A09376:1667
A cloud of faithful witnesses, leading to the heavenly Canaan, or, A commentary upon…A cloud of faithfull witnesses, leading to the heauenly Canaan, or, A commentarie vpon…
A cloud of faithful witnesses, leading to the heavenly Canaan, or, A commentary upon the 11 chapter to the Hebrews preached in Cambridge by that godly, and judicious divine, M. William Perkins ; long expected and desired, and therefore published at the request of his executors, by Will. Crashawe and Tho. Pierson, preachers of Gods Word, who heard him preach it, and wrote it from his mouth.A cloud of faithfull witnesses, leading to the heauenly Canaan, or, A commentarie vpon the 11 chapter to the Hebrewes preached in Cambridge by that godly, and iudicious divine, M. William Perkins ; long expected and desired, and therefore published at the request of his executours, by Will. Crashawe and Tho. Pierson, preachers of Gods Word, who heard him preach it, and wrote it from his mouth.
London: printed by Humphrey Lownes for Leo. Greene, 1607London: printed by Humfrey Lownes for Leo. Greene, 1607
Believers under the Maccabees.Beleeuers vnder the Maccabees.
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.
Secondly, out of all these sufferings here endured by ⟨p. 539⟩faith, note the mind and disposition of ungodly men towards Gods Church and people; they are most bitterly & bloodily bent against them: for, here they put in execution upon Gods children, whatsoever cruelty the devil could suggest into their hearts. And this hath been their disposition and behaviour, not only before Christs incarnation, but also ever since: as may appear by the manifold strange tortures, devised against Christians in the Primitive Church; and both then and since inflicted upon them. Behold it in the Church of Rome, especially in their late Inquisition: whereby, beside the cruel racking of the conscience by unjust inquiries, they put the Protestants to most cruel torments.
Secondly, out of all these sufferings heere endured by ⟨p. 539⟩faith, note the minde and disposition of vngodly men towards Gods Church and people; they are most bitterly & bloudily bent against them: for, here they put in execution vpon Gods children, whatsoeuer cruelty the diuell could suggest into their hearts. And this hath beene their disposition and behauiour, not onely before Christes incarnation, but also euer since: as may appeare by the manifolde strange tortures, deuised against Christians in the Primitiue Church; and both then and since inflicted vpon them. Beholde it in the Church of Rome, especially in their late Inquisition: whereby, beside the cruell racking of the conscience by vniust inquiries, they put the Protestants to most cruell torments.
The consideration of this cruel disposition in the wicked, against the godly, is of special use. First, it proves unto us, that the religion which by Gods mercy we profess, contained in the books of the old and new Testament, is no politic device of man, but the sacred ordinance of the everliving God. For, if it were the invention of man, it would so fit their humour, and accord with their nature, that generally it would be loved and embraced, and not one of an hundred would mislike it. But, we see it is generally detested; This Sect is every where spoken against,