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…

reckoning up several kinds of Martyrs, that may be called so in a large, and an improper sense, doth out of Austin, and more profusely out of Chrysostom show, That those Christians who lay in great pains, and extreme diseases, and yet would not use such superstitious and magical remedies that happily might have healed them, but would die rather than take any one of these medicines, highly commending their faith and patience, were accounted Martyrs; he is Martyr in lecto, who dieth of his pain, and his disease rather than he will use magical helps to be cured. It seemeth in the days of those Fathers, there was that wicked practice, which is now also too much used by many ungodly wretches, by going to Wise men and Wizards, in their diseases, and to make use of their superstitious remedies to cure them. But as the zeal of these Ancients did burn like fire against such unjustifiable ways, so do they highly commend the patience and mortification of such, who would rather die than be healed in this manner, making it in some sense an holy Martyrdom. I bring this, not only to put them to confusion who are guilty of such sins, but to confirm the truth I intended, That whatsoever flesh and blood doth suggest, yet faith and grace will make a man go through any troubles, rather than do that which is unlawful, to come out of trouble.

reckoning up several kinds of Martyrs, that may be called so in a large, and an improper sense, doth out of Austin, and more profusely out of Chrysostome shew, That those Christians who lay in great pains, and extream diseases, and yet would not use such superstitious and magical remedies that happily might have healed them, but would die rather than take any one of these medicines, highly commending their faith and patience, were accounted Martyrs; he is Martyr in lecto, who dieth of his pain, and his disease rather than he will use magical helps to be cured. It seemeth in the dayes of those Fathers, there was that wicked practice, which is now also too much used by many ungodly wretches, by going to Wisemen and Wizards, in their diseases, and to make use of their superstitious remedies to cure them. But as the zeal of these Ancients did burn like fire against such unjustifiable wayes, so do they highly commend the patience and mortification of such, who would rather die than be healed in this manner, making it in some sense an holy Martyrdom. I bring this, not only to put them to confusion who are guilty of such sinnes, but to confirm the truth I intended, That whatsoever flesh and blood doth suggest, yet faith and grace will make a man go through any troubles, rather than do that which is unlawfull, to come out of trouble.