in him 1 Jo. 2. 4. So may be also said He that saith he loves God and keeps not his Commandment is a Lyar and the Truth is not in him according as the same Apostle saith I Jo. 5. 3. For this is the Love of God that we keep his Commandements Hence it is apparent that Love without Purity is but a false pretence and that whatsoever hinders from the practice of this Love of God or with draws from the obedience of the least of his Commands is to be denyed and no ways to be entertained as being either the love of the Devil the love of the World or the love of Self and not the love of the Father and as from the true love of God having taken place both upon the Understanding and Will there ariseth a great fervency and desire of Mind that it may be wholly united with the Lord and made conformable unto his Will in all things So from hence ariseth also a certain Aversion from Indignation of and even Hatred to whatsoever is contrary thereunto or has a tendency to lead from it which is commonly called Zeal which Zeal having a right bottom and foundation and proceeding purely from the Love of God is a great Virtue greatly to be commended and pressed after and the defect thereof is justly reproveable in a Christian That Zeal then thus considered is a thing excellent pure and holy of it self appears in that it is ascribed to God himself 2 King 19. 13. Isa. 9. 7. Where the performance of the Blessed Evangelical promises is to be performed by the Zeal of the Lord Isa. 19. 17. He is said to be Cloathed with Zeal as with a Cloak and 63. 15. His Zeal is numbred with his Bowels and Mercies next David recommends himself to God for that the Zeal of his House had eaten him up Psal. 69. 9. and 119. 139. And Paul commends the Corinthians for their Zeal 2 Cor. 7. 11. 1 Cor. 14. 12. and for this end has the Grace of God appeared unto all that there might be a People gathered Zealous of good Works Tit 2. 14. And as this is commended and recommended on the one hand so is the contrary thereof to wit Indifferency and Lukewarmness reproved and rebuked as a thing displeasing to the Lord of many instances whereof that might be given that unto the Church of Laodicea may serve at present Rev. 13. 15. 16. Because for a Remedy against this Evil she is Exhorted v. 19. to be Zealous and Repent But as there is a true Zeal so is there a false one and it is not more needful to have the one then iâ— is to avoid the other Now as the true Zeal proceedeth only from the pure Love of God and single Regard to his Honour and Glory so the false Zeal proceedeth from the Love of something else and the regard to other things And of this false Zeal there are several kinds as well as degrees all of which though they ought to be shunned yet some are far more hurtful and pernitious than others the worst and highest of these is when as Men through the height of Pride Lust Ambition or Envy shew themselves furious and Zealous to satisfie and fulfill their desires and affections this is the highest Zeal for self From this Zeal did Cain flay Abel Ishmael mocked Isaac and Esau hated Jacob Pharoah Persecuted the Children of Israel Saul David and Jezabel the true Prophets of the Lord. A second kind is when as Men that are not true and faithful even to those principles of Religion they profess themselves to acknowledge as true as being Conscious to themselves and also publickly known to be such as are Vitious and Profligate yet do violently persecute and oppress others that differs from them though they be not only equal to them but even by their own acknowledgment exceed them in Temperance and Virtue having nothing to charge them with but that they agree not with them in judgment and practice in matters of Religion This apparently is a false Zeal and not of God for if it proceeded from the true Love of God it would first operate in themselves to the removing of all those things which they acknowledge to be contrary to this Love of God before it exerted it self towards others seeing as the Proverb is Charity begins at home And like unto this was the Zeal of the Scribes and Pharisees who Persecuted Christ for a breaker of the Law which themselves did not fulfil As is also the Zeal both of the Papists and Protestants in their Persecutions at this day A third sort is of such who do indeed walk strictly and closely to their own Principles making Conscience of their way but yet being blinded in their understanding do Persecute Truth supposing it to be Error Of this number was Paul before his Conversion Being as to the Law blameless and Persecuting the Saints out of Zeal Act. 22. 3. Gal. 1. 14. And therefore in this Class he numbers his Country-men saying They have a Zeal for God but not according to knowledge Rom. 10. 2. And perhaps among these such may be numbred of whom Christ speaketh saying to his Disciples and when they kill you they shall think to do God good Service A fourth or last sort is when as Men being truly enlightned in their Understanding but their Will Heart and Affections not being throughly leavened with the Love of God do condemn things justly reproveable but not out of the pure drawings of Divine Love but even from a mixture of self in the forwardness of their own will as not suffering any to be contrary unto them This is the most innocent kind of wrong Zeal yet not so that it ought to be watched against and of those few that are guilty of it it were fit they waited to be Redeemed from it but the pure undefiled Zeal that is acceptable to God is that which proceeds not only from a pure and clear understanding but also from a renewed and sanctified Will which moves not of nor from Self but from and for the Lord. SECT III. The Controversie stated with respect to the different sort of Christians how it is to be fetched from the nature of their Principles and not from the practice of particular persons THe sun of what is said is that true Christian Love and Charity is the most excellent of Virtues most needful to be sought after and attained that it is never joyned but with purity which it naturally leads to and there-from doth consequentially arise an Indignation and Zeal against Unrighteousness which true Zeal is justly commendable and really distinguishable from all false and ignorant Zeal For the more clear stating of the Controversie in proceeding in this matter these following assertions relating thereto may be proposed and affirmed I. That whatsoever Love is consistent with the pure Love of God may be safely exercised towards all sorts as well of Men as Christians II. That whatsoever Love or Charity
of this kind alledge the super-abundance thereof to proceed a fervido Scotorum Ingenio i. e. from the violent Complexion of our Country men I had scarce got out of my Child-hood when I was by the permission of Divine Providence cast among the Company of Papists and my tender years and immature Capacity not being able to withstand and resist the Insinuations that were used to Proselite me to that way I became quickly defiled with the Pollutions thereof and continued therein for a time until it pleased God through his rich Love and Mercy to deliver me out of those Snares and to give me a clear understanding of the evil of that way In both these Sects the Reader may easily conceive that I had abundant occasion to receive Impressions contrary to this principle of Love herein treated of seeing the straitness of several of their Doctrines as well as their practice of Persecution do abundantly declare how opposite they are to Universal Love as shall hereafter more at large be shown and Albeit the time it pleased God to deliver me out of these Snares I was so young that it may be presumed my Observations could be but weak and consequently my Experience inconsiderable yet for as much as from my very Child-hood I was very ambitious of Knowledge and by a certain felicity of Understanding I think I may say without Vanity successful beyond many of my Equals in Age though my Observations at that time were but weak yet since I have with more leisure and circumspection gathered thence so much experience as I am confident will serve for a sufficient foundation to any Superstructure I shall build upon it in this Treatise The time that intervened betwixt my forsaking of the Church of Rome and joyning with those with whom I stand now ingaged I kept my self free from joyning with any sort of People though I took liberty to hear several and my Converse was most with those that inveigh much against judging and such kind of severity seeming to complain greatly for want of this Christian Charity among all Sects which Latitude may perhaps be esteemed the other extream opposite to the preciseness of these other Sects whereby I also received an opportunity to know what usually is pretented on that side likewise and thence can say somewhat experimentally on that part also As for those I am now joyned to and whom I justly esteem to be the true followers and Servants of Jesus Christ the World speaks diversly of them as to this matter some highly accusing them of the want of Charity and quarrelling with them as such who peremptorily condemn all but themselves Others have a contrary conceit of them each according as they are prejudicated and informed What may be truly said in the case shall after appear I my self have been diversly censured in this matter being ingaged in Controversie which as they can be scarcely handled without something of sharpness so are seldom mannaged by any so successfully as not to bear the Censure of some or other in this respect Having then upon the whole matter observed that this want of Charity is that for the want of which each Sect accuses the other and yet are most averse to see this defect in themselves and that some do accuse all Sects as guilty of this Crime I have judged it meet to commit my sence hereof to writing according to the purpose signified in the Title afore-mentioned SECT II. The Nature of Christian Love and Charity demonstrated the Consistancy of true Zeal therewith it 's distinction from false Zeal THe Nature of Christian Love and Charity is fully and abundantly described in the Holy Scriptures where it is preferred before all other Virtues and properties whatsoever as that which comprehendeth in it all other perfections and is the root and spring of them for there can be no true Virtue but that which proceedeth from Love hence God himself is called Love I Jo. 4. 7. as being that under which all his innumerable and inutterable perfections are included By this Love we are Redeemed from the Corruption of our Nature and have received the benefit of a Mediator Joh. 16. This is the Banner wherewith God covereth his Children Cant. 2. 4. This is that which Constrained our Lord Jesus Christ to lay down his Life for us Joh. 15. 13. The exercise of this is given by Christ as the principal Token of his Disciples Joh. 13. 35. It is numbered as the first fruit of the Spirit Gal. 5. 22. It is called the fulfilling of the Law as that wherein all consisteth Rom. 13. 10. For to Love God above all things and our Neighbour as our selves is the sum not only of the Law but of the Gospel also 1 Cor. 13. 13. Therefore the Apostle Paul giveth to this Love or Charity the Precedency before either Faith or Hope in which Chapter he doth briefly but very emphatically describe it for having first shewn that the speaking with Tongues of Men and Angels that the gifts of Prophesying Understanding and Knowledge that the Faith that even could remove Mountains and the giving of all to the Poor yea and the Body to be burnt is nothing without it He proceeds to the description of it thus Charity suffers long is kind Charity envieth not Vaunteth not it self is not puffed up does not behave it self unseemly seeking not her own is not easily provoked thinketh no evil rejoyceth not in Iniquity but rejoyceth in the Truth beareth all things believeth all things hopeth all things endureth all things never faileth Albeit other gifts have 1 Cor. 13. from the first Verse As by this the excellency of Love is shown so the necessity of pressing after it and living in it will be readily acknowledged by all but seeing the sum of this Love as well as the perfection thereof consists in loving God above all so whatever diverteth in any thing there-from is not to be accounted Love though the same word be used to express it and that in the Scripture it self such as the Love of Self the Love of the World the Love of any Creature Hence for the attaining of the true and excellent Love the Love of all these other things is not only to be laid aside and the Love of God preferred to them but they are to be hated as Christ himself Phraseth it He that hateth his life Jo. 12. 25. Yea he useth it so as to speaking of hating Father and Mother Luk. 14. 26. though when the Love to such is truly subordinate to the other it is both commended and commanded The Testimony which is required of our really being in the Love of God Christ himself signifieth to us If you Love me keep my Commandements And as the Beloved Disciple John said in the case of Knowledge shewing us the falshood of such as pretend to know God and yet do not so saying He that says he knows God and keeps not his Commandements is a Lyar and the Truth is not
a Sect are those that follow the Faith and Doctrines of Christ and receive and believe the same as purely Preached and held forth by him unto them and not as by the recommendation of Man as clouded and encumbred with their interpretations and additions and so are meer Christians and yet true and faithful Ones too yea the most True and Faithful Now which of the several sorts of Christians are to be accounted Sects and which not is a great Question and would take a larger Discourse than is proper to be incerted in this Place truly to enquire into it and therefore it shall suffice me at this time to have Asserted this in General which I judge will be generally accorded to by All and leave the Application to each understanding Reader for the clearing which there may several weighty Observations fall in hereafter Probably this will be almost granted by All and I am sure may be truly affirmed that whatsoever people hold forth and preach Doctrines which in the Nature of them contradict and are inconsistent with true Universal Love Such may truly be termed a Sect which may be easily applyed to those heretofore-mentioned and so consequently who ever hold forth Principles and Doctrines consistent and agreeable thereunto are and may truly be esteemed meer Christians and no Sect. Next the Nature of a People's Society and the Causes drawing them together with the Method of their being gathered does much contribute to evidence whether they are to be esteemed a Sect or not first whose Fellowship stands meerly in Judgment and in that which reacheth the Understanding and so are joyned together in and for one Opinion are only to be esteemed a Sect however true their Notions may be supposed to be for the true Principles and Doctrines of Christ. Albeit they do truly reach the Understanding and require its Assent yet they are of an opperative Nature however they may be held by one or two Members of the Church without working upon their Hearts yet cannot be held nor never was by any entire Society without purifying their Souls and reaching to and working upon their Hearts to a true and real Conversion I mean upon the greatest and most considerable part but false Doctrines may be firmly believed by a whole Society without having any Operation for the gathering of the Apostles and Primitive Christians was an uniting of Hearts and not of Heads only Those three Thousand Converts were pricked in their Hearts and not in their Heads only yea where there may be a Dissent in some things in point of Judgment if there be this Unity of Heart through the prevailing of the same Life of Righteousness yet the true Fellowship is not broken as appeared in the Example of the Apostles themselves Now these People who hold forth the Principles and Doctrines here-after to be mentioned were not gathered together by an Unity of Opinion or by a tedious and particular Disquisition of Notions and Opinions requiring an Assent to them and binding themselves by Leagues and Covenants thereto but the manner of their gathering was by a secret Want which many truly tender and serious Souls in divers and sundry Sects found in themselves which put each Sect upon the search of something beyond all Opinion which might satisfie their weary Souls even the Revelation of God's righteous Judgment in their Heart to burn up the unrighteous Root and Fruits thereof that the same being destroyed and done away the inward Peace and Joy of the Holy Spirit in the Soul might be felt to abound and thence Power and Life to follow him in all his Commandments and so many came to be joyned and united together in Heart and Spirit in this one Life of Righteousness who had long been wandring in the several Sects and by the inward Unity came to be gathered in one Body from whence by degrees they came to find themselves agreed in the plain and simple Doctrines of Christ and as this inward Power they longed for and felt to give them victory over Sin and bring the Peace that follows thereon was that whereby they were brought unto that Unity and Community together so they came first thence to accord in the Universal Preaching of this power to all and directing all unto it which is their first and chiefest principle and most agreeable to this Universal Love as I shall hereafter shew And it is very observable that as those whose gathering and fellowship arises from this meer unity of Notions and Opinions do usually derive their name and designation from the first Authors Inventers and Fomenters of those Opinions as of old the Arians Nestorians Manicheans c. And of late the Lutherans Calvinists Arminians Socinians Monites c. So those people whose unity and fellowship did arise from their mutual sense of this Power working in and upon their souls so that Society derives not their name from any particular Man and therefore are providentially delivered from that great mark of a Sect but as the Ungodly will be always throwing some name of Reproach upon the Children and Servants of God it being observed that through the deep and inward operation of this power in them a dread took hold on them not only to the begetting of God's fear in their hearts but even to the reaching and instructing of their outward Man hence the name of Quakers or Tremblers hath been cast upon them which serveth to distinguish them from others though not assumed by them yet as the Christians of old albeit the name of Christian was cast upon them by way of Reproach gloryed in it as desiring above all things to be accounted the Followers of Christ so they also are glad that the World reproacheth them as such who tremble before the Lord and who work out their Salvation in fear and trembling And truly the Lord seems by his Prophets of old to have fore-told that his Children should be so reproached as Isa. 66. 5. Hear the Word of the Lord ye that Tremble at his Word your Brethren that hated you that cast you out for my Name sake said Let the Lord be glorified and He shall appear to your joy and they shall be ashamed Where a joyful appearance of God is promised to these Hated and Reproached Tremblers or Quakars and Jer. 33. 9. does more clearly Prophesie how this Reproachful Name when cast upon his Children shall be owned and countenanced by the Lord in these very plain and comfortable words And it shall become a Name of joy and praise and an honour before all the Nattons of the Earth which shall hear all the good that I do unto them and they shall fear and Tremble or Duake for all the goodness and all the prosperity that I procure unto it As the nature of a Sect ariseth from the love of Self and its production so in the last place there can be no more signal or certain mark of a Sect then when a People seek to advance and