thou hast defrauded thy neighbour by extortion and hast forgotten mee saith the Lord God There is a conspiracie of her Prophets in the middest thereof like a roaring lyon rauening the pray they haue deuoured soules they haue taken the riches and precious things they haue made her many widowes in the middest therof her priests haue broken my law and haue defiled my holy things they haue put no difference betweene the holy and prophane neither discerned betweene the vncleane and the cleane and haue hid their eyes from my sabbaths and I am prophaned amongst them her Princes in the middest thereof are like wolues rauening the pray to shed bloud and to destroy soules for their owne couetous lucre The people of the land haue violently oppressed by spoyling and robbing and haue vexed the poore and the needy yea they haue oppressed the stranger Ezechiel against right I sought for a man amongst them that should make vp the hedge and stand in the gap before me for the land that I should not destroy it but I found none Behold therefore I haue smitten my hand vpon the couetousnes that thou hast vsed and vpon the bloud which hath beene shed in the middest of thee Can their hart endure or can their hands bee strong in the dayes that I shall haue to doe with thee I the Lord haue spoken it and I will doe it as they gather siluer and brasse and iron and lead and tinne into the middest of the furnace to blow the fire vpon it to melt it so wil I gather you in mine anger and in my wrath and will put you there and melt you and you shal know that I the Lord haue powred out my wrath vpon you Say vnto them as I liue saith the Lord God I desire not the death of the wicked but that the wicked turne from his way and liue Turne you turne you from your euill waies for why will you die When the righteous turneth from his righteousnes and committeth Cap. 33. iniquitie hee shall euen die thereby But if the wicked returne from his wickednes and doe that which is lawfull and right he shal liue therby Yee leane vpon your swords yee worke abomination and yee defile euery one his neighbours wife should yee then possesse the land Also thou sonne of man the children of thy people that talke of thee by the walles and in the doores of houses and speake one to another euery one to his brother saying Come I pray you and heare what is the word that commeth from the Lord for they come vnto thee as the people vseth to come and my people sit before thee heare thy words but they wil not do them for with their mouths they make iestes and their heart goeth after their couetousnes loe thou art vnto them as a iesting song of one that hath a pleasant voice and cansing well for they heare thy wordes but doe them not Say thus vnto them thus saith the LORD GOD as I liue so surely they that are in the desolate places shall fall by the sworde and him that is in the open field will I giue vnto the beasts to be deuoured and they that be in the courts and in the caues shall die of the pestilence thē shall they know that I am the Lord when I haue laid the land desolate and waste because of their abominations which they haue committed Wo vnto the shepheards of Israel that feede Cap. 34. themselues should not the shepheards feede the flocks yee eate the fatte and ye cloath you with the wooll yee kill them that are fedde but you feede not the sheepe The weake haue you not strengthned and the sick haue you not healed neither haue you bound vp the broken nor brought again that which was driuen away neither haue you sought that which was lost but with cruelty and with rigour haue you ruled them and they were scattred without a shepheard and when they were dispersed they were deuoured of all the beasts of the field Therefore ye shepheards heare the word of the Lord As I liue saith the lord God surely because my flock was spoiled and my sheepe were deuoured of all the beasts of the field hauing no shepheard neither did my shepheards seeke my sheepe but my shepheards fedde themselues and fed not my sheepe Behold I come against the shepheards and will require my sheepe at their hands and cause thē to cease from feeding the sheepe neither shall the shepheards feede themselues any more for I will deliuer my sheepe from their mouths they shall no more deuoure them For thus saith the lord God behold I will search my sheepe and seeke them out I will seeke that which was lost and bring againe that which was driuen away and will binde vp that which was broken wil strengthen the weake but I wil destroy the fatte and the strong and feede thē with iudgement because ye haue thrust with side and with shoulder and pusht all the weake with your hornes till ye haue scattered them abroad therefore will I helpe my sheepe and they shall no more be spoiled I will iudge betweene sheepe and sheepe And ye my sheepe the sheepe of my pasture are mine and I am your GOD saith the Lord God A new heart also wil I giue you and a new spirit will I put within you and I wil take away the stony heart out of your bodie and will giue you an heart of flesh and I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walke in my statutes ye shall keepe my iudgements and do them and ye shall dwell in the land that I gaue to your fathers and ye shal be my people and I wil bee your God I will also deliuer you from al your filthines Thē shall you remember your owne wicked waies and your deedes that were not good and shall iudge your selues worthy to haue bene destroied for your iniquities and for your abominations Be it knowne vnto you that I doe not this for your sakes but for my holy names sake saith the Lord God Therefore be ashamed and confounded O house of Israel for your owne waies Wee haue sinned and committed Daniel against impenitent sinners cap. 9. iniquitie and haue done wickedly yea we haue rebelled and haue departed from thy precepts and from thy iudgements for we haue not obeied the voice of the Lord our God to walke in his waies which he hath laid before vs by the ministry of his seruants the Prophets Therfore hath the Lord made ready the plague and brought it vpon vs for the Lord our God is righteous in all his workes which he doth for we would not heare his voice Many shall be purified made white and tried but the wicked shall do wickedly and none of the wicked shall haue vnderstanding but the wise shall vnderstand Heare the word of the Lord ye children Osea against ◠impenitent sinners Cap. 4. of Israel for the
Lord hath a controuersie with the inhabitants of the land because there is no truth nor mercie nor knowledge of God in the land By swearing and lying and killing stealing and whoring they break out bloud toucheth bloud yet let none rebuke nor reproue another for thy people are as they that rebuke the priests my people are destroied for â—ack of knowledge because thou hast refused knowledge I will also refuse thee that thou shalt be no Priest to me and seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God I will also forget thy childreÌ„ as they were encreased so they sinned against me they eate vp the sinnes of my people and lift vp their mindes in their iniquitie And as theeues waite for a man so the coÌ„pany of the Priests murther in the way by consent for they worke mischiefe Therefore wil I chaÌ„ge their glorie into shame and there shall be like people like Priest for I will visit their waies vpon them and reward them their deedes Their drunkennes stincketh they haue committed whordome their rulers loue to say with shame bring ye whordome and wine and new wine take away their hearts Therefore shall the Land mourne and euery one that dwelleth therein shall be cut off The Prophet shall fall with thee in the night and I will destroy thy mother They wil not giue their mindes to turne vnto their God for the spirit of fornication is in the middest of them they haue not knowen the Lord. The Princes of Iudah were like them that remoue their bounds therefore will I powre out my wrath vpon them like water I euen I wil spoile and go away I wil take away and none shall rescue it Wo vnto them for they fled away froÌ„ me destruction shal be vnto them because they haue transgressed against me though I haue redeemed them yet haue they spoken lies against me I haue written to them the great things of my lawe but they were counted as a straÌ„ge thing and they consider not in their heart that I remember all their wickednes Now their owne inuentions haue beset them about they are in my sight for the wickednes of their inuentions I wil cast them out of mine house I will loue them no more all their Princes are rebels my GOD will cast them away because they did not obey and they shall wander amongst the nations They turne iudgement to woormewood Amoâ— against impeniteÌ„t sinners cap. 5. and leaue off righteousnes in the earth they haue hated him that rebuked in the gate and they abhorred him that speaketh vprightly therefore the prudent shaâ—l keep silence in that time for it is an euill time for I know your manifold transgressions your mighty sinnes they afflict the iust they take rewards and they oppresse the poore in the gate Therefore the Lord God of Hostes the Lord saith thus mourning shall be in all the streetes they shall say in all the high waies alas alas and they shall call the husbandmen to lamentation and such as can mourn to mourning Behold the daies come saith Cap. 8. the Lord God that I wil send a famine in the land not a famine of bread nor a thirst for water but of hearing the word of the Lord they shall wander from sea to sea and from the north euen to the east shall they runne to and fro to seeke the word of the Lord and shall not finde it Behold the eies of the lord Gap 9. are vpon the sinfull kingdome and I will destroy it cleane out of the earth and I will slay the last of them with the sword he that flieth of them shall not fly away and he that escapeth of them shall not be deliuered though they dig into hell thence shall mine hand take them though they climbe vp to heauen thence will I bring them downe and though they hide themselues in the top of Carmell I wil search and take them out thence and though they be hid froÌ„ my sight in the bottom of the Sea there will I command the serpent and hee shall bite them and though they go into captiuity before their enemies theÌ„ce will I command the sworde and it shall slay them and I will set mine eies vpon them for euill and not for good For behold the Lord commeth out of his place and will come downe and Micheas against impenitent sinners cap. 1. tread vpon the high places of the earth and the mountaines shall melt vnder him So shall the valleies cleaue as wax before the fire and as the waters that are powred downeward Woe vnto theÌ„ Cap. 2. that imagine iniquitie and worke wickednes vpon their beds when the morning is light they practise it because their hand hath power and they couet fields and take them by violence and houses and take them away so they oppresse a man and his house euen man and his heritage the women of my people haue you cast out from their pleasant houses and from their children haue you taken away my glory continually They that prophecied prophecie you not they shall not prophecie vnto theÌ„ neither shall they take shame if a man walke in the spirit and would lie falsely saying I will prophecie vnto thee of wine strong drinke he shall euen bee the Prophet of this people Therefore thus saith the Lord behold against this family haue I deuised a plague whereout ye shall not pluck your necks and ye shall not go so proudly for this time is euill Thus saith the Lord coÌ„cerning the Prophets that deceiue my people and bite them with their teeth and cry peace if a man put not in their mouthes they prepare warre against him the heads thereof iudge for rewardes and the Priests therof teach for hire the Prophets thereof prophecie for money yet will they leane vpon the Lord and say is not the LORD amongst vs no euill can can come vpon vs. They hate the good and loue the euill they pluck the skins from them and their flesh from their bones and they eate also the flesh of my people and fley off the skinne from them and they breake their bones and chop them in pieces as for the pot and as the flesh within the caldron For the Cap. 6. rich men thereof are full of cruelty and the inhabitants thereof haue spokn lies and their tongue is deceitfull in their mouthes Shal I iustifie the wicked ballances the bag of deceitfull waights therefore also wil I make thee sicke in in smiting thee and in making thee desolate because of thy sinnes thou shalt eate and not be satisfied and thy casting downe shal be in the middest of thee and thou shalt take hold but shalt not deliuer and that which thou deliuerest will I giue vp vnto the sworde Will the Lord bee pleased with thousands of rammes or with ten thousaÌ„d riuers of oile shall I giue my first borne for my transgression euen the fruit of my bodie for the sinne
doctrine also of transubstantiation the truth of the blessed Sacrament is in plaine truth denied what colours pretences shiftes or shewes so euer be made to the contrary for how can there bee a sacrament of Christs precious body and bloud when as by the doctrine of the church of Rome the elements of bread and wine which by the power of the word of God are made a holy sacrament are taken away changed into the reall naturall flesh and bloud of Christ and after which change nothing but the very substance of Christ remaineth and hee is really carnally corporally present which if it be so true as they would haue it as they with fire sword would force euery one to beleeue then must Christs reall naturall carnall body be a sacrament of his body and not the elements which by their doctrine haue no essence or being at all but by the power of the word are transubstantiated into the carnall body of Christ or else there remaineth no Sacrament at all which for shame I thinke they will not affirme for the vndoubted truth is that the substance it selfe of Christs body and the Sacrament of the substance which are the elementes beeing distinct seuerall things cannot so be changed or giue place the one to the other that one selfe same thing should be both seeing the true nature and property of a Sacrament is according to the doctrine of holy scripture to declare offer giue to all the faithfull and true beleeuers that receiue the same with a liuely faith another thing then that it selfe is both in shew and substance or else it should nor cannot be properly a Sacrament for a Sacrament as the diuines do terme it Is a visible signe substance and pledge What a Sacrament is of inuisible grace giuen to all theÌ„ that receiue the substance of the elements by which they are and shall be made partakers of the inuisible grace offered giueÌ„ to al theÌ„ that through the working of the holy Gghost haue a true faith to receiue the same inuisible grace by the elements as the sacrament of circumcision and the passeouer in time of the lawe did declare giue testifie and assure vnto all the children of Abraham the beleeuing Iewes the mercifull promise of God that God was is and would be their God their redeemeâ— and deliuerer from sinne and Satans power for euer of which their captiuity vnder sinne and Satan their thraldome in Egypt from whence they were diliuered was a figure The Sacrament also of Baptisme the Lords Supper do declare giue testifie seale vp and assure through the vnspeakeable working of the holy Ghost vnto all the true beleeuers in Christ their full and perfect deliuerance from sinne and Satans power their participation and fruition of perfect holinesse in Iesus Christ and in the end the reward of euerlasting life purchased giuen bestowed by his meanes and for his sake who paied the price of their redemption of all which the true beleeuers are made partakers in the instance of receiuing the outward elements in Baptisme the Lords Supper through the worâ—king of the holy Ghost in them and vnfained stedfast true faith It belongeth not therfore to any sacrament or to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper by the doctrine of Gods word that the elements should bee changed into the very and naturall substance of that whereof it is a sacrament either by transubstantiation or consubstantiatioÌ„ for that were to fetch Christ againe froÌ„ aboue and giue him a reall naturall or supernaturall corporall presence here vpon earth and so to make him be in all places at once contrary to the true nature of his true humane body and contrary to the doctrine of holy scripture which teacheth not any presence of Christ on earth againe in his humane flesh vntil the time appointed before remembred but plainely sheweth the contrary declaring further that as many as come to this sacrament and communion of the precious body and bloud of Christ with a true and liuely faith fruitfull in true repentance and in a vertuous and godly life the holy Ghost worketh in them a lifting vp of their hearts and mindes into heauen where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God and there through the operation of the same Spirit in the instance of receiuing the sacrameÌ„t they receiue apprehend and feede vpon in a true vnfained and liuely faith the true reall and naturall body of Iesus Christ the sonne of God whereby their bodies and soules are preserued nourished and strengthened to the attainment of euerlasting life by his changing purging all their corruptions and vncleannes and by his distributing and vniting vnto euery of them the true properties and excellent graces of his naturall holy body as his wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption all which is as truely made theirs by and through his gracious imputation as if they and euery of them had in their owne proper nature attained vnto and fulfilled the same of which excellent graces the fruit and reward shal follow of glorification and life eternall Of all which benefites this sacrament The vse of the Sacramenâ— and the sacrament of Baptisme are appointed vnto the faithfull to be as tables and glasses wherein they may plainely see and behold all the great mercies of God towards wretched and miserable sinners plainly drawen and figured that whereas the word doth as a liuely trumpet sound out his gracious goodnesse to the eares of the faithfull these sacraments do serue as instrumeÌ„ts and conduits to conuey it to the eies taste feeling and comfort of all the senses so that when their bodies are made partakers of the sacrament and outward elements their soules in the same instaÌ„t through the mightie working of the holy Ghost are sed by the instrument of true and liuely faith with the most holy reall natural body bloud of Christ through the liuely power also of which holy spirit they are moued stirred vp to giue continuall praise honour and thankes for these his bountifull mercies rich treasures bestowed vpon them For in this sacrament and communion of the body and bloud of Christ there is shewed declared and giuen vnto all and euery of the faithfull the death and sufferings of Christ the participation they haue with him and all the benefites which they receiue by his passion whereof they are put in minde in this sacrament by foure Similitudes First by breaking and receiuing of the bread Secondly by powring foorth and drinking of the wine Thirdly by the nourishment which their bodies receiue by these elements by the vnity of many cornes whereof the substance of the bread and the vnity of many grapes whereof the substance of the wine is made Fourthly by the conuersion that these elements haue into the substance of the receiuers By the breaking and receiuing of the bread and by the powring foorth and drinking of the wine the faithfull are put in minde of the death
the lord the remnaÌ„t of Israel shall doe none iniquitie nor speake lies neither shall a deceitfull tongue be found in their mouth for they shal be feed lie downe none shall make them afraid Now therefore saith the Lord of Haggai against impenitent sinners cap. 1. hostes consider your owne waies in your hearts ye haue sowen much and bring in little you eate but you haue not enough you drinke but you are not filled you claoth you but you are not warme and hee that earneth wages putteth the wages into a brokeÌ„ bagge you looked for much and loe it came to little when you brought it home I did blow vpon it and I called for a drought vpon the land and vpon the mountaines and vpon the corne and vpon the wine and vpon the oyle vpon all that the ground bringeth forth both vpon men and vpon cattle and vpoÌ„ all the labour of the hands I smote you with blasting with mildew and with haile in all the labours of your handes yet you turned not to mee saith the Lord. Thus speaketh the Lord of hostes Zacharie against impenitent sinners Cap. 7. 8. saying these are the things that yee shall doe speake euery man the truth vnto his neighbour execute true iudgment and shew mercy and compassion euery man to his brother and oppresse not the widow nor the fatherles the stranger nor the poore and let none of you imagine euill against his brother in your heart and loue no false othe for all these things are the things that I hate saith the Lord but they refused to hearken and puled away the shoulder and stopped their eares that they should not heare yea they made their hearts as an adamant stone lest they should heare the law and the wordes of the Lord of hostes sent in his spirit by the ministrie of the former Prophets therefore came a great wrath from the Lord of hostes I haue loued you saith the Lord yet Malac. against impenitent sinners Cap. 1. you say wherein hast thou loued vs A sonne honoreth his father and a seruant his master if then I bee a father where is mine honour and if bee a master where is my feare saith the Lord of hostes vnto you O ye Priests that despise my name ye say wherin haue we dispised thy name my couenant was with Leuie of life peace and I gaue him feare and he feared me and was afraid before my name the law of truth was in his mouth there was no iniquitie found in his lippes he walked with me in peace and equitie and did turne many away from iniquitie For the Priests lippes should preserue knowledge they should seeke the law at his mouth for he is the messenger of the Lord of hostes but yee are gone out of the way yee haue caused many to fall by the law yee haue broken the couenant of Leuy saith the Lord of hostes therefore haue I made you also to be despised and vile before all the people because you kept not my waies but haue beene partiall in the law from the dayes of your fathers haue you gone away from mine ordinances and haue not kept them returne vnto mee and I will returne vnto you saith the Lord of hostes but ye said wherein shall wee returne your words haue beene stout against mee saith the Lord yet ye say what haue we spoken against thee ye haue said it is in vaine to serue God and what profit is it that we haue kept his commandements and that we haue walked humbly before the Lord of hosts Therfore we count the proud blessed euen they that worke wickednes are set vp and they that tempt God yea they are deliuered Then spake they that feared the lord euery one to his neighbour and the lord hearkened and heard it and a booke of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the lord and thought vpon his name and they shall be to me saith the lord of hosts in that day that I shall do this for a flocke and will I spare them as a man that spareth his owne sonne that serueth him Then shall you returne and discerne betweene the righteous and the wicked betweene him that serueth God him that serueth him not For behold the day commeth that shal burne as an ouen and all the proud yea and al that do wickedly shal be stubble and the day that commeth shall burne them vp saith the lord of hostes and shall leaue theÌ„ neither roote nor braÌ„ch But vnto you that feare my name shalâ— the sun of righteousnes arise health shall be vnder his wings and you shall go forth and grow vp as fat calues and ye shall tread downe the wicked for they shall be dust vnder the soules of your feete in the day that I shall do this saith the lord Cum fueris felix quae suut aduersa caueto Rursus in aduersis melius sperare memento Prospice qui veniunt hos casus esse ferendos Nam leuius laedit quicquid prâ—uideris ante Nec multum time as venturi tempora fati Non timet is mortè qui scit conteÌ„nere vitaÌ„ Passibus ambiguis fortuna volubilis errat Et maneâ— in nullo certa tenaxque loco Sed modò laeta manet vultus modò sumit accrbos Et tantum constans in leuitate sua est Omnia sunt homini tenni pendentia filo Et subito casu quae valuere ruunt Tutior in terris locus est quam sedibus altis Nam fortuna leuat infima summa premit Et quodqunque libet tibi dat fortuna rapitque Irus est subito qui modò Croesus erat Singula quid repetam nil non mortale tenemus Pectoris exceptis ingenâ—que bonis Ludit in humanis diuina potentia rebus Et certam praesens non habet hora fidem Vt probet vt purget vt puniat vt mereatur Vt manifestetur gloria poena datur Itaque fac timeas et quae tibi laeta videntur Dum loqueris fieri tristia posse puta De optimo correctionis modo carmina composita ex diuersis auctoribus Moribus ingenuis cultus si charus amicus Esse nolit perfer post modò mitis erit Cumque mones aliquem nec se velit ipse moneri Si tibi sit charus nolâ— desistere coeptis Ferreus assiduo consumitur annulus vsu Interit assidua vomer aduncus humo Quid magis est aurum saxo quid mollius vnda Dura tamen molli saxa cauantur aqua Gutta cauat lapidem non vi sed saepe cadendo Corripe sic charos non vi sed saepe monendo Flectitur obsequio curuatus ab arbore ramus Franges si vires experiere tuas Obsequio tranantur aquae nec vincere postis Flumina si contra qua rapit vnda nates Obsequium tigresque domat tumidosque leones Rustica paulatim taurus aratra sumit Tempore difficiles veniunt ad aratra iuuencae Tempore