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Numb. XXXV. Verse xxxiii.

And the Land cannot be cleanfed of Blood that is fhed in it; but by the Blood of him that Shed it.

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Hefe Words are like unto a Scorpion : for as in that, fo in these, the self-fame thing is both Poifon and Remedy: Blood is the Poifon, Blood is the Remedy; he that is stricken with the Scorpion, muft take the Oyl of the Scorpion to cure him. He that hath poifon'd a Land with the Sin of Blood, muft yield his own Blood for Antidote to cure it. It might feem strange, that I fhould amongst Chriftians thas come and deliver a Speech of Blood. For when I read the Notes and Characters of a Christian in Holy Scriptures, methinks it fhould be almost a Sin for fuch a one to name it. Poffefs your Souls in Patience. By this shall men know that ye are my Difciples, if ye love one another. Peace I leave with you. The Fruit of the Spirit is Love, For, Peace in the Holy Ghost. Let your Softness be known to all men. The Wfdom that is from above is fixft pure, then peaceable, gentle, easie to be entreated, full of It is reported by Avenzoar a great Physician, that he was fo tender-hearted, that he could not endure to see a man let blood: He that should read these Paffages of Scripture, might think that Chriftians were like Avenzoar, that the fight, of Blood fhould be enough to affright them. But is the common Chriftian fo foft, fo tender-hearted? is he fo peaceable, fo tame and tractable a Creature? You fhall not find two things of more different Countenance and Complexion, than that Chri

mercy.

tianity

ftianity which is commen-led unto us in the Writings of the Apostles, and Evangelifts, and that which is cur-. rent in use and practise of the times. He that shall be hold the true face of a Christian, as it is deciphered and painted out unto us in the Books of the New Teftament, and unpartially compare it with that Copy or Counterfeit of it, which is expreft in the Life and Demeanour of common Chriftians, would think them no more. like, than thofe Shields of Gold which Solomon made, were unto thofe of Brafs which Rehoboam made in their ftead: and might fuppofe that the Writers of thofe Books had brought vota magis, quam præcepta, had rather fancied. to themselves fome admirable Pattern of a Chriftian, fuch as they could wish, then delivered Rules and Laws, which feriously and indeed ought or could be practifed in common Life and Converfation. St. James obferves, that he which beholds his natural Face in a Glafs, goes his way, and immediately forgets what manner of man he was. Beloved, how careful we are to look upon the Glass, the Books of Holy Scriptures, I cannot eafily pronounce; But this I am fure of, we go our ways, and quickly forget what manner of Shape we faw there. As Facob and Efau had both one Father, Ifaac; both one Mother, Rebecca; yet the one was fmooth and plain, the other rough and hairy, of harfh and hard Countenance and Condition: fo these two kinds of Chriftians, of which but now I fpake, though both lay claim to one Father and Mother, both call themselves the Sons of God, and the Sons of the Church, yet are they almost as unlike as Facob and Esau; the one fmooth, gentle and peaceable, the other rough and harfh. The Notes and Characters of Chriftians, as they are defcribed in Holy Scriptures, are Patience, eafily putting up and digefting of Wrongs; Humility, preferring all before our felves: And St. James. tells us, that the Wisdom that is from above, is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, cafie to be entreated. St. James in

deed

deed hath given the first place unto Purity, and it were almost a fin to compare Christian Virtues together, and make them ftrive for Precedency and Place. For what Solomon faith upon another occafion, is here much more true, Say not, Why is this thing better than that? for every thing in its time is seasonable. Yet he that fhall mark how every where the Scriptures commend unto us Gentleness and Meeknefs, and that Peace is it, quam nobis Apoftoli totis viribus Spiritus fancti commendant, as Tertullian fpeaks, which the Apoftles endeavour with all the ftrength and force of the Holy Ghoft to plant amongst us, might a little invert the Words of St. James, and read them thus, The Wisdom that is from above, is firf peaceable, then pure. The Son of God, who is the Wif dom of the Father, and who for us men came down from Heaven, firft, and before all other Virtues commended this unto the World: For when he was born, the Song of the Angels was, Peace upon earth, and good will towards men. All his Doctrine was Peace, his whole Life was peaceable, and no man heard his Voice in the Streets: His laft Legacy and Bequeft left unto his Dif ciples was the fame; Peace, faith he, I leave unto you, my Peace I give unto you: As Chrift, fo Chriftians. In the building of Solomon's Temple, there was no noife of any Hammer, of any Inftrument of Iron; fo in the fpiritual building and frame of a Christian, there is no found of Iron, no noife of any Weapons, nothing but Peace and Gentleness. Ex præcepto fidei non minus rea ira eft fine ratione fufcepta, quam in operibus legis homicidium, faith St. Auftin, Unadvised Anger by the Law of Faith, is as great a fin as Murther was by the Law of Mofes. As fome Phyficians have thought, that in man's Body, the Spleen hath very little ufe, and might well be fpared; and therefore in dealing with fundry difeafed Perfons, they endeavour by Phyfick to abate, and take away that part in them, as much as may be; fo if we look

into a Chriftian Man, as he is propofed to us in the Gospel, we may justly marvel to what purpose God hath planted in him this Faculty and Paffion of Anger; fince he hath fo little ufe of it; and the Gospel in a manner doth fpiritually Dier and Phyfick him for it, and endeavours much to abate, if not quite to purge out that Quality. Beloved, we have hitherto feen who Facob is, and what manner of man the Chriftian is, that is described unto us in Holy Scripture. Let us a little confider his Brother Efau, the Chriftian in paffage, and who commonly in the Account of the World goes for one. Is he fo gentle and tractable a Creature? Is his Countenance fo fmooth, his Body fo free from Gall and Spleen? To try this,, as the Devil sometimes spake unto Job, Tough him in his Goods, touch him in his Body, and fee if he will not curfe thee to thy Face: fo touch this man a little in his Goods, touch him in his Reputation and Honour, touch him in any thing that he loves (for this is the only way to try how far thefe Commands of Peace, and Forbearance and long fuffering prevail with· us) and fee if he will not forget and loofe all his Patience. Which of us is there that understands the words and Precepts of our Saviour in their litteral Senfe, and as they lie? The Precepts of fuffering wrong, rather than to go to Law; of yielding the Coat to him that would take the Cloak, of readiness to receive more Wrongs, than to revenge one: thefe and all the Evangelical Commands of the like nature Interpretamento detorquemus, we have found out favourable Interpretations and Gloffes, Reftrictions and Evafions, to wind our felves out of them, to fhift them all off, and put them by, and yet pafs for found and currant Chriftians: We think we may be justly angry, continue long Suits in Law, call to the Magiftrate for Revenge, yea, fometimes take it into our own hands: all this and much more we think we may lawfully, and with good rea

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fon do, any Precept of Chrift to the contrary notwithftanding. And as it usually comes to pass, the permitting and tolerating leffer fins, opens way to greater, fo by giving paffage and inlet to those leffer Impatiences and Discontents, we lay open a Gap to those fouler Grimes, even of Murther and Bloodshed. For as men commonly fuppofe, that all the former Breaches of our Patience, which but now I mentioned, may well enough ftand with the Duties of Chriftians: fo there are who ftay not here, but think, that in fome cafes it may be lawful, yea, peradventure neceffary, at least very pardonable for Chriftians, privately to feek each others Blood, and put their Lives upon their Swords, without any wrong to their Vocation; out of this have sprung many great Inconveniences, both private and publick. Firft, Laws made too favourable in cafe of Bloodshed. Secondly, a too much facility and cafinefs in Princes and Magiftrates, fometimes to give Pardon and Release for that Crime. Thirdly and chiefly, (for it is the fpecial Cause indeed that moved me to speak in this Argument) an over Promptneß in many young men, who defire to be counted men of valour and refolution, upon every flight occafion to raise a Quarrel, and admit of no other means of compofing and ending it, but by Sword and Single Combat. Partly therefore to fhew the grievoufnefs and greatness of this fin of Bloodfeed, and partly to give the best Counsel I can for the restraint of thofe Conceits and Errors which give way unto it, Į have made choice of these few words out of the Old Te ftament, which but now I read. In the New Testament there is no Precept given concerning Bloodshed. The Apostles feem not to have thought that Christians ever fhould have had need of fuch a Prohibition; For what needed to forbid thofe to feek each others Blood, who are not permitted to fpeak over haftily one to another. When therefore I had refolved with my felf to

fpeak