A word in season to this present generation, or, A sober and serious discourse…

In former times the sense of the love of God, made the Martyrs esteem Tyrants as gnats and fleas, and torments as the flea-bitings. Tertullian speaking of his times saith, ¹that to be accused was the wish of Christians, and punishment for Christ they counted felicity, A certain Woman ⟨p. 68⟩•unning in all hast with her child in her arms; being asked the cause, O, saith she, I hear a great sort of Christians are appointed to be martyred, and I am afraid lest I and my little one come too late. When the Emperor Valens banished Basil, and the Tribune threatened his death, I would (said Basil) I had any thing of worth, I would bestow it on him that should cut Basil's windpipe; and when he had that night given him to deliberate, he answered, That he should be the same man to morrow, and wished that the Tribune would not be changed. Chrysostom being in banishment by the means of Eudoxia the Empress, wrote to a Bishop called Cyriacus, and upon occasion, tells of his resolution before he was banished, I thought with my self (saith he) that if she will banish me, the Earth is the Lords; if she will saw me asunder, I remembered the Prophet •say; if drown me, Jonah came to my mind; if stone me, I thought of Stephen; if behead me, of John Baptist; if take away my goods, Naked came I out of my mothers womb. By all which you may clearly see, that let the wicked do their worst, they can never bring the Saints to their bow. But,

In former times the sense of the love of God, made the Martyrs esteem Tyrants as gnats and fleas, and torments as the fleabitings. Tertullian speaking of his times saith, ¹that to be accused was the wish of Christians, and punishment for Christ they counted felicity, A certain Woman ⟨p. 68⟩•unning in all hast with her child in her arms; being asked the cause, O, saith she, I hear a great sort of Christians are appointed to be martyred, and I am afraid lest I and my little one come too late. When the Emperour Valens banished Basil, and the Tribune threatned his death, I would (said Basil) I had any thing of worth, I would bestow it on him that should cut Basil's windpipe; and when he had that night given him to deliberate, he answered, That he should be the same man to morrow, and wished that the Tribune would not be changed. Chrysostome being in banishment by the means of Eudoxia the Empress, wrote to a Bishop called Cyriacus, and upon occasion, tells of his resolution before he was banished, I thought with my self (saith he) that if she will banish me, the Earth is the Lords; if she will saw me asunder, I remembred the Prophet say; if drown me, Jonas came to my mind; if stone me, I thought of Stephen; if behead me, of John Baptist; if take away my goods, Naked came I out of my mothers womb. By all which you may clearly see, that let the wicked do their worst, they can never bring the Saints to their bow. But,