An ouersight and deliberacion vpon the holy Prophete Ionas made and vttered before the kynges maiestie and his moost honorable councell by Ihon Hoper in lent last past Comprehended in seuē Sermons Anno. M D.L. Excepte ye repente ye shall al peryshe Luke xiii Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum ¶ To the mooste puisaunt Prince and our most redoubted Soueraign Lord Edward the syxt by y ◠grace of God Kyng of England Fraunce and Ireland defender of the fayth in earth next and immediately vnder God of the Churches of England and Ireland the supreme head And also vnto the moste wyse godly and most honorable Lordes of his highnes priuie coūcel his most humble louing and obedient subiecte Ihon Hoper electe and sworne Byshoppe of Glocester wysheth al grace and peace from God wyth long and the same most godlye prosperous raigne ouer vs in all honoure healthe and perpetual felicitie AMong al other moste noble and famous dedes of kinges and Princes none is more godlye commendable nor profytable to the cōmon wealth then to promote and set forthe vnto their subiectes the pure and sincere religion of the eternal God kyng of al kynges and Lord of al Lordes Then shal iustice peace and concord raygne the doore of Idololatrie be shut vp vi the whyche hath entred all euyl and kynges and kyngdomes fallen into ieopardye as the writinges of y ◠Prophets do testifie But the more thys noble fact is glorious godly and princely the more difficile hard it is For the enemy of God of al mankynd the Deuyll customablye is wont to deceiue the princes of y e world so that eyther they vtterly neglect the religion of the true God as a thynge folyshe and of no estimacion eyther prouoke thē cruelly to persecute it If he cā bryng neither y e one neither the other of these to pas he wyll do the beste de can to preserue a myxte and myngled religion that shall nether playnly be agaynst nor wholye wyth hym And so vse the matter that partly goddes truth shall take place partly the supersticious inuēcion of man The whych myngled and myxed religion is so muche the more daungerous as it is accompted for pure and good Therfore it is earnestlye forbidden by God as the examples of the scripture declareth Iehu the kynge of the Israelites when he had remoued all grosse and sensible Idololatrye and with the swerde had taken away all the Idololatricall priestes iii. Reg. x is reproued of God neuertheles because he walked not in the lawe of God wyth all his herte and lefte not the wayes of Ieroboam And againste these minglers and patchers of Religion speaketh Elias the Prophet iii. Reg. xviii Howe longe sayth he wyl ye halt on both sides If y ◠Lord be God folow hym if Baal go ye after hym Euen so we may iustly say If y ◠priesthod ministery of Christe with his notes and markes be true holy absolutely perfect receiue it in case it be not folow y ◠pope Christ can not abide to haue the leuē of the pharises myngled wyth hys swete flowre He wold haue vs ether hote or cold the luke warme he vometeth vp and not wythout a cause For he accuseth God of ignorancie and folishenes that entendeth to adorne and beutifye his doctrine and decrees with humaine cogitacions What kynge or prince of the world wold suffer hys statutes lawes and testament to be cut of and set on at euery mans libertie and pleasure Shulde not the same glory maiesty and honour be geuē vnto the lawes and testament of Christ that is sealed wyth hys precious bloude The worde of God wherwyth he gouerneth and ruleth his church is a septer of yron Psal. ii and not a rod of wylowe to be bowed wyth euerye mans finger either a rede to be broken at mans wyll no neither a pece of lether to be stretched and reached out wyth any mans teth These thynges be spoken of me most gracious and vertuous kyng to commende youre maiestyes and your moste honorable councels doinges that seke the glorye of God and the restituciō of hys holye and Apostolycall churche The whyche thing as your highnes your most honourable and wyse councel haue gracyouslye be gon goddes mercye in the bowels of Chryst Iesu graūt you moost gratiously to perfourme The people of Englande were oppressed wyth the vyolente and cruel tyrannye of Antychryste darckenes and ignorauncie occupied y ◠mindes all moost of all menne so that fewe knew the true way to eternal saluatyon And yet manye Prynces and wysemen delyte and tarye in thys darckenesse and can not or wyll not bare nor suffer the radiant and shynynge beames of the Gospell more then the night crow can the beames of the sonne but the merciful father of heauen shall better their syghte when hys good and mercyfull pleasure is But the Lorde be praysed your magestye youre moste honourable and wyse counsel haue not cared what y ◠greatest parte but what the better dothe that the lawe of the hyghe and myghtye God maye be knowne to your hyghnes people as did Dauid Iosaphat Ezechias and Iosyas And in your maiesties so doing ye bynde not only the true and lyuynge members of Chryste to geue God thanckes in thys behalfe but also declare your selfe to be the verye fauroure nource and helper of the word of God according to the sayinge of Esaye .xlix. Perseuer gracyous kynge in thys quarel daungerous enterpryce Youre hyghnes shall not neade to feare eyther the strength or cautelles of your ennemyes for there is no witte wsdome nor coūcel against y e Lord as Salomō saith pro. xxi No although they had syluer as the grauell of the sea and golde as commune as the claye of the stretes zach ix for albeit the horse is prepared for the day of battell yet the vyctorye commeth from the Lorde Prouerb .xxi. I am he sayth the Lord that do comfort you what art thou that fearest mortall manne eyther the sonne of manne that shalbe made as haye canst thou for got the Lorde thy maker y t streachith forthe the heauens and laieth the foundacion of the earthe Esa. li. Let these diabolycall soundes speakynges of euel menne nothyng trouble your highnes nor your wise and godly councellour◠As long as the kynge is in hys tender age hys councell shulde do nothinge in matters of religyon For those mens folishenes rather I shuld sai malice is condemned by the worde of God that teacheth howe a kynge in hys younge age wyth hys wyse and godlye counsell shoulde abolyshe Idolatrye and sette forthe the true godly religyon of the liuing God Thus declareth the notable godlie facte of Iosias that folowed the relygyon of hys father not Ammon the Idolater but of Dauid nor declynynge to the rightt hande neyther to the left hand And destroyed not onlie the Images of his father but also of Ieroboā of Solomon iiii Reg. xxii .xxiii.
The second the faciliti and promptnes of these Niniuites to beleue and amend their religion and cōuersaciō doth condemne the vngodlye obstinacye and frowardnes of such as detract and prolong their amendemēt and saye they wyl belyue when the kynge commeth to age Thus the deuil geueth thē one occasion or other to defer their belefe If the kings magesty and hys Nobles shoulde hate the trueth they woulde saye howe can we beleue the doctryne y t our learned and wyse Magystrates detesteth If the kynges maiestye and hys nobles loue and fauoure the best part thei excuse thēselues vpō the tender younge age of the kynge as thoughe hys Magesties yonge age or olde age coulde make any religion of God true or false when in deede all ages and powers be or oughte to be subiecte vnto the religion and law made allredye and geuen to be obserued of and by all menne of what sort condiciō or state so euer they be of Thys thynge came to the Kynge of Niniue who arose frome his seate doyng of his apparell clothed hym selfe in sacke cloth It is not wythoute a synguler councell of the holye goste that thys kynge is mencionated of so copiously Nether that hys behauoure and doynges after hys conuercion is so diligentlye manyfested Fyrste the Texte setteth forth the manner of hys conuersion and sayeth he returned vnto God vpon the fame and rumoure of Ionas preachynge Wherefore we learne how much the truth is wurthye to be estemed seyng that a kynge vpon the brute thereof made by hys people embrased and resisted not as now we se many tymes done by the greatest part of the world Euē so did Iosias as soone as he beynge yet but a chylde hearde of the true boke of God embraced it .iiii. Reg. xxii So dyd Dauid and Iosaphat heare graunt to the admonicions of y e Prophetes All kynges therefore and magistrates shuld harken vnto the truthe and learne it them selues oute of the lawe Deut. xvii But thys studye and knowledge of gods lawe in Princes and kynges the Byshops Priestes and other do let bearyng them in hande that it appertayneth nothinge to theyr office to study and labour in the worde of God but the iudgement and study therof to be committed vnto them and so by y ◠same meanes they perswade cause prynces many times to persecute the truth and veritie by ignoraunce as the kynges of Israel dyd that burned the wrytynges of the Prophetes But most gracious kyng and ye my lordes of hys most honorable coūcel Ye haue not only heard the rumour fame of Gods word but wyth your owne eares haue heard youre selfe the truth and ye do credit and beleue the same therefore in al thynges expresse and declare it in facte And most gracious kynge take ye hede that the vertues ye learn and be brought vp in in youth ye practyse exercise them in age And incase your Magesty wil so do beware of one thing y ◠poison of flaterie The whyche youre Magestye may vse as a good medycine and not a poisō if ye take hede of it Yt wyl be poison yf your grace thynk your selfe to be at al times as flaterers wyl bear youre hyghnes in hand to be It shall be a medicine yf your Magestye studye to be the same in dede that flaterie commendeth Youre Magestye may see an Example hereof in kynge Iehoas that in hys youthe fauoured and sette forthe the truthe but in hys elder dayes he fell from it by the meanes of flatteroures that deceaued hym But youre Magestye shall do best to folowe thys Godly Kynge of the Niniuites and embrace contynually the word of the lyuynge God And thus shal youre grace be the better able to doo incase youre highnes woulde haue before you euerye Sundaye one sermon whych shoulde brynge muche knowledge grace into youre hyghnes courte Nowe foloweth the fruite of thys Godly kynges penitence Fyrste he ryseth from his seate and putteth on sackclothe Of thys we learne that infayth and true repentaunce is no diuersitie betwene the king and a meane subiect And thus shall it be at y e later iudgemēt The rych the poore the kyng the subiect y ◠bishop y e prieste al shal apere naked before the trone of Christe and be holpe nothyng there by anye tytle or name of glory Here the honor and ryches haue theyr estimacion and glorye Let all men therfore looke to amend theyr fayth and lyuyng here in thys worlde As for this external doing on of sackeclothe it was the maner at that tyme so to doo and declared theyr repentaūce and amendemente And so I woulde it were nowe He that offendeth in apparel he wolde remoue the pryde thereof and goo soberlye he that in meate would vse more sobryetie Yet noman shuld thyncke any holines to be in the external vestiment nor yet any hurt or dānacion in the meate but the abuse of both displeaseth God As for the vestimentes of the priest in y e ministerie I wolde wyshe the Magistrate to remoue thē for they either shew or not shewe vertue If they shewe not they vse theym in vayne If they do declare and shew vertue eyther the vertue is wyth them in deede or absent If he that weareth them haue the vertue why sheweth it he to the world If he haue not the vertue then is he an hypocrite whom God hateth ¶ The other frute of penaūce of the kynge wyth hys counsell beyng conuerted to God THere was as the texte sayeth a proclamacion made throughe al the Citye of Niniue by the cōmaundement of the kyng and hys councell In thys proclamacyon fyrste muste be marked who be the authours of thys proclamacion Then what is cōtayned in the proclamacion The persons be the kyng and the Nobles of hys realme In these persons fyrst note that it is the Kynges offyces and the Peeres of the realme to pourge theyr cōmune wealth from false relygyon by Publycke and open proclamacions So dyd Nabuchadnezer Darius and Cirus kynges of moste notable fame therefore Christe calleth the Princes the Nurces of the church And so I doubte not most Gracious kynge but youre hyghnes wyll accordynge to your tytle style pourge thys Churche of Englande to the puritie and synceritie of gods woorde Farther we learne howe that the Prynces and councellours of a realme shoulde helpe foorth the Godlye purposes and statutes made for the glorye of God wythin a Realme So was this kinges Godlye purpose holpe by hys councel so Dauid so Iosias In that the kynge and hys nobles do confyrme the doynges of hys people we learne that Godlye magistrates shuld not let but further and confyrme al godly purposes and vertuous study of theyr people when they study amendement of false relygion so did Iosaphat Ezechias and Iosias ¶ The sūme of the proclamacion IT containeth the true and ryghte forme of repentaūce that pleaseth God whyche is contayned in foure partes Fyrst in outwarde sygnes of heuynes Then
This scuit of Iosias holp his godly coūcellers vertuous priestes Euē so Ioas beynge but a child was holp by his coūcellers in the lyke procedinges reformaciō of religion In case y t princes Bishops priests had not knowen it to be the cōmaundemēt of God to haue obeyed these .ii. yonge godlye kynges they wold not haue consented vnto his procedinges But we see howe gladde they were to do it The Princes and councellours moued no sedicion the Bishop and the priestes soughte not for the defence of their proper doctrine eyther to myngle theirs with goddes but were content wyth the sole and onely lawe of God Ye noble Princes and councellours praise be vnto the liuinge God for your great wisdome and godlye assistaunce in this behalfe And the Lorde be magnifyed in all the godlye and learned Bishoppes and others of this Realme that haue and do put to their helpes and studies to brynge the churche of Chryste to her olde and reuerende perfeccion agayn And al other that hynder your maiesties godlye purpose openly or secretelye God wyll douteles reuenge at length The godly and vertuouse begynnynges moste noble Prince of your father the kynges maiestie Henry the eyght of a blessed memorie shall by your hyghnes godlye be ended in hym that can and wyl do al thinges for Christ his deare sōnes sake And a thousande tymes the rather shal your maiestie restore agayn the true ministerie of y e church incase ye remoue take away all y ◠monumētes tokens leauinges of papistry For as longe as anye of them remayne there remayneth also occasion of relapse vnto the abolyshed supersticion of Antichriste Seynge I see in the writynges of the Prophets God to require the obseruacion of his lawe onely concerninge religion and threatneth all Prynces priestes and prophets w t his displeasure that neglecte or contaminate it with their own cogitacions I can do no lesse howe soeuer the worlde shall take my doynges but exhorte and pray the magistrates to brynge the churche to her fyrst perfeccion For if I shulde studye to please man herein I were not the seruaunt of God And I am afrayd leste the dissease that infected the Pharises infecteth also many now a dayes that minister in the church vnto whom Chryst spake Ihon .v. Howe can ye beleue that seeke glorye one of other and the glory of God ye contemne God geue grace I maye not saye Hinc ille lacrime Helpe ye therefore O ye Byshoppes and pryestes the kynges maiestyes and hys noble couurelles procedinges that all thynges maye be broughte to a perfecte and Apostolicall reformacion it is not inoughe to laye the foundacion of the temple but there muste bee buylded vpon it golde syluer and precyous stone But in anye case wee muste take heede we laye no strawe nor stubble upon the foundacion if we do it wyll be burned i. Corrinth iii. If wee do not buylde vp vpon the foundacion then shal we be shente as the Israelites were Agge .i. Lette no manue excuse hym selfe vpon the kynges maiesties age for the age canne not excuse the kynges maiestie it selfe If hys relygyon in hys youthe be accordynge to goddes woorde he hathe the fauoure and promyses of God to blesse preserue and keepe hys maiestye and hys Realme thoughe the Deuyll and hys members wolde saye nay If in youthe hys maiestye take a wronge relygyon he shall bee assisted of goddes displeasure as it is to be seene .iiii. Regum xxi Manasses beynge of twelue yeres olde was crouned kynge and in his youth reuoked the Idololatry that his father Ezechias had abolished and in hys so doing displeased haynously y ◠maiestie of God at lēgth was sore afflicted and punyshed for his so doyng Behold y ◠displeasure of God in a yonge kynge for a false religion Ieoachim crouned the eyght yere of hys age for the euyll he dyd in the syghte of the Lorde he was taken prisoner by the kynge of Babilon .ii. Paral. xxxvi wyth all the goodly vessels of the Lorde Thys kinge raygned but thre monethes ten dayes before the Lorde reuenged the false doctrine he mainteined These examples I dout not moste godlye kynge and vertuouse councellers moneth you to be carefull of the true religion The Lorde hathe strengthe and power inough seeke ye hym and geue no place to the infirme perswasions of the flesh for the Lorde shall be wyth you Souche as thynke peace and quyetnes shal come to the realme a better waye then to haue the true relygyon of God restored they shal knowe the contrarye in the Prophete Ie. Chapter .vi. the whyche Chapter if the kynges maiestye bare in mynde and folowe it is wourthe a kynges reuenue If a Lord the value of hys lande if the Byshoppe the estimacion of hys Byshopprycke if the marchaunte the gaynes of hys laboure if the husbande hys Oxen plough And the same commaunded God Leuit .xxv. Obserue my statutes and my iudgementes then shal ye dwell safelye in the earth and the earthe shal brynge forthe her frute ye shall eate and be satyfied and dwel in the earthe wyth out feare It is a fonde opynyon most gracyous kynge and vnmete for a chrystyan man to bare the Magystrates of God in hande that incase the doctryne of Chryste and hys holy sacramentes shuld not be decked and set forthe wyth these plausible and well lykynge ceremonyes that is to speake playnelye w t papysticall superstisticion it were to be feared of sediciō and tumults Doutelesse if the Popes members woulde not deceyue the people but teach thē gods word y ◠people wold sone see the truthe and willingelye leaue asmuch as God and their king shulde commaunde them as y ◠gests and factes of Iosyas and Ioas declareth Moste gracyous kynge and noble councellers as ye haue taken away the Masse from the people so take from them her fethers also the aulter vestmentes and suche like as apparelled her And lette the holye communion be decked wyth the holye ceremonyes that the hyghe and wyse preyste Chryste deckyed and apparelled her fyrste of all And frō whence myghtye Prynce and soueraygne Lord spryngeth warre and sedicion Come they not frome the onlye God beynge angrye for the neclectynge of hys lawe so we be taughte by Esa. l. And Ieremye .ix. sayeth who is wise vnderstandeth thys and he vnto whom the mouth of the Lord hath spoken declareth wherefore the earth perisheth and is like vnto the burned wildernes y t no man maye passe by it And the Lord sayed because they haue forsakē my lawe whyche I put vnto them and hearde not my wayes and walketh not therein but folowed the desyre of theyr owne hertes and after Baalimas they were taughte by there fathers And because wee myngle mennes inuencyons wyth his lawe For he sayeth menne worshyp hym in vayne wyth the preceptes of men Math. xv And in the .ix. of Ieremy the Lord declareth other manner of causes of warre and sedicion The forsakynge
xxxv If the gistrate dyspense either for fere of hym that shoulde suffer exequution or for anye profit or gayne and punysh it not what both he other thē prouoke theire of God agaynst hym selfe the hole realme For the Lorde sayeth he wyl not dwell in the earth tyll it be pourged wyth the bloude of hym that shed the bloud Nume xxxv Let all men therefore in the commune wealthe knowe and feare thys doctrine of Paul Ro. xiii The magistrat beareth not a sweed in vayne Let the Maiestrate take hede of two things first y t vnder the pretexte and cloke of the lawe to serue hys affeccion or gayne he punyshe not y ◠innocent In thys offended the kyngs and magistrates of the Israelites that for the maintenaunce of theyr supersticion false religion and corrupt maners kylled and put to deathe the Prophetes and the Apostles So Iesabell caused Naboth to be slayne iii. Reg. xxi The second let y e magestrate take heade he absolue not him that God condemneth and cōmaundeth to be punyshed for gayne affection good intencior els for any folyshe preposterus pety for so doing Saul loste his kyngdome .i. Samu. xv reade the place And Ahab the kynge of Israel for dimissyng of Bennaud as god said they soule shalbe for his soule .iii. Regum fourtene Euen as here is occacion to admonishe of iustice towardes euil doers so is it to speake of warre and how it may be vsed lawfulli by magestrates The magestrate offendeth when he beginneth or continueth any iniuste battel or of affeccion punisheth any innocent person So Iosyas offended althoughe he was a good man in makinge warre with the Egypcians where as honest conditions of peace was offred and was slayne for his laboure The magestrate of the other part maye offende if he in case he see his subiectes oppressed and wyll not defend thē as Abraham did his neuie Loth and other Agayne thys battell he is daylye bounde vnto to warre agaynste vice and to punyshe synne and incase he see anye rebellion to resiste the iust execusion of iustice not to feare for God wyll helpe his procedinges Deut. xiii And it maye be seen that God wyl fauoure the magestrate that fighteth against his owne brother if it be to amende vyce and to kyll synne For in manner the hole tribe of Beniamin was destroyed for the defence of adulterie Farther a maiestrate fighteth iustly when he resisteth vniust forse whether it be of foren ennemyes or of his owne rebellious subiectes Of such lawes as shulde be kepte in the tyme of warre it is written Deut. xx xxiii Luke iii. Oure warryers haue made of war a menes and waye to all robberye and spoil The captayne by hys fayth is bound to haue as many as his allowaūce chargeth him with all but lyke a thiefe he deceyueth the Kynge bothe of hys noumber of menne and robbeth hym of hys goodes and for lacke of true paymente to the halfe number that he is appoyneted vnto he weryeth the good wyll of the poore Souldiours that extreme pouertye wyth syckenes for lacke of paymente of theyr wages causeth theym to passe neyther of the Kyng neyther of the commune wealth And as these vniuste and alreadye dampned Capytaynes excepte they repente wyth receyuers paye Masters vitaylers and other destroye not onelye the lawe and Magesty of Armes but also deceiue the Kynge by pyllyng and pollynge the poore needye souldyours so decaye vndo they the hole commune weale For they come to serue the cōmune wealth of lytle or no valewe at all in seruyng of the commune wealthe they enryche them selues vniustly to the vtter impouerysshynge and beggerynge both of the cōmune wealth and the heades thereof And well both Magistrate and Souldiour meriteth the same For the one trusteth he knoweth not whom other then vpon reporte the other prepareth hym selfe to the warre for defence of his contrey with horedome thefte and all abhominacyon And by false theuish meanes bryngeth more to the war then is hys owne no maruell then though God set such a thiefe ouer hym as wyl geue hym lesse thē is his dew True men were wount to go to batel and such as prepared theim selues with the feare of god to liue and die for theyr Magistrate and coūtry nowe the veryer thiefe and blasphemoure of the God of batel the better soldiour Wel God maye gyue the vyctorye to suche blasphemours for a tyme but doutles it wyll not nor cannot continue Loke vpon all the warres that Moses wrytteth of in hys fyue bokes and then shall ye knowe the same Wherefore I humbly requyre all Magistrates bothe in peace and warre to punyshe chiefely these two vices adulterye blasphemye incase they would haue either vyctorie in war or quietnes in peace As touchyng swearyng and blasphemye it is knowen vnto al men of God how the law condemneth it in the fyrste table Exodi xx Deutronomi v. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in vayne for God wyll not leaue vnpunyshed suche as abuse hys name Of an othe I thyncke it therefore conueniēt to speake sumwhat There is two maner of othes the one of custome or of sport the other serious and graue requyred and taken before the Maiestrate or Iudge The Fyrst is deuyllyshe damnable and nought of euery part and forbidden by god to all christian mē The other that is taken for the glorye of God the defence of the trueth or helpe of a mans neyghboure as necessitye shal require is laweful and godly But in this lawful oth a man may offend two maner of wayes Fyrst if hys hert and mynde be not accordynge to hys woordes but that hys mouth speaketh one thing and the herte thyncketh an other thynge the seconde if he that sweareth sweare by anye creatures Both these be blasphemous before God And in case it be damnable in a noughty matter to sweare by creatures is it not the same trow ye daylye and folyshly of custome to sweare by a mans hande hys heade by the masse and suche lyke The more vile the thynge is we sweare by the more is the othe detestable before God Wherefore in thinges not necessarye and requyred lawfully to sweare by anye thyng is synne In wayghtye matters to sweare by ani thing except by god is no lesse offēce That may we see .iiii. maner of wayes By reason y ◠holy scripture exāples the Canon law By reasō thus to sweare is to protest promise the thing we sweare to be true before hym y ◠knoweth the thoughtes and cogitacions of the harte that knoweth onlye and solye God therefore is it blasphemye to sweare or attribute y e same to a creature as they do that sweareth by creatures Agayne euery oth hath annexed wyth it an inuocacion and execracion An execracion that he by whom we sweare maye punyshe and curse vs if we swere false An inuocacion that he by whom we swere woulde helpe vs if we sweare true But onely
from their wicked wayes he repeÌ„ted of the yuel whyche he sayed he would do vnto theÌ„ and dyd it not Ye haue hearde howe thys myghtye kynge at the preachynge of Ionas corrected both hys faythe and maners And how by publycke proclamacion he wylled al hys subiectes to do the same Of thys fact of the Niniuites we maye learne how that it is our office to obei vnto al godly and vertuous commaundemeÌ„ts proclamacioÌ„s and decrees of princes as many times as they coÌ„maunde amendement of relygyon and maners But oure people and especially the multitude of Priests be otherwyse affected for they do dysobeye both God and theyr kyng It were a charytable way yf they haue anye thynge to obiect agaynst thys reformacion that the kynges Magestie and the couÌ„sel godly inteÌ„deth to bring forth argumentes not force and violence of armoure God therfore seeth that is to say approueth their works not because thei wer clothed in sackcloth but because thei turned from theyr wycked waies that they had chaunged theyr fals religioÌ„ restored y e goods agayne they had by vyolence and extorcion takeÌ„ from theyr neyghbours and euerye man walked in hys vocacion And euen as the Lord pityed them so wyll he doo vs yf we amend our faythe and conuersacion and lyue in oure vocacion accordyngly Esay lviii Ezech. xviii But and if we hate not from the bottom of oure hartes y e yuel we haue committed we tary styl in deathe That God repenteth on the yuel he purposed to do vnto y e Niniuites we learne that al y â— threatniÌ„gs of god be coÌ„dicionally y t is to say to fal vpoÌ„ vs if we repeÌ„t not of our iuel deds That is Godly shewed Iere. xviii in these wordes Repente lo quar aduersum genteÌ„ â–ª et aduersus regnum ut eradicem et destruam et disper dam illud Si penitenciaÌ„ egeâ—it geus illa a malo suo quod locutus sum aduersus eam ago et ego penitenciam super malo quod cogitaui ut facereÌ„ ei That is to say I wyll speake quickly agaynst the people or kingdome to wast and destroy them If that people agaynst whom I haue deuysed coÌ„uert from theyr wyckednes immediately I repent of the plage that I deuysed to bring vpon them The same may ye se. Esech xviii zach i. Turne vnto me sayth the Lorde and I wil turne vnto you yet shulde not God be accoumpted inconstaÌ„t though he punyshe not as he threatned for thys is hys nature that can not be chaunged to receaue penitent sinners into grace Esech xviii Mat. xi Io. iii. v The heresy and false doctryne of the Catharones that denye mercy and remission of sinne to sinners is damnable and naught ¶ The fourthe Chapter of Ionas The Argument THe suÌ„me of this chapter is that God wyll shewe mercy vnto penitent and sorowfull synners yea though al the world wold say naye Thys mercy god declareth in this chapter not only with words but also with a metaphor similitude of a tre ¶ The diuision of y â— chapter IT is diuided into two partes The one conteineth how Ionas was angri for y â— merci coÌ„passioÌ„ god toke vpoÌ„ y â— peniteÌ„t Niniuits wherfore he is reprehended of god The second part coÌ„tayneth how Ionas beyng in the fieldes is taught of the Lords by a tree that sodenly growed vp and sodenly peryshed agayne that he dyd noughte to be angrye wyth gods doynges towards the Niniuites and declareth farther that he coulde do none other then saue them Therefore Ionas was sore dyscontente and angry he praied vnto the Lorde and sayde O Lorde was not thys my saying I pray the when I was yet in my Countrey Therefore I hasted to fly rather to Tharsis For I knowe well inough that thou art a mercyfull God full of coÌ„passion longe suffering and of great kindnes and repentest wheÌ„ thou shuldest take punyshmente Of thys text we learne first how horrible and wycked the peruersenes of oure nature is seyng Ionas I can not tel vpon what loue towards him selfe is angrye and not wyth man but with God that wold fauoure of mercy the sorowful Niniuites Seyng ther was suche imperfeccion and infyrmities in the holye Sayntes how much nede haue we to see what lyeth in vs myserable and wrâ—tched synners Oute of thys texte also wee learne what difficultie hardnes is in y e office of preaching if it be truely and wel done coÌ„tinually whether it happeÌ„ and come to passe y t he speaketh or it come not to passe the preacher staÌ„deth in dauÌ„ger of obloquie and contempt We maye se an example hereof in Ionas that preached by the worde of God the destruccion of Niniue whych if it had come so to passe they woulde haue called Ionas a cruell tyraunte and seker of blud And now that he seeth the citi spared he feareth least he shoulde be accomted a false prophet not only among hys owne countrimen the Israelites but also amonge the Gentils and then al his preachynge shoulde be taken for a mockery Thys contempte so sore feareth Ionas and is therwythal so troubled that he offeÌ„deth God greuously I may accommodate y â— same fortune vnto my self and others right wel When we speake for a reformacion of the church scholes and polycyes In to the churche we wyshe to be putte such ministers as can would teach the doctryne of the apostles and that they should not be knowen by theyr vestimentes and shauings but by their doctryne TheÌ„ such as would minister the sacramentes grauely relygyouslie and simply as Christe and hys Apostles dyd In Baptisme nothynge to be vsed but the woorde and the symple and bare water In the supper of the Lorde to vse the Ceremonies and Rites of Christ and hys Apostles and al occacions of supersticion to be auoidid But although this doctryn be as true as Christ his Apostles be yet I perceiue displeasure greate ennimitie ryse here vpoÌ„ to me to other yea not onely vnto vs that be subiectes but also to y e kyngs magesty his most honorable councel But the lord kepe vs out of teÌ„ptacion gyue grace and strength to do all thinges to y â— glorye of God to praye for our enemyes And as touchyng scholes specially y â— vniuersities they muste be amended and good heades rulers apoynted in the Colleges or els y e word of god shuld be hindred alwaies bi such as ought most to set it forth Such godly meÌ„ as haue wherw tal shuld helpe prouide to haue schols to bringe vp youthe in euerye where through thys realme theÌ„ shuld godli learned childreÌ„ occupy y e place of supersticious ignoraunt men wherwithal this realme of EnglaÌ„d is sore to much god amende it pestered hurt withal this might bishops in theyr dioceses help wel if they inteÌ„ded as muche good as they beare the worlde in hande they dooe and bestow some part oâ—