An Account of Cawdrys Triplex Diatribe, Chapter 6 · Section 9
Sect. 9. My anſwer to a ſecond ſort of objection, vindicated. Loving God with all the heart. Adam's love in innocency capable of degrees. Perfect love that caſts out fear, to be had in this life. Chriſt more intenſe in prayer at one time then another, an argument that all is not ſinne that is leſs then the higheſt.
TO the 2d objection from thoſe large comprehenſive words, Thou ſhalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, &c. I anſwer'd thus, that that phraſe [with all &c.] denoted onelyonly two things, 1. The ſincerity of this Love of God, as oppoſed to partial, divided love, (to which I now adde for farther explication, that what we do according to the precepts of Gods Law, we do out of love toward God, not hypocritically, or as by conſtraint; and 2. not admitting any thing elſe into competition with him, this ſincere love of God, mean while being capable of degrees, ſo that it is very poſſible for two men to love God with all the heart, and yet one to love him more intenſely then another (as was exemplified among the very Angels) nay for the ſame perſon, which ſo loves him, to love him, and expreſs that love more intenſely at one time then another, as appeared by the example of Chriſt, Lu. 22. 44.
Now to this he replies: that theſe two are there required, but not onelyonly theſe, but perfect love, ſuch as caſts out fear, 1 Joh. 4. 18. ſuch as was in Adam in innocency; To which I need ſay no more then what hath formerly been ſaid, that even that perfect love which was in Adam in innocence, conſiſted not in any indiviſible point, but had a latitude, and conſequently ſeverall degrees of that perfect love. But then withall it muſt be remembred that the perfect love, 1 Joh. 4. 18. is not all one with that which Adam had in innocence, for that he confeſſeth is not acquirable in this life, whereas the love in St John that caſts out fear is in every Confeſſor, and Martyr for Chriſt, and is elſewhere ſtyled, foreign, love of Chriſt in ſincerity, Eph. 6. 24. in the notion wherein perfection is all one with ſincerity; But then this alſo is capable of degrees, one Martyr or Confeſſor may be more zelous, & expreſs more intenſe and fervent love, then another doth.
What he addes, and confirmes out of Hierome, was in one part anſwered before, and muſt not now be repeated; As for the other, it may anſwer it ſelf, one part being directly contrary, if not contradictory to the other; For when he hath admitted and allowed of the ſuppoſition, that ſincere love is capable of degrees either in one man at ſeverall times, or in two men at the ſame time, and ſo both obey the precept, yet, ſaith he, thoſe degrees argue love not to be perfect, and ſo far faulty in vitio,] But ſure if thoſe of whom the ſuppoſition is made, do both obey the precept, then they do not offend againſt it; if they do not offend againſt it, then is not this faulty, or in vitio, for ſure every fault or vice muſt be a tranſgreſſion of the Law. The evidence of the matter may, it ſeems, extort ſome few words of truth from a gainſayer, though to acknowledge it intirely and conſtantly, it muſt not be expected.
In the next place he paſſeth to the inforcement of my argument from what we read concerning Chriſt himſelf, that he was more intenſe in prayer at one time then another, when yet the lower degree was ſure no ſin; and prepares to make anſwer to it, viz. that Chriſt was above the Law, and did more then the Law required, but men fall ſhort many degrees of what is required.
But ſure this anſwer is nothing to the matter now in hand, for the evidencing of which that example of Chriſt was brought by me, viz. that ſincere love is capable of degrees, This was firſt ſhewed in ſeveral men, and in the ſame man at ſeveral times, in the ſeveral ranks of Angels, and at laſt in Chriſt himſelf, more ardent in one act of prayer then in another; wherein what is affirmed of Chriſt is common to Angels and men, and ſo ſtill may be though he differ from them in other things, to wit, that he is perfect and never ſins, though men be imperfect and faulty, the beſt of them, For ſtill it muſt be remembred, that it is not the ſinleſs perfection we ſpeak of when we ſay it conſiſts in a latitude, and hath degrees, but ſincerity of this or that virtue, expreſt in this or that performance, and as this, though it excludes not all mixture of ſin in the ſuppoſitum (the man in whom it is) yet may by the grace of God in Chriſt exclude it in this or that act (for it is certain that I may in an act of mercy, give as much as any Law obligeth me to give, and ſo not ſin in giving too little) ſo to this, his, anſwer belongs not at all, nor ſhews any difference or reaſon why ſuch ſincerity may not in any pious Chriſtian, be capable of degrees, as well as in Chriſt himſelf, and the loweſt of them be ſinleſs, and all the Superior, voluntary oblations, more then the ſtrict Law required of us.
Suppoſe a man ſhould in one ejaculation, pray to God ſincerely and ardently, to avert an evill from him, I ſhall ask, whether he commit any ſin in reſpect of ardency? If it be anſwered, yes, he doth, in caſe it be poſſible for him, or any man elſe, or Adam in Paradiſe, to pray more ardently, I ſhall then hope I ſhall have refuted his anſwer, by the example of Chriſt, who when he prayed ardently, did not ſin, though he fell ſhort of that higher degree, which after that we find he uſed.
As for that which alone he addes in this matter, that the example of Chriſt holds forth, that great preſſures call for inlargements of affections, not as voluntary oblations, but as duties. I ſhall onelyonly ask whether they did ſo call for that very degree of inlargement, which Chriſt at laſt uſed, If it did not, then it ſeems this addition was little to the purpoſe, If he ſhall ſay it did, then how could he even now ſay, that Chriſt did ſupererogate in this particular, and that it was not appliable to men.