A35541:39
The nature and principles of love, as the end of the commandment declared in…
The nature and principles of love, as the end of the commandment declared in some of the last sermons of Mr. Joseph Caryl ; with an epistle prefixed by John Owen ...
London : Printed, and are to be sold by John Hancock, senior and junior ..., 1673
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
Q. Well but what is Indeed the Charity, or Love, here Intended in the Scripture?
A. I answer, first, I conceive the Love here Intended, Is not love to God, though that is Love above all things, and the most excellent end of the Commandment, yet I conceive in this place, 'tis Charity, or Love to Man, which is here meant. And my Reason is this, why I restrain it here to the Love of Man, because the Apostle speaks of charity in opposition to those Fables, and questions which false teachers were like to raise ⟨p. 13⟩up in the Church. The end of the Commandment is charity, that all may be peaceable and quiet among the Brethren: and he saith at verse 7. From which some having swerved, (from charity) shot quite beside it, saith he, they are turned aside unto vain Jangling, so that if we consider either the Antecedents of the text, or the consequents, it seems he confines charity, or Love here spoken of to that love or charity which is among men, among Brethren, that's one thing.
Secondly, Charity here with respect to Brethren, is not that charity which doth consist in opening our hand to relieve the poor, though that is a most excellent piece of charity, (and I pray Remember it) too pen your hand to the relieving of the poor, yet I conceive that's not the charity here meant, but the charity here meant, is charity in the uniting our hearts, and in the closing of our affections one with another, and then,