Not, says the plain man, that we are more satisfied with the mere
philanthropist of modern times,--the man who professes to love the whole
human race without loving God, or indeed often believing that there is a
God to love. To us he seems as unloving a person as the mere fanatic.
Meanwhile, plain people say, we will have nothing to do with either
fanaticism or philanthropy,--we will try to do our duty where God has put
us, and to behave justly and charitably by our neighbours; but beyond
that we cannot go. We will not pretend to what we do not feel.

My friends, there is, as usual, truth on both sides,--both are partly
right, and both are partly wrong. And both may go on arguing against
each other, and quoting texts of Scripture against each other till the
last day; if they will not listen to St John's message in the text. One
party will say, It is written, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all
thy heart, and soul, and strength, and mind; and if thou doest that, and
thy soul is filled with love for the Creator, thou canst have no love
left for the creature; or if thy heart is filled with love for the
creature, there is no room left for love to God. And then thou wilt find
that God is a jealous God, and will take from thee what thou lovest,
because He will not have His honour given to another.

And to that the other party will answer, Has not God said, "Thou shalt
love thy neighbour as thyself?" Has He not commanded us to love our
wives, our children? And even if He had not, would not common sense tell
us that He intended us to do so? Do you think that God is a tempter and
a deceiver? He has given us feelings and powers. Has He not meant us to
use them? He has given us wife and child. Did He mean us not to love
them, after He has made us love them, we know not how or why? You say
that God is a jealous God. Yes, jealous He may be of our worshipping
false gods, and idols, saints, or anything or person save Himself,--
jealous of our doing wrong, and ruining ourselves, and wandering out of
the path of His commandments, in which alone is life; but jealous of our
loving our fellow creature as well as Himself, never. That sort of
jealousy is a base and wicked passion in man, and dare we attribute it to
God? What a thing to say of the loving God, that He takes away people's
children, husbands, and friends, because they love them too much!

Then the first party will say, But