A Guide to Go to God, Petition 5 · Section 148 – Section 149
§. 148. Of a full forgiuing one another.
Q. WHat third doctrine doth the reſemblance betwixt Gods forgiuing, and ours import?
A. Wrongs muſt be ſo paſſed ouer as if they had not been done. This is a full forgiueneſſe, anſwerable to Gods: who ſo fully acquitteth vsus of our ſinnes as if we had committed to ſinne at all. Our forgiueneſſe therefore, by vertue of the foreſaid reſemblance muſt extend it ſelfe not to ſome part onelyonly, but to the whole debt or wrong, and that with ſuch a minde, as if no debt had been due, no wrong done. Where the Apoſtle, to them, that by ſtarting from the Goſpell which he had taught, had exceedingly wronged his Miniſtery,Gal▪ 4. 12. ſaith, Brethren, I beſeech you, bee as I am, for I am as ye are, ye hauehave not iniured me at all, doth he not fully forgiue the wrong, euen ſo fully, as if at all they had not wronged him. Thus much doth the ſame Apoſtle require of Philemon, Philem. ver. 6.in regard of the wrong which his ſeruant Oneſimus had done him.Gen. 50. 17, 21. So did Ioſeph and Moſes paſſe ouer the offences of their brethren.Numb. 12. 13. They did ſo accept and eſteeme them, as if they had done no wrong at all.
Q. What if by the wrong a man doth me, I obſerue ſuch infirmitie, yea and iniquitie to be in him,Direction for cariage of our ſelues to wrongdoets. as by experience I finde him to bee a farre other man then at firſt I ſuppoſed him to bee, ought I notwithſtanding to make ſuch account of him as I did before?
A. Wee muſt put difference betwixt a wrong done vponupon ſuch an occaſion as may afterwards be auoided, and that which is done vponupon an euill diſpoſition, which remaining in a man, may be a meanes to make him continue to doe more and more wrongs. The wrong of the former muſt be ſo forgiuen, as the wrong doer be ſo accepted as if he had done no wrong at all. As for the latter, we are to try if he may be brought to ſight of his euill diſpoſition, and to repentance for the ſame. If he be, then ought we to eſteeme him as if hee neuer had done vsus any hurt. But if obſtinately he perſiſt in that euill diſpoſition, and be like, on all occaſions, againe and againe to wrong vsus, though we doe, as we ought, fully forgiue all the wrongs done, and neither take any preſent reuenge, nor keepe them in mind and memory for any future reuenge, yet may we in our iudgement eſteeme him to be ſuch an one as wee finde him to be.Iſa. 5. 20. (Woe to them that call euil good: that put light for darkneſſe, and ſweet for bitter.) For example, if I finde one of whom I hauehave had a very good account, and thereupon vſed him very familiarly, to hauehave no command of his tongue, but on all occaſions to be ready to blab out, and blaze abroad whatſoeuer hee ſeeth or heareth, if therein hee hauehave wronged mee, I may forbeare to vſe him ſo familiarly as I did before, and take heed what ſecrets I communicate to him, though I fully forgiue the wrong that is paſt. Or if I hauehave accounted one to be an intire friend to mee, but by experience finde him to bee hollow-hearted, and maliciouſly minded againſt mee, I ought wiſely and warily to auoid his ſocietie, and to take heed of the ſnares which he layeth for me.1. Sam. 19. 20. (For which wee hauehave the patterne of Dauid, Ioh. 2. 24.and Chriſt) yet ſo to paſſe by the wrongs done as if none had been done.
For attaining to this degree of forgiueneſſe,Direction for manifeſtation of forgiueneſſe that our forgiuing may be, as Gods, full.
1. Reuenge muſt be purged out of the heart. The heart is the fountaine. If that bee cleanſed the ſtreames will bee cleare.
2. Wrong muſt bee put out of minde and memory ſo farre as poſſibly can be. Things forgotten are as things not done.
3. No needfull kindneſſe muſt bee denied to him that hath wronged vsus.
4. Occaſions of doing good to wrong doers muſt not onelyonly bee taken, but ſought. Readineſſe and willingneſſe to doe all offices of courteſie and charitie to ſuch as are ready to doe all the miſchiefe and iniurie that they can vntounto vsus, ſheweth that no reuenge lurketh in our hearts. Continuall fruits of louelove cannot iſſue out of a reuengefull heart.
The ſeuerall points of the condition annexed to the fift Petition hauing been diſtinctly handled, for better clearing thereof, ſundry queſtions about proper debts, ſutes in Law, and execution of Iuſtice are to be reſolued.
§. 149. Of requiring proper Debts.
Q. MAy a Chriſtian require debts of money or other like things due to him?
A. He may. For
1. The Law of God giueth liberty to a Creditor to take a pledge of the Debter for ſecuritie of paying the debt:Deut. 24. 10, 11, 12. in caſe the debter be not very poore, and the Pledge ſuch an one as he cannot ſpare.
2. Debters are commanded to pay their debts:Rom. 13. 7, 8. Creditors therefore may take them.
3. God did extraordinarily prouide for a poore widdow wherewithall ſhe might pay her debt.2. King. 4. 7. Had it beene vnlawfull for a Creditor to require his debt, God would rather hauehave prouided meanes to reſtraine him from exacting the debt, then for her to pay the debt.
Q. How can requiring debts, and forgiuing debters ſtand together?
A. 1. Forgiueneſſe here profeſſed hath reſpect rather to wrongs done, then to commodities due. The word, Debters, is metaphorically by way of reſemblance vſed. For hee that doth wrong, maketh himſelfe, as a debter, bound to ſome penaltie for the wrong hee hath done. Saint Mathew in his expoſition of this condition vſeth a word which in relation to man,Mat. 16. 14, 15. foreign. ſignifieth offences, wrongs, or iniuries.
2. It reſtraineth all reuenge in exacting due debts. Whatſoeuer wrong wee conceiue to be done vsus by not paying the debt muſt ſo farre be forborne, as we take no reuenge thereof. We may not hate, reuile, or euilly entreat our debters for not paying their debts.
3. It keepeth our exacting of debts within the compaſſe of merciemercy. Which is, that in caſe the debter be no way able to pay the debt, we rather forgiue it, then by hard and cruell meanes vtterly vndoe him, as by laying executions vponupon all he hath, or keeping him vnderunder perpetuall impriſonment.
Obiect. Luke 6. 35.It is Chriſts expreſſe charge to lend hoping for nothing againe. How then may a debt be required, if it may not be looked for againe?
A. 1. That, as other like precepts in Chriſts Sermon on the Mount, is not ſimply, but comparatiuely to be taken: that we ſhold be ſo farre from the cruell Vſurers mind, who is reſolued to hauehave both principall and intereſt, or, rather then faile of either, to do what he can in ſtricteſt rigour of Law againſt principall and ſuretie, we ſhould I ſay be ſo farre from ſuch a mind, as not to looke for any thing, no not for the principall againe.
2. That precept is laid downe as a rule of louelove: and according to the rule of louelove to be taken. Now louelove requireth merciemercy to be ſhewed to him that needeth. The rule of louelove is, on the one ſide, my brothers neceſſitie, and on the other, mine owne abilitie: 1. Iohn. 3. 17.which the Apoſtle implyeth in this inſtance, Who ſo hath this worlds goods (there is a mans abilitie,) and ſeeth his brother hath need (here is his brothers neceſſitie.) On this ground when a man lendeth, he muſt be ſo mercifully minded, as, if his debter fall into extreme pouertie, and be not able to pay what hee hath borrowed, willingly to remit the whole debt, and in ſuch a caſe not ſo much as to looke for any thing againe.
3. Some reſtraine that generall particle nothing to intereſt and ouerplus,Sentit, opinor, de f…nore quod ex mutu… redit. Nam in hunc ſenſum interpretantur veteres. Eraſm in Luc. 6. 35. as if he had ſaid, Lend, hoping for nothing aboue the principall; or for nothing by way of intereſt. In this ſence it maketh not againſt the forenamed poſition of requiring a mans due debt:See D. Downam on the 15. Pſal. intereſt being no due debt, but forbidden by Gods word.