[ 1919] Men to prefer suffering before Sinning.
IT is reported of that eminent servant of God Marcus Arethusus,* 1.1 who in the time of Constantine,* 1.2 had been the cause of overthrowing an Idoll-Temple, but Iu∣lian coming to be the Emperour, commanded the People of that place to build it up again; all were ready so to do, onely the good Bishop dissented, where∣upon they that were his own people, to whom he had formerly preached, and who (as in all probability any one would have thought) might have learn't bet∣ter things, fell upon him, strip't off all his cloaths, then abused his naked body and gave it up to children and, School-boyes to be lanched with their pen∣knives, but when all this would not do, they caused him to be set in the Sun, having his naked body anointed all over with honey, that so he might be bitten and stung to death by Flies and Wasps, and all this cruelty they exercised up∣on him,* 1.3 because he would not do any thing towards the re-building of that Idol Temple; Nay, they came so far, that if he would give but an half-penny to∣wards the charge, they would release him, but he refused all, though the ad∣vancing of an half-penny might have been the saving of his life, and in doing thus he did but live up to that principle, that most C••ristians talk of, and few come up unto. And thus it is that all of us must chuse rather to suffer the worst of torments that Men and Devills can inflict, then to commit the least Sin, whereby God should be dishonoured, our Consciences wounded, Religion reproached, and our Souls endangered.