Selected quad for the lemma: love_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A74652
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The peace-maker or, a brief motive to unity and charitie in religion. By W.P. D.D.
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W. P.
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1652
(1652)
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Wing P135; Thomason E1417_2; ESTC R209452
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13,834
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99
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THE PEACE-MAKER OR A brief Motive to Unity and Charitie in Religion By W.P.D.D. Blessed are the Peace-makers for they shall be called the Children of God Mat. 5.9 LONDON Printed by T.W. for John Place and are to be sold at his shop at Furnifals-Inne gate 1652. These Books are to be sold in Edinburgh at Thomas Wylie his Shop over against the Old Church-Style THE Peace-Maker c. IT was the advise good Christian Reader of the Prophet Jeremy run to fro through the streets of Jerusalem and seek in the broad places therof if ye can find a man Jr. 1.5 They were not so much troubled there to find out a man as we shall be now to find out a Christian We so busie our selves about Controversies that we forget to be good Christians There was a time indeed when the name was first given at Antioch Act. 11.26 that it was then well set by but this lasted not long for presently after they fell a siding amongst themselves and one cryed I am of Paul another I am of Apollos and another I am of Cephas and another I am of Christ 1 Cor. 1.12 and much adoe had St. Parl to appease these factions for presently after they fell to them again and have so continued yea and increased in them even unto this day But Christ is not divided saith the same Apostle neither is this to imitate Christ the God of love and peace who loved us when we were his enemies and the Apostle makes a good inference of imitation upon it 1 John 4.11 Beloved if God so lovedus we ought also to love one another Nay as though there were nothing else required of a good Christian and a fellower of Christ our Saviour saith Joh. 13.15 by this shall all men know you are my d sciples if you have love one to another Seeing then this is the proper and peculiar badge and cognisance of a disciple of Christ to love his fellow-disciples What argument would be fitter here to treat of than a perswasion to all Christians to be in peace and charity one with another But alas how unwelcome a task is it to entreat of Peace and Charity For he that goes about to part a fray in all likelyhood will have blowes on both sides especially where the opposites and combatants are fierce and violent he that is eager on any one side shall be sure to find some fast friends but he that bewaileth the miserable distraction of the whole and doth but set a foot forward to make up the breach will find few to take his part but shall be sure to have many about his ears And therefore we may observe that presently after our Saviour had said Blessed are the Peace-makers Mat. 5.9 10. he immediatly addeth Blessed are they that are persecuted for righteousnesse sake knowing well enough that if a man will undertake to be a Peace-maker hee must presently prepare to suffer persecution and I know none greater than that of Peace-makers in religion for they suffer on all sides either by sharp and bitter words or by scoffing and jeering speeches For although the hot-spurs of these times be at deadly fewd and bitter enmity one with another yet will they like Herod and Pilate joyn together and muster up their forces against those who labour any kind of pacification and desire to be quiet in the land Woe is me saith David Psal 120.4 5 6. that I am constrained to dwell with Mesech and to have mine habitation amongst the tents Kedar my soul hath long dwelt among them that be enemies unto peace I labour for Peace but when I speak unto them thereof they make them ready to Battell Never could the pious and peaceable Soul more truly cry out than now My mothers Children were angry with me Cant. 1.5 A strange speech to call them Mothers children had it not been a more easie and familiar way to say my Brethren or my Sisters were angry with me for so they must be if they were her Mothers Children why then doth she make such an involved speech of it My mothers children were angry with me True indeed though they cānot choose but be her Brethren as being her Mothers children yet she doth not she dares not call them Brethren for they will not acknowledge it they hate the name of Brethren and make themselves professed enemies and therefoe she is forced to leave out this loving and affectionate compellation of brethren and say in a kind of strange phrase My mothers children were angry with me Yet should no man be discouraged from performing so worthy a duty for though there be a persecution that attends upon Peace makers here yet is there a blessing promised them hereafter And seeing our blessed Lord and Master Christ Jesus when he was about to leave his Apostles and Disciples left unto them this golden legacy Joh. 14.27 Peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you O how well would it become all of us to be men of Peace the Ministers to preach for the Peace of Jerusalem the people to pray for the peace of Jerusalem for they shall prosper that love it Psal 122.6 I will begin this exhortation unto Peace and Charity from that common name which we all acknowledge in that we are called Christians and doe all pretend to imitate Christ in our doctrine and practice There was a time indeed when this name was much taken notice of and great danger for any man to own it when they had no other argument then nor any other cause of their cruell persecutions but to hear a man confesse Christianus sum I am a Chrian But when these storms were blown over and the Church began to be in peace this name of Christian was not so much regarded And yet methinks the very name of Christian is not altogether to be contemned for unlesse I am deceived whosoever hath but this appellation may challenge a brotherhood with me for in Scripture I find a brother and a Christian to be the very same so that whosoever is a Christian will necessarily be my brother 1 Cor. 7.12 13. If any brother hath a wife saith the Apostle that believeth not and she be pleased to dwell with him let him not put her away and if the woman hath an husband which believeth not if he be pleased to dwell with her let her not leave him But if the unbelieving depart let him depart a brother or a sister is not to bondage in such cases Where the Apostle plainly sheweth that a brother and a sister are such as are Christians and opposite only to Infidels and unbelievers Neither ought we to take that exhortation of Saint Paul 1 Pet. 2.17 when he saith love the brotherhood in any narrower sense but that we should love every one that is a Christian not only because he agreeth with me in some opinions concerning religion but I ought to love him in that respect he is a Christian and professeth Christ crucified