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On Christian Love and Charity.

OF all things that be good to be taught unto Christian people, there is nothing more necessary to be spoken of, and daily called upon, than charity; as well for that all manner of works of righteousness be contained in it, as also that the decay thereof is the ruin or fall of the world, the banishment of virtue, and the cause of all vice. And forsomuch as almost every man maketh and frameth to himself charity after his own appetite, and how detestible soever his life be both unto God and man, yet he persuadeth himself still that he hath charity: therefore you shall hear now a true and plain description or setting forth of charity, not of men's imagination, but of the very words and example of our Saviour Jesus Christ: in which description or setting forth, every man (as it were in a glass) may consider himself, and see plainly without error, whether he be in the true charity or not.

Charity is, to love God with all our heart, all our soul, and all our powers and strength. With all our heart; that is to say, that our heart, mind, and study be set to believe his word, to trust in him, and to love him, above all other things that we love best in heaven or in earth. With all our life; that is to say, that our chief joy and delight be set upon him and his honour, and our whole life given unto the service of him above all things, with him to live and die, and to forsake all other things rather than him: for he that loveth his father or mother, son or daugh

Matt. x.

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ter, house or land, more than me, saith Christ, is not worthy to have me. With all our power; that is to say, that with our hands and feet, with our eyes and ears, our mouths and tongues, and with all our parts and powers both of body and soul, we should be given to the keeping and fulfilling of his commandments. This is the first and principal part of charity; but it is not the whole; for charity is also to love every man, good and evil, friend and foe; and whatsoever cause be given to the contrary, yet nevertheless to bear good will and heart unto every man, to use ourselves well unto them, as well in words and countenances, as in all our outward acts and deeds; for so Christ himself taught, and so also he performed indeed. Of the love of God he taught on this wise, unto a doctor of the law, that asked him which was the great and chief commandment in the law: love the Lord God, said Christ, with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. And of the love that we ought to have among ourselves to each other, he teacheth us thus: you have heard it taught in times past, thou shalt love thy friend, and hate thy foe: but I tell you, love your enemies, speak well of them that defame and speak evil of you, do well to them that hate you, pray for them that vex and persecute you, that you may be the children of your Father that is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise both upon the evil and good, and sendeth rain to the just and unjust. For if you love them that love you, what reward shall you have? do not the publicans likewise? and if you speak well only of them that be your brethren and dearly beloved friends, what great matter is that? do not the heathen the same also? these be the very words of our Saviour Christ himself, touching the love of our neighbour. And forasmuch as the Pharisees (with their most pestilent traditions, and

Matt. v. xxii.

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false interpretations and glosses) had corrupted and almost clearly stopped up this pure well of God's lively word, teaching that this love and charity pertained only to men's friends, and that it was suf ficient for a man to love them which do love him, and hate his foes; therefore Christ opened this well again, purged it and scoured it, by giving unto his godly law of charity, a true and clear interpretation, which is this; that we ought to love every man, both friend and foe, adding thereto what commodity we shall have thereby, and what incommodity by doing the contrary. What thing can we wish so good for us, as the eternal heavenly Father to reckon and take us for his children? and this we shall be sure of, saith Christ, if we love every man without exception. And if we do otherwise, saith he, we be no better than the Pharisees, Publicans, and Heathen, and shall have our reward with them, that is, to be shut out from the number of God's chosen children, and from his everlasting inheritance in heaven.

Thus of true charity, Christ taught that every man is bound to love God above all things, and to love every man, friend and foe; and this likewise he did use himself, exhorting his adversaries, rebuking the faults of his adversaries; and when he could not amend them, yet he prayed for them. First, he loved God his Father above all things; so much, that he sought not his own glory and will, but the glory and will of his Father. I seek not, said he, mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. Nor refused he to die, to satisfy his Father's will, saying, If it may be, let this cup of death pass from me; if not, thy will be done, and not mine. He loved not only his friends, but also his enemies, which (in their hearts) bore exceeding great hatred against him, and with their tongues spake all evil of him, and in their

John vi. Matt. xxvi.

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acts and deeds pursued him with all their might and power, even unto death: yet all this notwithstanding, he withdrew not his favour from them, but still loved them, preached unto them of love, rebuked their false doctrine, their wicked living, and did good unto them, patiently taking whatsoever they spake or did against him. When they gave him evil words, he gave none evil again; when they did strike him, he did not smite them again; and when he suffered death, he, did not slay them, nor threaten them, but prayed for them, and did put all things to his Father's will. And as a sheep that is led unto the shambles to be slain, and as a lamb that is shorn of his fleece, maketh no noise nor resistance; even so he went to his death without any repugnance, or opening of his mouth to say any evil. Thus have I set forth unto you what charity is, as well by the doctrine, as by the example of Christ himself, whereby also every man may, without error, know himself, what state and condition he standeth in, whether he be in charity (and so the child of the Father in heaven) or not. For although almost every man persuadeth himself to be in charity, yet let him examine none other man but his own heart, his life and conversation, and he shall not be deceived, but truly discern and judge, whether he be in perfect charity or not. For he that followeth not his own appetite and will, but giveth himself earnestly to God, to do all his will and commandments, he may be sure that he loveth God above all things; and else, surely he loveth him not, whatsoever he pretend: as Christ said, If ye love me, keep my commandments. For he that knoweth my commandments, and keepeth them, be it is, saith Christ, that loveth me. And again he saith, He that loveth me, will keep my words, and my Father will love

John xiv.

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him, and we will both come to him, and dwell with him: and he that loveth me not, will not keep my words. And likewise he that beareth a good heart and mind, and useth well his tongue and deeds unto every man, friend and foe, he may know thereby that he hath charity. And then he is sure that Almighty God taketh him for his dearly beloved Son; as St. John saith, Hereby manifestly are known the children of God from the children of the Devil; for whosoever doth not love his brother, belongeth not unto God.

Charity is generally understood to signify Almsgiving; but in this Homily it is put for Christian Love. The Greek word agape in 1 Cor. xiii. exactly answers to the English word LovE; and was so translated in all the Editions of the Bible that were successively published in Englund during the reign of King Edward the Sixth, Queen Elizabeth and King James the First: as also in the reign of King Charles the First; till about the year 1649, the time of the sitting of the Loug Parliament, when unhappily, the Latin word Charity was put in the place of the English word Love: an alteration which has rendered 1 Cor. xiii. 3. unintelligible. "Though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, (understand love) it profiteth me nothing."

The Second Part of the Sermon on Charity.

YOU have heard a plain and fruitful setting forth of charity, and how profitable and necessary a thing charity is; how charity stretcheth itself both to God and man, friend and foe, and that by the doctrine and example of Christ; and also who may certify himself whether he be in perfect charity or not. Now, as concerning the same matter, it followeth. The perverse nature of man, corrupt with sin, and destitute of God's word and grace, thinketh it against all reason, that a man should love his enemy, and

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