A30241:2003
CXLV expository sermons upon the whole 17th chapter of the Gospel according to St.…
CXLV expository sermons upon the whole 17th chapter of the Gospel according to St. John, or, Christs prayer before his passion explicated, and both practically and polemically improved by Anthony Burgess ...
London: printed by Abraham Miller for Thomas Underhill, 1656
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Sermon 82: Of Wicked mens hating the Godly, the Causes, Effects, and Properties of it.
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.
1Secondly, The cause of their hatred may be reduced to two Heads: 1. The contrariety that is between the nature and actions of the Godly, So that they do not love any godly man, no nor such as never had any commerce with them or meddling with them; There is an Odium naturale, which ariseth from the nature of things, Such an antipathy is often mentioned by Writers, the Serpent that is young though never hurt by any man, yet because they know them of such a stamp they cannot love them; It being natural, they cannot give any Reason, Hoc tantum possum dicere, non amo te: You do not love him, why did he ever weary you? Did he ever speak to you? No, but yet he cannot love him, so that as love consists in the consonancy and conveniency of the good thing loved; Thus hatred is in the dissonancy and contrariety of that to us which we hate.
1Secondly, The cause of their hatred may be reduced to two Heads: 1. The contrariety that is between the nature and actions of the Godly, So that they do not love any godly man, no nor such as never had any commerce with them or medling with them; There is an Odium naturale, which ariseth from the nature of things, Such an antipathy is often mentioned by Writers, the Serpent that is young though never hurt by any man, yet because they know them of such a stamp they cannot love them; It being natural, they cannot give any Reason, Hoc tantum possum dicere, non amo te: You do not love him, why did he ever weary you? Did he ever speak to you? No, but yet he cannot love him, so that as love consists in the consonancy and conveniency of the good thing loved; Thus hatred is in the dissonancy and contrariety of that to us which we hate.
- 1II. The Causes of it.
The 2d cause of hatred is Ignorance, when men know not that Excellency and worth which is in such persons, and the just cause of love, which if we did we should quickly lay aside our hatred, and truly in a great measure the world hateth because of their ignorance; They know not what Godliness is, nor what godly men are; They know not their lives, their aims, their ends, but judge of them as hypocrites, proud, and minding only self-ends, and therefore their hatred increaseth; Thus the Apostle saith, If they had known what Christ was, they would never have crucified him,