The Christian Armory, Book 2 · Chapter 9
CHAP. IX. Heauenly Meditations and Conclusions against generall and particular persecution.
Question.
WHat is persecution?
A. It is the state and condition, either of the Church in generall, or of any member, in particular, whereby the one, or the other, in Gods euerlasting counsell and dècrée, are appointed and marked vntounto diuers dangers & troubles for the name of Christ, and for righteousnes sake.
Q. Is not the Church of God at any time or in any age wholy rooted out and subuerted by the enraged violence of persecutors?
A. No: for first, God will alwayes reserue to himselfe a people that shall serue him,Apoc. 11.3 & 4. yea, and some that shall openly and publikely maintaine and confesse his truth in one place or other.
Rom. 11.4.Secondly, as in the time of Elias there were 7000 holy worshippers of God, that neuer bowed their knées to Baal, 1 Kin. 19.18.and yet they were not visibly known to the enemies and persecutors:Apoc. 12.7 so God hath a latent Church sometimes, and the church is faine to flie into the wildernes, and that partly that she should not be corrupted, & partly that she should be preserued from the enemies rage & malice.
Lastly, it appeareth by the diuers things to which the Church is compared and resembled, that shee neuer ceaseth to bee, nor is euer wholy extinct: for it is compared to a shippe tossed with waues and surges,Comparisons. but not sunke: to Moses Bush, burning, but not consumed; to a City daily besieged, but not taken or wonne: to the moon, which is soone eclipsed, and often in the wa…e, but yet often renued: to Noahs Arke tossed in the waters, but not drowned:Apoc. 12.2.5.6. and to a woman in trauell, whom the Dragon séeketh to deuoure together with her child, and yet both are preserued.
Q. For what ends doth God suffer his children to bee persecuted?
A. First, that holy and pure doctrine might bee maintained: otherwise all would in persecution disclaime, and forsake it.
Secondly, that the graces of his children should be encreased and exercised, and that they like spices pouned in a morter, and like swéet wood burnt in the fire, should yéeld a more sweete swell.
Thirdly, that they by their constancy in the profession and defence of the truth, might be distinguished from hypocrites, who like Sodome apples,Comparisons. if a man crush them, fall into chaffe; and like vntounto spunges wet in the water, which if a man presse them, let out all the liquour contained in them.
Fourthly, God will hauehave his children to denie themselues, and their own abilities, and to depend wholy vponupon his power and promises for their strengthning or deliuerance.
Fifthly, hée will hereby make them so many lights and guides to direct the blind world in the roade way to Heauen. Lastly, GOD will hereby increase their reward and glorie in heauen.
Q. Who are Gods instruments herein?
A. Satan, and wicked men, in the world, namely, Tyrants, Heretikes, Atheists.
Q. Why doth God in the punishment and persecution of his children, vse the ministerie of wicked men?
Math. 20.15. Rom. 9.21 22.A. First, to shew his absolute and vnlimited liberty, for hee is a free agent, and he may correct his children by whom he will. For as a naturall Father, doth sometimes make the Schoolemaster, or one of his seruants, the instruments to correct his sonne, though hee (perhaps) is not ignorant, that they may intermingle their priuate affections: So God, (and that without any mans iust controlement) maketh wicked men, who hauehave their priuate ends and aimes, the rods to whip and correct his children withall.
Secondly, God suffereth the wicked to stumble at the life, or profession of his children, and to runne themselues out of breath,Mat. 23.2 that they may fulfill the measure of their iniquities, and so incur the waight of his displeasure.
Thirdly,Apoc. 11 12. God by the patience of his children, and by their constant death, & sufferinges, appalleth, and inwardly tormenteth the minds and consciences of the persecutors, and leaueth them without all excuse and defence of their doings, before his iudgement seat.
Fourthly, he sometimes by the singular patience and sufferings of his saints ouercommeth the enemies harts, and gaineth them to himself, and so they that séemed conquerors are happily conquered to Christ, and of his foes are made his friends.
Lastly,Esa. 10.1 God (against the wicked mens intentions) turneth their persecutions to the good of his children: for as an arrow attaineth vntounto the Archers mark without any sense of his owne: so the wicked though blindfolded, execute Gods secret decree: they are Gods Fullers to whiten his children; God vseth them as the Goldsmith doth lead, to melt and purifie his gold; for hereby God doth perfite them, and purge them from the drosse and dregs of earthly corruption.
Q. Why doe wicked men so persecute Gods children.
A. First, because there is a continuall enmity betweene the wicked, who are the seede of the Serpent,Gen. 3.15. and betwixt the godly, who are the blessed séed of the woman.
Secondly, the godly are not of the world (id est) they are contrary to it in profession,Ioh. 15.19. life and practise, and God hath chosen them out of the world, and therefore the world hateth and abhorreth them.
Thirdly, Gods children professe, preach and confesse Gods sincere truth,Eph. 5.9.12. Ioh. 3.19.20. which the wicked men doe distast and detest, and doe also by the light of their holy life and example checke the deedes of darkenes in the wicked.
Fourthly, the godly weaken the diuels kingdome; hence he by his imps and instruments, purposeth and practiseth continually their death and destruction.
Q. Is it not lawfull for the godly to vse all lawfull meanes of preseruing their liues in persecution?
A. Yes: for, first they are not bound to make confession of their faith to all persons, as namely, to scorners, open enemies, that hauehave no authority to demaund a reason of our profession, nor to ignorant persons, that are contemners of good counsell.
Secondly, it is lawfull to flée from the persecutors (or to auoide our habitations.1 King. 19. Ier. 38.24.25.36.)
Thirdly, wee may decline the danger of persecution by modest answeres, by concealing part of the truth, when wée are not required thereunto: yea, sometimes by our mony and goods, by the change of our apparrell, by the cutting of our haire, and by setting our aduersaries and enemies at difference amongst themselues.Act. 13.6.9.10.
Q. Is persecution gainefull, & commodious to Gods children?
A. Yea, and that many waies. First, hereby Gods Church groweth, and is much enlarged: for being watered by the bloud of Martyrs (which is the séed of the Gospell) it more flourisheth,A Similitude. and it is like Camomi…l, the which the more that it is troden vponupon, the more it groweth.
Secondly,Act. 11.19.20. Christians in their dispersion and banishment sow the séeds of the Gospell in other parts and prouinces, Countrries, and Kingdomes, Act. 11. Rom. 15.
Luk. 2.35.Thirdly, Reprobates in such a time descrie themselus, and powre forth their venome; and as for hypocrites, who were taken for true professors, they being indéede nothing but chaffe, (as the euent sheweth) are by the fanne of persecution separated from the wheat of Martyrs.Luk. 8.13.
Fourthly, Gods power and grace is prooued and perfited in the faithfulls infirmity, and the aduersaries are confuted and confounded, 2. Cor. 12.9.
Lastly, the godly are hereby humbled and mortified, they are weaned from the louelove of this vaine world, and are brought to mind and muze on a better life, and so they obtaine peace of conscience and holinesse of life, Heb. 12.11. Psal. 78.38.2 Cor, 1.4. Hos. 5.15 Ioh. 15.2.
Q. What good inducements and perswasions are there to moue vsus to constancy in persecution?
A. These following, or the like: First, that God exacteth and requireth it at our hands; which if wee doe not accordingly performe, we are altogether vnworthy the name of Christians, and altogether vnméet for the kingdome of God.Luk. 9.23 24.
Secondly, if we fall away from the profession, louelove, and practise of the sacred Gospell of Christ, all our former good beginnings shall nothing bestead vsus,2 Pet. 2.20 & 21. and all the righteousnesse that wée hauehave done, shall not be mentioned, but we shall die,Ezech. 18.24. and perish in our sinne and apostasie. Heb. 10.26.27.
Thirdly,A Similitude. the truth is victorious, and triumphant, and like the Sunne, the more that it is clouded, the more gloriously it will shine out; and therefore wee must not betray it.
Fourthly, we hauehave a cloud and infinite company of witnesses, confessors, martyrs,Heb. 12.1. for our lights, lampes, guids, and directors, whose holy examples, if we follow, we shall be partakers of their glory and happines.
Fifthly, shall Iewes, Heretikes, Schismatikes, yea Turks, Panyms, and Pagans, that hauehave no promise of eternall life, be so stout and stedfast in their profession, and shal not wee Christians that hauehave such comfortable promises of Gods assistance, and of euerlasting happines, be much more couragious and constant in defence of Gods immortall truth.
Lastly, we shall by our patience, suffering, innocency; if not (as sometimes it commeth to passe) conuert, yet wee shall daunt, and confound the enemies of the Gospell, in that they cannot possibly remoue vsus from our confident confession, and in that our persecution gaineth many vntounto God.
Q. What practises are herein necessarie?
A. First, wee must in persecution depend vponupon God, & implore his helpe, and then hee will at the very instant suggest vntounto vsus what to speake,Luk. 21.14. & 15. and enable vsus to suffer, and perfite his power in our infirmity.
Secondly, we must be perswaded of the truth of the doctrine for which wee suffer.
Thirdly, we must neuer make open confession of our faith, but either when wee are called and vrged by publicke authority so to doe, or (at least) when there is some hope of doing good;1 Pet 3.15 & 16. Mat 7.6. for wee must not betray our selues, nor cast holy things before dogs, and pearles before swine.
Lastly, if wee would march valiantly, we must not presume, but suspect all our wayes, and wee must rather feare our selues then flatter them: and we must chearefully entertaine, and diligently put in execution the motions of the spirit.
Q. What duties are we to performe to persons afflicted and persecuted?
A. First, wée must hauehave a fellowlike féeling of their misery,Amos 6.6. and sympathize with them; otherwise we cannot effectually comfort them:A Similitude. for as iron cannot be ioyned, and fastened to iron, vnlesse both of them bée made red hote, and beaten together: so one Christian can yéeld no comfort to another, vnlesse both suffer together, (if not in action) yet in fellow féeling.
Secondly, we must helpe them with our prayers, and be intercessors to the Almighty for them, that he would arm them with strength and patience, and direct all their sufferings for their own good, and the aduancement of his blessed Gospell.
Thirdly, we must, (as we hauehave any opportunity offered) assist them with our counsell, and with the wordes of exhortation, cheare, encourage, and embolden them.
Mat. 25.43. 1 King. 18.13.Lastly, wée must (if wee can) visite them in our owne persons, or (at least) minister vntounto their necessities, as Obadiah ministred vntounto the necessities of an hundred of Gods Prophets, in the raigne and persecution of Ahab and Iezabel; and as Onesiphorus oft refreshed Paul in prison,2. Tim. 1:…6. and was not ashamed of his bonds and chaines; and this duety of mercy and commiseration God will neuer leaue vnrecompensed.