Pagan

, Jew, Mahometan

Chrishan

RELIGIO MEDICI.

69

prophet; and from an old belief that he is come, fall to a new expectation of his coming: it is the promife of Chrift to make us all one flock; but how and when this union fhall be, is as obfcure to me as the last day. Of thofe four members of religion we hold a flender proportion; there are I confess some new additions, yet fmall to thofe which accrue to our adversaries; and thofe only drawn from the revolt of Pagans, men but of negative impieties, and fuch as deny Chrift, but because they never heard of him; but the religion of the Jew is exprefly against the Christian, and the Mahometan against both; for the Turk, in the bulk he now ftands, is beyond all hope of converfion; if he fall afunder there may be conceived hopes, but not without strong improbabilities. The Jew is obftinate in all fortunes; the perfecuti

on

Paradise Lost, 18-312

on of fifteen hundred years hath but confirmed them in their error: they have already endured whatfoever may be inflicted, and have fuffered, in a bad caufe, even to the condemnation of their enemies. Perfecution is a bad and indirect way to plant religion; it hath been the unhappy method of angry devotions, not only to confirm honeft religion, but wicked herefies, and extravagant opinions. It was the first stone and basis of our faith none can more juftly boast of perfecutions, and glory in the number and valour of martyrs; for, to speak properly, thefe are true, and almoft only examples of fortitude: thofe that are fetched from the field, or drawn from the actions of the camp, are not oft-times fo truly precedents of valour as audacity, and at the best attain but to some bastard piece of fortitude: tif we fhall ftrictly examine the circumftances

cumstances and requifites which Aristotle requires to true and perfect valour, we fhall find the name on- not the ly in his mafter Alexander, and as Thing little in that Roman worthy, Julius Cefar; and if any, in that easyand active way, have done fo nobly as to deferve that name, yet, in the paffive and more terrible piece, thefe have furpaffed, and in a morë heroical way may claim the honour of that title. 'Tis not in the power of every honeft faith to proceed thus far, or pafs to heaven thro' the flames; every one hath it not in that full measure, nor fo audacious and refolute a temper, as to endure thofe terrible tefts and trials, who, notwithstanding in a peaceable way, do truly adore their Saviour, and have, no doubt, a faith acceptable, in the eyes of God.

SECT. XXVI.

Now as all that die in war are not termed foldiers, fo neither can properly term all thofe that fuffer in matters of religion martyrs. The council of Conftance condemns * John Hufs for an heretick, the ftories of his own party ftile him a martyr; he must needs offend the divinity of both, who fays he was neither the one nor the other: there are many, questionless, canonized on earth, who fhall never be faints in heaven; and have their names in hiftories and martyrologies, who in the eyes of God are not so perfect † martyrs as was that wife heathen, Socrates, who suffered on a fundamental point of religion, the unity of God. I have often pitied the miferable bishop who fuffered in the caufe of antipodes, yet cannot chufe but accuse him of as much madness, for expofing his life on fuch a trifle,

as

as thofe of ignorance and folly who condemned him. I think my conscience would not give me the lie, if I fay, there are not many extant, who, in a noble way, fear the face of death less than myfelf; yet, from the moral duty I owe to the commandment of God, and the natural respects that I tender unto the confervation of my effence and being, I would not perish upon a ceremony, politick points, or indifferency nor is my belief of that untractable temper, as not to bow at their obftacles, or connive at matters wherein there are not manifeft impieties; the leaven therefore and ferment of all, not only civil but, religious actions, is wifdom; without which, to commit ourselves to the flames is homicide, and (I fear) but to pass thro' one fire into an

other.

K

SECT.