at withi nd por ven to сте ст whet and that it was sufficient for a man to love them which do love him, and to 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 shall we 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 thus 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 John v. 30. not, said he, mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. Nor he refused not to die, to satisfy his Father's will, saying, If it may be, let this cup of Matt. xxvi. death go from me; if not, thy will be done, and not 39, 42. mine. He loved also not only his friends, but also his enemies; which in their hearts bare exceeding great hatred against him, and in their tongues spake all evil of him, and in their 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 Isai. liii. 7; and or did against him. When they gave him evil words, he gave none evil again; when they did strike him, he did not smite 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 make no noise nor resistance, even so went he unto 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, he shall not be deceived, but truly decern 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 John xiv. 15, said, If ye love me, keep my commandments. For, He that knoweth my commandments and keepeth them, he it is, saith Christ, that loveth me. And again he saith, He that loveth me, will keep my word; and my Father will love 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 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 1 John iii. 1o. for his dear beloved son; as St. John saith, Herethen he is sure also that Almighty God taketh him by manifestly are known the children of God from children of the devil: for whosoever doth not love his 21, 23, 24. brother belongeth not unto God. the THE SECOND PART OF THE SERMON OF CHARITY. You have heard a plain and a fruitful setting will not for. er.emies. The perverse nature of man, corrupt with sin, Against carand destitute of God's word and grace, thinketh hai men, that it against all reason that a man should love his give their enemy, and hath many persuasions which bring him to the contrary. Against all which reasons we ought as well to set the teaching as the living of our Saviour Christ, who, loving us when we were his enemies, doth teach us to love our enemies. He did patiently take for us many reproaches, suffered beating and most cruel death. Therefore we be no members of him if we will not follow him. Christ, saith St. Peter, suffered for 1 Pet, ii, 2. us, leaving an example, that we should follow him. Furthermore, we must consider that to love our friends is no more but that which thieves, adulterers, homicides, and all wicked persons do; insomuch that Jews, Turks, infidels, and all brute beasts do love them that be their friends, of whom they have their living or any other benefits: but to love enemies is the proper condition only of them that be the children of God, the disciples and followers of Christ. Notwithstanding, man's froward and corrupt nature weigheth over deeply many times the offence and displeasure done unto him by enemies, and thinketh it a burden intolerable to be bound to love them that hate him. But the burden should be easy enough, if on the other side every man would consider what displeasure he A question. An answer. Charity hath two oflices. hath done to his enemy again, and what pleasure he hath received of his enemy. And, if we find no equal (or even) recompence neither in receiving pleasures of our enemy nor in requiting displea sures unto him again, then let us ponder the displeasures which we have done against Almighty God, how often and how grievously we have offended him; whereof if we will have of God forgiveness, there is none other remedy but to forgive the offences done unto us, which be very small in comparison of our offences done against God. And, if we consider that he which hath offended us deserveth not to be forgiven of us, let us consider again that we much less deserve to be forgiven of God. And, although our enemy deserve not to be forgiven for his own sake, yet we ought to forgive him for God's love; considering how great and many benefits we have received of him without our deserts, and that Christ hath de served of us that for his sake we should forgive them their trespasses committed against us. malefactors But here may rise a necessary question to be dissolved. If charity require to think, speak, and do well unto every man, both good and evil, how can magistrates execute justice upon (or evildoers) with charity? How can they cast evil men in prison, take away their goods, and sometime their lives, according to laws, if charity will not suffer them so to do? Hereunto is a plain and a brief answer: that plagues and punishments be not evil of themselves, if they be well taken of the harmless; and to an evil man they are both good and necessary, and may be executed according to charity, and with charity should be executed. For declaration whereof you shall understand that charity hath two offices, the one contrary to the other, and yet both necessary to be used upon men of contrary sort and disposition. The one office of charity is to cherish good and harmless men; not to oppress them with false accusations, ( at please if we but to encourage them with rewards to do well and to continue in well doing, defending them with the sword from their adversaries. And the office of bishops and pastors is to praise good men for well doing, that they may continue therein, and to rebuke and correct by the word of God the offences and crimes of all evil-disposed persons. The other office of charity is to rebuke, correct, and punish vice without regard of persons; and this is to be used against them only that be evil men and malefactors (or evildoers). And that it is as well the office of charity to rebuke, punish, and correct them that be evil, as it is to cherish and reward them that be good and harmless, St. Paul declareth (writing to the Romans), saying that the high powers are ordained of God, not Rom, xii. 1-4. to be dreadful to them that do dwell, but unto malefactors, to draw the sword to take vengeance of him that committeth the sin. And St. Paul 1 Tim, v. 20. biddeth Timothy stoutly and earnestly to rebuke sin by the word of God. So that both offices should be diligently executed, to fight against the kingdom of the devil, the preacher with the word, and the governor with the sword: else they love neither God nor them whom they govern, if, for lack of correction, they wilfully suffer God to be offended, and them whom they govern to perish. For, as every loving father correcteth his natural son when he doeth amiss, or else he loveth him not, so all governors of realms, countries, towns, and houses should lovingly correct them which be offenders under their governance, and cherish them which live innocently, if they have any respect either unto God and their office or love unto them of whom they have governance. And such rebukes and punishments of them that offend must be done in due time, lest by delay the offenders fall headlings into all manner of mischief, and not only be evil themselves, but also do hurt unto many men, drawing other by their evil example to sin and outrage |