544 Men before they are awar May maize others Pifer for righteoufnefs, good, they would never oppose it : O you are much mif}aken, for fome men may goe againtl their very Consciences : But al- wayes men of the grearett parts do not underffand moil of the mind of Chritl;The Scribes and Pharifees were the moll know - ing men in the time of Chtili, and yet the greareff opposites to jefus aria. Yea, thirdly, Men very civilly Righteous, yet may oppose Righteoulneffe ; As' now, the Scribes and Phari fees, they were civilly righteous ; So it's laid concerning Paal, That he perk cuted the Church, and was mad against them ; what was this . Paul when he was fuch a perfecutor ? he was no drunkard, he was no whore - mailer, he was no Blafphemer, according to the apprehension of the times then : But he faith of himfelfe in the third of the Phil.. 6. 7. That concerning the Law he was blameleffe. Paul before his Converfion walked in fuch a civili way,as no man could accule him of any way of evill,he walked blamelefle, and yet a mad perfecutor of Righteoufneffe. And it's faid of 7 rajah which caufed the third of the ten primitive perfecutions, 7rajan of all the Emperours he was one that was the moll civili, jut+ and righteous of any ; And I remem- ber thefe two or three things are laid of him that when he was an Emperour he did behave himfelfe towards his Subjec`fs, as if he had been Subjehf, he would have had his Prince behave himfelfe towards him'; that's the firff thing is faid of him ;-- Secondly, That being Emperour, when he gave the Sword in- to the hand of an Officer,he had this fpeech ; When (faith he) that I doe yußice, rife this Sword for me, i f you fee that I doe In- jufiíce use it againfl me, (to his own Officer. ) And then a third thing is this, That when an Emperour was made, they did ufe to with the happineffe ofAuguftais to him; the uprightneffe of 7rájan ; and yet this man a molt deadly e- nemy to the Chrilians, and a moll abominable perfecutor, fuch a man as, this, yet fo civil], morrally jufl and honeff. I but you will fay, he was of a hard nature, though he were fo civili, jut }, &c. Therefore I add in the Fourthplace, that a man may be ea very Tweet nature, and yet be a great perfecutor; Though of a very
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