in Contriving Man's Redemption. _ 251 Bajilisk.._ ro parr wid1 irs Poifon, for a Vfiolj to be changed into a Lamb, nay, for Dogs,·~ (fuch were the Gentiles in our Saviour's Lang_uage) _to be chang'd into A11gels o~ Light Chap. 21 ' and P11rity. An emmem ln{hnce we h.:tve ot ItS Efficacy m the Codnthians, who m thetr ~ Heathen Sr<tte were guilty of the vilel1: Enormities: Bm after their receiving the Gofpel, the Aportle tdlifies, 2. Cor. 6. ID, It. they were wafhed, ja~t{}ijied, and )11jlijied in the Na111eojthe Lord 'jejiu, or~d by the Spirit of our God. 'j<tflill Martyr teJJsTripholl ( n), thatro)'Q,,.,,. rho fe who had been fiain'd with all Filthine(<>, and enl1av'd by charming imperious Lufts, ~;~~"':5. yet becoming ChrH'rians, they were purified, and freed, and delighted in thofe Vertues ~.::~;~~ that were mof\: conrrarytotheir former Vices. This Alteration was fo vifible, rlut the ..... ~~- InApq!. Lives of the firfl Chriflians were an Apology for their Faith. And 'tis flrongly urged byPoft. Origw, Tertullimt, LaC/anti11s, and others, as a conv incing proof of the Divinity of the Chrirtian DoCtrine, that it made rhe Profeffors of it Divine in their Converfations. The Creation of Grace w:~.s like rht Crea1ion of Nature, when Trees fprang up in an inl1ant laden with Fruits, fo in the Converted, all the bleffed Fruits of the Spirit, Love, 'JoJ, Peace, Long-fitjfering, Gentlenefr, Goodmfl, J<ditb, lvieeA.!u:fl, Tcmperm;ce abounded. This Teftimony even a Pagan Perfecutor gives the common fort of Chrifiians (o), That(o) Pli_n. Libo they affembled to ltng Hymns to Chrifl; that they obliged themfelves folemnly to in- 10 • Epij1. 7• jure no Perfon, to deceive none, to prefer\'e faithtDlly what was commined ro them, to be always rrue. And as in Obedience to the Golpel, they gave a Divorce to all the finful Delights of Senfe, fo, which was incompar~bl_Y more difficult, _they embraced rhof~ things which Natur~ cloth moflabhor. No ll.ehg10n ever exp<lred tts followers to ~uch Sufferings, nor mfp tred them wtth fuc~ reiol~1non to fufta1~ them.. All other Rel1g10nS were productions of the Flefh, and bemg all~ed together, 1f any t•me )ealouCy_ c~u i ed a difcord between them, yet an open Perfecutton was unofual. But when Chnfhantty fir([ appeared, they all turned their Hatred and Violence againfl it, as a Forreigner of a different extraCtion. How many li ving J."\1artyrs were Exiles for the Faith, and-dt:prived of all humane Confolation? yet they e!1eemed themfelvesmore blelfed in their Miferies, than others in their Plealures. How many thou[ands were put to Death for the Honour of our Rede~mer? yet rhe lea(( rhing is the number, in comparifon of the manner of their Suf- (P) Vlrian ferings. If they had fuffered a mild Martyrdom, an eafie and fudden Death, wherein ~~~.f~~c~~ the Combat and Victory had been finifh'd at a Blow, their Love and Courage had not r";b<:hcv,. been fo admirable: But they endured Torments (o (p) various and terrible, that had they ~~~5 °{heTornot been prac:tifed upon them by their Enemies, it were incred ible that ever M.llice fbould Chrifiiaosfu~- ~:J0c~~~f~~~ ~~ ~~~~~~ ~~\;~~1r%!~,h:~~;e~o~~jnnfl~~ ~~~~-de~~r!~ t~v~~~~ies~~i~h;; {~:~';!i: was thei r mere [offering fuch Torments [o aftonilbing, as their readinefs to encounter them, 11Cm&crlfutn and their Behaviour under them. They maintained their Faith in the prefence of the ~:~~'f:nm:.x'fr •.. m'ofl formidable Princes. Some who might by Favour, were afuid to efcape the corn- r11m,& f11m- :~~e~~~r;~uf~[~;, ea~d~~~~ed~t~:::~h~r~~~~~r~~fe ~~~~~~~n~q~ap~vht'or~~~~~~;a~ ~£;~~~m ~~fi~::rt~~~u~~of~~ut~~~a~:~~:~1s J~~~~~;erBin::~e~~v~:~k:~~~n~~e~ls[,h~~~~~~g~~ ~:~~~~~~arBanifh me, load me with Chains, Burn me, Tear me, omit no kind of Torment. If you Ba- tyr. nifh me, the fmallefl Corner of the Earth !hall be to me as the whole World, becau[e I !ball };M~~';';~~ find my God there: If you kill me, by the fame Act you will give me the happy Liberty I"!'"'· _o;n.,,. ;~~h:f~~~~,a ~t~~!i~:lre~~h~~~t~~r~~~~;i;~~W~~n~iE~~~l~~~~:~~ :1~~~i~0:~:~~;;;~ !~~~~~~i ~eefir~ 1t~0 ~h~;'~!r~~1a~~~L~r~~b!~~:'!~~:n~e%e~;~ i:h~~:da~~t~e~~;d:~ ~~~~;' Ea;e~ Af:~~~·;~~:- cutioners with the fame Eye, as St. Peter did the Angel rhat brake off his Fetters to refl:ore de Script. Echim to Freedom. They chearfully received them, as thofe who broughtthe Keys of Para- ())fi~~.i, 11 di(e in the Came Hands wherewith they broughr their Swords. They entred into rhe Fire qr,,d tb!itm be~~ i~ifi:d~;~hre~ ~~~~~: Y a~~t\~~~~ffit~~~~:~~ 3~1~J;ri ~~~i~[~~~:r:~~~\e~~ ii h~hve!re~~~~;J~i:::~~::c. ~aith Eufebitu, the Executioners tired wirh tormenting them, lie down panting and breath- ~~~'_raa;dt~:~:r;~! ~;~~r~~f's~~:r~~~~e/f)~'n~~c~:~~nr~~~rd~~~ ;~~~~~cee~ ~;~cl~ ~~~ !9::f~;~;~~ D~ltverance from them. If the Judges were foftned with their Blood and by the force m . 1~· ' •'t'r;, , ofN,ttu re w~re com:;elled to be compaffionate, fo as to offer them' a releafe if rhev ~';!: ,.,~;;:;/riw<:>uld but fe1gn to deny Chrill:; They we re filled with Indignation, efteeming it the wo r!1 Tcr.tul. ror~m InJury, ~hat the Pe~[ecutors expected they would be guilty of bm the SluJow of Infide\ i- ::;~~;;11;1~~ ~y wthetr?ear Savtour. They were ambitious of the longcll: and mort terrible Suff'er-fm, &qu~ mgs for hts fake to be Martyrs in every KM~m~er. They fang the Praifes of ~~;~~ r{~~~7,a;te~·r.
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