A Treatise of Knowledge and Love, Part 2 · Chapter 17
Chap. XVII.
Exhort. Plead not againſt Love or works of Love, upon pretence of a croſs Intereſt of Learning, Knowledge, Gifts, Church-order, Diſcipline, &c. or any other thing.
IF LOVE be that which is moſt amiable in us to the God of Love, then as nothing in the World can excuſe him that is without it, nor render him lovely indeed to God and Man, ſo nothing muſt be made a pretence againſt it. And no pretence will excuſe that man, or that Society that is againſt it. Even corrections and ſeverities when they muſt be uſed, muſt come from love, and be wholly ordered to the ends and intereſt of love. And when neceſſity calls for deſtructive Executions, which tend not to the good of him that is Executed, yet muſt they tend to the good of the Community or of many, and come from a greater love than is due to one, or elſe that which otherwiſe would be laudable Juſtice, is but Cruelty: For the puniſhment of Offenders is good and juſt, becauſe tending to the common good, Debentur Reipublicae, the Community have Jus, a Right to them as a means to their good: So that it is Love that is the Amiableneſs of Juſtice it ſelf.
If any think that Gods Juſtice is a croſs inſtance, let him conſider, 1. That though the moſt publick or common good be our end next the ultimate, yet the true ultimate end of all things, is God himſelf: And the love of God is the higheſt love: And Gods Juſtice is not without that love of himſelf, and tendeth to that good which he is capable of receiving, which is but the fulfilling or complacency of his own will, which is but improperly called his Receiving. 2. And we little know how many in another World, or in the renewed Earth, are to be profited by his Juſtice on the damned, as Angels and Men are by his Juſtice on the Devils.
1. LOVE is the Life of Religion, and of the Soul, and of the Church: And what can be a juſt pretence for any, to deſtroy or oppoſe the very Life of Religion, the Life of Souls, and the Life of the Church of Chriſt! Phyſick, Blood-letting and Diſmembring may be uſed for Life: But to take away Life, except neceſſarily for a Good that is better than that life, is Murder: And what is it that is better than the Life of Religion in all matters of Religion? Or than the life of the Church in all Church affairs? Or than the life of mens Souls in all matters of Soul concernment?
2. LOVE is the great command and ſummary of all the Law: And what can be a juſt pretence for breaking the greateſt command, yea, and the whole Law?
3. LOVE is Gods Image, and he that dwelleth in Love, dwelleth in God, who is LOVE, and God in him: And what can be a pretence ſufficient for deſtroying the Image of God, which is called by his name?
4. There is nothing in man that God himſelf loveth better than our love▪ And therefore nothing that as better can be ſet againſt it.
And yet alas, what enmity is uſed in the World againſt the Love of God and Man? and many things alledged as pretences to juſtify it? Let us conſider of ſome few of them.
1. The great Tyrants of the World, ſuch as in ſeveral ages have been the Plagues of their own and neighbour Nations, care not what havock they make of Religion, and of mens lives, by Bloody Wars and Cruel Perſecutions▪ deſtroying many thouſands, and undoing far more thouſands of the Country Families where their armies come, and ſacrificing the lives of the beſt of their ſubjects by butcheries or flames? And what is the pretence for all this? Perhaps they would be Lords of more of the World, and would have larger Kingdoms: Or more honour: Perhaps ſome Prince hath ſpoken a hard word of them, or done them ſome wrong: Perhaps ſome ſubjects believe not as they bid them believe; or forbear not to worſhip God in a manner which they forbid them: Perhaps Daniel will not give over praying for a time, or the Apoſtles will not give over preaching, or the three Confeſſors will not fall down to the Golden Image; and ſo Nebuchadnezzar, or the other Rulers ſeem deſpiſed: And their wills and honour are an Intereſt that with them ſeemeth to warrant all this. But how long will it ſeem ſo? I had rather any friend of mine had the Sins of a Thief or Drunkard or the moſt infamous Sinner among us to anſwer for, than the Sins of a Bloody Alexander, Caeſar or Tamerlane.
2. The Roman Clergy ſet up Inquiſitions, force men by cruelties to ſubmit to their Church Keys, whoſe very nature is to be uſed without force, and they ſilence, yea torment the faithful Miniſters of Chriſt, and have murdered thouſands of his faithful people raiſed rebellions againſt Princes and Wars in Kingdoms; and taught men to hate Gods Servants as Hereticks, Schiſmaticks, Rebels, Factious, and what not? And what pretence muſt juſtify all this? Why the Intereſt of the Pope and Clergy, called in ignorance or craft by the name of the Holy Church, Religion, Unity, and ſuch other honourable name. But muſt their Church live on Blood? and holy Blood? And be built or preſerved by the deſtruction of Chriſts Church? Muſt their doctrine be kept up by ſilencing faithful Miniſters? and their worſhip by deſtroying or undoing the true worſhippers of Chriſt? Are all theſe precious things which die with Love, no better than to be ſacrificed to the Clergies Pride and Worldly luſts?
3. Among many Schiſmaticks and Sectaries (that are not miſcalled ſo, but are ſuch indeed) their Diſcipline conſiſteth in ſeparating from moſt other Chriſtians, as too bad (and that is, too unlovely) to be of their Communion; and their Preaching is much to make thoſe ſeem bad (that is, unlovely) that are not of their way; and their worſhip is much ſuch as reliſheth of the ſame envy and ſtrife, to add affliction or reproaches to their Brethren; or to draw the people from the Love of others unto them; And their ordinary talk is back-biting others for things that they underſtand not, and reporting any lie that is brought them, and telling the hearers ſomething of this Miniſter, or that perſon or the other, that is unlovely, as if Satan had hired them to Preach down Love, and prate and pray down Love, and all this in the name of Chriſt: And the third chapter of James is harder than Hebrew to them; they do not underſtand it, but though they tear it not out of the Bible, they leave it out of the Law in their Hearts, as much as the Papiſts leave the Second Commandment out of their Books. And it is one of the marks of a good man among them to talk againſt other parties, and make others odious, to ſet up them. And what are the Pretences for all this? Why Truth and Holineſs. 1. Others have not the Truth which they have. And 2. Others are not againſt the ſame Doctrines and Ceremonies, and Biſhops and Church Orders and ways of worſhip which they are againſt; and therefore are ungodly, antichriſtian or men of no Religion.
But Truth ſeldom dwelleth with the Enemies of Love and Peace: They that are Strangers and Enemies to it indeed do often cry it up, and cry down thoſe as Enemies to it that poſſeſs it: The wiſdom that hath bitter envying and heart-ſtrife is from beneath; and is earthly, ſenſual and deviliſh. I admoniſh all that care for their Salvation that they ſet up nothing upon love killing terms: If you are Chriſts diſciples you are taught of God to love each other, you are taught it as Chriſts laſt and great Commandment: You are taught it by the wonderful example of his life, and ſpecially, Joh. 13.14. By his waſhing hi… diſciples feet: You are taught it by the Holy Ghoſts uniting the hearts of the diſciples, and making them by Charity to live as in Community, Acts 3. and 4. You are taught it by the Effective operation of the Spirit on your own hearts: The new nature that is in you inclineth you to it. And will you now pretend the neceſſity of your own Intereſt, Reputation, your Canons, and things indifferent, your little Church orders of your own making, yea or the poſitive inſtitutions of Chriſt himſelf, as to the preſent exerciſe, againſt this Love? Hath Chriſt commanded you any thing before it, except the Love of God? You ſay, if ſuch and ſuch men be ſuffered, this and that diſorder and inconvenience will follow: But is it a greater thing than Love that you would maintain? Is it a greater evil than the deſtruction of Love that you would avoid? Did not Chriſt prefer mercy before Sabbath reſt, and before the avoiding familiarity with ſinners? Pretend nothing againſt Love that is not better than Love.
Obj. But what is this to the Love of God which the Text ſpeaketh of?
Anſ. As God is here ſeen as in a Glaſs, ſo is he loved: He that Loveth not his Brother whom he ſeeth daily, how ſhall he Love God, whom he never ſaw? He that ſaith he loveth God, and hateth his Brother, is a Liar? What you do to his Brethren you do as to Chriſt: If you can find as full a promiſe of Salvation to thoſe that obſerve your Canons, Ceremonies, Orders, or are of your Opinion and Sect, as I can ſhew you for them that Love Chriſt and his Servants, then prefer the former before Love.
I know that the Love and Good of Church and State and of many muſt be preferred before the love and good of few. But take heed of their hypocriſie that make theſe alſo inconſiſtent when they are not; and make publick good and peace a meer pretence for their Perſecutions on one ſide, or their Schiſms on the other. Love is ſo amiable to nature itſelf, that few of its Enemies oppoſe it but under pretence of its own intereſt and name: It is as in love to the Church & to mens Souls that the Inquiſition hath murdered ſo many, and the Laws de Hereticis comburendis have been made and Executed. But this Burning, Hanging, Tormenting, and undoing kind of Love, needeth very clear proof to make good its name and pretences, before impartial men will take it for love indeed. Whatever good you ſeem to do, by the detriment of Love to God and Man, you will find it will not bear your charges.