A Mirror both for Saints and Sinners, Treatise · Chapter 62 – Chapter 63
CHAP. LXII. Examples of such as have preferred Christ, before all earthly enjoyments.
Under the eight Persecution there was one Marinus, a Nobleman, and valiant Captaine in Caesaria who stood for an honourable office that of right fell to him; but his Competitor to prevent him, accused him to the Judge for being a Christian: The Judge examining him of his faith, and finding it true, gave him three houres time to deliberate with himselfe whether he would lose his Office, and Life, or renounce Christ, and his profession: Marinus being much perplexed what to resolve on, a godly Bishop took him by the hand, led him into the Church, laid before him a sword, and a New-Testament, bidding him freely take his choice which of them he would have, whereupon Marinus ranne to the New Testament, and chose that, and so being encouraged by the Bishop, he went boldly to the Judge, by whose sentence he was beheaded.
Dioclesian that bloody Persecutor, first laboured to seduce the Christian souldiers in his Camp, commanding them either to sacrifice to his gods, or to lay down their places, offices, and armes: To whom they resolutely answered, That they were not only ready to lay down their honours, and weapons, but even their lives, if he required it, rather then to sinne against God, and deny Christ.
A Noble Virgin in Portugal called Eulalia, under the tenth Persecution, seeing the cruelty used against Christians for the cause of Christ, went to the Judge, and thus bespake him: What a shame is it for you, thus wickedly to seek to kill mens souls, and to break their bodies in pieces, seeking thereby to withdraw them from Christ? Would you know what I am? I am a Christian, ana an enemy to your devillish sacrifices, I spurne your idols under my feet, &c. Hereupon the Judge being enraged, said unto her: O fond, and sturdy girle, I would faine have thee before thou diest revoke thy wickednesse: Remember the Honourable House of which thou art come, and thy friends teares: Wilt thou cast away thy selfe in the flower of thy youth? Wilt thou bereave thy selfe of honourable marriage? Doth the glittering pomp of the bride-bed nothing prevaile with thee? &c. Behold, if these things will not move thee, I have here variety of engins prepared to put thee to a cruel death, &c. But our Noble Eulalia having her heart ravished with the love of Christ, to whom she desired to be married, rejected both his flatteries, and threats, and chose death, rather then to forsake Christ. See my General Martyrology. p. 77.
In the late Bohemian Persecution a noble Lady of the City of Latium, leaving all her riches, house, and friends, crept under the walls through the common sewer (the gates being guarded) that she might enjoy Christ in his Ordinances elsewhere.
In the Affrican Persecution under the Arians there was a noble man called Saturus, eminent for piety, and holinesse, whom the Tyrant King laboured to withdraw from Christ, and his truth, to the Arian Heresie, telling him, that if he consented not presently, he should forfeit his house, his Lands, his goods, his honours, that his children and servants should be sold, that his wife should be given to one of his basest slaves, &c. But when threats prevailed not, he was cast into prison, and when his Lady heard her doom, she went to him with her garments rent, and her hair disheveled, her children at her heeles, and a sucking infant in her armes, and falling down at her husbands feet, she took him about the knees, saying, Have compassion (O my sweetest) of me thy poor wife, and of these thy children, look upon them; let them not be made slaves; let not me be yoaked in so base a marriage: consider that which thou art required to do, thou doest it not willingly, but art constrained thereto, and therefore it will not be laid to thy charge, &c. But this valiant Souldier of Christ answered her in the words of Job: Thou speakest like a foolish woman; Thou actest the Devils part: If thou truly lovedst thy husband, thou wouldest never seek to draw him to sin that may separate him from Christ, and expose him to the second death: Know assuredly, that I am resolved (as my Saviour Christ commands me) to forsake wife, children, house, lands, &c. that so I may enjoy him which is best of all.
One Copin a Merchant in France was apprehended, and carried before the Bishop of Ast for his bold asserting of the truth, to whom the B. said, that he must either recant his opinions, or be punished: But Copin answered, that he would maintain them with his life: For, saith he, I have goods, a wife, and children, and yet have I lost those affections which I formerly bore to them, neither are they dear to me, so I may gain Christ.
See more Examples of this kind before in this Book, p. 29, 30, 31.
Anno Christi 1620. in that bloody Persecution in the Valtoline, a noble Gentleman having for a while hid himself, was at last found out by his Popish adversaries, whom he requested to spare him for his childrens sake: but they told him that this was no time for pity, except he would renounce his Religion, and embrace Popery; whereupon he said, God forbid, that to save this temporal life, I should deny my Lord Jesus Christ, who with his precious blood upon the Crosse redeemed me at so dear a rate, &c. I say, God forbid; and so they murthered him. See my Gen. Martyrologie, p. 327.
Anno Christi 1507. one Laurence Guest being in prison for the truth in Salisbury, the Bishop (because he had good friends) laboured by all means to draw him to recant: but not prevailing he condemned him; yet when he was at the stake, he sent his wife, and seven children to him, hoping by that meanes to work upon him: but through Gods grace, Religion overcame nature, and when his wife intreated him with tears to favour himself, he answered, Be not a block in my way, for I am in a good course, and running towards the mark of my salvation: and so he patiently suffered Martyrdome:
In Q Maries daies one Steven Knight, Martyr, when he came to the stake kneeled down, and prayed thus, O Lord Jesus Christ, for the love of whom I willingly leave this life, and rather desire the bitter death of thy Crosse, with the losse of all earthly goods, then to obey men in breaking thy holy Commandments: Thou seest, O Lord, that whereas I might live in worldly wealth, if I would worship a false god: I rather choose the torments of my body, and losse of my life, counting all things but dung and drosse that I might win thee, for whose sake death is dearer unto me then thousands of gold and silver, &c. See my Eng. Martyrologie. p. 132.
Thomas Watts, Martyr, when he was at the stake, called his wife and six children to him, saying; Dear wife, and my good children, I must now leave you, and therefore henceforth know I you no more, as the Lord gave you unto me, so I give you back again to the Lord, &c. and so kissing them, he bade them farewell, and went joyfully to the stake. Idem. p. 143.
Nicholas Sheterden, Martyr, when he was ready to be burned, said; Lord, thou knowest that if I would but seem to please men in things contrary to thy Word, I might enjoy the commodities of life as others do, as wife, children, goods and friends: But seeing the world will not suffer me to enjoy them except I sin against thy holy Lawes, lo, I willingly leave all the pleasures of this life, for the hopes sake of eternal life, &c. Idem. p. 146.
Richard Woodman, Martyr, when he was brought to his answer, the Bishop told him, that if he would be reformed he might enjoy his wife and children, &c. To whom he answered, I love my wife, and children in the Lord, and if I had ten thousand pounds in gold, I had rather forgo it all then them; but yet I have them as if I had them not, and will not for their sakes for sake Christ. Idem. p. 185.
A poor woman in Cornwall being admonished by the Bishop to remember her husband and children: She answered, I have them, and I have them not; whilest I was at liberty I enjoyed them, but now seeing I must either forsake Christ, or them, I am resolved to stick to Christ alone my heavenly Spouse, and to renounce the other. Idem. p. 211.
See more in my two parts of Lives.
I count all things but losse, for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the losse of all things, and do count them but dung that I may win Christ, and be found in him, &c. Phil. 3. 8, 9.
Examples concerning Christ our Mediatour.
Themistocles being banished Athens, was forced to fly to his deadly enemy Admetus, King of the Molossians, and when he came thither, he took the Kings son, being a child, in his armes, and so prostrated himself before the K. and found favour: for it was a sacred Law amongst the Molossians, that whosoever thus came before the King should have pardon whatsoever his offence was: so whosoever goes to God the Father with Christ in his armes, shall be sure to speed in his request.
Claudius▪ Tib. Caesar hearing of the miracles, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, moved the Senate at Rome that he might be numbred amongst the gods: but the Senate refused, because he was by some esteemed for a God before the Senate had decreed him one. Tert.
One in Tamerlanes Army having found a great pot of Gold, digged it up, and brought it to Tamerlane, who asked whether the Gold had his Fathers stamp upon it? but when he saw it had the Roman stamp, he would not own it: So God will own none but such as have the stamp of Christ, and his Image upon them.
CHAP. LXIII. Examples of Compassion: Sympathy.
COmmanded, 1 Pet. 3. 8. Zach. 7. 8.
Such as want it, love not God. 1 Joh. 3. 17. And are wicked, 2 Chron. 36. 17.
Scriptural Examples, Our Saviour Christ, Matt. 9. 36. & 14. 14. & 15. 32. Mark 1. 41. & 6. 34. A Lord, Matth. 18. 27. Pharaohs daughter, Exod. 2. 6. The Father of the Prodigal, Luke 15. 20.
Darius his wife being a Captive with Alexander, miscarried by reason of a fall, and so died, which when Alexander heard of, he brake forth into weeping, and suffered one of her Eunuches to carry Darius word of her death: Darius hearing that Alexander wept at the newes of her death, conceited that he had been too familiar with her: but when the Eunuch by grievous asseverations protested that he had never seen her but once, and then never offered the least indignity to her: Darius lifting up his hands to heaven prayed the gods that if the Persian Empire were at an end that none might sit in Cyrus his Throne but so just, and merciful a Conquerour. Q. Cur.
When Alexander M. found Darius murthered by his own servants; though he was his enemy▪ yet he could not refrain from weeping, and putting off his own Coate he covered the body of Darius with it, and so clothing of him with Kingly Ornaments, he sent him to his mother Sisigambis to be interred amongst his Ancestors in a royall manner. Q. Cur.
Nero the Emperour in the first five years of his reign was of a very compassionate disposition, insomuch as being requested to set his hand to a Writ for the execution of a Malefactor, he said, Quàm vellem me nescire literas: Would I had never learned to write. S…ne.
Camillus with the Roman Army after ten years siege took the City of Veia in Italy by storme, and when Camillus from the top of the Castle saw the infinite riches which the Souldiers took by plundering the City, he wept for very pitty to see the miseries which were brought upon the inhabitants. Plut.
The Thebans having given the Lacedemonians a very great overthrow in the Battel of Leuctra, they presently sent an Ambassador to Athens to acquaint them with it, and to desire them to enter into confederacy with them against the Lacedemonians their old enemies, telling them that now was the time when they might be fully revenged of them for all the wrongs which they had received from them: but the Athenian Senate was so far from rejoycing at the misery of the Lacedemonians, that they did not so much as give lodging the Ambassadour, or treat at all with him about a League. Plut.
Vespasian the Emperour was of such a merciful disposition, that he never rejoyced at the death of any, though his enemies; yea, he used to sigh▪ and weep when he justly condemned any for their faults. Suet.
Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love: Rejoyce with them that do rejoyce, and weep with them that weep,
Rom. 12. 10, 15.