therefore, as I before observed, be called the natural passion' of things) so hath it given unto man a reasonable soul, to be (as it were) his vicegerent in all the motions of man's little world.

To apply, then, these proportions in nature to the affection of love in man, we shall find first a secret, which I will call 'natural,'-and next, a manifest, which I call a 'moral' and more discursive, attraction. The first of these, is that natural sympathy wrought between the affection and the object, in the first meeting of them, without any suspension of the passion, till farther enquiry after the disposition of the object: which comes immediately from the outward, natural, and sensitive virtues thereof, whether in shape, feature, beauty, motion, speech, behaviour; all which coming under the sphere of sense, I include under the name of 'judiciary physiognomy:' which is not a bare delight in the outward qualities, but a farther presumption of the judgement; concluding thence, a lovely disposition of that soul, which animateth and quickeneth these outward graces.

And indeed, if it be true which Aristotle in his ethicks tells us, that similitude is the ground of love;' and if there be no natural love stronger than that which is between the body and the soul, we may well ground some good presumption of similitude in the qualities of the soul, with those lovely impressions of nature which we find in the body; and may, by the same reason, collect a mutual discovery, by which we acknowledge a mutual sympathy between them. And therefore it was no ill counsel, (though not always to be heeded) "Cave tibi ab iis, quos natura signavit ;" to take heed of such, who, like Cain, have any mark of notorious deformity set upon them by nature. And therefore Homer, speaking of the garrulous, impudent, envious, and reviling qualities of Thersites, fits him with a body answerable to such a mind:

The most ill-shapen man that to Troy came,
With eye distorted, and in each foot lame,

His shoulders crooked, to his breast shrunk down

A sharp wry head, here and there patch'd with down.

But yet therein, though it be injurious for a man, out of too much austerity of mind, to reject the judgements of sense, and to quarrel with this natural instinct; yet it is fit, that, in this case, considering the deceitfulness of things, and what a diverse habit, education, or hypocrisy hath wrought in many, between the out and inside of their natures, that we should, I say, bring a fearful judgement: like the love of Bias the philosopher, which may easily, upon good warrant and assurance, alter itself: otherwise, when a thing is thoroughly known to be lovely, our hearts may boldly quiet and repose themselves in it.

But here likewise we must observe that proportion of nature, that if our affection cannot stand in private toward one particular, without damage and inconveniency to the public body, politick or ecclesiastical, whereof we are members; the general must ever be esteemed more dear and precious. A scandal to the body, and a schism from the whole, is more dangerous and unnatural, than any private divisions: for, if there be a wound or swelling in one part of the body, the parts adjoining will be content to submit themselves unto pain, for the recovery of that; and rather than it shall perish, suffer any trouble, which may conduce to the relief thereof.

And this is the love of fellow-members among themselves. But then, if any part be so far corrupted, as that it doth more easily derive its contagion upon others, than admit of any succour from them, so that by the continuance thereof in the body, the whole is endangered; or if the whole body be ready to perish by famine; then doth the sense of conmunity so swallow up that other more private respect, as that the members will be even cruel among themselves, to the cutting and devouring of each other, that thereby the safety of the whole may be procured. And therefore, the fable of the faction between the belly and the members, was wisely applied by Menenius Agrippa, in a rebellion, against the people of Rome, to show how unnatural a thing it is, and how pernicious to the parts themselves, to nourish their own

private discontents, when the weal-publick is together therewithal endangered.

And therefore Plutarch commendeth the wisdom of Themistocles and Aristides, that when they were joined in commission for any publick service of their country, they laid down their private enmities, and unanimously concurred to promote the interest of their country. And the like he noteth of Cratinas, and Hermeias, and Cato, and others; commending that as a noble resolution of him that said, φιλῶ τέκν ̓ ἀλλὰ πατρίδ ̓ ἐμὴν μᾶλλον φιλῶ· “ I love my children ; but I prefer my country."

CHAP. X.

Of the Rule of true Love, the love of God and ourselves: similitude to these, the cause of love in other things: of love of concupiscence: how love begetteth love; and how presence with, and absence from, the object, doth, upon different respects, exercise and increase love.

FROM this general and fundamental cause of love, proceed some others, special and particular; whereof the first and principal, is a similitude and resemblance between the thing loved, and that which is the natural rule of love.

Now, the rule of all love, is, by divine truth, prescribed to be God, and a man's self; so that, what beareth similitude to these, is the proper and right object of our affection'. To speak therefore a word or two of these.

The master-wheel, or first mover in all the regular motions of this passion, is the love of God, grounded on the right knowledge of him: whereby the soul, being ravished with the apprehension of his infinite goodness, is earnestly drawn and called out,' as it were, to desire a union, vision, and participation of his glory and presence; yielding up itself unto him, (for by love a man giveth himself to the thing which he loves) and conforming all its affections and actions to his will.

h Plutarch. Πολιτ. παραγέγλμ.

* Καλὸν ἀπὸ τοῦ καλεῖν.

Guil. Paris, de legibus, c. 19.

1 Arist. Probl. sect. 10. 51. I Amor non nisi donum amantis in amatum,

And this love is then regular, when it takes up all the kinds of love, and all the degrees of love. For we love God, 'Amore amicitiæ,' for the goodness and excellency which is in himself, as being most lovely; and, 'Amore desiderii,' with a desire of being united unto him, as the fountain of all our blessedness; and 'Amore complacentiæ,' with a love of joy and delight in him; when the soul goes up to God, like Noah's dove to the ark, and with infinite sweetness and security reposeth itself in him; and lastly, 'Amore benevolentiæ,' with an endeavour (so far as a poor creature can to an infinite Creator; for "our good extendeth not unto him") to bring all praise, service, and honour unto him.

6

And thus we are to love him above all things; first, appretiativè,' setting a higher price upon his glory and command, than upon any other thing besides; all, dung in comparison. Secondly, intensivè,' with the greatest force and intention of our spirit, setting no bounds or measure of our love to him. Thirdly, ' adæquatè,' as the complete, perfect, and adequate object of all our love, in whom it must begin, and in whom it must end. And therefore the Wise man, speaking of the love and fear of God, tells us, that it is "totum hominis," the whole of man. Other objects are severally fitted unto several faculties; beauty, to the eye; musick, to the ear; meat, to the palate; learning, to the mind: none of those can satisfy the faculty, unto which it belongs not. And even to their proper faculties, they bring vanity and vexation" with them; vanity, because they are empty, and do deceive,—and because they are mortal, and will decay vexation in the getting, for that it is with labour; in the keeping, for that it is with fear; in the multiplying, for that it is with care; in the enjoying, for if we but taste, we are vexed with desiring it; if we surfeit, we are vexed with loathing it. God only is "totum hominis," fitted to all the wants of an immortal soul; fulness, to make us perfectly happy; immortality, to make us perpetually happy; after whom we hunger with desire, and are not griped; on whom we feast with delight, and are not cloyed. He therefore is to be loved, not with a divided, but a whole heart. To love any creature either without God, or above

Matth. xxii. 37.

God", is Cupiditas,' lust; (which is the formale' of every sin, whereby we turn from God to other things) but to love the creatures under God, in their right order, and for God, to their right end; (for "he made all things for himself") this is caritas,' true and regular love.

Now the image and likeness of God (not to speak of that eternal and essential character of his Father's brightness') is in his word, and in his works; the one being the manifestation of his will; and the other, of his power and wisdom. Our love to his word is our search of it, as being the only glass, wherein we see the wonders and deep things of God; our belief of it, all, and only; acknowledging in it the fulness of its truth, and of its sufficiency; and our obedience to it, submitting ourselves, with purpose of heart, unto the rule and guidance of it.

Touching the works of God, there are two chief things whereunto the affection of man is by the creatures attracted, and wherewith it desires a union, namely, the truth and goodness of them: for by these only, may all the diverse faculties of man's soul be exercised and delighted. The love of both which, is then only regular, when it is limited, in regard of the quantity and quality of the act: humble, in the manner of pursuance, without swelling and curiosity and lastly, subordinate unto that great love of God, whose image we can no further truly love in the creature, than as we are thereby directed to a farther love of him.

I come now unto that other rule of love, wherein Aristotle hath placed the nature thereof, "a man's self;" or that unity and proportion which the thing loved beareth unto the party loving; which, in one place, he callethoorns equality;' in another, Taurons identity;' in another, duoións similitude;' in another, xovavla, communion:' all relative terms, which refer unto the party loving.

The root of every man's love unto himself, is that unity and identity which he hath with himself; it being natural to every thing to take delight in the simplicity of its own being; because the more simple and one it is, the more it is like the fountain of its being; and therefore hath the more

n Vid. Aug. de Doct. Christ. l. 1. c. 22. et 1. 2. c. 10. et de Trin. 1. 8. c. 3. et 1. 9. c. 8. • "Erepos aurds ó pixos, Arist. lib. 9. cap. 9.-Ethic. lib. 8.

cap. 9, 12. lib. 9. cap. 39.