good Now he is a sollicitous Shepherd running after the strayed Sheep to bring him back to the Flock Then he is a Father compassionate of the misery to which debauchery had brought his Son whom he reclaims by managing the spirit of the young Man with all the tenderness in the bowels of a Father A Traveller is wounded by Thieves on the Road to Jericho and he becomes a Physician to his Wounds A Samaritan Woman is desirous to see Jesus and he charitably sets himself to instruct her thereby to gain her and that thirst he would quench by drinking the Water he demanded from her is only the figure of a greater thirst and zeal which he had for her salvation He humbles himself to appear unto Magdalen even like a Gardener and to comfort her he converses familiarly with her in so mean an outside To be short he becomes a Traveller with the Disciples going to Emaus to free them from that doubt and trouble into which their distrust had thrown them The Gospel is full of a thousand other testimonies of his bounty towards us When we flie from him he follows us He calls us when we forget him He pressingly urges us when we will not hear him When we slight him he complains kindly of us And when we return to him after having offended him he seems so sensible that he takes more pleasure to make his own joy and that of his whole coelestial Court break out at the repentance of one sinner then at the fidelity and perseverance of a great number of Just because his glory appears more in pardoning then punishing St. John thunders forth nothing but threats and terrors to his Hearers because he speaks in the spirit of Elias Jesus Christ says nothing but what is sweet and mild because he speaks according to his own Maximes and in his own Spirit which is that of the law of Grace But never did the love of God towards Man appear more then at his Passion For that very night wherein Man conspired his death this God of goodness thought of nothing but to leave him marks of his mercy and tenderness And at the same time that one of his Disciples by the blackest of Treasons betrayed him to his Enemies to be put to death he gave his most sacred Body for food for their Souls He died at last loaded with reproach and ignominy after having been dragged from Tribunal to Tribunal forsaken by his own Disciples and abandoned by all the World He died a publick and infamous Death nailed to a Cross amidst the Blasphemies of those that put him to death But he died with a silence a sweetness a tranquility a patience a peace and quiet which astonisht his very Executioners They reproacht him when he was dying that he could save others but not himself Nor was this reproach without reason because he thought no longer of himself but only of men And amidst the horrors of so cruel a Death plunged in a sea of grief and bitterness he never open'd his dying eyes nor turn'd them towards heaven but to implore the mercy of his Father even for those that put him to death saying Father forgive them for they know not what they do He shed his Bloud he died for the salvation of the Executioners that crucified him What excess of love How incomprehensible to our capacity S. Chrisostom had reason to say That the greatest testimony Christ gave of his Divinity was the extending his love even to all those who killed him for nothing less then God could love at a rate so much above the reach of Man But though the Expressions of that love which the Son of God had for Man are very observable in divers places of the Old Testament under the Figures of the Patriarchs and Prophets yet are they nowhere more strong and tender then in the New Testament where Christ himself speaks of it as of one of the most essential Points of his Doctrine So as the whole Morality of the Gospel turns on this Principle That the true Spirit of Christianity is to have charity for on 's Neighbour Every thing conspires to settle there this important Maxime which is the fundamental Point of our Religion For though the Evangelists wrote nothing by agreement and that the Gospel seems to have been publisht rather upon occasion then by design yet since 't is the Doctrine of their Master they write we find therein so great a conformity of Sentiments on this Principle of Christian Charity that it sufficiently appears by their manner of declaring it there is nothing more essential to Christianity then the love of our Neighbour The whole law says St. Matthew is comprehended in this precept 'T is the most important of all says St. Mark Jesus Christ carries it to a higher pitch of perfection in St. Luke where he obliges the faithful represented by his Apostles To love their enemies to do good for evil and to pray for their calumniators Last of all St. John who knew most of his Masters secrets and penetrated deepest into his thoughts places the essential mark of a Christian in the love of our Neighbour By this all men shall know says our Saviour by the mouth of this Apostle that you are my disciples if you love one another This is the commandment of the law of Grace whereunto is reduced all the perfection of the New Testament And the Saviour of the World recommended nothing so earnestly to his Disciples in the last moments of his life as Concord and Union Because this Union was to be the foundation of the Religion he establisht The Evangelists do not only speak all according to this Principle but 't is apparent the same Spirit makes them speak They treat their friends and enemies both alike in their History A God murthered by men and an innocent man oppressed by calumny might have afforded their zeal some reason for exaggeration yet they allow themselves nothing which has any shew of emotion or violence They relate the treason of Judas the cruelty of the Executioners the injustice and violence of the Magistrates without any touch of bitterness against their persons They speak in a way apt to make one believe they had no concern in what they say A spirit so uninterested is without example and whereof the common sort of men are uncapable 'T is only Christianity that is to say a Discipline wholly coelestial which can inspire so much moderation We see the first fruits of this Spirit in the Acts of the Apostles which is the History of the establishment of Christianity For as the Historian relates the Christians did then live in such a Union as if they had all one and the same heart and one and the same soul The propriety of Goods which ordinarily causes dissentions amongst men was no obstacle to this Union for all their Goods were in common They brought and laid at the feet of the Apostles their Revenues Rents Bonds Contracts Jewels and all
who have divested themselves of all things to give all to the Poor 'T is read in St. Anselm that Elphegus Archbishop of Canterbury who liv'd in the beginning of the eleventh Age being taken Prisoner by the Enemy chose rather to die then consent his Flock should be overcharg'd for the ransom of his life I say nothing of St. Bernardin of Siena nor of St. Charles who so Christian-like exposed their lives to assist at their death those infected with the Plague I do not mention St. Francis Xaverius who left his Country House and Hopes to run to the utmost parts of the World after Salvages and Barbarians to instruct them in the knowledge of Jesus Christ And amidst the deplorable remisness of the Manners of this Age how many great Interests great Honors great Reputations great Hopes have we seen sacrificed in the generous exercise of Christian Charity How many Persons of Quality how many eminent Wits with sublime Talents how many tender and delicate Ladies have submitted themselves most willingly to the pains of a laborious and obscure life to succour their Neighbours We have seen in the old Age of Christianity and in the corruption of this Age Apostolical Men cross the Seas to go and instruct Infidels and bring them into the right way To conclude this Spirit of the Apostles which God has revived in some measure in these latter Times and this so fervent zeal for the salvation of Souls is so apparently the true Spirit of Christianity and the essential distinction between the Children of the Church and others which are not of it That though it be above an Age since some of our Neighbours who have unhappily left the Faith run into all parts of the World there to plant Traffick and Commerce which flourish amongst them yet there has not yet appear'd any one Pastor of their Communion that has had the virtue and courage to give his life to Baptize one Salvage and Convert one Infidel So true it is that the disinteressedness and purity of Christian Charity cannot be so much as counterfeited by Hereticks who impudently boast themselves to inherit the Faith of the Apostles when in reality they have not any mark of their Zeal or sign of their Spirit since they can behold without any concern the People with whom they Traffick continually in a profound ignorance of things necessary to their salvation For what means the indifferency of these false Pastors who without the least compassion see the Flock of Jesus Christ scattered and straying What means this so cold tranquility but what our Lord himself said That the true Pastor whereof himself was the Model is always ready to give his life for his Flock and that the mercenary Pastor concerns not himself for the Flock of Jesus Christ because he is an Hireling It s in Charity then alone consists the true Spirit of Christianity we seek after She is that precious Jewel of the Gospel which must be purchased at any rate to become the truly rich of the new Law Let us then renounce our Interests and Pleasures if they are obstacles to our possessing it But to animate our selves still more to acquire it let us look into its value by considering its nature and qualities It s that must be examined in the following Chapter CHAP. II. Of the nature and qualities of this Charity in which consists the Spirit of Christianity and the Idea of a Christian 'T IS natural for Man to love Man But 't is a great vertue to love him for his vertues sake for love that is founded on honesty wisdom good inclination fidelity or any other real merit is a vertue and 't is laudable to love these qualities which are themselves worthy of praise But after all thus to love is to love but like a Heathen for the Pagans love those that love them and such as have qualities worthy their love What is it then to love like a Christian 'T is to love without hearkening to Nature which wills that we love our like 'T is to love even without consulting our Reason which requires that we love what is worthy to be beloved Nature and Reason do not comprehend this Secret The Gospel must speak and 't is Jesus Christ himself must teach it To love like a Christian is to love that which has nothing amiable 'T is to have a kindness and tenderness for those that have all unkindness and rigour for us In fine to love like a Christian is to desire the good of those that wish us nothing but ill This Vertue was unknown to the Morals of Socrates and Moses to Philosophy and the old Law The Precept to love our Enemies is of the new Law And this so holy Maxim could not come but out of the School of God so much 't is raised above Man 'T is indeed Jesus Christ is the Author of it and himself in Person that instructs us But I say to you love your Enemies do good to them that hate you and pray for them that calumniate and persecute you These are the words of the Saviour of the World Behold our Belief our Gospel our Morality and the true Character of our Religion The other marks of a Christian as Devotion Penance Hope in God Humility and even Martyrdom it self may be equivocal marks 'T is only the love of our Enemies that is not 'T is hereby alone that a Christian can distinguish himself and to embrace the Faith is to embrace the obligation to love the Persecutor in loving the Persecution But how can a man love that which merits his hate when he has scacre power to love that which deserves to be beloved What violence must not he use to himself before he gains that Point He needs not use any for from the instant that he sincerely becomes a Christian he loves his Enemies as really as his Friends And the same Motive that makes a Christian love God the same also makes him love his Neighbour as a Child of God for he sees reflect on him a beam of the same light that makes himself know God Although his Brother be his Enemy from the time that he regards him as a Member of Jesus Christ sprinkled with his Bloud fed with his Flesh enliven'd with his Spirit destin'd to his Glory that he professes the same Law and Religion as he do's that they have both the same Hopes the same Pretensions the same Sacraments and when he considers Jesus Christ in his Neighbour as the motive of his Charity he loves him And Flesh Bloud Nature Reason Interest and Passion are too weak Considerations to disunite Hearts tied together by so holy an Union that is to say by all that is supernatural and divine in Christianity So the motive of the love of our Neighbour being the same with the motive of our love of God as St. Leo teacheth both the one and the other being grounded on the same principle and tending to the same end a Christian cannot be
It is by this Illusion that after publick Detractions they make Reparations of Honor more to be fear'd then the Detractions themselves and which for the most part serve but to open again the Wound they pretend to close Through this 't is Men would succour others when they are no longer in a Condition to be assisted like the rich Glutton who puts on the Charitable after his death for the salvation of his Brethren whom he would have advertis'd of their licentiousness though he had never practis'd Charity during his life It is through this perversion of Reason some give Alms and pay not their Debts visit Prisons and mind not their domestick Affairs by their Wills leave the most Christian-like Legacies in the World at their Deaths and destroy the Peace and Union of their Family refuse one truly Poor wherewith to draw him out of misery and without discretion give a Wanderer and a Vagabond wherewith to maintain them in their idleness They run about the World to Convert People without thinking to Convert themselves and sometimes lose themselves in seeking too earnestly after those that have stray'd To this Illusion may be reduced the mistaken Conduct of those Directors who by indiscreet Rigors pervert the Ways of God in driving sometimes Sinners from their Confessionary Seats whom his Grace brings thither and disheartning the weak for want of capacity and advice to manage them in their weakness I say nothing of the Indiscretion of those Women who believe themselves Charitable because they do not steal their Neighbours Goods while they rob them of their Honor by their Calumnies They care not for folks Purses but flie at the Reputation of all the World there 's no saving on 's self from their Tongues they examine not a jot all that is said to have the more right to believe every thing and there 's none talk'd of disadvantageously but they are presently perswaded all that 's said is true In fine it is this Spirit of Indiscretion that breaks all the ordinary measures of Charity and takes from it that discernment of knowledge without which this Vertue becomes it self inconsiderable For sometimes it accuses where it ought to excuse and on other occasions praises where it ought to reprehend being thus often subject to mistake through Precipitation and the lightness of Indiscretion The Ninth is the Spirit of Severity for Severity narrows the Heart and deprives it of that extent of Soul which is the chief character of Charity 'T is from this Principle some believe they ought not to indulge any because they pardon themselves nothing and think they have a right to be severe to others because they are so to themselves S. Catherine of Siena avows she was subject to this fault in her first fervors out of a false Vertue and the most vertuous can hardly guard themselves from this weakness for 't is natural for a Man to judge of his Neighbour when he finds himself more perfect then him The care one has to live irreprochably in the World gives a pretence of title to reproch every thing in others and one easily perswades himself he owes none that lenity and indulgence which he refuses to himself If he speaks 't is roughly if he gives his advice 't is severely if he reprehends 't is with impatience and rage 'T is ever a bitter zeal and morose ayre which is seldom other then the effect of a dark and melancholy humour scarce ever the spirit of Charity In which respect this Conduct is but a false Severity for Christian Severity is rigid only to its self and indulgent to others This too was the fault of the Pharisee who blam'd all the rest of Mankind because Fasting ' twice a week he believ'd himself better then them all Thus 't is that Men are severe to their Neighbour when they are so to themselves that they spare none because they favour not themselves and that they speak ill of all the World because they have a severer Morality then others And thus Severity becomes a meer Delusion if founded on any other Principle then Charity Let us place our Glory then rather in Moderation and Charity then in the austerity of our Morals For Should we live only on Ashes says S. Chrysostom if we have not indulgence and love for our Neighbour this austerity would avail us nothing And generally Pride which is the ordinary effect of this Spirit of Severity is so great an obstacle to Charity that men ought to stand so much the more on their guard as they find themselves inclinable to Severity Vertue her self ought to redouble her Distrusts amidst the Applauses she receives for she becomes a snare as soon as she ceases to be pure There is nothing so dangerous as Disorder back'd with a false Zeal as an adhesion to Error hid under the veil of an exemplar Life and as strict Morality with a licentious Belief But if Severity be opposite to Charity when not founded on Mildness Mildness is no less contrary on several occasions when not supported by Severity For it runs into a slackning of Order either by a soft Indulgence or by a timorous Conduct In effect Clemency is pernicious where there needs Rigor and Silence becomes a fault when one should Speak He prevaricates that holds his Tongue in those occasions where Counsels and Reproofs are absolutely necessary Judgment and Knowledge which ought to be the two inseparable companions of Charity will find a middle path between these two Extreams to the edification of our Neighbour the only Mark that Charity should aim at The Tenth is Hypocrisie This is the Illusion of the Pharisees in the Gospel who affect being scrupulous about Trifles and at the bottom have no principle of Sincerity or Honesty They humble their Souls before God by big-look'd Pennances and harden their Hearts to the complaints of the Afflicted and sighs of the Poor They cover their Violences and Injustice with the veil of Devotion and Piety This is the Disorder that reigns most in this Age where Disguise sits upon the very Altar Vertue is scarce any longer practis'd but to get Reputation Men only seek to impose because they mean but to dazle They renounce that Charity which is of obligation and commanded to practise that which is only councell'd They respect the mighty to insult over the weak They have shameful Condescendencies for Great-ones and nothing but Rigour and Imperiousness for the Mean They propose to themselves imaginary Designs of good Works impossible to be effected and leave those that be very easie and necessary But this Hypocrisie may be discerned better if taken a pieces This person so exteriourly moderate and who through an artificial carriage has the repute of being so reasonable is a Fury at home In publick he 's Charitable and a Backbiter in private In Company he speaks well of every one but spares none at his secret Cabals He 's affable to those he esteems but rude to those he