warre with Ioram King Achabs sonne was a cruell aduersarye to Israel all the dayes of his lyfe Helkia was the hye Priest in the dayes of Iosias who in repayring the Temple of the Lorde chaunced by the prouidence of God to finde the booke of the lawe the which he sent to the King by Saphan the Scribe which he readde vnto him 2. Mac. 3. cap. Heliodorus being in great fauour with Seleucus King of Asia and Stewarde of his house was sent to Ierusalem to fet awaye the treasure out of the Temple which one Symon the gouernour thereof had betrayed vnto the king And being come to Ierusalem he was louingly receyued of Onias the hye Priest into the Citie But when Heliodorus had vttered the cause of his comming and that his commission was to bring the money vnto the King there was no small feare thorowout the whole citie For then all men from the hyest to the lowest were so oppressed with sorrowe and heauynesse that they wyste not what to doe but fell to prayer lifting vp their eyes to Heauen and calling vpon him which had made a lawe concerning stuffe giuen to kéepe that he woulde safely preserue the same which was there committed in custodie And whyle the Priestes and people were thus lamenting and crying vpon god And on the other side Heliodorus personally with his men of warre about the treasury There appeared an horse with a terrible man sitting vpon hym decte in harnasse of golde which horse smote at Heliodorus with his fore féete to beate him from the place Also there appeared twoo fayre and bewtyfull yong men in goodly apparell which stoode on eche syde of Heliodorus and scourged hym so long that he fell downe to the grounde as dead so was caryed out of the Temple without speache or hope of lyfe whereby the great power of God was manifest and knowne Then certayne of Heliodorus friendes besought Onias to call vpon God to giue him his lyfe which was euen at that time giuing vp the ghost Then Onias least the King shoulde suspect the Iewes had done him some harme called vpon God and obtayned his lyfe And being reuiued to health agayne the twoo yong men which had scourged hym before appeared and sayde Thanke Onias the hye Priest for thy lyfe at whose prayer the Lord hath restored thée and nowe that God hath scourged thée for thine offences giue him prayse and thankes and make his might and power manifest and open to all men And when the men had spoken these wordes and were vanished awaye Heliodorus made his oblacion to God and gaue heartye thankes to Onias for his lyfe and so returned home agayne to the King declaring vnto hym the great and manifest workes of God that were done vppon him The King after this being yet desirous of the treasure that was in the Temple asked of Heliodorus whome he thought méete to sende once agayne to Ierusalem for the money He aunswered saying Oh King if thou hast any enimie or traytour vnto thy Realme sende hym thyther and thou shalt be sure to haue him well punished and hardly to escape with his lyfe For doubtlesse sayde he In that place there is a speciall power and working of God for he that dwelâ—eth in heauen visiteth and defendeth that place and none escapeth vnpunished or plagued that commeth to doe it harme Thus dyd Heliodorus magnifie the power of God and would no more enter into such daunger ¶ Heliodorus the Gift of the Sonne Gen. 5. â— Henoch the sonne of Iared at the age of .65 yeres begat Mathusalâ—h and after that he liued 300. yeares and begat both sonnes and daughters and walked alwayes before the Lorde in an vpright and godlye lyfe And when he had liued 365. yeares the Lord * To inquire where Henoch became is meere curiositie tooke him away that he was no more séene ¶ Henoch Taught or dedicate Rom. 16. c. Herman was a faithfull Christen man vnto whom Paule sent commendations from Corinth to Rome ¶ Herman A proppe or vpholder or an earing 2. Tim. 1. d. Hermogenes was a faynt hollowe hearted Gospeller of the countrie of Asia which forsooke Paule and gaue him ouer whose vnfaythfulnesse Paule pronounceth to Timothie ¶ Hermogenes Begotten by Mercurie or the generation or increase of lucre or the refuge Math. 2. cap. Herode was an Idumean borne and the first stranger that reigned ouer the Iewes In whose time Christ the sauiour of the worlde by the will of God came into this worlde of whose birth he had first knowledge of the Mages or wise men which came from the East to Ierusalem demaunding there for him that was borne king of the Iewes saying that they had séene his Starre and were come to worship before him Which newes troubled Herode so sore that he sent for all the chiefe Priests and Scribes of the people to knowe of them where Christ shoulde be borne And being of them perfitely enformed that he shoulde be borne in the Citie of * For there is an other Bethleem in the Tribe of â—abulon Bethleem in Iewrie he sent for the wysemen and after inquisition made what time the starre appeared vnto them he bade them go to Bethleem and make diligent search for the chylde and when they had founde him to bring him word againe that he might go and worship him also But when they had found the childe and had made their offering they were warned of God to breake their promise with Herode and to returne home another waye Which thing being * Eusebius sayeth that Herode for this slaughter done would haue killed himselfe but being let by his seruaunt he dyed wythin fiue dayes when he had reigned 37. yeares tolde to Herode he fell into such a rage for being so mocked that in hys madnesse he sent forth ministers to Bethleem which killed al the Infants that were in the Citie and in the coastes thereof of the age of two yeares or vnder for whose great crueltie shewed vpon those Innocentes God payed him home soone after ¶ Herode the glorie of the skinne or boasting and glorying in skinnes Math. 14. a. b Herode the Tetrarch of Galile was brother to Philip Tetrarch of Iturea and being reprooued of Iohn Luke 3. 2. Baptist for kéeping his brother Philips wyfe he cast Iohn in prison where he remayned vntill Herodes birth daye was come in the which solemne feastfull daye it chanced the daughter of Philip and Herodias to daunce before Herode and pleased the King so well that he sware vnto hir that whatsoeuer shée woulde aske him it shoulde be graunted not thinking she woulde haue asked Mar. 6. cap. Iohn Baptistes heade for as S. Marke sayth Herode knowynge Iohn to bée a iust and an holye man did both feare and reuerence him and hearde his preaching and did many things thereafter and was very sorye the Mayde had asked none
grounde Which done she went and stoode in hir Tent dore and séeing Baruck pursuing Sisera she went mette hym saying Come and go with mée and I will shewe thée the man whome thou séekest and so he followed Iael who brought him into hir tent where Sisera laye dead Iair was a Gileadite borne He had .xxx. sonnes which were men of authoritie for they rode vppon .xxx. Asses colts And they had xxx Cities lying in the lande of Gilead which Cities were called the townes of Iair He reigned .xxij. yeares After whose death the Children of Israel fell to wickednesse agayne and serued Baalim and Astharoth the gods of Siria other straunge gods for the which the Lord was wroth with Israel and solde them into the hands of the Philistynes and Ammonites which oppressed them so sore by the space of .xviij. yeares That thâ—y were fayne to cry for helpe of the lord Who then sayde vnto them Dyd not I when yée cryed vnto mée deliuer you from the Egiptians the Amorites the Ammonites the Philistines the Sidonites the Amalakites and the Moabites which nacions had oppressed you And yet haue ye now forsaken me and serue theyr gods Therfore crie vnto these gods whom yée haue chosen and let them helpe you in your tribulacion for I will deliuer you no more Oh Lord said they we haue sinned doe vnto vs whatsoeuer pleaseth thée Then had the Lord so great compassion and pittie on the miserye of Israel that he styrred vp a man one Iephtah who by the power of God saued them Iames the sonne of Zebede and brother to Iohn was a poore fisherman and being in the ship with his father mending of his net Iesus came by and called him who immediately left his shippe his father and all and went after Iesus and was one of his Apostles and receyued with his brother the name of Bonarges which is to saye The sonnes of thunder Math. 10. a. Iames the lesse was the sonne of Alphâ—us and Marie sister to Marie the Lords mother And being bishop He suffered martyrdome in the. vi yere of Nero. of Ierusalem he wrote to the Iewes that were scattered abroade after the persecution and death of Steuen Instructing them with sundry precepts howe to order their lyues 2 Tim. 3. b. Iannes and Iambres were twoo false Sorcerers of Egypt who in the time of Moses with their enchantments Exo. 7. b. went about to put those miraculous woonders out of credence that Moses by the power of God did And euen as they withstoode Moses so do the aduersaries of the Gospell at this day and euer will resist the truth vnder a certaine false pretence of godlynesse Gen. 9. d. Iapheth was the youngest of Noes thrée sonnes who being enformed of his fathers vnséemely lying a The nations that came of his children Of Gomer came the Italians Of Magog the Scitians of them the Turkes Of Madai the Medes Of Iauan the Greekes Of Tubal the Spanyards Of Mosoch the Moscouites and of Tiras the Thracians Lanquet sléepe in his Tent tooke a garment and bare it betwene him and Sem on their shoulders and comming toward their father ashamed to looke on his nakednesse tourned their faces backwarde and so couered their fathers priuiâ—ies For the which déede Noe hauing knowledge thereof blessed them saying to Iapheth on this wise God shall enlarge Iapheth and he shall dwell in the Tentes of Sem and Canaan shall be their seruant ¶ Iapheth perswading or entycing Iairus was * Mark. 5. c. d one of the Rulers of the Synagoge among the Iewes whose daughter of the age of twelue yeares lay sicke and at the poynt of death And hearing of the fame of Iesus went and fell downe at his féete beséeching him that he would come home to his house lay his hande vpon his daughter that by the touching therof she might be safe and lyue And while there was an occasion giuen whereby to reforme the vnperfect fayth of the Ruler and that by the ensample of a woman diseased with an issue of bloude .xij. yeares there came certaine * Luk. 8. f. g. messengers from the Rulers house which sayde vnto him that his daughter was deade wherefore it shoulde not néede to trouble the Maister anye further Then Iesus perceyuing the Ruler to be as a man in dispayre sayde vnto him Be not afrayde for although thy daughter be deade in déede onely beléeue and thy daughter shall liue And so Iesus went home to the Rulers house and raised vp his daughter from death to life ¶ Iairus Lightning or being lightned Gen. 5. d. Iared was the sonne of Mahalaleel who liued an hundred sixtie and two yeares and then begat Henoch and liued after that eyght hundred yeares and begat sonnes and daughters And when he had liued in all nine hundred sixtie and two yeares he dyed ¶ Iared Commaunding or descending 2. Mac. b. 4. cap. Iason was a wicked man and so desirous of honor that he laboured his owne brother Onias out of the hye Priestes office promising Antiochus the King to gyue him for the same thrée hundred and thrée score talentes of siluer and of another rent foure score And also if the King woulde licence him to set vp a place for exercise a place for the youth and to name them of Ierusalem Antiochians he promised an hundred and fiftie Talents And when these things was graunted to Iason and that he had got the superioritie he beganne immediately to drawe his kinsmen to the customes of the heathen abolishing the lawes and priuiledges of the Iewes he brought in newe statutes contrary to the lawe of god So that thorowe the exceeding wickednesse of this vngodly man Iason the people had a great desire to follow the maner of the Gentyles The Priestes also had no lust in seruing the Lorde but in casting the stone and such wanton sportes Nowe after thrée yeres when Iason shoulde paye the King his money which he had promised for his brothers office he sent it by one whome he most trusted called Menclaus who gate the office from Iason as appeareth more plainly in his storie Then Iason being thus deceyued by Menelaus was fayne to flye into the lande of the Ammonites remayning there till he might spye a time to be reuenged And when hée hearde the rumor that went abrode of Antiochus death he gat him a bonde of men to the number of a thousande or mo and came sodenlye vppon the Citie killing and slaying his owne Citizens without mercie regarding neyther kinne nor friende But neuerthelesse when he coulde not spéede of his purpose he fledde into the lande of the Ammonites againe Where in the ende it came to this poynt that he was accused to Areta King of the Arabians and so abhorred of all men and he was pursued from Citie to Citie and driuen into Egypt And going from thence to the Lacedemonians thinking by
dead yet shall he lyue and whosoeuer lyueth and beléeueth in mée shall not dye Beléeuest thou this Yea Lord quoth Martha I beléeue that thou art Christ the sonne of God which shoulde come into the worlde After this when Iesus came to the place where Lazarus was buryed and had commaūded the stone of his graue to be taken away Martha sayde Lorde by this tyme he stincketh for he hath béene dead foure dayes Sayde not I vnto thée quoth Iesus that if thou diddest beléeue thou shouldest sée the glory of god And so she saw hir brother Lazarus restored from death to lyfe to the glory of God and hir great comfort Mathathias the sonne of Simeon the Priest which was of the stocke kynred of Ioaris had fiue valyaunt men to his sonnes dwelt in Modyn remayning steadfast in the lawes of God notwithstanding the great calamities that were come vpon the people of Iuda and Ierusalem for the which Mathathias made pytteous Lamentacion crying vpon God to strengthen him and his sonnes agaynst the heathen that had so wasted the people and defyled his sanctuary And whyle he his sonnes were thus mourning in Sackcloth for the destruction of the holy Citie Antiochus the King sent certayne Commissioners to the Citie of Modyn to compell such Iewes as were thither fled to forsake their owne lawes and to serue the Idols of the heathen Who after they had turned the heart of many spake to Mathathias on this wise Thou arte sayde they a noble man of hye reputacion and great in this Citie and hast many Children and brethren Come thou first of all and fulfill the Kinges commaundement lyke as the heathen haue done and the men of Iuda with such as remayne at Ierusalem and so shalt thou and thy sonnes be in fauour with the King and greatly enriched Nay said Mathathias Though all Nations vnder the Kinges Dominion fall away euerye man from the law of their fathers yet will I my sonnes my brethren walke in the lawes of our Fathers God forbid we shoulde forsake the lawes and ordinaunces of God we will not for no mannes pleasure transgresse our religion or breake the Statutes of our Lawe And as he had spoken these woordes a certayne Iewe came foorth and openlye in the sight of all men dyd sacrifice vnto the Idols vpon the Aultar in the citie of Modyn according to the Kings commaundement which thing so grieued Mathathias that for very zeale he had to the lawes of God he start him vp and ranne vpon the Iewe and kylled both him the Commissioner that compelled him so to doe ranne his way crying thorowe the Citie and saying to the people whosoeuer is seruent in the law and will kéepe and stande by the couenaunt let hym followe mée So he and his sonnes fled into the mountayns and many other godly men with their wyues and children and all that they had got them into the Wildernesse And being there the heathen went agaynst them on the Sabaoth daye and slue man woman and Childe for on that day the Iewes would make no resistance but woulde dye in their innocencie Then Mathathias hearing of this was verie sorye and counsayling with his friends sayde If we doe as our brethren hath done and not to fight for our lyues our lawes the heathen will soone roote vs all out of the earth wherevpon they concluded that whosoeuer dyd bid them battell on the Sabaoth daye that they woulde rather manfully fight for their lawes than to dye as their brethren had done before Vpon the which conclusion came the whole Synagoge of the Iewes with all such as were fled for persecution to Mathathias And being gathered togithers they were so great an hoste that they feared not their enimies but fell vpon them and slue a great number And by their force and strength they went about the coastes of Israel and destroyed the Aultars circumcised their children and kept their lawes in spite of all their beards Finally when the tyme of his death drewe nyghe he called all his sonnes before him exhorting them to preferre the lawes and wealth of their Countrey before their owne lyues and ordayned Symon his eldest sonne to be as it were theyr Father and Iudas Machabeus to be their Captayne and so giuing them his blessing he dyed and was burned in his Fathers Sepulchre in the Citie of Modyn Mathathias the sonne of Symon was killed with his Father at a Banket which Ptolomy his brother in lawe had prepared for them in a Castle of hys called Doche. Mathathias the sonne of Absalemus stacke by Ionathas when all his men forsooke him and fled the fielde sane Iudas the sonne of Calphi S. MATTHAEVS EVANGELISTA Cap. ◠VBI EST QVI NATVS EST REX IVDAEORVM VIDIMVS ENIM STELLAMEIVS IN ORIENTE ET VENIMVS ADORAE◠Mathias was a saithful Disciple of Christ and one that had his conuersacion alwayes among the Apostles ruen from the beginning of Christs preaching to the last ende And now for as much as Iudas the Traytour was fallen from Christ he with an other godly man called Ioseph or Barsabas was appointed to stande in election which of them twoo shoulde succéede in the place of Iudas ▪ And when the Apostles had made their prayers to God and giuen fóorth their lottes the lotte fell on Mathias and so he was counted with the eleuen Apostles Mathusalah was the sonne of Henoch and lyued and hundred eyghtie and seauen yeares and begot Lamech And after that he lyued seauen hundred an eyghtie twoo yeares and ▪ begot sonnes and daughters and when he had lyued in all nyne hundred and thrée score an nyne yeares he died Melchisedech is called King of Salem and the hye Priest of the most high god When Abraham had rescued Lot his nephew out of the handes of the Assirians and was returned from the slaughter of the Kings Melchisedech met him with breade and wyne to refreshe Abraham and his souldiours and blessed him saying Blessed be Abraham vnto the hye God possessor of heauen and earth and blessed be the high God which hath deliuered thine enimies vnto thy hande And Abraham gaue him tythes of all things The Scripture reporteth Melchisedech to be without father without mother without kynne and hath neyther beginning of his dayes neither yet ende of his lyfe but is lykened vnto the sonne of God and continueth a Priest for euer Menelaus was brother to Simon and Lysimachus twoo as vngracious as himselfe This ambicious man by deceyte got the hye Priestes office from Iason on this wyse When that good and godlye man Onias had the superioritie Iason his brother found the meanes to corrupt Antiochus the King with money and so gotte the office ▪ out of his brothers handes And when the time came that Iason shoulde pay the money to Antiochus he sent it by the hande of Menelaus in whome he had great confidence
so much as he would demaunde Vppon which offer Sennacherib promised Ezechias that if he woulde paye him thrée hundreth talents of siluer one of golde his lande should be safe and in quiet which promise he kept truely till the mony were payed But as soone as he had receiued the money he sent backe agayne thrée of the greatest Captaynes he had to make freshe warre against Ezechias And when they had pitched their tentes about Ierusalem they sent for Ezechias to come and speake with them who fearing his owne lyfe sent thrée of his Noble men vnto them to knowe the matter And when they had hearde all the blasphemous wordes of Rabsak they returned and tolde them to Ezechias Who hearing those euill newes rent his clothes and put on sackcloth and fell prostrate vpon his face and prayed vnto the Lorde to helpe him and to haue mercy vpon his people and beside that he sent to Esay the Prophet desiring him to pray vnto the Lord for them whose prayer the Lorde hearde and bade him go tell Ezechias that the blasphemous rayling of Rabsak shoulde turne to his great shame for he should go home againe without victorie and neuer a stroke stricken And so almightie God sent his Aungell which plagued the whole armye of the Assirians with such a pestilence that in one night there dyed 185. thousande At the which sodaine death Rabsak and all his hoste that were left ranne away And then Sennacherib got him to Niniue where at the last being in the Temple worshipping his God Nisroch his owne sonnes siue him Seon was King of the Ammorites whose lande bordered so vpon the lande of Canaan that Moses could not passe from the desert of Cades to Canaan but hée must néedes go thorowe it wherfore Moses sent messengers to King Seon beséeching him of licence to passe thorow his land by the Kings hye way and he would neither hurt his fields nor vineyards neither yet take so much as one drop of water for him and his cattell to drinke but he would pay for it Which resonable request Seon refused And thinking to haue ouercome Moses and all his people bycause they were straungers sore laboured and wearyed and knewe not the coast of his Countrey neyther the shiftes of the Realme he made out two great Armies agaynst Moses Who hearing thereof was so afrayd that he asked counsell of God what he shoulde doe And God bade him not feare but fight manfullye and bodely with them for the victorie shoulde be his And so was Seon with all his power and pollicie ouerthrowen Sephora and Phua were twoo of the Chiefest Mydwyues in all Egipt vnto whom King Pharao gaue a commaundement that when so euer they dyd execute their office among the women of the Hebrues and sawe in the byrth a man Childe to kill it But they fearing God more than man brake his commaundement and saued all the men children laying for their excuse vnto the King that the women of the Hebrues were not as the women of Egipt but so strong and sturdy women that they were delyuered before the Mydwyues came And for this déede God delt mercyfully with the Wydowes bycause they feared him made them to prosper Sergius Paulus the Lieutenaunt or Lorde Deputie of Cypres was a prudent man who neuerthelesse had bene sore seduced by one Beriesu the great sorcerer And now hearing the Gospell to be sowen thoroweout all the Countrey by Paule and Barnabas was desirous to heare it wherevpon he sent for them By whose preaching and great myracles that they dyd before him he was at the last turned to the fayth of Christ Seth was the thirde sonne of Adam and gaue himselfe all to vertue and godlinesse His Father was at the age of an hundred and thirtie yeres before he begot Seth. Seth was an hundred and fiue yeres olde before he begot Enos He liued after the birth of Enos eight hundred and seauen yeares So that all the dayes of Seth were nyne hundred and twelue yeares Sesac looke Sisach Sichem the sonne of Hemor the Heuyte rauished Dina the daughter of Iacob For the which déede Symeon and Leuy the brothers of Dina sigue both Sichem and his father Hemor with many mo Sidrach Misach and Abednago were thrée of Daniels companions and of the Children of Iuda Which thrée yoong men Nebuchodonosor at Daniels intercession made Rulers ouer all the Officers in the lande of Babilon And bycause they woulde not fall downe to the Kinges golden Image which he had made and set vp to be woorshipped they were accused to the King as transgressours of his commaundement And being brought before the King he straighly charged them to be ready the next daye when they hearde the noyse of Trompettes and other Instruments of Musicke to fall downe woorship his Image as other dyd or else they shoulde be cast into the whote burning Ouen and then let sée quoth hée what god is able to deliuer you out of my handes They aunswered and sayde Oh Nabuchodonosor we ought not to consent to thée in this matter For why our God whome we serue is able to kéepe vs from the whote burning Ouen O King and can right well delyuer vs out of thy hands And though he will not yet shalt thou know O King that we will not serue thy goddes nor doe reuerence to that Image which thou hast set vp The King hearing this was so full of indignaciō that he caused the strongest men that were in all his host to bind them hand and foote and cast them into the Ouen which Ouen was made so exceding hote that the flame of the fire destroyed those men that cast them in And as the King looked into the Ouen after the men he sawe fower walking at libertie in the middest of the Ouen and the fourth man was lyke vnto the sonne of God to looke vpon And being sore astonyed thereat he went to the Ouens mouth and saide O yée seruauntes of God come out of the Ouen And when they were come foorth it coulde not be perceyued neyther by the heaire of their heades neyther yet by the smell of their garments that euer any fyre had touched them And so the King praysed the God of Sidrach Misach and Abednago and promoted them to honour Silas was a certayne Disciple sent with Paule and Barnabas and other chosen brethren to Antioche to pacifie the variaunce which was there happened about circumcision And after the falling out of Paule Barnabas about Iohn Marke Silas became Paules companion and labour fellow in the Gospell a great whyle and was in bondes with him at Philippos where they conuerted the Iayler and all the Prisoners and were deliuered as Romaynes From thence they departed to Thessalonica where the Iewes set the Citie in such a rore agaynst them that Paule was fayne to flye to Atthens leauing Silas behind him with a precept to make
all his posteritie for euer Achis was the sonne of Maoth king of Geth who on a tyme when Dauid feygned himselfe to be mad before him sayde vnto his seruaunts that brought him on this wyse What meane you Sirs to bring this madde felowe before me haue I so great néede of madde men that ye haue brought this man to playe the mad Bedlem in my presence Awaye with him I saye out of my house At this time Achis despised Dauid and woulde not receyue him but the next time he came againe with his bonde of men and their housholdes he retayned them all and gaue vnto Dauid the Citie of Zikleg to dwell in and had him in such estimation that when he himselfe shoulde go with the Phylistines to battell agaynst the Israelites he then tooke Dauid with him and made him the kéeper of his person for the which the Philistines were sore offended with Achis and woulde not suffer him to go in their company so long as Dauid was with him wherfore Achis for feare of the Philistines displeasure intreated Dauid to go home agayne and so went Achis forth wyth the Philistines against king Saul Ada There be two women of this name in the Bible The one was Lameches wyfe and mother to Iaball The other was the daughter of Elom the Hethite and wyfe to Esau Iacobs brother Adam was the first man that God created and had dominion of all the beastes and fowles of the earth and to euery beast and fowle he gaue his proper name God set him at the first in a place of passing ioye full of all maner of fruitefull trées pleasaunt both to the eye and in taste whereof he might eate at will and was not prohibit saue only from the trée of knowledge of good and euil for whensoeuer he tasted of that trée God tolde him he shoulde surely dye Nowe Adam being in this goodly paradise of pleasure God thought it good to make him a companion to beare him company And so casting Adam into a sounde sléepe he tooke out a ryb of his side whereof he made the woman and brought hir to Adam who by and by confessed hir to be of his bone and fleshe and from that tyme forth they liued togythers as man and wyfe in all purenesse and innocencie of lyfe till that by the subtiltie of olde Satan the Serpent who had deceyued the woman he was entysed by his wife to eate of the forbidden trée Which thing he had no sooner done but both their cies were opened to sée in what case they were And when they sawe themselues all naked and bare they were so ashamed that they made them garments to couer their priuities and hid themselues that the Lorde shoulde not sée them But Adam being founde out of God and demaunded wherefore he had hid him alleaged bicause he was naked And also to excuse his transgression he burdened God with his fault bicause he had giuen him the woman which had allured him to eate of the Trée But neuerthelesse for as much as Adam had obeyed the voice of his wyfe and neglected the Lordes precept God cursed the earth for his sake and droue him forth of that welthy place for to liue in sorow and care and be subiect to death and all other calamities and miseries of the worlde both he and all his ofspring for euer In the Byble is mention made both of sonnes and daughters which Adam had of Heua his wyfe but none of their names be rehearsed saue onely Cain Habel and Seth. He liued nine hundreth and thirtie yeares Adonia was a goodly yong man the sonne of Dauid borne vnto him in Hebron of his wyfe Agith When Adonia perceyued his father to be féeble and weake thorowe extreme age he began to exalt himselfe saying he woulde be king And gat him both horses and Charets and also footemen to runne before him euen lyke a king to the which hys father sayd nothing nor woulde not displease hym but let him alone and do what he would And so Adonia procéeded in his purpose and by the counsell of Ioab the Captaine and Abiathar the Priest who tooke his part he made a great sacrifice of shéepe and Oxen wherevnto he called his brethren and also the kings seruantes who eating and drinking before him with great reioysing sayde God saue king Adonia But assoone as Dauid had knowledge of Berseba his Mother and Nathan the Prophet howe all the case stoode he commaunded Sadocke the Priest and Nathan to annoynt Salomon and to set hym vppon his owne Mule and so to go forth and proclaime him king Which newes was no sooner come into the new Kings Courte but euery man shrunke away for feare leauing Adonia all alone Who then for hys owne safegarde fled to the Tabernacle of the Lorde and woulde not from thence till Salomon graunted him his pardon vpon condicion that hereafter he woulde be quiet and a good man And so being pardoned he departed quietly home to his house But after this when Dauid his father was deade Adonia casting his fauour vpon Abisag the Sunamite went to Bethsabe Salomons mother requesting hir to speake vnto the King that he would gyue hym Abisag to wyfe Then Salomon hearing his mothers request perceyued that Adonia being the elder brother went about to aspyre to the kingdome wherefore to preuent hys purpose he put him to death Adonibesech King of the Cananites was of such might and power that he subdued seuentie Kinges who being all brought into his Courte he cutte of their thumbes and great toes and made them gather their meate vnder his Table whych great crueltie he shewed vnto them being puft vp wyth pryde and ostentation of his victory This wicked King chaunced to reigne ouer the Cananites when Iuda had the gouerning of the host of Israel agaynst whome Iuda began his conquest and slewe the Cananites and put Adonibesech to flyght but beyng sore pursued the men of Iuda tooke him and cut of both his thumbes and great toes which thing the tyrant confessed hymselfe by and by to be the iust iudgement of God for as he had done to other so had he worthilye receyued agayne And so he was caryed to Ierusalem and there dyed Adramelech the sonne of Senacherib king of Assyria with his brother Saresa slewe their father in the Temple as he was worshipping his God Nisroch and fled into the lande of Armenia leauing Asarhaddon their other brother to possesse the kyngdome after their father Aduram was receyuer of all Roboams trybute and being sent in Commission to pacifie the people which were deuided and fallen from the King they for hatred they bare to Roboam tooke this man and stoned hym to death Agag was a very fat man and king of the Amalekites which Nation God had commaunded to be vtterly destroyed And bicause King Saul had reserued Agag aliue and
here was a counsayler ready at hande I will tell thée sayde Ionadab what thou shalt doe lay thée downe vpon thy bedde and feigne thy selfe sicke and when Dauid thy father commeth to visite thée desire him to let Thamar thy sister come and dresse thée such meate as thou hast a lust vnto Ammon did so and when Thamar was come and had dressed him meate and brought it into his Chamber he commaunded all to auoyde and neuer rested vntill he had by force gotten his pleasure which done he fell into such an excéeding hatred of Thamar that he coulde not suffer hir to be in his sight but caused his seruaunt to thrust hir out of his house and to bolt the doores after hir For this shamefull incest of Ammon Absalom two yeares after at a banket slewe him Lot had a sonne called Ammon which was borne him of his yongest daughter of him came the Ammonites Amon the sonne of Manasses was .xxij. yeare olde when he began his reigne ouer Iuda and walked not in the wayes of the Lord but gaue himselfe more to wicked Idolatrie and worshipping of stincking Idols than euer his father did and woulde neuer turne vnto god Wherfore at last certaine of his owne men conspired against him and slewe him which conspirators the people of the lande notwithstanding put to death and made Iosiah his sonne King in his steade Amos was an heardeman or shepehearde of a poore Towne called Thieme and one of the twelue Prophetes which God raysed vp to admonishe the Israelites of their wickednesse and Idolatrie and to threaten them with his plagues and punishments if they did not repent Reade of his death in the storie of Amasiah The father of Isai Dauids father was called Amos and there the worde signifieth Strong Amram the sonne of Caath the sonne of Leuy tooke Iochebed his fathers Sister to wife who bare vnto him two sonnes Aaron and Moses and also a daughter called Miriam He liued an hundreth and thirtie eyght yeres Amraphael was King of Sinhar and one of the foure Kings which fought against fiue other Kinges in the valley of Syddin where he and his partie had the victorie Amry was the chiefe Captaine and gouernour of the whole armie of Ela the sonne of Baasa king of Israel And lying at the siege of Gibbethon a Citie of the Philistines the whole hoste there hearing of the death of Ela constituted Amry King in his steade But the residue of the Israelites which abode at home and were not with Amry at the siege made Thebni the sonne of Gineth king So that the people were deuided and in great contention for their King which continued for the space of thrée yeares till Thebni chaunced to dye and then the whole multitude receyued Amry for their King who began his reigne in the .xxxj. yeare of the reigne of Asa king of Iuda and reigned most wickedly of all others before him .xij. yeares and dyed leauing his sonne Achab to succéede him Anah the sonne of Zibeon as he fedde and kept hys fathers Asses in the wildernesse was the first that founde out the monstrous generation of Mules betwéene the Asse and the Mare He had a Sister also called Anah whose daughter Aholibamah was wyfe to Esau the sonne of Isaac Ananias was a certayne man who to be counted one of the Christian religion solde his possession with his Wiues cōsent and notwithstanding kept away part of the price therof and brought the rest and layd it downe at the Apostles féete whose dissembling hypocrisie being reuealed vnto Peter he sayde vnto him Ananias howe is it that Sathan hath filled thyne heart that thou shouldest lye vnto the holy Ghost and kéepe awaye part of the price of the possession Perteyned it not vnto thée onely and after it was solde was it not in thine owne power howe is it that thou hast conceyued this thing in thine heart Thou hast not lyed vnto men but vnto god And when Ananias hearde these wordes he fell downe and dyed Ananias the Disciple of Christ dwelling at Damascus had a vision appeared vnto him saying Ananias arise and go into the stréete which is called Straight and séeke in the house of Iudas for one Saul of Tharsus for beholde he prayeth and hath séene a vision a man named Ananias comming vnto him and putting his hands on him that he might receyue his sight Then sayd Ananias Lorde ▪ I haue hearde by many of this man howe much euill he hath done to thy Saintes at Ierusalem and here he hath aucthoritie of the hye Priestes to binde all that call vpon thy name ▪ Well sayd he go thy wayes for he is a chosen vessell vnto me to beare my name before the Gentyles and Kings and the children of Israel For I will shewe him howe great things he must suffer for my names sake Then Ananias went to Saule and layde his handes on him and sayde Brother Saule the Lord that appeared vnto thée in the way as thou camest hath sent me that thou mightest receyue thy sight and be filled with the holy ghost And so by the handes of Ananias Saule receiued his sight agayne There was another Ananias who being hye Priest commaunded Paule to be smitten on the mouth as he was aunswering for himselfe before the Counsell Andrewe a poore Fisher man ▪ was called with his brother Peter to be an Apostle When Christ demaunded of his Disciples where they might buye breade to satisfie the people that followed him Andrewe made answere and sayde there is a little boye here which hath fiue Barley loaues and two fishes but what is that among so many Andronicus being a man of aucthoritie and in great fauour with Antiochus King of Siria was left in Iewrie and made Lieutenaunt ouer the Iewes vntill the returne of the King who was gone to pacifie a certayne commotion made by the Tharsians and Mallacians And in the meane time being corrupt with bribes rewardes of that vngracious man Menelaus to dispatch the good and godly man Onias whom he so hated out of the way he went to Onias who for his safegarde had taken the benefite of Sanctuarie and with fayre wordes perswaded him to come forth binding himselfe with an othe he should haue no harme And when he sawe that Onias suspected him he fell vpon him incontinently and without any regard of righteousnesse slewe him Whose innocent death so offended the people that they made a grieuous complaint of Andronicus to the King at his comming home who caused that wicked murderer to be stripped out of his purple clothes and led most villanously thorow the Citie to the place where he had committed his vngracious acte and to suffer most shamefull death Andronicus the faythfull Disciple of Christ to whome Paule sendeth commendations on this wise Salute Andronicus and Iunia my Cosins and felowe
foorth to pray And as Holofernes laye stretched along vpon his bed ouercome with Wyne Iudith stoode by his beddes syde and prayed on this wise O Lorde God of all power strengthen me and haue respect vnto the workes of my handes in this houre that thou mayst set vp thy citie of Ierusalem like as thou hast promised O graunt that by thée I may performe the thing which I haue deuised and so tooke downe his swoorde and holding him fast by the heaire of his head sayde Strengthen mée O Lorde God of Israel in this houre and with that smote off his head and rolled the deade bodye asyde and got hir foorth to hir mayde and put the headde in hir Wallet went foorth togithers as though they had gone as their custome was to praye And so passing by the hoste and comming nyghe to the Citie of Bethulia she called to the watchmen to open the gate for God is with vs quoth she and hath shewed his power in Israel And when the gates were set open the people receyued hir yoong and olde with such ioye as neuer the lyke was séene Then sayde Iudith Oh prayse yée the Lorde and giue thankes vnto our God which hath not taken away his mercy from the house of Israel but hath destroyed our enimies this night by my hande And beholde here his head whome the Lorde hath slayne by mée his minister and returned his handmayde without any reproche of vylanie wherefore giue praise and thanks to our God ▪ whose mercye endureth for euer Nowe take the head and hange it vpon the hyest place of your walles and in the morning when the Sunne appeareth go foorth with your weapons like valiaunt men and make as though yée woulde set vpon your enimies who will then prepare them to Armour But when they shall go to rayse vp their Captayne and finde hym without a heade there will such a fearefulnesse fall vpon them that euery man will séeke to saue himselfe by flying then doe yée followe them without all care for God hath deliuered them into your handes And so the Israelites followed the Assirians which kept no order and siue them downe right And when they had slayne all their enimies and gathered vp the spoyle they gaue the Tent of Holofernes and all that belonged to hym vnto Iudith by whome God had so mightyly wrought their deliueraunce had hir in great honour all the dayes of hir lyfe who at the age of an hundred and fiue yeares dyed and was most honorably buryed in Bethulia beside hir husbande ¶ Iudith he that prayseth or confesseth Gen. 26. g. ¶ Iudith the daughter of Bery an Hethite was wyfe to Esau the sonne of Isaac Act. 1. 7. a. Iulius was an vnder Captaine of the bande of Augustus to whome Paule with other prisoners were committed to be caryed to Rome and of him gentlye intreated ¶ Iulius Downe or downie and full of fine beares K. KEdorlaomor was King of Elam Who with thrée Kings mo that tooke his part fought with the King of Sodome and the King of Gomorra and other thrée on their parties which fiue kings had ben .xij. yeres in subiection vnder him in the valley of Siddim put them to flight and spoiled the cities of Sodome and Gomorra where they founde Lot Abrahams brothers sonne and caried him away with all the goodes of Sodome and Gomorra which goodes with Lot also were recouered againe by Abraham Ketura was Abrahams wyfe who bare vnto hym sixe sonnes L. LAban the sonne of Bethuel called also Nahor Abrahams brother had two daughters the one named Lea and the other Rachel which two he marryed to Iacob his sisters Sonne as in the storie of Iacob is at large set forth Lamech the sonne of Mathuselah came of the generation of Cain and was the first man that tooke him two Wyues whereby the lawfull institution of mariage which is that twoo shoulde be one fleshe was first in him corrupted His twoo wyues were called Ada Zilla By Ada he had twoo sonnes Iubal and Tubal By Zilla one sonne called Tubalcain and a daughter called Noema He siue Cain but not willingly and tolde his wiues saying I haue slaine a man vnto the wounding of my selfe and a yoong man vnto mine owne punishment If Cain shall be auenged seauen folde truely Lamech seauentie times seauen folde When Lamech had liued 182. yeres he begotte a sonne and called his name Noe of whome he prophecied saying This shall comfort vs from the workes and labours of our handes in the earth which the Lord hath cursed He liued 777. yeres and dyed Lazarus was a certaine man dwelling in the towne of Bethania which towne pertayned to him and his sisters called Martha and Marie Magdalene And being sicke on a time his sister Marie sent vnto Iesus saying Oh Lorde beholde he whome thou loouest is sicke At whose request Iesus when he sawe his time tooke his iourney into Iewrie to visite his friende Lazarus who was deade and buried foure dayes before his comming Then Iesus who was not ignorant of that which was done went to his graue wherein they had layde him and sayde Lazarus come forth And forthwithall he came out of his graue bounde hande and foote with his graue clothes vpon him and a napkin bounde about his face who being vntyed came forth of his clothes as whole and as lustie as euer he was in all his lyfe For the which myracle the Iewes sought not onely how they might put Iesus to death but Lazarus also vppon whome the myracle was done bicause that for his sake manye of the Iewes went awaye and beléeued on Iesus After this about a sixe dayes before the feast of Easter came Iesus to Bethania againe where they had prepared him a supper at the which Martha serued him but Lazarus sate at the Table with him as other did Lazarus the poore begger which laye at the great mans gate full of botches and sores euen ready to die for hunger coulde not be relieued with so much as one crum of the scrappes which fell from the rich mannes boorde when he made his earnest peticion for them where as the dogs were fed with great lumpes cantels of good bread yea he found more fauour and gentlenesse with the dogs than with the rich man For where as the rich glutton would refresh the poore begger with nothing of all his delicious and sumptuous fare yet the hungry dogges came and licked his sores But when it chaunced this begger to die he was caried by the Angels into Abrahams bosome And contrarywise the rich man then dying also being sumptuouslye buried was caryed into hell where in his torments he lifted vp his eies saw Abraham a farre of Lazarus in his bosome vnto whom he cryed saying O father Abraham haue mercy vpon me and send Lazarus hither that he may but dip the top
to Daniel which is in the Lyons denne O Lorde quoth he I neuer saw Babilon and as for the denne I knowe it not With that the Angel caught vp the Prophet by the toppe of hys head and bare him to Babilon and set him vpon the denne Then Abacuck cryed to Daniel and sayde O Daniel thou seruant of the Lord take here the breakefast that God hath sent thée Daniel hearing the voyce of Abacuck reioyced greatly and sayde O Lorde hast thou thought vpon mée Well thou neuer faylest them that loue thée And so he rose vp and did eate of such things as the Prophet had brought hym And immediatelye after that Daniel had eaten the Angell set Abacuck in his place againe Abdy the Prophet prophecyed destruction to the Idumeans which came of Esau and were vtter enimies to the Israelites which came of Iacob as at the siege of Ierusalem it did most plainely appeare where as they ioyned wyth Nabuchodonosor against their brethren whom they ought rather to haue holpen and defended against the heathen Abedmelech was a Morian borne and Chamberlane wyth Zedekia King of Iuda This man had so great a confidence in God and loue to his Prophets that when he saw Ieremie so euill intreated he went to the king and besought his grace that Ieremie the Prophet might be taken out of the filthy dungeon wherinto he was cast least he there should perishe and dye for hunger And so obtayning the Kinges good will he tooke his men and went to the prison where Ieremie lay threwe downe vnto him olde ragges clowtes which he had prouided bidding him to put them vnder his arme holes to kéepe the cordes from hurting and fretting his armes in pulling vp Nowe for this his kindenesse shewed on Ieremie and trust that he had in the Lorde he was deliuered from captiuitie and saued from the handes of Nabuchodonosor at the destruction of Ierusalem when other perished Abel was the sonne of Adam borne of hys Mother Eue next after Cain Hée was a kéeper of Shéepe and wholy dedicated to vertue and godlynesse In all hys oblations he euer gaue of the best things he had Which of the Lorde was greatly accepted And therfore Cain perceyuing his brothers offerings to be regarded and hys reiected eâ—â—yed him to death And at the last by a subtyle trayne slue hym Abia the sonne of Roboam began his reigne ouer Iuda in the xviij yeare of Ieroboam King of Israel Hys mothers name was Maacha the daughter of Abisalom He walked not in the steppes of Dauid but followed the wayes of hys father before him Yet notwythstanding for Dauids sake God gaue him a light that is to saye a sonne to reigne ouer Iuda Hée ouercame Ieroboam in battell wyth an Armie of fower hundred thousande notwithstanding the other had twise so many chosen and picked men Of the which Abia fiue fiue hundred thousande and weakened the power of Ieroboam so sore that he was neuer able to recouer hys strength againe so long as Abia reigned This King had .xiiij. Wyues by whome he had xxij Sonnes and xvj Daughters Hée reigned but thrée yeares and was buryed in the Citie of Dauid Abia the sonne of Ieroboam being sick on a time hys father called the Quéene his wyfe vnto him and bade hyr disguise hir selfe the in no wyse she might be knowne what woman shée was And so go thy way quoth hée to Sylo and there shalt thou finde the Prophet of God called Ahia which tolde me long before Salomon dyed that I should be King of Israel Make spéede and take a present wyth thée and learne of him what shall become of the Childe The Quéene did then as shée was commaunded but all was in vaine For God had reuealed the matter vnto the Prophet before the woman came In so much that as soone as the blinde olde man hearde the noyse of hir comming and entring in at the dore he sayde Come in thou wife of Ieroboam why hast thou disguised and fayned thy selfe to be another woman Thou art come to receyue some comfort for thy sonne which lyeth sicke but I am commaunded to tell thée heauye and sorowfull things It repenteth the Lorde that he hath exalted Ieroboam and rented the kingdome from the house of Dauid and giuen it to him forsomuch as he hath forsaken the Lorde and not folowed him in hys heart as Dauid did but hath made him goddes of hys owne therefore the Lorde hath determined to bring such a plague vpon the house and posterity of Ieroboam that hée wyll not leaue one alyue to make water against the walle Wherefore now get thée home and as soone as thy foote shall enter into the Citie the child shall dye and all Israel shall lament him and bring him to hys Sepulchre And so shall none of the house of Ieroboam thy husbande enioy the honour of his buryall but only thys childe bicause the Lorde sawe in him some goodnesse towarde And so when the Prophet had all sayde the wyfe of Ieroboam rose vp returned home to hir house and founde hir sonne deade as the Prophet had foretolde Abia the Daughter of Zacharia was wyfe to Ahaz King of Iuda and Mother to Hezekia Which name signifieth thus Abiathar the sonne of Achimelech priest of Nob seyng the great crueltie of Saul in putting hys Father to death for refreshing of Dauid escaped hys handes and fledde to the forest of Hareth where Dauid at that tyme laye declaring to him the great murder that Saul had done to Achimelech hys father and to all the Priestes of the Lorde for his sake Then being comforted of Dauid he abode wyth him and was his Priest and Counsayler so long as he reigned But in the ende of Dauids reigne he consented wyth Adoniah who had exalted himselfe to stablishe him in the kingdome after the death of Dauid But Salomon beyng proclaymed and the other deposed as soone as he was possessed depryued Abiathar and placed Sadock in hys rowme And so was the worde of the Lorde fulfilled which he had spoken before concerning the house of Eli for Abiathar was the last of that lyne Abigail the wyfe of Naball y Carmelite was a woman not onely bewtifull but of a singular wysedome with all For when hir husbandes denyall to Dauids men for sustenaunce in their maisters necessitie was tolde hir she then considering the great displeasure that might arise of the occasion offered hasted to lode hir Asses wyth sundrye kinde of victuals sending them forth before hir and folowing after wyth spéede And as shée was goyng the prouidence of God was so that she mette Dauid by the way vpon the side of an hyll comming to Carmell determined vtterly to haue destroyed hir husbande and all that he had by the dawning of the daye folowyng Then she perceyuing the furie of Dauid lighted downe of hir Asse falling flatte on the
wyll blesse them that blesse thée and curse them that curse thée and in thâ—â— shall all the families of the earth be blessed 〈◊〉 nowe hauing this promise made him of God departed out of Haran he and Sara his wife with Lâ—t his â—ephewe and with all their substance that they had to go to soiourne in the lande of Canaan And being there the Lorde made a promise to Abraham that hys seede shoulde possesse that lande Wherevpon soone after in the same place where God spake thus vnto him he made an aultar and offered sacrifices therâ—â— to the Lorde And so remayning in the lande there fell at the last so great a famine that he was constrained to â—â—â—â— into Egypt where he fearing the Egyptians to be vngodly and vicious men â—â—igned Sara to be his sister thinking and if â—â—â— were knowne to be his wife they woulde for hir bâ—wtâ—â— take hir from him and put him in hazarde of his lyfe Then was it â—old to king Pharao what a bewtifull woman Abraham had brought with him into Egypt The king nowâ— knowing therof commaunded the woman to be brought vnto him and with all gentle entertainement receyued hir into his house and intreated Abraham well for hir sake But when he sawe so many plagues fall on him and on all his householde vnderstandyng that it was for withholding another mans wyfe from him he restored the woman without dishonestie to Abraham hir husbande againe Giuing also his men a great charge concerning the man and hys wife Then soone after Abraham returned from Egypt into the countrey of Canaan where he had bene afore And when he had lyen some space in the lande there fell such a stryfe betwéene the herdemen of Abrahams cattell and the herdemen of Lottes cattell that Abraham was fayne to deuyde the lande betwéene his Nephewe Lot and him and so they remooued the one from the other Abraham had nowe bene so long without issue that he tooke by consent an aduise of Sara one of his Maydes named Agar to wyfe who conceyued and brought him forth a sonne which was called Ismael Abraham then being at the age of fourescore yeares and sixe And when he was come to the number of ninetie and nine God gaue vnto him the couenant of Circumcision which he receyued first in himselfe and then made Ismael and all the reast of hys householde to receyue the same The next yeare after when Abraham was iust an hundred yeare olde Sara conceiued brought him forth his long promised sonne named Isaac whome he circumcised the eight day folowing and would after that haue offered him vp in sacrifice but that God séeing his prompt obedience stayed his hande Finally after the death of Sara Abraham tooke him another wife called Ketura who bare vnto him six sonnes Which children hée woulde not suffer to remayne and companye with his sonne Isaac but before he died sent them away with great rewardes and giftes and made Isaac heyre of all his goodes He dyed at the age of an hundred seauentie and fiue and was buried beside Sara his wyfe in the double Caue which he bought of Ephron the Hethite ¶ Looke more in the histories of Lot Sara and Melchisedech Absalom the sonne of Dauid whom he begat on his wyfe Maacha the daughter of Thalmai King of Gessur was y goodlyest personage in all Israel for as Scripture witnesseth God had so framed the forme and ornaments of his bodie that from the sole of the foote to the crowne of the head was no member amisse And yet among all the heare of his head excelled which so increased daylye that the weyght therof compelled him at euery yeares ende to â—haue it off This Absalom had a brother named Ammon to whoÌ„ he bare a priuie grudge for defiling his sister Thamar And to be reuenged on him for the same he invited al his brethren vnto a banket made in y time of his shéepe shearing to the which banket Ammon came with the rest of his brethren in the middest of their chéere Absalom killed Ammon and fled to the king of Gessur his Grandfather With whome he abode thrée yeares In the which space by mediation of friendes he was at the last fette home againe and brought by Ioab his Auntes sonne to Ierusalem where he remayned two yeares after Then Absolom marueyling why Ioab had not brought him to the king his father in all that space sent once or twyse for him to come and speake with him And when he saw that he came not he commaunded his men to go and burne vp the fielde of Barley which parteyned to Ioab and laye ioyning to his grounde Then Ioab hearing therof went to Absalom demaunding wherfore his men had destroyed his Corne Marrie quoth Absalom I sent for thée twyse and thou wouldest not come wherefore diddest thou bring me from Gessur had it not bene as good for mée and better to haue continued there still than here to lye so nye the King my father and cannot be suffered to sée him Then Ioab considering the matter had him to the king where he was ioyfully receyued After all this Absalom began certaine practises to aspire to the kingdome wherein he prospered so farre that at length hée proclaymed himselfe king in Hebron Causing his father for feare to flie out of hys Realme against whome he called his counsell to deuise what waye he might best ouercome his Father But God by whose prouidence all things are stayde so wrought with his Counsaylers that the successe of his enterprisâ— turned to his owne destruction For when it came so to passe that both the armies were ioyned in battell togithers Absaloms men had the woorsse and he himselfe a sodâ—ine mischaunce for as he rode on his Mule thorow the woode to haue escaped a twyste of an Oke caught hym so fast in the heire of his head that it tooke him quite out of hys Saddle And so he hanged on the trée till Ioab came with his speare and slue him whose Carkeys after was taken downe and cast into a pitte and couered wyth an heape of Stones Acan was the sonne of Charmy and of the Trybe of Iuda who beyng at the wynning of the City of Iericho hearing Iosua pronounce the Citie and al things therin to be excommunicate accursed of the Lorde tooke notwithstanding certaine iewels of the same hidde them priuily vnder the grounde in his tent Then after when Iosua went about the taking of Hai and had sent thrée thousand souldiers to wynne it the men of Hai issued out of the citie and slewe thirtie and sixe of the Israelites and chased the rest backe agayne whereat Iosua was so discomfited that he rent his clothes and called on God to knowe the cause of their ouerthrowing who made him answere that Israel coulde not stande before the men of Hai forasmuch as some of them had
transgressed his commaundement and tolde him the waye and meanes how he should search it out which thing being done he founde that Acan had taken of the spoyle at Iericho a Babilonish garment two hundred sicles of siluer and a wedge of golde which being tried and brought forth before the whole congregation Iosua tooke Acan his sonnes and daughters cattell goodes and all that he had and caryed them out to the valley of Acor where they were stoned to death and consumed with fire Achab the sonne of Amrie began his reigne ouer Israel in the xxxviij yeare of the reygne of Asa king of Iuda He tooke Iezabel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sydonites to wyfe by whose meanes he fell into all wicked and straunge Idolatrie and cruell persecution for the which God plagued him so that in thrée yeares space neither dewe nor rayne fell downe from aboue to moysture the earth whereof ensued so great a Murrayne of men and beastes that innumerable dyed thereof and all the fault and cause of this plague he layde on Elia the Prophete and sought by all meanes howe to destroye him This king was so wicked that Scripture sayeth he had euen solde himselfe to worke wickednesse and yet notwithstanding God gaue him a marueylous victorie of Benhadad king of Siria who had in his companie .xxxij. kings with whome he fought twyse and bette him and at the thirde time brought him into so miserable a case that he was fayne to humble himself to Achab with a rope about his necke who neuerthelesse had pitie on that wicked King and made a bonde with him and let him go Nowe for this mercie which Achab had shewed to Benhadad whome the Lorde had cursed and put into Achabs handes to be slayne God was angry with Achab and promised his vtter destruction for the same This gréedy Cormorant was not content with his kingdome and spoyle of his victories which God had giuen him but caused Naboth that innocent man to be murdered onely to haue his vineyarde which laye so nye his nose whose bloud did craue such vengeance of God that worde was brought him by the Prophet Elia that in the same place where dogges had licked the bloude of Naboth shoulde dogges lycke his also and that he woulde doe vnto Achab and his posteritie euen as he had done to the house of Ieroboam and Baasa which terrible threatnings of God so feared Achab that he repented and humbled himselfe in sackecloth for the which the Lorde deferred hys plague and woulde not performe it in Achabs dayes but in the tyme of his sonnes reygne Finallye it came in the mynde of Achab to go into Siria to recouer the Citie of Ramoth which he claymed by inheritance And trusting more to the counsell of foure hundred false Prophetes than he did to Micheas the true Prophet of God he tooke his iourney towardes Ramoth and being in battell agaynst his enimies the Sirians he was shot in wyth an arrowe standing in his Charet of the which stroke he dyed And then when his Charet was had to the poole of Samaria to be washed the dogges lycked vp the bloude that ran thorow the Charet and so was the worde of the Lorde fulfilled which he had spoken before concerning the same He reigned .xxij. yeares Achaicus was a faythfull Christian brother whome Saint Paule sent wyth Stephana and Fortunatus from Philippos to the Corinthians with his Epistle Achior was Captaine gouernour of all the Ammonites vnder Holofernes and had the spirite of Prophecie so plentifull in him that when Holofernes demaunded what maner of people the Iewes were hée stepped forth before him and sayde If it please thée O Prince I will tell thée of a truth what they be They are a people which came of the generation of the Chaldeys and bicause they woulde not serue their goddes nor yet followe their customes they went and dwelt first in Mesopotamia worshipping one God that made heauen and earth at whose commaūdement they went from thence and dwelt in the land of Chanaan where in processe fell so great a dearth that then from Chanaan they went downe to Egypt and dwelt among the Egiptians foure hundreth yeares In the which space they grewe to a mightie number and were sore oppressed of the king of that lande but assoone as they cryed to their God for helpe he sent downe such plagues vpon the king and all his lande that he was fayne to suffer them to departe yet when they were gone and the plague ceased he then pursued to haue brought them backe agayne into bondage But God perceyuing his people to be in a strayte opened the Sea before them and brought them thorowe on drye ground and closed the sea vpon their enimies and so drowned Pharao with all his hoste And nowe being passed the redde Sea they came to the wildernesse of Mount Sinay where the waters being bitter he made them swéete and fedde them forty yeares with meate from heauen They had such power of their God that they cast out before them the Chananites the Pherisites the Iebusites and the Hethites with many great Nations mo For so long as they stoode in awe of their God and did not offende him so long was no Nation yet euer able to molest or hurt them But if anye time they declyned from his wyll and ordinance then were they quickly destroyed in battell and brought to captiuitie and bondage Wherefore O Prince let inquisition now be made whether they haue offended their God or no and if they haue then let vs goe agaynst them for God shall deliuer them into thy hande But if they haue not displeased their God he will so defende them that we shall not surely be able to stande before them but become a reproche vnto all the worlde Now was Holofernes so madde with Achior that he commanded his men to carie him to the Iewes that he myght perishe with them in their destruction And as they went towarde Bethulia with Achior and saw they might not come nye the Citie without great perill of their lyues They went to a trée and bound him fast to the same and so leauing him went their wayes Then came the Iewes to Achior and loosed his bandes had him into the Citie and set hym before the Senators who demaunded the cause wherefore the Assirians had so cruelly vsed him to whome he declared the matter in order as he had spoke it before to the prince Holofernes which being done the whole assemble gaue prayses and thankes to God which had giuen to Achior being an heathen man such boldnesse of spirite to sette forth his power and glory And from that time forth they comforted Achior and had hym in great estimation who fell from his heathenishe beliefe and put all his trust in the liuing God and became a Iewe and was circumcised and numbred among the people of Israel he and
prisoners with me which are well taken among the Apostles and were in Christ before me Aner Mamre and Eschol were thrée brethren which when Lot was taken Prisoner among the Sodomites and caried away by Kadorlaomor and other Kinges that tooke his part ioyned themselues with Abraham in the rescuing of Lot his brothers sonne for the which their faithfull assistance at that present Abraham delt liberallye with them in the parting of the spoyle wonne at that voyage Anna the wyfe of Elkana was long barrayne and without childe which barrainnesse hir companion and Mate Phenenna did daily cast in hir téeth to hir great reproche Wherefore Anna was so full of heauinesse that God had made hir such a rayling stocke that she coulde eate no meate And being thus tormented and troubled in hir minde she gat hir into the Temple making there hir hearty prayers to God to giue hir a man chylde And as she prayed it fortuned Eli the Priest as he sate in the Temple to marke hir mouth and perceyuing hir lippes to mooue and no voyce hearde thought she had bene drunken saying Thou woman how long wilt thou be drunken put awaye thy drunkennesse from thée Nay my Lorde quoth she I am a woman troubled in spirite and haue drunken neyther wyne nor strong drinke but poure out my soule before the Lord count not thine handemaide to be a daughter of Belial for out of the abundance of my heauinesse and griefe haue I spoken hitherto and so desiring Eli to praye for hir she departed chearefully home to hir house and shortly after conceyued by Elkana hir husbande and bare him a sonne whose name she called Samuel And when she had brought vp the chylde and weaued it she prepared a sacrifice and went to the Temple presenting both it and hir chylde to Eli the Priest putting him also in remembrance that she was the same woman which stoode before him of late and prayed vnto God for that chylde and that now according to hir promise she was come to dedicate him vnto the Lorde And so after prayse and thankes giuing she departed leauing the chylde with Eli to minister in the Temple of god And euery yeare after woulde Anna make a little cote for Samuell hir sonne and bring it vp when she came with hir husbande to offer the yearely sacrifice And thus God tooke awaye hir rebuke of barrainnesse and blessed hir with children so that after Samuell she had thrée sonnes mo and two daughters Anna the Wife of olde Tobie hir husbande beyng blynde and in pouertie tooke weauing worke of women and laboured sore for hir liuing And when on a tyme she sent home the worke to the owners one sent hir a Kidde more than hir wages which she had earned And when Tobie hearde the Kidde bleate he sayde to Anna from whence came that Kydde is it not stollen restore it to the owners agayne for it is not lawfull to eate any thing of theft Then was Anna angry with Tobie and rebuked him as one whose trust in God was all in vaine After this it fortuned olde Tobie to sende yong Tobie his sonne to the City of Rages to receiue certaine money which in his prosperitie he had lent to one Gabelus Then Anna being full of heauynesse for the departure of hir sonne burst out and sayd to Tobie Oh what hast thou done why hast thou sent our sonne away I woulde to God that money had neuer bene required of vs but that we had bene content with our pouertie and kept our sonne at home What ayled vs to sende him into a straunge Countrey which was the only staffe of our age and comfort of our life and the hope of our generation Then sayd Tobie leaue thy wéeping and be not discomforted for the man that went with our sonne is so faythfull that he will bring him to vs againe safe and sounde Yet coulde not Anna with this be perswaded but woulde daily go out to the toppe of an hill and sit there to spie his comming And when at the last she sawe where he came a farre of she ranne home with great reioycing and folde hir husbande And so wayting to receyue hir sonne she wept for ioy when she sawe him Anna the daughter of Phanuel of the Tribe of Aser was a Prophetesse and had bene maried to an husbande seuen yeares and after continued a widow fourescore and foure yeares seruing God in the Temple with fasting and praying day and night And when Christ was brought into the Temple she came forth at that present praysing the Lorde and prophecied of that childe to all them that looked for the redemption of Israel Anna the wife of Raguel was Mother to Sara the wife of yong Tobie Annas had the first examination of Christ and sent him from him to Caiphas his sonne in lawe who was hye Priest for that yeare Antiochus the great being King of Siria and of such puissaunce and strength that he thought himselfe inuincible was at last ouercome of the Romaines and faine to relinquishe to them all his interest in Europa and Asia and to leaue his sonne Antiochus in hostage and so departed being contented with those countries that were left him till at last of a couetous minde he went to Perfide the chiefe Citie of Persia thinking there to haue robbed the Temple and to haue had great treasure therein And as he himselfe with a fewe mo was in the Temple about his businesse the Priestes at a priuie doore came in vpon him and cut him in small péeces and cast him out to be deuoured of the birdes and fowles of the ayre Antiochus Epifanes the sonne of Antiochus the great being stablished in his kingdome warred against Ptolomie king of Egypt vntill he had brought hys lande in subiection And hauing so good successe there he went against Israel and at last tooke and spoyled the Citie of Ierusalem and robbed the sanctuarie of all the precious Iewels and treasure therin subuerted all the holy lawes of God compelling the Iewes to worship Idols and to doe as the heathen did in all things he burned the bookes of the Lawe and whosoeuer had a booke of the Testament or were founde to be a fauourer thereof did suffer death Thus this vngracious and wicked subuerter of all true religion and godlynesse persecuted the true people of God and so long persisted in his great tirannie that God at last smote him with an incurable disease in his body which was so eaten with wormes and vermine that they fell quicke out of his flesh wherof ensued so great a stink that neyther he himselfe nor none that were about him might abyde the smell And so this wicked Tormentour of other was iustly recompenced with a miserable ende Antiochus Eupator the sonne of Antiochus Epifanes being but yong and vnder the gouernance of Lisias went into Iewrie with a great armie to subdue the Iewes
Chilion perfect or all like a Doue Chilion and Mahlon of the hand of Naomie and also haue purchased Ruth the Moabite the late wyfe of Mahlon to be my wyfe to stirre vp the name of the deade vpon his inheritance that his name be not put out among his brethren And all the people witnessed the same praying vnto the Lorde for Ruth to make hir as fruitefull as he did both Rachel Lea and Thamar And so Boos maryed Ruth who in processe conceyued and bare him a Sonne called Obed. ¶ Boos in Power or strength C. CAath was the sonne of Leuy had foure sonnes whereof the eldest was Amram the father of Moses and Aaron He liued 133. yeares Cain was the first sonne that Adam and Eue brought forth betwéene them and of an vnhappy disposition giuen to all vngraciousnesse He was the first tyller of the grounde and woulde alwayes offer the woorst and the vilest of the fruites of the earth vnto god Wherefore the Lorde had no respect to his offering And because God preferred his brother Abels offering before his he was so stirred with malice and enuie agaynst him that he fell vpon him in the fieldes and slue him Wherfore the Lord promised to withdrawe the increase of the grounde from Cain and so being in desperation he wandred about like a vagabonde in euery corner with much feare and treambling least any man shoulde kill him and at last Lamech slue him Caiphas was sonne in lawe to Annas and the hye Bishop in the time of Christes apprehension of whome he prophecied that it was expedient for one man to dye rather than all the people shoulde perishe Which thing he spake not of himselfe but God made him at that time euen as he made Balaam to be an instrument of the holye ghost And Christ being sent from Annas to him bounde to be examined was so caried from him to Pilate that he by the Temporall lawes might iudge hym to death Caleb was the sonne of Iephun otherwyse called Kenes of the Tribe of Iuda and one of those whom Moses sent out to search the lande of Canaan what maner of Countrie it was at the which time of going out he was about the age of .xl. yeres And when he and his companie had vewed the lande and were returned home agayne certaine of the explorators made an euill report to their brethren of that good land saying it was a countrey of strong and fierse people and such a lande as did eate vp the inhabiters thereof and with lyke perswasions made them both astonied and afrayde and to murmur grudge agaynst Moses and Aaron saying they woulde make them a Captayne and go into Egypt agayne Then Caleb and Iosua séeing their brethren so discomfited rent their clothes for sorrow and sayde Oh deare brethren be ye not discouraged at these false surmised tales neyther yet rebell agaynst the Lorde for we haue séene the lande as well as they that haue discouraged you and knowe it to be a better lande than they report a lande that floweth with milke and hony And as for the people therein feare them not for they be but breade for vs their shielde is departed from them and God is with vs therefore plucke vp your hearts and feare not With these and the like comfortable sayinges Caleb and Iosua withdrew the furie of the multitude which were ready to destroye them and also ceased their murmuring which murmuration of the people so gricued the Lorde that he swore to Moses that not one of them all shoulde sée that good lande saue Caleb and Iosua although their children shoulde sée it But first sayde God to Moses they shall wander in the wyldernesse fortie yeares and suffer for their fathers whoredome vntill their fathers carkasses be wasted a yeare for a daye according to the number of dayes in searching the lande which was fortie dayes And bicause Caleb followed the Lorde continually God swore to Moses that Caleb and his séede shoulde inherite that lande which came so to passe for after xlv yeares Caleb then being at the age of .lxxxv. yeres and as lusty as he was when Moses sent him first to search the lande required of Iosua his heritage who appoynted out vnto him the Citie of Hebron with the Countries thereabout out of the which Citie he droue out the thrée sonnes of Enach This Caleb had a yonger brother called Othoniel to whome he gaue his daughter Acsah to wyfe for taking of a certayne Citie called Kariasepher Carpus was a certayne godlye man dwelling at Croada with whome Paule left his Cloake with certaine bookes which he desired Timothie to bring with him when he came to him agayne Cendebius was Captayne Generall of Antiochus hoste And when he had done much harme in the lande of Iewrie and builded vppe Cedron and fortified it wyth men of warre he was at the last by the sonnes of Simon discomfited and put to flight Cereas was brother to Timotheus and Captayne of a strong Castle called Gazar into the which Timotheus being ouercome of Iudas Machabeus was fayne to flie for succor Nowe Cereas and they that were wyth him in the Forte trusted so much to the strength of the place that they fell to rayling and cursing of their enimies without who notwithstanding set so manfully vppon the holde that at last they wanne it and tooke the blasphemers and burnt them quicke slue this Cereas and his brother Timotheus with another famous Captaine called Appollophanes Cetura looke Ketura Chodorlaomor looke Kedorlaomor Cis was the sonne of Abiel of the Tribe of Beniamin and father to King Saule â–ª Whose Asses on a time being strayed abroade he sayde vnto Saule his Sonne Take one of the Laddes with thée and go and séeke out mine Asses that are lost This Cis is called also the sonne of Ner. 1. Par. 8. c. Cis the sonne of Abi Gibeon his mother was called Maacah Cis the sonne of Mahly sonne to Merari His brothers name was Eleazar Whose daughters he being deade the sonnes of this Cis tooke to their Wyues Claudia was a certaine godly brother who being with Paule at Rome sent as other mo did gréetings to Timothie in Paules letter Claudius was an Emperour in whose tyme the fourth yeare of his reygne was a great dearth thorâ—â— out all the worlde whereof Agabus the Prophet prophâ—cied aforehande Cleopatra the daughter of King Ptolomie was maried to Alexander the sonne of noble Antiochus And agayne for displeasure taken from Alexander hir lawfull husbande and giuen to Demetrius the sonne of Demetrius Cleophas was the husbande of Mary sister to Mary the mother of Christ and one of the two Disciples which after the death of Christ went to the towne of Emaus talking and reasoning togithers of all things that had happened to Iesus and as they were
other thing But neuerthelesse for kéeping his Othe which he had made before so many Noble men he caused the innocent mans heade to be cut of and giuen to the Wench This Herode and Pylate Lieutenant of Iewry had bene long at variaunce And for the pleasure that Pilate shewed to Herode in sending Iesus bounde vnto him to be examined he was at one with him againe For Herode had long desired to sée Iesus And hoping nowe to haue séene some myracles done by him he demaunded many questions of Iesus to the which he woulde make no answere at all Then Herode perceyuing that Iesus woulde neyther speake nor doe any thing at his pleasure he began to despyse and râ—uyle him and in mockery arayed him in a long whyte garment and sent him to Pylate agayne Act. 12. cap. Herode Tâ—is man was a great persecutour of the Apostles He beheaded Iames the brother of Iohn and This Herode was called Agrippa the sonne of Aristobolus he was nephew vnto Herode the great and brother of Herodias séeing that déede to content and pleasâ— the Iewes well he tooke Peter also and cast him into prison intending after Easter which was at hand to haue him put to death â–ª also Finally vpon a certaine day appointed to shewe himselfe in his pompe glory he made such an Oration before the assemblye that for the pleasauntnesse of hys speach the common people at the ende thereof gaue a mightie shoute saying it was the voyce of a God and not of a man And bicause he gloryed in their boasting and tooke that honour vnto himselfe which he ought to haue giuen to God he was immediatly smitten with the Wormie sickenesse whereof he most miserably dyed Rom. 16. b. Herodian was Paules kinseman vnto whome he sent commendations from Corinth on this wise Salute Herodian my kinseman ¶ Herodian the song of a yoong Virgin or of a woman conquering Math. 14. â— Herodias was wyfe to Philip Herodes brother to whome she brought forth a * Whiche daughter as Iosephus wryteth was called Salomen daughter This woman being more familiar with Herode than honestie required grew into such fauour with him that he contrarye to the lawe of Moses married hir his brother being alyue Against which vnlawfull marriage Iohn Baptist spake so much to Herodes reproofe that shée fearing least that Iohn woulde make Herode breake of the incest marriage counsayled hir daughter which daunced before him to aske the heade of Iohn Baptist And so by the wicked deuyce of this vnchaste woman Iohn lost his heade ¶ Herodias signifieth that that the woorde Herode before doth Gen. 46. b. Hesron was the sonne of Ruben and of hym came Num. 46. a. the kindred of the Hesronites ¶ Hesron the Arrowe of reioyeeing 1. Par. 2. c. Hesron the father of Caleb being come to the age of thréescore yeares tooke to wyfe the daughter of Machir who bare vnto him a sonne called Segub 4. Reg. 18. and. 19. cap. Hezakia the sonne of Ahaz was .xxv. yeares of age when he began his reygne ouer Iuda He was the godlyest Prince that euer reigned before or after among the Kings of Iuda He clensed his Countrie from all ydolatrie and brake downe the brasen Serpent which Moses had set vp as soone as he sawe it abused He brought in againe the true honouring of God and renued the Passeouer He had such a sure trust and confidence in God that at his prayer the Angell of the Lorde slue in one night of the Assirians which were come to destroye Ierusalem an hundred fourescore and fiue thousande and smote the rest into such a feare that they ran away 20. cap. After this he fell sicke and was admonished by the Prophete Esay to set his house in order for he shoulde surely dye Then he turned his face to the wall and made his peticion to God saying Oh Lord remember I beséech thée howe I haue walked before thée in truth and with a perfect heart haue done that which is good in thy sight and speaking these wordes â–ª hée * He wept not so much for his owne death as for feare that ydolatrie shuld be restored which he had destroyed wept verie sore The Lorde than mooued with his teares returned the Prophete agayne to comfort him with these newes that he shoulde receyue his health and be able the thirde day to go vp to the house of the Lorde and that he had added to his dayes .xv. yeares mo and to assure him of this his promise he woulde cause the Sunne to returne his course ten degrées backewarde At this tyme Berodach surnamed Baladad King of Babilon sent to Hezakia ambassadours to signifie vnto him howe glad and ioyfull he was of his recouery which kindenesse was so greatly estéemed of Hazakia that he thought he could not doe them to much pleasure but made them priuie to all his treasure siluer and golde and whatsoeuer he had in his house or in any other parte of his Realme he * Bicause he was mooued with ambicion and vayne glorie and semed also to reioyce in the friendship of him that was Gods enimy the Lorde was displeased shewed it freely vnto them Wherefore the Lorde not content therewith commaunded Esay the Prophet to go and tell Hezakia That forasmuch as he had made the messengers of Babilon priuie to all the commodities of his lande The dayes shoulde come that all thinges which he had in his house and whatsoeuer his Fathers had layed vp in store before him shoulde be caryed to Babylon Then Hezakia knowing the Prophete to be the true messenger of God humbled himselfe and saide Thy worde O Lord is welcome vnto mée but yet I shall desire thee not to sende those cuils in my dayes but rather peace and truth He raigned .xxix. yeares and died ¶ Hezakia the strength of the Lorde or the Lordes holding 1. Tim. 1. d. Hymeneus after he had tasted of the worde of God and béene a professour of the same he fell awaye and became an vtter enimie and a spitefull rayler agaynst the doctrine of the Gospel of Christe denying the chiefest point and foundacion of the Gospel which is that the resurrection 2. Tim. 2. c. is past wherewith he destroyed the fayth of many persons For the which errour and other his rayling and ieastinges agaynst the truth of Gods woorde Paule excommunicated him that he thorowe correction might be ashamed of his faulte and tourne agayne to Christ ¶ Hymeneus a Maryage song or Bride song 2. Reg. 5. b. Hyram King of Tyre fauoured Dauid so much that he hearing that Dauid went about to builde hym an house sent hym both Tymber Workemen to finish the same Also when Salomon after the death of Dauid 3. Reg. 5. cap. 9. b. c. d. his Father sent to this King for woodde and Timber to buylde the Lordes Temple he praysed God
watred all hir shéepe Which done he kissed the Damosell and wept for ioy And when the Mayde had knowledge what he was she ranne to hir father and tolde him who beyng ioyfull thereof went to the man and brought him into his house Nowe when Iacob had opened the cause of his comming to Laban it was agréed that Iacob shoulde serue Laban seauen yeares for Rachel his daughter But when the daye of Mariage came Lea the elder was put in hir steade for so much as it was not the custome that the yonger shoulde be first married as Laban alleaged Then Iacob taryed seauen dayes and tooke Rachel vppon condicion that he woulde serue other seauen yeares for hir which being fulfilled he desired Laban that he might depart with his Wyues Children into his owne countrie againe Nay tarie sayd Laban for I perceyue that the Lorde hath blessed me for thy sake appoynt thy wages and I will giue it thée Thou knowest quoth Iacob what seruice I haue done thée and in what taking thy cattell hath bene vnder me for the little that thou hadst before my comming is nowe increased to a multitude But when shall I traueyle make prouision for mine owne house also Well what shall I giue thée sayd Laban Then Iacob hauing knowledge aforehande by the Angell of the Lord what his wages should be said Thou shalt giue me nothing at all if thou wilt doe this thing for me I will go agayne and feede thy shéepe and kéepe them will seperate all the shéepe of thy flocke one from another and so many as be blacke speckled or of partie colour let that be my wages and whatsoeuer I take of the reast vnspotted let that be counted theft with me Content quoth Laban Then went Iacob and tooke out all the males and females of the shéepe and goates that were blacke spotted or of partie colour and put them in the kéeping of his sonnes which lay thrée dayes iourney of from Iacob and the reast which were whyte and of one colour Iacob kept himself And when he had made this diuision of Labans shéepe he tooke roddes of gréene Populer of Hasell and of Chesnut trées and pilled whyte strakes in them Which roddes in the conceyuing time he layed before the shéepe in the gutters and watring troughes when they came to drinke And the shéepe that conceyued before the roddes brought forth Lambes straked spotted and partie coloured so that Iacobs flocke increased excéedinglye whereat the sonnes of Laban grudged and made so heynous a complaynt to their father on Iacob that Laban began to disfauour him Then Iacob perceyuing Labans countenance to be chaunged he sent for his wyues and sayde I sée your fathers countenance that it is not towardes me as it was woont and yet ye knowe that I haue serued your father truely which hath deceyued mée and chaunged my wages ten tymes but God suffered hym not to hurt me For when he sayde the spotted shoulde be my wages then the shéepe brought foorth spotted And when he sayde the partie coloured should be my rewarde then the shéepe brought foorth partie coloured And thus hath God taken away your fathers shéepe and giuen them to me which thing he shewed me in a dreame shoulde euen so come to passe and hath nowe commaunded me to depart out of this Countrie into the land where I was borne The women sayde we haue not portion in our Fathers house séeing he counteth vs but euen as straungers and hath solde vs and eaten vp our money And nowe that God hath taken away our fathers riches and made it oures and our childrens doe whatsoeuer God hath sayde vnto thée Then Iacob assoone as he had prepared all things for his iourney he fled from Laban his Father in lawe towardes the lande of Canaan to Isaac his Father and being pursued of Laban .vij. dayes and at last ouertaken at mount Giliad he layed manye things to Iacobs charge whereof he discharged himselfe of all and in the ende sayde This twentye yeares haue I serued thée .xiiij. yeares for thy daughters and sixe yeares for thy shéepe which hath not béene barren and yet in all that space haue I not eaten one Ram of thy stocke but whatsoeuer was stolen or torne of beastes I made it good vnto thée Thou chaunged my wages ten tymes and wâ—ulde surely haue sent mée away with nothing if God which sawe my tribulation and the labour of my handes had not béene the better vnto mée which rebuked thée yesterdaye Then Laban made a bonde with Iacob and so departed Iacob then going foorth on his iourney came into the lande of Sâ—ir and hearing of his brother Esaus being there was sore afrayde of him least he had continued still in his malice towardes hym wherefore he sent messengers before vnto him with thrée great droues of Cattell for a present trusting thereby to mitigate his wrath And as Iacob himselfe taryed behinde to set his wyues and children in order to méete his brother Esau an Angel wrastled with him all night and at last smote him vnder the Thigh and brake the sinewe of his legge whereon he haulted euer after Yet neuerthelesse Iacob which had wrasteled with the Angel vntill the breaking of the daye woulde not let the Angell depart before he had blessed hym who called his name Israel for as a Prince sayde he to Iacob hast thou wrasteled with God and with man and preuailed And so after the brotherly méeting of Iacob and Esau and the great amitie shewed the one to the other Iacob tooke his iourney into the lande of Canaan where he remayned vntill he was of the age of an 130. yeares And then went downe into Egipt withall his householde which were thrée score and sixe soules to sée his sonne Ioseph where he continued .xvij. yeares And then dyed being 147. yeares of age and from thence was conueyghed to the lande of Canaan where he was by his children sumptuouslye buried Iachtan was the sonne of Heber and this brothers name was Peleg Iael was the wife of one Haber the Kenite which was of the Children of Hobab Moses father in law And when she had hearde of the great ouerthrowe of Sisera and how he fled she went and mette him saying Turne in my Lorde turne in to mée and feare not And being come into hir house he asked hir a little water to quench his thirst and she brought hym a bottell full of Milke and when he had well droncken thereof he layed hym downe to sléepe as she was couering him with cloths He prayed hir to go and stande at the dore of hir tent and whosoeuer doth come and aske for any man say there is no man here And so when Sisera was fast a sléepe Iael went sostly vnto him with an hammer in the one hande and a nayle in the other smote him thorowe the Temples of his heade and nayled hym fast to the
reason of kinred to haue had some succour of them he was not regarded but suffered to perishe in a straunge land no man mourning for him nor putting him into hys graue ¶ Iason He that maketh whole a Phisition Iecksan looke Iocsan 4. Reg. 23. f. Iehoahas the sonne of Iosias was .xxiij. yeare olde when he began to reygne ouer Iuda and had not reygned thrée moneths or that Pharao Necho King of Egipt came and put him downe and set vp his brother in hys steade And put the lande to a tribute of an hundred Talents of Siluer and one of Golde and caryed Iehoahas away into Egypt where he dyed ¶ Iehoahas The possession of the Lorde 4. Reg. 23. g. 24. a. Iehoakym the sonne of Iosias was .xxv. yeares of age when he began to reygne ouer Iuda and dyd that which was euill in the sight of the Lorde His name was chaunged from Eliakim to Iehoakym by Pharao Necho King of Egypt which came and deposed his brother This Kyng dyed in the way as they led him prisoner into Babilon Reade Ieremie 22. e. Iehoahas and made him King in his steade and mersced the lande as before is sayde in Iehoahas For the payment of which money Iehoakym taxed the land and leuyed of euery man according to his habilitie and payde the money to Pharao After this came Nabuchodonosor King of Babilon and besieged Ierusalem to whome Iehoakym yéelded and serued Nabuchodonosor thrée yeares and then rebelled agaynst him into whose hande the Lorde deliuered him so that the King of Babilon tooke him and bounde him in twoo chaynes and caried him and all the vessels of the Lordes house into Babilon This King reigned a .xj. yeares ¶ Iehoakym the Rysing or aduenging of the Lorde * He is called also Iechonias Math. 1. b Iehoachin 4. Reg. 24. b. c. d. was the sonne yof Iehoakm who at the age of xviij yeares began to reigne ouer Iuda and did euill in the sight of the Lorde as his fathers before him He had not reygned thrée moneths or that the King of Babilon came and deposed him making Mathania his fathers brother King in his steade chaunging his name from Mathania to Zedekia and caryed Iehoachym away into Babilon where he remayned in pryson xxxviij yeares after euen vntill the comming of Euilmerodach King of Babilon after Nabuchodonosor hys father who had such a mynde to Iehoachym that he deliuered him out of prison and exalted him aboue all the Princes in Babilon and fedde him at his owne table all the dayes of his lyfe ¶ Iehoachin the Resurrection of the Lorde 4. Reg. 13. a. b. c. Iehoahas the sonne of Iehu began his reygne ouer Israel in the .xxiij. yeare of the reygne of Ioas the sonne of Ahaziahu King of Iuda and walked so wickedly in the sinnes of Ieroboam by worshipping the Calues which he had erected that God deliuered him into the handes of Hazael and his sonne Benhadad Kinges of Siria which destroyed the people of Israel and vexed them so sore that they made the Israelites like threshed dust yet neuerthelesse when Iehoahas humbled himselfe and besought the Lord he hearde him and had such pitie compassion on the misery of Israel that he deliuered him out of the Sirians subiection which had brought him so lowe that they had left him but fiftie horsemen ten Charets and ten thousande footemen He reygned xvij yeares and then dyed and was buryed in Samaria leauing behinde him his sonne Ioas to reigne in his steade ¶ Iehoahas Apprehending possesing or seeyng 4. Reg. 11. ca. Iehoiada was the hye Byshop and Priest in the dayes of Ahaziahu King of Iuda whose daughter he maryed named Iehosabeth He preserued Ioas the yongest sonne of Ahaziahu his father in lawe sixe yeares in the Lordes house and in the seauenth yeare he brought him forth and proclaimed him king And being his gouernour and protectour trayned him vp in all godlynesse and vertue So that so long as Iehoiada liued the King 2. Par. 24. d. walked in all the wayes of the Lorde from the which he swarued after the death of this good Bishop Iehoiada Who liued 130. yeares and for his faythfulnesse towardes God and his people was most honorablye buried in the Citie of Dauid among the Kings ¶ Iehoiada the Knowledge of the Lorde 4. Reg. 11. a. Iehosabeth was the daughter of Ahaziahu King of Iuda and wyfe to Iehoiada the hie Bishop of the Iewes 2. Par. 22. d. And when Atthalia hir Graundmother went about to destroy the Kings séede shée stole awaye Ioas hir yoongest brother from among the Kings sonnes and hid both him and his Nurse in hir owne Chamber with hir husbands consent the space of .vj. yeares and so preserued him that he perished not with the reast of hir brethren ¶ Iehosabeth the fulnesse of the Lorde 4. Reg. 9 ca. Iehu the sonne of Nimsi was annoynted King ouer Israel by Eliseus the Prophet for to destroye the house of Achab his mayster And being commaunded to go about it with spéede he began first with Ioram which lay at Iezrael to be healed of his wounds which the Sirians had giuen him And as Iehu was comming thitherward the watchman espying a company comming toward the Citie tolde the King who then sent out an horseman to méete them and to knowe whether they came peaceably or no. And when the Messenger came to Iehu he sayde The King woulde knowe whether it be peace or no What hast thou to doe with peace quoth Iehu turne thée behinde me and so the messenger turned behynde Iehu and went backe no more and likewyse the second Then the watchman tolde the King that he thought by the dryuing of the Charret it shoulde be Iehu that was comming for he driueth quoth he as he were mad The King hearing that he made him readye to warre and tooke Ahaziahu King of Iuda with him and went toward Iehu and met him in the furlong of Naboth saying is There was a Prophete also called Iehu the sonne of Hanani which prophecied of the destruction of Baasa King of Israel and his posterity Read. 3. Reg. 16. a. b. it peace Iehu or no What peace should it be quoth he so long as the whooredomes of thy mother Iezabel hir witchcrafts are so great and so in the Battell Iehu shot Ioram to the heart with an arrow killed him And fell vpon Ahaziahu and slue him also And so procéeding forth to Iezrael he came thither and found Iezabel looking out at a windowe And as he demaunded of the companye about hir who was on his side and woulde for his sake cast hir downe two or thrée of hir Chamberlaines threw hir out at the windowe and brake hir necke notwithstanding bicause she was a Kings daughter he caused hir to be buryed Then he sent his letters to Samaria 10. cap. commaūding those which had the gouernance of Achabs seauentie sonnes
wherby he euer after had impediment in his tongue Lanquet sauing in his speache he had an impediment And when he was full fourtie yeare olde it came in his heart to go and visite his brethren the children of Israel whome Pharao vexed without all measure And as he saw an Egiptian smyting an Hebrue he slue the Egiptian and hid him in the sande The next day he went agayne and founde twoo Israelites striuing togithers and demaunded of him that had done the wrong wherefore he smote his fellowe who made thée a Iudge quoth he or a Ruler ouer vs Thinkest thou to kill mée as thou dydst the Egiptian yesterdaye Then Moses perceyuing his fact to be knowne for sooke to be the sonne of the daughter of Pharao and fled into the lande of Madian where he was receyued into the house of Iethro who gaue to him in mariage his daughter Ziphora by whome in processe he had twoo sonnes And when he had continued with Iethro his father in lawe fourtie yeres and kept his shéepe the Lorde appeared to him in the wyldernesse of Synay out of a bushe which séemed to be all on fyre and there gaue hym authoritie to go into Egipt to deliuer his people out of the bondage of Pharao Who at last after dyuers myracles doone by hym in the sight of Pharao for the confirmation of hys Authoritie brought them thorowe the redde Sea and deliuered them quite out of bondage Thus was Moses whome they had before refused both their Deliuerer and Ruler He was a man full of méekenesse he lyued one hundred twentie yeres and was buryed by Angles in the lande of Moab whose Sepulchre was neuer knowne ¶ Moses drawne vp N. NAaman Captayne of the hoste of the King of Siria was a mightie man and honorable in the sight of his Lorde bicause that by him the Lorde had deliuered the Sirians He was also a valiant man and expert in warres but was a Leper Wherefore the King of Siria being enformed that there was a Prophet in Samaria that coulde heale his seruant Naaman of his leprosie sent him to Ioram King of Israel with his letter conteyning this tenor Nowe when this letter is come vnto thée vnderstande that I haue sent thée Naaman my seruaunt that thou mayest heale him of his Leprosie And when the King had redde the letter he rent his clothes saying Am I a God to kill and to giue lyfe that he sendeth to me that I shoulde heale a man of his leprosie Consider I pray you howe he séeketh a quarrell against me The Prophet hearing of this sent to the King to sende Naaman vnto him And when he was come to the house of Elizeus and stoode at the doore the prophet sent him worde and bade him go washe him scauen times in Iordan and he shoulde be whole Then Naaman departed in displesaure saying I thought with my self he will surely come out and stand and call on the name of the Lorde his God and put his hande on the place and heale the leprosie Are not Abana and Pharphar riuers of Damascus better than all the waters of Israel may I not as well washe me in them and be clensed Then one of his seruantes sayde father if the Prophete had commaunded thée to doe a great thing wouldest thou not haue done it how muche rather then when he sayth to thée washe and be cleane And so at his seruantes perswasion he went to Iordan and washed him seauen times as the Prophete had commaunded and being whole he returned to the Prophet and gaue thankes vnto God saying Nowe I knowe that there is no God in all the worlde but in Israel And so making promise he woulde neuer offer sacrifice nor offering to any other God saue vnto the Lorde God of Israel he returned home into his Countrey agayne Nabal was a great riche man but of churlishe nature and frowarde condicion As he lay in Carmel in the time of his shéepe shearing Dauid sent certaine of hys men desiring Nabal to helpe him now in his great necessitie with some of his victuals whatsoeuer he woulde and he woulde requite him at one tyme or other But he not regarding their message made them this churlishe answere againe who is Dauid or who is the sonne of Isai There be many seruants nowe a dayes that breake away from their maisters shall I then take awaye my breade and my water and my fleshe which I haue killed for my shéerers and giue it vnto men whom I know not whence they be And so with this answere the messengers departed Reade the storie of Abigail for the reast of his life Naboth was a certaine rich man and a Iesrahelite borne whose Vineyarde lay ioyning harde by the palace of Achab King of Israel which Vineyarde the King woulde fayne haue bought and giuen him as much for it as the grounde was woorth But Naboth consideryng it was his fathers inheritaunce and that he had no néede to sell it woulde in no wise graunt therevnto Wherefore the King being heauie and sadde went home to hys house and sayde him downe vpon his bed so waywarde that he coulde neyther eate nor drinke Then came Iezabel his wyfe and demaunded why he was so sadde who tolde hir it was for Nabothes Vineyarde which he had denyed him What quoth she doest thou gouerne the kingdome of Israel vp and eate thy meat and set thine heart at rest and I will giue thée the Vineyarde And so she wrote a letter in Achabs name sealed with the kings Signet and sent it to the Elders of the Citie where Naboth dwelt commaunding them to proclayme a fast and ser Naboth among the chiefest of the people and to bring two false witnesses against him which should saye he had blasphéemed God and the King and then to put him to death And so all thinges were done according to the tenor of Iezabels letter and Naboth caryed out of the Citie and stoned Nabuchodonosor was King of Babilon And by the occasion of his great and woonderfull dominion fell into such pryde that he woulde haue hys Image honoured for god But shortlye after he sawe the vision of the falling trée whereby he was warned of hys fall and sodaynly by the power of God transformed and turned into a beastly fury lyuing in the woodes among beastes eating hearbes and grasse for the space of seauen yeares Finally God of his mercy restored hym agayne to his prestyne forme who afterwarde lyued well and commaunded that the very God of heauen shoulde be honoured of all men and whosoeuer refused so to doe shoulde dye Nadab the sonne of Ieroboam began to raygne ouer Israel in the seconde yeare of Asa King of Iuda and walked in all the wicked steppes of his father And in the seconde yeare of his raygne as he was laying siege to a Citie of the Philistins called Gibbethon Eaasa conspired agaynst hym and slue him Taking
agyanst Moses thinking to haue wonne his spurres in reuenging his neighbours quarell But when it came to triall he spedde no better than his neighbour had done before him Onan was the seconde Sonne of Iuda who after the death of Er his eldest brother was maryed to Thamar his brothers wife to styrre vp séede vnto his brother But when he perceyued that the séede shoulde be none of his he practised such wickednesse that the vengeaunce of God fell vpon him and siue hym Onesimus being in seruice with Philemon lyke an vnfaythfull seruaunt robbed his mayster and ranne away from him to Rome Where by hearing of Paule who at that time was in bondes he receyued the Doctrine of the Gospell and serued Paule in Prison and became so faithfull a souldiour of Christ that Paule sent him with Tichicus to the Collossians with his Epistle commending him vnto them on this wise And with Tichicus I haue sent Onesimus a faythfull and beloued brother which is one of you Finallye he sent him home to his mayster agayne beséeching Philemon not to receyue him now as a seruaunt but more than a seruaunt euen as a faythfull brother as his owne sonne whome he had in his bandes begotten to Christ offering himselfe suertye to make good whatsoeuer hurt he had done him in tyme past Onesiphorus was a faythfull godly man a great refresher of suche as were in bondes for the doctrine of Christ as Saint Paule doth testifie of him saying The Lorde giue mercy vnto the householde of Onesiphorus for he oft refreshed mée and was not ashamed of my chayne But when he was at Rome he sought mée out very diligently and founde mée The Lorde graunt vnto him that he may finde mercye with the Lorde at that daye and in howe many thinges he ministered vnto mée at Ephesus thou knowest very well O Tymothy Onias the hye Priest among the Iewes was a man of such godlynesse and holinesse of lyfe that he alwayes sought the honour of the lawes and wealth of the people of god By his prayer that wicked man Heliodorus was restored to his health but notwithstanding all his vertue and goodnesse yet had he enimies For Symon a man voyde of all godlinesse neuer ceased withall slaunderous and euill reportes that he coulde deuise to Seleucus the King to bring him out of fauour which he coulde neuer doe so long as the King lyued But Seleucus being dead Onias was soone put out of office by the false deceyt and meanes of his owne brother Iason and brought in such feare thorow him and Menelaus with other his enimies that he was fayne to take sanctuary Where at the last by the counsell of Menelaus he was without all regarde of righteousnesse most trayterously slayne by the hands of Andronicus whose innocent death was so sore lamented both of the Iewes and also of Antiochus the King himselfe that at his comming home hée rewarded the malefactor according to his dédes Ooliab the sonne of Achisamec of the Tribe of Dan was a Craftes man whome the Lorde had endued with great cunning and appointed him to Moses for one of the chiefe workemen for the finishing of the Temple Oreb and Zeb were two great Captaynes among the Madianites whome the men of Mount Ephraim which had stopped the waters from Bethbarath to Iordane tooke and smote of their heades and sent them to Gedeon on the other side of Iordan Ornan was a certayne Iebusite vnto whome the Lorde commaunded Dauid after he had plagued hym with pestilence to go and reare vp an Aultar in his threshing floure At whose comming Ornan fell downe before hym and sayde Wherefore is my Lorde the King come to his seruaunt I am come quoth he to buye thy threshing floure and to make an Aultar vnto the Lorde that the plague maye cease from the people Ornan Let my Lorde the King take and offer what séemeth him good in his eyes And moreouer here be Oxen for burnt sacrifice and sleades with other instruments for woodde take them all to thée as thine owne Dauid sayde Naye not so but I will buye it for sufficient money for I will not take that which is thine for the Lorde nor offer burnt offerings without cost And so Dauid gaue Ornan for that place Sixe hundred sicles of golde by waight Orpha and Ruth were twoo Damosels of the countrey of Moab which were maryed to the twoo sonnes of Elimelech and Naomy straungers come out of the Lande of Iuda there to dwell Reade the Story of Naomy for the reast Osias the sonne of Micha of the Tribe of Symeon was one of the principall Fathers and Rulers among the Israelites what tyme as Holofernes besieged the Citie of Bethulia This man comforted Achior which had so boldlye magnified praysed the great power and strength of God before Holofernes and tooke him into his house where he made hym a great Supper to the which he called the Elders who altogithers praysed God in him Also when the people came wéeping and crying out ▪ vnto hym to giue ouer the Citie into the handes of the Assirians he sayde vnto them Oh take good hearts vnto you deare brethren and be of good cheare and let vs wayte yet these fiue dayes for mercye of the Lorde peraduenture he shall put away his indignacion and giue glorie vnto his name But if he helpe vs not after these fiue daies be past we shall doe as ye haue sayde which counsell of Osias pleased not Iudith bycause he had set the mercye of God a tyme and appointed hym a daye at his pleasure So that after this Osias remayned in prayer and followed the deuise of Iudith in all things Othoniel was the sonne of Kenes vnto whom Caleb his elder brother gaue Acsah his daughter to wyfe for winning of a certayne Citie called Kariath Sepher This man deliuered the children of Israel from the Captiuitie of Chusan Kisathaim king of Mesopotamia which had oppressed them eyght yeares and Iudged Israel fourtie yeares P. CONVERSIO SAVLI Io. Sadeley sculpt C. M. Cum priuil 1580 F. Pourbus inven Saulus Tharsensis ex itinere diuinitus prostratus Damascum Ananiae in disciplinam tradendus ducitur An. ' ab Ascenss XI II. Illustri ac Generoso D. D. Ottoni Henrico Comiti à Suuartzenberg Et̄ Sa. Cae. M. t is Consiliario supremo ausae Mareschallo Sculptor obser ergó d. d. Pekahia the sonne of Menahen began his reigne ouer Israel in the fiftie yeare of the reigne of Azaria king of Iuda and departed not from the sinnes of Ieroboam but walked therein as his father did before him He had not reygned two yeares or that Pekak his owne Captaine rose against him and slue him in Samaria and reygned in his steade Pekah the sonne of Remaliahin began his reygne ouer Israel in the .lij. yeare of Azaria King of
13. g. ¶ Simon the Tanner with whom saint Peter hosted many a day Act. 9. g. 10. a. ¶ Simon surnamed Niger which was one of the Prophetes and teachers in the Congregation at Antioche Act. 13. a. ¶ Simon the Cananite surnamed Zelotes and one of the twelue Math. 10. a. Luke 6. c. Sintiches was a certayne Christian brother to whome Paule sent salutacions from Rome exhorting him and Euodias to be of one accorde in the Lorde Sisennes the vnder shirife in Siria and Phenices with other heade Rulers there went to Zorobabel and his Companions the Iewes which were come by Darius licence to builde the house of the Lorde at Ierusalem agayne and demaunded who had giuen them such commaundement And when they saw the Iewes would not cease then he with others sent their letters of complaint to Darius the King to knowe his pleasure And when they had receyued the Kings aunswere Sisennes with all the reast of the Rulers obeyed the Kinges commaundement and helped the Iewes with all diligence to builde the sanctuaire agayne and so the woorke went foorth and prospered Sisach King of Egypt came to Ierusalem in the fift yere of the reigne of Roboam with twelue hundred Charets and thréescore thousande horsemen and people innumerable and spoyled the Temple of the Lorde and the Kings house and tooke away all the treasure in both with the shieldes of gold which Salomon had made and so departed Sisera was the generall Captaine of King Iabyns hoste And trusting in the great strength of his Chariots of yron which were nyne hundred and power of his men he went against the children of Israel thinking to haue cuerrunne them all But God so wrought with the holye Prophetesse Debora and wyth Barach hir Captayne that they destroyed his Chariots with all his host So that Sisera himselfe was fayne to flie on foote And comming by the tent of Heber for there was peace betwéene King Iabin and the house of Heber he turned in And being sore a thirst he desired Iael the wyfe of Heber to giue him some drinke and she brought a bottell of milke and gaue it him to drinke and when he had drunke and was layde downe to take his rest he sayde to Iael Goe I praye thée stande in the Tent doore And when any doth come to enquire of thée if there be any man here say nay And so thinking he had béene safe ynough tooke his rest and fell a sléepe Then Iael with a nayle which shée droue into his heade slue him Soby the sonne of Nahas out of Rabba the Citie of the children of Ammon and Machir the sonne of Ammiel out of Lodebar and Berzelai the Gileadite out of Rogel what time as Dauid lay with his people in the wildernesse of Mahanaim hungrye wearye and thirstye brought vnto him bedding Wheate Barley with all other necessaries to ease and refreshe Dauid and hys men in that time of aduersitie Sostenes of whome saint Paule maketh mention in his first Epistle to the Corinthians first Chapter was the chiefe Ruler of the sinagoge in the Citie of Achaia agaynst whome the Gréekes had such indignation for taking Paules part agaynst the Iewes that they fell vpon him before the Iudges féete where Gallio the Lorde Deputie sate and smote him And Gallio not passing thereof let them alone and woulde not meddle luyth the matter Stachis to whome Paule in his letter of commendations sendeth gréeting saying salute Vrban our helper in Christ and Stachis my beloued Stephana was a faythfull louer of Christ and hys doctryne in whose commendation Paule to the Corinthians wryteth thus Brethren ye knowe the house of Stephana and of Fortunatus and Achaicus howe that they are the first fruites of Achaia And that they haue appoynted themselues to mynister vnto the sayntes I beséech you that ye be obedient vnto such and to all that helpe labour I am glad of the comming of Stephana and Fortunatus and Achaicus for that which was lacking vnto me on your part they haue supplyed For they haue comforted my spirite and yours Looke therefore that ye knowe them that are such Steuen a man full of fayth and of the holy ghost was one of the seauen Deacons chosen in the congregation to make prouision for the poore which did greate woonders and myracles amonge the people Against whome arose certayne of the Sinagoge which were called Libertines Cirenites and of Alexandria Cilisia and Asia which disputed with him And when they could not resist his wisedome and the spirit of God wherewith he spake they accused him of blasphemie agaynst God and Moses and brought him before the Counsell wyth their false witnesses ready which sayde we hearde this fellowe speake blasphemous wordes against this holye place and Lawe saying that Iesus of Nazareth shoulde destroy this place and chaunge the ordinaunces which Moses gaue vs And all the Counsell looked stedfastly vppon him and sawe his face as it had bene the face of an Angell Then Steuen for as much as he was accused to be a denyer of God made an earnest aunswere vnto hys accusation in the ende whereof the Counsell waxed so angry against him that their hearts claue a sunder and gnashed on him with their téeth But he being full of the holy ghost looked stedfastly vp with his eies into heauen and sawe the glorye of God and Iesus standing at the right hande of God and sayde Beholde I sée heauen open and the sonne of man standing on the râ—ght hande of God with the which the people gaue a grâ—at shoute and stopped their eares and ranne vpon him all at once and caryed him out of the Citie to put him to death And as they stoned him he sayde Lord Iesu receyue my spirite And knéeling downe cryed with a lowde voyce Lorde lay not this sinne vnto their charge And so fell a sléepe in the Lorde Susanna the daughter of Helchia was a verye fayre woman giuen to all vertue and godlinesse Hir husbandes name was Ioachim a man of great reputacion among the Iewes In the first yeare that Susanna was maryed there were twoo Iudges made which resorted much to Ioachyms house and all such as had anye thing to doe in the lawe came thither vnto them These twoo Iudges being wicked men were so wounded with the loue of Susanna and burned so in lust with hir that they coulde not tell what to doe But neyther durst tell the other his griefe nor yet for shame vtter their inordinate lust vnto hir And so on a daye when they had sit long in Ioachyms hâ—use about matters of the lawe and wayted for to haue their purpose on Susanna and coulde not they brake vp and went home to dinner And at their returne agayne togithers the one brake to the other their whole mindes and appointed a tyme when they might take hir alone And when they had spyed oute a conuenient tyme that Susanna went into
reporteth 1. Par. 4. b. ‡ Iacob made the like vowe Reade his storie ¶ Iabes Sorowe Iudic. 4. a. * Which Citie beinge brent of Iosua was afterwarde buylded againe of the Canaanites ¶ Iabyn Vnderstanding Gen. 25. c. d. 27. cap. 28. cap. * Christ is the Ladder whereby God â–ª and man are ioyned togither and by whome the Angels mynister vnto vs all graces by him are giuen vnto vs and we by him ascende into heauen 29. cap. * The cause why Iacob was deceiued was that in olde time the wife was couered with a vayle when shee was brought to hir husbande in signe of chastitie and shamefastnes Gen. 30. e. f. g. * Iacob herin vsed no deceyte for so much as hee did it at gods coÌ„mandement 31. cap. Gen. 32. cap. Gen. 33. cap. 46. cap. 49. d. 50. a. b. c. ¶ Iacob a Supplantur Gen. 10. d. ¶ Iacktan a little one or Lothsomnesse or Contencion Iudic. 4. c. d. * Now was the prophecie of Debora fulfilled whiche shee prophecied to Barak saying this iorney that thou takest vppon thee now shal not bee for thine honor for the Lorde shall sell Sifera into the hand of a woman ¶ Iael a Do or ascending Iudic. 10. cap. ¶ Iair Lightened Math. 4. d. Mar. 3 c. He was put to death by Agrippa who had to name also Herode Act. ¶ Iames a Tripper or 12. a. Cooper Deceyuour An beele the sole of the foote a foote steppe Gen. 14 Four Kinge against fyue Kedorlaomor the generation of seruitude or the house of bondage Gen. 25. ◠¶ Ketura smelling sweete lyke spice or perfuming or bounde Gen. 29. cap. ¶ Laban Whyte Gen. 4. c. d 5. c. d. ¶ Lamech Poore or smitten Iohn 11. cap. Iohn 12. a. ¶ Lazarus the Helpe or succour of God or Gods Court. Luk. 16. e. f. g. * Some doe vnderstande by AbrahaÌ„s bosome the fayth of Abraham And some the place where those do rest which dye in the fayth of Abraham Which place is not expressed in Scripture Gen. 29. c. ca. * The Mandrake is a kind of herbe whose roote hath a certain likenesse of the figure of a man. 30. b. c. ¶ Lea Paynfull or wearyed Gen. 29. g. 34. cap. Num. 18. c. d. Deut. 10. c. Iosua 13. d. ¶ Leuy Ioyned or Coupled Exod. 6. c. 2. Reg. 3. a. 1. Par. 3. a. 3. Reg. 1â— a. c. ¶ Maacha a Woman pressed or bruised 1. Mac. 2. 3. ¶ Machabeus a Strikeâ— a Fighter Reade Iudas Machabeus 2. Reg. 9. 2. Amiel was Father to Bethsabe King Dauids wife ¶ Machir Selling or knowing 4. Reg. 15. c. d ¶ Manahen a Comforter or Leader of them or a preparing of heate Act. 13. â— 4. Reg. 21. ca. 2. Par. 33. ca. Manasses put Esay the prophet who was his father in lawe to death Reade the annotasion in the storie of Esay ¶ Manasses Forgetfull or forgetfulnesse Ester 2. cap. Marbocheus liued 198. yeares as Philo witnesseth ¶ Mardocheus a bitter contricion or repentaunce Math. 1. c. Luke 1. c. d. In the booke called Fasciculus temporum it is sayd that this Virgin was the daughter of Ioachim and Anna and was about the age of .xvi. yeres when shee brought forth Christ Mar. 1â— d. 16. a. Act. 12. c. Iohn 12. â— Luke 7. f. g. * Magdalena signifieth â–ª magnified or exalted Luk. 10. g. Iohn 19. â— 20. 2. b. c. d. ¶ Marke Fyled or rubbed Act. 12. b. 14. d. 15. g. Luke 10. g. Iohn 11. cap. ¶ Martha Bitter or Prouoking 1. Mac. 2. cap. ¶ Mathathias the gift of the Lorde 1. Mac. 16. c. 1. Mac. 11. g. Act. â— d. Lottes ¶ Mathias the Lords Gift Gen. 5. c. ¶ Mathusalah he sent his death or the weapons of his death Gen. 14. d. Heb. 7. 2. ¶ Melchisedech King of Righteousnesse â— Mac. 4. c. ca ¶ Menelaus Strength of the people 1. Reg. 18. d. ¶ Merob Fighting or chyding or 2. Reg. 21. b. multiplying ‡ 4. Reg. 5. ¶ Naaman Fayre or beawtifull 1. Reg. 25. a. b ¶ Nabal a Foole. 3. Reg. 21. ca. ¶ Naboth Speach or prophecying Dan. 1. a. 2. cap. He reygned â— 4. yeares and was called the scurge of God. He was before the incarnation of Christ 633. yeares Cooper ¶ Nabuchodonosor the Mourning of the Generation 3. Reg. 15. ◠¶ Nadab a Prince or liberall 1. Reg. 11. ca. Iudic. 11. cap. ¶ Nahas a Snake or Serpent or gessing or diuining Gen. 11. d. ¶ Nahor Hoarse or Angry Ruth 1. cap. ¶ Naomy Faire or commely or prouoking much â— Reg. 7. 2. 12. cap. Dauid had a sonne called Nathan also 2. Reg. 5. c. ¶ Nathan Giuen or giuing Iohn 1. c. ¶ Nathaniel the gift of God. 2. Esd 1. cap. ¶ Nehema the comfort or rest of the Lorde the Lordes direction 1. Mac. 7. c. d. 2. Mac. 14. d. e. f. 8. cap. 1. Mac. 7. d. e. 2. Mac. â—5 ca. Nicanor which was one of the seuen Dâ—cons Act. 6. a. ¶ Nicauor a Conquerour Valiant Iohn 3. a. b. 7. g. 19. g. ¶ Nichodemus Innocent bloude Act. 6. a. His heresie was this That euery man might iefully vse euery woman that he lusted ¶ Nicholas the victorie of the common people Gen. 10. b. 11. a. ¶ Nymrod Rebellious Gen. 5. d. 6. cap. 7. cap. 8. cap. Gen. 9. b. c. d. ¶ Noe Rest. Ruth 4. d. 1. Par. 16. d. 2 Reg. 6. b. c. ¶ Obed Edom the seruant of Edom or a seruant Edomite 3. Reg. 1â— a. b. c. ¶ Obedia seruaunt of the Lorde 2. Par â–ª 28. b. c ¶ Oded holding vp or erecting Num. 21. g. Deu. 3. a. 29. b ¶ Og a Cake or breade baked vnder the ashes Gen. 38. a. ¶ Onan Sorow or Iniquitie Coll. 4. b. Phile. cap. ¶ Onesimus Apparell or a garment 2. Timo. 1. d. ¶ Onesiphorus bringing profit 2. Mac. 3 cap. 4. cap. ¶ Onias the strength of the Lorde Exod. 35. a. Iudic. 7. g. ¶ Oreb a crowe or sweete or a suretie or euening tyme. 1. Par. 21. c. d. In the seconde booke of Kinges chap. 24. d. He is called Areâ—na ¶ Ornan Reioysing Ruth 1. cap. ¶ Orpha a Necke Iudith 6. c. d. 7. c. ¶ Osias the Lorde Sauiour or the health of the Lorde Iudic. 1. c. 3. b. ¶ Othoniel the tyme or houre of God. 4. Reg. 15. e. ¶ Pekahia the Lordes opening 4. Reg. 15. e. f 2. Par. 28. b. c Ge. 10. d. 11. ◠¶ Peleg a diuision Rom. 16. â— Math. 4. e. Luke 4. f. Math. 14. â— 16. c. 17. a. Math. 26. c. ca Iohn 18. b. 21. cap. Math. 16. c. ¶ Peter a Stone or Rocke 1. Reg. 25. g. Lyra sayeth that Psaltiel was a learned man And knowynge Michol to be Dauids lowfull wyfe he reserued hir as his sister and wept for ioye that shee was without dishonesty restored to Dauid againe * Gen. 12. c. d Pharao was a generall name giuen to the Kings of Egypt 41. cap. 47. cap. Exod. 1. cap. Exod. 5. cap. 7. 8.