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conclude the utter Unlawfulness of all punishing of Malefactors, even by the publick Magiftrate, because we are here forbid to refift the injurious Perfon. But this Miftake may eafily be removed, if we confider who the Perfons were, to whom our Saviour addreffed all this Difcourfe, namely, private Chriftians, and others in a private Capacity, without offering one word of the Magiftrate's Office, or any other particular Relation of Men. What our Saviour is here prohibiting, is only private Revenge, without any the leaft Defign of encroaching upon the Magiftrate's Office, as indeed this Enthufiaftical Doctrine would cut it off altogether, and fo diffolve all Governments, and reduce the World to a State of Anarchy and Confufion. It were an easy thing, by many Arguments, to confute this falfe Interpretation; but, for Brevity's fake, I fhall only refer you to that one Paffage of St Paul, Rom. xiii. 4. where he tells Malefactors what they are justly to expect from the Sword of the Magiftrate, as he is the Minifter of God: But if thou do that which is Evil, fays he, be afraid, for he beareth not the Sword in vain; for he is the Minister of God, a Revenger to execute Wrath upon him that doth Evil. And our Saviour, by confeffing that (a) if his Kingdom had been of this World, his Servants would have fought, grants plainly the Power of the Sword to earthly Princes.

3. Thirdly, There are others who, acknowledging the Neceffity of the Magiftrate's Office, and likewife that the punishing of Criminals is his

(a) John xviii. 36,

Duty

Duty, deny that it is lawful for Chriftians to exercife that Office, they being forbid by our Saviour to refift Evil. But this proceeds from the fame Mistake, namely, from their not confidering that our Saviour is here only teaching the Duty of private Chriftians, and forbiding private Revenge; he is only exhorting to a patient bearing of the Injuries offered to ourselves, without aiming in the least to exempt us from the Duty of protecting and defending others, where it is our Duty fo to do, as it is certainly, if we are Magiftrates, and for that very End invested with the Power of the Sword.

The fame Answer will ferve them, who, by thefe Words, Refift not Evil, think all War is prohibited to Chriftians; for if our Saviour is only teaching the Duty of private Christians, without meddling with the Office of Rulers and Magistrates, all that can be gathered from hence, as to this Matter, is, that private Perfons are not to ufurp the Magiftrate's Office, or to rife in Arms, without the Command of the lawful Magiftrate, whom they may certainly obey in the execution of Justice.

4. Laftly, Some have made a Doubt from thefe Words of my Text, whether we are not totally prohibited going to Law, fince our Saviour requires us rather to bear with Injury after Injury. To this Doubt, I have these two or three Things to answer. 1. That our Lord feems to me to recommend, first, the way of Patience and Charity, if by that means Quarrels can be made up without a Suit at Law. 2. That many tolerable Injuries ought to be paffed by, without feeking legal Reparation; and it is chiefly of

these

thefe leffer Injuries our Saviour feems to treat in this Text; and the Example of St Paul confirms it, who though in fmaller Injuries he troubled not the higher Powers, yet when his Life was in danger, once accepted of a Guard of Soldiers (a); another time appealed to Cæfar (b). 3. That when in Matters of great Importance, we are neceffitated to go to Law, we do it only with an Eye to Juftice, and our own Reparation, without any malicious revengeful Defign against our Adverfary. In obferving which Rules, we shall be fo far from going contrary to this Text, that we shall directly anfwer the Defign and Intent of it.

Having thus answered the Doubts which occur from the Text, my last Business is to exhort you seriously to comply with the main Scope and Purport of it, namely, to correct that vindictive Temper which inclines us to private Revenge and Retaliation of Injuries, and to put in practice the much neglected Duty of forgiving one another, as we expect Forgivenefs at the Hand of Almighty God. It is a very fad thing, that we Chriftians are fo great Strangers to the true Spirit of Chriftianity; that in this particular of refenting and revenging Injuries, there is no Heathen or few acts more contrary to the Spirit of Chrift and the Gofpel than we do. We think it below us to put

up

the leaft Injury or Affront, and do even much exceed what our Saviour reprehends in the Jews, who would have Eye for Eye, Tooth for Tooth; for as if these were low Revenges, by the Maxims

(a) Act. xxiii.

(b) Act xxv. II.

eftablished

[SERM. established among fome that are called Chriftians, our Neighbour's Heart's Blood is thought but a reasonable Satisfaction for a rash injurious Word, or any the leaft contumelious Action. I wonder upon what Hope fuch Perfons can expect Remiffion of the many thousand Talents of their Sins at the Hands of Almighty God, when they will not forgive their Chriftian Brother a few Pence of his Failings to them. I fhall conclude with that moft Chriftian Exhortation of St Paul to the Coloffians; (a) Put on therefore (as the Elect of God, holy and beloved) Bowels of Mercies, Kindnefs, Humbleness of Mind, Meekness, Long-fuffering, forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any Man have a Quarrel against any; even as Chrift forgave you, fo alfo do ye. To which I cannot forbear adding another Exhortation of his to the Ephefians, to the fame Purpose; (b) Let all Bitterness, and Wrath, and Anger, and Clamour, and Evil Speaking, be put away from you, with all Malice, and be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God, for Chrift's fake, hath forgiven you.

Now to God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, be all Praise, Honour, and Glory, Might, Power, and Dominion, for ever and ever.

Amen.

(a) Col. iii. 12.

(b) Eph. iv. 31.

SER M.

SERMON XXVIII.

MATT. V. 42.

Give to him that afketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee, turn not thou away.

W

The Second Sermon on this Text.

E heard, at the laft Occafion, from the Words immediately preceding, how our Saviour, in correcting the Abufes which the Scribes and Pharifees had put upon the Law of Retaliation, taught his Difciples much higher Degrees of Charity, both in forgiving of Injuries, and in doing Good for Evil, by giving and lending to their Adverfaries in Distress.

Of the first of these, the Forgiveness of Injuries, or the foregoing the Privilege of Retaliation in that refpect, I then difcourfed, and intend to proceed now to the other, the doing Good for Evil; Give to him that afketh thee, fays he, and from him that would borrow of thee, turn not thou

away.

The Words I understand as belonging to the fame Subject, q. d. In order to the Chriftian treating of an Adverfary, it is not enough, not to retaliate his Injuries, but ye muft further gain him VOL. II. Сс

with

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