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…

Secondly, For the object matter, The Scripture expresseth it another time, ¹for the Name of Christ. Mat. 19. 29. Whosoever shall for sake houses, lands, &c. for my Names sake. Job. 15. 21. All these things will they do to you for my Names sake. What is Christs name? not only the Person of Christ himself; but as the Name of God, is that whereby God is known, so is the Name of Christ. Yea, under this, is comprehended those Doctrines, and that Faith which Christ had delivered to us. The truths of Christ are to be dearer to us then our lives. Hence it was, that Christianity hath amazed the world, with those millions and millions of Martyrs, that have been for the faith of Christ. It was a wicked opinion of the Priscillianists of old, That a man might lye, dissemble, and forswear the truths of Christ, bow to Idols, and communicate with heathens in any bodily worship, so as they kept the true faith in their hearts. But this is directly opposite to Scripture. Rom. 10. 16. With the heart man believeth, and with the month confession is made to salvation. To salvation: So that a man cannot be saved, though he doth in his heart believe, if he do not, when it is casus confessionis, a case of confession, confess also with his mouth the same faith. And Rom. 11. 4. The true worshippers of God in Elijah's time, are described not only by their inward grace, but externally also, that they did not bow their knee to Baal. It is true, there is a difference between profession and confession strictly taken: As Cyprian, Maluit nos Dous confiteri fidem, non profiteri. To profess, is to do it ultroneously of our own accord, when we are not called to it; as some of the Martyrs would do, crying out, Christianus sum, I am a Christian; for which they were put to death. And this could not be excused in them, unless we say, an extraordinary heroical frame of spirit was at that time infused into them by the Holy Ghost. This voluntary profession, when danger is, is not required: Yea, in lesser truths, we are not to profess them so, as to disturb the faith of others. So the Apostle, Rom. 14. 22