Exposition of the Dominical Epistles and Gospels, Section 25

Exposition of the Dominical Epistles and Gospels · Section 25

p. 270The Epistle. 1. COR. 13.

Though I speake with tongues of men and Angels, &c.

THe Bible is the body of all holy religion; and this little Chapter is as it were, an abridgement of all the Bible: for it is a tract of louelove, which is the nnRom. 13.10.Rom 13:10complement of the law, and ooIohn 13.34.John 13:34supplement of the Gospell. All the scripture teaching nothing else (saith ppDe doct. Christ. lib. 2. cap. 7.Augustine) but that we must louelove our neighbour for God, and God for himselfe. qqIbidem. lib. 3. cap. 10.Nihil praecipit nisi charitatem, nec culpat nisi cupiditatem: it forbids nothing but lust, and inioines nothing but louelove: for without rrGalat. 5.6.Gal 5:6louelove, there is no true faith; and without faith, ssRom. 14.23.Rom 14:23all our righteousnesse is sinne.

p. 271S. Paul therefore doth extoll in this Chapter aboue all other, this one vertue:

1. largely, shewing that it surpasseth al other graces in ttGoran. & Beza in loc.two things:

Vse: vers. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.

Continuance: ver. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13.

2. briefly, by way of uuCalu. Institut. lib. 3. c. 18. §. 8.recapitulation in the last verse. Now abideth faith, hope, and louelove, euen these three; but the chiefe is louelove.

Charity doth excell in vse: for all other gifts without it are nothing auaileable to saluation, as Paul proues by this induction; If I speake with tongues of men and Angels, &c.

All vertues are either

Intellectuall: in

accurate speech: vers. 1.

other knowledg: vers. 2.

Morall: in

doing: v. 3. Though I feed the poore with al my goods.

suffering: Though I giuegive my body to be burned, &c.

Though I speake with the tongues of men] xxAquin in loc.That is, of all men. If I had vnderstanding in all languages, and Art to parle in them all: if a man could speake so many tongues as our late Soueraigne of blessed memory Queene Elizabeth, of whom the diuine yyDu Bartas in his Babylon.Poet, as a Diuine truly; not as a Poet flatteringly:

That Rome, Rheine, Rhone, Greece, Spaine and Italy,

Plead all for right in her natiuity.

If a man could discourse in so many languages as Mythridates, p. 272of whom zzComment. lib. 17. pag. 522.Volaterane reports, that he well vnderstood 22. sundry tongues; or as aaAul. Gellius lib. 17. cap. 17.other, 25. If a man could thunder in an Oration, as Aristophanes said of Pericles; or tune his note so sweetly, that hee could moue mountaines and stony rockes with Orpheus; or fe…ch soules out of hell, as fabulous antiquity fained of Mercury. Though a man could hold the people by the …ares, and cary them vp and downe the Country like pitchers, as bbPlutarch. in vitá Alcib.Socrates did Alcibiades; and steale away their harts, as cc2. Sam. 15.6.2 Sam 15:6Absolon did in Israel. If a man were so bewitching an Orator, that he could ddPicus Miran. epist. Barbaro.pro arbitrio tollere, extollere, …mplificare, extenuare, magicis quasi viribus eloquentiae in quam velit faciem habitum que transformare; so subtill a disputer, as that he could make quidlibet ex quólibet, eueryevery thing of anything, yet without louelove were he nothing.

Yea though a man could speake with the tongues of Angels, eeAquin. & Gorran. in loc.that is, of the learned Priests and Prophets, who are Gods ffMal. 2.7.Mal 2:7Angels and messengers. If a man had the siluer ggHieron. aduersus Ruffin. tom. 2. fol. 221.trumpet of Hilary; or the golden mouth of Chrysostome; or the mellifluous speech of Origen, hhVincentius, vti Magdeburg. cent. 3. col. 269.cuius ex ore non tam verba quàm mella flu…re videntur. If a man were so painfull in preaching, that as iiActs 2.41.Acts 2:41Saint Peter, he could adde to the Church with one sermon, about three thousand soules: or as it is kkMagdeburg. cent. 8. col. 852.recorded of venerable Beda, fondly and falsly, that he could make the very stones applaud his notes, and say, Amen.

Or as llCaluin. & Beza in loc.other expound it, hyperbolically: though a man should speake like the glorious Angels, as Paul, Gal. 1.8. Though an Angell from heauen should preach vntounto you: mmHieron. in loc.si quae sint Angelorum linguae. GiueGive me leaue to adde one thing more to this hyperbolicall supposition. If a man could speake like God, as antiquity reports of nnFicinus in vitá Platonis.Plato; that if Iupiter himselfe should speake Greeke, he would vse no other phrase but his. And of ooLaert. in vitá Chrysip.Chrysippus, that if the gods should speake logicke, they would hauehave none but his. Or as the people blasphemously of Herod, Act. 12. The voice of God, and not of man. Though, I say, we could p. 273speake with tongues of men, of Angels, of God, if it were possible, and hauehave not louelove, we were but as a sounding brasse, or as a tinckling cymball: ppGorran. in loc.we might happily pleasure other, but not profit our selues vntounto saluation. Herein qqMarlor. in loc.resembling Bal…ams Asse, who by speaking, bettered her Master, not her selfe.

A plaine piece of brasse makes but a plaine noise, Tinkers musicke; but a tinckling cymball, in regard of the concauity, yeelds a various sound, a more pleasant stroke. So rude speakers are like sounding brasse; rrAquin. in loc.but the Curious and Iudicious, adorned with multiplicity of distinctions, and variety of good learning, are as a tinckling cymball, or more tickling delight to their hearers: and yet if they preach without louelove, their sound is without life. Qui non diligit fratrem, ss1. Epist. 3.14.man… in morte, saith S. Iohn. Such fitly resemble the sermon bel, which cals other to the Church, but heares nothing it selfe; it weares out to his owne hurt, though others good.

Nay, when Auditors are perswaded throughly, that their Pastors instruct not out of charity, their plaine doctrines are but as sounding brasse, tedious as the Tinkers note; their accurate sermons as a tin…k…ing cy…ball, which onelyonly pierce the eares, and enter not into their hearts: as the ttEzek. 33.32.Ezek 33:32Prophet aptly; Their admonitions are vntounto them: as a iesting song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can sing well: for they heare their words, but they doe them not. uuDiez con. 4. d…. 3. ad…ent.As one that heares excellent musicke from out of the streetes in the night, will instantly leape out of his bed, and lend his care for a time; but when the musitians are gone presently returnes to sleep againe: so many delight to heare the sweet songs of S…on, but when the sermon is at an end, they sleep in their old sinnes againe, forgetting immedia…ly the good lesson, as if it were but the drumming on a pan, or scraping on a ke…le.

And though I … pr…ph…ie] Prophecie then is nothing without louelove. xxAmbros. in loc.For Balaam, Ca…p…, and S…ul propheci…d. Vnderstanding of mysteries is nothing without p. 274louelove: for Iudas, and Nicolas, and Arius, were wel acquainted with the scriptures. All knowledge is nothing: for the Scribes had the yyLuke 11.52.Luke 11:52key of knowledge, yet entred not in themselues.

And all knowledge] Though a man were an Ocean of learning, as Plutarch is called; in so much that zzClaudius Verd…rius cension. in Authores pag. 174.Theodo… Gaza said, if he could reade but one mans bookes, he would make choice of him. Or if a man were so full as Plinie, whose works are aaIbidem. p. 173.instar mille voluminum: if a man were a treasure house of letters, as Picus Mirandula writes of Hermolaus Barbarus: a library for a whole nation, as bbTom. 9. fol. 338.Baronius of Albinus: as ccEpist. 84.Erasmus of Bishop Tonstal, a world of learning, mundus eruditionis, abounding with skill in

ddMargarita philosophica.all Arts:

theorical:

real:

metaphysical:

inspired: as Diuinity, contained in y^e Bible,

acquired: of w^t Aristotle and Auicen write.

mathematical: as

Arithmetike.

Geometry.

Musicke.

Astronomie.

physical: concerning the

Principles.

Generation of naturall things.

rational:

Grammar.

Rhetoricke.

Logicke.

practical:

actiue:

Ethicks.

Oeconomicks.

Politicks.

factiue: as skill in

Nauigation.

Husbandry.

Hunting, &c.

p. 275If a man vnderstand all mysteries in Scripture, all secrets in nature:Imponere Pelion Ossae. …f he had all faith, that he could remoue mountaines, in a literall sense, moue that which cannot be moued, high hils, Imponere Pelion Ossae: eeG…rran. in loc.in an allegorical exposition, cast out diuels. If a man had all parts of all knowledge, prophecie, sapience, prudence, and had not louelove, he were nothing. Nothing ffAquin. in loc.in esse gratiae, though something in esse naturae; dead spiritually, though something, some great thing in the naturall and ciuill life. For great Clerkes hauehave long life on earth. Albe…t Aquiras, Iewel, Picus Mirandula, Whitaker died in the principall strength of their age: yet in respect of honour and fame, they liue with the longest.

ggPrudentius peristephan. hym. 13.Dum liber vllus erit, dum scrinia sacra literarum

Te leget omnis amans Christum, tua Cypriane discet.

Knowledge is a good stirrup also to get aloft, the hie way to much honor & prefermēt in this world; but without louelove, nothing auailable to glory eternall in the world to come. Knowledge hh1. Cor. 8.1.1 Cor 8:1bloweth vp, but charity buildeth vp. iiAduancement of learning. l. 1. pag. 5. & Greg. in Euangel. hom. 7. quod virtus scientiae congregat, ventus elationis spargit.If learning be taken without the true correctiue thereof, it hath in it some nature of poison, and some effects of that malignity, which is a swelling. If I speake with the tongues of men and Angels, and had not charitie, it were but as a tinckling c…mball. Not but that it is an excellent thing to speake with tongues of men and Angels, and a far more noble treasure to possesse all knowledge. For Christ said of his Apostles; that they were the light of the world; and the worthy Doctors succeeding, were kkBaron. epist. Clem. 8. praefix. tom. 4. annal.luminaria magna, great starres in the firmament of the Church, by whose light, descending from the father of lights, we finde out the truth hidden in many darke places of the scripture. But the meaning of P… i…, if our knowledge be seuered from louelove, and not referred to the good of men▪ and glory of God; it hath rather a sounding glory, then a meriting vertue; though it seeme to be neuer so much, it is a very nothing.

The llRhem. in loc.Papists out of these words; If I hauehave all faith, so p. 276that I can remoue mountaines, and hauehave not charitie, I am nothing; gather two conclusions against vsus: the first is, th…t true faith may bee without louelove: the second, that faith alone without good workes is nothing worth in the businesse of our iustification.

To the first, answere is made, that the speech of Paul is not a categoricall proposition, but an hypotheticall supposition; mmLuther. or …il. maio…. in l…c.if it were possible that all faith should be without good workes, it were nothing.

Secondly, Paul here nnGen…alius apud Occumenium in loc.speakes not of a iustifying saith, of that faith of beleeuers which is common and generall, but of the speciall gift of faith to worke miracles, of which our Sauiour in the ooLuke 17.6.Luke 17:6Gospell; If yee had faith, a… much as a graine of mustard se…de, and should say vntounto this mulbery tree, Pluck thy selfe vp by the rootes, and plant th… selfe in the sea, it should euen obey you. This hee said vntounto the beleeuing Apostles; and therefore cannot bee construed of a sauing faith, but of a miraculous faith: and so S. Ambrose notes vponupon this text, to doe wonders, and to cast out diuels by faith is nothing worth, except a man be an earnest follower of good conuersation.

Our Diuines acknowledge that eueryevery kind of faith is not ioyned with louelove: for there is ppIames 2.10.Jas 2:10a dead …aith, and there is a qqGalat. 2.10.Gal 2:10liuely, whereby Christ liueth in vsus, & we in Christ. There is a faith of rrIames 2 19.Jas 2:19diu…ls, and a faith of ss1. Tit. 1.Titus 1Gods elect. There is a faith, whereby the beleeuer shal neuer ttIoh… 3.15.John 3:15perish; and there is a faith, whereby some uuLuke 8.13.Luke 8:13beleeue for a time, and in the day of temptation fall away. There is a faith, which the world xx1. Tim. 2.18.1 Tim 2:18destroyeth, and a faith which is our yy1. Iohn 5.4.1 John 5:4victorie, by which a Christian ouercomes the world. There is a faith, whereby wee beleeue there is zzIames 2.19.Jas 2:19a God; and there is a faith, whereby we beleeue aaIohn 14.1.John 14:1in God: according to these differences of faith in Scripture, there is a faith without bbIames 2.14.Jas 2:14workes, and there is a faith which worketh by ccGalat. 5.6.Gal 5:6louelove.

We say then of the faith of Gods elect, whereby we beleeue in God, to which the promise of iustification and p. 277eternall saluation is made, that is a faith which cannot be separated from charity, but wheresoeuer it is there is louelove ioyned with it, ddPhilip. 1.11.Phil 1:11bringing forth the fruites of righteousnesse, which are by Iesus Christ vntounto the glorie and praise of God. Inseparabilis est bona vita à sid…. qua per d…e iionem operatur▪ imò verò ea i…s… est bona v…, saith eeDe fide & operib. cap. 23.A…gustine; according to that of ffLib. 4. cap. 14.Irenaeus, to beleeue is to doe as God will: and therfore Beza translates here, foreign, not omnem fidem. but to…m …idem; implying not all kinde of faith, but all faith of this kinde to worke miracles; as if Paul should argue thus: If a man could worke neuer so many miracles, and faile in his morals, he should be nequ…m, & nequam is nequi…quam, as our Apostle speakes, a nothing.

The second conclusion gathered out of these words against vsus is, that faith alone without charitie, nothing auaileth to iustification. Our answere is, that albeit faith is not solitaria, yet in our iustification it is s…la; ggPerkins reformed Cat. tit. I… sti…i…at.euen as the eye in regard of being is neuer alone from the head, yet in respect of seeing it is alone, for it is the eye onelyonly that doth see. So saith subsists not without other graces of God, as hope, louelove, &c. yet in regard of the act of iustification it is alone without them all. For the further opening of this hard point, you must vnderstand, that separating of things one from another, is either hhSee D. Abbot against Bishop. pag. 482.real in the subiect, or mental in the vnderstanding: real separation of faith and charitie wee wholly denie. For iiD … lib. 4. cap. 1. § Ac … con…ss…o, &c.Bellarmine confesseth expressely that Luth…r, Melan…thon, Chemnitius, Caluin, and other learned Protestants hauehave taught, that good workes in s…me sort be necessarie to saluation, and that there is no true …aith vnlesse it bring forth good workes, and be conioyned with charitie.

Separation mental in vnderstanding and consideration is either negatiue or priuatiue. Negatiue, when in the vnderstanding there is an affirming of one, and denying of another. Priuatiue, when of things that cannot be separated indeed, yet a man vnderstands the one, and omitteth p. 278to vnderstand the other. As for example, though light and heate cannot be sepa…ated in the fire, yet a man may consider the light, and not the heate: so then in our iustification, wee doe not negatiuely separate other graces from faith, as if faith existed alone without hope and louelove, but priuatiuely making them effects and consequents, not concur…ing causes of our iustification. Our assertion is, faith considered without hope and charitie, that is, hope and charitie not considered with it, doth iustifie.

Christ Iesus is our husband, and we are his spouse: now the kkLuther. in 2. Galat. 16.Bridegroome must bee …lone with the Bride in his secret chamber, all the seruants and the familie being put apart; afterward when the doore is opened, and he commeth foorth into the waiting roome, then let all the seruants and handmaids attend, then let hope doe her office, let louelove doe the duties of louelove; then, as S. ll2. Pet. 1.5.2 Pet 1:5Peter exhorts, ioyne vertue with faith, and with vertue knowledge, and with knowledge temperance. &c. The mmBellarmin. de Iustificat. lib. 1. cap. 4. & Rhem. in Galat. 5.6.Gal 5:6Papists obiect that louelove is the life of faith. All faiths actiuitie proceedes only from charitie, and without which our …aith is dead. So the Scripture plainly, that in Christ neither is circumcision any thing, neither vncircumcision: but faith which worketh by louelove. Cardinall nnVbisup. §. Distinctio ve…ò.Bellarmine reades foreign, passiuely, wrought by louelove: disagreeing herein from all the Fathers, and that which becomes him worse, from the vulgar Latine, to which all Papists are tied by the Councell of Trent, as also from the Rhemish translation in Enlish, which hath as our Testament, wor…eth, actiuely: for they foresaw this absurditie, that if they should hauehave translated faith wrought by louelove, then it would hauehave followed, that louelove must needs be before faith, whereas all of them acknowledge faith to be before louelove; according to that of ooD… praedestinati…ne sa…ctorum, cap. 7.Augustine; Faith is giuen first, by which wee obtaine the rest: and ppsol. 109.Altissiodorensis in his golden Summe saith, that faith, hope and charitie are a created trinitie, resembling the three diuine persons vncreat. For p. 279the Sonne is begotten of the Father, and the holy Ghost proceeds from both: so stedfast hope is bred of faith, and louelove doth issue from them both.

And qqCatechis. cap. 1. & …raesat. tom. 1 co…t…u…s. & de Rem. …ont. lib. 1. ca…. 10. § d…inde …ides.Bellarmine cites often in his workes out of Augustine: Domus Deicredendo fundatur, sperando erigitur, diligendo perficitur: The foundation of Gods house in our soules is faith, the walles hope, the roofe charitie. The Prophet in a vision saw the transgressor against the transgressor, and the destroyer against the des…royer. So the schoolmen oppose the schoolmen, and their Champion Bellarmine fights against Bellarmine. For if faith be the foundation of all other vertues, as himselfe writes, lib. 1. de Rom. pont. cap. 10. then it is not as hee disputes in lib. 1. de Iustificat. cap. 4. wrought by charitie: but contrariwise charitie doth arise from faith.

It is then an idle dreame to suppose that charitie is inclosed in faith, as a diamond is in a ring; for rrLuther. in Galat. 2.5.Gal 2:5Christ is the pretious pearle, which giues life and lustre to the ring. The iust liue not by louelove, but by faith in him. It is an improper speech (as ssD. Fulk in Galat. 5.6.Gal 5:6our Diuines obserue) to say that faith worketh by louelove, as the bodie by the soule, the matter by the forme; for the soule rather worketh by the bodie, then the bodie by the soule. The matter is passiue, the forme actiue.

Secondly, we ttLut…er. in Galat. 5.6. & Perkins ref…rm. Cathol. tit. Iustific.Gal 5:6say, that Paul in that text, faith which worketh by louelove, doth not intend iustification, but y^e whole course of a Christian aft…r his iustification: hee shuts out of Gods kingdome nullifidians and meritmongers on the left hand, nudifidians and carnall Gospellers on the right. In Christ neither circumcision auaileth any thing, neither vncircumcision, that is to say, no merit, nor worshipping. No religious order in the world, but faith alone without any trust in workes, auaileth before God. On the right hand he doth exclude slothfull and idle persons, affirming that if faith only doe iustifie, then let vsus worke nothing, but barely beleeue. Not so y… carelesse generation, enemies of grace: for faith is operatiue working by louelove. p. 280Paul therefore sets foorth in that excellent sentence the whole perfection of a Christian in this life, namely, that inwardly it consists in faith toward God, and outwardly in good workes and louelove toward our neighbours: so that a man is a perfect Christian inwardly through faith before God, who hath uuPsalm. 16.2.Ps 16:2no neede of our workes; and outwardly before men, (whom our faith profiteth nothing) by louelove.

Faith is the Christians hand. Now an hand hath a propertie to reach out it selfe and to receiue a gift, but it can not cut a peece of wood without an hatchet or saw, or some such like instrument, yet by help of them it can either cut or diuide. Such is the nature of faith, it doth receiue Christ into the heart; but as for the duties of the fi…st and second table, faith cannot of it selfe bring them forth, no more then the hand can cut of it selfe: yet ioine louelove to faith, and then (as our Apostle) …ith worketh through louelove, performing all duties so well to man, as God.

The propertie of true faith is, to receiue in to it selfe. The nature of true louelove is to lay out it selfe vntounto other: faith then alone iustifieth, apprehending and applying Christs merits vntounto it selfe; but it cannot manifest it selfe to other, except it be ioyned with louelove: xxIam…s 2.16.Shew me thy …ith out of thy workes. And thus, as you see, that inward worke of iustification is ascribed in holy Scripture to faith onelyonly; but outward workes of sanct…fication, holin…sse and righteousnesse, to faith and louelove ioyntly.

I ref…re the distressed soule to the comfortable Commentaries of M…rtin L…er vponupon the Galathians; and the curious Diuine to Do…tor Abbot his Apologie for the reformed C…tholike. Ti…. I…ti…ication. For I will ingenuously confesse, that my conscie…e was neuer quieted more then in reading the one; and my curiositie neuer satisfied more then in examining the other.

Though I besto… all my goods to …eed the poore … M…rcifull workes are yyAu…us…in. de …i…it. … 10.….….pro sacri…ici…s, im… prae sacri…ici…s, accepted of p. 281God as sacrifice, Heb. 13.16. yea more then sacrifice: Hosea 6.6. I will hauehave merciemercy, not sacrifice. To be mercifull is the zzSynesius epist. 35.sole worke common to man with God.

It is then an higher step of perfection, to distribute goods vntounto the poore, then to sp…ake with the tongues of men and Angels, or to be furnished with all varietie of knowledge: yet Paul saith, If I bestow my goods, all my goods, not vponupon the rich, but vponupon the poore, to feede, not to feast them, and had not louelove, it profits me nothing. Where note fiue degrees of this amplification: the first is to giuegive; for most men, as it is in the prouerbe, are better at the rake then at the pitchforke, readier to pull in, then to giuegive out. The second is to giuegive, not another mans, but our owne goods. If I bestow my goods. According to that of Salomon, Ecclesiastes 11.1. Cast thy bread vponupon the waters: Pa…is, si tuus, qui tuus. The third is, all our goods, not some small portion, or great summe, but all; according to that of aaMatth. 19.21.Matt 19:21Christ; If thou wilt be perfect, sell all that thou hast, and giuegive it to the poore. The fourth is, to giuegive not to the rich, but to the poore: Frange panem esurienti, saith the bbEsay 58.7.Isa 58:7Prophet, Deale thy bread to the hungry. The last is to giuegive to the poore, not superfluously to feast, but necessarily to feede them. If a man performe this and more then this out of vaineglorious ostentation, or idle prodigalitie, not out of louelove to Christ and compassion of his members, it were but so much as nothing.

Though I gaue my bodie to be burned] LoueLove is seene more in deedes then in words, and in suffering more then in doing; and of all suffering death is most terrible; and of all kindes of death, burning is most fearfull. Here then are many degrees in this one speech (as ccAquin. in loc.Interpreters obserue): first, si tradidero, not, if I be forced, but if of mine owne accord, I giuegive my bodie to be burned, as it is said of Christ, ddEph…s. 5.2.he gaue himselfe for vsus a sacrifice. Secondly, si tradidero corpus, if I suffer losse not of goods onelyonly, (though that be very commendable, Heb. 10.34. Ye suffered p. 282with ioy the spoiling of your goods] But affliction in body, which is far dearer then our wealth, as the father of lies in this truly; eeIob 2.4.Job 2:4Skinne for skinne, and all that euer a man hath, will hee giuegive for his life. Thirdly, S…tra… dero corpus meum; if I giuegive not onelyonly the body of my child, (though a woman is highly magnified for such an act in the 2. of Maccabees, 7.) but my hod; not onelie flesh of my flesh, but flesh which is my flesh; not onelyonly to suff…r a naturall death, but a violent, and of all violent, the most terrible, to be rosted, yea consumed in the fire.

If any suffer all this, and want charity to particular persons, esp…cially toward the common body of the Church, it is no better, or rather indeed wor…e then nothing. I beseech you therefore by the mercifulnesse of G…d, whatsoeuer you speake, whatsoeuer you study, whatsoeuer you doe, whatsoeuer you suffer, ff1. Cor. 16.14.1 Cor 16:14let all be done in louelove.

Vniuersa inutilitèr habet, qui vnum illud, quô vniuersis vtatur non h…bet: Vnprofitably (quoth ggDe verbis Do…. ser. 18. tom. 10. s…l. 57.Augustine) hath he all, who wants that one whereby he should vse all. As the hhTract. 9. in loan.same father in another place: Quāta est charitas? quae si desit, frustrà habentur caetera, si adsit, rectè habentur omnia: How great is louelove; for if it be wanting, all other graces lose their grace; but if present, all are profitable. So the text here; LoueLove suffereth long, it is bountifull, &c.

p. 283In this encomiasticall passage, S. Paul sets downe loues operation in iiGorran. in loc.3. points:

Imbracing that which is good:

Internall: it is patient.

Externall: it is courteous.

Eschewing that which is euill, against our

kkAquin. in loc.neighbour, in

thought: it enuieth not.

deed: louelove doth not frowardly.

selues, either out of

passion: it swelleth not, dealeth not dishonestly, se…keth not her owne: it is not prouoked to anger.

election: it thinketh no euill; it r… ioyceth not in iniquity.

Perseuering in both: suffering, belieuing, hoping, induring all things.

LoueLove suffereth long] Saint Paul doth begin with patience, llMelanct. … in loc.because desire to reuenge is a vice most opposite to charitie. Malitious impatient men are like the toad, no sooner moued, but they swell: or like gunpowder; no sooner touched with an hot word, but instantly they are in your face. Which accasioned mmLaert. in vitâ Bion.Bion the Philosopher to say; Magnum est malum ferre non posse malum. For if …hine enemie be little, nnSeneca.parce illi the best course is to spare him; if great, parce tibi, the best counsell is to spare thy selfe. Si turbet non perturbet; as ooEpist. 25.B…narà in the like case, Though he moue thee, let him not remoue th…e frō that p. 284which is good, from that which is thy good. The ppProu. 19.11.Prov 19:11discretion of a man deferreth his anger, and his glory is to passe by an offence. Better it is to suffer much and long, then by courses of impatience, to runne thy selfe out of all honest breath. It is reported of the Philosophers, qqLoctantius de fa…á sapient. cap. 4.that they had a sword, and wanted a buckler: but a buckler becomes a Christian better then a sword. We must not beat eueryevery dog that barks at vsus in the way, but run with patience the race that is set before vsus: Heb. 12.1.

LoueLove is courteous: or as other read…, bountifull] Amor si est, operatur; si non operatur, non est. As louelove is patient in wrong, so actiue in kindnesse, doing good vntounto all, alway performing liberall and courteous offices, euen to the greatest enemie. So S. Steuen abounding with louelove, rrGreg Nyssen. orat. …e Stephan.respected his accusers as brethren, and saluted them as fathers: Acts 7.2. So ssGen. 45.Gen 45Ioseph vsed his brethren nobly, who sold him for a slaue basely.

LoueLove enuieth not] There are ttP…trarcha.two parents of enuie,

highnesse.

nighn…sse.

For it is nothing else but a repining griefe for our neighbours happinesse. An enuious man, saith uuLib. 5. de gub…at. De….Saluianus, esteemes anothers good, his hurt; parum est si ipse sit f…elix nisi alter fuerit inf…elix. And therefore when xxLa…rtius in vitá Bion.Bion saw such an one very sorrowfull, asked him; I pray thee whether hath some euill happened to thee, or good to thy neighbour? yyHieron. ad Eus…ochium.As high hils are most exposed to thunder, f…riunt summos fulmine montes: and zzPlut. com. de odi… & inuidiâ.as the fairest flowers are soonest nipt by the venemous Cantharides; euen so the most eminent gifts in neighbors, are the greatest griefes of enuious wretches.

In neighbours, I say; for as the basiliske doth kill none, but such as he doth see; so the malecontent enuious eye malignes none that are far off. And this I take to be the true reason why the schismaticall Brownist, and other of the like malitious humor, hate the conformable Protestant more then either Turke or Pope: because that which p. 285eye seeth not, heart grieueth not. But it hath been their hell to behold their neighbour Bishops, and fellow Ministers in b…tter f…shion, and among the best of greater account for iudicious preaching and writing then themselues.

It is wittily noted by aaDiaeta salutis. cap. 4.Bonauentura, that an enuious man is like Cam, who said of himselfe, Gen. 4.14. Whosoeuer s…deth me, s…all slay me. For either he seeth in a man that which is good, and then he repineth; or else that which is euill, and so reioiceth: and both these slay the soule.

Things amisse in our Church, are the schismatikes may game; but her glory, their griefe; her weale, their woe. Let them reade this Chapter often, and marke this word especially. LoueLove enuieth not; LoueLove doth not frowardly] Not ouerthwartly, not insidiously, bbMelan. in loc.quod est arte alios pellere aut toll…re, by cunning to thrust men out of their preferments and others louelove: so ccBaronius, tom. 4. …ol. 355.Maximus expelled Gregor… Nazianzene, Ae…chines wronged De…osthenes, and M…rtin Makebate the Whitgif…s of our Church.

LoueLove swelleth not] As louelove doth not abuse good things in other, ddGoran. in loc.so it makes men vse well their owne graces. It swelleth not in any preferment it hath; it is not ambitious for any which it hath not; it is not querulous for any which it once had, and is now lost; it seeketh not her owne, eeAquin. in loc.that is, with others hinderance, so ffEsay 5.8.Isa 5:8to ioine house to house, and field to field, till there be no place for other in the land. It doth not desire that ggIob 1.14.Job 1:14oxen should labour, and asses feed; that one should take the paines, and another reape the profit; but is content that preferment be conferred vponupon men of worth, according to merit, with hhMelan. in loc.equall proportion.

Or it seekes not her owne principally, bu… so far forth as shall be for the Churches good, and Gods glory. So faith our Apostle, 1. Cor. 10. I seeke not mine owne profit, but the profit of many, that they might be saued. And Philip. 2.21. he rebukes all such as seeke their owne, and not p. 286that which is Iesus Christs. Or it seekes no… … iiAquin. in loc.that is, to recouer her owne by law, when it sha… be to the scandall of the Gospell, as he sheweth in th… …ixt Chapter of this Epistle.

It is not prouoked to anger] That is, rash and in…onsid… rate anger; otherwise a man may be angry and sinne not, as our Apostle kkEphis. 4.26.elsewhere; llHieron. epist. ad Antonium. tom. 1. …ol. 219.…rasci hominis, iniu…i… non facere Christiani: It is the part of a man to be ang…y, but the duty of a Christian to doe no wrong in anger. A louing man will chide his friend sweetly; and a good man punish sinne according to his place s…uer…ly: mmSaluian. epist. 1.Qu… te appellem am…r? nescio: bonum in malum? …or quippen…s facit nostros amare, amor interdum cogit offen…re: si… v…gilet tolerantia, saith nnSer. 22. de verbis Apost.Augustine, vt non do…mi…t disciplin…. Saint Pauls meaning then is, that we must not be transported with heat, so that we forget our friends, and lose our selues; in such sort, that the ending of our anger proue the beginning of our sorrow.

It thinks no euill] It is so far from doing wrong, that it doth not so much as thinke euill. ooM…lan. in loc.A vertue compounded of truth and ingenuity. Truth belieues onelyonly that which is certaine: ingenuity construeth in the better part that which is doubtfull: whereas suspiciousnesse is misled often with false, alway with vncertaine report. Ielous yoke-fellowes, and suspicious friends, are both vncharitable. For such, as the ppPsal. 7.15.Ps 7:15Prophet aptly, trauell with mischiefe, and bring forth vngodlinesse; vnquiet as the qqEsay 57.20.Isa 57:20raging sea; rrPsal. 140.2.Ps 140:2stirring vp strife all the day long.

It reioiceth not in iniquity] Not …n her owne fault, not in anothers fall. Not in her owne: for albeit the malitious incorrigible sinner reioiceth in doing euill, and delights in frowardnesse, Prou. 2.14. yet the man of God doth no sinne: 1. Iohn 3.9. For it is rather done on him, then of him: according to that of ssRom. 7.19.Rom 7:19Paul; I doe not the good thing which I would; but the euill thing which I would not, that do I. Not in anothers fall: for it doth grieue when they grieue: yea sometime because they doe not grieue for their sins, p. 287as ttTom. 1. fol. 231Hiero…e to Sabinian: Hoc plango, quòd te non plangis. And uuEpist. 145.A…gustin… calles this a blessed vnhappinesse, when a man is a…fected, not infected, with his neighbours iniquitie: …ta miseria vitijs alienis tribulari, non implicari; d…lor… … trabi, no… amore attrahi.

I… su…fereth all things; it beleeueth all things] xxEnglish glosse in loc.It suffereth not it selfe to bee abused, but it iudgeth other wi…h al… louelove and humanitie. To beleeue all, wer… sillinesse; to b…ue n…e, …ullenn…sse: discreet louelove therefore doth b…l…eue much, and hope the best of all. Enduring all thing… : that is, all that it may without offence to Gods holy word: yyLuther. in Galat. 2.6.Gal 2:6Nor p…titur ludum f…ma, fides, oculus: A … g…od n…me, faith, and eye will not be dallied withall A Ch…st…an as concerning his faith, cannot bee too ster… …oo…lour. I will …ake vponupon me (saith Luther) this ti…le: …: I giuegive place to none.

lo… …o…h not fall a…ay] Knowledge is not abolished in the …orld to come, but perfited, as Paul expounds himsel…e: We know in p…rt, we prophecie in part: but when …hat which is perfect is come, then that which is vnperfect sha…l be done awa…. zzMelanct…on. in loc.Ex abstractiuâ sit intuitiua notitia. aaMartyr. apud Marlorat. in loc.As the light of a candle doth vanish away when the bright Sunne doth shine. The manner of teaching in the world to come shall c…a…e: for we shall neede no schooles or tutors in heauen: all there shall see God face to face, but knowledge it selfe shall not vanish, bbIohn 17.3.John 17:3for this is eternall li…e to know God.

S▪ Paul proues our knowledge and prophecying vnperf…ct by two familiar ex…mpl…s: one taken from his owne person, another from a looking glasse: When I was a childe, I spa…e as a childe, … vnderstood as a childe, I imagined as a childe. Speaking may be referred vntounto the gift of tongues, vndersta…ding to the gift of prophecie, thinking to knowledge.

Now we see in a gl…ss… dar…l… ▪ but then shall wee see face to face.] When a man sees a map of Hierusalem, he can presently conceiue what ma…ner of citie it is imperfectly: p. 288but when he comes thither, and beholds all the streetes, is better satisfied. The Scripture is a glasse, faith is an eye, by which all Gods elect in part know the glorious building of Hierusalem aboue; they beleeue that this cc1. Cor. 15.54.1 Cor 15:54corruption shall put on incorruption, that this mortall shall put on immortalitie; that the iust shall shine ddDan. 12.3.Dan 12:3like stars for euer: in heart conuersing with the Saints, and assured through hope, that themselues are eePhilip. 3.20.Phil 3:20burgesses of that celestiall Incorporation.

I am sure, saith ffIob 19.25.Job 19:25Iob, that my redeemer is aliue, who died for our sinnes, and rose againe for our iustification, and now sitteth at the right hand of God as our aduo…ate. But hereafter, when wee shall sup with him in his kingdome, and sit with him in his ggApocal. 3.21.Rev 3:21throne, when al mists of ignorance and diffidence shall vanish away, when we shall see God face to face, then we will say to him as the noble Queene of hh1. King. 10.7.1 Kgs 10:7Sheba to Salomon; Loe, the one halfe of thy kingdome was not told vsus.

Now abideth faith, hope and louelove] The rest of the graces are reduced to these, saith Melancthon, and the chiefe of these is louelove, saith Paul. There is so great affinitie betweene faith and hope, that (as iiCom. in Gal. 5.5Gal 5:5Luther obserues) it is hard to finde any difference, they cannot be well separated, one hauing respect to the other, as the two Cherubins on the merciemercy seate: Exod. 25.20.

Yet they differ much especially in their

Obiect.

Subiect.

Order.

Office.

In their obiect: Faith hath for her obiect the truth; Hope for her obiect the goodnesse of God. Faith (as kkEnchirid. c. 8.Augustine notes) is of good things and bad: but hope lookes on good things onelyonly. The Christian beleeues there is an hell as well as heauen; but hee feares the one, and hopes only for the other; as the llLucanus a…ud Augustin. vbi suprà.Poet distinguisheth aptly: — liceat sperare timenti.

p. 289Faith is of things

Past: for wee beleeue that Christ is dead, buried, risen againe, &c.

Present: for wee beleeue that Christ now sitteth at the right hand of God.

Future: for we beleeue Christ shall come again to iudge the quick and the dead.

But hope doth expect and respect only things to come.

In their subiect: Faith is in the mmLuther. vbi sup. & P…rkins exposit. Creed. art. 1.vnderstanding, hope resteth in the will: if they differ in place, this I take to be the most probable separation.

In order: for nnH…b. 11.1.faith is the ground of things hoped for. A stedfast hope proceeds out of a liuely faith: if the sparke of faith should not giuegive light to the will, it could not be perswaded to lay hold vponupon hope. Faith alway goeth before, then hope followeth after.

In their office: for faith is our ooLuther. loc. com. tit. de tribus charitatibus.logicke to conceiue what we must beleeue; hope our rhetorick to perswade vsus in tribulation vntounto patience. So S. Paul saith: Wee are saued by hope, Rom. 8.24. ppMelanct. in Rom. 8.Rom 8Sic liberati sumus, vt adhuc speranda sit haereditas, postea possidenda; nunc habemus ius ad rem, nondum in re. Faith is a Doctor and a Iudge, disputing against error and heresie, iudging spirits and doctrines; hope is a Captaine fighting against impatience, tribulation, heauines of spirit, weaknes, desperation. In a word, the difference betweene faith and hope in Diuinitie, is the same that is betweene fortitude and prudence in policie. Fortitude not guided by prudence is rashnes, and prudence not ioyned with fortitude is vaine: So faith without hope is nothing, and hope without faith a meere presumption and tempting of God. And therefore wee must ioyne together all these graces, as Paul here, faith, hope, charitie: We waite for the hope of righteousnesse through faith, and faith worketh through louelove.

First faith teacheth vsus the truth, and then hope teacheth vsus what to suffer; and louelove what to doe for the truth. Faith engendreth hope; faith and hope louelove, but the chief is lone, &c.

p. 290The qqRhem. in loc. & D. B…shop. agai…st t…e re…or…ed Cath. …it. Iust…ficat.Papists hence reason against vsus; If charitie bee greater then faith, it is vnprobable that men are iustified only by faith. rrCalum. apud Marlorat. i… loc. & D. Ab…t against …shop, pa…. 478.Our Diuines answere, that the argument is not good: A Prince doth excell a pesant: Ergo, till the ground better. A man is better then a beast: Ergo, runne faster then a horse, carrie more then an elephant, &c.

Secondly, ssLuther & Melanct. in loc.that louelove is not greater in eueryevery respect absolutely, but onelyonly greater in latitude of vse and continu…nce: faith and hope are restrained within the bounds of our priuate persons, as the iust man doth liue by his owne faith, and the good man hopes only for himselfe: but louelove like ttPsal. 80 10.11Ps 80:10Ps 80:11Dauids vine doth cou…r the mountaines with her boughes, and stretcheth her branches vntounto the sea, extending it selfe to God, Angels, men; in men, to our selues and other; in other, uuVide B…zam, aunot, maior. in Ephes. 3.18.Eph 3:18vpward, to supe…iours, downward to inferiours; on the right hand to friends, on the left to foes.

LoueLove thē in respect of other is of greater vse: but if we consider a man in himselfe priu…tly, faith is more needfull then louelove, as wherein originally stands our communion and fellowship with God, by which Christ xxEphes. 3.17.Eph 3:17dwels in our hearts, into which as an hand, Almightie God powreth all the riches of his grace for our saluation, and by which only, whatsoeuer else is in vsus is accepted of God, as yyEpist. 1.Salu…anus excellently: Omnibus semper ornatibus ornamento est, quiae sine hac nihil tam ornatum quod ornare possit. See Epist. Dom. 17. post Trinit.

Againe, charitie is greater in latitude of continuance: faith apprehends the Lords gratious promise concerning eternall saluation, and hope doth expect it with patience. When God then shall hauehave fulfilled his word, and filled vsus with vnspeakable ioy, when in that other life we shall see God face to face, faith is at an end, hope is at an end, their vse cease, but louelove shall continue betweene God and vsus an euerlasting bond. So the fathers expound it; only louelove (saith zzIn 1. Cor. hom. 34.Chrysostome) is eternall; in this respect the greatest is charitie, because they passe away, but charitie p. 291continueth alway. So aaDe doctrin. Christ. lib. 1. cap. 39. tom. 3. fol. 14.Saint Augustine; LoueLove is the greatest of the three; because the other two departing, it shall continue more increased, and better assured; & auctior & certior permanebit. bbPrimasius vti D. Fulk in loc.In this p…esent life there are three; but in the life to come, louelove remaineth onelyonly: therefore that is greater which is euer needfull, then that which once shal hauehave an end. And so ccIn loc.Gorran and ddPostil. maiores cum figuris. epist. Dom. quinq…a.other popish writers heretofore construed this text. I conclude, to saue a man, faith is greater; in a man saued, charitie is the greater: vntill faith hauehave **1. Pet. 1.9.1 Pet 1:9finished our saluation, louelove must yeeld to faith; but when faith hath fully saued vsus, it shall hauehave an end, and so must yeeld to louelove, which is without end.