§. 2. The truth is, wicked men are the seed and children of the Devil, and have his image, and obey him, and think, and speak, and do as he would have them. And the Godly are the seed and members of Christ, and bear his Image, and obey him: And do you think that the Devil will bid1 his children speak well of the ways or followers of Christ? I must confess, till I had found the truth of it by experience, I was not sensible how Impudent in belying, and cruel in abusing the servants of Christ, his worldly malicious enemies are. I had read oft how early an Enmity was put between the Woman's and the Serpents seed, and I had read and wondered that the first man that was born into the world did murder his Brother, for worshipping God more acceptably than himself, because his own works were evil, and his brothers righteous, 1 John 3. 12. I had read the inference, ver. 13. Marvel not my brethren if the world hate you.] But yet I did not so fully understand, that wicked men and Devils are so very like, and so near of kin; till the words of Christ, John 8. 44. expounded by visible demonstrations had taught it me. Indeed the Apostle saith, 1 John 3. 12. that Cain was of that wicked one, that is, the Devil: But Christ saith more plainly [Ye are of your father the Devil, and the lusts of your Father ye will do: He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him: When he speaketh a lye, he speaketh of his own; for he is a liar, and the father of it.] Here note, that cruel murdering and lying are the principal actions of a Devil; and that as the Father of these he is the Father of the wicked, who are most notoriously addicted to these ⟨p. 10⟩two courses against the most innocent servants of the Lamb. How just is it that they dwell together hereafter, that are here so like in disposition and action: even as the Righteous shall dwell with Christ, who bore his image, and imitated his holy suffering life.
§. 2. The truth is, wicked men are the seed and children of the Devil, and have his image, and obey him, and think, and speak, and do as he would have them. And the Godly are the seed and members of Christ, and bear his Image, and obey him: And do you think that the Devil will bid1 his children speak well of the wayes or followers of Christ? I must confess, till I had found the truth of it by experience, I was not sensible how Impudent in belying, and cruel in abusing the servants of Christ, his worldly malicious enemies are. I had read oft how early an Enmity was put between the Womans and the Serpents seed, and I had read and wondered that the first man that was born into the world did murder his Brother, for worshipping God more acceptably than himself, because his own works were evil, and his brothers righteous, 1 John 3. 12. I had read the inference, ver. 13. Marvel not my brethren if the world hate you.] But yet I did not so fully understand, that wicked men and Devils are so very like, and so near of kin; till the words of Christ, Iohn 8. 44. expounded by visible demonstrations had taught it me. Indeed the Apostle saith, 1 Iohn 3. 12. that Cain was of that wicked one, that is, the Devil: But Christ saith more plainly [Ye are of your father the Devil, and the lusts of your Father ye will do: He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him: When he speaketh a lye, he speaketh of his own; for he is a lyar, and the father of it.] Here note, that cruel murdering and lying are the principal actions of a Devil; and that as the Father of these he is the Father of the wicked, who are most notoriously addicted to these ⟨p. 10⟩two courses against the most innocent servants of the Lamb. How just is it that they dwell together hereafter, that are here so like in disposition and action: even as the Righteous shall dwell with Christ, who bore his image, and imitated his holy suffering life.
- 1Victor utic. saith that the Arian Goths tormented the devoted Virgins, to force them to confess that their Pastors had committed fornication with them: but no torment preva•• ed with them, though man• were killed with it, pag. 407, 408. lib. 2. Terrent praecep••s ••ralibus, ut in medio Vandalorum nostri n•llat••us respirarent: Ne•; us•; qua••e orandi aut immolandi con•ed•ret•r g•m•ntibus locus. Nam & diversae calumniae non d•erant quotidie, etiam illis sacerdotibus, qui in his regionibus versabantur, quae palatio triouta pendeba•t. Et si forsita• quis••a•, ut moris est, du• Dei pop•lum admo•cret, Pharaonem, Nebuchadnezzar, Holosernum, aut aliquem similem nominas••t, Objiciebat•r illi, quod in personam R•g•s ita dixiss•t, & sta•im exilio trad batur. Ho• enim tempore pers•cutionis genus agebatur, hic ap•rtè, alibi occultè, ut piorum nomen talibus insidiis inte•iret. NB. Victor Uticens. p. (mi•i) 382. Abundance of Pastors were then banished from their Churches, and many tormented, and Augustine himself dyed with fear, saith Victor ib. p. 376. when he had written (saith he) two hundred thirty two Books, besides innumerable Epistles, Homilies, Expositions on the Psalms, Evangelists, &c.
