·------------------------------------------~----~-~~ :v·>f. 9 • r things:FirG,S.IohH was a moa ~:t;,~ ~::~·~ t~:~~~~:~len c~futoth the Monkio~tife,I 2?.~- inducd '.\'ith rare gifts,a fingular rnainraincr of whiCi, iS no life of holy pcrfcC1ion (as Papi_Hs I the gofpcl)and a famo'Js founder ofthe church c~ll irJ but ofglorious fup<'rHirion.an~l f\:1r·irr~.r ~ ,of God,and chitfc pillar thercofin rbofc da;, s piety before God:for hereby they fNiak£ rhea when bee \Nrotc rhis bookc: and fOr rhis c2ufc C•tiling<;, and vncrly difablc rhcmfdues to doe 1 bared of the crudl pcrlCcmcr Domitian, and rhofCduties which God rcquircrh of them iu I ofthe Rom:ms.A,nd yet obferuc,That "'·hcrcas Church,common"\ 1 Cillth,or family. o~hcr true Chriftians ""ere put to the f\vord,S. Fourthly, '"' hcrcas loin; bc;cing banifl.lcd, IIJ/m is not, but cfcapeth by baniflltncnt. The rc:cciucd his vHions ina barren and bafc d<.fO~ ' caufc ofthts was Gods fpcciall prouidencc,by late place: wee JCc, .that thofe which honm1r whidl he rcferucd hi:n for the benefic of rhe God Jlull be honoured of God, c.ten then Church,that he might rccciue this Rcucladon, when men feckc mofl to difgracc t!;cm : 1 1or and commit it to writing, for the ·pcrpctuall wh~t greater difgracc could they h;tuc pu~ ''P... good of all his children. And fo though Dom'ion John, then to banifl1 him into fo .balc an rian was a cruell tyrant, and wanted no m:~.- Ifland;Yet bcc!lufc it V\" as for Gods g:o·rx,cucn lice cow~rds lolm, yet hec could not kill him. there doth the Lord appearc vnto liin1,and haGod oucrrulcd him,that he did but banifl1 him B nour himmuch in reuc:tlingvmo him thcfc viand chat into fuch an Jfland, wherein he might fi.ons.So \ovhertlo[cph was fould ofhi' brethren quietly rcceiuc-the!c vHi.ons, and pen the fame and moll di{honoured ofrhcm; thendidGod forthc good ofthe Church, By thin-\·e frc the exalt himmdfi of ali.'The fame may be (aid df great care and prouidcncc of God oucr hiS Dani~l in Babylon, \>vhon! God did moll-adChurch, rhat he doth bridle and ouerrule the u:mce when hisehcmics fought his grc:ucfi rucrucll mindcs and might of bloodie perfecuinc: and the f-ame is true of all Gods childtcn, tcrs; that they cannot for"thcir hcarts .doe any Them which ho.nour God, y..•i!J he hoMour~.r thing,but that which f(:ructh for Gods glorie, I I. Point. The cautC for which he came-inand the good of his Church, though they into thisJflc, is ei.:prcfly (et Clov.·ne, ft:r th'~·word tend the concraric. For Domitittn intended oncf God: chat"is, becaufc he wa's a ptibli(hcr & ~Y the hurt of John, yet fee, by 1 his b3n.Hhmcnt preacher ofthe ~yard of God: for the pcrft:lr!.. into chat Hie, he had fit place to receiue thefc ~nance of which ducie ~cc "''as banilhc(!. 'BY I' vifions for the good of the Church. So in rhc which \1\'C may note, That all naturaHmen;faS dc:uh ofChrift, the!ewes and Gemilcs,and till D omitittn, and his court, and all the Gcmrlcs~ the people banded them(Clucsn-ogecher,co put C without Gods fr.eciall ca!l_ing J.doe beare~ . ChriG to de3th, and Ihe deuil! he laboured to deadlv hatred tfwards Gods ' "ord. For, S·. flirrc ehem to pra£tife their intended rnahJh1J \~1as"'a moa ..;v~rthy .ApofHc, a famOus matt lice. Yet the oucrruling po\Ycr of God;who for gifts, a fingUHirprdchcr of the ·word_':6f bringcth lighcouc of darkendfc:,direCf:cth and God; ycc is h:nrd, nay b~nifhed, not fop A iS ordereth this their malice and \' 1 .'ickcd praCtiCe 0\"•lnC caure, but.for th'e wor.d tof God . 1-his to the moft cxccllcnc worke chat eucr was, ehatretl hath appeared in che.)leathei"1Empe~Bfs uen the ,~~emptionof 111ankinde. so Iofophs by their bloodie perfccutions againtl thc-p-rcr. brethren intended no fiteh deliuerance as God chers and profefforS of• th?t :\¥61-t.l :' llnd~"~A wrought by him, in felling their brother. Thi·s though m eh llare it naturally {'tile'GtnC·«·et'fB confidcration fhould comfoh ~1 Gods childrC winneth them, and t:tk~rh place'in their IHfWtS in the time ofany Outward di{hdfc, C)..len the ro:}hcir con~~rtifn, and Ca)lfe~~~- ~1e~to Joue remembrance ofGods oucrruling h<md. n: fo as fucrdfiucly it hat~beetle fprea9 oqcr Secondly, in that John went into banilha'lhhc world.W~it)l O>ews ~gainfl ~;he 1\lbC~ mem, when it w::ts fo appointed, we learne That the word \aught by the:1_P1·oph~ts and~~ That wh€we: are opprcffcd ~nd pc-rfccurcd by D poillcs;.is'intde'ede the rruc: ~rd Gf":Go__d, ~neit tyrams for Chnfis llkc, we mull not make re-- chC inuc~uion'of\~2.)1 :: f~r._mans >\ord bc:.eiR.-9 fiihnce, or offer violcncc,but fuifcr <lil i11iurics hated, c:tnll6~\\o\"lh vhto'tt'1f!ni\.~lililfhacetl~t~ with patience: for as one· f:tith truly 7%~ Chri~ bm the word of God prcu:nlcdt ,2y~ gr~c~\ift P:eces & l:l· ./fimu w~ttpons in pcrfcc:ttion, are onel] prd)eYs the h::tns of thofc whohat~c it by natwrc,\-\'h!Ch :~7h~·r,~G~ andteares. And Saint loJm of~en in this bookc: it Could not doe> vnleffe tl'fCtc were ill it fGmc addeth this conclufion, after the forctellino of diuincpov-ier· :d; ! -·.~;n;; ,. , ,-·r! .. pcrfccution,HereU rheptt:ieJ:ceofSainu,i'h~YJAgainc, 'fc~l~g lo(}hnwas b:~~Hhc~ .for&~d's ing that p:ttiencc: mufl be the complete armour word>:tllmiriitkrs ~re to caft(bcJr :'ICCOl!lltS,:t!JEl ag:~.infl: all our bloodic cncmies. make this rc.ckoni't)g, that ·tht?y"ffia)i and fiftilt T hirdly, hc.rc alfo obferuc, That hJitn came fuffc;:r trouble and pcrfecUtion,._Yca, ~ot~'fti.m'c into this Ifiand;not ofhis ov ..·ne accorcl,as cllllb:tniOn'nent it fclfr , for the· 60fpcls,Afaki1., if fing afolitarte life tO be the moa hoppie Gate they"wlll b~·faithfnll. For thot'which bcf~ll flic ofperfeCtion, but by violence and con{haint, prlndp3ll founders and chie'fe ·builders of.tbe For if he had come into it voluntarily> bccing Church, c:uinot bee :iuoidCd'Of them wHilh little or not inhabitcd,hc could not h'aue done are ordinaric miniflers,ifrht-)At.<ill IJc f3it1Hll lf. rhe durie of his Apofllcf11ip in p"!'Cachina the ·ChriH aequ_aintcth his•difc¥1'~§1,.\·ith·chis\ tel.,. Gofpcl, and laying the foundation"s of the ling them, •Th{tt they are e1te#"rtt'cur[ell, ~he'n Luk.~.16", Yy4 ~
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