deuise thinges which be to harde to be kept through which the poore are oppressed on euerye side and the innocentes of my people are therewith robbed of iudgement Wo be to those shriÌ„kiÌ„g childreÌ„ saith y â— lord which seke counsel but not at me whiche take a web in haÌ„d but not after my will y â— they may heap one sinne vpon an other Thus saith the Lorde my thoughtes are not your thoughtes and your wayes are not my wayes but as farre as the heaueÌ„s are higher then the earth so far do my wayes exceade youres and my thoughtes your thoughtes Your lippes speake leasinges and your tong setteth out wickednes No man regardeth righteousnesse and no man iudgeth truly Euery man hopeth in vaine things and imagineth disceite conceiueth wickednes and bringeth forth euil They breede Cockatrices egs weaue the spiders web Whosoeuer eâ—…eth of their egs dieth but if one tread vpon them their commeth vp a serpent Their webbe maketh no cloth and they maye not couer them with their laboures Their deedes are the deedes of wickednesse and the worke of robbery is in their handes their feete runne to euill and they make haste to shed innocent bloude Theyr councels are wicked councels hate and destruction is in their wayes but y â— way of peace they know not In their goings is no equitie their waies are so crooked y â— who so goeth therin knoweth nothing of peace My people haue committed two greate euils They haue forsaken me the fountaine of liuing waters and digged them pits pits I say that are broken and can hold no water Take bâ—…de saithe the Lord ye truste in coâ—…sels that begile you do you no good Heare not the wordes of the Prophets that preach their owne dreames Heare O ye house of Israel saith the lord Is not my way right or ar not your waies rather wicked The children of thy people saye tushe the way of the Lord is not right where as their way is rather vnright Examples out of the olde Testament Ieroboam kynge of Israel contrary to gods word made two calues of gold and set them vp to be worshipped of people as their goddes but both he and his posteritie were greuously punished for it How greuously god punished al such as brought in strauÌ„ge worshippings of god or any matters concerning Idolatrye or ought els contrary to y â— word of God although y â— authors of theÌ„ made the simple people to beleeue y â— they were verities although vnwritteÌ„ as the Papistes do now adaies y â— holy scriptures in diuers places do euideÌ„tly shew namely in the bokes of the kinges and of the chronicles ☞ Sentences out of the new Testament Except your righteousnesse dooth excede the righteousnes of the Scribes and Phariseis ye can not enter into the kingdome of heauen Beware of false Prophets which câ—…me vnto you in sheepes clothing and inward ly are rauening wolues Why do ye transgresse the commaundenâ—…ent of God for your tradicions Euery plant y â— my heaueÌ„ly father hath not planted shal be plucked vp by y e rotes This is my welbeloued Sonne in whom I am wel pleased heare ye him Teache them to kepe all thinges that I haue commaunded you Ye leaue the commaundemeÌ„t of god and maintaine your owne constitutions Well ye do caste aside the commaundemeÌ„t of god to kepe your own tradicions If ye abide in my worde ye are my disciples in deede and ye shall knowe the truthe and the truthe shall make you fre He that is of god heareth the wordes of God My sheepe heare my voice I knowe them and they followe mee neither shall they at any time pearishe nor yet shall any man pluck them out of my hand He that hathe my commaundementes and kepeth them he it is that loueth mee If any man loueth me he will keepe my wordes If ye keepe my commaundementes ye shall abide in my law Ye are my frends if ye doe those things that I commaund you Euery one that is of the truthe heareth my voyce I dare not speak of any of these things that Christ hath not wrought by me I beseeche you brethern marke them that make deuision and geue occasions of euil contrarye to the doctrine y â— ye haue learned and auoid them For they that are such serue not the Lord Iesu Christe but their own bellies with swete preachiÌ„gs and flattering words deceiue the harts of the simple Though we our selues or an Angel froÌ„ Heauen preache any other Gospel to you then that whiche we haue preached vnto you holde him accursed As I saide before so say I now againe if any man preach any other thing vnto you then that ye haue receiued holde him accursed Thoughe it be but a mans testament yet no maÌ„ despiseth it or addeth any thing therto when it is once alowed How much more ought nothing to be added to the tes tament of the moste highe God nor yet be taken from it Be no more children from heÌ„ceforth wandring and caried with euerye winde of doctrine by the wilines of men crafts whereby they lay awaite for vs to deceiuâ—… vs but let vs follow the truth in loue and in all thinges growe in him whiche is thy head that is to say Christ. Caste away vngodlye olde wiues fables exercise thy self vnto godlines If any man teache otherwise is not content with the wholsome words of our Lord Iesus Christe and with the doctrine of godlines He is pufte vp knoweth no thing but wasteth his brains about questioÌ„s strife of wordes wherof spring enuye strife rayling euill surmisinges and vaine disputations of menne of corrupte mindes and destitute of the truth whiche thinke that lucre is godlynes From suche seperate thy self If any man speake let him speake as though it came of gods owne mouth Whosoeuer transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not god He that endureth in the doctrine of Christ hath bothe the Father and the Sonne If there come any vnto you and bring not this lerning him receiue not to house neither bid him god spede For he that bid deth him god spede is partaker of his euil deedes Be not caried about with diuers and straunge learninges If any man addeth to these thinges god shall adde vnto hym the plages that are written in this booke And if any maÌ„ shall minish of the wordes of this boke of this Prophecy god shal take away hys parte oute of the booke of life and out of the holye citie and from those thynges which are written in this booke Examples out of the newe Testament Christ rebuketh the pharises for bringing their traditions into the churche of God by that meanes defacyng the glory of Gods most holy worde Blessed Sainct Paule reproueth them which be dead with Christ from the commaundements
¶ The Gouernaunce of Uertue teaching all faythful christiaÌ„s how they oughte daily to leade their lyfe fruitfully to spend their time vnto the glorye of God the health of their owne soules Newlye corrected augmeÌ„ted by Thomas Becon 1566 ¶ Imprinted at London by Iohn Day ⧠CVM PRIVILEGIO Regie Maiestatis THOMAS BECONVS SACROSAÌ„CTAE THEOLOGIAE PROFESSOR AETATIS SVAE 41 AN o. DNÌ„I 1553. Ora expressa vides viuos immitantia vultus Quod potuit calamo pictor arte vides Mentis quam Nullus potuit tibi redere pictor Effigiem scriptis prebuit ipse suis To the Godly Reader GRace groweth after gouernaunce Is an olde saide saw in eche place If gouernaunce hath good resemblance Grace delighteth to folow the trace Grace glorieth in godly gouernance Grace hasteth â—…o her haule and palace Grace doth godly gouernaunce auaunce And cause it to excel in eche place Where gouernaunce is godly wise Sage Sober Honest and Prudent There doth grace gloriously deuise To haue her seate aye permanent But if gouernaunce be wicked Idle wanton vndiscrete and vaine Grace whiche is godly disposed With such gouernaunce can not remaine This boke shall thee instruct therfore Thy life vertuously to leave That grace with thee may euermore Remaine as Gods moste blessed seede To fight against Sathan and sinnes To represse errours and heresies To pray to God his grace to winne In this boke to learne thou maiest deuise Take thou it therfore in good part As a ioyful Iewel for thy welth And geue God thankes withall thy hart Which by his worde worketh thy helth As for my trauaile and paine I craue none other recompence But thy life vertuously to traine That thou maiest enioy gods presence â–ª FINIS 3. Regum 1. If a man be vertuous ther shal not an heare of his fal to the ground But if wickednesse shal be found in him he shall dye for it Tobi. 4. Loue vertue all the dayes of thy life and walk not in the wayes of wickednes For while thou studiest for vertues thou shalt haue good successe in al thinges that thou goest about and so shall all they that loue goodnesse A Table to fynde the principall matters contayned in this booke AN exhortacion to the Reader The Epistle dedicatory How a man should be haue himself in the morning when he riseth A prayer in the morning A confession of our sinnes vnto God the father How thou shouldst behaue thy selfe before thou go to dinner A prayer before dinner Of the behauiour at the Table in dinner time A thankes geuinge after dinner What is to be done after dinner Of Supper A prayer before Supper Of the behauiour at the table in supper time A thankes geuing after supper Of going to bed A prayer to be sayd when we goe to bed A prayer to be sayd â–ª when thou art in bed Remedies against all kindes of temptacions Against Idolatry Against infidelity or misbeliefe Against the heresy of such as deny Iesus Christâ—… to be god Against the heresy of them which holde that Iesus Christe the sonne of God tooke no fleshe of Mary his Mother Againste the grosse and fantasticall opinion of the Papistes which affirm that Christes naturall body and bloud is carnally eaten and dronken in the Lords supper Against the plucking away of thy trust and confidence from Christ and his merites to put in the merites of other creatures or in thine own good workes or in the intercession of Saintes or in sacrifice of the popish Masse Against such as go about to diswadâ—… the christian people from the studiing reading or hearinge of Goddes woorde Against strange religion or newe found woorshipping of God Against mens traditions and vnwritten verities Against the folowing of vngodly forefathers Against the wicked olde customes longe vsages Againste suche as slaunder Christes gospell by cal linge it newe learninge Against pensiuenes and thought taking for the life Against hunger pouerty or carefulnes of liuing Against keping of euill company Against idlenes Against swearing Against lying slaundering â–ª and filthy or vncleane talke Against pride or vayneglory Against feasting glotony and dronkennes Against fornication and adultery Against couetousnes Against rebellion and disobedience Against malice grudge enuy hatred and anger Against the temptation of the faythfull in consideringe their owne miserye and contrarywise the wealth of the wicked Against the most horrible and dampnable sinne the sinne against the holy Ghost Against the despising of gods word and of the plagues that folow the same Against carnall security and fleshly liuing without the feare of God Against the flacknes of doing good workes Against the troublous tempestes of sicknes of losse of goods or any other kind of aduersity Against the temptation of the Deuill for noâ—…t satis fieng the lawe of God and for thy sinfull liuing â–ª Against desperation for thy late conuersion and tur ning vnto God Against sinne death and helâ—… To the right honorable and moste vertuous young Lady Iane Semer daughter to the highe and mightie Prince Edward Duke of Somerset his grace Thomas Becon wisheth increase of godlye knowledge in Christe Iesu our Lord. THere are no Parents most godlye Ladye that deserue better of the Christen publique weale then they whiche thorow gods gift hauing Children employ all their endeuours to traine them vp euen from theire verye cradels in good letters in the knowledge of gods moste blessed wil that with their young yeres learning vertue and godlines may grow and encrease and the younglinges by this meanes be made at the last auncient and perfect schollers in the mistery of Christes schole This careful study and studyous care for the vertuous bringing vp of youth god in time paste earnestlye required of all Fathers and Mothers in the common weale of hys people the Israelites and according to gods holy commaundement suche as vnfainedlye feared the Lorde their God and wished wel to their countrey refused no laboure no paine nor cost that their children might be made profitable members of the publique weale As I may pas ouer the auncient and holye Patriarches whiche were before the law of Moyses of whose diligeÌ„ce in the vertuous bringing vp of their yonglinges it is more than double wickednesse to doubt seing we haue this euident testimony of Abraham euen of gods own mouth Shall I hide froÌ„ Abraham saith god that thinge which I entend to do Seing that Araham shal be a great and a mighâ—…ye people and all the nations of the earth shal be blessed in him I know this also that he wil commaund his Children and his housholde after him that they keepe the way of the Lorde and do after righte and conscience What earnest diligence did the moste noble and vertuous King Dauid shew in the godly bringing vp of his Children speciallye of Salomon that he might become a Prince worthye both for his godlynes learning wisedome and pollicye to rule in the common weale after him What godly
siluer an asse couered with purple with suche other despytefull names so little regarded euen amonge the Heathen was noble bloude worldly substaunce sumptuous apparell gorgious buildyng delicate fare and what soeuer besydes the foly she worlde wondereth at and moste highlye extolleth if learning and vertue were absent By this meanes came it to passe that Philip king of the Macedonians and his sonne Alexander Iulius Cesar Darius Antonius Philosophus the Emperour Hieron Attalus Magones Iâ—… Dion Siracusanus Thebanus Epaminondas Pompeius Augustus Traianus Antonius Pius Claudins â–ª Tiberius Titus Uespasianus Domicianus Aelius Adrianus Galerius Maximus â–ª the sonues of Tiberius Gracchus with other innumerable became both learned and the vnfayned fauourers of learning yea and the diligent promoters of learned men Many of them which were right excellent Emperours and noble kinges thought themselues more noble and more worthy of renowne for their learning and vertue then for their imperiall dignitie and princelike authoritie When king Alphonsus heard a certayne man say that learning was not semely for a prince or for a noble maÌ„ he cryed out and sayd vox bouis non hominis Thys is the voyce of an oxe and not of a man When a certaine man demaunded of Isocrates whether he thought the kyng of the Persians happie and blessed or not he answered I know not howe much learning and vertue he hath meaning that the true felicitie happines and wealth consisteth not in the flitting and vncertain goods of fortune but in the constant immortall treasures of the minde The bringing vp of youth in learning and honest qualities was so much regarded among the Lacedemonians that they made a law who soeuer dyd not studie for the honest vertuous trayning vp of their children in good letters and other necessarie artes profitable for a common wealth the same should be depriued of all such priuiledges and liberties as were due to true and faithfull Citizens Our auncetors both amonge the people of God and among the heathen did consider that the health prosperitie safegard of the coÌ„mon weale â—…th principally consiste in the godly and vertuous bringing vp of youth If they be learnedly fruitfully brought vp then shall they afterward proue 〈◊〉 â—…ble Magistrates some wyse and faythfull counsellours some godly spirituall ministers some learned scholemaisters some diligent labourers some cunning artificers some yea and ail obedient subiectes to the high powers and profitable members of the common weale Contrariwyse if they be brought vp in barbarous rudenes and w t out any ciuilitie or knowledge of good letters such other necessarie artes it must nedes come to passe y t they shal be rather pestileÌ„ces theÌ„ preseruers of y â— coÌ„mon weale Therfore dyd our elders aboue all thinges shewe earnest diligence about y â— godly trayning vp of their youth in honest vertuous exercises euer setting before their eyes that learnyng to a noble man is a ioyful iewel to the baser sort a sure defence and a mightye bulwarke against the stoute stormes of froward fortune to a common weale a precious preseruatiue In like maner my Lords grace your father a prince of noble renoune in whoÌ„â—…s in a true mirror liuelye shyneth y e beautifull bea mes of right nobility considering that the office of a worthye Parent appeareth in nothing so manyfestly as in the Godlye bringing vp of youthe in heauenlye mysteryes that is to say in the knowledge of good letters and in the studye of Godes moste blessed woorde hath with my Ladyes grace your mother a Ladye of a notable godlynesse and of singulere pity toward y â— poore meÌ„bers of Christ euen from your cradels studyed to trayne bring vp both my Lordes your brothers and my Ladies your Sisters and you likewise his graces children in good literature and in the knowledge of Gods most holye lawes that ye maye learne from your infancye to feare the Lord your God and to walk in his godly ordinaunces and so be come truely noble not onely for birthes sake but also for learning and vertue and for the Godly qualities of the mynde In the whiche Godly exercises ye haue so profited euen in these your tender yeares that ye â—…aue not only answered but also ouercome the expectation of many If ye goe forth accordyng to your beginnings I doubt not but that ye shall get to my Lordes grace and to my Ladies grace your most honourable Parents much renoune and to your selfe noble fame and glorious immortalitye And albeit your good Ladiships brest is so furnished withal godly doctrine that ye nede not my simple and homely exhortations to moue you vnto godlynes and vertue whereunto of your owne disposition ye are moste willinly bente and enclined yet to declare some parte of my good wil toward your Ladishippe I thought it not good to let go the occasion offred vnto me Certayn wekes past considering the miserable face of this to much wretched and lamentable worlde and weighinge with my selfe that the next and most ready way to redresse our miseries is to flye vnto God wyth continual harty prayer I made a boke intituled The Floure of Godly prayers dedicated to my ladies grace your mother wherin ar contained pray yers not only for al degrees and states of men but also for all other thinges necessarye to be asked of God eyther for the bodye or for the soule which prayers I woulde with daylye as occasion shall serue to bee vsed of the faythfull Immedyatly after the setting forth of these prayers certayn of my frends came vnto me and earnestly requyred of me to peruse and correcte the Gouernaunce of Vertue which aboute viij yeares paste euen in the bloudye wysterous burning time when the reading of the holye Bible the worde of oure soules health was forbidden the poore lay people I gathered out of the holy scriptures and caused to bee printed for the edifiyng of the simple and vnlearned Christians Yet suppressinge my name which at that time was odious to those ouâ—…s that could not abide the glorious lighte of gods blessed word that the boke might haue the better successe and be the more free froÌ„ Antichristes thonderboltâ—… I knowinge my self debter to all good men and to all their godly requestes perused the boke wherin I found so many fautes thorowe the negligence o the hongry printers that very pitie without anye request of frendes might haue bene thought sufficient to haue geuen me occasion to correct the boke which hitherto hath bene so greatly desired and gre dely red almoste of all men yea and that not w t out great profite as the often printing of the boke doth rightwell declare I haue diligentlye perused the boke corrected the faultes chaunged diuers things and added many necessari instructions with diuers godly prayers for the edifiyng of the readers This little boke recognised and augmented moste vertuous Lady I geue vnto your Ladyship as a testimony of my good will towarde you desiring you to take
liuishe and mightie in operation and sharper then any two edged sworde Lay a part all filthinesse all superfluitie of maliciousnesse and receaue with mekeâ—…es y â— word that is grafted in you which is able to saue your soules And see ye be doers of the word and not hearers onely disceauinge your selues For if any heare the worde and doe it not he is like to a man that beholdeth hys bodely face in a glasse For as sone as he hath looked on hym selfe hee goeth hys waye and forgetteth forthwyth what his fashion was But who so looketh in the perfecte lawe of libertye and continueth therin if he bee not a forgetfull hearer but a doer of the worke the same shall be happy in hys dede Lay a side all malice guile and dissimulation and enuy and al backbityng and as new borne babes desire that milke not of the bodye but of the minde which is without corruption that ye may grow therin We haue a ryght sure word of prophecie wherunto if ye take heede as vnto a light that shineth in a darke place ye doe well vntill the daye dawne and the daye starre aryse in our hartes So that ye firste knowe thys that no prophecie in the scripture hath any priuate interpretation For the scripture came neuer by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were moued by the holy ghost Whosoeuer transgresseth and abydeth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not god He that endureth in the doctrine of Christ hath both the father and the sonne If there come any to you and bring not thys learning him receaue not to house neither once bid him god spede for he that biddeth him God spede is partaker of hys euill deedes Blessed is he that readeth and heareth the wordes of the prophecte and keepeth these thinges that are written therin Blessed is he that kepeth the words of the prophecie of this booke ☞ Examples out of the new Testament THe people preased so greatlye vppon Christ to heare the word of God that he was compelled to enter into a ship and so to teach them Mary the sister of Martha sat at Iesus feete and hearde hys preaching And when Martha being greatlye combred aboute muche seruing and other worldlye busines sayd to Christ Maister doest thou not care that my sister hath leste me to minister alone Byd her therefore that she helpe me He said Martha Martha thou carest and arte troubled aboute many thinges but one thing is needefull Mary hath choseÌ„ her that good part which shall not be taken away from her Whan Christ preached in the temple all the people did hange of his mouth hearing hym Peter turned three thousande at one of hys sermons The Eunuch chamberlain and of great authoritie with Candace Queene of the Ethiopians read the Prophet Esaye sitting in his charet to whom the holy ghost sent Philip which did both expounde the Scriptures vnto him also baptised him So dere are they to God which delight in the reading of his holy word The noblest of byrth amonge them of Thessalonia which receaued the worde with all diligence of mindes searched the Scriptures dayly whether those thinges were euen so as Paule Silas preached Apollos was an eloquent man mightie in the scriptures He was informed in the way of the lord and he spake feruently in the spirite and taught diligently the thinges of the Lord and yet knewe he but the baptisme and doctrine of Iohn onely whom wheÌ„ Aquila and Priscilla his wife being lay persons had herd they toke him vnto them expounded vnto him the way of God more perfectlye in somuch that afterward he mightely ouercame the Iewes and that openly shewing by the scriptures that Iesus was Christ. Philip the Euaungelist and preacher of the gospell had foure daughters excellently learned in the holy scriptures Timothe was brought vp in the holy scriptures from his young age Against straunge religion or newe found worshipping of God IF thou be moued vnto straunge religion or new found worshipping of God eyther by Sathan by the pope or by any subtue hipocrite loke that thou by no meanes doest leane vnto their wicked motions but rather valiauntly withstaÌ„d theÌ„ with these sentences and examples of the holy scripture ☞ Sentences out of the old Testament HEare Israell your Lorde God is one God Thou shalt loue thy Lord god with all thy harte with all thy soule and with all thy strength Thou shalt feare thy Lord God and serue him alone And now Israell what doth the Lorde thy God require of thee but that thou fearest the Lorde thy God and walke in hys wayes and loue him and serue the Lorde thy Godwith all thy harte with all thy soule and kepe the commaundementes of the Lorde Doe that which is pleasaunt in y â— sight of the Lord thy God Sacrifice to the Lord the sacrifyce of righteousnesse and trust in hym I will not reproue thee in thy sacrifices sayeth theâ—… Lord for I am full of thy burnt offeringes Offer to God the sacrifice of prayse and pay to the most highest thy vowes Call on me in the day of trouble and I will deliuer thee and thou shalt honour me Heare O my people I will geue thee a charge O Israel If thou wilt heare me there shall be no straunge nor new found God in thee neither shalt thou worship any foraine God For I am the Lorde thy God which brought thee out of the lande of Egipt To doe mercy and iudgement pleaseth the Lord more than sacrifice A sacrifice well pleasing to the Lorde isto attend to hys coÌ„maundementes and to departe from all iniquities and vnrighteousnes What shall I do with all these your sacrifices sayth the Lord I am full of them The burnte offeringes of Weathers and fatlynges the bloude of Calues Lambes and Goates I will none of them When ye come before my sighte who requyred these thinges at your handes that ye shoulde walke in my courtes Bryng me no more sacrifice on thys manner in vain Your sensing is abhomination vnto me The feastes of the new Moone and the Sabbothes and other holy dayes I can not abide Your congregations are wicked Your Kalendes and your solemne feastes my soule hateth I am euen werye of them It greueth me to the hart for to suffer them When ye shall praye many prayers I will not heare you For your handes are full of bloude Bee ye washed and cleane Take awaye your euil thoughts from myne eyes Cease to do euill learne to doe well Seeke iudgement helpe the poore oppressed be fauourable to the fatherlesse defend y â— widdow and then come proue me sayth the lord If your sinnes bee as redde as scarlet yet shall they be made as whyte as snow And if they be made like purpell yet shall they be made as white as wolle If that ye will be contented
thend They haue caste away the lawe of the Lord of hostes and haue blasphemed the word of the holy one of Israel Therefore is the wrath of the Lorde kindled against his people and he shaketh his hand at theÌ„ yea he shall smite so that the hils shal treÌ„ble And their carcasses shall lie in the open streate They haue offended the law chaunged the ordinaunces and made the euerlasting testament of none effect And therfore shal the curse deuoure the earth for they that dwel thereon haue sinned wherefore they shall be brent also and those that remaine shal be very fewe The sweete wine shall moorn the grapes shal be weake and all y e haue bene mery in hart shall sighe The mirth of tabrets shal be laid down the chere of the ioyful shall cease and the pleasure of the Lutes shall haue an ende There shall no more wine be dronk with â—…irth the beere shal be bitter to them that drinke it the wicked cities shal be broken down al houses shal be shut that no man may come in Woe is me sayth the Prophete all is full of synners which offend of purpose malice And therfore O thou that dwellest vpon the earth ther is at hand for thee feare pit and snare Whosoeuer escapeth the terrible crye shall fall into the pitte and yf hee come out of the pytte he shall bee taken with the snare For the windowes aboue shal be opened and the foundation of the earth shall moue The earth shall geue a great crake it shal haue a sore ruine and take an horrible fal The earth shall stacker like a dronken man and bee taken away like a tent Her misdedes shal light so heauy vpon her that she must fall and neuer rise vp againe Reade â—…e whole chapter These people are obstinate they prouoke me vnto anger they are lying childreÌ„ and euen such children that will not heare the law of God They say to them that see see nothing and to the Southsayer tell of nothinge for to come if it bee either good or honeste but 〈◊〉 pleasant things vnto vs and preach vs false things Treade out of the waye goe out of the path turne awaye the holye one of Israell from vs. Therfore thus saith the holy one of Israel for asmuch as ye haue cast away his worde and haue comforted your selues with power and nimblenes and put your confidence therein therefore shall ye haue this mischiefe againe for your destruction fall like an hye wal that falleth because of some rift or blast whose breakinge commeth sodenly And your destruction shal be like an earthen pot which breaketh no maÌ„ touching it but breaketh so sore that a maÌ„ shall not finde a sheuâ—…r of it to fetche fyre in or to take water out of the pit For the God euen that holy one of Israel hath pro mised thus Who suffered Iacob to be troden vnder foote and Israell to be spoyled was it not the Lord himselfe against whome we haue sinned we had no delight to walk in his waies neither were we obedient to his lawes Therfore hath he poured vpon vs his wrathfull displeasure and straunge battayle which maketh vs haue to do on euery side yet will we not vnderstand He burneth vs vp yet it sinketh not into our hartes Because they haue sorfaken my lawe that I gaue them and haue not harde my voyce nor yet walked therafter but folow ed the wickednes of their owne hartes runne after straung gods as their fathers taught them Therfore thus saith the Lorde of hostes the god of Israell beholde I wil feede this people with wormewoode and geue them gall to drinke I wil scatter them amonge the Heathen whom nether they nor their fathers haue knowne And I wil sende a sword amonge theÌ„ to persecute them and neuer leaue vnto I bring them to nought If ye wil not obey me saith the Lorde to walk in my lawes whiche I haue geueÌ„ you and to heare the words of my seruaÌ„ts the Prophets whom I sent vnto you and rising vp timely and stil seÌ„ding If ye will not folow them I say then will I do vnto this house as I did vnto Silo will make this Citie to be abhorred of all the people of the earth I wil send vpon them sworde honger pestileÌ„ce because they haue not regarded my words which I sent to them sayth the Lord by my seruauntes the Prophets They would not take hede saith y â— lord but turned their backe and stopped their eares that they should not heare Yea they made their hartes as an Adamant stone least they should heare the law and words which the Lord of hostes sent in his spirit by the Prophetes afore time Wherefore the Lord of hostes was very wroth at theÌ„ And thus it came to passe that like as hee spake and they woulde not heare euen so they cried and I would not heare saith the Lord of hostes Sentences out of the olde Testament NOhe preached to the olde world and exhorted them to repent and amend their life or els god woulde surelye plage them But they laughed Nohe and hys doctrine to scorne and continued in their abhominable and wicked liuinge What folowed was not al the world drowned right persons onely excepted Lot seing the vnnaturall most filthye vnclennes of the stinking Sodomits coun selled them to cease so to muche licentiouslye â–ª to offende their Lorde God They would not heare Lot nor his sermons but churlishly entreated him what folowed Wer they not consumed with water fyre and brimstone from heauen O most dread full plages After what sorte the Israelites were plaged for their disobedieÌ„ce to gods word the bookes of the old Testamente do euidently declare The despisers of Gods word are punished manye and sundrye wayes as wyth sword pestelence hunger wilde beastes and fyre Of the sworde Read Exod. 5. Leuit. 26. Deut. 22. Iob. 19. Esay 1. Iere. 9. 15. 20. 25. 29. 42. 43. 46. 50. Of the pestelence Reade Exod. 5. Len. 26. Deut. 18. 32. 1. Reg. 24. Psalm 104. 1. Par. 22. Ezech. 7. 14 18. 33. 23. 38. Math. â—…4 Of hunger Readâ—… Deut. 28. 32. 1. Reg. 24. Psalm 104 Eccle. 39. Iere. 1â—… 14. 18. 54. Amos. 8. Act. 11. Apoc. 18. Of Beastes Read Leuit. 26. Deut. 22. 1. Reg. 27. 3. Reg. 13. Sap. 16. Esay 18. Ieremy 11. 15. 27. 34. Ezech 4. 5. 14. 20. 32. 13. 39. Ose. â—… Of Fire Read Gene. 19. Leuit. 10. Nume 1. 16. 21. Deut. 32. Iosue 7. 3. Reg. 18. 2. Par. 7. Iob. 1. 15. 20. 31. Psalm 10. 87. Esay 9. 26 66. Ier. 15. 2. 7. Treno 1. 2. Baruc. 4. Eze. 22 28. 30. 38. 39. Danie 3. Ose. 8. Amos. 1. 2. Abd. 1. Mich 6. Sopho. 2. Nahum 3. Zach. 11. 12. 13. Apo. 9. 11 18. 19. 20. Sentences out of the newe Testament Whosoeuer shall not receiue you nor heare your Sermons goe ye oute of that house or citye