A Christian Directory, Part 4: Christian Politics

by Richard Baxter

Direct. I. Make no man your enemy, so far as you can avoid it: for though you may pretend to love him when he is your enemy, you have done contrary to love in making him your enemy; for thereby he is deprived of his own love to you. And if his charity be his best commodity, then he that robbeth him (though he be never so culpable himself) hath done that which belongeth to the worst of enemies; it is a thousand times greater hurt and loss to him, to lose his own love to others, than to lose another's love to him: and therefore to make him hate you, is more injurious or hurtful to him, than to hate him.

Direct. II. Take not those for your enemies that are not, and believe not any one to be your enemy, till cogent evidence constrain you. Take heed therefore of ill, suspicious, and ungrounded censures; except defensively so far only as to secure yourselves or others from a possible hurt.

Direct. III. Be not desirous or inquisitive to know what men think or say of you (unless in some special case where your duty or safety requireth it). For if they say well of you, it is a temptation to pride; and if they say ill of you, it may abate your love and tend to enmity. "Also take no heed to all words that are spoken, lest thou hear thy servant curse thee: for ofttimes also thy own heart knoweth, that thou thyself likewise hast cursed (or spoken evil of) others," Eccles. vii. 21. It is strange to see how the folly of men is pleased with their own temptations.

Direct. IV. Frown away those flatterers and whisperers who would aggravate other men's enmity to you or injuries against you, and think to please you by telling you needlessly of other men's wrongs. While they seem to show themselves enemies to your enemies, indeed they show themselves enemies consequently to yourselves; for it is your destruction that they endeavour in the destruction of your love. "If a whisperer separate chief friends," Prov. xvi. 28, much more may he abate your love to enemies: let him therefore be entertained as he deserveth.

Direct. V. Study, and search, and hearken after all the good which is in your enemies. For nothing will he the object of your love, but some discerned good. Hearken not to them that would extenuate and hide the good that is in them.

Direct. VI. Consider much how capable your enemy (and God's enemy) is of being better. And for aught you know God may make him much better than yourselves! Remember Paul's case. And when such a one is converted, forethink how penitent and humble, how thankful and holy, how useful and serviceable he may be; and love him as he is capable of becoming so lovely to God and man.

Direct. VII. Hide not your love to your enemies, and let not your minds be satisfied that you are conscious that you love them; but manifest it to them by all just and prudent means; for else you are so uncharitable as to leave them in their enmity, and not to do your part to cure it. If you could help them against hunger and nakedness, and will not, how can you truly say you love them? And if you could help them against malice and uncharitableness, and will not, how can you think but this is worse? If they knew that you love them unfeignedly, as you say you do, it is two to one but they would abate their enmity.

Direct. VIII. Be not unnecessarily strange to your enemies, but be as familiar with them as well as you can. For distance and strangeness cherish suspicious and false reports, and enmity; and converse in kind familiarity, hath a wonderful power to reconcile.

Direct. IX. Abhor above all enemies that pride of heart, which scorneth to stoop to others for love and peace. It is a devilish language to say, Shall I stoop or crouch to such a fellow? I scorn to be so base. Humility must teach you to give place to the pride and wrath of others, and to confess it when you have wronged them, and ask them forgiveness: and if they have done the wrong to you, yet must you not refuse to be the first movers and seekers for reconciliation. Though I know that this rule hath some exceptions; as when the enemies of religion or us are so malicious and implacable, that they will but make a scorn of our submission, and in other cases, when it is like to do more harm than good, it is then lawful to retire ourselves from malice.

Direct. X. However, let the enmity be in them alone: watch your own hearts with a double carefulness, as knowing what your temptation is; and see that you love them, whether they will love you or not.