too Christe for drawinge men from hym and willinge them to bye his pardon and forgeuenes of sinnes at hys handes as thoughe he were set together vp Christes tollinge money whan saincte Peter teaches ye be not redemed frome youre vayne and false superstition with golde eyther with siluer c. If wee bee not redemed with money than the Pope lies sayinge oure sinnes bee forgeuen if we bye pardons to forgeue sinne Sainct Peter sayes money does not forgeue sinnes but the bloudde of Christ Iesus the Pope sayes yes or at least he will not doe it withoute money Sainct Peter hadde hys owne wyfe the Pope will none nor lette his clergye but hoores as many ye will Saincte Peter sayde he had neyther golde nor siluer the Pope will doe nothinge without golde or siluer as it is sayde Quicquid Ro. dabit nugas dabit accipit aurum Whatsoeuer it be that Rome will geue trifels it will geue but golde it doeth receyue Saincce Peter was subiecte him selfe vnto Nero a wicked infidele tyranne and teaches other too bee so in ciuill maters but the Pope wil rule all christian princes by rigor depose theym at hys pleasur and obey none but his own lustes Therfore it is playne too see what is to be thoughte of hys kyngedome and of suche men as will rule with rigor ouer the flocke of Christe and wil not feede Goddes sheepe with his woorde that the Lorde maye rule in his owne kyngdome by hys owne lawe and woorde and hys sheepe heare the voice of their owne true sheepehearde and flee from straungers hyrelinges and wolues It is not mete that God shoulde be kynge and the Pope too make lawes for hym to rule by but God rules by hys owne lawes Praye therfore the Lorde of the Haruest that he wil thrust out workmen into hys Haruest that thei may work truly for the setting vp of his kingdoÌ„ pulling doune the popes and that we may grow to good corne to be laid vp in the Lords barnes be not lighte chaffe blowen awaye with euery puft of doctrine but grounded vpon the rocke Christe Iesus may surely stand against all stormes that we be not cast in to outward darknes and euerlasting fire but may enioy that vnspeakable ioie that he hays prepared for them that loue him and loke for hym AMEN ¶ A prayer MOoste righteous iudge God of al mercie comforte which by thy secrete iudgemente and wisedome suffers the wicked to triumphe and encrease for a tyme for trial of the faith of thy welbeloued litel flock and the mortifiynge of their lustes but at length to the vtter confusioÌ„ of the enemies and ioiful deliuerance of thy people loke doune we beseche thee on thy dispersed sheepe oute of thy holy habitation in heauen and strengthen oure weakenes againste their furious rages abate their pride asswage their malice confounde their deuises wherewith they lift vp theÌ„ selfs against Christe Iesus thy sonne our Lord and Sauiour to deface his glorie and sette vp Antichrist We be not able of oure selfs to thinke a good thoughte muche lesse to stande agaynste their assaultes except thy vndeserued grace and mightye arme defende and deliuer vs. Performe thy promises made to Iacob and stoppe the mouthes of the cursed Edomites call theym to repentaunce whome thou hays apointed to saluatioÌ„ bring home them that runne a straie lighten the blinde and teache the ignorant forgeue al those that wilfulli and obstinatelye rebell not against thy holy wil let thy fearful threatninges parse oure stony hearts make vs tremble at thy iudgementes Make the examples of them whom thou hays ouerthrowen in their owne deuises to be a warninge for vs that we set not vp oure selfes agaynste thy holy will graunte free passage to thy holy woorde that it maye woorke effectually in vs the blessed hope of oure saluation too the eternall praise of thy maiestie throughe oure mediator Christe Iesus too whome with the father and the holye Ghoste three persons and one God bee praise and thankes geuinge in all coÌ„gregations worlde without ende So be it Iaco. P. Ep. D. ¶ Imprynted at London by Wylliam Seres dwelling at the west ende of Paules Churche at the signe of the Hedgehogge Anno. 1562. ¶ Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solâ—m Esdra i. Ester iii. Macha i. ii cor ii Rom. xv Iohn ii Luke xix Zele in correcting sinne is godly Reuel iii Num. xxv Psal. c.xix iii. king xix â—â—ii kin x i. corin v. Zele to promote gods glorie pleases him Exo. xxxv i. Chro. xxix Esdr. 6.7 We are vnlike our fathers Notinge of circumstaÌ„ces is a tokeÌ„ that the thinge is true whiche is telled The differrynge of Goddes punyshement â–ª declareth his longe sufferinge and our slouthfulnes in wel doing .i. Esder i. Iere. ii â— Ierusalem was destroyed for not obeyinge the Prophete but after returned .i. Esdra ii .i. Esdra â–ª iii. iiii and .v. iiii king xvii Because wee can not stirre vp our selues to doe good preachinge is too bee estemed ii King ii Ihon. ii This temple was .xlvi. yeares in buyldinge .i. Esdra iiii .i. Esdra vi If god rule vs not euery minute we forget him and our selues Philip. ii Vnder what kinges thyâ— temple was builded i Esdra â–ª iiii iii. Esdra iiii i. Esdra vii Artaxerxes Pharao Ptolomeus Caesar. Exodi xii Diuers sortes of reckening years monethes names of dayes and moneths It is hurtfull to call dayes by Heathen names wednesday Fryday Reuela i. Astronomers dooe euill in calling some dayes infortunate Holy men are better remembred by writing than calling dayes by their names Boniface 8. Thomas Becket of of Cà terbury This signe notes the text expounded The woorde of God is onely too be taught â–ª and beleued i. Pet. iiii Deut. xviii Ihon. â—iii Esay lv xliii Math. xv Vayn excuses Priestes praye not without money nor hire any for them selfe Preachers are but seruauÌ„ts and must not go before thei bee sent but their woorde is Gods Math· x. â— Cor. iiii Heb. v. The Ciuyll ruler is aboue the priest Adrian iiii Iudges Kynges Princes Roma â–ª â— Obey God rather than maÌ„ The Text. The scriptur is onely to be thaught Gala. i. Deut. iiii Whyle God lets vs haue his woord it is a token of his loue and the taking it away of hys displeasure i. King xxviii Pambo Psal. â—xix Deut. vi Psal. lxxviii Ephesi vi i. Cor. xiiii All sonnes must learn the scriptures Ihon. iii. Amos. viii What Iehoua signifies Exod. iii. Actes xvii Psal. ciiii Malach. i. Iames. v. Why God is called the Lorde of hostes and how he vseth hys weakest creatures to pull downe the proud withall Gene. xix ii Reg. xxiiii iiii Reg. xjx Iosua x. Exod. x. Iudge v. Gene. vii Exodi xiiii Num. xvj Exodi ix Luke xiii i. Regum xvii Gene. xlvii iiii Reg. vi Ioel. i. Exod viii iiii Reg. xvii Gene. II. i. Reg. v. Act. xii Daniel iiii Iudg. vij Iosuâ— vi iiii Reg. vii Iudith
warned of them by others Sainct Peter saieth he would put them in remembraunce of their duetie as longe as he liued although they knewe it well What shoulde moue Paule so often and so earnestly to write vnto Timothee and to Titus hauing such woorthy giftes as they had if they nede not to be warned of their duties For what cause should either Dauid haue had the Prophet of God Nathā sente of God hym selfe vntoo hym or yet Ezechias the prophete Esaye eyther the Apostles to be sent forth by couples together or yet to mete in counsayll at Ierusalem and ther to decree hard maters if one should not learn at an other And marke here that he sayeth all were fallen on slepe and lay still on slepe vntil the Lord awaked them vp by this his prophete Aggeus both Zerubabel the prince and chief ruler in the common wealth ▪ Iosua the hye prieste and chiefe in religion all the people also not so much as one frō the highest to the lowest that did his duty here in but were all fallen on sleepe What would the Pope saie if a mā shuld tel him he were on slepe fallen frō God Would he not straight wayes rage freat and fume and saye that he was Gods Uicar or at least Peters successoure here in earth that he coulde not erre but euery thinge whiche he did or sayde was bothe good and also godly Surely this high Priest otherwise a verye good man bearinge the figure of Christ and much commended in Zacharie the prophete and hauinge hys authoritie geuen hym of God and comminge vnto it by discente also accordinge to the lawe of Moyses had thus foulye fallen on sleepe and forgotten God and shall wee thynke that the Pope liuinge in the puddle of synne geuen too folowe all pleasure and vsurpinge authoritie againste God and his saincts can not doe or saye amisse And as I noted before so it is not too be lightly considered that where so often the Prophete here rehearseth the names of Zerubabel and Iosua the twoo chiefest rulers yet he euermore setteth in order the ciuill Magistrate and power before the chiefe prieste to signifie the preeminence and preferment that he hathe in the common wealth and other matters more thē the chief prieste by what name so euer he be called whether he bee the Poope Archebishop or Metropolitane When they were thus awaked they went and wrought in the house of the Lord their God This is a sure argument that a man is awaked and not styll on sleepe when he can and will go woorke aboute his busines It is not inough to saye he is awaked and will woorke but to woorke in dede So differs the hypocrite and dissembler frome the true charitable man that the one hathe noothinge but fayre glosing woordes and the other as ofte as he hath occasion offered doeth it in deede without boastinge or crakinge of it For he that doeth not woorke in verye dede is on sleepe styll what fayre face soo euer he make on it The gospell sayeth playnelye that by their fruites ye shall know them And the twoo sonnes whereof the one when his father bad hym go worke in his Uyneyarde sayde he woulde and did not the other sayde naye and wente onely he that wrought did his fathers wil So only be they awaked which worke in the lords house the other eyther slumber dreame or els be harde on sleepe an doo not their due woorke in buyldinge the house of the Lorde oure good God When they began to laye the foundation of this temple the people of the coūtrie whiche were placed there by Salmanasar woulde haue holpen them to build and sayde they worshipped thesame God that they did because they perceyued that the good kynge Cyrus fauoured them at that present but after that Assuerus the nexte kynge folowinge hadde stopped them from buildinge any more thei were moste earnestly againste them The good men that were amongest them perceiued their dissembling wold not suffre them to woorke with them So many amongst vs whiche be papistes in dede when they see that they shall please the rulers will crye mooste earnestly for the buyldinge of Gods house and pretēde as though thei would worke most stoutly but if they se the world turne they will be the first and most earnest destroiers of the same Such false brethren muste be moste diligently taken hede of and not be suffered to ioyne them selues with the true work men least they betraye all the good as we bothe feele and see oure Papistes to haue done to the slaūder of God and his word our hurt and shame Sainct Paule telleth oftē how great daūgers he was in but he complaineth of none more thā of false brethren which make a shewe of godlines yet are mooste wicked within euen verye Wolues in Lambes skynnes But these men after they were thus awaked by the preaching of Aggeus wēt and wrought nowe no longer about their owne houses as before seking their owne profite and commoditie but in the house of the Lorde of hostes whose power nowe they feared and mightie hand they hadde felt so longe and yet not worthely regarded the heauines of his displeasur nor his great plages that he had layde vpon them so many yeares It was noted in the verses before why God is called the Lorde of hostes which is for the great mighty sundry and diuers waies that he hath cōquered and vses to conquer those which rebel against hym This is the strength power that comes by the worde of God that where it is diligētly heard and faithfully beleued it maketh vs altogether new mē of loiterers workers and all together lustye and couragious and afrayde of no displeasure so that wee maye woorke in the Lordes house If we marke in what sort case these people were we shal better perceiue what effect this litle short preaching toke in thē They hadde lien many yeares not regardinge the building of Gods house for fear of the kynges displeasure who had commaunded the rulers in the coūtrie too stop the buylding of that house but nowe partly for feare of the plages which the mightye Lord of hostes had threatened too laye on them and chiefly that God had promised that he woulde be with them thei were so stirred vp that thei regarded not nowe their owne gayne and pleasure nor they feared not the Kynges officers displeasure whiche had forbidden them to buylde any more but straight without suīg for a new cōmission or licēce of the king or speakīg with the kinges officers thei set vp their work knowgī that he which promised wold be with them that they should prosper well in it for he was able would performe it In Esdras it appeares what bolde aunswer they make whan the kinges officers asked them by what authoritie they begā to renue their olde woorke that letters were sent to king Darius
be comforted more then all Soo nowe Zerubabel and Iosua by name are coÌ„forted of the Prophete because they had ben more negligent than the reste and shoulde haue ben better then the rest Tell my disciples saieth oure sauiour Christe to the women and tel Peter that they go into Galile and there they shall se me as I tâ—lde them before Such a louing God is oure Lorde and maister that least weake consciences should dispaire except they haue coÌ„fort of forgeuenes he sendes vnto them by name he speaketh too some by name The rest of the people are bidden bee of good courage for the Lord God wold be with them pardon and forgeue them ayde them and further their doinges but not by name as these other were because their offeÌ„ces were not so greate as the rest were So God hathe yet in his churche bothe generall absolution and forgeuenes of sinnes offered vnto all â—y preachinge his woorde and promise made in Christe too the beleuers and also particular to coÌ„fort the weake conscience withal when as he applies to him selfe the promise declared vnto him and beleues thesame Worke on styll saieth the Lorde and be not disamayde of anye trouble whiche ye see towardes For althoughe ye thinke that many hostes of men be againste you yet feare ye not for I the Lorde of hostes whiche haue all my creatures readye harnessed to fighte againste them that stryue againste you my people I saie I am with you Who can preuaile agaynst you whaÌ„ I am on your side How can any creature that is but vyle wormes asshes in comparison of me the euerlastinge God preuayle against me their and God creatour Marke before and ye shall better perceiue here why he doeth so often call him selfe the Lorde of hostes whiche is chiefely because in suche daungerous enterprises they had nede of some strong man to take their part and where he had so many hostes ready to defende them as all his creatures from the hyghest to the lowest thei shoulde not feare for they had one stroÌ„ger on their side to fight for theym then all others coulde be that shoulde fight against them The selfe same woordes of comforte that were geuen them at the beginninge to enterprise the buyldinge withall are nowe repeated agayne that they shoulde more manfully continue in thesame EueÌ„ so is it the selfe same doctrine faithe and beliefe by the which we are receiued into the number of Gods people firste by baptisme by the whiche we encrease and goâ— forwardes in thesame faithe and by the whiche also we shall enioye heauen at the laste For euen as in a chylde he growes to be a man remaynes thesame substauÌ„ce that was in the chylde before but now is made stronger by age and castes away all chyldishe toyes So in thesame faythe whiche we professe in oure baptisme must we grow and learne the full vnderstandinge of it that it maye be felt sweter vntoo vs dayly more and more whyle wee lyue euen to our laste ende And as the wordes are all one here to comfort the rulers and people with all So that faythe is one also by the whiche we shall all be saued God hath not apointed one way nor Gospell for the ryche and an other for the poore but all haue one as is sayde before so is he with al alike as wel with the people as with the rulers He is not a partial God but to is with all and defende all alike prouidiÌ„g for all indifferently and will defende the simplest as well as the highest the people and subiectes euen as well as the prince For as a naturall father prouides for and loues euery chylde and a good prince will not so looke to one pece of his realme that he neglecte the rest So God oure heauenly kinge and father will not so loue some of his people that he will hate the reste nor so prouide for a fewe that the other shall wante but moste louingly prouide for all and sayeth he will be with theym all that woorke hys woorke With whome soeuer God dwelles he can wante nothinge no more than he that standes in the SuÌ„ne can want light for in God is the welle of all goodnes he geues parte thereof to all them that be his and that he takes into hys tuicion What comforte is in these woordes and what it hath caused all faythfull men too take in hande whan God so promised theÌ„ ynough was sayde before Almoste all the notable thinges in the scripture were taken in hand by the comfort that was takâ— in these few wordes I am with thee by the sure faythe that was geuen to God by them And as God requires nothing here of them but to woorke and other thinges he hym selfe woulde care for So in all other our doings he reserues to him self the successe and goinge forwarde of thinges and nothinge shall be oures but the woorke He will geue encrease to all good thinges that are taken in hande in his name as he thinkes best Lette not vs therefore bee so carefull for that onely let vs woorke as he biddeth vs and he will blesse it too hys pleasure Neyther he that plantes nor hee that waters is anye thinge but God that geues the encrease sayeth saint Paule And agayne your labour was not in vayne in the Lorde He geues encrease to some thirtye sixtye or an hundred as his heauenly wisedome thinkes good yet all must woorke mooste earnestly in his vyneyarde referring the ende of their labour and profite too hym whose woorke it is who wil see no necessary thinge faile them whiche be not loyterers in his buyldinge Litle thinges that are taken in hande in the Lordes name shall growe to greate thinges too theym whiche woorke diligently as the scripture saieth that whiche is weake before God is stronger than mennes and that which is moste glorious before men is abominable before God Ionathan and his page discomfited all the hooste of the Philistians and than Saule folowinge the chase destroyed theÌ„ Eliseus and his boy beinge in the Cytye when his boy was afrayde he desired God to open his boyes eyes that he might perceiue howe many moe were with theym then againste them and then the boy saw the hyll ful of Aungels harnessed to defeÌ„d them bothe and God so blynded his ennemies that they folowed the Prophete whom they sought to kyll into the middes of his countrie where he mighte haue destroyed them if he had lust God made diuers promises to theym after thei came out of Egipt But because he beginneth to entreate of Christ in these sentences folowinge I thinke he meanes that promise chiefely where Moyses said The Lorde woulde rayse vp vntoo you a Prophet like vnto me him shall you hear This Prophete was Christ Iesus like to Moyses in many pointes beinge borne amongest them and of their brethren of the stocke of Iuda and Dauid of whom afterwardes the father
than but he woulde geue place to a priestes cappe and now who regardes the best preacher ye haue O what a condemnacion shall this be to al such as haue the whip of gods correctioÌ„ in their hande to se the wicked so diligeÌ„t and earnest in their doinges to set vp Antichrist and Christian rulers and officers of al sortes hauing the whip of correction in their hande both by gods lawe and the Princes so coldely behaue them selues in settinge vp the kingdom of Christ that neither they giue good example theym selues in diligente prayinge and resorting to the church nor by the whippe of dyscipline driue others thitherward Where apperes in any christians in these our dayes this earnest zele of Christ to promote gods glory by suche correction that we maye say we be his folowers I feare rather that Christ of whoÌ„ we more talke than diligently folowe or earnestly loue for this cold slacknes that he sees in vs will say vnto vs. Bicause ye be neither hote nor colde I will spue you out of my mouthe Wo be to that Realm where god is compelled to take the whip in hand to punish sinne bicause the rulers will not great shal be the plage thereof Phinees turned awaye gods anger from his people bicause so zelously he auenged gods quarell and punished that wickednesse which other wincked at Dauid seing gods glory defaced and his enemies so contemptuouslye to forget the lawe of the lorde was so greued that he said The earnest loue that hee bare towarde God made him to pine awaye bicause his ennemies had forgotten the worde of God Elias fleing from cruell Iesabell thretninge to kill him bicause he had destroied Baals priestes liued in wyldernesse desired he might die for he was wery of his life to see how manye were fallen to Idolatrye how few or none as he thought worshipped truly the liuing god Though Iehu was a euil man otherwaies yet god gaue him a worldly blessing and commeÌ„ded him for his earnest zele in rooting out the posterity of Achab pulling down Baall and his sacrificinge priestes makinge a common Iakes of the house where they worshipped him S. Paule seing the Corinthians rather reioysinge then lamentinge or punishinge that filthinesse committed amonge them that one of theym had defiled his stepmother wrytes vnto them rebukes al theÌ„ sharply bicause they did not correct him and willes them al to assemble them selues in the name of god to excomminicate and geue him to Sathan that had done this wickednes not to eat and drinke with him that he might be ashamed repent and amend So whereas this great zele and loue towarde god and his house buildinge standes either in correcting euill and lamenting the defacing of gods glorye or els in wisshinge and doing good therto and fortheringe it to our powers for the first part to be earnestlye folowed these fewe examples shall serue for the other there be so manye that it is harder to tell where to ende then where to beginne Moyses in the wildernesse wyllinge to make a Tabernacle and place where the people should resort to worship their god had the Princes and people so liberall to offer and bringe to the makinge thereof golde siluer precious stones silke purple heare iron brasse and timber of all sortes such plentye that they would haue geuen more then neded Dauid earnestly desiringe to builde a house for the Lord if god would haue suffered him lefte his son Salomon so great plenty of al things necessary to that buildinge in a readines that he finished that costly building in seuen yeares Good king Cirus restored again to Gods people al that couetous Nabucho had robbed from them Cirus Darius Artaxerxes and hys Princes gaue out of their treasures to the buildinge of the temple and maintenaunce of their sacrifices according to the lawe of Moyses sufficientlye that they myght pray for the king his children the common wealth Constantinus the firste worthelye called magnus a Chrystyan Emperour gaue great liberty â—â— the Bishoppes and other ministers Iustinianus Theodosius Carolus magnus Ludouicus Pius c. augmented and encreased the same with landes and lawes This zeale and earnest loue to build gods house and punishe sin was in our fathers this liberality was in Princes and rulers that vnderstoode not gods benefites and mercies so plentifully as we do They pacified gods wrath in correcting sinne we prouoke his plages with heapinge vp of sinne They were greued and wery of their liues when they see Gods enemies despise his worde we winke and cloke it we laugh and smile at it and thinke it not to be a fault They were offended if wickednesse were vnpunished and the partye not ashamed that sinned and we be offended if any man go about to see it punished or the offendour ashamed They were liberall in geuinge relieuinge maintaining the ministery we are greedy in snatching and plucking away from them They were ready to defende with priuileges the ministers that they shoulde not be withdrawen from doing their dutie and we bind them to such clogges that they can not do their dutye They restored all that was taken from them and we study daily how to get more from them When I compare these doinges together and see howe good successe the one had and gods Church was gloriouslye builded that waye bothe vnder the law the gospell it makes me to quake when I loke what shall fall vpon vs going so farre cleane contraryway Surelye both they and we go not in the right way The lord for his crucified Christes sake which came downe from the bosom of his father to teache vs to builde him a house here that afterward we might raigne in glory with him there graunt vs all in all degrees from the higheste to the lowest suche an earneste simple loue to the true buildinge of hys house as the Prophete here teaches vs that vprightly we might walke the right way that he hath gone afore vs. If the Prince and nobylitye will maintaine that honorable estate that god hath called them to and auoyde the bondage of forreine powers If the Bishoppes and clergie will feede Gods people with the liuely foode of oure soules gods doctrine and discipline and not with mannes inuentions If the people will trulye serue God and obey their prince flee from Idolatrye escape gods plagues let vs iointly together earnestly abhorre poperie correct sinne turne vnto the Lord delight in his worde reuerence his ministers be diligent in prayer that we maye be liuelye stones mete for his building and become the temples of the holy ghoste where he with the father and the sonne .iii. persons and one god may dwell and be praysed I. P. L. C. D. My earnest loue to God hath pined me away because my enemies haue forgotten thy wordes Psalm 119. I haue bene earnestlye zelous for the Lord god of hostes because they haue forsaken thy couenaunt
.3 king 19. The Prophete Aggeus IN the seconde yeare of Kynge Darius in the vi moneth the firste daye of the moneth the word of the Lord was sente by the hande of Aggeus the Prophet vnto Zerubabell the son of Salathiel ruler of Iuda and vnto Iosua the Sonne of Iosedec the chief Priest saying ¶ In asmuch that the yeare moneth and day when this Prophecy was spoken be so diligentlye noted of the Prophete and also that in which kinges daies by whom and to whom it was preached is so diligentlye mencioned it makes muche for prouynge the trueth of the prophecie and that we shoulde the rather beleue it For they that will teach lies vse not so exactly to declare the circumstances wherein thinges were done least in examynation of the same thinges be proued contrary and they founde liers But chiefly this long time here appointed of xl yeares teacheth vs the pacience and long sufferaunce of god who wil not punishe so sone as we do a faulte but tary and looke for oure repentaunce and amendmente as he did here so longe beare the Iewes And also it setteth before vs the vnthankful disobedience and slouthfull negligence of gods people whiche after so mercifull a deliueraunce and bringing them home againe from Babilon to their owne countrey from whence they were led prisoners by Nabuchodonozor had so longe and manye yeares left of the building of that house which God willed them so straightly to restore and the good King Cirus had giuen them liberty to do the same and restored their old ornamentes to doe it withall And in them also we learne our owne slouthfullnes to the fulfillinge of gods lawes For of our selues we be no better then they nor more diligēt in wel doinge except God stirre vs vp by his vndeserued grace The Iewes for their disobedience to god and his Prophetes preachinge his worde according to the Prophecy of Ieremy had their country spoyled their Citie Ierusalem burned their Temple destroyed they them selues were manye killed some for hunger in the besiege of the Citie did eat their owne children or donge and the rest were led prisoners to Babylon by Nabuchodonozor and there kept three score and ten yeares in great bondage After these years ended by the good king Cirus they had lycence in the first yeare of his reigne to go home and build their temple as manye as would and all other might freelye aide them with monie toward that great costly woorke Some good amongst them but fewe in comparison as Zorobabell Iosua Nehemia Mardocheus and other whose names are rekened in Esdras toke in hande to be Captaines of this worthye worke and after they came to Ierusalem they builded an altar to serue for to make their offeringes and their sacrifices on vntil the time that the Temple was builded The first and seconde yeares of their comming home to Ierusalem they were some thing diligent about their building and laide the ground worke of the temple But after partlye for complaintes of the rulers in the country whiche were straūgers and placed there longe afore by Salmanasar had accused them to the king saiyng if they were suffered to build their Cytye they woulde rebell as they were wont and paye no more taxes and partly for slouthfull negligence of them selues they left of buildinge vnto nowe this seconde yeare of Darius God sent this his Prophet to stirre them vp to their worke By this we may learne that when we lye longe on sleepe in sinne we can not wake vp our selues vntil God stirre vs vp by his Prophetes his word or holy spirite For Dauid after he had committed adultery with Urias wife and caused her husband to be slaine laye without remorse of conscience without repenting for his eull doinges or asking mercy vntill the Prophet Nathan came and rebuked him for the same Therfore let vs not lightly regarde the warninges of God sent vnto vs by hys preachers but thankfully embrace them praisinge his holye name that not only he hath so paciently borne vs so long and not sodenlye destroyed vs walowing in sinne and forgettinge him without repentaunce but now lastlye hath called vs by the preachinge of his worde and restoring his gospel by our gracious Queene to a new life which god graunt vs for his Christes sake The Iewes had now lyen after their cōming home almost xl years not regardīg the building of the temple wherfore God mooste louinglye sente his Prophete to warne them of their dutye rebuke them of their negligences and stirre theym vp earnestly to go about that worke And although the counting of these yeares be harde to count and are diuersly reckened of diuerrs men because they would make the greke Histories to agre with the scriptures I shall let all other Histories passe because they be to troublesome and folow that onelye whiche the scripture teacheth for that is the easiest and plainest to vnderstande and without al doubt true In Iohn we reade that the Iewes asked our sauior Christ what marueylous signe he would worke to perswade theym that he might do suche thinges as he did And he sayd to them distroye ye this temple in thre dayes I wil build it agayne He spake of his owne body whiche he would rayse vp the third day after they had putte him to death but they vnderstoode him of that greate costlye solēne Tēple of lyme stone whiche nowe they were building and therfore said Fourty six yeres was this temple in buildinge And wylte thou buylde it in three dayes Here we se howe longe this temple was in buyldynge althoughe some expounde thys place otherwise yet this is not ment that they were contynuallye workynge on the same so longe for partly they were forbidden and stopped by the Kynges that ruled after Cyrus and partlye they were negligent and carelesse for it but that there were so many yeares from the beginninge of that worke vnto the finishing of the same In the second yeare of Kinge Cyrus whiche was also the seconde yeare of their returninge home to Ierusalem from Babilon they layd the foundacions of the temple In the second yeare Darius as this presēt place teacheth they are willed by Aggeus to take in hand their worke againe ▪ And in the sixt yeare of this same Darius they finyshe it so that from the seconde yeare of Cyrus vnto the sixte yeare of Darius must be .xlvi. yeares wherein they were building as S. Iohn sayth This was a great negligence of Gods people and vnthankefulnes so long forgetting the building of the temple and their duty to god after so mercifull and late restoring them to their coūtry but this all our croked nature bent vnto except God do not onelye begin the good woorke in vs but also continuallye leade vs in the same to the ende Therfore haue we neede to loke diligentlye vnto our selues pray that god would not turne
c. and the Lordes daie which I take too be the Sundaie when Ihon sawe his Reuelation Thus superstition crepte intoo the worlde when men began too forgette callinge on the true and onelye God and made them gods of euery deadde sainct as they list What can we saye for oure selfs but that we put greate superstition in dayes when we put openly in KaleÌ„ders and Almanacks and say these dayes be infortunate great matters are not to be taken in hand these dayes as thoughe we were of gods priuie counsell But why are they infortunate Is God a sleepe on those dayes or doeth he not rule the woorlde and all thynges those daies as well as on other dayes Is he weary that he muste reste hym in those daies Or doth he geue the ruling of those daies to some euill spirite or planete if God geue to Starres suche power that things caÌ„ not prosper on those daies than God is the author of euyll If Starres doe rule men those daies than man is their seruaunt But God made man to rule and not be ruled and all creatures should serue him What shall be the cause If Astronomers saye true euery man at his byrthe by his constellation haue diuers things and desires appointed him Why than howe canne soo manye diuers constellations in so many men at your byrth agre â–ª to make one daye vnlucky in your lyfe to all men Eyther let him proue it by learning or for shame and sinne holde yourâ— tounge Starres maye haue some power on the naturall qualities and actions of the bodye and for phisicke But on the Ciuyll voluntarie actions of Christians myndes none Sainct Paule sayes the chyldreÌ„ of god be led with the sprite of god why thaÌ„ not by Starres It is faithles superstitioÌ„ to teache or beleue such things that either at the byrth or after we be ruled by Starres All Astronomers coulde neuer tell why Iacob and Esau brother twynnes borne in one momeÌ„t shoulde haue so contrarie natures What Starre ruled when Sodome and Gomorre were burned and the next townes scaped were all born vnder one starre that then perisshed or all Noes floudde was not thaÌ„ diuers sortes men and womeÌ„ yong and olde good and badde Doeth not the scripture saye that god made seuen dayes and when he had made all thinges he did beholde them all they were very good Why shall we then be holde to call them euill infortunate and dismall dayes If god rule oure doinges continually why shal they not prosper on those dayes as wel as on other God blessed the seuenth daye and yet we dare call that infortunate euil and cursed whiche he blessed Althoughe it be vnpossible to redresse this olde common errour so depely rooted in all tunges and countries yet it is not vnprofitable to note the begiÌ„ning of these thinges that this superstition maye bee some thinge knowen When god made seuen dayes he called them the firste the second thirde fourth c. But the last day he called the Sabboth whiche betokens rest and hath not the name geuen too bee called of any other creature man sainct starre or Idoll but as the name soundes so should we on the seuenth daye reste froÌ„ all bodely labour except nede compel but specially from all filthy sinne This is not the right waye to make holy men too be remembred nor surest to auoyd Idolatrie It were better to be done by writing the Chronicles liues deathes of suche as were godly in dede and not euery Rascall as Legenda aurea the Legend of Lies does Pope Boniface the .viii finding theÌ„ of Farrare worshippinge .xx yeares one Hermanius as a sainct digged him oute of the ground and burned him for an Heretike and authour of the sect called Fratricelli and forbad to worshippe such euyl men So I thinke we scraping together a number of sainctes as we liste worshippe many euill persons What holines was in Thomas Becket whiche had gotten twoo dayes in the Kalender called by his name and Priestes must euermore mumble him one wicked memory in Maâ—tins â— Euensong If papistes rebels and traytours to their kinges as this stout Champion of the Popes was maye be thus rewarded it is no marueyle if many rebell against their kinges as he did In that that he saieth the worde of the Lord was sent by the hand of Aggeus the Prophet it teaches the duety bothe of the hearer and the preacher For neither must we teach any thinge of mans deuises nor the hearer must regard him so muche whiche preaches that for his cause we muste either more or lesse beleue the thinge whiche is taughr for the preacher takes his authoritie of the woorde of God not the woordâ— takes his authoritie of the preacher but onely because it is the woorde of God of whose truth we must not doubt but with obedience receiue it Untoo the preacher saieth sainct Peter he that speakes lette him speake as the woordes of God Aggeus being but a poore Leuite kepinge this rule was not to be despised more theÌ„ the priest And where as preaching beleuing the thinges preached is the hyghest and mooste pleasaunt seruice and worship of god what thinge shoulde bee taughte what punishment is for them whiche doe it not the scripture teaches playne Saint Mathew saieth they worship me in vain teaching learninges whiche are the commaundementes of men And the false Prophet whiche runnes before he be sent and deceiues the people speakinge in the name of God that whiche he was not coÌ„maunded or els speaking in the name of false gods shal be put to death â–ª Therfore let the pratinge pardoner or the Popishe priestes take hede in whose names they speake and what they teache when for the gredy gayning of a litle money they condemne them selues and set out to sell Heauen â–ª Purgatory Hell as thei were al in their power to geue at their pleasur In the Popes name they promise xl.lx an hundreth daies of pardon for a Trental they mai be brought from Hel. The true Prophetes of God as appeareth in theyr writinges alwaies vse to say thus saieth the Lorde the woorde of God was spoken to me c. but the Popes creaturs as Pardoners priestes fryers c. say thus saith Pope Alexander Gregory Ihon ClemeÌ„t or some suche other like and nothing wil they do without money Let the true preacher teache the mercies of god that God hath so loued the world that he gaue hys onely begotten sonne that euery one whiche beleues in him shall not bee damned but haue lyfe euerlasting yet shal the dronken pardoner and sir Ihon Lacklatin bee better beleued then Christe whiche spake these wordes promised it yea rather the people wil â—ye forgeuenes of their sinnes at the Pope and such his messengers haÌ„ds then take it frely at christ paying nothing therfore suche as the brutishe blinde vnthankefulnes of the worlde Come bye
freely without money saieth the prophet and agayn It is I it is I that put awaye thy sinnes for mine own sake than it is not for thy money nor the Popes bulles nor pardons Let the world therfore take hede for if the blind lead the blind bothe fall in the diche This miserable common excuse which is so often in their mouths shal not excuse them when they say thus we are taught oure ghostly fathers sayes so our fathers before vs haue so beleued Christ sayes ye shal both fall in the pytte Beleue no doctrine that teaches to go too heauen other wayes then by Christ frely or whiche is not written and conteined in the Bible for that onely is the perfecte woorde of God and whiche onely teaches true saluation Loke the Popes testamēts throughout called his decrees decretals and you shal not once ther be taughte too seke comforte at Christ in any trouble of mind but onely to set out his vain glorie that he is Lord of heauen earth Purgatory Hell if thou liue neuer so wickedly he his Chaplains haue full authoritie to bring thee frō Purgatory so that thou bring them money I thinke it hath not ben oft hearde tell of that any prieste euer saids Tretal without money or hyred any said for thē selfes but if thei were good why should they not haue them for thē selues If they had charity thei would say them for the poore as wel as for the rich they would not suffer so many poore soules to lye broyling in Purgatory as they think do no they would do nothing night nor day all their liues but saye Masses yf they had such loue towardes their brethrē as they should and if thei were able so to deliuer them For what charitie is in hym that maye helpe his brother and will not by all meanes possible But they shew by their doinges their meaning well inough when thei turn thē to the people saye of your deuotion charitie pray ye for the soul of N. as though they should say we praye for money without charitie but ye muste do frely of deuotiō without mony These false Prophetes Papistes and members of Antechrist came not in the Lordes name nor speake his worde therfore they be accursed Also in that he sayeth the woorde was sent by the hād of Aggeus we are taught how to esteme preaching Ministers by this Hebrew kynde of speaking For as the hand serues to do mo thinges withal then any part of the bodye so whan they will signify any thing too be done by the ministery and seruice of any man thei vse to saye it was done by the hande of suche a man Therfore the woorde and message whiche he brought was the Lordes Aggeus was but the seruaunt that broughte it So must we thinke of the preachers they be but seruaunts though they be neuer so good and learned preachers their message is the worde of the Lord. Thus sayes Christ it is not you that speake but it is the spirite of your father which speakes in you Sainct Paul also teaches how we shoulde thinke vpon him and others such preachers when he sayes let a mā iudge thinke thus of vs that we be the seruāts of Christe and dispensers of gods secrete misteries Therfore they which seke rather to be lordes then seruaunts be hinderers of preachinge gods woorde rather then faithfull teachers of gods holye will to his people are not to be counted amōge the seruaunts and ministers of Christe but rather enemies sekinge their owne glorie more then gods And as Aggeus did not go this message afore he was commaunded and sente by god and therfore was a true Prophet so they whiche thrust in them selues to teach not called by god nor sent by man ordinarely come often afore they be welcome are not true Prophetes For it is writtē let no man take honor vntoo him but he whiche is called of god as Aaron was And if the worser learned bee preferred afore the better to the ministery if thei be bothe true teachers let not the better disdain hym but know god to se further thē he doth and that there be iust causes why the other is preferred afore him Whereas Zerubabell is firste named here and set in order afore Iosua the high priest and the prophet Aggeus was sente by commission from god to the ciuyll magistrate first it teaches the preeminence the Temporall rulers haue afore priestes by what name so euer they be called If the Pope should haue receyued suche letters as these be and sene a layman preferred named afore hym he would not haue ben well content and specially such a man as Zerubabel was beinge neither king nor Emperour What a rayling letter wrote pope Adriane the fourth an English mā to Frederic the Emperour ▪ because the Emperour in his letters hadde set his nam◠afore the Popes writing thus his superscription of his letters Fredericke by the grace of God Emperour c. vnto the holy father Adriane Pope If he had written thus to the most reuerent and holy father the pope Adriane gods vycar here in earth c. your poore and humble seruaunt Frederick by the grace of god Emperoure of Almaine c. had placed the Popes name before his owne al had ben wel Because he did not he called the Emperoure traytour and rebell against god and sainct Peter c. The common welth of the Iewes was ruled first by Iudges from Moyses vntoo Saule then by Kinges frome Dauid too their captiuitie in Babilon and now last from their returning home vnto Christe ▪ by princes of the stocke of Iuda Their Iudges were raysed vp of god too deliuer the people sometime of one tribe or kindred sometime of other as pleased god ◠the chyldren did not succede the father lo suche authoritie Kinges were alwayes of the stocke of Iuda onely ◠the sonne was King after the father but these princes although they were for the moste parte of the stocke of Iuda and the successiō was by heritage except the Machabees yet they had not a kingly maiesti croune power for they were but as mayres or Dukes head men amongest the people as the Hebrew woorde signifies Pachath and yet they be preferred before the highe priest By whiche we muste learne chiefe power in all cōmon wealthes to be ioyned with the temporall swoorde thoughe he be but a meane man and that euery man as S. Paule sayes must be subiect vnder hym Chrisostome notes well writing on that place that euery man must obey the Ciuil power whether he be Apostle Euāgelist prophet or by what name so euer he be called Sainct Peter hym selfe being Bishop as they saye at Rome and of whome they clayme all their authoritie too bee aboue prynces Kynges and Emperoures was not onely obediente too the Ciuill rulers hym selfe but left written in his Epistle
that we should all obey the kyng as chiefe and highest ruler aboue all other And although Kynges and rulers in common welthes were then Infideles not Christened yet he biddes obey them as the chief and hyghest and neither willes anye too be disobedient too pull the swerde oute 〈◊〉 their handes nor to set vp him self aboue them but humbly to obei them in al thinges not cōtrari to gods truth and religiō But if they commaund any thing cōtrari to gods woorde we muste aunswer wyth the Apostles we must rather obey god thē man And let no man thinke that in dyspleasinge god he can please man For god who hath all mens heartes in his hande will turne his heart to hurt thee whome thou woulde please and flatter by displeasing and disobeing god nor we owe anye obedience to any mā in such things where in god is offended and disobeyed If Englande had learned this lesson in the time of persecution we should neither for feare at the voyce of a woman haue denied our◠maister with Peter nor for flattery haue worshipped Baal nor rashly rebelled but humbly haue suffered gods scourge vntil it had pleased god to haue caste the rodde in the fyre the whiche he woulde sooner haue done if oure vnthankefull sturdines had not deserued a longer plague The Lorde for his mercies sake graunte that bothe we and all other maye here after beware from like pulling on our headdes the righteous scourge of god for our wickednes and the vnpacient bearing of the same when it comes verse 2 Thus sayth the God of hostes saiynge this people saye the tyme is not yet come to buylde the house of God ¶ The Prophete dare speake nothinge in his owne name or of his owne deuise but alwayes names the Lorde who sente him whose message he brought whiche thinge all preachers must folow most diligently or els they are not to be beleued Sainct Paul sayeth if I or an aungel frō heauē should teach you any other gospell beside that whiche you haue receiued cursed bee he And marke that he sayes not if he teach contrary to that which ye haue receyued but besides and more then that whiche ye receiued For the Pope and hys cleargy thinke that thei maye for our saluation adde more to the gospell so that it be not contrary to the gospell But sainct Paul sayes besides or more then the which ye receyued And Moyses sayeth Thou shalt neither put to nor take awaye anye thinge from the woorde of god but cōtent thy self onely with that which he teaches for he onely is true and all men be lyers no man is of his counsail to teache thee what pleases or displeases him except he speake him self And although rulers mai ordaine some thinges for an order in the Churche yet none of their decrees are articles of our faith but thei may and ought to be chaunged when they be hurtfull or turne to any misuse or superstition And for all that that the people had greuousli sinned in not building the lords house so many yeares yet whyle God dyd vouchesafe too speake vnto theym by his prophetes and rebuke their sinne there was hope enoughe of forgeuenes so that they woulde amende tourne vnto God For like as longe as the phisicion doeth apoynte the sicke man what he shall doe howe to dyet hym selfe and what medicines to take there is hope of lyfe but yf he forsake hym and will not speake vnto hym we loke for presente deathe Soo as longe as God of hys goodnes lettes hys woorde be amonge vs there is good hope of forgeuenes but if he take awaye hys woorde there is no comforte left Saul whē Samuell was deadde asked counsayll of god but he woulde not speake too hym neither by dreames nor at the Arke of god nor by visions or prophetes and than he runnes to Wytches So we when god teaches not but are left too oure selues seke such vnlawfull meanes The Iewes had lyen almost .xl. years in this negligēce of buylding gods house It is almoste as many yeares since wee vnder pretence of receyuinge the gospell and buyldinge Gods house haue pulled it doune and to roote oute all the rable of Monkes Friers Nunnes Chanons c. wee for the moste parte haue soughte too enriche oure selues and one like theefes robbed an other haue not of pure loue destroyed Gods enemies nor prouided for the poore and furthered learninge nor placed preachinge Ministers in place of dumme Dogges after the rule of hys woorde as wee shoulde haue done and buylded hys house And what remedy do the wicked papistes finde too redresse this with all They pull awaye Gods woorde and saye it was neuer good worlde since it came abroade and that it is not meete for the people to haue or reade it but they muste receiue it at their mouthes They are the Nurces they saye and must chowe the meate afore the chyldren eate it Woo be vnto such dissemblers as vnder pretence of chowinge eate all vp or elles that litle whiche thei geue for they saye it is not necessary to preach often by the exāple of Pābo which whā he had heard one lesson the first verse of the .39 Ps. whiche beginnes thus I thought with mi self I wi◠kepe my wayes that I offēde not in my tūg ▪ woulde heare no mo vntil he had in man◠yeares learned to practise that one which example rather proues that we should dyligently learn than seldom preache It is I saye so poysoned in their filthy mouth◠and stinking breathes that it poisons and feedes not the hearer Dauid sayes by what thinge shall a yonge man amende his euill wayes and he aunswers by keping the sayinges of god And how shall we see to doe this thy woord O Lorde he sayes is a lantarne for my feete a light to my pathes But these theefes that take awaye the woorde of god from the people whiche is the lantarne and light to teach them to go a righte woulde haue them in darkenes styll that they shoulde neither se their owne faultes nor others When the fault is not sene how can it be amēded and how can it be sene seinge it is in darkenes excepte the light of gods truthe do open it vnto vs. Moyses biddes the fathers tell their chyldren the lawe of god often times and to studye on it in theyr houses in goinge by the way Dauid bids the same and the chyldren too aske the fathers Paule bids fathers bringe vp theyr children in the nurture and learninge of god And wyues if they will learne anye thinge aske their husbandes at home Than if the father must teach the sonne and the sonne must aske the father and the wyfe must learn of the husband How shall those fathers and husbandes teach except they be learned and howe can they be learned hauinge none to teache them but sir Ihon mumble matins nor cā not be
suffered to reade them selues But it is true that saincte Ihon sayeth he that doeth euill hateth the light and will not come to the light leaste his euill doinges be reproued And this too be true their coÌ„mon sayinges declare when they sayde it was neuer good worlde since euery shoomaker coulde tell the priestes duty They were ashamed of their faultes therfore woulde haue you in blindnes styll that ye shoulde see neither youre own faultes nor tell them of theirs for that speciallye they can not abide But oure good God whan he blessed his people and offereth his pardons he sendes manye teachers open diuers waies to learne and 〈◊〉 he is most angry he takes away his worâ— that they shall not see how to amend aâ— Amos sayeth I will sende a hunger vntâ— the earth not a hunger of bread but of the woorde of God that they shall seke it 〈◊〉 East to West and not finde it Therforâ— they whiche take awaie his woorde or be hinderers therof are nothing els but inâ—struments of his wrath and gods 〈◊〉 to his people And that they should the more diligeÌ„tly marke the message which he broughte 〈◊〉 tels them in whose name he spake saith the Lord of hostes spake those wordes 〈◊〉 as the Hebrewe is Iehoua whiche is aâ— muche to saye as that god of mighte maiesty and power whiche hath his beinge â— substaunce of hym selfe and by whome aâ— other thinges stande and be and without whome all thinges fall to nothinge if he do not vpholde them he speaks these wordes The other worde ioyned with all wheÌ„ he cals him the god of hostes is a word of feare and reuereÌ„ce as Iehoua is a name of loue and power so that if either they loued hym as a father and God of power or els feared him as a Lord and maister one that had many hostes of souldiers 〈◊〉 conquere them with all if they did rebell agaynste him still they shoulde receiue obey this message In like maner God by Malachy rebukes the people which called hym father and maister in wordes but in dedes woulde nothinge doe as he taughte them and sayth if I be your father wher is my loue that you owe me if I be youre maister where is the feare that is due too me This woorde and name is seldon red in the new Testamente too call hym the god of Hostes because it is a worde of fear more then loue and rather threatens theÌ„ comfortes whiche the newe Testamente doeth not commoÌ„ly Sainct Iames sayes the withholden wages of them that haue reaped your fieldes cries vengeaunce in the eares of the Lorde of hostes It is as muche to saye in this place as thus sayes that mighty Lorde of hostes whome if ye heare and obey he will make all his creatures to serue and obey you but if you be disobedient to hym styll he hath many armies and hostes to fight with against you and all his creatures from the hyghest to the lest shall be harnised agaynste you Thinke not that if ye escape one plague that ye shall escape the rest for differring or escapinge one is but to see whether ye will amende before the nexte come His arowes and thuÌ„derboltes are neuer speÌ„t but he hathe new in store and in the ende the victorie shall be his and all disobedieÌ„t shall perish And for the better vnderstandinge of this to be true the scripture hath sette oute diuers examples where Goâ— hath fought agaynst maÌ„ with all his creatures to let hym see how diuers kyndes of hostes he hath to beate him down with all The Aungels destroyed Sodome and Gomorre with fyre and brymstone kylled with pestilence in three dayes space lxx thousande for Dauids offence alsâ—â— in one nighte destroyed in the tentes of Sennacherib .clxxxv. thousand The Sun at the commaundemente of Iosua stoode styll geuing him lighte vntill Gods enemies the Amorites in the chase were kylled by hym so that one daye was as longe as twoo In Egipt the Starres Sunne gaue no lighte too the Egiptians but the darkenes was soo greate grosse thycke mystes that no manne sturred out of hys place and men might grope the mystes feele them with their hande but wher the chyldren of Israell were the SuÌ„ne shone bright and pleasauntly Againste Sisara Bod foughte out of heauen The water drouned the whole worlde saue .viii. persons vnder Noe. The redde Sea suffred Gods people to passe but it drouned Pharao and all his hoste The earth swalowed my quicke Dathan Corah and Abiâ—â—n and all those rebels with them In Egipt stormes of baâ—â—e killed the Egiptians 〈◊〉 after and destroyed their corn but harmed not the Israelites So the Towre 〈◊〉 Siloe fell and killed 〈◊〉 within it Such a drought was in the time of Elias that it rained not for the space of iii years and a halfe Suche hunger in all couÌ„tries that Iacob with all his house went intoo Egipt and there also the Egiptians for hunger solde their lande their cattel wyves chyldren and themselves to be bond men and slaues to their kynge In the besiege of Samaria for huÌ„ger an Asses head and Doues dung was solde dere and women did eate their owne children Ioel threatens that God will sende four hoâ—â—eâ— one Grasshoppers an other of Caterpillers Blastinge and Locustes to deuoure all the fruiteof the grounde all that whiche one of these left the next shoulde destroye In Egipt marke what mighty men of warre God chose to fighte 〈…〉 frogs eueÌ„ into that kings 〈…〉 and hys hedde and flees 〈…〉 Pharao and the whole 〈…〉 and made them weary 〈…〉 the heades but by these meanes â—ob got the viâ—ry◠〈…〉 ten tribes were led awaye 〈…〉 wilde beastes encreased soo that the â—â—uoured the dwellers in the country because they feared not God God closed by y◠〈…〉 bes of at Abâ—milleths womeÌ„ that thei 〈◊〉 not beare chyldren because he did 〈◊〉 Abrahams wyfe When the Phâ—â—â—â—â— had taken the 〈◊〉 of God 〈◊〉 God smote theÌ„ with â—mperours 〈◊〉 â—â—â—erses Herode â—iuers Emperours 〈◊〉 woryed with Lyfe Arrius â—ittinge 〈◊〉 priuye auoided all his guâ—s 〈◊〉 of a kyng was more a 〈…〉 liued in woods Gedeon with 〈◊〉 men knockâ—nge that poâ—â—â—erdes together made his eternal which were so many that they lay as thicke as greshoâ—pers vse to lye on the grounde to afraid the thei â—roue who â—â—ghte 〈◊〉 away 〈◊〉 if his felow stode in his 〈◊〉 he kylled him straight The walles of â—â—richo fel wont violeÌ„ce or hi◠〈◊〉 off 〈◊〉 SyriaÌ„s thinking thei heaâ—◠〈…〉 nâ—â—ght 〈…〉 their enemies came 〈…〉 whereâ—â—â—re was none such 〈…〉 〈…〉 all away â—udith a weake 〈…〉 prise in buildinge the towre of Babell was stopped by coÌ„fouÌ„ding their laÌ„guage the one could not vnderstaÌ„d an other Dauid a yoÌ„g man with a sling
and therefore all these plages haue fallen vpon vs that these people felt yea and more to for all that would holde fast their profession either were caste into the fyre or banished No countrye hays more bely chere thā we we eate as though we were hūgry stylle None hais more store of apparell and yet we be a colde Howe oure money hais waisted if I seke but onely of the sundrye falles of money many can remēber and yet feele the smart of it though I truste muche good shall folow on it The Lord◠for his mercy open oure eyes that we may see and consider the cause of these plages whiche he hath layde on vs soo longe and spedely turne vs to amende those faultes for whiche we be punished For euen frō the highest vnto the poore laboringe man we haue all sinned and one plaged an other yea seruaūts haue thought to waxe wealthy by greate wages takinge litle workinge but as this Prophete saieth their wages was putte into a bottomles purse ▪ they haue not thryuē by it What hath ben the ende of ambicious and couetous men from the hyghest to the lowest whiche neuer beinge contentente with inoughe desired more He whiche is not blinde may se it more amonge vs then all Christendome verse 7 Thus saith the God of hostes consider in your hearts youre owne wayes verse 8 Go vp to the hyll and bringe home tīber builde this house and I will haue delighte in it and I will be glorified sayeth the Lorde ¶ The Prophete hath neuer done inough in bearinge in the authorite and maiestye of his God that sent him with his commission to his people neuer speakes thinge in his owne name but in the beginninge and ending of these short verses addeth the glorious name of God Iehoua calling hym the Lorde of hostes at whose commaundement all creatures be and who will arme all his creaturs to fight against all suche as either do not buylde his house hinder his glori or els stoppe them which woulde further it With suche woordes of feare power must all stubborn stomakes be pulled downe thei whiche wil not be ouercome by gētlenes to do their duty must be feared with authorite Thus must preachers learn to tēper their tūgs neuer to speake but that which they find in Gods booke where the people be hard harted to beleue stifnecked to heare they muste vse suche woordes of gods maiestie power which will make stony hartes to trēble where feare raignes ther to cōfort raise thē vp bi the gētle louīg mercies of god offered to the world in his sonne Iesus christ our Lord. And yet once again he referres thē to their own iudgmēt bids them cōsider in their own hartes their own waies be iudges them selues As if he should saye hitherto haue ye folowed your own desires haue had no profit in so doing but being sūdry wise plaged ye haue not cōsidered it Nothing that ye haue gone aboute hath prospered with you your fruite of the earth hath not encreased your meat drink hath not fed you youre clothes hath not kepte you warm your money wasted in your purse ye could not tell how But now buyld my house and marke your owne doings wel whether euery thing shall not be blessed encrease that ye go about I wil be delited in your buylding I will shew my glorie to the whole world amonge you in defending you that my house worship ther. I wil be your God ye shal be my people no enemies shal ouercome you the earthe shal be fruitful vnto you your meat drink clothes money shal fede and norish you chuse you whether ye wil let my house lye vnbuylded stil still be plaged or ye will repare it diligently and be blessed Go vp to the hyl bringe home tymbr◠and buylde this house these three thinges God requires of theym and he promises them twoo blessinges for them firste that he will be delited in that house buylding than that he wil shewe his glory amōgest them For these causes rather than for worldly profit they shoulde be more earnestly stirred to do their duety whan they were certaine that they pleased God in so doinge The hil that he wils them to goe too is Libanus as appeares in Esdras whiche is not within the bonds of Iewry but of Tyrus and Sidon for there grewe the fairest trees of any countrye Frome thence had Salomō trees in his time also for thesame buyldinge This figure doeth teache vs that as Gods temple was than buylded of trees that grew amonges the Heathen people so whā the full time was comen Christes churche shoulde be buylded of the Gentiles and Heathen people whan the gospel shoulde be preached thorough all the worlde And this is confortable for vs the although we be not born of Iewes yet we be trees meete too buylde gods house on god wils vs to be brought home to him by the preaching of his word that we maye be partakers of that house wherein he wil dwel and he delited in vs ▪ and amonge whome he wil shew his glorie He bids them climbe vp the hill draw home trees and buyld the house which al be woords of great labour and pains and speakes nothing of the easier sorte of work as deuisinge casting the worke framing the postes c. But willes them not to refuse the greatest laboure that belonges theretoo and that nothinge shoulde bee thought painfull that God commaundes And he bids them not loke for any greate worldly wealth whan they had done although God of his goodnes woulde geue them that beside but thinke this a sufficient rewarde that God was pleased in their doinges and woulde shew his glory amonge them This is the greatest reward that wee can loke for whan God is delited with vs and happy is that people to whome it falles What haue the Aungelles in heauen more than that God is delited to be amōge them and shew his glorious maiestye too them Thus in buyldinge gods house we maye make of earth heauen and of men Aungels For where God shewes him self glorious there is heauen and we shall be like Aungels delightinge oure selues in praysing our God and god will be delited and dwel with vs shewinge his glorious maiestye to vs be oure god and blesse vs. When they had fallen these trees and caryed them home least they shoulde turn them to their owne vse and buylde their owne houses with them he saieth buylde this house meaning the house of God and temple which god had chosen amonge all other places and where onelye he wille◠them to offer their sacrifices In which we are taughte that we shoulde not turne to oure owne pleasure those thinges which God wil haue dedicate to him selfe and to the buyldinge of his house If England◠hadde not ben so gredye to turne to their owne vse churche
yeares together and as it were diuidinge the whole worlde betwixte theym the one in the East the other in the West haue waxen greate Rulers that a man coulde scarse tell whether was the mightier as iust scourges sent of God to punish the world for not maintaining his word But now the Popes wickednes sutteltye by Gods woord beinge declared opened to the world his power waxes lesse the Turkes power increases because he kepes his people in ignoraunce so that if Gods mercy be not much more then oure deseruinges it is to be feared that be shal ouecome ChristeÌ„dom For the cold slackenes of the people princes to builde Gods house true religion will care for no religion at all if they maye not haue the olde â—urty dregges of popery So God giues vp in to all blindnes them that forsake hys light and forsakes them that forsake him and caste him of But many would haue not longe ago said what nede we to fear these plagues are not we come home agayn to oure holy father the Pope to oure holy mother the churche is not our old litle god come home agayne to vs haue we not our aulters copes masses trentais the wil bring vs thorough purgatorie for a litle money howe wickedly so euer we had liued our holy father the Pope by his legate the Cardinal or by his pardons wil absolue vs a paena et culpa that is froÌ„ all punishmeÌ„t from sin yea and from al faute or giltines of syn geue vs as many daies years of pardon as we list What shuld greue our coÌ„scieÌ„ce hauing thus many wayes to heauen Are not we much better then our holy brethreÌ„ which wil none of all these to saue them but onely Christ thinke hym onely sufficient for the sinnes of the whole world Is not this house well builded that hathe so many stroÌ„g pyllers Can God be angry with vs that haue bought broughte him so many things into the churche to delyte hiÌ„ withal We haue gylded many goodly ymages pleasaunt to loke at delite the eyes if he will haue any mirthe we haue goodly singing and striuing who can fet the highest note we haue swete Organes for the eare and sweete frankencense for the nose what woulde God haue more Where not the churches before like barnes bare and naked and nowe are they trymme that anye God woulde dwell in them Haue we not done God good seruice trow ye No surely for God dwels not in TeÌ„ples made with haÌ„des of wood stone but in the heart of maÌ„ nor yet is worshipped with mans inuentioÌ„s but as he willed and taught him self And this is it that pulles all these plages on oure headdes For as the Iewe is moste styffe in his religion â–ª so the Turke defeÌ„des his by might power the Pope maintaynes his with fyre and faggot the Anabaptist Arian Libertine are as busye in corners to turn many vnto them and yet all these be enemies to Christe sekinge to serue God an other waye than he thaught them and to saue them selues by some other meanes then by onely faithe in him whiche was sent to teache vs his fathers will whiche none knew but onely he they to whom he hath taughte it and too saue theym all whiche shal be saued so these and all other whiche buylde their religion other waies than God apointed are traitors vnto him and procure his vengeaunce For he there is not with me saieth Christ is agaynstâ— me and he that gathered not with me scateres abroade Moyses when he was in the hyll with God had the facion of the tabernacle and tent shewed vnto him like vnto the whiche God willed him to make an other where the people shoulde reâ—orte to worship hym vntil the temple was builded by SalamoÌ„ And least he shoulde deuise any thinge of his one head or inuente an other facion God geues him warninge sayinge See that thou make it like vntoo that facion whiche was shewed thee in the hyl deuise nothinge of thy selfe neither put to take awaye nor chaunge any thing but onely contente thy selfe with that whiche I shewed thee This is so notable a lesson that it is repeated in the .vii. of the Actes and the .viii. to the Hebrues because it should be kept in memory and diligentlye obserued of all men in al ages that they should not be curious in deuisinge a new way to serue God of their owne imaginacion but submit their wit to Gods wisedome and be content with that whiche he hath appointed for that onely is good and all inuencions of man as they bee of man displease him Likewise Dauid whan he woudle haue buylded God a house to haue ben worshipped in God appeared vnto hiÌ„ and tolde him he shoulde not do it but Salomon his sonne should builde it God shewed him also the facion that he shoulde buylde it after which facioÌ„ Dauid taught Salomon and prepared all mettals necessary to do it withall in his life tyme least they shoulde haue deuised some facion of their owne as mans brayne is neuer content too bee ruled by Gods wisedome but pleases him selfe in his owne inuentions better then in the whiche God teaches hym And this Temple also that the Prophetâ— speakes of here whiche they were sente home too buylde by kinge Cyrus whose mynd God moued to restore them to their countrye and so liberally to help them to the buyldeng of so costly a woorke is appointed to them by coÌ„mission how broade wyde long hygh and thicke it should be as it was vnto Salomon before If none of these Moyses Dauid SalomoÌ„ Esdras nor none of the people might buylde these temples and houses of woode and stoone so hygh wyde long thicke broade or any other facion as they lust them selues but muste folowe and are straightly chargeâ— often and sundry times so to do that Patarne copy example and facion precisely which God apointed them muche lesse in this spirituall house of Gods buildinge which is chiefly by the preachinge of hys woord may we deuise any thinge of oure selues but exactly folow that which God hath taught vs content our selues therwith thinking that most sufficiente learning able to saue oure soules moste true and holye and all other too be dreames lyes fantasies and vanitie in comparison of this The law of the Lorde sayeth Dauid is pure turning souls the witnes of the Lord is true and geues wisedom to litle ones c. And agayne the woordes of the Lord are pure as siluer which is tried seuen tymes But how many wayes hath the Pope deuised to buyld his house and authoritie that a man may chose whiche him lust too folow so that he folow not Christe For sayth he in his hart euery one is as good or better than that which Christ ordeined This to be true a man maye easely proue him to thinke because he perswades men to folow his deuises
anye beaste And it is not the onely with one creature or twoo that they disdayn to serue vs willingly but euery one as sainct Paul saith The creature is subiecte too vanitie not willingly but for his cause whiche hathe made it subiect vnder hope Here we see that no creatur would serue vs willingly but for Gods cause whoe hath soo pointed them to doe So that of them selues we can get no profite nor seruice of those that haue no life without muche laboure and taminge them by strengthe and violence which haue lyfe yet for the hope they both haue to be deliuered from this seruice for the tyme they doe obey vs accordinge too Gods ordinaunce Also in the destruction of these his creatures that they should not serue such euil men God declares him selfe not onely 〈◊〉 be the mighty Lorde in making and creatinge them but also a merciful god in blessinge them with fruitful encrease whan his people serued hym rightly and also a righteous iudge in taking them away for our sinnes when they be not so plentifull as they haue ben to vs. For as plenty of them is a token of his mercy and fauour that it is he onely which regardes loues feedes noorishes and increases the leaste creatures which he hath made So the taking them away or the baren vnfruitfulnes of them is a signe of his anger displeasur It is not as ye commonly say S. Antonie saue my Hogge saincte Loy my Horse sainct Blase my house saincte Appollony help in the tooth ache sainct Roche for the plage c. But he that made all saues all guides all rules all feedes all blesses all encreases all takes theÌ„ froÌ„ vs at his will and pleasure as Iob saieth the Lord gaue it the Lord toke it awai c. These were lessons that the Heathen people and we also might should haue learned by the making and ruling of the world that God did rule all thinges and because they did not they were iusty punished Shall then we Christian men thinke God to be weary of ruling his creatures put them to some Romish saincts handes that are more able and willing to rule theÌ„ better then he can and wil If this were true sainctes should be more merciful able willing to help then God him self which can do nothinge but loue hates nothing that he made but so to thinke were most horrible blasphemy against his maiesty for he should be an euil lord master if he so lightly regarded his seruaunts his creatures that he woulde put theym too other mens rulinge God hathe not left him self withoute witnesses saieth saincte Luke geuinge rayne and fruitefull times As these woorkes were sufficient witnesses to the Heathen of Gods goodnes and that he ruled all and that their iuste condempnation folowed if they didde not beleue So is vnseasonable weather with takinge awaye his fruites iust tokens of hys anger for oure sinnes Therefore where we haue thesame workes sufficient witnesses vnto vs bothe of his anger and good wil and also his wonderfull workes writen in the scriptâ—â—â—â— to teache vs what can we saye for oure selues if we do not worship him oure onely God sekinge helpe at his onely hande in whome onely it is to be founde and receyued God doth not onely make all things but ruleth theym also accordinge too his good will and pleasure he is not weary of well doinge but guydes euen the least of his creatures He makes grasse to growe on the hils and herbes to serue men he geueth meate to the cattell and to the younge rauens yea he fedes the byrdes of the ayre which worke not nor spynne sowe nor mowe reape nor cary into the barnes And briefly to speake all thinges doeth looke saieth Dauid that thou shouldest geue theÌ„ meat in due season if thou open thy hande and fede them they are full of goodnes but if thou withdrawe thy hande they fall vade awaye perish and turne into earth wheâ— of they were made Thus must al wheat wyne oyle fruites of the earth beastes perishe for the sinne of man and not buildinge Gods house but thei prosper and increase to theym whiche loue hym mayntayne his true religion and feare him The two last wordes where he saith Man and al handy labour shal be destroied also they be more notable in the Hebrue then can be well expressed in one woorde in English For where the Hebrue hathe diuers woordes to signifie a man as Isch and those be noblemen Aenosch and they be so called of their sorowes and infirmities they be subiect to Here is written Adam whiche betokens the common sort of people The woorde that here signifieth labour betokens not euery kinde of labour as that whiche is easye or for pleasur but it signifies that labour whiche the poore man doeth vntill he be weary eueÌ„ the vylest and sorest drudginge labour By the whiche bothe wee are taughte that God woulde not spare the simplest and basest man liuinge but as they hadde sinned in not buildinge his house so should they perishe least they shoulde thinke or saye we did not this faulte but oure rulers or we were not able to take it in hande or if thei had begon wee woulde haue folowed or suche like fonde excuses God requires his house to be buylded his woorde religioÌ„ to be kepte and maintained as well of the lowest as the hyghest and they whiche do not shall not escape vnpunished Therefore wicked is that saying vnder persecution let the Preacher stande too it what doeth it belong to me If the maister 〈◊〉 teache oughte not the scholer too learne â–ª Maye the scholer denye or dissemble wyth God and the maister must not What priuilege hays the scholer more too doe euill than the maister That is sinne to the one the other He that denies me afore meÌ„ says Christ I wil denie him afore my father Man hathe this generall name geuen him too bee called Adam of an other Hebrue woorde that signifieth the earthe Adama whiche woorde was placed afore when he said he woulde destroye all that the earthe bringeth foorthe in latine Man is also called Homo ex humo which allusion likenes in woordes we can not well speake in Englishe but it is as muche to saye Man is called earthe because he is made of earth as Ieremy saith Earth earthe earth heare the woorde of the Lorde And Abraham talkinge with the Aungel of God demaunding diuers questions said let not my Lord be greuâ—â— if I yet once again aske my lord seinge I am earth asshes This shoulde put vs in remembraunce that is as ofte as we hear this name AdaÌ„ that we are earth ashes â–ª and are come of the sinfull seede of Adam our first father who was made of the earth and for breaking Gods coÌ„maundemeÌ„t returned into earth againe from whence he came as we shal al at
our appointed time If this were well considered it woulde make our proude Peacockes feathers too fall when we remember frome whence we come and whither we shall and how we be not able too thinke of oure selues a good thoughte but that all oure goodnes is geuen vs of God and vnto him we bee traytours and theeues if we be proude of his giftes and geue not him worthy thaÌ„kes for them but take the prayse to oure selues Thus by degrees doth God encrease his plages and threatning not destroying vs at the firste but by layinge on vs one litle rodde at the first he biddeth warneth vs to beware of the next for that wil be greater if we amend not this he doth by his other Prophetes also In Osee he coÌ„pares hym self to the mothe Lyon in punishing for the mothe doth not eate vp clothes hastely but by leasur by litle and litle but the Lyon deuoureth vp all at once So saieth God I will be no more onely as a mothe in clothes in punishing you so gently and by leasure for by that gentle kynde of punishinge ye waxe wors◠〈◊〉 worse but I will come now as a LioÌ„ and destroye you quickely for ye abuse my geÌ„tlenes and I can not hold my handes any longer beside you Lorde soften oure harâ— hearts that wher we be gilty in thesame fault of negligent buyldinge thy house we may heare and feare those great 〈◊〉 teninges towardes vs wee maye driâ—â—â— thee and obtayne mercy for our sins paâ—â— and here after be more diligente too serue thee verse 12 Then Zerobabel the sonne of Salathiel and Iosua yâ— sonne of Iehozadac the hyghe Priest and all the remnauÌ„t of the people gaue eare vnto the voyce of the Lorde their God and vnto the woordes of Aggens the Prophete â—â— as much that the Lord their God sent hym and the people were afraid in the sight of God verse 13 13 And Aggeus the messenger of the Lorde sayd in the messages of the Lorde to the people sayinge I am with you saieth the Lorde ¶ Hitherto from the beginninge hathe ben nothinge but chydinge and threateninge for their greate negligence in buyldinge Gods house nowe folowes the profite and commoditie that came by suche a sharpe kynde of rebukinge They began to geue eare vnto it marke it and were afrayde too heare and consider those plages whiche yet hanged ouer their heads they beleued those sayinges too bee true whiche Aggeus sayde vnto them and thei â—eared God This is the ordinary way that God vseth to teache by whiche the scripture sets before vs to learne too beleue in God and feare him First to rebuke sinne and declare the anger of God towardes sinners and preache repeÌ„taunce as Ihon Baptist and oure sauioure Christe began to preache repent the kyngdome of God is at haÌ„de Fayth commeth by hearing saith sainct Paule and hearinge by the woorde of God therefore he that will beleue and haue his fayth encreased must be diligent in the scriptures too heare sermons and marke what God saieth vntoo vs there What maruayl is it if the Papistes haue so litle faith seing thei reade not the scripture and hold opinion that it is not necessary yea not to be suffered that the scripture should be muche read or taughte but the Popes lawes customes and decrâ—es The whole scripture hath these .ii. chiefe partes into the whiche it is deuided the lawe and the Gospell the lawe contaynes properly the setting forth of sinne threatninges curses Gods anger toward sinâ—â— remorse of conscience for thesame daÌ„nation hel despaire the Gospel contains coÌ„fort hope forgeuenesse mercies in Christ heauen saluation agrement with God Thus teaches s. Paule sayinge the lawe workes anger within a man in conscieÌ„ce towards him self for displeasing his 〈◊〉 God and also declares what is sinne the angre and iust iudgement of God for sin By the law comes the knowledge of syn Agayn he saieth I had not knowen coueting lusting and desiring for any vnlawfull thing to haue ben sinne except the law had said thou shalt not lust nor couet The gospel is the power of God to saue al that beleue in Christ whiche saieth come to me all ye that laboure and are laden I will refreshe you thus God loued the worlde that he gaue his onelye begotten sonne c. with many suche like promises as if any man sinne we haue an aduocate with the father c. this profit came here to this people by preaching the law of God and threatninges vnto theym that they whiche were afore so forgetful of their duties now hearing the great anger vengeaunce of God that hanged ouer their heads ready to fal on them it styrred them vp to do their duties and fear God Thus maye we here se the fonde tender eares of them which would not heare nor haue the law preached but all together the swete comfortable promises mercies in Christ nor can not abide the anger of God iuste iudgement for sinne to be taught saying it bringes a man into dispaire and that it is not nowe in the time of grace mete too be preached A man as he is made of bodye soule so hath he the lawe geuen hym too beate doune the lustes of the fleshe and keepe hym in due feare to his Lorde and God least the soule should despaire when it coÌ„siders the greatnes of the sinne whiche the fleshe and mynde drawes hym to he hath the coÌ„fort of Christ offered vnto him in the gospell So least we be proud forget God we haue the lawe geuen too set before vs the righteousnesse of those thinges which God requires of vs oure weake vnableâ—nes to fulfill thesame and the righteous sentence of deathe and Gods anger proâ—nounced vpon all that fulfill not thesame lawe But least we shoulde despayre 〈◊〉 haue the vnspeakeable mercies of God â—â—â—fered vnto vs in his sonne whiche by hys death hath conquered death and paied the full price for the sins of the whole world He biddeth vs when we feele oure owne weakenes vnablenes to fulfill his law to come vnto hym aske help and mercy at his handes and doubte not thereof but it shal be graunted For as we see in iudgementes here amongest vs there is a royal seate set where the iudge sittes he that is accused standes at the barre holdes vp his hande heares his enditement redde witnes is broughte in againste him and â—â— iustly condempned to death so we shal see Iesus Christe the righteous iudge of the worlde that will not be brybed sit in hys seate of maiesty at the laste daye all the companye of Aungels about him and we shall stande at the barre as accused enâ—yted for breakinge that righteous lawe of his woorde the deuill whiche entised vs so to do shal beare witnes that to be true yea and our own conscience also the feaâ— of
that fearfull sentence go ye cursed into euerlasting fyre which is prepared for the Deuill and his aungels shall make vs to tremble And of mercy there is no hope at all excepte we doe as we reade of a womaÌ„ whiche when she stoode before Alexander the great and was condempned she said I appeale from thee o Kynge Alexander wonderinge at her sayde thou arte a madde woman doest thou not know that euery appellacion is frome a lower iudge to a hygher but who is aboue me Then sayde shee I knowe thee too be aboue thy lawes and that thou maye geue pardon and therfore I appeale froÌ„ iustice to mercie and for my faultes desire pardon So we when wee loke into the righteous lawe of Gods woorde see him ready to condemne vs and oure conscience witnes that we haue deserued death we must appeale from iustice and our deseruings vnto hys pardon and forgeuenes bothe call and truste to be partakers of that saluation which he hath purchased and offered to the whole worlde Hys mercies doe passe all oure miseries as farre as God is greater than man and his pardoÌ„ can forgeue all that call on hym This is not too be lightely considered that it is sayde they hearde the voyce of the Lord their God and the woorde of â—â—gues geus the Prophete What neded bothe to haue ben written seinge they were bothe one for the woordes of Aggeus were thâ— same that the Lorde badde him speake 〈◊〉 he hath saide diuers times before He be in this example we shall learne twoo gâ—â— lessons one for the preacher and all other for the hearer The Preacher muste 〈◊〉 bee afrayde to rebuke sinne in all 〈◊〉 and degrees of men as here Aggeus dyd rebuke bothe Zerubabel the chief ciuil râ—ler in the common wealth and Iosua the hye Priest and chief in religion and also the whoole people beside and threatens the plages indifferentlye to all withoute any flattery or respect of person So do all the Prophetes as Esaye cals the rulers felowes with theeues and princes of Sodome and Gomorrha because thei folowed their wickednes And when Achab a kinge asked Elias whether it was he that troubled all the countrye because it was so longe a droughte for the space of three yeares and a halfe without any rain or dewe he aunswered the kynge boldely and sayde naye it is thou and thy fathers house that hast pulled this righteous plagâ—â—â—â—on thee and thy whole realme Where 〈◊〉 haue sinned all muste bee rebuked for as God a moste righteous Iudge will punishe all sinne so must his Preachers indifferently warne and rebuke al sortes of sinners or els God wil require their blud at their handes if they perishe withoute their warning as Ezechiel sayeth The hearer must disdaine to learne of the simplest preacher that he heareth as Iosua the high Priest here doth not disdaine to hear the rebuking of Aggeus being but a poore Leuite and a simple man in comparison of him no nor yet Zerubabel the chief ruler borne of the stocke of Iuda the kinges stocke disdaynes him If a preacher should rebuke the Pope a Cardinall an Archebishop or Bishop a Doctour or a babler in Diuinitie woulde they not disdaine too heare suche simple men Woulde they not saye as hathe ben sayde of late to many when they were examined before Annas and Cayphas becomes it thee to speake thus to my Lorde Bishop arte thou wyser or better learned then he Shall he become thy scholer Was not the like saide to oure Sauioure Christe doest thou aunswere the hyghe Bishoppe so What woulde the Pope or Cardinall saye if a man shoulde threaten suche vengeaunce of God towardes him as Aggeus doeth here to the highe Priest Paule the seconde Pope of that 〈◊〉 when he had wrongfully taken landeâ—â— offices from diuers and caste theym all 〈◊〉 pryson and woulde not heare any 〈◊〉 speake for them At lengthe by much 〈…〉 whan Platina him selfe came to him 〈◊〉 coulde get no help at the laste he 〈◊〉 of the Pope that he might be hearde 〈◊〉 by his owne lawe Then the 〈◊〉 lokinge cruelly on him sayde what 〈◊〉 thou me of the lawe doest thou not 〈◊〉 that whatsoeuer I say is law Am not 〈◊〉 sainct Peters Uicar and all lawes are 〈◊〉 in my breste and I can not erre whatsoeuer I saye Am I not Pope and may disanull the decrees of my predecessours 〈◊〉 do what me lust Thus it shall be thus I am determined Thus speake holy Popes when simple men aske their right or tell them of any faultes their proude stomackes can not abide too bee rebuked of anye man Was not this common also in Englande in the Papistes mouthes when the Gospell was preached to deface the 〈◊〉 Who are your Preachers nowe but yoÌ„g men vnlerned and not skilled in the Doctours And who teaches the other old learninge but my lorde Bishop maister Doctour auncient Batchelers in Diuinite proue it by the auncient writers These are gay glorious woordes in deede if they had ben true but although yonge men did teache yet their doctrine was moste wholsome and approued by the scriptures and all good writers whiche is moste to Gods glorie that opened the mouthes of yonglinges to confounde the dotinge of olde fooles Simple men confirmed with their bloude and constant deathes that whiche before bothe maister doctour and my lord Bishoppe also allowed and taughte with mouthe and handes subscribinge vntyll contrary rulers arose but than for flatterie and their belly they destroied thesame with all their mighte and power that thei taught before So whan and howe often soeuer the world shal chaunge the most of theÌ„ as meÌ„ without conscience will be ready to do the lyke and make a face as thoughe they beleued thesame to be true but not one of theym will auenture his bodye to be burned for the dirty dregges of Poperye and yet are they not ashamed to teache and maintain thesame with fyre and swoorde so longe as the worlde is on their side There is scarce a more certain argument of an obstinate Papist then to loke how simple a maÌ„ he is that preaches and not to beleue his doctrine for the simplenes of the man nor too looke at the thinge whiche he teaches how true it is and spoken by God Let all Christians heare and be contentâ— with Christes holy worde as most only sufficient doctrine to saue our soules and disdayn none that bringes it be he 〈◊〉 so simple Saincte Paule sayeth Christe died for oure sinnes and rose for our righteousnes where this is one of the greatest treasures that we haue by Christe to be made righteous by hym marke whoâ— were the firste preachers of it Mary Magdalene and the other wemen whiche weÌ„t earely in the morning with ointments to the Sepulchre they se Christ first of all other after his Resurrection and wer sent to teache it to the
Apostles and Peter Shoulde we not beleue this resurrection because that wemē taught it first Apollo a mightye learned man in the scriptures submitted hym selfe to be further taught in true religion of Priscilla and Aquila◠simple man his wyfe Timothy Ihon the Euangeliste were bothe verye yonge when they were called to be preachers Peter the elder Apostle is content to be rebuked of Paull his yonger Iudith that good woman corrected the Elders Priestes and Rulers in Bethulia mistrusting Gods helpe and prouidence for them whē they woulde yelde vp the Citye Dauid a man accordinge to Gods owne heart heares most willingly the Prophet Nathan rebuke hym who was of muche lesse estimation then he And kynge Ezechias heareth Esai rebuke him of his faultes These and suche other examples be written to teach vs that the elder in what authoritie so euer he be or by what name so euer he be called shoulde willingly suffer the iuste rebuke of the yonger bringinge the woorde of God for hym Further where he addes this twyse sayinge the Lorde their God the Lorde their God it is verye comfortable for all sinners that haue longe lyen in sinne that they shoulde not dispaire of Goddes mercie but spedely turne by repentaunce The longe sufferinge of God is farre aboue our desertes had suffered this people thus longe to lye in sin yet had not caste them of but doth vouchesafe to send his Prophet to thē to rebuke them stirre them vp to their duties calling him selfe their God whiche had forgottē forgeuen all their former disobedience who nowe was woulde continue their good gracious and mercifull Lorde and God styll Who can dispaire too obtayne grace and pardon for all his greate offences seinge set before him the louinge gētlenes of oure good God and maister which offereth vndesired his mercies so plētifully to so hard a hearted and disobedient people his free pardon A poena et culpa from all payne due to sinne or the gylte thereof whiche alsoo calles him selfe their God and by continual earnest cryinge of this his Prophete awakes them out of this deadde sleepe of sinne wherein they had lyen so long and left his house vnbuylded It is commonly saide saieth Ieremye if a man put away◠his wyfe for adulterye will he take her agayne yet thou sayeth God to his people although thou hast played the harlot with many hoores yet turn vnto me and I wil receiue thee againe sayeth the Lorde thy God O mercifull Lorde praysed be thy holy name for thy gentle offers and liberall promises offered vnto vs in thy sonne Christ Iesu oure Lorde Thou standest at the doore of our conscience knockinge too be let in offeringe thy selfe to dwell with vs if we would receiue thee There is no time so longe that a man hath run from God in nor any time so short to aske forgeuenes but if he will turne God is ready to forgeue him The Gentiles hadde lien in synne aboue foure thousande yeares from the beginninge of the worlde to the deathe of Christe withoute any true teachinge or knowledge of God and yet whan they receiued the Gospell by the preaching of the Apostles they were most gently receiued of Christe into the number of his people The thefe hanginge on Christes right hand on the crosse askinge mercy in the houre of deathe obtained it So that neither the greatnes of sinne nor the longe tyme that man hathe continued in it nor the shortnes of tyme to aske forgeuenes in can stoppe the great vnspeakeable mercies of God to pardō the sinnes of the whole worlde Why should we than mistrust the goodnes of our God seinge he is the maker of thesame lawe whereby we shal be iudged also able to dispence withal pardon the breakers of thesame lawe if he will who also shal be Iudge and Executer of thesame lawe as pleases him But that the people should rather beleue his woorde he saieth the Lorde their God sente him no straunge God but the mightie God of hostes and the liuing God of Israel nor he ranne not before he was sent but soberly looked for the callinge of God and then did his message faithfullye This is an example for all ministers too folowe that they doo not with bribery or flattery thrust them selues into any office but paciently tary the calling of the Lord their God which can and wil call them at suche tyme as he iudges them necessarye to serue him Who woulde be so bolde to bye a Benefice or flatter for a Bishoprike if he did thinke them to be offices in Gods house and that they must make a count to God for his people He that comes before he be sent for oftentimes comes before he be welcome and he that climbes in at the wyndowe is a thefe for the doore is made to come in by But because these Popishe prollers seke not the profit of the flocke but to fyll their bellies thei care not how thei come by it so they maye haue it and thinke they haue done God good seruice the people well content when they teache them neuer a woord of scripture but haue saide Masse made cōiured water or song an Antiphone of our Lady If they hadde this true stedfaste opinion of God as they ought to haue that he were a louinge father to his household and a wise maister that could and woulde set wise Stuardes ouer his house and that whosoeuer presumed to take any office in his house vncalled were a theefe and should be sharpelye punished A man coulde not hire them for money to take any cure of teaching Gods people vntill they were inward moued of God to do it for loue to the people not for their owne gayne Thei woulde also prouide to be ordinarely called by man leaste he which should teache and se others kepe good order should be proued the first breaker of all good lawes orders If a straunger shoulde violently thrust in him self to be the Shepeheard of thy shepe thou wouldest aske him whoo sent for him what he had to do there and thou wouldest rather thinke him to be a thefe and a murtherer of thy Sheepe then a trusty seruaunt So surely if thou come to take charge of gods people before he inwardly moue thy conscience to pitie hys people and outwardly by order cal and place thee where he thinkes good he will iudge thee a theefe a Wolfe a deuourer and not a feeder After they hearde that the woorde of God was sent vnto them by Aggeus and had wayed and considered diligently how true his sayinges were that so many yeares they had suffered soo greate plagues they beganne so feare and beleue that the threateninges folowinge woulde alsoo proue true and than they humbled theym selues in the sight of God and were afraid in dede This profit had thei by hearing the word of God that thei knowledged their owne sinnes that thei
had offeÌ„ded the gracious goodnes and maiesty of God in not regardinge his house so manye yeares and for feare than they began to take in hande agayne that woorke wherewith they were so straitly charged Thus faithe comes by hearinge the woorde of God and by hearinge geuing eare to his threatnings our slowe sluggishe dulnes is raysed vp to take in hande Gods woorke and builde his house How necessarie feare is Dauid teaches saying feare of the Lorde is the beginning of wisdome So nowe when they feared these threatninges they waxed wise turned to the Lorde Truth it is that the anger of God is not alwayes to be taught that it bringes not a man to perfection for Dauid calleth the feare of the God but the beginninge of wisedome and not the perfection thereof and sainct Ihon sayeth perfecte charitie castes oute feare But yet it is the ordinarie waye to pull doune proud stomackes and to bringe them to knowe their owne vilenes and it also stirres vp slouthfull myndes to be more diligent to do their duties Sainct Paull sayeth the law is a scholemaster to bring vs to Christ that where we see oure selues iustly condempned by gods righteous lawe that we be not able to stande in iudgement with him nor aunswere one thinge for a thousande that shal be layde agaynste vs wee shoulde runne to Christ for pardon coÌ„fessinge oure faultes and aske mercie Thus they had the righte vse of the lawe not bringinge them too dispayre with all these threateninges but comfortinge theÌ„ to go to God and coÌ„fesse their sinnes and hope for merci in Christ. Sainct Augustin compares feare to the bristel whiche is on the shomakers thrid the bristle goeth thorowe the hole firste but it drawes alonge and a stronge thred after it so the feare of gods vengeaunce firste goeth before and throwes doune a man in his owne sighte and then foloweth the long thred of gods mercies in Christe offered too the hole worlde The scripture teaches twoo sortes of feare The one whiche is godly when we feare oure God with loue and reuerence woulde not displease him for the loue we beare him and this remaines for euer as Dauid sayes The holy feare of the Lorde continues for euer On other kinde of fear is not to doe well for the loue of God and goodnes it selfe but that we maye escape punishment as the thefe will not steale not for loue of anye righteousnes or reuerence to God but to escape the galowes This is that feare whiche can not stande with perfect charitie but 〈◊〉 cast out Feare in a mans mynde is like to the thunder in the ayre For as when the ayre is couered with cloudes the Sunne darkened tempestes begin too arise lighteninges fyrâ— flye from heauen rumblinge and noise is in the ayre the cloudes burstes the thuÌ„der cracke comes the raine falles straight folowes Sunne shine and fayre weather So when a man for feare of his sinnes in conscience lyes flatte doune in the sighte of God confessinge his sinne as one oppressed with the burden vylenes therof complaines to God accuses him selfe grâ—nes sobbes and sighes like the thunder cracke dare not loke vp towardes heaâ—â—â— for his wickednes but condemnes hym selfe at the laste burstes out on wepinge the teares like rayn droppes come tricklinge doune his cheekes straighte wayes folowes quietnes of mind God offers him pardon and clerenes of conscience with wondering and praysinge the vnspeakeable goodnes of God for his mercies comfort in Christ his sonne offered to suche troubled conscience In the latter verse is first declared the worthines authoritie hye title rule geuen to the preachers for the coÌ„mendation of their office Aggeus here is called the AuÌ„gell of the Lord as some in Englishe doo translate it or the messenger or Embassadour whiche signifie all one thing vnto vs. So these names with suche like are geuen to preachers in the scriptur to set forth the highnes of their vocation and authoritie that God calleth them to The worldly wise men considering the decay of the lyuing of Bishops and Priestes that they be not so muche estemed and as wealthye as when thei were loytering lordely vnpreaching Prelates and ruled all woulde saye Shall I make my sonne a minister and when I haue spente all that I haue on hym he shall neither bee able too helpe my other chyldren nor yet scarce able too liue him selfe but shall be disdayned of all sortes of menne and if he preache the truthe he shall be in ieopardye of his life Or shall I marry my doughter to a priest with suche like vncomely sayinges naye I trowe not there is more profite by the lawe or Phisicke yea if he be but a penclarke an Auditoure or Deceiuer I will prouide for him better any of these waies The goodes of the Churche are the 〈◊〉 of the poore woo therfore be to them 〈◊〉 robbe the church so by impropriacioÌ„s thâ—â— neither the minister nor the poore can hee releued For by that meanes the necessâ—â—â— foode of the preacher is geuen to ydle bâ—â—lyes and these worldlinges declare them selues too desire nothinge but worldelyâ— wealth in thus doing or so saying But iâ— they marke this other places of the scriptures woulde haue their chyldren made worshipfull they shall finde mo worshipfull names geuen too the preachinge minister then to any one forte of men The noblest creatures that God hathe made be the heauenly spirites and Aungels whiche be alwaies in heauen moste happy for the continuall beholdinge of his glory and for their office sake are choseâ— and called Aungels because they be sent on his message and do moste willingly 〈◊〉 at his commaundement This woorde Aungell betokens not the substaunce of the creature but the office and is a Greke woorde signifyinge a messenger or Eâ—bassadour this name AuÌ„gell was coÌ„moÌ„ly vsed to be geuen to these heauenly messengers whom God seÌ„des his message froÌ„ his holy place of maiestie as Gabriel the Aungell was sent to the virgin Marye other to Ioseph Daniel Moises c. This name is also geuen to the preachers for the heauenly comfort that they bring to man froÌ„ God whose messengers they be In the Reuelation of sainct Ihon writes to the seuen aungls that is to saye to the seuen ministers of the seuen congregagations or â—hurches in Asia Ihon Beptist was called the aungel of the Lorde or Embassadour sent to prepare his wayes And whome do kynges vse to sende Embassadours but suche as be faithfull and trusty whome they loue and to whome thei dare commit secrete waightye matters vnto What can be more worshipful then to be Gods Embassadour in suche trust with hym that God will vouchesafe too sende hym on his message Saincte Paule desyres the Ephesians to praye for hym that he might haue vtteraunce geuen hym to speake and preache the Gospell
freelye for the whiche he was sent Embassadoure .ii. Corinthians v. he sayeth his Embassage stoode chiefelye in this pointe to reconsile vs to God Is not the Stuardes office an highe office of greatest credite in greate mens houses and at their commaundement and appointinge all thinges be done They prouide geue all in their maisters house meate in due season c. Sainct Paul therfore saieth let a man think thus of vs that we be the seruauntes of God and Stuardes of his secrete misteries whiche be meate for 〈◊〉 soules Sainct Mathew in a parable calles the preachers Stuardes appointed 〈◊〉 Gods house to geue their felow seruants meate in due season Saint Marke called them porters in Gods house hauinge in â—â—â—maundement too watche that no theeues nor vnrulye persones come in too trouble the house They be called the light of the worlde to leade other the righte waye they be the salt of the earthe to season vs that by corruption we doe not smel euil before God They be Gods souldiours to fight for hys people as s. Paul sais No man goes to warre on his owne wages They be watchemen to geue warning when ennemies come They be Dogges to barke awake vs out of oure deadly sleepe when we forget God They be the mouthe of God that where we were not able too stande in the sighte of God if he shoulde speake vntoo vs in his glorious maiestie he doeth vouchesafe to speake vnto vs by the mouthe of hys minister beynge a man as we bee and whome we shoulde beleue to be sente from God as longe as he teaches Christ hys worde These names of trust and credite are geuen to preachers for the commeÌ„dation and settinge foorth of their office whiche they beare in Gods house and that they shoulde not thinke it a vyle but a moste worshipfull roume And to make theym more regarded the Lorde countes those iniuries done to him selfe which be done to his preachers sayinge he that despises you despises me in what rowme soeuer ye come if they will not receyue you shake the dust of youre feete it shall heare witnes againste them in the daye of iudgement And because he ioynes too the nexte saying In the messages of the Lord it doth vs to weete the faithfulnes of this Prophete in his dutie that he spekes nothing â–ª but the words of the Lord truly which seÌ„t him which rule al true preachers should folow But of this is inough spokeÌ„ in the verses before Now folowes the glad tidings of the Gospell to comfort this people with all after the great threateniÌ„gs of God which the Prophet here pronouÌ„ced in the former verses For as God workes in his creaturs that after wynter comes sommer after a storm fair weather So in the spiritual doctrine of our souls first he teaches repeÌ„taÌ„ce preaches the law threateÌ„s veÌ„geauÌ„ce for sin castes doune man in his owne sight and lettes hym looke euen into hell with fear of conscience for his disobedience but afterwardes he comforts hym rayses hym vp and heales him that this may be fouÌ„d true that is sayde of oure sauiour Christ I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentaunce they that be whole nede not the Phisicion but the sicke All the Prophetes vse thesame trade in teachinge as Esays in hys firste Chapter calleth the Iewes worse then beastes for the Oxe woulde knowe hys maister and the Asse his maister maÌ„ger but they wold not knowe their God And the rulers he calles the princes of Sodome felowes with theefes Ionas also in the beginninge of hys prophecy saieth within .xl. dayes Niniue shal be destroyed Sophones first woordes be that God will destroy man beast foole corne and fruite of the earthe but afterwardes euery one of theym prophecies of Christe promises blessinge frome God with encrease of all wealth and goodnes Likewise Ihon Baptiste began his preaching repent for the kingedome of heauen is at hande And oure sauioure Christ beganne his preachinge with the selfe same woordes Peter in his firste sermon after they receiued the holy Ghoste rebuked the Iewes sharpely for crucifyinge Christe the geuer of lyfe and for askinge Barrabas a murtherer to be deliuered vnto them but when their conscience pricked them they asked what they shoulde doe and he comfortes them biddes them repent and bee baptised euery one of them in the name of Christ. So here after the sharpe preaching of the lawe and threateninge of Gods plages foloweth the swete coÌ„fort of the Gospell for he sayeth I am with you saieth the Lorde as though he shoulde saye lette nothinge greue you neither the greatnes of the sinne that ye haue ben so negligeÌ„te in forgettinge the buildinge of this house so longe nor the greate coste as thoughe ye were not able to beare and perfourme it nor be not afrayd of the kinges officers whiche stopped you for I am with you saieth the Lorde whose power they can not withstaÌ„de whose mercie passeth your miserie and who can pardon and forgeue more than you can sinne and who shal be iudge of youre doinges and am able too forgeue all thinges trespassed against me All the ryches of the earthe is myne and I bestowe it as pleases me the heartes of kynges and rulers be in my hande and I rule them as I thinke good whan I wyll they shall shew you fauour and frendship and when they lust they shall not stoppe hurt nor hinder my worke accordinge to their desire or pleasure as muche as they woulde but those that feare and loue me I will blesse and they shall not haue anye harme and my woorkes shall prosper and go forwardes in their handes as I thynke good â–ª in despite of all their foes therefore let nothinge feare nor trouble you for I whome all thinges do obey am with you saieth the Lorde These are but few wordes in number but they are mighty in operation and working where they be receiued with an earnest faith and so mightye that whosoeuer heares and beleues them to be spoken of God is not afrayde too attempt anye thinge be it neuer so greate hard When Iacob was doubting afraid whether he should go into Egipt too hys sonne Ioseph or no God spake too hym sayde Iacob be not afrayde for I will goe doune into Egipt with thee I wil bring thee out again also Then Iacob fearinge neither the death of his sonne Ioseph nor the displeasure that mighte come to hym his if either he or yet Ioseph offended the kyng nor yet least Ioseph shoulde lose his authoritie by a new kyng as it is coÌ„moÌ„ly sene nor the ieopardy of the iourneye no nor yet any other worldly thing that coulde or might chaunce but wente into Egipte boldely with all his chyldren substauÌ„ce and was defended by God When Moises keping sheepe sawe the fyre in the bushe and
God sayde vntoo him that he woulde sende him to kinge Pharao to deliuer hys people he was afraide merueyled yâ— he being but a shepeheard should be sent on such a message to so mighty a prince But after that God had promised him that he woulde be with him he was encouraged and toke in hande to go to Pharao on his embassage to lead Gods people oute of Egipt When God sent his Aungell too Gedeon threashing his corne and sayd he shoulde deliuer the people from their enemies which inuaded their countrye and laye as thicke in nuÌ„ber as Greshoppers do in the fielde Gedeon doubted at the matter vntyll such time as God said vnto him that he wold be with him And after triall of his fayth in the promise made vnto him he durst with .100 naked men hauing no weapons but earthen pottes a fire braÌ„d horns in their haÌ„ds set on their enemies which fledde all awaye as soone as they hearde the pâ—t sheardes knocked together Oure sauioure Christe after hys Ascencion sending his Apostles into the whole worlde to preache and baptise addeth no greater thinge to comforte them with all in this great and daungerous enterprise that so fewe vnlearned men shoulde conquere the whole world but saythe behold I am with you euen too the ende of the worlde What good successe their preachinge had we at this present daye yet feele and see and also howe he is presente alwayes with his euen too the ende and howe true his prayer is that he didde not praye onely for his Apostles but for all that should beleue on hym by their preachinge WhaÌ„ sainct Paule sayeth that he was perswaded that neither nakednes pryson huÌ„ger persecution nor lyfe neither deathe aungels nor powers could pull hym from the loue in Christ Iesu He had nothinge is strengthen hym self withall but that God promised that he was with him and then he boldely sayde if God bee with vs whoo can be against vs All be but dust worms and vylenes in his sight nothing can preuayle againste those whome he doeth assist with his grace Therfore whan we doubte to take in hande anye good woorke whiche agrees with the woorde of God for any worldlye reasons or carnal fear let vs styrre vp our fayth and heare God speaking and saying vnto vs I am with you be ye not afrayd If thy conscience beare thee sure witnes that thou sekest nothinge but the glory of God the profite of his people no doubt God will asist thee in suche enterprises offers this hys promise to thee also sayinge I am with thee be not afrayde but go on forwardes and I will blesse thy doinges seme it neuer so hard or vnpossible to thee verse 14 The Lord waked vp the spite of Zerubabel sonne of Salathiel prince of Iuda and the spirite of Iosua sonne of Iosedec the high Prieste the spirite of all the remnauÌ„te of the people and they went and wroughte in the house of the Lorde of Hostes theyr God In the .xxiiij. daye of the sixt moneth in the second year of kynge Darius ¶ This is a notable Metaphore worthely sets foorth the nature of sin in that he saieth the Lord waked vp the spirite of all this people for sinne is a sleepe of the soule hauing no feare nor feling of God so long as a man lyes in it It is nowe tyme saieth sainct Paule to awake out of slepe meaning sinne God in his woord by such outward bodely thinges declares vnto vs the nature of spiritual thinges both good and euill As the dead body lyes rottinge stinking in the graue fearfull to looke on and greuous too remember so when wee lye buried in sinne we stinke in the sight of God he can not abyde to loke at vs nor will remember vs. And as we when the body lieth on slepe in the bedde whiche is an image of our graue can neither se fele heare taste smell vnderstande nor yet moue out of the place vntil we be awaked nor can take any pleasure at al in any one creature of God So when we lye walowinge in sinne we neyther see the maiestie of God with the eyes of oure faythe nor feele hys mercies offered vntoo vs in hys deare sonne and oure onely Sauioure Christe Iesus nor yet can wee taste at al howe sweete the Lorde is Oure eares are stopped from hearing good counsayll we perceiue nothinge at all of Gods goodnes towards vs his word is not sauery vnto vs neither yet bee wee moued or stirred vp too doo anye one good woorke of charitie But nowe it pleased the Lorde pitying their miserie too wake them vp out of thys dead sleepe and sette them in hande with buylding of his house agayne But where he had preached too them both the law the gospell threatnings coÌ„fortes with the plages they were moued to nothing but feare as is saide in the verses before but after they hearde the glad tidinges of the gospell that God promised to be with them then they were awaked out of their sleepe and wroughte lustely So it is the gospell that quickenes and geues lyfe but the law kylles feares and threatens For as after sleepe the bodye being awaked it is freshe lustye stronge and couragious to do his worke so after the fearful threatninges of the law when we heare the gladde tidinges of the gospell that God will be oure Lorde and dwell with vs the minde is comforted strengthened moued vp to do his dutye And as a man is iudged too be wakinge when he canne doe the office of a manne as talke woorke write or suche like so is manne awaked out of the slepe of sinnes when he lyues in charitie feares God walkes accordinge to his lawe in hys vocation Further as wheÌ„ a man lyes in hys dead slepe he can not awake except some noise awaken him or some other call hym 〈◊〉 can we not arise oute of sinne excepte the spirite of God or his preacher which is his watcheman with often cryinge vnto vs awake vs. Crye therefore and feare not saieth Esaye the prophete lifte vp thy voice lyke a trumpette and tell my people their wickednes So that it is the truÌ„pet of Gods woorde continually sounding in oure eares whiche is the onely waye too awake vs out of this sinfull slepe But the Papistes turne thorder and saye cease and crie not holde thee peace sai nought lyue in rest and bee still and so let all goe to hauoc and the people perishe Thus we maye learne here the necessitie of preaching and what inconuenieÌ„ce folowes where it is not vsed Where preachinge fayles saieth Salomon the people perishe therefore let euery man kepe hym selfe in Gods schoolehouse and learne his lesson diligently for as the bodye is norisshed with meate so is the soule with the woorde of God as sainct Mathew saieth A man doeth not liue by bread onely but
to know whether they should be suffered to go forward in their buylding or not But God so moued the kyngs heart that he gaue theÌ„ not onely libertye to buylde but money alsoo to do it with all by the strength of God they had not onely geuen the enterpryse but also went forwarde in their building askinge no licence at all of anye man before they were complayned on This strength hath Gods woord wheÌ„ it is worthelye receiued that it maketh a man to forget his owne profite yea laÌ„des wyfe chyldren goodes and life maÌ„fully to beare death pryione fyre and displeasure of princes so that he maye do his dutye to his Lorde God and escape his displeasure Peter who denied his maister at the voice af a handmayde after he had receiued the holy Ghoste was bolde to confesse hym before lordes and princes euen to the deathe Paule in furious rage of his persecution was striken doune and of a wolfe rose vp a lambe Nicodemus that afore durst not be knowen to be Christes disciple or beare hym any good wil after durst aske the body of Pylate and bouâ—dly buried it Thus where true fayth is geueÌ„ to God commaundinge any thing to be don or to the preachinge of hys woorde it makes of haters louers of fearfull bolde of persecuters preachers and doeth wholye chaunge the nature of manne as Dauid sayeth The lawe of the Lorde is without spot turninge the mindes of men Thys was neither treason nor rebellion against the kynge to do that which God by his prophete so straitly commaunded as was declared and noted before but they were rather traytours to God that had not of soo many yeares gone more earnestly aboute that buildinge of Gods house as God willed them to do And where he calles God their God yet after so great and longe disobedience it commendes vnto vs the long suffering and merciful goodnes of our God that wil not forsake vs for a fault or twoo nor in a yeare or twoo but continually beareth with vs callinge vs to hym by all meanes possible and woulde not one of the leaste too perishe All the daye longe sayeth God by his prophet Esay I haue stretched out my handes to a people that speakes against me and faytheles But of this is inough spoken before And where he addeth this and sayeth they went wrought in the Lords house the .xxiiii. daye of the .vi. moneth and the â–ª same seconde yeare of Darius it teaches vs the earnestnes of them towardes theyr woorke nowe after they were thus awaked and sturred vp out of their sleepe They had but three wekes and .iii. daies bothe to heare this preaching of Aggeus and to make ready their tooles to woorke withall whiche time had ben litle inough to haue prepared their tooles in although they had not hadde any other busines too haue ben occupied withall The prophete was sent from God the first daye of the .vi. moneth as appeares in the firste verse nowe the .xxiiii. daye of the same moneth they began to renue their woorke with a lusty courage so the whole tyme both too heare the preaching and prepare all thinges necessarie For their greate woorke was but three weekes and three dayes Soo earnestly doeth true â—aithe woorke where God is truely feared and his commaundement reuerently obeied that thei can not be quiet vntil they haue done that whiche God commaundes There is nothinge now that can hinder them froÌ„ this woorke neither the feare of the kynges displeasure nor the costlines of the greate worke nor the gredines of their owne profite whiche they sought so muche before neither the greatnes of their disobedience in so longe forgetting their lorde God but with one minde and courage thei sette vp this great costly woorke manfully continuinge in it happely finish it in 4. yeares space notwithstanding the great lets hinderaunce and accusations that were made againste them to the kynge other diuers wayes many This promise that God had made theÌ„ that he woulde be with them had so encouraged them the nothing coulde stop them frome their woorke but as Dauid goinge to fighte with Golias was not afrayd of al his strength harnes nor yet his power and mighte but sayde thou commest agaynste me trustinge in thyne owne strength and I come to fight with thee with this litle slinge and fewe stoones in the name of the lyuynge God of Israel so they were bolde in him onely to sette on thys great woorke If they were thus sturred vp by thys litle preachynge what dulnes shall wee thynke too bee in oure selues that after suche continuall cryinge and callinge can not be awaked to do our duties Is it any maruayle that God doeth so often and soo greuouslye plague vs seinge we shoulde without all excuses doe it whiche he commaundeth vs and yet in so long tyme we can not be broughte too feare hym as wee shoulde doe We maye also learne what a treasure it is to haue Gods worde amoÌ„gst vs seinge it is the ordinarie way that he hath ordeined to bring vs vnto hym by what a grefe it is too want the continuall preachinge of thesame and also the wickednes of the Papistes that thus do robbe the people of it and woulde make them to beleue that it were not necessary for theÌ„ but bringes them in to heresies and that it is the mother of all heresie and mischief that there was neuer good worlde since the scripture was in Englishe with such like blasphemies But if we marke the scriptur throughly in all ages we shall finde yâ— in good kings dayes whiche maintained Gods woorde his true religion as Dauid Salomon Iosaphat Ioas Ezechias Iosias in Iuda onely there was more pleÌ„ty of all worldly blessinges then there was in all Israell beside where as the scripture was not regarded Again if ye marke wel all the auÌ„cient heretikes eueÌ„ from the beginning as Arrius Pelagius UaleÌ„tinus MarcioÌ„ Sabellius Donatus Eutyches c. You shall finde none at all or verye fewe that were vnlearned but all for the moste part were great clarkes and by this reason theÌ„ the learned rather then the vnlearned shuld be kept from the scriptures if reading the scripture make heretikes For men fail chiefely into heresies when they trust too their owne wittes learning forsakinge or not submitting their wittes vnto gods wisedom coÌ„teined in hys infallible worde and truth If they will let the people heare the scripture in sermons I canne not tell why they shoulde not be suffered to reade it Why shoulde rather heresy come by readinge then by hearinge Naye thys is their meaninge they woulde haue no preachinge nor yet readinge sauinge of their dirty dragges of popery which maintaines their ydle lordelines where as the scripture setteth out their wickednes whiche they will not haue knowen nor yet once touched The Lorde for hys mercie sake defende vs from their tiraÌ„ny Amen ¶ A prayer MOst
mighty Lord and merciful father which didst stir vp the Iewes too the buyldinge of thy house by the preachinge of thy Prophete Aggeus we thy miserable creatures oppressed with sinne and liuing in blindenes beseche thee for thy mercy sake haue mercy vpon vs and thrust out diligēt woorke men intoo thy haruest sende out faithfull preachers whiche maye by the harde threateninges of thy lawe and comfortable promises of thy gospel awake all thy people out of their dead slepe wherin thei lie walowing forgetting thee their dutye We haue all sinned from the hyghest to the lowest in not earnestly professinge thy holy woorde and religion Both the princes rulers and magistrates bisshops ministers of all sortes and all the people no state nor condiciō of men hath done their duetie herein vntoo thee oure onely Lorde and God Therfore we all with heauy heartes fall doune flat afore thy throne of grace and maiestie we begge craue aske thee forgeuenes of oure greate sinnes opē oure eyes O good God that we maye consider the plagues whiche thou haste layde on vs so longe for oure great disobedience towardes thee and thy woorde Geue vs newe heartes and renue thy holy spirite wtin vs O Lord that both the rulers may faithfully minister iustice punishe sinne defende and maintaine the preachinge of thy woorde and that all ministers may diligently teache thy dearely beloued flocke purchased by the bloud and death of thine owne and onely deare sonne oure Lorde and that all people maye obediently learn and folowe thy lawe too the glorie of thy holy name for Christes sake oure onelye Lorde and Sauioure ¶ The .ii. Chapter IN the .vii. moneth and the .xxi daye of the moneth was the woorde of the Lorde sente by the hande of Aggeus the Prophete sayinge verse 2 Speake to Zerubabell y◠sōne of Salathiel ruler of Iehuda and to Iosua the sonne of Iosede◠the chiefe Priest and to the remnaunte of the people sayinge verse 3 Who is left amongst you that hathe sene this house in his former glory and what a one you se it now is it not like as it were nothinge in your eies ¶ As concerning the rekening of yeares monethes and daies ynough was spoken in the first chapiter and what it is too bee sent by the hande of a Prophete who soo lust there he maye reade This message sent now in the .7 moneth and the nexte that comes in the .9 declare the good will of God towardes thē that buylde his house and howe ready God is to further all their doinges They began to worke the .xxiiii. daye of the sixt moneth and had cōtinued to the .21 daye of the .7 moneth and then leaste the feare of the kynge or the rulers shoulde discourage them they had nede to be comforted therefore Aggeus is sente vnto them agayne too encourage theym leaste they shoulde haue fainted or lefte of workinge Agayne in the .8 moneth is the Prophete Zachary sente vnto them and in the .9 moneth Aggeus is sent twise all because thei should not let their worke slip but with a courage finish it and that also they might see how true it is that to euery one that hath it shal be geuen and for them whiche woorke couragiously in the Lordes vyneyarde how wel the Lord is delited with them and blesses them Thus God knowinge the weakenes of this people euerye mooneth sendes newe messages vnto them that they maye vnderstande what a care he hath ouer them and that they shoulde trust in hym which had al thinges in his handes to rule at his pleasure and not to trust in them selues whiche of them selues coulde do nothing Let vs therfore worke in the Lords house and no doubt he will sende vs comfoorte ynough Nowe where he is bidden speake to Zerubabel the prince to Iosua the chiefe Priest and to the remnaunt of the people ▪ and so often reherses theym in this same order in this prophecie it doeth vs too vnderstande that there is one doctrine of saluation to be taughte vnto all sortes of mē and that all sortes are bounde to hear and learn thesame and besides that it teaches the prefermente of the ciuil magistrate or ruler to the priest as was noted before And herein we shall chiefly learn the wickednes of them that withholde the scriptures from the lay people saying it is not mete for them too be so muche occupied in hearinge thesame For the Prophet saith here sundry times that he was sente to all the people as well as to the rulers therfore it was their dutie to learne and heare his message as diligētly as it was the rulers And this is a greate occasion why that all rulers shoulde behaue thē selues lowly towards the people seing God hath made all thynges as concerninge saluation comon and of one sorte bothe too poore and riche that by this meanes he mighte encrease brotherly loue betwixt both partes There is one Lorde god saieth s. Paule of all bothe poore and ryche one holy Ghoste that makes vs all holy one baptisme one faithe that we beleue one sauioure Iesu Christ one father in heauen vnto whom we praye one euerlastinge kyngedome whiche we all loke for one scripture and woorte to teache vs one sacrament for vs all wee bee borne gotten dye and buried all in like and a greate knottell is of loue amongest vs seinge wee speake one language beinge of one countrye or towne and one ayre whiche we receiue one fyre Sunne Moone Starres earth herbes trees corne cattel fishe foole that we be fede on We goe stande slepe worke all alike c. All the difference that is betwixt vs is this that one is hygher in authoritie better clad or fed hathe a prouder coate or a softer bed or more store of money landes or seruauntes then an other hath whyche thinge helpe not to saluation But what vayne thinges these be to reioyce in or to despise one another for that wātes them the thinges them selues do declare For he that wantes all these not necessarie thinges to saluation is commonly better man more lustye stronge and healthfull then the other as is sayde in the verses before And to reioyce is auncient bloude what can be more vayne Do we not all come of Adam our earthly father and say we not all Our father whiche art in heauen halowed c. How can we crake then of oure auncient stocke seinge we came all bothe o◠on earthelye and heauenly father If ye marke the commō saying how gentle bloude came vp ye shall see howe true it is When Adam dalue and Eue span Who was than a gentle man And although no nation hais any thing to reioice in of them selues yet Englande hais lesse than other we glory much to be called Britans but if we consider what a vacabunde Brutus was and what a company he brought with him there is small cause of glori For the Saxōs of whome we come also there is lesse
sufficient to his owne buyldinge And although many of them thought that this later house woulde be nothinge so pleasaunte gorgious and costly as the first and therfore they wept wheÌ„ the grouÌ„d worke was layde as was sayde before yet to comforte theym with that they shoulde with better courage stomake go aboute it he promises them that the glorie of this later house shal be more then the first and they shall not onely haue inough to builde withall but it shall bee a more gorgious house in the sighte of God then the firste was The firste temple had in it the golden candlesticke the golden censer the golden aultare the Cherubins the golden Arke of the Lorde wherein was the tables of Moyses the rodde of Aaron and the pot of Manna the golden Table it hadde alsoo Urim and Thummin with diuers other relickes which all or many of them were destroyed by Nabuchodonozor and others whiche spoyled the temple So that although other iewels and ornameÌ„ts were restored by the good kynge Cyrus yet we do not reade the Rabbyns also thinke that these were not in the second temple and of Urim and Thummin Esdras semes to speake plaine that they were not there What shoulde make then this house more glorious than the first seinge it wanted these outwarde glorious pleasaunt thinges too the eye and in suche ornaments was nothinge to bee compared with the first Surely nothinge but thys that we speake of before That oure sauioure Christe presented him selfe therein preached hys fathers will and the glad tidinges of the Gospel rebuked the tradicions and ceremonies of the Scribes and Phariseis healed all diseases Therefore maye we gather here this necessary argument vpon these woordes of the Prophet that the churche is more pleasaunt in the sight of God where the Gospel is preached Gods maiesty and his merci declared then where all the ceremonies of Moyses or the Pope do shyne so gloriously to the sighte of the worlde Let the papistes examyne well by these woordes whether their Copes Chalices Uestiments crosses of gold and siluer their singing ringing sencing their Images reliques pardons coniured waters c. be more pleasaunt seruice to the lord our God then where the troÌ„pet of Gods woord sounds in our ears to stir vs vp to the praising of God and pullinge doune of our owne croked froward natur and stomakes There can be nothing fouÌ„d in this secoÌ„d house but it was all much more to be had in the firste saue the preachinge and miracles of Christe his Apostles For this point onely therfore wher in it did excel the first it didde please God more then the first therfore must it nedes folow that those companies and churches please God better where his liuely worde is preached the Sacramentes withoute great pompe comenly purely ministred â–ª then where they go about with dead ceremonies to serue him though thei be neuer so glorious outwardly Let vs be ashamed then of these â—ewd sayinges what should I doe at the churche I maye not haue my beades the Church is like a waste bearn there is no Images nor sainctes too worshippe and make cursy vnto littell God in the boxe is gone there is nothinge but a littel redinge and preaching that I canne not tell what it meanes I hadde as liefâ— kepe me at home This is a woful sayinge that because we maye not worship God as we lust our selues we wil not worship hym at all This is Idolatry to leaue that kynd of worship which he hath apointed vs in his woorde and deuise a new sorte of our own which God shall either bee content withal or els be without The Heathen people woulde saye when they see the people so foolish to thinke that God woulde be worshipped w e golde siluer dicite pontifices in templo quid facit aurum which is to say tel vs O ye bisshops what good doth gold in the temple Ambrose saieth the Sacraments loke not for golde and those thinges which are not boughte with golde can not please with gold And the best writers do witnes that it was better when the Lords supper was ministred in woode and glasse the Priestes were pure as golde did preache thaÌ„ when the Priestes were woode the cuppes golde that is to saye dumme vnlearned vnpreaching prelates and yet would minister the SacrameÌ„t in cuppes of golde and siluer The riches treasures of the church beloÌ„g to the poore vppon theym should all the goods oâ— the church be bestowed which is remaining of the preachers liuings not to fede ydle bellygods withall as monkes friers priestes c. Suche a godly aunswere made the godly true deacon Laurence when as the Emperour sente his man to spoyle the church of the treasure that there was He coÌ„mauÌ„ded Laurence in the Emperours name to deliuer him all the treasure in the church Laurence required a few dayes respite to gather al the goods together which being graunted at the day appointed he gathered all the poore folkes in Rome together When the Emperoure seruaunte came thinking to haue receiued the whole treasure callinge for Laurence asked where the treasure was Laurence shewed al the poore people and sayde beholde the treasure of the churche Thus was the goods of the churche than bestowed and not too maintayne the Pope nor yet his carnall Cardinalles in their ruffian rowte and ydlenesse c. The peace whiche he promises to send in this place is not so muche an outward peace although thei had that peace as loÌ„g as thei feared the Lorde but here is ment the peace of conscience whiche Christe brought from heaueÌ„ as the Aungels song at his byrth Glory be to God on hygh and in earth peace c. and he is not onely the peace maker betwixt God and man but peace it selfe as saincte Paule calleth hym saying he is our peace which hath made of bothe one as was noted before It is more to call him the peace it selfe than to call him the peace maker betwixte God man pacifying the fathers wrath for our sinnes and purchasinge pardon for al our wickedned The peace of conscience whan we beleue God to be oure father for Christes sake for geuinge all oure sinnes and bestowinge all his goodnes on vs is the greatest comforte that can be thoughe the worlde rage neuer so muche againste vs as oure Sauioure Christe sayeth in the worlde you shall haue affliction trouble but in me you shal haue peace And again â–ª I leaue my peace among you and I geue my peace vnto you c. And althoughe the churche of God is often more forgetfull of his goodnes receyued whan they haue worldely peace as the Prophete sayeth In this outwarde worldly peace my bitternes is moste bitter and therfore necessari it is to be tried by aduersitie heresies imprisonments death other cruelties yet in the middest of all trouble
they lust in the best pastures and to breake his hedges that in so doinge the sooner they be fat the sooner they may be slayne So God those people whiche he loues not in Christ his sonne he lets them take theyr pleasure correctes them not for their amēdement but lets them woorke their iuste condempnation in geuinge theym vp too their owne lustes Euery father saith the apostle correctes his chyldrē those which he correctes not be bastards And although correction of God seme sharp and bitter for the present tyme ▪ semes to come of hat◠and not of loue yet the ende is sweete louing profitable that he may geue vs his holines A vessel if it be foule muste be scoured before wine be put in it he that wil make his ground fruitfull must first pull vp the weedes before he sowe good seede So by these sharpe medecines of Gods correction muste the bodye be purged that the mynde maye bringe foorth his due fruyte in feare and reuerence Let vs in Englande therfore remember Gods plagues whiche we haue suffered of Gods good wil so longe and many for oure amendement and let vs lamente oure hardenes of heart that haue ben soo greuously longe punished and yet haue not duely considered the heauines of Gods hande nor the greatnes of oure sinnes whiche haue so prouoked his anger vppon vs. We are sufficiently taught by all exāples before vs if we wil learne by these present plages that we feele what a greuous thinge horrible synne it is in Gods sight to leaue Gods house vnbuylte yet lyke vnreasonable beastes and vnsensyble we neyther feare oure good God as ◠Lorde nor loue hym as a father as Malachie sayeth If I be youre Lorde where is the feare ye owe me If I be youre father where is the loue that is due vnto me From hence foorthe God promises too blesse their fruite and woorkes and they had not so great scarsenes before but now they shoulde haue as great plentye So that whan man turnes vntoo God God turnes vntoo hym when man amendes God lookes cherefully on hym where before he was angry whan man leaues sinninge God leaues plaginge whan man buyldes Goddes house and maintaineth his true religion God blesseth his house all that is in it As Moyses teaches If thou heare the voyce of the Lorde thy God to doe his commaundement thou shalte be blessed in the Citie in thy house in the fielde c. And howe came all thys to passe that they were so amended by preachinge rather then plaginge for that whiche coulde not bee obtayned in 40. yeares plagues was gotten in three weekes preachinge Aggeus came the firste daye of the 6. moneth and the 24. of thesame thei beganne to worke so they hadde no more tyme too preache in nor too prepare their tooles in but three weekes and three dayes Suche a stronge thing is the woorde of God sharper then a twoo edged swoorde and pearcinge to the deuision of the minde soule and where it is earnestly receiued it makes many to feare no deathe nor displeasure nor to thinke any thing painfull so that he maye please hys God Therfore let vs haue it in reuerence vse it heare it reade it marke it remember it and practise it for in it is shewed vntoo vs all the counsaill of God and it is sette for a sufficient doctrine to vs to sturre vs vp too the doinge of our dutye and saluation of our soules to the worshipping of God and vnderstanding his goodnes offered vnto vs. Also a worthy example it is to be folowed of all that haue correction of other that when the rodde will not serue to proue wordes and counsayle For often many be suche that they wil do more for a woorde then a stripe and often strokes harden the heart when gentlenes wynnes and perswades verse 20 The woorde of the Lorde was spoken the second time vnto Aggeus in the .xxiiii. daye of the moneth saying verse 21 Speake too Zerubabell the ruler of Iuda saying I wil trouble heauen and earthe also verse 22 And I wil destroy the seate of the Kyngedomes and I will breake in sunder the strengthe of the Kyngdoms of the Heathen and I wyll throwe doune the Chariots and the ryders in them the Horses shall fall doune and the ryders on them and the noblest shal be slayne by the swoorde of hys brother verse 23 In that day saieth the Lord of hoostes I will take thee Zerubabell sonne of Salathiel my seruaunt saieth the Lorde and I will put thee as a signette because I haue chosen thee sayeth the Lord of hoostes ¶ The people of God nowe going diligently aboute to buylde the Lords house and woorkinge at it now three ful monethes did so well please the Lorde that he sent his Prophete twyse on a daie to comforte and encourage them in their doings least they shoulde fainte or bee slacke in goinge forwarde as they were before Such a louing Lord is our good God vnto his people that he will mayntayn and set forwarde all suche as go about diligently to walke in their vocation and buyld hys house to their power Euery moneth from the beginninge of the restoringe of thys Temple they hadde one message or other from God by his Prophete too will them to continue and go forwarde in this well doinge and buylding Gods house In the syxte and seuenth moneth came this Prophete Aggeus with goddes message vnto them as is sayde before In the eyght moneth comes Zacharias the Prophete In the 9. moneth comes this Prophete agayne twyse on a daye frome God with comfortable promises in the 11. moneth comes Zachary againe So whyle they were thus diligent to do their duty God was as ready to shewe them mercye and will be to all whiche do the like as he hath promised that to euery one that hath it shal be geuen Therfore if we be desirous to haue encrease of the Lordes blessinges let vs be diligent to encrease that littel whiche we haue geuen vs first and it shall be encreased to muche more He bringes the Lordes message and not hys owne like a true seruaunt not for money as the Popes pardoners and Priestes do but freely and willinglye comes twise a daye as the Lorde appointes hym Contrariwise if the people folow not the which they be taught God takes his woord and Prophetes from them It is written of a holy father called Felix whiche when certaine desired hym too preache he sayde In time past when men did as they were taughte God opened many preachers mouthes nowe the people will not learne therfore God stoppes their mouthes He is now sent to Zerubabel the prince and chief ruler specially by name but not as though this promise perteined to hym onely and not to the rest of the people but by hym to the rest of the people Under the name of Zerubabel is conteyned
all theyr ennemies and mighte haue slayne theym lyke sheepe whan Haman had gotten lycens of the kynge to destroye the Iewes and made a galowes for Mardocheus God sent queene Ester to saue his people and HamaÌ„ was hanged on his own galowes Whan Darius was slain by Alexander the kyngdoÌ„ brought to the GretiaÌ„s Alexander coÌ„ming to destroy IerusaleÌ„ because they denied hym tribute God soo turned his heart the he entreated theÌ„ wel submitted him self to the high priest meting him with the other priests in their priestly apparell coÌ„fessed their God to be the true God When the Romaines conquered the â—â—tians and the Iewes were vnder the rule of the Romaines they didde not greatly harme them vntil they crucified Christe denied hym too bee their God sayinge hys bloude be vpon vs and vpon our chyldren In the cruell persecutions afterwardes the more sorowe that was layde on Gods people the more they encreased Thus in all ages God deliuered his out of trouble or els taketh them to him selfe by some glorious death In these our dais when the mightiest princes of the worlde stryue and fighte cruellye who shal be the greatest rather then godliest God prouydeth alwayes some corner for his too flee into where they maye serue him And if they be persecuted from one place he prepares an other to receyue them And although persecution was greate amonges vs yet God shewed him self more glorious mightye and mercifull in strengthninge so many weake once to dye for hym than in so mercifully prouiding for them which were abroade although bothe be wonderfull What glorious crakes made proude persecutours that thei woulde make goddes poore banished people too eate theyr syngers for hunger but they had plentye for all the others crueltie Gods holy name be praysed therefore What a mercie of God is this that where we deserued to be cast from him for euer because of our wickednes he nowe corrected vs gentellye called vs to this honour that he punished vs not so muche for oure owne sinnes as that he called vs to the promotion of bearinge his crosse witnessinge to the world his truth and vouchedsafe to proue teach and confirme others in this his truthe by oure witnesse bearinge He called vs too thesame honour that he called his owne sonne Christe Iesus in suffering for hys names sake that wher as we suffer with hym we shal be glorified and raigne with hym Let the cruell Papistes consider therefore howe God hathe deliuered hys people out of their handes fulfilled thys his promise and kepte vs safely like hys priuie signet in these miserable dayes of their persecution Let the bloudy Bishops voyde of all religion and chaunging with the worlde to fyll their filthy bellies although they woulde nowe make men beleue they woulde be constant and stoutly confute that whiche afore they proued true by othes and doctrine Let them I saye consider whether they or the simple soules whiche they tormented haue gotten the victory The simple soule offered hym self to dye rather then to offend God by superstition or Idolatry The proude Cayphas threatened fyre faggotte if he forsoke not his true faith Thus whylest they striue for religion not for lyfe the poore meÌ„bers of christ hold fast their faith the proud prelate with his tormeÌ„ts can not ouercome Gods simple shepe They striue not for life but the simple man offeres it willingly rather than forsake the truthe so God euer confouÌ„des the wisedom of the world is glorified in the fooles abiectes God for his mercie sake grauÌ„t all his lyke boldnes to witstaÌ„d their crueltie whansoeuer God shall trye vs. A prayer MOst righteous iudge and merciful father which of loue did punish sharpely thy people being negligeÌ„t in buyldinge thy house that by suche sharpe correction they mighte be stirred vp to do their duty so haue pleased thee we acknowledge coÌ„fesse before the world thy diuine maiesty that we haue no lesse offended thee in this behalfe than they haue done that for all the sharp plagues which thou laide vpon vs we coulde not awake out of our deadly sleepe forgetting the earnest promotioÌ„ of thy glorie true religion but rather consented to the persecutioÌ„ of our brother thy true faithful people vntil now that of thi infinite goodnesse by geuing vs a gratious Queene restoring the light of thy worde that hast letten vs taste the treasurs of thy mercies in our extreme desperate miseries whaÌ„ for our wickednes we durst not for the gret power of thy enemies we coulde not hope nor loke for any such help or redresse at al. We fal doun flat therfor before the throne of grace desiring pardoÌ„ of this gret negligence of al our former offeÌ„ces prai thee that the wil not deal with vs as we haue deserued but as of thy own free wil thou promised thy people falling earnestly to thy work restoring of thy teÌ„ple that froÌ„ theÌ„ce forward thou would blesse al their worke fruits ouerthrow their enemies saue thy people that woldest make the house also more glorious thaÌ„ the first by the preaching of thy Gospel so we desire thee for Christes sake thy sonne our sauiour to be no lesse good gracious Lord vnto vs yet once againe going about to restore thy true religioÌ„ trâ—den doun defaced by the cruell papistes Send foorth O Lord many such faithfull preachers as wil set out thy glorie vnfeynedly open the hearts of thy people that they may se how far more acceptable vnto theâ— is the liuely preaching of thy holy woord than all the glittering ceremonies of Poperie deliuer vs we besech thee froÌ„ all our enemies saue and preserue our gracious Queene as thine own signet indue her her couÌ„sel with such reuereÌ„t fear of thee thy woord that all policie which is coÌ„trarie to thy woord set apart they mai vprightly seke ernestly maintain thy true glory minister iustice punish sin defend the right CoÌ„fouÌ„d most mightie God bring to naught all the deuises of suche as go about to ouerthrow thy woord true worship open our eyes that we may se how derely thou hast loued vs in Iesus Christ thy sonne our lord hold vs fast O Lord of hostes that we fal no more froÌ„ thee grauÌ„t vs thaÌ„kful obedieÌ„t hearts that we may encrease dayly in the loue knowledge fear of the encrease our faith help our vnbelefe that we being prouided for and releued in all our nedes by thy fatherli care prouideÌ„ce as thou shalt thiÌ„k good mai liue a godli life to the praise good exaÌ„ple of thi people after this life mai raign with thee for euer through Christ our sauiour to whom with thee the holy Ghoste three persons one God be prayse thankes geuing in all congregations for euer and euer Amen ¶ Here endeth the prophete Aggeus ¶ A preface to
all the Enemies of God his woorde people Religion to leaue their wickednes and to comforte the good manfully too beare their madnes and patiently to loke for Gods goodnes LIke as in Aggeus my endeuor and purpose was that those that feare the Lorde shoulde be sturred vp to an earnest buyldinge of Gods house louinge of his woorde and maintaininge of true religion so in this shorte Prophete my trauall and meaninge is that the wicked vnderstanding how vainly they stryue with all their witte power policie against the poore simple innocent crucified Christ Iesus the almighti sonne of the liuing God the wisedome and power of God his father might cease their raginge madnes and not onelye that but also howe they shal be ouerthrowen in their owne deuises that they imagine against true Christians the misticall members of his body and churche or againste hys woord and religion as all their fathers haue bene frome the beginninge whose steppes they folow in hating and persecuting gods people Their stomackes be stout theyr pollices great their might is stronge their wittes are wile yea all the worlde is on their side yet in the ende they shall serue dastards ignorant helples witles and misers for as the wise man sais ther is no wisedom politie nor counsell againste the Lorde The more wisdom subtiltie strengthe or power that a man hais the more he hais it to hys owne destruction if he haue it not and vse it too the glory of God and comfort of hys people For as wylde beastes the more fearce and cruel that they be the more it harmes them and causes men to hunt and seke wais how too destroy them so the more that the wicked set vp theÌ„ selfes against the Lorde and oppresse hys people the readyer iâ— God to help and deliuer his and ouerthrowe the other Can they finde any rebels againste God hys woorde and people from the beginninge too thys day that hais preuailed agaynst the Lorde and hys chosen folke If there be none as it is mooste true none to be how can they loke to be the firste Why maye not true Christians boldely saye with Dauid than Why do the Heathen freate and fume and the people imagine vain thinges againste the Lorde and his anointed saying â–ª let vs brust in sunder their bondes and cast their yoke awaye froÌ„ vs. But it folowes he that dwels in the heauens will mocke them and the Lord will laughe them too scorne In the twoo first sinnes of Adam and soo orderly in al ages to these dayes it appeares how the wicked continually malice persecute the good but to the burt of theym selues and the prayse of the godly Cain killed his brother Abel thought he should haue ben blameles but Abels innocent bloude and suche like cried vengeance on Cain hys folowers from that daye to this and the righteous God reuenges it dayly and at length wil coÌ„demne the obstinate vtterly C ham mocked hys father Noe and hys seede the Canaanites persecuted Gods people the Iewes that came of Sem his brother therefore his posteritie was accursed of God to the worlds ende The proude Giants with their captain Nimrod buylding the tower of Babell to get them selues a name in earth were ouerthrowen in their owne deuise by God from heaueÌ„ Carnal Ismael sought to destroy the promysed Isaac but in vain Bloudy EdoÌ„ or Esau whom thys Prophete describes sought the deathe of his brother Iacob but the God of Abraham their father saued them Ioseph was solde into Egipt by hys brether and by the false accusinge of his maysties was wrongefully prysoned yet hee that sittes on hygh looked doune to the lowe dungeon of the pryson and raised Ioseph to be ruler and sauer of the lande The Egiptians oppressed Gods people for a tyme but the Lord of hostes drouned Fharao and hys companye for their crueltye againste them the frowarde people murmuringe often againste their captain Moyses some were swalowed vp with earth quick some burned with fire The Philistians and seuen nations rounde aboute Gods flocke kepte continual warre against them yet they coulde neuer deuoure them but were deuoured at the length Saul and hys flatterers banisshed and pursued poore Dauid whome his God of a shepeherde made a kynge mauger all his foes The ten tribes of Israel with their kyngs were enemies to Iuda Beniamin euermore yet though they were the stroÌ„ger mo in number thei were soner rooted oute The Chaldes Assirians PersiaÌ„s Grecians and Romaines the mightiest princes on the earth oft subdued the Iewes forsakinge theyr God but the Lorde their olde sauiour euer restored them agayne when they fought him vnto thei vtterly refused Christ their sauiour The Iewes crucified Christ Iesus oure Lorde thrust hym to the heart with a speare buried hym and layed a heauy stoone on hym thinkinge he should neuer ryse agayne a conqueror but in vain was all theyr spite and their labor lost Themperour many yeares cruellye tormented all that beleued in the Lord fondly thinkinge to haue by that meaneâ— ouerthrowen them The Pope in processe of time conquered almoste al princes except the Gretians vnto of late the Lord opening the eyes of some brake hys snares and deliuered hys folke MoÌ„kes and Ereres by mans traditions woulde haue ouerwhelmed true religion Papistes of late haue banisshed burned and persecuted many godly men so cruelly as no history speakes of the like thys thousande yeare willing to haue feared all frome euer acknowledging their Lord Christe Many Heretikes haue laboured to haue defaced Goddes truthe but al is in vain God his name bee praysed therefore hais ouerthrowen them in their highest ruffe laughed them to scorne and raised vppe that whiche they would most gladly haue vtterly oppressed â–ª For as death and the graue could not preuaile against Christ our head no more shall it against his bodye and members As Nimrod therefore Pharao Ieroboam Nebucadnezar Darius Alexander with all their kyngdoms and partakers be now vainquished and subdued by the Turke the Sophi and the Souldan priester Iohn other Heathen princes their couÌ„tries made wast strauÌ„gers possesse them their religion altered froÌ„ euill to wors their cytyes townes and temples as the Prophetes did tell afore are made dennes of wilde beastes owles other filthy byrds so sence christ that which Emperors maÌ„fullly coÌ„quered the pope by subtiltie deuoured made him selfe a prince of princes but now by the power of Gods woorde preached he is made a laughing stocke to al thosâ— whose eyes the Lord hais opened to see his abominations and all realmes that afore feared hym â–ª now God visiting hys people fal from hym For as the woodbinde leaning to a tree climbes vp spreades it selfe ouer all the branches vnto it haue ouergrowen and kylled the hole tree as a stroÌ„g â—eady streame vndermining great hygh bankes at length makes all to tumble intoo the water and wasshes it awaye so
woorde can not deceyue but must nedes come too passe and bee as true as if I see them with my eye Whan Thomas Dydimus woulde not beleue excepte he see the prynte of the nayles Christe sayde blessed be they that beleue and se not O notable example for al true Prophetes teachers to folowe that they teache nothinge but that whiche they see in Gods booke and not mans learninge for that is full of deceit and that they mai call their preachinges visions and sights for the certaintie of them that thei be sene by a true faythe and founde in gods boke whiche can not lye and therefore they be as true and too be beleued as if wee sawe them with oure eyes Mans learning is darknes therfore can not be called visions or thinges sene but fained as Ezechiel says woo be to the foolishe Prophetes whiche folowe theyr owne spirite and se nothinge but of gods woorde it is sayde contrariwise we haue o surer wrytinge of the Prophetes to the whiche when ye geue attendaunce as to a candle shyninge in a darke place ye doe well vntoo the daye shyne and the daye Starre ryse in your heart Thus sainct Peter attributes thus to the scripture writinges of the Prophets that thei lighten our heartes and eyes as a candle doeth a darke place vntoo a fuller knowledge bee geuen vnto vs by the spyrite of God too dryue out ignoraunce As the daye Starre or daye it selfe dryues awaye darkenes Abdia or Oabdia as the Hebrewe cals hym is as muche to saye as the seruaunt of God wheren we learne who is he that wrytes this Prophete and from whome he comes the goodnes of our good God towarde his seruauntes that he lettes not them wander in ignoraunce but declares hys hole will and pleasur vnto thē that they perish not with the wicked world but he was not of suche sorte of seruaūts whiche sainct Ihon wrytes of The seruaūt knowes not what his maister does for suche be rather slaues whiche knowe not their maisters pleasures serue not of loue but feare But he seruid the Lord hys God in true worship for such sorte of seruauntes the Hebrew woord signifies and that kynde of seruice is true fredome as sainct Paul sayes Ye be made free frō sinne but ye are seruauntes to God Thus Paull Peter call them selfes not onely Apostles but also seruaūts of Iesu Christ therfore the Lorde vouchesaued to declare his hole will vnto hym his faythfull and beloued seruaunte concerninge thinges to come and the estate of the cruell Edomytes whiche did so cruelly handle Gods people and had persecuted them so longe and lyke a true seruaunte that loues hys felowes he kepes it not close too hys selfe but confortes others therewith Names in the scriptur bee not geuen in vayne but that soo often as they heare or thinke on their owne name so ofte they shoulde consider what they be taughte by it Abdia in thinkinge on his name shuld remember that he shoulde serue the Lord his God Abraham on the blissing of God whiche made hī a father of many people Zacharia that accordinge too hys name he shoulde continually remember the Lord. Peter that his faythe is the stronge rocke whereon Christ will buylde his churche for so the woorde signifies by interpretation so foorth in all others Therfore fathers doe well in geuinge their chyldren suche Christian names as may remēber them of their duetye to Godwarde call them not by Heathē names or feyned foolishe sainctes whiche can teache them no goodnes Many doeth thinke this Abdias to be the steward of Achabs house which had an 100. Prophetes of God in caues and fed them 50. in one cōpanye and as many in another in the tyme of Iezabels cruel persecutiō now by gods prouidēce fedes many thousandes with hys holsome doctrine And although the holye scriptures do not playnly shewe that he was thesame Abdia in dede yet probable enough it is as many learned men thinke Unto whose mynde also I can well agree that it is thesame man He was one that feared the Lorde as he sayde to Elias was a straunger borne in Sychem of Idumea as some thinke and not a Iewe borne but turned after to the lawe of the Lorde forsakinge the wickednes of his people Hys writing is so muche more notable because beinge a straunger hee prophecies agaynste his owne countrye and therfore the trewer be lyke also it is and without percialitie spoken because none will willingly threaten suche distruction to hys natiue countrye as he does here but he that is a true seruaūt of God withoute sparinge will speake his maysters message frely truelye againste his dearest frendes if the Lord God sende hym Thys prophecie is more meete also for these our dayes because we were vnder the lyke persecution that he was or worse for the true Prophetes of God were not suffered to hyde them selfes in dennes wildernes as they might do than vnder cruel Achab and Iesabel but were moste cruelly throwen intoo the fyer yea the madnes of Gods enemies was so muche that they coulde not be satisfied with thē bloude of theym that were on lyue but the whiche was seldome redde of amonge the Heathen They pull vp the dead bodyes whiche were buryed many yeares before to burne their bones and strawe their asshes abrode as maister Bucer Paulus Fagius c. yea of theues for praying god to deliuer vs from the tyrāny of the Pope These Edomytes agaīst whō he writes were not so cruell as oure men were be And therfore your distruction shall be the greater at the appoynted tyme than thys other was Let vs not flatter theym nor our selfes because they be oure countrye men or because we woulde not see the destruction of oure countrye For the Lorde is a righteous God and will sharpely punishe synne wheresoeuer he fyndes it yf we doe not earnestlye begge hys pardon mercy and forgeuenes with amēdement of lyfe But it is to be feared that as Abdia did no good to his countrie folkes because they woulde not heare hym So muche labor is loste in oure countrye because they stop their eares and will heare nothinge but that whiche pleases theym for it is true that our sauiour Christ says There is no Prophete without honor and credite but in his owne countrye yet neuerthelesse lifte vp your voyce blowe the trumpet of God and tell the people theyr faultes lest they perishe and their bloude be required at your handes discharge your selfs rebuke them earnestlye and lette it take rote and profit as God will whiche geues all increase as he thinkes good If they heare not they perishe in their owne synnes and thou art free The preface that he puts here before gets hym greate aucthoritie and credit with the hearers declares him also to be a true Prophete of God because he speakes nothinge in hys owne name but says the Lord
god hadde put these woordes in his mouthe and he was aucthor and Abdyas but the messenger to speake theÌ„ to his people A worthy example for all teachers too folowe that they neuer saye thinge but oute of Gods booke and that they maye saye for euery thinge that they teache Thus sayes the Lorde this sayinge is mooste common in all the Prophetes and to be folowed of all preachers As sainct Peter says if any maÌ„ speake let hym speake but the woords of God But of this enough is sayde in sundrye places of Aggeus Edom vnto whom the Lorde speakes here is all the people of Idumea beinge so called of Edom their fyrst father as the scriptures vses too call the people by the name of the father So were the Iewes called Israell of Iacob whiche was called Israel their olde father Likewise EphraiÌ„ Ioseph Iehuda of these their old auÌ„cetors This Edom is Esau Iacobs brother as he is called in Genesis Esau he is EdoÌ„ and had that name geuen hym for his colour that he had when he was borne or of the colour of the potage for the whiche he solde hys byrthe righte for vnto hys brother Iacob when he was hongrye Esau was also called Seir whiche signifies rough because of the roughnes of his skynne and for this cause these people of EdoÌ„ and their couÌ„trye is sundery tymes in the Prophetes called Seyr also or if we seke forther EdoÌ„ maye haue his name of Adam for they be written bothe with one letters in Ebrew saue that they differ in poinctes Adam signifies to be read wherfore Edom for his crueltie in sheddinge bloudde maye well be so called As oure cardinalles in their readde Scarlet robes whiche be the folowers of these Edomytes do well declare in their apparell the bloude thristie myndes within and theyr outwarde dedes haue declared theym too the whole worlde but they say theyr read apparell signifies they shoulde abyde by the truthe to their bloude shed Adam also betokens a man and one of the common sorte soo these men were not noble afore God whiche is onely the true nobilitie but enemies to hys woorde and hys people Adama signifies also the earthe so that from whence soeuer we shal driue thys woorde Edom and all that be deryued lyke it they signifye no good people but earthy worldly cruel bloud thrystye mortal and abiects Of the two brethreÌ„ Iacob and Esau came these two people the Israelites and the Edomites And as Esau did euer hate and persecute hys brother Iacob so his stocke and posteritie did continually hate and persecute the chyldren of Iacob This is the secrete iudgement of God That of one good father Isaac came two so contrarie chyldren The one so wicked the other so good and this wicked hatred to continue in the heartes of their childers chyldreÌ„ so many ages after but this is to teache vs the free grace of God withoute any desertes on oure parte whan soeuer he cals any to the true knowledge feare of hym and that neyther the goodnes or euelnes of the father that makes a good or an euill chylde for many good fathers haue hadde euill chyldren and euill fathers good chyldren Adam had good Abell and wicked Cain Noe had good SeÌ„ and euill Cham Abraham had bothe the carnall Ismaell and the spirituall Isaac Isaac had the beloued Iacob and the hated Esau. Dauid had both proude Absalon wyse SalomoÌ„ so that the soule of the father is the lordes as well as the soule of the son and the soule that synnes shall perishe not the father for the sonne nor the sonne for the father as the Prophete sayes but euery one â—hal dye in his owne synnes So hays there ben from the beginning in the house and children of one father both good and euill bothe carnall and spirituall where the one hays persecuted the other as there is nowe in the outwarde churche of Christ and company of them that call them selues Christians bothe trewe people and faithfull and also hypocrytes dissemblers cruell persecutors of theyr brethren as these late dayes well declared wher the father persecuted the sonne and the sonne the father the man the wife and the wyfe the man whiche all suche other our sauiour Christ declares to be coÌ„sequentes to the Gospel Therefore can none doubt of the truthe of the Gospel now taught who be the true folowers of the same but he that is wilfully blinde seing all these many other true â—okeÌ„s fulfilled in our days And where he sayes we heard a sayinge frome the Lorde and a message was sent to the Heathen that they should go fight agaiÌ„st EdoÌ„ He declares by what aucthorite these people came to destroye the Edomites not sent by any kynges or the hygh Prieste but it was the Lorde God which would vse Nabuchodonozor hys people for a scourge of his iustice too the punishing of these wicked people It must not be thought straunge that God lettes one people plage an other seing the scriptures is so full of it for as God shewes hys mercy vnto his people by the helpe meanes of other men for God woorkes nothinge without meanes so he does not plage other without some meanes lets one people distroy an other When â—oâ—â—am would haue foughteÌ„ againste Ieroboam for withdrawing .10 Trybes from hym the Lorde spake vnto hym and bad hym he shoulde not fighte with him for the thinge was his dede he willed it shulde be so All gods creaturs be but his seruaÌ„ts to do hys pleasur to help comfort where it please hym and to punish correct trye or distroye where it please hym But all other creatures excepte man doe not synne in destroyinge or hurting man because they haue no euill affection of mynde in doynge it onely man sinnes in his doynges because he addes too hys doynges some euill affection of his owne mynde or els is stirred too it of the deuill So Iob says the Lorde hays geuen the Lorde hays taken away the Lords name be praysed He cals it not the dede of the Sabes or Chaldes that robbed hym but the lordes and yet they sore offended God in so doing for thei did it not to trie Iob as God woulde haue had it but of a gredye couetousnes to robbe hym and a malitious mynde because he was so welthye whiche thinge they disdayned Ioseph says that his brether whiche solde hym to the Ismaelites were not the cause of hys comminge into Egipte but the good wil of God for the Lorde turned the malice of his brether bothe to the promotion of Ioseph and all their comfortes The Lorde therfore nowe when the synne of thys people was rype anâ— when he had tryed longe ynoughe for the amendement of theym and they woulde not turne vntoo Cod but abused his patience and longe sufferinge He sendes foorthe hys messenger too the Heathen aboute to come and iustly to
theÌ„ if thei will abide his leasure But as destruction is here prophesied to Edom for their crueltye so shall all haters of Gods people perishe at the length Where as difference is in religion their can be no true hearte nor stedfast loue for seinge God is loue it selfe that loue whiche is not in God but reased of carnall and worldely reasons whaÌ„ the world turnes must nedes chaung shew it selfe what a loue it was and where it was grounded but that which is buildâ— on God will continue because hâ—e chauÌ„ge not all theyr chauÌ„ge with tyme. These Edomites ioyned them selues with Nabuchodonozor whan he came to destroye Ierusalem as Pylate and Herode which afore were enemies agreed too crucifye Christ oure Lord and as our papistes did now with the Spaniardes to destroy the Gospell and hys professors verse 2 Beholde I will make thee a littel one among the HeatheÌ„ thou shal be very much despised verse 3 The pride of thy heart hays deceyued thee because thou dwelles in the open places of the rocke and in the heightâ— is thy dwelling and says in thy hearte who shall drawe me to the earth verse 4 If thou wil climbe vppe as high as an Egle and if thou will make thy nest amonge the clowdes from thence I will make thee come doune says the Lorde ¶ Where as the scripture vses to put this woorde behold it betokens some notable thinge to folow as whan the Prophete sayde Beholde a mayde shall conceiue and beare a sonne he signified that it shoulde be a notable byrthe and conceyuinge of a chyld and coÌ„trary to the course of nature and that the chyld whiche was borne shoulde be wonderfull So sayes Dauid Beholde I was conceyued in sin betokeninge the greate corruption infirmitie and defiling of oure nature in oure conception Beholde as the eyes of the seruaunts are at their maisters hand says Dauid signifiyng that he would be more diligente in watchinge what the Lorde God woulde doe and what were his holy will for him to do â–ª than the lowest and diligentest seruaunts woulde be to watche what their maisters woulde will commaunde them to doe In thesame sense says the Prophete here Beholde marke it well what I will saye vnto thee for it is no small mater and truely it shal come to passe Likewise in threatninges in our owne tunge we vse to saye marke what I saye too you take hede to your selfe for I â—este not Remember my woordes well for I will be euen with you and I will do it in dede and such like sayinges Behold marke well says the Lord what I saye I will make thee a litle one among the Heathen thou that thinkes so highly on thy selfe and thinkes thy selfe to be so strong so mighty and greater than thy felowes I will make thee a litell one amonge the people where thou dwellest and lesse thaÌ„ any people about thee Thou flatterst thy selfe of thy strength might power multitude stronge holdes and too be greater than thy neighbours people or countries about thee and thinkes none is able too conquer thee or pull thee doune or worthy too be compared vnto thee but I will pull thee doune says the Lorde I will cut thy combe I will abate thy streÌ„gth pluck doune thy courage and highe stomacke I will throw doune thy castels and stronge holde and whatsoeuer thou reioicest in I will take it froÌ„ thee and make thee more vyle and slaue lesse and weaker than any people round about thee Thou shalt wel know that there is a God which can and will be auenged on all high myndes and will let al suche lusty stomackes see what it is to be proud in their owne eyes and rebelles against him and his people God castes in their tethe that where he hadde geuen theÌ„ a narow place to dwel in amoÌ„g the hyls they were proud of it as though it were the plenteoust place in the counâ—rye Thei were proude of a thinge of nought in comparison of other places as Malachie sayes the Edomites I haue placed in the mount Seir. He speakes not all these woordes in number order but so many in effect and purpose to thesame meaninge he writes them in the preteriâ— temps as though the thing were done past For so al the Prophets vse to speake by the preterit temps such things as shal not be done of many yeares after and yet shal as certainly come to passe as though thei were now done and past In this sort sayde Dauid Thei haue wounded my handes and feete as thoughe the thinge were done and past which was not fulfilled vnto Christ our Lord had suffered Also of the murther of the chyldren by Herode spake Ieremye as though it had ben done and past A noyse was heard in Rama wepinge and much lamentinge with infinite such other like which were not fulfilled of many yeares after And because the hole countrye and people pleased theym selues so highly and stoode so muche in their owne conceite God threatens them fâ—rther that they shal be much despised The righteous iudgement of God is-commoÌ„ly to punish vs by thesame partes wherin we offend him The riche gluton that sinned so greuously in his feasting baÌ„ketting now desires a drop of cold water can not haue it Adonibezec whiche had cruelly vsed his victories had chopped of the haÌ„ds fete of .60 kings whom he conquered made theÌ„ gather vp the cruÌ„mes vnder his table with the dogs was vsed after the same sort him self whaÌ„ he was ouercomen by the Israelites Thus teaches the wise man By what thing a maÌ„ sinnes he shal be punished by thesame This people had much many years despised the Israelites without cause thei had highly auauÌ„ced theÌ„ selfs in their owne conceate therfore iustice requires that thei should be despised again should vnderstand how vile a thing pride is in the sight of god how horribly it procures his gret anger to fal vpoÌ„ vs whaÌ„ we one despise another And although Nabuchodonozor was the woorker of this destructioÌ„ minister executiÌ„g gods iustice vpon this wicked people of Edom yet the Lord sayes him self that he will do it and it shall be counted hys dede So Iob sais that the Lord had gyuen and takeÌ„ awaye his goods although the Caldes and Sabes robbed him as wee noted afore Thus muste we in all thinges that be done whether thei be good or euil except sinne whiche God hates and causes not not onely looke at the second causes whiche be but Gods meanes and instruments wherby he workes but haue a further eye and loke vp to God If thei be good thinges that he bestowes vppon vs thynke not nor meruayll not so muche at the manne or the meanes whereby it is wrought but lowly praise the Lord God which hays vouchesaued to vse such away to thy comfort and if it be euil aduersitie that is fallen vpon
God kepe it The towre of Babel was buylded a wōders height Nārod with hys cōpanions would haue gotten an euerlasting name by it but the Lord perceyuinge their proud enterprise disapointed thē scatered thē abrode in to all coūtries Sathan was an Aūgel in heauē but for hys disobediēce is nowe made a deuill in hell Nabuchodonozor was the mightiest prince yet afterwarde made a veri beast Herode was proud of his great eloquēce streight after was wiried of life Rabsaces blaspheming the liuing God of Israel auāting him self in his great cōquestes as though thei had ben goten by their Idols power had almost .200.1000 slain in his cāpe in one night by thaūgel of God wtout mās power in the time of good Ezechias the Madianites lying so thick as groshoppers in the field thought thei shuld haue deuoured Gods people at their pleasur but God send his captain Gedeon whiche with .300 naked men vnharnessed hauing lāps in one hand earth pots in the other vāquished them all Thus it is true that the psal says If I climbe vp in to heauē thou art there if I goe doune into hel thou art there also And there thy hande shall rule me The hole scriptur if ye go thorow it is nothinge els but a perpetuall teaching howe God alwaies throwes doune the proude and liftes vp the simple lowly O if the papistes woulde be as earnest to set vp the true glorie of God as thei be diligent spayniels to seke alwayes possible to set vp that vyle podell of Idolatrie of their god the Pope In all ages haue ben some people that haue ben plages to the rest yet God hays throwen theym doune at length So no doubt the Papistes be now but their falle will be incurable whan it comes although they bee a great scourge almost to all christendome and florish for a tyme. Marke wel the laste wordes of the Prophete I will make thee come doune says the Lorde The destruction of this people was done by Nabuchodonozor many yeares after and yet the Lorde calles it hys owne dede and says he will pul thē doun So as I haue noted afore c. that is called the Lordes dede whiche is done by his seruaunts whether they be good or bad for by suche meanes the Lord wil correcte vs bringe vs to the knowledge of oure selfes and him In all suche worldly corrections therfore let vs not looke so muche at hym that vexes vs or murmur and grudge at hym but loke who hays sente him whose seruaunt he is and wherefore he comes For he comes from God to doe teache vs good And than we shall paciently beare whatsoeuer comes And because thei shuld not flatter them selfes as thoughe these thinges shoulde not thus come to passe he ioines vnto it the Lord sayes As though he shoulde saye flatter not your selfes I speake not of mine owne head the God of all truth that can not lie says thus therfore most certainly loke for it He that is a righteous iudge of all creatures both can and wil be auenged on all euil doers and will deliuer vs his people oute of the handes of their oppressors whan he hays sufficiently declared the patient abidinge and depe sighing of the oppressed abidē longe inough for the turninge of the proude enemies whan he sees no amendemente to be hoped for he wil then come in dede fearfull for his enemies and comfortable for his poore people as the Psalme sayes For the miserie of the poore the sighinge of the oppressed I will rise saies the Lord. Who shall be able to stande whan he sais he will pul doune yea who dare be bolde to looke whan hee shewes his anger deceyue not youre selfes he will come verse 5 If thefes had comen to thee and if robbers in the nighte how should thou haue holdē thy peace woulde they not haue stolen sufficiente for thē selfes If grape getherers hadde comen to thee woulde thei not haue lefte some clusters verse 6 But howe haue they serched Esau and ransacked theyr hid thynges ¶ After that the Prophete hays tolde them that thei shal be destroied nowe he◠telles them after what sorte and of what thinges thei shoulde be spoiled Edō was a countrie not onely compassed aboute with hylles that no enemies coulde enter and fortefied with stronge holdes and castels on the top of the hyls as appeares afore but it was a plentious countrie also of all fruites and full of wise men of great politie whiche all shoulde be taken frō them with all their things that thei reioiced in And where he vses two similitudes here one of theues of grape getherers which both whersoeuer thei come do much harm and take all thinges at their pleasure spare nothinge but searche all priuie corners where any thinge can be hidde yet these spoilers shoulde be muche wors and more cruelly intreate them This firste part of the similitude hays two argumēts of their cruelnes in it and it is asmuch as though he should haue sayd thus to them If theues shoulde come in the day time to spoyle thee or robbers in the night season thou coulde not haue holden thy peace but woulde haue called and cried for helpe of thy neighbours thou woulde haue prepared thy self to haue foughten with thē to haue withstande them too haue defended thine owne goods and to haue taken or killed theym that thus violently came on thee but whan these destroiers shall come thou shall not be bolde too whisper to crie to call for helpe or els if thou crie neuer so loude it is but vaine too defende thy selfe or rescew thy goodes but fearfully like a shepe lie stil and like a coward let them doe to thee what they please it shal be fulfilled in thee that God thretens to the brekers of his lawe that one shall chase a thousande and ten men ten thousande yea and that whiche is more meruailous they shal be afraide at the fall of a leafe Or if we rede thus so the Ebrewe woorde signifies both wayes how shuld thou haue ben destroied than this is the meaninge that although theues and robbers woulde haue destroied them yet that destruction should haue ben like to this so extreme a plage should this be to them that these other were not worthy to be cōpared vnto it The later token of their greate destructiō is that the Babilonions whā they come should deale wors with theym than theues or robbers would for theues whan they come thei doe not take all but the best thinges thei finde lest they shuld not flee fast ynough awaye or be bewraid by many thinges whan they shoulde bee knowen And agayn they vse not to tarye longe in robbinge a house for feare lest some shoulde espie them and come vppon theym sodenly but the Chaldees shoulde not be afraid of any company of men whā they shoulde ouerrunne them nor
destructions are wont to finde fauour and thoughte to be innocente yet now they shal be as extremely punisshed as the rest And as ye haue dronke and made mery on my hyl Sion and Moria where the teÌ„ple was buylded and God worshipped ye laught to see it destroied burned cast doune so shall your enemies drink laugh and make merye on youre hylles where youre stronge holdes were buylded whan they shal throw them doun conquer your landes and leade you captiues and prisoners make you slaues robbe your goods and treasours laughe you too scorne and worke their pleasure on you and youres they shall swalowe you and youres vp soo cleane leauing nothing behinde them deuoure all your goods as though ye had neuer ben dwelling there and as though no suche thinges had ben This is the â—ust iudgement of God to doe agayne thesame thinges to his enemies that thei did too his people and rewarde like with like If he should shewe sharper punishmente men woulde call him cruell if lesse many woulde iudge that he coulde not woulde not or durst not Therfore he renders eueÌ„ thesame againe that both his enemies his people may cal him a righteous iudge For fewe will or iustely can blame hym that does but like for like So saies Dauid let the people reioice for thou iudges thy people righteously Adonibezeâ— a Heathen that chopped of the toes and fingers of .70 kinges whiche he conquered was so serued him selfe whan he was taken and than confessed he God to be righteous in doinge to him as he had done to other Absalon killed his brother with the swerde violentlye and perished with the swerde him self Ioab smote Abner vniustly and Dauid commaunded him to bee likewise handled He that came bringinge woorde to Dauid that he had killed Saul thinkiÌ„g thereby to haue piked a thaÌ„ke and goten a bribe of Dauid was commaunded by Dauid to be slaine for laying his hand on the anointed of the Lorde contrary to his expectation Thus by these few and suche other examples the rightuous iudgements of God and merciful dealing in his punishing appeare that although his enemies rage and furye in their doinges and in their madnes care not what crueltye they shewe yet God although he mooste iustly might accordinge to their desertes reuenge with more sharpnes he will not but rewarde with like Let all cruel papistes and persecutors of Gods people take hede therefore what violence they shewe for although God seme to suffer for a time yet he wil come at his apointed time to do liuer his and reward theym with the lyke measure that they haue shewed too other And of all causes and iniuries God canne suffer none wors vnauenged than that whiche is counted against IerusaleÌ„ hys temple his religion and where he is honored for that touches his owne person His honor he says him self he will gyue to no other he is a ielous God And the first chiefe commaundement is to worshippe him alone too haue no other Goddes but him for els he punishes to the thyrde and fourth generation of them that hate him Can any countrie or people be founde froÌ„ the beginninge whiche rebelled againste God and his people but God hays throwen them doune Can than our antichristes or any hater mocker of God or hys people at this daye by what name soeuer they bee called loke for any lesse than too receyue thesame measure that they haue gyuen other nay nay for surely the mo examples that thei haue had to teache theÌ„ and they will not learne the greater shal be their condemnation And let them not thinke that this day of vengeaunce is so ferre of seing that so many thinges crie on the Lorde to hasten his cominge Euery creature in heauen earth quicke and dead grones and trauails loking for our ful deliuerance The soules vnder the aultare crie howe longe o Lorde is it that thou reuenges not oure bloude and these be not fewe in number for from the bloude of the righteous Abel all innocent bloude shal come on you The spirite and the spouse crie come and he that hears cries come Merci to help his oppressed and iustice to reueÌ„ge crie come Lorde Iesus quickly Can God stoppe hys eares from all these cryinges No no let them assure them selues their daies be at hande they shall perishe euerlastingly yf they repent not and Gods people shall be deliuered to his glorie Come Lorde Iesus let all crie and he wil come The churche of Christ is the spouse of Christ and he is oure housbande he our head and we hys members and parte of his mistical bodye he oure father and wee hys chyldren he oure God and we hys creatures he oure kynge and we hys subiectes he our Lord and maister and we hys poore seruaunts Christ our brother and we felow heyres with him he loues vs better and takes more thought for vs than we doe for oure selues Greate is the loue of the mother towarde her chyldren yet greater is Gods loue towarde vs. Although the mother can forget the chylde sayes the Prophete I will not forget thee Yea as the henne will feight for her chekins so will oure God for vs againste all oure enemies How oft would I haue gathered thee vnder my winges as the henne her chekens sayes oure sauioure Christ. Oure bodies are the temple wherein he dwelles yea we are the liuely stones wherof his house is buylt we be of his household cyâ—â—â—ens burgeis and freemen in heauen his familiar frendes whome he loued so derely that his sonne should dye that we might liue And that we should not doubt of his good will but that he hays gyueÌ„ vs all his treasure he sayes He that spared not his own sonne but gaue him for vs all how can it be but hee hays gyuen all thinges with him c. Let no man therfore doubte of Gods good will towardes vs seinge God him selfe hayes declared so many wayes his excedinge greate loue towardes vs by so many similitudes and lette no papiste reioice nor triumphe againste Gods people as thoughe God cared not for theÌ„ had cast them awaye or woulde not delyuer them For he will come in dede not be slow Peter sayes the Lord is not slow in cominge as some thinke but patienly taries for vs c. Can any housbande see his wyfe take wrong or any man hate or neglected his owne fleshe can the father denie his chylde any thinge he askes or if he aske bread will he gyue him a stoone is any more ready to help his people than God will not a king defend his subiects the maister his seruaunte or lorde his tenaunt will not brotherly loue moue him that is loue it selfe as s. Ihon sayes too haue pitie on vs he hays boughte vs too dere to see vs caste awaye Will he doe lesse for vs then the Henne for her chekeÌ„s or the brute beast for her ionge ones No
Paul your holines As they haue but one God so they will worshippe him onely and as he hais taught them and not after the deuise of man thei will also studie for a holy life as God commaundes Be ye holy for I am holy And if we reade a holy place or sanctuari to worshippe God in it is true also for in all persecutions in the spite of the Pope and all Antichrist there hays ben in all ages and shal be for God so sayinge can not lye true professors of God althoughe the moste parte of the worlde was blinded So Christe coÌ„forts his sayinge feare not thou litel flocke Thus in Christes churche in spite of their foes shall euer be Christ the heade knit to the bodye necessarely and as he is holy so shal he make them holy that heng vpon him so gouerne them by his spirite that they shall euer folow a holy kinde of lyfe fleinge mischiefe and vnclennes and so shal thei haue also his sanctuari and holy place where to resort to worship their God here is worde and call vpoÌ„ him AbrahaÌ„ Isaac Iacob Dauid in their waÌ„drings called vppon their God taughte their chyldren too feare the Lorde made their sacrifices and God reueled him self to them againe and neuer forsaked them In the captiuite of Babylon thoughe not in the temple yet they coulde by the water bankes singe psalmes on their instrumentes Whanne Christ was crucified the disciples kepte them together in a chamber praying and loking for the cominge of the holy Ghoste after whan persecution beganne some went to other countries some from house to house teachinge prayinge communicatinge and dealinge to the poore Paule sayes at Philippes by the water side thei were wonte too praye and in the middes blindnes of all Poperi hayes there euer ben some good men teachinge true doctrine and openinge their blasphemies for this can not be false that Christ promised his churche When the spirite whicâ— is the comforter shal come he shall leade you into all truthe I will be with you vnto the ende of the worlde he that is of God heareth the woordes of God you heare not for because ye are not of God And my shepe heare my voice a straunger they doe not folow Therefore let all that be vnder the crosse and persecution se thei assemble together to praise God openly confesse him if it be possible or at the leste as muche as they maye folowing the example of the faithfull christians in the beginninge whiche in spite of their foes coulde not be holden from assembling together with prayers and songes afore the daye was lighte nor lette any papiste reioyce againste goddes scatered and persecuted flocke for this is the state and condition of goddes people and preachinge the gospell that they shal not want a crosse yet God will performe this promise that in Sion the holy one Christe will be with them to gouerne them in holines of lyfe purenes of religion and an earnest fayth trustinge in God and will geue theym a place to call vpon hym in that his might mercy grace to his people may appeare to the worlde in the sight of his enemies Whan Abraham and Iacob fledde into Egipte the EgiptiaÌ„s learned God which afore neuer heard of him in the captiuite of Babylon the Caldees Assyrians Babylonions Medes and Parsians with al other people amonge whome the Iewes were scatered lerned God of them WhaÌ„ persecution beganne in Ierusalem after Christes Ascension the disciples scatered by persecution went and preached Christ to the Heathen whiche afore heard not of him In Englande after Wiclefs death whan persecution arose some died for the trueth constantly some fledde into Boemia and broughte the gospell thyther where it continues to this day although bothe Emperoure and Pope with al their mighte many sharp battels and bloudde sheddinge woulde haue rooted it oute What great assaulte the poore Waldeses haue suffered at diuers French kings handes goinge aboute to haue destroied them for their religion beinge a fewe in number and yet coulde neuer deface theÌ„ this .360 yeares it is piteous to heare Thus is this euer true that in Sion the true church of Christ shal be the holy one Christ sanctifieng all that beleue in him there shal be holines in faithe religion maners to the prayse of God there shal be also a sanctuari and holy place with asseÌ„bles in spite of their foes and persecutioÌ„ does not hurt but rather increase and further true religion thoughe not in the greater yet in the better parte of men For who soeuer the holy ghoste does enflame with an earnest zele to his religion they canne not kepe it within them they canne not abide to see their God and his woord blasphemed thei will braste oute and declare their faith and saye the earnest loue towardes thy house hais eaten me as oure Sauioure Christe did whan he see the teÌ„ple his fathers house so misused and hys religion contemned he gate whippes and droue them out Ieremie sayes the worde of God was to hym as a burninge fyre in his hearte and closed within his boones that he was not able too keepe it within him but woulde brust out This victory is sette oute more at large in the nexte verses folowinge where hee sayes the house of Iacob shal be fyre the house of Ioseph the flame and the house of Esau the stable c. Here is no description of horse haines gunnes any greate hoste or such other worldly things where in princes doe conquire and triumphe As the house of Iacob is spirituall and the kyngdome of Christe so be the weapons souldiers and victorie The swords where with thei faught were as the apostle sais the woorde of god which is sharper than any twooedged swoord and perâ—es more the soule conqueres the affections pulles doune hygh stoÌ„mackes deper than the swoorde can the bodye The gunnes were the Apostles words as Iames and Ioan were called the sonnes of thunder because with suche great power thei thundered terribly preached and feared carnall mindes more than the thuÌ„der does and threw doune sinne more than any gunnes coulde the walles Whan Peter at two sermons conuerted 5000. and Paul filled all countries frome Ierusalem to Illyzicum with the gospell what Emperour is able to bee compared of suche men of warre Whan Charles the .5 Emperour beganne to raygne Luter and Zuinglius began thesame time to preache and whither he hays throwen doune stopped and hindered the gospell more with al the help that his gostly and superstitious prelates coulde gyue than they with their scholers haue set it foorth and shewed the wickednes of Popery defaced his pompe let them selues iudge The Pope with his partakers haue had strength power politie wit wisedome armure gunnes horses harnes men and money and whatsoeuer they could deuise these other haue foughten with preachiÌ„g writing and giuing
haters of them should rather be turned to them The Cananites be called of some men the Germanes Zarphat is thought too bee Fraunce and Sepharad Spaine by the Rabbines so that euen the vtmost parts of the worlde shal folow theym For in to these partes it is writen of some that the Apostles came or at lest their doctrine as Dauid says their sounde wente out in to the hole earth but whither they or their scholers came to teache the gospel it skilles not the thinge is proued plaine that these couÌ„tries once receiued the word faith of Christ howsoeuer thei be nowe drowned in Popery or fallen to Heathen Idolatry which shal be rooted out at leÌ„gth to notwtstaÌ„ding their malitiousnes now Haue not al the wicked tyrans Idolaters which raigned once in all these couÌ„tries be driueÌ„ out by the light of Gods word their cruelnes coulde not stoppe the faith of the Christians neyther with fyre swoorde nor any cruel deathe thei coulde imagine Yea the more cruell they were in persecutinge the more earnest were they in professinge and the mo they putte to death the mo encreased as Augustine sayes Christian men were bonden caste in pryson beaten racked burned cut in peces as butchers cut their fleshe â–ª kylled yet notwithstandinge all this they multiplied and encreased The laste verse promises Sauiors too come and iudge and the kingedome to be the Lordes This is notable to consider in the kyngedome of Christe that whiche is contrary to earthly kyngdomes Worldly princes whan they goe too conquere a countrie thei goe with fire and and swerde to destroye all that withstaÌ„de them but in Christes kyngedome there come sauiors to preache saluation too rebelles his enemies and haters if thei wil repent Earthely princes come with gunnes horse and barnes Christes disciples come to conquire the deuill and his members without bagge staf or money mortall priÌ„ces come with might and power of men the preachers of Christes kyngdom â–ª come in the might of Gods spirite which opens the eyes of the blinde and softens stony heartes and turnes theym too the Lorde Worldly princes do muche by flattery bribery or threatning to win the people but christes ministers come in mekenes of spirit prayinge and besechinge sekinge not their own vaÌ„tage but the turninge of the poore straye sheepe that they maye bringe theym home too the folde agayne Earthely princes feighte for an earthy kyngedome but the preachers of Christes gospel teache the way to heaueÌ„ peace of conscience the loue and fauor of God purchassed by the death of Christ Iesus â–ª So in all pointes as heauen earthe are contrarie soo are the kingdomes the ministers and subiectes of theym bothe the waye to conquere and compasse them bothe the meanes to enioye them bothe and the pleasures in them bothe whanne we haue gotten them Yet notwithstandinge all thinges in them be so contrary and worldly menne by all wayes possible goe aboute too stoppe and hinder the gettinge of the other heauenlye kyngedome to withdrawe men frome it and enuye the glorie and encrease of it yet the kingdome shall be the Lords in spite of all his foes and their malitious enterprises shal come to nought They be called sauiours because thei teache the woorde of saluation and iudges because thei will be rigâ—â—teous and neyther for giftes bribery nor partialitie deliuer the wicked and condemne the innocent but vprightly accordinge to the scripture preache saluation to the penitent and condemnation too the harde herted Their iudginge shall not be in worldlye maters no more than their preachinge and sauing but as their ministery is spirituall so shall their commission iudgemente and deliueraunce be In Esau is ment hypocrites persecutors false teachers and all euyll doers Saincte Paul sayes to Timothe that in doinge these thinges whiche he taughte hym he shoulde saue him selfe and these that hearde him Saincte Iames called the gospell the woorde that can saue their soules and too the Romaines it is called the power of God vnto saluation of euery one that beleues because the mightye power of God howe he saues vs is dâ— declared in it But Christ is onely the Sauiour properly speakinge and other bee but ministers and teachers of thesame for there is no other name as saincte Luke sayes vnder heauen in whiche we muste bee saued Thus in the churche of Christ Sion shall be euer saluation preached iudgemente ministred and sinne punished Woo than be to theym that flatter laye pillowes vnder their elbowes teach false doctrine c. And yet will haue the rowmes and names of preachers in the house and churche of Christe they be Wolues hierelinges and deuourers of the flocke of Christe Christe sayes he came to the iudgemente of the worlde too condemne the woorkes of the worlde and so for the same vse he geues hys spirite still too hys ministers to sette vp hys kyngedom and condemne the woorkes of the worlde antichrist and his enemies A kyngdom can not stande without ministering of iustice punyshinge sinne and maintaininge the trueth deliuering the innocent repenter and condemninge obstinates So the ministers of Christes kyngedome haue power spirituall to louse and binde as they see the scriptures teache them Receyue ye the holy ghoste whose sinnes you forgeue thei are forgeuen but not whan soeuer syr Ihon lacklatin wil for money lay his hand on his heade whisper Absolutione et remissione c. in Latin that neither he nor the other weake conscience vnderstaÌ„des it is not I saye by and by forgeuen but vnto them it is saide I will curse youre blessinges and I will blesse youre cursinges If the absolution be not geuen to the penitent heart oppressed with the burden of sinne and sekinge comforte in Christe it is no more profitable thanne Baptisme or the Communion is too an hypocrite or vnpenitente synner Yea rather it is to the condemnation bothe of the gyuer and receyuer if it bee vngodly done because they misuse the good ministery of God Therefore they that in absoluinge iudge not accordinge too the commission of Gods woorde committed vnto them be not sauiours of the people but deceiuers And where he sayes the kyngedome shall be the Lords â–ª he condemnes all that teache any doctrine in the churche to sette vp any other kynge or kyngedom but the woorde of God whiche be hys lawes geuen to hys people that they maye lyue accordinge thereto knowinge them to be hys subiectes and hym their kynge that so his kyngedome maye encrease and bee ruled by his lawes as earthy princes rule by their lawes Therfore the Pope teachinge hys Decrees settinge vp him selfe and hys kyngedome as though he were Lorde of heauen and earthe purgatorye and hell and bringinge the people to hys obedience as the chiefe ruler is traytour to God and deceiues the people And to saincte Peter whose vicar he sayes he is he muste nedes bee proued mooste vnlike and a traitour
generally to speake of al the creatures of God whaÌ„ they be loued or trusted in for them selues and not for his cause that made them thei deceiue vs. Consider not therfore the beauti strength wealth commodite pleasur of any creature in it self for thaÌ„ it wil surely deceiue thee but lift vp thy minde to hym that made them for thy vse commodite praise him for his great care that he takes for thee in making of them geuing thee the vse of them so shalt thou not be deceiued by them but receiue profit thy self geuiÌ„g him his due honor whaÌ„ thou knowledges thy God to worke thy saluation pleasure or commodite by such his creatures The Lord hais geuen herbes diuers streÌ„gth to heale diuerse diseases but if in sicknes we trust in the phisicioÌ„ or his medicines wee be deceiued in his good creatures For as Dauid sais It is the Lord that heales our diseases is at our bed side whaÌ„ we be sicke So these people hauing receiued a strong plenteous couÌ„trie at the merciful haÌ„des of God forgat him that gaue it theÌ„ trusted in their owne streÌ„gth wisdom politie so be the fare outwarde show of these thinges pride crept in deceiued theÌ„ made theÌ„ to trust in them selues And wel it mai be saide too haue deceiued theym because it crept in vnder suche a faire preteÌ„se also because wheÌ„ thei loked to haue ben saued by them they were soonest deceiued theyr holdes wherein they trusted were throwen doune their countrie conquired and the people spoiled destroied Thus does all worldly thinges with a goodly outwarde shew deceiue a maÌ„ whan he trustes most in them A horse is a deceitful thing sayes Dauid again some truste in their chariots some in the horses but we trust in the name of our lord God When the people woulde haue gone into Egipt for succour The Prophete saide Egipt is but a rede Golias trusted in his â—arnes streÌ„gth but Dauid in Gods name ouerthrow him Trust not therfore in any worldly thing for it will sure deceiue thee when thou lokes for help of it No truste not in princes be thei neuer so mighty for Nabuchodonozor walking in his gorgious palâ—yce coÌ„sidering his mighty strong citie of Babylon coÌ„teining .16 miles square as Plinie teaches his many kingdoms people that were his subiects thought he shuld neuer haue fallen thaÌ„ sodenly was he cast out of his kingdom liued eate gresse with beastes what could be deuised stroÌ„ger thaÌ„ the towre of Babel but howe sodenly vainquished that vain hope awaye That which is added thou saies in thy heart who shal draw me doun to the earthe teaches vs thus muche that it is not onely these grosse outwarde sinnes as murther thefte horedom and suche like but euen the fine thoughtes of our owne hearts whiche we thinke that none knowes but our selfs whiche God will iudge and be auenged of them Thei did not so much blasphemously crake opeÌ„ly saying who shal draw vs doune as they thought it in their hearts and priuely laughed in their selfes at Gods people being so few hated oppressed and despised of all round about them and thoughte them selfes so stronge that none durst be bolde to touch them Likewise speakes Dauid the wicked manne saide in his hearte there is no God meaninge not soo muche that there was no God or that they didde so openly speake of him as that they thoughte God had no care ouer theÌ„ or knew not thinges done on earth as he says in an other psal is their knowledge in the heighte or who sees vs euen in these grosse sinnes Our sauiour Christe sayes He that lokes at a woman too luste for her hays committed adultery therfore let vs not deceiue oure selfes sayinge thought is free or I maye thinke what I lust or as the Psal. sayes oure lips are oure owne and who is oure God for as God hais creat and made oure hearts and all oure powers of our soules so will he haue a counte of them be seruid with them and haue them to thinke vpoÌ„ his maiestie mercy and goodnes and bee praysed that waies as well as in our outward dedes and if we do vse theÌ„ for other purposes it deserues damnation In the laste verse the Lord makes aunswer w hat shal becom on EdoÌ„ for al their greaie crakes proud lokes stroÌ„g holdes or any thinge that they reioyced in And he saies I wil not only drawe thee doun to the bare earth frome the toppes of the hylles where thou delites thy selfe in thy stronge holdes but if it were possible that thou coulde flie as high as the Egle and buyld thy nest amonge the Starres from thence I woulde drawe thee doune says the Lorde Herein we maye see howe horrible a thinge it is to forsake God henge on oure selfe or trust in any worldly streÌ„gth Let not the wise reioice in his wisedome nor the stronge in his strengthe nor the ryche in his ryches sayes Iere. And these thinges all to be true shall wel appeare in this Prophet proued by particulers for the people had all worldly wealth wherin to reioice but they were deceyued in them al and destroied as here after shall appeare But this is euer the wisedom of the flesh to reioice in thinges contrary to God and therfore is it worthely condemned by hys exaÌ„ple The worldly man says whan hys enemies come against him it is good abiding wtin strong walles se whether thei can flie ouer theÌ„ like birds or vnder mine theÌ„ like conâ—es but the godly man sais with Eliseus being beseged of the king within the citie his boie came told him feare not for there is moe with vs than with theÌ„ Afterward he desired the Lord to opeÌ„ hys boies eies that he mighte see howe many were on their side the Lord gaue him sight he saw the hils ful of AuÌ„gels chariots ready to fight for him beside that the Lord blinded his enemies Eliseus led theÌ„ in to the middest of Samaria amonge theyr enemies where God bade him fede theÌ„ not harme theym for it was not he that had brought them thither but the Lorde hys God The worldly man whaÌ„ persecution comes thinkes shall I leaue my countrie frendes goods go into a strauÌ„ge land I know not whyther and whose laÌ„guage I vnderstand not but the faithful maÌ„ hering God speake to his conscience as he did too AbrahaÌ„ Come out of thy couÌ„trie froÌ„ thy freÌ„ds into a laÌ„d that I wil shew thee serue me fal not to Idolatri he wil obei with faithful AbrahaÌ„ knowing that God wil gide all those that loue folow him that his countrie is whersoeuer God is serued these be his frends cosins that feares the Lorde as our sauior Christ said these be my mother brether sisters that hear the woord of