An exposition with practical observations continued upon the thirty-fifth, thirty-sixth, and thirty-seventh chapters of…

To oppose two is a very great disadvantage; but if a man have the truth on his side, he may oppose all, though he be alone: He may be an Antipas (Revel. 2.13.) a man against all men, as that name of Christs faithful Martyr, there mentioned, doth import. If there be a thousand of them, he may undertake them all, for in answering one, he answers all. Elijah said of himself (1 Kings 18.22.) I, even I only, remain a Prophet of the Lord; yet he stood up against all the Idolatrous Prophets of Baal, who were no fewer than four hundred and fifty men: That we have many with us, is little advantage, and less honour many a time. A long train of Followers will do us no good, if our Cause be bad. Truth is strong and will prevail; 'tis vain to fight against it, though our partakers are many. The ancient Fathers observed, how some were wont to cry up those that had the multitude on their side, and to boast that most were of their Opinion. It was the saying of a Worthy in those times, By my being alone, ¹the word of truth, and the truth of the word, is not at all diminished. One man and the truth are strong enough to oppose a multitude in error, and a multitude of errors. The more any men, and the more men appear in opposing truth, the more is God engaged in faithfulness to appear for it. When one boasted to St Hierome that he had a multitude of Followers in his Opinion; he answered, That ⟨p. 24⟩the number of his Companions did not prove him a Catholic, ²but a Heretic.

To oppose two is a very great disadvantage; but if a man have the truth on his side, he may oppose all, though he be alone: He may be an Antipas (Revel. 2.13.) a man against all men, as that name of Christs faithful Martyr, there mentioned, doth import. If there be a thousand of them, he may undertake them all, for in answering one, he answers all. Elijah said of himself (1 Kings 18.22