A Continuation of morning-exercise questions and cases of conscience practically resolvedA Continuation of morning-exercise questions and cases of conscience practicaly resolved

2. Immoderate; when the sharpness of the punishment exceeds the greatness of the Crime. Here the Lord, the Righteous-Judge, takes care, ⟨p. 158⟩by his Supreme Authority, that those, that have authority over others, should not according to their own Lusts, Will, and Pleasure, rage, and vent their fury, and passion on criminals. Deut. 25.2, 3. Now if Justice oblige us to keep our mind free, and composed, in punishing the greatest Strangers, and most heinous Malefactors, that we may exactly proportion the penalty to their fault; how much more should a Father (whose Name breathes nothing but benignity and sweetness) observe the same moderation, when his business is to chastise the Child of his own Bowels! And if not, instead of reforming, he doth but provoke his Child.

2. Immoderate; when the sharpness of the punishment exceeds the greatness of the Crime. Here the Lord, the Righteous-Judge, takes care, ⟨p. 158⟩by his Supream Authority, that those, that have authority over others, should not according to their own Lusts, Will, and Pleasure, rage, and vent their fury, and passion on criminals. Deut. 25.2, 3. Now if Justice oblige us to keep our mind free, and compos'd, in punishing the greatest Strangers, and most hainous Malefactors, that we may exactly proportion the penalty to their fault; how much more should a Father (whose Name breathes nothing but benignity and sweetness) observe the same moderation, when his business is to chastize the Child of his own Bowels! And if not, instead of reforming, he doth but provoke his Child.

Thus much concerning Sinful Severity, what it is, and how far provoking; in all which, I neither have nor could bring one instance, either Father or Mother, in the whole Scripture, that had the Character of a Godly Person, that is charged with the crimson-guilt of a Sinfully severe Parent.