John Trapp on Ecclesiastes 7:16

Verſ. 16. Bee not righteous over much, neither make, &c.] Virtue conſiſts in a mediocrity. Omne quod eſt nimium. vertitur in vicium. Eſt modus in rebus. Phil. 4.5. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. A rigid ſeverity may mar all. Let your moderation bee known to all men, prefer equity before extremity: utmoſt right may bee utmoſt wrong. Hee is righteous over-much, that will remit nothing of his right, but exerciſe great cenſures for light offences: this is (as one ſaid) to kill a fly upon a mans forehead with a beetle. Juſtice, if not mixed with mercy, degenerates into cruelty. Again, hee is righteous more than is meee, that maketh ſins where God hath made none; as thoſe ſuperſtitioſuli of old, and the Papiſts at this day do with their Touch not, Taſte not, handle not: Which things have indeed a ſhew of wiſdome in will-worſhip, &c. Col. 2.21, 23. Will-worſhippers are uſually over-wiſe, i. e. over-weening, and too too well conceited of their own wiſdome and worth.Quiſquis plus juſto non ſapit, ille ſapit. Mart. Hence it is, that they cannot do, but they muſt over-do, till wearied in the greatneſs of their way, Iſa. 57.10. they ſee and ſay that it had been beſt to have held the Kings high-way, chalked out unto them by the royal Law, James 2.8. that perfect Law of liberty, James 1.25. Via regia temperata eſt, Hieron. in cap. 57 Iſa. nec plus in ſe habons, nec minus. The middle way is the way of God; neither having too much, nor yet too little.Cic. 2. de finib. True it is (ſaith the Heathen Oratour) that Nemo pius eſt qui pietatem caver, No man is godly that is afraid of being ſo: But then it is no leſs true (and the ſame Author ſpeaks it) Modum eſſe religionis, Cic. pro dem. ſua. Nihil minus expedit, quam agrum optime colere. Plin. Cic. de Orat. Jul. Solin. Polyh. c. 45 nimium eſſe ſuperſtitioſum non oportere: that there is a reaſon in being religious, and that men muſt ſee they bee not ſuperſtitious. Solomon ſaith, that hee that wrings his noſe over hard, brings blood out of it. Pliny ſaith, hee that tills his Land over-well, doth it to his loſs. Apelles ſaid, thoſe Painters were too blame, qui non ſentirent quid eſſet ſatis, that could not ſee when they had done ſufficient. It is reported of the River Nilus, that if it either exceeed or bee defective in its due overflowings of the Land of Egypt, it cauſeth famine; The planet Jupiter, ſituate betwixt cold Saturn, and hot Mars, Lib. 2. c. 8 Ex utroque temperatus eſt; & ſalutaris, ſaith Pliny, partakes of both, and is benign and wholeſome to the ſublunary creatures.