_Answ._ Such objections and reasonings (which the Jesuits use against Jesus) were fitter for the mouth of an atheist than of a christian. It is pride which setteth so much by the esteem of men, yea, of bad and foolish men, as to plead honour for uncharitableness: and the voice of pride is the voice of the devil, contrary to him "who made himself of no reputation," Phil. ii. 7, 8, and submitted to be arrayed in a garb of mockery, and led out with scorn like a fool, and bowed to, and buffeted, and spit upon, and crucified; who calleth to us to learn of him to be meek and lowly, and to deny ourselves, and take up the cross, (which is shameful suffering,) if we will be his disciples, Matt. xi. 28, 29; Luke xiv. 30-33. To every christian it is the greatest honour to be like Jesus Christ, and to excel in charity. It is a greater dishonour to want love to an enemy, than to fly from him, or not resist him. He that teacheth otherwise, and maketh sin honourable, and the imitation and obedience of Christ to be more dishonourable, doth preach up pride, and preach down charity, and doth preach for the devil against Jesus Christ; and therefore should neither call himself a Jesuit nor a christian.
Yea more, if the person that would hurt or kill you, be one that is of more worth and usefulness as to the public good, you should rather suffer by him, or be slain by him, than you should equally hurt him or kill him in your own defence. As if the king of another kingdom that hath no authority over you, (for of your own there is no question,) should assault you; or any one whose death would be a greater loss than yours. For the public good is better than your own.
And it will not always hold, that you may wish another as much hurt as you may do him: for in defending yourself, you may sometimes blamelessly do more hurt than you were willing to do. And you must never wish your enemies hurt as such, but only as a necessary means of good, as of preservation of himself, or you, or others.
_Quest._ VII. Must kings and states love their enemies? How then can war be lawful?
_Answ._ Kings and states are bound to it as much as private men; and therefore must observe the foresaid law of love as well as others. Therefore they must raise no war unnecessarily, nor for any cause be it never so just in itself, when the benefits of the war are not like to be a greater good, than the war will bring hurt both to friends and foes set together. A lawful offensive war is almost like a true general council: on certain suppositions such a thing may be; but whether ever the world saw such a thing, or whether ever such suppositions will come to existence, is the question.
_Tit. 2. Motives to Love and do Good to Enemies._
_Motive_ I. God loveth his enemies, and doth them good; and he is our best exemplar. Matt. v. 44, 45, "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust."
_Motive_ II. Jesus Christ was incarnate to set us a pattern, especially of this virtue: he sought the salvation of his enemies; he went up and down doing good among them. He died for his enemies: he prayeth for them even in his sufferings on the cross: he wept over them when he foresaw their ruin. When he was reviled, he reviled not again. This is the pattern which we must imitate.
_Motive_ III. God loved even us ourselves when we were his enemies; or else what had become of us? And Christ died even for us, as enemies, to reconcile us by his death to God, Rom. v. 9, 10. Therefore we are specially obliged to this duty.
_Motive_ IV. To be God's enemies is to be wicked and unlovely; so that in such God could see nothing amiable, but our nature and those poor remainders of virtue in it, and our capacity of being made better by his grace; and yet he then loved us: but to be an enemy to you or me, is not to be ungodly or wicked as such; it is an enmity but against a vile, unworthy worm, and therefore is a smaller fault.
_Motive_ V. We do more against ourselves than any enemy or devils, and yet we love ourselves; why then should we not love another who doth less against us.
_Motive_ VI. All that is of God and is good must be loved; but there may be much of God, and much natural and moral good, in some enemies of ours.
_Motive_ VII. To love an enemy signifieth a mind that is impartial, and loveth purely on God's account, and for goodness' sake; but the contrary showeth a selfish mind, that loveth only on his own account.
_Motive_ VIII. If you love only those that love you, you do no more than the worst man in the world may do; but christians must do more than others, Matt. v. 47; or else they must expect no more than others.