men, and that too but very rare, is for a man to lay down bis life for another, for his friend; but the Son of Godi died for all mankind, and we were all his enemies. And fhould we not chearfully imitate the example of that great love and charity, the effects whereof are fo comfortable, fo beneficial, fo happy to every one of us? Had he not loved us, and died for us, we had certainly perished, we had been miferable and undone to all eternity.

And to perpetuate this great example of charity, and that it might be always fresh in our memories, the great facrament of our religion was on purpose inftituted for the commemoration of this great love of the fon of God, in laying down his life, and hedding his precious blood, for the wicked and rebellious race of mankind. But I have not time to enlarge upon this noble argument as it deferves.

VI. The last thing to be confidered is, the place and rank which this precept and duty holds in the Chriftian religion. Our bleffed Saviour here makes it the proper badge and cognifance of our profeffion: By this fhall all nien know that ye are my disciples, if ye love one another. The different fects among the Jews had fome peculiar character to distinguish them from one another. The fcholars of the feveral great Rabbi's among them had fome peculiar fayings and opinions, fome customs and traditions, whereby they were feverally known: and fo likewife the difciples of John the Baptift were particularly remarkable for their great aufterities. In allufion to thefe distinctions of fects and schools among the Jews, our Saviour fixeth upon this mark and character, whereby his difciples fhould be known from the difciples of any other inftitution, a mighty love and affection to one another.

Other fects were diftinguished by little opinions, or by fome external rites and obfervances in religion; but our Saviour pitcheth upon that which is the most real and fubftantial, the moft large and extenfive, the most useful and beneficial, the most humane and the most divine qua lity of which we are capable.

This was his great commandment to his difciples bes føre he left the world; this was the legacy he left them, and the effect of his laft prayers for them; and for this end,, among others, he inftituted the facrament of his

bleffed

bleffed body and blood, to be a lively remembrance of his great charity to mankind, and a perpetual bond of love and union amongst his followers.

And the apoftles of our Lord and Saviour do upon. all occafions recommend this to us, as a principal duty. and part of our religion; telling us, that in Chrift Fefus, that is, in the Chriftian religion, nothing will avail, no not faith itfelf, unless it be enlivened and infpired by cha-nity; that love is the end of the commandment, rixos rūs rapaylenias, the end of the evangelical declaration, the firft fruit of the Spirit, the fpring and root of all thofe.graces and virtues which concern our duty towards one another; that it is the fum and abridgement, the accomplishment and fulfilling of the whole law; that without. this, whatever we pretend to in Chriftianity, we are nothing, and our religion is vain; that this is the greateft of all graces and virtues, greater than faith and hope; and of perpetual use and duration: Charity never fails

And therefore they exhort us above all things to endeavour after it, as the crown of all other virtues: Above all things have fervent charity among your felves, faith St Peter. And St Paul having enumerated most other Chriftian virtues, exhorts us above all to strive after. this: And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfection. This St John makes one of the moft certain figns of our love to God, and the want of it an undeniable argument of the contrary: If a man fay, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar ; for he who loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how, can he love God whom he hath not feen? This he de-clares to be one of the beft evidences that we are in a ftate of grace and falvation:. Hereby we know that we. are paffed from death to life, because we love the bre thren.

So that well might our bleffed Saviour chufe this for the badge of his difciples, and make it the great precept of the best and most perfect inftitution. Other things might have ferved better for pomp and oftentation; and have more gratified the curiofity, or enthufiafm, or fuperftition of mankind: but there is no quality in the world which, upon a fober and impartial confideration, is of a more folid and intrinfic value..

And

And in the first ages of Christianity, the Chriftians were very eminent for this virtue, and particularly noted for it. Nobis notam inurit apud quofdam: “ It is a mark "and brand fet upon us by fome," faith Tertullian; and he tells us, that it was proverbially faid among the Heathen, "Behold, how thefe Chriftians love one another !". Lucian, that great fcoffer at all religion, acknowledgeth in behalf of Chriftians, that this was the great principle which their master had inftilled into them. And Julian, the bittereft enemy that Christianity ever had, could not forbear to propound to the Heathen for an example the charity of the Gallileans; for fo, by way of reproach, he calls the Chriftians; "who (fays he) gave themselves up to bumanity and kindnefs;" which he acknowledgeth to have been very much to the advantage and reputation of our religion. And in the fame letter to Arfacius, the Heathen high priest of Galatia, he gives this memorable teftimony of the Chriftians, that their charity was not limited and confined only to themselves, but extended even to their enemies; which could not be faid either of the Jews or Heathens. His words are thefe: "It is a fhame, that when the Jews fuffer none "of theirs to beg, and the impious Gallileans relieve "not only their own, but thofe also of our religion, that "we only fhould be defective in fo neceffary a duty." By all which it is evident, that love and charity is not only the great precept of our Saviour, but was in those firft and beft times the general practice of his disciples, and acknowledged by the Heathens as a very peculiar and remarkable quality in them.

દે

The application I fhall make of this difcourfe fhall be threefold.

1. With relation to the church of Rome.

2. With regard to ourselves, who profefs the Proteftant reformed religion.

3. With a more particular refpect to the occafion of this meeting.

1. With relation to the church of Rome; which we cannot chufe but think of whenever we fpeak of charity, and loving one another; especially having had fo late a discovery of their affection to us, and fo confiderable a teftimony of the kindness and charity which they designed

towards

towards us: fuch as may juftly make the ears of all that bear it to tingle, and render Popery execrable and infamous, a frightful and a hateful thing to the end of the world.

It is now but too vifible how grofsly this great commandment of our Saviour is contradicted, not only by the practices of those in that communion, from the Pope down to the meanest friar; but by the very doctrines and principles, by the genius and spirit of that religion, which is wholly calculated for cruelty and perfecution. Where now is that mark of a difciple, fo much infifted upon by our Lord and Mafter, to be found in that church? and yet what is the Chriftian church, but the society and community of Chrift's difciples? Surely, in all reafon, that which our Lord made the diftinctive mark and character of his difciples, fhould be the principle mark of a true church. Bellarmine reckons up no less than fifteen marks of the true church; all which the church of Rome arrogates to herfelf alone: but he wifely forgot that which is worth all the reft, and which our Saviour infifts upon as the chief of all other, A fincere love and charity to all Chriftians. This he knew would by no means agree to his own church.

But, for all that, it is very reafonable that churches, as well as particular Chriftians, fhould be judged by their charity. The church of Rome would ingrofs all faith to herself, faith in its utmost perfection, to the degree and pitch of infallibility. And they allow no body in the world, befides themselves, no, though they believe all the articles of the Apostles creed, to have one grain of true faith; because they do not believe upon the authority of their church, which they pretend to be the only foundation of true faith. This is a most arrogant and vain pretence: but, admit it were true, yet, in the judgement of St Paul, though they had all faith, if they have not charity, they are nothing.

The greatest wonder of all is this, that they who hate and perfecute Chriftians moft, do all this while, the moft confidently of all others, pretend to be the difciples of Chrift; and will allow none to be fo but themselves. That church which excommunicates all other Christian churches in the world, and, if fhe could, would extir

pate

66

pate them out of the world, will yet needs affume to herself to be the only Christian church; as if our Savi our had faid, Hereby fhall all men know that ye are my difciples, if ye hate, and excommunicate, and kill one another." What shall be done unto thee, thou falfe tongue? thou empty and impudent pretence of Chriftianity!

2. With relation to ourselves, who profefs the Protestant reformed religion. How is this great precept of our Saviour not only fhamefully neglected, but plainly violated by us? and that not only by private hatred and ill-will, quarrels and contentions in our civil converfation and intercourse with one another, but by most unchristian divifions and animofities, in that common relation wherein we ftand to one another, as brethren, as Christians, as Proteftants?

Have we not all one Father? hath not one God created us? and are we not in a more peculiar and eminent manner brethren, being all the children of God by faith in Jefus Chrift? Are we not all members of the fame body, and partakers of the fame fpirit, and heirs of the fame bleffed hopes of eternal life?

So that, being brethren upon fo many accounts, and by fo many bonds and endearments all united to one another, and all travelling towards the fame heavenly country, why do we fall out by the way, fince we be brethren? Why do we not, as becomes brethren, dwell together in unity? but are fo apt to quarrel, and break out into heats, to crumble into fects and parties, to divide and feparate from one another upon every flight and trifling occafion?

Give me leave a little more fully to expoftulate this matter, but very calmly, and in the fpirit of meekness, and in the name of our dear Lord, who loved us all at fuch a rate as to die for us, to recommend to you this new commandment of his, that ye love one another: which is almost a new commandment itill, and hardly the worfe for wearing; fo feldom is it put on, and fo little hath it been practifed among Chriftians for feveral ages.

Confider ferioufly with yourselves: Ought not the great matters wherein we are agreed, our union in the doctrines of the Christian religion, and in all the neceffary articles of that faith which was once delivered to the

faints,