Moses his choice with his eye fixed upon Heaven, discovering the happy condition of…

Secondly, they look upon their ways as irrational: ¹There is no reason why men should be so afraid of the least sin, they are stricter then they need, and do more then they need: so that the more earnest Gods people are upon their way, the more wicked men will scorn them, because they see them earnest upon that which they see no reason for.

1. 12.

Again, they think the ways of Religion are but imaginary things, and notions, and there is no certainty ¹in them, and think it strange men should suffer for things that are to come they know not when, and are they know not what: and therefore one gives that reason, why Cyprian was called Coprian, because he gathered such fables and tales, (meaning the Gospel) as they termed them, which they saw no reason for.

1. 13.

But especially it does proceed from the pride and ¹malice of wicked men; from pride, and swelling, and ²envying one at another; a proud and envious man will seek to cast disgrace upon that excellency that himself wants, as Licinius who was joined with Galerius in the Empire, being ignorant himself, not being able so much as to write his own name, he was an enemy to learning, and as Eusebius reports of him, he called the liberal Arts, A public poison and pestilence. What was the reason that should cause Sanballat and Tobiah to make such a stir to reproach Nehemiah? Certainly the ground was this, Sanballat