serued in the temple wyth praying and fastynge professed thys to bee the redemer of Israel Yea the voice of God from heauen in the presence of many people doth confyrme al thys saying thys is my welbeloued sonne in whom I am well pleased heare you hym The myracles wythout number both in hys lyfe tyme when he cured al dyseases both of body and soule When he caused the wyndes to cease the seas to obeye and deathe to geue place and in hys death when he caused the heauens to shet the earth to shake the sunne to loose hys lyght And after hys death also when he caused the hels to open the graues to geue againe theyr prysonats What wyll you haue more Hys mooste ennemyes the Scrybes and Pharyseis coulde not saye in conscience but that al these wonders were doone by the fyngar of God and the sougiours wyth theyr captayne whych kepte hym at hys deathe was compelled to crye Truelye thys is the verye sonne of God Math. xxvii Yea the verye deuyls were dryuen to confesse hym to bee Iesus the sonne of God Math. viii Mark .v. Luke .viii and yet some whych do beare his name called Christians and some twyse christened as they cal it dare denye vnto hym thys glory O blasphemye intollerable yea al the power of Sathan and all the gates of hel haue not bene able to beate downe the church buylt vpon thys confession as Christ out sauioure promysed Math. xvi thoughe contynuallye thys M.D. and Li. yeares they haue wyth the swerd hangyng and burnyng moste despitefully stryuen agaynst it and yet these blynde beastes dare attempt such foly Yea thoughe the Iewes thoughe the Turkes thoughe the Aryans and the Anababtistes and al the lying rable of the deuyls sougiers labour and striue al that in them lyeth to hinder and stop the kyngdom of this child borne in despysed Bethelem as he is man but commyng forth from old from euerlastyng as he is god Yet lo it is now dilated and spred a longe tyme throughe the whole world and at thys present moste gloryously spreadeth and triumpheth ouer al. Embrace therefore the sonne least he be angrye and you doo peryshe foorthe of the way al you ragyng people and vain imaginers agaynst our Christe Y◠you gather you and sette you agaynste thys Messiah the euerlyuing lord wyl laugh you to scorne For he hath anointed him kyng vpon Sion hys holye temple He wryteth it in hys euerlastyng decree He calleth hym hys sonne he geueth hym power ouer al people to rule them wyth the yron scepter and so folowing of the kyngdome of Christ Psal ii Agaynst the aduersaryes therefore of thys kyngdome whyche are the Antychristes wherof we are so oft warned in the scriptures Suffer me I pray you to make a short digression not for any sotie arguments that I wil bring against them for that is contrarye bothe to my purpose and profession But for my zele sake simply to vtter the words of truth yf by that way we may win but any one of thē It is not sayd for noughte by the holy Apostle Heb. iiii The word of god is lyuelye and myghtye in operacion sharper then any twoo edged swearde Therfore wyl I vse the sweard of God hys holy scriptures to cutte of theyr errours desyryng oure heauenlye father wil houte whom no man can come vnto Christ to drawe some of these blynded and loste shepe home againe to hys son Christe theyr only shepperde and to hys fold holy felowship of the faithful lyuynge in Christen vnytye to the glorye of hys name and the delatinge and enlargynge of his glorious kyngdome There be .ii. sortes of the aduersaryes of thys kingdome the one denieth him to be God the other to be mā wherfore I wyll declare and proue by open scriptures Christ God and Man FYrste that the Messiah promysed shulde be verye man euen of the seede of man as we doo reade Genes iii. that the womannes seede shal breake the serpentes heade agayne Gen. xii saythe God vnto Abraham in the shal al the kynredes of the earthe bee blessed and declaringe howe thys shall come too passe in thee xvii Chapter he promyseth to Abraham and to Sarai a sede wyth whom he wil make an euerlastynge leage and couenaunte And in the .xxii. Chapter after he had broughte thys promised seede to be a slaine sacrifice as the Lorde hadde commaunded thys was again from heauen pronounced that in the sede of Abraham all nacions shoulde be blessed And in the .xxvi. Chapter vnto his sonn◠Isaac was the same promyse renewed wyth these same words In thy sede shal al the nacyons be blessed Againe to his sonne Iacob in the .xxviii. of Genesis al the kynreds of the earthe shal be blessed in the and thy seede saythe the Lorde Agayne saithe Iacob in the spyryte of Prophecye to hys chyldrene The scepter shall not bee taken frome Iuda nor the ruler from his seat whyles that Messiah do come and to him shal the people be gathered Loo thus by playne testymonies mooste auncient euen from the beginninge maye it bee proued Messiah oure Christ to be appoynted man of the seede of manne And after the troublous tymes when all theyr captaines fayled as Micha dyd Prophecy then forthe of a litle village of the tribe of Iuda shuld come oure Christe the appointed and anoynted ruler ouer the faithful Israel And to let you vnderstande whyche are the ennemyes to Christ his kyngdome that you do striue in vayne there against mark that Balaam prouoked bi the king Balaac colde speake nothyng agaynste thys kingdome which he did se more thē a thousand .d. yeres to come after hym but dydde reuerence it a farre of saying There shal ryse a starre from Iacob and a rodde from Israel whiche shall stryke the captaynes of Moab Of Iacob shall come thys greate Lorde whyche shal destroye the remnaunte forthe of the cytye Numer xxiiii Thus are the enemyes of oure Christe compelled to knoweledge hym a man of the seede of Iacob and a gloryous kynge ouer all hys ennemyes tryumphynge Agayne Deut. xviii Moses the seruaunte of God dare say thus A Prophete vp frome amonges thy brethrene euen lyke me shall the Lorde thy God raise vnto the whosoeuer shall not heare hym I wyll requyre it of him Loo nowe heare is the humilitie of Christ his man hode set forthe but so that whosoeuer is the despiser of him and hys doctryne hathe thys playnly promised that he shall gyue accomptes for it and God hym selfe wyll questyon wyth hym the cause whye he hathe refused him For so standeth the Hebrewe Beware therfore as Esay sayth and take hede vnto your selues from the man whose breathe is in hys nostrelles for wherin he is reputed though he be very man and therfore despised yet is he of the Lorde onlye regarded Agayne in the Psalme lxxxviii We do reade I haue sworn to Dauid my seruaunte for euer wyll I prepare thy sede and wyl stablish thy seate
downe and theyr highe lokes be brought lowe saythe Esay which is the meaninge of oure Prophete The Text And the hils shal melt For oure God is a consuminge fyre and who is able to abide the heat of his heauye displeasure and as Esay saith the Lorde shall come in fyre and hys Chariot shall be lyke a whyrle winde to vtter forthe hys furye wyth greate rage hys rebuke in the flame of fyre For in the fyre and the sweard shal the Lorde Iudge all fleshe Esay lxvi Now where the proude world dothe thinke that the lord liueth in the heauēs not seing nether regardīg their doings vpō earth our Prophet rebuketh that grosse opinion and telleth thē that as he dyd come terryble downe vpon the mounte Sinai when he dyd geue the lawe of the .x. commaundementes So wyll he come wyth fyre to make theyr heartes to melte when he wyll aske accomptes of the kepynge and fulfillynge of these holye commaundemēts The whiche fearefull communication and threatninge maye worthely cause vs in these latter daies vpon whom the end of the world is come to quake and tremble consideringe oure careles life whiche do al thinges so wilfullye and wickedlye as thoughe either ther were no God at al or no daye appoynted to make aunswere for oure doinges But the Lorde wyll come spedely from hys holye temple For the wickednes of Iacob The Text. all this and for the synne of the house of Israel After the Prophet haue threatned vtter destruccyon of the .ii. kingdomes Samaria Ierusalē set forthe by open similitude of the moūtaines melting the vallies cleauing in sondre like as wax doth before the fyrye flame he sheweth the cause of the ruin of thē bothe of the greate wrathe of God as all prophecies bee generall beynge geuen by one spirit whych seeth to the end euermore stryuyng agaynst the syn of al nacions So doth the spirite teach vs that the only cause of Gods wrath in al ages and al places is the synne and wyckednesse of the world for the which he said once It repenteth me that I made man Genesis .vi. For synne God destroyed the whole world whych he had made bothe man and beast saue only a seede reserued in the Arke to preach hys iustyce hys mercy in a new world renewed by hys spirit For the proude synful words of the old Giantes did the great plage of the confusion of languages come vp on the world whyche we doo feele vnto thys day so that one man vnto another beyng of a straunge nacion is made as it were a dombe and speecheles beaste For syn were the .v. cytyes brente wyth fyre For synne wer the old Giants Og kynge of Basan and the monstruous seede of Suachim destroyed For synne the Cananites the Heuites the Hethites the Iebusites and to be short after them who were placed in theyr Countryes the chosen Israelites beynge in noumber lyke the sande of the sea were myserably wasted destroyed and consumed The .iiii. pryncipall Monarchies whyche Daniel descrybeth be all beaten downe for sinne And the .x. litle hornes or kingdomes also hathe beene euery one of them ofter then once changed and translated Finally al realmes countryes townes and cities shall for synne haue the like ruine and destruccion Some sooner and sorar to cause the rest to repent and at the length all because the reward of synne is destrucciō by the myghty Lord hys vnchangeable ordynaunce So sore a thynge is synne in the syghte of God that who so euer synneth deserueth death This was the old learning which the Lord taught Adam in Paradise whych al the seede of Adam feeleth and tasteth continuallye and yet can neyther see nor auoyde the cause of theyr destruccion but as Media dyd say Euen seyng wittyng and wyllyng we do perysh Who was the cause of synne to Iacob was it not Samaria The Text and who of the hie places of Iuda was it not Ierusalem Thys sentence can not stand as it is cōmonly translate what is the syn because the interogatiue in the Hebrew is the Masculine gēder therfore must be referred to the author of the synne and hye places wherunto the aunswer also serueth that Samaria and Ierusalem that is to say the chefe cities and kings courtes are the causes of al wyckednes Idolatrous abhominacion Euen so so said Elias to king Achab Thou and thy fathers house hath troubled Israel whych haue forsaken the commaundements of God and followed Baalam For lyke as the kyng and court is such are the people as the experience of al ages playnelye teacheth For the people alwayes by flatteryng and counterfaityng kynges and princes doth imitate follow their maners condiciōs And thys is nothing vnnatural that the body and inferiour members shuld follow the qualities disposicion of the heade but rather impossible that it shuld be inclined any other waies Here is to be noted for the variety of trāslacion of thys text that it is a defectiue sentence and by sondry interpreters is diuerstye supplied lyke as many mo are in the old testamēt For the Hebrue tonge in sētēces of vehemencye and also of great haste doth leaue out certain words easy to be vnderstād itti mi who wyth me ha shalam how peace such eclypsed phrasies haue we in the Englishe tong as howe nowe horsse horsse Samaria was the kyngs of Israels seate as we reade .iii. Kyng .xvi. Amry king of Israel bought the hyl Thamor of Themer and buylte it for his palace wher as the kyngs wer named before to raygne in Thyrsa as appeareth in the same chapter This Samaria is much blamed in scripture because of the goldē calfes which Ieroboam set vp al the kings of Israel in this city chiefely maintained after hym And Ierusalem is annexed as her sister by byrth being both of one people brought forth of Egipt and also like of condiciō in al kynde of abhominacions as the thyrde chapter of Ieremye and xxiii of Ezechiel dothe at large vnder the names of Ahola and Aholiba declare Wher as Ierusalē is accompted muche more wycked because she could not beware by her systers fall but encreased her abhominacions and therfore much more greuouslye to be iudged and condempned In what case then are we lyuyng in these euil daies in our great cities courtes and kyngs houses whych haue not the terryble example of one of thē only but of infinite other set before our eies We do reade of the wycked kynges in Ierusalem Achas and Manasse which dyd not onlye excede in wyckednes the kynges of Israell and prynces of Samaria but they are charged that they far passe the wyckednesse of that people whyche the Lorde dyd driue forthe before them for theyr synnes And abhominations the wicked Cananees wher the kynges and Prynces were so euyl the people coulde not be good therfore did come vpon them horrible destruccyon at the ende What shall we saye in these perilous tymes wherin al men
made nether shalt thou take anye thinge of them vnto the least thou offende because that it is the abhominacyon of the Lorde thy God nether shalt thou brynge anye thynge of the Idol in to thy house leaste thou be accursed like as it is Thou shalte abhorre it as fylthynes because it is Anathema and accursed So was Iherico and Amelech Anathematysed if I maye be suffered so too speake And Achan was stoned for touchynge of the one Saule was put from hys kyngdom for hauynge of the other God graunte the noble houses of Englande to suffer no lyke damnage for the turnynge too theyr pryuate vses suche spoyles as they haue gotten of theese theyr spirituall enemyes I dare say nothing but thys onlye that al men canne easylye iudge that if the Idols founde in that Babylon had beene brente wyth all theyr Iewels vnto them offered and the landes and possessyons putte to the mayntenaunce of true religion To the fyndyng of the pore to the setting forth of godlye learnynge and vertue whiche was abused in supersticion Hipocrisy we myghte haue hoped for oure zeale to godward to haue had his mercy and for our godli pollici to haue sene a star shing region Where nowe that couetousnes that foule beaste blotteth and spotteth al oure doinges in the syght of God and man we do feare the cleane contrarye God graunte vs eies to se hartes to repente for the glory of that name that truthes sake whyche we do professe ☞ Nowe shalte thou be compassed The Text with garisōs thou doughter of garysons he hath layed seyge agaynste vs wyth a staffe wyll thei strike the cheke of the iudge of Israell After the Prophete haue ended hys wonderfull prophecy of the last daies that he may the better be beleued He telleth them thynges whych many of thē shuld see wyth theyr eyes Now saith he euen now is it at hand that Ierusalem ful of people and garysons of sougiers shal be obsessed and beseyged wyth many sougyers And if dyd come so to passe in the dayes of Ezechyas when Seneheryb sent hys army to Ierusalem whych did beseyge it and brought great famine vp on them not wythstandyng there was destroyed of that great army and garyson by the angel of God C lxxxv thousande in one nyghte Agayne wythin a fewe yeares after Pharao broughte an army forth of Egypt and did smite and stay theyr good kyng Iosias and ryghteous Iudge of Iuda Lyke as also the last kynge of Israell O see was slayne in the dayes of Ezechiah vnder whome oure Prophet lyued and dyd wryte this prophecye and the chiefe cyty of Israel Samaria was destroyed the same tyme. And not very many yeares after the cyty of Ierusalem was besyeged by Nabuchadnezer Ioakim was taken prysoner and zedekiah set in hys place who caused Ierusalem to be agayn beseyged and destroyed and hym selfe had hys eyes put foorth and so was caryed prysoner Of the whych zedechias they do for the most part expound thys 〈◊〉 of theyr cheife Iudge stryken vpon the cheeke And some dothe saye that it is a prophecye of Christe whych shoulde be stryken vpon the chycke before the hye Priestes But to cause it to agree wyth that which goeth before and followeth Heare seemeth to bee set forth a prophecye what shal come vpon Ierusalem euen great misery and thynges vnto the flesh desperate and tymes past all hope to the iudgement of man How be it to the almyghty power of the euerlyuyng Lord vnto whom al godlye Prophetes and preachers alway prouoketh al thinges that he pleaseth are mooste easye to be fulfylled The Lorde is mooste neare when he seemeth farre awaye The Lorde is mooste stronge when manne is moste weake Therefore strayght wayes in the next verse folowinge oure Prophete adioyneth howe that in tymes mooste terrible when they shoulde be paste al hope their lande wyth contynuall warres all wasted theyr kynges captiued Foraine nacyons bearyng rule ouer them And that same tyme the Romaine tyraunte Augustus Caiser demaundynge a sore trybute vpon theim Forthe of a lytle vyllage not worthye to beare anye vewe in the musters and assembles of the people shulde come forthe a captayne contrarye too mannes iudgmente whyche shoulde gouerne Israell in the strength of the Lorde and the hyghe and mighty name of God So that no power of man shal be able to resyste hym as is most euidently proued in that he hath enlarged his kyngdome and spred his name through oute the hole world magry al tyraunts al persecutors al hys enemies and hath contynued it this M.d.li yeres beating downe with the breath of his mouth with oute swearde or weapon al his aduersaryes and at this daye moste gloryouslye tryumphynge ouer them The Text And thou Bethlem Euphrata though thou be lytle among the thousandes of Iuda forth of the shall come vnto me he that shall be the ruler in Israell and hys commynge forth from old from euerlastynge Therefore he wyl geue theim vnto other vnto the tyme that she which shal beare haue borne and the relydue of the brethrene shall returne too the chyldren of Israel And he shal stand and gouern in the strength of the Lorde and the highe name of the Lorde hys God O wonderful blindenes of the Iewes whych do not vnderstand or not regard thys playne prophecye of Christe princypally spoken for theyr comfort O more wonderful madnes of the Anabaptistes which wilfully refuseth the knowledge true vnderstanding hereof turning thē to the folye of theyr owne braines The Iewish Priestes and Scribes do brynge in thys Prophecye to kynge Herode at the fyrst when he demaunded wher their Messiah whome we call Christe shoulde be borne in Bethleem Iuda they do answere for thus was it prophecyed that thou Bethelem though thou be litle c. Forth of the shal come a captayne The wyse Magis so wonderfully by the spirite of God called from far countryes forth of forayne and Heythen nacions brought bi a stai to Ierusalem to teache them there of theyr owne kyng doth folow the sta◠standyng ouer thys place wher thys Prophet apointeth his natiuitye There they do fynde him and worshyp hym as God and kyng in this lytle vyllage Bethelem At hys byrth fyrste of al the Aungels appeared vnto the poore shepeherds to vtter vnto the world that thys kyngedome is not of the proude but for the poore humble and meeke vnto whome Messiah is sent Esay .lxi. and they se a wonderfull lyght and heare a voice sayinge that theyr Messiah was borne in the cyty of Dauid whych is also named Bethelem in the same chapter the fyrst of Luke because Dauid was ther born i. Samuell .xvi. and anointed kinge In the same Chapter Symeon the Prophete whyche had promise made by the spirit that he should not se death before that he shuld se this Messiah cōfesseth that this is the lyght of the Hethē and the glorye of the people Israel Anna the Prophetyse whych night day
forme vpon hym and a voice was heard from heauen sayinge Thys is my beloued sonne in whome is my delyte Mathew iii. and .xvii. Marke .i. and .ix. Luke iii. and .ix. and all the Gospell of Saynte Ihon wrytten for the same purpose agaynste the Ebeonites Agayne Romaynes i.viii.ix and .xi. Corinthyans .v. Galathyans .iiii. Philippians .ii. Collossians ii.i Timothe ii.iii Tytus ii Hebrues i.v Yf the testymony of one of your Rabbynes O Iewes or of your phantastycal Prophetes O you rennagates Anabaptystes seme great vnto you Let the voyce of God from heauen the testemonye of all hys holye Prophetes Patriakes Martyrs Apostles doctours and faythful wytnesses of all ages be greater and of more wayghte vnto you Let your own saluacion be more deare then the deuyles delusion Let the author of truth be heard and banysh the authour of lyes The Lord God sayth by his holye Prophete Ezechiel Ezechiel xxxiiii I alone wyll feede my flocke straight he addeth My seruaunte Dauyd shall feede so that you maye see that boothe theese are but one whose feedynge you muste desyre yf you bee not of the loste sheepe for there is no waye to God the father but by Christe whyche is heare called the seruaunte Dauyd neyther canne anye manne come to Christe the onelye shepehearde of sowles vnles the father drawe hym A Prayer VVherefore O Lord God and heauēly father the God of Abraham the God of Isaac the God of Iacob whiche dyddest promise vnto Abraham that thou wouldest bee the God of hys seede for euer Whyche haste promysed also too subdue Moab Esau that is to saye all heathen miscreauntes too thy chosen Israel and to gather vnder one shephearde thy seruaunte Dauid Christe oure sauioure all they scattered shepe bothe of the Iewes and Gentyls that there myghte bee one sheppehearde and one folde Mercyfullye beholde thy flocke amonges them boothe dyspersed and scattered erryng wanderynge and goynge astraye wyth peruerse myndes and erronyous opinions farre from thy foulde not knowinge as yet nor regardynge the voyce of thy sonne the onlye good shepherd which did geue hys soule for his shepe And draw them we besech the home agayne to the fold of thy son Iesus Christ wythoute whō there is no saluaciō no cōforte no health no hope no stay of cōscience But imserable wanderynge from erroure to erroure and in in the ende vtter desperacion Haue mercye therfore of thy miserable stray shepe for theyr shepherde sake for thy prayse sake and for the glorye of thyne owne name for the amplyfyinge and enlargyng the kyngdome of thy sonne Christ who is declared God all readye in the flesh by hys manyfest miracles iustified in spyryte sene of the angels preached amonge the people beleued vpon in the world and receyued in glory and shortly shal come in the same glory to make hys ennemyes hys footestole So be it Nowe to oure Prophete from whom we maye seme to haue made ouer longe a digression same that this wicked time requireth it Therefore wil he geue them The Text He wyll geue them to the Babilonians and Romaines to be vexed oppressed and euyll entreated And then whē all semeth mooste myserable and desperate shal thys chylde bee borne whyche shall gather together this scattered people thys is it whiche we laboured to declare in the .iiii. Chapter Howe Messiah shoulde come in a tyme mooste myserable whē the scepter shuld be taken from Iuda and geuen to a foran Tyraunt as it was geuen to Herode a Romayne at the commyng of Christ And euer before was it in the hand of some of theyr own Prynces eyther of theyr kinges either of theyr Machabees either of theyr coūsalours whome they called Sanhedrin How be it Herod hauing the whole nacion suspected dyd take away all their offycers and set in hys captaynes But here is promysed a newe delyuerance when thys chylde commeth a restoryng and gatheryng of the chyldren of Israell together Whych we do vnderstande to be already begone when he did come into the worlde in fleshe to preache the glad tydynges of hys kingdome in openynge hys fathers greate mercye and good wyll towardes vs mooste vile and wretched synners and too make of vs Gentylles whych were lykedomme and dead stones touchynge the knowledge of GOD chyldren vnto Abraham and true Israelytes To make vs whych were not his people to be accepted as hys people and then shal it be most perfitely fulfylled in the end when ther shal be but one shepeherd one fold The Text And he shal stand and feede in the strengthe of the Lord and in the hyghe name of the Lorde hys God and they shal returne for nowe shall he be magnyfyed to the endes of the earth Loo the power of Messiah it shal be no fleshly or humane power but it shall be the power of the euerlyuynge Lorde and the hye name of God wherein he shal feede hys flocke as Christ sayeth in the .x. of Ihon I am the good shepherd and I do know mi shepe I am knowē of mine euen as the father knoweth me euen so do I know the father and I do laye downe my soule for my sheepe No man taketh it from me but I do laye it downe of my selfe I haue power too laye it downe and I haue power too take it agayne My sheepe dooe knowe my voyce and folow me and I do giue them euerlastyng lyfe neyther shal they perysh for euer Neyther shal any man take theym forth of my hād My father which gaue me thē is greater then all and no man can take them forth of my fathers hād I and my father are al all one Who can bring a more cleare exposicion of the feadynge and power of Messiah thē he here doth hymselfe Neither may it trouble any scrupulous cōsciēce that the prophet nameth him his god for so sayth Christe that his father did giue him thys shepe meanynge as he beinge fyrste in the forme of God wythoute all wronge equal vnto God did make hym self of no reputaciō like vnto man in the forme and shape of manne so dyd God gyue hym all thynges and was named hys God As he was man humbled and broughte downe euen too verye deathe wherein hee cryed bearynge oure myseryes and fealynge the wrathe of God againste vs for oure synnes Eloi Eloi My God my God whye haste thou forsaken me wherefore also God hathe exalted hym to the hyghest authoryty and geuen hym a name whyche is aboue all names that in the name of Iesu al knees shoulde bowe of heauenlye thynges of earthlye thynges and of infernall spyrytes And all tounges shoulde confesse that Iesu is the Lorde too the glorye of God the father lo the manhode in that he calleth his God and receyueth of the father and Godhead of Messiah in that all knees shall bowe and worshyp hym lyke as in the .xlv. Psalme He is thy Lorde thou shalte worship hym Where as in Deuteronomi .vi. it is written thou shalt worship
the Lorde thy God only And they shall retourne The Text for now shal he be magnified to the ends of the earthe Hear is the promise of the restoring of Israell and magnifyinge of the kingdome of Christ rehearsed which is more at large set forth in the latter end of the laste Chapter of Esay the Prophet and Ezechiell .xxxvii. And herein shal be peace The Text If Assur shall come into our land and if he shall come to treade in our palaces we shall rayse agaynste hym .vii. Pastoures and .viii. Princelike men and they shall fede the lande of Assur wyth the swearde and the lande of Nimrodde wyth they re owne sweard poyntes And shall delyuer vs from Assur if hee come into oure lande or if he treade vpon oure borders In thys raygne and gloryous kyngdome of Messiah shall be peace And as the Hebrewe demonstratiue Oz serueth because it is of the masculyne gender Thys Messiah is thys peace and peace maker vnto vs accordinge to the saying of the Apostle He is oure peace whyche hathe made two people one and hathe broken down the wal whych was a stop betwixte vs takinge awaye the strife euen the lawe of the commaundementes standinge in decrees by his fleshe For to make vs .ii. boothe in him selfe one newe man makynge peace and reconcylynge bothe in one bodye by the crosse takinge awaye all enemyte by it And thus dyd come and preache peace to the gentiles whyche were farre of and to the Iewes whiche were neare Ephesi ii Loo thys is the peace whereof we shoulde reioyse that we beinge iustified by fayth in him haue peace wyth God Romaynes .v. and by hym are pacyfyed thynges heauenlye and earthlye Thys shorte sentence doothe insynuate so greate a mysterye lyke as doothe the outewarde ennemye and outewarde delyueraunce folowinge importe and signify the wonderfull worekes of Christe in his church Thys peace was it that Aaron was appoyneted by God too wyshe vnto the people in all hys blessynges Numerye vi A lyke promyse of peace is made Leuiticus .xxvi. I wyll geue peace in your borders you shall steape and no manne shall afraye you I shall take awaye euyll beastes and the swearde shall not goo thorow your borders You shal persecute your ennemyes and they shal fal before you Fiue of you shal put to flight an hundreth and a hundreth shall pursue ten thousande Your ennemyes shal fall wyth the swearde in your syghte Whyche is lyke thys promyse of the destruccion of Assur and the lande of Nimrod whyche are boothe one thyng For thys Nimrod was the begynner of the kingedome of Babilon the cheife citye of the Assirians and vnder the destruccyon of hym and hys lande is insumate the destruccyon of all Tyrauntes and ennemyes boothe spyrytuall and temporal Agaynste whome the Lorde oure God at hys appoyncted tyme rayeseth vppe .vii. for one too destroye theym and hathe alwaye viii foulde so manye too helpe hys electe as the ennemye canne haue to hurt theÌ„ Yea God of hys mighty power and stretched out arme canne bryng al hys ennemyes to vtter confusion in the twynkling of an eye as it is moste manyfest in manye places of the old Testament So that the power of the ennemye can be reckened but a .ix. or .x. parte a verye small thynge to the power of the faythfull As dothe appeare mooste not ablye .iiii. kynges .vi. by Heleseus whiche seinge his cytye Dothaim beseged wyth manye Garrisons of sowgioutes biddeth hys seruaunte not to be afraied forther is mo with vs saith he then with them and prayeth for the openinge of his seruauntes eies And lo they were opened and he did see the hyll full of horsse and fyrye Chariots round aboute Heliseus And the Lorde at the prayer of thys manne of God did smite all the Sirians with blindenes and caused theim so to be ledde by the Prophete vnto the kynge of Israel whose destruccyon they soughte The lyke powre of God agaynst the Assirians is red .ii. Re. xix ii Chronicles .xxxiii. Esay .xxxvi. and manye such pastoures and Princes hath the Lorde set vppe for the delyueraunce of hys in all ages especyallye to beate downe Assur He sent Cirus hys annointed in whome wee maye see a fygure of Christ Esay xlvi of the delyueraunce by Messiah reade Ezechi xxxvi.xxxviii.xxxix Whereby as by all the other thou mayste vnderstand the spirytual delyueraunce from al helly powers This Phrase of .vii. and .viii. betokeneth abuÌ„dauÌ„ce plenteth of captaynes lyke as the xi chap of Eccle. you may read the same The feadinge with thesweard and the swearde poyntes is a manyfeste Ironye and scorne of the ennemyes alludynge too the name of pastoure and feadynge And the remnaunte of Iacob shall be in the myddeste of many people The Text as thee dewe frome thee Lorde as the droppes vppon the herbe whyche looketh for no maÌ„ neyther trusteth in the chyldren of menne Loo .ii. goodlye propertyes wherewyth God beautyfieth thys chosen Iacob thys scattered and despised people faythe haue they howe farre soeuer they be scattered abrode whyche looketh vp to the heauens not regardyng the help of anye manne no more then dothe the dewe whyche falleth downe vppon the hearbe wythoute the ayde of manne And like as the dewye drops after great heate dothe cheryshe the grasse euen so they do brynge forthe woorckes of mercye pyty comforte and refreshynge to the people amonges whom they do liue and are conuersaunt These be the two tokens of the true Iacob but these remnantes of Iacob must be tryed with the fyre As zachary sayth .xiii. I wyl bryng in the thyrd part of Israel by fyre and wyl try them lyke as syluer is tried and fyne them as gold is fyned Thys is the remnaunt whych are saued by free eleccion as Saynte Paule sayth Romaynes .xi. Chapter and howe the remnaunt of Israell shal be watered wyth pure water frome heauen and thereby looke vp toward heauen to kepe and fulfyl the lawes of theyr Lorde and so encreased and waxe gloryous reade Ezechyell .xxxvi. Chapter The Text And the remnaunt of Iacob shall bee amonges the people lyke the Lyon amongs the wiâ—d Beastes and lyke the Lyons whelpe amonges the flockes of sheepe whyche when hee commeth by doothe teare in peeces and trample vnder hys feete and there shall be none to delyuer Thy handes shall be lyfted vp vpon thyne ennemy and all that hate the shall be rooted vp Thys is it that Iacob dyd Prophecy of hys posterytye in the latter dayes to be fulfylled Genesis .xlix. shewynge to hys chyldren that whyche God had opened vnto hym of Iuda whome he nameth to be lyke a Lyon a Lyonesse a Lyons whelpe to vtter hys power amonges men As the Lyon is called the chiefe amonges the beastes he shall destroye hys ennemyes and bynd hys colt to the vyne and washe hys garmente in the bloude of the grape Whereby is vttered the greate power and glorye that he hathe prepared for hys chosen
Iacob after he haue made theyr ennemyes theyr footestoole whyche all the Prophetes doo make as the chyefe marke and ende of theyr Prophecyes for the comforte of the chosen Israel as is at large before wrytten and wonderfullye set forth in Ezechiel xxxvii xxxviii and .xxxix. Chapter And it shall bee in that The Text same day sayth the Lord and I wyl destroy thy horse forth of the myddâ—st of thee and breake thy charyots I wyl destroye thy cytyes and ouercome al thy municions I wyll destroye thyne enchauntmentes and thou shalte haue no sothlaiers I wil destroi thyne Idols and thyne ymages forth of the myddes of thee and thou shalt not worship any more the worke of thyne owne hands And I wyl pluck vp thy groues forth of the middes of the and I wyl destroy thy cityes And I wyll bee auenged in my wrathe and fury vpon the people which hath not heard me Although thys prophecy be by many expounded of the Iewes yet had I rather to take it as spoken of the HetheÌ„ and so it very wel agreeth wyth all the other prophetes whych strayghte after the deliueraunce of Israel froÌ„ amongs the heythen dothe alwayes threaten a terryble destruccion to theyr enemyes Of whom so euer it is spoken we muste marke for what cause it is spoken to teach vs that syn is the cause of destruccion to al kyngdomes The trust in charyotes in horses in walled cytyes and strong holdes In enchauntmentes and Idols are the cause of God hys wrath indygnacion and heauy dyspleasure Especially Idolatry enchantment and couniuryng whych are the spiritual fornicacion these are the crymes that God heare and euery wher dothe threaten to auenge in hys wrath and fury Deut. iiii vii And thorow the whole booke Iosue xxiii xxv Dyd he not woÌ„derfuly destroi xxiii thousand of the Israelytes vppon one day by theyr owne pristes Leuits for Idolatry Exod. xxxii Did not God geue them into theyr enemyes handes for folowing the wayes of the Hethen Iudges ii.iii.iiii.vi.viii.x Dothe he not threaten alwaies to take theÌ„ of the face of the earth and destroy theÌ„ for it Exodus Leuiticus Numeri Deuteronomi and in al the Prophets Doth not God appeare vnto Solomon afterward declare the same vnto him .iii. Re. ix saying that if Israell shulde worship straunge gods he wold take him away and make him a by word amongs the heatheÌ„ And when it shulde be demaunded why God had destroied this people whome he had chosen this shulde be answered because they haue worshipped straunge goddes therefore hathe the Lorde broughte vpon vs al this euil .iii. kinges .ix. This we knowe now liuinge especially in this realme and se and ar taught to be mooste true by the mouthe of God in our time as was SolomoÌ„ But a great parte of vs haue Idolatrye hidde in our hearts as hadde Solomon and none of vs do earnestlye repent of the Idolatry by vs committed no more then did SolomoÌ„ therfore shal we suffer shame with Solomon and oure posteritie shal be despised as it shal be taughte more at large Nowe for the stronge doctrine and spirituall fornicacion of enchauntemente and coniuracyon of sothesaying or diuinacion on lesse it be spedelye stopped by the wyl of God workinge the care of such thinges in the harte of our kinge counsalers it shal shortlye braste forthe so farre amonges vs as it dyd amonges the Iewes a lyttle before theyr laste destruccyon whereof Iosephus wryteth Ant. xx cap. iiii xi.xii that they dyd forsake the true Prophetes of God and sought after Sorcerers and soothe sayers So saythe Esay that the Lorde hadde forsaken his people the house of Iacob because they were more full of enchauntementes then was the Arabians and as full of sothsaiers as the Philistines and wyth straunge doctryne they hadde satisfied their selues Esaye .ii. So canne I come into no corner of thys realme where I finde not or heare not of some of theese In Oxforde and in Cambridge wher God hys holy word shoulde banyshe thys blyndenesse there be masters for the nonest which after they haue studyed Astronomye whyche after they haue studied Astronomye and come to the iudicials of Astrology and found some experiments true and some false when the placynge of the Planettes in theyr appoynted houses and theyr aspectes and respectes wyl not serue their fonde purposes Then loo muste they enter in too Necromancye and call some deade spirit forth of hys graue wyth the bind of a swalow or a cat 〈◊〉 please the deuill to accepte that lewde sacrifice and hear haue they infinite supersticioÌ„s of times of wordes of places of the putrefactyon of that bloude and other lyke madnes whiche I am a shamed too rehearse and sorye too remember consyderynge that manne was made by God to beare hys image and therefore too looke and to do seruice to no suche vyle creatures especyallye to hys auncyente ennemye the Deuill for whose acquaintaunce all these Coniurers hath suche care and maketh suche preparacye wyth watching wyth fastinge with crossynge wyth M cccccc supersticions obseruacyons for the destruccion of theyr owne soules as no man wyl for theyr owne saluacyon They saye they vse good woordes the greate name of God Iehouah Adonai Otheos Sotor Manuel Sabaoth and I wot not what So did oure Coniurers in the kyngdome of the Romyshe Ante christe vse some good woordes and the lyke names aboute the coniurynges of Belles of salt of water of oile of wine of breade of Palmes and such lyke but they dyd mixt therwyth many blasphemyes yea and the good wordes whatsoeuer they dyd speake were neuer applied to that purpose whyche God appointed but too theese their owne imagined phantasyes of coniurynge God his creatures whyche alwaye hath bene accounted abhomination before God Deuter. xviii For looke howe farre the heauens are from the earthe and so farre are my waies froÌ„ your waies and mi thoughtes from your rhoughtes saythe the Lorde Esaye .lv. yea too the sinner saythe the Lorde why doste thou take my name in thy mouthe Psalm .l. That theese open euyl doers and manyfest transgressours agaynste God hys holye commaundemente oughte rather too tremble at the magnyfycente magestye of God his holye name then thus lewdlye too alledge it in they re charmes These Cambredge coniurers haue scolers in the countryes abroade whych seketh howe to haue familier spirites whiche they doo tearme too haue a Bee in a boxe to teache them to play at the Dice Cardes and other leud pastimes And some muste haue Marcurius well placed to helpe at a pynsh when they canne fynde no monye vnder crosses to brynge it by some other vnshamefull shyftes Some muste haue Venus in her fauorable aspecte coniured into an aple to wyll the sauoure of wemen Some must haue Saturne for wysdome Iupiter for honoures Mars for battel whiche ar the verye Deuelyshe delusyons wherewyth the Deuyll blyneded the Babylonyans Egiptians and Cananees And in oure Popyshe tyme broughte in