xii.
We shall not be envious or puffed up, or boast, disdain, think evil, or be
provoked to anger, "but suffer all things; endeavour to keep the unity of
the spirit in the bond of peace." Forbear one another, forgive one another,
clothe the naked, visit the sick, and perform all those works of mercy,
which [6338]Clemens Alexandrinus calls _amoris et amicitiae, impletionem et
extentionem_, the extent and complement of love; and that not for fear or
worldly respects, but _ordine ad Deum_, for the love of God himself. This
we shall do if we be truly enamoured; but we come short in both, we neither
love God nor our neighbour as we should. Our love in spiritual things is
too [6339]defective, in worldly things too excessive, there is a jar in
both. We love the world too much; God too little; our neighbour not at all,
or for our own ends. _Vulgus amicitias utilitate probat._ "The chief thing
we respect is our commodity;" and what we do is for fear of worldly
punishment, for vainglory, praise of men, fashion, and such by respects,
not for God's sake. We neither know God aright, nor seek, love or worship
him as we should. And for these defects, we involve ourselves into a
multitude of errors, we swerve from this true love and worship of God:
which is a cause unto us of unspeakable miseries; running into both
extremes, we become fools, madmen, without sense, as now in the next place
1 will show you.

The parties affected are innumerable almost, and scattered over the face of
the earth, far and near, and so have been in all precedent ages, from the
beginning of the world to these times, of all sorts and conditions. For
method's sake I will reduce them to a twofold division, according to those
two extremes of excess and defect, impiety and superstition, idolatry and
atheism. Not that there is any excess of divine worship or love of God;
that cannot be, we cannot love God too much, or do our duty as we ought, as
Papists hold, or have any perfection in this life, much less supererogate:
when we have all done, we are unprofitable servants. But because we do
_aliud agere_, zealous without knowledge, and too solicitous about that
which is not necessary, busying ourselves about impertinent, needless,
idle, and vain ceremonies, _populo ut placerent_, as the Jews did about
sacrifices, oblations, offerings, incense, new moons, feasts, &c., but
Isaiah taxeth them, i. 12, "who required this at your hands?" We have too
great opinion of our own