is conversant about practising of a moderation, in all our courses and dealings with men. For we men can use no mean nor moderation with God, but if we do evil, it is all to much, and if we do good, it is all to little: Again, equity and moderation, is to be performed of God towards men, and not of men towards God. For if men deal not equally towards God, the fault is theirs and not his, God is not worse for it; but if God dealt not moderately with men: the world would not last one hour, And lastly. where there are no faults, there is no forgiveness: where no infirmities, there needs no moderation: but in God there is no want, no error, no imperfection: but his love, his mercy, and his works of love and mercy towards mankind, and to his Church especially, are most perfect, therefore there needs no moderation, nor forbearance towards God, but towards men, who being flesh and blood, and full of infirmities, ⟨p. 5⟩(from which regeneration it self doth not fully free us) do therefore stand in need of this virtue, to be practised amongest them: else their society and fellowship cannot endure. And further, all men in this case are alike, and therefore one hath good cause, to bear with another. The Prince is flesh and blood as well as his subjects: the husband is flesh and blood, as well as the wife is; the Pastor is a man as his people and hearers are. Hence it followeth, that therefore one is subject to infirmities, as well as an other: and therefore I conclude, that in all our courses & dealings of man with man in this word, there must be practised a christian moderation.
For the first; Christian Equitie, is a rare and excellent vertue, whereby men vse a true meane, and an equall moderation, in all their affaires and dealings with men, for the maintaining of iustice and preseruation of ⟨p. 4⟩peace. This I take to be the true description of the generall nature of this vertue: and herein, First, I say it is a vertue, which is conuersant about practising of a moderation, in all our courses and dealings with men. For we men can vse no meane nor moderation with God, but if we do euill, it is all to much, and if we do good, it is all to little: Againe, equitie and moderation, is to be performed of God towardes men, and not of men towardes God. For if men deale not equally towardes God, the fault is theirs and not his, God is not worse for it; but if God dealt not moderately with men: the world would not last one houre, And lastly. where there are no faults, there is no forgiuenes: where no infirmities, there needes no moderation: but in God there is no want, no errour, no imperfection: but his loue, his mercy, and his workes of loue and mercy towardes mankind, and to his Church especially, are most perfect, therefore there needes no moderation, nor forbearance towardes God, but towardes men, who being flesh and bloud, and full of infirmitis, ⟨p. 5⟩(from which regeneration it selfe doth not fully free vs) do therfore stand in need of this vertue, to be practised amongest them: els their societie and fellowship cannot endure. And further, all men in this case are alike, and therfore one hath good cause, to beare with another. The Prince is flesh and bloud as well as his subiects: the husband is flesh and bloud, as well as the wife is; the Pastor is a man as his people and hearers are. Hence it followeth, that therefore one is subiect to infirmities, as well as an other: and therefore I conclude, that in all our courses & dealings of man with man in this word, there must be practised a christian moderation.
