An expository comment, doctrinal, controversial, and practical upon the whole first chapter to the…An expository comment, doctrinal, controversal, and practical upon the whole first chapter to the…

Paul was calumniated for a seditious and turbulent person; Athanasius for an Adulterer. These false calumnies put the Ancients upon their Apologeticals, as Tertullian and Athenagorus. Wicked men do first impose lies and slanders upon those who fear God, and when they have thus made them odious, then they think they do deserve any punishment. What abominable lies have the Papists forged and broached about Luther and Calvin? Yea still experience confirmeth it, that whosoever will live godly, profane and ungodly persons will divulge a thousand false reports concerning them. And herein they must look to suffer, and not be troubled for it. The Stars are never the less glorious, though Astronomers have given ugly names to them; the Bear, and the Dragons tail, &c. Thus we see, that he who will be Christs Disciple, must be above riches, honours, liberty, a good Name, yea above life it self; saying to Christ, as they to David, Thou art worth ten thousand of us.

Paul was calumniated for a seditious and turbulent person; Athanasius for an Adulterer. These false calumnies put the Ancients upon their Apologeticals, as Tertullian and Athenagorus. Wicked men do first impose lyes and slanders upon those who fear God, and when they have thus made them odious, then they think they do deserve any punishment. What abominable lyes have the Papists forged and broached about Luther and Calvin? Yea still experience confirmeth it, that whosoever will live godly, prophane and ungodly persons will divulge a thousand false reports concerning them. And herein they must look to suffer, and not be troubled for it. The Stars are never the lesse glorious, though Astronomers have given ugly names to them; the Bear, and the Draggons tayl, &c. Thus we see, that he who will be Christs Disciple, must be above riches, honours, liberty, a good Name, yea above life it self; saying to Christ, as they to David, Thou art worth ten thousand of us.

Secondly, Although it is the portion of all the Members of Christ to be sufferers ¹for him, yet at sometime the storm is more terrible then at others. Sometimes we hear the Church complaining, that they were as sheep for the slaughter, killed all the day long: but at other times God gave more respite. Who hath not heard of the ten persecutions? not that there were not far more then ten, but because they were most general, and commanded by the will of those who then had power. So that suffering times are various, according to Gods dispensation: He maketh the most bitter storm many times to be but short. As in Queen Mary's days; after which came a long calm, and Halcyon daies. Nubecula est, said Athanasius of his troubles, It is a little storm, it will quickly be over. But although those public times of suffering be not always, yet it is very hard, if ever, to see one that liveth godly, not to suffer from those that are evil, one way or other. Every Abel will have a Cain, every Isaac, an Ismael. What though you do not suffer from the Pagans or heretics without, yet how greatly do ye suffer from the profane and ungodly within? Every profane man, though he shroud himself under the name of Christ, yet he is of an Antichristian spirit, if not doctrinally, yet practically, and in deed. Bernard speaking of the bitter times by Paganish persecution, and then of more bitter by heretical, maketh the third and most bitter of all, to be in the evil and ungodly manners of those who are within the Church. Heu domine (saith he) qui sunt in Ecclesiâ primi, sunt in persecutione primi. There is then a suffering for Christ, though not to blood; and if every godly man do not thus suffer, let him fear whether he be not a man pleaser; whether he fear not man more then God; whether therefore he be not applauded as a wise man, as a moderate man, because he is not indeed a zealous godly man against sin in his place. The very Heathen could say, How is he a good man, who is not trouble some to, and hated by an evil man? Therefore saith our Saviour, Woe be to you, when all men speak well of you,