90 LADeclaration ofthe Glorious MYSTERY natures and offices. So the Roman MiJonaries reprefented him unto fome of the Indians, concealing from them his crofs and fuffering. But every falfe notion concerning his perfon or his grace, what he is, Bath done, or doth, corrupts the love that is pretended unto him. Shall we think that they love Chrift, bywhomhis divine nature is denied ? Or that thofe do fo, who disbelieve the reality ofhis humane nature? or thofe, by whom the union of both in the fame perfon is rejetted? There cannot be true evangelical love unto a falfe Chrift, fuck as thefe imaginations do fancy. (3.) So is that love, which is not in all things as to. Caufes, motives, meafures and ends regulated by the fcripture. This alone gives us the nature, rules and bounds of fincere fpititual love. We are no more to love Chrift, than to fear and worfhip him according unto our own imagi- nations. From the fcripture are weto derive all the principles and mo- tives ofour love. If either the ails or eifeits of it will not endure a trial thereby, they are falfe and counterfeit, and many fuch have been preten- ded unto, as we (hall fee immediately. (d.) That is fo uncjueftiónably which fixeth it felf on undue objects, which, whatever is pretended, are neither Chrift, nor means of conveying our love unto him. Such is all that love which the Romans exprefs in their devotion unto images, as they fancy ofChrift, crucifixes, pretended reliques Ofhis crofs, and the nails that pierced him, with the like fuperfti- tious reprefentations of him, and what they fuppofe he is concerned in. For although they exprefs their devotion withgreat appearanceof ardent affections, under all outward figns of them, in adorations, kifhngs, proftra- tions, with fighs and tears; yet all this while it is not Chrift which they thus cleaveunto, but a cloud of their own imaginations, wherewith their carnal minds are pleafedand affected. That is no God which a man heweth out of a tree, though he form it for that end, thoughhe falleth down un- to it and worfhippeth it, and prayeth unto it, and faith, Deliver me, for thou art my God, Ifa. xliv. r7. The authors of this fuperftition, whereby the loveof innumerable poor fouls is depraved and abufed, do firft frame in their minds what they fuppofe may folicit or draw out the natural and carnal affections of men unto it, and then outwardly reprefent it as an objell for them. Wherefore fome of their reprefentations of him are glo- rious, and fome of them dolorous, according as they aim to excite afFeeions in carnal minds. But, as I faid, thefe things are not Chrift, nor is he any way concerned in them. (s.) I acknowledge there have been great pretences of fuch a love unto Chrift as cannot be juftified. Such is that which fome of the devo- tionifts of the Roman Church have endeavoured rather to exprefs out of their fancy, than declare out of their experience. Raptures, extafies, felf-annihilations, immediate adhefions and enjoyments, without any alt of the underltanding, andwith a multitude of other fwelling words of va- nity, they labour to fet off what they fancy tobe divine love. But them wants not evidences of truth, fufficient to defeat thefe pretences, be they never fe fpecious or glorious. For, a.) As it is by them defcribed, it exceedeth all fcripture precedents. For men to affame unto themfelves, an apprehenfion that they love Chrift in another manner and kind, hi an higher degree at 'aft, and thence to enjoy more intimacy with him, more love from him, than did any of the apoftles, John, or Paul, or Peter, or any other of thofe holy ones, whofe love unto him is recorded in thefcripture, is intolerable vanity and prefumption. But no fuch things, as thefe devoto's pretendunto, are men- tioned
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