as soone as it touched his bones the man revived and stood upright He died the fourteenth day of Iunè as Oswald writeth The Life of the Prophet Amos. CHAP. XIV AMos the Prophet was as he saith himselfe a Tekâ—aite and the Father of Esaias the Prophet in the Judgement of Epiphanius although the Hebrews deny it by reason of the difference in * Amoz Es 1 spelling the names * Amos Am. 1 he of a Shepheard became a Prophet and was called and chosen by God from feeding Flocks of sheepe to feed and teach the Flock of Israel he executed the Office of Prophet when Ozias or Azarias was King of Iudah and Ieroboam son of Ioas was King of Israel and that was when Sardanapalus ruled over the Assyrians and Procas Sylvius over the Latines I cannot sind in what yeare of Azarias who ruled over Iudah two and fifty yeares he began to prophesie or to what yeare of Hieroboam who Raigned two and twenty yeares his ministry of Prophesie lasted But I am sure of what I say seeing that * Vzziah Ozias succeeded his Father Amazias in his Kingdom in the twenty seventh yeare of Hieroboam King of Israel and Amos himselfe saith that he prophesied when Azias and Hieroboam were Kings that he ended his prophesie within the remaining two yeares of Ieroboam when the son of Amazia the Priest slew him as I will shew you by and by And this I was willing to premise that all may understand that I had a good cause why I writ the Life of Amos before the Lives of Esaiah Hosea Zachary and others who prophesied when Achas was King of Judah seeing I resolved to follow the order of the times in which every one lived Because then Amos fulfilled his Office of prophecying within the two remaining yeares of Hieroboam King of Israel that is the twenty eighth and twenty ninth when as in one of those yeares by Gods Command he fortold in Samaria the destruction and captivity of Israel and Amazias Priest of the Gods of Bethel accused him to King Hieroboam for he sent to tell him how that Amoz endeavoured to make a change and innovation in Government and that he opposed and openly rebelled against the King and that he spake such words as no man was able to beare for he said thus openly that Hieroboam should dye by the sword and that Israel should be led Captive It is not set down in the Scripture neither have I read in any Writer what answer Hieroboam made to those things which are written in the book of Amos or what affection he carried towards Amos because of them But this is written in the Booke of Amos that Amazias the Priest when he had sent those that should tell these things to Hieroboam went to Amos and charged him with threats that he should go out of Samaria and fly into Iudah and there prophesie and that he should not foretell any thing as a Prophet in Bethel because there the Golden Calfe was worshipped after the manner of their Ancestors and the Kings Court was setled there To these words Amos made answer that when he was not a Prophet not the son of a Prophet but an heardsman who gathered Sycamore fruit he was called by God who commanded him that as a Prophet he should tell his people Israel things to come And that therefore he bad Amaziah hear the word of the Lord who told him that because he had forbad him to tell Israel and the Family that worshipped strange Gods things to come his wife should be made an Harlot in the City and his Children dye by the sword and that the Enemies should divide amongst themselves the Land that he possessed and that he should dye in a polluted Land and that Israel should be led Captive out of their own Land nor have I found this written what answer Amazias the Priest made to these things But this Epiphanius writes that Amaziah's son slew him knocking Amos in the head with a club because he had proved that he closely stole two golden Heifers and that Amos was carried into his own Countrey being yet alive where he dyed and was buried amongst his Ancestors Oswald who writ a book called The story of Martyrs in the daies of Clantes the Great saith that he was struck through the Temple with a Leaver by Vzziah King of Israel the last day of March and that being halfe dead he was carried into his own Country and there buried The Life of the Prophet Obadiah or Abdias CHAP. XV. OBadiah the Prophet was a Sichemite of Beththaca neare the sea as Epiphanius writeth he also hath lest upon Record that he was the third Captain of the fifty men who were sent to Elias by Abazias King of Israel For when Abazias had fallen through a Latice and by that fall had got a hurt not knowing whether he should recover from that disease or no he sent messengers to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron concerning his disease whereupon God sent Elias to charge them before they came thither that they should returne to their Master and tell him that because he had sent to enquire of that god as though there were not a God in Israel he should never rise sound from his bed which when they had told him and he understood by his habit and apparell that it was Elias that had commanded these things sent once or twice a Captaine of fifty with his men who should fetch Elias to him who when they were destroyed with lightning he sent another Captaine with his fifty who when he had humbly besought Elias that he would have mercy upon him and his men he pardoned them And this third Captaine as Epiphanius maintaineth was this Abdias whose Life we write He also writes that having relinquished the Estate or Ranke in which the King had placed him he followed Elias and became his Disciple and that having endured many things he was preserved by him And Hierome writeth that this was that Abdias as the Hebrews thinke who in the Reigne of Ahab fed an hundred Prophers in Caves which story that it may the berter be understood I mean to report more fully Elias by Gods Command had told Ahab that it should not raine upon the earth for three yeares and a halfe together A little while after he first went to the brooke Kerith and afterwards to Sarepta a City of Sidon lest he should be slaine by Ahab In the third yeare God sent him to Ahab to give raine unto the Earth Now upon the drought there followed such a famine that at the last Ahab who thought Elias to be the cause of that great mischiefe was constrained having divided the Land and appointed one way to Abdias steward of his house himselfe took the other way to seek out water-springs that the horses and mules and labouring Cattle might not perish for thirst so it fell out by Gods providence that Elias met Abdias on the way whom
all sorts of beasts painted and Jaazaniah the Priest the son of Shoâ—han standing in the midst of seventie Elders who hold Centers in their hands and the smoak of the Odours that was burnt just then appeared He also shewed him more notorious wickednesse then these He brought him into the Temple by the doore of the gate which looked towards the North and there he espied women which lamented Adonis Afterwards he shewed things more worse then these He brought him into the inner court of the Temple from thence in the doore of the Temple betwixt the porch and the Altar he saw about some twentie five men who with their backs to the Temple looking towards the East did reverence towards the Suns rising and as our men say did worship Ezek. 8.16 All which things when God had shewed him he discovered to him their future destruction for he said because they had done all these things to provoke him it should come to passe that he in his fury and anger would not spare nor pitty and when they prayed unto him with a very loud voice he would not heare them Sect. 3. In the same year a little while after the spirit of God took him up and brought him into the East gate of the Temple where in the entrance of the gate were twentie five men and in the midst of them Iaazaniah the sonne of Azur and Pelotiah the sonne of Benaiah Princes of the People and there the Spirit told him that those were the men that in the City devised mischiefe in their minds and took wicked Counsell in that they said the Temple was built long agoe that this City was the Cauldron and they the flesh And therefore he commanded him to prophesie concerning them and he was bidden to foretell these things unto them because they had slaine a many in that City and strowed the streets with carkasses that the carkasses of them that they had killed were the flesh and the City was the Cauldron But it should come to passe that they should be brought out of the City and the sword which they feared should come upon them and they should be throwne out of the City and fall into the hands of their enemies and all these things should befall them because they had not obeyed Gods commands but had imitated the manners and lives of the Heathen Which things when Ezekiel prophesied Pelatiah the sonne of Benaiah whom I mentioned a little before died with those death he was so astonished that he thought that the death of the rest also would shortly follow But God comforted him in his wailing and mourning by promising the restorement of them whom he had scattered afarre off in that he would cause them to keep his Commandement and they should be his people and he would be their God When God had given him these things to prophesie he was carried back by the same Spirit into Caldaea and told all things to his fellow captives which God had shewed him Ezek. 11. Sect. 4. Now in the seventh yeare in the fifth month on the tenth day certaine men of the Elders came to enquire of God and sate them downe before Ezekiel whereupon God bad him say thus unto them that God who knew very well with what minde they were come to enquire of him would not answer them But if Ezekiel would judge them he should first tell them the ungodly doings of their ancestors beginning from their deliverance out of Egypt and then their owne after sins in order In the yeare before certaine men of the Elders came to aske counsell of God as they sate before Ezekiel God bad him tell them that as he had discovered to him they thought upon their Idols and that he as often as they or such as they came to aske counsell of him by a Prophet their hearts running after Idols he would answer them not by a prophet but according to the multitude of their sins and for that reason he bad him to declare this to Israel that whereas he had now warned them to become new men and to keep themselves from the worship of strange gods and all manner of wickednesse if any Israelite Citizen or stranger being estranged from God should worship strange gods and come to enquire of God by a Prophet God would give him an answer by himselfe and make that man an example to the rest so that at last he should be destroyed And these things Ezekiel was bidden to speak privately to some which indeed belonged to all He foretold also many other things that concerned the Jewes publikely at Gods command both good and evill and likewise he prophesied of Egypt and other Kingdomes though he went not solemnly in Embassage And he was so constant and stout in his office that at last one of the hands of the People because he was reprooved by him for worshipping of Images slew him in Babylon as Epiphanius writeth and he was buried in the country of Saur in the Sepulchre of Shem and Arphaxad his ancestors whither as the same Epiphanius writeth a very great concurre of people came and prayed and did their offices at that place He was slaine the tenth of April as Oswald writeth The life of the Prophet Daniel CHAP. XXVIII DAniel of the Tribe of Judah was born in Betheban the upper nor far from Hierusalem as Ephiphanius faith He when he was but a child in the third yeare of the raigne of Jehoakim was led away Captive with others to Babylon but he got into great estemation with the favorite of Nebuchadnezzar and his successors both for the repute of his continency and beauty and also for his skill in divination and interpretation of dreames For Nebuchadnezzar had given command to Aspenaz Governour of the Eunuchs when many beautifull and well countenanced youths were brought away to Babylon that he should chuse out Israelitish children descended of the Kings and Princes well favoured and instructed in all learning and in all Arts and discipline into his Palace that there they might be brought up three years in the language and learning of the Caldaeans at the end of which time they might be sit to stand in his presence Daniel was one amongst these to whom the governour gave the name of Belteshazzer now the King had appointed provision for him and his company such as was for himselfe but Daniel resolved not to defile himselfe with abominable meat and therefore he intreated the Governour of the Eunuchs that by his favour he might enjoy this courcesie at first he did not grant him this because he said he feared the King his master who when he had appointed the same meat and drinke to him and his fellowes which he used if he should observe them not so faire-liking as their fellowes would have good cause to punish him Afterwards Daniel remaining in his purpose and resolution that he had taken easily perswaded Malasar whom the governour of the Eunuchs had set over him and three others that
of such an even behaviour was he towards all men that if ever he had stept aside out of the way or had ever seen that which was anothers so as to desire it or had taken any thing from any bodie he did wish that what he sowed might become other men's and that his family might come to ruine And these things he wished or rather he propounded this condition to them that would taxe him of any injustice not in his youth or middle age or in his prosperity but now that he was aged and in his adversity wherein men that are spitefull devise many things because now they need fear no power Nor did he meane this touching his by past life and alter his purpose for the remainder but even as he lay in misery he professed with a setled resolution that he would never forgoe his innocency of life that a lie should never enter into his thoughts nor a wicked word-proceed out of his mouth whilest breath was in him and thus did he carry himselfe toward his neighbours Now must we relate how he behaved himselfe towards God Sect. 7. Amidst so much and so great prosperity which is often wont to turne rich and potent persons from Gods feare worship and service he never worshipped the Sun Moon and Starres as they used to doe with whom and amongst whom he lived but the onely and true God with so great devotion that when he married an Arabian Wife by whom he had seven sons and three daughters and his sons having invited their sisters did feast one another every one his day he fearing lest they might have sinned against God in any thing or cursed him in their heart was wont when the dayes were gone about to send for them and sanctifie them and early in the morning to offer burnt offerings according to their number Sect. 8 It may now in order seem requisite that wee speak concerning the miseries into which God suffered him to fall not for his wickednesse but to prove his patience and to manifest it to others and set it abroad to be imitated so great miseries as scarce any man is able to imagine them Sathan indeed bare such hatred towards him and was so blinde with a desire to doe him harm that he would not beleeve God when he bare testimony to innocency vertue and religion but having extenuated these his so great vertues as though they were not true but practised meerly for the times sake that is because of prosperity he said that God himselfe should at last prove it to be so If the wealth wherein Job abounded might be violently taken from him and he of a happie man become miserable God who had knowne and tried the manlinesse and valour of his Champion gave Sathan power to take away his goods by force and kill his children He having this leave given him instantly stirred up the Sabaeans that when the eldest of Jobs children entertained the rest at a dinner having made an inrode they tooke away the Oxen plowing and all the shee Asses in the fields and slew all the heardsmen except one who came to bring him newes of that calamitie whom when he was hearing another commeth suddenly in who told him that the sheep were burnt up with lightning and the servants consumed with the fire who whilst he was yet speaking there came in another who brought newes that the Camels were all taken away by the Chaldeans and the servants all slaine but himselfe and he had not made an end of speaking when a fourth brought him heavier newes then the former touching the death of all his children who when they were eating and drinking in their eldest brothers house were slaine with the fall of it what doe wee think that Job did or said among so many and so great and so crowding calamities or with what mind he endured them he underwent them with a constant spirit prostrating himselfe upon the ground with his garments rent and his head shaven he worshipped God and with great constancy said Naked came I out of my Mothers wombe and naked shall I returne thither the Lord hath given the Lord hath taken away blessed be the name of the Lord. This is a gallant example and remarkable to posterity of a manly and patient Spirit but that which followeth is farre more excellent and glorious Sect. 9. Sathan who had done all these mischiefes to Job was not content for he thought that he might been driven from his stability of Spirit by some miseries and so might possibly be overcome but procured far more grievous for when God had asked him after his brags that he had gone about the world whether he had considered his servant Job an honest and religious man and one that retained his innocency whom notwithstanding at his motion he had made very miserable without cause He answered according to his malice which cannot be satisfied but in destruction that a man is wont to part with another mans skin for his owne and his owne meanes to preserve his life which seeing Job had done in his goods and children it was not to be accounted as any great commendation for him or wonder if he had not denyed God and cursed him But if he would but touch his body with a disease then at last he should heare him curse him to his face God who knew that his champion would not be overcome by bodily harmes but that he would foile his adversary yielded his body to the Divels will forbidding him to attempt any thing either against his minde which is at his owne liberty or against his life He having received this power presently infected and vexed Jobs whole body with such boyles that no part of him remained sound It is worth our labour to consider and take notice of what he did or said in the calamity Sect. 10 As soon as he felt the evill like a man repulsed from his City and home he sat him down upon a dunghill and scraped off the filthy matter with a potsheard now his wife which alone seemed to have been left him of so great a family to comfort him when shee perceived him suffer this extreame calamity with such stedfastnesse of minde not imputing this to his valour but a stupidity and senslesse dulnesse shee chid him because he yet retained his integrity and advised him to curse God and dye or as others interpret to desire humbly of God that he might dye and not linger any longger He who had litted himselfe to endure adversities with a manly courage Did mildly shee had spoken like one of the foolish women for they had received good things from God why should they not endure evill Which word if we should make use of in the like case we should not be so nice and effeminate nor should we so cry out against Gods providence and indeed there is no question but that saying of his wife did increase his sorrow For when we are in griefe and miserie if they who
looking well upon him he knew Then falling down upon his feet he asked him whether he was not Elias Nâ—w when Elias had said that he was and charged him to go and tell his Master that he was there he demanded of him what great sin he had committed for which he meant to deliver his servant to be certainly put to death by Ahab seeing there was no Country or Nation nor Kingdom whither he had not sent some to seeke him and when all had made answer that he was not there he took an Oath of them all Neverthelesse he sent him to tell Ahab that he was there whom the Spirit of God would conveigh away where he should not be found and so he should be put to death was it not told of Eliah how that when Jezabel would have slaine the Prophets of the Lord he hid an hundred of them by fifties in a Cave and fed them with bread and water Yet when Elias for all that commanded him that he should tell the King he was there he obeyed but Ahab went with not good mind to meet Elias when he understood by Abdias that he was there For at the first meeting he asked him whether he was not that Elias that troubled the STATE Which when he did not only deny but on the contrary maintained that Ahab was he who neglecting Gods Commands did worship Baalim with his whole Family as his Ancesters had done he bad him that he should call together all the Israelites and the Prophets of the god Baal to Mount Carmel where when they were met all those things fell out which are well known and set forth by us at large in the Life of Elias Therefore that we may returne to the point Hierom according to the judgement of the Hebrews thinkes this man both to be that same Abdias and the Captaine of fifty also of whom we speake and we may also suppose him to be one and the same man for the saith in the beginning of his Commentaries upon the Prophecy of this Abdias that because he had fed an hundred Prophets Obadiah both received the gift of Prophesie and of a Leader of an Army was made a Guide of the Church This Prophet if we follow the Letter foretelleth the overthrow of Idumaea and the restitution of Indaea if we consider the meaning the overthrow of the Gentiles and the building of Christ's Church by the Apostles He is short indeed for number of words but long for the weight of the Sentences He dyed and was buried in his own Land although St Hierome writeth that his Sepulchre together with the monument of Elissaeus the Prophet and Iohn the Baptist was had in honour and reverence in the City Schasto which was sometimes called Samaria The life of the Prophet Hosea or Osee CHAP. XVI SAint Hierome thinketh that Osee was the first of all the Prophets He was the sonne of Beeri and discharged his Office of Prophesie when Hieroboam the sonne of Joas was King of Israel and Vzzia Joatham Ahaz and Hezekiah were Kings of Judah whereby it may be conceived that he lived long For wheras Hieroboam raigned two and twenty years Ozias fifty and two Joatham sixteen Ahaz sixteen and Hezekias twenty nine although I can deliver nothing for certaine in what year of Hieroboam he began or in what year of Hezekias he left off to Prophesie yet I thing this may be conjectured that he prophesied fourscore and foure yeares and above unto which if we adde the years of his age when he began to prophesie and those years he lived in the raigne of Hezekias and till heo died which we are ignorant of we must confesse that he lived very long This Hosee at Gods command married Gomer an Harlot by whom he had three children to which he gave names also at his command to the eldest sonne he gave the name of Jezreel to his daughter Lo-Ruamah to the third a sonne Lo-ammi Hos 1.1 Sâ— Hierom who thinks this was really done saith this is not to be imputed as a fault to Hosea but rather a commendation because of a bad woman he made her a good one and did not marry her for lust but by the command of God Now that which is done at Gods command cannot be reputed a fault nor indeed would God have this done without a cause but that he might typifie or by fact also signifie what he commanded by words to forerell namely such a destruction of the Kingdome of Israel that is of the ten tribes which had worshipped strange gods by the meanes of Hieroboam and his posterity that God should neither be moved with mercy towards them nor esteeme or call them his people And these very things which indeed came to passe signifie the rejection or detestation of the Jewes as the other woman whom the same Prophet at Gods commandement loved does the calling of the Gentiles And in these two almost is the whole Prophesie of Hosea spent The life of the Prophet Jonah or Jonas CHAP. XVII Ionas the Prophet was the sonne of Amittai a Sydonian of Sarepta For Epiphanius and St Hierome and so also the Hebrews as he saith will have him to be the sonne of the Widow of Sarepta whom Elias raised from the dead which how it hapned although we related it elsewhere yet will it not be far amisse to declare it in this as the proper place When Elias had foretold the famine which lasted three years and a halfe to Ahaz King of Israel as God had bid him he fled from the face of Ahab and first dwelt neer Jordan by the brook Cherith till the brook was dried up and afterwards he went to Sarepta a City of Sidon when he was come to the City gate he found a widow as God had foretold him gathering sticks when she at Elia's bidding had brought a cruse wherein was a little oyle and a barrell wherein was a little meal though she told him shee had provided both these for her selfe and her sonne that when they had eaten they might die yet that oyle did so increase at his prayers that afterwards it never failed by this strange and unheard of worke the widdow was so affected that when her sonne who shortly after fell sick and died she came and complained to him of the death of her sonne as though his comming had been the cause of it Elias that was both grieved for the death of the child and the mothers mourning and teares when he had carried him into a chamber stretching himselfe three times upon him he raised him from the dead by his prayers and restored him alive to his mother Now when this child that was raised up was grown to mans estate God commanded him to goe to Nineve a very great City of the Assyrians to declare and preach the truth and he not obeying Gods command as soon as he came to Joppe a Haven towne of Judaea he there found a Ship setting out for Tharsis and having paied the