Lastly, Our Saviour doth not here forbid a lawful public revenge, 1but a private one. This distinction of public and private revenge, being unknown to the Fathers in the Primitive times, made them run into very hard and incommodious expressions; some giving occasion hereby of that distinction of counsels and precepts: others, as Austin, making the revenge allowed in the Old Testament to be peculiar to the dispensation of those times: Hence, when one Volusianus objected to him, that the Doctrine of Christ did not agree to the manners of a Commonwealth; he answereth by comparing the Precept of Christ with that of Caesars, That he used to forget nothing, but injuries. Now this doth not indeed speak according to the scope of our Saviour here, who is giving rules to private Christians, not to public Magistrates. Now that there is such a distinction as this, appeareth plain, thus; Paul, Rom. 12. 18. exhorteth Christians not to avenge themselves, because vengeance belongs to God; yet, Chap. 13. speaking of the Magistrate, ver. 4. he saith, He is the avenger to execute wrath upon him that doth evil: so then there is revenge and a revenger, which is not God; nor yet our selves, but the Magistrate; yet the revenge that the Magistrate inflicteth may well be called the vengeance of God, because it's Gods appointment he should do it. Thus Numb. 31. 3. Arm your selves, and avenge the Lord on the Midianites: so 2 Chron. 19. You execute the judgements of the Lord, and not of men; yet for all this, you must know that Magistrates may have revengeful affections in them, even when they execute justice; and so people, when they implore the Magistrates aid, it may not be out of zeal to justice, and love to the public good, but because of private affections, and carnal dispositions. ⟨p. 187⟩And oh the blessedness that would accrue to the Common-wealth, if all were carried in their several places upon this public ground!
Lastly, Our Saviour doth not here forbid a lawfull publique revenge, 1but a private one. This distinction of publique and private revenge, being unknowne to the Fathers in the Primitive times, made them runne into very hard and incommodious expressions; some giving occasion hereby of that distinction of counsels and precepts: others, as Austin, making the revenge allowed in the Old Testament to be peculiar to the dispensation of those times: Hence, when one Volusianus objected to him, that the Doctrine of Christ did not agree to the manners of a Commonwealth; he answereth by comparing the Precept of Christ with that of Caesars, That he used to forget nothing, but injuries. Now this doth not indeed speake according to the scope of our Saviour here, who is giving rules to private Christians, not to publique Magistrates. Now that there is such a distinction as this, appeareth plain, thus; Paul, Rom. 12. 18. exhorteth Christians not to avenge themselves, because vengeance belongs to God; yet, Chap. 13. speaking of the Magistrate, ver. 4. he saith, He is the avenger to execute wrath upon him that doth evil: so then there is revenge and a revenger, which is not God; nor yet our selves, but the Magistrate; yet the revenge that the Magistrate inflicteth may well be called the vengeance of God, because it's Gods appointment he should doe it. Thus Numb. 31. 3. Arme your selves, and avenge the Lord on the Midianites: so 2 Chron. 19. You execute the judgements of the Lord, and not of men; yet for all this, you must know that Magistrates may have revengefull affections in them, even when they execute justice; and so people, when they implore the Magistrates aid, it may not be out of zeale to justice, and love to the publique good, but because of private affections, and carnall dispositions. ⟨p. 187⟩And oh the blessednesse that would accrew to the Common-wealth, if all were carried in their severall places upon this publique ground!
- 1Private revenge unlawful, and forbidden by our Saviour.Private revenge unlawfull, and forbidden by our Saviour.
