we loue the brethren Therefore for the loue of the brethren we go not to the world but to the brethren themselues for they will loue vs vnlesse they be turned from themselues and fall away from their owne stedfastnesse 2. Pet. 3.17 Of which the Apostle admonisheth saying Qui stat 1. Cor 10 12 videat ne cadat He that standeth let him take heed that he fall not And therfore looke well to your loue my brethren as Paul did to the faith of the Thessalonians in the first Epistle and third chapter 1. Thes 3.5 Euen for this cause saith hee when I could no longer forbeare I sent him to wit Timotheus that I might knowe of your faith least the Tempter had tempted you in any sort and that our labour had been in vaiâ—â— What if he had saide That I might knowâ— oft your loue For faith and loue do go to gither they dwel togither they depart togither they liue togither they die togither And therfore is tâ—â— tempter as busie about the one as about the other and as mightie ouer the one as ouer the other And look we wel vnto it he should not be caâ—led the Tempter if dayly he tempted nor at no time effected any thing euen as too much is dayly seene that those that are baptized in the faith of brethren make a mocke of the brethren as Ismael was circumcised in the house of Abraham and mocked Isaac there circuÌ„cised togither with him And Sarah sayeth Moses saw the sonne Agar the Egyptians which she had borne vnto Abraham mocking Gâ—n 21 â— If Sarah if Abraham if Isaac himselfe and the seede of Isaac this day lift vp their eyes lo the sonnes of Agar mocking and so bitterlie that Sarah our mother cannot abide it Vers 10 Wherfore she yet saith Cast out the bond woman and her sonne And the Apostle in the 4. to the Galatâ—ians calleth it persecution But as then saith he he that was borne after the flesh persecuted him that was borne after the spirit Gal. 4 29. euen so is it now Lo therefore dearly beloued some part of our affliction to heare and see the scorne of these baptized and onely baptized brethren which point with the finger and mock home as they think saying lo the holy brotherhood who as they taunt vs with their tongue would teare vs with theyr teeth in the time were come notwithstanding our coÌ„mon ioint profession And yet if this were all it were the lesse Rom. 9 6 2. The 3 2 For all are not Israel which are of Israel And all haue not faith saith the Apostle And hee meaneth it of those that professe the fayth So all haue not loue which professe loue and are vowed brethren Yea it is a note of these last times in the third of the second to Timothie This knowe Tim. â— 1 c. saith the Apostle that in the last dayes grieuous times shall bee at hand For men sayth he what men Verse 5 members of the visible church professed in yâ— faith for of other it were no maruell eâ—uen such men shall bee louers of themselues couetous proude boasters cursed speakers and so forth in a great ranke In which to fill vp the number are placed also these Loue lesse brethreÌ„ no louers of them that are good sayeth Paule no they cannot loue a good man for their liues And therefore of these counterfets the brood of Ismael almost we looke for no better But the Tempter to shew himselfe hath gone yet further to alter the seed of Isaac froÌ„ their true loue peruerting our eie-sight when we look on the brethren iudging some to be worthy of our coÌ„panie and countenance othersome no lesse worthy in theÌ„selues theÌ„ our selues but to vs as vnworthie wee reiect and go by them and hang the brows at them as straungers and enemies And all because of some oddes in some pointes which are betweene vs Act â—5 36 37 c. lesse sometimes then that in the Acts wheÌ„ Barnabas counselled to take Iohn Marke in visitation But Paule thought it not meete because hee had departed from them from Pamphilia and went not with them to the worke And there was stricken such a heat betweene them both about this matter that they parted asunder one froÌ„ the other so that Barnabas tooke Marke and sailed into Cyprus and Paule tooke Silas and departed Two apostles so incensed one against the other that as the word Paroxismos may also signifie they were as it were in the sit of an ague And yet the matter not great For Marke was a good man and Paule might haue taken him and Barnabas might haue left him if they had beene pleased Rom. 14.17 The kingdome of God sayeth Paule is not meate nor drinke and yet the question of our libertie in meat and drinke which there hee handleth was not small but righteousnesse and peace and ioy in the holy Ghost And in Iesus Christ sayth hee neither circumcision Gal. 5.6 auaileth any thing neither vncircumcision but fayth which worketh by loue Yet who may cure our Paroxismes yea our Schismes and ioyne vs in loue vnto the Brethren which haue and holde Christ and his kingdome righteousnesse and peace and ioy in the holy Ghost yet for some other things wherin we iudge them they are not for our companie and still wee will distinguish betweene brethren and brethren and some we will take and some wee will leaue to liue to themselues some wee will loue and some we will hate And so out of one mouth as Saint Iames saieth yea out of one heart Iam. 3 10 11 c. proceedeth blessing and cursing My brethrenthese things ought not so to bee Dooth a fountaine send foorth at one hole sweete waâ—â— and bitter also Can the figge tree mâ—brethren bring foorth Oliues or else a 〈◊〉 Figges So can n o fountaine giue both salt water and bitter also And so touching the brethren we loue all or none and our loue to like thinges must bee alike or else wee loue not as we ought And so Saint Peter heere speaketh not singularly or diuisiuelie but as it were collectiuelie saying Loue the brethren that is all the brethren euen the whose number of them ioyned in one societie not one excepted And Paule in the first to the Collossians VVee giue thanks sayeth hee to God euen the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ Colos 1 3. alwayes praying for you since wee heard of your fayth in Christ Iesus and of your loue towards al Saints And Christ to shewe how hee hath loued vs all and euerie one respecting the singulars and each singular in the generall giuing vs also the name of brethren sayth as before wee heard out of the liue and twentieth of Mathew Mat 25 40 Inasmuch as ye haue done it vnto one of the least of these my brethren ye haue done it vnto me Vers 45 And againe Inasmuch as
for our owne offences towards them with great care yea 3 Cor. 7 11 with clearing of our selues yea with indignation yea with fâ—are yea with great desire yea with zeale yea with punishment for reconciliation till the strong Citie bee wonne and one contentions though as harde to breake as the barre of a pallace be yet broken a sunder and our selues reunited in the loue of brethren So all at the last was forgiuen and forgotten betweene Ioseph and his brethren and their loue brast out in teares and they wept and reioyced and kissed and embraced and theyr hearts were comforted in the loue of brethren Gen. 45 The second consideration which we haue of our loue is the encrease of the same Of the which the Apostle in the fourth of the first to the Thessalonians 1. Thes 4 9 14 writeth thus But as touching brotherly loâ—â— fayeth hee yee neede not that I write vnto you for ye are taught of God to loue one another Yea and that thing verelie yee doo vnto all the brethren which are throughout all Macedonia but wee beseech you brethren that you increase more and more VVee are not therefore to stande at a stay in loue but still to walke forwarde from loue to loue For this is the way of the righteous and of it Salomon sayeth in the fourth of the Prouerbs Prou. 4.18 The way of the righteous shyneth as the light that shyneth more and more vnto the perfect day And the right loue of brethren is as fire which still increaseth and inflameth them with a certaine naturall affection and inclination to embrace one another of which the Apostle in the twelfth to the Romans saith Rom. 12 10 Bee affectioned to loue one another with brotherly loue And this affection or inclination cannot stay it self vntill it come to the highest degree of loue and leadeth vs to that which Peter requireth in the first Chapter of this Epistle namelie 1 Pet 1 22 That wee loue one another out of a pure heart vehementlie or as our English translation giueth it Feruentlie with all the heart and with all the soule and with all the might and so our loue become zeale which hath eaten vs vp we all in a zeale do loue the brethren Which condemneth my brethren the loue of these times the last I thinke in which it is come to passe as our Sauiour foretold that because iniquitie shall abounde the loue of manie yea manie brethren I had almost said towards brethren is waxen colde But to come to the third and last point whether wee loue little or whether wee loue much according to the measure of grace which wee haue receiued let vs yet loue purely and that loue which wee haue let it bee loue in deede Not euerie one sayeth Christ that sayth vnto me Lorde Mat. 7 22. Lorde that is which professeth himselfe my seruaunt shall enter into the Kingdome of Heauen but hee that dooth the will of my Father which is in Heauen Not euerie one that sayeth Brother Brother shall haue the prayse of true loue but hee that will doo for his brother indeede 2. Sam. 20 9 10. Not as Ioab which saluted Amasa and sayde Art thou in health my brother Faigned loue and hee tooke Amasa by the â—eard with the right hand to kisse him But with his sword he smote him in the fifth rib and shedde out his bowelles to the â—round This was not loue but dissimulation which ought to bee farre from the loue of brethren So the Apostle commaundeth in the twelfth to the RomaÌ„s Let loue saith he be without dissimulation Rom. 12 9 And Peter in the first Chapter of this Epistle requireth brotherly loue vnfaigned 1. Pet. 1 22 VVith brotherly loue vnfaigned saith hee not of a pure heart loue ye one another feruently Therefore this loue which kisseth killeth which marrieth and burieth all in a day is not worthy of mention with the loue of brethren No nor a better loue then this Idle loue a better I call it because it doth no harme and yet is not good inough because it dooth no good If a brother or asister saith Iames be naked Iam. 2 15 16 and destitute of daily foode and one of you say vnto him Depart in peace beeye warmed and be yee filled not withstanding yee giue them not those things that are needefull for the body what helpeth it This lip-loue Saint Iames refuseth and Saint Iohn wil none of it saying in his first Epistle and third Chapter My little children let vs not loue in word neither in tongue onely but in deede and in truth 1 Ioan. 3 18 As if there were no trueth in loue without the deede if do it can and doth it not And yet againe there is another loue not aright which doth some good and leadeth to some duties which are profitable but not for loue sake but because wee receiued some good before or may receiue profit by the fame againe And this we may call a seruile loue Seruile loue because it worketh for wages and nothing els and is no better as our Sauiour teacheth vs but that sinners and Publicans may haue the like Matth 5 46 47. Luke 6 32 33. But to leaue these loues which are none of ours to note that which indeede the Apostle meaneth Simple loue it is a simple loue pure voyde of all respects loueth the brethren for the brethrens sake Of which we may say as SalomoÌ„ speaketh in the fourteenth of Prouerbs of the sense and iudgement of the mind towards mirth or mourning The mind saith hee acknowledgeth his own bitternes Prou. 14 10 or what is better to it selfe and in the mirth therof no strange thing doth mixt it selfe That is it trieth al things and taketh what it loueth leaueth what it liketh not And euen so this loue of brethren it hath her proper iudgemeÌ„t nothing it aloweth but what is like hir self It admitteth no respects of rich or poore wise or vnwise strong or weak profitable or vnprofitable but looketh to the brotherbood or coÌ„pany of brethren as Peter requireth in the name of brethreÌ„ as Christ speaketh in the tenth of Matthew Matth. 10 that is as brethren and in the onely nature of Brethren it embraceth them and nothing in them besides Paul saluteth Timothie thus Vnto Timothie my naturall Sonne in the faith 1. Tim. 1 2 so calling him because he had a true and a naturall faith For there is a naturall faith which bringeth foorth a naturall loue of which wee speake and there is a bastard faith of which is ingendred a bastard loue of false Brethren These also are amongst vs but they are not of vs and how little worth their loue is I neede not speake the white of in egge or a sticke hath as much tast as it And these as they lie in out way needes wee must deale with them
the heardes to feede and to lie together yea for the members of the body to liue moue together for loue is as it were the life and soule of the Brethren And therfore it is monstriloco a monster to see Brethren not to loue together And when it fel out otherwise in the Church of Corinth it seemed so absurd and strange to the Apostle that he maketh as it were an outcrie vpon it as if they had lost their wisedome and almost their wits that some brethreÌ„ fel out others could suffer it I speake it to your shame saith he is it so that there is not a wise man amongst you 1. Cor. 6 5 6 seq no not one that can iudge betweene his Brethren but a Brother goeth to Lawe with a brother and that vnder the Infidels Now therefore there is altogether infirmitie in you in that you go to Law one with another VVhy rather suffer yee not wrong VVhy rather sustaine yee not harme Nay you your selues doo wrong and doo harme and that to your Brethren There is the wonder But to speake more distinctly of this loue we may shortly consider in it these three points before mentioned first the continuance secondly the increase and thirdly the perfection or rather the synceritie and puritie of our loue For the first in the thirteenth to the Hebrewes and first Let brotherly loue continue Heb. 13.1 saith the Apostle that is see that it breake not off but run in one threed and hold together vnto the end For the reward is certain For as the apostle exhorteth the Galathians saying Gal 6. â— Let vs not be wearie of well doing for in time wee shall reape if wee faint not So because nothing is better then loue let vs not be wearie of louing for in time wee shall reape if we faint not And indeed why should we leaue so good a thing which wee cannot do but we are in danger to fall into the contrarie For anger it selfe what is it but a breach of loue of which the Apostle faith Be angry and sinne not Ephes 4 26 Let not the Sunne go downe vppon your wrath neither giue place vnto the diuell who quickly taketh it and tempteth vnto discord And besides it is a goodly thing to see the streame of loue runne cleare without troubling as Salomon speaketh of the prosperitie and aduersitie of the righteous in the fiue and twentieth of Prouerbs Prou. 25 29 As a fountain trampled with the feete or a spring mard so is the iust which is remooued before the wicked The prosperitie of the iust is the cleare spring and the aduersitie of the same is the spring troubled and euen so the course of our loue continued is the cleare spring and it is a goodly thing to see it cleare as stil it woulde bee were it not for troubling And therefore Paule in a certaine holy impaciencie and zealous desire of the continuance of the loue of the Galathians exclaimeth thus Vtinam abscindantur qui vos conturbant Gal 5 12 I woulde they were euen cut off that trouble you And also wee ought to looke the more vnto our loue that it breake not with any brother that loueth vs because the kinde heart is soonest and deepest wounded and the cure thereof is verie hard Of which Salomon sayeth in the eighteenth of the Prouerbs Prou. 18 19 A brother offended is harder to win then a strong Citie and their contentions are like the barre of a Pallace And yet wee denie not but as the Sunne sometimes is darkned by the Clowdes engendred of some grosse exhalations from the earth so the light of our loue is misted and the heat thereof rebated by some sinister and corrupt affections of our fleshly nature And as in phrenetical persons we see that they haue their lucida interualla bright and calme inter missions which are not in the nature of the disease So the louing brethren haue turbida interualla their troubled fittes which are not in the nature of their loue And therefore as the Sunne at the last breaketh through the mist and cloude and those that are taken with the phrenzie returne to their madnesse as before so the brethren to their loue which no more can bee parted or depart from their hearts then the light from the Sunne or life from the soule which is impossible And therefore as Pharaoh notwithstanding his sundrie pretenses yea his purposes and permissions and at the last his owne fact in letting the Israelites go out of his land returned to his owne nature repenting where bee should not and followeth after the same people to bring them backe whome himself by commandement had sent away so on the other side brethreÌ„ notwithstanding for a season they haue a bent another way which leadeth from their loue as blinded with errour tempted by Satan and carried with the violence of their affections yet time will trie them and if they bee brethren they will come to themselues and their loue agained notwithstanding some vnkindnesse for a season For greater is hee that is in vs sayeth Iohn then hee that is in the worlde 1 Iohn 4 4 And as Paule in the fifth of the first to Timothie 1. Tim. 5 24 25 speaketh of two sorts of Ministers the one hypocriticall deceiuing the Church at the first and prouing bad at the last of whom he sayth some mens sinnes or faults are open before hande and go before vnto iudgement but some mâ—â—â— follow afâ—â— and the others such who â—houghâ—â—â— yâ—â—leâ—iâ—e and are negâ—ligent and buâ—â—â— their giftes for a season yet comming to themselues againe and as it were reuiâ—ing doo afterwardes shewe the fruits of their labour and approue themselues to the Church of God and of these he sayth in the words next following Likewise also the good workes are manifest before hande and they that are otherwise 〈◊〉 bee hid So may wee say comparing the brethren vnto this better sort of Ministers that though some of them sometimes breake off from that course of loue which they ought to continue and sleepe in the forgetfulnesse of their dutie as of both sorts of virgins both the wise and the foolish it is sayde they slepâ—â— yet the brethren euen all cope haue Oyle in their Lampes and their loue awaketh with them and embraceth the brethren whome before it did not And the good workes of their oâ—e which at their first calling appeared and were manifest to all men yet altered â—orâ— a time and carried into other behauiors and bee seeming the course which first began cannot be hid as sayeth Paule but shall be seene to be â—â—â—o such at the last as they were at the first For loue breaketh through all lettes and passeth by 〈◊〉 couereth the multitude of sinnes suffering all things 1. Cor. 13 7 â—â—â—â—â—ning all things hoping all things â—ddâ—â—ing all things at the handes of our brethren And with a godlie sorrowe worketh repentaunce and reformation
of sâ—attery that I am ashamed to name it and yet many make a pride and a vertue of it as if vertue were made of words as the wood of trees therfore thus forsooth father brother vncle cosen captaine master when indeed there is no such maner link or baÌ„d between theÌ„ And when they light on any of these or any other their louers friends vpoÌ„ whom they will bestow any of this court-holy-water theÌ„ cap knee smooth fine words low curtify and broad imbracing as if we would reach them a peece of our heart But if any of these need our help that is honor in deed then S. Iames his charitie Abite cumpace calesâ—ite saturaâ—ini Goin peace bee yee warmed and filled but we giue them not the things that are fit for the bodie I am 2 6 VVhat profite is in this saith the Apostle And yet wee are so vsed to this vnprofitable yea reprochfull honour that wee cannot leaue it but euen when wee haue in hande some mischiefe towarde men they shall yet haue some of this honour therwhile to hide it like that was bestowed on our Sauiour Haile King of the Iewes and smite him on the face Or as Iudas Haile Maister kisse him and betray him And yet my brethren neither this nor any thing which before hath beene taught vs is brought to abridge all outwarde honour or shew of outward reuerence Which wee acknowledge also to bee due Suo modo in a certaine manner euen from all men to all men and from each man to each and euerie man as is the other honour in fact before meÌ„tioned Which as it is indeed harder and asketh cost and therfore also is more high and excellent so this likewise is of that praise price that it ought not to be neglected but embraced of vs. For God hath so imprinted his owne Image in vs that each man moued with a proper and serious sense of his sinnes acknowledgeth his owne basenesse and giueth reuerence vnto him which scarcely will acknowledge it to bee due vnto him because hee feeleth his sinnes as the other doth And here is a right good straining of curtesie when as Peter willeth vs in the fifth Chapter of this Epistle we submit our selues euerie man one to another 1. Pet â— 5 According also to that golden rule of the Apostle in the second to the Philippians Let euerie man thinke better of another then of himselfe And in the 12. Philip. 2 3 to the Romans In giuing honour Rom. 12 10 go one before another This would take vs downe from the vpper ende of the table and make vs of our selues seeke the Luke 14 7 8 c. lower roomes first and then the maister of the house woulde set vs vp highen For this modestie is amiable and this humilitie honourable And therefore no maruaile if the good man of the house be so delighted with it that he vouch safeth it the highest roome at the ende of the Table This is meant by our Apostle in the 5. chapter and 5 vers of this Epistle saying Decke your selues inwardly with low lines of mind 1. Pet. 5 5 Marke there is a maruellous decking beautie ornament in modestie But he saith It is inward in the hid man of the heart and yet so that it sheweth it selfe outwarde or else it were nothing worth as Salomon sayeth in the 27. of the Prouerbes Better is open rebuke then secrete loue Yea it so sheweth it selfe in the bodie prou 2â— 5 that it decketh adorneth and beautifieth the bodie so as all men shall honour vs when the bragger shall go by with contempt and scorne For so it is added by the Apostle as a reason to perswade vs to embrace this dutie For God sayeth hee resisteth the proude VVhat is that To wit this Proude persons looke for more then is due vnto them but they shall not haue it They would be honoured of all Tanquâ—â— minores Dii as little Gods but they shall bee broken of their willes For as they haue measured vnto others so shall it be measured to them againe They haue shewed in the pride of their mindes contempt and disdain to others and they shal reape it seuen fold again into their bosoms For thus I take Saint Peter to expounde that place of the Prouerbes the third Chapter the soure and thirtieth verse prou 3 34 VVith the scorner he scorneth Then it followeth in the verie words that Peter alleageth But hee giueth grace that is to say fauour loue honour and acceptation both with God and men vnto the lowlie As it is saide of our Sauiour Christ that hee grewe in wisedome Luke 2 52 and stature and in fauour both with God and men And why Because as well in this lowlinesse and humilitie no doubt as in all other vertues it was necessarie that hee shoulde bee our most perfect patterne and leaue vs an example that wee shoulde followe his steppes and acknowledge no lesse by his personall humilitie then by his doctrine taught vs in the fourteenth of Luke that hee that exalteth him selfe shall bee brought lowe Luke 14 and hee that humbleth himselfe shall bee exalted Fie vpon therefore this outwarde flaunt of apparell this bragging behauiour and coy countenaunces of manie in this age of most corrupt manners which would seeme to snatch honour to themselues and euen force it from vs. But they must remember as Aristotle sayth Honorest in honorante non in honorate Honour is in him that honoureth not in him that is honoured And therefore thou maist happily be despised of others euen when thou deseruest to bee honoured much more shalt thou be sure to go without this honour when by this ambitious humour of crauing honour thou deseruest no honour but contempt But heere wee are to obserue a distinction For as before in the honour of fact hee owed most that had receiued most to doo good vnto others according to his quantity so in this outward honour or honour of outwarde reuerence it falleth our contrarie that hee oweth most vnto others that hath receiued lesse then others For so it is in the ciuil bodies and bodies politike at in the natural bodie wherein one member hath receiued more or lesse honour then another and all lesse then the head as Paul also sheweth vs in the 12. of the first too the Corinthians that in a certaine varietie as well in this as in sundry other things there might be a maruailous consent and harmony For God is not the author of confusion but of peace 1. Cor. 14.33 And as one starre differeth from another starre in glorie for the beauty of the heauens so one man differeth from another in glory to the beauty of the earth And therfore there is now in some the honour of age which is not in others in some the honor of wisedom vertue not in others in some the honor of
but still we scare them as a quauer mice that shalâ—eth vnder vs sometime or other they will deceiue vs. The Apostle in the eleuenth of the second to the Corinthians reckoning vp all his â—eâ—illes to make vpâ—e the heape 1. Cor 11 26 at last addeth this Iâ— perilles amongst false brethren And who of vs my Brethren in casting vp the summe of all our troubles can leaue out this In perils of false brethren or if for the present wee can the time may come that it may be added For the broode of Ismael doth spawne apace Hee that eate bread with me Psal 41 10 Ioan. 13 18 hath lift vp his heele against me saith Dauid saith Christ And how should anie Christian looke for better Most men saith Salomon in the twelfth of Prouerbs Do prayse each man his own kindnesse but who can finde a faithfull man Prou. 3 6 to wit which sheweth so much as hee saith he is Thus many say they loue but proofe maketh all VVherefore saith the Apostle to the Corinthians 2. Cor 8 24 in the second Epistle and eight Chapter Shew towardes them to wit Titus and another brother sent vnto them shew saith he towardes them and before the Churches the proofe of your loue and of the reioycing that wee haue of you And what proose or testimonie of our loue my Brethren shall I call for heere surely none at this time but this which none will denie but loue will yeelde it or none at all it is so light it is so little and yet I would to GOD our loue would yeeld it And this it is namely that at the least we would come together and see one another and talke together as louing brethren of our father and of our mother and of our elder Brother in whome and whose loue wee are adopted children of theyr loue towardes vs and our faith towards them as likewise of our loue one towardes another of our necessities of our afflictions of our ioyes and comforts of our hope of our happinesse of the crowne of our inheritaunce laide vp in heauen further to instruct to exhort to comfort to admonish and edifie one another Without the which I see not how loue can worke Wherefore the Apostle in the tenth to the Hebrewes exhorteth thus Heb. 10 24 25 Consider sayth hee one another to prouoke vnto loue and to good workes Then hee sheweth the meane Not forsaking saith hee the fellowshippe that wee haue amongst our selues as the manner of sonne is And who are those some but euen wee which shoulde consider one another to prouoke vnto loue and to good workes which wee do verie little and all because wee forsake the fellow shippe that wee haue or should haue amongst our selues each man contenting himselfe with himselfe when lawfully and without let wee might ioyne with many Brethren Did Christ so who neuer almost went without his Brethren or did Paul so who so earnestly prayed for a iourney to Rome to see the faithful For I long saith he to see you that I might bestow among you some spirituall gift that you might be strongthened that is that I might be comforted saith out Translation together with you But the words of the Originall I interpret thus That there might be ioynt exhortation amongst you that is that I might exhort together with you or ioyne my exhortaion togither with yours For this is the spirituall gift which beforech saith he reth to bestow vpon them by their â—â—â—tall faith that is by each others gift and knowledge in the faith or doctrine of faith both theirs and his But all are not Apostles all are not ministers Yea but are all brethren as the Thessalonians and the Apostle in the sift of the first exhorteth thus 1. Thes 5 11 VVherefore exhort one another and edifie one another euen as yee do Which how can it be better done then wheÌ„ we come together Which though it be not alwaies nor cannot be yet as ofte as it may bee let it bee my brethren and when it may not be let it be as it may And howe is that let the hand be the mouth and the penne our speech and our Epiftles and Letters as the liuely characters of our hearts and mindes let them present vs vnto the bretheren For I am ashamed almost to thinke that wee are not ashamed of so many bunches and bags full of Letters written onely for the things of this perishing life and scarse one or two in a yeere if anie at all sent or receiued of this kinde I meane concerning the loue of Brethren As if neither Saint Peter here nor any Apostle besides had euer saide Loue the brotherhood or as if we could loue them and do nothing for them neuer so much as fee them speake with them or heare how they do And this deerely beloued maketh our greater and publike assemblies which what are they also but certaine holy communications betweene God his people when either hee by the word preached doth speake vnto vs or wee by our prayers do speake vnto him this I say maketh them so colde and fruitlesse that afterwards wee putte our sparkles on the cold hearth single our selues one from another haue not these priuate and lesser meetings betweene our selues to confer of the things which we heard before As if before we had assembled but for a fashion onely which is not to assemble but to dissemble Paul though absent in the flesh Colossi 2 5 yet was present in the spirit reioycing as himselfe sayth and beholding the order of the Colossians in comming together But wee as present in the body but absent in the spirit which is absence indeede haue no such ioy in the vnities and societies of our holy Brethren Whereby wee euen hazard the loosing of our Fathers blessing who loueth to call vs and to see vs togither and then and there to blesse vs as Iacob his ' children Gen. 49 1 2 whome hee called togither and then hee blessed them For this is a promise to the plurall number not so expressely giuen vnto the singular VVhere two or three are gathered togither in my name Matt. 18.20 there am I in the middest of them And in the hundred thirtie and third Psalme Psal 133 Beholde sayeth Dauid howe good and pleasant a thing it is brethren to dwell togither in vnitie It is like the precious Oyntment vppon the heade that ranne downe vnto the bearde euen vnto Aarons beard and went downe to the skirtes of his cloathing Like as the dewe of Hermon which fell vpon the Hill of Sion And why so precious and why so pleasaunt The reason is added Verse 3. For there this worde hee vseth significantlie and as we say emphaticallie there as if hee sayde there and not else-where as there The Lord promiseth his blessing and life for euermore Balaam beguiled with the wages of vnrighteousnesse Iude ver 11 Num. 22 13 woulde haue cursed the righteous And yet hee cryeth out Let my soule die the death of the iust Num. 23 10 and let my latter ende bee like vnto theirs All woulde die the death of the brethren and manie professe the faith of brethren but all will not liue the life of the brethren for the life of the brethren is their loue which dieth not but liueth euer 1. Cor. 13 13 As Paule sayeth Nowe abideth faith hope and loue euen these three But the chiefest of these is loue For it abydeth nowe and euer Whereupon Saint Iohn concludeth thus and with this I conclude also By this wee knowe that we are translated from death to life 1. Iohn 3.14 because wee loue the brethren For wee and our loue must liue togither The God of peace and loue encrease this loue and knowledge in vs and present vs blamelesse in his sight through Iesus Christ to whom be prayse for euer Amen FINIS