i 5 3 A Cosnmentag upen the ACTS. . Chap. ig. Verfe` i T. Thegods arc comedown] See the force of an evilt cuftome and of a vain converfation received by:traditionfrom Per' 1.18. the Fathers : Thefe Lycaonians had heard out of the Fablesof their Poets, that Fsspitcr and Mercury carne down of old to vii-it Lyccioa their progenitour, and that for the difcourtefie he offered them, they transformedhim into a Wolf. Hereupon they ufed to offer facrifice to thofe dunghill_deities, and now they liippofe they have them inhumane Ehape anmongil them. T rerfè 12. He was the chief Jpeaker] Gr. Ameter of fpeech. nton Paul was another 'Pericles, who thundred and lightned in his Ora- ,iraGof r ral. , to- lions; another Phocion, who was es'orzëv dN+r67-a76- faithPlutarch, tana Græcaam a molt powerfull fpcaker : another Cyreru, who conquered more pern,ifecbat. Cities by hiseloquence , then his Mailer Pyrrhus did by his puif- Cicero. lance. In Rogers and Bradford Martyrs, it washard to fay whether Pfucar.in Pyr there were more force of eloquence and utterance in preaching AEì. &Mon. fol. r78z. (faith Mr. Fox) or more holincll'e of life andconverfation. Papal waseminent inboth. Verfe 13. Andwouldhave done facrifice] So the Salvages of Nova eXIbion , as they were very much taken withour fingingof Pfalms, and other holyexercifes (faith Sr. Francis Drake) whiles wewere among them : fo when they could not prevail with us to ftay longer there , they ftole upon us a facrifice , and let it on fire ere we were aware. We labouredby all means towith-hold or with-draw them ; but could not prevail till at laft we fell to pray- The world en- rs and finging of Pfalms, whereby they were allured immediatly compaiTed by to forget their folly ,and leavetheir facrifice unconfirmed (for they Sir Francis fu ofed us to be gods indeed fuffering the fire to go out , and 'Drake.p,81, Pp g ) imitating us in all our ations, they fell a lifting up theirhands, and eyes toheaven, as they law us to do. Verfe i 5. Of likepaffrons &c.] Pallionsare here put for what- foever differenceth man from the divine nature. Verfe rC. Suffered all nations dc.]That we walk not as other Gentiles, in our ownwayes r but know and ferve thetrue God, is of his fingular grace and favour. The ancient Inhabitants of this land were as barbarous and brutifh as any under heaven. Cicero nenatdeerum parallels the Brittons and Sythians. Hierom ever lets them in op- pofition to fame other nation that is molt tamed and civilized. SedBritannorum inacceffa Romanis locaChri¡t o tarnen fubdita, faith Tertullian. Chrift fubdued thofe whom the Romans could never, come at to conquer. Verfe
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