began his raigne ouer Israel after his brother Ahazia in the eyghtene * In the first Chapter of the fourth booke of Kings it is sayd that this man began his reygne in the seconde yeare of Ioram the sonne of Iosaphat whiche is thus to bee vnderstande Iosaphat going to battell agaynst the Sirians made his son Ioram King in the .xvii. yeare of his reygne and in the .xviii. yere which was the seconde yeare of hys sonne thys man began his reygne yeare of Iosaphat King of Iuda and wrought euill in the sight of the Lorde but not like vnto his father for he tooke away the Image of Baal which his father had made neuerthelesse he sacrificed to the golden Calues still which Ieroboam had made The King of Moab was woont yerely to render to the King of Israel an hundred thousand lambs and so many Rammes with the wooll bycause he now refused to pay this tribute to Ioram he warred agaynst him hauing to take his parte Iosaphat the King of Iuda and the King of Edom by whose helpe and chiefelye Eliseus reade the place in his storie he ouercame the Moabites Also the Sirians coulde lye no where but Ioram had knowledge by Eliseus who tolde him of all their secrete lurking places by which meanes Ioram euer saued him selfe Wherefore the King of Siria sent and bèsieged the towne rounde about where the Prophet Eliseus laye And as his seruaunt was going foorth in the morning about his maisters businesse and saw the towne so compassed with enimiâ—s he ranne ‡ 6. cap. in agayne crying Alas maister what shall we doe for the Sirians are come vpon vs Feare not quoth Eliseus for they that be with vs are me than they that be with them And by and by the eyes of his seruaunt were so opened that he saw the mounteynes lye full of horses and fyrie Charrettes to defende his maister And now when the SiriaÌ„s were come to Eliseus and thought themselues most surest of hym they were at his prayer smitten with such blindnesse that they coulde not knowe the Prophete when he spake vnto them saying that that was not the towne where the man laye which they sought but followe mée quoth he and I will bring you to the place where he is and so hée ledde them foorth and brought them into the Citie of Samaria where Ioram laye who séeing now his enimies to be in his daunger sayde to Eliseus Father shall I smite them No sayde he Smite those which thou takest with thine owne swoorde and bowe but rather set bread and water before them that they maye eate and drinke and so departe to their maister Then the King prepared a great refection for the Sirians and filled their bellyes well and sent them home againe for the which gentle intreatie of Ioram the King of Siria neuer troubled hym more After this when Benhadad King of Siria had besieged Samaria so long till women were constrayned to rate their owne children Ioram tooke such displeasure with Eliseus laying the cause vpon him that in his furye he sent to take away his heade Which thing being reuealed to the Prophet he sayde to his friends that were with him in his house Sée yée not how these murtherers sonne hath sent to take awaye my heade Take héede and be circumspect when the Messenger commeth and kéepe him at the dore for the sounde of his Maisters féete is behinde him which was euen so for the Kinges minde altered he followed the Messenger and came to the Prophet himselfe saying This euill is of the Lorde and what more shall I looke for of hym No more sayde the 4. Reg. 7. a. Prophet For to morow this tyme shall a bushell of fine flower be solde for a sicle and twoo bushels of Barley for another sicle in the gate of Samaria which came so to passe the next daye for the great hoste of the Sirians at the sounde of the féete of foure lepers were runne away and had left all their tentes behinde them Finally to fulfill 9. c. f. the worde of the Lorde concerning the destruction of Achabs posteritie Ioram was slayne with an arrowe â—hot of by Iehu and his bodie cast into a platte of ground that was Nabothes the Iesraelite after he had reygned twelue yeares 4. Reg. 8. d. Ioram the sonne of Iosaphat was twoo an thirtie 2. Par. 21. cap. yeare olde when he began to reygne ouer Iuda He maryed King Achabs daughter whose wicked steppes he followed He slue all his owne brethren with diuers of his nobles The Edomites which had béene subiect from Dauids tyme hitherto rebelled nowe agaynst Ioram Also Libna which was a certayne Citie in Iuda giuen to the Leuites Iosua â–ª 21. b. woulde no more be vnder his hande bycause he had forsaken the Lord God of their Fathers The Prophetes letter Finally the Prophet Eliseus to admonishe him of his wickednesse wrote to Ioram on this wise The Lorde sayth bycause thou hast not walked in the wayes of Iosaphat thy father nor in the wayes of Asa thy Graundfather but in the wayes of the Kinges of Israel and hast made Iuda to go a whoring after the house of Achab and hast also slayne thy brethren euen thy fathers house who were better men than thy selfe Therefore with a great plague will the Lorde smite thy folke thy children thy wyues and all thy goodes And thou shalt be diseased in thy bowels which day by daye shall fall out of thy bodie And so the Lord styrred vp agaynst Ioram the Philistines the Arabians with the blacke Moores which wasted his Countrey and caryed awaye his substaunce his wyues and al his sonnes saue Ahaziahu the yoongest and smote him with an incurable disease in his bowels which helde hâ—m two yeares till all his gutts fell out and so died after he had reygned eyght yeares ¶ Ioram the bighnesse of the Lorde Filius accrescens aspectu pulcher Ioseph Faemineo e turri conuitio petâ—â—â—â— Inuideam mihi cotraxit mea uita pudica Quodque manus leuibê° sit mihi proÌ„â—â—â— Gen. 30. d. 37. cap. Ioseph the sonne of Iacob and Rachel was in hys youth of his father aboue all other beloued in so much that he made him a coate of many colours But his brethren hated him bicause his dreames signified vnto them that he should be Lorde ouer them all and they his seruantes And being at the age of .xvij. yeares he was sent to them with victualles where they laye with their shéepe at Dothan who seeing him come a farre of began to deryde and mocke him saying Beholde where the Dreamer commeth and counsayled togithers to kyll him but Ruben the eldest brother woulde not consent to that Wherfore at his comming they stripped him out of his coate and cast him into an emptie pit And as certaine Ismaelites passed by they solde Ioseph to them for twentie pence of siluer and tooke his Coate and dipt it in Goates bloude and had
not killed hym with the rest the Lorde was grieuously displeased with Saul and woulde not suffer Agag so to escape but sent Samuel to execute his iudgement vpon him who calling for Agag he came out vnto him very pleasantly fearing nothing lesse but that all bitternesse of death had bene past but contrary to his expectation Samuel sayde vnto hym as thy sworde hath made women chyldelesse so shall thy mother be chyldelesse among other women and with that he fell vpon Agag and hewed hym in péeces before the Lorde in Gilgal Agabus was a certaine Prophete which came from Ierusalem to Antioch where he prophecyed of a great dearth that shoulde be thoroweout all the worlde which came to passe as thys Prophete had sayde in the Emperour Claudius dayes Also whyle Paule laye at Cesarea in the house of Philip the Euaungelist purposing to kéepe his iourney to Ierusalem this Prophete chauncing to come thither tooke Paules girdle and therwithall bounde his owne hande and féete saying Thus sayeth the holy ghost so shall the Iewes at Ierusalem bynde the man that oweth this gyrdle and shall deliuer hym into the handes of the Gentyles Agar was handemayde to Sara Abrahams wyfe which Sara being long barren and chyldelesse gaue Agar hir Mayde vnto Abraham to be his wyfe who being conceyued and féeling hir selfe with chylde began to despise and set lyght by Sara hir Mistres for the which Sara complayned to Abraham hir husbande who giuing hir power to correct the Mayde at hir pleasure she began to deale so roughlye with Agar that in no wyse she woulde abyde it but ranne away into the wildernesse and sitting there besyde a fountayne of water not knowing whither to go an Angell appeared vnto hir and sayd Agar from whence commest thou and whither intendest thou to go I flie sayde Agar from Sara my mystresse which fareth so fowle wyth me that I am euen weary of my life Well sayde the Aungell returne to thy dame againe and submit thy selfe vnder hir handes for the Lorde will so encrease thy séede that it shall not be numbred for multitude Thou art with child and shalt beare a sonne whose name shall be Ismael Then Agar giuing God thankes for his consolation in trouble returned home againe to Sara hir mystres submitting hir selfe vnto hir and in processe of time brought forth hir sonne Ismael as the Aungell had sayde ▪ But when it pleased God to visit Sara that she conceyued and brought forth Isaac a new contention arose betwéene Sara and Agar for their children for Sara perceyuing Ismael to be a mocker and a despiser of Isaac woulde not suffer Ismael to companie with hir sonne Isaac but made hir complaynt to Abraham causing him to put both Agar and hir sonne away which thing although it grieued Abraham so to doe yet being comforted of God that he woulde multiplie Ismael bicause he was of his séede he obeyed the voyce of Sara his wife and with prouision of victuals sent Agar awaye with hir sonne to shifte for hir selfe Then Agar being departed from Abraham gat hir into the forrest of Béerseba where she wandred so long vppe and downe till all hir prouision of meate was spent and gone And when she sawe no remedie but that both she and hir childe must néedes perish for lacke of sustenance she layde downe the childe behinde a bushe and went hir selfe away bicause she woulde not sée it dye and as she sate a farre off mourning and wéeping for hir sonne she was comforted againe by the Angell of God who had so prouided for hir and hir sonne that they were both relieued and liued togithers a long time after to hir great ioy and comfort Aggeus was one of the twelue Prophetes which prophecied in the time of Zorobabel Kinge of the Iewes and rebuked them for that they were slacke in the worke of the Lorde Agrippa was a certayne king who as Paule reporteth had good knowledge in the Lawe and Prophets but vnderstoode not the true applying of the same Which King on a tyme came to Cesarea to sée Festus and to welcome hym into the Countrie who was then but newly entred into his office And being there a good whyle with Festus and hearing of him what a doe there was about Paule whome the Iewes had accused vnto him was much desirous to sée the man and to heare him speake Where vpon the next day following Paule was brought into the common Hall before Agrippa and other Magistrates of the Citie there assembled to heare his cause And when Festus had declared for what purpose he had brought forth Paule that after examination had he might haue somewhat of certaintie to write to Cesar to whome Paule had appealed Agrippa permitted the prisoner to speake and to say what he coulde for himselfe Who then so approoued his innocencie by rehearsing his conuersation before the audience that Agrippa interrupting his tale confessed and sayde vnto Paule Thou hast almost perswaded me to become a Christian And when the prisoner had ended his matter the king arose and all the Courte among whome was much secrete talke of Paule and for a finall sentence Agrippa sayde vnto Festus I sée no worthye cause of death or of bandes in this man but that he might haue bene loosed if he had not appealed to Cesar Ahaz the sonne of Iotham King of Iuda at the age of twentie yeares began his reygne in the xvj yeare of Pekah King of Israel and did not walke in the wayes of his godly Father but gaue himselfe to all kynde of ydolatrie and abhominations of the heathen consecrating his chyldren in fier and offering incense on euerye hill and Mountaine For the which his wickednesse the Lorde forsooke him and deliuered him into the handes and power of Razin king of Siria and Pekah king of Israel which two Kings on the one side with the Edomites and Philistines inuading his lande and spoyling his Cities and townes on the other side brought him very lowe And yet in all his aduersitie would he not once lyft vp his heart to call vpon God for his ayde and helpe but contrarye to the Prophetes admonition sought for the succour of man spoyling the Temple of God and sending the treasure thereof to Thiglath Pileser king of Assiria to come and deliuer him out of trouble by whose comming Ahaz was nothing the more strengthned but rather troubled and hindered Then Ahas measuring Gods fauour by the prosperitie of hys enimies not considering howe God oftentymes doth punishe those whom be loueth and giueth to his enimies good successe for a tyme turned his heart full and whole to the Sirians Gods who as he thought had plagued hym And to thintent he might serue them and worship them in al things according as the Heathen did to haue their helpe also he tooke the patterne of an aultar at Damascus the which he sent to Vria his Priest to
and hored And put their wyne into olde bottels all to rent and torne and shodde themselues with olde clouted shooen and put on their backes olde garments and so sent them forth to Iosua to obtayne peace And when Iosua looked vppon them and behelde their simple state he asked what they were and from whence they came They aunswered from a farre countrey are thy seruauntes come for the name of the Lorde thy God for we haue hearde of hys fame and power and what he did in the lande of Egypt and in all other places till nowe And long haue we trauailed to come hither as ye may sée for this our foode the day we came forth was hote our bottels shooes and garments all newe and nowe are they olde and torne and our breade hored and mouled wherefore we shall desire your fauour and peace Then Iosua beléeuing it had bene so swore vnto the Gibeonites and made a couenaunt of peace with them and let them go Within thrée dayes after it fortuned the Israelites to come to the Citie of Gibeon thinking to haue destroyed it But when they sawe that they were the people which a little before had obtayned peace at their handes woulde not slea them bicause of their othe but went to Iosua and tolde him Then Iosua sent for them and demaunded wherefore they had so deceyued him They aunswered it was tolde vs that God commaunded Moses to giue you this lande and to slea all the inhabitants therof and therfore were we forced to make this prouision for our liues And nowe we be in your hands to dâ—e with vs as shall please you Wâ—ll sayde Iosua for our othe sake ye shall haue your liues But for as much as ye haue so craftilye deceyued vs the Lorde hath determined that ye shall be in bondage vnder Israel all the dayes of your liues and be hewers of woode and water drawers for the congregation and house of God continually And so the Israelites tooke their Cities but saued their lyues After this the Kings of the Amorites hearing how the Gibeonites had made peace with Israel came vpon them and besieged Gibeon which was the greatest Citie in all the kingdome of the Amorites wherevpon the Gibeonites were constrayned to sende to Iosua for his ayde who came from Gilgal with a great power rescued them and tooke the Kings of the Amorites which were fiue in number and hanged them on fiue seuerall trées and destroyed all their people and countries Thus the Gibeonites continued in bondage vnder the Israelites with their liues vntill the time of King Saule who then for a zeale he had to the children of Israel and Iuda slue a great number of them which déede God punished in the dayes of King Dauid at what time he sent an hunger vpon the lande which continued by the space of thrée yeares for when Dauid enquired at the Lorde the cause of that plague aunswere was made him of God that it was for Saule and the house of bloud who had killed the Gibeonites which Gibeonites were none of the séede of Israel but a remnant of the Amorites with whome the children of Israel had made a bonde of peace Then Dauid asking the Gibeonites what he shoulde doe for them and wherewith he shoulde recompence them they sayde we will neyther haue siluer nor golde of Saule nor of his house nor that any man of Israel be killed for our sakes but the man that hath consumed vs and imagined to bring vs to naught him will we destroy Therefore let his seauen sonnes be deliuered vnto vs that we maye hang them vp before the Lorde Then Dauid caused the two sonnes of Rizpa Saules Concubine and the fiue sonnes of Michol whome she bare to Adriel to be deliuered vnto the Gibeonites who tooke and hanged them vp on an hill before the Lorde And thus were the Gibeonites reuenged on Saule Giliad was the sonne of Machir and his chyldren were these Hiezer Helech Asriel Sechem Semida and Hepher Godolia looke Gedalia Golias was a mightie strong Gyant whome the Philistines had brought with them to battell agaynst the hoste of Israel His stature was sixe cubites and a span His helmet vpon his heade was of brasse and the Bootes on his legges of the same His coate of Fence weyed 5000. sicles The shaft of his Speare which he bare in his hande was lyke a Weauers beame And the heade vpon the same weighed 600. sicles of yron This man beyng thus armed came out from the Philistines one bearing his shielde before him and standing betwéene the twoo hostes in a valley he cryed to the hoste of Israel saying Why are ye come to set your battell in aray am not I a Philistine and you the seruauntes of Saule choose you out a man and let him come downe to me And if he be able to fight with me and to kill me then will we be your seruants and if I can ouercome him and kill him then shall ye be our seruants and serue vs Thus came he day by day defying the whole hoste of Israel the space of fortie dayes long wherewith the Israelites were sore afrayde and discomsited and durst not abyde his sight But God who by his secret prouidence had appoynted out a man to match him caused Isai to send his yong son Dauid to the hoste of Israel to sée his brethren howe they did And as he stoode with them and hearde the despytefull wordes of Golias which he spake against the holye hoste of Israel The spirit of God euen at that instant smote such a courage into the hart of Dauid that he slipt away from his brethren vnto the people whome he sawe in great feare and sayde What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine and taketh away the shame from Israel and what is this vncircumcised heathen that he shoulde thus reuyle the hoste of the lyuing god Dauid vttering this bolde maner of speach once or twyse he was at the last brought before King Saule to whome he sayde on this wyse Oh King let no mans heart fayle him or be afrayde this daye for I thy seruaunt will go and fight with yonder Philistine Thou art not able to stande in his handes quoth the King for he is a man brought vp all the dayes of his lyfe in feates of warre and thou art yet but a chylde without experience or knowledge thereof Then Dauid to strengthen the weake fayth of the King sayde thus vnto him As thy seruaunt was kéeping his fathers shéepe there came a Lion and a Beare likewyse and tooke a shéepe out of the flocke Then I not fearing the force of these twoo cruell beastes ranne out first after the Lion and tooke the pray out of his mouth and in spite of his bearde I slue him Likewyse I serued the Beare Wherefore I haue no doubt but as the Lorde did ayde me then so wyll he nowe against this bragging Philistine that hath so rayled
warre with Ioram King Achabs sonne was a cruell aduersarye to Israel all the dayes of his lyfe Helkia was the hye Priest in the dayes of Iosias who in repayring the Temple of the Lorde chaunced by the prouidence of God to finde the booke of the lawe the which he sent to the King by Saphan the Scribe which he readde vnto him 2. Mac. 3. cap. Heliodorus being in great fauour with Seleucus King of Asia and Stewarde of his house was sent to Ierusalem to fet awaye the treasure out of the Temple which one Symon the gouernour thereof had betrayed vnto the king And being come to Ierusalem he was louingly receyued of Onias the hye Priest into the Citie But when Heliodorus had vttered the cause of his comming and that his commission was to bring the money vnto the King there was no small feare thorowout the whole citie For then all men from the hyest to the lowest were so oppressed with sorrowe and heauynesse that they wyste not what to doe but fell to prayer lifting vp their eyes to Heauen and calling vpon him which had made a lawe concerning stuffe giuen to kéepe that he woulde safely preserue the same which was there committed in custodie And whyle the Priestes and people were thus lamenting and crying vpon god And on the other side Heliodorus personally with his men of warre about the treasury There appeared an horse with a terrible man sitting vpon hym decte in harnasse of golde which horse smote at Heliodorus with his fore féete to beate him from the place Also there appeared twoo fayre and bewtyfull yong men in goodly apparell which stoode on eche syde of Heliodorus and scourged hym so long that he fell downe to the grounde as dead so was caryed out of the Temple without speache or hope of lyfe whereby the great power of God was manifest and knowne Then certayne of Heliodorus friendes besought Onias to call vpon God to giue him his lyfe which was euen at that time giuing vp the ghost Then Onias least the King shoulde suspect the Iewes had done him some harme called vpon God and obtayned his lyfe And being reuiued to health agayne the twoo yong men which had scourged hym before appeared and sayde Thanke Onias the hye Priest for thy lyfe at whose prayer the Lord hath restored thée and nowe that God hath scourged thée for thine offences giue him prayse and thankes and make his might and power manifest and open to all men And when the men had spoken these wordes and were vanished awaye Heliodorus made his oblacion to God and gaue heartye thankes to Onias for his lyfe and so returned home agayne to the King declaring vnto hym the great and manifest workes of God that were done vppon him The King after this being yet desirous of the treasure that was in the Temple asked of Heliodorus whome he thought méete to sende once agayne to Ierusalem for the money He aunswered saying Oh King if thou hast any enimie or traytour vnto thy Realme sende hym thyther and thou shalt be sure to haue him well punished and hardly to escape with his lyfe For doubtlesse sayde he In that place there is a speciall power and working of God for he that dwelâ—eth in heauen visiteth and defendeth that place and none escapeth vnpunished or plagued that commeth to doe it harme Thus dyd Heliodorus magnifie the power of God and would no more enter into such daunger ¶ Heliodorus the Gift of the Sonne Gen. 5. â— Henoch the sonne of Iared at the age of .65 yeres begat Mathusalâ—h and after that he liued 300. yeares and begat both sonnes and daughters and walked alwayes before the Lorde in an vpright and godlye lyfe And when he had liued 365. yeares the Lord * To inquire where Henoch became is meere curiositie tooke him away that he was no more séene ¶ Henoch Taught or dedicate Rom. 16. c. Herman was a faithfull Christen man vnto whom Paule sent commendations from Corinth to Rome ¶ Herman A proppe or vpholder or an earing 2. Tim. 1. d. Hermogenes was a faynt hollowe hearted Gospeller of the countrie of Asia which forsooke Paule and gaue him ouer whose vnfaythfulnesse Paule pronounceth to Timothie ¶ Hermogenes Begotten by Mercurie or the generation or increase of lucre or the refuge Math. 2. cap. Herode was an Idumean borne and the first stranger that reigned ouer the Iewes In whose time Christ the sauiour of the worlde by the will of God came into this worlde of whose birth he had first knowledge of the Mages or wise men which came from the East to Ierusalem demaunding there for him that was borne king of the Iewes saying that they had séene his Starre and were come to worship before him Which newes troubled Herode so sore that he sent for all the chiefe Priests and Scribes of the people to knowe of them where Christ shoulde be borne And being of them perfitely enformed that he shoulde be borne in the Citie of * For there is an other Bethleem in the Tribe of â—abulon Bethleem in Iewrie he sent for the wysemen and after inquisition made what time the starre appeared vnto them he bade them go to Bethleem and make diligent search for the chylde and when they had founde him to bring him word againe that he might go and worship him also But when they had found the childe and had made their offering they were warned of God to breake their promise with Herode and to returne home another waye Which thing being * Eusebius sayeth that Herode for this slaughter done would haue killed himselfe but being let by his seruaunt he dyed wythin fiue dayes when he had reigned 37. yeares tolde to Herode he fell into such a rage for being so mocked that in hys madnesse he sent forth ministers to Bethleem which killed al the Infants that were in the Citie and in the coastes thereof of the age of two yeares or vnder for whose great crueltie shewed vpon those Innocentes God payed him home soone after ¶ Herode the glorie of the skinne or boasting and glorying in skinnes Math. 14. a. b Herode the Tetrarch of Galile was brother to Philip Tetrarch of Iturea and being reprooued of Iohn Luke 3. 2. Baptist for kéeping his brother Philips wyfe he cast Iohn in prison where he remayned vntill Herodes birth daye was come in the which solemne feastfull daye it chanced the daughter of Philip and Herodias to daunce before Herode and pleased the King so well that he sware vnto hir that whatsoeuer shée woulde aske him it shoulde be graunted not thinking she woulde haue asked Mar. 6. cap. Iohn Baptistes heade for as S. Marke sayth Herode knowynge Iohn to bée a iust and an holye man did both feare and reuerence him and hearde his preaching and did many things thereafter and was very sorye the Mayde had asked none
kylled hir After this hir father tooke hir from Dauid and gaue hir to * Loke in the hystorie of Psaltei howe he vsed Michol Dauids wyfe Psaltei the sonne of Lays to wyfe with whome she remayned tyll the death of Saule and then was restored agayne to Dauid by Abners meanes Finally when Dauid came dauncing before the Arke of God in his shyrte â–ª to the Citie of Dauid it chauncâ—d Michol to looke out at a window and beholding the King how he leaped and daunced before the Arke she began to despise hym in hir heart â–ª and méeting him after all thinges were done she sayde O how glorious was the King of Israel this daye which was vncouered to day in the eyes of the Maydens of his seruaunts as a foole vncouereth himselfe And for thus despising of Dauid the seruaunt of God the Lorde plagued hir with Baraynesse that she neuer â–ª had Childe ¶ Michol who is perfect 2. Reg. 4. b. Miphiboseth the sonne of Ionathas was lame in his féete by reason his nurse by misfortune in his infancie let him fall to the grounde out of hir armes and was brought vp and nourished after the death of his father 9. cap. in the hâ—uie of Machir tyll Dauid comming to his Kingdome tooke him from thence and restored him to all the lande of King Saule making Ziba his seruaunt chiefe ouerséer and nâ—câ—yuâ—r of the landes and to sée Micah his maysters sonne well brought vp and cherished for so much as Miphiboseth shoulde remayne with hym and eatâ— and drincke at his owne boorde â–ª Now after this when Dauid was brought into so great affliction trouble by reason of Absalom his sonnâ— Miphiboseth remayned still at Ierusalem and neuer â–ª remooued But Ziba 2. Reg. 16. â— his seruaunt went after Dauid with a present and by false report of Miphiboseth his mayster got hys lande from hym â–ª And when the King was returned and come to Ierusalem â–ª agayne then Miphiboseth who had neyther 19. â— washed his féete nor dressed his bearde nor washed his clothes from the tyme the King departed vntill he returned in peace went out to méete him and when the King sawe him he sayde Wherefore wentest thou not with mée Miphiboseth He aunswered My Lorde O King my seruaunt deceyued mée for thy seruaunt sayde I woulde haue myne Asse sadled to ryde thereon for to go with the King bycause thy seruaunt is lame Therefore Ziba hath falsely accused thy seruaunt to my Lorde the King but my Lord the King is as an Angell of God Doe therefore what it pleaseth thée for all my Fathers house were but deade mâ—n before my Lord the King and yet dydst thou set thy seruaunt amonge them that dyd eate at thine owne table What right haue I to cry any more vnto the King Then sayde Dauid â–ª why speakest thou yet in thine owne cause I haue sayde Thou and Ziba deuide the lande betwéene you Yea sayde Miphiboseth let him take all séeing my Lord the King is come home in peace ¶ Miphiboseth shame or confusion from the mouth â— Reg. 21. b. Miphiboseth the sonne of Rizpa King Sauls Concubine was of the Gibeonits with his brother Armony hanged for their fathers offence Exo. 6. c. Miriam was the daughter of Amram Iochebed and sister to Aaron and Moses When hir brother Moses 15. c. had brought the children of Israel thorow the redde Sea Miriam the Prophetesse tooke a Tymbrell in hir hande with other women following in like sorte and began ioyfully to sing and daunce their song was this Sing yée vnto the Lorde for he hath triumphed gloriously The horse and ryder hath he ouerthrowen in the Sea. After this she grudged agaynst Moses because he had taken a Num. 12. cap. woman of Inde to his wyfe wherefore the Lorde smote hir with Leprosie Then Moses partly for pittie and partly at the intercession of Aaron his brother besought the Lorde to heale hir who made hym aunswere saying If hir father in anger had spitte in hir face shoulde she not haue béene ashamed seauen dayes Let hir be shut out of the hoste seauen dayes which being doone she was restored and receyued in agayne Finallye when 20. 2. Moses and the children of Israel were come to Cades there she dyed and was buryed ¶ Miriam exalted or reaching Dan. â— b. 3. ca. Misach first called Misael was one of Daniels companions and one of the thrée which was cast into the whote burning Ouen and myraculously preserued ¶ Misach prolonging or drawing to him or compassing the waters or hedging 3. Esd 2. b. Mithridatus was King Cyrus treasurer at whose commaundement he deliuered all the holye vessels of golde and siluer pertayning to the house of the Lorde to Salmanasar the Deputie in Iewrie The number of which vessels was fiue thousand eyght hundred and thrée score ¶ Mithridatus dissoluing the lawe Act. 21. d Mnason was a certayne godlye man and a Cyprian borne who had of long tyme beléeued the Gospell in whose house Paul was hosted at Ierusalem ¶ Mnason a searcher out or promising or remembring Exod. 2. cap. Moyses the sonne of Amram and Iochebed was myraculously preserued at his byrth For where as Pharao the King of Egipt had straightly commaunded the Moses signifieth preserued from the water Mydwyues that whensoeuer they saw an Hebrue bring soorth a man chylde they shoulde cast it into the ryuer yet Moses being borne a proper childe was notwithstanding the Kinges commaundement kept secretlye thrée monthes And when his parents coulde hide him no longer they closed him in a basket made of réede or Bulrushes dawbed with slyme and pitch and layd him in the ryuer And as the childs sister stoode looking what should become of him it came to passe that King Pharaos * Hir name was Termuth daughter came awalking by the ryuer syde who séeing the basket â—leting vppon the ryuer caused one of hir folkes to take it vp â–ª And when she had opened the basket and sawe the Childe she had pittie vpon it and caused the Mayde his sister to fet hir a Nurse who went and brought his owne mother And so the childe being nursed brought vp in Pharaos house was instructed from his Childehoode in all maner cunning and wisedome of the Egiptians and became mightie in wordes and déedes Howe that Moyses impediment of speach came The king on a time for his daughters sake tooke the childe in hys armes and set the crown vppon hys heade which Moses as it were chyldishly playing hurled to the grounde and with hys foote spurned it At the whiche the Priest cryed out saying that this was he of whome it was prophecied that he should destroy Egipt Then Termuth excused the chylde alleaging his infancie and sacke of discretion And for proofe thereof caused burning coales to be put to hys mouth which the child with his tongue licked
be the chiefest end and mark whereat man ought to shoote it must nedes be concluded that those mens studyes and labours deserue the greatest prayse which are employed to the attayning and directing of others therevnto Wherein as God in all ages hath alwayes stirred vp some who haue taken great paynes therein to the publike commoditie of others So in my simple iudgement neyther this present worke neyther the Author thereof deserueth the least commendation And albeit I wote full vvell that so the worke it selfe be good it is not greatly materiall what the workeman be yet like as good Wyne is then best vvhen it is drunke out of a cleane vessell and good meat then best delighteth when the dresser therof is cleanly So this Booke which of it selfe I doubt not to be such that it will be liked of all those who delight in God and godlynesse I trust euen for the Authors sake it shall neuer awhit the woorse be welcome Of vvhose syncere lyfe and great prayses although there is good cause why I shoulde speake for that hee hath bene of long time throughly knowne to me and I am assured his vertues and integritie to bee such that if I shoulde saye there are fevve his like to bee founde I trust for saying the truth no good man woulde be offended Yet partly for that I am not ignorant that no man delighteth lesse to heare his owne praise than he doth partly for that there be many causes why I should rather honour him than for lacke of sufficient skill and abilitie meanelye prayse him I will leaue him to thy particular iudgement gentle Reader and to the testimoniall of the vvhole vvorld vvho I doubt not vvill say no lesse but that he is a man vvithout fraude or guile and such one as feareth God. As touching the Booke it selfe good reason it is ech man shoulde vse his ovvne iudgement and opinion But if my simple Testimoniall maye preuayle I dare vvarrant it to bee such that vvhat studie soeuer thou shalt bestovve in reading the same it shall vvell requite thy paynes And though the Author be such that he rather delighteth in good and vertuous lyfe than maketh boste of anye great learning Yet such hath his paynes bene herein that very good Clarkes neede take no scorne to receiue some light from this his Candell In summe the Booke is of God and his holy Saintes and therefore to be reuerenced collected out of Scripture and therefore no vaine fable written briefely and therefore not tedious set forth in playne and simple vvyse and therefore the better for thy capacitie ▪ truely reporting the lyfe and death of such as eyther for sinne and those to be auoyded eyther for vertue and those to bee imitated haue mention made in Gods holye Booke All that is vvritten therein is vvritten for thy helpe and instruction Vse it then to that ende that the Authour meaneth that is Not onely to increase thy knovvledge and so to be made more learned but also to increase thy vertuous life and so to become the better Man. R. M. ¶ The lyues of holy Saincts Prophets Patriarches c. AAron was the sonne of Amram and brother to Moses and of the Tribe of Leui. Hys mothers name was Iochebed sister to Caath the father of Amram Hée was appointed of God to be Moses interpreter and also his Prophet what tyme as God sent Moses to Pharao to poure out hys plagues vpon him He tooke Elisaba the daughter of Aminadab of the Tribe of Iuda to wyfe He was the fyrst Byshop of the Iewes And left with Hur to gouerne the people in the absence of Moses while he was in the Mount wyth god And in the meane time the people beyng yet infected wyth the ydolatrie of Egipt cryed out against Aaron to make them goddes to go before them Then Aaron perceyuing the people inclyned to ydolatrie and also thinking they woulde rather forgoe the same than to forsake their precious Iewels sayde vnto them Plucke of the golden earerings in the eares of your Wyues your sonnes and of your daughters and bring them to mée The people did so Aaron made thereof a Calfe Which when the people sawe and behelde they were excéeding gladde And began now to worship and honor the Calfe as a godde hopping and daunceyng for ioye But the Lorde aboue beholding theyr wickednesse tolde it to Moses and sent him downe post haste to refourme their wycked attemptes Who then comming downe from the Mount wyth the Tables of God in hys hande and drawyng néere to the host hée sawe the Calfe and the people daunceyng before it Which sight so kindeled the wrath of Moses grieued hys heart so sore that he threwe the Tables oute of his handes tooke the Calfe and burnt it in the fyer and stampte it all into powder and ashes which he threwe into the water and forced the people to drinke it Then he demaunded of Aaron what the people did to him that he had brought so great a sinne vpon them Aaron sayde let not the wrath of my Lorde ware fierce thou knowest the people that they are set on mischiefe For they sayde vnto mée make vs goddes to go before vs for we wote not what is become of Moses the man that brought vs out of Egipt Then I required to haue their golde and Iewels which they brought vnto mée and I did cast them into the fier and thereof came out this Calfe Moses then vnderstanding the matter commaunded the children of Leui to fall vpon the ydolaters and slue of them about thrée thousande persons After this it came to passe that Aaron and Miriam his sister did grudge against their brother Moses bicause he had taken an Ethiopian to wyfe saying on this wyse hath the Lorde in déede spoken onely through Moses and hath he not spoken also by vs The Lorde not content wyth this their contemning of Moses auctoritie was sore displeased and stroke Miriam wyth a foule leprosie Which so much discomforted Aaron to sée his syster so fowlye arayed and disfigured that he humbled himselfe to Moses and sayde Alas my Lorde I beséech thée put not the sinne vppon vs which we haue foolishlye committed sinned Oh let hir not be as one deade of whom the fleshe is halfe consumed when he commeth out of hys mothers wombe And so thorowe Aarons intreatie Moses prayed vnto God and Miriam was healed Finally when Aaron had lyued one hundred xxiij yeares hée dyed in mount Hor as the Lorde had foretolde And hys sonne Eleazar succéeded in his rowme Abacuck the Prophet was of the Tribe of Simeon He prophecied of the taking of Ierusalem by Nabuchodonosor This Prophet on a time had prepared potage and other vittayles for the haruest folkes And going to the fieldes to bring the same to the reapers an Aungell of God spake vnto him and sayde Go and cary the meate that thou hast prepared into Babilon and gyue it
transgressed his commaundement and tolde him the waye and meanes how he should search it out which thing being done he founde that Acan had taken of the spoyle at Iericho a Babilonish garment two hundred sicles of siluer and a wedge of golde which being tried and brought forth before the whole congregation Iosua tooke Acan his sonnes and daughters cattell goodes and all that he had and caryed them out to the valley of Acor where they were stoned to death and consumed with fire Achab the sonne of Amrie began his reigne ouer Israel in the xxxviij yeare of the reygne of Asa king of Iuda He tooke Iezabel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sydonites to wyfe by whose meanes he fell into all wicked and straunge Idolatrie and cruell persecution for the which God plagued him so that in thrée yeares space neither dewe nor rayne fell downe from aboue to moysture the earth whereof ensued so great a Murrayne of men and beastes that innumerable dyed thereof and all the fault and cause of this plague he layde on Elia the Prophete and sought by all meanes howe to destroye him This king was so wicked that Scripture sayeth he had euen solde himselfe to worke wickednesse and yet notwithstanding God gaue him a marueylous victorie of Benhadad king of Siria who had in his companie .xxxij. kings with whome he fought twyse and bette him and at the thirde time brought him into so miserable a case that he was fayne to humble himself to Achab with a rope about his necke who neuerthelesse had pitie on that wicked King and made a bonde with him and let him go Nowe for this mercie which Achab had shewed to Benhadad whome the Lorde had cursed and put into Achabs handes to be slayne God was angry with Achab and promised his vtter destruction for the same This gréedy Cormorant was not content with his kingdome and spoyle of his victories which God had giuen him but caused Naboth that innocent man to be murdered onely to haue his vineyarde which laye so nye his nose whose bloud did craue such vengeance of God that worde was brought him by the Prophet Elia that in the same place where dogges had licked the bloude of Naboth shoulde dogges lycke his also and that he woulde doe vnto Achab and his posteritie euen as he had done to the house of Ieroboam and Baasa which terrible threatnings of God so feared Achab that he repented and humbled himselfe in sackecloth for the which the Lorde deferred hys plague and woulde not performe it in Achabs dayes but in the tyme of his sonnes reygne Finallye it came in the mynde of Achab to go into Siria to recouer the Citie of Ramoth which he claymed by inheritance And trusting more to the counsell of foure hundred false Prophetes than he did to Micheas the true Prophet of God he tooke his iourney towardes Ramoth and being in battell agaynst his enimies the Sirians he was shot in wyth an arrowe standing in his Charet of the which stroke he dyed And then when his Charet was had to the poole of Samaria to be washed the dogges lycked vp the bloude that ran thorow the Charet and so was the worde of the Lorde fulfilled which he had spoken before concerning the same He reigned .xxij. yeares Achaicus was a faythfull Christian brother whome Saint Paule sent wyth Stephana and Fortunatus from Philippos to the Corinthians with his Epistle Achior was Captaine gouernour of all the Ammonites vnder Holofernes and had the spirite of Prophecie so plentifull in him that when Holofernes demaunded what maner of people the Iewes were hée stepped forth before him and sayde If it please thée O Prince I will tell thée of a truth what they be They are a people which came of the generation of the Chaldeys and bicause they woulde not serue their goddes nor yet followe their customes they went and dwelt first in Mesopotamia worshipping one God that made heauen and earth at whose commaūdement they went from thence and dwelt in the land of Chanaan where in processe fell so great a dearth that then from Chanaan they went downe to Egypt and dwelt among the Egiptians foure hundreth yeares In the which space they grewe to a mightie number and were sore oppressed of the king of that lande but assoone as they cryed to their God for helpe he sent downe such plagues vpon the king and all his lande that he was fayne to suffer them to departe yet when they were gone and the plague ceased he then pursued to haue brought them backe agayne into bondage But God perceyuing his people to be in a strayte opened the Sea before them and brought them thorowe on drye ground and closed the sea vpon their enimies and so drowned Pharao with all his hoste And nowe being passed the redde Sea they came to the wildernesse of Mount Sinay where the waters being bitter he made them swéete and fedde them forty yeares with meate from heauen They had such power of their God that they cast out before them the Chananites the Pherisites the Iebusites and the Hethites with many great Nations mo For so long as they stoode in awe of their God and did not offende him so long was no Nation yet euer able to molest or hurt them But if anye time they declyned from his wyll and ordinance then were they quickly destroyed in battell and brought to captiuitie and bondage Wherefore O Prince let inquisition now be made whether they haue offended their God or no and if they haue then let vs goe agaynst them for God shall deliuer them into thy hande But if they haue not displeased their God he will so defende them that we shall not surely be able to stande before them but become a reproche vnto all the worlde Now was Holofernes so madde with Achior that he commanded his men to carie him to the Iewes that he myght perishe with them in their destruction And as they went towarde Bethulia with Achior and saw they might not come nye the Citie without great perill of their lyues They went to a trée and bound him fast to the same and so leauing him went their wayes Then came the Iewes to Achior and loosed his bandes had him into the Citie and set hym before the Senators who demaunded the cause wherefore the Assirians had so cruelly vsed him to whome he declared the matter in order as he had spoke it before to the prince Holofernes which being done the whole assemble gaue prayses and thankes to God which had giuen to Achior being an heathen man such boldnesse of spirite to sette forth his power and glory And from that time forth they comforted Achior and had hym in great estimation who fell from his heathenishe beliefe and put all his trust in the liuing God and became a Iewe and was circumcised and numbred among the people of Israel he and
farre excéeded all other in wysedome and learning that Salomon was compared vnto them Darius in taking of Babilon slue King Balthasar and possessed his kingdome In the seconde yeare of his raigne he graunted the same licence vnto the Iewes to builde againe the Citie of Ierusalem and the house of God that King Cyrus had graunted to them in the first yeare of his raigne And for so much as the worke had béene much hindered from the first yeare of Cyrus vnto the seconde yeare of this King Darius he gaue a strayte commaundement that whosoeuer dyd from hencefoorth hinder or let that worke a Beame shoulde be taken from that mans house and he hanged thereon and his house made a dunghill And so the buylding went forwarde with spéede and was perfectly finished in the sixte yeare of his raigne Dathan and Abiram were the sonnes of Eliab and two of the chiefe Captaynes with Chore in the insurrection against Moses on whom God tooke such vengeance that he caused the earth to open and swallow them vp quick Reade the story of Chore. Dauid was the yoongest sonne of Isai and by Gods commaundement annoynted King of Israell Saule yet raigning of the Prophet Samuel Wherefore Saule fearing that Dauid would defeate him of his kingdome vexed hym with continuall persecution during the which tyme Dauid shewed notable examples both of pacience and true obedient seruice to Saule his soueraigne Lorde And first to shew his obedient and faithfull heart to his Prince and loue he bare to his countrey he put himselfe in daunger to fight with that great monster Goliah and slue him of whome the king and all the host of Israell stoode in great feare And after this act also when Saule of enuie that the women in their daunce had giuen to Dauid more prayse than to him threwe his Iauelin at Dauid as he stoode and played on his Harpe before him to haue nayled him fast to the wall Dauid auoyded and armed himselfe with pacience and neuer sought other meanes to reuenge In so much that when Saule by the prouidence of God came into the Caue to ease himselfe in the which Caue Dauid lay hid for feare of Saul he woulde not being prouoked put foorth his hande to hurt his mayster But cut of a péece of the hemme of his coate in token that he might haue killed him And yet after that it sore repented him that he had done so much injury vnto his soueraigne Lorde and maister although he was his most gréeuous enimy and euery houre sought his death Also when he came into the host of Saule and founde the King and his men fast a sléepe he woulde not for his owne priuate cause though Iehu slue two Kinges at Gods commaundement lay his hand vpon the Lords annointed but onely that he shoulde know that Dauid was there might haue béene reuenged tooke his speare and pot of water which stoode at his heade and went hys waye Finally when it pleased God to deliuer him of his enimie in battaile against the Philistines one to get thanke of Dauid brought vnto him Saules crowne and the Bracelet that he wore on hys arme certifying him of the Kings death and that he with his owne handes had killed him whose acte dyd so much abhorre Dauid that he thought the man not woorthy to lyue but put him to death by and by Read more of Dauids pacient suffering and obedient seruice in the story of Michol Ionathas Ahimelech Achis and Absalon his sonne Nowe when Saule was dead Dauid was admitted king and reigned ouer Iuda .vij. yeares after which time expired he reigned both ouer Israel and Iuda .xxxiij. yeares And dyd that which was good in the sight of God and put his trust confidence in the Lord God of Israel so that before nor after him was not his like He cleaued so vnto the Lord that God of him bare witnesse that he had founde a man according to his hearts desire To him God made a promise that Christ shoulde come of his séede for the which cause Christ of the Prophets is called the sonne of Dauid To this holy Prophet God gaue many victories and excellent giftes which are touched in other stories and yet among all his vertues he suffred him to fall into the abhominable vice of adulterie and homicide and most gréeuously punished him for the same who notwithstanding after earnest repentaunce was receyued agayne into the fauour of God and neuer after offended in that sinne more Finally after many conflictes with his enimies he died after he had reigned .xl. yeares leauing Salomon his sonne to succéede him Debora the wyfe of one Lapidoth was a Prophetesse and the fourth Iudge and gouernour of the people of Israel who by the power and pleasure of God and helpe of Barack the Captayne of hir armie deliuered them from the Tyrannie of King Iabyn and of Sisera his Captaine generall putting the king to a great foyle in flying of his Captain Sisera Thorow the which victorie the Israelites were restored to libertie and their enimies the Cananites vtterly confounded She iudged Israel .xl. yeares Demas was Christes Disciple a great while and a faythfull minister to Paule and neuer shranke from him nor his doctrine so long as all things prospered well with Paule But when he saw Paule cast in pryson and in daunger of his life for the Gospels sake He forsooke both him and his doctrine and imbraceing the worlde conueighed himselfe to Thessalonica Such there be that so long as pleasure profite fauour honour glory or riches doe followe the worde of God so long will they fauour the same But when affliction persecution losse of goods riches landes possessions or such like aduersities doe come then they doe as Demas dyd forsake the Gospel and followe the worlde Demetrius the sonne of Sceleucus came from Rome with a small company of men to a certaine Citie of his owne lying vpon the Sea coast and prepared an armie to go to Antioche the Citie of his Progenitours where he founde Antiochus and Lisias which both he caused to be slayne and being stablished in his kingdom he began through the wicked counsell of Alcimus whom he had made hye Priest to séeke the destruction of the Iewes sending foorth diuers armies against them in the which he spedde diuersly Finally the sonne of noble Antiochus mooued warre agaynst hym and in battell slue him Demetrius the sonne of Demetrius being in the lande of Creta at his fathers death made haste homewarde to take possession of his Kingdome And being stablished therein he began to waxe mightie â–ª â—y reason that Ptolomy King of Egipt had withdrawne his fauour from Alexander his sonne in law and taken his daughter Cleopatra from him and giuen hir to Demetrius And also for as much as Ptolomy and Alexander lyued not long after the strife
begun betwéene them Demetrius for a space had great rest The Captaine of Demetrius hoste was Appolonius a great enimie of the Iewes whom Ionathas discomfited at the first conflict betwéene them Upon the which Demetrius perceyuing Ionathas power to be strong was content to be at peace with him and to make all Iewry frée Which being done all the lande was in such quietnesse that Demetrius sent away his hoste all saue a fewe straungers whereat the hoste was displeased Then Triphon who had béene a foretime on Alexandâ—â—s partie perceyuing Demetrius hoste to murmour agaynst hym mooued Antiochus the sonne of Alexander to warre agaynst Demetrius who being nowe in great feare of the men of Antioche with whom he had somewhat to doe sent to Ionathas to haue his ayde who sent hym thrée thousande of such picked men that deliuered Demetrius out of daunger and slue an hundred thousand of the Antiocheans so that the reast were fayne to cast downe their weapons to yéelde them to Demetrius who notwithstanding the great fidelitie of Ionathas and the benefite he had done hym after he was at rest agayne dyd not rewarde him according but most deceytfully dissembled and withdrew himselfe from Ionathas and vexed him and the Iewes very sore After this came Tryphon with all the hoste which Demetrius had put away and fought against Demetrius and put hym to flight and made hym fayne at the last to go into Medea to séeke ayde and helpe where Arsaces King of the lande tooke him and kept him in warde as a prisoner during his life Demetrius This man was a Siluersmyth by his occupasion dwelling at Ephesus which made siluer Shrynes and Tabernacles for Diana the goddesse And forasmuch as Paule by the space of twoo yeares had preached there against Images made with mans hande saying that they were no goddes He least his profite should decay called togithers all such as had aduantage by making Images of Diana and all craftes men of the same occupacion whome he knew woulde fauour his cause and began to saye vnto them on this wyse Maisters yée knowe that by this Craft we haue vauntage moreouer yée sée and heare that not onely at Ephesus but almost thoroweut all Asia this Paule hath perswaded and turned away much people saying That they be no goddes which are made with handes So that not onely this our Craft commeth into perill and to be set at naught But also that the Temple of the great goddesse Diana should â—e despised and hir magnificence destroyed which all Asia and the world woorshippeth With this sedicious Oracion made by Demetrius the people were in such a furie that they cryed out saying Great is Diana of the Ephesians and with that rushed into the common Hall with one assent where they missing of Paule caught two of his companions in the which rage some cryed one thing and some another and were so farre out of order that the most part knowe not the cause of their concourse togithers so that with great difficultie the matter was pacyfied Reade the storie of Alexander the Iewe borne in the same place Demetrius This was a faithfull Christen man hauing for a testimonie thereof a good reporte as well of Paule himselfe as of all other to be an earnest fauourer of the Gospel of Christ Denis or Dionysius was a certayne Senatour whome Paule conuerted at the Citie of Athens and instituted him Bishop thereof ¶ In Fasciculâ—s temporum it is written that this Denis was martyred in Fraunce whereby it may euidentlye be gathered that the Gospel of Christe our Sauiour was preached in Fraunce in the Apostles time or very nye vnto their Tyme Diana was a Goddesse whom the Ephesians most supersticiouslye dyd woorship Reade Demetrius the Siluersmyth and Alexander the Iewe. Diotrephes was so wicked a man and so malicious an enimie vnto the Christian brethren that hée coulde not say well of them nor yet abyde to heare other giue them good report he woulde neyther receyue them himselfe nor suffer those that would but thrust them out of the Church Diues the riche and coueteous Glutton so much delited and gloried in his great abundaunce of treasure fine and costly apparell sumpteous and delicious fare eche day that his whole selicitie and pleasure was onely in pampering vp of hymselfe hauing no compassion were his miserie neuer so great on the poore and néedy as it dyd appeare by Lazarus the Begger lying at his gates and looking for some reléefe of the scraps that fell from his boord But when this glutton was dead and his body with pompe brought to his graue and his soule also in the torments of hell He than lifting vp his eyes and beholding Abraham a great way of and the Begger with him in ioye cryed out to Abraham requesting him that Lazarus might nowe come downe and dip the tip of his finger in water to slake the great heate of his tongue for I am sayth he most gréeuously tormented in this Ardent flame But to this his other most vayne and fantasticall request he made for his brethren to haue them admonished by one that came from the dead Abraham made aunswere and sayde That for so much as he had consumed and spent away the tyme of his life volupteously in the pleasures and delights of the worlde and woulde at no tyme repent he therefore was nowe most iustly condemned to suffer parpetuall payne in the fire of hell Doeg an Edomite borne was King Saules seruaunt and the mayster of them that kept his cattell When Dauid came to Ahimelech the Priest of Nob and had receyued the shewe breade with the sworde of Goliah This Doeg was there present the same day tarying to worship before the Lorde and sawe and hearde all things that was done betwéene them And when he was returned home and had wayted his time when he might best pleasure the King hée vp and accused Ahimelech of all that he had done vnto Dauid And when the King had iudged that good and godlye man to dye this Doeg at the Kings commaundement all other resusing that wicked déede fell vpon Ahimelech with his sworde and slue both him and all the Priestes of the Lorde to the number of 85. Dorcas was a certaine godly woman and a Disciple of Christ dwelling at Ioppa who in hir lyfe time had bene vertuously occupied and specially in the works of mercy relieuing the poore and néedie And whyle Peter was preaching and doing his office at Lydda which was not farre from Ioppa it was hir chaunce to fall sicke and die And when hir friendes had done with wasshing the deade corps and laid it forth in an vpper chamber to he annoynted they sent for Peter to come vnto them who being come they had him vp to the Chamber where the deade Corse lay where the Wydowes came about him wéeping and laying forth the Coates and other garmentes which
heauen in the likenesse of a Doue and lighted vppon him and also the voyce of the father was heard from heauen saying This is my welbeloued sonne in whome I am well pleased heare him And after he had finished the legacie of his father and opened the Doctrine of eternall life to the people and confirmed the same with myracles he was at the age of .xxxiij. yeares or there about betrayed of his owne disciple Iudas Math. 26. b. and by the Iewes his owne peculiar people most cruellye put to death at what tyme of his passion was a great earthquake and at sixe a clocke of the daye such a terrible Eclipse of the Sunne that for darckenesse it séemed to be very night The thirde day hée arose agayne 28. a. from death to lyfe In token he conquered sinne death and Satan And on the fourtie daye to declare himselfe Act. 1. b. to be a mightie a puissant Conquerour he ascended into heauen where he sitteth at the right hande of the Father And the fiftie day according to his promise he sent downe the true comforter the holy Ghost which shoulde leade the Apostles into all truth At the ende and last day of the world he shall come agayne with glorye to Iudge the quicke and the dead He suffered his passion the yeare after the creation of the Worlde 3994. or there about ¶ Iesus A Sauiour Eccl. 1. cap. Iesus the sonne of Sirach being among the Captiues in Egipt in the tyme of King Ptolomy Energets got libertie to reade and write many good things which Iesus his Graundfather had gathered and left them with Sirach his sonne which thinges this Iesus tooke and put in order in a booke which is called Ecclesiasticus or the wisedome of Iesus the sonne of Sirach Coll. 4. c. Iesus otherwise called Iustus was a Iewe borne and one of Paules workefellowes in preaching and setting foorth the Kingdome of God whome he commended to the Collossians desiring them that if he or anye such dyd come vnto them they shoulde receyue and entreate them with all gentlenesse Exod. 4. c. 18. cap. Iethro the Priest of Madian had seauen daughters of the which one was called Zephora whome he maried to Moses And when that Iethro had hearde of all the mightie déedes which God had done for Moses and howe he had deliuered the children of Israel out of Egipt from the bondage of Pharao and brought them thorow the red Sea he mette Moses in the Wildernesse and brought to him his wife and twoo children which he had sent backe before at whose comming Moses was excéeding glad Then as Iethro abode with Moses and sawe the great paynes he tooke in iudging the people from morning to night he sayde vnto him what is this that thou doest vnto the people Why sittest thou thy selfe alone and all the people stand about thée from morning vnto euen When the people quoth Moses haue any matter they come vnto mée and I iudge betwéene one and an other and declare vnto them the statutes and lawes of god Thou doest not well quoth Iethro for thou both wearyest thy selfe and the people that is with thée The thing is of The counsell of Iethro Moses father in lawe more weyght than thou arte able to performe alone Therefore heare my counsayle God shall prosper thée Be thou for the people to God warde and report the causes to him Admonish them of the ordinances and lawes and shewe them the waye wherein they must walke and the worke that they must doe Moreouer séeke out among the people men of courage and such as feare God true dealing men hating couetousnesse and appoint them to be rulers ouer thousands ouer hundreds ouer fiftie and ouer ten And let them iudge the people at all seasons and euery great matter let them bring it to thée But al small causes let them iudge themselues and so shall it be easier for thée when they shall beare the burthen with thée If thou shalt doe this thing and God so commaund thée thou shalt be able to endure and all the people shall go quietly to their place ¶ Iethro Excellent or remayning or searching foorth or a little corde 2. Reg. 2. cap. Ioab was the sonne of Zerniah Dauids Sister and the chiefe Captayne of all Dauids hoste In the first battell he made against Abner King Saules Captayne he was the victor and put Abner to flight and of malice afterwarde by treason slue him for â—he which déede Dauid 3. d. e. was fore offended that he besought God to auenge it on Ioab and that his house and posteritie might alwaies be plagued with the bloudy flixe leprosie feblenesse of bodie the swoorde or famine for the death of Abner Ioab also was the death of Absalom and slue him as he 18. d. hanged by the haire of his heade vpon the twist of a trée And when it was tolde him of the great lamentacion the King made for Absalom his sonne he went vnto him and saide Thou hast this day shamed the faces of all thy seruaunts 19. a. b. which this day haue saued thy lyfe and the liues of all thy sonnes and daughters the lyues of thy wiues and Concubins in that thou louest thine enimies and hatest thy friendes For thou hast declared this daye that thou regardest neither thy Princes nor seruants Therefore I doe perceyue that if Absalom had lyued and all we had bene slayne this day that then it had pleased thée well Nowe therefore vp and come out and speake comfortably vnto thy seruaunts for I sweare by the Lorde except thou come out there will not tary one man with thée this night and that wil be woorse vnto thée than all 20. cap â–ª the euill that fell on thée from thy youth hitherto Also in persecuting of Seba which had made a new insurrection against Dauid he mette Amasa his Auntes sonne by the way and * Lyra supposeth that Ioab slue Amasa of enuy bicause Dauid had made an othe in the Chapter before that Amasa shuld be his Captaine in Ioabs steade slue him and leauing him dead on the ground he followed Seba and besieged him in a Citie called Abell where the Gouernesse of the Citie being a wise woman cried vnto Ioab demaunding why he went about to destroy that Citie which was a Mother in Israel and to deuour the inheritance of the Lorde before he had offered peace To whome he aunswered saying That he went about no such matter but I come quoth he for Seba the sonne of Bichri deliuer me him and I will be gone and as soone as the heade of Seba was throwen ouer the wall to Ioab he departed Finallye after the death of Dauid who had ordeyned Salomon to reigne in hys steade Ioab tooke part with Adonia Salomons brother which vsurped the kingdome and went about with all his power to stablishe him in Dauids seate But when he hearde Salomon proclaimed
thou shalt conceyue in thy wombe and beare a sonne and shalt call his name Iesus c. Then Mary bicause she woulde be resolued of all doubtes to the ende she might the more surely embrace the promise of God sayde Howe shall this be séeing I knowe no man The holy ghost quoth the Angell shall come vpon thée and the power of the most highest shall ouershadowe thée Therefore also that holy thing which shall be borne of thée shall be called the sonne of god c. Then sayde Marâ—e Beholde the handemayde of the Lord be it vnto me according to thy word Vpon this she prepared hir selfe with spéede to go and visite hir Cosin Elizabeth with whome she remayned thrée monthes and returned home agayne And shortly after went with Ioseph hir husbande from the Citie of Nazareth to the lande of Iewrie to a Citie called Bethleem there to be taxed according to the Emperour Augustus commaundement bicause they were of the house and linage of Dauid And being forced to lye in the stable for lacke of roume in the Inne hir houre came to be deliuered and there she brought forth Christ Iesus the Sauiour of the worlde And when she was purified and had bene at Ierusalem with hir chylde and performed all things there according to the lawe she returned with Ioseph hir husbande home to the Citie of Nazareth agayne And being accustemed yearely she and hir husbande to go vp at the feast of Easter to Ierusalem shée chaunced one tyme to forget hir Sonne behinde hir and when she had turned backe and sought him out and founde him she sayde Sonne why hast thou thus dealt with vs thy father and I haue sought thée with heauye heartes Another time as she was with hir Sonne at a mariage in Cana a towne in Galile when the Wyne fayled at the feast she tolde hir Sonne that they lacked wyne and receyuing his anâ—â—ere méekely bade the Ministers to doe whatsoeuer he commaunded them Finally as shée stoode by the Crosse whereon hir sonne shedde his bloude as well for hir as all other Christians sorow â–ª pierced hir heart like a sworde according to Simeons prophecie Marie the wyfe of Cleophe was hir sister Marie Salome was a certayne godly woman who among other ministred of hir substance to Iesus and followed him from Galile and after he was erucified bought swéete odors to annoynt his body and was a witnesse of his resurrection Marie the mother of Iohn Marke into whose house Peter came after the Angell of God had deliuered him out of prison from the handes of Herode where manye were gathered togither in prayer Marie * Magdalene dwelt in Bethania and was a sinfull woman And in token of hir great repentance she went to Iesus as he sate at meate in one of the Phariseys houses with a boxe of Oyntment in hir hande falling downe at his féete wéeping and washing them with the teares distilling downe from hir eyes and wyped them with the heares of hir head and also kyssed them and annointed them with swéete Oyntment Then Iesus séeing the great fayth of the woman sayde vnto hir Mary thy fayth hath saued thée goe in peace Then Mary féeling hir selfe much bounde to Christ which had forgiuen hir so many sinnes fell in so great loue that all hir whole meditacion and studie was vppon him Insomuch that when Martha hir sister was cumbred about much seruing of Christ at the Table Marie choosing the better part sate at Iesus féete to heare his preaching And when he suffred his passion she stoode by the Crosse with Mary his mother to sée the ende And the morrowe after the Sabboth day when she came to the sepulchre and sawe the stone taken awaye from the Tombe shée ranne to Peter and Iohn and tolde them who ranne to the graue and tryed the matter and returned backe againe leauing Marie standing at the Graue wéeping And as she bowed hir selfe into the graue she sawe twoo Aungels sitting in whyte clothing who sayde vnto hir woman why wéepest thou They haue taken away my Lorde quoth she and I knowe not where they haue layde him And turning hir selfe about she sawe Iesus standing but knewe him not to whome he sayde Woman why wéepest thou whome doest thou séeke She supposing it had bene the Gardiner sayde Sir if thou hast borne him hence tell me where thou hast layde him and I will fet him Then sayde Iesus Mary with thâ— she turned hir selfe and sayd Rabbony which is to say Mayster and fell downe to the ground to haue kyssed his féete But to withdrawe hir from that Iesus sayde Touche me not but go tell my brethren that I ascende to my Father and your Father to my God and 〈◊〉 god Then went Mary to the Disciples and tolde 〈◊〉 that she had séene the Lord and what things he had 〈◊〉 vnto hir Reade the storie of Martha hir sister and of Lazarus hir brother Marke the Euaungelist is thought to haue béene Peters Disciple and to write his Gospell according as he heard Peter preache and shew euery thing by mouth and to haue planted the first Church in Alexandria where he died in the eyght yeare of the reigne of Nero in whose place succéeded Anianus Of this Marke speaketh Peter in his first Epistle the fift Chapter saying The Congregacion of them which at Babilon are companions of your election saluteth you and so doth Marke my sonne Marke otherwise called Iohn the sonne of Mary was Minister to Paule Barnabas what tyme as they were sent by the holy Ghost from Antioche to preach the Gospell vnto the heathen which Marke at Pamphilia departed backe from them agayne For the which cause Paule the next iourney that he and Barnabas made woulde not suffer Marke to go with them wherefore Barnabas departed from Paule taking Marke who was his Sisters sonne with him into Cypers Martha and Mary Magdalene were twoo Sisters dwelling in the Citie of Bethinia which twoo had a brother named Lazarus This Martha on a tyme inuyted Iesus to dinner And being cumbred about much seruing and séeing hir Sister Mary sit styll at Iesus féete sayde vnto him doest thou not care that my sister hath left me to minister alone Bid hir come helpe mée To whome he aunswered Martha Martha thou carest and arte troubled about many things verilye one is néedefull Mary hath chosen the best part which shall not be taken from hir On a tyme as Iesus was comming to Bethinia to heale hir brother Lazarus she mette him saying Lorde if thou haddest béene here my brother had not dyed Neuerthelesse nowe I know that whatsoeuer thou doest aske of God he will giue it thée Then sayde Iesus Thy brother shall ryse agayne Yea quoth Martha I know that he shall ryse agayne in the resurrection at the last daye I am sayde Iesus the resurrection and the lyfe he that beléeueth on mée yea though he were
that when the children of Israel had committed whooredome with the daughters of Moab and saw an Israelite named Zamry bring to his brethren a Madianitishe wyfe named Cozby euen in the sight of Moses and all the multitude of Israel that stoode before the doore of the Tabernacle lamenting their offence he tooke his weapon in his hande and followed the man into his Tent and thrust them both thorowe the bellyes and killed them And then the plague wherein were dead foure an twentie thousande ceased For the which déede the Lorde sayde to Moses Phinehes the sonne of Eleazar hath turned awaye mine anger from the children of Israel whyle he was gelious for my sake among them that I had not consumed them all in my gelousie Wherefore I giue vnto him my couenaunt of peace to him and to his séede after him euen the Couenaunt of the Priestes office for euer because he was gelous for his Gods sake and made attonement for the Children of Israel Pilate was Liefetenaunt of Iewrye when Annas Caiphas were the hye Priestes who with the Scribes and Elders of the Iewes sate in counsayle vppon Iesus nowe betrayed vnto them by Iudas how and by what meanes they might dispatch hym out of the waye But hauing no aucthoritie to condemne or put hym to death they brought hym bounde vnto Pylate the temporall Iudge Saying howe that they had founde him peruerting the people and forbidding trybute to Cesar and calling himselfe a king Pilate hearing this demaunded of him whither he were a King or no. Iesus neyther denying nor affirming that he was made aunswere that Pilate himselfe had sayde so Then Pilate sayde vnto all his accusers how that in examining of Iesus he coulde not sée that he had offended in anye such thing as they had charged him withall The people than more vehementlye affirmed how that he had with his teaching and preaching which he first began in Galile mooued all Iewry to follow his doctrine When Pilate perceyued the man to be of Galile and that his matter pertayned to Herods iurisdiction he sent hym foorthwith to Herode lying at Ierusalem Who of a long tyme had béene desirous to sée hym But when as Herode had demaunded many things of him and coulde haue no aunswere agayne he dispised and mocked hym and so returned hym backe agayne to Pilate clothed all in white And from that daye foorth Pilate and Herode were euermore friendes who before were enimies Then Pilate for so much as Herode had sent Iesus backe agayne and done nothing vnto hym and that neyther he nor Herode coulde finde anyething in him woorthie of death would haue chastyned Iesus and so let him go But the hyghe Priestes layed so manye thinges agaynst him that Pilate after he had reasoned a little with Iesus concerning his Kingdome and other thinges went and sate in iudgement knowing right well in his conscience that the Priestes of verye enuie had deliuered Iesus vnto him And being set downe vpon the iudgement seate his wyfe sent to hym saying Haue thou nothing to doe with that iust man for I haue suffered manye thinges this daye in a dreame by reason of hym Which counsell of his wyfe nor yet his owne knowledge did any thing the more mooue him to defende the innocencie of Christ but asked of the people which of these twoo they woulde haue quitte Barrabas or Iesus and they sayde Barrabas What shall I then doe quoth he with Iesus which is called Christ They all saide let hym be Crucified What euill or great offence hath hée done quoth Pilate that deserueth death The people being much more eager than they were before cryed out amayne to haue him Crucified When Pilate saw this that he coulde not preuayle agaynst them he tooke water and washed his handes saying I am innocent of the bloud of this iust person in the which saying he bare witnesse of his innocencie before he condemned him And so delyuering Iesus to the Souldiours they scourged him and arayed him in purple with a crowne of thorne vpon his heade In which sorte Pilate brought hym foorth agayne and sayde to the people Beholde I bring hym foorth to you that yée may knowe that I finde no fault in him And when Iesus appeared before them Pilate said Beholde the man which he spake in mockerye bicause that Christ had called him selfe a king And when the hye Priestes and Officers sawe hym they cryed out Crucifige Crucifige Then saide Pilate take him to you and Crucifie hym for I can finde no cause of death in the man They aunswered agayne and sayde It is not lawfull for vs to put any man to death but we haue a lawe by our lawe he ought to dye bycause he made hymselfe the Sonne of god When Pilate hearde this he was afrayde and went agayne into the iudgement Hall and demaunded of Iesus what he was but he made hym no aunswere Then Pilate sayde Why speakest thou not Doest thou not sée that it lyeth in my handes eyther to kyll or saue thée To that he made aunswere and sayde Thou couldest haue no power at all agaynst mée except it were giuen thée from aboue therefore he that deliuered mée vnto thée hath the more sinne from that tyme foorth Pilate sought by all meanes to deliuer hym But the Iewes cryed vppon hym saying If thou let him go thou arte not Cesars friende for whosoeuer maketh himselfe a King speaketh agaynst Cesar When Pilate hearde them say so he brought Iesus foorth and sate him downe in the Iudgement seate saying vnto the people Beholde your King they cryed awaye with him away with him crucifie hym What quoth Pilate shall I crucifye your King To that the hyghe Priestes made aunswere and sayde We haue no King but Cesar At that woorde Pilate delyuered Iesus to be crucifyed and being brought to the place of execution and spreade vpon the Crosse Pilate caused this tytle to be set ouer his heade Iesus of Nazareth King of the Iewes which was written in Hebrue Gréeke and Latine that all Nacions might vnderstande it With the which writing the hyghe Priests were offended sore and woulde haue had Pilate to correct it and not to write him King of the Iewes but that he sayde I am King of the Iewes Well quoth Pilate What I haue written that haue I written Priscilla looke Aquila Ptolomy King of Egipt had a fayre daughter named Cleopatra the which he gaue to Alexander the sonne of noble Antiochus in Mariage which was solemly and with great Royaltie finished in the Citie of Ptolomais But notwithstanding this great bonde of Amitie nowe knit betwéene them Ptolomy afterwarde withdrew his fauour from Alexander and sought by all meanes howe he might defeate him of his Kingdome And thinking to bring his purpose nowe better to passe whyle Alexander hymselfe laye out of his Realme he prepared a great hoste and tooke his iourney into Siria where into euerye
hir Fathers commaundement and drest hym certayne meate and brought it into his Chamber he began to force hir to lye with hym Then she séeing that sayde Naye my brother doe not force mée for no such thing ought to be done in Israel commit not this folye For whither shall I be able to go with my shame And thou shalt be as one of the fooles in Israel Nowe therefore I praye thée speake vnto the King he will not denye mée vnto thée Nowbeit Ammon would not hearcken vnto hir voyce but being stronger than she forced Thamar and laye with hir And than was his hatred so great agaynst hir that hée thrust hir from him and bade hir get hir out of his sight Well sayde Thamar Thou hast no cause thus to intreate mée for this euill that thou puttest mée awaye is greater than that thou dyddest vnto mée Neuerthelesse there was no remedye but out of his house she must go And when his seruaunt had put hir foorth and made fast the doores after hir she put ashes vpon hir head and rent hir gay kyrtle which was of diuers colours the maner of apparell that Kings daughters such as were Virgins dyd vse to weare and so went crying home to hir brother Absaloms house where she remayned desolate ¶ Thamar a â—almeirâ—e ¶ Thamar which was daughter in Lawe to Iuda the sonne of Iacob Reade hir story in the storie of Iuda â–ª ¶ Thamar the daughter of Absalom 2. Reg. 14. g. Act. 5. g. Theudas was an Inchaunter and false deceyuer who by boasting himselfe to the people and promising of prodigious thinges drewe vnto him a great company of men to the number of foure hundred Whose wicked enterprise for as much as it procéeded of a malicious stomacke came to an vnthriftie ende For both he hymselfe suffered paynes of death and his partakers some slayne and some taken prisoners And so the reast being scattered abrode the sect came to naught 4. Reg. 16. b. Thiglath Peleser King of Assiria who had receyued of Ahaz King of Iuda a great summe of treasure to come and helpe him agaynst Rezin King of Siria came to Damasco and tooke the Citie and slue Rezin the King there And caryed the people awaye to Kyr 2. Reg. 8. c. Thoi King of Hamath had a great enimie of Hadarezar King of Zoba And when he heard how Dauid had ouercome and beaten hym he sent his sonne Ioram to Dauid with vessels of Golde siluer and brasse for a present and to salute him with peace to giue him thanks for that he had fought with his auncient enimie and so valyauntly ouercome him Iudic. 10. a. Thola the sonne of Phua of the generacion of Isachar dwelling in Samir in Mount Ephraim succéeded his vncle Abimelech and iudged Israel thrée and twentie yeares and was buryed in Samir And after hym rose Iair ¶ Thola a Worme Math. 10. â— Thomas otherwise called Didimus which signifieth in English doubtfull was one of the twelue Apostles of Christ Who what time as the Disciples diswaded Iesus from going into Iewrye agayne forasmuch as the Iewes had lately sought to stone him sayde Let Iohn 11. c. vs go also that we maye dye with hym This Thomas 20. f. g. doubting of the resurrection of Christ sayde vnto his fellowes which tolde him that they had séene the Lorde Except I sée in his hands the print of the nayles and put my finger into the print or place of the nayles and put my hande into his side I will not beléeue After eyght dayes Thomas being with the Disciples came Iesus agayne and stoode in the middest saying peace be with you and saide to Thomas put thy finger here and sée my handes and thrust foorth thy hande and put it into my side and be not faythlesse but faythfull Then Thomas conceyuing a full fayth that it was the Lorde sayde Thou arte my Lord and my god Which confession Iesus dyd well accept imbrace but yet withall to reprooue the hardnesse of his beliefe he sayde vnto him Thomas bycause thou hast séene mée thou beléeuest Blessed are they that haue not séene and yet haue beléeued ¶ Thomas A twin Luk. 3. a. Tiberius was an Emperour of whom saint Luke maketh mencion in his Gospell saying That in the fiftene yeare of his raygne the worde of God came to Iohn Baptist in the Wildernesse ¶ Tiberius A good sight or vision Act. 20. a. Tichicus was one of the Disciples which went out of Asia to Troas where he abode Pauls comming who Ephe. 6. b. sent him afterwarde to the Ephesians and also to the Collossians with his Epistles to informe them in what Coll. 4. b. case he stoode in and what he dyd in all thinges ¶ Tichicus casuall or comming by chaunce 1. Mac. 5. cap. Timothy was a certayne Captayne of the Ammonites which was twise ouercome and put to flight of Machabeus and at the thirde tyme so sore discomfited 8. e. thorowe helpe of the fiue men which God made to appeare 10. e. f. g. on horsebacke with brydels of Golde leading the Iewes and twoo of them hauing Machabeus betwéene them that Timothyes hoste were so confounded with blindnesse and so sore afrayde that they fell downe and were slayne of them twentie thousande and fiue hundred footemen with sixe hundred horsemen and he himselfe fayne to take the strong holde of Gazar to the which Machabeus layed siege foure dayes and coulde not winne it Wherefore they within trusting to the strength of the holde fell to cursing and rayling on the Iewes with moste spitefull woordes and made so great crakes and boast of their strength that on the fift daye the Iewes were so chafed in their mindes that with bolde courage they scaled the Walles and set the Portes on fire and brent those crakers and blasphemers and got the Castle which was twoo dayes in destroying where at the last they found Timothy which was crept into a corner and slue him with Cereas his brother captayne of the Castle Reade the storie of Dositheus ¶ Timothy the honour of God or be that honoureth God. Act. 16. a. Timothy was a certayne godlye Disciple whose mother was a Iewe and his father a Paynim Of this man there went so good a report of his verteous lyuing among the brethren of Lystra and Iconium that Paule was much desirous to haue him go foorth with him in his iourney wherefore he tooke and circumcised him bicause of the Iewes in those quarters which knewe his Father to be a Gréeke And so went Timothy foorth with Phil. 2. c. Paule and as he reporteth euen as a sonne with the Father bestowed he his laboure with hym vppon the Gospell He was a man of great studye and abstinence thorowe the which he fell oftentymes sicke And therefore Paule to measure his abstinence exhorteth him to 1. Tim. 5. d. drincke no longer water but
Christ or no. And being asked the question denied playnly that he was not Christ nor Helias neyther that Prophet whome they dreamed so much vppon but onely the voyce of a cryer in the wildernesse to make streight the waye of the Lorde For I doe Baptise sayth Iohn in water onely but there is one nowe come among you who although he came after mée was before mée whose shooe latchet I am not woorthye to vnbuckle and he it is that shall Baptise you with the holye Ghost Iohn was a constant man and liued aunsterely His garment was course cloth made of Camels hair His meate was locustes and wilde hony He was a Prophet and as Christ reporteth more than a Prophet For Iohn prophecied 7. d. c. Christ to be come pointing him with his finger vnto the people saying Beholde the Lambe of God which taketh awaye the sinnes of the worlde where as all the other Prophets dyd but prophecie of his comming long before he came Finally Iohn vsing his libertie in Math. 14. a. rebuking vice without any acception of persons reprooued King Herode for kéeping his brother Philips wyfe for the which he was cast into prison and soone after lost his heade Reade the story of Herode the Tetrarch and of Herodias Math. 4. d. Iohn the Euangelist was the sonne of Zebede and brother to Iames and called from his fisher boate to be an Apostle of Christ and was of all other most entierly Iohn 13. c. beloued of Iesus who commended his mother vnto 19. c. 21. f. him at the houre of his death ¶ He wrote his Gospel agaynst Cerinthus and other Heretikes and chieflye agaynst the Ebionites which dyd affirme that Christe was not before Mary whereby he was constrayned to set foorth the diuine birth of Christ In the tyme of the Emperor Domitian he was exiled into an Isle called Pathmos where he wrote the Reuelation and after the death of Domitian in the time of Pertinax he returned to Ephesus remayning there till the time of Traianus and dyd rayse vp set in order many Churches in Asia and died thrée score yeares after the death of Christ and was buried at Ephesus S IOANNIS EVANGELISTA IN PATMOS APOCALYPSIS cap. 18. 14. ET VIDI ET ECCE AGNVS STABAT SVPRA MONTEM SION Act. 12. d. Iohn Marke When Paule and Barnabas had béene at Ierusalem to destribute the Almes sent by the Antiochians in their retourne they brought this man Iohn surnamed Marke with them to Antioche And when the holy Ghost had seperated Paule Barnabas from the other Disciples to the intent that they shoulde go and spreade abroade the Gospel among the Gentiles and those that were farre of they tooke this Iohn Marke with them to be their Minister companion who bare them company from Antioche vntill they came to Pamphilia Act. 13. b. c. and farther woulde he not go but left them there and returned to Ierusalem agayne notwithstanding the Apostles went foorth and fulfilled their office And when it came in their minds to go visite these places agayne wherein they had sowed the worde of God Barnabas gaue counsell to take Iohn with them which had béene their minister before to whose minde Paule woulde not consent forasmuch as Iohn of his owne accorde had forsaken them at Pamphilia before they had finished theyr worke And so reasoning and disputing about this matter the contencion was so sharpe betwéene these two holy men that the one forsooke the others companie And so Barnabas taking Iohn Marke with him sayled into Cypres 2. Reg. 13. a. Ionadab was the sonne of Simeah Dauids brother and a worldly wise man He loued Ammon his vnkle Dauids sonne aboue the reast of all his brethren Of the counsell he gaue to Ammon concerning his Sister Thamar Reade the story of Ammon ¶ Ionadab Voluntarie or Willing Ionas 1. cap. Ionas the sonne of Amithay was an holy Prophet commaunded of God to go to Niniue that great Citie 4. Reg. 14. d. to tel the people of their wickednesse who * The mother of this prophet was the poore wydowe of Sarepta whose Meale and Oyle Elias encreased restored hir sonne from death to life agayue notwithstanding perswaded himselfe by his owne reason that he shoulde nothing profite there séeing he had so long Prophecied among his owne Countrie men the Iewes and done no good at all Wherefore he minding to flye to Tharsus got him to Ioppa where he found a ship ready payed his fare and went with them And being on the sea a tempest rose so vehemently that the Mariners were sore afrayde crying euery man vnto his God and to lighten the shippe they cast all the wares into the Sea which nothing auayled Then went the maister of the ship downe vnder the hatches and finding Ionas fast a sléepe awoke him saying O thou sléeper what meanest thou arise and call vpon thy God that we perishe not And when no remedy coulde be had they agréed to cast lottes that thereby they might knowe for whose cause they were troubled and so dooing the lot fell on Ionas They séeing that sayde Tell vs for whose cause we are thus troubled And what thine occupasion is And what thou art And whence thou commest whither thou goest And what Country man thou art of what nation I am sayde Ionas an Hebrue borne and feare the Lord God of Heauen which made both the Sea and drye land and am fled from his presence And when they heard that they were more afrayde than before sayde what shall we doe vnto thée that the Sea may cease from troubling of vs Take me quoth Ionas and cast me into the Sea and ye shall haue rest for I wote it is for my sake that this euill is come vpon you Neuerthelesse the men being loth to committe such a déede assayed with rowyng to bring the ship to lande And when they sawe the Sea so troublous against them that it woulde not be they cryed vnto the Lorde and sayde O Lord let vs not perishe for this mans death neyther lay thou innocent bloude vnto our charge For thou O Lorde hast done euen as thy pleasure was And so they tooke Ionas and cast him into the Sea which incontinent was calme and still And a certayne great fishe prepared of the Lord receyued Ionas and swallowed him vp into his body where he laye in prayer thrée dayes and thrée nights And being then cast out agayne on drye lande The Lorde commaunded him eftsoones to go to Niniue and doe as he had charged him And when he came to the citie was entered a dayes iourney in the same he cryed out saying There are yet fourtie daies and then shall Niniue be ouerthrowne But when his Prophecie came to none effect by reason of the peoples great repentaunce he was sore displeased and in his prayer sayde O Lorde was not this my saying I praye thée when I was yet in my
Countrey and the cause of my flying to Tharsus that thou wast a mercyfull God full of compassion long suffering and of great goodnesse and wouldest repent thée of the euill And now O Lord forasmuch as I am founde false in my sayings take I beséeche thée my lyfe from mée for I had rather dye than lyue And so Ionas got him out of the Citie and made him a booth on the East side thereof And as he sate vnder the shadow of his booth to sée what shoulde become of the Citie the Lord caused a wylde Vine to spring ouer his heade to giue him more shadowe to defende the heate of the Sunne from him whereof Ionas was very glad But on the next morrowe when he perceyued the Vyne withered awaye and that for lacke of the shadowe thereof he waxed faynt thorow the feruent heate of the Sunne which burned him so sore he wished in himselfe that he might die Then sayde the Lorde to Ionas doest thou well to be angrie for the wylde Vine Yea sayde he very well euen vnto death If thou than quoth the Lord hast had pittie vpon the wylde vine whereon thou bestowedst no labour nor madest it growe which sprang vp in one night and perished in an other Howe much more ought I to haue pittie vppon Niniue that great Citie wherein are sixe score thousande persons that cannot discerne betwéene their right hande and their left beside much cattell And thus was Ionas reprooued of God for his disobedience ¶ Ionas a Doue 1. Reg. 13. a. Ionathas the sonne of King Saule was a valiant man in all his actes who helped his father so mightily agaynst 14. cap. the Philistynes that at the first brunt he bette downe the strongest holde they had And after that the Philistynes being pitched in Michmas into the which passage lay two sharpe rockes He sayde to his Armour bearer come and let vs go ouer toward the Philistynes garrison peraduenture the Lorde will worke with vs for it is no harde thing with him to saue with many or with fewe we will go ouer and shewe our selues to these vncircumcised * Ionathas spake this by the spirite of Prophecie And if they saye on this wyse vnto vs Tarie vntill we come vnto you then will we stande still and not remooue But if they say come vp vnto vs then will we go vp for the Lorde hath surely deliuered them into our hands and this shall be a signe vnto vs So they went without the knowledge of Saul and shewed themselues vnto the Philistynes who when they sawe them sayde in derision sée howe the Ebrues are crept out of the holes wherein they had hydde themselues but the watchmen sayde vnto them come vp vnto vs and we will shewe you a thing Then sayde Ionathas to his Armour bearer come vp after me for the Lorde hath deliuered them into the handes of Israel And so Ionathas clammered vp the rocke vpon his handes and féete and his Armour bearer after him And when the Philistines sawe the face of Ionathas they were so sodeinly smytten with feare that they fell downe before him so that Ionathas and his man slue twentie of them and put all the reast to flight And when the watchmen of Saul saw the Philistynes scattered abrode and smitten downe as they went they tolde it to the King who caused a search to be made to knowe who was gone out of the hoste and not a man was founde lacking saue Ionathas and hys Armour bearer Then Saule with all his hoste folowed after the Philistynes charging the people which had long bene without sustenance on paine of death no man to touch any foode vntill he were that day auenged on his enimies And so the people being sore opprest with hunger and comming into a woode where much Hony laye vpon the grounde durst not for their liues comfort themselues with one droppe thereof Then Ionathas being faint and not knowing the charge of his father tasted a little hony with the ende of his rodde and was greatlye comforted and refreshed therewith And being told what daunger he had incurred for breaking his fathers commaundement he sayde My Father hath troubled the lande in making such an extreme lawe for séeing that I haue receyued my strength agayne by tasting a little of this hony howe much more shoulde the people if they had eaten of the spoile of their enimies which they found haue bene the stronger and more able to haue made a greater slaughter among the Philistynes than they haue done But neuerthelesse for this offence of Ionathas lottes were cast and Ionathas iudged to suffer death wherevpon the people cryed out to Saule saying Shall Ionathas dye which hath so mightily defended Israel God forbid as truely as the Lorde liueth there shall not one heaire of his heade fall vnto the grounde for he hath wrought with God this day And so the people deliuered Ionathas After this Ionathas fell into such loue and amitie with Dauid whome Saule his father persecuted that he made a bonde with him which was neuer dissolued betwéene them And at his first acquaintance with Dauid he put off his robe and gaue it to him with hys other garments euen to his sworde Bowe and Girdle And whatsoeuer from that day forth was sayde done or wrought by Saule his father agaynst Dauid that woulde Ionathas finde the meanes to staye and pacifie whereby many times he saued Dauid from the cruelty of Saule and so continued his faythfull friende during his lyfe Finally in battell with his father against the Philistynes he was slayne ¶ Ionathas the gift of the Pigeon or Doue 1. Mac. 2. 2. Ionathas the yoongest sonne of Mathathias and brother to Iudas Machabeus did so valiauntly behaue 9. c. himselfe in the warres that the Iewes after the death of Iudas his brother made him their chiefe gouernour who at length vanquished Bachides Whereby his 10. cap. same so encreased that both Demetrius and Alexander sought to be in league with him But forsomuch as Demetrius had vexed Israel before Ionathas mistrusting Demetrius forsooke his offer and agréed to Alexander who had alwayes bene his friende and so continued as his storie declareth After this he vanquished Appolonius Captayne of Demetrius hoste brent the Citie of Azotus with the Temple of Dagon subdued Ascalon and with great victorie returned to Ierusalem where for his worthye prowesse he receyued a coller of golde from Alexander Finallye after long prosperitie in 12. f. g. 13. c. warres he was betrayed by one Triphon in the Citie of Ptolomais and afterwarde most piteously put to death ¶ Of Ionathas sonne of Abiathar the Priest looke in the storie of Ahimaaz the sonne of Sadoch 2. Reg. 21. d. Ionathas the sonne of Simea Dauids brother encountred with a mightie Gyant who had on euery hande sixe fingers and on euery foote so many toes and slue him 4. Reg. 3. cap. Ioram the sonne of Achab