Fourthly, From the sufferings for Christs sake we may inform our selves 1much in this great lesson, that they were in earnest, and real for him. It was not only words, or a profession, but a lively submission unto the ways of Christ. That which the Scripture complaineth of so much, is the general sin of the Christian world, They follow Christ, because of loaves: They profess him while the scorching heat of the Sun doth not arise; but when once Christ and their earthly comforts cannot stand together, then they discover their unsoundness, and that they had no root at all. But those that suffer for Christ, they profess no more with their tongues then they manifest in their lives, Non loquimur magna, sed vivimus, as Cyprian, We do not so much speak great things, as live them. This was the great Objection to Seneca, and such moral Philosophers, that they had expressions about Virtue, but in their practice were far from it. Seneca was forced to purge himself in this accusation. But neither he, nor Socrates, nor Aristotle, nor any of those Masters in Morality, could acquit themselves. ⟨p. 227⟩Aristotle that maketh Temperance a virtue, and that he only is temperate who doth it for virtues sake, that a virtuous man will rather die than do an evil or dishonest action, yet he kept a whore, yea and sacrificed to her, as the Heathens did to a goddess. He was moved to study Philosophy by the instinct of Pythias, which is no more than by the command of the Devil. He was ungrateful, betrayed his Country, and then afterwards had a great hand in poisoning Alexander, which made Caracalla the Emperor, expel all Philosophers of Aristotle's Sect, because of his mischief to Alexander. He was also exceeding covetous; for this end Lucian bringeth Alexander in hell upbraiding Aristotle, that therefore he made riches part of the Summum bonum, that under that pretext he might the rather heap up wealth; insomuch that Lactantius said truly of him, Aristoteles nee Deum coluit, nec curavit. So that these great Moralists were like some Painters, who can draw excellent and beautiful pictures, when they themselves are foul and deformed. So that to add action and suffering to our profession, when we are called to it, this is to show we are Christians indeed, Nunc incipio esse Christianus, said Ignatius, when he was going to his Martyrdom.
Fourthly, From the sufferings for Christs sake we may informe our selves 1much in this great lesson, that they were in earnest, and real for him. It was not only words, or a profession, but a lively submission unto the wayes of Christ. That which the Scripture complaineth of so much, is the general sinne of the Christian world, They follow Christ, because of loaves: They professe him while the scorching heat of the Sunne doth not arise; but when once Christ and their earthly comforts cannot stand together, then they discover their unsoundnesse, and that they had no root at all. But those that suffer for Christ, they professe no more with their tongues then they manifest in their lives, Non loquimur magna, sed vivimus, as Cyprian, We do not so much speak great things, as live them. This was the great Objection to Seneca, and such moral Philosophers, that they had expressions about Virtue, but in their practice were farre from it. Seneca was forced to purge himself in this accusation. But neither he, nor Socrates, nor Aristotle, nor any of those Masters in Morality, could acquit themselves. ⟨p. 227⟩Aristotle that maketh Temperance a vertue, and that he only is temperate who doth it for virtues sake, that a virtuous man will rather die than do an evil or dishonest action, yet he kept a whore, yea and sacrificed to her, as the Heathens did to a goddesse. He was moved to study Philosophy by the instinct of Pythias, which is no more than by the command of the Devil. He was ungratefull, betrayed his Countrey, and then afterwards had a great hand in poisoning Alexander, which made Caracalla the Emperour, expell all Philosophers of Aristotles Sect, because of his mischief to Alexander. He was also exceeding covetous; for this end Lucian bringeth Alexander in hell upbraiding Aristotle, that therefore he made riches part of the Summum bonum, that under that pretext he might the rather heap up wealth; insomuch that Lactantius said truly of him, Aristoteles nee Deum coluit, nec curavit. So that these great Moralists were like some Painters, who can draw excellent and beautifull pictures, when they themselves are foul and deformed. So that to adde action and suffering to our profession, when we are called to it, this is to shew we are Christians indeed, Nunc incipio esse Christianus, said Ignatius, when he was going to his Martyrdom.
- 14. Hence we may inform our selves they were in earnest, and real for Christ.
