A09403:21
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.
1. An exhortation, Let your equity be known to all men. 2. An excellent reason to enforce it: the Lord is at hand.
1. An exhortation, Let your equitie be knowne to all men. 2. An excellent reason to enforce it: the Lord is at hand.
The drift and scope of the exhortation is, to persuade the Philippians, and in them the whole Church, to the practise of Equity.
The drift and scope of the exhortation is, to perswade the Phillippians, and in them the whole Church, to the practise of Equity.
Now this Equity, whereunto the holy Apostle so earnestly exhorteth, is, a worthy christian virtue, so excellent, as the careful practise thereof, is the marrow and strength of a common weal, and where it is, there cannot but be peace, and contentment in all estates: and so necessary: as without the practise of it, no house, family, society, city, common-wealth, kingdom, or Church can stand or continue. Indeed a kingdom may be established by force and arms, by violence and cruelty: but it cannot stand or continue, without this equity, and christian moderation betwixt man and man. Nay civill society, and common dealing betwixt ⟨p. 3⟩man and man cannot continue, unless one man yield to an other. In a word, there can be no peace in families, no sound nor lasting love, betwixt man & wife, nor any comfortable quietness, where one doth not yield to the other, and one bear with an other in many things. And if it be so in marriage, which is the nearest conjunction, and the most excellent and perfect society, which is in this world: then is it much more true, in all other societies of men, that there can be no peace, no christian neighbour-hood, no true friendship, unless one bear with another, and one towards another do carry himself, in an even and moderate course.