N01237:55
A discourse concerning the grace of courage, wherein the nature, beneficialness, and necessity of…
A discourse concerning the grace of courage, wherein the nature, beneficialness, and necessity of that virtue for all Christians, is described. Delivered in a sermon preached at Boston in New-England. June 5th. 1710. / By Increase Mather, D.D. ; [Two lines from I Corinthians]A discourse concerning the grace of courage, wherein the nature, beneficialness, and necessity of that vertue for all Christians, is described. Delivered in a sermon preached at Boston in New-England. June 5th. 1710. / By Increase Mather, D.D. ; [Two lines from I Corinthians]
Boston: printed by B. Green for Samuel Phillips, 1710
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
1. Such as having given their Names to Christ, when Persecution comes they prove Deserters. They have lifted themselves among the Soldiers of Jesus Christ, and by their Baptism Sworn Fidelity to him, yet when Tribulation or Persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by they are offended, and turn Apostates from the Truth. Such there were in the Apostles days. There were some among the Galatians who urged Christians to be Circumcised as the Jews were, Only lest they should suffer Persecution, Gal. 6. 12. In those days the Jewish Religion was tolerated in the Provinces of the Roman Empire, when the Christian Religion was not. All the Circumcised were looked upon as Jews. Hence some nominal Christians would be so, that they might escape Persecution. In after Ages very many Christians would fall away from the Truth as a new Storm of Persecution arose. And some would hide their Religion: they were convinced in their Consciences that the Gospel was the Truth, and they afraid to disown it lest they should provoke God, and yet afraid to own it left they should be exposed to Persecution and ⟨p. 35⟩Death. These men would bribe Corrupt Officers to sign a Libel testifying that they had Sacrificed to Idols, although' they never did so, by that means they escaped the Storm which proved fatal to better Christians. These were called Libellatici. The Churches in those days cast them out of their Communion as unworthy of the Name of Christians. How many in these latter Times, yea, in our Days, have Apostatized from the Truth because of a cruel Persecution? Are there not Millions of them in one unhappy Kingdom at this day? Has not the French dragon boasted that he has dragooned Twenty hundred thousand Protestants (whom he calls Heretics) into a Compliance with Popish Idolatry?
1. Such as having given their Names to Christ, when Persecution comes they prove Deserters. They have lifted themselves among the Souldiers of Jesus Christ, and by their Baptism Sworn Fidelity to him, yet when Tribulation or Persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by they are offended, and turn Apostates from the Truth. Such there were in the Apostles dayes. There were some among the Galatians who urged Christians to be Circumcised as the Jews were, Only lest they should suffer Persecution,