The rule of faith, or, An exposition of the Apostles Creed so handled as…

For the second, we shall find in the Story of the Evangelists, that the chief Witnesses of Christs death were women, that followed Christ from Galilee, and ministered to him, by name Mary Magdalen, and Mary the mother of James, and Joses, and Salome, and the mother of Z•bedees children: These a far off beheld what was done. Of all the Apostles and seventy Disciples here is not one, but only John the Evangelist, who was by the Cross with the Virgin Mary.

For the second, we shall finde in the Story of the Euangelists, that the chiefe Witnesses of Christs death were women, that followed Christ from Galile, and ministered to him, by name Mary Magdalen, and Mary the mother of Iames, and Ioses, and Salome, and the mother of Z•bedees children: These a farre off beheld what was done. Of all the Apostles and seuentie Disciples here is not one, but onely Iohn the Euangelist, who was by the Crosse with the Virgin Mary.

Thus will God exercise the faith of his servants, the Church must receive the report of the things that concern the death of Christ from women, as the chief Witnesses: and hereby did Christ honour the piety of these women that followed him to the death, when the Disciples fled and left him; which is an everlasting honour to their sex, and shows that God can make women glorious confessors of the Truth, even at such times as men hide their heads for fear. What a shame is this for the Apostles to be absent from a spectacle, upon which the salvation of the whole world doth depend? Besides, hence we may gather, that Christ can preserve unto himself some number that profess his Truth, and can arm them against the fear of danger, even in the most desperate persecutions: Yea some such as will neither fly nor hide themselves.

Thus will God exercise the faith of his seruants, the Church must receiue the report of the things that concerne the death of Christ from women, as the chiefe Witnesses: and hereby did Christ honour the pietie of these women that followed him to the death, when the Disciples fled and left him; which is an euerlasting honour to their sex, and shewes that God can make women glorious confessors of the Truth, euen at such times as men hide their heads for feare. What a shame is this for the Apostles to be absent from a spectacle, vpon which the saluation of the whole world doth depend? Besides, hence we may gather, that Christ can preserue vnto himselfe some number that professe his Truth, and can arme them against the feare of danger, euen in the most desperate persecutions: Yea some such as will neither flie nor hide themselues.