A commentary or, exposition upon the divine second epistle general, writtenA commentary or, exposition vpon the diuine second epistle generall, written

It was very much not to acknowledge Christ. Tacere laudes Dei, to hold a mans peace when his honour is in question, is to mistake the end of our redemption, 1 Cor. 6.20. Ye are bought with a price; therefore glorify Christ in your body and spirit, which are the Lords. Now he is poorly glorified, when his Name is concealed. It is said of John Baptist, Joh. 1.20. That he confessed and denied not. If he confessed, it might seem a Pleonasm to say, He denied not: but this declares that whosoever doth not openly confess Christ, doth secretly deny Christ, Judg. 5.23. The Merozians opposed not, they denied not, they only stood still, did nothing, said nothing:¹ they were cursed. Think of this ye that hide Christ, as the woman of Bahurim hid the Spies, in the deep well of your hearts, and cover the mouth of it with corn: that would keep in with Christ, and yet not fall off from the world. Rom. 10.10. With the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Confession is the effect of faith; I believed, and therefore I spake. Si sufficeret fides cordis, non creasset tibi Deus os, Chrysost. If it were enough to believe in the heart, to what purpose did God give thee a mouth? If it be sufficient for thee to know Christ, and not to acknowledge him thy Lord: then it shall be sufficient for Christ to know thee, but not to acknowledge thee for his Servant. Christum deseret, qui se Christianum non asserit; He denies Christ, that doth not profess himself a Christian. Nor is it any help for thee, to say that Silence argues consent: for thou art bound Consentire & confiteri, both to consent and to confess: and indeed here Tacere is negare. Christ loves this free and humble acknowledgement, and commands it. 1 Pet. 3.15. Be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you, with meekness and reverence: Thus you sanctify the Lord God in your hearts. Doth the persecutor question thy faith? Fear him not: what then? Sanctify the Lord in thy hart: ow? by giving an answer, not silence: to whom? not only to the Magistrate, but to every man that asketh, whether friend or foe, home-borne or stranger: of what? the reason of thy hope, the ground of thy expectation of eternal bliss: where and when?