AN EXHORTATION TO MARTYRDOM. 59 5. That God isso angry-againstidolatry,thatHe has even enjoined those to be slainwho persuade others to sacrificeand serveidols. In Deuteronomy : " But if thy brother,or thy son,or thy daughter,or thy wife which is in thy bosom, or thy friend which isthefellowof thineown soul,shouldask theesecretly, saying,Let us go and serve other gods, the gods of the nations,thou shaltnot consentunto him, and thou shaltnot hearken unto him, neithershallthineeye sparehim, neither shaltthou conceal him, declaringthou shaltdeclarecon cerning him. Thine hand shallbe upon him firstof allto put him to death,and afterwardsthe hand of allthe people; and they shallstonehim, and he shalldie,becausehe hath sought to turn thee away from the Lord thy God."1 And again the Lord speaks,and says,thatneithermust a citybe spared,even though thewhole cityshouldconsenttoidolatry: " Or if thou shalthear in one of the citieswhich the Lord thy God shallgivethee,todwellthere,saying,Let us go and serveother gods,which thou hastnot known,2 slayingthou shalt killallwho are in the citywith the slaughterof the sword, and burn the citywith fire,and itshallbe without habitationforever. Moreover, it shallno more be rebuilt, that the Lord may be turned from the indignationof His anger. And He willshow theemercy, and He willpitythee, and willmultiplythee,if thou wilt hear the voice of the Lord thy God, and wiltobserveHis precepts."'Remember ing which precept and itsforce,Mattathiasslew him who had approached the altarto sacrifice.But if before the coming of Christ these preceptsconcerningthe worship of God and the despisingof idolswere observed,how much more shouldtheybe regardedsinceChrist'sadvent; sinceHe, when He came, not only exhorted us with words, but with deeds also,but afterallwrongs and contumelies,sufferedalso, and was crucified,that He might teach us to sufferand to 1 Dent.xiii.6-10. 1 The Oxfordeditioninsertshere," Thou shaltinquirediligently; and ifthoushaltfindthatthatiscertainwhichissaid." • Dent.xiii.12-18.