But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
Ver. 18. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, &c.] We should not condition with God, but commit ourselves unto him in well doing, as unto a faithful creator, being unchangeably resolved rather to embrace fire than to resist light. Thus did all the noble army of martyrs, besides many worthy confessors, such as were the Prince of Conde at the same massacre of Paris, who would not redeem his life or liberty by going once to mass; John Frederick, prince elector of Saxony, to whom, when Charles V, whose prisoner he then was, offered to enlarge him, and to restore him to his former dignity, if he would but only assent to the "Interim mystical" doctrine, as they then called it, he absolutely refused; a George, Marquis of Brandenburg, likewise about the same time, professed openly at an imperial diet held at Augsburg, Malle se, flexis ibi coram Caesarea maiestate genibus, spiculatori cervicem feriendam statim praebere, quam Deum et evangelium ipsius abnegare, i.e., That he had rather hold out his neck to be cut off by the headsman before the emperor than deny Christ and his gospel. b At ego Chrysostomum secutus, said Calvin, when he was pressed to administer the Lord's Supper to some notorious offenders, after the example of Chrysostom; I will die rather than do it. c Louis the French king being taken prisoner by Melechsala the sultan, conditions of peace being concluded between them, for more assurance thereof the sultan offered to swear that if he failed in performance, to renounce his Mohammed; requiring likewise the king to swear that if he failed, to deny his Christ to be God. d Which profane oath the king detesting, and wishing rather to die than to give the same, the sultan, wondering at his constance, took his word without any oath at all, and so published the league.
a Bucholc., Chron.
b Scultet., Annal.
c Melch. Adam.
d Turkish History.