Chap.g. according to Sr MAv T H andcertain other Preachersofthe Gofpelalive, henot onlydeter- mined not any thing extreamly againft them, or violated their graves, but altoentreating them gently, fens them away , not to much asonce forbidding them to publtfh openly thedoctrine that Ad and m. they profeflëd. For it is the natureof Chriffs Church, the more 178 that perfecutours fpurn againft it, the more it fdourifheth and en- crealeth, as the Palme-tree fpreadeth and fpringeth the more it our4ut zlex is opprefíèd : as the bottle or bladder, that may be dipr, not tonjabzpexni- drowned ; as the Oak that cakethheart to grace from the maims bus, perdan- and wounds given it, and fprouts the thicker ; as Fenugreek, raper-cedesab which the worte it is handled ( faithPliny) the better it proves. 1P1° `scour o. This made e/lrrius Antoninus (a cruel' perfecutour in e4¡ia) Per aoiownq cryout to the Chriflians, who cameby troops so his tribunall,and ¡erro, l orár. proclaimed themtelves Chri.ftians (fo offering themfelves to death) Omiferi, fa libet perire, nu na,obis ropes aut reifes de- Tercul.adSea- Ant ? O *retchedmen, ifye be' defirous to die, have you nei- Fuhm eherrocks nor halters, wherewith to di. 5atch yourfelves ? Dio- d Frno,ri tic- cletian after he had in vain donéhis utmofl to blot out Chriffs xftd ,0 4gs Name from under heaven, and couldnot effe4 it ( fuch was the ,c362,,,q fx =71? .conttancy of the Primitive Chriffians, that no fufferings could affright or difcouragethem, but that they grew upon him daily, doe what he could to the contrary) laid down the Empire io great .difcontent, and betook himfelf (as Charles the fifthalto did) to Buchnlcer, a private courte oflife. As Lambs breed in winter, and Quails chronot. carne with the winde : So good Preachers and peoplefpring molt ivum id 3 r. in hard times. No fowl is more prey'd upon' byhawks, kites,cc. then the Pigeon, yet are there more doves then hawks or kites for all that, faith Opt-atm. So the fheep; and fo the fheep of Chrift, t..1 little little Poch, he calleth it, but fuch as all the ótu,,; Wolves onearth, and devils in hell cannot poilîbly devour. The Lux., s.;,, Chriftiáns of Calabria fuffered great perfecution, Anna 156o. for being all thruft up in one honte together, as in a cheep-fold, the Executioner cometh in, and amongf} them raketh one, and blindfoldeth hicn with a inuffierabout his eyes, and fo leadeth him forth into a larger place, where he commandeth htm to kneel down : Which being done, he cutteth his throat, and f.> having him half dead, and taking hisbutchers knifeand muffler all ofgore bloud, corned: again to the reft, and fo leading them one after another, he difpatcheth them all, to the number of` 88. All the cider went to death more cheerfully, the younger were more timo- G rc us. l
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=