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

How lamentable is the hearing of these things unto nice and curious women? who now must not have the wind to blow on them, who are ready to dye if they be but crossed a little of their wills. It was an excellent speech of a woman Martyr, Julitta by name, who being to be put into the fire, spake unto other women thus, Cease to accuse the fragility of ⟨p. 23⟩the feminine sex: What? are not we made of the same matter that men are? yea, after Gods image are we made as well as they; God did not use flesh to make women of in token of infirmity, we are bone of his bone, in token we must be strong in the living God. These were the sufferings of those times; we shrink at every thing, at every scorn and frown.

How lamentable is the hearing of these things unto nice and curious women? who now must not have the wind to blow on them, who are ready to dye if they be but crossed a little of their wills. It was an excellent speech of a woman Martyr, Iulitta by name, who being to be put into the fire, spake unto other women thus, Cease to acouse the fragility of ⟨p. 23⟩the feminine sex: What? are not we made of the same matter that men are? yea, after Gods image are we made as well as they; God did not use flesh to make women of in token of infirmity, we are bone of his bone, in token we must be strong in the living God. These were the sufferings of those times; we shrink at every thing, at every scorn and frown.

As for after times, it pleased God to stir Constantine a Christian Emperor, and then the Church had some rest; to which some apply that place, Rev. 20. 2. Satan was bound a thousand years, not to rage for a thousand years after, so as he then did, until Antichrist got strength: but the Text will not bear this interpretation; we read Rev. 8. 1. at the opening the first seal, there was silence in Heaven half an hour; that is, a space of intermission, wherein the Church had some little breathing for a while, but yet continued not long; for Licinius, who first joined in the maintenance of Christian Religion, fell off and turned an outrageous persecutor. After that the Church endured infinite troubles by the heresy of Arianism, that spread it self mightily abroad, so that the whole world almost was become an Arian; at this time says Hilary, the Church was so obscured, as it was not to be sought in any external pomp in public places, but in prisons and dens; Non in tect is, & exteriori pompa, sed potius in carceribus & speluncis. Arrius was a man of excellent parts, and forward in good, but through pride, being disappointed of his expected preferment, fell off. Mr. Brightman upon