A treatise of civil policy

What ever falleth under a positive Commandment of God, I may say here, under any Commandment of God, is not a thing under the free will and power of others, from whom we are not descended necessarily by natural generation, but that men of the world kill me, even these from whom I am not descended by natural generation (which I speak to exclude Adam, who killed all his posterity) is not in my free will, either as if they had my common nature in that act, or as if I were accessory by counsel, consent, or approbation to that act, for this is under the free-will and power of others, not under my own freewill: Ergo, that I suffer by others is not under my free-will, and cannot fall under a Commandment of God: And certainly, it is an irrational Law, (glorified be his name) that God should command Antipas either formally to suffer, or formally not to suffer death by these of the Synagogue of Satan, Revel. 2. 13. because if they be pleased not to kill him, it is not in his free-will to be killed by them; and if they shall have him in their power (except God extraordinarily deliver) it is not in his power, in an ordinary providence, not to be killed. 2. All these places of Gods word, that recommendeth suffering to the followers of Christ, do not command formally that we suffer; Ergo, suffering falleth not formally under any Commandment of God; I prove the Antecedent, because if they be considered, they prove only that comparatively we are to choose rather to suffer, then to deny Christ before men, Mat. 10, 28, 32. Revel. 2. 13. Mat. 10. 37. Mat. 16. 24. c. 19. 29. ⟨p. 318⟩or then they command not suffering according to the substance of the passion, but according to the manner, that we suffer willingly,¹ cheerfully, and patiently. Hence Christs word to take up his Cross, which is not a mere passion, but commendeth an act of the virtue of patience. Now no Christian virtue consisteth in a mere passion, but in laudable habits, and good and gracious acts, and the Text we are now on,