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Thou shalt not kill, was it said of old: But I (Christ) say vnto you, that he who is angrie against his brother, shall be coulpable of iud∣gement.
CONSIDER, how sweete this lawe of loue is (wherin Christian iustice consists) and how deare it ought to be to vs all, since it prouides for all our ad∣uantages. It setts not onely our life in as∣surance by saying: thou shall not kill: but euen striues to make our otherwise mise∣rable
liues, delightfull to vs, by forbid∣ding anger, taunting and deridinge words, and all manner of vnderualuing one an other, intimated by the words Raca, and foole.
[Affection.] O how happie! how happie were we Christians, my soule, did we liue according to the prescript of this heauen∣ly sweete lawe! O what a heauen should we finde in earth, were our actions framed according to the directions and precepts of our diuine Law-giuer. Our liues, our honours, our goodes and all were in an vndoubted safetie: and our soules would inioy a perpetuall saboath: while noe de∣tractions ruinating neighbours fame would be heard: noe carying of ill reports to one another which is destructiue to brotherly charitie, would be vsed: noe contumelies, contempts and tauntes would be practised Labour the due obseruance of this lawe, my soule, and so blesse thy selfe with two heauens.
Consider how agreeable this brotherly charitie must needes be to our sweete Sa∣uiour, since he doth not onely prouide safetie, and delight of our life while we obserue his holy Lawe, according to that
how goode and delightfull it is, for brethren to liue vnanimously togeither but euen in case of transgression therof, for our perfect re∣concilement to our brother and him: if thou offerest thy gift at the Altar and there thou remembrest that thy brother hath any thinge against thee leaue there thy offering &c. and goe first to be reconciled to thy brother, and then coming thou shalt offerre thy gift.
[Affection.] O most delicious and hea∣uenly Law! O admirable goodnesse of God to poore man! Who so closely lincked his interests with ours, that if we be not right amongst our selues, we are not right with him. If we haue not peace with our brethren, we haue not peace with him. If any man say I loue God, and hates his brother, he is a lier, saith the beloued Apo∣stle. Learne then to loue, my soule, whom thy exemplar Christ so much loues, that he chuses rather to want his owne proper worshippe, sacryfice, then that thy brother should want thy loue. Thy offeringes of thyne austerities, thy prayers, thy com∣munions, will neuer proue gratefull to him, as longe as thou willingly harbours grudging in thy breast against that poore brother of thyne, for whom through loue he dyed.