t rß ,Fevelaxia>zofthe 1kp °lyp%..0 A P. 2 sweet what defence and eftimation Chrift provided for his fervants, finelling even in fpight of the world. Their authority fhould increafe toge- Smyrna. Cher with their affliction, as we know itcameto pafl'e in eflthanafiue, who being vexed withall reproachful! wrongs in the Eaft, was in great honour in the Weft. Conffantine thefon , Conflans the brother, Julius the Bishop of Rome, and the lifhopofTrevirr, whoharbou- red him twoyears , and entertained him very kindly and liberally, did honourthis man as he deferved. Yea and Conffantine the great hirnfelfe alto, after hee had Peen into the flaunders of the adverfáries, . gave honourable teftimony of his innocency andvertue,and thought good to call him from his banishment.. And the 61afphemfo f them. Hitherto of their préfent calamity, Now he fheweth how the Authors of thofe calamities did arro- gate that tothemfelves, which did not at all agree unto them. But is it a blafphemy for a le* to profeffe himfelfe tobe a leW ? A le* is takenby a Metonimy for that only people of God, which did alone amongall men obferve the right mannerof worfhipping him ;. as if he should fay,.theywhich do brag that they doworfhip God by the ancient ordinance of theLaw , after which manner their anceftors did of oldworfhip him, and all men ought to worfhip him alwa}°es, as they thought.. This was the blafphemy, the retayning theworfhip. that-was abrogated, and thrufting upon God thofe old rites, where- with the glory of his fon,. Pent at length into the world, was quite overthrown ; for which things fake though they were leer by li- neage, yet they lyed when they called themfelves Íe11Wr, being fo far-re unlike to fo holy a people, that they did in very deed makea Syna- gogue of Satan: Now it is well known , with what bitternefíe of mmdthey perfecuted the Chriftians in all places., as we fee in Paul andBarnabstu, at Antiech,;Pifdia,Iconium, Lyflre, and elfewhere, Mt.' 3.5o. and 14. 2.5.19: Which- we learn out of this place, that they did atSrrryrna altoabout thefe times.. Vnder Conftantine, thole JeWs Were theArien-Bifbops,Eu e6ius a flilicomedia,Theoanis of Choi cedonia, Mars, Patrephilus , Vrfatius, `TeJ dens, and the reff ; men that were not Heathens , nor quitevoid of all knc wledge'of God, as neither were they IeW.t, but Chrifl'ians in namé,even the f£andard- bearers of the Chriftian warfare,astheywould be thought to be,who yet notwithffanding no leffe then that obftináte nationof the lews, 'holding their errours ffiffefy,did ffrive toffablifh their own decrees lone,tó vex thofe everyway that held againff them, &making boaft fof thtmfeIves,as theonlyorthodoxe nun;, to condemn all others for impietit
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