Statists that labour to contrive a commonwealth
without our poverty take away the object of charity;
not understanding only the commonwealth of a Chris-
tian, but forgetting the prophecy of Christ.*
Sect. 14.--Now, there is another part of charity, which
is the basis and pillar of this, and that is the love of
God, for whom we love our neighbour; for this I think
charity, to love God for himself, and our neighbour for
God. And all that is truly amiable is God, or as it were a
divided piece of him, that retains a reflex or shadow of
himself. Nor is it strange that we should place affec-
tion on that which is invisible: all that we truly love
is thus. What we adore under affection of our senses
deserves not the honour of so pure a title. Thus we
* "The poor ye have always with you."
adore virtue, though to the eyes of sense she be in-
visible. Thus that part of our noble friends that we
love is not that part that we embrace, but that insen-
sible part that our arms cannot embrace.
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