And againe p Verse 14. by one offering he hath perfected for euer them that are sanctified Secondly by humane satisfacttion this was a part oâ— Christs Priestly office to satisfie for out sinnes Now the Romish Church teacheth that notwithstanding Christ hath suffered and q Bâ—llar de satisfact lib. 4. satisfied for vs to saue vs from eternall punishment yet we our selues must satisfie for our sins by our good workes by fasting and almesdeedes c. for our temporall punishment This is also against the truth of Gods Word for we hold according to the Scriptures that Iesus Christ alone and once and that perfectly hath satisfied the Iustice of God both for our sinnes and for the punishment due to our sinnes As S. Iohn saith r 1 Ioh. 1. 7. The bloud of Iesus Christ his Sonne cleanseth vs from all sinne And the Lord hath made a promise that Å¿ Ezek. 18. 21. 22. if the wicked will turne from all his sinnes that he hath committed they shall not be mentioned vnto him Thirdly by making Saints their Intercessours It belongs vnto Christs office to make intercession for vs. So the Scripture witnesseth S. Paul saith t Rom. 8. 34. Christ died yea rather is risen againe who is euen at the right hand of God who also maketh Intercession for vs. But the Church of Rome appointeth other intercessours besides Christ they flee to the mediation of Saints and pray to Saints that they would make request for them whereas Christ is our alone Mediatour as the Apostle saith u 1 Tim. 2. 5. There is one God and one Mediator betweene God and men the Man Christ Iesus Thirdly concerning the Propheticall office of Christ as he is a Prophet hee is the Instructor and Teacher of 3 A Prophet his Church by his Spirit and written Word for his Word is his will and his Word ought to be our Rule in matters both of faith and godly life but the Church of Rome besides the Scriptures and Word of God brings in a heape of humane Traditions which their Doctors and Teachers will haue to be receiued as x Traditiones simpliciter necessariae sunt Bellar. de Tradit simply necessary holding that all things needefull to faith and a Christian life are not contained in the Scriptures but that wee must seeke many things from Traditions whereas we hold that whatsoeuer is necessary to saluation to faith and a godly life is contained in the Scriptures euen in the written Word of God either expresly or so as may rightly be collected and gathered from the Scriptures According to that saying of S. Paul to Timothy y 2 Tim. 3. 16 17. All Scripture is giuen by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for reproofe for correction for instruction in righteousnes that the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished vnto all good workes Wherefore if we will hold the truth concerning Christ and his Offices wee must hold and acknowledge him to be a King a Priest and a Prophet to his Church and that not in word onely but also in deede and in Truth Thirdly Iesus Christ is denied by Apostasie when 3 By Apostasie Two-fold men fall away from the truth which they haue knowne and professed And this is two-fold Particular and Vniuersall The particular back-sliding and falling away is two-fold 1 Particular falling away Two-fold The one is when a Christian hauing turned from his former euill course of life and framed himselfe to liue a 1 By falling into some great and grieuous sin godly life and now making a profession of religion doth fall into some great and grieuous sinne whereby he doth not onely sinne against God but doth also offend the people of God and giues occasion to others to speake euill of the way of the Lord. An example hereof is in Dauid committing adulterie with Bathsheba to whom the Prophet Nathan rebuking him saith not onely thus z 2. Sam. 12. 7. Thou art the man thou art he that hast done this wickednesse and hast sinned against God but he saith also a Vers 14. by this deed thou hast giuen great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme This is an euill falling away but yet this fall is recouerable for Dauid seriously repented and was receiued to fauour b Vers 13. Dauid said vnto Nathan I haue sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said vnto Dauid the Lord hath also put away thy sinne thou shalt not die The other kind of particular back sliding and falling 2 By falling from the profession of Christ and that two waies away is a falling away from the profession of Christ and that either through Infirmitie or Securitie First through Infirmitie so Peter who had made a 1 Through infirmitie profession of Christ had also boasted what he would doe and suffer for Christ c Mat. 26. 33. 35. though all men shall be offended because of thee yet will I neuer be offended And againe he saith though I should die with thee yet will I not denie thee notwithstanding all this fainted and d Ver. 70. 72. 74 denied Christ three times Secondly through Securitie falling away from a 2 Through securitie mans former zeale and sinceritie of his profession an example hereof we haue in the Angell of the Church of Ephesus to whom Christ saith e Reue. 2. 4. I haue somewhat against thee because thou hast left thy first loue But both these fals are recouerable for of Peter it is said f he went out and g Mat. 26. 75. wept bitterly And to the Angell of the Church of Ephesus Christ saith g Reu. 2. 5. remember from whence thou art fallen and exhorteth him to repent and to doe the first workes This of the particular Apostasie and falling away which is onely a backsliding and falling away in part and that for a time There is also an vniuersall falling away and that is 2 Vniuersall falling away Two-fold also two-fold The first is an vniuersall falling away form a mans former righteousnesse from his holinesse of life and godly conuersation when any one fals from vertue to 1 From a mans former righteousnesse and holinesse to prophanenesse and wickednesse vice and from a godly conuersation to profanenesse and notorious wickednesse this is a kinde of denying Christ yea this is of the seruant of Iesus Christ to become the seruant of the Deuill euen as a seruant which râ—fuseth to serue his owne Lord and Maister but fals to his maisters aduersarie and serues him may be said to haue denied his maister so they who for a time haue made shew of seruing their Lord Maister Iesus Christ and afterwards fall away from the seruice of Christ and serue the flesh the world and the Deuiil may rightly be said to haue denied Iesus Christ of such St Peter speaks shewing the dangerous state of those that so fall away h 2.
it * 1. Pâ—t 3. 15. Be ready alwayes saith S. Peter to giue an answer to euery man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you wee haue examples heereof S. 1 God requireth it Paul was not ashamed of the preaching of the Gospell for to the Romanes he saith c Rom. 1. 16. I am not ashamed of the Gospell of Christ The Romane-beleeuers in S. Pauls time were not ashamed of the profession of the Gospell for of them hee saith d Rom. 1. 8. Your faith is spoken of thorowout the whâ—le world And the beleeuers among the Thessalonians were not ashamed of the profession of their faith for of them also S. Paul saith e 1. Thes 1. 8. In euery place your faith to God ward is spred abroad Secondly to confesse Christ before men hath a promise 2 A promise to them that confesse Christ and to deny Christ hath a threatning annexed vnto it f Mat. 10. 32. 33 Whosoeuer saith our Sauiour shall confesse mee before men him will I confesse also before my father which is in heauen But whosoeuer shall deny me before men him will I also deny before my father which is in heauen For thus will Christ the righteous Iudge say vnto his Father at the day of the Resurrection These ô Father on my right hand are they which haue confessed mee before men they were not ashamed of mee I acknowledge them for mine g Mat. 25 34. Come yee blessed of my Fâ—ther inherit the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world But as for these on my left hand ô Father these are they that denied me before men they were ashamed of mee they would not stand vnto their faith and profession I acknowledge them not h Mat. 25. 12. I know you not i Ver. 41. Depart from me yee cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the Deuill and his Angels This is the first kinde of confessing Christ before men in the time of peace The second is to bee constant in our profession to 2 To be constant in our profession and to stand vnto the truth stand vnto the truth which wee professe not to shrinke backe not to be wauering minded but to hold fast the truth to speake for it and defend it S. Paul giues vs this worthy exhortation k 1 Cor. 16. 13. Watch ye stand fast in the Faith quit you like men be strong Thus are we to make confession of Christ before men in the time of peace The consideration whereof serues to reproue Vse First those who faint and are discouraged eyther to 1 Against those that are fearfull to professe the Gospel by reason of some disgrace-full speeches vniustly cast vpon them that professe the Gospell enter vpon or to hold on the profession of godlinesse by reason of the disgracefull speeches which some ill minded men doe cast vpon the professours of religion there are diuers who hearing the Gospell preached conceiue a good liking of it and hearing moreouer and vnderstanding that the professours of religion are carefull to worship God publikely and priuately that they are carefull to sanctifie the Sabboth to frequent the house of God to heare Sermonâ— c. Furthermore perceiuing that the best and most sincere professours doe endeuour to liue a godly a righteous and a sober life and as much as in them lies labour to liue blamelesse they cannot but acknowledge that all this is good and worthy their imitation and gladly they would imitate them and be like vnto them but that they feare they should be mocked pointed at and branded with the name of Precisian Puritane Sectarist c. Such fearfull and faint-hearted Christians are herein like to l Ioâ— 3. 1. 2. Nicodemus who came to Iesus by night And like to m Ioh. 19. 38. Ioseph of Arimathea who was a Disciple of Iesus but secretly for feare of the Iewes But consider I beseech you all ye that are thus fearefull to make an open profession of Christ what though the world hate you and speake euill of you and persecute you is it not a religious cause is it not for the name of Christ and will you be ashamed of Christ Nay you ought not to faint nor be discouraged in the profession of godlinesse nor yet to be afraid to confesse Christ before men though you suffer for the name of Christ for this is the portion of the righteous in this life to be afflicted persecuted and troubled and concerning this I say with S. Peter n 1. Pet. 4. 16. If any man suffer as a Christian let him not be ashamed but let him glorifie God on this behalfe A seruant that attends vpon a great man of place is not ashamed to weare his cognisance and to be knowne to belong vnto him but esteemes it his credite and accounts it his honour to be knowne and noted that he is seruant to such a worthie Gentleman or that he belongs to such an honorable person so euery Christian ought much more to reioyce and glory in this that he is the seruant of Iesus Christ Now that which makes a Christian knowne to bee the seruant of Iesus Christ is not to be ashamed of the Gospell of Christ it is his constant confession of Christ and the open manifest profession of his Faith and Religion before men ioyning thereunto a godly life hauing his conuersation as it becommeth the Gospell of Christ And a Christian ought to be so farre from being ashamed of the profession of the Gospell that he ought to glorie therein and count it his greatest honour that he is seruant to so great a Lord as the Lord Iesus 2 Against those who are still doubtfull and not setled in iudgement for the truth of Religion Secondly this reproues those who are doubtfull inconstant and wauering in matters of religion not setled in iudgement for the truth of religion being neyther good Protestants nor right Papists holding something of both and holding constantly to neither To such I may say as Elijah the Prophet said to the seduced Israelites in the dayes of King Ahab o 1 Kin. 18. 21. How long halt yee betweene two opinions If the Lord be God follow him but if Baal then follow him How long halt ye betweene two religions of Protestants and Papistâ— If the Lord be God follow him and worship him in spirit and truth as hee hath commaunded but if Baal be God if to worship Saints and to bow downe before Images be the true worship of God then follow them For if a man haue faith its necessarie that he also confesse the truth of his faith with his mouth and professe the same in his life Thirdly seeing that a Christian is to giue testimonie of his faith by outward profession then what faith hath 3 Against luke-warme professours the luke-warme Christian which is neither hote nor cold Some are so indifferent for matters of religion
Frumentum Dei sum ac dentibus bestiarum commolior vt mundus panis inuâ—â—iar ibid. c 33. I am Gods corne the beasts must grinde me in their teeth that I may be pure bread Polycarpus with great constancy endured to be burned rather then he would deny Christ or reproach the name of Christ whom he had e Octaginâ—â— seu annos illi seruio nec me vlla in re lesit vnquam quomedo possum male dicere regi meo qui me seruaâ—it id l. 4. c. 15. serued as he acknowledgeth fourescore and six yeeres and in all that time saith he Christ hath done me no manner of harme but hath saued me how then can I blaspheme my Lord and King yea f l. 8. c. 12. Eusebius reports that so many christians in so many places of the world did suffer for the name of Christ and so constantly did they endure the cruell torments which wicked men did inuent against them that the very beholders were astonished to see the manlike fortitude and to perceiue the constant resolution of those holy martyrs These are they which are now g Reu. 7. 9. 14. clothed with white robes hauing palmes in their hands and these are they which came out of great tribulation and haue washed their robes and made them white in the bloud of the Lambe The consideration of this constancie in the profession Vse of our faith to endure torment and to suffer death for Against the temporarie faith and formall profession the name of Christ serues to reproue those who haue but a temporarie faith and a formall profession Manie in time of prosperitie in the Sunne-shine and flourishing state of the Gospell when there is peace and prosperitie in the land make a glorious profession but if trouble and persecution arise for the Gospels sake then they pull in their heads draw backe and in the end fall away from their profession denying their faith and profession rather then they will suffer death for the name of Christ Ecclesiasticall histories mention that diuerse weake Christians in the times of grieuous persecutions denyed Christ before men and sacrificed to Idoles though many of them afterwards repented and were receiued into the bosome of the Church againe Our owne Acts and Monuments tell vs of the like amongst which memorable is the example of one Denton a Blacksmith who being a professour of the Gospell deliuered vnto Wolsey a friend of his the booke of the holy Scriptures telling him that it was the truth After this his friend Wolsey whom he had beene a meanes to conuert vnto the truth was cast into prison for his conscience sake and being in prison sent vnto the said Denton signifying vnto him that he marueiled that he tarried so long behind him seeing he had deliuered vnto him the Scripture and knew that it was the truth Denton returned him this answere I confesse it is the truth but alas I cannot burne But he that could not burne in the cause of Christ was afterwards burned against his will for his house being set on fire whiles he went to saue his goods he lost his life A good and sound Chrishan ought to be so affected toward Christ Iesus as a louing spouse as a chast and modest wife to her owne husband a chast and faithfull wife will by no meanes by no promises nor allurements by no threatnings nor torments be drawne or forced to forsake her deare husband but will be faithfull vnto him to the death and resolutely say h Moriar Alcide tua Sen. O deare husband I will die thine So a good Christian soule the spouse of Christ will by no meanes by no perswasions nor threatnings for no torments nor for any feare of death be mooued to forsake Christ but will remaine faithfull vnto Christ euen vnto death and with resolution of heart say O deare Sauiour I will die thine He that will build a tower and doth not first sit downe and count the cost whether he hath sufficient to finish it is held by our Sauiour i Luk. 14. 28. 29 Christ to be an vnwise man And such an vnwise man is he who before he entreth vpon this great worke of the profession of Christian religion doth not first sit downe and count what it may cost him It may be he shal heare mockings reprochfull and disgracefull speeches in regard of his very profession he may for Christ's sake suffer losse in his goods yea it may be his profession may cost him his life Now then a wise man is to consider aforehand that as its necessarie that he doe confesse the name of Iesus and that he make a profession of godlinesse so hauing once taken vpon him the profession of the Gospell there 's no shrinking no going backe k Luk. 9 62. he that putteth his hand to this plow and looketh backe is not fit for the Kingdome of God A Christian hauing taken vpon him the profession of the Gospell ought in no wise to goe backe from his profession nor to denie his faith though it cost him his life least he be like to that foolish builder who began to build and was not able to finish To conclude It ought to be the care of euery good Christian first to get true faith into his heart next to nourish his faith that it may be preserued and continued to the end then to shew forth the fruits of his faith by patience in afflictions and suffering wrongs by reformation and amendment of life by works of mercy and lastly to make confession of Christ before men and not to be afraid nor ashamed of the profession of the Gospell but to stand fast in the faith and to be constant in the same yea to liue and die therein This is the way to life euerlasting As CHRIST saith to the Angel of the Church in Smyrna l Reu. 2. 10. Be thou faithfull vnto death and I will giue thee a Crowne of life ⸫ The end of the first Booke THE SECOND BOOKE OF THE WAY TO THE CELESTIALL PARADICE Concerning Repentance Which is the second meanes whereby a Sinner may be saued and come to life euerlasting CHAP. I. The Preface with the Partition of the whole Treatise of Repentance AFter Faith necessarily and fitly followeth The order of this Treatise Repentance Necessarily for by our repentance amendment of life we giue testimony of our faith in Christ And fitly for Faith begetteth Repentance it is as it were the a Fides esi poenitentiae mater origo Buca de poenit mother and breeder of Repentance Indeede in regard of time Faith and Repentance are together For b Virtuâ—es sunt connexae omnâ—s simul incipiunt esse in animae Tho. 3. q 85. ar 6. Vertues and graces are wrought together in the soule True faith and sound repentance are ioyned together they are inseparable companions but yet in regard of order of nature faith is first though Repentance shew it selfe
he saw that Christ was condemned he brought againe the thirtie pieces of siluer to the chiefe Priests and Elders and went and o Math. 27. 5. hanged himselfe and p Act. 1. 18. falling headlong he burst asunder in the midst and all his bowels gushed out such was the shamefull end of Iudas The other example is of Iulian the Emperour who by reason of his great Apostasie and falling away from the truth is called Iulian the Apostata This Iulian q Iuuenili aetate suxit lac pioe doctrinae Theo. hist Eccles l. 3. c. 1. 2. in his young age was trained vp in the true Christian religion and fauoured the Christians notwithstanding afterwards he denied the faith fell away from the truth denied Christ sacrificed to Idol became a most sore enemie to Christians and a vile reproacher of the name of Christ calling him the Galilean and Christians Galileans and many despitefull things did he against the Christians and that of very hatred and malice But what end came he to It is recorded that when he made war against the Persians he was wounded but no man knew how his wound came but so sore was the wound that he died of it and dying tooke a handfull of his owne blood and cast it vp into the ayre saying r Vicisti Galilae Theod. l. 3. c. 25. O thou Galilean meaning Christ thou hast gotten the victory Such was the miserable and fearefull end of Iulian. Be warned then all ye that know and professe Christ that ye denie not Christ Beware of backsliding and falling away from the truth Å¿ Heb. 3. 12. 13. Take heed brethren lest there be in any of you an euill heart of vnbeliefe in departing from the liuing God But exhort one another daily while it is called to day lest any of you be hardned through the deceitfulnesse of sinne And t 1. Cor. 10. 12. let him that thinketh he standeth take heed least he fall CHAP. XI Shewing who are partakers of the true sauing Faith whether all haue it or but some and who they are IT hath beene declared wherein true sauing Faith 5 Whether all men haue true faith or but some and who they are consisteth The next thing in order to be handled which is the first generall point in this Treatise of Faith is concerning the persons in whom true sauing Faith is to know who are partakers of it whether all men haue true Faith or but some and to discerue who they are The ground of this inquirie is from the words of the Apostle St Paul to the Thessalonians a 2 Thes 3. 2. All men haue not Faith that is aâ— learned b 〈…〉 est fides â—oc est non omnes eredunt Theo. Zanch. c. Shewed two waies Diuines expound it All men doe not beleeue And that it may appeare who are indeed partakers of the true sauing Faith who doe truly beleeue and who not I will shew first in the Negatiue part who haue not faith Secondly in the Affirmitiue who haue faith Touching the first Faith is not vniuersall nor common 1 Who haue not true faith to all All men haue not Faith This I manifest First in generall Secondly in particular First in generall Reprobates haue not true sauing 1 In generall Faith The reason whereof is a secret iudgement of God lying vpon them being smitten with hardnesse of Reprobates heart and blindnesse of minde that they cannot beleeue as St Iohn speakes of the incredulous Iewes c Ioh. 12. 37. 38. 39 40. But though he that is Christ had done so many myracles before them yet they beleeued not on him That the saying of Esaias the Prophet might be fulfilled which he spake Lord who hath beleeued our report And to whom hath the arme of the Lord beene reuealed Therefore they could not beleeue because that Esaias said againe he hath blinded their eyes and hardned their heart that they should not see with their eyes nor vnderstand with their heart and be conuerted and I should heale them Secondly in particular diuerse haue not faith for 2 In particular as First All that are as yet aduersaries to the truth and enemies to the Gospell of Christ haue not Faith Secondly profane people notorious wicked men in 1 Enemies of the Gospell whom sinne rules and raignes haue not faith Thirdly hypocrites haue not faith These may haue 2 Prophane people an historicall and a temporarie faith but true sauing faith they haue not The reason is because as yet and as long as they are in their naturall vnregenerate state 3 Hypocrites they are without they are not as yet in Christ they are not ingrafted into Christ they are not as yet members of the mysticall bodie of Christ they are not of the flock of Christ they are not the sheepe of Christ and therfore they do not beleeue in Christ As Christ himselfe speaks to the vnbeleeuing Iewes d Joh. 10 26. Yee beleeue not because yee are not of my sheepe All men then haue not faith for Reprobates haue not faith the enemies of the Gospell of Christ haue not faith prophane people haue not faith and Hypocrites haue not faith Thus it appeares who haue not faith Secondly for the affirmatiue who haue faith and 2 Who haue true faith who doe beleeue Though Reprobates aduersaries to the truth prophane persons and Hypocrites haue not faith yet many there are who haue true faith This I manifest First in generall Secondly in particular First in generall the Elect and all the Elect doe beleeue 1 In generall The Elect. yea euery one of the elect Children of God hath true sauing faith and do beleeue according to that saying in the Acts of the Apostles e Acts 13. 48. as many as were ordained to eternall life beleeued For this cause true sauing faith is called the * Tit. 1. 1. Faith of Gods Elect because it is peculiar to Gods Elect. The Elect haue it and all and euery one of the Elect and none but onely the Elect haue it Secondly in particular these haue faith 2 In particular First they that are effectually called inwardly by the gracious working of Gods Spirit sanctifying their 1 They that are effectually called hearts and outwardly by the preaching of the Gospel according to that saying of the Apostle to the Thessalonians f 2 Thess 2. 13 14. God hath from the beginning chosen you to saluation through sanctification of the Spirit and beleefe of the truth whereunto he called you by our Gospell Where sanctification of the Spirit and beleefe of the truth are meanes whereby they that are truely called come to saluation whence it followeth that they and all they that are effectually called of God haue true sauing faith Secondly all that are truely regenerate and borne anew 2 The regenerate haue true faith for they are g Iam. 1. 18. begotten with the word of
that they care not greatly of what religion they be so they be of any There are others who as they would not be too irreligious and profane not exceedingly wicked and vile in their life so they are afraid of being noted to be too precise in their carriage too zealous too holy such are luke-warme Christians neither hote nor cold neither so cold as to be of no religion nor so hote as to be sincere in the profession of godlinesse Such luke-warme professours are abhominable in the sight of God and euen loathed of him As is manifest in the reprehension of the Angell of the Church of the Laodiceans p Reu. 3. 14. 15. 16. I know thy workes that thou art neither colde nor hote I would thou wert cold or hote So then because thou art lukewarme and neither cold nor hote I will spew thee out of my mouth here are two things said of these Laodiceans one is concerning the state of that Church for their profession of religion they are noted to be lukewarme neither cold nor hote the other is there iudgement and punishment for their lukewarmenesse in religion except they be more zealous and repent the Lord will spew them out of his mouth that is the Lord will loath and abhorr them and will cast them out from him euen as a mans stomacke loathes lukewarme water casting it vp againe And this of the confession of Christ before men in 2 In time of persecution time of peace There is also a confession of Christ to be made of euery good christian in time of persecution And that Twofold is also twofold The first is to stand boldly in the defence of our 1 To stand to our faith when we are called in question for it faith and religion if we be called in question for it This our Sauiour Christ taught his Disciples q Math. 10. 17. 18. 19. Beware of men for they will deliuer you vp to the Councills and they will scourge you in their Synagognes And ye shall be brought before gouernours and Kings for my sake for a testimony against them and the Gentiles But when they deliuer you vp take no thought how or what ye shall speake for it shall be giuen you in that same howre what ye shal speake A worthy example hereof there is in Peter and Iohn the Apostles of Christ who preaching Iesus Christ and working miracles through his name were called before the rulers of the Iewes and examined about the healing of the creeple r Act 4 7. by what power or by what name haue ye done this then Peter with great courage and boldnesse answered ſ ver 8. 9. 10. Ye rulers of the people and elders of Israel if we this day be examined of the good deede done to the impotent man by what meanes he is made whole be it knowne vnto you all and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Iesus Christ of nazareth whom ye crucifie whom God raised from the dead euen by him doth this man stand heere before you whole Here was the constant confession of Christ by these Apostles standing to their faith when they were called in question for it and that with courage and great boldnesse yea further when the rulers called the Apostles t ver 18. 19. 20. And commanded them not to speake at all nor teach in the Name of Iesus Peter Iohn answered said vnto them whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken vnto you more thē vnto God iudge yee For we cannot but speake the things which we haue seene heard See still their cōstant cōfession of ther faith in Iesus Christ they beleeued therfore they spake this is the first kind of confessing Christ in time of persecution The second i◠to stand boldly in the defence of our 2 To stand in the defence of our faith vnto the death faith euen vnto death and not to deny Christ though we loose our life for Christs sake Memorable is the example of the three children of the Captiuity who being threatned to be cast into the fiery fornace because they would not worship the golden Image which Nebuchadnezzar had set vp did notwithstanding sticke fast vnto the worship of the true God of Heauen and earth when the King threatned them with the fiery furnace they were not afraid of the fier but with courage and boldnesse thus confidently answered the king u Dan. 3. 16. 17. 18. O Nebuchad-nezzar we are not carefull to answer thee in this matter If it be so our God whom we serue is able to deliuer vs from the burning fiery furnace and he will deliuer vs out of thine hand ô King But if not be it knowne vnto thee o King that we will not serue thy Gods nor worship thy golden image which thou hast set vp This was the constancy of the Apostle S. Paul when the Prophet Agabus tooke Pauls girdle and bound his owne hands and feete prophecied that so the Iewes at Ierusalem should binde the man that owed that girdle and when the beleeuers with whom Paul was heard these things and wept and besought him that he would not goe to Ierusalem Paul answered x Acts. 21. 13. What meane ye to weepe and to breake mine heart For I am ready not to be bound onely but also to die at Ierusalem for the Name of the Lord Iesus Such was the constancy of the faithfull in the times of the most cruell persecutions both before Christ and since Before Christ as is manifest in the diuerse sufferings of the Saints of God mentioned by the Apostle to the Hebrewes y Heb. 11. 35. 36. 37. 38. others were tortured not accepting deliuerance that they might obtaine a better resurrection And other had triall of cruell mockings and scourgings yea moreouer of bonds and imprisonment They were stoned they were sawen a sunder were tempted were staine with the sword they wandred about in sheepe-skins goat-skins being destitute afflicted tormented of whom the world was not worthy they wandred in deserts and in mountaines and in denns and caues of the earth And after Christ from Steuen Protomartyr the first that suffered for the name of Christ so downward to these times as many as haue suffered in deede and in truth for the testimony of Iesus haue with constancy and boldnesse with courage and reioycing endured any torments that cruell persecutors could inuent against them and spared not their liues for his sake that gaue his life for them z Acts. 7. 59. 60 Steuen was stoned to death and and praied for his persecutors Lord lay not this sinne to their charge a Euseb l. 2. c. 25. Paul was beheaded b id l. 3. c. 1. Peter was crucified with his head downeward c Acts. 12. 2. Iames the brother of Iohn was killed with the sword Ignatius was cast to the wild beasts it was he that said d