which is agayne deuyded into three partes The vpper Region next the Firmament The middle Region where the Clowdes and vpper waters by Gods prouidence are stayed to the great benefite of the world and The neather part left for the commoditie of Gods Creatures to liue and breath in The vpper waters are reserued aswell to make the earth * Fruitfull by sending them downe in due season according to his gracious prouidence as also by hys iustice in way of punishment to work the Plague of Sinfull men as we euidently see in the example of the * generall Deluge and in sending vnseasonable weathering to take from vs the fruites of the earth Let the earth bring forth budde grene hearbe apt to seede and fruitfull c. When we see these faire and manifold Commodities of the earth the greene Grasse the bewtifull Flowers and hearbes the Fruites of Trees and Graine to the singular benefite of man and beast we must not thinke that the same cōmeth by course of Nature only but by the singular Prouidence of God sending the same to the Reliefe of his creatures For the sweet cōfort of this place read Psal 104. He causeth grasse to growe for cattell and herbes for the vse of men that he maye bring forth Foode out of the earth both VVine that maketh gladde the hart of man and Oyle to make him haue a cheerefull countenance and also Bread to strengthen mens harts God hath made not onely fruites of one kinde but of Innumerable sorts that we might thereby vnderstande the bountifull goodnesse and riches of his mercies towardes vs. Let there be lightes in the Firmament of heauen that they may deuide c. Et sint in signa c. The vse and benefite of the Moone Sunne and Planets is not onely to giue light vnto the worlde but to make distinctions of Times and seasons as Sommer VVinter Autumne the Spring also Yeares Moneths VVekes dayes and houres which distinction much serueth to the vse and commoditie of mans life And God made the beaste of the earth and euery thing that creepeth c. Hereby we haue to learne that the Prouidence of God stretcheth not onely to Man Beast Fishe Foule such like but to the verie smallest things and of least estimatiō as Wormes Flees Fleas and other Vermine whatsoeuer be they in mans fight neuer so contemptible For God vseth the same at his pleasure eyther to the benefite or to the punishment of Mankinde as it may very well * appeare by sundrie of the Plagues of Aegipt wherein he vsed these things for his instruments And God sayde let vs make man in our Image after our likenesse c. After God had created and made perfite all the Furniture of Heauen and earth and by his wisedome marueylously distincted eche thing in hys kinde place and office he lastly commeth to the Making of mankinde as that thing vnto whose vse principallie al other his creatures might seeme to be framed That he in the vse of them might vnderstande the great goodnesse of his Lorde and Maker towarde him and for the same yeelde vnto him true Worship and glorie Concerning Man he noteth here briefely 3. thinges his Creation his Dignitie his Blessing and encrease Of his Creation it will be spoken in the next chapiter more particularly Of his Dignitie aboue all other Creatures this is one euident testimonie that he sayth not let Man be made as he sayde before of other things Let there be a lyght Let there be a Firmament c. But to declare vnto vs that it was a Worke of greater worthynesse He as it were calleth in cōsultation his VVisdom that is the seconde person in Trinitie and hys Vertue or VVoorking Power that is his Holy spirit and saith Let vs make man. So that in the making of Man is a more perfite token giuen of the Three Persons in Trinitie then in the Creating of any other part of the worlde And further to declare the Dignitie of man He was made according to the * Image of God whereby we maye not thinke as some wicked heretikes haue done that God hath a like proportion of body as we see man to haue For that is not the Image or likenes that is here spoken of but as God was Wise Iuste Mercifull Good Innocent Holy Immortall so was Man made by God wise iuste mercifull good innocent holy immortall and to expresse a more perfite lykenesse he was made of power and appointed Lorde and Ruler ouer all the other Creatures of the worlde This Image by the fall of Adam was almost cleane blotted out and restored againe by the * second Adam Christ Iesu to that perfectnesse that this frayle and mortall lyfe might beare carying continually about with vs in our bosomes the * stings of our corruption lyricking vs forward still to vngodlynesse The blessing of encrease and multiplying that God giueth vnto Man declareth that he was made Male and Female to the ende that by lawfull procreation they might fulfill the earth and raise vp a large and great Church or congregation of holy Creatures to giue Honor and glorie to their Lorde and maker Wherefore it cannot be thought that Mariage and the lawfull ioyning of Man and Woman is an euill or an vncleane thing but the lawfull and good ordinance of God himselfe And therfore well sayth Saint Paule Honorable in all persons is VVedlock and the bedde vndefiled but VVhooremaysters and Adulterers God will iudge God sawe euery thing that he had made and beholde they were exceeding c. This Iudgement of God that here he gyueth vpon hys workes pronouncing them to be all verie Good ought to be vnto vs a Rule that we presume not to speake or thinke otherwise of them and shewe our selues therein vnthankfull to our God maker If there be eyther fruites or herbs or beasts that we accompt and call Euill or Hurtfull it riseth eyther of our Vnperfitnesse that vnderstande not the right vse of them or else of the Curse of God for the Sinne and fall of Adam by which as Man himselfe so diuers other Creatures are fallen frō that Perfection in which they were first made by GOD So that the Sinne of Man and not Gods creation is cause therof The Sunday called Septuagesima at Euening prayer Genesis 2. THus the heauens and earth were finished and all the hoast of them 2. And in the seuenth day God ended his worke which he had made And the seuenth day he rested from all his worke which he had made 3 And God blessed the seuenth day and sanctified it because that in it he had rested from al his worke which God ordened to make 4 These are the generations of the heauens and of the earth when they were created in the daye when the Lorde God made the earth and the heauens 5 And euery plant of the fielde before it
not let the children of Israel go 21 And the Lord saide vnto Moyses Stretch out thy hand vnto heauen that there maye be vpon the lande of Egypt darkenesse which maye be felt 22 And Moyses stretched forth his hande vnto heauen and there was a thicke darkenesse vpon all the lande of Egypt thrée daies 23 No man saw another neyther rose vp from the place where he was by the space of thrée daies But all the children of Israel had light where they dwelled 24 And Pharao called for Moyses and â—ayde Go and serue the Lorde onely let your shéepe and your oxen abide and let your children go with you 25 And Moyses saide Thou must geue vs also sacrifice and whole burnt offerings for to doe sacrifice vnto the Lord our God. 26 Our cattell also shall go with vs and there shall not one hoofe be left behinde for thereof must we take to serue the Lorde our God neyther doe we knowe with what we must doe seruice vnto the Lorde vntill we come thither 27 But the Lorde hardened Pharaos heart and he would not let them go 28 And Pharao saide vnto hym Get thée from me take héede vnto thy selfe that thou séest my face no more for whensoeuer thou commest in my sight thou shalt die 29 And Moyses saide Let it be as thou hast saide I will sée thy face no more The Exposition vpon the .ix. and .x. Chapter of Exodus The Lorde saide vnto Moyses goe vnto Pharao for I haue hardened c. IN these two Chapiters read this day in the Church are recited sundrie of those plagues wherewyth God Punished Pharao and wrought the Deliuerie of the People out of Egipt And because God was determined to set his People at Freedome and was hable * with one Breath to haue confounded Pharao ouerthrown the Whole power of the Egiptians a man myght marueyle why he dyd Deferre the tyme so long and worke so many Meane miracles whereas he might haue brought it to passe with one Mightie and terrible worke Seing especially that God did know that Pharao would not repent and yeeld To this cogitation GOD himselfe answereth in the .13 14. 15. and 16. verses of thys nynth Chapiter Go thy wayes sayth God to Moyses and tell Pharao c. let my people goe serue me or else at this tyme I wil send al my plagues vpon thyne hart and vpon thy seruants and on thy people that thou may est know there is none like me in al the earth c. And in verye deede for this cause haue I kept thee to shewe thee my power and that my name may be declared throughout all the worlde Here haue we an euident cause why GOD did so long Suffer the wicked and obdurate hart of Pharao that is that God might * set forth his Glorie and by this terrible Example be knowne to the whole worlde That he was a Mightie God hable to breake the power of their Enimies were they neuer so Obstinate and Stiffe harted against hym That he was a Seuere God and * would terriblie punishe the Obdurate vnrepentant sinners Yea though they be neuer so great Kings Princes That he is a Wise God that can Turne the wicked Malice and Obstinacie of sinners to the Working of his greater glory That he is a Carefull and mercifull God towarde his people and for their defence and deliuerance will not sticke to Breake and Pull downe euen Mightie Princes and people There is also an other cause why God doth here Suffer Pharao at other times Beare with other Grieuous sinners and onely for the time punishe them with Light Meane plagues and this is By his great Lenitie Sufferance and Mildenesse if it might be to bring them to repentance or otherwise if they will not repent that they shall declare themselues to the worlde to bee Vnexcusable and God in his Iudgement when he doth confounde them to be a iuste god Of this Cause speaketh Paule Rom. 2. Eyther despisest thou the ryches of his goodnesse and long sufferance not knowing that the kindenesse of God leadeth thee to repentance c. When God is sayd To harden the hart of Pharao we maye not thinke that God doth Force and Compell Pharao to sinne or that the blame of his obstinacie and vnrepentant hart can iustly be laide vpon God * For God doth neyther worke Sinne himselfe nor would haue it to be Wrought of other But God by his seruantes Moyses Aaron offered to Pharao his holye worde and great miracles and he being of nature Wicked and waywarde from God and vtterly destitute of his holy Spirit of which al Inclination to goodnesse commeth did more and more Harden his harte and Withstande the will of god For the Corrupt nature of man without the singuler grace of God when he heareth Gods worde and will declared to him doth not only not yeelde vnto it but more and more stormeth against both the Worde it selfe and the Messengers that bring it For naturall man vnderstandeth not those things that are of God no nor cannot Wherefore when we see in these Chapiters that all endeuour is vsed both by God and by his seruauntes to perswade Pharao and yet that he is nothing Mooued eyther by his Worde or by his threatnings or by his Miracles or by the counsaile and aduertisement of Moyses and Aaron yea or of his owne subiectes we are taught that all the Workes endeuours of Man to bring sinners from their obstinacy vnto the Imbracing of Gods holy will is all Vaine vnlesse it please God also to worke by his holye spirite Wherefore we must submit our selues to the mightie hande of God in his secreat iudgementes and continually in our prayers * craue the assistance of his grace and good spirite which may so worke in vs that both we our selues may humbly Receiue the worde of GOD and that our endeuour to perswade other may by him be Effectuall Moreouer when there happeneth vnto vs vnseasonable Weathering Plagues and other sicknesses of sundrie sortes terrible Nayle Thunder and Lightning Murraine of cattaile Destruction of corne or fruites by blast Vermine or otherwise we must by these examples learne that they come not by Chaunce or by naturall causes onely but that they are Sent of God as Punishmentes of our Sinne and Disobedience to the will and worde of God and as * Meanes to bring vs to Repentance or else that God will lay on vs continually mo of his Plagues vntill he bring vs to Vtter confusion as hee did Pharao and the Egyptians All whose Disobedience sprange of this Roote that they Contemned the worde of God brought vnto them by his seruantes The Contempt whereof if repentaunce did not preuent it God hath alway punished with Induration and vtter Desolation When we reade that the Israelites were cleare from all those grieuous Plagues with which the Aegyptians were punished we muste to our comfort consider
the earth after his kinde and God sawe that it was good 26 God sayde Let vs make man in our Image after our likenesse and let them haue rule of the fishe of the sea and of the foule of the ayre and of cattell and of all the earth and of euery créeping thing that créepeth vpon the earth 27 So God created man in his owne Image in the Image of God created he him male and female created hée them 28 And God blessed them and God sayd vnto them Be fruitfull and multiply and replenishe the earth and subdue it and haue dominion of the fishe of the sea and foule of the ayre and of euery liuing thing that mooueth vpon the earth 29 And God sayde Beholde I haue giuen you euery hearbe bearing séede which is in the vpper face of all the earth and euery trée in the which is the fruite of a trée bearing séede that they may be meate vnto you 30 To euery beast of the earth also and so euery birde of the ayre to euery such thing that créepeth vpon the earth which doth liue I haue giuen euery gréene herbe for meate and it was 31 And God sawe euerye thing that he had made and beholde it was excéeding good And the euening and the morning were the sixt day The Exposition vpon the first Chapter of Genesis In the beginning GOD created heauen and earth c. THis booke is called Genesis because in the very first entrāce therof by the course of sixe dayes worke is declared the Beginning Creation and as it were the first Natiuitie of heauen and earth and all thinges therein conteyned by the mightie worde and wisedome of God made and framed of Nothing Which the Spirite of God mooued his faythfull seruant Moyses to do thereby as well to refell that generall and grosse errour of the Idolatrous Gentiles throughout the whole worlde which gaue themselues ouer to the * worship and seruice eyther of common and base creatures either of false and vainely deuised Gods As also to * shew that the God of Israel was the Onely True and Almightie God maker of Heauen and of Earth and all the partes thereof In that he sayth In the beginning God made heauen and earth c. we haue to learne First that the worlde is * not of euerlasting Continuance as some vaine Philosophers haue taught but that being made by God certainely it had a beginning and euen as certainely shall in due time haue an ende As it is sayde Psal 102. In the beginning O Lorde thou lay dest the foundation of the earth and the heauens be the workes of thy fingers They shall perish but thou shalt continue for euer c. Secondly that it was not made of it Selfe by Chaunce or otherwise as Democritus dreamed but by the workemanship of some other beside it selfe Thirdly that it was made by God that therby we might be admonished of his great Wisedome Power and goodnesse towarde Mankinde to whose vse principally these things might seeme to be framed Fourthly that it was made of nothing and therefore we may not Imagine as some wickedly haue done that there was a Matter whereof the world was made coeternall with God himselfe before all Beginning And here it is to bee wished that all Christian heartes would enter into a perfect Consideration of this Worke of God in Creating of the world so that when they looked vp into heauen and sawe the Sunne the Moone the Planets the Starres and all the furniture thereof keeping their orders and courses they woulde thinke earnestly wyth themselues that they sawe the meruelous workemanship of God their heauenly Father Maker and Creator of all things And when they consider the Ayre the Water the Earth and all things therein conteyned in their kindes and places and offices distincted that they woulde Remember the same was made by the same our God and gracious Lorde to the vse of vs mortall men By this meanes should they discende from the faith of their Creation to the fayth and beliefe of Gods diuine * Prouidence and tender Loue and care that hee beareth toward mankinde which in all afflictions is the most assured stay and comfort This did Dauid to his great consolation as well in the eight Psalme as in the. 104. and many other And the spirite of GOD mooued vpon the face of the earth c. The confused Heape of heauen and earth was without shape vnperfect and darke and yet not vtterly deade but was indued with the strength of Gods spirite and so made liuely to continue vnto the worldes ende And GOD sayde Let there be light and there was light We may not here conceyue that God hath any corporall Voyce or such maner of Speach as doth proceede by tongue and lippes from mortall men For to Speake in God is nothing but with an assured and effectuall will to determine with himselfe and to doe that he hath determined We haue here to learne also that all thinges were made by the mightie power of Gods worde that is to say by the Wisdome Purpose and Counsaile of God which was Christ Iesu the seconde person in Trinitie as saint Iohn doth expounde it in his Gospel In the beginning sayth he was the VVorde and the VVorde was with God and God was that VVorde The same was in the beginning with God and all things were made by it c. And God saw the light that it was good and God deuided the light c. This maner of Iudgement God giueth of all things that he made he sayth not God sawe that they were pleasant beautifull and faire but that they were * Good. Whereby we may learne that God did not so much respect his owne glorie in the fairenesse of his workes as he did the benefite and and Commoditie of Mankinde to whose vse he made them Let there be a Firmament betweene the waters and let it make a deuision c. Let there be a Firmament that is as the Hebrue speaketh A Stretching out or a Setting abroad betweene waters and waters Vnto thys maner of speaking the Scripture often alludeth as Esay 42. He that made the heauens and spreade them abroad c. And in the 40. Chapiter He spreadeth out the heauens as a couering he stretcheth them out as a Tent to dwell in c. And Psal 104. He stretcheth out the heauens as a Curtaine Wherefore it maye well be gathered that this Firmament is nothing but a large Stretched out space betweene waters and waters betweene waters aboue and waters beneath and such as we see betweene the clowdes which are the vpper waters and the Sea and Ryuers which are the neather waters by Gods ordinaunce gathered into their appointed places All that is aboue vs is deuyded into two partes the one called Aether which is the vpper part of the Firmament wherein the Starres Planets are the other called the Aire
hable to bring them into that land that he had promised them but bicause he hated them caried thē forthe into the vvildernesse to slay them In which words Moyses sheweth himself also to haue a great care of the glory of God and therfore that he craueth his gracious mercy toward the Israelites not onely for their sakes but also that he thought it woulde make greatly to the aduauncement of the glory of God staying of the reproche therof among the wicked Such maner of prayer is also of great force and effect with God and doth appease his wrath staye him from the execution of his purposed plagues against his people offending And therfore doth it folow Exo. 32. The Lord refrained himself from the euill vvhich he saide he vvoulde doe vnto his people Whē Moyses had in this maner appeased the wrath of god in the moūt he did not so stay but comming downe among the people and seing their wickednesse in greate zeale and vehemency of spirite he caste the Tables of the law out of hys hand so that he brake them Which is not to be thoughte furye or rage in Moyses but as I haue said an earnest zeale and a declaration of his great grief of heart that he cōceyued not for any worldely matter but to see the * glorie of God and his true woorship to be so wickedly distayned and ouerthrown among his owne people And bicause he was a magistrate and gouerner he proceedeth further both to the destroying and taking awaye of the Idoll and also to the sharpe punishment of the chief offenders In suche matters where Gods glorie is distained priuate persons in deed haue to deale by prayer only as not hauing the sworde of correction put into their hande but the magistrate ought not only to vse prayer but his authoritie also giuen him of God to represse the wickednesse and to * punish the offenders to the example of other The number of them that Moyses executed for this offence were about three thousand as it appeareth Exod. 32. And besyde this he toke the Golden Calfe and buent it stampt it euen to very duste and cast it into the brooke that no memorie of so wicked idolatrie myghte remayne When Moyses sayeth verse 18. That he fell dovvne flatte before the Lorde euen as at the firste tyme and fasted fortie dayes and fortie nights c. It is not to be thoughte that this his fasting was in tyme before his seconde ascending into the hill when he was commaunded to prepare newe tables otherwise he shoulde appeare to haue fasted thryse which was not true therfore that which he addeth ver 25. is but a repetitiō of that which he speaketh vers 18 was performed in the Mount when at the appointment of God hee caried vp other tables to haue the lawe of God newe written in them For bicause the couenant by their sinne and offence was fordone it coulde not be againe confirmed and the tables of the couenāt new written but with the lyke solemnitie that was before and therefore Moyses taried there fortie days and fortie nightes and neither did eat bread nor drinke water The Prayer that is added in the later ende of the chap. was not vsed at his seconde going vp into the mount as it may seeme by the order of the telling of it here but it was the prayer that he made at the first tyme when God declared his displeasure purposed to haue destroyed the people Wherfore it is euident the storie is here repeted by Moyses somewhat interruptly and not in the order wherein euery thing was done His purpose was to put them in mind of the thing which they well knew and therefore regarded not so muche the order in telling The Sunday after the Ascention at Mornyng prayer Deuteronomie 12. THese are the ordinances and lawes which ye shall obserue and doe in the land which the Lorde God of thy fathers giueth thée to possesse it as long as ye liue vpon the earth 2 Ye shall destroye all places wherein the nations which ye shal possesse serued their gods vpon hye moūtaines on hilles and vnder euery gréene trée 3 You shal ouerthrowe their aulters and breake theyr pillers and burne their groues with fire and you shall hewe downe the grauen images of the gods that they haue and bring the names of them to naught out of that place 4 Ye shal not do so vnto the Lorde your God 5 But ye shall séeke the place which the Lorde your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put his name there and there to dwell and thither thou shalte come 6 And thither ye shall bring your whole burnt sacrifices your offrings your tithes and heaue offerings of your hand your vowes your fréewill offerings and the firste borne of your kine of your shéep 7 And there ys shall cate before the Lorde your God and ye shall reioyce in all that ye put your hand vnto both ye and your housholdes wherein the Lord thy God hath blessed thée 8 Ye shall not do after all the things that we do here this day euery mā what séemeth him good in his owne eyes 9 For ye are not yet come to rest and to the inheritance which the Lord your God giueth you 10 But when ye go ouer Iordane dwell in the land which the Lord your God hathe giuen you to inherite and when he hath giuen you rest from all your enimies rounde abouse and shall dwell in safetie 11 Then vnto the place which the Lorde youre God hathe chosen to put his name there ye shall bring all that I cōmaunde you youre whole burnt sacrifices your offerings your tythes the heaue offering of your hande and all youre speciall vowes whiche yée vow vnto the Lorde 12 And ye shal reioyce before the lord your God ye your sons your daughters your seruants your maidens the Leuite that is within youre gates forasmuche as he hath no parte nor inheritance wyth you 13 Take héede that thou offer not thy whole burnte offerings in euery place that thou séest 14 But in the place whiche the Lord shall choose in one of thy tribes there thou shalt offer thy whole burnt offerings and there thou shalt doe all that I commaunde thée 15 Notwithstanding thou mayste kill and eate fleshe in all thy cities whatsoeuer thy soule lusteth after according to the blessing of the Lord thy God which he hath giuen thée both the vncleane and the cleane maye eate thereof of the Roe bucke and of the Harte 16 Only ye shall not eate the bloud but poure it vpon the earth as water 17 Thou mayst not eate within thy gates the tythe of thy corne of thy wyne and of thy oyle and the first borne of thy kine and of thy shéepe neyther any of thy vowes whiche thou vowest nor thy fréewill offerings or heaueoffering of thyne hande 18 But thou muste eate
bring the innocent seruants of God into daunger when otherwise for disobedience to their Prince in matters lawfull or for any other dishonestie or vngodly lyfe they are not hable to fasten any lykely accusation vpon them When Daniel sayth They cryed our accusation of the Iewes he noteth their hatefull and eger mindes against them comming to the king as we say with open mouth and leauing nothing vndone or vntold that might aggrauate their fault or pull them into displeasure The extolling of the kings ordinance and decree the straite charge that he gaue to haue it obserued That they which disobeyed were Iewes that is Straungers and in deede of themselues odious as captiues That they shewed themselues vnthankfull to the king who had set them in place of hononr and made them great Rulers in his Prouinces That they shewed contempt and disdaine towarde the lawes of the Countrie wherevnto all the residue of his Subiectes with great reuerence did obey By this part of the historie we are taught that the seruauntes of God and those that will truely worship him shall not wante in this worlde accusers and Malicious persons that with all Spite shall draw them into daunger seeke their confusion They that will liue godly in Christ Iesu sayth Paule shall be sure to haue persecution Satan the Prince of the worlde will alwaye raise his Ministers to vexe and trouble the members of the Church of God and that commonly vnder the * colour of their holynesse and religion consisting in outward superstition and Idolatry Is there any greater matter at this day wherefore the enemies of the Gospell doe persecute the Professours of Gods true worship then because they will not acknowledge a peece of breade to be God nor will not worship their Images set vp in the Churches nor runne on Pilgrimage to stockes and stones wrought with mans hande and other lyke Idolatrous and supersticious wickednesse Therfore good men haue by this example great occasion to comfort and strengthen their fayth that it be not shaken with the terrour and feare of their cruell dealings This also is here to be obserued that onely Three poore Iewes to the maintenance of Gods true worship doe set themselues and hasard their liues against the King his Nobles Commons all the power of the Babilonicall Empire Which manifestly declareth howe little credite in matters of Religion should be gyuen to the reasons of Multitude Number and Generall consent For commonly the greater part in the world is the worse Gods Church is but a small flocke Elias stoode alone against Achab and all Israel So did Micheas against all the false Prophetes The Prophets onely against the whole Church of the Iewes Christ his Apostlēs against the Scribes and Pharaseis and all the learned Philosophers and mightie Princes of the worlde Then Nabuchodonosor in his anger wrath commaunded that Sydrach c. Nabuchodonosor is greatly mooued to see his ordinance and decree disobeyed and therefore maketh streight inquisition vpon the offenders In which he vseth all meanes that maye be to perswade them First with curteous wordes he signifieth that he could scantly beleue any such vnthankfulnesse or Disobedience to be in them and therefore willeth them against a time appointed seing he had set them in place of so great honour to declare themselues to be such men as will not to the euill example of other disobey his lawes Or if they would not consent to the worshipping of the Image which he had made that they should immediatly be cast into an hote fierie Furnace and thereby be made a Terrour to all such as woulde with contempt disobey his authoritie In the ende he added words of prowde blasphemie That there was no God that coulde delyuer them out of hys handes Whereby it maye appeare how Mutable Princes are and howe soone they are caried by the glorie of the worlde from the true feare and honour of God. In the .2 Chapiter when Daniel by the spirite of God interpreted the dreame which astonied all the wise men and Soothsayers of his Countrie Daniel was then greatly esteemed Sidrach Misach Abednago by his counsaile were set as Iudges in the Prouinces and Daniels God was declared to be The God of Gods the Lorde of Kings and the reuealer of secreates But nowe thorowe the incensing of wicked enimies the lyuing God is dishonoured an Idoll is set vp to be worshipped and the seruauntes of God and his owne faithfull Officers are brought to the fierie Furnace to be burned Such doting chaunges oftentimes hapneth to them that set their eyes onely vpon the power and glorie of earthly kingdomes Sidrach Misach and Abednago answered the king and saide c. The temptation of the Faithfull Encreaseth and the strength of Gods spirit encreaseth in them Wherefore there followeth now in this great danger a bolde and constant answere made vnto the King without flatterie or dissimulation without hypocrisie or worldly pollicie onely made in simplicitie and constancie of fayth As if they had said In all things lawfull we euer haue and will vnfaynedly obey thee as the Minister that is appointed by God to gouerne vs but if thou set vp thy selfe against the lyuing God who hath aduaunced thee to this great power and seeke by thy authoritie to drawe vs from his true worship to the honouring of Idols and false Gods he thou assured O king that we will not in that obey thee * For we are taught in matter of faith and holynesse to * obey God and not man. And we know right wel that that God whom thou bewitched with the glorie of thy worldly power doest blaspheme can deliuer vs out of thy handes from all thy strength if he see it to be to the glorie of his name But if his wisedome thinke it not meete so to doe for he will not doe alway that he can doe we let thee vnderstande without dissimuling or flatterie that we wil not serue thy Gods nor worship thy goldē Image Then was Nabuchodonozor full of indignation so that the countenance c. Here let vs consider what stormes of affliction the true professours of the syncere worship of God doe sustaine at the handes of cruell persecutors First they fal into the high indignation of Princes with whom they were before in great estimation Secondly when they come to punishment they are more cruelly vsed then any other offenders There were in the kingdome of Babilon theeues robbers adulterers murtherers extorcioners drunkardes and other like and yet we read of verie slacke punishment that they had But the seruants of God which neuer offended the king in any worldly Iustice but had bene his faythfull and profitable officers onely because they will not offend the liuing god and worship a golden Image haue the kings rage so greatly agaynst them that the fornace is cōmaunded to be made seuen times Hoter then it was woont to be