Wesley Corpus

+ Kaureo Savars opio 6evros kara raw ötöaakovrov, m oxals ouoMo'yevrov To ovoua rs Xpiss, muets wavlaxs kai agraçoueða kal 515aokouev. El Be kai vuels ws ex8pot evlevéeoffe rotoče tois Aoyous, s wheov tu 5vvagóe ts poveveiv.-Just. Mart. Apol. 1, page 69. stands against you in full force. For such a public appeal to their bitterest enemies must exclude all reasonable suspicion of fraud, in the case of the primitive miracles. 6. You tell us, it is objected, Thirdly, “that no suspicion of fraud can reasonably be entertained against those who exposed themselves, even to martyrdom, in confirmation of the truth of what they taught.” (Ibid.) In order to invalidate this objection, you assert, that some of the primitive Christians might expose themselves to martyrdom, out of mere obstinacy; others, from a desire of glory; others, from a fear of reproach; but the most of all, from the hope of a higher reward in heaven; especially, as they believed the end of the world was near, and that the Martyrs felt no pain in death. “All which topics,” you say, “when displayed with art, were sufficient to inflame the multitude to embrace any martyrdom.” (Pages 200-204, 208.) This appears very plausible in speculation. But fact and experience will not answer. You are an eloquent man, and are able to display any topic you please with art enough. Yet if you was to try, with all that art and eloquence, to persuade by all these topics, not a whole multitude, but one simple, credulous ploughman, to go and be shot through the head; I am afraid, you would scarce prevail with him, after all, to embrace even that easy martyrdom. And it might be more difficult still to find a man who, either out of obstinacy, fear of shame, or desire of glory, would calmly and deliberately offer himself to be roasted alive in Smithfield. 7. Have you considered, Sir, how the case stood in our own country, scarce two hundred years ago? Not a multitude indeed, and yet not a few, of our own countrymen then expired in the flames. And it was not a general persuasion among them, that Martyrs feel no pain in death. That these have feeling, as well as other men, plainly appeared, in the case of Bishop Ridley, crying out, “I cannot burn, I cannot burn l” when his lower parts were consumed.