Chapter 33

Of, how firm and constant, and authorized witnesses, our faith hath had, who have given their lives for the truth thereof.

IT is possible that some may doubt of the truth of our witnesses, which speak, and write of the multitude of miracles which have been wrought in the Christian Church. For as they are people, who detest our faith; so it seemeth to them, that if these witnesses should be true, they must not fail to confess, that we have much more reason to believe our Truth, than they, their Error. But I ask, that (since they will not give credit to our witnesses; and therefore they refuse to receive our faith) why give they credit to their own witnesses, in receiving their false behefe. Whereas¹ it is certain, and clear, that if they would take the pains to consider it, our witnesses do far exceed theirs, in all kind of weight of authority. There have been men, in the Christian Church, whose² life hath evidently been so good, as to prove, that they were free from all covetousness; from all appetite of honour; and from all that which flourisheth, and is esteemed in the world; being full of all virtue, and Truth; so fare, as to dye, rather than lose it. To what interest can he pretend, by the testimony that he giveth, who doth not only not pretend to any thing of this world, but even that which he hath of his own, he casteth away? What interest can move that man to be a false witness, who giveth his life under most grievous torments, in confirmation of what he saith? And though some use to be drawn by force of torments to confess that which the judge desires (although it be against truth) yet if ours would say that which is desired by the judge, not only should they not lose their goods, and life, but much more prosperous should they have remained, by the much which the judges promised, and would have performed. But desp●●ing all this, they chose to die, that they might not abandon their faith, or virtue, which the judge would so fain have had them lose. So that they loved no temporal thing, nor feared they any thing that was temporal, how terrible soever. No exception therefore can be taken to that which such men say; and if it should seem to any, that these proofs were sufficient to make us hold them for good men; and that willingly they would deceive no body, but that themselves were yet deceived; and did so deceive others, without knowing it; To this I answer, that in the Church there have been men, shedding their blood for Christ, so evidently full of³ wisdom, that no reason can be given, why we should believe of them that they were deceived, in a matter of so great weight, and that so far, as to lose their lives for the same. For the much interest that a man hath in any thing, doth make him look & look again, what it is that he ratifyeth; nor doth a man use to lay down his life, in confirmation of a truth, if he be not sufficiently certified thereof. And it is a thing notorious, that so great wisdom hath been found among the Christian people, as therein they exceed all other generations of men, no less than wise masters, do ignorant scholars. And that there have been, not one, nor one hundred, but a mighty number of such persons, is a very great testimony of the truth of our faith; in confirmation whereof, they gave their lives. And⁴ although we read of some who also died in confirmation of their Error, yet ours do incomparably exceed them, in number, virtue, and in wisdom.