John Trapp on Nehemiah 2:19

Verſe 19. But when Sanballat the Horonite, &c.] At firſt theſe men were ſad: but now mad with malice. Wicked men grow worſe and worſe, in pejus proficiunt, but they ſhal proceed no further: for their madneſs ſhall appear to all men.

And Geſhem the Arabian] Lieutenant of Arabia for the King of Perſia He alſo joyns himſelf to the two former to hinder the work in hand. Such oppoſition met Luther with, when he began to reform. The Pope excommunicated him: the Emperour proſcribed him: Henry King of England, and Lewis King of Hungary wrote againſt him: but the work went on, nevertheleſſe, becauſe it was of God.

They laughed us to ſcorn and deſpiſed us] As a company of Fools, that could never effect what we attempted. So Eraſmus, and Sr. Tho. Moor thought to have mockt the Lutherans out of their Religion. Notum eſt Eraſmi dicterium, Qualem a ſe decimū Capito fore ſperat? &c. This the Scripture calleth Cruel mocking; and ranketh it with bloody perſecution. Indeed the favourableſt perſecution (ſaith One.) of any good cauſe,H[illegible: 1 letter]b. 11 36. is the laſh of lewd tongues; whether by bitter taunts, or ſcurrilous invectives: which it is as impoſſible to avoyd, as neceſſary to contemn, &c. Bravely contemn (ſaith another Worthy) all contumelies and contempts for thy conſcience; taking them as crowns and confirmations of thy conformity to Chriſt

And ſaid, what is this thing that ye do?] Scoffingly they ſaid it: like as Pilat ſaid to our Saviour, What's truth? Oh how eaſie is it to wagge a wicked tongue?Nibil tàm volucre quàm maledictum, nibil faciliùs emittitur. Cic. One while they charge this people with folly; another while, with treachery. If to accuſe a man onely were ſufficient to make him guilty, none ſhould be innocent.

Will ye rebel againſt the King? This was ever; ſaith Lipſius, Ʋnicum crimen eorum, qui crimine vacabant, The onely and ordinary charge laid upon the moſt innocent.In Tacit. Elias is a Troubler, Jeremy a Traytour, Paul a Peſt, Luther a Trumpet of rebellion, all the Orthodox, Antimagiſtratical. To colour the maſſacre of Paris, and to excuſe it to the World, there was coyn ſtamped in the forepart, whereof (together with the Kings picture) was this inſcription; Virtus in Rebelles Valour againſt the Rebels; and on the other ſide, Pietas excitavit Juſtitiam, Piety hath excited Juſtice.