D.rmon<:s ex ~· I3· 6. Prr{cc11tion rnakerh men likdl umo Droil1, and makcth them his mofi notab!e fcrvants in hutnJmDus tht: W(:rld: Many wi~.:ked- men m3y -negld1 rhat duty which they are convincl·d they lhould do. But fi:ri t 1 uiJ:tm to ll.:tt it. and m:Jlict rn;n rhat do ir, and fc~.k their ruine, this if any thing, is J. \"\ ork mnre b~f..cmopiniln fun~, iPg a Devil than a mJn. Thefe a.re the Comma;:deu in the Armies of the D~.vil, againft the Cauf.: u.d f,::~~~~31~;~~. Kingdom of the L?rd! J olm 8. 42. 44· and accordingly !hall they fpced. ~i:,f~~; ~~2bilit~r .. ~i_lhlm fir _m:J!anun Vf.lbntltum Gmihcudo effici:; qul homo nulus nque'in m:~li> oblliJu :us pm~ G.xmotunt ZtJtl:lt. Pif•:7f·'h. at ;opiflrJ DomH. §. 14·· 7· Pcrftcution is an inhumane difi11Eri1uouJ fn, and !heweth an extindion of the lit.ht of NJtUH:. A ~ood n.;wred man, if he had nu gr..:.cc :a a!I, w_ould abhorr to be crzd, and eo opprtf:; his brt:: hrcn:, and rlut mc~rly becauft' they are true to their confcicnces, and ob,y their God)whik thty. do no hur~ w ;my others: ll they had dc{el'ved cx::cutionJ an ingenuous nature would not be fbrward to be thlir executioner; Much more when they dLfuve encouragement and imitation; le is no ho~ ~~our to b~ num!:>acd with blood. rhirHy men. ~· J 5· 8.lt is a fin rlut harh _fo little ofcommodity, honuur or 'ple::[llrt to invite men to it, rhat maketh it urroly without txcufe, and fhewech t~.1t the [trpentint n.ltttre is the CJuie, ('({e 1 t. 3· I 5 .) \Vhat get menby Ou:dding the bl?od of inno~ents, o~ ~ilencing the fait~ful Preachers ~f rhe Gofpd? What fweemcfs cou!d they find m cruelty, 1f a ma.lttJou<; mture mld~ JC not [wee'? §. z6. 9· le is a fin which men h:1vc as ~arible W.Jtning1 :~g~inil fr~rn God, as any fin in the world, that l can remember: 1. Iu Gods threatr.Jngs. 2- In fad examples, and Judgements in rhis Jif~, even on pol~erity ; 3· And in the infamy that' followeth the NJmes oi Pcrfecutur! when they arc dead. §. 17. z, How terrible arc rhofe words ofChrit},Mauh. 18. 6. But t"#bo [o jhaU offend onet>f thrfe little ar.fl that bdieve in me, it were bctttr f or him th.lt a mi!ftone were hanged abom bi1 rttcl(, and tint he rrcrt Jrofr:ncd in tlu depth of the Sea. How tenible is thar char::Cl:cr which Paul giveth of rhe J- ws, I ThefT. 2. 1 5) ,6, JYbobotb ~i!1 cd the LurdJt]i~ and their c;wn Prophet!, and /J.;ve per[cc:ttcd U! : and jhey pltJ[c nut Gud, and arc contrary tJ aU mm; forMdding U$ to fpcaJt to the Gemi!tJ tlu:t tbt)' mi.£,1Jt be fovcd IQ fill up their jiltS. alwa)'C!; for the rrratb Hcome upon them to theuttermo;f. s~:ch terrors agair:U pnLcurots iU~ fa common through the Scriptures, that it would b-: ccdious to xecite thtm. _ ?· 18. 2. And for cxamp!CJ 1 the captivity firfi., and_afterward rhc c;aOingoff of the Jews,may ferv:.: in Jkad of many, ~ Chron. 36. 16. Bm they mucked tbe"Tl!rffmgerJ of God, and defplfld biJ word 1 J and mi.fofld hid Prtphcu, mltiJ the f!ratb cf the Lcrd arufo ag.zinft hispeople, tiU tberr! wa1 no remedy. Ar.d of th<ir oafiin~ off, {<e MH. 23· 37, 0 8. 0 Jcruf,Itm, Jerufakm, tho# tiJ#t l:Jftjl the b ophw, and jlonej! rlmn that ~reJcnt unt;~ tlu:c, how oft would I h:Jve gathered thy childre,togetber as a Htn gatlureth her chic~en1 under her wint/J an(/ )! n·o11.M 1t11!: behold }'Uur ho'!fe iJ lrf! untoyou dcfol~te---And ved. 34,3 ), 36. Bch,/d I fcnd umo;•ou I:ropbetJ, andwife mm, and Seribe1; a11d{omeofthmz ye jhaU ~iV ar.d crxci.ficJ 11~d fome af them jhaU ; e fcottrge in J'Ottr SynagoguCJ 1 a,;d perfocute them from Ciry ta City; that upon yOu may come aU tlu rigbteouJ bJvqd jhcd upon. the e.mb, from the bifMti of dghuour Abelto thebloodofZacharias Jim of B.uachias, rrhom )e flew bttwem IIJC femple and tbe Altar : Veri1]•I _/.;y unto ) 'flU, aU thtfe thiillJ.I fhaO comt 011 thH grmrati:m. To give you the pafticular {XJmplcs of Gods judgements ag:tinH Perftcutors, and their poOcrity afcer rhtm, wo"'ld be a Voluminous work: You tr.ay fir:d thtm in the Holy Scriptures, and rhc Churchfs Martyrologies. ~· 19. 3· And by amJrvellous provid,tnce God dmh fo over-rule J the tongue of fame, and the pens ot Hilloriar:s, and the th('ughrs of rr:c11, th:lt'commonLy the nam~s of Pt:r[:cutcrs flink when they are dc:td : yea, though tlu.·y were Jlt ver fo muc~ honour(d and fl.meredwhile they were alive! what odious uamesJre the n~mcs of Pb:Jr.lob,Abab>Pj/a:eiHcrod,Ncro,Domitia»t,DioclcjiaJJ:C ..c.? What a name bath rhe Frtnch MJ!f.tcre left on Cb.1rlu the ninth? And the E11gljj/J perfecution on Q Je{n M.uy? Ar.d fo c.f otlurs throughout the world! Yea, what a bloc k.1vcrh iron Af:J, Amaz.illb, or any, chat do but hurt a Pwphct ol the Lord ! T he deventh Ch;;prer of the H£hrcwJ, and J.!l the M.orryrolo– gics tl)at arc written to prdtrve the name of the witndfes ofChrill, arc all the records of'fhe impi– ty, and the perpctu:tl fhamc: of thofe, by whom they fuJfer<d. Even Learning, and Wifdom, and commou Vinut', harh got th:u efiim:ttion io the nature of mJn, that he that pcrftcuttth bur a Sencca a"Cicero, a rc:noji-html, or a Socr<JtCI, harh irrecoverably wounded his reputation ro poli~riry, and lef; -~is name to th' hatr<d of all fuccecding ages. Prov. ro. 7· The memory ef tbt jujt is blc§ed: b~tllhe name nf tbe wic~cdjh:JlJrot. 9· zo. 4 1 J,e pcrflcutiwofGodlimfi as fuch in Minifiers or private Chrifiians, is one of che moft. vi 4 fible u:1doubred m..,rks, of one that is yet unfandified, and in a fiace of fin and condrmnation : For ir fheweth moHclearly the predomin1ncy of the Serpentine nature in the pcrfccutor. Though A[.rin a pievi01 fit m:1y impr1fon the Prophet, and tho{CChriHiam that arc c"ngaged in a Sed or par~y, may in a fi11ful zeal be injurious ro thofe of the contraty parry; and yet there: may _remain fome 1 oo!sof uprightnds within: Yt:t he thJt fhall fer himfelf tO hinder the Gofprl, aud rhc fcrious pr:!Ctice of Godlinds in the wozld, and eo rhu c:nd hinder or perfccute the Prelchers, and ProfdfOJs ar.d P:a 4 Ci:ifers of it, hath the plainL'fi mnk of a child of the D..viiJ and rhe moU vitibk brand of the wrath of God, upon his foul) of any fort of men on earth. If there might be ar.y hope of grace in him that at prtfcnt dmh hue mgletl or difubty the Gofpc:l, and cloth nu[ himfdt live a godly life (as inaec;d there.; is not,) yet thae can be no pDjJibility tb.at h:: thaulP h<t.ve grace at that pref~.:nt who
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