Salomon by the flattering of his wifes was brought to Idolatrye Sampson to his owne destruccion And infinite other that haue falleÌ„ som into one vice some in an other and ar length to shamefull endes by the flatterye of fayned friendes Beware of flatterers therefore O kinges and princes for be sure when so euer you shal delite in them you shal not long continue withoute shame The moste present poyson to a Prynce is flatterye Beware I â—aye therefore For Iudas when he flattereth mooste fayre is moost readye too be traye his master Ioab when hee kisseth Amasa and and Abner and sheweth mooste frendshippe is ready to kil them Abimelech when he flattereth hys .lxx brethrene is all readye throughe ambicion appoyncted too destroye them Dadila when shee flattereth Sampson too knowe his strength hath the Philistines priuilye hid in her house Absalom dothe call to his feaste by flattery and ther slai his brother Ammon and withdraweth the heartes of the people by flattery froÌ„ hys father Dauid and at lengthe dryueth him forth of his kingdom Wherin appeareth the smal trust to be had to the wicked worldlings and crafti flatterers though they offer great freÌ„dship though thei be our brethreÌ„ though thei ly in our owne bosoÌ„s And hear mai we set before our eies who ar to be trusted in this wicked worlde so full of disceit and who are not They onlye which do seke godlines and vertue and setteth much bi the truth of the woorde of God for thys truthe is mightier then women then wine then the kinge it ouercommeth all It conquereth falshed it condempneth flattery it driueth away blindnes it causeth the blinde to se the yong scoler to be wyser then the great Doctor it trieth al it espieth all it iudgeth it condemneth al. To the author and geuer of this truth be al glorye for euer Let vs no longer trust to manne therfore or make fleshe our arme in thys our wicked time wherin al are geuen to falshode to flatterye to deceit to couetous to ambicion to lyinge slaunderynge to al euils and wickednesse But contraryewise say with our Prophet euery one of vs bothe kinge and subiecte The Text I will loke vnto the Lorde I wil trust vnto God my sauior my God wil heare me Whether it be in the day of my visitacion wheÌ„ aduersitie shal come vpoÌ„ me or in the day of prosperitie wheÌ„ these flatterers shal folow me I wil regard nothing but the Lord I wil truste to none but to God my sauiour The Lorde God is the measurer of mi trouble he can wil hear my cry deliuer me from al peril Therfore wil I cal vnto the Lord with the holy king Dauid Psa iii. Psalm iii. O God how are mine ennemies multiplied howe manye doth rise vp against me Many doth say vnto mi soul his God shal not saue him but thou O God act the sheilde ouer me My glory and the lifting vp of my head I wil cry vnto the Lord wyth my voyce and he wil hear from his holy hil O thou mine enemy reioise not against me that I am falleÌ„ The Text I am risen vp againe And thoughe I shuld sit in darknes the Lord is my lght I wyl beare the displesure of the Lord because I haue sinned against him whiles that heaueng my cause do iudgmeÌ„t for me For he wil briÌ„g me into light I shal se his rightousnes TheÌ„ mine enemi shal behold be ashamed which saith vnto me wher is the lord thy god mine eies shall behold her and now shall she be troden vnder the foote like the mire of the stretes Three thnges are here to be obserued in thys humble confession of the sinner whether thou do vnderstaÌ„d it in the persoÌ„ of a perticuler synner or in the parsoÌ„ of the multitude of Israel led into captiuity Fyrst a consideracion and know ledgynge of the synnes committed agaynst God and therefore pacience to beare and to suffer what so euer the lord shal lay vpoÌ„ theyr backs SecoÌ„dly wher such as are chastened of the Lord are alwayes of the wycked world despised reuiled and skorned vniustli and without cause whych doth augment theyr heauines Here is the aduenging therof and the iudgement of theyr innocencye towardes theyr enemies whych do persecute them committed vnto God Thirdlye here is ful and perfit fayhte of God hys fauour in the middes of the afflyccions and hope of a comfortable ende of them to the glory of god to the confusion shame and destruccion of al hys enemyes to be learned For the fyrst Dauid cryeth O Lorde enter not thou into iudgemeÌ„te with thy seruaunt for in thy syghte no lyuynge creature shal be iustified For the second part he dare be bold to say iudge me accordynge to my ryghtuousnes and the xxxv Psa thorowe out for this purpose For the third he saith Though I do syt in darcknes and in the shadow of death yet arte thou with me So fyrmelye perswaded of God hys fauoure in the middes of the trouble are the elect of God that they saye alwaye with Paule who shall separate vs from the fauoure of God shal affliccyon shal anguishe shal persecucion shall hunger shall nakednesse shall peryl daunger or swearde Naye thou haste thus appointed ordeyned and therefore warned vs longe before That we shoulde bee slayne euerye daye for thy sake and counted like shepe readye to the slaughter but in al this we do ouercome by him whiche hathe loued vs. And as Paul saith in another place we do glorye in oure afflyccion knoweinge that affliccion bringinge pacience pacience bringeth trial and hoope in the ende whiche is neuer shamed This lesson of comforte maye euerye pryuate personne fealinge him selfe smitten for hys synne learn of our Prophet But farther nowe hee speaketh in the person of the Iewes and of the hole church chosen of God and the like thinges for them maye bee marked besydes the fall of the Chaldees of Antechrist of al Tirauntes persecutoures of the elect people whiche shall by the conqueste of Christe theyr heade make all theyr enemies as theyr foote stole to treade vpon theym lyke the myre of the streate as is here prophecied Therfore must we bear pacientli a litle while and we shal satisfye our eyes with the sight of theyr fall by the iuste iudgmente of God and venginge oure cause like as they haue with oute cause vniustly triumphed ouer vs hated oppressed and murthered vs deseruing no such cruelty at theyr hands for too the Lorde longeth vengaunce And he wyll perfourme it Reade the .v. Chapter of wisdome to the end For the declaration of all thys To note also the Phrases of lyghte and darckenesse lighte signifieth knowledge and comfort Esaye ii.ix.xlii.xlix.lx.lxi Mathew .iiii. Luke .ii. Darkenes the contrary persecution blyndenesse sorowe Esaye .xiii. Lamentacions .v. Micha iii. Psam .lxix. To se also and to beholde the ennemye is to reioyse at the fall of hym whiche the
haue but lyghtelye touched we maye perceiue that no teste can be founde for mannes soule in our own inuencions But the farther manne wadeth in hys fonde intentes and fantastical imaginacion the farther he slydeth from God vnsure that he hathe done any thing acceptable in the sight of God Therfore must we which are seruaunts and creatures learning our own weaknes by the fal of others turne to our master lord and creator to know what his word cōmaundeth in the agony of cōsciēce cōsidering that the turnīg frō the creator to creatures hath bene the groūd of al Idolatry euery mā chusing to hīself the Idol of his own hart Some the son some the Moone some the .vii. starres some Saturn some Iupiter some Mars some Venus some Marcurye And dotinge farther some haue worshypped Calfes some Cockes some Serpents some Dogges some Asses some Gotes And in oure Popyshe wickednesse wee oure selues haue worshypped stockes stones and geuen diuine honours almost to all manner of creatures a vyle wafer cake did we honour as our God in dede and when that was lifte vppe betwyxte the Priestes fingers we saide we dyd se oure maker and knocked and kneeled crowched and kyssed withoute all measure And the Priest when he did eate it thoughte he did receiue hys maker and made so manye fonde gestures ioyened with infinite supersticions that thereby we may marcke if we haue nothinge elsse too leade vs that the fayened and false worshyppe of God hathe no ende not staye can neuer tell where too consyste doothe alwaye disquiet and neuer satysfye nor quiet the conscience Therefore for the loue of our own souls of the quiettinge of oure owne conscyence let vs vnfainedlye repente of al oure falsed goddes and fayned worshyppe of God and knowledg that ther is but one God whyche broughte the children of Israel forthe of Egipte from the house of bondage and hath deliuered vs the spirituall Israell frome the Egypte of synne end erroures from the bondage of the deuyll Deathe and hel and broughte vs into the lybertye of hys chyldren by the deathe of his owne sonne And by his holye spyryte poured into our heartes doth teache vs to crye father father Let vs knowledge I saye that thys Lorde our God is but one God whome we muste loue with all oure hearte with all our soule with all oure strength him must we feare and hym onlye must we worshippe and in hys name onlye maye we sweare By the whiche woordes wee maye learne that ther◠is but one God only who onlye oughte to be worshypped feared loued trusted and hooped vpon which the wordes of swearing in his name importeth Thys oure God then whose worshyppe wee doo teache is that almyghtye power whyche made heauen and earthe by hys woorde and by the same throughe hys spyryte doothe gouerne al creatures therin Sauing Israel and drowning Pharao Sauyng hys chosen of free mercy and grace and condempnynge the wycked hypocrytes by iuste iudgement Thys our God is a spyrite as Christ our aldermaster teacheth vs they whych worshyp hym must worship in spirite and truthe Ihon .iiii. And seeyng he is a spirit pure from bodyly corrupcion and therfore hauyng no neede of our bodely seruice Hys true worshyp can not consist in bodely exercise whych lasteth but the tyme it is in doinge but in the inward holines of the hart which euermore encreaseth spryngeth forth into life euerlasting Such a worshyppe therfore our Prophet teacheth whyche ariseth and springeth forth of the secret reuerence and feare of God hys sacrate magesty whych is not seruyse but child lyke wherby we are not onlye affrayed to dysplease God oure father but also prompt and redy lyke obediente chyldren to expresse in our lyuyng Iudgement and merci the two special propertyes greatest shew of hys image which appeareth vnto hys creatures Prouer. i. Therfore is thys feare called the begynnyng of wysedome and the spyryte of feare Esaa .ix. begynneth the worke whyche the other sprytes of wysdome vnderstandyng the spyryte of counsell and strengthe the spirite of knowledge and true holinesse and accomplisheth fulfilleth So that thys spirite of feare dothe go before in al the hartes of them whiche God dothe chuse to worship him in spirite and truth makinge theym afraied to do homage and worship to any thinge saue their Lorde God onlye eyther anye otherwise then hee requireth and commandeth Afraied euermore to do any thing wherin they do not know hys open pleasure Thys feare was in Cornelius befor he had the perfit knowledge of God and in the menne of Israell vnto whome Peter did saye O brethren and children of Abraham and thei amonges you which feareth God vnto you is the woord of saluacion sent in the Psas ciii Euē as the father hath mercye of his children so hath the Lord mercye of them that feare him and the merci of the Lorde is for euermore vpon them whyche feare him The cause is that they whiche do fear the Lorde are alwaies ready with heart and minde to do thinges pleasaunt vnto him and to abstaine from the contrary His displeasure do they feare like louynge chyldrene If theyr heauenly father be pleased they do reioice if he be offended they doo crye for mercye so that of hym they do teast in prosperiti of him they do hange in aduersitie accordinge to hys owne commaundemente by hys chosen vessell Dauid Call vppon me in the daye of thy trouble and I shal deliuer the and thou shalte worshippe me So that this inuocacion after some interpretoures is the true worship of God And surelye seinge Paule Romaines .x affirmeth that who soeuer calleth vpon the name of the Lorde shall be saued No manne canne denye but an eareneste callynge vppon God comprehendeth the true worshippe which God requyreth and contayneth in it perfyte religion because it hath fayth the ground of all vertues for howe canne they call vppon God whyche dooe not beleue in hym Romaynes .x. And they whyche dooe call vppon other creatures hathe affiance truste and faythe in those thinges elsse woulde they neuer call vppon theym Thys faythe spryngynge of the fyrste parte whiche was the feare and reuerence of God his hygh Maiesty supplyeth the seconde poynte of the worshippe of God whych requyreth a knowledge of God For how can we beleue in hym whō we haue not knowē Rom. x. Hereby doo wee gyue glorye and worshyppe vnto God that is too say we knoweledge hym too be true in all hys promyses And because without faythe it is impossible to please God this faith maketh vs suer that wee doo worshippe hym as wee shoulde and certifieth vs that wee bee the chyldrene of God and that oure woorckes are acceptable in hys syghte Hereby did Abell in hys sacryfyce more truly worshyppe God then dyd hys brother Caine. Abraham also and hys wyfe Sarai by faythe were the true worshyppers of God and receyued the promyse Elizabeth also gaue more glorye and worshippe vnto God
downe and theyr highe lokes be brought lowe saythe Esay which is the meaninge of oure Prophete The Text And the hils shal melt For oure God is a consuminge fyre and who is able to abide the heat of his heauye displeasure and as Esay saith the Lorde shall come in fyre and hys Chariot shall be lyke a whyrle winde to vtter forthe hys furye wyth greate rage hys rebuke in the flame of fyre For in the fyre and the sweard shal the Lorde Iudge all fleshe Esay lxvi Now where the proude world dothe thinke that the lord liueth in the heauēs not seing nether regardīg their doings vpō earth our Prophet rebuketh that grosse opinion and telleth thē that as he dyd come terryble downe vpon the mounte Sinai when he dyd geue the lawe of the .x. commaundementes So wyll he come wyth fyre to make theyr heartes to melte when he wyll aske accomptes of the kepynge and fulfillynge of these holye commaundemēts The whiche fearefull communication and threatninge maye worthely cause vs in these latter daies vpon whom the end of the world is come to quake and tremble consideringe oure careles life whiche do al thinges so wilfullye and wickedlye as thoughe either ther were no God at al or no daye appoynted to make aunswere for oure doinges But the Lorde wyll come spedely from hys holye temple For the wickednes of Iacob The Text. all this and for the synne of the house of Israel After the Prophet haue threatned vtter destruccyon of the .ii. kingdomes Samaria Ierusalē set forthe by open similitude of the moūtaines melting the vallies cleauing in sondre like as wax doth before the fyrye flame he sheweth the cause of the ruin of thē bothe of the greate wrathe of God as all prophecies bee generall beynge geuen by one spirit whych seeth to the end euermore stryuyng agaynst the syn of al nacions So doth the spirite teach vs that the only cause of Gods wrath in al ages and al places is the synne and wyckednesse of the world for the which he said once It repenteth me that I made man Genesis .vi. For synne God destroyed the whole world whych he had made bothe man and beast saue only a seede reserued in the Arke to preach hys iustyce hys mercy in a new world renewed by hys spirit For the proude synful words of the old Giantes did the great plage of the confusion of languages come vp on the world whyche we doo feele vnto thys day so that one man vnto another beyng of a straunge nacion is made as it were a dombe and speecheles beaste For syn were the .v. cytyes brente wyth fyre For synne wer the old Giants Og kynge of Basan and the monstruous seede of Suachim destroyed For synne the Cananites the Heuites the Hethites the Iebusites and to be short after them who were placed in theyr Countryes the chosen Israelites beynge in noumber lyke the sande of the sea were myserably wasted destroyed and consumed The .iiii. pryncipall Monarchies whyche Daniel descrybeth be all beaten downe for sinne And the .x. litle hornes or kingdomes also hathe beene euery one of them ofter then once changed and translated Finally al realmes countryes townes and cities shall for synne haue the like ruine and destruccion Some sooner and sorar to cause the rest to repent and at the length all because the reward of synne is destrucciō by the myghty Lord hys vnchangeable ordynaunce So sore a thynge is synne in the syghte of God that who so euer synneth deserueth death This was the old learning which the Lord taught Adam in Paradise whych al the seede of Adam feeleth and tasteth continuallye and yet can neyther see nor auoyde the cause of theyr destruccion but as Media dyd say Euen seyng wittyng and wyllyng we do perysh Who was the cause of synne to Iacob was it not Samaria The Text and who of the hie places of Iuda was it not Ierusalem Thys sentence can not stand as it is cōmonly translate what is the syn because the interogatiue in the Hebrew is the Masculine gēder therfore must be referred to the author of the synne and hye places wherunto the aunswer also serueth that Samaria and Ierusalem that is to say the chefe cities and kings courtes are the causes of al wyckednes Idolatrous abhominacion Euen so so said Elias to king Achab Thou and thy fathers house hath troubled Israel whych haue forsaken the commaundements of God and followed Baalam For lyke as the kyng and court is such are the people as the experience of al ages playnelye teacheth For the people alwayes by flatteryng and counterfaityng kynges and princes doth imitate follow their maners condiciōs And thys is nothing vnnatural that the body and inferiour members shuld follow the qualities disposicion of the heade but rather impossible that it shuld be inclined any other waies Here is to be noted for the variety of trāslacion of thys text that it is a defectiue sentence and by sondry interpreters is diuerstye supplied lyke as many mo are in the old testamēt For the Hebrue tonge in sētēces of vehemencye and also of great haste doth leaue out certain words easy to be vnderstād itti mi who wyth me ha shalam how peace such eclypsed phrasies haue we in the Englishe tong as howe nowe horsse horsse Samaria was the kyngs of Israels seate as we reade .iii. Kyng .xvi. Amry king of Israel bought the hyl Thamor of Themer and buylte it for his palace wher as the kyngs wer named before to raygne in Thyrsa as appeareth in the same chapter This Samaria is much blamed in scripture because of the goldē calfes which Ieroboam set vp al the kings of Israel in this city chiefely maintained after hym And Ierusalem is annexed as her sister by byrth being both of one people brought forth of Egipt and also like of condiciō in al kynde of abhominacions as the thyrde chapter of Ieremye and xxiii of Ezechiel dothe at large vnder the names of Ahola and Aholiba declare Wher as Ierusalē is accompted muche more wycked because she could not beware by her systers fall but encreased her abhominacions and therfore much more greuouslye to be iudged and condempned In what case then are we lyuyng in these euil daies in our great cities courtes and kyngs houses whych haue not the terryble example of one of thē only but of infinite other set before our eies We do reade of the wycked kynges in Ierusalem Achas and Manasse which dyd not onlye excede in wyckednes the kynges of Israell and prynces of Samaria but they are charged that they far passe the wyckednesse of that people whyche the Lorde dyd driue forthe before them for theyr synnes And abhominations the wicked Cananees wher the kynges and Prynces were so euyl the people coulde not be good therfore did come vpon them horrible destruccyon at the ende What shall we saye in these perilous tymes wherin al men
Lord calleth the heauens and thei obey The earthe frome nothynge and strayght it was presente The ragynge seas and rough floudes do harken to hys commaundement Dare man deny to heare hys Lorde by whom he lyueth and hath hys beyng shal he be brutysh and wythout vnderstandyng when all brute beastes are obedyent to the lords commaundmente Dyd not Balaams Asse both speake and vnderstāded whē the Lorde called and commaunded O mā wylt thou not heare him with out whom thou art not Doest thou not feare to fal agayne into dust and ashes when thou art at hys voyce so dul insensible Or cā thou forget his benefits by whom thou hast thy being Yea this Lord calleth the thyngs that be not as though they wer alredy He maketh the dead hodies to harkē to his voice Howe dare thou O mā turne away not geue care seyng the breath of thy bodye is in his hand He sleieth and geueth lyfe See howe the Lorde doothe humble hym selfe to thyne infirmyty and weaknesse He is contente not onelye too speake vnto thee whyche arte but duste and ashes full of syn but to shewe hys quarrell and as it were too pleate hys cause with vs that he mighte be founde true and all menne liers and therefore iustified in hys woordes and ouercome when he is iudged Let al menne therefore tremble before his face and crye vnto God to geue them eares that canne hear eyes that can se thē say with Dauid I wil hear what the Lord speaketh The Lorde calleth into their remembraunce therewith their benefites of old theyr deliuerāce How he plaged the Egiptiās preserued thē How he made thē passage through the red sea drowned theyr ennemies How he fedde them wyth Manna frome heauen not sufferynge theyr garmentes too be olde nor theyr shooes torne for the space of .xl. yeres in the wildernes he geueth thē the good meeke and louinge captaine Moyses to guyde them Aaron to preache his wyll vnto them and to praye for theym Miriam a Prophetisse a comforte too the womenne in theyr longe iournye Exo. dye throughe oute And when kynge Balacke had counsell to hyre Bilham to accursse the saith the Lord I dyd turn thy curs into blessyng who beinge thus disapointed dyd take newe Counsell of Bilham too entice the people by flatterye too Idolatrye and fornication therby to prouoke my wrathe agaynste thee wherefore I plaged the vntyll I hadde slaine .xxiiii. thousand When Pinhas the Priest styrred wyth the zeale of my glorye slewe Duke zambrye the captaine of the tribe of Simeon and Cospye the doughter of Sur the cheif Prince of the Madianits throughe the zelous enterpryse caused mi wrath to cease Nu. xxii xxiii.xxiiii.xxv In Sittam dyd I staye Balacke and Bilham I caused Moyses too destroye the Midianites withoute mercy and did gyue vnto you theyr godes cattayle and substaunce Numeri .xxxi. In Gilgall I dyd take awaye the reproche of Egipte from you I caused you to be cyrcumcysed and dyd giue you of the fruits of the promysed lande Iosue v. Al thys dyd I for the that thou myghteste knowe my ryghtuousnesse that I would keepe my promyse notwyth standynge thys manyfolde wyckednesse The lyke rebuke of their ingratitude maiste thou read Esay .i. Eze. xx Now if we wold hereby in our wycked tyme lerne to behold the in estimable goodnes of God toward vs and our vnthankefulnes agaynst so louyng a Lord We myght fully perceaue and see most euydently the wonderfull mercies of our heauenly father calling vs to repentaunce whych hath not only giuen vs bodely benefytes as he dyd vnto Israell but he hathe delyuered vs from the helly Pharao from the curses of Antichriste from the sea of erroures and erronions opinions and caused vs to eate the heauenly Manna the fleshe of hys owne sonne thereby to geue vs lyfe euerlastynge O the vnspeakeable goodnes of our heauēly father and wo to our sturdy stomakes stifeled in euyl The Text With what acceptable thing shal I present the Lord Shall I bow my selfe before the highe God Shal I come before hym wyth brent offerings wyth calues of one yeare olde Hathe the lord his pleasure in M. of rams either hys delyte in .x. M. streames of oyle Or shal I geue my first borne for myne iniquity euē the fruite of my wombe for the syn of my soule I wyl tel the mā what is good and what the Lord requireth of the euē to do iudgement to loue mercy and to walk reuerently before thy God Because that here is so iust occasion offered to declare what is the true worshyp of god which is the false and vntrue I desyre thee gentle reader to suffer me somthyng to declare this dout because it hath troubled the cōsciences of many in al worlds And also that it maye be a testimony wytnes vnto the worlds ende of our cōsciēce towards God hys true worship which haue wryttē or spoken against the false worship of the Romysh Antichrist Wherin fyrst I pray thee to marke cōsider how the cōsciēce strykē with the feare of gods iudgemētes seeketh some stay euermore would haue succour against his heauy indignacion but vnles it be quieted setled bi the truth of God his holy word it renueth astray frō god more more at lengthe foloweth fond imaginaciōs As the Hethen before the law geuen did stay theyr children to please God as they ymagened Wherfore the Lorde did dryue thē forth of theyr contries and dydde geue them to Israell in possession and warned thē of heythrush abhominacions The Iewes after the law of Moises was geuen not vnderstandyng the end of their Ceremonies dyd heape vp infynyte sacrifices Vnto whō God saith dy Esaiah he that offereth vnto me an Oxe is lyke hym that stayeth a mā and he that kylleth a beaste as hee that brayneth a dogge And hee that Offereth sacryfyce as hee that Offereth swynes fleshe hee that remembreth incence as he that offereth vnto an Idolle Theese thynges haue they chosē in their waies in their abhominacions theyr soule is delyted Oure Papistes not vnderstanding or rather not regardinge what our master Christe hadde taughte vs. Mat. xv that in vayne we do worshyp God teachinge the Doctrynes the Preceptes of men Hadde sette vppe a newe holynesse euen theyr hoole relygyon in outewarde Ceremonies of dayes and times of candelles and Belles of towchynge and of handling of blowynge and kyssyng creapynge knealynge and knockynge of gyrdles and garmentes of geuynge to theyr Idolles and aulters fyne ornaments of buylding of Chappels chauntryes and Abbayes of gaddinge to Walsingham to Canterbury to Compostella to Ierusalem to fetch Iames shels Walsingham Kynges Becketes Broches and pardon Beades where vppon muste be sayde I wote not howe manye lady Psalters And alway ten Aue Maries to one Pasternoster or elsse al was marred and infinite other madde inuencyons of mans idle braine By the whiche maddynge of mannes heade in al ages whyche I