darkness without the Sun so the life of man is not vital or a living life without love And. 15. It is the best of Vertues Irenaeus calleth love l. 4. c. 63. Eminentissimum charismatum the most eminent of all the gifts of God Geminianus saith As gold excelleth all other mettals so love excelleth all other virtues whether theological or moral God is love what is then more precious He who dwelleth in love dwelleth in God what is more secure and God in him what is more delectable As the whole life of the body proceedeth from the soul so the whole dignity and worth of all external vertues proceed from the internal but especially from Love 16. Love is constant and perpetual Prov. 17.17 17. The nature of Love is to communicate and impart the secrets of our hearts to those whom we love Judg. 16.15 To conclude this question concerning the Nature and Excellency of Love and Charity Love in adversity is patient in prosperity temperate in passions strong in good works quick in temptations secure in hospitality bountiful amongst her true children joyful amongst her false friends forbearing Love in the midst of injuries is secure in heart bountiful in displeasures meek in concealing evils innocent in truth quiet at others misfortunes sad in vertues joyful Love in adversity fainteth not because it is patient and revengeth not injuries because it is bountiful Qu. 22. Whether is desire or love stronger Answ Love is stronger then desire because quiet and rest in the end or in the enjoyment of the good willed or wished is more and greater then the motion to the end for the motion to the end is not but for the quiet in the end and Propter quod unumquodque est tale id ipsum est magis tale he who loves the master for his childs sake doth love the child more then the master Because this Maxime or Axiom is often made use of I will therefore shew how it is to be understood viz. that four conditions be kept carefully in memory for the truth thereof I. That the praedicate or attribute be common both to the cause and to the effect and therefore it follows not Men are drunk for wine therefore wine is more drunk II. That the praedicate or attribute be capable of Magis and Minus more and less therefore it follows not The son is a man for the father therefore the father is the more man III. That the attribute be divers in number both in cause and effect wherefore it follows not Man sees for the eye therefore the eye sees more then man or Man is learned for man therefore the mind of man is more learned then man IV. That the attribute do agree with the effect by a dependance from the cause insomuch as if it be not in the cause it will not be in the effect wherefore it follâ—ws not The schollar is learned for his master therefore the master is more learned and the greater schollar Qu â—3 Whether is Love or Hatred stronger Answ Love because love is of that which is good hatred of that which is evil and good is stronger then evil because evil acts not but under the notion or in the power of good or something which seems to be such yea hatred comes from some kind of love Qu. 24. Whether is Dilectio or Amor stronger Answ Because we want words in our English Tongue to express these two I must be forced to answer the question thus Amor dilectione fortior ista enim in judicio solo ille in appetitu Qu. 25. Whether is Love or Knowledge better Answ Love is more excellent then Knowledge I. Because knowledge cannot effect that good and evil which love doth effect II. Because to love is of more worth then to know III. Because we enjoy God more by love then by knowledge And IV. Because we depend more upon God by love then by knowledge Qu. 26. What things do men love sometimes which they should not love at all Answ 1. Some love preheminence over their brethren 3 John 9. and highest places Mat. 23.6 Mark 12.38 And 2. Some negligence in those places wherein God hath set them Isa 56.10 3. Some idolatry and idols Isa 57.8 Jer. 3.1.8.2 Ezek. 16.37 4. Some love cursing Psalm 109.12 And 5. Some adultery and whoredom Prov. 7.18 And 6. Some transgression and strife Prov. 17.19 7. Some evil more then good Psalm 52. 8. Some lying more then truth Psal 52 5. Apoc. 22.15 9. Some love bribery Isa 1.23 Hosea 4.18 9.1 10. Some cruel and crafty words Psalm 52.4 11. Some pleasure more then God 2. Tim. 3.4 12. Some oppression Hosea 12.7 13. Some to have the Prophets prophesie falsely Jer. 5.31 14. Some love vanity Psalm 4.2 and 15. Some simplicity and folly Prov. 1.22 16. Some sleepiness and idleness Prov. 20.13 17. Some pleasure and wine Prov. 21.17 18. Some to wander Jer. 14.10 19. Some darkness more then light John 3.19 And 20. Some hypocrisie Mat. 6.5 21. Some perjury Zach. 8.17 and 22. Some love the world and the things therein Mat. 6.24 Eccles 5.10 1 John 2.15 Now the reasons why we should not love the world are I. Because the love thereof cannot satisfie our souls or the desires of our hearts Eccles 5.10 II. Because it hinders us from loving of God 1 John 2.15 16. III. Because it makes us the enemies of God Mat. 6.24 James 4.4 IV. Because it makes men apostatize from Christ 2 Tim. 4.10 V. Because it is the root of all evil 1 Tim. 6.10 Qu. 27. What do men love which they may as a natural or moral duty Answ 1. Some love some sort of meat Genes 27.4 And 2. Some long life Psalm 34.12 1 Pet. 3.10 And 3. Some hospitality Tit. 1.8 Qu. 28. What is required of us in regard of those things which naturally we do and may love Answ Not to love them inordinately that is I. Not to love fathers mothers husbands wives or children more then Christ Matth. 10.37 II. Not to love our lives more then Christ John 12.25 Apoc. 12.11 Qu. 29. What things do men love which they ought to love as a Theological duty Answ 1. Heavenly things that is both spiritual graces which come down from heaven and heavenly glory which abides in heaven Colos 3.1 2. 2. The statutes commandments and word of God Psalm 119.119 127 140 167. 3. The appearing of the Lord in his second coming 2 Tim. 4.8 4. The house of God 1 Chron. 29.3 5. Every thing which is good Amos 5.15 Galat. 4.18 6. Instruction and knowledge Prov. 12.1 7. Their own souls Prov. 19.8 8. Purity of heart Prov. 22.11 9. Truth and peace Zach. 8.19 10. Wisdom Prov. 4.6.8.17.29.3 Now we must love wisdom for these reasons I. Because then Wisdom will love us Prov. 8.17 II. Because then we shall be blessed in outward things Prov. 8.21 III. Because otherwise we love death Prov. 8.36 Qu. 30. Whom do not wicked men love Answ 1. Not the Lord Iob
21.14 2. Not the righteous Iohn 15.16 3. Not those who rebuke them Prov. 15.12 Qu 31. Whom do men love which they should not Answ 1. Some love their enemies more then their friends 2 Sam. 19.6 2. Some inordinately love themselves 2 Tim. 3.2 3. Some love women lustfully whom they will not marry lawfully 2 Sam. 13.4 although this marriage had not been truly lawful 4. Some love those whom God hath forbidden them to love 1 Kings 11.2 2 Chron. 19.2 5. Some love strangers i e. idolaters Ierem. 2.25 Qu. 32. Whom do men love which they may out of a natural or with a moral love Answ 1. Some love strangers Deuter. 10.18 19. 2. Some love those who are under their charge 2 Cor. 7.3 Phil. 4.1 3. Some love their neighbours and acquaintance 1 Kings 5.1 4. Some men love their wives 1 Sam. 1.5 Hest 2 17. Prov. 5.19 Ephes 4.26 Colos 3.19 Note here two things viz. First why husbands must love their wives viz. I. Because wives should be as dear unto their husbands as the Church is unto Christ Ephes 5.25 II. Because in loving their wives they love themselves Ephes 5.28 c. Secondly observe how conjugal love is encreased viz. by bearing of children as Genes 29.32 whence they are called Pignora amoris the pledges of love 5. Some wives love their husbands Titus 2.4 6. Some parents love their children Gen. 22.2 44.20 and do truly shew their love by chastizing of them betimes Prov. 13.24 7. Some children love their parents Note here what is required of children in regard of their love unto their parents or their parents love unto them viz. I. It is required of them not to love their parents above or more then Christ Matth. 10.37 And II. Not to hate any of their fathers children because their fathers loves them more Gen. 37.4 And III. To love wisdom that so they may rejoyce their Parents Prov. 29.3 8. Some Magistrates love their people Agesilaus was fined by the Ephories because he had stoln away the hearts and won the love of all the Citizens to himself 9. Some subjects love their Rulers and this is of no small moment or consequence seeing as the French say L'amour des subjects est la ferme colomne d'un Prince The love of the subjects is the strongest pillar of a Prince 10. Some brothers love one another and some brothers love their sisters and some sisters their brethren A Persian woman being asked why she had rather save the life of her brother then of her own son answered Because I may well have more children but never more brothers seeing my father and mother are dead 11. Some masters love their servants and some servants their masters 12 Some Schoolmasters love their schollars and some schollars their School-masters Qu. 33. Whom do some love which they ought to love as a Theological duty or Whom ought we to Love Answ 1. We ought to love God the Father Deut. 11.1 Psalm 91.14 Rom. 5.5 and 2. God the Son Cant. 1.7.7.12 John 21.15 16. 1 Pet 1.8 and 3. God the Holy Ghost Rom. 15.30 4. The Church of Christ Isaiah 66.10 And men 5. Their enemies Exod. 23.4 1 Sam. 24.5 7. 26.5 30.11 and 6. Kings should love those who speak truth and right Prov. 16.13 and who are pure in heart Prov. 22.11 and 7. Ministers should love their flocks 2 Cor. 7.3 15.9.14.12.14 15. Philip. 1.7 8. 1 Thes 2.7 And 8. People must love their Pastors Gal. 4.14 15. 1 Thess 5.13 And 9. We must love the children of God 1 Pet. 1.22.2.17 that is I. All good men or all faithful ones in general 2 Cor. 7.15 Tit. 1.8 1 Sam. 18.1.20.17 18 22. Ephes 1.15 Col. 2.2 1 Iohn 4.7 and II. Those who have been converted unto God by us Phil. 12. III. Those in whom we see the sparks of grace shine and shew forth themselves 1 Sam. 2.26.18.5 Qu. 34. VVhat rules are worth observation in regard of Love Answ 1. As there must be in every triangle three lines whereof the first beginneth the second encreaseth and the third concludeth or perfecteth the Figure and without any of these lines there can be no Triangle so in Love there are three vertues I. Affection which draweth the heart II. Action and expression which encreaseth the hope III. Constancy which finisheth the work and without any of these vertues there can be no love Answ 2. Ovid de arte amandi gives three rules not much differing from the former Principio quod amare velis reperire labora Proximus huic labor est placidam exorare puellam Tertius ut longo tempore duret amor First find out one whom dearly thou canst love Then with entreaties seek thy love to move Lastly see constant thou in love do prove I. Make God and good the object of our love II. Labour to be good and by all diligent service and industrious endeavour to be assured of Gods love towards us in Christ And III. To be constant and immoveable in our love to God and good Qu. 35. How long doth true love last Answ Till death yea ater death Some Painters of old did draw on the borders of Cupids Robe Life and Death to shew that love remains both in life and after death God hath ordained that we who love shall have an end and that or those whom we love shall have an end and therefore our love must then and not till then have an end when both we and our friends are dead Vne parfaite amour dure eternellement say the French A perfect love doth last eternally and Le neud que l'amour joinct la mort ne peut deffaire the knot that love doth knit death cannot untie Scipio Affricanus esteemed so much the Poet Ennius alive that being dead he caused his picture to be set before his eyes as a memorial of his great love Plutar. When Cyrus went to overcome Babylon and was hindred by the river Euphrates a Knight whom the King entirely loved venturing into the water was drowned whereupon the King made a vow that he would make that great river passable on foot and accordingly parted it into 460 channels and so took the City For the most part that love which lasteth after death is begun betimes whence one saith Wouldst thou have love last even unto the tomb Then let it take beginning at the womb Qu. â—6 How many way doth Love cease Answ 1. Sometimes naturally when men dye Eccles 9.6 2. Sometimes impiously and enviously when men cease to love those who are become good whom they loved when they were evil 1 Pet. 4.4 3. Sometimes piously and religiously when men cast off the familiarity and acquaintance of Apostates and those who become wicked and enemies to the Church although they were intimate and familiar with them when they were professors and seemed outwardly religious 2 Tim. 3.5 Heb. 10 38. 1 John 2 19. Qu. 37. What or where is the Seat of Love Answ Love hath three
counterfeit as was the love of Cresida to Treilus having tears at command as the Crocodile to betray and smiles at will to bewitch And III. Immoderate inordinate and lustful as the love of Josephs mistris unto him Gen. 39 9. Thus much for the eighth sort or kind of love Ninthly man loves sin and the world 1 John 2.15 James 4.4 Hic amor est odio majus scelus This love is worse then hatred I wave these till I come to treat of the World and Sin Tenthly man loves things viz. both I. Natural things as Xerxes all his great exploits both by sea and land being laid aside for a time he fell so far in love in Lydia with a Plane-tree which hapned to his sight that he tarried a whole day by it and caused the boughs to be adorned with chains of gold bracelets and spangles yielding thereto great reverence And II. Artificial things as a Senators son in Rome loved extreamly the Ivory picture of Vesta which wrought him such discredit as that he was exempted from bearing office in the City Pigmalion doted on an Ivory image that he had made with his own hands Ovid. Two young men of Athens were in love with the picture of Fortune Prillius Pilatus was in love with the images of Helena and Atalanta and Demetrius having strongly begirt the city of Rhodes for the love he bare to Protogenes painted table raised his siege Eleventhly Men love beasts as the Emperour Adrian caused a tomb to be made and a pillar to be set up with an Epitaph in praise of his horse Boristhenes which he exceedingly loved Julius Capitolinus witnesseth that the Emperour Verus ordained that there should be a tomb erected in the Va iâ—aâ— for his horse Volucer which he loved so much that he used him more like a man then a beast and made for him a statue of gold Dioâ—in vita Ver. The Persians for the affections they bare to their horses when they dyed buried them Alexander the great made a tomb for Bucephalus The Emperor Augustus buried his Parrot and Heliogabalus made a grave for his Sparrow out of their love to them Twelfthly beasts or living creatures love men At Assus a Babylonian City a Dolphin so loved a boy that following too far after him he stuck fast in the sand Solinus c. 18. Aelian tells of one Sophocles an Athenian who seeing himself to be so well beloved of his horse that he would exceedingly faun upon him he fearing some shame thereby sold his horse away which the horse took so heavily that he would never eat after but pined himself to death Thirteenthly beasts love beasts as Marcus Aurelius saith as one bird loveth another one bruit another one wiseman another so one fool loveth another Thus much for the sorts and kinds of love Qu. 12. What difference is there between the love of a childe and the love of a servant Answ They differ not in the subject matter of their obedience but in the mâ—nner thereof for the child ex amore obeys the law for the love of vertue but the servant ex timore obeys rather for fear of punishment The childe who conforms himself to the Law rather for love hath respect especially to the Affirmatiâ—e precepts but the servant who conforms for fear hath respect chiefly to the Negative commandments Qu. 13. What difference is there between Love and Charity Answ 1. All charity is love but all love is not charity 2. There are three words which signifie Love Dilectio Amor. Charitas Peter Martyr loc com fol. 379. calce distinguisheth them thus Dilectio est lenior affectus Amor vehementior charitas vero ibi statuitur ubi conjunctio necessitudo quadam intercesserit Dilection signifies a lower degree of affection and love a higher but charity rather imports a necessary duty unto Parents Countrey Kindred and the like Qu 14. Wherein do Nature Reason and Religion differ in regard of Love An. 1. Nature bids me love my self and hate all who hurt me 2. Reason bids me love my friends and hate those who hate me 3. Religion bids me love all and hate none Nature sheweth care Reason wit and Religion love and therefore Nature may induce us and Reason perswade us but Religion must rule us Qu. 15. What difference is there between Love and the most if not all things Answ Of all things the newest is best save of love and friendship which the elder it waxeth is ever the better Qu 16 What difference is there between Love and Friendship Answ The difference between femine love and true friendship is Love is but an eye-worm which tickleth the head with hopes and wishes Friendship is the image of eternity in which there is nothing moveable nothing mischeivous As much difference as is between beauty and vertue bodies and shadows colours and life so great oddes is there between Love and Friendship A friend loveth always a Lover but for a time Qu. 17. What difference is there between the love of men and women Answ Some Poets and Painters representing the love of men bring in Cupid with a pair of wings discyphering the love of women a Tortuse under the feet of Venus shewing that as the love of men is moveable and unconstant as a bird so the fancy of women is as firm and fixed as a stedfast Tortuse This is not generally nor universally true for from what was shewed before Qust 11. it appears that 1. Sometimes men are more constant in their love then women 2. Sometimes women are more constant then men 3. Sometimes both are constant And 4. Sometimes neither Qu. 18. What difference is there between the love of heavenly things and earthly Answ The love of heavenly things is better then the knowledge of them the knowledge of inferiour things is better then the love of them Qu. 19. How doth our love differ from the love of God Answ Our love is caused from the goodness of a thing the love of God is the cause of the goodness of a thing Qu. 20. What difference is there between our love to God and to our neighbour in regard of the time Answ 1. We should chiefly and principally love the Lord in prosperity because otherwise he will not love us Xenophon saith We should always honour and love God but much more in prosperity because we may then more confidently call upon and seek unto him for succour in adversity Themistocles in his lower fortunes was in love with a young Gentleman who scorned him when he grew to his greatness which was soon after he sought to him but Themistocles answered We are both grown wise but too late Thus if we will not love the Lord in prosperity we may expect that he will not love us in adversity 2. We must approve our love to our neighbour or brother principally in adversity for as the Chrysolite is proved in the fire and the Diamond by the Anvil so love is tryed not by favour of
a particular love which is to be demonstrated and shewed unto enemies when they have no need Now this precept of loving our enemies enjoyns love unto our enemies alwaies and to do good unto them principally when they stand in need not forbidding it when they have none and doth also imply a charge to perform all offices of love at all times when any occasion offers it self for the making up of the breach or appeasing of the jarr or stinting the strife or for the begetting or breeding of love Qu. 129. Wherein or how should we express our love unto our enemies Answ 1. In loving them as Christ loved us when yet we were enemies Rom. 5.10 2. In receiving of them to favour or in forgiving of them when they desire it or humble themselves as Joseph did unto his brethren 3. In ministring necessary things unto them as Elâ—hâ— did to the Army of the â—ssâ—rians 4. In procuring or helping forward their conversion as Anâ—niâ—s did Sauls Acts 9 5. In praying for them as Stephen did for the Jews 6. In taking heed of giving them any offence as Jacob did when he departed from Esau Gen. 27. 7. In bearing their wrongs patiently and cheerfully as the Apo â—le did Acts 4 18 5.28 8. In mollifying them with gentle words as Abâ—gâ—il did Dâ—â—id 1 Sam. 25. Qâ— 23â— That are the Impediments which bindâ—r us from taking out this hard lesson of loving our enemies Answ The Remorâ—es or hindrances are these viz. I. An Apothy of the love of Christ for if we were sensible of Christs love unto us when we were enemies then we would not think it so strange for Christs sake to love our enemies II. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 want of affection towards our brethren love covers a multitude of sins and therefore the lack of this Christian charity hinders us from the love of our enemies III. The errour in judging of love and charity Because we neither know the excellency nor value of this Evangelical vertue of brotherly love nor the necessity thereof but think it to be a kind of free-will-offering therefore we are not so careful to practise it as we ought IV. The love of the world and self-love is another thing which hinders us from the love of our enemies V. So is also too deep an apprehension of the wâ—ongs injuries that have been offered us And VI. So also is an innate and natural pronness unto hatred anger and envy Qu. 131. What are the Remedies against these and ad Impediments Answ The Remedies or Means whereby we may be helped forward in this duty of love towards our enemies are these 1. Love God and prefer him and his will before thy own and thy self and then for his sake thou wilt not be unwilling to do any thing which he requires of thee 2. Learn to see thy brother in thy od and to love him as a child of God and 〈◊〉 thou wilt be easily perswaded to be recoâ—â—â—â—â— unto him though he have offended thee 3. Despise and contemn the world and then thou wilt not be so sensible of injuries offered in temporal things 4. Con ider thy self and think humbly of thy self and then if thy brother have injured thee thou wilt remember that thou also at some time or other in some thing or other hast injured either him or some else at least that thou hast offended thy heavenly Father oftner and in a higher nature then ever thy brother offended thee 5. Let thy conversation be in heaven and let thy affections be set upon those things which are above walk continually in the pathes of love charity patience humility and meekness and then thou wilt be more ready to love those who hate thee Qu. 132. How may we know whether we truly love our enemies or not Answ We may know it easily if we will but seriously examine these things viz. 1. Whether do we envy their prosperity or rejoyce at it 2. Whether do we condole for their afflictions or exult and rejoyce 3. Whether do we extenuate or amplifie the good things which we see in our enemies 4 Whether do we aggravate amplifie and condemn the evil things which we see in our enemies or do we cover and excuse them 1 Pet. 4.10 5. Whether do we love them as our selves noâ— fainedly but truly not coldly but servently 6. Whether do we grieve that we are not able to shew or express our love unto them by reason of their obstinacy perversness wilfulness and malice whereby they sleight and reject alâ— testimonies of love and favour shown 7. Whether are our hearts so truly bent to love and to do them good that no prevocations from them can hinder us from doing good unto them when we see they stand in need 8. Whether do we frequently and fervently pray for them as we are commanded Luke 6.20 Qu. 133. Oh but it is a hard matter to do these by what Motives or Arguments therefore may we bâ— excited and induced to love our enemies Answ All duties of religion are hard and therefore this must not be neglected for the difficulty thereof but rather practised being induced thereunto by the meditation and animadversion of these particulars 1. Remember that those who hate and harm us do themselves thereby much more hurt then they do us for by malice hatred and wrong a man destroyes his own soul and he can but harm his brothers body And therefore in this regard our enemies are to be loved and pittied 2 Remember the benefit we reap by the hatred and persecution of our enemies for their persecuting and troubling of us will purchase unto us an eternal weight of glory if we patiently and piously undergo them 2 Cor. 4.17 and therefore seeing they help and promote our happiness and eternal reward we should love them 3. Remember Christ hath commanded us to loâ—â—â—ur enâ—mâ—es and therefore with willingnes we should do it 4. Consideâ— that it is an excellent sign of a true child of God and strong hristian to love his enemy Mat. 5 44 45. and therefore we should love ours 5. Remember that this is the most principal way to reclaim our enemies and to make them friends to love them as friends and to do good unto them and therefore we should love them though enemies 6. Consider that we cannot hurt our enemies but we shall harm our selves yea and that more then we can hurt them for by hatred malice m schief and revenge we may hurt their bodies but by these we harm and endanger the destruction of our own souls and therefore if we love our selves we should love our enemies The Maâ—quiss of V stâ— being sent upon a Design or Expedition by the Emperour Charls 5. and thâ—â—g after his return with applause and victo◠〈…〉 some â—â—ll was presently upon his re◠〈…〉 â—enâ—ral of the whole Army Antonio 〈◊〉 Leva the former General being dead whereupon he caused this device to be figured in his Shield two sheaves of ripe corn with this Motto Finiunt pâ—ritèr renovantque labores signifying thereby that scarce is the corn fully ripe but the Plowmans or Husbandmans restless toâ—l is renewed by providing for another harvest or crop Paul Jov. This Emblem doth so sort and sute with my purposes intents and thoughts that I shall take the boldness to make it my constant Moâ—to for this small Treatise of the three heological Graces being finished and published the four Cardinal Vertues will presently follow which having once seen the light A tract of the nature necessity utility excellency and infallibility of the Scripture the whole work mentioned in the Preface being a Clavis Scripturae will speedily come forth and then the great Work by Parts yet so composed that both everâ— Part shall be a perfect and entire Tractate by it self and also that every succeeding and following part shall depend upon the preceding and former And if the Stationer be but encouraged by the quick and speedy vent and sale of this present Piece the rest will come out as fast as the judicious Reader can well and throughly peruse them the whole work 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being in a great forwardness FINIS 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
Because they are Disciples and thus we must love them for their spiritual society and bond of charity as fellow-travellers in a long journey love one another or as Countrey-men love one another in a strange place or remote Countrey And therefore three sorts of men are here too blame First hypocrites and dissemblers who as Bernard saith have Mel in ore verba lactis fel in corde fraus in factis peace in their words but war in their hearts towards the Saints loving them with their lips but hating them in their hearts Pro. 23.7 James 2.13 Our love unto the faithful must be sincere and cordial not sinister and counterfeit Secondly those are too blame who love the Saints onely for some second causes either I. Because they are their neighbours and their good neighbours from whom they receive no evil but upon every occasion all neighbourly offices Or II. Because they are of their kindred and alliance Or III. Because they are of meek affable and gentle natures and loving dispositions or IV. Because they love them and theirs Or V. Through vain-glory that they may be praised for their loving of those who are good Thirdly those are faulty who love the faithful onely with a mercenary love or for reward Aliud est sperare aliud est hoc agere Hier. A man may hope that God will bless him if he love his children because this God hath promised but a man must not therefore love them that God may bless him this being but self-love Ans 2. In general besides the Lord we are commanded to love our neighbour and our enemies Luk. 10.27.28 Qu. 100. VVhat is the nature of the love of the faithful one to another Answ 1. It is a growing and encreasing love 2 Thess 1.3 2. It is a continuing and abiding love Hebr. 13.1 Qu. 101. VVhether are we to love all the Saints and faithful alike or not Answ I might for the resolution and satisfaction of this Quaere refer my Reader to Camara quaest concil exposit qu. 97. p. 98. But I will to him adde two things First in respect of the different degrees of men there must be different degrees of love e.g. Magistrates and Ministers being publique Persons and religious are to be loved above other private persons they bearing in them a double image of God I. Inward in sanctification And II. Outward in authority and place Secondly in equal comparison when men are equal in degree then we must first and principally love parents children affinity and consanguinity we being bound to love them by a double bond I. Of nature And II. Of grace for grace doth not abolish natural affection but onely orders and disposeth it aright Qu. 102. How may we know whether we truly love the children of God or not Answ 1. He who loves the Father will love the children 1 John 5.2 2. He who obeys the Father loves the hildren 1 Iohn 5.2 3. He who loves those whom he hears to be religious and zealous though he knows them not is a lover of Gods children 4. He who delights in the company and society of godly men when he hath no other relation unto them then as they are good men is a true lover of the faithful Psalm 16.3.126.5 Rom. 1.12 5. He who hath a fel ow-feeling of the Saints miseries as if himself were in misery is a lover of them 6. He who is always willing to distribute to the necessities of the Saints according to his ability must needs be a lover of them 7. â—e who can bear with reproaches and reproachful words at the hands of truly righteous men â— a true lover of the Saints When Luther had wofully wronged and reviled Calvin the good man said Etiamsi Lutherus millies me Diabolum vocet ego tamen illum insignem Domini servum agnosco c. Let Luther hate me and in his wrath call me Devil a thousand times yet I will love him and acknowledge him a most precious servant of God To answer the wrath of the Saints with love is a good sign of a Saint-lover As the members of the same body albeit having divers duties and functions and differing also in form do tenderly and mutually love one another because they live by one and the self-same reasonable soul so faithful Christians love one another being made alive by the Divine Spirit of God who by how much he is more good or excellent by so much also he is more Powerful to knit and unite those together in whom he dwelleth Lodov. Granat As in a material building one stone is knit unto another by lime and morter so in the spiritual building one Christian is joyned to another by love and hence though one member be casually or causlessly injured by another it doth not seek revenge upon the other Qu. 103. Who must principally abound in Christian Love and Charity towards their neighbours Answ 1. Old men Tit. 2.2 2. Ministers 1 Tim. 4.12 2 Tim. 3.10 Qu. 104. Wherein or how ought Ministers to express and show their Love unto their People Answ 1. By speaking friendly unto them and beseeching them to be reconciled unto God 2 Cor. 5.20 2. By testifying their inward affection unto them by their outward works 3. By serving them in Christ not desiring so much to be ministred unto as to minister 4. By being ready to lay down their lives for them John 15.13 Qu. 105. From whence springs true Christian Love and Charity towards our brethren Answ 1. Originally from God true Love being his gift Eph. 1.15.16.6.23 Phil. 19. Col. 1.3.4 1 Thes 1.2 3.3.12 2. It proceeds out of a pure heart 1 Tim. 1.5 1 Pet. 1.22 3. It issues out of a good conscience 1 Tim. 1.5 4. It flows from Faith unfained 1 Tim. 1.5 Qu. 106. Whether are wicked men to be Loved Answ As the Physitian hateth the disease yet loveth the person diseased so we must love that in our neighbour which is good and made of God and abhor that which the Devil and man hath made evil i. e. we must Love the wicked mans person though we hate his vice For 1. God hath commanded us to love our enemies and those are truly evil who are enemies to good men And 2. Those who are wicked for the present may belong unto God in regard of divine election and therefore such are to be loved And 3. We ought to pray for all wicked ones who have not sinned against the Holy-â—host and therefore we must love them 4 This is confirmed from Christ who for our example loved us when we were wicked Rom. 5 6 7 Qu. 107. What is the Love of our neighbour Answ To love our neighbour is for the love which we owe unto God to wish well and do good unto our neighbour and to do all things unto him which we would in equity and according to Law should be done unto us Or The love of our neighbour is a true and sincere good will both in will mind and