Truth cannot place him that Suffers for them in the number of the Persecuted or indeed justifie or excuse him that Dies for them There are many Truths which don 't at all concern God or Religion and he is accessary to his own Death who freely offers his Life a Sacrifice for them To be of opinion that the Earth is Round and to Die for that Opinion rather than smother it tho he be in the right that asserts it yet is it so far from being a Vertue that 't is utterly inexcusable And for him who lost his Bishoprick upon such an account I cannot tell which to accuse most him of Obstinacy and Folly or his Adversaries of Tyranny Ignorance and incorrigible Stupidity And as those Truths which concern not Religion cannot justifie any Suffering so neither do I hold him unblamable that should lay down his Life for some Trifle some small Puntillo in Religion We reckon not all that Die in the Field good Soldiers and we have as little reason to conclude all that Die in Matters of Religion Martyrs We owe more Respect to the Commandment of God and to the Law of Nature of Self-preservation within us than that we should Destroy our selves for so I must style it upon a Ceremony or Indifferent Point He must be of a very untractable temper who cannot yield to such petty Observances and wink at those Matters wherein there is nothing of Impiety or Immorality nothing but what he himself adjudges Indifferent But whoso Suffers on a Fundamental Point of Religion for an Article of Faith or Matter of Practise and so for the discharge of a sure and good Conscience he it is that is Persecuted for Righteousness for Christ's sake Whatsoever a Mans Sufferings are whether they be by the Cross or by the Flames by Scourgings or by Imprisonments by Slanderings or by Revilings or but the least Indignity whatsoever if this be the Cause our Saviour pronounces him Blessed and he shall be Blessed Blessed are ye says he when men shall Revile you and Persecute you meaning for Righteousness sake which he expressed before So that not onely he that Dies but he that is Revil'd also he that is any way Persecuted for Righteousness sake is so far forth a Sufferer for Christ a Martyr of his But then on the other side he that Suffers upon any any other account when it lies in his power to avoid it what Reward or Applauses soever he may receive from his own Party or Admirers he must not expect any Reward or Approbation of God for he obeys no Command no Injunction of his and has not the least Tittle in his Word to encourage him thereto 2. That a Man may be said to Suffer for Christ's sake 't is requir'd that he have a Call To Suffer for Christ when a Man is put to the severe Dilemma of his Enemies either of Denying Him or Suffering for Him is Laudable Glorious and Honourable but where This may be cautiously avoided where Death may be escap'd with the security of Religion and Reputation here Nature Prudence and Christianity teach us Preservation of Self Without God's Command we cannot Suffer Martyrdom Die we may but not Martyrs Suffer we may but not for Christ's sake for to Suffer for Christ's sake is to Suffer when he requires the same that is to say when Providence has put us under an unavoidable Necessity either of Suffering or Transgressing any Command of His for where there is such a fatal Necessity there is His Call His Appointment His Command to Suffer and it is This that makes the Martyr But and if we chuse Sufferings in any other Case we do it for our own sakes rather than His for the gratification of a Humour it may be not the pleasing Him 'T is our Fault therefore and not our Duty to draw down Evils upon our selves and These can onely entitle us to greater When we run to the Stake without a Call we may thank our selves for the Punishment of our Folly Christ will say Who hath requir'd This at your hands What Commission what Warrant have you from me You are your own Executioners will he say you are your own Murtherers and who must bear the Blame the Punishment but your selves 'T is no part of our Religion what the Romanists reckon of theirs to punish our own Iniquity with the Rod and our Sin with Scourges We have not so learn'd Christ No 't is a Call 't is a Command that must hallow our Sufferings without This we are our own Martyrs not Christ's and for any thing we can learn from his Word those Flames we run into may be but the Passage into Hell Fire I am not ignorant how that some Primitive Christians have out of great zeal invited their Executioner nay forc'd him as it were to do his Office but this was out of a Zeal not according to Knowledge and tho Infinite Goodness may have pardon'd them their Mistake being unaffected their Design noble and their Love pure and Seraphical I say tho God may as he is abundantly gracious have pardon'd accepted the Men yet we have no reason to conclude them Martyrs 3. That a Man may be said to Suffer for Christ's sake 't is requir'd that he have heartily forsaken all his Sins 'T is possible some Men out of a blind mistaken Zeal would readily Die for God and Religion yet very difficultly quit a Lust for them There may be Those who can be content to lose their Lives for their Faith but not to part with a darling Sin whether it is that they think their imaginary Martyrdom will attone for all for all their dearly-beloved Vices or that these Bosom-friends cannot hurt them as being very consistent with God's Grace and Favour or whether it be that they are possess'd with a sullen Moroseness an Enthusiastical Temper an over-hasty Desire of Glory or perhaps of an unhappy Mixture of These Now as to the Case of any such Person if indeed there be any such as I am apt to believe there have been and therefore may be again this I do affirm That whoever he be he is not a Sufferer for Christ because he harbours a profest Enemy of His. I say should any Man Die and very strongly fancy that he Dies for Christ yet if he should retain any one Lust one Sin till he Die how favourable an Opinion soever others may have of him or he of himself I cannot allow him the Crown nor indeed the Name of a Martyr no nor the plain but honest Character of a good Christian And I give this Reason for it To retain any one Sin is to retain a profest Enemy of Christ which it is not the part of a true Martyr or of a good Christian to do Indeed for the same Man to Die in Sin and to Sin or if you please to Crucifie Christ as every one does who wilfully sins against Him and yet at the same time to be Crucified for him is as far from
ambition of ordinary men There are few that have it in that full measure as to endure the Terrible tests of Torments By this it is that the Upright Christian Shows how Great he truly is Whoso impatiently bears Affliction makes it appear that they that inflict them are greater than himself but he who braves it shews that 't is out of the power of any thing but guilt to make him Tremble 'T is Great and it is Glorious to shew a Bravery in the Field a Fearless daring of the Enemy and Defiance of danger And yet this may be ow'd to the hopes either of revenge or victory and to the promising probability of an escape But to behold a necessary and an unavoidable Grave to mount the Scaffold with an undaunted Look and an undissembled Courage this is most eminently Brave and Noble I had almost said peculiar to a Suffering Christian to a Christian Suffering for Christ's sake 3. All Suffering for Christ's sake is attended with Faith The excellency of that Faith for which and by which we Suffer is evident in that it transcends our reason and the Examinations of Sense To Believe a thing we see with our Eyes or fathom with our reason is not Faith but knowledge or persuasion but to Believe that which neither Eye hath seen nor Ear heard neither hath it entred into the Heart of Man to conceive to Credit that which we could not Believe but that we Believe withal that there is an everlasting Being who can do all things This is Faith an Heroick an Exalted Faith I must confess I cannot approve of that resolution of Tertullian Credo quia est impossibile I do therefore believe because it is impossible No nor of His who said there were not Impossiblities enough in Religion for an Active Faith if he means as he should not seeming but real ImImpossibilities My reason is This the very being of an Impossibility implies a contradiction It supposes a thing to be and not to be to be possible and not to be possible at the same time which I am sure is impossible to conceive Well but my Faith will soar thus high I Believe a thing let it seem never so Strange and only not Impossible to me because God has said it who cannot lie And as for Miracles and the Mysteries of our Religion I esteem that Faith the noblest which least concerns itself in prying into them And like not that slow-pac'd Faith of Nicodemus signified by a How can these be Our Christian Sufferer questions not the truth of any thing his Saviour has told him tho it seem to run almost counter to his reason That his scattered ashes shall all be reunited and his Soul recalled to its former habitation tho it be Marvelous yet he believes it tho he knows not how and it looks like Impossible yet he is assur'd of it as much as if 't were already come to pass He is fully persuaded of a Heaven in the midst of the Flames and tho it does not yet appear what he shall be he is Confident he shall be in a state of Bliss and convert his Groans into Halelujas And This I call a Generous a very Excellent Faith 4. All Suffering of Men for Christ's sake is attended with Love a Love of their Saviour for whom and a Love even of their Persecutors by whom they Suffer 1. A Love of their Saviour for whom they Suffer They thorowly contemplate his Love to Them which was so Great as to Die for them and cannot having an opportunity and knowing his desire I say they cannot but Love Him again with the same Effects with Dying for Him Thus as one flame enkindles another does the Love of Christ beget a Love in them a Love only inferior to His. Thus are they drawn with the cords of a Man not such Cords as bind and must be born but such as like the Nerves and Ligaments are endued with a quality not only of Binding but of Supporting too Hence is their Love both firm and noble a Love that sooths and ravishes the Heart amidst the acutest pains for it reconciles Tortures to the most tender Constitution and is such a Perfect Love as according to the Apostles Description casteth out fear 2. Their Suffering is attended with a Love even of their Persecutors by whom they Suffer If you Love them that Love you what reward have you do not even the Publicans the same And if you salute your Brethren only what do you more than others do not even the Publicans so There is nothing of Generosity or Gallantry in this above other Men above the most Barbarous of the Heathen for they kiss and embrace those that are Nearest and Dearest to them But to Love your Enemies to Bless them that Curse you to do Good to them that Hate you and to Pray for them that Despitefully use you and Persecute you This is Generous This is Heroick it is worthy of a Christian and like one and truly shews you to be Disciples and Followers of Christ And now our Sufferers for Christ do certainly bear such a Love to their Persecutors for they would otherwise disobey Christ who requires it of them But that a Man should Love Him with All his Heart as Suffering for Him does imply and not keep His Commandments All His Commandments is what I have observ'd before to be against his Doctrine and against Reason If This will not do we have the Exemplary Love of our first Martyrs for an Argument a Demonstration of the Matter in hand How Chearfully how Kindly did They take their Sentence of Death some of them Thanking their Judges as if 't were a Favour as if they had design'd to Oblige them by it all of them expressing an undissembled Love in an unfeigned Prayer for them fearful they were and unwilling that Misery and Torments should be their Portion by whom themselves were to be sent to Heaven to be sent to Heaven in a nearer and more compendious way by whom because Persecuted as they did deserve so they might expect a greater degree of Bliss 5. I come now at length in the last place to offer some Motives to a resolute and chearful Suffering at what time soever it shall please God to Call us thereto Of which there are several but I shall sit down with two or three 1. Then I would have it consider'd That all those who are called to It do meet with extraordinary Encouragements and Assistances of the Holy Spirit We are sure of This That God will require no more of us than we shall be enabled to bear or perform and where we do want Strength of our own we may very safely depend upon His. And now to suffer is so repugnant to Nature and so uneasie to the Flesh that tho it be an extraordinary Priviledge yet a Man had need of very great Encouragement to resolve upon it and greater still to go thorow with it It must be the Work of that Holy
they did This as they ought they would find that there are as I shew in the Discourse certain Qualifications and Conditions requisite to True Christian Suffering and that without These no Man can justly pretend to It and if any should challenge the Title they would certainly miss of the Crown of the Martyr But enough of This I wish You do not think it more than enough howsoever it be I am satisfied of Your Candor and Goodness and depend upon These Your Patronage and Favourable Acceptance I do now stand in need of and do greatly value and do here beg I must confess I cannot be sorry for what I have done indeed I must have offer'd violence to my Nature and could not have easily excus'd my self had I not now that so fair an Opportunity presents it self us'd my Endeavours my Honest tho Mean Endeavours to convince Men of their Errours and let them see the Injustice of their Clamours against the Easiest and Best of Governments And why may not the Honesty of my Design bear me out as well as the bare Pretence of it does others I must needs say I see no Reason for it But indeed the Design is not only Honest it is Great and Noble Loud is the Noise and Many are the Complaints of Persecution and I fear of dangerous consequence they are Complaining of the Government being a kind of Libelling and Persecuting it So that to remove These is to Ease the Government to do something towards it is a proportionably Good and Laudable Office and even for him who endeavours it only his Design is as Good and Great though his Success be not That the several Persons by whom These Offences come may become daily more and more satisfied of the Guilt and the Vnwarrantableness of them and that You may long continue among us for This and other Excellent Purposes That we may long see as now we do the Happy Effects of Your Diligence and Faithfulness in Your Administration of Justice of Your Care and Prudence in a very Regular Family and of Your Excellent Example joyn'd to the vigorous Endeavours of the Worthy Pastor in a very Conformable Parish And that Heaven would Bless You and Yours with all Health and Happiness Spiritual and Temporal is the hearty Prayer of Honour'd Sir Your most Obliged and most Obedient Servant John Howell A DISCOURSE ON PERSECUTION OR Suffering for Christ's Sake WHatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just and of good report if they promise any thing of Satisfaction of Complacency and Delight they are readily observ'd they are chearfully obey'd upon the least Intimation or slightest Injunction Men hardly need the Exhortation of a Saviour or an Apostle to think of these things But where there is any thing that suits not with their Interest or their Natures where there is any thing clashes with their Temporal Designs or the Gratification of their Carnal Appetites here they are apt to cry with the Disciples in the Gospel This is a Hard Saying who can hear it or with Naaman the Syrian In This thing the Lord pardon thy Servant The truth is He that in stead of Reason consults only Flesh and Blood cannot very easily yield to the Hurting of the one or the Exhausting of the other To desire the Tortures of the Rack or the Scorchings of the Flames looks like a ridiculous piece of Gallantry an Extravagancy allowable only in Romance or Phrenzy I mean to the meer Carnalist to one that sees not beyond the Grave But whoso looks within himself and has an eye to the Recompense of Reward and perceives the Influence the Aids and Comforts of the Holy Spirit and expects more can if he would please defie his Executioner and dare him into a severer Treatment And indeed if we consider things as we ought we shall find that Happiness and Misery are not to be measured by the Enjoyments or Sufferings of this Life that a Man may in wisdom prefer a Gibbet to a Crown and be happy under the Severities even of an Inquisition For tho Pains and Tortures are uncouth and irksom though they grate upon the Flesh and grieve the Spirit yet Nature her self recommends them to us not only as Expedient but as extremely Desirable as those that will work for us a far Greater a more Certain and more Durable Good for Such they will always prove we may depend upon it when our God who desires our Happiness and is able to procure it appoints them for us We readily assent to our Physicians Prescriptions take Potions tho never so Vnpleasant suffer our Members to be Coup'd Cauteriz'd or otherwise Tortur'd and all in expectation or it may be but Deluding Hopes of an Vncertain Recovery And yet this is no more than what is reasonable no more than what Nature prescribes when she teaches us the Doctrine of Self-preservation when she enclines us to the love of our selves and to the pursuit of our Chiefest Good How much more reasonable therefore is it how much more a Dictate of Nature that we should bear a Light Affliction which is but for a Moment in order to a Great and Sure Reward in order to an Eternity of Happiness the Certain Recompence of Suffering here for Christ as I shall have occasion to shew before I have done with you At present it may suffice to observe That the Apostle looks upon it as an Instance of the Divine Favour which he could not well do if there were not a future Reward annex'd to it Vnto you it is given says he in the behalf of Christ not only to Believe on him but also to Suffer for his sake Phil. 1.29 I shall bring what I have to say into this Order 1. I shall inquire When a Man may be said to suffer for Christ's sake 2. I shall shew That those among us who renounce our Communion and suffer for it do very unjustly pretend to Suffering for Christ 3. I shall shew That all those Christians who suffer rather than they will conform to the Church of Rome do truly and really suffer for Christ Provided always that they do not allow themselves in any known Sins but that they equally heartily forsake them all 4. I shall consider the Excellency and Usefulness of true and real Suffering for Christ 5. And lastly I shall offer some Motives to a resolute and chearful Suffering at what time soever it shall please God to call us thereto 1. Then I am to inquire When a Man may be said to suffer for Christs sake And that will be found to be then and only then when these three Circumstances concur 1. When his Cause is good 2. When he has a Call 3. When he has heartily forsaken all his Sins 1. That a Man may be said to Suffer for Christ's sake 't is requir'd that his Cause be good As no Man ought to Die or think any Suffering acceptable but when 't is for a Truth so all kinds of