v. 14. Blesse them which persecute you, &c. The Romanists doe hold, that a man is not bound extra casum necessitatis, but in case of necessitie to succour his enemie, and to apply any particular prayer vnto him, but onely in generall: in case of necessitie to doe it, it is a precept, but otherwise, and in other cases it is a counsell onely: to this purpose Thomas 22. qu. 25. whom Pererius followeth, 2. disput. numer. 8. Tolet addeth further, for a man to be readie in minde, not onely not to reuenge himselfe, but to suffer more wrong, as to hold his other cheeke when he is smitten vpon the one, is a precept, but in fact to doe it, is but a counsell onely, annot. 30. in fine: and a precept and counsell (they say) doe thus differ: the first belongeth to all Christians, and to leaue it vndone is sinne, the other is onely for such as are perfect, which though to leaue vndone be no sinne, yet to do it, is of great merit.
Cont. 1. S. Pauls precept is here generall, to blesse our persecutors, there is no case or time excepted: Christian charitie must not be restrained nor limited: who then seeth not, but that this minsing and cutting of the Apostolicall precept, is against the rule of charitie. 2. to be alwaies readie in mind, and in fact when occasion requireth to keepe patience toward our enemie, is a precept and commanded: but according to the strict letter, to turne the cheeke to the enemie, when one is striken, is neither precept nor counsell: for our Blessed Sauiour beeing smitten on the one cheeke did not turne the other, who was most perfect in all his actions. 3. a difference betweene precepts and counsels we graunt, in respect of the matter and subiect: the one is of things necessarie, the other of matters in their owne na∣ture indifferent: such as that is, 1. Cor. 7.15. of bestowing ones virgine, but otherwise they are both generall and not to be omitted, and neither are meritorious: See further Synops. Centur. 2. err. 84.