WhyChrist defrring todye, did flyetoauoid death PaffionSunday. Ser. ;.f. 551 Miracle,what momewouldtherehaue been left for faith, or what rewardcould that haue receiued The fecond is ofChryfolegea, which is this : That there_is not thatman be he neuer lopowerfull,neuerfovaliant, but doth fometimesPhewthe weaknes ofa man,in hiding andwithdrawinghinrfelfe. But here he faith, t Artieefi,won timo- rii,Sauramenti cfl, & non Pauorta. It was not out ofany tcare, or 'cowardize tb it our Sauiourfled. It isakind ofdaringneffe,boldneffeof fpirit, and great con:- rage todraw our enemiebut into.the field,orto toll him along into themarket- place, andthere to vanqui(hhim in publike, and obtainan open vietorie. Epi- pbartiue faith, That Chriftvfed this boldneffe in thegarden, as well in his fwea- ting ofblood, as inthofehisprayers that he trade veto, his Father fo full of agonie and anguìlh, tothe end that by chewing, himfelfe- thus weak , death might the more boldly fet upon him. lefhua vfed thelike flight with thofe of theCityof Ay ; Weflying, theywillfollowvs, thenye'hallrife vpfromlying lamas., anddeftroy theCity. Agefilaur, one ofthe Lacedemonian Captaines, tooke the famecourte when he besieged the Phocenfcs ; Alcybiadei,.with theVizancini : And the worldneuerhad any famous. Captaine which did not doe the like vpon occafion : Julius Frontinuainhis booke of Stratagemesquotes you; a world of examples. Beyewife4$Serpents, faidOur Saucour; the Serpent aduantageth him- felfe moreby his craft and fubtletie, than by his ftrength and force ; the experi- ence whereofwas to our griefe tobefeene inParadife. And therefore it is ob- ferued byGods Saints, That he was morefubtill thanall the refit of the beafts of the field , therein aduifing vs, Thatwith the diuell,the world,and the flclb, it isnowand then thewifer and later courte ofthe two, to retyre our gluesand to flye from him, than either towait for him, or to reef}him. PhilipkingofMa- cedon turned his backe and fledbefore the Athenians,leauing his Shieldbehind him, whereinthere letterswere ingrauen, Bonaforttena: AndCome fouldiers vp- braiding him with this his flight,hetold them, He that flyes,may returne again to the barrel', but not he that dyes. There was.a Captain belongingto theEm- perour Charles the fifth, who made fo famous and honourable a retreat out of France, that it was called,Labellaretyrada,Thefaireretreat. Chriff raidvnto his Difeiples, If theyperfecute you in one cirie, flye unto another. RemJgivafaith, That thiswas aprecept; Thomu,That it was onelya licence and pernuflion; For when a Chiiftian man flyeth without wrong to the faith hee profeffeth, and withoutdetracting fromthe goodopinion and credit of Chri(tian Religion,it is wholefome counfell. And this didthe Patriarches of old follow, laeab fled from Efate, ("W s fromPharaoh, Elias from lezabel ; and thofe Prophets which hid themfelues in the houle of 4bdiae ; andmany Saints in the Primitiue Church fled from the crueltyof the Tyrantsof thofe times. Tertullian faith, That vpon no occafion it is fit for a Chriftiantoflye. ButSaintterome auoucheth,That this opinion iscontrary to thcdorinebothof Chriffand of his Church. vlthana- faae defendinghis flight, madeabooke concerning this fubieét, whereinhee prooueth, That any manmayAye in timeofperfecurion, fo that he doe not in- danger his confcience : butwhen it comes vpon thofe rearmes, we muff rather hazard the body, thanperils the foule ; andwith Sampfin, rather incounterwith aLyon,than to cometo the vineyards at Timnath. 4riflole faith, That Fortitude is placed in themidit between Daring and Dreading. Daringwithout Dreading, is Timcritie; and Dreading without Da- ring, is Pufillanitnitie. Saint smbrofpondersthis inhis hxameron, That that very Elephantwhich valiantly breakes through a whole Armie, is mightily a- fraid Mate. refh S, Aduantagea- gainR an ene- my,no Cow- ardila. Men flye fometimes to come on the fiercer. ToRye in timeofperfe. cution,how farcelawfull.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=