Christ's certain and sudden appearance to judgment. By Thomas Vincent, sometime Minister of Maudlins…

2. Strange, they preached such things as were above reason, and therefore the world might have had much show and pretence of reason, to have excused themselves from yielding obedience thereunto.

3. Strict, severe, and contrary unto natural inclination and interest, they taught the world to deny themselves, to crucify the flesh, to mortify the deeds of the body, to take up the cross, to mourn and weep for sin, to endure hardship, to forsake father, and mother, and wife, and children, and houses, and lands, if they stood in competition with Jesus Christ; to venture imprisonments, yea to lay down their life for Christ, as many of necessity must and did d•, that would be Christians indeed in those days; and when the Doctrine of the Gospel was such, surely it was not likely of it self to receive entertainment, unless the power of God, had accompanied it.

3. Strict, severe, and contrary unto natural inclination and interest, they taught the world to deny themselves, to cruci•ie the flesh, to mortifie the deeds of the body, to take up the cross, to mourn and weep for sin, to endure hardship, to forsake father, and mother, and wife, and children, and houses, and lands, if they stood in competition with Jesus Christ; to venture imprisonments, yea to lay down their life for Christ, as many of necessity must and did d•, that would be Christians indeed in those dayes; and when the Doctrine of the Gospel was such, surely it was not likely of it self to receive entertainment, unless the power of God, had accompanied it.

5. The power of the Gospel in the first preaching appears, in that it met with so much opposition; the Devil stirred up it struments against it, the powers of the Earth were against it, as well as the powers of Hell! great men did oppose it, Philosophers were against it, Learned men did oppose it; the Jews were against it, and raised up persecution against the Apostles, and the hearts of all men naturally were against it; and when there was such an opposition against it; surely it was none but the power of God which could cause it to prevail and conquer, and cause so many Nations to bow and yield obedience hereunto.