reason of kinred to haue had some succour of them he was not regarded but suffered to perishe in a straunge land no man mourning for him nor putting him into hys graue ¶ Iason He that maketh whole a Phisition Iecksan looke Iocsan 4. Reg. 23. f. Iehoahas the sonne of Iosias was .xxiij. yeare olde when he began to reygne ouer Iuda and had not reygned thrée moneths or that Pharao Necho King of Egipt came and put him downe and set vp his brother in hys steade And put the lande to a tribute of an hundred Talents of Siluer and one of Golde and caryed Iehoahas away into Egypt where he dyed ¶ Iehoahas The possession of the Lorde 4. Reg. 23. g. 24. a. Iehoakym the sonne of Iosias was .xxv. yeares of age when he began to reygne ouer Iuda and dyd that which was euill in the sight of the Lorde His name was chaunged from Eliakim to Iehoakym by Pharao Necho King of Egypt which came and deposed his brother This Kyng dyed in the way as they led him prisoner into Babilon Reade Ieremie 22. e. Iehoahas and made him King in his steade and mersced the lande as before is sayde in Iehoahas For the payment of which money Iehoakym taxed the land and leuyed of euery man according to his habilitie and payde the money to Pharao After this came Nabuchodonosor King of Babilon and besieged Ierusalem to whome Iehoakym yéelded and serued Nabuchodonosor thrée yeares and then rebelled agaynst him into whose hande the Lorde deliuered him so that the King of Babilon tooke him and bounde him in twoo chaynes and caried him and all the vessels of the Lordes house into Babilon This King reigned a .xj. yeares ¶ Iehoakym the Rysing or aduenging of the Lorde * He is called also Iechonias Math. 1. b Iehoachin 4. Reg. 24. b. c. d. was the sonne yof Iehoakm who at the age of xviij yeares began to reigne ouer Iuda and did euill in the sight of the Lorde as his fathers before him He had not reygned thrée moneths or that the King of Babilon came and deposed him making Mathania his fathers brother King in his steade chaunging his name from Mathania to Zedekia and caryed Iehoachym away into Babilon where he remayned in pryson xxxviij yeares after euen vntill the comming of Euilmerodach King of Babilon after Nabuchodonosor hys father who had such a mynde to Iehoachym that he deliuered him out of prison and exalted him aboue all the Princes in Babilon and fedde him at his owne table all the dayes of his lyfe ¶ Iehoachin the Resurrection of the Lorde 4. Reg. 13. a. b. c. Iehoahas the sonne of Iehu began his reygne ouer Israel in the .xxiij. yeare of the reygne of Ioas the sonne of Ahaziahu King of Iuda and walked so wickedly in the sinnes of Ieroboam by worshipping the Calues which he had erected that God deliuered him into the handes of Hazael and his sonne Benhadad Kinges of Siria which destroyed the people of Israel and vexed them so sore that they made the Israelites like threshed dust yet neuerthelesse when Iehoahas humbled himselfe and besought the Lord he hearde him and had such pitie compassion on the misery of Israel that he deliuered him out of the Sirians subiection which had brought him so lowe that they had left him but fiftie horsemen ten Charets and ten thousande footemen He reygned xvij yeares and then dyed and was buryed in Samaria leauing behinde him his sonne Ioas to reigne in his steade ¶ Iehoahas Apprehending possesing or seeyng 4. Reg. 11. ca. Iehoiada was the hye Byshop and Priest in the dayes of Ahaziahu King of Iuda whose daughter he maryed named Iehosabeth He preserued Ioas the yongest sonne of Ahaziahu his father in lawe sixe yeares in the Lordes house and in the seauenth yeare he brought him forth and proclaimed him king And being his gouernour and protectour trayned him vp in all godlynesse and vertue So that so long as Iehoiada liued the King 2. Par. 24. d. walked in all the wayes of the Lorde from the which he swarued after the death of this good Bishop Iehoiada Who liued 130. yeares and for his faythfulnesse towardes God and his people was most honorablye buried in the Citie of Dauid among the Kings ¶ Iehoiada the Knowledge of the Lorde 4. Reg. 11. a. Iehosabeth was the daughter of Ahaziahu King of Iuda and wyfe to Iehoiada the hie Bishop of the Iewes 2. Par. 22. d. And when Atthalia hir Graundmother went about to destroy the Kings séede shée stole awaye Ioas hir yoongest brother from among the Kings sonnes and hid both him and his Nurse in hir owne Chamber with hir husbands consent the space of .vj. yeares and so preserued him that he perished not with the reast of hir brethren ¶ Iehosabeth the fulnesse of the Lorde 4. Reg. 9 ca. Iehu the sonne of Nimsi was annoynted King ouer Israel by Eliseus the Prophet for to destroye the house of Achab his mayster And being commaunded to go about it with spéede he began first with Ioram which lay at Iezrael to be healed of his wounds which the Sirians had giuen him And as Iehu was comming thitherward the watchman espying a company comming toward the Citie tolde the King who then sent out an horseman to méete them and to knowe whether they came peaceably or no. And when the Messenger came to Iehu he sayde The King woulde knowe whether it be peace or no What hast thou to doe with peace quoth Iehu turne thée behinde me and so the messenger turned behynde Iehu and went backe no more and likewyse the second Then the watchman tolde the King that he thought by the dryuing of the Charret it shoulde be Iehu that was comming for he driueth quoth he as he were mad The King hearing that he made him readye to warre and tooke Ahaziahu King of Iuda with him and went toward Iehu and met him in the furlong of Naboth saying is There was a Prophete also called Iehu the sonne of Hanani which prophecied of the destruction of Baasa King of Israel and his posterity Read. 3. Reg. 16. a. b. it peace Iehu or no What peace should it be quoth he so long as the whooredomes of thy mother Iezabel hir witchcrafts are so great and so in the Battell Iehu shot Ioram to the heart with an arrow killed him And fell vpon Ahaziahu and slue him also And so procéeding forth to Iezrael he came thither and found Iezabel looking out at a windowe And as he demaunded of the companye about hir who was on his side and woulde for his sake cast hir downe two or thrée of hir Chamberlaines threw hir out at the windowe and brake hir necke notwithstanding bicause she was a Kings daughter he caused hir to be buryed Then he sent his letters to Samaria 10. cap. commaūding those which had the gouernance of Achabs seauentie sonnes
them all shoulde sée that good lande but Iosua and Caleb After Iosua 1. cap. the death of Moses the Lorde encouraged Iosua to inuade the lande of promise and gaue him commaundement to exercise himselfe continually in reading the booke of the Lawe called Deuteronomie Which he dulye obserued and read it to the people that they thereby might the better learne to looue and feare God and to obey him the Lordes minister â–ª He destroyed the Citie of Iericho onely reseruing Raab and hir housholde He brent the Citie of Hai and hanged the fiue Kings of the Amorites on fiue trées at whose discomfiting it rayned stones from heauen by the which mo were slayne than with the sworde and the Sunne also stoode still in his place and prolonged the day till Iosua had vtterly discomfited his enimies He slue in all first and last .xxxj. Kings and brought the children of Israel into the lande of promission and deuided the lande to the Tribes of Israel He dyed at the age of an hundred and ten yeres in whose steade Iuda was made gouernour of the Lordes armie ¶ Iosua the Lorde Sauiour Gen. 21. a. Isaac was the sonne of Abraham by his wyfe Sara and a figure of Christ for when his father went to 22. cap. * Some say that Isaac was sacrificed of his father in the xiii yeare of his age but Iosephus affirmeth it to be done in the xxv yeare offer him vp in sacrifice and comming to the Aultar and place where he shoulde dye he willingly offered himselfe to death that his father might in him fulfill the Lordes will. But being preserued of God till he came to the age of fortie yeares he then tooke to wyfe Rebecca 25. c. the daughter of Bathuel his fathers brother who being long barren at the last by the pleasure of God brought forth Esau and Iacob at one birth After this there fell 26. cap. such a dearth and famine in his countrie that he departed into the lande of the Philistines where Abimelech was king And as he remayned in Gerar the Lorde appeared to Isaac bidding him to remayne still in that place and not to remooue into Egypt and he would multiply his sede as the Starres of heauen and bring it so to passe that all Nations of the earth shoulde be blessed therein And so Isaac remooued not But for so much as he doubted of the feare of God to be in that place he durst not auouche Rebecca to be his wyfe but sayde she was his sister Reade the storie of Abimelech King of the Philistines for the playner declaration of this matter And now whyle Isaac remayned in the Countrie of Gerar God so encreased him with abundance of cattell and ryches that the Philistynes began to enuie and hate hym and stopped all the Welles which his father Abraham had made that he shoulde haue no commoditie thereby But notwithstanding he digged vp the Welles againe and called them by the same names that his father had giuen them before and became so mightie that Abimelech made a bonde with Isaac who feasted the King and departed friendes Finally with age he became blinde 27. a. and so was deceyued in giuing his blessing to Iacob which he thought to haue first bestowed on Esau but both by the will of God â—eing blessed of their father Isaac he fell sicke and dyed at the age of an hundred and lxxx yeres and was buried in Hebron ¶ Isaac Laughter 2. Reg. 2. c. Isboseth the sonne of King Saul at the age of fortie yeares began his reygne ouer Israel Whose onely 4. cap. staye and vpholder of his Kingdome was Abner after whose death two of his owne Captaynes slue Isboseth by treason in his owne house after he had reygned twoo yeares Reade the storie of Baanah ¶ Isboseth a man of sbame .4 Felix ante alios fratres ego dicor Iuda Non mihi uerba pater inuidiosa dedit Sed me uictorem dixit forteque Leonem Hostes qui superet viribus ecce suos ¶ Of Ismael the sonne of Nathaniah which slue Gedaliah reade the storie of Iohanan and Gedaliah both 2. Reg. 15. d. Ithai was a Gethite borne and bare such loue to Dauid that he left his owne Countrey to come and sée Lyra sayeth that Ithai was the son of Achis king of Geth him and the fashion of his Court and as he continued there and sawe into what daunger Absalom had brought his father Dauid eyther to flie his Realme or to haue lost all he woulde take no part with Absalom but followed Dauid and left him not in this extremitie And when Dauid sawe him he sayd vnto him why commest thou with me Ithai returne I pray thée and bide with the King for thou art a straunger and come but yesterdaye and therefore I woulde be loth to disquiete thée Therefore returne and cary againe thy brethren and the Lorde shall she we thée mercie and truth Nay sayde Ithai as truly as God liueth and my Lorde the King lyueth in what place my Lorde the King shall be whether in lyfe or death euen there also will thy seruant be And so he went forwarde with Dauid and had rule ouer the thirde part of Dauids hoste in the suppression of Absalom ¶ Ithai Strong Gen. 29. d. 37. f. Iuda was the fourth sonne of Iacob Lea who would not consent to the death of Ioseph his brother but gaue counsell to sell him saying What shall it auayle vs my brethren to sley our brother and to kéepe hys bloude secrete let vs sell him to the Ismaâ—lites and not lay our handes vpon him for he is our fleshe and bloude â–ª After this he departed from his brethren to a place called 38. cap. Odollam where he remayned with a friende of hys called Hyra and in processe fell in loue with a mannes daughter called Sua a Canaanite borne and marryed hir who in time brought him forth thrée Sonnes The first Er The seconde Onan and the thirde Sela. The two first one after another he married to a certaine woman called Thamar but for their horrible sinne and wickednesse the Lorde slue them both Then Iuda fearing to marrye the thirde sonne vnto hir least he shoulde dye also sayde to his daughter in lawe remayne a Wydow at thy fathers house till Sela my sonne be growen she did so during which time the daughter of Sua dyed and Iuda became a wydower Nowe when the dayes of mourning were ended he went to a place called Thymnah taking his friende Hyra with him to sée his shéepe shearers Then Thamar hearing thereof and séeing Sela not giuen hir in marriage layde awaye hir Wydowes garment and disguising hir selfe lyke a common harlot went and sate hir downe in an open place by the hye wayes side going to Thymnah And as Iuda passed that way and sawe one sit muffled like an whore went vnto hir and sayde Come I pray thée let
vpon hym to raygne in his steade Nahas was King of the Ammonites And as hys predecessours afore tyme had made a claime to the lande of Israel so he now purposing the same went and besieged the Citie of Iabes in Gilead And when the men of Iabes perceyued themselues in great daunger of theyr lyues they desired the King to make a couenaunt with them and they woulde be his seruaunts Then sayde Nahas If yée will suffer mée to thrust out all your right eyes to bring Israel to shame I shal be content to make peace with you Then sayde they Giue vs respite seuen dayes and if none doe come to helpe vs in that space we will come out vnto thée Then Nahas thinking that none burst come to ayde them agaynst him graunted their request Vpon the which they sent messengers into all the coastes of Israel which newes was so heauy tydinges to them that they fell a wéeping And as they were mourning and lamenting their case it chaunced Saule by the prouidence of God to come out of the fielde following the Cattell And beholding the people what a doe they made he demaunded wherefore they mourned And when they had tolde hym the tydinges of the men of Iabes his heart was so mooued by the spirit of God that he tooke out twoo of his Oxen and hewed them in péeces and sent them thorowe all the coasts of Israel saying whosoeuer commeth not foorth after Saule and Samuel so shall his Oxen be serued And the people were stricken in such a feare that they came out to Saule as they had béene but one man to the number of thrée hundred thousande of Israel beside thirtie thousand of the men of Iuda And then Saule sent woorde by the messengers to the men of Iabes that the next morrowe they shoulde haue helpe They being glad of that sent woorde vnto Nahas saying To morow we will come foorth vnto you and yée shall doe vnto vs whatsoeuer pleaseth you And so on the morow Saule came vpon the Ammonites and slue them Nahor when he was nyne an twentie yeares of age begot Terah And lyued after he had begotten him an hundred and twentie yeares Naomy was the wyfe of a certayne man called Elimelech dwelling in the lande of Iuda in a Citie called Bethleem And for bycause of the present dearth which was ouer all the lande of Iuda She went with hir husbande and hir twoo sonnes into the Countrey of Moab to sogeourne Where in processe hir husbande died And hir twoo sonnes being maryed to twoo of the Moabitishe Damosels dyed there also So that Naomy which had dwelt in the lande of Moab ten yeares was left desolate both of hir husbande of hir sonnes Then Naomy hearing how the Lorde had visited hir countrey agayne with plentie retourned from Moab homewardes agayne hir twoo daughters in lawe bringing hir on the waye And when she saw they had gone a good way with hir coueted not to retourne she sayde vnto them Go nowe my Daughters and returne eche of you vnto your mothers house and the Lorde deale as kindlye with you as yée haue delt with the deadde and with mée And the Lorde giue you that yée maye finde rest eyther of you in the house of hir husbande and so kyssed them to haue bid them farewell But when she sawe that they would not depart from hir she sayde vnto them agayne Returne my Daughters I praye you for what cause will yée go with mée Are there any mo children within my wombe to be your husbands Turne agayne therefore I say for I am to olde to haue an husbande And if I dyd take one this night and had all ready borne children woulde yée tary for them tyll they were growne and refrayne from taking husbandes so long Not so my daughters it grieueth mée much for your sakes that the hande of the Lord is gone out agaynst mée Then they wept all togithers and Orpha kyssed hir mother in lawe and returned into hir owne lande agayne but Ruth abode still And so when they came to Bethleem Iuda which was about the beginning of Barley harnest the women which saw Naomy sayde Is not this Naomy Nay sayde she call me not Naomy which is as much to say as bewtyfull but call me Mara that is to saye bitter for the Almightie God hath made mée verye bitter I went out full and the Lorde hath brought mée agayne emptie why then call yée mée Naomy séeing the Lorde hath humbled mée and the Almightie hath brought mée vnto aduersitie And so Naomy remayned in Bethleem Iuda where or it were long God gaue hir a Sonne by the wombe of Ruth hir daughter in lawa who was maryed to Boos a kinsman of Naomyes which Childe being borne the women sayde vnto Naomy Blessed be the Lorde the which hath not left thée without a kinsman to haue a name in Israel and that shall bring thy lyfe agayne and cherishe thyne olde age for thy daughter in lawe which loueth thée hath borne vnto hym and she is better vnto thée than seuen sonnes And Naomy tooke the Childe and layed it in hir lap and became nurse vnto it being glad that a sonne was borne vnto hir in hir olde dayes Nathan the Prophet what tyme as King Dauid was minded to buylde God an house to dwell in was sent of the Lorde to forbid him not to meddle withall for Salomon his sonne shoulde doe it Agayne what tyme as Dauid had committed adultery with Vrias wife Nathan came to hym and sayde There were twoo men in one Citie the one riche and the other poore The riche man had excéeding many shéepe and Oxen but the poore had none at all saue one little Shéepe which hée had bought and nâ—urished vp And it grew vp with him and with his Children also and did eate of hys owne meate and drancke of his owne Cuppe and slept in his bosome And was vnto him as his daughter Nowe there came a straunger vnto the rich man who refused to take of his owne shéepe and Oxen to dresse for the straunger but tooke the poore mans shéepe dressed it for the man that was come to hym Then Dauid was excéeding wroth with the man and sayde As surely as the Lord lyueth he that hath done this is the Childe of death He shall restore the lambe foure folde bycause he dyd it without pittie Then sayde the Prophet thou art the same man thus sayth the Lord God of Israel I annointed thée king ouer Israel and deliuered thée out of the hands of Saule and gaue thée thy Lordes house and his wyues into thy bosome and gaue thée the house of Israel and Iuda and woulde if that had béene to little haue giuen thée much more Wherefore then hast thou despised the commaundement of the lord to do euil in his sight Thou hast kilde Urias the Hethite with the swoorde hast taken his wife to be thy wyfe and
blessing And when she heard how his brother threatned to kyll him for stealing awaye his blessing she tolde it Iacob saying Thy brother Esau threatneth to sley thée therefore my some heare my voyce Make thée ready and get thée to Laban my brother at Haran and tary with him a while vntill thy brothers fiercenesse be swaged and that his wrath be turned awaye from thée and he forget the thinges which thou hast done vnto him and then will I sende and fet thée awaye from thence for why shoulde I be depryued of you both in one daye And when she had giuen hir sonne this counsell she went to Isaac hir husbande and sayde I am weary of my lyfe for feare of the daughters of Heth. If Iacob take a wyfe of the daughters of Heth such one as these are or of the Daughters of the lande what good shall my lyfe doe mée And so by the counsell of Rebecca Iacob was sent to Laban his mothers brother where in processe he got him a wyfe and purchased the loue of Esau his brother agayne Rechab was the Father of Ionadab Which Ionadab made a Lawe that the Rechabytes shoulde neuer drincke Wyne their wyues nor their children neyther yet buylde house nor sowe séede nor plant Vyneyardes but shoulde alwayes dwell in Tents Which commaundement they kept and obayed truely And this their obedience Ieremy layeth before the Iewes to their great reproche for that they were not so readye to obeye the will and commaundement of God their heauenlye Father as the Rechabytes were to obeye their Father Ionadab ¶ Of Rechab the sonne of Rymmon Reade the storye of Baanah his brother Rezin King of Siria went with Pekah King of Israel to fight agaynst Ahaz King of Iuda but coulde not ouercome hym At which tyme Rezin tooke the Citie of Elath and droue out the Iewes therein and inhabited the Citie with Sirians But in fine the King of Assiria came agaynst him in the defence of Ahaz King of Iuda and at Damasco siue hym Rezon the sonne of Eliada was a great Captayne vnder Hadadezer king of Zoba which Hadadezer Dauid had ouercome in battell And when Rezon saw his Lord and Maister discomfited he fled from him and gathered a bonde of men and went to Damasco where he reygned as King and became a great aduersarie to Salomon for the which purpose the Lord had stirred him vp Rizpa the daughter of Ahia was Saules Concubine and had by him twoo sonnes the one named Armony and the other Miphiboseth which twoo with the sonnes of Merob Dauid deliuered to the Gibeonites who for the offence of Saule hanged them vp vpon an hyll before the Lorde Then Rizpa perceyuing their carkasses to remayne vpon the Gybbet longer than the law required made prouision to saue their bodies that neyther Birdes shoulde fall vpon them by daye nor beast by night And when it was tolde to Dauid what Rizpa had done he caused their bones with the bones of Saule and Ionathas to be caried into the Countrie of Beniamin and there buried in the Sepulchre of Cis Sauls fathers Roboam the sonne of Salomon was .xlj. yere olde when he began to reigne his mothers name was Naama In this mans time began the Kingdome of Israel to be deuided For when the people came to him and sayd Thy father layde a grieuous yoake vpon vs nowe therfore remit thou somewhat of the grieuous seruice of thy father and of his heauie yoake that he put vpon vs and wée will serue thée He aunswered as his yong Counsailers had counsayled him saying My little finger shall be heauyer than all my fathers loynes And where as my father put an heauy yoke vpon you I will adde more vnto it And where as he chastyned you with whyppes I will chasten you with Scorpions The people hearing this they forsooke him all saue the Tribe of Iuda and Beniamin Then Roboam séeing his kingdome deuided gathered an hoste of men out of the house of Iuda and Beniamin to the number of nyne score thousande to fight with Israel and to bring the Kingdome agayne vnto himselfe But whyle he was thus minded the Prophet Semaia came to him and bade him ceasse from his purpose for the thing that was done was the Lords doing Wherevpon euery man departed according to the wordes of the Lorde which the Prophete had spoken Then Roboam fell to building of Cities and repayring of strong holdes which he furnished both with men and victuals So that his kingdome was mighty and strongby 〈…〉 walked he and 〈…〉 when they had 〈…〉 making Hylaulâ—â—◠〈…〉 â—ome Sodomites 〈…〉 â—â—â—en God forsooke 〈…〉 Sisack King of 〈…〉 raigne came to 〈…〉 of the Lorde and 〈…〉 shields of Golde 〈…〉 â—hereof Roboam 〈…〉 â—â—â—e God made the 〈…〉 â—â—â—â—ts to Sisack alâ—◠〈…〉 the intent they 〈…〉 â—is service and the 〈…〉 This King Roâ—â—â—◠〈…〉 â—core Concubins 〈…〉 â—bsalom best And 〈…〉 â—â—â—r all his brethren 〈…〉 and when by hys 〈…〉 â—â—â—â—â—d his Children aâ—â—â—◠〈…〉 cares he dyed .1 Primus Iacobi natorum nomine Ruben ed quia fae daui stratum genitoris ab illis Doni excellens imperioque prior Exclusus perij seu leuis unda breui Crispin J Ventor G. D. Iode Excudebat Rufus was a vertuous and a Religious man whom Paul remembred in his Epistle saying Salute Rufus chosen in the Lorde and his mother and mine Ruth and Orpha were twoo fayre yoong Damosels borne in the Countrey of Moab where by chaunce they maryed with the sonnes of Elimelech and Naomy who were straungers come out of the lande of Iuda there to inhabite and when both their husbandes were dead and their mother in lawe a wydowe also they forsooke theyr owne Countrey to go home with their mother into the lande of Iuda And when they had gone a good way togithers â–ª Orpha not without great intreatie of hir mother in lawe turned home agayne but Ruth abode still Then sayde â–ª Naomy to Ruth Oh sée my daughter thy sister in lawe is gone backe agayne to hir people and goodes returne and go after hir I praye thée sayde Ruth intreate mee not to leaue thée For whithersoeuer thou goest I will go with thée And where thou dwellest there will I dwell also Thy people shal be my people And thy God my God looke where thou dyest there will I dye also and there will I be buryed The Lorde doe so and so vnto mée if ought but death onely depart thée and mée a sundre And so went they foorth tyll they came to to Bethleem Iuda which was in the beginning of Barley haruest And as Ruth went one daye out a leasing among the haruest folkes she happened by the prouidencâ— of God vppon the fieldes pertayning to Boos who shewed hir such kindnesse that she neyther lacked meate nor drincke neyther yet corne so long as Haruest lasted And when all Haruest was done Naomy sayde vnto Ruth
be the chiefest end and mark whereat man ought to shoote it must nedes be concluded that those mens studyes and labours deserue the greatest prayse which are employed to the attayning and directing of others therevnto Wherein as God in all ages hath alwayes stirred vp some who haue taken great paynes therein to the publike commoditie of others So in my simple iudgement neyther this present worke neyther the Author thereof deserueth the least commendation And albeit I wote full vvell that so the worke it selfe be good it is not greatly materiall what the workeman be yet like as good Wyne is then best vvhen it is drunke out of a cleane vessell and good meat then best delighteth when the dresser therof is cleanly So this Booke which of it selfe I doubt not to be such that it will be liked of all those who delight in God and godlynesse I trust euen for the Authors sake it shall neuer awhit the woorse be welcome Of vvhose syncere lyfe and great prayses although there is good cause why I shoulde speake for that hee hath bene of long time throughly knowne to me and I am assured his vertues and integritie to bee such that if I shoulde saye there are fevve his like to bee founde I trust for saying the truth no good man woulde be offended Yet partly for that I am not ignorant that no man delighteth lesse to heare his owne praise than he doth partly for that there be many causes why I should rather honour him than for lacke of sufficient skill and abilitie meanelye prayse him I will leaue him to thy particular iudgement gentle Reader and to the testimoniall of the vvhole vvorld vvho I doubt not vvill say no lesse but that he is a man vvithout fraude or guile and such one as feareth God. As touching the Booke it selfe good reason it is ech man shoulde vse his ovvne iudgement and opinion But if my simple Testimoniall maye preuayle I dare vvarrant it to bee such that vvhat studie soeuer thou shalt bestovve in reading the same it shall vvell requite thy paynes And though the Author be such that he rather delighteth in good and vertuous lyfe than maketh boste of anye great learning Yet such hath his paynes bene herein that very good Clarkes neede take no scorne to receiue some light from this his Candell In summe the Booke is of God and his holy Saintes and therefore to be reuerenced collected out of Scripture and therefore no vaine fable written briefely and therefore not tedious set forth in playne and simple vvyse and therefore the better for thy capacitie ▪ truely reporting the lyfe and death of such as eyther for sinne and those to be auoyded eyther for vertue and those to bee imitated haue mention made in Gods holye Booke All that is vvritten therein is vvritten for thy helpe and instruction Vse it then to that ende that the Authour meaneth that is Not onely to increase thy knovvledge and so to be made more learned but also to increase thy vertuous life and so to become the better Man. R. M. ¶ The lyues of holy Saincts Prophets Patriarches c. AAron was the sonne of Amram and brother to Moses and of the Tribe of Leui. Hys mothers name was Iochebed sister to Caath the father of Amram Hée was appointed of God to be Moses interpreter and also his Prophet what tyme as God sent Moses to Pharao to poure out hys plagues vpon him He tooke Elisaba the daughter of Aminadab of the Tribe of Iuda to wyfe He was the fyrst Byshop of the Iewes And left with Hur to gouerne the people in the absence of Moses while he was in the Mount wyth god And in the meane time the people beyng yet infected wyth the ydolatrie of Egipt cryed out against Aaron to make them goddes to go before them Then Aaron perceyuing the people inclyned to ydolatrie and also thinking they woulde rather forgoe the same than to forsake their precious Iewels sayde vnto them Plucke of the golden earerings in the eares of your Wyues your sonnes and of your daughters and bring them to mée The people did so Aaron made thereof a Calfe Which when the people sawe and behelde they were excéeding gladde And began now to worship and honor the Calfe as a godde hopping and daunceyng for ioye But the Lorde aboue beholding theyr wickednesse tolde it to Moses and sent him downe post haste to refourme their wycked attemptes Who then comming downe from the Mount wyth the Tables of God in hys hande and drawyng néere to the host hée sawe the Calfe and the people daunceyng before it Which sight so kindeled the wrath of Moses grieued hys heart so sore that he threwe the Tables oute of his handes tooke the Calfe and burnt it in the fyer and stampte it all into powder and ashes which he threwe into the water and forced the people to drinke it Then he demaunded of Aaron what the people did to him that he had brought so great a sinne vpon them Aaron sayde let not the wrath of my Lorde ware fierce thou knowest the people that they are set on mischiefe For they sayde vnto mée make vs goddes to go before vs for we wote not what is become of Moses the man that brought vs out of Egipt Then I required to haue their golde and Iewels which they brought vnto mée and I did cast them into the fier and thereof came out this Calfe Moses then vnderstanding the matter commaunded the children of Leui to fall vpon the ydolaters and slue of them about thrée thousande persons After this it came to passe that Aaron and Miriam his sister did grudge against their brother Moses bicause he had taken an Ethiopian to wyfe saying on this wyse hath the Lorde in déede spoken onely through Moses and hath he not spoken also by vs The Lorde not content wyth this their contemning of Moses auctoritie was sore displeased and stroke Miriam wyth a foule leprosie Which so much discomforted Aaron to sée his syster so fowlye arayed and disfigured that he humbled himselfe to Moses and sayde Alas my Lorde I beséech thée put not the sinne vppon vs which we haue foolishlye committed sinned Oh let hir not be as one deade of whom the fleshe is halfe consumed when he commeth out of hys mothers wombe And so thorowe Aarons intreatie Moses prayed vnto God and Miriam was healed Finally when Aaron had lyued one hundred xxiij yeares hée dyed in mount Hor as the Lorde had foretolde And hys sonne Eleazar succéeded in his rowme Abacuck the Prophet was of the Tribe of Simeon He prophecied of the taking of Ierusalem by Nabuchodonosor This Prophet on a time had prepared potage and other vittayles for the haruest folkes And going to the fieldes to bring the same to the reapers an Aungell of God spake vnto him and sayde Go and cary the meate that thou hast prepared into Babilon and gyue it
to Daniel which is in the Lyons denne O Lorde quoth he I neuer saw Babilon and as for the denne I knowe it not With that the Angel caught vp the Prophet by the toppe of hys head and bare him to Babilon and set him vpon the denne Then Abacuck cryed to Daniel and sayde O Daniel thou seruant of the Lord take here the breakefast that God hath sent thée Daniel hearing the voyce of Abacuck reioyced greatly and sayde O Lorde hast thou thought vpon mée Well thou neuer faylest them that loue thée And so he rose vp and did eate of such things as the Prophet had brought hym And immediatelye after that Daniel had eaten the Angell set Abacuck in his place againe Abdy the Prophet prophecyed destruction to the Idumeans which came of Esau and were vtter enimies to the Israelites which came of Iacob as at the siege of Ierusalem it did most plainely appeare where as they ioyned wyth Nabuchodonosor against their brethren whom they ought rather to haue holpen and defended against the heathen Abedmelech was a Morian borne and Chamberlane wyth Zedekia King of Iuda This man had so great a confidence in God and loue to his Prophets that when he saw Ieremie so euill intreated he went to the king and besought his grace that Ieremie the Prophet might be taken out of the filthy dungeon wherinto he was cast least he there should perishe and dye for hunger And so obtayning the Kinges good will he tooke his men and went to the prison where Ieremie lay threwe downe vnto him olde ragges clowtes which he had prouided bidding him to put them vnder his arme holes to kéepe the cordes from hurting and fretting his armes in pulling vp Nowe for this his kindenesse shewed on Ieremie and trust that he had in the Lorde he was deliuered from captiuitie and saued from the handes of Nabuchodonosor at the destruction of Ierusalem when other perished Abel was the sonne of Adam borne of hys Mother Eue next after Cain Hée was a kéeper of Shéepe and wholy dedicated to vertue and godlynesse In all hys oblations he euer gaue of the best things he had Which of the Lorde was greatly accepted And therfore Cain perceyuing his brothers offerings to be regarded and hys reiected eâ—â—yed him to death And at the last by a subtyle trayne slue hym Abia the sonne of Roboam began his reigne ouer Iuda in the xviij yeare of Ieroboam King of Israel Hys mothers name was Maacha the daughter of Abisalom He walked not in the steppes of Dauid but followed the wayes of hys father before him Yet notwythstanding for Dauids sake God gaue him a light that is to saye a sonne to reigne ouer Iuda Hée ouercame Ieroboam in battell wyth an Armie of fower hundred thousande notwithstanding the other had twise so many chosen and picked men Of the which Abia fiue fiue hundred thousande and weakened the power of Ieroboam so sore that he was neuer able to recouer hys strength againe so long as Abia reigned This King had .xiiij. Wyues by whome he had xxij Sonnes and xvj Daughters Hée reigned but thrée yeares and was buryed in the Citie of Dauid Abia the sonne of Ieroboam being sick on a time hys father called the Quéene his wyfe vnto him and bade hyr disguise hir selfe the in no wyse she might be knowne what woman shée was And so go thy way quoth hée to Sylo and there shalt thou finde the Prophet of God called Ahia which tolde me long before Salomon dyed that I should be King of Israel Make spéede and take a present wyth thée and learne of him what shall become of the Childe The Quéene did then as shée was commaunded but all was in vaine For God had reuealed the matter vnto the Prophet before the woman came In so much that as soone as the blinde olde man hearde the noyse of hir comming and entring in at the dore he sayde Come in thou wife of Ieroboam why hast thou disguised and fayned thy selfe to be another woman Thou art come to receyue some comfort for thy sonne which lyeth sicke but I am commaunded to tell thée heauye and sorowfull things It repenteth the Lorde that he hath exalted Ieroboam and rented the kingdome from the house of Dauid and giuen it to him forsomuch as he hath forsaken the Lorde and not folowed him in hys heart as Dauid did but hath made him goddes of hys owne therefore the Lorde hath determined to bring such a plague vpon the house and posterity of Ieroboam that hée wyll not leaue one alyue to make water against the walle Wherefore now get thée home and as soone as thy foote shall enter into the Citie the child shall dye and all Israel shall lament him and bring him to hys Sepulchre And so shall none of the house of Ieroboam thy husbande enioy the honour of his buryall but only thys childe bicause the Lorde sawe in him some goodnesse towarde And so when the Prophet had all sayde the wyfe of Ieroboam rose vp returned home to hir house and founde hir sonne deade as the Prophet had foretolde Abia the Daughter of Zacharia was wyfe to Ahaz King of Iuda and Mother to Hezekia Which name signifieth thus Abiathar the sonne of Achimelech priest of Nob seyng the great crueltie of Saul in putting hys Father to death for refreshing of Dauid escaped hys handes and fledde to the forest of Hareth where Dauid at that tyme laye declaring to him the great murder that Saul had done to Achimelech hys father and to all the Priestes of the Lorde for his sake Then being comforted of Dauid he abode wyth him and was his Priest and Counsayler so long as he reigned But in the ende of Dauids reigne he consented wyth Adoniah who had exalted himselfe to stablishe him in the kingdome after the death of Dauid But Salomon beyng proclaymed and the other deposed as soone as he was possessed depryued Abiathar and placed Sadock in hys rowme And so was the worde of the Lorde fulfilled which he had spoken before concerning the house of Eli for Abiathar was the last of that lyne Abigail the wyfe of Naball y Carmelite was a woman not onely bewtifull but of a singular wysedome with all For when hir husbandes denyall to Dauids men for sustenaunce in their maisters necessitie was tolde hir she then considering the great displeasure that might arise of the occasion offered hasted to lode hir Asses wyth sundrye kinde of victuals sending them forth before hir and folowing after wyth spéede And as shée was goyng the prouidence of God was so that she mette Dauid by the way vpon the side of an hyll comming to Carmell determined vtterly to haue destroyed hir husbande and all that he had by the dawning of the daye folowyng Then she perceyuing the furie of Dauid lighted downe of hir Asse falling flatte on the
Chilion perfect or all like a Doue Chilion and Mahlon of the hand of Naomie and also haue purchased Ruth the Moabite the late wyfe of Mahlon to be my wyfe to stirre vp the name of the deade vpon his inheritance that his name be not put out among his brethren And all the people witnessed the same praying vnto the Lorde for Ruth to make hir as fruitefull as he did both Rachel Lea and Thamar And so Boos maryed Ruth who in processe conceyued and bare him a Sonne called Obed. ¶ Boos in Power or strength C. CAath was the sonne of Leuy had foure sonnes whereof the eldest was Amram the father of Moses and Aaron He liued 133. yeares Cain was the first sonne that Adam and Eue brought forth betwéene them and of an vnhappy disposition giuen to all vngraciousnesse He was the first tyller of the grounde and woulde alwayes offer the woorst and the vilest of the fruites of the earth vnto god Wherefore the Lorde had no respect to his offering And because God preferred his brother Abels offering before his he was so stirred with malice and enuie agaynst him that he fell vpon him in the fieldes and slue him Wherfore the Lord promised to withdrawe the increase of the grounde from Cain and so being in desperation he wandred about like a vagabonde in euery corner with much feare and treambling least any man shoulde kill him and at last Lamech slue him Caiphas was sonne in lawe to Annas and the hye Bishop in the time of Christes apprehension of whome he prophecied that it was expedient for one man to dye rather than all the people shoulde perishe Which thing he spake not of himselfe but God made him at that time euen as he made Balaam to be an instrument of the holye ghost And Christ being sent from Annas to him bounde to be examined was so caried from him to Pilate that he by the Temporall lawes might iudge hym to death Caleb was the sonne of Iephun otherwyse called Kenes of the Tribe of Iuda and one of those whom Moses sent out to search the lande of Canaan what maner of Countrie it was at the which time of going out he was about the age of .xl. yeres And when he and his companie had vewed the lande and were returned home agayne certaine of the explorators made an euill report to their brethren of that good land saying it was a countrey of strong and fierse people and such a lande as did eate vp the inhabiters thereof and with lyke perswasions made them both astonied and afrayde and to murmur grudge agaynst Moses and Aaron saying they woulde make them a Captayne and go into Egypt agayne Then Caleb and Iosua séeing their brethren so discomfited rent their clothes for sorrow and sayde Oh deare brethren be ye not discouraged at these false surmised tales neyther yet rebell agaynst the Lorde for we haue séene the lande as well as they that haue discouraged you and knowe it to be a better lande than they report a lande that floweth with milke and hony And as for the people therein feare them not for they be but breade for vs their shielde is departed from them and God is with vs therefore plucke vp your hearts and feare not With these and the like comfortable sayinges Caleb and Iosua withdrew the furie of the multitude which were ready to destroye them and also ceased their murmuring which murmuration of the people so gricued the Lorde that he swore to Moses that not one of them all shoulde sée that good lande saue Caleb and Iosua although their children shoulde sée it But first sayde God to Moses they shall wander in the wyldernesse fortie yeares and suffer for their fathers whoredome vntill their fathers carkasses be wasted a yeare for a daye according to the number of dayes in searching the lande which was fortie dayes And bicause Caleb followed the Lorde continually God swore to Moses that Caleb and his séede shoulde inherite that lande which came so to passe for after xlv yeares Caleb then being at the age of .lxxxv. yeres and as lusty as he was when Moses sent him first to search the lande required of Iosua his heritage who appoynted out vnto him the Citie of Hebron with the Countries thereabout out of the which Citie he droue out the thrée sonnes of Enach This Caleb had a yonger brother called Othoniel to whome he gaue his daughter Acsah to wyfe for taking of a certayne Citie called Kariasepher Carpus was a certayne godlye man dwelling at Croada with whome Paule left his Cloake with certaine bookes which he desired Timothie to bring with him when he came to him agayne Cendebius was Captayne Generall of Antiochus hoste And when he had done much harme in the lande of Iewrie and builded vppe Cedron and fortified it wyth men of warre he was at the last by the sonnes of Simon discomfited and put to flight Cereas was brother to Timotheus and Captayne of a strong Castle called Gazar into the which Timotheus being ouercome of Iudas Machabeus was fayne to flie for succor Nowe Cereas and they that were wyth him in the Forte trusted so much to the strength of the place that they fell to rayling and cursing of their enimies without who notwithstanding set so manfully vppon the holde that at last they wanne it and tooke the blasphemers and burnt them quicke slue this Cereas and his brother Timotheus with another famous Captaine called Appollophanes Cetura looke Ketura Chodorlaomor looke Kedorlaomor Cis was the sonne of Abiel of the Tribe of Beniamin and father to King Saule â–ª Whose Asses on a time being strayed abroade he sayde vnto Saule his Sonne Take one of the Laddes with thée and go and séeke out mine Asses that are lost This Cis is called also the sonne of Ner. 1. Par. 8. c. Cis the sonne of Abi Gibeon his mother was called Maacah Cis the sonne of Mahly sonne to Merari His brothers name was Eleazar Whose daughters he being deade the sonnes of this Cis tooke to their Wyues Claudia was a certaine godly brother who being with Paule at Rome sent as other mo did gréetings to Timothie in Paules letter Claudius was an Emperour in whose tyme the fourth yeare of his reygne was a great dearth thorâ—â— out all the worlde whereof Agabus the Prophet prophâ—cied aforehande Cleopatra the daughter of King Ptolomie was maried to Alexander the sonne of noble Antiochus And agayne for displeasure taken from Alexander hir lawfull husbande and giuen to Demetrius the sonne of Demetrius Cleophas was the husbande of Mary sister to Mary the mother of Christ and one of the two Disciples which after the death of Christ went to the towne of Emaus talking and reasoning togithers of all things that had happened to Iesus and as they were
the grounde and he smote thrice and ceassed Then was the Prophet angry that he had smitten the grounde no oftener for if sayde he thou had smitten fiue or sixe times thou hadst smitten Siria vntill thou hadst made an ende of them where nowe thou shalt smite them but thryce and so Eliseus dyed and was buried The same yeare came the Moabites into the lande of Israel and as some of the Israelites were burying of a man and had spyed the Souldiers they cast the man into the sepulchre where Eliseus the Prophet was buried and when the deade man was rolled downe and touched the bodye of Eliseus he reuiued and stoode vp vppon his féete as liuely as euer he was Luk. 1. c. d. e. f. Elizabeth was the wife of Zacharie the Priest and came of the daughters and posteritie of Aaron She was long barren but at last shée conceyued by Zacharie hir husbande according as the Angell of God had sayde vnto him And being great with chylde Marie the wife of Ioseph which was also conceyued by the holy ghost came to visite Elizabeth hir cosin who had no sooner hearde the salutacion of Marie the Mother of God but the Babe sprang in hir belly wherewith she was filled with the holy ghost and cried out with a lowde voyce saying Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruite of thy wombe And whence happeneth this to me that the mother of my Lorde should come to me For behold as sone as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine eares the Babe sprang in my belly for ioye And blessed is she that beléeued for those things shall be perfourmed which were tolde hir from the Lorde And when the time was come that Elizabeth shoulde be deliuered she brought forth a sonne which hir neyghbours and kinsefolkes woulde haue named Zacharie after his father but Elizabeth woulde none of that but sayde his name shoulde be Iohn ¶ Elizabeth the Othe of God or the fulnesse of God. 1. Reg. 1. a. b. c Elkana the sonne of Ieroham an Ephraite borne had two wiues the one named Anna and the other Phenenna By his wyfe Phenenna he had children But by Anna he had none It was his maner euerye Feastfull daye to go vp and praye And to offer vnto the Lorde of hostes in Silo where the Arke of the Lorde was at that time and in one solemne feast day among all other as he offered vnto the Lorde he gaue vnto Phenenna hys wife and to hir sonnes and daughters portions but vnto Anna whome he loued he gaue a portion with an heauie cheare And on a time when he sawe his wife Anna wéepe in the house of the Lorde for sorrowe she could haue no childe he sayde Anna why wéepest thou and why is thy hart so troubled that thou canst not eate Am not I better to thée than ten sonnes as though he should say is it not inough for thée that I loue thée no lesse than if thou hadst children This he sayde to comfort hir And at the last God gaue him a Sonne by hir named Samuel after whose birth he went vp to offer vnto the Lorde and to giue him thankes But Anna would not go with him vntill she had weyned hir sonne ¶ Elkana the Zeale of God and the possession of God. Phil. 2. d. Epaphroditus was a certayne godlye Brother whome the Philippians sent to Paule being in bondes at Rome with their charitable reliefe Who being there ministred vnto him in his néede and was so faithfull a fellow souldier with Paule in setting forth the Gospell of Christ and put himselfe in such hazarde that he fell sicke and was like to haue dyed Nowe Paule to comfort the Philippians which were full of sorrowe and heauinesse for Epaphroditus their Apostle bicause they hearde he was sicke was the more desirous after his recouerie to sende him home againe in the company of Timotheus with his Epistle that they might be the lesse sorrowfull and reioyce the more at his comming willing them to receyue him with a louing Christian affection in all ioyfulnesse and not to make much on him onely but on all such as were like vnto him ¶ Epaphroditus Pleasant Collo 4. d. Epaphras was a faithfull seruant by whose labour and preaching the Colossians hearde the Gospell and beléeued it and being in prison with Paule at Rome prayed for those Colossians that they might be perfite and filled in all the will of God after true knowledge He bare a feruent minde to them of Laodicia and them of Hierapolis ¶ Epaphras Frothing Rom. 16. a. Epenetes was the first that Paule brought to Christes religion among them of Achaia vnto whom Paule had him saluted ¶ Epenetes Worthy of prayse Iesaias sub figura editissimi montis describit augustissimum Christi regnum M. van Valckenb inven C. van de Pas sculp H. van Luyck excud Gen. 23. cap. Ephron the sonne of Zoar dwelt among the Hethites hauing a péece of lande which Abraham had a mynde to buye to burie Sara his wyfe therein And when the matter was broken to Ephron by Abraham to sell hâ—s grounde for so much money as it was woorth Ephron willingly offered to giue it him fréely to burye his deade and to doe withall what he woulde But notwithstanding Abraham forced him so much to know the price thereof that Ephron sayde My Lorde the lande is woorth foure hundreth * The coÌ„mon Sicle is about the valew of twentie pence Sicles but what is that betwéene thée and me take it fréely I beséech thée and burie thy deade at thy pleasure And so he receyued of Abraham for his lande the somme aforesayde ¶ Ephron Dust or lowe on the grounde Gen. 38. a. Er the eldest sonne of Iuda the sonne of Iacob was maried to a woman called Thamar and for his great wickednesse the Lord slue him ¶ Er Watchfull and making bare or pouring forth Act. 19. d. Erastus was the Chamberlaine or Receyuer of Rom. 16. d. the Citie of Corinth and one of Paules ministers whom 2. Tim. 4. d. he sent from Ephesus into Macedonia with one Timotheus intâ—nding him selfe to follâ—we after to gather mens almes for the relieuing of such as were néedye and poore at Ierusalem ¶ Erastus Amiable Esay the sonne of * Amos was the father of Esaye was brother to Azariah king of Iuda â–ª and Esay was father in lawe to Manasses who put him to death Amos was an holy Prophete of Esay 1. a. 42. the Tribe of Iuda in whome was such abundance of the a. b. 43. b. 53. cap. spirite of Prophecie that he prophecied so much of Christ that he séemed rather to be an Euangelist than a Prophet He was of such holynesse that in the time of King Ezechias when a Citie was besieged he by his prayer obtayned of God that water sprang vp in little quantitie so that
f. Ierobaal is a name which was giuen to Gedeon the sonne of Ioas after he had broken downe the aultar of Baal and cut downe all the Groue about it ¶ Ierobaal That which resisteth anydoll a destroyer of ydols Reade Gedeon Ieroboam was the sonne of * Some saye that Nebat and Semei whome Salomon put to death were one person of whose death Zarnah the mother of Ieroboam put him oft in remembrance Nebat and of the 3. Reg. 11. cap e. f. g. Tribe of Ephraim who being nourished and brought vp of Zarnah his mother in hir wyddowhed after the death of his father became King Salomons seruant and was made ouerséer of Salomons workes for the Tribe of Ephraim and Manasses And on a time as he walked abroade in the fielde alone the Prophet Ahia came to him and sayde that after the death of Salomon he shoulde reygne and be King ouer ten Tribes of Israel which wordes of the Prophet did so animate Ieroboam that he began to murmour against King Salomon his Mayster who therefore sought to kill him but Ieroboam fled into Egypt where he remayned with Sisah King of that Countrie vntill the death of Salomon Then being sent for he returned home againe and had so much fanour of the people that they all forsooke Roboam saue the Tribe of Iuda and Beniamin and made Ieroboam their king Who being surelye stablished in his kingdome began to thinke thus in his heart If this people go vp â–ª and doe sacrifice in the house of the Lorde at Ierusalem as they were woont to doe then shall their harts turne to Roboam and séeke to kill me Wherefore he by the aduise of his Counsell made two goldâ—n Calues and set the one vp at Dan and the other at Bethel perswading the people that they were the Goddes which brought them out of Egipt and therefore it shoulde not néede any more for them to go vp to Ierusalem and worship so farre of but shoulde doe it nearer hande and with lesse traueyle and paine And when he perceyued the people to incline to his purpose he made a Temple to builde hyll Aultars therein for ydolatrie and placed a sorte of ignorant ministers which were not of the sonnes of Leuye in Dan and Bethell to trayne vp the people in worshipping of these Calues And the more to stirre vp the peoples deuotion he commaunded a solemne offering to be made in the honor of these Calues the .xv. day of the eyght Moneth and the same yearely to be obserued in remembrance of this newe kynde of ydolatrie whych in continuaunce was so rooted in Israel that it coulde neuer be cleane extinguished till it had brought al Israel to vtter destruction Nowe as the King was standing beside 13. cap. the Aultar at Bethell doing of sacrifice there came a man of God which cryed out against the Aultar saying O Aultar Aultar Thus sayth the Lorde beholde a chylde shall be borne vnto the house of Dauid Iosia by name and vpon thée shall he offer the Priestes of the hyll Aultars that burne incense vpon thée and they shall burne mens bones vpon thée And this is the token that the Lorde hath spoken it Beholde the Aultar shall rent and the ashes that are vpon it shall fall out The King was so angry with this that he stretched out hys hande agaynst the Prophet commaunding to lay hands on him and by by the Kings hand was dried vp so that he could not pull it to him agayne the Aultar claue a sunder and the ashes fell out as the man of God had spoken The King séeing now Gods iudgement fallen vpon him humbled himselfe to the Prophet by whose intercession to God his hande was restored agayne Great and continuall 2. Par. 13. cap. warre was betwéene this King Roboam King of Iuda but this euer preuayled till Abia the sonne of Roboam reygned and then he lost as much honour and more than he wanne before He reygned twoo and twenty yeares and dyed leauing Nadab his sonne to succéede him Reade more of this King in the storie of Abia King of Iuda and in the storye of Ahiah the Prophet and of Baasa King of Israel 4. Reg. 14. f. g Ieroboam the sonne of Ioas King of Israel began his raygne in the .xv. yeare of Amaziahu King of Iuda and woorshipped the golden Calues which Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat had set vp as other dyd before him He was a great warryour and victorious He restored the coastes of Israel from the entring of Hemath vnto the Sea of the wildernesse according to Ionas Prophecie And was styrred vp of the Lorde to helpe Israel being excéedingly afflicted out of all their trouble He reygned xlj yeares and dyed leauing Zacharias his sonne to succéede him ¶ Ieroboam Increasing the people 3. Reg. 16. g. 19. a. Iesabel the daughter of Ethbaal King of the Sydonites was a wicked woman Shée entised and pricked forwarde Achab hir husbande to all kinde of Idolatry she slue the Prophets of the Lorde and persecuted Elia. She 21. cap. caused Naboth to be stoned to death that hir husbande might inioye his vyneyarde Finally as she laye at Iesrael and hearing of Iehu his comming she trimmed hir 4. Reg. 9. g. selfe in gorgious attire and lay looking out at a window and as he came in at the gate she sayde vnto him Had Zimri peace which slue his maister As who should say Can a Traytour or any that riseth agaynst his superiour haue good successe But for asmuch as this was euen Gods â–ª determinacion that she shoulde be destroyed shée was cast out at the windowe with such violence that she was dashed all to péeces and so betramped and trodden with the féete of horses that when they came to take hir vp to be buried they founde no more of hir saue the scull the féete and the palmes of hir handes And then was the Prophecie of Elia fulfilled which sayde In the fielde of Iesrael shall dogges eate the flesh of Iezabel and the carcasse of Iezabel shall lye as dung vpon the earth so that none shall saye this is Iezabel ¶ Iezabel an Ylande or an babitacion Luk. 2. cap. Iesus the sonne of God was borne of the Virgin Mary in Bethleem a citie of Iuda in the yeare after the Creacion of the worlde 3962. Lanquet whose byrth immediatly was honoured by the glorification of Angels the Agnition of Shepheards the veneracion of the wisemen and the Prophecies of holy Symeon and Anna. And at the age of .xij. yeares was had in admiracion among the Doctours in the Temple at Ierusalem where their parents founde hym and brought him to Narareth but what he dyd from that time foorth tyll he came to the age of thirtie yeares the Euaungelistes make no mention Hée was then Baptised of Iohn in Iordane And to witnesse â— cap. that he was the very Messias sent of God the holy Ghost descended downe from
of his finger in water to coole my tongue for I am sore tormeÌ„ted in this flame Naye sayde Abraham forasmuch as in thy life time thou receiuedst thy pleasure and had no pitie on the poore now art thou punished And contrarywise Lazarus which receyued paine and tooke it paciently is nowe comforted Lea was the eldest daughter of Laban the sonne of Nahor Abrahams brother somewhat squint eyed She preuented hir sister Rachel in marriage being brought to Iacobs bedde in hir sisters steade and so became Iacobs first wyfe bare vnto him one after an other these foure sonnes Ruben Simeon Leuie Iuda and so ceased till it chaunced Ruben hir eldest sonne in the tyme of wheate haruest to go out into the fields finde Mandrakes and brought them home to his mother Then Rachel hearing thereof went to Lea hir sister desiring to haue hir sonnes Mandrakes who sayde to Rachel is it not ynough that thou hast taken awaye my husbande but wouldest take away my sonnes Mandrakes also Well quoth Rachel let hym sléepe with thée this night for thy sonnes Mandrakes And so Iacob comming out of the fielde at euen Lea met him and sayde Come in vnto me for I haue bought thée with my sonnes Mandrakes and that nyght she conceyued with Iacob and brought him forth the fift sonne and called his name Isachar After that she conceyued againe and brought him forth the sixt sonne and called his name Zabulon Last of all shée conceiued and brought hym foorth a daughter and called hyr name Dyna Leuy the thirde sonne of Iacob and Lea with his brother Simeon slue Hemor and Sichem his sonne for rauishing of their sister Dyna And therefore were they called of Iacob their father Cruell Instruments Leuy had thrée sonnes Gerson Caath and Merari The tribe of Leuy the Lorde chose vnto hymselfe and appoynted them to serue in the Tabernacle of witnesse with Aaron to beare the Arke of the appoyntment of the Lord to minister and blesse in his name and had no inheritance among their brethren but the Lorde who was their inheritance He lyued 137. yeres Luke 5. f. Leuy otherwise called Mathewe the sonne of Alpheus was a Toll gatherer or a receyuer of Custome who at the voyce of Iesus when he sayde folow me left Mar. 2. c. his office and all thinges behinde him and followed the Math. 9. 2. Lorde And became of a sinfull Publican a true Disciple of Christ He inuited Iesus to his house and made him a great Feast at the which were many Publicanes beside other of his acquaintaunce which sate at meate with Christ and his Disciples wherewith the Phariseys were much offended .3 Sichemitarum regem cum freÌ„ necaui Disiecique urbis moenia celsa ferox Propterea Leui poenas fert nil propriuÌ„que Possidet in certo nec manet ipse loco Hac f. Act. 16. 6. Lidia was a certaine woman and a seller of Purple in the Citie of Thiatria and a worshipper of God whose heart the Lorde so opened at the preaching of Paule that she with all hir housholde were conuerted and baptised saying then to Paule and the other Disciples if ye haue iudged me to be faythfull to the Lorde come into my house and abide there and so she constrayned them who founde so much faythfulnesse then in the woman that afterwarde being cast in prison and deliuered againe they returned into hir house to comfort the brethren which resorted thither ¶ Lydia Natiuitie or generation 1. Mac. 3. c. Lysias being a great man with Antiochus and of his bloude was such an enimie vnto the Iewes that the King made him Captayne of his host who with fourtye thousande footemen and seauen thousande horsemen went to fight agaynst Iudas Machabeus But Iudas ouercame hym and slue thrée thousand of his men Then Lysias being sore grieued at Israels prosperitie came 4. c. d. at an other tyme with thréescore thousand footemen and fiue thousand horsemen at which time Iudas ouercame hym agayne and slue fiue thousand of his men Finally as he laye with Antiochus the King at the Citie of Antioche 7. 2. Demetrius came vpon them and slue them both ¶ Lysias Dissoluing Act. 22. d. Lysias was an hye Captayne vnder the Emperour and hauing Paule committed vnto hym as prysoner was afrayde to punishe hym bycause hée was a Romayne And therefore to knowe the certayntie wherefore the Iewes had accused hym he brought hym foorth 23. cap. before the Counsell where in the ende fell such discention and debate among them that Lysias fearing least Paule shoulde haue bene pulde a sunder of the Iewes tooke him and had him into the Castle And hauing knowledge how the Iewes had conspired Pauls death he sent him awaye secretly by night to Felix being at that time the Emperours Lieutenaunt to whome he wrote on this wise Claudius Lysias vnto the most mighty ruler Felix sendeth gréetings As this man was taken of the Iewes and shoulde haue bene killed of them I came vppon them with Souldiours and rescued him perceyuing he was a Romayne And when I woulde haue knowne the cause wherefore they accused him I brought him foorth in their counsell There I perceyued that he was accused of questions of their lawe and had no cryme woorthy of death or of bondes and when it was shewed mée how that the Iewes layed wayte for the man I sent hym straight waye vnto thée commaunded his accusers if they had ought against him to tell it vnto thée Farewell Maâ—c 4. c. 2 f. g. Lysimachus was made the hye Priest of the Iews in the rowme of Menelaus his brother by whose Counsell he robbed the Temple did much mischiefe whose wickednesse was so manifest vnto the people that they rose vppe agaynst him and made a great vprore in the Citie Wherevpon Lysimachus perceyuing where about they went got vnto him thrée thousande vnthriftes well armed for his defence Agaynst whome the multitude fought so furiously with clubbe and battes and with hurling of stones and such weapons as they coulde get that they wounded many slue some and chased the reast awaye and at the last kylled the wicked Churche robber himselfe beside the Tresurye ¶ Lysimachus dissoluing Battell Ose 1. d. Loammy was the seconde Sonne of Gomer the daughter of Deblaim And when she brought hym foorth the Lorde sayde Call his name Loammy For why yée are not my people therefore wyll not I be your God. ¶ Loammy not my People 2. Tim. 1. 2. Loys was a faythfull godly woman and Graundmother to Tymothy who alwayes brought vp hir Children and famylie in the feare of God and knowledge of Christes Doctrine ¶ Loys Better Ose 1. â— Lornhama was the daughter of Gomer the daughter of Deblaim And when she brought hym foorth the Lorde sayde Call his name Lornhama for I will haue no pittie vppon the house
agyanst Moses thinking to haue wonne his spurres in reuenging his neighbours quarell But when it came to triall he spedde no better than his neighbour had done before him Onan was the seconde Sonne of Iuda who after the death of Er his eldest brother was maryed to Thamar his brothers wife to styrre vp séede vnto his brother But when he perceyued that the séede shoulde be none of his he practised such wickednesse that the vengeaunce of God fell vpon him and siue hym Onesimus being in seruice with Philemon lyke an vnfaythfull seruaunt robbed his mayster and ranne away from him to Rome Where by hearing of Paule who at that time was in bondes he receyued the Doctrine of the Gospell and serued Paule in Prison and became so faithfull a souldiour of Christ that Paule sent him with Tichicus to the Collossians with his Epistle commending him vnto them on this wise And with Tichicus I haue sent Onesimus a faythfull and beloued brother which is one of you Finallye he sent him home to his mayster agayne beséeching Philemon not to receyue him now as a seruaunt but more than a seruaunt euen as a faythfull brother as his owne sonne whome he had in his bandes begotten to Christ offering himselfe suertye to make good whatsoeuer hurt he had done him in tyme past Onesiphorus was a faythfull godly man a great refresher of suche as were in bondes for the doctrine of Christ as Saint Paule doth testifie of him saying The Lorde giue mercy vnto the householde of Onesiphorus for he oft refreshed mée and was not ashamed of my chayne But when he was at Rome he sought mée out very diligently and founde mée The Lorde graunt vnto him that he may finde mercye with the Lorde at that daye and in howe many thinges he ministered vnto mée at Ephesus thou knowest very well O Tymothy Onias the hye Priest among the Iewes was a man of such godlynesse and holinesse of lyfe that he alwayes sought the honour of the lawes and wealth of the people of god By his prayer that wicked man Heliodorus was restored to his health but notwithstanding all his vertue and goodnesse yet had he enimies For Symon a man voyde of all godlinesse neuer ceased withall slaunderous and euill reportes that he coulde deuise to Seleucus the King to bring him out of fauour which he coulde neuer doe so long as the King lyued But Seleucus being dead Onias was soone put out of office by the false deceyt and meanes of his owne brother Iason and brought in such feare thorow him and Menelaus with other his enimies that he was fayne to take sanctuary Where at the last by the counsell of Menelaus he was without all regarde of righteousnesse most trayterously slayne by the hands of Andronicus whose innocent death was so sore lamented both of the Iewes and also of Antiochus the King himselfe that at his comming home hée rewarded the malefactor according to his dédes Ooliab the sonne of Achisamec of the Tribe of Dan was a Craftes man whome the Lorde had endued with great cunning and appointed him to Moses for one of the chiefe workemen for the finishing of the Temple Oreb and Zeb were two great Captaynes among the Madianites whome the men of Mount Ephraim which had stopped the waters from Bethbarath to Iordane tooke and smote of their heades and sent them to Gedeon on the other side of Iordan Ornan was a certayne Iebusite vnto whome the Lorde commaunded Dauid after he had plagued hym with pestilence to go and reare vp an Aultar in his threshing floure At whose comming Ornan fell downe before hym and sayde Wherefore is my Lorde the King come to his seruaunt I am come quoth he to buye thy threshing floure and to make an Aultar vnto the Lorde that the plague maye cease from the people Ornan Let my Lorde the King take and offer what séemeth him good in his eyes And moreouer here be Oxen for burnt sacrifice and sleades with other instruments for woodde take them all to thée as thine owne Dauid sayde Naye not so but I will buye it for sufficient money for I will not take that which is thine for the Lorde nor offer burnt offerings without cost And so Dauid gaue Ornan for that place Sixe hundred sicles of golde by waight Orpha and Ruth were twoo Damosels of the countrey of Moab which were maryed to the twoo sonnes of Elimelech and Naomy straungers come out of the Lande of Iuda there to dwell Reade the Story of Naomy for the reast Osias the sonne of Micha of the Tribe of Symeon was one of the principall Fathers and Rulers among the Israelites what tyme as Holofernes besieged the Citie of Bethulia This man comforted Achior which had so boldlye magnified praysed the great power and strength of God before Holofernes and tooke him into his house where he made hym a great Supper to the which he called the Elders who altogithers praysed God in him Also when the people came wéeping and crying out ▪ vnto hym to giue ouer the Citie into the handes of the Assirians he sayde vnto them Oh take good hearts vnto you deare brethren and be of good cheare and let vs wayte yet these fiue dayes for mercye of the Lorde peraduenture he shall put away his indignacion and giue glorie vnto his name But if he helpe vs not after these fiue daies be past we shall doe as ye haue sayde which counsell of Osias pleased not Iudith bycause he had set the mercye of God a tyme and appointed hym a daye at his pleasure So that after this Osias remayned in prayer and followed the deuise of Iudith in all things Othoniel was the sonne of Kenes vnto whom Caleb his elder brother gaue Acsah his daughter to wyfe for winning of a certayne Citie called Kariath Sepher This man deliuered the children of Israel from the Captiuitie of Chusan Kisathaim king of Mesopotamia which had oppressed them eyght yeares and Iudged Israel fourtie yeares P. CONVERSIO SAVLI Io. Sadeley sculpt C. M. Cum priuil 1580 F. Pourbus inven Saulus Tharsensis ex itinere diuinitus prostratus Damascum Ananiae in disciplinam tradendus ducitur An. ' ab Ascenss XI II. Illustri ac Generoso D. D. Ottoni Henrico Comiti à Suuartzenberg Et̄ Sa. Cae. M. t is Consiliario supremo ausae Mareschallo Sculptor obser ergó d. d. Pekahia the sonne of Menahen began his reigne ouer Israel in the fiftie yeare of the reigne of Azaria king of Iuda and departed not from the sinnes of Ieroboam but walked therein as his father did before him He had not reygned two yeares or that Pekak his owne Captaine rose against him and slue him in Samaria and reygned in his steade Pekah the sonne of Remaliahin began his reygne ouer Israel in the .lij. yeare of Azaria King of
Citie as he came he was honourably receyued according to Alexanders commaundement And being his father in lawe was nothing suspected of treason But Ptolomy meaning nothing else left in euery Citie whereinto he was receyued certayne men of warre to fortifie and kéepe the same And when he had gotten the Dominion of all the Cities vpon the Sea coast he ioyned himselfe in league with Demetrius and tooke his daughter from Alexander and gaue hir to Demetrius Raysing vp a slaunder vppon Alexander howe he went about to kill him And so his malice and vnsaciable couetousnesse being openly knowne he got him to Antioche where he set twoo Crownes vpon his heade the crowne of Egipt and Asia Then Alexander who at that tyme laye in the Countrey of Cilicia hearing of all that his Father in lawe had done returned home and made warre agaynst him But Ptolomy being the stronger chased him into the Countrey of Arabia where the King of that lande smote off his heade and sent it to Ptolomy which pleasure he dyd not long enioye for within thrée dayes after Ptolomy dyed himselfe After whose death his men of warre which he had left in the Cities were all slayne Ptolomy the Sonne of Abobus maryed with the daughter of Symon brother to Machabeus And being made Captayne of the hoste at Iericho he began thorow his great aboundaunce of Golde and Siluer to waxe prowde and hygh minded imagining howe he might destroye Symon his Father in lawe and his sonnes and so to conquere the lande And being in this minde it chaunced Symon as he was going thorow the Cities of Iewrye caryng for them to come downe to Iericho with Mathathias and Iudas his sonnes where this Ptolomy receyued him vnder the coloure of great friendship into a strong Castle of his named Douch and in the same made him a great banket at the which he most trayterouslye slue Symon his Father in lawe with both hys sonnes This done he wrote to Antiochus to sende hym an hoste of men and he would deliuer the lande of Iewry into his hande And further he sent certayne men to Gaza to kyll Iohn the thirde sonne of Symon and wrote to the Captaynes to come vnto hym and he woulde rewarde them with Siluer and Golde But Iohn hauing knowledge of all the treason slue the Messengers which came from Ptolomy and so disappoynted hym of all his purpose Ptolomie surnamed Macron being made a Ruler purposed to doe Iustice vnto the Iewes for the wrongs that had bene done vnto them and went about to behaue himselfe peaceably with them for the which he was accused of his friendes to Eupator and was called oft tymes Traytour bicause he had left Cypres that Philometor had committed vnto him and came to Antiochus Epifanes Therefore séeing that he was no more in estimation he was discouraged and poysoned himselfe and dyed Publius was a certayne man dwelling in the I le called Melite and the chiefest man in all the I le who receyued Paule with all the rest that had escaped the seas very gently and lodged them thrée dayes in his house whose father which lay sicke of an Ague and of a bloudy flyxe Paule healed Putyphar was a great Lord in the lande of Egipt and Stewarde of King Pharaos house He bought Ioseph of the Ismaelites and founde him a lucky man And when he sawe that God did prosper all things vnder his hande he made him Ruler and gouernour of all that he had and God did blesse his house for Iosephs sake But in the ende thorowe the false accusation of his wyfe he cast Ioseph in prison R. RAchel the yongest daughter of Laban the sonne of Nahor was a beawtifull yoong woman and Iacobs wife She being long barren at the last brought forth a sonne and called his name Ioseph And at hir departing from Laban hir father wyth Iacob hir husbande into the lande of Canaan she stole awaye hir fathers Images from him for the which he made no little adooe with Iacob whome he followed and ouertooke at Mount Gilead And when hir father had searched Iacobs tents and could not finde his Idols he came into Rachel his daughters tent who had hyd them in the Camels lytter and sate vpon them And as hir father was rysling about the place where she sate she sayd O my Lorde be not angry that I cannot ryse vp before thée for the custome of women is come vpon me and so the thing was not knowen Finallye Rachel in traueyling of hir seconde sonne whome she called Ben Omy the sonne of my sorrowe she dyed and was buried in the way to Ephrath which is Bethleem where Iacob caused a stone to be set vpon hir graue which was called Rachels graue stone Raguel was a certaine man dwelling at Rages a Citie of the Medes whose sister was wyfe to olde Toby This Raguel had a daughter called Sara which had bene marryed to seauen men one after another which men were all slayne the first night of their marriage by the Deuill Asmodius To this Sara God had appointed yong Tobie which feared God to be hir husbande and made his holy Aungell Raphell to bring him to Rages and so to Raguels house his mothers brother where they were ioyfully receyued And when Raguel had looked vppon yong Toby and behelde him well he sayde vnto his wyfe howe lyke is this yoong man to my sisters sonne And then to knowe who they were he sayde whence be yée my good brethren We be sayde they of the Trybe of Nephtaly and of the captiuitie of Nimue Knowe ye sayde he Tobias our kinseman Yea sayde they we knowe him well and this yong man sayde the Aungell is his sonne With that Raguel bowed himselfe and with wéeping eyes tooke him about the necke and kyssed him and bade his wyfe prepare in all haste for dinner Naye sayde Tobie I will neyther eate nor drinke here this day except thou graunt mée my peticion and promise to giue me thy daughter Sara Then was Raguel sore astonied and began to feare least it shoulde happen vnto him as it did to the other seuen And while he stoode in doubt what aunswere to make the Angell sayd feare not to giue him thy daughter for vnto this man that feareth God belongeth she and to none other I doubt not sayde Raguel but God hath accepted my prayers and teares in his sight and I trust he hath caused you to come vnto me for the same intent that this daughter of mine might be maryed in hir owne kinrede according to the lawe of Moses And nowe doubt thou not my sonne but I will giue hir vnto thée And with that he tooke the right hande of his daughter and gaue hir into the right hande of Toby saying the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Iacob be with you ioyne you togyther and fulfill hys blessing in you And when the Mariage all was ended Raguel
brought his daughter into hir Chamber and sayde Be of good chere my daughter the Lorde of heauen giue thée ioy for the heauinesse that thou hast suffered and so went to rest Then in the morning about the Cocke crowing Raguel supposing all things to haue happened to Toby as it did to the other seauen before called vp his men and went and made ready his graue which being done he bade his wyfe sende one of hir Maydens to looke if Toby were dead that he might burye him before day light And when it was tolde him they were both sounde and fast a sléepe he praysed God and caused his men to fill vp the graue agayne and made a great feast to all his neighbours and friendes And gaue to Toby the halfe of all his goodes and made him a sure writing for the other halfe that remayned to be his also after his death And at the daye of their departure deliuered the goodes taking his leaue sayde The holy Angell of the Lord be with you in your iourney and bring you forth safe and sounde that ye may finde all things in good case with your Elders and that mine eyes my sée your Children before I dye and so kissed them and let them go Rathumus with other Officers vnder Artaxerses King of Persia writeth vnto him agaynst the Iewes on this wyse Sir thy seruaunts Rathumus the story writer Sabellius the Scribe with other Iudges of the Court in Celosiria and Phinehes Be it knowne and manifested to our Lorde the King that the Iewes which are come vp from you to vs into the rebellious and wicked Citie beginne to buylde it agayne and the Walles about it and to set vp the Temple a newe Nowe if this citie and the Walles thereof be set vp agayne they shall not onely refuse to giue Tributs and Taxes but also rebell vtterly agaynst the king And for so much as they take this in hande nowe about the Temple we thought it not méete to passe ouer such a thing but to shew it vnto our Lorde the king And to certifie him thereof To the intent that if it might please the King to cause it to be sought in the bookes of old and thou shalt finde such warning written and shalt vnderstande that this Citie hath alwayes béene rebellious and disobedient that it hath subdued Kinges and Cities and that the Iewes which dwelt therein hath euer béene a rebellious obstinate vnfaythfull and fighting people for the which cause this Citie is wasted Wherefore nowe we certifye our Lorde the King that if this Citie be buylded and occupyed agayne and the Walles thereof set vp a newe thou canst haue no passage into Celosiria and Phenices And when Rathumus and the other had receyued the Kinges aunswere they got them to Ierusalem with an hoste of men and made the Iewes cease from their buylding which was not begun agayne vntill the seconde yeare of King Darius Rebecca was the daughter of Bathuel and sister to Laban As she went on a tyme with a pitcher vpon hir heade to the common Well without the Citie to draw water it chaunced Abrahams seruaunt to stande by the Well with ten Camels lying there about And when the Mayde had filled hir pot and set it vpon hir head readye to go awaye the man desired to drinke a little of hir water who foorthwithall set downe hir pot and gaue him drincke And when he had droncken she powred out the reast into the water trough and ran againe to the Well drew water for his Camels vntill they had all droncken their fill Then the man in hope the Lorde had made his iourney prosperous tooke out a Golden earing and twoo bracelets of Golde and gaue them to the Mayde demaunding whose daughter she was I am quoth she the daughter of Bathuel the Sonne of Milca which she bare vnto Nahor Then tell mée I praye thée is there rowme in thy fathers house for vs to lodge in Yea quoth she there is both rowme and lodging and also litter and prouander ynough for your beastes Blessed be God quoth he that hath delt so mercyfullye with my Mayster and hath brought me the right way to my maysters brothers house Then Rebecca hearing him speake of hir fathers brother ranne home and tolde all thinges what the man had sayde And as Laban behelde his sister and sawe the earyngs and bracelets vpon hir handes he ranne out to the man with gentle entertaynement brought him into the house and sawe his Camels drest and prouided for also set meate before him to eate But the man woulde not eate before he had declared the cause wherefore hys mayster had sent him which being done and his request graunted he eate made mery and taryed all night And on the morrow as the man made haste to go his way the Damosell was called foorth to know whither she woulde go with the man or no and being content to go with the man he woulde not tarye but tooke the Mayde and had hir to Isaac his maysters sonne whose wyfe she became And being twentie yeares without a Childe at last she conceyued with twoo and when she felt them striue within hir wombe she made hir mone to God saying Séeing it is so why am I thus with childe God made hir answere saying There are twoo maner of people in thy wombe two Nacions shal be deuided out of thy bowels And the one Nacion shal be mightier than the other And the elder shal be seruaunt to the yoonger And so when hir tyme was come to be delyuered she brought foorth twoo twynnes the one named Esau and the other Iacob Which twoo became mightie men but Rebecca looued Iacob better then Esau and to preferre hym before the other she sayde Heare mée my sonne Iacob I haue hearde thy Father saye to thy brother go and kyll some Venison and make mée meate thereof that I may eate and blesse thée before the Lorde afore I dye Now therefore my Sonne heare my voyce in that which I commaunde thée Get thée to the flocke and bring mée thence two good kyddes that I may make meate of them for thy father such as he loueth and thou shalt bring it hym to eate that he may blesse thée before his death Then sayde Iacob My brother Esau is a rough man and if my father shall happen to féele mée I shall séeme vnto him as I went about to deceyue him and so shall I bring a curse vpon mée not a blessing Well sayde Rebecca vpon mée be thy cursse my sonne onely heare my voyce and go and fetche me them And when he had brought the Kyddes and that she had drest the meate and made it readye she fette out certayne rayment of Esaus and put it vpon Iacob and couered his hands and the smoothe of his necke with Goate shinnes and put the meate in his hande to cary to his Father by which policie of Rebecca Iacob had his brothers
and was buryed in the Citie of Dauyd and his sonne Roboam succéeded ¶ Natha the Prophet called him Iedidia beloued Samgar the sonne of Anath deliuered Israel from the Philistines and slue sixe hundred of them with an Oxe goade Samson the Sonne of Manoah of the Tribe of Dan was borne in the Citie of Zaraah and became a mightie strong man On a time as he went to the Citie of Thamnath and saw a woman of the Philistins which liked him well he intreated his parents to haue hir to his wyfe Who not contented therewith reprooued him saying Is there neuer a wife among the daughters of thine owne people and brethren but thou must take a wyfe among the vncircumcised Philistines Well sayd Samson let me haue hir for shée pleaseth mée well Then his parents not knowing it was the Lordes dooing that hée shoulde séeke an occasion agaynst the Philistines went with their sonne to Thamnath to sée the woman And by the waye going Samson vnknowne to his parentes slue a Lyon which came ramping vpon him and so went foorth with them and talked with the woman And a fewe dayes after as he came agayne to receyue his wyfe he turned aside to sée the carkeys of the Lyon and founde in the bellye thereof a swarme of Bées and hony whereof he tooke in his hande and went eating to his Father and mother gaue them parte of the Hony. And when the feast day of his mariage was come he sayde to thirtie yoong men of his guestes I will put foorth a riddle vnto you and if yée can declare it mée within the seuenth day of the Feast I will giue you thirtie shyrtes and thirtie chaunge of rayment and if yee cannot then shall you giue mée the lyke The riddle is this Out of the eater came meate and out of the strong came swéetnesse And when the seuenth day was come and the men had not yet founde out the ryddle they perswaded Samsons wyfe to sucke it out of hir husbande and tell it them who neuer rested flattering of Samson and wéeping before him till he had tolde hir Then they being taught of hir went to Samson before the Sonne was downe and sayde what is swéeter than hony ▪ And what is stronger than a Lyon. Then sayde Samson If yée had not plowed with my Calfe yée had not founde out my ryddle And so he went out to the Citie of Ascalon one of the chiefest Cities of the Philistines and slue thirtie men And gaue the spoyle of them to those that had expounded his riddle and so got him home to his fathers house halfe displeased with hys wyfe After a whyle hée went to visite his wyfe with a kidde but when he came his Father in lawe had giuen hir to an other ▪ thinking that Samson had hated hir and bade hym take the yoonger which was fayrer in hir steade Then Samson hauing good occasion giuen hym agaynst the Philistines went out and caught thrée hundred Foxes and fastened tayle by tayle and put a fyre brande betwéene the twoo tayles which he set on fyre and so sent them into the Philistines Corne and brent it vp with their Vyneyardes Olyues and all The Philistines knowing that Samson had done it went and set fyre on his Father in lawes house and brent both hym Samsons wife with all that euer they had And sent thrée thousand men of Iuda who were then vnder the Philistines to Samson to binde him and to bring him to them And when by his sufferance they had bounde him brought him to the Philistines they gaue a great shoute when they sawe him wherewithall Samson brake a sundre his bandes as though they had béene but flaxe And tooke vp a rotten Iawbone of an Asse and layde so about him that he slue a thousande Philistines or euer he rested And being sore a thyrst God made water come out of a tooth in the Iawbone ▪ and so refreshed him After this he got him to the Citie of Gaza and lodged in a womans house that solde vittayles And when hée perceyued the Citizens to watch and to go about to kyll hym he got him vp about midnight and went to the gates of the Citie which hée rent off barres all and layed them vpon his shoulders caried them vp to the top of an hygh hill before Hebron ▪ Finallye thorowe his inordinate affection to Dalila his wyfe he lost Goddes excellent gift and so was betrayed to the Philistines who tooke and put out his eyes and cast hym in Prison where they made hym to grynde lyke a slaue And when the great daye of the Philistines came that they shoulde holde their feast to their god Dagon they sent for Samson out of prison to playe before them and to make them laugh The house was full of men and women so many that in the roufe of the same there was about thrée thousand to beholde Samson whyle he played before the Lords great men And as he stoode betwéene the great pyllers which bare vp all the house he called vpon God in his minde saying O Lord thinke vpon me and strengthen me at this tyme onely that I according to my vocasion executing thy iudgement may be auenged on the Philistines for my twoo eyes And with that he caught the pillers in his handes saying Let me lose my life with the Philistines so shooke the pillers with all his might and brought downe the house vpon them and killed them all Then his brethren hearing thereof came and tooke vp the bodye of Samson and buryed hym with Manoah his Father after hée had Iudged Israel twentie yeares who had béene in subiection vnder the Philistines fourtie yeares Samuel the sonne of Elkana and Anna was the next Iudge after Eli and the last that iudged Israel And bycause his mother had asked him of God therefore she called his name Samuel And when he was able to doe any ministracion in the Temple his mother brought him to Eli and gaue him vnto the Lord according to hir promise And so Samuel ministered vnto the Lorde before Eli And one daye as he layed him downe to sléepe in the Temple the Lorde called him And Samuel thinking it had béene his Mayster ranne to Eli to knowe his pleasure who sayde he called him not And at the thirde time when Samuel came to his mayster agayne Eli sayde vnto him Go and laye thée downe once more and if he call thée agayne then saye thou Speake Lorde for thy seruaunt heareth And when the Lorde had called him the fourth time and had opened vnto him all that he had determined against the house of Eli for not correcting his sonnes for their great wickednesse Samuel went to his mayster Eli and at his commaundement tolde him euery whit what the Lorde had sayde Now Samuel being the Lords Prophet iudged the people and was both loued feared of them And when he began to waxe
hande and giuen it to Dauid And moreouer sayth he to Saule the Lorde will deliuer the Israelites into the handes of the Philistines and tomorrow shalt thou and thy Sonnes be with mée And on the next day Saule being ouercome of the Philistynes and his thrée Sonnes slayne for anguishe of heart fell vpon his owne sworde and killed himselfe after he had reygned fortie yeares Sara the daughter of Aram was Abrahams wife And perceyuing that the Lorde had restrayned hir from bearing of children she gaue Abraham leaue to take Agar hir Mayden to wife But when she saw hir selfe despised of hir mayde which had conceyued she began to be so sharpe and quicke with Agar that she made hir runne awaye Neuerthelesse at the humble submission of Agar Sara receyued hir agayne Then Sara passing foorth till she came to the age of foure score and ten yeres it chaunced she hearde the Aungel of the Lorde as she stoode in hir Tent say vnto Abraham that Sara his wyfe should haue a childe which wordes séemed so impossible vnto hir that she laughed within hir selfe and sayde Is it of a surety that I shall beare a sonne Shall I now giue my selfe to lust being olde and my Lord olde also And when she had talked thus to hir selfe the Aungell of the Lorde demaunded of Abraham wherefore his wyfe dyd laugh as though it were quoth he to harde a thing for God to performe his promise Then she being asked the question denyed it for she was afrayde saying that she laughed not And so Sara iudging him faythfull which had promised brought forth a sonne at the time apointed of God and called his name Isaac And when the Childe was borne she sayde God hath made mée a laughing stocke for all that heare will laugh at mée Who woulde haue sayde to Abraham that Sara shoulde haue giuen Children sucke for I haue borne him a sonne in his olde age After this when Sara perceyued Ismael the sonne of Agar as he played with Isaac to be a mocker she sayde vnto Abraham put awaye this bonde mayde hir sonne for the sonne of this bonde woman shall not be eyer with my sonne Isaac Finally when Sara had lyued one hundred and seuen an twentie yeres she dyed in Kiriat Arba Which is also called Hebron And was buryed in the double Caue which Abraham had bought of the sonnes of Heth. Sara the daughter of Raguel had seauen husbands one after an other which men before they had lyen with hir were all slayne of the Deuill Asmodius to the great discomfort and heauinesse of the yoong woman And yet the more to aggreuate hir sorowe hir fathers Maydens when she did correct them for their faults woulde slaunder hir on this wyse saying God let vs neuer sée sonne nor daughter of thée more vpon earth thou kyller of thy husbandes wilt thou kyll vs also as thou hast done them Which woordes were so gricuous to Sara that she got hir vp to an hygh chamber of hir house where she continued thrée dayes and thrée nightes in prayer beséeching God that he woulde vouchsafe to lowse hir out of that rebuke or else to take hir out of y earth For thou knowest O Lorde that I neuer had desire vnto man and that I haue kept my soule cleane from all vncleanlye lust I haue not kept companie with those that passe there time in sporte neyther haue I made my selfe partaker with them that walke in light behauiour neuerthelesse an husbande haue I consented to take not for my pleasure but in thy feare Now peraduenture eyther I haue béene vnwoorthye of them or else were they vnméete for me for thou happily hast kept me for an other husbande And thus making hir prayers to God he hearde hir and sent yong Toby to be hir husband who being ioyned togither in Matrimonie lyued all their dayes an holy lyfe in the feare and lawes of God. Seba the sonne of Bichri assoone as Dauid was restored to his Kingdome agayne begun a new insurrection and got all Israel to followe hym saue onelye the men of Iuda which stacke fast by Dauid and as he came into the Citie of Abell to the which Ioab followed hym the Gouernesse of the citie being a woman of wisedome smote off the heade of Seba and threwe it ouer the Wall to Ioab and so the commocion ceased Sceua was a Iewe borne and the chiefe Priest among the Iewes This man had seauen sonnes who for lucre sake to purchase vnto themselues a great name thereby attempted to cast out euill spirites by inuocation of the name of the Lorde Iesus as Paule dyd saying vnto the man possessed we coniure you in the name of Iesus whome Paule preacheth that ye depart out of the man To whom the spirite aunswered and sayde Iesus I knowe and Paule I knowe but who are yée and as soone as he had spoken these woordes the man in whome the euill spirite was ranne vpon them and got the ouer hande on them In so much that they had much a doe to escape with their lyues and scarce got at the last naked and wounded out of the house And this example of the sonnes of Sceua being bruted abrode among the Iewes and Gentiles many which beléeued came to Paule and confessed their offences And besyde that diuers other which had vsed suche curious craftes of Coniurasions brought their bookes and burned them before all men the price whereof were counted at fiftie thousande Siluerlinges Sela the yoongest sonne of Iuda being growen to perfect age and not giuen to Thamar in mariage according to his Fathers promise was the occasion of Thamars playing the myswoman with Iuda hir Father in lawe Sela the sonne of Arphaxad of the generacion of Sem was the Father of Eber whome he begot when he was thirtie yeares of age and lyued after the birth of Eber foure hundred and thrée yeares Which make in the whole foure hundred and .xxxiij. yeares Sem the eldest Sonne of Noe receyued prayse of his Father bycause he couered his nakednesse as he laye vncouered in his Tent. Sem at the age of an hundred yeares begot Arphaxat twoo yeares after the floud and lyued after fiue hundred yeares .2 Ense meo cecidere uiri dum uindico stuprū Germanae fracto federe quod pepig◠Hinc pater iratus Sijmeoni dira precatus Nostraque posteritas heu masedicta fuit Sennacherib King of Assiria was a mightie prince which séeing that Salmanasar his predycessour had conquered the King of Israel and made them Tributaries thought it good to set vpon the King of Iuda who at that tyme was the godly and most noble Ezechias And when Sennacherib had gotten into his handes all the chiefe Cities of Iuda and Beniamin saue onely Ierusalem he besieged that also with such might and power that Ezechias was fayne to submit himselfe to the mercie of Sennacherib offering him tribute
And when his course came to burne incense euening morning according to the lawe he went into the Temple And as he was in prayer an Angell appeared vnto him saying Feare not Zachary for thy prayer is hearde And thy wyfe Elizabeth shall beare thée a sonne and thou shalt call his name Iohn c. Whereby sayde Zachary shall I knowe this for I am olde and my wyfe olde also I am Gabriel quoth the Aungell which am sent vnto thée to shew thée these glad tydinges And beholde thou shalt be dumme and not able to speake vntill the day that these things be performed And so Zachary remayned speachelesse vntill the tyme came that his wyfe brought him foorth a sonne And when the childe shoulde be circumcised great controuersie was there about his name Some woulde haue him called Zachary some by one name some by an other and his mother woulde haue him called Iohn but to that woulde none agrée bycause there was none of the kinred so named Then they made signes to Zachary how he woulde haue his sonne called And he calling by signes for writing tables wrote therein His name is Iohn Whereat they all marueyled And immediatly the mouth of Zacharye was opened so that he spake and sayde Praysed be the Lorde God of Israel for he hath visited and redéemed his people c. Zacharia the sonne of Ieroboam King of Israel began his raygne in the eyght and thirtie yeare of Azaria King of Iuda and walked in the sinnes of Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat as dyd other before hym Hée had not raygned sixe monthes or that Sallum conspired against him and slue him euen in the face of the people raigned in his steade This Zacharia was the fourth and the last King of the generacion of Iehu which the Lord had promised shoulde sit on his seate after hym when he sayde Thy children vnto the fourth generacion after thée shall sit on the seate of Israel Zarah was one of the twoo twynnes which Thamar bare vnto Iuda at one birth who proffering to come forth before his brother put foorth his hande when the Mydwyfe had knit a redde thréede about it he pluckt in hys hande agayne and than his brother came out first whom they called Phares and than he with the redde thréede about his hande whome they called Zarah Zacharia the sonne of Iehoiada was an holye Prophet And when he sawe Ioas King of Iuda whome his father had trayned from his youth vp in the feare of god with all his people declined from the Lorde to the woorshipping of Idols and woulde not heare the Lordes admonicion sent by his prophets to call them home againe he stoode vp before the people sayde Why transgresse yée the commaundementes of the Lorde surelye it shall not prosper bycause yée haue forsaken the Lorde he also hath forsaken you For the which the King not regarding the kindnesse of Iehoiada his Father commaunded the people to stone him to death in the court of the house of the Lorde And as he suffered his martyrdome he desired the Lorde to reuenge his death and to requyre his bloude at their handes Zachy was a Publican and chiefe receyuer of the Kinges Tribute among them He was a very lowe man of stature And being much desirous to sée Iesus what maner a man he shoulde be made great meanes to sée him And when he sawe the prease so great that he coulde not he ranne before knowing which waye he woulde come and clymed vp into a wilde Figge trée And when Iesus saw him in the trée he sayde Zachy come downe at once for to day I must abyde at thy house And Zachy came downe receyued him ioyfully And shewing foorth the true fruites of repentaunce sayde Beholde Lorde the halfe of my goodes I giue to the poore and if I haue done any man wrong I restore him foure folde To whome Iesus sayde agayne This daye is saluacion come to this house forasmuch as thou art also become the sonne of Abraham Zaruia was Dauids sister Hir thrée Sonnes were Ioab Abisai and Asael Zedekia the fourth sonne of Iosia was one twentie yeare olde when Nabuchodonosor made him King of Iuda in the steade of Ieoacin his brothers sonne And made him take an othe of the Lorde faythfullye and truelye to serue the Chaldeis in token whereof hée chaunged hys name from Mathania to Zedekia This King suffered sinne and wickednesse so much to raygne in his lande as well among the heade rulers and Priestes as among the common sorte that God was forgotten his worde despised and his Prophets misused Wherefore the Lord styrred vp the Chaldeis with whom he had broke his league which came and destroyed the Citie of Ierusalem and the holy Temple of God with fyre as the Prophet Ieremie had sayde and tooke Zedekia the King his army being dispersed abrode in the playne of Iericho and brought him to the King of Babilon who first destroyed both his sonnes before his face and then pulled out the eyes of Zedekia and so caryed him to Babylon bounde with twoo chaynes where he dyed his people remayning in bondage vntill the dayes of Cyrus which was about thrée score and ten yeares Zedekia the sonne of Canaana was one of the false Prophets which deceyued Achab. And when Micheas the true Prophet of God spake agaynst them this Zedekia smote him on the Chéeke saying When went the spirit of the Lorde from mée to speake vnto thée Well sayde Micheas Thou shalt sée in that daye when thou shalt go from Chamber to chamber to hide thée Zelaphead the Sonne of Hepher the sonne of Gilead the Sonne of Machir the Sonne of Manasses the sonne of Ioseph had fiue daughters who forasmuch as their father dyed in the Wildernesse without male issue and was none of those that rebelled agaynst the Lorde in the Congregacion of Chore They requyred of Moses to haue a possession among their fathers brethren least the name of their Father shoulde be vtterlye taken awaye from among his kinred Whose request God alowed and bade Moses giue them a possession among their brethren and to make a law that whosoeuer dyed without a sonne his inheritaunce should turne to his daughter If he haue no daughter to his brethren If he haue no brethren to his Fathers brethren If his father haue no brethren than it shoulde turne to the next of the kinne And also to stabishe their inheritaunce that it should not be remooued thorow mariage into an other Tribe an order was taken that no Tribe shoulde marry with an other Tribe but euery Tribe shoulde mary with whom he lyst among his owne Tribe and kinred And so the daughters of Zelaphead were maryed to their Fathers brothers sonnes which were of the kinred of Manasses the Sonne of Ioseph by which meanes their inheritaunce remayned styll in the Tribe and kinred of their Father Zenas was
ground before him and so began hir peticion which was so pithilye framed and done that in the ende she pacifyed hys wrath and stayed his handes from shedding of bloud that daye for the which she was highly commended and praysed of Dauid who gently receyuing hir present did cléerely remyt the churlishe behauiour of Naball hir husbande for hir sake Which being graunted she tooke hir leaue and returned againe But when shée came home and founde Naball hir husbande so farre ouer charged with wyne that his wittes were gone she thought it conuenient to folowe the wyse mans counsell not to rebuke him in his wyne but to let the matter rest tyll the drinke were all out of his brayne and his memorie freshe And so on the next morowe shée declared to Naball the great and perilous daunger he was in for hys vnkindenesse shewed to Dauid which when he hearde did smyte him so sore to the heart that he neuer enioyed but dyed wythin tenne dayes after And then in processe thys woman Abigail became Dauids wyfe and bare hym a sonne called Chileab which in the first booke of Chronicles chapter iij is called Daniel There was another woman called Abigail which was Sister to Dauid and wyfe to Iether an Ismaelite vnto whome shée bare a sonne called Amasa Abimelech King of the Philistines was a manne which had the feare of God before his eyes as it may appeare in the storie of Abraham by his godly entertaynement of his wyfe whome he tooke to be his very sister and not hys wyfe as they had both confessed vnto hym And hauyng a mynde to the woman he tooke hir from Abraham intending to haue coupled wyth hir in mariage and not for no sinfull desire But when by the voyce of God he knewe she was Abrahams wyfe in déede and he a Prophet and his house sore plagued for hir sake he was right sorye for that he had done and also displeased with Abraham for so dissemblyng wyth hym in so weyghtie a cause considering the dishonestie that myght haue happened vnto his wyfe by some of hys men and the perill of Gods indignation on hym and on hys kingdome for the same yet notwithstanding when he knewe the cause of Abrahams dissembling he possest hym wyth cattell seruants and money and deliuered Sara his wyfe vnto hym agayne gyuing him also frée libertie to dwell and inhabite where he woulde wythin the precinct of hys dominion Then Abraham prayed vnto God for Abimelech at whose peticion the Lorde remooued his plague from the house of Abimelech so that the women conceyued and brought forth children as before they had done The lyke story is of Isaac Chapter xxvj Abimelech the sonne of Ierobaal otherwyse Gedeon was a wicked Tyrant and a prowde ambicious couetous man For when hys father was deade hée to be king of Israel consulted with all his mothers kyndred to perswade the people that it was better to haue one man to reigne ouer them than all y sonnes of Ierobaal which were lxx.persons in number And also to consider that he was of their fleshe and bloude as well as the other were which matter beyng mooued to the people they all consented to cleaue to Abimelech and to make hym their kyng and gouernour And that he shoulde be the better assured of their good wylles and obedient hearts they gaue vnto him a great summe of money wyth the whych he hyred a sort of light brayned felowes And first of all went to his fathers house and slewe all his brethren saue Iothan the yongest who escaped his bloudie handes and fled But or he had reigned a two or thrée yeares the fire of hatred began so to kindle betwéene him the Sichemites with the house of Mello who had preferde him before to the kingdome that at length it burst out into so great a flame that it coulde not be quenched till chaunce of warre made an ende of the Tyrant for in the ende after diuers victories he forced the Sichemites to take the strong tower of Thebes for their refuge and coueting nye to the same to haue set it on fire a certayne woman threwe downe a péece of a Mylstone vppon his heade and brake his Skull to the brayne Who then féeling himselfe sore wounded called his seruant and bade him drawe out hys sworde and ryd him out of his lyfe that it shoulde not hereafter be reported that a woman had killed him and so his seruant slew him Abinadab was a man of Gibea out of whose house Dauid tooke the Arke of God and had it from thence to the house of Obed. Isai the Father of Dauid had also a sonne called Abinadab and King Saul another of the same name which was slayne wyth him in battell Abisag was a goodly fayre yonge Damosell brought vp in the Citie of Sunem And for hir beautie and maners chosen to kéepe norishe King Dauid in his extreme age After whose death being still a pure Mayde She might not be suffered to marry with Adomah the Kynges brother Abisai was Dauids sisters sonne and Brother to Ioab His mothers name was Zarniah He consented not with Absalon but stacke to Dauid hys Unkle in all hys troubles He was so grieued with the spytefull rebukes and raylings of Semei which he made against his Unkle Dauid in his aduersitie that if Dauid had not stayed him he woulde haue made Semei shorter by the heade than he was By his great strength and hardinesse he rescued Dauid out of the handes of a monstrous Gyant the yron of whose speare weyed thrée hundred Sicles and slewe the Giant with thrée hundred Philistines mo for the which he is counted as chiefe among the thrée Worthyes belonging to Dauid CREDIDIT ABRAHAM DEO ET REPVTA TVM EST ILLI AD IVSTITIAM ROM IIII. Non extendas manum tuam super puerum neque facias illi quicquam nune cognovi quod timeas Dominum non pepercisti vnigenito filio tuo propter me Geneâ—â—â—â— Joan. Strada inuen Phls Gall. excud him about the secrete affayres of the king and sodeinlyâ— smote him with his dagger and slewe him Abraham was the sonne of Terah borne in Vr a Towne in Chaldey A man so endued with fayth vertue that when he saw the true religion and honouring of God to cease in the lande of Chalda he departed from thence with Terah his father Sara his wife and Lâ—t his brothers sonne to go into the lande of Canaan And being come to Haran which is a towne in Mesopotamia he remained there vntill the death of his father Terah Then God commaunded Abraham saying Get thée out of thy countrey and from thy kindred and from thy fathers house vnto the lande which I will shewe thée and I wyll make of thée a great nation and will blesse thée and make thy name great and thou shalt be a blessing and I
transgressed his commaundement and tolde him the waye and meanes how he should search it out which thing being done he founde that Acan had taken of the spoyle at Iericho a Babilonish garment two hundred sicles of siluer and a wedge of golde which being tried and brought forth before the whole congregation Iosua tooke Acan his sonnes and daughters cattell goodes and all that he had and caryed them out to the valley of Acor where they were stoned to death and consumed with fire Achab the sonne of Amrie began his reigne ouer Israel in the xxxviij yeare of the reygne of Asa king of Iuda He tooke Iezabel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sydonites to wyfe by whose meanes he fell into all wicked and straunge Idolatrie and cruell persecution for the which God plagued him so that in thrée yeares space neither dewe nor rayne fell downe from aboue to moysture the earth whereof ensued so great a Murrayne of men and beastes that innumerable dyed thereof and all the fault and cause of this plague he layde on Elia the Prophete and sought by all meanes howe to destroye him This king was so wicked that Scripture sayeth he had euen solde himselfe to worke wickednesse and yet notwithstanding God gaue him a marueylous victorie of Benhadad king of Siria who had in his companie .xxxij. kings with whome he fought twyse and bette him and at the thirde time brought him into so miserable a case that he was fayne to humble himself to Achab with a rope about his necke who neuerthelesse had pitie on that wicked King and made a bonde with him and let him go Nowe for this mercie which Achab had shewed to Benhadad whome the Lorde had cursed and put into Achabs handes to be slayne God was angry with Achab and promised his vtter destruction for the same This gréedy Cormorant was not content with his kingdome and spoyle of his victories which God had giuen him but caused Naboth that innocent man to be murdered onely to haue his vineyarde which laye so nye his nose whose bloud did craue such vengeance of God that worde was brought him by the Prophet Elia that in the same place where dogges had licked the bloude of Naboth shoulde dogges lycke his also and that he woulde doe vnto Achab and his posteritie euen as he had done to the house of Ieroboam and Baasa which terrible threatnings of God so feared Achab that he repented and humbled himselfe in sackecloth for the which the Lorde deferred hys plague and woulde not performe it in Achabs dayes but in the tyme of his sonnes reygne Finallye it came in the mynde of Achab to go into Siria to recouer the Citie of Ramoth which he claymed by inheritance And trusting more to the counsell of foure hundred false Prophetes than he did to Micheas the true Prophet of God he tooke his iourney towardes Ramoth and being in battell agaynst his enimies the Sirians he was shot in wyth an arrowe standing in his Charet of the which stroke he dyed And then when his Charet was had to the poole of Samaria to be washed the dogges lycked vp the bloude that ran thorow the Charet and so was the worde of the Lorde fulfilled which he had spoken before concerning the same He reigned .xxij. yeares Achaicus was a faythfull Christian brother whome Saint Paule sent wyth Stephana and Fortunatus from Philippos to the Corinthians with his Epistle Achior was Captaine gouernour of all the Ammonites vnder Holofernes and had the spirite of Prophecie so plentifull in him that when Holofernes demaunded what maner of people the Iewes were hée stepped forth before him and sayde If it please thée O Prince I will tell thée of a truth what they be They are a people which came of the generation of the Chaldeys and bicause they woulde not serue their goddes nor yet followe their customes they went and dwelt first in Mesopotamia worshipping one God that made heauen and earth at whose commaūdement they went from thence and dwelt in the land of Chanaan where in processe fell so great a dearth that then from Chanaan they went downe to Egypt and dwelt among the Egiptians foure hundreth yeares In the which space they grewe to a mightie number and were sore oppressed of the king of that lande but assoone as they cryed to their God for helpe he sent downe such plagues vpon the king and all his lande that he was fayne to suffer them to departe yet when they were gone and the plague ceased he then pursued to haue brought them backe agayne into bondage But God perceyuing his people to be in a strayte opened the Sea before them and brought them thorowe on drye ground and closed the sea vpon their enimies and so drowned Pharao with all his hoste And nowe being passed the redde Sea they came to the wildernesse of Mount Sinay where the waters being bitter he made them swéete and fedde them forty yeares with meate from heauen They had such power of their God that they cast out before them the Chananites the Pherisites the Iebusites and the Hethites with many great Nations mo For so long as they stoode in awe of their God and did not offende him so long was no Nation yet euer able to molest or hurt them But if anye time they declyned from his wyll and ordinance then were they quickly destroyed in battell and brought to captiuitie and bondage Wherefore O Prince let inquisition now be made whether they haue offended their God or no and if they haue then let vs goe agaynst them for God shall deliuer them into thy hande But if they haue not displeased their God he will so defende them that we shall not surely be able to stande before them but become a reproche vnto all the worlde Now was Holofernes so madde with Achior that he commanded his men to carie him to the Iewes that he myght perishe with them in their destruction And as they went towarde Bethulia with Achior and saw they might not come nye the Citie without great perill of their lyues They went to a trée and bound him fast to the same and so leauing him went their wayes Then came the Iewes to Achior and loosed his bandes had him into the Citie and set hym before the Senators who demaunded the cause wherefore the Assirians had so cruelly vsed him to whome he declared the matter in order as he had spoke it before to the prince Holofernes which being done the whole assemble gaue prayses and thankes to God which had giuen to Achior being an heathen man such boldnesse of spirite to sette forth his power and glory And from that time forth they comforted Achior and had hym in great estimation who fell from his heathenishe beliefe and put all his trust in the liuing God and became a Iewe and was circumcised and numbred among the people of Israel he and
not killed hym with the rest the Lorde was grieuously displeased with Saul and woulde not suffer Agag so to escape but sent Samuel to execute his iudgement vpon him who calling for Agag he came out vnto him very pleasantly fearing nothing lesse but that all bitternesse of death had bene past but contrary to his expectation Samuel sayde vnto hym as thy sworde hath made women chyldelesse so shall thy mother be chyldelesse among other women and with that he fell vpon Agag and hewed hym in péeces before the Lorde in Gilgal Agabus was a certaine Prophete which came from Ierusalem to Antioch where he prophecyed of a great dearth that shoulde be thoroweout all the worlde which came to passe as thys Prophete had sayde in the Emperour Claudius dayes Also whyle Paule laye at Cesarea in the house of Philip the Euaungelist purposing to kéepe his iourney to Ierusalem this Prophete chauncing to come thither tooke Paules girdle and therwithall bounde his owne hande and féete saying Thus sayeth the holy ghost so shall the Iewes at Ierusalem bynde the man that oweth this gyrdle and shall deliuer hym into the handes of the Gentyles Agar was handemayde to Sara Abrahams wyfe which Sara being long barren and chyldelesse gaue Agar hir Mayde vnto Abraham to be his wyfe who being conceyued and féeling hir selfe with chylde began to despise and set lyght by Sara hir Mistres for the which Sara complayned to Abraham hir husbande who giuing hir power to correct the Mayde at hir pleasure she began to deale so roughlye with Agar that in no wyse she woulde abyde it but ranne away into the wildernesse and sitting there besyde a fountayne of water not knowing whither to go an Angell appeared vnto hir and sayd Agar from whence commest thou and whither intendest thou to go I flie sayde Agar from Sara my mystresse which fareth so fowle wyth me that I am euen weary of my life Well sayde the Aungell returne to thy dame againe and submit thy selfe vnder hir handes for the Lorde will so encrease thy séede that it shall not be numbred for multitude Thou art with child and shalt beare a sonne whose name shall be Ismael Then Agar giuing God thankes for his consolation in trouble returned home againe to Sara hir mystres submitting hir selfe vnto hir and in processe of time brought forth hir sonne Ismael as the Aungell had sayde ▪ But when it pleased God to visit Sara that she conceyued and brought forth Isaac a new contention arose betwéene Sara and Agar for their children for Sara perceyuing Ismael to be a mocker and a despiser of Isaac woulde not suffer Ismael to companie with hir sonne Isaac but made hir complaynt to Abraham causing him to put both Agar and hir sonne away which thing although it grieued Abraham so to doe yet being comforted of God that he woulde multiplie Ismael bicause he was of his séede he obeyed the voyce of Sara his wife and with prouision of victuals sent Agar awaye with hir sonne to shifte for hir selfe Then Agar being departed from Abraham gat hir into the forrest of Béerseba where she wandred so long vppe and downe till all hir prouision of meate was spent and gone And when she sawe no remedie but that both she and hir childe must néedes perish for lacke of sustenance she layde downe the childe behinde a bushe and went hir selfe away bicause she woulde not sée it dye and as she sate a farre off mourning and wéeping for hir sonne she was comforted againe by the Angell of God who had so prouided for hir and hir sonne that they were both relieued and liued togithers a long time after to hir great ioy and comfort Aggeus was one of the twelue Prophetes which prophecied in the time of Zorobabel Kinge of the Iewes and rebuked them for that they were slacke in the worke of the Lorde Agrippa was a certayne king who as Paule reporteth had good knowledge in the Lawe and Prophets but vnderstoode not the true applying of the same Which King on a tyme came to Cesarea to sée Festus and to welcome hym into the Countrie who was then but newly entred into his office And being there a good whyle with Festus and hearing of him what a doe there was about Paule whome the Iewes had accused vnto him was much desirous to sée the man and to heare him speake Where vpon the next day following Paule was brought into the common Hall before Agrippa and other Magistrates of the Citie there assembled to heare his cause And when Festus had declared for what purpose he had brought forth Paule that after examination had he might haue somewhat of certaintie to write to Cesar to whome Paule had appealed Agrippa permitted the prisoner to speake and to say what he coulde for himselfe Who then so approoued his innocencie by rehearsing his conuersation before the audience that Agrippa interrupting his tale confessed and sayde vnto Paule Thou hast almost perswaded me to become a Christian And when the prisoner had ended his matter the king arose and all the Courte among whome was much secrete talke of Paule and for a finall sentence Agrippa sayde vnto Festus I sée no worthye cause of death or of bandes in this man but that he might haue bene loosed if he had not appealed to Cesar Ahaz the sonne of Iotham King of Iuda at the age of twentie yeares began his reygne in the xvj yeare of Pekah King of Israel and did not walke in the wayes of his godly Father but gaue himselfe to all kynde of ydolatrie and abhominations of the heathen consecrating his chyldren in fier and offering incense on euerye hill and Mountaine For the which his wickednesse the Lorde forsooke him and deliuered him into the handes and power of Razin king of Siria and Pekah king of Israel which two Kings on the one side with the Edomites and Philistines inuading his lande and spoyling his Cities and townes on the other side brought him very lowe And yet in all his aduersitie would he not once lyft vp his heart to call vpon God for his ayde and helpe but contrarye to the Prophetes admonition sought for the succour of man spoyling the Temple of God and sending the treasure thereof to Thiglath Pileser king of Assiria to come and deliuer him out of trouble by whose comming Ahaz was nothing the more strengthned but rather troubled and hindered Then Ahas measuring Gods fauour by the prosperitie of hys enimies not considering howe God oftentymes doth punishe those whom be loueth and giueth to his enimies good successe for a tyme turned his heart full and whole to the Sirians Gods who as he thought had plagued hym And to thintent he might serue them and worship them in al things according as the Heathen did to haue their helpe also he tooke the patterne of an aultar at Damascus the which he sent to Vria his Priest to
make him the lyke against his comming home who being such a minister as was content to serue the Kinges turne made it with all spéede on the which Aultar the King at his comming home offered to those Idolles abolishing all the holye lawes and ordinaunces of God to stablyshe his owne wicked and vngodlye procéedings which turned to hys vtter confusion He reygned sixtene yeares and was buryed in the Citie of Dauid but not among the sepulchres of Kings leauing Hezekia his godly sonne to enioy his place Ahazia the sonne of Achab began his reigne ouer Israel in the xvlj yeare of Iosaphat king of Iuda and followed the steppes of that wicked Idolatour Achab his father in all thinges for the which the Lorde punished him two maner of wayes First the Moabites rebelled agaynst him refusing to pay any tribute Seconde as he walked vpon his house for his recreation he fell downe at a grate of the same which was made to gyue light beneath And being sore brused with the fall and in perill of death he sent to Belzebub the God of Ekrom to enquire of him whether he shoulde recouer or no. And as the Messengers were going Elia the Prophete by the prouidence of God met them and sayde is there no God in Israel to aske counsell at but your Maister must send to Belzebub returne and tell him he shall not liue The Messengers returned and tolde the king Who perceyuing by all the markes and tokens of the man that it was the Prophete Elia sent forth a Captaine with fiftie Souldiers to bring him with violence if otherwise he woulde not come And when the Captaine came to the Prophet he sayde Thou man of God come away the King hath sent for thée If I be the man of God quoth the Prophet fyre come downe from heauen and consume thée and all thy men which wordes were no sooner gone out of his mouth but fire fell downe from heauen and destroyed them all The King sent againe and they were likewyse destroyed Then went the thirde who fell downe before the Prophete and sayde O thou man of God let my life I pray thée and the life of these thy fistie seruants be precious in thy sight With this man the Prophet went boldly to the King and tolde him plainly be shoulde not recouer and so he died in the seconde yeare of his reygne and for lacke of issue his brother Iehoram succéeded Ahasuerus otherwise called Artaxarzes King of Persia reigned ouer an hundreth and twentie seauen Prouinces This King in the thirde yeare of hys reigne made a feast royall in the Citie of Susan to all his Princes and Nobles which continued an hundreth and foure score daies And these days expired he made another feast to all the people great and small for the space of seauen dayes and in the seauenth and last daye of the feast the King being mery and pleasantly disposed sent diuers of his Chamberlaines to fetch the Quéene named Vasthy and to bring hir to him with the Crowne Imperiall vpon hir heade that the people might sée hir bewtie But for so much as she woulde not come at the Kinges commaundement it was decréed that the King shoulde put hir awaye and take another at his pleasure And according to the same decrée the King was diuorsed from Vasthy and tooke Ester in hir place for whose sake he shewed great pleasure to hir nation the Iewes promoting Mardocheus which had preserued him from the danger of Treason and put downe Aman whome he had aboue all exalted Ahimaaz the sonne of Sadoch with Ionathas the sonne of Abiathar stoode wayting without the Citie of Ierusalem at the Well called Rogell to beare such newes to Dauid as they shoulde heare from their fathers being within with Absalom And when they were instructed of all thinges by a certaine Mayde sent from their fathers what they shoulde doe and saye vnto Dauid they departed with spéede But being espyed by a certaine yong man who went and tolde it to Absalom Messengers were sent forth in post haste which followed them so sore that they were constrayned to slip into a certaine mans house in Bahurim which had a Well in his yarde into the which they were conueyghed and being hid in the Well the wife of the house spred a Couerlet ouer the Welles mouth and strawed corne thereon whereby the Well was not séene Then Absaloms men comming into the house demaunded of the wyfe where the two men were which came in before them They be gone sayde she ouer the brooke of water The men beleuing the woman went after and sought and when they coulde not finde them returned home againe Then Ahimaaz and Ionathas were let out of the Well who went to Dauid and did their message as they were commaunded After this when Absalom was slaine Ahimaaz desired of Ioab the Captaine that he might beare newes to the King of Absaloms death Nay sayde Ioab thou shalt be no messenger this daye bicause the Kings sonne is deade but Chusy shall go Then I pray thée quoth Ahimaaz let me go with Chusy And wherfore quoth Ioab art thou so desirous to go séeing for thy tydings thou shalt haue no rewarde whatsoeuer I haue quoth he I pray thée let me go Then go sayd Ioab And so Ahimaaz ran a nearer way than Chusy and was euer before him And as they were comming the watch man spied them and sayde to the King I sée two men running hytherwarde and me thinke the running of the foremost is like the running of Ahimaaz the sonne of Sadoch Oh sayd the King he is a good man and bringeth good tydings And so Ahimaaz came to the King before Chusy and fell downe before him and sayd Blessed be the Lorde thy God which hath shut vp the men that lift vp their handes against my Lorde the King is the yong man Absalom safe sayde the King Ahimaaz aunswered When Ioab sent Chusy and me thy seruaunt I sawe much a doe but I wote not what it was Well sayde the King stande still Then Chusy came and sayd Good tidings my Lorde the King for the Lorde hath deliuered thée this day out of the handes of all that roâ—e against thée Is the yong man Absalom safe quoth the King The enimies of my Lorde the King sayde he and all that rise against thée to doe thée hurt be as that yong man is And so the King departed and mourned for his sonne Ahimelech the sonne of Ahitob the sonne of Phiâ—ehes the sonne of Eli was Priest of the Citie of Nob in whose tyme it chaunced Dauid being persecuted of king Saule to flye vnto him for succour at whose comming with so fewe wayting on him Ahimelech was sore astonied and asked him wherefore he came so alone Then Dauid bearing him in hande that the King had sent him of a secrete businesse which might not be knowne desired Ahimelech to giue him of such thinges
as he had in store that he and his men might be refreshed and go about the Kinges affaires Then Ahimelech beléeuing that all had bene well betwene the King and Dauid tooke him of the halowed breade bicause he saw his necessitie great and had no common breade vnder his hande Then Dauid desired Ahimelech to lende him eyther speare or sworde for I brought quoth he neyther weapon nor harnesse the Kinges businesse required such haste and by and by he fet out the sworde of Goliah and gaue it to him Nowe for this great kindenesse which Ahimelech had shewed to Dauid Doeg a seruant of King Saules accused him to his Lorde of Treason And being brought before the King with all the Priestes of the Lorde it was obiected agaynst him howe he had conspired with Dauid the Kinges enimie and asked counsell of God for him and ayded him both with vittayle and weapon To the which Ahimelech aunswered and sayde Oh King who is so faythfull among all thy seruantes as Dauid is or had in more honor in all thy house is he not the Kings sonne in lawe and doth whatsoeuer thou commaundest him haue I not at other tymes as well as nowe asked counsell of God for him Let not my Lorde the King impute anye such wickednesse in me or in my fathers house for truely thy seruaunt knewe nothing of all this that thou layest to my charge eyther lesse or more Well quoth the King thou shalt surely die And so was this innocent man put to death with lxxxiiij Priestes mo and the Citie of Nob destroyed Ahijah was a Prophete borne in Silo and chauncing to méete with Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat without the Citie of Ierusalem in the playne fieldes hauing a new cloake vpon his backe he caught the cloake from him and rent it in twelue péeces deliuering ten péeces thereof to Ieroboam saying Thus will the Lorde rent the kingdome out of the handes of Salomon bicause he hath forsaken the Lorde and serued straunge Gods and gyue ten Tribes vnto thée Therefore take héede when thou arte King that thou walke in the wayes of the Lorde thy God for so long as thou kéepest his statutes and holy commaundements so long will the Lorde prosper thée in the kingdome Reade more of this Prophete in the storie of Abia the sonne of Ieroboam The father of king Baasa was called Ahijah of the house of Isachar Aholah and Aholibah were twoo Sisters vnder whose names is set forth the fornication that is to saye the Idolatrye of Samaria and Ierusalem Aholibama was the daughter of Ana and wife to Esau who brought him forth children which became great men in the worlde Aioth the sonne of Gera was the seconde Iudge of the Hebrues a man of great strength and valiant of courage and had equall strength and aptnesse in both hys handes He slewe Eglon king of the Moabites on thys wise when Eglon had long warred on the Iewes and taken from them diuers Cities and kept them in much miserie this Aioth came to him to Iericho bringyng vnto him certaine presentes which lyked him well and desired to speake wyth him priuily which was graunted and all other being commaunded to auoyde Aioth stroke Eglom to the heart twise The last tyme with such puissaunce that the knyfe with the hyltes remayned in the wounde and so leauing him deade departed without suspicion and came vnto his people declaring what he had done who being glad armed them and fell vppon the Moabites and slewe of them ten thousande and braue all the residue out of their countrie And so the Iewes being deliuered by the wisedome and vertue of Aioth after made hym their Iudge and Prince Who gouerned them .lxxx. yeares in peace and died a very olde man in much honor Alexander the sonne of Philip King of Macedonia slewe Darius king of the Persians and Medes and conquered the moste part of all the worlde in lesse than twelue yeares space whereof he became so prowde that God was displeased with him And being visited with sickenesse so sore that he must néedes die he called all his Lordes and Princes before him and departed his kingdome among them So that they after his death were crowned and reygned as Kings euery one seuerally in his owne dominion as was to them appointed He reigned .xij. yeares Alexander the sonne of Noble Antiochus tooke the Citie of Ptolomais and after that mooued warre against Demetrius who to preuent Alexander sent Ambassadours to Ionathas gouernour of the Iewes to haue his friendshippe promising him as many fayre and large offers as he coulde deuise But forasmuch as Ionathas had experience of his deceytfull dealings and howe cruell an enimie he had alwayes bene vnto the Iewes nation he refused the offer of Demetrius and ioyned in league with Alexander knowing him to be a faythfull Prince and euer his friende And so Alexander hauing the Iewes ayde stroke battayle with Demetrius in the which conflict Alexander slewe Demetrius and ouercame all his hoste Nowe when Alexander had conquered the lande and was set in the Trone of his progenitours a mariage was concluded betwéene him and Cleopatra the daughter of Ptolomie King of Egypt which was finished at the Citie of Ptolomias at the which triumph Alexander made Ionathas a Duke and partener of his dominion and after that for his worthinesse gaue him the Citie of Accaron Alexander nowe lying at Antioch and hearing howe the Cilicians had rebelled against him marched towarde them with a great power to suppresse the rebellion And being there occupied with his enimies Ptolomie in the meane season defeated him of his kingdome and toke his daughter Cleopatra gaue hir to Demetrius the sonne of Demetrius in mariage Alexander hearing of this returned home with all his host but Ptolomy being to strōg for him chased Alexander out of his Realme who for succor fled into Araby where the king of that land against al law of arms smote of his heade and sent it to Ptolomie for a present Alexander a Iewe borne and a ruler at Ephesus what time as Demetrius the Siluersmith mooued sedition in the Citie against Paul for the goddesse Diana was in the rage drawne out of the Common Hall and going forwarde beckonned with his hande to haue spoken but till the Towne Clarke had ceased the noyse which lasted two houres he coulde not be hearde And then to pacifie the people more by worldly wisedome than for any respect he had to Religion he sayde Ye men of Ephesus what man is he that knoweth not howe that the Citie of the Ephesians is a worshipper of the great goddesse Diana and of the Image which came from Iupiter Seing then that no man sayeth hére against ye ought to be content and to doe nothing rashely For yée haue brought hyther these men which are neyther robbers of Churches neyther yet despysers of your goddesse Wherefore if Demetrius
and the craftes men which are wyth him haue any matter against any man the lawe is open and there are rulers let them accuse one an other But if ye go about any other thing it may be determined in a lawfull assemble For wée are in ieoperdye to be accused of this dayes vprore forasmuch as there is no cause whereby we may giue a reckoning of thys concourse of people And when he had thus spoken eche man departed Alexander the Coppersmyth forsooke the fayth and became such an enimy vnto the Gospell that he withstoode Paules preaching and did him much displeasure for the which Paul deliuered him vnto Satan that is excommunicated him out of the Church desiring the Lorde to rewarde him as he had deserued Alcimus was a Iewe borne and come of the séede of Aaron who notwithstanding became so wicked a man that he forsooke the lawes of his owne Nation to maintayne the abhominations of the heathen And for the hatred he bare to Machabeus and the Iewes he tooke vnto him a sorte of vnthriftes and vngodly persons and went to Demetrius vnto whome he made agricuous complaint vpon Iudas Machabeus feygning that he had slaine all the Kings friends and driuen him and his companie out of their owne lande wherfore he willed Demetrius to choose out some Noble Captayne to go and auenge the Kings quarrell on Iudas Vppon the which complaint of Alcimus the King sent Bachides against Iudas and made Alcimus the hye Priest who was such an enimie vnto the Iewes as the lyke was not among the Heathen for all his studie was how he might eyther by worde or déede worke their vtter confusion And finally to manifest his great malice towardes his owne Countrey men ▪ and the lawes of God he commanded the walles of the inmost Sanctuary with the Monuments of the Prophetes to be cast downe and destroyed But as this wicked Apostata went about his deuilish purpose the hand of God fell vpon him and smote him with such an incurable Palsie that his mouth was shut vp and so like a miserable wretch he dyed Amalech was the sonne of Eliphas the sonne of Esan borne vnto him of Thymna his Concubine of whom came the kinred of the Amalekites This King when Moses had brought the children of Israel out of Egypt and were come into the wildernesse of Raphidim where they both lacked water and were wearyed with their long iourney woulde not suffer them to passe quietly thorowe his lande but came forth with weapon and waged battell against them In the which battell Iosua guided the hoste of Israel while Moses went to praye And so long as Moses helde vp his handes and prayed so long had Israel the better but when he let them fall Amalech had the better Then Aaron and Hur perceyuing Moses handes to be weary gat them vp to Moses and staide his handes the one on the one side and the other on the other side so long tyll Iosua had discomfited Amalech with all his hoste And for thys crueltie of Amalech God sware vnto Moses that he woulde vtterly put out the remembraunce of Amalech from vnder heauen Which promise he perfourmed in the dayes of King Saule Aman looke Haman Amasa was the sonne of Iether and Abigail Dauids sister was his mother This Amasa what time as Absalom rose against his father Dauid was made Captaine ouer Absaloms hoste and after the death of Absalom Dauid receyued him to fauour swearing he shoulde be Captaine ouer his hoste in the rowme of Ioab which office he did not long enioy for when Seba the sonne of Bichri had begun a new commotion and that Dauid had sent Amasa to gather the men of Iuda togithers and to bring them to him by the thirde day it chaunced Ioab to méete Amasa by the way which was somewhat after the time the King had appointed and saluting him with all gentlenesse he tooke him by the Chinne with one hande to kisse him and with the other hand he smote him vnder the short ribbes wyth his dagger and killed him Amasiah the sonne of Ioas king of Iuda began his reigne at the age of .xxv. yeares in whose beginning he did indifferently well obserue the lawes of God but in the ende he became an Idolater He prepared an hoste of thirtie thousande men to goe against the Edomites and yet to make himselfe the stronger he hyred an hundreth thousande mo out of the ten Tribes of Israel for an hundred Talentes of Siluer But as hée was goyng wyth both the hostes of Iuda and Israel hée was commaunded by the Lordes Prophet to sende the hoste of Israel home againe forasmuch as the Lorde was not with them or else he shoulde not stand before his enimies how then sayd the King shall I doe for the hundred Talents which I haue giuen for them Take no thought for that quoth the Prophet for the Lorde is able to giue thée as much more And so he sent the hoste of Israell home againe who for anger they were dimised fell vpon the Cities of Iuda as they went and did much harme Then Amasias with his owne men set vppon his enimies and slewe ten thousand and discomfited the rest After which victorie whereas he ought to haue giuen all prayse vnto God for the same he fel from God and most vilely dishonored him in worshipping the Idols of the Edomites despising the Prophets admonition sent vnto him frō the Lorde And so persisting in his obstinate minde prowde heart he wrote to Ioas King of Israel commaunding him and his people by a Parable of the Cedar trée and Thystle to be vnder his subiection But Ioas after defiaunce gathered an armie and went against Amasias whose hoste being discomfited Amasiah was taken and brought to Ioas who caryed him to Ierusalem where notwithstanding the gates being opened against him he caused foure hundreth cubites of the walle to be beaten downe and entred into the Citie that way leading Amasiah with him as a prisōner tooke all the treasure of the Temple and of the Kings house caused it to be brought into Samaria Afterwarde being deliuered his owne people slewe him He reigned .xxix. yeares and Azaria his sonne succéeded Ammon the eldest sonne of Dauid had a fayre sister called Thamar with whome he was so farre in loue that he coulde eate no meate that did him good but pyned himselfe away marueylously for hir sake Then Ionadab his fathers brothers sonne a friende and familiar of his and a worldly wise man perceyuing Ammon to be sore chaunged and euery day more and more went to him and sayde Howe happeneth this Ammon that thou being the Kings sonne consumest thy selfe so away and doest not tell me Oh sayde Ammon I am in loue with Thamar my brother Absaloms sister and except I may haue hir companie I shall surely die Now to further this wicked purpose of Ammon
here was a counsayler ready at hande I will tell thée sayde Ionadab what thou shalt doe lay thée downe vpon thy bedde and feigne thy selfe sicke and when Dauid thy father commeth to visite thée desire him to let Thamar thy sister come and dresse thée such meate as thou hast a lust vnto Ammon did so and when Thamar was come and had dressed him meate and brought it into his Chamber he commaunded all to auoyde and neuer rested vntill he had by force gotten his pleasure which done he fell into such an excéeding hatred of Thamar that he coulde not suffer hir to be in his sight but caused his seruaunt to thrust hir out of his house and to bolt the doores after hir For this shamefull incest of Ammon Absalom two yeares after at a banket slewe him Lot had a sonne called Ammon which was borne him of his yongest daughter of him came the Ammonites Amon the sonne of Manasses was .xxij. yeare olde when he began his reigne ouer Iuda and walked not in the wayes of the Lord but gaue himselfe more to wicked Idolatrie and worshipping of stincking Idols than euer his father did and woulde neuer turne vnto god Wherfore at last certaine of his owne men conspired against him and slewe him which conspirators the people of the lande notwithstanding put to death and made Iosiah his sonne King in his steade Amos was an heardeman or shepehearde of a poore Towne called Thieme and one of the twelue Prophetes which God raysed vp to admonishe the Israelites of their wickednesse and Idolatrie and to threaten them with his plagues and punishments if they did not repent Reade of his death in the storie of Amasiah The father of Isai Dauids father was called Amos and there the worde signifieth Strong Amram the sonne of Caath the sonne of Leuy tooke Iochebed his fathers Sister to wife who bare vnto him two sonnes Aaron and Moses and also a daughter called Miriam He liued an hundreth and thirtie eyght yeres Amraphael was King of Sinhar and one of the foure Kings which fought against fiue other Kinges in the valley of Syddin where he and his partie had the victorie Amry was the chiefe Captaine and gouernour of the whole armie of Ela the sonne of Baasa king of Israel And lying at the siege of Gibbethon a Citie of the Philistines the whole hoste there hearing of the death of Ela constituted Amry King in his steade But the residue of the Israelites which abode at home and were not with Amry at the siege made Thebni the sonne of Gineth king So that the people were deuided and in great contention for their King which continued for the space of thrée yeares till Thebni chaunced to dye and then the whole multitude receyued Amry for their King who began his reigne in the .xxxj. yeare of the reigne of Asa king of Iuda and reigned most wickedly of all others before him .xij. yeares and dyed leauing his sonne Achab to succéede him Anah the sonne of Zibeon as he fedde and kept hys fathers Asses in the wildernesse was the first that founde out the monstrous generation of Mules betwéene the Asse and the Mare He had a Sister also called Anah whose daughter Aholibamah was wyfe to Esau the sonne of Isaac Ananias was a certayne man who to be counted one of the Christian religion solde his possession with his Wiues cōsent and notwithstanding kept away part of the price therof and brought the rest and layd it downe at the Apostles féete whose dissembling hypocrisie being reuealed vnto Peter he sayde vnto him Ananias howe is it that Sathan hath filled thyne heart that thou shouldest lye vnto the holy Ghost and kéepe awaye part of the price of the possession Perteyned it not vnto thée onely and after it was solde was it not in thine owne power howe is it that thou hast conceyued this thing in thine heart Thou hast not lyed vnto men but vnto god And when Ananias hearde these wordes he fell downe and dyed Ananias the Disciple of Christ dwelling at Damascus had a vision appeared vnto him saying Ananias arise and go into the stréete which is called Straight and séeke in the house of Iudas for one Saul of Tharsus for beholde he prayeth and hath séene a vision a man named Ananias comming vnto him and putting his hands on him that he might receyue his sight Then sayd Ananias Lorde ▪ I haue hearde by many of this man howe much euill he hath done to thy Saintes at Ierusalem and here he hath aucthoritie of the hye Priestes to binde all that call vpon thy name ▪ Well sayd he go thy wayes for he is a chosen vessell vnto me to beare my name before the Gentyles and Kings and the children of Israel For I will shewe him howe great things he must suffer for my names sake Then Ananias went to Saule and layde his handes on him and sayde Brother Saule the Lord that appeared vnto thée in the way as thou camest hath sent me that thou mightest receyue thy sight and be filled with the holy ghost And so by the handes of Ananias Saule receiued his sight agayne There was another Ananias who being hye Priest commaunded Paule to be smitten on the mouth as he was aunswering for himselfe before the Counsell Andrewe a poore Fisher man ▪ was called with his brother Peter to be an Apostle When Christ demaunded of his Disciples where they might buye breade to satisfie the people that followed him Andrewe made answere and sayde there is a little boye here which hath fiue Barley loaues and two fishes but what is that among so many Andronicus being a man of aucthoritie and in great fauour with Antiochus King of Siria was left in Iewrie and made Lieutenaunt ouer the Iewes vntill the returne of the King who was gone to pacifie a certayne commotion made by the Tharsians and Mallacians And in the meane time being corrupt with bribes rewardes of that vngracious man Menelaus to dispatch the good and godly man Onias whom he so hated out of the way he went to Onias who for his safegarde had taken the benefite of Sanctuarie and with fayre wordes perswaded him to come forth binding himselfe with an othe he should haue no harme And when he sawe that Onias suspected him he fell vpon him incontinently and without any regard of righteousnesse slewe him Whose innocent death so offended the people that they made a grieuous complaint of Andronicus to the King at his comming home who caused that wicked murderer to be stripped out of his purple clothes and led most villanously thorow the Citie to the place where he had committed his vngracious acte and to suffer most shamefull death Andronicus the faythfull Disciple of Christ to whome Paule sendeth commendations on this wise Salute Andronicus and Iunia my Cosins and felowe
prisoners with me which are well taken among the Apostles and were in Christ before me Aner Mamre and Eschol were thrée brethren which when Lot was taken Prisoner among the Sodomites and caried away by Kadorlaomor and other Kinges that tooke his part ioyned themselues with Abraham in the rescuing of Lot his brothers sonne for the which their faithfull assistance at that present Abraham delt liberallye with them in the parting of the spoyle wonne at that voyage Anna the wyfe of Elkana was long barrayne and without childe which barrainnesse hir companion and Mate Phenenna did daily cast in hir téeth to hir great reproche Wherefore Anna was so full of heauinesse that God had made hir such a rayling stocke that she coulde eate no meate And being thus tormented and troubled in hir minde she gat hir into the Temple making there hir hearty prayers to God to giue hir a man chylde And as she prayed it fortuned Eli the Priest as he sate in the Temple to marke hir mouth and perceyuing hir lippes to mooue and no voyce hearde thought she had bene drunken saying Thou woman how long wilt thou be drunken put awaye thy drunkennesse from thée Nay my Lorde quoth she I am a woman troubled in spirite and haue drunken neyther wyne nor strong drinke but poure out my soule before the Lord count not thine handemaide to be a daughter of Belial for out of the abundance of my heauinesse and griefe haue I spoken hitherto and so desiring Eli to praye for hir she departed chearefully home to hir house and shortly after conceyued by Elkana hir husbande and bare him a sonne whose name she called Samuel And when she had brought vp the chylde and weaued it she prepared a sacrifice and went to the Temple presenting both it and hir chylde to Eli the Priest putting him also in remembrance that she was the same woman which stoode before him of late and prayed vnto God for that chylde and that now according to hir promise she was come to dedicate him vnto the Lorde And so after prayse and thankes giuing she departed leauing the chylde with Eli to minister in the Temple of god And euery yeare after woulde Anna make a little cote for Samuell hir sonne and bring it vp when she came with hir husbande to offer the yearely sacrifice And thus God tooke awaye hir rebuke of barrainnesse and blessed hir with children so that after Samuell she had thrée sonnes mo and two daughters Anna the Wife of olde Tobie hir husbande beyng blynde and in pouertie tooke weauing worke of women and laboured sore for hir liuing And when on a tyme she sent home the worke to the owners one sent hir a Kidde more than hir wages which she had earned And when Tobie hearde the Kidde bleate he sayde to Anna from whence came that Kydde is it not stollen restore it to the owners agayne for it is not lawfull to eate any thing of theft Then was Anna angry with Tobie and rebuked him as one whose trust in God was all in vaine After this it fortuned olde Tobie to sende yong Tobie his sonne to the City of Rages to receiue certaine money which in his prosperitie he had lent to one Gabelus Then Anna being full of heauynesse for the departure of hir sonne burst out and sayd to Tobie Oh what hast thou done why hast thou sent our sonne away I woulde to God that money had neuer bene required of vs but that we had bene content with our pouertie and kept our sonne at home What ayled vs to sende him into a straunge Countrey which was the only staffe of our age and comfort of our life and the hope of our generation Then sayd Tobie leaue thy wéeping and be not discomforted for the man that went with our sonne is so faythfull that he will bring him to vs againe safe and sounde Yet coulde not Anna with this be perswaded but woulde daily go out to the toppe of an hill and sit there to spie his comming And when at the last she sawe where he came a farre of she ranne home with great reioycing and folde hir husbande And so wayting to receyue hir sonne she wept for ioy when she sawe him Anna the daughter of Phanuel of the Tribe of Aser was a Prophetesse and had bene maried to an husbande seuen yeares and after continued a widow fourescore and foure yeares seruing God in the Temple with fasting and praying day and night And when Christ was brought into the Temple she came forth at that present praysing the Lorde and prophecied of that childe to all them that looked for the redemption of Israel Anna the wife of Raguel was Mother to Sara the wife of yong Tobie Annas had the first examination of Christ and sent him from him to Caiphas his sonne in lawe who was hye Priest for that yeare Antiochus the great being King of Siria and of such puissaunce and strength that he thought himselfe inuincible was at last ouercome of the Romaines and faine to relinquishe to them all his interest in Europa and Asia and to leaue his sonne Antiochus in hostage and so departed being contented with those countries that were left him till at last of a couetous minde he went to Perfide the chiefe Citie of Persia thinking there to haue robbed the Temple and to haue had great treasure therein And as he himselfe with a fewe mo was in the Temple about his businesse the Priestes at a priuie doore came in vpon him and cut him in small péeces and cast him out to be deuoured of the birdes and fowles of the ayre Antiochus Epifanes the sonne of Antiochus the great being stablished in his kingdome warred against Ptolomie king of Egypt vntill he had brought hys lande in subiection And hauing so good successe there he went against Israel and at last tooke and spoyled the Citie of Ierusalem and robbed the sanctuarie of all the precious Iewels and treasure therin subuerted all the holy lawes of God compelling the Iewes to worship Idols and to doe as the heathen did in all things he burned the bookes of the Lawe and whosoeuer had a booke of the Testament or were founde to be a fauourer thereof did suffer death Thus this vngracious and wicked subuerter of all true religion and godlynesse persecuted the true people of God and so long persisted in his great tirannie that God at last smote him with an incurable disease in his body which was so eaten with wormes and vermine that they fell quicke out of his flesh wherof ensued so great a stink that neyther he himselfe nor none that were about him might abyde the smell And so this wicked Tormentour of other was iustly recompenced with a miserable ende Antiochus Eupator the sonne of Antiochus Epifanes being but yong and vnder the gouernance of Lisias went into Iewrie with a great armie to subdue the Iewes
an account to the Lorde at the last day ¶ Archippus the Chiefe or Maister of Horses Aresna looke Ornan Gen. 14. a. b. Arioch was King of Elasar and one of the foure Kings that fought agaynst Bera King of Sodome and other foure mo in the vale of Siddim and the lesser number ouercame the greater and so tooke all the spoyle of Sodome and Gomorra and went their waies But being pursued by Abraham and his confederates they were all taken and stayne ¶ Arioch Long or talle or fulnesse or the drunkennesse or the lior Daniel â— Arioch was Captayne of Nabuchodonosors Garde and being sent of the King to destroye all the wyse men and Soothsayers in Babilon bicause they could not interprete his dreame Daniel went to Arioch and desired him a little to staye vntill he had obteyned of the King some leysure to shewe vnto him the interpretacion of his dreame Daniels request being graunted and the thing reuealed vnto him by God he after thankes giuen vnto God for the same went to Arioch and sayde destroy not the wyse men of Babilon but bring me before the Kyng and I shall shewe him the interpretacion of his vision Then Arioch brought Daniel before the King in al haste and sayde thus vnto him I haue founde a man among the children of Iuda that were brought captiues that will declare vnto the King the interpretacion of his dreame And so the wise men of Babilon were saued Act. 19. e. 20. 2. 27. a. Coll. 4. b. Aristarcus was a Thessalonian borne and one of Paules companions and in great hasarde of his lyfe with him at Ephesus thorowe the sedition of Demetrius But that ouercome he accompanied Paule into Asia and so forth to Rome where he was his prison fellowe and neuer shrunke from him ¶ Aristarcus The best Prince 2. Mac. 1. b. Aristobolus Kinge Ptolomies Schoolemayster came of the generation of the annoynted Priestes vnto whome the Iewes which dwelt at Ierusalem sent an Epistle exhorting all the Iewes which dwelt in Egypt to giue thankes and prayses vnto God for the death of Antiochus which had bene so cruell vnto them Rom. 16. b. Aristobolous of whome Paule maketh mention in his Epistle ¶ Aristobolus The best Counsayler or the best Counsayle 1. Mac. 12. c. Arius was King of Sparta which people were come of the generation of Abraham as the Iewes were The Spartians came of Abrahams seede wherefore the Iewes called them brethren But in all the warres the Iewes had with the heathen they neuer sought the Spartians helpe more than with letters of Recommendation one from another of brotherlye loue glad of eche others prosperitie Iudith 1. cap. Arphaxat King of the Medes was so myghtie a Prince that he subdued many people vnto his dominion Of Arphaxat the sonne of Sem came the CaldeaÌ„s Lanquet He builded a City called Ecbatane which for strength was thought vnpossible to winne But at last he putting to much confidence in his owne power was subdued of Nabuchodonosor king of the Assirians in the .xij. yeare of his reigne ¶ Arphaxat That which healeth or saueth Gen. 11. b. Arphaxat the sonne of Sem liued foure hundred thirtie eyght yeares 1. Esd 7. cap. * This was a common name to the Kinges of Persia as Pharao was to the Kings of Egypt or Cesar to the Emperours Artaxerses King of Persia licenced Esdras to take his Companions the chyldren of Israell wyth him 3. Esd 8. b. and to depart from Babilon to Ierusalem agayne commaunding all his Officers in all places to ayde Esdras not onely with the Kings treasure but with whatsoeuer was néedefull to him for the reedifying of the Lordes Temple ¶ Artaxerses The light or malediction and curse He that causeth silence Also that maketh haste or speede also the earnestnesse of reioyceyng 3. Esd 2. b. d. Artaxerses King of Persia hauing a sore complaint made vnto him by Belemus Mithridates Tabelius Rathumus Beeltethmus and Semellius the Secretarie with other mo agaynst the Iewes for building of the Temple wrote to them agayne on this wyse I haue red the Epistle which ye sent vnto me therfore I commaunded to make diligent searche and haue founde that thys Citie hath euer resisted Kings that the same people are disobedient and haue caused much warre and that mightie Kings haue reygned in Ierusalem which also haue raysed vp taxes of Celosyria and Phinice wherefore I haue commaunded to forbidde those men that they shall not buylde vp the Citie and héede to be taken that there be no more done in it and that they procéede no further in those wicked workes for so much as it might be occasion of trouble vnto Princes Tit. 3. d. Artemas was one of Paules Disciples and laye with him at the Citye of Nicopole what time as Paule sent to Crete for Titus to come vnto him but not before he did sende Artemas or Tichicus vnto him to tary in his steade least that Crete shoulde be destitute of an ouerféer Pingne solum tibi dona tulit cerealia multa Nec Asaro desunt munera bacche tuae â–ª Regibus hinc prodes multis uinoque paneque Temperat aÌ„brosias cum tura dapes 〈◊〉 2. c. b. Asael was the sonne of Zernia Dauids Sister Hys brethren were Ioab and Abisai This man Asael for hys lightnesse on foote is compared to a Roe bucke Reade of his death in the storie of Abner ¶ Asael God hath wrought Asaph the sonne of Barachia was one of the câ—â—â—â— singers among the Leuites appointed by Dauid in 〈◊〉 house of the Lorde ¶ Asaph Gathering Ashur the father of Thekoa was the sonne of Herron the sonne of Phares the sonne of Iuda His mothers name was Abia he had twoo wyues and by them Chyldren 30 â–ª b. 〈◊〉 7. g. 〈◊〉 1. f. Aser was the sonne of Iacob his mothers name was Silpha His brother of father and mother was Gad. He had foure sonnes and one daughter of whome came many Noble men and Captaynes ¶ Aser Blessednessâ— â–ª 1. 6. c. 1. b. Asyncritus was one of the faythfull Congregatâ—â—â— of Christ in Rome vnto whome among other Paâ—â— sendeth salutacions in his Episitle saying thus salute Asyncritus ¶ Asyncritus Peerelesse or without Comparison Assur was the sonne of Sem. ¶ Lyra writeth vppon Gen .x. That Assur bicause he woulde not rebell agaynst God with Nimroth in the building of the tower of Babel fled out of the lande of Sinhar into a farre Country where he inhabited which Countrey tooke his name of him and was called Assiria and there he builded a Citie which afterwardes was called Niniue ¶ Assur Blessed or Traueyling 3. Reg. 22. f. Asuba was Mother to Iosaphat King of Iuda and 2. Par. 20. g. daughter to Silhi ¶ Asuba For saken 1. Par. 2. c. Asuba Wyfe to Caleb the sonne of
Hesron bare vnto him thrée sonnes Ieser Sobab and Ardon 4. Reg. 11. ca. 2. Par. 22. ca. Athalia was the daughter of Amry and wife to Ioram King of Iuda When Ioram dyed hir sonne Ahaziahu Athalia in the 4. Reg. ca. 8. is called both the daughter of Achab and the daughter of Amrye which sayth Lyra is meÌ„t thus After the death of Amry hir naturall father shee was brought vp with Achab hir brother and so in processe called his daughter or else by immitating hys maners in all kind of Idolatrie succéeded whome she entysed to all wickednesse and after his death she ruled and killed all the reast of the séede of Ioram onely Ioas excepted which was stolne awaye and hyd from hir And when she had ruled the lande most cruelly vj. yeare In the vij yeare Ioas was brought forth by Iehoiada the Priest and proclaymed King She hearing that ranne into the Temple of the Lorde with hir clothes rent crying out treason treason But at the commaundement of Iehoiada the Captaynes and souldiers tooke hir out of the Temple and slue hir ¶ Athalia Time for the Lorde Azaria the sonne * 4 Re. 15. a. b of Amaziahu King of Iuda began his reigne in the xxvij yere of Ieroboam King of Israel was xvj yere old when he was made king And so long as he gaue eare to Zacharias the Prophete and walked vprightly so long did the Lorde prosper him with great victories both of the Philistines and Arabians and made the Ammonites also tributories vnto him He ‡ Azaria is in the same chapter called also Vziah repaired Ierusalem He loued well husbandrye and had great plenty of Cattell At length he became so mightie that in his strength his heart arose to his destruction For in his pryde he went into the Temple of the Lord to burne incense which although he séemed to doe it of a zeale and good intent yet forasmuch as he vsurped the Priests office he was iustlye resisted of Azariahu the Priest and plagued of God who smote him with such a Leprosie that he went out of the Temple a Leper and so remayned all the dayes of his lyfe He reygned .lij. yeares and was buried in a part of the same fielde where his Predecessors lay but not in the same Sepulchres bicause he was a Leper ¶ Azaria Helpe of the Lorde B. BAal the sonne of Reaia was a Prince of the Rubenites and caried away with other his kinred into the lande of Assiria by Thiglath Pilneser King of the Assirians Baanah with his brother Rechab the sonnes of Rimmon were two Captaynes in the hoste of Isboseth King of Israel who when Abner their chiefe Captayne was dead went into the house of Isboseth séeming saith Lyra they had gone to fetch wheate for the King sayth he had great store of wheate which he solde to Merchants a farre of wherefore these two disguysed themselues lyke Merchants that came to buye and so entring into the house they founde where their Lorde and maister lay vpon his bed in the heate of the day fast a sleepe and slue him and tooke his heade and caryed iâ— to Dauid thinking for the same to haue had a great rewarde But for their most shamefull and trayterous acte they were both put to death and their quarters hanged ouer the poole in Hebron Baasa the sonne of Ahia conspired against 〈◊〉 King of Israel and reygned in his steade In the thirde yeare of Asa King of Iuda began Baasa to reygne ouer Israel and walked most wickedlye in all the wayes of Ieroboam whose house and posteritie notwithstanding he vtterly destroyed and left not one aliue for so it was propheried that God woulde stirre him vp one which was this Baasa for that purpose And now for as much as Baasa whome God had exalted euen out of the dust woulde styll mayntaine Ieroboams ydolatrie and cause his people to sinne he sent him worde by the Prophete Iehu that as he had rooted out the whole posteritie of Ieroboam so shoulde his be serued likewise Great warre was betwéene â–ª Baasa and Asa King of Iuda And for to stoppe the passage of Iuda that none shoulde passe out nor in safely Baasa went to builde a strong holde called Rama which he was sayne at length to leaue vnfinished and to lâ—â—se all his â—ost and traueyle to go agaynst Benhadid which had broken couenaunt with him He reygned .xxiiij. yeares and was buried in Thirza which was a place where the King remayned leauing Ela his sonne to succéede him in whose dayes the foresayde Prophecye of the rooting out his posteritie tooke place Bachides was a man of great power in the dominion of Demetrius the sonne of Seleucus And beyng the Kings faythfull friende he sent him with a great host agaynst Iudas Machabeus to reuenge him of the iniurie he had done vnto his people and in the ende slue him After whole death â–ª many of the wicked Iewes turned to Bachides whereof he made some Lordes and rulers of the lande which of enuy vttered the friendes of Iudas brought them into great veration and trouble When Bachides had giuen this ouerthrow to Iudas he sought howe he might kill Ionathas also whom the Iewes had 〈◊〉 in his brothers 〈◊〉 And méeting with Ionathas about the border of Iordan there was a great battell stricken betweene them in the which Bachides lost a thousande of his men After which conflict Bachides by occasion of Alcimus the wicked Priests death departed for that tyme so that Ionathas laye at rest two yeares after tyll a sort of vngodly men conspired against him howe they might bring Bachides vppon hym vnwares which matter being betwéene them and him concluded Bachides returned with a great power but or he came Ionathas had gotten knowledge of the Treason and put certayne of the chiefest Conspirators to death Then when Bachides came and had besieged the Citie of Bethbessen long and sawe he was not able to resist the power of Ionathas he was marueylously displeased with those wicked counsaylers which had caused him to traueyle in vaine and made him ready to depart againe whereof Ionathas hauing knowledge he sent Ambassadors to Bachides to make peace with him to the which he gladly consented and restored to Ionathas all his prisoners which he had taken in the land of Iuda and so returned home and neuer vexed Israel more Balaam the sonne of Beor or Bosor as S. Peter sayth was a couetous Prophet and for lucre sake went to the King of Moab to curse the hoste of Israel which thing God woulde not suffer him to doe but turned hys curse into a blessing Yea he was so farre ouercome with couetousnesse sayth S. Peter that he coulde not sée hys iniquitie when the tame beast speaking in mans voyce rebuked him and forbade his madnesse He caused the Israelites thorowe his counsell to commit
whoredome wyth the daughters of Moab and to worship Baal Peor their false God and was slayne among the Madianites whome Israel sâ—bdâ—ed Balac the sonne of Ziphor King of Moab was so afrayde of the children of Israel which were pitched in the fieldes of Moab all about his countrey that he thought he coulde neuer be able to ouercome them vnlesse they were cursed of God wherefore he sent for Balaam the Prophete promising to promote him to honor and dignitie so that he woulde come and curse his enimies And when the Prophet was come Balac brought him vp to the hye place of Baal where he might sée and discerne the vttermost parts of the Israelites that he myght be sure to curse them all But when the Prophet went about his purpose God woulde not suffer him to curse his people but rather to blesse them Then sayde Balac did not I sende for thée to curse this people and why hast thou blessed them I tolde thée quoth Balaam that I coulde speake nothing but that which the Lord woulde haue me to speake Well sayde Balac I will bring thée where thou shalt sée but a portion of them and not all I praye thée curse that part for my sake But notwithstanding the Prophete blessed them agayne Then sayde Balac neyther curse them nor blesse them at all Well yet quoth Balac I will bring thée once more to an other place peraduenture it shall please God thou mayst curse them there for my sake But when he sawe in no place the Prophet woulde curse the people of God he tooke an anger with him and sayde I sent for thée to curse myne enimies and thou hast blessed them nowe thrée tymes therefore get thée quickly out of my sight for the Lorde hath kept thée backe from promotion and so he departed Balthasar was the sonne of Nabuchodonosor and the last King of Babilon This Prince on a time made a great banket to all his Lordes and great estates in the which he so abused the holye vessels in the Temple of the Lorde which his father had brought from Ierusalem making them common vessels for all his guests to drinke in that God was sore displeased with him And as he sate at his banket praysing his goddes of Golde Siluer Copper Iron Stone and Wood he sawe the Palme of an hande wryte vpon the wall before him which thing so disquieted him that all the ioyntes of his bodye shooke And being in that great anguishe he sent for all the charmers and Coniurers in Babilon to knowe the meaning thereof but none of them all coulde reade it neyther yet tell what it ment Then was the King so sore afrayd that his colour began to chaunge and his body to be sore vexed for the which the Lordes and all the estate present were sore opprest with heauinesse to sée the King in that case Then the olde Quéene his Grandame hearing of all that was happened came vp to the feast and cheared the King bidding him to take no thought for the matter so long as Daniel was in his kingdome sende for him quoth she and he will tell thée what the writing meaneth Then was Daniel sent for And being come he tolde the King that forasmuch as he neyther remembred the fall of his father who for his pryde and hie stomacke was turned from the shape of a man to the shape of a beast for certaine yeares neyther woulde submitte his heart but magnifie himselfe aboue the Lorde of heauen and had abused the vessels of the house of God and set his loue vpon Idols which neyther hearde sawe nor vnderstoode more than vpon God in whose hande consisteth thy breath and all thy wayes therfore had God sent thys hande in token of his great displeasure towardes hym And these be the wordes sayd Daniel to the King which the hande hath written Mane Thetel Phares And this is the meaning Mane God hath numbred thy kingdome and brought it to an ende Thetel Thou art weyed in the Balaunce and art founde to light Phares Thy kingdome is dealt in partes and giuen to the Medes and Perses And the same night was Balthasar slayne and his kingdome remooued to Darius king of Medea whose sister was Balthasars mother Balthemus or Béeltethmus looke Belemus Banaiah or Bananiahu the sonne of Iehoiada was a valiant man and ruler ouer the Cherethites and Pelethites He slewe two strong men in the Countrie of Moab and slewe a Lion in the midst of a pyt in the time of snow He fought also with an Egyptian whose speare was lyke a Weauers beame and slewe him with his owne weapon And for these Actes and such like he gate him a name among the Worthies He was one of Dauids Counsaylers and proclaymed Salomon King at Dauids commaundement He slewe Adoniah at Salomons commaundement also Ioab into whose rowme he was promoted Barnabas called also Ioses was a Leuite borne in the Countrie of Cypers who of a liberall minde solde his lande in Cypers and brought the whole pryce therof and layde it downe at the Apostles féete with whome he was of such credite that when he brought Paule vnto them after his conuersion and declared howe boldly he had done at Damascus in the name of Iesu they receyued him as a brother of whome before they were afrayd This man being full of the holy ghost and faith was sent to Antioch to preach and to stablish them in the fayth of Christ From thence he departed to Tharsus to seeke Saule and brought him to Antioch where they two continued togithers one yeare And bicause of a great dearth which was prophecied to be thoroweout all the worlde the Antiochians made a collection for the poore brethren in Iewrie which they sent by the handes of Barnabas and Paule at whose returne to Antioch agayne they brought a Disciple with them called Iohn Marke After this by the mynde of the holy Ghost they were sent to preach among the Heathen where by the power of God they did woonders and turned many to Christ And being taken at Lystra for Goddes bicause God working in them they had made a lame man to go they rent their clothes and woulde not suffer themselues to be called by that name Finallye when Barnabas and Paule had bene long Companions togither and workers in the Lordes vineyarde they chaunced to fall at variance for one Iohn Marke who had bene their Minister before And bicause Barnabas woulde now in this iourney going to visite their brethren agayne haue had him with them and Paule refused him bicause he forsooke them at Pamphilia the dissencion was so sharpe that the one brake from the other And so Barnabas tooke Marke with him and sayled into Cypers hys owne natyue Countrie Barrabas was a notable robber which for a certayne insurrection he had made and in the same committed murther was cast in prison It was
a custome among the Iewes to haue a prisoner deliuered vnto them at the feast of Easter wherfore when Pilate sate in iudgement vpon Iesus he asked of the Iewes whether they woulde haue Barrabas or Iesus and they by the counsell of the great Priestes sayde Barrabas And so was the théefe and murtherer deliuered and the innocent put to death Barsabas surnamed Iustus was one of the twoo Disciples appoynted to be chosen in the rowme of Iudas the Apostle And when the lottes were cast the lot fell on Mathias hys fellowe Barthelmew was one of the twelue Apostles Mar. 10. g. * Bartimeus the sonne of Timeus was a certayne blinde begger which sate begging by the hye wayes side * The other Euangelists mention two but Marke nameth him that was most knowne of the people as they went by And when he heard Iesus of Nazareth passe that waye he began to crie and saye Iesus the sonne of Dauid haue mercy vpon me and the people rebuked him to holde his peace but the more he was rebuked the more he cryed Then being called and comforted of the Apostles he threwe away his cloke for ioye and came to Iesus who demaunded of him what he woulde haue him to doe Mayster sayde he that I maye haue my sight and sée Go thy way sayde Iesus thy faith hath saued thée and by and by this blynde Bartimeus receyued his sight and followed Iesus ¶ Bartimeus a Blynde sonne or the sonne of blindnesse Iere. 36. cap. Baruch the sonne of Neriah wrote in a booke at the mouth of Ieremie the Prophete as he did indite all the curses agaynst Iuda and Israel which booke he read first to the Common people and after to the Rulers who being astonied at the wordes thereof caused Baruch to hide * The godly amonge the Princes gaue this counsell himselfe out of the way till they had shewed the booke vnto Ieohakim the King who when he had hearde thrée or fower leaues thereof caused the booke to be cut in péeces notwithstanding the great intreatie that certaine of hys Lordes made for the preseruation of the same and cast in the fire and brent Then Baruch wrote another booke at the mouth of Ieremie wherein was much more added than was before ¶ Baruch Blessed Gen. 22. d. 28. a. Bathuel was the sonne of Nahor his mothers name was Milca the daughter of Aran brother to Nahor and Abraham This Bathuel was Father to Rebecca and Laban ¶ Bathuel the Sonne begetting of God the Measure of God. Gen. 36. d. Bela the sonne of Beor reigned in Edem after whose death Iobab the sonne of Serah succéeded him 1. Par. 1. d. ¶ Bela Swalowing downe or destroying Num. 26. c â–ª Bela the sonne of Beniamin whose sonnes were Ard and Naaman and in the first booke of Chronicles 7. b. These are sayde to be the sonnes of Bela Ozban Ozi Oziel Ierimoth and Iri And in the. 8. chapter these Adar Gera Abiud 3. Esd 2. c. Belemus Mithridates Tabelius Rathunius Beeltethmus and Semellius the Secretarie with other mo wrote a sore complaint to Artaxerses King of Persia against the Iewes which were a building of the temple at Ierusalem through the which they were commaunded to cease and to builde no more Reade Artaxerses and Rathumus Sum natu minimus Beniaminus ex Cananea Mater in enixu est morte perempta Me scriptura LupuÌ„ natuÌ„ consumere proedaÌ„ In matutino tempore uera uocat Beniamin was the yoongest sonne of Iacob Gen. 35. c. hys mother was Rachel who dyed in traueyle and therfore Of the sonns of Beniamin Reade Gene. 46. c. 1. Par. 7. b. 8. a. called his name Benoni the sonne of sorrow But Iacob his father called him Beniamin sonne of the ryght hande His brothers name of father and mother was Ioseph who loued Beniamin aboue all the reast of his other brethren as in his storie appeareth ¶ Beniamin Sonne of the right hande Act. 13. b. Beriesus which by interpretacion is as much to saye as the sonne of Iesus was a Iewe borne and a great sorcerer which name he had taken vpon him to deceyue the people where as his right name was Elymas which worde in the Sirians language betokeneth an Enchaunter and a false Prophet also This false Sorcerer was got into the Citie of Paphos and there beyng crept into fauour with Sergius Paulus Ruler of the Countrie wythstoode the doctrine of Barnabas and Paule séeking by all meanes to turne the Rulers heart from the sayth in Christ But Paule being full of the holy ghost perceyuing the deuilishe and subtile craft of this sorcerer looked stedfastly vpon him and sayde O full of all subtiltie and mischiefe the chylde of the Deuil and enimie of all righteousnesse wylt thou not cease to peruert the streyght wayes of the Lorde Now therfore beholde the hande of the Lorde is vpon thée and thou shalt be blinde and not able to sée the Sunne for a season And when Paule had pronounced these wordes the Enchaunter was stricken with blyndenesse so that he as one amazed wandred vp and downe séeking for some man to leade him by the hande ¶ Beriesus an Ensorcerer or Coniurer 2. Reg. 17. g. Berzelai was a Gileadite borne who considered the necessitie of Dauid so much being flâ—dde out of hys owne Realme for feare of his owne sonne Absalon into the wildernesse of Mahanaim that he brought all things necessarie for â—eddes meate drinke and cloth out of Roglim to refreshe him and his men prouided so for him all the whyle he lay there that he lacked nothing and at his returne agayne he holped also to conuey both the King and all his men ouer Iordan Then Dauid séeing the great kyndenesse of Berzelai was much desirous to haue hym home with him to Ierusalem promising that all the dayes of his life he shoulde eate and drinke wyth him at his owne boorde and fare no woorse than he fared to whome Berzelai being a verye olde man sayde O my Lorde I am a man of foure score yeares of age and cannot discerne betwéene good and euill neyther yet taste any thing that I doe eate or drinke wherfore if I should then go with my Lorde the King I shoulde be but a burthen vnto him Therefore I beséech thée let thy seruant turne backe agayne that I may die in myne owne countrie and be buried in the graue of my father But here is thy seruant Chimeam my sonne let him go with my Lorde and doe vnto him whatsoeuer it shall please thée And so Dauid and Berzelai kissed eche other and departed but Chimeam went with Dauid who did not onely recompence his fathers kyndenesse in him so long as he liued but at the day of his death declared to Salomon his sonne the great fidelitie he had founde with Berzelai in the tyme of his exyle charging him therefore to shewe no
lesse fauour to the sonnes of Berzelai for their fathers sake than euer he himselfe had done ¶ Berzelai Made of yron or as harde as yron 2. Reg. 11. ca. Bethsabe was the daughter of Eliam and wyfe to Urias which was with Ioab in the Kings warres On a tyme as Bethsabe was washing hir selfe in hir priuye garden alone It chaunced King Dauid to looke out at a window in his palace saw hir whose bewty so rauished the King that forthwithall he sent for the woman and committed adulterie with hir and so sent hir home againe Then shortly after she perceyuing hir selfe with chylde sent the King worde thereof who then partly to hide his owne fault and partly to saue the woman from daunger of the lawe sent for Urias to come home But when Dauid sawe that Urias woulde not company with his wyfe Bethsabe he returned him backe againe to Ioab with a letter which caused Urias quickly to be dispatched out of his lyfe after whose death Bethsabe became Dauids wyfe and brought forth the chylde conceyued in adulterie which liued not long but dyed After that she 12. f. conceyued agayne and brought forth Salomon Lastly when Dauid was fallen into extréeme age and that she sawe Adonia the son of Agith begin to aspire to the kingdome of his father yet liuing she went by the counsell of Nathan the Prophet who had taught hir hyr lesson vnto Dauid hir husbande And making hir humble obeysance vnto the King as he sate in his Chamber and Abisag the Sunamite ministring vnto him he sayde vnto hir what is the matter She aunswered my Lorde thou swarest by the Lorde thy God vnto thine handmayde saying assuredly Salomon thy sonne shall reigne after me and he shall sit vpon my seate And behold now is Adonia King and thou my Lord the king knowest it not He hath offred Oxen fat Cattell and many shéepe and hath called all the Kings sonnes and Abiathar the Priest and Ioab the Captaine of the hoste But Salomon thy seruant hath he not bidden And nowe my Lorde O King the eyes of all Israell wayte on thée that thou shouldest tell them who ought to sit on the seate of my Lorde the King after him for else when my Lorde the King shall sléepe wyth his fathers I and my sonne Salomon shall be sinners The Quéene had no sooner ended hir tale but the Prophet Nathan came and confirmed hir wordes Wherevpon the King assured Bethsabe that Salomon hir son shoulde be that daye proclaymed to reigne in his steade The Quéene then humbling hir selfe with thankes desired of God that hir Lorde King Dauid might liue for euer Looke more in the historie of Adonia ¶ Bethsabe The seauenth daughter or the daughter of an Othe Exo. 31. a. 35. d. 36. 37. and 38. cap. Bezaleel the sonne of Uri of the Tribe of Iuda and Ahaliab of the Tribe of Dan were two cunning workemen most speciallye endued with the spirite of God to worke all maner curious worke that was to be wrought in Golde Siluer Brasse Woode Stone or with Néedle worke so that by these two the Tabernacle of wytnesse with all things pertayning therevnto was most artificially made ¶ Bezaleel in the shadowe of God. Gen. 29. f. 30. a. 35. d. Bilha was a yong Damosell which serued Laban the father of Rachel and when Rachel shoulde be maried to Iacob Laban gaue Bilha his mayde to Rachel his daughter to be hâ—â— seruaunt And when Rachel perceyued she coulde bâ—â—re Iacob no children she gaue Bilha hir mayde vnto him to be his wyfe who conceyued by Iacob and brought him forth two sonnes the one Dan and the other Nephtaly ¶ Bilha Olde or fading Gen. 14. a. b. Birsa was one of the foure Kinges that fought agaynst fiue other Kings in the vale of Siddim ¶ Birsa in Euill or in iniquitie or condemned or a sonne that looketh back Reade Arioch Ruth 2. 3. 4. Boos the sonne of Salomon was a great rich man dwelling in a Citie called Bethléem within the lande of Iuda Who on a tyme going to the fieldes to looke vpon his Reapers and finding there a yong Damosell a leasing demaunded of his workemen â–ª what she was To whome answere was made she was a straunger come with Naomie out of the Countrie of Moab Then went Boos to the Mayde and sayde hearest thou my daughter Here is a notable example for all riche Farmers which bee so vnmercifull y they wil not suffer their needy neyghbour to lease in their grouÌ„d wheras Boos was so mercifull to this straunger whose nation were enimies to gods people go to no other fielde a leasing I charge thée so long as Haruest tyme endureth but to myne tary here by my Maydens and gather as much as thou wilt and spare not for no man shall let thée neither yet hurt thée And when thou art hungry and a thirst go with my Maidens and eate and drinke such as they haue for they shall not denie thée And so departing from hir he went to his men seruants commaunding them to intreate hir gentlye and to leaue some sheaues on the grounde for the nonce for hir to take vp without shame Nowe after this it chaunced Boos to haue knowledge that this yong Damosell was his kinsewoman and that it was his lot to marrie hir which he was well content to doe considering hir to be a woman of good report and of much vertue But yet for as much as he knewe another to be more neare of kinne to hir than he he could not defraude him of his right therefore to knowe what he woulde doe in this matter he went and called his kinseman before the Congregation and sayde Sir we haue here a kinswoman lately returned out of the lande of Moab one Naomie and she will sell a péece of lande which was our brother Elimelechs If thou be disposed to buie it doe if not then tell me for there is none to challenge it saue thou and I next vnto thée Then sayde he to Boos I will purchase it Well sayde Boos looke what day thou buyest the lande of Naomie thou must also take * He woulde haue the land but not the woman Ruthe the Moabite to wyfe to rayse vp the name of the deade vpon his enheritance Then he reuoking his worde agayne sayde that he coulde not purchase it for marring of his owne inheritance Therefore take thou my right and purchase it and so drew of his * The maner of purchasing â–ª shooe and gaue it to Boos for that was the custome of olde in Israel concerning purchasing and chaunging of inheritaunce to plucke of his shooe and giue it to his neyghbour in witnesse that the thing betwéene them was truely bought and solde Then Boos hauing his kinsemans shooe sayd vnto the people ye are witnesses all this day that I haue bought all that was Elimelechs all that pertayned to his two sonnes *
farre excéeded all other in wysedome and learning that Salomon was compared vnto them Darius in taking of Babilon slue King Balthasar and possessed his kingdome In the seconde yeare of his raigne he graunted the same licence vnto the Iewes to builde againe the Citie of Ierusalem and the house of God that King Cyrus had graunted to them in the first yeare of his raigne And for so much as the worke had béene much hindered from the first yeare of Cyrus vnto the seconde yeare of this King Darius he gaue a strayte commaundement that whosoeuer dyd from hencefoorth hinder or let that worke a Beame shoulde be taken from that mans house and he hanged thereon and his house made a dunghill And so the buylding went forwarde with spéede and was perfectly finished in the sixte yeare of his raigne Dathan and Abiram were the sonnes of Eliab and two of the chiefe Captaynes with Chore in the insurrection against Moses on whom God tooke such vengeance that he caused the earth to open and swallow them vp quick Reade the story of Chore. Dauid was the yoongest sonne of Isai and by Gods commaundement annoynted King of Israell Saule yet raigning of the Prophet Samuel Wherefore Saule fearing that Dauid would defeate him of his kingdome vexed hym with continuall persecution during the which tyme Dauid shewed notable examples both of pacience and true obedient seruice to Saule his soueraigne Lorde And first to shew his obedient and faithfull heart to his Prince and loue he bare to his countrey he put himselfe in daunger to fight with that great monster Goliah and slue him of whome the king and all the host of Israell stoode in great feare And after this act also when Saule of enuie that the women in their daunce had giuen to Dauid more prayse than to him threwe his Iauelin at Dauid as he stoode and played on his Harpe before him to haue nayled him fast to the wall Dauid auoyded and armed himselfe with pacience and neuer sought other meanes to reuenge In so much that when Saule by the prouidence of God came into the Caue to ease himselfe in the which Caue Dauid lay hid for feare of Saul he woulde not being prouoked put foorth his hande to hurt his mayster But cut of a péece of the hemme of his coate in token that he might haue killed him And yet after that it sore repented him that he had done so much injury vnto his soueraigne Lorde and maister although he was his most gréeuous enimy and euery houre sought his death Also when he came into the host of Saule and founde the King and his men fast a sléepe he woulde not for his owne priuate cause though Iehu slue two Kinges at Gods commaundement lay his hand vpon the Lords annointed but onely that he shoulde know that Dauid was there might haue béene reuenged tooke his speare and pot of water which stoode at his heade and went hys waye Finally when it pleased God to deliuer him of his enimie in battaile against the Philistines one to get thanke of Dauid brought vnto him Saules crowne and the Bracelet that he wore on hys arme certifying him of the Kings death and that he with his owne handes had killed him whose acte dyd so much abhorre Dauid that he thought the man not woorthy to lyue but put him to death by and by Read more of Dauids pacient suffering and obedient seruice in the story of Michol Ionathas Ahimelech Achis and Absalon his sonne Nowe when Saule was dead Dauid was admitted king and reigned ouer Iuda .vij. yeares after which time expired he reigned both ouer Israel and Iuda .xxxiij. yeares And dyd that which was good in the sight of God and put his trust confidence in the Lord God of Israel so that before nor after him was not his like He cleaued so vnto the Lord that God of him bare witnesse that he had founde a man according to his hearts desire To him God made a promise that Christ shoulde come of his séede for the which cause Christ of the Prophets is called the sonne of Dauid To this holy Prophet God gaue many victories and excellent giftes which are touched in other stories and yet among all his vertues he suffred him to fall into the abhominable vice of adulterie and homicide and most gréeuously punished him for the same who notwithstanding after earnest repentaunce was receyued agayne into the fauour of God and neuer after offended in that sinne more Finally after many conflictes with his enimies he died after he had reigned .xl. yeares leauing Salomon his sonne to succéede him Debora the wyfe of one Lapidoth was a Prophetesse and the fourth Iudge and gouernour of the people of Israel who by the power and pleasure of God and helpe of Barack the Captayne of hir armie deliuered them from the Tyrannie of King Iabyn and of Sisera his Captaine generall putting the king to a great foyle in flying of his Captain Sisera Thorow the which victorie the Israelites were restored to libertie and their enimies the Cananites vtterly confounded She iudged Israel .xl. yeares Demas was Christes Disciple a great while and a faythfull minister to Paule and neuer shranke from him nor his doctrine so long as all things prospered well with Paule But when he saw Paule cast in pryson and in daunger of his life for the Gospels sake He forsooke both him and his doctrine and imbraceing the worlde conueighed himselfe to Thessalonica Such there be that so long as pleasure profite fauour honour glory or riches doe followe the worde of God so long will they fauour the same But when affliction persecution losse of goods riches landes possessions or such like aduersities doe come then they doe as Demas dyd forsake the Gospel and followe the worlde Demetrius the sonne of Sceleucus came from Rome with a small company of men to a certaine Citie of his owne lying vpon the Sea coast and prepared an armie to go to Antioche the Citie of his Progenitours where he founde Antiochus and Lisias which both he caused to be slayne and being stablished in his kingdom he began through the wicked counsell of Alcimus whom he had made hye Priest to séeke the destruction of the Iewes sending foorth diuers armies against them in the which he spedde diuersly Finally the sonne of noble Antiochus mooued warre agaynst hym and in battell slue him Demetrius the sonne of Demetrius being in the lande of Creta at his fathers death made haste homewarde to take possession of his Kingdome And being stablished therein he began to waxe mightie â–ª â—y reason that Ptolomy King of Egipt had withdrawne his fauour from Alexander his sonne in law and taken his daughter Cleopatra from him and giuen hir to Demetrius And also for as much as Ptolomy and Alexander lyued not long after the strife
Ada. ¶ Eliphas the Sight of God or his intent or endeuour Iob. 2. d. Eliphas the Themanite was one of those that came to Iob in his extréeme afflictions to comforte him And 4. yet notwithstanding he blamed Iob for impaciencie 15. vniustice and for the presumption of his owne righteousnesse 12. Also he reprooued hym bycause he chalenged wisedome and purenesse to himselfe Affirming also that he was punished for his sumes and accused hym of vnmercyfulnesse and that he denyed Gods prâ—â—â—dence and therefore exhorteth hym to repentaunce But the Lorde was angrie with Eliphas and with his other Companions 42. b. bicause they had condemned Iob by the outwarde afflictions and not comforted him with his mercy and therefore commaunded them to take sâ—auen â–ª Oxen and seauen Rammes â–ª and to go and offer a burnt offering for their offence and his seruaunt Iob shoulde praye for them And they dyd as the Lord had commaunded them 1. Par. 1. 2. Elisa was the sonne of Iauan his brethren were Tharsis Citim and Dâ—â—â—â—int ¶ Elisa it is God or the â—ambe of Gâ—d or God that doth good â— Reg. 19. d. Eliseus was the sonne of Saphan And being at the plough with twelue yoake of Oxen before hym Eliah comming by him cast hys mantell ouer hym and went his wayes Then 〈◊〉 being instinct with the holye Ghost left his plough and ranne after Eliah desiring hym that he might first go home and take his leaue of his friendes then he woulde come and followe him which thing being done he returned and ministred to Eliah and went with him to Bethel from thence to Iericho 4. Reg. 2. ca. where the children of the Prophetes came to Eliseus and sayde Knowest thou not that the Lorde will take thy maister from thine heade this daye Yes quoth he I knowe it well holde yée your peace and be still And so foorth from Iericho they went to Iordan where Eliah â—he waters deuided smote the waters with his mantell which deuided themselues so that they two went ouer on dry land And when they were on the other side of Iordan Eliah sayde to Eliseus Aske what I shall doe for thée or I be taken away from thée I pray thée quoth Eliseus let thy spirite be double vpon mée Thou hast asked quoth he an harde thing Yet if thou sée mee when I am taken from thée thou shalt haue it so if not it shall not be And as Eliah is taken vp in the firie Charet they were walking and talking togithers Eliah was taken vp in a whirlewinde of fire and in a Charret of fyrie horses which sight Eliseus sawe and cryed My father my father the Charret of Israel and the horsemen thereof and sawe hym no more â–ª Then Eliseus rent his owne Cloake in twoo peeces and tooke vp Elias mantell which he had let fall from him and returned to the banke of Iordan and smote the waters saying Where is the Lorde God of Eliah and he himselfe and at the seconde smiting the waters deuided so that he went ouer on drye lande to the other â—yde agayne Then the Children of the Prophets perceyuing the spirite of Eliah to be vpon Eliseus came and fell down before him saying We doubt lest the spirit of the Lord hath taken thy maister and cast him vpon some mountayne therefore let vs â–ª sende foorth our men to go and séeke hym But Eliseus knowing assuredly that he was taken vnto God willed them not to doe so yet they â–ª not there withall satisfied intreated hym so much tyll he was ashamed and so let them go And when they had sought thrée dayes and thrée nightes and coulde not finde hym they returned to Eliseus who sayde vnto them Dyd not I saye yée should not finde hym The waterâ— are healed ¶ Nowe as the Prophete laye at Iericho the men of the Citie came vnto him saying Sir the scituacion of this Citie as thou séest is pleasaunt but the water is so euill and the grounde so barrayne that it killeth the inhabitaunts thereof Then sayde Eliseus bring me a Cruse and put Salt therein And when they had brought him the Cruse he tooke it and went vnto the spring of the waters and cast the Salt therein saying Thus saâ—th the Lorde I haue healed this water death shall no more come thereof neyther barrennesse to the grounde 4. Reg. 3. cap. ¶ After he had thus healed the water at Iericho and was departed thence to go to Bethel there came little chyldren out of the Citie who in mockery sayde vnto hym Come vp thou balde head come vp thou balde heade The The children for mocking the Prophet are deuoured with beares Prophet then turned backe and behelde the children and perceyuing their malicious hearts he cursed them in the name of the Lord which Curse was no sooner pronounced out of the Prophets mouth but twoo Beares came out of the forrest and ran vpon the Children and tore in péeces 42. of them And so went he foorth to mount Carmel and from thence to the Citie of Samaria ¶ It came to passe that when Iehoram y King of Israel and Iehosaphat King of Iuda with the King of Edom in their progresse towarde the King of Moab lacked water for them and their people â–ª they went by the counsell of Iehosaphat King of Iuda to Eliseus the Prophete beséeching hym to make intercession for them that they might haue water to sustayne their hoste which else were in ieoperdie of perishing And when the Prophete sawe the Kings he sayde to the King of Israel What haue I to do with thée Get thée to the prophets of Achab thy father and to the Prophets of Iezabel thy mother as truely as the Lorde of hostes lyueth in whose sight I stande if it were not that I regarde the presence of Iehosaphat King of Iuda I woulde not haue looked towarde thée nor séene thée But now bring mée a * This was no such Minstrell as vse to fil the peoples cares with songes of ribaudry but one that sang songs to Gods glory and so stirred vp the Prophetes heart to prophecie minstrell and when the mynstrell playde the hande of the Lorde came vpon Eliseus that he began to prophecie of water and of the ouerthrow of the Moabites which came to passe on the next morrowe as the Prophete had sayde for the Moabites being deceyued by the Sunnes shining vpon the water that fell which made it séeme as redde as bloude thinking it had béene the bloude of the Kinges hoste that had slayne one another but when they came they founde the hoste of Israel ready who fell vpon the Moabites and destroyed put them to flight euery one ¶ Eliseus Gods saluation or a God which saueth 4. Reg. 4. a. b ¶ There was a certaine woman late wife to one of the Prophetes which came and complained to Eliseus that hir husbande had left hir so farre
in debt that hir creditors were come to fet hir twoo sonnes awaye to be their bondemen What hast thou in thy house sayde the Prophet Nothing quoth she but a little Pitcher of oyle The widowe left in debt Well saide he go thy waye home and borowe of thy neyghbours as many emptie vessels as thou canst get and poure out the oyle of the Pitcher into the emptie vessels vntill thou hast filled them all And when the woman had done all as the Prophet had commaunded hir she came backe againe and tolde him howe mightily hir oyle was increased Nowe go sayde the Prophet and sell so much of the oyle as will pay thy Creditours and then liue thou and thy children of the rest 4. Reg. 4. b. c. d. e. ¶ There was a certaine woman of great estimacion in the Citie of Sumen who hearing tell that Eliseus was come to the Citie inuited him home to hir house and made him great cheare And whensoeuer after that he came into that quarters which he haunted much he woulde euer take that Gentlewomans house in his way Then she séeing that sayde vnto hir husband I perceiue that this is an holye man that commeth so ofte by our place let vs make him a little chamber with all things Eliseus obtaineth a son for the Sunamite necessarie for the same that when he commeth this way he may lodge there and be quiet therein And when the new Chamber was made and finished the Prophete at his next comming was brought into the same there to take his rest He then considering the great prouision the woman had made and howe carefull she had bene for him sayde vnto Gehezi his man Go and aske of hir what she will haue mée to doe for hir whether it be to speake vnto the King or to the Captaine of the hoste or any thing else and I will doe it The seruaunt went and The Sunamites sonne restored from death to life brought him worde agayne that she had no chylde and hir husbande was olde Well sayde the Prophete she shall haue a sonne which in processe she had in déede And when the chylde was a fewe yeares growâ—n vp it had a desire to go and sée his Father and the Reapers in the fielde and being there in the heate of the daye it fell sodenly sicke and was caried home to his mother and dyed But for the womans sake the Prophet restored hir sonne to life agayne 4. Reg. 4. g. ¶ On a tyme Eliseus commaunded his Cooke to make a great pot of pottage for the children of the Prophetes which boorded with him and as one went out for herbes he gathered vnwares his lap full of wylde Coloquintidas Hee maketh the pottage sweete and came and shred them into the pot of pottage And when the children of the Prophets had tasted a little of the pottage they fearing least they had bene poysoned cried out saying O thou man of God there is death in the pot Then the Prophet called for Meale and threwe it into the pot and all was well and no more harme in the pot 4. Reg. 4. g. ¶ A certaine man the dearth being great in the lande came from Baal Salisa and brought to Eliseus twenty Barley loaues of the first fruites of his newe Corne the which he commaunded his man to giue to the people to satisfie their hunger How shall I sayd he set this before The loaues are multiplyed so many will it satisfie an hundred persons Well sayd Elizeus set it before them for thus sayth the Lord they shall eate and there shall remayne And so the loaues were set before the people and they did eate and left ouer according to the worde of the Lorde 4. Reg. 6. a. ¶ Eliseus had so many of the Prophetes children wyth him at boorde and downe lying that his house was to little for them all wherefore they sayde to him that they woulde go to Iordan and buylde them a bygger house to dwell in desiring him to go with them And as a certaine man was felling downe a trée to serue for the buylding the Axe heade slipt of the Helue and fell into the water Iron swimmeth Then the man cryed to Eliseus and sayde Alas Mayster helpe me to haue it agayne for it was lent me Where fell it in sayde the Prophet and when the man had tolde him Eliseus cut downe a péece of woode and cast it into the water and immediately the yron did swymme And then the man stretched forth his hande and tooke it vp 4. Reg. 8. a. ¶ He prophecied vnto the Sunamite whose sonne he had raysed from death of a great dearth which shoulde come and continue vpon the land seauen yeares giuing hir counsell therefore to go and soiourne in some other plentifull countrey till these yeares were expired whose counsell she followed and went with all hir housholde into the Philistines lande where she remayned these seauen yeares of dearth which being ended she returned home agayne And when she came to hir house another hauing possession thereof withhelde it from hir wherefore she went to the King to make hir complaynt at which time it happened the King to be talking with Gehezi The Sunamite is restored to hyr house lande agayne the seruant of Eliseus the Prophet who was declaring vnto the King what great and notable déedes hys Maister Eliseus had done and among all declared of a deade bodie which he had raysed vp from death to lyfe and as he was telling of these thinges vnto the King the woman came with hir sonne and required hir house and lande againe And when Gehezi sawe the woman he sayde O my Lorde and King this same is the woman that I tolde your Grace of â—uen nowe and this is hyr sonne that was raysed from death Then the King commaunded hir house and lande to be restored hir againe with all the rent and profites thereof from the first daye she lâ—st it â–ª till that present time 4. Reg. 13. c. d ¶ Finallye when the time drewe me that Eliseus the Prophet shoulde dye Ioas King of Israel came to visite him as he stoode before him and considered what a losse he should haue of that good man which had bene so great a defence vnto his Realme the teares ranne downe hys chéekes and sayde O my father my father the Charet of Israel and the horsemen of the same And when the Prophet sawe the King he bade him take his bowe and arrowes in his hand and make him readie to shoote The Prophet put his hande vpon the Kings hande and caused a windowe to be opened Eastwarde which was toward Siria and bade the King shoote and he shot The arrow of helth of the Lorde sayde Eliseus and the arrowe of health against Siria For thou shalt smyte Siria in Aphek till thou haue made an ende of them Nowe take thine arrowes in thine hande sayde the Prophete and smyte
the people did not perishe for lacke of water and when the enimies had woon the Citie and besieged Seloum as often as the Iewes came for water the water ranne out of the earth abundantly and they tooke water But the straungers when they came could not finde it This holy man for his libertie of speach in rebuking of the sinne of the Princes the people and for the prophecying of the vengeance of God vpon that countrey and people was cut in twoo péeces with a Sawe and buried vnder an Oke but afterwarde he was translated and buryed by the sepulchre of Kings He was before the comming of Christ 800. yeres Eliote ¶ Esay The health of the Lorde Gen. 25. d. Esau was the eldest sonne of Isaac borne with hys brother Iacob at one birth of their mother Rebecca Iacob Of Esau came the Edomites Esau was called Edom that is red bicause hee sold his birth right for a messe of red pottage was smooth of body and Esau rough and heary who became a great hunter wherefore his father lâ—ued hym the better bicause nowe and then he did eate of his Venison On a time comming from hunting he was so wearie and faynt for hunger that he was almost deade And seing his brother Iacob to hane sod a pot of pottage he prayed him to giue him a fewe thereof to â—ate Sell me nowe thy birthright quoth he and I will. Then Esau estéeming more his belly than the benefite of his birth-right solde it to Iacob for a messe of pottage And when he had filled his belly well he went his waye and passed forth till he came about the age of fortie yeares And 26. g. then he tooke him twoo wiues the one Iudith the daughter of Bery and the other Basmoth the daughter of Elon both which women were disobedient to their father and mother in lawe After this his father being olde and 27. cap. blinde for age he went out to kill some Venison for hys father that he might eate thereof and blesse him before he dyed But when he had dressed it and brought it for his father to eate Iacob had preuented Esau and gotten his blessing from him for the which he hated Iacob and threatened to kyll him wherefore Iacob was sent away 28. a. b. into Mesopotamia partly to auoyde the malice of Esau and partlye to get him a wyfe there bicause his father would not haue him marry with the Cananites Then Esau perceyuing that the daughters of Canaan displeased Isaac he to please his father tooke to wyfe the daughter of Ismael Abrahams sonne And so these two brethren being thus seperated the one from the other in processe became both very rich And in the ende when by the prouidence of God they met togithers agayne God had so altered and chaunged the minde of Esau that he most louingly embraced his brother Iacob ministring to him such kindenesse as though he had neuer borne him any displeasure at all And so in fine departed as louing friendes Iacob towarde Succoth and Esau to Mount Seir his owne possession ¶ Esau Working Gen. 14. c. d. Eschol was brother to Mamre and Aner which thrée were Abrahams confederates and his pertakers in the rescuing of Lot his brother out of the handes of Kedorlaomor ¶ Eschol a Cluster 1. Esd 7. a. 8. cap. Esdras the sonne of Saraia was a notable Scribe in the lawe of Moses and long in captiuitie at Babilon but at last by the licence of Artaxerses he came from Babilon to Ierusalem agayne with the Iewes to repayre the lawe and Citie of God and to teache the people the right waye of the Lorde He gathered and brought in order all the bookes of the lawes of God which were by the Chaldeys scattered and destroyed This mans liuing 9. and. 10. cap was so vpright and holy and so estéemed among the people that when they had offended the Lorde in contracting themselues with the Gentyles at his godlye preaching and counsell they repented and put away theyr straunge Wyues and turned to the Lorde agayne ¶ Esdras an Helper Ester 2. cap. Ester the daughter of Abian a Iewe borne was a goodly yong Damosell And after the death of hir father and mother nourished and brought vp in the house of Mardocheus hir fathers Vncle During which tyme Vasthi for hir disobedience to Ahasuerus the King was deposed from hir Princely state And then to haue another placed in hir roume certaine fayre yong Damosels and Virgins among which Ester was one were taken vp by Commission and brought to the Court and there founde at the Kings charges for the space of .xij. moneths with all maner of sumptuous deckinges to the ende the King might choose one of them whome he fancyed best to be his Quéene And when the time of choosing came he lyked Ester aboue the reast and made hir Quéene in the roume of Vasthi It happened after this a mischiefe to Ester 3. cap. be deuised against the Quéenes nation the Iewes by one in great authority about the King called Haman and being certifyed thereof by Mardocheus hir Vncle she was so sore astonied that she wilt not what to doe for no helpe in that matter was to be had but onely in the King to 4. cap. whom she durst not go bicause he had giuen a commaundement that whosoeuer shoulde presume to come vnto him before they were called shoulde suffer death Wherfore Ester not being called in thirtie dayes before was afrayde of the daunger Neuerthelesse she considering with hir selfe that eyther she must put hir lyfe in hazard or else to suffer the whole Nation of the Iewes to perish cast all feare aside and went to the King And presenting 5. cap. hir selfe before him he put forth his golden Scepter in token of his speciall fauour towards hir demaunding what she woulde haue Nothing quoth she but that it woulde please your Maiestie and Haman to come to the banket which I haue prepared To the which he went and being there demaunded of Ester what thing it was she required Oh quoth she if it shall please your Highnesse to giue me my peticion and to fulfill my request Then let my 7. cap â–ª soueraigne Lorde and Haman come agayne to morrow and I will certifie your Grace of all And on the morrow when the King was come he sayde to Ester Now what is thy request I pray thée saye Then spake Ester and sayde If I thy poore handemayde haue founde so much fauour in thy sight O King to haue my peticion graunted then I most humbly beséech thée to graunt mée my lyfe and the lyues of all my people the Iewes which are not onely solde to be bonde seruauntes for I woulde to God it were so but to bée slayne and vtterlye destroyed all in one daye Who is he sayde the King that dare presume to doe such a déede Oh sayde Ester and if it shall please
rebell agaynst the Lorde or to swarue from his lawes and ordinaunces in any poynt but rather for this consideration to be a witnesse betwéene vs and you and our generations after vs least it shoulde chaunce another daye your children to say vnto ours what haue ye to doe with the Lorde God of Israel yée children of Ruben and of Gad the Lorde ye sée hath made Iordan a border betwéene vs and you and therefore ye can haue no part in the Lorde with vs and so shoulde your children make our chyldren cease from fearing the Lorde And therefore to preuent such an inconuenience we tooke aduisement and made this Aultar that if any such kynde of talke shoulde be ministred of your children to ours in time to come that then our children might aunswere and say agayne Beholde the facion of the Aultar of the Lorde which our fathers made neyther for burnt offerings nor sacrifices but for a witnesse betweene vs and you that our part is in the Lorde as well as yours And when Phinehes and the other Lordes had hearde their aunswere they were well content and returned and so the matter ended They called the Aultar our witnesse that the Lorde is God. Gad the Prophet came to Dauid lying in the lande of Moab saying abyde not in holde but depart and go into the lande of Iuda At another tyme when Dauid had offended the Lord in numbring his people Gad was sent vnto him to giue him choyse of thrée thinges whether he woulde haue seauen yeares hunger or thrée monthes to flie before his enimies or but thrée dayes pestilence in the lande Gaius a certaine faythfull brother dwelling in Derba was one of Paules companions and in great ieoperdie of his lyfe at Ephesus thorowe the sedition of Demetrius the Siluersmith but after the businesse was ended he accompanied Paule into Asia To this man S. Iohn wrote his thirde Epistle Gallio was Proconsull of Achaia to wyt the Lord Deputie vnder Cesar the Emperour in the countrey of Achaia In this tyme it happened the Iewes which had made a conspiracie agaynst Paule to bring him before the place of iudgement where Gallio sate as Iudge accusing Paule vnto him of newe learning But when Gallio perceyued the controucrsie betwéene the Iewes and Paule was concerning Iewishe religion he sought to ridde his handes of them and preuenting Paule which was ready to speake in his owne defence sayde Dye Iewes if it were a matter of wrong or an euill déede reason woulde that I shoulde heare you but if it be a question of wordes of names or of your lawe looke vnto it your selfe for I will be no Iudge in such matters And so caused them to auoyde the place Gamaliel one of the auncient Pharisies was Paules Schoolemaister and in high estimation among the people both for his excellent knowledge in the lawe and for his singuler wisedome When the Apostles were brought and other of the Counsell for preaching in the name of Christ whose lyues he perceyued the Counsell sought he desired that for a whyle the Apostles might depart out of the Counsell house And when they were gone he sayde ye men of Israel take héede to your selues what ye intende to doe as touching these men for before these dayes rose vp one Theudas boasting himselfe to whome resorted a number of men about 400. who was slaine and they all which beléeued him were scattered abroade and brought to naught After this man rose vp one Iudas of Galile in the time when Tribute began who drewe away much people after him he also perished and all that obeyed him were scattered abroade And nowe I say vnto you refrayne your selues from these men and let them alone For if this Counsell or this worke be of men it will come to naught but if it be of God ye cannot destroye it least ye be founde to stryue against God. Gedalia the sonne of Ahicam was a great Captaine vnder Nabuchodonosor whome he made gouerneur of the lande of Iuda to rule the rascall people which he had left behinde him at the destruction of Ierusalem who intreated the people so gently and so friendly that all the Iewes which were scattered about in the lande hearing of his gentlenesse resorted vnto Gedaliah and founde great fauour at his hande for the which they bare vnto him their heartie good willes Insomuch that when Baal King of the Ammonites had sent one Ismael vnder pretence of friendship to slea him The Captaynes of the Iewes hauing knowledge thereof were so sore afrayde of Gedaliah least any misfortune shoulde chaunce him that they tolde him of Ismaels conspiracie And one among the reast named Iohanan offred himselfe to dispach Ismael out of the way so secretly that the déede shoulde neuer be knowne But Gedaliah not crediting their wordes neyther yet mistrusting Ismael woulde suffer nothing to be done vnto him And so forsaking the counsell and admonition of his friendes and trusting to much to Ismael he was of him in fine most guylefully slaine within his owne house Gedeon the sonne of Ioas was of the Tribe of Manasses To whome the Aungell of the Lorde appeared as he was threshing of Wheate saying The Lorde is with thée thou valiant man Then sayde Gedeon if the Lord be with vs why is all this cuill come vpon vs we haue heard by our fathers of all the miracles which the Lorde did for his people in Egypt and nowe hath he forsaken vs and giuen vs ouer into the handes of the Madianites Well sayde the Aungell go thy waye in this thy might and strength which I haue giuen thée for thou shalt deliuer Israell out of the hande of their enimies Oh Lorde quoth Gedeon wherewith shall I saue Israel séeing my kinred is but poore and I the least of all my fathers house With my helpe sayth the Lorde shalt thou saue Israel for I will be with thée and thou shalt smyte the Madianites as if they were but one man Then I beséech thée O Lord quoth Gedeon shewe me a signe that thou talkest with me depart not hence tyll I come agayne with myne offering which offering being brought and dressed accordingly the Angell had no sooner touched it with the ende of his rodde but fire came out of the stone whereon the sacrifice lay and consumed it altogither and so the Aungell vanished out of sight The same night following at the Lordes commaundement Gedeon went and destroyed the Altar of Baal which his father had made and cut downe all the Groue about it for the which déede the people hauing knowledge thereof woulde haue stoned him to death Then Ioas to saue Gedeon his sonne sayde vnto them what will ye doe will ye pleade Baals cause or will ye be his defenders If Baal be a god let him reuenge his owne cause vpon him that hath done the déede And from that day forth Gedeon was called
and hored And put their wyne into olde bottels all to rent and torne and shodde themselues with olde clouted shooen and put on their backes olde garments and so sent them forth to Iosua to obtayne peace And when Iosua looked vppon them and behelde their simple state he asked what they were and from whence they came They aunswered from a farre countrey are thy seruauntes come for the name of the Lorde thy God for we haue hearde of hys fame and power and what he did in the lande of Egypt and in all other places till nowe And long haue we trauailed to come hither as ye may sée for this our foode the day we came forth was hote our bottels shooes and garments all newe and nowe are they olde and torne and our breade hored and mouled wherefore we shall desire your fauour and peace Then Iosua beléeuing it had bene so swore vnto the Gibeonites and made a couenaunt of peace with them and let them go Within thrée dayes after it fortuned the Israelites to come to the Citie of Gibeon thinking to haue destroyed it But when they sawe that they were the people which a little before had obtayned peace at their handes woulde not slea them bicause of their othe but went to Iosua and tolde him Then Iosua sent for them and demaunded wherefore they had so deceyued him They aunswered it was tolde vs that God commaunded Moses to giue you this lande and to slea all the inhabitants therof and therfore were we forced to make this prouision for our liues And nowe we be in your hands to dâ—e with vs as shall please you Wâ—ll sayde Iosua for our othe sake ye shall haue your liues But for as much as ye haue so craftilye deceyued vs the Lorde hath determined that ye shall be in bondage vnder Israel all the dayes of your liues and be hewers of woode and water drawers for the congregation and house of God continually And so the Israelites tooke their Cities but saued their lyues After this the Kings of the Amorites hearing how the Gibeonites had made peace with Israel came vpon them and besieged Gibeon which was the greatest Citie in all the kingdome of the Amorites wherevpon the Gibeonites were constrayned to sende to Iosua for his ayde who came from Gilgal with a great power rescued them and tooke the Kings of the Amorites which were fiue in number and hanged them on fiue seuerall trées and destroyed all their people and countries Thus the Gibeonites continued in bondage vnder the Israelites with their liues vntill the time of King Saule who then for a zeale he had to the children of Israel and Iuda slue a great number of them which déede God punished in the dayes of King Dauid at what time he sent an hunger vpon the lande which continued by the space of thrée yeares for when Dauid enquired at the Lorde the cause of that plague aunswere was made him of God that it was for Saule and the house of bloud who had killed the Gibeonites which Gibeonites were none of the séede of Israel but a remnant of the Amorites with whome the children of Israel had made a bonde of peace Then Dauid asking the Gibeonites what he shoulde doe for them and wherewith he shoulde recompence them they sayde we will neyther haue siluer nor golde of Saule nor of his house nor that any man of Israel be killed for our sakes but the man that hath consumed vs and imagined to bring vs to naught him will we destroy Therefore let his seauen sonnes be deliuered vnto vs that we maye hang them vp before the Lorde Then Dauid caused the two sonnes of Rizpa Saules Concubine and the fiue sonnes of Michol whome she bare to Adriel to be deliuered vnto the Gibeonites who tooke and hanged them vp on an hill before the Lorde And thus were the Gibeonites reuenged on Saule Giliad was the sonne of Machir and his chyldren were these Hiezer Helech Asriel Sechem Semida and Hepher Godolia looke Gedalia Golias was a mightie strong Gyant whome the Philistines had brought with them to battell agaynst the hoste of Israel His stature was sixe cubites and a span His helmet vpon his heade was of brasse and the Bootes on his legges of the same His coate of Fence weyed 5000. sicles The shaft of his Speare which he bare in his hande was lyke a Weauers beame And the heade vpon the same weighed 600. sicles of yron This man beyng thus armed came out from the Philistines one bearing his shielde before him and standing betwéene the twoo hostes in a valley he cryed to the hoste of Israel saying Why are ye come to set your battell in aray am not I a Philistine and you the seruauntes of Saule choose you out a man and let him come downe to me And if he be able to fight with me and to kill me then will we be your seruants and if I can ouercome him and kill him then shall ye be our seruants and serue vs Thus came he day by day defying the whole hoste of Israel the space of fortie dayes long wherewith the Israelites were sore afrayde and discomsited and durst not abyde his sight But God who by his secret prouidence had appoynted out a man to match him caused Isai to send his yong son Dauid to the hoste of Israel to sée his brethren howe they did And as he stoode with them and hearde the despytefull wordes of Golias which he spake against the holye hoste of Israel The spirit of God euen at that instant smote such a courage into the hart of Dauid that he slipt away from his brethren vnto the people whome he sawe in great feare and sayde What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine and taketh away the shame from Israel and what is this vncircumcised heathen that he shoulde thus reuyle the hoste of the lyuing god Dauid vttering this bolde maner of speach once or twyse he was at the last brought before King Saule to whome he sayde on this wyse Oh King let no mans heart fayle him or be afrayde this daye for I thy seruaunt will go and fight with yonder Philistine Thou art not able to stande in his handes quoth the King for he is a man brought vp all the dayes of his lyfe in feates of warre and thou art yet but a chylde without experience or knowledge thereof Then Dauid to strengthen the weake fayth of the King sayde thus vnto him As thy seruaunt was kéeping his fathers shéepe there came a Lion and a Beare likewyse and tooke a shéepe out of the flocke Then I not fearing the force of these twoo cruell beastes ranne out first after the Lion and tooke the pray out of his mouth and in spite of his bearde I slue him Likewyse I serued the Beare Wherefore I haue no doubt but as the Lorde did ayde me then so wyll he nowe against this bragging Philistine that hath so rayled
on the hoste of the liuing god Then Saule perceyuing the power of God to be wyth Dauid put his armour vpon him But Dauid not being woont to such put it of agayne and tooke him to his olde accustomed weapon which was his slyng And so hauing that in his hande and his shepeherdes bagge about his necke with a fewe little stones prouided therin he gat him downe to the place where the Philistine stoode wayting for a man to encounter with him And as he saw Dauid drawe neare and beholding the maner of hys weapon that he bare in his hand he disdained him greatly And cursing Dauid by all his gods he sayd in a great furie Am I a Dogge that thou commest to me wyth staues come hyther my chylde and I will giue thy flesh to the foules of the ayre and beastes of the fielde Nay quoth Dauid thou commest to me with sworde speare and shielde but I am come vnto thée in the name of the Lorde of hostes the God of the hoste of Israel whome thou doest despyse and blaspheme He shall this daye deliuer thée into my handes and I shall smyte thée and take thy heade from thée and giue the carkasses of all your hoste to the foules of the ayre and beasts of the field to deuour and eate that thou and all the worlde maye knowe that there is a God in Israel The Philistyne nowe was in such a chafe that he began to buskell hym to his weapon thinking to haue dispatched Dauid wyth no great adoe But Dauid hauing his slyng prepared redy in his hande slang out the stone at his face the Lord directing the same and smote the Philistine so euen and déepe in his foreheade that he fell downe groueling vnto the earth and then ranne Dauid and smote of hys heade Thus was this monstrous Gyaunt confounded and all the hoste of the Philistines put to flight and slaine Gomer The Lorde appearing to Ose the Prophet sayde Go thy way and take an harlot to thy wyfe and get children by hir for the lande hath commâ—tted great whooredome agaynst the Lorde So he went and tooke Gomor the daughter of Deblaim who bare vnto hym two sonnes and one daughter The first sonne was called Iesrael the daughter Lornhamah and the second sonne Laâ—my Gorgias a man of great experience in warre was Gouernour of Idumea and one among other noble captaynes whome Lysias the ouerséer of all the Kings businesse sent against the Iewes to destroy them And thinking by his policie to haue stollen vpon Iudas Machabeus by night and so to haue ouercome him he was preuented so that he durst not meete Iudas in the fielde but fledde into the lande of the heathen And when Iosephus and Azarias tooke vppon them in the absence of Iudas contrary to his commaundement to go out agaynst the heathen to get them a name Gorgias issued out of the Citie of Iamnia and slue two thousande of their men and chased Iosephus and Azarias to the borders of Iewrie Finally after manye conflictes with the Iewes a certaine Captayne named Dositheus had almost taken him if rescue had not bene thorow the which he escaped and fled into Moresa and was neuer séene more Reade the Storie of Dositheus H. HAdad being but a little boye borne in the lande of Edom and sprong of the King of Edoms séede what time as Dauid went about to destroye all the men children in Edom fled wyth certayne Edomites of his fathers seruants into the lande of Egypt Where in processe he gate such fauour with Pharao King of the lande that he gaue him great possessions and maried him to the Quéenes sister who bare vnto hym a sonne called Genubath which chylde was brought vp in King Pharaos hâ—use among his children But when tidings was brought to Hadad of the death of Dauid and Ioab he went to the King and besought him to let hym depart into his owne Countrie agayne why sayde the King what hast thou lacked here with mée that thou wouldest now so fayne returne home agayne Nothing sayd Hadad but that I haue a mynde to sée my countrey and therefore I pray thée let me go And so he departed out of Egypt from Pharao for the Lorde had stirred him vp to be an aduersarie to Salomon who had turned his heart from the Lord his God serued straunge gods And so Hadad reigned ouer Siria and abhorred Israel sore and vexed them so long as Salomon reygned Hadarezer the sonne of Reob King of Zoba had long warre with Thoi King of Hamoth And at the last as he went to recouer the borders by the ryuer Pherar Dauid met with him tooke 1700. horsemen of his host and. 20. thousande footemen and cut of the hoofes of all his Charet horses sauing an 100 â–ª which he reserued to himselfe And tooke away his shyldes of Golde brought them to Ierusalem And tooke out of his Cities excéeding much Brasse whereof Salomon afterwarde made all the Brasen vessels in the Temple of the Lorde Againe when this Hadarezer withall the Kings that serued him went to rescue Hanon King of the Ammonites agaynst Dauid he lost 700. Charettes and. 4000. footemen and his Captayne generall slayne Then the Kinges which serued Hadarezer being so discomfited made peace with Dauid and serued hym and neuer woulde helpe the Ammonites more Ham was the seconde sonne of Noe. Who on a tyme séeing his Father lye vnséemely discouered in his Tent laughed hym to scorne And in derision and contempt of his father brought Sem and Iapheth his two brethren to sée the vncomely sight But they mooued with shamefastnesse and honesty couered theyr fathers secrets and woulde not looke vpon them And when Noe was awaked out of sléepe and perceyued what Ham had done He woulde not curse hym whome the Lorde had blest but sayde to Canaan his sonne which had also as some suppose deryded his Graundfather Noe Cursed be Canaan a seruaunt of seruaunts shall he be vnto his brethren Haman was the sonne of Amada and serued Ahasuerus King of Persia who so highlye promoted hym that euery man bowed the knée to Haman dyd asmuch honour vnto him in a maner as they dyd to the King himselfe And being thus exalted aboue all other Princes about the King and honoured of all men there was notwithstanding a certayne Iewe borne named Mardocheus which would neyther bowe nor bende vnto hym as other dyd which being marked of Haman he tooke so great indignacion agaynst Mardocheus that he sought his vtter destruction and purchased a licence of the King for ten thousande talents of Siluer to haue him and all the Iewes destroyed in one day But whyle the writings were a making and postes sent into all quarters for the Iewes dispatch Mardocheus gat knowledge of all Hamans wicked intents and purposes and founde the meanes to haue the same vttered vnto Quéene Hester Who then
to saue Mardocheus and all the Iewes dyd ieoperde hir selfe to go to the King founde the meanes to bring him and Haman to a banket which she had prepared Nowe was Haman so prowde and ioyfull of the Quéenes fauour that hée went home to his house and called all his friendes togither making great boast to them of his glory riches and aucthoritie But chiefelye what speciall fauour Quéene Ester bare vnto him aboue all men in so much she had inuited no man to hir banket with the King saue onely him And to morrow quoth he I must be there againe But yet all this doth not satisfie mée so long as I sée Mardocheus the Iewe sitting at the Kings gate Marry sayde Zares his wyfe let there be a payre of galowes made of 50. cubits hye and speake to morrowe vnto the King that Mardocheus maye be hanged thereon And so Haman following his wyues counsell caused the gallowes to be prepared and on the morowe gat him to the Court and standing there wayting when the King woulde call for him that he might speake to dispatche Mardocheus The King who the night before had looked the Chronicles and founde out the fidelitie of Mardocheus sent for Haman and sayde what shal be done to the man whome the King woulde honour Then Haman thinking the King had gone about to honour none but hym sayde Let the man whom the King intendeth to bring to honour be arayned in such Royall apparell as the King vseth to weare and set vpon the Kinges horse with the Crowne Imperiall vpon his heade and commaunde one of the Kings Princes to cary him about the streates of the Citie with a proclamacion before him saying Thus shall it be done to the man whome the King pleaseth to bring to honour Then sayde the King take the rayment and the horse and go thou to Mardocheus the Iewe which sitteth at my gate and fayle not to doe vnto him all that thou hast sayde Then went Haman about the Kinges commaundement and performed all thinges according to his minde which being done he gat him home with an heauye heart to his wyfe and friends declaring vnto them what things had happened vnto him Then sayde they If Mardocheus be of the séede of the Iewes before whom thou hast begun to fall thou shalt not preuayle agaynst him but shalt surely fall before him And while they were thus talking a messenger came for Haman to go with the King to the banket at the ende of which Banket Ester opened all the wickednesse of Haman before the King who tooke the matter so grieuously that he rose from the boorde and went into the garden in a great anger Then Haman perceyuing a mischiefe towardes hym went and fell downe at the beddes féete or coutche wheron the Quéene sate and besought hir grace for his lyfe And when the King came in againe and founde him with the Quéene he sayde wyll he force the Quéene also before mée in the house which woorde was no sooner gone out of the Kings mouth but Hamans face was couered and so had out and hanged vpon the Gallowes which he had prepared in his owne house for Mardocheus Reade the storye of Ester and of Mardocheus Hanani was a Prophet sent of God to Asa King of Iuda declaring vnto him how greatly he had displeased the Lorde for making a couenaunt with Benhadad King of Siria and for his message doing was cast into prison Reade the storie of Asa Hananiah the sonne of Azur was a false Prophete which prophecied vnto the people of Israel that God woulde breake the yoake of Nabuchadnezar King of Babilon from the necke of all Nacions within the space of two yeares and in token thereof tooke the yoake from the Prophet Ieremies necke and brake it But Ieremie the true Prophet of God reprooued the false prophecie of Hananiah saying That in stéede of the yoake of woodde which he had taken from his necke the Lord woulde put a yoake of yron vpon the necks of all these Nacions that they shoulde serue the King of Babilon and that the false Prophet Hananiah himselfe shoulde dye the same yeare which thinges came truely to passe as Ieremie had spoken Hanon was the sonne of Nahas King of the Amonites vnto whō Dauid most gently sent to comfort hym vpon the death of his father which gentlenesse was most vngentlye and vnthankefully taken of the Lordes and counsaylers of the young King Hanon Who perswaded the yong King that Dauid had not sent to comfort hym vpon the death of his Father But had rather sent a sort of spyes vnder the colour of friendshippe to séeke the meanes howe to destroye his Cities and whole Realme Upon the which false and vnhonest surmise of his wicked counseylers Hanon caused the one halfe of euery mans bearde to be shauen their garments to be cut of harde by the Buttockes and so sent them home agayne to Dauid with much shame and vilany Upon which occasion Dauid became his vtter enimie made such hote warre agaynst hym that in conclusion Hanon was taken and lost his Regall Crowne which Dauid put vpon his owne heade and wore it before Hanons face and caried away all his treasure and Iewels tooke his people whereof some he sawed in two péeces ouer other some he caused Cartes new and sharpe shodde with yron to be dryuen some he tooke and shred their fleshe as Cookes doe pye meate cast other some in whote burning ouens Thus was Hanon rewarded for his ingratitude Hazael was a certayne great man which serued Benhadad King of Siria which Benhadad fortuning to fall sicke sent Hazael to Eliseus the Prophet to knowe whyther he shoulde recouer of his disease or no. And when the Prophet sawe Hazael he coulde not looke hym in the face for shame but cast his heade a syde and wept Then Hazael marueyling at the Prophets behauiour towards him demaunded of Eliseus wherefore he wept I wéepe quoth the Prophet to sée the great euils that thou shalt doe to the Children of Israel Thou shalt brcake downe their strong Cities and set them on fyre and slaye theyr yong men with the sworde and dashe the braynes out of the sucking children and all to rent in péeces the women with Childe Then sayde Hazael doest thou make thy seruaunt a dogge ▪ that I shoulde lacke so much humanitie and pittie to doe these thinges Well sayde the Prophet thou shalt doe as I haue sayde for the Lorde hath shewed me that thou shalt be King of Siria And so Hazael departed home to the King his maister and tolde him that he shoulde recouer for so the Prophet had sayde vnto him But on the next morrowe when Hazael sawe his tyme he tooke a thicke cloth and dipt it in water and spread it so on the Kinges face that he dyed After whose death Hazael raigned in his stéede And being stablished in his Kingdome he made
warre with Ioram King Achabs sonne was a cruell aduersarye to Israel all the dayes of his lyfe Helkia was the hye Priest in the dayes of Iosias who in repayring the Temple of the Lorde chaunced by the prouidence of God to finde the booke of the lawe the which he sent to the King by Saphan the Scribe which he readde vnto him 2. Mac. 3. cap. Heliodorus being in great fauour with Seleucus King of Asia and Stewarde of his house was sent to Ierusalem to fet awaye the treasure out of the Temple which one Symon the gouernour thereof had betrayed vnto the king And being come to Ierusalem he was louingly receyued of Onias the hye Priest into the Citie But when Heliodorus had vttered the cause of his comming and that his commission was to bring the money vnto the King there was no small feare thorowout the whole citie For then all men from the hyest to the lowest were so oppressed with sorrowe and heauynesse that they wyste not what to doe but fell to prayer lifting vp their eyes to Heauen and calling vpon him which had made a lawe concerning stuffe giuen to kéepe that he woulde safely preserue the same which was there committed in custodie And whyle the Priestes and people were thus lamenting and crying vpon god And on the other side Heliodorus personally with his men of warre about the treasury There appeared an horse with a terrible man sitting vpon hym decte in harnasse of golde which horse smote at Heliodorus with his fore féete to beate him from the place Also there appeared twoo fayre and bewtyfull yong men in goodly apparell which stoode on eche syde of Heliodorus and scourged hym so long that he fell downe to the grounde as dead so was caryed out of the Temple without speache or hope of lyfe whereby the great power of God was manifest and knowne Then certayne of Heliodorus friendes besought Onias to call vpon God to giue him his lyfe which was euen at that time giuing vp the ghost Then Onias least the King shoulde suspect the Iewes had done him some harme called vpon God and obtayned his lyfe And being reuiued to health agayne the twoo yong men which had scourged hym before appeared and sayde Thanke Onias the hye Priest for thy lyfe at whose prayer the Lord hath restored thée and nowe that God hath scourged thée for thine offences giue him prayse and thankes and make his might and power manifest and open to all men And when the men had spoken these wordes and were vanished awaye Heliodorus made his oblacion to God and gaue heartye thankes to Onias for his lyfe and so returned home agayne to the King declaring vnto hym the great and manifest workes of God that were done vppon him The King after this being yet desirous of the treasure that was in the Temple asked of Heliodorus whome he thought méete to sende once agayne to Ierusalem for the money He aunswered saying Oh King if thou hast any enimie or traytour vnto thy Realme sende hym thyther and thou shalt be sure to haue him well punished and hardly to escape with his lyfe For doubtlesse sayde he In that place there is a speciall power and working of God for he that dwelâ—eth in heauen visiteth and defendeth that place and none escapeth vnpunished or plagued that commeth to doe it harme Thus dyd Heliodorus magnifie the power of God and would no more enter into such daunger ¶ Heliodorus the Gift of the Sonne Gen. 5. â— Henoch the sonne of Iared at the age of .65 yeres begat Mathusalâ—h and after that he liued 300. yeares and begat both sonnes and daughters and walked alwayes before the Lorde in an vpright and godlye lyfe And when he had liued 365. yeares the Lord * To inquire where Henoch became is meere curiositie tooke him away that he was no more séene ¶ Henoch Taught or dedicate Rom. 16. c. Herman was a faithfull Christen man vnto whom Paule sent commendations from Corinth to Rome ¶ Herman A proppe or vpholder or an earing 2. Tim. 1. d. Hermogenes was a faynt hollowe hearted Gospeller of the countrie of Asia which forsooke Paule and gaue him ouer whose vnfaythfulnesse Paule pronounceth to Timothie ¶ Hermogenes Begotten by Mercurie or the generation or increase of lucre or the refuge Math. 2. cap. Herode was an Idumean borne and the first stranger that reigned ouer the Iewes In whose time Christ the sauiour of the worlde by the will of God came into this worlde of whose birth he had first knowledge of the Mages or wise men which came from the East to Ierusalem demaunding there for him that was borne king of the Iewes saying that they had séene his Starre and were come to worship before him Which newes troubled Herode so sore that he sent for all the chiefe Priests and Scribes of the people to knowe of them where Christ shoulde be borne And being of them perfitely enformed that he shoulde be borne in the Citie of * For there is an other Bethleem in the Tribe of â—abulon Bethleem in Iewrie he sent for the wysemen and after inquisition made what time the starre appeared vnto them he bade them go to Bethleem and make diligent search for the chylde and when they had founde him to bring him word againe that he might go and worship him also But when they had found the childe and had made their offering they were warned of God to breake their promise with Herode and to returne home another waye Which thing being * Eusebius sayeth that Herode for this slaughter done would haue killed himselfe but being let by his seruaunt he dyed wythin fiue dayes when he had reigned 37. yeares tolde to Herode he fell into such a rage for being so mocked that in hys madnesse he sent forth ministers to Bethleem which killed al the Infants that were in the Citie and in the coastes thereof of the age of two yeares or vnder for whose great crueltie shewed vpon those Innocentes God payed him home soone after ¶ Herode the glorie of the skinne or boasting and glorying in skinnes Math. 14. a. b Herode the Tetrarch of Galile was brother to Philip Tetrarch of Iturea and being reprooued of Iohn Luke 3. 2. Baptist for kéeping his brother Philips wyfe he cast Iohn in prison where he remayned vntill Herodes birth daye was come in the which solemne feastfull daye it chanced the daughter of Philip and Herodias to daunce before Herode and pleased the King so well that he sware vnto hir that whatsoeuer shée woulde aske him it shoulde be graunted not thinking she woulde haue asked Mar. 6. cap. Iohn Baptistes heade for as S. Marke sayth Herode knowynge Iohn to bée a iust and an holye man did both feare and reuerence him and hearde his preaching and did many things thereafter and was very sorye the Mayde had asked none
that had sent Dauid so wyse a sonne to sit in his seate and graunted hym Timber of Cedar Fyrre and other precious woodde so much as he woulde desire Wherefore Salomon to gratifie Hyram agayne sent hym twentye thousande quarters of wheate and twentye Butts of Oyle and gaue him also twentye goodly Cities which Cities Hyram called the lande of Cabul forasmuch as when he sawe them they pleased hym not After this Hyram gaue to Salomon sixe score Talents of Golde and sent him Ships and men which had knowledge of the Sea to go with his Nauye into the countrey of Ophir which Shippes brought vnto Salomon * In the. 2. Par. 8. d. is menciō made of 30. talents mo whiche seeme to haue ben employed for their charges foure hundred and twentye Talents of golde ¶ Hyram The hight of Lyfe 3. Reg. 7. b. Hyram This man was a certayne wydowes sonne dwelling in the Countrie of Tyre and of the Tribe of Nepthaly and dyd so excell in all maner of workemanship that Hyram King of Tyre sent him to Salomon to worke and finishe all things that pertayned to the Temple of the Lorde which Salomon went about to edifie Hobab was the sonne of Raguel whose * Some think that Raguel Iethro Hobab and Keni were all one Kymhi sayeth that Raguel was Iethros father So Hobab was Moses father in lawe companye Num. 10. d. Moses his Father in lawe woulde so fayne haue had into the lande of Canaan that he intreated him on this wise saying We are nowe going to the place which the Lord sayde that he woulde giue vs therefore I pray thée go with vs and we will doe thée good for the Lorde hath promised good vnto Israel Then Hobab made aunswere saying I will not go but I will departe to mine owne Countrey and kindred Nay quoth Moses I pray thée forsake vs not but go with vs and be our guide for thou knowest our comping places in the wildernesse and whatsoeuer goodnesse the Lorde shall shewe vnto vs the same will we she we vnto thée But all this coulde not mooue Hobab but that he woulde depart And so returned home into his owne countrey agayne ¶ Hobab Beloued Iudith 2. cap. Holofernes was the chiefe and most terrible Captaine of all Nabuchodonosors hoste sent of him to subdue all the worlde And comming to the Citie of Bethulia 14. b. where all the Iewes lay in great feare of him and his power he was there by Gods prouision slayne by the handes of an holy woman called Iudith Read hir storie ¶ Holofernes A stoute and valiant Captaine 1. Reg. 1. a. Hophni and Phinehes the twoo sonnes of Ely were the Lordes Priestes and became so wicked that they abused the women that wayted at the doore of the Tabernacle of wytnesse And whereas the law was that 2. c. d e. whenseeuer any man did make any offering the Priests boye should come whyle the fleshe was a séething and not before with a fleshe hooke in his hande hauing thrée téeth which he shoulde thrust into the Panne Kettle or whatsoeuer vessell it were and so much as the flesh hooke brought vp was the Priestes part and no more yet notwithstanding this lawe the Priestes boye woulde come before the fleshe was sodde and require flesh to rost for the Priest and say vnto him that made the offering that his Maister woulde haue no sod fleshe but rawe And if he woulde not giue it him then woulde the boye take it by violence By the which abusing of the Lawe the Lordes offering was had in such contempt among the people that they began to abhorre it Wherefore the Lorde plagued the sonnes of Eli permitting the Philistines 4. c. to slea them both in one day ¶ Hophni a Fyst or as much as one may comprehende betweene his thumbe and two fingers or couering 4. Reg. 15. g. 17. cap. Hosea the sonne of Ela by treason slue Pekah the sonne of Remaliahu King of Israel and possessed hys place and began his reigne in the .xij. yere of Ahas king This was the last King that reigned ouer Israel of Iuda and did euill in the sight of the Lorde but not so euill as other Kings before him He denyed to pay Tribute to the Assirians and sent to the King of Egypt to haue his ayde agaynst them wherefore Salmanasar King of Assiria came against Hosea and besieged him in Samaria thrée yeares and in the ende wanne the Citie destroyed his kingdome and ledde Hosea and all his people captine into Assiria Thus was Israel nowe deliuered into the handes of spoylers for their wickednesse which the Lorde had long suffred ¶ Hosea a Sauiour or health 4. Reg. 22. d. Hulda the wyfe of Sallum was a Prophetesse dwelling in Ierusalem in a place called the house of doctrine To whome Iosia King of Iuda sent certayne messengers to inquire of the Lorde for him and hys people concerning the booke of the Lawe which was founde in the Temple and red before him and when they had done their message the Prophetesse made aunswere saying Go and tell the man that sent you to me Thus sayth the Lorde beholde I will bring euill vpon this place and vpon the inhabiters thereof euen all the wordes of the booke which the King of Iuda hath readde bicause they haue forsaken me and haue burnt incense to other gods to anger me with all the works of their hands My wrath also shall be kindled agaynst this place and shall not be quenched But to the King of Iuda who sent you to inquire of the Lorde so shall ye say vnto him Thus sayth the Lorde God of Israel the wordes that thou hast heard shall come to passe But bicause that thine hart did melt and thou hast humbled thy selfe before the Lorde when thou heardest what I spake agaynst this place and against the inhabiters of the same howe they shoulde be destroyed and accursed and hast rent thy clothes and wept before mée I haue also hearde it sayth the Lorde Beholde therefore I will gather thée vnto thy fathers and thou shalt be put in thy graue in peace and thine eyes shall not sée all the euill that I will bring vpon this place And so the Messengers departed and tolde the King. ¶ Hulda the worlde ▪ or a Weesell Hur came of the Tribe of Iuda and * This is not that Hur which came of the kinrede of Caleb although they came both of the Tribe of Iuda but an other of the same name Lyra vppon 1. Par. 2. c. This Hur was husband to miriam sister to Moses was one of the Exod. 17. d. principall fathers and Rulers vnder Moses He and Aaron 24. d. 31. a. stayed vp the handes of Moses whyle the Chyldren of Israel fought with King Amalech And was also appointed with Aaron afterwarde to heare and determine all matters of controuersie among the people till Moses
came downe from the Mount againe where vnto he was ascended ¶ Hur Libertie whytenesse or a hole Husai the Arachite was ‡ 2. Reg. 15. d. 16. c. a man of great wisedome one of Dauids chiefe Counsaylers his assured friend as it well appeared when he came vnto him being fled from Absalom his sonne with his clothes regt and ashes vpon his head declaring thereby the great sorowe and heauynesse he was in to sée his Lord and mayster in that case of whose comming Dauid was greatly comforted But forasmuch as he thought he shuld do him more pleasure otherwise than to go with him now he said Oh my most deare friend Husai if thou doest go with me now at this tyme thou shalt be but a burthen vnto me But if thou wilt returne into Ierusalem and say vnto Absalom I will be thy seruant O King and serue thée as I haue done thy father thou mayst for my sake destroy the counsell of Achitophell and thereby doe me great pleasure So Husai gat him to Absalom saying God saue the King God saue the King What quoth Absalom is this the kyndenesse thou she west to thy friende Howe chaunceth it that thou wentest not with him Nay sayde Husai but whome the Lorde and this people and all the men of Israel hath chosen his will I be and with hym will I dwell to whome shall I doe seruice but to hys sonne as I serued before thy father so will I serue thée Then when Absalom had retayned Husai to be of his Counsell he sayde vnto him Achitophell hath counsayled thus and thus to doe shall we doe thereafter or no. Husai answered the Counsell that Achitophell hath giuen is not good at this time For sayd he thou knowest thy father and his men howe they be strong and now being chafed in their myndes are euen as a Beare robbed of hir Whelpes in the fielde And also thy father is a man practised in warre and maketh no tarying wyth the people Beholde he lurketh nowe in some Caue or in some other strong place and though some of his men be ouerthrowen at the first brunt it will be sayde that thy people is ouerthrowen and so shall the best men thou hast whose hearts are as the hearts of Lyons shrynke thereat For all Israel knoweth thy father to be a man of great might and his warriours stoute men Therefore my counsell is that all Israel be gathered togither vnto thée from Dan to Béerseba which are in number as the sande of the sea And that thou go to battell in thyne owne person For so shall we come vpon him in one place or other where we shall finde him and fall vpon hym as thicke as the dewe falleth vpon the grounde and of all the men that are with him we shall not leaue him one Moreouer if he be gotten into a towne then shall all the men of Israell bring roapes to that towne or Citie we will drawe it into the riuer vntill there be not one stone founde there This counsell of Husai pleased Absalom and the people better than Achitophels which was euen the Lordes detâ—rmination to destroy the good counsell of Achitophel that the Lorde might bring euill vpon Absalom And so when Husai had done according to Dauids request he caused Sadoch and Abiathar the Priestes to sende Dauid worde of all that was done whereby he escaped ¶ Husai Sense or making haste or holding his peace I. IAbes was so named of his mother bicause she bare him in sorrowe He being more honorable than the reast of his brethren made a condicionall vow vnto God saying If thou wilt blesse me in déede and inlarge my coastes and if thine hande be with me and thou wylt cause me to be deliuered from cuill that I be not hurt Thus farre goeth his request which was graunted Iabyn was the King of Canaan whose Captayne of warre was Sisera Twentie yeares he troubled Israel very sore But at the last he was ouercome of the Israelites and brought to naught There was another King called Iabyn also whome Iosua slue and destroyed his Citie called Hazor as yée shall reade in Iosua Chap. 11. Iacob was the yongest sonne of Isaac and brother to Esau whose byrthright he bought for a mease of pottage and afterwarde by the counsell of Rebecca hys mother got away his blessing And then to auoyde his brothers displeasure he was sent into Mesopotamia to Laban his Mothers brother to get him a Wyfe And chaunceing to come to a place where he was benighted he tooke a stone and layde it vnder his heade and fell a sléeue And in his dreame he sawe a Ladder stande vppon the earth reaching vp to heauen and the Angels of God ascending and descending vpon it and God himselfe standing vpon the Ladder sayde I am the Lorde God of Abraham thy father and the God of Isaac the lande which thou sléepest vpon will I giue to thée and thy seede and thy séede shall be as the dust of the earth thou shalt spreade abroade to the West to the East to the North and to the South And thorowe thée and in thy séede shall all the kinreds of the earth be blessed Behold I am with thée and will be thy kéeper in all places where thou goest and will bring thée agayne into thys lande neyther will I leaue thée vntill I haue made good all that I haue promised Then Iacob awaking out of sléepe sayde Surely the Lorde is in this place and I was not aware Oh how fearefull is this place it is none other but the house of God and the gate of heauen Then Iacob gate him vp earely in the morning and tooke the stone which he slept vpon and set it vp as a pyller to be a remembrance of that vision and poured oyle vpon it and called the place Bethel which before was called Lus. And before his departing he vowed saying If God will be with me and kéepe me in this iourney which I go and will giue me breade to eate and clothes to couer me so that I come againe to my fathers house in safety then shall the Lorde be my God and this stone which I haue set vp an ende shall be Gods house and of all that thou giuest me will I giue the tenth vnto thée And so Iacob going on his iourney came into the East countrey where in beholding the lande he sawe certayne heardemen lying with their flockes of shéepe besyde a Well at the which they commonly vsed to water their shéepe to whom he went demanded whence they were They said of Haran Doe ye not know quoth he one Laban the sonne of Nahor Yea sayde they we knowe him well He is in health And beholde yonder commeth his daughter Rachel to water hir fathers shéepe who was no sooner come but Iacob went to the Well and rolled away the stone from the Welles mouth and
grounde Which done she went and stoode in hir Tent dore and séeing Baruck pursuing Sisera she went mette hym saying Come and go with mée and I will shewe thée the man whome thou séekest and so he followed Iael who brought him into hir tent where Sisera laye dead Iair was a Gileadite borne He had .xxx. sonnes which were men of authoritie for they rode vppon .xxx. Asses colts And they had xxx Cities lying in the lande of Gilead which Cities were called the townes of Iair He reigned .xxij. yeares After whose death the Children of Israel fell to wickednesse agayne and serued Baalim and Astharoth the gods of Siria other straunge gods for the which the Lord was wroth with Israel and solde them into the hands of the Philistynes and Ammonites which oppressed them so sore by the space of .xviij. yeares That thâ—y were fayne to cry for helpe of the lord Who then sayde vnto them Dyd not I when yée cryed vnto mée deliuer you from the Egiptians the Amorites the Ammonites the Philistines the Sidonites the Amalakites and the Moabites which nacions had oppressed you And yet haue ye now forsaken me and serue theyr gods Therfore crie vnto these gods whom yée haue chosen and let them helpe you in your tribulacion for I will deliuer you no more Oh Lord said they we haue sinned doe vnto vs whatsoeuer pleaseth thée Then had the Lord so great compassion and pittie on the miserye of Israel that he styrred vp a man one Iephtah who by the power of God saued them Iames the sonne of Zebede and brother to Iohn was a poore fisherman and being in the ship with his father mending of his net Iesus came by and called him who immediately left his shippe his father and all and went after Iesus and was one of his Apostles and receyued with his brother the name of Bonarges which is to saye The sonnes of thunder Math. 10. a. Iames the lesse was the sonne of Alphâ—us and Marie sister to Marie the Lords mother And being bishop He suffered martyrdome in the. vi yere of Nero. of Ierusalem he wrote to the Iewes that were scattered abroade after the persecution and death of Steuen Instructing them with sundry precepts howe to order their lyues 2 Tim. 3. b. Iannes and Iambres were twoo false Sorcerers of Egypt who in the time of Moses with their enchantments Exo. 7. b. went about to put those miraculous woonders out of credence that Moses by the power of God did And euen as they withstoode Moses so do the aduersaries of the Gospell at this day and euer will resist the truth vnder a certaine false pretence of godlynesse Gen. 9. d. Iapheth was the youngest of Noes thrée sonnes who being enformed of his fathers vnséemely lying a The nations that came of his children Of Gomer came the Italians Of Magog the Scitians of them the Turkes Of Madai the Medes Of Iauan the Greekes Of Tubal the Spanyards Of Mosoch the Moscouites and of Tiras the Thracians Lanquet sléepe in his Tent tooke a garment and bare it betwene him and Sem on their shoulders and comming toward their father ashamed to looke on his nakednesse tourned their faces backwarde and so couered their fathers priuiâ—ies For the which déede Noe hauing knowledge thereof blessed them saying to Iapheth on this wise God shall enlarge Iapheth and he shall dwell in the Tentes of Sem and Canaan shall be their seruant ¶ Iapheth perswading or entycing Iairus was * Mark. 5. c. d one of the Rulers of the Synagoge among the Iewes whose daughter of the age of twelue yeares lay sicke and at the poynt of death And hearing of the fame of Iesus went and fell downe at his féete beséeching him that he would come home to his house lay his hande vpon his daughter that by the touching therof she might be safe and lyue And while there was an occasion giuen whereby to reforme the vnperfect fayth of the Ruler and that by the ensample of a woman diseased with an issue of bloude .xij. yeares there came certaine * Luk. 8. f. g. messengers from the Rulers house which sayde vnto him that his daughter was deade wherefore it shoulde not néede to trouble the Maister anye further Then Iesus perceyuing the Ruler to be as a man in dispayre sayde vnto him Be not afrayde for although thy daughter be deade in déede onely beléeue and thy daughter shall liue And so Iesus went home to the Rulers house and raised vp his daughter from death to life ¶ Iairus Lightning or being lightned Gen. 5. d. Iared was the sonne of Mahalaleel who liued an hundred sixtie and two yeares and then begat Henoch and liued after that eyght hundred yeares and begat sonnes and daughters And when he had liued in all nine hundred sixtie and two yeares he dyed ¶ Iared Commaunding or descending 2. Mac. b. 4. cap. Iason was a wicked man and so desirous of honor that he laboured his owne brother Onias out of the hye Priestes office promising Antiochus the King to gyue him for the same thrée hundred and thrée score talentes of siluer and of another rent foure score And also if the King woulde licence him to set vp a place for exercise a place for the youth and to name them of Ierusalem Antiochians he promised an hundred and fiftie Talents And when these things was graunted to Iason and that he had got the superioritie he beganne immediately to drawe his kinsmen to the customes of the heathen abolishing the lawes and priuiledges of the Iewes he brought in newe statutes contrary to the lawe of god So that thorowe the exceeding wickednesse of this vngodly man Iason the people had a great desire to follow the maner of the Gentyles The Priestes also had no lust in seruing the Lorde but in casting the stone and such wanton sportes Nowe after thrée yeres when Iason shoulde paye the King his money which he had promised for his brothers office he sent it by one whome he most trusted called Menclaus who gate the office from Iason as appeareth more plainly in his storie Then Iason being thus deceyued by Menelaus was fayne to flye into the lande of the Ammonites remayning there till he might spye a time to be reuenged And when hée hearde the rumor that went abrode of Antiochus death he gat him a bonde of men to the number of a thousande or mo and came sodenlye vppon the Citie killing and slaying his owne Citizens without mercie regarding neyther kinne nor friende But neuerthelesse when he coulde not spéede of his purpose he fledde into the lande of the Ammonites againe Where in the ende it came to this poynt that he was accused to Areta King of the Arabians and so abhorred of all men and he was pursued from Citie to Citie and driuen into Egypt And going from thence to the Lacedemonians thinking by
to kill them all and to bring their heades on the next morrowe to Iezrael And when they for feare had fulfilled his commaundement and brought their heades to him Iehu fell vpon the murtherers and slue them also And in the waye to Samaria he slue the brethren of Ahaziahu euen fortie and two which were going to visite Achabs sonnes Finally he trained all the Priests of Baal into the Temple of Baal and there slue them euery one conuerted the temple to a Iakes house And now when Iehu had left neyther Priest Kinseman nor any that fauoured Achab aliue the Lord for his well dooing made him this promise that his séede shoulde sit on the seate of Israel vntill the fourth generation But notwithstanding that Iehu had thus seuerely punished the vice of Idolatrie in Achabs posteritie yet he himselfe committed the same in worshipping the golden Calues and caused Israel to sinne as other before him had done He reygned .xxviij. yeares ¶ Iehu He himselfe or that which is Iudic. 11. cap. Iephtah was the sonne of Gilead base borne whose brethren which were legittimate thrust him out of their companie and so hated him that they coulde not suffer him to remayne among them wherfore Iephtah departed and fled into the lande of Tob where vnto him resorted all naughtie and light persons Nowe in the meane time that Iephtah was thus a straunger from his brethren the Ammonites made sore warre agaynst the Israelites so that they were in great ieoperdie and feare to be ouercome of them Then the Elders of Gilead considering Iephtah to be a strong and a valiant man went to Tob where he laye to intreate him to be their Captayne against the Ammonites Howe commeth thys quoth Iephtah that ye come to me in the time of your trouble did ye not hate me and * Often tymes those things which men reiect God chooseth to doe greater enterprises by expell me out of my fathers house Therefore sayde they are we turned to thée that thou mayest go with vs and be our heade and ruler But will ye promise nowe quoth Iephtah that when the Lorde shall deliuer the Ammonites into my hande ye will make me then your heade and gouernour They sayde yea And so he went with the Elders who brought him to Mizpa and being there made and confirmed their heade and Ruler he sent his messengers to the King of Ammon demauÌ„ding what cause he had to striue with Israel who answered and sayde Bicause they tooke away my countrie when they came from Egypt which if they will now restore agayne I will cease from warre Then Iephtah sent him worde agayne that Israel tooke not his lande from him but comming from Egypt and passing through the wildernesse euen to the redde Sea they remayned at Cades and sent to Sehon King of the Ammorites to suffer them quietlye to passe thorowe his Countrie And bicause he woulde not shewe them this kyndenesse the Lorde deliuered both him and his land into their hands and shall they dispossesse themselues of that which the Lord hath giuen them Nay not so Looke what people Chamos thy God driueth out that land possesse thou whatsoeuer nation the Lord our God expelleth that will we enioy Art thou better than Balac King of Moab did he not stryue with Israel and fight agaynst them all the whyle they laye in Hesbon and there about 300. yeares and why didst thou not recouer thy lande in all that space Thou doest mée wrong to warre against me for I haue not offended thée and therfore the Lorde be Iudge betwéene thée and me But when Iephtah perceyued the Ammonites not to regarde his words he prepared his armie to set vpon them And before his going made this vowe vnto the Lorde That if he did deliuer the Ammonites into his hande the first thing that met him out of his doores at his returne home againe shoulde be the Lordes and he woulde offer it vp vnto him for a burnt offering And when he had subdued the Ammonites and was comming homewarde to hys house the first thing that met him out at his doores was his owne daughter who for ioye of hir fathers victorie came against him with Timbrels and daunces Then Iephtah séeing his onely chylde come agaynst him with a companie of women after hir he rent his clothes and sayde Alas my daughter thou hast brought me lowe and art one of them that doe trouble mée for I haue opened my mouth vnto the Lorde and cannot go backe To whome she sayde Oh my father if thou hast promysed to the Lorde then forasmuch as the Lord hath auenged thée and giuen thée victorie ouer thine enimies doe with me according to thy promise But yet this one thing I shall desire of thée to spare me for two monthes that I may go downe to the Mountaynes and there with my my fellowes * For it was counted as a shame in Israel to dye without children bewayle my Virginitie Which done she returned to hir father who did with hir according as he had vowed vnto the Lorde After this the Ephraites fell at deâ—iance with Iephtah bicause he had not called them to take his part against the Ammonites and for this matter was a fielde pitched betwéene them and the Gileadites and a great battell foughten in the which the Ephraites were put to flight and séeking to haue escaped ouer Iordan the Gileadites had preuented them and stopped the passage that no Ephraite shoulde escape that way And to knowe who was an Ephraite and who was not the Gileadites vsed this policie if any preased to go euer the water they woulde bidde him say * Schibboleth signifieth the fall of waters or an eare of corne Schybboleth and as many as coulde not say Schibboleth they slue him for by that they knewe he was au Ephraite for the Ephraites coulde not sounde nor say Schibboleth but Sibboleth And so were slaine of the Ephraites that daye two and twentie thousande Iephtah vuled Israel vj. yeares and dyed ¶ Iephtah Opening Iere. 1. 2. Ieremy was the sonne of Helkia whome some thinke to be he that founde out the booke of the lawe and gaue it to Iosia He was borne in a citie called Anathoth Epiphanius wryteth that this Prophet Ieremy was slayne of hys people at a citie in Egipt called â—aphnis in the Countrie of Beniamin and by the commaundement of God began very yong to prophecie that is in the .xiij. yeare of Iosias and continued .xviij. yeares vnder the saide King and thrée monthes vnder Iehoahas and vnder Iehoakym .xi. yeares and thrée monthes vnder Iehoachin and vnder Zedekia .xi. yeares vnto the time they were caried away into Babilon So that the tyme amounteth to aboue fortie yeares beside the time that he prophecied after the captiuitie This storie is drawne out of Geneua in the Argument before the booke of Ieremie the Prophet ¶ Ieremy the Maiestie or highnesse of the Lorde Iudic. 6.
heauen in the likenesse of a Doue and lighted vppon him and also the voyce of the father was heard from heauen saying This is my welbeloued sonne in whome I am well pleased heare him And after he had finished the legacie of his father and opened the Doctrine of eternall life to the people and confirmed the same with myracles he was at the age of .xxxiij. yeares or there about betrayed of his owne disciple Iudas Math. 26. b. and by the Iewes his owne peculiar people most cruellye put to death at what tyme of his passion was a great earthquake and at sixe a clocke of the daye such a terrible Eclipse of the Sunne that for darckenesse it séemed to be very night The thirde day hée arose agayne 28. a. from death to lyfe In token he conquered sinne death and Satan And on the fourtie daye to declare himselfe Act. 1. b. to be a mightie a puissant Conquerour he ascended into heauen where he sitteth at the right hande of the Father And the fiftie day according to his promise he sent downe the true comforter the holy Ghost which shoulde leade the Apostles into all truth At the ende and last day of the world he shall come agayne with glorye to Iudge the quicke and the dead He suffered his passion the yeare after the creation of the Worlde 3994. or there about ¶ Iesus A Sauiour Eccl. 1. cap. Iesus the sonne of Sirach being among the Captiues in Egipt in the tyme of King Ptolomy Energets got libertie to reade and write many good things which Iesus his Graundfather had gathered and left them with Sirach his sonne which thinges this Iesus tooke and put in order in a booke which is called Ecclesiasticus or the wisedome of Iesus the sonne of Sirach Coll. 4. c. Iesus otherwise called Iustus was a Iewe borne and one of Paules workefellowes in preaching and setting foorth the Kingdome of God whome he commended to the Collossians desiring them that if he or anye such dyd come vnto them they shoulde receyue and entreate them with all gentlenesse Exod. 4. c. 18. cap. Iethro the Priest of Madian had seauen daughters of the which one was called Zephora whome he maried to Moses And when that Iethro had hearde of all the mightie déedes which God had done for Moses and howe he had deliuered the children of Israel out of Egipt from the bondage of Pharao and brought them thorow the red Sea he mette Moses in the Wildernesse and brought to him his wife and twoo children which he had sent backe before at whose comming Moses was excéeding glad Then as Iethro abode with Moses and sawe the great paynes he tooke in iudging the people from morning to night he sayde vnto him what is this that thou doest vnto the people Why sittest thou thy selfe alone and all the people stand about thée from morning vnto euen When the people quoth Moses haue any matter they come vnto mée and I iudge betwéene one and an other and declare vnto them the statutes and lawes of god Thou doest not well quoth Iethro for thou both wearyest thy selfe and the people that is with thée The thing is of The counsell of Iethro Moses father in lawe more weyght than thou arte able to performe alone Therefore heare my counsayle God shall prosper thée Be thou for the people to God warde and report the causes to him Admonish them of the ordinances and lawes and shewe them the waye wherein they must walke and the worke that they must doe Moreouer séeke out among the people men of courage and such as feare God true dealing men hating couetousnesse and appoint them to be rulers ouer thousands ouer hundreds ouer fiftie and ouer ten And let them iudge the people at all seasons and euery great matter let them bring it to thée But al small causes let them iudge themselues and so shall it be easier for thée when they shall beare the burthen with thée If thou shalt doe this thing and God so commaund thée thou shalt be able to endure and all the people shall go quietly to their place ¶ Iethro Excellent or remayning or searching foorth or a little corde 2. Reg. 2. cap. Ioab was the sonne of Zerniah Dauids Sister and the chiefe Captayne of all Dauids hoste In the first battell he made against Abner King Saules Captayne he was the victor and put Abner to flight and of malice afterwarde by treason slue him for â—he which déede Dauid 3. d. e. was fore offended that he besought God to auenge it on Ioab and that his house and posteritie might alwaies be plagued with the bloudy flixe leprosie feblenesse of bodie the swoorde or famine for the death of Abner Ioab also was the death of Absalom and slue him as he 18. d. hanged by the haire of his heade vpon the twist of a trée And when it was tolde him of the great lamentacion the King made for Absalom his sonne he went vnto him and saide Thou hast this day shamed the faces of all thy seruaunts 19. a. b. which this day haue saued thy lyfe and the liues of all thy sonnes and daughters the lyues of thy wiues and Concubins in that thou louest thine enimies and hatest thy friendes For thou hast declared this daye that thou regardest neither thy Princes nor seruants Therefore I doe perceyue that if Absalom had lyued and all we had bene slayne this day that then it had pleased thée well Nowe therefore vp and come out and speake comfortably vnto thy seruaunts for I sweare by the Lorde except thou come out there will not tary one man with thée this night and that wil be woorse vnto thée than all 20. cap â–ª the euill that fell on thée from thy youth hitherto Also in persecuting of Seba which had made a new insurrection against Dauid he mette Amasa his Auntes sonne by the way and * Lyra supposeth that Ioab slue Amasa of enuy bicause Dauid had made an othe in the Chapter before that Amasa shuld be his Captaine in Ioabs steade slue him and leauing him dead on the ground he followed Seba and besieged him in a Citie called Abell where the Gouernesse of the Citie being a wise woman cried vnto Ioab demaunding why he went about to destroy that Citie which was a Mother in Israel and to deuour the inheritance of the Lorde before he had offered peace To whome he aunswered saying That he went about no such matter but I come quoth he for Seba the sonne of Bichri deliuer me him and I will be gone and as soone as the heade of Seba was throwen ouer the wall to Ioab he departed Finallye after the death of Dauid who had ordeyned Salomon to reigne in hys steade Ioab tooke part with Adonia Salomons brother which vsurped the kingdome and went about with all his power to stablishe him in Dauids seate But when he hearde Salomon proclaimed
by Dauids authoritie he fled to the Tabernacle of the Lorde out of the which he woulde not depart but catching holde on the * The holynesse of the place ought not to saue the wilfull murther Exo. 21. b. corners of the Aultar sayde he woulde euen in that place dye Then Salomon hearing thereof commaunded Banaihahu to go and kill him euen there for the bloude of Abner and Amasa which he had shed causelesse And so was Ioab slayne in the Tabernacle and caried out and buried in his owne house in the wildernesse ¶ Ioab willing â–ª or voluntarie Luk. 8. a. 24 a Ioanna the wyfe of Chusa Herodes Stewarde was a godly Woman and ministred vnto Christ of hir substance while he liued And after he had suffered his passion she went with other women to séeke him at hys Sepulchre And being tolde by the Aungels that he was not there returned to the Apostles to bring them tydings of his resurrection which séemed to them but feyned things and therefore beléeued them not ¶ Ioanna the grace of the Lorde or the Lordes gift or the Lordes mercy .6 Isachar onusto cur sim simulatus asello Inque manu signet quid ligo scire capis Finibus exiguis coÌ„tentus ferre lahores Me iuuat et collo non recusare iugum 4. Reg. 13. b. c. d. Ioas the sonne of Iehoahas began his reygne ouer Israel in the .xxxvij. yeare of Ioas King of Iuda and did euil in the sight of the Lord grieuing him with the sinnes of Ieroboam the sonne of Nebab Of the great victorie 2. Par. 25. c. f. g. the Lorde gaue Ioas against Amasiah King of Iuda reade his storie And howe he visited Elizeus the Prophete in his sicknesse reade the last ende of his story also This King reygned .xvi. yeares and dyed leauing Ieroboam his sonne to take his place Iob. 1. cap. Iob was a perfect iust man dwelling in the lande of Hus and one that feared God who gaue vnto him seauen sonnes and thrée daughters and also endued him with great riches His substance was .7000 shéepe .3000 Camels .500 yoake of Oxen 500. she Camels and a very great housholde So that he was one of the moste principall men among all them of the East Countrie He was so carefull ouer his sonnes least in their banketting they had committed some offence or bene vnthankfull to God in their heartes that he dayly woulde sanctifie them and offer for euerye one a burnt offering vnto the Lorde he was a man also replenished with such pacience that Sathan with all his temptacions coulde not mooue him out of the same for when worde was brought him how that the Sabes had taken away his Oxen and slayne his seruants and that the Lorde had consumed all his shéepe with fire and that the Chaldeys had taken away his Camels and howe that all his Children were slaine in their eldest brothers house which the lâ—ynde blewe downe vppon them he made no more a doe but said Naked came I cut of my mothers wombe and naked shall I returne agayne The Lorde gaue and the Lorde hath taken away euen as it hath pleased the Lorde so is it come to 2. cap. passe blessed be the name of the Lorde Also when Satan by the permission of God had plagued Iob with extreme sores euen from the sole of the foote to the crowne of his heade so that he sate vpon the grounde in dust and ashes scraping off the filth of his sores with a potsherde and being also inwardly afflicted with the sharpe temptacion of his wife which tempted him to blaspheme God he tooke all in good woorth reproouing his wife for hir foolishe talking for shall we quoth he receyue good at the hande of God and not receyue euill not so I am as well content to suffer this aduersitie sent of the Lorde as I was to receyue the prosperitie he gaue me before And so Iob continued in his perfitenesse and was at the last Iob. 42. c. d. restored to as manye children as he had before and to double riches He liued an hundred and fortie yeares and sawe his chylders chyldren to the fourth generation before he dyed ¶ Iob Sorrowfull or hated Iochebed was the daughter of Leuy and * She was Amrams fathers sister which kynde of mariage was after in the lawe forbidden Leuit 18. borne in Exod. 6. c. Num. 26. g. Egipt Hir husbandes name was Amram to whom she bare thrée children Aaron Moses and a daughter called Miriam ¶ Iochebed Glorious Iocsan was the sonne ‡ Gen. 25. a. of Abraham begotten of his wife Cetura his twoo children were called the one Seba and the other Dedan ¶ Iocsan Hardnesse or Offence Ioel the sonne of Phatuel was * Ioel. 1. 2. 3. cap. an holy Prophet and prophecied against the Iewes exhorting the Priests ‡ 1. Par. 1. c. to prayer and fasting for the misery that was comming at hande And giuing them warning of the comming and crueltie of their enimies mooued them to turne and conuert And last of all he setteth out the Iudgement of God against the enimies of his people ¶ Ioel willing or beginning Iere. 40. d. Iohanan the sonne of Cariah Prophecied to Gedaliah whom Nabuchodonosor King of Babilon had made gouernour ouer the people that he left at Ierusalem that Ismael the sonne of Nathaniah by the procurement of Baal King of the Ammonites shoulde kill hym which came so to passe in déede as ye shall reade in the storye of Gedaliah After whose death Iohanan with the reast of 41. ca. 42. ca. the Captaynes ouer the Iewes persecuted Ismael and recouered from him all the people which he had caryed awaye and put Ismael to flight Then Iohanan fearing the Chaldeys bicause of the death of Gedaliah consulted with the reast of the Captaynes and agréede to conueigh themselues all the people into Egipt and asked counsell of Ieremie the Prophete who had dwelt quietlye in the lande vnder Gedaliah whither it were best so to doe or no who made them aunswere that if they went into Egipt they shoulde perishe but if they taryed still in the lande God would surely so defende them that the Chaldeys 43. a. shoulde not hurt them yet they of a prowde minde despising the counsell of Ieremie and taking his wordes for lyes ledde the people awaye into Egipt to their vtter destruction Luke 1. cap. Iohn Baptist the sonne of Zacharye was sanctified in the wombe of Elizabeth his mother and ordayned of God to be an abstayner and to go before the Lord in the spirite and power of Helias to prepare his waye and make ready a perfect people vnto him thorowe preaching the amendement of life and baptizing in the water Luk. 3. a. b. c. d of repentaunce And was a man of so great perfection and holinesse of life that the people stoode in a doubt whither that he were
began his raigne ouer Israel after his brother Ahazia in the eyghtene * In the first Chapter of the fourth booke of Kings it is sayd that this man began his reygne in the seconde yeare of Ioram the sonne of Iosaphat whiche is thus to bee vnderstande Iosaphat going to battell agaynst the Sirians made his son Ioram King in the .xvii. yeare of his reygne and in the .xviii. yere which was the seconde yeare of hys sonne thys man began his reygne yeare of Iosaphat King of Iuda and wrought euill in the sight of the Lorde but not like vnto his father for he tooke away the Image of Baal which his father had made neuerthelesse he sacrificed to the golden Calues still which Ieroboam had made The King of Moab was woont yerely to render to the King of Israel an hundred thousand lambs and so many Rammes with the wooll bycause he now refused to pay this tribute to Ioram he warred agaynst him hauing to take his parte Iosaphat the King of Iuda and the King of Edom by whose helpe and chiefelye Eliseus reade the place in his storie he ouercame the Moabites Also the Sirians coulde lye no where but Ioram had knowledge by Eliseus who tolde him of all their secrete lurking places by which meanes Ioram euer saued him selfe Wherefore the King of Siria sent and bèsieged the towne rounde about where the Prophet Eliseus laye And as his seruaunt was going foorth in the morning about his maisters businesse and saw the towne so compassed with enimiâ—s he ranne ‡ 6. cap. in agayne crying Alas maister what shall we doe for the Sirians are come vpon vs Feare not quoth Eliseus for they that be with vs are me than they that be with them And by and by the eyes of his seruaunt were so opened that he saw the mounteynes lye full of horses and fyrie Charrettes to defende his maister And now when the SiriaÌ„s were come to Eliseus and thought themselues most surest of hym they were at his prayer smitten with such blindnesse that they coulde not knowe the Prophete when he spake vnto them saying that that was not the towne where the man laye which they sought but followe mée quoth he and I will bring you to the place where he is and so hée ledde them foorth and brought them into the Citie of Samaria where Ioram laye who séeing now his enimies to be in his daunger sayde to Eliseus Father shall I smite them No sayde he Smite those which thou takest with thine owne swoorde and bowe but rather set bread and water before them that they maye eate and drinke and so departe to their maister Then the King prepared a great refection for the Sirians and filled their bellyes well and sent them home againe for the which gentle intreatie of Ioram the King of Siria neuer troubled hym more After this when Benhadad King of Siria had besieged Samaria so long till women were constrayned to rate their owne children Ioram tooke such displeasure with Eliseus laying the cause vpon him that in his furye he sent to take away his heade Which thing being reuealed to the Prophet he sayde to his friends that were with him in his house Sée yée not how these murtherers sonne hath sent to take awaye my heade Take héede and be circumspect when the Messenger commeth and kéepe him at the dore for the sounde of his Maisters féete is behinde him which was euen so for the Kinges minde altered he followed the Messenger and came to the Prophet himselfe saying This euill is of the Lorde and what more shall I looke for of hym No more sayde the 4. Reg. 7. a. Prophet For to morow this tyme shall a bushell of fine flower be solde for a sicle and twoo bushels of Barley for another sicle in the gate of Samaria which came so to passe the next daye for the great hoste of the Sirians at the sounde of the féete of foure lepers were runne away and had left all their tentes behinde them Finally to fulfill 9. c. f. the worde of the Lorde concerning the destruction of Achabs posteritie Ioram was slayne with an arrowe â—hot of by Iehu and his bodie cast into a platte of ground that was Nabothes the Iesraelite after he had reygned twelue yeares 4. Reg. 8. d. Ioram the sonne of Iosaphat was twoo an thirtie 2. Par. 21. cap. yeare olde when he began to reygne ouer Iuda He maryed King Achabs daughter whose wicked steppes he followed He slue all his owne brethren with diuers of his nobles The Edomites which had béene subiect from Dauids tyme hitherto rebelled nowe agaynst Ioram Also Libna which was a certayne Citie in Iuda giuen to the Leuites Iosua â–ª 21. b. woulde no more be vnder his hande bycause he had forsaken the Lord God of their Fathers The Prophetes letter Finally the Prophet Eliseus to admonishe him of his wickednesse wrote to Ioram on this wise The Lorde sayth bycause thou hast not walked in the wayes of Iosaphat thy father nor in the wayes of Asa thy Graundfather but in the wayes of the Kinges of Israel and hast made Iuda to go a whoring after the house of Achab and hast also slayne thy brethren euen thy fathers house who were better men than thy selfe Therefore with a great plague will the Lorde smite thy folke thy children thy wyues and all thy goodes And thou shalt be diseased in thy bowels which day by daye shall fall out of thy bodie And so the Lord styrred vp agaynst Ioram the Philistines the Arabians with the blacke Moores which wasted his Countrey and caryed awaye his substaunce his wyues and al his sonnes saue Ahaziahu the yoongest and smote him with an incurable disease in his bowels which helde hâ—m two yeares till all his gutts fell out and so died after he had reygned eyght yeares ¶ Ioram the bighnesse of the Lorde Filius accrescens aspectu pulcher Ioseph Faemineo e turri conuitio petâ—â—â—â— Inuideam mihi cotraxit mea uita pudica Quodque manus leuibê° sit mihi proÌ„â—â—â— Gen. 30. d. 37. cap. Ioseph the sonne of Iacob and Rachel was in hys youth of his father aboue all other beloued in so much that he made him a coate of many colours But his brethren hated him bicause his dreames signified vnto them that he should be Lorde ouer them all and they his seruantes And being at the age of .xvij. yeares he was sent to them with victualles where they laye with their shéepe at Dothan who seeing him come a farre of began to deryde and mocke him saying Beholde where the Dreamer commeth and counsayled togithers to kyll him but Ruben the eldest brother woulde not consent to that Wherfore at his comming they stripped him out of his coate and cast him into an emptie pit And as certaine Ismaelites passed by they solde Ioseph to them for twentie pence of siluer and tooke his Coate and dipt it in Goates bloude and had
it home to their father bearing him in hande they had founde it by the waye Then Iacob séeing his sonnes coate cryed out and rent his garments for sorrowe thinking surely that wylde beastes had deuoured and torne Ioseph in péeces But he being safe and sound caried into Egipt was there solde againe 39. cap. to a certayne great Lorde of King Pharaos Court named Putiphar and became so lucky a man with him by Gods prouidence that his Mayster made him chiefe ruler ouer all his house And so continued in great fauour with his Lorde vntill his Maisters wyfe began to cast hir loue vpon him and woulde haue had him to lye with hir Then Ioseph to dysswade hys Mystresse from hir inordinate loue sayde Beholde my Mayster knoweth not what he hath in the house wyth mée but hath committed all thynges hée hath into my handes There is no man greater in this house than I neyther hath he kept anye thing from mée saue onely thée bycause thou art his wife How then can I doe this great wickednesse and so sinne against God And thus he put hir of and shunned hir companie from that day foorth asmuch as he coulde possible doe But one daye as Ioseph entered into the house to doe hys businesse and finding his Mystresse there by chaunce alone she caught him by the cloake to haue him sléepe with hir which he denyed and woulde not consent to hir minde and when he sawe hir so importune vpon him that he could not honestly part from hir he wounde himselfe out of his garment and so departed Then she called to hir men declaring to them that Ioseph woulde haue rauished hir and when I began to crie quoth she he left his garment behinde him for haste and ranne awaye which tale being tolde to Putiphar at his comming home Ioseph was cast in prison where by Gods prouision he founde such fauour with the kéeper that he committed all thinges vnder his hande to doe whatsoeuer he woulde Now in this prison where Ioseph Gen. 40. cap. was laye twoo of King Pharaos officers The one his chiefe Baker and the other his Butler Which two men chaunced to dreame both in one night and telling their dreames to Ioseph he tolde the Butlar that within thâ—ée dayes he shoulde be restored to his office againe but the Baker should be hanged Wherefore he desired the Butler to thinke vpon him to the King when he was restored who notwithstanding forgot Ioseph neuer remembred 41. cap. him till twoo yeares after that Pharao the King chaunced to haue certayne dreames which none could be found to tel him the meaning therof and then the Butler calling Ioseph to remembrance tolde the King al things of him who being sent for and come to the King he opened the dreames declaring to Pharao the seuen plentifull yeres that were to come and the seuen barren hard yeares which shoulde ensue and consume the aboundance of the yeares procéeding Then the King perceyuing Ioseph to be a man endued with wisedome and knowledge made him Regent of his Realme and called him the Sauiour of the worlde for by his polityke prouision Egipt was relieued in the harde and deare yeares and the King greatly enriched At this time was Ioseph about the age of thirtie yeares and tooke to wyfe Asnath the daughter of Putiphar Priest of On and had by hir twoo sonnes Manasses and Ephraim Nowe when the time of dearth was come all landes being sore oppressed with famine sent into Egipt for Corne among the which Iacob sent ten of his sonnes who at their comming before Ioseph 42. cap â–ª their brother and gouernour of Egipt fell downe flat before him Then Ioseph beholding his brethren whome he knew very wel but they not him demaunded straunglye from whencé they came They sayde from the lande of Canaan Then Ioseph remembring his dreames spake roughly to them sayde they were spyes Nay my Lord quoth they we are all one mans sonnes and meane truely Nay nay quoth he your comming is for none other purpose but to spie out the lande where it is moste weakest Truely my Lord quoth they we are no Spies we are twelue brethren the sonnes of one man and the yoongest this daye remayneth with our Father and one no man woteth where he is Then I will prooue you quoth he whither yée meane truely or no let one of you go fetch your yoongest brother hither for by the lyfe of Pharao yée shall not depart till I sée him and so kept them in warde thrée dayes And then considering with himselfe he agréed they shoulde all go home agayne with foode to their Father saue one which shoulde remayne bounde for the reast tyll they had brought their other brother And at their going awaye commaunded euerye mans sacke to be filled with Corne euery mans money to be put into the sackâ—s mouth and so departed leauing Simeon behinde them in pledge for them all Now being Gen. 43. returned againe with Beniamin their yoongest brother they were all had into Iosephs house and most gently entertayned And when Ioseph came in and saw all his brethren he demaunded saying Is your Father the olde man of whome yée tolde mée in good health and yet aliue Yea quoth they thy seruaunt is in good health and mery And is this your yongest brother of whom yée tolde mée God be mercifull vnto thée my sonne quoth he and with that his heart began so to melt that he hasted into his Chamber and wept And comming foorth againe with a cherefull countenaunce he went to dinner with his brethren commaunding ech one to be set downe in order according to their ages whereat his brethren within themselues marueyled And during the time of refection he rewarded euery one from his messe but most of all Beniamin And when he had thus feasted his brethren so long 44. cap. as pleased him the night before their departing he commaunded their sackes to be filled with Corne and euerye mans money put into his sackes mouth as before and his siluer cup into Beniamins sacke And in the morning as they were departed a little out of the Citie a messenger ouertooke them saying Wherefore haue ye rewarded euill for good Is not that the cuppe in the which my Lorde drincketh and in the which he doth Prophecie Yée haue done euill in so dooing The men hearing this were marueylously astonyed denying vtterlye that they neuer thought no such déede against their Lord but when their sackes were searched and the Cup founde Then they rent their clothes and yéelded themselues and returned with the Messenger to the gouernours house agayne and comming before him he looked angerlye on them saying What an vnkinde déede is this yée haue done Knowe yée not that such a man as I can diuine and Prophecie And nowe when the men had made the best excuse they coulde make Ioseph could no longer refrayne Gen. 45. but with wéeping teares sayde to
his brethren I am Ioseph doth my father yet lyue With that they were so astonyed with his presence that they coulde not aunswere hym one woorde I am Ioseph your brother quoth he whome yée solde into Egipt nowe therefore be not grieued with your selues that yée solde mée hither for God dyd sende mée before you for your preseruation for this is the seconde yeare of dearth and fiue more are behinde wherefore God sent me before you to make prouision for you in this lande and to saue your lyues by a great deliueraunce So nowe it was not you that sent me hither but God who hath made mée a Father vnto Pharao and Lorde of all his house and ruler thorowout all the land of Egipt Therefore now go and tell my father and bid him come with all his houshold to mée and I will make prouision for him Thus when Ioseph had receyued 46. his Father into Egipt and gouerned the lande foure 50. d. score yeares hée dyed at the age of an hundred and ten yeares and was buried in Epigt whose bones were afterwarde translated into the lande of promission as Ioseph had bounde them to doe in his death bed ¶ Ioseph Increasing Math. 1. ◠Ioseph the sonne of Iacob the sonne of Matthan a poore honest man and a Carpenter by his occupasion was spoused to the Virgin Mary the Mother of Christ and dwelled in Nazareth a little Citie in Galile came of the same Tribe and kinred that Mary came of that is to say of the Tribe of Iuda and of the progenie stocke of Dauid of whose séede it was promised that Christe shoulde be borne He had foure sonnes Iames Ioses Symon 13. g. and Iudas which the Iewes of ignoraunce called the brethren of Christ Math. 27. g. Ioseph a man of honour and of great power and substaunce borne in the Citie of Aramathia which was a Disciple of Iesus but not openly knowne bicause of the Iewes which had made a lawe that whosoeuer dyd openly confesse him to be Iesus Disciple the same person shoulde be cast out of the Synagoge This Ioseph came to Pylate and desired licence of him to take downe the body of Iesus from the Crosse and to burie it and hauing obtayned his peticion he bought a fine péece of linnen cloth and therin wrapped the body and layed it in a new Sepulchre hewed out of the rocke and rolled a great stone before the dore of the Sepulchre so went his way 1. Mac. ◠b. f. g Iosephus the sonne of Zachary and one Asarias were twoo Captaynes vnder Iudas Machabeus which twoo Iudas left in Iewry to kéepe and gouerne the remnant of the hoste left there whyle he and Ionathas with Symon their brother went into the parties of Galile and Galaad to deliuer their brethren which were then besieged of their enimies giuing them a great charge not to warre with the heathen but to lye still till he and his brethren were returned home againe But neuerthelesse when Iosephus and Asarias had hearde of all the great actes done by Iudas and his brethren they sayde one to an other Let vs go out and fight agaynst the heathen that lye rounde about vs that we may get vs a name also And being agréede they went out and pitched theyr hoste before the Citie of Iamnya who had not lyen there long or that Gorgias issued out of the citie with his men and stroke battell with Iosephus and slue of the Iewes two thousand and chased Iosephus and all the rest of his companie to the borders of Iewrie And thus Iosephus and Asarias neglecting the commaundement of Iudas their Lorde and gouernour purchased in the steade of honour and fame great dishonour and shame Act. 4. g. Ioses a certayne Leuyte borne in the Countrey of Cypres solde his lande there and brought the whole price therof and layed it downe at the Apostles féete of whome he was surnamed Barnabas ¶ Ioses going out or thrust out 4. Reg. 22. ca Iosias the sonne of Amon being at the age of eyght yeares when he began his raygne ouer Iuda was a vertuous 2. Par. 34. ca. and iust Prince for he sought the Lord God of his father Dauid euen from his Childehoode to the ende of his lyfe He caused the booke of the lawe of Moses which had béene long lost founde againe by Helkia the Priest to be had in great reuerence and diligently read vnto the people He clensed his land from all witchcrafts and sorcerie and from Idols Images and Groues He brake downe the hill altars and brent the bones of the Priests of Baal and left no wicked thing vndestroyed nor monument standing in the Cities of Manasses Ephraim or other places of his Realme where any abhominacion had béene committed He kept a passeouer in the eyghtene yeare of his raigne the like neuer séene and repayred the Temple Finally he made warre vpon the King of Egipt in the which he was wounded with a Darte at a place called Magiddo whereof he dyed Whose death was much lamented for like vnto hym was neuer none before nor after Iehoahas his sonne succéeded him ¶ Iosias the Lordes Fire or the Lorde burning 4. Reg. 15. g. Iotham the sonne of Azaria or Vzia at the age of xxv yeares began his reigne ouer Iuda in the seconde 2. Par. 27. ca. yeare of Pekah King of Israel and did that which was right in the sight of the Lorde in all pointes as did hys father Azaria saue that * Hee went not into the Temple of the Lorde to burne incense as his father did contrary to the worde of god which is spoken to the commendation of Iotham he came not into the temple of the Lorde neyther caused the hyll aultars to be taken away by which occasion the people ceased not to doe wickedly He builded the sumpteous gate of the Temple and many Cities Castles and Towers in the Mountaynes of Iuda and other places He subdued the Ammonites who payed him thrée yeares togither an hundred talents of siluer ten thousand quarters of Wheate and so much of Barley He reigned .xvj. yeares and was buried in the Citie of Dauid leauing Ahas his son to enioy his place ¶ Iotham Persite Num. 27. c. d. Iosua the sonne of Nun was first called Osea which name Moses chaunged and called him Iosua who was Moses minister and ordeyned of God to rule and Exod. 17. c. d. gouerne the people after him He discomfited King Amalech while Moses helde vp his handes and prayed He was one of those Explorators which were sent by Moses Num. 13 cap. 14. a. b. to searche the lande of Canaan and to bring the people worde againe what maner of countrey it was at whose returne the people were ready to stone both him and Caleb for well reporting of that lande wherefore the Lord being angrye with the people sware that none of
of Israel but forget them and put them cleane out of remembraunce Lornhama not obtayning Mercy S LVCAS EVANGELISTA Acta Apost Cap. 9. SAVLE SAVLE QVID ME PERSEQVERIS DOMINE QVID ME VIS FACERE ET DOMINâ— IHS Collo 4. d. Luke was a Phisition borne in the citie of Antioche 2. Tim. 4. c. and became Saint Pauls Disciple and companion in all Luke liued 84. yeares and was buried at Constautinople his traueyles He wrote the volume of his Gospell as he had learned of Paule and of the other Apostles as he reporteth himselfe in the beginning of the same worke saying As they haue deliuered them to vs which from the beginning saw them with their eyes and were ministers of the thinges that they declared But the volume called the Actes of the Apostles he composed as he had séene the story whereof came euen to Paules tyme being and tarying twoo yeares at Rome where the woorke was finished ¶ Luke his Resurrection M. MAacha the daughter of Thalmar king of Gessur was King Dauids wyfe and mother to Absalom Maacha the daughter of Absalom was wyfe to Roboam and Mother to Abia which Abia his father Roboam ordayned to raigne after hym for the loue that he bare to Maacha his mother aboue all the reast of his wyues â–ª Reade the storye of Asa Machabeus was the thirde sonne of Mathathias and after his fathers death he was made Ruler ouer the Iewes Who in the defence of the holye lawes fought most manfully against Goddes enimies during his lyfe Machir was the sonne of Amiel of Lodebar and a great friende to Miphiboseth the sonne of Ionathas who kept him in his house tyll King Dauid sent for hym to his preferment Manahen the Sonne of Eady besieged Sallum King of Israel in Samaria and slue him whose Kingdome he possessed and began his raygne in the nyne and thirtie yeare of Azariahu King of Iuda And because the Citie of Tiphsah woulde not receyue him as there he destroyed the Citie and all that was within it And for this great wickednesse and tyrannie God styrred vp Phul King of Assiria agaynst him vnto whom Manahen gaue a thousande Talents of siluer to breake vp his warres which money he exacted of his people taking of euerye man of substannce fiftie Sicles He raygned ten yeares leauing Pekahia his sonne to succéede him Manahen which was brought vp of a Childe with Herode and his playsere at the last forsooke him and followed Christ Manasses the sonne of Hezekia was twelue yeare olde when he began his raygne ouer Iuda and wrought much euill before the Lorde For he buylt vp the hye places agayne which his father had destroyed He erected vp Altars for Baal and made Groues as Achab dyd and woorshipped all the hoste of heauen and serued them He offered his children in fire as the maner of the Gentyles was and gaue himselfe to witchcraft and Sorcerye and fauoured Soothsayers and such as vsed familiar spirits He set the Image of the groue in the house where the Lorde sayde he woulde put his name for euer Ouer and beyonde all these euils he shed so much innocent bloude that all Ierusalem was replenished from corner to corner wrought more wickednesse than dyd all the Amorites Wherefore the Lorde gaue hym ouer into the handes of the King of Assiria who tooke Manasses and bounde him with twoo cheynes and caryed him to Babilon Where at the last he so humbled him selfe to the Lorde that he had compassion vpon hym and restored him to his Kingdome agayne Who after that became a good man and put downe all such abhominacions as he before had mayntayned and reygned fiue an fiftie yeres leauing Amon his sonne to succéede Mardocheus the sonne of Iair was a Iew borne dwelling in the Citie of Susan and one of them which were caryed away from Ierusalem with Iechonia King of Iuda by Nabuchodonosor into Babilon This man had a fayre Damosell in his house named Hester his vncles daughter whose Father and Mother being dead he brought vp as his owne daughter so long till at last for hir bewtie fayrenesse she was taken vp by the Kinges commission with other mo had to the Court there to be brought vp at the Kings charges in an house appointed for that purpose the King had called them for And euery day would Mardocheus walke before the womens house to he are and know how Hester dyd what should become of hir whose lotte in processe was to be made Quéene in the steade of Vasthi late deposed And on a time as Mardocheus sate in the Kings gate he heard an ynckling of certaine treason conspired against the Kings owne person by twoo of his pryuie Chamber Bigthan and There 's which treason he caused Hester to open vnto the King and to certifie his grace thereof in his name Vpon whose certification inquirie being made founde true the conspiratours were put to death and the matter Registred in Chronicle for a remembrance of their acte After this bycause Mardocheus would doe no reuerence to Haman both he and the Iewes shoulde all haue béene slayne in one daye Whereof Mardocheus hauing knowledge he rent his clothes and put on mourning apparell and so ranne thorow the Citie of Susan where their destruction was denised Crying out vntill he came to the Kinges gate where he might not be suffered to enter in that araye Then Hester hearing thereof was sore astonished and sent him other rayment to put on But he refusing the rayment declared vnto the messenger the whole effect of Hamans commission and working and tooke him a Copye of the same to giue to Ester charging hir to go vnto the King for the lyues and â—afegarde of hir people For who can tell quoth he whither God hath called hir to the Kingdome for that purpose or no it may be that he hath And therefore if she nowe holde hir peace the Iewes shall haue helpe from some other place and so shall she hir fathers house be vtterly destroyed And so whyle Ester went about the deliueraunce of the Iewes Mardocheus was exalted into the Kings fauour to the great reioysing of all the Iewes whose wealth he sought so long as he lyued Reade the story of Ester and Haman Marie the Virgin and mother of God whose parentes are not expressed in Scripture was affianced to a certaine good man of hir owne stocke and Tribe which was of Iuda named Ioseph And before she came to dwell with him the Angell Gabriel being sent of God came and saluted hir saying Hayle full of grace the Lorde is with thée blessed art thou among women The Virgin séeing the Angel was sore abashed at his words and mused much in hir mynde what salutation that shoulde be Then sayde the Angell feare not Mary for thou hast founde fauour with God for lo
dead yet shall he lyue and whosoeuer lyueth and beléeueth in mée shall not dye Beléeuest thou this Yea Lord quoth Martha I beléeue that thou art Christ the sonne of God which shoulde come into the worlde After this when Iesus came to the place where Lazarus was buryed and had commaūded the stone of his graue to be taken away Martha sayde Lorde by this tyme he stincketh for he hath béene dead foure dayes Sayde not I vnto thée quoth Iesus that if thou diddest beléeue thou shouldest sée the glory of god And so she saw hir brother Lazarus restored from death to lyfe to the glory of God and hir great comfort Mathathias the sonne of Simeon the Priest which was of the stocke kynred of Ioaris had fiue valyaunt men to his sonnes dwelt in Modyn remayning steadfast in the lawes of God notwithstanding the great calamities that were come vpon the people of Iuda and Ierusalem for the which Mathathias made pytteous Lamentacion crying vpon God to strengthen him and his sonnes agaynst the heathen that had so wasted the people and defyled his sanctuary And whyle he his sonnes were thus mourning in Sackcloth for the destruction of the holy Citie Antiochus the King sent certayne Commissioners to the Citie of Modyn to compell such Iewes as were thither fled to forsake their owne lawes and to serue the Idols of the heathen Who after they had turned the heart of many spake to Mathathias on this wise Thou arte sayde they a noble man of hye reputacion and great in this Citie and hast many Children and brethren Come thou first of all and fulfill the Kinges commaundement lyke as the heathen haue done and the men of Iuda with such as remayne at Ierusalem and so shalt thou and thy sonnes be in fauour with the King and greatly enriched Nay said Mathathias Though all Nations vnder the Kinges Dominion fall away euerye man from the law of their fathers yet will I my sonnes my brethren walke in the lawes of our Fathers God forbid we shoulde forsake the lawes and ordinaunces of God we will not for no mannes pleasure transgresse our religion or breake the Statutes of our Lawe And as he had spoken these woordes a certayne Iewe came foorth and openlye in the sight of all men dyd sacrifice vnto the Idols vpon the Aultar in the citie of Modyn according to the Kings commaundement which thing so grieued Mathathias that for very zeale he had to the lawes of God he start him vp and ranne vpon the Iewe and kylled both him the Commissioner that compelled him so to doe ranne his way crying thorowe the Citie and saying to the people whosoeuer is seruent in the law and will kéepe and stande by the couenaunt let hym followe mée So he and his sonnes fled into the mountayns and many other godly men with their wyues and children and all that they had got them into the Wildernesse And being there the heathen went agaynst them on the Sabaoth daye and slue man woman and Childe for on that day the Iewes would make no resistance but woulde dye in their innocencie Then Mathathias hearing of this was verie sorye and counsayling with his friends sayde If we doe as our brethren hath done and not to fight for our lyues our lawes the heathen will soone roote vs all out of the earth wherevpon they concluded that whosoeuer dyd bid them battell on the Sabaoth daye that they woulde rather manfully fight for their lawes than to dye as their brethren had done before Vpon the which conclusion came the whole Synagoge of the Iewes with all such as were fled for persecution to Mathathias And being gathered togithers they were so great an hoste that they feared not their enimies but fell vpon them and slue a great number And by their force and strength they went about the coastes of Israel and destroyed the Aultars circumcised their children and kept their lawes in spite of all their beards Finally when the tyme of his death drewe nyghe he called all his sonnes before him exhorting them to preferre the lawes and wealth of their Countrey before their owne lyues and ordayned Symon his eldest sonne to be as it were theyr Father and Iudas Machabeus to be their Captayne and so giuing them his blessing he dyed and was burned in his Fathers Sepulchre in the Citie of Modyn Mathathias the sonne of Symon was killed with his Father at a Banket which Ptolomy his brother in lawe had prepared for them in a Castle of hys called Doche. Mathathias the sonne of Absalemus stacke by Ionathas when all his men forsooke him and fled the fielde sane Iudas the sonne of Calphi S. MATTHAEVS EVANGELISTA Cap. ◠VBI EST QVI NATVS EST REX IVDAEORVM VIDIMVS ENIM STELLAMEIVS IN ORIENTE ET VENIMVS ADORAE◠Mathias was a saithful Disciple of Christ and one that had his conuersacion alwayes among the Apostles ruen from the beginning of Christs preaching to the last ende And now for as much as Iudas the Traytour was fallen from Christ he with an other godly man called Ioseph or Barsabas was appointed to stande in election which of them twoo shoulde succéede in the place of Iudas ▪ And when the Apostles had made their prayers to God and giuen fóorth their lottes the lotte fell on Mathias and so he was counted with the eleuen Apostles Mathusalah was the sonne of Henoch and lyued and hundred eyghtie and seauen yeares and begot Lamech And after that he lyued seauen hundred an eyghtie twoo yeares and ▪ begot sonnes and daughters and when he had lyued in all nyne hundred and thrée score an nyne yeares he died Melchisedech is called King of Salem and the hye Priest of the most high god When Abraham had rescued Lot his nephew out of the handes of the Assirians and was returned from the slaughter of the Kings Melchisedech met him with breade and wyne to refreshe Abraham and his souldiours and blessed him saying Blessed be Abraham vnto the hye God possessor of heauen and earth and blessed be the high God which hath deliuered thine enimies vnto thy hande And Abraham gaue him tythes of all things The Scripture reporteth Melchisedech to be without father without mother without kynne and hath neyther beginning of his dayes neither yet ende of his lyfe but is lykened vnto the sonne of God and continueth a Priest for euer Menelaus was brother to Simon and Lysimachus twoo as vngracious as himselfe This ambicious man by deceyte got the hye Priestes office from Iason on this wyse When that good and godlye man Onias had the superioritie Iason his brother found the meanes to corrupt Antiochus the King with money and so gotte the office ▪ out of his brothers handes And when the time came that Iason shoulde pay the money to Antiochus he sent it by the hande of Menelaus in whome he had great confidence
But when Menelaus was come to the King he so craftily handled the matter with flatterie and fayre promises that he both defrauded the King of his money and Iason of his office which when he had obtained returned with an hye stomacke more lyke a cruell tyrant and the wrath of a wylde brute beast than any thing that beséemed a Priest But when the King had knowledge of all his deceyte and falshoode he discharged him agayne putting Lysimachus hys brother in hys roume Then Menelaus being thus thrust out of office wayted hys tyme to be reuenged And when he had spyed the King about his weightie affayres as in the suppression of certayne Kebels leauing Andronicus behinde him to be his Lieutenaunt and supposing then to haue a conuenient tyme he went and stole out of the Temple certayne vessels of golde and gaue them to Andronicus And after he had made him his assured friende he ministred such wicked counsell both to Andronicus and Lysimachus his brother that the one murdred Onias and the other spoiled and robbed the â–ª Temple of god Wherfore the King at his returne againe caused Andronicus to be put to death and the other the people furiouslye fell vpon him and killed him And forsomuch as Menelaus â–ª was greatlye suspected to be the chiefe causer of all this murther a Court was called and many sore complaintes layde against him Then Menelaus perceyuing himselfe in the Kings displeasure and daunger of his lawes went to Ptolomie one of the thrée Ambassadours and with money made him his friende who went to the King and so laboured the matter that he brought Menelaus into such fauour with the King againe that he was quite â–ª discharged from all accusations and his accusers condemned to death Thus thorow couetous Magistrates Menelaus remayned still in authoritie Being nowe more malicious vnto the Iewes his owne nation than euer he was As it appeared afterwarde what time as he ayded Antiochus and was his guyde to the spoyling of the Temple But at the last his falshoode came to a foule ende for Lysias which was Lorde Steward to Antiochus and chiefe Ruler of all his matters so enformed the King of his vngraciousnesse that he commaunded â–ª Menelaus who had done so much mischiefe against the Aultar of God whose fire and ashes were holy to be cast into a tower of fiftie cubites hye heaped vp with ashes and so miserably ended his lyfe Merob was the eldest Daughter of King Saule who promised hir in mariage to Dauid But or the time came that Dauid shoulde enioy hir Saule gaue hir to an other man named Adriel by whome she conceyued and bare him fiue sonnes 4. Reg. 3. cap. Mesa the King of Moab was a great Lord of shéepe And where as the Moabites had of long time payed tribute vnto the Kings of Israel euery yeare one hundred thousand Lambes with so many Rammes or Wethers in the Wooll with their fléece vpon their backes Thys King woulde paye none to Ioram the sonne of Achab for the which Ioram made warre agaynst him and ouercame him ¶ Mesa Health or the water of health or looking vpon the water Iudic. 17. cap. Micah was a certaine man dwelling in Mounte Ephraim whose mother made him an Idoll of siluer which he set vp in the house of his goddes and made an Ephod and consecrated one of his owne sonnes to be his Priestes and so continued vntill it chaunced a yong Leuite to come from Bethleem Iuda to séeke seruice Which Leuite Micah hyred for tenne siluerlings by the yeare two garments and meate and drinke And when he had hyred the Leuite he was glad saying Nowe am I sure that God will looue me séeing I haue a Leuite to my Priest At this time the Tribe of Dan forasmuch 18. cap. as the portion which Iosua gaue them was not sufficient for all their Tribe went to seeke them a place to dwell in And as they were going to the Citie of Lays they came by the house of Micah And being enformed by those men whome they had sent before to spye out the lande howe there was in the house of Micah a grauen and a molten Image they turned in thither and saluted him peaceably but at their departing they tooke hys Idols against the Leuites will perswading him that it was not so good to be a Priest vnto the house of one man as it was to be a Priest vnto a whole Tribe or kinred in Israel and so tooke him away with them also And being gone Micah made a great outcrie and followed after the children of Dan with all the power he coulde make to rescue his goddes but being perswaded to be content and to get him home least a woorse thing did happen he then perceyuing he was not able to make his partie good returned backe againe Reade the Storie of Dan. ¶ Micah who lyke our God or pouertie or the lowlynesse of the Lorde or the Lorde striking Michael the sonne of Israhia ¶ Michael who is 1. Par. 7. â— lyke the Lorde Dan. 10. c. Michael one of the chiefe Princes that was sent to comfort Daniel Iude. Michael the Archaungell which stroue agaynst the Deuill and disputed about the body of Moses Apoc. 12. b. Michael and his Aungels that fought agaynst the Dragon 3. Reg. 22. ca. Micheas the sonne of Imla was a Prophete in This was not that prophete that wrote the booke of prophecies but another of that name the dayes of King Achab and â–ª for bicause he woulde not flatter the King as the foure hundred false Prophetes had done but prophecied plainly of the Kings death he was smitten and cast in prison ¶ Micheas Poore or lowe and base 1. Reg. 18. â— f. g. Michol was the seconde daughter of King Saule whome he gaue to Dauid to be his wyfe that she might be a snare to bring him into the hands of the â–ª Philistines But Michol loued Dauid so well â–ª that he coulde not haue 19. c. his purpose that waye For when he sent men to watche his house and to sley him Michol tolde â–ª Dauid â–ª saying Except thou saue thy selfe this night to morrowe thou wilt be slayne wherefore to saue the lyfe of Dauid she let him downe at a backewindowe and layed an Image in his bedde â–ª with a pillow vnder his heade stuffed with Goates heaire and couered it with a cloth And when the men came into the house in the morning and asked for Dauid Michol sayde he was sicke â–ª The Messengers then thinking to haue caryed hym bedde and all to the King as he had commaunded went into Dauids chamber and when they came there and founde nothing else in the bedde but a blocke they were ashamed and so returned to Saule and tolde hym Thon Michâ—â— being demaunded wherefore she had so derided hym and sent his enimie awaye made hir excuse that if she had not let hym go he woulde haue
kylled hir After this hir father tooke hir from Dauid and gaue hir to * Loke in the hystorie of Psaltei howe he vsed Michol Dauids wyfe Psaltei the sonne of Lays to wyfe with whome she remayned tyll the death of Saule and then was restored agayne to Dauid by Abners meanes Finally when Dauid came dauncing before the Arke of God in his shyrte â–ª to the Citie of Dauid it chauncâ—d Michol to looke out at a window and beholding the King how he leaped and daunced before the Arke she began to despise hym in hir heart â–ª and méeting him after all thinges were done she sayde O how glorious was the King of Israel this daye which was vncouered to day in the eyes of the Maydens of his seruaunts as a foole vncouereth himselfe And for thus despising of Dauid the seruaunt of God the Lorde plagued hir with Baraynesse that she neuer â–ª had Childe ¶ Michol who is perfect 2. Reg. 4. b. Miphiboseth the sonne of Ionathas was lame in his féete by reason his nurse by misfortune in his infancie let him fall to the grounde out of hir armes and was brought vp and nourished after the death of his father 9. cap. in the hâ—uie of Machir tyll Dauid comming to his Kingdome tooke him from thence and restored him to all the lande of King Saule making Ziba his seruaunt chiefe ouerséer and nâ—câ—yuâ—r of the landes and to sée Micah his maysters sonne well brought vp and cherished for so much as Miphiboseth shoulde remayne with hym and eatâ— and drincke at his owne boorde â–ª Now after this when Dauid was brought into so great affliction trouble by reason of Absalom his sonnâ— Miphiboseth remayned still at Ierusalem and neuer â–ª remooued But Ziba 2. Reg. 16. â— his seruaunt went after Dauid with a present and by false report of Miphiboseth his mayster got hys lande from hym â–ª And when the King was returned and come to Ierusalem â–ª agayne then Miphiboseth who had neyther 19. â— washed his féete nor dressed his bearde nor washed his clothes from the tyme the King departed vntill he returned in peace went out to méete him and when the King sawe him he sayde Wherefore wentest thou not with mée Miphiboseth He aunswered My Lorde O King my seruaunt deceyued mée for thy seruaunt sayde I woulde haue myne Asse sadled to ryde thereon for to go with the King bycause thy seruaunt is lame Therefore Ziba hath falsely accused thy seruaunt to my Lorde the King but my Lord the King is as an Angell of God Doe therefore what it pleaseth thée for all my Fathers house were but deade mâ—n before my Lord the King and yet dydst thou set thy seruaunt amonge them that dyd eate at thine owne table What right haue I to cry any more vnto the King Then sayde Dauid â–ª why speakest thou yet in thine owne cause I haue sayde Thou and Ziba deuide the lande betwéene you Yea sayde Miphiboseth let him take all séeing my Lord the King is come home in peace ¶ Miphiboseth shame or confusion from the mouth â— Reg. 21. b. Miphiboseth the sonne of Rizpa King Sauls Concubine was of the Gibeonits with his brother Armony hanged for their fathers offence Exo. 6. c. Miriam was the daughter of Amram Iochebed and sister to Aaron and Moses When hir brother Moses 15. c. had brought the children of Israel thorow the redde Sea Miriam the Prophetesse tooke a Tymbrell in hir hande with other women following in like sorte and began ioyfully to sing and daunce their song was this Sing yée vnto the Lorde for he hath triumphed gloriously The horse and ryder hath he ouerthrowen in the Sea. After this she grudged agaynst Moses because he had taken a Num. 12. cap. woman of Inde to his wyfe wherefore the Lorde smote hir with Leprosie Then Moses partly for pittie and partly at the intercession of Aaron his brother besought the Lorde to heale hir who made hym aunswere saying If hir father in anger had spitte in hir face shoulde she not haue béene ashamed seauen dayes Let hir be shut out of the hoste seauen dayes which being doone she was restored and receyued in agayne Finallye when 20. 2. Moses and the children of Israel were come to Cades there she dyed and was buryed ¶ Miriam exalted or reaching Dan. â— b. 3. ca. Misach first called Misael was one of Daniels companions and one of the thrée which was cast into the whote burning Ouen and myraculously preserued ¶ Misach prolonging or drawing to him or compassing the waters or hedging 3. Esd 2. b. Mithridatus was King Cyrus treasurer at whose commaundement he deliuered all the holye vessels of golde and siluer pertayning to the house of the Lorde to Salmanasar the Deputie in Iewrie The number of which vessels was fiue thousand eyght hundred and thrée score ¶ Mithridatus dissoluing the lawe Act. 21. d Mnason was a certayne godlye man and a Cyprian borne who had of long tyme beléeued the Gospell in whose house Paul was hosted at Ierusalem ¶ Mnason a searcher out or promising or remembring Exod. 2. cap. Moyses the sonne of Amram and Iochebed was myraculously preserued at his byrth For where as Pharao the King of Egipt had straightly commaunded the Moses signifieth preserued from the water Mydwyues that whensoeuer they saw an Hebrue bring soorth a man chylde they shoulde cast it into the ryuer yet Moses being borne a proper childe was notwithstanding the Kinges commaundement kept secretlye thrée monthes And when his parents coulde hide him no longer they closed him in a basket made of réede or Bulrushes dawbed with slyme and pitch and layd him in the ryuer And as the childs sister stoode looking what should become of him it came to passe that King Pharaos * Hir name was Termuth daughter came awalking by the ryuer syde who séeing the basket â—leting vppon the ryuer caused one of hir folkes to take it vp â–ª And when she had opened the basket and sawe the Childe she had pittie vpon it and caused the Mayde his sister to fet hir a Nurse who went and brought his owne mother And so the childe being nursed brought vp in Pharaos house was instructed from his Childehoode in all maner cunning and wisedome of the Egiptians and became mightie in wordes and déedes Howe that Moyses impediment of speach came The king on a time for his daughters sake tooke the childe in hys armes and set the crown vppon hys heade which Moses as it were chyldishly playing hurled to the grounde and with hys foote spurned it At the whiche the Priest cryed out saying that this was he of whome it was prophecied that he should destroy Egipt Then Termuth excused the chylde alleaging his infancie and sacke of discretion And for proofe thereof caused burning coales to be put to hys mouth which the child with his tongue licked
wherby he euer after had impediment in his tongue Lanquet sauing in his speache he had an impediment And when he was full fourtie yeare olde it came in his heart to go and visite his brethren the children of Israel whome Pharao vexed without all measure And as he saw an Egiptian smyting an Hebrue he slue the Egiptian and hid him in the sande The next day he went agayne and founde twoo Israelites striuing togithers and demaunded of him that had done the wrong wherefore he smote his fellowe who made thée a Iudge quoth he or a Ruler ouer vs Thinkest thou to kill mée as thou dydst the Egiptian yesterdaye Then Moses perceyuing his fact to be knowne for sooke to be the sonne of the daughter of Pharao and fled into the lande of Madian where he was receyued into the house of Iethro who gaue to him in mariage his daughter Ziphora by whome in processe he had twoo sonnes And when he had continued with Iethro his father in lawe fourtie yeres and kept his shéepe the Lorde appeared to him in the wyldernesse of Synay out of a bushe which séemed to be all on fyre and there gaue hym authoritie to go into Egipt to deliuer his people out of the bondage of Pharao Who at last after dyuers myracles doone by hym in the sight of Pharao for the confirmation of hys Authoritie brought them thorowe the redde Sea and deliuered them quite out of bondage Thus was Moses whome they had before refused both their Deliuerer and Ruler He was a man full of méekenesse he lyued one hundred twentie yeres and was buryed by Angles in the lande of Moab whose Sepulchre was neuer knowne ¶ Moses drawne vp N. NAaman Captayne of the hoste of the King of Siria was a mightie man and honorable in the sight of his Lorde bicause that by him the Lorde had deliuered the Sirians He was also a valiant man and expert in warres but was a Leper Wherefore the King of Siria being enformed that there was a Prophet in Samaria that coulde heale his seruant Naaman of his leprosie sent him to Ioram King of Israel with his letter conteyning this tenor Nowe when this letter is come vnto thée vnderstande that I haue sent thée Naaman my seruaunt that thou mayest heale him of his Leprosie And when the King had redde the letter he rent his clothes saying Am I a God to kill and to giue lyfe that he sendeth to me that I shoulde heale a man of his leprosie Consider I pray you howe he séeketh a quarrell against me The Prophet hearing of this sent to the King to sende Naaman vnto him And when he was come to the house of Elizeus and stoode at the doore the prophet sent him worde and bade him go washe him scauen times in Iordan and he shoulde be whole Then Naaman departed in displesaure saying I thought with my self he will surely come out and stand and call on the name of the Lorde his God and put his hande on the place and heale the leprosie Are not Abana and Pharphar riuers of Damascus better than all the waters of Israel may I not as well washe me in them and be clensed Then one of his seruantes sayde father if the Prophete had commaunded thée to doe a great thing wouldest thou not haue done it how muche rather then when he sayth to thée washe and be cleane And so at his seruantes perswasion he went to Iordan and washed him seauen times as the Prophete had commaunded and being whole he returned to the Prophet and gaue thankes vnto God saying Nowe I knowe that there is no God in all the worlde but in Israel And so making promise he woulde neuer offer sacrifice nor offering to any other God saue vnto the Lorde God of Israel he returned home into his Countrey agayne Nabal was a great riche man but of churlishe nature and frowarde condicion As he lay in Carmel in the time of his shéepe shearing Dauid sent certaine of hys men desiring Nabal to helpe him now in his great necessitie with some of his victuals whatsoeuer he woulde and he woulde requite him at one tyme or other But he not regarding their message made them this churlishe answere againe who is Dauid or who is the sonne of Isai There be many seruants nowe a dayes that breake away from their maisters shall I then take awaye my breade and my water and my fleshe which I haue killed for my shéerers and giue it vnto men whom I know not whence they be And so with this answere the messengers departed Reade the storie of Abigail for the reast of his life Naboth was a certaine rich man and a Iesrahelite borne whose Vineyarde lay ioyning harde by the palace of Achab King of Israel which Vineyarde the King woulde fayne haue bought and giuen him as much for it as the grounde was woorth But Naboth consideryng it was his fathers inheritaunce and that he had no néede to sell it woulde in no wise graunt therevnto Wherefore the King being heauie and sadde went home to hys house and sayde him downe vpon his bed so waywarde that he coulde neyther eate nor drinke Then came Iezabel his wyfe and demaunded why he was so sadde who tolde hir it was for Nabothes Vineyarde which he had denyed him What quoth she doest thou gouerne the kingdome of Israel vp and eate thy meat and set thine heart at rest and I will giue thée the Vineyarde And so she wrote a letter in Achabs name sealed with the kings Signet and sent it to the Elders of the Citie where Naboth dwelt commaunding them to proclayme a fast and ser Naboth among the chiefest of the people and to bring two false witnesses against him which should saye he had blasphéemed God and the King and then to put him to death And so all thinges were done according to the tenor of Iezabels letter and Naboth caryed out of the Citie and stoned Nabuchodonosor was King of Babilon And by the occasion of his great and woonderfull dominion fell into such pryde that he woulde haue hys Image honoured for god But shortlye after he sawe the vision of the falling trée whereby he was warned of hys fall and sodaynly by the power of God transformed and turned into a beastly fury lyuing in the woodes among beastes eating hearbes and grasse for the space of seauen yeares Finally God of his mercy restored hym agayne to his prestyne forme who afterwarde lyued well and commaunded that the very God of heauen shoulde be honoured of all men and whosoeuer refused so to doe shoulde dye Nadab the sonne of Ieroboam began to raygne ouer Israel in the seconde yeare of Asa King of Iuda and walked in all the wicked steppes of his father And in the seconde yeare of his raygne as he was laying siege to a Citie of the Philistins called Gibbethon Eaasa conspired agaynst hym and slue him Taking
hast slayne hym with the swoorde of the Children of Ammon Nowe therefore the swoorde shall neuer depart from thine house bicause thou hast despised mée and taken the wyfe of Urias the Hethite to be thy wyfe Wherefore thus sayth the lord Beholde I will styrre vp euill against thée euen out of thine owne house and will take thy wyues before thyne eyes and giue them vnto thy neighbour and he shall lye with thy wyues in the sight of the Sunne For thou dyddest it secretly but I will doe this thing before all Israel and in the open Sunne light Then sayde Dauid I haue sinned agaynst the Lorde Well sayde Nathan the Lord hath also put awaye thy sinne thou shalt not dye Howbeit bycause of dooing this déede thou hast giuen the enimies of the Lorde a cause to blaspheme the childe that is borne vnto thée shall surely dye And so Nathan departed Finally what tyme as Adonya had taken vpon him to rule the Kingdome vnwitting to his Father Dauid Nathan came to the King and sayde My Lorde O King hast thou sayde Adonya shall raygne after mée and he shall sit vpon my seate For he is gone downe this daye and hath slayne many Oxen and fat shéepe and hath called all the Kings sonnes and the Captayne of the hoste and Abiathar the Priest and beholde they eate and drincke before him and saye God saue King Adonya But mée thy seruaunt Sadocke the Priest and Banaiahu and thy seruaunt Salomon hath he not called Is this thing done by my Lorde the King and thou hast not shewed it vnto thy seruaunt who shoulde sit on the seate of my Lorde the King after him And when the King had declared hys minde and will Nathan and Sadocke the Priest went and annoynted Salomon King. Nathaniel which was a man woonderfull desirous of Messias comming was brought to Christ by Philip who finding him vnder a figge tree sayde O Nathaniel I can tell thée tydings we haue founde him of whom Moses in the Lawe and the Prophetes did write euen Iesus the Sonne of Ioseph of Nazareth Is that true quoth he can there any good thing come out of Nazareth if thou doest not beléeue me quoth Philip come and sée thy selfe And as Nathaniel was comming with Philip to Iesus he sayth of him thus Behold a right Israelite in whome is no guile Nathaniel perceyuing that Iesus knewe him sayde How knowest thou me I knewe thée sayde Iesus before that Philip called thée I sawe thée when thou wast vnder the figge trée Then sayde Nathaniel Rabbi thou art the sonne of God thou art the King of Israel Neptalin ex multis seruatus saepe periclis Corniger infestus ceruus ut a câ—â—â—â—us Nostra tribus teÌ„taque fuit saepissime bello Sed bonitate dei mox liberatâ—â—â—it Nehemia a Iewe borne was Cupbearer to Artaxerses King of Persia a man of great learning and holynesse who being in great fauour with the sayde King obtayned both licence and ayde to reedifie the Citie of Ierusalem Nycanor being a great Prince vnder Demetrius and an vtter enimie vnto the Iewes was sent with a mightie hoste against Iudas Machabeus who notwithstanding the hatred that he had to the Iewes yet vnto Iudas himselfe he bare a secrete good will and loue in his heart and counsayled him when they met togithers to talke of peace to take a wyfe and to bring forth children But for all that his malice was so great agaynst the rest of the Iewes and his heart so puft vp with pride thorowe his inuincible power and strength that he helde vp his hande against the house of God making an othe that he woulde destroye it and breake downe the Aultar and consecrate the temple of God to Bacchus And thinking all this but a tryfle to bring to passe sold the Iewes before he came at them promising to euerye one that woulde buye them foure score and ten Iewes for one talent But this blasphemer who had brought a thousande Merchantes with him to buye the Iewes â–ª was by the helpe and power of God for all his stoute bragges shortly ouerthrowen and so discomfited that he himselfe was faine to chaunge his apparell and to slie alone to Antioche with great dishonour and shâ—nne Finally attempting to fight agayne with Iudas vpon the Sobboth day he was at last by the mightie hande of God slayne Whose heade Iudas commaunded to be set vppon the Castle at Ierusalem and his threatening hande to be hanged against the temple and his blasphemous tongue cutte in péeces and cast to the Birdes to be deuoured Nichodemus was one of the heade men amonge the secte of the Phariseys but not the best learned although his mynde were lesser corrupt than the other This man fauoured Christ but durst not be knowne thereof for feare of the Iewes wherefore he came to Iesus by night secretlye saying Rabbi we knowe that thou art a teacher come from God for no man could doe such myracles as thou doest except God were with him Iesus Verilye verilye I saye vnto thée except a man be borne from aboue he cannot sée the kingdome of god Nichodemus howe can a man be borne when he is olde can he enter into his Mothers wombe and bée borne againe Iesus Verilye verily I say vnto thée except a man be borne of the water and of the spirite he cannot enter into the kingdome of God that which is borne of the fleshe is fleshe and that which is borne of the spirite is spirite Maruell not thou that I sayde vnto thée ye must be borne from aboue The wynde bloweth where it lysteth and thou hearest the sounde thereof but canst not tell whence it commeth or whither it goeth So is euery one that is borne of the spirite Nichodemus howe can these thinges be Iesus Art thou a maister in Israel and knowest not these things Verily verily I say vnto thée we speake that we know and testifie that we haue séene and ye receyue not our witnesse If I haue tolde you earthly things and ye beléeue not how shall ye beléeue if I tell you of heauenly things c. This man afterwarde answered for Iesus and sayde to the Phariseys what time as they had sent Ministers to apprehende him doth our lawe iudge any man before it heare him Finally at the death of Christ to honour his buriall he bought of Myre and Aloes mingled togither about an hundred pounde weyght and came with Ioseph of Aramathia to take downe the body of Iesus and wounde it in linnen clothes with the odours as the maner of the Iewes was to burie and layde him in his sepulchre Nicholas a Conuert of Antioche was one of the seauen Deacons ordeyned in the Congregation to doe seruice in necessarie things of the bodye that the Apostles might waite onely vpon the worde of God who notwithstanding fell into a foule heresie which S. Iohn
in hys booke of the Reuelation .ij. Chapter reprooueth Nymrod was the sonne of Chus sonne of Cham the seconde sonne of Noe. He was the first that tooke on him to reigne ouer men and became a cruell oppressor and tyrant He was called a mightie hunter for that he was a deceyuer of soules and oppressor of men He attempted to builde the great towre of Babel intending to haue raysed it aboue the Clowdes thinking thereby to haue escaped if any floude shoulde eftsoones haue happened Noe was the sonne of Lamech and fiue hundreth yeares of age before he begat Sem Cham and Iaphet And being a iust and perfite man he founde such fauour in the eyes of God that when all fleshe had so corrupt his way vpon earth that God threatened the destruction of the worlde yet to saue Noe and to declare it vnto him 120. before it came he bade him prepare an Arke of Pine trées which shoulde conteyne in length thrée hundreth cubites in bredth fiftie cubites and in déepenesse thirtie Nowe when Noe had made the Arke and was sixe hundreth yeares of age the Lorde tolde him that after seauen dayes the deluge shoulde fall wherefore Noe at the Lordes commaundement got him into the Arke with his wyfe and thrée sonnes with their wyues prouiding in the meane space all things necessary for them And when Noe was in the Arke sodeynly by the power of God and not of mans bringing there came into the shippe two and two togither of euery kinde of beast and soule the male and the female And when they were all in the Lorde shut the doore of the Art◠and opened the windowes of heauen so that the raine fell continuallye fortie dayes and fortie nightes wherevpon the waters preuayled and rose aboue all Mountaines .xv. cubites So that all liuing creatures dyed except fishe and such as might endure in the bowels of the earth And after the waters had preuayled a hundred and fiftie dayes They decreased againe and in the seauenth day of the seauenth month which was October the Arke stacke vpon the Mountaines of Armeny Then Noe opened a windowe and sent forth a Crowe which returned agayne After seauen dayes he put forth a Doue which came againe at night bringing a braunch of Oliue with gréene leaues in hir mouth Neuerthelesse he remayned seauen other dayes and put forth the Doue againe which neuer returned Then Noe after he had continued one yeare in the Arke and sawe the earth drie he at the commaundement of God issued out of the Arke and incontinent builded an Aultar wherevpon he offered a sacrifice vnto the Lorde of euerye cleane beast and of euerye cleane foule which sacrifice was a swéete smell vnto the Lorde and pleased him so well that he made a promise to Noe that he would neuer more destroy the world with water for the confirmation thereof gaue the Rainebowe for a sure token betwéene him and man Noe was the first inuenter of Wine and therewithall was made drunke He liued after the fludde 350. yeares O. OBed the sonne of Boos and Ruth begat Isai the father of King Dauid Obed Edom the sonne of Ieduthun had the Arke of God remayning in his house thrée monthes for the which the Lorde blessed him and all his house And when it was tolde to Dauid that the house of Obed Edom was blessed bicause of the Arke of God he remooued it thence and brought it into the city of Dauid with great triumph and ordeyned Obed Edom and his brethren which were Leuites to kéepe the doore of the Arke Obedia notwithstanding hée was chiefe gouernour of all King Achabs house yet he was a man that feared God greatly Insomuch that when Iezabel destroyed the Prophetes of the Lorde he tooke an hundred Prophets and hidde them fiftie in one Caue and fiftie in another prouiding all things necessary for them On a time as Obedia was going about the lande at Achabs commaundement to searche for water and grasse for their cattell which were almost ouercome with drouth he chaunced to méete Elia the Prophete And when he saw him he fell downe and sayde Art not thou my Lord Elia yea quoth he go tell thy Lorde that I am here O quoth Obedia what haue I sinned that thou wouldest deliuer thy seruant into the handes of Achab to be slaine As truly as the Lord thy God liueth there is no nation or kingdome whither my Lorde hath not sent to séeke thée And when they sayd he is not here he tooke an othe of the kingdome and nation if they had not founde thée And now thou sayest go tell thy Lord that Elia is here And when I am gone from thée the spirite of the Lorde shall cary thée into some place that I doe not knowe and so when I come and tell Achab and he cannot finde thée then will he kill me But I thy seruaunt feare the Lord from my youth was it not tolde my Lorde what I dyd when Iezabel slue the Prophets of the Lorde howe I hid an hundred men of the Lordes Prophets by fifties in a Caue and fed them with breade and water And nowe thou sayest go and tell thy Lorde beholde Elia is here that he maye sley mée Well sayde Elia as truely as the Lorde of hostes lyueth before whom I stande I will shewe my selfe vnto him this daye Then Obedia hearing him saye so went to Achab and tolde him Oded when Pekah King of Israel had taken so manye Captyues of the Children of Iuda and caryed them to Samaria the Lord sent this Prophet vnto him saying Beholde bycause the Lorde God of your fathers is wrath with Iuda hée hath deliuered them into your handes and yée haue slayne them in your cruelnesse that reacheth vnto heauen and now yée purpose to kéepe vnder the children of Iuda and Ierusalem as bonde men and bonde women And doe yée not lade your selues with sinne in the sight of the Lorde your God Now therefore heare mée and deliuer the Captyues agayne which yée haue taken of your brethren or else shall the wrath of God be vpon you Then certayne which were the heades of the children of Ephraim being sorye for the great offence they had committed tooke the prisoners and with the spoyle clothed all that lacked shodde them and fed them with meate and drinck annoynted the woundes of such as were hurt and the féeble they caryed vpon asses and brought them to Iericho the citie of Palme trées to their brethren And leauing them there returned to Samaria agayne Og the King of Basan was a mightie great Giaunt whose bedde was made of Iron and in length nyne Cubites that is thirtéene foote an halfe And foure cubites brode that is sixe foote This Og was next neighbour to Seon King of the Amorites And hauing knowledge of all that Moses had done to Seon his neighbour made out a great Armye
Iuda This man slue Pekahia his owne Lorde and so vsurped the Crowne He kept the wayes of Ieroboam as his Predecessors did He made warre against Iuda and slue of them in one day sixe hundred thousande and tooke twoo hundred thousande of women sonnes and daughters prisoners and caried them awaye to Samaria purposing to haue kept them in bondage and slauerye all their lyfe long But being admonished by Oded the Prophete he newe arayed them and sent them home agayne After this God stirred vp Thiglah King of Assiria agaynst him which came and dispossessed him of all the lande of Nephtalim and caried away his people Finally Hosea the sonne of Ela conspired against Pekah and slue him after he had reygned twentie yeares and was King after him Peleg was the sonne of Eber of the generation of Sem. His brothers name was Iocktan At the age of thirtie yeares he begot Rew and lyued after that twoo hundred and nyne yeares In this mans dayes was the lande deuided by reason of the diuersitie of language which happened at the buylding of Babell Persis was a man singularlye beloued of S. Paule for his diligence in setting foorth the Gospell as doth appeare by his woordes saying Salute the welbeloued Persis which laboured much in the Lorde Peter otherwise called Symon the sonne of Ionas dwelt in the Citie of Bethsaida and from a Fisher man was called to be an Apostle into whose house Christ vouchedsafe to come and heale his wiues mother of hir feuer Peter was of that audacitie and boldnesse that he went vppon the water which was to great an enterprise for hym to performe without the helpe of Christ his mayster who séeing hym thorowe weakenesse of fayth in daunger of drowning saued him Agayne when Christ dyd shew vnto his Disciples how that he must go to Ierusalem and suffer many things of the Elders and of the Priestes and Scribes and be put to death and the thyrde daye ryse agayne which thing he spake to plucke out of their hearts that false opinion they had of his temporall Kingdome Peter tooke him asyde and began to rebuke hym saying Mayster looke to thy selfe this shall not be vnto thée with whose rashe zeale Christ was so offended that he called him Sathan laying to his charge that he fauoured not the thinges that were of God but of men Also when Peter sawe Christ being transfigured talke with Moses Elias he was so rauished with that sight that he sayde vnto him Lorde here is good being for vs If thou wilt let vs make here thrée Tabernacles One for thée and one for Moses and one for Elias Furthermore when Christ sayde vnto his Disciples the night he knew he shoulde be apprehended that all they shoulde be offended bicause of him Peter trusting to much to his owne strength sayde Though all men be offended bycause of thée yet will not I forsake thée Naye I will suffer death rather than I will denye thée And to performe this promise when Iudas came with a multitude of the hygh Priestes seruaunts with swoordes and staues to take Christ Peter drewe out his swoorde and smote off the eare of one of the hygh Priestes seruauntes For whose foolishe hardynesse Christ rebuked him sharplye and bade him put vp his swoorde Then Peter séeing his mayster ledde awaye and all his fellowes fled and gone woulde not séeme vtterly to forsake his mayster but followed a farre off at length in the darcke as vnknowne entered into the Court of Caiphas And sitting among the ministers warming him by the fyre a wenche came to him and sayde arâ— not thou one of this mannes Disciplâ—s No sayde he Yes but thou arte quoth an other for I dyd sée thée with him in the Garden Peter denyed agayne saying that he dyd not know him Then certayne which stoode by knowing Peter sayde surely thou arte one of them for thy speach doth bewray thée Then began Peter to cursse and banne swearing and denying that euer he knewe hym And immediatelye the Cocke dyd crowe Peter nowe remembring the wordes of Christe which had sayde vnto him that before the Cocke dyd crowe he shoulde denye him thrise was touched with inwarde repentaunce and went out and wept bitterly And after he had lost the presence of his mayster he went to his olde occupasion of fishing agayne And as he with other his companions had laboured all the long night in vayne and were comming to lande Iesus which stoode on the shore asked if they had any meate who not knowing what he was sayde they had none Then cast out your Net quoth he on the right side of the Ship and yée shall spéede and so they cast out their net and were not able to drawe it to lande agayne for the multitude of fishes that were caught in it And as Peter was haling vp the net and heard Iohn say it was Iesus which stoode vpon the shore he left the net and sprange into the Sea to Iesus This is that Peter vppon whose confession Christ when Peter acknowledged him to be the sonne of the liuing God â—yd buylde his Congregacion Finally to stablish Peter in the office of an Apostle Christ commaunded him earnestlye thrée times to féede his shéepe Giuing him also forewarning of his death Phaltiel the sonne of Lays would not séeme to disobey the will of King Saule when of hatered he had taken his daughter Mychol from Dauid and gaue hir to him but thankefully receyued hir and gentlye entertayned Michol so long as the King hir Father lyued who being dead then Dauid required to haue his wyfe Michol agayne And at the daye of hir deliueraunce to Abner to be restored to Dauid he brought hir on the waye and came behinde hir wéeping till they came to a place called Bahurim And there at Abners commaundement he returned home agayne Pharao There be diuers Kinges of this name expressed in Scripture What time as Abraham came into Egipt with Sara his wyfe who was reported to Pharao to be a woman of an excellent bewtie hée tooke hir home to his house and gentlye entertayned the woman without any spot of dishonestie and also entreated Abraham well for hir sake But when he perceyued that God had plagued his house for kéeping the woman from hir husbande he called Abraham vnto him and sayde Why haste thou done this vnto mée Wherefore dyddest thou not tell mée that she was thy wyfe Why saydest thou she is my sister that I shoulde take hir to be my wyfe Nowe therefore beholde thy wyfe take hir and go thy waye and gaue a commaundement that no man shoulde hurt them eyther in person or goodes An other Pharao there was that delyuered Ioseph out of Prison to expounde his dreames And for the excellent wisedome and knowledge that he sawe to be in Ioseph he made hym Ruler and Gouernour of all the lande of Egipt and shewed
that when the children of Israel had committed whooredome with the daughters of Moab and saw an Israelite named Zamry bring to his brethren a Madianitishe wyfe named Cozby euen in the sight of Moses and all the multitude of Israel that stoode before the doore of the Tabernacle lamenting their offence he tooke his weapon in his hande and followed the man into his Tent and thrust them both thorowe the bellyes and killed them And then the plague wherein were dead foure an twentie thousande ceased For the which déede the Lorde sayde to Moses Phinehes the sonne of Eleazar hath turned awaye mine anger from the children of Israel whyle he was gelious for my sake among them that I had not consumed them all in my gelousie Wherefore I giue vnto him my couenaunt of peace to him and to his séede after him euen the Couenaunt of the Priestes office for euer because he was gelous for his Gods sake and made attonement for the Children of Israel Pilate was Liefetenaunt of Iewrye when Annas Caiphas were the hye Priestes who with the Scribes and Elders of the Iewes sate in counsayle vppon Iesus nowe betrayed vnto them by Iudas how and by what meanes they might dispatch hym out of the waye But hauing no aucthoritie to condemne or put hym to death they brought hym bounde vnto Pylate the temporall Iudge Saying howe that they had founde him peruerting the people and forbidding trybute to Cesar and calling himselfe a king Pilate hearing this demaunded of him whither he were a King or no. Iesus neyther denying nor affirming that he was made aunswere that Pilate himselfe had sayde so Then Pilate sayde vnto all his accusers how that in examining of Iesus he coulde not sée that he had offended in anye such thing as they had charged him withall The people than more vehementlye affirmed how that he had with his teaching and preaching which he first began in Galile mooued all Iewry to follow his doctrine When Pilate perceyued the man to be of Galile and that his matter pertayned to Herods iurisdiction he sent hym foorthwith to Herode lying at Ierusalem Who of a long tyme had béene desirous to sée hym But when as Herode had demaunded many things of him and coulde haue no aunswere agayne he dispised and mocked hym and so returned hym backe agayne to Pilate clothed all in white And from that daye foorth Pilate and Herode were euermore friendes who before were enimies Then Pilate for so much as Herode had sent Iesus backe agayne and done nothing vnto hym and that neyther he nor Herode coulde finde anyething in him woorthie of death would haue chastyned Iesus and so let him go But the hyghe Priestes layed so manye thinges agaynst him that Pilate after he had reasoned a little with Iesus concerning his Kingdome and other thinges went and sate in iudgement knowing right well in his conscience that the Priestes of verye enuie had deliuered Iesus vnto him And being set downe vpon the iudgement seate his wyfe sent to hym saying Haue thou nothing to doe with that iust man for I haue suffered manye thinges this daye in a dreame by reason of hym Which counsell of his wyfe nor yet his owne knowledge did any thing the more mooue him to defende the innocencie of Christ but asked of the people which of these twoo they woulde haue quitte Barrabas or Iesus and they sayde Barrabas What shall I then doe quoth he with Iesus which is called Christ They all saide let hym be Crucified What euill or great offence hath hée done quoth Pilate that deserueth death The people being much more eager than they were before cryed out amayne to haue him Crucified When Pilate saw this that he coulde not preuayle agaynst them he tooke water and washed his handes saying I am innocent of the bloud of this iust person in the which saying he bare witnesse of his innocencie before he condemned him And so delyuering Iesus to the Souldiours they scourged him and arayed him in purple with a crowne of thorne vpon his heade In which sorte Pilate brought hym foorth agayne and sayde to the people Beholde I bring hym foorth to you that yée may knowe that I finde no fault in him And when Iesus appeared before them Pilate said Beholde the man which he spake in mockerye bicause that Christ had called him selfe a king And when the hye Priestes and Officers sawe hym they cryed out Crucifige Crucifige Then saide Pilate take him to you and Crucifie hym for I can finde no cause of death in the man They aunswered agayne and sayde It is not lawfull for vs to put any man to death but we haue a lawe by our lawe he ought to dye bycause he made hymselfe the Sonne of god When Pilate hearde this he was afrayde and went agayne into the iudgement Hall and demaunded of Iesus what he was but he made hym no aunswere Then Pilate sayde Why speakest thou not Doest thou not sée that it lyeth in my handes eyther to kyll or saue thée To that he made aunswere and sayde Thou couldest haue no power at all agaynst mée except it were giuen thée from aboue therefore he that deliuered mée vnto thée hath the more sinne from that tyme foorth Pilate sought by all meanes to deliuer hym But the Iewes cryed vppon hym saying If thou let him go thou arte not Cesars friende for whosoeuer maketh himselfe a King speaketh agaynst Cesar When Pilate hearde them say so he brought Iesus foorth and sate him downe in the Iudgement seate saying vnto the people Beholde your King they cryed awaye with him away with him crucifie hym What quoth Pilate shall I crucifye your King To that the hyghe Priestes made aunswere and sayde We haue no King but Cesar At that woorde Pilate delyuered Iesus to be crucifyed and being brought to the place of execution and spreade vpon the Crosse Pilate caused this tytle to be set ouer his heade Iesus of Nazareth King of the Iewes which was written in Hebrue Gréeke and Latine that all Nacions might vnderstande it With the which writing the hyghe Priests were offended sore and woulde haue had Pilate to correct it and not to write him King of the Iewes but that he sayde I am King of the Iewes Well quoth Pilate What I haue written that haue I written Priscilla looke Aquila Ptolomy King of Egipt had a fayre daughter named Cleopatra the which he gaue to Alexander the sonne of noble Antiochus in Mariage which was solemly and with great Royaltie finished in the Citie of Ptolomais But notwithstanding this great bonde of Amitie nowe knit betwéene them Ptolomy afterwarde withdrew his fauour from Alexander and sought by all meanes howe he might defeate him of his Kingdome And thinking to bring his purpose nowe better to passe whyle Alexander hymselfe laye out of his Realme he prepared a great hoste and tooke his iourney into Siria where into euerye
olde and was not able to beare the burden he made his twoo sonnes Ioel and Abia Iudges ouer Israel thinking that they woulde imitate his steppes But contrarywise they were so couetous that for lucre sake they peruerted all true iustice wherevpon the Elders of Israel perceyuing Samuel to be olde and his sonnes giuen all to coueteousnesse went to Samuel desiring of him that they might haue a king to raygne ouer them as other nations had Then Samuel hearing them speake of a king was sore displeased But neuerthelesse at the Lordes commaundement who bade him make them a King hée first declared to them the office and authoritie of a King and than annoynted Saule to be their King and gouernour whome he sent to Gilgal commaunding Saule to tary him there seauen dayes and then he woulde come and tell him what he shoulde doe And on the seauenth day when Samuel came to Saule and sawe he had offered before he came he asked him what he had done Mary quoth Saule when I sawe the people begin to scatter from mée and that thou taryedst so long I offered burnt offerings least the Philistines shoulde come vpon me before I had made my supplicasion vnto the Lorde Nowe sayde Samuel thou hast played the foole For if thou haddest hep to the Lordes commaundement hée woulde haue stablished thy Kingdome for euer But now it shall not continue For the Lorde hath sought him out a man after his owne heart which shall rule the people and so Samuel departed to his house at Gibea After this when Saule had broken the Lordes commaundement in sauing Agag King of the Amalachites alyue and had made a sacrifice vnto the Lorde of their best shéepe and Cattell which hée reserued Samuel came whereof the Kinge was verye glad and tolde hym that he had fulfilled the Lordes commaundement But what meaneth then quoth Samuel the bleting of the shéepe and noyse of Oxen that I heare There are quoth he the best shéepe and Oxen that the people hath spared to sacrifice vnto the Lorde but the reast haue we destroyed Then sayde Samuel Did not the Lord when thou wert little in thine olvne eyes make thée King ouer Israel and gaue thée a charge vtterly to destroy those sinners the Amalachites And wherefore hast thou obeyed the people and not the Lorde I haue quoth he done all that the Lorde commaunded mée and saued none but Agag Hath the Lorde quoth Samuel as great pleasure in burnt sacrifices and offeringes as when the voyce of the Lorde is obeyed Beholde to obey is better than sacrifice and to harcken is better than the fat of Rammes for rebellion is as the sinne of Witchcraft and stubbornesse is as the wickednesse of Idolatrie And bicause thou hast cast away the worde of the Lorde therefore hath the Lorde cast away thée from being king Then sayde Saule I haue sinned and gone further than the saying of the Lord therefore take awaye my sinne 〈◊〉 turne againe with me that I may worship the lord Nay quoth Samuel I will not returne with thée for thou hast cast awaye the Lorde and he hath cast away thée And as Samuel was turning himselfe to haue gone away Saule â—aught him by the lap of his garment and it rent Then sayde Samuel the Lorde hath rent the kingdome of Israel from thée this day and giuen it to a neyghbour of thine better than thy selfe Neuerthelesse thorowe great intreatie of Saule Samuel went with him And when they had worshipped the Lorde Agag was brought to Samuel who tooke and hewed him in péeces and so departed to Rama where he mourned so long for Saule till the Lorde reprooued him for it and sent him to Bethleem to annoynt Dauid Which thing done he went home agayne to Rama where he remayned vntill he dyed Sanabalat the Heronite when he hearde of the graunt that Nehemias had obtayned of Artâ—â—erses for the building of the Temple at Ierusalem he was marueylously grieued therewith and sought by all meanes howe to let the Iewes of their purpose Saphira the wyfe of Ananias being of his Counsell in kéeping awaye part of the pryce of a possession which they had solde came vnto Peter about a thrée houres after hir husbande ignorant of that which was done vnto whome Peter sayde Tell me Saphira solde yée the lande for so much yea quoth she for so much Why haue ye quoth Peter agréed togither to tempt the spirite of the lord Beholde the féete of them which haue buried thy husbande are at the doore and shall carye thée out And with that she fell downe and gaue vp the ghost And the Officers came and caried hir out and buried hir beside hir husbande Saule the sonne of Cis of the Trybe of Beniamin was a goodly tall yoong man who on a tyme as he was séeking his fathers Asses and coulde not finde them happened by the prouision of God to go and séeke but Samuel to wit of him some tydinges of hys Asses And as he was going towarde the Citie it was tolde him of a great offering that shoulde be there and howe the people wayted for Samuels comming to blesse the same And when Saule was come into the middest of the Citie he met Samuel comming against him going vp to the hill And as Samuel behelde Saule the Lorde sayd vnto him this is the man which I tolde thée yesterdaye I woulde sende this daye vnto thée to be King of Israel Then Samuel tooke him vp with him to the hyll and set him in the chiefest seate amonge his guestes and made him eate with them And the feast being done he went and annoynted Saule King and told him what he should doe after his departure from him And going from Samuel the Lorde gaue him another maner of heart than he had before So that he prophecied among the Prophetes and was so greatly honoured of all men that after he had deliuered the Citie of Iabes out of the handes of Nahas King of the Ammonites the people renued his kingdome which God woulde haue stablished for euer if he had not disobeyed his commaundement in taking vpon him to offer burnt sacrifice before Samuel came and also to saue Agag whom he was commaunded to destroy And for this his disobedience the Lorde tooke hys spirite from Saule and gaue it to Dauid and gaue vnto Saule an euill spirit to vexe him withall Then Saule séeing the spirit of the Lord departed from him and gone to Dauid he sought by all meanes to destroye him but neuer coulde come to his purpose Finally Saule being sore cumbred with the Philistynes he went to an Enchaunter notwithstanding he had expelled all of that Arte before to rayse him vp Samuel who being raysed vp tolde hym that for as much as hée had disobeyed the Lorde and not executed his fierce wrath vppon the Amalachytes therefore had God forsaken hym and rent his Kingdome out of his
spéede after him who came to Paule at Corinth Silpha was hand mayde or seruaunt to Lea who being giuen by hir mystresse consent to Iacob to wyfe brought him foorth twoo sonnes Gad and Aser Siluanus was a great setter foorth of the Gospell with Paule and Timotheus as is mencioned in the first and seconde epistle to the Thessalonians first Chapters Simeon was a blessed olde man dwelling in Ierusalem which longed sore for the comming of Messias And where as he had prayed vnto God to giue hym the gift that he might but once sée him with his bodyly eyes before he departed out of this worlde he receyued an answere of the holy Ghost that he shoulde not sée death vntill he had séene Christ with his fleshly eyes which he had séene many aday before with the eyes of his fayth And when the tyme came that the Childe Iesus shoulde bée brought into the Temple by his parents Symeon by the inspiracion of the holy Ghost came into the Temple a little before them and when he had séene all things done by the Priest according to the lawe he of a godly zeale tooke the Babe in his armes also and sayde Lorde now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace according to thy promise For mine eyes hath séene thy saluasion which thou hath prepared before the face of all people A light to lighten the Gentils and the glory of thy people Israel And when he had blessed the Babe he sayde to Mary the childes mother Beholde this childe is set to be the fall and vprising agayne of many in Israel and for a signe which is spoken against And moreouer the swoorde shall pierce thy soule that the thoughtes of many hearts may be opened Symon the seconde sonne of Mathathias was a man of great wysedome and the hygh Priest among the Iewes He helped much his brother Iudas Ionathas in the warres and after the death of Iudas he discomfited Bachides and was made Captayne ouer the Iewes after the apprehension of Ionathas and ouercame Antiochus But in the ende he was of Ptolomy his sonne in lawe most trayterously murthered Symon of the Tribe of Beniamin being a Ruler of the Temple what time as Onias was the high Priest went about to worke much mischiefe in the Citie of Ierusalem And when he sawe that he coulde not ouercome Onias and the other Priestes that resisted hym he got him to Appolonius which then was Gouernour of Celosiria and Phineces and tolde him that the Treasurye in Ierusalem was full of innumerable money which dyd not belong to the prouision of the sacrifice and that it were possible that these thinges might come to the Kings hands But when this bewrayer of the money and of his owne naturall Countrye sawe the great plague that fell on Heliodorus which was sent for the money and that his cursed deuise coulde take no place then he fell to rayling and slaundering of Onias reporting of hym that he had mooued Heliodorus to that malicious enterprice yea so much increased his malice against the godly man Onias that he could not speake well of him Wherefore Onias the malice of Symon compelling him therevnto complayned on Symon to Seleucus the King to haue him reformed Symon of Ceren the Father of Alexander and Rufus was compelled to beare Christes Crosse when he went to his passion It was the custome to make hym that was condempned to carye his Crosse And forasmuch as Iesus was not able to do it for weakenesse they tooke Symon as he came out of the fielde and made hym to beare it after Iesus Simon a certaine Pharisey inuited Iesus to hys Table And Iesus sitting at meate with him there came in a certayne woman with an Alabaster bore of oyntment who stoode behinde him wéeping and beganne to washe his féete with teares and to wype them with the heares of hir heade That done she kissed them and annoynted them with hir swéete oyntment Then Simon which had well marked all hir doings spake within himselfe saying if this man were a Prophete he woulde surely haue knowen who and what maner of woman this is which toucheth him for she is a sinner To whose thought Iesus aunswered and sayde Simon I haue somewhat to saye vnto thée saye on Maister quoth he There was a certayne lender which had two detters the one ought fiue hundred pence and the other fiftie And when they had nothing to paye he forgaue them both which of them therefore tell me will loue him moste Simon sayde I suppose that he will loue him best to whome he forgaue most Thou hast truely sayde quoth he Then Iesus turning vnto the woman sayde to Simon féest thou this woman I entred into thyne house and thou gauest mée no water to my féete but she hath washed my féete with teares and wyped them with the heare of hir heade thou gaue me no kisse but she since the time she came in hath not ceassed to kisse my féete Mine heade with oyle thou didst not annoint but she hath annoynted mine heade with oyntment Wherefore I say vnto thée that many sinnes are forgiuen hir for she loued much to whome a little is forgiuen will loue a little Simon Magus which had of a long time seduced the people of Samaria with his sorcery and witchcraft was had in so great estimation among the multitude euen from the hyest to the lowest that they counted him Gods felowe and to worke all things by his power so much were they giuen to followe the illusions of Satan more than the truth of god But when Simon had heard the preaching of Philip and séene his myracles and the number of people conuerted to the fayth of Christ he was forced himselfe also by the maiestie of Gods worde to confesse the truth And so to couer his hypocrisie dissembled to beléeue and was baptised and continued with Philip. But after this when Peter and Iohn were come from Ierusalem and had layde their handes on the people by the which the holy Ghost was giuen Simon coueting to haue that gift as well as they offered the Apostles money to gyue him the power to doe the same To whome Peter sayde Thy money perishe wyth thée bicause thou wéenest that the gift of God may be obtayned with money thou hast neyther part nor followshippe in this businesse for thy heart is not right in the sight of God Repent therefore of this thy wickednesse and pray God that the thoughtes of thine heart maye be forgyuen thée for I perceyue that thou art full of bytter gall and wrapped in iniquitie Then sayde Simon pray ye vnto the Lord for me that none of these things which ye haue spoken fall on me And so they left him full of malice and deuilish poyson tyed in the bondes of Satan ¶ Of Simon the sonne of Onias whose prayse is set out Eccle. 50. ¶ Simon one of Christes kinsemen Math.
the Garpen as hir maner was with twoo of hir Maydens onely to wash hir selfe these twoo hidde themselues in the Garden agaynst hir comming And assoone as the Maydens had shut the Drcharde doores and were gone for Oyle and Sope for their Mystresse the twoo Elders came vppon Susanna and sayde The Garden doores be nowe shut that no man can sée vs and we burne in lust towardes thée therefore consent and lye with vs if thou wilt not we will beare witnesse agaynst thée that a yoong man was in the Drchard with thée and therefore thou senâ—t away thy Maydens Then Susanna sighed and sayde If I doe followe your minds it will be my death and if I consent not vnto you I cannot escape your handes It is better for mée to fall into your handes without the déede dooing than to sinne in the sight of the Lorde and with that cryed out with a lowde voyce and the Elders cryed out agaynst hir which clamour on both parties was so great that it was hearde among the Seruauntes without which ranne to the Orcharde doore and burst it open to sée what the matter was And when the seruaunts had heard the Elders report of Susanna they were greatly ashamed for there was neuer such a reporte made of Susanna before And so on the next morowe the twoo Elders full of mischieuous imaginacions declared the matter to Ioachym hir husband to bring hir to death And when she was come with hir father and mother hir Children and all hir kinne to be iudged according to the law she stoode before the twoo wicked Iudges with hir face couered who commaunded to take the cloth from hir face that at the least they might be satisfied with hir bewtie which thing being done The Iudges stoode vp and layed their handes vpon the heade of Susanna saying As we were walking in the Orcharde alone this woman came in with hir twoo Maydens whom she sent awaye from hir making fast the Orcharde doore after them Then starte their vp a yoong fellowe which laye hidde in the Garden and went vnto hir laye with hir Then we which stoode in a corner séeing this wickednesse â—anne vnto them and saw them as they were togither but we coulde not holde the fellowe for he was stronger than we and got open the doore and leaped out And when we demaunded of hir what fellow it was she woulde not tell vs This is the matter and we be witnesse of the same Then Susanna cryed out and sayde O euerlasting God thou searcher of heartes thou that knowest all things before they come â–ª to passe â–ª thou wotest that they haue borne false witnesse agaynst mée And beholde I muste dye whereas I neuer intended anye such thing as these men haue maliciously ymagined agaynst mée And as she was ledde towarde the place of execution the Lorde of Heauen which hearde hir prayer raysed vp the spirite of a little Childe called Daniel who cryed with a lowde voyce â–ª saying I am cleane from the bloude of this woman And when the people hearde that they stayed to knowe of the Childe what he ment by his woordes O yée Children of Israel sayde he are yée such fooles that without examinacion and knowledge of the truth ye haue condemned a daughter of Israel returne agayne to iudgement for they haue borne false witnesse agaynst hir Then the people went backe agayne and the Elders tooke Daniel and set him among them in iudgement Who when he had commaunded the twoo false witnesses to be seuered that he might examine them he called the one before hym and sayde O thou that arte olde in a wicked lyfe nowe thy sinâ—es which thou hast committed afore tyme are come to light Tell mée vnder what Trée thou sawest this woman and the yoong fellowe togither he sayde vnder a Mulbery Trée Now veryly quoth Daniel thou hast lyed and arte woorthy of death in that thou hast oppressed the innocent and letten the guiltie go frée contrarie to the woordes of the Lorde which sayth The innocent and righteous sée thou slay not Then he called the other and sayde O thou séede of Canaan but not of Iuda Bewtie hath disceyued thée and lust hath subverted thine heart Thus haue ye dealt with the daughters of Israel and they for feare consented vnto you but the daughters of Iuda woulde not abyde your wickednesse Now tell mée vnder what Trée dyddest thou take them companying togither He aunswered vnder a Pyne Trée Nowe verily sayde Daniel thou hast lyed also agaynst thine head The messenger of the Lord standeth wayting with the swoorde to cut thée in twoo and so to destroye you both And with that the whole assembly cryed with a lowde voyce and praysed God which so myraculously had preserued Susanna that daye And so fell vppon the twoo wicked Iudges and according to the law of Moses put them both to death ¶ Susanna one of those godly women which followed Christ and his Apostles relieuing them with hir substaunce as much as laye in hir power T. TAddeus was one of the twelue Apostles Act. 24. a. Tartullus was a certayne Dratour the which Ananias the hye Priest had brought with him to informe Felix the ruler agaynst Paule And when Paule was brought foorth Tartullus began to accuse hym saying Séeing that we lyue in great quietnesse by the meanes of thée and that many good thinges are done vnto this nacion thorowe thy prouidence that we euer alowe and in all places most mightie Felix with all thanks Notwithstanding that I be not tedyous vnto thée I praye thée that thou wouldest heare vs of thy curtesie a few words For we haue founde this man a Pestilent fellowe and a moouer of debate vnto all the Iewes thoroweout the Worlde and a maintayner of the sect of the Nazarites And hath also inforced to pollute the Temple whom we tooke and woulde haue iudged according to our law But the hygh captayne Lysias came vpon vs and with great violence tooke him away out of our handes commaunding his accusers to come vnto thée Of whome thou mayst if thou wilt inquyre knowe the certaynetie of all these thinges whereof we accuse him Tartullus a salsâ—reporter or a teller of tales a lyer Gen. 11. d. Terah was the sonne of Nahor the Sonne of Serug He at the age of seuentie yeres begot Abraham but he had before by an other wife Nahor and Haran All the dayes that Terah lyued were two hundred and fiue yere ¶ Terah Smelling ¶ Looke in the story of Abraham Rom. 16. d. Tercius was the name of him that wrote the Epistle of S. Paule to the Romaynes whyle Paule endited it saying on this wyse I Tercius salute you which wrote this Epistle in the Lord. ¶ Tercius a Latine worde 2. Reg. 13. a. b. c. d. Thamar the daughter of Dauid was so bewtiefull a yoong woman that Ammon hir brother fell sicke for hir loue And when she had visited Ammon at
to vse a little Wine Act. 19. b. Tyrannus was a certayne schoolemayster in Asia in whose schoole Paule disputed dayly by the space of two yeares ¶ Tyrannus Commaunding or a Prince a Tyrant 2. Cor. 2. c. Titus was S. Paules disciple whome for the excellent giftes that were in him Paule looued as if he had 7. a. 8. b. d. bene his owne naturall sonne And made him the chiefe ouerséer or as ye woulde say Archbishop of the Christian Tit. 1. a. b. congregation in the noble I le of Crete And in euery Citie within the I le Titus ordeyned an ouerséer which we call a Bishop for the which cause Paule prescribed vnto him the true forme of a Bishop or shepehearde of Christes flocke ¶ Titus Honorable Tob. 1. Toby was a godlye man of the Tribe and Citie of Nephtaly And being brought into great captiuitie in the dayes of Salmanasar king of Assiria yet woulde he not forsake the way of truth nor worship the golden Calues as other did neyther yet defyle himselfe with the Heathens meate but alwayes kept his heart pure vnto god For the which the Lorde gaue him such fauour in the sight of Salmanasar the King that Toby had power to go where he woulde and to doe whatsoeuer him lyst Then Toby hauing this libertie went about comforting all those that were in prison both with his goodes and godly exhortacions Such was his dayly exercise to feede the hungrye to cloth the naked and to burie the deade with such like déedes of Charitie And when the time came that Sennacherib which hated the children of Israel reygned in his fathers steade and in his wrath slue many of them Toby buried their bodies for the which the King commaunded to sley him and to take away his goodes who neuerthelesse thorowe friendshippe escaped and fled And after the Kings death being slayne of hys owne sonnes within .xlv. dayes after Toby returned and was restored to his goodes agayne and called his kinred and friendes togither and made a great feast And sitting at the Table with his guestes one tolde him there lay an Israelite slayne in the stréete who then immediatly lept from the boorde and went fasting to the deade corse and brought him home to his house where he hidde him priuily vntill the Sunne was downe and then buryed hym For the which déede his friendes reprooued him bicause he had bene in daunger but a little before euen for the lyke matter But neuerthelesse Tobias fearing God more than the King woulde take the slayne and hyde them in his house and bnrie them at midnight Insomuch that one tyme he was so weary with burying the deade that he got him home and layde him downe beside a wall for wearynesse where he fell on sléepe And so lying there fell downe vpon his eyes warme dung out of a swalowes nest which tooke awaye his sight that he coulde not sée agaynst the which plague of blindnesse he neuer grudged but remayned steadfast in the feare of God giuing him thankes as well for that as other gifts of health And this temptacion God suffered to fall on Toby for an example of pacience to all that should come after Finally of his great pacience déede of charitie and other godlye exhortacions his booke is full He lost his Tob. 14. a. sight at the age of sixe and fiftie yeares And was restored at thrée score so that he remayned blind about a foure yeare And lyued after he had receyued his sight twoo and fourtie yeares and so he dyed at the age of an hundred and twoo yeares and was honourably buryed in the Citie of Niniue ¶ Tobiah the Lorde is good Tob. 5. cap. Toby the sonne of Toby being brought vp in the feare of God followed the vert uous steppes of his father in all thinges He was sent to the Citie of Rages to one Gabelus for certayne money which his father had lent him And after many daungers by the waye was by 6. a. Goddes prouision whose Aungell was his guide maryed 7. a. there to the daughter of Raguel whose name was Sara And when he had taryed with his father and mother in lawe about a twoo wéekes he returned home with much 8. d. substaunce to the great consolation and comfort of olde Toby his Father and Anna his Mother After whose 11. cap. death when he had remayned at Niniue the space of two 14. d. and fourtie yeares he departed with his wyfe and seuen sonnes to the Citie of Rages where he founde his Fatheir and mother in lawe both lyuing in great age on whom he tooke the care vntill they died and was heyre to all there goodes And when this Toby had lyued .xcix. yeares he dyed and was buryed After whose death his posteritie continued in such an holye conuersacion of life that they were belooued and accepted both of God and man. 2. Esd 2. a. Toby the Ammonite and sonne in lawe to Sechania was one that conspired with Sanabalat to hinder the buylding of Ierusalem For when Sanabalat sayde in derision of the Iewes What doe these weake Iewes will they fortifie themselues Will they sacrifice Will they finish it in a day Will they make the stones whole agayne out of the heapes of dust séeing they are burnt Then Toby which stoode besyde hym sayde Although 6. d. they buylde yet if a Fore go vp hée shall euen breake downe their stonye Wall. This Toby wrought all the wayes he could both by letters and false Prophets hyred for money to feare Esoras from the worke but coulde not preuayle Rom. 16. b. Triphena and Triphosa were certayne godly women to whom Saint Paule for their deligent labour in the Gospell sendeth gréetinges saying Salute Triphena and Triphosa which women laboured in the Lord. ¶ Triphena a fyne nice or delicate woman 1. Mac. 11. e. cap. Triphon was a certayne great man which tooke part with King Alexander agaynst King Ptolomy And when Alexander was dead Triphon founde the meanes to get his yong sonne Antiochus out of the handes of Emascuel the Arabian who had brought him vp to reigne in his Fathers streade And when he had got the gouernaunce of the yoong King he conceyued treason agaynst hym which he thought coulde neuer be well brought to passe so long as Ionathas whome the King had made hygh Priest was his friende wherefore he sought to kill Ionathas that he might come the easyer by his wicked purpose So Triphon went to a place called Bethsan 12. c. cap. at the which place Ionathas met hym with fourtie thousande men Then Triphon perceyuing the great hoste that Ionathas brought was afrayde and thought it not best to meddle with him at that time but to vse some policie howe to betraye hym And so commaunding all his souldieurs to be as obedient to Ionathas in all thinges euen as they woulde be vnto himselfe he receyued hym honorablye
with great rewardes And being mette togithers Triphon sayde to Ionathas Why hast thou caused this people to take such traueyle séeing there is no warre betwéene vs Therefore sende them home againe and choose certayne men to wayte vpon thée and come thou with mée to Ptclomais for I will giue it thée with other strong holdes for that is the onelye cause of my comming and so I must depart Then Ionathas beléeuing Triphon sent away his hoste all saue a thousande and so went with Triphon to Ptolomais And assoone as Ionathas and his men were entered the Citie the gates were shut and Ionathas put in warde all his men were 1. Mac. 13. a. b. c. d. slayne After this Triphon went into the lande of Iuda with a great hoste hauing Ionathas with hym in warde And when he had knowledge that Symon stoode vp in the steade of his brother Ionathas and that he woulde come agaynst him he sent worde to Symon that where as he kept Ionathas his brother in warde it was but for mony he ought in the Kings account and other businesse he had in hande Therefore if he woulde sende hym an hundred Talents of Siluer and the twoo sonnes of Ionathas to be their fathers suretie he would sende him home againe But Symon knewe his dissembling heart well ynough Yet neuerthelesse least he should be a greater enimie to the people of Israel and say an other daye that bycause he sent him not the money and the children therefore is Ionathas dead he sent him both the money and the Children Then Triphon hauing the money and Children kept Ionathas still and shortlye after put both the Father and his children to death Now Triphon to bring his long pretenced purpose about on a tyme as he walked abrode with the yoong King he most trayterously slue him and possessed the Realme and crowned himselfe King of Asia and dyd much hurte in the lande Finally Triphon 15. b. cap. was so behated of all men that when Antiochus the sonne of Demetrius came vpon him the most part of his owne hoste forsooke him and went to Antiochus who neuer left persecuting of Triphon till he made hym flée by shippe where he was neuer séene more ¶ Triphon a delicate and fine man. Act. 20. a. Trophimus was an Ephesian borne who went with Tichicus out of Asia to Troas to make all thinges ready agaynst Paules comming and abode there till Paule came from thence they went with Paule to Ierusalem where certaine Iewes which were of Asia mooued the people agaynst Paule complayning of hym that he 21. f. cap. had brought Gréekes with hym to polute the Temple bicause they saw Trophimus with him in the Citie whom they supposed Paule had brought into the Temple Gene. 4. c. d. Tubal was the sonne of Lamech by his wyfe Ada. And was the first that inuented the science of Musicke by the strokes and noyse of the hammers of his brother Tubalcain which was a Smith and the first finder out of Mettall and the woorking thereof Iubal was his brother by father and mother and Tubalcain onely by the Father for Zilla was his mother ¶ Tubal borne or brought or worldly ¶ Tubalcain Worldly possession V. VAsthi was a verye fayre woman and wyfe to Ahasuerus otherwise called Artaxerses King of Persia And bycause she woulde not come to the King when he sent for hir a lawe was deuised and made by the seuen Princes of Persia and Medea That forasmuch as it coulde not be chosen but that this déede of Quéene Vasthi must néeds come abrode into the eares of all women both Princes and other so dispise their husbandes and saye Thus and thus dyd Vasthi to Ahasuerus by which occasion much dispitefulnesse and wrath shoulde aryse The King shoulde therefore put hir awaye and take an other to the ende that all other women great and small shoulde holde their husbandes in more honour And so she was diuersed from the King and Hester receyued in hir place Vrban was a certayne faythfull Christian brother to whome Paule sent gréetings saying Salute Vrban our helper in Christ Vrias the Hethite was a man alwayes for the most part occupyed in the Kings warres with Ioab the Kings Captayne generall This Vrias had a fayre woman to his wyfe called Bethsabe whome King Dauid in his absence had got with childe And when the King had knowledge that the woman was conceyued he sent for Vrias to come home Who being come to the King and had tolde him of all thinges concerning Ioab and his men of warre The King bade him go home to his house and repose himselfe there a whyle with his wyfe And so Vrias being departed from the King went not home to his wyfe but laye without the Kinges gate he and all his men that night And when on the morowe the King had knowledge thereof he sent for Vrias demaunded why he went not home To whome he sayde The Arke of Israel and Iuda dwell in Tentes and my Lorde Ioab and the seruaunts of my Lorde abide in the open fields shall I than go into mine house to eate and drincke lye with my wyfe By thy lyfe and by the life of thy soule I will not doe this thing Then he was commaunded to tarye a daye or twoo more and the King wrote a letter to Ioab the Tenour whereof was this That he should set Vrias in the fore front of the battell where it was most sharpest to the intent he might be slayne And so Vrias departed from the King carying his owne death with him and was soone dispatched out of his lyfe Vriah was the hye Priest in the tyme of Ahaz King of Iuda And hauing the patterne of an Altar sent vnto hym by the King from Damasco to make hym the lyke agaynst hys comming home Vriah consented to the Kinges wicked minde and made the Altar and did whatsoeuer the King woulde haue him to doe without any regarde of the lawes of God. Vza and Ahio were the sonnes of Abinadab which wayted vpon the newe Cart whereon the Arke of God which was taken out of their fathers house to be caryed to the house of Obeth was layed And forasmuch as Vza of a good intent put foorth his hande to staye the Arke when the Oxen stumbled the Lorde smote hym for his fault that he dyed euen before the Arke Z. ZAbulon was the sixte sonne of Iacob and Lea. Of whome his father prophecied before his death saying Zabulon shall dwell by the Sea side and hée shal be an hauen for shippes his border shal be vnto Zidon Zachary was a certayne godlye Priest in the dayes of Herode King of Iewrye which came of the course or familie of Abia. And walked so perfectly in the ordinaunces and lawes of the Lorde that no man could iustly complayne on hym But he had no childe by his wyfe Elizabeth for she was barren
first an interpreter of Moses law and afterwarde became an earnest preacher of the Gospell of Christ Of whome Paule writeth to Tite Byshop of Crete that whensoeuer Zenas departed from him he shoulde bring him on his iourney with all diligence and that nothing shoulde be lacking vnto him His wordes to Tite were these Bring Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their iourney diligently that nothing be lacking to them Zephora was the daughter of Raguel Priest of Madian and wyfe to Moses by whom she conceyued bare him twoo sonnes The one Gerson and the other Eleazer And as she went with Moses hir husbande towarde the lande of Egipt by the waye in hir Inne she tooke a sharpe knyfe and cut awaye the foreskinne of hir sonne and cast it at his féete saying Thou art in déede a bloudye husbande vnto mée she sayde a bloudy husbande bycause of the circumcision Ziba was one of King Saules olde seruauntes after whose death he belonged to Miphiboseth the sonne of Ionathas and had the ouer sight of all his maisters landes which Dauid had restored vnto hym and the gouernaunce also of Mica his Maysters sonne This Ziba intending to deceyue his mayster what tyme as Dauid fled from Absalom his sonne and was a little past the top of Mount Oliuete mette him with a couple of Asses sadled and vpon them twoo hundred loaues and one hundred bunches of Raysins an hundred frayle of dryed Figges and a bottell of Wine And when the King sawe him he sayde What meaneth thou with these Ziba They be quoth he Asses for the Kings householde to ryde on and breade and fruite for the yoong men to eate and Wyne that such as be fayntie in the Wildernesse may drincke Then sayde the King where is thy maister Miphiboseth Ziba sayde beholde he taryeth styll at Ierusalem for he sayde This daye shall the house of Israel restore me the Kingdome of my Father Then sayde Dauid to Ziba Beholde all are thine that pertayned to Miphiboseth Then sayde Ziba I doe homage vnto thée I beséeche thée I maye finde grace in thy sight my Lorde O king Thus Ziba deceyued his mayster got his lande from him But when the King was returned agayne to Ierusalem and perceyued by Miphiboseth that Ziba had wrongfully accused him he commaunded the lande to be diuided betwéene them Zimri was the seruaunt of Ela the sonne of Baasa King of Israel and Captayne of halfe his Charrettes who or his Mayster had raygned full twoo yeares conspired agaynst him and siue hym as he was in Tirzah drincking till he was droncken in the house of Arza Stuwarde of his house in Tirzah And raygned in his steade in the tyme of whose raygne which was but seuen dayes he siue all the house of Baasa leauing neyther kinsman nor friende of his alyue At this tyme had Ela the King an hoste of men lying at the siege of Gibbethon a Citie of the Philistines And when they hearde of the Treason of Zimri and that he raygned in the steade of Ela they with one consent made Amry their Captayne King who then went and besieged Zimri where he laye in the citie of Tirzah And when Zimri saw that the citie must néedes be woonne then he least they shoulde take him a lyue and put hym to a shamefull death brent himselfe and the Kinges house with fyre and so dyed Zorobabel the Sonne of Salathiel withall the Iewes which were delyuered from Babilon by Cyrus returned to Ierusalem where they repayred agayne the Citie and Temple of God and renewed their lawes though they were sometyme hindred and let by their enimies about them FINIS Exed 6. c. d. 24. d. 32. cap. Idolatrie punished Nu. 12. cap. Disobedience punished 20. d. 33. c. ¶ Aaron a Teacher Dani. 14. f. g. Abacuck died sixe hundred yeares before the incarnation of Christ Eliote ¶ Abacuck a Wrastler Abdy 1. cap. ¶ Abdy a Seruant of the Lorde Ieremi 38. b. 39. d. â—indnesse recompensed Gen. 4. a. b. Abel Delbora his sister were born both at one byrth fiftene yeares after Cain Cooper ¶ Abel Vanitie 3. Reg. 15. a. 2. Par. 13. ca. 3. Reg. 14. ca. ¶ Abia Father of the Sea. 4. Reg. 18. a. ¶ Abia The will of the Lorde 1. Reg. 22 â–ª 3. Reg. 2. ¶ Abiathar Father of the Remnant or excellent Father 1. Reg. 25. ca. Eccle. 31. d. 2. Reg. 3. a. ¶ Abigail The Fathers Ioye 1. Par â–ª 2. b. Gen. 20. cap. ¶ Abimelech The Kings Father or a Father of Counsell or the Chiefe King. Iudith 9. cap. 2. Reg. 6. a. 1. Reg. 16. b. 31. a. ¶ Abinadab A Father of a Vowe or of a free minde or Prince 3. Reg. 1. a. 2. d. ¶ Abisag The Fathers Ignorance 1. Par. 2. b. 2. Re. 16. b. â— 21. d. 23 â–ª â— â–ª ¶ Abisai The Fathers Rewarde ¶ Abner The Fathers Candell â—â—â— 11. d. 〈◊〉 â—â—â— the sonne of â—eâ—ah beâ—oâ— ten of hys seconde â—yâ—e â— because of his 〈◊〉 is counted be sore 〈◊〉 â—â—â—aâ— bornâ— of the 〈◊〉 wyfe * 1â— câ—p Abraham â—â—ught the Egiptians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 13. cap. 16. cap. 17. cap. 21. a. b. 22. cap. 25. cap. Abraham dyed before the incarnatioÌ„ of Christ 1838. yeares ¶ Abraham a Father of a great Multitude 2. Reg. 3. 2. 14. f. 2. Reg. 13. ca. 14. cap. 15. cap â–ª 17. a. b. c. d. 18. a. b. c. d Rebellion neuer escapeth gods punishment ¶ Absalom A Father of Peace or the Fathers Peace or Rewarde Iosua 7. cap. ¶ Acan Troubling 3. Reg 16. g. 18 cap. 21. f. 20. cap. * Here God as he many symes doth dyd punyshe one wicked by another 3. Reg. 21. câ—â— * His repentance was not true but plaine ypocrisie 22. cap. ¶ Achab The Fathers Brother 1. Cor. 16. c. ¶ Achaicus Mourning or sadde Achaz looke Ahaz Iudith 5. cap. Iudit 6. ca. Iudith 14. a. ¶ Achior the Brothers Light. 1. Reg. 21. c. d * Here it is sayde that Dauid feined himselfe mad before Achis and in the. 34 Psalme before Abimelech which twoo were both one maÌ„ for here he is called by his proper name Achis and in the other place by his general name Abimelech * 27. cap. * 29. cap. ¶ Achis Euen so it is Gene. 4. 36. ¶ Ada a Companye or Congregation Gene. 1. ¶ Adam Man Earthly 2. Reg. 3. a. 3. Reg. 1. cap. 3. Reg. 2. d. ◠¶ Adonia the Lorde is the ruler Iudic. 1. a. b. ¶ Adonibesech the Lordes Thunder 4. Reg. 19. g. ¶ Adramelech the Kings Cloake or his greatnesse on power or the greatnesse of Counsell 3. Reg. 12. c. 2. Par. 10. d. ¶ Aduram Their Cloake or their power or greatnesse 1. Reg. 15. ca. ¶ Agag An House or sollour Act. 11. d. 21. c ¶ Agabus A Grashopper Gen. 16. cap. 21. a. b. c. ¶ Agar A Straunger 1. Esd 5. a. ¶ Aggeus Solemne festiuall or wynding and turning himselfe
2. Tim. 4. d. ¶ Claudia a Proper name Act. 11. d. * Hee was poisoned of of hys wife Agripina y Nero hir son mighâ— succede in y Empire Cooper ¶ Claudius a proper name ‡ 1. Mac. 10. f. 11. b. ¶ Cleopatra the Glorie of the Countrie Luke 24. b. c They vnderstoode not yet what was the deliueraunce that Iesus Christe purchased for vs. ¶ Cleophas All maner of glorie Philip. 4. ◠¶ Clement Meeke 2. Tim. 4. b. ¶ Crescens a Latine worde Encreasing Actes 18. b. ¶ Crispus a Latine worde Curled or Crisped Acts. 10. cap. ¶ Cornelius a Proper name Num. 16. cap. This is the exposition of a certayne learned man named Richarde Turner Bacheler of Diuinitie and Reader in the Colledge of Windsore in the dayes of king Edward the sixt * 3. Reg. 4. d. ¶ Chore Balde or baldenesses Yce or frost 1. Esd 1. d. * Cyrus being insatiable in couetinge couÌ„tries was slayne of Tomiris queene of Scitia with 200000 Persians who caused his heade to be cut of cast into a Vessell of bloud saying satisfie thy selfe with bloud which thou hast alwayes thirsted Lanquet ¶ Cyrus as it were a miserable man or as it were an heire a belly * Iudic. 3. b. ¶ Chusan Risathaim Seeing or prophecying Iudic. 16. b. c. b. ¶ Dalila a Bucket or Consumer Act. 17. g. ¶ Damaris a little wyfe Gen. 30. 2. 49. c. Num. 1. f. Iosua 19. d. Iudic. 18. cap. ¶ Dan Iudging or iudgement Dan. 1. cap. ¶ Daniel Iudgement of God. 3. Reg. 4. d. ¶ Darda The house of knowledge or the generation of knowledge * He is called also Ahasuerus Ester 1. a and was as some thinke the sonne of Hystaspis called also Artaxerses 1. Esd 6. cap. Dan. 5. d. ¶ Darius Requiring or inquiring for Num. 16. a. ¶ Dathan Statute or law 1. Reg. 16. c. 17. cap. 18. b. c. 24. â— 26. b. c. 2. Reg. b. 2. Reg. 2. b. 7. â— 11. cap. 3. Reg. 2. b. ¶ Dauid Beloued Iudic. 4. cap. ¶ Debora a Worde or a Bee. Collo 4. d. Philem. d. 2. Tim. 4. c. ¶ Demas Fauouring the people 1. Mac. 7. cap. 9. cap. 10. c. ¶ Demetrius comming of Ceres whom the Heathen thought the Goddesse of Corne. 1. Mac. 10. g. 11. â— f. g. 1. Mac. 14. a. Act. 19. e. f. g. 3. Iohn Act. 17. g. Act. 19. d. ¶ Diana Latinum est â— Iohn b. ¶ Diotrephes Nourished of Iupiter Luk. 16. c. ¶ Diues Riche 1. Reg. 21. b. 22. b. c. d. * By Doeg sayth Saint Austen is signified Antichrist which with false signes and feygned miracles shall moue all the world before the comming of the Lorde to iudgement And as Doeg wrought wickednesse for the pleasing of king Saule by whome is signified the Deuill So shall Antichrist mooue and stirre the worlde vnto sinne for the pleasing of the Deuill and aduauncing of hys name ¶ Doeg Carefull or vehemently mooued ‡ Act. 9. f. g. ¶ Dorcas a Do. 2. Mac. 1â— d. e. f. ¶ Dositheus giuen to God. Act. 24. d. ¶ Drusilla Bedewed or sâ—rinckled with bloude â—c 10. d. 11. c ¶ Eber Passing or passage 3. Reg. 16. b. * Drinking as some say till hee was drunkeÌ„ in the â—â—â—mple of Arza the Idoll by his house in Tirza ¶ Ela an Oke ¶ Elam a yong Man 1. Par. 1. c. or he that is bidde or the worlde Act. 24. cap. ¶ Felix Happy Act. 25. cap. Act. 26. cap. 7. ◠¶ Festus Solâ—mne or Holyday 1. Cor. 16. c. ¶ Fortunatus Luckie Tobi. 1. â— 9. cap. ¶ Gabelus The ende or border or thresholde and entrance Gen. 30. b. Num. 32. cap. Iosua 22. cap. * This coâ—trye also was called Candan bicause the Amorits dwellyng there were called Cananites ¶ Gad a Bande or Garrison 1. Reg. 22. a. 2. Reg. 24. c. * Thre yeres of famin were past for the Gibeonytes matter and this was the fourth yeare to the which shoulde haue bene added other three yeres 1. Par. 21. b. ‡ Act. 19. c. 20. a. ¶ Gaius the Lorde or Mayster of the tongue Act. 18. b. c. ¶ Gallio giuing Milke or hauing Milke Act. 5. f. g. ¶ Gamaliel Gods rewarde 4. Re. 25. f. g. Iere. 40. cap. Murdercommitted vnder pretence of friendship Iere. 41. a. ¶ Gedalia the Greatnesse of the Lorde the hem or skirt of the Lorde Iudic. 6. cap. * By this example of Ioas we ought to iustifie theÌ„ that are zelous of Gods cause though all the multitude be against vs. * This storie here of Gedeon and Ionathas â–ª 1. Re. 14. b. c. and of Sennacherib 4. Reg. 19. g. doth manifestlye shewe that no King as the prophet Dauid sayth is preserued by the multitude of his men or strength of hys armyes but is stayde and holden vp by the prouidence of God. Iudic. 8. cap. ¶ Gedeon a Breaker or destroyer 4. Reg. 5. cap. ¶ Gehezi Vallie of vision Ex. 2. d. 1â— â— Exod. 6. c. Num. 3. c. d. 26. g. ¶ Gerson his banishment or the strangers change Iosua 9. cap. Iosua 10. a. b. 2. Reg. 21. a. b * Here is Michol takeÌ„ for Merob whiche was wife to Adriel as appeareth 1. Reg. 1â— d. For Michol was the wyfe of Phaltiel and hadde neuer chylde as appeareth 1. Reg. 25. g. 2. Reg. 6. d. ‡ Num. 26. d. ¶ Giliad an heape of witnesse * 1. Reg. 17. ¶ Golia a Departing or going awaye or a heaping togither a turning or opening and detecting Ose 1. a. * Not that the Prophet did this thing in effect but he sawe this in a vision or else was coÌ„maunded by God to sette forth vnder this Parable or figure the ydolatrie of the sinagoge of the people hir children ¶ Gomer a Consumer ‡ 1. Mac. 3. c. 4. a. b. ‡ 2. Mac. 8. b. * 1. Mac. 5. f. 2. Mac. 10. c. 12. f. ¶ Gorgias Terrible 3. Reg. 11. c. d * The Lorde had reserued this ydolater to punish and scourge hys people for their sinnes ¶ Hadad Ioye 2. Reg. 8. a. b. 10. d. ¶ Hadarezer Bewtifull helpe Gen. 9. d. * Of this Canaan came the Canaanites that wicked Nation who were also cursed of God. ¶ Ham. Indignacion or Heate Ester 3. cap. * It was the maner of the Persians when one was out of the Kings fauour to couer his face ¶ Haman Troubling or making hurlye burly or preparing 2. Par. 16. c. d. ¶ Hanani Gracious or Mercifull or Giuing Iere. 28. cap. ¶ Hananiah Grace of the Lorde 2. Reg. 10. a. Ingratitude punished ¶ Hanon Faithfull or true a Schoolemaister and the mothers sonne or Childe 4. Reg. â— c. d. * Vnder the pretence to refreshe or ease him he styfled him with this cloth 4. Reg. 8. g. 2. Par. 22. b. ¶ Hazael seeing God. 4. Reg. 22. b. * The copye that Mosess left them as appeareth ¶ Helkia the Lords portion or part the Lords lenitie or gentlenesse 2. Par. 34. c. * This was Othoniel Ca lebs brother as Lyra
other thing But neuerthelesse for kéeping his Othe which he had made before so many Noble men he caused the innocent mans heade to be cut of and giuen to the Wench This Herode and Pylate Lieutenant of Iewry had bene long at variaunce And for the pleasure that Pilate shewed to Herode in sending Iesus bounde vnto him to be examined he was at one with him againe For Herode had long desired to sée Iesus And hoping nowe to haue séene some myracles done by him he demaunded many questions of Iesus to the which he woulde make no answere at all Then Herode perceyuing that Iesus woulde neyther speake nor doe any thing at his pleasure he began to despyse and râ—uyle him and in mockery arayed him in a long whyte garment and sent him to Pylate agayne Act. 12. cap. Herode Tâ—is man was a great persecutour of the Apostles He beheaded Iames the brother of Iohn and This Herode was called Agrippa the sonne of Aristobolus he was nephew vnto Herode the great and brother of Herodias séeing that déede to content and pleasâ— the Iewes well he tooke Peter also and cast him into prison intending after Easter which was at hand to haue him put to death â–ª also Finally vpon a certaine day appointed to shewe himselfe in his pompe glory he made such an Oration before the assemblye that for the pleasauntnesse of hys speach the common people at the ende thereof gaue a mightie shoute saying it was the voyce of a God and not of a man And bicause he gloryed in their boasting and tooke that honour vnto himselfe which he ought to haue giuen to God he was immediatly smitten with the Wormie sickenesse whereof he most miserably dyed Rom. 16. b. Herodian was Paules kinseman vnto whome he sent commendations from Corinth on this wise Salute Herodian my kinseman ¶ Herodian the song of a yoong Virgin or of a woman conquering Math. 14. â— Herodias was wyfe to Philip Herodes brother to whome she brought forth a * Whiche daughter as Iosephus wryteth was called Salomen daughter This woman being more familiar with Herode than honestie required grew into such fauour with him that he contrarye to the lawe of Moses married hir his brother being alyue Against which vnlawfull marriage Iohn Baptist spake so much to Herodes reproofe that shée fearing least that Iohn woulde make Herode breake of the incest marriage counsayled hir daughter which daunced before him to aske the heade of Iohn Baptist And so by the wicked deuyce of this vnchaste woman Iohn lost his heade ¶ Herodias signifieth that that the woorde Herode before doth Gen. 46. b. Hesron was the sonne of Ruben and of hym came Num. 46. a. the kindred of the Hesronites ¶ Hesron the Arrowe of reioyeeing 1. Par. 2. c. Hesron the father of Caleb being come to the age of thréescore yeares tooke to wyfe the daughter of Machir who bare vnto him a sonne called Segub 4. Reg. 18. and. 19. cap. Hezakia the sonne of Ahaz was .xxv. yeares of age when he began his reygne ouer Iuda He was the godlyest Prince that euer reigned before or after among the Kings of Iuda He clensed his Countrie from all ydolatrie and brake downe the brasen Serpent which Moses had set vp as soone as he sawe it abused He brought in againe the true honouring of God and renued the Passeouer He had such a sure trust and confidence in God that at his prayer the Angell of the Lorde slue in one night of the Assirians which were come to destroye Ierusalem an hundred fourescore and fiue thousande and smote the rest into such a feare that they ran away 20. cap. After this he fell sicke and was admonished by the Prophete Esay to set his house in order for he shoulde surely dye Then he turned his face to the wall and made his peticion to God saying Oh Lord remember I beséech thée howe I haue walked before thée in truth and with a perfect heart haue done that which is good in thy sight and speaking these wordes â–ª hée * He wept not so much for his owne death as for feare that ydolatrie shuld be restored which he had destroyed wept verie sore The Lorde than mooued with his teares returned the Prophete agayne to comfort him with these newes that he shoulde receyue his health and be able the thirde day to go vp to the house of the Lorde and that he had added to his dayes .xv. yeares mo and to assure him of this his promise he woulde cause the Sunne to returne his course ten degrées backewarde At this tyme Berodach surnamed Baladad King of Babilon sent to Hezakia ambassadours to signifie vnto him howe glad and ioyfull he was of his recouery which kindenesse was so greatly estéemed of Hazakia that he thought he could not doe them to much pleasure but made them priuie to all his treasure siluer and golde and whatsoeuer he had in his house or in any other parte of his Realme he * Bicause he was mooued with ambicion and vayne glorie and semed also to reioyce in the friendship of him that was Gods enimy the Lorde was displeased shewed it freely vnto them Wherefore the Lorde not content therewith commaunded Esay the Prophet to go and tell Hezakia That forasmuch as he had made the messengers of Babilon priuie to all the commodities of his lande The dayes shoulde come that all thinges which he had in his house and whatsoeuer his Fathers had layed vp in store before him shoulde be caryed to Babylon Then Hezakia knowing the Prophete to be the true messenger of God humbled himselfe and saide Thy worde O Lord is welcome vnto mée but yet I shall desire thee not to sende those cuils in my dayes but rather peace and truth He raigned .xxix. yeares and died ¶ Hezakia the strength of the Lorde or the Lordes holding 1. Tim. 1. d. Hymeneus after he had tasted of the worde of God and béene a professour of the same he fell awaye and became an vtter enimie and a spitefull rayler agaynst the doctrine of the Gospel of Christe denying the chiefest point and foundacion of the Gospel which is that the resurrection 2. Tim. 2. c. is past wherewith he destroyed the fayth of many persons For the which errour and other his rayling and ieastinges agaynst the truth of Gods woorde Paule excommunicated him that he thorowe correction might be ashamed of his faulte and tourne agayne to Christ ¶ Hymeneus a Maryage song or Bride song 2. Reg. 5. b. Hyram King of Tyre fauoured Dauid so much that he hearing that Dauid went about to builde hym an house sent hym both Tymber Workemen to finish the same Also when Salomon after the death of Dauid 3. Reg. 5. cap. 9. b. c. d. his Father sent to this King for woodde and Timber to buylde the Lordes Temple he praysed God