12. As it's possible for a Christian to suffer for his own iniquities, so nothing is more ordinary in the world, though a man do suffer merely for Christs sake, yet to charge other crimes upon him, and to pretend other grounds of their malice against such then mere Christianity: This is good to be observed, for if the Persecutors say true there was never any holy man or faithful Servant of God suffered, but they made the condemnation just, and thought at least some of them that they did God good service, as our Saviour, Joh. 16.2. Were not the Prophets of old, whose blood was shed by Jerusalem? traduced as busy-bodies, as Troublers of Israel, as public enemies, and in Christs time; Though the Sun was not more free from spots then he from sin or any miscarriage in his Ministry, yet what accusations did they frame against him, and Joh. 8. It was not for the good works, they said, they stoned him, but for his blasphemies, So Joh. 18. If this man were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered him to thee; The Martyrs also when so many thousand of them died willingly for Christ, yet by their Enemies they were represented as the vilest of men; So that as they did with their bodies, put them in Beasts skins, that so Lyons might devour them more greedily; Thus they defamed them, and laid heavy crimes to their charge, that so they might have the more just ground to condemn them; So that when a Christian suffers as a Christian, and when as a busy-body, must not be determined by their Enemies, nor by the greater part of the world, but by Gods Word, for they think all zeal against sin, rashness, and madness, and all reproofs of wickedness, a busy-meddling more then needs, Gods Word therefore must be the Star to direct in this.
12. As it's possible for a Christian to suffer for his own iniquities, so nothing is more ordinary in the world, though a man do suffer meerly for Christs sake, yet to charge other crimes upon him, and to pretend other grounds of their malice against such then meer Christianity: This is good to be observed, for if the Persecutors say true there was never any holy man or faithful Servant of God suffered, but they made the condemnation just, and thought at least some of them that they did God good service, as our Saviour, Joh. 16.2. Were not the Prophets of old, whose bloud was shed by Jerusalem? traduced as busie-bodies, as Troublers of Israel, as publike enemies, and in Christs time; Though the Sun was not more free from spots then he from sinne or any miscarriage in his Ministry, yet what accusations did they frame against him, and Joh. 8. It was not for the good works, they said, they stoned him, but for his blasphemies, So Joh. 18. If this man were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered him to thee; The Martyrs also when so many thousand of them died willingly for Christ, yet by their Enemies they were represented as the vilest of men; So that as they did with their bodies, put them in Beasts skins, that so Lyons might devour them more greedily; Thus they defamed them, and laid heavy crimes to their charge, that so they might have the more just ground to condemn them; So that when a Christian suffers as a Christian, and when as a busie-body, must not be determined by their Enemies, nor by the greater part of the world, but by Gods Word, for they think all zeal against sinne, rashnesse, and madnesse, and all reproofs of wickednesse, a busie-medling more then needs, Gods Word therefore must be the Star to direct in this.
- 12. It is ordinary for them that suffer for Christ to be charged with divers crimes.
