Common Places, Part 2 · Chapter 9 · Section 16
Of MercieMercy, and the affect called Nemeſis.
46 But merciemercy is a gréefe of the mind, In Iudg. 8, verſe. 1.which we conceiue for other mens aduerſities: or (as Cicero ſaith) It is a gréefe taken for another mans miſerie. Ariſtotle taught, that merciemercy is ſtirred vp, if we ſée anie that doo ſuffer gréeuous things, which they hauehave not deſerued. For if that the wicked doo ſuffer iuſt puniſhments, thereof ariſeth no merciemercy. And beſides, he thinketh, that thoſe miſhaps, whereby we are mooued with merciemercy, be cruell; otherwiſe, if they were but light, we would be mooued but little or nothing: to conclude, that thoſe are mooued with merciemercy, which conſider that ſuch things may happen to themſelues, or to ſome other of theirs. Wherevpon it is thought, that they, which enioie proſperitie, and doo iudge themſelues bleſſed, are not inclined to merciemercy: naie rather, that they hauehave béene accuſtomed to triumph ouer poore wretches, as of thoſe, whom they thinke are not able to hurt them. In like maner, he remooueth this affect from deſperate and wretched men; bicauſe they feare, that nothing can happen vntounto them more miſerable than they hauehave: and thus, in that deſperate fortune they ſéeme to hauehave become ſenſeleſſe. Howbeit, if this were true, ſome man might doubt how merciemercy can be aſcribed vntounto God; ſince he without controuerſie is the moſt bleſſed, and that nothing is able to hurt him.
But héerevnto we anſwer, that merciemercy is not properlie attributed vntounto God; but by a metaphor taken of man; bicauſe he dooth thoſe things, which mercifull men hauehave béene woont to doo. For they doubtleſſe doo helpe the afflicted, the verie which thing alſo the godlie doo. Howbeit, I would not herein ſubſcribe vntounto Ariſtotle, that merciemercy is not to be ſhewed to them, which doo iuſtlie ſuffer puniſhment. 1. Sa. 25, 11.For Samuel moorned a long time for Saule, who was reiected of God; not vndeſeruedlie, but moſt iuſtlie. And no leſſe did Chriſt moorne for the deſtruction of Ieruſalem, Luk. 19, 41.which without doubt hanged ouer the head of that citie, not without deſert, but for iuſt cauſe. Neither yet doo we allow, that the ſinnes, which are committed of ſome, doo not ſtir vp merciemercy; but that onelie calamities and aduerſities doo the ſame. For godlie men are no leſſe agréeued for other mens chances, when they fall into great wickedneſſe, than when they be oppreſſed with vnhappie fortune. Wherefore we muſt not denie, that merciemercy is a good affect, when it followeth the word of God, and reaſon; eſpeciallie, ſince the Lord hath pronounced with his mouth; Matt. 5, 7.that Bleſſed are the mercifull, bicauſe they alſo ſhall obteine merciemercy.
47 An other affect, which ariſeth of ſadneſſe and gréefe, is that, which they call Nemeſis. The ſame hath no latin word, albeit of ſome it is called Indignatio, that is, Indignation: which yet, by that word doth not expreſſe all that affect. For indignation extendeth further than dooth Nemeſis. A definition of Nemeſis.But omitting the word, we will thus define the thing; Nemeſis is a ſadneſſe taken for the proſperitie of wicked men, bicauſe they ſéem to be vnworthie of that fortune. Iuſt and godlie men hauehave ſometimes this affect reigning in them. Dauid, when he ſawe the vngodlie flouriſh, Pſal. 73, 2. Abac. 1, 1.ſaid; My feet had well neere ſlipped. Alſo Abacuk tooke it gréeuouſlie, that the wicked were of ſo great power, that they oppreſſed the ſaints, Iob. 21, 1.and deuoured the iuſt. And Iob ſéemeth in a maner to complaine vntounto his fréends for the ſame thing. Plutarch.Furthermore, Plutarch in the life of Homer praiſeth this affect; and by reaſon thereof he far preferreth the Peripatetiks, in diſputing of the affects, before the Stoiks, and eſpeciallie by the iudgement of Homer: who affirmeth, that at the length God will angerlie puniſh, after that the wicked hauehave a certeine while flooriſhed. Howbeit, this is to be obſerued, that men in this reſpect are not gréeued thorough this affect; for that they ſhall ſuffer anie loſſe, by reaſon of the proſperitie of the wicked, or bicauſe that they by their power can hurt them. For if they were by this meanes gréeued, they ſhould not be troubled with Nemeſis, but rather with feare. But Nemeſis is then, when a man is mooued of a ſtomach, and for that he hateth the vnworthineſſe of the perſon.
48 This affect in two things communicateth with merciemercy; firſt, The agreement and difference betweene merciemercy and Nemeſis.bicauſe that either of them both is an heauineſſe; ſecondlie, for that each of them is ſtirred vp through an vnworthineſſe of the thing: MercieMercy, bicauſe good men are gréeued and oppreſſed; Nemeſis, bicauſe wicked men liue fortunatelie. But héerein afterward they differ, bicauſe Nemeſis hath reſpect vntounto proſperous fortune; but merciemercy vntounto ſharpe fortune. So that Nemeſis is, as it were a meane affect betwéene enuie and merciemercy; for of either it ſéemeth to take ſomewhat: of merciemercy it taketh vnworthineſſe; of enuie, proſperitie, which it hath a reſpect vntounto. And moreouer, Ariſtotle.Ariſtotle teacheth, that none are affected with Nemeſis, for other mens vertues. For if otherwiſe of vitious and corrupt men, they become moderate, ſtrong and temperate men; we diſdaine it not: bicauſe when they are adorned with vertues, they are no longer counted wicked men. But then at the laſt we are affected with Nemeſis, when vntounto wicked men there come thoſe good things, wherwith we thinke that good men ought to be rewarded; as are riches, honors, authoritie, fauor, and ſuch like. Neuertheleſſe, godlie men muſt deale prudentlie with this affect, that when their minds are affected therewith, bicauſe of the fortunate ſtate of the vngodlie, let vsus hauehave a regard vntounto God, who is the true gouernor and diſtributor of all good things. Wherefore, if men ſhould beſtowe thoſe outward good things vponupon the vnworthie, their vniuſtice might be iuſtlie reprooued. Howbeit, ſuch a reprehenſion hath no place in GOD, bicauſe he dooth all things moſt iuſtlie. This, when Dauid did not diligentlie conſider, he ſaid; My feet had well neere ſlipt. Pſal. 73, 2.As though he ſhould hauehave ſaid; By reaſon of this Nemeſis, I had almoſt gréeuouſlie fallen. Wherfore we muſt ſildome giuegive place to this affect, leaſt we ſéeme to reprehend the prouidence of GOD.
49 MercieMercy is an affect profitablie ingraffed in our minds by God, In Iud. 1. 7. That merciemercy is a profitable affect.whereby we are ſtirred vp to help and defend others. But we muſt take héed, that thereby we be not made ſo nice and effeminate, as thorough the ſame we ſhould commit anie thing againſt the cōmandements and will of God. The holie ſcriptures reprehend Achab king of Samaria, bicauſe he ſpared Benhadad king of Syria, of whom he ſaid; 1. Kin. 20, 42If he be aliue he is my brother. Alſo they condemne Saule, by the mouth of the prophet Samuel; 1. Sa. 15, 29.bicauſe he ſaued Agag king of Amalech aliue. And euen as it was ſaid vntounto another by the meſſenger of God; Thy ſoule ſhall be for his ſoule: ſo Saule, being a little before placed by God in the kingdome, was depriued thereof. What ſhall we then doo? Shall not ſinnes be forgiuen? Seneca, in his ſecond booke De clementia, the ſixt chapter; Pardon (ſaith he) is a remiſſion of puniſhment due, whereby he is forgiuen, which ought to hauehave béene puniſhed. And ſo he thinketh it is not a wiſe mans part to giuegive pardon; bicauſe a wiſe man will neuer commit that, which ought not to be doone; or leaue anie thing vndoone, which ought to be doone. This reaſon of his ſéemeth to be good and effectuall enough, yet leaſt we ſhould be deceiued thereby, we muſt here make a profitable diſtinction of perſons; namelie, of God, of princes, and of priuate men. By whom puniſhments may be forgiuen and how far foorth.No man ought to doubt, but that God may forgiue whom he will, ſince that he is not bound to anie other mans lawes. Wherefore, in forgiuing, he is not ſaid to remit that, which ought to hauehave béene puniſhed. Beſides this, he hath not ſo forgiuen men their faults, but that he hath puniſhed them in his onelie begotten ſonne Chriſt.
But we muſt otherwiſe thinke of the magiſtrate, to whom it is not lawfull to forgiue the puniſhments of ſinnes, bicauſe he is commanded to giuegive iudgement according to the lawes: to whom neuertheleſſe it is commanded, A meaſure for magiſtrats to puniſh by.either to releaſe, or to aggrauate the puniſhments, according to the weight or maner of the crimes. So now, when he that is guiltie is cureable, and hath not gréeuouſlie offended; the magiſtrate is ſometime content with an eaſier puniſhment; and ſometime he vſeth a more ſharpe reprehenſion or admonition: and ſo he neuer leaueth ſinnes vnpuniſhed. And euen he in puniſhing is not cruell, naie he rather correcteth, amendeth and healeth. Which worke is both a iuſt and mercifull worke: ſo farre is it off that it ſhould be aſcribed to ſeueritie or crueltie. And this will I alſo adde by the waie, which is written by the ſame Seneca; that To hauehave manie executions, is no leſſe diſhonourable to magiſtrates, than manie funerals to Phyſicians. But now, concerning priuate men, me thinketh it muſt be thus anſwered; It is their dutie to forgiue iniuries doone to themſelues. Neither can Seneca his ſaieng take place in them; namelie, that a wiſe man will leaue nothing vndoone that ought to be doon, bicauſe reuengement is forbidden them by the lawe of almightie God: and they are commanded after a ſort to puniſh ſuch as ſinne againſt them; What reuenge priuate men muſt vſe.I meane in reproouing them. And they are willed to be content with that puniſhment, when thoſe which hauehave offended them, are amended and cured. But contrariwiſe, if they perceiue them to be ſtubborne, they, by the commandement of God ought to complaine to the church, by whom at the laſt they are excluded; vnleſſe they will be obedient therevnto. And when they are excluded out of the church, they may alſo be accuſed to the magiſtrate; wherein neuertheleſſe there is not anie thing committed againſt clemencie: for ſuch is the mind and purpoſe of the accuſers, that by all meanes poſſible, according to Gods commandement, euill may be vtterlie taken awaie from among men.