Mam. de statu animae Lib. 1. tuum Imaginem Dei tui Ille te perinde diligendo Deum in Deo diligat Love thy God and in God love thy brother the image of God and let thy brother in requitall by loving God love thee also in God True Christian love will not be solitary and fruitlesse but it must bring forth peace and be attended by it Love is it selfe the fruit of the spirit and peace is the fruit of this love yea love which delights Col. 3. 14. 15. to be fruitfull loves this peace because by her shee communicates her other fruitfulnesse It is best sowing in a calme and if we will beleeve St James Jam. 3. 18. the fruit of righteousnesse is best sowne in peace So Peace the eldest daughter of Love is a midwife to her mother and delivers her of the rest of her children and without her help the mother doth nothing bâ—t make abortions Therefore as thou wâ—uldest have thy love to be fruitfull and by her fruits profitable to the Saints so be thou sure to have her attended by peace that through peace with the Saints thy love may profitably extend it selfe to the Saints The unity of the spirit must be kept in the bond of peace and indeed with whom wilt thou keepe peace if thou wilt not keepe it with those who are one spirit with thee By one spirit are we all Cor. 12. 12 13. baptized into one body and we be members one of another by our unity in this one body How comely yea how necessary is it to the preservation and prosperity of the body that the members of one body be at peace and unity and how monstrous and destructive is it when one member fights with another That fatall sentence cannot be avoyded If Gal. 5. 15. yee bite one another yee shall be consumed one of another But contrarily the Kingdome of God which is peace flourisheth by the peace of the subjects of that Kingdome and therefore St. Paul having taught the former Rom. 14. 17 18. to the Romans adjoyneth the latter and that with a vehemencie for he injoynes them not barely to follow but as it were to persecute even with a swift and eager prosecution to run after the things of peace yea he adjures the Philippians by all conlation Phil. 2. in Christ and by the fellowship of the Spirit and by the bowels of mercy that they be of one accord Finally the Sonne of God our Saviour of whom Melchisedech was a type is the King of peace Heb. 7.2 as well as the King of righteousnesse and his subjects who will partake of his righteousnesse must also partake of his peace Christ hath made peace betweene God and us even peace between Heaven and Earth not that men being at peace above with God should have discord below among themselves but the peace which is begun in Heaven must come downe and dwell among his members on Earth we must be one as he and his Father are Joh 17.21 one the peace which we receive from God by Christ we must impart each to other yea it must Col 3.15 rule in our hearts being called to it in one body Accordingly as we expect peace from God through Christ so let us heare and obey Christ commanding peace amongst our selves Have peace one with another and then let us not doubt but if the Peace of God Mar. 9. 50. be among us the God of peace is also with us Deus semper in pace est Where spirituall and true peace is Chrysol Ser. 54. there ever God is The two excellent and powerfull Graces Love and Peace may not be bounded by us but by God himselfe the Author and Commander of it Him must we follow in the inlarging or straitning of it and not goe from his leading to the right hand or to the left where God commands love and peace we may Act 10. 15 not forbid them neither whom God by sanctifying hath made fit for our peace must we accompt common or uncleane and fit for separation Now Colos 1 4. Eph. 4. 3. 15. the extent and bound which God appoints for our love and peace is no lesse then all the Saints even the whole Body of Christ the bond of peace is not one 1 Joh. 5. 1. 2 Tim. 2.22 jot shorter then the unity of the spirit If then God have not disdained to bestow on any man his sanctifying Spirit let not man scorne on such a one to bestow his love and peace for he that denyeth his love and peace to that man in whom is the Spirit he denyeth his love and peace to the spirit which is in that man Therefore if God have gone before with his saving grace and sanctifying spirit let us not doubt to follow God with our love and Docere voluit quod haec tria sibi invicem connexa sint cohaerent Deus Christus Ecclesia seu universitas credentium adeo ut qui unum ex his vel diligat vel odiat omnia diligat aut odiat Ferus 1 Joh. 5. peace Now we know that God according to his promise to Abraham hath an holy seed out of all Nations which is the Catholicke and Universall Church if then the Church be Catholicke and Universall let our love and peace be also Catholick and Universall And to this end our affections must be enlarged and made capable of the whole world for he that will love a Catholicke Church with a Catholicke love must not have a narrow love contracted and confined to the measure of one City Kingdome or nation but extended and enlarged to the measure of all Cities Kingdomes and Nations even of the whole world If that which is to be loved be universall the affection which loveth must not be partiall For if the love be but to a part when it should be to the whole this is not that Catholick love which belongs to the Catholicke Church and whatsoever title such men may take to themselves they are not true but counterfeit Catholicks for they have not that Catholick spirit of love which is in the true Catholick Church and by which the Catholick Church doth love it selfe with a Catholicke love But such men by likelihood have a private spirit by which they love a private part and faction and are short of that universall spirit which loveth the universall Church with an universall love for there is a private spirit of love as well as of faith and it is that kinde of spirit which Saint James mentioneth Jam. 4. 5. 3. 14 15 a spirit that lusteth after envie after Sects and divisions But let us never rest untill we get that Catholicke spirit by which we may embrace the Catholick Church with a Catholick love and then we may be assured we are not titular but true and reall Catholicks Hereby we know that we are of the truth saith Saint John and we shall assure our
God in his dispensations God is not pleased to put this knowledge within his part and therefore thou fall'st out with him and is not thy quarrell against God also because God hath not revealed it unto him yea as confident as thou art it may be that opinion for which thou fall'st out with him is not in thy part but that which he holds is within his part and then what a double madnesse is it to hate thy brother for not maintaining that opinion which thou holdest but knowest not to be a truth and for that truth which thy brother knowes and therefore maintaines But if of ignorance he erre in those things that are out of his part beare with him as thou wouldest be born with yea loved notwithstanding that errour for this is the Law and the Prophets It is not to be believed that any Saint willingly would maintaine a knowne errour and if he hold it of weaknesse receive him that is weake and not for contentions and dividing disputations beare with him in that which is beyond his part and he shall beare with thee in that which is beyond thy part for there is a great number of truths which some Saints know and others do not yea many which none attaine unto We have plaine places of Scripture wherein love to all Saints is commended and commanded but none wherein hatred of Saints for lesser measures of knowledge is injoyned or approved Againe the Body of Christ doth edifie it selfe in love therefore no love no edification But on the contrary as love edifies so hatred pulls downe and teares the building into pieces Now what saies the Scripture Who so destroyes the Temple of God hin shall God destroy A fearefull worke paid with fearefull wages Temple destruction followed with destruction of Temple destroyers Neither is this wholly deferred to the great day but even in this life division of Saints threatens destruction for if ye bite one another ye shall be consumed one of another When these lesser differences make a division the great Malignant puts in his wedge and the lessâ—r follow and serve him in this worke and both teare Saints asunder to destroy them by dividing yea to destroy one Saint by another A sad thing when Saints shall do the Devils works dividing and destroying But farre from Saints be the works and paths of the destroyer But let them much rather do the works of God even of that God who is Love and his work is Salvation Let them strive to preserve each other by provoking one another to love and good workes and by being knit and linkt together so fast in love that none of these infernall Wedges and Engines may teare shem asunder Let them walke in those saving truths to which they have attained with one minde and one love and if any thing besides be not yet attained to waite with mutuall patience and forbearance untill the same be revealed I know there are errours to whose owners and maintainers the A postle allowes not God speed But I speake not of those but of such differences and divisions as are of a lower nature And is not the internall unity of the Spirit a greater band of love and peace thâ—n difference in small maâ—ters or externals be of hatred division and mutuall destruction Is not such a destruction like unto this that when two owners of a field of Corne cannot agree about the fashion of the hedge upon this disagreement they will both agree to set the Corne on fire and destroy it What were this but to destroy the Corn for that very thing whose maine if not only use is to preserve it Let Saints heare the voice and judgement of Moses a great Saint and who in this voyce spake as one that was designed to be the great Judge of Israel Why sttive ye since ye are brethren Why teare ye the Body of Christ into pieces for the cloths of the body Is not the body better then raiment Christ hath shed his blood for his Saints and his Spirit into the Saints to purchase love peace and unity for them doe not rob him of his purchase by divisions and tearing his body asunder least he againe cry out from Heaven Why doe you persecute me and why doe you teare me in pe ces in my members Let us not prefer low quarrels and opinions before Christ dwelling and living in his members what is this but to make Idols of them and to make our selves like those of Canaan who sacrificed their Sâ—ns and Daughters to their Idols and what followes Thus was the Land defiled with innocent blood But let every men sadly and sincerely examine the matter both as a Christian and as a wise man as a Christian let him aske his Soul whether it can be the Spirit that hates and endeavours to destroy a man that hath the Spitit certainly it is impossible that the Spirit should hate the Spirit or him that hath it For the fruit of the Spirit is love even love to all the brethren that are borne of the same Spirit And if it be a work of the flesh what hath a spirituall man to doe with the flesh but to kill it and not for the flesh to kill those that have the Spirit Secondly as a wise man who would by such devision and opposition of Brethren make a gap and open a gate for the common enemy to come in and destroy both wherefore to conclude let not lesser faults or exceptions which may stand with brother-hood dissolve brother hood much lesse set Brethren to destroy one another And if it were lawfull as it is not in Abrahams judgement who was the Father of the faithfull and told his Nephew Lot Let us not strive because we are brethren yet first of all meanes should be used for reconciliation and satisfaction thus did the whole Congregation of Israel by Messengers sent to the Tribes of Reuben Gad and halfe tribe 〈◊〉 Manasseth when they were suspected for setting up a new and forbidden kinde of Worship Lastly farre be it from Brethren upon doubtfull and disputable differences yea doubtfull breaches of Covenant to breake that plaine and down-right part of the Covenant That each one of us according to our place and interest shall endeavour that these Kingdomes may rentaine conjoyned in a firm peace and union to all posterity To breake a certaine and cleare part of the Covenant for uncertainties is a most certaine sinne Surely the breach of this peace and union is in it selfe a great Judgement upon the Kingdomes But how great a Judgement shall he deserve that by a breach of Oath is a cause of this Judgement Come not into their secret O my Soule for cursed is their anger and their wrath is cruell divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel for they would divide Jacob and by dividing scatter and destroy Israel even our Jerusalem compacted and knit together in both Nations by Saintship and Covenant But pray we for the union and peace of Jerusalem let us say and endeavour what we say peace be within thy walls and prosperity in thy palaces For my Brethren and companions sake I will now say Peace be within thee and let all the Brethren and Companions agree in this and say Amen Amen FINIS
hearts before 1 Joh. 3.19 God And We know that we have passed from deaâ—h to life because we love the brethren even the brethren Ver. 14 without exception and reservation and he that dwelleth in this generall and un eserved love God 1 Joh. 4.12 who is love dwelleth in him and he in God And we know that we dwell in him and he in us because he hath Ver. 13 given us his spirit even the spirit of this Catholicke and Universall love Let no man therefore say of another He is of such a Nation with which my Nation is at enmity or of such a Church which professeth some differences with the Church in which I live and therefore I will by no meanes have love and peace with him but remember that in every Act. 10. 35 Nation he that feareth God and worketh righteousnesse is accepted of God and therefore doe thou enquire whether this spirit of feare and holinesse be in him which those that have are accepted of God if he be accepted of God take heed he be not rejected of thee It were a madnesse in thee for Gods sake to hate one whom God loves and for Christs sake to to hate a member of Christ Indeed if he be of a Church infected with errours thou must be wary of him that he infect thee not with those errours but be also wary of not hating the Spirit of Christ in a member of Christ It is an Apostolicall and so an undeniable Inference If ye have put on the Col. 3 10. New-man in which is neither Greeke nor Jew Circumcision nor Uncircumcision Barbarian Scythian bond nor free but Christ is all in all Put on therefore there is a binding force in this therefore as the elect of God holy and beloved bowels of mercy kindnesse c. And above all these things put an charity which is the bond of perfectnesse and let the peace of God rule in your hearts to which ye are called in one body Let us then have love and peace with a beleeving Muscovite Grecian Aethiopian Indian if he be of that one body wherein Christ is all in all and by the unity whereof we are called to love and peace yea from this universall peace and love may not be excluded any remnant according to the election of grace pertaining to the body of Christ though so-journing in the tents and territories of Rome we may not hate the seven thousand that doe not bow their knees to Baal though dispersed among seven millions of Idolaters we may not hate Israel though in bondage under Pharaoh But to the true Israel even to the pure in heart and those who in Christ Jesus are new creatures and walk according to this rule peace and the prayers of peace the true fruits of Gal. 6. 15 16. love doe belong the divine Apostle being herein our guide and example And while thus we enjoy and Eph. 4. 16 1 Joh. 3. 14 4. 7. imbrace this universall love with the universall body of Christ great is our safety for hereby we know and may assure our hearts that we belong to that universall body which alone loveth it selfe with this univerall love That is the truly Catholicke Church which is indued with this Catholick love that is a living Church which is a loving Church We therefore imbracing and exercising this Catholicke love are of the Church truly Catholick even of that Church which being a Church of love is also a Church of life But it is never enough to be lamented That when Christ hath made Love the very Character and Badge of his Disciples those that would be called Christians that is the Disciples of Christ are farre from that wherein this Discipleship doth especially consist One Apostle having named some chiefe Graces and Vertues saith but the greatest of these is love And in another place Above all these things put on love which is the bond of perfectnesse And another Apostle Above all things have fervent love among your selves But how comes it to passe then that when Christ and his Apostles set up love above all things we see so many things set up above love yea we see love destroyed for little things which is better than all things Yea when love by uniting would mutuelly preserve the Saints they by hatred and contention will destroy both love and themselves yet the same evill spirit that moves to this destroying by hatred and division preserves his owne Kingdome by unity And though his depraved nature be contrary to true love yet his craft so farre over-rules or at least guides his malice that he holds unity for our ruine and his owne preservation But Christians whose Divine Nature is especially made up of love run hastily and headily into hatred and dizision and thus doe they goe contrary to the Divine Nature wherein is the vertue â—f the Dove and the wisedome commanded in the Serpent But doe not those talke of Christianity and thus walke contrary to it meerely turne Christianity into talking and make themselves but tinkling Cymballs Let true Christians seriously consider that union in Christ their head is a stronger root of love and unity than lesser differences can be of division It was the great Plot of Christ by the expence of his most precious Blood to recapitulate and bring into unity under one Head those that lay scattered under sundry differences and is it not then to counter-worke against Christs great Plot and Mystery of Godlinesse by small differences to divide those whom he hath by so deare a purchase knit together yet which is a high degree of this mischiefe men pretend for Christianity to hate and destroy Christians but is it not the same which in others hath bin truly called Antichristian for both this and that persecutes Christ in his members opposeth Christ in his Doctrine and in his maine worke of dispensation let such heare Paul speaking Where there are divisions among you are ye not carnall and walke as men And indeed is it not carnall to hate a member of Christ for that difference which he may have and yet be a member of Christ Is not he more to be loved for being a member of Christ then to be hated for that difference yea if Christ doe love and forgive him how dar'st thou to hate him whom Christ loves Hast thou seen any warrant in Scripture to give thee authority to hate a member of Christ who agrees with Christ by faith and love but agrees not with thee in all thy opinions The Scripture saith We know but in part and if so thou must give every Saint these graines of allowance which the Apostle gives him It may be the knowledge of that point wherein he differs from thee is not within his part and thou wilt have him know beyond his part or else thou wilt fall out with him Is not this to fall out with a Saint for impossibilities and which is more is it not to fight against