A COMMENtarye upon the Praphet Mycha. written by Antony Gilby.  
Anno domi. M.D. Li.   

☞ A preface with the sum of the Chapters and the time and life of the Prophet.  
¶ The word of God to Micha of Maresha in the days of jotham, Achas, jehiskiah kings of juda, which he did see over Samaria and jerusalem.  
WE do need no new Prophets. We do need no more Prophecies. We do nead no more Miracles, signs, or tokens, which now do live in these latter days: if we will call old things to memory: neither of we will believe the old histories reported by Moses, and the terrible threatenings of the Prophets. Can we believe if the greatest miracles of raising the dead, to speak amongs us were wrought in our days (as Christ our saviour saith too the rich glotten.) Wherefore suffer me, I beseech thee, too renew old things written by this Prophet Micha, the most earnest rebuker of vice in his time, and the most diligent watch man to warn both of good and evil, for to come upon his people, and if so be that the words of this old truth, do chayfe your old sores in this perilous time, wherein all old evils seem too have disguised themselves with new vysers: rather suffer them to be ripped to the heard coore then to spurn impudently against the prick, to strive against the stream. For the time is at hand by the unchangeable appointment of the everliving Lord & most mighty judge, when every man shall be tried and judged, approved of refused by the thoughts of his heart, by the words of his mouth, and by the fruits of his own imaginations.  
Therefore this diligent watchman, warneth especially of this judgement in the entry into his prophecy, in the first Chapter saying: that the Lord himself will come down most terribly to the wicked, & the mountains shall melt, the valeis shall vade and vanish like wax before the fiery flame.  
And in the second chapter he crieth forth woe, damnation, and the sore vengeance of God against the vain thoughts and Imaginations of thee mighty men of the world, against their wicked works and threatenings of the true Prophets.  
In the third Chapter he ripeth more near the core of their cruelty and extorsion. He uttereth the flattery of their chaplains (as we do call them) the false prophets, flearing upon them for advantage and bolstering them up in wickedness, the lynking together of the judges and high officers their bribery and avarice, and for their wickedness he threateneth utter desolation to their cities.  
In the four he promiseth a kingdom far contrary to this kingdom to come upon earth, full of knowledge quietness, and peace, which is the kingdom of Messiah, wherein all the choose jacob shall be restored to their honour promised, and their enemies utterly destroyed.  
In the .v. he threateneth the desolation of jerusalem, the robbers daughters (as Iherome doth translate) and immediately adjoineth a large & plain promise of Messiah our saviour to be borne in Bethlen, a despised village, he declareth him to be both God & man, and showeth how he shall feed jacob and be his peace. But he shall feed the land of Nimroth with their enemies with their own sword points.  
In the sixth he contendeth with the people in the person of God for their ingratitude, teaching the true worship of God to stand in judgement, mercy, and the reverence of the sacrate majesty of the almighty. He detesteth in the parson of God all dysceytful dealing and promiseth worthy recompense and just rewards for all evil doers.  
In the vii and last Chapter, the prophet bewaileth the skarsitye of the good, the small trust of worldly petition, he teacheth patience, he giveth comfort, he promiseth deliverance to faithful jacob, to the shame and confusion of God his enemies, and the land and praise of God his great mercy & truth. Amen,  
This have we hear in this Prophet wholesome doctrine for all ages. For the spirit of God seeth from time to time continually our iniquities, and striveth evermore there against, No hill is so high, no valley so low, that he seeth not. He shaketh the foundations of the earth, when he rebuketh the world in the rigour of his wrath.  
Let us therefore remember the old world before us plagued for sin, drowned for their wickedness, and fear the fire of god's wrath, threatened by the Prophets, to be kindled in these last times, to the everlasting destruction of all evil doers, who with the devil and his angels shall have aworme, the which shall hereafter gnaw and grate their conscience for ever, and a fiery torment which shall never be quenched whereof our Prophet warneth the wicked world, threatening woe and damnation with fervent sprit and sorrow of heart, brasting forth into tears, yelling and sighing for the evils he did say towards them. Micha. i.  
For this Prophet Micha seemeth to be another Eliah fervent in spirit and zeloous for the glory of God, he was of the princely tribe of juda, and therefore acquainted with the privy practices of the potentates & princes, he did well enough know their idle devices, their vain imaginations: and could espy the lynking together of the high officers and judges. He lived in the time of Esaiah, Hoseah, and Amos, under these iii kings. jothana Achas & Hezechiah. A man of such an high revelation that Esaiah dare allege the greatest mysteries of his hole prophecy of the spiritual kingdom of Christ and of the great tranquyllytye under him by the same words that this man of God Micha had spoken them. It shallbe in the last days, and so forth Esa. ii Hieremiah also allegeth him by name saying, Micha of Marescha was a Prophet in the days of Ezekiah and saith to all the people of juda. Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Zion shallbe ploughed like the field, and Iherusalem shallbe an heap of stones, and the hill of the house of the Lord shallbe an high wood. Hierem xxvi and the came is red the third Chapter of our Prophet word for word.  
We do read of two. Prophets of this name. The first is named Micha the some of jemla an Israelite, whom Achab did say that he had only left one a live amongs all the Prophets of the lord, but I do hate him (saith he) for he never Prophesied good towards me iii kings xxii The other is of juda (our prophet) which lived almost ii C. years after the first Micha. He was borne in a city called Maresha, which is in the tribe of juda. josua xu His propheci is general to all cities & countries, but unto jerusalem & to Samaria, he chief uttereth his threatenings because there he did know and see their wickedness to be great, amongs whom he did see cruelti, extorsion, tyranni, covetousness, avarice, ambition, the contempt of God his true religion, Idolatry, and like abominations to reign (not only unpunished) but by the chief Lords, greatest Pears, and Princes, practised, used, and frequented. In his time both these ii kingdoms were grevousli vexed with wars without, & treasons within themselves. They were polluted & defiled with Idolatry. So far given over to minds reprobate, that forgetting all true worship of God and all natural inclination, they did sacrifice their own children by fire unto Baal. These wicked times wherein he lived under jotham, Achas, and Ichiskiah, are set forth in the four book of the Kings. xu.xvi. and xvii Chapters.  
As for Samaria, it was given over to all wickedness. zacharia the wicked & Idolatrous king reigning but vi months, was traitorously slain by Sellum, which Sellum usurping the crown but one month, was slain by Manahen, which also slew all the enhabitants of Thapsa and most cruelly murdered all the women with child, & rypte their bellies, and tyrannously with taxes & tributes did vex all his subjects, to maintain his wickedness, which causeth our Prophet to say, that they did flay their skins of their backs and the flesh of their bones. Then Phacea his son reigned after him one year, as wicked as his father, and they all walked in the wicked ways of jeroboam the son of Nabat, which set up the golden calf. Therefore were they given over to minds reprobate with greediness to fulfil all their wicked lusts.  
In the second year of the reign of Phacea the son of Manahea, Phacea the son Romalia wrought treason against him, slew him, and usurped the crown and departed not from the wicked ways of his predecessors kings of Samaria. Under him Theglathphallassar the king of Assiria, invadeth Galilee, and carrieth away captive the tribe of Nephthalim. Again Osee the son of Hela wrought treason against this Phacea, slew him, & usurped his crown, Against whom Salmanasser moveth war, doth besiege his chief city Samaria, taketh & destroyeth it, & so leadeth the ten tribes captive into Assyria. Thus with wars & wickedness was Samaria destroyed, & as our Prophet warned in his time, brought to an heap of stones which might have caused jerusalem to have taken heed to his threatenings. But no warning can serve the wicked and stiff-necked. For jotham the king of juda and jerusalem in many things, a man praise worthy (though he did see many of these great plagues fall upon Samaria for their Idolatry) yet did he suffer his people to sacrifice in the hill altars, contrary to God his holy commandment. As for Achas king of jerusalem. He was worse them wicked Achab king of Samaria, for beside all other abominations he did offer his son in fire unto Baal, after the manner of the heathen Cananees, & spoiled the treasures of the house of the Lord to give them to Theglathphelasser. And though Ezechiah the good king following him destroyed the idols, did break down the hill altars, and the brazen serpent, though I say the king himself, favoured true religion, yet was their old wickedness so rooted in the hearts of his nobles & commons, that besides conspiracies & pertaking within his own realm, & also much war of foreign nations without wherewith God worthily plagued his subjects for their stobernes. Al their walled cities were taken by Senacheryb from the uttermost borders unto Lakis, whereof our Prophet speaketh in the first chapter: yea, jerusalem was obsessed and besieged as he also prophesieth that this plague should come to the gates of jerusalem.  
Now we that read and hear these old things of Samaria and jerusasalem, their kings and Princes. In the end of the world, must know that they are written for our learning, that we being warned by their scourge, Plague, and fall: should fear to do the like wickedness. And hear in this prophet cheiflye we are warned of Idolatry, ambition, and extorsion. As for Idolatry (though our governors here in England through the mighty hand of God have forth comfort of his elect banished the outward show thereof) Yet one sort making this most godly and glorious fact to serve their lucre & gain: to the slander of such a notable enterprise: have seemed too change the kind of Idolatri, making the muck which they found heaped about those idols, to be their god. So that they may worthily be called Idolaters, so long as they have it, keep it, & set so much store by it, neither is it any new learening to call this their avarice Idolatry, for so Paul calleth it to Ephesians the v. Chapter. Another sort there is which in their hearts have Idols still, and utter it when occasion serveth, saying: that it was a good world when these Idols of Wasyngeham, Canterbury, and their blessed Mass were worshipped and regarded. There be more sorts which will be called Gospelers, that have some their belly for their God, some their subtle wits and worldly policies, some one thing, some another so that in effect idolatry is not banished, but reigneth more clokedly amongs us, too the ignominy and shame of the truth of one God, which we would seam to set forth and maintain. As for ambition & extortion the devil practiseth at this day too stop the glorious kingdom of Christ by thyem, and raiseth ambytyous stomachs, halt, and proud minds amongs those, which would seem the stoutest captains of godly chivalry, which thorough their unsatiable ambition and greedy desire of gathering allthings into their hands, robbeth, & reaveth, pilleth, polleth and oppresseth their fellow sougiours. So that under their holy profession and pretenced religion, they do betray their grand captain and master of religion, and worketh more wickedly of the devils part, for the contempt of God his word: then doth any one which openly beareth his badge and cognisance. Against such therefore bringeth our prophet sore threatenings, yea terrible thoundrynges. Whereunto it behoveth high and low, the earth and all earthly creatures to give ear, and to hearken. For it is the word of the Lord, not of man which Micha bringeth. The Lord himself doth speak it from the holy temple of his majesty, from whence he shall come down right shortly to be both a witness and judge against us.  
Wherefore let us judge our selves, now warned by God his word, that we be not judged of the Lord, and so for our wickedness with the world condemned. For our God, whose word is now sent amongs us, is a consuming fire, before whom no sin can be cloaked. His word is the hammer breaking the hard stone.   

¶ The word of God to Micha.  

THe word or message of the everliving jovah (that is) of him which now s, that hath been, that shallbe. By whom also all things have their being: for so much containeth that high name of God, which we do for the most part translate (lord) throughout the Bible, because the jews not daring to pronounce it, neither by any other word being able to express so much of God, doth place in the stead thereof Adonai, which doth signify Lord. Which I do note to this end to admonish the reader to avoid such cavillations as the enemies of the gospel have here tofore stirred about thee Lord, and our Lord, and to teach the ignorant to have a deep consideration of the majesty of this Lord, which is, which hath been, and which shallbe, by whom all creatures have their being so oft as they do hear the Lord named and so call them to the reverence of the name of God, so long by us Christians contemned, despised, and vyllanously blasphemed, with usual oaths and abominable perjury. Where as the jews dare not speak nor write this great name with marvelous obseruacaons & much reverence, to our great shame I do speak it, which do toss like a tens ball without all fear and reverence the name of our Lord God from mouth to mouth, accounting him unmeet for all good company, especially for a kings court which will not take the name of god in vain at every other word  
Oh ye blasphemers must this be the first entry into your Courts and company, to shake of the fear of God. So despitefully to break his holly precept and commandment? so contumelyouslye to abuse his holy name, great before all creatures, high before the angels, and terrible to the devils. Learn some other coureting before this Lord in his dreadful majesty come down amongs you. You can talk reverently of the kings Majesty, his highness, his hanorable counsel, my lords grace, my Lord Bishop's grace and my ladies grace, & is there nothing left for the Lord of all Lords, the king of all kings, but God's blood, God's wounds, God's passion, blaspheming outrageously both God the father & his son Christ (who for to save us, shed his blood, suffered these wounds and bitter passion) Is neither God, who created thee? nor jesus Christ, who redeemed thee, of no more reputation? Is this right courting? to set so light by thy creation? thy redemption, thy salvation? Then cursed be courting, woe worth the wicked company.  
Here all people, 
The Text.  hearken thou earth, and all that therein is. The Lord God be a witness against you, the Lord from his holy temple.  
Loo, no kings course is excepted, but all people must do reverence unto this Lord, all knees must bow before his majesty. The heaven is his seat, the earth is his foot stool. The king in his privy chamber hath this Lord a witness of his doings. The Lords of the privay counsel, can not shut forth of the counsel chamber, this unreprovable witness. No King, no Court, no Emperor, no Poop, Prelate shall work so privily, but this Lord shall espy and see, shall both witness and judge all their doings.  
Let us therefore tremble and diligently give ear when the Lord speaketh, and with fear and reverence humble ourselves to his name. desiring as his son taught us, his name too be sanctified, hallowed, renowned, reverensed and magnified, and waiting most obediently whiles his holy will be fulfilled.  
Moses doth call heaven and earth to witness against us, as doth our Prophet Micha. Deuternomi. iiii. thirty. and xxxii. So doth isaiah also in his first Chapter, teaching us that the heavens, that is to say: the heavenly spirits and angels, the earth, that is too say: all men create upon thee earth: shallbeare witness at the great and terrible time of God his last judgement, withal true preachers and Prophets, against our sinful stubbornness, which will not repent, being so oft admonished. Yea the everliving and everlasting Lord in his dreadful majesty cometh as an unreprovable witness too avenge the contempt of his holly name, and all other abominations, as this our watch man warneth, will we not yet stoop? abate our Pride, pluck down our high courtly looks, halt countenances, and leave our bleather blown brags, set forth with shameless oaths, too the contempt of God his holy name, and that bitter passion which Christ our saviour, suffered for us.  
Well, the Lord is higher than all, and he will shortly come down from his holy temple. Then woe to the ex●●n of pride, the blasphemers of his name. woe to the ambitious tyrants and covetous caitiffs.  
woe to the drunken in their lusts, either hear in England, or else where, for there is one God which hateth sin ever sense he made man, and one spirit which hath by the holy word uttered sin, rebuked it, and fought against it from the beginning, one Lord, which shall be both witness and judge over all flesh, which shall come suddenly upon the wicked, strongly, and mightily, like an hail storm, like a whirl wind, or like a sooden flood of waters falling upon a great plain Esay. xxvii.  

The Text.  For loo God shall come forth of his place, he shall come down and walk upon the high places of the earth. And the hills shall melt under his feet, the valays shall cleave in sunder, even as the wax melteth against the fire and as the waters which fall down with violence.  
Our Prophet Micha doth paint the coming of the Lord to judgement both with the jews and also with the hole world with most evident similitudes of coming down and walking, which can be applied unto God, who filleth all places but only by borrowed speech as Moses did say. Gen. iii. God did walk in paradise at the eventide because he did then open his majesty most presently unto Adam, howbeit upon our saviour Christ whom we believe bodily too be in one place, not in all: according to the saying of the angel unto the women. He is not hear after his resurrection, but the men of Galilee stood and beheld his human body, go up into the heavens, and the angels said again unto them: ye men of Galilee, this same jesus shall come again, as ye have seen him go up in to the heavens. Acts. i. and God hath appointed a day, saith Paul: when he will judge the world with righteousness, by this man whom he hath raised from death. Act. xvii. The which day and time of the Lords coming seemeth here to be chiefly and principally describe, though the destruction of the jews be therewith insumate, for thus doth Christ himself couple both together xxiiii of Matthew and David in the xvii Psalm doth adjoin the day of his particular deliverance to this day of the lords coming, saying: the Lord hath heard my voice from his holy temple. The earth was moved and trembled, and the foundations of the Mountains were troubled, & shaken. The smoke did come forth in his wrath and the fire did flame from his face, so that cools were kindled therewith, he bowed down the heavens & came down and darkness under his feet.  
Of this day and of these high places whereupon the Lord shall walk, speaketh Esay the Prophet. In that day the Lord alone shallbe exalted for it shall come upon all the high and proud, upon all them that are arrogant, and they shallbe brought low, and up on all the high Cedar trees of Lybanus, and upon all the Oaks of Basan, & upon all the high hills, and upon every high tower, the pride of men shallbe brought down, and their high looks be brought low saith Esay, which is the meaning of our Prophet.  

The Text  And the hills shall melt.  
For our God is a consuming fire and who is able to abide the heat of his heavy displeasure? and as Esay saith the Lord shall come in fire, and his Chariot shallbe like a whirl wind, to utter forth his fury with great rage, & his rebuke in the flame of fire. For in the fire and the sword shall the Lord judge all flesh. Esay. lxvi.  
Now, where the proud world doth think that the lord liveth in the heavens, not seeing, neither regarding their doings upon earth, our Prophet rebuketh that gross opinion, and telleth them that as he did come terrible down upon the mount Sinai when he did give the law of the ten commandments. So will he come with fire, to make their hearts to melt, when he will ask accounts of the keeping and fulfilling of these holy commandments. The which fearful communication and threatening may worthily cause us in these latter days, upon whom the end of the world is come, to quake and tremble, considering our careless life, which do all things so wilfully and wickedly as though either there were no God at all, or no day appointed to make answer for our doings. But the Lord will come speedily from his holy temple.  
For the wickedness of jacob, 
The Text.  all this and for the sin of the house of Israel.  
After the Prophet have threatened utter destruction of the ii kingdoms Samaria & jerusalem, set forth by open similitude of the mountains melting, the valleys cleaving in sunder, like as wax doth before the fiery flame, he showeth the cause of the ruin of them both & of the great wrath of God, & as all prophecies be general being given by one spirit, which seeth to the end evermore striving against the sin of all nations. So doth the spirit teach us that the only cause of God's wrath in all ages, and all places, is the sin and wickedness of the world, for the which he said once: It repenteth me that I made man. Genesis vi For sin God destroyed the whole world, which he had made, both man and beast, save only a seed reserved in the Ark, to preach his justice, & his mercy, in a new world, renewed by his spirit. For the proud sinful words of the old Giants, did the great plague of the confusion of languages come up on the world, which we do feel unto this day, so that one man unto another being of a strange nation, is made as it were a dumb and speechless beast. For sin were the .v. cities brent with fire. For sin were the old Giants Og king of Basan, and the monstrous seed of Suachim destroyed. For sin the Canaanites, the Hevites, the hittites, the jebusites, and to be short after them who were placed in their Countries, the chosen Israelites being in number like the sand of the sea, were miserably wasted, destroyed, and consumed. The four principal Monarchies which Daniel describeth, be all beaten down for sin. And the ten little horns or kingdoms also, hath been every one of them, ofter than once changed and translated. Finally all realms countries, towns and cities, shall for sin have the like ruin and destruction. Some sooner and sorar, to cause the rest to repent, and at the length all because the reward of sin is destruction by the mighty Lord his unchangeable ordinance. So sore a thing is sin in the sight of God, that who so ever sinneth, deserveth death. This was the old learning which the Lord taught Adam in Paradise, which all the seed of Adam feeleth and tasteth continually, and yet can neither see nor avoid the cause of their destruction, but as Media did say: Even seeing, witting, and willing we do perish.  
Who was the cause of sin to jacob? was it not Samaria? 
The Text  and who of the high places of juda? was it not jerusalem?  
This sentence can not stand as it is commonly translate, what is the sin? because the interogative in the Hebrew is the Masculine gender, & therefore must be referred to the author of the sin, and high places, whereunto the answer also serveth that Samaria and jerusalem, that is to say: the chief cities and kings courts are the causes of all wickedness & Idolatrous abomination. Even so so said Elias to king Achab: Thou and thy father's house hath troubled Israel which have forsaken the commandments of God, and followed Baalam. For like as the king and court is, such are the people, as the experience of all ages plainly teacheth. For the people always by flattering and counterfeiting kings and princes, doth imitate & follow their manners & conditions. And this is nothing unnatural, that the body and inferior members should follow the qualities & disposition of the head, but rather impossible that it should be inclined any other ways. Here is to be noted for the variety of translation, of this text that it is a defective sentence, and by sundry interpreters is diverstye supplied like as many more are in the old testament. For the Hebrew tongue in sentences of vehemency, and also of great haste doth leave out certain words easy to be understand. itti mi, who with me, ha shalam, how peace, such eclipsed phrasies have we in the English tongue, as how now? horse, horse. Samaria was the kings of Israel's seat, as we read iii King xvi Amry king of Israel bought the hill Thamor of Themer, and built it for his palace, where as the kings were named before to reign in Thyrsa, as appeareth in the same chapter.  
This Samaria is much blamed in scripture, because of the golden calves which jeroboam set up, & all the kings of Israel in this city chiefly maintained after him. And jerusalem is annexed as her sister by birth, being both of one people, brought forth of Egypt, and also like of condition in all kind of abominations, as the third chapter of jeremy, and xxiii. of Ezechiel doth at large under the names of Ahola and Aholiba declare. Where as jerusalem is accounted much more wicked, because she could not beware by her sisters fall, but increased her abominations, and therefore much more grievously to be judged and condemned.  
In what case then are we living in these evil days, in our great cities, courts, and kings houses, which have not the terrible example of one of them only, but of infinite other set before our eyes. We do read of the wicked kings in jerusalem Achas and Manasse, which did not only exceed in wickedness the kings of Israel and princes of Samaria, but they are charged that they far pass the wickedness of that people which the Lord did drive forth before them for their sins. And abominations the wicked Cananees, where the kings and Princes were so evil, the people could not be good, therefore did come upon them horrible destruction at the end. What shall we say in these perilous times wherein all men complaineth, religion to be neglected, charity to be clean quenched, all good manners & orders perverted and corrupted, covetousness so deeply grounded, and riot so rooted in their hearts, which have authority over us, that these poisons are spread like smyttinge lepryes, from the head to the hole body even to the souls of the feet and lowest members.  
Repent (we say) O you princes & judges of the earth, remember these examples of old, consider that all is laid upon your backs, for you must answer for the sins of the people, even you I say, which should be as it were earthly gods unto the people, to minister all goodness. Become not devils the authors of evil and wickedness, have oft in mind the godly sayings of the book of wisdom, that power is given unto you of the Lord, & authority from the highest, which shall examine your works & shall search your very thoughts, because that you being the ministers of his kingdom, have not used right judgement, nor kept the law of righteousness, neither have you walked after the will of God.  
Horribly therefore and speedily shall he appear unto you, for a most strait judgement shallbe to them in authority. Unto the small mercy shall be showed, but the mighty shallbe mightily tormented. etc. as in. Sapi. vi.  
Repent we cry again O ye lords of the earth of your former negligens in religion. Lay down your covetous ambition, seize from riot and your lascivious wantonness. Away with your stinking fornication. Let go your oppression and extorsion.  
Seize to do evil. Learn to do good. Lest you do perish with these ii cities afore named Samaria & jerusalem. The poor people your subjects must needs follow your example, if you do unfeignedly repent as did the kings & princes of Ninive. Like as they can not escape unpunished if you do sink in sin with the princes of Sodom. But oh, where be the exampls & proclamations of the kings & princes of Ninive, which admonished of their sins by jonah only, proclaimed a fast for young & old, man & beast, commanding most straightly that they should cry unto the Lord with all their might, & every man torn from his evil way, & from the wickedness, wherein he was practised. That God might repent of his word & turn away his wrath. But you contrariwise, not repenting, but forgetting how you have offended God with your old idolatry, do abuse his light, now sent amongs you, to the satitfying of your lusts, & to condemnation of your own souls, cause god his holy word, & the preachers thereof to serve your covetousness. You do make proclamations daily I do grant against the covetous dealings of your inferior members & subjects: but be sure, the body can not be delivered of this disease except the head be first purged. Wherefore be warned in time by the prophets and preachers, for if we still both head & foot, continue in evil, we must look together to perish with the wicked world before us.  

The Text  I will lay Samaria in forowes to plant vines, I will cast down her stones into the valei & raise her foundations.  
Lo, utter destruction is threatened to this city for the wickedness of the inhabitants. And it was performed which the prophet speaketh by Salmanasar, San herib, Phul, & Theglathphelaser, as appeareth in the four book of the kings the xvii. & xviii chap. And shall our polluted Samaritans of London escape unpunished, the jews could not meddle with the Samaritans' without pollution, neither can the faithful come to London but they are contaminate. Their eyes with filthy sights, are full of adultery, their ears with wicked tales & blasphemies, are obturate & made deaf, their minds with infinite errors occupied, with the diversity of devilish delutions demented, that neither Samaria, neither Sodom itself, hath deserved before god & man any sorar, or more extreme punishment. God is there none amongs them, neither yet earthly king, as appeareth by their laws contemned, no love amongs men, no shame fastness amongs women, no faith, no fear, no trust, no confidence, no master content with one office and calling, no servant for love, doth show obedience.  
In shadow and outward show, have banished Idolatry, and changed their religion, yet do they serve the devil still as much as ever they did in all kind of abomination. Therefore shall this English Samaria be wasted and destroyed, because from this sea all sinful poodles of England doth flow & spread abroad.  
And all the graven images of Samaria shall be broken in pieces, 
The Text  the gifts and offerings shall be brent with fire, and all her temples shall I make desolate, for she hath gathered all of the hire of an harlot, and to the hire of the harlot, they shall be returned.  
The graven Images, the golden calves, & what so ever the assyrians foundin Samaria, they spoilt and waisted it, they destroyed their towns & temples as is touched four Kings xvii They did take away their golden calves. Hosea viii whereby the lying Lord would utter the weakness of those feigned gods which could not help themselves, and the foolishness of all men which will worship such broken cisterns that can hold no water. Yea, their foolishness & shameless abomination is much more uttered in that the Prophet saith that Samaria had gathered all this of the hire of the harlot: charging them as doth Ezechiel xvi Chap. that where unto all common whores, there is given rewards. Israel looking for no reward of her Idols, with whom she hath ren of whoring, hath contrariwise made them rich with her gifts and rewards. But as goods evil gotten must needs be evil spent (according to the common Proverb) so now cometh it to pass, that these rich jewels gold and silver offered Idols in Samaria, are carried into Babylon to be dedicated to their Idols again, or else are ready to be converted upon such harlots as commonly followeth such garrisons of orderless sowgioures and by the curse of god and most heavy temptation (as we do see in our time) that which was gotten by spiritual fornication is spent in beastly and bodily whoredom.  
Wherefore I shall mourn and yell, 
The Text  I shall go spoiled & naked, I must murne like the dragons, & wail like the Ostriches.  
The Prophet brasteth forth with tears, with sighing, sobbing, yelling, and crying, to lament the state of these miserable times, which he did see and behold to hang over the heads of his people. So doth Christ our Saviour saying jerusalem, wept over it. So doth Esaiah. So doth jeremiah, and all true prophets and preachers lament and bewail the miseries, which needs must follow the sinful stubbornness of the wicked. Thus always, the wicked world grieveth the holy spirit of God, in these holy men: but never will they mourn for their own sins, unless it be so as our prophet may be right well understand, that affliction, danger, and distress, do give them understanding, as in their fearful famine, when the delicate women, were fain to eat their own tender babes, to eat rates, horse heads, the very dung of Asses when their king was carried captive, and his eyes put forth, when the beauty of their fair women was withered with wailing, with heat and burning of the weather, when the plaiting of their hair was turned into baldness, and all their strong men slain in battle. Then as Esaiah saith: their gates shall mourn and the city being spoiled, shall sit upon the earth. Esay. iii. Thus may it be very aptly understand, either of the Prophet or of the people.  
Of this spoil and nakedness Moses by the mouth of God, did prophecy. Deuterno. xxix. Because they have forsaken the covenant of God, which he hath made with their fathers, when he brought them out of the land of Egyptte, shall their land lie spoiled and wasted. Again. Hos. cha. iii. A long time saith he, shall the children of Israel sit without king, without Prince, without sacrifice, without altar, Ephot, & jeraphim.  
Wherein is to be marked that the fall and destruction of all cities & countries are for seen to the spirit of God, and the cause of their ruin is only sin and wickedness, even the forsaking of the Lord.  
This it is which shall make the proud Dragons which foameth forth fire from their mouths to yell and cry at the end, for the misery which shall come upon them. This shall cause the great Ostriches to groan and mourn for very distress and anguish. finally, this sin shall cause all the earth to shake & quake, to yell and wail, when the word of god shallbe poured forth upon it.  
O Lord be merciful unto us, for our sins sake do we feel at this day thy heavy displeasure, too rage and rain through our hole realm, and especially at this present, upon thy house of Suffolk, once beautified by thy glorious Gospel but now by our unworthiness spoiled naked and byryved of the crown of glory of thy chosen vessels, the hope, honour, and comeliness of that house. O Lord why doth not the wicked perish which knoweth not the nor careth for thy commandments? But the judgement beginneth at thine household children, the heard hearted Ostriches and devouring Dragon's shall yell and mourn in the end.  
The proud tyrants are likened to Dragons Ezechiel xxxii job. xl. For the Dragons how they die pressed to death by the huge Elephante Plinius declareth. Lib. viii. Cap. xi. The Estryches are described. Lib. x. Cap. i Strabo. Liber. xvi.  
Because her wounds are in curable: 
The Text  For to jehuda is it now come: it is come too the gates of my people even to jerusalem,  
Lo, this is the cause worthy of much moureninge, weeping, and wailing (saith our Prophets) because jehuda hath sinned, and as Esay saith from the head to the foot, there is nothing but swelling sores, stripes and wonds, no place left where they may be plagued any more. The wrath of the Lord is so sore kindled, that he hath given them up to their own sinful lusts & therefore worthily hath also brought upon them miserable plagues, the fire of his vengeance can not be quenched but still the Idolatrous people of Samaria too the chosen kingdom, it rageth from jehuda even to jerusalem that holy city, whereunto the perpetual priesthood and kingdom unto the coming of Messiah was promised, so that as Esay lamenteth the cities round about jerusalem being destroyed. jerusalem was left alone like a watch house in the vinyeard or the cottage in the garden of Cucummers, and clear without any succour obsessed & besieged by Rabsace as appeareth four kings xviii Here by now England and all those people whom God hath specially called in these our times by the light of his Gospel hath great cause too tremble and fear God his secret judgement, considering that we have not so many promises as had jerusalem and their fall was for their unthankfulness and forgetfulness of their duties towards god, as appeareth by our Prophet. What shall we then look for: like fall with the Germans. Nay, much worse & much sorar because we will not yet be warned.  
Do not declare this in Gath: neither weep you nor wayl you there, 
The Text.  in the houses of Sephratumble thyself in the dust.  
A like lamentation maketh David for the death of saul and jonathas two. kings ii show not this thing in Gath nor Askalon saith he, lest the uncircumcised Philistines do rejoice at the fall of Israel, Wherein is declared the cause that in Gathe named a city of the Phelistines, whence the great enemy Goliath did come the fall of god his people should not be known lest the uncircumcised should say where is their God. As the great Turck & the proud Pope with their adherents do not stick at this day to sai of the Germans that they were in an evil way else should not god have given them to their enemies. O let us beware lest the name of God or his holy doctrine be by our wicked sinfulness at any time so hainouslye blasphemed. But as for Ophir which is hear called Aphra (for the hebrew allusion with Aphar which signifieth dust) which was in the tribe of Benjamin one of the high cities of juda the prophet biddeth it after the custom of mourners to mourn in dust & ashes. So ought we in our own congregations amongs ourselves, bewail our miseries, & the miseries of our brethren, & thus judging ourselves, we shall not be with the wicked condemned, but by our unfeigned repentance, cause God to show his mercy upon us, as did the Ninivites repenting in ashes & sackcloth at the preaching of jonas. But O merciful god what flintish hearts have we? The enemies of Christ do laugh & rejoice at these our miseries. Yet we can not bewail them. The proud papists can say they are plagued for their sins, yet will we not espy them. They do say (I do fear me overtrulye) that we neither do fast nor pray but cause the Gospel to serve our foolish fantasies, and therefore doth God send these plagues upon us, that we may be made new vessels apt and meet to these spiritual works, thereby to put away thy wrath so sore kindled against us, and to stop the mouths of our enemies.  

The Text.  Get the hence Saphir with thine enhabitaunce, thou hadst thy name of beauty, but thou art naked with shame. And zaenan which had the name of going forward, shall not go forth to bewail Bethhazell, the enemy shall take from you through his long siege. For the citizens of Maroth hath sorrowed for their riches sake, because that evil is come from the Lord unto the gate of jerusalem. Yoke thy chariot with thy Dromedaries and swift running Camels, O Lakis, for thou wast the first beginning of the sin of Israel the daughter of Zion, for in the was found the wickedness of Israel.  
The Prophet doth rehearse the chief cities whence jerusalem should have had help and succour, and setteth before her eyes the extreme misery whereunto she was brought by sin. The beautiful Saphir was smitten with shame. zaenan which was not alway ready before time to go forth against the enemy, and thereof had the name, dare not now go forth to lament her neighbours of Bethhaezel: no, the enemy hath taken from them both men, money, and all munitions by their long siege against them. The rich city of Maroth also doth mourn for her riches, where she hoped for the good blessing of God which is here named, Tob, and doth signify all goodness. The contrary even the curs & wrath of God threatened in the law, did pierce to the ports & gates of jerusalem. Now Lakis which is named the ten of josua to be the kings seat which is laid also to the princely tribe of juda. joshua the xu is commanded by our Prophet to fly away in chariots and to be carried with most swift beasts for so doth all the Hebrew commentaries agree that, Rekes, doth signify. Though some do translate mules, some Camels, some Dromedaries, and some doth say it is the name of a beast unknown to us. The meaning of the Prophet is to utter in how great fear they shallbe before the enemy. And as the Prophet speaketh it was fulfilled the xiiii year of the reign of king Esechias, when Senaherib did take all the strong fenced cities of juda, and being in the city of Lakis, Ezechias sent Messengers to desire him too depart and appoint what tribute he would, iiii, kings xviii The Prophet doth further utter the cause of this terrible fear, from which they should fly, saying: that this Lakis was the first fountain of the idolatry, brought from Samaria to jerusalem, which ought therefore chiefly to tremble, because it was the first and chief cause of God his wrath thus kindled. Let all them learn hereby to repent which are the authors of evil unto other, for when the almighty shall shake his sword it shallbe to late to seek for help at horses and Chariots.  
The common fame goeth that in Boston in Lincoln shear there, was seen a sword hanging in the air, but we need no feigned matters: we do feal the fierce wrath of God and his sore sword in this sudden death & murrain of men, which might cause us to repent, if we were not indurate & given over to our own lusts. Our beauty is shent, our forward men are spent, our riches is consumed. Can we help this with the friendship of foran nations? can we resist the wrath of God by our pollycyes? especially joining hands with papists, the friends of Antechriste by profession, and our ancient enemies.  
Therefore shall thou send gifts to Moresheth which is in Gath, 
The Text  and the house of Akrib shall lie unto the kings of Israel. Yet again will I bring an heir unto the thou city of Maresha unto Adullan shall come the glory of Israel. Make thyself bald & be shaven, for delicate & dainty children enlarge thy baldness & nakedness like the Eagle because they are gone into captivity from the.  
Moresheth & Maresha are ii divers cities of divers countries & in the Hebrew plainly distinct by letters and vow else. Moresheth,  was a city of Palestine which David brought in subjection and made tributary. The which our Prophet doth now say, shall make jerusalem trybutary in contrary condition, and Likewise Aksib was a citi of juda, josu xu whose citizens were like the lying and deceivable waters giving no refreshing to them which sought relief at their hands.  
Maresha was in the tribe of juda, The prophet b● the mouth of god, threateneth to bring in a new heir and owner to Maresha the city, wherein he was borne, to give them knowledge, and to bring into remembrance the benefit of old, when God brought them forth of Egypt, did drive forth the Cananees, and set them as heirs and owners in their land. The which work of God they nothing regarding, but coveting the spoil one of another, every man taking house and land from his own brother, as followeth in the second chapter, by worthy punishment and just recompense, God bringeth and setteth in their place new heirs and owners. And unto Adullam, which was a city night to jerusalem, shall come this heir, this owner, & new possessioner, whom all Israel shall hold as their lord, & count as their king. Wherefore he is here called their glory, the glory of Israel, which was fulfilled in the king of Assur. Sanherib which did come and conquer all the cities of jewry, save only jerusalem, which was left like a cottage in the field when the harvest was ended, as Esay sayeth: where the Prophet biddeth the whole land of jury, so make itself bald, & shave of the hear, for the loss of her children. He setteth forth the great heaviness and mourning which should follow this destruction. Like as Ezechiel xxvii. Let them sprynckle their hands with dust and ashes, and shave them whiles they be bald. Also, jeremy xvi of the contrary where their shallbe no mourning. They shall die great and small together, they shall not be buried nor lamented, neither shall any cut themself or any baldness be made for them. job is named to have been shaven in his great sorrow in the first chap.  
This similitude of the Egle is brought in to amplify and set forth their spoil and destruction, for as the Eagle in extreme age, doth cast all her fair feathers and loseth them. So Israel naked and spoiled, bald and barren of all ornaments, shall mourn and lament, the which similitude of the Eagle, may represent also to the spiritual man, the renewing of the spiritual Israel, which can not be any other way, but by the mortifyfiing of the carnal Israel. Whereunto the Prophets as unto their chief mark (though darkly for the time) doth apply their prophecies. Of this renewing of the Eagle, besides the profane writers, we read Psa. ciii. Esa. xl. of the renewing and restoring of the spiritual Israel. Esay. lx. Ambrose doth at large set forth this similitude, and apply it to the renewing of the faithful, in a Sermon made principally for the same purpose. Now to appyly this prophecy to our time and manners. What if we be likewise compelled to please with gifts our enemies? what if we being disepossed, other do invade our possessions? Whom can we blame, but our own wickedness? which being so oft warned, wilfully do ren forward to provoke the wrath of God upon us. This sore plague of this sudden death, send among us (unless we do shortly repent and amend our evil lives) seemeth to be the weakening and rooting out of us against the coming of some foreign enemies. For thus God useth first to warn by his word, then by some fatherly correction. After when the people doth wax stubborn against his word, and cruel amongs themselves, he giveth them up to the cruelty of their enemies, which causeth baldness, nakedness, and all miseries. Therefore let us pray with David that we fall into the hand of God, rather than into the hands of men.   

The second Chapter.  
woe to them that imagine vanity and work wickedness upon their beds and early in the morning will do the same, 
The Text  because that power is in their hands. They coveted fields, and have gotten them by extortion: houses have they desired and taken them away. They have by violence oppressed the man and his house, the man and his heritage.  
Our Prophet here tofore hath chief rebuked the people for their Idolatry and unthankfulness towards god. Now when he cometh to touch their gross covetousness against their brethren, he is compelled to cry, woe worth them that thus wickedly lying upon their soft beds where they should thank God for his benefits, and pity their brethren which have not the like: doth clean contrary imagine only, lying upon their beds in the night season, how they may work wickedly against their poor brethren, and in the morning do speedily perform their wicked dyvyses. This is so plain it needeth no expositor, the Prophet telleth them what they imagine, only how they may get their neighbour's house and living. We all grant this is plain, we say all the this is true, & we do confess an everlasting woe and curse shall come upon such covetous caitiffs, but which of us careth for it. The poor man sayeth this curs belongeth not to him. The Lords and rich men they care but for the time. The Bishops and priests do look over as the devil doth look over Lincoln (as is the common proverb of that country) or else durst they never practise for purchasing other men's lands and houses to make their wife's ladies, and their sons Lords. Yet can I praise the Bishops of the Popish church for their cleanly convetaunce of their matters, in regard of our protestauntes, which thus openly shame their profession. Will you yet be a church all alone, O English Bishops and and priests, will you neither follow Christ nor his Apostles, neither the Bishop of Rome and his Bishops. At you wiser than the one sort or will you be worse than the other? What shall Isai? You do know enough What shall I heap scripture and reasons against you? repent or else with the Prophet we must all cry woe, woe, against you, it is your ambition and covetousness that maketh our Lords heads and governors to do so evil, you can not worthily rebuke them being evil yourselves. Therefore our alder Master Christ coming to reform the world, beginneth with the Scribes and Pharisees, the bishops and thee priests, and thondereth woe against them. saying the Scribes and Pharisees set in Moses' seat whatsoever they commanded you, that look you observe & keep, but do not according to their works for they speak but they do not. woe therefore unto you saith Christ, which shut the kingdom of heaven unto men, neither entering yourselves, neither suffering them that would enter.  
Mark for thee love of your own souls, how like you be to these Pharisees, they did set in Moses seat and did teach and preach the law of God, as you do sometimes. But because they did love the worldly kingdom and lordship more than the kingdom of heaven, as Christ here chargeth them, that they will be great and be called Lords and masters: by this lewd example, they shut the kingdom of heaven that neither they nor other blinded by their ambition, & led astray by their evil example cold enter therein.  
Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees, saith he, you hypocrites which do devour the houses of the widows under the pretence of long prayer, therefore shall you be more grievously punished. You know that the goods of your sees and churches, althose lands and rents which you receive in your Dioceses are the goods of the poor widows and fatherless. And he that defrawdeth the poor is a Murderer. How dare you then devour this to purchase lands for your wife and children? But you do it under the pretence of the Gospel, as they did under the pretence of prayer, therefore doth Christ call you Hypocrites which under so holy a clock dare cover your wickedness, and he saith further your damnation shall be greater.  
Shall we go further and say: Woe to you Scribes and Pharisees, which labour so busily with flearing and flattering, with threatening and prysonning to gather more into your fellowship too wear your gay gear, too take your vain titles with you, that when they have stepped forward too one peace of your superstition, they become more soorar defenders of your fondness than you were before them. Shall we say? woe unto you scribes and Pharyseis which strive for the gay golden garments too be used at the Lords supper and for setting of the altar in the quyere and for round Cakes, and for the people too gape and take them in their mouths like Babes.  
But for the godly ministration of this holy supper, and for the church and faithful congregation of Christ scattered a broad with popish Boors, devoured with covetous and greedy Wolves, Bears, and Lions, and trodden under the foot with stinking Goats, you do care nothing. I will go no further but in the name of this your head Bishop, whom you profess to follow: I warn you to repent, lest this woe and curse come upon you, and for your causes upon us al. You are the salt of the earth, if the salt be unsavoury what can be seasoned therewith. I trust verily there is some good amongs you that be Bishops and Priests, but in this point are you all, that I know, fowllye faulty, that wink at your fellow bishops and fellow priests both in purchasing of Lands, gathering of riches, and other abhominatyons. Away with covetousness the root of all evils. Away with your lordliness which maketh you unlike Peter, and take unto you largesse for your gold n Mitre, and meekness for your rotehet. Bewyse as Serpents but simple as Doves. So wicked Achab oppressing Naboth, and his companions, be they Noble men, be they pen men, whereof this world is full. I do cry with Esay the Prophet: woe unto you which do imine house to house and field to field Esay .v. and with the Prophet jeremy, woe unto him that buildeth his house in unrighteousness, and his parlours not in judgement, and with the Apostle james. Go to now you rich men, weep and howl upon the miseries which shall come upon you. etc. ja. v. Know this old saying to be most true. Every rich man either is wicked, or heir to the wicked. There be many secret imaginations and privy practises, wherewith both Bishops and other might here worthily be charged, but this do I write secretly to admonish that they may be moved to repentance not openly to publish any privy secret seeing their open crimes asketh speedy vengeance.  
Wherefore take heed all ye that imagine vanity and myckednes in your secret chambers, thinking to beguile both God and man by your wily wits. God which made the eye, doth he not see? He which made the heart, hath he not understanding? Is any night so dark▪ that he can not see therein? na●, ●yght is no night, darkness is light before him. Therefore woe shall be unto you and your shame shall never cease, when he bringeth into light your privy practyses your crafty conveyance, your subtile inventions, your sign wits spent in vain and unprofitable imaginations. There is nothing done so closely in secret, but it shall be revealed openly, be you suit, for Christ our aldermaster speaketh it. The rich niggard imagining vainly to build more barns and store houses, and so to rest in the strength of his own labours, had this answer from the lord: O thou fool how vainly dost thou imagine, this night whiles thou dost imagined thus lying upon thy bed, shall they take thy soul from thee.  
Nebuchadnezer imagining vainly of his own strength and power, was so punished and plagued for his vain imagination, that he did lose his reason, wit, and understanding, and became a brute beast, eating grass in the field for the space of vii years. And if so be that these men imagining vain things only were thus entreated: how shall wicked Haman and his fellows escape? imagining mischief against the chosen of God. How shall stought Nymrothe avoid punishment, which buildeth his palaces with the spoil of his brethren. Where shall become the Cainites which imagine how to get the blood of their brethren. As for the imagination of jezabel, to obtain the vinyeard, the inheritance of Nabothe, it is no strange thing in these latter days but a common practice, and a politic invention for the kings advantage. For our wits far passeth our predecessers in the imagination of mischief, as one day therein always teacheth another. And the scholars of this school can ever find somewhat to increase and augment the wickedness of their masters. As we have seen most evidently in the popish church, how Pope after Pope did enlarge the inventions of Antechriste with new and strange devices so long, whiles the ground of Christ's religion clean forgotten, the champions and Captains of that wicked court and company, did affirm and contend that all christian religion did stand and consist wholly upon Ceremonies, the imaginations of the Idle brains of Popes and prelate's) even so holelye and fully as the goods and substance of the rich Merchant standeth upon farthings, so that like as by taking away farthing after farthing from the rich man, all his substance is at length consumed even so (saith Stephan Gardinet of late a stout Prelate, of his devilish Sophistry in the very latter end of his book standeth our religion upon the Mass and heap of Ceremonies which by division contemned, the subtance of our religion by prodigal children is wasted and consumed,  
But praised be the Lord God these vain imageners, are put to silence, and confounded hear in England, & who so list to read of their vain imaginations, No man hath more clearly uttered, nor more plainly painted them in their own colours then out country man of worthy memory William Tindal in his book of the practice of prelates. So that I thought it not so meet much to meddle with their inventions in this treatise as to rebuke the vices of our time and the vain imaginations of the carnal Gospelers which would fain serve both God and Mammon, which will make their, belly their God, & say they serve the Lord which would seem to be enemies to popish religion, but they are adversaries to Christ his truth and Gospel, and do more harm thereunto by evil and lascivious liberti of the flesh by covetousness and other crimes, open to the eyes of all the world, them the other did by cruel persecution, and all the crafty imagynatyon of the crafty court of Rome.  
Therefore cometh this woe upon us now living, because we do imagine how to maintain by pour our wicked devices and justify our evil doings. We can imagine laws to maintain our adultery. We can make divorsmentes for very sklenderlye approved causes. We can colour our covetousness with the cloak of religion. Brifly we can establish all our vain imagination by laws of our own making, that no man shall dare be so bold as once to 〈◊〉 against them, though they be contrary to god his own laws. For where God hath commanded in. the xxii of Exodus that thou shall not hurt the widow and the fatherless, and if you do hurt or hinder them by any means either in lands, in goods, in cattle. For the Hebrew word is general of all manner of hurting or hindering of them. If thou do hurt or hinder them saith the Lord, and they do cry unto me. I will hear their cry, and my wrath shall be kindled against you, and I will slay you with the sword, and your wives shall be widows & your children fatherless wards. Let us compare our crafty imaginations and wrong wraisting of laws to this commandment and see how we shall avoid the woe and curse for the breaking of the same.  
We do imagine a law how to spoil the poor widow, first plagued of God, with the want of her husband, with fartherlosse of the lack of her eldest child (which should be her singular comfort in the stead of his father) sold from Chapman to Chapmanne, and to Chapmanne again like an Ox or an Ass or some bond slave. To be brought up in drogerye or handled like a ward for both is one thing by common Proverb, and at length against his will, which is the most misery of all, and far from the law of nature, contrary to the law of God and too all good politic law of free cities, compel him too Marry whom he hateth either for her own untowardness, for such are appointed forwards (for the most part) as no other man would gladly choose? either can not love for the extremytye of her Parents. For no violence can bring love, but free and courageous stomachs, hate compulsion and setteth much by choice and liberty, especially hear where upon hangeth the comfort or care of the hole life, and either furtherance or hindrance from the endless felicity.  
But behold what becometh of our imaginations. We heap the curses and woe threatened against us, upon our heads, and causeth such widows to mourn and cry unto God for their miseries, we do make these fatherless, these wards, whereof we have a careful charge by the mouth of God in many places of scripture: too blaspheme God and man in thee anguish of their hearts by our covetous cruelty: Cursyngethe time of their birth, their Parents, their Lands and Land Lords  
We couple them too our Daughters too cause continual Adultery in both parts. Who being thus married with thee devils Marriage, seeketh for divorcement when they are forth of bondage, which as it may in some cases be permitted, so for to be made common and usual, shallbe the greatest plague that come to any common wealth. And these men having their minds occupied only in strange love, can never be apt instruments for any such service as might be for the glory of God, for the kings honour, for common tranquillyty, either in war, or in peace, but unprofitable to all purposes, as experience proveth, and the plague of God compelleth us to pronounce.  
It were to long and tedious to touch the tenth part of your vain imaginations for the filling of your purses, either in this court of the wards, or in the courts of augmentations, and impossible for any man to utter them in the other courts, neither am I very skilful of them or in them, thanked be the Lord: but the evil effects of them, the pilling and the polling, the extortion and the bribery, every poor man of the country feeleth and crieth out there upon, therefore am I compelled to touch it, in hope that God will give you hearts to amend these things, in whose hands the power resteth.  
Will you be loved of your subjects? Will you have no uproates nor commotion of your commoners? Then let them see some cause or love in you, for forced violence and love which cometh by compulsion, cannot be long lasting, The vain imaginations or the late upskips of England too make the people peasants and slaves, is not the right path way to quietness. For even now the commons are so base and poor that they cry out of the evil abuse and openly against the justices of the bench. And what will follow trow you? in your subtle imagions & fine wits, O ye upskippes the devourers of the people, and destroyers of all public weal, which by wards, by simony, by lease monging and like merchandise, make waste this hole realm, before your time most wealthy. O no● le counsaloures, see to the safety of yourselves & your subjects in time. The Lord our God hath oft shaken his rod, Let us all repent of all vain imaginations against his holy laws. especially he to the fatherless as fathers, & to the widows as their husbands, and you shall be the obedient children of the highest, and he shall tender you more than your own mother, as it is promised in the four of Ecclesiasticus after the which rule I do wish our courts of wards to be reform, to the glory of god the salvation of your souls, the profit of the common weal.  
Now for the subtile imaginations of the other courts. I do say no more, but if you will suffer all your spiritual men (as they be called) too have their first fruits, therewith too keep hospitality & maintain the poor whereof this profit ariseth. You shall drive them home to their benefices, and cease much slander, which before your commons, they do seem worthily to lay upon your backs. They do come now once or twice in two. or three years to their Paryshe and say, O good people we would fain keep houses amongs you according to our duties: but the kings officers have so much of us that we can not recover it this iii years at the soonesse. And I wot not what devil is occasion thereof, they take such a custom in this space that they never keep good hospitality after.  
If you will also reform the wrong & unproper usage of the impropryatyons, first given to the clergy, for teaching of the people and relief of thee poor: but sense that time aultered by subtle devices too the monasteries and abbeys, and now come into the kings hands, some men can tell how. If you will restore these and such like to their former uses, and leave such vain imaginations as hath led you too abuse them, you shall win the people's hearts, seeing such changes & reformations which hitherto suspecteth all suppression of abbeys, of idols, of Colleges, of chantries, of hospitals, and all reformation of religion, to be made only for your own private profits and purposes, which their suspicion and fond imagination (as you do account it) can no other ways be wiped away, be you sure, but by the departing from such things wherein they do see you take unlawful gains, whereof part are here named. The spoil of the fatherless, and the spoil of the poor, in the goods of the church.  
But this gear is against the kings profit and yours, O my Lords, shall some vain ymagynours' twytle in your ears?  
Oh what shall the kings Magetye gain if he win the whole world and do lose his own soul by maintaining against justice, against good conscience, against God his holy will, your vain imaginations, mischievous merchandise and simoniacal sales of your gayneful chaffer. Our Prophet doth threaten the endless woe of everlasting damnation against all vain ymageners, which having power in their hands, do haste to perform their wicked devices. For this is the sense and meaning, this is the true understanding of the latten, and of the first verse where the Hebrew hath, El, & divers have translate the same God, and hath thereby encumbered themselves with dyversity of interpretations. But as it is taken by the best learned in the Hebrew tongue, it signifieth here in this place power, like as. Gene. xxi and Proverb. iii. So that the prophet speaketh of them which have authority and power in their hands. Neither is the spirit of God afraid of them any more than of other. Search your own consciences therefore you that have this power in ywr hands, for all eniuries, violence, oppression, yea of every vain thought and imagination, you shall give a full straight answer, and the mighty shall be mightily tormented. The Lord knoweth the thoughts and imagination of man, that they are but vain, and he taketh the wise in their own wiliness.  
Therefore thus saith the Lord: lo, 
The Text.  I do imagine evil against this family, whence you shall not pluck forth your necks, neither shall you go upright, because this time is evil. At that day shall the mourner make his parable upon you, and mourn lamentably, saying: we are sore wasted and destroyed, the portion of my people god will change. How shall he take that is mine? our lands shall be restored, the enemy shall divide it.  
Because that these men of power did abuse their power against their inferior members, imagining mischief upon their beds. Lo the Lord of all power will shorten their horns, and lessen their strength. He will set his thoughts against their thoughts, his devices shall stand. He will lay a yoke upon their necks which shall cause them to stoup and lay down these haute and high looks, wherewith they overlook every poor man whom they would oppress, but beware you proud of the earth which huff up your noses into the wind after the srensh guise, you shall be fain to hang down your heads for the shame and misery which the Lord shall worthily bring upon you. You have despised the poor, spoiled them of home and harbour, brought them into bondage, made them your slaves and Pesauntes, have killed and slain them. You must by the just and righteous judge have the like unto you measured. The Lord doth even now begin to bring his yoke upon your necks which might cause you to stoup with flying away with your fine physic with all your invention, you cannot avoid it, he suffereth you yet to live & behold it in others that he may provoke you to repentance but the time is at hand if you do not repent when either with this or other plague more grievous you shallbe wholly destroyed. Then shall the false prophets which have flattered you in your wickedness make lamentation & cry out for your destruction which suddenly shall come upon you. Their idle brains shall muse and marvel how this land promised to be yours, should be take with the enemy? Yea after they shallbe taken together with you by the enemy, they shall promise you to be restored as did Hanamah. Heir. xxviii. saying: I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon. But at length he shall see his hope all vain whiles the enemy divideth the land as it was divided too the Lutheans and babylonians. iiii, kings xvii. read the latter end of the xxxiii of ezechiel for the declaration of this Text, how shall he take that is mine?  
Therefore shall there be none which shall divide the lot by line unto thee, in the congregacition of the Lord. 
The text.   
Because you have imagined mischief against other by covetousness, extorsion, violence oppression, have wrought & brought forward your wicked devices, therefore shall you be so spoiled, that you shall have no hope to have your possessions restored, but shallbe utterly rooted forth both of this congregation whom the lord hath with such miracles brought forth of Egypt fostered & cherished in wilderness & hitherto so wonderfully guided and governed, and also with the rich gloten you shall be secluded from the holy company reasting in Abraham's bosom. For the roting out of the ten tribes so that other nations occupied their inheritance read four kings xvii. For the other ii tribes we do know that they continue scattered in all countries unto this day. What shall we now look for, unless we do repent, whose sin in number doth far pass theirs, our iniquities are like the sand of the sea. Think we not that it is the same God which refused his chosen people for their sin?  
Do not prophecy thus shall they say. 
The Text  Let them not Prophecy lest they be put to shame.  
Thus hath the wicked world always resisted the spirit of God and laboured to quench the spirits, to stop the mouths of the Prophets, to put them to shame as they supposed. Therefore saith jeremy I am made a laughing stock all the day long. jeremy twenty They do all deride me because now a long space I have cried against their iniquity and told them of destruction, and the word of the lord was laid unto me as a rebuke and shame all the day long. Therefore saith Isaiah. The people provoketh my wrath they are lying children, children which will not hear the law of the Lord, which do say unto the Prophets and seers: see not? and prophecy not unto us things, that are light, but speak pleasant things unto us. Esay xxx  
Thus the unkind people doth alwai hate the truth, and rather than they will depart from their beastly lusts, wherein they wallow like swine, they will desire Christ himself to departed with the Gaderines and Satazens. This is the condemnation of the world, that light is come into the world, and men love rather darkness then light. Therefore are they given over into minds reprobate to do things uncomely filled with all unrighteousness, whoredom, craft, and covetousness. Romans i  
This is the heavy temptation from the which we ought too desire our heavenly father at this present too deliver us, for even now wickedness hath so gotten the Mastery, and Flatterers are had in such estimation, that our tender and delicate ears can not abide the truth of god's spirit to scrape them.  
But with contention, sedition, and I wots not what else shall the true Preacher be charged to stop his mouth if it be possible. But there is one even the father of spirits which alone can either open or stop the mouths of the spirits. There was one Phassur in the time of jeremy the Prophet which with strokes and imprisonment would have bet down his spirit. We have had like Phassurs in our time, more than one, whereof some of them hath been plagued with Phassur, let the rest be warned. For it is not ●e●tmye nor Latimer, nor leaver, nor Hoper, nor Beacon, nor Horn that speaketh unto them, but the spirit of God which alway by such weak vessels doth so utter itself that when these are gone other cometh of their ashes. And if these should not speak, the very stones should cry out against our wickedness. For jeremy would have holden his peace when he was so evil handled, but he said that the fire of this spirit was in his heart, and with in his bonds that he was wearied with holding it in and cold refrain no longer. Then setteth he forth the fear of men against him, but straight he addeth these comfortable words.  
The Lord is with me like a strong giant and therefore shall they fall head long which persecute me, and they shall not prevail against me, but shall be put to shame, because they cannot prosper, but an everlasting shame shall come upon them which shall never be forgotten. O you english Phassurs fear and tremble for this is your judgement from the Lord of spirits. The shame you would lay upon the true preachers lasteth but an hour: no it is no shame but the greatest honour, you can do them. But your shame is everlasting.  
The Hebrew Na●aph hych is here translate to prophecy and to speak, is borrowed by Metapher from the rain which of many small drops doth grow to greaft abundance and maketh the earth fruitful in the end. So doth the word of God, therefore saith Moses. Deuteronomi xxxii my doctrine shall drop down like the rain.  
O thou that art called the house of jacob, 
The Text  is the spirit of the Lord shortened, are not these his works, are not mi words good to him that walketh upright?  
Thou that will be called by the name of the choose people, though thou be not so, thou oughtest to know the power of God, thou should think that the same spirit which hath drawn forth the sword against the old world, the same spirit which hath fought with Pharaoh, and drowned his army, which hath for their sins driven forth the Cananees before thee, and hath not spared the kings Saul and jeroboam, the same spirit hath not his arm shortened that for lack of power, it should be afraid of the face of any man, to keep silence at commandment, no, thou knowest that these wonders afore rehearsed, and the terrible plagues now threatened, are the works of the almighty. Why then wilt thou suffer thy flatterers still to bolster the up in thy wickedness, and bid the proceed in thine own imaginations, saying: that God is merciful, he will not strike. Surely the lord is merciful, and his words are comfortable, but as the Prophet telleth thee, if thou walk upright. So doth Moses in the giving of the promises, at the first add this condition. If thou wilt hear the word of the Lord, keep it, and do it, thou shalt have all the blessings promised. But if thou wilt not hear the word of the Lord to fulfil all his commandments, the curses written in the law shall come upon the. Deve. xxviii. Wherefore neither the jews in their time, neither we in our time may boast of the promises, unless in walking uprightly we will fulfil our conditions and covenants.  
And already my people is risen against me like an enemy, 
The Text  they do rent of the coat and cloak one of another: Even from him which walketh careless by the way, as though he were escaped from battle. The wives of my people have you driven from their houses full of pleasures, and from their children, have you taken my glory for ever.  
O Lord was this the fall of Israel? because they did stand against God's commandment, openly to defend their wicked ways? When Naboth was killed, jezabel did drive out the poor widow. Yea as the Hebrew seemeth to sound when one against other, & one from another. Mimul. did snatch, sctatch take & reno the poor bribing from the rich, the rich pilling & polling the poor unto the bare skin. When the stranger & travailing man was spoiled & rob as though he had been taken prisoner in battle. The thieves by the high ways, & the Sheriffs & judges had part of the spoil, when their princes were become lions, & learned to ra●●ne for their prey: to devour men, & had learned to make widows as ezechiel speaketh of jehoiakim. Eze. nineteen. if these crimes were the cause of the utter destruction of the chosen kingdom (as the prophet ut the mouth of god here uttereth) what can we look for which have filled the measure of wickedness so full: the we may even now feel it ren oner into our own bosoms: but onli by the just judgement of god to suffer the like at our enemies hands, that we have done to our brethren & neighbours. And here might occasion serve to charge out relm with the sore handling of widows & fatherless children, by our wicked laws of wards, & our sore laws of felonies, whereby the poor widow & innocent children are spoiled, but I have touched it before, & we can look for none other thing than the Lord threateneth, if we do not repent which is as we do read Exo. xxii. that he will make our wives widows, & our children fatherless, let us beware therefore how we do drive forth of their lands & houses the poor desolate widows, & cause their children by our cruel dealing, to blaspheme God, and curse their parents, against God his commandment, and therefore against his glory and honour,  
The last sentence. From their children have they taken my glory for ever, is by diverse interpreters understand of the adultery wherewith the children were defamed, accounted as Bastards, other because that the children rob of their parents had now none to bring them up to the glory of god. And some because they had not their parents whom they might honore in god's stead unto his glori. Munsterus also in his anotions bringeth a very good interpretation, which doth answer to the word for ever, where the Lord had create man to be immortal, which work was for done by sin, it pleased the lord god by perpetual procreation to recover mankind from destruction & so to preserve the world by this lawful procreation of children, to the accomplishing of his glorious works in his church, this thing is meant by the saving of the woman by the bringing forth of children in the second chap. of the first epistle to Timothe. and in the cxxvii Psalm this which Micha calleth the glory of the Lord, David doth call it the inheritance of the Lord, and Christ confirmeth it saying: that his kingdom is of such, and that their angels doth always seethe face of his father. Wherefore whether they be slain by Herodes solgiers, or by English murderers, whether they be made odious by ours or they stinking whoredom, whether the glory of God be taken from the children by the court of wards or other cruelty, better were it for that man, by whom they be hurt, be it king or Caiser, not only to have forsaken all worlolye glory, but to have a millstone tied about his neck & to have been cast into the bottom of the sea, if adultery, if oppression, if tyranny, if extorsion, finally, if any kind of vice do reign unpunished in any kingdom of the chief heads and magistrates, must be charged therewith, which as Paul saith doth not only the like, but are fautors and favourers to them which do so wickedly, which thing the spirit of the Lord is not shortened to see, to show, & sharply to punish.  

The Text  Arise get you hence. This is not your rest, because your land is polluted, therefore shall it destroy you with detestable destruction.  
Lostyl continually the Prophet beateth into our ears, that sin must needs have destruction following, that is the reward of sin from the beginning, in so much that this same land of jury which was promised to be their heritage for ever, was spoiled, waysted and destroyed, after that it was with Idolatry polluted, and as Moses threatened. Leuiti. xviii. the same land should vomit them like as it did the Canaanites, saying: Beware that the land do not like wise vomit you sorthe again if you do the like wickedness, as it did vomit forth the people before you.  
Wherefore like as the Prophets of all ages, when they did see sin reign unpunished, did cry out against the governors, pronouncing these and such like sharp sentences against them. So may the Prophets and preachers of our times, holdlye by the same spirit pronounce and publish like destruction and ruin to ours here in England, especially seeing our country contaminax with covetousness and polluted with glotoni, lechery & all kind of filthiness doth bring forth new kinds of diseases to other countries & old physicians unknown. Here appeareth the Paul writeth to the Roma. that this creature subject unto our vanities against her will mourneth & groaneth to be delivered from this corruptible servitute and seemeth thus to say unto us: O my children, whose wickedness with much weariness I have thus long borne & sustained, I must needs a● the length ease myself of so unprofitable a burden. For your sins am I stricken with steriliti & baramnes you do dig so deep in my bowels by your greedy covetousness that I must needs breath forth sulphuzeal ephalations & poisoned breathynges to destroi such a serpentine generation, which toileth & travaileth so carefully to kill me your mother, you selves and your brethren.  

The Text  If a man walk vainly and with open lies lying unto you do sai: I will Propheci unto you for wine and drunkenness he shallbe a Prophet unto this people.  
As though he should say: oh it is a very hard and unpleasant thing for the people to hear their vices reprehended and destruction for sin prophesied. Therefore can they not bear the true prophets, they cannot away with them: but as Achab answered unto king josaphat asking for some one prophet of the Lord after that four C. false prophets had prophesied pleasant things, There is one man yet left one live but I do hate him because he doth not propheci unto me good: 
three Re. xxii  but evil, but what followeth this refusing of the true prophet and choosing of the false. The Lord sendeth a strong elusion & causeth Achab to perish by the counsel of the wicked & lying prohets which would not be saved by the council of the good and true prophets read the chapter & see the judgement of god against them which do refuse true prophets. Again of the Prophets which follow wine & dronkenship. They have erred, for wine & gone astray for drunkenness the priest & the prophet hath both erred for strong drink, 
Esa. xxviii  they are swallowed up of the wine they have erred in vision and fallen in judgement. So doth all that seeketh gain voluptuousness & pleasures, they ought not to be trusted they are lying prophets yet are they only of the blind world magnified & received, mi lords will have none other to their chaplains for with a fat prebend such may be choked that they will follow mi lord in all his fond ways and allow all his wicked counsels, but that Micha that telleth the truth he is thrust forth of the doors he is of a furious spirit, mylord hateth him as unmeet for his house & all good company.  

The Text  I will gather the together O jacob, I will gather the wholly. I will gather and join together the remnant of Israel, I will put them together like the sheep of Bozra, and like as the flock gathered in the fold. They shall hurl together for the great multitude. The spoiler is gone before them, they have spoiled & passed the gate, they have gone forth thereby, & their king hath gone for the before them, and the Lord as their captain,  
Such a glorious prophecy doth the false prophets bring forth to king Achab Go up to Ramoth say they, and the Lord will give it into thy hands. Again zedechia made him horns of iron and said thus saith the Lord with these shall thou toss and fold Syria whiles thou have destroyed it. So doth this glorious sentence appear to be brought in of our prophet as a flattering illusion of the false prophet, whereby they did keep the people still in the contempt of god & the true prophets, promising them liberty and triumph over their enemies, notwithstanding their enormities and great wickedness. Such flatterers we have in all ages.  
Therefore take heed (O England) then that thus tell the 〈…〉 the in thy wickedness with ●ayre promises, they do deceive thee, and do seek benefices and bishoprics, that they may fill their bellies with wine and strong dryn●● 〈◊〉 as the Prophet said before. I do know that this text is for the most part understand as a prophecy of the coming of Christ, and it may well so be, but I had rather so to expound the prophets, that they might seem to hang together by comely order, then to tear them in pieces. Bozra was a city full of people, full of sheep and cattle, whereunto the false Prophets therefore doth liken their felicity.   

The three Chapter.  
 I said hear I pray B you O Princes of jacob & dukes of the house of Israel. Doth it not pertain unto you to know judgement? you do hate the good & love the eul, you do i'll of the skin of their backs and the flesh of their bones. You have devoured thee flesh of my people & plucked their skin from of them, and have broken their bones & crushed them in pieces, as in a pot, & like the flesh in the midst of the Chaldrens.  
Prince's ought to know judgement, they ought to be wise men fearing god, yea standing in gods stead to the people, having the truth within them that they need not to seek it at their chaplains. They ought to be men which hateth avarice, Exo. xviii. for they execute the judgement of the lord. Deu. i. & whatsoever they shall judge, shall redound & be required upon them ii Cori. nineteen. but you do think you mailive as you list O princes & dukes of our wicked time, you do not think that you have taken an office whereof you must give answer. But that you have attained to such honours that ye should be accounted as earthly gods, that no man should be so beard ye as to talk of your doings, and dare follow the Pope in making such proclamations, though they be such in very dead as our Prophet hear painteth which are so plain they need no interpretation. Therefore I do say with the Prophet Esay, hear O ye deaf men, and sharpen your sights to see O ye blind. But who is so blind as my servant? or so deaf as my messengers whom I sent unto them? For who is so blind as my people and they that have the rule of them. They are like as if thou understodest much and keep nothing, or if one herd well but were not obedient. The Lord be merciful unto them for his righteousness sake that his word might be magnified & praised. They do boast to know the word: but beware the servant which knoweth & doth not, shall be beaten with many stripes.  
You do i'll of the skin of their backs If you do read the xxxiiii 
The Text  of Ezechiel you shall see the difference betwixt these evil pastors & shepherds which feed them selves with the spoil of the sheep, & the good shepherd which cherisheth his sheep. Now where our prophet saith that the Princes do hate the good men and love the evil: it is the experience of all ages for dicers, dancers, flatterers and such like are received into their pryvyc hambers when true Preachers are prisoned. And if it chance that a noble man have one honest man in his house, he is a sheep amongs Wolves, deluded and decided by my Lords own minions and most sage counsellors, at the length, either banished, or put to silence, because the whole course of his life, conversation, and communication, is contrary to theirs, and unprofitable for their purposes.  
Then shall they cry unto the Lord, 
The Text  and he will not hear them, but will hide his face from them at that time, like as they have done evil in their wicked works. Thus saith the Lord of the prophets, which do seduce the people, thus the Lord saith against them: When they have any thing to bite upon, than they preach that all shallbe well, but if a man put not something in their mouths they preach of wat against him, Therefore your vision shallbe turned to night, and your prophesying to darkness. The sun shall go down over these Prophets, and the day shallbe dark unto them. Then shall the vision seers be ashamed, and the soothsayers confounded, yea they shallbe feign all the pack of them to stop their mouths, for they have not gods word.  
Like as the princes, judges and governors hath been turned from Gods, to minister goodness unto Tyrants, working all wickedness. So shall God himself bring upon their heads heavy destruction. And as the book of wisdom saith: these mighty men shall have more terrible torment. 
Sapie. vi.  Then thought they cry unto the Lord, he will not hear them, but hide his face from them, like as they have turned their faces from the poor, & rather regarded Hawks and Hounds dice and cards, dancing and tossing of balls like babes, than the piteous complaints of their poor members made of the same mould, & bought with one price with them. And as for their chaplains which do chop with them their benefices, & giveth an whole years rend or they enter, or greater gain peradventure, & so long as my lord & they can agree of covenants, or that my lord will get them more promotions, they will tell my lord, he may hawk, he may hunt, he may bowl, he may play at the ball, & what he will, so he do stop their mouths with somewhat all is well, & it please your grace: but against their poor brethren, which have nothing to give them, they are cruel and devouring wolves. They pole their parishners, they pill their tenants, they send polling proctor's, & are most ready by all means to trouble the poors to move war against him, both with their good word to my lord, if need be, & other pretipractise. To these wicked hypocrites shall come darkness, angwish, sorrow, heaviness, all the woos and curses, all the plagues spoken of in the scriptures. This great misery is meant by night & darkness as we may perceive. 
Esa. v. xiii. jerem. xv. Mat. xxiiii  Here note also the terrible sentence of God, his sincere justice against the wicked, which shall cry unto god, and shall not be herd, where always he heareth the good before they do cry, Esay .lxv. he rejecteth the wicked with their sacrify. Esay lxvi  

The Text  But I am full of the power of the spirit of god, full of judgement and strength, to show unto jacob his iniquity, and to Israel his sin. Here this I beseech you O princes of the house of jacob and dukes of the house of Israel which do make judgement abominable, & do pervert all equity, building Zion in blood, & jerusalem in wickedness. Her princes did judge for reward, & her priests did preach for wagyes, & her prophets did prophecy for money, & still made the Lord their staff, saying: is not the lord in the mids of us? there shall come none evil upon us. Therefore for your cause Zion shallbe ploughed like the field, & jerusalem shallbe an heap of stones, & the hill of the temple, shallbe an high wood.  
Mark the mighty power of god his holy spirit, o princes, he causeth the prophets to speak, or else they do remain speechless, jeremy saith: I can not speak because I am a child. But what answereth the Lord: say not so jeremy that thou art a child, for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and shall speak all that I shall command the Fear not before their faces, for I am with the to deliver the saith the Lord, ye do set them over the people saith the Lord, & over kingdoms to root up and to destroy, too waste and scatter, to build and too plant. I shall cause the not too fear their faces, for I have made the like a walled city, an iron pillar, and a brazen wall to the kings of juda to the Princes and priests, and to all the people of the land, they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail for I am with the sayeth Lord to deliver the. O why are you faint hearted, which have the like office, what can be said more to encourage you? Why dare you not cry against the wickedness of our time, as the prophets did in their time. Doth not our justiciaries and judges pervert justice, and make their judgements abominable? Is there no rewards in the hands of our Princes? are all these fair houses about London or else where gotten with good conscience and builded without blood? Nay sure lie, for one of your great builders did write worthily upon his walls a confession for all his fellows. No man waxeth rich but by the discommodity of others, but you are but hirelings, preaching for wages and can espy no faults. Yet dare you say for these ramping Lions: have not they banished the Popish religion? is not God amongs us? have not they set forth the Bible? are not they Gospelers? Yes to their open shame doubtless, for heretofore, there was some pretence of religion, some colourable cloak of virtue and honesty, that is shaken of I do grant, and not so much left as fyg leaves to cover their shame, how can God be among this people? amongs whom the devil reigneth and rageth by covetous ambition, whoredom, exhortation, contempt of true religion and all ●u●ill governance. They have set forth the Bible that all men may see how far they do serve in life from God his holly word. They are called Gospelers in spite (as I do take it) of the holy Gospel. For the holy Gospel of God is slandered and evil spoken of, booth of our Papists in EngLande and in other nations, so far as our English gospelling is known. Because in the beginning thereof all things were compelled to serve their covetousness and lascivious liberty and so it is still continued. True religion is sought of no body, private gain which ariseth of the great possessions of the spoiled kingdom, is sought of every body and how perilous a thing it is to bring such cursed spoil into out houses, read the vii of joshua of Achan the son of Charmy, and repent with the Ninivites both king, which shall answer for all these iniquities, and Dukes, Earls, Barons, Bishops, which do turn to your private commodities things dedicate to public uses. Repent I say lest with jerusalem your houses be turned into heaps of stones. jeremis xxvi hath the same saying forth of our prophet and our saviour in xix of Luke.   

The four Chapter.  

The Text  But it shall come in the last days that the hill of the house of the lord shall be prepared in the top of the mountains, and it shall be taysed above all their tops, and the people shall flow unto it. Much people shall go and say: let us go up into the hill of the Lord, & to the house of the God of jacob, and he shall teach us of his ways, and we shall walk in his paths, for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from jerusalem, and he shall judge many nations, and correct strong and mighty people for a long time. And they shall break their swords into shares and their spears into syckles. And one nation shall not lift a sword against another, neither shall they learn the feats of war any more, but every man shall sit under his vine, & under his figtree, & no man shall affray him, for the mouth of the lord hath spoken it.  
Esay the Prophet in his second chap. hath his same prophecy the which of all our interpreters and of the jews also is understand to be of their Messiah, and Christ our saviour but after a sundry sort. For we do take it that the Prophet in his time, seeing in the earthly jerusalem religion neglected, judgement perverted, and justice banished, did cast up the eyes of his spirit into that great and high hill, whereof John speaketh in the xxi of his revelation and did see the house of the Lord, the spouse of the Lamb, the great city, the holy jerusalem coming down from heaven, having the clearness of God and all manner of virtues, and all kind of knowledge, which is mente by those manifold stones there named. So that all the people which shall be saved shall come thereunto, shall walk in the light thereof, and the kings of the earth shall bring their glory unto it. Nothing polluted or defiled shall enter into it. Apoca. xxi. Thus seemeth saint John to utter in other words the same Prophecy which Micheas and Esaias did speak long before. Even as the spirit of our heavenly father for the comfort of the elect should thus speak unto us. Be of good comfort my children though you see mi word despised, my little flock scattered, my poor oppressed, it shall not be alway thus. I have appointed a time. when I will have the mastery, when I will raise up the hill of my house (my chosen I do mean) above all hills above all the high and glorious things in the world, that the Heathen shall flow unto it. The which thing was fulfilled partly when it pleased him at the time appointed to send his son so to be exalted that he should draw allthings unto him. When he commanded all his to be of good courage, for he had overcome the world, when he spoeyled the Princes and powers, and put them to utterance triumphing over them by himself. Collo. two. That this hill of the Lords house might be exalted. Christ gave himself for it, that he might sanctify it, 
Epheci. v.  that he might make it for himself a glorious congregation, without spot or wrynkle, against the which house, because it standeth of a sure rock the gates of hell can not prevail, neither death nor life, nor angels nor rule, nor power, shallbe able to drive this spiritual house forth of god's favour, no the devils dare lay nothing too the charge of this church and house of the faithful. For the Lord even the God of jacob dwelleth in it and who dare stand against it. Thus lo the true temple of God and the house wherein the holy ghost dwelleth, which are we, so many as do belief i Cor. iii. at the coming of our saviour Christ was exalted, & set above all the high mountains great glori, pomp, & pride of this world. The which glory being published by Christ, and his Apostles it brought forth fruit throughout the hole world in Asia, Africa, and Europa.  
Then began they to climb up unto the hill of God, that is to the hill of knowledge to be taught in the ways of the Lord and to walk in his paths as our Prophet doth declare himself. When the gospel did first come forth of Zion and the gracious word and will of the Lord did spring from jerusalem. Then they come from the East to the West to seek this glory, to sit and rest in the bosom of faithful Abraham in this glorious jerusalem.  
This is the rest that followeth where all shall be so quiet that they shall break their swords into Mattocks and their spears into scythes never to strive nor fight in this holy hill of the heavenly jerusalem. Whereunto we must lift up the eyes of our spirits continually striving to mortify the flesh which can not enter therein, because it is polluted.  
This rest is only begun in thee spiritual man in this life, and can not be made perfit tyil the last enemy be overcome, which is death. This is our belief grounded upon scripture of this glorious raising up of the hill of the house of the lord. Now the jews doth stick to the outward letter and naked words, both in this and many other texts touching the restitution of their temple and kingdom. And surely as the Lord God seeth from the beginning of all his works to the end of the same: and his gifts are without repentance, and the spirit of God doth promise great things to that nation, because their fathers were the root, and theirs was the adoptyon, glory and testament to them was the law given the ceremonies and the promises of them was christ concerning the flesh. And so mairot be by the secret work of god that by this clear light of the gospel, so wonder fully spread amongs us in these last days they shall confess their great crimes and grievous offences of Christ refused, and their blasphemies against the son of God, and so God in them be glorified amongs all nations which, shall hear the mercies of the Lord towards them, what promises they have, if they do repent, read xxx of Deut. and of their return in the last days. Ose. three S. Paul also seemeth to delate this matter. Ro. xi. asking for what purpose they did fall, and answereth, God forbid that they all did so fall, that they should all perish. But by their fall salvation did come to the gentiles, for this purpose to provoke them (even the jews) to follow the same, and farther saith Paul: if their fall were the riches of the world and their decay the riches of the gentiles, how much more the fullness of them. And if the casting away of the jews were the reconciling of the world, what shall be the receiving of them, but life brought from the dead? Again I will not have you ignorant of this mystery (saith Paul) that ye be not high minded among yourselves, that blindness hath chanced to Israel. But in purse whiles that the fullness of the gentiles should enter, and then all Israel should be saved again. By the Gospel they are enemies for you, but by the election they are be loved for their fathers. For the gifts and calling of God are such that he can not repent of them. For like as you were sometimes not believing, but now have obtained mercy by their misbelief: so are they now made miscreants, because you have obtained mercy that they might obtain mercy also. For God hath for this purpose shut all under sin that he might have mercy upon al. The jews are chanced in errors and kept in excyle, so that they are talked of & taken as abjects through out the hole world. We do account them and their doings, to be figures of us and our doings, and they●es always holy for their fathers as Paul saith. And in what blindness? in what and how gross darkness of errors under our abominable desolation, this long time have we, which account ourselves the spiritual juda, been shut up, whiles the justice, which is by faith in Christ hath been forgotten, the justice of works set in place, new sects founded, new religion invented, open blasphemies against the open word of God with sword & fire maintained & filthy fornicatyon allowed, shameless swearing permitted and such abominable Idolatry erected as before this time of Antechriste the like was never imagined.  
The stinking breath of man so soon as him liked to blow forth a God into a cake, and name it Christ god and man, with other more devilish delusions then ever had the jews. How be it all this both their sinful blindness and ours, doth serve too the magnyfyinge of the majesty, mercy, and power of the everliving Lord which worketh all for himself even the wicked against the evil day. Because thee goodness of him is such that he will turn the stubbornness of the jews hitherto and our long continued blindness under antichrist to his glory, too the advancement of constancy in mercy and truth too the great beautifying and glorious setting forth of the salvation of his chosen, according too the saying of saint Paul. All things together are aid and helps to them that be of purpose called. Romans viii The incrudelytye of the jews can not make the Faith and promise of God void & of none effect. But rather our injustice doth commend his justice, and our untruth causeth his truth to excel unto his glory, that he may be found true and almen liars, and he over comes when he is judged.  
Then as the fall of the jews must needs be confessed by Paul's doctrine, too be that they may attain mercy, and God to be so glorified, so may we look for the fulfilling of such Prophecies as appertaineth too that purpose at the time appointed which is in these last days when God will have hole Israel saved. When he will have one fold and one flock, read the Prophecies of the restoring again of the jews. Isaiah. xi.lxvi. Chapters. zachary ii Chapter. Osee iii Chapter. Diet xxii. xxxii.xxxiii Chapters. ezechiel. xx.xxxiiii.xxxvii. Amos ix And you shall perceive that God will be yet much more amongs both jews and gentiles glorified.  
For all Prophecies be not wholly ended, fulfilled, and therefore are they dark unto us because the appointed time is not come which shall bring light unto them, save as I said before before that in the spiritual Israel they may after a sort be verified but so that the Israel both by promise and by seed ought not from such plain promises to them made for to be secluded. But because I would not be the author of any new doctrine I do submit my judgement herein and in all that I do write to them that do sit and are able to give judgement. Only I would have us to think that the jews had the oracles, the promises, the testament, the Prophets, & Christ our saviour touching the flesh. They are the rote, the true and natural olive. We are wild and be but grafted in them. They are reject and blinded a long time. So have we been also. They are banished from their country, we live banished also from our natural country.  
And shall it not be a comfort unto us, saying all chanceth unto them in figure to see them restored, the hoop of our restoring unto our heavenly country? Shall it not make much for the glory of God, to perform his promise with the largesse, now when all things seemeth both unto them and unto us pass all hope and desperate? Shall it not commend and set forth the mercy of God which so long time hath suffered and sustained sinners? Shall it not greatly enlarge the kingdom of Christ too have gathered this scattered flock of the jews into his fold? Shall not this consideration, give us occasion too praise and magnify this glorious kingdom? too humble ourselves before the mighty working hand of God whose only work it is both in them and in us, too elect and choose, too reject and refuse, to illuminate, to excreate, to cast down, too raise up again.  
Shall not this much move us charytablye too deal with them, too use all loving means that may be to win them to the favour of God again? And the rather may we do this with good hope of their salvation, because they do live in such fear of God. For the most part of them as far as I can learn, as the like is not to be sound among us Christians.  
Every man, woman and child amongs them is mydste perfit in thee letter of the law, and old Testament. They abhor all Idols and Idolatry. They reverence the high name of God so wonderfulli, as we blaspheme it light tie. Though the vale hang yet before their eyes in the reading of the law, howbeit this do I say to them and all other which shall vouchsafe too read these rude and plain commentaries, that as I have conceived a hope by the scriptures of the rayesing again of the jews too be a figure & example of our resurrection. So me think it may be hear judged against the jews by the words of our Prophet, that temple and kingdom, governance, beating down of enemies, and promised tranquillity, must be only by the word of God, and therefore spiritual, not carnal, as they imagine, but much better than they can yet behold, for first saith our Prophet.  

The Text  In the last days the house of the Lord shallbe prepared in the top of the mountains above all mountains.  
And strayghtwaies he declareth how that shall come to pass.  
Much people saith he shall say: let us go up into the hill of the lord and he shall teach us of his ways & we will walk in his paths, for the law shall go forth of Zion.  
And strait adjoineth unto this word and Doctrine of the Lord the judgement and correction which are the chief points of the regiment and kingdom and straight after the rest and quietness from all forran enemies, which things following so evidently, seemeth altogether to hang of the word of God, and therefore shall not be carnal but spiritual and eternal even such joy rest and peace as Christ promised unto his Disciples such as the world can not give. When this shall be fulfilled our Prophet uttereth in the last day saith he: which last days are always spoken of the time of our Christ the Messiah promised. For the jews do reckon vi. ages or times of most worthy reputation. first from the creation of the world unto the flood. M. cccccc.lv. years. Then from the flood unto the deliverance of the children of Israel forth of Egypt, ccccccc. xc.m. years.  
from the deliverance of Israel unto the glorious buyleding of the first temple by Solomon. cccc. lxxx, years  
From the building of the temple unto the babylon captivity. ccccxix, years  
From the Babylonical captivity to the coming of Christ the true Messiah. cccccc. xxiii.  
From Christ all these latter days of his reign by the Gospel. M.d. Li. years which is the last.  
Into the which last time of Christ all prophecies, all histories the Prophets themselves do look and behold. Therefore saith Christ your father Abraham did desire to see my day, he did see it and rejoiced. Again, blessed are your eyes, which have seen that which many have desired to see and cold not. Therefore saith Simeon, now let thy servant departed in peace, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation. And aiust cause why these last times should be looked for and made the mark too shoot at and end of all prophecy. For straightly after the fall of Adam, these times were promised. This was she second Adam the seed of the woman in whom the world again should be blessed. This time was prefigured in the flood. This Christ should deliver from the hellye Pharaoh. This is the true Solomon and king of peace, buyldeing him a temple without spot. prophecy his delivereth from Babylonycall bondage of Antechriste, and all adversary powers, so that there was no further to be looked for but this time before the law Melchisedeke without father and mother did prefigure this. In the law all ceremonies were but shadows, & Christ was the body in whom all prophecies were fulfilled & all shadows ceased. So that these times of Christ may worthily be called the last times and as Paul calleth it to the Galathians and ephesians the fullness of time, wherein all things were fulfilled. The last times also may they be called, because they are most near to the coming of christ unto judgement, which shallbe the last day of all flesh, the last day of this heaven and this earth, as John speaketh, Neither may we think much that they were called the last days, and the last times in the time of Christ and his Apostles and yet thus long are continued. For as saint Peter answereth to this foolish doubt wherewith the fleshly are deluded. One day with the Lord is as it were a thousand year, and a thousand year as it were one day. And the Lord is not slow in coming as the unwise do think him. But patient towards us, not willing any to perish but to receive all to repentance.  

The Text  For all people shall walk every one in the name of their God, and we will walk in the name of our god, for ever and ever.  
This seemeth to be spoken of the prophet, for a confirmation, and an assurance to have this great promise fulfilled, because all nations set up some kind of religin, and have some gods to whom they credit, whom they do obey and follow, Yea, the wicked world drowned in Idolatri and all abominations, Imagined of their own mad brains every one to have his several GOD. All theirs are but feigned gods (sayeth he) nay, they are devils and no gods. But ours is the living GOD the lord which hath made heaven and earth, and wrought all the wonders both in heaven and earth, we may boldly believe him, walk and go forward in the power of his name forever, how unpossible so ever his promises do seem to the flesh, he is able to perform them. Though he do long deffer them to try our faith, and to show his power whereunto nothing is unpossible, he lasteth for ever, therefore we may never end our hope and trust of that thing he promiseth.  
In that day saith the Lord: 
The Text  I will gather her which halteth, and is cast away, her whom I have punished, and I will make thee halt to have a succession and the outecaste to be a strong people, and the Lord shall reign over them in mount Zion, from hence forth for ever. And thou O tower of the flock, the tower of the daughter of Zion, to thee shall come, to thee shall come I say the first kingdom, the kingdom of the daughter of jerusalem.  
In that day in the last days in the time of Messiah, for so doth all interpreters take it. I will gather you sayeth your God though I have chastened you, cast you away, and made you lame. I will not fail to make you a strong people again, and give you a posterity and succession without any end and without all number. For I myself will be your king in the mount Zion for ever. Thus doth the Prophet continue in the confirmation of these great promises so dark unto the flesh that with much business it can hardly be persuaded in the promises of heavenly and spiritual works.  
By the word halting, our Prophet would insinuate and bring into memory how that Israel halting from god and clynshing after Idols, as Elyas chargeth them iii Reg. xxviii. had so provoked him to anger that he had worthily made them halt and lame, that is to say, had grievously afflicted and scourged them for so is the same word of halting used for grievous affliction. Psalm. xxv. xxviii. and this prophecy is red also. Esa. xxxv. how the lame shall leap and skip for joy.  

The Text  And the Lord shall reign.  
tyrants shall reign no longer, but the Lord shall reign which teacheth us still that this new restored kingdom shallbe spiritual, for all men are flesh, and all their kingdoms carnal, the kingdoms of all men have an end, but this hath none end, therefore is this the kingdom of God, the kingdom of the son of God, which God the father did give him that he should occupy the seat of David his Father and reign in the house of jacob for ever & of his kingdom there should be none end as the angel did say to the blessed Virgin. Hear may the jews by this place learn that their king whom they do look for to be man of the seed of David shall also be God, for here he is called jehovah by the high name of God, and his kingdom named everlasting, which only can be the kingdom of God and not man. All this we do see fulfilled in our Christ and his spiritual kingdom, so many as do believe Christ to be God and man, and do feal how by his spirit he beginneth to reign in the hearts of his chosen.  
The last verse is so vehementelye brought forth by the Prophet to confirm this promise that every word in it is twice doubled. That which he calleth the tower of the flock, because the people was gathered thither thrice by the year as the flock is gathered into a fold he calleth it again the tower of the daughter of Zion, and twice he saith shall come that the jews should not despair though they do see the time prolonged and deferred.  
That which he called the first kingdom he calleth it again the kingdom of the daughter of Zion, promising them that the religion, noble courage and justice, the glory and wisdom of Solomon, or whatsoever was praise worthy in the beginning: that same shall most fully be restored in this reign of Messiah, Isaiah hath the like in the end of his first Chapter. I shall restore thy judges as in the beginning and the counsellors as at the first.  
Now why dost thou cry with such loud voice, 
The Text  is there no king in thee? are thy counsaloures perished? Because sorrow is come upon the as upon the woman that travaileth.  
As though he should say I do know my words will grieve the so much more as all things seemeth unto the flesh desperate. Thou dost lack thy noble captains and counsaloures unto whom thou haste trusted, the which heretofore hath delivered the. And because thou hast made flesh thy arm trusting to much to thy kings and counsaloures, and further haste exalted thyself (which art but dust and ashes) as though thou hadst power of thine own without me, and therefore are these sorrows come upon thee, even the sore pangs and throws of travailing women.  
Lament, 
The Text  and sorrow O Daughter of Zion, like the woman travayeling for thou shalt now go forth of the city, thou shalt dwell in the field Thou shalt go to Babylon. But thence shalt thou be delivered: There shall the Lord redeem the from the hands of thine enemies.  
Thou must I say to beat down this vain confidence and hoop thou haste besides me before chastened, but be sure thou shalt be delivered in the end. Thus saith the Prophet O see of the same deliverance.  
Along time thou shalt look for me, and not be coupled to any husband, neither yet ten of whoreing, and I will look for thee, thou shalt be without king, with out Prince and priest, and after return and seek the Lord thy God, and David thy king, and fear the Lord for thy good in the last days.  

The Text  And now shall many nations of the heathen be gathered against thee, saying: she is polluted, our eyes shall behold Zion, and have their desire upon her, but they have not known the thoughts of the Lord, nor understand his counsel: For he hath gathered them as a handful into the barn. Arise and thresh thou daughter of Zion, for I will make the horns of iron, and hoofs of brass, and thou shalt break in pieces much people. And I shall dedicate unto the Lord their spoil and their riches to the Lord of all the earth.  
The Prophet goeth forth to declare the state of the jews in the days of Messiah, for of that time all do take it. Now because the time is not come wherein the jews shall receive our Christ, as their Messiah, their God and their king, I do judge it unmeet for any man unless he have some special revelation to wade any farther than the open word of God in the secret works, which then shall be showed, neither may it be accounted as a great sault to any of us if we do clearly confess ourselves ignorant, what or how many nations shall be gathered against Israel or how they shall be destroyed, but rather a great presumption if we should rashly to take upon us the clear light of such secret mysteries.  
Like as of the other part I suppose the rash judgement of some which do say that the jews are so dampened and all together cast away, that they cannot be restored, as it appeareth evidently too be pronounced against the scriptures, so ought it not to be allowed but brotherly to be reproved. As for those enemies of theirs which rejoiceth at this long captivity, and maketh them a ●estynge stock and a by word the Lord sweareth. ezechiel xxxvi that they shall suffer shame and ●ewyl sanctify his high name which was polluted amongs the Gentiles, and they shall know that he is God.  
In the xxxvii of ezechiel God promiseth the restoring of the jews by the raising of dead bones, where in ●e breatheth the spirit and life which is the receiving of them, whereunto Paul alludeth Roma. xi. saying what shallbe their receiving but life from the dead? Ezechiel. xxxviii. xxxix. is this prophecy of Micheas at the full, set forth who so shall have the revelation of the sprite for to see this wondrous works, as for us to whom it is not fully opened we do pray that too the glory of God and the renown of his high name, it may in the due time be revealed. crying in the mean season against our blindness, as did Paul writing upon the same high mystery. O the profound deepness of the riches, wisdom and knowledge, of God, how unsearchable are thy ways and incomprehensible thy judgements. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, or who hath been his counsel giver. Unto us it shall be enough whiles that time do try the truth further too consider the enemies of Israel all most triumphing over it suddenly by the mighty hand of God, destroyed such as Pharaoh, Sanherib, Rabsace, Nebuchadnezer, Antiochus, Herod.  
And our enemies which are the spiritual Israel, wonderfully vanquished and by Christ and his word put too confusion The romish Antichrist with his Idols, his Cardynalles, his bishops, his shavelings, Monks, Canons, Friars, his Priests, regulars, and irregulars, out of all the rules and orders of honesty, which Heathen company were entered our lands, were gathered against us. Counting us polluted Heretics worthy too satisfy their bloody eyes wish our deaths hanging and burning. But they did not know the thoughts of the Lord that he suffered them too rage that he might be glorified in the end, when they should be threshen to powder giving his faithful such power that they should tread down all the power of their adversary like chaff, to give God the glory of this spoil, and too knowledge this too be his work to the glory of his name. God grant that we unto whom God hath given this triumph, be not forgetful to pay our vows unto our Lord. The Prophet voweth in the person of us too dedicate, and to give him not only the calves of our lips but the riches, and spoil to be a moment and as he calleth it Anathema a thing so separate unto the Lord that no man may touch it, much less convert it to any private use. Neither is this the vow of our Prophet only but a plain commandment of God. Deuter. seven. Thou shalt brene with fire their graven Images. Thou shalt not covet their silver & gold whereof they are made, neither shalt thou take any thing of them unto thee, lest thou offend because that it is the abomination of the Lord thy God, neither shalt thou bring any thing of the Idol in to thy house, least thou be accursed like as it is. Thou shalt abhor it as filthiness because it is Anathema and accursed. So was Iherico and Amelech, Anathematysed if I may be suffered so too speak. And Achan was stoned for touching of the one, Saul was put from his kingdom for having of the other. God grant the noble houses of England to suffer no like damage for the turning too their private uses such spoils as they have gotten of these their spiritual enemies. I dare say nothing but this only that all men can easily judge that if the Idols found in that Babylon had been brent with all their jewels unto them offered, and the lands and possessions put to the maintenance of true religion. To the finding of the poor, to the setting forth of godly learning and virtue, which was abused in superstition & Hypocrisy: we might have hoped for our zeal to godward, to have had his mercy, and for our godly pollici to have seen a star: shing region. Where now that covetousness that foul beast, blotteth and spotteth, all our doings in the sight of God and man, we do fear the clean contrary. God grant us eyes to see & hearts to repent for the glory of that name & that truths sake, which we do profess.  
☞ Now shalt thou be compassed 
The Text  with garrisons, thou daughter of garrisons, he hath laid siege against us, with a staff will they strike the cheek of the judge of Israel.  
After the Prophet have ended his wonderful prophecy of the last days, that he may the better be believed. He telleth them things which many of them should see with their eyes. Now saith he, even now is it at hand that jerusalem full of people and garrisons of sougiers, shallbe obsessed and besieged with many sougyers. And if did come so to pass in the days of Ezechyas, when Seneheryb sent his army to jerusalem, which did besiege it and brought great famine up on them, not withstanding there was destroyed of that great army and garrison, by the angel of God. C, lxxxv. thousand in one night. Again within a few years after, Pharaoh brought an army forth of Egypt, and did smite and stay their good king josias and righteous judge of juda. Like as also the last king of Israel. O see was slain in the days of Ezechiah, under whom our Prophet lived, and did write this prophecy, and the chief city of Israel Samaria, was destroyed the same time. And not very many years after, the city of jerusalem was besieged by Nabuchadnezer, joakim was taken prisoner, and zedekiah set in his place, who caused jerusalem to be again besieged and destroyed, and himself had his eyes put forth, and so was carried prisoner. Of the which zedechias, they do for the most part expound this 〈◊〉 of their chief judge stricken upon the cheek. And some doth say that it is a prophecy of Christ which should be stricken upon the chick before the high Priests. But to cause it to agree with that which goeth before and followeth. Hear seemeth to be set forth a prophecy what shall come upon jerusalem, even great misery, and things unto the flesh desperate, and times past all hope to the judgement of man. How be it to the almighty power of the everliving Lord, unto whom all godly Prophets and preachers always provoketh all things that he pleaseth are most easy to be fulfilled. The Lord is most near when he seemeth far away. The Lord is most strong, when man is most weak.  
Therefore straight ways in the next verse following our Prophet adjoineth how that in times most terrible when they should be passed all hope, their land with continual wars all wasted, their kings captived. Foreign nations bearing rule over them. And that same time the Roman tyrant Augustus Caiser demanding a sore tribute upon them: Forth of a little village not worthy to bear any view in the musters and assembles of the people, should come forth a captain contrary too man's judgement, which should govern Israel in the strength of the Lord and the high and mighty name of God. So that no power of man shallbe able to resist him: as is most evidently proved in that he hath enlarged his kingdom and spread his name through out the hole world, magry all tyrants, all persecutors, all his enemies, and hath continued it this. M.d.li. years beating down with the breath of his mouth with out sword or weapon all his adversaries, and at this day most gloriously triumphing over them.  

The Text  And thou Bethlem Euphrata though thou be little among the thousands of juda, forth of the shall come unto me he that shall be the ruler in Israel, and his coming forth from old, from everlasting. Therefore he will give them unto other unto the time that she which shall bear, have borne and the relydue of the brothers shall return too the children of Israel. And he shall stand and govern in the strength of the Lord, and the high name of the Lord his God.  
O wonderful blindness of the jews, which do not understand or not regard this plain prophecy of Christ, principally spoken for their comfort. O more wonderful madness of the anabaptists which wilfully refuseth the knowledge & true understanding hereof turning them to the folly of their own brains. The jewish Priests and Scribes do bring in this prophecy to king Herode at the first when he demanded where their Messiah, whom we call Christ should be borne in Bethleem juda, they do answer, for thus was it prophesied that thou Bethelem, though thou be little. etc. Forth of the shall come a captain.  
The wise Magis so wonderfully by the spirit of God called from far countries forth of foreign and Heythen nations, brought by a stai to jerusalem, to teach them there of their own king, doth follow the sta● standing over this place where this Prophet appointeth his nativity. There they do find him and worship him as God and king in this little village Bethelem.  
At his birth first of all the Angels appeared unto the poor shepherds to utter unto the world that this kingdom is not of the proud, but for the poor, humble and meek, unto whom Messiah is sent. Esay lxi and they see a wonderful light, and hear a voice saying: that their Messiah was borne in the city of David which is also named Bethelem, in the same chapter the first of Luke, because David was there born i. Samuel xvi and anointed king. In the same Chapter simeon the Prophet which had promise made by the spirit, that he should not see death before that he should, see this Messiah, confesseth that this is the light of the heathen, and the glory of the people Israel.  
Anna the Prophetyse which night & day served in the temple with praying and fasting, professed this to be the redeemer of Israel.  
Yea the voice of God from heaven in the presence of many people, doth confirm all this, saying: this is my well-beloved son in whom I am well pleased, hear you him.  
The miracles without number both in his life time when he cured all diseases both of body and soul. When he caused the winds to cease, the seas to obey, and death to give place, and in his death, when he caused the heavens to shut, the earth to shake, the sun to lose his light. And after his death also when he caused the hells to open, the graves to give again their prysonats. What will you have more?  
His most enemies the scribes and Pharyseis could not say in conscience, but that all these wonders were done by the finger of God, and the sougiours with their captain which kept him at his death, was compelled to cry. truly this is the very son of God. Math. xxvii.  
Yea the very devils were driven to confess him to be jesus the son of God Math. viii. Mark .v. Luke viii and yet some which do bear his name called Christians, and some twice christened, as they call it, dare deny unto him this glory. O blasphemy intolerable, yea all the power of Satan and all the gates of hell have not been able to beat down the church built upon this confession as Christ out saviour promised Math. xvi. though continually this M.D. and. Li. years they have with the sword hanging and burning most despitefully striven against it, and yet these blind beasts dare attempt such folly. Yea, though the jews, though the Turks, though the Aryans', and the Anababtistes, and all the lying rabble of the devils sougiers labour and strive all that in them lieth to hinder and stop the kingdom of this child borne in despised Bethelem as he is man, but coming forth from old, from everlasting as he is god. Yet lo it is now dilated and spread a long time through the whole world, and at this present most gloriously spreadeth and triumpheth over al. Embrace therefore the son lest he be angry, and you do perish forth of the way, all you raging people and vain imaginers against our Christ. Y● you gather you and set you against this Messiah the everliving lord, will laugh you to scorn. For he hath anointed him king upon Zion his holy temple. He writeth it in his everlasting decree. He calleth him his son, he giveth him power over all people to rule them with the iron sceptre, and so following of the kingdom of Christ. Psal. two.  
Against the adversaries therefore of this kingdom which are the antichrist's, whereof we are so oft warned in the scriptures. Suffer me I pray you to make a short digression, not for any sotie arguments that I will bring against them, for that is contrary both to my purpose and profession. But for my zeal sake simply to utter the words of truth, if by that way we may win but any one of them. It is not said for nought by the holy Apostle. Heb. iiii. The word of god is lively and mighty in operation: sharper than any two edged sword. Therefore will I use the sword of God his holy scriptures to cut of their errors, desiring our heavenly father, will houte whom no man can come unto Christ, to draw some of these blinded, and lost sheep home again to his son Christ their only shepperde, and to his fold &, holy fellowship of the faithful, living in Christian unity to the glory of his name and the delatinge and enlarging of his glorious kingdom.  
There be ii sorts of the adversaries of this kingdom, the one denieth him to be God, the other to be man, wherefore I will declare, and prove by open scriptures.  

Christ God and man..  
first that the Messiah promised should be very man even of the seed of man as we do read: Genes. iii. that the woman's seed shall break the serpent's head, again, Gen. xii. saith God unto Abraham, in the shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed, and declaring how this shall come too pass in thee xvii. Chapter he promiseth to Abraham and to Sarai, a seed with whom he will make an everlasting league and covenant. And in the xxii Chapter after he had brought this promised seed to be a slain sacrifice, as the Lord had commanded, this was again from heaven pronounced that in the sede of Abraham all nations should be blessed.  
And in the xxvi Chapter unto his sonn● Isaac was the same promise renewed with these same words. In thy seed shall all the nations be blessed. Again to his son jacob in the xxviii of Genesis all the kindred's of the earth shallbe blessed in thee, and thy seed saith the Lord. Again saith jacob in the spirit of prophecy to his children. The sceptre shall not be taken from juda, nor the ruler from his seat whiles that Messiah do come, and to him shall the people be gathered. Loo thus by plain testimonies most ancient, even from the beginning may it be proved Messiah our Christ to be appointed man of the seed of man. And after the troublous times when all their captains failed, as Micha did Prophecy, than forth of a little village of the tribe of juda should come our Christ, the appointed and anointed ruler over the faithful Israel. And to let you understand which are the enemies to Christ his kingdom, that you do strive in vain there against mark that Balaam provoked by the king, Balaac cold speak nothing against this kingdom which he did see more than a thousand .d. years to come after him: but did reverence it a far of saying: There shall rise a star from jacob and a rod from Israel which shall strike the captains of Moab. Of jacob shall come this great Lord which shall destroy the remnant forth of the city Numer. xxiiii. Thus are the enemies of our Christ compelled to knowledge him a man of the seed of jacob, and a glorious king over all his enemies triumphing. Again. Deut. xviii. Moses the servant of God dare say thus. A Prophet up from amongs thy brothers even like me shall the Lord thy God raise unto thee, whosoever shall not hear him I will require it of him. Loo now hear is the humility of Christ his manhood set forth but so that whosoever is the despiser of him and his doctrine hath this plainly promised that he shall give accounts for it, and God himself will question with him the cause why he hath refused him. For so standeth the Hebrew. Beware therefore as Esay saith, and take heed unto yourselves from the man whose breath is in his nostrils for wherein he is reputed, though he be very man and therefore despised, yet is he of the Lord only regarded. Again in the Psalm lxxxviii. We do read I have sworn to David my servant, for ever will I prepare thy seed and will establish thy seat from generation to generation. And in the Psal. cxxx. most plainly. The Lord hath sworn to David and will not deceive. I will set upon thy seat the fruit of thy womb the which place holy Peter alleging to the jews. Acts ii doth name it the fruit of the loins of David forseinge by the spirit that such an article of our faith which should be so much impugned, had need to be payneted with most plain words. And what can be more plain I pray you to declare him too have been very flesh and very man, than thus to have named him too have come of thee seed of thee loins, and forth of the wome of David. And if you do stick of the word and name of a man, read iii kings ii chapter. Thou shalt alway have a man to sit in thy seat over Israel, and in the end, the seat of David shall be stable before the Lord for ever. So that this may be sufficient too all them which with any thing will be satisfied, that the Messiah and saviour promised is very man. Who so will search more scriptures let him read the vii of Isaiah where is plainly Prophesied that he shall be borne of a Virgin, in the iiii. Chapter he is called the branch of the Lord and the fruit of the earth, where both his natures are touched.  
Like as our Prophet doth most plainly paint him forth in both kinds, also saying that he should be borne in Bethlem, a village of small reputation, because it was able too make but a small number in the musters and taxes when the people were numbered by hondrethes and thousands as was then used, and we do use the same still to this day. The which words of our Prophet that he should come forth of little Bethlehem to rule over Israel doth declare his mannehode like as the words following. His coming forth is from old, from everlasting uttereth his Godhead. For only God hath been from everlasting. Thus is your Messiah painted unto you God and man, O unbelieving nation. The stone which you do refuse being foolish builders is made the chief cornor stone of God his holy building. Esay did also utter this unto you in most plain words saying. A child is born unto us, a son is given unto us, upon his shoulder shallbe the kingdom, and he shall be called marvelous, the counsel giver, the mighty God, the everlasting father, the Prince of Peace, of the multiplying of his kingdom and of his peace there shallbe no end. He shall set upon the seat of David and upon his kingdom to set up the same and too stablish it in equity and righteousness from henceforth for evermore. Isaiah ix Hear is he named a child borne, which should be king, which oppresseth his manhood. All the other words do most plainly describe the poor and properties of his God head, who so shall worthily ponder them, and if nothing can serve to satyfye your stiff stomachs, unless you have the high name of God jovah ascribed to our Christ your Messiah as some of you impudently can answer, Vouchsafe to read the Prophet jeremy in the xxiii chapter and there you shall most plainly find it so. Lo the days shall come faith the Lord and I will raise up to David a righteous branch and he shall reign king and prosper. He shall do judgement and justice in the earth. In those days shall juda be saved, & Israel shall dwell boldly & this is his name wherewith they shall call him jovah Sidkenu, by interpretation God which is, which hath been, which shall be by whom all things have their being is our righteousness for so much is comprehended in the Hebrew jovah as was said in the first leaf. And this is the high name which the jews do agree, never to be given to any creature. Therefore we do conclude against them that our Christ is God the only creator, of whom all creatures have their essence, substance, & being as this word importeth, Again where as it is written Psalm c.ix The Lord said unto my Lord sit of my right hand whiles that I make thine enemies thy footstool. And Christ our Lord demandeth of your Doctoures & pharisees, if Christ were David son as the scriptures compelled them too confess. How then calleth David him lord by the spirit so long afore? And if he be n1g-nn's Lord how then is he his son? The which question hath vexed your brains which deny him too be God this. M. ccccc. years. Therefore fall down and worship our Christ as God, like as the. xc.vi. Psalm doth teach you, that all the angels of heaven shall worship him, and you shall understand not only this question, but all those same places of the Psalms and Prophets, which you do now read with a veil and mist before your eyes Psalm. xliiii.lxxxviiis, cix. cxxxi. Esa. iiii seven. viii.ix.xi.xxviii.xl.xlii.xlu.xlvi.xlix.liis liii. lxii. jeremy. xxiiii.xxx.xxxiii. Ezech. xvii. xxxiiii.xxxvii. Daniel. ii.ix. Mich. v. Agge. two. Baruch. iii. Osee. xiii. vi. joel. two Amos. ix. zacharye. iii. xiii. Malache. iii. jonah the figure of Christ his death and resurrection. Which places I do note for the godly, that they may see Christ to have been the shoot anchor of the Prophets▪ and chief mark of their Prophecies.  
What shall I need to bring forth any place of the new Testament? seeing that standeth holly upon this doctrine that jesus Christ is God and man, and by this you may know the spirit of God saith Saint Ihon. Every spirit which confesseth jesus Christ to become in the flesh, is of God. 
Ihon. iiii.  And every spirit which doth not confess jesus Christ to become in the flesh, is not of God. And this is the spirit of Antichrist saith Saint Ihon. And before in the third Chap. Who is a liar but he that denieth jesus too be Christ. This same is antichrist which denieth both the father and the son. And who so denieth the son, neither hath the father. Therefore embrace the son and receive him with a kiss least he be angry and you do perish forth of the way. Psal. two. We do know that the son of God is come, and hath given us hearts to know him, which is true and we are in this truth, in his son jesus Christ. This is the true God and everlasting life. i. Ihon. v. We do confess with S. Paul that Christ is borne of the jews, as touching the flesh which is God in all things to be praised for ever. Rom. ix. We do profess this faith which holy John baptist preached. That our saviour Christ, though he did come after John as touching the carnal nativity. Yet is he far mightiar then John, and baptizeth us with the holy Ghost, and with fire. His fan is in his hand to purge his flower, and he will gather his wheat into his barn, and burn the chaff with unquenshed fire. We do believe that at his baptism the holy Ghost did come down invisible form upon him, and a voice was heard from heaven, saying: This is my beloved son in whom is my delight. Matthew. iii. and xvii Mark i and ix Luke iii. and ix and all the Gospel of saint John written for the same purpose against the Ebeonites. Again Romans. i.viii.ix. and xi Corinthyans' .v. Galathyans' four Philippians ii Collossians. ii.i. Timothe. ii.iii. Tytus. two. hebrews. i.v.  
If the testimony of one of your rabbins, O jews, or of your phantastycal Prophets, O you runagates, anabaptists seem great unto you. Let the voice of God from heaven, the testemonye of all his holy Prophets, Patriakes, Martyrs, Apostles, doctors and faithful witnesses of all ages, be greater and of more weight unto you. Let your own salvation be more dear, than the devils delusion. Let the author of truth be heard, and banish the author of lies. The Lord God saith by his holy Prophet Ezechiel. Ezechiel. xxxiiii. I alone will feed my flock, & strait he addeth, My servant david shall feed, so that you may see that both these are but one, whose feeding you must desire, if you be not of the lost sheep for there is no way to God the father, but by Christ, which is hear called the servant david, neither can any man come to Christ the only shepherd of souls, unless the father draw him.  

A Prayer.  
Wherefore O Lord God and heavenvly father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of jacob, which didst promise unto Abraham, that thou wouldst be the God of his seed for ever. Which haste promised also too subdue Moab & Esau, that is to say, all heathen miscreants too thy chosen Israel, and to gather under one shepherd thy servant David Christ our saviour all they scattered sheep both of the jews and gentiles, that there might be one sheppehearde and one fold. mercifully behold thy flock amongs them, both dispersed and scattered, erring, wandering, and going astray with perverse minds and erroneous opinions, far from thy fold, not knowing as yet nor regarding the voice of thy son the only good shepherd, which did give his soul for his sheep. And draw them, we beseech thee, home again to the fold of thy son jesus Christ, without whom there is no salvation, no comfort, no health, no hope, no stay of conscience. But imserable wandering from error to error, and in in the end utter desperation. Have mercy therefore of thy miserable stray sheep for their shepherd sake, for thy praise sake, and for the glory of thine own name for the amplyfyinge and enlarging the kingdom of thy son Christ who is declared God all ready in the flesh by his manifest miracles, justified in spirit, seen of the angels, preached among the people, believed upon in the world and received in glory, and shortly shall come in the same glory to make his enemies his footstool. So be it.   
Now to our Prophet from whom we may seem to have made over long a digression, same that this wicked time requireth it.  
Therefore will he give them. 
The Text   
He will give them to the babylonians and Romans to be vexed, oppressed, and evil entreated. And then when all seemeth most miserable and desperate, shall this child be borne, which shall gather together this scattered people, this is it which we laboured to declare in the four Chapter. How Messiah should come in a time most miserable, when the sceptre should be taken from juda and given to a foran Tyrant as it was given to Herode a Roman at the coming of Christ. And ever before was it in the hand of some of their own Princes, either of their kings, either of their Maccabees, either of their counsalours whom they called Sanhedrin, How be it Herod having the whole nation, suspected, did take away all their officers, and set in his captains. But here is promised a new deliverance when this child cometh, a restoring and gathering of the children of Israel together. Which we do understand to be already begun, when he did come into the world in flesh, to preach the glad tidings of his kingdom, in opening his father's great mercy and good will towards us most vile and wretched sinners, and too make of us Gentylles (which were lykedomme and dead stones, touching the knowledge of GOD) children unto Abraham, and true israelites. To make us which were not his people to be accepted as his people, and then shall it be most perfitly fulfilled in the end, when there shallbe but one shepherd & one fold 
The Text   
And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the Lord, and in the high name of the Lord his God, and they shall return, for now shall he be magnified to the ends of the earth.  
Loo, the power of Messiah it shallbe, no fleshly or human power, but it shall be the power of the everliving Lord, and the high name of God, wherein he shall feed his flock as Christ sayeth in the ten of John: I am the good shepherd and I do know mi sheep, & I am known of mine, even as the father knoweth me even so do I know the father, and I do lay down my soul for my sheep. No man taketh it from me, but I do lay it down of myself.  
I have power too lay it down, and I have power too take it again. My sheep do know my voice and follow me, and I do give them everlasting life, neither shall they perish for ever. Neither shall any man take them forth of my hand. My father which gave me then is greater than all, and no man can take them forth of my father's hand. I and my father are all all one.  
Who can bring a more clear exposition of the feeding and power of Messiah than he here doth himself. Neither may it trouble any scrupulous conscience that the prophet nameth him (his god) for so saith Christ that his father did give him this sheep, meaning, as he being first in the form of God without all wrong, equal unto God, did make himself of no reputation like unto man, in the form and shape of man, so did God give him all things, and was named his God. As he was man humbled and brought down even too very death wherein he cried bearing our miseries, and feeling the wrath of God against us for our sins, Eloi, Eloi. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me, wherefore also God hath exalted him to the highest authority and given him a name which is above all names, that in the name of jesus all knees should bow of heavenly things, of earthly things, and of infernal spirits. And all tongues should confess that jesus is the Lord too the glory of God the father, lo the manhood in that he calleth his God and receiveth of the father and Godhead of Messiah in that all knees shall bow and worship him, like as in the xlv Psalm. He is thy Lord thou shalt worship him. Where as in Deuteronomi vi it is written thou shalt worship the Lord thy God only. And they shall return, 
The Text  for now shall he be magnified to the ends of the earth.  
Hear is the promise of the restoring of Israel and magnifying of the kingdom of Christ rehearsed, which is more at large set forth in the latter end of the last Chapter of Esay the Prophet and ezechiel xxxvii  
And herein shall be peace. 
The Text  If Assur shall come into our land, and if he shall come to tread in our palaces, we shall raise against him vii pastors and viii Princelike men, and they shall feed the land of Assur with the sword, and the land of Nimrodde with their own sword points. And shall deliver us from Assur if he come into our land, or if he tread upon our borders.  
In this reign and glorious kingdom of Messiah shall be peace. And as the Hebrew demonstrative Oz serveth because it is of the masculine gender. This Messiah is this peace and peace maker unto us according to the saying of the Apostle. He is our peace which hath made two people one, and hath broken down the wall, which was a stop betwixt us, taking away the strife even the law of the commandments standing in decrees by his flesh. For to make us ii both in himself one new man, making peace and reconcyling both in one body by the cross taking away all enmity by it. And thus did come and preach peace to the gentiles which were far of and to the jews which were near. Ephesi. two. Loo this is the peace whereof we should rejoice, that we being justified by faith in him have peace with God. Romans .v. and by him are pacified, things heavenly and earthly. This short sentence doth insynuate so great a mystery like as doth the outward enemy, and outward deliverance following import and signify the wonderful worekes of Christ in his church This peace was it that Aaron was appoyneted by God too wish unto the people in all his blessings. Numerye. vi. A like promise of peace is made. Leviticus xxvi I will give peace in your borders you shall steape and no man shall afraye you, I shall take away evil beasts, and the sword shall not go thorough your borders. You shall persecute your enemies, and they shall fall before you. Five of you shall put to flight an hundredth, and a hundredth shall pursue ten thousand. Your enemies shall fall with the sword in your sight. Which is like this promise of the destruction of Assur, and the land of Nimrod, which are both one thing. For this Nimrod was the beginner of the kingdom of Babylon the chief city of the Assyrians, and under the destruction of him and his land is insumate the destruction of all tyrants and enemies, both spiritual and temporal. Against whom the Lord our God at his appointed time rayeseth up vii for one too destroy them and hath alway viii. fold so many too help his elect, as the enemy can have to hurt them. Yea, God of his mighty power, and stretched out arm, can bring all his enemies to utter confusion in the twynkling of an eye, as it is most manifest in many places of the old Testament. So that the power of the enemy can be reckoned but a ix or ten part a very small thing to the power of the faithful. As doth appear most not ablye four kings vi by Heleseus which seeing his city Dothaim besieged with many Garrisons of sowgioutes, biddeth his servant not to be afraid, further is more with us saith he then with them, and prayeth for the opening of his servants eyes. And lo, they were opened and he did see the hill full of horse and fiery Chariots round about Heliseus. And the Lord at the prayer of this man of God, did smite all the Syrians with blindness and caused them so to be led by the Prophet unto the king of Israel, whose destruction they sought. The like power of God against the Assyrians is red ii Re. nineteen. two. Chronicles xxxiii Esay xxxvi and many such pastors and Princes hath the Lord set up for the deliverance of his in all ages, especially to beat down Assur. He sent Cirus his anointed, in whom we may see a figure of Christ. Esay. xlvi. & of the deliverance by Messiah, read. Ezechi. xxxvi.xxxviii.xxxix. Whereby as by all the other, thou mayst understand the spiritual deliverance from all helly powers.  
This Phrase of vii and viii betokeneth abundance & plenteth of captains like as the xi. chap of Eccle. you may read the same. The feeding with thesweard and the sword points, is a manifest Ironye and scorn of the enemies alluding too the name of pastor and feeding.  
And the remnant of jacob shall be in the midst of many people, 
The Text  as thee dew from thee Lord, as the drops upon the herb, which looketh for no man neither trusteth in the children of men.  
Loo ii goodly properties wherewith God beautyfieth this chosen jacob this scattered, and despised people, faith have they, how far soever they be scattered abroad, which looketh up to the heavens, not regarding the help of any man, no more than doth the dew which falleth down upon the herb, without the aid of man. And like as the dewy drops after great heat doth cherish the grass: even so they do bring forth woorckes of mercy, pity, comfort and refreshing, to the people amongs whom they do live and are conversant. These be the two tokens of the true jacob, but these remnants of jacob must be tried with the fire. As zachary saith xiii I will bring in the third part of Israel by fire, and will try them like as silver is tried, and fine them as gold is fined. This is the remnant which are saved by free election, as saint Paul saith. Romans xi Chapter, and how the remnant of Israel shall be watered with pure water from heaven, and thereby look up toward heaven to keep and fulfil the laws of their Lord, and so increased and wax glorious, read Ezechyell xxxvi Chapter.  

The Text  And the remnant of jacob shall be amongs the people, like the Lion amongs the wi●d Beasts, and like the lions whelp amongs the flocks of sheep, which when he cometh by, doth tear in pieces and trample under his feet, and there shall be none to deliver. Thy hands shall be lifted up upon thine enemy, and all that hate the shall be rooted up.  
This is it that jacob did Prophecy of his posterity in the latter days to be fulfilled. Genesis xlix showing to his children that which God had opened unto him of juda, whom he nameth to be like a Lion, a Lioness, a lions whelp, to utter his power amongs men. As the Lion is called the chief amongs the beasts, he shall destroy his enemies and bind his colt to the vine, and wash his garment in the blood of the grape.  
Whereby is uttered the great power and glory that he hath prepared for his chosen jacob after he have made their enemies their footstool, which all the Prophets do make as the chief mark and end of their Prophecies, for the comfort of the chosen Israel, as is at large before written, and wonderfully set forth in Ezechiel. xxxvii. xxxviii. and xxxix Chapter  
And it shall be in that 
The Text  same day saith the Lord, and I will destroy thy horse forth of the midst of thee, and break thy chariots. I will destroy thy cities, and overcome all thy munitions. I will destroy thine enchantments, and thou shalt have no sothlaiers. I will destroi thine Idols and thine images, forth of the mids of thee, and thou shalt not worship any more the work of thine own hands. And I will pluck up thy groves forth of the mids of thee, and I will destroy thy cities. And I will be avenged in my wrath and fury upon the people which hath not heard me.  
Although this prophecy be by many expounded of the jews, yet had I rather to take it, as spoken of the heathen, and so it very well agreeth with all the other prophets, which straight after the deliverance of Israel from amongs the heathen, doth always threaten a terrible destruction to their enemies. Of whom so ever it is spoken, we must mark for what cause it is spoken, to teach us that sin is the cause of destruction to all kingdoms. The trust in charyotes, in horses, in walled cities and strong holds. In enchantments and Idols, are the cause of God his wrath, indignation and heavy displeasure. Especially Idolatry, enchantment and couniuring, which are the spiritual fornication, these are the crimes that God hear and every where doth threaten to avenge in his wrath and fury. Deut. iiii seven. And thorough the whole book. joshua xxiii. xxv. Did he not wonderfuly destroi xxiii. thousand of the israelites upon one day by their own priests & Levites, for Idolatry? Exod. xxxii. Did not God give them into their enemies hands, for following the ways of the heathen? judges. ii.iii.iiii.vi.viii.x. Doth he not threaten always to take them of the face of the earth, and destroy them for it? Exodus, Leviticus, Numeri, Deuteronomi, and in all the Prophets? Doth not God appear unto Solomon afterward & declare the same unto him iii Re. ix. saying: that if Israel should worship strange gods he would take him away and make him a by word amongs the heathen. And when it should be demanded why God had destroyed this people whom he had chosen, this should be answered, because they have worshipped strange gods, therefore hath the Lord brought upon us all this evil iii kings ix  
This we know now living especially in this realm and see and are taught to be most true by the mouth of God in our time as was Solomon. But a great part of us have idolatry hid in our hearts as had Solomon, and none of us do earnestly repent of the Idolatry by us committed, no more than did Solomon, therefore shall we suffer shame with Solomon and our posterity shallbe despised as it shallbe taught more at large. Now for the strong doctrine and spiritual fornication of enchantment and conjuration, of sothesaying, or divination, on less it be speedily stopped by the will of God, working the care of such things in the heart of our king & counsalers, it shall shortly burst forth so far amongs us as it did amongs the jews a little before their last destruction, whereof josephus writeth Ant. xx. cap. iiii. xi.xii. that they did forsake the true Prophets of God, and sought after Sorcerers and sooth sayers. So saith Esay, that the Lord had forsaken his people the house of jacob, because they were more full of enchantments than was the Arabians, and as full of soothsayers as the Philistines and with strange doctrine they had satisfied their selves. Isaiah ii  
So can I come into no corner of this realm where I find not, or hear not of some of these. In Oxford and in Cambridge, where God his holy word should banish this blindness, there be masters for the nonest, which after they have studied astronomy, which after they have studied astronomy and come to the judicials of Astrology and found some experiments true and some false, when the placing of the planets in their appointed houses, and their aspects and respects will not serve their fond purposes. Then loo must they enter in too necromancy, and call some dead spirit forth of his grave with the bind of a swallow or a cat 〈◊〉 please the devil to accept that lewd sacrifice and hear have they infinite superstitions of times, of words, of places, of the putrefactyon of that blood, and other like madness which I am a shamed too rehearse and sorry too remember, considering that man was made by God to bear his image, and therefore too look and to do service to no such vile creatures, especially to his ancient enemy the Devil, for whose acquaintance all these Conjurers hath such care and maketh such preparacye, with watching, with fasting, with crossing, with. M cccccc. superstitions, observations, for the destruction of their own souls, as no man will for their own salvation.  
They say they use good words the great name of God jehovah, Adonai, Otheos', Sotor, Manuel, Sabaoth and I wots not what. So did our Conjurers in the kingdom of the romish Ant christ use some good words and the like names about the coniurynges, of Bells, of salt, of water, of oil, of wine, of bread, of Palms and such like, but they did mixed therewith many blasphemies, yea and the good words whatsoever they did speak, were never applied to that purpose which God appointed but too these their own imagined fantasies of conjuring God his creatures, which alway hath been accounted abomination before God. Deuter. xviii. For look how far the heavens are from the earth, and so far are my ways from your ways, and mi thoughts from your rhoughtes, saith the Lord. Isaiah lu yea too the sinner saith the Lord, why dost thou take my name in thy mouth? Psalm l That these open evil doers and manifest transgressors against God his holy commandment, ought rather too tremble at the magnyfycente majesty of God his holy name, than thus lewdly too allege it in their charms.  
These Cambredge conjurers have scholars in the countries abroad, which seeketh how to have familiar spirits, which they do term too have a Bee in a box to teach them to play at the Dice & Cards, and other lewd pastimes. And some must have Marcurius well placed to help at a pynsh, when they can find no money under crosses, to bring it by some other unshameful shifts. Some must have Venus in her favourable aspect conjured into an apple to will the savour of women. Some must have Saturn for wisdom, jupiter for honours, Mars for battle, which are the very devilish delusyons wherewith the devil blyneded the Babylonyans Egyptians and Cananees. And in our popish time brought in like dishonour of God in our George of Engeland, our Lady of Walsingham, our Daruelgadder of Wales, whereby we must understand that there is one old enemy of ours, the old Serpent which hath envy the honour of one God, and laboured too draw us therefrom, even from the beginning, which with holy words and glorious names, and far fetched terms, seemeth too utter his wisdom like an angel of light. as Paul warneth. But mark the end of them which suffer themselves, by him too be deluded, desiring the devil too give them of his Counsel. Our first Parents were by this crafty Serpent's subtle Counsel, driven forth of paradise & adjudged to death with all their posterity. Genes. three King Saul counselling with the sothesayer the wise woman, whom only he had left in his land, was slain with his three sons the day following.  
So much doth it advayle too ask counsel of the dead for the living or of the wicked spirits which do transform themselves into the likeness of the dead, as was hear in this place of Samuel. For as the devil hath no power of the good souls, so can he not stir them too give answer, but as we have said he can transform himself into any likeness that he may mightily work in these children of mischief.  
But mark the end I say of all nations, which do leave the Lord, and his holy word for such delusions. In hope to get some thing thereby to satisfy their devilish minds. Some for the love of women do try it, and other some for the grydy desire of goods do practise it, with many other things, which were to long to tell now. Was not this one of the greatest crimes wherefore Egipte was scourged and plagued? Esaiah xix  
Wherefore was the Empire of the Chaldees destroyed? and proud Babylon brought down? Esay answereth. All the evils did come upon the O Babylon for the multitude of thine own charms and the stobbourne of malice of thy couniurers, for thou haste comforted thyself in thy deceitfulness and haste said: no man seeth me. Thine own cunning and thy wisdom have deceived the. Therefore shall trouble tall upon thee, and thou shalt not know from whence it shall arise. Do you belief that God telleth truth O you coniurars? What is there but you can know it, if it please your great master the devil? But the Prophet saith again to your contrary. Mischief shall fall upon the which thou shalt not be able to put of. A sudden misery shall come upon that or ever thou be aware. Wherefore now go to the conjurers and to the multitude of thy wytches, whom thou hast been acquainted with all from thy youth, if they may help the or strengthen thee? Thou haste been wearied with the multitude of thine own counsels. Now let thy heaven gazers thy star starers, thy Moon markers stand up and save the from the things which shall come upon the.  
Behold they are stubble, the fire hath brent them, they cannot deliver their own souls from the power of the flame, and so forth too the end. Are not the Philistines and Canaces alway charged for these crimes, to have had their worthy desolation? As for Israel Esay saith plainly that God old forsake it for this, Esay ii & did lay the line of Samaria upon jerusalem therefore, and the burthene of the house of Achab and did raise it as it were a writing table ii Re xxi. two. Chronicles xxxiii  
Yea when the Lord will utter his anger against them, he calleth them charmers children. Come hither saith he by his Prophet you charmers children, you adulterous seed. Isaiah: lvii. Abroad in all places of England whereas I have tarried, have I heard of wise men and wise women, which can tell of things that are lost, and can say many sayings for children, and cattle, which are forspoken and have blessings to say over certain herbs as over vernine and dil, if they be gathered betwixt the marry days. And about women with child, they can say our Lady with the white smock, thy side smock, and such mad charms .v. C. are used in the countries, which the spiritual eyes might espy, if they had not their Greek name for nought. And our Preachers should pluck away our polytycall magistrates should punish, for the Lord saith: that these are the things, and not the handling of the chalice wherewith the people are polluted Leuiti. nineteen. You shall not decline to the charmers, and of the wytches ask nothing, lest you be polluted by them. Again Levi. xx. The soul which looketh after any soothsayer or charmer to commit fornication with them, I will set my face against that soul, and I will destroy him from the mids of his people, saith the Lord. Again. Deut. xviii. the Lord commandeth when thou interest the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, beware thou do not follow the abominations of that people. Let none be found amongs the which carrieth his child through the fire, or that asketh of the charmers, either that observeth dreams or days and times, or of them which do mark the flying and crying of birds, or of any enchanters, or of any devil couniurar or any soythsayer or any that have familiar spirits or any wise men, or wise women. either any that asketh council at the dead, for who so doth these, he is abominable before God, and for these abominations the Lord thy God doth root them forth before thy face. Loo with how sore words and threatenings the Lord God detesteth & forbiddeth all the kinds of these devilish inventions, whereby men do run a whoring from God too abuse his creatures in spiritual fornication.  
These things have I written occasioned by our Prophet of this spiritual fornicatyon, idolatry and all kind of divynacyon which we call so the saying, prophesying, charming, enchantment, witchcraft, magic, astrology, necromancy, Chiromancy, Geomanci, or what other name so ever the devil shall invent to drive us from god to vain creatures, for the devil hath ever this one work in hand but he deceiveth the simple with the shift of his deskante by vanity of words.  
And I do warn all people to repent kings, Lords, Bishops, Commons For none can excuse themselves of that spiritual fornication with the late deposed Idol that Waser Cake. Nay shall I call it deposed which is scantly transposed without any fervent zeal or sign of repentance? We have not fealte Moses to make us drink the bitter ashes thereof with tears. We have not had jehu to avenge God of his enemies the Priests of Baal. two. kings ten We have not wept and wailed, and torn our garments for very anguish of our hearts. We have not cast away the ornaments of our old idols, & the vessels that served them as did the good young king josiah. We have not destroyed the sacrificers and steiers of our Christ, as young josiah did with the Priests of the high places with all charmers, witches, and enchanters? To be short. We have not earnestly repent with mourning and fasting for these abhomininations as did the Ninivites. Therefore as Olda answered too the good king josiah, that the Lord would show of his mercies unto him, because he did cut his clothes, and wept when he heard the threatenings of God against his countries. Nevertheless he would bring all those evils upon that place and upon the inhabitants of the land: because they had forsaken God, and worshipped strange Gods, provoking God unto wrath in all the works of their own hands. So can our people and country nothing at all repenting of their former evil, but still ever more and more provoking the wrath of God upon them, Some by the desire they have to their old Idols, Some by their Sorcerers, Charms, Enchantmentes, soothesayinge: Many by adultery, lascivious wantonness, and fleshly liberty, and all by ambition or covetousness, pilling, polling, and brybynge-from their brethren. Look for none other thing, unless they unfeignedly, forthwith show the works of repentance, but misery, calamity, destruction, famine, darthe, diseases, pestilence and theswearde in the end of foraynenacyons. Yea which is most terrible of all, we do feal the wrath of God so kindled amongs us all ready, that we are like Pharaoh, hardened in our sins even plagued continually with the increase of new vices, and new dyleases following. Was there ever such inventions in any world for polling of the people? was there ever such shameless whoredom? such wedlock breaking? Can it be denied that Paul writeth to the Romans, because they have changed the glory of the God immortal in the likeness of mortal & corruptible creatures. Therefore hath God given them to follow the lusts of their own hearts in uncleanness, with shame to abuse their own bodies together. Read the Chapter to the end, and you shall see the wrath of God grievously kindled, in that all the vices there named, as the punishments of sin by sin are most evidently fallen upon us. And we may feal the saying of the Prophet Ose to be most true, The spirit of fornication hath deceived you & you have gone a whoring from your God. Therefore shall your daughters be harlots, and your wife's be whores.  
O merciful Lord lead us not into this grievous temptation, that our sin should be punished with the increase of sin, by the giving over of us miserable sinners to our own lusts. For who can be able too beat his sins, if thou straight observe them O Lord? Make us not like Cain, Pharaoh, and judas which did heap sin upon sin. But give us hearts like the Ninivites too repent for our sins. Have pity upon our young King whom thou of thy mercy didst wonderfully vouchsafe to give unto us at what time we waited worthily for thy sore scourge, whom thou diddest fashion and preserve in his mother's womb, and bring forth into this light, with like marvel of thy almighty power. Whom thou haste defended and kept with thy mighty arm, this time of his infancy, from domestical and for an enemies. Under home in his weak and most tender age thou haste caused to shine forth the clear light of this Gospel, which hath bet down the Idols and Idolatrous altars, through out his ●ealme, whereby amongs the Papists, Turks and jews thou hast made thy Britain's to be bruited. How be it all this hast thou so wrought under a young child, that the glory might come holy unto the and to no man mortal.  
For the glory of thy name therefore and for jesus Christ his sake whose honour we do seek, and kingdom we desire, have mercy upon him most merciful father. Make him faithful as David, zealus like Hezechiah, repentant as josiah & to his people the professors & maynetayners of thy truth against all papists Tucks & jews, against all the powers of Antichrist Grant thy manifold and great mercies that they may abhor their own wickedness, and the wickedness of their forefathers, and walk now like the children of this great light, the children of thy kingdom. Grant we beseech thee, O most merciful father, unto all them which do profess the truth of thy Gospel, unfeigned repentance of all their sins, fast confidence upon thy great mercies, the renewing of their lives according to the truth of thy word, which they do profess, that they may exhort one another to walk in thy light saying with the Prophet Osee. Come and let us return unto the Lord, for he hath begun and will heal us, he will strike us and make us whole. Grant this O Lord God that thy name be not evil spoken of amongs thy enemies So be it.    

The vi Chapter.  
Hear now what the ever living Lord saith: 
The Text  Arise and contend with the mountains, & let the hills hear thy voice. Hear O ye hyls the judgement of the lord, by whom all things have their being: and you strong foundations of the earth, give ear, for the lord hath a quarrel with his people, and with Israel, he will try himself. My people what have I done to you? or what grievous thing have I appointed thee? answer unto me. Because I have brought the forth of the land of egypt, and from the house of bondage, I have redeemed thee, and I have sent Moses, Aaron and Miriam before the. O my people, remember I say the what counsel Balake the king of Moab did begin, and what Bileam the son of Be or did answer him from Siftim unto Gilgal, that thou mightest know the righteousness of the lord.  
After the sore threatenings of the gentiles the prophet returneth to reprove Israel, the elect & choose people of ingratitude and unthankfulness, calling as it were heaven and earth to witness, as in the first chapter, and Esay i And first he saith: give good ear for you shall hear the everliving Lord the almighty, by whom all things were create and do consist, speak plainly unto you, content to humble himself so low as to open his quarrel, to utter the causes of his wrath, and to try himself in your own consciences to be faultless.  
The Prophets of all ages, they are here commanded to contend and strive with the mountains and mighty men of the world, so is it their great labour, peril & danger to cause them by any means to here the word of God. Therefore was it said in the last verse of the fift chap. I will be avenged in my wrath, & in my fury upon the people that hath not herd. So that to hearken to the voice of God is better than any sacrifice. Therefore is hear so oft bet into the jews heads, Here what the lord saith. Let the hills here hear O ye mountains, thus the prophet warneth as it were a beadle or Cryar of the common place to keep silence, and to give diligent hearkening to the voice of the almighty. He warneth the earth and all that therein is, even the very foundations thereof to give good ear. Shall man then be deaf and stop his ears? The Lord calleth the heavens, and they obey. The earth from nothing, and straight it was present. The raging seas and rough floods, do hearken to his commandment. Dare man deny to hear his Lord, by whom he liveth and hath his being? shall he be brutish and without understanding, when all brute beasts are obedient to the lords commaundment? Did not Balaams' Ass both speak and understanded when the Lord called and commanded?  
O man, wilt thou not hear him with out whom thou art not? Dost thou not fear to fall again into dust and ashes, when thou art at his voice so dull & insensible? Or can thou forget his benefits by whom thou hast thy being? Yea this Lord calleth the things that be not, as though they were already He maketh the dead hodies to hearken to his voice. How dare thou O man, turn away & not give care, seeing the breath of thy body is in his hand? He sleieth and giveth life.  
See how the Lord doth humble himself to thine infirmyty and weakness. He is content not only too speak unto thee which art but dust and ashes, full of sin, but to show his quarrel and as it were too pleat his cause with us, that he might be found true and all men liars, and therefore justified in his words and overcome when he is judged. Let all men therefore tremble before his face and cry unto God, to give them ears that can hear, & eyes that can see & then say with David I will hear what the Lord speaketh.  
The Lord calleth into their remembrance, & therewith their benefits of old their deliverance, How he plagued the Egyptians & preserved them, How he made them passage through the red sea, & drowned their enemies, How he fed them with Manna from heaven, not suffering their garments too be old, nor their shoes torn for the space of xl years in the wilderness: he giveth them the good meek and loving captain Moses to guide them, Aaron to preach his will unto them and to pray for them. Miriam a prophetess, a comfort too the women in their long journey Exo. die through out.  
And when king Balacke had counsel to hire Bilham to accursse the saith the Lord, I did turn thy curs into blessing, who being thus disappointed did take new Counsel of Bilham too entice the people by flattery too idolatry and fornication, thereby to provoke my wrath against thee, wherefore I plagued the until I had slain xxiiii thousand. When Pinhas the Priest stirred with the zeal of my glory slew Duke zambrye the captain of the tribe of Simeon, and Cospye the daughter of Sur, the chief Prince of the Madianits & through the zealous enterprise, caused mi wrath to cease. Nu. xxii. xxiii.xxiiii.xxv  
In Sittam did I stay Balacke, and Bilham. I caused Moses too destroy the Midianites without mercy, and did give unto you their gods cattle and substance. Numeri xxxi In gilgal I did take away the reproach of Egipte from you. I caused you to be circumcised and did give you of the fruits of the promised land. joshua. v. Al this did I for thee, that thou mightest know my righteousness, that I would keep my promise, notwyth standing this manifold wickedness. The like rebuke of their ingratitude mayst thou read Esay i Eze. xx. Now if we would hereby in our wicked time learn to behold the in estimable goodness of God toward us, and our unthankfulness against so loving a Lord: We might fully perceive and see most evidently the wonderful mercies of our heavenly father, calling us to repentance which hath not only given us bodily benefits as he did unto Israel, but he hath delivered us from the helly Pharaoh, from the curses of antichrist, from the sea of errors and erronions opinions, and caused us to eat the heavenly Manna, the flesh of his own son, thereby to give us life everlasting. O the unspeakable goodness of our heavenvly father, and woe to our sturdy stomachs stifled in evil.  

The Text  With what acceptable thing shall I present the Lord? Shall I bow myself before the high God? Shall I come before him with brent offerings, with calves of one year old? Hath the lord his pleasure in M. of rams either his delight in ten M. streams of oil? Or shall I give my first borne for mine iniquity, even the fruit of my womb, for the sin of my soul? I will tell the man what is good and what the Lord requireth of thee: even to do judgement, to love mercy, and to walk reverently before thy God.  
Because that here is so just occasion offered to declare what is the true worship of god, & which is the false and untrue. I desire thee gentle reader to suffer me something to declare this doubt, because it hath troubled the consciences of many in all worlds. And also that it may be a testimony & witness unto the worlds end of our conscience towards God & his true worship, which have written or spoken against the false worship of the Romish Antichrist. Wherein first I pray thee to mark & consider how the conscience stricken with the fear of gods judgements seeketh some stay, & evermore would have succour against his heavy indignation, but unless it be quieted & settled by the truth of God his holy word, it reneweth astray from god more & more. & at length followeth fond imaginations. As the heathen before the law given, did stay their children to please God as they imagined. Wherefore the Lord did drive them forth of their countries, and did give them to Israel in possession and warned them of heythrush abominations.  
The jews after the law of Moses was given, not understanding the end of their Ceremonies, did heap up infinite sacrifices. Unto whom God saith die Esaiah: he that offereth unto me an Ox is like him that stayeth a man, and he that killeth a beast as he that brayneth a dog. And he that Offereth sacrifice as he that Offereth swines flesh, he that remembreth incense as he that offereth unto an idol. These things have they choose in their ways & in their abominations their soul is delighted.  
Our Papists not understanding, or rather not regarding what our master Christ had taught us. Mat. xv. that in vain we do worship God teaching the doctrines, the Precepts of men. Had set up a new holiness, even their hole religion in outward Ceremonies of days and times, of candles and Bells, of touching and of handling, of blowing and kissing, creeping, knealing and knocking, of girdles and garments, of giving to their Idols and altars fine ornaments, of building of Chapels, chantries and abbeys, of gadding to Walsingham, to Canterbury, to Compostella, to jerusalem, to fetch james shells, Walsingham Kings, Becketes broochs, and pardon Beads, where upon must be said I wot not how many lady Psalters. And always ten ave Maries to one Pasternoster, or else all was marred, and infinite other mad inventions of man's idle brain. By the which madding of man's head in all ages, which I have but lightly touched, we may perceive that no teste can be found for man's soul in our own inventions. But the farther man wadeth in his fond intentes and fantastical imagination, the farther he slideth from God, unsure that he hath done any thing acceptable in the sight of God. Therefore must we which are servants and creatures, learning our own weakness by the fall of others, turn to our master, lord and creator, to know what his word commandeth in the agony of conscience & considering that the turning from the creator to creatures hath been the ground of all Idolatry, every man choosing to himself the Idol of his own heart. Some the son some the Moon, some the vii stars, some Saturn, some jupiter, some Mars some Venus, some Marcurye, And doting farther, some have worshipped Calves, some Cocks, some Serpents, some Dogs, some Asses, some Goats, And in our popish wickedness we ourselves, have worshipped stocks & stones, and given divine honours almost to all manner of creatures, a vile wafer cake did we honour as our God in deed, and when that was lift up betwixt the priests fingers, we said we did see our maker, and knocked and kneeled, crouched and kissed without all measure. And the Priest when he did eat it, thought he did receive his maker, and made so many fond gestures ioyened with infinite superstitions that thereby we may mark, if we have nothing else too lead us that the fayened and false worship of God hath no end not stay, can never tell where too consist, doth alway disquiet and never satisfy nor quiet the conscience. Therefore for the love of our own souls, of the quiettinge of our own conscience, let us unfeignedly repent of all our falsed gods and feigned worship of God, and knowledge that there is but one God which brought the children of Israel forth of Egipte from the house of bondage, and hath delivered us the spiritual Israel from the egypt of sin end errors from the bondage of the devil, Death and hell, and brought us into the liberty of his children, by the death of his own son. And by his holy spirit poured into our hearts doth teach us to cry father father.  
Let us knowledge (I say) that this Lord our God is but one God, whom we must love with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our strength, him must we fear, and him only must we worship and in his name only may we swear. By the which words we may learn that ther● is but one God only, who only ought to be worshipped, feared, loved, trusted and hooped upon, which the words of swearing in his name importeth.  
This our God then whose worship we do teach is that almighty power, which made heaven and earth by his word and by the same through his spirit doth govern all creatures therein. Saving Israel, and drowning Pharaoh. Saving his chosen of free mercy and grace, and condemning the wicked hypocrites by just judgement. This our God is a spirit, as Christ our aldermaster teacheth us, & they which worship him, must worship in spirit and truth. John four And seeing he is a spirit, pure from bodily corruption, and therefore having no need of our bodily service. His true worship can not consist in bodily exercise which lasteth but the time it is in doing, but in the inward holiness of the heart which evermore increaseth & springeth forth into life everlasting. Such a worship therefore our Prophet teacheth, which ariseth and springeth forth of the secret reverence and fear of God, his sacrate majesty, which is not service, but child like, whereby we are not only afraid to displease God our father, but also prompt and ready, like obedient children to express in our living, judgement and merci, the two special properties & greatest show of his image which appeareth unto his creatures.  

prover. i.  Therefore is this fear called the beginning of wisdom, and the spirit of fear. Esaa ix beginneth the work which the other spirits of wisdom & understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and true holiness and accomplisheth & fulfilleth. So that this spirit of fear doth go before in all the hearts of them which God doth choose to worship him in spirit and truth, making them afraid to do homage and worship to any thing save their Lord God only, either any otherwise then he requireth and commandeth. Afraid evermore to do any thing wherein they do not know his open pleasure. This fear was in Cornelius before he had the perfect knowledge of God, and in the men of Israel unto whom Peter did say. O brethren and children of Abraham and they amongs you which feareth God, unto you is the word of salvation sent, & in the Psas. ciii. Even as the father hath mercy of his children, so hath the Lord mercy of them that fear him, and the merci of the Lord is for evermore upon them which fear him.  
The cause is that they which do fear the Lord are always ready with heart and mind to do things pleasant unto him, and to abstain from the contrary. His displeasure do they fear like loving children. If their heavenly father be pleased they do rejoice, if he be offended they do cry for mercy, so that of him they do test in prosperiti, of him they do hang in adversity, according to his own commandment by his chosen vessel David. Call upon me in the day of thy trouble and I shall deliver thee, and thou shalt worship me. So that this invocation after some interpreters is the true worship of God. And surely seeing Paul. Romans x affirmeth that who soever calleth upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved. No man can deny but an eareneste calling upon God comprehendeth the true worship which God requireth and containeth in it perfit religion, because it hath faith the ground of all virtues, for how can they call upon God which do not believe in him? Romans ten And they which do call upon other creatures hath affiance trust and faith in those things, else would they never call upon them. This faith springing of the first part which was the fear and reverence of God his high Majesty, supplieth the second point of the worship of God which requireth a knowledge of God. For how can we believe in him whom we have not known. Rom. x. Hereby do we give glory and worship unto God, that is too say: we knowledge him too be true in all his promises. And because without faith it is impossible to please God, this faith maketh us sure that we do worship him as we should, and certifieth us that we be the children of God and that our works are acceptable in his sight. Hereby did Abel in his sacrifice more truly worship God then did his brother Caine. Abraham also and his wife Sarai by faith were the true worshippers of God and received the promise. Elizabeth also gave more glory and worship unto God in that she believed his promise, than did her husband zachary, who because he doubted was stricken dumb whiles the child was borne.  
shortly too conclude, this faith is it that causeth true worship. For whatsoever cometh not of faith the fame is sin. And because faith cometh of the hearing of the word of God only & of no man's fancy, we may boldly pronounce that all such worship as is set up by man's imagination without the scriptures of God is without faith, and therefore sinful, & consequently abominable in the sight of God, whether they be sacrifices before the law, or in the time of the law or Ceremonies sense the law ceased.  
The third and last part of this worship standeth in unfeigned love toward our neighbour, without the which our Master Christ commandeth too lay down all sacrifice, before the altar, and first go & be reconciled. Mat. v. And without this he despiseth all sacrifice saying by his Prophet Ose I will have mercy and not sacrifice and the knowledge of God, rather than brent offerings. And by the Prophet Esay of them that hath not this love, your incense is abomination unto me. And when you shall lift up your hands, I shall turn away mine eyes, for your hands are full of blood, which last words are more plainly understand by saint John saying: He that hateth his brother is a murderer, who for the uncleanness of his hands hath no part in the kingdom of God. And where as other which are not spotted with their neighbours blood but are cleansed by the blood of the Lamb are the very temples of God wherein he will be worshipped, these bloody Cain●tes which loveth not their brethren, can be no temple for Christ, wherein he will dwell and reaste, but for the Devil and antichrist. For this calleth God his Sabbath and rest pleasant unto him. Isaiah xxviii To refresh the weary which he calleth also the refreshing of his own self. Thus do we keep the acceptable holy day, and do the worship that he desireth when we show mercy, and comfort the poor and needy. The which worship is so great, that he will ask accounts of none other thing at the day of judgement, but if we have clothed him, when we did see him naked, if we have fed him when he was hungry and so forth. Math. xxv. For because these deeds of mercy and love, doth presuppose, both faith and fear of God. This love therefore must we bring to the true worshipping of God. And as our Prophet in few words doth comprehend all kind of worship, we must do judgement, love, mercy, and walk humbly and reverently before the Lord. Too do judgement may be well understand, to do as thou would be done to. What so ever thou judgest that thou would have done to thee, that do thou unto other. To do mercy, is to forgive as thou would be forgiven, and this heart and mind must we bring to worship god, & to walk before him. For of this doth God make trial whether we do love him or no. If we do not love our brother whom we see, how can we love God whom we see not? John four Then if we do bring unto God, as for his honour and worship sacrifices, offerings, or what so ever it be without the love of god, what do we but declare ourselves detestable hypocrites, dissembling to love him, whom we do not love, to honour him, whom we dishonour, and to worship him, who by us is blasphemed. Therefore may we not think to please God with any sacrifice, or outward show of holiness, but we must walk humbly and obedyentlyee before the Lord, as Samuel answered king Saul i Kings xu Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken is better than the fat of wethers.  
Enok walked thus with God, and therefore was taken up into his presence. Noah humble and obedient, with faith, fear and reverence: walked before the Lord, and entered into his ark, when all the proud and dysobedyente world was drowned. Loath walked obedyentlye, and durst not look back when he was taken from the Sodomites, where his wife stobernelye breaking the commandment was turned into a salt stone.  
Abraham and Sarai may be examples how we should walk humbly, and reverently, and also faithfully and obedyentlye before the Lord, which after promise or commandment, did not regard any thing, not so much as their own old barran bodies but only looked unto God, giving him this honour, worship and glory, that he was able to fulfil whatsoever he had spoken and promised. And which ought to be our glass, therein too see the works of God toward us. Israel so long as they did walk humbly, and obedyentlye before their Lord, and worshipped him after his word and commandments, fearing him with unfeigned and dissembling hearts, hearkening unto his word, and practised their lives thereafter. He led them with his mighty arm through the red sea, fed them with Manna in the wilderness, destroyed many nations for them. But when they did serve from his commandment, and would worship him after their own inventions, he plagued them grievously, sent them drought, dearth, famine, pestilence, and the sword of the Egyptians, Chaldees, and Romans.  
Espicially when God the father sent his own son to call them to his obedience, and to teach them that their slain sacrifice was of no force in itself, but only did signify that by his blood and sacrifice of him, being as it were an unspotted lamb, their iniquity should be forgiven, and the sin of their souls washed away, which was signified by his baptism. They walking proundly not humbly, despised humble Christ, boasted themselves to be the children of Abraham, to be the true israelites, to have the oracles, to have the law written, to be observers and keepers of the law, to be the only worshippers of god, to know his will, to be guides unto the blind and all together: but Christ calleth the most holy amongs them, blind guides, painted graves, feigned hypocrites, and false worshippers. And after he was refused and vyllanlouslye handled, God sendeth upon them worthy destruction, famine, hunger, pestilence, and the sword of the Romans which did root them forth, & lay their land desolate and scatter them abroad unto this day. So perilous a thing it is, not to walk humbly before him, but to gad otherways from him, for the respect of any creature. For he only can do all, careth for all, knoweth all, like as he only hath create all unto him, therefore without declining too any other must all honour and worship be given. And as he hath saved all them which have thus walked before him with this faith, fear, and love too declare that there is one God, ever constant and unchangeable, so doth he now require the same worship that he did of them before us, which did neither consist in holy causes, nor brent offerings, as the carnal heathen and gross pharisees fancied and supposed, neither in such things wherewith worldly men are pleased, as gold, silver, precious stones, gay ornaments, and rich gifts, capping, kneeling, courtesies, to be sought far of at Rome, Compostella, or at jerusalem. But to worship him in the house of hearts in the chamber of out breasts in the temple of our soul, wherein he hath chosen his mansion. There to worship him not with man's imagination and chosen holiness, which he calleth vain worship, and abhorreth it. But in the worship which he appointeth and commandeth, that is as his son declareth in spirit and truth. By unfeigned reverence of god his sacrate majesty. By faithful trust in his unfallible promises. By love not counterfeit toward our neighbours. Which three fruitful branches growing forth of the man new regenerate by the spirit of god, must needs bring forth many spiritual works as invocation, prayer, thanksgiving, fasting and mournynge for sins, alms, and all the works of mercy and pity. Who so walketh in these works, he truly worshippeth God, and hereby are the true and false worshippers known in sunder, the true church and the chuche of hypocrites, because these works faith, fear and love, was not found in the old world, therefore was it drowned, because these three parts of the true worship was not found amongs the jews, therefore were they destroyed. Because these works of true worship were not found in the popish church, therefore is it subverted, and if they be not shortly found in our reformed churches, they shall with like shame be subverted and destroyed. Let us walk humbly therefore before our Lord, and beware of of our fall. He doth not suffer his chosen, so long time as he doth the reprobate.  
The voice of the Lord doth cry unto the city. 
The Text  A wise man will fear thy name. Hear the rod, and who it is which hath appointed the certain time unto it. Is there yet in the house of the wicked treasure and the false measure? O abomination. Shall I justify the wicked Balance, and the satchel of deceitful weights?  
Her rich men are replete with ravin, and her enhabytauntes hath spoken lies, and had deceitful tongues in their mouths. Therefore will I make the sick, striking the and making the desolate for thy sins, Thou shalt eat and not be satisfied for misery shall go thorough thee, thou shalt go unto thy wife, but she shall he barren, and that which she doth bring forth, shall I give unto the sword. Thou shalt sow, and not reap, thou shalt tread the Olives, but thou shalt not anoint thyself with Oil, and tread the grapes, but thou shalt not drink thy wine. Because thou haste kept the ordinance of Amry, and all the abomination of the house of Achab, and hast walked in their counsels. Therefore will I give the unto desolation, and all thy enhabytauntes to be hissed and scorned and you shall bear the shame of my people.  
The voice of the Lord.  
The Lord crieth by his preachers, 
The Text  by his Prophets, by his Apostles, by his Messengers in all ages, and all times to call us to repentance. He warneth of his will and pleasure. He telleth which is true worship, and which is false. And as he saith by his Apostle Paul: All the day long have I stretched forth my hands unto an unbelieving people, and a people that striveth against me. Rom. x. And by his own son he saith: jerusalem jerusalem, how oft would I have gathered the together, as the hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, & thou wouldst not. Math. xxiii. Which doth utter the fatherly care of our God, always calling and crying upon us. But who heareth his calling? who seeth his power? who feareth his name? Thusiah doth see it, saith our Prophet, that is to say, wisdom, or the wise man will be warned. For so doth the Hebrew interpreters expound it. And so it agreeth with the course of God his working, at all times God calleth al. His sound of his voice goeth through the world, yet scantlican there be one so wise to repent in the warning of the vii cities. No more were found fearful of God his sore threatenings but only Loath in the destruction of the hole world, Noah was only found wise and obedient. In jerusalem how few were found obedient when the Prophets warned them to repent. In our world God grant some one wise & faithful man may be found, which may pray for us, as Abraham did for the Sodomites, and give warning of god's wrath before it fall upon our cities. Hear the rod, the rod of God his great vengeance is ready shaken against your cities. The time is determined for your punishment. Will you not yet be warned to lay away wickedness & repent of your evil ways? will you keep still your evil gotten goods and treasures heaped by extorsion? How can your sins than ●ee pardoned? My law commandeth for things wrongly taken to pay four fold and five fold. Have you satisfied my law and least yourselves so great treasures?  
Nay you are so far from such equyty that of restitution, that you maintain still your bribery and extorsyon. You keep still in your houses, your lean and bare measures, your scant and false Bushels too provoke my wrath and indygnatyon upon you. Your measure is scant of Corn and your chaffer, but it is full of my wrath and heavy displeasure.  
Shall I justify the wicked balance? Or as the Hebrew stands wickedness in the balance. If I should leave this unpunished I should seam to justify and allow all the wickedness that you do use therein. Where contrariwise, I have commanded the too have just balance and even wayghtes and true measures. Levi. nineteen. and in deuteronomy xxv Thou art commanded not too have divers weights a greater and a smaller, neither to have in thy house a big bushel and a small, but that thou shalt have a just and true weight, an even and true bushel that thou may live a long time in the land which the lord thy God giveth the. There furthermore art thou taught, that I thy Lord God do abhor him that doth these things, and that I detest all unjust dealing as a thing abominable, and so doth my servant Solomon teach the. Proverb .xx that double weights and dysceitefull balance abominable before thy Lord God. How darest thou then keep in thy house either any false measure or thereby any evil gotten treasure? Dost thou nothing regard me which have thy life & breath in my hand?  
Art thou nothing moved by my manifold benefits? nothing afraid of my threatenings, repent, O repent and hearken to my Prophets or else my rod is ready to scourge thy wickedness.  
The time is determined by me the almighty measurer of times, unless you do repent, O you wicked Merchants of London and and all other cities. But O wicked world I do know your devices. You do hide up your ware until it wax scant. You do lesson your measures. You increase your prices, too make the poor your slaves, yet will ye be gospelers Can you worship me and your wicked Mammon both together? Can you serve two Masters? Nay, you are to me defraudinge and oppressing the poor as they that slay the children in the father's sight. Thus do you worship me. O you covetous Merchants, building your houses in the blood of your brothers. There is no faith, no fear, nor love amongs you but your riches are  wythravine. The houses of your Lords, of your judges, of chancellors of your treasurers, of your receivers, shortly of all our riches and wealthy are full of the spoil of the evil gotten goods and either open or privy theft & robbery. Can I then hold my peace & as it were justify your doings? Especially seeing, lying, dissembling and disceat is so common that from the head too the foot never one is faultless there is not one righteous, no not one that I might have mercy. There is no truth no mercy, no knowledge of God in the earth, curssinge, lying, murder, theft and adultery hath over run all together. The faithful are wasted forth of the earth. Every man telleth his brother a lie, with desceytefull lips and double hearts. I will destroy a● their lying lips and these tongues that can tell these goodly tales & do think that they at able to overcome all with their tongues. But for this oppression of the poor and for their mourning I will now arise.  
And I will make the sick striking the with famine, sterilite, barrenness, battle, aptivitie and bondage. Thou shalt eat and not be satisfied, which is the soorest famine, the woman shall receive the seed, and bring forth no fruit, the foulest sterility, and if she do bring forth, the sword shall devour them. Thou shalt be in such bondage, that thou shalt toil & travail for other, & have no part thyself, such affliction, such misery, such calamity shall be in the mids of thee, that thou shalt be wasted for thy sins.  
Because thou hast kept the ordinances of Amri and the abhominatyons of Achab. etc. 
The Text   
Loo how perilous a thing, and how great a plague it is to have wicked kings and princes to reign over us. For their authority doth not harm only whiles they live, and have their flatterers following and counterfeiting their wickedness, but in the ages long after them and the posterity following their laws are alleged, their rites and customs renewed. So was idolatry always continued in the ten tribes from their first king jeroboam to king Amry, who built Samaria & to his son wicked Acab, who not only alleged the wickedness of his forefathers unto the people, but addeth moreover shameful extortion & shedding of innocent blood, slaying Naboth for his vineyard, killing the prophets of the lord. The other princes & people following their wicked abominations & naughty counsels, 
three Re. xvi.  are here threatened to be wasted & destroyed. The people to be hissed and scorned, & the princes worthily to bear the shame of the people of God, by them seduced. zedechiah the last king over juda may be a terrible example unto all kings, had first his sons slain in his own sight, than had his eyes worthily put forth by the babylonians, and so kept in live by daily delusion of the Chaldees to bear the shame of the people of god. Yea they are without number whom the Lord hath more grievously by his justice thus plagued. As Nebuchadnezer turned into a brute beast. As Adombezeche the king of the Cananees, & the lxx other princes who had their fingers & toes cut of, & so reserved to their shame to gather crumbs under the tables like dogs, besides the xxx 
i judges. joshua. xii.  kings whom joshua hanged and destroyed, and innumerable other both in scriptures & profane histories rehearsed. Now therefore O Kings and Princes understand and suffer yourselves to be taught and admonished, you that judge the earth.  
Serve the Lord in fear in the governance of his people, and rejoice with trembling in the gifts god giveth you, for he will have an accounts how you do govern his people, and how you do order his creatures Embrace his poor Christ lovingly in his members, lest he be angry, and you do perish forth of the way. For when his anger is a little kindled, then happy are they that trust in him. Then happy are they as the king & Prophet David doth teach you which hath not walked in the counsel of the wicked, which hath not stand in the way of the sinner, which hath not sitten in the seat of the scornful. But in the law of thee Lord hath had his delight, and in his law doth meditate day & night. For be shallbe like a tree planted by the riversyde, which shall bring forth his fruit in dew time. His leaf shall not fall, and his work shall prosper. Where the wicked far contrary shall be like chaff driven with the wind. Therefore the wicked shall not stand in judgement nor the sinners in the company of the just. For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous, and the way of the wicked shall perish. The Lord is no acceptour of persons. But who so doth evil be it king, be it Emperor, he shall perish as is hear spoken.   

The vii Chapter.  
WOE is me, 
The Text  for I am like the gleaners of Summer fruits, and as the branches after the wine harvest. There is not a Cluster of grapes to eat, my soul desireth type fruit.  
Thus doth our Prophet bewail the mesery of his people, he compareth the good amongs them himself, and the other to the gleaners and gatherers after harvest is ended, and all clean gathered into thy barns. And the best amongs men to the wine branches withered, dried, and having nothing upon them, whereupon the desirous soul might be sasiate, Therefore he mourneth and waileth for the misery which of necessity must follow so far spread iniquiti. And he showeth in the verse following, what fruit it is that he seeketh. What grapes they are his soul desireth (Biccurah the first ripe fruits) meaning the fore father's fist borne & the former age Abraham. Isaac, jacob, David. These doth jeremy call Israel, whiles they walked in holiness the first fruits unto the lord. And hear our Prophet doth complain that all this good ripe fruit is gathered and gone, and nothing left ungathered, but brambles and thorns which are fit for nothing but the fire even for the fire of God's wrath, which shall shortly be kindled, and no creature shallbe able to quench it, or to abide the heat thereof: For this our Prophet waileth and crieth wo.  

The Text  The good perisheth forth of the earth, neither is any righteous upon earth. Al do lie in weight for blood. Every man hunteth his brother as with a net. They labour to make good the evil of their hands. The prince asketh, and the judge for reward, and the great man speaketh the destruction of his own soul, and they draw wickedness as with a threefold cable. The best amongs them is like a briar & the righteous like a thorn of the hedge. The day of thy overseers, the day of thy visitation is come, now shall they be full of perplexity.  
Here may we see how the spirit of god is in his holy saints & prophets is vexed & troubled for our wickedness. 
i. King ten  Elias thus waileth: I have lived long enough, O Lord, take away my soul, I am no better than my fathers. And the Lord calleth upon him, & he answereth again. I have been zealous & fervent for the lord of hosts, because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant. They have destroyed thine altars, slain thy prophets with the sword, & I am left alone & they seek my soul to take it away. 
Esay. lvii  Esay saith: the just perisheth, & no man regardeth it, in his heart. The good & merciful are gathered to their graves, 
Psal. xii. Psal. liii.  & no man understandeth. David crieth also: Save us O Lord, for the holy ones do fail & waste, the faithful are consumed from amongs the children of men. Again, the lord looked down from the heavens, upon the children of Adam, to see if there were any the did under stand, or that did seek the Lord. Al are gone back together, they are abominable, there is not one that doth good, no not one. Do you know nothing O you workers of wickedness which do eat up my people as men do eat bread and calleth not upon God? In all these things that our Prophet and other holy writers doth charge you, O Princes judges and Magistrates, examine your own conscience, and judge yourselves, that you be not judged and condemned with the wicked. You are here likened to Cain which did lie in wait for his brother's blood. You are likened to Nimroth hunting your brothers to catch them in your nets. If you were not such, we should not hear of such sudden tall and ruin of noble houses. But what soever you do that must be well done saith our Prophet, so stoutly will you defend your own doings too make evil good, and good evil as Isaiah saith and to cloak your wicked works, if you do fear any danger.  
The Prince that beareth chief rule and may do the most too hide your mischief he must be won with gifts, and if he be such one as will receive them he shall have whatsoever he will ask, the judge must have part of that which is given & the great rich man by this means bringeth forward his purpose to the destruction of his own soul. Whiles this three fold cable is thus linked. Therefore doth Isaiah threatening woe and destruction to them that thus draw iniquity with cables of vaniti and wickedness with cart roopes. Which counteth evil good, and good evil, which do justify the wicked for gifts And saith farther. Like as the flame of the fire doth devour the stubble: 
Isaiah .v.  so shall the root of such be like the coals, and their bud be like the dust.  
This similitudes of briars and thorns are brought in for this purpose to utter the stinging and pricking of wickedness. As briars and thrones do prick all that handleth them whiles they do grow, and when they are hewn up they are good for nothing but to kindle a speadye fire. So saith our Prophet that the best and most righteous amongs them are noisome and harmful unto men and fit fire brands for the furi of God. This shallbe known most plainly on less we do repent when the days of our visitation cometh (which is at hand) when affliction sorrow and carefulness and piety and doubtfulness shall come upon all flesh, as followeth.  
give no credence to thy friend 
The Text  trust not thy brother keep the door of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom. For the son slandereth the father, the daughter riseth up against the mother, and the daughter in law against the mother in law.  
Behold the sorrow ampietie and doubtfulness which followeth by just plague the worldly tyrants and evil doers. They do sting ano prick every man that meddleth with them like thorns, they must of no necessity therefore fear, distrust, and be undoutefull of every creature as Dionysius the tyrant and such like where of some not trusting their own wives were compelled to search their privy chambers nightelye, and their wives coffers, & credit therein barbarous and cruel sougioures. Other durst not trust their own daughters, but fearing all other creatures refused the help of their Chamberlains and other servants. Durst credit no barboures to shave their beards, but used the help of their Daughters whiles they were young to shave their beards, but when their daughters did grow to more age and years wherein they were able to discern their father's doings, the fear of their own conscience like Canites for the cruelty they had showed to other, would not suffer than to commit themselves to their own flesh and blood, to their bowels which did come forth of their own bodies. But said within themselves as did cruel Cain. Every one that can find the opportunity will slay me, and so with their own hands they were compelled to swing of the hear of their own beards with brenning coals. This is the great and grievous plague that the almighty threateneth to lay upon the wicked. To make him like a boiling sea which can have no rest, whose floods doth rage to their own ruin, there is no peace nor rest too the wicked saith the Lord God. 
Esay. lvii.  This did appear in Cain after he had killed his brother as it was said before thinking by just judgement therefore that every man should slay him that should meet him. And because in our perilous times there is so many Canites, it is no marvel though every man be afraid of his brother, no man trusteth another, the noble feareth the commons the commons trusteth not the nobility. These are the last days wherein iniquity doth abound, love is lost, charity quenched, faith and trust are driven forth of man's company. If there be any tokens of love showed, it is for some wicked purpose, either for the clokinge of some vice or the withdrawing-from virtue and godliness, such therefore we must alway suspect. And if thy brother the son of thy mother as Moses saith, or thy son, or thy daughter, or thy wife that is in thy bosom, or thy friend whom thou lovest as thine own life be about to persuade the to the worship of strange gods or any such obhomination, thou mayest not only not give credence unto them but to help to punish them Deu. xiii. If the Emperor should send his Interim into England or the Pope his decretals that all the fair promises that the wicked can imagine, defy them both and detest their flattery. If any Frenshe or Scottish Lady should flatter for like purpose, she ought most horrible to be detested and abhorred remembering that Solomon by the flattering of his wives, was brought to idolatry. Samson to his own destruction. And infinite other that have fallen some into one vice, some in an other and are length to shameful ends by the flattery of feigned friends. Beware of flatterers therefore O kings and princes, for be sure when so ever you shall delight in them you shall not long continue without shame. The most present poison to a Prince is flattery. Beware I ●aye therefore. For judas when he flattereth most fair, is most ready too be traye his master. joab when he kisseth Amasa and and Abner and showeth most friendship is ready to kill them.  
Abimelech when he flattereth his lxx brothers is all ready through ambition appointed to destroy them. Dadila when she flattereth Samson too know his strength hath the Philistines privily hid in her house. Absalon doth call to his feast by flattery and their slai his brother Ammon, and withdraweth the hearts of the people by flattery from his father David, and at length driveth him forth of his kingdom. Wherein appeareth the small trust to be had to the wicked worldlings and crafty flatterers, though they offer great friendship, though they be our brethren, though they lie in our own bosons. And hear may we set before our eyes who are to be trusted in this wicked world so full of deceit and who are not. They only which do seek godliness and virtue and setteth much by the truth of the word of God. for this truth is mightier than women, than wine, than the king, it overcometh all. It conquereth falsehood, it condemneth flattery, it driveth away blindness, it causeth the blind to see, the young scholar to be wiser than the great Doctor, it trieth all, it espieth all, it judgeth, it condemneth al. To the author and giver of this truth be all glory for ever.  
Let us no longer trust to man therefore or make flesh our arm in this our wicked time wherein all are given to falsehood, to flattery, to deceit, to covetous, to ambition, to lying, slandering, to all evils and wickedness. But contraryewise say with our Prophet every one of us both king and subject.  

The Text  I will look unto the Lord. I will trust unto God my saviour, & my God will hear me.  
Whether it be in the day of my visitation when adversity shall come upon me, or in the day of prosperity when these flatterers shall follow me. I will regard nothing but the Lord I will trust to none but to God my saviour. The Lord God is the measurer of mi trouble he can & will hear my cry & deliver me from all peril. Therefore will I call unto the Lord with the holy king David. Psa. iii. 
Psalm. iii.  O God how are mine enemies multiplied how many doth rise up against me. Many doth say unto mi soul: his God shall not save him, but thou O God act the shield over me. My glory and the lifting up of my head. I will cry unto the Lord with my voice and he will hear from his holy hill.  
O thou mine enemy rejoice not against me that I am fallen, 
The Text  I am risen up again, And though I should sit in darkness, the Lord is my lght. I will bear the displeasure of the Lord, because I have sinned against him whiles that heaveng my cause & do judgement for me. For he will bring me into light & I shall see his righteousness. Then mine enemi shall behold & be ashamed which saith unto me: where is the lord thy god? mine eyes shall behold her and now shall she be trodden under the foot like the mire of the streets.  
Three thnges are here to be observed in this humble confession of the sinner whether thou do understand it in the person of a particular sinner, or in the parson of the multitude of Israel led into captivity. first a consideration and know ledging of the sins committed against God: and therefore patience to bear and to suffer what so ever the lord shall lay upon their backs. Secondly where such as are chastened of the Lord are always of the wicked world despised, reviled and scorned uniustlis, and without cause which doth augment their heaviness. Here is the advenging thereof, and the judgement of their innocency towards their enemies which do persecute them, committed unto God. thirdly here is full and perfect fayhte of God his favour in the mids of the afflictions and hope of a comfortable end of them to the glory of god to the confusion shame and destruction of all his enemies to be learned.  
For the first David crieth: O Lord enter not thou into judgement with thy servant, for in thy sight no living creature shallbe justified. For the second part he dare be bold to say, judge me according to my righteousness, and the xxxv. Psa. thorough out for this purpose. For the third he saith. Though I do sit in darkness and in the shadow of death yet art thou with me. So firmly persuaded of God his favour in the mids of the trouble are the elect of God, that they say alway with Paul, who shall separate us from the favour of God? shall affliction? shall anguish? shall persecution, shall hunger? shall nakedness? shall peril? danger or sword? Nay thou haste thus appointed, ordained, and therefore warned us long before. That we should be slain every day for thy sake and counted like sheep ready to the slaughter, but in all this we do overcome, by him which hath loved us. And as Paul saith in another place, we do glory in our affliction, knowing that affliction bringing patience, patience bringeth trial and hoop in the end which is never shamed.  
This lesson of comfort may every private person feeling himself smitten for his sin, learn of our Prophet. But farther now he speaketh in the person of the jews, and of the hole church chosen of God, and the like things for them may be marked besides the fall of the Chaldees, of Antichrist & of all tyrants persecutors of the elect people which shall by the conquest of Christ their head make all their enemies as their foot stole, to tread upon them like the mire of the street as is here prophesied. Therefore must we bear pacientli a little while, and we shall satisfy our eyes with the sight of their fall by the just judgement of God and venginge our cause like as they have with out cause unjustly triumphed over us, hated, oppressed and murdered us, deserving no such cruelty at their hands, for too the Lord longeth vengeance. And he will perform it. Read the .v. Chapter of wisdom to the end. For the declaration of all this.  
To note also the Phrases of light and darkness, light signifieth knowledge and comfort. Isaiah. ii.ix.xlii.xlix.lx.lxi. Matthew four Luke ii Darkness the contrary, persecution, blindness, sorrow. Isaiah xiii Lamentations .v. Micha. three Psam lxix To see also and to behold the enemy is to rejoice at the fall of him which the just do for the righteous judgement which God sendeth upon the enemy. Psa. liv, the wicked to satisfy their malicious minds. 
Psa. xxxv. The Text   
In the day when the hedges shall be built, that day shall put away thy bondage, That day shall come from Assur and the walled cities and from the fortresses unto the flood, from the sea unto the sea and to the mountain Hor,  
The country of jury was spoiled, wasted, and destroyed, as ye have heard by the Chaldees and by the Romans, but like as in the four Chapter, so is hear promised a wonderful deliverance of the jews, & a miserable plague to come upon their enemies. There is a day appointed that thy waste places shall be built. Amos. ix. Ezechiel xxxvii A day when all tyranny call exaction and tribute shallbe taken away. ezechiel xxxviii That day shall thy people which were carried captive unto Babylon be brought from their strong fenced cities, forts, castles & holds, wherein they were kept prisoners home again to inhabit from the strong cities to the flood jordan & from the red sea to the great sea and so to the hill Carmel and the mountain called Hor. Esay saith of this gathering together Israel from the cast I will bring thy seed & from the West I will gather the. I will say to the North, give and to the south hinder not, bring my sons from far and my Daughters from the end of the earth.  
And the land shall be desolate for the enhabytauntes, 
The Text  because of the fruit of their imaginations.  
Though this sentence be hear spoken chiefly of the enemies land, yet is it generally true in all lands and country's. The Canances were wasted and destroyed therefore. The jews themself had their land flowing with milk and honey, so long before promised to their fathers, made so desolate for the fruit of their own imaginations that no man went thorough it. The Chaldees were miserably wasted and brought to desolation by the Macedonians for the fruit of their labours? What shall I name the desolations of Sodom, Gomor and the other city,  the destruction of the hole world in the time of Noah. Do we not read. Genesis vi That God did see that the malice of man was great upon earth and all the imagination of his heart was only evil? and therefore he saith he will destroy from the face of the earth both man and beast, and Bird of the air. Shall we then walk still in the fruit of our imaginations? One sort in fleshly pleasures, delighting in wicked women, and mad marriages made for worldly purposes, imagining how to be guile both God and man, as it were. Another sort too make themself mighty men of great fame, riches and renown, imageninge how to beguile our young king and to pill and poll his poor commons  
The third and worst sort are the unsavoury salt whereof Christ our master telleth, which should season other, but because they have lost their savour and saltenesse, they are fit for nothing but the dung hill, and causeth other to stink by their shameless life before the face of God, not darringe to rebuke them, or else not regarding them, whiles they do seek benefices and Bishopryckes, by flattering of their Lords and masters and blineding the poor commonnes their brothers.  
The four sort are of these scattered sheep of these despised commonners which runneth hear and there they wot not where for relief and succour still wandering after their own imagination, and not hearkening too the word of God which bindeth them to obedience. Lo such are the fruits of our imaginations in England this day. The governors despise their God, the subjects, their governors, the people, the priests, the priests neglect their charge over the stock. So now it is come so far that the boy most commonly dare presume upon his better without order against honesty and all good discipline, O good Lord shall not our land be desolate for such wild fig trees, barren of all good fruits numb, lame, and void of all virtuous studies & honest exercises.  

The Text  Feed thy people with thy staff the flock of thine heritage which abideth alone in the wood in the mids of Harmell let them be fed in Basan and Gilead as in the old time.  
The Prophet seeing in spirit the glorious restoring and deliverance of Israel, prayeth for them that the lord would vouchsafe to feed them in the stead of these evil pastors which feedeth themselves knowing most assuredly that if the Lord will be their pastor, shepperde and feader, they shall lack nothing as David doth acknowledge Psalm xxiii confessing also with king David that his rod and his staff doth comfort his stock, therefore doth he say, feed thy people with thy rod. And David doth say: thy rod and thy staff they have comeforted me. The flock of his chosen heritage he nameth to abide alone in the mounetaynes, because they should come over Carmel and other mountains, like scattered sheep, one abiding and waiting for another in that glorious restoring, which in spirit he did foresee which should be like the glorious conquest in Basan & Gilead, when they first entered the promised land, and Manasse had these twain in possession josua xvii And our prophet bringeth in the answer of the Lord, fully persuaded that his petition was already granted.  
Even like as in the day of thy deliverance forth of Egipte I will show unto him my wonders, 
The Text.  The heathen shall be a shamed of their strength, they shall lay their hand upon their mouth and their ears shall be deaf. They shall lyk dust like the serpent, and like the worms of the earth. They shall come quaking forth of their holes. They shall tremble before our Lord god. The shall they fear.  
In such vehement Prophecies where the prophets do seem ravished the change of parsons, is oft used, and therefore I have hitherto passed it as a thing which may easily be marked by him which with any diligence doth read them. In the first verse Israel is spoken unto both in the first and second person, and in the last the prophet doth so speak of God, ravished by the servant spirit. And here is a plain promise of the restoring again of Israel, with signs and wonders to the shame, confusion and condemnation of the wicked heathen, as is more at large set forth. Ezechyel xxxvi xxxvii. xxxviii.xxxix. jeremy. xxx.xxxi. Isaiah lxiii  
The day of the deliverance forth of egypt, was most wonderful with the plagues sent upon Pharaoh, and the drowning of him in the red sea with all his army, the standing of the waters like walls, the destruction of the cities without hands, and other great works, whereof the book of Exodus and joshua are full.  
The days of the spiritual deliverance from the helly Pharaoh, as they are wonderfully begun in our Saviour Christ the true Messiah, so shall they be by him then most wonderfully finished and ended, when all the power of the adversary shall be destroyied in the end of the world, when the helly Pharaoh shallbe cast into the lake of fire and brimstone. John xix  
To lay the hand upon the mouth is a common phrase too keep silence for shame. job. xxxviii. That the Serpent lick the dust and eateth the earth, is the curse of God. Genesis in, and here it is given to the serpent's generation to fall down for fear and creep into holes like worms, Wherein appeareth the almighty power of God and the weak arm of the wicked. Therefore doth our prophet end with these exclamations. They shall tremble before our Lord God. Thee shall they fear O Lord. Again.  
What God is like unto thee 
The Text  which dost pardon iniquity and pass over sin for the remnant of thine inheritance he hath not settled his wrath for ever, but he hath pleasure in mercy. He will return and have mercy upon us. He will tread down our wickedness under his feet, and cast all our sins into the bottom of the seas, Thou wilt perform thy promise to jacob, and thy mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn to our fathers from the days of old.  
After our prophet hath received this comfortable answer from God, he rendereth thanks with an admiration and comparison of the ever living God, which hath wrought these wonders the false Gods, which can do nothing. Wherein also he setteth forth the sinful weakness of man which can attain nothing but by pardon and mercy, according to the Psalm xxxi Blessed are they whose wickedness are forgiven and whose sins are covered. Again happy is that man whom the Lord hath not charged with sin. David also after the consideration of the great majesty of God maketh like comparison, and asketh what god there is besides the lord. Psa. xvii. And Moses describeth the Lord by these properties. Exo. xxxiiii. saying: O Lord, Lord, merciful and gracious God, patient and abundant in pity and truth. Showing mercy unto thousands taking away iniquity wickedness and sin. etc.  
So that God which in his substance is unsearchable by mercy, pity and truth, showeth himself unto men. Wherein also is comprehended the promise of Messiah made unto the fathers, by whom this mercy and loving kindness should be showed, and with this he endeth, as doth the most part of the prophets, to teach us always to have confidence in God, though the promise do seem long differed, For he is the god that is true, he is faithful, he performeth with the largest that he doth promsie, he is also merciful, he is pitiful, full of loving kindness, which we do feal in that he did give his own son to be made man of the seed of Abraham for our sakes, how can he but give us all things with him? To him therefore let us give all glory. Let us serve him with fear and trembling, walcking before our God as our Prophet warneth, reverently, doing judgement and loving mercy all the days of our life, so shall the woes and curses threatened unto the wicked be turned away from us, and the blessings promised too the obedient children be most abundantly poured upon us. Grant that we may this do to the honour of thy name for thy son our Lord jesus Christ his sake. So be it.   
¶ Praise the Lord.   

A prayer for the king.  
O Lord everlyving God Lord of Lords, king of kings. Lead our young king in thy faith fear and love. Teach his heart thy secret wisdom. Strengthen him therewith timely before his people perish, for the wicked doth prevail, they do wallow in their wickedness. Do this for thy truths sake, which he doth profess, Let not his enemies have the over hand, lest they blaspheming thy truth do say where is his God? what religion hath he professed? So be it.  
O king by truth thou standeste defend thy truth. By righteous judgement thy throne shall be established, by wickedness subverted. Therefore hast thou the sword by God oppointed to set up the one, too strike down the other Thus do, thou shall live & see good days.  
O you that be subjects under this king of tender age be thankful too God for all his wonders wrought in his time, knowledge that it is God that hath sent him unto us, and hath set forth his truth in his weak infancy, and mightily defended him from all treasonnes and traitors rebellions. Repent of all former evils, and pray without ceasing that the Lord god may vouchsafe to guide, govern and preserve him long to reign over us with the love of justice judgement and true holiness. So be it.