unto God, judge
ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard."
Yes, my friends, it is the courage which comes by faith which makes truly
brave men,--men like St Peter and St John. He who can say, I am right,
can say likewise, God is on my side, and I will not fear what man can do
to me.

"We will not fear," said the Psalmist, "though the earth be removed, and
though the hills be carried into the midst of the sea." "The just man,
who holds firm to his purpose," says a wise old heathen, "he will not be
shaken from his solid mind by the rage of the mob bidding him do base
things or the frowns of the tyrant who persecutes him. Though the world
were to crumble to pieces round him, its ruins would strike him without
making him tremble." "Whether it be right," said Peter and John to the
great men and judges of the Jews, "to hearken to God more than to you,
judge ye. We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard."
We cannot but speak what we know to be true.

It was that courage which enabled our forefathers,--and not the great men
among them, not the rich, not even the learned, save a few valiant
bishops and clergy, but for the most part poor, unlearned, labouring men
and women,--to throw off the yoke of Popery, and say, "Reason and
Scripture tell us that it is absurd and wrong to worship images and pray
to saints,--tell us that your doctrines are not true. And we will say so
in spite of the Pope and all his power,--in spite of torture and a fiery
death. We cannot palter; we cannot dissemble; we cannot shelter
ourselves under half-truths, and make a covenant with lies. 'Whether it
be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than to God, judge
ye. We cannot but speak the things which we know to be true.'"

So it has been in all ages, and so it will be for ever. Faith, the
certainty that a man is right, will give him a courage which will enable
him to resist, if need be, the rich ones, the strong ones, the learned
ones of the earth. It has made poor unlearned men heroes and deliverers
of their countrymen from slavery and ignorance. It has made weak women
martyrs and saints. It has enabled men who made great discoveries to
face unbelief, ridicule, neglect, poverty; knowing that their worth would
be acknowledged at last, their names honoured at last as benefactors by
the very men who laughed at them and reviled them. It has made men, s