44. Love your enemies. This one point containeth in it all the former doctrine. For whosoever can frame his mind to love his enemies, will easily temper himself from all revenge, and will be patient in affliction: but much more ready to help those that be in misery. Further Christ in a few words showeth the way and manner of fulfilling this commandment: Love thy neighbour as thy self. For he shall never satisfy this commandment, that banisheth not the love of himself, or rather deny him self, and so make much of those men, which GOD hath joined to him, that he goeth on to love even those, of whom lie is hated. And by these words we learn, how far the faithful ought to be from revenge, wherein they are not only forbidden to ask of God, but so to remit & wholly to put our of their minds; so that they shall wish well to their enemies, yet in the mean while they cease not to commit their cause to God, until he take vengeance of the reprobate. For they desire as much as lieth in them, that the wicked should return to a perfect mind, & so they seek for their salvation, that they should not perish. Yet with this comfort they case all their troubles, that they doubt not, but that god will be a revē ger of that obstinate malice, that he might declare that he had a care of the innocent. This is a very hard thing, & altogether against the nature of flesh, to recompense good for evil: but we must not seek any excuse out of our faults or infirmities, but we must rather simply seek what the law of charity requireth that we using the power of the heavenly spirit, ⟨p. 185⟩and that by striving we might overcome what affections in us were contrary to the same. This was the cause why the monks and such like rabbles imagined that these were counsels and not precepts, because that they measured what was due to GOD and to his law, by the balance of mans strength. And yet the monks were not ashamed to challenge to themselves a perfection, because they did voluntarily bind themselves to observe his counsels, and how faithfully they perform the same which they do only usurp in words, I do now omit to say. And how preposterous and fond a devise it is of counsels, doeth hereof appear. First, because it cannot be said without injury to Christ, that he counselled his disciples, and did not according to his authority command that which was right.
44. Loue your enemies. This one poynt containeth in it all the former doctrine. For whosoeuer can frame his minde to loue his enemies, wyll easily temper himselfe from all reuenge, and wil be patient in affliction: but much more ready to help those that be in miserie. Further Christ in a few wordes sheweth the way and maner of fulfilling this commandement: Loue thy neighbour as thy selfe. For he shall neuer satisfie this cō maundement, that banisheth not the loue of himselfe, or rather deny him selfe, and so make much of those men, which GOD hath ioyned to him, that he goeth on to loue euen those, of whom lie is hated. And by these wordes we learne, how farre the faithfull ought to bee from reuenge, wherein they are not onely forbidden to aske of God, but so to remitte & wholy to put our of their minds; so that they shal wish wel to their enemies, yet in the meane while they cease not to cōmit their cause to God, vntill hee take vengeaunce of the reprobate. For they desire as muche as lyeth in them, that the wicked should return to a perfect mind, & so they seeke for their saluation, that they shuld not perish. Yet with this comfort they case al their troubles, that they doubt not, but that god wilbe a reuē ger of that obstinate malice, that he might declare yt he had a care of the innocent. This is a very hard thing, & altogether against the nature of flesh, to recompence good for euil: but we must not seeke any excuse out of our faultes or infirmities, but we must rather simplye seeke what the law of charitie requireth that we vsing the power of the heauenly spirit, ⟨p. 185⟩and that by striuing we might ouercome what affections in vs were cō trary to the same. This was the cause why the monkes and suche like rables imagined that these were counselles and not precepets, because that they measured what was due to GOD and to hys lawe, by the balance of mannes strength. And yet the monks were not ashamed to chalenge to themselues a perfection, because they did voluntarily bind themselues to obserue his counselles, and howe faithfully they performe the same which they doe onely vsurpe in woordes, I doe nowe omit to saye. And howe preposterous and fond a deuise it is of counsels, doeth heereof appeare. First, because it cannot be sayd without iniurie to Christ, that he counselled his disciples, and did not according to his authority command that whiche was righte.
