Selected quad for the lemma: book_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A68306
|
The copie of an epistle sent by Iohn Knox one of the ministers of the Englishe Church at Geneua vnto the inhabitants of Newcastle, & Barwike. In the end wherof is added a briefe exhortation to England for the spedie imbrasing of Christes gospel hertofore suppressed & banished.
|
Knox, John, ca. 1514-1572.
|
1559
(1559)
|
STC 15064; ESTC S106733
|
36,483
|
128
|
place in his chosen and delectable garden or vineyarde This was not spoken by Christ nor ment deare bretherne of deade insensible trees but vnder y t similitude most liuely is painted set forthe what shal be y e end of those that by vocation and external profession are planted in the Churche of God and so made members of Christ Iesus who is the verie vvnestocke such as do professe him are called branches grafted in him This similitude I say do the expresse what shal be the end of such as bring not forth frute in him to wit they shal be cut of y e stocke whome by baronnes they dishonor they shal wither and drye so be cast on the fyer to burne for euer I haue no pleasure God is witnesse to threaten you muche lesse to pronouÌ„ce plages and Gods seuere iudgmentes against you but seing and considering your horrible defection frome God and frome his veritie knowne and professed â— dar not cease to exhort you to â—epentance For althogh I shulde â—epe silence yet shulde stones â—ccuse your vnthankefulnes Yf â— shulde flatter you and speake acâ—ordiÌ„g to your appetites saiyng â—as we can not redres the inâ—quitie of these tymes we haue 〈◊〉 pleasure in Idolatrie we are â—orye that the blood of innoceÌ„ts â—s shed in our lande we woulde â—e content that true religion â—hulde be vsed but wicked men â—ow bere dominion and therfore we must serue and obey the â—yme when God shal please to â—estore his truth we wil be gladd of it but in the meane tyme we must obey the lawes set forth by â—ur superiours God knoweth â—ur hartes and we trust he wilâ—e merciful vnto vs. Yf on this â—aner I say I shulde flatter you â—aying pillowes vnder your heaâ—es who alredy do sleape in a deadely securitie shulde ye therfore escape Gods vengeance No no deare brethern but by suche meanes be you assured that Gods indignation is more kindeled both against the people and the prophet For when al are coniured against his truthe then must his iuste iudgementes reuenge his owne cause and therfore brethern suffer the worde of exhortation suffer it I say withe trembling feare not esteming the threatninges pronounced against the disobedient forthe of the boke of God to be voiceâ— sparsed in the ayâ—e which sodenly shal euanishe and take no effect God forbyd that suche cogitatioÌ„s remayne aÌ„d preuaile in your hartes for then haue ye refused God with whome ye can haue no societie except ye imbrace and receiue his worde whiche threatneth no lesse damnation deathe â–ª shame and destruction to prowd â—oÌ„temners and obstinat refusers of grace and mercy offered then â—hat it dothe promesse saluation 〈◊〉 honor and immortalitie to â—he peniteÌ„t synner and vnto such 〈◊〉 vnfaynedly mourne for their â—aynous offences against God coÌ„mitted It behoueth you therfore deare brethern to giue this honour to your God that the viritie of his worde be not measured by the weakenes frailtie or infirmitie of the instrumentes whiche most commonly he vseth in publicatioÌ„ of the same For his ministers are men subiect to infirmities but the worde whiche they preache is the powre of God to saluation of al that beleue and obedieÌ„tly imbrace the same His ministers as they be the sonnes of men of nature are they lyers instable and vayne but his eternal worde whiche he putteth in their mowthes and whereof they are made imbassadors is of suche truthe stabilitie and assurance that albeit heauen aÌ„d earth shulde euanishe and perishe yet shal it abyde and remayne for euer and that in such sorte that the same men who blynded by prosperitie aÌ„d carnal affections coulde not beleue God speaking by his ministers are oft compelled in their owne bodyes and in their posterities folowinge to fele the stripes and susteyne the plages whiche they contemned when they were first pronouÌ„ced The prophet Zacharie accusing the Iewes of his tyme of negligeÌ„ce in reedifiing the temple after they were delyuered frome y e captiuitie and bondage of Babilon sayethe where be your fathers to whome the propheteâ— spake and where be the prophete that spake to your fathers are not the one and the other deade But my wordes and statutes saithe the Eternal which I haue commaÌ„ded to my seruantes the prophetes haue not they apprehended your fathers insomoche that they conuerted and said As the Lord of â—ostes hath determined to do vnto vs accordyng to our waies and according to our imaginations so hath he done By which question and wordes the Prophet euidently affirmeth that which before I haue said to witt that nether the mercie of God promised to the penitent nether the seuere punishementes pronounced against the stubborne and 〈◊〉 oght to be measured by the weakenes and condition of the mâ—sâ—â—nger whome God sendeth but that whatsoeuer they bring foâ—the of Gods boke against iniquitie and syn chiefly against Idolatrie which seperateth man altogether frome God shal be holden so constant and so true as thogh God frome the heaueÌ„ had giuen witnesse to the same by the presence of his owne maiestie The meÌ„ to whome Zacharie dâ—d speake had neuer sene Esai y e prophet yea Esai him self was dead long before his prophetie toke full effect notwtstanding as their fathers felt the plagues which he pronounced against them and against that famous Citie Ierusalem for the bloodshede and Idolatrie in the same committed so were the eies of their children to whome Zacharie speaketh witnesses y t Gods wrath was in perfection powred forthe vpoÌ„ their fathers which also dyd abide vpon them eueÌ„ vnto that day that the Prophet dyd admonishe theÌ„ For they sawe Ierusalem lie 〈◊〉 and waste as the Caldeies had left it they sawe the ruines miserable stones ouercouered w t powder of that bewtifull holy temple of God which by Salomon was builded They farther felt them selues in pouertie boÌ„dage of straÌ„gers For albeyt they had obteyned libertie to returne to their countrie yet perceyued they their condition 〈◊〉 litle ameÌ„ded Their eÌ„nemies were more strong then they euen in their owne lande Their worke was impâ—aded they dyd lyue in greater feare then those which stil remayned in dispertion â–ª thus I saie were bothe their fathers they compelled to confesse in the ende that the wordes of the prophetes were no vayne threatniÌ„gs For the fathers dyd fele in a straunge countrie the heauie yoke of bondage the space of 70. yeres after that the bodies of many thow sandes had fallen vpon the edge of the sworde and the eies of the children dyd see the force and vehemencie of Gods wrathe once kyndled Of one thing be assured deare brethern that the self same God who then spake by his prophets dothe now speake to you by his messingers how contemptible soeuer they be in your eies and faâ—ther be assured that in all his proprieties he remayneth immutable for euer euer therfore persuade your selues
father after that thou most trayterously conspiring with Sathan by solemned othe haste renounced his veritie O vnhappie and more then vnhappie art thou I say if that this thy treasonable defectioÌ„ and Gods louing kindnes yet callig the to his fauours dothe not pearce thy hart with vnfayned repentance For as this mercie and loue of thâ— God far surmouÌ„â—eth theâ— eache of all meÌ„â— vnderstanding â–ª so can not his iuste iudgementes longe delaye to power forthe those horrible vengeances which thy monstâ—ous vnthankfulnes hathe long deserued if thou â—as God forbyd nowe shutt vpp thine eares blynde thine eies so harden thy haâ—t that nether thou wilt heare se nor vnderstaÌ„d the grauitie of thy fall that vnestimable goodnes of thy God thus louingly calling the to thy ancient honours dignitie againe I nether dar nor wil cease nowe by my penne be it neuer so rude to crie vnto the that which sometymes from the mouthe of my Master Christ Iesus I haue pronounced in the hearing of many that if thou shalt not knowe this merciful visitacion of the Lord thy God and so prepare thy self with a penitent thaÌ„kful hart to receyue yet while tyme is his large graces offred that then thy habitatioÌ„ shal be left desolate and where thowe hast of loÌ„g tyme bene the delectable garden planted by the Lords hande thou shalt become a barren wildernes apt for nothing but to be brent and consumed by fier The warrant of this my proclamation and sentence howe folishe vayne so euer it appere to maÌ„s reason I haue not by coÌ„iecture nor opinioÌ„ of maÌ„ but froÌ„ y e mouthe of my God thus speakiÌ„g by Moises Beware saith he that amoÌ„gst you be not a roote y t buddeth forthe gall wormewood so that wheÌ„ he shal heare the wordes of this execratioÌ„ shal yet promesse to him self felicitie in his hart saying peace shal be to me althogh I walke after the lust of myne owne hart c. The Lord wil not be merciful saith Moises to suche a one but the furie of the eternal and his hote displeasure shal brust forthe against suche a man and vpon him shal lye that is continually abyde all the execrations that be written in this boke and the Lord shall blot out his name froÌ„ vnder y e heaueÌ„ c. Thus far speaketh he against particular men and against the whole multitude he proceadethe in this maner The generation foloinge your sonnes which shal aryse after you and the stranger that shal come from a far countrie when they shal se the plagues of this lande and the incurable diseases by y e which it shal languish and consume as it were by brimstone and salt burnyng the whole lande so that it can not be sowne nether yet in it dothe any herbe springe vp nor ryse c. then shal all nations saye â–ª why hathe the Lord done thus to this lande ô what is the wrathe of Gods great fury and they shal aÌ„swer For because they haue lefte the conuenant of the Lord the God of their fathers which he dyd make with them when he broght them foâ—the of Egypt For they haue gone and serued other Gods I say whome they knew not and therfore was the furie of the Lord kyndled against this land so that he broght vpon it all the execratioÌ„s curses writteÌ„ in this boke And the Lord in his wrathe furie and great indignatioÌ„ hathe wrooted theÌ„ out of their owne laÌ„de hathe dispersed theÌ„ in an other laÌ„de as this day dothe witnes c. This same is written with greater circumstances in the boke of Leuiticus which place if ye coÌ„sider w t this and considering Gods eternal veritie to haue his effect in euery age natioÌ„ which so dothe offende then shalt thou see ô England that this is the iudgement which thou shalt not nor caÌ„st not escape if spedily thou repent not thy shameful defectioÌ„ with all humilitie returne to the Lord whome so traiterously and so publikely of late dayes thou hast refused For these seuere iudgemeÌ„tes once executed against Israel and Iuda may be to thee who once hast professed thy self subiect to God and hast vnthankfully departed from his seruice yet of mercie is called againe to the I say may those seuere iudgemeÌ„tes be a mirror glasse in which thou maist beholde what shal be thy final miserable destructioÌ„ if by vnfayned and spedie repentaÌ„ce thou remoue not the vengeance w c hangethe ouer thy head And to the ende that better thou mayest trye examine thy self I wil shortly touch the stubburne inobedience of that people the long pacience and gentle dealing of God with their most miserable and lamentable destruction Thre hundreth yeres and mo from the departure of the ten tribes from the house royal seate of Dauid dyd Iuda prouoke God to displeasure nowe by Idolatrie nowe by hill aulters nowe by coÌ„federacie and ioyning of handes with wicked princes vngodly nations by whome they were euer drawne from depending and trusting vpon God to the vayne trust and confidence of men Against these and other vices from tyme to tyme dyd God send his prophetes to call them to repentance and did also rayse vp some tymes good and godly Kings to make publique reformation as towching the religion But what reformation was found in lyfe maners and conuersation what reuerence dyd the multitude beare vnto God how was the religioÌ„ imbrased in their hartes and how long was it reteined in suche perfectioÌ„ as was coÌ„manded the prophetes do teache histories beare witnesse and plainly affirme that euen in the dayes of the most godly Kinges of Ezechias Iosias I meane the Scribes Lawiers dyd write deceytfully to thrust out the weakeons froÌ„ their cause to spoyle the wydow to oppresse the orphelin Their Iudges were bribers and their princes were partakers with theues They said that euil was good and good euil they wolde haue pleasing things spokeÌ„ vnto them â–ª and commanded that no mention shulde be made of the holy one of Israel for his word was a burthen vnto them Of the Nobilitie some were traytours some auaricious some vnconstant as waueriÌ„g reedes some gredy dogges and vnsatiable wolues deuoring the praye whersoeuer they might catche it The people of the lande were deceitful all handy crafts marchandise and vittayles were corrupt by their couetous practises They were ready but to sclander and oppresse the pore the nedy and the straÌ„ger The coniuration of prophetes was in the midst of them euen as a roring lyon c. They healed the sores botches of the people princes gouerners with vnprofitable plasters laid soft pillowes vnder the heades of suche as securely slept in all iniquitie The prestes had violently rent in sunder the Lawe of God they had prophaned his sanctuary by their owne inuentions and by reteining suche a myxed and