A27054:133
The true and only way of concord of all the Christian churches the desirableness…
The true and only way of concord of all the Christian churches the desirableness of it, and the detection of false dividing terms / opened by Richard Baxter.
London: printed for John Hancock, 1680
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
41. This holy Love which is gods Image, (for God is Love) usually beginneth at things visible, as being the nearest objects to man in flesh; And as we see •od here as in a glass, so we first see the Glass, before we see God in it; And accordingly we first see the Goodness and Loveliness of Gods blessings […] ⟨p. 23⟩us, and of good people, and of good words and actions; But yet when we come up to the Love of God, it is H• that is the chiefest object, in whom all the Church by Love is centred: so that we thenceforth Love God for himself, and all his servants and word as for his sake and impress on them. And our Union by Love would not be perfect, if it United us together only among our selves, and did not Unite us all in God and our Redeemer. So that the Unity of the spirit is the Love of God in Christ and of all the faithful, (yea and of all men so far as God appeareth in them) to which Gods spirit strongly inclineth all true believers; including holy Life and Light, as tending to this Unity of spiritual Love.
41. This holy Love which is gods Image, (for God is Love) usually beginneth at things visible, as being the nearest objects to man in flesh; And as we see •od here as in a glass, so we first see the Glass, before we see God in it; And accordingly we first see the Goodness and Loveliness of Gods blessings 〈…〉 ⟨p. 23⟩us, and of good people, and of good words and actions; But yet when we come up to the Love of God, it is H• that is the chiefest object, in whom all the Church by Love is centred: so that we thenceforth Love God for himself, and all his servants and word as for his sake and impress on them. And our Vnion by Love would not be perfect, if it United us together only among our selves, and did not Unite us all in God and our Redeemer. So that the Vnity of the spirit is the Love of God in Christ and of all the faithful, (yea and of all men so far as God appeareth in them) to which Gods spirit strongly enclineth all true believers; including holy Life and Light, as tending to this Vnity of spiritual Love.