destructions are wont to finde fauour and thoughte to be innocente yet now they shal be as extremely punisshed as the rest And as ye haue dronke and made mery on my hyl Sion and Moria where the teÌ„ple was buylded and God worshipped ye laught to see it destroied burned cast doune so shall your enemies drink laugh and make merye on youre hylles where youre stronge holdes were buylded whan they shal throw them doun conquer your landes and leade you captiues and prisoners make you slaues robbe your goods and treasours laughe you too scorne and worke their pleasure on you and youres they shall swalowe you and youres vp soo cleane leauing nothing behinde them deuoure all your goods as though ye had neuer ben dwelling there and as though no suche thinges had ben This is the â—ust iudgement of God to doe agayne thesame thinges to his enemies that thei did too his people and rewarde like with like If he should shewe sharper punishmente men woulde call him cruell if lesse many woulde iudge that he coulde not woulde not or durst not Therfore he renders eueÌ„ thesame againe that both his enemies his people may cal him a righteous iudge For fewe will or iustely can blame hym that does but like for like So saies Dauid let the people reioice for thou iudges thy people righteously Adonibezeâ— a Heathen that chopped of the toes and fingers of .70 kinges whiche he conquered was so serued him selfe whan he was taken and than confessed he God to be righteous in doinge to him as he had done to other Absalon killed his brother with the swerde violentlye and perished with the swerde him self Ioab smote Abner vniustly and Dauid commaunded him to bee likewise handled He that came bringinge woorde to Dauid that he had killed Saul thinkiÌ„g thereby to haue piked a thaÌ„ke and goten a bribe of Dauid was commaunded by Dauid to be slaine for laying his hand on the anointed of the Lorde contrary to his expectation Thus by these few and suche other examples the rightuous iudgements of God and merciful dealing in his punishing appeare that although his enemies rage and furye in their doinges and in their madnes care not what crueltye they shewe yet God although he mooste iustly might accordinge to their desertes reuenge with more sharpnes he will not but rewarde with like Let all cruel papistes and persecutors of Gods people take hede therefore what violence they shewe for although God seme to suffer for a time yet he wil come at his apointed time to do liuer his and reward theym with the lyke measure that they haue shewed too other And of all causes and iniuries God canne suffer none wors vnauenged than that whiche is counted against IerusaleÌ„ hys temple his religion and where he is honored for that touches his owne person His honor he says him self he will gyue to no other he is a ielous God And the first chiefe commaundement is to worshippe him alone too haue no other Goddes but him for els he punishes to the thyrde and fourth generation of them that hate him Can any countrie or people be founde froÌ„ the beginninge whiche rebelled againste God and his people but God hays throwen them doune Can than our antichristes or any hater mocker of God or hys people at this daye by what name soeuer they bee called loke for any lesse than too receyue thesame measure that they haue gyuen other nay nay for surely the mo examples that thei haue had to teache theÌ„ and they will not learne the greater shal be their condemnation And let them not thinke that this day of vengeaunce is so ferre of seing that so many thinges crie on the Lorde to hasten his cominge Euery creature in heauen earth quicke and dead grones and trauails loking for our ful deliuerance The soules vnder the aultare crie howe longe o Lorde is it that thou reuenges not oure bloude and these be not fewe in number for from the bloude of the righteous Abel all innocent bloude shal come on you The spirite and the spouse crie come and he that hears cries come Merci to help his oppressed and iustice to reueÌ„ge crie come Lorde Iesus quickly Can God stoppe hys eares from all these cryinges No no let them assure them selues their daies be at hande they shall perishe euerlastingly yf they repent not and Gods people shall be deliuered to his glorie Come Lorde Iesus let all crie and he wil come The churche of Christ is the spouse of Christ and he is oure housbande he our head and we hys members and parte of his mistical bodye he oure father and wee hys chyldren he oure God and we hys creatures he oure kynge and we hys subiectes he our Lord and maister and we hys poore seruaunts Christ our brother and we felow heyres with him he loues vs better and takes more thought for vs than we doe for oure selues Greate is the loue of the mother towarde her chyldren yet greater is Gods loue towarde vs. Although the mother can forget the chylde sayes the Prophete I will not forget thee Yea as the henne will feight for her chekins so will oure God for vs againste all oure enemies How oft would I haue gathered thee vnder my winges as the henne her chekens sayes oure sauioure Christ. Oure bodies are the temple wherein he dwelles yea we are the liuely stones wherof his house is buylt we be of his household cyâ—â—â—ens burgeis and freemen in heauen his familiar frendes whome he loued so derely that his sonne should dye that we might liue And that we should not doubt of his good will but that he hays gyueÌ„ vs all his treasure he sayes He that spared not his own sonne but gaue him for vs all how can it be but hee hays gyuen all thinges with him c. Let no man therfore doubte of Gods good will towardes vs seinge God him selfe hayes declared so many wayes his excedinge greate loue towardes vs by so many similitudes and lette no papiste reioice nor triumphe againste Gods people as thoughe God cared not for theÌ„ had cast them awaye or woulde not delyuer them For he will come in dede not be slow Peter sayes the Lord is not slow in cominge as some thinke but patienly taries for vs c. Can any housbande see his wyfe take wrong or any man hate or neglected his owne fleshe can the father denie his chylde any thinge he askes or if he aske bread will he gyue him a stoone is any more ready to help his people than God will not a king defend his subiects the maister his seruaunte or lorde his tenaunt will not brotherly loue moue him that is loue it selfe as s. Ihon sayes too haue pitie on vs he hays boughte vs too dere to see vs caste awaye Will he doe lesse for vs then the Henne for her chekeÌ„s or the brute beast for her ionge ones No
Mary when the Aungel saluted her wōdred that God would cal such a poore mayden virgyn to be the mother of his sonne But euer he that thinks him self vnworthy God takes him as worthy those that thinke so highly of thē selues that they be worthy God refuses makes vnworthy Therefore let euery man that feeles him self in consciēce withdrawē frō doing his duty to god by any kynd of sin say thus to him self Is it tyme for thee to delite thy self in this or y◠kynd of synne gods house vnbylt Think y◠god hath left this in writing to rebuke hī styrre him vp to be more diligēt in repairīg his house wherin god dwels And let eueri mā cōfort him self that god not onli requires but takes in good part the least seruice that the poorest mā liuing cā do And as he saide afore in the seconde verse this people sayeth it is not tyme to buylde c. nothinge the vnkyndenes of that people to whome he had so often and longe ben so louinge a Lorde and maister So he sayeth now this house lyes waste to set out before them y◠greatnes of theyr disobedience that they did not neglect and leaue vnbuylt a common house a Bishop◠palaice or an Abby but that house wherin God him selfe sayde he woulde dwell where onely they shoulde offer their sacrifices whiche onely not oute of the whole worlde but amonge the places townes cytyes in all Iewry he chose by name too be worshipped in in whiche onely he was moste delited and made promys to Salomon in the dedicacion of thesame that he woulde heare the prayers of the that there called vpon hym in faith That house thei did not onely suffer it to decaye but were so forgetful of it that they let it lye waste desolate layde no hande to it as thought it belonged not to them nor it were theyr duety they hadde so farre forgotten God whiche willed them so straightely to do it The Lord for his mercy sake graunt that thesame vnkyndnes maye not be layde iustly against vs whiche leaue that house vnhuylt yea treade vnder oure feete like filthy swyne wherin not the sacrifices of Moyses are offered but for the saluation of whiche Christ offered his bodye a sacrifice to be kylled and his bloude shed and in whiche his holy spirite dwelles if thorough vnthankefulnes we driue him not awaye This house is the holy churche of Christe generally and oure owne bodyes and soules particulerly which be not only membres and partes of his misticall body but the temple and house where the holye Ghoste dwelles where in he wil chiefly be worshipped verse 5 And now thus sayth the Lord of hostes cōsider in your harts your owne waies verse 6 You haue sowen muche and broughte in but litle ye haue eaten and not ben satisfied ye haue dronke and not ben filled with drinke ye haue ben clothed and not kept warme ye haue wrought for wage put your wages in a purse with a hole in the botome ¶ Although ye haue lien lōg without consideratiō of your duty toward God hys house buylding haue ben sore punished of god not knowē the cause of it haue sought your pleasur profit but not obtained them being so blinded in fulfillinge your worldly lustes yet now the mightye Lord of hostes power whome all other creaturs except you obey giues you warning now to cōsider better in youre heart your tyme past not so negligētly wey the working of god with you for he hath lōg punished you to haue had you to amend ye regard it not at all Synne of it self is darkenes whosoeuer walkes in sinne ▪ walkes in darkenes knowes not what he doeth if a man geue him self to be ruled by sin it makes of fooles mad men darkenes so the reasō that it knowes not what to do or saye They had thus many yeares ben plaged knew not the cause why but layd it on some other chaūce then not building gods house which was the chief cause or els like insensible beastes without the feare of God regarded it not as though it had come of some natural cause god had not plaged their sinne But as his disease is most perillous which lies sicke feeles not his sickenes nor can not cōplayne of one parte more than an other for thā the disease hathe equally troubled the whole body so they which lye walowing in syn so forgetting God al goodnes that thei fel◠no remorse of consciēce are desperate almost past all recouery yet God most mercifully dealing with this people sendes his Prophet to warne them sturre thē oute of their slepe that their thei should no longer so lightly wey Gods displeasure towardes them but depely wey why and wherfore these plages were thus poured vpō them The scholemaister correctes not his scoler nor the father his child but for some fauts for their amendment no more hath God sent these plages to you so many yeares but to remēber you of your disobediēce towards him that ye should turn to hym But if the leude scoler or vnthrifty sonne do not regarde the correction laid vpō him nor cōsider not the greatnes of his faulte nor the displeasure of his father or scholemaster ther is no goodnes to be hoped for of him so is it w e you if ye thus lightly or els not at all cōsider your lyfe paste Gods dealing with you how euil things haue prospered with you all the time ye thus haue disobeyed god Whē the life of mā pleases god saies Salomō all things prosper go forwards with him but whā he offendes his god all creaturs turn to his hurt hinderaunce If thou heare the voyce of the Lord thy God saith Moyses and kepe all the commaundementes which I teache thee the Lorde wil make thee greater than al other people thou shalt be blessed in the citie and in the fielde thy chyldren the fruit◠of the earth and all thy cattel thy shep◠▪ Oxen shal be blessed and increase but yf thou heare not the voyce of the Lorde thy God and kepe his cōmaundements thou shalt be cursed in the towne in the field◠thy chyldren shal be cursed and the fruit◠of the earth and the fruit of thy cattel thy sheepe and thy Oxen the Lord will sende vpon thee nede and trouble and destructiō on euery thinge thou goest aboute vntyll he destroye thee c. These plagues when they fall in any country are not lightlye to be considered But as the Phisicion seing in a glasse by the water the disease within the body by the learninge searches out the cause of the disease and ministers good things for thesame so in lokinge in the glasse of gods worde the diseases and sinnes which are in common wealthes we shall soone perceyue the cause of these plagues wholsomely minister some
all the Enemies of God his woorde people Religion to leaue their wickednes and to comforte the good manfully too beare their madnes and patiently to loke for Gods goodnes LIke as in Aggeus my endeuor and purpose was that those that feare the Lorde shoulde be sturred vp to an earnest buyldinge of Gods house louinge of his woorde and maintaininge of true religion so in this shorte Prophete my trauall and meaninge is that the wicked vnderstanding how vainly they stryue with all their witte power policie against the poore simple innocent crucified Christ Iesus the almighti sonne of the liuing God the wisedome and power of God his father might cease their raginge madnes and not onelye that but also howe they shal be ouerthrowen in their owne deuises that they imagine against true Christians the misticall members of his body and churche or againste hys woord and religion as all their fathers haue bene frome the beginninge whose steppes they folow in hating and persecuting gods people Their stomackes be stout theyr pollices great their might is stronge their wittes are wile yea all the worlde is on their side yet in the ende they shall serue dastards ignorant helples witles and misers for as the wise man sais ther is no wisedom politie nor counsell againste the Lorde The more wisdom subtiltie strengthe or power that a man hais the more he hais it to hys owne destruction if he haue it not and vse it too the glory of God and comfort of hys people For as wylde beastes the more fearce and cruel that they be the more it harmes them and causes men to hunt and seke wais how too destroy them so the more that the wicked set vp theÌ„ selfes against the Lorde and oppresse hys people the readyer iâ— God to help and deliuer his and ouerthrowe the other Can they finde any rebels againste God hys woorde and people from the beginninge too thys day that hais preuailed agaynst the Lorde and hys chosen folke If there be none as it is mooste true none to be how can they loke to be the firste Why maye not true Christians boldely saye with Dauid than Why do the Heathen freate and fume and the people imagine vain thinges againste the Lorde and his anointed saying â–ª let vs brust in sunder their bondes and cast their yoke awaye froÌ„ vs. But it folowes he that dwels in the heauens will mocke them and the Lord will laughe them too scorne In the twoo first sinnes of Adam and soo orderly in al ages to these dayes it appeares how the wicked continually malice persecute the good but to the burt of theym selues and the prayse of the godly Cain killed his brother Abel thought he should haue ben blameles but Abels innocent bloude and suche like cried vengeance on Cain hys folowers from that daye to this and the righteous God reuenges it dayly and at length wil coÌ„demne the obstinate vtterly C ham mocked hys father Noe and hys seede the Canaanites persecuted Gods people the Iewes that came of Sem his brother therefore his posteritie was accursed of God to the worlds ende The proude Giants with their captain Nimrod buylding the tower of Babell to get them selues a name in earth were ouerthrowen in their owne deuise by God from heaueÌ„ Carnal Ismael sought to destroy the promysed Isaac but in vain Bloudy EdoÌ„ or Esau whom thys Prophete describes sought the deathe of his brother Iacob but the God of Abraham their father saued them Ioseph was solde into Egipt by hys brether and by the false accusinge of his maysties was wrongefully prysoned yet hee that sittes on hygh looked doune to the lowe dungeon of the pryson and raised Ioseph to be ruler and sauer of the lande The Egiptians oppressed Gods people for a tyme but the Lord of hostes drouned Fharao and hys companye for their crueltye againste them the frowarde people murmuringe often againste their captain Moyses some were swalowed vp with earth quick some burned with fire The Philistians and seuen nations rounde aboute Gods flocke kepte continual warre against them yet they coulde neuer deuoure them but were deuoured at the length Saul and hys flatterers banisshed and pursued poore Dauid whome his God of a shepeherde made a kynge mauger all his foes The ten tribes of Israel with their kyngs were enemies to Iuda Beniamin euermore yet though they were the stroÌ„ger mo in number thei were soner rooted oute The Chaldes Assirians PersiaÌ„s Grecians and Romaines the mightiest princes on the earth oft subdued the Iewes forsakinge theyr God but the Lorde their olde sauiour euer restored them agayne when they fought him vnto thei vtterly refused Christ their sauiour The Iewes crucified Christ Iesus oure Lorde thrust hym to the heart with a speare buried hym and layed a heauy stoone on hym thinkinge he should neuer ryse agayne a conqueror but in vain was all theyr spite and their labor lost Themperour many yeares cruellye tormented all that beleued in the Lord fondly thinkinge to haue by that meaneâ— ouerthrowen them The Pope in processe of time conquered almoste al princes except the Gretians vnto of late the Lord opening the eyes of some brake hys snares and deliuered hys folke MoÌ„kes and Ereres by mans traditions woulde haue ouerwhelmed true religion Papistes of late haue banisshed burned and persecuted many godly men so cruelly as no history speakes of the like thys thousande yeare willing to haue feared all frome euer acknowledging their Lord Christe Many Heretikes haue laboured to haue defaced Goddes truthe but al is in vain God his name bee praysed therefore hais ouerthrowen them in their highest ruffe laughed them to scorne and raised vppe that whiche they would most gladly haue vtterly oppressed â–ª For as death and the graue could not preuaile against Christ our head no more shall it against his bodye and members As Nimrod therefore Pharao Ieroboam Nebucadnezar Darius Alexander with all their kyngdoms and partakers be now vainquished and subdued by the Turke the Sophi and the Souldan priester Iohn other Heathen princes their couÌ„tries made wast strauÌ„gers possesse them their religion altered froÌ„ euill to wors their cytyes townes and temples as the Prophetes did tell afore are made dennes of wilde beastes owles other filthy byrds so sence christ that which Emperors maÌ„fullly coÌ„quered the pope by subtiltie deuoured made him selfe a prince of princes but now by the power of Gods woorde preached he is made a laughing stocke to al thosâ— whose eyes the Lord hais opened to see his abominations and all realmes that afore feared hym â–ª now God visiting hys people fal from hym For as the woodbinde leaning to a tree climbes vp spreades it selfe ouer all the branches vnto it haue ouergrowen and kylled the hole tree as a stroÌ„g â—eady streame vndermining great hygh bankes at length makes all to tumble intoo the water and wasshes it awaye so
Paul your holines As they haue but one God so they will worshippe him onely and as he hais taught them and not after the deuise of man thei will also studie for a holy life as God commaundes Be ye holy for I am holy And if we reade a holy place or sanctuari to worshippe God in it is true also for in all persecutions in the spite of the Pope and all Antichrist there hays ben in all ages and shal be for God so sayinge can not lye true professors of God althoughe the moste parte of the worlde was blinded So Christe coÌ„forts his sayinge feare not thou litel flocke Thus in Christes churche in spite of their foes shall euer be Christ the heade knit to the bodye necessarely and as he is holy so shal he make them holy that heng vpon him so gouerne them by his spirite that they shall euer folow a holy kinde of lyfe fleinge mischiefe and vnclennes and so shal thei haue also his sanctuari and holy place where to resort to worship their God here is worde and call vpoÌ„ him AbrahaÌ„ Isaac Iacob Dauid in their waÌ„drings called vppon their God taughte their chyldren too feare the Lorde made their sacrifices and God reueled him self to them againe and neuer forsaked them In the captiuite of Babylon thoughe not in the temple yet they coulde by the water bankes singe psalmes on their instrumentes Whanne Christ was crucified the disciples kepte them together in a chamber praying and loking for the cominge of the holy Ghoste after whan persecution beganne some went to other countries some from house to house teachinge prayinge communicatinge and dealinge to the poore Paule sayes at Philippes by the water side thei were wonte too praye and in the middes blindnes of all Poperi hayes there euer ben some good men teachinge true doctrine and openinge their blasphemies for this can not be false that Christ promised his churche When the spirite whicâ— is the comforter shal come he shall leade you into all truthe I will be with you vnto the ende of the worlde he that is of God heareth the woordes of God you heare not for because ye are not of God And my shepe heare my voice a straunger they doe not folow Therefore let all that be vnder the crosse and persecution se thei assemble together to praise God openly confesse him if it be possible or at the leste as muche as they maye folowing the example of the faithfull christians in the beginninge whiche in spite of their foes coulde not be holden from assembling together with prayers and songes afore the daye was lighte nor lette any papiste reioyce againste goddes scatered and persecuted flocke for this is the state and condition of goddes people and preachinge the gospell that they shal not want a crosse yet God will performe this promise that in Sion the holy one Christe will be with them to gouerne them in holines of lyfe purenes of religion and an earnest fayth trustinge in God and will geue theym a place to call vpon hym in that his might mercy grace to his people may appeare to the worlde in the sight of his enemies Whan Abraham and Iacob fledde into Egipte the EgiptiaÌ„s learned God which afore neuer heard of him in the captiuite of Babylon the Caldees Assyrians Babylonions Medes and Parsians with al other people amonge whome the Iewes were scatered lerned God of them WhaÌ„ persecution beganne in Ierusalem after Christes Ascension the disciples scatered by persecution went and preached Christ to the Heathen whiche afore heard not of him In Englande after Wiclefs death whan persecution arose some died for the trueth constantly some fledde into Boemia and broughte the gospell thyther where it continues to this day although bothe Emperoure and Pope with al their mighte many sharp battels and bloudde sheddinge woulde haue rooted it oute What great assaulte the poore Waldeses haue suffered at diuers French kings handes goinge aboute to haue destroied them for their religion beinge a fewe in number and yet coulde neuer deface theÌ„ this .360 yeares it is piteous to heare Thus is this euer true that in Sion the true church of Christ shal be the holy one Christ sanctifieng all that beleue in him there shal be holines in faithe religion maners to the prayse of God there shal be also a sanctuari and holy place with asseÌ„bles in spite of their foes and persecutioÌ„ does not hurt but rather increase and further true religion thoughe not in the greater yet in the better parte of men For who soeuer the holy ghoste does enflame with an earnest zele to his religion they canne not kepe it within them they canne not abide to see their God and his woord blasphemed thei will braste oute and declare their faith and saye the earnest loue towardes thy house hais eaten me as oure Sauioure Christe did whan he see the teÌ„ple his fathers house so misused and hys religion contemned he gate whippes and droue them out Ieremie sayes the worde of God was to hym as a burninge fyre in his hearte and closed within his boones that he was not able too keepe it within him but woulde brust out This victory is sette oute more at large in the nexte verses folowinge where hee sayes the house of Iacob shal be fyre the house of Ioseph the flame and the house of Esau the stable c. Here is no description of horse haines gunnes any greate hoste or such other worldly things where in princes doe conquire and triumphe As the house of Iacob is spirituall and the kyngdome of Christe so be the weapons souldiers and victorie The swords where with thei faught were as the apostle sais the woorde of god which is sharper than any twooedged swoord and perâ—es more the soule conqueres the affections pulles doune hygh stoÌ„mackes deper than the swoorde can the bodye The gunnes were the Apostles words as Iames and Ioan were called the sonnes of thunder because with suche great power thei thundered terribly preached and feared carnall mindes more than the thuÌ„der does and threw doune sinne more than any gunnes coulde the walles Whan Peter at two sermons conuerted 5000. and Paul filled all countries frome Ierusalem to Illyzicum with the gospell what Emperour is able to bee compared of suche men of warre Whan Charles the .5 Emperour beganne to raygne Luter and Zuinglius began thesame time to preache and whither he hays throwen doune stopped and hindered the gospell more with al the help that his gostly and superstitious prelates coulde gyue than they with their scholers haue set it foorth and shewed the wickednes of Popery defaced his pompe let them selues iudge The Pope with his partakers haue had strength power politie wit wisedome armure gunnes horses harnes men and money and whatsoeuer they could deuise these other haue foughten with preachiÌ„g writing and giuing