A04472:469
An expositio[n] upon the two epistles of the apostle S. Paul to the Thessalonians…An expositio[n] vpon the two epistles of the apostle S. Paul to the Thessalonians…
An expositio[n] upon the two epistles of the apostle S. Paul to the Thessalonians by the reverend Father John Jewel ... ; whereunto is adjoined a very necessary table of the principal matters contained in this exposition.An expositio[n] vpon the two epistles of the apostle S. Paul to the Thessalonians by the reuerend Father Iohn Ievvel ... ; vvhereunto is adioined a very necessarie table of the principal matters contained in this exposition.
London: printed by Ralfe Newberie, 1584
¶ The Second Epistle of the Apostle Saint Paul to the Thessalonians. › Chapter 1
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Many are the troubles which the righteous men do suffer, but the Lord will deliver them. ⟨p. 242⟩After-Paul and Barnabas had preached the gla• tidings of the gospel, they confirmed the di• ples hearts, and exhorted them to continue in 1the faith, and said, that we must through many afflictions enter into the kingdom of God. We must not therefore be afraid for any terror of them which trouble us for righteousness sake: but rather looking over, and beyond them, we must rejoice, and give thanks to God, who hath made us worthy not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for his sake, For we 2know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle be destroyed, we have a building given of God, an house not made with hands, but eternal in the heavens. These persecutions and tribulations, which you suffer, are a manifest token (saith the Apostle) of Gods love towards 3you. For, whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth: and he scourgeth every son that he receiveth. The Prophets, and Apostles, and Martyrs, which were not only reviled and scourged, but beheaded, cut in pieces, drowned in the waters, consumed in the the fire, or by any other de•ises of tyrants, cruelly put to death, did by this way receive the manifest token of their happy and blessed estate, and by this way did enter into the kingdom of God. Athanasius an ancient father teck•neth the suffering of persecution, to be a special note of a Christian m• ⟨p. 243⟩saying: Cad• Christianorū proprium est: c•dere au• 4christionos, Pilati & Caiphae officia sunt. It is the part of Christians to be persecuted: but to persecute the Christians, it is the very office of Pilate and Caiaphas.