Quest. II. With what kind of love must an enemy be loved, and on what accounts?
Answ. Primarily with a love of complacence, for all the good which is in him, natural or moral: he must be loved as man for the goodness of his nature; and his understanding and virtues must be acknowledged as freely, and loved as fully, as if he were no enemy of ours: enmity must not blind and pervert our judgment of him, and hinder us from discerning all that is amiable in him; nor must it corrupt our affections, and hinder us from loving it and him. 2. Secondarily we must love him with a love of benevolence, desiring him all that happiness which we desire to ourselves, and endeavouring it according to our opportunities.
Quest. III. Must I desire that God will pardon and save him, while he repenteth not of the wrong he doth me; and being impenitent, is uncapable of pardon?
Answ. 1. You must desire at once that God will give him repentance and forgiveness. 2. If he be impenitent in a state and life of ungodliness, or in a known and wilful sin, he is indeed uncapable of God's pardon and salvation in that case: but if you know him not to be ungodly, and if mistake or passion only, or some personal offence or falling out, have made him your enemy, and you are not sure that the enmity is so predominant as to exclude all true charity; or if he think you to be a bad person, and be your enemy on that account, you must pray for his pardon and salvation, though he should not particularly repent.
Quest. IV. What if he be my enemy upon the account of religion, and so an enemy to God?
Answ. 1. There are too many who have too much enmity to each other, upon the account of different opinions and parties in religion, in an erroneous zeal for godliness, who are not to be taken for enemies to God. What acts of hostility have in this age been used by several sects of zealous christians against each other! 2. If you know them to be enemies of God and godliness, you must hate their sin, and love their humanity and all that is good in them, and wish their repentance, welfare, and salvation.
Quest. V. What must I do for an enemy's good, when my benefits are but like to imbolden, encourage, and enable him to do hurt to me or others?
Answ. 1. Usually kindness tendeth to convince and melt an enemy, and to hinder him from doing hurt. 2. Such ways of kindness must be chosen, as do most engage an enemy to returns of kindness, without giving him ability or opportunity to do mischief in case he prove implacable. You may show him kindness, without putting a sword into his hand. Prudence will determine of the way of benefits, upon consideration of circumstances.
Quest. VI. May I not defend myself against an enemy, and hurt him in my own defence? And may I not wish him as much hurt as I may do him?
Answ. When you can save yourself by fair words, or flight, or some tolerable loss, without resisting him to his hurt, you should rather choose it, and "resist not evil," Matt. v. 39. When you cannot do so, you must defend yourself with as little hurt to your enemy as you can. And if you cannot save yourself from a lesser hurt, without doing him a greater, you must rather suffer it.