A treatise of miscellany questions wherein many useful questions and cases of conscience are…A treatise of miscellany questions wherein many usefull questions and cases of conscience are…

'Tis objected, that a soul must be exceedingly puzzled with ⟨p. 254⟩this mark of love to the brethren, before it can clear the case¹ that it belongs to Christ, for if you will try your self by this mark, you must know first what it is to love the brethren, secondly, that they are the brethren whom you love. The nature of love is described, 1 Cor: 13. 4, 5, 6, 7. Charity, (or love) suffereth long, and is kind: Charity envieth not▪ Charity vaunteth not it self: is not puffed up, doeth not behave it self unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth: beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Come now, and bring your hearts to these particulars in your examination.. Is there no envying in me at all towards the Brethren? Is there no thinking evil of any of the Brethren? Is there no seeking my self, or my own good in my love to them? Is there a bearing all things for their sakes? Is there no being puffed up, or vaunting above the brethren? Is there no thinking better of my self, then of them?—So that a soul must attain to a mighty high measure of sanctification and victory over a mans self, before it can reach to this to say, I love the Brethren. But suppose you find all this love in your selves, do you know they are the brethren you love; you know the brother-hood consi•s in being united unto Christ, that is an invisible thing, none can know it but God only; no man can say, such a one is a brother. And if you say, though I am not certain that he is a Brother, yet I love him under the notion of a brother: to this it is replied: Take all the Sects in the world, they will love their own Sects as Brethren: And after a description of the Antinomians, 'tis added, These are the Brethren; do you love these men? Oh, there are many that go by signs and marks, that cannot endure the Brethren, they go with them under the name of Libertines. I have now the objection before me, as full and strong as one of the best gifted Antinomians of this age could make it. For answer whereunto I will demonstrate these three things. 1. That this objection ⟨p. 255⟩destroys as much and more, their own exposition of this Text in