The true and only way of concord of all the Christian churches the desirableness…

Obj. But why then is the world still unconverted, when all true Christians have this love?

Ans. 1. Alas, those true Christians are so few, and the hypocrites that are selfish worldlings are so many, that the poor people that live among professed Christians, do judge of Christianity by those false professors, who are indeed no Christians: Men see not the hearts of one another. Thousands of ungodly persons, for interest, education and custom take on them the name of Christians, who never were such indeed by heart-consent. When these counterfeit Christians live like Infidels, men think that Christians are no better than Infidels: For they think they must judge by the greater number of such as go under the Christian name. But if the world could tell who they be that are truly Christians at the heart, they would see that they have that spirit of Love, which is not in unbelievers. 2. And alas the Love and Unity even of true Christians is yet too imperfect, and is darkened and blemished with too much of the contrary vice: were Christians perfect Christians, they would indeed be the honour of their profession. Then Love would be the powerful principle of all their works; which would ⟨p. 64⟩taste of its nature, and, as it is said of Wine, Judg. 9. 13. it cheereth God and man, so I may say, God and man would be delighted in the sweetness of these fruits: For with such Sacrifice God is well pleased, Heb. 13. 16. But alas what crabbed and contrary fruits, how sour, how bitter do many distempered Christians bring forth? If it will increase the Church, and win men to the Love of Christianity, to be reviled or persecuted, to be contemned and neglected, to be separated from as persons unworthy of our-love and kindness, then Christianity will not want propagators: The pouring out of the Spirit, was the first planting of the Christian Church: And where there is most of Love, there is most of the spirit. As there needeth no forcing penal Laws, to compel men to obey God so far as Love prevaileth in them; so if Love were more eminent in the Church Pastors and Professors, that they preached and ruled and lived towards all men in the power of sincere and fervent Love, there would be less pretence for all that violence, oppression and cruelty, which hath been long exercised by the worldly Clergy, and so much the more odiously by how much the more the sacred name of Religion hath been used for its justification or excuse.