94 4 belatiPnofthe Apocatypfc. C AP. 3: lYeocii- ble , together withhis favour, inprocuring fafetie to the Paftours. _ Sar ìr 1 Who would nothave thought but that Luther being fo greatlyHated, dis. and envied by all men , againft whom all the world almoft watch- ed to work mtfchief, even he under whofe feet Emperours were of old compelled toput their (boulders, fhould have died a thoufand deaths? But it may be once there were troubles raifedup again[} him, he was fcarce to be come come by , and fo could not be brought into their hands. Yes, he flood out for thirty yeers almofi inpitched battell againft them, fate fromall affaults of theirs, even of thofe that were dole and treacherous, by which fort the Pope is wont todif- patch thofe men, whomhe cannot fubdue inopen fight,and at lati ly- ing lick in his bed, and giving up his life tohim that gave it, he flept quietly in the Lord. What fhould I fpeak of Melanílon , Peter 1iíartyr, ?ohn Calvin, and the reel ofthofe flout worthies ? Indeed 'steer after he hadbeen buried fomeyeersbefore, was at latt, being turned to duff, digged out of the grave, or rather fome other man inhis room that hadbeen lately buried there, that fo they might rage againft his afhes with flames of fire, whom while he lived, they nei- ther could, nor durft hurt. Whowas it then but faw theliars in the rightshandofChrifl,fo marvelloufly defending his fervants againft all violence of the adverfaries ? Or who is there,int© whom the frefh re- membrance of thefe things,ought not toput contiancy, & a heart that cannot be difmayed, by means whereof he might wholly refs himfelf upon the fame Patronage, and go on confidently in ftandingout for the truth according to the qualitie ofhis calling ? Indeed there is not the fame promife made in expreife words toother times, yet there is alwaies the fame Crown laid up for them that fight lawfully. I IZSoW thy Work!, that thouartfaidto live, but thou art dead. Here is the reprehenfion, ofthat counterfeit life ofGod,whereofthe Angel maketh a Phew, being voidofall truth, whence it may be called hypo- criticall Sardis. The force ofwhich notation appearethby the very name of it. For Sardis is like Zardianos legos Sardïan laughter, which in theGreekProverb, is a laughter that is rather in Phew, then in truth ; focalled from the City Sardi,even as Sardonic, Rfus called of the Ifle Sardonia,as Erafmus noteth out of Plutarch.For that kinde ofherbe called Ranunculue,by eatingwhereof the minde is di- iira ted,may afwell grow in Lyeba,as in the Ifle. This Church was ac- countedas ifit were alive,but it was dead; like to this laughter,which faineth laughter,being in the mean rime full ofdeadly grief.And hence it may nowappear how Sardis may be oppofed to Smyrna. That Church
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