Magistrates, Ministers, &c. their rule to walk by. [ 1668]
THe Sea-men have a Proverb,* 1.1 or rather a Riddle, Mare ab imbecillibus vi∣ctum, fortior a vincit, that the Sea is overcome of things weak, but the strongest are overcome of the Sea; which is thus to be understood, That those ••abulous, dirty, and fenny places about the Sea, are by aggregation and access of mire, sand and other things falling into them continually enlarged, and so the Sea about such places is contracted, restrained, and as it were overcome; but the rocky, strong, and hard places are by the Sea strongly assaulted, and by little and little so battered and eaten out, that it gets much ground there, and overcomes that stony-hearted opposition: A good Rule for Magistrates, Mini∣sters and Men in power to walk by,* 1.2 to be gentle and loving, and of a yielding disposition to the humble, virtuous, and Religious persons, and suffer such to be overcome by them; but to the stubborn, stiff-necked and proud rebellious spirits to extend the waves and billows of their Iustice and power to break down their oppositions, and bring under their aspiring thoughts; but with this Proviso, that their Sins may be hated, not their Persons, and that to be done too, not with a desire of Revenge, but of healing and curing their Infirmities.