slayne them You muste by the iuste and righteous iudge haue the like vnto you measured The Lorde dothe euen nowe beginne to bringe his yoke vppon your neckes whiche might cause you to stope with flying away with your fine Phisik with al your inuencioÌ„ you caÌ„not auoide it he suffereth you yet to liue behold it in others that he may prouoke you to repeÌ„tance but the time is at haÌ„d if you doo not repeÌ„t wheÌ„ ether with this or other plage more greuous you shal be wholy destroyed TheÌ„ shal the false prophets which haue flatred you in your wickednes make lameÌ„tacioÌ„ cry out for your destruccioÌ„ whiche sodeÌ„ly shal come vpoÌ„ you Their idle braines shal muse and meruel how this land promised to be yours shuld be take with the enemye Yea after they shal be taken together with you by the enemy they shall promise you to be restored as did Hanamah Hiere xxviii sayeinge I haue broken the yocke of the kynge of Babilon But at lenghte he shall se hys hope all vayne whiles the enemye deuideth the lande as it was deuided too the Lutheans and Babilonians iiii kinges xvii reade the latter end of the .xxxiii. of Ezechiell for the declaracyon of thys Texte howe shal he take that is myne Therefore shall there be none whiche shall deuyde the lotte by lyne vnto the in the congregacicion of the Lorde The text Because you haue imagined mischefe against other by couetousnes extorsion violeÌ„ce oppressioÌ„ haue wroght broght forwarde your wicked deuises therfore shal you be so spoiled that you shal haue no hope to haue your possessioÌ„s restored but shal be vtterly roted forthe bothe of this coÌ„gregacioÌ„ whoÌ„ the lord hath with such miracles broght forth of Egipt fostered cherished in wildernes hitherto so wonderfullye guided and gouerned and also with the ryche gloten you shall bee secluded from the holye companye reastynge in Abrahams bosome For the rotynge oute of the .x. trybes so that other nacyons occupyed theyr enherytaunce rede .iiii. kynges xvii For the other .ii. trybes we do know that they coÌ„tynue scattered in all countryes vnto thys day What shal we nowe loke for onlesse we doo repent whose syn in nuÌ„ber dothe farre passe theirs oure iniquities are lyke the sand of the sea Thinke we not that it is the same God which refused his chosen people for theyr sinne Do not prophecye thus shal they saye The Text Lette theim not Prophecy least they be put to shame Thus hathe the wycked worlde alwayes resysted the spyryte of God and laboured to quenche the sprytes to stop the mouthes of the Prophetes to putte them to shame as they supposed Therfore saith Ieremy I am made a laughinge stocke all the daye longe Ieremye .xx. They dooe all deryde me because nowe a longe space I haue cryed agaynste theyr iniquitie and tolde them of destruccion and the worde of the lord was laid vnto me as a rebuke and shame all the daye longe Therefore saythe Esaye The people prouoketh my wrathe they are lying chyldren chyldren which wyll not heare the law of the Lord whiche do saye vnto the Prophetes and seers see not and Prophecye not vnto vs thinges that are lighte but speake pleasaunte thynges vnto vs. Esay .xxx. Thus the vnkinde people doth alwai hate the truthe and rather then they wil departe from theyr beastlye lustes wherin they wallow lyke swyne they wyl desyre Christ hym selfe to depart with the Gaderines and Satazens This is the condempnacion of the world that light is come into the worlde and men loue rather darckenes then lyghte Therfore are they geuen ouer into myndes reprobate to do things vncomely fylled with al vnrightuousnes whoredome crafte and couetousnes Romaines .i. Thys is the heauye temptacyon from the whyche we oughte too desyre oure heauenlye father at thys presente too delyuer vs for euen nowe wyckednesse hathe so gotten the Masterie and Flatterers are hadde in suche estimation that our tender and delycate eares canne not abyde the trewth of goddes spyryte to scrape theym But wyth contencion sedicion and I wot not what els shal the true Preacher be charged to stoppe his mouthe if it bee possyble But there is one euen the father of sprites whiche alone can eyther open or stop the mouthes of the spirites Ther was one Phassur in the time of Ieremy the Prophete whych with strokes and imprisonmente woulde haue bette downe hys spyryt We haue hadde lyke Phassurs in our time mo theÌ„ one wherof some of them hath bene plaged wyth Phassur let the reste be warned For it is not â—eâ—tmye nor Latimer nor Leauer nor Hoper nor Beacon nor Horne that speaketh vnto them but the spirite of God whyche alwaye by suche weake vessels doothe so vtter it self that when theese are gone other commeth of theyr ashes And if these shuld not speake the verye stones shoulde crye oute agaynste oure wyckednes For Ieremye woulde haue holden hys peace when he was so euyll handled but he saide that the fyre of this spirite was in his heart and with in his bondes that he was weried wyth holdynge it in and colde refrayn no longer Then setteth hee forthe the feare of menne agaynste hym but streyghte hee addeth theese comfortable woordes The Lorde is wyth me lyke a strong Giaunte and therefore shall they fall head long whych persecute me and they shal not preuaile agaynste me but shall bee put to shame because they cannot prosper but an euerlastyng shame shal come vpon them whiche shal neuer be forgotten O you Englyshe Phassurs fear and tremble for thys is your iudgment from the Lorde of spyrytes The shame you wold lay vpon the true preachers lasteth but an howre no it is no shame but the greatest honor you caÌ„ do theÌ„ But your shame is euerlastinge The Hebrewe Naâ—aph hych is here translate to Prophecye and to speake is borowed by Metapher from the raine whyche of manye small droppes doothe grow to greaft abundance and maketh the earth fruteful in the ende So dothe the woorde of God therefore saythe Moses Deuteronomi .xxxii. my doctrine shal drop downe like the rayne O thou that arte called the house of Iacob The Text is the spyryte of the Lorde shortned are not these his works ar not mi words good to him that walketh vpright Thou that wyl be called by the name of the choseÌ„ people though thou be not so thou oughtest to know the power of God thou should thynke that the same spirite whych hath drawen foorthe the sweard agaynst the old world the same spirit whych hath foughten wyth Pharao and drowned hys army which hath for theyr synnes dryuen forth the Cananees before thee and hathe not spared the kynges Saule and Ieroboam the same spirit hath not hys arme shortned that for lacke of power it shoulde be afrayed of the face of any man to keepe sylence at commaundemente no thou knowest that these wonders afore rehersed and the terryble plages now threatned are the woorkes
of the almyghtye Why then wylte thou suffer thy flatterers styl to bolster the vp in thy wyckednes and bid the procede in thine own imaginacions saying that God is mercyful he wyl not stryke Surely the lord is mercyful and hys words are comfortable but as the Prophet telleth the if thou walke vpryght So doth Moyses in the geuynge of the promyses at the fyrst adde thys condicion If thou wylt heare the woorde of the Lorde keepe it and do it thou shalte haue all the blessynges promised But if thou wylte not heare the woorde of the Lorde to fulfyll all hys commaundementes the cursses wryten in the law shal come vpon the. Deue. xxviii Wherefore neyther the Iewes in theyr tyme neyther we in our tyme may boast of the promyses vnles in walkyng vprightly we wyl fulfil our condicions and couenantes And alredy my people is risen agaynst me lyke an enemy The Text they do rente of the coate and cloke one of another Euen from hym whyche walketh careles by the waye as thoughe he were eskaped from battayle The wyues of my people haue you dryuen from theyr houses full of pleasures and from theyr chyldren haue you taken my glorye for euer O Lorde was thys the fal of Israell because they dyd stand agaynste Gods commaundemente openlye to defende theyr wycked wayes When Naboth was kylled Iezabell dyd dryue oute the pore widow Yea as the Hebrew semeth to sound wheÌ„ one againste other one froÌ„ another Mimul did snatch sctatch take reno the pore bribing froÌ„ the rich the rych pilling polling the poore vnto the bare skin WheÌ„ the strauÌ„ger trauailing maÌ„ was spoiled robbed as though he had bene takeÌ„ prisoner in battel The theues by the hye wayes the Sherifes iudges had part of the spoil wheÌ„ their princes wer become lions lerned to raâ—â—ne for theyr pray to deuour meÌ„ had learned to make widowes as Ezechiell speaketh of Iehoiakim Eze. xix if these crimes wer the cause of the vtter destruccioÌ„ of the chosen kingdoÌ„ as the prophet vt the mouth of god here vttereth what caÌ„ we loke for which haue filled the measure of wickednes so ful the we may eueÌ„ now feele it ren oner into our owne bosomes but onli by the iust iugemeÌ„t of god to suffer the like at our enemyes hands that we haue done to our brethreÌ„ neyghbours And here might occasioÌ„ serue to charge out relm with the sore haÌ„dliÌ„g of widowes fatherles childreÌ„ bi our wicked lawes of wardes our sore lawes of felonies wherby the poore widow innoceÌ„t childreÌ„ ar spoiled but I haue touched it before we caÌ„ loke for none other thiÌ„g theÌ„ the Lord threatneth if we do not repeÌ„t which is as we do rede Exo. xxii that he wil make our wiues widowes our childreÌ„ fatherles let vs beware therfore how we do driue forth of theyr laÌ„ds houses the poore desolate widowes cause theyr chyldren by our cruel dealyng to blaspheme God and cursse theyr parentes agaynst God hys commaundemeÌ„t and therfore against hys glory and honour The last sentence From theyr chyldren haue they taken my glory for euer is by diuerse interpreters vnderstand of the adultry wherwyth the chyldren wer diffamed accompted as Bastards other because that the childreÌ„ robbed of their pareÌ„ts had now none to brynge theÌ„ vp to the glory of god And some because thei had not their pareÌ„ts whoÌ„ they might honore in gods stede vnto his glori Munsterus also in his anotioÌ„s bringeth a very good interpretacioÌ„ which doth answer to the word for euer wher the Lord had create maÌ„ to be immortal which work was for don by sin it pleased the lord god by perpetual procreacion to recouer maÌ„kynde froÌ„ destruccioÌ„ so to preserue the world by this lawful procreacioÌ„ of chyldreÌ„ to the accoÌ„plishing of hys gloryous workes in his church this thing is meÌ„t by the sauing of the womaÌ„ by the bringing foorth of childreÌ„ in the secoÌ„d chap. of the first epistle to Timothe and in the .cxxvii. Psalme this which Micha calleth the glorye of the Lorde Dauid dothe call it the enheritaunce of the Lorde and Christe confyrmeth it sayinge that hys kyngdome is of suche and that theyr aungels doth alwayes sethe face of his father Wherfore whether they be slayne by Herodes solgiers or by English murtherers whether they be made odious by ours or they stinking whoredome whether the glorye of God be taken frome the chyldren by the court of wardes or other cruelty better were it for that manne by whom they bee hurte be it kinge or Caiser not onlye to haue forsaken all worlolye glory but to haue a milstone tied about his neck to haue bene cast into the botom of the sea if adultery if oppressioÌ„ if tiraÌ„nye if extorsion finallye if anye kynde of vyce dooe raigne vnpunished in anye kingdome of the chiefe heades and magestrates muste bee charged therewith whiche as Paule saithe doothe not onlye the like but are fautors and fauorers to theÌ„ whych do so wickedly which thing the spirit of the Lord is not shortned to see to shew sharply to punishe The Text Aryse gette you hence Thys is not youre reste because youre land is poluted therfore shall it destroy you wyth detestable destruccion Lostyl continually the Prophet beateth into our eares that syn must nedes haue destruccion folowynge that is the reward of synne from the begynnynge in so much that thys same land of Iury whych was promysed to be theyr herytage for euer was spoyled waysted and destroyed after that it was wyth Idolatry polluted and as Moyses threatened Leuiti xviii the same land shoulde vomyte them like as it did the Cananites saying Beware that the lande doo not like wyse vomit you sorthe agayne if you do the lyke wyckednes as it dyd vomyte forth the people before you Wherfore lyke as the Prophetes of al ages when they dyd see syn raygne vnpunished dyd cry out against the gouernours pronouncing these and suche like sharpe sentences agaynst them So may the Prophets and preachers of our tymes holdlye by the same spirite pronounce and publysh like destruccioÌ„ and ruine to ours here in England especially seing our country contaminax wyth couetousnes and polluted with glotoni lechery al kynd of filthines doth bringe forth new kyndes of disseases to other contries old phisicioÌ„s vnknoweÌ„ Here appeareth the Paul writeth to the Roma that this creature subiect vnto our vanities against her wil mourneth groneth to be deliuered froÌ„ thys corruptible seruitute and semeth thus to saye vnto vs O my children whose wyckednes wyth much werines I haue thus long borne susteined I must nedes aâ— the leÌ„gth ease my selfe of so vnprofitable a burdeÌ„ For your sins am I strikeÌ„ with steriliti baraÌ„nes you do dig so depe in my bowels by your greedy couetousnes that I must nedes breathe forth sulphuzeal ephalations poysened breathynges to destroi such a
A COMMENtarye vpon the Praphet Mycha Wrytten by Antony Gilby Anno domi M.D. Li. ☞ A preface wyth the sum of the Chapters and the tyme and lyfe of the Prophet ¶ The word of God to Micha of Maresha in the dayes of Iotham Achas Iehiskiah kings of Iuda whyche he dyd see ouer Samaria and Ierusalē WE do nede no newe Prophets We do nede no mo Prophecyes We do nead no mo Miracles sygnes or tokens whyche nowe do lyue in these latter dayes if we will call olde thynges to memorye neither of wee wyll beleue the olde hystoryes reported by Moyses and the terryble threatnynges of the Prophets Could wee beleue if the greateste miracles of raysinge the deade to speake amongs vs were wroughte in oure dayes as Christe oure sauyoure saythe too the ryche glotten Wherfore suffer me I beseeche the too renewe olde thynges wrytten by thys Prophete Micha the mooste earneste rebuker of vyce in hys tyme and the mooste dylygente watch man to warne bothe of good and euyl for to come vpō his people and if so be that the wordes of this olde truthe do chayfe your olde sores in thys perilous tyme wherein all olde euyls seme too haue dysgysed them selues wyth new vysers rather suffer them to be ripped to the hearde coore then to spurne impudentlye against the prycke to striue agaynst the streame For the time is at hande by the vnchaungeable appoyntmente of the euerliuinge Lord moste myghtye Iudge when euery man shal be tryed and Iudged approued of refused by the thoughtes of hys hearte by the woordes of hys mouthe and by the fruyts of his owne imaginacions Therfore this diligent watchman warneth especiallye of this iudgment in the entrye into his prophecye in the fyrste Chapter sayinge that the Lord hym selfe wyll come downe moste terrybly to the wycked the mountains shall melte the valeis shall vade and vanish like waxe before the firy flame And in the seconde chapter he crieth forthe woo dampnacion and the sore vengaunce of God agaynste the vaine thoughtes and Imaginacions of thee mighty men of the world against their wicked workes and threatenynges of the true Prophetes In the thyrde Chapter he rypeth more neare the coare of theyr crueltye and extorsion He vttereth the flattery of their chaplaines as we do cal them the false prophetes flearynge vppon them for aduauntage and bolsterynge them vp in wyckednesse the lynkynge together of the Iudges and high Offycers theyr brybery and auarice and for theyr wyckednes he threatneth vtter desolacion to their cities In the .iiii. he promiseth a kingdom farre contrarye to thys kyngedome to come vppon earthe full of knowledge quietnes and peace which is the kingdome of Messiah wherin all the chosē Iacob shal be restored to theyr honour promysed and theyr ennemyes vtterlye destroyed In the .v. he threatneth the desolacion of Ierusalem the robbers doughters as Iherome dothe translate and immediatlye adioyneth a large plain promise of Messiah oure sauiour to be borne in Bethlē a despised vyllage he declareth hym to be both God man and sheweth howe he shall fede Iacob and be his peace But he shall fede the land of Nimroth with their ennemies wyth theyr owne swearde poyntes In the sixte he contendeth wyth the people in the person of God for their ingratitude teachynge the true worshyppe of God to stande in iudgmente mercye and the reuerēce of the sacrate magesty of the almyghtie He detesteth in the parson of God al dysceytful dealyng and promiseth worthy recompens and iust rewardes for al euyll doers In the .vii. and last Chapter the prophet bewaileth the skarsitye of the good the smal truste of worldely frendeshyp he teacheth paciēce he geueth comfort he promyseth delyueraunce to faythfull Iacob to the shame and confusyon of God hys ennemyes and the land and prayse of God hys greate mercye truthe Amen This haue we heare in this Prophet holesome doctryne for al ages For the spyryte of God seeth from time to time contynuallye oure iniquytyes and stryueth euermore there agaynste No hyll is so hyghe no valleye so low that he seeth not He shaketh the foundacyōs of the earthe when he rebuketh the world in the rygoure of his wrath Let vs therfore remember the olde world before vs plaged for synne drowned for theyr wyckednes and feare the fyre of goddes wrath threatned by the Prophetes to be kyndled in these laste tymes to the euerlastynge destruccion of all euyll doers who wyth the deuyll and his aungels shal haue aworme the whyche shal hereafter gnaw and grate theyr conscience for euer and a fyry tormente whyche shall neuer be quenched whereof our Prophet warneth the wycked worlde threatnyng woo and damnacyon wyth feruente spryt and sorow of hearte brastynge forth into teares yellynge and syghinge for the euils he dyd saye towardes them Micha i. For thys Prophet Micha semeth to be another Eliah feruent in spyryt and zeloous for the glory of God he was of the pryncelye trybe of Iuda and therefore acquaynted wyth the pryuy practises of the potentates prynces he did wel inoughe know theyr ydle deuyses theyr vayne imagynacyons and cold espye the lynkynge together of the highe officers and Iudges He liued in the time of Esaiah Hoseah and Amos vnder these .iii. kinges Iothana Achas Hezechiah A man of suche an hygh reuelacyon that Esaiah dare alledg the greateste mysteryes of his hole prophecy of the spiritual kyngedome of Christe and of the greate tranquyllytye vnder him by the same woordes that thys manne of God Micha hadde spoken theym It shal be in the laste daies and so forth Esa .ii. Hieremiah also alledgeth hym by name sayinge Micha of Marescha was a Prophet in the dayes of Ezekiah and saythe to al the people of Iuda Thus saythe the Lorde of hostes Sion shal be plowed lyke the feilde and Iherusalem shall be an heape of stones and the hyll of the house of the Lord shal be an hyghe woode Hierem .xxvi. and the came is red the thyrde Chapter of oure Prophet worde for word We do reade of ii Prophetes of this name The fyrst is named Micha the sō of Iemla an Israelite whom Achab did saye that he had onlye lefte one a lyue amonges all the Prophets of the lord but I do hate hym saythe he for he neuer Prophecyed good towardes me .iii. kynges .xxii. The other is of Iuda our prophet which liued almost .ii. C. yeres after the first Micha He was borne in a city called Maresha which is in the trybe of Iuda Iosua .xv. Hys propheci is general to al cities cuntries but vnto Ierusalē to Samaria he chiefly vttereth hys threatninges because there he dyd knowe and see theyr wyckednes to bee great amongs whom he dyd see cruelti extorsiō tyranni couetousnes auarice ambicion the cōtempt of God his true religion Idolatry and lyke abhominaciōs to raygne not onely vnpunyshed but by the chiefe Lordes greatest Peares and Prynces practysed vsed and frequented In
hys tyme both these .ii. kingdōs wer greuousli vexed with wars wtout treasōs within themselues They wer polluted defyled wyth Idolatry So far geuē ouer to mindes reprobate that forgetting al true worship of God and al natural inclinacion they did sacrifice theyr owne children by fyre vnto Baal These wycked tymes wherein he liued vnder Iotham Achas and Ichiskiah ar set forth in the .iiii. booke of the Kynges xv.xvi and .xvii. Chapters As for Samaria it was geuen ouer to al wyckednes zacharia the wycked Idolatrous kyng raigning but .vi. monethes was traytorously slaine by Sellum whych Sellum vsurping the crowne but one moneth was slayne by Manahen which also slew al the enhabitants of Thapsa and most cruelly murthered al the women wyth chyld rypte theyr bellyes and tyrannouslye wyth taxes trybutes dyd vexe all hys subiectes to mayntaine hys wyckednes which causeth our Prophet to saye that they dyd flay theyr skyns of theyr backs and the flesh of theyr boanes Then Phacea his sonne raygned after hym one yeare as wycked as hys father and they al walked in the wycked wayes of Ieroboam the sonne of Nabat whyche set vp the golden calfe Thefore were they geuen ouer to myndes reprobate wyth gredynes to fulfyl al theyr wycked lustes In the second yeare of the raygne of Phacea the son of Manahea Phacea the sonne Romalia wrought treason agaynst hym slewe hym and vsurped the crowne and departed not from the wicked wayes of hys predecessors kynges of Samaria Vnder him Theglathphallassar the king of Assiria inuadeth Galile and carieth away captiue the trybe of Nephthalim Agayn Osee the son of Hela wrought treasō against this Phacea slew hym vsurped his crowne Agaīst whō Salmanasser moueth war doeth beseige his chiefe city Samaria taketh destroieth it so leadeth the .x. tribes captiue into Assyria Thus with wars wickednes was Samaria destroied as oure Prophete warned in hys tyme broughte to an heape of stones whyche myght haue caused Ierusalem to haue taken heede to his threatnings But no warninge can serue the wicked and stifnecked For Iotham the king of Iuda and Ierusalem in manye thyngs a mā praise worthye thoughe he did se many of these great plages fal vpō Samaria for theyr Idolatry yet did he suffer his people to sacrifice in the hill altars contrary to God his holy commaundemēt As for Achas kynge of Ierusalem He was worsse thē wycked Achab kyng of Samaria for beside al other abhominacions he dyd offer hys sonne in fire vnto Baal after the maner of the heathen Cananees spoyled the treasures of the house of the Lord to geue them to Theglathphelasser And thoughe Ezechiah the good king folowing him destroied the idols did breake doun the hil alters and the brasē serpent thoughe I say the kinge himself fauored true religion yet was their olde wickednes so roted in the herts of his nobles cōmons that besides cōspiracies pertakings within his own realm also much war of forē nacions without wherwith God worthely plaged his subiectes for their stobernes Al theire walled Cytyes were taken by Senacheryb from the vttermoste borders vnto Lakis wherof our Prophet speaketh in the fyrste chapter yea Ierusalē was obsessed and beseged as he also prophecieth that thys plage shoulde come to the gates of Ierusalem Nowe we that reade and heare these olde thynges of Samaria and Ierusasalem their kings and Prynces In the ende of the worlde muste knowe that they are wrytten for our learnyng that we beynge warned by they re scourge Plage and fall shulde feare to doo the lyke wyckednes And heare in this prophet cheiflye we are warned of Idolatry ambition and extorsion As for Idolatry thoughe our gouernours here in Englande through the mighty hand of God haue forthe comforte of hys electe banyshed the outwarde shewe therof Yet one sorte makynge thys mooste godlye and glorious fact to serue their luker gayne to the sclaunder of such a notable enterpryse haue seemed too chaunge the kinde of Idolatri making the muck which they found heaped about those idols to be their god So that they maye worthely be called Idolaters so lōg as thei haue it kepe it set so much store by it nether is it anye newe learenyng to cal this their auarice Idolatry for so Paul calleth it to Ephesians the v. Chapter Another sort there is which in their heartes haue Idolles styll and vtter it when occasion serueth saying that it was a good worlde when theese Idols of Wasyngeham Canterburye and theyr blessed Masse were worshipped and regarded There be moo sortes whyche wyll be called Gospellers that haue some their bellye for they re God some theyr subtile wittes and worldlye policies some one thing some another so that in effecte Idolatrye is not banyshed but raigneth more clokedly amōgs vs too the ignominye and shame of the truthe of one God whyche wee woulde seame to set forthe and maineteyne As for ambicion extorcion the deuil practiseth at this daye too stoppe the gloryous kingdome of Christe by thyem and rayseth ambytyous stomackes haulte and proude mindes amongs those whiche would seeme the stoutest captaines of godlye cheualrye whyche thorowe theyr vnsacyable ambicion and gready desire of gathering althings into their hāds robbeth reaueth pilleth polleth and oppresseth theyr felow sougiours So that vnder theyr holy professiō and pretensed religion they do betray theyr graūd captaine and master of religion and worketh more wyckedly of the deuyls part for the contempt of God his word then doth any one whych openly beareth hys badge and cognisaunce Agaynst such therfore bryngeth our prophete sore threatenynges yea terryble thoundrynges Wherunto it behoueth hye and low the earthe and all earthlye creatures to geue eare and to harken For it is the woord of the Lorde not of man whych Micha bringeth The Lord hym selfe doth speake it from the holye temple of hys maiesty from whence he shal come downe ryghte shortelye to be bothe a wytnes and Iudge agaynst vs. Wherefore lette vs iudge oure selues nowe warned by God hys woorde that we be not iudged of the Lorde and so for our wyckednes wyth the worlde cōdempned For our God whose worde is now sent amongs vs is a consuming fyre before whome no syn can be cloked Hys worde is the hāmer breakynge the hard stone ¶ The word of God to Micha THe worde or message of the euerlyuyng Iouah that is of him whiche now s that hath beene that shal be By whome also al thinges haue theyr beyng for so much contayneth that hye name of God whyche we do for the most part translate lord thorowout the Byble because the Iewes not daring to pronoūce it neyther by any other woorde beinge able to expres so much of God doth place in the stede therof Adonai which doth sygnyfy Lord. Which I do note to thys ende to admonysh the reader to auoyde such cauillacions as the enemyes of the gospell haue here to fore styrred
about thee Lord and our Lorde and to teache the ignoraunt to haue a deepe consideracion of the magesty of thys Lord whych is whych hath bene and whych shal be by whom al creatures haue theyr being so oft as they do heare the Lord named and so cal them to the reuerence of the name of God so longe bi vs Christians contempned dispised and vyllanously blasphemed with vsual othes and abhominable periurie Where as the Iewes dare not speake nor wryte thys greate name wyth meruelous obseruacaons muche reuerence to oure great shame I do speake it whyche do tosse lyke a tennes ball wythout al feare and reuereÌ„ce the name of oure Lord God froÌ„ mouth to mouth accountinge him vnmete for all good companye especyallye for a kynges court whyche wyl not take the name of god in vain at eueri other word Oh ye blasphemers muste this be the firste entrye into your Courts and companye to shake of the feare of God So despitefullye to breake hys hollye precept and commaundemente so contumelyouslye to abuse hys holye name greate before all creatures hygh before the aungels and terryble to the deuils Learne some other couretynge before thys Lord in his dreadful maiesty come downe amonges you You can talke reuerentlye of the kynges Maiestye hys hyghnes hys hanorable counsayle my Lordes grace my Lorde Bishops grace and my ladyes grace is ther nothinge left for the Lord of al Lords the kynge of all kynges but Gods bloude Gods wouÌ„ds Gods passioÌ„ blasphemyng outragiously both God the father his son Christ who for to saue vs shed his blud suffered these woundes and bitter passion Is neyther God who created thee nor Iesus Christ who redemed thee of no more reputacion Is this right courtyng to set so light by thy creacion thy redempcion thy saluacion Then cursed be courtyng wo worthe the wycked companye Here al people The Text. hearken thou earth and al that therin is The Lord God be a wytnes against you the Lord froÌ„ his holy teÌ„ple Loo no kynges course is excepted but al people muste doo reuerence vnto thys Lorde al knees muste bowe before hys magesty The heauen is hys seate the earth is hys foote stoole The kynge in hys pryuy chamber hath thys Lorde a wytnes of hys dooynges The Lords of the priuay counsayle can not shutte foorth of the counsayle chamber thys vnreprouable wytnesse No Kynge no Courte no Emperoure no Poope Prelate shal woorcke so pryuelye but thys Lord shal espye and se shal both wytnes and iudge al their doinges Let vs therfore tremble and diligently gyue eare when the Lord speaketh and wyth feare and reuerence humble oure selues to his name Desiringe as his sonne taughte vs his name too bee sanctified halowed renowmed reuereÌ„sed and magnified and waitinge most obedientlie whyles hys holye wyll bee fulfylled Moyses dothe cal heauen and earth to witnes against vs as doth our Prophete Micha Deuternomi iiii xxx and xxxii So dothe Esaie also in hys firste Chapter teachinge vs that the heauens that is to say the heauenly spyrytes and aungels the earthe that is too saye al menne create vppon thee earth shallbeare wytnesse at the great and terryble tyme of God hys laste Iudgemente wythall trewe preachers and Prophetes agaynste oure synfull stubbernes whyche wyl not repent beynge so ofte admonished Yea the euerliuinge and euerlastynge Lorde in his dreadefull Magestye commeth as an vnreproueable wytnesse too aduenge the contempte of his hollye name and all other abhominations as this oure watche manne warneth wyll wee not yet stoupe abate oure Pryde plucke downe oure highe courtlie lokes halte couÌ„tenaunces and leaue oure bleather blowne bragges sette forth wyth shamlesse othes too the contempte of God his holye name and that bytter passion whiche Christe oure sauioure suffered for vs. Well the Lorde is higher then al and hee wil shortlye come downe from his holly temple Then wo to the exâ—â—n of pryde the blasphemers of his name Wo to the ambicious Tiraunts and couetous caitifes Wo to the dronken in theyr lustes eyther heare in Englande or elles wher for there is one God whych hateth synne euer sence he made manne and one sprite whyche hath by the holye woorde vttered synne rebuked it and foughten againste it frome the begynnynge one Lorde whyche shall bee boothe wytnesse and iudge ouer all fleshe whyche shall come sodaynelye vppon the wycked strongelye and myghtely lyke an hayle storme lyke a whyrle wynde or lyke a sooden floude of waters fallynge vpon a great plaine Esay xxvii The Text. For loo God shal come forthe of hys place he shal come down and walcke vppon the hyghe places of the earth And the hils shall melte vnder hys feete the valaies shal cleaue in sonder eueÌ„ as the waxe melteth against the fyre and as the waters whiche fal downe with violence Oure Prophete Micha doothe paint the commyng of the Lord to iudgment boothe wyth the Iewes and also wyth the hole worlde wyth mooste euydent similitudes of comming downe and walkynge whyche canne be applyed vnto God who fylleth all places but only bi borowed speache as Moises did saye Gen. iii. God did walke in Paradyse at the euentyde because he did then open his Magestye mooste presentlye vnto Adam howbeit vpon our sauiour Christ whome we beleue bodilye too be in one place not in al according to the saying of the angel vnto the wemen He is not heare after hys resurreccyon but the men of Galile stode and beheld his humane body go vp into the heauens and the aungels saide agayne vnto them ye meÌ„ of Galile this same Iesus shal com againe as ye haue seene hym go vp in to the heauens Actes i. and God hathe appoynted a day saythe Paule when he wyll iudge the worlde wyth ryghteousnes by thys man whom he hath raysed from deathe Act. xvii The whyche daye and tyme of the Lordes comming seemeth here to be chieflye and pryncypallye descrybed thoughe the destruccyon of the Iewes be therewyth insumate for thus dothe Christe hym selfe cople bothe together .xxiiii. of Mathew and Dauid in the .xvii. Psalme doothe adioyne the daye of hys perticuler deliueraunce to thys daye of the Lordes coÌ„minge sayinge the Lorde hathe hearde my voyce frome hys holye temple The earthe was moued and trembled and the foundacyons of the Mountaynes were troubled shaken The smoke did come forthe in hys wrathe and the fyre dyd flame from hys face so that cooles were kindled therwith he bowed down the heauens came down and darknes vnder his fete Of this daye and of these hygh places whereupon the Lorde shall walke speaketh Esay the Prophete In that daye the Lord alone shal be exalted for it shall come vppon all the hyghe and proud vpon al them that ar arrogant and they shal be broughte lowe and vp on all the hyghe Ceder trees of Lybanus and vpoÌ„ al the Okes of Basan vpon al the high hilles and vpon euerye high tower the pryde of meÌ„ shal be brought
women were fayne to eate theyr owne tender babes to eate rates horsse heades the verye dounge of Asses when their king was caryed captyue and hys eyes put foorthe when the bewtye of theyr fayre women was wythered wyth waylyng wyth heate and burnynge of the weather when the playtynge of theyr haire was turned into baldnes and all theyr strong men slayne in battayle Then as Esaiah sayth theyr gates shal mourne and the citye beyng spoyled shal syt vpon the earth Esay iii. Thus maye it be verye aptly vnderstande eyther of the Prophet or of the people Of thys spoyle and nakednes Moyses by the mouthe of God dyd Prophecye Deuterno xxix Because they haue forsaken the couenaunt of God whych he hath made wyth theyr fathers when he broughte them out of the land of Egyptte shall theyr lande lye spoyled and wasted Agayne Hos cha iii. A long time sayth he shal the chyldren of Israell syt wythout kynge wythout Prynce without sacrifice wythoute altar Ephot Ieraphim Wherin is to be marked that the fall and destruccion of al cityes coūtryes are for seene to the spyryte of God and the cause of theyr ruyne is onely synne and wyckednesse euen the forsakynge of the Lorde This it is whiche shall make the proude Dragons whiche fometh forthe fyre frō theyr mouthes to yel and cry at the end for the misery whiche shall come vppon them This shal cause the greate Estriches to grone and mourne for verye distres and anguishe Fynallye this sinne shal cause al the earth to shake quake to yell and wayle when the word of god shal be poured forthe vpon it O Lorde be merciful vnto vs for our sinnes sake doo we fele at this daye thy heauye dyspleasure too rage and rayne throughe our hole realme and especiallye at this presente vppon thy house of Suffolke once beautifyed by thy gloryous Gospell but nowe by oure vnworthynes spoyled naked and byryued of the crowne of glorye of thy chosen vessels the hope honoure and comlines of that house O Lorde why dothe not the wycked peryshe whyche knoweth not the nor careth for thy commaundmēts But the iudgmente beginneth at thyne houshould chyldren the heard hearted Estriches and deuourynge Dragones shall yel and mourne in the ende The proude tirauntes are lykened to Dragons Ezechiel .xxxii. Iob. xl For the Dragons howe they dye pressed to deathe by the huge Elephante Plinius declareth Lib. viii Cap. xi The Estryches ar described Lib. x. Cap. i. Strabo Liber xvi Because her woūdes ar in curable The Text For to Iehuda is it nowe come it is come too the gates of my people euen to Ierusalem Lo this is the cause worthy of much moureninge weepinge and wailinge saithe oure Prophetes because Iehuda hath sinned and as Esay saith from the heade to the foote there is nothing but swelling soores stripes and wonds no place lefte where they maye be plaged anye more The wrathe of the Lord is so soore kindled that he hathe geuen thē vp to their owne sinful lustes therfore worthely hath also brought vpō thē miserable plagues the fyre of hys vengaunce canne not be quenshed but styll the Idolatrous people of Samaria too the chosen kyngedome it rageth from Iehuda euen to Ierusalem that holy citie whereunto the perpetual priesthode and kingedome vnto the comminge of Messiah was promised so that as Esay lamenteth the cities rounde aboute Ierusalem beinge destroied Ierusalem was lefte alone lyke a watche house in the vineyarde or the cottage in the garden of Cucummers and cleare withoute any sucoure obsessed besieged by Rabsace as appeareth .iiii. kings .xviii. Here by nowe Englande and all those people whome God hathe speciallye called in these oure times by the lighte of hys Gospel hathe greate cause too tremble and fear God his secrete iudgment consydering that we haue not so many promyses as hadde Ierusalem and theyr fall was for theyr vnthankefulnes and forgetfulnes of their duties towards god as appeareth by oure Prophete What shal we thē loke for like fal with the Germaines Nay much worsse much sorar because wee wyll not yet be warned Do not declare this in Gath neyther wepe you nor wayl you there The Text. in the houses of Sephratumble thy selfe in the duste A lyke lamentacion maketh Dauid for the deathe of Saull and Ionathas ii kings .ii. shew not this thing in Gath nor Askalon saithe he leste the vncircūcised Philistins do reioise at the fal of Israel Wherein is declared the cause that in Gathe named a city of the Phelistines whēce the great enemy Goliath did come the fal of god his people shoulde not be knowē least the vncircūcised should say wher is their God As the great Turck the prowde Pope with their adherents do not stick at this dai to sai of the Germaines that they were in an euill waye els shuld not god haue geuē thē to their enemies O let vs beware lest the name of God or his holye doctrine be by our wicked sinfulnes at anye time so hainouslye blasphemed But as for Ophir whiche is hear called Aphra for the hebrew allusion with Aphar whiche signifieth dust whiche was in the tribe of Beniamin one of the hyghe cities of Iuda the prophet byddeth it after the custome of mourners to mourn in dust ashes So ought we in our owne cōgregacions amōgs our selues bewaile our miseries the miseries of our brethrē thus iudging our selues we shal not be with the wicked cōdēned but by our vnfained repētaūce cause God to shew his mercye vpō vs as did the Niniuites repēting in ashes sackloth at the preaching of Ionas But O merciful god what flintish harts haue we The enemies of Christe do laugh reioise at these our miseries Yet we cā not bewaile thē The proude papists cā say they are plaged for theyr sinnes yet will we not espy them They do say I doo feare me ouertrulye that we neither do faste nor praye but cause the Gospell to serue oure folyshe fantasyes and therfore doth God send these plages vpon vs that we maye bee made newe vessels apte and mete to these spirituall workes therby to put awaye thy wrath so sore kindled against vs and to stop the mouthes of oure enemies The Text. Get the hēce Saphir with thine enhabitaunce thou haddest thy name of beauty but thou art naked with shame And zaenā whiche had the name of goinge forward shal not go forth to bewail Bethhazell the ennemye shall take from you through his long seige For the citizens of Maroth hathe sorowed for their ryches sake because that euyll is come frō the Lord vnto the gate of Ierusalem Yoke thi chariote with thi Dromedaries and swift running Camels O Lakis for thou wast the first beginning of the sinne of Israel the doughter of Sion for in the was foūd the wyckednes of Israell The Prophete doth reherse the cheife cities whence Ierusalem shoulde haue hadde healpe and succoure and setteth before
wits God whych made the eye dothe he not see He whych made the hert hath he not vnderstandyng Is any nyght so dark â–ª that he can not se therin naâ— â—yght is no nyght darkenes is lyght before him Therfore wo shal be vnto you and your shame shal neuer cease when he bryngeth into lyghte youre pryuye practyses your crafty conueiaunce youre subtyle inuencioÌ„s your syne wyts speÌ„t in vaine and vnprofitable ymaginacioÌ„s Ther is nothyng done so closely in secrete but it shal be reueiled openly be you sute for Christ our aldermaster speaketh it The rych nygard imagening vainly to build mo barnes and stoare houses and so to rest in the strength of hys owne labors had thys answer from the lord O thou foole how vaynely dost thou ymagyne thys nyght whyles thou doest ymagyne thus lying vpon thy bed shal they take thy soule from thee Nebuchadnezer imagenynge vaynely of his owne strength and power was so punished and plaged for hys vaine imaginacion that he dyd lose hys reasoÌ„ wyt and vnderstandynge and became a brute beast eatyng grasse in the fielde for the space of .vii. yeares And if so be that these men imagenyng vaine thinges onelye were thus entreated howe shall wycked Haman and hys felowes eskape imagenyng myschiefe agaynst the chosen of God Howe shall stought Nymrothe auoyde punyshment which buyldeth his palaces wyth the spoile of hys brethreÌ„ Wher shal become the Cainites whych ymagine how to gette the bloud of theyr brethren As for the imaginacion of Iezabel to optayn the vineyarde the enheritaunce of Nabothe it is no strauÌ„ge thing in these latter daies but a common practise and a polytyke inuencion for the kynges aduauntage For oure wyttes far passeth our predecessers in the imaginacion of mischiefe as one day therin alwaies teacheth another And the scolers of thys scoole can euer find somwhat to encreace and augment the wyckednes of theyr masters As we haue seene mooste euydentlye in the popyshe churche howe Pope after Pope dyd enlarge the inuencyons of Antechriste wyth newe and straunge deuyses so longe whyles the grounde of Christes relygyon cleane forgotten the Champyons and Captaynes of that wycked courte and companye dyd affyrme and contende that all Chrysten Relygyon dydde stande and consyste wholy vpon Ceremonies the imaginacions of the Idle brayns of Popes and prelates euen so holelye and fullye as the goodes and substaunce of the rich Marchaunt standeth vpon farthings so that like as by takynge awaye farthing after farthynge from the ryche manne al his substaunce is at length consumed euen so saythe Stephan Gardinet of late a stoute Prelate of his diuelish Sophistry in the very latter ende of his boke standeth oure relygyon vpon the Masse and heape of Ceremonies whiche by deuision contempned the subtance of our religion by prodygal chyldren is wasted and consumed But praysed be the Lorde God theese vayne imageners are put to silence and confounded heare in Englande who so lyste to reade of theyr vayne imaginacions No manne hathe more clearly vttered nor more playnelye paynted them in theyr owne coloures then oute contry man of worthye memory William Tindal in his boke of the practise of prelats So that I thought it not so mete much to medle wyth theyr inuencyons in thys treatyse as to rebuke the vyces of oure tyme and the vayn imaginacyons of the carnall Gospellers whyche wold fayne serue both God and Mammon whiche wyll make theyr bellye theyr God say they serue the Lorde whyche wold seme to be enemies to Popyshe relygyon but they are aduersaryes to Christ his truth and Gospel and do more harme thereunto by euil and lasciuious liberti of the flesh by couetousnes and other crymes open to the eyes of al the world theÌ„ the other dyd by cruell persecucyon and all the craftye imagynatyon of the craftye courte of Rome Therefore cometh this woo vpon vs nowe lyuynge because we doo imagine how to maintayne by poure our wycked deuyses and iustyfye our euyl doynges We canne imagine lawes to maintayne oure adulterye We canne make diuorsmentes for verye sklenderlye approued causes Wee canne coloure oure couetusnes with the cloke of religion Brifly we can establishe al oure vain imaginacion by lawes of oure owne making that no maÌ„ shal dare be so bold as once to 〈◊〉 against them though they be coÌ„trary to god his own lawes For wher God hath commaunded in the .xxii. of Exodus that thou shal not hurt the widow and the fatherles and if you do hurte or hinder theÌ„ by anye meanes eyther in Londes in goodes in Cattayle For the Hebrewe woorde is generall of all manner of hurtynge or hynderyng of them If thou do hurte or hynder them sayth the Lorde and they doo crye vnto me I wyll heare theyr crye and my wrathe shal be kyndled againste you and I wyll sleye you wyth the swearde and your wiues shall be widowes your chyldren fatherlesse wardes Let vs coÌ„pare oure craftye imaginations and wrong wraisting of laws to thys commaundemente and see howe we shall auoyde the woo and cursse for the breakynge af the same We doo imagine a lawe how to spoyl the poore wydowe first plaged of God with the want of her husbande with fartherlosse of the lacke of her eldest childe whiche shoulde be her synguler comfort in the steade of hys father soulde frome Chapman to Chapmanne and to Chapmanne agayne like an Oxe or an Asse or some bonde slaue To be broughte vppe in drogerye or handled lyke a warde for both is one thinge by common Prouerb and at lengthe agaynste hys wyll which is the moste miserye of al and farre from the lawe of nature contrarye to the lawe of God and too all good polytyke lawe of free cytyes compell hym too Marrye whome he hateth eyther for her owne vntowardenes for such are appoynted forwardes for the mooste part as no other manne woulde gladlye chose ether can not loue for the extremytye of her Parentes For no vyolence canne brynge loue but free and coragyous stomakes hate compulsion and setteth muche by choyse and lybertye Especyallye heare where vppon hangeth the comforthe or care of the hoole life and eyther furtheraunce or hinderaunce frome the endelesse felicitie But beholde what becommeth of oure imaginacions We heape the cursses and wo threatned againste vs vpon oure heades and causeth suche widowes to mourne and crye vnto God for theyr miseryes we do make these fatherlesse these wardes wherof we haue a carefull charge by the mouthe of God in manye places of scripture too blaspheme God and manne in thee anguishe of theire heartes by oure couetouse cruelty Cursyngethe tyme of they re byrthe they re Parents theyr Lands and Land Lords Wee cople theim too oure Doughters too cause contynuall Adulterye in boothe partes Who beynge thus marryed wyth thee Deuylles Marryage seketh for deuorcement when they are foorth of bondage whych as it maye in some cases be permytted so for to bee made coÌ„mon and vsual shal be the greatest plage
that come to anye common wealthe And these men hauynge theyr myndes occupied only in straunge loue can neuer be apt instrumentes for anye such seruice as myght be for the glorye of God for the kynges honor for common tranquillyty eyther in warre or in peace but vnprofitable to al purposes as experience proueth and the plage of God compelleth vs to pronounce Yt wer to long and tedious to touch the tenth part of your vayne imaginacions for the fyllyng of your pursses eyther in thys courte of the wardes or in the courtes of augmentacions and impossyble for any man to vtter theym in the other courtes neyther am I verye skylfull of them or in them thanked be the Lord but the euil effectes of them the pyllyng and the pollyng the extorcion and the brybery euery poore mā of the country feeleth and cryeth out ther vpon therfore am I compelled to touch it in hope that God wyl gyue you heartes to amende these thynges in whose handes the power resteth Wyl you be loued of your subiectes Wyll you haue no vproates nor commotion of youre commoners Thē let them see some cause or loue in you for forced violence and loue which commeth by cōpulsio◠cannot be longe lastynge The vaine imaginations or the late vpskips of Englande too make the people peasaunts and slaues is not the right path waye to quyetnes For euen now the cōmons are so base and pore that they cry out of the euil abuse and openly against the Iustices of the bench And what wil folowe trowe you in your subtile imagions fine wits O ye vpskippes the deuourers of the people and destroyers of al publique weal whiche by wardes by Symonye by lease mongynge and lyke Marchaundyse make waste thys hoole realme before your tyme most welthye O no◠le counsaloures se to the safetye of your selues youre subiectes in time The Lord our God hath oft shaken his rodde Let vs all repente of all vayne imaginacions against his holy lawes Especyally he to the fatherles as fathers to the wydowes as theyr husbādes and you shal be the obedyente children of the hyghest and hee shall tender you more then your owne mother as it is promysed in the .iiii. of Ecclesiasticus after the whiche rule I do wyshe oure courtes of wardes to be reformed to the glory of god the saluacion of your souls the profit of the common weale Nowe for the subtyle ymagynacyons of the other courtes I dooe saye no more but if you wyll suffer all youre spirituall menne as they be called too haue theyr fyrste fruites therewyth too kepe hospitalitie maintein the pore wherof this profit aryseth You shal driue thē home to theyr benefices and ceas muche slaūder whych before your cōmons they do seme worthely to lay vpō your backs They do come now once or twise in ii or iii. yeares to theyr Paryshe and saye O good people we woulde fayne keepe houses amonges you accordynge to oure dutyes but the kynges Offycers haue so muche of vs that we canne not recouer it thys .iii. yeares at the soonesse And I wote not what Deuyll is occasyon therof they take such a custome in this space that they neuer kepe good hospitality after If you wyll also reforme the wrong vnproper vsage of the impropryatyons fyrste geuen to the cleargye for teachynge of the people and releyfe of thee poore but sence that tyme aultered by subtyll deuyses too the monastaries and Abbayes and now come into the kyngs hands some menne canne tell howe If you wyll restore these and suche lyke to theyr former vses and leaue such vaine imaginacions as hathe ledde you too abuse thē you shal win the peoples herts seyng such chāges reformacyons whiche hitherto suspecteth al suppression of Abbaies of idols of Colleges of Chauntryes of hospitalles and all reformacyon of relygyon to be made only for your owne pryuate profytes and purposes whyche their suspycyon and fonde ymaginacyon as you doo accompt it canne no other wayes be wyped awaye be you sure but by the departynge from suche thynges wherein they doo see you take vnlawefull gaynes whereof parte are here named The spoyle of the fatherles and the spoyle of the pore in the goodes of the churche But thys geare is agaynst the kynges profytte and youres O my Lordes shall some vayne ymagynours twytle in youre eares Oh what shall the kynges Magetye gayne if hee wynne the whole world and do lose his own soul by mainteining agaynst iustyce against good consciēce agaynst God hys holy wyl your vayne ymaginacions myscheuous marchandyse and Symoniacall sales of youre gayneful chaffer Our Prophet doothe threaten the endles wo of euerlastynge dampnacion agaynst al vayne ymageners whyche hauynge power in theyr handes do hast to perfourme theyr wicked deuyses For thys is the sence and meanyng thys is the true vnderstāding of the latten and of the first verse wher the Hebrue hath El diuers haue translate the same God and hath therby encombred themselues wyth dyuersity of interpretacions But as it is taken by the best learned in the Hebrue toung it sygnyfyeth here in thys place power lyke as Gene. xxi and Prouerb iii. So that the prophet speaketh of thē which haue authority and power in theyr handes Neither is the spirit of God afraid of them any more thē of other Searche your own consciēces therfore you that haue thys power in yuur handes for all eniuries violence oppression yea of euerye vayne thought and Imagynacyon you shall gyue a full strayte answer and the mighty shall be myghtelye tormented The Lorde knoweth the thoughtes and imaginacion of man that they are but vayne and he taketh the wyse in theyr owne wylynes Therfore thus saith the Lord lo The Text. I do imagyne euyl agaynste thys family whence you shal not pluck forth your neckes neither shal you goo vpryghte because thys tyme is euyll At that daye shall the mourner make hys parable vpon you and mourne lamentably saying we are sore waysted and destroyed the porciō of my people god wyl chāge How shal he take that is myne our landes shall be restored the enemy shal deuyde it Because that these men of power did abuse theyr power agaynste theyr inferiour members imagenyng myschyefe vpon theyr beds Lo the Lord of al power wyl shorten theyr hornes and lessen theyr strengthe He wyll sette hys thoughtes agaynste theyr thoughtes hys deuyses shal stande He wyll laye a yoke vppon theyr neckes whiche shall cause them to stope and laye down these haute and highe lookes wherwith they ouerloke euerye pore man whome they wolde oppresse but beware you proude of the earthe whiche huffe vp youre noses into the wind after the srensh guise you shall be fayne to hange downe your heades for the shame and miserye which the Lorde shall worthelye bringe vppon you You haue dyspised the pore spoiled them of home and harboure broughte theym into bondage made theim youre slaues and Pesauntes haue kylled and
the people thus the Lord sayth against them WheÌ„ they haue any thing to byte vpon then they preache that all shal be well but if a man put not soÌ„thing in their mouthes they preach of wat against him Therfore your visioÌ„ shal be turned to nyght and your prophecying to darknes The sun shall go downe ouer these Prophets and the day shal be darcke vnto them Then shal the vision seers be ashamed and the sothsayers confouÌ„ded yea they shal be faine al the packe of them to stop their mouthes for thei haue not gods woorde Lyke as the princes Iudges and gouernours hath bene turned from Gods to minister goodnes vnto Tyrants workyng al wickednes So shall God hymselfe brynge vpon theyr heades heauye destruccion And as the booke of wisdoÌ„e sayth these mighty men shal haue more terrible torment Sapie vi Then thought they cry vnto the Lord he wyl not heare theym but hyde his face froÌ„ them lyke as they haue turned theyr faces froÌ„ the poore rather regarded Hawkes and Hounds dice and cardes dauncing and tossinge of balles lyke babes then the pyteous coÌ„plaintes of theyr poore meÌ„bers made of the same molde boughte wyth one price with them And as for theyr chaplaynes whych do chop with theÌ„ their benefices geueth an whol yeres rent or thei enter or greater gaine peradueÌ„ture so long as my lord they can agree of couenauÌ„ts or that my lord wil get them mo promocioÌ„s they wil tel my lord he may hawke he mai hunt he mai bowle he may play at the bal what he wyl so he do stop their mouthes with somwhat al is wel it please youre grace but against theyr poore brethren which haue nothynge to geue theym they are cruell and deuouring wolfes They pole their parishners they pyl theyr tenauntes they send polling proctors are most redy by al meanes to trouble the poores to moue war against him both with theyr good word to my lord if nede be other pretipractise To these wicked hipocrits shal come darknes angwish sorow heuynes al the wooes and cursses all the plages spokeÌ„ of in the scriptures Thys great misery is ment bi night darknes as we may perceyue Esa v. xiii Ierem. xv Mat. xxiiii Here note also the terryble sentence of God his sincere iustice against the wycked whych shal cry vnto god and shal not be herd wher alway he heareth the good before they do crye Esay .lxv. he reiecteth the wycked wyth theyr sacrifie Esay .lxvi. The Text But I am ful of the power of the spirit of god ful of iudgemeÌ„t and strength to shew vnto Iacob hys iniquity and to Israell hys syn Here this I beseche you O princes of the house of Iacob and dukes of the house of Israel which do make iudgemente abhominable do peruert al equity building Sion in blud Ierusalem in wickednes Her princes did iudge for rewarde her priestes did preach for wagyes her prophets dyd prophecy for mony stil made the Lord their staffe saying is not the lorde in the mids of vs ther shal com none euyll vpoÌ„ vs. Therfore for your cause Sion shal be plowed lyke the field Ierusalem shal be an heape of stones the hyll of the temple shal be an hie woode Marke the mighty power of god his holy sprit o princes he causeth the prophets to speake or els thei do remain spechles Ieremye saythe I can not speake because I am a chylde But what answereth the Lorde saye not so Ieremy that thou arte a chylde for thou shalte go to all that I shall sende the and shal speke al that I shall commaunde the Feare not before theyr faces for I am with the to delyuer the saythe the Lord ye do set theÌ„ ouer the people sayth the Lord ouer kyngdomes to roote vp and to destroy too waste and scatter to buylde and too plante I shall cause the not too feare theyr faces for I haue made the lyke a walled cytye an yron pyller and a brasen wall to the kynges of Iuda to the Prynces and priestes and to all the people of the lande they shal fyghte against the but they shall not preuaile for I am wyth the sayethe Lorde to delyuer the. O whye are you faynte hearted whiche haue the lyke Offyce what can be sayde more to encorage you Whye dare you not crye agaynste the wyckednes of our tyme as the prophets dyd in theyr time Dothe not oure iusticiaries and iudges peruerte iustyce and make their iudgementes abhomynable Is there no rewardes in the handes of oure Prynces are al these fayre houses about LondoÌ„ or elsse wher gotteÌ„ with good coÌ„scyence and buylded without bloude Nay sure lye for one of youre greate builders dyd wryte worthelye vpon his walles a confession for al hys felowes No man waxeth ryche but by the discommoditie of others but you are but hyrelynges preachynge for wages and canne espye no faultes Yet dare you saye for these ramping Lions haue not they banyshed the Popishe religion is not God amonges vs haue not they set forth the Bible ar not they Gospellers Yes to theyr open shame doutlesse for heretofore ther was some pretence of religion some colorable cloke of vertue and honestye that is shaken of I do graunt and not so much lefte as fyg leaues to couer their shame howe can God be amonge thys people amonges whome the Deuyll raygneth and rageth by couetous ambicion whordome exhortacion contempt of true religion and all â—uâ—ill gouernaunce They haue set forthe the Bible that al menne may se how far thei do swarue in life froÌ„ God hys hollye woorde They are called Gospellers in spyte as I doo take it of the holye Gospell For the holye Gospell of God is slaundered and euyll spoken of booth of oure Papistes in EngLande and in other nacions so farre as our Englysh gospellyng is knowen Because in the beginning therof al things wer compelled to serue theyr couetousnes and lasciuious lybertye and so it is styl continued True relygion is sought of no body priuate gayne whyche aryseth of the great possessions of the spoiled kyngdom is sought of euery bodye and how perilous a thing it is to bryng such cursed spoyle into out houses read the .vii. of Iosue of Achan the sonne of Charmy and repent wyth the Niniuits both kyng whyche shal aunswer for all these iniquytyes and Dukes Earles Barons Byshops whyche do turne to your priuate commodityes thynges dedicate to publyke vses Repente I saye lest wyth Ierusalem your houses be turned into heapes of stones Ieremi .xxvi. hath the same sayinge forth of our prophet and our sauiour in .xix. of Luke The .iiii. Chapter The Text BVt it shall come in the last dayes that the hil of the house of the lord shal be prepared in the toppe of the mountaynes and it shal be taysed aboue all theyr toppes and the people shall flowe vnto it Much people shal go and
saye let vs goo vp into the hyll of the Lorde to the house of the God of Iacob and he shall teache vs of hys waies and we shal walke in hys pathes for the lawe shall go forth of Sion and the worde of the Lord from IerusaleÌ„ and he shal iudge many nacioÌ„s and correct strong and myghty people for a loÌ„g tyme. And they shal breake theyr swerds into shares and theyr speares into syckles And one nacion shall not lyfte a sweard against another neither shal thei lern the feates of war ani more but eueri maÌ„ shal sit vnder his vyne vnder hys fygtree no man shal a fraye hym for the mouth of the lord hathe spoken it Esay the Prophet in hys secoÌ„d chap. hathe his same Prophecye the which of all our interpretours and of the Iewes also is vnderstande to be of theyr Messiah and Christe oure sauiour but after a sondrye sorte For we do take it that the Prophet in his time seing in the earthlye Ierusalem religion neglected iudgment peruerted and iustice banished did caste vp the eies of his spirite into that great and highe hyl wherof Ihon speaketh in the .xxi. of his reuelacion and did see the house of the Lorde the spouse of the Lambe the greate city the holy Ierusalem comminge down from heauen hauynge the clearnes of God and al maÌ„ner of vertues and al kynde of knowledge whiche is mente by those manyfolde stones there named So that al the people whiche shall be saued shall come therunto shal walke in the lyghte therof and the kyngs of the earth shal bring theyr glorye vnto it Nothing polluted or defyled shall enter into it Apoca. xxi Thus semeth Saynte Ihon to vtter in other woordes the same Prophecy whiche Micheas and Esaias dyd speake loÌ„g before Euen as the sprite of oure heaueÌ„lye father for the comforte of the electe shulde thus speake vnto vs. Be of good comforte my chyldren though you se mi worde despysed my lytle flocke scattered my pore oppressed it shal not be alwaye thus I haue appoynted a tyme. when I wyll haue the mastrye when I wyll rayse vp the hyll of my house my chosen I do meane aboue all hylles aboue all the hyghe and gloryous things in the worlde that the Heathen shall flowe vnto it The whyche thynge was fulfylled partlye when it pleased him at the time appointed to send his sonne so to be exalted that he shuld drawe althinges vnto hym When he commaunded all his to bee of good courage for he had ouercome the worlde when he spoeyled the Prynces and powers and put them to vtteraunce tryumphynge ouer theim by hym selfe Collo ii That thys hyll of the Lords house might be exalted Christe gaue him selfe for it that he myght sanctyfye it Epheci v. that he myght make it for hymself a gloryous congregacyon wythout spotte or wrynkle agaynst the whyche house because it standeth of a sure rock the gates of hell canne not preuayle neither death nor lyfe nor angels nor rule nor power shal be able to dryue this spirituall house forthe of gods fauoure no the Deuyls dare laye nothynge too the charge of thys churche and house of the faythfull For the Lorde euen the God of Iacob dwelleth in it and who dare stande againste it Thus lo the true temple of God and the house wherin the holy gost dwelleth which ar we so manye as do beleife .i. Cor. iii. at the commynge of oure sauyoure Christe was exalted sette aboue all the hyghe mountaynes great glori pompe pride of this world The whiche glorye beinge published by Christ and his Apostles it brought forth fruyte throughoute the hole worlde in Asia Africa and Europa Then began they to clyme vppe vnto the hil of God that is to the hil of knowledge to be taughte in the wayes of the Lord and to walke in his pathes as our Prophet dothe declare him selfe When the gospel dyd fyrste come forth of Sion and the gracious worde and wyll of the Lord did spring from Ierusalem Then they come from the East to the West to seke this glory to sit and rest in the bosome of faythful Abraham in this glorious Ierusalem Thys is the reaste that foloweth where all shall bee soo quyet that they shall breake theyr sweardes into Mattockes and they re speares into sythes neuer to stryue nor fyghte in thys holye hyll of the heauenlye Ierusalem Wherunto we muste lyfte vp the eyes of oure spyrytes contynuallye stryuinge to mortifye the fleshe whyche canne not enter therein because it is polluted Thys reaste is onlye begonne in thee spirituall manne in thys lyfe and canne not be made perfite tyil the last ennemye be ouercome whyche is deathe This is oure beleife grounded vpon scripture of this glorious raising vp of the hil of the house of the lord Now the Iewes doth stycke to the outwarde letter and naked wordes bothe in thys and manye other textes touchynge the restitution of their temple and kingdom And surely as the Lorde God seeth from the begynninge of al hys works to the ende of the same and hys gyftes are wythoute repentaunce and the sprete of God dothe promyse greate thynges to that nacyon because theyr fathers were the roote and theirs was the adoptyon glorye and testament to them was the law geuen the ceremonies and the promises of theÌ„ was christ concerning the flesh And so maiâ—â—t be by the secrete woorke of god that by this clear light of the gospel so wonder fully spred amoÌ„ges vs in these last daies they shall confesse their greate crymes and greuous offeÌ„ces of Christ refused and theyr blasphemyes agaynst the son of God and so God in them be glorified amongs al nacions which shal heare the mercies of the Lord towards them what promises they haue if they do repent read .xxx. of Deut. and of theyr returne in the last dayes Ose iii. S. Paul also seemeth to delate thys matter Ro. xi askynge for what purpose they dyd fall and aunswereth God forbyd that they al dyd so fal that they shoulde all perysh But by theyr fall saluacion dyd come to the Gentyles for thys purpose to prouoke them euen the Iewes to folow the same and farther sayth Paul if theyr fal were the ryches of the world and theyr decay the ryches of the Gentyls how much more the fulnes of theÌ„ And if the castyng awaye of the Iewes were the reconcilyng of the world what shall be the receiuinge of them but lyfe brought from the dead Agayne I wyll not haue you ignoraunt of this mystery sayth Paul that ye be not hye minded among your selues that blyndnes hath chanced to Israel But in parse whyles that the fulnes of the Gentyls shoulde enter and then al Israel shoulde be saued againe By the Gospel they ar enemyes for you but by the eleccion thei are bee loued for they re fathers For the gyftes and callynge of God are suche that he can not repent of them For like as
you wer sometimes not beleuyng but nowe haue obtayned mercy by theyr misbeleife so are they nowe made myscreantes because you haue obtayned mercye that they myghte obtayne mercy also For God hathe for thys purpose shut al vnder synne that he myghte haue mercie vpon al. The Iewes are chaunced in erroures and kepte in excyle so that they are talked of taken as abiects through oute the hole world We dooe accompte them and theyr doynges to be fygures of vs and oure doinges and theyâ—es alwayes holye for theyr fathers as Paule saythe And in what blyndenes in what and howe grosse darckenes of erroures vnder oure abhominable desolacion this longe tyme haue we whyche accompte oure selues the spiritual Iuda bene shut vp whiles the iustice whyche is by fayth in Christe hathe bene forgotten the iustyce of worckes set in place new sectes founded newe relygion inuented open blasphemies agaynste the open woorde of God with swerd fyre mainteined fylthye fornicatyon allowed shamelesse swearynge permytted and suche abhominable Idolatry erected as before this tyme of Antechriste the lyke was neuer imagined The stynkinge breathe of manne so soone as hym lyked to blowe foorthe a God into a cake and name it Christ god and manne wyth other more deuelyshe delusions then euer hadde the Iewes Howe be it all thys boothe theyr synnefull blyndenesse and oures doothe serue too the magnyfyinge of the Magestye mercye and power of the euerlyuynge Lorde whyche worketh all for him selfe euen the wycked agaynste the euyl day Because thee goodnesse of hym is suche that he wyll tourne the stubbernesse of the Iewes hytherto and oure longe contynued blyndenesse vnder Antychriste to hys glorye too the auauncemente of constancye in mercye and truthe too the greate beautifyinge and gloryous settynge foorthe of the saluacyon of hys chosen accordynge too the sayeinge of Saynte Paule All thynges together are ayde and helpes too them that be of purpose called Romaines .viii. The incrudelytye of the Iewes can not make the Faythe and promyse of God voyde of none effecte But rather our iniustice doothe commende hys iustyce and oure vntruthe causeth his truthe to excel vntoo hys glorye that he maye bee founde true and almen lyers and he ouer comes when he is iudged Then as the fall of the Iewes muste nedes be confessed by Paules doctryne too be that they maye attayne mercye and God to be so gloryfyed so maye we looke for the fulfyllynge of suche Prophecyes as appertaineth too that purpose at the tyme appoyncted whyche is in these laste dayes when God wil haue hoole Israell saued When he wyl haue one folde and one flocke reade the Prophecyes of the restorynge agayne of the Iewes Esaye xi.lxvi Chapters zacharye .ii. Chapter Osee .iii. Chapter Diete xxii xxxii.xxxiii Chapters Ezechiell xx.xxxiiii.xxxvii Amos .ix. And you shal perceyue that God wyl be yet muche more amonges boothe Iewes and Gentyles gloryfyed For all Prophecyes bee not wholye ended fulfylled and therefore are they darcke vnto vs because the appointed tyme is not come whych shall bring lyghte vnto theym saue as I sayde before before that in the spirituall Israell they may after a sorte be verifyed but so that the Israel bothe by promise and by sede ought not froÌ„ such playne promyses to theÌ„ made for to be secluded But because I woulde not be the author of any newe doctryne I doo submyt my iudgemente herein and in al that I do wryte to them that do syt and ar able to geue iudgmeÌ„t Onlye I wold haue vs to thyncke that the Iewes hadde the oracles the promyses the testameÌ„t the Prophets Christ oure sauyoure touchynge the fleshe They are the rote the true and naturall Olyue We are wylde and be but grafted in theym They are reiecte and blynded a longe tyme. So haue wee beene also They are banyshed from theyr contry we lyue banyshed also from our naturall countrye And shal it not be a comforte vnto vs seynge all chaunceth vnto theym in fygure to see theym restored the hoope of oure restorynge vnto oure heauenlye countrye Shal it not make muche for the glorie of God to perfourme his promesse wyth the largesse nowe when all thynges semeth boothe vnto them and vnto vs passe all hope and desperate Shall it not commende and sette forthe the mercye of God whyche so long time hath suffered and sustayned synners Shall it not grâ—atlye enlarge the kingdome of Christe too haue gathered thys scattered flocke of the Iewes into hys foulde Shall not thys consyderacyon gyue vs occasyon too prayse and magnyfye thys gloryous kyngdome too humble oure selues before the myghtye worckinge hande of God whose onlye woorcke it is boothe in them and in vs too electe and chuse too reiecte and refuse to illumynate to excreate to caste downe too rayse vp againe Shall not thys muche moue vs charytablye too deale wyth theym too vse all louynge meanes that may be to wyn them to the fauoure of God agayne And the rather may we dooe thys wyth good hope of they re saluacyon because they do liue in such fear of God For the moste parte of them as farre as I canne learne as the lyke is not to be sounde amonge vs Christians Euerye manne woman and childe amonges them is mydste perfyte in thee letter of the lawe and olde Testamente They abhorre al Idolles and Idolatry They reuerence the hygh name of God so wonderfulli as we blaspheme it light tye Thoughe the vale hange yet before they re eyes in the readynge of the lawe howebeit thys do I saye to them and al other whyche shall vouchsafe too reade theese rude and playne commentaryes that as I haue conceyued a hope by the scryptures of the rayesynge agayne of the Iewes too be a fygure example of oure resurreccyon So me thyncke it maye be hear iudged against the Iewes by the woordes of oure Prophete that temple and kyngedome gouernaunce beatynge downe of ennemyes and promysed tranquilitie muste be only by the worde of God and therefore spirytual not carnal as they imagine but muche better then they can yet behold for first saythe oure Prophete The Text In the last dayes the house of the Lord shal be prepared in the toppe of the mountaynes aboue all mountaynes And strayghtwaies he declareth howe that shall come to passe Muche people saythe he shall say let vs go vp into the hil of the lorde and he shal teach vs of his waies we wil walke in hys pathes for the lawe shal goo foorth of Syon And straight adioineth vnto this word and Doctryne of the Lorde the iudgement and correction which are the cheif poyntes of the regymente and kingdom and streyghte after the reast and quyetnes frome all forran ennemyes whyche thinges folowinge so euidently semeth altogether to hang of the word of God and therefore shal not be carnal but spiritual and eternall euen suche ioye reast and peace as Christe promysed vnto his Disciples suche as the world canne not gyue When thys
shall be fulfylled our Prophete vttereth in the laste day sayth he whyche laste dayes are alwaies spoken of the tyme of oure Christ the Messiah promysed For the Iewes do recken vi ages or tymes of most worthye reputacyon Fyrste from the creation of the world vnto the flud M. cccccc.lv yeres Then from the floude vnto the delyueraunce of the chyldrene of Israel forthe of Egipt ccccccc xc.m yeres Frome the delyueraunce of Israell vnto the gloryous buyledynge of the first temple bi Salomon cccc lxxx yeres From the buildinge of the teÌ„ple vnto the Babilonical captiuitie ccccxix yeres From the Babilonicall captiuitie to the comminge of Christ the true Messiah cccccc xxiii FroÌ„ Christ al these latter daies of his raigne by the Gospell M.d. Li. yeares whyche is the laste Into the whyche laste tyme of Christ al prophecies al historyes the Prophets them selues do loke and behold Therefore saith Christ your father AbrahaÌ„ did desyre to see my day he dyd see it and reioysed Againe blessed ar your eies whiche haue seene that whyche manye haue desired to see and colde not Therefore sayth Simeon nowe lette thy seruaunt depart in peace for myne eies haue sene thy saluacioÌ„ And aiust cause why these laste tymes shuld be loked for and made the marcke too shoote at and ende of all prophecy For streght after the fal of AdaÌ„ these tymes were promysed Thys was she second Adam the seede of the womaÌ„ in whome the worlde agayne shoulde be blessed Thys tyme was prefygured in the fludde This Christ shuld deliuer froÌ„ the hellye Pharao Thys is the true Salomon and kynge of peace buyldeynge hym a temple wythoute spotte Prophecye hys delyuereth frome Babylonycall bondage of Antechriste and all aduersarye powers so that there was no further to be loked for but thys tyme before the lawe Melchisedeke wythout father and mother did prefigure this In the law al ceremonies wer but shadowes Christe was the body in whoÌ„ al prophecies wer fulfylled al shadows ceassed So that these tymes of Christe maye worthelye bee called the laste tymes and as Paule calleth it to the Galathians and Ephesyans the fulnesse of tyme wherein all thinges were fulfilled The laste tymes also may they be called because they are mooste neare to the commynge of christ vnto iudgement whiche shal be the laste daye of al flesh the laste day of thys heauen and thys earth as Ihon speaketh Neyther may we thyncke muche that they were called the laste dayes and the laste tymes in the tyme of Christ and his Apostles and yet thus longe are continued For as Saynte Peter aunswereth to thys folyshe doubte wherwyth the fleshly are deluded One day with the Lorde is as it wer a thousand yere and a thousande yere as it were one daye And the Lorde is not slowe in commynge as the vnwyse do thinke him But paciente towardes vs not wyllynge any to perysh but to receyue all to repentaunce The Text For all people shal walke euery one in the name of their God and we wyll walke in the name of our god for euer and euer This semeth to be spoken of the prophet for a confirmation and an assuraunce to haue this great promise fulfylled because all nacions set vp some kynde of religin and haue some gods to whom they credite whom they do obey and folowe Yea the wycked world drowned in Idolatri and al abhominacions Imagyned of theire owne madde braines euerye one to haue hys seuerall GOD. All theyrs are but fayned gods sayeth he naye they are deuylles and no goddes But oures is the lyuynge GOD the lorde which hath made heauen and earth and wrought al the woÌ„ders both in heauen and earth we maye boldelye beleue him walcke and go forward in the power of his name foreuer how vnpossible so euer his promises do seme to the fleshe he is able to performe theÌ„ Though he do long deffer theÌ„ to try our fayth and to shew his power whervnto nothynge is vnpossible he lasteth for euer therfore we may neuer end our hope and trust of that thynge he promyseth In that day sayth the Lorde The Text I wyll gather her whyche halteth and is caste away her whoÌ„ I haue punyshed and I wyll make thee halt to haue a successyon and the outecaste to bee a stronge people and the Lorde shal raygne ouer them in mount Syon from hence foorthe for euer And thou O tower of the flocke the tower of the daughter of Syon to thee shall come to thee shall come I saye the fyrste kyngdome the kyngdome of the daughter of Ierusalem In that daye in the laste dayes in the tyme of Messiah for so doth al interpreters take it I wyll gather you sayeth youre God thoughe I haue chastened you cast you away and made you lame I wyl not fayle to make you a stronge people agayne and geue you a posterytye and succession wythoute anye ende and wythoute all noumber For I my selfe wyl be your kyng in the mount Sion for euer Thus dooth the Prophete contynue in the confyrmacion of these greate promises so darke vnto the flesh that wyth muche busynes it can hardly be perswaded in the promises of heauenly and spiritual works By the word haltynge our Prophete would insinuate and bryng into memorye how that Israel haltyng from god and clynshynge after Idols as Elyas chargeth them .iii. Reg. xxviii had so prouoked hym to anger that he had worthely made them halt and lame that is to say had greuously afflycted and skourged theym for so is the same woorde of haltynge vsed for greuous afflyccion Psalm xxv xxviii and thys Prophecye is red also Esa xxxv how the lame shal leape and skyp for ioy The Text And the Lorde shal raygne Tyrantes shal raygne no longer but the Lord shal raygne which teacheth vs styl that thys newe restored kyngdome shal be spiritual for al men are flesh and all theyr kyngdomes câ—rnal the kyngdomes of all menne haue an ende but thys hathe none ende therefore is thys the kyngdome of God the kingdom of the sonne of God whyche God the father dyd gyue hym that he shulde occupye the seate of Dauid hys Father and raygne in the house of Iacob for euer of hys kyngdome there shoulde be none ende as the aungel dyd saye to the blessed Virgin Heare maye the Iewes by thys place learn that theyr king whom they do looke for to be man of the seede of Dauid shal also be God for here he is called Iehouah by the hyghe name of God and his kyngdome named euerlastyng whyche onlye can be the kyngedome of God and not man All this we do see fulfylled in oure Christe and hys spyrytuall kyngdome so manye as doo beleue Christ to be God and maÌ„ and do feale howe by hys spyryte he begynneth to raigne in the heartes of hys chosen The laste verse is so vehementelye broughte forthe by the Prophete to confyrme thys promyse that euerye worde in it is twyse
doubled That whyche he calleth the tower of the flocke because the people was gathered thyther thryse by the yere as the flocke is gathered into a folde he calleth it agayne the towre of the doughter of Sion and twyse hee saythe shall come that the Iewes shuld not despayre though they do se the time prolonged and defferred That whyche he called the fyrst kingdome hee calleth it agayne the kyngedom of the daughter of Sion promising them that the relygyon noble courage and iustice the glorye and wysdome of SalomoÌ„ or whatsoeuer was praise worthye in the begynnynge that same shal mooste fullye be restored in thys raygne of Messiah Esaye hathe the lyke in the ende of hys fyrst Chapter I shal restore thy iudges as in the beginning and the counsellers as at the fyrste Nowe whye doste thou crye wyth suche loude voyce The Text is there no kynge in the are thy counsaloures peryshed Because sorow is come vppon the as vppon the womanne that trauayleth As thoughe he shoulde saye I doo knowe my woordes wyll greue the so muche more as all thynges semeth vnto the fleshe desperate Thou dooste lacke thy noble captaynes and counsaloures vnto whoÌ„ thou haste trusted the whiche heretofore hath delyuered the. And because thou hast made flesh thy arme trustinge to muche to thy kinges and counsaloures and further haste exalted thy selfe whiche art but dust and ashes as thoughe thou haddeste power of thyne owne wythoute me and therefore are these sorowes come vpon the euen the sore panges and throwes of trauaylyng wemen Lamente The Text and sorowe O Doughter of Sion lyke the womanne trauayelynge for thou shalte nowe goo foorth of the citye thou shalte dwell in the feild Thou shalte goo to Babylon But thence shalte thou be delyuered There shall the Lorde redeme the frome the handes of thyne ennemyes Thou muste I saye to beate downe thys vayne confydence and hoope thou haste besydes me befoore chastened but be sure thou shalte bee delyuered in the ende Thus saythe the Prophete O see of the same delyueraunce Along time thou shalt looke for me and not be coupled to any housband nether yet ten of whoreyng and I wyll looke for the thou shalt be without king with out Prince and priest and after returne and seeke the Lord thy God and Dauid thy king and feare the Lord for thy good in the last dayes The Text And now shall many nacyons of the Heythen be gathered agaynst the saying she is polluted our eyes shal behold Syon and haue their desyre vpon her but they haue not knowen the thoughtes of the Lorde nor vnderstand hys couÌ„sel For he hath gathered them as a handful into the barne Aryse and threshe thou daughter of Syon for I wyl make the hornes of yroÌ„ and hooffes of brasse and thou shalt breake in peeces muche people And I shall dedycate vnto the Lorde theyr spoyle and theyr riches to the Lord of al the earth The Prophet gothe forthe to declare the state of the Iewes in the dayes of Messiah for of that tyme all do take it Now because the time is not come wherin the Iewes shall receyue oure Christ as theyr Messiah theyr God and theyr king I do iudge it vnmete for any man onlesse he haue some specyall Reuelacyon to wade anye farther then the opeÌ„ woorde of God in the secrete worckes whyche then shal be shewed nether may it be accompted as a greate â—aulte to anye of vs if we do clearlye confesse oure selues ignoraunte what or howe many nacyons shall be gathered agaynste Israell or howe they shal be destroyed but rather a greate presumptyon if we shuld rashlye to take vpon vs the cleare lyght of suche secrete misteryes Like as of the other part I suppose the rashe iudgmente of some whyche do say that the Iewes are so dampned and al together cast away that they cannot be restored as it appeareth euydentelye too bee pronounced agaynste the scryptures so ought it not to be allowed but brotherlye to be reproued As for those enemyes of theirs whyche reioyseth at thys longe captiuitie and maketh them a â—estynge stocke and a by woorde the Lorde sweareth Ezechiell .xxxvi. that they shall suffer shame and â—ewyl sanctyfye hys hyghe name whyche was polluted amonges the Gentiles and they shal knowe that he is God In the .xxxvii of Ezechiell God promyseth the restorynge of the Iewes by the raysynge of deade bones where in â—e breatheth the spyryt and lyfe whyche is the receiuinge of them wherunto Paule alludeth Roma xi saying what shal be theyr receyuynge but lyfe frome the deade Ezechiel xxxviii xxxix is this Prophecye of Micheas at the full sette foorthe who so shall haue the Reuelacyon of the spryte for to see thys wonderous woorckes as for vs to whome it is not fullye opened wee dooe praye that too the glorye of God and the renoume of hys hyghe name it maye in the due tyme be reuealed Cryinge in the meane season agaynst oure blyndenesse as did Paule wrytynge vppon the same hyghe mysterye O the profounde deepenesse of the ryches wysdom and knowledge of God howe vnsearcheable are thy wayes and incoÌ„prehensyble thy iudgements For who hath known the minde of the Lorde or who hath bene hys counsayle geuer Vnto vs it shall be enoughe whyles that tyme do trye the truthe further too consyder the ennemyes of Israell all mooste tryumphynge ouer it sodenly by the mighty haÌ„d of God destroied such as Pharao SaÌ„herib Rabsace Nebuchadnezer Antiochus Herod And oure ennemyes whyche are the spirituall Israel wonderfullye vanquished and by Christe and hys woorde put too confusion The Romyshe Antichrist wyth hys Idoles hys Cardynalles hys Byshoppes hys shauelynges Monks Chanons Fryers hys Priestes regulars and irregulers oute of al the rules and orders of honestye whych Heathen companye were entred oure lands were gathered agaynste vs. Countynge vs polluted Heretikes worthye too satysfye theyr bluddy eyes wysh our deathes hangynge and burnynge But they dydde not knowe the thoughtes of the Lorde that hee suffered theym too rage that hee myghte be glorified in the ende when they shulde be threshen to powder geuynge hys faythefull suche power that they shulde treade down al the power of theyr aduersary lyke chaffe to geue God the glorye of thys spoyle and too knowledge thys too bee hys woorcke to the glorye of hys name God graunte that we vnto whome God hathe geuen thys tryumphe be not forgetful to paye oure vowes vnto our Lorde The Prophete voweth in the personne of vs too dedycate and to geue hym not only the calfes of oure lippes but the riches and spoyle to be a moment and as he calleth it Anathema a thynge so separate vnto the Lorde that no manne may touch it much lesse conuert it to any pryuate vse Neyther is this the vow of our Prophet onelye but a playne commaundemente of God Deuter. vii Thou shalte brene wyth fyre theyr grauen Images Thou shalt not couet theyr syluer gold wherof they are
serued in the temple wyth praying and fastynge professed thys to bee the redemer of Israel Yea the voice of God from heauen in the presence of many people doth confyrme al thys saying thys is my welbeloued sonne in whom I am well pleased heare you hym The myracles wythout number both in hys lyfe tyme when he cured al dyseases both of body and soule When he caused the wyndes to cease the seas to obeye and deathe to geue place and in hys death when he caused the heauens to shet the earth to shake the sunne to loose hys lyght And after hys death also when he caused the hels to open the graues to geue againe theyr prysonats What wyll you haue more Hys mooste ennemyes the Scrybes and Pharyseis coulde not saye in conscience but that al these wonders were doone by the fyngar of God and the sougiours wyth theyr captayne whych kepte hym at hys deathe was compelled to crye Truelye thys is the verye sonne of God Math. xxvii Yea the verye deuyls were dryuen to confesse hym to bee Iesus the sonne of God Math. viii Mark .v. Luke .viii and yet some whych do beare his name called Christians and some twyse christened as they cal it dare denye vnto hym thys glory O blasphemye intollerable yea al the power of Sathan and all the gates of hel haue not bene able to beate downe the church buylt vpon thys confession as Christ out sauioure promysed Math. xvi thoughe contynuallye thys M.D. and Li. yeares they haue wyth the swerd hangyng and burnyng moste despitefully stryuen agaynst it and yet these blynde beastes dare attempt such foly Yea thoughe the Iewes thoughe the Turkes thoughe the Aryans and the Anababtistes and al the lying rable of the deuyls sougiers labour and striue al that in them lyeth to hinder and stop the kyngdom of this child borne in despysed Bethelem as he is man but commyng forth from old from euerlastyng as he is god Yet lo it is now dilated and spred a longe tyme throughe the whole world and at thys present moste gloryously spreadeth and triumpheth ouer al. Embrace therefore the sonne least he be angrye and you doo peryshe foorthe of the way al you ragyng people and vain imaginers agaynst our Christe Y◠you gather you and sette you agaynste thys Messiah the euerlyuing lord wyl laugh you to scorne For he hath anointed him kyng vpon Sion hys holye temple He wryteth it in hys euerlastyng decree He calleth hym hys sonne he geueth hym power ouer al people to rule them wyth the yron scepter and so folowing of the kyngdome of Christ Psal ii Agaynst the aduersaryes therefore of thys kyngdome whyche are the Antychristes wherof we are so oft warned in the scriptures Suffer me I pray you to make a short digression not for any sotie arguments that I wil bring against them for that is contrarye bothe to my purpose and profession But for my zele sake simply to vtter the words of truth yf by that way we may win but any one of thē It is not sayd for noughte by the holy Apostle Heb. iiii The word of god is lyuelye and myghtye in operacion sharper then any twoo edged swearde Therfore wyl I vse the sweard of God hys holy scriptures to cutte of theyr errours desyryng oure heauenlye father wil houte whom no man can come vnto Christ to drawe some of these blynded and loste shepe home againe to hys son Christe theyr only shepperde and to hys fold holy felowship of the faithful lyuynge in Christen vnytye to the glorye of hys name and the delatinge and enlargynge of his glorious kyngdome There be .ii. sortes of the aduersaryes of thys kingdome the one denieth him to be God the other to be mā wherfore I wyll declare and proue by open scriptures Christ God and Man FYrste that the Messiah promysed shulde be verye man euen of the seede of man as we doo reade Genes iii. that the womannes seede shal breake the serpentes heade agayne Gen. xii saythe God vnto Abraham in the shal al the kynredes of the earthe bee blessed and declaringe howe thys shall come too passe in thee xvii Chapter he promyseth to Abraham and to Sarai a sede wyth whom he wil make an euerlastynge leage and couenaunte And in the .xxii. Chapter after he had broughte thys promised seede to be a slaine sacrifice as the Lorde hadde commaunded thys was again from heauen pronounced that in the sede of Abraham all nacions shoulde be blessed And in the .xxvi. Chapter vnto his sonn◠Isaac was the same promyse renewed wyth these same words In thy sede shal al the nacyons be blessed Againe to his sonne Iacob in the .xxviii. of Genesis al the kynreds of the earthe shal be blessed in the and thy seede saythe the Lorde Agayne saithe Iacob in the spyryte of Prophecye to hys chyldrene The scepter shall not bee taken frome Iuda nor the ruler from his seat whyles that Messiah do come and to him shal the people be gathered Loo thus by playne testymonies mooste auncient euen from the beginninge maye it bee proued Messiah oure Christ to be appoynted man of the seede of manne And after the troublous tymes when all theyr captaines fayled as Micha dyd Prophecy then forthe of a litle village of the tribe of Iuda shuld come oure Christe the appointed and anoynted ruler ouer the faithful Israel And to let you vnderstande whyche are the ennemyes to Christ his kyngdome that you do striue in vayne there against mark that Balaam prouoked bi the king Balaac colde speake nothyng agaynste thys kingdome which he did se more thē a thousand .d. yeres to come after hym but dydde reuerence it a farre of saying There shal ryse a starre from Iacob and a rodde from Israel whiche shall stryke the captaynes of Moab Of Iacob shall come thys greate Lorde whyche shal destroye the remnaunte forthe of the cytye Numer xxiiii Thus are the enemyes of oure Christe compelled to knoweledge hym a man of the seede of Iacob and a gloryous kynge ouer all hys ennemyes tryumphynge Agayne Deut. xviii Moses the seruaunte of God dare say thus A Prophete vp frome amonges thy brethrene euen lyke me shall the Lorde thy God raise vnto the whosoeuer shall not heare hym I wyll requyre it of him Loo nowe heare is the humilitie of Christ his man hode set forthe but so that whosoeuer is the despiser of him and hys doctryne hathe thys playnly promised that he shall gyue accomptes for it and God hym selfe wyll questyon wyth hym the cause whye he hathe refused him For so standeth the Hebrewe Beware therfore as Esay sayth and take hede vnto your selues from the man whose breathe is in hys nostrelles for wherin he is reputed though he be very man and therfore despised yet is he of the Lorde onlye regarded Agayne in the Psalme lxxxviii We do reade I haue sworn to Dauid my seruaunte for euer wyll I prepare thy sede and wyl stablish thy seate
frō generaciō to generaciō And in the Psal cxxx most playnelye The Lorde hathe sworne to Dauid and wyll not deceyue I wyll set vpon thy seate the fruite of thy wombe the whyche place holy Peter alledginge to the Iewes Actes .ii. doth name it the fruyte of the loynes of Dauid forseinge by the spyryte that suche an Artycle of oure faythe whyche shoulde be so much impugned hadde neade to bee payneted wyth moost playne woordes And what canne be more playne I praye you to declare hym too haue bene verye fleshe and verye manne then thus to haue named him too haue come of thee seede of thee loynes and forthe of the wome of Dauid And if you do stycke of the woorde and name of a manne reade .iii. kinges .ii. chapter Thou shalte alwaye haue a manne to sit in thy seat ouer Israel and in the ende the seate of Dauid shall bee stable before the Lorde for euer So that thys maye be suffycyente too all theym whyche wyth anye thynge wyll be satisfied that the Messiah and sauyoure promysed is verye man Who so wyl search mo scryptures lette hym read the .vii. of Esaye where is playnelye Prophecyed that he shall be borne of a Virgin in the iiii Chapter he is called the braunche of the Lorde and the fruyte of the earthe where bothe hys natures are touched Like as oure Prophete dothe mooste plainelye painte him foorthe in boothe kindes also sayinge that he shoulde be borne in Bethlem a village of small reputacion because it was able too make but a small noumber in the musters and taxes when the people were noumbred by hondrethes and thousandes as was then vsed and we doo vse the same styll to thys daye The whyche woordes of oure Prophete that hee shoulde come foorthe of lytle Bethlehem to rule ouer Israell doothe declare hys mannehode lyke as the woordes folowing His comminge foorthe is from old from euerlastinge vttereth hys Godhead For only God hathe bene frome euerlastynge Thus is your Messiah painted vnto you God and manne O vnbeleuinge nacyon The stone whiche you doo refuse being folishe builders is made the chief cornor stone of God his holy buildinge Esay did also vtter this vnto you in moste plaine wordes saying A child is born vnto vs a son is geuē vnto vs vpō his shulder shal be the kingdome and he shall be called meruelous the counsel geuer the myghtye God the euerlastynge father the Prince of Peace of the multiplying of his kingdome and of hys peace there shal be no ende He shall sette vppon the seate of Dauid and vpon his kingdome to sette vp the same and too stablyshe it in equitie and rightuousnes from hensforthe for euermore Esaye .ix. Heare is he named a childe borne whiche shoulde be king which oppresseth his manhode All the other wordes do moste playnelye describe the pore and propertyes of hys God heade who so shall worthelye ponder them and if nothinge canne serue to satyfye your styffe stomackes onles you haue the hyghe name of God Iouah ascribed to oure Christe youre Messiah as some of you impudently canne answer Vouchsafe to reade the Prophet Ieremy in the .xxiii. chapter and ther you shal most plainly find it so Lo the daies shal come faith the Lord and I will raise vp to Dauid a rightuous braunche and he shall raigne kinge and prospere He shal do iudgemente and iustice in the earthe In those dayes shal Iuda be saued Israel shal dwell boldly this is hys name wherewyth they shall call hym Iouah Sidkenu by interpretacion God whych is whiche hathe beene whyche shall be by whome all thynges haue theyr being is oure ryghteousnes for so muche is cōprehended in the Hebrew Iouah as was sayde in the fyrste leafe And thys is the hyghe name whyche the Iewes do agre neuer to be geuen to any creature Therfore we do conclude against thē that our Christ is God the only creatour of whō al creatures haue their essēce substaūce beyng as thys word importeth Agayn wher as it is wrytten Psalme .c.ix. The Lorde sayed vnto my Lord sytte of my right hand whiles that I make thyne enemies thy fotestole And Christ our Lord demaundeth of your Doctoures Pharyses if Christe were Dauid sonne as the scriptures compelled them too confesse How then calleth Dauid hym lord by the spyryte so longe afore And if he be Dauides Lorde howe then is he hys sonne The whiche questyon hath vexed your braynes whyche denye hym too be God thys M. ccccc yeres Therfore fall downe and worshyppe oure Christe as God lyke as the xc.vi Psalme doth teache you that al the aungels of heauen shall worshyp hym and you shal vnderstande not onlye thys questyon but al those same places of the Psalms and Prophetes whyche you doo nowe reade wyth a vayle and myste before your eyes Psalme xliiii.lxxxviii cix cxxxi Esa iiii vii viii.ix.xi.xxviii.xl.xlii.xlv.xlvi.xlix.lii liii lxii Ieremy xxiiii.xxx.xxxiii Ezech. xvii xxxiiii.xxxvii Daniel ii.ix. Mich. v. Agge ii Baruch iii. Osee xiii vi Ioel. ii Amos. ix zacharye iii. xiii Malache iii. Ionah the fygure of Christ hys deathe and resurreccion Whych places I doo note for the godly that they may se Christ to haue beene the shoote anker of the Prophetes ▪ and chyefe marke of theyr Prophecyes What shall I nede to brynge forth anye place of the newe Testament seinge that standeth hollye vpon this doctryne that Iesus Christe is God and manne and by thys you maye knowe the spirite of God saythe Saynt Ihon. Euerye spirite whych confesseth Iesus Christ to become in the flesh is of God Ihon. iiii And euery spirit which doth not confes Iesu Christ to becom in the flesh is not of God And this is the spirit of Antechrist saythe Saynt Ihon. And before in the thyrde Chap. Who is a lyer but he that denyeth Iesus too bee Christe Thys same is Antychryste whyche denyeth boothe the father and the sonne And who so denyeth the sonne neither hath the father Therefore embrace the sonne and receyue hym wyth a kysse leaste hee be angry and you do perysh forth of the way Psal ii We do know that the son of God is come and hath geuen vs hartes to know hym whych is true and we are in thys truthe in hys sonne Iesus Christ Thys is the true God and euerlastyng lyfe i. Ihon. v. We doo confesse wyth S. Paule that Christe is borne of the Iewes as touchyng the flesh which is God in al thynges to be praysed for euer Rom. ix We do professe thys faith whych holye Ihon Baptyste preached That our sauiour Christ though he dyd come after Ihon as touchyng the carnal natiuity Yet is he far mightiar then Ihon and Baptiseth vs wyth the holy Gost and wyth fyre Hys fan is in hys hand to pourge hys flower and he wyll gather hys wheate into hys barne and burne the chaffe wyth vnquenshed fyre We do beleue that at hys Baptyme the holye Goste dyd come downe inuisible
Iacob after he haue made theyr ennemyes theyr footestoole whyche all the Prophetes doo make as the chyefe marke and ende of theyr Prophecyes for the comforte of the chosen Israel as is at large before wrytten and wonderfullye set forth in Ezechiel xxxvii xxxviii and .xxxix. Chapter And it shall bee in that The Text same day sayth the Lord and I wyl destroy thy horse forth of the myddâ—st of thee and breake thy charyots I wyl destroye thy cytyes and ouercome al thy municions I wyll destroye thyne enchauntmentes and thou shalte haue no sothlaiers I wil destroi thyne Idols and thyne ymages forth of the myddes of thee and thou shalt not worship any more the worke of thyne owne hands And I wyl pluck vp thy groues forth of the middes of the and I wyl destroy thy cityes And I wyll bee auenged in my wrathe and fury vpon the people which hath not heard me Although thys prophecy be by many expounded of the Iewes yet had I rather to take it as spoken of the HetheÌ„ and so it very wel agreeth wyth all the other prophetes whych strayghte after the deliueraunce of Israel froÌ„ amongs the heythen dothe alwayes threaten a terryble destruccion to theyr enemyes Of whom so euer it is spoken we muste marke for what cause it is spoken to teach vs that syn is the cause of destruccion to al kyngdomes The trust in charyotes in horses in walled cytyes and strong holdes In enchauntmentes and Idols are the cause of God hys wrath indygnacion and heauy dyspleasure Especially Idolatry enchantment and couniuryng whych are the spiritual fornicacion these are the crymes that God heare and euery wher dothe threaten to auenge in hys wrath and fury Deut. iiii vii And thorow the whole booke Iosue xxiii xxv Dyd he not woÌ„derfuly destroi xxiii thousand of the Israelytes vppon one day by theyr owne pristes Leuits for Idolatry Exod. xxxii Did not God geue them into theyr enemyes handes for folowing the wayes of the Hethen Iudges ii.iii.iiii.vi.viii.x Dothe he not threaten alwaies to take theÌ„ of the face of the earth and destroy theÌ„ for it Exodus Leuiticus Numeri Deuteronomi and in al the Prophets Doth not God appeare vnto Solomon afterward declare the same vnto him .iii. Re. ix saying that if Israell shulde worship straunge gods he wold take him away and make him a by word amongs the heatheÌ„ And when it shulde be demaunded why God had destroied this people whome he had chosen this shulde be answered because they haue worshipped straunge goddes therefore hathe the Lorde broughte vpon vs al this euil .iii. kinges .ix. This we knowe now liuinge especially in this realme and se and ar taught to be mooste true by the mouthe of God in our time as was SolomoÌ„ But a great parte of vs haue Idolatrye hidde in our hearts as hadde Solomon and none of vs do earnestlye repent of the Idolatry by vs committed no more then did SolomoÌ„ therfore shal we suffer shame with Solomon and oure posteritie shal be despised as it shal be taughte more at large Nowe for the stronge doctrine and spirituall fornicacion of enchauntemente and coniuracyon of sothesaying or diuinacion on lesse it be spedelye stopped by the wyl of God workinge the care of such thinges in the harte of our kinge counsalers it shal shortlye braste forthe so farre amonges vs as it dyd amonges the Iewes a lyttle before theyr laste destruccyon whereof Iosephus wryteth Ant. xx cap. iiii xi.xii that they dyd forsake the true Prophetes of God and sought after Sorcerers and soothe sayers So saythe Esay that the Lorde hadde forsaken his people the house of Iacob because they were more full of enchauntementes then was the Arabians and as full of sothsaiers as the Philistines and wyth straunge doctryne they hadde satisfied their selues Esaye .ii. So canne I come into no corner of thys realme where I finde not or heare not of some of theese In Oxforde and in Cambridge wher God hys holy word shoulde banyshe thys blyndenesse there be masters for the nonest which after they haue studyed Astronomye whyche after they haue studied Astronomye and come to the iudicials of Astrology and found some experiments true and some false when the placynge of the Planettes in theyr appoynted houses and theyr aspectes and respectes wyl not serue their fonde purposes Then loo muste they enter in too Necromancye and call some deade spirit forth of hys graue wyth the bind of a swalow or a cat 〈◊〉 please the deuill to accepte that lewde sacrifice and hear haue they infinite supersticioÌ„s of times of wordes of places of the putrefactyon of that bloude and other lyke madnes whiche I am a shamed too rehearse and sorye too remember consyderynge that manne was made by God to beare hys image and therefore too looke and to do seruice to no suche vyle creatures especyallye to hys auncyente ennemye the Deuill for whose acquaintaunce all these Coniurers hath suche care and maketh suche preparacye wyth watching wyth fastinge with crossynge wyth M cccccc supersticions obseruacyons for the destruccion of theyr owne soules as no man wyl for theyr owne saluacyon They saye they vse good woordes the greate name of God Iehouah Adonai Otheos Sotor Manuel Sabaoth and I wot not what So did oure Coniurers in the kyngdome of the Romyshe Ante christe vse some good woordes and the lyke names aboute the coniurynges of Belles of salt of water of oile of wine of breade of Palmes and such lyke but they dyd mixt therwyth many blasphemyes yea and the good wordes whatsoeuer they dyd speake were neuer applied to that purpose whyche God appointed but too theese their owne imagined phantasyes of coniurynge God his creatures whyche alwaye hath bene accounted abhomination before God Deuter. xviii For looke howe farre the heauens are from the earthe and so farre are my waies froÌ„ your waies and mi thoughtes from your rhoughtes saythe the Lorde Esaye .lv. yea too the sinner saythe the Lorde why doste thou take my name in thy mouthe Psalm .l. That theese open euyl doers and manyfest transgressours agaynste God hys holye commaundemente oughte rather too tremble at the magnyfycente magestye of God his holye name then thus lewdlye too alledge it in they re charmes These Cambredge coniurers haue scolers in the countryes abroade whych seketh howe to haue familier spirites whiche they doo tearme too haue a Bee in a boxe to teache them to play at the Dice Cardes and other leud pastimes And some muste haue Marcurius well placed to helpe at a pynsh when they canne fynde no monye vnder crosses to brynge it by some other vnshamefull shyftes Some muste haue Venus in her fauorable aspecte coniured into an aple to wyll the sauoure of wemen Some must haue Saturne for wysdome Iupiter for honoures Mars for battel whiche ar the verye Deuelyshe delusyons wherewyth the Deuyll blyneded the Babylonyans Egiptians and Cananees And in oure Popyshe tyme broughte in
lyke dyshonoure of God in oure George of Engeland oure Ladye of Walsingham oure Daruelgadder of Wales whereby wee muste vnderstande that there is one olde ennemye of oures the oulde Serpente whych hathe enuyed the honoure of one God and laboured too drawe vs therefrome euen frome the begynninge whiche wyth holye woordes and gloryous names and far fetched tearmes semeth too vtter hys wysdome lyke an aungell of light as Paule warneth But marke the ende of theym whyche suffer theym selues by hym too bee deluded desiring the deuyll too geue thē of hys Counsel Oure fyrste Parentes were by this craftye Serpentes subtyll Counsel dryuen forthe of Paradyse adiudged to death with al their posteritie Genes iii. King Saul counsayling with the sothesayer the wise womanne whome onlye he hadde lefte in hys lande was slayne wyth hys iii. sonnes the daye folowinge So muche doothe it aduayle too aske counsell of the deade for the liuinge or of the wicked spirites whyche do transforme them selues into the lykenesse of the deade as was heare in thys place of Samuel For as the deuyl hath no power of the good soules so canne hee not styrre theym too geue aunswere but as we haue sayde he canne transforme him selfe into anye lykenesse that he maye myghtelye woorcke in theese chyldrene of mischeife But marcke the ende I saye of al nacyons whiche doo leaue the Lorde and hys holye woorde for suche delucyons In hope to get some thynge thereby to satisfye theyr dyuelyshe myndes Some for the loue of women do trye it and other some for the grydy desyre of goods do practise it wyth manye other thynges whyche were to longe to tell nowe Was not this one of the greatest crimes wherfore Egipte was scourged and plaged Esaiah .xix. Wherefore was the Empyre of the Chaldees destroyed and proud Babilon brought down Esay aunswereth Al the euils did come vpon the O Babilon for the multitude of thyne owne charmes and the stobbourne of malyce of thy couniurers for thou haste comforted thy self in thy disceatfulnes and haste sayde no man seeth me Thyne owne connynge and thy wysdō haue disceiued the. Therfore shal trouble tal vpon the and thou shalte not knowe from whence it shal aryse Doo you beleife that God telleth truthe O you coniurars What is there but you can knowe it if it please youre great master the deuil But the Prophet sayth againe to your cōtrary Mischeife shall fall vppon the whyche thou shalte not be able to put of A sodayne myserye shal come vpon that or euer thou be aware Wherefore now go to the coniurers and to the multitude of thy wytches whom thou hast bene acquainted with al from thy youth if they mai help the or strengthen the Thou haste bene wearied with the multitude of thine owne counsels Nowe let thy heauen gasers thy starre starers thy Moone markers stande vp and saue the frome the thynges whyche shall come vpon the. Beholde they are stuble the fire hath brente them they cannot delyuer theyr own souls from the power of the flame and so foorthe too the ende Are not the Philistines and Canaces alwaye charged for these crimes to haue hadde their worthy desolacyon As for Israel Esay saith plainly that God old forsake it for thys Esay .ii. dyd lay the line of Samaria vppon Ierusalem therefore and the burthene of the house of Achab and dyd raise it as it were a wrytyng table .ii. Re xxi ii Chronicles .xxxiii. Yea when the Lorde wyll vtter his anger agaynste them he calleth them charmers chyldrene Come hither saythe he by hys Prophete you charmers childrē you aduouterous seede Esaye lvii Abroade in all places of Englande wheras I haue taryed haue I heard of wyse menne and wyse wemenne whyche can tell of thynges that are lost and canne saye manye sayinges for childrene and cattel whyche are forspoken and haue blessinges to saye ouer certaine herbes as ouer vernine and dil if they be gathered betwixte the mary dayes And about wemen wyth childe they can saye oure Ladye with the whyte smocke thy syde smock and such mad charmes .v. C. are vsed in the countryes whyche the spyrituall eies mighte espy if they had not theyr Greke name for nought And our Preachers shulde plucke away oure polytycall magistrates should punysh for the Lord sayth that these are the thynges and not the handlynge of the chalyce wherewyth the people are polluted Leuiti xix You shall not declyne to the charmers and of the wytches aske nothyng lest you be polluted by them Againe Leui. xx The soule which loketh after any sothsayer or charmer to commyt fornicacion wyth them I wyll set my face agaynst that soule and I wyll destroye hym from the myddes of hys people sayth the Lorde Agayne Deut. xviii the Lord commaundeth whē thou entrest the lande whyche the Lorde thy God geueth the beware thou doo not folow the abhominacions of that people Let none be founde amonges the whych caryeth hys chylde throughe the fyre or that asketh of the charmers eyther that obserueth dreames or dayes and times or of them whyche do marke the flying and crying of byrdes or of any enchaunters or of any deuyl couniurar or any soythsayer or any that haue familiar spirites or anye wyse menne or wise womenne eyther any that asketh councel at the deade for who so doothe theese he is abhomynable before God and for these abhominacions the Lorde thy God dothe roote them forthe before thy face Loo with how sore wordes and threatenynges the Lorde God detesteth forbiddeth all the kindes of these deuelishe inuencions whereby men doo runne a whorynge from God too abuse hys creatures in spirituall fornicacion These thinges haue I written occasyoned by oure Prophete of thys spyrituall fornicatyon Idolatrye and all kynde of diuynacyon whyche wee call so the saying prophecyinge charminge enchauntement wytchcrafte Magyke Astrologye Necromancye Chiromancy Geomanci or what other name so euer the deuyl shal inuēt to driue vs frō god to vayne creatures for the Deuyll hathe euer thys one woorcke in hande but hee deceyueth the symple with the shyfte of hys deskante by vanytye of woordes And I do warne all people to repente kynges Lordes Bishoppes Commons For none canne excuse theym selues of that spyrytuall fornycacyon wyth the late deposed Idole that Waser Cake Naye shall I call it deposed whyche is scantlye transposed wythoute anye feruent zeale or signe of repentaunce We haue not fealte Moises to make vs drink the bitter ashes therof with teares We haue not had Iehu to auenge God of hys ennemyes the Priestes of Baall ii kinges .x. We haue not wept and wailed and torne oure garmentes for verye anguishe of oure heartes We haue not caste awaye the ornamentes of our olde idolles the vessels that serued them as did the good yong king Iosiah We haue not destroied the sacrificers and steiers of oure Christe as yong Iosiah did with the Priestes of the hyghe places wyth al charmers witches and enchaunters To be shorte We
haue not earnestlye repented with mourninge and fastinge for theese abhomininacions as did the Niniuites Therefore as Olda answered too the good kinge Iosiah that the Lorde woulde shewe of his mercies vnto him because he did cutte his clothes and wepte when he hearde the threateninges of God againste his countries Neuerthelesse he woulde bring al those euilles vppon that place and vppon the inhabitauntes of the land because thei hadde forsaken God and worshipped straunge Goddes prouokinge God vnto wrathe in al the workes of their own handes So canne oure people and contrye nothynge at all repentyng of theyr former euyll but styll euer more and more prouokinge the wrathe of God vppon them Some by the desyre thei haue to theyr olde Idolles Some by theyr Sorcerers Charmes Enchantmentes soothesayinges Manye by adulterye lasciuious wantonnes and fleshlye lybertye and all by ambicion or couetousnesse pillinge pollinge and brybynge-from their brethren Looke for none other thynge onlesse they vnfaynedlye forthewith shewe the worckes of repentaunce but miserye calamitie destruction famine darthe diseases pestilence and theswearde in the ende of foraynenacyons Yea whyche is mooste terrible of al we do feale the wrathe of God so kendled amonges vs all readye that we are lyke Pharao hardened in our sinnes euen plaged contynuallye with the encrease of new vices and newe dyleases folowing Was there euer suche inuencions in any worlde for pollynge of the people was there euer suche shamelesse whordome suche wedlocke breakinge Can it be denied that Paul writeth to the Romains because they haue chaunged the glory of the God immortal in the lykenes of mortal corruptible creatures Therfore hathe God geuen theym to folowe the lustes of theyr owne heartes in vnclennes with shame to abuse theyr own bodies together Reade the Chapter to the ende and you shall see the wrath of God greuously kindled in that al the vyces ther named as the punishmentes of sinne by sinne are moste euidentlye fallen vpon vs. And we maye feale the saying of the Prophet Ose to be most true The spirit of fornicacion hath deceiued you you haue gon a whoring froÌ„ your God Therfore shal your doughters bee harlots and your wises be whores O mercyfull Lorde leade vs not into thys greuous temptacion that oure sin shoulde be punyshed wyth the encrease of syn by the geuyng ouer of vs miserable sinners to our owne lustes For who canne bee able too beate hys synnes if thou strayght obserue them O Lord Make vs not lyke Caine Pharao and Iudas whiche dyd heape synne vppon sinne But giue vs heartes lyke the Niniuites too repente for oure synnes Haue pytye vppon oure yonge Kynge whoÌ„ thou of thy mercy diddest wonderfullye vouchsafe to gyue vnto vs at what time wee waited worthelye for thy sore scourge whome thou dyddeste fashyon and preserue in hys mothers woÌ„be and bryng forth into thys lyght wyth lyke maruel of thy almighty power Whom thou haste defended and kept wyth thy myghtye arme thys tyme of hys infancye from domestical and for an enemies Vnder home in hys weake and moste teÌ„der age thou haste caused to shyne forth the cleare lighte of thys Gospell which hathe bet downe the Idolles and Idolatrous aulters through oute hys â—ealme whereby amonges the Papists Turkes and Iewes thou hast made thi Britains to be bruted How be it al this hast thou so wroughte vnder a yonge chylde that the glorye myghte come holye vnto the and to no man mortall For the glorye of thy name therefore and for Iesus Christe hys sake whose honoure we doo seeke and kingdome wee desyre haue mercye vppon hym most mercyful father Make hym faythful as Dauid zealus lyke Hezechiah repentaÌ„t as Iosiah to hys people the professoures maynetayners of thy truth against all papistes Tuckes Iewes against al the powers of Antichrist Graunt thy manyfold and great mercyes that they may abhorre theyr owne wickednes and the wyckednes of their forefathers and walke nowe lyke the chyldren of thys great lyght the chyldren of thy kyngdome Graunte we besech thee O most mercyful father vnto al them whych do professe the truth of thy Gospel vnfayned repentaunce of al theyr syns fast confydence vpon thy great mercyes the renuing of theyr lyues according to the truth of thy word whych they do professe that they maye exhort one another to walk in thy light saying wyth the Prophete Osee Come and let vs returne vnto the Lord for he hath begone and wyll heale vs he wyll stryke vs and make vs whole Graunte this O Lord God that thy name be not euyl spoken of amonges thy enemyes So be it The .vi. Chapter HEare now what the euer liuing Lord sayth The Text Arise and contende wyth the mountaynes let the hyls heare thy voyce Heare O ye hyls the iudgement of the lord by whom al thynges haue theyr beynge and you strong foundacions of the earth geue eare for the lord hath a quarel wyth hys people and wyth Israel he wyl try hym selfe My people what haue I done to you or what greuous thynge haue I appoynted the aÌ„swer vnto me Because I haue brought the forth of the land of Egypte and from the house of bondage I haue redemed thee and I haue sent Moyses AaroÌ„ and Miriam before the. O my people remeÌ„ber I prai the what counsel Balake the king of Moab did begyn and what Bileam the son of Be or did answer hym from Siftim vnto Gilgal that thou myghtest know the ryghteousnes of the lorde After the sore threatenynges of the Gentyls the prophete returneth to reproue Israel the elect choseÌ„ people of ingratitude and vnthankefulnes callyng as it were heauen and earth to witnes as in the fyrst chapter and Esay .i. And first he sayth Geue good eare for you shal heare the euerlyuyng Lord the almyghtye by whome all thinges were create and do consist speake playnelye vnto you content to humble hym selfe so low as to opeÌ„ hys quarel to vtter the causes of hys wrath and to try him self in your owne coÌ„sciences to be faultles The Prophetes of all ages they are here coÌ„maunded to contende and striue wyth the mouÌ„taines and mighty meÌ„ of the world so is it theyr great labour peril danger to cause theÌ„ by any meanes to here the word of God Therfore was it sayd in the last verse of the fyft chap. I wil be aduenged in my wrath in my fury vpoÌ„ the people that hath not herd So that to harken to the voyce of God is better theÌ„ any sacrifice Therefore is heare so oft bet into the Iewes heades Here what the lord saith Let the hils here heare O ye mountaines thus the prophet warneth as it were a Bedle or Cryar of the common place to kepe sylence and to geue dylygent harkning to the voice of the almyghty He warneth the earth and al that therin is euen the very foundacions therof to gyue good eare Shal man then be deafe and stop hys eares The
Lord calleth the heauens and thei obey The earthe frome nothynge and strayght it was presente The ragynge seas and rough floudes do harken to hys commaundement Dare man deny to heare hys Lorde by whom he lyueth and hath hys beyng shal he be brutysh and wythout vnderstandyng when all brute beastes are obedyent to the lords commaundmente Dyd not Balaams Asse both speake and vnderstāded whē the Lorde called and commaunded O mā wylt thou not heare him with out whom thou art not Doest thou not feare to fal agayne into dust and ashes when thou art at hys voyce so dul insensible Or cā thou forget his benefits by whom thou hast thy being Yea this Lord calleth the thyngs that be not as though they wer alredy He maketh the dead hodies to harkē to his voice Howe dare thou O mā turne away not geue care seyng the breath of thy bodye is in his hand He sleieth and geueth lyfe See howe the Lorde doothe humble hym selfe to thyne infirmyty and weaknesse He is contente not onelye too speake vnto thee whyche arte but duste and ashes full of syn but to shewe hys quarrell and as it were too pleate hys cause with vs that he mighte be founde true and all menne liers and therefore iustified in hys woordes and ouercome when he is iudged Let al menne therefore tremble before his face and crye vnto God to geue them eares that canne hear eyes that can se thē say with Dauid I wil hear what the Lord speaketh The Lorde calleth into their remembraunce therewith their benefites of old theyr deliuerāce How he plaged the Egiptiās preserued thē How he made thē passage through the red sea drowned theyr ennemies How he fedde them wyth Manna frome heauen not sufferynge theyr garmentes too be olde nor theyr shooes torne for the space of .xl. yeres in the wildernes he geueth thē the good meeke and louinge captaine Moyses to guyde them Aaron to preache his wyll vnto them and to praye for theym Miriam a Prophetisse a comforte too the womenne in theyr longe iournye Exo. dye throughe oute And when kynge Balacke had counsell to hyre Bilham to accursse the saith the Lord I dyd turn thy curs into blessyng who beinge thus disapointed dyd take newe Counsell of Bilham too entice the people by flatterye too Idolatrye and fornication therby to prouoke my wrathe agaynste thee wherefore I plaged the vntyll I hadde slaine .xxiiii. thousand When Pinhas the Priest styrred wyth the zeale of my glorye slewe Duke zambrye the captaine of the tribe of Simeon and Cospye the doughter of Sur the cheif Prince of the Madianits throughe the zelous enterpryse caused mi wrath to cease Nu. xxii xxiii.xxiiii.xxv In Sittam dyd I staye Balacke and Bilham I caused Moyses too destroye the Midianites withoute mercy and did gyue vnto you theyr godes cattayle and substaunce Numeri .xxxi. In Gilgall I dyd take awaye the reproche of Egipte from you I caused you to be cyrcumcysed and dyd giue you of the fruits of the promysed lande Iosue v. Al thys dyd I for the that thou myghteste knowe my ryghtuousnesse that I would keepe my promyse notwyth standynge thys manyfolde wyckednesse The lyke rebuke of their ingratitude maiste thou read Esay .i. Eze. xx Now if we wold hereby in our wycked tyme lerne to behold the in estimable goodnes of God toward vs and our vnthankefulnes agaynst so louyng a Lord We myght fully perceaue and see most euydently the wonderfull mercies of our heauenly father calling vs to repentaunce whych hath not only giuen vs bodely benefytes as he dyd vnto Israell but he hathe delyuered vs from the helly Pharao from the curses of Antichriste from the sea of erroures and erronions opinions and caused vs to eate the heauenly Manna the fleshe of hys owne sonne thereby to geue vs lyfe euerlastynge O the vnspeakeable goodnes of our heauēly father and wo to our sturdy stomakes stifeled in euyl The Text With what acceptable thing shal I present the Lord Shall I bow my selfe before the highe God Shal I come before hym wyth brent offerings wyth calues of one yeare olde Hathe the lord his pleasure in M. of rams either hys delyte in .x. M. streames of oyle Or shal I geue my first borne for myne iniquity euē the fruite of my wombe for the syn of my soule I wyl tel the mā what is good and what the Lord requireth of the euē to do iudgement to loue mercy and to walk reuerently before thy God Because that here is so iust occasion offered to declare what is the true worshyp of god which is the false and vntrue I desyre thee gentle reader to suffer me somthyng to declare this dout because it hath troubled the cōsciences of many in al worlds And also that it maye be a testimony wytnes vnto the worlds ende of our cōsciēce towards God hys true worship which haue wryttē or spoken against the false worship of the Romysh Antichrist Wherin fyrst I pray thee to marke cōsider how the cōsciēce strykē with the feare of gods iudgemētes seeketh some stay euermore would haue succour against his heauy indignacion but vnles it be quieted setled bi the truth of God his holy word it renueth astray frō god more more at lengthe foloweth fond imaginaciōs As the Hethen before the law geuen did stay theyr children to please God as they ymagened Wherfore the Lorde did dryue thē forth of theyr contries and dydde geue them to Israell in possession and warned thē of heythrush abhominacions The Iewes after the law of Moises was geuen not vnderstandyng the end of their Ceremonies dyd heape vp infynyte sacrifices Vnto whō God saith dy Esaiah he that offereth vnto me an Oxe is lyke hym that stayeth a mā and he that kylleth a beaste as hee that brayneth a dogge And hee that Offereth sacryfyce as hee that Offereth swynes fleshe hee that remembreth incence as he that offereth vnto an Idolle Theese thynges haue they chosē in their waies in their abhominacions theyr soule is delyted Oure Papistes not vnderstanding or rather not regardinge what our master Christe hadde taughte vs. Mat. xv that in vayne we do worshyp God teachinge the Doctrynes the Preceptes of men Hadde sette vppe a newe holynesse euen theyr hoole relygyon in outewarde Ceremonies of dayes and times of candelles and Belles of towchynge and of handling of blowynge and kyssyng creapynge knealynge and knockynge of gyrdles and garmentes of geuynge to theyr Idolles and aulters fyne ornaments of buylding of Chappels chauntryes and Abbayes of gaddinge to Walsingham to Canterbury to Compostella to Ierusalem to fetch Iames shels Walsingham Kynges Becketes Broches and pardon Beades where vppon muste be sayde I wote not howe manye lady Psalters And alway ten Aue Maries to one Pasternoster or elsse al was marred and infinite other madde inuencyons of mans idle braine By the whiche maddynge of mannes heade in al ages whyche I
haue but lyghtelye touched we maye perceiue that no teste can be founde for mannes soule in our own inuencions But the farther manne wadeth in hys fonde intentes and fantastical imaginacion the farther he slydeth from God vnsure that he hathe done any thing acceptable in the sight of God Therfore must we which are seruaunts and creatures learning our own weaknes by the fal of others turne to our master lord and creator to know what his word cōmaundeth in the agony of cōsciēce cōsidering that the turnīg frō the creator to creatures hath bene the groūd of al Idolatry euery mā chusing to hīself the Idol of his own hart Some the son some the Moone some the .vii. starres some Saturn some Iupiter some Mars some Venus some Marcurye And dotinge farther some haue worshypped Calfes some Cockes some Serpents some Dogges some Asses some Gotes And in oure Popyshe wickednesse wee oure selues haue worshypped stockes stones and geuen diuine honours almost to all manner of creatures a vyle wafer cake did we honour as our God in dede and when that was lifte vppe betwyxte the Priestes fingers we saide we dyd se oure maker and knocked and kneeled crowched and kyssed withoute all measure And the Priest when he did eate it thoughte he did receiue hys maker and made so manye fonde gestures ioyened with infinite supersticions that thereby we may marcke if we haue nothinge elsse too leade vs that the fayened and false worshyppe of God hathe no ende not staye can neuer tell where too consyste doothe alwaye disquiet and neuer satysfye nor quiet the conscience Therefore for the loue of our own souls of the quiettinge of oure owne conscyence let vs vnfainedlye repente of al oure falsed goddes and fayned worshyppe of God and knowledg that ther is but one God whyche broughte the children of Israel forthe of Egipte from the house of bondage and hath deliuered vs the spirituall Israell frome the Egypte of synne end erroures from the bondage of the deuyll Deathe and hel and broughte vs into the lybertye of hys chyldren by the deathe of his owne sonne And by his holye spyryte poured into our heartes doth teache vs to crye father father Let vs knowledge I saye that thys Lorde our God is but one God whome we muste loue with all oure hearte with all our soule with all oure strength him must we feare and hym onlye must we worshippe and in hys name onlye maye we sweare By the whiche woordes wee maye learne that ther◠is but one God only who onlye oughte to be worshypped feared loued trusted and hooped vpon which the wordes of swearing in his name importeth Thys oure God then whose worshyppe wee doo teache is that almyghtye power whyche made heauen and earthe by hys woorde and by the same throughe hys spyryte doothe gouerne al creatures therin Sauing Israel and drowning Pharao Sauyng hys chosen of free mercy and grace and condempnynge the wycked hypocrytes by iuste iudgement Thys our God is a spyrite as Christ our aldermaster teacheth vs they whych worshyp hym must worship in spirite and truthe Ihon .iiii. And seeyng he is a spirit pure from bodyly corrupcion and therfore hauyng no neede of our bodely seruice Hys true worshyp can not consist in bodely exercise whych lasteth but the tyme it is in doinge but in the inward holines of the hart which euermore encreaseth spryngeth forth into life euerlasting Such a worshyppe therfore our Prophet teacheth whyche ariseth and springeth forth of the secret reuerence and feare of God hys sacrate magesty whych is not seruyse but child lyke wherby we are not onlye affrayed to dysplease God oure father but also prompt and redy lyke obediente chyldren to expresse in our lyuyng Iudgement and merci the two special propertyes greatest shew of hys image which appeareth vnto hys creatures Prouer. i. Therfore is thys feare called the begynnyng of wysedome and the spyryte of feare Esaa .ix. begynneth the worke whyche the other sprytes of wysdome vnderstandyng the spyryte of counsell and strengthe the spirite of knowledge and true holinesse and accomplisheth fulfilleth So that thys spirite of feare dothe go before in al the hartes of them whiche God dothe chuse to worship him in spirite and truth makinge theym afraied to do homage and worship to any thinge saue their Lorde God onlye eyther anye otherwise then hee requireth and commandeth Afraied euermore to do any thing wherin they do not know hys open pleasure Thys feare was in Cornelius befor he had the perfit knowledge of God and in the menne of Israell vnto whome Peter did saye O brethren and children of Abraham and thei amonges you which feareth God vnto you is the woord of saluacion sent in the Psas ciii Euē as the father hath mercye of his children so hath the Lord mercye of them that feare him and the merci of the Lorde is for euermore vpon them whyche feare him The cause is that they whiche do fear the Lorde are alwaies ready with heart and minde to do thinges pleasaunt vnto him and to abstaine from the contrary His displeasure do they feare like louynge chyldrene If theyr heauenly father be pleased they do reioice if he be offended they doo crye for mercye so that of hym they do teast in prosperiti of him they do hange in aduersitie accordinge to hys owne commaundemente by hys chosen vessell Dauid Call vppon me in the daye of thy trouble and I shal deliuer the and thou shalte worshippe me So that this inuocacion after some interpretoures is the true worship of God And surelye seinge Paule Romaines .x affirmeth that who soeuer calleth vpon the name of the Lorde shall be saued No manne canne denye but an eareneste callynge vppon God comprehendeth the true worshippe which God requyreth and contayneth in it perfyte religion because it hath fayth the ground of all vertues for howe canne they call vppon God whyche dooe not beleue in hym Romaynes .x. And they whyche dooe call vppon other creatures hathe affiance truste and faythe in those thinges elsse woulde they neuer call vppon theym Thys faythe spryngynge of the fyrste parte whiche was the feare and reuerence of God his hygh Maiesty supplyeth the seconde poynte of the worshippe of God whych requyreth a knowledge of God For how can we beleue in hym whō we haue not knowē Rom. x. Hereby doo wee gyue glorye and worshyppe vnto God that is too say we knoweledge hym too be true in all hys promyses And because without faythe it is impossible to please God this faith maketh vs suer that wee doo worshippe hym as wee shoulde and certifieth vs that wee bee the chyldrene of God and that oure woorckes are acceptable in hys syghte Hereby did Abell in hys sacryfyce more truly worshyppe God then dyd hys brother Caine. Abraham also and hys wyfe Sarai by faythe were the true worshyppers of God and receyued the promyse Elizabeth also gaue more glorye and worshippe vnto God
in that she beleued hys promyse then dyd her husband zachary who because he doubted was striken dumme whiles the child was borne Shortelye too conclude this faith is it that causeth true worshyppe For whatsoeuer commeth not of faythe the fame is synne And because faythe commeth of the hearyng of the word of God only of no mans fansy we may boldly pronounce that al suche worshyp as is set vp by mannes imaginacion without the scriptures of God is without faith and therefore synneful consequently abhominable in the sight of God whether they be sacrifices before the lawe or in the time of the lawe or Ceremonyes sence the lawe ceassed The thyrde and last parte of this worship standeth in vnfayned loue towarde oure neighboure wythoute the whyche oure Master Christe commaundeth too laye downe all sacrifice before the alter and first go be reconciled Mat. v. And withoute this hee despiseth all sacrifice saying by his Prophete Ose I wil haue mercie and not sacrifice and the knoweledg of God rather theÌ„ brent offerings And by the Prophete Esay of them that hathe not this loue your incense is abhominacion vnto me And when you shall lifte vp your handes I shal turne away myne eyes for youre handes are ful of bloude whyche laste woordes are more plainelye vnderstand by saint Ihon saying He that hateth his brother is a murtherer who for the vnclennesse of hys handes hathe no parte in the kyngdom of God And where as other whyche are not spotted with theyr neyghboures bloude but are clensed by the bloude of the Lambe are the very temples of God wherein he wyll be worshipped theese bloudy Cainâ—tes whych loueth not their brethren canne be no temple for Christ wherein hee wyll dwell and reaste but for the Deuill and Antichriste For thys calleth God his Sabboth and reast pleasaunte vnto hym Esaye .xxviii. To refreshe the wearye whych he calleth also the refreshinge of his owne selfe Thus doo we keepe the acceptable holye day and doo the worshippe that he desyreth when wee shewe mercye and comforte the poore and neadye The whyche worshyppe is so greate that he wyl aske accomptes of none other thynge at the daye of iudgemente but if we haue clothed him when we did see him naked if we haue fedde him when he was hongry and so foorthe Math. xxv For because theese dedes of mercye and loue doothe presuppose boothe faythe and feare of God This loue therefore must we bring to the true worshyppynge of God And as oure Prophete in fewe woordes doth comprehende all kynde of worshyppe wee muste doo iudgemente loue mercye and walcke humblye and reuerentlye before the Lorde Too do iudgment may be well vnderstand to doo as thou wold be don to What so euer thou iudgest that thou wold haue doone to the that do thou vnto other To do mercye is to forgeue as thou wold be forgeuen and thys hart and mynd must we bring to worshyp god to walke before hym For of thys doth God make tryal whether we do loue hym or no. If we do not loue our brother whom we se how can we loue God whom we se not IhoÌ„ .iiii. Then if we do brynge vnto God as for hys honor and worshyp sacrifices offerynges or what so euer it be wythoute the loue of god what do we but declare our selues detestable hipocrites dissemblyng to loue hym whoÌ„ we do not loue to honour hym whom we dishonor and to worshyp hym who by vs is blasphemed Therefore may we not thyncke to please God wyth any sacrifyce or outwarde shewe of holynes but wee muste walke humblye and obedyentlyee before the Lorde as Samuell answered kynge Saule .i. Kynges .xv. Beholde to obeye is better then sacrifice and to harkeÌ„ is better then the fat of wethers Enok walked thus wyth God and therefore was taken vp into hys presence Noah humble and obedient with fayth feare and reuerence walked before the Lorde and entred into his ark when all the proude and dysobedyente world was drowned Lothe walked obedyentlye and durste not looke backe when hee was taken frome the Sodomites wher hys wyfe stobernelye breakyng the commaundement was turned into a salte stone Abraham and Sarai may bee examples howe we shoulde walke humblye and reuerentelye and also faythfullye and obedyentlye before the Lord which after promise or commaundement dyd not regard any thyng not so muche as theyr owne old barran bodyes but only looked vnto God geuyng him thys honoure worshyppe and glorye that hee was able to fulfil whatsoeuer he hadde spoken and promysed And whyche oughte to be our glasse therein too see the woorkes of God towarde vs. Israell so long as they dyd walke humblye and obedyentlye before theyr Lorde and worshypped hym after hys woorde and commaundementes fearyng hym wyth vnfayned and dissemblyng harts harkenyng vnto hys word and practised theyr lyues therafter He led theym wyth hys myghtye arme throughe the red sea fed theym wyth Manna in the wyldernes destroied many nacions for them But when they dyd swarue from hys commaundement and would worshyp hym after theyr owne inuencyoÌ„s he plaged them greuouslye sente them drought dearth famine pestilence and the swerd of the Egiptians Chaldees and Romaynes Espicially when God the father seÌ„t hys owne son to cal them to hys obedience and to teach them that theyr slain sacrifice was of no force in it selfe but onelye dyd sygnifye that by hys bloude and sacrifice of hym beyng as it wer an vnspotted lambe theyr iniquity should be forgeuen and the syn of theyr souls washed away whych was sygnified by hys baptyme They walkyng proundly not humbly despysed humble Christe boasted them selues to bee the chyldren of Abraham to be the true Israelytes to haue the oracles to haue the law writen to be obseruers and keepers of the law to be the only worshyppers of god to know hys wyl to be guydes vnto the blynde and all together but Christ calleth the most holy amonges them blind guydes paynted graues fayned hypocrites and false worshippers And after he was refused and vyllanlouslye handled God sendeth vpon them worthy destruccion famin hunger pestilence and the swerde of the Romaines which did roote them forth laye theyr lande desolate and scatter them abrode vnto thys daye So perilous a thynge it is not to walcke humblye before him but to gad otherwayes from hym for the respecte of anye creature For he onlye canne do all careth for all knoweth all lyke as he onelye hathe create al vnto hym therfore withoute declininge too any other muste all honoure and worshyp be geueÌ„ And as he hathe saued all theym whiche haue thus walked before him wyth this faythe feare and loue too declare that there is one God euer constant and vnchangeable so doothe he nowe requyre the same worship that he did of them before vs whiche did neyther consyste in holye causes nor brente offerynges as the carnal heithen and grosse Pharyses fancied and supposed neither in suche thinges