art with me Thy rod and thy staffe they haue comforted me â Thou hast prepared in my sight a table against them that truble me Thou hast fatted my head with oyle and my chalice inebriating how goodlie is it â And thy mercie shal folow me al the dayes of my life And that I may dwel in the house of our Lord in longitude of dayes PSALME XXIII Christ is Lord of the whole earth being Creatour and Redemer of man 3. Good life with faith in him is the way to heauen 7. whither Christ ascending with triumph Angels admire him â The first of the Sabbath the Psalme of Dauid THE earth is our Lordes and the fulnesse therof the round world and al that dwel therein Because he hath founded it vpon the seas and vpon the riuers hath prepared it â Who shal ascend into the mount of our Lord or who shal stand in his holie place â The innocent of handes and of cleane hart that hath not taken his soule in vayne nor sworne to his neighbour in guile â He shal receiue blessing of our Lord and mercie of God his Sauiour â This is the generation of them that seeke him of them that seeke the face of the God of Iacob â Lift vp your gates ye princes and be ye lifted vp ô eternal gates and the king of glorie shal enter in â Who is this king of glorie Our Lord strong mightie our Lord mightie in battel â Lift vp your gates ye princes and be ye lifted vp ô eternal gates and the king of glorie shal enter in Who is this king of glorie The Lord of powers he is the king of glorie PSALME XXIIII A general prayer of the faithful against al enemies 4. with desire to be directed in the way of godlines 7. and to be pardoned for sinnes past 9. acknowledging Gods meeknes 17. our weaknes necessitie of helpe and hope in God 22. concludeth with prayer for the whole Church â Vnto the end the Psalme of Dauid TO THEE ô Lord I haue lifted vp my soule â my God in thee is my confidence let me not be ashamed â Neither let mine enemies scorne me for al that expect thee shal not be confounded â Let al be confounded that do vniust thinges in vayne Lord shew me thy wayes and teach me thy pathes â Direct me in thy truth and teach me because thou art God my Sauiour and thee haue I expected al the day â Remember ô Lord thy commiserations and thy mercies that are from the beginning of the world â The sinnes of my youth and my ignorances doe not remember According to thy mercie remember thou me for thy goodnesse ô Lord. â Our Lord is sweete and righteous for this cause he wil geue a law to them that sinne in the way â He wil direct the milde in iudgement he wil teach the meeke his wayes â Al the wayes of our Lord be mercie and truth to them that seeke after his testament and his testimonies â For thy name ô Lord thou wilt be propitious to my sinne for it is much â Who is the man that feareth our Lord he appoynteth him a law in the way that he hath chosen â His soule shal abide in good things and his seede shal inherite the land â Our Lord is a firmament to them that feare him c. his testament that it may be made manifest to them â Myne eies are alwayes to our Lord because he wil plucke my fecte out of the snare â Haue respect to me and haue mercie on me because I am alone and poore â The tribulations of my hart are multiplied deliuer me from my necessities â See my humiliation and my labour and forgeue al my sinnes â Behold mine enemies because they are multiplied and with vniust hatred hated me â Keepe my soule and deliuer me I shal not be ashamed because I hoped in thee â The innocent and righteous haue cleaued to me because I expected thee â Deliuer Israel ô God out of al his tribulations PSALME XXV Dauid in banishment among the Philistimes trusteth in the iustice of his cause 9. and prayeth God earnestly to deliuer him that he may with more freedom and commodity serue him as he desireth â Vnto the end the Psalme of Dauid IVDGE me ô Lord because I haue walked in my innocencie and hoping in our Lord I shal not be weakened â Proue me Lord and tempt me burne my reynes and my hart â Because thy mercie is before mine eies and I am wel pleased in thy truth â I haue not sitten with the councel of vanitie and with them that doe vniust thinges I wil not enter in â I â haue hated the Church of the malignant and with the impious I wil not sitte â I wil wash my handes among innocentes and wil compasse thy altar ô Lord â That I may heare the voice of praise and shew forth al thy meruelous workes â Lord I haue loued the beautie of thy house and the place of the habitation of thy glorie â Destroy not ô God my soule with the impious and my life with bloudie men â In whose handes are iniquities their righthand is replenished with giftes â But I haue walked in mine innocencie redeme me and haue mercie on me â My foote hath stood in the direct way in the Churches I wil blesse thee ô Lord. ANNOTATIONS PSALME XXV 5. I haue hated the Church of the malignant Holie Dauid forced by reason of persecution to dwel amongst Infidels the Philistians after he had twise spared king Saules life 1 Reg 24. v. 5. et c. 26. v. 9. lamented v. 19. how great affliction it was to him to be cast out that he could not a vvel in the inheritance of our Lord where God was rightly serued and that his enemies had done so much as in them lay to make him fal into idolatrie by their fact as it were saying âoâ serue strange goddes Neuertheles his zele was such that as he here professeth he hated the Church of the malignant that is the congregations of al miscreants his immaculate religious puritie was so perfect that he would not so much as in exâeâââl shew conforme his actions to theirs in matters of religion nor yeld his ãâã presence in their conuenticles but said VVith the impious I vvil not siâââ instructing vs Christians for the word to the end in the title sheweth that this ãâã perteyneth also to vs that we must both hate the Church or con-ââââ ãâã of the malignant to witte of Painims Iewes Turkes and Hererikes and âât âi tâ
desire nor anie of the rest is in a mans owne powre as of himself so much as to thinke a good thought but Gods grace preuenteth sturreth men vp and continually assisteth in al good beginninges progresse and perseuerance as the same diuine auctor teacheth a litle before v. 14. wisdom preuenteth them that couete her that she first may shew herself vnto them Then to admitte or refuse is in their powre that haue good motions And therfore sinne is rightly imputed and damnation iustly inflicted vpon the wicked because as Nehemias 2. Esd 9. v. 17. testifieth of the vngratful people they would not heare And they hardened their neckes and gaue the head to returne to their seruitude as it were by contention or striuing against God through their owne free wil which appeareth here to remaine in sinners On the other side the same Nehemias in confidence of reward for good workes and of his voluntarie cooperating with Gods grace feared not to pray 2. Esd 5. v. 19 in these wordes Remember me my God to good according to al thinges which I haue done to this people Some men moreouer besides the commandments of the law voluntarily professed a peculiar state of holie life a plaine figure or rather an example of Euangelical counsels As in the former ages the Nazerites whose rule is prescribed Numeri 6. practised by Sampson Iudic. 13. and Samuel 1. Reg. 1. and the Rechabites Iere. 35. so in this last age next before Christ the Assideans or Esseni 1. Mach. 2. v. 42. of whom Iudas Machabeus in his time was head or captaine 2. Mach. 14. v. 6. Ieremie the prophet ch 16. v. 2. by Gods ordinance liued single vnmaried al the time of the captiuitie Thou shalt not take a wife and thou shalt not haue sonnes and daughters in this place to witte in Ierusalem Neither did he marie when he was afterwardes in Aegypt But of his owne accord remayned a virgin al his life as S. Ierom writeth li 1. aduers Iouinianum Prayers of Sainctes after they are departed from this world is wanifestly deduced of the sacred text lere 15. v. 1. of Moyses and Samuel not to be heard if they should pray for the people whom God had decreed to punish were consequently to be heard in some other case And more expresly 2. Mach. 15. v. 12. 14. is recorded that Onias and Ieremie did pray for al the people and for al the holie citie Reuerent estimation of Reliques and other holie thinges is manifest by the fact of the same Prophet Ieremie who by Gods ordinance 2. Mach. 2. v. 1. 5. hid the holie fire and the Tabernacle and the Arke the Altar of incense in a caue that they should not be prophaned by infidels ransaking Ierusalem and the temple Other holie ornaments also and vesseles were restored by the fauorable king Cyrus 1. Esd 1. v. 7. ch 8. v. 30. In figure also of the holie Crosse on which Christ was to redeme mankind those that mourned for the abominations in Ierusalem Ezec. 9. vvere signed in their foreheades vvith the letter Thau or T. and so were saued from the common slaughter of the vnsigned Prayer and Sacrifice for the dead is likewise clere 2. Mach. 12. v. 43. c. if either the text may be admitted for Canonical saying v. 46. It is a holie and healthful cogitation to pray for the dead or for good testimonie of Iudas fact being Highpriest and doing that which the whole Church practised and which the Iewes yet obserue to this day Of the General Resurrection is good testimnie in the same place v. 43. and 44. as the ground of Iudas his pietie towardos the dead wel and religiously thincking of the Resurrection For vnles he hoped that they which were slaine should rise againe it should seme superfluous and vaine to pray for the dead But seing he did beleue the Resurrection he did right wel and piously And seing the beleefe of resurrection is true it foloweth as this auctor inferreth that it is a holie thing to pray for the dead Malachie the last of the Prophetes in the last chapter foresheweth and describeth the General iudgement in the end of this world wherin the wicked hal be condemned and the iust eternally rewarded Which day shal come sayth he kindled as a surnace Al that do impietie dying in that state shal be stubble and that day shal in flame them And there shal rise to you that feare my name the Sunne of iustice and health in his winges or glorious beames healing and curing al body lie infirmities and defectes Before which day he foretelleth of two signes v. 5. The coming of Elias the Prophet and. v. 6. the conuersion of the Iewes to Christ And thus much may here suffice for particular pointes of religion in this age It resteth to view the state and gouernment of the Church in this time Which may be considered according to the foure Monarchies of heathen nations the Chaldees the Medes Persians the Grecians and the Romanes Vnder the Chaldees whose Emperial citie was Babylon they were in captiuitie seuentie yeares By the Medes and Persians for that Monarchie consisted of those two nations they were released from captiuitie with manie fauoures yet sometimes afflicted Vnder the Monarchie of the Grecians they were partly in extreme persecution of Antiochus Epiphanes and of other Grecian kinges and princes partly in warres for defence of Gods lawes Before and after which persecution and warres as wel vnder the Grecians as the Romans til Christs Passion the Church was for most part in peace yet some times afflicted But omitting manie intricate diffiâuliies about the times and reignes of sundrie heathen kinges it wil suffice our purpose to shew the general state of the Iewish nation with their owne particular gouerners spiritual and temporal with more or lesse fauour of forreine Princes First therfore concerning their estate in their captiuitie in Babylon we may here obserue Gods prouidence in that before the citie and temple of Ierusalem were destroyed and the whole nation made captiue Ioachin otherwise called Iechonias the sonne of Ioachaz who was also called Iechonias king of Iuda was transported into Babylon and his mother and manie other principal persons 4. Reg. 24. v. 15. Likewise Iosedech sonne of Saraias highpriest 1. Paral. 6. v. 15. was caried into Babylon And in the meane time Sedecias vncle to Ioachin reigned in Iuda who in the eleuenth yeare was taken and caried captiue into Babylon and there died Ioachin yet liuing in prison And Saraias the Highpriest with others was slayne in Rebla when Ierusalem was destroyed 4. Reg. 25. v. 18. 21. To whom Iosedech succeded in the highpriesthood So that both the issue of Dauid in the right line of our Sauiours genealogie and the Highpriest of Aarons stocke were in Babylon before the whole bodie of the nation was brought thither
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 ânâe 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 eâsily 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 * sermoâibus e He also prayeth though he be sometimes fearful that God vvil not
loaues and fishes Ioan 6. And some real effect Christs blessing must nedes worke also in the blessed Sacrament Mat. 26. VVhich can be no other but changing bread and wine into his bodie bloud seing him selfe expresly sayeth This is my bodie this is my bloud And though Gods blessing in this place be also a precept yet it is not to al men for euer but for the propagation of mankind which being long since abundantly propagared the obligation of the precept ceaseth the cause ceasing So S. Cyprian S. Ierome S. Augustin and other Fathers expound this place And confirme the same by the text for immediatly God signifying to what end he spoke saith and replenish the earth VVhich benig replenished Gods wil is therin fulfilled CHAP. II. The worke of six dayes being finished God rested the seueÌth day blessed it 8. Then placing man in paradise planted with bewtiful swete trees witered with foure riuers 16. comandeth him not to eate of the tree of knowledge of good euil 18. formed a woman of a ribbe of Adam THE heauens therfore the earth were fully finished and al the furniture of them â And the seuenth day God ended his woorke which he had made rested â the seuenth day from al woorke that he had done â And he blessed the seuenth day and sanctified it because in it he had ceased from al his woorke which God created to make â These are the generations of heauen earth when they were created in the day when our Lord God made the heauen and the earth â And euery plant of the filde before it shotvp in the earth And euerie herbe of the ground before it sprang for our Lord God had not rayned vpon the earth and man was not to til the earth â But a spring rose out of the earth watering al the ouermost part of the earth â Our Lord God therfore formed man of the slyme of the earch and breathed into his face the breath oflife man became a liuing soule â And our Lord God had planted a Paradise of pleasure from the beginning wherin he placed man whom he had formed â And our Lord God brought forth of the ground al maner of trees fayre to behold and pleasant to eate of the tree of life also in the middle of Paradise and the tree of knowledge of good euil â And a riuer issued out of the place of pleasure to water Paradise which from thence is diuided into four heades â The name of the one is Phison that is it which compasseth al the land of Heuilath where gold groweth â And the gold of that land is very good there is sound bdelium the stone onyx â And the name of the second riuer is Gehon that is it which compasseth al the land of Ethiopia â And the name of the third riuer is Tygris that same passeth along by the Assirians And the fourth riuer the same is Euphrates â Our Lord God therfore tooke man put him in the Paradise of pleasure to woorke keepe it â And he commanded him saying Of euerie tree of Paradise eate thou â But â of the tree of knowledge of good euil eate thou not For in what day soeuer thou shalt eate of it â thou shalt dye the death â Our Lord God also said It is not good for man to be alone let vs make him a helpe like vnto him selfe â Our Lord God therfore hauing formed of clay al beastes of the earth and foules of the ayre brought them to Adam that he might see what to cal them for al that Adam called any liuing creature the same is his name â And Adam called al beastes by their names and al foules of the ayre and al cattel of the filde but vnto Adam there was not found an helper like him selfe â Our Lord God therfore cast a dead sleepe vpon Adam and when he was fast a sleepe he tooke one of his ribbes filled vp flesh for it â And our Lord God built the ribbe which he tooke of Adam into a woman and brought her to Adam â And Adam said This now is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh she shal be called woman because she was taken out of man â Wherfore man shal leaue his father mother shal cleaue to his wife they shal be two in one flesh â And they were both naked to wit Adam his wife and were not ashamed ANNOTATIONS CHAP. II. 2. The seuenth day Al creatures benig made in their kindes in six dayes complete and perfect God not neding as men often do in their workes to perfect poolish or amend the same rested the seuenth day and therfore the natural perfection of Gods workes is attributed to the seventh day and the supernatural perfecting of men in eternal life after the Resurrection is attributed to the eight day as S. Augustin and other fathers teach And for this cause God blessed and sanctifyed the seuenth day and after we haue in the Decalogue or tenne commandments that this day al should rest and abstaine from workes yea and kepe it festiual occupying them selues in spiritual exercises seruice and special worshipe of God as the Iewes did euen til Christs and his Apostles time praying and hearing the word of God read and expounded in the Sabboth day VVherby we see that distinction of dayes pertayneth to Religion the people of God thus obseruing the Sabboth in memorie of the Creation diuers other feastes in memorie of other benefites And we now kepe the Sunday holie in memorie of Christs Resurrection and other feastes in gratful remembrance of other Mysteries of Christs Natiuitie the coming of the Holie Ghost and the like Yea also feastes of his blessed Mother and other Sainctes for the benefites receiued from Christ by them and for more honour to Christ in them So this Catholique obseruation of feastes is neither Iudaical which also in the law was good but now is abrogated nor heathnish for we honour not Iupiter nor Iuno noranie false god or goddesse but our Lord God Creator Redemer for his sake his best seruants VVherof see the Annotations in the English new Testament 4. chap. to the Galathians VVherto we here only adde these wordes of S. Basil VVhich may serue for a general answer to the most common obiection Honor seruorum redundat in communâm Dominâm The honour of the seruantes redoundeth to the common Lord or Maister So saith he the honour of Sainctes is the honour of Christ their Lord and ours 17. Of the tree of knovvledge Besides the law of nature by which Man was bound to direct al his actions according to the rule of reason and besides the supernatural diuine law by which he was bound to beleue and trust in God and to loue him aboue al things hauing receiued the giftes of faith hope and
put it vpon their shoulders â And the children of Israel did as Moyses had commanded and they asked of the Aegyptians vessels of siluer and gold and very much rayment â And our Lord gaue grace to the people before the Aegyptians that they did lend them and they spoyled the Aegyptians â And the children of Israel sette forward from Ramesse into Socoth almost six hundred thousand of foote men beside litle ones â But also the common people of al sortes innumerable went vp with them sheepe and heardes and beastes of diuerse kindes exceding manie â And they baked the meale which a litle before they had taken out of Aegypt tempered and made hearth cakes vnleauened for it could not be leauened the Aegyptians vrging them to depart not suffering them to make any tarriance neither did they thinke vpon preparing any meate â And the dwelling of the children of Israel that they abode in Aegypt was foure hundred thirty yeares â The which being expired the same day al the armie of our Lord went forth out of the Land of Aegypt â This is the obseruable night of our Lord when he brought them forth out of the Land of Aegypt this night al the children of Israel must obserue in their generations â And our Lord said to Moyses and Aaron This is the religion of the Phase No aliene shal eate of it â And euerie bought seruant shal be circumcised and so shal eate â The stranger and the hireling shal not eate therof â In one house shal it be eaten neither shal you carrie forth of the flesh therof out of the house neither shal you breake a bone therof â Al the assemblie of the children of Israel shal make it â And if any of the soiourners be willing to dwel among you and make the Phase of the Lord first al the male that he hath shal be circumcised and then shal he celebrate it according to the rite he shal be as he that is borne in the land but if there be any man vncircumcised he shal not eate therof â Al one law shal be to him that is borne in the land and to the prose lyte that soiourneth with you â And al the children of Israel did as our Lord had commanded Moyses and Aaron â And the same day our Lord brought forth the children of Israel out of the Land of Aegypt by their troupes ANNOTATIONS CHAP. XII 3. The tenth day Our Sauiour Christ instituting the Sacrament of the Eucharist after the celebration of the Paschal lambe whiles they were at supper the night before his death therby sufficiently declared that this old Pasch was a figure not only of his Passion and Sacrifice on the Crosse but also of that he then did so solemnly with his Apostles whom also in that action he made Priests commanding them and their successors to do the same in commemoâation of him til the end of the world Other circumstances likewise and conference of the one with the other make it more clere that as in some respectes it more resembled Christs Passion and Sacrifice on the Crosse so in others it more expressed the Eucharist and mystical commemoration of his death though also in manie it profigured Christ in both places For example The preparing of the lambe the tenth day signified our Sauiours coming into Hierusalem the same tenth day of the first moone now represented in the Church on Palmesunday Also the choise qualities of the lambe vvithout spotte a male of the first yeare foreshewed in general the puritie fortitude meeknes and al perfection of the true Lambe of God that taâeth avvay the sinne of the vvorlde More particularly the killing and bereuing the Paschal Lambe of natural life the sprinkling of his bloud on the dore-postes the ââstâââ at tâe âire and not breaking anie bâne therof most specially expressed Christs death on the Crosse But the fourtenth day the euining agree only with the Eucharist instituted the night before our Lords Passion which he suffered the fiftenth being the ful moore and at midday as ancient S. Dionyse of Ariopagite in two Episties to Policârpus and to Appollophanes testifieth admiring the miracle of the sunnes Eclipâe that hapned the same time Neither did the âating of the Lambe directly prefigurate the oblation on the Crosse for Christ was not crucified to be eaten but the Sacrament in formes and bread and vvine was expresly figured by eating the lambe with vnleauened bread and drinking the cuppe therto idioyned Luc. 2â v 17. In like sorte the Lambe immolated in commemoration of the deliuerie of Israel from death and from seruitude when the-first-borne of Aegypt were slaine most aptly prefigured the Eucharist which is a perpetuat commemoration of mans redemption and deliuerie from eternal death and from bondage of the diuel and sinne by Christes death on the Crosse which death in dede was the very redemption and deliuerie of mankind and not a commemoration therof Finally the immolating of the Lambe vvithin the house with precise commandment to carie nothing therof forth perteined particularly to the Eucharist which our Lord celebrated vvithin the house wherby S. Cyprian lib. de vnit Eccles proueth that the B. Sacrament must not be giuen to anie ouâ of the Catholique Church though Christs Passion be extended to al the world as wel to bring such as are without into the Church as to saue those that are already entred in In this sorte the most ancient and best expositors of holie Scripture explicate this special figure of the Paschal Lambe As we shalhere produce some witnesses in confirmation of this truth Tertulian lib. 4. contra Marcionem expounding our Sauiours wordes VVith desire I haue desired to eate this Pasch vvith you before I suffer saieth Christ coueted not veruecinam Iudaeorum the mutton of the Iewes but professing that with desire he desired to eate the Pasch as his owne for it was vnmete that God should couete anie thing not his owne the bread which he toooke and gaue to his disciples he made his owne bodie saying This is my bodie that is a figure of my bodie Figura autem nonsuisset nisi veritatis esset corpus But it had not bene a figure saith he onles it vvâre a bodies of veritie or a verie bodie to wit not phantastical as the heretike Marcion imagined because the figures in the old Testament were not figures except a true bodie answered vnto them So the Sacramentaries sense that Tertullian should cal the Eucharist a figure is quite against his meaning and maketh him conclude nothing against Marcion wheras his whole drift is by the figures of the old Testament to proue that in the Eucharist is the true real bodie of Christ and that consequently Christ hath a true and real bodie Origen in 26. Mat. teacheth that in the great parlar where Christ did eaâe the Paschal Lambe he also made his new Pasch S. Cyprian
therof and when he hath immolated it in the place where holocaust is wont to be slaine before our Lord because it is for sinne â the priest shal dippe his finger in the bloud of the hoste for sinne touching the hornes of the altar of holocauste and the rest powring at the foote therof â But the fatt he shal burne vpon it as is wont to be done in the victimes of pacifiques and the priest shal pray for him and for his sinne and it shal be forgiuen him â And if a soule of the people of the land shal sinne through ignorance doing anie of those thinges that by the law of our Lord are forbidden and offending â and knoweth his sinne he shal offer a she goate without spotte â And he shal put his hand vpon the head of the host that is for sinne and shal immolate it in the place of holocaust â And the priest shal take vp of the bloud with his finger and touching the hornes of the altar of holocaust the rest he shal powre out at the foote therof â But taking away al the fatt as is wont to be taken away of the victimes of pacifiques he shal burne it vpon the altar for a swete sauour to our Lord and he shal pray for him and it shal be forgeuen him â But if he offer of the flocke a victime for his sinne to wit an ewe without spotte â he shal put his hand vpon the head therof and shal immolate it in the place where the hostes of holocausts are wont to be slayne â And the priest shal take of the bloud therof with his finger and touching the hornes of the altar of holocaust the rest he shal powre at the foote therof â Al the fatte also he shal take away as the fatte of the ramme that is offered for pacifiques is wont to be taken away and shal burne it vpon the altar a burnt sacrifice of our Lord and he shal pray for him and for his sinne and it shal be forgiuen him CHAP. V. Of hostes for the sinne of concealing an others periurâe 2. for vncleanes 4. for vaine svvearinge 14. for rrour in exercising holie rites 17. for anie sinne committed by ignorance IF a soule sinne and heare the voice of one swearing and be witnes because either he him selfe sawe or is priuie to it vnlesse he vtter it he shal beare his iniquitie â The soule that toucheth anie vncleane thing either that which was killed of a beast or died of it selfe or anie other thing that creepeth and forgeteth his vncleannes is guiltie and hath offended â and if he touch anie thing of the vncleannesse of man according to anie imputitie wherwith he is wount to be polluted hauing forgotten doe knowe it afterward he shal be guiltie of an offence â The soule that sweareth and vttereth with his lippes that he would doe either il or wel and bindeth the same with an oathe and his word hauing forgotten afterward vnderstandeth his offence â let him do penance for his sinne â and offer of the flockes an ewe lambe or a shee goate and the priest shal pray for him and for his sinne â but if he be not able to offer a beast let him offer two turtles or two young pigions to our Lord one for sinne and the other for an holocaust â and he shal geue them to the priest who offering the sirst for sinne shal wryth backe the heade therof to the litle pinions so that it sticke to the necke and be not altogeather broken of â And of the bloud therof he shal sprinckle the wall of the altar and whatsoeuer is left he shal make it distil to the bottome therof because it is for sinne â And the other he shal burne for an holocauste as is wount to be done and the priest shal pray for him and for his sinne and it shal be forgeuen him â And if his hand be not able to offer two turtles or two young pigions he shal offer for his sinne of floure the tenth part of an ephi He shal not put oyle vpon it nor cast anie frankincense theron because it is for sinne â and he shal deliuer it to the priest who taking therof a ful handful shal burne it vpon the altar for a moniment of him that did offer it â praying for him and making expiation but the part that is left him selfe shal haue for a gifte â And our Lord spake to Moyses saying â If a soule transgressing the ceremonies by errour shal sinne in those thinges that are sanctified to our Lord he shal offer for his offence a ramme without spotte out of the flockes that may be bought for two sicles according to the weight of the Sanctuarie â and the damage it selfe which he did he shal restore and the fift part he shal adde besides deliuering it to the priest who shal pray for him offering the ramme and it shal be forgeuen him â If a soule sinne by ignorance and do one of those thinges which by the lawe of the Lord are forbidden and being guiltie of sinne vnderstand his iniquitie â he shal offer a ramme without spotte of the flockes to the priest according to the measure and estimation of the sinne who shal pray for him because he did it vnwitting and it shal be forgiuen him â because by errour he offended against the Lord. CHAP. VI. Oblation for sinne vvittingly committed 8. The maner of offering holocaust 12. Continual fire to be kept in the Altar 14. The sacrifices vvhich Priests shal offer at their Consecration 24. In general of hostes for sinne and vvho shal eate of the same and vvhere OVR Lord spake to Moyses saying â The soule that shal sinne and contemning the Lord shal denie vnto his neighbour the thing deliuered to his custodie which was committed to his credite or shal by force extort anie thing or do oppression â or shal finde a thing lost and denying it be also foresworne and shal doe anie other thing of manie wherin men are wount to sinne â being conuicted of the offence â he shal render al thinges which by fraude he would haue obteyned whole and the fift part besides to the owner vnto whom he did the damage â But for his sinne he shal offer a ramme without spott out of the flocke and shal geue it to the priest according to the estimation and measure of the offence â who shal pray for him before the Lord and he shal haue forgeuenes for euerie thing that in doing he sinned â And Our Lord spake to Moyses saying â Command Aaron and his sonnes This is the Law of an holocaust It shal be burnt vpon the altar al night vntil morning the fire shal be vpon the same altar â The priest shal be reuested with the tunike and the linnen femoralles and he shal take vp the ashes which the deuouring fire burned and putting them besides the altar â shal be vnuested of
Sanctuarie and leauing them there â he shal wash his flesh in a holie place and shal be clothed with his owne garments And after that he hath gone forth and offered his owne holocaust and the peoples he shal pray as wel for him self as for the people â and the fatte that is offered for sinnes he shal burne vpon the altar â but he that hath let goe the goate of dismission shal wash his clothes and bodie with water and so shal enter into the campe â But the calfe the bucke goate that were immolated for sinne and whose bloud was caried into the Sanctuarie to accomplish the expiation they shal carie forth without the campe and shal burne with fire aswel the skinnes as their flesh and the dung â and whosoeuer burneth them shal wash his clothes and his flesh with water and so shal enter into the campe â And this shal be to you an euerlasting ordinance The seuenth moneth the tenth day of the moneth you shal afflict your soules and no worke shal you doe whether he be of the same countrie or a stranger that soiourneth among you â Vpon this day shal be the expiation of you and clensing from al your sinnes before the Lord you shal be clensen â for it is a sabath of rest and you shal afflict your soules by a perpetual religion And the priest shal expiate that is annoynted and whose handes are consecrated to do the function of priesthood for his father and he shal be reuested with the linnen stole and the holie vestments â and he shal expiate the Sanctuarie and the tabernecle of testimonie and the altar the priestes also and al the people â And this shal be an ordinance for euer that you pray for the children of Israel and for al their sinnes once in a yeare He did therfore as our Lord had commanded Moyses CHAP. XVII Al Sacrifices must be offered at the doore of the Tabernacle 7. with special prohibitioÌ of Idolatrie 10. None must eate bloud 15 whosoeuer eateth caraine flesh is contaminate and must be washed AND our Lord spake to Moyses saying â Speake to Aaron and his sonnes and to al the children of Israel saying to them This is the word which our Lord hath coÌmanded saying â Anie man whosoeuer of the house of Israel if he kil an oxe or a sheepe or a goate in the campe or without the campe and offer it not at the dore of the tabernacle an oblation to the Lord shal be guiltie of bloud as if he had shed bloud so shal he perish out of the middes of his people â Therfore shal the children of Israel bring to the priest their hostes which they kil in the filde that they may be sanctified to our Lord before the dore of the tabernacle of testimonie they may immolate them pacifique hostes to our Lord. â And the priest shal poure the bloud vpon the altar of our Lord at the dore of the tabernacle of testimonie and shal burne the fatte for a swete odour to our Lord â and they shal no more immolate their hostes to diuels with whom they haue committed fornication It shal be an ordinance for euer to them and to their posteritie â And to them thou shalt say The man of the house of Israel and of the strangers which seiourne with you that offereth an holocaust or victime â and bringeth it not to the dore of the tabernacle of testimonie that it may be offered to our Lord shal perish out of his people â Anie man whosoeuer of the house of Israel and of the strangers that seiourne among them if he eate bloud I wil sette my face against his life and wil destroy it out of his people â because the life of the flesh is in the bloud and I haue geuen it to you that vpon the altar you may make expiation with it for your soules and the bloud may be for an expiation of the soule â Therfore haue I faid to the children of Israel No soule of you shal eate bloud nor of the strangers that seiourne with you â Anie man whosoeuer of the children of Israel and of the strangers that seiourne with you if by hunting or fowling he take wild beast or foule which it is lawful to eate let him poure our the bloud therof and couer it with earth â For the life of al flesh is in the bloud wherupon I said to the children of Israel The bloud of no flesh shal you eate because the life of the flesh is in the bloud and whosoeuer eateth it fâal die â The soule that eateth carraine or that which is taken of a beast aswel of them of the same countrie as of strangers shal wash his clothes and him self with water and shal be contaminated vntil euen and in this order he shal be made cleane â And if he doe not wash his clothes and his bodie he shal beare his iniquitie CHAP. XVIII Mariage prohibited in certaine dâgrees of consanguinitie and affinitie 18. And diuers carnal and execrable sinnes committed in other nations are strictly forbidden AND our Lord spake to Moyses saying â Speake to the children of Israel and thou shalt say to them I the Lord your God â according to the custome of the Land of Aegypt wherin you haue dwelt you shal not doe and according to the maner of the Countrie of Chanaan into the which I wil bring you you shal not doe nor walke in their ordinaÌces â You shal doe my iudgements and shal obserue my precepts and shal walke in them I the Lord your God â Keepe my lawes and iudgmentes which a man doing shal liue in them I the Lord. â No man shal approch to her that is â next of his bloud to reueale her turpitude I the Lord. â The turpitude of thy father and the turpitude of thy mother thou shalt not discouer she is thy mother thou shalt not reueale her turpitude â The turpitude of thy fathers wife thou shalt not discouer for it is the turpitude of thy father â The turpitude of thy sister by father or by mother which was borne at home or abroad thou shalt not reueale â The turpitude of thy sonnes daughter or of thy neece by thy daughter thou shalt not reueale because it is thy turpitude â The turpitude of thy fathers wiues daughter which she bare to thy father and is thy sister thou shal not reueale â The turpitude of thy fathers sister thou shalt not discouer because she is the flesh of thy father â The turpitude of thy mothers sister thou shalt not reueale because she is of the flesh of thy mother â The turpitude of thy fathers brother thou shalt not reueale neither shalt thou approch to his wife who is ioyned to thee by affinitie â The turpitude of thy daughter in law thou shalt not reueale because she is thy sonnes wife neither shalt thou discouer her ignominie â The turpitude of thy brothers
wife thou shalt not reueale because it is the turpitude of thy brother â The turpitude of thy wife and her daughter thou shalt not reueale Her sonnes daughter and her daughters daughter thou shalt not take to reueale her ignominie because they are her flesh and such copulation is incest â Thou shalt not take thy wiues sister for an harlote to vexe her withal neither shalt thou reueale her turpitude whiles she is yet liuing â To a woman hauing her flowers thou shalt not approch neither shalt thou reueale her turpitude â With thy neighbours wife thou shalt not companie nor be polluted with commixtion of seede â Of thy seede thou shalt not geue to be consecrated to the idol Moloch nor pollute the name of thy God I the Lord. â Companie not with mankind as with womankind because it is abomination â With no beast shalt thou companie neither shalt thou be polluted with it A woman shal not lie downe to a beast nor companie with it because it is an hainous fact â Neither be ye polluted in anie of the thinges wherwith al the nations haue bene contaminated which I wil cast out before your sight â and wherwith the land is polluted whose abominations I wil visite that it vomite out the inhabitants therof â Keepe my ordinances and iudgements and doe not any of these abominations as wel the same countrieman as the stranger that seiourneth with you â For al these execrable thinges did the inhabitants of the land that haue bene before you and haue polluted it â Beware therfore lest in like maner it vomite out you also when you shal doe the like thinges as it vomited out the nation that was before you â Euerie soule that shal doe anie of these abominations shal perish from the middes of his people â Keepe my commandements Doe not the thinges which they haue done that haue bene before you and be not polluted in them I the Lord your God ANNOTATIONS CHAP. XVIII 6 Next of his bloud Mariage is forbid first and most strictly by the law of nature in al degrees in the right line ascending and decending both in consanguinitie and affinitie S. Paul testifying that among the heat hen no man could haue his fathers vvise And in the right line God him selfe who onlie can neuer dispensed Secondarily the first collateral degree in consanguinitie that is betwen brother and sister by one parent or by both is also vnlawful by the law of nature except in the beginning of the world when Adams children must nedes marie together God so ordayning that al mankind should be propagated by one man for of him also the first woman was made but after this beginning it was neuer allowed nor perhaps can be dispensed withal at least neuer was by anie man Though Beza li. de repudijs diuoâtijs and some English Bezites charge Pope Martin the fifth to haue dispensed with one that had maried his owne natural sister which is a false reporte For it was with one who hauing committed fornication with one sister afterwardes maried the other from whom he could not be separated without great scandal the pretended mariage being publike and the impediment secrete as S. Antoninus writeth par 3. sum Theol. tit 1. c. 11. But besides the right line and the first collateral degree in consanguinitie no other collateral degrees are prohibited by the law of nature but by positiue only So this present law written by Moyses forbade to marie in the first collateral degree of affinitie but the same law commanded Deut. 25. that in case a maried man died without issue his brother should marie the widow VVherby is clere that this degree and others more remote were not prohibited by the law of nature For then God would not haue made a contrarie general law in anie case for the whole nation of the Iewes his people and that vnder penaltie to be obserued which is contrarie to the qualitie of indulgence or dispensation and no such necessitie as in the beginning of the world VVherfore al protestants that say the whole law written by Moyses concerning degrees of consanguinitie and affinitie is the law of nature and so pertaineth to Christians must necessarily say also that if now a maried man die without issue his brother must marie his wife VVhich specially they denie It is also proued that this and some other degrees expressed in this place were not against the law of nature which is common to al nations commonly or easely knowne to al men by discourse of reason because no common wealth among the Gentiles did punish nor modest men forbeare or reprehend such mariages as appeareth by Laban who after he had deceiued Iacob by geuing him one sister for an other offered him also the former promised whom without difficultie of conscience he accepted Gen. 29. neither did that holie Patriareh thinke it vnlauful to keepe them both And when Iudas matched his second sonne and promised the third to the wife of his first sonne he did it according to the custome of that place time Gen. 38. And Noemi spoke according to the same custome Ruth 1. v. 11. Againe where this law forbiddeth a man to marie or companie with his wiues sister it addeth vvhiles she is liuing not prohibiting mariage when his first wife is dead Yet his wiues sister is as nere in affinitie as his brothers wife Likewise the diuersitie of punishments chap. 20. for transgression of this law either in the right line or in the first collateral degree of consanguinitie who were punished by death and for transgressing in the first collateral degree of affinitie or in the second either of consanguinitie or affinitie who had lesse punishments sheweth that the former degrees are prohibited by the law of nature and not the other for then the violation should be like sinne and punished alike Finally it is euident that certaine of these degrees are not against the law of nature by the example of holie Abraham who in and according to the law of nature maried his brothers daughter called Sarai otherwise Iescha Gen. 11. which mariage God approued by manie blessings Also Iacob maried two sisters together Two sonnes of Iudas maried the same woman successiuely And Amram Moyses father maried his aunt his fathers sister Exod. 6. v. 20. Num. 26. v. 59. VVherfore seing neither the first collateral degree in affinitie nor the second collateral in consanguinitie or affinitie is forbid by the law of nature but by positiue only and that both ceremonial and iudicial lawes of the old Testament ceassed in the New and are abrogated by Christ it resteth proued that the same bind not Christians but as they are renewed and established by the Church or Christian commonwelthes And as this is donne in temporal causes by temporal States partly by renewing and establishing the same which was in the law of Moyses as by punishing wilful
the buier and so he shal receiue his possession againe â but if his hand finde not to repay the price the buier shal haue that he bought vntil the yeare of Iubilee For in it al sale shal returne to the owner and to the old possessour â He that selleth a house within the walles of a citie shal haue licence to redeme it vntil one yeare be expired â if he redeme it not and the compasse of the yeare be fully out the buier shal possesse it and his posteritie for euer and it can not be redemed no not in the Iubilee â But if the house be in a village that hath not walles it shal be sould according to the law of fieldes if it be not redemed before in the Iubilee it shal returne to the owner â The houses of Leuites which are in cities may alwaies be redemed â if they be not redemed in the Iubilee they shal returne to the owners because the houses of the cities of the Leuites are for possessions among the children of Israel â But let not their suburbes be sould because it is a perpetual possession â If thy brother be empouerished and weake of hand and thou receiue him as a stranger and seiourner and he liue with thee â take not vsuries of him nor more then thou gauest feare thy God that thy brother may liue with thee â Thou shalt not geue him thy money to vsurie and an ouer plus of the fruites thou shalt not exact of him â I the Lord your God that brought you out of the Land of Aegygt that I might geue you the Land of Chanaan and might be your God â If thy brother constrained by pouertie sel him self to thee thou shalt not oppresse him with the seruitude of seruants â but he shal be as an hireling and a seiourner vntil the yeare of Iubilee he shal worke with thee â and afterward he shal goe out with his children and shal returne to his kinred and to the possession of his fathers â for they are my seruantes and I brought them out of the Land of Aegypt let them not be sould by the condition of seruantes â afflict him not by might but feare thy God â Let your man seruant and woman seruant be of the nations that are round about you â And of the strangers that seiourne with you or that were borne of them in your land these you shal haue for seruantes â and by right of inheritance shal leaue them to your posteritie and shal possesse them for euer but your brethren the children of Israel doe ye not oppresse by might â If the hand of a stranger or seiourner grow strong among you and thy brother empouerished sel him self to him or to any of his stocke â after the sale he may be redeemed He that wil of his brethren shal redeme him â both the vncle by father and the vncles sonne and the kinsman and the allied But and if him self be able also he shal redeme him selfe â accounting onlie the yeares from the time of his selling vnto the yeare of Iubilee and accounting the money that he was sould for according to the number of the yeares and the reckning of an hyreling â If they be more yeares that remaine vntil the Iubilee according to these also shal he repay the price â if few he shal make the reckning with him according to the number of the yeares and shal repay to the buyer for that which remaineth of the yeares â his wages being allowed for the which he serued before he shal not afflict him violently in thy sight â And if by these meanes he can not be redemed in the yeare of Iubilee he shal goe out with his children â For the children of Israel are my seruantes whom I brought forth out of the Land of Aegypt CHAP. XXVI VVith new prohibition of Idolatrie and commandment to kepe the Sabbath 3. rewardes are promised to al that obserue Gods precepts 14. And manie miserable punishments are threatned to al transgressors I THE Lord your God you shal not make to your selues an idol and thing grauen neither shal you erect titles nor set a notorious stone in your land for to adore it for I am the Lord your God â Keepe my sabbathes and dread my Sanctuarie I the Lord. â If you walke in my preceptes and keepe my commandementes and doe them I wil geue you raine in their seasons â and the earth shal bring forth her spring and the trees shal be replenished with fruites â The threshing of your haruest shal reach vnto vintage and the vintage shal reach vnto sowing time and you shal eate your bread to your fil and without feare shal you dwel in your land â I wil geue peace in your coastes you shal sleepe and there shal be none to make you afraid I wil take away euil beastes and the sword shal not passe through your quarters â You shal pursue your enemies and they shal fal before you â fiue of yours shal pursue an hundred strangers and an hundred of you tenne thousand your enemies shal fal by the sword in your sight â I wil respect you and make you encrease you shal be multiplied and I wil establish my couenant with you â You shal eate the eldest of the old store and new coming vpon it you shal cast forth the old â I wil sette my tabernacle in the middes of you and my soule shal not cast you of â I wil walke among you and wil be your God and you shal be my people â I the Lord your God that haue brought you out of the Land of the Aegyptians that you should not serue them and that haue broken the chaines of your neckes that you might goe vpright â But if you wil not heare me nor doe al my commandements â if you dispise my lawes and contemne my iudgementes that you do not those thinges which are appointed by me and bring my couenant to nothing worth â I also wil do these thinges to you I shal quickly visite you with pouertie and burning heat which shal waist your eies and consume your liues you shal sowe your seede in vaine which shal be deuoured of the enemies â I wil sette my face against you and you shal fal downe before your enemies and shal be made subiect to them that hate you you shal flee when no man pursueth you â But if you wil not obey me so neither I wil increase your chastisementes seuen fould for your sinnes â and wil breake the pride of your stubburnesse and I wil make to you the heauen from aboue as iron and the earth as brasse â Your labour shal be speÌt in vaine the earth shal not bring forth her spring nor the trees yeld their fruites â If you walke contrarie to me and wil not heare me I wil increase your plagues vntil seuen fould for your sinnes â and I wil send in vpon you the beastes of the field
middes of the Leuites â but doe this to them that they may liue and not die if they touch Sancta sanctorum Aaron and his sonnes shal enter and they shal dispose the charges of euerie one and shal diuide what euerie one must carie â Let others by no curiositie see the thinges that are in the Sanctuarie before they be wrapped vp otherwise they shal die â And our Lord spake to Moyses saying â Take the summe of the sonnes of Gerson also by their houses and families and kinredes â from thirtie yeares and vpward vnto fiftie yeares Number them al that goe in and minister in the tabernacle of couenant â This is the office of the familie of the Gersonites â for to carie the curtines of the tabernacle and the roofe of the couenant the other couer and ouer al the ianthine couer and the hanging that hangeth in the entrie of the tabernacle of couenant â the curtines of the court and the veile in the entrie that is before the tabernacle Al thinges that pertayne to the altar the cordes and vessel of the ministerie â shal the sonnes of Gerson carie by the commandment of Aaron his sonnes and euerie one shal knowe to what burden they must be assigned â This is the seruice of the familie of the Gersonites in the tabernacle of couenant and they shal be vnder the hand of Ithamar the sonne of Aaron the priest â The sonnes of Merari also by the families and houses of their fathers thou shalt recken â from thirtie yeares and vpward vntil fiftie yeares al that enter in to the office of their ministerie and to the seruice of the couenant of testimonie â These are their burdens They shal carie the bordes of the tabernacle and the barres therof the pillers and the feete of them â the pillers also of the court round about with their feete and pinnes and cordes Al the vessel and implementes they shal receiue by account and so shal carie them â This is the office of the familie of the Merarites and their ministerie in the tabernacle of couenant and they shal be vnder the hand of Ithamar the sonne of Aaron the priest â Moyses therfore and Aaron and the princes of the synagogue reckened the sonnes of Caath by their kinredes and houses of their fathers â from thirtie yeares and vpward vnto the fiftith yeare al that enter in to the ministerie of the tabernacle of couenant â and they were found two thousand seuen hundred fiftie â This is the number of the people of Caath that enter into the tabernacle of couenant these did Moyses and Aaron number according to the word of our Lord by the hand of Moyses â The sonnes of Gerson also were numbered by the kinredes and houses of their fathers â from thirtie yeares and vpward vnto the fiftith yeare al that enter in to minister in the tabernacle of couenant â and they were found two thousand six hundred thirtie â This is the people of the Gersonites whom Moyses and Aaron numbered according to the word of our Lord. â The sonnes of Merari also were numbered by the kinredes and houses of their fathers â from thirtie yeares and vpward vnto the fiftith yeare al that enter in to accomplish the rites of the tabernacle of couenant â and they were found three thousand two hundred â this is the number of the sonnes of Merari whom Moyses and Aaron reckened according to the commandment of our Lord by the hand of Moyses â Al that were reckened of the Leuites and whom Moyses and Aaron and the princes of Israel tooke by name by the kinredes and houses of their fathers â from thirtie yeares and vpward vnto the fiftith yeare entring in to the ministerie of the tabernacle and to carie the burdens â were in al eight thousand fiue hundred eightie â According to the word of our Lord did Moyses recken them euerie one according to their office and burdens as our Lord had commanded him CHAP. V. Lepers and al polluted persons must be cast out of the campe 5. Confession of sinne and satisfaction for trespasse 9. First fruites and oblations pertaine to the Priestes 11. The law of ielosie AND our Lord spake to Moyses saying â Command the children of Israel that they cast out of the campe euerie leper and whosoeuer hath a fluxe of seede and is polluted vpon the dead â as wel man as woman cast yee out of the campe lest when they shal dwel with you they contaminate it â And the children of Israel did so and they did cast them forth without the campe as our Lord had spoken to Moyses â And our Lord spake to Moyses saying â Speake to the children of Israel man or woman when they shal do any of al the sinnes that are wont to chance to men and by negligence haue transgressed the commandement of the Lord and haue offended â they â shal confesse their sinne and restore the principal it self and the fifth part ouer to him against whom they sinned â But if there be none to receiue it they shal geue it to the Lord and it shal be the priestes the ramme excepted that is offered for expiation to be a placable hoste â Al the first fruites also which the children of Israel doe offer pertaine to the priest â and whatsoeuer is offered into the Sanctuarie of euerie one and is deliuered to the handes of the priest it shal be his â And our Lord spake to Moyses saying â Speake to the children of Israel and thou shalt say to them The man whose wife erreth and contemning her husband â hath slept with an other man and her husband could not find it but the adulterie is secrete and can not be proued by witnesses because she was not found in the adulterous fact â if the spirit of ielousie stirre vp the husband against his wife which either is polluted or is charged with false suspition â he shal bring her to the priest and shal offer an oblation for her the tenth part of a satum of barley meale he shal not powre oile theron not put frankincense vpon it because it is a sacrifice of ielousie and an oblation searching out adulterie â The priest therfore shal offer it and set it before the Lord. â And he shal take holie water in an earthen vessel and he shal cast a little grauel of the pauement of the tabernacle into it â And when the woman shal stand in the sight of the Lord he shal vncouer her head and shal put vpon her handes the sacrifice of recordation and the oblation of ielousie and him selfe shal hold the most bitter waters wheron he heaped curses with execration â and he shal adiure her and shal say If an other man hath not slept with thee and if thou be not polluted by forsaking thy husbandes bedde these most bitter waters shal not hurt thee wherupon I haue heaped curses â But if thou hast declined from
and the stranger and pupil and widow which abide with you in the place which our Lord thy God shal choose that his name may dwel there â and thou shalt remember that thou wast a seruant in Aegypt and thou shalt keepe and doe the thinges that are commanded â The solemnitie also of Tabernacles thou shalt celebrate seuen daies when thou hast gathered thy fruite of the barne floore and the presse â and thou shalt feast in the festiuitie thou thy sonne and thy daughter thy man seruant and woman seruant the Leuite also and stranger and pupil and widow that are within thy gates â Seuen daies shalt thou celebrate the feastes to our Lord thy God in the place which our Lord shal choose and our Lord thy God wil blesse thee in al thy fruites and in euerie worke of thy handes and thou shalt be in ioye â Three times in a yeare shal al thy male appeare in the sight of our Lord thy God in the place which he shal choose in the solemnitie of Azymes in the solemnitie of weekes and in the solemnitie of Tabernacles There shal not appeare before our Lord any emptie â but euerie one shal offer according to that he hath according to the blessing of our Lord his God which he shal geue him â Iudges and maisters shalt thou appoynt in al thy gates which our Lord thy God shal geue thee in euerie of thy tribes that they may iudge the people with iust iudgement â and not decline to either part Thou shalt not accept person nor giftes because that giftes blinde the eies of the wise and change the wordes of the iust â Iustly shalt thou pursew that which is iust that thou mayest liue and possesse the Land which our Lord thy God shal geue thee â Thou shalt plante no groue nor any tree neere the altar of our Lord thy God â Neither shalt thou make nor sette to thy self a statue which thing our Lord thy God hateth CHAP. XVII Perfect hostes not mamed nor defectiue must be offered to God Idolaters stoned to death 8. VVhen inferior iudges differ the cause must be decided by the High Priest in consistorie Who is warranted not to erre therin and al are bound to obey his sentence 14. The dutie also of a king Whom in future time God wil condescend to geue them is described with special charge to receiue the law of God at the Priestes handes THOV shalt not immolate to our Lord thy God a sheepe and an oxe wherein there is blemish or any fault because it is abomination to our Lord thy God â When there shal be found with thee within one of thy gates which our Lord thy God shal geue thee man or woman that do euil in the sight of our Lord thy God and transgresse his couenant â that they goe and serue strange goddes and adore them the sunne and the moone and al the hoste of heauen which thinges I commanded not â and this is told thee and hearing it thou hast inquired diligently and found it to be true and the abomination is committed in Israel â thou shalt bring forth the man and the woman that haue committed that most heynous thing to the gates of thy citie and they shal be stoned â At the mouth of two or three witnesses shal he perish that is to be slaine Let no man be killed one onlie geuing testimonie against him â The hand of the witnesses shal be first to kil him and the hand of the rest of the people shal be layd on last that thou mayest take away the euil out of the middes of thee â â If thou perceiue that the iudgement with thee be hard and doubtful betwen bloud and bloud cause and cause leprosie and not leprosie and thou see that the wordes of the iudges within thy gates doe varye arise and goe vp to the place which our Lord thy God shal choose â And thou shalt come to the priestes of the Leuitical stocke and to the iudge that shal be at that time and thou shalt aske of them â who shal shew thee the truth of the iudgment â And thou shalt do whatsoeuer they that are presidentes of the place which our Lord shal choose shal say and teach thee â according to his law and thou shalt folow their sentence neither shalt thou decline to the right hand nor to the left hand â But â he that shal be proude refusing to obey the commandement of the Priest which at that time ministreth to our Lord thy God and the decree of the iudge that man shal die and thou shalt take away the euil out of Israel â and the whole people hearing shal feare that none afterward swel in pride â When thou art entred the Land which our Lord thy God wil geue thee and doest possesse it and dwellest in it and sayest I wil sette a king ouer me as al nations haue round about â him shalt thou sette whom our Lord thy God shal choose of the number of thy brethren A man of an other nation that is not thy brother thou canst not make king â And when he is made he shal not multiplie to him selfe horses nor lead backe the people into Aegypt taking high courage for the number of his horsemen especially whereas our Lord hath commanded you that in no case you returne any more the same way â He shal not haue manie wiues that may allure his minde nor huge weightes of siluer and gold â And after he shal sitte in the throne of his kingdome he shal copie to him selfe the Deuteronomie of this Law in a volume taking the copie of the priestes of the Leuitical tribe â and he shal haue it with him and shal reade it al the dayes of his life that he may learne to feare our Lord his God and keepe his wordes and ceremonies that are commanded in the law â And that his hart be not lifted vp into pride ouer his brethren nor decline to the right side or the left side that he may reigne a long time and his sonnes ouer Israel ANNOTATIONS CHAP. XVII 8. If the iudgement be hard For a ful and assured decision of al controuersies God here instituted to his people a supreme Tribunal that in case inferior Iudges varied in iudgement recourse might be had to the Councel of Priestes where one chiefe Iudge the High Priest was appointed to geue sentence and al others commanded to receiue and obey the same 9. vvho shal shevv the truth God so assisted this consistorie with his spirite of truth that their sentence was infallible though otherwise they might erre either in life or in priuate opinion VVherfore our Sauiour distinguishing betwen their publique doctrin and their workes taught the people that for somuch as the Scribes and Pharisees sate in Moyses chaire and yet transgressed Gods commandmentes euerie one should obserue and doe as they saide but not doe according to their
vvorkes Mat. 23. And S. Iohn ascribeth the true sentence geuen by Caiphas in the councel to his office of High Priest saying Ioan. 11. He said not this of him selfe but being the high priest of that yeare he prophecied that IESVS should die for the nation and to gather into one the children of God VVhere the high priest by vertue and priuilege of his office vttered the truth which him selfe neither meant nor vnderstood And this happened when the Law and Priesthood of the Iewes was to decline geue place to Christs new ordinance and therfore no doubt God euer directed the sentence of the high Priest and most specially now Christ preserueth the Apostolique See from error in faith and in general decrees touching manners yea though the chiefe visible Iudge were as wicked as Caiphas And therfore the Protestantes euasion is friuolous limiting the priests sentence to binde the subiectes so long as he is the true minister of God and pronounceth according to his vvord For except God assisted him that he should pronounce according to his word and so al men rest satisfied submitting them selues to his sentence the controuersie should be endles and this consistorie nothing worth but stil be new examinations and new iudgementes whether the former were according to Gods word or no. 12. He that shal be proude This also conuinceth that al were bound to accept of the high priests sentence the law condemning him of pride that refused to obey the commandment of the Priest vvhich at that time ministred to our Lord and for his disobedience punishing him with death CHAP. XVIII In steed of other inheritance Priesies and Leuites haue prouision by Sacrifices and oblations 9. Al superstition to be auoided 15. Perpetuitie of prophetes and finally one special PROPHET towit CHRIST is promised 20. False prophetes must be slaine THE priestes and Leuites and al that are of the same tribe shal haue no part nor inheritance with the rest of Israel because they shal eate the sacrifices of our Lord and his oblations â and nothing els shal they receiue of the possession of their brethren for our Lord him selfe is their inheritance as he hath spoken to them â This shal be the right of the priestes from the people and from them that offer victimes whether they immolate oxe or sheepe they shal geue to the priest the shoulder and the mawe â the first fruites of corne of wine and oile and a part of the woolle of their sheepe shearing â For him hath our Lord chosen of al thy tribes that he might stand and minister to our Lord he and his sonnes for euer â If a Leuite goe out of one of thy cities of al Israel in the which he dwelleth and would come desiring the place which our Lord shal choose â he shal minister in the name of our Lord his God as al his brethren the Leuites that shal stand at that time before our Lord. â He shal receiue the same portion of meates that the rest doe beside that which in his owne citie is dew to him by succession from his fathers â When thou art entred the Land which our Lord thy God shal geue thee beware thou be not willing to imitate the abominations of those nations â Neither let there be found in thee any that shal expiate his sonne or daughter making them to passe through the fyre or that demandeth of southsayers and obserueth dreames and diuinations neither let there be a sorcerer â nor inchanter nor that consulteth with pithone or diuiners and seeketh the truth of the dead â for al these thinges out Lord abhorreth and for these abominations wil he destroy them at thy entring in â thou shalt be perfect and without spotte with our Lord thy God â These nations whose land thou shalt possesse heare southsayers and diuiners but thou art otherwise instructed of our Lord thy God â â A PROPHET of thy nation and of thy brethren like vnto me wil our Lord thy God raise vp to thee him thou shalt heare â as thou didst request of our Lord thy God in Horeb when the assemblie was gathered and saidst I wil no more heare the voice of our Lord my God and this exceding great fire I wil see no more lest I die â And our Lord said to mie They haue spoken al thinges wel â A prophete wil I rayse vp to them out of the middes of their brethren like to thee and I wil put my wordes in his mouth and he shal speake al thinges that I shal command him â but he that wil not heare his wordes which he shal speake in my name I wil be the reuenger â And the prophet that being depraued with arrogancie wil speake in my name the thinges that I did not command him to say or in the name of strange goddes shal be slaine â And if in secrete cogitation thou answer How shal I vnderstand the word that our Lord spake not â This signe thou shalt haue That which the same prophete foretelleth in the name of the Lord and cometh not to passe that our Lord hath not spoken but by the arrogancie of his minde the prophet hath forged it and therfore thou shalt not feare him ANNOTATIONS CHAP. XVIII 15. A PROPHET of thy nation Amongst other places this plainly proueth that the same wordes in holie Scripture may haue diuers literal senses For first the coherence of the text sheweth that God here promised to geue his people an other extraordinarie prophet after Moyses death of their owne nation as wel to take away occasion of seeking to southsayers diuiners and other prophane prophetes of false goddes strictly forbidden in the wordes going immediatly before as in approbation of their conuenient desire mentioned in the wordes folowing to heare Gods wil not by himself nor by an Angel but by Moyses who was now shortly to be taken from them And so this promise was first performed in Iosue succeding next after Moyses in gouernment And as neede required God ceassed not to send more prophetes besides their ordinarie Priests Againe this place is also vnderstood of Christ our Sauiour chief Prophete and master of al prophetes S Peter so expounding it Act. 3. v. 22. 23. CHAP. XIX Certaine cities of refuge must be assigned for casual manslaughter 11. wilful murther punished by death without remission 15. so it be conuinced by two or three witnesses 16. False witnesses punished with the paine which the crime obiected deserueth VVHEN our Lord thy God hath destroyed the nations whose land he wil deliuer to thee and thou doest possesse it and dwellest in the cities and houses therof â three cities shalt thou separate to thee in the middes of the Land which our Lord thy God wil geue thee in possession â preparing diligently the way and thou shalt diuide the whole prouince of thy Land equally into three partes that he which for murder is a fugitiue may haue
with shippes into Aegypt by the way wherof he said to thee that thou shouldest see it no more There shalt thou be sould to thine enemies for bondmen and bondweomen and no man shal bye you CHAP. XXIX A couenant and oath is made betwen God and his people with commemoration of sundrie benefites by them receiued that keping his law they shal be more blessed and breaking the same shal susteine the threatned punishmentes THESE are the wordes of the couenant which our Lord commanded Moyses to make with the children of Israel in the Land of Moab beside that couenant which he made with them in Horeb. â And Moyses called al Israel and said to them you saw al thinges that our Lord did before you in the Land of Aegypt to Pharao and to al his seruantes and to his whole land â the great tentations which thine eies haue seene those mightie signes and wonders â and our Lord hath not geuen you a hart to vnderstand and eies to see and eares that can heare vnto this present day â He hath brought you fourtie yeares by the desert your garmentes are not worne out neither are the shoes of your feete consumed with age â Breade you haue not eaten wine and sicer you haue not drunke that you might know that I am the Lord your God â And you came to this place and there came forth Sehon the King of Hesebon and Og the King of Basan meeting vs to fight And we stroke them â and tooke their land and deliuered it in possession to Ruben and Gad and the half tribe of Manasses â Keepe therfore the wordes of this couenant and fulfil them that you may vnderstand al thinges that you doe â You stand this day al before our Lord your God your princes and tribes and ancientes and doctors al the people of Israel â your children and your wiues and the strangers that abide with thee in the campe besides the cutters of wood and them that carie water â that thou mayest passe in the couenant of our Lord thy God and in the oath which in this day our Lord thy God maketh with thee â that he may rayse thee vp a people to him selfe and he be thy God as he hath spoken to thee and as he sware to thy fathers Abraham Isaac and Iacob â Neither with you onlie doe I make this couenant and confirme these oathes â but with al that be present and absent â For you know how we dwelt in the Land of Aegypt and how we haue passed through the middes of nations which passing through â you haue seene their abominations and filth that is to say their Idols wood and stone siluer and gold which they worshipped â Lest perhaps there be among you man or woman familie or tribe whose hart is turned away this day from our Lord God to goe and serue the goddes of those Nations and there be among you a roote bringing forth gal and bitternes â And when he shal heare the wordes of this oath he blesse him selfe in his hart saying I shal haue place and walke in the prauitie of my hart and the drunken take to her the thirstie â and our Lord forgeue him not but then his furie most specially fume and his zeale against that man and al the curses sitte vpon him that be written in this volume and our Lord abolish his name vnder heauen â and consume him vnto perdition out of al the tribes of Israel according to the curses that are conteyned in the Booke of this law and couenant â And the generation folowing shal say and the children that shal be borne from thence forth and the strangers that shal come from a farre seeing the plagues of that Land and the infirmities wherwith our Lord hath afflicted it â burning it with brimstone and heate of the salt so that it can no more be sowen nor any grene thing spring therof after the example of the subuersion of Sodom and Gomorrha Adama and Seboim which our Lord subuerted in his wrath and furie â And al the Nations shal say Why hath the Lord done thus to this Land what is this exceding wrath of his furie â And they shal answer Because they forsooke the couenant of the Lord which he made with their fathers when he brought them out of the Land of Aegypt â and they haue serued strange goddes and adored them whom they knew not and to whom they had not beene designed â therfore the furie of the Lord was wrath against this Land to bring vpon it al the curses that are written in this volume â and he hath cast them out of their land in wrath and furie and in verie great indignation and hath throwen them into a strange land as this day it is proued â Thinges hidden to our Lord God which are manifest to vs and to our children for euer that we may doe al the words of this Law CHAP. XXX If the children of Israel offending and falling into the forsaide curses shal repent God wilrestore them to his blessings againe 11. leauing it in their powre to serue him if they wil 17. and therfore warneth them that the impenitent shal assuredly perish because hauing life and death blessing and cursing proposed they choose the worse THERFORE when al these wordes shal be come vpon thee the blessing or cursing which I haue sette forth before thee thou be touched with repentance of thy hart in al nations into which our Lord thy God dispersed thee â and shalt returne to him and obey his commandmentes as I this day command thee with thy children in al thy hart and in al thy soule â our Lord thy God wil bring thee againe from thy captiuitie and haue mercie vpon thee and gather thee againe out of al the peoples into which he dispersed thee besore â If thou be dispersed as farre as the poles of heauen thence wil our Lord thy God draw thee backe â and wil take thee to him and bring thee into the Land which thy fathers possessed and thou shalt obteyne it and blessing thee wil make thee to be of a greater number then were thy fathers â Our Lord thy God wil circumcile thy hart and the hart of thy seede that thou mayest loue oure Lord thy God in al thy hart and in al thy soule that thou mayest liue â And al these curses he wil turne vpon thine enemies and them that hate and persecute thee â But thou shalt returne and heare the voice of our Lord thy God and shalt doe al the commandmentes which I command thee this day â and our Lord wil make thee abound in al the workes of thy handes in the issue of thy wombe and in the fruite of thy cattel in the fertilitie of thy ground and in the plentie of al thinges For our Lord wil returne to reioyse vpon thee in al riches as he reioysed in thy fathers â yet so if thou heare the voice
of an vnicorne in them shal he winow the Nations euen to the endes of the earth these are the multitudes of Ephraim and these the thousandes of Manasses â And to Zabulon he said Reioyse Zabulon in thy going out and Issachar in thy tabernacles â They shal cal the peoples to the mountaine there shal they immolate the victimes of iustice Who shal sucke the inundation of the sea as milke and the hidden treasures of the sandes â And to Gad he said Blessed be Gad in breadth as a lion hath he rested and taken the arme and the toppe of the head â And he saw his principalitie that in his part the doctor was reposed which was with the princes of the people and did the iustices of our Lord and his iudgement with Israel â To Dan also he said Dan a lions whelpe he shal flow largely from Basan â And to Nephthali he said Nephthali shal enioy abundance and shal be ful of the blessinges of our Lord the sea and the south he shal possesse â To Aser also he said Blessed be Aser in children be he acceptable to his brethren and dippe he in oile his foote â His shoe yron and brasse As the daies of thy youth so also thy old age â There is no other God as the God of the rightest the mounter of heauen is thy helper By his magnificence the cloudes runne hither and thither â his habitation is aboue and vnder the euerlasting armes he shal cast out the enemie from thy face and shal say Be destroyed â Israel shal dwel confidently and alone The eie of Iacob in the land of corne and wine and the heauens shal be mistie with dew â Blessed art thou Israel who is like to thee o people that art saued in our Lord the shield of thy helpe and the sword of thy glorie thy enemies shal denie thee and thou shalt treade their neckes ANNOTATIONS CHAP. XXXIII 2. Came from Sinai According to the historie Moyses recounteth here three benefites First that God gaue the Law in Sinai Exod. 20. Secondly he cured those which were bitten with serpentes nere to Seir. Num. 21. Thirdly in mount Pharan he appointed Seuentie ancientes to assist Moyses in iudgementes Num. 11. But according to the Mysterie which specially is intended S. Augustin q. 56. in Deut. saieth this prophecie is not to be negligently passed ouer For it euidently appeareth that this benediction perteineth to a new people whom Christ our Lord hath sanctified in whose person Moyses spake and not in his owne So in this prophetical and proper sense saieth this Doctor our Lord and Sauiour cometh from Sinai which is interpreted tentation when he passed the tentation of his passion and death Heb. 2. v. 18. Christ riseth from Seir interpreted hearie for that in the similitude of the flesh of sinne eâen of sinne he damned sinne in the flesh Rom. 8. v. 3. He appeareth from mount Pharan interpreted fruitful mountaine in that he geueth abundance of grace in his Church of the new Testament which is a citie set vpon a hil Mat. 5. CHAP. XXXIIII Moyses seeth the promised land but is not suffered to goe into it 5. He dieth at the age of 120. yeares God burieth his bodie secretly and al Israel mourne for him thirtie dayes 9. Iosue replenished by imposition of Moyses handes with the spirite of God succedeth 10. But Moyses for his special familiaritie with God and for most wonderful miracles is commended aboue al other Prophetes MOYSES therfore went vp from the champion of Moab vpon mount Nebo into the toppe of Phasga against Iericho and our Lord shewed him al the land of Galaad as farre as Dan â and al Nephthali and the land of Ephraim and Manasses and al the Land of Iuda vnto the vtmost sea â and the south part and the bredth of the plaine of Iericho a citie of palmetrees as farre as Segoâ â And our Lord said to him This is the Land for the which I sware to Abraham Isaac and Iacob saying To thy seede wil I geue it Thou hast seene it with thyne eies and shalt not passe ouer to it â And Moyses the seruant of our Lord died there in the land of Moab our Lord commanding it â and he buried him in the valley of the Land of Moab against Phogor and no man hath knowne his sepulchre vntil this present day â Moyses was an hundred and twentie yeares old when he died his eie was not dimme neither were his teeth moued â And the children of Israel mourned him in the champion countrie of Moab thirtie daies and the daies of their mourning that mourned for Moyses were accomplished â And Iosue the sonne of Nun was replenished with the spirit of wisedome because Moyses did put his handes vpon him And the children of Israel obeied him and did as our Lord commanded Moyses â And there rose no more a prophete in Israel as Moyses whom our Lord had knowen face to face â in al signes and wonders which he sent by him to doe in the Land of Aegypt to Pharao and to al his seruantes and to his whole Land â and al the strong hand and great meruailes which Moyses did before al Israel The end of the fiue bookes of Moyses conteining the Law THE SECOND PART OF THE OLD TESTAMENT CONTEINING HISTORICAL BOOKES The argument of the booke of Iosue VVHETHER Iosue himself writ this booke which is the common opinion or some other it was euer held vndoubtedly by al for Canonical Scripture and according to the distribution of the whole Bible into Legal Historical Sapiential and Prophetical Bookes this is the first of the historical sorte But as the fiue procedent called Legal besides the Law comprehend also the historie of the Church from the beginning of the world nere 2500. yeares and withal conteine much diuine Wisdome Prediction of thinges to come so these bookes now folowing called Historical and likewise the Sapiential and Prophetical ensuing after participate each with others in their seueral argumentes euerie one more or lesse inducing Gods seruantes to keepe his Law recording thinges donne teaching what is most meete to be donne and foreshewing before hand thinges donne afterwardes or which yet shal come to passe So this booke doth not only set forth the Actes of Iosue who succeded Moyses in teÌporal gouernment of Gods people commanding and directing them by lawe and wisedome but also the same thinges donne by him and his verie name as S. Hierom other Fathers teach prefigure our Lord IESVS Christ For in Hebrew IEHOSVA is the name both of this Capitaine General the leader of The Israelites ouer Iordan into the Land of promise and of our Lord and SAVIOVR who by his Baptisme and other Sacramentes bringeth his people of al Nations into the true Land of the liuing where is life and felicitie euerlasting Touching thâfore the historie these foure special thinges are here described
garder therof â And Eliseus sayd to him fetch a bow and arrowes And when he had brought him a bow and arrowes â he sayd to the king of Israel Put thy hand vpon the bow And when he had put his hand Eliseus put his handes ouer the kinges handes â and sayd Open the east window And when he had opened it Eliseus sayd Shote an arrow And he shot And Eliseus sayd The arrow of the saluation of our Lord and the arrow of saluation agaynst Syria and thou shalt strike Syria in Aphec til thou consume it â And he sayd Take vp the arrowes Who when he had taken them agayne he sayd to him Strike the earth with a iauelin And when he had striken three times and stood stil â the man of God was angrie with him sayd If thou hadst striken fiue or six or seuen times thou hadst striken Syria euen to destruction but now three times shalt thou strike it â Eliseus therfore died and they buried him And the rouers of Moab came into the land the same yeare â And certayne persons burying a man saw the rouers and threw the bodie in the sepulchre of Eliseus Which when it had touched the bones of Eliseus the man reuiued and stood vpon his feete â Hazael therfore the king of Syria afflicted Israel al the daies of Ioachaz â and our Lord had mercie on them and returned to them for his couenant which he had with Abraham and Isaac and Iacob and he would not destroy them nor vtterly cast them away vntil this present time â And Hazael the king of Syria died and Benadad his sonne reigned for him â Moreouer Ioas the sonne of Ioachaz tooke the cities out of the hand of Benadad the sonne of Hazael which he had taken out of the hand of Ioachaz his father by the right of warre three times did Ioas strike him and he deliuered the cities to Israel CHAP. XIIII Amasias king of Iudakilleth those that had slaine his father 7. and striketh Edom. 8. Prouoking Ioas king of Israel to warre receiueth a contemtible answer 11. prouoking againe is beaten in battle and Ierusalem is ransact 15. Ioas dieth and his sonne Ieroboam foloweth the bad steppes of the first Ieroboam yet recouereth manie places lost before and dying his sonne Zacharias reigneth IN the second yeare of Ioas the sonne of Ioachaz the king of Israel reigned Amasias the sonne of Ioas the king of Iuda â Fiue and twentie yeares old was he when he began to reigne and nine and twentie yeares he reigned in Ierusalem the name of his mother was Ioadan of Ierusalem â And he did right before our Lord but yet not as Dauid his father He did according to al thinges which Ioas his father did â but this onlie that he tooke not away the excelses for yet the people immolated and burnt incense in the excelses â And when he obtayned the kingdom he smote his seruantes which had slaine the king his father â but their children that killed him he did not put to death according to that which is written in the booke of the law of Moyses as our Lord commanded saying The fathers shal not die for the children neither shal the children die for the fathers but euerie one shal die in his owne sinne â He smote Edom in the Vail of Salt pittes ten thousand and tooke the rocke in battel and called the name therof Iectehel vntil this present daye â Then Amasias sent messengers to Ioas the sonne of Ioachaz the sonne of Iehu the king of Israel saying Come let vs see one an other â And Ioas the king of Israel sent agayne to Amasias the king of Iuda saying A thistle of Libanus sent to a cedar tree which is in Libanus saying Geue thy daughter to my sonne to wife And the beastes of the forest that are in Libanus passed and trode the thistle â Thou striking hast preuayled ouer Edom and thy hart hath puffed thee vp be content with the glorie and sit in thy house Why prouokest thou euil that thou mayst fal and Iuda with thee â And Amasias agreed not And Ioas the king of Israel went vp and they saw eche other he and Amasias the king of Iuda in Bethsames a towne of Iuda â And Iuda was strooken before Israel and euerie man fled into their tabernacles â But Ioas the king of Israel did take Amasias the king of Iuda the sonne of Ioas the sonne of Ochozias in Bethsames and brought him into Ierusalem and he brake downe the wal of Ierusalem from the gate of Ephraim vnto the gate of the corner fowre hundred cubites â And he tooke al the gold and siluer and al the vessel that were found in the house of our Lord and in the kinges treasures and hostages and returned into Samaria â But the rest of the wordes of Ioas which he did and his strength wherwith he fought against Amasias the king of Iuda are not these thinges writen in the Booke of the wordes of the daies of the kinges of Israel â And Ioas slept with his fathers and was buried in Samaria with the kinges of Israel Ieroboam his sonne reigned for him â And Amasias the sonne of Ioas the king of Iuda liued after that Ioas the sonne of Ioachaz the king of Israel was dead fifetene yeares â But the rest of the wordes of Amasias are not these thinges writen in the Booke of the wordes of the daies of the kinges of Iuda â And there was a conspiracie made against him in Ierusalem but he fled into Lachis And they sent after him into Lachis and killed him there â And they caried him away vpon horses and he was buried in Ierusalem with his fathers in the Citie of Dauid â And al the people of Iuda tooke Azarias sixtene yeares old and made him king for his father Amasias â He built Aelath and restored it to Iuda after that the king slept with his fathers â In the fiftenth yeare of Amasias the sonne of Ioas the king of Iuda reigned Ieroboam the sonne of Ioas the king of Israel in Samaria one and fourtie yeares â and he did that which is euil before our Lord. He departed not from al the sinnes of Ieroboam the sonne of Nabat who made Israel to sinne â He restored the borders of Israel from the entrance of Emath vnto the Sea of the wildernesse according to the word of our Lord the God of Israel which he spake by his seruaÌt Ionas the sonne of Amathi the prophete who was of Geth which is in Opher â For our Lord saw the afliction of Israel exceding bitter and that they were consumed vnto the imprisoned meanest persons and that there was none to helpe Israel â Neither did our Lord determine that he would destroy the name of Israel from vnder heauen but he sâued them in the hand of Ieroboam the sonne of Ioas. â But the rest of the wordes of Ieroboam and al that
al the Prophetes and Seers saying Returne from your most wicked wayes and keepe my precepts and ceremonies according to al the law which I commanded your fathers and as I haue sent to you in the hand of my seruantes the Prophetes â Who heard not but hardened their necke according to the necke of their fathers who would not obey our Lord their God â And they cast away his ordinances and the couenant that he made with their fathers and the testifications wherwith he contested them and they folowed vanities and did vaynly and they folowed the Gentiles that were round about them concerning which our Lord had commanded them that they should not doe as they did â And they forsooke al the preceptes of our Lord their God and made to them selues two molten calues and groues and adored al the hoste of heauen and they serued Baal â and consecrated their sonnes and their daughters through fyre and they gaue themselues to deuinations and soothsayings and they deliuered vp themselues to doe euil before our Lord that they might prouoke him â And our Lord was wrath with Israel vehemently and tooke them away from his sight and there remayned but the tribe of Iuda onlie â But neither Iuda it self kept the commandementes of our Lord their God but walked in the errours of Israel which it had wrought â And our Lord reiected al the seede of Israel and afflicted them deliuered them into the hand of the spoylers til he threwe them away from his face â euen now from that time when Israel was rent from the house of Dauid and made Ieroboam the sonne of Nabat their king for Ieroboam seperated Israel from our Lord and made them sinne a great sinne â And the children of Israel walked in al the sinnes of Ieroboam which he had done and they departed not from them â vntil our Lord tooke away Israel from his face as he had spoken in the hand of al his seruantes the Prophetes and Israel was transported out of their land vnto the Assyrians vntil this day â And the king of the Assyrians brought from Babylon and from Cutha and from Auah and from Emath and from Sepharuaim and placed them in the cities of Samaria for the children of Israel who possessed Samaria and dwelt in the cities therof â And when they began to dwel there they feared not our Lord and our Lord sent lions vpon them which killed them â And it was told the king of the Assyrians and sayd The nations which thou hast transferred and made to dwel in the cities of Samaria know not the ordinances of the God of the land and the Lord hath sent lions vpon them and behold they kil them for that they know not the rite of the God of the land â And the king of the Assyrians commanded saying Bring thither one of the priestes which you brought thence captiue and let him goe and dwel with them and let him teach them the ordinances of the God of the land â Therfore when one of those priests which were led captiue from Samaria was come he dwelt in Bethel and taught them how they should worship our Lord. â And euerie Nation framed their owne god and put them in the highe temples which the Samaritanes had made Nation and Nation in their cities where they dwelt â For the men of Babylon made Socoth benoth and the Cutheites made Nergel and the men of Emath made Asima â Moreouer the Heueites made Nebahaz Tharthac And they that were of Sepharuaim burnt their children in fyre to Adramelech and Anamelech the goddes of Sepharuaim â and neuetheles they worshipped our Lord. And they made to themselues of the vilest persones priestes of the excelses and they placed them in the highe temples â And when they worshipped our Lord they serued also their owne goddes according to the custome of the Nations out of the which they were transported to Samaria â vntil this present day they folow the old maner they feare not our Lord neither keepe they his ceremonies and iudgements and law and the commandemet which our Lord commanded the children of Iacob whom he surnamed Israel â and he had made a couenant with them had commanded them saying Feare not strange goddes and adore them not neither worship them and immolate not to them â But the Lord your God which brought you out of the Land of Aegypt in great strength and a stretched out arme him feare ye and him adore and to him doe ye immolate â The ceremonies also and iudgementes and law and the commandment that he wrote you kepe ye that you may doe them alwaies and feare not strange goddes â And the couenant that he made with you forget not neither doe ye worship strange goddes â but feare our Lord your God and he wil deliuer you out of the hand of al your enemies â But they heard not but did according to their old custome â These Nations therfore were fearing of our Lord but neuerthelesse seruing their idols also for both their children and nephewes as their fathers did soe doe they vntil this present day CHAP. XVIII Ezechias destroyeth al places of idolatrie in Iuda breaking also the brasen serpent made by Moyses because the people offered incense to it 9. The captiuitie of the ten tribes is repeted 13. Ezechias not able to resist the Assyrians payeth much money to them 17. They neuertheles send forces against Ierusalem reproch the king blaspheme God and terrifie the people IN the third yeare of Osee the sonne of Ela king of Israel reigned Ezechias the sonne of Achaz king of Iuda â Fiue and twentie yeares old was he when he began to reigne and he reigned nine and twentie yeares in Ierusalem the name of his mother was Abi the daughter of Zacharias â And he did that which was good before our Lord according to al thinges which Dauid his father had done â He destroyed the excelses and brake the statuees in peeces and cut downe the groues and brake the brasen serpent which Moyses had made for vntil that time the children of Israel burnt incense to it and he called the name therof Nohestan â He trusted in our Lord the God of Israel therfore after him there was not the like to him in al the kings of Iuda yea neither among them that were before him â and he cleaued to our Lord and departed not from his steppes and he did his commandmentes which our Lord commanded Moyses â Wherfore our Lord also was with him and in al things to the which he proceded he behaued himselfe wisely He rebelled also agaynst the king of the Assyrians and serued him not â He stroke the Philisthians as farre as Gaza al the borders from the Towre of watchmen vnto the fensed citie â In the fourth yeare of king Ezechias which was the seuenth yeare of Osee the sonne of Ela the king of Israel came vp Salmanasar the king
the priestes did sacrifice from Gabaa vnto Bersabee and he destroyed the altars of the gates in the entrance of the doore of Iosue chief of the citie which was on the left hand of the gate of the citie â Howbeit the priestes of the excelses went not vp to the altar of our Lord in Ierusalem but only they did eate azimes in the middes of their brethren â He contaminated also Topheth which is in the Valley of the sonne of Ennom that no man should consecrate his sonne or daughter by fyre to Moloch â He tooke away also the horses which the kinges of Iuda had geuen to the Sunne in the entrance of the temple of our Lord beside the chamber of Nathanmelech the eunuch who was in Pharurim and the chariotes of the Sunne he burnt with fire â The altars also that were vpon the roofes of the vpper chamber of Achaz which the kinges of Iuda had made and the altars which Manasses had made in the two courtes of the temple of our Lord the king destroyed and he ranne from thence and sprinkled the ashes of them into the Torrent cedron â The excelses also that were in Ierusalem on the right side of the Mount of offence which Salomon the king of Israel had built to Astaroth the idol of the Sidonians and to Chamos the scandal of Moab and to Melchom the abomination of the children of Ammon the king destroyed â And he brake in peces the statues and cut downe the groues and he filled their places with the bones of dead men â Moreouer the altar also that was in Bethel and the excelse which Ieroboam the sonne of Nabat had made who made Israel to sinne and that altar and excelse he destroyed and burnt and brake into powder and the groue also he burnt â And Iosias turning saw there sepulchres that were in the mount and he sent and tooke the bones out of the sepulchres and burnt them vpon the altar and polluted it according to the word of our Lord which the man of God spake who had foretold these thinges â And he sayd What title is that which I see And the citizens of that citie answered It is the sepulchre of the man of God which came from Iuda and foretold these thinges which thou hast done vpon the altar of Bethel â And he sayd Let him alone let no man moue his bones And his bones remayned vntouched with the bones of the prophet that came out of Samaria â Moreouer al the temples of the excelses which were in the cities of Samaria which the kinges of Israel had made to prouoke our Lord Iosias tooke away and he did to them according to al the workes which he had done in Bethel â And he slew al the priestes of the excelses that were there vpon the altars and he burnt mens bones vpon them turned into Ierusalem â And he commanded al the people saying Make a Phase to our Lord your God according as it is writen in the booke of this couenant â For there was not such a Phase made from the daies of the Iudges which iudged Israel and of al the daies of the kinges of Israel and of the kinges of Iuda â as in the eightenth yeare of king Iosias this Phase was made to our Lord in Ierusalem â Yea and the Pythones and Southsayers and the images of idols and the filthes and the abominations that had bene in the land of Iuda and Ierusalem Iosias tooke away that he might establish the wordes of the law that were writen in the Booke which Helcias the priest found in the temple of our Lord. â There was no king before him like to him that returned to our Lord in al his hart in al his soule and in al his powre according to al the law of Moyses neither after him did there arise the like to him â But yet our Lord was not auerted from the wrath of his great furie wherwith his furie was wrath agaynst Iuda for the prouocations wherwith Manasses had prouoked him â Our Lord therfore sayd Iuda also wil I take away from my face as I haue taken away Israel and I wil reiect this citie which I chose Ierusalem and the house wherof I sayd My name shal be there â But the rest of the wordes of Iosias and al that he did are not these thinges writen in the Booke of the wordes of the daies of the kinges of Iuda â In his dayes came vp Pharao Nechao the king of Aegypt agaynst the king of Assyrians to the riuer Euphrates and Iosias the king went to meete him and was slaine in Mageddo when he had seene him â And his seruantes caried him dead from Mageddo they brought him into Ierusalem and buried him in his sepulchre And the people of the land tooke Ioachaz the sonne of Iosias and they anoynted him and made him king for his father â Three and twentie yeares old was Ioachaz when he began to reigne and he reigned three ãâ¦ã in Ierusalem the name of his mother was A ãâ¦ã the daughter of Ieremie of Lobna â And he did euil before our Lord according to al thinges which his fathers had done â And Pharao Nechao bound him in Rebla which is in the land Emath that he should not reigne in Ierusalem and he lette a penaltie vpon the land an hundred talentes of siluer and a talent of gold â And Pharao Nechao made Eliacim king the sonne of Iosias for Iosias his father and turned his name Ioakim Moreouer he tooke Ioachaz and brought him into Aegypt and he died there â And Ioakim gaue the siluer and the gold to Pharao when he had taxed the land vpon euerie man that it might be payd according to the precept of Pharao and he exacted of euerie man according to his abilitie as wel siluer as gold of the people of the land to geue vnto Pharao Nechao â Fiue and twentie yeares old was Ioakim when he began to reigne and he reigned eleuen yeares in Ierusalem the name of his mother was zebida the daughter of Phadaia of Ruma â And he did euil before our Lord according to al thinges which his fathers had done CHAP. XXIIII Ioakim serueth the king of Babylon three yeares 2. Manie rouers infest his countrie 5. He dieth and his sonne Ioachim reigneth 10. The king of Babylon carieth king Ioachim and al the chief persones and treasures into Babylon 17. appointing Matthanias whom he nameth Sedecias king of Iuda 20. VVho reuolâeth from the king of Babylon IN his daies came vp Nabuchodonosor the king of Babylon and Ioakim was made his seruant three yeares and he rebelled agaynst him againe â And our Lord senr in vpon him the rouers of the Chaldees and the rouers of Syria and the rouers of Moab the rouers of the children of Ammon and he sent them into Iuda to destroy it according to the word of our Lord which he had spoken by his seruantes
brethren to minister in the presence of the Arke continually day by day and in their courses â Moreouer Obededom and his brethren sixtie eight and Obededom the sonne of Idithun and Hosa he appoynted for porters â And Sadoc the priest and his brethren priestes before the tabernacle of our Lord in the excelse which was in Gabaon â that they should offer holocaustes to our Lord vpon the altar of holocaust continually morning and euening according to al thinges that are writen in the law of our Lord which he commanded Israel â And after him Heman and Idithun and the rest of the chosen men euerie one by his name to confesse vnto our Lord Because his mercie is for euer â Heman also and Idithun sounding the trumpet and quauering on the cymbals and al musical instrumentes to sing vnto God and the sonnes of Idithun he made porters â And al the people returned into their house and Dauid to blesse also his house CHAP. XVII Dauid determining to build a Temple 11. is admonished by Nathan the prophet that not he but his sonne sbal build it and be established in the kingdom 16. Dauid extolleth Gods benignitie towards him and the people AND when Dauid dwelt in his house he sayd to Nathan the prophete Behold I dwel in a house of cedar and the Arke of the couenant of our Lord is vnder skinnes â And Nathan sayd to Dauid Al thinges that are in thy hart doe for God is with thee â Therfore that night the word of God came to Nathan saying â Goe and speake to Dauid my seruant Thus sayth our Lord Thou shalt not build me a house to dwel in â For neither haue I remayned in house from the time that I brought out Israel vntil this day but I haue bene alwaies changing places of tabernacle and in tent â abyding with al Israel Did I speake to one at the least of al the iudges of Israel whom I commanded to feede my people and did I say Why haue you not built me a house of cedar â Now therfore so shalt thou speake to my seruant Dauid Thus sayeth the Lord of hostes I tooke thee when in the pastâres thou didâst folow the flocke that thou shouldest be prince of my people Israel â And I haue beene with thee whither soeuer thou wentest and I haue slayne al thine enemies before thee and haue made thee a name as of one of the great ones that are renowmed in the earth â And I haue geuen a place to my people Israel it shal be planted and shal dwel therin and shal be moued no more neither shal the children of iniquitie consume them as from the beginning â since the dayes that I gaue Iudges to my people Israel and humbled al thine enimies I therfore tel thee that our Lord wil build thee a house â And when thou shalt haue accomplished thy daies to goe to thy fathers I wil rayse vp thy seede after thee which shal be of thy children and I wil establish his kingdom â He shal build me a house and I wil confirme his throne for euer â I wil be to him for a father and he shal be to me for a sonne and my mercie I wil not take from him as I tooke from him that was before thee â And I wil establish him in my house and in my kingdom for euer and his throne shal be most firme for euer â According to al these wordes and according to al this vision so spake Nathan to Dauid â And when king Dauid came and sate before our Lord he sayd Who am I Lord God and what is my house that thou shouldest geue me such thinges â But this also hath semed little in thy sight and therfore thou hast spoken concerning the house of thy seruant for time to come also and hast made me renowned aboue al men Lord God â What can Dauid adde farther wheras thou hast soe glorified thy seruant and knowen him â Lord for thy seruant according to thy hart thou hast done al this magnificence and would haue al thy great wonders to be knowen â Lord there is not the like to thee and there is none other beside thee of al whom we haue heard with our eares â For what other is there as thy people Israel one nation in the earth to the which God went to deliuer it and make it his people and with his greatenesse and terrours cast out the nations before the face of it which he deliuered out of Aegypt â And thou hast made thy people Israel to be thy people euer and thou Lord art made the God therof â Now therfore Lord the word which thou hast spoken to thy seruant and concerning his house be it confirmed for euer and do as thou hast spoken â And let thy name remayne and be magnified for euer and let it be sayd The Lord of hostes is God of Israel and the house of Dauid his seruant permanent before him â For thou Lord my God hast reueled the eare of thy seruant to build him a house and therfore thy seruant hath found confidence to pray before thee â Now therfore Lord thou art God and thou hast spoken to thy seruant so great benefittes â And thou hast begunne to blesse the house of thy seruant that it be alwaies before thee for thee ô Lord blessing it it shal be blessed for euer CHAP. XVIII King Dauid hath great victories making manie nations tributarie 15. his chiefe officeres are recounted AND it came to passe after these thinges that Dauid stroke the Philisthijms and humbled them and tooke away Geth and her daughters out of the hand of the Philisthijms â and stroke Moob and the Moabites were made Dauids seruantes offering him giftes â At that time Dauid stroke Adazezer also the king of Soba of the countrie of Hemath when he went on to dilate his empire as farre as the riuer Euphrates â Dauid therfore tooke a thousand chariotes of his seuen thousand horsmen twentie thousand footemen he hoghsinewed al the chariot horses sauing an hundred chariotes which he reserued to himself â And the Syrian also of Damascus came moreouer to giue ayde to Adarezer the king of Soba but Dauid stroke also of his two twentie thousand men â And he put souldiars in Damascus that Syria also should serue him bring giftes And our Lord holpe him in al thinges to the which he went â Dauid also tooke the golden quyuers which the seruantes of Adarezer had and he brought them into Ierusalem â Moreouer of The bath and Chun the cities of Adarezer verie much brasse of which Salomon made the brasen Sea and pillers and brasen vessels â Which when Tou the king of Hemath had heard to witte that Dauid had striken al the armie of Adarezer the king of Soba â he sent Adoram his soune to king Dauid to desire peace of him to congratulate him that he had striken and had ouerthrowen Adarezer
whosoeuer had geuen their hart to seeke our Lord the God of Israel came into Ierusalem to immolate their victims before our Lord the God of their fathers â And they strenghened the kingdom of Iuda and established Roboam the sonne of Salomon for three yeares for they walked in the waies of Dauid and Salomon onlie three yeares â And Roboam tooke to wife Mahalath the daughter of Ierimoth the sonne of Dauid Abiâail also the daughter of Eliab the sonne of Isai â who bare him sonnes Iehus and Somorias and Zoom â After this woman also he tooke Maacha the daughter of Absalom who bare him Abia and Ethai and Ziza and Salomith â And Roboam loued Maacha the daughter of Absalom aboue al his wiues and concubines for he had maried eightene wiues and threescore concubines and he begat eight and twentie sonnes and threescore daughters â But he appoynted for head Abias the sonne of Maacha duke ouer al his brethren for he meant to make him king â because he was wiser and mightier aboue al his sonnes and in al the costes of Iuda and of Beniamin and in al the walled cities and he gaue them much meate and he disired manie wiues CHAP. XII For the sinnes of Roboam and the people manie strong cities also Ierusalem are taken and spoyled by the king of Aegypt 8. They repent and the Aegyptians depart 9. but carie away the treasures 13. Roboam dieth and his sonne Abias reigneth AND when the kingdom of Roboam was strengthened and fortified he forsooke the law of our Lord and al Israel with him â And in the fifth yeare of the kingdom of Roboam came vp Sesac the king of Aegypt into Ierusalem because they had sinned to our Lord â with a thousand two hundred chariotes and threescore thousand horsemen neither was anie number of the common people that came with him out of Aegypt to witte Lybians and Troglodytes and Aethiopians â And he tooke the most fensed cities in Iuda and came ouer vnto Ierusalem â And Semeias the prophete went to Roboam and to the princes of Iuda that were gathered togetherin Ierusalem fleing from Sasac and he sayd to them Thus sayth our Lord You haue leaft me and I haue leaft you in the hand of Sesac â And the princes of Israel and the king being astonied sayd Our Lord is iust â And when our Lord had seene that they were humbled the word of our Lord came to Semeias saying Because they are humbled I wil not destroy them and I wil geue them a litle ayde and my furie shal not droppe vpon Ierusalem by the hand of Sesac â But yet they shal serue him that they may know the distance of my seruice and of the seruice of the kingdom of the earth â Therfore Sesac the king of Aepypt retyred from Ierusalem taking away the treasures of the house of our Lord and of the kinges house and he tooke al thinges with him and the golden shieldes that Salomon had made â for the which the king made brasen ones and deliuered them to the princes of the shieldbearers which kept the entrance of the palace â And when the king entred into the house of our Lord the shieldbearers came and tooke them brought them backe agayne to their armorie â But yet because they were humbled the wrath of our Lord was turned away from them neither were they vtterly destroyed for in Iuda there were found good workes â King Roboam therfore was strengthened in Ierusalem reigned one and fourtie yeares old was he when he beganne to reigne and he reigned seuentene yeares in Ierusalem the citie which our Lord chose to confirme his name there out of al the tribes of Israel and the name of his mother was Naama an Ammonite â And he did euil and prepared not his hart to seke our Lord. â But the workes of Roboam the first and the last are writen in the Bookes of Semeias the Prophete and of Addo the Seer and diligently expounded and Roboam and Ietoboam fought one agaynst the other al their daies â And Roboam slept with his fathers and was buried in the citie of Dauid And Abias his sonne reigned for him CHAP. XIII Abias maketh warre agaynst Ieroboam 4. exhorteth the people of Israel for iustice and religions sake to returne to him 13. In the meane time Ieroboam inuironeth him with forces but by Gods assistance Abias preuaileth 21. and reigneth securely IN the eightenth yeare of king Ieroboam reigned Abias ouer Iuda â Three yeares reigned he in Ierusalem and his mothers name was Michaia the daughter of Vriel of Gabaa there was warre betwen Abias and Ieroboam â And when Abias had begun battel and had most warlike men of chosen ones four hundreth thousand Ieroboam put his armie in aray on the contrarie side eight hundreth thousand men who them selues also were chosen men and most valiant to battels â Abias therfore stood vpon mount Semeron which was in Ephraim and sayd Heare Ieroboam and al Israel â Are you ignorant that our Lord the God of Israel gaue the kingdom to Dauid ouer Israel for euer to him and his children as a couenant of salt â And there rose vp Ieroboam the sonne of Nabat the seruant of Salomon the sonne of Dauid and rebelled agaynst his lord â And there were gathered to him al the most vayne men and the children of Belial and they preuayled agaynst Roboam the sonne of Salomon moreouer Roboam was rude and of a fearful hart and could not resist them â Now therfore you say that you are able to resist the kingdom of our Lord which he possesseth by the children of Dauid and you haue a great multitude of people and golden calues which Ieroboam hath made you for goddes â And you haue cast out the Priestes of of our Lord the children of Aaron and the Leuites and you haue made you priestes as al the peoples of the earth who soeuer shal come consecrate his hand in a bullock of oxen and in seuen rammes is made the priest of them that are not goddes â But our Lord is God whom we forsake not and the Priestes do minister to our Lord of the children of Aaron and the Leuites are in their order â Holocaustes also they do offer to our Lord euerie day morning and euening and incense made according to the preceptes of the law and the loaues are set forth on a most cleane table and there is with vs the golden condlesticke and the lampes therof that they may be lighted alwaies at euening for we keepe the preceptes of the Lord our God whom you haue forsaken â Therfore in our host God is the prince and his Priestes which sound with trumpettes and resound agaynst you children of Israel sight not agaynst our Lord the God of your fathers because it is not expedient for you â He speaking these thinges Ieroboam endeuoured to entrappe him behind And when he stood ouer agaynst the enemies
our Lord was accomplished â And Ezechias reioysed and al the people because the ministerie of our Lord was accomplished For it pleased them that the thing should be done of a soden CHAP. XXX Ezechias by messengers and letters exhorteth the people both of Iuda and Israel to make Paesch in Ierusalem 11. which some of Israel and al Iuda performe 18. the fourtenth day of the second moneth though al could not be purified according to the law 23. they make an other feast of Azimes seuen dayes more the king aend princes geuing hostes to the people EZECHIAS also sent to al Israel and Iuda and he wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasses that they should come to the house of our Lord in Ierusalem and should make a Phase to our Lord the God of Israel â Counsel therfore being taken of the king and the princes and of al the assemblie of Ierusalem they decreed to make the Phase the second moneth â For they could not make it in his time because the Priestes that might suffise had not bene sanctified and the people had not as yet bene gathered into Ierusalem â And the word pleased the king and al the multitude â And they decreed to send messengers into al Israel from Bersabee vnto dan that they should come and make the Phase to our Lord the God of Israel in Ierusalem for manie had not made it as is prescribed by the law â And the postes went forth with letters of commandement from the king and his princes into al Israel and Iuda according to that which the king had commanded proclaming Children of Israel returne ye to our Lord the God of Abraham and Isaac and Israel and he wil returne to the remnant that hath escaped the hand of the king of the Assyrians â Become not as your fathers and brethren which haue reuolted from our Lord the God of their fathers who hath deliuered them into destruction as your selues see â Harden not your neckes as your fathers geue handes to our Lord and come to his Sanctuarie which he hath sanctified for ouer serue our Lord the God of your fathers and the wrath of his furie shal be turned away from you â For if you shal returne to our Lord your brethren and children shal haue mercie before their Lordes that haue led them captiue and they shal returne into this land for our Lord your God is merciful and wil not turne away his face from you if you shal returne to him â Therfore the postes went forward spedely from citie to citie through the land of Ephraim and of Manasses as farre as Zabulon they mocking and skorning them â Neuerthelesse certayne men of Aser and Manasses and Zabulon condescending to the counsel came to Ierusalem â But the hand of God was in Iuda to geue them one hart to doe the word of our Lord according to the precept of the king and of the princes â And much people was gathered into Ierusalem to make the solemnitie of Azimes in the second moneth â And rising they destroyed the altars that were in Ierusalem and ouerthrowing al thinges wherin incense was burnt to idols they threw it into the Torrent cedron â And they immolated the Phase the fourtenth day of the second moneth The Priestes also and the Leuites at length being sanctified offered holocaustes in the house of our Lord. And they stoode in their order according to the disposition law of Moyses the man of God but the Priestes receiued the bloud to be powred out of the handes of the Leuites â because a great multitude Was not sanctified therfore the Leuites immolated the Phase for them that came not in time to be sanctified to our Lord. â For a great part of the people of Ephraim and Manasses and Issachar and Zabulon that had not bene sanctified did eate the Phase not according to that which is writen and Ezechias prayed for them saying Our good Lord wil be merciful â to al them that in al their hart secke our Lord the God of their fathers and wil not impute it to them that they are not sanctified â Whom our Lord heard and was pacified to the people â And the children of Israel that were found in Ierusalem made the solemnitie of Azimes seuen daies in great ioy praysing our Lord euerie day The Leuites also and the Priestes by instrumentes that agreed to their office â And Ezechias spake to the hart of al the Leuites that had good vnderstanding concerning our Lord and they did eate during the seuen daies of the solemnitie immolating victimes of pacifiques and praysing our Lord the God of their fathers â And it pleased the whole multitude to celebrate it other seuen daies which also they did with great ioy â For Ezechias the king of Iuda had geuen the multitude a thousand oxen and seuen thousand sheepe but the princes had geuen the people oxen a thousand sheepe ten thousand there was sanctified therfore a verie great multitude of Priestes â And al the multitude of Iuda was ful of mirth as wel of the Priestes and Leuites as of al the assemblie that came out of Israel of the proselites also of the land of Israel and them that dwelt in Iuda â And there was made a great solemnitie in Ierusalem such as had not bene in that citie from the dayes of Salomon the sonne of Dauid the king of Israel â And the Priestes the Leuites rose vp blessing the people their voice was heard and their prayer came into the holie habitation of heauen CHAP. XXXI Idoles being destroyed in al Iuda and part of Israel Priestes and Leuites freely execute their functions 4 Tithes and first fruictes are payed in such abundance 15. that they are put in store houses and distributed by officers AND when these thinges had bene ritely celebrated al Israel that was found in the cities of Iuda went forth and they brake the idols and cut downe the groucs ouerthrew the excelses and destroyed the altars not onlie out of al Iuda and Beniamin but out of Ephraim also and Manasses til they vtterly destroyed them and al the children of Israel returned into their possessions and cities â And Ezechias appoynted companies of Priestes and of Leuites by their diuisions euerie man in his owne office to witte as wel of the Priestes as of the Leuites for the holocaustes and pacifiques that they should minister and confesse and sing in the gates of the campe of our Lord. â And the kinges part was that of his proper substance holocaust should be offered morning alwaies and euening in the Sabbathes also and the Calendes and in other solennites as it is writen in the law of Moyses â He commanded also the people that dwelt in Ierusaiem to geue portions to the Priestes and the Leuites that they might attend the law of our Lord. â Which when it was noysed in the eares of the multitude the children of Israel offered very manie
first fruites of corne of wine and of oyle of honie also and of al thinges which the ground bringeth forth they offered tithes â Yea and the children of Israel and Iuda that dwelt in the cities of Iuda offered tithes of oxen and sheepe and tithes of sanctified thinges which they had vowed to our Lord their God and carying them al made manie heapes â The third moneth they began to lay the fundations of the heapes and in the seuenth moneth they finished them â And when Ezechias and his princes came in they saw the heapes and blessed our Lord and the people of Israel â And Ezechias asked the Priestes and the Leuites why the heapes lay so â Azarias the high Priest of the stocke of Sadoc answered him saying Since first fruites began to be offered in the house of our Lord we haue eaten and haue bene ful and very much hath remayned because our Lord hath blessed his people and of the remaynes this is the abundance which thou seest â Fzechias therfore commanded that storehouses should be prepared in the house of our Lord. Which when they had done â they brought in as wel the first fruites as the tithes and watsoeuer they had vowed faythfully And the ouerseer of them was Chonenias a Leuite and Semeihis brother the second â after whom Iahiel and Azarias and Nahath and Asael and Ierimoth Iosabad also and Eliel and Iesmachias and Mahath and Banaias ouerseers vnder the hand of Chonenias and Semei his brother by the commandment of Ezechias the king and Azarias the high Priest of the house of God to whom al thinges apperteyned â But Core the sonne of Iemna a Leuite and porter of the east gate was ouerseer of those thinges which were voluntarily offered to our Lord and of the first fruites and the thinges consecrated for Sancta sanctorum â And vnder his charge Eden and Beniamin Iesue and Semeias Amarias also and Sechenias in the cities of the Priestes that they should faithfully distribute to their brethren portions to the lesser and greater â sauing the men children from three yeares and aboue to al that entered into the temple of our Lord and whatsoeuer day by day was profitable in the ministerie and the obseruances according to their diuisions â to the Priestes by families and to the Leuites from the twentith yeare and vpward by the orders and companies â and to al the multitude as wel their wiues as their children of both sex meaâes were geuen faithfully of these thinges that had bene sanctified â Yea and of the children of Aaron by the fildes and the suburbes of euerie citie there were men ordayned that should distribute portions to al the male sexe of the Priestes and the Leuites â Ezechias therfore did al thinges which we haue sayd in al Iuda and wrought good and right and truth before our Lord his God â in al the seruice of the ministerie of the house of our Lord according to the law and the ceremonies willing to seeke his God in al his hart and he did it and prospered CHAP. XXXII Sennacherib king of Assyria inuading Iuda king Ezechias encorageth the people and prouideth to defend the countrie 9. the Assyrians threaten the people and blaspheme God 20. Ezechias and Isaias pray 21. An Angel destroyeth the Assyrians armie so their king retiring home is slayne in his idols temple by his owne sonnes 22. Ezechias reigneth in peace 24. falleth into deadlie sicknes but miraculously recouereth offendeth in pryde and repenteth 27. is exceding rich which he imprudently sheweth to strangers 32. dieth and Manasses succedeth AFTER which thinges and this maner of truth came Sennacherib the king of the Assyrians and entering into Iuda besieged the fensed cities desirous to take them â Which when Ezechias had sene to witte that Sennacherib was come and the whole force of the battel to be turned agaynst Ierusalem â taking counsel with the princes and the most valiant men to stoppe vp the heades of the fountaynes that were without the citie and the sentence of them al decreing this â he gathered a very great multitude they stopped vp al the fountaynes and the riuer that ranne in the middes of the land saying Lest the kinges of the Assyrians come and finde abundance of waters â He built also doing industriously euerie wall that had bene destroyed and built towers vpon them and an other wall without and he repayred Mello in the citie of Dauid and made armour and shildes of al sortes â And he appointed princes of warryers in the armie and he called them al together in the streate of the gate of the citie and spake to their hart saying â Doe manfully and take courage feare not neither dread ye the king of the Assyrians and al the multitude that is with him for there are manie moe with vs then with him â For with him is an arme of flesh with vs the Lord our God which is our helper and fighteth for vs. And the people was encouraged with these maner of wordes of Ezechias the king of Iuda â Which thinges after they were done Sennacherib the king of the Assyrians sent his seruantes to Ierusalem for himself with al his armie beseiged Lachis to Ezechias the king of Iuda to al the people that was in the citie saying â Thus sayth Sennacherib the king of the Assyrians In whom hauing affiance doe you sitte besieged in Ierusalem â Hath Ezechias deceiued you to deliuer you to death in hunger and thirst affirming that the Lord your God can deliuer you from the hand of the king of the Assyrians â Why is not this Ezechias that hath destroyed his excelses and altars and hath commanded Iuda Ierusalem saying Before one altar you shal adore and on it you shal burne incense â Are you ignorant what thinges I haue done and my fathers to al the peoples of the landes haue the goddes of nations and of al landes bene able to deliuer their countrie out of my hand â Who is there of al the goddes of the nations which my fathers wasted that could deliuer his people out of my hand that your God also can deliuer you out of this hand â Let not therfore Ezechias deceiue you nor delude you with vayne persuasion neither beleue ye him For if no god oâ al nations and kingdomes could deliuer his people out of my hand and out of the hand of my fathers consequently neither shal your God be able to deliuer you out of my hand â Yea and manie other thinges did his seruantes speake agaynst our Lord God and agaynst Ezechias his seruant â Letters also he wrote ful of blasphemie against our Lord the God of Israel and he spake agaynst him as the goddes of their nations could not deliuer their people out of my hand so the God also of Ezechias can not deliuer his people out of this hand â Moreouer also with a lowd crie in the Iewes tongue he sounded against the people
therfore tooke away al abominations of al the countries of the children of Israel and made al that were left in Israel to serue our Lord their God Al his daies they reuolted not from our Lord the God of their fathers CHAP. XXXV Iosias celebrateth a most Solemne Pasch 20. Is slaine by the king of Aegypt al Iudalamenting him 25. most specially Ieremias AND Iosias made in Ierusalem a Phase to our Lord which was immolated the fourtenth day of the first moneth â And he appoynted the Priestes in their offices and exhorted them that they would minister in the house of our Lord. â To the Leuites also at whose instruction al Israel was sanctified to our Lord he spake Put the Arke in the Sanctuarie of the temple which Salomon built the sonne of Dauid the king of Israel for you shal carie it no more but now minister to our Lord your God and to his people Israel â And prepare your selues by your houses and kinredes in the diuisions of euerie one as Dauid the king of Israel commanded and Salomon his sonne described â And minister ye in the Sanctuarie by families and Leuitical companies â and being sanctified immolate the Phase prepare also your brethren that they may doe according to the wordes which our Lord spake in the hand of Moyses â Moreouer Iosias gaue to al the people that was found there in the solemnitie of the Phase lambes and kiddes of the flockes and of the rest of the cattel thirtie thousand of oxen also three thousand al these thinges of the kinges substance â His dukes also voluntarily offered that which they vowed as wel to the people as to the Priestes and the Leuites Moreouer Helcias and Zacharias and Iahiel princes of the house of our Lord gaue to the Priestes to make the Phase cattel one with an other two thousand six hundred and oxen three hundred â And Chonenias and Semeias also Nathanael his brethren moreouer Hasabias and Iehiel and Iozabad princes of the Leuites gaue to the rest of the Leuites to celebrate the Phase fiue thousand sheepe and oxen fiue hundred â And the ministerie was prepared and the Priestes stood in their office the Leuites also in companies according to the kinges commandement â And the Phase was immolated and Priestes sprinkled the blood with their hand and the Leuites drew of the skinnes of the holocaustes â and they seperated them to geue them by the houses and families of euerie one and to be offered to our Lord as it is writen in the Booke of Moyses of oxen also they did in like maner â And they rosted the Phase vpon fyre according to that which is writen in the law but the pacifique hostes they bâvled in caudrons and kettles and pottes and in hast they distributed it to al the people â And for themselues and for the Priestes they prepared afterward for in oblation of holocaustes and of fatte the Priestes were occupied vntil night wherfore the Leuites prepared for themselues and for the Priestes the children of Aaron last â Moreouer the singing men the children of Asaph stood in their order according to the precept of Dauid and Asaph and Heman and Idithun the prophetes of the king and the porters watched at euerie gate so that they departed not a moment from the ministerie for the which cause also their brethren the Leuites prepared meates for them â Therfore al the seruice of our Lord was ritely accomplished that day so that they made the Phase and offered holocaustes vpon the altar of our Lord according to the precept of king Iosias â And the children of Israel that were found there made the Phase at that time and the solemnitie of Azymes seuen daies â There was not a Phase like to this in Israel from the daies of Samuel the prophete neither did anie of al the kinges of Israel make a Phase as Iosias to the Priestes and the Leuites and to al Iuda and Israel that was found and to the inhabitantes of Ierusalem â In the eightenth yeare of the kingdom of Iosias was this Phase celebrated â After that Iosias had repayred the temple came vp Nechao the king of Aegypt to fight in Charcamis beside Euphrates and Iosias went forth to meete him â But he sending messengers vnto him sayd What haue I to doe with thee king of Iuda I come not agaynst thee this day but I fight agaynst an other house to the which God hath commanded me to goe in hast leaue to doe agaynst God who is with me lest he kil thee â Iosias would not returne but prepared battel agaynst him neither did he agree to the wordes of Nechao from the mouth of God but went forward to fight in the fielde of Mageddo â And there being wounded of the Archers he sayd to his seruantes Carie me out of the battel because I am sore wounded â Who remoued him from one chariote into an other chariote that folowed him after the maner of kinges and they caried him away into Ierusalem he died and was buried in the monument of his fathers and al Iuda and Ierusalem mourned for him â Ieremie most of al whose lamentations al the singing men and singing wemen repeate vntil this present day vpon Iosias and it is growen as it were a law in Israel Behold it is sayd to be writen in the lamentations â But the rest of the wordes des of Iosias of his mercies which are commanded by the law of our Lord â his workes also the first and the last are writen in the Booke of the kinges of Iuda and Israel CHAP. XXXVI Ioachaz reigneth three monethes 4. His brother Eliakim named loakim eleuen yeares 9. his sonne Ioachin three monethes 11. his vncle Sedecias eleuen yeares 14. Most Priestes and people contemning the admonitions of Prophetes 17. manie are slaine by the Chaldees the Temple and Ierusalem spo led and burnt 20. The sayd kinges successiuely and people are caryed captiue into Babylon 22. After seuentie yeares Cyrus king of Persia releaseth the captiuitie and geueth leaue to reedifie the Temple THE people therfore of the land tooke Ioachaz the sonne of Iosias and made him king for his father in Ierusalem â Taree and twentie yeares old was Ioachaz when he began to reigne and he reigned three monethes in Ierusalem â And the king of Aegypt when he came into Ierusalem deposed him and condemned the land in an hundred talentes of siluer and a talent of gold â And he made Eliakim his brother king for him ouer Iuda and Ierusalem and he turned his name Ioakim but he tooke Ioachaz himself with him and caried him away into Aegypt â Fiue and twentie yeares old was Ioakim when he began to reigne and he reigned eleuen yeares in Ierusalem and he did euil before our Lord his God â Agaynst him came vp Nabuchodonosor the king of the Chaldees and brought him bound in chaynes into Babylon â Whither he transported also the vessels of
our Lord and put them in his temple â But the rest of the wordes of Ioakim and of his abominations which he wrought and the thinges that were found in him are contayned in the Booke of the kinges of Iuda and Israel And Ioachin his sonne reigned for him â Eight yeares old was Ioachin when he began to reigne and he reigned three monethes and ten dayes in Ierusalem and he did euil in the sight of our Lord. â And when the compasse of a yeare was come about Nabuchodonosor the king sent some that brought him in to Babylon the most precious vessels of the house of our Lord being caried away withal But he made Sedecias his vncle king ouer Iuda and Ierusalem â One twentie yeares old was Sedecias when he began to reigne he reigned eleuen yeares in Ierusalem â And he did euil in the eies of our Lord his God neither did he reuerence the face of Ieremie the prophet speaking to him from the mouth of our Lord â He reuolted also from king Nabuchodonosor who had adiured him by God he hardened his necke his hart that he would not returne to our Lord the God of Israel â Yea al the chiefe of the Priestes and the people transgresled vnlawfully according to al the abominations of the Gentiles and they polluted the house of our Lord which he had sanctified to him in Ierusalem â And our Lord the God of their fathers sent to them by the hand of his messengers rysing by night and daily admonishing them for that he spared his people and his habitation â But they mocked the messengers of God and litle estemed his wordes and scorned the prophetes vntil the furie of our Lord ascended vpon his people and there was no amendment â For he brought vpon them the king of the Chaldees and slewe their yong men with the sword in the house of his sanctuarie he pitied not yong man and virgin and old man no neither him that stouped for age but he deliuered al into his handes â And al the vessels of the house of our Lord as wel greater as lesser and the treasures of the temple and of the king and the princes he transported into Babylon â The enemies set fyre on the house of God and destroyed the wal of Ierusalem al the towres they burnt and what soeuer was pretious they destroyed â If anie man escaped the sword being led into Babylon he serued the king and his sonnes til the king of the Persians reigned â That the word of our Lord by the mouth of Ieremie might be accomplished and the land might celebrate their Sabbathes for al the daies of the desolation she kept a Sabbath til the seuentie yeares were expyred â But in the first yeare of Cyrus king of Persians to fulfil the word of our Lord which he had spoken by the mouth of Ieremie our Lord raysed vp the spirit of Cyrus king of the Persians who commanded to be proclaymed in al his kingdom yea by writing saying â Thus sayth Cyrus king of the Persians Al kingdomes of the earth hath the Lord the God of heauen geuen me and he hath commanded me that I should build him a house in Ierusalem which is in Iewrie who of you is there in al his people The Lord his God be with him and let him goe vp THE CONTINVANCE OF THE CHVRCH AND RELIGION IN THE FIFTH AGE From the fundation of the Temple to the captiuitie in Babylon The space of 430. yeares ALBEIT there were greater Schismes Heresies and more reuoltes from Gods law and seruice in this fifth age then in the former Yet the true Church and Religion continued stil and were no lesse conspicuous then before VVhich being clere and euident touching manie principal Articles we wil here only remitte the reader to some special places for confirmation therof neither wil we be prolixe in declaring other pointes denied or called into controuersie at this time by the impugners of Catholique Religion Beleefe in one God appeareth plainly in building adorning dedicating the Temple with so great solemnitie of the Priestes Leuites and al the Tribes and particularly by king Salomons prayer 3. Reg. 7. 8. 2. Paral. 2. c. Also Prouerb 8. Eccle. 12. Isaie 41. 44. 45. The Mysterie of the B. Trinitie Prouer. 12. Isaiae 6. 48. 49. Ose 11. Ioel. 2. Of Christ our Redemer Isaie 7. 8. 9. 11. 28. 53. Ierem. 23. 30. 33. Ezech. 17. 34. 37. Dan. 7. 9. Osee 6. 11. 14. Ioel. 2. Sophon 2. Aggoei 2. Zachar. 2. c. Sacrifices Sacramentes other Rites the same as before But more frequent Prophecies that they should be changed into better and perfecter by Christ Prou. 9. Isai 12. 52. 55. 61. In the meane time for more signification of the singular vertue of Christs Sacramentes the effect of penitential workes is often recorded For example wicked Achab by hairecloth fasting and other humiliation escaped part of his deserued punishment 3. Reg. 21. Manasses recouered Gods fauoure and his temporal kingdom 2. Par. 33. VVho yet was punished in his posteritie 4. Reg. 23. And the Niniuites by such penance auoided destruction Ione 3. Yea nothing is more frequent in the Prophetes then preaching of penance Isa 1. 2. 3. 30. Iere. 3. 18. c. and others al ascribing the cause of plagues and afflictions to the want of repentance And false Prophetes condemned of errour and false doctrine for promising the people peace and securitie in their sinnes Ierem. 14. Lamen 2. Besides abstinence from diuers sortes of meates counted vncleane Isaiae 66. and ordinarie fastes according to the law other fastes were appointed sometimes vpon occasions requiring not only to subdue and mortifie the flesh but also to obtaine mercie at Gods handes in special distresses 2. Par. 20. Ioel. 1. 2. Ione 3. Elias fasting fourtie dayes 3. Reg. 19. prefigured Christs fast VVhich the Church imitateth in Lent of fourtie daies according to humane habilitie for the fastes of Christ Elias and Moyses were miraculous To the Feastes instituted before was added the Dedication of the Temple 3. Reg. 7. 2 Par. 3. Which was built in Mount Moria 2. Par. 3. the special place designed long before for this purpose when Abraham was directed thither by God was there readie to sacrifice his sonne Isaac Gen. 22. where Dauid also offered sacrifice 2. Reg. 24. 1. Par. 21. This being the onlie ordinarie place for Sacrifice there were for other vses of daylie prayer reading preaching and hearing the word of God other Synagogues built as it were Parish churches in great number in Ierusalem it self foure hundred and foure score and manie more in the whole kingdom as the Hebrew Traditions testifie Of al which places especially of the Temple there was venerable respect had For which cause when Ioiada the High Priest gaue order to kil Athalia he suffered it not to be donne in
punishing oftenders in that behalfe 3. Reg. 15. 4. Reg. 18. 23. they did the same without preiudice of the High Priestes supremâcie in spirituall causes and their godlie actes make nothing for the English Paradox of Laiheadshippe For superior authoritie and ordinarie povvre is not proued by factes good or euil but rather by Gods ordinance and institution For as the factes of vsurpers make no lawfull prescription so neither the factes of good men do change Gods general ordinance and law But are done either by waie of execution or sometimes by dispensation Often also by commission and special inspiration of God As king Dauid by dispensation did eate the holie bread which was ordained for Priests onlie 1. Reg 21. He disposed of Priestes and Leuites offices about the Arke of God Par. 15. 19. by way of execution according to the law And of the like offices in the Temple when it should be built 1. Par. 23. 24. 25. 26. by diuine inspiration And Salomon by commission from God deposed Abiathar the High Priest from his office and put Sadoc in his place 3. Reg. 2. VVherefore albeit good kinges did excellentlie well in calling together the Priestes and disposing them in their offices for execution of Gods seruice yea in commanding what they should do 4. Reg. 18. 19. 22. and in punishing Priestes 4. Reg. 23. yet they did such thinges as Gods Commissioners not as ordinarie Superiors in spiritual causes and still the ordinarie subordination made by the law Deut. 17. Num. 27. stood firme and inuiolable the High Priest supreme Iudge of all doubtes in faith causes and quarels in religion when other subordinate inferior Iudges varied in their iudgmentes Of which offices Malachias the Propher cap. 2. admonished Priestes in his time that whereas they were negligent not performing their dutie their sinne was the greater for that their authoritie stil remained and the perpetual Rule of the lavv that the lippes of the Priest shal kepe knowlege and they other men generally shal require the law of his mouth because he is the Angel of the Lord of hostes And al Princes others were to receiue the law at the priestes haÌd of the Leuitical Tribe This vvas the vvarrant of stabilitie in truth of the Synagogue in the old Testament Much more the Church and Spouse of Christ vvhose excellencie and singular priuileges Salomon describeth in his canticle of canticles hath such vvarrant Of this spouse al the Prophets write that more plaânlie then of Christ himselfe forseing more aduersaries bending their forces against her as S. Augustine obserueth then against Christ her head And the same holie father in manie places teacheth that she neither perisheth nor loseth her beutie for the mixture of euil members in respect of whom she is blacke but fayre in respect of the good Cantiâ 1. Notwithstanding therfore sinners remaining within the Church schismatikes and heretickes breaking from the Church stil she remaineth the pillar and firmament of truth the virgin daughter of Sion THE ARGVMENT OF THE BOOKES OF ESDRAS ESDRAS a holie Priest and Scribe of the stocke of Aaron by the line of Eleazar vvriteth the historie of Gods people in and presently after their captiuitie in Babilon vvhich Nehemias an other godlie Priest prosecuteth vvhose booke is also called the second of Esdras because in the Hebrevv and Greke they are but one booke relating the acts of them both The other two books called the third and fourth of Esdras touching the same matter are not in the Hebrew nor receiued into the Canon of holie Scripture though the Greke Church hold the third booke as Canonicall and plaâeth it first because it conteyneth thinges donne before the other In the two here folowing vvhich are vndoubtedly holie Scripture S. Ierom sayth that Esdras and Nehemias to witte the Helper and Comforter from God restored the Temple and built the walles of the citie adding that al the troope of the people returning into their countrie also the description of Priestes Leuites Israelites Proselites and the workes of walles and to wres diuided by seueral families aliud in cortice praeferunt aliud in medulla retinent shew one thing in the barke kepe an other thing in the marrow signifying that this historie hath both a literal and a mystical sense According to the letter this first booke shevveth the reduction of Gods people from Babylon In the first six chapters In the other soure their instruction by Esdras after their returne THE FIRST BOOKE OF ESDRAS CHAP. I. Cyrus king of Persia moued by divine inspiration releaseth Gods people from captiuitie with license to returne and build the Temple in Ierusalem 7. restoring the holie vessel which Nabuchodonesor had taken from thence IN THE first yeare of Cyrus king of the Persians that the word of our Lord by the mouth of Ieremie might be accomplishd our Lord raysed vp the spirit of Cyrus king of Persians and he made proclamation in al his kingdom yea by wryting saying â Thus sayth Cyrus king of the Persians Al the kingdomes of the earth hath the Lord the God of heauen geuen me he hath commanded me that I should build him a house in Ierusalem which is in Iewrie â Who is there among you of al his people His God be with him Let him goe vp into Ierusalem which is in Iewrie and build the house of the Lord the God of Israel he is the God that is in Ierusalem â And let al the rest in al places whersoeuer they dwel let euery man of his place helpe him with siluer and gold and substance and cattel besides that which they offer voluntarily to the temple of God which is in Ierusalem â And there rose vp the princes of the fathers of Iuda and Beniamin the Priestes and Leuites and euerie one whose spirit God raysed vp to goe vp to build the temple of our Lord which was in Ierusalem â And al that were round about did helpe their handes in vessels of siluer and of gold in substance and beastes in furniture besides those thinges which they had offered voluntarily â King Cyrus also brought forth the vessels of the temple of our Lord which Nabuchodonosor had taken of Ierusalem and had put them in the temple of his God â But Cyrus the king of Persians brought them forth by the hand of Mithridates the sonne of Gazabar numbred them to Sassabasar the prince of Iuda â And this is the number of them Phials of gold thirtie phials of siluer a thousand kniues twentie nine goblettes of gold thirtie â goblettes of siluer of the second order foure hundred tenne other vessels a thousand â Al the vessels of gold and siluer fiue thousand foure hundred Sassabasar tooke al with them that went vp from the transmigration of Babylon into Ierusalem CHAP. II. The names and number of special men which returned vnder the conduct of Zorobabel into lerusalem 66.
of God calues an hundred rammes two hundred lambes foure hundred buckgoates for the sinne of al Israel twelue according to the number of the tribes of Israel â And they set the Priestes in theyr orders and the Leuites in theyr courses ouer the workes of God in Ierusalem as it is writen in the booke of Moyses â And the children of Israel of the transmigration made the Phase the fourtenth day of the first moneth â For al the Priestes and the Leuites were purified as it were one man al cleane to immolate the Phase for al the children of the transmigration and for theyr brethren the Priestes and them selues â And the children of Israel that were returned from the transmigration did eate and al that had separated them selues from the coinquination of the Gentiles of the earth vnto them to seeke our Lord the God of Israel â And they made the solemnitie of Azymes seuen dayes in ioy because our Lord had made them ioyful and had turned the hart of the king of Assur to them that he should helpe theyr handes in the worke of the house of our Lord the God of Israel CHAP. VII Esdras with manie other Priestes and Leuites ascendeth to âerusalem to teach and assist the people 11. bringing Artaxerxes Edict declareth it to the people 27. and geueth thankes to God AND after these thinges in the reigne of Artaxerxes king of Persians Esdras the sonne of Saraias the sonne of Azarias the sonne of Helcias â the sonne of Sellum the sonne of Sadoc the sonne of Achitob â the sonne of Amarias the sonne of Azarias the sonne of Maraioth â the sonne of Zarahias the sonne of Ozi the sonne of Bocci â the sonne of Abisue the sonne of Phinees the sonne of Eleazar the sonne of Aaron the Priest from the begynning â The same Esdras came vp from Babylon and he was a quicke scribe in the law of Moyses which our Lord God gaue to Israel and the king gaue him according to the hand of our Lord his God vpon him al his petition â And there came vp of the children of Israel and of the children of the Priestes and of the children of the Leuites and of the singing men and of the porters and of the Nathineites into Ierusalem in the seuenth yeare of Artaxerxes the king â And they came into Ierusalem the fifth moneth that is the seuenth yeare of the king â For in the first day of the first moneth he began to goe vp from Babylon and in the first day of the fifth moneth he came into Ierusalem according to the good hand of his God vpon him â For Esdras prepared his hart to search the law of our Lord and to doe and to teach in Israel preceptes and iudgement â And this is the copie of the epistle of the edict which king Artaxerxes gaue to Esdras the Priest the learned scribe in the wordes and preceptes of our Lord and his ceremonies in Israel â Artaxerxes the king of kings to Esdras the Priest the most learned scribe of the law of God of heaueÌ greeting â It is decreed by me that whoÌsoeuer it shal please in my kingdom of the people of Israel and of the Priestes and Leuites to goe into IerusaleÌ let him goe with thee â For thou art sent from the face of the king and of his seuen counselers that thou mayst visite Iewrie and Ierusalem in the law of thy God which is in thy hand â And that thou maist carie the siluer gold which the king his counselers haue voluntarily offered to the God of Israel whose tabernacle is in Ierusalem â And al the siluer and gold whatsoeuer thou shalt finde in al the prouince of Babylon and the people wil offer and of the Priestes that shal voluntarely offer to the house of theyr God which is in Ierusalem â take freely and bye diligently of this money calues rammes lambes and the sacrifices and libamentes of them and offer them vpon the altar of the temple of your God that is in Ierusalem â Yea and if it shal please thee and thy brethren to doe any thing with the rest of the siluer and gold doe ye according to the wil of your God â The vâââels also which are geuen thee for the ministerie of the house of thy God deliuer thou in the sight of God in Ierusalem â Yea and other thinges wherof neede shal be for the house of thy God how much soeuer is necessarie for thee to spend thou shalt geue it out of the treasure and excheker of the king and from me â I Artaxerxes the king haue appointed and decreed to al the keepers of the common coffer that are beyond the Riuer that whatsoeuer Esdras the Priest the scribe of the law of God of heauen shal aske of you you geue it without delay â vnto an hundred talentes of siluer and vnto an hundred cores of wheat and vnto an hundred bates of wyne and vnto an hundred bates of oyle but salt without measure â Al that pertayneth to the rite of the God of heauen let it be geuen diligently in the house of the God of heauen lest perhaps he be angrie agaynst the kingdom of the king and of his sonnes â We doe you also to vnderstand concerning al the Priestes and Leuites and the singers and the porters the Nathineites and ministers of the house of this God that you haue no authoritie to put tolle and âribute and yearlie rentes vpon them â And thou Esdras according to the wisedom of thy God which is in thy hand appoyât iuâges and presidentes that they may iudge for al the people that is beyond the Riuer that is for them which know the law of thy God yea and the ignorant teach ye frely â And euerie one that shal not doe the law of thy God and the law of thy king diligently there shal be iudgement of him either vnto death or into banishment or to the confiscation of his substance or at the least into prison â Blessed be our Lord the God of our fathers which hath put this in the kinges hart that he would glorifie the house of our Lord which is in Ierusalem â and hath inclined his mercie toward me before the king and his counselers and al the mightie princes of the king and Itaking courage by the hand of our Lord my God which was on me gathered together out of Israel princes that should goe vp with me CHAP. VIII Esdras reciteth those that came with him from Babylon 21. the fast which âe appointed 33. and how they brought the holie vessel into the Temple THESE therfore are the princes of the families and the genealogie of them that came vp with me in the reigne of Artaxerxes the king out of Babylon â Of the children of Phinees Gersom Of the children of Ithamar Daniel Of the children of Dauid Hattus â Of the children of Sechenias the children of Pharos Zacharias and with him were
as also at this day â And now as it were a litle and for a moment was our prayer made before the Lord our God that a remnant might be left vs and a nayle might be geuen vs in his holie place and that our God would illuminate our eies and would geue vs a litle life in our bondage â Because we are bondmen and in our bondage our God âid not forsake vs he inclined mercie vpon vs before the king of the Persians to geue vs life and to aduance the house of our God and to build the desolations therof and to geue vs a hedge in Iuda and Ierusalem â And now what shal we fay ô our God after these thinges because we haue forsaken thy coÌmandmeÌts â which thou hast coÌmanded in the hand of thy seruantes the prophetes saying The land to the which you enter to possesse it is an vncleane land according to the vncleannesse of peoples and of other landes by the abhominations of them that haue filled it from mouth vnto mouth in theier coinquination â Now therfore geue not your daughters to their sonnes and their daughters take not for your sonnes and doe ye not seeke their peace and their prosperity for euer that you may be strengthned and may eate the goodes that are of the land and may haue your children heyres for euer â And after al thinges that come vpon vs in our most wicked workes and our most great sinne because thou our God hast deliuered vs from our iniquitie and hast geuen vs health as it is at this day ãâã â that we shal not turne away and make frustrate thy commandementes neither should ioyne matrimonies with the peoples of these abominations Why art thou angrie with vs vnto vtter destruction not to leaue vs a remnant vnto saluation â Lord God of Israel thou artiust because we are leift which should be saued as at this day Behold we are before thee in our sinne for there can be no standing before thee vpon this CHAP. X Esdras calling the people together commandeth them to dismisse the strange Wemen which they haue married 14 appointing officers to see it executed 18 and reciteth those Which had married such wemen ESDRAS therfore thus praying and beseeching and weeping and lying before the temple of God there was gathered to him of Israel an exceeding great companie of men and wemen and children and the people wept with much lamentation â And Sechenias the sonne of Iehiel of the children of Aelam answered and said to Esdras We haue transgressed against our God and haue taken to wiues strange wemen of the peoples of the land and now if there be penance in Israel vpon this â let vs make a couenant with the Lord our God to put away al the wiues and them that are borne of them according to the wil of our Lord and of them that feare the precept of the Lord our God be it done according to the law â Arise it is thy part to discerne and we wil be with thee take courage and doe it â Esdras therefore rose vp and adiured the Princes of the Priestes and of the Leuites and al Israel that they should doe according to this word and they sware â And Esdras rose vp before the house of God and went to the chamber of Iohanan the sonne of Eliasib and entered into it he did eate no bread and dranke no water for he mourned for the transgression of them that were come out of the captiuitie â And there was a proclamation sent in Iuda and Ierusalem to al the children of the transmigration that they should assemble together into Ierusalem â And euerie one that shal not come within three dayes according to the counsel of the princes and ancientes al his substance shal be taken away and him selfe shal be cast out of the companie of the transmigration â There assembled therfore al the men of Iuda and Beniamin into Ierufalem within three dayes that is the ninth moneth the twenteth day of the moneth and al the people sate in the streate of the house of God trembling for the sinne and the rayne â And Esdas the Priest arose and sayd to them You haue transgressed and taken strange wemen to wife to adde vpon the sinne of Israel â And now geue confession to our Lord the God of your fathers and doe his pleasure and be separated from the peoples of the land and from your wiues the strangers â And al the multitude answered and sayd with a lowde voyce According to thy word vnto vs so be it done â Neuerthelesse because there is much people and a tyme of rayne and we can not abyde to stand without and it is not a worke of one day or two for we haue excedingly sinned in this thing â let there be princes appoynted in al the multitude and let al in our cities that haue taken strangers to wife come at sette tymes and with them the ancientes by citie and citie and the iudges therof vntil the wrath of our God be turned away from vs for this sinne â Therfore Ionathan the sonne of Azahel and Iaazia the sonne of Thecua were appoynted ouer this and Mesollam and Sebethai Leuites did helpe them â and the children of the transmigration did so And Esdras the Priest and the men princes of the families went into the houses of theyr fathers and al by theyr names and they sate in the first day of the tenth moneth to search out the matter â And al the men were fully counted that had taken strangers to wife vnto the first day of the first mos neth â And there were found of the sonnes of the Priestes that had taken strangers to wife Of the children of Iosue the sonne of Iosedec and his brethren Maasia and Eliezer and Iarib and Godolia â And they gaue theyr handes to put away theyr wiues and to offer for theyr offence a ramme of the flocke â And of the children of Emmer Hanani and Zebedia â And of the children of Harim Maasia and Elia and Semeia and Iehiel and Ozias â And of the children of Pheshur Elionai Maasia Ismael Nathanael Iozabed and Elasa â And of the children of the Leuites Iozabed and Semei and Celaia the same is Calita Phataia Iuda and Eliezer â And of the singing men Eliasib and of the porters Sellum and Thelem and Vri. â And of Israel of the children of Pharos Remeia and Iezia and Melchia and Miamin and Eliezer and Melchia and Banea â And of the children of Aelam Mathania Zacharias and Iehiel and Abdi and Ierimoth and Elia. â And of the children of Zethua Elioenai Eliasib Mathania Ierimuth and Zabad and Aziza â And of the children of Bebai Iohanan Hanamia Zabbai Athalai â And of the children of Bani Mosollam and Melluch and Adaia Iasub and Saal and Ramoth â And of the children of Phahath Moab Edna and Chalal Bananias and Maasias Mathanias Beseleel Bennui and Manasse â And of
TOBIAS CHAP. I. Tobias of the tribe of Nephthali neuer communicateth in Ierobams scisme 9. teacheth his sonne to feare God and flee sinne 11. Being in captiuitie cateth not forbidden meates as others do 13 Amongst other workes of mercie he lendeth tenne talentes of siluer to Gabelus 2â Is persecuted and spoyled 24. Shorty the king being slaine he recouereth libertie and his goodes TOBIAS of the tribe and cirie of Nepthali which is in the vpper partes of Galilee aboue Naaslon beyond the way that leadeth to the weast hauing on the right hand the citie Sephet â when he was captiue in the daies of Salmanasar the king of the Aslyrians yet being in captiuitie he forsooke not the way of truth â so that he imparted al things that he could make dayly to his brethren captiues with him which were of his kinred â And whereas he was yonger then al the tribe of Nephthali yet did he no childish thing in his worke â Finally when al went to the golden calues which Ieroboam the king of Israel had made he alone fled the companies of al â and went into Ierusalem to the temple of our Lord and there adored our Lord God of Israel offering faithfully al his first fruites and his tithes â so that in the third yeare he ministred al the tithing to the proselytes and strangers â These thinges and the like to these did he obserue being a childe according to the law of God â But when he was a man he tooke to wife Anna of his owne tribe and he begat a sonne of her geuing him his owne name â whom from his infancie he taught to feare God and to abstayne from al sinne â Therfore when by the captiuitie he was come with his wife and sonne into the citie of Niniue with al his tribe â when al did eate of the meates of the Gentiles he kept his soule and neuer was contaminated in their meates â And because he was mindful of our Lord in al his hart God gaue him grace in the sight of Salmanasar the king â and he gaue him leaue to goe whithersoeuer he would hauing libertie to doe what thinges soeuer he would â He therfore went to al that were in the captiuitie and gaue them holesome admonitions â And when he was come into Rages a citie of the Medes and had ten talentes of siluer of these wherwith he had beene honoured of the king â and when in a great multitude of his kinred he saw Gabelus stand in nede who was of his tribe vnder a bil of his hand he gaue him the sayd weight of siluer â But after much time Salmanasar the king being dead when Sennacherib his sonne reigned for him and estemed the children of Israel odious in his sight â Tobias dayly went through al his kinred and conforted them and diuided to euerie one as he was able of his goods â the hungrie he nourished and to the naked he gaue clothes and the dead and them that were slayne he buryed carefully â Finally when king Sennacherib was returned fleing from Iewrie the shaughter that God had made about him for his blasphemie and being angrie slewe manie of the children of Israel Tobias buryed their bodies â But when it was told the king he commanded him to be slayne and tooke al his substance â But Tobias fleing with his sonne and with his wife nakedly lay hid because manie loued him â But after fourtie fiue dayes the king was slayne of his owne sonnes â and Tobias returned into his house and al his substance was restored to him CHAP. II. Tobias to burie an Israelite that is slaine in the streete leaueth his dinner and ghestes 10. Is made blind by Gods permission for manifestation of his patience 19. His Wife getteth her liuing by worke 22. and for a scrupulous Word reprocheth his sinceritie BVT after these thinges when there was a festiual day of our Lord and a good dinner was made in Tobias house â he sayd to his sonne Goe and bring some of our tribe that feare God to make merie with vs. â And when he had gone returning he tolde him that one of the children of Israel lay slayne in the streate And he forth with leaping vp from his place at the table leauing his dinner came fasting to the bodie â and taking it vp caried it to his house secretely that when the sunne should be downe he might warely burie him â And wheÌ he had hid the bodie he eate bread with mourning and treÌbling â remembring that word which our Lord sayd by Amos the Prophet Your festiual dayes shal be turned into lamentation and mourning â But when the sunne was downe he went and buried him â And al his neighbours rebuked him saying Euen now thou wast commanded to be slayne because of this matter and thou didest scarce escape the commandment of death and doest thou burie the dead agayne â But Tobias more fearing God then the king in hast tooke the bodies of them that were slayne and hid them in his house and at midnight buried them â And it happened that on a certayne day being wearied with burying coming into his house he had cast himself downe by the wal and slept â and as he was sleeping hote dung out of the swallowes nest fel vpon his eyes and he was made blinde â And this tentation therfore our Lord permitted to chance vnto him that an example might be geuen to posteritie of his patience also of holie Iob. â For whereas he feated God alwaies from his infancie and kept his commandmentes he grudged not agaynst God for that the plague of blindnes had chanced to him â but continewed immoueable in the feare of God geuing thankes to God al the dayes of his life â For as the kinges insulted against blessed Iob so his parentes and cosins derided his life saying â Where is thy hope for the which thou didest bestowe almes and burials â But Tobias rebuked them saying Speake not so â because we are the children of holie ones and looke for that life which God wil geue to them that neuer change their faith from him â But Anna his wife went dayly to weauing worke and she brought the gaines of her handie labour which she could get â Whereby it came to passe that she receiuing a kid of goates had brought it home â the voice whereof bleating when her husband had heard he sayd Take heed lest perhaps it be stollen restore ye it to his owners because it is not lawful for vs either to eate anie thing of theft or to touch it â To these wordes his wife being angrie answered Thy hope is become vayne manifestly and thine almes now haue appeared â And with these and other such like wordes she vpbrayded him CHAP. III. The prayer of Tobias 7. and Sara in their seueral afflictions 24. are heard by God and the Angel Raphael is sent to releeue them THEN Tobias lamented
to Anna his wife How like is this yongman to my sisters sonne â And when he had spoken these wordes he sayd Whence are you ye yongmen our brethren â But they sayd We are of the tribe of Nephthali of the captiuitie of Niniue â And Raguel sayd to them Know you Tobias my brother Who sayd We know him â And when he spake much good of him the Angel sayd to Raguel Tobias of whom thou askest is this mans father â And Raguel put forth him selfe and with teares kissed him and weeping vpon his necke sayd Blessing haue thou my sonne because thou art the sonne of a good and most vertuous man â And Anna his wife and Sara theyr daughter wept â And after they had talked Raguel commanded a wether to be killed and a banket to be prepared And when he desired them to sitte downe to dinner â Tobias said I wil not eate nor drinke here this day vnlesse thou first assure my petition and promise to geue me Sara thy daughter â Which word Raguel hearing was sore afrayd knowing what had chanced to those seuen husbands which went in vnto her and he began to feare lest perhaps it might chance to him also in like maner and when he doubted and gaue no answer to him demanding â the Angel sayd to him Feare not to geue her to this man for to him fearing God is thy daughter dewe to be his wife therfore an other could not haue her â Then sayd Raguel I doubt not but God hath admitted my prayers and teares in his sight â And I beleue that therfore he hath made you come to me that this mayde might be ioyned to her kinred according to the law of Moyses and now haue no doubt but I wil deliuer her to thee â And taking his daughter by the right hand gaue it into the right hand of Tobias saying The God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Iacob be with you and he ioyne you together and fulfil his blessing in you â And taking paper they made a writing of the mariage â And after these things they made merie blessing God â And Raguel called to him Anna his wife and commanded her to prepare an other chamber â And she brought Sara her daughter in thither and she wept â And she sayd to her Be of good cheere my daughter our Lord of heauen geue thee ioy for the tediousnesse which thou hast suffered CHAP. VIII Tobias bruling part of the fishes liuer Raphael bindeth the diuel 4. Tobias and Sara pray 11. Raguel fearing that Tobias is dead maketh a graue for him but vnderstanding that he is wel filleth it vp againe 21. prepareth a feast geueth the half of his goodes presently for Saraes dawrie the other halfe after her parents death AND after they had supped they brought in the yong man to her â Tobias therfore remembring the Angels word brought forth out of his bag part of the liuer and layd it vpon liue coales â Then Raphael the Angel tooke the diuel and bound him in the desert of higher Aegypt â Then Tobias exhorted the virgin sayd to her Sara arise and let vs pray to God to day and to morow and the next morow because these three nights we are ioyned to God and when the third night is past we wil be in our wedlocke â For we are the children of holie men we may not be ioyned together as gentiles that know not God â And they rising together prayed both together that health might be geuen them â And Tobias sayd Lord God of our fathers the heauens the earth and the sea fountaynes and riuers and al thy creatures that are in them blesse thee â Thou madest Adam of the slime of the earth gauest him Eue an helper â And now Lord thou knowest that not for fleshlie lust doe I take my sister to wife but only for the loue of posteritie in the which thy name may be blessed for euer euer â Sara also sayd Haue mercie on vs Lord haue mercie vpon vs and let vs grow old both together in health â And it came to passe about the cock crowing Raguel bad his seruantes to be called for they went with him together to digge a graue â For he sayd Lest perhaps it may chance to him as also to the other seuen husbandes that went in vnto her â And when they had prepared the pitte Raguel returning to his wife sayd to her â Send one of thy handmaydes and let her see if he be dead that I may burie him before it be day â But she sent one of her handmaydes who going into the chamber found them safe and sound sleeping both together â And returning she brought good tydings and they blessed our Lord to witte Raguel Anna his wife â and sayd We blesse thee Lord God of Israel because it hath not chanced as we thought â For thou hast done thy metcie with vs hast excluded from vs the enemie that persecuted vs. â And thou hast taken pitie vpon two the only children Make them Lord blesse thee more fully and to offer vp to thee a sacrifice of thy prayse and of their health that al nations may know that thou art God onlie in al the earth â And forth with Raguel commanded his seruantes that they should fil vp the pitte which they had made before it were day â And he bad his wife make readie a feast and prepare al thinges that for victuals were necessarie to them that goe a iourney â He caused also two fatte kyne and foure wethers to be killed and great chere to be prepared for al his neighbours and al his freindes â And Raguel adiured Tobias that he should abide with him two weekes â And of al thinges which Raguel possessed he gaue the halfe part to Tobias and made this writing that the halfe part which was remayning after their decease should come to the dominion of Tobias CHAP. IX The Angel Raphael goeth to Gabelus receiueth the money and bringeth him to the mariage 8. They salute ech other and Gabelus wisheth al prosperitie to yong Tobias and his spouse THEN Tobias called the Angel to him whom he thought to be a man and he sayd to him Brother Azarias I pray thee harken to my wordes â If I should deliuer my self to be thy seruant I shal not deserue thy prouidence â Howbeit I besech thee that thou take vnto thee beastes and seruantes and goe to Gabelus into Rages the citie of Medes render him his handwriting and receiue of him the money and desire him to come to my mariage â For thyself knowest that my father numbreth the dayes and if I slacke one day more his soule is made sorowful â And surely thou sâest how Raguel hath adiured me whose adiuring I can not dispise â Then Raphael taking foure of Raguels seruantes two camels went into Rages the citie of Medes
queene made a feast for the wemen in the palace where king Assuerus had accustomed to remayne â Therfore the seuenth day when the king was merier and after very much drinking was wel warmed with wine he commanded Mâumam and Bazatha and Harbona and Bagatha and Abgatha and Zethar and Charchas the seuen eunuches that ministred in his sight â that they should bring in queene Vasthi before the king the crowne set vpon her head that he might shew her beautie to al the peoples and princes for she was exceding beautiful â Who refused and contemned to come at the kings commandment which he had commanded by the eunuches Wherupon the king being wrath and chaffed with exceding furie â asked the wisemen which after the manner of a king were alwayes present with him and he did al thinges by their counsel which knew the lawes and rightes of the elders â and the chiefe and nearest him were Charsena and Sethar and Admatha and Tharsis and Mares and Marsana and Mamuchan seuen dukes of the Persians and of the Medes which saw the face of the king and were wont to sitt first after him â to what sentence Vasthi the queene should be subiect that would not do Assuerus the kings commandment which he had commanded by âhe eunuches â And Mamuchan answered the king hearing and the princes Queene Vasthi hath not only hurt the king but also al peoples and princes that are in al the prouinces of king Assuerus â For the word of the queene wil goe forth to al wemen that they wil contemne their husbands and wil say King Assuerus commanded that the queene Vasthi should come in to him and she would not â And by this example al the wiues of the princes of the Persians and the Medes wil little esteeme the commandmentes of their husbandes wherfore the kings indignation is iust â If it please thee let an edict goe forth from thy face and let it be written according to the law of the Persians and of Medes which is not lawful to be transgressed that Vasthi come in no more to the king but an other that is better then she take her kingdome â And let this be published into al the empire of thy prouinces which is most large and let al the wiues as wel of the greater as of the lesser geue honour to their husbandes â His counsel pleased the king and the princes and the king did according to the counsel of Mamuchan â and he sent letters to al the prouinces of his kingdome as euerie nation could heare and reade in diuers languages and characters that the husbandes should be princes and maisters in their houses and that this should be published through al peoples CHAP. II. Inquirie being made of the best and fairest virgines 5. Esther the vnknowe neece of Mardocheus a âew is preferred 18. and made Queene in place of Vasthi a mariage feast made and presentes geuen 21 Mardocheus detecteth traitors and his seruice is recorded in the regester THESE thinges so done after the indignation of king Assuerus was asswaged he remembred Vasthi and what she had done or what she had suffered â and the kings seruantes and his ministers said Let there be maydens sought for the king virgins and beautiful â and let there be sent that may viewe through al prouinces beautiful maydens and virgins and let them bring them to the citie of Susan and deliuer them into the house of wemen vnder the hand of Egeus the eunuch who is ouerseer of the kings wemen and let them receiue wemens ornamentes and other things necessarie to be vsed â And which so euer among al shal please the kings eies let her reigne for Vasthi The word pleased the king and so as they had suggested he commanded to be done â There was a man in the citie of Susan a Iew named Mardocheus the sonne of Iair the sonne of Semei the sonne of Cis of the stocke of Iemini â who had beene transported from Ierusalem the same time that Nabucodonosor the king of Babylon transported Iechonias the king of Iuda â who was the foster father of his brothers daughter Edissa which by an other name was called Esther and she had lost both her parentes exceeding beautiful and of comely face And her father and mother being dead Mardocheus adopted her for his daughter â And when the kings commandment was bruited abrode and according to his commandement many fayre virgins were brought to Susan and were deliuered to Fgeus the eunuch Esther also among the rest of the maydens was deliuered to him that she might be kept in the number of the wemen â Who pleased him and found grace in his sight And he commanded the eunuch that he should hasten the wemens ornamentes and should deliuer her her partes seuen the most beautiful maydens of the kings house and should adorne and decke both her and her wayting maydes â Who would not tel him her people and countrie For Mardocheus had commanded her that of this thing she should altogether keepe silence â who walked daily before the entrance of the house wherin the chosen virgins were kept taking care of Esthers welfare and desirous to know what should chance vnto her â And when the time of euerie virgin in order was come that they should goe in to the king al things accomplished that perteyned to wemens ornamentes it was the twelfth moneth yet so that for six monethes they were anoynted with oyle of myrtle and other six monethes they vsed certayne payntings and sweete spices â And going in to the king what soeuer they asked that perteyned to adorning they receiued and being trimmed as it pleased them they passed from the chamber of the wemen to the kings chamber â And she that went in at euening came out in the morning and from thence she was brought to the second house that was vnder the hand of Susagazus the cunuch who was chiefe ouer the kings concubines neither had she power to returne any more to the king vnlesse the king had willed and had commanded her to come by name â And the time by order coming about the day was at hand that Esther the daughter of Abihail the brother of Mardocheus whom he had adopted for his daughter should goe in to the king Who sought not wemens ornamentes but whatsoeuer Egeus the eunuch the keper of the virgins would those things he gaue her to her adorning For she was exceding fayre and of incredible beautie she semed to al mens eies gratious and amiable â She therfore was brought to the chamber of king Assuerus the tenth moneth which is called Tebeth in the seuenth yeare of his reigne â And the king loued her more then al the wemen and she had grace and mercie before him aboue al the wemen and he put the crowne of the kingdom on her head and made her reigne in steede of Vasthi â And he commanded a verie magnifical feast to be prepared to
in honour did not vnderstand he was compared to beasts without vnderstanding and became like to them â This their way is a scandal to them and afterward in their mouth they shal take pleasure â As sheepe they are put in hel death shal feede vpon them And the iust shal rule ouer them in the morning and their aide shal waxe old in hel from their glorie â Neuerthelesse God wil redeme my soule out of the hand of hel when he shal take me â Feare not when a man shal be made rich and when the glory of his house shal be multiplied â Because when he shal dye he shal not take al thinges neyther shal his glorie goe downe with him â Because his soule in his life shal be blessed he wil confesse to thee when thou shalt do him good â He shal enter in euen to the progenies of his fathers and he shal not see light for euer â Man when he was in honour did not vnderstand he was compared to beasts without vnderstanding and became like to them PSALME XLIX Christ in his first coming calleth al Nations 3. in his second wil iudge the world 7. In the meane time God exhorteth al men to serue him in puritie of vertue which he much preferreth before external sacrifice of the old law 17. reprehending such as professe or teach the right way and liue wickedly â A Psalme to Asaph THE God of goddes our Lord hath spoken and he hath called the earth from the rysing of the sunne euen to the going downe â Out of Syon the beauty of his comelines â God wil come manifestly our God and he wil not kepe silence Fire shal burne forth in his sight and round about him a mighty tempest â He shal cal the heauen from aboue and the earth to discerne his people â Gather ye together his saincts vnto him which ordaine his testament aboue sacrifices â And the heauens shal shew forth his iustice because God is Iudge â Heare ô my people and I wil speake Israel and I wil testifie to thee God thy God am I. â I wil not rebuke thee in thy sacrifices and thy holocaustes are in my sight alwaies â I wil not take calues out of thy house nor buckegoats out of thy flockes â Because al the wilde beasts of the woods be myne the cattle in the mountaines and oxen â I haue knowne al the foules of the ayer and the beauty of the fielde is with me â If I shal be hungrie I wil not tel thee for the round earth is myne and the fulnes therof â Wil I eate the flesh of oxen or wil I drinke the blood of bucke goats â Immolate to God â the sacrifice of praise and pay thy vowes to the Highest â And inuocate me in the day of tribulation I wil deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie me â But to the sinner God hath sayde Why doest thou declare my iustices and takest my testament by thy mouth â But thou hast hated discipline cast my words behind thee â If thou didst see a theefe thou didst rune with him and with adulterers thou didst put thy portion â Thy mouth hath abounded with malice and thy tongue fourged guiles â Sitting thou spakest against thy brother and against thy mothers sonne thou didst put a scandal â these things hast thou done and I haue held my peace â Thou hast thought vniustly that I wil be like thee I wil reproue thee and set it against thy face â Vnderstand these things you that forget God lest sometime he take you violently and there be none to deliuer you â The â sacrifice of prayse shal glorifie me and there is the way by which I wil shew him the saluation of God ANNOTATIONS PSALME XLIX 14. 23. The sacrifice of praise For better and more due performing of external sacrifice it is requisite that those which offer it or desire to participate do bring with them necessarie internal vertues or disposition as sorow and repentaÌce for their sinnes which is a kind of improper sacrifice mentioned in the next Psalme the sacrifice of iustice which rendereth ro euerie one that is due Psal 4. and sacrifise of praise or thankes geuing for al Gods benefites receiued or expected which kindes of internal and improper sacrifices do nothing preiudice but rightly prepare men to the fruict of external sacrifice euer vsed in the law of nature the law of Moyses and of Christ This place also hath an other higher and prophetical sense of the Sacrifice of Christs bodie in the Eucharist which is both propitiatorie and Sacrifise of praise and thankes geuing So S. Augustin orat aduersus Iudeos c. 6. teacheth that here certainly is a plaine change of the old sacrifices The same he affirmeth Ep. 120. c. 18. God foreshewing that the old sacrifices should be changed which were offered in shadow of a sacrifice to come I wil not take faith God to Israel calues nor goares at thy hand c. but appointeth that al Israel al nations from the rysing of the sunne to the setting shal immolate the sacrifice of praise the same Christ whom old Simeon knew an infant whom he receiued into his handes Likewise li. contra aduers legis prophet c. 20. The Church offereth to God in the bodie of Christ the sacrifice of praise PSALME L. King Dauid in great sorow for his sinnes of adultrie and murder most seriously prayeth God of his manifold mercies to remitte and purge al his offences and paines due for them 12. to restore vnto him the grace of the Holie Ghost lost by his sinnes 15. that he may teach others as in deede his singular example may teach the whole world true penance 19. contrition of hart worthely to offer sacrifice for the whole Church â Vnto the end a Psalme of Dauid â â when Nathan the Prophet came to him after that he had sinned with Bethsabee 2. Reg. 12. HAVE mercie on me ô God according to thy great mercie And according to the multitude of thy commiserations take away myne iniquitie â â Wash me more amply from mine iniquitie cleanse me from my sinne â Because I do know myne iniquitie and my sinne is before me alwaies â To thee onely haue I sinned and haue done euil before thee that thou mayst be iustified in thy words and mayst ouercome when thou art iudged â For behold â I was conceiued in iniquities my mother conceiued me in sinnes â For behold thou hast loued truth the vncertaine and hidden thinges of thy wisdome thou hast made manifest to me â Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssope and I shal be clensed thou shalt wash me and I shal be made whiter then snow â To my hearing thou shalt
â Confesse ye to our Lord because he is good because his mercie is for euer PSALME CXVIII A perpetual recommendation of the singular excellencie absolute necessitie and eternal heauenlie profite of Gods law with frequent aspirations to perfection hatred of sinne loue of vertue and feruent desire to rest in God GENERAL ANNOTATIONS VPON THIS CXVIII PSALME As this Psalme is the longest in the whole Psalter so it semeth to the ancient Fathers most profound in sense And so much the harder to be vnderstood because also the very hardnes therof lieth hidden which in diuers other Psalmes and partes of holie Scripture easily appeareth to the reader But here the wordes being clere and the sense also plaine and easie in some pointes of doctrine yet the more deligence is imployed the more difficultie is found in searching the whole sense and mearning of euerie word and sentence with the maner obserued in composing it and the frequent repetition of the same or like wordes Al which maturely considered caused that great Clerke and light of the Church S Augustin to omite this Psalme when he explicated al the rest And when at last he added also this he wittingly omitted one special difficultie which he doubted not to be conteyned in the maner of composing it not only by order of the Hebrew Alphabet as diuers more Psalmes and some other partes of holie Scripture but more artificially hen anie other the first eight versâs al beginning with the first letter Aleph the next eight with the second letter Beth and so to the last of the two and twentie letters Of which omission he yeldeth this only reason because he found nothing as he humbly affirmeth that might properly perteyne the unto Confessing also expresly that whensoeuer he applied his cogitations to expound the text iâ self iâ ãâ¦ã exceded his habilitie But finally to satisfie the often and earnest request of his bretheren and freindes trusting as alvvayes in Gods special help he largely expoundeth it in thirtie two distinct Sermons S. Ambrose also moued with like pietie made two and twentie Sermons in exposition of this Psalme Affirming in his Prologue that amongst other Psalmes especially this sheweth how great a master king Dauid was of moral good life For al moral doctrine being of his owne nature swete yet most delighteth the eares and gently toucheth the minde being vttered as here it is with pleasantnes of verse and swetenes of songue Againe whereas this Royal Prophet in manie places of this booke powrethout sentences of moral psalmes or songues as bright starres that shine and glister to al the world here most excellently he produceth a more singular mirrhor as the sunne of ful light burning with meridian heate And for the prosite of al the better to draw our attentions to lerne that we may though we can not attaine to al that we vvould he disposed this Psalme through al the Alphabeth that as children beginning vvith the first letters make entrance to further knovvlege so by the same beginninges vve should lay the first foundation and therupon procede in our spiritual building tovvards perfection in good life the true seruice of God VVhich is yet further insinuated as the same Doctor reacheth by the eight verses continually beginning vvith the same letter and so other eight in order through the vvhole Alphabet to signifie that after seuen dayes trauel in this temporal life vve may come to that vnitie vvhich vve expect in the eight day of resurrection vvhen vve hope to rise reuiued in our Lord Iesus in nevvnes of eternal life Lickevvise S. Basil in the Argument of this Psalme admonisheth that vvheras holie Dauid according to diuers states vvhich he passed vvritte diuers Psalmes as vvhen he fled from his enimies vvhen he lamented his distresses mourned in pensiuenes enioyed peace and comforte ranne a right course of vertue fel from God by sinne againe returning obserued Gods lavves in this one Psalme he comprehendeth al his prayers made to God at sundrie times here proposeth the same as a certaine profitable moral doctrine to al sortes and states of men Neither doth he pretermite doctrinal pointes of faith but interposeth them also with moral documents in such sorte that this one Psalme may suffice to teach the vvel disposed hovv to attaine to perfection in vertue to sturre vp the slouthful vnto diligent care of their soules to recreate the desolate vvith spiritual consolations briefly it admmistereth al kinde of medicine to the diuers passions of mortal men For the like iudgements of other Farhers vve remitte the lerned reader to S. Hilarie Theodoret Prosper Arnobius Cassiodorus Beda Euthymius and others but can not wel omitte a brief instruction of S. Ierom. VVho in his Epistle to Paula Vrbica not only sheweth the interpretation of the two and twentie letters but also explicateth their sense in this place by connecting them into certaine shorte sentences in this maner Aleph Beth Gimel Daleth Doctrina Domus Plenitudo Tabularum Doctrine Of the house Fulnesse Of tables VVhich is the first connexion signifying that the doctrine of the house that is the Church of God is found in the fulnes of diuine bookes The second connexion is He Vau Zain Heth. Ista Et Haec Vita This thing And This Life For what other life can there be without knowlege of Scriptures wherby also Christ is knowen who is the life of them that beleue in him The third connexion is Teth Iod. Bonum Principium Good Beginning Albeit we now could know al thinges which are written yet we know but in part and in part we prophecie for we see now by a glasse in a darke sort but when we shal be worthie to be with Christ and shal be like to Angels theu doctrine of bookes shal cease and then we shal see face to face the Good Beginning euen as he is The fourth connexion is Caph Lamed Manus Disciplinae siue cordis The hande Of discipline or of hart The handes are vnderstood in worke hart and discipline are vnderstood in sense or meaning because we can not rightly doe anie thing vnles vve first knovv vvhat thinges are to be donne The fift connexion is Mem Nun Samech Ex ipsis Sempiternum Adiutorium Of them Euerlasting Helpe This needeth not explication for it is manifest as the light that from Scriputres are eternal helpes The sixt connexion is Ain Phe Sade Fons siue Oculus Oâis Iust tiae Fountaine or Eye Of the mouth Of iustice According to that vvhich vve haue expounded in the fourth connexion that dedes and intention must concurre The seuenth connexion vvhich is last in vvhich number of seuen is also mystical vnderstanding Coph Res Shin Teu Vocatio Capitis Dentium Signa Vocation Of the head Of teeth Signes Distinct voice is produced by the teeth in these signes vve come to the Head of al vvhich is Christ by
vvhom vve haue accesse to the euerlasting kingdom Or thus not transposing the vvordes By vocation of Christ the Head through distinct voice of signes for vvordes are signes shevving the mind vve are conducted to the eternal kingdom the happines vvhich al men desire VVhat I pray thee saith this holie Doctor is more sacred then this mysterie vvhat more pleasant then this delight VVhat meate vvhat honey are svveeter then to knovv Gods vvisdom to enter into his secrecte clossetâ to behold the sense of our Creator and to teach the vvordes of thy Lord God ful of spiritual vvisdom vvhich are derided by the vvise of this vvorld VVe must also aduertise the reader of the like discourses of ancient Fathers ouer long to be here recited concerning the manifold hiegh praises of Gods Lavv conteyned in this Psalme vvith frequent repetitioÌ of certaine Synonyma vvordes signifying the same thing in al fourtene tovvitte The Lavv of God his VVayes Testimonies Commandments Precepts Statutes Iustifications Iudgements Iustice Equitie Veritie VVordes Speaches Sermons of vvhich there is commonly one in euerie verse and somtimes tvvo or three in the same verse But our English tongue hardly sufficing rightly to distinguish the three last which in latin are Verba Eloquia Sermones we translate VVORDES only adding in the margen Eloquia and Sermones when they occurre Leauing therfore larger commentaries to others we shal prosecute our wonted maner of briefe glosses Only here premonishing the diligent readers especially Clergimen our selues and our brethren who euerie day sing or read this whole Psalme in the Canonical houres to obserue two particular pointes of Christian doctrine euidently proued by manie places of this Psalme The one against the Pelagians heresie denying the necessitie of Gods special grace in meritorious workes For the Psalmist often here inculcateth mans insufficiencie that of himselfe and by natural forces he can not kepe the commandments of God but needeth alwayes the particular grace of God as vvel to beleue in him to repent for sinnes and to beginne good vvorkes as to procede and perseuere in good state to the end The other against the heresie of our time denying merite by grace freewil For here it is also manifest that Gods grace maketh man able to kepe his commandments and by keeping them to become iust in this life and so to merite eternal glorie Sundrie other principal Articles of Christian Catholique Religion are likevvise comprised in this one Psalme but especially Moral doctrin Alleluja Aleph Doctrine BLESSED are the immaculate in the way which walke in the law of our Lord. â Blessed are they that search his testimonies that seeke after him with al their hart â For they that worke iniquitie haue not walked in his waies â Thou hast very much commanded thy commandmentes to be kept â Would God my waies might be directed to keepe thy iustifications â Then shal I not be confounded when I shal looke throughly in al thy commandmentes â I wil confesse to thee in direction of hart in that I haue lerned the iudgements of thy iustice â I wil keepe thy iustifications forsake me not wholy Beth. House â Wherein doth a yongman correct his way in keeping thy wordes â With my whole hart I haue sought after thee repel me not from thy commandmentes â In my hart I haue hid thy wordes that I may not sinne to thee â Blessed art thou ô Lord teach me thy iustifications â In my lippes I haue pronounced al the iudgementes of thy mouth â I am delighted in the way of thy testimonies as in al riches â I wil be exercised in thy commandmentes and I wil consider thy waies â I wil meditate in thy iustifications I wil not forget thy wordes Gimel Fulnes â Render to thy seruant quicken me and I shal keepe thy wordes â Reuele mine eies and I shal consider the meruelous thinges of thy law â I am a seiourner in the land hide not thy commandmentes from me â My soule hath coueted to desire thy iustifications at al time â Thou hast rebuked the prowde cursed are they that decline from thy commandmentes â Take from me reproch and contempt because I haue sought after thy testimonies â For princes sate and they spake against me but thy seruant was exercised in thy iustifications â For both thy testimonies are my meditation and thy iustifications my counsel Daleth Of Tables â My soule hath cleaued to the pauement quicken me according to thy word â I haue vttered my wayes and thou hast heard me teach me thy iustifications â Instruct me the way of thy iustifications and I shal be exercised in thy meruelous workes â My soule hath slumbered for tediousnes confirme me in thy wordes â Remoue from me the way of iniquitie and according to thy law haue mercie on me â I haue chosen the way of truth I haue not forgotten thy iudgements â I haue cleaued to thy testimonies ô Lord do not confound me â I ranne the way of thy commandments when thou didst dilate my hart He. This thing Set me a law ô Lord the way of thy iustifications and I wil seeke after it alwayes â Geue me vnderstanding and I wil search thy law and I wil keepe it with my whole hart â Conduct me into the path of thy commandments because I would it â Incline my hart into thy testimonies and not into auarice â Turne away mine eies that they see not vanitie in thy way quicken me â Establish thy word to thy seruant in thy feare â Take away my reproch which I haue feared because thy iudgements are pleasant â Behold I haue coueted thy commandments in thine equitie quicken me Vau. And. â And let thy mercie come vpon me ô Lord thy saluation according to thy word â And I shal answer a word to them that vpbrayde me because I haue hoped in thy wordes â And take not away out of my mouth the word of truth vtterly because I haue much hoped in thy iudgementes â And I wil keepe thy law alwayes for euer and for euer and euer â And I walked in largenesse because I haue sought after thy commandments â And I spake of thy testimonies in the sight of kinges and was not confounded â And I meditated in thy commandments which I loued â And I haue lifted vp my handes to thy commandments which I loued and I was exercised in thy iustifications Zain This. â Be mindeful of thy word to thy seruant wherein thou hast
geuen me hope â This hath comforted me in my humiliation because thy word hath quickened me â The prowd did vniustly excedingly but I declined not from thy law â I haue bene mindful of thy iudgements from euerlasting ô Lord and was comforted â Faynting possessed me because of sinners forsaking thy law â Thy iustifications were songue by me in the place of my peregrination â I haue bene mindful in the night of thy name ô Lord and haue kept thy law â This was done to me because I sought after thy iustifications Heth. Life â My portion ô Lord I sayd to keepe thy law â I besought thy face with al my hart haue mercie on me according to thy word â I thought vpon my wayes and conuerted my feete vnto thy testimonies â I am prepared and am not trubled to keepe thy commandments â The cordes of sinners haue wrapped me round about and I haue not forgotten thy law â At midnight I rose to confesse to thee for the iudgements of thy iustification â I am partaker of al that feare thee and that keepe thy commandments â The earth ô Lord is ful of thy mercie teach me thy iustifications Teth. Good â Thou hast done bountie with thy seruant ô Lord according to thy word â Teach me goodnesse and discipline and knowledge because I haue beleued thy commandments â Before I was humbled I offended therfore haue I kept thy word â Thou art good and in thy goodnesse teach me thy iustifications â The iniquitie of the prowd is multiplied vpon me but I in al my hart wil search thy commandments â Their hart is crudded together as milke but I haue meditated thy law â It is good for me that thou hast humbled me that I may learne thy iustifications â The law of thy mouth is good vnto me aboue thousands of gold and siluer Iod. Beginning â Thy handes haue made me and formed me geue me vnderstanding and I wil learne thy commandmentes â They that feare thee shal see me shal reioyce because I haue much hoped in thy wordes â I know ô Lord that thy iudgements are equitie and in thy truth thou hast humbled me â Let thy mercie be done to comfort me according to thy word vnto thy seruant â Let thy commiserations come to me and I shal liue because thy law is my meditation â Let the prowde be confounded because they haue done vniustly toward me but I wil be exercised in thy commandments â Let them be conuerted to me that feare thee and that know thy testimonies â Let my hart be made immaculate in thy iustifications that I be not confounded Caph. Hand or Palme of the hand â My soule hath fainted for thy saluation and I haue much hoped in thy word â Myne eies haue fayled for thy word saying When wilt thou comfort me â Because I am made as a bottel in the hoare frost I haue not forgotten thy iustifications â How manie are the daies of thy seruant when wilt thou doe iudgement on them that persecute me â The vniust haue told me fables but not as thy law â Al thy commandmentes are truth they haue vniustly persecuted me helpe me â They haue welnere made an end of me in the earth but I haue not forsaken thy commandments â According to thy mercie quicken me and I shal keepe the testimonies of thy mouth Lamed Discipline â For euer Lord thy word is permanent in heauen â Thy truth in generation and generation thou hast founded the earth and it is permanent â By thy ordinance the day contine weth because al thinges serue thee â But that thy law is my meditation I had then perhaps perished in my humiliation â I wil not forget thy iustifications for euer because in them thou ââst quickned me â I am thine saue me because I haue sought out thy iustifications â Sinners haue expected me to destroy me I vnderstood thy testimonies â Of al consummation I haue sene the end thy commandment is exceding large Mem. Of them â How haue I loued thy law ô Lord al the day it is my meditation â Aboue mine enemies thou hast made me wise by thy commaundment because it is to me for euer â Aboue al that taught me haue I vnderstood because thy testimonies are my meditation â Aboue ancientes haue I vnderstood because I haue sought thy commandments â I haue staied my feete from al euil way that I may keepe thy wordes â I haue not declined from thy iudgements because thou hast set me a law â How sweete are thy wordes to my iawes more then honie to my mouth By thy commandments I haue vnderstood therfore haue I hated al the way of iniquitie Nun. Euerlasting â Thy word is a lampe to my feete and a light to my pathes â I sware and haue determined to keepe the iudgements of thy iustice â I am humbled excedingly ô Lord quicken me according to thy word â The voluntaries of my mouth make acceptable ô Lord and teach me thy iudgementes â My soule is in my handes alwaies and I haue not forgotten thy law â Sinners laid a snare for me and I haue not erred from thy commandments â For inheritance I haue purchased thy testimonies for euer because they are the ioy of my hart â I haue inclined my hart to doe thy iustifications for euer for reward Samech Helpe â I haue hated the vniust and I haue loued thy law â Thou art my helper and protectour and vpon thy word I haue much hoped â Depart from me ye malignant and I wil search the commandmentes of my God â Receiue me according to thy word and I shal liue and confound me not of myn expectation â Helpe me and I shal be saued and I wil meditate in thy iustifications alwayes â Thou hast despised al that reuolt from thy iudgementes because their cogitation is vniust â Al the sinners of the earth I haue reputed preuaricatours therfore haue I loued thy testimonies â Pearse my flesh with thy feare for I am afrayd of thy iudgementes Ain A fountaine or an eye â I haue done iudgement and iustice deliuer me not to them that calumniate me â Receiue thy seruant vnto good let not the prowde calumniate me â Mine eies haue fayled after thy saluation and for the word of thy iustice â Doe with thy seruant according to thy mercie and teacher me thy iustifications â I am thy seruant geue me vnderstanding that I may know thy testimonies â It
is time to doe ô Lord they haue dissipated thy law â Therfore haue I loued thy commandementes aboue gold and topazius â Therfore was I directed to al thy commandements al wicked way I haue hated Phe. Mouth â Thy testimonies are meruelous therfore hath my soule searched them â The declaration of thy wordes doth illuminate and geueth vnderstanding to litle ones â I opened my mouth and drew breath because I desired thy commandments â Looke vpon me and haue mercie on me according to the iudgement of them that loue thy name â Direct my steppes according to thy Word and let not anie iniustice haue domination ouer me â Redeme me from the calumnies of men that I may kepe thy commondmentes â Illuminate thy face vpon thy seruant and teach me thy iustifications â Mine eies haue gushed forth issues of waters because they haue not kept thy law Sade Iustice â Thou art iust ô Lord and thy iudgement is right â Thou hast commanded iustice thy testimonies and thy veritie excedingly â My Zele hath made me to pine away because mine enimies haue forgotten thy wordes â Thy word is fired excedingly and thy seruant hath loued it â I am a yongman and contemned I haue not forgotten thy iustifications â Thy iustice is iustice for euer and thy law is veritie â Tribulation and distresse haue found me thy commandments are my meditation â Thy testimonies are equitie for euer geue me vnderstanding and I shal liue Coph Vocation â I haue cried in my whole hart heare me ô Lord I wil seeke after thy iustifications â I haue cried to thee saue me that I may keepe thy commandmentes â I haue preuented in maturitie and haue cried because I hoped much in thy wordes â Minecies haue preuented early vnto thee that I might meditate thy wordes â Heare my voice according to thy mercie ô Lord and according to thy iudgement quicken me â They that persecute me haue approched to iniquitie but from thy law they are made far of â Thou art nigh ô Lord and al thy wayes are truth â From the beginning I knewe of thy testimonies that thou hast founded them for euer â See my humiliation and deliuer me because I haue not forgotten thy law â Iudge my iudgement redeme me for thy word quicken thou me â Saluation is far from sinners because they haue not sought after thy iustifications â Thy mercies are manie ô Lord according to thy iudgement quicken me â There are manie that persecute me and afflict me I haue not declined from thy testimonies â I saw the preuaricatours and I pyned away because they kept not thy wordes â See that I haue loued thy commandmentes ô Lord in thy mercie quicken me The beginning of thy wordes is truth al the iudgementes of thy iustice are for euer Sin Tooth â Princes haue persecuted me without cause and my hart hath bene afrayd of thy wordes â I wil reioyce at thy wordes as he that findeth manie spoyles â I haue hated iniquitie and abhorred it but thy law I haue loued â â There is much peace to them that loue thy law there is no scandal to them â I expected thy saluation ô Lord and haue loued thy commandmentes â My soule hath kept thy testimonies and hath loued them excedindgly â I haue kept thy commandmentes and thy testimonies because al my waies are in thy sight Tau Signe â Let my petition approch in thy sight ô Lord according to thy word giue me vnderstanding â Let my request enter in thy sight according to thy word deliuer me â My lippes shal vtter an hymne when thou shalt teach me thy iustifications â My tongue shal pronounce thy word because al thy commandmentes are equitie â Let thy hand be to saue me because I haue chosen thy commandmentes â I haue coneted thy saluation ô Lord and thy law is my meditation â My soule shal liue and shal prayse thee and thy iudgementes shal helpe me â I haue strayed as a sheepe that is lost seeke thy seruant because I haue not forgotten thy commandmentes A BRIEFE NOTE CONCERNING the Gradual Psalmes Here folow in order fifetene Psalmes intitled Gradual Canticles The Hebrew word Mahaloâh signifieth Steppes or Ascensions The reason wherof Aadias and some other Rabbins veld for that they were songue with hieghest eleuated notes that can be ââ Musike The Talmud saith they are so called because they were songue in the fifetene steppes going vp into the Temple But S Augustin S. Basil and other Christian Fathers expound them according to the historie and immediate prophetical sense of the deliuerie of the Iewes from captiuitie of Babylon ascending into Ierusalem which is so situated on montaines that the way from al partes was by ascending vnto it According to the Mystical sense of ascending spiritually by vertues to perfection and to eternal felicitie For the way tending to vertue saith S. Basil is like to certaine steppes or degrees by litle and litle bringing the mân that loueth wisdome vnto heauen These Canticles therefore are prayers mixed with consolations for the ioyful deliuerie of Gods people from that great captiuitie in Babylon which the Psalmist King Dauid saw in prophetical spiritie and which his posteritie felt and sometime indured VVhich againe as a figure signifieth thââeturne and ascending of mankind from sinne to grace and from the miserable state of this world into heauen VVherupon S. Augustin interpreteth this prophecie of the ascension or eleuation of the hart from the vaile of teares In the meane time whiles we are in this world these Psalmes aâe consolatorâe prayers and prophetical assurance that Gods people Catholique Christian shal be deliuered from thraldom and persecution of Paganes Turkes and Heretikes âs partly we see by the deliuerie from the Romane persecuting Emperors from the Vandals Gothes and Hunnes therfore with assured confidence we hope and expect the like deliuerie from Turkes and al Heretikes of Luthers broode PSALME CXIX The Iewes in captiuitie of Babylon Christians in persecution or other great tribulation pray with confidence to be deliuered from danger and sclander of wicked tongues 5. lamenting their long indurance A gradual Canticle VVHEN I was in tribulation I cried to our Lord and he heard me â O Lord deliuer my soule from vniust lippes and from a deceiptful tongue â What may be geuen thee or what may be added vnto thee to a deceiptful tongue â The sharpe arrowes of the mightie with coales of desolation â Woe is to me that my seiourning is prolonged I haue dwelte with the inhabitantes of Cedar â My soule hath
intreating they had cast forth them they pursued as fugitiues â for worthie necessitie brought them to this end and they lost the remembrance of those thinges which had chanced that punishment might fulfil the thinges that wanted to the torments â and that thy people certes might passe through meruelously but they might finde a new death â For euerie creature according to his kind was fashioned agayne from the begyning seruing thy precepts that thy children might be kept without hurt â For a clowde ouer shadowed their campe and out of the water which was before there appeared drie land and in the redsea a way without impediment and of the great depth a springing filde â through the which al the nation passed which was protected with thy hand seing thy meruelous thinges and wonders â For euen as horses they fed on meate and as lambes they reioyced magnifying thee ô Lord which didst deliuer them â For they were mindful of those thinges which had bene done in their seiourning how for the nation of beasts the earth brought forth flies and for fishes the riuer yelded a multitude of frogges â And last of al they saw a new creature of birdes when allured by concupiscence they desired meates of deliciousnes â For in comfort of their desire there came vp to them the quaile from the sea and vexations came vpon the sinners not without those arguments which were made before by the force of lightninges for they suffered iustly occording to their wickednes â For they instituted a more detestable in hospitalitie some certes receiued not the vnknowen strangers and other some brought the good strangers into seruitude â And not onlie these thinges but in deede there was an other respect also of them for they against their wil receiued the strangers â But they that receiued them with gladnes did afflict them with most cruel sorowes that vsed the same rightes â but they were striken with blindnes as they in the dores of the iust when they were couered with sodaine darkenes euerie man sought the passage of his doore â For whiles the elements are turned in themselues as in an instrument the sound of the qualitie is changed and al keepe their sound wherfore it may be certainly iudged by the very sight â For the thinges of the fild were turned into thinges of the water and what soeuer were swimming thinges passed into the land â The fyre had force in water aboue his powre and the water forgot her quenching nature â On the contrarie the flames vexed not the flesh of corruptible beasts walking therewith neither did they melt that good meate which was easely dissolued euen as yce For in al thinges thou didst magnifie thy people ô Lord and didst honour them and didst not despise them at al time and in euerie place assisting them THE ARGVMENT OF ECCLESIASTICVS IN what sense this Booke is sometimes called Salomons we haue shewed in the argument before the Booke of wisdom As likewise that it is Canonical Scripture Wherto we might adde more testimonies of ancient Fathers as S. Clement of Alexandria li. 1. c. 8. Pedagogi Origen ho. 8. in Numer ho. 1. in Ezech. S. Cyprian de opere eleemos S. Athanasius in Synopsi li. de virginitate S. Basil in regul disput resp 104. S. Gregorie Nazianzen Orat. 2. aduers Iulian. S. Epiphanius haer 76. in Ancorato S. Hilarie in Psal 144. S. Ambrose de bono mortis c. 8. Ser. 22. in Psal 118. S. Chrysostom ho. 33. ad populum Antioch S. Augustin li. 2. ca. 8. Doct. Christ li. 17. c. 20. de Ciuit. S. Gregorie the great in Psal 50. and manie others expresly cite this booke as holie Scripture But chiefly we reâie vpon the auctoritie of the Church defining that it is Canonical It was written by Iesus the sonne of Sirach in Hebrew about the time of Simon Iustus otherwise called Priscus and translated into Greke by the auctors Nephew as the same Translator testifieth in his Prologue but expresseth not his owne name It is called Ecclesiasticus which signifieth a Collector or Gatherer as a common title of euerie ordinarie preacher instructing and exhorting the multitude gathered to a sermon with difference from Ecclesiastes Which signifieth The Preacher as a greater title of the chief or principal Preacher of anie Church Citie or Prouince and agreeth most eminently to Christ our Sauiour Who preached and sendeth preachers to the whole world And for the excellent contents it may also rightly be called Panaretos that is a Receptacle or storehouse of al vertues for the instruction of al in general to cooperate with Gods grace in this life and so enherite eternal glorie In fourtie and three whole chapters are mixtly the commendations and precepts of al sortes of vertues sometimes in particular but more often vnder the general names of wisdom and Iustice In the other eight chapters are recited manie excellent examples of most renowmed holie men with praises and thankes to God THE PROLOGVE VPON ECCLESIASTICVS OF IESVS THE SONNE OF SIRACH THE knowlege of manie and great thinges hath bene shewed vs by the Law and the Prophetes and others that folowed them in which we ought to prayse Israel for doctrine wisdom because not onlie they in speaking must nedes be cunning but strangers also both lerning writing may become most lerned My grandfather Iesus after he gaue himselfe more amply to the diligence of reading the Law and the Prophetes and other Bookes that were deliuered vs from our fathers himself also would write some of those thinges which perteyne to doctrine and wisdom that such as are desirous to lerne and to be made counning in the same thinges may more and more be attent in minde and be confirmed to the life that is according to the law I exhort you therfore to come with beneuolence and to read with attent studie and to pardon vs for those thinges wherein we seming to folow the image of wisdom may fayle in the composition of wordes for the Hebrew wordes also fayle when they shal be translated to an other tongue And not onlie these but the Law also itself and the Prophetes and the rest of other bookes haue no smal difference when they are spoken within themselues For in the eight and thirteth yeare in the time of Prolomee Euergetes the king after I came into Aegypt and when I had bene there much time I found there bookes leaft of no smal nor contemptible doctrine Therfore myself also thought it good and necessarie to adde some diligence and labour to interprete this booke and with much watching I brought forth this doctrin in space of time that men may lerne those thinges which teach them that wil applie their minde how they ought to order their maners them that purpose to lead their life according to the Law of our Lord. ECCLESIASTICVS CHAP. I. Wisdom procedeth from God
of the earth â But if you wil not and wil prouoke me to wrath the sword shal deuoure you because the mouth of our Lord hath spoken â How is the faythful citie ful of iudgement become an harlot iustice hath dwelled in it but now mankillers â Thy siluer is turned into drosse thy wine is mingled with water â Thy princes are vnfaithful companions of theues al loue giftes folow rewardes They iudge not for the pupil and the widowes cause goeth not in to them â For this cause sayth our Lord the God of hostes the mightie one of Israel Alas I wil comfort myselfe vpon mine aduersaries and wil be reuenged of mine enemies â And I wil turne mine hand to thee and I wil boyle out thy drosse til it be pure wil take away al thy tinne â And I wil restore thy iudges as they haue beene before and thy counselers as of old After these thinges thou shalt be called the iust a faithful citie â Sion shal be redemed in iudgement and they shal bring her backe in iustice â And he shal destroy the wicked and the sinners together and they that haue forsaken our Lord shal be consumed â For they shal be confounded for the idols to which they haue sacrificed and you shal be ashamed of the gardens which you chose â When you shal be as an oke the leaues falling of and as a garden without water â And your strength shal be as the isles of to we and your worke as a sparke and both shal be set on fire together and there shal be none to quench it CHAP. II. Al nations shal come to the Church of Christ which shal beginne in Ierusalem 6. And the Iewes shal be reiected for their idolatrie auarice and other sinnes 11. Proud men shal be humbled Gods glorie shal increase 18. Idolatrie shal be destroyed THE word that Isaie the sonne of Amos saw vpon Iuda and Ierusalem â And in the later dayes the montaine of the house of our Lord shal be prepared in the toppe of montaines and it shal be eleuated aboue the little hilles and al nations shal flowe vnto it â And manie peoples shal goe shal say come and let vs goe vp to the mount of our Lord and to the house of the God of Iacob and he wil teach vs his wayes and we shal walke in his pathes because the law shal come forth from Sion and the word of our Lord from Ierusalem â And he shal iudge the Gentiles and rebuke manie peoples and they shal turne their swordes into culters and their speares into siethes nation shal not lift vp sword against nation neither shal they be exercised any more to battel â House of Iacob come ye and let vs walke in the light of our Lord. â For thou hast reiected thy people the house of Iacob because they are filled as in times past and haue had southsayers as the Philisthijms and haue stucke fast to strange children â The land is replenished with siluer and gold and there is no end of their treasures â And their land is replenished with horses and their chariotes are innumerable And their land is ful of idoles they haue adored the worke of their handes which their fingers made â And man bowed himself and man was humbled therfore forgeue them not â Enter thou into the rocke and be hid in a pitte in the ground from the face of the feare of our Lord from the glorie of his maiestie â The loftie eies of man are humbled and the height of men shal be made to stoupe our Lord onlie shal be exalted in that day â Because the day of the Lord of hostes shal be vpon al the proude and loftie and vpon euerie one that is arrogant and he shal be humbled â And vpon al the ceders of Libanus high eleuated vpon al the okes of Basan â And vpon al the high mountaines and vpon al little hilles eleuated â And vpon euerie high towre and euerie fensed wal â And vpon al the shippes of Tharsis and vpon al that is fayre to behold â And the loftines of men shal be bowed and the height of men shal be humbled and our Lord onlie shal be exaited in that day â And idols shal vtterly be destroyed â And they shal enter into the caues of rockes and into the pittes of the earth from the face of the feare of our Lord and from the glorie of his maiestie when he shal rise vp to strike the earth â In that day shal a man castaway the idols of his siluer and the idols of his gold which he had made him to adore mowles and battes â And he shal goe into the clefts of rockes and into the caues of stones from the face of the feare of our Lord and from the glorie of his maiestie when he shal rise vp to strike the earth â Cease therfore from the man whose spirit is in his nosthrels because he is reputed high CHAP. III. The Iewes shal be depriued of wise men 4. and be subiect to childish and effeminate gouerners 8. for their greuous sinnes 16. The proud curious and lasciuious attyre of their wemen 24. shal be turned into ignominie and sorow FOR behold the dominatour the Lord of hostes shal take away from Ierusalem and from Iuda the valiant and the strong al strength of bread and al strength of water â The strong and the man of warre the iudge and the prophete and southsayer and the ancient â The prince ouer fiftie and the honorable of countenance and the counseler and the wise of workemasters and the skilful of mystical speach â And I wil geue children to be their princes and the effeminate shal rule ouer them â And the people shal rush violently man against man and euerie one against his neighbour the childe shal make tumult against the ancient and the base against the noble â For a man shal take hold of his brother one of the house of his father Thou hast a garment be thou our prince and let this ruine be vnder thy hand â He shal answer in that day saying I am no physicion in my house there is no bread nor garment do not appoint me prince of the people â For Ierusalem is gone to ruine and Iuda is fallen because their tongue their inuentions were against our Lord to prouoke the eyes of his maiestie â The knowlege of their face hath answered them and they haue proclaimed their sinne as Sodom neither haue they hid it woe to their soule because euils are rendered to them â Say to the iust that it is wel because he shal eate the fruite of his inuentions â Woe to the impious vnto euil for the reward of his handes shal be made to him â My people their exactours haue spoyled wemen haue ruled ouer them My people they that cal thee blessed the same deceiue thee and dissipate
princes nor by priestes and prophets of that time The same vve might deduce of innumerable other places of this other Prophetes but it is not our * purpose to explicate much in this Edition 1. Reigne in iustice and rule in iudgement Here also to auoide prolixitie vve may once note that these vvordes Iudgement and Iustice haue a saââe other higher and more excellent signification in holie Scriptures vvhere they most frequently occurre then in prophane vvritings and natural or moral philosophical discourses For Philosophers such as Plato and Aristotel could reach no further then to natural reason vvhich they called right iudgement and to moral equitie vvhich in general they named iustice But the Holie Ghost by these vvordes reueleth most high spiritual mysteries knovven by faith most comfortable to mens soules releeuing and refreshing the consciences of penitents in this life replenishing the iust vvith vnspeakable gladnes in eternal glorie Therfore in the sense vsual in holy Scripture Iudgement is the act of the mind or vnderstanding discerning what is right iust agreing to reason And Iustice is the rectitude of the vvil doing conformably to right direction of the mind or vnderstanding And so these wordes are applied to signifie both Gods and iust mens actions As that vvhich God mercifully decreed in eternitie and promised after the fal of man to do for mankind as conuenient for his Diuine Povvre VVisdom Iustice Mercie Goodnes vvith al the meanes vvhich he ordained for effecting the same is called his Iudgement and the performing and accomplishment therof so saâre as is of his part is called his Iustice Also that vvhich anie man discusseth discerneth and determineth in his vnderstanding as right or reasonable in supernatural thinges is called his spiritual iudgement and that vvhich he doth of his freevvil according to the same right iudgement is called his iustice So in this place the Prophet forshevveth that Christ our Kingvvil reigne in iustâââ that is performe and fulfil al that he as God vvith the Father the Holie Ghost decreed for Redemption Iustification and Salâation of men And the princes his Apostles and other Pastors shal rule in iudgement that is discerne and iudge vvhat is right and good for themselues and the people in respect of their soules and eternal saluation CHAP. XXXIII Sennacherib beseeging and threatning Ierusalem shal be ouerthrowne by Angels 13. that both wicked arrogant infidels may feele the hand of God and faithful sinners repenting after great terror be comforted VVOE to thee that spoilest shalt not thy selfe also be spoiled and that despisest shalt not thy self also be despised when thou shalt haue ended spoyling thou shalt be spoyled when being wearied thou shalt cease to contemne thou shalt be contemned â O Lord haue mercie vpon vs for we haue expected thee be our arme in the morning and our saluation in the time of our tribulation â At the voice of the Angel the peoples fled and at thy exaltation the nations are dispersed â And you spoiles shal be gathered together as the locust is gathered as when the ditches shal be ful therof â Our Lord is magnified because he hath dwelt on high he hath filled Sion with iudgement and iustice â And there shal be fayth in thy times riches of saluation wisdom and knowlege the feare of our Lord that is his treasure â Behold they that see shal crie without the angels of peace shal weepe bitterly â The wayes are dissipated the passenger by the path hath ceased the couenant is made frustrate he hath reiected the cities he hath not estemed the men â The land hath moorned and languished Libanus is confounded and become foule and Saron is made as a desert and Basan is shaken Carmel â Now wil I rise vp sayth our Lord now wil I be exalted now wil I be lifted vp â You shal conceiue heate you shal bring forth stubble your spirit as fire shal deuoure you â And the peoples shal be as ashes of a great fyre thornes gathered together shal be burned with fyre â Heare ye that are far of what thinges I haue done and ye that are neere know my strength â The sinners are terrified in Sion trembling hath possessed the hypocrites Which of you can dwel with deuouring fyre which of you shal dwel with euerlasting heates â He that walketh in iustices and speaketh truth that casteth away auarice of oppression and shaketh his handes from al gift that stoppeth his eares lest he heare bloud and shutteth his eyes that he may see no euil â This man shal dwel on high the munitions of rockes shal be his highnes bread is geuen to him his waters are faithful â His eies shal see the king in his beautie they shal see the land farre of â Thy hart shal meditate feare where is the lerned where is he that pondereth the wordes of the law where the teacher of litle ones â The vnwise people thou shalt not see the people of profound speach so that thou canst not vnderstand the eloquence of his tongue in whom there is no wisdome â Looke vpon Sion the citie of our solemnitie thine eies shal see Ierusalem a rich habitation a tabernacle that can not be transferred neither shal the nailes therof be taken away for euer and al the cordes therof shal not be broken â because onlie there our Lord is magnifical a place of floudes riuers most brode and wide no shippe of rowers shal passe by it neither shal the great galley passe thereby â For the Lord is our iudge the Lord is our lawmaker the Lord is our king he wil saue vs â Thy cordes are loosed and they shal not preuaile thy mast shal be so that thou canst not spred the signe Then shal the spoiles of manie prayes be diuided the lame shal take the spoile â Neither shal the neighbour say I am feble The people that dwelleth therein iniquitie shal be taken away from them CHAP. XXXIIII A prophecie of the destruction of the whole world at the day of Iudgement 5. and in particular of I dumeâ 9. Ierusalem as figures therof COME neere ye Gentiles and heare and ye peoples attend let the earth heare the fulnes therof the round world and euerie spring therof â Because the indignation of our Lord is vpon al Gentiles and furie vpon al their hostes he hath killed them geuen them into slaughter â Their slaine shal be cast forth and out of their carcasâes shal rise a stinche the mountaines shal melt with their bloud â And al the host of the heauens shal melt away and the heauens shal be folded together as a booke and al their host shal fal away as the leafe falleth from the vine and from the figge tree â Because my sword is inebriated in heauen behold it shal descend vpon Idumaea and vpon the peoples of my slaughter to iudgement â The sword of
send the sword after them til they be consumed â Thus saith the Lord of hosts the God of Israel Consider and cal ye lamenting wemen and let them come send to them that are wise and let them make haste â let them hasten take vp a lamentation vpon vs let our eies shede teares our eieliddes rune downe with waters â Because a voice of lamentation is heard from Sion How are we wasted and confounded exceedingly because we haue left the land because our tabernacles are cast downe â Heare therefore ye wemen the word of our Lord and let your eares take the word of his mouth and teach your daughters lamentation and euerie one her neighbour mourning â because death is come vp through our windowes it is entred into our houses to destroy the children from without the young men our of the streetes â Speake Thus saith our Lord and the carcasse of man shal fal as dung vpon the face of the countrie and as a grasse behind the backe of the mower and there is none to gather it â Thus saith our Lord Let not the wiseman glorie in his wisedom and let not the strong man glorie in his strength let not the rich man glorie in his riches â but he that glorieth let him glorie in this to vnderstand know me because I am the Lord that do mercie and iudgement and iustice in the earth for these thinges please me saith our Lord. â Behold the daies come saith our Lord and I wil visite vpon euerie one that hath the prepuce circumcised â vpon Aegypt and vpon Iuda and vpon Edom and vpon the children of Ammon and vpon Moab and vpon al that haue their heare powled dwelling in the desert because al nations haue the prepuce but al the house of Israel are vncircumcised in the hart CHAP. X. Influence of starres nor imagined powre of idols is not to be feared but God only 6. whose Maiestie is infinite and idols haue no powre at al. 19. Ierusalem lamenteth 24. and prayeth God to pardon and protect his owne people HEARE ye the word which our Lord hath spoken concerning you ô house of Israel â Thus saith our Lord According to the waies of the Gentils learne not and of the fignes of heauen which the heathen feare be not afraid â Because the lawes of the people are vaine because the worke of the hand of the artificer hath cut a tree out of the forest with an axe â with siluer and gold he hath decked it with nailes and hammers he hath compacted it that it fal not asunder â They are framed after the simulitude of a palme tree and shal not speake being caried they shal be remoued because they are not able to go Therefore feare them not because they can neither doe il nor wel â There is not the like vnto thee ô Lord thou art great and great is thy name in strength â Who shal not feare thee ô king of Nations For thine is the glorie among al the wise of the Gentiles in al their kingdoms there is none like vnto thee â They shal be proued altogether vnwise and foolish the doctrine of their vanitie is wood â Siluer wrapped vp is brought from Tharsis and gold from Ophaz the worke of the artificer and the handes of the coppersmith hyacinth and purple are their clothing al these thinges are the worke of artificers â But our Lord is the true God he is the liuing God and the King euerlasting at his indignation the earth shal be moued the Gentils shal not sustaine his threatning â Thus then you shal say to them The goddes that made not heauen and earth let them perish from of the earth and from these places that are vnder heauen â He that maketh the earth in his strength prepareth the world in his wisedom and with his prudence stretcheth out the heauens â At his voice he geueth a multitude of waters in the heauen lifteth vp the cloudes from the endes of the earth he maketh lightninges into rayne and bringeth forth the winde out of his treasures â Euerie man is become a foole for knowlege euery craftes man is confounded in the sculptil because it is false that he hath melted and there is no spirite in them â They are vaine thinges and a worke worthie to be laughed at in the time of their visitation they shal perish â The portion of Iacob is not like to these for it is he that formed al thinges and Israel is the rodde of his inheritance the Lord of hosts is his name â Gather thy confusion out of the land thou that dwellest in beseige â Because thus saith our Lord Behold I wil cast forth farre of the inhabitans of the land at this time I wil afflict them so that they may not be found â Woe is me for my destruction my plague is very sore But I said Truly this is myne infirmitie and I wil beare it â My tabernacle is wasted al my cordes are broken in sunder my children are gone out from me and are not there is none to stretch out my tent anie more to set vp my courtaines â Because the pastours haue done foolishly and haue not sought our Lord therefore haue they not vnderstood and al their flocke is dispersed â Loe the voice of a bruit cometh a great commotion from the land of the North to make the cities of Iuda a desert an habitation of dragons â I know Lord that mans way is not his owne neither is it in a man to walke and to direct his steppes â Correct me ô Lord but yet in iudgement and not in thy furie lest perhappes thou bring me to nothing â Power out thine indignation vpon the Gentiles that haue not knowen thee and vpon the prouinces that haue not inuocated thy name because they haue eaten Iacob and deuoured him and consumed him and haue dissipated his glorie CHAP. XI The Prophet being commanded to preach the obseruation of Gods couenant is not heard 9. The people folovv their fathers example adoring idols 11. and shal therefore be seuerely punished neither shal their idols nor prayers of the iust profite them 15. their malice against Christ is described 20. and the reuenge therof THE word that was made from our Lord to Ieremie saying â Heare ye the wordes of this couenant and speake to the men of Iuda and to the inhabitants of Ierusalem â and thou shalt say to them Thus saith our Lord the God of Israel Cursed is the man that shal not heare the wordes of this couenant â which I commanded your fathers in the day that I brought them out of the Land of Aegypt out of the yron fornace saying Heare ye my voice and doe al thinges that I command you and you shal be my people and I wil be your God â That I may raise vp the othe which I sware to your
hath wept in the night and her teares are on her cheekes there is none to comfort her of al her deare ones al her freindes haue despised her and are become her enimies Iudas is gone into transmigration because of affliction and the multitude of bondage she hath dwelt among the Gentiles neither hath she found rest al her persecuters haue apprehended her within the straites The waies of Sion mourne because there are none that come to the solemnitie al her gates are destroyed her priestes sighing her virgins lothsome and herself is oppressed with bitternes Her aduersaries are made in the head her enemies are enriched because our Lord hath spoken vpon her for the multitude of her iniquities her litle ones are led into captiuitie before the face of the afflicter And from the daughter of Sion al her beautie is departed her princes are become as rammes not fynding pastures and they are gone without strength before the face of the pursewer Ierusalem hath remembred the dayes of her affliction and preuarication of al her thinges worthie to be desyred which she had from the daies of old when her people fel in the enimies hand and there was no helper the enemies haue sene her and haue scorned her sabbathes Ierusalem hath sinned a sinne therfore is she made vnstable al that did glorifie her haue despised her because they haue sene her ignominie but she sighing is turned backward Her filthines is on her feete neither hath she remembred her end she is pulled downe excedingly not hauing a comforter see ô Lord mine affliction because the enemie is exalted The enimie hath thrust his hand to al her thinges worthie to be desyred because she hath sene the Gentiles enter into her sanctuarie of whom thou gauest commandment that they should not enter into thy church Al her people sighing and seeking bread they haue geuen al precious thinges for meate to refresh the soule see ô Lord and consider because I am become vyle O al ye that passe by the way attend and see if there be sorow like to my sorow because he hath made vintage of me as our Lord hath spoken in the day of the wrath of his furie From on high he hath cast a fyre in my bones and hath taught me he hath spred a net for my feete he hath turned me backward he hath made me desolate al the day consumed with sorow The yoke of mine iniquities hath watched they are folded together in his hand and put vpon my necke my strength is weakened our Lord hath geuen me into the hand from which I can not rise Our Lord hath taken away al my magnifical ones out of the middes of me he hath called a time against me to destroy mine elect our Lord hath troden the winepresse to the virgin the daughter of Iuda Therfore am I weeping and mine eye shedding teares because a comforter is made far from me conuerting my soule my children are become desolate because the enemie hath preuayled Sion hath spred forth her handes there is none to comfort her our Lord hath commanded against Iacob round about him are his enemies Ierusalem is become as a woman polluted with menstrous floores among them Our Lord is iust because I haue prouoked his mouth to wrath heare I beseech al ye peoples and see my sorow my virgins and my pong men are gone into captiuitie I haue called my freindes they haue deceiued me my priestes and my ancientes are consumed in the citie because they haue sought meat for themselues to refresh their soule See ô Lord that I am in tribulation my bellie is trubled my hart is ouerturned in myself because I am ful of bitternes the sword killeth abrode and at home it is lyke death They haue heard that I doe sigh and there is none to comfort me al mine enimies haue heard mine euil they haue reioyced because thou hast done it thou hast brought a day of consolation and they shal be made lyke to me Let al their euil enter in before thee and vintage them as thou hast vintaged me for al mine iniquities for my sighings are manie and my hart is sorowful CHAP. II. HOW hath our Lord in his furie couered the daughter of Sion with darknes cast forth the noble one of Israel from heauen to the earth and hath not remembred the footestoole of his feete in the day of his furie Our Lord hath cast downe headlong and hath not spared al the beautiful thinges of Iacob he hath destroyed in his furie the munitions of the virgin of Iuda and cast it downe to the ground he hath polluted the kingdom and the princes therof He hath broken euerie horne of Israel in the wrath of furie he hath turned away his right hand backward from the face of the enemie and he hath kinled in Iacob as it were the âyre of a flame deuouring round about He hath bent his bow as an enemie he hath fastned his right hand as an aduersarie and he hath killed al that was fayre to behold in the tabernacle of the daughter of Sion he hath powred out his indignation as fyre Our Lord is become as an enemie he hath cast downe Israel headlong he hath cast downe headlong al her walles he hath destroyed the munitions therof and hath replenished in the daughter of Iuda the humbled man and humbled woman And he hath destroyed his tent as a garden he hath throwen downe his tabernacle our Lord hath brought festiuitie and sabbath in Sion to obliuion and king and priest into reproch and into the indignation of his furie Our Lord hath reiected he hath cursed his sanctification he hath deliuered the walles of the towers therof into the hand of the enemie they haue made a noyse in the house of our Lord as in a solemne day Our Lord hath meant to destroy the wal of the daughter of Sion he hath streched out his corde and hath not turned away his hand from destruction and the forewal hath mourned and the wal is destroyed together Her gates are fastned in the ground he hath destroyed and broken ber barres her king and her princes in the Gentiles there is no law and her prophets haue not found vision from our Lord. The ancients of the daughter of Sion haue sitten on the ground they haue held their peace they haue sprinkled their heades with dust they are girded with heare clothes the virgins of Ierusalem haue cast downe their heades to the ground Myne eies haue fayled for teares my bowels are trubled my liuer is powred out on the earth for the destruction of the daughter of my people when the litle one and the sucking faynted in the streetes of the towne They sayd to their mothers Where is wheate and wyne when they faynted
Nazaraeos cont Ebionaeos S. Chrysostom Ser. de Trinit aduers Gentiles S. Augustin li. 18. c. 33. de Ciuit. Quest Vet. Noui Testat q. 102. S. Prosper par 2. c. 9. p. 3. c. 3. de promiss predict S. Theodoretus Dialogo 1. Eranistes who also writeth Comentaries vpon this booke as vpon diuine Scripture c. 2. v. 9. These and others alleage this Prophecie as Ieremies Some also vnder the name of Baruch As Origen li. 2. c. 3. Periarch S. Cyril of Alexandria li. 10. in Iulianum S. Gregorie Nyssen Orat. 1. de pauperibus amandis S. Athanasius Orat. 2. cont Arianos Though in his Synopsi he mentioneth not Baruch yet he as also S. Augustin l. 2. c. 8. Doct. Christ S. Gelacius dist 15. and others in their Catalogues of Canonical Scriptures comprehend this booke vnder the name of Ieremie But whether Baruch was the immediate Auctor vnder God or the writer therof as of an other mans Prophecie as the Euangelistes writte the wordes of Christ and others in the Gospels and in the Actes of the Apostles alwayes it is certaine the Holie Ghost directed him that he could not erre in writing it And the ancient Fathers and Councels euer accepted this booke as Diuine Scripture The Councel also of Laodicea in the last Canon expresly nameth Baruch Lamentations and Ieremies Epistle And lastly The Councels of Florence de Vnione Armenorum and of Trent Sess 4. expresly define that Baruch is Canonical Scripture In the Greke this booke is placed before the Lamentations which S. Ierom not finding in Hebrew nor in the Canon of the Iewes vrgeth it not against them Yet testifieth that he found it in the vulgate Latin Edition and that it conteineth manie thinges of Christ and the later times According to the historical sense the auctor in fiue chapters exhorteth the Iewes to repentance and patience prophecying that they should be brought into more distresse and captiuitie then as yet they were but should afterwards be released The sixt chapter is Ieremies Epistle THE PROPHECIE OF BARVCH CHAP. I. The Iewes in Babylon hauing heard Baruchs booke redde 6. send the same with money to Ierusalem 10. requesting their bretheren there to offer sacrifice and to pray for the king and prince of Babylon and for them 15. acknowleging their manifold sinnes AND these be the wordes of the booke that Baruch the sonne of Nerias the sonne of Maasias the sonne of Sedecias the sonne of Sedei the sonne of Helcias wrote in Babylon â in the fifth yeare in the seuenth day of the moneth at the time that the Chaldees tooke Ierusalem and burnt it with fyre â And Baruch redde the wordes of this booke vnto the eares of Iechonias the sonne of Ioakim king of Iuda and to the eares of al the people comming to the booke â and to the eares of the mightie the sonnes of the kinges and to the eares of the ancients and to the eares of the people from the least euen to the greatest of them that dwelt in Babylon by the riuer Sodi â Who hearing it wept and fasted and prayed in the sight of our Lord. â And they gathered money according as euerie mans hand was able â and they sent into Ierusalem to Ioakim the sonne of Helcias the sonne of Salom priest and to the priests and to al the people that were found with him in Ierusalem â When he tooke the vessels of the temple of our Lord which had bene taken away out of the temple to returne them into the Land of Iuda the tenth day of the moneth Siuan the siluer vessels which Sedecias the sonne of Iosias the king of Iuda made â after that Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon had taken Iechonias and the princes and al the mightie and the people of the land from Ierusalem and brought them bound into Babylon â And they said Behold we haue sent you money with the which bye ye holocausts and frankincense and make manna and offer for sinne at the altar of the Lord our God â and pray ye for the life of Nabuchodonosor the king of Babylon and for the life of Balthasar his sonne that their dayes may be as the dayes of heauen vpon the earth â and that our Lord geue vs strength and illuminate our eyes that we may liue vnder the shadow of Nabuchodonosor the king of Babylon and vnder the shadow of Balthasar his sonne and may serue them manie dayes and may find grace in their sight â And for our selues pray ye to the Lord our God because we haue sinned to the Lord our God and his furie is not turned away from vs euen to this day â And read ye this booke which we haue sent to you to be recited in the temple of our Lord in a solemne day and in a day couenient â And you shal say To the Lord our God iustice but to vs confusion of our face as is this day to al Iuda and them that dwel in Ierusalem â to our kinges and to our princes and to our priests and to our prophetes and to our fathers â We haue sinned before the Lord our God and beleued him not hauing diffidence in him â and we would not be made subiect to him and we haue not heard the voice of the Lord our God to walke in his commandments which he hath geuen vs. â From the day that he brought our fathers out of the Land of Aegypt euen to this day we would not be brought to beleue the Lord our God and * dissipated we reuolted that we might not heare his voice â And manie euils and maledictions haue clouen to vs which our Lord appoynted to Moyses his seruant who brought our fathers out of the Land of Aegypt to geue vs a land flowing with milke and honie as at this present day â And we haue not heard the voice of the Lord our God according to al the wordes of the prophets which he hath sent to vs â and we haue gone away euerie man into the sense of our malignant hart to serue strange goddes doing euils before the eyes of the Lord our God CHAP. II. The same captiues further confesse that their calamities are iustly comen vpon them for their iniquities 11. and therfore lamentably pray for Gods mercie as he promised by Moyses to penitents FOR the which thing the Lord our God hath established his word that he spake to vs and to our iudges that haue iudged Israel and to our kinges and to our princes and to al Israel and Iuda â that our Lord might bring vpon vs great euils which were not done vnder the heauen as haue bene done in Ierusalem according to the thinges that are written in the law of Moyses â that a man should eate the flesh of his sonne and the flesh of his daughter â And he hath geuen them vnder the hand of al the kinges that are round about vs into reproch and into
desolation among al peoples into which our Lord hath dispersed vs. â And we are made vnderneath and not aboue because we haue sinned to the Lord our God in not obeying his voice â To the Lord our God iustice but to vs and to our fathers confusion of face as is this day â Because our Lord hath spoken vpon vs al these euils that are come vpon vs â and we haue not besought the face of the Lord our God to returne euerie one of vs from our most wicked waies â And our Lord hath watched in euils and hath brought them vpon vs because our Lord is iust in al his workes which he hath commanded vs â and we haue not heard his voice to walke in the precepts of our Lord which he hath geuen before our face â And now ô Lord God of Israel which brought out thy people out of the Land of Aegypt in a strong hand and in signes and in wonders and in thy great strength and in a mightie arme and madest thee a name as is this day â we haue sinned we haue done impiously we haue dealt vniustly ô Lord our God in al thy iustices â Let thy wrath be turned away from vs because we are left a few among the nations where thou hast dispersed vs. â Heare ô Lord our prayers and our petitions and bring vs our for thine owne sake and grant vs to fynde grace before their face that haue led vs away â that al the earth may know that thou art the Lord our God and that thy name is inuocated vpon Israel and vpon his stocke â Looke ô Lord from thy holie house vpon vs and incline thine eare and heare vs. â Open thine eies see because the dead that are in hel whose spirite is taken from their bowels shal not geue honour and iustification to our Lord â but the soule that is sorowful for the greatnes of euil and goeth crooked and weake and the eyes fayling and the hungrie soule geueth glorie and iustice to thee their Lord. â For not according to the iustices of our fathers doe we powre out prayers and aske mercie before thy sight ô Lord our God â but because thou hast sent thy wrath and thy furie vpon vs as thou hast spoken by the hande of thy seruants the prophets saying â Thus sayth our Lord Bowe downe your shoulder your necke and doe workes for the king of Babylon and you shal sitte in the land which I haue geuen to your fathers â But if you wil not heare the voice of the Lord your God to worke for the king of Babylon I wil make you to faile out of the cities of Iuda and from without Ierusalem â and I wil take from you the voice of mirth and the voice of ioy and the voice of the bridegrome and the voice of the bride and al the land shal be without foote steppe that inhabite it â And they heard not thy voice to worke for the king of Babylon and thou hast established thy wordes which thou spakest by the handes of thy seruants the prophets that the bones of our kinges and of our fathers should be transported out of their place â and behold they are cast forth in the heare of the sunne and in the frost of the night and they are dead in verie sore paines in famine and by sword and by casting forth â And hast made the temple in which thy name was there inuocated as it is this day for the iniquitie of the house of Israel and of the house of Iuda â And thou hast done in vs ô Lord our God according to al thy goodnes and according to al that thy great compassion â as thou spakest by the hand of thy seruant Moyses in the day that thou didst command him to write thy law before the children of Israel â saying If you wil not heare my voice this great multitude shal be turned into a verie litle one among the Gentiles whither I wil disperse them â because I know that the people wil not heare me for it is a people of a stiffe necke and they shal be conuerted to their hart in the land of their captiuitie â and they shal knowe that I am the Lord their God and I wil geue them a hart and they shal vnderstand and eares and they shal heare â And they shal praise me in the land of their captiuitie and shal be mindful of my name â And they shal turne away them selues from their hard backe and from their malignant workes because they shal remember the way of their fathers that sinned against me â And I wil recal them backe into the land which I sware to their fathers Abraham Isaac and Iacob and they shal haue the dominion therof and I wil multiplie them and they shal not be lesned â And I wil establish vnto them an other testament euerlasting that I be their God and they shal be my people and I wil no more moue my people the children of Israel from the land that I haue geuen them CHAP. III. VVith further confession of their sinnes 8. they acknowledge their iust captiuitie 12. because they haue left true wisdome 16. which was geuen to their fathers 23. not to rich men or mightie giants 29. but to those that serue God 34. whom the starres obey 36. with a cleare prophecie of Christ. AND now ô Lord omnipotent God of Israel the soule in distresses the pensiue spirite cryeth to thee â heare Lord and haue mercie because thou art a merciful God and haue mercie vpon vs because we haue sinned before thee â Because thou sittest for euer and shal we perish euerlastingly â O Lord omnipotent God of Israel heare now the prayer of the dead of Israel and of their children that haue sinned before thee and haue not heard the voice of the Lord their God and euils haue stoocke fast to vs. â Remember not the iniquities of our fathers but remember thy hand and thy name in this time â because thou art the Lord our God and we wil praise thee ô Lord â because for this end thou hast geuen thy feare in our hartes and that we may inuocate thy name and may praise thee in our captiuitie because we are conuerted from the iniquitie of our fathers which haue sinned before thee â And behold we are in our captiuitie this day wherby thou hast dispersed vs into reproch and into malediction and into sinne according to al the iniquities of our fathers which haue reuolted from thee ô Lord our God â Heare Israel the commandments of life harken with your eares that you may know prudence â What is the matter Israel that thou art in the land of the enemies â Thou art waxen old in a strange land thou art defiled with the dead thou art reputed with them that goe downe into hel â Thou hast forsaken the fountaine of wisdom â for if thou
hadst walked in the way of God thou hadst verely dwelt in peace euerlasting â Learne where wisedom is where strength is where vnderstanding is that thou mayst know withal where is the long continuance of life and liuing where the light of the eyes and peace is â Who hath found the place therof and who hath entered into the treasures therof â Where are the princes of the Gentiles and they that rule ouer the beasts that are vpon the earth â that play with the birdes of the heauen â that treasure vp siluer and gold wherin men haue confidence and is there no end of their getting which fashion siluer are careful neither is there invention of their workes â They are destroyed and are gone downe to hel and others are risen vp in their place â Yong men saw the light and dwelt vpon the earth but the way of discipline they knew not â neither vnderstood they the pathes therof neither haue their children receiued it it is made farre from their face â It hath not bene heard in the Land of Chanaan neither hath it bene seene in Theman â The children of Agar also that seke out the prudence that is of the earth marchants of Merrhe and of Theman and fablers and searchers of prudence and vnderstanding but the way of wisedom they haue not knowne neither haue they remembreÌd the pathes therof â O Israel how great is the house of God and how great is the place of his possession â It is great and hath no end high and vnmesurable â There were the Giants those renowned that were from the beginning of big stature expert in warre â These did not our Lord choose neither found they the way of discipline therfore did they perish â And because they had not wisedom they perished through their follie â Who hath ascended into heauen and taken her and brought her downe from the clowdes â Who hath passed ouer the sea and found her and brought her aboue chosen gold â There is none that can know her waies nor that can search out her pathes â but he that knoweth al thinges knoweth her hath found her out by his prudence he that prepared the earth in time euerlasting and replenished it with cattel and fourefooted beastes â he that sendeth forth light and it goeth and hath called it and it obeyeth him with trembling â And the starres haue geuen light in their watches and reioyced â they were called and they said here we are and they haue shined to him with cheerfulnes that made them â This is out God and there shal none other be estemed against him â He found out al the way of discipline and deliuered it to Iacob his seruant and to Israel his beloued â After these thinges he was sene vpon the earth and was conuersant with men CHAP. IIII. Gods people neglecting his grace offered to them more then to other nations 6. are seuerely punished 15. by captiuitie 18. but are reserued 22. and repenting shal be released 31. and their enimies destroyed THIS is the booke of the commandments of God and the law that is for euer al that hold it shal come to life but they that haue forsaken it into death â Returne Iacob and take hold of it walke by the way to the brightnes of it against the light therof â Deliuer not thy glorie to an other dignitie to a strange nation â We are blessed ô Israel because the thinges that please God are manifest to vs. â Be of good comfort ô people of God memorable Israel â you are sold to the Gentiles not into perdition but for that in anger you prouoked God to wrath you are deliuered to the aduersaries â For you haue exasperated him that made you the eternal God immolating to diuels and not to God â For you haue forgotten God who hath nourished you and your nource Ierusalem you haue made sorowful â For she saw the wrath comming from God to you and she sayd Heare ye confines of Sion for God hath brought me great mourning â For I haue sene the captiuitie of my people and of my sonnes and daughters which the euerlasting hath brought vpon them â For I nourished them with ioyfulnes but I haue left them with weeping and mourning â Let no man reiovce ouer me a widow and desolate I am forsaken of manie for the sinnes of my children because they haue declined from the law of God â And his iustices they haue not knowne nor walked by the wayes of Gods commandments neither haue they entered by the pathes of his truth and iustice â Let the borderers of Sion come and remember the captiuitie of my sonnes daughters which the euerlasting hath brought vpon them â For he hath brought vpon them a nation from a farre a wicked nation and of an other tongue â which haue not reuerenced the ancient nor pitied the children haue led away the beloued of the widow and made the sole woman desolate of children â But as for me what can I helpe you â For he that hath brought the euils vpon you he wil deliuer you out of the handes of your enemies â walke children walke for I am left alone â I haue put of the stole of peace and I haue put vpon me the sackcloth of prayer and I wil crie to the Highest in my dayes â Be of good comfort my children crie to our Lord and he wil deliuer you out of the hand of the princes your enemies â For I haue hoped in the euerlasting for your saluation ioy is come to me from the holie one vpon the mercie which shal come to you from our euerlasting sauiour â For I sent you forth with mourning and weeping but our Lord wil bring you backe to me with ioy and gladnes for euer â For as the neighbours of Sion haue seene your captiuitie from God so shal they see also with celeritie your saluation from God which shal come vpon you with great honour and euerlasting brightnes â Children patiently sustaine the wrath which is come vpon you for thyne enemie hath persecuted thee but thou shalt quickly see his destruction and thou shalt get vp vpon his necke â My delicate ones haue walked rough waies for they are led as a flocke taken violently of the enemies â Be of good comfort children and crie out to our Lord for there shal be remembrance of you with him that hath led you away â For as your minde hath bene to stray from God ten tymes so much shal you returning againe seeke him â For he that hath brought the euils vpon you he againe wil bring vnto you euerlasting ioy with your saluation â Be of good comfort Ierusalem for he exhorteth thee that named thee â The wicked afflicters shal perish that haue vexed thee they that haue reioyced in thy ruine shal be punished â The cities which thy children haue serued shal be punished
gouerners by surreption suggested to the king and spake thus vnto him King Darius for euer liue â Al the princes of the kingdom the magistrates and gouerners the senatours and iudges haue taken counsel that there goe forth an imperial decree and an edict That euerie one which shal aske any petition of whatsoeuer God or man vntil thirtie dayes but of thee ô king he be cast into the lake of lions â Now therfore ô king confirme the sentence and write the decree that it may not be changed which is decreed by the Medes and the Persians nor be lawful for anie man to transgresse it â Moreouer king Darius put forth the edict and decreed it â Which when Daniel had perceiued that is to say the law determined he went into his house and the windowes being opened in his vpper chamber three times in a day toward Ierusalem bowed he his knees and adored and confessed before his God as also he had accustomed to doe before â Those men therfore searching curiousely found Daniel praying and beseching his God â And coming they spake to the king vpon the edict O king hast thou not decreed that euerie man which should aske any of the goddes men vntil thirtie dayes but thyself ô king he should be cast into the lake of lions To whom the king answering said The word is true according to the decree of the Medes and Persians which it is not lawful to transgresse â Then they answering sayd before the king Daniel of the children of the captiuitie of Iuda hath not cared for thy law and for the edict that thou madest but three times in a day he prayeth with his prayer â Which word when the king had heard he was strooken very sad and for Daniel he set his hart to deliuer him and euen vntil sunne set he laboured to deliuer him â But those men perceiuing the king said to him know thou ô king that the law of Medes and Persians is that euerie decree which the king hath determined is not lawful to be changed â Then the king commanded and they brought Daniel and cast him into the lake of lions And the king said to Daniel Thy God whom thou doest worshippe alwayes he wil deliuer thee â And there was a stone brought and layd vpon the mouth of the lake which the king sealed with his ring and with the ring of his nobles that nothing should be done against Daniel â And the king went into his house and slept vnsupped and meates were not brought before him moreouer also sleepe departed from him â Then the king rising in the very first breake of day went in hast to the lake of the lions â and approching to the lake cried on Daniel with a weeping voice and spake vnto him Daniel seruant of the liuing God thy God whom thou seruest alwayes hath he bene able thinkest thou to deliuer thee from the lions â And Daniel answering the king said King for euer liue â My God hath sent his Angel and hath shut vp the mouthes of the lions and they haue not hurt me because before him iustice hath bene found in me yea and before thee ô king I haue done no offence â Then was the king exceding glad vpon him he commanded Daniel to be brought out of the lake and Daniel was brought out of the lake and no hurt was found in him because he beleued his God â And by the kings comandment those men were brought that had accused Daniel and they were cast into the lake of the lions themselues and their children and their wiues and they came not to the pauement of the lake til the lions caught them brake al their bones in peeces â Then Darius the king wrote to al peoples tribes and tongues dwelling in the whole earth PEACE be multiplied vnto you â By me a decree is made that in al myne empire and my kingdom they dread and feare the God of Daniel for he is the liuing and eternal God for euer and his kingdom shal not be dissipated his power euen for euer â He is the deliuerer and sauiour doing signe meruels in heauen and in earth who hath deliuered Daniel out of the lake of the lions â Moreouer Daniel continued vnto the kingdom of Darius and the kingdom of Cyrus the Persian CHAP. VII Daniel seeth foure windes fighting and foure terrible beastes rising from the sea 9. God sitting in a throne and serued by innumerable Angels 11. The greatest beast is slaine and the powre of the rest diminished 13. The Sonne of man receiueth eternal powre of God 15. The prophet much terrified is instructed that the foure beastes signifie foure kingdoms 19. The greatest shal preuaile for a while 26. but shortly perish IN the first yeare of Baltassar the king of Babylon Daniel saw a dreame the vision of his head in his bed and writing the dreame he comprehended it in a short speach and in summe comprising it he said â I saw in my vision by night and behold the foure windes of heauen fought in the great sea â And foure great beasts came vp out of the sea diuerse one from an other â The first as it were alyonesse she had the wings of an eagle I beheld til her winges were plucked of and she was lifted vp from the earth she stood vpon the fete as a man the hart of a man was geuen to her â And behold an other beast like a beare stood a side and there were three rewes in the mouth therof and in the teeth therof thus they said to it Arise eate very much flesh â After this I beheld and loe an other as it were a leopard and it had winges as of a bird foure vpon it there were foure heades in the beast and powre was geuen to it â After this I beheld in the vision of the night and loe g a fourth beast terrible and meruelous and strong excedingly it had great yron teeth eating and breaking and treading the rest with her fete and it was vnlike to the other beasts which I had sene before it and it had tenne hornes â I considered the hornes and behold an other h litle horne sprang out of the middes of them and three of the first hornes were plucked of at the presence therof and loe eyes as it were the eyes of a man were in this horne a mouth speaking great wordes â I beheld til thrones were set and i the ancient of dayes sate his vesture white as snow and the heares of his head as cleane wool his throne flames of fire his wheeles fire kindled â A fire swieft streame came forth from his face k thousandes of thousands ministred to him l tenne thousand hundred thousands assisted him iudgement sate and the bookes were opened â I beheld because of the voice of the great wordes which that horne spake and I saw
eyes the same is the first king â But wheras that being broken there rose vp foure for it foure kinges shal rise vp of his nation but not in his strength â And after their reigne when iniquities shal be increased there shal arise a king impudent of face and vnderstanding propositions â And his strength shal be made strong but not in his owne strength and more then can be beleued shal he waste al thinges and shal prosper and doe And he shal kil the strong and the people of the saints â according to his wil and craft shal be directed in his hand and he shal magnifie his hart and in the abundance of al thinges he shal murder very manie agaynst the prince of princes shal he arise without hand he shal be destroyed â the vision of the euening and the morning which hath bene sayd is true thou therfore seale the vision because it shal be after manie dayes â And I Daniel languished and was sicke for certaine dayes and when I was risen vp I did the kings workes and was astonied at the vision and there was none that could interprete it CHAP. IX Daniel confessing that they are iustly afflicted for their sinnes 15. prayeth for speedie mercie 20. An Angel signifieth to him that within seuentie wekes of yeares Christ wil come 26. and be slayne his people the Iewes denying him whom he wil therfore reiect IN the first yeare of Darius the sonne of Assuerus of the seede of the Medes who reigned ouer the kingdom of the Chaldees â the first yeare of his kingdom I Daniel vnderstood in bookes the number of the yeares wherof the word of our Lord was made to Ieremie the prophete that seuentie yeares should be accomplished of the desolation of Ierusalem â And I sette my face to our Lord my God to pray and besech in fastinges sackcloth and ashes â And I prayed our Lord my God and I confessed and said I besech thee ô Lord God great and terrible which keepest couenant mercie to them that loue thee and keepe thy commandements â We haue sinned we haue done iniquitie we haue dealt impiously and haue reuolted we haue declined from thy commandments and iudgements â We haue not obeyed thy seruants the prophets that haue spoken in thy name to our kinges to our princes to our fathers and to al the people of the land â To thee ô Lord iustice but to vs confusion of face as is to day to the man of Iuda and to the inhabiters of Ierusalem and to al Israel to them that are nere and to them that are farre of in al the landes to which thou hast cast them out for their iniquities in which they haue sinned against thee â O Lord to vs confusion of face to our princes to our fathers that haue sinned â But to thee Lord our God mercie and propiciation because we haue reuolted from the â and haue not heard the voice of the Lord our God to walke in his law which he gaue vs by his seruants the prophetes â And al Israel haue transgressed thy law and haue declined from hearing thy voice and the malediction hath distilled vpon vs the detestation which is written in the booke of Moyses the seruant of God because we haue sinned to him â And he hath established his wordes which he spake vpon vs and vpon our princes that iudged vs that he would bring in vpon vs a great euil such as neuer was vnder al the heauen according to that which hath bene done in Iersalem â As it is written in the law of Moyses al this euil is come vpon vs and we besought not thy face ô Lord our God that we might returne from our iniquities might thinke on thy truth â And our Lord hath watched vpon the malice and hath brought it vpon vs iust is the Lord our God in al his workes which he hath done for we haue not heard his voice â And now ô Lord our God which broughtest forth thy people out of the Land of Aegypt in a strong hand madst thee a name according to this day we haue sinned we haue done iniquitie â O Lord according to al thy iustice but let thy wrath be turned away I besech thee and thy furie from thy citie Ierusalem from thy holie mount For by reason of our sinnes and the iniquities of our fathers Ierusalem and thy people are a reproch to al round about vs. â Now therfore heare ô our God the petition of thy seruant his prayers and shew thy face vpon thy sanctuarie which is desert for thyne owne sake â Incline my God thine eare heare open thine eyes and see our desolation the citie vpon which thy name is inuocated for neither in our iustifications doe we prostrate prayers before thy face but in thy manie commiserations â Heare ô Lord be pacified ô Lord attend doe delay not for thine owne sake my God because thy name is inuocated vpon thy citie vpon thy people â And when I yet spake prayed and confessed my sinnes and the sinnes of my people of Israel and did prostrate my prayers in the sight of my God for the holie mount of my God â as I was yet speaking in prayer loe the man Gabriel whom I had sene in the vision from the beginning quickly flying touched me in the time of the euening sacrifice â And he taught me and spake to me sayd Daniel now am I come forth to teach thee and that thou mighst vnderstand â From the beginning of thy prayers the word came forth and I am come to shew it to thee because thou art a man of desires and doe thou marke the word and vnderstand the vision â Seuentie weekes are abbridged vpon thy people vpon thy holie citie that preuarication may be consummate and sinne take an end iniquitie be abolished and euerlasting iustice be brought vision be accomplished and prophecie the Holie one of holies be anointed â Know therfore marke From the going forth of the word that Ierusalem be built againe vnto Christ the prince there shal be seuen weekes sixtie two weekes the streete shal be built againe the walles in * straitnes of the times â And after sixty two weekes Christ shal be slaine and it shal not be his people that shal denie him And the city the sanctuary shal the people dissipate with the prince to come the end therof waste after the end of the battel the appoynted desolation â And he wil confirme the couenant to manie one weeke and in the halfe of the weeke shal the hoste the sacrifice fayle and there shal be in the temple the abomination of desolation euen to the consummation and to the end shal the desolation endure CHAP. X. After fasting other voluntarie afflictions 4. Daniel seing a
garments that stood vpon the waters of the riuer when he had lifted vp his right hand his left hand vnto heauen and had sworne by him that liueth for euer that â vnto a time times the halfe of a time And when the dispersion of the hand of the holie people shal be accomplished al these thinges shal be accomplished â And I heard vnderstood not And I sayd My Lord what shal be after these things â And he said Goe Daniel because the wordes are shut vp and sealed vntil the prefixed time â Manie shal be chosen and made white shal be tried as fyre and the impious shal doe impiousely neither shal al the impious vnderstand but the learned shal vnderstand â And from the time f when the continual sacrifice shal be taken away and the abomination to desolation shal be set vp a thousand two hundred ninetie dayes â Blessed is he that expecteth and cometh vnto dayes g a thousand three hundred thirtie fiue â But thou h goe vntil the time prefixed and thou shalt rest and stand in thy lotte vnto the end of the dayes ANNOTATIONS CHAP. XII 7. Vnto a time and times and half a time Our Sauiour saying Matt. 24. v. 22 that the dayes of Antichrists great persecution shal be shortned and Apoc. 17. v. 10. the great persecutor that is to come must tarie a shorte time it is necessarie to say that the time of the same persecutor here signified to Daniel as also before ch 7. v. 25. repeted Apoc 12 v. 14 by these termes of a time times and half a time can not possibly importe any long time And therfore the ancient Fathers vniformely vnderstand by a time one yeare by times two yeares and so by half a time half a yeare Vvhich is somewhat more clere in other termes in this ch v. 11. by a thousand tvvo hundred ninetie dayes v. 12. a thousand three hundred thirtie dayes Apoc. 11. v. 3. Two witnesses shal prophecie against Antichrist a thousand two hundred sixtie dayes Apoc 12. v 6. The Church shal be fedde in the wildernes the same number of dayes 1260. But most clerly Apoc. 11. v. 2 Apo. 13. v. 5. this great persecution shal indure 42. monethes that is three yeares a half Hitherto vve read Daniel in the Hebrevv volume That vvhich folovveth euen to the end of the booke is translated out of Theodotions Edition CHAP. XIII Two old iudges ouercomen with carnal concupiscence tempt chaste Susanna 22. who constantly resisting 27. is by them falsly accused 41. condemned of adultrie 45. Daniel conuinceth them of false testimonie 60. and they are punished with death AND there was a man dwelling in Babylon and this name Ioakim â he tooke a wife named Susanna the daughter of Helcias exceding fayre and fearing God â For her parents being iust instructed their daughter according to the law of Moyses â And Ioakim was very rich and he had an orchard nere vnto his house and to him the Iewes resorted together because he was the more honorable of al. â And there were b two ancients appointed iudges in that yeare of whom our Lord spake That iniquities came out of Babylon from the seniour iudges that semed to rule the people â These frequented the house of Ioakim and al that had iudgements came to them â And when the people returned at noone Susanna went in and walked in her husbands orchard â and the ancients saw her dayly going in and walking and they were inflamed to the concupiscence of her â and they subuerted their sense and declined their eyes that they would not see heauen nor remember iust iudgements â They were both therfore wounded with the loue of her neither did they shew their griefe one to the other â for they were ashamed to shew one an other their concupiscence being desirous to lie with her â and they watched euerie day carefully to see her And one sayd to the other â Let vs goe home because it is the houre of dinner And going forth they departed one from an other â And when they were returned they came into one place and asking of each other the cause they confessed their concupiscence and then in commune they appoynted a time when they might fynd her alone â And it came to passe when they obserued a fitte day she went in on a time as yesterday and the day before with two maydes onlie would be washed in the orchard for it was an hote season â And there was none there but the two ancients hid beholding her â She therfore sayd to the maydes Fetch me oile and washing balles and shut the doores of the orchard that I may be washed â And they did as she had commanded and they shut the doores of the orchard and went out by a backe doore to fetch the thing that she had commanded and they knew not that the ancients were hid within â But when the maydes were gone forth the two ancients arose and ranne to her and sayd â Loe the doores of the orchard be shut and no bodie seeth vs and we are in the concupiscence of thee wherfore consent to vs and lie with vs. â and if thou wilt not we wil geue testimonie against thee that there was a yong man with thee and for this cause thou didst send out thy maydes from thee â Susanna sighed and sayd Perplexities are to me on euerie side for if I shal doe this it is death to me and if I doe it not I shal not escape your handes â But it is better for me without the act to fal into your handes then to sinne in the sight of our Lord. â And Susanna cried out with a lowd voice but the ancients also cried out against her â And one ranne to the doore of the orchard and opened it â when the seruants therfore of the house had heard the crie in the orchard they rushed in by the backe doore to see what it was â And after the ancients spake the seruants were ashamed excedingly because neuer had there bene such a word sayd of Susanna And the morow came â And when the people was come to Ioakim her husband the two ancients also came ful of vniust cogitation against Susanna to put her to death â And they sayd before the people Send to Susanna daughter of Helcias the wife of Ioakim And forth with they sent â And she came with her parents and children and al her kinne â Moreouer Susanna was exceding delicate and beautiful of face â But those wicked men commanded that she should be vncouered for she whas couered that so at least they might be satisfied with her beautie â Her frendes therfore wept al that had knowne her â But the two ancients rysing vp in the middes of the people layd their handes vpon her head â Who weeping looked vp to heauen for
her hart had confidence in our Lord. â And the ancients sayd When we walked alone in the orchard this woman came in with two maydes shut the doores of the orchard and she sent away the maydes from her â And a yongman that was hid came to her and lay with her â But we being in a corner of the orchard seeing the iniquitie ranne to them and saw them lie together â And him in deed we could not take because he was stronger then we and opening the doores he lept out â but her when we apprehended we asked what yongman it was and she would not tel vs of this thing we are witnesses â The multitude beleued them as the ancients and the iudges of the people and they condemned her to death But Susanna cried out with a lowd voice and sayd Eternal God which art the knower of hidden things before they come to passe â thou knowest that they haue borne false witnes against me and loe I dye wheras I haue done none of these thinges which these men haue maliciousely forged against me â And our Lord heard her voice â and when she was led to death our Lord raysed vp the holie spirit of a yong boy whose name was Daniel â and he cried out with alowd voice I am cleane from the bloud of this woman â And al the people turning to him sayd What is this word that thou hast spoken â Who when he stood in the middes of them sayd So folish ye children of Israel not iudgeing nor discerning that which is the truth haue you condemned the daughter of Israel â Returne ye to iudgement because they haue spoken false testimonie against her â The people therfore returned with speede and the ancients sayd to him Come and sitte in the middes of vs and tel vs because God hath geuen thee the honour of old age â And Daniel sayd to the people Separate them far one from an other and I wil discouer them â When they were therfore diuided one from the other he called one of them and said to him O thou inueterated of euil dayes now are thy sinnes come which thou didst committe before iudging vniust iudgements oppressing innocents and dismissing offenders our Lord saying The innocent and the iust thou shalt not kil â Now then if thou sawest her tel vnder what tree thou sawest them talking together Who sayd Vnder a schine tree â And Daniel sayd Wel hast thou lyed agaynst thine owne head for behold the Angel of God taking the sentence of him shal cut thee in the middes â And remouing him away he commanded that the other should come and he sayd to him Seede of Chanaan and not of Iuda beautie hath deceiued thee and concupiscence hath subuerted thy hart â so did you to the daughters of Israel and they fearing spake to you but the daughter of Iuda did not abide your iniquitie â Now therfore tel me vnder what tree thou tookest them speaking one to an other Who said Vnder a prine tree â And Daniel said to him Wel hast thou also lyed against thine owne head for the Angel of our Lord tarieth hauing a sword that he may cut thee in the middes and kil you â Therfore al the assemblie cried out with a lowd voice and they blessed God which saueth them that hope in him â And they rose vp against the two elders for Daniel had conuinced them by their owne mouth to haue geuen false testimonie and they did to them as they had dealt naughtely against their neighbour â to doe according to the law of Moyses they killed them and innocent bloud was saued in that day â But Helcias and his wyfe praysed God for their daughter Susanna with Ioakim her husband and al her kinne because there was no vnhonest thing found in her â And Daniel became great in the sight of the people from that day thence forward â And king Astyages was layd to his fathers Cyrus the Persian receiued his kingdom CHAP. XIIII Daniel detecteth the fraud of Bels priestes who pretend that Bel eateth much meate 21. for which they are slaine and the idol destroyed 22. Likewise he destroyeth a dragon which the Babylonians held for a god 27. He is cast into the lake of seuen lions 32. whithet Habacuc miraculously bringeth him meate 39. the lions hurt him not his accusers are deuoured AND Daniel was the kings ghest and honoured aboue al his freindes â There was also an idol among the Babylonians named Bel and there were bestowed on him euerie day of floure twelue aâctabaes and fourtie sheepe and of wine six great pottes â The king also did worshipe him and went euery day to adore him But Daniel adored his God the king sayd to him Why dost thou not adore Bel. â Who answering sayd to him Because I worshipe not idols made with hand but the liuing God that created heauen and earth and hath powre ouer al flesh â And the king sayd to him Doeth not Bel some vnto thee to be a liuing God Seest thou not how much he eateth and drinketh euerie day â And Daniel smiling sayd Be not deceiued ô king For this same is within of clay and without of brasse neither hath he eaten at any time â And the king being wrath called his priests sayd to them Vnlesse you tel me who it is that eateth these expenses you shal dye â But if you shew that Bel eateth these things Daniel shal dye because he hath blasphemed against Bel. And Daniel sayd to the king Be it done according to thy woord â And the priests of Bel were seuentie beside their wiues and litle ones children And the king came with Daniel into the temple of Bel. â And the priestes of Bel sayd Behold we goe forth thou ô king set the meates mingle the wine shut the doore seale it with thy ring â and when thou shalt come in the morning vnles thou finde al eaten of Bel dying we wil dye or Daniel that hath lyed against vs. â And they contemned because they had made vnder the table a secrete entrance by it they came in alwayes and deuoured those thinges â It came to passe therfore after they were gone out the king set the meates before Bel Daniel commanded his seruants and they brought ashes and he sifted them ouer al the temple before the king and going forth they shut the doore and sealing it with the kings ring they departed â But the priestes went in by night according to their custome and their wiues and their children and they did eate and drinke al. â And the king arose in the first breake of day and Daniel with him â And the king sayd Are the seales safe Daniel Who answered Safe ô king â And forth with when he had opened the doore the king looking on the table cried out with a lowd
that had bene at Rome an hostage and he reigned in the hundreth and seuen and thirteth yeare of the kingdom of the Greekes â In those dayes there went forth of Israel wicked children perswaded manie saying Let vs goe and make a couenant with the Gentils that are about vs because since we departed from them manie euils haue found vs. â And the talke semed good in their eyes â And some of the people determined and went to the king and he gaue them leaue to doe the iustice of the Gentils â And they built a schoole in Ierusalem according to the lawes of the Nations â and they made to them selues prepuces and reuolted from the holie testament and were ioyned to the Nations and were solde to doe euil â And the kingdom was prepared in the sight of Antiochus he begane to reigne in the land of Egypt that he might reigne ouer two kingdoms â And he entered into Aegypt with great multitude with chariots and elephants and horsemen and a copious multitude of shippes â And he made warre agaynst Ptolomee the king of Egypt and Ptolomee was afrayd at his presence and fled and manie fel wounded â And he tooke the fensed cities in the land of Aegypt and he tooke the spoiles of the land of Aegypt â And Antiochus turned after he strooke Aegypt in the hundreth and three and fourtith yeare and he went vp to Israel â and went vp to Ierusalem with a great multitude â And he entered into the sanctification with pride tooke the golden altar and the candlesticke of light and al the vessels therof and the table of proposition and the libatories and the phials and the litle morrers of gold and the vele and the crownes and the golden ornament that was in the face of the temple and he brake al into pâeces â And he tooke the siluer and gold and the desiderable vessels and he tooke the hidden treasures which he found and carying away he departed into his owne land â And he made a slaughter of men and spake in great pride â And great lamentation was made in Israel and in euerie place of theirs â and the princes and the ancients mourned and the youngmen and the virgins were weakned and the beautifulnes of the wemen was changed â Euerie husband tooke lamentation and the wemen that sate in the mariage bed mourned â and the land was moued vpon the inhabitants therein al the house of Iacob did put on confusion â And after two yeares of dayes the king sent a prince of tributes into the cities of Iuda he came to Ierusalem with a great multitude â And he spake vnto them peaceable wordes in guile and they beleued him â And he fel vpon the citie sodenly and stroke it with a great plague and destroyed much people in Israel â And he tooke the spoiles of the citie and burnt it with fyre and destroyed the houses therof and the walles therof round about â and they led the wemen captiue and the children and the cattel they possessed â And they built the citie of Dauid with a great wal and a strong and with firme towers and it was made a castel for them â and they placed there a sinful nation wicked men and they waxed strong therein And they layd armour and victuals and gathered together the spoiles of Ierusalem â and layd them vp there and they became a great snare â And this was made for an embushment of the sanctification and to be an il deuil in Israel â And they shed innocent bloud round about the sanctification and contaminated the sanctification â And the inhabitants of Ierusalem fled by reason of them and it became the habitation of strangers and she became stranger to her owne seede and her children forsooke her â Her sanctification was desolate as a wildernes her festiual dayes were turned into mourning her sabbaths into reproche her honours into naught â According to her glorie was her ignominie multiplied and her highnes was turned into mourning â And king Antiochus wrote to al his kingdom that al the people should be one and euerie one should leaue his owne law â And al Nations consented according to the word of king Antiochus â and manie of Israel consented to his seruice and they sacrificed to idols and defiled the sabbath â And the king sent bookes by the handes of messengers into Ierusalem into al the cities of Iuda that they should folow the law of the Nations of the earth â and should prohibite holocausts and sacrifices placations to be made in the temple of God â and should prohibite the sabbath to be celebrated and the solemne dayes â And he commanded the holie places to be defiled and the holie people of Israel â And he commanded altars to be built and temples and idols and swines flesh to be immolated and common beasts â and to leaue their children vncircumcised and their soules to be contaminated in al vncleannesses and abominations so that they should forget the law and should change al the iustifications of God â And whosoeuer had not done acording to the word of king Antiochus they should dye â According to al these words wrote he to al his kingdom and he appoynted princes ouer the people that should force these thinges to be done â And they commanded the cities of Iuda to sacrifice â And manie of the people were gathered to them they that had forsaken the law of our Lord and they did euils vpon the land â and they chased forth the people of Israel in hidden corners and in the secret places of fugitiues â The fiftenth day of the moneth Casleu the hundreth fiue and fourtith yeare king Antiochus built the abominable idol of desolation vpon the altar of God and through out al the cities of Iuda round about they builded altars â and before the gates of houses and in the stretes they burnt frankincense sacrificed â and the bookes of the law of God they burnt with fyre cutting them â and with whomsoeuer were found the bookes of the testament of our Lord and whosoeuer obserued the law of our Lord they murdered him according to the edict of the king â In their powre did they these thinges to the people of Israel that was found in euerie moneth and moneth in the cities â And the fiue and twentith day of the moneth they sacrificed vpon the altar that was agaynst the altar â And the wemen that circumcided their children were murdered according to the commandment of king Antiochus â and they hang vp the children by the necks through out al their houses and those that had circumcided them they murdered â And manie of the people of Israel determined with themselues that they would not eate the vncleane thinges they chose rather to dye then to be defiled with vncleane meates â they would not breake the
holie law of God they were murdered â and there was made great wrath vpon the people excedingly CHAP. II. Mathathias with his fiue sonnes lamenteth the calamities of the people 8. and prophanation of holie thinges 15. resisteth the kings wicked decrees 23. killeth an idolater and the kings commissioner so flyeth into the mountaines with others 31. Manie are slaine not resisting in battel on the sabbath dayes 40. Vpon further consideration the rest defend themselues in the sabbath 45. kil their enimies and destroy idolatrie 49. Mathathias dying exhorteth his sonnes to be zelous in the law 65. appoynting Simon their counseler and Iudas their capitaine IN those dayes arose Mathathias the sonne of Iohn the sonne of Simeon priest of the sonnes of Ioarib from Ierusalem and he sate in the mountayne of Modin â and he had fiue sonnes Iohn who was surnamed Gaddis â and Simon who was surnamed Thasi â and Iudas who was called Machabeus â and Eleazar who was surnamed Abaron and Ionathan who was surnamed Apphus â These saw the euils that were done in the people of Iuda and in Ierusalem â And Mathathias sayd Wo is me wherfore was I borne to see the affliction of my people and the affliction of the holie citie and to sitte there when it is geuen in the handes of the enemies â The holie places are come into the hand of strangers the temple therof as an ignoble man â The vessels of her glorie are caried away captiue her old men are murdered in the streets and her youngmen are fallen by the sword of the enemies â What nation hath not inherited her kingdom and hath not obteyned her spoiles â Al her beautie is taken away She that was free is made a seruant â And loe our holies and out beautie and our glorie is desolate and the Nations haue defiled them â Whereto then is it for vs yet to liue â And Mathathias rent his garments his sonnes and they couered themselues with heareclothes and lamented excedingly â And there came thither they that were sent from king Antiochus to compel them that were fled into the citie of Modin to immolate and to burne frankincense and to depart from the law of God â And manie of the people of Israel consenting came to them but Mathathias and his sonnes stood constantly â And they that were sent from Antiochus answering sayd to Mathathias Thou art the prince and most honorable and great in this citie and adorned with sonnes and bretheren â Therfore come thou first and doe the kings commandement as al Nations haue done and the men of Iuda and they that are remayning in Ierusalem thou shalt be and thy sonnes among the kings frends amplified with gold and siluer and manie giftes â And Mathathias answered sayd with a lowde voice Although al Nations obey king Antiochus that euerie man reuolt from the seruice of the law of his fathers and consent to his commandements â I and my sonnes and my bretheren wil obey the law of our fathers â God be merciful vnto vs it is not profitable for vs to forsake the law and the iustices of God â we wil not heare the wordes of king Antiochus neither wil we sacrifice transgressing the commandments of our law to go an other way â And as he ceased to speake these words there came a certayne lewe in the eyes of al to sacrifice to the idols vpon the altar in the citie of Modin according to the kings commandment â And Mathathias saw and was sorie and his reynes trembled and his furie was kindled according to the iudgement of the law and flying vpon him he slew him vpon the altar â yea and the man whom king Antiochus had sent which compelled them to immolate he slewe in that verie time and destroyed the altar â and zeled the law as did Phinees to Zamri the sonne of Salomi â And Mathathias cried out with a lowde voice in the citie saying Euerie one that hath zele of the law establishing his testament let him comeforth after me â And he fled himself and his sonnes into the mountaynes and left al thinges whatsoeuer they had in the citie â Then came downe manie seeking iudgement and iustice into the desert â and they sate there them selues and their children and their wiues and their cattel because the euils ouerflowed vpon them â And it was reported to the kings men and to the armie that was in Ierusalem in the citie of Dauid that certayne men which dissipated the kings commandment were departed into secrete places in the desert and manie were gone after them â And forthwith they went forwards towards them and set battel against them in the day of the Sabbaths â and they sayd to them Doe you resist now also as yet comeforth and doe accordidg to the word of king Antiochus and you shal liue â And they sayd We wil not come forth neither wil we doe the kings word to pollute the day of the Sabbaths â And they hastened battel against them â And they answered them not neither did they cast a stone at them nor stopped the secrete places â saying Let vs dye al in our simplicitie and heauen and earth shal be witnesses vpon vs that you vniustly destroy vs. â And they gaue them battel on the Sabbaths and there died they their wiues their children and their cattel euen to a thousand soules of men â And Mathathias vnderstood it and his freinds and they had lamentation vpon them excedingly â And euerie man sayd to his neighbour If we shal al doe as our bretheren haue done and shal not fight against the heathen for our liues and our iustifications now wil they quickly destroy vs from the earth â And they thought in that day saying Euerie man whosoeuer shal come vnto vs in battel on the day of the Sabbaths let vs fight against him and we wil not al dye as our bretheren died in secrete places â Then was there gathered to them the synagoge of the Asside ans strong of force out of Israel euerie voluntarie in the law â and al that fled from the euils were added to them were made a strength to them â And they gathered an armie and stroke the sinners in their wrath and the wicked men in their indignation and the rest fled to the nations to escape â And Mathathias went round about and his freindes and they destroyed the altars â and they circumcided the vncircumcised children as manie as they found in the costs of Israel and in strength â And they persecuted the children of pride and the worke prospered in their handes â and they obteyned the law out of the handes of the nations and out of the handes of the kinges they gaue not the horne to the sinner â And the dayes of Mathathias approched to dye he sayd to his sonnes Now is pride strengthned and chastisement and the time of
riuer Euphrates euen to the riuer of Aegypt â and that he should bring vp Antiochus his sonne til he returned â And he deliuered to him half the armie and Elephants and he gaue him in commandment concerning al thinges that he would concerning the inhabitants of Iurie and Ierusalem â and that he should send an armie to them to destroy and roote out the powre of Israel and the remnant of Ierusalem and to take away the memorie of them out of the place â and that he should appoynt inhabitants in al their costs children strangers should by lot distribute their land â And the king tooke the part of the armie that remayned and went forth from Antioch the citie of his kingdom in the yeare an hundreth and seuen and fourtie and he passed ouer the riuer Euphrates walked through the higher countries â And Lysias chose Ptolomee the sonne of Doryminus and Nicanor and Gorgias mightie men of the kings freindes â And he sent with them fourtie thousand men and seuen thousand horsemen that they should come into the land of Iuda and should destroy it according to the word of the king â And they went forth with al their power and came and ioyned nere to Enimaum in the champaine countrie â And the merchants of the countries heard the name of them and they tooke siluer and gold exceding much and seruants and they came into the campe to take the children of Israel for slaues and there were added to them the armie of Syria and of the land of the strangers â And Iudas saw and his bretheren that the euils were multiplied and the armies approched to their borders and they knew the kings words which he commanded to doe to the people vnto destruction and consummation â and they sayd euerie one to his neighbour Let vs set vp the abasing of our people and let vs fight for our people and our holies â And an assemblie was gathered that they should be readie vnto battel and that they should pray and desire mercie and miserations â And Ierusalem was not inhabited but was as a desert there was none that came in and went out of her children and the holie place was conculcated and the children of strangers were in the castel there was the inhabitation of the Gentils and pleasure was taken away from Iacob and there failed their pipe and harpe â And they gathered together and came into Maspha against Ierusalem because the place of prayer in Israel was in Maspha before â And they fasted that day and clothed themselues with heareclothes and put ashes on their head and they rent their garments â and they layd open the bookes of the law out of which the Gentils searched the similitude of their idols â and they brought the ornaments of priests and first fruites and tithes and raysed vp Nazareits that had fulfilled their dayes â and they cried with a lowd voice to heauen saying What shal we doe with these whither shal we carie them â And thy holies are conculcated and they are contaminated and thy priests are brought into mourning and into humiliation â And behold the Nations are come together against vs to destroy vs thou knowest what thinges they intend against vs. â How shal we be able to stand before their face vnles thou ô God doe helpe vs â And with trumpets they cried out with a lowd voice â And after these thinges Iudas appointed captaynes of the people tribunes and centurions and a seargents and decurions â And he sayd to them that built houses and despoused wiues and planted vyneyards and to the fearful that euerie one should returne into his house according to the law â And they remoued the campe and pitched at the South of Emmaum â And Iudas sayd Gird vp your selues and be mightie sonnes and be readie agaynst the morning that you may fight against these nations which are assembled against vs to destroy vs and our holies â because it is better for vs to dye in battel then to see the euils of our nation and of the holies â but as it shal be the wil in heauen so be it done CHAP. IIII. Gorgias with six thousand souldiars wel appointed intending sudenly to destroy the Israelites armie of three thousand not wel armed 8. is defeated halfe of his men slaine the rest running away 16. Iudas staying his men from spoyling til the enemies were out of sight then they take rich prayes and render thankes to God 28. The next yeare Lysias with three score thousand foote and six thousand horsemen inuading Iurie Iudas with tenne thousand making his prayer to God killeth fiue thousand 35. the rest flying Lysias gathereth more souldiars 36. Iudas with his bretheren and others clense the temple and renew holie thinges 55. Offer Sacrifice 58. and institute a feast of the dedication of a new Altar AND Gorgias tooke fiue thousand chosen horsemen they remoued the campe by night â that they might approch to the campe of the Iewes and might strike them sodenly and the children that were of the castel were their guides â And Iudas heard and arose he and the mighties to strike the powre of the kings armie that were in Emmaum â For as yet the armie was dispersed from the campe â And Gorgias came into the campe of Iudas by night and found no man and he sought them in the mountaynes because he sayd These flee from vs. â And when the day was come Iudas appeared in the filde with three thousand men onlie which had not harnes and swords as they would â and they saw the campe of the Gentils strong and the men in brigantines and horsemen round about them and these were skilful to battel â And Iudas sayd to the men that were with him Feare not the multitude of them of their assault be not afrayd â Remember in what sort our fathers were saued in the redsea when Pharao with a great armie folowed them â And now let vs crie towards heauen and our Lord wil haue mercie on vs and wil be mindful of the testament of our fathers wil destroy this armie before our face this day â and al Nations shal know that there is one that redemeth and deliuereth Israel â And the aliens lifted vp their eyes and saw them coming against them â And they went out of the campe into battel and these that were with Iudas sounded with the trumpet â And they mette together and the Gentils were discomfited and fled into the playne â but al the hiâ most fel by the sword and they pursewed them as far as Gezeron and euen to the playnes of Idumea and of Azotus and of Iamnia and there fel of them euen to three thousand men â And Iudas returned and his armie folowing him â And he sayd to the people Couet not the spoiles because there is battel against vs â and Gorgias and his
armie are neere vs in the mount but stand ye now against our enemies and ouerthrow them and you shal take the spoiles afterwards secure â And as Iudas was speaking these wordes loe a certaine part appeared looking forth from the montayne â And Gorgias saw that his men were turned to flight that they burnt the campe for the smoke that was sene declared what was done â Which thinges seene they feared excedingly beholding withal both Iudas the armie in the playne readie to battel â And they did al flee into the playne of the aliens â and Iudas returned to the spoiles of the campe they tooke much gold and siluer and hiacynth and purple of the sea and great riches â And turning they sung an hymne and blessed God towards heauen because he is good because his mercie is for euer â And great saluation was made in Israel in that day â And whosoeuer escaped of the aliens they came and told Lysias al thinges that had chanced â Which when he heard being amased he faynted in mynd that such thinges chanced not in Israel as he would and such as the king commanded â And the yeare folowing Lysias gathered of chosen men three score thousand and of horsemen fiue thousand to ouerthrow them â And they came into Iewrie and pitched the campe in Bethoron and Iudas mette them with ten thousand men â And they saw the armie strong and he prayed and sayd Blessed art thou ô sauiour of Israel which brakest the assault of the mightie by the hand of thy seruant Dauid and didst deliuer the campe of the aliens into the hand of Ionathas Sauls sonne and of his esquyer â shut vp this armie in the hand of thy people Israel and let them be confounded in their armie and horsemen â Geue them feare and consume the bouldnes of their strength and let them be shaken with their contrition â cast them downe with the sword of them that loue thee let al that know thy name prayse thee in hymnes â And they ioyned battel and there fel of the armie of Lysias fiue thousand men â And Lysias seing the flight of his men and the boldnes of the Iewes and that they are readie either to liue or to dye manfully he went to Antioch and chose souldiars that being multiplied they might come agayne into Iewrie â But Iudas and his bretheren sayd Behold our enemies are discomfited let vs goe vp now to clense the holie places and to renew them â And al the armie assembled together and they went vp into mount Sion â And they saw the sanctification desert and the altar prophaned and the gates burnt and in the courts shrubbes growen vp as in a forest or on the mountaynes the chambers throwen downe â And they rent their garments and lamented with a great lamentation and layd ashes vpon their head â and they fel on their face vpon the earth and cried out with trumpets of significations and cried towards heauen â Then Iudas ordayned men to fight against them that were in the castel til they clensed the holie places â And he chose priests without spotte hauing their wil in the law of God â and they clensed the holie places and tooke away the stones of contamination into an vncleane place â And he considered of the altar of holocausts that was prophaned what he should doe with it â And good counsel came to their mindes to destroy it lest perhaps it might be a reproch to them because the Gentils contaminated it and they threw it downe â And they layd vp the stones in the mount of the house in a place conuenient til there should come a prophete and geue answer concerning them â And they tooke whole stones according to the law and builded a new altar according to that which was before â and they built the holie places and the thinges that were within the temple inward and the temple and the courts they sanctified â And they made the holie vessels new and brought in the candlestike and the altar of incenses and the table into the temple â And they put incense vpon the altar and lighted the lampes that were vpon the candlesticke and they gaue light in the temple â And they set loaues vpon the table and hung vp the veles and finished al the workes that they had made â And before the morning they arose the fiue and twentith day of the ninth moneth this is the moneth of Casleu of the hundreth and eight and fourtith yeare â and they offered sacrifice according to the law vpon the new altar of holocausts which they made â According to the time and according to the day wherin the heathen contaminated it in the same was it renewed in canticles and harps and lutes and in cymbals â And al the people fel on their face and they adored toward heauen and blessed him that prospered them â And they made the dedication of the altar eight dayes and they offered holocausts with ioy and sacrifice of saluation and of prayse â And they adorned the face of the temple with golden crownes litle shieldes and they dedicated the gates and the chambers and hanged doores vpon them â And there was made exceding great ioy in the people and the reproch of the Gentils was turned away â And Iudas decreed and his bretheren and al the church of Israel that the day of the dedication of the altar be kept in the times therof from yeare to yeare for eight dayes from the fiue and twentith day of the moneth Casleu with ioy and gladnes â And they builded at that time mount Sion round about high walles and strong towres lest sometime the Gentils should come conculcate it as they did before â And he placed an armie there to keepe it and he fensed it to keepe Bethsura that the people might haue a munition against the face of Idumea CHAP. V. Iudas and his bretheren expugne their bordering enimies 9. deliuer them that were distressed 17. Simon prospereth in Galeley 24. Iudas in Galaad 45. taketh Ephron and al returne safe into Ierusalem 55. Iosephus and Azarias attempting ambiciously without order to fight against their enemies are defeated 63. And Iudas hath more victories AND it came to passe as the Gentils round about heard that the altar was builded vp the sanctuarie as before they were exceding angrie â and they thought to take away the stocke of Iacob that were among them they began to kil of the people and to persecute â And Iudas fought against the children of Esau in Idumea and them that were in Acrabathane because they besette the Israelites round about and he stroke them with a great plague â And he remembred the malice of the children of Bean which were to the people a snare and a scandal lying in waite for them in the way â And they were shut
men of Iurie to the defence of the countrie of the citie he raysed the walles of Ierusalem â And king Demetrius appointed him the high priesthood â According to these thinges he made him his friend and glorified him with great glorie â For he heard that the Iewes were called of the Romanes freinds and felowes and bretheren and that they receiued Simons legates gloriously â and that the Iewes and their priests consented that he should be their duke and high priest for euer til there rise the faithful prophete â and that he be duke ouer them and that he should haue the care of the holies and that he should appoint rulers ouer their workes and ouer the countrie and ouer the armour and ouer the holdes â And that he haue care of the holies and that he be heard of al and that al writinges in the countrie be writen in his name and that he be clothed with purple and gold â and that it be not lawful for any of the people and of the priests to disanul anie of these and to gainsay those thinges that are sayd of him or to cal together an assemblie in the countrie without him and to be clothed with purple and to weare a cheyne of gold â But he that shal doe beside these thinges or shal make frustrate any of these he shal be guiltie â And it pleased al the people to appoiut Simon and to doe according to these wordes â And Simon tooke it vpon him and it pleased him to execute high priesthood and to be duke and prince of the nation of the Iewes and of the priests and to be chiefe ouer al. â And this writing they bad them put in tables of brasse and to set them in the circuite of the holies in a famous place â and to put a copie therof in the treasurie that Simon may haue it and his children CHAP. XV. Antiochus by his letters granteth great priuilegies to simon 10. pursueth Thryphon and inuironeth him 15. The Romanes commend the Iewes to other nations 25. Antiochus refusing ayde sent by Simon breaketh league 30. and exacteth certaine cities and tribute 37. Tryphon escapeth and other of the kings forces inuade and spoîle lurie AND king Antiochus the sonne of Demetrius sent epistles from the iles of the sea to Simon the priest and prince of the nation of the Iewes and to al the nation â and they conteyned this tenure KING Antiochus to Simon the grand priest and to the nation of the Iewes greeting â Because certaine pestilent men haue obteyned the kingdom of our fathers and I meane to chalenge the kingdom and to restore it as it was before and I haue chosen a great armie haue made shippes of warre â And I wil march through the countrie that I may take reuenge of them that haue destroyed our countrie and that haue made manie cities desolate in my realme â Now therfore I establish vnto thee al the oblations which al the kinges before me remitted vnto thee and what other gifts soeuer they remitted thee â and I permitte thee to make a coyne of thy owne money in thy countrie â and Ierusalem to be holie and free and al the armour that is made and the fortresses which thou hast built and which thou dost hold let them remayne to thee â And al that is dew to the king and the thinges that are to be the kings hereafter from this present and for al time they are remitted to thee â And when we shal haue obteyned our kingdom we wil glorifie thee and thy nation and the temple with great glorie so that your glorie shal be made manifest in al the earth â In the yeare an hundreth seuentie foure went forth Antiochus into the land of his fathers and al the hosts assembled vnto him so that there were few left with Tryphon â And Antiochus the king pursewed him and he came to Dora flying by the seacost â For he knew that euils were heaped vpon him and the armie forsooke him â And Antiochus camped vpon Dora with an hundred twentie thousand men of warre and eight thousand horsemen â and he compassed the citie and the shippes approched to the sea and they vexed the citie by land and by sea and suffered none to come in or to goe out â And Numenius came and they that had bene with him from the citie of Rome hauing epistles written to kinges and countries wherein were conteyned these wordes â LVCIVS the consul of the Romanes to Ptolomee the king greeting â The ambassadours of the Iewes our freindes came to vs renewing the old amitie and societie being sent from Simon the prince of the priests and the people of the Iewes â And they brought also a buckler of gold of a thousand powndes â It hath pleased vs therfore to write to the kinges and countries that they doe them no harme nor impugne them and their cities and their countries and that they geue no ayde to them that fight against them â And it hath semed good vnto vs to take the buckler of them â If therfore anie pestilent men are fled out of their countrie to you deliuer them to Simon the prince of the priests that he may punish them according to their law â These self same thinges were written to Demetrius the king to Attalus and to Ariarathes and to Arsaces â and into al countries and to Lampsaces and to the Spartiats and to Delus and to Myndus and to Sicyon and to Caria and to Samus Pamphilia and Lycia and Alicarnassus and Coo and Siden and Aradon and Rhodes Phaselis and Gortyna and Gnidus and Cypres and Cyrenee â And a copie therof they wrote to Simon the prince of the priests people of the Iewes â But king Antiochus moued his campe vnto Dora the second time setting handes alwayes vpon it making engins he shut vp Tryphon that he could not goe forth â And Simon sent vnto him two thousand chosen men for ayde and siluer and gold and abundance of furniture â And he would not take them but brake al thinges that he couenanted with him before alienated him self from him â And he sent to him Athenobius one of his freinds to treate with him saying You hold Ioppe and Gazara and the castel that is in Ierusalem cities of my kingdom â their borders you haue made desolate and you haue made a great plague in the land and haue ruled in manie places in my kingdom â Now therfore deliuer the cities that you haue taken and the tributes of the places wherin you haue ruled without the borders of Iurie â But if not geue you for them fiue hundred talents of siluer and for the destruction that you haue made and the tributes of cities other fiue hundred talents but if not we wil come and expugne you â And Athenobius the kings freind came into Ierusalem saw the glorie of Simon and his
length he may punish vs. â For which cause he neuer certes remoueth away his mercie from vs but chastening his people by aduersitie he forsaketh them not â But let these thinges be sayd of vs in few wordes for an admonition of the readers And now we must come to the storie â Therfore Eleazarus one of the chief of the Scribes a man striken in age and comely of countenance with open mouth gaping was compelled to eate swines flesh â But he embracing rather a most glorious death then an hateful life went before voluntarily to the punishment â And considering how he ought to come patiently susteyning he determined not to committe vnalwful thinges for loue of life â But they that stood by moued with vnlawful pitie for the old frendshipe of the man taking him in secrete desired that flesh might be brought which it was lawful for him to eate that he might feyne to haue eaten as the king had commanded of the flesh of the sacrifice â that by this fact he might be deliuered from death and for the old freindshipe of the man they did him this courtesie â But he begane to thinke vpon the worthie preeminence of his age and ancientnes and the houre heares of natural nobilitie his doinges from a childe of very good conuersation and according to the ordinances and the holie law made of God he answered quickly saying that he would rather be sent vnto hel â For it is not meete quoth he for our age to feyne that manie young men thinking that Eleazarus of foure score yeare tenne is passed to the life of Aliens â they also through my dissimulation and for a litle time of corruptible life may be deceiued and hereby I may purchase a stayne and a curse to mine old age â For although at this present time I be deliuered from the punishments of men yet neither aliue nor dead shal I escape the hand of the Almightie â Wherfore in departing manfully out of this life I shal appeare worthie of mine old age â and to yong men I shal leaue a constant example if with readie mind and stoutly I suffer an honest death for the most graue and most holie lawes These thinges being spoken forthwith he was drawen to execution â And they that led him and had bene a litle before more milde were turned into wrath for the wordes spoken of him which they thought were vttered through arrogancie â But when he was now in killing with the strokes he groned and sayd O Lord which hast the holie knowlege thou knowest manifestly that wheras I might be deliuered from death I doe susteyne sore paines of the bodie but according to the soule for thy feare I doe willingly suffer these thinges â And this man certes in this maner departed this life leauing not only to yong men but also to the whole nation the memorie of his death for an example of vertue and fortitude CHAP. VII The noble Martyrdome of seuen refusing to eate swines flesh and boldly admonishing king Antiochus of his damnable state 41. Lastly the mother hauing encoreged her sonnes likewise dyeth gloriously AND it came to passe that seuen brethren together with their mother being apprehended to be compelled by the king to eate against the law swines flesh were tormented with whippes and scourges â But one of them which was the first sayd thus What seekest thou and what wilt thou lerne of vs we are readie to dye rather then to transgresse the lawes of God coming from our fathers â The king therfore being wrath commanded frying pannes and brasen pottes to be heated â the which forth with being heated he commanded his tongue that had spoken first to be cut out and the skinne of his head being drawen of the endes also of his handes and feete to be chopped of the rest of his bretheren and his mother looking on â And when he was now made in al partes vnprofitable he commanded fire to be put vnto him and that breathing as yet he should be fried in the frying panne wherin when he was long tormented the rest together with the mother exhorted one an other to dye manfully â saying Our Lord God wil behold the truth and wil take pleasure in vs as Moyses declared in the profession of the Canticle And in his seruants he wil take pleasure â That first therfore being dead in this maner they brought the next to make him a mocking stocke the skinne of his head with the heares being drawen of they asked if he would eare before that he were punished throughout the whole bodie in euerie member â But he answering in his countrie speach said I wil not doe it Wherfore this also in the next place receiued the torments of the first â and being at the verie last gaspe thus he said Thou in dede ô most wicked man in this present life destroyest vs but the king of the world wil raise vs vp which dye for his lawes in the resurrection of eternal life â After him the third is had in derision and being demanded his tongue he quickly put it forth and constantly stretched out his handes â and with confidence he said From heauen doe I possesse these but for the lawes of God now doe I contemne these selfe same because I hope that I shal receiue them againe of him â So that the king and they that were with him merueled at the yong mans courege because he estemed the torments as nothing â And this being thus dead the fourth they vexed in like maner tormenting him â And when he was now euen to dye thus he said It is better for them that are put to death by men to exspect hope of God that they shal be raysed vp againe by him For to thee there shal not be resurrection vnto life â And when they had brought the fifth they tormented him But he looking vpon him â sayd Thou hauing power among men wheras thou art corruptible doest what thou wilt but thinke not that our stock is forsaken of God â And doe thou patiently abide and thou shalt see his great power in what sort he wil torment thee and thy seede â After him they brought the sixth and he beginning to dye sayd thus Be not deceiued vainely for we suffer this for our owne sakes sinning against our God and thinges worthie of admiration are done in vs â but doe not thinke that thou shalt escape vnpunished for that thou hast attempted to fight against God â But the mother aboue measure meruelous and worthie of good mens memorie which beholding her seuen sonnes perishing in one dayes space bare it with a good hart for the hope that she had in God â exhorted euerie one of them in their countrie language manfully being replenished with wisedome and ioyning a mans hart to a womans cogitation â she sayd to them I know not how you appeared in my wombe for neither did I
Assirians toward them to strengthen their handes to the workes of our Lord the God of Israel CHAP. VIII Esdras going from Babylon to Ierusalem 9. carieth king Artaxerxes fauourable letters 14. nât licence to takâ gold siluer and al thinges necessarie at their pleasure 31. The chief mân that goe with him are recited 51. He voweth a fast praying for good successe in their iorney 56. weigheth the gold and siluer which he deliuereth to the Priestes and Leuites 69. And seuerely admonisheth the people to repentance for their mariages made with infideles AND after him when Artaxerxes king of the Persians reigned came Esdras the sonne of Azarias the sonne of Helcias the sonne of Salome â the sonne of Sadoc the sonne of Achitob the sonne of Ameri the sonne of Azahel the sonne of Bocci the sonne of Abisue the sonne of Phinees the sonne of Eleazar the sonne of Aaron the first priest â This Esdras came vp from Babylon being scribe wise in the law of Moyses which was geuen of our Lord the God of Israel to teach and to doe â And the king gaue him glorie because he had found grace in al dignitie and desire in his sight â And there went vp with him of the children of Israel and the Priestes and the Leuites and the sacred singers of the temple and the porters and the seruantes of the temple into Ierusalem â In the seuenth yeare when Artaxerxes reigned in the fifth moneth this is the seuenth yeare of his reigne going forth of Babylon in the newmoone of the fifth moneth â they came to Ierusalem according to his commandment according to the prosperitie of their iourney which their Lord gaue them â For in these Esdras had great knowlege that he would not pretermitte anie of those thinges which were according to the law and the preceptes of our Lord and in teaching al Israel al iustice and iudgement â And they that wrote the writinges of Artaxerxes the king coming deliuered the writing which was granted of Artaxerxes the king to Esdras the Priest the reader of the law of our Lord the copie wherof here foloweth â KING Artaxerxes to Esdras the Priest and reader of the law of the Lord greeting â I of curtesie esteming it among benifites haue commanded them that of their owne accord are desirous of the nation of the Iewes and of the Priestes and Leuites which are in my kingdom to goe with thee into Ierusalem â If anie therfore desire to goe with thee let them come together and set forward as it hath pleased me and my seuen freindes my counselers â that they may visite those thinges which are done touching Iurie and Ierusalem obseruing as thou hast in the law of the Lord. â And let them carie the giftes to the Lord the God of Israel which I haue vowed and my freindes to Ierusalem and al the gold and siluer that shal be found in the countrie of Babylon to the Lord in Ierusalem with that â which is geuen for the nation it self vnto the temple of their Lord which is in Ierusalem that this gold and siluer be gathered for oxen and rammes and lambes and kiddes and for the thinges that are agreable to these â that they may offer hostes to the Lord vpon the altar of their Lord which is in Ierusalem â And al thinges whatsoeuer thou with thy brethren wilt doe with gold and siluer doe it at thy pleasure according to the precept of the Lord thy God â And the sacred vessels which are geuen thee to the workes of the house of the Lord thy God which is in Ierusalem â And other thinges whatsoeuer shal helpe thee to the workes of the temple of thy God thou shalt geue it out of the kings treasure â When thou with thy brethren wilt doe ought with gold and siluer doe according to the wil of the Lord. â And I king Artaxerxes haue geuen commandment to the keepers of the treasure of Syria and Phaenice that what thinges soeuer Esdras the Priest and reader of the law of the Lord shal write for they geue him vnto an hundred talentes of siluer likewise also of gold â And vnto an hundred measures of corne an hundred vessels of wine and other thinges whatsoeuer abound without taxing â Let al thinges be done to the most high God according to the law of God lest perhaps there arise wrath in the reigne of the king and of his sonne and his sonnes â And to you it is sayd that vpon al the Priestes and Leuites and sacred singers and seruantes of the temple scribes of this temple â no tribute nor any other taxe be sette and that no man haue auctoritie to obiect any thing to them â But thou Esdras according to the wisedom of God appoynt iudges and arbitrers in al Syria and Phaenice and teach al them that know no the law of thy God â that whosoeuer shal transgresse the law they be diligently punished either with death or with torment or els with a forfeite of money or with banishment â And Esdras the scribe sayd Blessed be the God of our fathers which hath geuen this wil into the kings hart to glorifie his house which is in Ierusalem â And hath honoured me in the sight of the king and of his counselers and freindes and them that weare purple â And I was made constant in minde according to the ayde of our Lord my God and gathered together of Israel men that should goe vp together with me â And these are the princes according to their kindredes and seueral principalities of them that came vp from Babylon the kingdom of Artaxerxes â Of the children of Phares Gersomus and of the children of Siemarith Amenus of the children of Dauid Acchus the sonne of Scecilia â Of the children of Phares Zacharias and with him returned an hundred fiftie men â Of the children of leader Moabilion Zaraei and with him two hundred fiftie men â Of the children of Zachues Iechonias of Zechoel and with him two hundred fiftie men â of the children of Sala Maasias of Gotholia with him seuentie men â of the children of Saphatia Zarias of Michel and with him eightie men â of the children of Iob Abdias of Iehel and with him two hundred twelue men â of the children of Bania Salimoth the sonne of Iosaphia and with him an hundred sixtie men â of the children of Beer Zacharias Bebei and with him two hundred eight men â of the children of Ezead Ioannes of Eccetan and with him an hundred ten men â of the children of Adonicam which were last and these are their names Eliphalam the sonne of Gebel and Semeias and with him seuentie men â And I gathered them together to the riuer that is called Thia and we camped there three dayes and vewed them againe â And of the children of the Priestes and Leuites I found not there â And I sent to Eleazarus and Eccelon and Masman and
destroy vs til there be no roote left nor our name â Lord God of Israel thou art true For there is a roote left vntil this present day â Behold now we are in thy sight in our iniquities For it is not to stand any longer before thee in these matters â And when Esdras with adoration confessed weeping lying flat on the ground before the temple there were gathered before him out of Ierusalem a verie great multitude men and wemen and yong men and youg wemen For there was great weeping in the multitude it self â And when he had cried Iechonias of Ieheli of the children of Israel sayd to Esdras We haue sinned against our Lord for that we haue taken vnto vs in mariage strange wemen of the nations of the land â And now thou art ouer al Israel in these therfore let there be an othe from our Lord to expel al our wiues that are of strangers with their children â As it was decreed to thee of the ancesters according to the law of our Lord rising vp declare it â For to thee the busines perteineth and we are with thee doe manfully â And Esdras rysing vp adiured the princes of the Priestes and Leuites and al Israel to doe according to these thinges and they sware CHAP. IX Esdras fasting for the sinnes of the people commandeth that they separate al strange wemen from them 18. The Priestes and Leuites which had offended herein are recited 38. He readeth the law before the people 48. certaine doe expound to the multitudes in seueral places 52. And so they are dismissed with ioy AND Esdras rysing vp from before the court of the temple went into the chamber of Ionathas the sonne of Nasabi â And lodging there he tasted no bread nor dranke water for the iniquitie of the multitude â And there was proclamation made in al Iurie in Ierusalem to al that were of the captiuitie gathered in Ierusalem â that whosoeuer shal not appeare with in two or three dayes according to the iudgement of the ancients sitting vpon it their goods should be taken away and himselfe should be iudged an alien from the multitude of the captiuitie â And al were gathered that were of the tribe of Iuda and of Beniamin within three dayes in Ierusalem this is the ninth moneth the twentith day of the moneth â And al the multitude sate in the court of the temple trembling for the present winter â And Esdras rysing vp sayd to them You haue done vnlawfully taking to you in mariage strang wiues that you might adde to the sinnes of Israel â And now geue confession magnificence to our Lord the God of our fathers â and accomplish his wil and depart from the nations of the land and from your wiues the strangers â And al the multitude cried and they sayd with a lowde voice As thou hast sayd we wil doe â But because the multitude is great and winter time and we can not stand in the ayre without succour and this is a worke for vs not of one day nor of two for we haue sinned much in these thinges â Let the rulers of the multitude stand and that dwel with vs and as manie as haue with them forreine wiues â and at a time appointed let the priestes out of euerie place and the iudges assist vntil they appeaze the wrath of our Lord concerning this busines â And Ionathas the sonne of Ezeli and Ozias of Thecam tooke vpon them according to these wordes and Bosoramus and Leuis and Sabbathaeus wrought together with them â And al that were of the captiuitie stood according to al these thinges â And Esdras the priest chose vnto him men the great princes of their fathers according to their names they sate together in the new-moone of the tenth moneth to examine this busines â And they determined of the men that had outlandish wiues vntil the newmoone of the first moneth â And there were found of the priestes entermingled that had outlandish wiues â Of the sonnes of Iesus the sonne of Iosedec and his brethren Maseas and Eleazarus and Ioribus and Ioadeus â and they put to their handes to expel their wiues and to offer a ramme to obrayne pardon for their ignorance â And the sonnes of Semmeri Maseas and Esses Ieelech and Azarias â And of the children of Fosere Limosias Hismaenis and Nathanee Iussio Reddus and Thalsas â And of the Leuites Ior abdus and Semeis and Colnis and Calitas and Facteas and Coluas and Eliomas â and of the sacred singing men Eliasib Zaccarus â And of the porters Salumus and Tolbanes â And of Israel of the sonnes of Foro Ozi and Remias and Geddias Melchias and Michelus Eleazarus and Iammebias and Bannas â And of the sonnes of Iolaman Chamas and Zacharias and Iezuelus and Ioddius and Erimoth and Helias â And of the sonnes of Zathoim Eliadas and Liasumus Zochias and Larimoth Zabdis and Thebedias â And of the sonnes of Zebes Ioannes and Amanias and Zabdias and Emeus â And of the sonnes of Banni Olamus Maluchus and Ieddeus and Iasub and Azabus Ierimoth â And of the sonnes of Addin Nathus and Moosias Caleus and Raanas Maaseas Mathathias and Beseel and Bonnus and Manasses â And of the sonnes of Nuae Noneas and Aseas and Melchias and Sameas and Simon Beniamin and Malchus and Marras â And of the sonnes of Asom Carianeus Mathathias Bannus Eliphalach and Manasses and Semei â And of the sonnes of Banni Ieremias and Moadias and Abramus Iohel and Baneas Pelias and Ionas and Marimoth Eliasib and Matheneus and Eliasis and Orizas and Dielus and Semedius Zambris and Iosephus â And of the sonnes of Nobei Idelus and Mathathias and Sabadus and Zecheda Zedmi and Iessei Baneas â Al these maried outlandish wiues and did put them away with their children â And the Priestes and the Leuites and they that were of Israel dwelt in Ierusalem and in the whole countrie in the new moone of the seuenth moneth And the children of Israel weâe in their habitations â And al the multitude was gathered together into the court which is on the east of the sacred gate â and they sayd to Esdras the high priest and reader that he should bring the law of Moyses which was deliuered of our Lord the God of Israel â And Esdras the high priest brought the law to al the multitude of them from man vnto woman and to al the priestes to heare the law in the newmoone of the seuenth moneth â And he read in the court which is before the sacred gate of the temple from breake of day vntil euening before men and wemen And they al gaue their minde to the law â And Esdras the priest and reader of the law stoode vpon a tribunal of wood which was made â And by him stood Mathathias and Samus and Ananias Azarias Vrias Ezechias and Balsamus on the right
Isaac and Iacob and of Osee and Amos and of Ioel and Abdias and Ionas and Michaeas â and Naum and Habacuc of Sophonias Aggaeus Zacharias and Malachias who also is called the Angel of our Lord. CHAP. II. The Synagogue expostulateth with her children for their ingratitude 10. shewing that they shal be forsaken and the gentiles called THVS saith our Lord I brought this people out of bondage to whom I gaue commandment by my seruantes the Prophetes whom they would not heare but made my counsel frustrate â Their mother that bare them sayth to them Goe children because I am a wydow and forsaken â I brought you vp with ioy haue lost you with mourning sorow because you haue sinned before our Lord your God haue done that which is euil before him â But now what shal I doe to you I am a wydow and desolate goe my children aske mercie of our Lord. â And I cal thee ô father a witnes vpon the mother of the children that would not keepe my testament â that thou geue them confusion their mother into spoile that there be no generation of them â Let their names be dispersed into the Gentiles let them be destroyed out of the land because they haue despised my sacrament â Woe be to thee Assur which hidest the wicked with thee Thou naughtie nation remember what I did to Sodom Gomorrha â whose land lieth in cloddes of pitch heapes of ashes so wil I make them that haue not heard me saith our Lord omnipotent â Thus saith our Lord to Esdras Tel my people that I wil geue them the kingdom of Ierusalem which I ment to geue to Israel â And I wil take to me the glorie of them and wil geue them eternal tabernacles which I had prepared for them â The wood of life shal be to them for an odour of oyntment and they shal not labour nor be wearied â Goe you shal receiue Aske for your selues a few dayes that they may abide Now the kingdom is prepared for you watch ye â Cal thou heauen and earth to witnes for I haue destroyed euil and haue created good because I liue sayth our Lord. â Mother embrace thy children bring them vp with ioy As a doue confirme their feete because I haue chosen thee sayth our Lord. â And I wil raise agalâe the dead out of their places and out of the monumentes I wil bring them forth because I haue knowen my name in Israel â Feare not ô mother of the children because I haue chosen tâee faith our Lord. â I wil send thee ayde my seruantes I saie and Ieremie at whose counsel I haue sanctified and prepared for thee twelue trees loden with diuerse fruites â and as manie fountaines flowing milke and honie and seuen huge mountaines hauing the rose and the lilie in the which I wil fil thy children with ioy â Iustifie thou the widow iudge for the pupil geue to the needie defend the orphane cloth the naked â cure the broken feeble mocke not the lame defend the maimed and admitte the blind to the vision of my glorie â The old man the yong keepe with in thy walles where thou shalt finde the dead committe them to the graue signing it I wil geue thee the first seate in my resurrection â Pause and rest my people because thy rest shal come â As a good nurce nourish thy children confirme their feete â The seruantes that I haue geuen thee none of them shal perish For I wil require them of thy number â Be not wearied For when the day of affliction and distresse shal come others shal weepe and be sad but thou shalt be merie and plenteous â The gentiles shal enuie and shal be able to doe nothing against thee sayth our Lord. â My handes shal couer thee that thy children see not hel â Be pleasant thou mother with thy children because I wil deliuer thee sayth our Lord. â Remember thy children that sleepe for I wil bring them out of the sides of the earth wil doe mercie with them because I am merciful sayth our Lord omnipotent â Embrace thy children til I come shew them mercie because my fountaines runne ouer and my grace shal not faile â I Esdras receiued commandment of our Lord in mount Oreb that I should goe to Israel to whom when I came they refused me and reiected commandement of our Lord. â And therfore I say vnto you gentiles which heare and vnderstand Looke for your pastor he wil geue you the rest of eternitie because he is at hand that shal come in the end of the world â Be ye readie for the rewardes of the kingdom because perpetual light shal shine to you for time euerlasting â Flee from the shadow of this world receiue ye the pleasantnes of your glorie I openly cal to witnes my sauiour â Receiue the commended gift and be pleasant geuing thankes to him that called you to the heauenlie kingdomes â Arise stand see the number of them that are signed in the feast of our Lord. â They that haue transferred them selues from the shadow of the world haue receiued glorious garmentes of our Lord. â Receiue ô Sion thy number and shut vp thyne made white which haue accomplished the law of our Lord. â The number of thy children which thou didst wish is ful Desire the powre of our Lord that thy people may be sanctified which was called from the beginning â I Esdras saw in mount Sion a great multitude which I could not number and they did al prayse our Lord with songes â And in the middes of them was a young man high of stature appearing aboue ouer them al he put crownes vpon euerie one of their heades and he was more exalted And I was astonied at the miracle â Then asked I an Angel and sayd Who are these Lord â Who answering sayd to me These are they that haue laid of the mortal garment and taken an immortal and haue confessed the name of God Now they are crowned and receiue palmes â And I sayd to the Angel That yongman what is he which putteth the crownes vpon them and geueth palmes into their handes â And answering he sayd to me The same is the Sonne of God whom they did confesse in the world I begane to magnifie them that stood strongly for the name of our Lord â Then sayd the Angel to me Goe tel my people what maner of meruelous thinges and how great thou hast sene of the Lord God CHAP. III. The workes of God are wonderful from the beginning 7. and men vngratful 13. In Abraham God chose to himself a peculiar people who neuertheles were froward and obstinate 23. He also chose Dauid but stil the people were sinful 28. the Babylonians also by whom they are afflicted are no lesse but rather greater sinners IN the thirteth yeare of the ruine of the citie I was in
that with sorowes haue kept thy testimonies â Neither thinke thou of them that in thy sight haue conuerst falsly but remember them that according to thy wil haue knowen thy feare â Neither be thou willing to destroy theÌ that haue had the maners of beastes but respect them that haue taught thy law gloriously â Neither haue indignation towards them which are iudged worse then beastes but loue them that alwayes haue confidence in thy iustice and glorie â Because we and our fathers languish with such diseases but thou for sinners shalt be called merciful â For if thou shalt be desirous to haue mercie on vs then thou shalt be called merciful to vs hauing no workes of iustice â For the iust which haue manie workes layd vp of their owne workes shal receiue reward â For what is man that thou art angrie with him or the corruptible kinde that thou art so bitter touching it â For in truth there is no man of them that be borne which hath not done impiously and of them that confesse which haue not sinned â For in this shal thy iustice be declared and thy goodnes ô Lord when thou shalt haue mercie on them that haue no substance of good workes â And he answered me and sayd Thou hast spoken somethinges rightly and according to thy wordes so also shal it be done â because I wil not in dede thinke vpon the worke of them that haue sinned before death before the iudgement before perdition â but I wil reioyce vpon the creature of the iust and I wil remember their pilgrimage also and saluation and receiuing of reward â Therfore as I haue spoken so also it is â For as the husbandman soweth vpon the ground manie seedes and planteth manie plantes but not al which were sowen in time are preserued nor yet al that were planted shal take roote so they also that are sowen in the world shal not al be saued â And I answered and sayd If I haue found grace let me speake â As the seede of the husbandman if it come not vp or receiue not the rayne in time if it be corupted with much rayne perisheth â so likewise also man who made with thy handes and thou named his image because thou art likened to him for whom thou hast made al thinges and hast likened him to the seede of the husbandman â Be not angrie vpon vs but spare thy people and haue mercie on thy inheritance And thou hast mercie on thy creature â And he answered me and sayd The thinges that are present to them that are present and that shal be to them that shal be â For thou lackest much to be able to loue my creature aboue me and to thee often times euen to thyselfe I haue approched but to the vniust neuer â But in this also thou art meruelous before the Highest â because thou hast humbled thyself as becometh thee hast not iudged thyself that among the iust thou maist be very much glorified â For which cause manie miseries and miserable thinges shal be done to them that inhabite the world in the later dayes because they haue walked in much pride â But thou for thyselfe vnderstand for them that are like vnto thee seeke glorie â For to you paradise is open the tree of life is planted time to come is prepared abundance is prepared a citie is builded rest is approued goodnes is perfited perfit wisdome â The roote of euil is signed from you infirmitie and mothe is hid from you corruption is fled into hel in obliuion â Sorowes are past the treasure of immortalitie is shewed in the end â Adde not therfore inquiring of the multitude of them that perish â For they also receiuing libertie haue despised the Highest and contemned his lawe and forsaken his wayes â Yea and moreouer they haue troden downe his iust ones â and haue sayd in their hart that there is no God and that knowing that they dye â For as the thinges aforesayd shal receiue you so thirst and torment which are prepared shal take them for he would not man to be destroyed â But they them selues also which aâe created haue deâyled his name which made them haue bene vnkinde to him that prepared life â Wherfore my iudgement now approcheth â Which thinges I haue not shewed to al but to thee to few like vnto thee And I answered and sayd â Behold now Lord thou hast shewed me a multitude of signes which thou wilt beginne to doe in the latter times but thou hast not shewed me at what time CHAP. IX Certaine signes shal goe before the day of iudgement 14. More shal perish then be saued 25. Prayer with other good workes are meanes to saluation AND he answered me and sayd Measuring measure thou the time in it selfe and it shal be when thou seest after a certaine part of the signes which are spoken of before shal passe â then shalt thou vnderstand that the same is the time wherin the Highest wil beginne to visite the world that was made by him â And when there shal be sene in the world mouing of places and truble of peoples â then shalt thou vnderstand that of these spake the Highest from the dayes that were before thee from the beginning â For as al that is made in the world hath a beginning and also a consummation and the consummation is manifest â so also the times of the Highest haue the beginning manifest in wonders and powers and the consummations in worke and in signes â And it shal be euery one that shal be saued and that can escape by his workes and by fayth in which you haue beleeued â shal be leaft out of the foresayd dangers and shal see my saluation in my land and in my costes because I haue sanctified my âelfe from the world â And then shal they be in miserie that now haue abused my wayes and they that haue reiected them in contempt shal abide in torments â For they that knew not me hauing obtained benefits when they liued â and they that loathed my law when they yet had libertie â and when as yet place of penance was open to them vnderstoode not but despised they must after death in torment know it â Thou therfore be not yet curious how the impious shal be tormented but inquire how the iust shal be saued and whose the world is and for whom the world is and when â And I answered and sayd â I haue spoken hertofore and now I say and hereafter wil say that they are moe which perish then that shal be saued â as a floud is multiplied aboue more then a droppe â And he ansvvered me and sayd Like as the field so also the sedes and as the flovvers such also the colours and as the workeman such also the worke and such as the husbandman such is the husbandrie because it was the time of the world â And
â for the euiles which thou hast sene to haue chanced now worse then these wil they doe againe â for looke how much the world shal become weake by age so much shal euiles be multiplied vpon the inhabitants â For truth hath remoued it self farther of and lying hath approched for now the vision which thou sawest hasteneth to come â And I answered and sayd before thee ô Lord â For behold I wil goe as thou hast commanded me wil rebuke the people that now is But them that shal yet be borne who shal admonish â The world therfore is set in darknes and they that dwel in it without light â Because thy law is burnt therefore no man knoweth the workes that haue bene done by thee or that shal begin â For if I haue found grace with thee send the Holie Ghost to me I wil write al that hath bene done in the world from the beginning the thinges that were written in thy law that men may finde the pathe and they that wil liue in the later times may liue â And he answered me and sayd Goe gather together the people and thou shalt say to them that they seeke thee not for fourtie dayes â And doe thou prepare thee manie tables of boxe take with thee Sarea Dabria Salemia Echanus and Asiel these fiue which are readie to write sweeâtly â And come hither I wil light in thy hart a candle of vnderstanding which shal not be put out til the things be finished which thou shalt begine to write â And then some thinges thou shalt open to the perfect some thou shalt deliuer secretly to the wyse For to morrow this houre thou shalt begine to write â And I went as he commanded me gathered togetheral the people and sayd â Heare Israel these wordes â Our fathers were pilgrimes from the beginning in Aegypt and were deliuered from thence â And they receiued the law of life which they kept not which you also after them haue transgressed â and the land was geuen you by lotte and the land of Sion and your fathers and you haue done iniquitie and haue not kept the wayes which the Highest commanded you â And wheras he is a iust iudge he hath taken from you in time that which he had geuen â And now you are here and your brethren are among you â If then you wil rule ouer your sense instruct your hart you shal be preserued aliue and after death shal obtaine mercie â For the iudgement shal come after death when we shal returne to lyfe againe and then the names of the iust shal appeare and the dedes of the impious shal be shewed â Let no man therfore come to me now nor aske for me vntil fourtie dâyes â And I tooke the siue men as he commanded me and we went forth into the field and taried there â And I was come to the morrow behold a voice called me saying Esdras open thy mouth and drinke that which I wil geue thee to drinke â And I opened my mouth behold a ful cuppe was brought me this was ful as it were with water but the colour therof like as fire â And I tooke it and dranke and when I had drunken of it my hart was tormented with vnderstanding and wisdome grewe into my brest For my spirit was kept by memorie â And my mouth was opened and was shut no more â The Highest gaue vnderstanding vnto the fiue men and they wrote excesses of the night which were spoken which they knewe not â And at night they did eate breade but I spake by day by night held not my peace â And there were written in the fourtie dayes two hundred foure bookes â And it came to passe when they had ended the fourtie daies the Highest spake saying â The former thinges which thou hast written set abrode and let the worthie and vnworthie reade but the last seuentie bookes thou shalt keepe that thou mayest deliuer them to the wyse of thy people â For in these is the vaine of vnderstanding and the fountaine of wisdome and the streame of knowledge and I did soe CHAP. XV. Esdras is bid to denounce that assuredly manie euiles wil come to the world 9. God wil protect his people the wicked shal be punished and lament their final miseries God reuenging for the good BEHOLD speake into the eares of my people the wordes of prophecie which I shal put into thy mouth sayth our Lord â and see that they be written in paper because they be faithful and true â Be not afrayd of the cogitations against thee neither let the incredulities truble thee of them that speake â Because euerie incredulous person shal dye in his incredulitie â Behold I bring in sayth our Lord vpon the whole earth euils sword and famine and death and destruction â Because iniquitie hath fully polluted ouer al the earth and their hurtful workes are accomplished â Therefore sayth our Lord â I wil not now kepe silence of their impieties which they doe irreligiously neither wil I beare with those thinges which they practise vniustly Behold the innocent iust bloud crieth to me the soules of the iust crie continually â Reuenging I wil reuenge them sayth our Lord and I wil take al innocent bloud out of them vnto me â Behold my people is led to staughter as a flocke I wil no more suffer it to dwel in the land of Aegypt â But I wil bring them forth in a mightie hand and valiant arme and wil strike with plague as before and wil corrupt al the land thereof â Aegypt shal mourne and the fundations thereof beaten with plague and with the chastisement which God wil bring vpon it â The husband men that til the ground shal mourne because their seedes shal perish by blasting and haile and by a terible starre â Woe to the world and them that dwel therein â Because the sword is at hand and the destruction of them and nation shal rise vp against nation to fight sword in their handes â For there shal be instabilitie to men growing one against an other they shal not care for their king the princes of the way of their doinges in their might â For a man shal desire to go into the citie can not â Because of their prides the cities shal be trubled the houses raised the men shal feare â Man shal not pitie his neighbour to make their houses nothingworth in the sword to spoyle their goodes for famine of bread much tribulation â Behold I cal together sayth God al the kinges of the earth to feare me that are from the Orient from the South from the East from Libanus to be turned vpon themselues and to render the thinges that they haue geuen them â As they doe vntil this day to myne elect so wil I doe and render in their bosome Thus sayth our Lord God
Gen. 24. :: Iosue being a prophet saw some of their hartes inclined to idoles though exteriorly they then had none among them S. Aug. q. 29. in Iosue :: This renouation of the same couenaÌt presigured the law of the new Testament S. Aug. q. 30. in Iosue :: To the more confusion of reasonable creatures wilfully offending vnsensible things are made witnesses because they euer obey Gods wil which is the best maner of hearing Theod. q. 19. in Iosue :: If Iosue writ the rest of this booke then Samuel added these last verses Hist Sâhol :: Iosephs Mausoleum oâ famous sepulchre remained in Sichem in S. Hieroms time as he wit nesseth Tradit Hebra in Gen. prope sinem Gen. 5â âxo 13. Thare sometime serued false goddes but Abraham neuer Before Christ none entered into heauen A rule for reading historical bookes The Iudges of Israel figures of Christs Apostles They were al finally holie men Eââli 4â The Contents of this booke Diuided into three partes The first part A geneâal recapitulation of the peoples state :: The maner of consulting our Lord was by the High priest praying in the tabernacle Exo. 29. v. 42. :: The first general captaine after Iosue and diuers of the Iudges were of the tribe of Iuda but not al as appeareth in this booke :: Strong weapons crooked like sickles made fast to the chariottes which cut in peeces men horses and other chariottes that came in their way :: An Angel taking the forme of a man as before to Iosue ch 5. so now appearing to the people spake to them in the name of God whose messenger he was :: By special dispensation sacrifice was sometimes lawfully offered in other places though the Tabernacle and afterward the Temple was the onlie place commanded Deut. 12. Iosue 22. S. Aug. q. 36. in Iudic. :: These Iudges were extraordinarily raised vp to deliuer the people repenting when they were fallen into afflictioÌs for their sinnes The second part Of the common peoples often falling to idolatrie their repentance and deliuetie :: In manie places we see the worde sauiour and like titles geuen to men as the seruantes and officers of God who is the proper and principal Sauiour of al. S. Aug. q. 18. in Iudic. :: In these 40. yeares are included the eight yeares of their seruitude v. 8. so in the rest of this historie otherwise the number of yeres agreeth not with the count 3. Reg. 6. v. 1. :: Aod hauing special inspiration from God to do this fact as S. Augustin noteth vpon these wordes q 20. in Iudic. is not to be imitated by priuat men See Num. 25. v. 11. :: Being a prophetesse she resolued hard and obscure thinges but exercised no iurisdiction in anie causes for that belonged to the councel of Priestes and of seuentie ancientes where the high priest was the chief Iudge Num. 11. Deut. 17. Spiritually Debbora signified the Church Barac christian Princes who are directed in their warres and other actions by spiritual superiors as Origen and other ancient writers expouud this historie :: VVho is this woman ful of confidence piercing the temples of the enimies head with a naile but the faith of the Church destroying the diuels kingdomes with the crosse of christ S. Aug. li. 12. â 32. cont Iaust Manich. Iabel also prefigured our B. Ladie who crushed the serpentes head :: The greater blesse the lesse by imparting spiritual benefites so God and superiors blesse their subiectes Men blesse God the lesse their betters by geuing thankes and prayses :: She inculcateth that she must so much more praise God for this victorie because he forshewed it by her by her directed the general captaine Barac lest it might be ascribed either to wisdome or valure of anie man :: Those that subdew their bodies to the spirite ride vpon fayre asses Origen hom 6. in c. 5. Iudic. :: Iahel the figure was blessed amongst wemen much more the most holie virgin mother of God is blessed aboue alwemen :: S. Augustin q 31. in Iudic. supposeth that this messenger sent from God called a man a prophete for the forme wherin he appeared was the same Angel which sate vnder the oke and sent Gedeon to deliuer Israel v. 11. 12. c. :: He meant not to offer sacrifice to the Angel but that either the Angel or himselfe in presence of the Angel should offer it to God and so in dede the Angel partly directed him what to do partly executed the office himselfe by touching the oblation with his rodde and miraculously bringing fire to consume the sacrifice :: An altar for a monument not for sacrifice :: The strength of Baal or stronger then Baal :: Dew first in the fleece and after on the ground signified grace and true religion first in one people after in al nations Sainct Amb. Ser. 13. de Natal Dom. Venr Beda qq in Iudic. c. 4. Also Christs Incarnation without detriment of his mothers virginitie of whose grace al are replenished S. Bernard ho. 2. in Missus est :: Obseruation of dreames is generally forbid Leuit. 19. v. 26. Deut. 18 v. 10. yet here and in other places it is euident God would haue some obserued See Annot. Gen. 40. :: These thinges were ridiculous saieth venerab Beda c. 5. qq in Iudic. if they had not bene terrible to the enemies :: It is no derogation to God that honour is also geuen to his seruantes :: Trumpetes signified preachers of Christ pitchers the bodies of Martyres lampes their vertues and miracles Vener Beda qq in Iudic. c. 5. :: A soft answer breaketh anger hard speach stirreth vp furie Prou. 15. :: Zebee and Salmana were not of anie of the seuen nations whom God commanded to destroy and therfore Gedeon might haue spared their liues if he would :: Kinges may do ante thing not contrarie to the law but Iudges Dukes may onlie do according to the law See 1. Reg. 8. :: His handmaide oâ seruant not a harlotte to wit such a one as had not the priuiledge of a wife as Gen. 25. v. 6. :: This sonne of Gedeon by his seruant prefigured Antichrist who wil persecute the Church and reigne for a while but in the end shal be destroyed S. Beda c. 6. qq in Iudic. :: True pastores in the time of Antichrist wil still auouch the truth and the right of the Church :: Oyle spiritually signifieth the grace of the Holie Ghost making peace of conscience in mens soules towardes God :: The swetnes of Gods law producing good workes :: Contemtible in outward shew but bringing forth liquour of meruelous force which sorte of workes God is most delighted withal and men most admire Psal 85 :: The rhamnus signifieth base and ambicious men * brierre bramble ârthistle :: God doth suggest only good cogitations as remoââe of conscience in the secheââtes for their ingratitude towardes Gedeon and for so wicked and cruel a murder of his sonnes
the people presumed more to do that semed to them selues right or good though it was nought which afterwardes the kinges more restrained and punished The historie of Ruth is regestred in holie Scripture for the genealogie of Dauid and especially of our Sauiour Christ Iudic. 12. :: Noemi perswaded not to idolatre but in sinuated that if Ruth would not returne to her countrie she must also leaue the false goddes And so she answered that she would serue the same true God of Israel :: She had a husband and two sonnes and sufficient prouision but now was bereued of them al. :: The Church vseth this salutation in the holie sacrifice and other diuine office :: Booz doubted not but reward was due to good workes :: Yea a ful reward answeâable to Ruâh pietie Vvhich must be spiritual and eternal :: The euent shewed that Noemi was inspired by God to geue such direction to Ruth to foretel what Booz would doe :: It was very coÌmendable that she loued her first husband and mother in law but more vertue infleing occasion of sinne with young men and seeking to marie according to the law of God with her former husbands kinsman Deut. 25. :: Booz calleth his kinsman brother as Abraham called Lot his brother Gen. 13. being his Nephevv :: See Deut. 25. noting here withal that the penaltie was lesse whch an other kinsman vndertaking the mariage the woman was preueÌted from complayning before the iudge :: Here appeareth the final cause of writting this historie to shew the Genealogie of King Dauid from Iudas the Patriarch of whom Christ should descend so prophecied Gen. 49. and shewed to be performed Mat. 1. qqÌ in 1. Reg. c. 1. These histories are also expounded mystically by the ancient Fathers Prologâ in 1. Reg. li. 17. c. 4. ciuit Ep. ad Paulin. The general contents of al the bookes of Kinges Para lippomenon Samuel writ the first part but vncertaine who writ the rest CoÌtents of the first booke diuided into foure partes These bookes are read at Mattins from the feast of the B Trinitie vntil the first sundaie of August The first part Of the gouernments of Heli and Samuel and of changing the state into a kingdome :: This childe being of the tribe of Leui though not of Aarons stock was lawfully vowed to the seruice of the tabernacle by his parentes during his childhood but coming to yeares of discretion he was at his owne electioÌ to continew or to depart If he had bene of anie other tribe he must haue bene redemed Leuit. 27. The Canticle at Laudes on wenesday :: Leaue of to praise idoles as ye haue accustomed to doe :: The Church of Gentiles :: The Synagogue of the Iewes S. Aug. li. 17. c. 4. ciniâ :: Neither Dauid noâ Salomon much lâssâ anââ other King possened or âudged the endes of the taâth but ââââts enheritance reacheth to the endes of the earth Psal 2. v. 18. :: Sinnes directly against God and that hinder his seruice are more hardly remitted but none at al aâe irremissible before death because during life euerie one may truly repent if he wil and to al true peniteÌtes God promisseth remission of sinnes Ezech. 33. :: Gods determination to punish tooke not away their freewil but for their obstinacie he leift them to themselues without his grace and so iustly punished them See S. Aug. li. 5. cont Iulian. c. 3. :: This was fulfilled as in the figure in Samuel not wholly for priesthood stil remained in the line of Aaron as appeareth in Achias Abiathar Sadoc ch 14. 22. 2 Reg. 8. but perfectly in Christ 1. Reg. c. 2. :: Rare thinges are called precious and so the gift of prophecie is here termed which was then granted to few :: This vision happened early in the morning before the time of dressing the lampes when some were put out and others light :: Their confidence of helpe from God by presence of the arke was good and commendable but their sinnes deserued to be punished :: This zele of religion in Heli towards the arke is a great signe that he died in good state though he was temporally punished for not correcting his sonnes :: So sowne as Christs Gospel or Testament came among the Gentiles al false goddes idolatry fel downe S. Beda qq in 1. Reg. c. 3. :: The arke being a holie thing as Reliques are was terrible to their false god the diuel so the Reliques of S. Babilas ouerthrew the false god Apollo as â Chrysoââ testifieth at large li. cont Gentiles ãâã 5. :: Obstinate sinners doe harden their owne hartes not God but by suffering them so to do âee Aânot âââd 7. :: As the arke was terrible to the infideles chap. 5. so also to those that beleued right but vsed it not reuerently :: These men knowing that the presence of the arke was good for them though the Bethsamites had benne punished for their irreuerence towardes it feared not to receiue and kepe it :: That is ãâ¦ã say the Phili ãâ¦ã who were ãâ¦ã oâ the seuen nations of Chanaan which God commânded his people to destroy ãâ¦ã the Amorrheites :: Heli his sonnes gâieuously offending in then office before chap 2. and now Samuels sonnes also peruerting iudgemât gaue occasion to the people to demand a lâng to iudge their temporal causes rightly not declining to wrong for bribes :: Misphat signifieth maner fashion or proceding :: God alwaies heareth those that truly repent for their sinnes but doth not alwayes deliuer them from afflictions which are due for offences or profitable for probation and merite of his children ââod 19. Deut. 17. Iudiâ 2. v. 16. Vvhy the peoples demand to haue a king is disliked Kinges sometimes oppresse their subiectes by Gods sufferance but vniustly â Cyp. li. 3. ep 9. siue 65. â Hierâ in Osee 8. â Greg. li. 4. c. 2. in 1. Reg. 8. Kinges haue prerogatiues aboue but not contâaric to the lawes Euil princes may be deposed by God the Church but not by the people only Concil Lateran c. 3. de heret Pointes obserued in the constitution and deposition of King Saul 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. The second part The election annointing gouernement of King Saul :: One that by diuine inspiration foreseeth thinges too come :: Oppression of innocentes crieth to heaven :: â Gregorie here noteth that such as are placed in height of gouernement are annointed with oyle which signifieth mercie light and cuâing of others :: But the litle vessel foreshewed that Saul not perseuering in grace should be deposed from his kingdom li. 4 c. 5. in 1. Reg. 10. :: Samuel enioynetâ obedience to Saul to trie his humilitie S. Greg. li. 4 c. 5. in 1 Reg 10. :: God gaue him peculiar grace for executing the office of a king :: By and by also the gift of prophecie :: Then superious :: By lotte the people were assured that the election was of God
to fight for them See Iosue 23. Psal 135. :: He destroyed the places where sacrifice was offered to idoles ch 17. v. 6. but tolerated other places where the people offered to God our Lord without the temple not being able to reduce al to perfection 4. Reg. 8. :: Elias was assumpted from ordinarie conuersation with mortal men the eighttenth yeare of king Iosaphat 4. Reg. 2. 3. who reigned twentie fiue yeares 3. Reg. 22. v. 42. So he shewed this special care of Ioram and his kingdom after his assumption seuen yeares 4. Reg. 8. v. 25. ch 9. :: To wit when he beganne to reigne alone for he reigned together with his father at the age of 22. 4. Reg. 8. v. 26. And after his fathers death but one yeare :: See 4. Reg. 8. v. 18. :: Human hope failed but Gods prouidence vsed meanes to conserue some of Dauids issue to sitte in his throne yea to continue the succession ãâã Christ Mat. 1. 4. Reg. 11. :: Gods promise being absolute and certayne yet humane meanes were neuertheles required * the vveâeliâ vvatch :: In case of right and necessitie we see here what the high Priest could do and did by his authoritie who otherwise intermedled not in the kings affayres ch 19 v 11. :: They are wilfully blind that wil not see difference betwen images of Baal of Christ or of Sainctes * simulââra :: By the law euerie one payed yearly halfe a sicle towards the repayring of the tabernacle and so afterwardes of the temple Ex. 30. Maâ ãâã :: He that killed his spiritual father was slaine by his owne seruantes 4. Reg. 14. Dâât 24 4. Reg. 8. :: Obduration of hart for former sinne :: So long as this king obserued the ordinance of God to be directed by the high priest Nâ 27. v 2â he prospered in his affayres :: For vsurping spiritual authority which pertayned not to him the high priest with his assistantes opposed themselues against the king and God confirmed their sentence by striking the same king with leprosie And so he was not only cast out of the temple but also out of his kingdom and common conuersation with other men forced to dwel in a separet house without the citie according to the law Leuit. 13. v. 46. :: Neither could he be buried in the propet sepulchres of the kinges 4. Reg. 15. 4. Reg. 16. VVicked policie auaileth nothing but hurteth much 4. Reg. 18. :: Being peniteÌt in haât for their sinnes Gods dispensation might be sappâsed foâ legal purification iâ case of ââce âine which otherwise was stâââly commaââââ Lââât 5. ãâã ãâã Deut. 27. c. :: Voluntarie workes of superetogation more then was commanded :: Besides consession of sinnes there is also coÌfession of Gods excellencie goodnes 4. Râg 18. Isaie 36. :: âore danger of pâââe in prosperitie then in aduersitie 4. Reg. 21. :: A pregnant example of the effect of harty repentance :: This prayer is not extant in the Hebrew but in Greke Latin as yet neither receiued for canonical by the Church noâ refused 4. Reg. 22. â Reg. 12. :: Geuen by the hand of Moyses :: It is a benefite to be taken out of this world before generaâ miseââe come vpon the people :: This Phase o ãâ¦ã h made by Ioââas is fanious partly for that this feast had bene omitted some yeares but specially for the great and extraordinarie solemnitie made at this umâ 4. Reg. 16. :: Iosias thought that the king of Aegypt intended to inuade his kingdome And it was Gods wil he should be slaine and not see the euiles that should happen to the people :: Solemne exequies with lamentations and musike :: Hitherto from K. Danids death the sonne had euer succeded to his father ââre 25. :: It is like that Esdras added this coÌclusion when he restored the holie Scriptures that were lost for he beginneth his owne booke with the same wordes The end of the fifth age The Church stil visible and the same faith as before One God Three Persons Christ Sacrifices Sacramentes to be changed by Christ Fruict of penance Abstinence Fastes Lent Feastes Place of the Temple designed long before Synagogues Sanctuarie Sette forme of prayers Ministerie of Angeles Honour and Intercession of Sainctes Reliques Images Good workes meâitorions Euangelical counselles pre figured Chastitie of clergie men religious orders Mat. 19 1 Cor. 7. Act. 5. 1. Tim. 5. Solemne Exequies for the dead Gen. 5. Resurrection Iudgement Eternal glorie or paine Church without interruption Ieraboams wicked policie Prophets inspired by God to resist Schisme and Heresie 4. Reg. 23. The often change of Kinges and euil successe in the kingdoÌ of Israel The first familie reigned but 24. yeares The second newe familie 26. The third but 7. daies The fourth 48. yeares The fifth 103. The sixth one moneth The seuenth 12. yeares The eight 20. yeares The ninthnine yeares Then ouerthrowen and the kingdom neuer restored The kingdom of Iuda for Dauids sake conserued in his sede Succession of Priestes continued Extraordinary mission of Prophetes Great effectes of their preaching and miracles Elias his miracles Eliseus his miracles Religion not wholly destroyed in the kingdom of Israel Heresies in the kingdom of Israel Ieroboamites Manie constant in true religion Iezabelites Samaritaniteâ diuided into manie Sectes Tobias neues yelded to Schisme The Kingdom of Iuda more free from herefie King Achaz Vrias high priest King Ioram and others committing idolatrie in fact manie others stil professed true Religion Authoritie depending vpon diuine ordinance is not changed by factes or practise Good kinges defended and promoted religion not as chiefe in spiritual causes but by way of execution dispensation oâ coÌmission Mat. 1â Priestes by their negligeÌce do sinne but lose not their authoritie Deut. 17. v. ãâã The Church of the old Testament conserued in truth Much more the Church of Christ ââ Psal 30. conc â li. 3. â 32. de doctrin christ â Tim. 3 4. Reg. 19. â Esâr 7 The two bookes of Esdras and Nehemias are but one in the Hebrew The third and fourth are not canonical Epist ad Paulin. This historie hath also a spiritual sense First booke diuided into two partes The first part The returne of gods people from Babylon Isaiae 44. 45 Ierem. 25. 29. :: Liberally gaue such thinges into their handes :: This enumeration of the Israelites which aseended into Ierusalem signifieth the Elect which ascend from the militant Chuch to the triumphant :: Such as say they are priestes and can not shew their vocatioÌ must not exercise that functon ... Al aboue numbred of the tribes of Iuda Beniamin Leui do not amouÌt to 30. thousand three hundred So in this general number are contained aboue twelue thousand of other tribes not recited among the rest as Rabbi Salomoa explicateth the difficultie :: Notwithstanding the terrour of infideles Gods seruantes too ãâã corage to offer sacrifice :: By the ordinance of Dauid
habites and inclinations to sinne So our Sauiour afterwards taught Ioan. 13. v. 10. He that is washed nedeth not sauing to wash his feere il affections and reliques of former sinnes but is cleane wholy f VVhiles I did not know not consider nor acknowledge my sinnes I could not be forgeuen but now I know and acknowledge them g and I cease not to consider of them with sorow h Principally for so this particle only here signifieth the enormities of my sinnes consist in that I haue offended thy Diuine Goodnes and Maiestie the King of the worldes immortal inuisible onlie God to whom is due al honour and glorie for euer and euer 1. Tim. 1. v. 17. i Thou which hast promised forgeuenes to al sinners that truly conuert shal herein be iustified by receiuing me againe to grace k and ouerthrow thy calumniators that iudge wickedly of thy proceedings as if either thy iustice or mercie were peruerted l I and al are burne in original sinne the reliques wherof concupiscence and weakenes incline vs to other sinneâ which we haue added In regard of which our infirmitie thy mercie is readie to recal vs and help vs. m Besides thou hast also geuen me knowledge of true faith and right doctrine which thou euer louest and art accustomed to reduce and direct such into the true way of penance n yea thou hast moreouer shewed to me thinges vncertaine or vnknowen to manie others geuen me the gift and spirit of prophecie to know hidde mysteries and to euerie one God geueth some particular benefites which he loueth in him and is ready of his part to confirme and maintaine the same that they be not lost o Most merciful Lord thou wilt as I see in the spirit of prophecie sprinkle me and al men with thy bloud from the Crosse where they shal geue thee vinegre about hyssoppe to drinke Ioan. 19. p by which washing I shal be cleane from sinne and become in time pure yea whiter then snow A figure of this hyssope was obserued in Moyses Law Num. 19. signifying the liuelie heat of Christs infinite charitie q When myn affections shal be cleane purged I shal take singular great delight to heare of thee r and al my powres of mind and bodie which are now afflicted shal reioyce Å¿ Leaue of thy cogitation of punishing to which purpose first take away myn iniquities âoâ otherwise if they remaine Gods iustice can not but punish them t Create in me new grace wherby my hart shal be pure So S. Paul calleth a iust soul a new creature Galat. 6. v. 15. v v In my invvard thoughtes w suffer me not so to fal againe that thy grace depart from me x which I had before my fal of Christ promised of my seede and alter not the same for my âânâes Dauid also and other penitents pray here that God wil restore vnto them the ioy which they had in the state of grace of eternal saluation promised y confirme conserue in âe hereafter a strong constant and willing spirite to perseuere z No way can a penitent better shew him self gratful to God for remission of his sinnes theâ by instructing exhorting and perswading other sinners to repentance to leaue their former il wayes and turne to God a From the guilt and punishment of murder causing Vrias and others with him to be slaine Other penitents pray to be deliuered from what sinnes soeuer they haue committed by sheding bloud or other ââââgs and iniuries promising to praise Gods iustice in offering and geuing grace accordâââ ãâ¦ã promise to sinners that they may repent b Thou â God first sâârring me vp opening my lippes which of my selfe I can not do then my tongue and ãâ¦ã wil praise thee c If thou wouldest especially legal sacrifice I would easily haue offered great store d but the best of that kind is not sufficient e true contrition of hart pleaseth thee farre better f After a penitent hath remission of his owne sinnes he must pray for the whole Church g The Church prospering her faithful children shal offer h the sacrifice of iustice rendering to euerie one that is due i also free offeringes without obligation k yea holocaustes which is the chiefest âcaââes and like hostes vpon the altar according to the state of the old law but in the law of Christ the most B. Sacrifice by him instituted Temporal punishment is due after remission of sinnes Custome of sinne maketh more pronnes to fal againe CoÌcupiscence remaineth after original sinne Spiritual sacrifice prefeâred before external Dauids inuectiue against Doeg the 8. key a Of the race of Esau half a Ievv but either an Infidel or fautor of Infidels a spie for Saul a persecutor of Dauid a murderer of Innocents 2. Reg. 22. v. 9. 18. b High priest slaine with 84. more Priestes and others because they were supposed to fauour Dauid ibidem c Thou persecutor Doeg why art thou so malicious to abuse thy credite with king Saul to the murdering of innocents d playing the part of a spie in betraying to Saul that I was with Achimelech e Though he told a truth yet it was iniquitie to betray innocents f Thou shalt vtterly be destroyed g al thy race h for a short time in this world i Dauid prophecieth his owne exaltation and conseruation of his seede in the kingdom of Israel k Sing praise and âaâkes to thee l thy Goodnes which agreeth to thy name The general Iudgement the 9. key a Weakenes or mourning b S. Augustin expoundeth this Psalme as an instruction to those that suffer persecution and iniuries especially nere the end of the world c God wil ouerthrow al the counsels and forces d of worldlie politiques e The true Church afflicted desireth Christs coming to deliuer the oppressed A praier in distresse the 7. key a Though historically this Psalme b was song by Dauid the author therof shewing how he prayd in dauger and rendered thankes for his deliuerie c when vpon notice geuen that he abode in the mountaines Saul straictly beseged him with a great armie but the Philistims inuading the countrie Saul was forced to leaue Dauid and to turne his forces against them 1. Reg. 23 yet iâ perceyneth also literally to al iust men in distresse especially to the Church of Christ praying in like dangers and God by his like prouidence deliuering his seruantes in extremities d For the glorie of thy name e for the iustnes of my cause defend me f Barbarous highland men haue betraide the place of myne abode to the persecuters g But I feare them not because I am in Gods protection h A iust prayer that God wil turne intended mischief vpon the deuisers heades i according to his promise that he wil defend the innocent k Offering voluntarie sacrifice more then is commanded l and praise thee ô God m as I am bond n I reioyce in thy iust iudgements against the wicked Gods
suffer him vvholly to omitte manifest profession of faith and true religion f seing by thy former grace I haue already reposed my trust in thy promises made to them that are resolued to kepe thy lavv g For I do firmly purpose euer and alwayes to kepe thy law h In this I haue had great ioy and comforte of mind i because I did in dede seeke after thy commandements vvhich is specially vttered as also the three next verses in the person of those that are in trial of persecution for their faith k VVho boldly in time of persecution euen before persecuting Kinges and Emperors professe Christs true Religion Veryfied in innumerable glorious Martyrs yea also of the fraile sexe in S. Catharin S. Cecilie S. Lucie S. Margaret S. VVenefrede S. Vrsula and her felovves and manie more most constantly ansvvering al vvordes of reproch obiected as if it vvere a base or contemtible thing to be Christians to be Catholiques to be Papistes No al these and the like are honorable and glorious titles importing the true seruice of Christ in vnitie of the Catholique Church and spiritual participation vvith the visible head therof Christs Vicar in earth l Such confessors as yet mortal reioyce in that they haue meditated in Gods commandments vvhich they haue feruently loued m Also shevved the same in external vvorke not dissembling by silence by vvord nor fact n euerie way exercising Gods lavv vvhich maketh the obieâuers iust a That vvhich God hath decreed and promised being in itselfe most certaine and assured yet includeth the meanes vvherby it shal be put in execution and therfore the iust his elect do pray for the performance of his vvil b Expectation of thy promise hath geuen me corege * eloââââ c Provvde contemners of Gods lavv haue euerie vvay molested me by detracting deriding calumniating and violently persecuting me d Al vvhich I haue borne patiently and not declined from thy lavv e I remembred and considered thy iust punishments inflicted vpon the impious f euen from the beginning of the vvorld both vpon the diuels and vvicked men and that thou vvilt exercise the like hereafter g vvhich consideration of thy iustice comforted me h Otherwise if I had not sene thy iustice my zele against contemners of thy law would haue killed me i In this place of my perigrination from heauen I am comforted by remembring celebrating and singing thy iust commandments and lavves vvhich make thy seruants iust k In persecution and in al tribulation I kept thy law because I would not dishonour thy name l And my tribulation especially fel vpon me because I sought to be iustified by keping thy law a The Propheâ procedeth speaking in the person of the iust tending to perfection and saying This is my happie choise that I desire no other enheritance nor possession but to kepe Gods Lavv. b And seeing this excedeth my proper streingth I prayed God of his mercie to make me able to kepe it * âloquiuÌ c Pondering my former actions I turned my pathes to obserue more perfectly the Law which God hath testified to be the right way d With prompnes of mind and without hesitation I resolued to kepe the commandments e The wicked laide cordes nettes or snares to intrappe and hinder me f but I kept thy law fresh in memorie g That this is not vnderstood only mystically in time of affliction but also literally and prophetically that some special seruantes of God should obserue a godlie profession of praying at midnight the vvord I rose maketh it probable S. Paul Silas either of a holie custome or at least vpon special occasion and such occasions vvere to them and others frequent Act. 16. prayed and praised God at midnight And novv in the Church of Christ some religions men pray and praise God continually at midnight besides other houres mentioned more distinctly v. 164. h A great benefite and a singular consolation that al true liuing members of Christ are partakers of al the prayers good workes and merites of the whole Church militant and triumphant VVhich in our Crede is called The Communion of Sainctes i So great is the mercie of God extended communicated and multiplied in the whole earth k Instruct me and direct me therfore ó God that I may lerne and obserue thy law and so be iustified and made participant of so great mercie a Dealt very bountifully b as thou didst promise c He that hath bountifully receiued grace at Gods hand prayeth for more grace that he may be beneficial to others in releuing the needie d in instructing the ignorant e in perswading to kepe the law of God f because he hath lerned and beleueth the commandments by which he is bond to loue and haue care of his neighbour g Before I was afflicted I often fel into sinne h but vexation gaue me vnderstanding therfore now I kepe thy law * eloquiuÌ i Contemners of thy law haue endeuored to intangle me k but I persist in keping thy commandments As before v. 51. 61. l Though the wicked combine themselues together against me m yet I consider that it is necessarie to perseuer in thy law n A clere comparison that it is better to kepe Gods law which bringeth life euerlasting then to haue al the riches kingdoms of this world a God being our Creator we may with confidence pray him to illuminate our mindes that we may lerne what is his pleasure and so endeuour to fulfil it b Others that loue God wil be gladde to see me also serue him c The iust being afflicted and not seing the particular cause therof yet knoweth and confesseth that God doth it for most iust cause d And therfore with patience prayeth for comforth as foloweth * eloquiuÌ e who am almost dead in tribulation f The iust also prayeth that the wicked may be ashamed and conuerted for so the hebrew word here signifieth though it is also lawful to desire the iust punishment of obstinate sinners g He prayeth againe for conuersion of the wicked and to haue peace with them a Manie iust of the old testament most feruently desired the coming of Christ our Sauiour as our Lord himselfe testifieth Mat. 13 v. 17. And now the iust desire his coming in glorie 2. Tim. 4. v. 8 * eloquiuÌ b Delaved hope afflicteth c As a leather bottel made of a beasts skinne congeled with the frost and after partched in smoke so is the bodie of the iust mortified by diuers sortes of afflictions made a new bottel fitte to receiue new wine that is perfect doctrin of Christian life as of fasting and other austeritie wherof our Sauiour speaketh Mat. 9. v. 17. d Such is mans infirmitie yea of the iust that he apprehendeth tribulations to be very long and therfore desireth consummation and that without sinne so he stil submitte his wil to Gods wil. e Friuolous idle tailes which are not according to Gods law f I
was in great danger but am not ouerthrowne g And by thy merciful grace shal persist a The praise of Gods workes which are firme and parmanent in the order wherin he set them b Al thinges of this world man excepted do Gods wil. c Man except he meditate Gods law and therby be holden vp is in danger d perhaps in euerie tentation to perish eternally For he can neuer rise out of mortal sinne by his owne powre and al should perishâf Gods mercie did not spare some and geue them new effectual grace to repâut e Alwayes vnderstood that Gods grace preuented els no man can seeke to obserue the commandments f Al worldlie thinges haue their consummation and end g Gods commandment continueth euer For we are perpetually bând to loue and serue God to loue our neighboures yea and enimies The reward also for keping Gods commandments punishment for breaking them are eternal vvithout end a It is meruel to a perfect iust man that he hath so much loued and obserued Gods lavv By acknovvleging vvherof he yeldeth praise and thankes to God vvhose gift it is b The fruictes of obseruing Gods law are manie and great Amongst others it maketh the obseruer wiser then his enimies c It maketh the obseruer wiser then his temporal maisters that taught him towit then those that teach wel and do not performe the same d Yonger in yeares that kepe Gods commandments are vviser then the more ancient that kepe them not e An other fruict is the swetnes which the iust feeleth in his owne soule * eloquia f It brideth also iust hatred to sinne a The word or law of God declared by Prophets Pastors or other Preachers is the ordinarie meanes for others to lerne how to direct their wayes and actions b Such profession Gods people made in the old law in Circumcision or at other times Christians make it in Baptisme c Al that wil liue godly in Christ Iesus shal suffer persecution 2. Tim. 3. v. 1â d Besides the commandments the iust also offer voluntarie workes of supererogation acceptable to God e By this Hebrevv prouerb is signified that a iust mâns temporal life is in continual danger as the thing that is in ones hand is readie to be laide by put out of his hand or to be by and by disposed of or may forthvvith fal from his hand f A most euident place that the keping of Gods commandments merite reward and are righlty obserued in respect of reward a Not anie mortal man is to be hated in his person but his iniquitie by vvhich he is an enimie to Gods lavv b vvhich euerie iust man loueth c Whosoeuer wil seriously and securely search the law of God must auoide the conuersation of euil men d A general and very fitte prayer vvhen vve addict ourselues by a firme resolution to serue God beseching him to receiue vs into his protection * eloquiuÌ e vvherby spiritual lise is conserued f vvhich we pray vvith great confidence because he hath promised to heare those that seeke aske and knocke at the dore of his grace g VVe must pray also that he suffer vs not to be confounded or made frustrate of the revvard vvhich vve expect for hope confoundeth not if charitie be povvred in our hartes by the Holie Ghost vvhich is geuen vs. Rom. 5. v. 5. h God reiecteth sinners i so long as they thincke peruersly that is vntil by his grace some returne to a better mind vvhich of themselues they can neuer do k As God accounteth of sinners so the iust also estemeth them conforming his iudgement to Gods l Seruil feare is profitable as this place maketh euident though perfect charitie aftervvards succeding expelleth that feare and moueth to do vvel for the loue of God not for feare of punishment 1. Ioan. 4. a The iust againe in feruent zele not arrogantly but confidently professing his innocencie b prayeth to be defended from calumniators c Grant therfore ô God the good and lawful request which I demand d By long expecting to be deliuered and saued from tribulation * eloquiuÌ e It is time and hiegh time saith feruent zele of the iust man that God deliuer the innocent f vvhen the vvicked haue not only persecuted the good but haue also contemptuously made houoke of Gods lavv and true religion g For this zele of Gods lavv so despised and dissiputed the iust more and more loueth that vvhich the vvicked so deadly hate h Euen by the mortal hate of the vvicked I savv that Gods lavv is most excellent and therfore addicted my selfe so much the more to lone it i and to hate al vvicked vvayes a Gods meruelous povvre and vvisdom testified by his vvorkes and commandments b vvorthely inuite iust soules to meditate and contemplate the same c First entrance into knowlege of holie Scripture illuminateth the vnderstanding of the humble wherby they procede to know more * Sermonum d By this Metaphor of gaping or vvide opening the mouth and dravving breath the Prophet describeth the great desire of the iust to knovv and kepe Gods commandments e According to thy accustomed equitie in shewing mercie to them that loue thy name * eloquiuÌ f Let thy diuine Maiestie looke vpon me with fauorable countenance g True repentance consisteth not only in purpose to auoide sinne hereafter vvhich in dede is first required but also in sorovv and lamentation for sinnes past a God being essentially iust of himselfe maketh men iust according to right iudgement by geuing them grace of mercie vvhervvith they cooperating are iust by iustice in dede inherent in their soules not by imputation only for it vvere not right iudgement to impute or account man iust vvho is not so in dede b The same is more confirmed by these three synonyma Iustice Testimonies Veritie signifying the law of God most earnestly commanded * eloquia c Gods lavv is as pure as anie thing purged by fire d A iust man is often iudged ignorant immature vnexperienced by the vvorldlie vvise e but in dede is vvise in that he forgetteth not to kepe the lavv vvhich maketh him iust f Hauing professed the necessitie of perfect iustice he concludeth this Octonarie praying to be illuminated in his vnderstanding that so he may attaine iustice and liue therby a Most serious and seruent inuocation of God for his grace is necessarie to the fulfilling of his lavv b I haue preuented the mature and ordinarie time of the night and haue prayed c very attentiuely d Againe in the morning I haue preuented the accustomed time of prayer * eloquia e According to thy accustomed maner of shevving mercie shew it me that therby I may liue f God is alwayes readie to heare al that sincerly inuocate him g Gods law is the same in substance from the beginning of the world and wil be for euer a An other prayer of the iust in affliction * eloquiuÌ
Pharises made deuising wicked traditions contrarie to Gods commandments Mat. 15. v. 5. :: The Iewes are called a deceiptful nation because they broke their promise made to God that they would serue him and kepe his commandments Exo. 19. v. 8. 4 Reg. ââ :: Senacharib not by his owne powre but as Gods instrument minister afflicted the Israelites Neuertheles he persecuted them of his owne free wil which God vsed for the punishment of his people In general therfore euil men are like to instruments without sense but differ in that mens actions are voluntarie vnreasonable and sensles creatures haue no wil at al but only natural apânes and inclination Iudi. 7. :: By these places Senacherib passed with his armie from Aegypt to Ierusalem :: The blessed virgin Act. 13. :: Christ our Sauiour replenished with the seuen giftes of the Holie Ghost of whose infinite plenitude his seruantes participate as it pleaseth his diuine spirite to impert 2. Thes 2. Rom. 15. :: Christ after his death which to the vvorld was ignominious vvould be gloriously buried by very honorable persons Ioseph and Nicodemus with abundance of most precious spices vvrapped in finne linnen and laide in a nevv monument to shew that the glorie of the iust beginneth from their death where the glorie of the vvicked endeth Christs sepulchre stil also remaineth glorious honored euen by the Turkes much more by Catholique Christians Exâ 15. Psal 117. The 2 part Tenne prophetical comminations against so manie people 's The 1. against Babylon :: The Iewes gaue thankes for their deliuerie from captiuitie of Babylon much more the Church of Christ rendereth thankes for her deliuerie from al sinnes :: Nemrod began the kingdom of Babylon Gen. 10. his sonne Belus did much augment it and his sonne Ninus brought it to be a very great Empire Monarchie But at last after 1240. yeares it was ouercome by Cyrus king of Persia Ezech. 32. Ioel. 3. Mat. 24. Mar. 13. âuc 2â :: Medes and Persians were called sanctified in that they were the ministers of Gods iustice in the ruine of Babylon which the Prophet foretelling calleth it The burden of Babylon :: After the slaughter there shal be so few Babylonians or Chaldeans left aliue that one man shal be more rare and precious then much fine gold Psal 1â6 Gen. 1â :: An other citie was built by the same name but much lesse in an other place of Chaldea :: Isaie prophecied the destruction of Babylon aboue 100. yeares before the Iewes were caried thither captiue and their captiuitie indured 70. yeares VVhich was released by Cyrus after he had ouercome the Babylonians Yet this space of nere 200. yeares is counted a short time in respect of so great a Monarchie as this was which had now continued aboue a thousand yeares from the time of Ninus yea was begunne by Nemrod Gen. 10. v. v. :: As Lucifer the greatest diuel so Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon fel through pride into extreme miserie :: The miraculous destruction of the Assiriansarmie beseging Ierusalem is recorded 4. Reg. 19. :: The second commination is against the Philistians 4 Reg 1â :: Though Achaz was dead whom the Philistims feared yet Ezechias a better king did afflict them more then the other had done 4. Reg. 18. v 8. Much more Ozias 2. Par. 26 :: From Ierusalem which is situated on the north of Philistea :: The third commination was against the Moabites :: Destruction made in the night preuented that they feared not the imminent danger but so much the more they were afflicted being sodainly oppressed vvith extreme myserie Iere. 4â EEâch 7. :: Miscrie euen of ââmiâs moueth a charitable hart to compassion So the Prophet lamenteth the Moabites afflictioÌ :: In the great miserie of he Moabites the Prophet saw one special cause of consolation that Christ the lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world should be borne of their lineage by one of thâer progenie :: Of Ruth a Moabite who was maried to Booz and so was Dauids great grandmother Ruth 4. See the argument of Ruth :: The vvarres against Moab continued three yeares :: In vvhich it was brought into seruitude The fourth prophetical commination vvas against the Syrians Iosue 10. 11. c. :: After that the Assirians had afflicted the Israelites and their confederates them selues were also afflicted The fift was against the Aethiopians and Aegyptians * Or paper boates :: The Aegyptians bid their messengers goe swiftly tel the Iewes that they shal haue present helpe according as they require expect :: But the prophet shevveth that the Aegyptians them selues shal be ouerthrowne by the Assirians :: VVhen our B. Sauiour was caried in his infancie by his mother into Aegypt the idoles of that countrie lost their powre And the inhabitantes vvere specially blessed afterwards very manie beleued in Christ and sincerely serued him :: Both Iewes and Christians vnderstand this prophecie of the conuersion of the Aegyptians to Christ But the Ievves expect it as yet to come vve know that it is already fulfilled At least in part For there vvere sometimes manie Christians in that countrie yea manie most excellent Sainctes S. Paul S. Antonie S. Hilarion and innumerable others :: The holie prophet of noble bloud vvas not disobedient nor ashamed to goe naked because nothing is more honest then to obey Gods commandment S. Ierom. in âunâ locum Gods prouidence in punishing al that trust in men not in him Examples of mutations in kingdomes The sixt commination was against the Assirians specially the Babylonians :: Cyrus king of the Persians a people of smal powre of the Medes of great streingth Iere. 51. Apoc. 14. :: The seuenth prophetical commination was against the Idumeans :: The eight against the Ismaelites Arabiam :: The ninth against the cheefe rulers of Ierusalem :: Sion situated on a hil and often called a montaine is here called a vale for the afflicted state wherin it was in the captiuitie :: This Sobna had some of fiâe about the Temple but by craftie intrusion and vniust vsurpation rather then by lawful induction was very couetous ambicious so by Gods iudgement fel into miserie The tenth commination was against the Tyrians :: Tyrus was an iland as Ezechiel also describeth it ch 27. in the entrance yea situated in the hart of the sea but not farre distant for king Alexander filled vp that passage of water and made it continent :: The Tyrians reioyced in the Iewes captiuitie therfore God punished them with like captiuitie of 70. yeares The third part Prophecies perteyning to the whole world Osee 4. :: Diuersitie of states which is now in the world shal cease at the general iudgement and al men shal receiue according to their delertes :: Nere the end of the world manie forgetting the law of God nature wil rage in extreme furie against others persecuting murthering one an
blesse and praâe God for euermore The definition of Idolatrie Diuers sortes of Idolatrie Angels honored as goddes Men liuing or dead Corporal creatures sensible and without sense Imagees of false goddes Imagees them selues reputed goddes Idolaters are voide of reason And seruants of diuels âsal 95. â5 A prayer with praise of God the 7. key a I am induced to loue God b because he alwayes heareth my prayers c So long as I shal liue d VVhen serred like a stray sheepe from thee the paines of death e and the danger of hel-torments both due for sinne inuironed me and I was not ware therof f But by tribulation falling vpon me I came to knowe my dangerous estate g turned to thee and prayed as foloweth h Afflicted with tribulations i I wil endeuoure to please God in the congregation of those that liue herein grace and in heauen in glorie Thankesgeuing for our Redemer the 5. key a I beleued that God would helpe me b therfore I freely professed that I trusted in him For then in dede faith is perfect when we confesse with mouth that which we beleue in hart c I was vehemently afflicted in tribulations This in the Hebrew is ioyned to the next Psalme before d In the middes of my great affliction I professed that al mans helpe is vaine false deceipful and defestiue and therfore our trust must be in God only e Considering that God hath not only geuen and bestowed manie great benefites vpon me and al mankind but also hath rendered good for euil mercie for our sinneâ we hâuââg rendered euil for good what now shal I render sayth a true penitent for al that he hath thus rendered to me deseruing so euil f Considering that God hath not only geuen and bestowed manie great benefites vpon me and al mankind but also hath rendered good for euil mercie for our sinneâ we hâuââg rendered euil for good what now shal I render sayth a true penitent for al that he hath thus rendered to me deseruing so euil g Seing I am not able to render anie thing worthie of Gods fauoure to me yet I wil do that I can I wil gratfully accept his great benefite the cuppe of Christs passion which he dâuunke for mankind h and wil praise and cal upon his name i I wil pay voluntarie vowes k for Gods glorie and edification of others l yea I wil offer my life and suffer death when Gods glorie shal require it in whose sight the death of Sainctes is precious and most highly esteemed m Alvvayes vnderstood that such as suffer persecution be in good state of then soules the true seruantes of God n the children of the Church his handmaide o Deliuered me from captiuitie of sinne p In the Church of the faithful The Church of Christ in alnations the 6. key a Not only some but al nations of the Gentiles b and al Ievves Christs Redemption being abundantly sufficient for al are inuited to praise God Rom. 15. v. 11. c Because he hath multiplied his mercie to vs Gentiles to vvhom he made no promise d and most truly performed his promise made to the levves Christ beneficial Mysteries are celebrated by his Church the 6. key a Let vs praise God for his goodnes in making vs of nothing geuing vs manie benefites b and remitting our sinnes Psal 105. 106. 135. c Let the Church of the nevv testament especially confesse his goodnes vvhich hath receiued more mercie and grace d Let al the Clergie praise God novv in the time of more grace and of greater spiritual functions e Yea let the Whole bodie of the Church al that feare and serue God praise his mercie f As wel spiritual as temporal g Though innumerable oppose and endeuour to hurt me saith the Church or anie iust person h yet by Gods povvre not by myn ovvne I am defended and they punished and so the iust hath the victorie and triumpheth i In great troopes and furie k vvith sharpe though shorte force and vvith special noise to terrifie me but in God I ouercame al l I vvas sometimes by vehemencie of tentation declining to sinne m but Gods grace assisted and strengthned me n The same vvord right hand thrise mentioned signifieth the B. Trinitie Also Our Lord signifying Christ in his humanitie the chief instrument of God is here often repeted to signifie the singular efficacie therof o God chastiseth his children p because he vvould not that they should dye eternally So he punisheth as a father not as an enimie q The Prophet novv speaketh in the person of iust soules requiring spiritual doctrin and foode r and promising to serue God Å¿ An euident prophecie of Christ vttered by the Royal Psalmist and novv confessed by euerie Christian that our Sauiour reiected by the Ievves is neuertheles the builder of his Church by ioyning the tvvo peoples of Ievves and Gentiles as tvvo vvalles into one house t God ordayned this acceptable time of grace Mat. 21. ââ 20. Act. 4. Iâm 9. 1 Pet. 2. v The songue of the Hebrevv children vvhen Christ entered Ierusalem vvith palmes of triumph and acclamations w The voice of Christ and his Apostles and other Clergie blessing the people as they desire x This was fulfilled when Christ was brought with bowes of palme and other signes of triumph from Bethania y through the whole citie euen into the Temple and vnto the Altar Mat. 21. z Our first chife and final dutie is to praise God v. 1. vlt. Perfect iustice is in keping Gods law the 7. key The obscuritie of this profound and Psalm appeareth not to the vulgar reader S Augustin differred the explication of this Psalme Omitted to d ãâ¦ã e one difficultie At last made 32. sermons in explication therof S. Ambrose writte 22 sermons vpon this Psalme King Dauid a great master of moral doctrin VVhy this Psalme was composed in order of the Alphabet VVhy eight verses are begunne with euerie letter S Basils iudgement that this Psalme conteyneth the argument of manie Psalmes Other expositors of this Psalme S. Ieroms interpretation and explication of the Hebrew Alphabet Idem Proem lament 1. Cor. 13. * God in himself Most of these letters haue also other significations And are diuersly explicated by S. Ambrose S. Beda and others VVherby we may lerne though we vnderstand no more that holie Scriptures are ful of mysteries as S. Ierom calleth this and hard to be vnderstod Gods lavv especially commended in this Psalme 14 Symonyma signifying the lavv of God Gods grace necessarie in euerie good vvorke It enableth freevvil to merite This title vvas added by the Septuagint to admonish vs that this Psalme conteyneth that singular maner of praising God signified by the two Hebrevv vvordes Allelu ja as before Psal 104. a VVhereas al without exception desire to be happie and blessed b they are indede happie according to the perfectest happines of this life that are immaculate c and they