Englands sickness, comparatively conferred with Israels Divided into two sermons, by ThoEnglands sicknes, comparatively conferred with Israels Diuided into two sermons, by Tho

But have we no persecutors still? Oh that no Israelite would ever strike his brother. There are two sorts of Persecutors remaining, Esau's and Ishmaels; nourished with the same air, borne on the same earth, and carried in the indulgent bosom of the same Church. But ¹nobis ignominia non sit, patià fratibus, quod. passius est Christus; neque illis gloria, facere quod fecit Judas. Let it be no more shame for us, to suffer of our brethren, what our Saviour suffered of his; then it is glory for them, to do the works of Judas. Some persecute with the hand, others with the tongue. Exercent hi sapientiam, illi patientiam Ecclesiae. The latter exercise the wisdom, the former the patience of the Church. We are secured from Ahabs, and Herods, and Neroes; the teeth of the dogs be broken, and the jaws of the wolves pulled out: the Boners and butchers of the Church are hushed in their graves. Oh that the Serpents also, which hiss and spit their venom at our peace, when all the birds of our air sing acclamations to it, were at quiet. ^pBut as then be that was borne after the flesh, persecuted him that was borne after the spirit, even so it is now. Now so, and will be so. We cannot see an end of these things, without the end of all things. Our turn is still to suffer, we return not blow for blow; but in stead of sounding a point of war, we cry one to another, patiamur potius, Let us rather suffer. Let the Roman affections, like so many pestilent rivers, run all ⟨p. 44⟩(in mare rubrum, or rather in mare mortuum,) into the red Sea, into the dead sea, and snatching the ^qsword of vengeance out of his hand that owes it, quit themselves on their (imagined) enemies, with •loud and death. Let him that is styled the Servant of servants, show himself the Tyrant of tyrants. Philosophy teacheth, that external accidents change inward quality •s. but without an absolute mutation ipsius speciei, they change no substances. A Church may indeed at one time be better or worse disposed, then at another; more hot or more cold; more sick or more whole. But as it were a strange fit, that should transform Apuleius into an Ally: so it were a strange variation of accidents in a Church, that should turn patience into cruelty, humility into pride, a Tutor into a tormentor. Let their motto be ferio; (the term whereon all their arguments rlf) let ours be fero.