and let vs enioy the good thinges that are and let vs quickly vse the creature as in youth †Let vs fil ourselues with precious wine and oyntments and let not the flowre of the time passe vs. †Let vs crowne ourselues with roses before they wither let there be no medow which our riote shal not passe through †Let none of vs be exempted from our rioteousnes euerie where let vs leaue signes of ioy because this is our portion and this our lot †Let vs oppresse the poore iust man and not spare the widow nor reuerence the oldmans grey head of long time †But let our strength be the law of iustice for that which is Weake is found vnprofitable †Let vs therfore circumuent the iust because he is vnprofitable to vs and he is contrarie to our workes and reprochfully obiecteth vnto vs the sinnes of the law and defameth in vs the sinnes of our discipline †He boasteth that he hath the knowlege of God and nameth himselfe the sonne of God †He is made vnto vs to the defaming of our cogitations †He is greuous vnto vs euen to behold because his life la vnlike to others and his wayes are changed †We are estemed of him as triflers and he absteyneth from our wayes as from vncleannes and he preferreth the later ends of the iust and glorieth that he hath God for his father †Let vs see therfore if his wordes be true and let vs proue what thinges shal come to him and we shal know what shal be his later ends †For if he be the true sonne of God he wil defend him wil deliuer him from the hands of the aduersaries †By contumelie and torment let vs examine him that we may know his reuerence and proue his patience †To a most shameful death let vs condemne him for there shal be respect had vnto him by his wordes †These thinges haue they thought and haue erred for their malice hath blinded them †And they haue not knowen the sacraments of God nor hoped for the reward of iustice nor estemed the honour of holie soules †For God created man incorruptible and to the image of his owne likenes he made him †But by the enuie of the diuel death entred into the world †and they folow him that are of his part CHAP. III The iust contemned by the wicked and proued by tentations are happie 10. and the wicked vnhappie 12. Chastitie shal be rewarded adulterous generations shal not prosper BVT the soules of the iust are in the hand of God and the torment of death shal not touch them †They semed in the eies of the vnwise to die and their decease was counted affliction †and that which with vs is the way is destruction but they are in peace †And though before men they suffered torments their hope is ful of immortalitie †Vexed in few thinges in many they shal be wel disposed of because God hath tempted them and hath found them worthie of him selfe †As gold in the furnace he hath proued them and as an host of holocaust he hath receiued them and in time there shal be respect of them †The iust shal shine and as sparkes in a place of reedes they shal runne abrode †They shal iudge nations haue dominion ouer peoples and their Lord shal reigne for euer †They that trust in him shal vnderstand truth and the faithful in loue shal rest in him because rest and peace is to his elect †But the impious according to the thinges which they haue thought shal haue correption which haue neglected the iust haue reuolted from our Lord. †For he that reiecteth wisdom and discipline is vnhappie and their hope is vaine and labours without fruite and their workes vnprofitable †Their wiues are sensles and their children most wicked †Cursed is their creature because happie is the barren woman and the vndefiled which hath not knowen bed in sinne she shal haue fruite in visitation of holie soules †and the eunuch that hath not wrought iniquitie with his hands nor thought most wicked things against God for the chosen gift of fayth shal be geuen to him and a most acceptable lot in the temple of God †For of good labour there is glorious fruite and the roote of wisdom which falleth not †But the children of adulterers shal be in consummation and the sede of the vnlawful bed shal be destroyed †And if certes they be of long life they shal be reputed for nothing their last oldage shal be without honour †And if they dye quickly they shal haue no hope nor speach of comfort in the day of acknowledging †For of a wicked nation the endes are cruel CHAP. IIII. Great difference betwen chaste and adulterous generations 7. Speedier death of the iust is recompensed by Gods prouidence 19. but the wicked incurre greater damnation by liuing long O How beautiful is the chaste generation with glorie for the memorie therof is immortal because it is knowen both with God and with men †When it is present they imitate it and they desire it when it hath withdrawen itself and it triumpheth crowned for euer winning the reward of vndefiled conflictes †But the multitude of the impious that hath manie children shal not be profitable and bastarde plants shal not take deepe roote nor lay sure fundation †And if in the boughes for a â—ime they shal spring being weakly set they shal be moued of the winde and by the vehemencie of the windes they shal be rooted out †For the vnperfect boughes shal be broken and their fruites shal be vnprofitable and sowre to eate and meete for nothing †For the children that be borne of wicked sleepes are witnesses of wickednes against the parents in their examination †But the iust if he be preuented with death shal be in a place of refreshing †For venerable oldage is not that of long time nor accounted by the number of yeares but the vnderstanding of a man are grey heares †and an immaculate life is old age †Pleasing God he is made beloued and liuing among sinners he was translated †“ He was taken away lest malice should change his vnderstanding or lest anie guile might deceiue his soule †For the bewitching of vanitie obscureth good thinges and the inconstancie of concupiscence peruerteth the vnderstanding that is without malice †Being consummate in short space he fulfilled much time †for his soule pleased God for this cause he hastened to bring him out of the middes of iniquiries but the peoples that are seing and not vnderstanding nor putting such thinges in their hartes †that the grace of God and mercie is toward his saintes and respect toward his elect †But the iust dead condemneth the impions aliue and youth soone ended the long life of the vniust †For they
Yet in the mystical sense of Christ and Christians x Of his good pleasure without my deâ—ertes y by his grace z He repeteth the 21. verse incultating that God wil render to eueric one as they deserue a passe ouer al difficulties b Gods precepts c One only God Creator and Sauiour of al. d Amongst other actes Dauid killed a lion and abeare Goliath 1. Reg. 17. 2. Re. 22. e As God geueth streingth to his seruaÌ„ts so he diminisheth the natural streingth and corage of his enemies f Conuersion of Gentiles to Christ as the Moabites Idumeans and others were subdued by Dauid 1. Par. 11. 14. 18. 19. 20. g The reuolting and reprobation of the Iewes prefigured by Absolons rebellion and others 2. Reg. 15. 16. h God stil protecteth the Church of Christ as he preserued Dauid 2. Reg. 22. Rom. 1â— i Vse of Psalmes is most frequent in the Church of Gentiles See the proemial Annotations page 12. Propagation of the Catholique faith The 6. key a perteyning to the beloued of the new Testament b The silent workes of God declare his Maiestie to them that consider therof his preachers declare the same by wordes to al that wil heare c The coÌ„stant course of times sheweth that the same was disposed by Gods powre and dayly propagation of faith especially of Christian doctrine sheweth Christs powre assured perpetuitie of his Church d Some of euery language or natioÌ„ haue beleued in Christ receiuing the Catholique Religion e S. Paul affirmeth that this hath bene fulfilled by the Apostles preaching in al the world Rom. 10. f By the sunne a most excellent and superelemental creature the Prophet describeth Christ making his course through this world illuminating comforting and streingthning the Church his tabernacle wherein he perpetually dwelleth g Christ the bridgrome and the Church his bride are neuer diuorsed his loue wisdome and powre euer conseruing her by his immaculute law Luc. 24. h The old law was likewise pure iâ— it selfe and holy but the new also maketh the obseruers immaculate Mat. 27. Mar. 15. i How swete the law of God is his seruantes finde not by reading or by hearing only but by keping it k Conformably to this text the prophete professeth Psal 118. v. 12. that he kept them for reward in which place the heretikes translation is corrupted Mat. 27. Mar. 15. l None in this life knoweth perfectly his owne estate vvhether he be vvorthie of loue or hate Eccle. 9 but hopeth and feareth m If mortal sinnes haue not dominion in the soule it is iust and shal be in time immaculate from al sinne n Gods helping grace is stil necessarie to perseuer o as his first grace redeeming man is nessarie for our first conuersion God conuerteth and iustifieth soules instructing theÌ„ by his law and sweetly drawing their free cooperation by grace The subiects prayer for their superior The 7. key a Though such a prayer was very fitly made for Dauid Ezechias or other kinges of Iuda yet it more properly serueth for Christian Kinges and Prelates b The king or other superior praying for him selfe his subiects pray with him and for him It may also be applied to Christ praying whiles he vvas mortal or novv praying for his mystical body the Church but in both these cases our prayers are only necessary for his seruantes not for him c The Hebrevv vvord MINCA signifieth sacrifice of floure and vnbloudy so perteyneth to the Eucharist in forme of bread and vvine d be acceptable for him for vvhom it is offered e in the prosperous state of thee our superiour f his anointed king or Priest Mystically faithful people acknovvlege the victory of Christ our Sauiour ouer death and al enemies g in great streingth or heauenlie forces i men trusting in humane and worldly powre fal into captiuitie k By protection of the head the body is also conserued Christs exaltation The 5. key a Perteyning to the nevv Testament principally to Chrrist partly to godly and victorious kinges and generally to al the blessed vvhich ouercome spiritual enemies b Christ our king as man ouercoming his enemies by his diuine povvre reioyceth in victorie c Christs most special desire was the saluation of his people d This most principally verified in Christ is also applied to Martyres vvhich suffer or are readie in preparation of mind to suffer death for the truth e Al Saincteâ— receiue blessing of glorie but only Christ imperteth such grace to others for in him al are blessed hat are eternally glorified â—â—n 21. Ioan. 1. f The iust coÌ„forming their desires to Gods vvil do pray that the vvicked may be punished It is also a prophecie that â—o it shal come to passe g And so it folovveth iâ— the next verse Thou shalt put them c. h This also can not be vnderstood of anie but of Christ vvho in the general or particular iudgement shal geue sentence vpon the vvicked i And immediatly hel fâ—re shal deuoure them k Al the wicked and namely the Iewes who persecuted Christ faile in their deuises l Whiles the wicked perish the iust reioyce and praise God in songue and Psalme Christs Passion effectes therof The â— key a RedemptioÌ„ of mankind vndertakeÌ„ by Christ and performed by his death beganne to be shewed by his Resurrection in the morning of the third day â— Aug. b in figure of Christ the beloued of God c God is God of al his creatures but in more peculiar sorte God of Christ by personal vnion d Thou neither deliuerest me froÌ„ dying nor yeldest me such comforth as thou voutsafelst to other Sainctes v. 6. Mat. 27. Mat. â—â— e I am neither deliuered from dying nor comforted in my passion hauing vndertaken to dye for the sinnes of mankind reputed them as myn owne wordes or factes f Albeit I crie by day g and by night on the crosse and in the garden to haue the chalice of death remoued from me and shal not be heard h Yet there is no follie nor fault in this petition which is with submission of mans wil to Gods wil. i Thou from heauen wilt heare when it is conuenient k whose wisdome and goodnes the Church worthely praiseth l Patriarkes Prophets and other holy meÌ„ praying in their distresses obtained their requestes m VVere temporally deliuered by thy mightie hand from their persecuters n not frustrate of their humble prayerâ—â— o God that comforted his seruantes in their tribulations leifâ— Christ without his ordinarie consolation to suffer more then euer any other did p wicked persecuters respected not Christ as a man but contemned him as a very worme q as most reprochful of al men r as the basest of al the people Å¿ Almost al became Christs cruel enimies at the time of his passion afflicting blaspheming and scorning him as the Euangelistes record t The Euangelistes write how al these thinges were fulfilled by wicked men speaking these blasphemies and
vertuous race of good life Much more those which also indure persecution for the truthes sake shal receiue most copious great rewardes in heauen For albeit the passions of this time in themselues are not condigne to the glorie to come that shal be reueled in vs yet our tribulation which presently is momentanie and light worketh through grace aboue measure excedingly an eternal weight of glorie VVhat shal we therfore meditate of the especial prerogatiue of English Catholiques at this time For to you it is geuen for Christ not only that you beleue in him but also that you suffer for him A litle now if you must be made pensiue in diuers tentations that the probation of your faith much more precious then gold which is proued by the fire may be found vnto praise and glorie and honour in the reuelation of Iesus Christ Manie of you haue susteyned the spoile of your goodes with ioy knowing that you haue a better and a permanent substance Others haue benne depriued of your children fathers mothers brothers sisters and nerest frendes in readie resolution also some with sentence of death to lose your owne liues Others haue had trial of reproches mockeries and stripes Others of bandes prisons and banishmentes The innumerable renowmed late English Martyres Confessors whose happie soules for confessing true faith before men are now most glorious in heauen we passe here with silence because their due praise requiring longer discourse yea rather Angels then English tongues farre surpasseth the reach of our conceiptes And so we leaue it to your deuout meditation They now secure for themselues and solicitous for vs their dearest clientes incessantly we are wel assured intercede before Christs Diuine Maiestie for our happie consummation with the conuersion of our whole countrie To you therfore dearest frendes mortal we direct this speach admonishing ourselues you in the Apostles wordes that for so much as we haue not yet resisted tentations to last bloud and death itself patience is stil necessarie for vs that doing the wil of God we may receiue the promise So we repine not in tribulation but euer loue them that hate vs pittying their case and reioycing in our owne For neither can we see during this life how much good they do vs nor know how manie of them shal be as we hartely desire they al may be saued our Lord and Sauiour hauing paide the same price by his death for them and for vs. Loue al therefore pray for al. Do not lose your confidence which hath a great remuneration For yet a litle and a very litle while he that is to come wil come and he wil not slacke Now the iust liueth by faith beleeuing with hart to iustice and confessing with mouth to saluation But he that withdraweth himself shal not please Christs soule Attend to your saluation dearest countriemen You that are farre of draw nere put on Christ And you that are within Christs fold kepe your standing perseuere in him to the end His grace dwel and remaine in you that glorious crownes may be geuen you AMEN From the English College in Doway the Octaues of AL SAINCTES 1609. The God of patience and comfort geue you to be of one mind one tovvards another in IESVS Christ that of one mind vvith one mouth you may glorifie God THE SVMME AND PARTITION OF THE HOLIE BIBLE With a brife note of the Canonical and Apochryphal Bookes By the vniforme consent of al learned Diuines the holie Bible or written word of God conteyneth Expressed orimplied al thinges that man is to beleue to obserue to auoid for obtayning of aeternal saluation That is al matters of faith maners by which we may know and serue God and so be spiritually ioyned with him in this life in eternitie For both the old new Testament propose and testifie vnto vs one and the same God the same Christ the same Church and other Mysteries of our beleefe not differing in substance but in maner of vttering the old more obscurely in figures and prophecies foretelling those thinges which the New declareth in great part as donne and performed VVherupon saith S. Augustin In the Old Testament the New lieth hidden in the New the Old lieth open And touching their names wherein appareth difference the one saith the same Doctor is called the old Testament either because it propofeth promises of temporal thinges VVherwith our old corruptnes is allured Or in respect of the New by which it is fulfilled and in some part abolished The other is called the New because by it man is renewed and hath promise of eternal life VVhich shal neuer waxe old nor decay Likewise S. Gregorie the great testifieth this conformitie and correspondence betwen the Old and New Testament affirming that the same is signified by the prophet Esccbiels vision of an hcele which had foure faces or apparence of foure whiles the shape whereof was as it were a wheele in the middes of a wheele What is this saith he nisi quod in Testamenti veteris litera Testamentum nouum latuit per Allegoriam but that in the letter of the old Testament the New lay hidden by an Allegorie And as the same is the summe and subject of both Testaments so both are diuided for the more principal partes therof into foure sortes of Bookes Legal Historical Sapiential Prophetical The Legal bookes of the old Testament are the fiue Bookes of Moises Genesis Exodus Leuiticus Numeri Deuteronomie whereto answer in the new Testament the foure Gospels of S. Matthew S. Marke S. Luke S. Iohn Historical bookes of the old Testament are the Bookes of Iosue Iudges Ruth foure bookes of Kinges two of Paralipomenon Esdras with Nehemias Tobias Iudith Hester Iob two of the Machabees vnto which in the new Testament answer the Actes of the Apostles Sapiential of the old Testament are the Prouerbes Ecclesiastes Canticles Booke of wisdome Ecclesiasticus and of like sorte are in the new Testament the Epistles of S. Paul of other Apostles Prophetical bookes are Dauids Psalter which is also Sapiential yea like wise Legal and Historical the Bookes of Isaias Ieremias with Baruch Ezechiel Daniel the twelue lesse Prophetes Osea Ioel Amos Abdias Ionas Michaeas Nahum Abacuc Sophonias Aggaeus Zacharias Malachias And in the new Testament the Apocalips of S. Iohn the Apostle Al these Bookes are vndoubtedly Canonical as the Authores cited in the inner margent testifie And consequently al and al the partes therof are of infallible truth For otherwise as S. Augustin teacheth if anie part were false or doubtful al were vncertaine once admittiug falsehood saith he Epist 8. ad Ieroni in such soueraigne authoritie no parcel of these bookes should remaine which anie way should seme hard to maners or incredible to beleue but it might by this most pernicious rule be turned to an officious
wash his stole in wine and in the bloud of the grape his cloke †His eyes are more beautiful then wine and his teeth whiter then milke †Zabulon shal dwel in the shore of the sea and in the road of shippes reaching as farre as Sidon †Issachar a strong asse lying at rest betwen the borders †He saw rest that it was good and the earth that it was very good and he put vnder his shoulder to cary and became seruing vnder tributes †Dan shal iudge his owne people as also an other tribe in Israel †Be Dan “ a snake in the way a serpent in the path byting the hoosses of the horse that his ryder may fal backward †I wil expect THY SALVATION O Lord. †Gad the gyrded shal fight before him and himself shal be gyrded backward †Aser his bread is sat and he shal geue daynties to kinges †Nepthali a â—art let forth geuing speaches of beautie †Ioseph a child encreasing encreasing and comelie to behold the daughters coursed to and for vpon the wall †But the dart men did exasperate him brawled and enuied him †His bowe sate vpon the strong the bands of his armes and his handes were dissolued by the handes of the mightie of Iacob thence came forth a pastour the stone of Israel †The God of thy father shal be thy helper the Almightie shal blesse thee with the blessinges of heauen from aboue with the blessinges of the deapth that lieth beneath with the blessings of the pappes and of the wombe †The blessinges of thy father were strengthned with the blessings of his fathers vntil the desire of the eternal hilles came be they vpon the head of Ioseph vpon the crowne of the Nazarite among his brethren †Beniamin a rauening woolfe in the morning shal eate the pray and in the euening shal diuide the spoile †Al these in the tribes of Israel twelue these things spake their father to them and he blessed euerie one with their proper blessings †And he commanded them saying I am geathered vnto my people burie you me with my fathers in the duble caue which is in the field of Ephron the Hethite †against Mambre in the Land of Chanaan which Abraham bought with the field of Ephron the Hethite for a possession to burie in †There they buried him Sara his wife there was Isaac buried with Rebecca his wife there also Lia doth lie buried †And when he had finished the precepts wherwith he instructed his sonnes he plucked vp his feet vpon the bed and died he was put vnto his people ANNOTATIONS CHAP. XLIX 4. Because thou didest ascend thy fathers bed For this crime of incest Ruben was depriued of his first birth-right VVho being by order of birth former in guiltes wherby he should haue had duble portion and greater in Empire wherby he should haue bene Prince or Lord ouer his bretheren the former prerogatiue was geuen to Ioseph whose two sonnes were heades of two Tribes the other was geuen to the Tribe of Iuda in Dauid and his posteritie He was also depriued of his prerogatiue in Priesthood which was after annexed to the Tribe of Leui wherupon the Chaldee paraphrasis speaketh thus to Ruben It belonged to thee to haue receaued three better lettes then thy brethren Priesthood Best portion and the Kingdome But because thou hast sinned the duble portion is geuen to Ioseph the Kingdome to Iudas and Priesthood to Leui. 5. Veselles of iniquitie Albeit Simeon and Leui were moued with iust zeale to punish the soule crime committed by Sichem against their sister and whole familie yet in their maner of reuenging were manie sinnes worthely condemned by Iacob both immediatly after the fact and here at his death For before the slaughter they committed there greate sinnes in that they rashly did it vnknowne to their father therby putting him themselues in extreme danger if God had not maruelously protected them in falsly pretending agreement and league with the Sichamites which they ment not to performe and in sacrilegiously abusing the Sacrament of Circumcision making it a cloke to deceiue their ennemies In the fact also they committed other foure grosse crimes cruelly killing those that offered other abundant satisfaction murthering others that were altogether innocent sacking and destroying the citie and carying away wemen and children captiue Mystically S. Ambrose Ruffinus Isidorus and others vnderstand this prophecie of the Scribes and the Priestes descending of Simeon and Leui who were most eagre against our Sauiour as himself more plainely fortold saing The sonne of man balbe betrayed to the chiefe Priestes and to the Scribes and they shal condemne him to death Their furic was cursed aboue al surie Because as Iacob here saith it vvas stubborne or obstinate for they did not only condemne Christ to death in their wicked councel but also vrged and pressed Pilat endeuoringe to saue him sturred vp the people to crye Take him avvay Crucisie him Yea their indignation was so hard that they preferred Barabbas before Christ 10. The scepter shal not be taken avvay Here the Patriarch Iacob fortelleth the time when the promised Messias should come into the world by this signe that the scepter should not be taken from Iuda til the same Redeemer of mankind were at hand Not that the regal scepter should remaine in the Tribe of Iuda from Iacobs death â—il Christes comming for that Kingdome beganne first in Dauid aboue six hundred yeares after Iacobs death and after the captiuitie of Babylon the highe Priests of the Tribe of Leui did gouerne also the state not only the Church other six hundred yeares But the sense is that of the Tribe of Iuda should rise most gloriouse Kinges whose crowne and Kingdome should remaine with the Iewish Nation vntil their expected Messias should drawe nere and then be taken from them by the Gentiles VVhich was downe by Herod whose father was an Idumean his mother an Arabique Thus the Ancient fathers with one accorde vnderstood this prophecie S. Iustinus Martyr Ser. cum Triphone Eusebius Cesarien lib Hist Eccles. cap 6. S. Athanasius lib. de Incarnat S. Ambrose lib de Benedict Patriarch c. 4. S. Chrysostom Ilo 67. in Gen. S. Augustin lib. 18. c. 45. de ciuit Theodoretus q. vlt. in Gen. 11. He shal vvash hisstole in vvyne By wine and bloud of the grape what other thing is shewed saith S. Cyprian Epist ad Coecil 63 but the wine of the Chalice of our Lordes bloud Likwise Tertullian lib 4. contra Marcionem expoundeth the stole to signifie Christs flesh and the wine his bloud In al which booke his drift is to shewe that Christ did not destroy the olde Testament but fulfilled the figures and prophecie therof And not that Christ gaue his bodie in figure only as our aduersaries alleadge him 17. Be Dan a snake in the vvay This prophecie most
as to one Lord if I haue found grace in thy sight goe not past thy seruant and by and by as to manie VVash yee your feete In like maner Moyses sometimes speaketh plurally as of manie There appeared to him three men they saied VVhere is Sara sometimes singularly He said I wil come So Lot Gen. 19. spake to two Angels representing the Sonne of God and the Holie Ghost one God with the Father first as to manie I besech you my Lordes turne into the house of your seruant after as to one I besech thee my Lord because thy seruant hath found grace before thee VVho likewise answered as one only I haue heard thy prayer Againe Moyses sheweth distinction of Persons in God saying v. 24. Our Lord rained from our Lord. Ioâ— also who liued in this age and his frendes professed and serued the same one God auouching him to be the onlie God and Lord that geueth and taketh away Chap. 1. 2. He the maker and peculiar Keeper of men He that taketh away sinne and iniquitie c. 7. He that doth great things incomprehensible and meruelous wherof there is no number c. 9. And that with termes appropriated to the three diuine Persons c. 26. In his strength sodainly the seas are gathered togeather and with his wisedom he stroke the proud man His Spirite hath adorned the heauens The same Mysterie of pluralitie of Persons in one God is more clere by the Hebrevv text chap. 30. v. 11. and 35. v. 10. where the same actions are ascribed to God as to one and as to manie But most euident are the promises figures and prophecies of Christ our Redemer For besides present abundance of riches promise of great progenie and that the same should possesse the fruitful Lâ—ad of Chanaan three special blessings of the old Testament God promised Abraham a farre greater thing Gen. 12. that in his seede al nations and kindreds of the earth should be blessed In confirmation whereof God also changed his name Abram high or noble father into Abraham Father of manie nations Gen. 17. And so he was natural father of foure great Kingdomes Ismaelites Madianites Idumeans and Israelites but spiritual father of manie more to wit of al that beleue in Christ Iewes and Gentiles from that time to the worlds end The same promises of possessing Chaanan and of Christ vvere renevved and confirmed to Isaac Gen. 26. in like sorte to Iacob 28. for they pertained not to Ismael nor to the other sonnes of Abraham nor to Esau Moreouer Christ our Redemer and deliuerer from sinne and captiuitie of the diuel was prefigured by Abraham at last deliuering those from captiuitie who otherwise endeuoring to shake of the yoke of Cordorlahomor fel further into subiection and bondage Gen. 14. Also Melchisedech King and Priest of vnknowen generation extraordinarie vocation without predecessor or successor prefigured Christ King and Priest for euer who not by successors but by Priests his vicars perpetually exerciseth al Priestlie functions Likewise Isaac borne aboue the common course of nature Gen. 21 singularly beloued of his father carying wood on his back for the sacrificing of himselfe 22. Iacob flying his brother Esau 27. hardly treated by Laban 31. yet alwayes inuincible against his aduersaries 32. Ioseph hated of his brethren sold and deliuered to Gentiles 37. By them also persecuted 39. but afterwardes aduanced and called the Sauiour of the world 41. Iust Iob vehemently afflicted Moyses hidden for a while then exposed to danger and thence deliuered afterwards manifesting him selfe to his brethren by them reiected bewrayed and flying from Pharao Exo. 2. returning againe Exod. 3. 4. c. and at last deliuering the Israelites from bondage of Aegypt Exo 14 And manie other things as the ramme sacrificed in place of Isaac Gen. 22. the ladder of Iacob Gen 28. Iosephs scepter 47. Aarons rodde Exo. 7. Paschal lambe 12. prefigured Christ borne of a Virgin the onlie Sonne of God sometimes hidden other times conuersant with men hated persecuted sold betraied who caried his ovvne crosse was sacrificed vanquished al his enimies aduanced and acknowledged the true Sauiour of the world Redemer and deliuerer of mankind from seruitude slauerie thraldome and bondage of sinne death and the diuel Againe Abraham prophecied that of his seede Christ our Sauiour should be borne when he saied to his seruant Gen. 24. Put thy hand vnder my thigh that I may adiure thee by our Lord God of heauen earth that is by Christ who should come of his loynes as S. Hierom Tradit Heb. in Gen. et explic Psal 44. S. Ambrose li. 1. c. 9. de Abraham and S. Augustin q. 62. in Gen. et li. 16. c. 33. ciuit expound it More euidently Iacob Gen. 49. The scepter shal not be taken away from Iudas and a duke of his thigh til he do come that is to be sent and the same shal be the expectation of the Gentiles Iob as planely I know that my redemer liueth Moyses foreknowing that Christ the true Redemer and chiefe Lawgiuer should be sent praied God to hasten his mission saying I besech thee Lord send whom thou wilt send Exod. 4. External Sacrifice was frequent and solemne as the soueraigne homage to God And manie Altares erected by Abraham for that purpose Gen. 12. 13. 15. 22. Vnbloudie in bread and wine by Melchisdech Gen. 14. other liquide sacrifices Gen. 35. v. 14 offered by Iacob with dedication of the place called Bethel the house of God which he also before hand promised by vow Gen 28. Diuers other Sacrifices offered by Isaac and Iacob Gen 26. 31. 33. 36. By Iob and his frends Iob. 1. 42. by Moyses Aaron and other ancients of Israel Exod. 12. Al which consequently shew Priesthood whose proper office is to offer Sacrifice though amongst al the aboue named onlie Melchisedech was called a Priest And among the gentiles we finde that Putiphar Gen. 41. and Iethro Ex. 3. whose daughters Ioseph and Moyses maried were called Priests or as the word Cohenim doth also signifie Princes for they were great and eminent men in their countries At least those that by special priuilege were exempted from selling their landes to Pharao and had not withstanding prouision of mantenance in time of dearth Gen. 47. were properly called Priests for such function as they had in seruing their idols For where vvas true and right Sacrifice there vvere also right Priests and vvhere Idololatrical sacrifice there were like Priests and vvhere no external sacrifice at al as amongst Protestants there are no Priests but ministers only In this age also long before Moyses the Sacrament of Circumcision vvas giuen to Abraham for distinction of Gods selected and peculiar people and for remedy of original sinne in the male sexe of Abrahams seede and others of his communitie In the other sexe and other generations former remedies of sacrifice or other
Lord make this woman which entereth into thy house as Rachel and Lia which builded the house of Israel that she may be an example of vertue in Ephrata and may haue a famous name in Bethlehem †and that thy house may be as the house of Phares whom Thamar bare to Iudas of the seede which our Lord shal geue thee of this yong woman †Booz therfore tooke Ruth and had her to wife and went in vnto her and our Lord gaue her to conceiue and to beare a sonne †And the wemen said to Noemi Blessed be our Lord which hath not suffered that there should fayle a successor of thy familie that his name should be called in Israel †And thou shouldest haue one that may comfort thy soule and cherish thy old age For of thy daughter in law is he borne which wil loue thee and much better is she to thee then if thou hadst seuen sonnes †And Noemi taking the child put it in her bosome and did the office of a nource and of one that should carie him †And the women her neighbours congratulating her and saying There is a sonne borne to Noemi called his name Obed this is the father of Isai the father of Dauid †These are the generations of Phares Phares begat Esron †Esron begat Aram Aram begat Aminadab †Aminadab begat Nahasson Nahasson begat Salmon †Salmon begat Booz Booz begat Obed †Obed begat Isai Isai begat Dauid THE ARGVMENT OF THE BOOKES OF KINGES AND PARALIPPOMENON IN GENERAL AFTER the booke of Iudges wherunto Ruth is annexed rightly folow the bookes of Kinges signifying that after the general Iudgement cometh the euerlasting Kingdome As venerable Beda expoundeth this connexion of bookes wherin he also explicateth manie other Mysteries of Christ the Church praefigured in these histories Likewise S. Gregorie teacheth that besides the historical moral sense expressed in the simplicitie of the letter an other mystical vnderstanding is to be sought the height of the Allegorie In confirmation wherof he citeth S. Augustin and S. Hierom who say that Elcana his two wiues signified the Synagogue of the Iewes and the Church of Christ that the death of Heli Saul with translation of Priesthood to Samuel and Sadoch and of the Kingdome to Dauid and his Successors praefigured the new Priesthood and new Kingdome of Christ the old ceasing which were shadowes therof So these two great Doctors S. Gregorie and S. Beda insisting in the steppe of other lerned holie Fathers that had gone before them expound these histories not only historically but also mystically The historie first setteth forth the changing of the forme of gouernment from Iudges to Kinges and then at large what Kinges did reigne ouer the Hebrew people as wel in one intire Realme as ouer the same people diuided into two kingdomes their more principal Actes their good and euil behauiour also the prosperitie declinations and final captiuities of both the Kingdomes Al which is conteined in foure bookes of Kinges with other two partly repeting that was saied before but especially supplying thinges omitted in the whole sacred historie from the beginning of the world called Paralippomenon The two first are also called the Bookes of Samuel though he writ not one of them wholly for he died before the historie of the former ended but they goe both vnder his name because he annointed the two first Kinges and writ a great part of their Actes Wherto the rest was added either by Dauid and Salomon as some thinke or by Nathan and Gad as is probably gathered 1. Paralip 29. v. 29. The authors also of the third and fourth bookes of Kinges and of the two of Paralippomenon are vncertaine yet al haue euer bene receiued and held for Canonical Scripture THE ARGVMENT OF THE FIRST BOOKE OF KINGES THIS first booke may be diuided into foure partes First are recorded the gouernmeÌ„tes of Heli Samuel with the occasions of changing the state of that commonwealth into a Kingdome in the eight first Chapters Secondly the election and gouernment of Saul their first King from the 9. chap. to the 16. Thirdly Dauids annointing his vertues trubles and persecutions from the 16. chap. to the 28. Fourthly the ruine of Saul and exaltation of Dauid in the foure last Chapters THE FIRST BOOKE OF SAMVEL WHICH WE CAL THE FIRST OF KINGES CHAP. I. Elcana hauing two wiues the one called Anna is barren and for the same is reproâ—hed by the other called Phenenna 9. Anna voweth and prayeth for a man child 19. conceiueth and beareth a sonne calleth him Samuel 24. and presenteth him to the seruice of God in Silo. THERE was a man of Ramathaimsophim of mount Ephraim his name Elcana the sonne of Ieroham the sonne of Eliu the sonne of Thohu the sonne of Suph an Ephraite †and he had two wiues the name of one was Anna and the name of the second Phenenna Phenenna had children but Anna had not children †And that man went vp from his citie vpon ordinarie dayes to adore and sacrifice vnto the Lord of hostes in Silo. And there were the two sonnes of Heli Ophni and Phinees priestes of our Lord. †The day came therfore Elcana immolated and gaue to Phenenna his wife to al her sonnes and daughters partes †but to Anna he gaue one part with heauie cheere because he loued Anna. And our Lord had shut her matrice †Her aduersarie also afflicted her and vexed her sore in so much that she vp brayded her that our Lord had shut her matrice †and so did she euerie yeare when the time returned that they went vp to the temple of our Lord and so she prouoked her moreouer she wept and tooke not meat †Elcana therfore her husband said to her Anna why weepest thou and why doest thou not eate and wherfore doest thou afflict thy hart Am not I better to thee then tenne children †And Anna arose after she had eaten and drunke in Silo. And Heli the priest sitting vpon a Stoole before the postes of the house of our Lord †wheras Anna had a heauie hart she praied to our Lord weeping aboundantly †and she vowed a vowe saying O Lord of hostes if regarding thou wilt behold the affliction of thy seruant and wilt be mindeful of me and not forgette thy handmaide and wilt geue vnto thy seruant a man childe I wil geue him to our Lord al the daies of his life the rasour shal not come vpon his head †And it came to passe when she multiplied praiers before our Lord that Heli obserued her mouth †Moreouer Anna spake in her hart and onlie her lippes moued and voice there was not heard at al. Heli therfore thought her to be drunke †and sayd to her How long wilt thou be drunke digest a litle the wyne wherwith thou art wette †Anna answering Not so quoth she my lord for I am an exceding
the number of the description of the people to the king and there were found of Israel eight hundred thousand strong men that could drawe sword and of Iuda fiue hundred thousand fighting men †But Dauids hart strooke him after the people was numbred and Dauid sayd to our Lord I haue sinned very much in this fact but I pray thee Lord to transferre the iniquitie of thy seruant because I haue done exceding folishly †Dauid therfore arose in the morning and the word of our Lord was made to Gad the prophete and Seer of Dauid saying †Goe and speake to Dauid Thus sayth our Lord Choyse is geuen thee of three thinges choose one of them which thou wilt that I may do it to thee †And when Gad was come to Dauid he told him saying Either famine shal come to thee seuen yeares in thy land or three monethes thou shalt flee thy aduersaries and they shal pursew thee or certes three dayes the pestilence shal be in thy land Now therfore deliberate and see what word I shal answer to him that sent me †And Dauid sayd to Gad I am distressed excedingly but it is better that I fal into the handes of our Lord for his mercies be manie then into the handes of men †And our Lord sent the pestilence in Israel from morning vnto the time appoynted and there died of the people from Dan to Bersabee seuentie thousand men †And when the Angel of Our Lord had stretched forth his hand ouer Ierusalem to destroy it our Lord had pitie vpon the affliction and sayd to the Angel that stroke the people It is sufficient now hold thy hand and the Angel of our Lord was beside the floore of Areuna the Iebuseite †And Dauid sayd to our Lord when he saw the Angel striking the people I am he that haue sinned I haue done wickedly these that are the sheepe what haue they done let thy hand I beseche thee be turned agaynst me and agaynst my fathers house †And Gad came to Dauid in that day and sayd to him Goe vp and build an altar to our Lord in the â—â—oore of Areuna the Iebuseite †And Dauid went vp according to the word of Gad which our Lord had coÌ„manded him †And Areuna looking perceiued the king and his seruantes to come towards him †And going forth he adored the king with his face bowing to the earth and sayd What is the cause that my lord the king cometh to his seruant To whom Dauid sayd That I may bye of thee the floore and build an altar to our Lord and the slaughter may cease which rageth among the people †And Areuna sayd to Dauid Let my lord the king take and offer as it pleaseth him thou hast the oxen for holocauste and the wayne and the yokes of the oxen for prouision of wood †Areuna gaue al thinges to the king and Areuna sayd to the king The Lord thy God receiue thy vowe †To whom the king answering sayd Not so as thou wilt but I wil bye it of thee at a price and I wil not offer to our Lord my God holocaustes geuen gratis Dauid therfore bought the floore and the oxen for fiftie sicles of siluer †and Dauid built there an altar to our Lord offered holocaustes and pacifiques and our Lord became merciful to the land and the plague was stayed from Israel THE ARGVMENT OF THE THIRD BOOKE OF KINGES VVITH commemoration of king Dauids old age of his appointing a successour and of his death in the first and part of the second chapters this booke conteyneth two other principal partes the former is of king Salomon of his entrance to the kingdom his deuotion wisdom magnificence richesse great familie building of the Temple and other sumptuous palaces of his fal also into luxurie and idolatrie in the rest of the second chapter to the end of the eleuenth The other part sheweth the diuision of the kingdom onlie two tribes remayning to Roboam Salomons sonne with title of king of Iuda and tenne passing to Ieroboam his seruant called king of Israel So folow the seueral reignes of Abias Asa and Iosaphat kinges of Iuda and of Madab Baasa Ela Zambri Amri Achab with Iezabel and Ochosias kinges of Israel with the preaching miracles and other actes of Abias Elias Eliseus and other prophetes in the other eleuen chapters THE THIRD BOOKE OF KINGES ACCORDING TO THE HEBREWES THE FIRST OF MALACHIM CHAP. I. King Dauid waxing old Abisag a Sunamite is brought to him 5. Adonias pretending to reigne 11. Nathan and Bethâ—abee obtaine 28. that Salomon is declared and annointed King 41. VVherupon Adonias his folowers parting to their houses 50. fleeth to the altar in the tabernacle but vpon promise of safeâ—â—â— doth homage to Salomon AND king Dauid was old and had manie daies of age and when he was couered with clothes he was not warmed †His seruantes therfore sayd to him Let vs seeke for our lord the king a yong woman a virgin and let her stand before the king and cherishe him and sleepe in his bosome and warme our lord the king †They sought therfore a beautiful yong woman in al the costes of Israel and they found Abisag a Sunamite and brought her to the king †And the damsel was exceding beautiful and she slept with the king and serued him but the king did not know her †And Adonias the sonne of Haggith was eleuated saying I wil reigne And he made him self chariotes and horsemen and fiftie men that should runne before him †Neither did his father controwle him at any time saying Why didst thou this And he also was very beautiful the second borne after Absalom †And he had talke with Ioab the sonne of Saruia with Abiathar the priest who furthered Adonias side †But Sadoc the priest and Banaias the sonne of Ioiada and Nathan the prophet and Semei and Rei and the strength of Dauids armie was not with Adonias †Adonias therfore hauing immolated rammes and calues and al satte beastes beside the Stone zoheleth which was nigh to the Fountaine Rogel called al his brethren the sonnes of the king and al the men of Iuda the seruantes of the king †But Nathan the prophet and Banaias and al the strong ones and Salomon his brother he called not †Nathan therfore sayd to Bethsabee the mother of Salomon Hast thou not heard that Adonias the sonne of Haggith hath reigned and our lord Dauid is ignorant therof †Now therfore come take counsel of me and saue thy life and thy sonne Salomons †Goe and enter in to king Dauid and say to him Didst not thou my lord king sweare to me thy handmayd saying Salomon thy sonne shal reigne after me and he shal sitte in my throne Why then reigneth Adonias †And whiles thou art yet speaking there with the king I wil come after thee and make vp thy wordes â€
heauen to burne his sacrifice thereby confounding foure hundred and fifty false prophets of Baal 6. By prayer procured rayne 3. Reg. 18. 7. Fasted vvithout eating or drincking fourtie daies and nightes together 3. Reg. 19. 8. Procured fire from heauen which deuoured two insolent captaines and their hundred men 4. Reg. 1. 9. Diuided the riuer of Iordan vvith his cloke that himselfe and Elisens passed ouer the drie chanel 10. VV as assumpted in a firie chariote into some place vvhere he yet liueth And parting a vvay Obtained of God the like duble spirit of prophecie and miracles to Eliseus In like maner Eliseus 1. diuided Iordan againe by Elias cloke and so returned to his disciples 2. Amended the bitternes of certaine waters by casting in salte 3. Boies being cursed by him for deriding him were forth vvith torne by beares 4. Reg. 2. 4. He procured water without rayne for three kinges in the campe 4. Reg. 3. 5. Multiplied a poore vvidovves Oile 6. By his prayers barren woman became frutefull 7. He raised her sonne from death 8. Made the bitter broth of his disciples sweete 9. Fedde maine with few loaues 4. Reg. 4. 10. Cured Naaman of leprosie 11. Stroke Giezi with the same 4. Reg. 5. 12. Naaman of leprosie 11. Stroke Giezi with the same 4. Reg. 5. 12. Made yron to swimme 13. Knewe the secret counsels of the Syrian king 14. Made one see horsemen and firie chariotes which to others were inuisible 15. Made the Syrianes blinde that vvere sent to apprehend him and so ledde them into samaria 16. For shewed vnexpected plentie of corne the next day VVith the death of a great man that would not beleue it 4. Reg. 7. 17. And after his death an other mans dead bodie touching his bones reuiued 4. Reg. 13. Other Prophets vvrought also miracles but these for example may suffice to she vve that God preserued religion also in the kingdome of Israel VVhich himselfe further testified euen in most desolate times vvhen Elias lamented that he vvas leift alone 3. Reg. 19. For God ansvvered that seuen thousand meaning therby a great multitude had not bowed their knees to Baal not so much as in out vvard she vve conformed themselues to infidelitie or idolatrie Iehu in his time destroyed all the worshippers of Baal 4. Reg. 10. But none at anie time could wholy destroy true Israelites For God would not suffer it 4. Reg. 14. v. 27. Yea not vvithstanding diuers notorious heresies vvere preached folovved in that kingdome of the Tenne tribes yet ab did not fall nor embrace them Iecoboam not onlie made and set vp golden calues but also taught that they vvere Gods saying Behold thy goddes O Israel which brought thee out of the land of Aegypt 3. Reg. 12. making temples altars and imaginarie priestes which were not of the children of Leui. Also a feast the fiftenth day of the moneth after the similitude of the solemnitie that was celebrated in Iuda Al which the holie Scripture saith He fourged of his owne hart The very propertie of Archeretickes But the true Priestes Leuites and manic others that had geuen their hart to seke our Lord went into Ierusalem to immolate theire victimes before our Lord the God of their fathers 2 Par. 11. Yea Naaman a stranger of Syria and a Neophite in religion taught by his example that none may yeld conformitie nor otherwise communicate with Infideles then Gods Priests or Prophetes approue for lawful 4. Reg. 5. Vnto this heresie of leroboam Achab by Iezabels perswasion added the worshipping of Baal as God 3. Reg. 16. making both temple and altar to him in Samaria Ieroboams priests seruing fitly this purpose Though al the former heretikes no more agreed to this new heresie then Iutherans now admitte of Caluinisme For Iehua Ieroboamite destroyed al Iezabilits that he could by a stratageme gette together 4. Reg. 10. v. 28. 29. Muchlesse did al Israel serue Baal Againe after that Salmanazar king of Assyria had taken Samaria and placed there a new people 4. Reg. 17. they learning the rites of the Israelits religion mixed their Paganisme there with and made a new heresie or rather manie new heresies For being diuers nations they had in seueral conuentieles their particular goddes and so manie diuers Sects The Babylonians Cutheites Emathites Heueites and Sapharuaimites 4. Reg. 17. But as the Priestes which taught them rites of true religion allowed not of this mixture so doubtles some people harkened to their admonitions and kept religion simply and sincerely And at this very time of the Tenne tribes captiuitie holie Tobias who was carried captiue with the rest neither before nor after the captiuitie leift the law of God But went to Ierusalem when others serued leroboams golden calues to the Temple of our Lord and there adored the Lord God of Israel And in captiuitie bestowed himselfe in workes of mercie towardes the liuing and dead of his nation Tob. 1. As for the kingdom of Iuda it was more free from heresies For very few or none of those kinges that fell to other grosse enormities yea to manifest idolatrie became heretikes as is probablie collected by that Isaias the Prophet being sent to Achaz admonished him conuersed and dealt with him as with one that beleued wholly and solely true religion assuring him that God would protect Ierusalem bidding him not to feare the two smoking firebrandes in the wrath of Rasin king of Syria and of Phacce king of Israel Isa 7. Further bidding him aske a singe of God he answered though frovvardliâ— yet not as an infidel I wil not aske and I wil not tempt our Lord. Yea though Vrias the High Priest by commandment of the same king 4 Reg. 16. made a new altar in place of Gods Altar yet he erred not in faith nor in doctrine as teaching in Moyses chayre but in fact onclie and of frailtie for feare of the king aâ— the king offended in his externall act to slatter the king of Syria And in this case God sent Isaiâ—â— to admonish the king which Vrias neglected or durst not do Likwise Ioram 4. Reg. 8 2. Par. 21. Ochozias 2. Par. 22. Ioas in the latter part of his life 2. Par. 24. Manasses in the former part of his reigne 4. Reg. 2. 2. Par 33. and sowe other kinges of Iuda committing idolatrie and making others to fall with them either were not wholie peruerted or at least drew not al with them For not onlie Prophets in whose hand or ministerie God spake and reproued these sinnes but manie others kept their Zele of true religion as appeared in their promptnes to serue God when by good kinges Asa Iosaphat Ezechias Iosias and others they were exhorted or admitted so to do 4. Reg. 18. 23. 2. Par. 15. 17. 29. 30. 31. 33. 34. c. Finally wheras diuers good princes disposed thinges belonging to Diuine seruice in the temple correcting faultes and
and began to pray with teares †saying Thou art iust ô Lord al thy iudgementes are iust and al thy waies mercie truth and iudgement †And now Lord be mindful of me and take not reuenge of my sinnes neither remember the sinnes of me or of my parentes †Because we haue not obeyed thy commandmentes therfore we are deliuered in spoile and captiuitie and death and into a fable and into reproch to al nations in which thou hast dispersed vs. †And now Lord great are thy iudgementes because we haue not done according to thy preceptes haue not walked sincerely before thee †and now Lord according to thy wil do with me command my spirite to be receiued in peace for it is expedient for me to die rather then to liue †The verie same day therfore it chanced that Sara the daughter of Raguel in Rages a citie of the Medes she also heard reproch of one of her fathers handmaydes †because she had beene deliuered to seuen husbandes the diuel named Asmodeus had killed them forth with as they were entred in vnto her †Therfore when she rebuked the wench for her fault she answered her saying Let vs no more see sonne of thee or daughter vpon the earth thou murderer of thy husbandes †What wilt thou kil me also as thou hast now killed seuen husbandes At this voice she went into an higher chamber of her house and three dayes and three nightes did not eate nor drinke †but continewing in prayer with teares besought God that he would deliuer her from this reproch †And it came to passe the third day whiles she accomplished her prayer blessing our Lord †she sayd Blessed is thy name ô God of our fathers who when thou hast bene angrie wilt doe mercie in the time of tribulation forgeuest them their sinnes that inuocate thee †To thee ô Lord I turne my face to thee I direct myne eyes †I desire Lord that thou loose me from the bond of this reproch or els take me away from the earth †Thou knowest Lord that I neuer coueted a husband and haue kept my soule cleane from al concupiscence †Neuer haue I companied my self with sporters neither haue I made my selfe partaker with them that walke in lightnesse †But a husband I consented to take with thy feare not with my lust †And either I was vnworthie of them or they perhaps were not worthie for me because perhaps thou hast kept me for an other man †For thy counsel is not in mans power †But this hath euerie one for certayne that worshippeth thee that his life if it be in probation shal be crowned and if it be in tribulation it shal be deliuered and if it be in correction it shal be lawful to come to thy mercie †For thou art not delighted in our perditions because after a tempest thou makest a calme and after teares and weeping thou powrest in ioyfulnesse †Be thy name God of Israel blessed foreuer †At that time the prayers of both were heard in the sight of the glorie of the high God †and the holie Angel of our Lord Raphael was sent to cure them both whose prayers at one time were recited in the sight of our Lord. CHAP. IIII. Tobias thincking he shal dye geueth his sonne godlie admonitions 7. especially exhorteth him to geue almes diligently 13. to flee al fornication pride and fraude 21. And telleth him of money lent to a friend THERFORE when Tobias thought his prayer to be heard that he might haue died he called to him Tobias his sonne †and sayd to him Heare my sonne the wordes of my mouth lay them as a foundation in thy hart †When God shal take my soule * burie my bodie and thou shalt doe * honour to thy mother al the dayes of her life †for thou must be mindful what perils and how great she suffered for thee in her wombe †And when she also shal haue accomplished the time of her life burie her beside me †And al the dayes of thy life * haue God in thy mind and beware thou consent not to sinne at anie time and pretermitte the preceptes of our Lord God †* Of thy substance geue almes and turne not away thy face from anie poore person for so it shal come to passe that neither the face of our Lord shal be turned from thee †As thou shalt be able so be merciful †If thou haue much geue aboundantly if thou haue litle studie to impert also a litle willingly †For thou dost treasure vp to thy self a good reward in the day of necessitie †because almes deliuereth from al sinne and from death wil not suffer the soule to goe into darkenesse †Great confidence before God most high shal almes be to al them that doe it †* Take heed to thy self my sonne of al fornication beside thy wife neuer abide to know crime †* Neuer permitte pryde to rule in thy word for in it al perdition tooke his beginning †* Whosoeuer hath wrought anie thing for thee pay him his hyre immediatly and let not the hyre of thy hyred seruant remayne with thee at al. †* That which thou hatest to be done to thee by an other see thou doe it not to an other at anie time †Eate thy bread with the hungrie needie and of thy garmentes couer the naked †* Set thy bread and thy wine vpon the burial of a iust man and doe not eate and drinke therof with sinners †Seeke counsel alwaies of a wiseman †At al time blesse God and desire of him that he direct thy waies and that al thy counsels remayne in him †I tel thee also my sonne that I gaue tenne talentes of siluer whiles thou wast yet a child to Gabelus in Rages a citie of the Medes and I haue a bil of his hand with me †and therfore enquire how thou maist come to him and receiue of him the foresayd weight of siluer and restore him the bil of his hand †Feare not my sonne we leade in dede a poore life but we shal haue many good thinges if we feare God and depart from al sinne and doe wel CHAP. V. Yong Tobias seeking a guide for his iourney Raphael the Angel in shape of a man presenteth himself and vndertaketh this office 23. The mother lamenteth the abscence and danger of her sonne THEN Tobias answered his father and sayd I wil doe al things father whatsoeuer thou hast commanded me †But how I shal require this money I can nor tel he knoweth not me and I know not him what token shal I geue him Yea neither the way which leadeth thither did I euer know †Then his father answered him and sayd I haue the bil of his hand with me which when thou shalt
face they blessed God and rysing vp they told al his maruelous workes ANNOTATIONS CHAP. XII 12. I offered thy prayer to our Lord. Here the Angel Raphael reporteth certaine good offices which he had done for Tobias He did other like for his sonne and for Raguel and his daughter which are likewise recorded in this booke And the whole world especially Gods seruantos receiue continual great benefites by holie Angeles as partly may be gathered in this holie historie and more els where For first the office of Angeles is to assist or be alwayes readie as most diligent seruitoures of God expecting what his diuine goodnes wil appoint them whither to goe and what to doe for the benefite of men as holie Raphael was sent when yong Tobias wanted a guide Secondly Angels offer the prayers of the faithful or as the Greke text â—eadeth v. 15 Angels present the prayers of Sainctes that is of godlie men and wemen to God so Raphael testifieth here him self that he offered Tobias prayers to our Lord. Thirdly Angeles ayde and assist those that loue puritie of life sincere seruice of God hate vice embrace vertue do workes of mercie so Raphael assisted Tobias when he traueled to butie the dead fleing from the kings furie and hiding himself ch â— v. 21. 23. Fourthly Angels exhort to good workes as in this 12. chapter v. 6 8 9 10 18 Fiftly they sâ—â—gest â—â—d instruct what to do ch 6. v. 4. 5. Raphâ—â—â—â—â—â—ght yong Tobias to â—ake the fiâ—h vâ—b wel him reserue partes therof 〈…〉 〈◊〉 aâ—â—ised him to lodge at Raguels house to demand Sâ—ra to wife and v. 16. 17. iâ—structed him against whom diuels haue powre Sixthly they expel diuels from persons and places ch 8. v. 3. Raphael tooke and bound the diuel Asmodeus in the desert of hiegher Egypt Seuenthly they deliuer men from dangers and euiles c. 6. v. 3 as when the great fish assaulted Tobias and Sara from molestation and slaunder and old Tobias from blindnes chap. 3 v. 10. ch 11. v. 8. ch 12. v. 14. Eightly VVhen it redoundeth to the honour and more seruice of God and good of the soule Angeles procure riches and worldly commodities ch 12. v. 3. Yong Tobias gratfully confessed the great benefites receiued by his guide concluding generally by him vve are replenished sayth he vvith al good thinges Ninthly Good Angels also proue men for their more merite so the Angel witnesseth ch 12. v. 13. Because thou vvast acceptable to God it vvas necessarie that tentation should proue thee Tenthly and finally for we remite the reader to larger documentes of others after proofe of patience fortitude and other vertues holie Angeles comforte good men so Raphael encoraged old Tobias saying ch 5. v. 13. his blindenes should shortly be cured ch 12. v. 12. shewed him how gratful his prayers with teares and woorkes of mercie were in Gods fight He comforted Raguel and his familie by bringing yong Tobias to their house ch 7. v. â— Much more ch 8. v. 16. both them and al Tobias his familie by driuing away the diuel and lastly by reuealing himselfe vnto them So holie Angeles especially the proper gardian patrones of euerie one are alwayes readie to helpe men guard them exhort them to good do instruct them do expel euil spirites and deliuer men from many euils dangers do procure them temporal commodities proue their vertues offer their prayers and good workes assist them al their liues and at their deathes then also bring their soules to the Iudgement seate and if they die in good state to eternal ioy and glorie wherof the ancient fathers writinges are ful S. Gregorie the great in his Dialogue li. 4. c. 58 S. Athanasius li. de communi essentia S. Chrisostom ho. 3. in Epist. ad Colloss li. 6. de Sacerdotio Gregorius Turonen li. de gloria Martyrum Confessorum S. Augustin Epist ad probam c. 9. Epist 68. ad fratres in eremo li. 11. c. 31. ciuit octoginta trium qq q. 79. Our Sauiour himself testifieth that Angels reioyce at the conuersion of a sinner Luc. 15. and therfore they know and haue care of mens states in this life and finally Angeles caried the soule of poore Lazarus into Abrahams bosome Luc. 16. CHAP. XIII Tobias the father prayseth God exhorting al Israel to do the same 11. prophecieth the restauration and better state of Ierusalem AND Tobias the elder opening his mouth blessed our Lord and sayd Thou art great Lord for euer and thy kingdom world without end †because thou scourgest and sauest leadest downe to hel and bringest backe agayne and there is none that may escape thy hand †CoÌ„fesse to our Lord ye children of Israel and in the sight of the Gentiles prayse him †because he hath therfore dispersed you among the gentiles which know not him that you may declare his maruelous workes and make them know that there is no other God omnipotent besides him †He hath chastised vs for our iniquities and he wil saue vs for his mercie †Behold therfore what he hath done with vs and with feare and trembling confesse ye to him and extol the king of the worldes in your workes †And I in the land of my captiuitie wil confesse to him because he hath shewed his maiestie toward a sinful nation †Conuert therfore ye sinners do iustice before God beleuing that he wil doe his mercie with you †And I and my soule wil reioyce in him †Blesse ye our Lord al his elect celebrate daies of gladnes and confesse to him †Ierusalem the citie of God our Lord hath chastised thee in the workes of thy handes †Confesse to our Lord in thy good thinges and blesse the God of the worldes that he may reedefie his tabernacle in thee and may cal backe al the captiues to thee thou mayst reioyce for euer and euer †Thou shalt shine with a glorious light and al the coastes of the earth shal adore thee †Nations from far shal come to thee and bringing giftes they shal adore our Lord in thee and shal esteeme thy land for sanctification †For they shal inuocate the great name in thee †Cursed shal they be that shal contemne thee and damned shal they be that shal blaspheme thee and blessed shal they be that shal build thee †And thou shalt reioyce in thy children because they shal al be blessed shal be gathered together to our Lord. †Blessed are al that loue thee and that reioyce vpon thy peace †My soule blesse thou our Lord because he hath deliuered Ierusalem his citie from al her tribulations the Lord our God †Blessed shal I be if there shal remayne of my seede to see the glorie of Ierusalem †The gates of Ierusalem shal be built of Saphire and the Emerauld and al the compasse of the walles therof of pretious stone †With white
shortly after the king sent new letters for the Iewes saftie geuing them leaue to kil whom soeuer they would of their enemies ch 8. v. â— 11 Eightly the same day which was designed for destruction was made the day of ioy and exultation to the children of God ch 9. v. 1. 17 ch 16. v. 21. c. By which literal sense Gods meruelous prouidence is manifestly shewed neuer suffering his church to perish It hath moreouer two special mystical senses First as saftie of temporal life was procured to one nation by Esthers intercession to king Assuerus so general saluation is procured to al mankind by mediation of the blessed virgin Marie crushing the serpents head and the sentence of death is changed by new letters granting euerlasting life and glorie to al Gods true seruantes Esther also as likewise Iudith in figure of the Church saith S. Ierom Prologo in Sophon killed the aduersaries and deliuered Israel from danger of perishing CHAP. X. Assuerus subdueth manie countries 4. Mardocheus vnderstandeth and declareth his dreame 9. God separateth his people from other nations by a better lotte BVT king Assuerus made al the earth and al the ilandes of the sea tributaries †Whose strength and empire and the dignitie and highnesse wherewith he exalted Mardocheus are written in the bookes of the Medes and of the Persians †and how Mardocheus of the Iewes kinred was second after king Assuerus and great with the Iewes and acceptable to the people of his bretheren seking good to his people and speaking those things which pertayned to the good of his seede That which is in the Hebrew I haue expressed most faithfully And these things that folow I found written in the common edition which are conteyned in the greeke tongue and leetters and in the meane time this chapter was extant after the end of the booke which according to our custome we haue marked with an Obelus before it that is to say a broch †And Mardocheus said These things are done of God †I remember the dreame that I saw signifying these verie things neither was any of them frustrate †The litle fountayne which grew into a riuer and was turned into light and into the sunne and abounded into manie waters is Esther whom the king tooke to wife and made her to be queene †But the two dragons I am and Aman. †The nations that were assembled are they that endeuoured to destroy the name of the Iewes †And my nation is Israel which cried to our Lord and our Lord hath saued his people and he hath deliuered vs from al euils and hath done great signes and wonders among the nations †and he commanded that there should be two lottes one of the people of God and the other of al Nations †And both lottes are come to the day appointed euen now from that time before God to al nations †and our Lord hath remembred his people and hath had mercie on his inheritance †And these daies shal be obserued in the moneth of Adar the fourtenth and fistenth day of the same moneth with al diligence and ioy of the people gathered into one assemblie through out al the generations hereafter of the people of Israel CHAP. XI An Appendix and conclusion of this historie 2. The dreame of Mardocheus IN the fourth yeare when Ptolomee and Cleopatra reigned Dositheus which named himself a Priest and of the Leuitical kinred and Ptolomee his sonne brought this epistle of Phurim which they sayd Lysimachus the sonne of Ptolomee did interprete in Ierusalem This beginning was in the common edition which is neither extant in Hebrew nor with any of the interpreters †In the second yeare when Artaxerxes the greatest reigned in the first day of the moneth Nisan Mardocheus the sonne of Iairi the sonne of Semei the sonne of Cis of the tribe of Beniamin †A Iew which dwelt in the citie of Susan a great man and among the first of the kings court saw a dreame †And he was of that number of captiues whom Nabuchodonosor the king of Babylon had transported from Ierusalem with Ieconias the king of Iuda †and this was his dreame Theâ—e appeared voices and tumultes and thunders and earth quakes and pertuibation vpon the earth †and behold two great dragons prepared one against an other into battel †At whose crie al nations were raysed vppe to fight against the nation of the iust †And that was a day of darkenesse and danger of tribulation and distresse and great feare vpon the earth †And the nation of the iust fearing their euils was trubled and prepared to death †And they cried to God and they crying a litle fountayne grew into a verie great riuer and abounded into verie manie waters †Light and sunne arose and the humble were exalted and they deuoured the glorious †Which when Mardocheus had seene and risen out of his bed he mused what God would doe and he had it fixed in his mind desirous to know what the dreame should signifie CHAP. XII The conspiracie of two eunuches detected by Mardocheus is repeted 6. and Amans malice against him for the same AND he abode that time in the kings court with Bagatha and Thara the kings eunuches which were porters of the palace †And when he vnderstood their cogitations and had throughly seene their cares he learned that they went about to lay hands on king Artaxerxes and he told the king therof †Who hauing them both in examination when they had confesssd he commanded them to be led to death †But the king wrote that which was done in the comentaries and Mardocheus also committed the memorie of the thing to wriring †And the king commanded him that he should abide in the court of the palace geuing him giftes for the delation †But Aman the sonne of Amadathi the Bugeite was most glorious before the king and would hurt Mardocheus and his people for the two eunuches of the king which were put to death Hitherto the proeme That which foloweth was set in that place where it is written in the volum And should spoyle their goodes VVhich we found in the common edition only CHAP. XIII Acopie of the epistle which Aman sent to al prouinces to destroy the Iewâ—â— 8. And Mardocheus his prayer for the people AND this was the copie of the letter The most great king Artaxerxes from India vnto Aethiopia to the princes of an hundred and seuen and twentie prouinces and to the captaynes that are subiect to his empire greeting †Wheras I reigned ouer manie nations and had subdewed al the world to my dominion I would noâ— abuse the greatnes of my might but with clemencie and lenitie gouerne my subiectes that passing their life quietly without any terrour they might enioy peace wished of al men †But when I demanded of my counselers how this might
both and to put his hand betwen both †Let him take his rod from me and let not his dread terrifie me †I wil speake and wil not feare him for I can not answer fearing CHAP. X. â—ob scarse able to speake yet sheweth that there is no iniustice nor ignorance in God neither is his sinne the cause of so great afflictions 9. Acknowledgeth Gods loue and benefites towards himself 15. and dreadeth his strict iudgement MY soule is wearie of my life I wil let my speach passe agaynst my self I wil speake in the bitternes of my soule †I wil say to God Condemne me not tel me why thou iudgest me so †Doth it seeme good to thee if thou calumniate me and oppresse me the worke of thy handes and helpe the counsel of the impious †Hast thou eies of flesh or as a man seeth shalt thou also see †Are thy daies as the daies of man and are thy yeares as the times of men †That thou sekest my iniquitie and searchest my sinne †And thou mayst knowe that I haue done no impious thing whereas there is no man that can deliuer out of thy hand †Thy handes haue made me and framed me wholly round about and dost thou so sodenlie cast me downe headlong †Remember I besech thee that as clay thou madest me and into dust thou wilt bring me agayne †Hast thou not as milke milked me and curded me as cheese †With skinne and flesh thou hast clothed me with bones sinowes thou hast compacted me †Life and mercie thou hast geuen to me and thy visitation hath kept my spirit †Although thou conceale these thinges in thy hart yet I know that thou remembrest al thinges †If I haue sinned and thou hast spared me for an houre why doest thou not suffer me to be cleane from mine iniquttie †And if I shal be impious woe is to me and if iust I shal not lift vp my head filled with affliction and miserie †And for pride as a lionesse thou wilt take me and returning thou doest meruelously torment me †Thou renewest thy witnesses agaynst me and multipliest thy wrath toward me and paynes doe warre vpon me †Why didst thou bring me forth out of the matrice Who would God I had beene consumed that eye might not see me †I had beene as if I were not caried from the wombe to the graue †Shal not the fewnes of my daies be ended shortly suffer me therfore that I may a litle lament my sorow †Before I goe and returne not vnto the darke land that is couered with the mist of death †A land of miserie and darkenesse where is the shadow of death and no order but euerlasting horrour inhabiteth CHAP. XI Sophar imputeth â—obs discourse about the cause of his so great afflictions to insolencie of mind and loquasitie of tongu perswading him to acknowlege greuous sinnes that so he may haue the reward of a iust man BVt sophar the Naamathite answering said †Why shal he that speaketh manie thinges not heare also or shal a man ful of wordes be iustified †To thee onlie shal men hold their peace and when thou hast mocked others shalt thou be confuted of none †For thou hast sayd My word is pure and I am cleane in thy sight †And I would wish that God would speake with thee and would open his lippes to thee †That he might shew thee the secretes of wisdom and that his law is manisold and thou mightest vnderstand that thou art exacted much lesser thinges of him then thy iniquitie deserueth †Peraduenture thou wilt comprehend the steppes of God and wil find out the Omnipotent perfectly †He is higher then heauen and what wilt thou doe deeper then hel and how wilt thou know †The measure of him is longer then the earth and broder then the sea †If he shal ouerthrow al things or shal strayten them into one who shal say against him †For he knoweth the vanitie of men seing iniquitie doth he not coÌ„sider †A vaine man is extolled into pride and thinketh him self borne free as a wilde asses colt †But thou hast confirmed thy hart hast spred thy handes to him †If thou shalt take away from thee the iniquitie that is in thy hand and iniustice remaine not in thy tabernacle †Then mayst thou lift vp thy face wthout spotte and thou shalt be stable and shalt not feare †Thou shalt also forget miserie and shalt remember it as waters that are passed †And the brightnes as it were of noone daies shal arise to thee at euening and when thou shalt think thyself consumed thou shalt rise as the day starre †And thou shalt haue confidence hope being set before thee and buried thou shalt sleepe secure †Thou shalt rest and there shal be none to terrifie thee and verie manie shal besech thy face †But the eies of the impious shal decay and escape shal faile them and their hope the abomination of the soule CHAP. XII Iob sheweth the knowlege which his freinds much boast of to be the common knowne doctrin of Gods seruantes He more truly and more profoundly discourseth of Gods powre and wisdome stil defending his owne innocencie in respect of great sinnes BVâ— Iob answering sayd †Are you then men alone shal wisedome die with you †I also haue a hart euen as you neither am I inferiour to you for who is ignoraÌ„t of these thinges which you know †He that is mocked of his frend as I shal inuocate God he wil heare him for the simplicitie of the iust man is scorned †The lampe contemned in the cogitations of the riche is prepared to the time appointed †The tabernacles of robbers abound they prouoke God bouldly wheras he hath geuen al thinges into their handes †For aske the beastes and they shal teach thee and the foules of the ayre and they shal tel thee †Speake to the earth and it shal answer thee and the fishes of the sea shal tel †Who is ignorant that the hand of our Lord hath made al these things †In whose hand is the soule of euerie liuing thing and the spirit of al the flesh of man †Doth not the eare discerne wordes and the iawes of him that eateth the tast †In the ancientes is wisedom and in long time prudence †With him is wisedom and strength he hath counsel and vnderstanding †If he shal destroy there is no man that can build if he shut vp a man there is none that can open †If he hold in the waters al things shal be dried and if he send them forth they shal ouerthrow the earth †With him is strength and wisedom he knoweth both the deceiuer him that is deceiued †He bringeth counselers to a folish end and iudges to astonishment †He looseth the belt of kings
†For our Lord knoweth the way of the iust and the way of the impious shal perish ANNOTATIONS PSALME I. 1. Hath not gone not stood not sitte The Hebrew stile and maner of discourse differeth here from other nations in mentioning first the lesse euil and the greatest last VVhereas we would say in the contrary order He is happie that hath not sitte that is hath not setled himselfe in wickednes nor finally persisted obstinate more happie that hath not stood anie notable time continued in sinne and most happie that hath not gone not geuen anie consent at al to euil suggestions 2. His vvil in the vvay of our Lord. As one part of happines consisteth in declining from euil so the other is in doing good the wil desiring and diligently endeuoring to walke in the way of vertue and law of God VVhich is true iustice and right forme of good life proposed in this Psalme for attayning eternal beatitude PSALME II. Christs glorie the world repining therat 4. shal be propagated in al the world 7. His diuine powre as wel spiritual in conuerting mens hartes as external in seuere iustice is prophecied VVHY did the Gentiles rage and peoples meditate vaine things †The kings of the earth stood vp and the princes came together in one against our Lord and against his Christ †Let vs breake their bondes a sunder and let vs cast away their yoke from vs. †He that dwelleth in the heauens shal laugh at them and our Lord shal scorne them †Then shal he speake to them in his wrath in his furie he shal truble them †But I am appoynted king by him ouer Sion his holie hil preaching his precept †The Lord said to me Thou art my Sonne I this day haue be gotten thee †Aske of me and I wil geue thee the Gentiles for thyne inheritance and thy possession the endes of the earth †Thou shalt rule them “ in a rod of yron and “ as a potters vessel thou shalt breake them in peeces †And now “ ye kings vnderstand “ take instruction you that iudge the earth †Serue our Lord in feare and “ reioyce to him with trembling †Apprehend discipline lest sometime our Lord be wrath and you perish out of the iust way †When his wrath shal burne in short time blessed are al that trust in him ANNOTATIONS PSALME II. 2. Kinges and Princes against Christ VVhen Christ and his Apostles preached the Gospel both Iewes and Gentiles with their Princes Kinges and Emperors most furiously resisted but al in vaine For they could not hinder the wil and powre of God But the more they persecuted the more was increased the zele and number of Christians 8. The gentiles thyn inheritance By this promise of God to Christ S. Augustin conuinced the Donatistes in them the Protestantes that say the Church of Christ failed and became smal or inuisible as though Christ the Sonne of God could sometimes lose his inheritance which is the Catholique Church gethered of the Gentiles and his possession extended to the endes of the earth 9. As a potters vessel If a potters vessel saith S. Ierom in hunc Psal tom 8. be broken whiles it is soft it may easily be repared but after it is hard it can not be made whole againe So sinners are more easily restored to grace shortly repeating then long obdurate yet that which is vnpossible to man is possible to God Mat. 10. For as clay in the potters hand so are you in my hand saith our Lord. Iere. 18. 10. Ye kinges vnderstand Not onlie innumerable other people of al nations but also after a while Kinges and Emperors beleued in Christ And such as at first persecuted became most Christian Catholique Defenders of the faith 10. Take instruction you that iudge the earth Petilianus Gaudentius other Donatistes inueyghing against Christian Kinges for punishing heretikes most falsly auoched that Christianitie neuer found kinges but inuious enimies and persecuters To whom S. Augustin answereth in seueral bookes that Christian Kinges and Princes are not enemies to Christianitie but are enemies to heretikes the rebelles of Christ and his Church For according to this prophecie of king Dauid Christian kinges are instructed and know it is their dutie â—â— the seruice of God to defend the Church against Heretikes and other Infidelles And it is the propertie of Apostataes to fauour heretikes So good Constantin the great maintained Catholique vnitie and Iulian the Apostata to make greater diuision tooke Churches from Catholiques and gaue them to Donatistes to nourish dissention and so to oâ—eâ—â—â—row al Christians But God stil protecteth the true Church againâ—â— al such suttle and malicious dâ—uiâ—es because it is Christs inheritance 11. Râ—â—oyâ—e vvith trembling Gods seruice is tempeted with two affections with ioy in consideration of his goodnes mercie meeknes and with feare in respect of his â—ustice and â—euere iudgement The one is a remedie against desperation the other against presumption PSALME III. King Dauid recounteth his danger when his sonne Absalom conspired against him 4. and thanketh God for his deliuerie 9 acknowledging al helpe to be from God Mistically Christs persecution Death Burial and Resurrection †The “ Psalme of Dauid “ when he fled from the face of Absalom his sonne 2. Reg. 15. LORD why are they multiplied that truble me manie rise vp against me †Many say to my soule There is no saluation for him in his God †But thou Lord art my protectour my glorie exalting my head †With my voice I haue cried to our Lord and he hath heard me from his holie hil †“ I haue slept and haue bene at rest and haue risen vp because our Lord hath taken me †I wil not feare thousandes of people compassing me arise Lord saue me my God †Because thou hast stroken al that are my aduersaries without cause thou hast broken the teeth of sinners †Saluation is our Lordes and thy blessing vpon thy people ANNOTATIONS PSALME III. 1. Psalme of Dauid Al Interpreters agreably teach that king Dauid made not the titles which are before the Psalmes Neuertheles they are authentical as endited by the Holie Ghost And it is most probable Esdras added those titles which are in the Hebrew and the Seuentie interpreters writte the other in their Greke Edition Both which S. Ierom translated into Latin In these titles fiue thinges may be noted First the former two hauing no title at al the general name of Psalme common to al is particularly appropriated to some and other names to others VVhich in al are twelue to witte Psalme Inscription Prayer Canticle Psalme of Canticle Canticle of Psalme Hymne Testimonie
the world haue obtained riches †And I saide Then haue I iustified my hart without cause and haue washed my handes amongst innocentes †And haue bene scourged al the day and my chastising in the morninges †If I saide I wil speake this behold I reproued the nation of thy children †I thought to know this thing it is labour before me †Vntil I may enter into the sanctuarie of God and may vnderstand concerning their latter endes †But yet for guiles thou hast put it to them thou hast cast them downe whiles they were eleuated †How are they brought into desolation they haue failed sodanely they haue perished for their iniquitie †As the dreame of them that rise ô Lord in thy citie thou shalt bring their image to nothing †Because my hart is inflamed and my reynes are changed And I am brought to nothing and knew not †As a beast am I become with thee and I alwaies with thee †Thou hast helde my right hand and in thy wil thou hast conducted me and with glorie thou hast receiued me †For what is to me in heauen and besides thee what would I vpon the earth †My flesh hath fainted and my hart God of my hart and God my portion for euer For behold they that make them selues faire from thee shal perish thou hast destroyed al that fornicate from thee †But it is good for me to cleaue to God to put my hope in our Lord God That I may shew forth al thy prayses in the gates of the daughter of Sion PSALME LXXIII Faithful people pressed with persecution lamentably complayning besecheth God to respect his owne inheritance cruelly afflicted â—â— and leift long without helpe 12. wheras heretofore he releeued his people in like distresses 18. And therfore confidently hopeth he wil renenge the blasphemers of his name Vnderstanding to Asaph VVHY hast thou ô God repelled for euer is thy furie wrath vpon the sheepe of thy pasture Be mindful of thy congregation which thou hast possessed from the beginning Thou hast redemed the rod of thine inheritanâ—â—e mount Sion in which thou hast dwelt †Lift vp thy handes vpon their prides for euer how great thinges hath the enimie done malignantly in the holy place †And they that hate thee haue gloried in the middes of thy solemnitie They haue sette their signes for signes †and haue not knowne as in the issue on high As in a wood of trees they haue with axes †cut out the gates therof together in hatchet and chippeaxe they haue cast it downe †They haue burnt thy sanctuarie with fire they haue polluted the tabernacle of thy name in the earth †Their kinred together haue saide in their hart Let vs make al the festiual daies of God to cease from the earth †Our signes we haue not seene there is now no prophet and he wil know vs no more †How long ô God shal the enimie vpbraide the aduersarie prouoke thy name for euer †Why doest thou turne away thy hand and thy right hand out of the middes of thy bosome for euer †But God our king before the worldes he hath wrought saluation in the middes of the earth †Thou in thy strength hast confirmed the sea thou hast crushed the head of Dragons in the waters †Thou hast broken the heads of the dragon thou hast giuen him for meate to the peoples of the Aethiopians †Thou hast broken vp fountanes and torrentes thou hast dried the riuers of Ethan †The day is thine and the night is thine thou hast made the morning and the sunne †Thou hast made al the coasts of the earth the summer and the spring thou hast formed them †Be mindeful of this the enimie hath vpbraided our Lord and a foolish people hath prouoked thy name †Deliuer not to beasts the soules that confesse to thee and the soules of thy poore forget not for euer †Haue respect vnto thy testament because they that are obscure of the earth are filled with houses of iniquities †Let not the humble be turned away being confounded the poore and needy shal praise thy name †Arise God iudge thy cause be mindful of those thy reproches that are from the foolish man al the day †Forget not the voices of thine enimies the pride of them that hate thee hath ascended alwaies PSALME LXXIIII Christ with his Assessors wil iudge the whole world at the last day in the meane time exhorteth sinners to amend their life 7. for none shal escape iust iudgement 1â— The wicked shal be punished and the good rewarded Vnto the end Corrupt not a Psalme of Canticle to Asaph VVE wil confesse to thee ô God we wil confesse and wil inuocate thy name We wil tel thy meruelouse workes †when I shal take a time I wil iudge iustices †The earth is melted and al that dwel in it I haue confirmed the pillers thereof †I said to the wicked doe not wickedly and to them that offend Exalt not the horne †Exalt not your horne on high speake not iniquitie aganst God †For neither from the East nor from the West nor from the desert mountanes †because God is Iudge This man he humbleth and him he exalteth †because there is a cuppe in the hand of our Lord of mere wine ful of mixture And he hath powred it out of this into that but yet the dregges therof are not emptied al the sinners of the earth shal drinke †But I wil shewforth for euer I wil sing to the God of Iacob †And I wil breake al the hornes of sinners and the hornes of the iust shal be exalted PSALME LXXV The royal prophet singeth Gods praises for his particular prouidence towards the Iewes 10. further to be extended to al the meeke of the whole earth Vnto the end in prayses a Psalme to Asaph a Canticle to the Assirians God is knowne in Iewrie in Israel his name is great †And his place is made in peace and his habitation in Sion †There he brake the powres of bowes the shilde the sword and the battle †Thou doest illuminate meruelousely from the eternal mountaynes †al the foolish of hart were trubled †They slept their sleepe and al the men of riches found nothing in their handes †At thy reprehension ô God of Iacob they haue al slumbered that mounted on horses †Thou art terrible and who shal resist thee from that time thy wrath †From heauen thou hast made thy iudgement hearde the earth trembled and was quiet When God arose vnto iudgement
be done †Nothing vnder the sunne is new neither is anie man able to say Behold this is new for it hath already gone before in the ages that were before vs. †There is no memorie of former thinges but neither of those thinges verily which hereafter are to come shal there be remenbrance with them that shal be in the later end †I Ecclesiastes haue bene king of Israel in Ierusalem †and haue proposed in my mind to seke and search wisely of al thinges that are done vnder the sunne This very euil occupation hath God geuen to the children of men that they might be occupied in it †I haue sene al thinges that are done vnder the sunne and behold al are vanitie affliction of spirit †The peruerse are hardly corrected and the number of fooles is infinite †I haue spoken in my hart saying Loe I haue bene made great and haue gone beyond al in wisdom that were before me in Ierusalem and my minde hath contemplated manie thinges wisely and I haue lerned †And I haue geuen my hart to know prudence and doctrine and errors and follie and I haue perceiued that in these also there was labour and affliction of spirite †for that “ in much wisdom there is much indignation and he that addeth knowlege addeth also labour ANNOTATIONS CHAP. I. 18. In much vvisdom is much indignation How much more anie man profiteth in wisdom so much more he is angrie with himself for the euils which he hath done so much better he knovveth the strict iudgement of God which he must passe so much more he vnderstandeth the vvant of perfect vvisdom so much more he seeth that labour is required to procede in vertue and to conserue that smal portion vvhich he hath gotten Neither is anie man ordinarily assured that he hath gotte anie part of true vvisdom for he knovveth not vvhether he be vvorthie of loue or hate Eccle. 9. CHAP. II. Humane deligthes are al vaine 4. as gorgious buildinges fruitful vinyards plentie of fish cattle seruantes siluer gold musike 11. not satisfying mans desire 18. Neither can anie man know how his heyre wil behaue himself ISayde therfore in my hart I wil goe flow in delightes and enioy good thinges And I saw that this also was vanitie †Laughter I haue reputed errour and to ioy I haue saide Why art thou deceiued in vaine †I haue thought in my hart to withdraw my flesh from wine that I might transferre my minde to wisdom and might auoid follie til I might see what should be profitable for the children of men what is nedeful to be done vnder the sunne in the number of the dayes of their life †I haue magnified my workes I haue built me houses planted vineyards †I haue made gardens and orchards and set them with trees of al kindes †and I haue made me ponds of waters to watter the wood of springing trees †I haue possessed menseruants and wemenseruants and haue had a great familie heardes also and great flockes of shepe aboue al that were before me in Ierusalem †I haue heaped together to myself siluer and gold and the substance of kinges and prouinces I made me singingmen singingwemen and the delightes of the children of men cuppes and goblets to serue to powre out wines †and I surpassed in riches al that were before me in Ierusalem wisdom also hath perseuered with me †And al thinges that myne eies desired I haue not denied to them neither haue I stayed my hart but that it enioyed al pleasure delighted itself in these thinges which I had prepared and this I estemed my portion if I did vse my labour †And when I had turned myself to al the workes which my handes had done to the laboures wherin I had swette in vaine I saw in al thinges vanitie and affliction of minde nothing to be permanent vnder the sunne †I passed further to contemplate wisdom and errors and follie what is man quoth I that he can folow the king his Maker †and I saw that wisdom so much excelled follie as light differeth from darknes †The eyes of a wiseman are in his head the foole walketh in darknes and I haue lerned that there was one death of both †And I sayd in my hart If the fal of the foole myne shal be one what doth it profite me that I haue bestowed greater labour for wisdom And speaking with my minde I perceiued that this also was vanitie †For there shal be no memorie of the wise in like maner as of the foole for euer and the times to come shal couer al thinges together with obliuion the lerned dieth in like maner as the vnlerned †And therfore I haue bene wearie of my life seing al thinges vnder the sunne to be euil and al thinges vanitie and affliction of spirite †Againe I detested al myne industrie wherwith I haue laboured vnder the sunne most studiously being like to haue an heyre after me †whom I know not whether he wil be a wiseman or a foole and he shal rule in my labours wherewith I haue swette and haue bene careful and is there anie thing so vaine †Wherfore I ceased and my hart hath renounced to labour anie more vnder the sunne †For whereas one laboreth in wisdom and doctrine and carefulnes he leaueth the thinges gotten to an idle man and this therfore is vanitie and great euil †For what profite shal be to a man of al his labour and affliction of spirite wherwith he is vexed vnder the sunne †Al his daies are ful of sorowes and miseries neither by night doth he rest in minde and is not this vanitie †Is it not better to eate and drinke and shew vnto his soule good thinges of his laboures this is of the hand of God †Who shal so deuour and flow with delightes as I †To a man good in his sight God hath geuen wisdom and knowlege and ioy but to the sinner he hath geuen affliction and superfluous care to adde and to gather together and deliuer it to him that hath pleased God but this also is vanitie vaine carefulnes of the minde CHAP. III. Contrarie thinges succede in their seasons and passe away 9. wherof man getteth no perfect knowlege how long soeuer he liueth and laboreth to know them 16. neither wil there be equitie where it ought to be in this world 21. but in the next good and euil shal be separated and iudged according to their desertes AL thinges haue a time and in their spaces al thinges passe vnder heauen †A time to be borne a time to dye A time to plant a time to pluck vp that which was planted †A time to kil and a time to heale A time to destroy and a time to builde †A time to wepe a time to laugh A time to mourne
found of them that seeke her †She preuenteth them that couete her that she first may shew herself vnto them †He that awaketh early to her shal not labour for he shal find her sitting at her doores †To thinke therfore of her is perfect vnderstanding and he that watcheth for her shal quickly be secure †Because she goeth about seeking them that be worthie of her and in the wayes she wil shew her self to them cheerefully and in al prouidence she wil meete them †For the beginning of her is the most true desire of discipline †The care therfore of discipline is loue and loue is the keeping of her lawes and the keeping of the lawes is the consummation of incorruption †and incorruption maketh to be next to God †Therfore the desire of wisdom leadeth to the euerlasting kingdom †If therfore you be delighted with thrones and with scepters ô ye kinges of the people loue wisdom that you may reigne for euer †Loue the light of wisdom al ye that beare rule ouer peoples †But what wisdom is and how she was made I wil declare and I wil not hide from you the mysteries of God but from the beginning of her natiuitie I wil search out and sette the knowlege of her into light and wil not let passe the truth †neither wil I goe with pyning enuie because such a man shal not be partaker of wisdom †But the multitude of the wise is the health of the round world and a wise king is the stabilitie of the people †Therfore take ye discipline by my wordes and it shal profite you CHAP. VII Wheras al men haue the like birth and death 7. Wisdom maketh great difference bringing al goodnes 13. and knowlege 17. as wel of natural thinges 22. as moral 25 Which heauenlie gift is a sparckle and participation of wisdom increated God himself I also certes am a mortal man like to al and of the earthlie kinred of him that was made first and in the wombe of my mother was I fashioned flesh †the time of ten monethes was I brought together in bloud of the seede of man and the delectation of sleepe concurring †And I being borne receiued the common ayre and fel vpon the earth that is made alike and the first voice like to al men did I put forth weeping †I was nourished in swadling clothes and great cares †For none of the kinges had other begynning of natiuitie †There is one entrance therfore into life to al men and like departure †For this cause I wished and vnderstanding was geuen me and I inuocated and the spirit of wisdom came vpon me †and I preferred her before kingdoms and thrones and riches I counted to be nothing in comparison offer †Neither did I compare the precious stone to here because al gold in comparison of her is a litle sand and siluer in the sight of her shal be estemed as clay †Aboue health and beautie did I loue her and purposed to haue her for light because her light can not be extinguished †And al good thinges came to me together with her and very much honestie by her handes †and I reioyced in al because this wisdom went before me and I was ignorant that she is the mother of al these †Which I lerned without fiction and doe communicate without enuie and her honestie I hid not †For she is an infinite treasure to men which who so haue are made partakers of the frenship of God commended for the gifts of discipline †And to me God hath geuen to speake according to my minde and to presume thinges worthie of those that are geuen me because he is the guide of wisdom and the creator of the wise †for in his hand are both we our wordes and wisdom and the knowlege and discipline of workes †For he gaue me the true knowlege of those thinges which are that I may know the disposition of the round world and the vertues of the elements †the beginning end middes of times the permutations of changeable seasons and consummations of times †the courses of the yeare and dispositions of the starres †the natures of beastes and furies of wilde beastes the force of windes and the cogitations of men the differences of plantes and vertues of rootes †and whatsoeuer are hid thinges and not forsene I haue lerned for wisdom the worker of al taught me †For in her is the spirite of vnderstanding holie onlie manifold subtil eloquent moueable vndefiled sure swete louing good sharpe who nothing hindereth wel doing †gentle benigne stable certaine secure hauing al powre forseing al thinges and that conteyneth al spirites intelligible cleane subtile †For wisdom is more moueable then al moueable thinges and reacheth euerie where because of her cleannes †For she is a vapour of the powre of God a certaine sincere emanation of the glorie of God omnipotent and therfore no defiled thing cometh vnto her †For she is the brightnes of eternal light the vnspotted glasse of Gods maiestie and the image of his goodnes †And wheras she is one she can doe al thinges and permanent in herselfe she reneweth al thinges and by nations transporteth herself into holie soules she maketh the frendes of God and Prophetes †For God loueth none but him that dwelleth with wisdom †For she is more beautiful then the sunne and aboue al disposition of the starres being compared to light she is found the first †For night succedeth to it but malice ouercometh not wisdom CHAP. VIII VVisdom excelling al thinges that can be desired 9. is worthely preferred as the cause of much estimation 13. and of immortal glorie 16. without molestation 21. Alwhich is Gods gift SHE reacheth therfore from end vnto end mightely and disposeth al thinges swetely †Her haue I loued and haue sought her out from my youth and haue sought to take her for my spouse and I was made a louer of her beautie †She glorifieth her nobilitie hauing consociation with God yea and the Lord of al hath loued her †For she is the mistresse of the discipline of God the chooser of his workes †And if riches be desired in life what is richer then wisdom which worketh al thinges †And if vnderstanding doe worke who is the worker of those things that are more then she †And if a man loue iustice her labours haue great vertues for she teacheth sobrietie and prudence and iustice and strength then the which nothing is more profitable in life to men †And if a man desire multitude of knowlege she knoweth thinges past coniectureth of thinges to come she knoweth the subtilities of wordes and the solution of arguments she knoweth signes and wonders before they be done and the euentes of times and ages †I purposed therfore to
appeareth in his creatures 10. and is geuen in competent measure to al that feare God 16. it bringeth al vertues 27. excludeth al vices 33. and is to be sought in simplicitie of hart AL wisdom is of our Lord God hath bene alwayes with him is before al time †The sand of the sea the droppes of rayne the dayes of the world who hath numbred The height of heauen and breadth of the earth profunditie of the depth who hath measured †The wisdom of God that goeth before al thinges who hath searched out †Wisdom was created before al thinges the vnderstanding of prudence from euerlasting †A fountayne of wisdom the word of God on high and the entrance therof euerlasting commandments †The roote of wisdom to whom hath it bene reueled the subtilties therof who hath knowen †The discipline of wisdom to whom hath it bene reueled and made manifest and the multiplication of her entrance who hath vnderstood †There is one most high Creatour omnipotent and mightie King and to be feared excedingly sitting vpon his throne and the God of dominion †He created her in the Holie Ghost and hath sene and nummbred and measured her †And he hath powred her out vpon al his workes and vpon al flesh according to his gift and hath geuen her to them that feare him †The feare of our Lord is glorie and gloriation and ioy and a crowne of exultation †The feare of our Lord shal delight the hart and shal geue ioy gladnes in length of dayes †With him that feareth our Lord it shal be wel in the later end and in the day of his death he shal be blessed †The loue of God is honorable wisdom †But they to whom she shal appeare in vision they loue her in the vision and in the agnising of her great workes †The feare of our Lord is the begynning of wisdom and was created with the faythful in the wombe and goeth with the elect wemen and is knowen with the iust and faythful †The feare of our Lord is religiositie of knowlege †Religiositie shal keepe and iustifie the hart shal geue ioy and gladnes †With him that feareth our Lord it shal be wel and in the dayes of his consummation he shal be blessed †The fulnesse of wisdom is to feare God and fulnesse is of the fruites therof †Al her house she shal fil with her generations and the storehouses with her treasures †A crowne of wisdom the feare of our Lord replenishing place and the fruite of saluation †and he hath sene and numbred her but both are the giftes of God †Wisdom shal distribute knowlege and vnderstanding of prudence and exalteth the glorie of them that hold it †The roote of wisdom is to feare our Lord for the boughes therof are of long time †In the treasures of wisdom is vnderstanding religiositie of knowlege but to sinners wisdom is abomination †The feare of our Lord expelleth sinne †for he that is without feare can not be iustified for the anger of his animositie is his subuersion †Vntil a time the patient shal susteyne and after shal be rewarded of ioyfulnes †A good vnderstanding wil hide his wordes vntil a time and the lippes of manie shal shew forth his vnderstanding †In the treasures of wisdom is signification of discipline †but the worshipe of God is abomination to a sinner †Sonne coueting wisdom keepe iustice and God wil geue her to thee †For the feare of our Lord is wisdom and discipline and that which wel pleaseth him †is fayth and meeknes and he wil fil his treasures †Be not incredulous to the feare of our Lord and come not to him with a duble hart †Be not an hypocrite in the sight of men and be not scandalized in thy lippes †Attend to them lest perhaps thou fal and bring dishonour to thy soule †and God reuele thy secretes and in the middes of the synagogue cast thee downe †because thou camest to our Lord wickedly thy hart is ful of guile and deceite CHAP. II. Whosoeuer wil serue God must haue iustice feare of God and patienâ—â— 6. with confidence in God 14. Dissemblers incredulous and impatient shal be miserable 18. but the godlie shal receiue more grace SONNE coming to the seruice of God stand in iustice and in feare prepare thy soule to tentation †Represse thy hart susteyne incline thine eare receiue the wordes of vnderstanding and make no hast in the time of obduction †Susteyne the sustentations of God be ioyned to God and susteyne that thy life may increase in the later end †Al that shal be applied to thee receiue and in sorow susteyne and in thy humiliation haue patience †for gold and siluer are tryed in the fyre but acceptable men in the fornace of humiliation †Beleue God and he wil recouer thee and direct thy way and hope in him Keepe his feare and grow old therin †Ye that feare our Lord expect his mercie decline not from him lest ye fal †Ye that feare our Lord beleue him and your reward shal not be voyde †Ye that feare our Lord hope in him and mercie shal come to you for your delectation †Ye that feare our Lord loue him your hartes shal be illuminated †Children behold the nations of men and know ye that none hath hoped in our Lord and hath bene confounded †For who hath continewed in his commandment and hath bene forsaken or who hath inuocated him and he despised him †Because God is pitiful and merciful and wil forgeue sinnes in the day of tribulation and he is protector to al that seeke him in truth †Woe to them of a duble hart and to wicked lippes and to the handes that doe euil and to the sinner that goeth on the earth two wayes †Woe to them that be dissolute of hart which beleue not God and therefore they shal not be protected of him †Woe be to them that haue lost patience and that haue forfaken the right wayes and haue declined into peruerse wayes †And what wil they doe when our Lord shal begynne to looke on them †They that feare our Lord wil not be incredulous to his word and they that loue him wil kepe his waye †They that feare our Lord wil seeke after the thinges that are wel pleasing to him and they that loue him shal be filled with his law †They that feare our Lord wil prepare their hartes and in his sight wil sanctifie their soules †They that feare our Lord kepe his commandements and wil haue patience euen vntil his visitation †saying If we doe not penance we shal fal into the handes of our Lord and not into the handes of men †For according to his greatnes so also his mercie is with him CHAP. III.
not the sinful man that is rich †The great one and the iudge and the mightie is in honour and there is none greater then he that feareth God †Free men wil serue a seruant that is wise and a man that is prudent and hath discipline wil not murmur being rebuked and the ignorant shal not be honoured †Extol not thyself in doing thy worke and linger not in the time of distresse †better is he that worketh and abundeth in al thinges then he that glorieth and lacketh bread †Sonne in mildenes keepe thy soule and geue him honour according to his desert †Him that sinneth agaynst his owne soule who shal iustifie and who shal honour him that dishonoureth his owne soule †The poore man is glorified by his discipline and feare there is a man that is honoured for his substance †But he that is glorified in pouertie how much more in substance and he that is glorified in substance let him feare pouertie CHAP. XI Wisdom by humilitie meriteth exaltation 7. Iudge not before examination 16. Trust not in riches 14. God sendeth both prosperitie and aduersitie for the good of his seruants 31. Take heede of the deceiptful THE wisdom of the humble shal exalt his head shal make him sitte in the middes of great men †Prayse not a man in his beautie neither despise a man by his looke †The bee is smal among fowles and her fruite hath the beginning of sweetnes †In apparel doe not glorie at any time nor be extolled in the day of thine honour because the workes of the Highest onlie be meruelous and his workes are glorious and secrete and not seene †Manie tyrantes haue sitte in the throne and he whom no man would thincke hath worne the crowne †Manie mightie men haue bene greatly oppressed and the glorious haue bene deliuered into the handes of others †Before thou enquire blame no man and when thou hast enquired chasten iustly †Before thou heare answer not a word and in the middes of ancients adde not to speake †Striue not for that thing which doeth not molest thee and consiste not in the iudgement of sinners †Sonne let not thy doings be in manie thinges and if thou be rich thou shalt not be free from sinne for if thou pursew thou shalt not attayne and if thou runne before thou shalt not escape †There is one that laboureth and hasteneth and is a sorowful impious man and so much the more he shal not abound †There is a lither man that wanteth recouerie more fayling in strength and abunding in pouertie †and the eie of God hath respected him in good and hath erected him from his low estate and hath exalted his head and manie haue merueled at him and haue honoured God †Good thinges and euil life and death pouertie and honestie are of God †Wisdom and discipline and the knowlege of the law are with God Loue and the wayes of good thinges are with him †Errour and darkenes are created with sinners and they that reioyce in euils waxe old in euil †The gift of God is permanent to the iust and his prospering shal haue successe for euer †There is that is enriched by doing sparingly and this is the portion of his reward †in that he sayth I haue found me rest and now I wil eate of my goods alone †and he knoweth not that time passeth death approcheth and he must leaue al to others and shal die †Stand in thy couenant and commen therein and grow old in the worke of thy commandements †Abide not in the workes of sinners But trust in God and tarie in thy place †For it is easie in the eies of God sodainly to enrich the poore man †The blessing of God hasteth to the reward of the iust and in a swift houre his prospering fructifieth †Say not What neede I and what good shal I haue by this †Say not I am sufficient for my self and what shal I be made worse by this †In the day of good thinges be not vnmindful of euils and in the day of euils be not vnmindful of good thinges †because it is easie before God in the day of death to reward euerie one according to his wayes †The malice of an houre maketh obliuion of great voluptuousnes and in the end of a man is the disclosing of his workes †Before death prayse no man because a man is knowen in his children †Bring not euerie man into thine house for there be manie traynes of the deceitful man †For as the stomakes belche of stinking breathes and as the partriche is brought in the cage and as the doe into the snare so also the hart of the proude and as a watche man that seeth the fal of his neighbour †For turning good thinges into euil he lyeth in wayte and on the elect he wil lay a blot †For of one sparke fire is increased and of a deceitful man bloud is increased and a sinful man lyeth in wayte for bloud †Take heede to thy self of the pestiferous person for he forgeth euils lest perhaps he bring vpon thee derision for euer †Admitte a straunger to thee and he shal ouerthrow thee in an hurlewind shal make thee an aliene from thine owne CHAP. XII Vse beneuolence towards good men 10. Trust not enemies ouer much IF thou wilt doe good know to whom thou doest it and there shal be much thanke in thy good deedes †Doe good to the iust and thou shalt finde great rewarde and if not of him assuredly of our Lord. †For it is not wel with him that is euer occupied in euil thinges and that geueth not almes because the Highest both hateth sinners and hath mercie on them that are penitent †Geue to the merciful and receiue not the sinner both to the impious to sinners he wil repay vengeance keping them vnto the day of vengeance †Geue to the good and receiue not a sinner †Doe good to the humble and geue not to the impious prohibite to geue him bread lest therin he be mightier then thou †for thou shalt finde duble euils in al the good whatsoeuer thou shalt do to him because the Highest hateth sinners and wil repay vengeance to the impious †A freind shal not be knowen in prosperitie and an enimie shal not be hid in aduersitie †In the prosperitie of a man his enimies are in sorow and in affliction a freind is knowne †Credite not thyn enemie for euer for as a brasse potte his wickednes rusteth †and if humbling himself he goe crouching be aduised in thy mind and beware of him †Place him not by thee neither let him sitte on thy right hand lest perhaps turning into thy place he seke after thy seate and at the last thou know my wordes and be pricked in my sayinges †Who
incredulous to his word †After this God looked vpon the earth filled it with his good thinges †And the soule of euerie liuing thing shal shew before the face thereof and into it againe is their returne CHAP. XVII God creating man to his owne image gaue him gifies 9. and precepts 14. chose the Israelites for his peculiar people 18. Workes of mercie are commended to al men 20. Repentance to sinners 28. mercie is offered to al. GOD created man of the earth and after his owne image he made him †And againe he turned him into it and conformable to himselfe clothed him with strength †He gaue him a number of daies and time and gaue him power of those thinges that are vpon the earth †He put his feare ouer al flesh and he had dominion of beastes and fowles †He created of him an helper like to himself he gaue them counsel and tongue and eies eares and hart to deuise and he filled them with the discipline of vnderstanding †He created in them the knowlege of the spirit he filled their hart with vnderstanding and euil and good he shewed them †He set his eie vpon their hartes to shew them the great thinges of his workes †that they might praise the name of sanctification and glorie in his meruelous workes that thy might declare the glorious thinges of his workes †He added discipline vnto them and made them inherite the lawe of life †He made an euerlasting testament with them he shewed them iustice and his iudgementes †And their eie saw the glorious thinges of his honour and their eares heard the honour of his voice and he said to them Beware of euerie vniust thing †And he gaue them commandment euerie one concerning his neighbour †Their wayes are before him alwaies they are not hid from his eies †Ouer eucrie nation he appointed a ruler †And Israel was made the manifest portion of God †And al their workes as the sunne in the sight of God and his eies without intermission looking on their wayes †The testamentes were not hid by their iniquitie and al their iniquities are in the sight of God †The almes of a man is as a seale with him and shal preserue the grace of a man as the apple of the eâ—e †And afterward he shal arise and shal render them reward to euerie one vpon their head and shal turne into the inner partes of the earth †But to the penitent he hath geuen the way of iustice and he hath confirmed them that faile to susteine and hath appointed to them the lot of truth †Turne to our Lord and forsake thy sinnes †pray before the face of our Lord and diminish offences †Returne to our Lord and turne away from thine iniustice and hate excedingly abomination †and know the iniustices and iudgementes of God and stand in the lot of thy purpose and of praier of the most high God †Goe into the partes of the holie world with the liuing and them that geue praise to God †Tarie not in the errour of the impious before death confesse From the dead as nothing confession perisheth †Thou shalt confesse liuing aliue and in health thou shalt confesse and shalt praise God and shalt glorie in his mercies †How great is the mercie of our Lord and his propitiation to them that turne to him †For al thinges can not be in men because the sonne of man is not immortal and they haue delighted in the vanitie of malice †What is brighter then the sunne it shal faile Or what more wicked then that which flesh and bloud hath inuented and this shal be reproued †He beholdeth the powre of the height of heauen and al men be earth and ashes CHAP. XVIII Gods wonderful workes excede mans capacitie 7. Our weaknes is streingthened by grace 15. wherto man must cooperate 19. by purging his conscience 22. by prayer 24. by meditating Gods iudgements 30. and by mortifying his owne concupiscence HE that liueth for euer created al thinges together God onlie shal be iustified and remaineth an inuincible king for euer †Who is sufficient to declare his workes †For who shal search out his glorious thinges †and who shal shew forth the powre of his greatnesse or who shal adde to declare his mercie †It is not possible to diminish nor adde neither is it possible to finde the glorious workes of God †When a man shal haue done then shal he beginne and when he shal rest he shal worke †What is man and what is his grace and what is his good or what his euil †The number of the daies of men at the most an hundred yeares as droppes of the water of the sea they are reputed and as the grauel stone of the sand so a few yeares in the day of eternitie †For this cause God is patient toward them and powreth out his mercie vpon them †He hath senne the presumption of their hart that it is naught and hath knowen their subuersion that it is euil †Therefore hath he fulfilled his propitiation toward them and hath shewed them the way of equitie †Mans compassion is touching his neigbour but the mercie of God is vpon al flesh †He that hath mercie teacheth and instructeth as a pastour his flocke †He hath mercie on him that receiueth the doctrine of compassion and he that hasteneth in his iudgementes †Sonne in good deedes geue no blame and in euerie gift geue not the sadnes of an euil word †Shal not the dew colle heate so also a word better then a gift †Is not a word aboue a good gift but both are with a iustified man †A foole wil vpbraide bitterly and the gift of one vntaught maketh the eies to drie away †Before iudgement prepare thee iustice and before thou speake lerne †Before sickenes take medicine and before iudgement examine thyself and in the sight of God thou shalt finde propitiation †Before sickenes humble thy self and in time of infirmitie shew thy conuersation †Be not hindered to pray alwayes feare not to be iustified euen to death because the reward of God abideth for euer †Before praier prepare thy soule and be not as a man that tempteth God †Remember the wrath in the day of consummation and the time of reward in conuersation of the face †Remember pouertie in the time of abundance and the necessities of pouertie in the day of riches †From morning vnto euening time shal be changed al these are sowne in the eies of God †A wise man in al thinges wil feare in the daies of offences wil be ware of sloth †Euerie subtile man knoweth wisdom and to him that findeth her he wil geue prayse †The wise in wordes and they also haue done wisely and haue vnderstood truth and iustice
and al thinges whatsoeuer I shal command thee thou shalt speake †Be not afraide of their face because I am with thee to deliuer thee saith our Lord. †And our Lord put forth his hand and touched my mouth and our Lord saied to me Beholde I haue geuen my wordes in thy mouth †Behold I haue appointed thee this day ouer the Gentiles and ouer kingdomes that thou maist pluck vp and destroy and waste and dissipate and build and plant †And the word of our Lord was made to me saying What seest thou Ieremie And I said I see a rodde watching †And our Lord sayed to me wel hast thou seene because I wil watch vpon my word to doe it †And the word of our Lord was made to me the second time saying What seest thou And I said I see a pot boyling hote and the face thereof from the face of the North. †And our Lord saied vnto me From the North shal euil be opened vpon al the inhabitantes of the land †Because loe I wil cal together al the kinredes of the kingdomes of the North saith our Lord and they shal come and shal sette euerie one his throne in the entring of the gates of Ierusalem and vpon al the walles therof round about and vpon al the cities of Iuda †And I wil speake my iudgements with them touching al the wickednes of them that haue forsaken me and haue offered to strange goddes and haue adored the worke of their owne handes †Thou therefore girde thy loynes and rise and speake to them al thinges that I command thee Be not afraied of their face for I wil make thee not to feare their countenance †For I haue geuen thee this day to be as a fenced citie and as an yron pillar and as a brasen walle ouer al the land of the kinges of Iuda to the princes thereof to the priestes and to the people of the land †And they shal fight against thee and shal not preuaile because I am with thee saith our Lord to deliuer thee CHAP. II. God expostulateth with the Iewes 6. that they regard not his great benefites 8. Some priestes and pretended prophetes seruing false goddes 23. and denying their fault 25. are obstinate in idolatrie 36. for which they shal be confounded AND the word of our Lord was made to me saying †Goe and crie in the eares of Ierusalem saying Thus saith our Lord I haue remembred thee pitying thy youth and the charitie of thy despousing when thou didest folow me in the desert in a land that is not sowen †Israel is holie to our Lord the first fruites of his fruites al they that doe deuoure it doe sinne euil shal come vpon them saith our Lord. †Heare ye the word of our Lord ô house of Iacob and al ye kinredes of the house of Israel †thus saith our Lord What iniquitie haue your fathers found in me that they haue made themselues far from me and haue walked after vanitie and are become vaine †And they haue not said Where is our Lord that made vs come vp out of the land of Aegypt that led vs through the defert through a land inhabitable and without way through a land of thirst the image of death through a land wherein no man walked nor anie man dwelt †And I brought you into the land of Carmel that you might eate the fruite thereof and the best thinges therof and being entered in you haue contaminated my land and made mine inheritance an abomination †The priestes haue not said Where is our Lord and they that held the law knew me not and the pastours haue transgressed against me and the prophets haue prophecied in Baal and haue folowed idoles †Therefore wil I yet contend in iudgement with you saith our Lord and I wil plead with your children †Passe ye to the iles of Cethim and see and send into Cedar and consider earnestly and see if there hath the like thing bene done †If a nation hath changed their goddes and surely they are not goddes but my people hath changed their glorie into an idol †Be astoined ô heauens vpon this and ô gates thereof be ye desolate exceedingly saith our Lord. †For two euils hath my people done Me they haue forsaken the fountaine of liuing water haue digged to them selues cesternes broken cesternes that are not able to holde waters †Why is Israel a bondman or a seruant borne in the house why then is he become a praye †The lions haue roared vpon him and haue geuen their voice they haue made his land a wildernes his cities are burnt vp there is none to dwel in them †The children also of Memphis and Taphnes haue defloured thee euen to the crowne of the head †Is not this done to thee because thou didest forsake the Lord thy God at that time when he led thee by the way †And now what wilt thou in the way of Aegypt to drinke the trubled water And what hast thou to doe with the way of the Assyrians to drinke the waters of the riuer †Thy malice shal reproue thee and thine apostacie shal rebuke thee Know thou see that it is an euil and a bitter thing for thee to haue left the Lord thy God and that my feare is not with thee saith our Lord the God of hostes †From the beginning thou hast broken my yoke thou hast burst my bonds and thou saidst I wil not serue For on euerie litle high hil and vnder euerie greene thicke tree thou wast laied downe as an harlot †But I planted thee an elect vineyard al true seede how then art thou turned vnto me into that which is depraued ô strange vineyard †If thou shalt wash thyself with nitre and multiplie to thy self the herbe borith thou art spotted in thine iniquitie before me saith our Lord God †How sayst thou I am not polluted I haue not walked after Baalim see thy wayes in the valley know what thou hast done a swift courser that rideth his wayes †The wild Asse accustomed to the wildernes in the desire of his soule hath drawen the winde of his loue none shal turne her away al that seeke her shal not faile in her monethlie flowres they shal finde her †Stay thy foote from nakednes and thy throate from thirst And thou saidest I haue despayred no I wil not doe it for I haue loued strangers and I wil walke after them †As the theefe is confounded when he is taken so is the house of Israel confounded they and their kinges the princes and priestes and their prophetes †saying to wood Thou art my father and to stone Thou hast begotten me they haue turned the backe to me not the face and in the time of their affliction they wil say Arise and deliuer vs. †Where are the goddes whom thou
inhabitantes therof For in truth our Lord sent me to you that I should speake al these wordes in your eares †And the princes and al the people said to the priestes and to the prophetes There is no iudgement of death to this man because he hath spoken to vs in the name of the Lord our God †Men therefore of the ancients of the land rose vp and they spake to al the assemblie of the people saying †Michaeas the Morasthi was a prophet in the daies of Ezechias the king of Iuda and he spake to al the people Iuda saying Thus saith the Lord of hostes Sion shal be plowed as a field and Ierusalem shal be as an heape of stones and the mount of the house as the high places of woodes †Did Ezechias the king of Iuda and al Iuda condemne him to death Did they not feare our Lord and beseech the face of our Lord and it repented our Lord of the euil that he had spoken against them Therefore we doe great euil against our selues †There was also a man prophecying in the name of our Lord Vrias the sonne of Semei of Cariathiarim and he prophecied against this citie and against this land according to al the wordes of Ieremie †And king Ioakim and al his mighties and his princes heard these wordes the king sought to kil him And Vrias heard and was afraied and fled and went into Aegypt †And king Ioakim sent men into Aegypt Elnathan the sonne of Achobor and men with him into Aegypt †And they brought Vrias out of Aegypt and brought him to king Ioakim and he stroke him with the sword and he cast forth his carcasse in the sepulchers of the base vulgar people †Therefore the hand of Ahicam the sonne of Saphan was with Ieremie that he should not be deliuered into the handes of the people and they kil him CHAP. XXVII Ieremie putteth chaines about his owne necke and then sendeth them to sundrie kinges admonishing them that they must either be subiect to the king of Babylon 8. or perish by sword famine and pestilence 14. Inueigheth against false prophetes preaching the contrarie 16. and falsly affirming that the vessels already taken away shal quickly be restored 18. wheras in dede the rest shal also be caried away but al at last restored IN THE beginning of the kingdom of Ioakim the sonne of Iosias king of Iuda was this word made to Ieremie from our Lord saying †Thus saith our Lord to me Make thee bandes and chaynes and thou shalt put them on thy necke †And thou shalt send them to the king of Edom and to the king of Moab and to the king of the children of Ammon and to the king of Tyre and to the king of Sidon by the hand of the messengers that are come to Ierusalem to Sedecias the king of Iuda †And thou shalt command them that they speake to their lordes Thus saith the Lord of hostes the God of Israel Thus shal you say to your lordes †I made the earth and men and the beastes that are vpon the face of the earth in my great strength and in my stretched out arme and I haue geuen it to him that pleased in mine eies †And now therefore I haue geuen al these landes into the hand of Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon my seruant more ouer also the beastes of the field I haue geuen him to serue him †And al nations shal serue him and his sonne and his sonnes sonne til the time come of his land and of himself and manie nations and great kinges shal serue him †But the nation and kingdome that shal not serue Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon and who soeuer shal not bowe his necke vnder the yoke of the king of Babylon I wil visite vpon that nation with sword and with famine and with pestilence saith our Lord til I consume them in his hand †You therefore heare not your prophetes and deuiners and dreamers and southsayers and sorcerers that say to you You shal not serue the king of Babylon †Because they prophecie lies vnto you that they may make you far from your countrie and cast you out and you perish †But the nation that shal submit their necke vnder the yoke of the king of Babylon and shal serue him the same wil I let alone in their owne land saith our Lord and they shal husband it and dwel in it †And to Sedecias the king of Iuda I haue spoken according to al these wordes saying Submitte your neckes vnder the yoke of the king of Babylon serue him and his people you shal liue †Why wil you dye thou and thy people with the sword and famine the pestilence as the Lord hath spoken to the nation that wil not serue the king of Babylon †Heare not the wordes of the prophetes that say to you You shal not serue the king of Babylon because they speake a lie to you †Because I sent them not saith our Lord they prophecie in my name falsely that they may cast you out you perish as wel you as the prophetes that prophecie vnto you †And to the priestes and to this people I haue spoken saying Thus saith our Lord Heare not the wordes of your prophetes that prophecie to you saying Behold the vessels of our Lord shal returne out of Babylon euen now quickly for they prophecie a lie vnto you †Therefore heare them not but serue the king of Babylon that you may liue Why is this citie geuen into desolation †And if they be prophetes and the word of our Lord be in them let them interpose themselues before the Lord of hostes that the vessels which were leaft in the house of our Lord and in the house of the king of Iuda and in Ierusalem come not into Babylon †Because thus saith the Lord of hostes to the pillars and to the sea and to the feete and to the rest of the vessels that are remayning in this citie †Which Nabuchodonosor the king of Babylon tooke not when he transported Ieconias the sonne of Ioakim the king of Iuda from Ierusalem into Babylon and al the great men of Iuda and Ierusalem †Because thus saith the Lord of hostes the God of Israel to the vessels that are left in the house of our Lord and in the house of the king of Iuda and Ierusalem †They shal be transported into Babylon and there they shal be vntil the day of their visitation saith our Lord and I wil cause them to be brought and to be restored in this place CHAP. XXVIII Hananias a false prophet auoucheth that within two yeares the holie vessel and king I echonias with other captiues shal be restored 5. I eremie prayeth that it may be so 7. but prophecieth that it wil not so be 10. The false prophet in confirmation of that he saith breaketh I eremies chaine 12.
they had taken the king they brought him to the king of Babylon into Reblatha which is in the land of Emath and to him iudgements †And the king of Babylon killed the sonnes of Sedecias before his eies yea and al the princes of Iuda he slew in Reblatha †And he plucked out the eies of Sedecias and bound him with fetters and the king of Babylon brought him into Babylon and he put him in the prison house euen to the day of his death †And in the fifth moneth the tenth of the moneth the same is the ninetenth yeare of Nabuchodonosor the king of Babylon came Nabuzardan the prince of the warfare who stood before the king of Babylon in Ierusalem †And he burnt the house of our Lord and the kings house and al the houses of Ierusalem and euerie great house he burnt with fire †And al the host of the Chaldees that was with the prince of the warfare destroyed al the wall of Ierusalem round about †But of the poore of the people and of the rest of the vulgar sorte which remayned in the citie and of the fugitiues that were fled to the king of Babylon and the rest of the multitude Nabuzardan the prince of the warfare transported †But of the poore of the land Nabuzardan the prince of the warfare left some to be dressers of vineyards and husbandmen †The brasen pillers also that were in the house of our Lord and the feete and the sea of brasse that was in the house of our Lord the Chaldees brake and they tooke al the brasse of them into Babylon †And the kettles and the fleshhookes and the psalteries and the phials and the litle mortars and al the brasen vessels that had bene in the ministrie they tooke †and the water pottes and the censars and the pitchers and the basins and the candlestickes and the mortars the gobblets as manie as of gold of gold and as manie as of siluer of siluer did the prince of the warfare take †and two pillars and one sea twelue oxen of brasse that were vnder the feete which king Salomon had made in the house of our Lord there was no weight of the brasse of al these vessels †And concerning the pillars there were eightene cubits of height in one pillar and a corde of twelue cubits did compasse it about moreouer the thicknes thereof of foure fingers and within it was holow †And the litle heads of brasse vpon both the height of one litle head of fiue cubits and the litle nettes and the pomegranates vpon the crowne round about al of brasse Likewise of the second piller and the pomegranates †And there were nintie six pomegranates hanging downe and al the pomegranates an hundred were compassed with litle nettes †And the master of the warefare tooke Saraias the chiefe priest and Sophonias the second priest and the three kepers of the entrie †And of the citie he tooke one eunuch that was chiefe ouer the men of warre and seuen men of them that saw the kings face that were found in the citie and a scribe the captayne of the souldiars who tryed the yong souldiars and three score of the people of the land that were found in the middes of the citie †And Nabuzardan the prince of the warfare tooke them and he brought them to the king of Babylon into Reblatha †And the king of Babylon stroke them and he killed them in Reblatha in the land of Emath and Iuda was transported from his land †This is the people which Nabuchodonosor transported In the seuenth yeare Iewes three thousand and twentie three †In the eightenth yeare of Nabuchodonosor from Ierusalem soules eight hundred thirtie two †In the three and twentith yeare of Nabuchodonosor Nabuzardan the prince of the warefare transported of the Iewes seuen hundred fourtie fiue soules al the soules therfore were foure thousand six hundred †And it came to passe in the seuen and thirtith yeare of the transmigration of Ioachin the king of Iuda the twelfth moneth the fiue and twentith of the moneth Euilmerodach the king of Babylon lifted vp in the very yeare of his reigne the head of Ioachin the king of Iuda and he brought him out of the prison house †And he spake with him good thinges and he sette his throne aboue the thrones of the kinges that were after himself in Babylon †And he changed his prison garments and he did eate bread before him alwaies al the daies of his life †And his allowance of meate a continual prouision of meate was geuen him by the king of Babylon euerie day a certaine euen vnto the day of his death al the daies of his life THE ARGVMENT OF IEREMIES LAMENTATIONS THESE Lamentations in Greeke called Threni and by the Hebrew Rabhins intituled Cinoth were written by Ieremie before the greatest part of his oâ—her prophecies as semeth most probable to S. Ierom and were first songue at the death of Iosias king of Iuda Againe when king Sedecias with manie others were taken captiues manie also slaine and the Temple and citie of Ierusalem destroyed But most especially he prophecieth the Iewes miserable estate and iust cause of Lamentation after Christs coming and their reiecting him And therfore his Church singeth the same in the Aniuersarie or Commemoration of his Passion and Death and most piously inuiteth al sinners both Iewes and Gentiles to returne vnto Christ our Redemer saying Ierusalem IERVSALEM conuertere ad Dominum Deum tuum In this litle booke the diligent reader wil easely obserue manie doleful patheticalspeaches powred out from a pensiue hart as in great calamities it commonly happeneth with litle connexion of sentences but otherwise foure whole chapters are very artificially compiled in verse not by number of times with measure of long and short syllables as the Grekes and Latines vse but after the Hebrew maner obseruing number of syllables and beginning euerie verse with a distinct letter from the first to the last in order with some smal varietie of the Hebrew Alphabet Doubtles with great mysteries as S. Ierom iudgeth and therfore explicateth the significations and certains connexions of the two and twentie Hebrew letters as we haue noted vpon the 118. Psalme but aboue the capacitie of our vnderstanding In the last chapter the Prophet omitting the obseruation of Initial letters in twentie two verses prayeth lamentably as the whole people shal pray in captiuitie THE THRENES that is to say THE LAMENTATIONS OF IEREMIE THE PROPHET And it came to passe after that Israel was brought into captiuitie and Ierusalem was desolate Ieremie the prophete sate weeping and he mourned with this lamentation vpon Ierusalem and with a pensiue mind sighing and wayling he sayd CHAP. I. HOW doeth the citie ful of people sitte solitarie how is the ladie of the Gentiles become as a widow the princesse of prouinces is made tributarie Weeping she
that the Apostles and al the faithful of Christ vvere signed in their foreheades vvith the signe of THAV the last of the Hebrew letters bearing the forme of a Crosse the same saith he vvith the Greke letter TAV and our Latin T. VVho further both in that place and li de corona â—â—luis liâ—de resurrect carnis testifieth the most frequent vse of this holie signe of the Crosse After him S Cyprian vvitnesseth the same in his time Epist ad Tybaritanos li. ad Demâ—trâ—anum li. 1. ca. 8. Testimoniorum aduers Iudaeos More especially li. 2. c. 22. proueth by this place amongst other holie Scriptures that in this signe of the Crosse is health to al that are signed therwith in the foreheades S. Chrysostom li. cont Gentiles Amongst other demonstrations sheweth by the honour and daylie vse of the Crosse that Christ is God because none but God could make a thing vvhich before vvas so execrable to be novv euery where so highly esteemed And in his Homilies 55. in Mat. 16. 84. in Ioan. 19. and other places vvitnesseth that in Baptisme in the most holie Eucharist in the Sacrament of holie Orders in al most excellent Mysteries the Ensigne of Victorie the signe of the Crosse is euer present vnto vs in al his discourse teaching to glorie not only in Christ crucified but also to honour the signe of the Crosse And that vvho soeuer despiseth the signe of the Crosse despiseth in deede Christ Crucified To omitte others S. Augustin recordeth li. 1. Confess c. 11. that himself vvhen he vvas a childe and dangerously sicke vvas by his mothers pious care signed vvith the signe of the Crosse li. de catechizandis rudibus c 20. teacheth that euerie one is to be signed in the forehead with the signe of the Crosse that al Christians are so signed Also Tract 118. in Ioan. VVhat is the signe of Christ saith he which al know but the Crosse of Christ which signe vnles it be adioyned as wel to the foreheades of them that beleue in Christ as to the vvâ—ter it selfe vvherevvith they are regenerate and to the chriâ—â—â—ne oyle vvherevvith they are anointed as also to the Sacrifice vvherevvith they are nourished none of these thinges is rightly performed Or vvil you haue him to speake more plainly or more generally Ser 101. de tempore VVith the signe of the Crosse saith he our Lords bodie is consecrated al thinges vvhatsoeuer are sanctified are consecrated vvith the inuocation of Christs name in this signe VVho pleaseth to see more testimonies of ancient Fathers may also reade S. Basil li. de Spiritu Sancto S. Cyril of Ierusalem Catechesi 4. 13. S. Ambrose Orat. â—unebri de obitu Theodosij S. Gregorie Epist 126. The apparition also of this signe to Constantin the great vvith this inscription IN HOC VINCES is most famous vvritten by Eusebius Caesariensis li. 1 c. 22 23. de vita Constantini and manie others The same signe also appeared in Ierusalem in the time of his sonne Constantius as S. Cyril of Ierusalem testifieth in his Epistle to the same Emperour And Nicephorus li. 10. c. 2. Hist Eccles vvriteth that the formes of Crosses fel vvith the devv vpon the garments of Iulian the Apostata and of his folovvers And manie other histories both ancient and moderne make mention of the like apparitions But aboue al others the most principal is to come The Signe of the Sonne of man as our B. Sauiour himself fortelleth vvhich shal appeare in the heauen at his coming to iudge the vvhole vvorld his most proper Ensigne the Crosse by vvhich he conquered the diuel sinne death and al enimies of God and men So al ancient Fathers vndoubtedly vnderstand his prediction Mat. 24. Then vvil this signe appeare to the great confusion of al vnsigned miscreants vvith other vvicked enimies of the Crosse and Crucifix For then shal al the vvorld both men and Angels see vvhat infinite charitie our most blessed Redeemer hath vsed for mans saluation and hovv iustly those that either doe not beleue or not regard his so vnspeakable mercie shal be adiudged to euerlasting damnation in the pitie and fire of hel And on the other side al those that are rightly signed in their foreheades and haue accordingly performed that which in Baptisme they promised shal mete this sauing Ensigne vvith incomparable comforth â—oy and gladnes vvho coming clothed â—n vvhite robes vvith palmes of victorie in their handes shal then receiue glorious crovvnes in eternal life CHAP. X. Destruction of the citie is againe signified by apparence of fire sprinkled therin 9. with description of Cherubims foure wheeles and of the foure liuing creatures AND I saw and behold in the firmament that was ouer the head of the Cherubs as it were the sapphire stone as it were the forme of the similitude of a throne appeared ouer them †And he spake to the man that was clothed with the linnen garments and sayd Goe in the middes of the wheeles that are vnder the Cherubs and fil thy hand with the coles of fyre that are betwen the Cherubs powre them out vpon the citie And he went in in my sight †and the Cherubs stood on the right hand of the house when the man went in and a cloude filled the inner court †And the glorie of our Lord was lifted vp from aboue the Cherub to the threshold of the house and the house was replenished with the cloude and the court was replenished with the brightnes of the glorie of our Lord. †And the sound of the winges of the Cherubs was heard euen to the vtter court as it were the voice of God almightie speaking †And when he had commanded the man that was clothed with the linnen garments saying Take fyre from the middes of the wheeles that are betwen the Cherubs he being gone in stood beside the wheele †And a Cherub streched out his hand from the middes of the Cherubs to the fyre that was betwen the Cherubs and he tooke gaue into his handes that was clothed with the linnen garments who taking it went forth †And there appeared in the Cherubs the similitude of a mans hand vnder their winges †And I saw and behold foure wheeles by the Cherubs one wheele by one Cherub and another wheele by one Cherub and the forme of the wheeles was as it were the resemblance of the stone Chrysolithus †and their resemblance one similitude to the foure as it were a wheele in the middes of a wheele †And when they walked they went into foure partes and they returned not walking but to the place wherunto that which was first declined the rest also folowed neither did they turne †And al their bodie and neckes and handes and winges and the circles were ful of eyes in the circuite of the foure wheeles †And these wheeles he called voluble my self hearing it †And one had foure
and sayd As yet fourtie dayes and Niniue shal be subuerted †And the men of Niniue beleued in God and they proclamed a fast and were clothed with sackcloths from the greater to the lesser †And the word came to the king of Niniue and he rose vp out of his throne and cast away his garment from him and was clothed with sackcloth and sate in ashes †And he cried and sayd in Niniue from the mouth of the king of his princes saying Men and beasts and oxen and cattel let them not taste any thing nor feede and let them not drinke water †And let men and beasts be couered with sackcloths and crie to our Lord in strength and let euerie man conuert from his euil way from the iniquitie that is in their handes †Who knoweth if God wil conuert and forgeue and wil returne from the furie of his wrath and we shal not perish †And God saw their workes that they were conuerred from their euil way and God had mercie on the euil which he had spoken that he would do to them and he did it not CHAP. IIII. The prophet lamenteth for that he was commanded to preach otherwise then it came to passe 5. Going forth he stayeth nere the citie to see the end 6. an yuie growing couereth his head from the sunne 7. but withereth the next day 8. he lamenting desireth to dye 10. and God sheweth that it is more meete to saue Niniue then the yuie AND Ionas was afflicted with great affliction and was * angrie †and he prayed to our Lord and sayd I besech thee ô Lord Why is not this my word when I was yet in my countrie for this did I preuent to flee into Tharsis For I know that thou art a clement and merciful God patient and of much compassion and forgeuing vpon the euil †And now Lord take I besech thee my soule from me because better is death to me then life †And our Lord sayd Art thou angrie wel thinkest thou †And Ionas went out of the citie and sate against the East part of the citie and he made himself a bowre there and he sate vnder it in the shadow til he might see what would befal to the citie †And our Lord God prepared an iuie tree it came vp ouer the head of Ionas to be a shadow ouer his head and to couer him for he had laboured and Ionas reioyced vpon the iuie with great ioy †And God prepared a worme in the rysing of the morning against the morrow and it stroke the iuie and it withered †And when the sunne was risen our Lord commanded an hotte and burning winde and the sunne beate vpon the head of Ionas and he broyled for heate and he desired for his soule to dye and sayd It is better for me to dye then to liue †And our Lord sayd to Ionas Art thou angrie wel thinkest thou for the iuie And he sayd I am angrie wel euen vnto death †And our Lord sayd Thou art sorie for the iuie wherin thou hast not laboured nor made it to grow which in one night came forth and in one night is perished †And shal not I spare Niniue the great citie wherin are more then a hundred twentie thousand men that know not what is betwen their right hand and their left and manie beastes THE PROPHECIE OF MICHEAS MICHEAS a Morasthite of the tribe of Ephraim prophecied part of the time with Isai the former fiue lesse Prophets against both the kingdomes of Israel and Iuda foreshewing their captiuities and relaxation of Iuda from Babylon their conuersion to Christ nere the end of the world and that in the meane time al other nations shal beleue in Christ CHAP. I. Samaria and al the tenne tribes shal be brought into captiuitie by the Assirians 9. The two tribes shal also be inuaded and spoyled euen nere to Ierusalem THE word of our Lord that was made to Michaeas the Morasthite in the dayes of Ioathan Achaz and Ezechias kinges of Iuda which he saw vpon Samaria and Ierusalem †Heare al ye peoples and let the earth attend and the fulnes therof and let our Lord God be vnto you for a witnes our Lord out of his holie temple †Because loe our Lord wil goe forth out of his place and he wil descend wil tread vpon the highest of the earth †And the mountaines shal be consumed vnder him and the valleis shal be clouen as waxe at the presence of fyre as waters that runne downe headlong †For the wickednes of Iacob al this and for the sinnes of the house of Israel what is the wickednes of Iacob is it not Sammaria and what the excelses of Iuda is it not Ierusalem †And I wil lay Samaria as a heape of stones in the filde when a vineyard is planted and I wil plucke downe her stones into the valley wil discouer her fundations †And al her sculptils shal be cut in sunder and al her wages shal be burnt with fyre and I wil lay al her idols into perdition because they are gathered together of the wages of an harlot vnto the hyre of an harlot they shal returne †Vpon this wil I lament and howle I wil goe spoiled and naked I wil make lamentation as of dragons and mourning as it were of striches †Because her plague is desperate because it is come euen to Iuda it hath touched the gate of my people euen to Ierusalem †In Geth declare it not weepe not with teares in the house of dust sprinkle your self with dust †And passe ye to your selues ô faire habitation confounded with ignominie she went not out that dwelleth in the going out the house adioyning shal receiue lamentation of you which stood to her self †Because she is weakened to good which dwelleth in bitternesses because euil is descended from our Lord into the gate of Ierusalem †Tumult of the chariot of astonishment to the inhabitant of Lachis it is the beginning of sinne to the daughter of Sion because in thee are found the wickednesses of Israel †Therfore shal he geue spoilers vpon the inheritance of Geth the houses of lying into deception to the kinges of Israel †As yet wil I bring an heyre to thee which dwellest in Maresa euen to Odolla shal the glorie of Israel come †Be bald and be pouled for the children of thy delicacies enlarge thy baldnes as an eagle because they are led captiues out of thee CHAP. II. By their great iniustice 7. notwithstanding their vaine presumption of Gods mercie wherto he is in dede most prone 8. the Israelites through their excessiue rapine prouoke God to punish them 12. yet when Christ shal come some Iewes wil serue him and manie more in the end of the world VVO TO you which thinke that is vnpofitable and worke euil in
the wine †And thou hast kept the precepts of Amri and al the worke of the house of Achab and thou hast walked in their willes that I might geue thee into perdition and the inhabitants therin into hissing and the reproch of my people you shal beare CHAP. VII The prophet lamenteth that for al his preaching few are good and manie corrupt in maners 5. therfore their miseries approch 7. from which they shal be againe deliuered 14. and prosper 20. and al mankind shal be redemed by Christ VVO is me because I am become as he that gathereth in autumne the clusters of vintage there is no cluster to eate timely ripe figges my soule hath desired †The holie is perished out of the earth there is none righteous among men al lie in wayte for bloud euerie one hunteth his brother to death †The euil of their handes they cal good the prince requireth and the iudge is in rendring and the great man hath spoken the desire of his soule and they haue trubled it †He that is left among them is as a brier and he that is righteous as the thorne of the hedge The day of thy speculation thy visitation cometh now shal be the destruction of them †Beleue not a frend and trust not in prince from her that fleepeth in thy bosome keepe the closures of thy mouth †Because the sonne doth contumelie to the father the daughter ryseth agaynst her mother the daughter in law against her mother in law a mans enemies they of his owne houshold †But I wil looke towards our Lord I wil expect God my sauiour my God wil heare me †Reioyce not thou mine enemie ouer me because I am fallen I shal arise when I haue sitte in darkenes our Lord is my light †I wil beare the wrath of our Lord because I haue sinned to him vntil he iudge my iudgement he wil bring me forth into the light I shal see his iustice †And mine enemie shal behold and she shal be couered with confusion which sayth to me where is the Lord thy God Mine eyes shal looke on her now shal she be into conculcation as the myre of the streetes †The day that thy walles may be builded vp in that day shal the law be made far of †In that day and Assur shal come euen to thee euen to the fensed cities and from the fensed cities euen to the riuer and to sea from sea and to mountaine from mountaine †And the land shal be into desolation for the inhabitants therof and for the fruite of their cogitations †Feede thy people with thy e rod the flocke of thine inheritance them that dwel alone in in the forest in the middes of Carmel they shal feede vpon Basan and Galaad according to the dayes of old †According to the dayes of thy coming forth out of the Land of Aegypt I wil shew him meruels †The nations shal see and shal be confounded vpon al their strength they shal put the hand vpon the mouth their eares shal be deafe †They shal lieke dust as serpents as the creeping beasts of the earth they shal be trubled in their houses the Lord our God they shal dreade and shal feare thee †What God is like to thee which takest away iniquitie and passest ouer the sinne of the remnant of thine inheritance he wil send his furie in no more because he is willing mercie †He wil returne and wil haue mercie on vs he wil lay away our iniquities and he wil cast al our sinnes into the botome of the sea †Thou wilt geue truth to Iacob mercie to Abraham which thou hast sworne to our fathers from the dayes of old THE PROPHECIE OF NAHVM NAHVM borne in Elcese a towne in Galiley prophecied shortly after the captiuitie of the tenne tribes against Niniue about fiftie yeares after Ionas preaching and their repentance when they became more wicked then before foreshewing their vtter ruine and ignominie In figure of the destruction of idolatrie in al nations by Christ euangelizing and announcing peace to al that wil beleue in him CHAP. 1. Niniue shal be destroyed not able to escape Gods powreful wrath 9. The Asstrians shal not preuaile against Ierusalem 13. but themselves shal be slaine THE burden of Niniuie The booke of the vision of Nahum the Elceâ—eâ—te †God is ielous our Lord reuenging our Lord reuenging and hauing furie our Lord reuenging on his aduerseries and he is angrie with his enemies †Our Lord is patient and great of strength and clensing he wil not make innocent Our Lords wayes in tempest and whirle wind and clowdes the dust of his feete †Rebuking the sea and driyng it vp and bringing al riuers to a desert Basan is weakened and Carmel the floure of Libanus is faided †The mountaines were moued at him and the hilles were desolate and the earth hath trembled at his presence and the world and al that dwel therin †Befote the face of his indignation who shal stand and who shal resist in the wrath of his furie his indignation is powred out as fire and the rockes are dissolued by him †Our Lord is good and strenghning in the day of tribulation and knowing them that hope in him †And in a floud passing by he wil make a consummation of the place therof darkenes shal pursew his enemies †VVhat thinke ye against our Lord consumation he wil make there shal not rise duble tribulation †Because as thornes claspe one an other so the feast of them that drinke together they shal be consumed as stuble ful of drienes †Out of thee shal come forth one that thinketh malice against our Lord in the minde deuising preuarication †Thus saith our Lord If they shal be perfect and so a grear manie so also shal they be shorne and he shal passe by I haue afflicted thee and I wil afflict thee no more And now I wil breake his rod from of thy backe and I wil burst thy bondes in sunder †And Our Lord wil command vpon thee there shal not be sowen of thy name any more out of the house of thy God I wil destroy sculptil molten I wil put thy graue because thou art dishonored †Behold vpon the mountaines the feete of him that Euangalizeth and preacheth peace celebrate ô Iuda thy festiuities render thy vowes because Belial shal no more adde to passe through thee he is wholly perished CHAP. II. The Chaldees shal mightely inuade the Assirians 5. take and ransacke Niniue HE is come vp that shal scatter before thee that shal keepe the seige behold the way fortifie the loynes strengthen force excedingly †Because our Lord hath rendered the pride of Iacob as the pride of Israel because the waters haue dissipated them and haue marred their branches †The
also varied on me †And I sayd I wil not feede you that which dieth let it dye and that which is cut of be it cut of and let the rest deuoure euerie one his neighbours flesh †I tooke my rod that was called beautie and I cut it of to make voyd my couenant which I made with al peoples †And it was made voyd in that day and so the poore of the slocke that keepe for me vnderstood that it is the word of the Lord †And I sayd to them If it be good in your eyes bring hither my hyre and if not be quiet And they weighed my hyre thirtie peeces of siluer †And our Lord sayd to me cast it forth to the statuarie a goodlie price that I was priced at by them And I tooke the thirtie peeces of siluer I threw them into the house of our Lord to the statuarie †And I cut of my second rod that was called Corde that I might dissolue the brotherhood betwen Iuda and Israel †And our Lord sayd to me As yet take to thee the vessels of a foolish pastour †Because loe I wil rayse vp a pastour in the land which shal not visite thinges forsaken the thing dispersed he shal not seeke and the broken he shal not heale that which standeth he shal not nourish and he shal eate the flesh of the fat ones and their hoofes he shal dissolue †O pastour and idol leauing the flocke the sword vpon his arme vpon his right eye his arme shal be dried with withering and his right eye waxing darke shal be obscured CHAP. XII The Iewes persecuting Christ and his Church shal be sore afflicted 6. The Church stil prospering 11. the incredulous shal be condemned THE burden of the word of our Lord vpon Israel Sayth our Lord extending the heauen founding the earth forming the spirit of man in him †Behold I wil make Ierusalem a lintel of surfet to al peoples round about yea Iuda shal be in the siege against Ierusalem †And it shal be In that day I wil make Ierusalem a stone of burden to al peoples al that shal lift it shal be torne with tearing and al the kingdoms of the earth shal de gathered agaynst her †In that day sayth our Lord I wil strike euerie horse into astonishment and his rider into madnes and vpon the house of Iuda I wil open mine eyes and euerie horse of the peoples I wil strike with blindnes †And the dukes of Iuda shal say in their hart Let the inhabitants of Ierusalem be strengthened for me in the Lord of hosts their God †In that day I wil make the dukes of Iuda as a furnace of fyre amongst stickes and as a brand of fire in hay and they shal deuoure to the right hand to the left al people round about and Ierusalem shal be inhabited agayne in her place in Ierusalem †And our Lord shal saue the tabernacles of Iuda as in the begynning that the house of Dauid glorie not magnifically and the glorie of them that inhabite Ierusalem agaynst Iuda †In that day shal our Lord protect the inhabitants of Ierusalem and he that offended of them in that day shal be as Dauid and the house of Dauid as of God as an Angel of our Lord in their sight †And it shal be in that day I wil seeke to destroy al Nations that come against Ierusalem †And I wil powre out vpon the house of Dauid vpon the inhabitants of Ierusalem the spirit of grace and of prayers and they shal looke toward me whom they pearced and they shal lament him with lamentation as it were vpon an only begotten and they shal sorow vpon him as the maner is to be sorowful in the death of the first begotten †In that day shal be great lamentation in Ierusalem as the lamentation of Adadremmon in the filde of Mageddon †And the land shal lament families and families apart the families of the house of Dauid apart and their wemen apart †the families of the house of Nathan apart and their wemen apart the families of the house of Leui apart and their wemen apart the families of Semei apart and their wemen apart †Al the rest of the families families and families apart and their wemen apart CHAP. XIII In the Church of Christ al idolatrie shal be abolished 6. In his passion his Apostles shal be dispersed and they and others shal be proued by tribulations IN that day shal be a fountayne lying open to the house of Dauid and to the inhabitants of Ierusalem for the ablution of the sinner and of the menstruous woman †And it shal be in that day sayth the Lord of hosts I wil destroy the names of idols our of the earth they shal be remembred no more and the false prophetes and the vncleane spirit I wil take away out of the earth †And it shal be when any man shal prophecie any more his father his mother that begot him shal say to him Thou shalt not liue because thou hast spoken a lie in the name of our Lord. And his father his mother his parents shal strike him when he shal prophecie †And it shal be in that day the prophets shal be confounded euerie one by his owne vision when he shal prophecie neither shal they be couered with cloke of sackcloth to lie †But he shal say I am no prophet an husbandman am I because Adam my example from my youth †And it shal be sayd to him What are these wounds in the middes of thy handes And he shal say With these was I wounded in the house of them that loued me †Sword be thou raysed vp vpon my pastour and vpon the man that cleaueth to me sayth the Lord of hosts Strike the pastour and the sheepe shal be dispersed and I wil turne my hand to the litle ones †And there shal be in al the earth sayth our Lord two parts in it shal be destroyed and shal fayle and the third part shal be left in it †And I wil bring the third part through fyre and wil burne them as siluer is burnt and I wil trie them as gold is tried They shal cal my name and I wil heare them I wil say Thou art my people and they shal say Our Lord my God CHAP. XIIII Ierusalem shal be destroyed manie Iewes slaine the rest made captiues 3. Christs Church shal florish 8. especially in the Gentils 12. Persecuters shal be finally punished 20. and the godlie procede in grace BEHOLD the dayes of our Lord shal come and thy spoyles shal be diuided in the middes of thee †And I wil gather together al nations to Ierusalem into battel and the citie shal be taken and the houses shal be wasted and the wemen shal be defiled
†And they diswaded him saying We are not able but let vs saue our liues now and returne to our brethren and then we wil fight against them and we are few †And Iudas sayd God forbid we should doe this thing to flee from them and if our time be neere let vs dye manfully for our bretheren and let vs not stayne our glorie †And the armie moued out of the campe and they stood to meete them and the horsemen were diuided into two parts and the slingers and the archers went before the armie and of the foreward al mightie †And Bacchides was in the right wing and the legion approched on two sides and they sounded with trumpets †and they also cried out that were on Iudas side euen they also and the earth was moued at the voice of the armies and the battel was fought from morning euen vntil the euening †And Iudas saw that the stronger part of the armie was on the right hand al the stout of hart came together with him †and the right side was discomfited of them and he pursewed them euen to the mount of Azotus †And they that were in the left wing saw that the right wing was discomfited and they folowed after Iudas and them that were with him at the backe †and the battel grew sore and there fel manie wounded of these and of them †And Iudas was slaine and the rest fled †And Ionathas and Simon tooke Iudas their brother and buried him in the sepulcher of their fathers in the citie Modin †And al the people of Israel lamented him with great lamentation and they mourned manie dayes †and sayd How is the mightie fallen that saued the people of Israel †And the rest of the wordes of Iudas battels and of the valient acts that he did and of his greatnes are not described for they were exceding manie †And it came to passe after the death of Iudas there came forth the wicked men in al the costs of Israel and there arose al that wrought iniquitie †In those dayes was made an exceding great famine and al their countrie with themselues yelded to Bacchides †And Bacchides chose the impious men and appointed them lords of the countrie †and they sought out and searched for the freindes of Iudas and brought them to Bacchides and he tooke reuenge on them scorned them †And there was made great tribulation in Israel such as was no◠since the day that there was no prophete seene in Israel †And al the freinds of Iudas gathered and sayd to Ionathas †Since thy brother Iudas died there is not a man like vnto him to goe forth against the enemies Bacchides them that are the enemies of our nation †Now therfore thee haue we chosen this day to be for him our prince and captayne to wage our battel †And Ionathas tooke vpon him at that time the princedom and arose in the place of Iudas his brother †And Bacchides vnderstood it and sought to kil him †And Ionathas vnderstood it Simon his brother and al that were with them and they fled into the desert of Thecua and they pitched by the water of the lake Asphar †And Bacchides vnderstood it and in the day of the Sabbaths came him self and al his armie ouer Iordan †And Ionathas sent his brother captayne of the people to desire the Nabutheians his freindes that they would lend him their prouision which was copious †And the children of Iambri issued forth of Madaba and tooke Iohn and al thinges that he had and went away hauing them †After these wordes it was told Ionathas and Simon his brother that the children of Iambri make a great mariage and bring the bride out of Madaba the daughter of one of the great princes of Chanaan with great pompe †And they remembred the bloud of Iohn their brother and they went vp and hid them selues vnder the couert of the mountayne †And they lifted vp their eyes and saw and loe a tumult and great preparation and the bridegrome came forth and his freindes and his bretheren to meete them with timbrils and musical instruments and manie weapons †And they rose vpon them out of the embushement and slew them and there fel manie wounded the rest fled into the mountaines and they tooke al the spoiles of them †the mariage was turned into mourning and the voice of their musical instruments into lamentation †And they tooke reuenge of the bloud of their brother they returned to the banke of Iordan †And Bacchides heard it and he came on the day of the Sabbaths euen to the brinke of Iordan with a great powre †And Ionathas sayd to his companie Let vs arise and fight against our enemies for it is not to day as yesterday and the day before †For loe battel directly against vs and the water of Iordan on this side and on that side bankes and marrises and forests and there is no place to turne aside †Now therfore crie ye vnto heauen that you may be deliuered out of the hand of your enemies And battel was ioyned †And Ionathas stretched forth his hand to strike Bacchides and he turned aside from him backwards †And Ionathas lept aside and they that were with him into Iordan and they swame ouer Iordan to them †and there fel of Bacchides part that day a thousand men and they returned into Ierusalem †and built fensed cities in Iurie the fortresse that was in Iericho and in Ammaum in Bethoron and in Bethel and Thamnata and Phara and Thopo with high walles and gates and lockes †And he placed a garrison in them that they might exercise emnities against Israel †and he fensed the citie Bethsura and Gazara and the castel and set garisons in them and prouision of victuals †and he tooke the sonnes of the princes of the countrie for hostages put them in the castel in Ierusalem into ward †And in the yeare an hundred fiftie three the second moneth Alcimus commanded the walles of the inner holie house to be destroyed and the workes of the prophets to be destroyed and he began to destroy †In that time was Alcimus strooken and his workes were stayed and his mouth was stopped and he was dissolued with the palsey neither could he speake a word any more and geue commandement touching his house †And Alcimus died at that time with great torment †And Bacchides saw that Alcimus was dead and he returned to the king and the land was quiet for two yeares †And al the wicked thought saying Behold Ionathas and they that are with him dwel in silence securely now therfore let vs bring Bacchides and he shal take them al in one night †And they went and gaue him counsel †And he arose to come with a great armie and he sent secretly
went against Gorgias the gouernour of Idumea †And he went forth with footemen three thousand and horsemen foure hundred †Who buckling together it chanced few of the Iewes to be slayne †But Dositheus one of the Bacenors an horseman a valiant man held Gorgias and wheras he would haue taken him aliue a certayne horseman of the Thracians came vpon him and cut of his shoulder and so Gorgias escaped into Maresa †But they that were with Esdrin fighting long and being wearied Iudas inuocated our Lord to be their helper and captayne of the battel †beginning in his countrey language and with hymmes raising a crie draue Gorgias souldiars into flight †And Iudas hauing gathered an armie came into the citie Odollam when the seuenth day came on being purifyed according to the custome they kept the Sabbath in the same place †And the day folowing Iudas came with his companie to take away the bodies of them that were ouerthrowen and with their kinsmen to lay them in the sepulchers of their fathers †And they found vnder the coates of the slayne some of the donaryes of the idols that were in Iamnia from which the lawe forbiddeth the Iewes therfore it was made playne to al that for that cause they were slayne †Al therfore blessed the iust iudgement of our Lord who had made manifest the hidden thinges †And so turning to prayers they besought him that the same offence which was committed might be forgotten But the most valient Iudas exhorted the people to keepe themselues without sinne seing before their eyes what was done because of the sinnes of them that were ouerthrowen †And making a gathering he sent twelue thousand drachmes of siluer to Ierusalem for sacrifice to be offered for sinne wel and religiously thinking of the resurrection †for vnles he hoped that they that were slaine should rise againe it should seeme superfluous and vaine to pray for the dead †And because he considered that they which had taken their sleepe with godlines had very good grace layd vp for them †“ It is therfore a holie and healthful cogitation to pray for the dead that they may be loosed from sinnes ANNOTATIONS CHAP. XII 46 It is a holie and healthful cogitation to pray for the dead The Catholique beleefe doctrine and practise of praying for the dead is so euidently confirmed by this place that our aduersaries haue no better shift to auoide the same then by denying these bookes to be Canonical Scripture VVhich being authentically proued it may here suffice to adde that albeit the Greke text as in other innumerable places differeth from the Latin yet it is no lesse clere for this doctrin VVhich in English is thus v 45. Regarding or considering that grace is layde vp for them that sleepe or dye in pietie tovvitte in true faith and repentance in the next verse 46. inferreth thus VVherupon he Iudas Machabeus made reconciliation or expiation for the dead that they might be deliuered or loosed from their sinne that is from punishment for sinne Omitting therfore multitude of other proofes vve vvil here only cite tvvo great Doctors who with others teach that the denial of this particular point of religion is a condemned heresie S. Augustin li. de Haeresib haer 53. noteth this for a special heresie saying Aerians are named of one Aerius vvho being a priest and taking it greuously that he could not be ordained a Bishop falling into the heresie of the Arrians added some proper doctrines of his ovvne saying that vve ought not to pray nor offer sacrifice for the dead Likevvise S. Bernard Ser. 66 in Cantica in plaine termes saith they are heretikes vvhich beleue not that there is purgatorie fire after death but that the soule departing from the bodie goeth forthvvith either to rest or to damnation Let them then saith he aske of him vvho saide There is some sinne that shal not be forgeuen neither in this vvorld nor in the future why he sayd this if there remaine no remission and purgation of sinne in the future vvorld He therfore aduiseth al to bevvare of such seducers saying See the detracters see the dogges They deride vs because vve baptize infantes for that vve pray for the dead It is also most vvorthie of consideration that Iudas Machabeus vvho did this charitable act for his souldiars slaine in the holie vvarres vvas the High priest or chief Bishop of the Church at that time and defender of true faith and Religion Finally vve may also obserue that he did not anie nevv thing but practised the vsual custome of the vvhole Church For so it appeareth by their sette forme of Office for the dead called HASCHABAH that is Rest or prayer for rest in their booke MAHZOR translated and set forth by Bishop Genebrard in the yeare of our Lord. 1569. VVhere are these expresse supplications Requiescat anima ipsius in cubili suo iaceat in pace dormiat in pace His or her soule rest in his bed lye and slepe in peace Againe Ye Angels of peace come forth to mete him c. And that the Ievves this day vse to pray for the dead is a clere thing and confessed by Protestantes namely Munsterus and Fagius in their Annotations vpon the 14. of Deut. and M. VVhitaker in his first booke against F. Dureus fol 81. CHAP. XIII Menelaus a fugitiue Iewe is put to death 9. Antiochus with his great armie is defeated twise with losse of manie men 23. Philippe rebelling peace is renewed 24. And Iudas is made Lord of Ptolemais IN the yeare an hundred fourtie nine Iudas vnderstood that Antiochus Eupator came with a multitude agaynst Iurie †and with him Lysias the procuratour and cheefe ouer the affayres hauing with him of footemen an hundred tenne thousand of horsemen fiue thousand elephants twentie two chariots with hookes three hundred †And Menelaus also ioyned him selfe with them and with much deceite besought Antiochus not for the weale of his contrie but hoping that he should be appoynted to the principalitie †But the king of kinges stirred vp Antiochus mind against the sinner Lysias suggesting that he was the cause of al the euils he commanded as the custome is with them that being apprehended he should be killed in the same place †And there was in the same place a tower of fiftie cubites hauing an heape of ashes on euerie side this had a prospect steepe downe †From thence he commanded the sacrilegious person to be throwne downe into the ashes al thrusting him forward to death †And by such law it chanced the transgressour of the law to dye Menelaus not to be put into the earth †And in deede very iustly because he committed manie offences toward the altar of God the fyre and ashes wherof was holie himself was condemned into the death of ashes †But the king furiouse in mind came to shew
This Iechonias or Ioachin remained in prison til the death of Nabuchodonosor the space of thirtie seuen yeares and was then deliuered by Euilmerodach and by him entertayned courteously as a prince 4. Reg. 25. v. 27. He maried there and had issue Salathiel and Salathiel hâ—d Zorobabel Who together with Iosue sonne of Iosedech highpriest Esdras Nehemias others recited 1. Esd 2. conducted the children of Israel from Babylon into their countrie There were also in a former transmigration Daniel and the other three children Ananias Misael Azarias of the royal or principal bloud in the third yeare of Ioakim otherwise called Eliacim sonne of Iosias 4. Reg. 23. v. 34 king of Iuda Dan. 1. v. 1. 6. These with others were caried â—s hostages into Babylon and brought vp more liberally Where seruing God sincerely abstayning from vnlawful meates were protected by God much also estemed and promoted in that place For Daniel about the age of twelue yeares conuinced the two wicked Iudges and deliuered Susanna from their cruel handes Dan. 13. And afterwardes for declaring and interpreting the kings dreame Dan. 2. and excellent wisdom and gift of prophecie was admired by al aduanced by the king but maligned by certaine enuious sorcerers and great men Wherby he was sometimes in great danger but stil deliuered by Gods powre protecting him Dan. 6. 14. The other three children were likewise aduanced Dan. 2. v. 49. and therfore by diuers enuied and for refusing to adore an idol set vp by Nabuchodonosor were cast into a hote burning furnace and there preserued Dan. 3. Ieremie who before this time begane to prophecie whiles he was a childe Iere. 1. continued in the time of captiuitie in Ierusalem and Iurie with much affliction and stil prophecying finally dyed in Aegypt Baruch his scribe and also a Prophete went sometimes into Babylon and returned into Iurie Baruch 1. instructing and exhorting the people Ezechiel was caried with king Iechonias and Iosedech into Babylon and there prophecied ch 1. v. 2. part of the same time with Daniel in great part the same thinges with Ieremie And during the captiuitie king Iechonias Iosedech the highpriest Ieremie Baruch Ezechiel prophetes innumerable others some Martyres and manie Confessors parted from this world But Daniel yet liued And in place of Iosedech Highpriest Iosue succeded and the progenie of king Iechonias continuing in Salathiel and Zorobabel the nation â—ad them and other eminent men with temporal dependence vpon forreine princes in the next Monarchie of the Medes and Persians For when Darius king of Medes had slaine Baâ—â—azar king of the Chaldees and so possessed Babylon with the whole countrie he brought the Monarchie to the Medes Persians Dan. 5. v. 31. and within the space of one yeare he dyed and Cyrus succeding granted leaue to al the Iewes to returne into Iurie and there to build vp their temple and citie of Ierusalem which Nabuchodonosor had destroyed At which time Daniel had his vision that Christ our Sauiour should come into the world within seuentie weekes of seuen yeares to the weke that is in foure hundred ninetie yeares after the perfect finishing of the temple and citie Dan. 9. v. 24. 25. But when they were so built againe that the wekes beganne to be counted is very obscure as it was the wil of God that the prophecie being certayne in itself should not be ouer clere to euerie mans vnderstanding but as likewise manie other prophecies shut and sealed Dan. 12. v. 6. 9. 13. In this time of the Medes and Persians Monarchie Mardocheus remayning in Chaldea after the relaxation had that vision in a dreame Esther 11. after which folowed the historie of him Quene Esther and wicked Aman with the danger and deliuerie of al the Iewes in those partes Some thinke it likewise probable that the historie of Iudith happened after the captiuitie though others suppose that it was in the time of Manasses king of Iuda which not being our purpose to discusse and decide we wil passe to thinges more certayne The prophetes Aggeus Zachatias nere twentie yeares after the relaxation earnestly exhorted the princes people to build vp the temple which had bene begunne and now was neglected vpon vaine feare thincking the time was not yet come of building the house of our Lord. Aggeus 1. v. 2. Wherupon the prophet reproueth them expostulating thus Why is it time for you to dwel in embowed houses and this house of our Lord desert And assureth them v. 10. that their ground should remaine barren and ch 2. v. 15. their sacrifices vngratful til they should build the temple promising moreouer that this new temple should be more glorious by Christs personal presence therin then the former temple built by Salomon But especially the Church of Christ presigured by the temple should farre excel the Synagoge of the old testament ch 2. v. 10. Great shal be the glorie of this last house more then of the first Which Zacharie confirmeth inuiting the Gentiles to come and the Iewes to returne into Christs Church ch 2. v. 6. O flee out of the land of the North sayth our Lord because into the foure windes of heauen haue I dispersed you v. 7. O Sion flee thou that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon And by diuers other visions and prophecies they forshew the conuersion of the Gentiles and reiection of the Iewes for their obduration but in the end they also shal be conuerted Malachie prophecied after the finishing of the temple exhorting al to offer their sacrifices with puritie of hart reprehending both priestes and people for not so doing ch 1. He also foresheweth the reiection of the Iewes calling of the Gentiles with the change of the old sacrifices and institution of a new farre more excellent and more effectual to be offered euerie where v. 10. 11. He concludeth his prophecie ch 4. foretelling the terrible day of Iudgement and life or death euerlasting These later prophetes yet liuing as Iosephus Eusehius Theodoretus and others testifie in their histories the Grecians obtained so great a Monarchie by king Alexander the Great of Macedo that being parted after his death amongst manie yet al were great kingdomes some longer some shorter time In the beginning wherof when king Alexander came to Ierusalem as Iosephus writeth li. 11. c. 8. Antiquit. Iaddus the highpriest going forth in his pontifical attyre to mete him the same king straightwayes fel downe at his feete with al reuerence And being demanded by his freindes the princes of his armie why he so much honored the highpriest he answered that he honored noâ— the man for himself but for his office and God in him who had appeared to him in slepe in that very habite and ornaments when he in Macedonia discoursed in his minde of making battel against the Persians promising him assured victorie Shortly
iniquitie were trubled and saluation was directed in his hand For he and his folowers 2. Mach. 8. v. 2. inuocated our Lord that he would haue respect to his owne people the temple the citie heare the voice of bloud crying vnto him remember the most vniust deathes of innocentes and the blasphemies done to his name So he with a few hauing made this preparation by prayer ouerthrew the armies of Antiochus with their foure principal captaines Apollonius 1. Mach. 3. v. 11. and v. 23. Seron ch 4. Gorgias and Lysias Then clensing the temple v. 36. li. 2. ch 10. renewed the holie vessels which were destroyed by Antiochus and dedicated a new altar v. 47. 56. And whiles Iudas with his bretheren deliuered the people from al bordering enimies 1. Mach. 5. li. 2. ch 10. 11. Antiochus Epiphanes li. 1. c. 6. li. 2. ch 9. dyed most miserably And his young sonne Antiochus Eupator reigned Against whose captaines Iudas had stil more victories li. 2. ch 12. 13. Then folowed the last battel of Nicanor sent by king Demetrius where he was slaine by Iudas forces in the middes of his armie li. 1. ch 7. li. 2. ch 15. wherof Demetrius hearing sent new forces with Bacchides and Alcimus and more then two partes of Iudas smal campe fleying away he with only eight hundred li. 1. ch 9. setting vpon the enemies defeated the strongest part of their armie but an other part coming at his backe great slaughter was made on both sides and Iudas after manie heroical actes was now slaine in battel dying with most renowmed glorie v. 18. al good men lamenting his death After him Ionathas his brother succeded Highpriest and general captaine ch 9. v. 28. who managing the common affayres with great wisdom pietie and coregâ— the wicked vsurper Alcimus who not long before swearing that he would not hurt the Assideans presently killed threescore of them in one day li. 1. ch 7. v. 15. and beginning to deface the temple was sodenly strooken with a palsie and dyed miserably li. 1. ch 9. v. 54. Ionathas prospering against the enimies confirmed league with the Romanes and Lacedemonians ch 12. At last was deceiued and both he and his sonnes were trecherously slaine by Tryphon ch 13. So Simon his brother was made Highpriest and captaine general by publique consent ch 14 who after manie noble actes ch 15. was also vilanously slaine with two of his sonnes by his sonne in law Ptolomee And his other sonne Ioannes Hyrcanus succeded ch 16. In his dayes the Iewes in Ierusalem writte to their bretheren in Aegypt exhorting them not to frequent the schismatical temple in Aegypt but to kepe the feastes which were instituted in Ierusalem Thus much of the trublesome state of the Church reduced to peace by the Machabees Shortly after which time the Romane kingdom hauing bene often increased in the space of nere seuen hundred yeares from the building of Rome was by Pompeius the great subduing the East countries extended so farre that as Plinie writeth li. 7. c. 26. Asia Minor was now as it were the middle part which before was the vttermost borders of their dominions And the same Pompeius amongst the rest taking Ierusalem brought the Iewes vnder the Romane Empyre nere fourescore yeares before Christ vnder whom they enioyed some liberties til Herod Ascalonita a stranger borne his father an Idumean his mother an Arabique was first made gouernour of Galelee then Tetrach of Iudea and afterwards king therof who being aduanced by the Romanes to royal dignitie endeuouring by sundrie benefites to get the peoples fauoure amongst other thinges enlarged and adorned their Temple making it as it were a new edifice in comparison of that which was built after the captiuitie yea more excellent as some thinke then that which Salomon built But this new king made saile of spiritual offices Namely he sold the office of the Highpriest for money and that from yeare to yeare or for shorte and limited time In him was fulfilled the prophecie of the Patriarch Iacob Gen 49. geuing it for a signe that Christ our Redemer should presently come into this world saying The scepter shal not be taken away from Iudas and a duke out of his thigh til he do come that is to be sent and the same shal be the expectation of the Gentiles And therfore Herod hearing by the Sages that the true king of Iewes was borne in extreme furie murdered the innocent Infantes Mat. â— And so both Iewes and Gentiles were admonished that the Messias was borne of the seâ—de and right line of King Dauid Whose Genealogie before the captiuitie we noted in the fifth age of the world to Ioachaz sonne of Iosias Now therfore to prosecute the same we must obserue that wheras S. Mathew sayth Iosias begate Iechonias by this Iechonias he meaneth Ioachaz otherwise called Iechonias or els he ascribeth the nephew to the grandfather as his sonne For Iosias was slaine at least eleuen yeares before Iechonias the father of Salathiel was borne And this later Iechonias was also called Ioachin the first of the third Tessaradechad so the second Salathiel the 3. Zorobabel 4. Abiud 5. Eliachim 6. Azor. 7. Sadoc 8. Achim 9. Eliud 10. Eleazar 11. Mathan 12. Iacob 13. Ioseph the husband of Marie of whom was borne the fouretenth IESVS CHRIST And this knowen by tradition not written before S. Matthewes Gospel The succession also of the Highpriestes declared in our former Recapitulations of the fourth and fifth ages from Aaron to Iosedech who was High-priest in the captiuitie after that his father Saraias was slaine 4. Reg. 25. v. 18. continued as partly by holie scriptures the rest by other auctors appeareth in this order After the same Iosedech his sonne Iosue then Ioachim Eliachim Eliasib Ioiada Ionathan Iaddus in the time of king Alexander Onias the first Simon Priscus Eleazarus by whom the Seuentie two Interpreters were sent to king Prolomeus Philodelphus Manasses who became an Apostata Onias the second Simon the second of whom is worthie mention Eccli 50. Onias the third whose brother Iason obtayned the office of the king by symonie and became an Apostata so was neuer lawful neither those thâ—â—â—f lowed him Menelaus of the tribe of Beniamin Lisimachus his brother vicar Alcimus though of Aarons stocke yet for his Apostasie vnlawful Al which time the true Highpriestes were of the Machabees Matthathias his sonnes Iudas Ionathas and Simon his sonne Ioannes Hyrcanus Then Aristobulus Alexander an other Hyrcanus in whose time Pompeius tooke Ierusalem Antigonus after whom Herod put Anaelus in the office for money And so the rest or most of them that folowed were symoniacal Aristobulus Iosue Simon Mathias Iosephus Iozarus Eleazarus Iosue Anna Ismael Eleazarus Simon and Caiphas vvho in councel Ioan. 11. v 49. gaue sentence which himselfe vnderstood not that it was
sacrifice Which God accepting blessed them for new increase Gen. 8. 9.   z 1693. Cainan * c Heber consented not to the building of Babel And therfore his familie kept stil their former language which thenceforth for distinction sake was called the Hebrew tongue He liued to see Abrahams father And Noe Sem Arphaxad Phaleg and other most godlie men liued some part of Abrahams time who was neuer corrupted in fayth nor religion   a 1723. Sale   * Not affirming but supposing that Cainan was the sonne of Arphaxad we place him here and Sale 30. yeares after b 1753. Heber    c 1787. Phaleg  Nemrod the sonne of Chus and nephew to Cham about three score yeares after the floud by force and sutteltie drawing manie folowers begane a new sect of infidels And afterwardes was the principal auctor of building the towre of Babel Where the tongues of the builders were confounded so they were separated into manie nations about 130. yeares after the floud Gen. 10. v. 25. After Nemrod his sonne Belus reigned in Babylon about the yeare of the world 1871. which was 215. yeares after the floud  d 1817. Reu.    e 1850. Sarug    f 1879. Nachor    g 1908. Thare   h 1979. Abraham borne i By Gods commandment Abraham at the age 75. yeares hauing bene much persecuted for religioÌ„ went forth of his countrie Chaldea Wherupon his father Thare went as farre as Haran in the confines of Mesopotamia And Lot went further with him into Chanaan Which countrie God then promised to geue him and to multiplie his seede and therin to blesse al nations Gen. 11. v. 31. 12. v. 1. 7. And after him his sonne Ninus beginning to reigne about the yeare 1936. set vp idolatrie causing his father to be honored as the great God called Belus Iuppiter his grandfather Nemrod otherwise called Saturnus or Sator deorum the father of goddes i 2054.    THE END OF THE SECOND AGE AND BEGINNING OF THE THIRD k 2055.  k By occasion of famine in Chanaan Abraham went into Aegypt with his wife and Lot Gen. 12. v. 10.   l 2056.  l They returned into Chanaan became very rich and God renewed his great promises to Abraham Gen. 13. m Lot amongst others being taken captiue Abraham with three hundred and eightene men rescued them al. Wherupon Melchisedech offered sacrifice in bread wine blessed Abraham receiued tithes of him Gen. 14.   n 2064.  n Sara long barren perswaded Abraham to take her handmaid Agar to wife o Agar conceiued brought forth a sonne who was named Ismael Gen. 16.  o 2065.  p Circumcision was instituted that Abraham and his sonnes al the men of his familie might be distinguished from others Gen. 17. Sodom and Gomortha with other cities were burnt with brimstone From whence Lot was deliuered by Angeles Gen. 19. Ismael attempting to corrupt Isaac in maners which S. Paul calleth persecution Gal. 4. was cast out of AbrahaÌ„s house together with his mother Gen 21. v. 29. And neuertheles had twelue sonnes al dukes before Isaac had anie issue Which S. Paul noteth 1. Cor. 15. v. 46 First that is natural afterward that which is spiritual  p 2078.  q Sara conceiued and bare a sonne called Isaac Gen. 21.   q 2079. Isaac borne r Abraham by Gods commandement was readie to offer Isaac in sacrifice but was stayed by an Angel And former promises were renewed Gen. 22.   r 2104.  s After the death of Sara Abraham maried Cetura by whom he had six sonnes Gen. 25.   s 2116.  t Isaac maried Rebecca the daughter of Bathuel sonne of Nachor Abrahams brother Gen. 24.   t 2119. Iacob Esau borne w Abraham dyed at the age of 175. yeares Gen. 25.   v 2139.     w 2154.     x 2216.  x Isaac blessed Iacob thincking him to be Esau Gen 27. Esau also had much issue and prospered in the world But his progenie as also Ismaels al Abrahams of spring by his last wife Cetura were excluded from the promised enheritance other blessinges Gen. 25. v. 5. 6. ch 28. v. 4. 14.  y 2217.  y Iacob going into Mesopotamia to flye the danger of his brothers threates saw in sleepe a ladder reaching from the earth to heauen Ge. 28. And being there he serued his vncle Laban seuen yeares for his younger daughter Rachael receiued Lia the elder and serued other seuen for Rachael And six more for certaine fruict of the flockes Gen. 29. 30. Apis king of Argiues of â—up piters race going into Aegypt taught the people to plant vines and make wine to plow with oxen and to sow reapecorne was made their king and after his death honored in the forme of an oxe for their great god S. Aug. li. 18. c. 5. de ciuit  z 2224. Ruben Simeon Leui Iudas Dan. li. Nephtha Gad. Aser Issachar Zabulon Ioseph b. e Iacob returning from Mesopotamia wrestled with an Angel was called Israel Gen. 32. 35. v. 10.   a 2225. Beniamin bor f Rachael dyed and was buried in Bethleem Gen. 35. v. 18. 19.   b 2226.  g Ioseph was sold and caried into Aegypt shortly after cast into prison where he interpreted the dreames of two Eunuches Gen. 37. 39. 40.   c 2227.  h Isaac dyed at the age of 180. yeares   d 2230.  i Ioseph interpreting king Pharao his dreames and geuing wise counsel to prouide for the scarsitie to come was made ruler of Aegypt He then maried had two sonnes Manasses and Ephraim in the seuen yeares of plentie Gen. 41. k Iacob sent his tenne soÌ„nes into Aegypt to bye corne Where they were threatned as suspected spies and one was kept in prison til they should bring their brother Beniamin Gen. 42.   e 2236.     f 2246.     g 2247.     h 2259.     i 2260.     Caath Phares l They returning into Aegypt with Beniamin in their companie Ioseph first terrified them afterwards manifested himself vnto them And sending for his father and whole kinred they al went into Aegypt Gen. 43. 44. 45. 46. As people increased so idolatrie was multiplied and innumerable goddes feaned and serued with supersticious rites in al heathen nations Amongst which first the Assirians and at last the Romanes held the principality others in respect of them were of lesse powre or of shorter time as it were dependentes of them as S. Augustin obserueth li. 18. c. 2. de â—â—uit  l 2269.   m Iacob blessed and adopted the two sonnes of Ioseph preferring Ephraim the younger before Manasses Gen. 48.
other place 1. Reg. â— Hlias â— Reg. 18. and Dauid also being no Priest 2. Reg. 24 so S. Aug. explicateth this text q. 56. in Leuit. :: It is then turpitude when the act is vnlawful But honest in lawful Mariage S. Aug. li 3. Locutionum li. de bono coniugali :: See chap. 20 the difference of punishmeÌ„ts for violating these lawes in the first and second degree Also betwen consanguinitie affinitie in the same collateral degree Mariage forbid in al degrees in the right line by the law of nature Secondarily in the first collateral degree of coÌ„sanguinitie 1. Cor. â— v. 1. Act. 17. v. 26. â— Aug. de bono coÌ„iâ—g c. 1. Beza belieth Pope Martin Al other degrees depend on positiue lawes which haue bene may be altered Proued by Scriptures and reasons First proofe 2 proofe Aristot li. 2. Pol. 3 proofe 4 proofe 5 proofe S. â—â—ero quest Heb. in Gen. Ceremonial iudicial lawes of Moyses are abrogated by Christ And new are establshed The Epistle on VVenesday in Passion weke :: These diuersities are not prohibited for them selues for the ornaments of the tabernacle and of Priests were made of diuers things but schisme and al participation with heretikes and other infidels is forbid 2. Cor. 6. Dravv not in yoke vvith iâ—siâ—â—els Theodoret. q. 27. in Leutt. :: See Gen. 40. v. 8. :: Violating this law in anie degree in the rightline either of consanguinitie or affinitie or in the first colla teral degree of coÌ„sanguinitie was punished with death but in the first collateral of affinitie and in the second collateral degree as wel of coÌ„sanguinitie as affinitie with lesse punishment VVhich sheweth greatter obligation greatter sinne coÌ„cerning the right line then the collateral also in the first degree of consanguinitie then in the second and more in consanguinitie then in affinitie :: Not for euerie kind of sinne though euerie one is punishable but for the more hainous for altogether the Chananites were cast out of their land :: By the priÌ„ce 5. Paul vnderstood the high Priest Act. 23. :: Caiphas reÌ„t his garments Mat. 26. coÌ„trarie to this law malice making him neglect his owne dignitie :: If such deformities and defectes made men irregular and vnmete to exercise priest lie function in the old testament how :: By these accidental vncleannes was prefigured the censure of susspension in clergie men The fourth part Of feastes times of rest Iubilie with priuilegies rewardes punishments :: There were eight seueral feastes commaÌ„ded by this law besides the dailie sacrifice mentioned Num. 28. 29. of which onlie seuen are here expressed :: The Sabbath in memorie that God created al things in six daies rested the seuenth :: Pasch in memorie of their deliuerie from Aegypt 1. 2. 3. :: Pentecost in remembrance of receiuing the law :: See chap. 7. v. 14. :: Feast of trumpets in memorie that a raÌ„me sticking by the hornes was offered by Abraham in stead of Isaac 4. :: Feast of Expiation iâ— memorie of the â—â—nne in worshipping the calfe and for al sinnes forgotten or vnknowne 5. :: Feast of Tabernacles to remeÌ„ber Gods protection in the wildernes where they dwelled in tabernacles 40 yeares 6. :: Feast of Assemblie and collection in memorie of peace geuen in the land of promise 7. :: These feasts were euerlastiÌ„g to the Iewes in their generations that is neuer to be altered by them nor during their state S. Aug. q. 43 in Exod. Festiual daies perteine to the seruice of God It is heresie to kepe the Sabbath holie day In place therof we kepe Sunday Other feastes also changed and new instituted by the same authoritie :: Two tenthes of an ephi that is two gomors A gomor of Manna which is the tenth part of an ephi sufficied one man for a day Exod. 16. v. 16. 36. so that one of these loaues was as much as al the meate which two do ordinarily eate in one day :: This Law de signing equalitie was to put a limite not to enforce to reuenge for the partie damaged if he would might remitte al or part S. Aug. li. 19. c. 25. cont Faustum :: Of sounding with truÌ„pets which is pleasant ioyful cometh the name of Iubilie the effect of it is remission of al bondes restauration of former libertie and recouerie of enheritaÌ„ce In the old Testament of teÌ„poral things in the new of spiritual praefigured therby as remissioÌ„ of sinne deliuerie froÌ„ bondage therof recouerie of grace and preparation to eternal glorie :: Iewes for their aduaÌ„tage hold it lawful to take vsurie of strangers not obseruing that it is also commanded often in scripture not to afflict but to loue strangers Exod. 22. 23. Leuit. 19 :: Heretikes holding their corrupt course wil nedes haue an image of Christ or Sainct to be the grauen thing which is forbidden in holie Scriptures therfore falsly translate Pesel a grauen image where indede it signifieth an image picture or purtrature of an idol that is a grauen idol So here as in other places it is forbid to make an idol or similitude of anie idol :: This extreme famine fel vpon some of them in Samaria 4. Reg. 6. vpon others in Hierusalem 4. Reg. 25. most specially wheÌ„ they were besiged by Titus Iosephus li. 7. â— 6. dc bâ—llo luâ—â—â—â—â— :: Iacob is first here named because he had no other children but this people for Isaac was also father of the â—dun eâ—â—s and Abrahâ— mâ—â—eoueâ— of the Ismaelites and Madâ—â—â—tes and because the great promises made to Abraham and Isarc pertained only to the Israelâ—tes Theoderet q. 36. in â—euit :: The church neuer wholly decayeth The fifth part Of vowes and Tithes :: Because â—o other but the tribe of Leui could serue about the tabernacle and yet others might desire to serue there they might in steed therof geue a priceâ— haue the reward of their good wil. :: The thing that is vowed if it may be performed pleaseth God better then a change :: A sicle was about 15. d obolus three farthinges :: A vow made approued and consecrated to God can not be changed by anie man Theâ—â—â—t q. vlt. â—n Leuit. Vowes are properly of things not commanded Rmm. 6. 30. Deut. 23. Psal 21. 49. 75. 115. 131. And are gratful to God Also in the new Testament Epist ad Paulin. Mysteries coÌ„tained in these histories qq in Num. Exod. 40 Leuit. 1. Num. 1. The contents according to the letter Chap. 1. 26. â— 4. 18. 2. 1â— 11. 12. 13. 14. 16. 20. 5. 6. 15. 17. 19. 27. 28. 29. 30. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 31. 32. 33. VVicked life draweth to Idolatrie 34. 35. 18. 35. 36. Three partes 〈◊〉 this booke The first part Of those which are â—â—â—bred of the 12. Tribes sitte for warre of the Leuites designed to serue the Tabernacle :: Coming into Aegypt they were but 70. Exo. 1. increased in 216. yeares vnto 603550.
wherupon they begaÌ„ne to detest Abimelec and so hatred grew betwen him them which is a most euil spirite but their former sinne not God was the cause therof S. Aug. q. 45. in Iudic. :: For more reuenge he sowed the citie with salte which maketh ground barren Theod. q. 17. in lib. Iudie :: Euels shal betide the vniust man to destruction Psal 139. Vngtatful people render iniuries for benefites Infidels promote wicked men to authoritie Abimelech a figure of Antichrist 2. Thess 2. :: Not euerie one that sayeth Lord Lord but he thaâ— doth the wil of God c. Mat. 7. :: The hebrew word Zâ—nah signifieth also â—n â—n keeper :: If they had not concurred to his expulsion it might haue sufficed to haue sent for him but in this case the ancientes iudged it meete to goe in person and to in treat him So Christ was reiected by the Iewes and returneth not to them til in the end of the world they shal seeke vnto him â— Aug. q. 49. in Iudic. postâ—eâ—iuÌ„ Num. 20 :: In the opinion of infidels it semed that they possessâ—d countries by the helpe of false goddes and so they thought them selues to haue iust title Much more iust is the title when God almighty geueth victorie of conquest S. Aug. q. 48. in Iudie :: He argueth vpon prescription of 300. yeares being nere so much for there wanted scarce thirtie being from the conquest made by Moyses Num. 21. til the time of Iephte about 270. yeares :: This vow was vnlawful for the law forbiddeth to offer man or woman in sacrifice Exo. 34. v. 20. Deut. 12. v. 31. :: In the old testament mariage was ordinarily preferred before single life but in the new it is better to kepe virginity 1. Cor. â— â— 38. Iephte offended in vowing vndiscretly But not in performing his vow as ancient fathers thinke more probable S. Augustin S. Ambrose S. Hierom. S. Chrysostom S. Gregorie Nazianzen Theodoret. Bible â—603 Protestants censure :: That is exposeâ— my self to danger trusting to Gods helpe â—â—yâ— owne handes when others would not assist me :: Iephte being of Manasses tribe the Ephraites enuied his glorie and calumniously obiected that he and his followers were fugitiues so raised a tumulte to their owne â—â—â—â—e :: Abstinence not only from thinges vncleane by the law but also from wine and sider was a preparation to the childe who should abstaine from them al his life :: Other Nazerites obserued a prescripte rule of abstinence for a time only Num. 6. but Samson al his life as a more perfect figure of Christ :: Manue taking the Angel for a holie prophete iustly thought he would not admitte not coÌ„mand anie thing but that was lawful And so did as the Angel appointed him though he was no priest nor the place proper to sacrifice but by extraordinarie dispensation :: Though Manue saw not God in his owne person yet seing him in his messenger feared death S. Aug. q. 54. in Iudiâ— Protestantes either contradict themselues or teach Arrianisme Bible 1603. :: It was prohibited Deut. 7. v. 3. to make mariage with the Gentiles but God some times dispensed as here it appeareth he did v. 4. :: By threates they made heâ— betray her husband and neuertheles destroyed both her and her father cha â—5 v. 6. so persecuters of the Church deale with such as trayterously or of frailtie serue their turne :: Being Iudge of the people he had helpe of others to â—ake so manie foxes with â—â—â—â—es or otherwise being great store in that countrie :: A notorious miracle to kil so manie with so meane a weapon without other helpe of man And by common reason as vncredible as the great mysteries of Catholique Religion :: It was a greater miracle to draw water out of a drie bone then out of the earth or stones but al things are possible to God which he pleaseth to do * or an Inâ—eâ—per :: For such admirable streingth the heth â—iâ—h people thought Samson to be Hercules S. Aug. li. 18. c. 19. ciuit But he was indeede farre stronger then they feaned of Hercules who they said was not able to fight against two whereas Samson alone killed a thousand with the iaw bone of an asse c. 15. v. 15. :: Supernatural streingth or grace departeth when any leaue the rule of their profession :: He desired to be reuenged not of rancour of mind but of zele of iustice And so al the elect glorified Sainctes desire reueÌ„ge Luc. 18. v. 8. Apoc. 6. v. 10. Samson excused in killing himselfe wiÌ„th his enemies Samson a figure of Christ The third part Of certaine accidentes which happened in the time of the Iudges :: In hebrew pesel vmassecah in Latin sculptile constatile a grauen molten thing an image or forme made in mettle for a god and so called v. 5. was in dede an idol of Gentilitie and nothing at al against sacred Images of Christ and his Sainctes in the Catholique Church wherof more is noted Gen. 31. Exo. 20. :: Annointed his haÌ„des with oyle as was prescribed Exo. 29. Leu. 8 But such an apish imitation was of no value where was neither true vocation in the annointed for he descended not of Aâ—ton but of Moyses chap. 18. v. 30. nor authoritie in him that vsed this ceremony b An Apostata Leuite was accounted more sufficient then an idolatrical priest to serue an idol so he that is a Priest of a Deacon once catholikly consecrated is a sufficient yea too sufficient a minister with protestantes c Their whole portioÌ„ was assigned Ios 19 but through their owne â—â—outh they possessed litle of it so that hitherto the greatest part was not receiued d They ment the false god which the apostata Leuite serued e The diuel answered as his maner is obscurly sometimes truly sometimes falsly :: Pesel eidolon sculptile the grauen thing falsly called god c. 17. v. 5. :: She was his lawful wife and so called v. â— â— 9. et also is called concubine because she had no dawrie nor as yet enioyed the priuiledges of a mistris in her husbands house :: Omission contempâ— to punish hainous â—â—imes is a 〈…〉 cause to make wâ—â—â—◠〈…〉 :: One of the tribe of Iuda :: Being farre more in number hauing the iust cause yet had the worse because they trusted in their owne streingth :: God also punished al Israel by this ciuil warre for suffering idolattie in the tribe of Dan. cha 18. v. 30. which they ought to haue punished Deut. 13. v. 12. :: By this it appeareth that this historie happened not long after the death of Eleazarus Ios 24. v. 33. to whom hissonne Phinees succeded in the spiritual Supremacie of the Church :: Lest either iustice be ouer sharpe or mercie too relaxe with great art of discretion gouernours must obserue mercie iustly aduising and discipline piously châ—sticings S. Greg. li 1. Epist 24. :: In the time of the Iudges
persons Tit. â— The thinges demanded differ much D. â—â—istous Motiuo 23. Personal presence at heretical seruice in England a distinctiue signe of conformity to heresie A case very like to ours 2. Machab â— 7. :: His grief was gâ—â— it because he haâ— not meanes to recompence the losse to the owneâ— :: A husband man in yorkshire called Ketle had the gift to see euil spirites wherby he often detected 〈…〉 red their â—ad purposes â—â—â— brig li. â— c. 〈◊〉 Rer. Anglic. :: By bread and water is vnderstood ordinarie meate and drinck v. 2â— :: Discourse of mans reason can not reach to the powre of God who can do al that he wil and wil doe al that he saith therfore the incredulous are iustly punished v. 20. :: This was true in some sense sicknes ending when death came :: Athalia v. 26. is called the daughter of Amri VVherfore it semeth that either she was the adopted daughter of her brother Achab or is there called the daughter of her grandfather VVhen Naboth was falsly accused vniustly stoned to death as if he had blaâ—phe med God and cursed the king for his pretended crimes his sonnes were also slaine and his landes and goodes conâ—â—â—â—ate which appeaâ—eth by the kings present going to posieâ—â—e the vinyard 3. Regâ— 21. :: This Ionadab instituted a peculiar rule of religious abstinence which his posterity duly ob serued Iâ—â—â—m 35. :: Iehu sinned in feaning and causing others to sacrifice to Baal his zele wanting both diseretion and equitie for euil must not be done that good may come therof Rom. 3. :: â—oral good vvorkes done in state of mortal sinne not meriting eternal life aâ—e often rewarded temporally S. Aug. cont â—enâ— c. 2. :: Ambition cause of much crueltie :: Our Sauiour calleth this high priest Zacharias which signifieth blessed of our Lord for the iustice which he did towards Athalia and Ioas. S. â—â—â—rom li. 4. in Math. c. 23. :: Great respect is to be had of holie places VVherof cometh the priuilege of Sanctuaries :: That is the ordinarie ob lation for ech particular person Exod. 30. * a chest or almâ—s boxâ— :: Dedicated to helie vse :: He was buried in the citie but not in the sepulcher of the kinges 2 Paral. 24. for his impietie in the latter part of his life :: It was reueiled to the prophet that so often as the king should strike the earth so often he should haue victories against the Syrians but not how often he would strike on the earth Deut. 〈◊〉 :: Amongst kinges being at variance Seing one an other importeth as much as to fight a battle â—â—â—â— 1. :: Otherwise called Ozias 2. Paral. 26. Mat. 1. :: This punishment was inflicted vpon him for his presumption to offer inceÌ„se on the altar 2. Paralip 26. :: He was buried honorably in the citie of Dauid that is nere to the walles but in the filde because he was a leper euen to his death 2. Paral. 26. :: Some men of Ruben Gad Manasses and Nepthali were caried captiues into Assyria :: Otherwise called Azarias â— 1. * the great vessel * the place vvhere the king offered :: That is consequently they did prouoke him as 3. Râ—g 14. v. 9. :: Not truly worshipped but made shew to worshippe For true worship of God admitteth not worship of anie false god â— 34. The second part Actes of other kinges til the captiuitie of Iuda :: This image of a serpent not only when it wrought miraculous health but also long after was worthely reserued in memorie of the benefite but when the people offered sacrifice vnto it which is proper to God only good Ezechias did laudably breake it And to shew that there was no deitie in it called it Nohestan that is a peece of brasse And so in the Catholique Church when anie holie Relique or Image is abused it is taken away or theerrour otherwise corrected See S. Aug. li. 10. â— 8. ciuit Ser. 4 de verb. Apost 101. de temp * a peece of brasse * or recorder :: He sasly addeth of his owne that he should destroy it For Isaias prophecied the contrarie that the Assyrians campe should be destroyed Isaâ—e 37. and so it came to passe ch 19. v. 35. 2. Pharal 32. :: Paganes and Heretikes are foolish impudent to compare their false goddes and phancies with God almightie and Cathelique Religion :: Before the Arke Propitiatorie being the special place of prayer :: Though manie in the kingdom of Iuda sel to ido lattie yet in respect of the rest publikly professing true faith and religion the Church is stil called a virgin and despiceth and idolaters blasphemers and false goddes :: A pleasant hill in the forrest :: If these tenne lines importe so manie houses then the dial going forwardes againe by like degrees this day was increased by twentie houres and soe was longer then that in which Iosue procured stay of the sunne the space of one day to witte of twelue houres Iosue 10. as S. Dyonise thinketh Epist ad Polâ—carp See Glossa erd in Iosue :: the Iewes sinned more greuously reuolting from the Law of God and contemning the admonitions of holie prophetes then the nations that had neither law nor prophetes to instruct them :: God stil preserued some in true religion though they also suffered tribulations with the wicked for the general sinnes of the king and people Psâ—l 88. v. 35. Yea this king Manasses in captiuitie became vertuous and recouered his kingdom 2 Pacalip 33. :: VVithin the second wall the citie hauing three wals 3. Reg. 3. :: Because they had offered sacrific to false goddes and in vnlawful places they were suspended from offering anie more sacrifice at al. â— Reg. 〈◊〉 3. Reg 13. :: Iosephus writeth that this godlie king gaue thirtie thousand lambes and kiddes to the poore people for their Pasch three thousand oxen for Holocaustes The priestes also Leuites added more of their owne li. 10. Antiq. c. 5. :: Albeit Manasses repented and was restored to Gods fauour to his kingdome 2. Paral 3. Yet his sinnes were temporally punished both in himself and his posteritie :: Not dying in peace for he was slaine by Nabuchodonosor Iosephus li. 10. c. 8. Ant. And his bodie was cast out of the citie according as Ieremie prophecied c. 22. vvith the burial of an asse shal he be buried c. :: In this he greuosly offended hauing sworne to serue him And therfore Ezechiel c. 1â— fortelleth the miserie that wil fal vpon him shal he that broke couenant escape c. :: Certaine falsprophetes perswaded the king and the people not to beleue the prophetes which forwarned them of these calamites because sayd they they contradicte one an other Ieremie saying â—h 32. 34. the eyes of Sedecias should see the eyes of Nabuchodonosor and should be led into Babylon and Ezechiel saying c. 12. v. 13. that he should not see Babylon :: Both saying most
and obstinate disputers stil repete the same obiections :: Iob sheweth that neither God nedeth mans helpe :: Neither is Baldads prudence able to helpe if there were nede :: Giantes were not able to wade in Noes floud but were drowned with the rest :: Not only great thinges before recited but also the very least are made by God and depend vpon his prouidence :: God would not as yet haue Iobs cause iudged but reserued the sentence for his greater trial in patience :: It were a lie to acknowlege such sinnes as he had not committed :: Some part of Gods iudgement falleth on the wicked in this life but especially at their death Psal 75. :: By these more precious and rare creatures men ought to consider the creator and so not set their rest in them but in him which is true wisdome :: Sudaine headie waters bursting out do change the wayes and passages of men :: True wisdom is not in natural thinges but in supernatural vertues :: VVhen man hath considered Gods workes his dutie is to feare God :: Then to depart from euil and do good :: Parables are not only similitudes of thinges but also pithie and profound sentences such as Iob Salomon and other wisest men vttered :: This particle as importeth not here a similitude but rather that he was a very king or supreme prince as hauing supreme authoritie v. 7. royal vesture and crowne v. 〈◊〉 Isâ—lorus li. de vita sanct Beda alij :: Men scarse fitte to haue care of dogges derided Iob in his affliction so he was contemned of the most contemptible :: Our Sauiour also sustered this reproch Mat. 26. :: In the Hebrew haue put in the plural number importing pluralitie of Diuine Persons :: Death is a comforth to a iust man in tribulation :: Like to such beastes as seke solitary places to lament in :: whereas there is a continual warre betwen a chaist mind and rebellious flesh holie Iob made this condition of truce betwene these enimies that his eye should neuer geue occasion to carnal concupiscence :: By which meanes he was also safe from carnal cogitations S. Greg. li. 21. e. 2. :: By this demand he prouoked his aduersaries to produce what they could to conuince him of idolatrie or denving God wherwith they indirectly charged him :: Iob disputed no more with his freindes but afterward submitted him self to God acknowledging some vnaduised speach c 39. v. 37. c. 42. v 3 The ninth conflict :: This young-man wittie lerned but proud withal was a figure of the hote and arrogant disputers who wil seme to know more then their elders S. Greg. li. 23. c. 2. :: A notorious arrogancie to hold himselfe wiser then any man either of his owne sect or of his aduersaries :: Those that neither credite Catholique Doctors nor yet relie vpon their owne elders but euery one vpon his owne priuate spirit denie that to perteyne to them which is spoken to others in the same errors S. Greg li. 23. c. 8. :: Arrogant men imagine their owne conceiptes vtterance to be more meruelous theÌ„ other mens not knowing how foolish their owne pride is S. Greg. li. 23. c. 16. :: It is true that Gods wil once vttered ought to suffice al men for he answereth not to ech one by a particular speach but by common speach or fact satisfieth al mens questions wherof S. Gregorie noteth this general rule vita praecedentium sit form â— sequentium The lâ—se of them that goe be fore is made a forme or rule of them that folovv li. 23. c. 18 19 But Eliu falsely supposed that God by Iobs affliction had declared that he was a wicked man For in dede God declared the contrarie c. 1. v. 1. 8. c. 2. v. 3. :: Iob said not that God ubuerted iudgement or wrongfully iudged but God hath taken avvay my iudgement cha 27 v 2. that is differred to iudge my cause :: Neither did Iob say this c. 9. v. 22. but Eliu wrested his meaning that he might haue something to reprehend S. Greg. li. 24. c. 25. :: Eliu applieth this to Iob as though he had made false shew of vertue which he had not and that God had suffered him hither to to â—â—igne or rather to tyrannize for iust punishment of his peoples sin nes But God at last declared that Iob was not such a one ch 42. v. 7. :: Eliu insisteth much in this calumniation for Iob neuer said that he was iust compared vvith God nor iuster then God But that his affliction was greater then his sinne ch 6. v. 3. c. 23. v. â— c. :: These are strong sentences saith S. Gregorie but they agree not or â—â—eâ—â—lapphed to the blessed person of Iob. li. 26. c. 7. :: No orator is so vaine but he promiseth al truth speaketh some to get credite with his auditorie :: If kinges reigne wel their praise remaineth for euer v. 11. :: The night is drawne long when tentations are not spedely resisted :: wherby ful worse and worse cogitations succede in place of the first S. Greg. li 26. â— 38. :: Aboue al other Lawgeuers God is most able to punish transgressors but most willing and most able to reward the obseruers S. Gregorie ex poundeth this to be a prophecâ—e of Christ our singular lavvgeuer li. â—7 c. 1 :: Christ wil geue the glorious light of heauen which now is hidden to men that lost terrestrial paradise ibideÌ„ c. 12. :: Consideration of heauenly rewardes mentioned in the end of the former chapter comforteth the afflicted but thunder and other meteors being figures of Gods iudgement strike the hart with terrour :: North wind or north pole :: God directeth the â—loudes in the ayre as a master mariner gouerneth a shippe :: Man not able to praise God sufficiently pâ—ayseth him with feaâ—e * Iob coruinced the former three with sound answers this last and most arrogant with silence The third part For the tenth and last dispute God discusseth the controuer sie and geueth sentence for Iob. :: Onlie the Creator hath absolute and perfect knowlege of al creatures As may appearâ— by induction or example :: Of the creation of the earth :: Of the sea :: Distinction of lightes :: The depth of the sea :: Man 's owne natiuitie and what shal happen after his death :: The sunnes light and heate :: Diuers Meteors :: Starres and planetes :: Man hath his knowlege from God :: And the cock hath skil which man wanteth * or rest from motion :: In some Editions the 39. chap. begineth here shewing by induction of sensible thinges as before of insensible that onlie God knoweth the nature of al creatures :: By Gods meruelous prouidence appearing in the natural instinct of other creatures man may consider that the same is greater towards him And therfore God here proposeth the examples of :: VVild goates :: Hyndes :: VVild asses :: Vnicornes ::
Without a Redemer to do good Rom. 5. d Without faith in Christ none had meritorious workes These three verses being not in the Hebrew nor Greke yet are in the English an 1577. and are three distinct verses in other psalmes 5. 9 â—5 e They are wholly occupied in vexing others Isa 52. â— 8. f The Prophet speaketh this in the person of God g With greedines to hurt the good h Not beleeuing in God they feared Idols that is diuels i who in dede can not hurt Gods seruants k Though innumerable be very wicked yet some are iust l mocked and derided those that trust in God m The Prophet wisheth and withal prophecieth that Christ our Sauiour wilcome who is premised to Israel n Redemed man from the captiuitie of the diuel o those that supplant vice p and contem plate God VVithout Christs grace no man is nor can be iust The law shewed the insufficiencie of mans wil. Grace cureth the wil The wil being cured cooperateth with gâ—â—â—e Venial sinnes exclude not from heauen Good workes done in mortal sinnes auail not to saluation Of eternal Beatitude The 10. key a In heaue as appeareth by the last verse b One requisite thing is to be free or cleansed from sinne c the second is to do good d Sincerely in thought e word and f dede g nor harkened to detraction h Glorie is the reward of good workes i Vsurie excludeth from heauen VVhy this and certaine others are called the Psalmes of Dauid Both faith and good workes necessarie to saluation Heb. 1â— Only the state of glorie is immutable Of Christs victorie The 5. key a Stylographiae signifieth a thing most worthie to be noted towitte Christ crucified b and most worthie of the prophets consideration c Christ as man did often pray as appeareth in the Gospel d Christs passion was not needful nor profitable to God but to man e God speaketh shewing that Christ should make his meruelous charity knowen to his Apostles and other seruantes f Men feeling their infirmities and miseries g make hast in seeking remedies h Sacrifices to idols shal â— cease in Gentiles i Their names shal be changed from heathen to be called Christians k Eternal glorie coÌ„sisteth in seing God l God is the reward of suffering paines for Christ m In diuision of temporal inheritance land is measured by cordes as Iosue 10. so portions in heauen are geuen with large measure n Christ also receiued al nations for his inheritance o Wisdome to make good election of spiritual thinges rather then temporal p Not only by day but also by night q Also my corporal paines geue me instruction r Christ had God continually before his eyes cuerieman ought to thincke frequently of God Å¿ for God stil protecteth the iust Act. e. v. 25. t in limbo patrum v Christs body corrupted not in the graue Act. 2. 13 w death and resurrection is the way to life x Perfect glorie consisteth in seing God y in eternity Christ a King sometimes exercised temporal iurisdiction God the proper inheritaÌ„ce of Christ and Christians Clergie men professe expresly to serue God for God him felfe not for temporal profite psal â—â— v. 11. 2 〈◊〉 a. v. 4. Protestantes denving that Christ deâ—â—ended into limbus translate graue for bâ—â— 1552. 1577. 1603. Gods prouidence protecting the iust The 3. key a in my iust cause heare my petition b seing I pray sincerly not in feaned affection c Thou that 's seest al thinge declare my right against mine aduersaries d my inteÌ„tion e most secret cogitations f by tribulations g Whose conscience is pure from greuous sinne may pray with this confidence otherwise repentance is first necessarie But the whole Church may euer pray in this maner because there be alwayes some iust and holy in respect of whom it is truly called holy h for thy precepts i the narrow way of vertue k none can of them selues walke rightly but by Gods helpe l against thy omnipotent powre m from their cruel and furious countenance n they haue shut out al pittie or commiseration o They intend vtterly to destroy me euen to the ground p Except God preuent maÌ„s industry is not sufficieÌ„t q restraine their powre which they haue by thy permission that they may not persecute so much as they intend r This is a prophecy that the wicked from the elect Å¿ which iudgement beginneth sometimes in this life t the pleasures of this world which God approueth not nor acknowledgeth amongst good thinges v the iust shal be approued w Nothing doth satiate mans mind but the sight of God in eternal glorie This Psalme called a Praier is both a sword buck â—â—r in afflictioÌ„ Dauid singularly protected by God The â— key a Though literally this Psalme perteyned to Dauid yet in figure of Christ and of the Church or eâ—erie iust soule b The Holie Ghost inspired Dauid to render these thankes for his often deliuerie from dangers c Saul is specially named because he was his most potent worldlie enimie d These first wordes as also diuers others are added and many changed in this and other Psalmes by the Septuagint who often leauing the Hebrew text render the sense and so this agreeth in substance with the same Psalme recorded 2. Reg. 22. e by whom I am strong Hâ—b 2. f high firme saluation g This is aptly applied to al mankind after his fal declaring our state in sinne and inducing to penance in the office of Masse on Septuagesima sunday h mortal flesh subiect to death i violent incursions of tentions to sinne k exceding great afflictioÌ„s of mind like to torments of hel which I also feare l secrete tentations haue deceiued me m Earnest prayer is the best remedie in al tribulations n As it is certaine that God heard Dauids prayers so he assuredly heareth al that sincerly flee vnto him o Gods anger against sinne maketh high and loftie thinges to shake euen the most obstinate presumptuous sinners p Diuine wrath is like to smoke of the nosethrles or flaming fire and burning coles q Gods punishment sometimes cometh so swiftly as if the heauens bowed towards the earth r Gods furie is as a darke desolate night or horrible wist r Yet wheÌ„ sinners repeÌ„ God most speedely as fleing with winges of mercie comforteth protecteth them Å¿ God being in him selfe in coÌ„prehensible is also secret in his determinations and couert in his procedinges or actes t Gods spleÌ„dor oppressing maÌ„s sense yet instructeth him by his meruelous vvorkes VVhich mystically signifieth that Christ illuminateth the vvorld by his Apostles and other preachers denouncing his iustice peace and his vvil in al thinges perteyning to man v from tribulations w From Saul AbsoloÌ„ Moabites Ammonites and al temporal and spiritual enemies So in the rest of this Psalme the Prophet speaketh for most part in proper termes vvithout Metaphores or other figures
affliction not able to deliuer them selues seeke reuenge by murmuring and other euil speaches but the perfect resolue to rule their tongues d euen to forbeare sometimes from their owne iust defence e though therby they indure more persecution f sorow suppressed maketh the hart to burne with zele and indignation g If it may please thee let me know how long I shal liue desiring to dye as Elias desired 3. Reg. 19. h my life and al that I haue is as nothing compared to thy eternitie i as a shadow or image appearing in a glasse which is quickly forgotte k therfore there is no cause man should be trubled in mind for temporal miseries l Thou hast suffered me to be reproched by the foolish that prosper in this world m I know my tribulation is by thy prouidence o my life decayeth as a spider hauing spent al her moysture p Almen are strangers in this life heauen being our home q that I may recouer spiritual streingth in this life r after which I shal not be in state to do frceworkes of satisfaction nor merite Christs comming and redeming of manking The 5 key a perteyning vnto the new Testament b the faithful of the old and new Testament reioyce in the coming of Christ c Christ by him seâ—â—e and by others preached the Gospel of saluation d the multiplication of Christians therbâ— e â—â— sacrifice of the old testament sufficed â—o satisfie Gods iustice for the sinne of man f Christ by the eare of obedience performed the redemption of man by his death as was determined from eternitie S. Paul for eares â—aith bodie See Annotations Heb. 10. Heb. 10. g The summe of holie Scripture is of Christs Incarnation death for redemption of man h Againe Christ inculcateth the preaching and receiuing of his Gospel in the whole world i In the greatest and wisest congregations of this world Christ concealeth not his mercie and truth So himselfe professed before Annas Caiphas Pilate and their councels S. Paul preached Christ at Atheâ—s and in manie nations and so the other Apostles For their voice went into al the coastes of the earth k The prophet now speaketh in the name of Christs mystical bodie the Church praying to be made partaker of mercie and to be deliuered from euâ—les l the sinnes also of those which beleue in Christ are so manie that they can not be fully sene in particular m I almost faint in considering so manie and so great iniquities amongst those that professe Christ n The whole Church prayeth in the name of al for the infirme members o The prophet foresheweth that the reprobate for their obstinate malice seeking to hurt others shal be confounded p that skornfully say wel wel wishing al euil to good men q which not only in mouth and outward profession but also in sinceritie of hart seeke thee may with confidence reioyce and praise God r Christ speaketh in the name of sinners truly repenting whose sinnes he vndertaketh to redeme and wash away by his passion Å¿ The faithful of the old testament pray for Christs first coming into this world and the faithful now pray for his second coming to purge his Church and to reward the good Christs Passion and Resurrection The 5 key a Perteyning to the new testament as appeareth by the 10. verse alleaged by our Sauiour This Psalme is also applied by the Church in the office of the sick whom whosoeuer assisteth in that case may hope to haue assistance in their owne like necessitie Io. 13. v. 18. b He is happie that is not scandalized in Christ Luc. 7. v. 23. coming in pouertie and suffering extreme afflictions c He that trusteth in Christ notwithstanding the contrarie motiues of his wordlie miserie shal be deliuered by him in al distresse d Our Lord wil geue to such seruantes more grace in this life and glorie in the next e not suffer him to be ouercome in tentations f when such constant seruantes are sick to death Christ wil most especially comforte and helpe them g Christ in the behalf of his mystical bodie confesseth their sinnes and prayeth for them h After death suffered for mankind Christ riseth and his name and kingdom is glorious i Those that came not of good wil but of malice to obserue Christs deedes and wordes carped at both sometimes saying he taught against the law and against Moyses sometymes that he â—ast out diuels in the powre of Beelse bub k At last they resolued that he should die l But they could not so suppresse his powre for he rose againe in glorie m By our Sauiours application of this verse it is certaine that the traitor Iudas is here described Ioa. 13. v. 18. Io. 11. Act. 1. n in the day of iudgement Christ Iudge of al wil render to euerie one as they deserue o As before in respect of sinners Christ Iudge of al wil render to euerie one so here in his owne person he auoucheth his owne innocencie which made him apt to satisfie for others p For this mercie of Almightie God in sauing the elect by his Sonnes death he is to be praised for euer eternally q Al the blessed agree in this that God is eternally to be praised and therto say Amen So be it so be it Some diuide the Psalmes into fiue bookes supposing the first booke to end here with these wordes Be it be it not obseruing that the last Psalme hath not this ending S Ierom confuteth this opinion by our Sauiours and S. Peters naming it the booke not bookes of Psalmes Luc. 20. v. 42. Act. 1. Moreouer if this were the end of one booke then the Psalme folowing should not be called the 41. Psalme but the first Psalme of the second booke Eternal glory The 10. key a The sonnes of Core repented and departed from their fathers schisme and so escaped miraculosly the horrible pitte of damnation inâ—o which heir father and his complices fel. Num. 26. v. 10. By which example al seduced and deceiued Christians are admonished not to persist in schisme or other sinnes And wordlie men â—mbicious of honour be warned to desire seke God aboue al thinges first of al the kingdome of heauen â—o be liuing mâ—mbeâ—s of the Catholique Church and the iustice therof to seke thinges whâ—â—h are aboue 〈◊〉 which are vpon the earth lest hel deuoure them as it denoured the complices of Core Num 1â— v. 31. b A harte waxing old and burdened with much heare and great hornes draweth a serpent into his nosethrels so being infected with poyson desireth most ardently to drinke and afterwards casteth his hornes and heare and becometh as it were yong againe c with such feruent desire a true penitent feeling himselfe infected with poyson of sinnes seeketh the water of Gods grace d God is omnipotent and in dede the only true liuing God diuels who are honored in idols ca do no more then God permitteth and so they can
dignitie vvisdome or other like qualitie but their iust merites :: A prayer of iust zele e Shal most wicked men stil be suffered to speake so insolently :: A description of heathnish and heretical crueltie :: Scarse anie Atheistes are so blind as thus to thinke but manie sinners so behaue them selues as if God saw not knew not or at least cared not vvhat they do f So vnpossible is it that God should be ignorant or careles vvhat men do that he also knovveth and obserueth most secret thoughtes g Mitigate and temper his afflictions that by patience and fortitude the iust may perseuere and not be ouerwhelmed h The whole Church shal neuer be reiected nor forsaken i Iustice is conuerted into iudgement vvhen iust meaning is put in vvorke and practise that it may appeare in iudgement Also God vvho doth suffereth al iustly vvil conserue his inheritance the Church euen vnto the day of iudgement k The sense is easie by transposing the vvordes al that are right of hart are nere it that is shal like and approue Gods iustice vvhen the vvicked shal repine and blaspheme it l when I felt and complained that I was in danger thou didst assist me m Onlie faith sufficeth not but careful laboure in keping Gods commandmnts is required n The iust do hope for eternal saluation to which God wil bring them o And God the reuenger of wronges wil at last cast the wicked into eternal torments Christ our Lord and king the 5. key a Praise songue with voices b inspired to Dauid written by him This Inuitation is most fitly ordayned by the Church for the proeme or beginning of Mattins c VVith great and solemne exultation d God our Creator is also our Protector Sauiour e Let vs be more diligent and preuent our accustomed time For no man can preuent Gods grace with anie good worke who first preuenteth vs els we can neither doe nor thincke anie good thing f not only in singing his praise with voice but also with musical instruments g So also Isaias c. 45. v. 23. and S. Paul Philip. 2. teach that kneeling or bowing the knees as an external religious ceremonie is acceptable to God h It is most iust and necessarie that we adore God because he made vs and al this world for vs hath also redemed vs and made vs his people as shepe of his pasture and as a Pastor feedeth and gouerneth vs. i of his making k Though some haue often repelled and resisted Gods grace yet if they receiue it being offered againe it wil auaile them to remission of sinnes l The Israelites in the desert tempted God by desiring water and flesh of voluptuous concupiscence without necessitie For Manna did both extinguish their thirst and tasted vnto them whatsoeuer they desired Exo. 16. That also which was left vngathered when the sunne waxed hotte melted v. 21. and serued their cattel for drincke So this tentation was a figure of those which require to communicate vnder both kindes as if one did not conteine as much as both m By this mention of the offence of fourtie yeares as long before passed is conuinced that Moyses writte not this Psalme who died in the very fourtith yeare of their abode in the desert And S Paul citing the wordes of this Psalme Heb. 4. manifestly acknowlegeth Dauid the writter therof and that it was written long after Moyses time in these wordes v 7 Againe he limiteth a certaine day To day in Dauid saying after so long time as is aboue saide To day if you shal heare his voice do not obdurate your hartes For if Iesus that is Iosue had geuen them rest he would neuer speake of an other day afterward n Being greatly offended I approched nere vnto them in punishing the offenders o Those that murmured died in the desert and entered not into the promised land euen so those that finally offend Christ shal not enter into euerlasting rest Heb. 3. 4. It is in mans freewil to resist good motions Concil Triden Sess 6. c. 5 Christs diuine powre the 5. key a Inspired to Dauid and written by him b prophecying the restauration of the temple after the future captiuitie And that in figure of the vniuersal redemption of mankind by Christ from the captiuitie of the diuel â— 1. Par. 16. v. 23. c For a new benefite farre greater then the deliuerie of Israel from Aegypt d The same wordes Sing to our Lord thrise repeted signifie the Blessed Trinitie as some Fathers note Likewise v. 7. and 8. Bring ye to our Lord c. in both places concluding in the singular number blesse his name bring to his name importing one God e VVhat creatures soeuer spiritual or corporal visible or inuisible the paganes serue for goddes stil they â—e diuels that deceiue them and diuers wayes vsurpe diuine honour making such idolaters to thinke that there is diuine powre where none is f He only is true God who is Creator of heauen and of al creatures For no creature can create anie thing at al that is make anie thing of nothing but only God g Diuers ancient Doctors read more in this place Our Lord hath reigned from the wood to witte Christ by his death on the crosse conquered the diuel sinne and death and thence begane to reigne S. Iustinus Martyr dialogo aduers Triphonem Tertullian li. aduers Iudaeos c. 9. 13 aduers Marcionem li. 3 c. 19. 21. S Augustin in this place according to the old Roman Psalter Before him Arnobius and after him Cassiadorus and others wherby it is probable that it was sometimes in the Hebrew text and blotted out by the Iewes h The Psalmist in abundance of spirite inuiteth al creatures to praise God as Daniel in his Canticle c. 3. i Christ iudgeth now in the world by his ministers discerning and deciding causes rewarding and punishing but especially he wil iudge al in the last day The last iudgement the 9. key a In figure of Christ b whose bodie rose the third day after his death to whom manie returned beleuing in him after his resurrection which fel from him in his passion and to whom al thinges shal be subdued as to their true Lord in the day of iudgement c Holie Dauid and other Prophetes hauing great ioy to see long before in spirite only Christs kingdom extended in the whole earth yea to the Ilandes we Ilanders haue great cause to be gladde that God hath not only so blessed vs long since but as yet conserueth seede wherby we trust the whole Iland shal be againe restored vnto him d As in a cloud with terror God gaue his law to the Iewes so in a cloud with greater terror and maiestie he wil iudge the world e not as manie corrupted seates of iudgement in this world but as a corrected tribunal where iustice and right iudgement shal be practised :: These thinges are denounced as if they were alredy donne
are immaculate that walke in the law of God VVhere the holie Psalmist presupposeth that some can and do kepe the law of God and so are immaculate and blessed in the vvay of this life d Those that are immaculate are againe blessed by searching Gods testimonies that is his lavv testifying that the good shal be revvarded and the vvicked punished but searching these testimonies vvhiles one is contaminate vvith sinnes against Gods lavv maketh not blessed e neither doth euerie superficial careles search bring this blessing but searching vvith true affection of the hart f Contrarivvise they that vvorke iniquitie are not blessed g because they haue not vvalked in the vvayes of God to witte not kept his conmamdments and lavv vvhich are the vvay to happines h For mans ovvne good that he may come to true happines God hath most seriously commanded vs to kepe his commandments that is to obserue his Lavv commanded by most sufferaine diuine authoritie i Therfore the faithful seruant of God knovving his ovvne insufficiencie desireth that God by his grace vvil direct and streing then him k to kepe his lavv called Iustifications because therby man is made iust l They shal be safe from eternal confusion when they shal kepe not only part but al thy commandments because breach of â—nâ—e bringeth confusion m So shal I praise thee and render thankes n with sincere not fayned affection o for this great benefite that I haue lerned that thy law is according to most iust iudgement p I haue therfore a firme purpose do faithfully promise to kepe thy law which maketh the keper therof iust q Albeit thou suffer me sometimes to be in tribulation or in tentation yet forsake me not wholy The Psalmist knew wel saith S. Gregorie that he might be profitably leift a while who prayed that he should not be wholy forsaken li. 20. c. 21. Mer. a In this second Octonarie as also in al the rest the Holie Ghost by the prophets penne teacheth the meanes how to come to perfection happines Here by way of interrogation as it were demanding how a youngman that is euerie man prone to worldlie pleasure slow in Gods seruice shal beginne to correct his course b VVherto the same Holie Ghost answereth that he must kepe Gods law called here his wordes For al the wordes which God vttereth are lawes to his seruants * sermones c The Psalmist now speaketh in the person of perfect iust men or of the whole Church in general VVhose common spirite seeketh God intyrely d And considering that this perfect good wil is the gift of God prayeth that he wil conserue the same and not suffer it to be altered or to erre from his commandments e An other sincere profession of a resolute good purpose not to sinne * eloquia f A gratful aspiration praising God g Againe the iust prayeth to be more and more instructed in iustifications that which S. Iohn exhorteth vnto He that is iust let him yet be iustified Apoc. 22. h Gods law is also called his Iudgements because sitting in iudgement he geueth sentence according to his Law i As the iust professeth by mouth so he delighteth in hart k practiseth in worke l and diligently meditateth Gods law * sermones a O Lord liberally geue me that which I here craue b quicken me with spiritual life thy grace c so I shal kepe thy law which otherwise I can not * sermones d Illuminate myn vnderstanding by thy grace e that I may be able to see the meruelous great and iust reasons of thy law instructing al threatning the peruerse encoreging the wel disposed punishing the wicked rewarding the good doing right to al. f I that haue but a smal time in this world g desire to be instructed in thy law what is therein commanded h I consider that thou ô God dost sharply reproue the prowd contemners of thy commandments i laying curses vpon them for declining from thyn obedience k Though persecutors were very potent l yet the faithful seruant of God perseuered in his seruice m In time of persecution and tentation we must thincke and meditate that Gods law testifieth eternal revvard or punishment n and in our deliberation or consultation we must consider that keping Gods law maketh iust and consequently meriteth reward a This also is vttered in the person of the just who is often brought to great distresse as it were euen nere to death b in which case he confidently prayeth to be reliued according to Gods word law and promise c Being in so great anxietie that my minde is almost distracted or ouercome d I cal to thee ô God that thou wilt conserue me that I stil kepe thy law vttered by thy vvordes e Protect me that I fal not to iniquitie f And of thy'mercie conserue me in state of grace g Suffer me not to be confounded h Man is able and doth runne in the right vvay of Gods commandments i yet not of himselfe but vvhen God replenisheth his hart vvith grace a Impresse ô God thy lavv in myn affection make me to loue it and to desire to be iustified b so shal I hartely and alvvayes seeke it c After thou hast geuen me a desire to kepe thy lavv geue me also vnderstanding d then shal I fruictfully search it For this is the right order as before in the first and second verses first to loue Gods lavve to be iustified and to become immaculate and then to search to knovv the lavve and so it is more eâ—sily lerned e Gods grace first dravveth and leadeth f then freevvil inflamed vvith desire effectually concurreth g Stil the Prophet inculcateth the necessitie of Gods grace as vvel to make vs desire that is good h as to flee from euil i It is necessarie also to pray that God vvil take avvay occasions vvhich might moue to sinne k and stil to grant his helping grace in progresse of vertue l Againe the iust prayeth for confirmation in grace to be established in the feare of God * eloquiuÌ„ m To be deliuered also from al the effectes of former sinnes n for sinne is therfore reprochful and odious because it is contrarie to Gods lavv and true iudgements vvhich are most pleasant o Being thus affected vvith desire to kepe the commandments the soule prayeth to be stil quickned more and more vvith good spirite and so to perseuere to the end a Againe considering that vvithout Gods grace preuenting man can not do anie good thing the prophet renevveth his prayer requesting Gods mercie b and his helpe freely promised to al that aske it * eloquiuÌ„ c VVhervvith being assisted and streingthned he that before vvas vveake vvil boldly ansvver al calumniators that reprochfully say God wil not helpe him d that in dede he hath not in vaine trusted in Gods promised helpe * sermoâ—ibus e He also prayeth though he be sometimes fearful that God vvil not
spiritual Et cont Mend. c. 1â— â—â—â—ym in Pâ—al 1â—7 VVhy God would haue them obscure Isai of noble lineage and a marâ—iâ— prophecied a long time Presat ad Paul Lusto Is called the Euangelical Prophet Hewritte in a high stile S. Ieâ—o Epist ad Paâ—â—â—â— Et in com Isaâ— S. Aug. â—â— 18. c. 27. â—uâ—t lib 9 c. â— conâ—â—â—â— Heb. 1. Liued in the kingdom of Iuda The contents diuided into two general partes and into eight particular 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. The first part The kingdom of Iuda shal be captiue in Babylon for their ingratitude towards Gods and other sinnes :: Not Aâ—â—s the third of the lesse prophetes for this name is written in other letters in Hebrew but one of the royal bloud as S. Ierom. testifieth :: Prince Priest and people are al sicke of ingratitude against God other iniquities :: Ierusalem defaced and destroyed :: God continually preserueth some holie seede that his Church neuer faileth Rom. 9. :: Much wickednes reigned in Ierusalem before their captiuitie in Babylon but much more at Christs passion when they persecuted him euen to the Crosse and his disciples and al christians til their citie was taken by the Romanes and the whole nation dispersed :: The Rabbins vnderstand those Iudges and Priestes that gouerned the people after their deliuerie from captiuitie but S. Ierom expoundeth this and the like places of the Apostles and their successâ—â—s :: It is not only certaine but also euident that the prophet speaketh here and in innumerable other places of the Church of Christ which is the citie set vpon a mountaine Mat 5. vnto which al nations are gathered aâ—d al the time of the new Testament is called the last houre 1. Ioan. 2. because no time shal folow after this but al eternitie :: The Iewes were reiected after Christs death before which they were stil conserued though often seuerely punished And so now the Church of Christ shal neuer be reiected noâ— :: It is most absurde and contrarie to this and other Scriptures that Protestants seyne of great idolatrie in the Christian world for a thousand or more yeares together professing Christs name Religion and yet continually committing as these new masters imagine grosse idolatrie :: This was fulfilled first in the captiuitie of Babylon and more notoriously after Christs passion in the destruction of Ierusalem and dispersion of the Iewes euen to this day and yet forward til nere the end of this world :: An Ecclesiastical preacher must not flatter the people He must moue teares sayth S. Ierom not laughter Apoc. 1. :: By the metaphor of wemen S. Ierom vnderstandeth the cities of Iurie of which Ierusalem was the head and Sion the chiefe place there of al which were defaced by the Babylonians but more fully destroyed by Titus and Vespatian fourtie yeares after Christs Passion :: After the reduction of heathnish or heretical people to catholique religion there wil be great want of spiritual pastors :: Not al the Iewes that escaped temporal death in the destruction of Ierusalem but those only shal be eternally saued that beleuing shal be baptized and liue wel :: Isaie of the tribe of Iuda here prophecieth the doleful songue which Christ vttered weeping ouer Ierusalem fore seeing foretelling their destruction Luc. 19. v. 41. Mat. 21. :: Al this sheweth that God only subtracting his protection no man nor people is able to stand of whose ruine God is not the auctor but only permitteth that they fal into sinnes and so into other miseries :: An admonition to celebrate festiual dayes with â—oly religious exercises and not to folow drunkennes nor other wicked or vaine thinges Rom. 12. :: Greuous sinnes must be greuously punished Such as was the sinne of the Ievves persecuting Christ 4. Reg. 15 2. Par. 26 :: Neither Isaie nor Moyses nor anie other mortal man did euer see God in himselfe but only shadowed Yet the wicked calumniously accused condemned and put Isaie to cruel death vpon pretence of blasphemie for saying that he saw God VVhich he otherwise said not but couered by the vvinges of the Seraphimes Origen in hunc locum S. Ierom. Tradi Hebraicis in Paral. Apoc. 4. Rom. 1â— :: Isaie was not only an Euangelical but also an Apostolical prophet with whom God here treateth and procedeth as with an Apostle saying VVhom shal I send and the prophet answering Send me God sent him saying Goe c. S. Ierom in Proâ—mio Isais Mat. 23. :: Before this the kinges of Syria and of Israel had taken king Achaz in battel and caried avvay great spoyles 2. Paral. 28. But presuming to do the like againe God suffered them not to preuaile My stically this signified that heretikes of diuers sectes conspire together to impugne the Catho like Church VVhich they do much afflict and terrifie but can neuer ouerthrow iâ— S. Ierom in hunc loâ—â—â— 4. Reg. 16 :: Though Achaz vvas very vvicked and committed idolatrie 4. Reg. 16. 2. Par. 28. yet he beleued in God Almightie knovving that he ought not to tempt him :: Vpon occasion of Gods mercie promised vvithout mans desert which king Achaz hardly beleued to confirme the same with a farre greatter example God inspired the Prophet also to forshevv the greater mysterie of Christs Incarnation his conception birth of a virgin for the redemption of â—l mankind Luc. 1. 4. Reg. 19. :: The mysterie here prophocied is of so great importance as would require a very great booke for ful explication therof :: Christ the Sonne of God and virgins child quickly taketh the pray from the diuel who before possessed almost al the world :: The prophet speaketh of the tenne tribes vvhich ioyned forces with the king of Syria against Ierusalem but them selues vvere first brought into captiuity by the Assyrians God protecting Ierusalem for that time and long after Luc. 2. Rom. 9. 1. Pet. 2. :: VVheter they seke to God in their extreme distresse not sincerely but â—â—acted :: or seke worldlie helpe they shal not escape miserie :: S. Mathew expoundeth this prophecie of Christ first preaching in Galilee VVhere his disciples beleued in him folowed him Mat. 4. :: But after his passion few Iewes beleued in him in comparison of the Gentiles Iudic. 7. :: He that is great yea omnipotent God is borne a litle one in this vvorld and vvithout violence conquereth ruleth al the vvorld Luc. 2. :: God punishing sinners and they not repenting his iust furie stil increaseth punishing eternally al those that neuer repent :: VVhere is no repentance there can be no remission As v. 12. 17. ch 10. v. 4. c. :: VVheras good lawes are the stabilitie of the coÌ„mon wealth wicked are the ruine therof Such as Ieroboam made forbidding to goe to Ierusalem and setting vp golden calues in Bethel and Dan causing the people to serue them as the goddes of Israel 3. Reg. 12. v. 16. Such also as the Scribes and
of compassion â—id wepe with their goddesse :: The prophet being first instructed by a voice that the destruction is nere at hand * Vas intersectionis :: forthvvith in the same vision 〈…〉 men coming to kil the idolaters :: Yet one is sâ—â—t before the six to â—aâ—ke some vvhom Gods mercie vvil saue from the slaughter because he neuer suffereth his Church to be vvholly destroyed * Marke vvith †:: For abuses of holie Sacrifices Sacramentes and other sacred Rites God suffereth first Churches and Monasteries to be destroyed and clergie men and other religious persons to be persecuted and so punishment proceedeth to other offenders as 1. Pet. 4. v. 17. iudgement beginneth at the house of God Some translate Signe a signe or sette a marke vpon the foreheades Others translate more distinctly Signe Thau vpon the foreheades or Marke the foreheades vvith Thau or T. That is with the letter which hath the forme of a Crosse It was in the time of Ezechiel in figure now is in remembrance of Christs Crosse The ancient Fathers testifie the continual vse of the signe of the Crosse in the Church Exo. 1â— 1. Cor. â— Honour of the Crosse proueth Christ to be God The signe of the Crosse vsed in Baptisme in Confirmation in the B Eucharist and in aâ— holie Rites Miraculous apparitions of the signe of the Crosse The signe â—â—â— the Crosse shal appeare before Christ coÌ„ming to iudge The vnsigned shal be confounded The rightly signed shal be glorified :: In this vision appeared in the ayre as it vvere a man sitting in a throne of sapphire stone ouer the image of Cherubs foure wheeles vnder them :: The strange forme of these foure payre of wheeles signified the consonant agrement of the old and nevv Testament S Greg. ho. 6. in Ezech. :: They were readie to goe forward backward on the right hand on the left or to what part soeuer without turning about :: It semeth euerie one had as it vvere foure faces v. â—t al like mens faces but one more resembling a mans face then the other one some what resembling an ore face c. 1. here called the face of a cherish another the face of a lion the other of an eagle :: The prophet in Chaldea saw in spirite what was dont in Ierusalem :: VVere not nevv houses builded say the false prophetes sine Ieremie said that al our houses should be destroyed vvherupon they inferiâ— that his prophecie is false :: and so counted themselues as secure in Ierusalem as flesh in the potte :: The false prophetes feared warres but not captiuitie therfore the prophet assureth them that the people shal feele both sword captiuitie :: He lamented not the death of the false prophet but feared great ruine of the people seeing this wicked man dye so sodenly :: God stil conserueth his Church from vtter ruine as the prophets do often affirme Iere. 4. v. 27. ch 5. v. â—â— 18. Psal 88. â— â— â—â— :: Prouide furniture for trauel :: Trusse vp carie bag and bagage from one place to an other :: The false prophetes argued here Ezechiel of contradiction that the king should be caried into Babylon and should not see Babylon But the euent conuinced their rash iudgement For he vvas caried thither blinde 4. Reg. â—â— :: That which is commonly saide of manie is called a prouerbe :: False prophetes perswaded the people that seing the captiuitie foretold by the prophetes was not yet come therfore it would neuer come As heretikes shal denie the day of general iudgement â— Pet. â— :: As a wal of clay or morter without straw or other temperature is washed away with rayne so vaine hopes of securitie without repentance good vvorkes deceiue the careles people that liue in sinne :: There were also false prophetisses feaning to be illuminated with the spirit of Prophecie as Debora Iud 4 Holda 4. Reg 22. other holie vvemen vvere in dede true prophetisses but these by :: flaterie deceiued the people saying they vvere in good state and in securitie vvhen they vvere in sinne in exâ—teme danger of both temporal and eternal â—â—â—â— :: God reueled to the prophet that these men came not sincerely to lerne but were setled in their hart to serue the idoles As vvorldlie men in heretical countries do inquire of Catholique Priestes vvhat they should do but remaine resolued to participate with heretiks :: Such men are first of al to be admonished to depart from idolatrie heresie schisme from al practise therof which is the first step of true conuersion to God :: God permitteth false prophetes to be deceiued to deceiue in punishment of their owne sinnes and of the people that heare them 3. Reg. 22. v. 19. 2. Par. 18. v. 18. :: Daniel then liuing Noe Iob departed from this life did sometime pray for the people els this allegation of their interceding were not to the purpose of confirming Gods immutable decre to punish this obstinate people As is noted of Moyses and Samuel Iere. 15. :: Noe is named for example of spiritual Pastors of the Church Daniel of al religious orders Iob of holie laie people S. Gregorie li 1. c. 1â— â—or :: There shal alvvayes be Pastors to bring forth seede spiritual children of God Gods Church is very often and fitly compared to a vine in respect of the excellent fruite so the branches cut of from the Church are most like to wilde superfluitie of the vine good for nothing but to the fire S. Aug. Tract 81. in Io. :: In burning a fagot the middes being first consumed v. 4. the rest of both endes are likewise put in the fire til al be consumed so none that are out of the Church can escape the fire :: Ezechiel was now in Babylon and therforce this admonition which he should geue to Ierusalem was to be notified there by letters and messengers sent thither for this purpose :: By al this is signified that God made the Israelites of a barbarous nation to be ciuil and gaue them not only thinges necessarie but also :: ornaments aboue the state of other nations especially in spiritual benefites geuing a Law with Sacrifices Sacraments and other holy rites :: Adulterous wemen doe deceiue their husbandes bringing them other mens children but the Ievves gaue their lawful children to the vvorst adulterers sacrificing them to idols 4. Reg. 16. 17 21. 23. :: Al fornication is abominable but that is must detestable when vveâ—â—â— gâ—ue revvards to men for fornication or adultrie :: As Ierusalem was wont to be vvicked in former times so it is novv :: Ambition 〈…〉 idlenes are cause of much more sinnes temperance laboure bring forth much good fruite Olla si tollas perâ—ere cupidinis arcus Take avvay idlenes Cupids bovv is vveake Labor omnia vincit :: By Sodom other cities are vnderstood al nations vvhich shal come to Christ :: After that al other nations are
verie same day Nabuchodonosor layde siege to Ierusalem 4. Reg. 25. v. 1. :: VVhen sinners are not amended by fire of tribulation God after that they are parted froÌ„ this vvorld punisheth them euerlastingly :: The suddaine death of nere freindes causeth â—ore sorow then if it were feared before yet the prophet was commanded not to shew sorow for the suddaine death of his wife to signifie that the great calamitie of euerie one would take away the particular 〈…〉 for the lode priuate freindes The 3. part The destruction of diuers other nations besides the Iewes :: Amongst other heathen nations especially the Ammonites reioyced at the miseries of the Iewes and were therfore plaged :: The Chaldees or rather the Armenians or Agarens who are more direct eastward and :: I wil take away al the streingth and force of Moab vvhich consisteth in his strong cities :: Yeares are stil counted from the transmigration of Ioachin as ch 1. 8 20. 24. v. 1. 29. v. 1. 17. :: Tyre which is a most frequented sea towne shal be made desolate and to no vse but to hang nettes therin to drie :: Lesse cities and townes perteyning to Tyre shal likewise be destroyed :: As Tyre was exalted in pride so it was brought to great ruine yet was it restored after seuentie yeares according to Isaias prophecie ch 23 v. 15. And our Sauiour retired sometimes into the quarters of Tyre and Sidon Mat. 15. v. 21. :: This large description of the Tyrians glory sheweth their greater ruine :: S. Ierom in Isaie 54. v. 12. translating this word a iasper stone here leaueth it vntranslated and so do also the Septuagint neither do the Hebrew Doctors describe it in their commentaries The Chaldee paraphrasis translateth it in general precious stones or margarites some in particular thinke it to be a carbunkle some a rubie others a chrystal others an adamant :: VVith these Gentiles cutting or shauing of their heare was a signe of sorovv vvhich the Ievves vvere commanded not to imitate Deut. 14. to shevv difference from other nations yet they also did cut their heare in great calamities Isa 22. v. 12. :: Daniel was so famous for vvisdom that therof came a prouerbe in Chaldea to compare wisemen vvith Daniel and to reproch those that arrogated more wisdom then they had that they semed vainely to themselues vviser then Daniel * 〈…〉 plâ—â—â— taâ—ing breath :: Tyre had much â—niquity long before but when the king thought himself to be God v. 2 this iniquity could not be longer tolerated :: As Sidon was nere in situation to Tyre so it was made like in ruine for their like pride :: Al nations wil praise God when they see that he iustly punisheth his owne people afterwards restoreth them to their former state :: Prophetes do not write their prophecies in order of time as they were reueled for in former chapters he wrote that which he saw in the eleuenth yeare ch 26. v. 1. but that which was sooner fulfilled or because Tyre Sidon were nerer in situation to Ierusalem then Aegypt he writte that prophecie before this :: This vision against Aegypt is in confirmation of the former 17. yeares before v. 1. :: Of this place Sâ—â—eâ—om proueth that God rewardâ—â—halso Infidels for their moral good woorkes temporally though they can not merite an eternal revvard as the iust doe :: The day of iust punishment is called the day of our Lord. As the Apostle calleth the day of general iudgement the day of our Lord. 1. Cor 5. 2. Cor. 1 1. Thes 5. :: The time vvhen the Chaldees the most potent nation shal conquer and triumph ouer Aegypt :: Part of the kingdom of Aegypt was subdâ—â—ed before this time by the king of Babylon 4. Reg. 24. v. 7. :: Thou that semest to thyself inuincible yet art thou not equal to the king of Assirians who already is ouer throwne and so â—halt thou likewise be :: Although â— Aegypt thou art like to the most potent kingdomes yet as the assirians others so thou also shalt be ruined :: Here it is manifest that this prophet counteth the yeares by the time of transmigration of king Iechonias for it is clere that Sedecias â—eigned only eleuen yeares 4. Reg. 24. 25. Iere. â—â— 52 :: This hyperbolical speach describeth the former glorie of Aegypt as if al lightes were much diminished when this kingdom was darkned :: The countrie of the Aelamites :: and the king of Aelamâ—â—es shal also perish with Assirians Aegyptians other infidels :: Pastors are not excused omitting to admonish their flocke either for feare of danger or for despare of the sinners amendment For euerie one shal be iudged as he discargeth or neglecteth his owne office S. Iere. :: Gods absolute or consequent wil is alvvayes fulfilled but not his conditional or an ecedent As is noted ch 18. v. 23. :: God being alwayes â—eâ—dy to shew mercie knocking at the dore of our hart Apoc. 3. v. 20. it is of mens owne vvilfulnes that they are not saâ—eâ— according to that general Axiome Man doing that in him â—â—â—th God â—â— not vvanting of his part to saue al. S. Tho 1. 2. q. 109. a. 6. q. 112. a. 3. :: As he prophecied ch 24. v. 2 the very day vvhen the siege begane so he foreshewed also v. 26. that one flying avvay should tel of the taking and spoyling of the citie three yeares after Pastors do lawfully eate of the milke of their flock 1. Cor. 9. v. 7. but they ought not to take the wool nor flesh to themselues which belong to their master :: He that hath spiritual charge of soules and seeketh his owne temporal profite not the spiritual good of his flocke is in dede no pastor but a hyreling or if he also teach false doctrine he is a woolf Ioan. 1â— :: Not only Christ himself but also others shal doe these right Offices of true pastors in the new Testament as S. Paul conformably teacheth Ephe. 4. that God geueth Apostles Prophets Euangelistes Pastors and doctors to the consummation of Sainctes tilvve mete al into the vâ—itie of faith c. Iâ—â— 1â— :: No Iewe is so obstinate nor heretike so blind but al confesse that Messias Christ is here called by the name of Dauid For king Dauid was now dead long before this prophet liued See the same ch 17. v. 24. 25. and in manie places of holie Scripture :: This frequent phrase here and in other places signifieth turne thy speach to speake of such and such people or speake boldly and freely fearing no man :: God accounteth al iniuries done against his Church as done against himself So our Sauiour charged Saul persecuting the Church as persecuting himself Aâ—â— 9. v. 4. The 4. part The reduction of the Iewes from captiuitie and the Redemption of mankind by Christ :: Your captiuitie and distressed state hath geuen occasion to al nations to speake discourse of you As
Ierusalem according to Salomons prayer 3. Reg. 8. v. 47. 48. he obserued the same custome stil and vvas not senne publiquely of manie but his enimies searching curiously v. 11. found him praying accused him of breaking the kings Edict :: To this miracle wrought by the powre of God in defence and for the merites of this holie prophet S. Paul alludeth Heb. 11. v. 33. :: The law of like-punishment is so agreable to the law of nature that this Pagane king punished Daniels accusers when it appeared to him that Daniel had not committed treason but only vsed his religion and deuotion The 2. part Prophetical visions of Christ and of Antichrist a In order of time these two visions vvere before the histories written in the two precedent chapters b Foure winds may signifie the great tumultes which happen in the beginning of monarchies by vvarres and bloudshed of much people c Foure beastes do signifie the foure Monarchies of the Chaldees Medes and Persians the Grecians and the Romanes as was also signified before in Nabuchodonosors dreame ch 2. d A lionesses crueltie and the pride of an eagle do resemble the Chaldees monarchie e A beare of rude shape vveake sight content vvith litle and base meate represented the Medes Persians f The leopard vvith vvinges and foure heades signified the speedie victories of the Grecians vnder Alexander in foure quarters of the vvorld after his death diuided into foure kingdomes g By the fourth beast without name is vnderstood the incomparable povvre of the Romanes gouerning first by kinglie auctoritie aftervvards by Consuls then ioyning to them Tribunes sometimes Dictators finally Emperial h The litle horne becoming so great and strong as to ouercome al the other signifieth Antichrist whose outragious furie shal continevv but a shorte time v. 25. n. ch 12. v. 7. 11. 12. Apoc. 11. v. 2. 3. Apoc. 12. v. 6. 14. Apoc. 13. v. 5. â— God the Father is called the Ancient of dayes not as though one Person of the Blessed Trinitie vvere more ancient then an other for euerie Person is eternal and al are one eternal God But in order of proceding one from an other the Father is the beginning of vvhom the Sonne is begotten and from vvhom as also from the Sonne the Holie Ghost procedeth k By multiplication of these cardinal numbers is signified the innumerable multitude of Angels vvho doe excede al corporal creatures in number as the celestial spheres excede terrestrial bodies in greatnes l And the hieghest Hierarchie vvho are Assitants do farre excede the other Hierarchies in multitude S. Dionys c. 14. Hierar caelest S. Tho p. 1. q. 112. a. 4 m Our Sauiour Christ is here clearly prophecied by vvhose povvre Antichrist shal be vtterly destroyed a He insinuateth that this vision vvas in explication of some part of the former vvhich he had tvvo yeares before ch 7. where foure monarchies are mentioned so here is foretold the great conflict betvven the Persians Greciaus about 220. yeares after or riuer b The ramme represeÌ„ted the king of Persians Medes c The goat signified Alexander the great d breaking the tvvo hornes that is conquering the tvvo nations of Persians Medes e King Alexander died when he vvas very yong strong not fully 33. yeares of age f Foure of his solovvers possessed euerie one a kingdome of his Monarchie g Antiochus Epiphanes persecuting the people of God destroyed the sacrifice polluted the temple setting vp the image of Iupiter Olimpius i 2300. euenings and mornings that is 2300. dayes vvhich make six years and vvel nere foure monethes the whole time from the beginning of Antiochus persecution vnto his death for he begane to persecute in the yeare 143. 1 Mâ—â— 1. v 21. he died an 149. 1. Mac 6. v 16. vvithin which time an 148 the temple was purged 1. Mac. 4. v 52. l Ezechiel is very often called by the name of sonne of man here also Daniel is so called by an Angel as vvel to distinguish Angelical and humane nature as in honour of mankind vvhich Christ would assume therfore calleth himself by the very same rule in the Gospel b One Angel demanded of an other to knovv a thing to come l Historically Antiochus mystically Antichrist as ch 12. Mat. 24. * obscure speaches m So much as perteyned to the prophanation of the temple was fulfilled aboue 300. yeares after this prophecie as the same is also a figure of Antichrist it shal happen towards the end of this world S Greg. li. 30. c. 12. Moral a Assuerus or achasuerus not a proper name signifieth a great prince or head of people b Darius had reigned in Persia before this time but this vvas the first yeare of his reigne ouer the Chaldees also the last neither did he reigne a ful yeare for Cyrus reigned some part of the seuentith yeare of the Ievves captiuitie in Babylon in vvhich also Baltassar vvas slaine Ier. 25. v. 12. Ier. 29. v. 10. 2 Par. 36. v. 22. c Daniel seing the seuentith yeare of captiuitie vvas comen in vvhich God promised to deliuer his people Ier. 29. v. 10 prayed vvith great zele confidence for their release Iere. 29. v. 10. Deut 17. v. 14. d This singular deuotion with austere works of penance zele of his countrie merited this commendable title to be called the man of desires e And vvheras the prayed particularly for the release of the Ievves from captiuitie of Babylon a farre greater thing is promised and reueled to him that within seuentie vvekes of yeares that is â—â— yeares the Messias Christ vvil come and redeme mankinde from captiuitie of finne and the diuel f These foure thinges v. 24 Forgeuenes of sinnes Infusion of iustice Fulfilling of prophecies Annoiated Holie of holies agree only to Christ g Hebdâ—mas or Septenarius signifying seuen vnderstood of dayes importeth a weeke of yeares as Leui. 25 seuen yeares so seuentie vveekes 490. yeares S Bed li. de rat temp c. 6. 7. 8. truble some 〈◊〉 â—â—at 24. a Pharao had a vision in slepe Gen. 41. Baltassar vvaking savv a hand writing in the vval Dan. 5. but neither of them vnderstood their visions therfore vvere not prophets Ioseph vnderstood the former Daniel this other and so they vvere prophets For as this text teacheth vnderstanding is required that a vision be prophetical â— â—â—o 2. 2. q 175 a. 2 4. b The Angel iepereth this honorable nevv title to encorege him being sore frighted prayers c The Angel guardian of Persia S. Ierom S. Theodoret. S. Gregorie d This Angel for his office sake not yet knowing Gods vvil in this particular prayed that the Iewes might remain among the Persians for their edification and spiritual good e Daniels proper Angel ioyned his prayers vvith him for the deliuerie of the Ievves from captiuitie f S. Michael the guardian Angel of the whole Church also prayed for the same purpose a
caried captiue into Assiria the two tribes into Babylon both vvhich are northward not into the east nor vveast And therfore this prophecie is of al nations Iewes Gentils to be called to Christ fromal partes Ephes 4. v. 25. :: Not only the fast of the fift and seuenth monethes vvherof the question vvas proposed ch 7. v. 3. but also of the fourth tenth were to be leaft of in the times of ioy and festinitie a Preaching of true doctrine is at first vngratful to some hearers and stil to the incredulous but this burden becometh light to the faithful * acitie of Syria Isa 62. Mat 21. v. 5. Ioan. 1. v. 15. b Christ came often into IerusaleÌ„ but this last coming excelled al the rest vvhen he came to dye for redemption of mankinde c S. Ierom S. Cyril other fathers vnderstand this lake to be Limbus patrum from whence Christ deliuered the Sainctes of the old testaments d Christ is the grane of vvheat vvhich dying bringeth much fruite Ioan. 12. And of this vvheat that bread is made that came from heauen Ioan. 6. â— Ierom in hunc locum a Latevvard time is vvhen fruite vvaxeth ripe and so is here taken for the time of grace vvhich S. Paul calleth the acceptable time therfore this prophet exhorteth to aske this grace and al spiritual benefites of God b Not only the tvvo tribes c but also the tenne shal be conuerted at last to Christ d Christians are svvetely dravvne by internal inspiration vvithout clamorus and violent persvvasion of vvordes S. Cyril Isa 11. e VVhen the faithful are multiplied confirmed in religion their enimies can not hurt them a Ierusalem is called Libanus Isa 10. v. 34. in other places for the great beautie therof likewise the temple because it vvas built of the trees of Libanus as S. Ierom here Ezech. 17. expoundeth And so by this metaphore the destruction of the citie and temple by Titus is here prophecied The ceders also signifie the principal men of the Iewes b God the cretor and gouernor of al men calleth his general gouernmeÌ„t beautie because it is most semelie that al be vnder his rod. And his peculiar gouernment of the Ievves he calleth a Cord because it is limited to one people Iere. 15. v. 2. d Christ bought and sold for 30. pence Mat. 2â— e The Ievves are reiected * vnapâ— instruments f Antichrist a destroyer g shal be destroyed a VVhen the Church of Christ beganne in Ierusalem proceeding to al Iurie and Samaria and to other nations the other Ievves most earnestly persecuted Christians Act. 4. 5. c. b Iuda besieged Ierusalem when Ievves remayning in Iudaisme persecuted other Ievves beleuing in Christ for then brother deliuered brother to death the father the sonne c. Mat. 10. v 21. Ioan. 19. v. 3. c A towne nere to Iezrahel in the countrie of Mageddon vvhere Iosas vvas slaine 2. Baral 35. and great lamentation vvas made for him vvhich vvas a figure of the miserable calamitie of the obstinate in the day of iudgement S. Ieroâ— 2. Par. 35. a In the time of the new testament Christ is made an open fountaine of grace by his Incarnation Ioa. 4. v. 13. S. Greg hâ— 20. in Ezec li. 6. epist 186. Ezec. 3â— b False doctrine as idolatrie and heresie are punishable by death in the law of Christ c By svvord is vnderstood al sortes of persecution that fel vpon our Sauiour Mat. 26. Mar. 14. d The Apostles fleiÌ„g God recalled them and streingthned them with fortitude e Neither Ievves nor Gentiles remayning in their proper professions can be saued but Christian Catholikes liuing iustly which are Gods proper people distinct from the rest by his grace a In the armie of the Romaines were souldiars of manie nations at the last destructioÌ„ of Ierusalem Eâ—â— 14. b Amos. ch 1. maketh also mention of this earthquake and Iosephus li. 9. c. 11 Antiq. though it be not in the bookes of the Kinges nor Paralipomenon Amos. â— v. 1. c Christian doctrine of the Catholique Church vniuersal in al d places and e al times f It partly appeared already as S. Ierom noteth in the persecuting Emperors since in other examples but specially these calamities vvil fal vpon the vvicked nere the day of Iudgement as Luc. 21 v. 26. g In the meane time such as before persecuted the Church shal be conuerted vvith great deuotion vvil celebrate the festiuities and exercise religious rites to Gods honour and shal merite great revvardes h And the obstinate incredulous shal remaine barren vvithout grace and voide of eternal glorie In ca. 2. v. 7. â— 3. v. 7. Much is conteyned in this briefe Prophecie a Gods peculiar loue was first shewed to the Israelits in preferriÌ„g their progenitor Iacob and them his issue befor Esau his of spring though in them there vvas no difference at al the one neither deseruing more nor lesse then the other but of his mere mercie electing the one and iustly reiecting the other vvherof see the Annot. Rom. 9. Rom. 9. v. 1â— b Againe lastly the same special vndeserued loue vvas shevved in that the Idumeans subdued by the Chaldees remained in captiuitie but the Israelites were novv reduced into their countrie c Those that offer baâ—â— and contemptible thinges to God shew that they esteme litle of God and so by their â—ct dispise and contemne him d If you dare not offer your worse thinges to your temporal prince hovv dare you offer them to God Psal 11â— e Tvvo defectes vvere in their sacrifices they offered that vvhich they gotte by robberie or extorsion f and not the best but vvorse part therof Reiection of the Ievves and vocation of the Gentils Al old sacrifices abolished and the sacrifice of Christs bodie bloud prophecied Gal. 4 v. 9. Proued by the fathers And reasons deduced from the scriptures Deut. 16. a Priestes coueting scraping riches do greatly dishonour God diminish the estimation of holie Sacraments other rites as though they were â—em â—â—ral to be â—ought sold for money so do scandalize the weake Leui. 2â— Deut. 28. b Such are happie if God by suffering them to be spoyled recal them to repentance For otherwise they wil be depriued of eternal revvard as being payed their vvages already in this vvorld These our Sauiour calleth Hyrelinges not true pastors Ioa. 10. c The proper office of priests besides the administration of Sacraments is also to teach the people true doctrine d as being the Angel that is to say the messenger from God e VVhich holie functions priests not performing are made contemptible in this world and miserable in eternal torments Ip. â—ud v. 11. Mat. 2â— v. 9. Eph. 4. v. 5. Amos 5. v. 22. Ephes 4. v. 39. a S. Iohn Baptist is called an Angel or messenger because he vvas to be sent vvith special commission from â—od and for his puritie in Angelical life
high priest but an vsurper nor that he liued after Iudas vvho vvas slaine a yeare before this time v. 3 18. VVherby and by manie other such errors vve see that Iosephus is rather to be corrected by this booke then to disalovv this booke because it differeth from Iosephus or other like auctors :: Euil counsel hovv soeuer it happeneth to them that folovv it is euer hurtful to them that geue it :: He falsely auovvched that he vvas the sonne of Antiochus Epiphanes for he was in dede of very meane birth Iustinus li. 35. :: It vvas not in the kinges povvre to make Ionathaâ— high priest but he being so before the â—ing from this time did so account him :: This king Demetrius to gette his desired purpose sticked not to vvrite a plainelye for he had heard that the Ievves had refused him and made league vvith his enimie Alexander v 22 23. :: Notwithstanding the great offers of euil disposed men Ionathas and al prudent men considering their former vvicked dedes do not geue credite to glorious vvordes ch 7. v. 11. :: This Ptolomeus Philometor decided a controuersie that the Iewes had the true temple in Ierusalem and that the Samaritanes temple in Garizim vvas schismatical vvhich he iudged because albeit both pleaded antiquitie yet only the Iewes proued by continual succession of high priestes from Aaron and shewed that the other departed from them first in the time of Ieroboam and aftervvardes built that temple in Garizim vvhen some were returned from captiuitie vvherof Iosephus vvriteth li. 13. c. 6. Antiquit Our Sauiour also iudged that the cause of the Ievves vvas better Ioan. 4. v. 22. :: VVhen caluminators see that the innocent is iustified and honored they faile in their hart to procede against him :: Ionathas set his armie in that maner as on euerie side his men stood in front readie to resist the force of the enemie coming towards them al their backes so turned vvithin their ovvne squadron that the enemie could no vvay enter without present resistance and so those of the embushment could only cast dartes but could not breake the aray of Ionathas campe not make anie entrance with out their owne present death :: By this hyperbolical description very frequent in holie scripture is signified that Ptolomeus armie vvas exceding great yea greater then can be easily conceiued therfore is described by excessiue termes :: VVhen pastors endeuour to extirpate siâ—ne out of the mindes of the people those that hate godlines suggest to temporal princes that such spiritual preaching is dangerous to their state :: But zelous men cease not from so necessarie a worke because Gods vvord is not â—yed 2. Tim. 2. :: And vvise kinges vvil most esteme of such men knovving that their fidelitie tovvards God is an assurance that they vvil also be faithful to princes :: The king had before adioyned principal places to Iudea vvhich were called â—opaâ—chiâ— that is places of principalitie or principal gouernments novv he granted also immunities to them as to al Iudea and Samaria :: Three thousand faithful encoâ—â—â—â—ing vvith an hundred twentie thousand infidels killed of them in one day an hundred thousand :: As to vveare purple and to bare a crowne so to drinke in gold cuppes and to vveare a gold cheyne vvas proper to kinges and to vvhom they gaue license :: It is an ancient ceremonie in al uations often mentioned in these bookes to confirme peace by geuing ech other the right hand :: Only tvvo captaines remained and vvith them some souldiars as Iosephus vvriteth about 50 for it is not to be thought that Ionathas vvould haue returned to battel v 72. being but three men in al to beginne a new assault :: Sparta the chief citie of Lacedemonia called also Lacedemon and Theramne :: Spartians otherwise called Lacedemonians by Iosephus and other vvriters descended from Abraham v. 21. and vvere in great league vvith the Ievves :: The Spartianes had written this epistle before Onias vvritte to theÌ„ though it be here placed after :: There remained vvith the Spartiates old vvrites of genealogies as Iosephus supposeth li. 12. c. 5. li. 13. c. 9. :: Morally in Tryphon is noted the practise of the diuel vvho intending to ouerthrovv a king or a kingdom first seeketh to deceiue the pastores and to destroy them especially by error or other sinne For as S. Gregorie teacheth ho. 38. if the pastors life be corrupted his doctrine vvil be contemned :: Simon the fourth general captaine of the Machabees high-priest excelled his bretheren in vvisdome by the restimonie of his father c. 2. v 65. :: He vndertooke by al his endeuour to defend and deliuer his nation from danger and to restore their former libertie :: Simon being vvise choise the lesse euil and lesse danger For if he had not sent that vvas demanded it was very like and almost cettaine that Ionathas should be slaine and it vvould haue bene imputed to Simon that he had not taken iust care of his brothers life vvherby the people vvould haue bene alienated from him and perhaps haue reuolted from him and also from religion S. Tho. in hunc locum :: This vvas not vaine glory but true glorie to kepe memorie of so great vertue therby to stur vp others to imitation He that loueth honour saith S. Augustin li. cont Secundin c. 17. imitateth God But humble soules desire houour in God proud men vvil be honoured more then God or vvithout God O hovv manie Epitaphes are of vvicked men nothing els but perpetual monuments of their ambition vanitie iniustice crucltie other vices but those that are of true vertues are to Gods more honour the auctor of al vertues * a precious chaine :: By hovv much more that mercie is admixed vvith iustice so that iustice be not destroyed and that religion be aduanced the better it pleaseth God and edifieth the vvel disposed :: This Iohn Hyreanus defended the countrie against inuaders ch 16. :: Simon had novv gouerned the people two yeares beginning with great difficulties but hence forth enioyed peace til Antiochus Sedetes brake the league inuaded Iurie ch 15. v. 27. 39. :: He reduced manie Ievves from captiuitie :: Sparta being the chief citie of Lacedemonia had manie cities subiect depending as vpon their Metropolitane :: Vvhen peace was estabished in al Iurie and friendshippe confirmed vvith the Romanes Lacedemonians the vvhole nation of the Ievves in gratitude tovvards Simon vvho onlie novv remained of Mathathias sonnes confirmed him in the office of high-priest perpetually or for euer v. 41 that is during his life to his progenie v. 49 :: The hieghpriesthood continevved in this familie of the Machabees vntil Herod tooke it from them selling it for money and then shortly came Christ the faith ful Prophet :: This Antiochus Sedetes sonne of Demetrius Soter vvas brother to Demetrius the second who was now captiue in Per â—â—a ch 14.
planted the eare shal he not heare Or he that made the eie doth he not consider †He that chastiseth nations shal he not rebuke he that teacheth man knowledge †Our Lord knoweth the cogitations of men that they be vaine †Blessed is the man whom thou shalt instruct ô Lord and shalt â—each out of thy lawe †That thou maist geue him quietnes from the euil daies til a pitte be digged for the sinner †Because our Lord wil not reiect his people and his inheritance he wil not forsake †Vntil iustice be turned into iudgement and they who are neere it are al that are right of hart †Who shal rise for me against the malignant or who shal stand with me against them that worke iniquitie †But that our Lord hath holpen me within very litle my soule had dwelt in hel †If I said My foote is moued thy mercie ô Lord did help me †According to the multitude of my sorrowes in my hart thy consolations haue made my soule ioyful †Doth the seat of iniquitie cleaue to thee which makest labour in precept †They wil hunt after the soule of the iust and wil condemne innocent bloud And our Lord became my refuge and my God the helpe of my hope †And he wil repay them their iniquitie and in their malice he wil destroy them the Lord our God wil destroy them PSALMES XCIIII An inuitation to serue and adore Christ our Lord and Messias 3. aswel for the benefites of creating al thinges 7. as for his Incarnation and not to harden our hartes as the Iewes did Praise of Canticle to Dauid him selfe COME let vs reioyce to our Lord let vs make iubilation to God our sauiour †Let vs preuent his face in confession and in Psalmes let vs make iubilation to him †Because our Lord is a great God and a great King aboue al goddes †Because in his hand are the endes of the earth and the heightes of the mountaines be his †Because the sea is his and he made it and his handes formed the drie land †Come let vs adore and fal downe and wepe before our Lord that made vs. †Because he is the Lord our God and we the people of his pasture and the shepe of his hand †To day if ye shal heare his voice “ harden not your hartes †As in the prouocation according to the day of the tentation in the desert where your fathers tempted me proued me and saw my workes †Fourtie years was I offended with that generation and said These alwaies erre in hart †And these haue not knowne my waies as I sware in my wrath if they shal enter into my rest ANNOTATIONS PSALME XCIIII 8. Harden not your hartes VVhatsoeuer God proposeth by preaching or inspiration to a sinner it resteth stil in the powre of his freewil to harden his harte and to reiect al such good motions and so he doth not only frustrate Gods grace and hinder his owne iustification but also increaseth his former sinnes But by not resisting when deliberating therupon he could resist he disposeth himselfe and cooperateth to first iustification And therfore the royal Prophet here admonisheth and earnestly exhorteth al men to do this which God hath put in our powre not to harden our owne hartes when we heare his voice by resisting and reiecting his grace freely offered without al merite of our part PSALME XCV Al peoples nations are inuited to praise the blessed Trinitie 3. for Christs Incarnation and spiritual kingdom in al the world â—â— euen sensles creatures acknowledging his maiestie 13. and iudicial powre A Canticle to Dauid * himselfe when the house was built after the captiuitie SING ye to our Lord a new song sing to our Lord al the earth †Sing ye to our Lord and blesse his name shewforth his saluation from day to day †Shewforth his glorie among the Gentiles his meruelous workes in al peoples †Because our Lord is great and exceeding laudable he is terrible aboue al goddes †Because al the goddes of the Gentiles are diuels but our Lord made the heauens †Confession and beauty in his sight holinesse and magnificence in his sanctification †Bring to our Lord ye families of Gentiles bring ye to our Lord glorie and honour †bring to our Lord glorie vnto his name Take vp hoastes and enter into his courtes †adore ye our Lord in his holie court Let al the earth be moued before his face †say ye among the Gentiles that our Lord hath reigned For he hath corrected the round world which shal not be moued he wil iudge peoples in equitie †Let the heauens be glad and the earth reioyce the sea be moued and the fulnesse therof †the fieldes shal be glad and al things that are in them Then shal the trees of the woodes reioyce †before the face of our Lord because he cometh because he cometh to iudge the earth He wil iudge the round world in equitie and peoples in his truth PSALME XCVI Al the earth is inuited to reioyce in Christs kingdom 3. with description of the signes coming before the day of Iudgement 7. Idolaters shal be confounded 8. Holie Angels and iust men shal adore Christ and reioyce To this Dauid when his land was restored agane to him OVR Lord hath reigned let the earth reioyce let manie Ilands be glad †Cloude and mist round about him iustice and iudgement the correction of his seat †Fire shal goe before him and shal inflame his enimies round about †His lightninges shined to the round world the earth sawe and was moued †The mountaines melted as waxe before the face of our Lord before the face of our Lord al the earth †The heauens haue shewed forth his iustice and al peoples haue seene his glorie †Let them al be confounded that adore sculptils and that glorie in their idoles Adore him al ye his Angels †Sion heard and was glad And the daughters of Iuda reioyced because of thy iudgements ô Lord. †Because thou Lord most high ouer al the earth thou art exalted excedingly aboue al goddes †You that loue our Lord hate ye euil our Lord keepeth the soules of his saintes out of the hand of the sinner he wil deliuer them †Light is risen to the iust and ioy to the right of hart †Be glad ye iust in our Lord and confesse ye to the memorie of his sanctification PSALME XCVII Al men are againe inuited ioyfully to celebrate the meruelous conquest of Christ in al nations 4. with hart voice and instruments 8. al creatures acknowledging his coming to iudge the world A psalme to Dauid himselfe SING ye
to our Lord a new song because he hath done meruelous thinges His righthand hath wrought saluation to himselfe and his arme is holie †Our Lord hath made knowne his saluation in the sight of the Gentiles he hath reueled his iustice †He hath remembred his mercie and his truth to the house of Israel Al the ends of the earth haue seene the saluation of our God †Make ye iubilation to God al the earth chaunt and reioyce and sing †Sing to our Lord on harpe on harpe and voice of psalme †on long drawen trumpets and voice of cornet of horne Make iubilation in the sight of the king our Lord †let the sea be moued and the fulnes therof the round world and they that dwel therin †The riuers shal clappe with hand the mountaynes together shal reioyce †at the sight of our Lord because he cometh to iudge the earth He wil iudge the round earth in iustice and the peoples in equitie PSALME XCVIII Christ reigneth notwithstanding his enimies repine is adored 5. also his footestoole 6. whom ancient Prophetes did inuocate A Psalme to Dauid himselfe OVR Lord hath reigned let peoples be angrie he that sitteth vpon the Cherubs let the earth be moued †Our Lord great in Sion and high aboue al peoples †Let them confesse to thy great name because it is terrible and holie †And the honour of the king loueth iudgement Thou hast prepared directions thou hast done iudgement and iustice in Iacob †Exalt ye the Lord our God and “ adore his footstoole because it is holie †Moyses and Aaron in his priestes and Samuel among them that inuocate his name They inuocated our Lord and he heard them †in a piller of a cloud he spake to them They kept his testimonies the precept which he gaue them †O Lord our God thou heardest them God thou wast propitious to them and taking vengeance vpon al their inuentions Exalt ye the Lord our God and adore ye in his holie mount because the Lord our God is holie ANNOTATIONS PSALME XCIX 5. Adore his footestoole For so much as al Expositors also the Hebrevv Rabbins affirme that the Psalmist here prophecieth of Christ the promised Messias that should redeme mankind and seing the Arke of couenant perteyneth not to the seruice of Christ but vvas only a figure of him the footestoole of Messias here mentioned must nedes be something perteyning to him and therfore most ancient Fathers expound it of Christs humanitie And because the Prophet speaketh of perpetual adoration not only of the shorte time he conuersed vvith men in this life vvhen very fevv adored him the same fathers vnderstand here the adoration of Christ in the blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist Which S Ambrose teacheth lib. 3. de Spiritu Sancto c. 12. in these plaine vvordes By the footstoole must be vnderstood the earth by the earth the flesh of Christ VVhich vve also at this day adore in the Mysteries and vvhich the Apostles adored in our Lord Iesus S. Augustin more largely vpon this Psalme I am made doubtful saith he I feare to adore the earth lest he condeme me that made heauen and earth Againe I feare not to adore the footstoole of my Lord because the Psalme saith to me Adore his footstoole I seeke vvhat is his footstoole and the Scripture Isaiae 66. telleth me the earth is his footstoole Doubtful I turne myself vnto Christ because I seeke him here and I finde hovv vvithout impietie the earth may be adored vvithout impietie his footstoole may be adored For he tooke earth of earth because flesh is of earth and he tooke flesh of the flesh of the B. virgin Marie And because he vvalked here in the same flesh and gaue the very flesh to vs to eate vnto saluation and no man eateth that flesh onles he first adore it it is found hovv such a footstoole of our Lord may be adored and not only vve doe not sinne in adoring but vve should sinne in not adoring Thus farre S. Augustin Further instructing not to coÌ„ceâ—ue of Christs flesh as â—he Capharnaites did that he would cute it in peeces from his bodie and geue them portions therof His very flesh is geuen and eaten not in fleshlie maner but in sacramental See Annotations Ioan. 6. PSALME XCIX Al are inuited to reioyce in God Creator of al. A Psalme in confession MAKE ye iubilation to God al the earth serue ye our Lord in gladnesse Enter ye in before his sight in exultation †Know ye that our Lord he is God he made vs and not we ourselues His people and the sheepe of his pasture †enter ye into his gates in confession his courtes in hymnes confesse ye to him Praise ye his name †because our Lord is sweete his mercie for euer and his truth euen vnto generation and generation PSALME C. King Dauid gratfully celebrateth the two general diuine vertues Mercie and Iustice 2. by his owne example exhorteth al especially Superiors to direct their wayes in sinceritie 4. and to seperate the wicked from conuersation of the good A Psalme to Dauid himselfe MERCIE and iudgement I wil sing to thee â— Lord I wil sing †and I shal vnderstand in the immaculate way when thou shalt come to me I walked through in the inocencie of my hart in the middes of my house †I did not propose before mine eies any vniust thing I hated them that do preuarication †A peruerse hart hath not cleaued to me the malignant declining from me I knew not †One secretly detracting from his neighbour him did I persecute One of a proud eye and vnsatiable hart with him I did not eate †Mine eies are towards the faithful of the earth that they may sit with me A man that walketh in the immaculate way he did minister to me †He that doth proudly shal not dwel in the middes of my house he that speaketh vniust thinges hath not directed in the sight of mine eies †In the morning did I kil al the sinners of the earth that I might destroy out of the citie of our Lord al those that worke iniquitie PSALMES CI. A sinner in affliction of mind prayeth God to deliuer him 10. desolate of al other helpe 13. conceiueth comforth in Gods eternal goodnes and singular mercie in redeming mankind and propagating the Church 24. Prayeth to be made mature in vertue before he dye that he may liue with God 26. who only and wholly being immutable establisheth his seruantes for euer The prayer of the poore when he shal be anxious and shal make his petition before our Lord. LORD heare my prayer and let my crie come to thee †Turne not away thy face from me in what