In order to his own glory, and for the manifestation of his goodness,
and that the accidents of this world might not overmuch trouble those
good men who suffered evil things, God was pleased to do TWO GREAT
THINGS. The one was: that he sent his Son into the world to take upon
him our nature, that every man might submit to a necessity, from which
God's own Son was not exempt, when it behoved even _Christ to suffer_,
and so to enter into glory. The other great thing was: that God did
_not only by Revelation_ and the Sermons of the Prophets _to his
Church_, but even to ALL MANKIND _competently_ teach, and
_effectively_ persuade, that the soul of man does not die; that though
things were ill here, yet to the good who usually feel most of the
evils of this life, they should end in honour and advantages. And
therefore Cicero had reason on his side to conclude, that there is a
time and place after this life, wherein the wicked shall be punished,
and the virtuous rewarded; when he considered that Orpheus and
Socrates, and many others, just men and benefactors of mankind, were
either slain or oppressed to death by evil men. _And all these
received not the promise._ But when virtue made men poor; and free
speaking of brave truths made the wise to lose their liberty; when an
excellent life hastened an opprobrious death, and the obeying Reason
and our Conscience lost us our lives, or at least all the means and
conditions of enjoying them: it was but time to look about for
_another_ state of things, where justice should rule, and virtue find
her own portion. And therefore men cast out every line, and turned
every stone, and tried every argument: _and sometimes proved it well,
and when they did not, yet they believed strongly_; _and_ THEY WERE
SURE OF THE THING, WHEN THEY WERE NOT SURE OF THE ARGUMENT.[143]