The excellency of holy courage in evil times by Jeremiah Burroughs

Answer, For this we are to know that fleeing is a suffering; and if it be examined to the bottom, many plead with others to stay to suffer, and the bottom is because they are loath to suffer so much presently, as the departing from their country, and shops, and estates is. Peter Martyr in a treatise of his about fleeing from persecution, gives a notable answer to those people, and hath a pretty expression to set out the temper and humour of those people. It is like to many that are diseased, and the disease is such, as there must be the cutting off of a Limb, or the enduring some great extremity to cure it, one that is delicate and loath to endure hardship; if he can but get any one to plead his cause that this is not the way to cure this disease to put the patient to such pain, it may be cured by more gentle means, and it were better for to venture with more gentle means then to cut off a Limb, now some through their loathness to endure some present certain pain will venture to have it cured with more gentle means, though at length it cost them their lives. So some because they are loath to endure so much certain present trouble as to part from their Countries and Estates, they rather venture with more gentle means, when as many times they grow to deny the truth, and ⟨p. 72⟩to defile their consciences with superstitious things, and shamefully to subject them unto others.

Answer, For this we are to know that fleeing is a suffering; and if it be examined to the bottome, many plead with others to stay to suffer, and the bottome is because they are loath to suffer so much presently, as the departing from their country, and shops, and estates is. Peter Martyr in a treatise of his about fleeing from persecution, gives a notable answer to those people, and hath a pretty expression to set out the temper and humour of those people. It is like to many that are diseased, and the disease is such, as there must be the cutting off of a Limbe, or the induring some great extremity to cure it, one that is delicate and loath to endure hardship; if he can but get any one to plead his cause that this is not the way to cure this disease to put the patient to such pain, it may be cured by more gentle means, and it were better for to venture with more gentle meanes then to cut off a Limb, now some through their loathness to indure some present certain paine wil venture to have it cured with more gentle meanes, though at length it cost them their lives. So some because they are loath to indure so much certain present trouble as to part from their Countries and Estates, they rather venture with more gentle meanes, when as many times they grow to deny the truth, and