C AP. 3. oftbe Apacalypfe. 93 have heard , that the fafety of Minders is declared , whomChrift H.ip°c''i- carrieth in his hands, Chap.2.i. Towhat end then is this felfe fame Sardis. thing repeated again afre(h ? Was there no otherornament left for Chrift but this, was all fpent already in the former Epittles? No loch matter , but onlybecaufe the convenient order of things, not any vain noveltie is fought for : becaufe Sardis fhould by experience find proteetion fromChrift, in defending the Paftours thereof, like to that which he (hewed in Ephefrss, he doth therefore , and nòt from the purpofe , ufe that fame fimilitude , where there is fo great like- neffe of the things. But the Rory is filent in (hewing how this was verified unto Sardis; which yet is mot clear in the Counterpaine thereof. For he that giveth his Spirit plenteoufly,to whom,and when he will,poured out upon thefe felfe fame times, fuch rich Bore ofall gifts,as he did never elfewhere in thefe Taft dayes. Long before this, for a long time , good learning lay as a thingnought fet by , as the which,by means of the barbaroufneífe of the Schoole-men, was cha- ced away for manyages, till at tail, after the wonderfull art of prin- ting was found out (the which artificious device flowedfrom this rame fpring of the Spirit}many excellent wits were raifed up for the fear- ching out of the truth. Among whomwere John Picus of Mirandee- la,Angelus 4'olstian, Plating, Trapezuntius, Gaza, Hermelaus,Tar- barns, Marfilius, Ficiniss,Tyrbachists,Johannes de Monte regio, Aldus ,Manutius, Rodolphus Qilgricola, lohn Iovìanus, Pontanus, Thilippus Beroaldus, lohn Reuchlin,.and many other molt learned men; Whofe chide labourr indeed, was in bringing light to the tongues, arts , and other more liberall learning ; but howgreat a way of entrance was made hereby to findoutthe myfteries offalvation,the times that were -nearly joyned to there men , made it plain. For prefently after this, came MartinLuther, Pbilsp. lidelanc `tcn,ErafensssRoterodamus,Zuing- lius,- Oecolampadins, Capito, Blaurerus, Bucer, Mufculxs, Calvin, and many other men of fingular knowledge, being fo many great worthy lights of the Chriftian world , who being holpen with the labours of thofe other men, that were before them, did by their own hard pains bring forth the truth into the light againe, which hadbeen for long time overwhelmed with filth, andmoffe- begrown for want of husbanding, did drive away the foggy miif_. of Rome , and made all the fophifticall fubtil.ties of,the adverfaries utterly to vanifh like ftnoke. Doth not Chrift worthily now take to himfelfe this enfigne of (even Spirits, when as he inriched this fea- fon withfo great plentyofgifts ? And his power is no leflè nota- ble
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