haue not earnestlye repented with mourninge and fastinge for theese abhomininacions as did the Niniuites Therefore as Olda answered too the good kinge Iosiah that the Lorde woulde shewe of his mercies vnto him because he did cutte his clothes and wepte when he hearde the threateninges of God againste his countries Neuerthelesse he woulde bring al those euilles vppon that place and vppon the inhabitauntes of the land because thei hadde forsaken God and worshipped straunge Goddes prouokinge God vnto wrathe in al the workes of their own handes So canne oure people and contrye nothynge at all repentyng of theyr former euyll but styll euer more and more prouokinge the wrathe of God vppon them Some by the desyre thei haue to theyr olde Idolles Some by theyr Sorcerers Charmes Enchantmentes soothesayinges Manye by adulterye lasciuious wantonnes and fleshlye lybertye and all by ambicion or couetousnesse pillinge pollinge and brybynge-from their brethren Looke for none other thynge onlesse they vnfaynedlye forthewith shewe the worckes of repentaunce but miserye calamitie destruction famine darthe diseases pestilence and theswearde in the ende of foraynenacyons Yea whyche is mooste terrible of al we do feale the wrathe of God so kendled amonges vs all readye that we are lyke Pharao hardened in our sinnes euen plaged contynuallye with the encrease of new vices and newe dyleases folowing Was there euer suche inuencions in any worlde for pollynge of the people was there euer suche shamelesse whordome suche wedlocke breakinge Can it be denied that Paul writeth to the Romains because they haue chaunged the glory of the God immortal in the lykenes of mortal corruptible creatures Therfore hathe God geuen theym to folowe the lustes of theyr owne heartes in vnclennes with shame to abuse theyr own bodies together Reade the Chapter to the ende and you shall see the wrath of God greuously kindled in that al the vyces ther named as the punishmentes of sinne by sinne are moste euidentlye fallen vpon vs. And we maye feale the saying of the Prophet Ose to be most true The spirit of fornicacion hath deceiued you you haue gon a whoring froÌ„ your God Therfore shal your doughters bee harlots and your wises be whores O mercyfull Lorde leade vs not into thys greuous temptacion that oure sin shoulde be punyshed wyth the encrease of syn by the geuyng ouer of vs miserable sinners to our owne lustes For who canne bee able too beate hys synnes if thou strayght obserue them O Lord Make vs not lyke Caine Pharao and Iudas whiche dyd heape synne vppon sinne But giue vs heartes lyke the Niniuites too repente for oure synnes Haue pytye vppon oure yonge Kynge whoÌ„ thou of thy mercy diddest wonderfullye vouchsafe to gyue vnto vs at what time wee waited worthelye for thy sore scourge whome thou dyddeste fashyon and preserue in hys mothers woÌ„be and bryng forth into thys lyght wyth lyke maruel of thy almighty power Whom thou haste defended and kept wyth thy myghtye arme thys tyme of hys infancye from domestical and for an enemies Vnder home in hys weake and moste teÌ„der age thou haste caused to shyne forth the cleare lighte of thys Gospell which hathe bet downe the Idolles and Idolatrous aulters through oute hys â—ealme whereby amonges the Papists Turkes and Iewes thou hast made thi Britains to be bruted How be it al this hast thou so wroughte vnder a yonge chylde that the glorye myghte come holye vnto the and to no man mortall For the glorye of thy name therefore and for Iesus Christe hys sake whose honoure we doo seeke and kingdome wee desyre haue mercye vppon hym most mercyful father Make hym faythful as Dauid zealus lyke Hezechiah repentaÌ„t as Iosiah to hys people the professoures maynetayners of thy truth against all papistes Tuckes Iewes against al the powers of Antichrist Graunt thy manyfold and great mercyes that they may abhorre theyr owne wickednes and the wyckednes of their forefathers and walke nowe lyke the chyldren of thys great lyght the chyldren of thy kyngdome Graunte we besech thee O most mercyful father vnto al them whych do professe the truth of thy Gospel vnfayned repentaunce of al theyr syns fast confydence vpon thy great mercyes the renuing of theyr lyues according to the truth of thy word whych they do professe that they maye exhort one another to walk in thy light saying wyth the Prophete Osee Come and let vs returne vnto the Lord for he hath begone and wyll heale vs he wyll stryke vs and make vs whole Graunte this O Lord God that thy name be not euyl spoken of amonges thy enemyes So be it The .vi. Chapter HEare now what the euer liuing Lord sayth The Text Arise and contende wyth the mountaynes let the hyls heare thy voyce Heare O ye hyls the iudgement of the lord by whom al thynges haue theyr beynge and you strong foundacions of the earth geue eare for the lord hath a quarel wyth hys people and wyth Israel he wyl try hym selfe My people what haue I done to you or what greuous thynge haue I appoynted the aÌ„swer vnto me Because I haue brought the forth of the land of Egypte and from the house of bondage I haue redemed thee and I haue sent Moyses AaroÌ„ and Miriam before the. O my people remeÌ„ber I prai the what counsel Balake the king of Moab did begyn and what Bileam the son of Be or did answer hym from Siftim vnto Gilgal that thou myghtest know the ryghteousnes of the lorde After the sore threatenynges of the Gentyls the prophete returneth to reproue Israel the elect choseÌ„ people of ingratitude and vnthankefulnes callyng as it were heauen and earth to witnes as in the fyrst chapter and Esay .i. And first he sayth Geue good eare for you shal heare the euerlyuyng Lord the almyghtye by whome all thinges were create and do consist speake playnelye vnto you content to humble hym selfe so low as to opeÌ„ hys quarel to vtter the causes of hys wrath and to try him self in your owne coÌ„sciences to be faultles The Prophetes of all ages they are here coÌ„maunded to contende and striue wyth the mouÌ„taines and mighty meÌ„ of the world so is it theyr great labour peril danger to cause theÌ„ by any meanes to here the word of God Therfore was it sayd in the last verse of the fyft chap. I wil be aduenged in my wrath in my fury vpoÌ„ the people that hath not herd So that to harken to the voyce of God is better theÌ„ any sacrifice Therefore is heare so oft bet into the Iewes heades Here what the lord saith Let the hils here heare O ye mountaines thus the prophet warneth as it were a Bedle or Cryar of the common place to kepe sylence and to geue dylygent harkning to the voice of the almyghty He warneth the earth and al that therin is euen the very foundacions therof to gyue good eare Shal man then be deafe and stop hys eares The
iuste dooe for the righteous iudgemente whyche God sendeth vpō the enemye Psa liiii the wycked to satysfy theyr malicious myndes Psa xxxv The Text In the daye when the hedges shall be buylte that day shal put awaye thy bondage That daye shall come frome Assur and the walled cytyes and frome the fortresses vnto the floud frō the sea vnto the sea and to the mountaine Hor The contrye of Iury was spoyled wasted and destroied as ye haue hearde by the Chaldees and by the Romaines but like as in the .iiii. Chapter so is hear promised a wonderful deliueraunce of the Iewes a myserable plage to come vpō their enemies Ther is a day appointed that thy waste places shall be built Amos. ix Ezechiel .xxxvii. A daye when al tiranny cal exaction and tribute shal be taken awaye Ezechiell .xxxviii. That daye shall thy people which wer caried captiue vntoo Babilon bee broughte frome they re strōg fēced cities fortes castels holds wherin they wer kept prysonners home again to enhabit frō the strong cities to the flud Iordā frō the red sea to the great sea and so to the hil Carmel and the mountayne called Hor. Esay sayth of thys gathering together Israel frō the cast I wil bring thy seede frō the West I wyl gather the. I wyll saye to the North geue and to the Southe hinder not bryng my sonnes frome farre and my Doughters from the ende of the earthe And the lande shall bee desolate for the enhabytauntes The Text because of the fruyte of they re imagynacyons Thoughe thys sentence be hear spoken cheiflye of the ennemyes land yet is it generallye true in all landes and cōtryes The Canances were waysted and destroied therefore The Iewes thē selfe had theyr lande flowinge wyth mylcke and honye so longe before promysed to they re fathers made so desolate for the fruyte of theyr owne imaginacions that no manne wente thorowe it The Chaldees wer miserably wasted and brought to desolacyon by the Macedonians for the fruite of their labours What shall I name the desolations of Sodom Gomor and the other cytie sor the destruccion of the hoole worlde in the time of Noah Do we not reade Genesis .vi. That God did se that the malice of man was greate vppon earthe and all the imaginacion of his heart was only euil and therefore he saythe he wyll destroye from the face of the earthe bothe manne and beaste and Birde of the ayre Shall we then walcke styll in the fruyte of our imaginacions One sorte in fleshlye pleasures deliting in wicked womenne and madde mariages made for worldlye purposes imagininge howe to be gyle bothe God and manne as it wer Another sort too make theim selfe myghtye menne of greate fame ryches and renoume imageninge howe to begile oure yong king and to pyll and poll his poore commons The thyrde and worste sorte are the vnsauerye salte whereof Christe oure master telleth whiche shoulde season other but because they haue loste theyr sauoure and saltenesse they are fytte for nothinge but the donge hil and causeth other to stincke by theyr shamelesse lyfe before the face of God not darringe to rebuke thē or elsse not regarding them whiles they doo seeke benefices and Bishopryckes bi flattering of their Lordes and masters and blineding the pore commonnes theyr brethrene The .iiii. sorte are of these scattered sheepe of theese despysed commonners whyche runneth heare and there they wotte not where for releife and succour styll wanderynge after theyr owne imaginacion and not hearkeninge too the worde of God whiche byndeth them to obedience Lo such are the fruits of our imaginacions in England this dai The gouernoures despise theyr God the subiects their gouernoures the people the preistes the priests neglect their charge ouer the stocke So now it is come so far that the boy moste commonly dare presume vpon hys better withoute order againste honesty and al good disciplyne O good Lorde shall not oure lande be desolate for such wild figge trees barrē of al good fruts numbe lame and voyde of al vertuous studyes honest exercises The Text Fede thy people with thy staf the flocke of thyne herytage whiche abydeth alone in the woodde in the myddes of Harmell lette them be fedde in Basan and Gilead as in the olde time The Prophete seinge in spyryte the gloryous restorynge and delyueraunce of Israel praieth for them that the lord woulde voutchsafe to fede theym in the steade of theese euyll pastoures whyche fedeth them selues knowinge mooste assuredlye that if the Lord wil be theyr pastor shepperde and feader they shal lack nothinge as Dauid dothe acknowledge Psalme .xxiii. confessing also with king Dauid that his rod and his staffe doothe comforte hys stocke therefore doothe he saie feade thy people wyth thy rod. And Dauid dothe saye thy rod and thy staffe they haue comeforted me The flocke of his chosen heritage he nameth to abyde alone in the mounetaynes because they shuld come ouer Carmel and other moūtaines like scattered shepe one abiding and waytynge for another in that glorious restoringe whiche in spyryte he dyd foresee which shuld be like the gloryous cōquest in Basā Gilead whē they fyrst entered the promysed lande and Manasse hadde these twayne in possessyon Iosua .xvii. And our prophet bryngeth in the answer of the Lorde fully perswaded that his peticion was already graūted Euen lyke as in the daye of thy delyueraunce foorthe of Egipte I wyl shewe vnto hym my wonders The Text. The heathen shal be a shamed of their strēgth they shal lay their hād vpon theyr mouthe and their eares shall bee deafe They shal lyk dust lyke the serpent and lyke the wormes of the earth They shal come quaking foorth of theyr holes They shal tremble before oure Lorde god The shal they feare In such vehement Prophecies wher the prophetes do seme rauished the chāge of parsons is oft vsed and therefore I haue hitherto passed it as a thing whiche may easely be marked by him which wyth any diligence doth read them In the first verse Israel is spokē vnto both in the first and second persō and in the last the prophet doth so speake of God rauished by the seruent spirite And here is a plaine promise of the restorynge agayne of Israel wyth sygnes and wonders to the shame confusion and condēnacion of the wycked Heythen as is more at large set forth Ezechyel .xxxvi. xxxvii xxxviii.xxxix Ieremye xxx.xxxi Esaye .lxiii. The day of the delyueraunce foorthe of Egypte was most wonderfull wyth the plages sent vpon Pharao and the drownyng of him in the red sea with all hys army the standynge of the waters lyke walles the destruction of the cities wythout handes and other great workes wherof the booke of Exodus and Iosue are ful The dayes of the spiritual deliueraūce from the helly Pharao as they are wonderfully begone in our Sauiour Christe the true Messiah so shal they be by him then most wonderfully fynyshed
about thee Lord and our Lorde and to teache the ignoraunt to haue a deepe consideracion of the magesty of thys Lord whych is whych hath bene and whych shal be by whom al creatures haue theyr being so oft as they do heare the Lord named and so cal them to the reuerence of the name of God so longe bi vs Christians contempned dispised and vyllanously blasphemed with vsual othes and abhominable periurie Where as the Iewes dare not speake nor wryte thys greate name wyth meruelous obseruacaons muche reuerence to oure great shame I do speake it whyche do tosse lyke a tennes ball wythout al feare and reuereÌ„ce the name of oure Lord God froÌ„ mouth to mouth accountinge him vnmete for all good companye especyallye for a kynges court whyche wyl not take the name of god in vain at eueri other word Oh ye blasphemers muste this be the firste entrye into your Courts and companye to shake of the feare of God So despitefullye to breake hys hollye precept and commaundemente so contumelyouslye to abuse hys holye name greate before all creatures hygh before the aungels and terryble to the deuils Learne some other couretynge before thys Lord in his dreadful maiesty come downe amonges you You can talke reuerentlye of the kynges Maiestye hys hyghnes hys hanorable counsayle my Lordes grace my Lorde Bishops grace and my ladyes grace is ther nothinge left for the Lord of al Lords the kynge of all kynges but Gods bloude Gods wouÌ„ds Gods passioÌ„ blasphemyng outragiously both God the father his son Christ who for to saue vs shed his blud suffered these woundes and bitter passion Is neyther God who created thee nor Iesus Christ who redemed thee of no more reputacion Is this right courtyng to set so light by thy creacion thy redempcion thy saluacion Then cursed be courtyng wo worthe the wycked companye Here al people The Text. hearken thou earth and al that therin is The Lord God be a wytnes against you the Lord froÌ„ his holy teÌ„ple Loo no kynges course is excepted but al people muste doo reuerence vnto thys Lorde al knees muste bowe before hys magesty The heauen is hys seate the earth is hys foote stoole The kynge in hys pryuy chamber hath thys Lorde a wytnes of hys dooynges The Lords of the priuay counsayle can not shutte foorth of the counsayle chamber thys vnreprouable wytnesse No Kynge no Courte no Emperoure no Poope Prelate shal woorcke so pryuelye but thys Lord shal espye and se shal both wytnes and iudge al their doinges Let vs therfore tremble and diligently gyue eare when the Lord speaketh and wyth feare and reuerence humble oure selues to his name Desiringe as his sonne taughte vs his name too bee sanctified halowed renowmed reuereÌ„sed and magnified and waitinge most obedientlie whyles hys holye wyll bee fulfylled Moyses dothe cal heauen and earth to witnes against vs as doth our Prophete Micha Deuternomi iiii xxx and xxxii So dothe Esaie also in hys firste Chapter teachinge vs that the heauens that is to say the heauenly spyrytes and aungels the earthe that is too saye al menne create vppon thee earth shallbeare wytnesse at the great and terryble tyme of God hys laste Iudgemente wythall trewe preachers and Prophetes agaynste oure synfull stubbernes whyche wyl not repent beynge so ofte admonished Yea the euerliuinge and euerlastynge Lorde in his dreadefull Magestye commeth as an vnreproueable wytnesse too aduenge the contempte of his hollye name and all other abhominations as this oure watche manne warneth wyll wee not yet stoupe abate oure Pryde plucke downe oure highe courtlie lokes halte couÌ„tenaunces and leaue oure bleather blowne bragges sette forth wyth shamlesse othes too the contempte of God his holye name and that bytter passion whiche Christe oure sauioure suffered for vs. Well the Lorde is higher then al and hee wil shortlye come downe from his holly temple Then wo to the exâ—â—n of pryde the blasphemers of his name Wo to the ambicious Tiraunts and couetous caitifes Wo to the dronken in theyr lustes eyther heare in Englande or elles wher for there is one God whych hateth synne euer sence he made manne and one sprite whyche hath by the holye woorde vttered synne rebuked it and foughten againste it frome the begynnynge one Lorde whyche shall bee boothe wytnesse and iudge ouer all fleshe whyche shall come sodaynelye vppon the wycked strongelye and myghtely lyke an hayle storme lyke a whyrle wynde or lyke a sooden floude of waters fallynge vpon a great plaine Esay xxvii The Text. For loo God shal come forthe of hys place he shal come down and walcke vppon the hyghe places of the earth And the hils shall melte vnder hys feete the valaies shal cleaue in sonder eueÌ„ as the waxe melteth against the fyre and as the waters whiche fal downe with violence Oure Prophete Micha doothe paint the commyng of the Lord to iudgment boothe wyth the Iewes and also wyth the hole worlde wyth mooste euydent similitudes of comming downe and walkynge whyche canne be applyed vnto God who fylleth all places but only bi borowed speache as Moises did saye Gen. iii. God did walke in Paradyse at the euentyde because he did then open his Magestye mooste presentlye vnto Adam howbeit vpon our sauiour Christ whome we beleue bodilye too be in one place not in al according to the saying of the angel vnto the wemen He is not heare after hys resurreccyon but the men of Galile stode and beheld his humane body go vp into the heauens and the aungels saide agayne vnto them ye meÌ„ of Galile this same Iesus shal com againe as ye haue seene hym go vp in to the heauens Actes i. and God hathe appoynted a day saythe Paule when he wyll iudge the worlde wyth ryghteousnes by thys man whom he hath raysed from deathe Act. xvii The whyche daye and tyme of the Lordes comming seemeth here to be chieflye and pryncypallye descrybed thoughe the destruccyon of the Iewes be therewyth insumate for thus dothe Christe hym selfe cople bothe together .xxiiii. of Mathew and Dauid in the .xvii. Psalme doothe adioyne the daye of hys perticuler deliueraunce to thys daye of the Lordes coÌ„minge sayinge the Lorde hathe hearde my voyce frome hys holye temple The earthe was moued and trembled and the foundacyons of the Mountaynes were troubled shaken The smoke did come forthe in hys wrathe and the fyre dyd flame from hys face so that cooles were kindled therwith he bowed down the heauens came down and darknes vnder his fete Of this daye and of these hygh places whereupon the Lorde shall walke speaketh Esay the Prophete In that daye the Lord alone shal be exalted for it shall come vppon all the hyghe and proud vpon al them that ar arrogant and they shal be broughte lowe and vp on all the hyghe Ceder trees of Lybanus and vpoÌ„ al the Okes of Basan vpon al the high hilles and vpon euerye high tower the pryde of meÌ„ shal be brought
women were fayne to eate theyr owne tender babes to eate rates horsse heades the verye dounge of Asses when their king was caryed captyue and hys eyes put foorthe when the bewtye of theyr fayre women was wythered wyth waylyng wyth heate and burnynge of the weather when the playtynge of theyr haire was turned into baldnes and all theyr strong men slayne in battayle Then as Esaiah sayth theyr gates shal mourne and the citye beyng spoyled shal syt vpon the earth Esay iii. Thus maye it be verye aptly vnderstande eyther of the Prophet or of the people Of thys spoyle and nakednes Moyses by the mouthe of God dyd Prophecye Deuterno xxix Because they haue forsaken the couenaunt of God whych he hath made wyth theyr fathers when he broughte them out of the land of Egyptte shall theyr lande lye spoyled and wasted Agayne Hos cha iii. A long time sayth he shal the chyldren of Israell syt wythout kynge wythout Prynce without sacrifice wythoute altar Ephot Ieraphim Wherin is to be marked that the fall and destruccion of al cityes coūtryes are for seene to the spyryte of God and the cause of theyr ruyne is onely synne and wyckednesse euen the forsakynge of the Lorde This it is whiche shall make the proude Dragons whiche fometh forthe fyre frō theyr mouthes to yel and cry at the end for the misery whiche shall come vppon them This shal cause the greate Estriches to grone and mourne for verye distres and anguishe Fynallye this sinne shal cause al the earth to shake quake to yell and wayle when the word of god shal be poured forthe vpon it O Lorde be merciful vnto vs for our sinnes sake doo we fele at this daye thy heauye dyspleasure too rage and rayne throughe our hole realme and especiallye at this presente vppon thy house of Suffolke once beautifyed by thy gloryous Gospell but nowe by oure vnworthynes spoyled naked and byryued of the crowne of glorye of thy chosen vessels the hope honoure and comlines of that house O Lorde why dothe not the wycked peryshe whyche knoweth not the nor careth for thy commaundmēts But the iudgmente beginneth at thyne houshould chyldren the heard hearted Estriches and deuourynge Dragones shall yel and mourne in the ende The proude tirauntes are lykened to Dragons Ezechiel .xxxii. Iob. xl For the Dragons howe they dye pressed to deathe by the huge Elephante Plinius declareth Lib. viii Cap. xi The Estryches ar described Lib. x. Cap. i. Strabo Liber xvi Because her woūdes ar in curable The Text For to Iehuda is it nowe come it is come too the gates of my people euen to Ierusalem Lo this is the cause worthy of much moureninge weepinge and wailinge saithe oure Prophetes because Iehuda hath sinned and as Esay saith from the heade to the foote there is nothing but swelling soores stripes and wonds no place lefte where they maye be plaged anye more The wrathe of the Lord is so soore kindled that he hathe geuen thē vp to their owne sinful lustes therfore worthely hath also brought vpō thē miserable plagues the fyre of hys vengaunce canne not be quenshed but styll the Idolatrous people of Samaria too the chosen kyngedome it rageth from Iehuda euen to Ierusalem that holy citie whereunto the perpetual priesthode and kingedome vnto the comminge of Messiah was promised so that as Esay lamenteth the cities rounde aboute Ierusalem beinge destroied Ierusalem was lefte alone lyke a watche house in the vineyarde or the cottage in the garden of Cucummers and cleare withoute any sucoure obsessed besieged by Rabsace as appeareth .iiii. kings .xviii. Here by nowe Englande and all those people whome God hathe speciallye called in these oure times by the lighte of hys Gospel hathe greate cause too tremble and fear God his secrete iudgment consydering that we haue not so many promyses as hadde Ierusalem and theyr fall was for theyr vnthankefulnes and forgetfulnes of their duties towards god as appeareth by oure Prophete What shal we thē loke for like fal with the Germaines Nay much worsse much sorar because wee wyll not yet be warned Do not declare this in Gath neyther wepe you nor wayl you there The Text. in the houses of Sephratumble thy selfe in the duste A lyke lamentacion maketh Dauid for the deathe of Saull and Ionathas ii kings .ii. shew not this thing in Gath nor Askalon saithe he leste the vncircūcised Philistins do reioise at the fal of Israel Wherein is declared the cause that in Gathe named a city of the Phelistines whēce the great enemy Goliath did come the fal of god his people shoulde not be knowē least the vncircūcised should say wher is their God As the great Turck the prowde Pope with their adherents do not stick at this dai to sai of the Germaines that they were in an euill waye els shuld not god haue geuē thē to their enemies O let vs beware lest the name of God or his holye doctrine be by our wicked sinfulnes at anye time so hainouslye blasphemed But as for Ophir whiche is hear called Aphra for the hebrew allusion with Aphar whiche signifieth dust whiche was in the tribe of Beniamin one of the hyghe cities of Iuda the prophet byddeth it after the custome of mourners to mourn in dust ashes So ought we in our owne cōgregacions amōgs our selues bewaile our miseries the miseries of our brethrē thus iudging our selues we shal not be with the wicked cōdēned but by our vnfained repētaūce cause God to shew his mercye vpō vs as did the Niniuites repēting in ashes sackloth at the preaching of Ionas But O merciful god what flintish harts haue we The enemies of Christe do laugh reioise at these our miseries Yet we cā not bewaile thē The proude papists cā say they are plaged for theyr sinnes yet will we not espy them They do say I doo feare me ouertrulye that we neither do faste nor praye but cause the Gospell to serue oure folyshe fantasyes and therfore doth God send these plages vpon vs that we maye bee made newe vessels apte and mete to these spirituall workes therby to put awaye thy wrath so sore kindled against vs and to stop the mouthes of oure enemies The Text. Get the hēce Saphir with thine enhabitaunce thou haddest thy name of beauty but thou art naked with shame And zaenā whiche had the name of goinge forward shal not go forth to bewail Bethhazell the ennemye shall take from you through his long seige For the citizens of Maroth hathe sorowed for their ryches sake because that euyll is come frō the Lord vnto the gate of Ierusalem Yoke thi chariote with thi Dromedaries and swift running Camels O Lakis for thou wast the first beginning of the sinne of Israel the doughter of Sion for in the was foūd the wyckednes of Israell The Prophete doth reherse the cheife cities whence Ierusalem shoulde haue hadde healpe and succoure and setteth before
slayne them You muste by the iuste and righteous iudge haue the like vnto you measured The Lorde dothe euen nowe beginne to bringe his yoke vppon your neckes whiche might cause you to stope with flying away with your fine Phisik with al your inuencioÌ„ you caÌ„not auoide it he suffereth you yet to liue behold it in others that he may prouoke you to repeÌ„tance but the time is at haÌ„d if you doo not repeÌ„t wheÌ„ ether with this or other plage more greuous you shal be wholy destroyed TheÌ„ shal the false prophets which haue flatred you in your wickednes make lameÌ„tacioÌ„ cry out for your destruccioÌ„ whiche sodeÌ„ly shal come vpoÌ„ you Their idle braines shal muse and meruel how this land promised to be yours shuld be take with the enemye Yea after they shal be taken together with you by the enemy they shall promise you to be restored as did Hanamah Hiere xxviii sayeinge I haue broken the yocke of the kynge of Babilon But at lenghte he shall se hys hope all vayne whiles the enemye deuideth the lande as it was deuided too the Lutheans and Babilonians iiii kinges xvii reade the latter end of the .xxxiii. of Ezechiell for the declaracyon of thys Texte howe shal he take that is myne Therefore shall there be none whiche shall deuyde the lotte by lyne vnto the in the congregacicion of the Lorde The text Because you haue imagined mischefe against other by couetousnes extorsion violeÌ„ce oppressioÌ„ haue wroght broght forwarde your wicked deuises therfore shal you be so spoiled that you shal haue no hope to haue your possessioÌ„s restored but shal be vtterly roted forthe bothe of this coÌ„gregacioÌ„ whoÌ„ the lord hath with such miracles broght forth of Egipt fostered cherished in wildernes hitherto so wonderfullye guided and gouerned and also with the ryche gloten you shall bee secluded from the holye companye reastynge in Abrahams bosome For the rotynge oute of the .x. trybes so that other nacyons occupyed theyr enherytaunce rede .iiii. kynges xvii For the other .ii. trybes we do know that they coÌ„tynue scattered in all countryes vnto thys day What shal we nowe loke for onlesse we doo repent whose syn in nuÌ„ber dothe farre passe theirs oure iniquities are lyke the sand of the sea Thinke we not that it is the same God which refused his chosen people for theyr sinne Do not prophecye thus shal they saye The Text Lette theim not Prophecy least they be put to shame Thus hathe the wycked worlde alwayes resysted the spyryte of God and laboured to quenche the sprytes to stop the mouthes of the Prophetes to putte them to shame as they supposed Therfore saith Ieremy I am made a laughinge stocke all the daye longe Ieremye .xx. They dooe all deryde me because nowe a longe space I haue cryed agaynste theyr iniquitie and tolde them of destruccion and the worde of the lord was laid vnto me as a rebuke and shame all the daye longe Therefore saythe Esaye The people prouoketh my wrathe they are lying chyldren chyldren which wyll not heare the law of the Lord whiche do saye vnto the Prophetes and seers see not and Prophecye not vnto vs thinges that are lighte but speake pleasaunte thynges vnto vs. Esay .xxx. Thus the vnkinde people doth alwai hate the truthe and rather then they wil departe from theyr beastlye lustes wherin they wallow lyke swyne they wyl desyre Christ hym selfe to depart with the Gaderines and Satazens This is the condempnacion of the world that light is come into the worlde and men loue rather darckenes then lyghte Therfore are they geuen ouer into myndes reprobate to do things vncomely fylled with al vnrightuousnes whoredome crafte and couetousnes Romaines .i. Thys is the heauye temptacyon from the whyche we oughte too desyre oure heauenlye father at thys presente too delyuer vs for euen nowe wyckednesse hathe so gotten the Masterie and Flatterers are hadde in suche estimation that our tender and delycate eares canne not abyde the trewth of goddes spyryte to scrape theym But wyth contencion sedicion and I wot not what els shal the true Preacher be charged to stoppe his mouthe if it bee possyble But there is one euen the father of sprites whiche alone can eyther open or stop the mouthes of the spirites Ther was one Phassur in the time of Ieremy the Prophete whych with strokes and imprisonmente woulde haue bette downe hys spyryt We haue hadde lyke Phassurs in our time mo theÌ„ one wherof some of them hath bene plaged wyth Phassur let the reste be warned For it is not â—eâ—tmye nor Latimer nor Leauer nor Hoper nor Beacon nor Horne that speaketh vnto them but the spirite of God whyche alwaye by suche weake vessels doothe so vtter it self that when theese are gone other commeth of theyr ashes And if these shuld not speake the verye stones shoulde crye oute agaynste oure wyckednes For Ieremye woulde haue holden hys peace when he was so euyll handled but he saide that the fyre of this spirite was in his heart and with in his bondes that he was weried wyth holdynge it in and colde refrayn no longer Then setteth hee forthe the feare of menne agaynste hym but streyghte hee addeth theese comfortable woordes The Lorde is wyth me lyke a strong Giaunte and therefore shall they fall head long whych persecute me and they shal not preuaile agaynste me but shall bee put to shame because they cannot prosper but an euerlastyng shame shal come vpon them whiche shal neuer be forgotten O you Englyshe Phassurs fear and tremble for thys is your iudgment from the Lorde of spyrytes The shame you wold lay vpon the true preachers lasteth but an howre no it is no shame but the greatest honor you caÌ„ do theÌ„ But your shame is euerlastinge The Hebrewe Naâ—aph hych is here translate to Prophecye and to speake is borowed by Metapher from the raine whyche of manye small droppes doothe grow to greaft abundance and maketh the earth fruteful in the ende So dothe the woorde of God therefore saythe Moses Deuteronomi .xxxii. my doctrine shal drop downe like the rayne O thou that arte called the house of Iacob The Text is the spyryte of the Lorde shortned are not these his works ar not mi words good to him that walketh vpright Thou that wyl be called by the name of the choseÌ„ people though thou be not so thou oughtest to know the power of God thou should thynke that the same spirite whych hath drawen foorthe the sweard agaynst the old world the same spirit whych hath foughten wyth Pharao and drowned hys army which hath for theyr synnes dryuen forth the Cananees before thee and hathe not spared the kynges Saule and Ieroboam the same spirit hath not hys arme shortned that for lacke of power it shoulde be afrayed of the face of any man to keepe sylence at commaundemente no thou knowest that these wonders afore rehersed and the terryble plages now threatned are the woorkes
saye let vs goo vp into the hyll of the Lorde to the house of the God of Iacob and he shall teache vs of hys waies and we shal walke in hys pathes for the lawe shall go forth of Sion and the worde of the Lord from IerusaleÌ„ and he shal iudge many nacioÌ„s and correct strong and myghty people for a loÌ„g tyme. And they shal breake theyr swerds into shares and theyr speares into syckles And one nacion shall not lyfte a sweard against another neither shal thei lern the feates of war ani more but eueri maÌ„ shal sit vnder his vyne vnder hys fygtree no man shal a fraye hym for the mouth of the lord hathe spoken it Esay the Prophet in hys secoÌ„d chap. hathe his same Prophecye the which of all our interpretours and of the Iewes also is vnderstande to be of theyr Messiah and Christe oure sauiour but after a sondrye sorte For we do take it that the Prophet in his time seing in the earthlye Ierusalem religion neglected iudgment peruerted and iustice banished did caste vp the eies of his spirite into that great and highe hyl wherof Ihon speaketh in the .xxi. of his reuelacion and did see the house of the Lorde the spouse of the Lambe the greate city the holy Ierusalem comminge down from heauen hauynge the clearnes of God and al maÌ„ner of vertues and al kynde of knowledge whiche is mente by those manyfolde stones there named So that al the people whiche shall be saued shall come therunto shal walke in the lyghte therof and the kyngs of the earth shal bring theyr glorye vnto it Nothing polluted or defyled shall enter into it Apoca. xxi Thus semeth Saynte Ihon to vtter in other woordes the same Prophecy whiche Micheas and Esaias dyd speake loÌ„g before Euen as the sprite of oure heaueÌ„lye father for the comforte of the electe shulde thus speake vnto vs. Be of good comforte my chyldren though you se mi worde despysed my lytle flocke scattered my pore oppressed it shal not be alwaye thus I haue appoynted a tyme. when I wyll haue the mastrye when I wyll rayse vp the hyll of my house my chosen I do meane aboue all hylles aboue all the hyghe and gloryous things in the worlde that the Heathen shall flowe vnto it The whyche thynge was fulfylled partlye when it pleased him at the time appointed to send his sonne so to be exalted that he shuld drawe althinges vnto hym When he commaunded all his to bee of good courage for he had ouercome the worlde when he spoeyled the Prynces and powers and put them to vtteraunce tryumphynge ouer theim by hym selfe Collo ii That thys hyll of the Lords house might be exalted Christe gaue him selfe for it that he myght sanctyfye it Epheci v. that he myght make it for hymself a gloryous congregacyon wythout spotte or wrynkle agaynst the whyche house because it standeth of a sure rock the gates of hell canne not preuayle neither death nor lyfe nor angels nor rule nor power shal be able to dryue this spirituall house forthe of gods fauoure no the Deuyls dare laye nothynge too the charge of thys churche and house of the faythfull For the Lorde euen the God of Iacob dwelleth in it and who dare stande againste it Thus lo the true temple of God and the house wherin the holy gost dwelleth which ar we so manye as do beleife .i. Cor. iii. at the commynge of oure sauyoure Christe was exalted sette aboue all the hyghe mountaynes great glori pompe pride of this world The whiche glorye beinge published by Christ and his Apostles it brought forth fruyte throughoute the hole worlde in Asia Africa and Europa Then began they to clyme vppe vnto the hil of God that is to the hil of knowledge to be taughte in the wayes of the Lord and to walke in his pathes as our Prophet dothe declare him selfe When the gospel dyd fyrste come forth of Sion and the gracious worde and wyll of the Lord did spring from Ierusalem Then they come from the East to the West to seke this glory to sit and rest in the bosome of faythful Abraham in this glorious Ierusalem Thys is the reaste that foloweth where all shall bee soo quyet that they shall breake theyr sweardes into Mattockes and they re speares into sythes neuer to stryue nor fyghte in thys holye hyll of the heauenlye Ierusalem Wherunto we muste lyfte vp the eyes of oure spyrytes contynuallye stryuinge to mortifye the fleshe whyche canne not enter therein because it is polluted Thys reaste is onlye begonne in thee spirituall manne in thys lyfe and canne not be made perfite tyil the last ennemye be ouercome whyche is deathe This is oure beleife grounded vpon scripture of this glorious raising vp of the hil of the house of the lord Now the Iewes doth stycke to the outwarde letter and naked wordes bothe in thys and manye other textes touchynge the restitution of their temple and kingdom And surely as the Lorde God seeth from the begynninge of al hys works to the ende of the same and hys gyftes are wythoute repentaunce and the sprete of God dothe promyse greate thynges to that nacyon because theyr fathers were the roote and theirs was the adoptyon glorye and testament to them was the law geuen the ceremonies and the promises of theÌ„ was christ concerning the flesh And so maiâ—â—t be by the secrete woorke of god that by this clear light of the gospel so wonder fully spred amoÌ„ges vs in these last daies they shall confesse their greate crymes and greuous offeÌ„ces of Christ refused and theyr blasphemyes agaynst the son of God and so God in them be glorified amongs al nacions which shal heare the mercies of the Lord towards them what promises they haue if they do repent read .xxx. of Deut. and of theyr returne in the last dayes Ose iii. S. Paul also seemeth to delate thys matter Ro. xi askynge for what purpose they dyd fall and aunswereth God forbyd that they al dyd so fal that they shoulde all perysh But by theyr fall saluacion dyd come to the Gentyles for thys purpose to prouoke them euen the Iewes to folow the same and farther sayth Paul if theyr fal were the ryches of the world and theyr decay the ryches of the Gentyls how much more the fulnes of theÌ„ And if the castyng awaye of the Iewes were the reconcilyng of the world what shall be the receiuinge of them but lyfe brought from the dead Agayne I wyll not haue you ignoraunt of this mystery sayth Paul that ye be not hye minded among your selues that blyndnes hath chanced to Israel But in parse whyles that the fulnes of the Gentyls shoulde enter and then al Israel shoulde be saued againe By the Gospel they ar enemyes for you but by the eleccion thei are bee loued for they re fathers For the gyftes and callynge of God are suche that he can not repent of them For like as
you wer sometimes not beleuyng but nowe haue obtayned mercy by theyr misbeleife so are they nowe made myscreantes because you haue obtayned mercye that they myghte obtayne mercy also For God hathe for thys purpose shut al vnder synne that he myghte haue mercie vpon al. The Iewes are chaunced in erroures and kepte in excyle so that they are talked of taken as abiects through oute the hole world We dooe accompte them and theyr doynges to be fygures of vs and oure doinges and theyâ—es alwayes holye for theyr fathers as Paule saythe And in what blyndenes in what and howe grosse darckenes of erroures vnder oure abhominable desolacion this longe tyme haue we whyche accompte oure selues the spiritual Iuda bene shut vp whiles the iustice whyche is by fayth in Christe hathe bene forgotten the iustyce of worckes set in place new sectes founded newe relygion inuented open blasphemies agaynste the open woorde of God with swerd fyre mainteined fylthye fornicatyon allowed shamelesse swearynge permytted and suche abhominable Idolatry erected as before this tyme of Antechriste the lyke was neuer imagined The stynkinge breathe of manne so soone as hym lyked to blowe foorthe a God into a cake and name it Christ god and manne wyth other more deuelyshe delusions then euer hadde the Iewes Howe be it all thys boothe theyr synnefull blyndenesse and oures doothe serue too the magnyfyinge of the Magestye mercye and power of the euerlyuynge Lorde whyche worketh all for him selfe euen the wycked agaynste the euyl day Because thee goodnesse of hym is suche that he wyll tourne the stubbernesse of the Iewes hytherto and oure longe contynued blyndenesse vnder Antychriste to hys glorye too the auauncemente of constancye in mercye and truthe too the greate beautifyinge and gloryous settynge foorthe of the saluacyon of hys chosen accordynge too the sayeinge of Saynte Paule All thynges together are ayde and helpes too them that be of purpose called Romaines .viii. The incrudelytye of the Iewes can not make the Faythe and promyse of God voyde of none effecte But rather our iniustice doothe commende hys iustyce and oure vntruthe causeth his truthe to excel vntoo hys glorye that he maye bee founde true and almen lyers and he ouer comes when he is iudged Then as the fall of the Iewes muste nedes be confessed by Paules doctryne too be that they maye attayne mercye and God to be so gloryfyed so maye we looke for the fulfyllynge of suche Prophecyes as appertaineth too that purpose at the tyme appoyncted whyche is in these laste dayes when God wil haue hoole Israell saued When he wyl haue one folde and one flocke reade the Prophecyes of the restorynge agayne of the Iewes Esaye xi.lxvi Chapters zacharye .ii. Chapter Osee .iii. Chapter Diete xxii xxxii.xxxiii Chapters Ezechiell xx.xxxiiii.xxxvii Amos .ix. And you shal perceyue that God wyl be yet muche more amonges boothe Iewes and Gentyles gloryfyed For all Prophecyes bee not wholye ended fulfylled and therefore are they darcke vnto vs because the appointed tyme is not come whych shall bring lyghte vnto theym saue as I sayde before before that in the spirituall Israell they may after a sorte be verifyed but so that the Israel bothe by promise and by sede ought not froÌ„ such playne promyses to theÌ„ made for to be secluded But because I woulde not be the author of any newe doctryne I doo submyt my iudgemente herein and in al that I do wryte to them that do syt and ar able to geue iudgmeÌ„t Onlye I wold haue vs to thyncke that the Iewes hadde the oracles the promyses the testameÌ„t the Prophets Christ oure sauyoure touchynge the fleshe They are the rote the true and naturall Olyue We are wylde and be but grafted in theym They are reiecte and blynded a longe tyme. So haue wee beene also They are banyshed from theyr contry we lyue banyshed also from our naturall countrye And shal it not be a comforte vnto vs seynge all chaunceth vnto theym in fygure to see theym restored the hoope of oure restorynge vnto oure heauenlye countrye Shal it not make muche for the glorie of God to perfourme his promesse wyth the largesse nowe when all thynges semeth boothe vnto them and vnto vs passe all hope and desperate Shall it not commende and sette forthe the mercye of God whyche so long time hath suffered and sustayned synners Shall it not grâ—atlye enlarge the kingdome of Christe too haue gathered thys scattered flocke of the Iewes into hys foulde Shall not thys consyderacyon gyue vs occasyon too prayse and magnyfye thys gloryous kyngdome too humble oure selues before the myghtye worckinge hande of God whose onlye woorcke it is boothe in them and in vs too electe and chuse too reiecte and refuse to illumynate to excreate to caste downe too rayse vp againe Shall not thys muche moue vs charytablye too deale wyth theym too vse all louynge meanes that may be to wyn them to the fauoure of God agayne And the rather may we dooe thys wyth good hope of they re saluacyon because they do liue in such fear of God For the moste parte of them as farre as I canne learne as the lyke is not to be sounde amonge vs Christians Euerye manne woman and childe amonges them is mydste perfyte in thee letter of the lawe and olde Testamente They abhorre al Idolles and Idolatry They reuerence the hygh name of God so wonderfulli as we blaspheme it light tye Thoughe the vale hange yet before they re eyes in the readynge of the lawe howebeit thys do I saye to them and al other whyche shall vouchsafe too reade theese rude and playne commentaryes that as I haue conceyued a hope by the scryptures of the rayesynge agayne of the Iewes too be a fygure example of oure resurreccyon So me thyncke it maye be hear iudged against the Iewes by the woordes of oure Prophete that temple and kyngedome gouernaunce beatynge downe of ennemyes and promysed tranquilitie muste be only by the worde of God and therefore spirytual not carnal as they imagine but muche better then they can yet behold for first saythe oure Prophete The Text In the last dayes the house of the Lord shal be prepared in the toppe of the mountaynes aboue all mountaynes And strayghtwaies he declareth howe that shall come to passe Muche people saythe he shall say let vs go vp into the hil of the lorde and he shal teach vs of his waies we wil walke in hys pathes for the lawe shal goo foorth of Syon And straight adioineth vnto this word and Doctryne of the Lorde the iudgement and correction which are the cheif poyntes of the regymente and kingdom and streyghte after the reast and quyetnes frome all forran ennemyes whyche thinges folowinge so euidently semeth altogether to hang of the word of God and therefore shal not be carnal but spiritual and eternall euen suche ioye reast and peace as Christe promysed vnto his Disciples suche as the world canne not gyue When thys
shall be fulfylled our Prophete vttereth in the laste day sayth he whyche laste dayes are alwaies spoken of the tyme of oure Christ the Messiah promysed For the Iewes do recken vi ages or tymes of most worthye reputacyon Fyrste from the creation of the world vnto the flud M. cccccc.lv yeres Then from the floude vnto the delyueraunce of the chyldrene of Israel forthe of Egipt ccccccc xc.m yeres Frome the delyueraunce of Israell vnto the gloryous buyledynge of the first temple bi Salomon cccc lxxx yeres From the buildinge of the teÌ„ple vnto the Babilonical captiuitie ccccxix yeres From the Babilonicall captiuitie to the comminge of Christ the true Messiah cccccc xxiii FroÌ„ Christ al these latter daies of his raigne by the Gospell M.d. Li. yeares whyche is the laste Into the whyche laste tyme of Christ al prophecies al historyes the Prophets them selues do loke and behold Therefore saith Christ your father AbrahaÌ„ did desyre to see my day he dyd see it and reioysed Againe blessed ar your eies whiche haue seene that whyche manye haue desired to see and colde not Therefore sayth Simeon nowe lette thy seruaunt depart in peace for myne eies haue sene thy saluacioÌ„ And aiust cause why these laste tymes shuld be loked for and made the marcke too shoote at and ende of all prophecy For streght after the fal of AdaÌ„ these tymes were promysed Thys was she second Adam the seede of the womaÌ„ in whome the worlde agayne shoulde be blessed Thys tyme was prefygured in the fludde This Christ shuld deliuer froÌ„ the hellye Pharao Thys is the true Salomon and kynge of peace buyldeynge hym a temple wythoute spotte Prophecye hys delyuereth frome Babylonycall bondage of Antechriste and all aduersarye powers so that there was no further to be loked for but thys tyme before the lawe Melchisedeke wythout father and mother did prefigure this In the law al ceremonies wer but shadowes Christe was the body in whoÌ„ al prophecies wer fulfylled al shadows ceassed So that these tymes of Christe maye worthelye bee called the laste tymes and as Paule calleth it to the Galathians and Ephesyans the fulnesse of tyme wherein all thinges were fulfilled The laste tymes also may they be called because they are mooste neare to the commynge of christ vnto iudgement whiche shal be the laste daye of al flesh the laste day of thys heauen and thys earth as Ihon speaketh Neyther may we thyncke muche that they were called the laste dayes and the laste tymes in the tyme of Christ and his Apostles and yet thus longe are continued For as Saynte Peter aunswereth to thys folyshe doubte wherwyth the fleshly are deluded One day with the Lorde is as it wer a thousand yere and a thousande yere as it were one daye And the Lorde is not slowe in commynge as the vnwyse do thinke him But paciente towardes vs not wyllynge any to perysh but to receyue all to repentaunce The Text For all people shal walke euery one in the name of their God and we wyll walke in the name of our god for euer and euer This semeth to be spoken of the prophet for a confirmation and an assuraunce to haue this great promise fulfylled because all nacions set vp some kynde of religin and haue some gods to whom they credite whom they do obey and folowe Yea the wycked world drowned in Idolatri and al abhominacions Imagyned of theire owne madde braines euerye one to haue hys seuerall GOD. All theyrs are but fayned gods sayeth he naye they are deuylles and no goddes But oures is the lyuynge GOD the lorde which hath made heauen and earth and wrought al the woÌ„ders both in heauen and earth we maye boldelye beleue him walcke and go forward in the power of his name foreuer how vnpossible so euer his promises do seme to the fleshe he is able to performe theÌ„ Though he do long deffer theÌ„ to try our fayth and to shew his power whervnto nothynge is vnpossible he lasteth for euer therfore we may neuer end our hope and trust of that thynge he promyseth In that day sayth the Lorde The Text I wyll gather her whyche halteth and is caste away her whoÌ„ I haue punyshed and I wyll make thee halt to haue a successyon and the outecaste to bee a stronge people and the Lorde shal raygne ouer them in mount Syon from hence foorthe for euer And thou O tower of the flocke the tower of the daughter of Syon to thee shall come to thee shall come I saye the fyrste kyngdome the kyngdome of the daughter of Ierusalem In that daye in the laste dayes in the tyme of Messiah for so doth al interpreters take it I wyll gather you sayeth youre God thoughe I haue chastened you cast you away and made you lame I wyl not fayle to make you a stronge people agayne and geue you a posterytye and succession wythoute anye ende and wythoute all noumber For I my selfe wyl be your kyng in the mount Sion for euer Thus dooth the Prophete contynue in the confyrmacion of these greate promises so darke vnto the flesh that wyth muche busynes it can hardly be perswaded in the promises of heauenly and spiritual works By the word haltynge our Prophete would insinuate and bryng into memorye how that Israel haltyng from god and clynshynge after Idols as Elyas chargeth them .iii. Reg. xxviii had so prouoked hym to anger that he had worthely made them halt and lame that is to say had greuously afflycted and skourged theym for so is the same woorde of haltynge vsed for greuous afflyccion Psalm xxv xxviii and thys Prophecye is red also Esa xxxv how the lame shal leape and skyp for ioy The Text And the Lorde shal raygne Tyrantes shal raygne no longer but the Lord shal raygne which teacheth vs styl that thys newe restored kyngdome shal be spiritual for al men are flesh and all theyr kyngdomes câ—rnal the kyngdomes of all menne haue an ende but thys hathe none ende therefore is thys the kyngdome of God the kingdom of the sonne of God whyche God the father dyd gyue hym that he shulde occupye the seate of Dauid hys Father and raygne in the house of Iacob for euer of hys kyngdome there shoulde be none ende as the aungel dyd saye to the blessed Virgin Heare maye the Iewes by thys place learn that theyr king whom they do looke for to be man of the seede of Dauid shal also be God for here he is called Iehouah by the hyghe name of God and his kyngdome named euerlastyng whyche onlye can be the kyngedome of God and not man All this we do see fulfylled in oure Christe and hys spyrytuall kyngdome so manye as doo beleue Christ to be God and maÌ„ and do feale howe by hys spyryte he begynneth to raigne in the heartes of hys chosen The laste verse is so vehementelye broughte forthe by the Prophete to confyrme thys promyse that euerye worde in it is twyse
serued in the temple wyth praying and fastynge professed thys to bee the redemer of Israel Yea the voice of God from heauen in the presence of many people doth confyrme al thys saying thys is my welbeloued sonne in whom I am well pleased heare you hym The myracles wythout number both in hys lyfe tyme when he cured al dyseases both of body and soule When he caused the wyndes to cease the seas to obeye and deathe to geue place and in hys death when he caused the heauens to shet the earth to shake the sunne to loose hys lyght And after hys death also when he caused the hels to open the graues to geue againe theyr prysonats What wyll you haue more Hys mooste ennemyes the Scrybes and Pharyseis coulde not saye in conscience but that al these wonders were doone by the fyngar of God and the sougiours wyth theyr captayne whych kepte hym at hys deathe was compelled to crye Truelye thys is the verye sonne of God Math. xxvii Yea the verye deuyls were dryuen to confesse hym to bee Iesus the sonne of God Math. viii Mark .v. Luke .viii and yet some whych do beare his name called Christians and some twyse christened as they cal it dare denye vnto hym thys glory O blasphemye intollerable yea al the power of Sathan and all the gates of hel haue not bene able to beate downe the church buylt vpon thys confession as Christ out sauioure promysed Math. xvi thoughe contynuallye thys M.D. and Li. yeares they haue wyth the swerd hangyng and burnyng moste despitefully stryuen agaynst it and yet these blynde beastes dare attempt such foly Yea thoughe the Iewes thoughe the Turkes thoughe the Aryans and the Anababtistes and al the lying rable of the deuyls sougiers labour and striue al that in them lyeth to hinder and stop the kyngdom of this child borne in despysed Bethelem as he is man but commyng forth from old from euerlastyng as he is god Yet lo it is now dilated and spred a longe tyme throughe the whole world and at thys present moste gloryously spreadeth and triumpheth ouer al. Embrace therefore the sonne least he be angrye and you doo peryshe foorthe of the way al you ragyng people and vain imaginers agaynst our Christe Y◠you gather you and sette you agaynste thys Messiah the euerlyuing lord wyl laugh you to scorne For he hath anointed him kyng vpon Sion hys holye temple He wryteth it in hys euerlastyng decree He calleth hym hys sonne he geueth hym power ouer al people to rule them wyth the yron scepter and so folowing of the kyngdome of Christ Psal ii Agaynst the aduersaryes therefore of thys kyngdome whyche are the Antychristes wherof we are so oft warned in the scriptures Suffer me I pray you to make a short digression not for any sotie arguments that I wil bring against them for that is contrarye bothe to my purpose and profession But for my zele sake simply to vtter the words of truth yf by that way we may win but any one of thē It is not sayd for noughte by the holy Apostle Heb. iiii The word of god is lyuelye and myghtye in operacion sharper then any twoo edged swearde Therfore wyl I vse the sweard of God hys holy scriptures to cutte of theyr errours desyryng oure heauenlye father wil houte whom no man can come vnto Christ to drawe some of these blynded and loste shepe home againe to hys son Christe theyr only shepperde and to hys fold holy felowship of the faithful lyuynge in Christen vnytye to the glorye of hys name and the delatinge and enlargynge of his glorious kyngdome There be .ii. sortes of the aduersaryes of thys kingdome the one denieth him to be God the other to be mā wherfore I wyll declare and proue by open scriptures Christ God and Man FYrste that the Messiah promysed shulde be verye man euen of the seede of man as we doo reade Genes iii. that the womannes seede shal breake the serpentes heade agayne Gen. xii saythe God vnto Abraham in the shal al the kynredes of the earthe bee blessed and declaringe howe thys shall come too passe in thee xvii Chapter he promyseth to Abraham and to Sarai a sede wyth whom he wil make an euerlastynge leage and couenaunte And in the .xxii. Chapter after he had broughte thys promised seede to be a slaine sacrifice as the Lorde hadde commaunded thys was again from heauen pronounced that in the sede of Abraham all nacions shoulde be blessed And in the .xxvi. Chapter vnto his sonn◠Isaac was the same promyse renewed wyth these same words In thy sede shal al the nacyons be blessed Againe to his sonne Iacob in the .xxviii. of Genesis al the kynreds of the earthe shal be blessed in the and thy seede saythe the Lorde Agayne saithe Iacob in the spyryte of Prophecye to hys chyldrene The scepter shall not bee taken frome Iuda nor the ruler from his seat whyles that Messiah do come and to him shal the people be gathered Loo thus by playne testymonies mooste auncient euen from the beginninge maye it bee proued Messiah oure Christ to be appoynted man of the seede of manne And after the troublous tymes when all theyr captaines fayled as Micha dyd Prophecy then forthe of a litle village of the tribe of Iuda shuld come oure Christe the appointed and anoynted ruler ouer the faithful Israel And to let you vnderstande whyche are the ennemyes to Christ his kyngdome that you do striue in vayne there against mark that Balaam prouoked bi the king Balaac colde speake nothyng agaynste thys kingdome which he did se more thē a thousand .d. yeres to come after hym but dydde reuerence it a farre of saying There shal ryse a starre from Iacob and a rodde from Israel whiche shall stryke the captaynes of Moab Of Iacob shall come thys greate Lorde whyche shal destroye the remnaunte forthe of the cytye Numer xxiiii Thus are the enemyes of oure Christe compelled to knoweledge hym a man of the seede of Iacob and a gloryous kynge ouer all hys ennemyes tryumphynge Agayne Deut. xviii Moses the seruaunte of God dare say thus A Prophete vp frome amonges thy brethrene euen lyke me shall the Lorde thy God raise vnto the whosoeuer shall not heare hym I wyll requyre it of him Loo nowe heare is the humilitie of Christ his man hode set forthe but so that whosoeuer is the despiser of him and hys doctryne hathe thys playnly promised that he shall gyue accomptes for it and God hym selfe wyll questyon wyth hym the cause whye he hathe refused him For so standeth the Hebrewe Beware therfore as Esay sayth and take hede vnto your selues from the man whose breathe is in hys nostrelles for wherin he is reputed though he be very man and therfore despised yet is he of the Lorde onlye regarded Agayne in the Psalme lxxxviii We do reade I haue sworn to Dauid my seruaunte for euer wyll I prepare thy sede and wyl stablish thy seate
Iacob after he haue made theyr ennemyes theyr footestoole whyche all the Prophetes doo make as the chyefe marke and ende of theyr Prophecyes for the comforte of the chosen Israel as is at large before wrytten and wonderfullye set forth in Ezechiel xxxvii xxxviii and .xxxix. Chapter And it shall bee in that The Text same day sayth the Lord and I wyl destroy thy horse forth of the myddâ—st of thee and breake thy charyots I wyl destroye thy cytyes and ouercome al thy municions I wyll destroye thyne enchauntmentes and thou shalte haue no sothlaiers I wil destroi thyne Idols and thyne ymages forth of the myddes of thee and thou shalt not worship any more the worke of thyne owne hands And I wyl pluck vp thy groues forth of the middes of the and I wyl destroy thy cityes And I wyll bee auenged in my wrathe and fury vpon the people which hath not heard me Although thys prophecy be by many expounded of the Iewes yet had I rather to take it as spoken of the HetheÌ„ and so it very wel agreeth wyth all the other prophetes whych strayghte after the deliueraunce of Israel froÌ„ amongs the heythen dothe alwayes threaten a terryble destruccion to theyr enemyes Of whom so euer it is spoken we muste marke for what cause it is spoken to teach vs that syn is the cause of destruccion to al kyngdomes The trust in charyotes in horses in walled cytyes and strong holdes In enchauntmentes and Idols are the cause of God hys wrath indygnacion and heauy dyspleasure Especially Idolatry enchantment and couniuryng whych are the spiritual fornicacion these are the crymes that God heare and euery wher dothe threaten to auenge in hys wrath and fury Deut. iiii vii And thorow the whole booke Iosue xxiii xxv Dyd he not woÌ„derfuly destroi xxiii thousand of the Israelytes vppon one day by theyr owne pristes Leuits for Idolatry Exod. xxxii Did not God geue them into theyr enemyes handes for folowing the wayes of the Hethen Iudges ii.iii.iiii.vi.viii.x Dothe he not threaten alwaies to take theÌ„ of the face of the earth and destroy theÌ„ for it Exodus Leuiticus Numeri Deuteronomi and in al the Prophets Doth not God appeare vnto Solomon afterward declare the same vnto him .iii. Re. ix saying that if Israell shulde worship straunge gods he wold take him away and make him a by word amongs the heatheÌ„ And when it shulde be demaunded why God had destroied this people whome he had chosen this shulde be answered because they haue worshipped straunge goddes therefore hathe the Lorde broughte vpon vs al this euil .iii. kinges .ix. This we knowe now liuinge especially in this realme and se and ar taught to be mooste true by the mouthe of God in our time as was SolomoÌ„ But a great parte of vs haue Idolatrye hidde in our hearts as hadde Solomon and none of vs do earnestlye repent of the Idolatry by vs committed no more then did SolomoÌ„ therfore shal we suffer shame with Solomon and oure posteritie shal be despised as it shal be taughte more at large Nowe for the stronge doctrine and spirituall fornicacion of enchauntemente and coniuracyon of sothesaying or diuinacion on lesse it be spedelye stopped by the wyl of God workinge the care of such thinges in the harte of our kinge counsalers it shal shortlye braste forthe so farre amonges vs as it dyd amonges the Iewes a lyttle before theyr laste destruccyon whereof Iosephus wryteth Ant. xx cap. iiii xi.xii that they dyd forsake the true Prophetes of God and sought after Sorcerers and soothe sayers So saythe Esay that the Lorde hadde forsaken his people the house of Iacob because they were more full of enchauntementes then was the Arabians and as full of sothsaiers as the Philistines and wyth straunge doctryne they hadde satisfied their selues Esaye .ii. So canne I come into no corner of thys realme where I finde not or heare not of some of theese In Oxforde and in Cambridge wher God hys holy word shoulde banyshe thys blyndenesse there be masters for the nonest which after they haue studyed Astronomye whyche after they haue studied Astronomye and come to the iudicials of Astrology and found some experiments true and some false when the placynge of the Planettes in theyr appoynted houses and theyr aspectes and respectes wyl not serue their fonde purposes Then loo muste they enter in too Necromancye and call some deade spirit forth of hys graue wyth the bind of a swalow or a cat 〈◊〉 please the deuill to accepte that lewde sacrifice and hear haue they infinite supersticioÌ„s of times of wordes of places of the putrefactyon of that bloude and other lyke madnes whiche I am a shamed too rehearse and sorye too remember consyderynge that manne was made by God to beare hys image and therefore too looke and to do seruice to no suche vyle creatures especyallye to hys auncyente ennemye the Deuill for whose acquaintaunce all these Coniurers hath suche care and maketh suche preparacye wyth watching wyth fastinge with crossynge wyth M cccccc supersticions obseruacyons for the destruccion of theyr owne soules as no man wyl for theyr owne saluacyon They saye they vse good woordes the greate name of God Iehouah Adonai Otheos Sotor Manuel Sabaoth and I wot not what So did oure Coniurers in the kyngdome of the Romyshe Ante christe vse some good woordes and the lyke names aboute the coniurynges of Belles of salt of water of oile of wine of breade of Palmes and such lyke but they dyd mixt therwyth many blasphemyes yea and the good wordes whatsoeuer they dyd speake were neuer applied to that purpose whyche God appointed but too theese their owne imagined phantasyes of coniurynge God his creatures whyche alwaye hath bene accounted abhomination before God Deuter. xviii For looke howe farre the heauens are from the earthe and so farre are my waies froÌ„ your waies and mi thoughtes from your rhoughtes saythe the Lorde Esaye .lv. yea too the sinner saythe the Lorde why doste thou take my name in thy mouthe Psalm .l. That theese open euyl doers and manyfest transgressours agaynste God hys holye commaundemente oughte rather too tremble at the magnyfycente magestye of God his holye name then thus lewdlye too alledge it in they re charmes These Cambredge coniurers haue scolers in the countryes abroade whych seketh howe to haue familier spirites whiche they doo tearme too haue a Bee in a boxe to teache them to play at the Dice Cardes and other leud pastimes And some muste haue Marcurius well placed to helpe at a pynsh when they canne fynde no monye vnder crosses to brynge it by some other vnshamefull shyftes Some muste haue Venus in her fauorable aspecte coniured into an aple to wyll the sauoure of wemen Some must haue Saturne for wysdome Iupiter for honoures Mars for battel whiche ar the verye Deuelyshe delusyons wherewyth the Deuyll blyneded the Babylonyans Egiptians and Cananees And in oure Popyshe tyme broughte in
lyke dyshonoure of God in oure George of Engeland oure Ladye of Walsingham oure Daruelgadder of Wales whereby wee muste vnderstande that there is one olde ennemye of oures the oulde Serpente whych hathe enuyed the honoure of one God and laboured too drawe vs therefrome euen frome the begynninge whiche wyth holye woordes and gloryous names and far fetched tearmes semeth too vtter hys wysdome lyke an aungell of light as Paule warneth But marke the ende of theym whyche suffer theym selues by hym too bee deluded desiring the deuyll too geue thē of hys Counsel Oure fyrste Parentes were by this craftye Serpentes subtyll Counsel dryuen forthe of Paradyse adiudged to death with al their posteritie Genes iii. King Saul counsayling with the sothesayer the wise womanne whome onlye he hadde lefte in hys lande was slayne wyth hys iii. sonnes the daye folowinge So muche doothe it aduayle too aske counsell of the deade for the liuinge or of the wicked spirites whyche do transforme them selues into the lykenesse of the deade as was heare in thys place of Samuel For as the deuyl hath no power of the good soules so canne hee not styrre theym too geue aunswere but as we haue sayde he canne transforme him selfe into anye lykenesse that he maye myghtelye woorcke in theese chyldrene of mischeife But marcke the ende I saye of al nacyons whiche doo leaue the Lorde and hys holye woorde for suche delucyons In hope to get some thynge thereby to satisfye theyr dyuelyshe myndes Some for the loue of women do trye it and other some for the grydy desyre of goods do practise it wyth manye other thynges whyche were to longe to tell nowe Was not this one of the greatest crimes wherfore Egipte was scourged and plaged Esaiah .xix. Wherefore was the Empyre of the Chaldees destroyed and proud Babilon brought down Esay aunswereth Al the euils did come vpon the O Babilon for the multitude of thyne owne charmes and the stobbourne of malyce of thy couniurers for thou haste comforted thy self in thy disceatfulnes and haste sayde no man seeth me Thyne owne connynge and thy wysdō haue disceiued the. Therfore shal trouble tal vpon the and thou shalte not knowe from whence it shal aryse Doo you beleife that God telleth truthe O you coniurars What is there but you can knowe it if it please youre great master the deuil But the Prophet sayth againe to your cōtrary Mischeife shall fall vppon the whyche thou shalte not be able to put of A sodayne myserye shal come vpon that or euer thou be aware Wherefore now go to the coniurers and to the multitude of thy wytches whom thou hast bene acquainted with al from thy youth if they mai help the or strengthen the Thou haste bene wearied with the multitude of thine owne counsels Nowe let thy heauen gasers thy starre starers thy Moone markers stande vp and saue the frome the thynges whyche shall come vpon the. Beholde they are stuble the fire hath brente them they cannot delyuer theyr own souls from the power of the flame and so foorthe too the ende Are not the Philistines and Canaces alwaye charged for these crimes to haue hadde their worthy desolacyon As for Israel Esay saith plainly that God old forsake it for thys Esay .ii. dyd lay the line of Samaria vppon Ierusalem therefore and the burthene of the house of Achab and dyd raise it as it were a wrytyng table .ii. Re xxi ii Chronicles .xxxiii. Yea when the Lorde wyll vtter his anger agaynste them he calleth them charmers chyldrene Come hither saythe he by hys Prophete you charmers childrē you aduouterous seede Esaye lvii Abroade in all places of Englande wheras I haue taryed haue I heard of wyse menne and wyse wemenne whyche can tell of thynges that are lost and canne saye manye sayinges for childrene and cattel whyche are forspoken and haue blessinges to saye ouer certaine herbes as ouer vernine and dil if they be gathered betwixte the mary dayes And about wemen wyth childe they can saye oure Ladye with the whyte smocke thy syde smock and such mad charmes .v. C. are vsed in the countryes whyche the spyrituall eies mighte espy if they had not theyr Greke name for nought And our Preachers shulde plucke away oure polytycall magistrates should punysh for the Lord sayth that these are the thynges and not the handlynge of the chalyce wherewyth the people are polluted Leuiti xix You shall not declyne to the charmers and of the wytches aske nothyng lest you be polluted by them Againe Leui. xx The soule which loketh after any sothsayer or charmer to commyt fornicacion wyth them I wyll set my face agaynst that soule and I wyll destroye hym from the myddes of hys people sayth the Lorde Agayne Deut. xviii the Lord commaundeth whē thou entrest the lande whyche the Lorde thy God geueth the beware thou doo not folow the abhominacions of that people Let none be founde amonges the whych caryeth hys chylde throughe the fyre or that asketh of the charmers eyther that obserueth dreames or dayes and times or of them whyche do marke the flying and crying of byrdes or of any enchaunters or of any deuyl couniurar or any soythsayer or any that haue familiar spirites or anye wyse menne or wise womenne eyther any that asketh councel at the deade for who so doothe theese he is abhomynable before God and for these abhominacions the Lorde thy God dothe roote them forthe before thy face Loo with how sore wordes and threatenynges the Lorde God detesteth forbiddeth all the kindes of these deuelishe inuencions whereby men doo runne a whorynge from God too abuse hys creatures in spirituall fornicacion These thinges haue I written occasyoned by oure Prophete of thys spyrituall fornicatyon Idolatrye and all kynde of diuynacyon whyche wee call so the saying prophecyinge charminge enchauntement wytchcrafte Magyke Astrologye Necromancye Chiromancy Geomanci or what other name so euer the deuyl shal inuēt to driue vs frō god to vayne creatures for the Deuyll hathe euer thys one woorcke in hande but hee deceyueth the symple with the shyfte of hys deskante by vanytye of woordes And I do warne all people to repente kynges Lordes Bishoppes Commons For none canne excuse theym selues of that spyrytuall fornycacyon wyth the late deposed Idole that Waser Cake Naye shall I call it deposed whyche is scantlye transposed wythoute anye feruent zeale or signe of repentaunce We haue not fealte Moises to make vs drink the bitter ashes therof with teares We haue not had Iehu to auenge God of hys ennemyes the Priestes of Baall ii kinges .x. We haue not wept and wailed and torne oure garmentes for verye anguishe of oure heartes We haue not caste awaye the ornamentes of our olde idolles the vessels that serued them as did the good yong king Iosiah We haue not destroied the sacrificers and steiers of oure Christe as yong Iosiah did with the Priestes of the hyghe places wyth al charmers witches and enchaunters To be shorte We
Lord calleth the heauens and thei obey The earthe frome nothynge and strayght it was presente The ragynge seas and rough floudes do harken to hys commaundement Dare man deny to heare hys Lorde by whom he lyueth and hath hys beyng shal he be brutysh and wythout vnderstandyng when all brute beastes are obedyent to the lords commaundmente Dyd not Balaams Asse both speake and vnderstāded whē the Lorde called and commaunded O mā wylt thou not heare him with out whom thou art not Doest thou not feare to fal agayne into dust and ashes when thou art at hys voyce so dul insensible Or cā thou forget his benefits by whom thou hast thy being Yea this Lord calleth the thyngs that be not as though they wer alredy He maketh the dead hodies to harkē to his voice Howe dare thou O mā turne away not geue care seyng the breath of thy bodye is in his hand He sleieth and geueth lyfe See howe the Lorde doothe humble hym selfe to thyne infirmyty and weaknesse He is contente not onelye too speake vnto thee whyche arte but duste and ashes full of syn but to shewe hys quarrell and as it were too pleate hys cause with vs that he mighte be founde true and all menne liers and therefore iustified in hys woordes and ouercome when he is iudged Let al menne therefore tremble before his face and crye vnto God to geue them eares that canne hear eyes that can se thē say with Dauid I wil hear what the Lord speaketh The Lorde calleth into their remembraunce therewith their benefites of old theyr deliuerāce How he plaged the Egiptiās preserued thē How he made thē passage through the red sea drowned theyr ennemies How he fedde them wyth Manna frome heauen not sufferynge theyr garmentes too be olde nor theyr shooes torne for the space of .xl. yeres in the wildernes he geueth thē the good meeke and louinge captaine Moyses to guyde them Aaron to preache his wyll vnto them and to praye for theym Miriam a Prophetisse a comforte too the womenne in theyr longe iournye Exo. dye throughe oute And when kynge Balacke had counsell to hyre Bilham to accursse the saith the Lord I dyd turn thy curs into blessyng who beinge thus disapointed dyd take newe Counsell of Bilham too entice the people by flatterye too Idolatrye and fornication therby to prouoke my wrathe agaynste thee wherefore I plaged the vntyll I hadde slaine .xxiiii. thousand When Pinhas the Priest styrred wyth the zeale of my glorye slewe Duke zambrye the captaine of the tribe of Simeon and Cospye the doughter of Sur the cheif Prince of the Madianits throughe the zelous enterpryse caused mi wrath to cease Nu. xxii xxiii.xxiiii.xxv In Sittam dyd I staye Balacke and Bilham I caused Moyses too destroye the Midianites withoute mercy and did gyue vnto you theyr godes cattayle and substaunce Numeri .xxxi. In Gilgall I dyd take awaye the reproche of Egipte from you I caused you to be cyrcumcysed and dyd giue you of the fruits of the promysed lande Iosue v. Al thys dyd I for the that thou myghteste knowe my ryghtuousnesse that I would keepe my promyse notwyth standynge thys manyfolde wyckednesse The lyke rebuke of their ingratitude maiste thou read Esay .i. Eze. xx Now if we wold hereby in our wycked tyme lerne to behold the in estimable goodnes of God toward vs and our vnthankefulnes agaynst so louyng a Lord We myght fully perceaue and see most euydently the wonderfull mercies of our heauenly father calling vs to repentaunce whych hath not only giuen vs bodely benefytes as he dyd vnto Israell but he hathe delyuered vs from the helly Pharao from the curses of Antichriste from the sea of erroures and erronions opinions and caused vs to eate the heauenly Manna the fleshe of hys owne sonne thereby to geue vs lyfe euerlastynge O the vnspeakeable goodnes of our heauēly father and wo to our sturdy stomakes stifeled in euyl The Text With what acceptable thing shal I present the Lord Shall I bow my selfe before the highe God Shal I come before hym wyth brent offerings wyth calues of one yeare olde Hathe the lord his pleasure in M. of rams either hys delyte in .x. M. streames of oyle Or shal I geue my first borne for myne iniquity euē the fruite of my wombe for the syn of my soule I wyl tel the mā what is good and what the Lord requireth of the euē to do iudgement to loue mercy and to walk reuerently before thy God Because that here is so iust occasion offered to declare what is the true worshyp of god which is the false and vntrue I desyre thee gentle reader to suffer me somthyng to declare this dout because it hath troubled the cōsciences of many in al worlds And also that it maye be a testimony wytnes vnto the worlds ende of our cōsciēce towards God hys true worship which haue wryttē or spoken against the false worship of the Romysh Antichrist Wherin fyrst I pray thee to marke cōsider how the cōsciēce strykē with the feare of gods iudgemētes seeketh some stay euermore would haue succour against his heauy indignacion but vnles it be quieted setled bi the truth of God his holy word it renueth astray frō god more more at lengthe foloweth fond imaginaciōs As the Hethen before the law geuen did stay theyr children to please God as they ymagened Wherfore the Lorde did dryue thē forth of theyr contries and dydde geue them to Israell in possession and warned thē of heythrush abhominacions The Iewes after the law of Moises was geuen not vnderstandyng the end of their Ceremonies dyd heape vp infynyte sacrifices Vnto whō God saith dy Esaiah he that offereth vnto me an Oxe is lyke hym that stayeth a mā and he that kylleth a beaste as hee that brayneth a dogge And hee that Offereth sacryfyce as hee that Offereth swynes fleshe hee that remembreth incence as he that offereth vnto an Idolle Theese thynges haue they chosē in their waies in their abhominacions theyr soule is delyted Oure Papistes not vnderstanding or rather not regardinge what our master Christe hadde taughte vs. Mat. xv that in vayne we do worshyp God teachinge the Doctrynes the Preceptes of men Hadde sette vppe a newe holynesse euen theyr hoole relygyon in outewarde Ceremonies of dayes and times of candelles and Belles of towchynge and of handling of blowynge and kyssyng creapynge knealynge and knockynge of gyrdles and garmentes of geuynge to theyr Idolles and aulters fyne ornaments of buylding of Chappels chauntryes and Abbayes of gaddinge to Walsingham to Canterbury to Compostella to Ierusalem to fetch Iames shels Walsingham Kynges Becketes Broches and pardon Beades where vppon muste be sayde I wote not howe manye lady Psalters And alway ten Aue Maries to one Pasternoster or elsse al was marred and infinite other madde inuencyons of mans idle braine By the whiche maddynge of mannes heade in al ages whyche I
wil ye be gospellers Can you worship me and youre wycked Mammon boothe together Canne you serue two Masters Nay you are to me defraudinge and oppressinge the poore as they that slaye the childrene in the fathers syghte Thus do you worshyp me O you couetous Marchaunts building your houses in the bloude of youre brethrene There is no faythe no feare nor loue amonges you but youre ryches are repleat wythrauine The houses of your Lordes of youre iudges of chancellers of youre treasurers of youre receyuers shortlye of all oure ryches and wealthy are full of the spoyle of the euyll gotten goodes and eyther open or pryuy thefte robbery Can I then holde my peace as it wer iustify your doings Especiall◠seinge lyinge dissemblinge and disceat is so common that frome the heade too the foote neuer one is fautelesse there is not one ryghteous no not one that I myghte haue mercye There is no truth no mercye no knowledge of God in the earthe curssinge lyinge murther thefte and adulterye hath ouer runne all together The faythfull are wasted foorth of the earthe Euery manne telleth hys brother a lye wyth desceytefull lyppes and doble hartes I wil destroy a◠their lying lips and these tunges that can tell these goodly tales do thincke that they at able to ouercome al with theyr tunges But for thys oppressyon of the pore and for their mourninge I wil nowe aryse And I wyl make the sycke strykinge the with famin sterilite barrennes battayl aptiuitie and bondage Thou shalt eate and not be satisfied whiche is the soorest famyn the woman shall receiue the seed and brynge forth no fruite the fowlest sterilitie and if she do brynge forth the swerd shal deuoure thē Thou shalt be in such bondage that thou shalt toyl trauail for other haue no parte thy selfe such affliccion such mysery such calamitye shal be in the myds of the that thou shalt be wasted for thy syns Because thou hast kept the ordynaūces of Amri and the abhominatyons of Achab. c. The Text Loo how peryllous a thyng and how great a plage it is to haue wicked kings and princes to raign ouer vs. For theyr authoritie doth not harme only whyles they lyue and haue theyr flatterers folowyng and counterfaytyng their wyckednes but in the ages longe after thē and the posteritie folowyng their lawes are alleged their rites and customes renewed So was idolatry alwaies contynued in the .x. trybes frō their first king Ieroboā to kyng Amry who built Samaria to his sonne wicked Acab who not only alledged the wickednes of his forefathers vnto the people but addeth moreouer shamful extorcion shedding of innocent blud sleing Naboth for his vineyard killing the prophets of the lord The other princes people folowynge their wicked abhominaciōs naughty counsailes iii. Re. xvi are here threatned to be wasted destroied The people to be hyssed and skorned the princes worthely to beare the shame of the people of God by thē seduced zedechiah the last kyng ouer Iuda may be a terrible example vnto al kings had fyrst his sons slayne in hys owne sight then had hys eyes worthely put forth by the Babiloniās and so kept in lyue by dayly delusion of the Chaldes to beare the shame of the people of god Yea they ar without nūber whō the Lord hath more greuosly by his iustice thus plaged As Nebuchadnezer turned into a brute beast As Adombezeche the king of the Cananees the .lxx other princes who had theyr fyngars toes cut of so reserued to their shame to gather crōmes vnder the tables lyke dogs besides the .xxx. i. Iudges Iosue xii kings whō Iosue hanged and destroied and innumerable other both in scriptures prophane hystoryes rehearsed Nowe therefore O Kynges and Princes vnderstande and suffer your selues to be taught and admonyshed you that iudge the earth Serue the Lorde in feare in the gouernaunce of hys people and reioyse wyth tremblyng in the gifts god geueth you for he wyl haue an accomptes how you do gouern hys people and how you doo order hys creatures Embrace his poore Christ louyngly in hys members lest he be angry and you do peryshe foorthe of the waye For when hys anger is a lytle kindled then happy are they that trust in hym Thē happy are they as the king Prophet Dauid doth teach you which hath not walked in the counsaile of the wycked whyche hath not stande in the way of the synner whych hath not sytten in the seate of the scornful But in the law of thee Lord hath had hys delyte and in hys law doth meditate day nyght For be shal be lyke a tree planted by the riuersyde whych shal bring forth hys fruite in dewe tyme. Hys leafe shal not fall and hys woorke shall prosper Wher the wycked far contrary shall be lyke chaffe dryuen wyth the wynde Therfore the wycked shal not stande in iudgement nor the synners in the company of the iust For the Lord knoweth the way of the ryghtuous and the waye of the wycked shal perysh The Lorde is no acceptour of persons But who so doth euyll be it kyng be it Emperoure he shal peryshe as is heare spoken The .vii. Chapter WO is me The Text for I am lyke the gleaners of Sommer fruites and as the braunches after the wyne haruest There is not a Cluster of grapes to eate my soule desireth type fruite Thus doth our Prophet bewayle the mesery of hys people he compareth the good amonges them hym selfe and the other to the gleaners and gatherers after haruest is ended and al cleane gathered into thy barnes And the best amōgs men to the wyne braunches wythered dryed and hauing nothyng vpon them wherupon the desyrous soule myght be sasiate Therfore he mourneth and waileth for the mysery whych of necessytie must folow so far spred iniquiti And he sheweth in the verse folowynge what fruit it is that he seketh What grapes they are hys soule desyreth Biccurah the first ripe frutes meanynge the fore fathers fist borne the former age Abraham Isaac Iacob Dauid These doth Ieremy cal Israel whiles they walked in holynes the fyrst fruits vnto the lord And heare our Prophet dothe complain that al thys good rype fruit is gathered and gone and nothyng lefte vngathered but brambles and thornes whyche are fit for nothing but the fyre euen for the fyre of Gods wrath whych shal shortely be kyndled and no creature shal be able to quenche it or to abyde the heate thereof For thys oure Prophet wayleth and cryeth wo. The Text The good perisheth foorthe of the earth neyther is any ryghtuous vpon earth Al dooe lye in wayghte for bloud Euery man hunteth hys brother as wyth a net They labour to make good the euyll of theyr handes The prince asketh and the iudge for reward and the greate mā speaketh the destruccion of his owne soule and they draw wyckednes as wyth a
and ended when al the power of the aduersary shal be destroyied in the end of the world when the helly Pharao shal be cast into the lake of fyre and brimstone Ihon .xix To laye the hand vpon the mouth is a common phrase too keepe sylence for shame Iob. xxxviii That the Serpente lycke the duste and eateth the earthe is the cursse of God Genesis in and here it is geuen to the serpentes generacion to fal downe for feare and creepe into holes lyke wormes Wherin appeareth the almyghtye power of God and the weake arme of the wycked Therefore doth oure prophet ende wyth these exclamacions They shall tremble before oure Lorde God Thee shall they feare O Lorde Agayne What God is lyke vnto thee The Text whyche doest pardon iniquitie and passe ouer synne for the remnaunt of thyne enherytaunce he hath not setled hys wrathe for euer but he hath pleasure in mercy He wyl returne and haue mercye vpon vs. He wil tread doun our wickednes vnder hys feete and cast al our syns into the bottom of the seas Thou wylt performe thy promes to Iacob and thy mercye to Abraham whyche thou hast sworne to oure fathers from the dayes of olde After our prophet hath receaued this comfortable answer from God he rendreth thankes wyth an admiracion and comparyson of the euer lyuinge God which hath wrought these wonders the false Gods whych can dooe nothynge Wherin also he setteth forth the sinful weakenes of man whyche can attayne nothinge but by pardon and mercy according to the Psalme .xxxi. Blessed are they whose wyckednes are forgeuē and whose syns are couered Agayne happy is that man whom the Lord hath not charged wyth syn Dauid also after the consyderacion of the greate maiestye of God maketh lyke comparyson and asketh what god ther is besydes the lord Psa xvii And Moyses describeth the Lorde by these properties Exo. xxxiiii saying O Lord Lorde mercyfull and gracious God pacient and aboundaunt in pytye and truth Shewyng mercy vnto thousands takyng awaye iniquitye wyckednes and synne c. So that God whyche in hys substaunce is vnsearcheable by mercy pytye and truthe sheweth hym selfe vnto men Wherin also is comprehended the promes of Messiah made vnto the fathers by whome thys mercye and louynge kyndnes shoulde be shewed and wyth thys he endeth as doth the moost part of the prophetes to teache vs alwayes to haue confydence in God thoughe the promyse dooe seeme longe dyfferred For he is the god that is true he is faytheful he performeth wyth the largeste that he dothe promsie he is also mercifull he is pytyfull full of louynge kindenesse whych we do feale in that he did geue his own sonne to be made man of the seede of Abraham for our sakes howe canne hee but giue vs all thynges with hym To him therefore let vs geue all glorye Let vs serue hym wyth feare and tremblinge walckynge before oure God as our Prophet warneth reuerentlye doinge iudgemente and louinge mercye all the dayes of oure lyfe so shall the woes and cursses threatned vnto the wicked be turned awaye from vs and the blessinges promysed too the obedyente chyldrene be mooste aboundauntlie poured vpon vs. Graunte that wee maye this do to the honor of thy name for thy sonne our Lord Iesu Christe his sake So be it ¶ Prayse the Lord. A prayer for the kynge O Lorde euerlyuynge God Lorde of Lordes kinge of kinges Leade oure yonge kynge in thy faythe feare and loue Teache his heart thy secrete wisdome Strengthen hym therewith timelye before his people perish for the wicked dothe preuayle they do wallowe in theyr wickednes Dooe this for thy truthes sake whiche he doth professe Let not hys ennemies haue the ouer hande least they blaspheming thy truthe do saye where is hys God what relygyon hathe he professed So be it O kinge by truthe thou standeste defende thy truthe By righteouse iudgemente thy throne shall be established by wickednes subuerted Therfor hast thou the swearde by God oppointed to sette vppe the one too strike downe the other Thus do thou shal lyue se good daies O you that be subiectes vnder thys kinge of tender age be thanckefull too God for all hys wonders wroughte in hys tyme knoweledge that it is God that hathe sente him vnto vs and hathe sette forthe his truthe in his weake infancy and mightelye defended hym frome all treasonnes and traytoures rebellyons Repent of al former euyls and praye wythout ceassynge that the Lorde god may vouchsafe to guyde gouern and preserue him lōg to raigne ouer vs with the loue of Iustice Iudgement and true holynesse So be it
hys tyme both these .ii. kingdōs wer greuousli vexed with wars wtout treasōs within themselues They wer polluted defyled wyth Idolatry So far geuē ouer to mindes reprobate that forgetting al true worship of God and al natural inclinacion they did sacrifice theyr owne children by fyre vnto Baal These wycked tymes wherein he liued vnder Iotham Achas and Ichiskiah ar set forth in the .iiii. booke of the Kynges xv.xvi and .xvii. Chapters As for Samaria it was geuen ouer to al wyckednes zacharia the wycked Idolatrous kyng raigning but .vi. monethes was traytorously slaine by Sellum whych Sellum vsurping the crowne but one moneth was slayne by Manahen which also slew al the enhabitants of Thapsa and most cruelly murthered al the women wyth chyld rypte theyr bellyes and tyrannouslye wyth taxes trybutes dyd vexe all hys subiectes to mayntaine hys wyckednes which causeth our Prophet to saye that they dyd flay theyr skyns of theyr backs and the flesh of theyr boanes Then Phacea his sonne raygned after hym one yeare as wycked as hys father and they al walked in the wycked wayes of Ieroboam the sonne of Nabat whyche set vp the golden calfe Thefore were they geuen ouer to myndes reprobate wyth gredynes to fulfyl al theyr wycked lustes In the second yeare of the raygne of Phacea the son of Manahea Phacea the sonne Romalia wrought treason agaynst hym slewe hym and vsurped the crowne and departed not from the wicked wayes of hys predecessors kynges of Samaria Vnder him Theglathphallassar the king of Assiria inuadeth Galile and carieth away captiue the trybe of Nephthalim Agayn Osee the son of Hela wrought treasō against this Phacea slew hym vsurped his crowne Agaīst whō Salmanasser moueth war doeth beseige his chiefe city Samaria taketh destroieth it so leadeth the .x. tribes captiue into Assyria Thus with wars wickednes was Samaria destroied as oure Prophete warned in hys tyme broughte to an heape of stones whyche myght haue caused Ierusalem to haue taken heede to his threatnings But no warninge can serue the wicked and stifnecked For Iotham the king of Iuda and Ierusalem in manye thyngs a mā praise worthye thoughe he did se many of these great plages fal vpō Samaria for theyr Idolatry yet did he suffer his people to sacrifice in the hill altars contrary to God his holy commaundemēt As for Achas kynge of Ierusalem He was worsse thē wycked Achab kyng of Samaria for beside al other abhominacions he dyd offer hys sonne in fire vnto Baal after the maner of the heathen Cananees spoyled the treasures of the house of the Lord to geue them to Theglathphelasser And thoughe Ezechiah the good king folowing him destroied the idols did breake doun the hil alters and the brasē serpent thoughe I say the kinge himself fauored true religion yet was their olde wickednes so roted in the herts of his nobles cōmons that besides cōspiracies pertakings within his own realm also much war of forē nacions without wherwith God worthely plaged his subiectes for their stobernes Al theire walled Cytyes were taken by Senacheryb from the vttermoste borders vnto Lakis wherof our Prophet speaketh in the fyrste chapter yea Ierusalē was obsessed and beseged as he also prophecieth that thys plage shoulde come to the gates of Ierusalem Nowe we that reade and heare these olde thynges of Samaria and Ierusasalem their kings and Prynces In the ende of the worlde muste knowe that they are wrytten for our learnyng that we beynge warned by they re scourge Plage and fall shulde feare to doo the lyke wyckednes And heare in this prophet cheiflye we are warned of Idolatry ambition and extorsion As for Idolatry thoughe our gouernours here in Englande through the mighty hand of God haue forthe comforte of hys electe banyshed the outwarde shewe therof Yet one sorte makynge thys mooste godlye and glorious fact to serue their luker gayne to the sclaunder of such a notable enterpryse haue seemed too chaunge the kinde of Idolatri making the muck which they found heaped about those idols to be their god So that they maye worthely be called Idolaters so lōg as thei haue it kepe it set so much store by it nether is it anye newe learenyng to cal this their auarice Idolatry for so Paul calleth it to Ephesians the v. Chapter Another sort there is which in their heartes haue Idolles styll and vtter it when occasion serueth saying that it was a good worlde when theese Idols of Wasyngeham Canterburye and theyr blessed Masse were worshipped and regarded There be moo sortes whyche wyll be called Gospellers that haue some their bellye for they re God some theyr subtile wittes and worldlye policies some one thing some another so that in effecte Idolatrye is not banyshed but raigneth more clokedly amōgs vs too the ignominye and shame of the truthe of one God whyche wee woulde seame to set forthe and maineteyne As for ambicion extorcion the deuil practiseth at this daye too stoppe the gloryous kingdome of Christe by thyem and rayseth ambytyous stomackes haulte and proude mindes amongs those whiche would seeme the stoutest captaines of godlye cheualrye whyche thorowe theyr vnsacyable ambicion and gready desire of gathering althings into their hāds robbeth reaueth pilleth polleth and oppresseth theyr felow sougiours So that vnder theyr holy professiō and pretensed religion they do betray theyr graūd captaine and master of religion and worketh more wyckedly of the deuyls part for the contempt of God his word then doth any one whych openly beareth hys badge and cognisaunce Agaynst such therfore bryngeth our prophete sore threatenynges yea terryble thoundrynges Wherunto it behoueth hye and low the earthe and all earthlye creatures to geue eare and to harken For it is the woord of the Lorde not of man whych Micha bringeth The Lord hym selfe doth speake it from the holye temple of hys maiesty from whence he shal come downe ryghte shortelye to be bothe a wytnes and Iudge agaynst vs. Wherefore lette vs iudge oure selues nowe warned by God hys woorde that we be not iudged of the Lorde and so for our wyckednes wyth the worlde cōdempned For our God whose worde is now sent amongs vs is a consuming fyre before whome no syn can be cloked Hys worde is the hāmer breakynge the hard stone ¶ The word of God to Micha THe worde or message of the euerlyuyng Iouah that is of him whiche now s that hath beene that shal be By whome also al thinges haue theyr beyng for so much contayneth that hye name of God whyche we do for the most part translate lord thorowout the Byble because the Iewes not daring to pronoūce it neyther by any other woorde beinge able to expres so much of God doth place in the stede therof Adonai which doth sygnyfy Lord. Which I do note to thys ende to admonysh the reader to auoyde such cauillacions as the enemyes of the gospell haue here to fore styrred
downe and theyr highe lokes be brought lowe saythe Esay which is the meaninge of oure Prophete The Text And the hils shal melt For oure God is a consuminge fyre and who is able to abide the heat of his heauye displeasure and as Esay saith the Lorde shall come in fyre and hys Chariot shall be lyke a whyrle winde to vtter forthe hys furye wyth greate rage hys rebuke in the flame of fyre For in the fyre and the sweard shal the Lorde Iudge all fleshe Esay lxvi Now where the proude world dothe thinke that the lord liueth in the heauēs not seing nether regardīg their doings vpō earth our Prophet rebuketh that grosse opinion and telleth thē that as he dyd come terryble downe vpon the mounte Sinai when he dyd geue the lawe of the .x. commaundementes So wyll he come wyth fyre to make theyr heartes to melte when he wyll aske accomptes of the kepynge and fulfillynge of these holye commaundemēts The whiche fearefull communication and threatninge maye worthely cause vs in these latter daies vpon whom the end of the world is come to quake and tremble consideringe oure careles life whiche do al thinges so wilfullye and wickedlye as thoughe either ther were no God at al or no daye appoynted to make aunswere for oure doinges But the Lorde wyll come spedely from hys holye temple For the wickednes of Iacob The Text. all this and for the synne of the house of Israel After the Prophet haue threatned vtter destruccyon of the .ii. kingdomes Samaria Ierusalē set forthe by open similitude of the moūtaines melting the vallies cleauing in sondre like as wax doth before the fyrye flame he sheweth the cause of the ruin of thē bothe of the greate wrathe of God as all prophecies bee generall beynge geuen by one spirit whych seeth to the end euermore stryuyng agaynst the syn of al nacions So doth the spirite teach vs that the only cause of Gods wrath in al ages and al places is the synne and wyckednesse of the world for the which he said once It repenteth me that I made man Genesis .vi. For synne God destroyed the whole world whych he had made bothe man and beast saue only a seede reserued in the Arke to preach hys iustyce hys mercy in a new world renewed by hys spirit For the proude synful words of the old Giantes did the great plage of the confusion of languages come vp on the world whyche we doo feele vnto thys day so that one man vnto another beyng of a straunge nacion is made as it were a dombe and speecheles beaste For syn were the .v. cytyes brente wyth fyre For synne wer the old Giants Og kynge of Basan and the monstruous seede of Suachim destroyed For synne the Cananites the Heuites the Hethites the Iebusites and to be short after them who were placed in theyr Countryes the chosen Israelites beynge in noumber lyke the sande of the sea were myserably wasted destroyed and consumed The .iiii. pryncipall Monarchies whyche Daniel descrybeth be all beaten downe for sinne And the .x. litle hornes or kingdomes also hathe beene euery one of them ofter then once changed and translated Finally al realmes countryes townes and cities shall for synne haue the like ruine and destruccion Some sooner and sorar to cause the rest to repent and at the length all because the reward of synne is destrucciō by the myghty Lord hys vnchangeable ordynaunce So sore a thynge is synne in the syghte of God that who so euer synneth deserueth death This was the old learning which the Lord taught Adam in Paradise whych al the seede of Adam feeleth and tasteth continuallye and yet can neyther see nor auoyde the cause of theyr destruccion but as Media dyd say Euen seyng wittyng and wyllyng we do perysh Who was the cause of synne to Iacob was it not Samaria The Text and who of the hie places of Iuda was it not Ierusalem Thys sentence can not stand as it is cōmonly translate what is the syn because the interogatiue in the Hebrew is the Masculine gēder therfore must be referred to the author of the synne and hye places wherunto the aunswer also serueth that Samaria and Ierusalem that is to say the chefe cities and kings courtes are the causes of al wyckednes Idolatrous abhominacion Euen so so said Elias to king Achab Thou and thy fathers house hath troubled Israel whych haue forsaken the commaundements of God and followed Baalam For lyke as the kyng and court is such are the people as the experience of al ages playnelye teacheth For the people alwayes by flatteryng and counterfaityng kynges and princes doth imitate follow their maners condiciōs And thys is nothing vnnatural that the body and inferiour members shuld follow the qualities disposicion of the heade but rather impossible that it shuld be inclined any other waies Here is to be noted for the variety of trāslacion of thys text that it is a defectiue sentence and by sondry interpreters is diuerstye supplied lyke as many mo are in the old testamēt For the Hebrue tonge in sētēces of vehemencye and also of great haste doth leaue out certain words easy to be vnderstād itti mi who wyth me ha shalam how peace such eclypsed phrasies haue we in the Englishe tong as howe nowe horsse horsse Samaria was the kyngs of Israels seate as we reade .iii. Kyng .xvi. Amry king of Israel bought the hyl Thamor of Themer and buylte it for his palace wher as the kyngs wer named before to raygne in Thyrsa as appeareth in the same chapter This Samaria is much blamed in scripture because of the goldē calfes which Ieroboam set vp al the kings of Israel in this city chiefely maintained after hym And Ierusalem is annexed as her sister by byrth being both of one people brought forth of Egipt and also like of condiciō in al kynde of abhominacions as the thyrde chapter of Ieremye and xxiii of Ezechiel dothe at large vnder the names of Ahola and Aholiba declare Wher as Ierusalē is accompted muche more wycked because she could not beware by her systers fall but encreased her abhominacions and therfore much more greuouslye to be iudged and condempned In what case then are we lyuyng in these euil daies in our great cities courtes and kyngs houses whych haue not the terryble example of one of thē only but of infinite other set before our eies We do reade of the wycked kynges in Ierusalem Achas and Manasse which dyd not onlye excede in wyckednes the kynges of Israell and prynces of Samaria but they are charged that they far passe the wyckednesse of that people whyche the Lorde dyd driue forthe before them for theyr synnes And abhominations the wicked Cananees wher the kynges and Prynces were so euyl the people coulde not be good therfore did come vpon them horrible destruccyon at the ende What shall we saye in these perilous tymes wherin al men
wyth Dauid that we fall into the hand of God rather then into the handes of men The second Chapter WO to them that imagin vanity and worke wyckednes vpon theyr beds and early in the mornynge wyll do the same The Text because that power is in theyr handes They couetted fieldes and haue goten them by extorcion houses haue they desyred and taken them awaye They haue by vyolence oppressed the man and hys house the man and hys herytage Oure Prophet here to fore hath chiefly rebuked the people for theyr Idolatry and vnthankfulnes towardes god Now when he commeth to touch theyr grosse couetousnes agaynste theyr brethren he is compelled to cry wo worthe them that thus wyckedlye lyinge vpon theyr soft beds wher they should thank God for hys benefits and pytye theyr brethern whych haue not the like doth cleane contrary imagin only lying vpoÌ„ theyr beds in the nyghte season howe they may work wyckedly agaynst their poore brethren and in the mornynge do speedelye perfourme theyr wycked dyuyses Thys is so playne it needeth no expositour the Prophet telleth theym what they imagin only how they maye get theyr neighbours house and liuing We al grauÌ„t thys is playne we say al the thys is true we do coÌ„fesse an euerlastyng wo and cursse shal come vpon such couetous caytyfes but whych of vs careth for it The poore man sayeth thys curs belongeth not to hym The Lords and riche menne they care but for the tyme. The Bishops and priestes do loke ouer as the deuyll dothe loke ouer Lincoln as is the common prouerb of that countrye or els durste they neuer practise for purchasyng other mens landes and houses to make theyr wifes ladies and theyr sons Lords Yet can I prayse the Bishops of the Popishe churche for their clenly coÌ„uetauÌ„ce of their matters in regarde of our protestauntes whyche thus opeÌ„ly shame theyr profession Wil you yet be a church all alone O English Bishops and and priestes wyll you neyther folow Christ nor his Apostles neyther the Bishoppe of Rome and his Bishoppes At you wyser then the one sort or wyl you be worsse then the other What shall Isai You do know inough What shall I heape scrypture and reasons agaynst you repente or elsse with the Prophete we muste all crye wo wo agaynste you it is youre ambycyon and couetousnesse that maketh oure Lords heades and gouernoures to do so euyll you can not worthelye rebuke them beinge euyll your selues Therefore our alder Master Christe commynge to reform the world begynneth wyth the Scribes and Pharises the Byshoppes and thee priests and thoÌ„dereth wo against them Sayinge the Scribes and Pharises set in Moyses seate whatsoeuer they commaunded you that looke you obserue kepe but do not accordiÌ„g to their works for they speake but thei do not Wo therfore vnto you saith Christe whiche shut the kyngedome of heauen vnto menne neyther enterynge youre selues neyther sufferinge theym that woulde enter Marcke for thee loue of youre owne soules howe lyke you be to these Pharises they did set in Moises seate and dyd teache and preache the lawe of God as you do somtimes But because they dyd loue the worldlye kyngdome and Lordeshyp more then the kyngdoÌ„ of heaueÌ„ as Christe here chargeth theÌ„ that they wyl be greate and be called Lordes and masters by this lewd example they shut the kyngdome of heauen that neyther they nor other blynded by theyr ambycyon led astraye by their euyll example colde enter therin Woo vnto you Scribes and Pharises saythe he you Hypocrytes whyche doo deuoure the houses of the wyddowes vnder the pretence of longe prayer therfore shal you be more greuouslye punyshed You knowe that the goodes of your sees and churches althose lands and rentes whyche you receyue in youre Dioces are the goodes of the poore wedowes and fatherlesse And he that defrawdeth the pore is a Murtherer How dare you then deuoure thys to purchase landes for youre wyfe and chyldrene But you dooe it vnder the pretence of the Gospel as they dyd vnder the pretence of prayer therefore doothe Christe call you Hipocrites whiche vnder so holye a clooke dare couer your wickednes and he saythe forther youre damnacyon shall be greater Shall we goo forther and say Wo to you Scribes and Pharises whyche laboure so busylye wyth flearyng and flatteryng wyth threatnynge and prysonnynge to gather moo into your feloweshyppe too weare youre gaye geare too take youre vayne tytles wyth you that when they haue stepte forwarde too one peace of your supersticyon they become more soorar defenders of youre fondenesse then you were before them Shall we say Wo vnto you Scrybes and Pharyseis whych stryue for the gaye golden garmentes too be vsed at the Lords supper and for settynge of the aulter in the quyere and for rounde Cakes and for the people too gape and take theym in theyr mouthes lyke Babes But for the godlye ministracion of this holi supper and for the church and faithfull congregacion of Christe scattered a broade with Popyshe Boores deuoured wyth couetouse and greadye Wolfes Beares and Lions and trodeÌ„ vnder the fote with stinkinge Goates you do care nothynge I wyll goo no further but in the name of thys youre head Bishoppe whome you professe to folowe I warne you to repent least this woo and cursse come vpon you and for your causes vpon vs al. You are the salt of the earth if the salte be vnsauery what canne be seasoned therewyth I truste verelye there is some good amonges you that be Byshops and Priestes but in thys poynt ar you al that I knowe fowllye faultye that wyncke at your felowe Byshoppes and felowe priestes both in purchasing of Landes gatherynge of ryches and other abhominatyons Awaye wyth couetousnesse the roote of all euilles Awaye with your Lordlines which maketh you vnlyke Peter and take vnto you larges for your gold n Miter and mekenes for youre rotehet Bewyse as Serpents but simple as Doues So wicked Achab oppressing Naboth and his companions be they Noble menne be they penne menne wherof this worlde is ful I do cry wyth Esay the Prophet woo vnto you whych do iâ—ine house to house and field to field Esay .v. and with the Prophet Ieremye woo vnto hym that buyldeth his house in vnrightuousnes and his parlers not in Iudgement and wyth the Apostle Iames. Go to nowe you rych men weepe and howle vpoÌ„ the miseries whych shal come vpon you c. Ia. v. Know thys olde saying to be most true Euery rych man eyther is wicked or heyre to the wycked There be manye secret imaginacions and priuy practyses wherwyth both Byshops and other myghte here worthelye be charged but thys do I wryte secretly to admonyshe that they may be moued to repeÌ„taunce not openly to publish any pryuy secrete seyng theyr open crymes asketh speedy vengaunce Wherfore take heede al ye that imagyne vanitye and myckednes in youre secrete chambers thynkynge to begyle both God and man by your wyly
that come to anye common wealthe And these men hauynge theyr myndes occupied only in straunge loue can neuer be apt instrumentes for anye such seruice as myght be for the glorye of God for the kynges honor for common tranquillyty eyther in warre or in peace but vnprofitable to al purposes as experience proueth and the plage of God compelleth vs to pronounce Yt wer to long and tedious to touch the tenth part of your vayne imaginacions for the fyllyng of your pursses eyther in thys courte of the wardes or in the courtes of augmentacions and impossyble for any man to vtter theym in the other courtes neyther am I verye skylfull of them or in them thanked be the Lord but the euil effectes of them the pyllyng and the pollyng the extorcion and the brybery euery poore mā of the country feeleth and cryeth out ther vpon therfore am I compelled to touch it in hope that God wyl gyue you heartes to amende these thynges in whose handes the power resteth Wyl you be loued of your subiectes Wyll you haue no vproates nor commotion of youre commoners Thē let them see some cause or loue in you for forced violence and loue which commeth by cōpulsio◠cannot be longe lastynge The vaine imaginations or the late vpskips of Englande too make the people peasaunts and slaues is not the right path waye to quyetnes For euen now the cōmons are so base and pore that they cry out of the euil abuse and openly against the Iustices of the bench And what wil folowe trowe you in your subtile imagions fine wits O ye vpskippes the deuourers of the people and destroyers of al publique weal whiche by wardes by Symonye by lease mongynge and lyke Marchaundyse make waste thys hoole realme before your tyme most welthye O no◠le counsaloures se to the safetye of your selues youre subiectes in time The Lord our God hath oft shaken his rodde Let vs all repente of all vayne imaginacions against his holy lawes Especyally he to the fatherles as fathers to the wydowes as theyr husbādes and you shal be the obedyente children of the hyghest and hee shall tender you more then your owne mother as it is promysed in the .iiii. of Ecclesiasticus after the whiche rule I do wyshe oure courtes of wardes to be reformed to the glory of god the saluacion of your souls the profit of the common weale Nowe for the subtyle ymagynacyons of the other courtes I dooe saye no more but if you wyll suffer all youre spirituall menne as they be called too haue theyr fyrste fruites therewyth too kepe hospitalitie maintein the pore wherof this profit aryseth You shal driue thē home to theyr benefices and ceas muche slaūder whych before your cōmons they do seme worthely to lay vpō your backs They do come now once or twise in ii or iii. yeares to theyr Paryshe and saye O good people we woulde fayne keepe houses amonges you accordynge to oure dutyes but the kynges Offycers haue so muche of vs that we canne not recouer it thys .iii. yeares at the soonesse And I wote not what Deuyll is occasyon therof they take such a custome in this space that they neuer kepe good hospitality after If you wyll also reforme the wrong vnproper vsage of the impropryatyons fyrste geuen to the cleargye for teachynge of the people and releyfe of thee poore but sence that tyme aultered by subtyll deuyses too the monastaries and Abbayes and now come into the kyngs hands some menne canne tell howe If you wyll restore these and suche lyke to theyr former vses and leaue such vaine imaginacions as hathe ledde you too abuse thē you shal win the peoples herts seyng such chāges reformacyons whiche hitherto suspecteth al suppression of Abbaies of idols of Colleges of Chauntryes of hospitalles and all reformacyon of relygyon to be made only for your owne pryuate profytes and purposes whyche their suspycyon and fonde ymaginacyon as you doo accompt it canne no other wayes be wyped awaye be you sure but by the departynge from suche thynges wherein they doo see you take vnlawefull gaynes whereof parte are here named The spoyle of the fatherles and the spoyle of the pore in the goodes of the churche But thys geare is agaynst the kynges profytte and youres O my Lordes shall some vayne ymagynours twytle in youre eares Oh what shall the kynges Magetye gayne if hee wynne the whole world and do lose his own soul by mainteining agaynst iustyce against good consciēce agaynst God hys holy wyl your vayne ymaginacions myscheuous marchandyse and Symoniacall sales of youre gayneful chaffer Our Prophet doothe threaten the endles wo of euerlastynge dampnacion agaynst al vayne ymageners whyche hauynge power in theyr handes do hast to perfourme theyr wicked deuyses For thys is the sence and meanyng thys is the true vnderstāding of the latten and of the first verse wher the Hebrue hath El diuers haue translate the same God and hath therby encombred themselues wyth dyuersity of interpretacions But as it is taken by the best learned in the Hebrue toung it sygnyfyeth here in thys place power lyke as Gene. xxi and Prouerb iii. So that the prophet speaketh of thē which haue authority and power in theyr handes Neither is the spirit of God afraid of them any more thē of other Searche your own consciēces therfore you that haue thys power in yuur handes for all eniuries violence oppression yea of euerye vayne thought and Imagynacyon you shall gyue a full strayte answer and the mighty shall be myghtelye tormented The Lorde knoweth the thoughtes and imaginacion of man that they are but vayne and he taketh the wyse in theyr owne wylynes Therfore thus saith the Lord lo The Text. I do imagyne euyl agaynste thys family whence you shal not pluck forth your neckes neither shal you goo vpryghte because thys tyme is euyll At that daye shall the mourner make hys parable vpon you and mourne lamentably saying we are sore waysted and destroyed the porciō of my people god wyl chāge How shal he take that is myne our landes shall be restored the enemy shal deuyde it Because that these men of power did abuse theyr power agaynste theyr inferiour members imagenyng myschyefe vpon theyr beds Lo the Lord of al power wyl shorten theyr hornes and lessen theyr strengthe He wyll sette hys thoughtes agaynste theyr thoughtes hys deuyses shal stande He wyll laye a yoke vppon theyr neckes whiche shall cause them to stope and laye down these haute and highe lookes wherwith they ouerloke euerye pore man whome they wolde oppresse but beware you proude of the earthe whiche huffe vp youre noses into the wind after the srensh guise you shall be fayne to hange downe your heades for the shame and miserye which the Lorde shall worthelye bringe vppon you You haue dyspised the pore spoiled them of home and harboure broughte theym into bondage made theim youre slaues and Pesauntes haue kylled and
of the almyghtye Why then wylte thou suffer thy flatterers styl to bolster the vp in thy wyckednes and bid the procede in thine own imaginacions saying that God is mercyful he wyl not stryke Surely the lord is mercyful and hys words are comfortable but as the Prophet telleth the if thou walke vpryght So doth Moyses in the geuynge of the promyses at the fyrst adde thys condicion If thou wylt heare the woorde of the Lorde keepe it and do it thou shalte haue all the blessynges promised But if thou wylte not heare the woorde of the Lorde to fulfyll all hys commaundementes the cursses wryten in the law shal come vpon the. Deue. xxviii Wherefore neyther the Iewes in theyr tyme neyther we in our tyme may boast of the promyses vnles in walkyng vprightly we wyl fulfil our condicions and couenantes And alredy my people is risen agaynst me lyke an enemy The Text they do rente of the coate and cloke one of another Euen from hym whyche walketh careles by the waye as thoughe he were eskaped from battayle The wyues of my people haue you dryuen from theyr houses full of pleasures and from theyr chyldren haue you taken my glorye for euer O Lorde was thys the fal of Israell because they dyd stand agaynste Gods commaundemente openlye to defende theyr wycked wayes When Naboth was kylled Iezabell dyd dryue oute the pore widow Yea as the Hebrew semeth to sound wheÌ„ one againste other one froÌ„ another Mimul did snatch sctatch take reno the pore bribing froÌ„ the rich the rych pilling polling the poore vnto the bare skin WheÌ„ the strauÌ„ger trauailing maÌ„ was spoiled robbed as though he had bene takeÌ„ prisoner in battel The theues by the hye wayes the Sherifes iudges had part of the spoil wheÌ„ their princes wer become lions lerned to raâ—â—ne for theyr pray to deuour meÌ„ had learned to make widowes as Ezechiell speaketh of Iehoiakim Eze. xix if these crimes wer the cause of the vtter destruccioÌ„ of the chosen kingdoÌ„ as the prophet vt the mouth of god here vttereth what caÌ„ we loke for which haue filled the measure of wickednes so ful the we may eueÌ„ now feele it ren oner into our owne bosomes but onli by the iust iugemeÌ„t of god to suffer the like at our enemyes hands that we haue done to our brethreÌ„ neyghbours And here might occasioÌ„ serue to charge out relm with the sore haÌ„dliÌ„g of widowes fatherles childreÌ„ bi our wicked lawes of wardes our sore lawes of felonies wherby the poore widow innoceÌ„t childreÌ„ ar spoiled but I haue touched it before we caÌ„ loke for none other thiÌ„g theÌ„ the Lord threatneth if we do not repeÌ„t which is as we do rede Exo. xxii that he wil make our wiues widowes our childreÌ„ fatherles let vs beware therfore how we do driue forth of theyr laÌ„ds houses the poore desolate widowes cause theyr chyldren by our cruel dealyng to blaspheme God and cursse theyr parentes agaynst God hys commaundemeÌ„t and therfore against hys glory and honour The last sentence From theyr chyldren haue they taken my glory for euer is by diuerse interpreters vnderstand of the adultry wherwyth the chyldren wer diffamed accompted as Bastards other because that the childreÌ„ robbed of their pareÌ„ts had now none to brynge theÌ„ vp to the glory of god And some because thei had not their pareÌ„ts whoÌ„ they might honore in gods stede vnto his glori Munsterus also in his anotioÌ„s bringeth a very good interpretacioÌ„ which doth answer to the word for euer wher the Lord had create maÌ„ to be immortal which work was for don by sin it pleased the lord god by perpetual procreacion to recouer maÌ„kynde froÌ„ destruccioÌ„ so to preserue the world by this lawful procreacioÌ„ of chyldreÌ„ to the accoÌ„plishing of hys gloryous workes in his church this thing is meÌ„t by the sauing of the womaÌ„ by the bringing foorth of childreÌ„ in the secoÌ„d chap. of the first epistle to Timothe and in the .cxxvii. Psalme this which Micha calleth the glorye of the Lorde Dauid dothe call it the enheritaunce of the Lorde and Christe confyrmeth it sayinge that hys kyngdome is of suche and that theyr aungels doth alwayes sethe face of his father Wherfore whether they be slayne by Herodes solgiers or by English murtherers whether they be made odious by ours or they stinking whoredome whether the glorye of God be taken frome the chyldren by the court of wardes or other cruelty better were it for that manne by whom they bee hurte be it kinge or Caiser not onlye to haue forsaken all worlolye glory but to haue a milstone tied about his neck to haue bene cast into the botom of the sea if adultery if oppressioÌ„ if tiraÌ„nye if extorsion finallye if anye kynde of vyce dooe raigne vnpunished in anye kingdome of the chiefe heades and magestrates muste bee charged therewith whiche as Paule saithe doothe not onlye the like but are fautors and fauorers to theÌ„ whych do so wickedly which thing the spirit of the Lord is not shortned to see to shew sharply to punishe The Text Aryse gette you hence Thys is not youre reste because youre land is poluted therfore shall it destroy you wyth detestable destruccion Lostyl continually the Prophet beateth into our eares that syn must nedes haue destruccion folowynge that is the reward of synne from the begynnynge in so much that thys same land of Iury whych was promysed to be theyr herytage for euer was spoyled waysted and destroyed after that it was wyth Idolatry polluted and as Moyses threatened Leuiti xviii the same land shoulde vomyte them like as it did the Cananites saying Beware that the lande doo not like wyse vomit you sorthe agayne if you do the lyke wyckednes as it dyd vomyte forth the people before you Wherfore lyke as the Prophetes of al ages when they dyd see syn raygne vnpunished dyd cry out against the gouernours pronouncing these and suche like sharpe sentences agaynst them So may the Prophets and preachers of our tymes holdlye by the same spirite pronounce and publysh like destruccioÌ„ and ruine to ours here in England especially seing our country contaminax wyth couetousnes and polluted with glotoni lechery al kynd of filthines doth bringe forth new kyndes of disseases to other contries old phisicioÌ„s vnknoweÌ„ Here appeareth the Paul writeth to the Roma that this creature subiect vnto our vanities against her wil mourneth groneth to be deliuered froÌ„ thys corruptible seruitute and semeth thus to saye vnto vs O my children whose wyckednes wyth much werines I haue thus long borne susteined I must nedes aâ— the leÌ„gth ease my selfe of so vnprofitable a burdeÌ„ For your sins am I strikeÌ„ with steriliti baraÌ„nes you do dig so depe in my bowels by your greedy couetousnes that I must nedes breathe forth sulphuzeal ephalations poysened breathynges to destroi such a
serpentine generacion whiche toileth trauaileth so carefullye to kyll me youre mother youe selfs and your brethren The Text If a man walke vaynelye and with opeÌ„ lies lyinge vnto you do sai I wil Propheci vnto you for wine and dronkeÌ„nes he shal be a Prophet vnto this people As though he shulde saye oh it is a very hard and vnpleasaunt thyng for the people to heare their vyces reprehended and destruccioÌ„ for syn prophecyed Therfore can thei not bear the true prophets they cannot away with theÌ„ but as Achab answered vnto king Iosaphat askinge for some one prophet of the Lorde after that .iiii. C. false prophetes had prophecied plesauÌ„t things Ther is one maÌ„ yet left one liue but I do hate him because he doth not propheci vnto me good iii. Re. xxii but euil but what foloweth this refusing of the true prophet and chusing of the false The Lord sendeth a stroÌ„g elusion causeth Achab to perish by the counsel of the wicked lying prohets which wold not be saued by the councel of the good and true prophets read the chapter see the iudgmeÌ„t of god against theÌ„ which do refuse true prophets Agayne of the Prophets which folow wyne dronkeÌ„ship They haue erred for wyne gone astray for dronkeÌ„nes the preiste the prophete hath both erred for strong drynke Esa xxviii they ar swallowed vp of the wine they haue erred in vision and fallen in iudgement So doth al that seketh gaine voluptuousnes plesures they ought not to be trusted they ar lyinge prophetes yet are they only of the blinde world magnified receiued mi lords wil haue none other to their chapleÌ„s for with a fat prebeÌ„d such mai be choked that thei wil folow mi lord in al his foÌ„d waies and allow al his wicked counsels but that Micha that telleth the truth he is thrust forth of the dores he is of a furious sprit mylord hateth him as vnmete for his house al good coÌ„pany The Text I wyl gather the together O Iacob I wyl gather the wholy I wyll gather and ioyne together the remnaunte of Israel I wyll putte them together like the sheepe of Bozra and lyke as the flock gathered in the fold They shal hurle together for the great multytude The spoyler is gone before theym they haue spoyled passed the gate they haue gone forth therby theyr kynge hathe gone for the before them and the Lorde as theire captayne Such a gloryous Prophecye doth the false prophets bring forth to king Achab Go vppe to Ramoth saye they and the Lorde wyll gyue it into thy handes Agayne zedechia made him hornes of yron and sayde thus sayth the Lord with these shall thou tosse and folde Siria whiles thou haue destroied it So doth this gloryous sentence appere to be brought in of our prophet as a flatterynge illusion of the false prophet wherby thei did kepe the people styll in the coÌ„teÌ„pt of god the true prophets promisyng theÌ„ lybertye and tryumphe ouer their ennemyes notwithstandinge their enormities and greate wyckednes Such flatterers we haue in all ages Therfore take hede O England then that thus tell the 〈…〉 the in thy wyckednesse with â—ayre promyses they doo deceiue the and do seeke benefyces and Bishopprickes that they maye fil theyr bellyes with wyne and strong drynâ—◠〈◊〉 as the Prophete said before I do know that thys texte is for the moost part vnderstande as a Prophecye of the commynge of Christe and it maye wel so be but I had rather so to expounde the prophetes that they myght seme to hange together by comelye ordre then to teare them in peaces Bozra was a cytye full of people ful of sheepe and catall wherunto the fals Prophetes therfore dooth lykeÌ„ theyr felicitie The iii. Chapter Vt I sayde heare I praye B you O Princes of Iacob dukes of the house of Israel Doth it not pertein vnto you to knowe iudgemeÌ„t you do hate the good loue the eul you do fle of the skin of their backs and the fleshe of their bones You haue deuoured thee flesh of my people plucked their skin from of them and haue broken their bones crushed theÌ„ in peaces as in a pot like the flesh in the middest of the Chaldren Princes ought to know iudgmeÌ„t thei ought to be wise meÌ„ fearing god yea staÌ„ding in gods stede to the people hauiÌ„g the truth within theÌ„ that thei nede not to seke it at their chapleÌ„s They ought to be meÌ„ which hateth auarice Exo. xviii for thei execute the iudgmeÌ„t of the lord Deu. i. whatsoeuer thei shal iudge shal redouÌ„d be required vpo theÌ„ .ii. Cori. xix but you do thiÌ„k you mailiue as you list O priÌ„ces dukes of oure wycked time you do not thinke that you haue takeÌ„ an office wherof you must geue answere But that you haue attayned to such honoures that ye shuld be accompted as earthly goddes that no man shulde be so beard ye as to talke of your doings and dare followe the Pope in making such proclamations though they be such in verye deade as our Prophet heare paynteth which ar so plaine they nede no interpretacion Therefore I do say with the Prophet Esay heare O ye deaffe men and sharpeÌ„ your sights to se O ye blynde But who is so blynde as my seruaunt or so deafe as my messengers whome I sent vnto them For who is so blinde as my people and they that haue the rule of theÌ„ They ar like as if thou vnderstodest much and kepe nothing or if one herd wel but wer not obedieÌ„t The Lorde be merciful vnto theÌ„ for his righteousnes sake that his word might be magnified praised They do boast to knowe the woorde but beware the seruauÌ„t whiche knoweth dothe not shal be beaten with many stripes You do fle of the skiÌ„ of their backs If you do read the .xxxiiii. The Text of Ezechiel you shal se the difference betwyxt these euill pastors shepherds which fead theÌ„ selues with the spoil of the shepe the good sheperd which cherysheth his shepe Nowe wher our prophet sayth that the Prynces do hate the good meÌ„ and loue the euil it is the experience of al ages for dicers dauncers flatterers and such like ar receyued into their pryuyc hambers when true Preachers are prysoned And yf it chaunce that a noble man haue one honest man in hys house he is a sheepe amonges Wolues deluded and decyded by my Lordes owne minions and moste sage counsaylers at the length eyther banyshed or put to sylence because the whole course of hys lyfe conuersacion and coÌ„municacion is coÌ„trary to theirs and vnprofitable for theyr purposes Then shall they crye vnto the Lord The Text and he wil not heare them but wyl hide his face from them at that tyme lyke as they haue don euil in their wicked works Thus sayth the Lord of the prophets whych do seduce
the people thus the Lord sayth against them WheÌ„ they haue any thing to byte vpon then they preache that all shal be well but if a man put not soÌ„thing in their mouthes they preach of wat against him Therfore your visioÌ„ shal be turned to nyght and your prophecying to darknes The sun shall go downe ouer these Prophets and the day shal be darcke vnto them Then shal the vision seers be ashamed and the sothsayers confouÌ„ded yea they shal be faine al the packe of them to stop their mouthes for thei haue not gods woorde Lyke as the princes Iudges and gouernours hath bene turned from Gods to minister goodnes vnto Tyrants workyng al wickednes So shall God hymselfe brynge vpon theyr heades heauye destruccion And as the booke of wisdoÌ„e sayth these mighty men shal haue more terrible torment Sapie vi Then thought they cry vnto the Lord he wyl not heare theym but hyde his face froÌ„ them lyke as they haue turned theyr faces froÌ„ the poore rather regarded Hawkes and Hounds dice and cardes dauncing and tossinge of balles lyke babes then the pyteous coÌ„plaintes of theyr poore meÌ„bers made of the same molde boughte wyth one price with them And as for theyr chaplaynes whych do chop with theÌ„ their benefices geueth an whol yeres rent or thei enter or greater gaine peradueÌ„ture so long as my lord they can agree of couenauÌ„ts or that my lord wil get them mo promocioÌ„s they wil tel my lord he may hawke he mai hunt he mai bowle he may play at the bal what he wyl so he do stop their mouthes with somwhat al is wel it please youre grace but against theyr poore brethren which haue nothynge to geue theym they are cruell and deuouring wolfes They pole their parishners they pyl theyr tenauntes they send polling proctors are most redy by al meanes to trouble the poores to moue war against him both with theyr good word to my lord if nede be other pretipractise To these wicked hipocrits shal come darknes angwish sorow heuynes al the wooes and cursses all the plages spokeÌ„ of in the scriptures Thys great misery is ment bi night darknes as we may perceyue Esa v. xiii Ierem. xv Mat. xxiiii Here note also the terryble sentence of God his sincere iustice against the wycked whych shal cry vnto god and shal not be herd wher alway he heareth the good before they do crye Esay .lxv. he reiecteth the wycked wyth theyr sacrifie Esay .lxvi. The Text But I am ful of the power of the spirit of god ful of iudgemeÌ„t and strength to shew vnto Iacob hys iniquity and to Israell hys syn Here this I beseche you O princes of the house of Iacob and dukes of the house of Israel which do make iudgemente abhominable do peruert al equity building Sion in blud Ierusalem in wickednes Her princes did iudge for rewarde her priestes did preach for wagyes her prophets dyd prophecy for mony stil made the Lord their staffe saying is not the lorde in the mids of vs ther shal com none euyll vpoÌ„ vs. Therfore for your cause Sion shal be plowed lyke the field Ierusalem shal be an heape of stones the hyll of the temple shal be an hie woode Marke the mighty power of god his holy sprit o princes he causeth the prophets to speake or els thei do remain spechles Ieremye saythe I can not speake because I am a chylde But what answereth the Lorde saye not so Ieremy that thou arte a chylde for thou shalte go to all that I shall sende the and shal speke al that I shall commaunde the Feare not before theyr faces for I am with the to delyuer the saythe the Lord ye do set theÌ„ ouer the people sayth the Lord ouer kyngdomes to roote vp and to destroy too waste and scatter to buylde and too plante I shall cause the not too feare theyr faces for I haue made the lyke a walled cytye an yron pyller and a brasen wall to the kynges of Iuda to the Prynces and priestes and to all the people of the lande they shal fyghte against the but they shall not preuaile for I am wyth the sayethe Lorde to delyuer the. O whye are you faynte hearted whiche haue the lyke Offyce what can be sayde more to encorage you Whye dare you not crye agaynste the wyckednes of our tyme as the prophets dyd in theyr time Dothe not oure iusticiaries and iudges peruerte iustyce and make their iudgementes abhomynable Is there no rewardes in the handes of oure Prynces are al these fayre houses about LondoÌ„ or elsse wher gotteÌ„ with good coÌ„scyence and buylded without bloude Nay sure lye for one of youre greate builders dyd wryte worthelye vpon his walles a confession for al hys felowes No man waxeth ryche but by the discommoditie of others but you are but hyrelynges preachynge for wages and canne espye no faultes Yet dare you saye for these ramping Lions haue not they banyshed the Popishe religion is not God amonges vs haue not they set forth the Bible ar not they Gospellers Yes to theyr open shame doutlesse for heretofore ther was some pretence of religion some colorable cloke of vertue and honestye that is shaken of I do graunt and not so much lefte as fyg leaues to couer their shame howe can God be amonge thys people amonges whome the Deuyll raygneth and rageth by couetous ambicion whordome exhortacion contempt of true religion and all â—uâ—ill gouernaunce They haue set forthe the Bible that al menne may se how far thei do swarue in life froÌ„ God hys hollye woorde They are called Gospellers in spyte as I doo take it of the holye Gospell For the holye Gospell of God is slaundered and euyll spoken of booth of oure Papistes in EngLande and in other nacions so farre as our Englysh gospellyng is knowen Because in the beginning therof al things wer compelled to serue theyr couetousnes and lasciuious lybertye and so it is styl continued True relygion is sought of no body priuate gayne whyche aryseth of the great possessions of the spoiled kyngdom is sought of euery bodye and how perilous a thing it is to bryng such cursed spoyle into out houses read the .vii. of Iosue of Achan the sonne of Charmy and repent wyth the Niniuits both kyng whyche shal aunswer for all these iniquytyes and Dukes Earles Barons Byshops whyche do turne to your priuate commodityes thynges dedicate to publyke vses Repente I saye lest wyth Ierusalem your houses be turned into heapes of stones Ieremi .xxvi. hath the same sayinge forth of our prophet and our sauiour in .xix. of Luke The .iiii. Chapter The Text BVt it shall come in the last dayes that the hil of the house of the lord shal be prepared in the toppe of the mountaynes and it shal be taysed aboue all theyr toppes and the people shall flowe vnto it Much people shal go and
doubled That whyche he calleth the tower of the flocke because the people was gathered thyther thryse by the yere as the flocke is gathered into a folde he calleth it agayne the towre of the doughter of Sion and twyse hee saythe shall come that the Iewes shuld not despayre though they do se the time prolonged and defferred That whyche he called the fyrst kingdome hee calleth it agayne the kyngedom of the daughter of Sion promising them that the relygyon noble courage and iustice the glorye and wysdome of SalomoÌ„ or whatsoeuer was praise worthye in the begynnynge that same shal mooste fullye be restored in thys raygne of Messiah Esaye hathe the lyke in the ende of hys fyrst Chapter I shal restore thy iudges as in the beginning and the counsellers as at the fyrste Nowe whye doste thou crye wyth suche loude voyce The Text is there no kynge in the are thy counsaloures peryshed Because sorow is come vppon the as vppon the womanne that trauayleth As thoughe he shoulde saye I doo knowe my woordes wyll greue the so muche more as all thynges semeth vnto the fleshe desperate Thou dooste lacke thy noble captaynes and counsaloures vnto whoÌ„ thou haste trusted the whiche heretofore hath delyuered the. And because thou hast made flesh thy arme trustinge to muche to thy kinges and counsaloures and further haste exalted thy selfe whiche art but dust and ashes as thoughe thou haddeste power of thyne owne wythoute me and therefore are these sorowes come vpon the euen the sore panges and throwes of trauaylyng wemen Lamente The Text and sorowe O Doughter of Sion lyke the womanne trauayelynge for thou shalte nowe goo foorth of the citye thou shalte dwell in the feild Thou shalte goo to Babylon But thence shalte thou be delyuered There shall the Lorde redeme the frome the handes of thyne ennemyes Thou muste I saye to beate downe thys vayne confydence and hoope thou haste besydes me befoore chastened but be sure thou shalte bee delyuered in the ende Thus saythe the Prophete O see of the same delyueraunce Along time thou shalt looke for me and not be coupled to any housband nether yet ten of whoreyng and I wyll looke for the thou shalt be without king with out Prince and priest and after returne and seeke the Lord thy God and Dauid thy king and feare the Lord for thy good in the last dayes The Text And now shall many nacyons of the Heythen be gathered agaynst the saying she is polluted our eyes shal behold Syon and haue their desyre vpon her but they haue not knowen the thoughtes of the Lorde nor vnderstand hys couÌ„sel For he hath gathered them as a handful into the barne Aryse and threshe thou daughter of Syon for I wyl make the hornes of yroÌ„ and hooffes of brasse and thou shalt breake in peeces muche people And I shall dedycate vnto the Lorde theyr spoyle and theyr riches to the Lord of al the earth The Prophet gothe forthe to declare the state of the Iewes in the dayes of Messiah for of that tyme all do take it Now because the time is not come wherin the Iewes shall receyue oure Christ as theyr Messiah theyr God and theyr king I do iudge it vnmete for any man onlesse he haue some specyall Reuelacyon to wade anye farther then the opeÌ„ woorde of God in the secrete worckes whyche then shal be shewed nether may it be accompted as a greate â—aulte to anye of vs if we do clearlye confesse oure selues ignoraunte what or howe many nacyons shall be gathered agaynste Israell or howe they shal be destroyed but rather a greate presumptyon if we shuld rashlye to take vpon vs the cleare lyght of suche secrete misteryes Like as of the other part I suppose the rashe iudgmente of some whyche do say that the Iewes are so dampned and al together cast away that they cannot be restored as it appeareth euydentelye too bee pronounced agaynste the scryptures so ought it not to be allowed but brotherlye to be reproued As for those enemyes of theirs whyche reioyseth at thys longe captiuitie and maketh them a â—estynge stocke and a by woorde the Lorde sweareth Ezechiell .xxxvi. that they shall suffer shame and â—ewyl sanctyfye hys hyghe name whyche was polluted amonges the Gentiles and they shal knowe that he is God In the .xxxvii of Ezechiell God promyseth the restorynge of the Iewes by the raysynge of deade bones where in â—e breatheth the spyryt and lyfe whyche is the receiuinge of them wherunto Paule alludeth Roma xi saying what shal be theyr receyuynge but lyfe frome the deade Ezechiel xxxviii xxxix is this Prophecye of Micheas at the full sette foorthe who so shall haue the Reuelacyon of the spryte for to see thys wonderous woorckes as for vs to whome it is not fullye opened wee dooe praye that too the glorye of God and the renoume of hys hyghe name it maye in the due tyme be reuealed Cryinge in the meane season agaynst oure blyndenesse as did Paule wrytynge vppon the same hyghe mysterye O the profounde deepenesse of the ryches wysdom and knowledge of God howe vnsearcheable are thy wayes and incoÌ„prehensyble thy iudgements For who hath known the minde of the Lorde or who hath bene hys counsayle geuer Vnto vs it shall be enoughe whyles that tyme do trye the truthe further too consyder the ennemyes of Israell all mooste tryumphynge ouer it sodenly by the mighty haÌ„d of God destroied such as Pharao SaÌ„herib Rabsace Nebuchadnezer Antiochus Herod And oure ennemyes whyche are the spirituall Israel wonderfullye vanquished and by Christe and hys woorde put too confusion The Romyshe Antichrist wyth hys Idoles hys Cardynalles hys Byshoppes hys shauelynges Monks Chanons Fryers hys Priestes regulars and irregulers oute of al the rules and orders of honestye whych Heathen companye were entred oure lands were gathered agaynste vs. Countynge vs polluted Heretikes worthye too satysfye theyr bluddy eyes wysh our deathes hangynge and burnynge But they dydde not knowe the thoughtes of the Lorde that hee suffered theym too rage that hee myghte be glorified in the ende when they shulde be threshen to powder geuynge hys faythefull suche power that they shulde treade down al the power of theyr aduersary lyke chaffe to geue God the glorye of thys spoyle and too knowledge thys too bee hys woorcke to the glorye of hys name God graunte that we vnto whome God hathe geuen thys tryumphe be not forgetful to paye oure vowes vnto our Lorde The Prophete voweth in the personne of vs too dedycate and to geue hym not only the calfes of oure lippes but the riches and spoyle to be a moment and as he calleth it Anathema a thynge so separate vnto the Lorde that no manne may touch it much lesse conuert it to any pryuate vse Neyther is this the vow of our Prophet onelye but a playne commaundemente of God Deuter. vii Thou shalte brene wyth fyre theyr grauen Images Thou shalt not couet theyr syluer gold wherof they are
forme vpon hym and a voice was heard from heauen sayinge Thys is my beloued sonne in whome is my delyte Mathew iii. and .xvii. Marke .i. and .ix. Luke iii. and .ix. and all the Gospell of Saynte Ihon wrytten for the same purpose agaynste the Ebeonites Agayne Romaynes i.viii.ix and .xi. Corinthyans .v. Galathyans .iiii. Philippians .ii. Collossians ii.i Timothe ii.iii Tytus ii Hebrues i.v Yf the testymony of one of your Rabbynes O Iewes or of your phantastycal Prophetes O you rennagates Anabaptystes seme great vnto you Let the voyce of God from heauen the testemonye of all hys holye Prophetes Patriakes Martyrs Apostles doctours and faythful wytnesses of all ages be greater and of more wayghte vnto you Let your own saluacion be more deare then the deuyles delusion Let the author of truth be heard and banysh the authour of lyes The Lord God sayth by his holye Prophete Ezechiel Ezechiel xxxiiii I alone wyll feede my flocke straight he addeth My seruaunte Dauyd shall feede so that you maye see that boothe theese are but one whose feedynge you muste desyre yf you bee not of the loste sheepe for there is no waye to God the father but by Christe whyche is heare called the seruaunte Dauyd neyther canne anye manne come to Christe the onelye shepehearde of sowles vnles the father drawe hym A Prayer VVherefore O Lord God and heauēly father the God of Abraham the God of Isaac the God of Iacob whiche dyddest promise vnto Abraham that thou wouldest bee the God of hys seede for euer Whyche haste promysed also too subdue Moab Esau that is to saye all heathen miscreauntes too thy chosen Israel and to gather vnder one shephearde thy seruaunte Dauid Christe oure sauioure all they scattered shepe bothe of the Iewes and Gentyls that there myghte bee one sheppehearde and one folde Mercyfullye beholde thy flocke amonges them boothe dyspersed and scattered erryng wanderynge and goynge astraye wyth peruerse myndes and erronyous opinions farre from thy foulde not knowinge as yet nor regardynge the voyce of thy sonne the onlye good shepherd which did geue hys soule for his shepe And draw them we besech the home agayne to the fold of thy son Iesus Christ wythoute whō there is no saluaciō no cōforte no health no hope no stay of cōscience But imserable wanderynge from erroure to erroure and in in the ende vtter desperacion Haue mercye therfore of thy miserable stray shepe for theyr shepherde sake for thy prayse sake and for the glorye of thyne owne name for the amplyfyinge and enlargyng the kyngdome of thy sonne Christ who is declared God all readye in the flesh by hys manyfest miracles iustified in spyryte sene of the angels preached amonge the people beleued vpon in the world and receyued in glory and shortly shal come in the same glory to make hys ennemyes hys footestole So be it Nowe to oure Prophete from whom we maye seme to haue made ouer longe a digression same that this wicked time requireth it Therefore wil he geue them The Text He wyll geue them to the Babilonians and Romaines to be vexed oppressed and euyll entreated And then whē all semeth mooste myserable and desperate shal thys chylde bee borne whyche shall gather together this scattered people thys is it whiche we laboured to declare in the .iiii. Chapter Howe Messiah shoulde come in a tyme mooste myserable whē the scepter shuld be taken from Iuda and geuen to a foran Tyraunt as it was geuen to Herode a Romayne at the commyng of Christ And euer before was it in the hand of some of theyr own Prynces eyther of theyr kinges either of theyr Machabees either of theyr coūsalours whome they called Sanhedrin How be it Herod hauing the whole nacion suspected dyd take away all their offycers and set in hys captaynes But here is promysed a newe delyuerance when thys chylde commeth a restoryng and gatheryng of the chyldren of Israell together Whych we do vnderstande to be already begone when he did come into the worlde in fleshe to preache the glad tydynges of hys kingdome in openynge hys fathers greate mercye and good wyll towardes vs mooste vile and wretched synners and too make of vs Gentylles whych were lykedomme and dead stones touchynge the knowledge of GOD chyldren vnto Abraham and true Israelytes To make vs whych were not his people to be accepted as hys people and then shal it be most perfitely fulfylled in the end when ther shal be but one shepeherd one fold The Text And he shal stand and feede in the strengthe of the Lord and in the hyghe name of the Lorde hys God and they shal returne for nowe shall he be magnyfyed to the endes of the earth Loo the power of Messiah it shal be no fleshly or humane power but it shall be the power of the euerlyuynge Lorde and the hye name of God wherein he shal feede hys flocke as Christ sayeth in the .x. of Ihon I am the good shepherd and I do know mi shepe I am knowē of mine euen as the father knoweth me euen so do I know the father and I do laye downe my soule for my sheepe No man taketh it from me but I do laye it downe of my selfe I haue power too laye it downe and I haue power too take it agayne My sheepe dooe knowe my voyce and folow me and I do giue them euerlastyng lyfe neyther shal they perysh for euer Neyther shal any man take theym forth of my hād My father which gaue me thē is greater then all and no man can take them forth of my fathers hād I and my father are al all one Who can bring a more cleare exposicion of the feadynge and power of Messiah thē he here doth hymselfe Neither may it trouble any scrupulous cōsciēce that the prophet nameth him his god for so sayth Christe that his father did giue him thys shepe meanynge as he beinge fyrste in the forme of God wythoute all wronge equal vnto God did make hym self of no reputaciō like vnto man in the forme and shape of manne so dyd God gyue hym all thynges and was named hys God As he was man humbled and broughte downe euen too verye deathe wherein hee cryed bearynge oure myseryes and fealynge the wrathe of God againste vs for oure synnes Eloi Eloi My God my God whye haste thou forsaken me wherefore also God hathe exalted hym to the hyghest authoryty and geuen hym a name whyche is aboue all names that in the name of Iesu al knees shoulde bowe of heauenlye thynges of earthlye thynges and of infernall spyrytes And all tounges shoulde confesse that Iesu is the Lorde too the glorye of God the father lo the manhode in that he calleth his God and receyueth of the father and Godhead of Messiah in that all knees shall bowe and worshyp hym lyke as in the .xlv. Psalme He is thy Lorde thou shalte worship hym Where as in Deuteronomi .vi. it is written thou shalt worship
the Lorde thy God only And they shall retourne The Text for now shal he be magnified to the ends of the earthe Hear is the promise of the restoring of Israell and magnifyinge of the kingdome of Christ rehearsed which is more at large set forth in the latter end of the laste Chapter of Esay the Prophet and Ezechiell .xxxvii. And herein shal be peace The Text If Assur shall come into our land and if he shall come to treade in our palaces we shall rayse agaynste hym .vii. Pastoures and .viii. Princelike men and they shall fede the lande of Assur wyth the swearde and the lande of Nimrodde wyth they re owne sweard poyntes And shall delyuer vs from Assur if hee come into oure lande or if he treade vpon oure borders In thys raygne and gloryous kyngdome of Messiah shall be peace And as the Hebrewe demonstratiue Oz serueth because it is of the masculyne gender Thys Messiah is thys peace and peace maker vnto vs accordinge to the saying of the Apostle He is oure peace whyche hathe made two people one and hathe broken down the wal whych was a stop betwixte vs takinge awaye the strife euen the lawe of the commaundementes standinge in decrees by his fleshe For to make vs .ii. boothe in him selfe one newe man makynge peace and reconcylynge bothe in one bodye by the crosse takinge awaye all enemyte by it And thus dyd come and preache peace to the gentiles whyche were farre of and to the Iewes whiche were neare Ephesi ii Loo thys is the peace whereof we shoulde reioyse that we beinge iustified by fayth in him haue peace wyth God Romaynes .v. and by hym are pacyfyed thynges heauenlye and earthlye Thys shorte sentence doothe insynuate so greate a mysterye lyke as doothe the outewarde ennemye and outewarde delyueraunce folowinge importe and signify the wonderfull worekes of Christe in his church Thys peace was it that Aaron was appoyneted by God too wyshe vnto the people in all hys blessynges Numerye vi A lyke promyse of peace is made Leuiticus .xxvi. I wyll geue peace in your borders you shall steape and no manne shall afraye you I shall take awaye euyll beastes and the swearde shall not goo thorow your borders You shal persecute your ennemyes and they shal fal before you Fiue of you shal put to flight an hundreth and a hundreth shall pursue ten thousande Your ennemyes shal fall wyth the swearde in your syghte Whyche is lyke thys promyse of the destruccion of Assur and the lande of Nimrod whyche are boothe one thyng For thys Nimrod was the begynner of the kingedome of Babilon the cheife citye of the Assirians and vnder the destruccyon of hym and hys lande is insumate the destruccyon of all Tyrauntes and ennemyes boothe spyrytuall and temporal Agaynste whome the Lorde oure God at hys appoyncted tyme rayeseth vppe .vii. for one too destroye theym and hathe alwaye viii foulde so manye too helpe hys electe as the ennemye canne haue to hurt theÌ„ Yea God of hys mighty power and stretched out arme canne bryng al hys ennemyes to vtter confusion in the twynkling of an eye as it is moste manyfest in manye places of the old Testament So that the power of the ennemye can be reckened but a .ix. or .x. parte a verye small thynge to the power of the faythfull As dothe appeare mooste not ablye .iiii. kynges .vi. by Heleseus whiche seinge his cytye Dothaim beseged wyth manye Garrisons of sowgioutes biddeth hys seruaunte not to be afraied forther is mo with vs saith he then with them and prayeth for the openinge of his seruauntes eies And lo they were opened and he did see the hyll full of horsse and fyrye Chariots round aboute Heliseus And the Lorde at the prayer of thys manne of God did smite all the Sirians with blindenes and caused theim so to be ledde by the Prophete vnto the kynge of Israel whose destruccyon they soughte The lyke powre of God agaynst the Assirians is red .ii. Re. xix ii Chronicles .xxxiii. Esay .xxxvi. and manye such pastoures and Princes hath the Lorde set vppe for the delyueraunce of hys in all ages especyallye to beate downe Assur He sent Cirus hys annointed in whome wee maye see a fygure of Christ Esay xlvi of the delyueraunce by Messiah reade Ezechi xxxvi.xxxviii.xxxix Whereby as by all the other thou mayste vnderstand the spirytual delyueraunce from al helly powers This Phrase of .vii. and .viii. betokeneth abuÌ„dauÌ„ce plenteth of captaynes lyke as the xi chap of Eccle. you may read the same The feadinge with thesweard and the swearde poyntes is a manyfeste Ironye and scorne of the ennemyes alludynge too the name of pastoure and feadynge And the remnaunte of Iacob shall be in the myddeste of many people The Text as thee dewe frome thee Lorde as the droppes vppon the herbe whyche looketh for no maÌ„ neyther trusteth in the chyldren of menne Loo .ii. goodlye propertyes wherewyth God beautyfieth thys chosen Iacob thys scattered and despised people faythe haue they howe farre soeuer they be scattered abrode whyche looketh vp to the heauens not regardyng the help of anye manne no more then dothe the dewe whyche falleth downe vppon the hearbe wythoute the ayde of manne And like as the dewye drops after great heate dothe cheryshe the grasse euen so they do brynge forthe woorckes of mercye pyty comforte and refreshynge to the people amonges whom they do liue and are conuersaunt These be the two tokens of the true Iacob but these remnantes of Iacob must be tryed with the fyre As zachary sayth .xiii. I wyl bryng in the thyrd part of Israel by fyre and wyl try them lyke as syluer is tried and fyne them as gold is fyned Thys is the remnaunt whych are saued by free eleccion as Saynte Paule sayth Romaynes .xi. Chapter and howe the remnaunt of Israell shal be watered wyth pure water frome heauen and thereby looke vp toward heauen to kepe and fulfyl the lawes of theyr Lorde and so encreased and waxe gloryous reade Ezechyell .xxxvi. Chapter The Text And the remnaunt of Iacob shall bee amonges the people lyke the Lyon amongs the wiâ—d Beastes and lyke the Lyons whelpe amonges the flockes of sheepe whyche when hee commeth by doothe teare in peeces and trample vnder hys feete and there shall be none to delyuer Thy handes shall be lyfted vp vpon thyne ennemy and all that hate the shall be rooted vp Thys is it that Iacob dyd Prophecy of hys posterytye in the latter dayes to be fulfylled Genesis .xlix. shewynge to hys chyldren that whyche God had opened vnto hym of Iuda whome he nameth to be lyke a Lyon a Lyonesse a Lyons whelpe to vtter hys power amonges men As the Lyon is called the chiefe amonges the beastes he shall destroye hys ennemyes and bynd hys colt to the vyne and washe hys garmente in the bloude of the grape Whereby is vttered the greate power and glorye that he hathe prepared for hys chosen
threfolde cable The best amongs thē is lyke a bryar the ryghteous lyke a thorne of the hedge The day of thy ouersears the day of thy vysitaciō is come nowe shall they bee full of perplexitye Here may we se how the spirit of god is in hys holy saints prophets is vexed trobled for our wickednes i. King .x. Elias thus wayleth I haue lyued long inoughe O Lord take away my soule I am no better then my fathers And the Lorde calleth vpon hym he answereth againe I haue bene zelous feruēt for the lord of hosts because the children of Israel haue forsakē thy couenaūt They haue destroied thine altars slaine thy prophetes with the swerd I am left alone they seke my soul to take it away Esay lvii Esay saith the iust perisheth no man regardeth it in his hart The good merciful are gathered to their graues Psal xii Psal liii no man vnderstandeth Dauid crieth also Saue vs O Lord for the holy ones do fayle waste the faithful ar cōsumed frō amōgs the childrē of mē Againe the lord loked down frō the heauēs vpon the children of Adā to se if ther wer any the dyd vnder stād or that did seke the Lord. Al ar gon bak together thei ar abhominable ther is not one that dooth good no not one Do you knowe nothinge O you worckers of wyckednesse whyche dooe eate vppe my people as men doo eate breade and calleth not vpon God In al theese thynges that oure Prophete and other holye wryters dothe charge you O Princes iudges and Magistrates examyne your owne conscience and iudge youre selues that you be not iudged and condemned wyth the wycked You are here likened to Caine whiche did lye in wayt for his brothers bloude You are likened to Nimroth huntinge your brethrene to catche them in youre nettes If you wer not such we shoulde not heare of suche sodayne tal and ruyne of noble houses But what soeuer you doo that muste bee well done saythe oure Prophet so stoutlye wyll you defende your own doinges too make euyll good and good euyll as Esaye saythe and to cloke your wycked worckes if you do feare anye daunger The Prince that beareth cheyfe rule and maye do the mooste too hyde youre myscheyfe he muste be won wyth gifts and if he be suche one as will receiue thē he shall haue whatsoeuer hee wyll aske the iudge must haue part of that whiche is geuen the greate ryche man by this meanes bryngeth forwarde hys purpose to the destruccyon of hys owne soule Whiles this thre folde cable is thus linked Therefore dothe Esaye threatning woo and destruccyon to them that thus drawe inquitie with cables of vaniti and wickednes with carte roopes Whyche counteth euyll good and good euyll whyche do iustifye the wycked for gyftes And saythe farther Lyke as the flame of the fyre dothe deuoure the stuble Esaye .v. so shal the roote of suche be like the coles and theyr budde be like the duste This similitudes of briers and thorns are broughte in for this purpose to vtter the stinginge and prickinge of wickednes As bryers and thrones do prycke al that handleth thē whiles thei do growe and when they are hewen vppe they are good for nothinge but to kindle a speadye fyre So saythe oure Prophete that the best and mooste rightuous amonges them are noisome and harmful vnto mē and fit fire brandes for the furi of God This shal be knowen most plainelye on lesse we do repent when the daies of our visitacion commeth which is at hande when affliccion sorowe and carefulnesse and pietie and doutfulnes shal come vpon al fleshe as foloweth Geue no credence to thy frend The Text truste not thy brother keepe the doore of thy mouth from hyr that lieth in thy bosome For the sonne slaundereth the father the doughter riseth vppe agaynste the mother and the daughter in lawe againste the mother in law Beholde the sorowe ampietie and doubtfulnesse whiche foloweth by iuste plage the worldlye Tirauntes and euyl dooers They dooe stynge ano prycke euerye manne that medleth wyth them like thornes they muste of no necessytye therefore feare dystrust and be vndoutefull of euerye creature as Dionysius the Tiraunte and suche lyke where of some not trustinge theyr owne wifes were compelled to searche theyr pryuye chambers nightelye and they re wyfes coffers credite therein barbarous and cruell sougioures Other durst not trust theyr owne doughters but fearynge all other creatures refused the healpe of they re Chamberlaynes and other seruauntes Durste credyte no barboures to shaue theyr beardes but vsed the help of theyr Doughters whyles they were yonge to shaue theyr beardes but when theyr doughters did growe to more age and yeres wherein they were able to dyscerne theyr fathers doinges the fear of theyr owne conscience like Canites for the crueltye they hadde shewed to other wold not suffer thē to commit thē selues to theyr own flesh and blud to their bowels which did come forthe of theyr owne bodies But saide within them selues as did cruel Cain Eueri one that can finde the oportunitie wil slay me and so wyth their owne handes they were compelled to swing of the hear of theyr own beards with brenninge coles This is the greate and greuous plage that the almyghtye threatneth to laye vpon the wicked To make hym lyke a boylynge sea whyche canne haue no rest whose floudes dooth rage to their owne ruin ther is no peace nor reste too the wycked saithe the Lord God Esay lvii This did appeare in Cain after he hadde killed his brother as it was sayde before thinkinge by iust iudgmente therfore that euerye manne shoulde slaye him that shoulde mete him And because in oure peryllous tymes there is so many Canites it is no meruel though eueri man be afraied of his brother no mā trusteth another the noble feareth the cōmōs the commones trusteth not the nobility These are the last dayes wherein iniquitie dothe abounde loue is loste charitye quenshed faythe and truste are dryuen forthe of mannes company If there be anye tokens of loue shewed it is for some wicked purpose either for the clokinge of some vice or the withdrawing-from vertue and godlinesse suche therefore we muste alwaye suspect And if thy brother the sonne of thy mother as Moises saithe or thy sonne or thy doughter or thy wife that is in thy bosome or thy friende whom thou loueste as thine own life be about to perswade the to the worship of straunge goddes or anye such obhominacion thou mayest not onlye not geue credence vnto them but to help to punish them Deu. xiii If the Emperour should sende his Interim into England or the Pope his decretals that all the fayr promises that the wicked can imagine defye them bothe and deteste theyr flatterye If anye Frenshe or Scottishe Ladye shoulde flatter for lyke purpose she oughte moost horrible to be detested and abhorred remembring that