,/ · - ru1nExpojitionofChrifls Mar.b.5. v.to,&c. the bell interpreter of his ownc words. In the 1 1. vcrfc therefore Chrifl fCts downc three things, all pertaining to the true cxpo– fition ofthis Rule: Pirft,he cxplai~cs more par– t;icularly the rarrics thar be bleOcd, faying to his Difciplcs, Blefl'tdar4_u. In the beginning of the Cl~aptcr, '"-'Chcard,th;J.t bee caH his eics vpoa them,a~td 1j1akc vnto rhcm;and now here he .:loth the like :Jgaine::tnd therefore: this Rule I mufi not be vndc.ritood ofall men in the world that fuffcr,bur otall Chr-itls true Dif~...iplcs; and generally it i~ net tr~tc, for rhc heathen and in– hJcls, doe otren fuftcr for goo-d c:'Lufc:s,:mdyet renuinc infidcls,l\\'ithout the true God, and fo arc not bldfcd. Againc, a Chriftian profc{four m1y giuc vphis lit'C in agood ~aufc, yet not of' B loue to God or his truth, but vpon ambition; A this world lhould be vndcr the croffc, in fitch aifliCl:ion and pcrfecurion,as their blooci ll1ould be fough~,for thcmaimcnanccofthc faith. And thJs hec will haue to be the !late ofhis Church for fpcciall caufes : Fir!l:, thlt th-: members thereof, .by their afHiCtions,Tnay be acquaintc:d '"'ith their ownc -.,.,·ams and infirmities, \·,·hich they would not much regard,iftheywere freed from the croffe. Secondly, that by :tffiiCtioa they may be kept fi-om many grieuous finncs, into \Yhich they would fall, if they liued in pracc, Thirdly, that others fccing the corrcCH– on ofthe Church fOr finne, might lc3rne there.: by to hate anJ auoidc finne: and la!l:ly,that the Church might glorifi.e God, in a conitant 2nd couragious maimcnkcofhis truthvmo death; for euen in pcrfecution is Gods truth preferucd t •• cor.u+ a11d fo not be bleffcd: for,, tho:tgh l~e;iuemj'bodic to 6c btJrned,yetwdnting lor~c, it projitrtiJ mee uor!Jing. Secondly, Chrift c};'poundcth panicullarly, what hcc mcaneth by pcrfecution, na– tniugthrccpans thereof; flrH, flandering and , re11i1ing,v.:luch is the perfecutionofthe tongue: 'I Thus the lcws pcrfccutcd the Apo!l:lcs, f.1ying, b Ad.t.JJ. b they were dr11nk5, or full of fivectewine: Thus c Ad.s6.:...., Fejlm pcrfccutcd Paul, makmg himcmaddc, orbejide himfelfe. Secondly perfecution, mea– ning hereby (as the \Vord doch properly figni– fic) fir!l:, p.urfuire, fuch as one cncmic maketh aftel· another, wh~n he fcekcs to fpoilc him·of his goods,or ofhis life: fccond!y, the b>'inging A man vnto the Barre, and there of m:1lice to C accufe and arraignc him : thirdly , mill jpeakjilg with l.Jing, ,.vhen as men ofpurpofsbe wjthout caufemalitiouflj can=ied thereunto, ·as when d toh.B.4~. ' the !ewes called Clirifi ad Samarita'n, that had c Luk.u.JJ adruill: and fa id that e hecafrout dmill: bJ Bcl– z.(hlf-b the prince of deuiH1; and thus were the Chri!tians in the P1·imitiue church pcrfccmcd, 'I'ertul. apol. bceingmalitiouOy accufcd for kjlling theiromre CJP•7•& 16 • child1·cn, for worjhipping the headof an 11jfe, for inccfl,and fuch like.To thcfc three kinds ofpcr– fccurions, S. Luk.f Chap. 7· zz. -addes afourth; namely, IMtrcd: and a fifth, called feparation, whereby men were excommunicated, and cafi out ofthe Temple ;mdSynagogues,for Chriih fake & his Gofpels.Thcfc arc the fcuc'rall kinds Go<lsdturch "'uab.:: ~rei. i .led. ofthat pcrfccution, for .the enduring whereof: :0 ChriHprouoiiceth men bldfed,vcrf. 1 o.whcn!– ofHatred is the root,and the rcfi arc branches. Thirdly,Chri!t laics down the caufe, for which this pcrfccution !hall be inAided; namcly,for my foks: or as S.Lukf faith,for theJonne ofmans faks .· which cxpoundcrn this phralc, for Rt{h– teolsfmfJCfak_;, v. to. to wit, for profeffing,bc– Iecuing,& maintaining the doCI:rine ofthe Go– fpcl taught by Chrift, touching rcmiilion of finnes, and life eucrlafiing, to them that he– leeuc. The vfes ingmerall:We fee that Chrifi vrgeth this Rule of blctfedneffc more largely then the, formcr:this he cloth for fpccial caufc;firit,hcrc– by hee would teach his Difciples, and vdn them, rhat it is the will of God, his Church in againft the rcafon ofmans wifdome,patientfu.f– feringfor the truth, b<eing f.lithfu!l witnes-bea– ring thereunto. Secondly, Chri!t had newely called the Twcluc out of all his Difciplcs,to be Apo!tlcs; \\'hereupon they might thmk,that they lhould be aduanced to f0mc outward honour cafe & peace: but Chrifl hereby callcs them f;orh that COI~ccir, and puts them in mind of affliCtion, wh1ch fhould befall them in time to come;that when it came, they might the better jndurc it. And thMs he prepares all Churches to.futfcr af– fliction; yea, and we our fclues, muff hereby_ lcarne in time of peace, to prepare out felues againfr the day of triall,bccaufe his will is,rhat whofoeNer "'•uld /iue god!; mClmft Ic[HJ muft [ujftr affliEiion, Thirdly,hereby Chri!t intends to lay a groiid ofcomfort tohis difcip!es in their perfecution, by a plainc and full declaration of their happi– neffethat fuffcrfor righteoufndfc fake, in that they hauc fme title to the kingdom ofhcaucn; out of which efiatc no found comfort can be had, And this fame mufi we lay vp in Hore, a– gainfi the time to come: for we liue now in peace by Gods mercic, but we knownot how long it will cominuc;we haue beene threatncd and dangcroufly~iT.·mltcd byour enemies many a time, befide the rodJe of God J'haken with his ovme. hand agam!l: vs; and "'·c may not think our peace willlafi alwaies,but fceing our finncs incrcafc, we may be fure our ioy & peace will one day be turned into farrow: and there– foreit will be good to haue this Rule cnaraucn in our hearts, that th'l •re b!e!fed which[uffer fer righreoufnef{efakf, If therdorc tribulation come for the defence of the Gofpcl, we mutl hauc recourfc to this promife ofblc!fcdncs,and that will be our comfort. Mor' particu!ar'J:Jn the words ofthis Rule!, Blejfedare thry, &c.Chritl would let vs fee that deadly haned which the world bearcs vnto G'ads Churcb;for fo much the word(pcrf'cure) importerh: The reafO<:s of this hatred may be thefc; Firfi, the Church Of Cod in theminifie– ric ofthe Go(pel,feekcs the ruinc of the dcuils ki-rtg9cmc, who.is the Princeofthe world; the .deuill Lul:.6.1J. Thtwnfld h:~tuG<Jds Church;aad v.hyi
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