to destroy the Diuell All men of one trade will alwayes ioyne together for the maintenance of their trade The Kings Apologie for the oath so wee being all Christians hauing one Father one Redeemer one Sanctifier one Mother the Church partakers of one Baptisme one Faith and hoping for one kingdome in Heauen must needes vnite our selues in hearty Loue and Christian charitie thereby the better to ouercome the World the Flesh and the Diuell The third reason to stirre vs vp to loue our neighbour is taken from nature which teacheth the perfection of all things to consist in vnitie Looke vpon the heauens there is one motion of the Sunne another of the Moone another of the Starres yet they are all carryed about motu primi mobilis by the motion of the first moueable descend lower to the foure Elements Fire Water Ayre Earth vvhat more differing then their qualities hot and cold moyst and drye yet all these agree together to the making of one mixed body and solled substance come to those creatures which haue life and motion as Plants Hearbs Trees In the Tree there is the body the Barke the Bowes the Leaues all those parts differ one from another yet all haue their perfection from one and the selfe-same roote which is grounded in the earth Looke vpon the Beastes and Fowles no one Beast or Bird of the same kinde will hurt another as the Hawke flyeth after the Partrich not another Hawke the bloud-Hound pulleth downe the Deere not another Hound and so man should not haue vvarre with man but with the Deuill Come vnto man the most excellent creature in nature and see how euery thing in him tendeth vnto vnitie for his outward parts the eye cannot say to the foote I haue no neede of thee but the eye guideth the foote the foote beareth the eye one member receiueth into the body what is necessary another euacuateth and casteth out of the body vvhat is superfluous yet all seruing for the good of the vvhole body View the inward parts of man how many seuerall Nerues and sinewes are there in the body yet all from one head the braine how much blood dispersed thorow seuerall veines yet all from one fountaine the liuer how many spirits and motions yet all from the heart from these three principall parts the Head the Liuer the Heart are diffused into the vvhole man Life Sence and Motion yet these three haue but one head vvhich is the soule of man and as Philosophy telleth vs Anima est tota in toto tota in qualibet parte The soule is alike whole in the vvhole body as in the little finger and alike whole in the little finger as in the whole body wherefore embrace loue seeke peace Heb. 12.14 vvithout vvhich no man shall see GOD. Is then thy enemy greater then thou art be quiet tibi parce spare thy selfe meddle not with one that is mightier then thy selfe The Toade may swel till he burst before he be so bigge as the Oxe Is thy enemy lesse then thy selfe impar congressus Achilli parce sibi spare him it is no glory for a man to beat a Boy no credit for a great rich man to oppresse a poore meane man the Lyon will seldome meddle with a vvoman but neuer with a little childe Is thy enemy thine equal Salomon telleth thee that the discretion of a man deferreth his anger Prou. 19.11 and his glory is to passe by an offence Thou wilt spend fiue pounds to make him spend ten this is but to be the enuious man It was once granted that the enuious man and the couetous man should both haue their wishes and hee which wished last should haue the first mans vvish doubled so they did much striue vvho should vvish last in the end it vvas graunted to the couetous man heereupon the enuious man vvished one of his eyes to be put out vvhich done the couetous man hath both his put out so then to spend twenty pounds to make thy neighbour spend fortie is to be but enuious make the best of it It is but like too boyes at boxes the one getteth a blew face the other a bloody nose but both of them are well beaten Aesope telleth vs a fable how the Mouse and the Frog would needes fight together and in the middest of the battell came the Kite and deuoured them both euen so take heed while neighbors are at variance among themselues seeking to doe mischiefe one to other suddenly commeth death and taketh them all away and vvhen they are thus dead in their hatred and malice let the diuell alone to torment them all Serm. cap. 168. de tempore To shut vp this point with S. Augustine his counsell saying Seeing euery man as hee is a man is thy neighbour but as hee is an euill man and offereth vvrong he is not onely thy enemy but his owne foe therefore loue in him his soule and his body that is loue thy neighbour whom God hath made but hate and detest his malice and other sinnes vvhich the Diuell hath by temptations worked into his soule so shalt thou be like a wise Phisition who loueth his patient and hateth his disease Thus much for the obiect vvhom we must loue our neighbor let mee now speake of the last thing considered namely how farre our loue must be extended As thy selfe Hom. 21. in Genesi As Saint Chrysostome saith very vvell Neque vel sillaba vel apiculus est in sacris Scripturis in cuius profundo non sit grandis quispiam thesaurus There is not one sillable or tittle in the holy Scripture but searching thereof some great and hidden treasure may be found for if it be a true axiome in Philosophie Natura nihil facit frustra that nature doth nothing in vaine then it must be much more true of the God of nature that he vvill speake nothing in vaine and that in his holy vvrit This is partly seene in this vvord As the vvhich hath foure seuerall significations in the Bible First it signifieth the likenesse of a thing but not the truth of a thing as in Saint Matthew Matth. 26.55 Ye came out as against a thiefe with bils and with staues Secondly this word As signifieth the truth of a thing but not the likenesse of a thing in Saint Iohn Iohn 1.14 Wee saw the glory of him as the glory of the onely begotten Sonne of the Father Thirdly it signifieth both the likenesse and the truth of a thing as to the Hebrewes God offereth himselfe vnto you Heb. 12.7 as vnto children Lastly it signifieth rei qualitatem sed non aequalitatem the quality but not the equalitie of a thing Luke 6.36 as in S. Luke Be ye mercifull as your Father is mercifull Where the meaning is wee should be as well mercifull as God not as much for that is impossible and in this last signification is this word As taken in this place Loue thy
pulled off his hat to one whom hee met which man vnciuilely passed by and left Socrates vnsaluted whereupon one said vnto Socrates Why are you not angry with that vnmannerly companion To whom Socrates replyed If I had met one with a crooked backe and which had a body more deformed then my selfe should I be angry with him To whom the other answered No truely and then much lesse haue I cause to be displeased with one that hath a vvorse minde then I said the the Philosopher Euen so to make some application to vs Christians Hath thy neighbour done thee iniurie Surely this proceedeth out of his Soules infirmitie and therefore be not offended because he hath a worse Soule then thy selfe for indeede in stead of hurting him againe thou hast more neede to pitty him and to pray for him I but thou wilt peraduenture say The offences are not small and ordinary but great and haynous such as flesh and bloud cannot endure 1 Cor. 15.50 Alas beloued Flesh and bloud shall neuer enter into the Kingdome of Heauen but he which is borne of water and the Spirit and know thus much that the greatest iniuries offered vnto thee are not comparable to the least sinne thou committest against GOD for the greater the obiect offended the greater is the sinne committed Offer to kill an ordinary man and not effect it thou hast but a small punishment but offer to kill the King and thou art punished in the highest degree thus you see how one and the selfe-same sinne is greater and lesser in regard of the obiect offended now then almighty God being infinite and eternall the least sinne against him deserueth infinite and eternall punishment How then canst thou hope for pardon from God for thy great sins against him when thou wilt not forgiue thy neighbour his small sinnes against thee in comparison Mat. 18.25 as our Sauiour setteth forth at large in the Parable of the vnthankfull Seruant who hauing to himselfe forgiuen tenne thousand Talents would not forgiue his fellow-seruant one hundred pence this Master is God this Seruant to vvhom tenne thousand Talents are remitted is euery Christian which hath his sins washed away in the bloud of Christ these hundred pence of the fellow-seruant are those small sinnes which one brother offereth to another A Talent was then two hundred pounds then what difference is betwixt twenty hundred thousand pounds and one hundred pence so much difference and more is there betweene our sinnes to GOD and our Brothers to vs. O then for shame good Christian speake not of the greatnesse of thy wrongs but rather pray so much more earnestly to God and say with our Sauiour Luke 22.34 Father forgiue them they know not what they doe And with the blessed Martyr Saint Steuen cry Acts 7.60 O Lord lay not their sinnes vnto their charge Imitate Almighty God who is quicke to shew mercy as wee see in the Prodigall Sonne Luke 15.20 to vvhom hee ranne forth speedily and with all haste embraced him but God is slow to anger and reuenge for when hee came to punish Adam in Paradise hee came not running Genes 3.8 but walking and that not in the heate of the day but in the coole of the euening euen so be thou swift to forgiue thine enemie Let not the Sunne goe downe vpon thy wrath Ephes 4.26 but be slow to anger and reuenge for hee which is angry with his Brother vnaduisedly Mat. 5.22 shall be culpable of Iudgement I but thou wilt yet say I can be contented to liue in peace to forgiue great wrongs but I am often wronged and still iniured I can neuer liue in quiet Know thus much my beloued Iames 3.2 Psal 19.12 that not in one or two things but in many things wee all sinne against God and who is hee which knoweth all his iniquities Ibid. Had not euery one neede to pray with Dauid Lord clense me from my secret sinnes Luke 11.4 Doth not our Sauiour teach vs daily to pray Forgiue vs our trespasses And also daily to practise forgiuenesse to our brother sinne he not seauen times Mat. 18.22 but seauenty times seauen times in one day Consult not therefore with flesh and bloud but submit thy selfe to Gods Law which telleth thee that the greatest Commandement is to loue the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soule and with all thy minde and that the second is like vnto this Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe Wherefore be not a Christian in shew but in deedes imitate thy Sauiour Iesus who doth not onely not hate his enemies but bestoweth many benefits vpon them as his Sunne shineth vpon the iust and vniust his raine falleth vpon the good and bad so do not onely not reuenge thee on thy enemie but loue him doe him good and pray for him and reason good for if GOD the Creator spareth his Creature much more must thou spare thy Fellow-Creature if GOD the Lord of all doe forgiue his Seruants then must thou forgiue thy Fellow-seruants Wherefore embrace loue with all men If thine enemy be hungry feede him Rom. 12.22 if hee be thirsty giue him drinke if hee be naked clothe him for in so doing thou shalt heape coales of fire vpon his head that is saith Saint Augustine De doct Christ lib. 3. cap. 16. thou shalt stirre vp in thine enemie the burning zeale and sorrow of Repentance causing him to grieue that hee hath offended that man vvho is so ready to succour and to relieue his vvants and miseries To conclude this first point Psal 34.14 Rom. 12.18 Seeke peace and ensue it if it be possible as much as in you is haue peace with all men For as Saint Iohn saith hee which hateth his Brother is a murderer 1 Epist 3.15 and wee know no murderer hath eternall life abiding in him But as the same Apostle saith let vs loue one another 1 Epist 4.7 for loue commeth of God and euery one which loueth is borne of God and knoweth God And so I passe vnto the obiect whom wee must loue namely our Neighbour Thou shalt loue thy Neighbour Difficile est humanam animam nihil amare saith Saint Hierome It is hard that the Soule of man should loue nothing for Nihili est qui nihil amat saith Plautus Hee is to be esteemed as nothing which loueth nothing especially seeing there are so many obiects for to loue In which respect it is obserued that there is no one word in the Greeke tongue which receiueth so many Compositions as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Loue. There is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is The drunkards loue The Leachers loue Ambitious loue Pleasures loue c. But of all other obiects of loue Saint Augustine doth reckon vp foure as most principall De doct Christ lib. 1. cap. 23.
est referre quam inferre iniuriam saith Lactantius It is no lesse euill to requite a wrong then to offer a wrong for hee which reuengeth wrong doth imitate him of whom hee receiued iniurie now in that he imitateth another in that which is bad hee can by no meanes himselfe proue good Serm. de Ira. Saint Basil goeth further affirming that hee which reuengeth wrong is worse then hee which beginneth wrong for that which another man offereth vnto thee is good or bad if good why then art thou angry with him I but it vvas bad is it so why then dost thou seeke to offer and requite that to thy neighbour which thine owne conscience telleth thee is bad and vvhich thou thy selfe condemnest for sinne in thy brother If a man see his enemy sicke of the Plague soares will he to reuenge himselfe of his enemy striue to haue the plague in his body also euery one will esteeme such a man a mad man or a foole Are we then wise for our bodies and foolish for our soules He beloued which offereth thee iniurie hath filled his soule with sinne insomuch as without Gods grace and his repentance hee cannot be saued now then for thee to seeke to repay this wrong is to fill thy soule likewise with sinne and to make it abhominable in the sight of God This then condemneth most specially our priuate duels vpon euery small punctilio of Honour to challenge the field consider with thy selfe in reason setting Gods Word aside are we not all in the Kingdome members of the body politicke the King being the Head now hee which dareth fight with the Kings friend dareth fight with the Kings enemie then what vvrong is here to the whole Kingdome for a priuate wrong offered vnto me I shall bereaue my country of him which in the front of an Army may kill a Generall and so by that meanes may saue the life and liberty of the King and Kingdome Exod. 23.5 In Gods Law it is written if thy enemies beast doe fall into a ditch thou shalt helpe him out Is so great loue to be shewed to my enemies Beast O how much then ought I to loue the person of mine enemie who is created after Gods owne Image and for whom CHRIST IESVS dyed and shed his precious bloud Fourthly the honourable members in the body doe not despise the meaner nor can they for the head cannot say to the foote I haue no neede of thee Euen so great men must not despise meane men neyther can we liue without one another See how God doth not giue to euery nation euery commoditie because men should traffique one to another and distance of place and language should not separate our loue See likewise in euery nation how euery man hath not euery Art some are Taylors some Masons some Husbandmen some Merchants and this to teach vs loue because wee all stand in need one of another It is noted as a great plague in Israell 1 Sam. 13.19 that there was not one Smith left among them this seemeth but a base Trade yet so necessary a member to the body politicke as the Common-wealth cannot stand without it The Lyon entangeld in nets had neede of the little Mouse to gnaw the threds in sunder before hee could get loose therefore let not the greatest and richest men despise the poore and meane men for they stand in neede of the meanest if for nothing else yet to pray for them It is well noted by Primasius that the rich man is like the Elme-tree the poore man is like the Vine-tree the Elme vnder-proppeth the Vine and so causeth it to stand and beare fruit which otherwise would fall and wither the Vine againe ouer-shadoweth the Elme and causeth it to be greene and flourishing vvhich otherwise would perish and decay Euen so the rich men by their almes vphold the poore who otherwise would starue and the poore men againe ouer-shadow the rich men with their prayers to God whereby they doe the better flourish in this world and liue for euer in the world to come See this to be verified in rich Onesephorus 2 Tim. 1.16 who relieued poore Paul in prison and Saint Paul againe desired God to be mercifull to Onesephorus there is a blessing in this life and further he prayed God grant hee may finde fauour in that day there is a prayer for the life to come Fiftly one member in the body doth endanger it selfe for another as let one strike at the head with a naked sword and the hand will aduenture cutting off to defend the head Euen so must wee runne into danger for the good one of another and most especially we must die for our head if occasion serue because before our head hath dyed for vs. To giue of our abundance to the poore is pleasing vnto Almightie God but to spare out of our owne necessities is farre more acceptable vnto God as wee see the poore Widowes mite was of greater value in the sight of GOD Luke 11.3.4 then the greater gifts of richer persons so at all times to helpe one another is charitable but to helpe others vvith hazard of our selues and vvith preiudice of our owne estates is farre more acceptable to GOD and pleasing vnto man Sixtly one member in the body receiueth not anothers foode but sendeth it to the other parts of the body so the rich man must not eate vp the poore man but rather he must communicate to his necessities neyther must the poore man steale from the rich but follow rather his labour and depend vpon Gods prouidence for necessary it is for a good stomacke to haue hunger and appetite vnto meate which ariseth of watery humours which doe gnaw vpon the splene secondly the stomacke must haue iudgement and discretion to chuse such meate which doth best agree with the stomacke and refuse the contrary which iudgement ariseth of foure muscles comming from the Head thirdly there must be strength and vigor to be able to digest the meate which it receiueth least otherwise it turne into raw crudities and so breede diseases in the body which heate and vigour ariseth of motions and spirits which are sent from the heart all these are necessary yet none sufficient vnlesse there be communion and dispersion of the foode to send the nourishment to the other parts of the body which is done by the bloud thorow the veines In like manner necessary it is for a Christian man to haue faith Heb. 11.6 for without faith it is impossible to please God In like manner necessary it is for a christian man to giue almes and to pray to God to be patient in aduersity c. but our faith profiteth nothing vnlesse it worketh by Loue neyther is any other vertue acceptable in the sight of GOD vnlesse it be begunne continued and ended in Loue therefore the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 13. If I haue all things and yet want loue it profiteth mee nothing the