worde thus Loue the brother hood referring the word which the Apostle vseth not vnto the minde affection of him that loueth or the vertue of louing as it seemeth our English translation here doth but to the brethren themselues which must bee loued For as before he had shewed vs the matter or as we call it the subiect of our honour saying Honour all men and afterwards will shew vs the subiect of our feare saying Feare God and lastly the subiect of a particular and more especiall honour saying Honour the King so here he sheweth vs the subiect or matter of our loue or if ye will the persons on whom our loue must work to wit the brethren euen the whole society of thē So as a litle to inuert our own translation and yet to keep as neere as we may in steed of this Loue brotherly felowship we may read thus Loue the felowship of brethren So we name the whole state of the Commons of the realme the Cōmunaltie and so here the whole state of the brethren ioyned in one felowship the brotherhood or felowship of brethren Now in this sentence we haue to obserue generally these two partes The brethren which must receiue our loue and The loue it selfe which we owe vnto them And touching the brethren first we see them cōmended to vs by the name of brotherhood which is a societie or felowship of brethren and indeed such according to the force of the worde which Peter vseth I say such brethren as lay in the same belly with vs. Euen as in deed we haue all but one mother Hierusalem as sayth the apostle in the 4. to the Gal. which is aboue and yet beneath the Church scattered throughout the worlde Gal. 4 26 which is saith hee the mother of vs all In her wombe we are begotten being borne anew as Peter before saieth not of mortall seede 1. Pet. 1 23 but of immortall by the worde of God VVho of his owne will as Iames also sayeth begatte vs by the worde of truth Iam. 1 18 that wee should be the first fruites of his creatures And to our mother was the promise made in the foure and fiftieth of Esay Isay 54 13 And all thy children shall be taught of the Lorde and much peace shall bee to thy children Thus all that are taught of God and haue obeyed his worde are brethren both by father and mother and the whole number ioyned in one societie or felowship is the brotherhood which also is called the housholde or familie of fayth VVhile we haue time sayth the Apostle in the sixt to the Galathians let vs do good vnto all Gal. 6.10 specially vnto those that are of the familie of faith And againe in the thirde to the Ephesians Ephes 3 14 For this cause I bow my knees vnto the father of our Lorde Iesus Christ of whom is named the whole familie in heauen and in earth And the bande of this familie or coniunction of brethren is faith and holinesse in that heauenlie vocation vnto which they are called In which respect they are named as before we heard the familie of faith and faithfull brethren in Christ and holie brethren In the first to the Colossians Paule an Apostle of Iesus Christ by the will of God and Timotheus our brother Col. 1 1 2 To them which are at Colosse Saintes and faithfull brethren in Christ. Heb. 3.1 And in the third to the Hebrewes Therfore holy brethren partakers of the heauenlie vocation consider the Apostle and high Priest of our profession Christ Iesus VVherfore let not thine eies wander to seeke thy loue but see who are ioyned in fayth holinesse and they are the brethrē and there thou must fasten thy whole desire It is not in all the worlde besides that thou must so delight in as in them For tell mee if anie thing bee so commaunded or commended to vs as the brethren or some dutie which pertaineth to them Heere onelie wee except the loue of the Father which yet is reuealed and as it were accomplished in the loue of the brethren If yee loue mee sayth Christ keepe my commaundement Iohn 14 15 And This is my commaundement Iohn 15 12 that yee loue one another as I haue loued you And againe By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples Iohn 13 35 if yee haue loue one to another As if the loue of the brethren were the loue of Christ because he delighteth in them yea dwelleth in them and they in him hee is one with them and they with him by a true and reall coniunction though the same not naturall and carnall but spirituall as in the seuenteenth of Iohn I pray not for these alone but for them also which shall beleeue in mee through their woorde Iohn 17 26 21 c. That they all may bee one as thou O Father in mee and I in thee euen that they may bee also one in vs that the worlde maie beleeue that thou hast sent mee And the glorie that thou gauest mee I haue giuen them that they maie bee one as wee are one I in them and thou in mee that they may bee made perfect in one and that the worlde may knowe that thou hast sent mee and hast loued them as thou hast loued mee And so the Church considered with her head is mysticall Christ or Christ in a mysterie and so called by the Apostle in the twelfth of the first to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 12.12 For as the bodie saith he is one hath many members and all the members of the body which is one though they bee many yet are but one body so is Christ that is to say Christians in one society euen the Church considered as a bodie but with her head Christ Who by an excellency of the head aboue the members giueth name vnto the whole and it is called Christ Hence commeth this acceptation in the second of Zacharie Hee which toucheth you Zach. 2 8 toucheth the apple of his eye And in the tenth of Matthew Math. 10 42 VVhosoeuer shall giue vnto one of these little ones a cup of colde water onely in the name of a Disciple verelie I say vnto you hee shall not loose his rewarde And in the siue and twentieth of Mathew Mat. 25 37 c. VVhen sawe wee thee an hungred and fedde thee And when sawe we thee a straunger and tooke thee in and so forth Verely I say vnto you sayth Christ inasmuch as ye haue done it vnto one of the least of these my Brethren yee haue done it vnto mee And againe VVhen sawe wee thee an hungred or a thyrst or a straunger or naked or sicke or in prison and did not minister vnto thee These also are aunswered Verelie I say vnto you in as much as ye did it not to one of the least of these yee did it not to me And in the ninth of the Acts
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
for our owne offences towards them with great care yea 3 Cor. 7 11 with clearing of our selues yea with indignation yea with fâ—are yea with great desire yea with zeale yea with punishment for reconciliation till the strong Citie bee wonne and one contentions though as harde to breake as the barre of a pallace be yet broken a sunder and our selues reunited in the loue of brethren So all at the last was forgiuen and forgotten betweene Ioseph and his brethren and their loue brast out in teares and they wept and reioyced and kissed and embraced and theyr hearts were comforted in the loue of brethren Gen. 45 The second consideration which we haue of our loue is the encrease of the same Of the which the Apostle in the fourth of the first to the Thessalonians 1. Thes 4 9 14 writeth thus But as touching brotherly loâ—â— fayeth hee yee neede not that I write vnto you for ye are taught of God to loue one another Yea and that thing verelie yee doo vnto all the brethren which are throughout all Macedonia but wee beseech you brethren that you increase more and more VVee are not therefore to stande at a stay in loue but still to walke forwarde from loue to loue For this is the way of the righteous and of it Salomon sayeth in the fourth of the Prouerbs Prou. 4.18 The way of the righteous shyneth as the light that shyneth more and more vnto the perfect day And the right loue of brethren is as fire which still increaseth and inflameth them with a certaine naturall affection and inclination to embrace one another of which the Apostle in the twelfth to the Romans saith Rom. 12 10 Bee affectioned to loue one another with brotherly loue And this affection or inclination cannot stay it self vntill it come to the highest degree of loue and leadeth vs to that which Peter requireth in the first Chapter of this Epistle namelie 1 Pet 1 22 That wee loue one another out of a pure heart vehementlie or as our English translation giueth it Feruentlie with all the heart and with all the soule and with all the might and so our loue become zeale which hath eaten vs vp we all in a zeale do loue the brethren Which condemneth my brethren the loue of these times the last I thinke in which it is come to passe as our Sauiour foretold that because iniquitie shall abounde the loue of manie yea manie brethren I had almost said towards brethren is waxen colde But to come to the third and last point whether wee loue little or whether wee loue much according to the measure of grace which wee haue receiued let vs yet loue purely and that loue which wee haue let it bee loue in deede Not euerie one sayeth Christ that sayth vnto me Lorde Mat. 7 22. Lorde that is which professeth himselfe my seruaunt shall enter into the Kingdome of Heauen but hee that dooth the will of my Father which is in Heauen Not euerie one that sayeth Brother Brother shall haue the prayse of true loue but hee that will doo for his brother indeede 2. Sam. 20 9 10. Not as Ioab which saluted Amasa and sayde Art thou in health my brother Faigned loue and hee tooke Amasa by the â—eard with the right hand to kisse him But with his sword he smote him in the fifth rib and shedde out his bowelles to the â—round This was not loue but dissimulation which ought to bee farre from the loue of brethren So the Apostle commaundeth in the twelfth to the RomaÌ„s Let loue saith he be without dissimulation Rom. 12 9 And Peter in the first Chapter of this Epistle requireth brotherly loue vnfaigned 1. Pet. 1 22 VVith brotherly loue vnfaigned saith hee not of a pure heart loue ye one another feruently Therefore this loue which kisseth killeth which marrieth and burieth all in a day is not worthy of mention with the loue of brethren No nor a better loue then this Idle loue a better I call it because it doth no harme and yet is not good inough because it dooth no good If a brother or asister saith Iames be naked Iam. 2 15 16 and destitute of daily foode and one of you say vnto him Depart in peace beeye warmed and be yee filled not withstanding yee giue them not those things that are needefull for the body what helpeth it This lip-lip-loue Saint Iames refuseth and Saint Iohn wil none of it saying in his first Epistle and third Chapter My little children let vs not loue in word neither in tongue onely but in deede and in truth 1 Ioan. 3 18 As if there were no trueth in loue without the deede if do it can and doth it not And yet againe there is another loue not aright which doth some good and leadeth to some duties which are profitable but not for loue sake but because wee receiued some good before or may receiue profit by the fame againe And this we may call a seruile loue Seruile loue because it worketh for wages and nothing els and is no better as our Sauiour teacheth vs but that sinners and Publicans may haue the like Matth 5 46 47. Luke 6 32 33. But to leaue these loues which are none of ours to note that which indeede the Apostle meaneth Simple loue it is a simple loue pure voyde of all respects loueth the brethren for the brethrens sake Of which we may say as SalomoÌ„ speaketh in the fourteenth of Prouerbs of the sense and iudgement of the mind towards mirth or mourning The mind saith hee acknowledgeth his own bitternes Prou. 14 10 or what is better to it selfe and in the mirth therof no strange thing doth mixt it selfe That is it trieth al things and taketh what it loueth leaueth what it liketh not And euen so this loue of brethren it hath her proper iudgemeÌ„t nothing it aloweth but what is like hir self It admitteth no respects of rich or poore wise or vnwise strong or weak profitable or vnprofitable but looketh to the brotherbood or coÌ„pany of brethren as Peter requireth in the name of brethreÌ„ as Christ speaketh in the tenth of Matthew Matth. 10 that is as brethren and in the onely nature of Brethren it embraceth them and nothing in them besides Paul saluteth Timothie thus Vnto Timothie my naturall Sonne in the faith 1. Tim. 1 2 so calling him because he had a true and a naturall faith For there is a naturall faith which bringeth foorth a naturall loue of which wee speake and there is a bastard faith of which is ingendred a bastard loue of false Brethren These also are amongst vs but they are not of vs and how little worth their loue is I neede not speake the white of in egge or a sticke hath as much tast as it And these as they lie in out way needes wee must deale with them
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
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
yee did it not to one of the least of these yee did it not to mee And in the seuenteenth of Iohn Iohn 17 2 Those that thou gauest mee haue I kept and none of them is lost saue the childe of perdition that the Scripture might bee fulfilled Where he descendeth to account for euerie particular which the Father had giuen him and so must we for euery brother whome hee commendeth vnto our loue But note I pray you out of the place of Matthew Verse 40 a distinction of brethren For he saith Vnto one of the least of these my brethren Therefore some are greater and some are lesse not in the brother hood it selfe or nature of brethren wherein all are alike but in some outwarde respects wherein they may be and are vnlike as here in this place of Mathew the 25. there is mention of hungrie and thirstie of naked and harbourlesse and prisoned brethren who in this respect are lesse as the Lord hath humbled them then those brethrē which are full and clothed housed and at libertie hauing other furniture also somtime of pompe and dignitie The one sort Saint Iames in the first Chapter of his first Epistle calleth Brethren of low degree Iam. 1 9 and the other he calleth rich Thus there are poore abiect brethren low and little and there are great and rich and flourishing brethren and we must loue all But yet out loue is chiefly approued as before was shewed by such outwarde works and duties which we do vnto our lesser brethren for our greater brethren need them not as Paul speaketh of the members of the naturall bodie 2. Cor. 12 23 And vpon those members sayeth hee of the bodie which wee thinke to bee the lesse honourable wee put on more honour and our vncomely parts haue more comelinesse for our comely parts need it not Thus the hunger and nakednesse the wants and distresses the bands and prisonments of our little Brethren should be our care and the matter especially to fire our loue much lesse should wee set light of them because they are little Saint Iames compareth the prophane rich men of the world with the rich Brethren and reproueth the loue of the faithfull to whom hee writeth for preferring the one before the other And what do wee else if in respect of their riches their pompe and dignitie wee preferre in our loue and the duties of loue our greater Brethrē before the lesse but let vs heare his words Iam. 2 1 2 seq My brethren sayth hee haue not the faith of our glorious Lorde Iesus Christ in respect of person For if there come into your companie a man I adde a brother with a gold ring and in goodly apparrell and there come in also a poore man to wit a brother in vite raiment and yee haue a respect to him that weareth the gay clothing and say vnto him sitt◠thou neere in a goodly place and say vnto the poore stand thou heere or sit heere vnder my foote-stoole are yee not partiall in your selues and are become iudges which haue euill thought Hearken my beloued brethren hath not God chosen the poore of this worlde that they should bee rich in fayth and heyres of his kingdome which he promised to thē that loue him but yee haue despised the poore Heere he toucheth the boyle For there is a kinde of estimation which belongeth vnto men of dignity as the Lord hath diuided degrees in the world some brethren hauing more honour some lesse But our loue vnto all must bee alike as well poore as rich And wee must haue somewhat the more care of the poore that we exclude them not for Saint Iames his reason because the greater number of vs I meane the brethren are poore and not rich weake not strong base and not honorable foolish not wise Hearken my beloued brethren saith he hath not God chosen the poore of this world Verse 3 that they should be rich in faith and heyres of the kingdome which he promised to them that loue him not that he excludeth the rich but more commonly generally in this choyse respecteth the poore as Paul also sheweth in the first of the first to the Corinthians Brethren saith he you see your calling that is who 1. Cor. 1.26 seq and what manner of men amongst you are called and come vnto Christ not many wise men after the flesh not manie mightie not many noble But God hath chosen the foolish things of the worlde to confounde the wise and God hath chosen the weake things of the world to confounde the mightie and vile things of the world and things which are despised hath God chosen and things which are not to bring to naught things that are that no flesh should glorie in his sight And therefore I feare if my heart giue a better welcome to a rich brother then to a poore that I loue not the brethren as I ought Wherefore let not the carnall and outwarde beautie of Brethren beguile our mindes The Kings Daughter is all glorious within Psal 45 14 Hebr. 13 2. Angels may bee strangers as in the thirteenth to the Hebrewes and the beautie of a brother may be hid vnder a very sorie weede The same may bee saide for the weake brethren of whome somewhat already hath bin spoken And therfore briefly thus be their weaknesse neuer so great euen as of children in Christ and their infirmities neuer so many lacke they knowledge or conscience sometimes in somethings For who can say sayth Salomon Prou. 20 9 I haue cleansed my heart I am cleane from sinne Wee must take them with all their faults as wee are taken and loue them as wee are loued and were loued euen when we were enemies as saith the Apostle the weaker our brethren are Rom. 510 the more must be our care and our burthen the greater to beare them and make them better Brethren saith the Apostle in the sixt to the Galathians◠if a man be preuented in any fault ye which are spirituall restore such a one in the spirit of meekenesse Gal 6 1 considering thy selfe least thou also be tempeed Beare yee one anothers burthen and so fulfill the law of Christ And thus much touching the first general point of this sentence what or whom we must loue to wit the brotherhood or fellowship of brethren none excepted Nowe somewhat of the loue it selfe and so an ende And first when as the Apostle here saith exhorteth saying Loue the brotherhood hee meaneth not that the faithfull to whome hee writeth and in whom he acknowledgeth all the graces of God were simply void of loue or that they had not some loue alreadie when he wrote vnto them but that they should continue in loue and increase in loue and loue more perfectlie then before For otherwise for the Brethren to loue together is as kind and as naturall as for the birdes to flie together for
dignitie not in others beside the honor of maiestie in the king magistrate of whom we speake not yet And all these must haue their honour euerie man as hee excelleth most and hath most of this honour in himselfe as a marke or print of a certaine maiestie which God hath placed in him And it was a peece of the confusion threatened to Iuda in the third of Esay and not the least parte of the confusion which at this day raigneth amongst vs Superbient pâ—er iâ— senem Isay 3 5 vilis in honor â—ium The boy shall beare himselfe bragge against the auncient and the base against the honourable And it greeued Iob at the heart Iob 2 2 3 and helpeâ—â—ppe the heape of all his miseries what once he had this honour and no we had it not Oh that I were sayth hee as in times past when God preserued mee when his â—â—ig â—â—â—shined vppon my head And afterwardes in the fâ—â—â—enth vâ—â—se VVhen I went 〈◊〉 to the Gate to the sâ—ate of iudgement Verse â— and 〈◊〉 bedâ—â— caused them to prepaâ—â—â—â—â—y seaâ—â— iâ— theâ— Streetos The young 〈◊〉 samâ—â—â—e and bidde themselues and the agâ—dorâ—se and stood vp But in the 〈◊〉 Chapter hee sayth But newe Iob 3 â— â—ident me minore â—â—â—pores My younger laugh 〈◊〉 mee and those so base borne and vile that as there hee sayth VVhose â—athers I woulde haue disdeyned to sette with the Dogges of my flocke This was Iobs case to want that honour and reuerence which once he had had wel deserued Which if it be any of ours as doubtlesse neuer was there more contempt and lesse honor yeelded vnto Superiors let vs charge this sinne vpon the Inferiours yet so as that wee wholie discharge not our selues of blame For besides that this plague is partly vpon vs Isa 3.4 in the third of Esay Dabâ— puerâ—â— principes coâ—um I will set children to rule ouer them and so indeede wee haue in many places rulers no more able to rule themselues and others then women and children therfore are despised of men women and children there is also another plague mentioned by the Prophet in the next words thus Quifacinero se doâ—ineâ—tuâ— in â—osâ— that is I will set children to be their Rulers which shall mischiâ—â—ously raigne ouer them And afterwards in the same chapter Verse 13 The babie oppresseth my people and VVomen â—aue rule ouer them And yet as very babes as they are in gouernment and weak as women to rule themselues or other as they ought to doo they are strong enough to oppresse the people and this maketh them to be despised of the people Vt ameris amabilis esto saith the poet If thou wilt haue loue thou must beare thy selfe louely And if thou wilt haue other to honour thee in high place do thou stoupe downe to them and honour them in those roomes and places wherein they are euen the meanest Do not oppresse them but relieue them for this is the best honour as before is proued and shewe all kindnesse and courtesie and affabilitie towardes them And thou shalt see that kindnes will beget kindnesse as Moses was honoured of all the people And yet it is said that he was the mildest man in al the earth Num. 12. â— Which doubtlesse could not haue been if in his high place he had ouerlookt them and not rather in all faith fulnesse loue and diligence had looked to them liued with them as a common friende And therfore the king himselfe also in the 17. of Deut. was commanded not to multiplie horses Deut. 17 6 seq nor augment his pompe ouermuch least he shuld waxe proude and haue his heart lifted vp aboue his brethren Wherefore giue you that are euen the greatest giue vnto the meanest their honour and they shall giue you yours Good measure as Christ saith pressed downe Luke 6 38 shaken together and running ouer shall men giue into your bosome Matth. 7 2 for with what measure you meate with the same shal men measure vnto you againe For otherwise euery man doth beare a kingdome in his breast how soeuer his outward obedience or reuerence may be wrested from him And yet may and must the Ruler and euerie superiour maintaine his place and shew himselfe as he is in keeping the grace and grauitie the port and support of a superiour as it is saide of a Roman gouernour that he bare vp the Common-weale with his brow or couÌ„tenaÌ„ce Which no man may impute to pride or immodestie for it is maiestie Therfore Salomon maketh a comparison in the thirtieth of the Prouerbes Prou. 30 29 30 31. There bee three things sayth hee that order wel theyr going yea foure which haue a comely gate an olde Lyon mightie among Beastes and turneth not at the sight of any an Horse that hath his Bellie taken downe a Goate and a King against whome there is no rysing vppe And therefore it is counselled in another place Ne sis humilis in sapientia tua Eccl â— 19 Bee not ouerlowly in thy wisedome nor out of conceite with thy selfe for thy place least it bee true which is saide Tanti eris aliis quanti tibi fueris Thou shalt bee iust so much esteemed of others as thou in this sense esteemest thy selfe And therefore it was commanded Timothie 1. Tim. 4.12 being a yong man to shew himselfe graue in his ministrie Let no man saith Paul despise thy youth That is see thou giue none occasion by any ouer familiar light or loose behauiour that any should despise thy youth And no lesse the Pastour of the Common-weale then the Pastor of the church in the person of Titus Tit. 2.15 is commanded thus These things speake and exhort and rebuke with all authoritie See that no man despise thee Thus the superiour must know what honour hee hath and much more what honour he oweth to the inferiour and pay it and the inferiour for his parte must doo the like And all men as Peter heere sayth must honour all men A necessarie doctrine for al who in that state of franchisement which wee haue in the heauenly city of our God and King haue or ought to haue our conuersation as Paul had his in heaueÌ„ Philip. 3 20 or heauenlie or as in heauen alreadie according also as we pray Mat. 6.20 Thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen And thus much of the first step of these foure duties heere required Which is as farre as at this time I can go with you Now let vs pray THE SECOND Sermon 2. Pet. 2.17 Loue brotherly fellowship THis whole verse breaking it self into foure principal parts which are so many seuerall exhortations of the first in these wordes Honour all men wee haue spoken alreadie and are now come vnto the second in these words Loue brotherly felowship or as I had rather interpret them according to the plain significatioÌ„ of the Greek
the heardes to feede and to lie together yea for the members of the body to liue moue together for loue is as it were the life and soule of the Brethren And therfore it is monstriloco a monster to see Brethren not to loue together And when it fel out otherwise in the Church of Corinth it seemed so absurd and strange to the Apostle that he maketh as it were an outcrie vpon it as if they had lost their wisedome and almost their wits that some brethreÌ„ fel out others could suffer it I speake it to your shame saith he is it so that there is not a wise man amongst you 1. Cor. 6 5 6 seq no not one that can iudge betweene his Brethren but a Brother goeth to Lawe with a brother and that vnder the Infidels Now therefore there is altogether infirmitie in you in that you go to Law one with another VVhy rather suffer yee not wrong VVhy rather sustaine yee not harme Nay you your selues doo wrong and doo harme and that to your Brethren There is the wonder But to speake more distinctly of this loue we may shortly consider in it these three points before mentioned first the continuance secondly the increase and thirdly the perfection or rather the synceritie and puritie of our loue For the first in the thirteenth to the Hebrewes and first Let brotherly loue continue Heb. 13.1 saith the Apostle that is see that it breake not off but run in one threed and hold together vnto the end For the reward is certain For as the apostle exhorteth the Galathians saying Gal 6. â— Let vs not be wearie of well doing for in time wee shall reape if wee faint not So because nothing is better then loue let vs not be wearie of louing for in time wee shall reape if we faint not And indeed why should we leaue so good a thing which wee cannot do but we are in danger to fall into the contrarie For anger it selfe what is it but a breach of loue of which the Apostle faith Be angry and sinne not Ephes 4 26 Let not the Sunne go downe vppon your wrath neither giue place vnto the diuell who quickly taketh it and tempteth vnto discord And besides it is a goodly thing to see the streame of loue runne cleare without troubling as Salomon speaketh of the prosperitie and aduersitie of the righteous in the fiue and twentieth of Prouerbs Prou. 25 29 As a fountain trampled with the feete or a spring mard so is the iust which is remooued before the wicked The prosperitie of the iust is the cleare spring and the aduersitie of the same is the spring troubled and euen so the course of our loue continued is the cleare spring and it is a goodly thing to see it cleare as stil it woulde bee were it not for troubling And therefore Paule in a certaine holy impaciencie and zealous desire of the continuance of the loue of the Galathians exclaimeth thus Vtinam abscindantur qui vos conturbant Gal 5 12 I woulde they were euen cut off that trouble you And also wee ought to looke the more vnto our loue that it breake not with any brother that loueth vs because the kinde heart is soonest and deepest wounded and the cure thereof is verie hard Of which Salomon sayeth in the eighteenth of the Prouerbs Prou. 18 19 A brother offended is harder to win then a strong Citie and their contentions are like the barre of a Pallace And yet wee denie not but as the Sunne sometimes is darkned by the Clowdes engendred of some grosse exhalations from the earth so the light of our loue is misted and the heat thereof rebated by some sinister and corrupt affections of our fleshly nature And as in phrenetical persons we see that they haue their lucida interualla bright and calme inter missions which are not in the nature of the disease So the louing brethren haue turbida interualla their troubled fittes which are not in the nature of their loue And therefore as the Sunne at the last breaketh through the mist and cloude and those that are taken with the phrenzie returne to their madnesse as before so the brethren to their loue which no more can bee parted or depart from their hearts then the light from the Sunne or life from the soule which is impossible And therefore as Pharaoh notwithstanding his sundrie pretenses yea his purposes and permissions and at the last his owne fact in letting the Israelites go out of his land returned to his owne nature repenting where bee should not and followeth after the same people to bring them backe whome himself by commandement had sent away so on the other side brethreÌ„ notwithstanding for a season they haue a bent another way which leadeth from their loue as blinded with errour tempted by Satan and carried with the violence of their affections yet time will trie them and if they bee brethren they will come to themselues and their loue agained notwithstanding some vnkindnesse for a season For greater is hee that is in vs sayeth Iohn then hee that is in the worlde 1 Iohn 4 4 And as Paule in the fifth of the first to Timothie 1. Tim. 5 24 25 speaketh of two sorts of Ministers the one hypocriticall deceiuing the Church at the first and prouing bad at the last of whom he sayth some mens sinnes or faults are open before hande and go before vnto iudgement but some mâ—â—â— follow afâ—â— and the others such who â—houghâ—â—â— yâ—â—leâ—iâ—e and are negâ—ligent and buâ—â—â— their giftes for a season yet comming to themselues againe and as it were reuiâ—ing doo afterwardes shewe the fruits of their labour and approue themselues to the Church of God and of these he sayth in the words next following Likewise also the good workes are manifest before hande and they that are otherwise 〈◊〉 bee hid So may wee say comparing the brethren vnto this better sort of Ministers that though some of them sometimes breake off from that course of loue which they ought to continue and sleepe in the forgetfulnesse of their dutie as of both sorts of virgins both the wise and the foolish it is sayde they slepâ—â— yet the brethren euen all cope haue Oyle in their Lampes and their loue awaketh with them and embraceth the brethren whome before it did not And the good workes of their oâ—e which at their first calling appeared and were manifest to all men yet altered â—orâ— a time and carried into other behauiors and bee seeming the course which first began cannot be hid as sayeth Paule but shall be seene to be â—â—â—o such at the last as they were at the first For loue breaketh through all lettes and passeth by 〈◊〉 couereth the multitude of sinnes suffering all things 1. Cor. 13 7 â—â—â—â—â—ning all things hoping all things â—ddâ—â—ing all things at the handes of our brethren And with a godlie sorrowe worketh repentaunce and reformation