THe worde or message of the euer­lyuyng Io­uah (y ^t is) of him whiche now s, that hath beene, that shalbe. 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 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 shalbe, by whom al creatures haue theyr being [Page] 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 reuerēce the name of oure Lord God frō 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 [Page] and my ladyes grace, & is ther nothinge left for the Lord of al Lords, the kynge of all kynges, but Gods bloude, Gods woūds, Gods passiō, 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 frō his holy tēple.

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 [Page] 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, reuerē 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 [Page] 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 coūtenaunces, 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 ex [...]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 [Page] 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, e­uē 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 [Page] 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 mē 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 cō 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 shalbe exalted for it shall come vppon all the hyghe and proud, vpon al them that ar arrogant, and they shalbe broughte lowe, and vp on all the hyghe Ceder trees of Lyba­nus, and vpō al the Okes of Basan, & vpon al the high hilles, and vpon eue­rye high tower, the pryde of mē shalbe brought 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 shallbe 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 y ^t 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 [Page] 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, y ^e vallies cleauing in sondre, like as wax doth before the fyrye flame, he sheweth the cause of the ruin of thē bothe & of y ^e greate wrathe of God, & as all prophe­cies bee generall beynge geuen by one [Page] 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 [Page] 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 [Page] 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 [Page] 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 y ^e 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. [Page] 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 y ^t 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 cō plaineth, religion to be neglected, charity to be clene quēched, al good maners & orders peruerted and corrupted, coue­tousnes so depelye grounded, and ryot so rooted in theyr hartes, whyche haue authorytye ouer vs, that these poysons are spred lyke smyttinge lepryes, from the heade to the hole bodye euen to the soules of the feete and lowest mēbers.

Repente (we saye) O you prynces & iudges of the earth, remember these examples of olde, consyder that al is laid vpon your backes, for you must answer for the sinnes of the people, euen you I saye, whiche shuld be as it wer earthlye goddes vnto the people, to minister [Page] all goodnes. Become not deuils the authors of euil and wickednes, haue ofte in minde the godli sayings of the boke of wisdome, that power is geuen vnto you of the Lord, & authoriti frō the hi­est, which shal examine your woorkes & shal serch your very thoughts, because that you being the ministers of his kīgdome, haue not vsed righte iudgement, nor kept y ^e law of righteousnes, nether haue you walked after the wil of God.

Horribly therfore and spedelye shal he appeare vnto you, for a moste straite iudgment shalbe to them in authoritie. Vnto the smal mercye shal be shewed, but the mighty shalbe mightely tormē ­ted. &c as in. Sapi. vi.

Repente we crie again O ye lords of the earthe of your former negligens in religion. Lay downe your couetouse ambicion, sease from ryot and your las­ciuious wantonnes. Awaye with your stinkinge fornycacyon. Let go your oppression and extorsion.

Sease to do euil. Learne to doo good. Least you do perish with these .ii. cities afore named Samaria & Ierusalē. The pore people your subiects muste nedes folow your exāple, if you do vnfainedly repēt as did y ^e kīgs & princes of Niniue. [Page] Lyke as they can not eskape vnpuni­shed if you do sinke in sin with the princes of Sodō. But oh, wher be y ^e exāpls & proclamaciōs of the kings & prynces of Niniue, which admonished of theyr syns by Ionah only, proclaimed a fast for yong & olde, mā & beast, cōmanding most straitly y ^t they shuld crye vnto the Lord with al theyr might, & euery man torne frō his euil way, & frō the wickednesse, wherein he was practised. That God might repent of his word & turne awa his wrath. But you contrariwise, not repenting, but forgetting how you haue offēded God with your old idola­try, do abuse his light, now sent amōgs you, to the satitfying of your lusts, & to condēnaciō of your owne soules, cause god his holy word, & y ^e preachers therof to serue your couetusnes. You do make proclamaciōs daily I do graūt against the couetous dealings of your inferior members & subiects: but be sure, y ^e body can not be deliuered of this disease ex­cept y ^e head be first pourged. Wherfore be warned in tyme by the prophets and preachers, for if we stil both head & fote, continue in euil, we must loke to gether to perish w ^t the wicked world before vs.

The Text I wyll laye Samaria in fo­rowes [Page] to plant vines, I wil cast down her stones into the valei & raise her foundacyons.

Lo, vtter destrucciō is threatned to this cytye for the wickednes of the inhabi­tantes. And it was performed which y ^e prophet speketh by Salmanasar, San herib, Phul, & Theglathphelaser, as appeareth in y ^e .iiii. boke of the kinges the xvii. & .xviii. chap. And shal our polluted Samaritās of Londō escape vnpuni­shed, the Iewes could not medle w ^t the Samaritās w ^tout polluciō, neither cā y ^e faithful come to London but they are contaminate. Their eies with filthye sightes, are ful of adultery, their eares with wicked tales & blasphemies, ar obturate & made deaffe, theyr mindes w ^t infinite errours occupied, with y ^e diuersity of diuilish delucions demēted, that neither Samaria, neither Sodō it self, hath deserued before god & mā any so­rar, or more extreme punishment. God is ther none amōgs thē, nether yet erthly king, as appeareth by their lawes cō tēpned, no loue amongs mē, no shame fastnes amonges women, no fayth, no fear, no trust, no cōfidēce, no master cō tent wyth one offyce and callynge, no seruaunt for loue, doth shew obediēce.

In shadow and outward shewe, haue banished Idolatry, and changed theyr religion, yet do they serue the deuil styll as much as euer they dyd in al kynde of abhominaciō. Therfore shal thys Eng­lysh Samaria be wasted and destroyed, because from this sea all sinful poodles of England doth flow & spread abrode.

And al the grauen ymages of Samaria shall bee broken in peeces, The Text the gyftes and offerings shall be brent wyth fyre, and all her temples shal I make deso­late, for she hath gathered all of the hyre of an harlot, and to the hyre of the harlot, they shall bee returned.

The grauen Images, the goldē cal­ues, & what so euer the Assyryans foūd­in Samaria, they spoiled and waisted it, they destroied theyr townes & tēples as is towched .iiii. Kynges .xvii. They dyd take away their golden calues. Hosea .viii. wherby the lying Lord would vt­ter the weakenes of those fayned gods whych could not helpe them selues, and the foolyshnes of all men whyche wyll [Page] worshyp such broken cesterns that can hold no water. Yea, theyr foolyshnes & shameles abhominacion is muche more vttered in that the Prophet sayth that Samaria had gathered all thys of the hyre of the harlot: charging thē as doth Ezechiel .xvi. Chap. that where vnto all common whores, ther is geuē rewards. Israel lokinge for no rewarde of her I­dols, with whom she hathe ren of who­ringe, hath contrariwise made thē riche with her giftes and rewardes. But as goodes euill gotten muste nedes be euil spente (according to the common Pro­uerbe) so now commeth it to passe, that these ryche Iewels golde and siluer of­fered Idols in Samaria, are caried into Babilon to be dedicate to their Idoles againe, or elsse are readye to be conuer­ted vpon suche harlottes as commune­lye foloweth suche garrisons of order­les sowgioures and by the cursse of god and mooste heauy temptacion (as we do se in our time) that whiche was gotten by spiritual fornicacion is spent in beastly and bodely whoredome.

Wherefore I shal mourne and yel, The Text I shal go spoiled & na­ked, [Page] I must murne lyke the dra­gōs, & wayle lyke the Estriches.

The Prophet brasteth forth wyth teares, wyth sighing, sobbing, yelling, and criyng, to lament the state of these my­serable tymes, which he dyd see and be­hold to hang ouer the heades of his people. So doth Christ our Sauiour seynge Ierusalem, wept ouer it. So doth Esaiah. So doth Ieremiah, and al true pro­phets and preachers lamēt and bewaile the miseries, whych nedes must followe the synneful stubbernes of the wycked. Thus alwayes, the wycked worlde gre­ueth the holy spirit of God, in these ho­lye men: but neuer wyl they mourne for theyr own sins, vnles it be so as our prophet may be ryght wel vnderstand, that afflyccion, daunger, and distres, do giue them vnderstandyng, as in theyr feare­ful famine, when the delycate 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 [Page] 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 [Page] 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 shalbe 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 [Page] 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 y ^t as Esay lamenteth the cities rounde aboute Ierusalem beinge destroied. Ierusalem was lefte alone lyke a watche house in the [Page] 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 y ^t 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 y ^e 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 vncircū cised Philistins do reioise at y ^e fal of Israel, Wherein is declared the cause y ^t in Gathe named a city of the Phelistines, whēce y ^e great enemy Goliath did come [Page] 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 y ^e 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 [Page] 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 w ^t 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 [Page] 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 her eies the extreme misery whervnto she was brought by sin. The bew­tiful Saphir was smitten wyth shame. zaenan whiche was not alwaye readye before tyme to go forthe against the e­nemy, and therof hadde the name, dare not now go forthe to lament her neighboures of Bethhaezel: no, the ennemye hath takē from them both menne, mo­nye, and al municions by theyre longe siege against them. The ryche cytye of Maroth also dothe mourne for her ry­ches, wher she hoped for the good bles­sing of God which is here named, Tob, and doothe signifye all goodnesse. The cōtrary euen the curs & wrath of God threatned in the law, dyd pearce to the portes & gates of Ierusalē. Now La­kis which is named y ^e .x. of Iosua to be y ^e kings seat which is laide also to y ^e prin­cely trybe of Iuda. Iosue the .xv. is commanded by our Prophet to flye away in [Page] chariots and to be caried wyth mooste swyfte beastes for so dothe all the He­brew commentaries agree that, Rekes, dothe signifye. Thoughe some do translate mules, some Camels, some Dromedaries, and some doth say it is the name of a beaste vnknowē to vs. The meanīg of the Prophet is to vtter in how great feare they shalbe before the enemy. And as the Prophet speaketh it was fulfil­led the .xiiii. yere of the raigne of kynge Esechias, when Senaherib did take all the stronge fenced cities of Iuda, and beinge in the citie of Lakis, Ezechias sente Messengers to desyre him too de­parte and apoint what tribute he wold, iiii, kynges .xviii. The Prophet doth further vtter the cause of this terrible fear, frō which they shuld flye, saying: y ^t this Lakis was the firste fountayne of the Idolatrye, broughte from Samaria to Ierusalem, whiche ought therfore chieflye to tremble, because it was the fyrste and cheife cause of God his wrath thus kyndled. Let al them learn hereby to re­pente whyche are the authors of euil vntoo other, for when the almightye shall shake his sweard it shalbe to late to seke for help at horsses and Chariots.

The common fame goeth that in Bo­ston [Page] in Lincolne shere there, was seene a swearde hangynge in the ayre, but wee nede no fayned matters: we do feal the fearce wrath of God and his sore swerd in this sodē death & murren of mē, which myght cause vs to repent, if we wer not indurate & geuē ouer to our own lustes. Our beautie is shent, oure forward men are spente, oure ryches is consumed. Cā we helpe this with the frendshyp of fo­ran nacions? canne we resiste the wrath of God by oure pollycyes? especyallye ioynyng handes with papystes, the frendes of Antechriste by profession, and our auncyente ennemyes.

Therfore shal thou send gifts to Moresheth which is in Gath, The Text and the house of Akrib shall lye vnto the kinges of Israell. Yet agayne wyll I brynge an heyre vnto the thou citye of Maresha vnto Adullā shal come the glory of Israel. Make thy self bald & be shauen, for delicate & daintye childrē enlarge thi baldnes & nakednes like the Egle because thei [Page] are gon into captiuitie from the.

Moresheth & Maresha are .ii. dyuers cities of diuers con̄tries & in the Hebrew playnelye dystyncte by letters and vow elles. Moresheth, Bathe was a cytye of Palastine whiche Dauid brought in subieccion and made tributarye. The whyche oure Prophet dothe nowe say, shall make Ierusalem trybutary in con­trarye condycion, and Lykewyse Aksib was a citi of Iuda, Iosu .xv. whose citi­zens were like the lyinge and deceiuable waters geuinge no refreshinge to them which sought relief at their handes.

Maresha was in the trybe of Iuda, The prophet b [...] the mouth of god, threatneth to bring in a new heyre and owner to Maresha the cytye, wherein he was borne, to geue them knowledge, and to bryng into remembraunce the benefyte of old, when God brought them foorth of Egipt, did driue forth the Cananees, and set theym as heyres and owners in theyr land. The whych woorke of God they nothyng regardyng, but couetyng the spoyle one of another, euerye man takyng house and land from hys owne brother, as foloweth in the second chapter, by worthy punyshmente and iust re­compence, God bryngeth and setteth in [Page] theyr place newe heyres and owners. And vnto Adullam, whych was a cytye nyght to Ierusalē, shal come thys heyre, thys owner, & new possessioner, whō al Israel shal hold as their lord, & count as theyr kynge. Wherfore he is here called theyr glory, the glory of Israel, whyche was fulfylled in the king of Assur. Sanherib whyche dyd come and conquer all the cityes of Iewry, saue only Ierusa­lem, which was left like a cotage in the fielde when the haruest was ended, as Esay sayeth: wher the Prophet biddeth the whole land of Iury, so make it selfe bald, & shaue of the hear, for the losse of her chyldren. He setteth forth the great heauines and murnyng which shuld fo­low this destruccion. Lyke as Ezechiel xxvii. Let them sprynckle theyr handes wyth duste and ashes, and shaue theym whyles they be bald. Also, Ieremy .xvi. of the cōtrary wher ther shalbe no mur­nyng. They shal dye great and smal to­gether, they shall not be buryed nor la­mented, neyther shal any cut them selfe or any baldnes be made for them. Iob is named to haue bene shauen in his great sorow in the fyrst chap.

This similitude of y ^e Egle is broughte in to amplifie and set forth theyr spoile [Page] and destruccion, for as the Egle in ex­treme age, doth cast al her fayre fethers and loseth them. So Israell naked and spoyled, bald and baren of al ornamēts, shal mourne and lament, the whych sy­mylytude of the Egle, maye represente also to the spiritual man, the renuynge of the spiritual Israel, whyche can not be any other waye, but by the mortify­fiyng of the carnal Israel. Whereunto the Prophets as vnto their chefe marke (though darkely for the tyme) doth ap­ply theyr prophecyes. Of this renewing of the Egle, besydes the prophane wri­ters, we read Psa. ciii. Esa. xl. of the re­newyng and restoryng of the spirituall Israel. Esay. lx. Ambrose doth at large set forth this similitude, and apply it to the renewing of the faythful, in a Ser­mon made principally for the same purpose. Now to appyly thys prophecy to oure tyme and maners. What if wee be lykewise compelled to please wyth gif­tes our enemyes? what if we beyng disepossed, other do inuade our possessions? Whō can we blame, but our own wyc­kednes? which being so oft warned, wilfullye do ren forwarde to prouoke the wrath of God vpon vs. This sore plage of thys sodayne death, send amonge vs [Page] (vnles we do shortely repent and amēd our euyl lyues) semeth to be the weake­nyng and rootyng out of vs against the commyng of some foraine enemies. For thus God vseth firste to warne by hys word, then by some fatherly correc [...]ion. After when the people doth waxe stub­burne agaynst hys worde, and cruell a­mongs themselues, he geueth them vp to the cruelty of theyr enemyes, whych causeth baldnes, nakednes, and al my­series. Therfore let vs praye 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 [Page] 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 vpō 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 graūt thys is playne, we say al y ^e thys is true, & we do cōfesse 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 [Page] 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 cōuetaūce of their matters, in regarde of our protestauntes, whyche thus opēly 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 thōdereth wo against them. Sayinge the Scribes and Pharises set in Moyses seate whatsoeuer they com­maunded you, that looke you obserue & [Page] kepe, but do not accordīg 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 kyngdō of heauē, as Christe here chargeth thē, 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 [Page] 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 trodē 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 [Page] penne menne, wherof this worlde is ful. I do cry wyth Esay the Prophet: woo vnto you whych do i [...]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 vpō 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 repētaunce 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 wits. God whych made the eye, dothe he not see? He whych made y ^e hert, hath he not vnderstandyng? Is any nyght so dark▪ that he can not se therin? na [...], [...]yght is no nyght, darkenes is lyght before him. [Page] Therfore wo shal be vnto you and your shame shal neuer cease, when he bryng­eth into lyghte youre pryuye practyses your crafty conueiaunce, youre subtyle inuenciōs, your syne wyts spēt in vaine and vnprofitable ymaginaciōs. Ther is nothyng done so closely in secrete, but it shal be reueiled openly, be you sute, for Christ our aldermaster speaketh it. The rych nygard imagening vainly to build mo barnes and stoare houses, and so to rest in the strength of hys owne labors, had thys answer from the lord: O thou foole how vaynely dost thou ymagyne, thys nyght whyles thou doest ymagyne thus lying vpon thy bed, shal they take thy soule from thee.

Nebuchadnezer imagenynge vayne­ly of his owne strength and power, was so punished and plaged for hys vaine i­maginacion, that he dyd lose hys reasō, wyt, and vnderstandynge, and became a brute beast, eatyng grasse in the fielde for the space of .vii. yeares. And if so be that these men imagenyng vaine thin­ges onelye were thus entreated: howe shall wycked Haman and hys felowes eskape? imagenyng myschiefe agaynst [Page] the chosen of God. Howe shall stought Nymrothe auoyde punyshment, which buyldeth his palaces wyth the spoile of hys brethrē. Wher shal become the Cainites whych ymagine how to gette the bloud of theyr brethren. As for the ima­ginacion of Iezabel, to optayn the vineyarde, the enheritaunce of Nabothe, it is no straūge thing in these latter daies but a common practise, and a polytyke inuencion for the kynges aduauntage. For oure wyttes far passeth our prede­cessers in the imaginacion of mischiefe, as one day therin alwaies teacheth ano­ther. And the scolers of thys scoole can euer find somwhat to encreace and augment the wyckednes of theyr masters. As we haue seene mooste euydentlye in the popyshe churche, howe Pope after Pope dyd enlarge the inuencyons of Antechriste wyth newe and straunge deuyses so longe, whyles the grounde of Christes relygyon cleane forgotten, the Champyons and Captaynes of that wycked courte and companye, dyd affyrme and contende that all Chry­sten Relygyon dydde stande and con­syste wholy vpon Ceremonies, the ima­ginacions [Page] of the Idle brayns of Popes and prelates) euen so holelye and fullye as the goodes and substaunce of the rich Marchaunt standeth vpon farthings, so that like as by takynge awaye farthing after farthynge from the ryche manne, al his substaunce is at length consumed euen so (saythe Stephan Gardinet of late a stoute Prelate, of his diuelish Sophistry in y ^e very latter ende of his boke standeth oure relygyon vpon the Masse and heape of Ceremonies whiche by de­uision contempned, the subtance of our religion by prodygal chyldren is wasted and consumed,

But praysed be the Lorde God theese vayne imageners, are put to silence, and confounded heare in Englande, & who so lyste to reade of theyr vayne imaginacions, No manne hathe more clearly vt­tered, nor more playnelye paynted them in theyr owne coloures then oute contry man of worthye memory William Tin­dal in his boke of the practise of prelats. So that I thought it not so mete much to medle wyth theyr inuencyons in thys treatyse as to rebuke the vyces of oure tyme and the vayn imaginacyons of the carnall Gospellers whyche wold fayne serue both God and Mammon, whiche [Page] wyll make theyr, bellye theyr God, & say they serue the Lorde whyche wold seme to be enemies to Popyshe relygyon, but they are aduersaryes to Christ his truth and Gospel, and do more harme there­unto by euil and lasciuious liberti of the flesh by couetousnes and other crymes, open to the eyes of al the world, thē the other dyd by cruell persecucyon, and all the craftye imagynatyon of the craftye courte of Rome.

Therefore cometh this woo vpon vs nowe lyuynge, because we doo imagine how to maintayne by poure our wycked deuyses and iustyfye our euyl doynges. We canne imagine lawes to maintayne oure adulterye. We canne make diuors­mentes for verye sklenderlye approued causes. Wee canne coloure oure coue­tusnes with the cloke of religion. Brifly we can establishe al oure vain imaginacion by lawes of oure owne making, that no mā shal dare be so bold as once to [...] against them, though they be cōtrary to god his own lawes. For wher God hath commaunded in. the .xxii. of Exodus y ^t thou shal not hurt the widow and the fatherles, and if you do hurte or hinder thē by anye meanes eyther in Londes, in goodes, in Cattayle. For the Hebrewe [Page] woorde is generall of all manner of hurtynge or hynderyng of them. If thou do hurte or hynder them sayth the Lorde, and they doo crye vnto me. I wyll heare theyr crye, and my wrathe shal be kynd­led againste you, and I wyll sleye you wyth the swearde, and your wiues shall be widowes & your chyldren fatherlesse wardes. Let vs cōpare oure craftye imaginations and wrong wraisting of laws to thys commaundemente and see howe we shall auoyde the woo and cursse for the breakynge af the same.

We doo imagine a lawe how to spoyl the poore wydowe, first plaged of God, with the want of her husbande, with fartherlosse of the lacke of her eldest childe (whiche shoulde be her synguler comfort in the steade of hys father) soulde frome Chapman to Chapmanne, and to Chap­manne agayne like an Oxe or an Asse or some bonde slaue. To be broughte vppe in drogerye or handled lyke a warde for both is one thinge by common Prouerb, and at lengthe agaynste hys wyll, which is the moste miserye of al, and farre from the lawe of nature, contrarye to the lawe of God and too all good polytyke lawe of free cytyes, compell hym too Marrye whome he hateth eyther for her owne vntowardenes, [Page] for such are appoynted forwardes (for the mooste part) as no other manne woulde gladlye chose? ether can not loue for the extremytye of her Pa­rentes. For no vyolence canne brynge loue, but free and coragyous stomakes, hate compulsion and setteth muche by choyse and lybertye, Especyallye heare where vppon hangeth the comforthe or care of the hoole life, and eyther furthe­raunce or hinderaunce frome the ende­lesse felicitie.

But beholde what becommeth of oure imaginacions. We heape the curs­ses and wo threatned againste vs, vpon oure heades, and causeth suche widowes to mourne and crye vnto God for theyr miseryes, we do make these fatherlesse, these wardes, wherof we haue a carefull charge by the mouthe of God in manye places of scripture: too blaspheme God and manne in thee anguishe of theire heartes by oure couetouse cruelty: Cursyngethe tyme of theyre byrthe, theyre Parents, theyr Lands and Land Lords

Wee cople theim too oure Dough­ters too cause contynuall Adulterye in boothe partes. Who beynge thus mar­ryed wyth thee Deuylles Marryage, [Page] seketh for deuorcement when they are foorth of bondage, whych as it maye in some cases be permytted, so for to bee made cōmon and vsual, shalbe the grea­test plage 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 cō pulsio [...], 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 cō mons 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 [Page] in the .iiii. of Ecclesiasticus after the whiche rule I do wyshe oure courtes of wardes to be reformed, to y ^e 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 y ^e 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 y ^t 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 [Page] 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 [Page] 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 [Page] 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 [Page] 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 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 inuenciō, you cānot auoide it, he suffereth you yet to liue & behold it in others that he may prouoke you to repētance but the time is at hād if you doo not repēt whē ether w ^t this or other plage more greuous you shalbe wholy destroy­ed. Thē shal y ^e false prophets which haue flatred you in your wickednes make la­mētaciō & cry out for your destrucciō whiche sodēly shal come vpō you. Their idle braines shal muse and meruel how this [Page] land promised to be yours, shuld be take with the enemye? Yea after they shalbe 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, violēce oppressiō, haue wroght & broght forwarde your wicked deuises, therfore shal you be so spoiled, that you shal haue no hope to haue your possessiōs restored, but shalbe vtterly roted forthe bothe of this cōgregaciō whō the lord hath with such miracles broght forth of Egipt fostered & cherished in wildernes & hitherto so wonderfullye guided and gouerned, [Page] 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 cō ­tynue scattered in all countryes vnto thys day. What shal we nowe loke for, onlesse we doo repent, whose syn in nū ­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 [Page] 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 thē one, wherof some of them hath bene plaged wyth Phassur, let the reste be warned. For it is not [...]e [...]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 cā do thē. But your shame is euerlastinge.

The Hebrewe Na [...]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 chosē 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 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 [Page] 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 [Page] pore widow. Yea as the Hebrew semeth to sound whē one againste other, & one frō another. Mimul. did snatch, sctatch take & reno the pore bribing frō the rich, the rych pilling & polling the poore vnto the bare skin. Whē the straūger & trauailing mā was spoiled & robbed as though he had bene takē prisoner in battel. The theues by the hye wayes, & the Sherifes & iudges had part of the spoil, whē their princes wer become lions, & lerned to ra [...]ne for theyr pray: to deuour mē, & had learned to make widowes as Ezechiell speaketh of Iehoiakim. Eze. xix. if these crimes wer the cause of the vtter destrucciō of the chosen kingdō (as the prophet vt the mouth of god here vttereth) what cā we loke for which haue filled the measure of wickednes so ful: y ^e we may euē now feele it ren oner into our owne bo­somes: but onli by y ^e iust iugemēt of god to suffer the like at our enemyes hands, y ^t we haue done to our brethrē & neygh­bours. And here might occasiō serue to charge out relm w ^t the sore hādlīg of widowes & fatherles childrē, bi our wicked lawes of wardes, & our sore lawes of fe­lonies, wherby y ^e poore widow & innocēt childrē ar spoiled, but I haue touched it before, & we cā loke for none other thīg thē the Lord threatneth, if we do not repēt [Page] which is as we do rede Exo. xxii. y ^t he wil make our wiues widowes, & our childrē fatherles, let vs beware therfore how we do driue forth of theyr lāds & houses y ^e poore desolate widowes, & cause theyr chyldren by our cruel dealyng, to blas­pheme God, and cursse theyr parentes, agaynst God hys commaundemēt, 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 y ^t the childrē robbed of their pa­rēts had now none to brynge thē vp to y ^e glory of god. And some because thei had not their parēts whō they might honore in gods stede vnto his glori. Munsterus also in his anotiōs bringeth a very good interpretaciō, which doth answer to the word for euer, wher the Lord had create mā to be immortal, which work was for don by sin, it pleased the lord god by perpetual procreacion to recouer mākynde frō destrucciō & so to preserue y ^e world by this lawful procreaciō of chyldrē, to the accōplishing of hys gloryous workes in his church, this thing is mēt by y ^e sauing of the womā by the bringing foorth of childrē in y ^e secōd chap. of the first epistle [Page] 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 y ^e sea, if adultery, if oppressiō, if tirā ­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 thē 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 [Page] 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 destrucciō and ruine to ours here in England, especially seing our country contaminax wyth [Page] couetousnes and polluted w ^t glotoni, lechery & al kynd of filthines doth bringe forth new kyndes of disseases to other contries & old phisiciōs vnknowē. Here appeareth y ^e Paul writeth to the Roma. that this creature subiect vnto our vanities against her wil mourneth & groneth to be deliuered frō 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 a [...] the lēgth ease my selfe of so vnprofitable a burdē. For your sins am I strikē with steriliti & barā nes you do dig so depe in my bowels by your greedy couetousnes y ^t 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 opē lies lyinge vnto you do sai: I wil Propheci vnto you for wine and dronkēnes he shalbe 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 destrucciō for syn prophecyed. Therfore [Page] can thei not bear the true prophets, they cannot away w ^t thē: but as Achab answered vnto king Iosaphat askinge for some one prophet of the Lorde after that .iiii. C. false prophetes had prophe­cied plesaūt things, Ther is one mā 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 y ^e false. The Lord sendeth a strōg elusion & causeth Achab to perish by the counsel of y ^e wicked & lying prohets which wold not be saued by the councel of the good and true prophets read the chapter & see the iudgmēt of god against thē which do re­fuse true prophets. Agayne of the Pro­phets which folow wyne & dronkēship. They haue erred, for wyne & gone astray for dronkēnes 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 y ^e blinde world magnified & receiued, mi lords wil haue none other to their chaplēs for with a fat prebēd such mai be choked y ^t thei wil folow mi lord in al his fōd waies and allow al his wicked counsels, but that Micha that telleth y ^e [Page] truth he is thrust forth of the dores he is of a furious sprit, mylord hateth him as vnmete for his house & al good cōpany.

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 y ^u haue destroied it. So doth this [Page] gloryous sentence appere to be brought in of our prophet as a flatterynge illu­sion of y ^e false prophet, wherby thei did kepe the people styll in the cōtēpt of god & the true prophets, promisyng thē 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 [...]ayre promyses, they doo deceiue the, and do seeke benefyces and Bishopprickes, that they maye fil theyr bellyes with wyne and strong dryn [...] [...] 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 lykē theyr felicitie.

The iii. Chapter.

Vt I sayde heare I praye B you O Princes of Iacob & [Page] dukes of y ^e house of Israel. Doth it not pertein vnto you to knowe iudgemēt? you do hate y ^e good & loue y ^e eul, you do fle of y ^e skin of their backs and y ^e fleshe of their bones. You haue deuoured thee flesh of my people & plucked their skin from of them, and haue bro­ken their bones & crushed thē in peaces, as in a pot, & like the flesh in the middest of the Chaldren.

Princes ought to know iudgmēt, thei ought to be wise mē fearing god, yea stā ding in gods stede to the people, hauīg y ^e truth within thē y ^t thei nede not to seke it at their chaplēs. They ought to be mē which hateth auarice, Exo. xviii. for thei execute the iudgmēt of the lord. Deu. i. & whatsoeuer thei shal iudge, shal redoūd & be required vpo thē .ii. Cori. xix. but you do thīk you mailiue as you list O prīces & dukes of oure wycked time, you do not thinke y ^t you haue takē an office wherof you must geue answere. But y ^t 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 [Page] 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 sharpē 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 thē. They ar like as if thou vnderstodest much and kepe no­thing, or if one herd wel but wer not obediēt. The Lorde be merciful vnto thē for his righteousnes sake y ^t his word might be magnified & praised. They do boast to knowe the woorde: but beware the ser­uaūt whiche knoweth & dothe not, shal be beaten with many stripes.

You do fle of y ^e skī of their backs If you do read y ^e .xxxiiii. The Text of Ezechiel you shal se the difference betwyxt these euill pastors & shepherds which fead thē sel­ues with y ^e spoil of y ^e shepe, & y ^e good sheperd which cherysheth his shepe. Nowe wher our prophet sayth that the Pryn­ces do hate y ^e good mē 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 [Page] 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 cōmunicacion, is cōtrary 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: Whē they haue any thing to byte vpon, then they preache that all shalbe well, but if a man put not sōthing in their mouthes they preach of wat against him, Therfore your visiō shalbe tur­ned [Page] to nyght, and your prophe­cying to darknes. The sun shall go downe ouer these Prophets, and the day shalbe darcke vnto them. Then shal the vision seers be ashamed, and the sothsayers confoūded, yea they shalbe 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 wisdōe 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 frō them, lyke as they haue turned theyr faces frō the poore, & rather regarded Hawkes and Hounds dice and cardes, dauncing and tossinge of balles lyke babes, then the pyteous cōplaintes of theyr poore mēbers made of the same molde, & boughte wyth one price with them. And as for theyr chap­laynes [Page] whych do chop with thē their benefices, & geueth an whol yeres rent or thei enter, or greater gaine peraduēture, & so long as my lord & they can agree of couenaūts, or that my lord wil get them mo promociōs, 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 w ^t 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 spokē 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 [Page] the spirit of god, ful of iudgemēt 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 y ^e mids of vs? ther shal com none euyll vpō vs. Therfore for your cause Sion shalbe plowed lyke the field, & Ierusalem shalbe an heape of stones, & the hyll of the temple, shalbe an hie woode.

Marke the mighty power of god his holy sprit, o princes, he causeth y ^e prophets to speake, or els thei do remain spechles, [Page] 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 thē ouer the people sayth y ^e 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 Londō or elsse wher gottē with good cōscyence [Page] 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 [...]u [...]ill gouernaunce. They haue set forthe the Bible that al menne may se how far thei do swarue in life frō 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 [Page] 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 [Page] aboue all theyr toppes, and the people shall flowe vnto it. Much people shal go and 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 Ierusalē, and he shal iudge many naciōs, and correct strong and myghty peo­ple for a lōg 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 y ^e feates of war ani more, but eueri mā shal sit vnder his vyne, & vnder hys fygtree, & no man shal a fraye hym, for the mouth of y ^e lord hathe spoken it.

Esay the Prophet in hys secōd chap. [Page] 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 mā 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 lōg before. Euen as the sprite of oure heauē lye father for the comforte of the electe shulde thus speake vnto vs. Be of good comforte my chyldren though you se mi [Page] 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 y ^e 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, shalbe 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 [Page] 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 theyre speares into sythes neuer to stryue nor fyghte in thys holye [Page] 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 thē was christ concerning the flesh. And so mai [...]t be by the secrete woorke of god that by this clear light of the gospel, so wonder fully spred amōges vs in these last daies they shall confesse their greate crymes [Page] and greuous offēces 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 thē. 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 [Page] for you, but by the eleccion thei are bee loued for theyre 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 they [...]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 [Page] 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 [Page] & 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 [Page] 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 frō such playne promyses to thē 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 iudgmēt. Onlye I wold haue vs to thyncke that the Iewes hadde the oracles, the promyses, the testamēt, 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 [Page] the mercye of God whyche so long time hath suffered and sustayned synners? Shall it not gr [...]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 theyre 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 [Page] tye. Thoughe the vale hange yet before theyre 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 shalbe 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 y ^e lorde and he shal teach vs of his [Page] 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 i. 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 ii. of Egipt, ccccccc.xc.m. yeres.

Frome the delyueraunce of Israell iii. vnto the gloryous buyledynge of the first temple bi Salomon. cccc.lxxx, yeres

iiii. From the buildinge of the tēple vnto the Babilonical captiuitie. ccccxix, yeres

v. From the Babilonicall captiuitie to the comminge of Christ the true Messi­ah. cccccc.xxiii.

Frō 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 Abrahā 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 saluaciō. 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 y ^e fal of Adā, these tymes were promysed. Thys was she second Adam the seede of the womā in whome the worlde agayne shoulde be blessed. Thys tyme was prefygured in the fludde. This Christ shuld deliuer frō the hellye Pharao. Thys is the true Salomon and kynge of peace, buyldeynge hym a temple wythoute spotte. Prophecye [Page] 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 whō 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 shalbe 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 [Page] 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 wō ­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 thē. Though he do long deffer thē to try our fayth, and to shew his power wher­vnto [Page] 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 whō 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 [Page] 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 shalbe spiritual, for al men are flesh, and [Page] all theyr kyngdomes c [...]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 mā, 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 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 [Page] 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 Salomō, 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 [Page] vnto whō 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 coūsel: 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 yrō, and hooffes of brasse, and thou shalt breake in peeces muche people. And I shall dedycate vnto the Lorde theyr spoyle and theyr ri­ches [Page] 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 y ^e 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 opē woorde of God in the secrete worckes, whyche then shal be shewed, nether may it be accompted as a greate [...]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 [Page] thys longe captiuitie, and maketh them a [...]estynge stocke and a by woorde the Lorde sweareth. Ezechiell .xxxvi. that they shall suffer shame and [...]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 [...]e breatheth the spyryt and lyfe whyche is the receiuinge of them, wherunto Paule alludeth Roma. xi. saying what shalbe 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 [Page] wayes and incōprehensyble 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 hād of God, destroied such as Pharao, Sāherib, 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 [Page] 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 made, nether shalt thou take anye thinge of them vnto the, least thou offende because that it is the abhominacyon of the Lorde thy God, nether shalt thou brynge anye thynge of the Idol in to thy house, leaste thou be accursed like as it is. Thou shalte abhorre it as fylthynes because it is Anathema and accur­sed. So was Iherico and Amelech, Anathematysed [Page] if I maye be suffered so too speake. And Achan was stoned for tou­chynge of the one, Saule was put from hys kyngdom for hauynge of the other. God graunte the noble houses of Englande to suffer no lyke damnage for the turnynge too theyr pryuate vses suche spoyles as they haue gotten of theese theyr spirituall enemyes. I dare say no­thing but thys onlye that al men canne easylye iudge that if the Idols founde in that Babylon had beene brente wyth all theyr Iewels vnto them offered, and the landes and possessyons putte to the mayntenaunce of true religion. To the fyndyng of the pore, to the setting forth of godlye learnynge and vertue, whiche was abused in supersticion & Hipocrisy: we myghte haue hoped for oure zeale to godward, to haue had his mercy, and for our godli pollici to haue sene a star: shing region. Where nowe that couetousnes that foule beaste, blotteth and spotteth, al oure doinges in the syght of God and man, we do feare the cleane contrarye. God graunte vs eies to se & hartes to repente for the glory of that name & that truthes sake, whyche we do professe.

☞ Nowe shalte thou be compassed The Text [Page] with garisōs, thou doughter of garysons, he hath layed seyge agaynste vs, wyth a staffe wyll thei strike the cheke of the iudge of Israell.

After the Prophete haue ended hys wonderfull prophecy of y ^e last daies, that he may the better be beleued. He telleth them thynges whych many of thē shuld see wyth theyr eyes. Now saith he, euen now is it at hand that Ierusalem ful of people and garysons of sougiers, shalbe obsessed and beseyged wyth many sou­gyers. And if dyd come so to passe in the dayes of Ezechyas, when Seneheryb sent hys army to Ierusalem, whych did beseyge it and brought great famine vp on them, not wythstandyng there was destroyed of that great army and gary­son, by the angel of God. C, lxxxv. thou­sande in one nyghte. Agayne wythin a fewe yeares after, Pharao broughte an army forth of Egypt, and did smite and stay theyr good kyng Iosias and rygh­teous Iudge of Iuda. Lyke as also the last kynge of Israell. O see was slayne in the dayes of Ezechiah, vnder whome oure Prophet lyued, and dyd wryte this [Page] prophecye, and the chiefe cyty of Isra­el Samaria, was destroyed the same tyme. And not very many yeares after, the cyty of Ierusalem was besyeged by Nabuchadnezer, Ioakim was taken prysoner, and zedekiah set in hys place, who caused Ierusalem to be agayn be­seyged and destroyed, and hym selfe had hys eyes put foorth, and so was caryed prysoner. Of the whych zedechias, they do for the most part expound thys [...] of theyr cheife Iudge stryken vpon the cheeke. And some dothe saye that it is a prophecye of Christe whych shoulde be stryken vpon the chycke before the hye Priestes. But to cause it to agree wyth that which goeth before and followeth. Heare seemeth to bee set forth a prophe­cye what shal come vpon Ierusalem, e­uen great misery, and thynges vnto the flesh desperate, and tymes past all hope to the iudgement of man. How be it to the almyghty power of the euerlyuyng Lord, vnto whom al godlye Prophetes and preachers alway prouoketh al thinges that he pleaseth are mooste easye to be fulfylled. The Lorde is mooste neare when he seemeth farre awaye. The Lorde is mooste stronge, when manne is moste weake.

Therefore strayght wayes in the next verse folowinge oure Prophete adioy­neth howe that in tymes mooste terrible when they shoulde be paste al hope, their lande wyth contynuall warres all wa­sted, theyr kynges captiued. Foraine nacyons bearyng rule ouer them. And that same tyme the Romaine tyraunte Au­gustus Caiser demaundynge a sore try­bute vpon theim: Forthe of a lytle vyl­lage not worthye to beare anye vewe in the musters and assembles of the peo­ple, shulde come forthe a captayne con­trarye too mannes iudgmente, whyche shoulde gouerne Israell in the strength of the Lorde and the hyghe and mighty name of God. So that no power of man shalbe able to resyste hym: as is most euidently proued in y ^t he hath enlarged his kyngdome and spred his name through oute the hole world, magry al tyraunts, al persecutors, al hys enemies, and hath contynued it this .M.d.li. yeres beating downe w ^t the breath of his mouth with oute swearde or weapon al his aduersa­ryes, and at this daye moste gloryouslye tryumphynge ouer them.

The Text And thou Bethlem Euphrata though thou be lytle among the [Page] thousandes of Iuda, forth of the shall come vnto me he that shall be the ruler in Israell, and hys commynge forth from old, from euerlastynge. Therefore he wyl geue theim vnto other vnto the tyme y ^t she which shal beare, haue borne and the relydue of the brethrene shall returne too the chyl­dren of Israel. And he shal stand and gouern in the strength of the Lorde, and the highe name of the Lorde hys God.

O wonderful blindenes of the Iewes, whych do not vnderstand or not regard thys playne prophecye of Christe, princypally spoken for theyr comfort. O more wonderful madnes of the Anabaptistes which wilfully refuseth the knowledge & true vnderstanding hereof turning thē to the folye of theyr owne braines. The Iewish Priestes and Scribes do brynge in thys Prophecye to kynge Herode at the fyrst when he demaunded wher their Messiah, whome we call Christe shoulde [Page] be borne in Bethleem Iuda, they do an­swere, for thus was it prophecyed that thou Bethelem, though thou be litle. &c. Forth of the shal come a captayne.

The wyse Magis so wonderfully by the spirite of God called from far countryes forth of forayne and Heythen nacions, brought bi a stai to Ierusalem, to teache them there of theyr owne kyng, doth folow the sta [...] standyng ouer thys place wher thys Prophet apointeth his natiuitye. There they do fynde him and worshyp hym as God and kyng in this lytle vyllage Bethelem.

At hys byrth fyrste of al the Aungels appeared vnto the poore shepeherds to vtter vnto the world that thys kynge­dome is not of the proude, but for the poore, humble and meeke, vnto whome Messiah is sent. Esay .lxi. and they se a wonderfull lyght, and heare a voice sayinge: that theyr Messiah was borne in the cyty of Dauid whych is also named Bethelem, in the same chapter the fyrst of Luke, because Dauid was ther born i. Samuell .xvi. and anointed kinge. In the same Chapter Symeon the Pro­phete whyche had promise made by the spirit, that he should not se death before that he shuld, se this Messiah, cōfesseth [Page] that this is the lyght of the Hethē, and the glorye of the people Israel.

Anna the Prophetyse whych night & day 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 [Page] 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, [Page] 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.

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 [Page] 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? āswer 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, Aarō and Miriam before the. O my people, remēber 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 & chosē 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 opē hys quarel, to vtter the causes of hys wrath, and to try him self in your owne cōsciences to be faultles.

The Prophetes of all ages, they are here cōmaunded to contende and striue wyth the moūtaines and mighty mē of the world, so is it theyr great labour, peril & danger to cause thē 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 vpō the people that hath not herd. So that to harken to the voyce of God is better thē any sacrifice. Therefore is heare so oft bet into the Iewes heades, Here what y ^e lord saith. Let the hils here heare O ye mountaines, thus y ^e prophet warneth as it were a Bedle or Cryar of [Page] 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 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 w ^t 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 y ^e 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 y ^e 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 [Page] .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 [Page] 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 y ^t here is so iust occasion of­fered to declare what is y ^e 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 y ^e 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 y ^e 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. [Page] 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 y ^t 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 [Page] 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 haue but lyghtelye tou­ched, we maye perceiue that no teste can be founde for mannes soule in our own inuencions. But the farther manne wa­deth in hys fonde intentes and fantastical imaginacion, the farther he slydeth from God, vnsure that he hathe done a­ny thing acceptable in the sight of God. Therfore must we which are seruaunts and creatures, learning our own weak­nes by y ^e fal of others, turne to our ma­ster, lord and creator, to know what his word cōmaundeth in y ^e agony of cōsciēce & cōsidering that the turnīg frō the creator to creatures hath bene the groūd of al Idolatry, euery mā chusing to hīself the Idol of his own hart. Some the son [Page] some the Moone, some the .vii. starres, some Saturn, some Iupiter, some Mars some Venus, some Marcurye, And do­tinge farther, some haue worshypped Calfes, some Cockes, some Serpents, some Dogges, some Asses, some Gotes, And in oure Popyshe wickednesse wee oure selues, haue worshypped stockes & stones, and geuen diuine honours almost to all manner of creatures, a vyle wafer cake did we honour as our God in dede, and when that was lifte vppe betwyxte the Priestes fingers, we saide we dyd se oure maker, and knocked and kneeled, crowched and kyssed withoute all mea­sure. And the Priest when he did eate it, thoughte he did receiue hys maker, and made so manye fonde gestures ioyened with infinite supersticions that there­by we may marcke, if we haue nothinge elsse too leade vs that the fayened and false worshyppe of God hathe no ende not staye, can neuer tell where too con­syste, doothe alwaye disquiet and neuer satysfye nor quiet the conscience. Therefore for the loue of our own souls, of the quiettinge of oure owne conscyence, let vs vnfainedlye repente of al oure falsed goddes and fayned worshyppe of God, [Page] and knowledg that ther is but one God whyche broughte the children of Israel forthe of Egipte from the house of bon­dage, and hath deliuered vs the spiritu­all Israell frome the Egypte of synne end erroures from the bondage of the deuyll, Deathe and hel, and broughte vs into the lybertye of hys chyldren, by the deathe of his owne sonne. And by his holye spyryte poured into our heartes doth teache vs to crye father father.

Let vs knowledge (I saye) that thys Lorde our God is but one God, whome we muste loue with all oure hearte, with all our soule, with all oure strength, him must we feare, and hym onlye must we worshippe and in hys name onlye maye we sweare. By the whiche woordes wee maye learne that ther [...] is but one God only, who onlye oughte to be worshyp­ped, feared, loued, trusted and hooped vpon, which the wordes of swearing in his name importeth.

Thys oure God then whose wor­shyppe wee doo teache is that almygh­tye power, whyche made heauen and earthe by hys woorde and by the same throughe hys spyryte doothe gouerne [Page] al creatures therin. Sauing Israel, and drowning Pharao. Sauyng hys chosen of free mercy and grace, and condemp­nynge the wycked hypocrytes by iuste iudgement. Thys our God is a spyrite, as Christ our aldermaster teacheth vs, & they whych worshyp hym, must worship in spirite and truthe. Ihon .iiii. And see­yng he is a spirit, pure from bodyly cor­rupcion, and therfore hauyng no neede of our bodely seruice. Hys true worshyp can not consist in bodely exercise whych lasteth but the tyme it is in doinge, but in the inward holines of the hart which euermore encreaseth & spryngeth forth into life euerlasting. Such a worshyppe therfore our Prophet teacheth, whyche ariseth and springeth forth of the secret reuerence and feare of God, hys sacrate magesty, whych is not seruyse, but child lyke, wherby we are not onlye affrayed to dysplease God oure father, but also prompt and redy, lyke obediente chyl­dren to expresse in our lyuyng, Iudge­ment and merci, the two special proper­tyes & greatest shew of hys image which appeareth vnto hys creatures.

Prouer. i.Therfore is thys feare called the be­gynnyng of wysedome, and the spyryte of feare. Esaa .ix. begynneth the worke [Page] whyche the other sprytes of wysdome & vnderstandyng, the spyryte of counsell and strengthe, the spirite of knowledge and true holinesse and accomplisheth & fulfilleth. So that thys spirite of feare dothe go before in al the hartes of them whiche God dothe chuse to worship him in spirite and truth, makinge theym a­fraied to do homage and worship to any thinge saue their Lorde God onlye, ey­ther anye otherwise then hee requireth and commandeth. Afraied euermore to do any thing wherin they do not know hys open pleasure. Thys feare was in Cornelius befor he had the perfit knowledge of God, and in the menne of Israell vnto whome Peter did saye. O bre­thren and children of Abraham and thei amonges you which feareth God, vnto you is the woord of saluacion sent, & in y ^e Psas. ciii. Euē as the father hath mercye of his children, so hath the Lord mercye of them that feare him, and the merci of the Lorde is for euermore vpon them whyche feare him.

The cause is that they whiche do fear the Lorde are alwaies ready with heart and minde to do thinges pleasaunt vn­to him, and to abstaine from the contra­ry. His displeasure do they feare like lo­uynge [Page] chyldrene. If theyr heauenly fa­ther be pleased they do reioice, if he be offended they doo crye for mercye, so that of hym they do teast in prosperiti, of him they do hange in aduersitie, accordinge to hys owne commaundemente by hys chosen vessell Dauid. Call vppon me in the daye of thy trouble and I shal deli­uer the, and thou shalte worshippe me. So that this inuocacion after some in­terpretoures is the true worship of God. And surelye seinge Paule. Romaines .x affirmeth that who soeuer calleth vpon the name of the Lorde, shall be saued. No manne canne denye but an eare­neste callynge vppon God comprehen­deth the true worshippe which God re­quyreth and contayneth in it perfyte religion, because it hath fayth the ground of all vertues, for howe canne they call vppon God whyche dooe not beleue in hym? Romaynes .x. And they whyche dooe call vppon other creatures hathe affiance truste and faythe in those thin­ges, elsse woulde they neuer call vppon theym. Thys faythe spryngynge of the fyrste parte whiche was the feare and re­uerence of God his hygh Maiesty, sup­plyeth the seconde poynte of the wor­shippe [Page] of God whych requyreth a knowledge of God. For how can we beleue in hym whō we haue not knowē. Rom. x. Hereby doo wee gyue glorye and wor­shyppe vnto God, that is too say: we knoweledge hym too be true in all hys promyses. And because without faythe it is impossible to please God, this faith maketh vs suer that wee doo worshippe hym as wee shoulde, and certifieth vs that wee bee the chyldrene of God and that oure woorckes are acceptable in hys syghte. Hereby did Abell in hys sa­cryfyce more truly worshyppe God then dyd hys brother Caine. Abraham also and hys wyfe Sarai by faythe were the true worshyppers of God and receyued the promyse. Elizabeth also gaue more glorye and worshippe vnto God in that she beleued hys promyse, then dyd her husband zachary, who because he doub­ted was striken dumme whiles the child was borne.

Shortelye too conclude, this faith is it that causeth true worshyppe. For whatsoeuer commeth not of faythe the fame is synne. And because faythe com­meth of the hearyng of the word of God only & of no mans fansy, we may boldly [Page] pronounce that al suche worshyp as is set vp by mannes imaginacion without the scriptures of God is without faith, and therefore synneful, & consequently abhominable in the sight of God, whe­ther they be sacrifices before the lawe, or in the time of the lawe or Ceremonyes sence the lawe ceassed.

The thyrde and last parte of this worship standeth in vnfayned loue towarde oure neighboure, wythoute the whyche oure Master Christe commaundeth too laye downe all sacrifice, before the alter, and first go & be reconciled. Mat. v. And withoute this hee despiseth all sacrifice saying by his Prophete Ose I wil haue mercie and not sacrifice and the knowe­ledg of God, rather thē brent offerings. And by the Prophete Esay of them that hathe not this loue, your incense is abhominacion vnto me. And when you shall lifte vp your handes, I shal turne away myne eyes, for youre handes are ful of bloude, whyche laste woordes are more plainelye vnderstand by saint Ihon saying: He that hateth his brother is a murtherer, who for the vnclennesse of hys handes hathe no parte in the kyngdom of God. And where as other whyche are not spotted with theyr neyghboures [Page] bloude but are clensed by the bloude of the Lambe are the very temples of God wherein he wyll be worshipped, theese bloudy Cain [...]tes whych loueth not their brethren, canne be no temple for Christ, wherein hee wyll dwell and reaste, but for the Deuill and Antichriste. For thys calleth God his Sabboth and reast pleasaunte vnto hym. Esaye .xxviii. To re­freshe the wearye whych he calleth also the refreshinge of his owne selfe. Thus doo we keepe the acceptable holye day, and doo the worshippe that he desyreth when wee shewe mercye, and comforte the poore and neadye. The whyche worshyppe is so greate, that he wyl aske ac­comptes of none other thynge at the daye of iudgemente, but if we haue clo­thed him, when we did see him naked, if we haue fedde him when he was hongry and so foorthe. Math. xxv. For because theese dedes of mercye and loue, doothe presuppose, boothe faythe and feare of God. This loue therefore must we bring to the true worshyppynge of God. And as oure Prophete in fewe woordes doth comprehende all kynde of worshyppe, wee muste doo iudgemente, loue, mer­cye, and walcke humblye and reuerent­lye before the Lorde. Too do iudgment [Page] may be well vnderstand, to doo as thou wold be don to. What so euer thou iud­gest that thou wold haue doone to the, that do thou vnto other. To do mercye, is to forgeue as thou wold be forgeuen, and thys hart and mynd must we bring to worshyp god, & to walke before hym. For of thys doth God make tryal whe­ther we do loue hym or no. If we do not loue our brother whom we se, how can we loue God whom we se not? Ihō .iiii. Then if we do brynge vnto God, as for hys honor and worshyp sacrifices, offe­rynges, or what so euer it be wythoute the loue of god, what do we but declare our selues detestable hipocrites, dissemblyng to loue hym, whō we do not loue, to honour hym, whom we dishonor, and to worshyp hym, who by vs is blasphe­med. Therefore may we not thyncke to please God wyth any sacrifyce, or out­warde shewe of holynes, but wee muste walke humblye and obedyentlyee be­fore the Lorde, as Samuell answered kynge Saule .i. Kynges .xv. Beholde, to obeye is better then sacrifice, and to harkē is better then the fat of wethers.

Enok walked thus wyth God, and therefore was taken vp into hys pre­sence. [Page] Noah humble and obedient, with fayth, feare and reuerence: walked be­fore the Lorde, and entred into his ark, when all the proude and dysobedyente world was drowned. Lothe walked o­bedyentlye, and durste not looke backe when hee was taken frome the Sodo­mites, wher hys wyfe stobernelye brea­kyng the commaundement was turned into a salte stone.

Abraham and Sarai may bee exam­ples howe we shoulde walke humblye, and reuerentelye, and also faythfullye and obedyentlye before the Lord, which after promise or commaundement, dyd not regard any thyng, not so muche as theyr owne old barran bodyes but only looked vnto God, geuyng him thys ho­noure, worshyppe and glorye, that hee was able to fulfil whatsoeuer he hadde spoken and promysed. And whyche oughte to be our glasse, therein too see the woorkes of God towarde vs. Isra­ell so long as they dyd walke humblye, and obedyentlye before theyr Lorde, and worshypped hym after hys woorde and commaundementes, fearyng hym wyth vnfayned and dissemblyng harts, harkenyng vnto hys word, and practi­sed theyr lyues therafter. He led theym [Page] wyth hys myghtye arme throughe the red sea, fed theym wyth Manna in the wyldernes, destroied many nacions for them. But when they dyd swarue from hys commaundement, and would wor­shyp hym after theyr owne inuencyōs, he plaged them greuouslye, sente them drought, dearth, famine, pestilence, and the swerd of the Egiptians, Chaldees, and Romaynes.

Espicially when God the father sēt hys owne son to cal them to hys obedi­ence, and to teach them that theyr slain sacrifice was of no force in it selfe, but onelye dyd sygnifye that by hys bloude and sacrifice of hym, beyng as it wer an vnspotted lambe, theyr iniquity should be forgeuen, and the syn of theyr souls washed away, whych was sygnified by hys baptyme. They walkyng proundly not humbly, despysed humble Christe, boasted them selues to bee the chyldren of Abraham, to be the true Israelytes, to haue the oracles, to haue the law writen, to be obseruers and keepers of the law, to be the only worshyppers of god, to know hys wyl, to be guydes vnto the blynde and all together: but Christ cal­leth the most holy amonges them, blind guydes, paynted graues, fayned hypo­crites, [Page] and false worshippers. And after he was refused and vyllanlouslye handled, God sendeth vpon them worthy de­struccion, famin, hunger, pestilence, and the swerde of the Romaines which did roote them forth, & laye theyr lande desolate and scatter them abrode vnto thys daye. So perilous a thynge it is, not to walcke humblye before him, but to gad otherwayes from hym, for the respecte of anye creature. For he onlye canne do all, careth for all, knoweth all, lyke as he onelye hathe create al vnto hym, therfore withoute declininge too any other muste all honoure and worshyp be geuē. And as he hathe saued all theym whiche haue thus walked before him wyth this faythe, feare, and loue too declare that there is one God, euer constant and vn­changeable, so doothe he nowe requyre the same worship that he did of them before vs, whiche did neyther consyste in holye causes, nor brente offerynges, as the carnal heithen and grosse Pharyses fancied and supposed, neither in suche thinges wherewith worldlye menne are pleased, as gold, siluer, precious stones, gaye ornamentes, and ryche gyftes, cappynge, knelinge, curtesies, to be sought farre of at Rome, Compostella, or at Ierusalem. [Page] But to worship hym in y ^e house of hartes in the chamber of out breastes in the temple of oure soule, wherein he hath chosen hys mansion. Ther to worshyp him not wyth mans imaginacyon and chosen holynes, whyche hee calleth vayne worshippe, and abhorreth it. But in the worshyppe whych he appoynteth and commaundeth, that is as his sonne declareth in spirit and truth. By vnfai­ned reuerence of god hys sacrate mage­sty. By faythful truste in his vnfallyble promyses. By loue not counterfayte towarde oure neyghboures. Whych three frutful braunches growyng forth of the man newe regenerate by the spyryte of god, must needes brynge foorthe manye spiritual workes as inuocacion, prayer, thankesgeuynge, fastynge and mour­nynges for synnes, almes, and all the woorkes of mercye and pytye. Who so walketh in these woorkes, hee truelye worshyppeth God, and hereby are the true and false worshyppers knowen in sonder, the true churche and the chuche of Hypocrytes, because these woorkes fayth, feare and loue, was not found in the olde world, therefore was it drow­ned, because theese three partes of the true woorshyppe was not founde a­monges [Page] the Iewes, therefore wer they destroyed. Because theese woorkes of true woorshippe were not founde in the popyshe church, therefore is it subuer­ted, and if they be not shortelye founde in oure refourmed churches, they shall wyth lyke shame be subuerted and de­stroyed. Lette vs walke humblye ther­fore before oure Lorde, and beware of of oure fall. He doothe not suffer hys chosen, so longe tyme as he doothe the reprobate.

The voyce of the Lord dothe crye vnto the cytye. The Text A wyse man wyll feare thy name. Heare the rodde, and who it is whych hath appointed the certaine tyme vnto it. Is ther yet in the house of the wycked tresure and the false measure? O abhominacion. Shall I iustyfye the wycked Ballaunce, and the satchell of deceytefull wayghtes?

Her ryche men are replete wyth rauyne, and her enhabytauntes hath spoken lyes, and had deceitfull tounges in theyr mouthes. Therfore wyl I make the sicke, stryking the and makyng the desolate for thy sinnes, Thou shalt eate and not be satisfyed for mi­serye shall go thorowe thee, thou shalte go vnto thy wyfe, but shee shal he barren, and that whyche she doth brynge foorthe, shall I geue vnto the swerd. Thou shalt sowe, and not reape, thou shalte tread the Oliues, but thou shalt not anoynt thy selfe wyth Oyle, and treade the grapes, but thou shalte not drynke thy wyne. Be­cause thou haste kepte the ordy­nance of Amry, and al y ^e abomy­naciō of the house of Achab, and hast walked in theyr counsailes. [Page] Therefore wyl I geue the vnto desolacion, and all thy enhaby­tauntes to be hyssed and skorned and you shall beare the shame of my people.

The voyce of the Lorde.

The Lorde cryeth by hys preachers, The Text by hys Prophetes, by hys Apostles, by his Messengers in al ages, and al tymes to call vs to repentaunce. He warneth of hys wyl and pleasure. He telleth which is true worshyp, and which is false. And as he sayth by hys Apostle Paule: Al the daye long haue I stretched foorthe my handes vnto an vnbeleuing people, and a people that striueth against me. Rom. x. And by hys owne son he sayth: Ieru­salem Ierusalem, how oft wold I haue gathered the together, as the hen gathereth her chyckens vnder her wynges, & thou wouldest not. Math. xxiii. Whych doothe vtter the fatherlye care of oure God, alway callyng and crying vpō vs. But who heareth his callynge? who se­eth hys power? who feareth hys name? Thusiah doth see it, saith our Prophet, that is to say, wisdom, or the wyse man wyl be warned. For so doth the Hebrew [Page] interpreters expounde it. And so it agre­eth with y ^e course of God his workīg, at al times God calleth al. His soūd of his voice goeth through the world, yet scātlicā ther be one so wise to repent in y ^e warning of the .vii. cities. No mo wer found fearfull of God hys sore threatenynges but only Loth in the destruccion of the hoole worlde, Noah was onlye founde wyse and obedyent. In Ierusalem how fewe wer found obedyent when the Prophetes warned them to repente. In oure world God graūt some one wise & faithful mā may be found, whych maye pray for vs, as Abrahā did for the Sodomits, and geue warning of gods wrath hefore it fall vpon oure cities. Heare the rodde, the rod of God his great vengeaunce is readye shaken againste your cities. The time is determined for your punishmēt. Wil you not yet be warned to lay away wickednes & repent of your euil waies? wyl you kepe stil your euil gotten goods and treasures heaped bi extorsion? How can your sinnes then [...]ee pardoned? My lawe commaundeth for thynges wronglye taken to paye foure foulde and fyue fould. Haue you satisfyed my lawe and least your selues so greate treasures?

Nay you are so farre frome such equyty [Page] that of restitucion, that you maineteyne styll youre bryberye and extorsyon. You keepe styll in youre houses, youre leane and bare measures, your scant and false Bushelles too prouoke my wrathe and indygnatyon vppon you. Your measure is scante of Corne and your chaffer, but it is full of my wrathe and heauye dys­pleasure.

Shall I iustyfye the wycked bal­launce? Or as the Hebrew stan [...]eth wic­kednesse in the ballaunce. If I shoulde leaue thys vnpunyshed I shoulde seame to iustyfye and alowe al the wickednesse that you do vse therein. Where contrarywise, I haue commaunded the too haue iuste ballaunce and euen wayghtes and true measures. Leui. xix. and in Deuteronomye .xxv. Thou arte commaunded not too haue dyuers wayghtes a grea­ter and a smaller, neyther to haue in thy house a bygge bushell and a small, but that thou shalte haue a iuste and true wayghte, an euen and true bushell that thou maye lyue a longe tyme in the land which the lord thi God geueth the. Ther furthermore art thou taught, that I thy Lorde God doo abhorre hym that dothe these thinges, and that I detest al vniust [Page] dealing as a thing abhominable, and so doothe my seruaunte Salomon teache the. Prouerbe .xx that double waightes and dysceitefull ballaunce abhomina­ble before thy Lord God. Howe dareste thou then kepe in thy house eyther any false measure or thereby anye euyl got­ten treasure? Doste thou nothynge re­garde me whyche haue thy lyfe & breath in my hande?

Arte thou nothynge moued by my manyfolde benefytes? nothynge afraied of my threatninges, repente, O repent and herken to my Prophetes or elsse my rod is readye to scourge thy wickednesse.

The tyme is determined by me the all­myghtye measurer of times, onlesse you do repente, O you wicked Marchaunts of London and and all other cities. But O wicked worlde I do knowe your de­uises. You do hide vp your ware vntil it waxe scāt. You do lessō your measures. You encrease your prices, too make the pore your slaues, yet 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. [Page] 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 y ^t 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 [Page] 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 y ^e myds of the, that thou shalt be wasted for thy syns.

Because thou hast kept y ^e 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 [Page] moreouer shamful extorcion & shedding of innocent blud, sleing Naboth for his vineyard, killing the prophets of y ^e 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 y ^e 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 shalbe 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 [Page] 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 [Page] 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 shalbe 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 threfolde cable. The best amongs thē is lyke a bryar & the ryghteous lyke a thorne of [Page] 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, y ^e 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 y ^e 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. [Page] 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 [Page] 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 shalbe 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 [Page] 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 theyre wyfes coffers, & credite therein barbarous and cruell sougioures. Other durst not trust theyr owne doughters, but fearynge all other creatures refused the healpe of theyre Chamberlaynes and other ser­uauntes. Durste credyte no barboures to shaue theyr beardes, but vsed the help of theyr Doughters whyles they were [Page] 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 y ^e cōmōs [Page] 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 y ^e 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 Salomon by the flattering of his wifes, was brought to Idolatrye. Sampson to his owne de­struccion. And infinite other that haue [Page] fallē som into one vice, some in an other and ar length to shamefull endes by the flatterye of fayned friendes. Beware of flatterers therefore O kinges and princes, for be sure when so euer you shal de­lite in them you shal not long continue withoute shame. The moste present poyson to a Prynce is flatterye. Beware I [...]aye therefore. For Iudas when he flattereth mooste fayre, is moost readye too be traye his master. Ioab when hee kis­seth Amasa and and Abner and sheweth mooste frendshippe is ready to kil them.

Abimelech when he flattereth hys .lxx brethrene is all readye throughe ambi­cion appoyncted too destroye them. Da­dila when shee flattereth Sampson too knowe his strength hath the Philistines priuilye hid in her house. Absalom dothe call to his feaste by flattery and ther slai his brother Ammon, and withdraweth the heartes of the people by flattery frō hys father Dauid, and at lengthe dry­ueth him forth of his kingdom. Wherin appeareth the smal trust to be had to the wicked worldlings and crafti flatterers, though they offer great frēdship, though thei be our brethrē, though thei ly in our owne bosōs. And hear mai we set before our eies who ar to be trusted in this wic­ked [Page] worlde so full of disceit and who are not. They onlye which do seke godlines and vertue and setteth much bi the truth of the woorde of God. for thys truthe is mightier then women, then wine, then the kinge, it ouercommeth all. It con­quereth falshed, it condempneth flatte­ry, it driueth away blindnes, it causeth the blinde to se, the yong scoler to be wyser then the great Doctor, it trieth al, it espieth all, it iudgeth, it condemneth al. To the author and geuer of this truth be al glorye for euer.

Let vs no longer trust to manne therfore or make fleshe our arme in thys our wicked time wherin al are geuen to falshode, to flatterye, to deceit, to couetous, to ambicion, to lyinge, slaunderynge, to al euils and wickednesse. But contraryewise say with our Prophet euery one of vs bothe kinge and subiecte.

The Text I will loke vnto the Lorde. I wil trust vnto God my sauior, & my God wil heare me.

Whether it be in the day of my visita­cion whē aduersitie shal come vpō me, or in y ^e day of prosperitie whē these flatte­rers shal folow me. I wil regard nothing but the Lord I wil truste to none but to God my sauiour. The Lorde God is the [Page] measurer of mi trouble he can & wil hear my cry & deliuer me from al peril. Ther­fore wil I cal vnto the Lord with the holy king Dauid. Psa. iii. Psalm. iii. O God how are mine ennemies multiplied howe manye doth rise vp against me. Many doth say vnto mi soul: his God shal not saue him, but thou O God act the sheilde ouer me. My glory and the lifting vp of my head. I wil cry vnto the Lord wyth my voyce and he wil hear from his holy hil.

O thou mine enemy reioise not against me that I am fallē, The Text I am risen vp againe, And thoughe I shuld sit in darknes, the Lord is my lght. I wyl beare the disple­sure of the Lord, because I haue sinned against him whiles y ^t heaueng my cause & do iudgmēt for me. For he wil brīg me into light & I shal se his rightousnes. Thē mine enemi shal behold & be ashamed which saith vnto me: wher is y ^e lord thy god? mine eies shall be­hold her and now shall she be troden vnder the foote like the mire of the stretes.

Three thnges are here to be obserued in thys humble confession of the sinner whether thou do vnderstād it in the persō of a perticuler synner, or in the parsō of the multitude of Israel led into cap­tiuity. Fyrst a consideracion and know ledgynge of the synnes committed a­gaynst God: and therefore pacience to beare and to suffer what so euer the lord shal lay vpō theyr backs. Secōdly wher such as are chastened of the Lord are alwayes of the wycked world despised, reuiled and skorned vniustli, and without cause whych doth augment theyr heauines. Here is the aduenging therof, and the iudgement of theyr innocencye to­wardes theyr enemies whych do perse­cute them, committed vnto God. Thirdlye here is ful and perfit fayhte of God hys fauour in the middes of the afflyccions and hope of a comfortable ende of them to the glory of god to the confusi­on shame and destruccion of al hys enemyes to be learned.

For the fyrst Dauid cryeth: O Lorde enter not thou into iudgemēte with thy seruaunt, for in thy syghte no lyuynge creature shalbe iustified. For the second part he dare be bold to say, iudge me ac­cordynge to my ryghtuousnes, and the [Page] xxxv. Psa. thorowe out for this purpose. For the third he saith. Though I do syt in darcknes and in the shadow of death yet arte thou with me. So fyrmelye per­swaded of God hys fauoure in the mid­des of the trouble are the elect of God, that they saye alwaye with Paule, who shall separate vs from the fauoure of God? shal affliccyon? shal anguishe? shal persecucion, shall hunger? shall naked­nesse? shall peryl? daunger or swearde? Naye thou haste thus appointed, ordeyned, and therefore warned vs longe be­fore. That we shoulde bee slayne euerye daye for thy sake and counted like shepe readye to the slaughter, but in al this we do ouercome, by him whiche hathe loued vs. And as Paul saith in another place, we do glorye in oure afflyccion, knowe­inge that affliccion bringinge pacience, pacience bringeth trial and hoope in the ende whiche is neuer shamed.

This lesson of comforte maye eue­rye pryuate personne fealinge him selfe smitten for hys synne, learn of our Prophet. But farther nowe hee speaketh in the person of the Iewes, and of the hole church chosen of God, and the like thinges for them maye bee marked besydes the fall of the Chaldees, of Antechrist & of [Page] al Tirauntes persecutoures of the elect people whiche shall by the conqueste of Christe theyr heade make all theyr ene­mies as theyr foote stole, to treade vpon theym lyke the myre of the streate as is here prophecied. Therfore must we bear pacientli a litle while, and we shal satis­fye our eyes with the sight of theyr fall by the iuste iudgmente of God and ven­ginge oure cause like as they haue with oute cause vniustly triumphed ouer vs, hated, oppressed and murthered vs, de­seruing no such cruelty at theyr hands, for too the Lorde longeth vengaunce. And he wyll perfourme it. Reade the .v. Chapter of wisdome to the end. For the declaration of all thys.

To note also the Phrases of lyghte and darckenesse, lighte signifieth knowledge and comfort. Esaye .ii.ix.xlii.xlix.lx.lxi. Mathew .iiii. Luke .ii. Darkenes the contrary, persecution, blyndenesse, sorowe. Esaye .xiii. Lamentacions .v. Micha. iii. Psam .lxix. To se also and to beholde the ennemye is to reioyse at the fall of hym whiche 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 [Page] 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 y ^e Iewes, & a myserable plage to come vpō their enemies. Ther is a day appointed y ^t thy waste places shall be built. Amos. ix. Ezechiel .xxxvii. A daye when al tiranny cal exaction and tribute shalbe taken a­waye. Ezechiell .xxxviii. That daye shall thy people which wer caried captiue vn­too Babilon bee broughte frome theyre strōg fēced cities, fortes, castels & holds, wherin they wer kept prysonners home again to enhabit frō the strong cities to y ^e flud Iordā & frō y ^e red sea to y ^e great sea and so to the hil Carmel and the moun­tayne called Hor. Esay sayth of thys gathering together Israel frō y ^e cast I wil bring thy seede & frō the West I wyl gather the. I wyll saye to the North, geue [Page] 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 theyre ima­gynacyons.

Thoughe thys sentence be hear spoken cheiflye of the ennemyes land, yet is it generallye true in all landes and cō tryes. The Canances were waysted and destroied therefore. The Iewes thē selfe had theyr lande flowinge wyth mylcke and honye, so longe before promysed to theyre 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 [Page] 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 [Page] 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, [Page] 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 moū ­taines, 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 y ^e promysed lande, and Manas­se hadde these twayne in possessyon Iosua .xvii. And our prophet bryngeth in y ^e 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. [Page] 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 y ^e 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 condē nacion 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 [Page] 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 and ended, when al the power of the aduersary shal be destroyied in y ^e end of the world, when the helly Pharao shalbe 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 [Page] 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 [Page] 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 [Page] 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 y ^e honor of thy name for thy sonne our Lord Iesu Christe his sake. So be it.