er to his own mind, but in order to the laws of
his country, that action is not his, but his Soveraigns; nor is it he
that in this case denyeth Christ before men, but his Governour, and the
law of his countrey. If any man shall accuse this doctrine, as repugnant
to true, and unfeigned Christianity; I ask him, in case there should be
a subject in any Christian Common-wealth, that should be inwardly in his
heart of the Mahometan Religion, whether if his Soveraign Command him to
bee present at the divine service of the Christian Church, and that on
pain of death, he think that Mamometan obliged in conscience to suffer
death for that cause, rather than to obey that command of his lawful
Prince. If he say, he ought rather to suffer death, then he authorizeth
all private men, to disobey their Princes, in maintenance of their
Religion, true, or false; if he say, he ought to bee obedient, then he
alloweth to himself, that which hee denyeth to another, contrary to the
words of our Saviour, "Whatsoever you would that men should doe unto
you, that doe yee unto them;" and contrary to the Law of Nature, (which
is the indubitable everlasting Law of God) "Do not to another, that
which thou wouldest not he should doe unto thee."

Of Martyrs

But what then shall we say of all those Martyrs we read of in the
History of the Church, that they have needlessely cast away their lives?
For answer hereunto, we are to distinguish the persons that have been
for that cause put to death; whereof some have received a Calling to
preach, and professe the Kingdome of Christ openly; others have had no
such Calling, nor more has been required of them than their owne faith.
The former sort, if they have been put to death, for bearing witnesse to
this point, that Jesus Christ is risen from the dead, were true Martyrs;
For a Martyr is, (to give the true definition of the word) a Witnesse of
the Resurrection of Jesus the Messiah; which none can be but those
that conversed with him on earth, and saw him after he was risen: For a
Witnesse must have seen what he testifieth, or else his testimony is not
good. And that none but such, can properly be called Martyrs of Christ,
is manifest out of the words of St. Peter, Act. 1.21, 22. "Wherefore of
these men which have companyed with us all the time that the Lord Jesus
went in and out amongst us, beginning from the Baptisme of John unto
that same day hee was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a
Mart