and our witness to the truth, (through the malignant policy of those times) could not be open before the world, but rather smothered up in close prisons or some such ways, together with our selves, we leave to be considered. We cannot see but the rule of Christ to his Apostles and Saints, and the practise of Gods Saints in all ages, may allow us this liberty as well as others, to fly into the Wilderness from the face of the Dragon. But if it had been so, that the Godly Ministers and Christians that fled to New-England, were the most timorous and faint hearted of all their Brethren, that stayed behind, and that ⟨p. 5⟩those sufferings were nothing in comparison of their Brethren's (for why should any b•ast of sufferings?) yet who doth not know that the Spirit who gives various gifts, and all to profit withal, in such times doth single out every one to such work, as he in wisdom intends to call them unto? And whom the Lord will honour by suffering for his Cause, by imprisonment, &c. he gives them spirits suitable thereto: whom the Lord will reserve for other service, or employ in other places, hie inclines their hearts rather to fly, giving them an heart suitable to such a condition. It is a case of Conscience frequently put, and oft resolved by holy Bradford, Peter Martyr, Philpot, and others, in Queen Mary's bloody days, viz. Whether it was lawful to flee out of the Land: To which their answer was, that if God gave a spirit of courage and willingness to glorify him by sufferings, they should stay; but if they found not such a spirit they might lawfully fly, yea, they advised them thereunto. Those Servants of Christ, though full of the spirit of glory, and of Christ to outface the greatest persecutors in profession of the Truth, unto the death, yet did not complain of the cowardice of such as fled, because they deserted them and the Cause, but rather advised divers so to do, and rejoiced when God gave liberty to their brethren to escape with their lives to the places of liberty, to serve the Lord according to his Word. Neither were those faithful Saints and servants of God useless and unprofitable in the Church of God that fled from the bloody Prelates.
and our witnesse to the truth, (through the malignant policy of those times) could not bee open before the world, but rather smothered up in close prisons or some such wayes, together with our selves, wee leave to bee considered. Wee cannot see but the rule of Christ to his Apostles and Saints, and the practise of Gods Saints in all ages, may allow us this liberty as well as others, to fly into the Wildernesse from the face of the Dragon. But if it had been so, that the Godly Ministers and Christians that fled to New-England, were the most timorous and faint hearted of all their Brethren, that stayed behinde, and that ⟨p. 5⟩those sufferings were nothing in comparison of their Brethrens (for why should any b•ast of sufferings?) yet who doth not know that the Spirit who gives various gifts, and all to profit withall, in such times doth single out every one to such worke, as hee in wisdome intends to call them unto? And whom the Lord will honour by suffering for his Cause, by imprisonment, &c. hee gives them spirits suitable thereto: whom the Lord will reserve for other service, or imploy in other places, hie inclines their hearts rather to fly, giving them an heart suitable to such a condition. It is a case of Conscience frequently put, and oft resolved by holy Bradford, Peter Martyr, Philpot, and others, in Queene Maries bloody dayes, viz. Whether it was lawfull to flee out of the Land: To which their answer was, that if God gave a spirit of courage and willingnesse to glorifie him by sufferings, they should stay; but if they found not such a spirit they might lawfully fly, yea, they advised them thereunto. Those Servants of Christ, though full of the spirit of glory, and of Christ to outface the greatest persecuters in profession of the Truth, unto the death, yet did not complaine of the cowardize of such as fled, because they deserted them and the Cause, but rather advised divers so to doe, and rejoyced when God gave liberty to their brethren to escape with their lives to the places of liberty, to serve the Lord according to his Word. Neither were those faithfull Saints and servants of God uselesse and unprofitable in the Church of God that fled from the bloody Prelates.
