Ends that God hash in fiffering hh Saints to be pertecúted. and tells the Bing, That it's rot for the Kings profit to f f fer filch men : And it is a rebellious City, anti al viyes agatnfl Government. Haman did fìirre up the King againit the peo- ple of the (ewes, that were the onely Church of God then, and.upon this Ground, That they were againtt Governmenc ; Not meerely becaufe they were the people of `god , he did not owne them fo, but they were againti Government. And fo you shalt find it all along, when as the Apoftle Pan! fuffered, it was not for righteoufnefie, but he was a pefhlent fellow, a mover of fedition ; And thefe did tame the wog -14 up'ide downs, and they made a great deale of flirre in the world. And in the Primitive times, why all the troubles that were abroad in the Countryes, were ever charged upon the Chriftians, and under that name they futfered as being the Caufe of all their trou- bles. And many doe in this cafe, like the Heathens,when they would fet the Doggs upon the Chriflians,they would put them into wild beat +s - skinns,and then they would fet the Doggs up- on them to tear them. And this hard ufage the people o fGod have met withall from time to time ;; -- They indeed delire to walke righteoully before the Lord ; Now there is fo much beauty and excellency in the wayes of righteoufneffe, that men dare not perfecute under that name ; Therefore they will put force other name upon it, and raife force dick-name and 0a/i- cier upon this people, and under that they fall upon them, and there they futfer. So that the Saints may fuller for Righteouf- nefle fake ,by evill men, and yet they are not awar of it. Now force thing I had thought to have fpoken by way of Con- viaion, to convince many men whofe hearts are againft the people ofGod for righteoufnefle fake , and yet they doe not think fo. And though they plead that it's for this reafon , and the other, that they are thus and thus, yet it's for Righteouf- neffe,that lies at the bottome ; and it would be a good meaner to reftraine force men, if not a meanes to turne them back,and to caufe them to begin to bethink themnfelves, were 'they but convinced that it were for Righteoufüeffe : --Eut this would require more time then we have for the prefenr, and there- fore we (hall let it paffe. Z z z SERIviOld
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