Philadelphia, Title page – Dedication
PHILADELPHIA, OR, A TREATISE OF Brotherly-Love SHEWING, That we muſt love all Men: Love the Wicked in general: Love our Enemies: That the Godly muſt eſpecially love another: And the Reaſons of each particular Love. The manner of our Mutual Love; the Dignity, Neceſſity, Excellency, and Uſefulneſs of Brotherly-Love. That the want of Love, where Love is due, is Hatred, ſhewed in divers particulars. The greatneſs of the ſin of Malice and Hatred; With the Reaſons why wicked Men hate the Saints: Together with Cautions againſt the Sins that break the Bond of Love. Many weighty Queſtions diſcuſſed, and divers Caſes cleared.
By William Gearing, Miniſter of the Word.
Tanta vel in nobis utinam…is eſſet …,
Quantus in hoc lacero tempore …,
Owen Epigr. L. 3.
Ignis, Amor, Tuſsis, certo ſeſe indice …
LONDON, Printed for Tho. Parkhurſt, at the Bible on London Bridg, next the Gate▪
To the Right Worſhipful Sir John Banks of Ailesford in the County of Kent, Baronet, and to Richard Hampden of Hampden in the County of Buckingham, Eſquire; and to the vertuous Ladies, their Wives.
OƲR Church is not now like Chriſts Coat, without Seam; but like Jeroboam's, that was rent into twelve peices: and the Northern and Southern Poles may as ſoon meet together, as the wide differencies and diverſities of Opinions that are among us, be reconciled. Many men are never at quiet themſelves, unleſs they are at ſtrife with others. Tumultuous Spirits have framed a Church like Pliny's Araphali, all Body and no Head: The ſeducing Romaniſts have built another like the Toad-ſtool, all Head, and no Body. The Brains of many men are Forges for framing new fancies: Schiſm is the Ship wherein many turbulent Spirits go; the winds that drive it are violent paſſions; wilfulneſs the Rudder, obſtinacy the Anchor. Heretical opininions are like Monſters; they begin with the figure of a man, but end with the form and ſhape of a Beaſt, of a Fiſh, &c. So theſe begin with God, the true God, but end with monſtrous ſhapes of vain Imaginations. Broiling Spirits do nothing, but fling firebrands, and heap on wood to ſet Kingdoms in a Combuſtion. Catelina … deſire to fiſh b… troubled waters, being as much afraid of peace as of the Plague; like C…tiline, when they cannot quench the fire (begun in their own houſes) with water, they will therefore pull them down, and ſo quench it, ipſâ ruina incendium extingere.
I …ind the Pedigree of Contention thus decyphered. There was a baſtard begotten by Anger,Quel. Serm. 1. in 1 or. 11. 16. nurſed by Pride, and maintained by wilful Contradiction, and when th…y came to give him a name, they beſtowed upon him the name of Contention: and as was the Name of the Child, ſo was his Nature, for as ſoon as he began to go, he always went backward, like the Sea-Crab. Great pity it is, that ſuch a croſs Companion ſhould find harbour in any civil Society, much leſs in the Church of God, which ought to be compact together as a City at unity. As the ſeed of the woman ſhould be at enmity with the Serpent, ſo ſhould it be at unity with it ſelf. Oh how happy were it if the Schiſms and Diſcords that make muſick only for Hell, might never be heard in the Church of God more: but I fear as long as the Church of God conſiſteth of men, and men are ſubject to divers paſſ…ns, there will be rents and diviſions among us.
Have not we cauſe to think, that the Lord hath a great controverſie with our Nation, which is ſo full of malicious controverſies and contentions, to the diſhonour of God, who is Love; of his Goſpel, which is a Doctrine of Love and Peace; and of that ancient Law and Meſſage of Love, which he ſent unto us from heaven in the beginning, and hath ſo often renued ſince the beginning. If we look upon th… rents and breaches, diſcords, diviſions, quarrels, contentions that are between men, and that many tim s about triffles; if we conſider with what eagerneſs, bitterneſs, obſtinacy, theſe are followed; might it not ſeem, that there had never been a Doctrine of Love and Goſpel of peace preached among us? They that are full of carnal mirth, care for none of theſe things, as it was ſaid of Gallio. It is one ſpecial part of our obedience to the Law of Love, that we ſhould with much compaſſion m…urn for theſe things, that if it be poſſible, the wrath that is like to fall upon the Land, may be prevented; and withall let us mourn for the danger of many particular Souls, who live without any ſpark of Chriſtian Love to their Neighbours and Brethren, without which they ſhall certainly periſh: and let us pray for them that their ſins may be forgiven them, and that their hearts may be purified in obeying the truth through Faith, unto unfeigned Love of the Brethren.
Satan is an enemy to Ʋnion and Love, and eſpecially to the neereſt and faſteſt union: he is a moſt malicious Spirit and Murtherer, and loveth to break the union of the Spirit, and the bond of peace betwixt man and man. Therefore the neerer any are united and joyned together in any bond of Love, the more doth he labour to make a rent and diviſion between them. So he delighteth to rent the Church of Chriſt, and to ſeparate one member of it from another by Hereſie and Schiſm, to breed difference in judgment, and the…eupon diviſion of hearts between thoſe that are the pr…feſſed members of one myſtical body of Chriſt.
How were Paul and Barnabas knit together in Love, and how did they joyn together as one Soul in the work of the Lord, whereunto they were ſeparated by the Spirit from the reſt of the faithful, as appeareth in the holy Story? yet upon a ſlight occaſion, Satan bred a ſharp contention between them, and a ſeparation between theſe two holy men for a time. So it is his delight to break the neareſt and ſtrongeſt bonds, even the matrimonal tye betwixt man and wife, which are one fleſh: between Brethren and Siſters that are of one blood: between the Inhabitants of one Kingdom, one City, one Houſe.
That which cannot endure heat, can leaſt of all endure the greateſt heat. Ice that is apt to diſſolve at a little warmth, can leſs endure heat in the higheſt degree: bring it to the fire, and it ſoon diſſolveth. So the Devil, that hateth Love and Ʋnion in general, doth moſt of all hate, and work againſt the greateſt, neereſt, and ſtrongeſt union.
So long as the Saints are not yet fully fitted and framed together, no wonder though there be differences between them. As ſtones, ſo far as they are fitted together, they joyn and cloſe in one; but if they be but yet in fitting and framing, and the work be but done in part, not in perfection; they will not cloſe in every point. So when Chriſtians are but in part fitly framed together in Chriſt, they do but in part cloſe and unite, and there may be differences, until that which is perfect is come, and that which is but in part be done away; for ſo far as they are not fitly joined together in Chriſt, ſo far they are yet carnal, as the Apoſtle ſheweth, 1 Cor. 3.1.3. And thus he accounteth them, while envying, ſtrife, and diviſions are among them. We muſt conſider that they agree in the main, as they meet in one Foundation and Corner-ſtone, and are fitly framed together in Chriſt. So in the main they agree in one mind, and are of one heart. They hold the foundation; they meet in one common Center which is Chriſt, though they differ ſomewhat in drawing their Lines. The true members of Chriſt, though there may be ſome diſproportion between ſome of them and others, yet they all meet in their Head, and receive one life and ſpirit from Him.
And whereas (I ſay) they agree in the main, you muſt know.
1. That in reſpect of the Doctrine of Faith, they agee in all thoſe Truths, which are ſimply and abſolutely neceſſary to Salvation, though they differ ſometimes about ſome of the conſequents of theſe, or about ſomething of leſs moment; as St. Paul ſheweth in 1 Cor. 3. that theſe which hold the foundation of Faith, may build diverſly: ſome Gold, Silver, precious Stones: Some Hay, Straw, Stubble.
2. They all partake of the ſame main neceſſary fundamental Graces, Faith unfeigned, Hope, Love, Repentance, &c. though ſome in a greater, ſome in a leſſer meaſure. Some have more Droſs mixed with their Graces than others. The Corruptions of men are therefore ſo much the more to be lamented herein, that thoſe who agree in ſubſtance, ſhould not only differ, but alſo quarrel and fall out about Circumſtances, joyn in the foundation, and rent in the frame.
It was a worthy ſpeech of Grynaeus, an Orthodox Divine, who having ſome intercourſe of Letters with Chytraeus, though ſeeming to differ from him about the Sacrament; he told him in one of his Epiſtles to this effect, That though they ſhould not ſee each others faces here in this world, yet he hoped they ſhould meet in heaven, Ubi Luthero cum Zuinglio optimè convenit, where Luther and Zuinglius agree exceeding well. They that are ſo fitly framed together in Chriſt, as that they are ſet in a way and ſtate, which ſhall lead them to a full and perfect agreement in heaven, which is one common Home and Countrey appointed for them all, ſhould bear in mind Joſeph's admonition to his Brethren, when he ſent them home to their Fathers houſe, Fall not out by the way, Gen. 45.24. When we come to our Fathers houſe in Heaven, there ſhall be no jarrs, not one croſs word paſs between us, not an angry look or thought to all eternity. Therefore in our paſſage thither we ſhould be careful to walk peaceably, and if in all things we cannot be of one mind (which yet we ſhould endeavour by all means) yet ſhould we bear with others in a patient and peaceable manner.
Much honoured in the Lord.
The deſign of this Treatiſe (which I humbly dedicate to you) is, to provoke men (and eſpecially the Saints) to that Love of one another, which corrupt Nature moſt ſtrives againſt, turning all charity aſide (as it were) into a private Channel of ſelf-love, which like the Sea, ſhould diſperſe it ſelf throughout the whole World.
It was a famous Proverb in the primitives times, which now reflecteth infamy upon our times, Ecce, ut ſe invicem diligunt Chriſtiani, See how the Chriſtians love one another! Then fierce contentions, and hatred among Chriſtians, declared men to be no Chriſtians at all; and can it now conſiſt with any new ſtamp of Chriſtianity?
Religion is the ſureſt Cement of all Societies, it endeareth them one to another in ſpecial ſort, it hath it's Name of binding men to God,Religio a religando. and man to man. But alas! many there are that think Religion to be no ſuch eye as we pretend; nay they begin to queſtion whether there be any ſuch thing as Religion, or no. We have even loſt Religion in queſtions about Religion, been diſputing ſo long which is the true, that almoſt we are come to have none at all. The world turns Atheiſt, as …e it turned Arrian. It were not poſſible that ſin ſhould grow to that height as it doth, if this were not the cauſe of it. The Oratour ſaid of friendſhip, that whoſoever went to take that from men, went about to take away the Sun out of Heaven; of Religion we may ſay ſo indeed, They that would rob us of that, would rob us of our Sun; this were a way to diſſolve the Brotherhood between Judah and Iſrael. God grant that we may be all as the Angels of the Mercy-ſeat, that turned face to face, and not back to back, like Sampſon's Foxes, that made nothing but ſpoyl and waſt where they went.
I dare not preſs too far on your patience, but humbly beſeech, that you will be pleaſed to command him, who ſtudieth how he may ſhew himſelf,
Your moſt affectionate Servant in the Goſpel, William Gearing. Crauſden in Suſſex. Octob. 10. 1669