Philadelphia, or, a treatise of brotherly-love Shewing, that we must love all men: love the wicked in general: love our enemies: that the godly must especially love another: and the reasons of each particular love. The manner of our mutual love; the dignity, necessity, excellenc, and usefulness of brotherly-love. That the want of love, where love is due, is hatred, shewed in divers particulars. The greatness of the sin of malice and hatred; with the reasons why wicked men hate the saints: together with cautions against those sins that break the bond of love. Many weighty questions discussed, and divers cases cleared. By William Gearing, minister of the word.

To the Right Worshipful Sir John Banks of Ailesford in the County of Kent, Baronet, and to Richard Hampden of Hampden in the County of Buckingham, Esquire; and to the vertuous Ladies, their Wives.

OƲR Church is not now like Christs Coat, with∣out Seam; but like Jeroboam's, that was rent into twelve peices: and the Northern and Southern Poles may as soon meet together, as the wide differencies and diversities of Opinions that are among us, be reconciled. Many men are never at quiet themselves, unless they are at strife with o∣thers. Tumultuous Spirits have framed a Church like Pliny's Araphali, all Body and no Head: The seducing Romanists have built another like the Toad-stool, all Head, and no Body. The Brains of many men are Forges for framing new fancies: Schism is the Ship wherein many turbulent Spirits go; the winds that drive it are violent passions; wil∣fulness the Rudder, obstinacy the Anchor. Here∣tical opininions are like Monsters; they begin with the figure of a man, but end with the form and shape of a Beast, of a Fish, &c. So these begin with God, the true God, but end with monstrous shapes of vain Imaginations. Broiling Spirits do nothing,

but fling firebrands, and heap on wood to set King∣doms in a Combustion. Catelina 〈◊〉〈◊〉 desire to fish b•• troubled waters, being as much afraid of peace as of the Plague; like C••tiline, when they cannot quench the fire (begun in their own houses) with water, they will therefore pull them down, and so quench it, ipsâ ruina incendium extingere.

I ••ind the Pedigree of Contention thus decyphered. There was a bastard begotten by An∣ger, nursed by Pride, and maintained by wilful Contradiction, and when th••y came to give him a name, they bestow∣ed upon him the name of Contention: and as was the Name of the Child, so was his Nature, for as soon as he began to go, he always went backward, like the Sea-Crab. Great pity it is, that such a cross Companion should find harbour in any civil Society, much less in the Church of God, which ought to be compact together as a City at unity. As the seed of the woman should be at enmity with the Serpent, so should it be at unity with it self. Oh how happy were it if the Schisms and Discords that make mu∣sick only for Hell, might never be heard in the Church of God more: but I fear as long as the Church of God consisteth of men, and men are subject to divers pass••••ns, there will be rents and divisions among us.

Have not we cause to think, that the Lord hath a great controversie with our Nation, which is so full of malicious controversies and contentions, to the dishonour of God, who is Love; of his Gospel, which

is a Doctrine of Love and Peace; and of that ancient Law and Message of Love, which he sent unto us from heaven in the beginning, and hath so often renu∣ed since the beginning. If we look upon th•• rents and breaches, discords, divisions, quarrels, contentions that are between men, and that many tim s about triffles; if we consider with what eagerness, bitter∣ness, obstinacy, these are followed; might it not seem, that there had never been a Doctrine of Love and Gospel of peace preached among us? They that are full of carnal mirth, care for none of these things, as it was said of Gallio. It is one special part of our obedience to the Law of Love, that we should with much compassion m••urn for these things, that if it be possible, the wrath that is like to fall upon the Land, may be prevented; and withall let us mourn for the danger of many particular Souls, who live without any spark of Christian Love to their Neigh∣bours and Brethren, without which they shall cer∣tainly perish: and let us pray for them that their sins may be forgiven them, and that their hearts may be purified in obeying the truth through Faith, unto un∣feigned Love of the Brethren.

Satan is an enemy to Ʋnion and Love, and especi∣ally to the neerest and fastest union: he is a most mali∣cious Spirit and Murtherer, and loveth to break the union of the Spirit, and the bond of peace betwixt man and man. Therefore the neerer any are united and joyned together in any bond of Love, the more doth he labour to make a rent and division between them.

So he delighteth to rent the Church of Christ, and to separate one member of it from another by Heresie and Schism, to breed difference in judgment, and the••eupon division of hearts between those that are the pr••fessed members of one mystical body of Christ.

How were Paul and Barnabas knit together in Love, and how did they joyn together as one Soul in the work of the Lord, whereunto they were separated by the Spirit from the rest of the faithful, as appear∣eth in the holy Story? yet upon a slight occasion, Sa∣tan bred a sharp contention between them, and a se∣paration between these two holy men for a time. So it is his delight to break the nearest and strongest bonds, even the matrimonal tye betwixt man and wife, which are one flesh: between Brethren and Si∣sters that are of one blood: between the Inhabitants of one Kingdom, one City, one House.

That which cannot endure heat, can least of all en∣dure the greatest heat. Ice that is apt to dissolve at a little warmth, can less endure heat in the highest degree: bring it to the fire, and it soon dissolveth. So the Devil, that hateth Love and Ʋnion in gene∣ral, doth most of all hate, and work against the greatest, neerest, and strongest union.

So long as the Saints are not yet fully fitted and framed together, no wonder though there be differences between them. As stones, so far as they are fitted together, they joyn and close in one; but if they be but yet in fitting and framing, and the work be but done in part, not in perfection; they will not close in

every point. So when Christians are but in part fitly framed together in Christ, they do but in part close and unite, and there may be differences, until that which is perfect is come, and that which is but in part be done away; for so far as they are not fitly joined together in Christ, so far they are yet carnal, as the Apostle sheweth, 1 Cor. 3.1.3. And thus he accounteth them, while envying, strife, and divisions are among them. We must consider that they agree in the main, as they meet in one Foundation and Cor∣ner-stone, and are fitly framed together in Christ. So in the main they agree in one mind, and are of one heart. They hold the foundation; they meet in one common Center which is Christ, though they differ somewhat in drawing their Lines. The true mem∣bers of Christ, though there may be some disproporti∣on between some of them and others, yet they all meet in their Head, and receive one life and spirit from Him.

And whereas (I say) they agree in the main, you must know.

1. That in respect of the Doctrine of Faith, they agee in all those Truths, which are simply and abso∣lutely necessary to Salvation, though they differ some∣times about some of the consequents of these, or about something of less moment; as St. Paul sheweth in 1 Cor. 3. that these which hold the foundation of Faith, may build diversly: some Gold, Silver, precious Stones: Some Hay, Straw, Stubble.

2. They all partake of the same main necessary

fundamental Graces, Faith unfeigned, Hope, Love, Repentance, &c. though some in a greater, some in a lesser measure. Some have more Dross mixed with their Graces than others. The Corruptions of men are therefore so much the more to be lamented herein, that those who agree in substance, should not only dif∣fer, but also quarrel and fall out about Circumstances, joyn in the foundation, and rent in the frame.

It was a worthy speech of Grynaeus, an Orthodox Divine, who having some intercourse of Letters with Chytraeus, though seeming to differ from him a∣bout the Sacrament; he told him in one of his Epi∣stles to this effect, That though they should not see each others faces here in this world, yet he hoped they should meet in heaven, Ubi Luthero cum Zuinglio optimè convenit, where Luther and Zuinglius agree exceeding well. They that are so fitly framed together in Christ, as that they are set in a way and state, which shall lead them to a full and perfect agreement in heaven, which is one common Home and Countrey appointed for them all, should bear in mind Joseph's admonition to his Brethren, when he sent them home to their Fathers house, Fall not out by the way, Gen. 45.24. When we come to our Fathers house in Heaven, there shall be no jarrs, not one cross word pass between us, not an an∣gry look or thought to all eternity. Therefore in our passage thither we should be careful to walk peace∣ably, and if in all things we cannot be of one mind (which yet we should endeavour by all means) yet

should we bear with others in a patient and peaceable manner.

Much honoured in the Lord.

The design of this Treatise (which I humbly de∣dicate to you) is, to provoke men (and especially the Saints) to that Love of one another, which cor∣rupt Nature most strives against, turning all chari∣ty aside (as it were) into a private Channel of self-love, which like the Sea, should disperse it self throughout the whole World.

It was a famous Proverb in the primitives times, which now reflecteth infamy upon our times, Ecce, ut se invicem diligunt Christiani, See how the Christians love one another! Then fierce conten∣tions, and hatred among Christians, declared men to be no Christians at all; and can it now consist with any new stamp of Christianity?

Religion is the surest Cement of all Societies, it en∣deareth them one to another in special sort, it hath it's Name of binding men to God, and man to man. But alas! many there are that think Religion to be no such eye as we pretend; nay they begin to question whether there be any such thing as Religion, or no. We have even lost Religion in questions about Religion, been disputing so long which is the true, that almost we are come to have none at all. The world turns A∣theist, as ••••e it turned Arrian. It were not possible that sin should grow to that height as it doth, if this

were not the cause of it. The Oratour said of friend∣ship, that whosoever went to take that from men, went about to take away the Sun out of Heaven; of Religion we may say so indeed, They that would rob us of that, would rob us of our Sun; this were a way to dissolve the Brotherhood between Judah and Israel. God grant that we may be all as the Angels of the Mercy-seat, that turned face to face, and not back to back, like Sampson's Foxes, that made no∣thing but spoyl and wast where they went.

I dare not press too far on your patience, but hum∣bly beseech, that you will be pleased to command him, who studieth how he may shew himself,

Your most affectionate Servant in the Gospel, William Gearing.

Crausden in Sussex. Octob. 10. 1669

Notes

• Quel. Serm. 1. in 1 or. 11. 16.
• Religio a reli∣gando.