Selected quad for the lemma: christian_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
christian_n	christian_a	church_n	unity_n	1,522	5	9.2638	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A89889	The true character tending to love. Or, A short treatise wherein is shewed how Christians ought to love their Christian brethren, in their affections, words and deeds. By a lover of charity, B.N. Very usefull and necessary for Christians that are willing to live in love, unity, and peace in these distracted times, wherein so many divisions abound. Viewed and approved by divers worthy men of the City of London.	B. N.	1647 (1647)	Wing N4; Thomason E378_26; ESTC R201392	9,358	18

THE TRUE CHARACTER tending to LOVE OR A short Treatise wherein is shewed how Christians ought to love their Christian Brethren in their affections words and deeds By a lover of charity B. N. Very usefull and necessary for Christians that are willing to live in love unity and peace in these distracted times wherein so many divisions abound Viewed and approved by divers worthy men of the City of LONDON HEB. 13. 1. Let brotherly love continue Printed for R. Wodenothe at the Star under Peters Church in Cornhill 1647. THE TRUE CHARACTER tending to LOVE COnsidering with my selfe of the benefit of love together with the difficulty of it which hath almost worne it out of use amongst Christians I thought fit to afford some help to lead carefull Christians up this mount of love Love is a communicated goodnesse without which man is no better then a beast praying for himselfe alone also it is a commandement which the Lords own finger hath written therefore in obedience to him we must love our neighbour in these five particulars 1 We must love them in their persons 2 In their Bodies 3 In their souls 4 In their goods 5 In their good names and in every thing that belongs unto them 1 In their persons these 3 wayes 1 In our affections 2 In our words 3 In our deeds even as in 1 John 3. 18. where he teaches us not only to love in word and in tongue but in deed and in trueth 1 In our affections we must expresse our love in ordering them after such a sort that we cannot rashly be angry with them but moderately reprove them in which consider these three things 1 That the cause be just and earnest even as Saint Matthew holds it forth in Mat 5. 22. 2 That our anger be not furious breaking forth in immoderate heat into cursing banning reviling and the like for Paul the Apostle advises us to this that we should put away with all malice all bitternesse wrath and anger c. in Ephes 4. 31. 3 That it hold not long for both should seek reconciliation as that example of the father that ran to meet the sonne and the sonne ran to meet his father so that this doth plainly reprove those that when they are once fallen out will never be reconciled again or straine courtesie who shall begin and this doth bewray their want of love Ephes 4. 16. Now true love suffereth long it will put up many injuries and passe by many wrongs for what saith Solomon Cant 8. 7. Many waters cannot quench love c. 2 There is a secondarie point of inward love that is not to envie any others good It should not be a grief to us to see others wiser wealthier or better thought of then our selves we should be as glad of their welfare as of our own and rejoyce as much to heare them praysed as we would doe if our selves were commended even as Paul advises us in Rom 12. 15. Rejoyce with them that rejoyce c. 3 We must not in no wise take that in evill part that may be well meant we must not be to jealous and too suspitious of our bretheren upon every conceit thinking hardly of them for what saith Saint Matthew Judg not lest ye be judged 4 We must not disdaine them nor set up our selves against them for though in some one gift they come behind us yet happily in some other they come before us and though they doe not yet happily they have not had such helps means so many sweet motions to bring them on as we have had Phil 2. 3. Where Saint Paul exhorteth us all to let nothing be done through strife or vaineglory but in lowlines of mind let each esteeme other better then himselfe c. Thus let our affections be toward our neighbours and let us shew our love to them in our words 1 Not speaking bitterly scoffingly nor crossely to them if we wronged yet we must deale coldly gently and mildly with them for Saint James saith speak not evill one of another c. James 4. 11. Also in Gen 21. 9 10. Also Solomon saith that a soft answer turneth away wrath and therefore let us be advised in no wise to speake evill one of an other But yet in Gods cause we may be some what sharpe in our speech rather then in our own but in neither unles we see gentle means will not work even as Physicians use strong medicines when they see that the weaker will not helpe 2 We must not speake evill of them behind their backs but by love conceale those infirmities that are in them unlesse Gods glory or their good require the opening of their faults for Saint Peter exhorteth us above all things to have fervent charity among our selves the reason is because saith he Charity shall cover a multitude of sins 1 Peter 4. 8. Also Saint Paul saith that the man is not without the woman nor the woman without man but we are all one in Christ Jesus 1 Cor 11. 11. 3 We must not brawle and wrangle contentiously about questions that arise amongst us even as Saint Peter exhorteth us in 1 Peter 3. 15 16. We must shew our love to our neighbours in our deeds in not withdrawing our selves from them in their needs but to our power and ability seeke to make their lives sweet and comfortable to them we must not be altogether our own men shut up within our own profit and pleasures and wholy taken up of them but by love we must goe out of our selves to the good and profit of our brethren for the Lord hath commanded by Moses that we should open our hands wide unto our brethren and to the poore and needy of the land in Dent. 15. from 7. to 13. From whence we may learne that they who are so far off from helping their needy brethren that they make even a spoyle and prey of them most unchirstianly increasing their miseries and by usury and hard bargaines putting of them further into debt and danger they have no drop of humanity much lest any sound ground of Christianity in them for thus to doe is absolutely forbidden in Levit. 25. 36. where it is written expresly that we should take no usury nor increase of our poor brethren but that we should feare God that our brother may live with us c. Furthermore we must doe no violence to their person wee must neither smite nor hurt them in life nor limb as appeareth Levit. 24. 19 20. where it is sayd that if a man cause a blemish in his neighbour for as he hath done so shall it be done to him again c. Objection But here some may say this love is of none effect now Answer Is that though the ceremony of the Law be now abrogated yet the equity of it stands still in strength So again we must declare our love to their persons by not procuring any hurt to their persons by any means so tenderly the Lord