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Part II (Book 2)
Containing an Account of the great Persecutions and Martyrdoms of the Christians, after the coming of Christ, and before the Apostacy and Darkness wholy spread over the Church.
AFter the Jews, who were once the People of God, and had the Laws, Statutes, Ordinances and Commands of God made known to them, as is before related, had apostatized from the holy Spirit or Life, they provoked God, and soon forgat him, & shame∣fully entreated and killed the Servants and Messengers of God, yet the Lord had Compassion to mankind, and remembred his Promise, and in love to the World sent forth his Son, who said when he was come, he was the true Light that enlighteneth every one that cometh in∣to the world, yet the world knew him not, but God sent his Messenger to prepare his Way, and the Voice of one cryed in the Wilderness, pre∣pare ye the Way of the Lord, and make strait Paths for our God; and when this Messenger, whose name was John, was come, the hand of the Lord was with him, and he preached repentance for the remission of sins; and for reproving Herod of his Evils, he was shut up in Prison; and though Christ testified of him, that among those that were born of women, there was not a greater Prophet then John: Yet this Herod, who had married Herodias, his brothers wife, to whom John said, it is not lawfull for thee to have thy brothers wife;* 1.1 therefore the persecuting spirit arose in Herodias, and she would have killed him, but could not; yet afterwards she was the cause of John Baptists being beheaded in Prison.
And when Christ Jesus appeared, who is the Light of the world, whom John called the Lamb of God,* 1.2 who testified against the apo∣statized Jews, & their false worship in their dead Forms, saying, God a is Spirit, & they that worship him must worship him in spirit, and and truth; yet him these Jews rejected, and would not receive him, that they might have Life; and when he said, I am the bread of life, and I am the living bread which came down from Heaven, if any man eat of this bread he shall live forever, and the bread that I shall give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world; the Jews in their ignorance reasoned, saying, How can this be? can this man give us his flesh to eat? and could not believe in him, though he did such great works and miracles amongst them, that never man did the like, yet they sought to kill him; nevertheless they would be accounted of Abrahams seed, and called him their Father; but saith Christ, if ye were Abrahams Children ye would do Abrahams works, but now ye