A17384:2140
A commentary
A commentary: or, sermons upon the second chapter of the first epistle of Saint Peter wherein method, sense, doctrine, and use, is, with great variety of matter, profitably handled; and sundry heads of divinity largely discussed. By Nicholas Byfield, late preacher of God's Word at Isle-worth in Middlesex.A commentary: or, sermons vpon the second chapter of the first epistle of Saint Peter vvherein method, sense, doctrine, and vse, is, with great variety of matter, profitably handled; and sundry heads of diuinity largely discussed. By Nicholas Byfield, late preacher of God's Word at Isle-worth in Middlesex.
London: printed by Humphrey Lownes for George Latham, 1623London: printed by Humfrey Lownes for George Latham, 1623
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
Ans. There were, chiefly, five things which caused this obstinacy in the Gentiles. The first was the tradition of their fathers & forefathers: they would not forsake that religion, which for so many hundred years their Ancestors had professed, 1. Pet. 1.18. Secondly, the god of this world did mightily labour to blind their eyes, that they might not understand the Gospel, 2. Cor. 4.4. Thirdly, they saw, that the Christian Religion was persecuted in all places, both by reproaches and martyrdom. Fourthly, they would not receive the Christian Religion, because there were but few that professed it, and that their wise men and great men of the world, for the most part, did reject it, 1. Cor. 1. The last and chief reason was the love of their sins, which ⟨p. 480⟩they saw they must forgo, if they embraced the Christian Religion. It was true also, that the wickedness of some hypocrites that crept in among Christians, did make the way of God evil spoken of, and many Gentiles to blaspheme, Rom. 2. I might add, that the doctrine of Christs Passion, was a scandal unto many Gentiles, who accounted it as a foolish thing, to believe him as a Saviour, that could not save himself from so ignominious a death; being willingly ignorant of the necessity of that oblation of Christ, as the Surety and Sacrifice for our sins.
Ans. There were, chiefly, fiue things which caused this obstinacy in the Gentiles. The first was the tradition of their fathers & forefathers: they would not forsake that religion, which for so many hundred yeers their Ancestors had professed, 1. Pet. 1.18. Secondly, the god of this world did mightily labour to blinde their eyes, that they might not vnderstand the Gospell, 2. Cor. 4.4. Thirdly, they saw, that the Christian Religion was persecuted in all places, both by reproaches and martyrdome. Fourthly, they would not receiue the Christian Religion, because there were but few that professed it, and that their wise men and great men of the world, for the most part, did reiect it,