Secondly, he that truly loves the brethren, loves all the brethren;1 he that loves not all the Saints,2 loves no Saint aright:3 a true ⟨p. 49⟩Christian hath not the glorious faith of Christ in respect of persons, he loves the poorest, if he have true grace, aswell as the richest,4 yea he loves the absent aswell as the present, yea he loves for the truths sake those he never saw yet this hinders not the difference of degrees of love, so as some may be more beloved then others, and that by reason of the greater measure of Gods gifts and graces, or else, by the special providence of God when ⟨p. 50⟩the Lord linketh the affection of some Christians in some special eminency of respects; and so it is not alway needful, that the persons most loved, be most gracious; it doth not of necessity follow that John was the most gracious of all the Apostles, though he were most beloved.
Secondlie, hee that truely loues the brethren, loues all the brethren;1 hee that loues not all the Saints,2 loues no Saint aright:3 a true ⟨p. 49⟩Christian hath not the glorious faith of Christ in respect of persons, he loues the poorest, if he haue true grace, aswell as the richest,4 yea he loues the absent aswell as the present, yea he loues for the truths sake those he neuer saw yet this hinders not the difference of degrees of loue, so as some may be more beloued then others, and that by reason of the greater measure of Gods gifts and graces, or els, by the speciall prouidence of God when ⟨p. 50⟩the Lord linketh the affection of some Christians in some speciall eminencie of respects; and so it is not alwaie needefull, that the persons most loued, bee most gracious; it doth not of necessitie follow that Iohn was the most gracious of al the Apostles, though hee were most beloued.
- 1Eph. 1. 15.
- 2Col. 1. 4.
- 3Phile. 5.
- 4[…]〈…〉
