'The grace of universal charity': Jeremy Taylor on the Commandments and the Christian moral vision

Preparing to read the Commandments at the Holy Communion on this Monday of Holy Week, I turned to Taylor's discourse on the Decalogue in The Great Exemplar. Here Taylor - referencing Clement of Alexandria, a favourite in his works -  sets forth the place of the Commandments in the Christian moral vision, as the way that is fulfilled in "Christian charity". This is the context for the saying of the Commandments in the Holy Communion, the way that is to taken up "in the mystical body of thy Son, which is the blessed company of all faithful people", who "continue in that holy fellowship, and do all such good works as thou hast prepared for us to walk in".

St. Clement of Alexandria saith, the Pharisees' righteousness consisted in the not doing evil, and that Christ superadded this also, that we must do the contrary, good, and so exceed the Pharisaical measure ... But the balance in which the Judge of quick and dead weighs Christians is, not only the avoiding evil, but doing good; the following peace with all men and holiness; the proceeding from faith to faith; the adding virtue to virtue; the persevering in all holy conversation and godliness. And therefore St. Paul, commending the grace of universal charity, says, that love worketh no ill to his neighbour, therefore love is the fulfilling of the law; implying, that the prime intention of the law was, that every man's right be secured, that no man receive wrong ... Now because the Christian charity abstains from doing all injury, therefore it is the fulfilling of the law; and because it is also patient and liberal, that it suffers long and is kind, therefore the charity commanded in Christ's law exceeds that charity which the Scribes and Pharisees reckoned as part of their righteousness.