Serm. XLV. under their Sujerangs for Religion. 3 z r which I anfwer ; That all Difcourfes of this Nature, about Suffering for Reli- gion, do fuppofe the truth of fome Religion or other. And among Chriftians, the truthof the Chriftian Religion is taken for granted, where ever we fpeakof Mens fuffering Perfecution for it. And the plaineft Cafe among Chriftians, is, when they are perfecuted, becaufe they will not openly deny and renounce the Chriftian Religion. And this was generally the Cafe of the Primitive Chriftians 5 they were threatned with Tortures and Death, becaufe they would not Renounce Jefus Chrift, and his Religion, and give Demonftration thereof, by offering Sacrifices to the Heathen Gods. Secondly, Men do truly fuffer for the Caufe of Religion, when they are Per- fecuted only for making an open Profeffton of the Chriffian Religion,' by joyn- ing in the Affemblies of Chriftians for the Worfhipof God ; tho' they be not ur- ged to deny and difclaim it, but only to conceal and diffetñble the Profeflìon of it, fo as to forbear the maintenance and defence of it upon fitting Occáfions, againft the Objeétions of thofe who are Adverfaries of it. For to conceal the Profefîionof it, and to decline the defence of it, when juft occafion is offer'd, is to be afhamed of it, which our Saviour interprets to be a kind of denial of it, and is oppofed to theconfefng of him before Men, Mat. to. 32, 33. Whofoever fhall confers me before Men, him trill I alto confefs before my .father which is in Heaven : Bot whofoever(hall deny me before Men, him will I alfo deny before my Father which is in Heaven. And this by St. Mark is exprefs'd by being afhamed ofChrifi ; that is, afraid and gamed to make an open Profeffion of him, and his Religion ; Mark 8. 38. Whofoever therefore (hall be afhamed of me, and of my words, in this adulterous and fìnfulgeneration, ofhim alfo (hall the Sonof Man be afliamed, When he cometh in the glory ofhis Father, with the holy Angels. And this likewife was the Cafe of the Primitive Chriftians undeF the moderate Emperors, when the Perfecutionof them was not fo hot, as to drive then to a denial ofChrift, provided they would be contented ro conceal and difi mt,le their Religion, in that cafe they did not hunt them out, nor profecure th,m to renouncetheir Religion, if they madeno difcovery ofthemfelves. But yet dey who fuffered, becaufe they would not conceal their Profellion Of Chriftianity, did truly fuller for the Caule of Religion. Thirdly, Mendo likewife truly fuffer for the Caufe of Religion, when they fuffer for not betrayingit, . by any indirèo and unworthymeans ; fuch as among thePrimitive Chriftians was the delivering up their Bibles to the Heathen, to be burnt and deftroyedby them : For to give up that Holy Book, which is the greatInftrument of our Religion, is in effeCt to give up Chriftianity it fell, and to confent to the utter extirpationof it. And fuch likewife is the Cafe of thofe, who fuffer in any kind for not contri- buting to break down theFences of Religion in any' Nation, where the Provi- dence ofGod hath given it a Legal Eftablifhment and Security ;' or, in a Word, for refuting to countenance and further any Delign, which vifibly tends to the Ruine of Religion: For to deftroy Religion, and to take away that which hin- ders the'Deftru&ion of it, are in effeCt much the fame thing. Fourthly, Men do truly Infer for the Caufeof Religion, when they fuffer for the Maintenance and Defence of any neceffary and' Fundamental Article of it, tho' they be not required to renounce the whole Chriftian Religion ; For what Sr. Paul fays ofthe Article of the Rèfurrecfion of the dead, is true ofany other ne- ceffaryArticle of the Chriftian Religion, that the Degyal of it, is aSubverfion of the whole Chriftian Faith ; becaufe it tends direítly to the overthrowing of Chriffianity, being a Wound 'givento it in a Vital and Effential Part. And this was the Cafe of thofe, who in any Age of'Chriftianity halm been perfecuted by Hereticks, for the Defenceof any Article of Chriftianity. And I cannot but obferve by the Way, that after the Heathen; Perfecntions were ceafed, Perfecution was firft begun among the Chriftians by' Hereticks ; and hath Pnce been takenup, and carried' much beyond that bad Pattern, by the Church ofRome ; which, befides a ftanding Inquifition in all Countries, which are entirely of that Religion; (aCourt, the like whereto, for the clancular and fecret
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