Q Thepower of OO Gods Word, Vpon theMunday after&c. day toheare Xenecrates inthat kindof wanton fafhion and habit,that anyWhore or Curtezan couldnot tricke andfct forthher felfe in amore lafciuiousmanner : onwhich occafionthe Phlofopher takinghold,did plead in fauor ofHoneftie, withfuch ftrengthof words,fuch excellent language, and fuch exrraordinarie eloquence, that inthe prefenceof theAuditors Palemon ftript himtelfe out of all his gay cloathes,pluckt the Rings our of hiscares, and off his fingers,conti- nuing from that time forward, a verre honeft man,anda goodpatterne to others. Noleffewonderfúll wasthat which befell Phyletus a DifcipleofHermogenes the Inchanter,whocameto difpute andmaintaine argument with Saint Tamesthe el- der , relyingmuch vpon his Sophiftrie ., but the Apoftle preached with that powerfulneffe,that Phytetns returningbackeagaine to his Matter, toldhim, Ma- gusabieram, Chriflianus redee, Iwent firthMagician, but 1 am returnedaChrifian. To this purpofe the Fables report.of Hercules, That withchaines ofgoldwhich came forth ofhis mouth , he haledafter him all the World. But neither the truthsofhumane Hiftories, nor the lies ofartificiail Fables, canattainevnto the force and power ofDiuineEloquence. Efayforetold vs as much ; t.Áll 2átions ]hall flowvntohim ;borrowing hisMetaphore inthis wordFlow,from fome great and principali Riuer, whichwithout any violence, runsalong with that ftrange forceand fwiftneffe, that nothingcan refillit,but fweepes all away that (lands in it's way. Being oneand the fame comparifonwith that of Saint tabs,out of his bait. ]hallflaw Rioters ofwater ofLife. From hence(and that venie fitly)wemay draw a fecond confederation ;which is this, If from euerieone thatenioyeththis Spirit, there flow forthgreat riuers ofliuingwater, well may thofe goodmen hue withoutfeare, and fecure from all harmes, wrongs, affronts, and tyrannies. Confider with thyfelfe in a Riuer, the forceof thewater, the impetuoufneffe and furieofa fwift Torrent, thevio- lenceofa great ftreame, wherewith ahundredMills are driuen ; Whowill dare tokeepeit backe c Whowill offer to stand in it's way e Who can refift it r Of the commingofourSauiour Chrift it was prophecied, That bee fhould banifh all feare andcowardife from out the hearts and brefts of his friends.Daaidcom- pares the iufl man,.tothe Moonewhen the is at thefull, He]hall l'e eflablifiedfor euer as the Moone, and afaithfull witne/fein theHeauen. c4lcyat fayth inone of his Emblemes, That a Dogthen barketh molt, when theMoone isat the fulleft whether it bebyforce fpeciallinfluence that it then worketh in the Dog;or whither it beoccafeonedby themacula's or fpots in the Moone, reprefenting vnto him theformeand (napeofanother Dog :.but thoughthe Dogbarke neuer fo much, yet doth the Moonewalkeher Station fecurely through Heauen; and though Tyrannie barke neuer fomuch at the Iuft, yet (hall hee walke in fafetie. TheSpoufe in the Canticlescomplaineth , That Tyrants had taken her cloake from her : The Churchcalleth this herCloake,the Martyrs;wee fee force of them roafted, force fryedon the Gridyron, force fawn, force dragged at the Wailes of horfes,fomewith theirskinnes pluckt ouertheir cares, and force for mented with fundrie other torments ; the Deuill blowingthe coles ofcrueltie in the mouthesand hearts ofthe Executioners. But in the end, thofecuts and liafhes pafl'eno further than thecloake, they woundthe bodie,but not thefoule. God of hismerciegiuevs thegrace to endurethis our fireie triall,when per- fecution !hall fey vponvs,that being purifiedin the Furnace ofTribulation, we maybe like Gold thatis refincd,and fhine with glorie inthe fight of God, To whom,&c. THE
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=