CAP. 2. El evelattolt ofthe Apoc .lypfe. 39 tic, befides the horrible Idolatry,whcrein it tvas,as it were aTorch- nug"i- bearer to the ref}of the cities , was luxurious paff all rneafure and picfns. hopeof recovery, as the which calf out one Hermodors for noother crime , but becaufe he was a truffy and anhoned man , adding over and betides this faying to their fat`} ; Let none of us be evergood for ought, if hebe, let hint eo to another place andget him other compani- ons. A fpeechfit for beaffs, even in the opinionof the heathen, and worthy tobe punifhed wish death. Cicero ; in his Tufcularn queft: Book 5. And that deathdefined With anHalter ; for fo Strato faith: That all the Ephefia»s, yang andold, Were Worthy to be hangedup for fo f tying t Behold here therefore this riotous fonne betaking himfelfe aóaan to his fathers hassle , his father alfe. together running to meet diim, and falling upon his neck, and kifing him. How greatly is the grace of God to be magnified , which hath conver- ted us Gentiles, that were a gulfe and dungeon of wickednefs, (the nature of all which we fee in this citie)into a moil glorious pal- lace of falvation ? We were of old,Princes and Captains of mil- chide, nowwe are made chick heads of holinefs, even as this was among the (even churches;no leffe excelling for piety, then we were famousbefore for all deteffable ads. Certainly this is that father in the Gofpel,Who bathcaufed the chiefe robe to be brought out, andbath k lledh ,fattedcalfe for our fake.The other reafon of the order is,that this cinewas the principal among all other of that region for embra- cing the faith,whence it was derivedunto theother neighbor places: ForPaul coming to ephefiu,difputcd daily in tloefchool of oneTyranneis; and thatfor tWo yeers, fo that etll that dwelt in Afia,both yeWis anal Çreci.ins,beard the Wordof the Lord7efus, Aett9. g, ro. Wherefore worthily it the beginning of the cities accounted to be from thence, Whence the beginningofthefaith war. Now we are to explain the force ofthe name. For it will be elect in every of thefe Churches, that the Holy Ghoft hath chofen ont advifedlyi thefe Churches, which by their very nam s , as it were by certain markeswritten upon the forehead, fhould declare their whole condition. We let paffe that warlike Woman, one of the Amazones, whence they fay it drew the .name; that whichfolloweth after verf. 4. That thou haft omitted or let go, they firft love, fuf fciently teacheth What that Was Which,the Spirit refpettedinthis city; Namely, that Ephefue was as it. were Aphefus of the C reeke Aphefis, omifficn ; whereupon we call. it languid ingephefiss , as whofe. piety dottyby little and little wax cold,. fo as at length it is quite extinquifhed. How is it to be feared Iid it bear the Imageof tfle Gentiles in this thingallo ? As.
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