Our Love to our neighbour may proceed from him, and run with him, not to him: From him, as when we rejoyce of his good safety, and well doing: with him, when we desire to have him a fellow and companion of our journey in the way of the Lord: not in him, because there is no aid, hope, or confidence in man.

From the world our love comes, when we begin to admire the Creator in his works: and glorify God in his Creatures. With the world it should run, if according to the mutability of all temporalties, it should be dejected in adversity, or over elevated in prosperity: To the world, if it would settle it self in its vain delights and studies.

Many such Partitions of Love I could repeat, and Subdivisions, but least (which Scaliger objects to Cardan, Exercitat. 501.) I confound filthy burning lust, with pure and divine Love, I will follow that accurate Division of Leon Hebreus dial. 2. betwixt Sophia and Philo, where he speaks of Naturall, Sensible, and Rationall Love, and handleth each apart.

Naturall love or hatred, is that Sympathy or Antipathy, which is to be seen in animate and inanimate creatures, in the four Elements, Mettals, Stones, gravia tendunt deorsum, as a Stone to his Center, Fire upward, and Rivers to the Sea. The Sun, Moon, and Stars go still round, Amantes naturæ debita exercere, for love of perfection. This love is manifest, I say, in inanimate creatures. How comes a load-stone to draw iron to it? jet chaff? the ground to covet showers, but for love? No creature S. Hierom concludes, is to be found, quod non aliquid amat, no stock, no stone, that hath not some feeling of love.

’Tis more eminent in Plants, Hearbs, and is especially observed in vegetals; as betwixt the Vine and Elm a great Sympathy, betwixt the Vine and the Cabbage, betwixt the Vine and Olive, Virgo fugit Bromium, betwixt the Vine and Baies, a great antipathy, the Vine loves not the Bay, nor his smell, and will kill him, if he grow near him; the Bur and the Lintle cannot endure one another; the Olive and the Mirtle embrace each other, in roots and branches if they grow neer.

Read more of this in Picolomineus grad. 7. cap. 1. Crescentius lib. 5. de agric. Baptista Porta de mag. lib. 1. cap. de plant. odio & Element. sym. Fracastorius de sym & antip. of the love and hatred of Planets, consult with every Astrologer: Leon Hebreus gives many fabulous reasons, and moralizeth them withall.

Sensible love, is that of brute beasts, of which, the same Leon Hebreus dial. 2. assigns these causes. First, for the pleasure they take in the Act of Generation, male and female love one another. Secondly, for the preservation of the species, and desire of yong brood. Thirdly, for the mutuall agreement, as being of the same kinde: Sus sui, Canis Cani, Bos Bovi, & Asinus Asino pulcherrimus videtur, as Epicharmus held, and according to that Adagy of Diogenianus,

Assidet usq; graculus apud graculum,

they much delight in one anothers company,

Formica grata est formicæ, Cicada Cicadæ,

and birds of a feather will gather together. Fourthly, for custome, use, and familiarity, as if a dog be trained up with a Lion and a Bear, contrary to their natures, they will love each other. Hawks, dogs, horses, love their masters and keepers: many stories I could relate in this kinde, but see Gillius de hist. anim. lib. 3. cap. 14. those two Epistles of Lipsius, of doggs and horses, Agellius, &c.

Fifthly, for bringing up, as if a Bitch bring up a Kid, a hen ducklings, an hedge-sparrow a Cuckow, &c.

The third kind is Amor cognitionis, as Leon calls it, Rationall Love, Intellectivus amor, and is proper to men, on which I must insist. This appears in God, Angels, Men. God is love it self, the fountain of Love, the Disciple of love, as Plato stiles him; the servant of peace, the God of love and Peace; have peace with all men, and God is with you.

———Quisquis veneratur olympum, Ipse sibi mundum subjicit atq; Deum:

By this Love (saith Gerson) we purchase heaven, and buy the kingdom of God. This Love is either in the Trinity it self, for the Holy Ghost is the Love of the Father and the Son, &c. Joh. 3. 55. and 5. 20. and 14. 31. or towards us his creatures, as in making the world.

Amor mundum fecit, Love built Cities, mundi anima, invented Arts, Sciences, and all good things, incites us to vertue and humanity, combines and quickens; keepes peace on earth, quietness by sea, mirth in the windes and elements, expells all fear, anger, and rusticity: Circulus a bono in bonum, a round circle still from good to good; for love is the beginner and end of all our actions, the efficient and instrumental cause, as our Poets in their Symbols, Impresses, Emblemes of rings, squares, &c. shadow unto us,

Si rerum quæris fuerit quis finis & ortus, Desine, nam causa est unica solus amor.

If first and last of any thing you wit, Cease; love’s the sole and onely cause of it.

Love, saith Leo, made the world, and afterwards in redeeming of it, God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son for it, John 3. 16. Behold what love the Father hath shewed on us, that we should be called the sons of God. 1 John 3. 1. Or by his sweet providence, in protecting of it; either all in generall, or his Saints elect and Church in particular, whom he keeps as the apple of his eye, whom he loves freely, as Hosea 14. 5. speaks, and dearly respects, Charior est ipsis homo quam sibi.

Not that we are fair, nor for any merit or grace of ours, for we are most vile and base; but out of his incomparable love and goodness, out of his divine Nature. And this is that Homers golden chain, which reacheth down from Heaven to Earth, by which every creature is annexed, and depends on his Creator. He made all, saith Moses, and it was good, and he loves it as good.

The love of Angels and living souls, is mutuall amongst themselves, towards us militant in the Church, and all such as love God; as the Sun beams irradiate the earth from those celestiall thrones, they by their well wishes reflect on us, in salute hominum promovenda alacres, & constantes administri, there is joy in heaven for every sinner that repenteth; they pray for us, are solicitous for our good, Casti genii.

Ubi regnat charitas, suave desiderium, Lætitiaq; & amor Deo conjunctus.

Love proper to mortall men, is the third Member of this subdivision, and the subject of my following discourse.