but still we scare them as a quauer mice that shalâ—eth vnder vs sometime or other they will deceiue vs. The Apostle in the eleuenth of the second to the Corinthians reckoning vp all his â—eâ—illes to make vpâ—e the heape 1. Cor 11 26 at last addeth this Iâ— perilles amongst false brethren And who of vs my Brethren in casting vp the summe of all our troubles can leaue out this In perils of false brethren or if for the present wee can the time may come that it may be added For the broode of Ismael doth spawne apace Hee that eate bread with me Psal 41 10 Ioan. 13 18 hath lift vp his heele against me saith Dauid saith Christ And how should anie Christian looke for better Most men saith Salomon in the twelfth of Prouerbs Do prayse each man his own kindnesse but who can finde a faithfull man Prou. 3 6 to wit which sheweth so much as hee saith he is Thus many say they loue but proofe maketh all VVherefore saith the Apostle to the Corinthians 2. Cor 8 24 in the second Epistle and eight Chapter Shew towardes them to wit Titus and another brother sent vnto them shew saith he towardes them and before the Churches the proofe of your loue and of the reioycing that wee haue of you And what proose or testimonie of our loue my Brethren shall I call for heere surely none at this time but this which none will denie but loue will yeelde it or none at all it is so light it is so little and yet I would to GOD our loue would yeeld it And this it is namely that at the least we would come together and see one another and talke together as louing brethren of our father and of our mother and of our elder Brother in whome and whose loue wee are adopted children of theyr loue towardes vs and our faith towards them as likewise of our loue one towardes another of our necessities of our afflictions of our ioyes and comforts of our hope of our happinesse of the crowne of our inheritaunce laide vp in heauen further to instruct to exhort to comfort to admonish and edifie one another Without the which I see not how loue can worke Wherefore the Apostle in the tenth to the Hebrewes exhorteth thus Heb. 10 24 25 Consider sayth hee one another to prouoke vnto loue and to good workes Then hee sheweth the meane Not forsaking saith hee the fellowshippe that wee haue amongst our selues as the manner of sonne is And who are those some but euen wee which shoulde consider one another to prouoke vnto loue and to good workes which wee do verie little and all because wee forsake the fellow shippe that wee haue or should haue amongst our selues each man contenting himselfe with himselfe when lawfully and without let wee might ioyne with many Brethren Did Christ so who neuer almost went without his Brethren or did Paul so who so earnestly prayed for a iourney to Rome to see the faithful For I long saith he to see you that I might bestow among you some spirituall gift that you might be strongthened that is that I might be comforted saith out Translation together with you But the words of the Originall I interpret thus That there might be ioynt exhortation amongst you that is that I might exhort together with you or ioyne my exhortaion togither with yours For this is the spirituall gift which beforech saith he reth to bestow vpon them by their â—â—â—tall faith that is by each others gift and knowledge in the faith or doctrine of faith both theirs and his But all are not Apostles all are not ministers Yea but are all brethren as the Thessalonians and the Apostle in the sift of the first exhorteth thus 1. Thes 5 11 VVherefore exhort one another and edifie one another euen as yee do Which how can it be better done then wheÌ„ we come together Which though it be not alwaies nor cannot be yet as ofte as it may bee let it bee my brethren and when it may not be let it be as it may And howe is that let the hand be the mouth and the penne our speech and our Epiftles and Letters as the liuely characters of our hearts and mindes let them present vs vnto the bretheren For I am ashamed almost to thinke that wee are not ashamed of so many bunches and bags full of Letters written onely for the things of this perishing life and scarse one or two in a yeere if anie at all sent or receiued of this kinde I meane concerning the loue of Brethren As if neither Saint Peter here nor any Apostle besides had euer saide Loue the brotherhood or as if we could loue them and do nothing for them neuer so much as fee them speake with them or heare how they do And this deerely beloued maketh our greater and publike assemblies which what are they also but certaine holy communications betweene God his people when either hee by the word preached doth speake vnto vs or wee by our prayers do speake vnto him this I say maketh them so colde and fruitlesse that afterwards wee putte our sparkles on the cold hearth single our selues one from another haue not these priuate and lesser meetings betweene our selues to confer of the things which we heard before As if before we had assembled but for a fashion onely which is not to assemble but to dissemble Paul though absent in the flesh Colossi 2 5 yet was present in the spirit reioycing as himselfe sayth and beholding the order of the Colossians in comming together But wee as present in the body but absent in the spirit which is absence indeede haue no such ioy in the vnities and societies of our holy Brethren Whereby wee euen hazard the loosing of our Fathers blessing who loueth to call vs and to see vs togither and then and there to blesse vs as Iacob his ' children Gen. 49 1 2 whome hee called togither and then hee blessed them For this is a promise to the plurall number not so expressely giuen vnto the singular VVhere two or three are gathered togither in my name Matt. 18.20 there am I in the middest of them And in the hundred thirtie and third Psalme Psal 133 Beholde sayeth Dauid howe good and pleasant a thing it is brethren to dwell togither in vnitie It is like the precious Oyntment vppon the heade that ranne downe vnto the bearde euen vnto Aarons beard and went downe to the skirtes of his cloathing Like as the dewe of Hermon which fell vpon the Hill of Sion And why so precious and why so pleasaunt The reason is added Verse 3. For there this worde hee vseth significantlie and as we say emphaticallie there as if hee sayde there and not else-where as there The Lord promiseth his blessing and life for euermore Balaam beguiled with the wages of vnrighteousnesse Iude ver 11 Num. 22 13 woulde haue cursed the righteous And yet hee cryeth out Let my soule die the death of the iust Num. 23 10 and let my latter ende bee like vnto theirs All woulde die the death of the brethren and manie professe the faith of brethren but all will not liue the life of the brethren for the life of the brethren is their loue which dieth not but liueth euer 1. Cor. 13 13 As Paule sayeth Nowe abideth faith hope and loue euen these three But the chiefest of these is loue For it abydeth nowe and euer Whereupon Saint Iohn concludeth thus and with this I conclude also By this wee knowe that we are translated from death to life 1. Iohn 3.14 because wee loue the brethren For wee and our loue must liue togither The God of peace and loue encrease this loue and knowledge in vs and present vs blamelesse in his sight through Iesus Christ to whom be prayse for euer Amen FINIS
Saul Saul why persecutest thou me it is hard for thee to kick against the pricke And I answered Act. 9.4.5 who art thou Lord and he said I am Iesus whome thou persecutest Yet were they indeed the Christians and the bodies of the Saints which he cast into prison and lead them bound vnto Hierusalem But note I pray you out of the place of Mathew that hee reckoneth there with the wicked on his left hand not for any other sins or for the want of that loue which properly appertaineth vnto himself but that which properly appertaineth vnto his brethren because it is best seene by louing his howe wee loue him For that sometimes toucheth the purse where loue is best tryed and that loue of the lip Lord Lorde deceiueth many and therefore Iohn saith He that hath this worlds good and seeth his brother haue neede and shutteth vp his compassion from him how dwelleth the loue of God in him And therefore Christ our Sauiour doth not there challenge them simply and generally for the want of loue towards his brethren but the outward workes and deedes of loue are specified of feeding and drinking of clothing and harbouring and the like For loue being once inwardly inflamed like fire it breaketh out and worketh outwardly as neede requireth or it is no loue and nothing worth and sometimes angereth more then rebuke Prou. 27 9 Therefore Salomon saith in the seauen twentieth of Prouerbs Better is open rebuke then secret loue And it gawleth the needie Brother more to heare that in Iames Iam. 2 16 Departe ye in peace be ye warmed and be ye filled when wee giue them not those things which are fitte for the body it greeueth them I dare say more that wee seeme thus to wish them well and doo them no good indeede then if wee were silent and sayd nothing And Saint Iames reiecteth it thus saying VVhat profit is in this my brethren euen as wee may also and say What loue is this my brethren it is no loue but a shadowe of loue For loue though an affection is all in action and such kinde of action that faith it selfe cannot shewe it selfe nor worke without loue which therefore is necessarily engendred of her as the heatâ— and light which issue from the Sun by which hee sheweth his force and vertue Therfore the Apostle in the fifth to the Galathians writeth thus Gal. 5 6 In Iesus Christ neither Circumcision auaileth any thing nor vncircumcision but faith which worketh by loue both inwardly and outwardly when and as oft as need requireth and means are notwanting vnto the worke And further to note the propertie and worke of loue in the first of the first to the Thessalonians hee sayth VVee giue thankes vnto God alwayes 1. Thes 1 3 for you all making mention of you in our prayers without ceasing remembering your effectuall faith and diligent loue As if without labour and diligence there were no loue euen as faith without effect or efficacie and not effectuall is no faith at all And therfore in the matter of almes Paul trieth the naturalnesse as hee speaketh of the loue of the Corinthians This say I saith he not by commandement 2. Cor. 8 8 but because of the diligence of others therefore prooue I the naturalnesse of your loue And because those works of loue do shew her most which bring most good and profit to that which is loued and none can adde to the Almightie Looke vnto the heaven sayth Elihu in Iob and see and beholde the cloudes which are higher then thou Iob. 5.5 .7 If thou be righteous what giuest thou vnto him or what receiueth he at thy hands This also is another cause why the Apostle without any expresse mention of God and the loue which we owe vnto him turneth ouer our loue vnto the brethren and setteth it a working there as if wee had nothing to doo with God who onely of his own good pleasure may haue pleasure in vs and in that wee doo but no profit at al by vs or by ought of ours that onely appertaineth vnto the Brethren God may profit vs and wee by loue may profit them and God is pleased in this loue as himselfe loued in it and therfore indeed do we loue the Brethren This Dauid expresseth in the sixteenth Psalme Saue me O mightie God psal 16 1 2 3. sayth he lo he fetcheth good from God he bringeth none to him for in thee haue I put my trust O my soule say vnto God thou art my lord good from me commeth none to thee All my delight is in the Saints that are in the earth and in them that excell in vertue This also I thought good to adde least any man should thinke the Apostle in prescribing this loue as onely due vnto the Brethren had forgotten himself or the first and cheefest parte of the Law which saith Thou shalt loue God aboue al things For al loue I confesse is not due vnto the Brethren but most specially is declared in and on the Brethren For which cause the Apostle doubteth not to say expresly as heere he doth Loue the Brotherhood or fellowship of brethren Who also when hee biddeth to loue the the brethren forbiddeth not to loue God but rather in bidding of the one secretly and by impliment hee biddeth both because of necessitie they go together Why then deerely beloued and why againe are wee so vaine to skippe the brethren and to leaue that wee shoulde loue and loue that wee shoulde leaue or it will leaue vs I meane the world and the things of the world Of which Iohn sayth 1. Ioan. 2 15. Loue not the worlde nor the things of the world If any man loue the world the loue of the Father is not in him and much lesse the loue of the Brethren which are his children and are not loued but for the fathers sake Alas then for the Brethren which haue lost their loue of all the worldlings who can loue nothing but this world and the things which are in this worlde But of this it is sayde All that is in the world as the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes Verse 16 17 and the pride of life is not of the Father but of this worlde and the worlde passeth away and the lust thereof And therfore thrise alas yea and a wo to them because they loue and loose their lust for the world perisheth to them and they vnto the world And therefore how much better were it for them if they could loue the brethren of which is sayde in the words next following Verse 17 But hee that fulfilleth the will of God abideth euer And this is his will and commandement as before we haue heard that wee loue one another Ioan. 15 12 as hee hath loued vs and so louing togither may liue togither againe 1. Ioan 3 14 VVe know that we are translated from death vnto life because
we loue the brethren Therefore for the loue of the brethren we go not to the world but to the brethren themselues for they will loue vs vnlesse they be turned from themselues and fall away from their owne stedfastnesse 2. Pet. 3.17 Of which the Apostle admonisheth saying Qui stat 1. Cor 10 12 videat ne cadat He that standeth let him take heed that he fall not And therfore looke well to your loue my brethren as Paul did to the faith of the Thessalonians in the first Epistle and third chapter 1. Thes 3.5 Euen for this cause saith hee when I could no longer forbeare I sent him to wit Timotheus that I might knowe of your faith least the Tempter had tempted you in any sort and that our labour had been in vaiâ—â— What if he had saide That I might knowâ— oft your loue For faith and loue do go to gither they dwel togither they depart togither they liue togither they die togither And therfore is tâ—â— tempter as busie about the one as about the other and as mightie ouer the one as ouer the other And look we wel vnto it he should not be caâ—led the Tempter if dayly he tempted nor at no time effected any thing euen as too much is dayly seene that those that are baptized in the faith of brethren make a mocke of the brethren as Ismael was circumcised in the house of Abraham and mocked Isaac there circuÌ„cised togither with him And Sarah sayeth Moses saw the sonne Agar the Egyptians which she had borne vnto Abraham mocking Gâ—n 21 â— If Sarah if Abraham if Isaac himselfe and the seede of Isaac this day lift vp their eyes lo the sonnes of Agar mocking and so bitterlie that Sarah our mother cannot abide it Vers 10 Wherfore she yet saith Cast out the bond woman and her sonne And the Apostle in the 4. to the Galatâ—ians calleth it persecution But as then saith he he that was borne after the flesh persecuted him that was borne after the spirit Gal. 4 29. euen so is it now Lo therefore dearly beloued some part of our affliction to heare and see the scorne of these baptized and onely baptized brethren which point with the finger and mock home as they think saying lo the holy brotherhood who as they taunt vs with their tongue would teare vs with theyr teeth in the time were come notwithstanding our coÌ„mon ioint profession And yet if this were all it were the lesse Rom. 9 6 2. The 3 2 For all are not Israel which are of Israel And all haue not faith saith the Apostle And hee meaneth it of those that professe the fayth So all haue not loue which professe loue and are vowed brethren Yea it is a note of these last times in the third of the second to Timothie This knowe Tim. â— 1 c. saith the Apostle that in the last dayes grieuous times shall bee at hand For men sayth he what men Verse 5 members of the visible church professed in yâ— faith for of other it were no maruell eâ—uen such men shall bee louers of themselues couetous proude boasters cursed speakers and so forth in a great ranke In which to fill vp the number are placed also these Loue lesse brethreÌ„ no louers of them that are good sayeth Paule no they cannot loue a good man for their liues And therefore of these counterfets the brood of Ismael almost we looke for no better But the Tempter to shew himselfe hath gone yet further to alter the seed of Isaac froÌ„ their true loue peruerting our eie-sight when we look on the brethren iudging some to be worthy of our coÌ„panie and countenance othersome no lesse worthy in theÌ„selues theÌ„ our selues but to vs as vnworthie wee reiect and go by them and hang the brows at them as straungers and enemies And all because of some oddes in some pointes which are betweene vs Act â—5 36 37 c. lesse sometimes then that in the Acts wheÌ„ Barnabas counselled to take Iohn Marke in visitation But Paule thought it not meete because hee had departed from them from Pamphilia and went not with them to the worke And there was stricken such a heat betweene them both about this matter that they parted asunder one froÌ„ the other so that Barnabas tooke Marke and sailed into Cyprus and Paule tooke Silas and departed Two apostles so incensed one against the other that as the word Paroxismos may also signifie they were as it were in the sit of an ague And yet the matter not great For Marke was a good man and Paule might haue taken him and Barnabas might haue left him if they had beene pleased Rom. 14.17 The kingdome of God sayeth Paule is not meate nor drinke and yet the question of our libertie in meat and drinke which there hee handleth was not small but righteousnesse and peace and ioy in the holy Ghost And in Iesus Christ sayth hee neither circumcision Gal. 5.6 auaileth any thing neither vncircumcision but fayth which worketh by loue Yet who may cure our Paroxismes yea our Schismes and ioyne vs in loue vnto the Brethren which haue and holde Christ and his kingdome righteousnesse and peace and ioy in the holy Ghost yet for some other things wherin we iudge them they are not for our companie and still wee will distinguish betweene brethren and brethren and some we will take and some wee will leaue to liue to themselues some wee will loue and some we will hate And so out of one mouth as Saint Iames saieth yea out of one heart Iam. 3 10 11 c. proceedeth blessing and cursing My brethrenthese things ought not so to bee Dooth a fountaine send foorth at one hole sweete waâ—â— and bitter also Can the figge tree mâ—brethren bring foorth Oliues or else a 〈◊〉 Figges So can n o fountaine giue both salt water and bitter also And so touching the brethren we loue all or none and our loue to like thinges must bee alike or else wee loue not as we ought And so Saint Peter heere speaketh not singularly or diuisiuelie but as it were collectiuelie saying Loue the brethren that is all the brethren euen the whose number of them ioyned in one societie not one excepted And Paule in the first to the Collossians VVee giue thanks sayeth hee to God euen the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ Colos 1 3. alwayes praying for you since wee heard of your fayth in Christ Iesus and of your loue towards al Saints And Christ to shewe how hee hath loued vs all and euerie one respecting the singulars and each singular in the generall giuing vs also the name of brethren sayth as before wee heard out of the liue and twentieth of Mathew Mat 25 40 Inasmuch as ye haue done it vnto one of the least of these my brethren ye haue done it vnto me Vers 45 And againe Inasmuch as