Irenicum, to the lovers of truth and peace heart-divisions opened in the causes and…

8. Love.

That is the special uniting grace; Faith indeed hath the preeminence in our union with Christ our head, but Love is the grace that unites the members. 1 Cor. 13. the Apostle shows many of the fruits of this grace, all tending to union and peace; It suffers long, it envies not, it is not puffed up, it behaves not it self unseemly, it seeketh not her own, it is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Bearing all things and enduring all things seem to be the same. Therefore some would have it,¹ it covereth all things, for so the word also signifies; but there is a greater elegance in it, in the Translation, beareth all things, it is like the cross main beam in a house, supporting the whole building: and were it not for some who have the love of God and his truth, and the good of the public, enabling them to undergo what they do, more then any encouragement from men, all things in Church and State would be ready to fall into confusion, to be nothing but a heap of rubbish; but this love enables to bear all things. But if they have no encouragement, but see that though they hazard themselves never so much, be of never so great use, do the greatest services that can be expected from men, yet when mens turns are served, they are little regarded, but envied and narrowly watched, to spy out any thing that may have some show of excepting against them, and left to shift for themselves as well as they can, when they might justly expect a great reward of their services, yet are disappointed, their hearts are grieved. But yet because they are acted by a principle of love to God, his cause, the public, they therefore still hold out, go on in their way, labour to be as instrumental as they can for good, commit themselves and all their endeavours to God, expecting encouragement from him, and so they endure all things: such men are worth their weight