Page:Tracts for the Times Vol 2.djvu/528

2 this is the first commandment; and the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." He teaches, according to His office, unity and love. In two commandments he includes all the law and the prophets. But what unity does he keep, what love does he maintain, or have a thought for, who in the mad heat of discord sunders the Church, pulls down its faith, confounds its peace, scatters its love, and profanes its sacraments?

Long ago, my beloved brethren, this calamity arose; but the odious pestilence has now advanced in magnitude, and the poisonous mortality of heretical perverseness and schism has begun to stretch upward, and put out its luxuriance. Thus it was to be in the latter days of the world, for the Holy Spirit so prophesied and forewarned us by the Apostle. "In the last days," saith He, "troublous days shall come, and men shall be lovers of their ownselves, proud, boasters, covetous, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, impious, without natural affection, trucebreakers, traitors, heady, swollen with stupidity, loving pleasures more than, having the form of godliness, but denying its power. Of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts; ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jamnes and Mambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning faith, yet shall they not much prevail; for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as their's also was." All that was predicted, is fulfilled; and now that the last days are arrived, the trial of our faith, in respect both of men and times, is come upon us. As the fury of our adversary increases, error deceives, ignorance exalts, envy inflames, cupidity blinds, impiety depraves, pride inflates, discord exasperates,