^rcscirteb to
of the
Pn&^rsttg of '^loronto
KING'S COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE
Thru the Cttee. formed in
The Old Country to aid in
replacing the loss caused by
The disastrous Fire of Feb. 14,
1890
Digitized by the Internet Archive
in 2010 with funding from
University of Toronto
http://www.archive.org/details/worksofjamespilk38pilk
/)
THE WORKS
OP
JAMES PILKINGTON, B.D
3n0tituteti ^B^ mB(E^€*XU'
jfot t!)e llublication of t!|e 512Horfe0 of tfje iFaitt)er0
anU (!?arlp 512ilritcr0 of tfje la^fotmeU
THE
B
WORKS
OF
JAMES PILKINGTON, B.D.,
LORD BISHOP OF DURHAM.
EDITED FOR
BY THE
REV. JAMES SCHOLEFIELD, A.M.,
REOIUS PROFESSOR OF GREEK, CAMBRIDGE.
X V < ,"1 o 3> f '
CAMBRIDGE:
PRINTED AT
THE UNIVERSITY PRESS,
M.DCCC.XLII.
M-
H
^ V I'?'
(L
CONTENTS.
PAGE
Biographical Notice of Pilkington i
Exposition upon the Prophet Haggai (1560, 1562) 1
Exposition upon the Prophet Obadiah (1562) 201
Exposition upon certain chapters of Nehemiah (1585) 275
The Burning of St Paul's Church: Confutation of an Addition,
(1563) 497
Answers to Popish Questions (1563) 617
MISCELLANEOUS PIECES.
Sermon on Bucer and Phagius (1560) 651
Letter to the Earl of Leicester (1564) 658
Extracts from the Statutes of Rivington School 663
•Tractatus de Praedestinatione 673
•Epistola ad Andream Kingsmill (1564) 679
Notes 683
Index 689
* Now first published.
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICE
OF
BISHOP PILKINGTON.
James Pilkington^ was born at Rivington in Lancashire
in the year 1520, and was the third son of Richard Pilkington
Esq. of Rivington Park, a gentleman of an ancient and ho-
nourable family, which had early embraced the doctrines of
the reformed religion. There is no record to shew where he re-
ceived the rudiments of his education ; but about his sixteenth
year he was admitted a member of St John's College % Cam-
bridge, where he proceeded to the degree of A.B. in the year
1539, and was elected fellow on the 26th of March in the
same year. He afterwards took the degrees of A.M. 1542,
and B.D. 1550, but it does not appear that he ever took the
higher degree of D.D.; whether out of disregard to it, as Baker
intimates, or from the whole course of his pursuits being sud-
denly interrupted by the troubles consequent on the accession
of queen Mary.
^ It ai)pears from Baker's MSS. that the bishop's brother, Leonard,
signed his name Pilkinton on his admission to his fellowship, and on his
restitution (havino: been ejected under queen Mary) Pilkington.
^ This is doubtful. 'Sir Whitaker in his memoir of the bishop, pre-
fixed to the "Statutes and Charter of Rivington School," conjectures
that he was first admitted at Pembroke Hall, from the circumstance that
the fellows of that college, in their congi-atulatory letter to archbishop
Grindal (1570), boast of having had among their alumni bishops of
Carlisle, Exeter, Manchester, Durham, London, and York. But Baker's
MS. Histoiy of St John's College distinctly asserts that he was admitted
of St John's; which however is not incompatible with his having first
entered at Pembroke, and afterwards removed. In one of the Uegis-
trary's lists of degrees James Pilkington of Pembroke occurs ; but it is
doubtful whether this can have been the same that was elected fellow of
St Jolm's m 1.5.3J).
a
[pilkington. J
11 RIOGKAPHICAL NOTICE
He was zealous in forwarding the Keformation ; and while
residing on his fellowship, read theological lectures gratui-
tously on the Acts of the Apostles in the public schools ; of
the importance of which in that deeply interesting crisis, as '
well as of the general estimation in which he was held, we
may judge not only from the testimony of Bucer, that he
*' acquitted himself learnedly and piously," but also from the
fact of his being subsequently appointed to take a part in the
disputation on the popish tenets, held at Cambridge on the
20th and 24th of June, 1549, a record of which is preserved
in the second volume of Foxe's Acts and Monuments. In
December, 1550, he was appointed, by Edward the sixth, to
the vicarage of Kendal in Westmoreland, which however he
resigned in the following year, probably from his preference
of a college residence. ^Ve hear nothing more of him until
about the year 1554, when, to avoid the Marian persecutions,
he, with many other eminent divines, retired to the continent ;
and lived at Zurich, at Basil, and lastly at Geneva. At Basil
he read lectures on Ecclesiastes, both epistles of St Peter,
and that of St Paul to the Galatians ; but there is no evidence
to shew that these lectures were ever printed, and Tanner's
statement to that effect may naturally be traced to the mis-
take of his authority {Bal. i. e. Bale) confounding the delivery
of the lectures, and tlie conversational discussion of them, with
publication'.
* " John Bale says, he had expounded both tlie Epistles of St Peter,
and had then S<jlomon's Ecclesiastes under his hands; hut these, I
suppose, were never publislied." Baker's MS. History of St John's
College. Bale's words are : Quorum Jaco])us (so. Pilkintonus) Salonionis
Ecclesiasten, utrainque D. Petri ei)i.stolain, ac Paulum ad Galatas; Ri-
cardus, &c. • • • nobis qui adhuc Basileae sumus, piissime ac doc-
tissime ex])0suerunt. Sed eorum scripta nondum prodiei-unt in lucem :
quod tamen, Deo fortunante, futurum speramus. Vivunt hoc anno
Domini 1.558, (juo ista scripsimus. Balei Scriptorum Illustrium M. Bi-y-
t^mnia.' posterior pars, p. 113. Basil. 1 /)o9.— Strype says the same thing,
but he does not any wlicrc Hi)eak of these expositions as having been
OF BISHOP PILKINGTON. Ill
Upon the death of queen Mary, in 1558, the exiles made
preparation for returning home. Pilkington was then at Frank-
fort ; and when the letter from the English church at Geneva
was received there, exhorting to '•' unanimity in teaching and
practising the knowledge of God's word" upon arriving in
their own country, he was the first to sign on behalf of the
church at Frankfort, and therefore probably was himself the
writer of, the "peaceable letter"' sent in reply, which is cer-
tainly marked by great wisdom and moderation; the general
purport of which was, that the appointment of ceremonies
would rest not with themselves, but with persons duly au-
thorised ; that they would " submit to such orders as should
be established by authority, being not of themselves wicked ;""
that the reformed churches might differ in ceremonies, so
that they agreed in the chief points of religion ; and lastly,
that in case of the intrusion of any that were offensive, they
would " brotherly join to be suitors'' for their reformation or
abolition ".
On his return to England, he was associated with Bill,
Parker, Grindal, Cox, Guest, Whitehead, and May, as com-
missioners to revise the Book of Common Prayer ; being
appointed to that office by a proclamation issued in December,
1558, and the work was completed in April of the following
year. In this year, 155.9, he was appointed also one of the
commissioners for visiting Cambridge, to receive from the
heads of houses and others their oath of allegiance to the
queen and of her supremacy. By this visitation all ordinary
jurisdiction in the university was suspended ; and on the 20th
of July he was admitted Master of St John's College and lle-
gius Professor of Divinity: whether "by the act," or only "with
printed ; nor are they mentioned in the Catalogue of English printed
hooks, ]59o, by MaunscU, where the expositions of Aggcus, Abdias, and
Nehemiah, printed in this collection, are noticed.
* See Strype, Annals, i. i. p. 2(33. 8vo.
a—1
IV BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICE
the consent" of the visitors, and whether their extraordinary
powers superseded the regular modes of election, does not ap-
pear. Fuller says, and perhaps correctly, that " Bullock, the
(popish) Master of St John's, was put out, and Pilkington put
in" by the commissioners. It is certain however, that he was
greatly esteemed in those high offices, as a man of deep learn-
ing and great piety, and one of the revivers of Greek litera-
ture in the university, being associated with Sir John Cheke
and others in settling the pronunciation of that language. In
1560, at the solenm commemoration of Martin Bucer and
Paulus Fagius, held at Cambridge, to obliterate the indig-
nities offered to their remains by the commissioners of Car-
dinal Pole in the reign of Mary, he pronounced the funeral
oration on those esteemed reformers, an outline of which is
presers^ed in the appendix to the Scripta Anglicana Martini
Buceri, and in Foxe's Acts and Monuments^ and which forms
the seventh article in the present volume.
In the same year he published his Exposition of the Pro-
phecy of Haggai, of which Strype says, " It came forth sea-
sonably, and on pm-pose to stir up well-minded people, to go
forward with the reformation of religion vigorously ; for it was
perceived there was too much coldness in the matter among
those that were chiefly employed about it\" A second edition
of it was published in 1562, which was accompanied with an
exposition of Obadiah, written on the same plan and with the
same object.
About this time he married Alicia, daughter of Sir John
Kingsmill ; and at first, it is thought, from the prejudices of
the time against married clergy, concealed the connexion : a
supposition which is strengthened by, if not altogether founded
on, an expression in his will, in which he mentions his wife
as " AUce Kingsmill, my now known wife."
• Stryfjc, Annals, i. i. p. 343. 8vo.
OF BISHOP PILKINGTON.
At the close of the same year (1560), he was nominated,
at the age of forty ^ to the See of Durham, of which he was
the first protestant bishop. He had the royal assent on the
20th of Febniaiy; was consecrated on the 2nd of March;
received part of the temporalities on the 25th ; and was en-
tlu'oned in the cathedral on the 10th of April. Afterwards,
in the year 1565, he succeeded in obtaining the restitution of
all the lands belonging to the bishoprick, except Norhamshire ;
not however without the hard condition of paying to the crown
an annual pension of i^ 10 20.
He did not resign the mastership of St John's College
till the following October (1561), and was then succeeded in
it, as well as in his professorship, by his brother, Leonard
Pilkington, B.D. who however did not long retain it, being
presented by the bishop in 1563 to the valuable rectory of
Whitbm*n. About the same time another brother, John, was
made Archdeacon, being already a Prebendaiy; and in 1565
the bishop collated his youngest clerical brother, Laurence,
to the vicarage of Norham.
On the 8th of June, 1561, he preached a memorable
sermon at St Pauls cross, on the destruction of St Paul's
Cathedral by lightmng ; in which he exhorted the people to
" take the dreadful devastation of the church to be a warning
of a greater plague to follo\A , if amendment of life were not
had in all estates." In this sermon he denounced certain
abuses of the church, and tlie conversion of the buikling to
purposes unbecoming a place set apart for God's woi-shii).
His observations called forth an angry reply, in the form of
" An Addition to the causes" which the bishop had as^-igned
for the calamity ; the purport of which was to attribute the
burning of the cathedral to very different causes, namely, '-that
the old fathers and the old wavs were left, too-other with bias-
^ Strype s.iys, "agefl 4.")," l)ut this is a mistake. Annnh, i. i. ]>. 2.'>0,
308.
VI BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICE
pheming God in lying sermons preached there ; polkiting the
temple with schismatical service, and destroying and pulling
down altai-s set up by blessed men, and where the sacrifice of
the mass was ministered ^'' In answer to this bishop Pilking-
ton wrote the " Confutation of an Addition with an Apology,
&;c;' which was published in 1563. In his former writings
he had laboured earnestly to promote the work of the Re-
formation, and had only meddled incidentally with the weapons
of controversy : but now, being fairly challenged into the field,
he did not shrink from manfully and vigorously grappling with
the whole subject at issue between the two churches. In this
encounter ho shews liimself thoroughly acquainted with all the
sophistries and "strong delusions" and "lying wonders" of
poper}' : he pursues the enemy into his strong holds, and lays
open to the light of day the system which with such high
pretensions liad so long tyrannized over the conscience, and
insulted the understanding, of mankind. A morbid delicacy,
or a false liberality which refuses to believe that there is any
great g\\\ in popery, will doubtless complain of the author's
unsparing exposure of its system, and the occasional coarse-
ness of his invective against it ; but considerable allowance
must surely be made for one writing at that time and under
those circumstances, when the champions of the truth were
standing on the field of battle, and yet i)anting from the
conflict of life and death. The occasion required energy and
determination to overthrow the adversary, rather than the
"soft aaswer to turn away his wrath." The bishop's own
apology for some broad statements in his " Confutation "
bears indirectly upon this |)oint, and is entitled to every
coasideration : " T would not have blotted so much paper
with so much wickedness, nor filled your ears and eyes with
80 much filthiness, but that he provoked me to it, and calls
that good which is evil, and light darkness." (p. 591.)
' Strype, Annals, i. i. p. 390, &c.
OF BISHOP PILKINGTON. VH
A letter written by him in 1564? to Parker, archbishop
of Canterbury, is preserved; which, as it shews his care and
anxiety for the improvement of his diocese, and is illustrative
of his character, may be not improperly introduced here.
The immediate object of the letter was to recommend an
individual, named Gargrave or Hargrave, for the vicarage of
Rochdale ; and having spoken highly of his qualifications and
m'ged the importance of the appointment, he proceeds to
complain of the general negligence and relaxed morals of the
clergy in the north :
"It is to be lamented," he says, "to see how negligently
they say any semce, and how seldom. I have heard of a
commission for ecclesaistical matters, directed to my lord of
York; but because I know not the truth of it, I meddle not.
Your cures, all except Rochdale, be as far out of order, as
the worst in all the country. The old vicar of Blackburne
resigned for a pension, and now liveth with Sir Jolin Biron.
Whalley hath as ill a vicar as the worst ; and there is one
come thither, that hath been deprived or changed his name,
and now teacheth school there, of evil to make them worse.
If your grace's officers lust, they might amend many things.
I speak this for the amendment of the country ; and that
your grace's parishes might be better spoken of and ordered.
If your grace would, either yourself, or by my lord of York,
amend those things, it were very easy. One little examina-
tion or commandment to the contrary would take away all
these and more. The bishop of Man liveth here at ease,
and as merry as Pope Joan-. The bishop of Chester hath
compounded with my lord of York for his visitation, and
gathereth up the money by his servants; but never a word
spoken of any visitation or reformation : and that he saith
he doth of friendship, because he will not trouble the country,
'' i. e. John. Pope John XII. is the person who gave occasion to the
proverb.
Vlll BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICE
nor put them to charge in calHng them together. I beseech
you, be not weary of well-doing; but with authority and
counsel help to amend that is amiss. Thus, after commen-
dation, I am bold boldly to write, wishing good to my country,
and furtherance of God's glory. God be merciful to us, and
grant nt lihere ciirrat evaiigelium! Vale in Christo. Cras
profecturus Dunelmum, volente Deo, Tuus
'' Ja. Ai;i/eX^i6J^."^
In the same year also he wrote his letter to the earl of
Leicester, pleading for some indulgence on behalf of the re-
fusers of the habits. The affinity between this letter, and
the Epistola Consolatoria mentioned in Tanner's list, is ex-
plained in a note on p. 658 of the present volume ; and no
further remark is necessary here, except to notice the appa-
rently unwarrantable suspicion of Baker, that Pilkington was
not the author of it ! "If," says he in his MSS., "his letter
to the earl of Leicester, written after he was bishop of Dur-
ham, were really his, a man would have as hard an opinion
of him, as he seems there to have of the ceremonies.'*' But
as it is, " quoted by the puritans," he supposes it may have
emanated from them : only, he adds, " so far we may sup-
pose the cliarge to be true, that he was a favourer of the
party; otherwise there could be no ground or pretence to
fasten such letters upon him-." Afterwards, in delineating
his character, he speaks of him as "Papismi osor, in Puri-
tanos pronior." It is not an easy thing to form a correct
and candid judgment of the conduct of exalted individuals
in difficult circumstances. The remark especially appHes to
the state of things in the reign of Elizabeth.
' Stryp(;'.s Lift; of Parker, Hook ii. cli. 2G.
^ Pag. H>3 of Baker's MS. History of St Johns College, transcribed
from his MSS. in the British Museum, and preserved in St John's
College Library.
OF BISHOP PILKINGTON. IX
It is related by Fuller, that bishop Pilkington and his
family narrowly escaped with their lives, in the northern
rebellion of 156.9 ; when the insurgents, having gained a tem-
porary success, entered Durham, celebrated mass in the
cathedral, and tore and trampled under foot the protestant
Bible. He was peculiarly obnoxious to them, both as a
protestant and a married prelate ; and fled into the south,
with his wife and infant daughters, who, according to the
same authoritv, were obliofed to assume the diso-uise of beo--
gars' clothes. A wretched, but faithful picture of the country
at the close of this insurrection, is given in a letter of the
bishop's to Sir \Villiam Cecil :
"Jesus help. Right honorable. According to y'^r L.
apointment, I have sent mie manne to know bi your gudd
meanes the Q. Ma**^^ pleasure, for mie reparing homeward.
Now mie L. Sussex is comen, I trust some gudd order shall
be taken for the cuntre ; iff mie presence might doe anie
gudd, T wold attend as y"r wisdom shall think mete or
apoint me. The cuntre is in grete miserie ; and as the
Shireff ^vl'ites, he can not doe justice bi ani number ofi'
juries, off" suche as be untouched in this rebellion, unto thei
author quited by law or pardoned bi the Q. Ma**^. The
number of offendors is so grete, that few innocent are left
to trie the giltie : and iff the forfeted landes be bestowed on
such as be straungers, and will not dwell in the cuntre, the
peple shall bo withoute heades, the cuntre desert, and no
numl)er off freeholders to doe justice bi juries, nor service
in the warres. What cumfort it is to goe now into that
cuntre, for him that wold live quietlie, y"r wisdom can easilie
judge. Butt God is present ever with his peple, and his
vocation is not rasshlv to be forsaken, nor his assistance
to be dowted on. His gudd will be done. And iff I goe
downe in displeasure, my presence shall doe more harme than
1 BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICE
gudd. The Lord grant you his spirit of wisdom to provide
peace for this afflicted reahne ! 4 Januarii.
Y°rs ever,
Jii. ^uvoXfx.^^
'- To the K^ Honorable Sir W" Cecyll Kiit., Cheef Secretarie
to our Soveraigne Ladie the Queue's Majestic."
The immense forfeitures of the leaders in this rebellion
reverted, of right, to the bishop, as prince Palatine within
his diocese : but the queen seized them without much regard
to his pretensions. Upon his suing her majesty for resti-
tution, the parliament interfered, and passed an act vesting
them 2^^o hac vice in the crown.
The popish party were unceasing in their machinations
to undermine the protestant establishment in England; and
in the university of Louvain, to w^hich many English had
retired for the prosecution of their studies, principles were
instilled into their minds directly tending to this end. Cer-
tain conclusions there maintained, which declared it to be
" unlawful for the civil magistrate to have anything to do in
ecclesiastical matters,'' having about this time been brought
to the knowledge of bishop Pilkington, he transmitted them
at once to the secretary of state. Sir William Cecil, adding
his own judgment of them as follows : "I have sent your
honour such conclusions as be disputed at Lovain, and sent
over liithor. Wihc men do marvel, that polity can suffer
such seed of sedition. Although for trial of the doctrine it
were not amiss to hear the adversary, what he can say; yet
that doctrine being received, and the contrary suffered to be
spread abroad, to the troubling of the state, in my opinion
is dangerous. God turn all to the best ! But surely evil
OF BISHOP PILKINGTON. XI
men pick much evil out of such books, even against the
polity^"*'
The bishop founded a free grammar school at Kivington,
" for the bringing up, teaching, and instructing children and
youth in grammar and other good learning, to continue for
ever;" and endowed it with lands and rents of considerable
value in the county of Durham, which the trustees lately ex-
changed for others in the immediate neighbourhood of Riving-
ton. The school adjoins the chm-ch, which was built by his
father ; and in which there is a rude painting on wood,
representing the bishop's parents and their twelve children
kneeling, with a curious inscription. The queen's letters
patent for the foundation were signed on the 13th of May,
1566, and the school was opened in the coui'se of the same
year.
Bishop Pilkington died at Bishop-Auckland, on the 23rd of
January, 1575, aged 55, leaving his wife, and two daughters,
Deborah and Euth, surviving him : his only other children,
Isaac and Joshua, died young in his life time.
A copy of his will is preserved : it bears date the 4th of
February', 1571, and is in these words: "To be hurried with
as few popish ceremonies as may be, or vain cost. My books
at Auckland to be given by my brother Leonard, according to
my notes, to the school at Rivingion, and to the poor collegers,
and others. Alice Kingsmill, my now known wife, and De-
borah and Ruth my daughters, executors. If my wife die, I
require the Ladie Constance Kingsmill, or George her son, to
be executor, and have the bringing up of my children. Item.
I require Edmund, ai'chbishop of York, Thomas Langton, and
my brother Leonard, to be supervisors of all my goods be
north of Trent. And of my goods be south, I make super-
visors my good lord the earl of Bedford and Richard Kings-
^ Strype, Annah, ii. i. p. ^^B2.
XI 1 BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICE
mill. I wold my wife wold give some token to Sir William
Kingsmill and her other brothers and sisters, according to her
ability." Two codicils were afterwards added on the 21st of
January, L575, two days before his death.
He was buried at Auckland ; but his remains were after-
wards removed to Durham Cathedral, and interred in the choir
before the high altar : where a monument was erected to his
memoiT, to which were affixed brass plates with the following
inscriptions, (besides an epicedium by John Foxe,) long since
effaced ; but of which copies are preserved in Wood's Athense
Oxonienses, and Willis's Cathedral Antiquities.
1. D. Jacobo Pilking-tono Episcopo Dunelm. dioc.
(cui per annos 14, menses 10, et dies 23, maxima
fide prsefuit) Lancastrensi, ex equestri
Pilkingtonorum familia, Rivingtonise oriundo ;
et scholie ibid, grammaticalis sub nomine et auspiciis
Elizabethse Reginse fundatori piissimo :
Cantabrigiae in Col. D. Johan. primum alumno, post
magistro, ac tandem in acad. ipsa professori disertissimo.
In Aggeum et Abdiam et in Nehemise partem
Anglice interpreti vere Ecclesiastico.
MarianA tem])estate religionis ergo inter alios
Pios, Exuli Christiano.
I^ruditione, judicio, pietate, disputatione, concione,
justitia et hospitalitate, viro sui seculi clarissimo.
Alicia? ex equestri Kingsmillorum Sigmentonia? in com.
Hampton, marito ; ac Josua*, Jsaaci, Debora?, et Ruthsc,
libororum parenti sanctissimo.
Aucklaiidia^ E])isc. 2:] Januarii 1575. Klizab. llegin. IS,
morienti, et ibi condito : j)osthac Dunehni 24 Maii
sepulto anno tetatis 55.
Domini Jesu servo ponuit Rojjertus Swiftus, suus in
Ecclesiasticis cancellarius et alumnus.
OP BISHOP PILKINGTOX. XIU
2. In Domini Jacobi Dunelmensis Episcopi obitum, Laurentii
Humphridi monumentum.
Hie jacet antistes, crudeli morte peremptus :
Praesulibus nescit parcere Parca ferox.
Insignem pietate virum, gravitate verendum,
Doctrina clarum, sustulit atra dies.
Sic caro, sic gramen, sic omnis gloria foenum :
Sic cadit, ah ! nostri flosque decusque soli.
Foxe, the martyrologist, who was the bishop's friend and
companion in exile, and who profited by his help, or at
least his counsel, in the translation of Cranmer's Defence
into Latin, was afterwards, on the 2nd of September, 1572,
appointed by him to a prebendal stall in his cathedral. In
1585, he published, with a preface of his own, the Commen-
tary on Nehemiah, which the bishop had left unfinished at
his death.
A zealous protestant, bishop Pilkington possessed in an
eminent degree that rare judgment and moderation, which are
the characteristics of our early English reformers. He seems,
(in the words of a late author \) to have fairly deserved the
character ^^hich Strype and all the contemporary writers give
of " the good old bishop of Dm'ham, a grave and truly reverend
man, of great piety and learning, and such fi-ugal simplicity of
life, as well became a modest christian prelate.'' The unkind-
ness and sarcasm with which he is too generally spoken of by
Baker in his MSS. may fairly be set down to the account of
his prejudices, as an uncompromising non-juror ; and it is
abundantly compensated by the lingering fondness with which
Strype seems to cling to his memory, when he has occasion to
' Surtees, History of Durlmm, Vol. i. p. IxxviiL
XIV BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICE
mention him in '' the last year of his Hfe, and the last time we
shall hear of him \"' But it is still more interesting to refer to
the unquestionable evidence of his own conduct and spirit, as
exhibited in a touching letter written by him to the lord trea-
surer in the autumn of 1573, requesting the queen's permission
to come into the south ^' for the avoiding the extremity" of a
northern winter. '' It had begun,'" he said, ''so shai-ply with
liim ah-eady, that he feared the latter end would be w^orse. And
therefore, if his lordship thought good to move her majesty that
he might come up this winter, he should desire him to let him
understand her highness' pleasure. That if his wisdom thought
the time served not for such a motion, he should content him-
self, and commit himself to his hand, that had both life and
death, health and sickness, at his commandment. There is,"
added he, " a highway to heaven out of all countries : of which
free passage, I praise God, I doubt not^"
The following is the list of his writings given by bishop
Tanner, in his BihliofJieca, p. 6*00.
I. Concio in Eestitutione J3uceri et Fagii. Cantabr. A.
MDLx. Pr. -' ]3eatus vir qui." Hujus summa extat ad finem
Buceri Scriptor. Anglic. Basil, mdtaxvu. f. p. 940. Vid.
Fox. 1. edit. mdlv.
II. Expositio in Nehemiam : sc. in V. priora capita [morte
prjEventus banc Expositionem Autor imperfectam reliquit.]
Pr. " Although there be divers opinions." Lond. mdlviii.
[a mistake for mdlxxxv.] edita a Joh. Fox.
III. Expositio in Aggseum. Pr. pr. "Althoughe the
commen usage of dedicating." Lond. mulx. 12mo.
IV. Expositio in Abdiam. Pr. pr. " Lyke as in Aggeus,
' Annalfi, ii. i. p. 5G8. 8vo.
2 Ibid. p. 438.
OF BISHOP PILKINGTON. XV
my endeavour and purpose/' Lond. mdlxh. 8vo. Conjunc-
tim, Lond. mdlxii. 8vo.
V. Of the Causes of the burning of PauFs Chui'ch, against
a hbel cast in the streets of Westchester, A. mdlxi. Pr.
" Our Saviour Cln-ist, when the Devill." Lond. mdlxiii. 8vo.
VL Expositio in Ecclesiasten, utramque Petri Episto-
lara, ac Paulum in Galatas. Balj"
VIL Refutation of popish questions and cases of con-
science. Strype, Ehzab. 228.
VIIL Disputatio cum doctore Ghn. Cantab. 24 Jun.
MDXLix. Fox. p. 1384.
IX. In parte Registri, etc. tempore reg. Ehzabethce,
4to. in bibl. Bodl. MS. H}'per. Bodl. 9. 14. est Epistola con-
solatoria (contra usum vestium pontif. in sacris) scripta a
magistro doctore Pilkenton postea epLscopo Dunehn. circa
A. MDL. [rectius pro mdlxx. in MS. episcopus enim erat
muko ante A. mdlxx.] Pr, '• Gr. and Peace with.'"^
X. A lono^ Eno^hsh letter to the earl of Leicester in
behalf of the refusers of habits, dat. 25 Octob. mdlxiv. in
Append. Strj-pe in Vita ParJcer. n. xxv.
XI. Deus cui^ vult miseretm\ quem viilt indurat. Trac-
tatus Jacobi Pilldntoni, dum erat studens Cantabrigise. Pr.
" Humana temeritas cum audet.'^ MS. coll. Corp. Clu*.
Cantabr. Miscell. B. p. 223.
XII. Epistolse tres Mattli. Parkero MSS. coll. Corp.
Chr. Cantab. Miscell. i. 519. et Strype in Vita Parker, 182.
To this list AVatt (Bibllotheca Britannica) adds,
XIII. Certayne Godly Exercises, Meditations and Pray-
ers, &;c. Set forthe by certayne godly lerned men, viz. T.
Lever, R. Coles, Ja. P. (James Pilkington.)
^ See the note, p. ii.
* See the note, p. Co8.
° A mere mistake. The jMS. has cuius.
XVI BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICE, &C.
But in this volume tliere is only one prayer stated to
be Pilkington's, viz. that printed in p. 273 of the present
edition.
The " Defence of the English Service,"" which Watt
also adds, is no doubt that defence which is contained in
the Answer to popish Questions subjoined to the "Confu-
tation.'" For Strype (Annals, i. i. p. 201.) speaks of it as
an aiLswer to '*a paper of questions;" and in his account
of the answer quotes the substance of what is contained in
pp. 626-8. of this edition.
The author himself refers more tlian once to his Expo-
sition on Ezra ; and particularly in p. 367 of this volume
he seems to speak of it as if it were in print. If it ever
was printed, it seems to be now irrecoverably lost. Probably
bishop Pilkington wrote comments on several books of scrip-
ture, which have perished in MS.
COMMENTARY
ON
THE PROPHETS
HAGGAI AND OBADIAH.
[PILKIN'GTON.]
ttie one correcteti, tje
oti;£r netulB atlKttJ,
anK l)otI) at large
tjeclarctJ.
Cfje tamest loue tfjat 5
bearc to t'^tj ]^ouse ijat!) eaten
me. ^sal. Ixii.
3oan. it.
^^intt^ fjatft tournetl
aiuaiie m^ anger because \)z
teas mouetJ toiti) loue
of me. Jlum.
xxi).
3)mprint£t> at IContfon bn
acaillnam Seres.
1562.
A PREFACE
TO ALL THAT LOVE THE EARNEST PROMOTING OF
GOD'S GLORY IN HIS CHURCH BY
TRUE RELIGION.
Although the common usage of dedicating books is to
require the defence of some worthy personage of learning
or authority for the thing that is ^vritten; yet the majesty
of the matter in thjs book is such, that it rather defends
than seeks defence ; and the example of the Prophet, which
writes it not to one, but many, suffers me not to send it
to any one sort of men particularly, but generally to all
that should unfeignedly promote the increase of God's glory,
because all degrees of men do owe a duty to the building
of this God's house. And if any offence be taken (as, God
knows, none is purposely given) the defence of many is
greater than of a few ; and that authority or credit, which one
man alone cannot bring to pass, all jointly together shall
more easily obtain.
The Prophet is sent from God to the prince, the high
priest, and the people : so I speak to the rulers, the ministers,
and commonalty. The chief intent of his prophecy is to
stir all to the speedy building of God's house, which they
had so long neglected: my labour is to bring some of every
sort (for all is not possible) to an earnest furthering of
God's true religion, of late most mercifully restored unto us,
which not long ago most cruelly was persecuted, of many
yet hated, and of every man almost now too coldly followed
and practised. But if this prophecy were read and deeply
considered with such a hungry desire of God's glory, as
1—2
PREFACE.
Ezra i.
the Prophet spake and wrote it, and I for my part and poor
abihty have declared it ; 1 doubt not, but the good should
be stirred by God's Spirit more earnestly to seek God's
glory, and the froward should be afraid of God's plague, and
ashamed stubbornly to strive against the truth continually.
The state of religion in these our miserable days is
much like to the troublesome time that this prophet lived
in : God grant that after many grievous storms it may take
like root in us, as it did then in them ! After the long
captivity of God's people in Babylon, God gave them gra-
cious king Cyrus, which set them at liberty and sent them
home to build God's house: so after our lonoj Romish
slavery God raised us up good kings, which restored us
God's book that long had been buried, and loosed us from
the bondage of strange gods, foreign powers, cruel hypo-
crites, and wicked idols. And as after that short freedom
Esther i. under good Cyrus ensued the cruelty of Haman, for ne-
gligently handling God's building; and not long after mild
Mace. i. Ester, came bloody Antiochus for their falling from God :
so for our talking gospel, and not worthily walking nor fol-
lowing it, under our gracious late Josias, crept out a swarm
of Komish wasps, stinging to death all that would not wor-
ship their gods, nor believe their doctrine.
God for his mercy's sake grant, that now for our un-
thankful coldness in God's cause under our mild Ester burst
not out again bloody Antiochus with his whelps, justly to
avenge our cold slackness in God's religion and insensible
dulness. God's word is never offered and given in vain, or
2Cor.ii. to use at our pleasure: but it works either salvation in them
that hear, believe and follow it, or else condemnation in
them that proudly despise it, sturdily rebel, or forgetfully
do hear, and unthankfully receive his mercies. Therefore
as after a storm iollows a calm, and after winter comes
PREFACE. 5
summer ; so now, where God hath given a breathing time,
(lest our weakness had not been able to have borne his
heavy displeasure any longer,) let us earnestly apply our
work, while we have time ; for the night will come when
no man shall be able to work.
If this be true (as it is most true indeed) that every
deed of our Saviour Christ is our instruction ; and also that
what things soever are written, they be written for our Rom. xv.
learning, as St Paul teacheth ; let us call to remembrance,
what zeal and earnest love our Saviour Christ especially
shewed in building his Father's house, and restoring the
true understanding of the scriptures from the superstitious
glosses of the Scribes and Pharisees, and also what a fer-
vent desire of promoting God's glory our fathers have
shewed afore us, that we may be good scholars of our school-
master Christ Jesus, and obedient children, walking in the
steps of our fathers. Our Lord and Saviour Christ, cominor -^^hn li.
into the temple and finding it full of buyers, sellers and
changers, was grieved to see God's house so misused, gat
a whip and drove them all out, saying, " My house is a
house of prayer, but ye have made it a den of thieves :"
so surely all Christians, which unfeignedly bear the name of
Christ, and zealously love the building of his house, would
gladly see sin punished, and lament that the whip of God's
discipline is not shaken in God's house to the driving out
and confusion of all greedy thieves, which if they cannot get
in at the door by lawful means, will climb in at the win-
dow, and for a little money will sell the bodies and souls
of Christ's sheep, and make God's house the pope's market
place. But as she that had so much work to do, that she
could not tell where to begin, sat her down and left all un-
done : so 1 say, worldly ^^•ise men see so many things out
of order in God's house, and so little hope of redress, that
PREFACE.
they cannot tell which to correct or amend first, and there-
fore let the whip lie still, and every man to do what him
lust, and sin to be unpunished.
And not only this evil reigns, but the world is come to
such a dissolute liberty and negligent forgetting of God, that
men sleeping in sin need not so much a whip to drive any
out of the church, (so few come there,) but they need a
great sort of whips to drive some few thitherward. For
come into a church on the sabbath day, and ye shall see
but few, though there be a sermon; but the ale-house is ever
full. Well woi-th the papists therefore in their kind: for they
be earnest, zealous and painful in their doings; they will
build their kingdom more in one year with fire and faggot.
Zeal in cor- ^han the cold ffospellers will do in seven. A popish sum-
rectint? sin o i i x
IS godly, jnoner, spy, or promoter will drive more to the church with
a word to hear a latin mass, than seven preachers will bring
in a week's preaching to hear a godly sermon. If this be'
not true, remember the late days of popery, and see who
durst offend him that w^are a shaven crown. Who looked so
high then, but he would give place to a priest's cap ? and now
who regards the best preacher ye have 1 0 what a condem-
nation shall this be to all such as have the whip of God's
correction in their hand, to see the wicked so diligent and
earnest in their doings to set up antichrist ; and christian
rulers and officers of all sorts, having the whip of correc-
tion in their hand both by God's law and the prince's, so
coldly behave themselves in setting up the kingdom of Christ,
that neither they give good example themselves in diligent
pra}ing and resorting to the church, nor by the whip of
discipline drive others thitherward ! Where appears in any
Christians, in these our days, this earnest zeal of Christ, to
promote God's glory by such correction, that we may say we
be his followers? I fear rather that Christ, of whom we
PREFACE.
more talk, than diligently follow or earnestly love, for this
cold slackness that he sees in us will say unto us, " Be-
cause ye be neither hot nor cold, I ^\ill spew you out of Rev. m.
my mouth." Woe be to that realm where God is compelled
to take the whip in hand to punish sin, because the rulers
will not ! great shall be the plague thereof. Phinees turned ^'^™- ^^*
away God's anger from his people, because so zealously he
avenged God's quarrel, and punished that wickedness which
other winked at. David, seeing God's glory defaced, and his
enemies so contemptuously to forget the law of the Lord,
was so grieved that he said, " the earnest love that he Psai. cxix.
bare toward God made him to pine away, because his
enemies had forgotten the word of God." Elias fleeing from
cruel Jesabel, threatening to kill him because he had de-
stroyed Baal's priests, hved in wilderness, desired he might ^ ^^ss xix
die, for he was weary of his life to see how many were
fallen to idolatry, and how few (or none, as he thought)
worshipped truly the living God. Though Jehu was an evil
man otherways, yet God gave him a worldly blessing, and
commended him for his earnest zeal in rooting out the pos-
terity of Achab, pulling down Baal and his sacrificing 2 Kings x.
priests, making a common jakes of the house where they
worshipped him. St Paul, seeing the Corinthians rather
rejoicing than lamenting or punishing that filthiness com-
mitted among them, that one of them had defiled his step- ^ ^°^- ^*
mother, WTites unto them, rebukes them all sharply, because
they did not correct him, and wills them all to assemble
themselves in the name of God, to excommunicate and give
him to Satan that had done this wickedness, not to cat
and drink with him, that he might be ashamed, repent and
amend. So whereas this great zeal and love toward God and
his house building stands either in correcting evil and la-
menting the defacing of God's glory, or else in wishing and
8 PREFACE.
doing good tliereto, and furthering it to our powers : for the
first part to be earnestly followed, these few examples shall
serve; for the other there be so many, that it is harder to
tell where to end, than where to begin.
Moses in the wilderness, willing to make a tabernacle and
place where the people should resort to worship their God,
mote God's' ^^^ ^^^ princes and people so liberal to offer and bring to
pleases him. the making thereof gold, silver, precious stones, silk, purple,
x\A\ . Yi^Iy^ ii'on, brass and timber, of all sorts such plenty, that
they would have given more than needed. David, earnestly
desiring to build a house for the Lord, (if God would have
suffered him,) left his son Salomon so great plenty of all
things necessary to that building in a readiness, that he
finished that costly building in seven years. Good King
Cyrus restored again to God's people all that covetous Na-
bucho^ had robbed from them: Cyrus, Darius, Artaxerxes,
and his princes gave out of their treasures to the building
Ezravi. vii. of the temple and maintenance of their sacrifices according
to the law of Moses sufficiently, that they might pray for
the king, his children, and the commonwealth. Constanti-
nus the first, worthily called Magnus, a christian emperor,
gave great liberty to the bishops and other ministers. Jus-
tinianus, Theodosius, Carolus Magnus, Ludovicus Pius, fcc,
augmented and increased the same with lands and laws.
This zeal and earnest love to build God's house and
likeo-fr""' P"^^^^^ ^'" ""^'^^ ^^ our fathers: this liberality was in princes
and rulei-s, that understood not God's benefits and mercies
so plentifully as we do. They pacified God's wrath in
correcting sin, and we provoke his plagues with heaping
up of sin. They were grieved and weary of their lives,
when they jec God's enemies despise his word; we wink
and cloke it, we laugh and smile at it, and think it not
[' Nabucho: Nabuchodonozoi-j or Nebuchadnezzar. Ed.]
fathers.
PREFACE.
to be a fault. Thev were offended if wickedness were un-
punished, and the party not ashamed that sinned ; and we
be offended if any man go about to see it punished, or the
offender ashamed. They were Hberal in giving, reheving
and maintaining the ministry ; we are greedy in snatch-
ing and plucking away from them. They were ready to
defend with privileges the ministers, that they should not
be withdrawn from doing their duty ; and we bind them to
such clogs that they cannot do their duty : they restored
all that was taken from them ; and we study daily how to
get more from them. When I compare these doings to-
gether, and see how good success the one had, and God's
church was gloriously builded that way, both under the law
and the gospel ; it makes me to quake, when I look what
shall fall upon us, going so far clean contrary way. Surely
both they and we go not in the right way. ■ The Lord for
his crucified Christ's sake, which came down from the bosom
of his Father to teach us to build him a house here, that
afterward we might reign in glory with him there, grant
us all, in all degrees from the highest to the lowest, such
an earnest simple love to the true building of his house, as
the prophet here teaches us, that uprightly we might walk
the right way that he hath gone afore us.
If the prince and nobility will maintain that honom'able
estate that God hath called them to, and avoid the bond-
age of foreign powers ; if the bishops and clergy will feed
God's people with the lively food of our souls, God's doc-
trine and discipline, and not with man's inventions ; if the
people will truly serve God and obey their prince, flee from
idolatry, and escape God's plagues; let us jointly together
earnestly abhor poper}', correct sin, turn unto the Lord,
delight in his word, reverence his ministers, be diligent in
prayer, that we may be lively stones, meet for his building,
10 PREFACE.
and become the temples of the Holy Ghost, where he with
the Father and the Son, three persons and one God, may
dwell and be praised ^
I. P. L. C. D^
My earnest love to God hath pined me away, because
my enemies have forgotten thy words. Psalm cxix.
I have been earnestly zealous for the Lord God of hosts,
because they have forsaken thy covenant. 1 Kings xix.
[^ In the first edition, 15G0, it is added:
Among many other things that I, a poor workman in God's
house, would have said to encourage other workmen, and specially
those that should be the chief builders and pillars of his church, these
few things at this time shall serve, because the printer makes haste,
and I have not leisure.
James Pylkynton, Maister of S. John's Colledge in Cambridge, to
the readers.
Then follow the two verses quoted above. Ed.]
[2 These letters need explanation. In the first edition, on the title
page immediately after the passage from Numbers, followed the initials,
I. P. L. C. and the Preface was signed by the Author as JNIaster of
St John's College, Cambridge. See the preceding note. Here we
find, in the second edition, the Preface signed like the title page of
the former edition, only with the addition of D. — the Author having
in the mean time removed from the Mastership of St John's to the
Bishoprick of Durham. It seems therefore, the initials are to be in-
terpreted: James Pilkington, Lancastriensis, (he was a native of
Lancashire,) Cantabrigiensis, Dunelmensis. Ed.]
THE PROPHET AGGEUSl
Chap. I.
V. 1. Ill the second year of king Darius^ in the sixth mouthy
and the first day of the months the word of the Lord was
sent hy the hand of Aggeus the prophet unto Zerubabel^
the son of Salathiel^ ruler of Juda; and unto Josua, the
son of Josedec, the chief priest^ saying.
Inasmuch that the year, month and day, when this pro-xotin^of
phecy was spoken, be so diligently noted of the prophet ; SancS is a
and also that in which king's days, by whom and to whom the thii^lis
it was preached, is so diligently mentioned, it makes much is teiied.
for proving the truth of the prophecy, and that we should
the rather believe it. For they that will teach lies, use
not so exactly to declare the circumstances wherein things
were done, lest, in examination of the same, things be
proved contrary, and they found liars. But chiefly this Tiie defer-
long time here appointed of forty years teacheth us the punish -°
patience and long sufferance of God, who will not punish so ciareth liis
soon as we do a fault, but tarry and look for our repent- in^^and our
ance and amendment, as he did here so long bear the Jews. i» .^veii
And also it setteth before us the unthankful disobedience
and slothful negligence of God's people, which after so mer-
ciful a deliverance, and bringing them home again from
Babylon to their own country, (from whence they were led
prisoners by Nabuchodonozor) had so long and many vears
left off the building of that house, vvhich God willed them
so straightly to restore, and the good king Cyrus had given Ezrai.
them liberty to do the same, and restored their old orna-
ments to do it withal. And in them also we learn our
own slothfulness to the fulfilling of God's laws : for of our-
selves we be no better than they, nor more diligent in well
doing, except God stir us up by his undeserved grace.
[^ Aggeus and Ahdias (sometimes -WTitten Obdias) arc the Greek
forms of the Hebrew names, Haggai and Obadiah, wliidi the Bishop
uses according to the practice of his day. So Micheas, Esdras, for
Micah, Ezra, &c. Ed.]
12 EXPOSITION UPON [cH. I.
The Jews for their disobedience to God and his prophets
Jere. xi. prcachiiig his word, according to the prophecy of Jeremy,
liad their country spoiled, their city Jerusalem burned, their
Jerusalem temple destroyed ; they themselves were many killed, some
stroyedfor for hunger in the besiege of the city did eat their own
not obeviii!^ I'lii ii ^ -i • -r»i
the prophet, children or duno^, ' and the rest were led prisoners to J3aby-
but after re- o i ./
turned. lon by Nabuchodonozor, and there kept threescore and ten
years in great bondage. After these years ended, by the
good king Cyrus they had licence in the first year of his
reign to go home and build their temple, as many as would,
and all other might freely aid them with money toward
that great costly work. Some good amongst them (but few
in comparison) as Zorobabel, Josua, Nehemia, Mardocheus,
Ezra ii. and otlicr whose names are reckoned in Esdras, took in hand
to be captains of this worthy work: and after they came to
Jerusalem, they builded an altar to serve for to make their
offerings and their sacrifices on, until the time that the
Ezraiii. iv. temple was builded. The first and second years of their
coming home to Jerusalem, they were something diligent
about their building, and laid the ground- work of the temple.
But after, partly for complaints of the rulers in the country
(which were strangers, and placed there long afore by
2Kinffsxvii. Salmauasar, and had accused them to the king, saying, "if
they were suffered to build their city, they would rebel, as
they were wont, and pay no more taxes ;'*'') and partly for
slothful negligence of themselves, they left off building unto
now, this second year of Darius, God sent this his prophet
to stir them up to their work.
Because we By this we may learn that when we lie long on sleep
upourseives in siu, WO cauuot wake up ourselves, until God stir us up
preaching 'is by his proplicts, his word, or holy Spirit. For David,
to be es-
teemed. aftcr lie had committed adultery with Uria's wife, and
caused her huslmnd to be slain, lay without remorse of
conscience, without repenting for his evil doings, or asking
mercy, until the prophet Nathan came and rebuked him
for the same. Therefore let us not lightly regard the warn-
ings of God sent unto us by his preachers, but thank-
fully embrace them, praising his holy name, that not only
he hath so patiently borne us so long, and not suddenly
destroyed us wallowing ju sin. jind forgetting him without
V. 1.] THE PROPHET AGGEU9. lo
repentance ; but now lastly hath called us, by the preaching
of his word and restoring his gospel by our gracious queen,
to a new life, which God grant us for his Christ's sake.
The Jews had now lien after their coming home almost
forty years, not regarding the building of the temple ; where-
fore God most lovingly sent his prophet to warn them of
their duty, rebuke them of their negligences, and stir them
up earnestly to go about that work. And although the
counting of these years be hard to count, and are diversely
reckoned of divers men, because they would make the Greek
histories to agree with the scriptures ; I shall let all other
histories pass, because they be too troublesome, and follow
that only which the scripture teacheth ; for that is the easiest
and plainest to understand, and without all doubt true.
In John we read that the Jews asked om- Saviour Christ John ii.
what marvellous sign he would work to persuade them, that
he might do such things as he did. And he said to them :
" Destroy ve this temple, and in three days I will build it This temple
** " *^ / ♦' ^ was xLvi
again." He spake of his own bodv, which he would raise years in
*=* . ^ - ' building.
up the third day after they had put him to death : but they
understood him of that great costly solemn temple of lime
and stone, which now they were building, and therefore said :
" Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt
thou build it in three davsT' Here we see how lono; this
temple was in building : although some expound this place
otherwise : yet this is not meant that they were conti-
nually working on the same so long, (for partly they were
forbidden and stopped by the kings that ruled after Cyrus, Ezra iv.
and partly they were negligent and careless for it,) but that
there were so many years from the beginning of that work
unto the finishing of the same. In the second year of king-
Cyrus, which was also the second year of their returning
home to Jerusalem from Babvlon, thev laid the foundations
of the temple. In the second year of Darius, as this pre-
sent place teacheth, they are willed by Aggeus to take in
hand their work ajjain ; and in the sixth vear of this same Ezravi.
Darius they finish it : so that from the second year of Cyrus,
unto the sixth vear of Darius, nuist be fortv-six vears
wherein thev were buildiuij, as St John saith. Tliis was
a great negligence of God's i)eople, and unthankfiihiess. so
14« EXPOSITION UPON [cH. I.
If God rule lono- forirettinQ; the buildin(x of the temple, and their duty
us not every coo ir> r ' J
minute, we to God, aftci' SO merciful and late restorino; them to their
loriret luui ' o
sdve^"*^" country: but this is all oui* crooked nature bent unto, except
Philip, i. God do not only begin the good work in us, but also
continually lead us in the same to the end. Therefore
ha^'e we need to look diligently unto ourselves, and pray
that God would not turn his merciful eyes from us : for
if he never so little withdraw his hand from us, and do
not every minute guide all our doings, we fall into a for-
getfulness of him and our duties.
Many doubt also which Darius this was, that is here
named of the prophet, because the Greek histories make men-
tion of divers of that name, as Darius Histaspis, and Darius
Longimanus, with other more. But because the scripture
makes mention of none after Cyrus"* time, but this one, I
will seek no further, nor trouble you with such hard shifts
as many do, to make the scripture and those histories to
Under what aoree. The scriptures make mention of no more kings for
kinjrs the . ^ .
temple was this buildino* time, but of Cyrus, Assuerus, Darius and Ar-
builded. o ' ^ J ^
taxerxes : therefore in their days must this whole history, and
those six and forty years mentioned of St John, be fulfilled.
Assuerus I take to be husband to Queen Ester, and this
Darius to be her son ; whereunto also the Hebrew commen-
taries agree : and although other think otherwise, yet I
see no scripture that they bring. Cyrus gave first licence
Ezraiv. to the Jcws to go hoiiie and bui^d this temple. Assuerus
moved by the accusations of the rulers, did forbid them to
build any more. Darius brought up in the fear of God by
1 Esd. iv. his mother Ester, and seeing the wickedness of his father,
made a vow, that if he ever reigned after his father, he
would build the temple ; and so in his second year he gave
the Jews free liberty to go home and build their temple,
renewed their commission, and gave them money liberally
Ezravii. to do it witlial. Ai'taxcrxes in his seventh year sent Esdras
home again with great gifts, and gave liberty to as many
as would go with him ; and so the work was finished.
Many do think probably, and to whom I can well agree,
Artaxerxes. that the Seventh year of Artaxerxes was the seventh year
of tin's same Darius here named, and that Artaxerxes and
Darius is Ijoth one man. For Artaxerxes was a common
V. 1.] THE PROPHET AGGEU3. 15
name to all the kings of Persia, as all the kings of Eg}'pt
were called Pliarao first, and Ptolomeus afterward, what Pharao.
' Ptolomeus.
time so ever they hved in : and as all the emperors are
called Caesar, although they have proper names of their own Caesar.
beside. But I vdW not enter further in this matter, for it is
more subtile than profitable, and little edification is in the
searching of it: every one judge as the scriptm-e will best
bear, and as God shall teach him.
The Jews in reckoning their years and months have divers
sorts. For sometimes March is their first month and the
beginning of then* year, and specially when they count their
solemn feasts, as God bad Moses, tliat the moon wherein Exod. xii.
they came out of Egypt, should be the first moon in the
year. Sometime was September, w^hen all the fruits of the Divers sorts
of rGckonin*''
earth was gathered into their barns. Sometime they reckon years and °
IT PI • p t • T • months, and
from the day of the coronation of their kinojs, as we use names of
Till • • TVT 1 ^^y^ and
diversely to reckon also, and sometime to begin at New-year s months.
day, sometime at the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary, com-
monly called the Lady-day in Lent, sometime from the day
of coronation of our kings, and sometime when they pay their
rents, as ^lichaelmas, Martimnas^ Helenes day^, &c. But
their moons were reckoned to begin ever from the change
of the moon, what day soever of our moon it changed, and
not by the calendar (for then there was none made), as we
do. So that the first day with us m the calendar might be
far from the change of the moon with them, as the 12tli,
14th, 19th, 24th, or so forth. Their months for a long time,
and their days always, had not proper names given them by
men, as we have now, to call them Monday, Sunday, Wed-
nesday, Friday ; and January, ^March, August, July. But
they reckoned both their montlis and days, thus : the first,
the second, the third, fourth, kc. Nor we read" in the
scripture any names given to months unto the time of
Moses; and then had they no heathen names, as our days
[' Days observed in the Roman church, the names of which only
are retained in our calendar: St Martin's day being November 11,
and Helen's day, or the Invention of the cross, May 3, on which
latter day Helena, the mother of Constantino tlie great, was fabled
to have found the true cross. En.]
[- Nor we read: nor read we. En.]
16 EXPOSITION UPON' [cH. I.
and months liave now. So by this reckoning, this prophecy
was spoken in the second year of Darius's reign, beginning
the year of the time of his coronation, whensoever it was ;
and in the sixth month from IMarch, which is our . August,
and the first day, which is not Lammas, as we count, but
the first of the change of the moon, what time soever it
clianged. The marking of this reckoning shall help you
to understand divers places of scripture, if they be remem-
bered, for because they use another manner of reckoning
than we do.
And although it seem to many but a small matter, by
what names the days and months be called ; yet if we con-
it is hurtful sider it well, there is a great thing: in it. The Latin men
to call days ^ ® o
by heathen and mauv otlier more give names to every dav in the week
names. •' ^ ./ -
of some one of the stars, commonly called the planets, as
though the stars i*uled all things ; as Sunday of the sun,
Monday of the moon, Saturday of Saturne : and the months
many have their names of emperors, as July, August, for a
vain glory that their ^ name should not die with them. And
divers other have their names of as light causes.
If we remember the beginning of the names of two most
solemn days in our week, Wednesday and Friday, we shall
better perceive the rest. Fabian and other chronicles tell,
that when the Saxons invaded this realm, and there were
seven kings ruling here at once, they brought with them
two idols, the one called Woden, and the other Fria: or else,
as other write, it was a noble captain and his wife, which
for their worthiness were made gods ; and when they had
overcome the Englishmen, they made two days in the week
Wefinesday, to be called AVeduesdav and Friday by the names of their
false gods or captains, and so to be worshipped ; and those
names we keep still. Why then may it not be thought to be
in remembrance of those idols or captains, if every thing have
their name after their beginning ? And this may be thought
the beginning of the Wednesdays and Fridays to be holier
than the rest ; what pretence soever was found after to fast
or hallow them. So this good can come by using the names
of strange gods, that idols with false worshipping of God
were set up.
AVe never read in tlie scripture, nor in any ancient
V. 1.] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. 17
writer on the scripture, that I remember, that either months
or days were called by names of stars, men, idols, or false
gods, but Feries, as Augustine often doth use to call them :
yea, the pope's Portus ' calleth the days in the week thus ;
the second, and the third Fery, &c. But now in time it
is come to pass, that every day in the year is called by
the name of some saint, and not in all countries alike, but
as every country is disposed to worship their saints.
In the New Testament I find no days named, but the
first of the sabbath, &c., and the Lord's day, which I take Rev. i.
to be the Sunday, when John saw his revelation. Thus
superstition crept into the world, when men began to forget
calling on the true and only God, and made them gods of
every dead saint as they list.
AMiat can we say for ourselves, but that we put great Astrono-
*' . mers do evil
superstition in days, when we put openly in calendars and i» caiiinjr
^ *' . some days
ahnanacks, and say, These days be infortunate, and great untoitu-'
matters are not to be taken in hand these days ; as though
w^e were of God's privy council ? But why are they in-
fortunate I Is God asleep on those days I or doth he not
rule the world and all things those days, as well as on
other days I Is he weary, that he must rest him in those
days I Or doth he give the ruling of those days to some
evil spirit or planet? If God give to stars such power that
things cannot prosper on those days, then God is the au-
thor of evil. If stars do rule men those days, then man is
their servant. But God made man to rule, and not be
ruled ; and all creatures should serve him.
AV'hat shall be the cause ? If astronomers say true, every
man at his birth by his constellation have divers things and
desires appointed him. Why then, how can so many divers
constellations in so many men at your birth agree, to make
one day unlucky in your life to all men? Either let him
prove it by learning ; or for shame and sin hold your tongue.
Stars may have some power on the natural qualities and
actions of the body, and for physic ; but on the civil vo-
luntary actions of Christians' minds, none.
St Paul savs, the children of (Jod bo led with the Spirit [Rom. viii.
of God : why then, not by stars. It is faithless supei-stition
[' Portus; breviary. Ed.]
o
[PII.KINC.TOX.]
18 EXPOSITION UPON [CH. I.
to teach or believe such things ; that either at the birth or
after we be ruled by stars. All astronomers could never
tell why Jacob and Esau, brother twins, born in one mo-
ment, should have so contrai'y natures. What star ruled
when Sodom and Gomorrah were burned, and the next towns
escaped ? were all born under one star that then perished 1
^/ P or all Noe's flood? was not then divers sorts, men and
women, youiig and old, good and bad? Doth not the scrip-
ture say that God made seven days, and when he had made
all things, he did behold them all, and they were very
good? Why shall we then be bold to call them evil, in-
fortunate, and dismal days? If God rule our doings conti-
nually, why shall they not prosper on those days, as well as
on other \ God blessed the seventh day : and yet we dare
call that infortunate, evil, and cursed, which he blessed.
Although it be impossible to redress this old common
error, so deeply rooted in all tongues and countries ; yet
it is not unprofitable to note the beginning of these things,
that this superstition may be something known. When God
made seven days, he called them the first, the second, third,
fourth, &;c. ; but the last day he called the sabbath, which
betokens rest, and hath not the name given to be called
of any other creature, man, saint, star, or idol; but as the
name sounds, so should we on the seventh day rest from
all bodily labour, except need compel, but specially from all
"r?beue? ^'^^'^ ^^"- '^^^^ i« 1^0* the right way to make holy men
ed'by"wrT- *^ ^^^ remembered, nor surest to avoid idolatry. It were
cauiU'ff days ^^^^^cr to be douc by writing the chronicles, lives and deaths,
Sames!"^ ^^ ^"^^^ ^^ wcrc godly indeed, and not every rascal, as
Boniface Legeiida aurea, the Legend of lies, does. Pope Boniface
the VIII., finding them of Farrare worshipping twenty years
one Hermanius as a saint, digged him out of the ground,
and burned him for a heretic and author of the sect called
Fratricclli, and forbad to worship such evil men'. So I
[' Hacresin Fraticcnonim, sacramenta et potestatem ecclcsiasticam
contemncntium, jji-oiniscuos concuhitus cxercentium, animarum pur-
gatarum beatitudinem ad extremum judicii diem usque differri do-
centium, condemnavit [Bonifacius Papa VII. vulgo VIII.] Corpus
cujusdam Hermanni, qui, ut scribunt Platinaet Sanderus, Fraticellorum
dux crat, Ferrariaj exiiumari et creiuari jussit^ licet pro sancto cole-
i
4
V. 1.] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. 19
\
think we, scraping together a number of saints as we hst, .,^^
worship many evil persons. What hoHness was in Thomas Thomas
Becket, which had gotten two days in the calendar called Canterbury-.
by his name, and priests must evermore mumble him one jT
wicked memory in matins and evensong? If papists, rebels,
and traitors to their kings, as this stout champion of the ^
pope was, may be thus rewarded, it is no marvel if many
rebel against their kinoes as he did.
In that that he saith, " the word of the Lord was sent by
the hand of Aggeus the prophet," it teaches the duty both of
the hearer and the preacher. For neither must we teach anv The word
••; , " of God IS
thing of man's devices, nor the hearer must ^regard him so only to be
. ~-<— - .„— . ^.-—'^ V • taught an
much which preaches, that for his cause^ we must either more believed.
or less believe the thing which is taught, (for the preacher
takes his authority of the word of God, and not the word -^
takes his authority of the preacher ;) but only because it is ±
the word of God, of w^hose truth we must not doubt, but
with obedience receive it. Unto the preacher saith St Peter,
*' He that speaks, let him speak as the words of God :" i Pet. iv.
and Aggeus being but a poor Levite, keeping this rule, was
not to be despised more than the priest. And whereas
preaching and believing the things preached is the highest
and most pleasant service and worship of God ; what thing
should be taught, and what punishment is for them which
do it not, the scripture teaches plain. St Matthew saith :
" They worship me in vain, teaching learnings which are the
commandments of men." And the false prophet, which runs Deut. xviii.
before he be sent and deceives the people, speaking in the
name of God that which he was not commanded, or else
speaking in the name of false gods, shall be put to death.
Therefore let the prating pardoner, or the popish priests,
retur, Concil. Tom. xxviii. p. G75, Paris. 1G44. — But the true name
appeal's to he Fratricelli, as given in the Bishop's text, and in the
following extract : " This Hermann lived at Ferrara in this century,
and was highly esteemed for his sanctity; and after his death, in
1269, he was magnificently entombed in the principal church of
Fen-ara, and was long held by all for a distinguished saint, whose
sanctity God had demonstrated by numerous miracles. But as the
inquisitors of heretical pravity had long been suspicious of him, &c.
&c." Mosheim's Ecclesiastical History, Book in. Cent. 13, Part 2,
Chap. II. Ei).]
20 EXPOSITION VVOS [CH. I.
take heed in whose names they speak, and what they teach,
when for the greedy gaining of a httle money they condemn
themselves, and set out to sell heaven, purgatory, and hell,
as they were all in their power to give at their pleasure.
In the pope's name they promise forty, sixty, an hundred
days of pardon ; and for a trentaP they may be brought from
hell. The true prophets of God, as appeareth in their writings,
always use to say : " Thus saith the Lord," " the word of
God was spoken to me," &;c. ; but the pope's creatures,
as pardoners, priests, friars, &c., say : " Thus saith pope
Alexander, Gregory, John, Clement, or some such other like ;"
and nothing will they do without money. Let the true
John iii. preacher teach the mercies of God, that " God hath so loved
the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that every
one which believes in him shall not be damned, but
have life everlasting ;" and yet shall the drunken pardoner
and Sir John Lacklatin be better believed than Christ,
which spake these words, and promised it : yea, rather the
people will buy forgiveness of their sins at the pope and
such his messengers' hands, than take it freely at Christ,
paying nothing therefore ; such is the brutish, blind unthank-
Jsai. iv.; fulness of the world. " Come and buy freely without money,"
saith the prophet : and again, "It is I, it is I that put
away thy sins for mine own sake ;" then it is not for thy
money, nor the pope's bulls nor pardons. Let the world there-
Matt, xv. fore take heed; for "if the blind lead the bhnd, both fall in
ciTses?'^ the ditch." This miserable common excuse, which is so often
in their mouths, shall not excuse them, when they say,
Thus we are taught, our ghostly fathers say so, and our
fathers befo)*e us have so believed : Christ says, ye shall both
fall in the pit. ]3elieve no doctrine that teaches to go to
heaven otherways than by Christ freely, or which is not
written and contained in the bible : for that only is the
perfect word of God, and which only teaches true salvation.
Look the pope's testament throughout, called his decrees
and decretals, and you shall not once there be taught to
seek comfort at Christ in any trouble of mind; but only to
set out his vain glory, and that he is lord of heaven and
earth, purgatory and liell ; and if thou live never so wickedly,
C TrentiU: trigintal, a service of thirty masses. Ed.]
V. 1.] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. 21
lie and his chaplains have full authority to bring thee from
purcratorv, so that thou brins: them money. I think it hath Priests pray
i » •' ' * / _ not without
not been oft heard tell of, that any priest ever said tren- money, nor
•'^ ^ hire any for
tal without money, or hired any said for themselves : but themselves.
if they were good, why should they not have them for
themselves? If they had charity, they would say them for
the poor as well as for the rich : they would not suffer so
many poor souls to lie broiling in purgatory, as they thinlc
do ; no, they would do nothing night nor day all their lives
but say masses, if they had such love towards their brethren
as they should, and if they were able so to deliver them.
For what charity is in him that may help his brother, and
will not by all means possible 1 But they shew by their
doings their meaning well enough, when they turn them to
the people and say : Of your devotion and charity pray ye
for the soul of N.; as though they should say: We pray for
money without charity, but ye must do freely of devotion
without money. These false prophets, papists, and members
of antichrist, came not in the Lord's name, nor speak his
word ; therefore they be accursed.
Also in that he saith, " the word was sent by the hand of
Aggeus," we are taught how to esteem preaching ministers
by this Hebrew kind of speaking. For as the hand serves
to do uiore things withal than any part of the body ; so
when they will signify any thing to be done by the minis-
tery and service of any man, they used to say. It was done
by the hand of such a man. Therefore the word and mes-
sage which he brought was the Lord's, and Aggeus was
but the servant that brought it. So must we think of the Preachers
preachers : they be but servants, thouojh they be never so servants,
good and learned preachers, and their message is the word not go be-
of the Lord. Thus says Christ: "It is not you that speak, be sent;' but
•^ . . ,, their word
but it is the Spirit of your Father which speaks in you." is God's.
St Paul also teaches how we should think upon him and
others such preachers, when he says : " Let a man judge and i cor. iv.
think thus of us, that we be the servants of Christ, and
dispensers of God's secret mysteries." Therefore they which
seek rather to be lords than servants, and be hinderers of
preaching God's word, rather than faithful teachers of God's
Iioly will to his people, are not to be counted amongst tlic
22 EXPOSITION UPON [cH. I.
servants and ministers of Christ, but rather enemies, seeking
their own glory more than Hod's.
And as Aggeus did not go with this message afore he
was commanded and sent by God, and therefore was a true
propliet ; so they w'hich thrust in themselves to teach, not
called by God, nor sent by man ordinarily, come often
afore they be welcome, and are not true prophets. For it
Heb. V. is written : " Let no man take honour unto him, but he
which is called of God, as Aaron was." And if the worser
learned be preferred afore the better to the ministery, if
they be both true teachers, let not the better disdain him,
but know God to see further than he doth, and that there
be just causes wdiy the other is preferred afore him.
Whereas Zerubabel is first named here, and set in
order afore Josua the high priest, and the prophet Aggeus
was sent by commission from God to the civil magistrate
The civil first ; it tcaches the pre-eminence the temporal rulers have
ruler is
above the aforo priests, by what name soever they be called. If the
pope should have received such letters as these be, and seen
a layman preferred and named afore him, he would not have
been well content ; and specially such a man as Zerubabel
was, being neither king nor emperor. What a railing letter
Adrian IV. wrote Pope Adrian the fourth, an Englishman, to Frederick
the emperor, because the emperor in his letters had set his
name afore the pope's, writing thus his superscription of his
letters : Frederick by the grace of God emperor, &c. unto
the holy father Adrian, pope. If he had written thus : To
the most reverend and holy father the pope Adrian, God's
vicar here in earth, fcc, your poor and humble servant Fre-
derick, by the grace of God emperor of Almaine, &c., and
had placed the pope's name before his own, all had been
well. Because he did not, he called the emperor traitor
and rebel against God and St Peter, &;c.^
[' Hadrianus Episcopus scrvus scrvorum Dei, Friderico Romano
Imperatori, salutcm et Apostolicam benedictioncm.
Lex divina sicut parcntes honorantibus longoevitatem promittit, ita
maledicentibus patri ct matri scntcntiam mortis intendit. Veritatis
autem voce doceinur, quia (minis- qui sc exaltat humiliabitur. Qiia-
propter, dilccte in Domino fili, super prudentia tua non mediocritcr
admiramur, quod beato Petro et sanctac Romana? ecclcsiae non quantam
deberes exhibere revcrentiam videris. In litteris enim ad nos missis
V. 1.] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. 23
The commonwealth of the Jews was ruled first by judges,
from Moses unto Saul; then by kings, fi-om David to their
captivity in Babylon; and now last, from their returning home
unto Clu-ist, by princes of the stock of Juda. Their judges Judges.
were raised up of God to deliver the people, sometime of
one tribe or kindred, some time of other, as pleased God ;
and the children did not succeed the father in such autho-
rity. Kings were always of the stock of Juda only, and the Kings.
son was king after the father ; but these princes, although they Princes.
were for the most part of the stock of Juda, and the suc-
cession was by heritage, (except the Machabees,) yet they
had not a kingly majesty, crown and power ; for they were
but as mayors or dukes, and head men amongst the people,
as the Hebrew word signifies, pacJiath ; and yet they be
preferred before the high priest. By which we must learn
chief power in all commonwealths to be joined with the tem-
poral sword, though he Idc but a mean man ; and that every
man, as St Paul says, " must be subject under him." Chry- Rom. xiii.
sostom notes well, writing on that place, that eveiy man
must obey the civil power, whether he be apostle, evange-
list, prophet, or by what name soever he be called-. St
Peter himself (being bishop, as they say, at Rome, and of
whom they claim all their authority to be above princes,
kings, and emperors) was not only obedient to the civil
rulers himself, but left written in his epistle, that we should
all obey the king, as chief and highest ruler above all other.
And although kings and rulers in commonwealths were
then infidels, and not christened, yet he bids obey them as
the chief and highest ; and neither wills any to be disobedient,
to pull the sword out of their hands, nor to set up himself
nomen tuum nostro pracponis: in quo insolentiae, ne dicam arrogantiae,
notam incurris. Acta Conciliorum, etc. Tom. vi. Pars ii. p. 1339.
Paris;. 1714.
The emperor was Frederick Barbarossa, and the circumstance took
place about the year 1155. Ed.]
Q" Y^UL ceiKvv^ oTi iracri Tavra CiaTaTTerai, kui Icpevcri kui fxova"
"XP^^i ^''X' T019 piU)TlKOl<i fXOVOVy €K TTOOOlfXlOiV ttVTO CtjXoV tTTOlf/tTfl',
ovTO) Xeyuyv ttuctu xj^vyt] e^-ovalai^ vTrepeyova-ai'; vTroTCKraecrOa}' kuu
aTTOCTToAO? »/?, KUV CVCiyyCAKTTtj^, Kttl/ TrpO(pt]Tt]<^, KUU o(TTiaovi>' ovCc
yap avaTpe-rrei Tf/V cva'efteiav uvti] tj VTroTayrj. Chrysost. Hi Rom.
xiii. 1. Paris. 1837. Tom. ix. p. 752. Ed.]
>■
24- ExrosrnoN upon [ch. i.
above them, but humbly to obey them in all things not
contrary to God's truth and religion. But if they command
anything contrary to God's word, we must answer with the
Obey God apostles : "We must rather obey God than man." And let
rather than ^ i • i i • t i • *^ /-< i i ^
man. DO man thmk that m displeasmg God he can please man :
for God, who hath all men's hearts in his hand, will turn
his heart to hurt thee, whom thou would please and flatter
by displeasing and disobeying God ; nor we owe any obe-
dience to any man in such things wherein God is offended
^^^ and disobeyed. If England had learned this lesson in the
time of persecution, we should neither for fear at the voice
of a woman liave denied our !M aster with Peter ; nor for
flattery have worshipped Baal, nor rashly rebelled ; but hum-
bly have suffered God's scourge, until it had pleased God
X to have cast the rod in the fire : the which he would sooner
have done, if our unthankful sturdiness had not deserved a
longer plague. The Lord for his mercies' sake grant, that
both we and all other may hereafter beware from like
pulling on om* heads the righteous scourge of God for our
^^•ickedness, and the unpatient bearing of the same when it
comes.
The text. V. 2. TKus saitJi the God of hosts ^ saving: This people sa?/,
The time is not yet come to build the house of God.
Thescrii). The prophet dare speak nothing in his own name, or of
tobe taught, his own devicc, but always names the Lord who sent him,
and whose message he brought ; which thing all preachers
must follow most diligently, or else they are not to be be-
Gai. i. lieved. St Paul saith : " If I, or an angel from heaven, should
teach you any other gospel, beside that w4iicli you have re-
ceived, cursed be he." And mark that he says not, if he
teach contrary to that which ye have received, but besides
and more than that which ye received : for the pope and
his clergy think that they may for our salvation add more
to the gospel, so that it be not contrary to the gospel.
But St Paul says, besides or more than that which ye re-
Dcut.iv.[2.] ceived. And Moses saith: "Thou shalt neither put to nor
take away anything from the word of God," but content thy-
self only with that which he teaches ; for he only is true,
V. 2.] THE rUOPHET AGGEUS. 25
and all men be liars, and no man is of his counsel, to teach
thee what pleases or displeases him, except he speak him-
self. And although rulers may ordain some things for an
order in the church, yet none of their decrees are articles
of our faith ; but they may and ought to be changed, when
they be hurtful, or turn to any misuse or superstition.
And for all that, that the people had grievously sinned in
not building the Lord's house so many years ; yet while God
did vouchsafe to speak unto them by his prophets and re-
buke their sin, there was hope enough of forgiveness, so that
they would amend and turn unto God. For like as long as
the physician doth appoint the sick man what he shall do,
how to diet himself, and what medicines to take, there is
hope of life ; but if he forsake him, and will not speak
unto him, we look for present death : so as lono; as God of his }^^^^ ^°^
'A c5 lets us have
goodness lets his word be among us, there is good hope of fg aToken ^^
forgiveness; but if he take away his word, there is no com- and'fh'r^'
fort left. Saul, when Samuel was dead, asked counsel of ^^^^1"=^'^ ^^j^
God, but he would not speak to him, neither by dreams, JsJl^^^"^^"
nor at the ark of God, nor by visions or prophets ; and then ^'^^"^•
he runs to witches : so we, when God teaches not, but are
left to ourselves, seek such unlawful means.
The Jews had lien almost forty years in this negligence
of building God's house : it is almost as many years, since
we under pretence of receiving the gospel, and building God's
house, have pulled it down : and to root out all the rabble of
monks, friars, nuns, canons, &c., we for the most part have
sought to enrich ourselves, and one (like thieves) robbed an-
other, and have not of pure love destroyed God's enemies,
nor ])rovided for the poor, and furthered learning, nor placed
preaching ministers in place of dumb dogs, after the rule of
his word, as we should have done, and builded his house.
And what remedy do the wicked papists find to redress
this withal ? They pull away God's word, and say it was
never good world since it came abroad, and that it is not
meet for the people to have or read it, but they nuist re-
ceive it at their mouths. They are the nurses, they say,
and must chew the meat afore the children eat it. AVoe be
unto such dissemblers, as under pretence of chewing cat
all up; or else, that little which they give (for they say it
26
EXPOSITION UPON
[CH. I.
Panibo. is not ncccssary to preach often, by the example of Pambo\
which when he had heard one lesson, the first verse of
the thirty-ninth Psalm, which begins thus, "I thought with
myself, I will keep my ways, that I offend not in my
tongue,"' would hear no more until he had in many years
learned to practise that one : which example rather proves
that we should diligently learn, than seldom preach); it
is, I say, so poisoned in their filthy mouths and stinking
breaths, that it poisons and feeds not the hearer. David
Psai. cxix. says : *' By what things shall a young man amend his evil
ways?" and he answers: "by keeping the sayings of God."
And how shall we see to do this l " Thy word, O Lord," he
says, "is a lantern for my feet, and a light to my paths."
But these thieves that take away the word of God from the
people, which is the lantern and light to teach them to go
aright, would have them in darkness still, that they should
neither see their own faults nor others'. When the fault is
not seen, how can it be amended? And how can it be
seen, seeing it is in darkness, except the light of God's
Deut. vi. truth do open it unto us? Moses bids the fathers tell their
children the law of God oftentimes, and to study on it in
Psai.ixxviii. their houses, in going by the way. David bids the same,
Ephes. vi. and the children to ask the fathers. Paul bids fathers bring
up their children in the nurture and learning of God ; and
wives, if they will learn anything, ask their husbands at
home. Then if the father must teach the son, and the son
must ask the father, and the wife must learn of the hus-
band ; how shall those fathers and husbands teach, except
they be learned? and how can they be learned, having none
to teach them but Sir John Mumble-matins, nor cannot be
suffered to read themselves? But it is true that St John
John iii. saith I " He that doeth evil hateth the light, and will not
come to the light, lest his evil doings be reproved." And
this to be true their common sayings declare, when they
said, it was never good world since every shoemaker could
tell the priest's duty. They were ashamed of their faults,
and therefore would have you in blindness still, that ye
should see neither your own faults, nor tell J]ieiii_Qf ,Jthcu:s ;
1 Cor. xiv.
All sorts
must learn
the scrip-
tures.
m
[' Pamho: a monk of great reputed sanctity in the 4tli century.
Palladius, Hist. Lausiac. Cap. x. Ed.J
V. 2.] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. 27
for that specially they cannot abide. But our good God
when he blessed his people, and offereth his pardons, he
sends many teachers and opens divers ways to learn ; and
when he is most angry, he takes away his word, that they
shall not see how to amend, as Amos sayeth: "I will send ^"^03 viii.
a hunger unto the earth, not a hunger of bread, but of the
word of God, that they shall seek it from east to west, and
not find it." Therefore they which take away his word, or
be hinderers thereof, are nothing else but instruments of his
wrath and God's scourge to his people.
And that they should the more diligently mark the mes-
sage which he brought, he teUs them in whose name he
spake, and saith, " The Lord of hosts spake those words,"
or, as the Hebrew is, Jehova : which is as much to say what jeho-
as, that God of might, majesty and power, which hath his ies.^'""^'
being and substance of himself, and by whom all other things Exod. iii.
stand and be, and without whom all things fall to nothinof Acts xvii.
[28 1
if he do not uphold them, he speaks these words. The Psai. civ.
other word joined withal, when he calls him the God of
hosts, is a word of fear and reverence, as Jehova is a
name of love and power : so that if either they loved him
as a father and God of power, or else feared him as a Lord
and master, and one that had many hosts of soldiers to con-
quer them withal, if they did rebel against him still, they
should receive and obey this message. In like manner God -^laiach. i.
by Malachy rebukes the people, which called him father and
master in words, but in deeds would nothing do as he taught
them, and saith : " If I be your father, where is my love
that you owe me ? If I be your master, where is the fear
that is due to me V This word and name is seldom read
in the New Testament, to call him the God of hosts, be-
cause it is a word of fear more than of love, and rather
threatens than comforts, which the New Testament doth not
commonly. St James says : " The withholdcn wages of them Ja^^s v.
that have reaped your fields cries vengeance in the cars of Ja]ie(Uhe '^
the Lord of hosts." It is as much to say in this place as, t'ostl'^and
Thus says that mighty Lord of hosts, whom if ye hear and us",//^,ij5
o])cy, he will make all his creatures to serve and obey you : "rel'tlin's to
but if you be disobedient to him still, he hath many armies ihp'prouli
and hosts to fight with against you, and all his creatures "'^''^'-
2S EXPOSITION rpox [cii. I.
from tlie liighest to the least shall be harnessed against
you. Think not, that if yc escape one plague, that ye shall
escape the rest: for deferring or escaping one is but to see
whether ye will amend before the next come. His arrows
and thunderbolts are never spent, but he hath new in store:
and in the end the victory shall be his, and all disobedient
shall perish. And for the better understanding of this to
be true, the scripture hath set out divers examples, where
God hath fought against man with all his creatures, to let
him see how divers kinds of hosts he hath to beat him
Gen. xix. down withal. The angels destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah
2 Sam. xxiv. with fire and brimstone, and killed with pestilence in three
days' space seventy thousand for David's offence ; and also
2 Kings xix. iu oue night destroyed in the tents of Sennacherib one
hundred and eighty-five thousand. The sun at the com-
josiiuax. mandment of Josua stood still, giving him light, until
God's enemies, the Amorites, in the chase were killed by
iixoii. X. him, so that one day was as long as two. In Egypt the
stars and sun gave no light to the Egyptians ; but the dark-
ness was so great, gross and thick mists, that no man
stirred out of his place, and men might grope the mists,
and feel them with their hand: but where the children of
Israel were, the sun shone bright and pleasantly. Against
juds-.v. Si.sara God fought out of heaven. The water drowned the
Sod.\\i'v. whole world, save eight persons under Noe. The Red Sea
suffered God's people to pass, but it drowned Pharao and all
Nam. xvi. his host. Thc earth swallowed up quick Dathan, Corah and
Abiron, and all those rebels ^^ith them. In Egypt storms
Exod. ix. of hail killed the Egyptians' beasts, and destroyed their
Luke xiii. com ; but harmed not the Israelites. So the tower in Siloe
1 Kings xvii. fell and killed eighteen within it. Such drought was in the
time of Elias, that it rained not for the space of three years
Gen. xivi:. and a half. Such hunger in all countries, that Jacob with
all his house went into Egypt ; and there also the Egyptians
for hunger sold their land, their cattle, wives, children, and
themselves, to be bondmen and slaves to their king.
2 Kings vi. In the besiege of Samaria for hunger an ass's head and
dove's dung was sold dear, and women did eat their own
jor: i. children. Jo(!l threatens that God will send four hosts, one
of grasshoppers, another of caterpillars, blasting, and locusts,
V. 2.] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. 2.9
to devour all the fruit of the ground; and all that which
one of these left the next should destroy. In Egypt, mark i^-f'i- viii.
what mighty men of war God chose to fight withal : it
rained frogs even into the king's privy chamber and his
bed, and flies ^ fought against Pharao and the whole countiy,
and made them weary, and a murrain fell among the beasts ;
but by these means God gat the victory. When the ten 2 Kinjsxvii.
tribes were led away prisoners, the wild beasts increased,
so that they devoured the dwellers in the country, because
they feared not God. God closed up the wombs of all Gen. xx.
xYbimelech's women, that they should not bear children, be-
cause he had taken Abraham's wife. When the Philistians 1 Sam. v,
had taken the ark of God and misused it, God smote them
with emorraides in their secret parts". Herod and divers Acts xii.
emperors were worried with lice. Arius sitting on the
privy avoided all his bowels^. Nabuchodonozor of a king Da:i. iv.
was made a beast, eat hay, and lived in woods.
Gedeon with three hundred men, knocking their pot- J^^'o- ^ii.
sherds together, made his enemies (which were so many, that
they lay as thick as grasshoppers use to lie on the ground)
so afraid, that they strove who might run away first ; and
if his fellow stood in his way, he killed him straight. The '^^^^^- ^'•
walls of Jericho fell without violence or hand laid on them :
the Syrians thinking they heard a noise in the night, and - ^^'"S^ ^ ''•
that tlieir enemies came against them (where there was
none such indeed), ran all away. Judith, a weak woman, Jii'i''i> -^v.
cut off Holophernes' head. Jonathan and his man alone ^ ^^^' ^'^^'^
put to fliglit all the Philistians, whereof many were slain
[} In the second edition ^ee*; in the first the former vowel is in-
distinct, e or i. Ed.]
[^ The expression of Scripture, 1 Sam. v. 9, is here sul)stitutcd
for the word u.sed by the Author. Ed.]
[3 This word is also a variation from the original. — The historical
fact is recorded as follows: 2uV t€ tw (poftto Tt]<; yaarf)u<; fKivelro
^aui/toxnc, tpoixevo^ re u acpccpuu ttov TrXfjcriov, fXuOuiv tc elvai
oTTicQev T»/? u.yunu<i Is^uivcttclvtIvov^ eKcTcre ef^aci^e. Xafxfidvei ovv
XiTTodvuiu rou avdowirov. Kut ufxa to?<? ciayuipriixacnv tf edpa rore
TTupavTiua eKTiTTTei, kui ciifiaTO^ 7rA»;(?oc linjKoXovdet, Kai ra AfTrra
Tiav erepoou \_cvTepu)vj. (rvveTpe'^e ce aina avTut tw cnrXtjvi tc kui
Tw iJTrari. uvt'iku ovv er€di't'iK€i. Socrat. Eccles. Ili.st. lib. I. c. 38.
p. 190. Paris. 1544. Ed.]
-T //^^ •^>' ^"^ ^" '^ er^'i^<f
30 EXPOSITION UPON [cil. I.
Gen. xi. [^ the cliasG. The proud enterprise in building the tower
of Babel was stopped by confounding their language, that
1 Sam. xvii. one could not understand another. David, a young man
with a sling and a stone, kills Golias so strongly harnessed.
A bishop of Mentz\ being persecuted with rats from house
to house, fled into a tower he had standing in the midst
of the river, lying a mile from any land : but the rats fol-
lowed him and swam over ; neither doors nor stone walls
could keep them out, but they worried him for his unmer-
cifulness to the people in a year of dearth. Thus our God
may well be called the Lord of hosts, which hath so many
weapons and divers to punish us withal, as fire, water, earth,
darkness, frogs, lice, grasshoppers, caterpillars, pestilence,
hail, drought, &c. ; so that there is no help to be disobe-
dient and strive against him, for he will have the victory.
There is ways above and beneath us, within us and without
us, to throw us down at his pleasure : there is no remedy
but to obey him, either willingly and be rewarded, or else
against our wills and be punished. His power is not yet
minished, but he fights still with his enemies, that all glory
may be his. He hath foughten sore of late with his utter
enemy, the pope : and with what weapons ? with a goose-
feather and old clouts, (whereof be made pen and paper);
and such simple men hath he used to do this feat, as the
world hates and despises. But he hath so shaken his seat,
that his fall is begun ; and every man which is not wilfully
blind sees it. His abominations and his wickedness is opened
Nahumiii. to the world, as the prophet saith : "I will shew thy filthy
parts in thy face, and will set forth thy nakedness to
people."
These be the ordinances ^ great guns, and bulwarks, that
he will set up his church with and pull down antichrist;
that all victory may be his, which by such small and weak
bSkeVof ^^^^S^ throws down the glory of the world. And although
nesslsthe^' ^^^^'^ faults wcre grievous, yet our good God is content with
^Tic7toa ^ ^^^^^^ rebuking of them, and doeth no more but cast in
hear"! ^^^^^^ ^^^^^^ ^^^^^^ untliankfulncHs, and saith : " This people
[' A popular legend of tliat day. See the wonderful tale in Jo.
Wolfii Lcct. Memorab. Tom. i. p. 343. Lauingie, 1000. Ed.]
|_" Ordinances : i. e. ordnance. Ed.]
V. 2.] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. 81
says, It is not yet time to build the house of God :" as though
he should say, This people whom I chose amongst all the
world, and in respect of whom I seem to regard no other
people but them, bestowing on them only or chiefly my
blessings ; whose fathers I brought out of slavery in Egypt,
and made them lords of this plenteous land, destroying the
dwellers of it, and subduing their enemies round about them ;
to whom I send my prophets in all ages to teach them my
will and pleasure ; and whom now of late, when they were
led prisoners to Babylon, I brought home again, and restored
to them their land, and willed nothing of them but to build
my house and keep my laws ; this unkind people, I say,
says. It is not yet time to build God's house. This stiff-
necked people, that will neither be overcome and moved with
gentleness to do their duties, nor yet fear my plagues and
threatenings, will not diligently go about to do that which
I willed them so straitly to do. The rod is sharp to the
flesh, when we be beaten ; but to a gentle heart there can
be no sharper rebuke than to have his unkindness cast in
his teeth. " My people," says God by his prophet, " in what .mic. vi.
thing have I offended thee, that thou dost so disobey me?
or what have I done to thee ? tell me.'' And that we should
better consider our unthankfulness, he compares us to beasts,
and says: "The ox knows his master, and the ass knows isai. i.
his master's stable and manger ; but my people will not know
me." So saith Jeremy : " The turtle, swallow, and the stork Jer. viii
know their times of the year to come ; but my people know
not the judgment of the Lord." If a king should marry a
poor woman, and make her queen, and when she displeased
him, should say unto her, " AVhen thou wast but a poor
woman, and never looked to have been married to me, I
forsook all other women for thy sake, and made thee my
"Nvife and fellow ; hath it becomen thee to do this fault against
me ?" — if she have any honest heart in her, it will make
her burst out into tears, and ask forgiveness : so will it move
any christian heart that fears God, when he hears his un-
thankful disobedience laid to his charge ; and s})ecially if he
consider what goodness and how often he hath received at
God's hands, and how forgetful he hath been again to so
loving a Lord God. The Lord for his mercies' sake grant us
S2 KXPOsiTioN urox
such tender hearts, tliat we may burst out
we consider his goodness and our wickednesi
mercy, and our great unthankfuhiess ! Wl
shall this be, to hear him lay our unkindnes
' I gave you a good king, many true prej
plenteously, my sacraments purely, rooted
livered you from strangers, with all wealtl
would not fear me.' AVhat can we say for
demn ourselves ? God grant we may ! for
condemn us.
I do not doubt but many of them had
lay for themselves, if they had been asked
build God's house, as well as we have for c
Excuses of the same doingr. Some woidd sav. We are
our neafli- o
^ence be j-ji^g ^ud his officcrs, (and so they were inde
Ezraiv. Esdras). Some, We must first provide a h
to dwell in, for our wives and children : otl
learned, we know not how to do it : othc
and not able to take in hand such a costly v
the rulers begin, and we will help : other
our life and goods, if we disobey the king
But God would allow no such excuse, but
teeths their disobedient unkindness, and say
sav. It is not yet time to build God's houj
1 chron. would sav, It IS uot our duty to build, but
xxiii. [30, , . , 1 -in
31.J and smg psalms, as we be appomted. J
say, their office was to see the commonw
and not to meddle in such matters. The j
it belonsed not to them, beinoj such a costl
quired wisdom, learning, riches, and power
V. 2.] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. SS
not, The rulers say, It is not yet time to build God's house ;
or, The priests say so, or the merchants, or husbandmen :
but generally, All this people of all degrees say, It is not yet
time to build God's house. And so, because the rebuke is
general to all sorts, young and old, poor and rich, learned
and unlearned, they may understand that it is their duties
to build God's house, what manner of men soever they be.
What a comfort is this for the poor unlearned man, when
he heareth that God refuses not, but requires and takes in
good worth, that little sen'ice which he can do, and wills
him to build his house as well as the rich; that he should
not think God loves not poor men, nor we are not able to
serve him, but he loves only the rich and learned, and they
must serve him ! Nor again, he must not think, I may do
what I will, God cares not for me, nor he hath no work for
me to do in his house.
It is in building God's spiritual house, as it is here with
us in our buildinofs. In buildinors there be master-masons
and carpenters, which do devise the work, draw out the fa-
shion of it, and set their men on work : there be also some
that fell trees, carry stones, bring mortar, and make clean
the place, kc. So in building God*s house there be rich
and learned, there be poor and meaner learned ; but the
lowest and meanest of all, as he is the creature of God, and
made not himself, so God hath some work for him to do
and requires his service. If he be not a ruler or a preacher,
yet he hath wife and children whom he must see live in the
fear of God, and that God will require of his hand : and
though he be not married, but both lame and blind, yet he
hath a body and soul which Christ died for; and they be
the house of God and tennjle of the Holy Ghost, which we
34 EXPOSITION UPON [cH. I.
u)" ahafion living, that he gives liini as well as the rich all things in-
fndurerentiy ^^^^^^^^b'' ^^hicli shoultl bring him to heaven; as baptism,
and riciu^'^ faith, hope and charity, repentance, prayer, fasting, avoiding
whoredom, theft, mm-der, anger, &c., all are as common and
as easy to come by, or rather more easy, for the poor than
the rich. He disdains not, but thanlvfully takes, the poorest
ser\ace that the least creature he hath can do, so that he
do it diligently and willingly; and will reward that little so
done as liberally as he doth the greater. He that hath
received much shall make account of much; and he that
hath but little, yet shall make account of that little.
But this is marvellous, that where all sorts of the people
were in fault, the prophet is sent by commission from God
namely^ to Zerubabel the chief ruler in the commonwealth,
and to Josua the high priest; as though they had only sin-
ned, or they could or should remedy this matter.
What reason seems this, that when many do offend, a
few shall be rebuked ; and when all the people be negligent,
the chief rulers, both in civil matters of the commonwealth,
and the chief priest and highest in matters of religion, are
blamed? Tliis is the high wisdom of God, that man's wit
cannot attain unto : and there is great reason, if it be well
considered, why it should be so. God our heavenly Father,
knowing the crookedness of man's heart and how ready we
be all to evil, hath appointed rulers in the commonwealth
to minister justice, punish sin, defend the right, and cause
men to do their duties: and in his church he hath placed
preachers to teach his law, to pull down superstition and
idolatry, and to stir up the slothful and negligent to serve
and fear him. If either the one or both of these rulers be
l^dmiSl "^g^^gcnt in their office, the people (which be always ready
if/wamed, *^ ^^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^" ^^^^ ^"^ plcasurcs) fall from God: but
ifflS.7^"^''^ ^^^ ^'^^^ punish the rulers for their negligence, that neither
lheir"Segii- ^^^^ ^^^ *^^^^ d\ii\Qs thcmselvcs nor see the people do theirs ;
as'brethfen ^^^ ^^^^ ^^^ ^^ S^^^^V ^^ ^^0 sius of the pcoplc, and par-
!.^ree"Jo'' ^^^^^s of their ^vickcdness, because it was done through their
GoTs%ry. "^S^'g^"^^ ^" "^* punishing and seeing the people do their
duties, both to God and man.
Exod. iv. When God gathered his church first, he appointed Moses
[^ Namely: expressly, by name. Ed.]
V. 2.] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. 35
and Aaron, two brethren, to be the chief rulers of the people,
the one in religion, and the other in civil matters : to teach
us, that these two kinds of rulers be lawful and necessary
in a commonwealth, that they should love and stick toge-
ther like brethren, and that the one with the word and the
other with the sword should jointly build God's house, pull
down anticlu'ist the pope, and set up the kingdom of Christ.
When the children of Israel had committed idolatry in Baal- ^'umb. xxv.
peor, and fallen to adultery ^^ith the women of Moab, Moses
in the name of God commands all the rulers of the people
to be hanged on gallows against the sun, because they did
not their duties in keeping the people from such mischief.
To the preachers saith Ezekiel : " Thou son of man, I have Ezek. iii.
made thee a watclmian to the house of Israel: thou shalt
hear words of my mouth, and shew them from me. If I
say to the ^\^cked, Thou wicked, thou shalt die the death,
and thou wilt not speak to him that he may keep him from
his wickedness, the ^vicked shall die in his wickedness, but
I will require his blood of thy hands : but if he will not
leave his wickedness when thou tellest him, he shall die in
his wickedness, and thou hast saved thine own soul, because
thou hast done thy duty in warning him." By these punish-
ments we may see, that it is neither the duty of civil rulers,
by what name soever they be called, to be negligent in their
duty, or to set in an e^il deputy for them to gather up the
profits, that they may go hawk, or hunt, game, or keep
whores; for God, that gave them that authority, >vill look
for account for it of them : nor that it is lawful for bishop,
dean, archdeacon, prebendary, or parson, to set in a parish
priest to make conjured water, and serve the people in a
strange tongue, which neither he nor they understand : for
by these means the people be not amended.
Hely, having complaints made to him of the unliappiness i Sam. iv.
of his children, fell and brake his neck, because he would
not punish them; and they themselves were killed in battle,
and the ark of God was taken by God's enemies: so shall
the fathers of the people perish, if they punish not faults of
the people.
" He that desires a bishop's office," saith St Paul, '• de- 1 Tim. iii.
sires a good labour:" he calls it not a good lordship, nor
3—2
36 EXPOSITION UPON [cH. I.
idleness and wealth, but labour. What a man the labourer
Eiek.xxxiv. should be, Ezekiel tells particularly, saying: ''Woe to the
shepherds of Israel, which feed themselves, and not my
flock ! ye have eaten the fat, and been clothed with the wool ;
but ye have not strengthened the weak, nor healed the sick,
nor brought home the stray, nor sought the lost, but ye
have ruled over them with sharpness." These be the duties
of good shepherds and their labours, and not masking masses,
mumming matins, and babble they know not what : and
he that either cannot or will not do these things, seeking
his own ease and wealth, and not bring the people to God,
is a thief and murderer. Also, the patron of a benefice or
To admit bishop, which admit any such as cannot do these duties to
an unable ^ J
t'd'be''*a'r'' have cure of souls, are partakers of his wickedness ; and,
evlifthaVhe ^ H'^uch as in them lies, murder so many soids as perish
doeth. this ways for want of wholesome doctrine. St Paul says to
iTim. V. Timothy: "Lay not thy hand rashly on any man, nor
without good trial appoint him a minister, lest thou be par-
taker of other men's sins." We must neither do evil our-
selves, nor consent to other to do it, but, as much as in us
lies, stop it : for both the doer and he which agrees to it
Rom. i. [32.] are worthy death, as St Paul saith. But he that places an
unworthy or unable minister wittingly in a benefice, consents
to the evil which he doeth, because he might stop him from
it if he would; and therefore is he worthy death also.
A tailor that is not cunning to make a gown may mend
hose; a cobbler that cannot make shoes may mend them;
a carpenter which is not cunning to make the house, yet
may he square trees or fell them : but an unable priest to
teach is good to nothing in that kind of life or ministery.
Matt. V. " Ye are the salt of the earth," saith our Saviour Christ ;
" but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith shall it be
salted? it is not good enough to be cast on the dunghill
(for so it would do good in dunging the field); but it is
meet for nothing but to be cast in ways to be trodden under
our feet."
^d"mrni?tS* So these priests, which have not the salt of God's word
lufTeJedin^ ^^ scasou man\s soul withal, are meet for nothing in that
tery?"""" ^^^^ ^f life, but to be put to some occupation which they
can do, and get their living with the sweat of their face,
V. 2.] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. 37
and not occupy a place among GocVs shepherds, seeing they
be rather dumb and devouring dogs than good preachers.
Are not we in England guilty of the like fault I When we are like
God stirred up our kings as chief in the realm, and Thomas ion? ne|ii-
Cranmer, archbishop of Canterbury, with others, for matters
in religion, to drive the buyers and sellers of masses, par-
dons, trentals, &;c. out of God's house, which they had made
a den of thieves, was not this in all our mouths : It is not
yet time to build God's house, the people cannot bear it;
we fear strange princes and rebellions ; — as though God were
content to suffer idolatry for a time, and would not or could
not promote his o\mi matters without our politic devices.
And almost as many years have we lien loitering as these
men did, and not builded God's house, but pulled it do^^Tl;
builded our own houses goodly without any stop or fear,
where rebellion most should have been feared, because it
was done oft with the injury of others, as by extreme rais-
ing of rents, taking great incomes and fines, &c., by these
means seeking our own rest and profit. It wants not much
of so many years since king Hem-y began to espy the pope;
and yet God's house is not built. AVhat marvel is it then,
if we have been thus grievously plagued for our negligence
in thus doing, and that every one hath been sought out to
death, that was judged to love God's word? When the good Ezraii.
king Cyrus had given free liberty to the Jews every one to
go home that would, the most part had so well placed them-
selves in strange countries and waxed so wealthy, that they
would not go home when they might to build God's house.
What marvel was it then, if God, to punish this great
wickedness, stirred up king Assuenis by the means of Ha- Esther iu.
man, to make proclamation through all countries, that it
should be lawful for any man to kill all the Jews he could,
to take their goods, and order them at their pleasure ; that
if gentleness could not drive them home to serve God, yet
sharpness should compel them to go build God's house?
And hath it not been so in England taught, that all
gospellers should be destroyed, and should not leave one
man alive'? And this thing God of love and mercy did
unto us, that where we would not know him by gentleness,
[]' The phrase used by the author is as in 1 Kings xxi. 21. Ed.]
38 EXPOSITION UPON [cil. I.
we should be compelled by the rod and shai'pness to seek
liira. All faults in our late popery (were they never so
great) might be pardoned, save this, to love God's word.
But as God took Haman in his own device, and the ven-
^ geance light on him and his; so God hath mercifully de-
livered many in England from the persecutors, gloriously
called many to be his witnesses in the fii-e, and turned the
devices of his enemies on their o^vn heads, and sharply de-
stroyed them which murdered his saints, when they thought
most to have enjoyed the world at their will. Therefore
let us think that God speaks to us by his prophet, saying:
This people of England, to whom I have given so plentiful
a land, deUvered them so often, and sent them my preachers ;
and whom, when they forgot me and their duty, I punished,
sometimes sharply of fatherly love, and sometime gently
that they might turn to me ; yet they say. It is not yet
time to build God's house, for fear of their own shadows :
they would lie loitering still, and not be waked out of this
sleep. Let us consider what benefits we have received daily
of our good God, and see what a grief it is to be unthank-
ful, and have our unkindness thus cast in om* teeth. Poor
cities in Germany, compassed about with their enemies, dare
reform religion throughly, without any fear, and God pros-
pers them : and yet this noble realm, which all princes have
feared, dare not. We will do it by our own policies, and
not by committing the success to God ; and so we shall over-
throw all.
The Text. y. 3. And the word of God was sent hy the hand of Aggeus
the prophet^ saying :
4. Is it time for yow that ye shoidd dwell in your ceiled
Jiouses, and this house lie waste ?
This is most worthy to lie noted, that the prophet dare
speak nothing of his own head, but always in the name of
God, and as he received it of God's mouth; and for om-
example, most diligently it is to be followed, seeing he durst
not so much as rebuke sin, but as God taught him. But
of this enough is spoken afore in the first and second
verses.
V. 3, 4.] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. 39
This prophet, having a gentler spirit than many of the
other prophets, doth not so sharply threaten utter destruc-
tion of them and their country for their disobedience ; but
cliiefly sets before them their slothfulness towards the build-
ing of God's house, and their shameful and shameless scrap-
ing and scratching together of goods, their polUng and pil-
ling, their labour, diligence, and pains taken to build costly
gorgeous houses for themselves : as though he would say,
Is it not a shame for you to take so much labour and
spend so much money in making yourselves ceiled and carved
houses, and can find no time nor money to spend on God's -^^o'^e^bufit
house ? Do you love yourselves better than your God ? ^^^^^^ ^^^
Do ye set more by your own pleasure than God's honour?
Will ,you first satisfy your own lusts, and then, when ye
can find any leisure, peradventure God and his house shall
have a piece bestowed on him ? Is not this to set the
cai-t before the horse; Ye should firet serve God, seek his
will, and after look to your own necessities, and not vain
pleasures. The heathen poet could reprove this in heathen
people, saving : " 0 citizens, citizens, is money to be sought
first, and then \irtue after richest" — as though he should
say. Nay, not so. This is spoken to all : " First seek the Matt. vi.
kingdom of God and the righteousness thereof, and all other
things necessary shall be given you."
But was this so grievous a fault in God's sight, to build
their own houses afore God's house, that they were so plagued
for, as appears in the second verse following? Or was there
not other as great sins as this amongst them? Yes, tnily,
there were other heinous sins amongst them, and which God
abhors as well as this. They had gotten into their hands
all the lands and goods of their poor brethren by usury ; Usury
^ ^ J ./ unlawful.
and not content with that, they had so handled the matter,
that the poor sort had sold themselves, their wives and chil-
dren, to be bondmen and slaves to the rich. And yet their
usury was but little in comparison of ours, which we can
more \viscly and worldly, than wisely and godly, defend to be
la^^ful. They took l)ut one at the hundred; of a hundred Nehem. v.
shillings one, of a hundred pounds one; and yet Nehemias
[^ O cives, civcs ! qurercnda pecunia primum est,
Virtus post nummus. lion. Kpist. i. i. 53-4. Ed.]
40
EXPOSITION UPON
[CH. I.
All sin is
forbidden
alike, if it
let God's
house.
Drunkards.
Isai. V.
SlusTgrards .
Amos vi.
Pollers.
Isai. V.
Ambitious.
1 Tim. vi.
makes them to restore all again. But we can defend ten
at the hundred to be charitable and godly. Surely, if they
could not keep it, but were compelled to restore it again,
it was theft and robbery so to get it, or yet to keep it :
for he is as well a thief that keeps that which is evil got,
as he that got it or took it. And if they did make resti-
tution, taking but one at the hundred; I see no cause why
our usurers should not be compelled by authority to restore
that which was so gotten by ten or sixteen at the hundred.
This was our gospelling in England, when we should have
builded God's house, as they should have done here.
The prophet speaks here of building houses namely ^
but under that one sin he rebukes all such like : as when
we say, " give us our daily bread," we desire under the name
of bread as well drink and cloth, as all other things neces-
sary to live withal. And he saith as well to the drunkards.
Is it time for you to drink until ye be thriftless and witless,
and God's house lie unbuilded ? It is written by the prophet,
" Woe be to you that rise early in the morning to drink,
and to follow drinking till it be evening !" He saith like-
wise to the dainty sluggard, that lies wallowing in his costly
beds and soft pillows : Is it time for you to he slovening
in your couches night and day, and God's house unbuilded?
Is it not written, " Woe be unto you which sleep in your
costly beds, and play the wantons in your couches?" And
he saith likewise to the greedy carle and prowling poller,
that is never filled, but always heaping together : Is it time
for you that ye scrape and scratch together all ye can lay
your hands on, and God's house lie unbuilded? Do ye not
know it to be written, " Woe be to you which join house
to house, and land to land, and never cease?" Thus must
every man think that God speaks to him still by this his
prophet, and says to the ambitious prelate: Is it time for
thee, which should chiefly build my house, to gape for pro-
motion, to join benefice to benefice, prebend to deanery, &c.,
and my house lie unbuilt? Kemember thou not Paul's say-
ing, "If we have meat, drink, and clothes, let us be con-
tent therewith" ? Thou that chiefly should further this work,
dost hinder and pull down my house, as much as in thee is.
[' See note, p. 34. Ed.]
V. 3, 4.] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. 41
Let the merchant, that spares not to sail through all jeopar- Merchants.
dies on the sea and travail by land, so that he get much
gains, think that God says to him still : " Is it time for thee
to run and ride, buy and sell, and my house lie unbuilt V
Let the unthrift think that God speaks to him, saying: "Isuntunfts.
it time for thee to hawk and hunt, card and dice, and
follow whores, and God's house lie unbuilt T Think not it
is enough to say, I am a gentleman ; what should I do but
take my pleasure ? it becometh not me to take such pains.
Yes, truly ; for God hath no more allowed thee to waste God allows
unthriftily thy goods, nor to misspend thy time, than the nothing
^-^ ^'^ ^ i i *^ i • p • i moretomis-
poor man. r or like as thou hast the same baptism, laith, use than the
Lord, God, and Father in heaven with him, and hopest for Ephes. iv.
the same kingdom that the poor man doth ; so hast thou
the same law given thee to live after, and by the same shall
we all be judged.
^Vhy, will no excuse sers-e, but that every man must lay
his helping hand to the building of God's house I No, verily :
remember them which were called to the feast, and one ex-
cused himself, saying, '• I have bought a farm ;" another, " I Luke xiv.
have bought five yoke of oxen ;" and both said, " I pray thee
hold me excused i'' and the third had married a wife, making
no excuse, but flatly denying he could not come. But it skills
not whether he make excuse or not : all were shut out, and
had no part of the feast.
And so shall all that build not God's house, thoudi they ^'o excuse is
~ *' allowed in
seem to themselves to have good excuses : God allows none at not building
^ o ^ ^ God's
all. Why, they were forbidden by the king to build any more, ^^ousc.
as appears in Esdras, and must they not obey ? they should Ezra iv.
have run in the king's displeasure, been in jeopardy to have
lost life, land, and goods : should they have been rebels and
traitors to the king I No, surely ; this is not treason to kings
to do that which God commands. When Daniel did pray naniei vi.
thrice a day to God contrary to the king's commandment,
and the apostles did preach contrary to the wills and com- Acts iv.
mandments of the rulers, it was neither treason nor rebellion.
So must we do always that which Gx)d commands: and if God is
•^ _ rathtT to
the rage of the rulers go so far as to kill or cast us into ;'•'"'>•'>••<•
c> o than man.
lions' dens, as Daniel wai5, or whip and scourge us, as the
apostles were ; we must suffer with Daniel, and say with the
42 EXPOSITION UPON [CH. I.
apostles, " "We must rather obey God in doing our duty, than
man fbrbidding the same;" knowing always, that God hath ever
ways enough to deliver us out of their dangers, if he will, as he
did Daniel and the apostles; or else will strengthen us to die
in his quarrel, whether soever shall be more for his glory and
the edifvino: of his church. If the sheriff should bid thee one
thing, and the king command thee another, wilt thou obey
the lower officer afore the higher ? So is the king God's under
officer, and not to l3e obeyed before him.
Luke xiv. It is written, that " if any man come to Christ, and hate
not father and mother, wife and children, brother and sister,
yea, even liis own life," rather than forsake and offend God,
" he can be none of Christ's scholars." Christ takes all excuses
liiatt, V. fj.Qj^^ yg ^hen he saith : '' If thy right eye let thee, pull it
out; if thy hand offend thee, cut it off; for it is better to
go into life with one eye and one hand, than to be cast into
hell with both thine eyes and hands." In the ninth of Luke,
when Clu'ist called two disciples to follow him, the one said,
" Let me go and bid them farewell at home ;" and the other
said, " Let me go and bury my father, and then I will come."
But our Saviour Christ would suffer neither of them both to
go to do so little things and honest, as reason would judge,
but saith : " Let the dead bury the dead; and he that puts his
hand to the plough and looks back, is not meet for the king-
Luke xvii. dom of God." " llemember," he saith, " Lot's wife," how she
for looking back was turned into a pillar of salt. Therefore
there is no excuses admitted in not building God's house,
and that earnestly.
Princes may Yet is not this SO spokcu of the prophet, that it is un-
liave houses ^ i i ^
to their de- lawful for noblcmcn to have costly houses, so it be not above
(Tree, so they ^ . .
Jju'1'1 <^o'i's their degree, nor built with oppressing the poor, or that they
talco not more pleasure and pains in building their own houses
than God's ; but that they should study and take more pains
2 Sam. vii. to bulld God's liouso than their own. For David, Salomon,
and other good kings, had gorgeous houses according to their
estate: but when David had builded him a goodly house, he
sat down, looked on it, and remembered how the ark of God,
and the treasures that God had given them, were but in tents
covered with sackcloth, made of goat's hair ; he was sorry,
Psai. cxxxii. swarc an oath, and made a vow to the God of Jacob, that he
V. Sy 4.] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. 43
would not go into his house nor his bed, and that he would
neither nap nor sleep, nor take rest, imtil he had a place
for the Lord to dwell in, and builded his house. Such a
desire have all good men to the building of God's house
in all ages, that they will prefer God's matters and the
common profit of many afore their own.
But here in this people, as among us also, the rich men
would not, the poor could not; the priests had forgotten the
law, and followed their own fantasies; the unlearned knew
not how to do it; young men were given to pastimes, old
men to greediness, noblemen greedily to get\ and unprofitable
to spend it ; the common sort, as men without guides, fol-
lowed their ovm wills: summer was too hot, and winter was
too cold: so that no sort of men nor time was given to the
building of God's house ; but every man followed his own \\ill,
and either they coidd not, would not, or durst not go about
the building of God's house. Thus we in England, while we
have lien following oiu* own fantasies, and seeking vain ex-
cuses tinder pretence of religion, have destroyed religion; and
in pulling away superstition did seek our own profit and pro-
motion. To pull down abbeys, colleges, chantries, and such
dens of tliieves, we are ready enough, because we hoped to vain excu-
have part of the spoil ourselves ; but to maintain schools and buiwin?
hospitals was not for our profit : to take away masses, idols, ^e not
unpreaching prelates, we diu'st not, sometime for fear of the
king's displeasure, sometime for rebellion or insurrections of
the commons ; otherwhiles, to bear with the weakness of the
people, or for loss of life or goods, or some such like excuse,
we would not.
But Salomon, to pull away all fond, feigned excuses,
teaches divers good lessons and worthy to be noted. To Fearful,
the sluggish fearful man, that fcareth and castcth perils to
do that which God commandeth him, he saith, mocking and Prov. xxii.
relniking him thus : " There is a lion in the way, saith the
slothful man (when he is willed to do his duty), and he .
will worry me if I go :" which is as much to say, Cast no y^x^^
perils in serving God ; go diligently about to do thy duty ; and
God will defend thee, though thou go througli lions, wolves,
bears, bishops, and all wild beasts : and that we should more
[' The first edition reads, noblemen to ambition, and — Ed.]
44
EXPOSITION UPON'
[CH. I.
Prov. xxvi.
Slothful.
f /
6 .
Worldling^s,
Eccles. xi.
Eccles. xi.
TTic g^ospel
is never
without
enemies.
Matt. vi.
boldly do our duties to God without fear of man, St John
in his Revelation, xxi., saw: " The fearful, unbelievers, abomi-
nable, murderers, Sec, shall have their part in the lake that
burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."
To the slothful delicate man, which will not forego his
pleasures, he saith: "As the door is turned in and out upon
the hinges and gins, so is the sluggard rolled about in his
bed from one side to another:" as though he should say. As
the door when it is opened or shut, it stirs in and out, but
it stirs not out of his place, but is on the hinges still ; and
the sluggard that rolls himself from one side of the bed to
another, is a sloven still, and lies slovening in his bed, taking
no pains to do good : so they that be given to any kind of
pleasure, if they stir to any thing, it is so little that it doeth
no good; they roll but from one side to another, from one
pleasure to another, to seek where they may find most ease.
They move as the snail doth, always creeping and never the
further. Unto them that seek excuses, that either they dare
not or cannot, he saith : " He that watches the winds doth
not sow, and he that marks the clouds shall never mow :" as
if he should say, As he that waits for a good wind to sow
in, or whether any clouds arise betokening rain, or there be
none at all but great drought towards, that he may mow,
shall never sow nor mow: for either blows the north wind,
and that is too cold ; or the south, and that is too hot ; or
the east, and that is too dry; or the west, and that is too
wet ; and the wind is ever in one of these comers, and ever
is it drought or clouds like to rain when the wind is so: so
he that waits when he may build God's house, and have the
world with him without displeasure of the rulers, the people,
the clergy, or the laity, shall never do his duty; for ever
the gospel hath some enemies. Therefore he concludes, say-
ing : "Sow thy seed in the morning and in the evening, and
let not thine hand cease ;" meaning, that evening and morn-
ing, early and late, fair weather and foul, with favour or with
displeasure, we should not cease to build God's house. Do
ye not know that God and the world are enemies; and he
that will please the one shall displease the other; and im-
possible it is to please both \ Never look to have the world
to favour thee, when thou goest about to serve God : and if
V. 3, 4.] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. 45
thou wilt seek the friendship of the world, thou shalt he an james iv.
enemy to God. So saith St Paul to Timothy: "Preach the 2 Tim. iv.
word, be earnest, reprove, rebuke in season and out of sea-
son;" spare no time, place, labour, nor person; lay it amongst
them, tell them their duty, let it work as God will. Do
thou thy duty, and as much as in thee lies ; and let God
alone w^ith the rest. God requires nothing of thee but thy
labour : the increase belongs to God alone to give as he thinks
good. St Paul, comparing himself \nth the other apostles, 1 Cor. w.
saith, he " laboured more than any of the rest, and filled all
places and countries with the gospel betwixt Jerusalem and
Ill\Ticum ;'"' but he never tells how many he converted to
the faith, for that is the work of God, and neither he which 1 Cor. iii.
grafts, nor he which waters, is anything, but God which
gives the increase.
And although the scripture require that a preacher, which
is a steward of God's house, must be ware as a serpent
and simple as a dove, and the weakness of our brethren
that have not learned their liberty, must be borne with for
a time ; yet are we not bidden always to do it, nor be
so wise that to please man we displease God. ^Vhen our how far the
Saviour Christ had taught that it was la^^ful to eat all kinds be borne
of meats, at all times, for all men, in all places, the Pha-
risees were angry with him, and his disciples told him of
their anger; but he answered: "Let them alone; they be Matt. xv.
blind guides of the blind : '' he pa.ssed not for the offend-
ing of them, for they might have learned the truth if they
had lust. So must we bear with the weak until they be
taught sufficiently : and if they will not learn, we must not
lose our liberty for their foolishness, but answer them as Christ
did. And as the faithful husband is not bound to the un-icor. vii.
faithful wife, if she will not abide with him ; so is not our
liberty bound to the froward superstitious papists that will
not learn. It is better to offend, says Gregory, than to for-
sake a truth : and Chrysostom* teaches, that when more com-
modity comes by offending than hurt, we must not care for
the offence : but this commodity that he means is not worldly,
[' Aia Ct] Toi/TO, orau fktv \dtj ttoXv to K€^to<: nai Tf/c tov
aKCivcuXov ftxdftrj^ }xu^ov, KaTCKPfjoueT tu)v (rKavca\i(^uLiei'U}v. Contra
eos qui subiutroductas liabent virgiucs. Tom. i. p. 284. Paris. 18.'34. Ed.]
^ ULu^ -f- U-r.- >»»»
46 EXPOSITION UPON [cH. I.
1 cor.viii. ifiii fifodly, and bringing many to Clirist. " I had rather never
eat flesh," saith St Paul, '' than offend my brother :" but that
is spoken for the weak, that have not been sufficiently taught,
and all doubts they can lay, taken away ; but to the stubborn,
sturdy, stiffiiecked papists (which teach that some meats at
some times are unclean and unholy for some men to eat, and
so makes man to serve creatm*es in conscience, that he dare
not handle that over which God made him lord) he never
said so, but contrarily, " Let them alone ; they be blind guides
of the blind/' Like is to be said in marriage of priests, hand-
ling their chalice, corporas^ and such other bm'dens as they
lay not only on the bodies, but miserably on the consciences.
Gal. V. of them wliich will believe them. " Stand in the liberty to
the which ye be called," saith St Paul, " and be not subject
to such yokes and beggarly ceremonies :" let not such Cay-
phas tread you down; but keep your consciences in knowledge
free to use freely all the good creatures of God made for
your use, according to the scripture, with soberness and
thanksgiving.
Thus all the people is chid here for their disobedience,
that they builded not God's house, although they were for-
bidden by the king, or could make like excuses. God sent
them all home to do this work, and required it of them all ;
and yet they were all so far from doing it, that they let it
lie, not only unbuilded, but waste, desert, never regarding it.
All sorts There was work for all sorts of men, the costly pieces for the
in God's rich, tho meaner for the common sort, and the felling of trees,
house to do. . o /» i i • i
carrying mortar, &c. tor the poorest and simplest.
Exod. XXXV. When Moses should make the tabernacle and tent, where-
in they should resort to ser\^e God until the temple was builded,
the rich sort offered gold, silver, brass, iron, silk, and such
like; but the poorest when they came and brought but goats'
hair, it was thankfully taken, and did good service in that
work ; for the uppermost cloth, that covered the tent, was made
thereof to keep away rain and storms. And to the younger
sort, that they should not think themselves unmeet, saith St
1 Tim. iv. Paul, "Let no man despise thy youth;" and generally to every
Rom. xiii. man he saith, " It is now time to rise out of sleep." Bring
[' Corporas: the cloth on which the consecrated wafer was de-
posited. Ed.]
V. 3, 4.] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. 47
SO much to this building as you can ; let no fault be found
in you for lack of good will. God will take in good part
the little ye can do. Let not the simplest think, I am un-
worthy to do such things, God needs not my labour, I am
too vile to serve him ; or it belongs not to me : for he only
is worthy whom God makes worthy, and he only is welcome He that
whom he will vouchsafe to take in good worth. Of ourselves l^^'i^?*}. of
'-' niinselfis
the best man hvino- is unworthy : and the more unworthy that m^etest
o J ^ J afore God
thou thinkest thyself unfeignedly, the more worthy thou art ^o ^"i^^-
afore him. Gedeon, when he was taken from threshing his Judges vi.
corn, and made a captain to deliver God's people, said: "Who
am I, the youngest and least of all my bretlu-en, or what is
my father's house, that his stock afore all the rest should be
taken to this honour f' So said Saul also, taken from the i Sam. ix.
plough following his oxen, and made a king: and as long as
he continued in this lowliness of mind, and did his duty, he
was a good king. So Amos keeping beasts, an herdman, Amos vji.
and pulling mulberries off the trees, when he was called to be
a prophet, wondered that God would call such a simple man
as he was to that high office. So the Virgin Mary, when Luke i.
the angel saluted her, wondered that God would call such a
poor maiden and vu'gin to be the mother of his Son. But
ever he that thinks himself unworthy, God takes him as
worthy ; and those that think so highly of themselves that
they be worthy, God refuses, and makes unworthy. There- Every man
*' *' ' ^ -^ ^ think tins to
fore let every man that feels himself in conscience withdrawn i'? spoken to
•' ^ ^ himself.
from doing his duty to God by any kind of sin, say thus to
himself: Is it time for thee to dehght thyself in tliis or that
kind of sin, and God's house unbuilt I Think that God hath
left this in writing to rebuke him, and stir him up to be
more diligent in repairing his house wherein God dwells.
And let every man comfort himself that God not only re-
quires, but takes in good part, the least service that the
poorest man living can do.
And as he said afore in the second verse, " This people
saith. It is not time to build," &c., noting the unkindncss of
that people, to whom he had so often and long been so loving
a lord and master ; so he saith now, " This house lies waste," J^^.^;; [['V"
to set out before them the greatness of their disobedience; j;Ji;7,;^"J.^Ju
that they did not neglect and leave unbuilt a conunon house, ^^.-^I^'neff.
Iccted.
48 EXPOSITION UPON [cil. I.
a bishop's palace, or an abbey; but that house wherein God
1 Kin?s viii. liiniself said he would dwell, where only they should offer their
sacrifices, which only not out of the whole world, but among
the places, towns, and cities in all Jewry, he chose by name
to be worshipped in ; in which only he was most delighted,
and made promise to Salomon in the dedication of the same,
that he would hear the prayers of them that there called upon
him in faith. That house, they did not only suffer it to de-
cay, but were so forgetful of it that they let it lie waste,
desolate, laid no hand to it, as though it belonged not to
them, nor it were their duty ; they had so far forgotten God,
which willed them so straitly to do it. The Lord for his
mercy sake grant, that the same unkindness may not be laid
justly against us, which leave that house unbuilt, yea, tread
under our feet like filthy swine, wherein not the sacrifices of
Moses are offered, but for the salvation of which Christ of-
fered his body a sacrifice to be killed, and his blood shed,
and in which his Holy Spirit dwells, if through unthankfulness
house ^^'^ drive him not away. This house is the holy church of
Christ generally, and our own bodies and souls particularly,
which be not only members and parts of his mystical body,
but the temple and house where the Holy Ghost dwells, and
wherein he will chiefly be worshipped.
The text. y. 5. And uow thus saith the Lord of hosts: Consider in your
hearts your oimi ways.
6. You have sown much, and brought in hut little ; ye have
eaten, and not been satisfied; ye have drunk, and not
been filled with drink ; ye have been clothed, and not
kept icarm ; ye have lorought for wage, and put your
wages in a purse with a hole in the bottom.
Although ye have lien long without consideration of your
duty toward God and his house building ; and have been
sore punished of God, and not known the cause of it ; and
liave sought your pleasure and profit, but not obtained them,
being so blinded in fulfilling your worldly lusts ; yet now the
mighty Lord of hosts and power, whom all other creatures
(except you) obey, gives you warning now to consider better
in your heart your time past, and not so negligently weigh
V. 5, 6.] THR PROPHET ACGEUS. 49
the working of God with you ; for he hath long punished you
to have had you to amend, and ye reo-ard it not at all. Sin ^ Joi'" >'•
01 itseli IS darkness, and whosoever walks ni sin walks in "^ without
leelins: of
darkness, and knows not what he doeth : and if a man ofive ^^'^ ^"'^ '"s
... ® pla;^ues.
himself to be ruled by sin, it makes of fools madmen, and
darkens so the reason, that it knows not what to do or say.
They had thus many years been plagued, and knew not the
cause why, but laid it on some other chance than not buildinof
God's house, which was the chief cause ; or else, like insen-
sible beasts without the fear of God, regarded it not, as
though it had come of some natural cause, and God had not
plagued their sin. But as his disease is most perilous, which
lies sick and feels not his sickness, nor cannot complain of
one part more than another, (for then the disease hath equally
troubled the whole body ;) so they which lie wallowing in sin,
so forfjettino; God and all o-oodness, that they feel no remorse
of conscience, are desperate and almost past all recovery :
yet God, most mercifully dealing with this people, sends his
prophet to warn them, and stir them out of their sleep, that
there they should no longer so lightly weigh God's displea-
sure towards them, but deeply weigh why and wherefore these
plagues were thus poured upon them. The schoolmaster cor-
rects not his scholar, nor the father his child, but for some
fault, and for their amendment : no more hath God sent these
plagues to you so many years, but to remember you of your
disobedience towards him, and that ye should turn to him.
But if the lewd scholar or unthrifty son do not reojard the
correction laid upon him, nor consider not the greatness of
his fault, nor the displeasure of his father or schoolmaster,
there is no goodness to be hoped for of him : so is it with
you, if ye thus lightly or else not at all consider your life
past, God's dealing with you, and how evil things have pros-
pered with you all the time ye thus have disobeyed God.
'' When the life of man pleases God," says Salomon. " all ^^Y' ""'''
things prosper and go forwards with him :" but when he of-
fends his God, all creatures turn to his hurt and hinderance.
"If thou hear the voice of the Lord thy God," saith Moses, Ueut.xxviii.
"and keep all the commandments which I teach thee, the
Lord will make thee greater than all other people : thou shalt
be blessed in the citv and in the field ; thy children, the fruit
4
[iMLKIXGTOX.]
50
EXPOSITION UPON [cH. I.
of the earth, and all thy cattle, thy sheep and oxen shall be
blessed, and increase : but if thou hear not the voice of the
Lord thy God, and keep his commandments, thou shalt be
cm*sed in the town and in the field; thy children shall be
cursed, and the fmit of the earth, and the fruit of thy cattle,
thy sheep and thy oxen : the Lord will send upon thee need
and trouble and destruction on every thing thou goest about,
until he destroy thee,'' &c. These plagues, when they fall in
any country, are not lightly to be considered.
Scod's^^ But as the physician, seeing in a glass by the water the
Sih^ntfy ^is^^se within the body, by the learning searches out the cause
sea^rched. ^^ *^^^ disease, and ministers good things for the same ; so
in looking in the glass of God's word, the diseases and sins
which are in commonwealths, we shall soon perceive the cause
of these plagues, and wholesomely minister some profitable and
comfortable remedies for the same. God is here so good to his
people, that he makes them judges themselves, and mistrusts
not the cause but, if they would consider it well, it would move
their hard hearts : therefore he sends them not to any strange
judges, but bids them be judges themselves, weigh it well
first, and then judge ; for the thing of itself is so plain that,
if they had not altogether been blind, they should in the midst
of these plagues have perceived God's anger and their own
wickedness, neither of which they had yet worthily considered.
'' Ye have sown much," saith the prophet, " and brought
into your barns but little :" ye have wrought and toiled, ye
have spared no labour, thinking to have enriched yourselves
thereby and filled your barns: but all was in vain, for ye
sought not first to be reconciled with God, which ye ought
to have done, and fulfilled his will and not your own.
Psai. xxiv. u Tjj^ ^^^^ j^ ^jjg Lord's, and all the plenty on it ;" and
it obeys the will of God in serving him, and giving her fruits
to them that love the Lord their God, and not to them which
disobey God, that made and rules both man and the whole
earth. Let the greedy carle think then, that though he be
the owner of the land and field by man's law, yet he is not
the lord and master over him whom the earth will obey in
Our labour bringing forth her fruit. Let him dig, ditch, and delve, weed,
pxrcpt God stone, harrow, plough, sow, mow, clot and roll, root up trees
bless us
and bushes, water, hedge, and water-furrow, or what other
V. 5, 6.] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. 51
thing soever he can devise to make the ground fruitful : yet
there can no fruit grow, nor increase come, but by the gift
and blessing of the living Lord. It is written of king Kaun- Kauntus.
tus^, king of this realm, that as he was standing by the water
side after a great rain, marking how the water did rise, by
leisure so it increased that it met his foot where he stood :
and he being so proud in his heart, that he thought what-
soever he said every thing would obey, straight commanded
the water that it should rise no further, nor wet his master's
feet any more : but when he saw that the water rose still,
and would not obey him, but ran into his shoes, he perceived
his foohshness, and confessed there was another God and
king above him, whom the waters would obey : so shall all
greedy churls well perceive, when they have wrought them-
selves weary, and gotten little, that all increase comes from
the Lord, and not of themselves. For David saith, that pro- Psai. ixxv.
motion comes neither from the east nor the west, but the
Lord is judge. It is not the way to wax rich, to get much,
but to get it rightly; "for it is better," saith David, ^' to Psai.xxxvii.
have a little righteously gotten, than to have the great riches
of sinners:" nor it is not the way to be filled, to gather much
together, but thankfully to take and use tliat little which thou
hast, and be content therewith.
These rich gluttons, which the prophet rebukes here, did
eat and drink so well, so costly, so finely, and so much as
they could devise ; and yet they were never full, but the
more they drank, the dryer they were, and one good feast
provoked another, and their study was how to fill their greedy
stomachs. A drunken man is always dry, according to the
proverb ; and a gluttonous appetite is never filled, but the
more daintily he is fed at one meal, the more desirous is
he at the next. All greedy affections of man's heart are n'o desires
unsatiable, if they be not bridled with the fear of God. And buti.vffrace
the way to rule them is not to follow their lusts and de- it uudtr.
sires, but to keep them under and not let them have their
full desire. The dropsy desires drinlv, and drink increases
it: so evil desires if they be followed, they increase, and in
refraining them they decay. Crescit amor nummi, quantum Ovidius.
ij[>sa 2)ecunia crescit : that is to say, " as thy money increases,
[' Kauntus: Canute. Ed.]
1— 12
52 EXPOSITION UPON [cH. I.
SO does the love of it/' Therefore, if thou wilt have thy
meat to do thee good, and thy drink to slake thy thirst,
take it soberly with thanksgiving at God's hand ; acknow-
ledge it to be the good creature of God, given to nourish
thy necessity, and not to fill thy beastly appetite. So St
1 Cor. X. Paiil saith, " Whether ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye
do, do all to the glory of God:" as though he should ap-
point how much a man should eat and drink ; that is to say,
so much that the mind be not made sluggish by cramming
in meat, or pouring in drink, that it cannot lift up himself
to the praising of God.
Eat not so Therefore he that eateth until his belly ache, or that he
that It make ,. , J ">
thee uniusty he down to slecD that he cannot praise God, which hath
to serve . i i • .
God. fed him ; or he that drinks till his eyes w ater or his tongue
begin to sw'erve, swear, stut or prate, he doeth it not to
the glory of God, which is his duty, nor to the nourishing
of his weak body, which is lawful and necessary: but he
kindles such an unnatural heat in his body, that it stirs up
his appetite to desire more than it should, and is not con-
tent with enough, (and that be called here not to be filled
nor satisfied in eating and drinking ;) or else it overcomes the
stomach, and is undigested, and fills the body full of slug-
gishness, makes it uniusty and unmeet to serve God or man,
not nourishing the body but hurting it, and last of all casts
him into many kinds of incurable diseases and desperate
Lukexvi. deaths. Look the end of the rich glutton in the gospel,
feasting every day with his brethren, and at length cast into
hell fire without hope; but the poor beggar Lazarus, that
A thin diet was content to gather up the crumbs (if he might have had
fear of God them) which fell from the Mutton's table, was carried up by
is better o ' r J
than feast- augcls to the bosom of Abraham to joy without end. Daniel
Dan. i. taken prisoner to Babel, being but a boy, and having a fine
diet and costly meats appointed for him by Nabuchodonozor
the king from his own table, because he was born of the
king's stock, desired his tutor to give him coarse meat, brown
bread, pottage and water: but when his tutor said he durst
not, because the king had given contraiy commandment ; and
if he through eating such coarse meat should not be so well-
liking as his fellows, then the king would be angry with him :
" Well,^ said Daniel, *• prove me but ten days, and if I look
V. 5, 6.] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. 53
not SO well and lusty as my fellows, then I will desire no
more f but God blessed him and his meat, so that he was
so well fed as they which had all dainties, as lusty, as health-
ful and well-likino; as his fellows. For except God bless thv ifGodbiess
p 1 ^ tlieeanrlthy
meat and give it strength to feed thee ; and except God "'^^t, it
* O ^ i skills not
strengthen thy nature to digest thy meat, and thee to take ||"," f^arse
profit of it ; either it shall lie wallowinf): in thy stomach, and ^^^ ^''fl ,
1 o ./ ' cannot feed
thou shalt vomit it up again, or else it shall lie within thy ^•'*^^-
body unprofitable, stinking as in a sink or kennel, and en-
gender infinite diseases within thee. But if God bless thee
and thy meat, though it be never so coarse and thou so
hungry, thou shalt digest it, and it shall feed thee, and make
thee as lusty, as strong, as healthful, as well liking, as he
which is fed with capon, partridge, quail, pheasant, or the
finest dishes he can devise. And as God here by this prophet
^villeth them to consider well in their own hearts whether these
things were true indeed; so God bids us now look ourselves,
and judge whether it be not so amongst us to this day.
Look how many of your poor neighbours eat brown bread,
drink thin drink, have little fiesh, live with milk, butter and
cheese, lie on the straw without mattress or feather-bed ; and
judge yourselves whether they be not more lusty, strong,
healthful, and well-liking than thou, when thou art crammed
full of all dainties which thou can invent or desire. Thus
we may see what it is to eat and drink, and not be filled
therewith, as the prophet saith in this place.
^V'e wonder much at the great miracles of God, when he
changed water into blood and plagued Eg}^pt, when he turned k^oJ- vii.
water into wine at the wedding in Oana of Galilee, and such Joim ii.
other, because they were done but seldom. But surelv to feed Tor^od
^ »' ^ our bodies
our bodies with meat is as great a miracle, if it be well '^ ''^\* "''f^^
^ ' a miracle
considered, as any otlier such thing that God works. What'^''»">-
is more marvellous, than to see the fiesh of the sheep or
ox, beast, fish or fowl, which thou did see yesterday running
in the fields, fiying in the air, or swimming in the water, this
day. to be clianged into thy flesh and blood, and the sub-
stance of thv bodv I We are not nourished onlv witli acci-
dents and quahties of tilings, as smells and tastings ; but
with the substance of that thing which nv(» oat and drink.
Nourishing is defined of the physicians to be a changing of xourishinj.
54 EXPOSITION UPON [CH. I.
the nourishment into the substance of the body ^hich is
nourished. All the works of God, if they be well considered
The com- in thoir own nature, are miracles and above all reason : but
moiiness of _
God's works our dull blindness is so orreat, that because we see them daily,
makes them f-> ' J '
to seem no we reo'ard them not ; and because we be cloyed with them,
miracles, o ' j ^
which of and plenty is no dainty, we consider them not worthily. But
themselves l j j ■> j
^je wonder- surely, if we had these great miracles of God afore our eyes,
as we ought to have, how by his mighty power he changes
the substance of that which we eat and drink into the sub-
stance of our flesh and blood ; we should eat and drink with
more reverence than we do, more diligently thank him that
he would vouchsafe to feed us, and wonder at his mighty
power that he can, and praise his merciful goodness that he
will, work such a miracle so oft, and so wonderful a work
upon such vile worms, greedy gluttons, and unthankful crea-
tures as we be, and sustain our sinful nature by feeding us
so marvellously, and changing the good nature of his other
creatures, which never sinned, and yet are killed for us to
feed us ; changing them, I say, into the substance of our
1 Kings xix. bodies, which can do nothing of themselves but sin. Elias,
fleeing from Jezabel, found a therfe^ cake baked in the ashes,
and a dish full of water at his head, when he waked out of
sleep, and was commanded by the angel to rise and eat, for
he had a long journey to go. And when he had eaten, he
walked in the strength of that bread forty days and forty
nights, eating nothing else. So shall all they which fear the
Lord, as Elias did, in their persecution be able and strong
to do great things by slender meat and drink (as we this
day have proved), God blessing them and their meat, be it
never so coarse and simple : and they that seek to strengthen
themselves by dainty meats, forgetting God, shall not be fill-
ed in eating and drinking, nor have profit of that which
they receive ; but the more they have the more they shall
desire, and never think they have enough, as the prophet
here saith.
Sin reignintf Such is tlic Stinking uaturc of sin, that while it lies lurk-
wiiiiet ing in the heart of man, ruling him, and not ruled of him
nothinj^that , .. ,. r>,i n ,,' o r^ -i
hehatiido bv ffrace, but stuTmo; Jiim to a luiTlier torgettmo; oi God
him good. ^ & ' ^ o o
p Old editions therac. Therf is the word used l^y WicklifFc and
others for unleavened. Ed.^
v.. 5, 6.] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. 55
and his duty ; that it will not let the com grow in the field
and increase, it will not suffer the meat and drink to feed
thee, but it shall go through thee unprofitably as through
a sink (which as it avoids one filth, is ready gaping to re-
ceive more) ; it doth not quench, but rather increase thy
appetite. God will not bless any thing thou goest about ;
thy clothes w^U not keep thee warm, nor thy money will
abide in thy pm-se, but shall waste away, thou not weeting
how nor when, as if there were a hole in the bottom. To
a good man every thing shall serve and prosper ; but to an
evil man nothing shall do good. What a wonderful thing
is this, that the more a man eats and drinks, the more he
shall desire and not be filled ; the more clothes he putteth
on, the colder he is ; yea, if he have never so warm a fire
nor soft feather bed, he shall be more grieved with cold,
than they which fare coarsely, be homely apparelled, and lie
hard ! Let every man judge how true this saying of God
is. These fine fingered rufilers with their sables about their
necks, their fine furred gowns, corked slippers, trimmed bus-
kins, and warm mittens, they chill for cold and tremble when
they come abroad ; they cannot abide the wind to blow on
them ; yea, and always the more tenderly they keep them-
selves, hurting or not helping the poor, by the just punish-
ment of God the more are they pierced with cold themselves:
contrariwise, the labouring man can abide in the field all
the long day, when the north wind blows, with few clothes
on him, and never grieved with cold : he hath his health,
feeds savourly on bro\Mi bread, thin drink, and a poor sup-
per: yea, many poor beggars run from door to door with
few clothes on them and torn, dining with a piece of bread
under a hedge when they can get it, and at night lapping
themselves in a little straw, not once in a week filling their
bellies ; yet they look more lusty, healthful, strong, than thou
which hast thy cieled chamber, furred stomacher, long gown,
and good cheer. And what can be the cause of this, but
that God blessed the one which is content with his poor
kind of life, and thanks God for it, thinking it better than
he is worthy ; and the other, which thinks so highly of him- ^«^«J{>'^''^^
self, that nothing is good enough for him, taking no care «^^:j^'^^^^^^
but how to cherish himself most tenderly, God doth not bless
56 EXPOSITION UPON [cil. I.
him, nor those things on which his pleasure is set ? The
Deut. xxix. IsraeHtes in wilderness desiring flesh had quails great plenty
given them ; but when the meat was in their mouths, the
Exod. xvi. plague fell on them : and after repenting, they were so bless-
ed of God, that their shoes and clothes lasted them forty
years ; and those clothes which the fathers had worn, the
children were content to use afterward. But these tender
pernels^ must have one gown for the day, another for the
night ; one long, another short ; one for winter, another for
summer ; one furred through, another but faced ; one for the
work day, another for the holy day ; one of this colour, and
another of that ; one of cloth, another of silk or damask ;
change of apparel, one afore dinner, another after, one of
Spanish fashion, another Turkey; and to be brief, never con-
tent with enough, but always devising new fashions and
strange: yea, a ruffian will have more in a ruff and his hose
than he should spend in a year. I read of a painter that
would paint every country man in his accustomed apparel,
the Dutch, the Spaniard, the Italian, the Frenchman ; but
^"^ard '^vhen he came to the Englishman, he painted him naked,
and gave him clothe, and bad him make it himself, for he
changed his fashion so often, that he knew not how to make
it: such be our fickle and unstable heads, ever devising and
desiring new toys.
But what? would ye have all apparel alike? There be
divers degrees of authority, and so better apparel for them.
I do not wish all alike, but every one according to his de-
gree. Give a king cloth of gold and silver, a duke velvet and
silk, a marquis satin and damask ; then an earl, a lord, a
baron, a knight, an esquire, a gentleman, a yeoman, accord-
ing to their degrees ; and see whether those shall not be
compelled to go in a russet coat, which now spend as much
on apparel for him and his wife, as his father would have
kept a good house with.
God grant every one might be brought to his degree !
Matt. x. Our Saviour Christ bad his disciples, they should not have
two coats : but we, because we \\ ill be most unlike his scho-
lars, have our presses so full of apparel, that many know
[} Pemels : pimperael, a flower that always *^shuts up its blossoms
before rain." Ed.]
V. 5, 6.] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. 57
not how many sorts and change of raiment they have. We
are in the number of those rich men, to whom St James
saith, " Woe," because they had so great plenty of apparel, '^^"•"^ ^•
that the moths did eat them, and their poor neighbours went
cold and naked, wanting them.
And although those be wonderful and strange kinds of
plagues that God laid upon them for their sins, that neither
the corn nor the fruit of the earth could increase, their meat
would not feed them, nor drink fill them, nor their clothes
keep them warm ; yet this is most marvellous, that the money
which they had in their purses, w^ould not abide with them, but
wasted away, they could not tell how, not profiting them, but
even as though it had fallen out at the bottom of their purses,
or that their purses had been torn so fast, it went from them
as they gat it, they did not thrive by it. But such is the
wisdom of God, that which way we think to enrich our-
selves, displeasing him, the same is turned to our own hurt,
and we be catched in our own snares. A man would think
his money sure enough when it were in his purse : but lay
it where thou wilt, under lock and key, yea, in stone houses evu jrotten
•n 1 M '^ • 1 r* 11 • 11 1 • 1 groods never
if thou Wilt ; II it be wrongiully gotten, or niggardly laid up, thrive.
and not bestowed to relieve the need of other, as occasion
requires, rather than thou shalt enjoy that wicked mammon,
the rust and canker shall eat it, thieves shall steal it, or
fire shall come from heaven, if it cannot some other ways,
and destroy thee and it, rather than thou shalt continue
wealthy contrary to God's will, disobeying him. It is with
money as in corn and other fruits : for as he that sows much,
and that in good ground, reaps much, so he that liberally
bestows much of his truly gotten goods on the needy mem-
bers of Jesus Christ, shall be enriched much of Christ : for
the poor are the good ground that brings thee fortli much
increase bv the blessinn: of God. " I have seen,'' saith Salo- Prov. .\i.
mon, " some give their own goods, and they waxed richer :
other scrape that which is not their own, and are ever in
need,"" So he that will thrive, must first get it righteously,
and after spend it liberally: for that which is evil gotten,
though it be after dealt in alms, displeases God. When
blind father Toby heard a kid blea in his house, he bids
them take heed that it be not stolen. He saith also to his
58 EXPOSITION UPON [CH. I.
Tob. ii. son : " Of thine own substance give alms" (but that which
Tob. iv. is evil gotten, is not thine own), " and if thou have much,
give much ; and if thou have but a little, yet give it will-
ingly." These men whom the prophet here rebukes, did none
of all these things : for neither it was well gotten, nor liber-
ally spent. What marvel was it then, though it fell out of
the purse bottom, and consumed away they wist not how,
nor yet did them any good?
This greediness was so far grown into all sorts of men,
that the poor labouring man, which wrought for his day"'s
wage, was not content to work a true day's work, but would
loiter and be idle, make his work subtle and full of craft
and deceit, have a greater wage than his work was worth.
Jer. vi. It was true now also, that Jeremy complained on in his
time, saying : " From the highest to the lowest, from the
Evil gotten prophet to the priest, all study for covetousness and deceits."
that which But I would wish all such greedy guts to mark this simili-
comeby. tudo of Chrysostom, where he compares a penny evil gotten,
and laid amongst the other silver which is truly come by,
to a worm that lies at the heart of an apple. For as she
first corrupts the heart of the apple, and that once being
rotten, it rots the next piece unto him, and so forth every
piece that which is next unto him, until the whole apple be
rotten (though for a great space it seem on the outside to
be a fair hard apple and sound) ; so that evil gotten penny,
saith Chrysostom, shall infect that which lies next him, and
so forth ever}' one his fellow, until all be wasted. Thus the
plague being general, that all sorts of men were punished,
and nothing did go forward with any kind of men, because
generally all sorts had sinned ; and God requiring generally of
all sorts that his house should be built ; it proves that every
one had a portion to do in the building of God's house, and
that none could be excused from this work.
So we in England all be guilty, all have been punished,
because every sort of men should have laid his helping hand
to the building of God's house, reforming his religion, restoring
and maintaining his gospel, which none or very few have
earnestly done : and therefore all these plagues have fallen
upon us that these people felt, yea, and more too; for all
that would hold fast their profession, either were cast into
V. 5, 6'.] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. 59
the fire or banished. No country has more belly cheer than
we, and we eat as though we were hungr}^ still. None has
more store of apparel, and yet we be a-cold. How our money
has wasted, if I seek but only of the sundry falls of money,
many can remember, and yet feel the smart of it ; though I
trust much good shall follow on it. The Lord for his mercy
open our eyes, that we may see and consider the cause of
these plagues which he hath laid on us so long, and speedily
turn us to amend those faults for which we be punished !
For even from the highest unto the poor labouring man we
have all sinned, and one plagued another : yea, servants have
sought to wax wealthy by great wages taking and little
working : but, as this prophet saith, their wages was put
into a bottomless purse, and they have not thriven by it.
What hath been the end of ambitious and covetous men, from
the hiofhest to the lowest, which never beino; content with
enough desired more ; he which is not blind may see it
more among us than all Christendom.
v. 7. Thus saith the God of hosts : consider in ^our hearts The Text.
your oicn icays.
8. Go up to the h'lll^ and bring home timber^ hu'dd this
Iwiise ; and I will have delight in it. and I tcill he qlo- Tar?, dwell
•^ ' '^ in it with
rijied^ saith the Lord. ^lory
The prophet hath never done enough in beating^ in the
authoritv and majesty of his God that sent him with his com-
mission to his people, and never speaks things in his own
name ; but in the beginning and ending of these short verses
addeth the glorious name of God Jehova, calling him the
Lord of hosts, at whose commandment all creatures be, and
who will arm all his creatures to fight against all such as
either do not build his house and hinder his glory, or else
stop them which would further it. With such words of fear
and power must all stul)born stomachs be pulled down : and
they which will not be overcome by gentleness to do their
duty, must be feared with authority. Thus nmst preachers An oxampie
learn to temper their tongues, never to speak but that winch era.
they find in God's book : and where the people be hanl-
\_} Second edition, beuring. Sec p. 84, repeat and beat in. Ed.]
60 EXPOSITION UPON [cH.
I.
hearted to believe and stiff-necked to hear, they must use
such words of God's majesty and power, which will make
stony hearts to tremble ; and where fear reigns, there to com-
fort and raise them up by the gentle loving mercies of God
offered to the world in his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. And
yet once again he refers them to their own judgment, and
bids them consider in their own hearts their own ways, and
be judges themselves. As if he should say : Hitherto have
ye followed your own desires, and have had no profit in so
doing ; but being sundry wise plagued ye have not considered
it. Nothing that ye have gone about hath prospered with
you : your fruit of the earth hath not increased ; your meat
and drink hath not fed you ; your clothes hath not kept you
warm ; your money wasted in your purse, ye could not tell
how. But now build my house, and mark your o^vn doings
well, whether every thing shall not be blessed and increased
that ye go about. I will be delighted in your building, and
I will shew my glory to the whole world among you, in de-
fending you, and that my house and worship there. I will be
your God, and ye shall be my people, and no enemies shall over-
come you : the earth shall be fruitful unto you ; your meat,
drink, clothes and money shall feed and nourish you. Choose
you whether ye will let my house lie unbuilded still, and still
be plagued ; or ye will repair it diligently, and be blessed.
" Go up to the hill, bring home timber, and build this
house :" these three things God requires of them, and he
promises them two blessings for them ; first, that he will be
delighted in that house building, then that he will shew his
glory amongst them. For these causes, rather than for worldly
profit, they should be more earnestly stirred to do their duty,
when they were certain that they pleased God in so doing.
Ezra iii. The hill that he wills them to go to is Libanus, as appears
in Esdras^ which is not within the bounds of Jewry, but of
Tyrus and Sidon : for there grew the fairest trees of any
1 Kings V. country. From thence had Salomon trees in his time also
for the same building. This figure doth teach us, that as
[^ Esdras: Ezra. It is here and elsewhere quoted l)y the author as
the 1st book of Esdras, according to the practice then in use of calling
the book of Nehemiah the second book of Esdras or Ezra. See the
6th Article of our Church. Ed.]
V. 7, 8.] THE PROPHET ACtGEUS. 61
God''s temple was then builded of trees that grrew amonofst Tiie iieatiien
^ . '^ , , be called to
the heathen people ; so when the full time was comen. Christ's ^^ members
^ ^ , . of Christ's
chm'ch should be builded of the Gentiles and heathen people, church.
when the gospel should be preached through all the world.
And this is comfortable for us, that although we be not born
of Jews, yet we be trees meet to build God^s house on ; and
God wills us to be brought home to him by the preaching
of his word, that we may be partakers of that house, wherein
he will dwell, and be delighted in us, and among whom he
will shew his glory. He bids them climb up the hill, draw
home trees, and build the house ; which all be words of great Tiie painful
- . . , ,. ,. . labour must
labour and pams, and speaks nothing oi the easier sort oi be borne
, . . . , 1 f> • 1 o without
work, as devising, casting the work, iraming the posts, &:c., respect.
but wills them not to refuse the greatest labour that belongs
thereto, and that nothing should be thought painful that God
commands. And he bids them not look for any gi-eat worldly
wealth when they had done, (although God of his goodness
would give them that beside ;) but think this a sufficient re-
ward, that God was pleased in their doings, and would shew
liis glory among them.
This is the greatest reward that we can look for, when
God is delighted with us : and happy is that people to whom
it falls. What have the angels in heaven more, than that
God is delighted to be among them, and shew his glorious
majesty to them 1 Thus in building God's house we may make
of earth heaven, and of men angels. For where God .shews
himself glorious, there is heaven : and we shall be like angels,
delighting ourselves in praising our God ; and God will be
delighted and dwell with us, shewing his glorious majesty to
us, be our God and bless us.
When they had fallen these trees and carried them home,
lest they should turn them to their own u.se, and build their
own houses with them, he saith, " Build this hou.se,'' mean-
ing the house of God and temple which God had eho.sen
iamong all other places, and where only he willed them to
offer their sacrifices. In which we are taught, that we should
not turn to our own pleasure those things which God will
have dedicate to himself and to the building of his house, xecossary
If England had not been so greedy to turn to their own ase jr,)o,iM «re
church goods, which sliould have necessarily been bestowed taken awny.
62 EXPOSITION UPON [cH. I.
to the building of God's house, we should not have felt God's
rod so sharply, but God would have been pleased, and shewed
his glory among us.
But when men would not give lands fast enough to ab-
beys, then the pope, rather than his chaplains should want,
would rob many parishes to feed his monks. God grant that
the gospel may restore that justly, which the pope took wrong-
fully away, and gave them yet a right name of impropria-
tions, because improperly they be taken away, and properly
belong to the parishes. The workman is worthy his hire :
he that serves the gospel, must live of the gospel. There-
fore those impropriations, which take away the preacher's
living, be against the word of God.
But what, doth this belong to us or our time ? doth God
require of us to build him abbeys, nunneries, chantries, &;c.?
SeraUvTs^ No, surcly ; but this was an outward exercise for that gross,
church°or hard-lieartcd people for a time to be exercised in, that they
tSai^^'^' should not build temples to idols ; and teacheth us to build
person. God's Spiritual house, wherein we may offer spiritual sacri-
fices and prayers to him, wherein he is well delighted and
will shew his majesty. This house is now for us to be un-
derstood generally the whole church and company of Christians,
and the body and soul, the heart, mind, or conscience of all
Christians particularly, wherein God dwells by his holy Spirit,
1 Cor. vi. as St Paul saith to the Corinthians : " Do ye not know that
your bodies be the temples of the Holy Ghost," and which
he hath sanctified to be kept holy for himself alone by bap-
tism, and for the which Christ hath died that we might live
by him, whom he hath redeemed with his blood, and washed
clean from all sin, that we should live no more to our own
lusts and desires, but to him that hath redeemed us? It is
Acts vii. written, that God dwells not in temples made with hands, nor
is worshipped with any work of man's hands ; but he is a
John iv. Spirit, an invisible substance, and will be worshipped in spirit
and truth ; not in outward words only of the lips, but with
the deep sighs and groanings of the heart, and the whole
power of the mind, and earnest hearty calling on him in
prayer by faith. And therefore he doth not so much require
of us to build him a house of stone and timber ; but hath
iTim.ii. willed us to pray in all places, and hath taken away that
V. 7, 8.] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. 63
Jewish and popish hoHness, which is thought to ])e more in God is wor-
one place than another. All the earth is the Lord's, and spirit and
he is present in all places, hearing the petitions of them which
call on him in faith.
Therefore those bishops, which think with their conjured
water to make one place more holy than the rest, are no
better than Jews, deceiving the people, and teaching that
only to be holy which they have censed, crossed, oiled, and
breathed upon. For as Christ said to the woman, thinking
one place to be holier to pray in than another, " Woman, John iv.
believe me, the time is come when ye shall worship neither
at Jerusalem nor in this hill ; but the true worshippers
shall worship God in spirit and truth f' so is it now said,
the place makes not the man holy, but the man makes
the place holy; and ye shall not' worship your idols, stocks
and stones, neither at Walsingham, Ipswich, Canterbury nor
Sheen ^; for God chooses not the people for the place sake, 2 Mace. v.
but the place for the people's sake. But if ye be in the
midst of the field, God is as ready to hear your faithful
prayers, as in any abbey or nunnery ; yea, a thousand times
more : for the one place he hates, as defiled with idolatry, and
the other he loves as undefiled and clean. If the good man
lie in prison, tied in chains, or at the stake to be burned for
God\s cause ; that place is holy for the holiness of the man, and
the presence of the Holy Ghost in him, as Tertullian saith.
Yet there should be common places appointed for the common
people to assemble and come together m, to praise our God : i)iayer
^ ^ ° •11 are to be
for where the apostle rebuked them, which would not resort aDiiointed.
'■ , Heb. X.
with the rest of the Christians to make their common prayers
together, to hear his word and receive his sacraments ; it
proves they had some common place to resort to. And where
St Paul requires that all things should be done in a comely 1 Cor. xw.
order, what can be more comely or agreeing to good order,
than to have a time appointed, and a place to resort unto
together, to worship our only God? Nay, how shall they
come together, except place and time be appointed ? How
shall they know when and whither to resort, unappuinted i
[^ The first edition is followed: the second has do worship. Kd.]
Q* An old hamlet of llichnioud, where was formerly a Carthusian
convent. Ed.]
64 EXPOSITION UPON [cH. I.
How can the shepherd teach his sheep, if he have not a
Acts i. xvi. foi^ iq gather them together in ? In the apostles' time, when
the rulers were not christened, they resorted into private
houses and chambers, and by the waterside, to worship their
God ; but when princes became christened, they had churches
appointed for them : yet all these prayers and preachings that
were privily in parlours and by the waterside, were as pleasant
to God (yea, better peradventure, for commonly they came
of a greater and better love and faith) as ours be now. Those
also which then were buried in no hallowed church nor church-
yard, nor christian moulds, as they be called (when it is no
better than other earth, but rather worse, for the conjuring
that bishops use about it) were no worse than they which
Markv. were buried with all solemnity. It appears in the gospel,
Luke vii. by the legion living in graves, the widow's son going to burial,
Heb. xiii. Christ buried without the city, &c., that then they buried not
Burials out in hallowed churchyards by any bishops, but in a several place
tiie yaici. appointed for the same purpose without the city ; which cus-
tom remains to this day in many godly places. As that then
was lawful and no hurt to the dead, so is it now ; and one
place is as holy as another to be buried in, saving that comely
order requires the bodies not to be cast away, because they
were the temples of the Holy Ghost, and shall be glorified at
the last day again, but seemly to be buried, and an honest
place to be kept, several from beasts and unreverent using
Bishops' the same, for the same use. It is popish to believe that which
blessings 11. i t 1 iii i
make not the bishops do tcach ; that place to be more holy than the
places more i • 1 1 \ • 1 i • •
holy, nor rcst which thcv havc hallowed, as they say, with washniff it
God to hear .... / , . " . • ?
us sooner with their coujurcd water, crossings, censings, processions, &c.,
elsewhere, and that God will hear our prayers afore one idol or image
rather than another, or in one abbey, as pleases them to ap-
point him, rather than another. Where it pleases them to
grant many days of pardon, there God must hear their prayers
sooner, and work more miracles : so God is become their
servant, and shall be where they will appoint him. But blessed
be that God our Lord, which by the light of his word doth
confound all such wicked and fond fantasies, as they can de-
vise to fill their bellies and maintain their authority.
Tiif use of Churches be God's school house, the preacher is a school-
master sent from God to teach us his word, we be his scholars,
V. 7, 8.] THE PROPHET AGGEL'S. G')
and thither must resort to learn our lessons and his holy
will, to amend our lives, to make our prayers to him, desiring
mercy for our wickedness past, and beg grace and strength
for that which is to come ; to thank him for all his good-
ness so mercifully poured upon us, to receive his sacraments,
and profess our faith which we have in him. For these causes
must we have churches as common places to resort unto,
and use them with such comeliness as becomes men pro-
fessing Christ, and not to bind anv holiness to this church
or that church, as though it lay in us to make holy or un-
holy when and what we lust : as St Mary's in Cambridge
was holy enough to say mass in for three year space, and
all that would not hear it must be prisoned, although Bucer
was there buried ; but when it pleased the CarnaFs commis-
sioners^ to sav it was not holy, because he lay buried there,
then the heretic must be digged up and burned, or their
masses were worth nothing : all other might lie still, and not
hurt their masses, though they were of his opinion.
The house of God, now for us left to build, is sometime
called in scripture generally the whole company of Christians, God's house
and sometime every particular man; as St Paul teaches Ti- particular,
mothy how to live in the house of God, which is the church iTim. iu.
and congregation of God, the pillar and seat of truth. And
to the Hebrews it is written, ''You be the house of God :" Hei). [iii.c]
particularly also it is said to every man, " Do ye not know i cor. vi.
that your bodies be the temple of the Holy Ghost I and he
that defiles the temple of God, him will God destroy.'' Again:
"Ye be the husbandry of God and the buildincr of God." And ri Cor. iii.
. . 9-]
St Peter .saith, -Ye are built like lively stones for a spiritual i Peter u.
house of God." This spiritual house must be diligently builded
of us ; and the building of this house of wood and stone
among the Jews was a figure of this spiritual house build-
in<T for our days. This is that which St Paul calls so often
edifying or building one another; and that edification which EJifyin?.
he speaks so much of in all his epistles, that is as much to
say as one to stir up another to virtue and godliness. For
[' The commissioners sent down to Cambiitlpe by Cardinal Pole,
anno 1557, to purge it of heresy; hy whose direction the ])ones of
Bucer were dug up from St Mary's Church, and those of Thagius
from St Michael's, and hurned in the market-i)lacc.— For Cmunl see
note p. 77. Kn.]
fn
II I.' I V / 1 T r» X'
60 EXPOSITION UPON' [CH. I.
as the building goes forward and increases by laying to one
stone after another, and one post or tree after another, until
the house be finished ; so we, by going forward daily in the
fear of God and godliness, shall at length be a meet house
The for God to dwell in. This house is the body and soul of
spiritual i-i 'itmi*
house of man, which must be built with daily hearinor Gods word,
God. ...
prayer, mercy, and faith, with godly exercises ; as St Paul
Eph. ii. saith, " Ye be citizens with saints, and of God's house, builded
This house on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets.'' God,
needs con- ^ ^ ^ ^
tinuai re- becausc he would have us always praying and calling: on him
pairins: and „ , . ./ x ^ o o
helps of all for his help, hath so ordered the matter, that this earthly
degrees. ^ ^ ' "^
house of oui-s, wherein he dwells, should always be in build-
ing or repairing; and that we should not be idle, and think
we had done om- duty, but ever desiring him to help for-
ward the building of this his house. If we overcome one
evil affection, straightways rises another ; and after one temp-
tation cometh another ; and the devil never ceases to throw
Psai. cxxvii. down our house. David saith, " Except the Lord build the
house, they labour but in vain which build it."
Let us do all we can therefore, and pray the Lord to
further our w^ork; the rulers with the sw^ord defend the good
and punish the evil; the preachers with the word, the school-
masters by their teaching, the fathers by bringing up their
children, the masters by correction of their servants, the peo-
ple in obeying their heads and neighbourly love : and every
one defend true religion to the uttermost of his power, drive
aw ay the pope and his baggage ; and, as occasion requires,
guide the ignorant, rebuke crooked stomachs, amend faults
in the fear of the Lord, and bring into the right way all
such as run astray, that they may be meet houses for God
to dwell in. Thus hath every man a part in building God's
house : but the greatest portion is left to every man, which
is his own conscience, to amend that he finds amiss in him-
self, because every man knows himself best. Great faults only
do appear unto the world, and by rulers must be punished :
but the privy hid faults which every man knows in himself,
for the most part (for no man knows all that be within him-
self) must Ije corrected within himself, ])y i)rayer, sighing, re-
Psai.xix. pentance, and asking forgiveness. David saith, "Who knowetli
his own faults; Lord, cleanse me from iny privy, hid, and
V. 7, 8.] THE PROPHET AGGELS. 67
secret sins, and spare thy servant from other men's sins."
Thus must every one himself severally, and jointly all together,
climb up to the hills, that is, our lofty minds, and cut down /,y4t/t^j
the ^eevisl). desires of our hearts, though it be painful : and /
also correct the highminded, which are called often in the
scripture hills ; and cut do\\'n the high trees, growing on the
tops of them : that is to sav, to brincj into good order the -^'^ offend-
/ ' . ^''^ must be
high men of the world, which should give good example for f,'J,'j|"f7^*'^
the people to follow, and to punish their faults, and rebuke ^"*^^'-
them as well as the lower sort. They must neither for fear
nor flattery leave them unpunished, nor say that is good which
is evil afore God. For as God hath given one law for all
men, high and low, to live after, and like a righteous judge
will punish all that break it ; so must all indifterently be pu-
nished here (if rulers and ministers do their duty) that break
his laws. God hath given no more lil^erty to sin to the rich
than to the poor, nor hath not willed the one to be punished
and the other to escape ; but generally and indifferently hath
said to all, "That soul which sins it shall die:" and, " In Ezek. xviii.
judgment ye shall regard no person,'' but justly judge that
which is just, neither condemn the poor because he is poor, Exod. xxiii.
nor deliver the rich because he is rich. So must the preacher
tell every man his duty; spare neither high nor low; neither
flatter the rich for rewards, nor fear the mighty for high looks
or bitter words : for when he does his worst, he cannot hurt Matt. x.
thy soul, but a little punish thy body.
These are hard hills to climb, and crooked trees to frame
meet for any work : yet it must be done, and God requires
this of every man's hand, to bring something to the building
of his house, and according to his power.
And if we mark these words well, we shall see our own we are uke
nature set afore us. For as trees growing on the top of
hills have a rough bark, crooked knots, long boughs, and
therefore unmeet for any building, until they be fallen, pilled,
squared, drawn home ; and can do nothing of all these them-
selves : so we, as long as we be wandering in the mountains
and wild woods of this world, being highly minded and in
great wealth or authority above others, as on an hill, we
have fro ward proud minds, and not meet for God's liouse,
until we be made lowlv in our own siufhts, and fall Hat down
to trees.
68 EXPOSITION ri'ox [cii. i.
at Christ's feet, and have the rough bark of our old Adam
pulled off, and our crooked affections cut away, be mortified,
and drawn home by the learning of his word and working of
his Holy Spirit. For that which is high and set by amongst
2Cor. iii. men is abominable afore God; and, as St Paul saith, "We
are not able of ourselves as of ourselves to think a good
thought f' much less then to cast away all this frowardness
of our corrupt nature, until God bring us home, and make
us meet for the building of his house, which he doth by
Rom. X. preaching, as it is written : " How shall they hear without
a preacher ? for faith comes by hearing, and hearing comes
by the word of God ;" and our Saviour Christ saith by St
joh. vi. John: "No man comes to me, except my Father draw him."
As the scripture calls a good man the good tree that brings
forth good fruit, and the evil man the evil tree with evil
fruit ; so the philosopher defines a man to be a tree with
the root upward. For as a man receives at the mouth nou-
rishment for the whole body, and has his head decked with
hair ; so the tree by the root draws nourishing to it, and
decks his boughs with leaves : and as the head of man is
upward, so is the root to the tree, though the unlearned be-
lieve it not. ^lany other things there be wherein they be
like the one the other : but 1 will not stand to rehearse
all.
God grant us such preachers that we may hear, and so
to hear that we may believe, and so to believe that we may
bear good fruit, and be drawn home like good trees, all
frowardness cut off. and we made meet for the building of
God\s house!
God is much Now briefly to consider how God performed his promises,
thefjuiSin^ in being delighted in that house, and shewing them his glory;
13 louse. ^Y^Q ^vhoie history of the ^lachabees and other like do de-
clare and tell the great glory which appeared in them. The
Heiiodorus. king seut Heliodorus to bring him the treasure of the tem-
ple : but Onias the good high priest would not deliver it,
but with his fellows stood still looking for help from God, in
2 Mac. iii. their priestly apparel, according to the law ; and that God was
delighted in their doing, trusting and calling on him, it ap-
peared then : for he shewed his mighty glory in defending
them that maintained his religion, not yielding to tyrants ;
V. 7, S.] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. gg.
and punished Heliodorus for laying violent hands on the
money, which was laid up there for the fatherless and widows.
Likewise Alexander the Great, which conquered all countries Aiexan-icr.
ahout him, after he had gotten Tyrus and Sidon, sent to
Jerusalem for a tribute, thinking it too small a thing, and
not worthy the cost and labour to carry his host thither for
the winning of it, and that they would yield unto him for
a word : yet when the high priest, fearing God more than
him, denied to be his subject and tributary, Alexander came
with all his power, purposing to have destroyed all ; but the
priests meeting him in their priestly apparel, not to %ht,
but to see how God would defend his people, Alexander
lighted off his horse, worshipped the high-priest \ and con-
fessed him to be the only God whose priest he was, and
that in his country, afore he came forth, he saw a like vision
biddinLC him do no wroncj to such men : and afterwards he
granted them ureat libertv, and did them no harm.
But most wonderfully this glory appeared, that ^^•here every
man must go thrice a year to Jerusalem to worship and sa-
crifice, God promised and performed it, that he would defend
their land until they came again. Their land was compassed
round with their enemies; they left none at home but women
and children ; yet God was so well delighted in this their doing,
that as long as they did it, they prospered, and no enemies
durst invade their land, while they were worshipping God :
but when they did it not, they were overcome, and lost their
land. If all men in England should go thrice in the year
to London, leaving none at home but women and children,
[' Joseplius's account states tliat he worshipped the name of God
inscrihed on the high priest's mitic :
O yap A\€^avopo<:, en iropowdev iccov to fj^ev 7r,\i;^o? eu tcu?
AeuKa?<? errurjaif tov^ ce /fDe?? TrooecrwrcK? €i/ TaT*; f3v<Ta'iuai': avTiov,
rov Ce aff^iepea ev rrj vaKivdivtj kuj cta-^pvaio aroXt], kui tTrl t»/?
KCipciXtj^ 'f^ovTa rt]v Ktcapiv Ka\ to ■^pvrrovv Itt uvTt]<i eXaar/ia, to
TO Tov Qeov eyeypaTT-ro ovoixa, irpoaeXduiv fuu'o^ TrpocrCKvit](r€ to
uvofia, Kai Tou cipyiepea TrncuroT t](nrda(iTo. * » «
Then after the account of Alexander's dream the narrative proceeds:
l\.cn (tucXdoiv eir) to lepov Ovei fiiv tm Oco Kftra t>/i' tou up-
"^icpeuf; viptjyfjcriu, avTov ce tou apyicpea kui t<»i;<- icpi<.< (i^ioirpL-
TTtax; eTifkr]<Te, — Autifi. Jud. Lib. xi. cap. t>. Ed.]
70 EXPOSITION UPOX [CH. I.
as they did to Jerusalem, and tarry there eight days (for
so long continued their feast), we would think the Scots
and all round ahout us would invade our country : but if we
were as earnest in religion as they were, God would defend
us as he did them, and no enemy should hurt us. When
we kept religion, we won Bullen^: when we fell from it,
we lost Calais.
But the great glory of all was shewed in this temple, and
God declared himself to be well delighted in it, first when our
Luke ii. Saviour Christ came and sat disputing with the doctors in it,
healed the sick, preached the will of his Father, and drove
out the buyers and sellers : after also, when the apostles did
Acts viii. the like : and when the eunuch of queen Candace, moved with
the glory of God and that temple, came so far off to worship
there : which all and other like do declare sufficiently, what
opinion of God's glory was there commonly judged to be.
And how God is now delighted with our assemblies, when we
come to pray unto him, and hear his word, Saint Paul teaches,
1 Cor. xiv. saying, "If ye speak in a strange tongue, and an unlearned
man come in amongst you, he will say ye are mad : but if ye
expound that which is read, he is rebuked of all, and he will
fall down, worship God, and say God is amongst you." Such
an earnest defender of his glory is God, that he will give it
to no other : and so loves he building of this his house, that
Matt, xviii. if there be but two or three gathered in his name with fear
and reverence of his majesty, seeking his glory and not their
own, he will be amongst them.
How God hath been delighted in all ages in the building
of this his spiritual house by the preaching of his gospel,
the glorious deaths of all his holy martyrs from time to time
do declare : but now lately in England, by the cruel perse-
cution of the bloody bishops for the maintaining of their
wealth, their idolatry, and their antichrist the pope, whose
hangmen they were, we all have seen it, yea, and all good
[} Bullcn, i.e. Boulogne. It was ceded to the English in the year
1540, as a security for the money which the French king stipulated
to pay to Henry VIII. in the treaty of peace then concluded. Calais
was taken from the English in Mary's reign, in 1558, after having been
in their possession two hundred years. The mortification occasioned
by this loss is supposed to have hastened the Queen's death. Ed.]
V. 7, 8.] THE PROPHET AGGEU3. 7X
consciences hath abhorred their madness in burning the inno-
cents, pulHng up the dead, and have praised God for strength-
ening his poor creatures against all their mad rages and
furious rebelhng against God and man. The Almighty God
grant us like grace, strength, and boldness, to offer our bodies
to death without fear for the building of God's house, rather
than to see it lie waste and trodden under feet ! What Most hap.
/, /^i • • 1 1 • • • 1 • Pin^^s is to
greater comiort can any Christians have, than in ffivms: their have God
f T 11.. 1 1 Ml- .. 1 • 1 , , delighted in
bodies to death tor the buildinfr oi this house, when he "s, though
1 n 1 1 • 1 T 1 1 • 1 • 1 • ^^^ suffer
hears God say that he is delighted in their so doing, and death for it.
that he will shew his glory in them ? What greater promo-
tion can a man come to, than to be one such instrument
wherein God will be delighted and shew his glory I Death
of the body is grievous to the flesh, but death of the soul
is a thousand times more fearful to a good man : the one is
a little painful for a time, the other hath grief without end.
Therefore Christ saith, " Fear not them ^^■hich kill the body, Matt. x.
and cannot hurt the soul ; but fear him which can cast both
body and soul into hell-fire.'' Such an earnest love should
we have to the building of God's house, both the hearers
and teachers, both to build and be builded by all means
possible, because he is so well delighted in it; that we should
fear neither loss of goods, nor yet death of body, no, nor
displeasure of man, so that we may please God, and have
him delighted in our doings. To please man is but a small
thing; but to please God is the greatest good thing that can
be. " He that honours me," saith God, "I wiU glorify him;" i Sam. ii.
and " he that confesseth me before men, I will confess him Matt. x.
before my Father : and he that is ashamed of me, I will be
ashamed of him ; and he that denies me before men, I will
deny him before my Father in heaven."
V. 9. Ye have lool:ed for mucli^ and behold it is but little; ?/<? The Text.
have brought it into the house, and I have bloicen on it.
And tch^ so? saith the Lord of hosts: because this is
my house which lieth icaste^ and ye run every one to his
oicn house.
The chiefest reasons to persuade an evil man to leave The ovii
any wicked ways, be to set before him, and often to put moved with
• . *^ ' • 1 I • threaten-
liim in remembrance, how God hath been angry with luni, injjs.
72
KX POSITION UPON
[CH. I.
Behold.
when he did sucli things, and punished him as long as he
lay in such forgetting of* his Lord God ; and also to threaten
liim with greater plagues, if he do continue in them still.
Both these kinds of counsel doth the prophet here use, to
stir them up to building of this house of God. He both
sundry times calls to their remembrance the great plagues,
which they suffered oft and long aforetime for not building
God's house ; and also bids them not think that all their
sorrow was at an end, but more and greater scourges was
hanging over their heads, if they would not build his house
earnestly : and if they ceased not to sin, God would not cease
to punish them ; and if they continued still not regarding the
building of his house, God would continue still increasing
his curses on them. Ye have been greedy desiring much,
saith the prophet ; ye have scraped and scratched together
all ye could lay your hands on; ye have spent your money
and wrought yourselves weary, thinking to enrich yourselves
by such means ; but behold and mark it well, and it is come
but to little.
"Where the scripture uses to say, " Behold,"*"* there it
tells some notable strange thing, as this is here ; that their
labour wasted away unprofitably, they could not tell how.
That way whereby all other wax wealthy, hath done you
no good ; and those means which God uses to work by
in other and bless them, in you it hath not gone forwards
according to your expectation and looking for: yea, and that
which is most marvellous, your corn and other fruits hath
not only not increased in the field, but when it hath been
brought into the barns, it hath consumed there, you could
not tell how. A man would think his corn were sure enough
when it is in the barn ; (for whilst it is in the field, it is
subject to many dangers, as blasting, mildews, frost-biting,
thunder-beating, laid with a rain, or shaken with the wind,
stolen or eaten with beasts, &c.), but even in your barns.
No strength saith God, I havc bio wen on it. It is as easy for me (saith
God) to waste it in the house, as in the field : for if I but
blow on it, it is not able to stand in my sight. And as
afore he said, their money fell out of the purse bottoni, so
now in their liouses their fruits were not sure. No, lock it
up in stone houses, if ye will ; it is as easy for God to con-
can put
away the
plairue of
God.
V. f\] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. 7o
suine it there, as to blow a blast with his mouth : yea, no-
thing shall withstand him, whatsoever ye devise, but he v.ill
take it from you : ye shall not have your pleasure by dis-
pleasing God, nor anything shall prosper with you, until ye
build him his house ; that is to say, maintain his pure re-
ligion, defend his honour, forsake your vain pleasures, and
refrain your greedy covetousness. The defending of true re-
ligion with a good and godly life is now the true building of
God's house, now commanded unto us : and that man, city, g^-i's
or country, which doth not build this house so, hath and
shall have the like plagues fall on them, until they earnestly
build this house of the Lord's. For as a king is stablished
in his kingdom, when liis godly laws are taught and kept;
and that realm is strongly builded and blessed of God, where
good order is maintained : so is God's church and congrega-
tion well and surely builded, where God's word and religion
is purely taught, sin punished, and virtue embraced. God can
no more suffer his laws to be contemned or his honoiu- given
to idols, than kings can suffer their kingdoms to be betrayed
to their enemies. For as in the whole historv of the Jews' False rrii-
* 7-. -ion is llie
commonwealth, in the book of the Judges and the Kinfjs, common
'^ . cause of
while the people lived in tlie foar of the Lord, kept his re- piajucs.
ligion given them from God, they were defended by God from
all enemies round about them, were they never so many and
so strong ; but when they would worship God, either as
they lust themselves, or not at all, or else as he did not ap-
point them, then they were given into the hand of the Phi-
listines, Ammonites, Chaldees, Egyptians, &c., sometime for
the space of forty years, sometime eighteen, sometime seventy,
and when they were least, three years : so shall all they
that build not, or pull down God's true religion, and set
up the pope's, taught by man and not of God, likewise be
punished, or worse, either with hunger, pestilence, sword, or
blind ignorance, not knowing God, and be given up to their
own lusts, without remorse of conscience or any fear of God,
which is the greatest plague that can be.
Mark out of our own chronicles what was the estate of
this our roahn, when we were made tributaries to the Ro- Romans,
mans by Julius Cicsar, and so continued 400 years and more;
or afterward, when the Saxons divided this realm into seven saxous.
74
EXPOSITION UPON
[CH. I.
kingdoms, drove out all or most and best of the Englisli-
xornians. nien, and ruled as long; or when AVilliam Conqueror sub-
dued all to himself at his pleasure : and ye shall find that
the same wickedness reigned then, that was now like to have
made us slaves to the pope and strangers. The rulers were
ambitious dissemblei*s, the bishops lordly and unpreaching
prelates, the people covetous, God's word unknown, and in
no degree of men was there any truth. Thus for our sinful
disobeying of God, not defending his true rehgion, have we
been given into the hands of all countries round about us ; to
the Romans and Normans from the south, to the Saxons
from the east, to the Danes and Scots from the north : what
danger was of late from the west\ he that would not see
should have felt, if God had not holpen in time.
And lest they should think these plagues to be laid on
them for some other causes, the prophet tells them in God's
name here, what was the cause of all these sorrows, and should
provoke also these other which follow to be poured on them,
if they did not 'amend. " Because this my house,'' saith God,
"lies waste," unbuilded, not regarded of you, "and ye run
every one into his own house," seeking his own pleasure and
profit. God will not suffer his honour to be given to any
other, or any other (no, not ourselves) to be preferred be-
Matt. xxii. fore him. The lawyer in the gospel asking our Master Christ,
which was the first and greatest commandment, when he heard
this answer, " Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all
thy heart, with all thy mind, with all thy soul, and with all
thy strength ;" he did allow it, and said that w^as the chiefest
indeed : and shall we christian men think other things to be
preferred before God's will, or our own desires to be more
False reii- lovcd and morc earnestly fulfilled than God's 2 Nay, mark
caused all what great plagues fell on any country ; and we shall see
to be and find this to be true in all ages, that forgetting God's
true religion hath pulled God's anger always most grievously
upon the people. AVhat causes the Jews at this day to be
driven out of their country, their city and temple utterly
destroved, and they themselves abhorred of all men, but de-
nying Christ to be their Saviour, and not receiving his gospel
[' The allusion seems to he to the troul>les in Irel.and, excited at
tlic beginning of Elizabeth's reign by O'Ncil and his followers. Ed.]
V, Q.~\ THE PROPHET AGGEUS. 75
nor building his house? What causes most part of those
people to whom St Paul wrote his epistles, which we have
to this day, and many other countries too, among whom the
other apostles preached, to be given up now into the Turks'
and heathen's hands, but that they fell from their faith,
which they first received by the apostles' preaching, and for-
saked their christian rehgion? What caused those grievous
plagues in Egypt, but that Pharao would not let the people e\o(1. viii.
worship God, as Moses sent from God did will him ? What
caused Nabuchodmiozor of a mighty king to be made a vile Dan. iv.
beast, and eat hay as oxen do, but that he would not know
God and his own wickedness, and set up idols, and killed
them which would not worship them ? What caused the chil-
dren of Israel to have such wealth for the most part under
David, Salomon, Josaphat, Ezechias, and Josias, which were
good kings and restored religion ; and other times to be plagued
under Jeroboam, Athalia, Achab, Manasses, and other wicked
kings, of whom it is so oft written, and of every king in
Israel, that they walked in the way of Jeroboam, maintain-
ing idolatry ? Nothing surely, but the good kings defended
God's true religion, set forth his word, builded his house,
and God blessed them therefore : the other pulled it down,
set up idols, persecuted his prophets, burned or hid up his
scriptures and holy word, following their own fantasies and
the teachings of the false prophets and preachers, and God
plagued them therefore.
And if ye mark the history of the pope and Mahomet, ^rahomct
ve shall find that at the same time that the pope in the pope hPEran
west part oi the world beo^an to get authoritv over kmo;s rity at one
1 • 1 ? 1 • • • * 1 , ^ time.
and countries, to set abroad his superstition, and the people
received it, forsakinnr God's relio^ion, Mahomet then beG:an in
the east part to grow in authority, and conquer countries,
and hath evermore so done since that time, because the people
fell from true relisrion : and the more that countries have
fallen to following of superstition and forsaking Christ, his
word and religion, the stronger waxed the Turk and pope,
as (rod's plagues to punish us, and be like to do every day
more and more, until they be driven out of God's church,
and Christ's word, religion, and sacraments, be restored to
their simplicity, as Christ did ordain tlicni.
G
EXPOSITION- ri'OX
en. I.
Gregory.
He that de-
sires to l)C
above all
bisliops is
antichrist.
Tlie bishop
of Uome is
pranteil to
be above
all other
bishops.
[John viii.
44.]
When (aregory^ the first pope of that name, liad denied
John archbishop of Constantinople, striving with him afore
the emperor Mauritins, that Constantinople should be the chief
church, and that the bishop there should be the chiefest bishop,
in authority above all other bishops, and said that whosoever
desired that blasphemous name or authority, was the fore-
runner of antichrist ; Phocas", the next emperor following,
granted by much suit Boniface the Third, about the year of
our Lord 607, that the bishop of Rome should be the chiefest
bishop of all other ; and therefore is he the blasphemous fore-
runner of antichrist, as Gregory said full well. It was a
worthy grant of such a wicked emperor, to set up a bishop
like himself. Phocas murdered his lord and master, Maurice
the emperor, killed his wife and children in his own sight,
and made himself emperor. Afterward he made Boniface the
pope head bishop over all, and in Rome the chief. Thus
our holy father gat his supremacy by a wicked emperor, and
not from Peter, as he says; but one thief set up another.
Peter, Acts iii. says, "Gold and silver I have none:" but
the pope says, as the devil said to Christ Avhen he tempted
him, and shewed him all the kingdoms and riches of the earth,
" All these are mine, and I give them to whom I lust ; I
will give thee them, if thou wilt fall down and worship
me." So says the pope : but he lies, as his father the devil
did.
This thing once granted, the twelfth year of Heraclius,
the next emperor after Phocas, Mahomet the great prophet
[• Ego aiitem fidentcr dico, quia quisquis se iiniversalem saccrdotem
vocat, vcl vocari desiderat, in clatione sua antichristum pra'currit, quia
superbicndo se ceteris praeponit. Gregor. Registr. Epist. Lib. vii. Ind.
XV. Ej). 3.3. ed. Bencd. Paris. 1705.
Sed absit a cordiljus cliristianis nomcn istud blasphemisDj in quo
omnium saccrdotum lionor adimitur, dum ab uno dementer arrogatur.
Id. Lib. V. Ind. xiii. Ep. 20. En.]
[- "('ujus rei causa factum est, ut cum ex more litteras ad eum
Pliocas impcrator scriberct, in odium Cyriaci Constantinopolitani pa-
triarchip professus sit Romanum pontificem esse dicendum oecumenicum,
nempc universalem, episcopum, Constantinopolitanum nequaquam: id
quidem ipsum Bonifacium al) eo ol)tinuisso. Anastasius his verbis tes-
tatiir. 'Flic/ inquit, S)btiiiuit apud Phocam, ^c.'" Baronii Annales
Ecclcs. Tom. viii. p. 200. En.]
V. g.l THE PROPHET AGGEFS. 77
of the Turks invaded Christendom the year of the Lord 623,
Honorius being pope, and ahnost drove the emperor out of
his empire, and made him glad with money to buy peace
unhonourablv. And since that time the Turk hath ^rown
bigger and bigger in the east countries, subduing all to him-
self, but the emperor weaker and weaker ; and the pope hath
taken from him most part of his empire, and rules in the
west parts, and is emperor indeed, the other having only the
name of an emperor.
The rehgion and authority of Mahomet, the Turks' great
prophet, and the pope's religion, or rather superstition, and
supremacy, began thus in one age within sixteen years to-
gether : and as it were dividing the whole world betwixt them,
the one in the east, the other in the west, have waxen great
rulers, that a man could scarce tell whether was the mightier,
as just scourges sent of God to punish the world for not
maintaining his word. But now the pope's wickedness and
subtilty by God's word being declared and opened to the world,
his power waxes less, and the Turk's power increases, because
he keeps his people in ignorance : so that if God's mercy be
not much more than our deservings, it is to be feared that
he shall overcome Christendom. For the cold slackness of the
people and princes to build God's house and true religion will
care for no religion at all, if they may not have the old dirty
dregs of popery. So God gives up unto all blindness them
that forsake his light ; and forsakes them that forsalce him
and cast him off.
But many would have not lonii: affo said. What need we
to fear these plagues I are not we come home again to our
holy father the pope, and to our holy mother the church ? is
not our old little God come home again to us? have we not
our altars, copes, masses, and trentals, that will bring us
through purgatory for a little money, how wickedly soever we
had lived ? Our holy father the pope by his legate the cardinal camai fooi"
or by his pardons will absolve us a 2)(£na et culpa, that is, from pope's
all punishment, from sin, yea. and from all fault or guiltiness
of sin, and give us as many days and years of pardon as we
P Carnal fool: a play upon the name, Cardinal Pole.— In other
places in this work the old editions have Carnal, lor Cardinal. See
p. 05. Ed.]
78 EXPOSITION UPON [
CH. I.
list. What should grieve our conscience, having thus many
ways to heaven? Are not we much better than our holy
brethren, which will none of all these to save them, but only
Christ, and think him only sufficient for the sins of the whole
world? Is not this house well builded, that hath so many
strong pillars ? Can God be angry with us, that have bought
and brought him so many things into the church to delight
him withal? We have gilded many goodly images, pleasant
to look at and delight the eyes: if he will have any mirth,
we have goodly singing and striving who can fet^ the highest
note : we have sweet organs for the ear, and sweet frankin-
cense for the nose : what would God have more ? Were not
the churches before like barns, bare and naked ; and now are
they trim, that any God would dwell in them?
Have we not done God good service, trow ye ? No, surely ;
Acts vii. for God dwells not in temples made with hands of wood and
stone, but in the heart of man : nor yet is worshipped with
man's inventions, but as he willed and taught himself. And
this is it that pulls all these plagues on our heads. For as
the Jew is most stiff in his religion, so the Turk defends
his by might and power; the pope maintains his with fire
and faggot ; the Anabaptist, Arian, and libertine, are as busy
in corners to turn many unto them : and yet all these be
enemies to Christ, seeking to serve God another way than
he taught them, and to save themselves by some other means,
than by only faith in him which was sent to teach us his
Matt. xi. Father's will (which none knew but only he, and they to
whom he hath taught it), and to save them all which shall
be saved ; so these and all other which build their religion
other ways than God appointed, are traitors unto him, and
procure his vengeance. For "he that is not with me," saith
Christ, " is against me ; and he that gathereth not with me,
scatters abroad ."*'
No reiiarion Moscs, when he was in the hill with God, had the fashion
is to be had «,, ii it i • ^•^
but that of the tabernacle and tent shewed unto him, like unto the
AvhichChrist ^ -, ^^^ i t • i
tausrht. which God Willed him to make another, where the people
lixod. XXV. , . , . '11 1 •! T 1
should resort to worship him, until the temple was builded
by Salomon. And lest he should devise any thing of his own
head, or invent another fashion, God gives him warning, say-
[1 Fet: i.e. fetch. Ed.]
V. 9-] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. 79
ing, " See that thou make it like unto that fashion whicli
was shewed thee in the hill ;'' devise nothing of thyself,
neither put to, take away, nor change any thing ; but only
content thyself with that which I shewed thee. This is so
notable a lesson, that it is repeated in the seventh of the
Acts, and the eighth to the Hebrews, because it should be
kept in memory, and diligently observed of all men in all
ages ; that they should not be curious in devising a new way
to serve God of their own imagination, but submit their wit
to God's wisdom, and be content with that which he hath
appointed : for that only is good, and all inventions of man
(as they be of man) displease him. Likewise David, when
he would have builded God a house to have been worshipped
in, God appeared unto him and told him he should not do
it, but Salomon his son should build it. God shewed him
also the fashion that he should build it after, (which fashion
David taught Salomon, and prepared all metals necessary to
do it withal in his life time,) lest they should have devised
some fashion of their own : as man's brain is never content
to be ruled by God's wisdom, but pleases himself in his own
inventions better than in that which God teaches him. And
this temple also that the prophet speaks of here, which they
were sent home to build by King Cyrus (whose mind God ^"^ ^''•
moved to restore them to their country, and so liljerally to
help them to the building of so costly a work), is appointed
to them by commission, how broad, wide, long, high, and
thick it should be, as it was unto Salomon before. If none
of these, Moses, David, Salomon, Esdras, nor none of the
people, might build these temples and houses of wood and
stone, so high, ^v^de, long, thick, broad, or any other fashion,
as they lust themselves, but must follow (and are straitly
charged often and sundry times so to do) that pattern, cop}',
example, and fashion, precisely, wliich God appointed them ;
much less in this spiritual house of God's building, which
is cliiefly by the preaching of his word, may we de\ise any-
thing of ourselves, but exactly follow that which God hath
taught us, and content ourselves therewith; thinking that most
sufficient learning, able to save our souls, most true and holy,
and all other to be dreams, lies, fantasies, and vanity, in
comparison of this. ''- The law of the Lord," saith David, Psai.xix.xii.
80 EXPOSITION UPON [cH. I.
" is pure, turning souls : the witness of the Lord is true,
and gives wisdom to little ones," &c. And again : " The
words of the Lord are pure as silver, which is tried seven
times.""
But how many ways hath the pope devised to build his
house and authority, that a man may choose which him lust
to follow, so that he follow not Christ ! For (saith he in
his heart) every one is as good or better than that which
The pope Christ ordained. This to be true a man may easily prove
laws better him to think ; because he persuades men to follow his de-
christ's. vices, and persecutes them that love Christ and his word,
or will not believe him and his doings to be above the scrip-
ture : all these things he would not do, except he thought
his ways the better. How many orders of monks, friars, nuns,
canons, hermits, pilgrimages, pardons, relics, saints, masses,
holy water, hath he set in his church (which all the scrip-
ture casts away as nought, because they be not taught us
by God, but invented by the pope) for his vantage and vain
Papists (lif- glory ! AMiat diversity is among them (although they charge
themselves the Qrospcllers with that falselv), when thev put their holiness
ill opinions . . *' i • i •
of holiest 111 then* coats; and some say a white cowl is more holv, some
things. -^ n '
say a black, another sort a grey ! Some say mass of requiem
is best ; other say, of scala c(rU : some, of the five wounds ;
some, of our Lady. Some pray to one saint, as more in
God's favour, and some to other. Some use Trinity knots,
and other St Katharine's. Some have St Tronion's fast, other
our Lady's, and many the golden Fridays. In the schools
some hold of St Thomas, some of Duns, and other of Ga-
briel, or Bacon'. Some hold of Francis in religion; some of
Dominick, some of Augustine ; but the holiest was St Benet^:
for, as Fasciculus temporiun says, he was so holy that he
brought to heaven friars 5555, popes 24, cardinals 2000,
archbishops 7000, bishops 15000, deans 5000, abbots 74,
beside many nuns and holy sisters and priests. 0 holy St
\} Of these distinguished leaders in scholastic tlieology the first,
Tliomas Aquinas (of Aquino) flourished about 1260; John Duns
Scotus, 1300; Gabriel JJiel, 1480; and Roger Bacon, 1270. Ed.]
[- St Benct : or Benedict, founder of the order of Benedictine monks,
as the three immediately preceding were respectively of the Franciscan,
Dominican, and Augustine religious orders. En."]
V. 9-] THE PROPHET AGGEI'S. 81
Benet, that was more holy than so many popes, friars, car-
dinals, k;c. ! and >vretched popes, that can bring other to
heaven, and not themselves ! Some priests say matins, mass,
&c.^ after York's use, some of Sarum, some Bangor, and
other of common sanctorum. But never one seeks Christ as
he should according to the scripture.
Thev have made them schoolmasters, whom thev will Christ is the
follow, of then* own devismo: ; whereas God the Father hath 'naster of
'-' his scho-
appointed his Son Christ, and said, '' This is my well beloved '^rs, and
'^ '■ ^ ^ ♦' the papists
Son, in whom I am well delighted : hear him/' And he is ^?^^^ "^^ '^^
~ themselves.
that prophet of whom Moses wrote, saving: : " The Lord vour ,\*^"- ^^ih
, , ' . o » Deut. xviu.
God will raise a prophet from among your brethren, like unto
me : him sliall ye hear ; and that soul which will not hear Acts iii.
him, shall perish."" He is the wisdom of God the Father, i cor. i.
by whom he hath shewed his mercy and power to the whole
world, and by whom he hath confounded the mighty and
wise of the world : and he is God without beginning. These
other which they call saints, or rather make them their gods,
are found of late, and it is not many years since they lived.
It is not since Francis, Augustine, and Dominick lived, much Francis.
, ^ . Dominick.
above 800 yeai-s : and if those be the pillars of God's church
now, how did it stand afore their days ? If these be the means
to bring us to heaven now, how do they that died before
that these men were born and known I God witnesses of -^poc- xi>'-
his Son Christ, that he is the Lamb which was slain from
the beginning of the world, and that by his death the sins
of the whole world are forgiven, and that whatsoever we ask John wi.
him in his name he will give us.
We have no such promise made us in any other crea- Saivatica
r _ •' only by
ture : and therefore if we ask any thing in their names, God curist.
needs not to give it us ; for he hath not bound himself by
any promise, as he hath to his Son Christ. God hath not
found a new way of late for us to be saved by, but hath
appointed one means for all ages, by which only we shall
plea.se him : that is, the merits and death of his dear Son,
[^ The second edition reads, nmffs, and after — in the first the passn,c:e
is wanting. Tlie &c, may easily have been mistaken tor <S: {and). —
The sentence refers to the different forms of service used in different
cathedrals. Ed.]
6
[PILKINGTON'.]
82 EXPOSITION UPON [cH. I.
Christ Jesus our Lord. He is the strong rock, upon wliom
what house soever is builded, shall stand : all other be builded
on the sand, and therefore shall fall.
Spint! ' Therefore, England, how canst thou escape the great
plagues written in this book, that had banished the word of
God, that the people might not have it nor read it? The
sheep heard not the voice of the true Shepherd, but the
strange language of wolves, hirelings and thieves : yea, thou
wast come to such a shamelessness and hatred of God's word,
that thou could not suffer the clear light of the gospel to
shine, nor the shrill trumpet of God's most holy word to
sound in thine ears, which would confound all such enemies
of God to have any place at all in thee. Mark well, En-
gland, in how miserable an estate thou wast, that thou mightest
not hear God speak to thee by his Avord, nor believe what
he teaches thee, but whatsoever pleases the pope to com-
mand thee, or the parliament to decree. What are those
bishops worthy to have, which in one year space confirmed
the preaching of the gospel of Christ and pure ministring of
God's sacraments ; and the same men within the same year,
with the same impudent mouths and blasphemous tongues,
brought in the pope, set up idols, banished Christ and his
holy supper appointed for all men that will to receive it to-
gether, took away his holy gospel and sacraments ; and placed
by their authority the mass for one shaveling to eat up all,
and bless the people with the empty chalice, and burned his
preachers to fill their bellies? Moses commanded such blas-
phemers of God's name to be stoned : and yet they bear the
name and title of ministers in Christ's church !
If the Jews deserved all these vengeances, because they
did not build God's house, what had thou, 0 England, de-
served in this defacing and pulling it down ; and hast thus
changed God's house into a den of thieves, and made it the
pope's market place, to buy and sell heaven, hell, and pur-
gatory, to deceive christian souls, and deface the death and
passion of om* Saviour Christ? Thou didst set up idols to
be worshipped, and sought help at stocks and stones. There-
fore how much need hast thou to pray unto God, that he
would give thee good rulers ! for thou must believe as they
V. 9-] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. 83
do : and if they love not God, thou shalt not^ hear him speak
unto thee by liis word; and^ if they will not worship God
aright, thou shalt not be suffered to do it, if thou would.
Can any people escape unpunished, that thus mocks God ?
Or if God's mercy were not unspeakable, could he have holden
his hands thus long, but have pom-ed out his vengeance, and
thrown his thunderbolts in every corner of thee, to destroy
thee before these days?
If thou wilt not glorify God in repenting, he will glorify
himself in destroying thee. Mark how many days God hath
forborne to punish thee ; and so many days hast thou had,
of his endless mercy, granted thee to repent in : and if thou
do it not by times, look not for the contrary, but thou shalt
be made an example to the whole world, a laughing stock to
thy enemies, a prey and slave to all countries round about
thee.
^Vhat can be thought of those, which will ever follow
that which the prince desires, but that they seek their own
pleasure and profit with all diligence, which the prophet calls
here to run to their own houses? that is as much to say ^•i>"'''^
•^ their own
as, With all their wit and power they do satisfy their own ''""^^:\,
lusts, seek their pleasures, hunt and gape for their own God's.
profit, to enrich themselves, build costly houses, and lay land
to land, and never think they have enough. Would to God
they which preach Christ were not guilty in not building God's
house as they should, as well as others be ! If it be taught
of contention, ambition or vain-glory, Paul saith he is glad ^'"'- '•
that Christ is preached; but woe be to him that teaches for
such causes, and preaches not for pure love and duty to his
Lord God, seeking his o\vn glory ! All preachers must say
(be their gifts never so great), "Not unto us. Lord, not p**^- ''^^■•
unto us, but to thy name give all praise and glor}'." And
all the hearers must say, "We do not believe the word,
because such a man teaches it, but because God spake it:"
for the authority of the gospel hangs not on the messenger ^''^PJi^j^^
which brings it, but on God's majesty which sends it. For
as Peter and John, when they had healed the bHnd beggar,
and the people marvelled, said, " Why do ye wonder, as though Acts iii.
[' Not and and arc wanting in tlie second edition: they are here
inserted from the first. Ed.]
6~'i
Ilie text.
84 EXPOSITION UPOX [CH. I.
we had done this by our own power and hoHness T' — so must
all preachers say, AV'onder not at us, but praise God whose
messengers we be, and him whose Spirit he hatli given to
speak in us. For it is not we that speak, when we speak
any truth : but it is the Holy Spirit of God that speaks in
us, whose instruments we be.
Thus have all parts been guilty of not building God''s
house : the Lord for his mercies' sake forgive us all that
which is past, and stir up our minds to do our duties more
dihgently from henceforth, that we may escape the plagues
which follow !
v. 10. Therefore the hea'cens are shut uj? from giving their
dew upon you^ and the earth is dosed from yielding
their fruit.
11. And I loill call a drought upon the earth, and upon
the hills, upon the wheat and upon the new wine, upon
the oil, and up>on whatsoever the earth bringeth forth,
upon man, and upon least, and upo7i all the labour
of your hands.
Now follows the other kind of persuading, which the pro-
phet uses : that is, of the great plagues that hang over their
heads, if they did continue in this stubbornness, and would
not build God's house. For although they had suffered great
things, yet these were much greater which were to come ;
and God would not hold his hand, until they went earnestly
It is pro- about to build his house, as they were commanded. In the
ritable to .
repeat one further vcrsc he repeats the plagues in other words, which
thing: oft. r r o '
he spake of before ; and doth more plainly tell * the cause
of all the scarceness that was among them, and why of so
great labour they had so little fruit and increase. Here we
may see how necessary it is often to repeat and beat in
one lesson, because we be so dull to learn. And although
many be weary to hear one thing often, yet St Paul saith
Phil. iii. to the Philippians : " I am not weary, and it is profitable for
\j This is the reading of tlie first edition : the second, which was
revised by the author liimself, and which is generally followed in this
reprint, except in typographical errors^ has: and more plainly took
the cause. Ed.']
V. 10, 11.] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. 85
you, to repeat one thing often/' " The heavens,*' saith he,
" have been locked up from giving any dew or rain to vou ;
and the earth hath been so hard and dry by that means, that
no fruit could grow." Marvel not if the earth be barren,
when moisture comes not from heaven : for nothing can mul-
tiply here, except it be blessed from heaven. And this is
true not only in worldly things, but also in spiritual gifts aii pood
n ^ , , II . thin-,'s from
01 the soul ; to teach us to look up to heaven, and from heaven.
thence to beg and look for all goodness from God's hands.
" What hast thou," saith St Paul, " which thou hast not i Cor. iv.
received of Godf And St James saith, "Every good gift James i.
and every perfect gift is from above, coming from the Father
of light." For as the rain and dew from above watering the
ground makes it fruitful ; so the grace of the Holy Ghost,
coming from God the Father for his Son Christ's sake, stirs
up our minds to all goodness. Thus by outward blessings
God will teach us to look up to him for all goodness. For
as it is betwixt the earth and the clouds, so is it betwixt
God and our hearts : both be unfruitful, except they receive
blessinor from above.
But it had been among them now, as it was in tlie time
of Achab, when Jesabel did so persecute the true prophets,
that they were compelled to hide themselves in caves and dens False reii.
of the earth. Ehas told the king, that there should be no not lot the
dew nor rain in all the country, but at his word when he rain, nor the
eartli be
said it should be, (for God had given that privilege to the fruitful.
prophet, to set forth liis doctrine ;) and it rained not of three iKing^swii.
years and a half, nor was any dew, but great hunger, fa-
mine and scarceness of all fruits in the country. So now, jamcs v.
when God's house lay unbuilded, the heavens did not water
the earth, but great barrenness was of all things. Tliis is
one of the plagues that God threatens to send on all coun-
tries for contemning his word, saying, " I will make heaven Deut.xxviii.
as hard as brass over your heads, that ye shall not wring
out of it a drop of dew or rain to comfort the earth ; and
I will make the earth as hard as iron, that it shall not give
her fruit." And so, for false worshipping of God, all coun-
tries have been divers times thus punished. Tfio <iivcr-
sitv of
England hath had manv icreat droudits and dearths, both i)iV-iie5
" • '^ .p 1-11 "'"''''■ *''<"
in the time of popery and the jjjospel : but if ve mark it well, e«'s|„ i nn.i
86
EXPOSITION UPON
[
CH. I.
t-C^<'7"tX'^
^ 0-^
'^/^7
f / /
fh^iC'i^'
^>-
Amos viii.
you shall find great diversity betwixt them. In the dearths
under the gospel it was not for want of things, that God did
not send them plenteously ; but through the wickedness of
man, which in so great plenty and blessings of God made a
needless dearth. For farms were raised, that farmers might
not forth to sell as they were wont. Many things were gotten
into few men's hands, and they would sell as they list, and
not as things were worth according to charity, being content
with a reasonable gains. Corn was carried out of the realm,
or sold through many hands or^ it came to the markets ;
and every one would raise the price, and have some part of
crains : some would feed their hoffs with it, else let it foist in
their barns and be eaten with mice, rather than they would
bring it to the market to pull down the price. Men of ho-
nour and worship were become sheepmasters and graziers ;
tillage was turned into pastm*e, and towns into granges; and
all not to make things cheaper, which might have been suf-
fered, but dearer, which was and is hurtful and not tolerable.
But since the pope was restored, ye have had unseasonable
weather both in wet and drought ; the earth hath not brought
, forth her fruit, and strangers have devoured much of that
which ye had. All your Latin processions and singing of
gospels under bushes, nor yet your Ora pro nohis, could get
you God's blessings, but rather increased his anger. When
were ye compelled to eat acorns for bread, but in your po-
pery and falling from God? When was Calais lost, but in
popery ? When was Bullen gotten, and the Scots vanquished
so manfully, as under the gospel? But this is the greatest
plague of all, and least regarded of you, that the heavenly
comfort of God's word was locked up from you, and com-
fortable dew of God's favour did not fall on you, nor your
earthly hearts could bring forth good fruit and works of re-
pentance. And so that curse was fulfilled on you which is
written : " I will send a hunger into the earth, not a hunger
of bread, but a hunger to hear the word of God, that ye shall
go from the cast unto the west to hear it, and shall not find
it." The good men and true prophets of God, feeling what
a grief it was to want this dew of God's word, and seeing
heaven locked up from the plentiful preaching of the same,
1^' Or: i.e. ere, before. So in p. 91, &c. Ed.]
V. 10, 11.] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. §7
and desiring the coming of Christ and comfortable promises
of liis gospel, cry out : " 0 ye heavens, send down your dew isai. xiv.
from above, and let the clouds rain righteousness ; let the
earth be opened, and brino; forth the Saviour/' But God be c^oreh,
'c ^ in flroujht.
merciiul unto us, and soften our hearts ! we are come to such <^'a^'-«*.
a hardness of heart, that those things which good men most
desired, we most abhor; and the gospel which they thought
most happiness and treasure, we are weary of it and would
not have it.
The second verse the Hebrew now reads thus : " I have
called a drought upon the earth and the hills, &c."; and
then it should be nothing but a repeating, or an exposition
in more words, of that dearth and scarceness that was among
them, and so often spoken of before : but the Greek, which
I had rather follow, reads thus : "I will bring the sword
upon the earth and hills, fcc.'"* If our Hebrew books were
without points, as theirs were which turned it into Greek,
these points might be well joined to, which signify so as the
Greek is : or else, these points a little changed, it may be
so translated also as the Greek reads it. I think it better
to be an increasing of the plague, which God threatens them
withal to stir them up to this building, rather than an often
rehearsing of these plagues which were past. And where he
names here the hills, if we read it a drought, as the Hebrew
now pointed is, it is not so great plague or marvel to see
the hills barren and dry : but if with the Greek we read
the siDord, that is to say, their enemies should come and
utterly destroy all, and they which fled to the liills to save
themselves, should not escape, nor their castles and towers,
which they had builded in the top of mountains, should de-
fend them; it were more wonderful, and would strike a greater
fear into them, and stir them up sooner to build this house,
that they might avoid these great dangers ensuing. Thus
he would pull them from trusting in their strong holds on
the mountains, or else from that holiness which they i)ut in
those hills within Jerusalem, where they thought no enemies
could prevail.
In Jerusalem were two hills ; Moria, on which was l)uildod Moria.
the temple, and Sion, where was the king's palace ; unto sion.
which both God had promised many blessings, and therefore
88 EXPOSITION UPON [cH. I.
they might think themselves sure there. The city was com-
passed aforetime about with three walls : within the inner-
most was the temple and the priests' lodgings ; within the
second wall were the Levites' houses, the king's palace, and
the university, houses of learning three hundred or more ;
within the uttermost were the merchants and the people :
and yet their enemies with the sword should destroy all
hoiv as^to^ tl^6se. There is no place so holy, as to defend a wicked
wkked ^^^ "^^^ ' ^^^ ^^^^ place makes the man holy, but a good man
makes every place wheresoever he be holy. When Jeremy
preached that God would destroy the temple for the wicked-
jer. vii. ncss of the priests, the priests could not abide to hear that,
but cried out, "The temple of God, the temple of God;"
yet Jeremy said still, he would do unto that house as he did
unto Silo, and destroy it. There is no creature of God so
holy, but if a man do abuse it, God will give both him and
it to his enemies' power, if they do not amend. God suffered
his holy arlc, wherein were the tables written with his own
finger, and Aaron's rod, and a pot full of manna, with other
reliques, to be given into the Philistines' hands for the wicked-
1 Sam. iv. ness of the people and the priests which bare it, Ophni and
Phinees, Eli's sons. So likewise should these holy hills and
all of them be devoured with the sword, if they builded not
this house of God.
As long as they kept God's true religion, God defended
them and his temple, after it was builded: but when they
forsaked God's word and religion, God forsaked them, and
gave them into the hands of Antiochus, which defiled the
1 Mace. i. temple, set up idols in it, made a school of fence and heathen
learning of it, and killed all those that would not follow him.
So was this prophecy and curse then fulfilled, and they de-
stroyed ; but specially when Titus and Vespasian with the
Matt. xxiv. Romans destroyed it, according as Christ said, there should
not be one stone left standing upon another : so there should
nothing save them, except they would not only build this
house, but also defend and maintain his word and true re-
ligion. Those with all other like are written for us, to keep
us in due fear and reverence to God and his word, lest we
suffer the like plagues as they did for falling from his holy
word.
V. 10, 11.] THE PROPHET AGGEUS, 89
But here let us chiefly mark the goodness of God in God threat-
this and all his other threatenings : for he doth not tell us m^y avoid
... , . , . , , them.
this, because there is no remedy to escape it ; but that in
hearing this we should repent and so escape it. All the
threateninffs of God are to be understood with this condition, God's
° . ihreaten-
if ye do not repent and amend ; as Jonas comino; unto Ni- !"?» have
•> ^ ^ '=' in them a
neve said, "Yet forty days and Nineve shall be destroyed:'' <^o"<*'t»on
presupposing, if they did not ask mercy ; but they asked it Jonah iii.
and escaped. Jeremy saith, "If this people repent them ofjer. xviu.
their evil, I will repent also, saith God, of that evil which
I purposed to send upon them.'' If God were disposed to
plague as often as he threatens, he would never give warn-
ing nor time to repent in, nor promise mercy to them that
repent, but would suddenly come and destroy without all
mercy.
And where he works all for our comfort, it were a dou-
ble sorrow, both to be punished, and know it so certainly
aforehand that it cannot be escaped: but he gives them and
us this warning, that we might turn and by repentance ob-
tain mercv in time. God never sends plague into the world, God^ives
, , .*' ' ^ o ' 11 warnins:
but he gives warning before it come, that they may repent i»pfo>e Jic
and escape, as Amos saith: "The Lord will do nothing, Am"os ui.
but he sheweth it first by his servants the prophets." Be-
fore he drowned the world, he stirred up Noe, whom Peter 2 Pet. ii.
calls the eighth preacher of righteousness ; who as he was
making his ark a hundred and twenty years, and told them
the anger of God towards them for their sins, that they
might amend and avoid the danger coming by repentance,
so some laughed at him, and few cared for him, and there-
fore were all drowned save eight persons. Lot preached in Gen. wx.
Sodom, and when they would not amend, fire from heaven
destroyed them. Before the destruction of Jerusalem by
Nabuchodonozor God sent many prophets many years to
warn them beforehand, who.se writings also we have, as l^lsay,
Jeremy, Osee, ka.; and before the last destruction by the
Romans Christ himself came, and also sent his apostles to
teach repentance : but when all was in vain, then they utterly
perished. Have not we in England been as dihgently warned
by our preachers, and almost all in vain i What shall wc
look for then, but destniction, if wc amend not i Thus God
90 EXPOSITION I'PON [CH. I.
of his endless mercy never comctli suddenly upon us to de-
stroy us ; but mercifully warns us, that we be not taken in our
sins, and so perish : and ever he stirs up the sluggish, either
by his Spirit, word, minister, or else his gentle correction, to
call for his mercy.
Calling. ^jj(j where he saith, " I will call a drought or the sword
upon the earth, &c.," this kind of speaking is often used
in the scripture, and betokeneth nothing but the power of
God, that he is able to do it so easily, as to speak a word
As soon as or call for it : and that as soon as he spake it, so soon it
God calls, all i i n
things obey, should be douc, as when one oi us cometh at another s call-
ing. God doth all by his word : and to say a thing is to
do it with him; and as soon as he saith the word, so soon
it is done with him. Saying and doing are two divers things
with us, and much pain we take to do a thing after it be
spoken: but with God it is not so, but as the psalm saith,
psai.cxiviii. " He spake, and all things were made; he commanded and
they were created.'' Moses speaketh more plainly in the
Gen. i. making of the world, and saith : " God said. Let there be
light made, and let there be made the sun and stars, beasts
and fishes; and they were made straight ways." So when
isai. V. [26.] God brought Nabuchodonozor to destroy Jerusalem and the
country, he said he would call and hiss or whistle him from
the north, and he should come : God called, and he came.
So all other things, drought, hunger, plague, sword, do tarry
and wait for God's calling; and as soon as he whistles, they
come straight, and nothing dare or can withstand his calling,
as David saith: "Fire, hail, snow, ice, and tempests which
do his commandment.'' Seeing therefore his threatening is
not to destroy, l^ut to save and bring us to repentance, let
us turn by time, that he be not weary of calling ; and
desire him not to order us according to his justice, but
after his endless mercies : for else shall that be true of
Prov. i. Salomon, " I called, and ye refused, and therefore I will
laugh at your destruction," saith the Lord.
Tiieiiorri- And whcrc God threatens to destroy wheat, wine, oil,
this" sin not all fruits of the earth, and labour of man, yea, man himself
God's iiouse and beast, for not building his house : let us consider the
thrpiagics^ horrible filthiness of this sin especially in not building his
house, that it will not let any creature of God serve man,
V. 10, 11.] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. 91
SO long as he thus displeases God. This sin doth not only
stop the fruits of the earth, but it flieth up to heaven, and
locks it up, and so hardens the clouds that no rain nor dew
can be wrung out to moisten the ground withal. Such is
the just judgment of God, that where God of his mercy made
all things in heaven and earth, sun, moon, stars, cattle, fish,
fowl, corn, herbs and trees, to serve man, so that man would
serve him, reverence, fear and worship him as his only Lord
and God, Maker and Saviour; so when he did disobey him,
and serv^ed God of his own devising, or brake his command- Tiirous:h sin
ments, he should have those creatures which God appointed would wii-
liri?ly serve
to serve him at the first, to disobey him, to rebel against man.
him, and as it were to avenge God's quarrel upon that man
which disobeyed the living God, their Lord and Master ; and
they would not wilhngly serve him, which would not willingly
serve and obey their God and Kin^. AVhen Adam was in
paradise, as long as he obeyed God, so long all creatures
obeyed him, as appointed of God to be their lord and ruler, as
the psalm saith, "Thou hast made all things subject under I'sai. viii.
his feet, sheep and oxen, and all beasts of the field, birds
of the air, and fishes of the sea:" but so soon as he brake
God's commandment, and eat of the fruit which God forbad
him, all things began to disobey him, and as it were would
avenge that disobedience done against God their maker.
The earth would not bring forth her good fruit willingly,
but weeds, brambles, and briars : no kind of beasts would
obey him, but waxed wild and rebelled against him. The
tokens of this just punishment remains on us to this day,
and shall to the world's end. The earth will bring forth no
good fruit willingly, but with much labour, toiling, tilling,
dunging, harrowing, sowing, &;c. ; as though it should say
to man, I will not serve thee, nor yet willingly give thee
any fruit at all. So neither horse, dog, ox, nor sheep, nor
any other living thing, is tame at the first to obey man ; but
it must have many stripes, or it will be brought to any good
order to ser^^e him. And many beasts, as lions, bears, wolves, The disnbe.
be so wild, that they will not serve man at all, but still «j«;^;|''rP8
remain his continual enemies, always ready to devour him. J7^;|J."f^,','''
As often as we sec any of these fierce beasts, which are so j;;;;,.*;;"^.'''
cruel, we should remember the first cause why they were so "^^''^ '*'"•
92 EXPOSITION UPON [cH. I.
turned, and be so fierce against us ; and we should then
lament our sin. -which was the only cause of this so ffreat a
plague and change. God hath left them amongst us to be
our schoolmasters, that when we see and consider them to be
so ready to take vengeance upon us for our disobedience to
Grod, we should much more fear God himself, which is a
more righteous judge, and both is able and will punish us
more grievously than they do or can, if we repent not and
ask mercy by time. These cruel beasts are set before us
for examples of greater things ; that as we fear to fall into
the danger of these ravening beasts, so we should much more
fear to fall into the hands of the Almighty and living God,
whose anger is a thousand times more grievous than the
cruelness of any beast.
And it is not only with one creature or two, that they
disdain to serve us willingly, but every one, as St Paul saith :
Rom. viii. 44 rj^i^Q creature is subject to vanity not willingly, but for his
cause which hath made it subject under hope." Here we
see that no creature would serve us willingly, but for God's
cause who hath so pointed them to do. So that of them-
selves we can get no profit nor service of those that have no
life without much labour, and taming them by strength and
violence which have life : yet for the hope they both have
to be delivered from this service, for the time they do obey
us according to God's ordinance.
God's ma- Also in the destruction of these his creatures, that they
jestv is de- i-< i i i i • ii*
dared in his should uot scrvc sucli cvil men, God declares himselt not
creatures, , . i • i
and saints only to be tlic mighty Lord m makmg and creatmg them,
tiiem. but also a merciful God in blessing them with fruitful in-
crease, when his people served him rightly ; and also a right-
eous judge in taking them away for our sins, when they be
not so plentiful as they have been to us. For as plenty of
them is a token of his mercy and favour, and that it is he
only which regards, loves, feeds, nourishes and increases the
least creatures which he hath made ; so the taking them away,
or the barren unfruitfulness of them, is a sign of his anger
and displeasure. It is not, as ye commonly say, St Anthony
save my hog ; St Loy, my horse ; St J31ase, my house ; St
Apollony help in the tooth-ache ; St Roche for the plague,
&c. : but he that made all saves all, guides all, rules all,
V, 10. 11.] THE PROPHKT AGOErs. 9-*)
feeds all, blesses all, and increases all ; and takes them from
us at his will and pleasure, as Job saith : '-The Lord gave Job i.
it, the Lord took it away, kc.'^
These were lessons tliat the heathen people, and we also,
might and should have learned by the making and ruling of
the world, that God did rule all things; and because they
did not, they were justly punished. Shall then we christian
men think God to be weary of ruling his creatm*es, and put
them to some Romish saints' hands, that are more able and
willing to rule them better than he can and will I If this
were true, saints should be more merciful, able and willing
to help, than God himself, which can do nothing but love,
and hates nothing that he made : but so to think were
most horrible blasphemy against his majesty ; for he should
be an evil Lord and master, if he so lightly regarded his
ser\'ants, his creatures, that he would put them to other
men's ruling. '• God hath not left himself without witnesses,'' Acts xiv.
saith St Luke, " giving rain and fruitful times." As these
works were sufficient witnesses to the heathen of God's good-
ness, and that he ruled all, and that their just condemna-
tion followed, if they did not believe ; so is unseasonable
weather, with taking away his fruits, just tokens of his anger
for our sins. Therefore, where we have the same works suffi-
cient witnesses unto us both of his anger and good will,
and also his wonderful works written in the scriptures to
teach us ; what can we say for ourselves, if we do not wor-
ship him our only God, seeking help at his only hand, in
whom only it is to be found and received I God doth not
only make all things, but ruleth them also according to his
good will and pleasure : he is not weary of well doing, but
guides even the least of his creatures. He makes grass to P^ai. cxivii
grow on the hills, and herbs to serve men : he givetli meat
to the cattle and to the young ravens ; yea, he feeds the
birds of the air, which work not nor spin, sow nor mow,
reap nor carry into the barns. And briefly to speak : '* all ^'Jj;/"^'*-
things doth look," saith David, "that thou shouldest give
them meat in due season : if thou open thy hand and feed
them, they are full of goodness ; but if thou withdraw thy
hand, they fall, vade away, perish and turn into earth, whereof
they were made." Thus must all wheat, wine, oil, fruits of
.94
EXPOSITION UPON
[cii. I.
Isch.
Aenosch.
Adam.
None is
excused
from build-
ing God's
house.
Homo.
Jer. xxii.
the earth, and beasts perish for the sin of man, and not
building God's house: but they prosper and increase to them
which love him, maintain his true religion, and fear him.
The two last words, where he saith, ^lan and all handy
labour shall be destroyed also, they be more notable in the
Hebrew, than can be well expressed in one word in English.
For where the Hebrew hath divers words to signify a man,
as Isch^ and those be noblemen ; Aenosch^ and they be so
called of their sorrows and infirmities they be subject to ;
here is written Adam, which betokens the common sort of
people. The word that here signifieth labour, betokens not
every kind of labour, as that which is easy or for pleasure ;
but it signifies that labour, which the poor man doth until
he be weary, even the vilest and sorest drudging labour. By
the which both we are taught, that God would not spare
the simplest and basest man Hving ; but as they had sinned
in not building his house, so should they perish : lest they
should think or say, We did not this fault, but our rulers ;
or, we were not able to take it in hand ; or, if they had
begun, we would have followed ; or such like fond excuses.
God requires his house to be builded, his word and religion
to be kept and maintained, as well of the lowest as the
highest ; and they which do not, shall not escape unpunished.
Therefore wicked is that saying under persecution, " Let
the preacher stand to it ; what doth it belong to me V If
the master must teach, ought not the scholar to learn ? May
the scholar deny or dissemble with God, and the master must
not? What privilege has the scholar more to do evil, than
the master? That is sin to the one and the other. "He
that denies me afore men," says Christ, " I will deny him
afore my Father."
^Man hath this general name given him to be called Adam,
of another Hebrew word that signifieth the earth, Adama ;
which word was placed afore, when he said he would destroy
all that the earth bringeth forth : and in Latin man is also
called Homo ex hiimo ; which allusion and likeness in words
we cannot well speak in English, but it is as much to say :
Man is called earth, because he is made of earth, as Jeremy
saith, " Earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the Lord."
And Abraham talking with the Angel of God, and demand-
V. 10, 11.] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. 95
ing divers questions, said : '' Let not my Lord be grieved Gen. wiii.
if I yet once again ask my Lord, seeing I am earth and
ashes." This should put us in remembrance, that is, as it is pro-
oft as we hear this name Adam, that we are earth and rtinember
ashes, and are come of the sinful seed of Adam our first >ve ue.
father, who was made of the earth, and for breaking God's
commandment returned into earth again, from whence he
came, as we shall all at our appointed time. If this were
well considered, it would make our proud peacock's feathers
to fall, when we remember from whence we come, and
whither we shall, and how we be not able to think of our-
selves a good thought ; but that all our goodness is given
us of God, and unto him we be traitors and thieves, if we be
proud of his gifts, and give not him worthy thanks for them,
but take the praise to ourselves.
Thus by degrees doth God increase his plagues and threat-
ening; not destroying us at the first, but by laying on us
one little rod at the first he biddeth and warneth us to
beware of the next, for that will be greater if we amend
not. This he doth by his other prophets also. In OseeHoseav.
he compares himself to the moth and lion in punishing:
for the moth doth not eat up clothes hastily, but by leisure
and by little and little ; but the lion devoureth up all at once.
So, saitli God, I will be no more only as a moth in clothes,
in punishing you so gently and by leisure ; for by that gentle
kind of punishing ye wax worse and worse : but I will come
now as a lion, and destroy you quickly; for ye abuse my gen-
tleness, and I cannot hold my hands any longer beside you.
Lord, soften our hard hearts, that where we be guilty in
the same fault of negligent building thy house, we may hear
and fear those great threatenings towards us ; we may dread
thee, and obtain mercy for our sins past, and hereafter be
more diligent to serv^e thee.
V. 12. Then Zeruhahel the son of Salathiel, and Josiia the .^o?i The text.
of Jehozadac the high priest, and all the remnant of
the people, gave ear unto the voice of the Lord their
God, and unto the words of Aggeus the j)rophet, inas-
much thai the Lord their God sent him : and the peo2)h
were afraid in the sight of God.
96
EXPOSITION UPO.V
[CH. I.
Ang-el.
13. And A opens, the messenger of the Lord, said in the
messages of the Lord to the people, saying : I am icith
you, saith the Lord.
Matt. iii.
Kom. X.
I^w.
Gospel.
Rom. iv,
Rom. iii.
Rom. vii.
Rom. i.
Matt. xi.
Hitherto from the beginning hath been nothing but chiding
and threatening for their great neghgenee in building God's
house : now follows the profit and commodity that came by
such a sharp kind of rebuking. They began to ^'give ear
unto it," mark it, and were afraid to hear and consider those
plagues, which yet hanged over their heads : they believed
those sayings to be true, which Aggeus said unto them, and
they feared God. Tliis is the ordinary way that God useth
to teach by, and which the scripture sets before us to learn to
believe in God and fear him : first, to rebuke sin and declare
the anger of God towards sinners, and preach repentance,
as John Baptist and our Saviour Christ began to preach :
" Repent ; the kingdom of God is at hand." " Faith cometh
by hearing," saith St Paul, "and hearing by the word of
God :" therefore he that will believe, and have his faith in-
creased, must be diligent in the scriptures, to hear sermons,
and mark what God saith unto us there. What marvel is
it if the papists have so little faith, seeing they read not the
scripture, and hold opinion that it is not necessary, yea, not
to be suffered that the scripture should be much read or
taught, but the pope's laws, customs and decrees ?
The whole scripture hath these two chief parts, into the
which it is divided, the law and the gospel. The law contains
properly the setting forth of sin, threatenings, curses, God's
anger toward sin, remorse of conscience for the same, damna-
tion, hell, despair: the gospel contains comfort, hope, forgive-
ness, mercies in Christ, heaven, salvation, agreement with God.
Thus teaches St Paul, saying, " The law works anger" within
a man in conscience towards himself, for displeasing his Lord
God; and also declares what is sin, and the anger and just
judgment of God for sin. " By the law comes the knowledge
of sin." Again he saith, " I had not known coveting, lust-
ing, and desiring for any unlawful thing to have been sin,
except the law had said. Thou shalt not lust nor covet."
The gospel " is the power of God to save all that believe"
in Christ, which saith, " Come to me, all ye that labour
V. 12, 13.] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. 97
and are laden, and I will refresh you:" and, "Thus GodJoiinni.
loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son," kc.
with many such like promises : as, " If any man sin, we have i John ii.
an advocate with the Father," &c. This profit came here
to this people, by preaching the law of God and threatenings
unto them, that they which were afore so forgetful of their
duties, now hearing the great anger and vengeance of God
that hanged over their heads, ready to fall on them, it stirred
them up to do their duties and fear God. Thus may we here
see the fond and tender ears of them, which would not hear
nor have the law preached, but altogether the sweet com-
fortable promises and mercies in Christ ; nor cannot abide
the anger of God and just judgment for sin to be taught,
saying, It brings a man into despair, and that it is not now
in the time of grace meet to be preached.
A man as he is made of body and soul, so hath he the
law given him to beat down the lusts of the flesh, and La«-.
keep him in due fear to his Lord and God : and lest the
soul should despair, when it considers the greatness of the
sin which the flesh and mind draws him to, he hath the com-
fort of Christ offered unto him in the gospel. So, lest we be Gospel,
proud and forget God, we have the law given to set before
us the righteousness of those things which God requires of
us, and our weak unableness to fulfll the same, and the
righteous sentence of death and God's anger pronounced upon Gaiat. iii.
all that fulfil not the same law. But lest we should despair,
we have the unspeakable mercies of God offered unto us in
his Son, which by his death hath conquered death, and paid
the full price for the sins of the whole world. He biddeth
us, when we feel our own weakness and unableness to fulfil
his law, to come unto him, ask help and mercy at his hands,
and doubt not thereof but it shall be granted. For as we
see in judgments here amongst us, there is a royal seat set
where the judge sits ; he that is accused stands at the bar,
holds up liis hand, hears his indictment read, witness is brought
in against him, and he justly condemned to death : so we shall
see Jesus Christ, the righteous Judge of the world, that will
not be bribed, sit in his seat of majesty at the last day, and
all the company of angels about him ; and we shall stand at
the bar, as accused and indicted for breaking that righteous
7
[PILKINGTON.]
OS .EXPOSITION UPON [cH. I.
law of his word : the devil, which enticed us so to do, shall
bear witness that to be true, yea, and our own conscience
Matt. XXV. also: the fear of that fearful sentence, "Go, ye cursed, into
everlasting fire, which is prepared for the devil and his angels,"
shall make us to tremble. And of mercy there is no hope
at all, except we do as we read of a woman, which when she
Alexander, stood bcfore Alexander the Great, and was condemned, she
said, " I appeal from thee, 0 king." Alexander wondering
at her said, " Thou art a mad woman : dost thou not know
that every appellation is from a lower judge to a higher ? but
who is above me V Then said she, " I know thee to be above
thy laws, and that thou may give pardon ; and therefore I
appeal from justice to mercy, and for my faults desire par-
don." So we, when we look into the righteous law of God's
word, and see him ready to condemn us, and our conscience
witness that we have deserved death; we must appeal from
justice and our deservings unto his pardon and forgiveness,
and both call and trust to be partakers of that salvation,
which he hath purchased and offered to the whole world.
His mercies do pass all our miseries, as far as God is
greater than man ; and his pardon can forgive all that call
on him.
This is not to be lightly considered, that it is said, " They
heard the voice of the Lord their God, and the word of Ag-
geus the prophet." What needed both to have been written,
seeing they were both one ? for the words of Aggeus were the
same that the Lord bad him speak, as he hath said divers
times before. Here in this example we shall learn two good
lessons; one for the preacher, and another for the hearer.
ribilkc?ia^ "^^^ preacher must not be afraid to rebuke sin in all sorts
all estates. ^^^^ degrees of men, as here Aggeus did rebuke both Zeru-
babel, the chief civil ruler in the commonwealth, and Josua
the high priest and chief in religion, and also the whole peo-
ple beside, and threatens the plagues indifferently to all with-
out any flattery or respect of person. So do all the prophets,
isai. i. as Esay calls the rulers fellows with thieves, and princes of
Sodom and Gomorrha, because they followed their wicked-
1 Kings xvii. ness. And when Achab a king asked Elias, whether it was
he troubled all the country, (because it was so long a drought,
for the space of three years and a half without any rain or
V. 12, 13.] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. : 99
dew,) he answered the king boldly, and said, Nay, it is thou
and thy father's house that hast pulled this righteous plague
upon thee and thy whole realm. Where all have sinned, all
must be rebuked : for as God, a most righteous judge, will
punish all sin, so must his preachers indifferently warn and
rebuke all sorts of sinners ; or else God will require their Ezek. iii.
blood at their hands, if they perish without their warning,
as Ezekiel saith. The hearer must not disdain to learn of Disdain not
the smiplest preacher that he heareth, as Josua the hiffh i^'imofthe
111 T 1 • 111. /. simplest.
priest here doth not disdam to hear the rebukmg of Aggeus,
being but a poor Levite and a simple man in comparison of
him : no, nor yet Zerubabel, the chief ruler, and born of the
stock of Judah, the king's stock, disdains him. If a preacher
should rebuke the pope, a cardinal, an archbishop or bishop,
a doctor, or a babbler in divinity, would they not disdain to
hear such simple men? Would they not say, as hath been
said of late to many, when they were examined before An-
nas and Caiphas, Becomes it thee to speak thus to my lord
bishop? art thou wiser or better learned than he I shall he
become thy scholar? W^as not the like said to our Saviour
Clii'ist, "Dost thou answer the high bishop so?'' What Joii" ^viii.
would the pope or cardinal say, if a man should threaten
such vengeance of God towards him, as Aggeus doth here
to the high priest ? Paul, the second pope of that name, p^^i "•
when he had wrongfully taken lands and offices from divers,
and cast them all in prison, and would not hear any suitors
speak for them; at length by much ado when Platina him-
self came to him, and could get no help, at the last he
required of the pope that he might be heard and judged
by his own law. Then the pope looking cruelly on him said :
" What tellest thou me of the law ? Dost thou not laiow, that
whatsoever I say is law? Am not I St Peter's vicar, and
all laws are within my breast, and I cannot err whatsoever
I say? Am I not pope, and may disannul the decrees of
my predecessors, and do what me lust? Thus it shall be,
thus I am determined ^" Thus speak holy popes, when
simple men ask their right, or tell them of any faults : their
proud stomachs cannot abide to be rebuked of any man.
[' The account is j?ivcn by Platina himself, De Vitis Pontificuni,
p. 297, Colon. 1540. Ed.]
100 EXPOSITION UPON [cil. I.
Was not this common also in England in the papists'
mouths, when the gospel was preached, to deface the truth :
"Who are your preachers now, but young men, unlearned
and not skilled in the doctors? And who teaches the other
old learning, but my lord bishop, master doctor, ancient bache-
lors in divinity, and prove it by the ancient writers V These
are gay glorious words indeed, if they had been true : but
although young men did teach, yet their doctrine was most
wholesome and approved by the scriptures and all good
writers; which is most to God's glory, that opened the
mouths of younglings, to confound the doting of old fools.
Simple men confirmed with their blood and constant deaths
Papists that which before both master doctor and my lord bishop
change with
the world, also allowed and taught with mouth and hands subscribmg,
until contrary rulers arose: but then, for flattery and their
belly, they destroyed the same with all their might and power
that they taught before.
So, when and how often soever the world shall change,
the most of them, as men without conscience, will be ready
to do the like, and make a face as though they believed the
same to be true ; but not one of them will adventure his
body to be burned for the dirty dregs of popery : and yet
are they not ashamed to teach and maintain the same with
fire and sword, so long as the world is on their side.
mu'st^noT There is scarce a more certain argument of an obstinate
leam'aiK? papist, than to look how simple a man he is that preaches,
S orthe ^^^ ^ot to believe his doctrine for the simpleness of the man ;
youu{rer. j^^j. ^^ |q^|^ ^^ ^j^^ thing which he teaches, how true it is
and spoken by God. Let all Christians hear and be content
with Christ's holy word, as most and only sufficient doctrine
to save our souls ; and disdain none that brings it, be he
Rom.iv. never so simple. St Paul saith, "Christ died for our sins,
and rose for our righteousness :" and where this is one of
the greatest treasures that we have by Christ, to be made
righteous by him, mark who were the first preachers of it.
Lukexxiv. Mary Magdalene and the other women, which went early
in the morning with ointments to the sepulchre, they see
Christ first of all other after his resurrection, and were sent
to teach it to the apostles and Peter. Should we not be-
lieve this resurrection, because that women taught it first?
V. 12, 13.] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. 101
Apollo, a mighty learned man in the scriptures, submitted
himself to be further taught in true religion of Priscilla Acts wiii.
and Aqiiila, a simjDle man and his wife. Timothy and John
the evangelist were both very young when they were call- 1 Tim. iv.
ed to be preachers. Peter the elder apostle is content to Gaiat. ii.
be rebuked of Paul his younger. Judith, that good woman, juditu viii.
corrected the elders, priests and rulers in Bethulia, mis-
trusting God's help and providence for them, when they
would yield up the city. David, a man according to God's 2 sam. xu.
own heart, hears most willingly the prophet Nathan rebuke
him, who was of much less estimation than he. And king
Ezechias heareth Esay rebuke him of his faults. These and 2 Kings xx.
such other examples be written to teach us, that the elder,
in what authority soever he be, or by what name soever
he be called, should willingly suffer the just rebuke of the
younger, bringing the word of God for him.
Fm-ther, where he adds this twice, saying, " The Lord
their God, the Lord their God ;"' it is very comfortable for
all sinners that have long lien in sin, that they should not
despair of God's mercy, but speedily turn by repentance.
The long-suffering of God is far above our deserts, and had
suffered this people thus long to lie in sin, and yet had not
cast them off; but doth vouchsafe to send his prophet to
them, to rebuke them and stir them up to their duties, call-
ing himself their God, which had forgotten and forgiven all rJa[",7V(faii
their former disobedience ; who now was and would continue '■'^I'^ntant.
their good, gracious, and merciful Lord and God still. Who
can despair to obtain grace and pardon for all his gi-cat
offences, seeing set before him the loving gentleness of our
good God and blaster, which offereth undcsired his mercies
so plentifully to so hard a hearted and disobedient people,
his free pardon a poena et culpa^ from all pain due to sin or
the guilt thereof; which also calls himself their God, and
by continual earnest crying of this his prophet awakes them
out of this dead sleep of sin, wherein they had lien so long,
and left his house unbuilded ? "It is commonly said," saitliJer.iii.
Jeremy, "if a man put away his wife for adultery, will he
take her again? yet thou", saith God to his people, "although
thou hast played the harlot with many whores, yet turn unto
me, and I will receive thee again, siiith the Lord thy God."
102 EXPOSITION UPON [CH. I.
0 merciful Lord, praised be thy holy name for thy gentle
offers and liberal promises offered unto us in thy Son Christ
Rev. iii. Jesu om* Lord. Thou standcst at the door of our conscience,
Imocking to be let in, offering thyself to dwell with us if we
would receive thee. There is no time so long that a man hath
run from God in, nor any time so short to ask forgiveness, but
if he will turn, God is ready to forgive him. The Gentiles
had lien in sin above four thousand years from the beginning
of the world to the death of Christ, without any true teaching
or knowledge of God : and yet, when they received the gospel
by the preaching of the apostles, they were most gently re-
ceived of Christ into the number of his people. The thief
hanging on Chi'isf s right hand on the cross, asking mercy
in the hour of death, obtained it. So that neither the great-
ness of sin, nor the long time that man hath continued in
it, nor the shortness of time to ask forgiveness in, can stop
the great unspeakable mercies of God, to pardon the sins of
the whole world. Why should we then mistrust the goodness
of our God, seeing he is the maker of the same law whereby
we shall be judged, and also able to dispense wdthal, and par-
don the breakers of the same law, if he will ; who also shall
be judge and executor of the same law, as pleases him ?
But that the people should rather believe his word, he
saith, the Lord their God sent him; no strange God, but
the mighty God of hosts, and the living God of Israel : nor
he ran not before he was sent, but soberly looked for the
calling of God, and then did his message faithfully.
This is an example for all ministers to follow, that they
do not with bribery or flattery thrust themselves into any
office, but patiently tarry the calling of the Lord their God,
which can and will call them at such time as he judges them
Ministers neccssary to serve him. Who would be so bold to buy a
tiiriist benefice, or flatter for a bishoprick, if he did think them
in office, to bc officcs in God's house, and that they must make ac-
count to God for his people? He that comes before he be
sent for, oftentimes comes before he be welcome : and he that
chmbs in at the window is a thief; for the door is made to
come in by. But because these popish prowlers seek not
the profit of the flock, but to fill their bellies, they care not
how they come by it, so they may have it; and think they
V. 12, 13.] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. 103
have done God good sen-ice, and the people well content,
when they teach them never a word of scripture, but have
said mass, made conjured water, or sung an antiphone of
our Lady. If they had this true stedfast opinion of God,
as they ought to have, that he were a loving Father to his
household, and a wise blaster that could and would set wise
stewards over his house, and that whosoever presumed to
take any office in his house uncalled, were a thief, and should
be sharply punished ; a man could not hire them for money,
to take any cure of teaching God's people, until they were
inwardly' moved of God to do it for love to the people, and
not for their own gain. They would also provide to be
ordinarily called by man, lest he which should teach and
see others keep good order, should be proved the first breaker
of all good laws and orders. If a stranger should violently
thrust in himself to be the shepherd of thy sheep, thou
wouldest ask him who sent for him, what he had to do there ;
and thou wouldest rather think him to be a thief and a mur-
derer of thy sheep, than a trusty seiTant : so surely, if thou
come to take charge of God's people, before he inwardly
move thy conscience to pity his people, and outwardly by
order call and place thee where he thinks good, he will judge
thee a thief, a wolf, a devourer, and not a feeder.
After they heard that the word of God was sent unto
them by Aggeus, and had weighed and considered diligently
how true his sayings were, that so many years they had suf-
fered so great plagues; they began to fear, and believe that
the threatcnings following would also prove true : and then
they humbled themselves in the sight of God, and were afraid
indeed. This profit had they by hearing the word of God,
that they acknowledged their own sins, that they had offended
the gracious goodness and majesty of God in not regarding
his house so many years; and for fear then they l^egan to
take in hand again that work wherewith they were so strait ly
charged. ^
Thus faith comes by hearing the word of God; and l)y
hearing and giving ear to his threatcnings, our slow and
sluggish dulness is raised up to take in hand God's work,
and build his house. How necessary fear is, David teaches,
[' So the first edition: the second, intcard moved. Ed.]
104 EXPOSITION UPON [CH. I.
rsai. c\i. saying, " Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." So
now, when they feared tliese threatenings, they waxed wise
and turned to the Lord. Truth it is, that the anger of God is
not always to be taught, and that it brings not a man to
perfection : for David calleth the fear of the Lord^ but the
beginning of wisdom, and not the perfection thereof; and
1 John iv. St John saith, " Perfect charity casts out fear.'' ]3ut yet
The law it is the ordiuarv way to pull down proud stomachs, and to
is to be ► ^ r i i • i •
preached, bring them to know their own vileness ; and it also stirs up
slothful minds to be more diligent to do their duties. St Paul
Gal. iii. saith, " The law is a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ ;'' that
where we see ourselves justly condemned by God's righteous
law, and that we be not able to stand in judgment with him,
Job ix. nor answer one thing for a thousand that shall be laid against
us, we should run to Christ for pardon, confessing our faults,
and ask mercy.
Thus they had the right use of the law, not bringing them
to despair with all these threatenings, but comforting them
to go to God and confess their sins, and hope for mercy in
Feareoes Christ. St Augustine compares fear to the bristle, which
love follows, is on the shoemaker's thread : the bristle goeth through the
hole first, but it draws a long and a strong thread after it :
so the fear of God's vengeance first goeth before, and throws
down a man in his own sight ; and then folio weth the long
thread of God's mercies in Christ offered to the whole world.
The scripture teaches two sorts of fear : The one which
is godly, when we fear our God with love and reverence, and
would not displease him for the love we bear him ; and this
Psai. xix. remains for ever, as David says, " The holy fear of the Lord
Fear for continues for ever." Another kind of fear is, not to do well
love, and
fear toes- for the lovc of God and goodness itself, but that we may
cape pain. . .
escape punishment ; as the thief will not steal, not for love
of any righteousness or reverence to God, but to escape the
gallows. This is that fear which cannot stand with perfect
Fear is like charity, but is cast out. Fear in a man's mind is like the
the thunder, ....
thunder in the air: for as when the air is covered with
clouds, the sun darkened, tempests begin to arise, lightnings
and fire fly from heaven, rumbling and noise is in the air,
the clouds burst, and the thunder-crack comes, the rain falls,
[]' Both editions have fmr of the God. Ed.]]
V. 12, 13.] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. 105
and straight follows sunshine and fair weather; so when a
man, for fear of his sins, in conscience lies flat down in the
sight of God, confessing his sin, as one oppressed with the
burden and vileness thereof ; complains to God, accuses him-
self, groans, sobs, and sighs like the thunder-crack, dare not
look up towards heaven for his wickedness, but condemns
himself; at the last bursts out on weeping, and the tears
like rain-drops come trickling down his cheeks : straightways
follows quietness of mind, God offers him pardon and clearness
of conscience, with w^ondering and praising the unspeakable
goodness of God for his mercies and comfort in Christ his
Son offered to such a troubled conscience.
In the latter- verse is first declared the w^orthiness, au-
thority, high title and rule given to the preachers, for the
commendation of their office. Aggeus here is called "the
angel of the Lord," as some in English do translate it, or the
messenger, or embassador, which signify all one thing unto
us. So these names with such like are given to preachers in
the scripture, to set forth the highness of their vocation and
authority that God calleth them to. The worldly-wise men, woruiiinoss
considering the decay of the living of bishops and priests, miilistery.
and that they be not so much esteemed and as wealthy, as
w'hen they were loitering, lordly, unpreaching prelates, and
ruled all, would say, ' Shall I make my son a minister, and
when I have spent all I have on him, he shall neither be
able to help my other children, nor yet scarce able to live
himself, but shall be disdained of all sorts of men ; and if
he preach the truth, he shall be in jeopardy of his life ? Or
shall I marry my daughter to a priest T — with such like
uncomely sayings : ' nay, I trow not ; there is more profit
by the law or physic : yea, if he be but a pen-clerk, an auditor
or receiver", I will provide for him better any of these ways.'
The goods of the church are the goods of the poor : woe
therefore be to them that rob the church so by impro})riations,
that neither the minister nor the jioor can bo relieved ! For
by that means the necessary food of the preacher is given
to idle bellies : and these worldlings declare themselves to
desire nothing but worldly wealth, in thus doing or so saying.
But if they mark this and other places of the scriptures, and
P Botli editions have deceiver. Ki>.]
106
EXPOSITION UPON
[CH. I.
The preach-
er's oflioe is
worshipful.
Angel.
Preachers
be ajii^els.
Rev. i. ii.
Mark i.
Kph. vi.
Stewards.
1 Cor. iv.
Matt, xxiv,
Mark xiii.
Porters.
would have their children made worshipful, they shall find
more worshipful names given to the preaching minister, than
to any one sort of men.
The noblest creatures that God hath made be the hea-
venly spirits and angels, which be always in heaven most
happy for the continual beholding of his glory ; and for their
office' sake are chosen and called angels, because they be sent
on his message, and do most willingly go at his command-
ment. This word "anger"' betokens not the substance of the
creature, but the office; and is a Greek word signifying a
messenger, or embassador : this name "angel" was commonly
used to be given to these heavenly messengers, whom God
sends [on] his message from his holy place of majesty : as
Gabriel the angel was sent to the virgin Mary, and other to
Joseph, Daniel, Moses, &c. This name is also given to the
preachers for the heavenly comfort that they bring to man
from God, whose messengers they be. In the Revelation
St John writes to the seven angels, that is to say, to the
seven ministers, of the seven congregations or churches in
Asia. John Baptist was called the angel of the Lord, or
embassador, sent to prepare his ways. And whom do kings
use to send embassadors, but such as be faithful and trusty,
whom they love, and [to] whom they dare commit secret and
weighty matters unto^ What can be more worshipful than
to be God's embassador, and in such trust with him that
God will vouchsafe to send him on his message? St Paul
desires the Ephcsians to pray for him, that he might have
utterance given him to speak and preach the gospel freely,
for the which he was sent embassador. 2 Corinthians v, he
saith his embassage stood chiefly in this point, to reconcile
us to God.
Is not the steward's office an high office, and of great-
est credit in great men's houses, and at their commandment
and appointing all things be done? They provide and give
all in their master's house meat in due season, &c. St
Paul therefore saith, "Let a man thus think of us, that we
be the servants of God and stewards of his secret mysteries,"
which be meat for our souls. St Matthew in a parable calls
the preachers stewards, appointed over God's house, to give
their fellow-servants meat in due season. St Mark calleth
V. 12, 13.] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. 107
them porters in God's house, having in commandment to
watch that no thieves nor unruly persons come in to trouble
the house. They be called " the light of the world," to lead Light,
other the right way : they be "the salt of the earth," to season sait.
us, that by corruption we do not smell evil before God : they " '^ " ^ *
be God's soldiers, to fight for his people, as St Paul says,
" No man goes to war on his own wages." They be watch- watchmen.
men, to give warning when enemies come. They be dogs, to i>o?s.
bark and awake us out of our deadly sleep, when we forget
God. They be the mouth of God, that where we were not
able to stand in the sight of God, if he should speak unto
us in his glorious majesty, he doth vouchsafe to speak unto
us by the mouth of his minister, being a man as we be, and
whom we should believe to be sent from God as long as he
teaches Christ and his word.
These names of trust and credit are given to preachers for
the commendation and setting forth of their office, which they
bear in God's house ; and that they should not think it a
vile, but a most worshipful room. And to make them more
regarded, the Lord counts those injuries done to himself,
which be done to his preachers, saying : " He that despises Matt, [x.]
you, despises me ; and in what to\\Ti soever ye come, if they
^vill not receive you, shake the dust off your feet, and it
shall bear ^vitness against them in the day of judgment."
And because he joins to the next saying, " In the mes-
sages of the Lord;" it_doth ii^^to^ weet the faithfulness of this
prophet in his duty, that he speaks nothing but the words of the
Lord truly, which sent him ; which rule all true preachers should
follow. ]3ut of this is enough spoken in the verses before.
Now follows the glad tidings of the gospel to comfort
this people withal after the great threatenings of God, which
the prophet here pronounced in the former verses. For as
God works in his creatures, that after winter comes summer,
and after a storm fair weather: so in the spiritual doctrine
of our souls, fii-st he teaches repentance, preaches the law,
threatens vengeance for sin, casts down man in his own sight,
and lets him look even into hell with fear of conscience for
his disobedience ; but afterwards he comforts him, raises him
up, and lieals him, that this may be found true that is said
of our Saviour Christ, " 1 came not to call the righteous, Matt. ix.
108 EXPOSITION UPON [cH. I.
but sinners to repentance C and " they that be whole need
not the physician, but the sick.'"*
The law is All the prophets use the same trade in teaching, as Esay
tau-ht, and in his first chapter calleth the Jews worse than beasts ; for
then tlie •*
gospel. " the OX would know his master, and the ass his master's
manger, but they would not know their God :'"* and the rulers
he calls the " princes of Sodom," and " fellows with thieves."
Jonas also in the beginning of his prophecy saith, " Within
forty days Nineve shall be destroyed." Sophony's^ first w^ords
be, that God " will destroy man, beast, fowl, corn, and fruit
of the earth." But afterwards every one of them prophesies
of Christ, promises blessing from God, with increase of all
wealth and goodness. Likewise John Baptist began his
Matt. iii. preaching: " Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
And our Saviour Christ began his preaching with the self-
same words. Peter in his first sermon, after they received
Acts iii. the Holy Ghost, rebuked the Jews sharply for crucifying
Christ the giver of life, and for asking Barabbas a murderer
to be delivered unto them : but when their conscience pricked
them, they aslved what they should do ; and he comforts them,
l)ids them repent, and be baptized every one of them in the
name of Christ. So here, after the sharp preaching of the
law, and threatening of God's plagues, folio weth the sweet
comfoi-t of the gospel ; for he saith, " I am with you, saith
the Lord :" as though he should say. Let nothing grieve
you, neither the greatness of the sin, that ye have been so
negligent in forgetting the building of this house so long ;
nor the great cost, as though ye were not able to bear and
perform it ; nor l)e not afraid of the king's officers which
stopped you ; for "I am with you, saith the Lord," whose
power they cannot withstand, whose mercy passeth your
misery, and who can pardon and forgive more than you can
sin, and who shall be judge of your doings, and am able
to forgive all things trespassed against me. All the riches
of the earth is mine, and I bestow it as pleases me : the
hearts of kings and rulers be in my hand, and I rule them
as I think good: when I will, they shall shew you favour
and friendship ; and when they lust they shall not stop, hurt,
nor hinder my work according to their desire or pleasure, as
[^ Zephaniah's. Ed.J
V. 12, 13.] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. 109
much as they would : but those that fear and love me, I
will bless, and they shall not have any harm, and my works
shall prosper and go forwards in their hands, as I think good,
in despite of all their foes : therefore let nothing fear nor
trouble you ; for I, whom all things do obey, am with you,
saith the Lord.
These are but few words in number, but they are mighty
in operation and working, where they be received with an
earnest faith; and so mighty, that whosoever hears and be-
lieves them to be spoken of God, is not afraid to attempt
anything, be it never so great and hard. When Jacol) was Gen. xivi.
doubting and afraid, whether he should go into Egypt to his
son Joseph or no, God spake to him and said, " Jacob, be
not afraid ; for I will go down into Egypt with thee, and I
will bring thee out again also.'' Then Jacob, fearing neither God's help
the death of his son Joseph, nor the displeasure that mio-ht stirreth us
,,..«., , -r /¥> "P to enter-
come to him and his, it either he or vet Joseph offended P'i^e threat
the king ; nor yet lest Joseph should lose his authority by
a new king, as it is commonly seen ; nor the jeopardy of
the journey, no, nor yet any other worldly thing that could
or might chance, [but] went into Egypt boldly with all his
children and substance, and was defended by God. AVhen
!Moses keeping sheep saw the fire in the bush, and God E>;od. iii.
said unto him, that he would send him to king Pharao to
deliver his people, he was afraid and marvelled that he, being
but a shepherd, should be sent on such a message to so
mighty a prince : but after that God had promised him
that he would be with him, he was encouraged, and took in
hand to go to Pharao on his embassage, and to lead God's
people out of Egypt. When God sent his angel to Gedeon, Jud?. vi.
threshing his corn, and said he should deliver the people
from their enemies, which invaded their country and lay as
thick in number as grasshoppers do in the field ; Gedeon
doubted at the matter, until such time as God said unto
him, that he would be with him. And after trial of his
faith in that promise made unto him, he durst with three
hundred naked men, having no weapons but earthen-pots, a
fire-brand and horns in their hands, set on their enemies
which fled all away, as soon as they heard the potsherds
knocked together.
110 EXPOSITION UPON [CH.I.
Matt.xxviii. Qyj, Saviour Christ, after his ascension, sending his apos-
tles into the whole world to preach and baptize, addeth no
greater thing to comfort them withal in this great and dan-
gerous enterprise, that so few unlearned men should conquer
the whole world, but saith, "Behold, I am with you, even
to the end of the world." What good success their preach-
ing had, we at this present day yet feel and see : and also,
how he is present always with his, even to the end; and
Johnxvii. YiQY^ true his prayer is, that he did not pray only for his
apostles, but for all that should believe on him by their preach-
Rom. viii. 'j^„ When St Paul saith that he was persuaded, that nei-
ther nakedness, prison, hunger, persecution, nor life, neither
death, angels, nor powers could pull him from the love in
Christ Jesu ; he had nothing to strengthen himself withal,
Actsxxvii. but that God promised that he was with him, and then he
boldly said, "If God be with us, who can be against usV
All be but dust, worms, and vileness in his sight: nothing
can prevail against those, whom he doth assist with his
grace.
Therefore, when we doubt to take in hand any good work,
which agrees with the word of God, for any worldly reasons
or carnal fear ; let us stir up our faith, and hear God speaking
and saying unto us, "I am with you, be ye not afraid." If
thy conscience bear thee sure witness, that thou seekest no-
thing but the glory of God, and the profit of his people;
no doubt God will assist thee in such enterprises, and offers
this his promise to thee also, saying, " I am with thee : be
not afraid," but go on forwards, and I will bless thy doings,
seem it never so hard or impossible to thee.
The text. y. 14. The Lovd icaJccd up the spirit of Zeruhahel, son of
Salathiel^ prince of Juda, and the spirit of Jostia son
of Josedec the high priest^ and the spirit of all the
remnant of the people: and they loent and wrought
in the house of the Lord of hosts, their God,
15. In the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month, in the se-
cond year of hing Darius.
This is a notable metaphor, and worthily sets forth the
nature of sin, in that he saith, " The Lord waked up the
V. 14, 15.] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. Ill
spirit of all this people :" for sin is a sleep of the soul,
having no fear nor feeling of God, so long as a man lies
in it. "It is now time,'' saith St Paul, "to awake out ofRom-xiii.
sleep," meaninoj sin. God in his word by such outward s.'" is a
. . ... sleep and
bodily things declares unto us the nature of spiritual things, '^^'^^'^ «[
both good and evil. As the dead body lies rotting and stink-
ing in the grave, fearful to look on, and grievous to re-
member ; so when we lie buried in sin, we stink in the sight
of God ; he cannot abide to look at us, nor will remember
us. And as we, when the body lieth on sleep in the bed,
which is an image of our grave, can neither see, feel, hear,
taste, smell, understand, nor yet move out of the place, until
we be awaked, nor can take any pleasure at all in any one
creature of God ; so when we lie wallowing in sin, we nei-
ther see the majesty of God with the eyes of our faith, nor
feel his mercies offered unto us in his dear Son and our
only Saviour Christ Jesus, nor yet can we taste at all how
sweet the Lord is. Our ears are stopped from hearing good
counsel ; we perceive nothing at all of God's goodness to-
wards us ; his word is not savoury unto us, neither yet be
we moved or stirred up to do any one good work of charity.
But now it pleased the Lord, pitying their misery, to wake
them up out of this dead sleep, and set them in hand with
building: of his house ajjain. /
But where he had preached to them both the law and the /<» U^-^-rt
gospel, threatenings and comforts ; with the plagues they were ^
moved to nothing but fear, as is said in the verses before : but
after they heard the glad tidings of the gospel, that God
promised to be with them ; then they were awaked out of
their sleep, and ^^TOught lustily. So it is the gospel that J ','[[. ''y,]^^.
quickens and gives life ; but the law kills, fears, and threatens. J3[.„g^
For as after sleep the body being awaked, it is fresh, lusty,
strong and courageous to do his work ; so after the fearful
threatenings of the law when we hear the glad tidings of the
gospel, that God will be our Lord and dwell with us, the mind
is comforted, strengthened, and moved up to do his duty.
And as a man is judged to be waking when he can do the
office of a man, as talk, work, write, or such like ; so is man
awaked out of the sleep of sins, when he lives in charity, fears
God, and walks according to his law in his vocation.
/ ^
/tyv/w^
112
EXPOSITION UPON [cil. I.
Further, as when a man lies in his dead sleep, ho cannot
awake, except some noise awaken him, or some other call
him; so can we not arise out of sin, except the Spirit of
God, or his preacher, which is his watchman, with often crying
unto us awake us. "Cry'' therefore "and cease not," saith
isai. iviii. Esay the prophet ; " Lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and
tell my people their wickedness." So that it is the trumpet
of God's word continually sounding in our ears, which is the
only way to awake us out of this sinful sleep. But the papists
turn the order, and say. Cease and cry not ; hold thy peace,
and say nought ; live in rest and be still ; and so let all go
to havoc, and the people perish.
Thus we may learn here the necessity of preaching, and
Prov. xxix. ^vhat inconvenience follows where it is not used. " Where
preaching fails," saith Salomon, " the people perish :" there-
TsTHost"' ^^^'^ ^^^ ^^'^O' "^^^^ ^^eep himself in God's school house, and
necessary, jg^rn his Icsson diligently ; for as the body is nourished with
meat, so is the soul with the word of God, as St Matthew
Matt. iv. saith : " A man doth not live by bread only, but in every word
that comes from the mouth of God." This is then the or-
dinary way to keep us in the fear of God, and continual
remembrance of the last day, often and diligently to read and
hear God's word preached unto us : for that is it which doth
Eccius. vii. and will kill sin in us, as it is WTitten, " llemember the last
end, and thou wilt not sin."
Rom. X. Faith is kept and increased by the same means that it
is gotten : it is gotten by hearing, and hearing comes of the
word: let us therefore hear and read it diligently. What
is the cau.se that the papists lie so sound on sleep in their
abominations, but that they care not for preaching, nor think
it so necessary ; and because they would not be told of their
faults, that they might amend them? Where sin is not re-
buked, it is not known to be sin : nor it will not be amended,
without much crying on. David the good king and true
prophet of God, after he had gotten with child Urias'
wife, could not awake out of that sleep of sin, until he was
warned by the prophet Nathan, notwithstanding all and
singular such great gifts, which God hath endued him
withal ; but invented one policy after another to cloke his
2«am. xi. whoredom and naughtiness withal. First, he sendeth for
V. 14, 15.] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. 113
Urias home, beino: his faithful soldier in his wars, willinnf
him to go home to his wife ; thinking that, if lie had lien
by her, the child might have been called his. But when he
saw that Urias would not go home to his wife, he devised
to send him with letters unto Joab the captain, that he
should be set in the fore front, when the town should be
assaulted, and that his fellows should flee from him, that
he might be slain. This policy David wrought so privily,
that he thought no man should espy it : for who durst open
^ the king's letters I But at length cometh Nathan the prophet,
and telleth him a parable, how there was a rich man, that
had many sheep, and a poor man his neighbour had but
one, which he loved most dearly : the rich man took this
one sheep from the poor man, and Nathan asked what this
man had deserved. Then answered David in anger, and said,
he deserved death : then said Nathan, Thou hast given a very
good sentence : it is even thou thyself that hast done this
deed ; thou shalt die. For thou hast many wives, and couldest
not be content with them, but hast taken thy poor neigh-
bour's, Urias' wife." Then cried David, " I have sinned ;"
and made that worthy psalm fifty and one: "0 God, have
mercy on me according to thy great mercy, and according
to thy many mercies wash away my wickedness. And yet
more wash me from my wickedness, &;c." But before
Nathan came, he lay without feeling of his sin, or yet any
remorse of conscience at all knowing that he had done
evil.
So when the Q-ood kino; Ezechias, beinfj restored to his for- 2 Kings xx.
mer health, had letten the embassadors of the Idng of Baljcl,
which came to rejoice for his recovery, see all his treasure
and jewels, being very proud of them ; Esay the prophet comes
unto him, and asketh what they had seen : he told him :
Well, saith Esay, even from thence a king shall come to rob
and spoil all these treasures that thou hast been proud of.
Then the kinjr knowledo-ed his fault, but not before he was
rebuked ])y the prophet. Peter, until he was relnikcd of
Paul for his dissinudation with the gentiles, did not leave Cai.ii.
it. Joas was a good king, as long as Jehoiada the high priest ;^|';''*'"-
lived ; for he followed his good counsel : but after he it'll
from God, when he would hear no good counsel at all.
[i*ii.kixg:o.\.J
To hoar
preaching
^1"^ EXPOSITION UPON [cil. I.
Thus we see how necessary it is for us to be kept in
God's school, and hear the trumpet of his word sounding
continually in our ears, to awake us up out of this deadly
sleep of sin, and stir us forward to a diligent doing of our
duties. What a pride is this for us to think so highly of
ourselves, that we be so far more holy, strong, wise, learned,
more able to stand, than these good men were; and that
we need not such continual teaching and counsel, but that
we may well enough want it ! These men fell when they heard
not the voice of the prophets : and yet we, that are not so
much worthy as once to be compared unto them in the gifts
of God, think we shall stand of ourselves.
Many will say. What should I do at the sermon 1 I know
oujht" ^s much before I go, as I shall learn there : I can read the
scripture at home, and comfort myself sufficiently. These are
better than they that will neither hear nor read, but say,
I know there is no more but do well and have well : I know
this is all that can be said. Love God above all things, and
thy neighbour as thyself: I can say my pater noster and my
creed as well as he ; and further I know, that in the one is
contained all things necessary to be asked at God's hand,
and in the other all that is to be believed : and what can or
should a man have more than this ? — These sayings, although
they be true, yet are they most brutish, and nothing else in
very deed but naughty excuses to cloke our slothful wicked-
ness withal; and signify plain that we would not in any
wise have preaching, because we would not hear our faults
rebuked, nor yet our minds exercised in meditation of God
and his goodness, of our own sin and misery. St Paul to
the Philippians saith, that he was not ashamed to write
one thing often to them, and it was for their safety. The
parable of the five foolish virgins and the five wise teacheth
plainly, that both the wise and the fooHsh did both nap,
slumber, yea, and fall hard on sleep; wherein is set before
us all our natures, whether we be foolish or wise : we fall on
sleep forgetting God, when we should watch for his coming,
though we think never so highly of ourselves, if we have not
the light and burning lamp of God's eternal word burning in
our hearts.
What a foolishness is it to think that we can or shall
Phil. iii.
Matt. XXV.
V. 14, 1.;.] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. 115
stand, where as every one hath fallen that is gone before us;
or that we shall escape, where every one else hath been taken !
There is not the best learned man, but he needs often to
hear the preachings and counsel of others, although he can
comfort himself in his private studies and in reading the
scriptures never so well. For as the physician, when he is
sick, cannot heal himself, nor hath not his judgment so per-
fectly as he had before he was sick, but seeketh help at
another physician's hand ; so the learnedest man living, as
long as he liveth, and beareth sinful flesh about with him,
shall have sinful and froward lusts and affections reigning
in him, which blindeth his sight, that he seeth not his own
sins, until he be warned of them by others. St Peter saith
he would put them in remembrance of their duty, as long as ^ Pet. i.
he lived, although they knew it well. What should move
Paul so often and so earnestly to write unto Timothv and i,^''"*-^ '
•^ ^ " Titus m.
to Titus, having such W'Orthy gifts as they had, if they need
not to ])e warned of their duties I For what cause should either
David have had the prophet of God, Nathan, sent of God ^ ^''^°^- •'^"•
himself unto him, or yet Ezechias the prophet Esay, either
the apostles to be sent forth by couples together, or yet to ^^^^ ■'^'•
meet in counsel at Jerusalem, and there to decree hard mat-
ter, if one should not learn at another ?
And mark here that he saith, all were fallen on sleep,
and lay still on sleep, until the Lord awaked them up by this
his prophet Aggeus ; both Zerubabel the prince and chief
ruler in the commonwealth, Josua the high priest and chief
in religion, and all the people also : not so much as one from
the highest to the lowest that did his duty herein, but were
all fallen on sleep.
What would the pope say, if a man should tell him he ^^j.^ pope
were on sleep and fallen from God ? Would he not straight-
ways rage, fret and fume, and say that he was God's vicar,
or at lea.st Peter's successor here in earth, and that ho could
not err, but every thing which he did or said was both good
and also godly I Surely this high priest, otherwise a very good
man, bearing the figure of Clu'ist, and nuich commended in
Zachary the prophet, and liaving his authority given him of
God, and coming unto it by descent also according to the
law of Moses, had thus foully fallen on sicej), and forgotten
116 EXPOSITION UPON [cil. I.
God : and shall we think that the pope, living in the puddle
of sin, given to follow all pleasure, and usurping authority
against God and his saints, cannot do or say amiss?
And as I noted before, so it is not to be lightly con-
sidered, that where so often the prophet here rehearseth the
names of Zerubabel and Josua, the two chiefest rulers ; yet
ruler'is'^ he evermore setteth in order the civil magistrate and power
prSs?^ before the chief priest, to signify the pre-eminence and pre-
ferment that he hath in the commonwealth and other mat-
ters, more than the chief priest, by what name so ever he
be called, whether it be the pope, archbishop, or metropoli-
tan.
hufkiuoV When they were thus awaked, "they went and wrought
i.ous^"Iiccp ^" *h® house of the Lord their God." This is a sure ar-
111 sin. g-ument that a man is awaked, and not still on sleep, when
he can and will go work about his business. It is not enough
to say he is awaked and will work, but to work indeed. So
differs the hypocrite and dissembler from the true charitable
man, that the one hath nothing but fair, glosing words, and
the other, as oft as he hath occasion offered, doth it indeed,
without boasting or cracking of it : for he that doth not
work in very deed, is on sleep still, what fair face soever
Matt. vii. & he make on it. The gospel saith plainly, that " by their fruits
ye shall know them." And the two sons, whereof the one,
when his father bade him go work in his vineyard, said he
would and did not, the other said nay, and went, only he
that wrought did his father's will. So only be they awaked,
which work in the Lord's house : the other either slumber,
dream, or else be hard on sleep, and do not their due work
in building the house of the Lord our good God.
AVhen they began to lay the foundation of this temple,
2King:sxvii. the people of the country, which were placed there by Sal-
manasar, would have holpen them to build, and said they
worshipped the same God that they did, (because they per-
ceived that the good king Cyrus favoured them at that pre-
sent;) but after that Assuerus, the next king following, had
stopped them from building any more, they were most earn-
estly against them. The good men that were amongst them
perceived their dissembling, and would not suffer them to work
with them. So many amongst us, which be papists indeed,
V. 14, 15.] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. 117
when they sec that they shall please the rulers, will cry most
earnestly for the building of God's house, and pretend as
though they would work most stoutly : but if they see the
world turn, they will be the first and most earnest destroyers
of the same. Such false brethren must be most diligently
taken heed of, and not be suffered to join themselves with
the true workmen, lest they betray all the good ; as we both
feel and see our papists to have done, to the slander of God
and his word, our hurt and shame. St Paul telleth often 2 Cor. xi.
how great dangers he was in ; but he complainetli of none
more than of false brethren, which make a shew of godli-
ness, and yet are most wicked within, even very wolves in
lambs' skins.
But these men, after thev were thus awaked bv the
preaching of Aggeus, went and wrought, now no longer
about their own houses, as before, seeking their own profit
and commodity ; but in the house of the Lord of hosts,
whose power now they feared, and mighty hand they had
felt so long, and yet not worthily regarded the heaviness of
his displeasure, nor his great plagues that he had laid upon
them so many years. It was noted in the verses before, why
God is called the Lord of hosts, which is for the great,
mighty, sundry, and divers ways that he hath conquered,
and uses to conquer, those which rebel against him. This
is the strength and power that comes by the word of God;
that where it is dilijjentlv heard and faithfullv believed, it Pr^chin-
maketh us altoirether new men, of loiterers workers, and al- '"'" "]'"•
together lusty and courageous, and afraid of no displeasure, "'^'^ ^"'^•
so that we may work in the Lord's house.
If we mark in what sort and case these people were, we
shall better perceive what effect this little short preaching
took in them. They had lien many years not regarding the
building of God's house, for fear of the king's displeasure,
who had commanded the rulers in the country to stop the
building of that house: but now, partly for fear of the
plagues which the mighty Lord of hosts had threatened to
lay on them, and chiefly that God had promised that he
would be with them, they were so stirred up tliat they
regarded not now their own gain and plQa.surc, nor they
lis EXPOSITION UPON [cH. I.
feared not tlio king's officers'* displeasure, which had for-
bidden them to build any more ; but straight without suing
for a new commission or licence of the king, or speaking
with the king's officers, they set up their work, knowing
that he which promised would be with them, and that they
should prosper well in it, for he was able and would per-
Ezrav. form it. In Esdras it appears what bold answer they make,
when the king's officers asked them by what authority they
beo^an to renew their old work ; and that letters were sent
to king Darius, to know whether they should be suffered to
go forward in their building or not. But God so moved the
king's heart, that he gave them not only liberty to build,
but money also to do it withal : and by the strength of God
they had not only given the enterprise, but also w^ent for-
ward in their building, asking no licence at all of any man,
before they were complained on.
This strength hath God's w^ord when it is worthily re-
ceived, that it maketh a man to forget his own profit, yea
lands, wife, children, goods, and life, and manfully to bear
death, prison, fire, and displeasure of princes, so that he may
do his duty to his Lord God, and escape his displeasure.
Peter, who denied his Master at the voice of a handmaid,
after he had received the Holy Ghost, was bold to confess
Actsix. him before lords and princes even to the death. Paul, in
furious rage of his persecution, was stricken down, and of
johniii.& a wolf rose up a lamb. Nicodemus, that afore durst not be
known to be Christ's disciple, or bear him any good will,
after durst ask the body of Pilate, and boldly buried it.
Thus where true faith is given to God, commanding any
thing to be done, or to the preaching of his word, it makes
of haters lovers, of fearful bold, of persecutors preachers,
and doth wholly change the nature of nian, as David
Psai. xix. saith, " The law of the Lord is without spot, turning the
minds of men." This was neither treason nor rebellion against
the king, to do that which God by his prophet so straitly
commanded, as was declared and noted before ; but they were
rather traitors to God, that had not of so many years gone
more earnestly about that building of God's house, as God
willed them to do.
V. 14, I.J.] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. 119
And where he calls God their God yet after so great and
Ions: disobedience : it commends unto us the long; sufferinij Go'i is lon^-
. . sullering.
and merciful goodness of our God, that will not forsake us
for a fault or two, nor in a year or two, but continually
beareth with us, calling us to him by all means possible,
and would not one of the least to perish. "All the day long,""
saith God by his prophet Esay, " I have stretched out my i&ai. i.w.
hands to a people that speaks against me, and faithless.""
But of this is enough spoken before.
And where he addeth this, and saith, " They went and
wrought in the Lord's house the twenty-fourth day of the
sixth month, and the same second vear of Darius ;'' it teaches
us the earnestness of them towards their work, now after
they were thus awaked and stirred up out of their sleep.
They had but three weeks and three days, both to hear this
preaching of Aggeus, and to make ready their tools to work
withal; which time had been little enough to have prepared
their tools in, although they had not had any other business
to have been occupied withal. The prophet was sent from
God the first day of the sixth month, as appears in the first
verse; and now, the twenty-fourth day of the same month,
they began to renew their work with a lusty courage : so
the whole time both to hear the preaching, and prepare all
things necessaiw for their great work, was but three weeks
and three davs. So earnestly doth true faith work, where Faithful
- love scpks
God is truly feared, and his commandment reverently obeyed, no delays.
that they cannot be quiet until they have done that which
God commands. There is nothing now that can hinder them
from this work, neither the fear of the king's displeasure,
nor the costliness of the great work, nor the greediness of
their o\vn profit, which they sought so much before, neither
the greatness of their disobedience in so long forgetting their
Lord God ; but with one mind and courage they set up this
great costly work, manfully continuing in it, and hajjpily
finish it in four years' space, notwithstanding the great lets,
hinderance, and accusations that were made against them to
the king, and other divers ways many. This promise that
God had made them, that he would be with them, had so
encouraged them, that notliing could stop them from their
120 EXPOSITION UPON [cil. I.
1 Sam. xvii. work : biit as David, going to fight with Goh'as, was not
afraid of all his strength, harness, nor yet his power and
might, but said, " Thou comest against me trusting in tliine
own strength, and I come to fight with thee with this little
sling and few stones, in the name of the living God of
Israel C so they were bold in him only to set on this great
work.
If they were thus stirred up by this little preaching, what
dulness shall we think to be in ourselves, that after such con-
tinual crying and calling cannot be awaked to do our duties !
Is it any marvel that God doth so often and so grievously
plague us, seeing we should without all excuses do it, which
he commandeth us ; and yet in so long time we cannot be
brought to fear him as we should do? We may also learn,
what a treasure it is to have God's word amongst us, seeing it
is the ordinary way that he hath ordained to bring us unto
Scripture is him by ; and what a grief it is to want the continual preaching
necessary "^ <-" ^ .
for all men, of the Same : and also the wickedness of the papists, that
and no x i ^
cause of thus do rob the people of it, and would make them to believe
that it were not necessary for them, but brings them into
heresies, and that it is the mother of all heresy and mischief,
and that there was never good world since the scripture was
in English, with such like blasphemies.
But if we mark the scripture throughly in all ages, we
shall find that in good kings' days, which maintained God's
word and his true religion, as David, Salomon, Josaphat,
Joas, Ezechias, Josias, in Juda only there was more plenty
of all worldly blessings, than there was in all Israel beside,
where as the scripture was not regarded. Again : if ye mark
well all the ancient heretics, even from the beginning, as
Arius, Pelagius, Valentinus, Marcion, Sabellius, Donatus,
Eutyches, &c., you shall find none at all, or very few, that
were unlearned, Ijut all for the most part were great clerks ;
and by this reason then the learned, rather than the unlearned,
should be kept from the scriptures, if reading the scripture
make heretics. For men fall chiefly into heresies, when they
trust to their own wits and learning, forsaking or not sub-
mittincf their wits unto God's wisdom contained in his infallible
word and truth. If they will let the people hear the scripture
V. 14, 15.] THE TROPHET AGGEUS. 121
in sermons, I cannot tell why they should not be suffered to
read it. AVliy should rather heresy come by readino- than
by hearing I Nay, this is their meaning, they would have no
preaching, nor yet reading, saving of their dirty drenrs' of
popery, which maintains their idle lordliness ; whereas the
scripture setteth out their wickedness, which they will not
have known, nor yet once touched. The Lord, for his
mercy's sake, defend us from their tyranny ! Amen.
A PRAYER.
Most miorhtv Lord and merciful Father, which didst stir
up the Jews to the building of thy house by the preaching of
thy prophet Aggeus : we thy miserable creatures, oppressed
with sin, and living in blindness, beseech thee for thy mercy
sake, have mercy upon us, and thrust out diligent workmen
into thy harvest ; send out fiiithful preachers, which may by
the hard threatenings of thy law, and comfortable promises
of thy gospel, awake all thy people out of their dead sleep,
wherein they lie wallowing, forgetting thee and their duty.
We have all sinned from the highest to the lowest, in not
earnestly professing thy holy word and religion ; both the
princes, rulers, and magistrates, bishops, ministers of all sorts,
and all the people : no state nor condition of men hath done
their duty herein unto thee, our only Lord and (lod. There-
fore we all with heavy hearts fall down flat afore thy throne
of grace and majesty : we beg, crave, and ask theo forgiveness
of our great sins : open our eyes, 0 good God, that we may
Q' Old editions firaggr.<(, which is a form sometimes used for drujg.
But sec p. 100, 1. 22. Ed.]
122 A r HAYEK.
consider the plagues, which thou hast laid on us so long for
our great disobedience towards thee and thy word. Give us
new hearts, and renew thy Holy Spirit witliin us, 0 Lord ;
that both the rulers may faithfully minister justice, punish sin,
defend and maintain the preaching of thy word, and that all
ministers may diligently teach thy dearly beloved flock, pur-
chased by the blood and death of thine own and only dear
Son our Lord, and that all people may obediently learn and
follow thy law, to the glory of thy holy name for Christ's
sake, our only Lord and Saviour.
Chap. II.
V. ] . In the seventh months and the ticenty-first day of the xhe text.
months was the word of the Lord sent ly the hand of
Aggeus the prophet^ saying :
2. ^peaTz to Zeruhahel^ the son of Salathiel^ rider of Je-
huda^ and to Josua the son of Josedec^ the chief priest^
and to the remnant of the people^ saying :
3. Who is left amongst you^ that hath seen this house in
his former glory f and ichat a one you see it noio I is
it not nice as it xcere nothing in your eyes?
As concerning the reckoning of years, months, and clays
enough was spoken in the first chapter : and what it is to
be sent by the hand of a prophet, whoso lust, there he may
read.
This message sent now in the seventh month, and the
next that comes in the ninth, declare the good will of God
towards them that build his house, and how ready God is to
further all their doings. They began to work the twenty-
fourth day of the sixth month, and had continued to the
twenty-first day of the seventh month ; and then, lest the fear
of the king or the rulers should discourage them, they had
need to be comforted : therefore Aggeus is sent unto them
again to encourage them, lest they should have fainted or
left off working. Again, in the eighth month is the prophet
Zachary sent unto them, and in the ninth month Aggeus
is sent twice ; and all because they should not let their
work slip, but with a courage finish it ; and that also they ^^^ ^^^^,^
might see how true it is, that "to every one that hath !*{;[;;;;;'';[;!;;'''
shall be given," and for them which work courageously in s^^^vc imn.
the Lord's \dncyard, how well the Lord is delighted with
them and blesses them.
Thus God knowing the weakness of this^ people, every
month sends new messages unto them, that thoy may under-
stand what a care he hath over them, and that they should
trust in him which had all things in his hands to rule at his
\J First edition hh\ En.]
124 EXPOSITIOX UPON [CH. II.
pleasure ; and not to trust in themselves, which of themselves
could do nothing. Let us therefore work in the Lord's house,
and no douht he will send us comfort enough.
Now, where he is bidden speak to Zerubabel the prince,
to Josua the chief priest, and to the remnant of the people ;
and so often rehearses them in this same order in this pro-
phecy ; it doth us to understand, that there is one doctrine
of salvation to be taught unto all sorts of men, and that all
sorts are bound to hear and learn the same : and besides
that, it teaches the preferment of the civil magistrate or ruler
to the priest, as was noted before.
And herein we shall chiefly learn the wickedness of them
that withhold the scriptures from the lay people, saying, it
is not meet for them to be so much occupied in hearing the
same. For the prophet saith here sundry times, that he was
sent to all the people as well as to the rulers ; and therefore
it was their duty to learn and hear his message as diligently
as it was the rulers'. And this is a great occasion, why that
all rulers should behave themselves lowly towards the people,
Aiithinirs seeing God hath made all things, as concerning salvation,
are given to comuion and of oue sort both to poor and rich, that by
men in like, this mcaus he might increase brotherly love betwixt both
Eph. iv. parts. " There is one Lord God,'' saith St Paul, " of all,"
both poor and rich, one Holy Ghost that makes us all holy,
" one baptism, one faith" that we believe, one Saviour Jesus
Christ, one Father in heaven unto whom we pray, one ever-
lasting kingdom which we all loolv for, one scripture and
word to teach us, one sacrament for us all ; we be born,
gotten, die, and buried all in like ; and a great knot it
is of love amongst us, seeing we speak one language, being
of one country or town, and one air which we receive, one
lire, sun, moon, stars, earth, herbs, trees, corn, cattle, fish,
fowl, that we be fed on : we go, stand, sleep, work all
alike, &;c.
All the difference that is betwixt us is this : that one is
higher in authority, better clad or fed, hath a prouder coat
or a softer bed, or more store of money, lands, or servants,
than another hath; which thing helps not to salvation. But
what vain things these be to rejoice in, or to despise one
another for that wants them, the things themselves do declare.
V. 1, 2, 3.] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. 125
For he that wants all these not necessary things to salvation,
is commonly better man, more lusty, strong, and healthful
than the other, as is said in the verses before. And to re-
joice in ancient blood, what can be more vain ? Do we not all
come of Adam, our earthly father I and say we not all, " Our
Father which art in heaven, hallowed, &;c." ! How can we
crack then of our ancient stock, seeing we came all both of
one earthly and heavenly Father? If ye mark the common
saying, how gentle blood came up, ye shall see how true it
is :
"Wlien Adam dalve, and Eve span,
Who was then a gentleman?
Up start the carle, and gathered good,
And thereof came the gentle blood/
And although no nation has anything to rejoice in of them-
selves, vet Endand has less than other. We glorv much
to be called Britons ; but if we consider what a vagabond
Brutus was, and what a company he brought with him, there
is small cause of fflorv. For the Saxons, of whom we come
also, there is less cause to crack. So that of Brutus we may
well be called brutes for our brutish conditions, and of
the Saxons saxi^ that is, stout and hard-hearted : but if
we go up to Cain, Japhet, and such other fathers of us
gentiles, we may be ashamed of our ancestors : for of all
these we come, that knew no God.
Tullv, a heathen philosopher, telleth how many ways men Howautiio.
came first to have great possessions, and waxed more wealthy
and mighty in the earth than others did : either by coming
into void places, (saith he) where as none did dwell, and
then every man took to himself as much ground as he would ;
or else they got it in the wars by power from others; or
bought it ; or else by gift, or descent. So that at the first we
were all alike, not one better than another : and wo shall be
also all alike annrels at the last. For in heaven there is no
higher place for rich men, nor lower for the poor ; but every
man according as he hath done, so shall ho receive. If the
[> The last two lines arc wanting in the second edition. In hotli
editions the first line has dalre, as here priiited : Chaucer uses da/fe in
the preterit tense. Ed.]]
126 EXPOSITION UPON ^ [ciI. II.
poor and rich man's blood were both in one basin, how
should the one be known to be better than the other, seeing
we crack so much of it i Yet doth this derogate nothing from
that honour and dignity, which is due to all princes and
magistrates in this life of all sorts of men: but it is only
spoken how all sorts shall obtain the life to come, and that
we should not overmuch rejoice in worldly vanities, but in
God alone, that we have him for our God.
And whereas the prince, priest, and people, have all one
lesson taught them, and no difference at all is made betwixt
them, how to please God, we may see the wickedness of
our priests, that by their trentals and other masses can
help, as they say, others to heaven, but they themselves care
not for such baggage, and buy none of them for themselves,
because they think them unprofitable ; or else they see there
is another way to heaven than this, and therefore will not
use this at all for themselves, but deceive others therewith :
or rather they care not for heaven, but will here live at
ease, and enrich themselves, they care not how, not hoping
for another life. But the prophet here, and all the scrip-
ture throughout, teaches one way of salvation for all sorts
of men, whatsoever they be, how to live and die and enjoy
heaven.
The effect of this message now is to comfort them, that
they should not faint in their work, but manfully go on for-
wards, and luckily finish the building of God's house, being
discouraged at nothing. Many there were that, beside the
fear of the king's displeasure, which had forbidden them to
Ijuild any more, seeing the gorgeousness of the old temple
builded by Salomon, and how slender a house this would be
in comparison of that, were sore grieved at it and discouraged.
Ezraiii. Esdras writeth, that when the ground-work and foundation
was laid, some which had seen the old temple, how costly,
great, and solemn it was, were very sorry to see this, how
slender a work it would be in comparison of the old; and
therefore they fell on weeping when as they considered it.
The younger sort whicli had not seen the old temple, that
was destroyed by Nabuchodonozor, and now seeing this go
so well forward, took ^ their instruments, sang psalms, and
praised God that had given them so good and prosperous
V. 1, 2, 3.] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. 127
success ; and were right glad that they might have such a
house to resort unto, to make their prayers and sacrifices
in, althougli it were not so costly and pleasant as they would
wish. In which two sorts of men the one, as Esdras saith,
wept because this house was not costly enough, nor becoming
the majesty of God their Lord ; the other did sing and rejoice,
that they had one so good a house as this was. AVe may
learn the sorrow which good clu'istian hearts take, when they
see God's true reliijion, not only coldly set forth, and neofli- nivers ?ood
. . . . aflections in
gently followed, but also if it be not m such perfection as religion.
it ought to be, and as they have seen or yet would wish.
Also we be taught how we should rejoice, when we have
any honest little house and religion granted unto us, to serve
and worship our Lord and God in, so that it be according to
his word : for the primitive church was glad, if they could get
private houses to teach in. The noise was so great, as Esdras
saith, that a man could not discern whether was greater, the
noise of them that sung, or of them which wept : therefore
the prophet saith to them, which were so sorry and heavy
for the slenderness of this building, that although this house
seemed nothing in comparison of the other in beauty in their
sight, yet it should appear a more glorious house afore God
than the first. And so it came to pass, as afterwards it
shall appear.
Let us note also where he saith, " Which of you hath J^Ji^stTe^
seen this house in his former glory, &c.", the strong patience stToIfiriv,
and longsuffering of the people of God, that had borne their sccnfionj.
cross so long, and were not weary of it ; but were very sorr}*
that they could not have God worshi})ped so solenmly as they
would. There was none that could have seen the first temple
of Salomon standing in his glory, and now this second temple
beginning to be renewed, but he must at the least be four-
score years old, and yet be not past ten years old, when it
was destroyed by Nabuchodonozor.
The years of the captivity in ]>abyIon were seventy, as
Jeremy promised, and the foundation of this temple was laid
under Cyrus, the second year of their returning: so that it
we take these years besides those seventy years of eai)tivity,
they must have so many also after they were born, that they
might be able to remember the temj)lc standing, which can
128 EXPOSITION UPON [cH. II.
be no less than ten years, or twelve : so that, all counted,
they could be no less, but rather more, than fourscore years
old : but if we reckon to this second of Darius, they must
^ /%^ P^^ anno 130 years old at the least. This I speak to note,
how manfully they had borne their banishment under heathen
kings, where they were prisoners, mocked, and evil entreated :
whereas we are so tender, that we cannot abide a little sorrow
for Christ's sake under christian rulers, nor cannot depart
from our flesh pots and belly cheer. We call the Jews sturdy
and stiff-necked people : but if we compare ourselves to them
in many points, we shall find ourselves much worse. They
Ts. cxxwii. sat on the water-banks of Babylon seventy years weeping,
and hanged their harps in the willows, instead of the temple,
when they had sung their psalms : they were mocked, and
yet manfully did they bear all sorrows : we being banished
or punished under christian rulers, yet cannot be content with
necessaries; but grudging that we want our old flesh pots
of Egypt and our superfluous dainties, murmur and grudge
at God's doings, and provoke his vengeance upon us.
Matt. XXIV. 'p}jQ apostles coming to our Saviour Christ, and shewing
him the goodly building and workmanship of this temple,
which they now builded, wondered at the costly fineness of
it : but these old men, which had seen the first temple of
Salomon's building, wept because it was not good enough,
nor to be compared to the first. Notwithstanding all the
fineness of it our Saviour Christ told them that the days
would come, w^hen their enemies should come, besiege it,
destroy it, and not leave one stone standing upon another :
and so it came afterwards to pass by the Romans. The
first house, if ye mark in the life of Salomon, where is de-
scribed all the fashion of it, length, breadth, thickness, and
height of the walls, the wideness of the house, and what
things and jewels were in the house, it is much more gor-
geous, costly, and pleasant than this second temple is, whose
greatness Esdras telleth in the sixth chapter : but the things
that were done in this second house by Christ and his apo-
stles, were much more wonderous than those which were done
1 Kin-s X. in the first. It was great glory that the queen of Saba came
from the utmost part of the earth to see the first temple :
but it was much more glorious that into the second temple
V. 1, 2, 3.] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. 129
came the Son of God from heaven, to preacli his Father's
will and the glad tidings of the gospel.
As in the restoring of this second temple many old men
did weep, because it was not so great, gorgeous, costly, and
glorious as the first was ; so now in the restoring of the gospel
many weep, when they see not the churches so well decked
and furnished as before. The pope's church hath all things tiip f>»ver-
^ ^ ^ sityofthe
pleasant in it to delight the people withal : as for the eyes, Pppe's
* ^ ... . » ' church and
their god hangs in a rope\ images gilded, painted, carved most Christ's.
finely, copes, chalices, crosses of gold and silver, banners, &c.
with relics and altars ; for the ears, singing, ringing, and
organs piping ; for the nose, frankincense sweet, to wash away
sins (as they say) holy water of their own hallowing and
making ; priests an infinite sort, masses, trentals, diriges, and
pardons, &c. But where the gospel is preached, they knowing
that God is not pleased but only with a pure heart, they are
content with an honest place appointed to resort together in,
though it were never hallowed by bishop at all, but have only
a pulpit, a preacher to the people, a deacon for the poor,
a table for the communion, with bare walls, or else written
with scriptures, having God's eternal word sounding always
amongst them in their sight and ears ; and last of all, they
should have good discipline, correct faults, and keep good
order in all their meetings. But as they wept to see this
second house no more costly nor pleasant to the eye ; so our
poor papists weep to see our churches so bare, saying they
be like barns, there is nothing in them to make curtsey unto,
neither saints nor yet their old little god. But hereafter
it appears, whether of these churches God is more de-
lighted withal. For although these ceremonies in the old ^^^^^Ics.
law were given by Moses for the hardness of the people, to
keep them exercised, that they fall not to idolatry of the
gentiles ; yet is there no mention of any of these in the New
Testament, nor yet connnandment now, neither to us nor
them, but forbidden to be used of all, both of us and them.
We be no longer under shadows, but under the truth : Christ
hath fulfilled all, and taken away all such dark kind of cere-
[} The pix, or box with the consecrated wafer, hung up by a cord
over the altar. Ed.]
9
[PILKINGTOX.]
ISO
EXPOSITION UPON [cH. II.
monies, and hath placed the clear light of his gospel in his
church to continue to the end.
^ But the pope hath thrust the church full of more blind
^^ ■-'"' and wicked ceremonies, than ever Moses did: and where
Peter said (when the apostles were consulting how many
ceremonies should continue for a time) that it was not meet
to lay on the gentiles' necks the yoke of Moses' law, which
neither they nor their fathers could bear ; yet the pope, with
cracks to be St Peter's vicar, contrary to St Peter's saying
will lay on all people such a heap of his own ceremonies,
and that under pain of cursing, as the Jews had never the
hke in foolish blindness, nor more in number. St Augustine
saith, that Christ in the New Testament was content with
few sacraments in number, but which were in signification
most worthy, as baptism and the Lord's supper ^ : but the
pope hath made so many as pleased him, and that such as
no scripture can allow. Thus we are taught here, not to
esteem the goodness of things by an outward and glorious
shew, but to be content with the homely simpleness that Christ
taught us in his church, and used himself: for that is more
pleasant than all the gorgeous device of man's brain. The
wit of man is never content to submit itself to the wisdom
of God, but pleases itself more in his own inventions, than
in that wliich God commands : but the gospel saith plainly,
Lukexvi. that that which is so excellent in the sight of man is abo-
minable in the sight of God.
Tiietcxt. V. 4. But now he strong, Zerulabel, saith the Lord, and be
of good courage, Josua, the son of Josedec, the chief
priest, and pluck up your courage, all people of the
earth, saith the Lord, and icork ; for I am with you,
saith the Lord of hosts.
5. / will perform the promise which I made with you,
wJien ye came out of Egypt; and my Spirit shall
dwell in the midst of you: he not afraid.
[} Sacramcntis numero paucissimis, observatlonc facillimis, signifi-
cationc prtL'stuntissimis, socictatem novi populi colligavit; sicuti est
haptismus Trinitatis nomine consccratus, communicatio corporis et
sanguinis ipsius. Epist. ii. 54. Tom. ii. p. 180. Paris, 18SG. En.]
V. 4, 5.] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. 131
Lest we faint in the midst of our work, wliere clangers be
great and lets many, there is need of great comfort. The
king's officers asked them oftentimes, who gave them leave
to renew this building, and what commission they had : the
work was great and costly, and their o\^ti rulers and breth-
ren by bribing and usury had polled them so sore, that
they might well think they were not able to finish it ac-
cordingly : their sins and negligence were gi-eat, that they
liad deserved such plagues. Therefore to comfort them
withal, God sends his prophet to encourao-e them all jojene- Tiioy that
' . ^ ^ ° . . have fallen
rally, and particularlv those by name which were chief in the most are
" ^ " . . , . , niost to be
commonwealth and religion, as Zerubabel and Josua, which comforted.
had offended most, because they, being rulers, did neither their
duty themselves, nor yet caused others to do theirs, which
both they should have done ; first, in giving good example
themselves, and after in seeing others to have done their
duties in this buildincr. But as our Saviour Christ, after that
he arose from death, sent Mary Magdalene and the other
women to the disciples generally, and to Peter chiefly ])y
name, both to comfort them all together (because they all
had forsaken him), and to encourage jiamely Peter, because
he cracked most that he would never betray him, but after- sy '^*^^
ward fell the foulest of them, all, and therefore had need to
be comforted more than all ; so now Zerubabel and Josua by
name are comforted of the prophet, because they had been
more nef{ligent than the rest, and should have been better
than the rest. " Tell my disciples,'' saith our Saviour Christ Mark xvi.
to the women, " and tell Peter, that they go into Galilee,
and there they shall see me, as I told them before."" Such
a loving God is our Lord and Master, that lest weak con-
sciences should despair, except they have comfort of forgive-
ness, he sends unto them by name, he speaketh to some by
name. The rest of the people are bidden be of good courage,
for the Lord God would be with them, pardon and forgive
them, aid them and further their doings ; but not by name,
as these other were, because their offences were not so great
as the rest were.
So God hath yet in his church both general absolution, Absolution.
and forgiveness of sins offered unto all ])y preaching his word,
and promise made in Christ to the believers; and also par-
J)— 'i
132 EXPOSITION UPON [cH. II.
ticular, to comfort the weak conscience withal, when as he
appHes to himself the promise declared unto him, and be-
lieves the same. Work on still, saith the Lord, and be not
dismayed of any trouble which ye see towards : for although
ye think that many hosts of men be against you, yet fear ye
not ; for I the Lord of hosts, which have all my creatures
ready harnessed to fight against them that strive against you
my people, I say, I am with you. Who can prevail against
you, when I am on your side ? How can any creature, that
is but vile worms and ashes in comparison of me the ever-
lasting God, prevail against me their God and Creator ? Mark
before, and ye shall better perceive here, why he doth so often
call himself the Lord of hosts ; which is chiefly, because in
such dangerous enterprises they had need of some strong man
to take their part ; and where he had so many hosts ready
to defend them as all his creatures from the highest to the
lowest, they should not fear, for they had one stronger on
their side to fight for them than all others could be that
should fight against them.
The selfsame words of comfort that were given them at
the beginning to enterprise the building withal, are now re-
peated again, that they should more manfully continue in the
It is one Same. Even so is it the selfsame doctrine, faith and belief,
faith Ijy 1 1 , . ,
which we by the which we are received into the number of God's peo-
are received i r. i , .
into God's pie hi'st by baptism; by the which we increase and go for-
which we' wards in the same faith; and by the which also we shall
also prow m -^
the fear of enjoy hcavcu at the last: for even as in a child, when^ he
God, and by "^ •' '
which we be grows to bc a man, remains the same substance that was
sSrtsSf'" ^^ ^^^^ ^^^^^ before, but now is made stronger by age, and
"'en. casts away all childish toys ; so in the same faith, which we
profess in our baptism, must we grow and learn the full un-
derstanding of it, that it may be felt sweeter unto us daily
more and more while we live, even to our last end. And as
the words are all one here, to comfort the rulers and people
withal; so that faith is one also, by the which we shall all
be saved. God hath not appointed one way nor gospel for
the rich, and another for the poor; but all have one, as is
said before : and so is he with all alike, as well with the
people as with the rulers. He is not a partial God, but he
P When wanting in the second edition. Ed.]
V. 4, 5.] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. 13
o
is with all and defends all alike, providing for all indiffer-
ently ; and will defend the simplest as well as the highest,
the people and subjects even as well as the prince. For as
a natural father provides for and loves every child, and a
good prince will not so look to one piece of his realm that
he neglects the rest ; so God, our heavenly King and Father,
will not so love some of his people that he will hate the rest,
nor so provide for a few that the other shall want ; but most
lovingly provide for all, and saith he will be with them all
that work his work. With whomsoever God dwells, he can
want nothing, no more than he that stands in the sun can
want light : for in God is the well of all goodness, and he
gives part thereof to all them that be his, and that he takes
into his tuition.
What comfort is in these words, and what it hath caused
all faithful men to take in hand when God so promised them,
enough was said before. Almost all the notable things in
the scripture were taken in hand by the comfort that was
taken in these few words, " I am with thee," and by the
sure faith that was given to God by them. And as God
requires nothing here of them but to work, and other things
he himself would care for; so in all other our doings he
reserves to himself the success and going forward of things,
and nothing shall be ours but the work. He will give in- Let us work,
'-' , ... and the pro-
crease to all good thino^s that are taken in hand in his name, fit commit
o & 'to God.
as he thinks best. Let not us therefore be so careful for
that : only let us work as be biddeth us, and he will bless
it to his pleasure. "Neither he that plants nor he that icor.iu.xv.
waters is anything, but God that gives the increase," saith
St Paul. And again : " Your labour was not in vain in
the Lord." He gives increase to some thirty, sixty, or an Matt. xiii.
hundred, as his heavenly wisdom thinks good : yet all must
work most earnestly in his \ineyard, referring the end of their
labour and profit to him whose work it is, who will sec no
necessary thing fail them which be not loiterers in his build-
ing. Little things, that are taken in hand in the Lord's name,
shall grow to great things to them which work diligently, as
the scripture saith, " That which is weak before God, is ' cor. i.
stronger than men; and that which is most glorious before Luke xvi.
men is abominable before God." Jonathan and his page
134 EXPOSITION UPON [cil. 11.
isam. xiv. discomfited all the host of the Philistians, and then Saul
2 Kings vi. following thc chaso destroyed them. Eliseus and his boy
being in the city, when his boy was afraid, he desired God to
open his boy's eyes, that he might perceive how many more
were with them than against them ; and then the boy saw
the hill full of angels harnessed to defend them both, and
God so blinded his enemies that they followed the prophet,
whom they sought to kill, into the midst of his country,
where he might have destroyed them if he had lust.
God made divers promises to them, after they came out
of Egypt : but because he beginneth to entreat of Christ in
these sentences following, I think he means that promise
Deut.xviu. chiefly, where Moses said, "The Lord would raise up unto
you a prophet like unto me; him shall you hear." This
prophet was Christ Jesus, like to ]\Ioses in many points,
being born amongst them, and of their brethren of the stock
of Judah and David, of whom afterwards the Father said
Matt. iii. with a voico heard from heaven, "This is my well-beloved
Son, in whom I am well pleased ; hear him." Or else it
may well be taken for the promise which is written in the
Christ pro- twcnty-third ^ of Exodus, where it is said, "Behold I will
raised was \ip i iiinij
present with send mv anffel (or messeno-er) beiore thee, and he shall lead
our fathers J O v o / ' ^
before he thcc in the Way, and shall drive all thy enemies out before
thee, whose land thou shalt possess." This angel was Christ
isai. ix. Jesus, who is called the Angel of the great counsel, because
he brought from the bosom of his Father the secret coun-
sel of God, and preached his great love to the world. An
angel is no more but a messenger or embassador from God,
to declare and preach his will and pleasure to the world.
1 Cor. X. And that Christ was present with the Israelites, and guided
them in the wilderness, St Paul telleth plain, that they
tempted Christ, and murmured against him ; and Christ was
the rock. The meaning and effect of this promise is no more,
but that as God was present with their fathers, when he
brought them out of Egypt, and delivered them out of all
dangers, were they never so many nor so great, and brought
them into the land that he promised them ; so he would now
be present with them, deliver them, and finish their work,
if they would work earnestly, neither mistrusting his mercy
P Both editions, 22. Ed.]
V. 4, 5.] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. 135
but that he would be with them and defend them ao-ainst
the rulers which hated them, nor fearing his power but that
he was able to perform his promise unto them. If we mis-
trust either his good will towards us that he will not, or
his power that he cannot, deliver us, we provoke his anger
to devour us, and cannot look for help at his hands to save
us : for nothing offends his majesty more than mistrust,
unfaithfidness, or doubting, as St James saith, " He that James i.
doubts is like a wave of water di'iven with wind to and fro ;
and that man which so doubts, can look to obtain nothinor
at God's hands " He gives all his gifts to them that be
faithful, and believe that he is both a true God, performing
all that he promises, merciful and willing to help all which
in their need call upon him, and able to fulfil all that he
saith. They that either doubt or deny his offered mercy or
power to help, deny him to be a God.
Therefore fear not, but believe me to be your God, and
I will deliver you and defend you, as I did your fathers ;
and ye shall finish this temple by my protection, as I did
bring them into the land which I promised them, drove out
their enemies,' and gave them the land to dwell in. So ac-
cording to this promise it came to pass to this people now ;
for in four years'* space next following they finished that
temple, as Esdras teaches. So good speed had they after Ezra vi.
that they believed his promise, and that he would be ^^'ith
them.
But here may be moved a great question, how this is true
that God saith by this prophet here, that he brought them
out of Egypt, when this people never came there, but about
a thousand years before Moses l)rouffht out their f\ithers TUat which
-^ ^ tlic fathers
throuofh the Red Sea, where Pharao was drowned, after that i'"'^, '=* a'^o
o ' ' said to be
he would not believe the great wonders wrought in his sight, [j'j^,,j)^''"
nor fear the Lord, that had so often and grievously plagued
him for handling his people so cruelly. The scripture uses
oft to give that which was done to the Withers, as though it
were done to the children : as, when Melchisedec took tithes '^^*''- ^■''•
of Abraham, he is said also to have taken tithes of Levi,
which was not born of many years after, because ho was
contained in the loins of Abraham, and afterward born of
his stock and seed. So likewise saith St Taul : " JJy onci^^':"-^-
136 EXPOSITION UPON [cH. II.
man sin entered into the world, and by sin death, and hath
gone through all, in whom all have sinned." So we all,
that now live or hereafter shall do, and all before us, have
sinned in Adam, and broken God's commandment, as well
as Adam did, because we were contained in his loins and
as it were part of him, and took our sinful nature of him
in his seed and posterity. As we see those rivers, which
spring out of little wells, are of the same nature that the
head and spring is whereof they come, though they run two
or three hundred miles off through divers countries ; and as
those crabs are sour this day, that grow on the crab-tree
which is two or three hundred years old, because the first
root and plant was sour : so we all be sinful that be born
of Adam, and sour as he was, because he the first tree was
such a one, and the spring whereof we come was corrupt
and filthy. So likewise God saith, he brought this people
out of Egypt, which never had been there, because he de-
livered their fathers thence, in whose loins they were con-
tained, and should have been born there and subject to the
same slavery that their fathers were, if God of his great
mercy and mighty power had not delivered their fathers
thence, and brought them into the land which he promised
Mercy them. And as the mercy which hath been received in times
aforetfmeis past is a tokcn and argument of hke mercy and grace, to
SfEobe^be shewed whensoever we stand in the like need and dis-
tro^u'we to tress ; so here, that they should look for a sure help at God's
prSent^ hand now in these dangers that they were in, he putteth them
in remembrance of that great deliverance, which not their
fathers only, but they also had before out of Egypt, that
they should not be afraid now, but look for sure help. The
danger was greater before, out of which they were delivered,
and yet they escaped it : so now, God's power and good will
being no less toward them than before, they should look for
the like help of God as before.
He promises them here, that his Spirit should dwell with
them, and therefore they should not be afraid. For as be-
fore he sent his angel to guide them in the wilderness; so
now he would send his Holy Spirit unto them to dwell with
them, which should teach them all things that they doubted
of, or were ignorant in ; should comfort them in all dangers
V. 4, 5.] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. 137
and distress, and deliver them from all perils that were toward
them, and therefore they should not fear.
But as the other part of the promise concerns Christ,
which should come to deHver them out of spiritual bondage
and slavery of sin and the spiritual Egypt ; so this part here
concerns the sending of the Holy Ghost, whom Christ said
he would send to dwell with us and be our Comforter to the
end. And as the building of this second temple betokens the
church of Christ builded by the preaching of the 'gospel ; so
here is the Holy Ghost promised, which he said should not The Hoiy
... Ghost is
come, except he went away from them. This Spirit is called a promised
Comforter, because he strengi;hens us in all our trouble : he ^juii'iers.
, . ^ . John xvi.
IS the Spirit of truth, because he leads us into all truth, and
putteth us in remembrance of all things which Christ himself Joim xiv.
taught before, but no new doctrine he brings of his own. And
because our Saviour Clirist is taken from us in his bodily pre-
sence, he promises us that this Spirit shall dwell with us, not
for a time, but to the end, and therefore we should not fear.
But is this a sufficient cause to persuade a man that he
should not fear the power of kings or worldly trouble, because
the Spirit of God dwells with him ? Yea, truly ; for what
spirit can prevail against the Holy Spirit, which is the power
of God ? It is written of Gedeon, when he enterprised that
venturous act to fight against God's enemies, that the Spirit
of the Lord did clothe and defend Gedeon, as our clothes do Jiui?. vi.
us ; and so he obtained that noble victory, with so few against
so many. And not to be afraid in such trouble is the work of
the Holy Ghost, as Esay called him the Spirit of boldness, isai. xi.
strength and wisdom. Peter, when he denied his Master " ' • '•
for the words of an handmaid, after he received the Holv
Ghost, did and durst confess him to the death before princes
and rulers. So said oiir Saviour Christ to his apostles :
" AVhen ye shall stand before kings and rulers, take no Matt. x.
thought what or how ye shall speak ; for in that hour it
shall be given unto you what you shall speak : For it is
not you that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which
speaketh in you."
And although to worldly wisdom this Spirit seems but
a small thing, yet it is most true that St Paul saith : '' Tliat i ror. i.
which is foolishness before God is wiser than men, and that
138 EXPOSITION UPON [CH. II.
which is weak before God is stronger than men." And he
that Iiath this Spirit dwelhng in him needs not to fear any
Rora. viii. power, bc it never so great : for " if God be for us, who
Psai.civ. shall be against usV and if he take his breath and spirit
from tho mightiest princes, they are troubled and vade away.
The text. v. 6. For thus saitJi the Lord of hosts: Yet one little time
shall be, and I will trouble the heavens and the earthy
the sea^ and the land,
1 . And I will trouble allj^eople, and the Desire of all people
shall come ; and I loill fill this house with glory ^ saith
the Lord of hosts.
The prophet goeth on forth with this comfort to all people,
and promises not only that God would be with them in this
building, which they should finish in few years following;
but into the temple also, which they did now build, God
would send his Son Christ Jesus to preach his Father's will,
whom all people looked for and desired his coming; and he
would fill that house w^ith glory, that they should not need
to care for the smallness of it : if they would only with courage
work, God would fulfil the rest. And that they should know
him to be able to fulfil his promise, he calls himself by the
fflorious name of the Lord of hosts so often here in these
verses, that they may understand all creatures to be at his
commandment, and that none could prevail against that which
he would have done, as is said before.
But this is a stranG:e kind of comfort to tell them of such
a trouble, as should trouble heaven and earth, sea, land, and
all people ; and yet they should be glad of it, and that it
should come not long after. The time when this trouble
chanced was about five hundred years after that this prophet
had thus spoken ; and yet he calls it but " one little time."
And this may well be called a little time in respect of God,
with whom all things are present before his sight without time,
and a thousand years with him is as yesterday which is past,
and he himself is before all times, not contained in time, but
living for ever without time. Or else it is called a little time
o
in respect of that long time, wherein their fathers had so
lono- looked for the coming of Christ, and so much desired
V. 6, 7.] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. 139
him, and yet see him not. It was now above three thousand 9^^^\ ,
•' trouble for
year since he was promised to Adam ; about two thousand Jo''Sio.7
since he v>'as so often spoken of to Abraham; and one thou- i\"^p\^o''„"7'''
sand since it was renewed to Moses, and after to all the short"^init
prophets from time to time : in respect of which five hundred vexed'sdie
may well be called a little time. ^^*^*
This trouble w^hich he saith should trouble heaven, earth,
sea, land, and all people, is described by these mighty words,
to set out the greatness of the trouble by the figure called
hyperbole ; and not that the trouble was such that heaven,
earth, sea, and land, should feel it and be troubled therewith,
which are insensible creatures, and can feel nothing that
troubles them ; but thus by these words the scripture uses
to tell the j]jreatness of anythinsf that it speaks of. Moses Dent. wxii.
and Esay, because the people were hard-hearted and would
not hear then* saying, to set forth their hardness of heart,
and the greatness of that message which they had from
God to speak, say thus : *' Hear, ye heavens, and give ear,
thou earth, fee." St Paul saith by the like figure, " Every Rom. viii.
creature groans and travails, looking for the last day, wherein
they shall be delivered from this vain con'uption wherein they
serve ;'' not because dead creatures can groan or travail, but
for the great desire that they have to see that day of our
redemption fulfilled, as the woman which travails groans, and
desires to be delivered out of her pain, and to be restored
to her former quietness : or else it may be taken, that all
creatures in all these places should be troubled.
But if this trouble shoidd be so great, how can it be a
promise of joy and comfort ? Who can be merry to hear
tell of such a great trouble I Surely this is not promised
to the evil, but to the good. For as our Lord and Master
Christ saith, speaking of the trouble that should be in the
destruction of Jerusalem and the latter end of the N\orld,
" Woe be to them that be with child, and give suck in Luke \\\.
those days ! and the wicked shall wish the hills to i'all on
them and hide them ; they should seek for death, and it
should flee from them :" so he saith to the good in the midst
of all that desperate sorrow, wherein the evil man cannot
tell what to do, " Lift ye up your heads and be nicrr)-, for Matt. auiv.
your redemption and dehverance is at hand.'' So after this
140 EXPOSITION UPON [CH. II.
short time that he speaketh of, this great trouble which shall
be at the birth, preaching, miracles, and death of our Saviour
Christ, should be but only to the wicked. For the good men
should as much and more rejoice, because that day of salva-
tion and redemption was comen, and he whom all people looked
for had now appeared to the comfort of all good men.
And this trouble should not be so much to the bodies
and goods of the wicked men, as to the mind and con-
science : nor this joy should not be so much worldly and
outward to the good, as to the soul and inward. Great
worldly peace was in all the world, when our Saviour Christ
Luke ii. -vN-as born : but that peace which the angels sang, " Glory
be to God in high, and in earth peace," is rather the
peace of conscience, because God and man were now recon-
ciled, and peace was made betwdxt us and God ; because his
Son had taken our nature upon him, and was made man:
isai. xiviii. but uuto the wicked it may always well be said, "There is
no peace to the wicked, saith the Lord." What a trouble
was Herod in, when the wise men came and asked, "where
was he that was born king of the Jews V The scripture
iMatt. ii. saith, that " Herod and all Jerusalem was troubled" at this
question. Herod thought he should lose his kingdom, and
the scribes and Pharisees thought that their authority was
gone : which thing grieved them so much, that they had
rather have had no Christ than lost that authority. But
Herod devises a policy to save himself withal, and kills all
the children that w^ere two year old and under, thinking
amongst them all he should have killed Christ: and he had
rather have killed all, than that only Christ should escape.
What a trouble was he in, when he caused such a murder
for fear of a young child ! What reason is it that such a
king should so much fear a young child I But God provided
well enough for his Son, and was as wise, ready and mer-
ciful to save and deliver his Son Christ, as the other was
subtle and cruel to murder him : for Herod had rather slay
all the children than that one Christ should escape. God bad
Joseph take Mary and the child Jesus, and flee into Egypt,
and tarry there until he gave him contrary word.
AVhat trouble were the scribes and Pharisees in, when
for his doctrine, preaching, and miracles, which were so won-
V. 6, 7.] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. 141
derful that they could not tell what to say, but sometimes
said, "Do we not say well that thou art a Samaritan, and John viii.
hast a devil f another time they would have thrown him
down of the hill ; and again they say, " It hath not been
heard of from the beginning, that any man hath opened the
eyes of him that was born blind;*' and again, "A mani- -^cis iv.
fest wonderful sign they have wrought, we cannot deny it;"
and also, "If we let him alone thus, the whole world ^\^ll r, *
follow him." How was the other Herod (which beheaded Matt. xiv. ^
John Baptist) troubled, when he heard of his miracles, and
would have had him to have wrought some in his sight !
How was Pilate's wife troubled in her dream for him, and
sent her husband word that he should not meddle with him !
How gladly would Pilate himself have delivered him, washed Luke xxiii.
his hands to declare his innocency, and said he found nothing
worthy of death in him! How were all the priests afeard,
when they heard tell that he was risen from death, and gave
money to the watchmen to say his disciples came and stole Matt.xxviii.
him away when they slept ! Why should they fear a dead
man ? If he were a man only, he could not hurt them : if
a God, thev could not withstand him. What trouble were
the priests in, when they forbad the apostles to preach any
more in Christ's name, and followed the counsel of Gamaliel,
saying, " If it were of God, they could not abolish it !" AVhy
should they be afraid of a dead man ?
How was king Agrippa troubled, when Paul had defended Acts \\\\.
his cause, and said to him, " Thy great learning, 0 Paul,
maketli thee mad!" How were the great learned philosophers Actswii.
in Athens troubled, when Paul preached the resurrection of
the dead, and of Christ, and said, " What means this sower
of new doctrine ? he seemeth to teach new Gods !" What a
trouble was the emperor Tiberii^s in, when Pilate wrote to him
of the preaching and miracles of Christ, and he demanded that
the whole parliament of Rome would worship him as a God ' !
\} Tiberius ergo, cujus tempore nomcn Christianum in seculum
introivit, annunciatum sibi ex Syria Pala?stina quod illic veritatem illius
divinitatis revelavcrat, detulit ad senatum cum priLTogativa suffragii
sui. Senatus quia non ipse probavcrat, rcspuit. Ciesiir in scntcntia
mansit, connninatus periculuni accusatoribu.s Cliristianorum. '1 iTtullian.
Apologet. adv. Gentes, cap. v.— Sec note A. at the end of the volume. Kd.]
142 EXPOSITION UPON [cH. II.
But they, considering' that he is a jealous God, and that
he will have no other worshipped with him, but all honour
must be given to him only, denied him to be a God, or
Papists fear vet to be worshipped there as God. What caused pope
the ""ospel * . . .
nncfin deeds Lco tlic Tenths to be SO afraid, when Zuinglius began to
preach the gospel, but that he perceived the light of God's
word would deface his pomp aud pride, and set abroad all
his wickedness to the world to be laughed at? and lest he
should go forward in preaching and rebuking his abomina-
tion, he sent his letters to him sealed under his bull of lead,
willing him to hold his peace, and preach no more of such
things, and he w^ould give him what living and as many
bishoprics as he would, yea, to be a cardinal, and whatso-
ever he would ask, except his own seat to be pope. But
he like a true preacher went on forwards in his business,
setting up Christ, and pulling down popery.
What makes the pope at this day and his clergy to
burn, persecute, and imprison all that love the gospel, but
that they fear to lose their lordliness, make their bellies their
God, and would live at ease like lords of the land ? What
makes them to deny Christ to be a God, not so much in
plain words, as in doctrine and deeds covertly ; but that
they see they get much riches by relics, pilgrimages, saints,
masses, pardons, &c., which do as much in effect as deny
Christ to be God, because they seek help by these means
in their troubles, and forgiveness of sins with comfort of
conscience, which all belong so unto Christ, that whosoever
seeks them other ways or elsewhere, than at his hands only,
do as much as in them lies as to make Christ no God, rob
him of that honour which is due to him only, and give it
to gods of their own making? What marvel is it, if they
follow that old decree of the Romans in their parliament,
where they denied Christ to be received and worshipped for
a God, because he should not have all honour alone, as it
is due to him only?
Thus v/e see, what great trouble it is to the wicked to
have Christ and his doctrine to come abroad ; and how true
[} It was pope Adrian VI. anno 1523. Leo X. had died the year
])ef<)re. Hettinger. Hist. Eceles. Sec. xvi. P. ii. cap. iii. — See note B.
at tlic end of the volume. Ed.]
V. 6, 7.] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. 143
this was that the prophet saith here, and what trouble liatli
been, and shall be to the end, where the gospel is preached.
"The father shall deliver the son to death, and the son Matt x.
shall rise against the father; so shall the mother against
the daughter, and the daughter against the mother, brother
against brother, &:c.," which things we all see at this day
to have come to pass. How many wives, rather than they
would forsake God, have suffered death, forsaken husband,
children, goods and country, and willingly banished them-
selves ; and so have many good husbands also ! How hath
one brother persecuted another, one friend and familiar
another, even to the death ! How hath one bishop deposed
and burned another, not to be an earnest er preacher than
the other was, but more lordly and cruel persecutor ! But
this is ever true, that Christ our Saviour said should follow
the preaching of his word ; that whoso \vill be his disciple
must forsake himself and all pleasures of the flesh, and those
which be of his own house shall be his enemies.
Although this is marvellous, that in such trouble there
should be joy and comfort ; yet tliis is more marvellous, that
after all people were thus troubled for the gospel, they should
come unto it, beheve it, and receive it, not regarding any sor-
row which was joined therewith, — no, not fearing the loss of
their lives, so they might enjoy it. Fear maketh a man to
run away, and not to come : but this is the nature of the
gospel, that the more it is persecuted the more it flourishes,
as Da^^d saith : " The righteous man flourishes like a palm- Ps.ii. xr ii,
tree.'' The palm-tree is such, that if a great weight be laid
on it, the broader it spreads and flourishes. And as camomile
with treading on it and walking waxes thicker; so the good
man, the more he suflereth for his Christ, the more is his
faith increased. And as the husbandman that will reap much
must sow much; so the more that die for the word of God,
the more increase to follow the same : as we commonly say,
Of the ashes of hereticks rise up a new sort. It cannot be, j;;;;;;';;^^"
but when men see one so constantly stand in defence <>*'i'';,',],',7,],7.n.
his opinion, that he gives himself to the death for it, they t'»'' «»^"-
will begin to consider what a thing it was that he died
for, and that no man will rashly cast himself away : when
they see the truth of it, and God opens their eyes to per-
144 EXPOSITION UPON [cH. II.
ceive, they are moved to offer themselves to the same death
and jeopardy also.
Cyprian writes, that the blood of martyrs is the seed of
the church 1, whereof rise and increase more, as of the seed
UeCivitate, in the field springs new corn. Augustine likewise saith of
liber xxa. r r> o
cup. 6. them that were persecuted for Christ and his word : " They
were tied in chains and torments; they were whipped, slain
and burned ; they were imprisoned, they were killed and
torn in pieces; and yet they increased ^'^ They were so far
from fear, that not only they denied him not ; but the more
sorrow they had, the more believed on him. And when
jx-^ St Laurence see his bishop Xistus^, being then pope, to
be drawn to death, he said : " Quo «s, pater, sine diacono,
quod non soles?'"' That is to say, "Father, whither goest
thou without thy deacon, which thou wast not wont to do?"
" Well,'' saith he, " thou shalt follow me not long after."
And so it came to pass indeed; for he died for Christ too.
It is written of one notable woman, which when she heard
tell of the day of execution, and that many should be put
to death for Christ's sake, she took her child in her arms
uncalled for, and runs thither that she might profess her
faith, and be put to death with them. As she was running,
she met the officer going to see them put to death : he,
seeing her make such haste, asked her whither she went ;
and she told him: "Why," saith he, "knowest thou not
that there shall be a great number put to death, and that
I go to see it done?" " Yes," saith she, "I know it well,
and therefore I go that I may die with them." Then said
[} The sentiment is Tertullian's, Apologet. adv. Gentes, cap. xi.vi.
fin. Plures efficimiir, quoties metimur a vobis. Semen est sanguis
Cliristianorum. Augustine also has: Pro ipsis idohs adversus nomen
(Jhiisti rcplcta est terra martyribus: sparsum est semen sanguinis;
surrexit seges ecclesiae. Serm. 109. De Temp. cap. 4. En.]
P Ligahantur, include])antur, cacdebantur, torquebantur, urebantur,
laniabantur, trucidabantur, et multiphcabantur. Non erat eis pro sa-
lute pugnare nisi salutem pro Salvatore contemnere. De Civ. Dei,
Lib. XXII. Cap. vi. § 1. fin. Ed.]
[^ Xistus, or Sixtus, bishop of Rome, was put to death in Valerian's
persecution, anno 257. St Lawrence (Laurcntius) three days after was
broiled on a gi-idiron by a slow fire. The beautiful story connected with
his death is referred to below, p. 157. The whole narrative will be found
in L'Abbe Flcury's Ecclesiastical History, Book vii. Chap. S8, 39. Ed.]
V. 6, 7.] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. 145
the officer, "Why dost thou carry thy child with theeT
And she said, " That it may be a martyr to die for Christ."
The officer marvelHng that the Christians did not fear death,
sent the emperor word, that he would not go to put them to
death ; but he should send another, if he would have it done.
Likewise in the Acts, when the priests forbad the apostles Acts v.
to preach any more in Christ's name, and whipped them, the
more they preached, and thought themselves happv that they
were thought worthy to suffer such things for his name's
sake. And for all the cruelness of the rulers, Peter turned
two thousand at one sermon, and three thousand at another,
which came, saying, "Brother, what shall we do?" and being Acts li. iv.
pricked in conscience ran not away, but came as the child
to the father when he is afraid. When Paul and Silas had Acts wi.
been whipped all day, and locked in the stocks at niglit in
the deep dungeon, and were watched with soldiers ; the chains
fell off them : the keeper perceiving the prison door open by
itself, and thinking the prisoners were escaped, would have
killed himself: but after that he see they were all there, and
perceived the great work of God, he fell down, desired them
to go into his house, washed their stripes, believed in Christ
and was baptized.
There is no people under heaven, but they have once xo doctrine
received the gospel ; and that cannot be said truly of any {reneiaiiy
^ ' I „ ^ . • 1 11 mi • i 1 1^ received hut
other kmd ot learnmo: m tiie world. " iheu' sound hath tin- <ros|)ei.
. Psal. xix.
gone through the whole world,'' saith the psalm. The phi-
losophers never agreed all in one kind of learning, but had
many sects amongst them ; nor the whole world never re-
ceived them : nor any heresy was generally received ; but
only the scripture hath been universally taught and received,
which is a sure argument of the truth of it. "Ask of me," Psai. u.
saith God the Father to his Son Christ, "and I will give
the people for thy heritage, and the uttermost parts of the
earth for thy possession." Many such general promises there
be, wherein the turning of all people on the earth to the
gospel is contained, and since the comiug of Christ per-
fectly fulfilled. The heresy of transubstantiation, purgatory,
priests not to marry, ministering the Lord's supper in one
kind, the pope's supremacy, &c., tlic Cireek church never
received, nor yet do. And although at the council at Flo-
10
[PILKINGTON.]
None can
be excused
by is^no-
rance,
Rom. i.
146 EXPOSITION UPON [cH. II.
rence a few seemed to agree to it, yet were they slient^ for
SO doing, when they came home, and it would not be re-
ceived. Before the death of our Saviour Christ, God had
chosen to him but only the Jews to be his people ; but
after they had refused to receive him for their Redeemer,
he bad his apostles go into the whole world, and preach
to all creatures. Now was the time come that all were
called ; and of all sorts, degrees, countries, and states, many
were turned unto God.
There is no people under heaven that can excuse them-
selves by ignorance, but they have been sufficiently taught :
for St Paul saith, that the heathen before Christ was born
were without excuse ; for where they knew God, and wor-
shipped him not as God, therefore God gave them up to
their own lusts. By the creature his invisible power and
majesty may be known, that he is a God. And therefore
the most unlearned is without excuse : for this is sufficient to
teach them to know there is but one God, and to worship
him as God, though they never read the scripture ; and
whosoever doth not worship him by this natural knowledge,
Antony. jg justly condemned. We read of Antony, that holy father,
which lived in wilderness, and, being so far unlearned that
he could not read, was asked of his friend how he passed
the time away, seeing he lived alone and had no books :
*' V^es," saith Antony, " I want no books ; for all the crea-
tures of God are my books, and I read and learn his majesty
out of his creatures, as you do out of your books ^"
tures^cff^God ^^^ surcly they be goodly books to be looked on and to
faymen^'f bchold, the suu, the moon, stars, birds, fishes, beasts, herbs,
corn and grass, trees, hills, rivers, &c. And he is worse than
a beast that can go look at all these, and not love, praise,
and wonder at his strength, power, wisdom, and goodness,
[^ Shent: blamed, from tlic old verb, to .shend. — The council was
held A.D, 1438. Dr Dclahogiie's account of the result of its proceedings
is: "Facta est unio ccclesite Griecte cum Romana; sod cito disrupta
fuit a (iriEcis in patriam rcvcrsis." Tractatus de Kcclesia Christi.
Append, ii. Ei>.^
L^ To efJLOV ftiftXiov, t(pf] 6 ^AvTwvio^, CO (pi\()(To(p€, t] (pvat^ rcov
jeyovurujv ecTi, kui frapecTTiv, ore jjovAofAat, toi/<? aojov^ uvayivu)-
(TKciv Tov<.' Tov BtoiJ. Socrat. Ecclcs. Ilistor. Lib. iv. Cap. xxiii. Ed.]
books than
images.
V. G, 7.] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. 147
which hath made all these to serve us. The stars keep so
good an order and course in their movings, the virtue of
herbs help diseases, and all fish, fowl and Ijeasts feed and
serve man : which things come from him who is Lord of
nature, and not of themselves. These may better be called
laymen's and the unlearned people's books than images and
idols, which be like unto whomsoever it pleases the painter
to make them like. If all the images of any one saint were ( r" /
laid together, they would all be unlike one to another in ^ ^ ^^
many points ; and what a monster should he be that should ' r^-^f^ ^
be like all these ! If the relics, as arms, head, legs, scalp, -y ^ f
hair, teeth, &c., were together in one place, that are said \ / ^
to be worshipped in many, some should have two or three y^^*^^
heads, more legs and arms than a horse would carry; their \, ,
gilded coats and painted faces should teach rather to be proud /
and to play the harlot, than soberness, simplicity, hohness -•A^'>y>'^^
and lowliness, as becomes the godly and saints indeed.
After when he adds, "The Desire of all people shalK^':'^^''' ,
' *■ >■ (losired of
come," there is prophesied the coming of Christ in our »" "°o**
flesh and nature to redeem us from the bondage of hell,
sin, and death, which thing all good men from the beginning
have desired. It was a joyful thing to perceive Christ to
come by the eyes of faith, and happy was he to whom it
was given to understand and believe in him to come : but
more happy did they think themselves, which did not
only believe in him to come, but see him present in flesh.
Simeon, a righteous man always occupied in prayer, desired ^^^^ "•
to live till the day when he might see the Lord : which
request God granted him ; and when the child Jesus A>as
presented in the temple by his mother, he took the child
Jesus in his arms, praised God, and said, " Lord, now Icttest
thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word ;
for mine eyes have seen thy saving health ;" and so was
well contented to die after he had his desire. John Jjaptist, Lukci.
being young in his mother's womb, leaped for joy as soon
as his mother heard the salutation of the virgin Mary
coming unto her. Anna, the prophetess, a widow, living in
fasting and prayer continually, chiefly desired to see the
day of his coming. "Many kings and propliets," saith St Luke x.
Luke, '-have desired to see that dav, and have not seen
10—2
1 Cor. i.
148 EXPOSITION UPON [CH. II.
it." Such a great desire for the increase of their faith have
all good men had to see Christ in our flesh and nature,
that we might by his death be delivered from the slavery
of hell, sin, and death. What a misery is it to be in
bondage of conscience for our sins, and God's righteous
judgment ! and what a comfort is it to know, that God
is reconciled to us by the death of his Son ! This is the
desire of all good men, which is fulfilled to us in Christ.
And he is called "the Desire of all people" by the Hebrew
phrase, which is as much to say as " most desired." So St
Paul calls him not only righteous and peace-maker, but
righteousness and peace itself: for so have such words more
strength when they be pronounced like substantives, than
the adjectives have. What a desire had Esay the prophet,
when he cried : " AV^ould to God thou wouldest burst the
heavens and come down !"
For this peace, that God saith he will "fill this house
with glory," much was said afore : but there he said only
he would shew his glory; and now he saith, he will fill it
with glory. And this is to comfort them that were so sorry,
because this house was little in comparison of the other old
one, and nothing so costly and glorious. The fulness of
riful?h?l *^^^ glory appeared when Christ preached his Father's will,
church. healed diseases, wrought miracles, rebuked the scribes with
their traditions, &c. as was said before. What greater glory
can be, than to do good to them which be his enemies,
to help them which cannot help themselves, and to do it
so freely that he looks for no reward in so doing; but
even of free pity, which he had on us, seeing us lie in
such misery, did shew such mercy as to redeem us, to take
us for his children, lovers and friends, to teach us, help
us, and give us grace to do his will, worship his majesty,
fear him, and love him, know our own weakness ; and pardon
our negligence, our infirmity, our forgetful and unthankful
disobedience ? Great glory was shewed in this house, when
as Alexander the Great, called Magnus, submitted himself to
the high priest, God's minister, confessing his God to be the
true God, where afore he was purposed to have destroyed
Jerusalem ^ : and also, when Judas Machabeus with his bre-
[^ See above, p. 69. Ed.]
The
Ch
V. 6, 7. J THE PROPHET AGGEITS. 149
thren, after many noble victories, restored God's religion.
But none of these filled this house with glory, but some
part of it : only Christ our Lord, in whom is the fulness of
the Godhead, filleth this house with ghry. Christ filled this
temple so full of his doctrine and miracles, by himself and
his apostles, that the fulness thereof ran through the whole
world : for there it began as in a spring, and now hath
filled the whole world therewith. So liberal is he that he
giveth not only a part, but full and heaped measure, even
to the top that it flows over. What a glory of God was
shewed in this house, when out of all countries under hea- -^cts ii. iv.
ven were gathered devout men to worship God there ; and
after that the apostles received the Holy Ghost, when Peter
in his sermons converted five thousand ! How far spread
was this glory, when the eunuch of queen Candace, moved Acts viii.
with the great report of that gorgeous temple, came thither
for to worship ! But this the mighty Lord of hosts works,
which hath all things at commandment, and truly fulfils all
his promises even unto the end.
v. 8. Gold is mine and silver is mine, saitk the Lord oyxhctext.
hosts.
9. Greater shall he the glorij of this later house, than of
the further, saith the Lord of hosts. And in this
place will L give peace, saith the Lord of hosts.
There were two chief reasons which discouraged them
from this building, which were meet, yea, and necessary to
be pulled out of their minds : and therefore the prophet
chiefly touches these two. The first was the kings before-
time, who had forbidden to build, and their officers, which
were as diligent to stop them : the second was poverty, for
that by the great usury, bribery and oppression of the rulers
they were so needy, that they were not able to finish it.
For the first, God sets himself against the king, as though
he should say: 'Though the king's power be great, yet
I am greater: though he forbid, yet I bid: though he
be against you, yet am I with you, saith the Lord of
hosts. What harm can they all do unto you, when T am
with you? Who can hurt, when 1 will defend.'' Fur their
150 EXPOSITION UPON [CH, II.
poverty, they sliould not fear; for 'all gold, silver, riches
and treasure is mine, saitli the Lord; and I give as much
and as little, when, where, how long, and to whom I list.
All he my stewards, and to me shall make an account: it
is not their o^^•n to spend as they will, but as I appoint.
Although churls be niggards and will not part with it ;
unthrifts do waste and misspend that which they have ; and
neither of them will further this my work; yet fear not
Godwin ye foi- I /ji^ whose hands are all hearts and all riches)
not see his ./ ' v
iniiiders y^r\[\ qq movo their minds, and bring the matter so to pass,
want. .
that my house shall not lie unbuilded for lack of money. I
ask no more of you but to do as much as in you lieth :
put your good wills to, and work; let me alone with the
rest : although ye know not how to come by money, I have
ways enough, and will not see you want."
And although this promise be made to this particular
people, in this present matter of building God's house ; yet
it serveth not for that only case, but it is a sufficient com-
fort for all them which take the Lord's work in hand (what
kind thing soever it be, so that it be to set forth his glory,
and not our own), that in such godly enterprises we shall
not lack, but have enough to finish it and do it withal.
If we be- ^nd besides that, if we behoved this to be a true say-
lievedall ' ^ ^ "^
riches to be jj^or that God did speak it, and would perform it, it would
the Lord's, ft' a ' i '
IlSther^it ^^'^^^ much goodnoss in us.
fuuT'mlr""' Firsts It will work such a fear in us towards God, that
wSefuiiT ^or no need or vantage we would take or yet get one penny
wrongfully, either by flattery, perjury, usury, bribery, lying,
stealinoj, deceit, false weights and measures, or by any other
unlawful means. For who durst take one half-penny, if that
he were persuaded that it were God's, his Lord and Maker,
who hates and punisheth all falseness ? Who dare be a thief
and a traitor to God that is in heaven, who made and rules
all in earth ? But l)ecause he thinks it to be such a man's,
and that God sceth him not, and man shall not perceive
it ; without all shame he dcceiveth man, and robbeth his
Lord God and heavenly Father. Therefore, when the devil
puts in thy heart to get any thing wrongfully, think with
thyself : ' What shall I do ? shall I be a thief to my Lord
God, who made me and saved me I these goods be not this
V. 8, 0.] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. lol
man's only, but they be my Lord GocVs, who liath made him
his steward over them, and unto whom he must make ac-
count of them. And akhough I can deceive man in gettino- of
them, yet God seeth all things, and nothing is hid from
him.' If true faith considered these things thus, no man would
nor durst use any deceit in any kind of thing.
Hecondhj^ If this saying were duly considered that all
gold and silver is the Lord's, who durst misspend or waste
one farthing of it unthriftly upon things not necessary \ God
hath given man all liis creatm-es to serve for his necessai-y
use : but to be a drunkard, a whore-hunter, a gamer, a
swash-buckler', a ruffian to waste his money in proud ap-
parel, or in hawking, hunting, tennis, or in such other un-
profital)le pastimes, but only for necessary refreshing of the
wit after great study or travail in w^eighty affairs, he hath
(I say) not allowed thee one mite. Kead the scriptures
throuf^h. and thou shalt not find where gentlemen be allowed ^^ <\eg:ree
~ ■ o be allowed
to waste their money upon vain pastimes or unprofitable, J,:'!j'"tp^ jj-'g
more than the poor simple man is. In all good common- ^'^"^"^•
wealths there be no laws that give more liberty to sin to
the rich than to the poor. God our heavenly Father, like
a rich \^'ise steward, deals his money abroad to us his serv-
ants, some more, some less, as he thinks good ; and saith
unto us all, " AVork until I come," and increase this por-
tion that is given you. Poor and rich hath this said unto
him, and every one shall make an account unto him, and it
shall be said to every one, " Make account of thy steward-
ship." Look in the law of (iod, and there shalt thou find
how to bestow thy money : and if thou cannot find it agreeing
with God's word, it is evil, howsoever thou bestow it. l^'or
as a rich man o-iveth his man monev, sends him to the
market, and bids him not bestow his money as lie list, but
appoints him how to do it, thus nuich upon such things,
and thus much upon other ; so God hath given us his scrip-
ture as a rule to follow in l)estowing his money or other
gifts. And although men or things ])e not there named,
whereon to bestow it ; yet the degrees and sorts of botli,
as the poor and necessaries, be often beaten into our heads.
Gentlemen and young rufflers may not say as they coni-
\^ Swash-buckler: swaggerer. Kd-I
Luke xix.
& xvi.
152 EXPOSITION UPON [cH. II.
nionly use, ' Is not my money mine o\Yn ? May I not spend
it as me lust I who shall correct me I what would ye have
me to do ? Shall I build castles and towers with it ? I
have more than I can get spent : the next rent day is at
hand. Shall I be a lout, and sit in a corner? Nay, it be-
cometli a gentleman to make merry and ruffle it. Shall I
not make good cheer, that other may fare the better? Let
me make merry when I am young : I v>ill ^^ ax sad, wise,
and thrive, when I am old.' But thou which thinkest thus,
Luke.wi. remember the evil steward, which when he was called to
account, and could not discharge his reckoning, gave away
his master's jjoods that he miffht maintain his idleness. But
he was put out of office^ as all they shall be cast from God's
face, which likewise unprofitably spend that portion which God
hath given them. Thinkest thou that God will allow this
account, if thou say, ' Thus much is spent upon whores, this
at cards, this at dice, this on masking, this on mumming,
this at bear-baiting, SzcV Nay, nor yet on massing, gilding
of saints, painting of stocks and stones, setting up roods,
buying of popish pardons, giving money to this cloister of
monks, and that house of friars, with such like. Who
would spend one penny so evil, if he thought that it should
bear witness against him and condemn him at the last day?
It is for lack of faith, that such unthrifts do misspend God's,
their Master's money ; because they think it is their own,
and not the Lord's, as the prophet saith here.
Thirdly^ If this were believed as it ought to be, it would
make us neither to grudge against God, that gives plenty
many times to the evil men, and the honester sort lives more
barely ; nor we should not disdain to see one preferred be-
fore ourselves, in more wealth or authority. We should also
content ourselves with that portion which God hath given
us, not murmurinGj nor sorrowino- that we have less than
Job xxi. other. This thin<r hath often grieved Job, David, Jeremy,
Psal. Ixxiii. Till 1 . ' .
.Tcr. xii. Abacuk, and other holy men, that they did see evil men in
Habak. i. ^ •'
wealth, and good men m trouble ; and they could never sa-
tisfy themselves in this, what should be the cause of it,
until they entered into the sanctuary of the Lord, and there
they spied that the riches of the earth is the Lord's, to
dispose at his holy will and pleasure. And because it
V. 8, 9.] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. 153
pleases God to bestow so much or so little upon this man
or that man ; it is just, and I should content myself there-
with, knowing that whatsoever he doeth, it is good because
he doeth it, and no man must grudge or disdain thereat.
The will of God is the rule of all justice and righteousness: »
as because God will have it so, therefore it is good, just,
and righteous. God's will is the first and chief cause of all
things : so that, when we see that God will have it so, we To rrfn- aii
must not ask, why he will have it so ; but be content there- wis(i.,in
with, sit down and quiet ourselves, praising his goodness, and v.nmi n. aii
marvelling at his wisdom, that rules all things so well and
wisely. And with that little portion that it hath pleased
him to give us, we shall content ourselves, when we con-
sider that he owes nothing to any man, but that which he
gives, he gives it freely and liberally, and so much as he knows
better than thou thyself what is meet for thee to have.
Thou which hast little, think thus with thyself: ' ^ly good
God and Father, who hath ruled and doth rule all things
at his own will and pleasure ; whose wisdom 1 am not able
to perceive, and whose unspeakable love towards me in giving
his only Son to die for me I cannot understand ; he that
loves me better than I love myself; he, I say, knoweth that
if I had more riches and wealth, I should be too wanton and
so displease him ; and if I had too little, I should deal untruly
and blaspheme him. Therefore praised be his wisdom, which
doth not overload me with more than he will give me grace
to discharge ; nor lets me want necessaries, that I fall not
to any falsehood or untruth. How can I love him enough,
that gives me all necessaries, and doth not cliarge mc with
superfluities f The evil men which have such plenty of all
things, he would win them with gentleness, and by gentle-
ness draw them unto him : but in thee that hast less, he
will let all the world know that thou lovest him not for any
great wealth which he giveth thee, (as evil flatterers many
time do,) but even as duty, and that thou wilt bear the cross
of poverty willingly, rather than forsake him.
What a misbelief is it, to think that God dotli not give
and dispose his goods so well and wisely, but that many can
devise it better ! And if we had once this faith rooted in
our hearts, that he doth all for the best ; it would make us
154 EXPOSITION LTON [cH. II.
say, howsoever wc ourselves or other have much or Httle,
1 Sam. iii. " It is the Loi'd that doeth it ; let him do that seemeth good
in his sight.'' And if we lose it by fire or robbery, we shall
Jobi. be content to say with Job, "The Lord gave it, and the
• Lord took it away ; and as it pleases the Lord, so it is
done : the name of the Lord be praised." What a pride
is this in man, to think that he could deal his goods better
than God hath done ; or that it were better for such men
and such to have more or less than they have : as though
isai.iix. we were wiser than God, and if things lay in our hands, we
could do them better than he can or doth ! Our Saviour
Matt. vi. Christ calls it lack of faith, when w^e mistrust the power of
him that he cannot, or the goodness of God that he will
not, provide necessaries for us, chiefly if w^e seek the king-
dom of God and the righteousness thereof, and saith, " Mark
the birds of the air, how they neither sow nor mow, nor
gather into the barn, and yet your heavenly Father feeds
them : how much more will he do you, ye of little faith I"**
There is nothing can grieve that faithful heart so, which
constantly believes that gold and silver is the Lord's, but it
would undoubtedly look and hope for all necessaries by God's
provision to be given him ; and if ordinary means did fail,
jKinjsxvii. that the ravens should feed him, as they did Ehas; the
Kxod. xvii. stones sliould flow out water, as in the wilderness ; or water
John ii. sliould be tumcd into wine, as in Cana of Galilee ; or that
little which they have sliould so increase, that it should be
1 Kings xvii. sufficient until plenty came, as the handful of meal of the
poor widow's ; or else one slender dinner should strengthen
The faithful them SO, uutil thev came where they miffht have more suffi-
rannot lack •> ^ j n
necessaries, cieutly, as Elias walked in the strength of one therfe cake
forty days, eating nothing else. For it is as easy for God
to provide for his people by some one of these ways or other
2 Kings vii. like, as by any other ordinary means ; as in the besieging
of Samaria, where they eat their own children and dung,
and the next day such plenty, a bushel for a groat. But
this is ever most sure, that those which be of God cannot
Rorn.viii. lack. For, as St Paul reasons: "He that hath not spared
his own Son, but hath given him for us all ; how can it be,
but with him he hath given us all things ;" and for his sake
he will deny us nothing meet for us ^ How can he deny
V. 8, 9 ] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. 155
US a piece of bread, meat, or a coat, that liath given his
only Son Christ Jesus to die for us ? Can a worldly earthly
father, if he see his child want, weep, and ask him meat,
deny him ? will he not rather spare it from his own belly,
than see him weep or Avant I And shall we think that God
hath less pity and loye toward us, than one of us hath to-
wards another? AVhicli things all considered, they and all
we, which have God's house to build, should not discourage
ourselves for poverty or lack of ability: for the Lord of
hosts saith, all gold and silver is his ; and he will give
sufficient to his own building.
And although many of them thought that this later
house would be nothing so pleasant, gorgeous and costly as
the first ; and therefore they wept when the ground worlc
was laid, as was said before; yet to comfort them witli,
that they should with better courage and stomach go about
it, he promises them, that '-the glory of this later house'**
shall be more than the first, and they shall not only have
enough to build withal, but it shall be a more gorgeous
house in the sight of God than the first was.
The first temple had in it the golden candlestick, the
golden censer, the golden altar, the cherubins, the golden
ark of the Lord, wherein was the tables of Moses, the rod '
of Aaron, and the pot of manna, the golden table : it had
also L^rim and Thummin, with divers other relics, which alM^hat things
make a
or many of them were destroyed by Nabuchodonozor and tempif to
•z •' ^ please Oou
others which spoiled the temple: so that, although other jew- i^^'st.
els and ornaments were restored by the good king Cyrus,
yet we do not read, (and the Rabbins also think.) tliat the.se
were not in the second temple ; and of Urim and Tluunmin
Esdras seems to speak plain that they were not there. Ezra ii.
AVhat should make then this house more glorious than the
first, seeing it wanted these outward glorious and plca.sant
thinjjs to the eve, and in such ornaments was nothin": to !»»
compared with the first? Surely nothing but this, that wc
spake of before, that our Saviour Cln-ist presented himself
therein, preached his Father's will and the glad tidings of
the gospel, rebuked the traditions and ceremonies of the
scribes and Pharisees, healed all disea.ses. Therclbre may
we gather here this necessary argument upon these words of
156 EXPOSITION UPON [cH. II.
the prophet; that the church is more pleasant in the sight
of God, where the gospel is preached, God's majesty and
his mercy declared, than where all the ceremonies of Moses
or the pope do shine so gloriously to the sight of the world.
Let the papists examine well by these words, whether their
copes, chalices, vestments, crosses of gold and silver, their
singing, ringing, censing, their images, relics, pardons, con-
jured waters, &c., be more pleasant service to the Lord our
God, than where the trumpet of God's w^ord sounds in our
ears, to stir us up to the praising of God, and pulling down
of our own crooked froward nature and stomachs. There
can be nothing found in this second house, but it was all
and much more to be had in the first, save the preaching
and miracles of Christ and his apostles. For this point only
therefore, wherein it did excel the first, it did please God
more than the first: therefore must it needs follow, that
those companies and churches please God better, where his
lively word is preached, and the sacraments without great
pomp commonly and purely ministered, than w^here they go
about with dead ceremonies to serve him, though they be
never so glorious outwardly.
Let us be ashamed then of these lewd sayings : ' What
should I do at the church ? I may not have my beads : the
church is lilce a waste barn : there is no images nor saints, to
worship and make curtsey unto : little god in the box is gone' :
there is nothing but a little reading and preaching, that I
cannot tell wliat it means : I had as lief keep me at home.**
This is a woeful saying, that because we may not worship God
as we lust ourselves, we will not worship him at all. This is
idolatry, to leave that kind of worship which he hath appointed
us in his word, and devise a new sort of our own, which
God shall either be content withal, or else be without. The
heathen people would say, when they see the people so fool-
ish to think that God would be worshipped with gold and
silver, Bicite, ^9o?i^//?cc'S, in temj)lo quid facit auriim?^ — which
is to say, ' Tell us, 0 ye bishops, what good doth gold in
the temple V Ambrose saith : " The sacraments look not
for gold ; and those things which arc not bought with gold,
p Sec above, p. 120. En.]
[2 Persius, Sat. ii. (iO. Ed.]
V. 8, 9.1 THE PROPHET AGGEUS. 157
cannot please with gold^" And the best writers do witness,
that it was better when the Lord's supper was ministered
in wood and glass, and the priests were pure as gold and
did preach, than when the priests were wood and the cups
gold, — that is to say, dumb, unlearned, unpreaching prelates,
and yet w^ould minister the sacrament in cups of gold and
silver. The riches and treasures of the church belong: to
the poor; and upon them should all the goods of the
church be bestowed, which is remaining of the preacher's
livings, and not to feed idle belly-gods withal, as monks,
friars, priests, kc. Such a godly answer made the godly
and true deacon Laurence, when as the emperor sent his
man to spoil the church of the treasure that there was. He
commanded Laurence in the emperor's name to deliver him
all the treasure in the church : Laurence required a few
days' respite to gather all the goods together ; which being
granted, at the day appointed he gathered all the poor folks
in Eome together. AVhen the emperor's servant came, think-
ing to have received the whole treasure, and calling for Lau-
rence asked where the treasure was, Laurence shewed all the
poor people, and said, "Behold the treasure of the church'!"
Thus was the o-oods of the church then bestowed, and not
to maintain the pope, nor yet his carnal cardinals in .their
ruffian rout and idleness, &;c.
The peace which he promises to send, " in this place." is
not so much an outward peace, although they had that peace
as long as they feared the Lord : but here is meant the peace
of conscience, which Christ brought from heaven ; as the
angels sang at his birth, " Glory be to God on high, and Lnko ii.
in earth peace, &c." And he is not only the peacemaker
betwixt God and man, but peace itself, as St Paul calleth
him, saying, " He is our peace, which hath made of both Eph. ii.
one," as was noted before. It is more to call him the i)eace
itself, than to call him the peacemaker betwixt God and man,
pacifying the Father's wrath for our sins, and purchasing
P Quid enim dices ? Timui nc tcmplo Dei ornatus dccssct ? Re-
spondehit : Aurum sacramenta non qutei-unt ; nc(iue aiiro placcnt, ([Uiv
auro non emuntur. Dc Officiis, Lib. ii. cap. 2a T. iv. p. Gl. Paris.
1632. Ed.]
[^ See above, p. 144, and the note. Ed.^
158 EXPOSITION UPON* [cH. II.
pardon for all our wickedness. The peace of conscience when
we believe (Jod to be our Father for Christ's sake, forgiving
all our sins, and bestowing all his goodness on us, is the
greatest comfort that can be, though the world rage never so
John xvi. much agaiust us ; as our Saviour Christ saith, "In the world
you shall have affliction and trouble, but in me you shall
John xiv. liave peace'' : and again, " I leave my peace among you, and
I give my peace unto you, &C." And although the church
of God is often more forgetful of his goodness received, when
isai.xxxviii. they liavc worldly peace, (as the prophet saith, "In this out-
workiiy ward worldlv peace my bitterness is most bitter",) and there-
peace IS • ^ '' ^
most s:riev- fore necessarv it is to be tried by adversity, heresies, impri-
ous, and in • . .
persecution sonuieiits, death, and other cruelties : yet in the midst of all
the con- ' ' -^
science is troublc they shall find present comfort and peace patiently
to bear all such sorrow as shall be laid on them.
When as emperors were not christened, great was the
persecution, and yet could they not prevail. When heresies
began to spring in the church, then God raised up Augus-
tine and others to withstand them ; and the more that they
were, the more was the truth tried out and flourished : but
after that the pope had conquered all, good learning decayed,
and the devil thereby had lulled all on sleep ; then came this
outward worldly peace, where the most part submitted them-
selves to the l^east, and his peace was the bitterest thing
that could be before God, and greatest trouble to all good
consciences. For then outward peace brought in lordly pride,
which harmed more than any persecution, as Bernard saith.
But now, after that the light appears again, with what peace
of conscience can and do men offer themselves to the fire,
though the pope and his clergy rage like lions or mad dogs !
AV^hat great learning hath God revealed in our time more
than l)efore ! And chiefly it hath been done because of errors,
heresies, sects and controversies that be abroad, that God's
chosen people should not live in blindness still, and that his
goodness may be known. And although persecution be great,
yet God strengthens his to die for his truth in most quiet
peace to the shame of their persecutors. AVhere there is
no striving, there is no victory : where there is no victory,
there is no praise nor reward : therefore God of his great love,
that his people may have most noble victories and greatest
V. 8, 9-] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. 159
reward, sufferetli them to be troubled by the devil and his
ministers, but not to be overcome. Where the tormentors
rage, because they cannot overcome the simple souls, holding
fast the faith which they would pull from them, and for the
which they strive ; God so strengthens his, that they suffer
all torments with more peace of conscience, than the tormen-
tors do lav it on them, which devise the deaths for them.
But not only this inward peace, but an outward also was
given them, as long as they displeased not the Lord. God
commanded that every man amongst the Israelites should
come thrice a year to Jerusalem to w^orship him there : and Exod.xxxi
lest they should grudge, saying, ' Who shall defend our
country when w-e are gone so far from home ? our enemies
will invade and destroy us ;' God promises that he will de-
fend their country in the mean time, and that they should
have no harm. Thus they believing God were bold to go
to Jerusalem to serve God, leaving none at home to keep
their goods and lands, but a few women and children. So
we, if we would serve the Lord aright, and maintain his true
religion, our enemies should not hurt us, but women and
children should be able to defend us : if we will not serve
him as he hath appointed, there is no worldly power able
to defend us, but we and they shall perish all together.
V. 10. In the twenty -fourth day of the ninth mouthy ctnd the The text,
second year of Darius, teas the message of the Lord
sent hy the hand of Aggeus the prophet, saying,
11. Thus saith the Lord of hosts : Ask, I pray thee, the
priests the laic, saying,
12. If any man hear holy flesh in the lap of his garment,
and do touch tcith his lap bread or broth, wine, oil,
or any kind of meat, shall it be made holy:' The
priests answered and said. No.
lo. And Aggeus said: If he that is defiled in soul do
touch any of these, whether shall it be defied ? Th'
priests answered and said, It is difllcd.
14. Aggeus ansicered and said: So is this people, and so
he these folk before my face, saith the Lord, and so
is all the work of their kinds ; and whatsoectr they
bring hither, it is defiled.
160 EXPOSITION UPON [cil. II.
For the reckoning of months, years, days, and such other
particular words, we said enough before. Now is the prophet
sent to appose^ the priests in the law of God, and make
Mai. u. them give sentence against themselves. " The lips of the
priest keep knowledge, and they shall ask the law of his
mouth," saith Malachy : and therefore, to see what know-
ledge they had in the law of the Lord, and what answer
they would make, he was sent to examine them ; and he
puts forth his question so wisely, that he makes them to
condemn themselves by their own judgment. He is bidden
ask them out of the law of God, and not out of the pope's
law, nor yet any man's law, which often through bribes is
ended as a man is friended, but out of God's book, which
without partiality speaks indifferently on all parts, and nei-
ther fears the rich for his might and authority, nor hath
foolish pity on the poor for his poverty, but uprightly judges
right, and condemns sin, wheresoever it is found. If the
priests in Moses' law had this charge given them, to be so
cunning in the scriptures, that they should be able to an-
siKmid be ^^^^^' ^^^ doubts, whicli could be asked them ; how much more
the scrip" should our priests now be able by the scripture to teach all
ture. which be ignorant, and answer all doubts that can be moved !
Tit. i. for St Paul saith, a minister " should be able to exhort with
wholesome doctrine, and confute false." But if ye want one
to keep a cur rather than a cure, to be a hunter or a fal-
coner, to be an overseer of your workmen, to be your steward,
or look to your sheep and cattle, to be your gardener, keep
your orchard, or write your business, who is meeter for any
of these businesses tlian Sir John Lacklatin 1 What a wicked-
ness is this, that they should take such pains to be so cun-
ning in these things that God looks not for of them ; and
in those things which God hath charged them withal, they
can say nothing at all ! they be dumb dogs, not able to
bark in rebuking sin ; and blind guides, not able to rule
their flock. ]3ut if the world be on their side, then can they
play the wood' dogs, biting and snatching at every man near
them, and let no honest man dwell in rest, by them ; but
accuse, burn, and condemn all that speak against their mis-
[^ Appose: question, pose. Ed.]]
P Wood : mad. Ed.]
V. 10 14.] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. 161
chiefs. If there be a t rental to be said, or any money to
be gotten for masses, dii'iges, relics, pardons, &c. then who
is so ready as they \ They can smell it out a great sort of uAt^-tr^^ .
miles off. But if a man want comfort in conscience, would
understand his duty towards God, or God's goodness towards
us ; they be blind beasts, ignorant dolts, unlearned asses, and
can say nothing but make holy water, and bid them say a
lady's psalter.
The questions which he putteth forth here tend to this
purpose, that by one thing which is like he may prove another
like. For like as hallowed flesh did not hallow these things
which it touched ; so did not the goodness which was in
some of them make the rest holy. But like as he who is
defiled in soul did defile all the works that he taketh in
hand, even his prayers and sacrifices, &C. so they did also
defile all which kept company with them by their evil ex-
ample. This kind of teachinnr by parables and similitudes, similitudes
which be like m matter, consequence and truth, although kind of
divers m words, is pithy to persuade, and is used sundry
times in the scriptures, to bring a man to give sentence
against himself. As when Nathan told David the similitude 2 sam. xii.
of the rich man that had many sheep, and the poor man
that had but one ; and that the rich man had taken the
poor man's one sheep ; David said he had deserved death,
not understanding that Nathan did mean David himself to
have done this thing, who gave this sentence of death
against himself, because he had so manv wives of his o\\'n,
and yet could not be content with them, but took Urias'
wife also. So when the woman of Thecua feigned herself2^«n>- ^'*-
to be a poor widow, and her two sons had the one killed
the other, and the officers would have put the other to death
for murdering his brother ; she makes supplication to the king
David, desiring that her other son might not be put to
death, for she had rather lose the one son which was killed,
than have the other now ])ut to death also ; for then all
her comfort was gone : when David had granted her request,
that her son should not die for this murder, then said she,
"Why should not the king bring home again his son Ab-
salon, which killed his brother Animon, Imt suiter him to die
also banished:"' Thus David was deceived by the woman,
11
[ IMF.KIXGTON.]
162 EXPOSITION UPON []cH. XI.
which under the names of her own sons made suit for Ab-
salon, the king's son, by the counsel of Joab : and David
thought in reason he should be as ready to shew pity to his
own son Absalon as to another, and gave sentence so against
himself. So the priests here, granting that whatsoever touches
him who is defiled in soul, that thing is also defiled too, prove
and give sentence against themselves, condemning all their
own deeds to be naught and defiled, because they themselves
were wicked and defiled. What wickedness were in this
Ezrax. people, Esdras tells, when he divorces such a number as had
married heathen wives contrary to the law ; and Nehemias,
Nebem. v. when he tells how by bribery and usury they had polled their
poor brethren, and gotten their goods and lands into their
hands : and how they had all offended God in not building
this temple, this prophet teaches here plain. These with
divers other gross sins had defiled this people ; and there-
Sin defiles fore all that thev did and touched was defiled. Sin is so
those thing's ^ •'
that God ^ vile and filthy, that it defiles even those thing^s which God
himself ^ "^ ' ^ °
commands, himsclf hath commanded. Esay saith, " Your sabbath-days
and other feasts my soul abhors ;" and yet God had com-
manded them his own mouth to observe such feasts. Esay
isai. ixvi. saith also, " He that offers an ox is as if he killed a man,
and he that sacrifices a sheep is as though he brained a
Psai. xi. dog :*" and again, " Sacrifice and offering for sin thou hast
not required." But Esay addeth a reason why God should
hate that which he once commanded, and saith, '' Your
hands are full of blood ; ye do not hear the widows'* and the
fatherless' cause," &c. Seeing then sin hath such a strength
in it, that it makes God to hate those things which he or-
dained himself; how much need have we to take heed what
we do, lest in thus offending God we make him to forsake
both us and all that we should have good of!
Holy flesh. That is called holy flesh which was offered to the Lord,
and whereof sometime the whole was burned, and sometime
that part which remained was eaten of the priests and them
that brought it to be sacrificed. If that flesh then, which
was thus hallowed by the commandment of God, had not
this strength in it, to hallow the lap of a garment wherein
it was carried, and so the lap to hallow what thing soever
it should touch ; how can the pope's conjured water, which
V. 10 14.] THE TROPIIET AGGFX'S. 168
he calls holy, make tlie man or house where it is sprinkled
so holy, that no devils dare enter? The devil durst tempt
our Saviour Christ ; and yet they say he fears their con-
jured water, as though it were holier than Christ himself.
Where hath he any promise from God of such foolishness?
What can their holy ashes, holy palms, holy crosses, holy Popes have
bells, holy cream, rehcs, moulds, chalice, corporas, fire, candles, foi- their
11 1 1 • 1 • 1 • 1 1 T 1 • •! 1 hallowing
beads, or that which is their most holy relic, their oil, where- of things,
with they anoint their shavelings, priests, and bishops, do?
They would make men believe that the oil hath such holi-
ness in it, that whosoever wanteth it is no priest nor mi-
nister. Therefore in the late days of popery om* holy bishops
called before them all such as were made ministers with-
out such greasing, and blessed them with the pope's bless-
ing, anointed them, and then all was perfect ; they might
sacrifice for quick and dead : but not marry in no case, and
yet keep whores as many as they would. If any of their
such greased disciples were traitor, felon, or heretic, that
he had deserved death, (in token that their oil was so holy,
and had entered so deep into the flesh, but bringing no ho-
liness ^^'ith it ; for then their anointed should not have fallen
so sore as they did, and do ;) before any such offender could
suffer death, he must first be deposed of all that he received
from the pope of his orders and apparel, and have all that
skin of his crown and fingers pared ofi" or scraped, because
they were greased with their oil.
What oil used the apostles in making ministers, or what xothing
^ ° ^ , hallowed by
scripture is for it I The holy flesh which was offered to God the popes
i *' ^ tradition
bv his own commandment had not this power to liallow the i^" ''a"ow
^ another
things which it touched ; and yet their holy water and grease ti»«ii?.
must have it. Is this like to be true? doth not all their
false feigned holiness, which they put in things made lioly
by their own hallowing only, and not by God, fall by this
one sentence of God's mouth ? can any thing be more plainly
spoken against all their juggling than this I For the same
reason that is against flesh, is against all their holy toys,
by what name soever they be called. If they will not be-
lieve God and his scripture, let them believe the priests, their
elders and predecessors ; yea, and that which they crack so
much of, that is a general council, which they think can-
11—2
164 EXPOSITION urox [ch. II.
not err. The prophet here is sent to all the priests ; and
here is answered in all their names by general consent and
counsel, that holy flesh cannot hallow that thing which it
touches. If it be so in one hallowed thing, as it is in this
flesh, why should it not be so in all other likewise?
Christ only There is no creature which can e^ive that holiness to
maketh us o
oniv'hath ^^^^^her which is in itself: this thing belongs to Christ alone;
the fulness f^j. a^f j^jg fulness all we have received," as St John saith.
01 uoliness. '
And where we have gifts of the Holy Spirit by measm-e,
iCor.xii. gQ niuch as pleases God of his s^oodness to give: Christ our
John 111. 1 o o '
Lord and Saviour had the fulness of the Spirit without all
measure, that of his fulness we all might receive part. Christ
hath the fulness of the gifts of the Spirit so much, that al-
though he give part to us all, yet he hath nothing less himself.
For as the sun gives light plentiful to the whole world, and
yet keeps the self-same light wdthin itself; so our Saviour
Christ, God and man, hath the perfect fulness of all goodness
in himself^ and yet gives part to us as he thinks good, not
losing any piece of that he hath himself, but lightning our
darkness with that light which he hath within himself. St
iCor. 1. l^aul saith, he "is our w^isdom, righteousness, holiness, and
redemption," because he gives us all these things.
As it is in flesh, so it is in all other creatures ; although
a probable objection to the contrary may be made out of the
Matt, xxiii. scriptures themselves. Our Saviour Christ, saying, " Woe
to the scribes and Pharisees," which taught that " he which
swore by the temple or the altar was nothing, but if he
swore by the gold of the temple, or the oflering on the
altar, he was in fault," seems to teach contrary ; for he
adds unto more, saying that the temple makes the gold holy,
and the altar the offering; and that he which swears by
the altar, sweareth by it and those things which be on it ;
and he that swears by the temple, swears by it and him
which is in it ; as though the temple and the altar made
1 Cor. vii. other things holy. St Paul, speaking of the marriage of the
iaithful and the unfaithful, saith that the unfaithful part is
made holy by the faithful. But here you must mark, that
this holiness, which St Paul speaks of, belongs nothing to
the salvation or forgiveness of sin of the unholy party; but
teaches that such marriage to continue is not unlawful and
V. 10 14.] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. lf)0
whoredom, and the children so born be not bastards and
heathens. That other hoHness in the temple and the altar
is but such a holiness, as Closes teaches in his law. which
then was a ceremony, but is now taken away, and there-
fore belongs not unto us. Any thing is called holy by the Hoiy.
law of Moses, which is dedicated to serve God in anv kind
of ceremony or service in the temple, and is no more turned
to serve man in any kind of civil matter, or in his house ;
or else, which by his institution signifies some holy thing
unto us. But these be called holy, not because any holi-
ness for salvation is in them, or that they can give holiness
to other things ; but because the end and use whereunto they
be turned is holv. Nothing beside man can receive this true
holiness : for faith is the instrument and means whereby true
holiness is received, which profit to salvation, whereof the
prophet speaks here chiefly.
But it is not so with the evilness and sin of man : for sin defiles
... not onlv the
that doth not onlv defile the man, when it is in him, but nian iiim-
self, hut
all that the evil man doth is evil also ; as all that touches ^^^n; tiiinir
that he doth
the thino- which is defiled, is defiled also. For as a car- and aii that
o ' use his
rion doth not only smell evil itself, but infects all that come company,
near it ; so that man which is defiled in soul doth defile
all thinofs that he takes in hand. Valentinianus', a christian
man, turned from idolatry to the knowledge of Christ, and
afterward made emperor, when other had cast upon him
such holy water as they made to their idols, he ^\as angry
^vith them that they defiled his coat, and smote the priest
that gave him the holy water and moved him to sacrifice.
For he thought (as truth is) that whatsoever was conse-
crated to idols was so filthy, that it defiled whatsoever it
Q^ Kui yap \\u\cvTiviavu^ fKtrvoc, 6 /HKpuu v<TT€pov f3n<ri\ev(ru<:,
iX^^^^PX^'^ ^^ ''" 'rt}inKavru,) twv irep'i to. fSaalXcut TCTuyiuiiov
\oyX(^(p6p(au tjyovijitvo^, ov el^f^v virep rt]<: cvareftua^ ovk aireupvyt
l^rjXov. 6 fiev yap eix/SpuvTtjTos eKe7wo<: [^luvXiauo^'] tt? to t»/<: rvji^t]^
Tf/jiei/o? €i<rt']€i yopeviav CKaTipicOev de twv Bvpayv ct(nt]K(i(rai' viw-
Kopot, TrepippavTtjpioif; tov<; €1<ti6vtu<; -TrpoKadalpuvre^, a)<r tvoni(ot'.
^V.Treitt] ct Tov /9a(n\6ft)<J ijyou/iei/o? rtj x^au'iCi pav'icn ircXuffuanv
elle Ra/\ei'Tji/(ai/oV, o ftacriXe'ia^ Ua-repa^ X^V'" '^"'''^"^ Tcri-^rjKW,
7ri)f eV««(Tf TOV vctoKopov, n€noXvv6(tt (pt'jan^, ov KfKaOapOui. I lico-
dorct. Ecclcs. Hist. Lib. iii. Cap. lO. Paris. lo44. Ei>.]
166 . EXPOSITION UPON [cH. II,
Num. xii. touched, if it was received with such opinion of holiness as
they thought.
Some read here, "if he that is defiled by the dead do
touch,"' kc. : the sense is both one of this and that. Many
unclean things were in Moses"* law, that whosoever touched
them should be unclean also : as he that touches a dead
Levit. XV. body shall be unclean seven days ; and he that hath the
flux of seed shall be unclean ; and he that touches the bed
where such have lien, or sits where they have sitten, shall
be unclean also. But this is not so much for the unclean-
ness which is in the dead body or the seed by nature (for
both be the good creatures of God), as that under this figure
God would teach us, that we should not as much as touch
sin, which is the death of the soul : likewise the evil lusts,
which reign when the flux of the seed is, be the causes
which make them unclean which suffer such diseases and
affections. So that, whether we read, " he that is defiled in
soul,'' or "he that is defiled by the dead," it is sin that
both do mean : for that not only defiles, but kills the soul
which doth it. And sin is such, that it defiles all that touch
Eccius.xiii. it; as Sirach saith, comparing it to pitch, "He that touches
1 Cor. XV. pitch is defiled with it." St Paul saith also, " Evil com-
Psai. cix. munications corrupt good manners." David saith, " The
sinner's prayer is turned into sin." The good man there-
fore makes all his works good ; and the evil defiles every
good thing he takes in hand.
The life of This vcrso teaches plain, that the whole life of an evil
the wicked *
is all wholly man, whatsoever he doeth, is defiled. For as St Paul re-
defiled. ^ '
1 Cor. X. quires of a good man, that " whether he eat or drink, or
whatsoever he do, he should do all to the glory of God ;"
so the evil man, if he eat, drink, sleep, wake, talk, work, or
be idle, all is defiled before the Lord. For an evil tree
cannot bring forth good fruit, nor figs grow on briars : yea,
let him study, pray, fast, give alms, buy trentals, give his
body to be burned, or do what lie can devise, and it is
1 cor.xiii. defiled. " If I had all faith," saith St Paul, " so that I could
make mountains to stir out of their j)laces ; if I know all
secrets, give my goods in alms, and my body to be burned, I
am nothing better, it profits me nothing, if I lack charity."
Johnxiii. ^ji gyji jjjgjj i^q\^ charity; for "by this shall ye be known
V. 10 14.] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. 167
to be" good men, and so " my scholars, if ye love one
another,'' saith our Saviour Christ: therefore whatsoever they
do, it is defiled. The good man if he eat or drink, he doth
it with thanksgiving to God for such sustenance righteously
gotten, and soberly takes it to refresh his weak nature, that
he may the better serve his Lord God. If he work, use mer-
chandize, or any other kind of life, he doth it not so much'
for his own, as for the common profit. But the evil man
either gives not due thanks for his meat, or gets it 'OTon"--
fully, lays it up niggardly, or else spends it unthriftly ; and
in all his labour seeks his o\mi profit ^vith the hurt of others;
and therefore it is sin.
By this is also proved this great controversy, whether
we be made righteous by works or faith. For if works
should make us righteous, then the good works which an
evil man doth should make him righteous. But the pro-webe
phet saith here, that whatsoever the evil man doth, it is righteous
defiled. Therefore the man must be good before the work properly,
be good, as our Saviour Christ saith : " Either make the
tree good and the fruit good ; or make the tree evil and
the fruit evil." And as the fruit makes not the tree good,
but shews and gives it to be a good tree ; so it is in the
evil fruit and the tree. The sour crab-tree makes the crabs
bitter, and not the crabs makes the tree evil. As the tree
is, so is his fruit; and as the man is, such is his life. "ALukevi.
good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth
good things ; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of
his heart brings forth evil." But the heart and the man
is evil, before the deed be evil, not in time, but in the order
of nature. For as in a well-spring, look what taste the water
hath at the head of the spring, the same it hath when it
runs forth ; so if the heart of man be defiled, which is the
spring whereof comes whoredom, adultery, nnu'dor, and all
other our doinjxs, the deeds nuist needs be naui^ht which
come out of such a defiled head and spring. So that, if we
will do any good deed, we nnist be good men and trees be-
fore in God's sight and election of God, that our fruit and
deeds may be good : for out of an evil root caimot come good
fruits. God loves the deeds for the man\s sake which docth j;^7«;\;;
[* Second edition, doth it so viurh. Kd.]
1 68 EXPOSITION UPON [cH. II.
them, rather than the man for the good works that he doeth.
Gen. iv. As dod looked first at Abel and then at his gifts, but
to Cain and his offerings he looked not : because Abel was
a chosen vevSsel of God, therefore God received his offerings ;
and Cain's were not received, because he was not of that
number. For as a schoolmaster will take in good part the
diligence that his scholars can do ; and if he see them put
their good wills thereto, he will bear with their faults, and
teach them their lessons ; but to stubborn and froward he
will shew no gentleness, but cast them off: so God with
those whom he hath chosen in Christ before the world was
made, will bear with their infirmities, and wink at their
little faults, teach them to do better, and praise their well-
doings, and gently correct their faults ; but his enemies and
outcasts, because whatsoever they do is hypocrisy, he loves
them not, but even their prayer is turned to sin, and what-
soever they do is defiled, because they be not grafted and
wisd. .\iv. chosen in Christ Jesus, as the wise man saith, "The wicked
man and his wickedness are hated in like of God/'
Thus the man makes the work good, rather than the
work makes the man good, in God's sight and judgment,
be it never so godly to the outward shew in the eye. So
if tlie heart of man and conscience be defiled, it defiles the
good creatures of God which otherwise be good and lawful.
Titub i. St Paul speaking of meats saith, " All be clean and lawful
to them which be clean ; but to the unclean nothing is clean,
but their minds and consciences be defiled." For if a man eat
but a piece of bread, and think that it is not lawful for him
to do so, he sins, because he doth it not of faith ; and so
Rom. xiv. the conscience wanting faith is defiled. " For w^hatsoever is
not faith is sin:" and he, wanting true knowledge that God
made all things to serve man, now through superstition and
a defiled conscience serves that creature which should serve
him, and so defiles that which of itself God hath created holy,
clean, and meet to ha eaten at all times with thanksgiving.
All this comes by reason of sinful superstition in the man,
which not believing the scriptures, that all meats be lawful
for all men at all times, wants faith, and so hath his
conscience defiled, whicli defiles the meat which he eats.
AVhereas they commonly reason. Our evil works condemn
V. 10 14".] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. 169
US, therefore our good works save us ; this place of the ])ro- •"'" '^"'i-
1 , , 1 1 1 T-< 11 1 . (Icmiis, but
pnet teacheth the contrary reason, r or all the priests in ^^"♦xi «orks
their general council grant, that he which is defiled in soul
defiles all things which he doth; yet they deny that if a
holy thing touch another thing unholy, that it makcth it holv
also : so that sin hath greater strength to defile other things,
than goodness hath to make other things holy. St Paul,
reasoning of the same matter, teaches us how to conclude,
saying, " The reward of sin is death ;" and then he saith ^^om. vi.
not, the reward of virtue and good works is everlasting life,
but he saith, " Everlasting life is the free gift of God.''
Thus must we reason then, both as the prophet doth here,
and St Paul in the same case ; that our evil is more able
to condemn us, than our goodness is to save us.
This should also be a sufficient warning for us to beware Kvii mni.
what company we join ourselves unto : for sin in one man be aVouicd.
is of so great force, that it defiles all the company he is in.
Thus teaches St Paul : " Evil communication corrupts good ' ^'o""- '^^•
manners.'' The wickedness which is in these men, it creeps i Tim. ii.
like a canker, which infects always the next part unto it,
until it have run through and infected the whole bodv : so
the wicked never cease, until they have drawn unto them all
such as keep their company. AVhat is a more dangerous
thing than to keep company with unthrifts? Have not many,
which before they knew such unthriftiness were sober and
honest, but after they have been tangled with such evil
men, sold house and land, some became beggars, and many
hanged i Have not many honest young men, by keeping
companv with swearers and whore-hunters, become open
bla.spheiners, and giv^ themselves to all unhappiness i So in
companying with papists, and to please the world, many have
forsaken the truth, which they knew and professed, and are
become open enemies, and persecutors of God and his peo-
ple. Did not Salomon fall to idolatry with marrying heathen i Kin-> xi.
wives I Did not God forbid marriage with the heathen, lest !><*"«• vii.
they should entice us to idolatry^ Was not Sampson over- Jud-. wi.
come in keeping company with Dalida' !
What a proud presumption then is this to tliink. 1 am
strong enough, wise enough to take heed to myself, in what
[} The Greek form of the name IklUah. Ei).]
170 EXPOSITION UPON [cH. II,
company soever I shall come ! For except you be wiser than
Salomon, or stronger than Sampson, thou shalt be overcome
as they were. When thou shalt sit among papists, and hear
them blaspheme thy God and praise their idolatry ; how canst
thou escape with a safe conscience undefiled, if thou hold
thy peace i Yea, and if thou have not greater grace and
learning to judge good and evil, thou shalt hear some crooked
reasons which shall deceive thee, and peradventure entangle
thee and bring thee from God's truth. If thou sit by, hear
the truth spoken against, and will not defend it to thy power,
Matt. xii. thou art guilty to thy Lord God : for Christ saith, "He that is
not with me is against me."' If thou speak in God's cause,
thou shalt be in danarer of thv life and gfoods, or both. These
thinos well considered would make them which have the fear
o
of God in them to mark this lesson well, and fly evil com-
pany : for whatsoever the evil man, who is defiled in soul,
touches, it is defiled.
AVhere the prophet saith here, that " the people and the
works of their hands and all that they brought thither to offer,
was defiled also," it moves this hard question : whether the
evilness of the minister do defile his ministery, and God's
sacraments which he ministers i First mark, that the minister,
An evil if j^g ]^q ^ drunkard, an adulterer, or covetous, &c. he doth
minister ' ' _
iiiakes not j^^y^ j^^j.^ fhc Strength of the sacrament which he ministers ;
tlie sacra- '^
nient or neither vet defiles any man that receiveth at his hands : but
word evil. -^ >'
1 Cor. xi. to himself he ministers damnation, as St Paul saith, " He
that eats and drinks unworthily, eats and drinks his own dam-
nation." But he saith, siLi ipsi,^ "to himself" (for so is the
Greek, and not "to thee") he receives judgment. If we
should flee ministers because of their sin, whom shall we then
hear ? for who wants sin 1 So in preaching, as long as they
say true, hear them, though their doctrine condemn them-
Matt. xxiii. selvcs : for Christ saith, " In Moses' chair sit the scribes
and Pharisees ; do as they bid and teach you, but do not
as they do." So he that is baptized of an evil minister, is
as well baptized as he that receives it of the good, and as
much doth it profit him : for else so much difference should
be betwixt their baptisms, as is betwixt the goodness of the
ministers ; and the baptism of the better minister should ex-
\^^ Kp'ifxu cavTcp €(t6'i€i KCii TTivei. Ed.]
V. 10 14.] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. I7l
eel the baptism of the worse : and then might we well sav,
"I am PaiiFs, I am Apollos', and I am Cephas';'' which icor.i.
Paul forbids. The goodness of baptism hangs upon God who
did institute it, and not on the minister which gives it.
Let them look therefore, which will be so holy, that ra-
ther they will sit at home than here pray or communicate
with such a minister as pleases them not, what scripture or
example they follow. Esay, Jeremy, Aggeus, yea, Christ and
his apostles, forsaked not Jerusalem, but diligently kept the
feasts appointed by God, and offered their sacrifices accord-
ing to the law; though the temple was full of eviP priests,
scribes and Pharisees. As lone: as God's institution in his
sacraments and sacrifices was kept, they did not so much
respect the goodness or evilness of the minister : no more
ought thou to do.
Then, if the evilness of the minister do not hurt me which ^^'^ mny not
coinmuni-
receives the sacrament, why am I forbidden to communicate ^^^^. ^}
' •' popish
with papists at their mass ? Surely, not so much for the "passes.
evilness of the men themselves, as the wickedness of the
order and thinor which thev minister. For when thou comest
to the communion with the papists, and, according to St Paul,
would eat of that bread and drink of that cup ; they will
neither jjive thee bread nor Avine accordinoj to Clu-ist's in-
stitution, (for they say the substance is changed, and there
remains no bread ;) but they will give thee an idol of their
own makinfj:, which thev call their God. Thev come not to-
gether according to Clu-ist's rule, to break the bread ; but
they creep into a corner, as the pope teaches them, to sa-
crifice for the quick and the dead, to sell heaven, harrow^
hell, and sweep purgatory of all such as will pay. They come
not to comnnmicate with the people, but to eat up all alone.
Therefore, because they have changed Christ's ordinance in
his supper, l)roken his commandment, and set up their own
device, we must not meddle with them in such things as
they have done contrary to God and his word. Their baj)- »»P»^',;";;f
tism, although it have many evil things blend in among, }ct ;»';,;•; ^^^^^'J^.
aiul yrt
[;' Second edition, Civiil (the c imperiect) prie^stes: tiic pas.sige is not [»;;|'/;;;.^
in the first. En.] "'c.frr''^l
[•' Iliiriow: phuKkT or destroy. Chauecr and Spenser both speak iy^Jp^^,,,.
of Christ as having harrowed fwli. Ed.]
172 EXPOSITION UPOX [CH. II.
because they keep the substance of the sacrament, the words
and fashion that Christ himself used, it is nothing so evil
as their mass is : although it be as much to be abhorred of
all good men as may be ; and good men ought to seek as
much as may be to have their children christened in a chris-
tian couQ-reo-ation and of a godlv minister, where no such
conjuring nor misuse is practised. Yet if he cannot come by
such a one as he would wish, let not the christian parent
think his child to be worse baptized, because the minister
Ezck. xviii. is wicked : for every one shall sink in his own sin, and
the father shall not die for the child, nor the child for the
father, nor the minister for him which receives at him, nor
he that receives for the evilness of the minister; although that
minister, which so wickedly corrupts the good sacraments and
holy ordinances of God, doth minister them to his own damna-
tion and judgment.
Then, to conclude this place : the prophet here exhorts
the people to the building of the temple. For although they
had an altar to sacrifice on for the time, yet because they
left undone that building which God sent them home to do,
and willed them so straitly to do it, they brake his com-
Disobedi. mandment in not building, and so were defiled with sin of
dpiiieraii'^ disobedience. And the heart being once so defiled, all their
ourdonifjs. ^^,^^^^ ^vhich cauie from such a defiled heart must needs be
1 r^am. xv. defiled also. When Saul was commanded by God to destroy
all the Amalekites. and all that had life among them, and to
spare none ; he was moved with a foolish pity and covet-
ousness, and saved the fairest and fattest cattle to sacrifice
unto God : but God because of his disobedience cast him
and all his posterity from the kingdom; and Samuel tells
him, that " obedience is better than sacrifice.'' Some would
think it cruelness to kill the beasts which made no fault ;
and other would think it holiness to save for God's sacrifice
the fattest and fairest : but that is not cruelness which God
bids, neither is that good which he forbids, whatsoever worldly
God's coin- reason can say to the contrary. Therefore let us without all
n"nst be ' excusc do that which God commands, and seek no starting
excuse! '"" holes; for then we deceive ourselves. These people might allege
povcrtv, the king's authority wlio forbad them to build : but
nothing can defend us, where that is left undone which God
V. 10 14.] THE PROPIIKT AGGEL'S. 173
commandeth, but it is sin. And where tliis sin of disobe-
dience reigns, there the man and all that he doeth is defiled.
Therefore, if they would that any thing which they did or
took in hand should please God, they must wash away this
filthy disobedience, build this temple, and all should be well.
If we would apply these things to ourselves and our times,
we should with hearty repentance build God's house much .
more diligently than we do. And truly, although we have
had great plagues, yet is there greater behind, if we do it not
throughly without halting : for " the servant which knoweth
his master's will, and doeth it not, shall have many stripes.''
V. 15. Now consider, I jyray yoiu in your hearts from tin's The te\t.
day hachrard, afore one stone was laid uj)on another
in the house of the Lord.
16. While they were so, they came to a heap of com of
twenty hishels, and there was hit ten ; and ye cawe
to a wine press to dram fifty gallons, and there was
hut twenty,
17. / have smitten you tcith blasting winds, and mildeip,
and icith hail, all the works of your hands, and you
would not turn unto me, saith the Lord.
18. Consider now in your hearts from this day lachrard^
from the twenty-fourth day of th> ninth month, from
that day when the ground-v^ork of the temple was laid,
consider it (/ say) in your heart.
19. Ls your seed yet in the ham? or have your vineyards,
fig-trees, pomegranates and olive-trees not yet flourished^
from this day forth will / bless them.
The prophet calls them here to an earnest and diligent
consideration of the years past, and the plagues which they
suffered so many, so divers, so grievous and strange. As
though he should say unto them thus : Ye are too negligent
in marking God's working towards you, v.hich hath wrought
so wonderful great things among you, to the intent that ye
should return unto him, and be more diligent in building his (;,h1'»
liouse. which he' so straitlv changed vou to do. Mark tliem should
' ' " , ,„ trach UK,
now more diliojentlv : for (}od did it to teacli vou your duty, jI wiiriiu-r
[' Ife is waiitiivjr in the second (Hliti<ni. Ki>] ^.hkI or
174
EXPOSITION UPOX
[ciT. II.
ye would have learned. God doth not only teach us by his
word and writing, by prophets and preaching, but by his deeds
also and working : if they be good and blessings, to love
and thank him for all his goodness bestowed on us such
/y^^f^iJ^ misers ; and if they be sharp and painful, to bring us home
again by repentance, to ask forgiveness of our faults, and
beware that we no more offend him. Therefore these strange
plagues which ye have suffered so many years ; that the earth
did not yield her fruit ; your meat and drink did not feed
you ; your clothes did not keep you warm ; your money wasted
in your purses, ye could not tell how, as though it fell out
of the bottom ; your corn in the barns consumed, ye wist
not how ; yea, when it came to fanning and winnowing, a .
man thought in one heap he should have had twenty bushels,
he found but ten, the half; and in the wine-press, where
ye thought to have had fifty gallons, almost three parts lacked
and were consumed, and there was but twenty gallons ; — (a
good husband that hath much experience, when he comes
to an heap of corn or a press of wine, will guess within a
few bushels or gallons, how much is contained in the whole ;
but here in the corn to be deceived the half, and in the
wine three parts, was very strange, and could not be but as
God said before, that when it was brought into the house,
We cannot lie did blow it awav, and so it consumed;) — what a neffli-
Avortliily .
gence was this to suffer such plagues so many years ; and
yet to be so hard-hearted, that they weighed them not, but
lightly let them pass, not considering wherefore God sent
them, nor what fault w^as in them to be amended, which
provoked God"'s anger so grievously against them ! But such
blindness is in us all, that when we be under the rod, we feel
it not, if God open not our eyes to see his displeasure ; yea,
rather of nature we murmur against his gentle corrections.
Or else, if God withhold his heavy hand for a time, to
try whether we will amend with little correction, before he
lay on us a greater, we fall to our old fashions, and forget
God, his rod, our duty, and his reverence, attributing such
plagues to unseasonable weather, pestilent airs, or some evil
(;hance, as though they came not from God. As when we
had the sweat, where so many died so suddenly, that men were
astonied at it, so many sick that there was not whole folks
consider
God's
plag^ues
without
a special
gjace.
V. 15 19-] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. 17^
enough to keep them : then for that time we could call on
God, repent, restore evil gotten goods, give alms, and be
sorry that we had not been more liberal before time ; but
as soon as it ceased, we were as evil or worse than before.
So in the late days of bloody persecution and cruel popery,
how oft with tears desired we God once again to restore us,
and we would no more so wickedly live ! and yet we be worse
than before. How many sweats, rebellions, dearths, unsea-
sonable years have we had ; and yet we have forgotten them,
as though they came not from God, nor yet that God had
not sent them to teach us to turn to him by them !
The workings of God, whether thev be in blessing or God's
1 . , "^ , • 1 1 ^loinsrs are
plagumg, present or past, to oiu'selves or otherSjiparticularK\(iiii!rentiy
or to a whole country generally, are deeply to be considered : considered.
for he would teach us manv thino-s bv them, if we had that
grace, wit, and eyes, to consider them. St Paul teaches the i Cor. x.
Corinthians by examples past long before, that they should
not murmur, be idolators, nor tempt Christ, as their fathers
did, lest they should be destroyed as their fathers were. How
often doth the scripture put the Jews in remembrance of
their great deliverance out of the vile bondage in Egypt ; and L^vit. \\.
bids them not trouble the stranger, for they were strangers
in Eg\^t themselves, and knew the griefs which strangers
suffered. In particular examples and plagues he saith, " Ke- Luke .wii.
member Lot's wife ;" lest in looking back, and desiring
your old lusts in Sodom, ye perish as she did. So in good
things also, he teaches us by examples past : " Ye see
the suffering of Job, and the end how the Lord rewarded
him,"' saith St James, moving us to patience in trouble. James v.
And ffenerallv it is said to us all : " A\ hat thinn^s soever iium. w.
are written before hand, they arc written for our learn-
ing, that by patience and comfort of the scripture we might
have hope.''
So in thinofs done in our time, when we see God's anger riie i.ia?u«»
poured upon the whole realm, or one country or house, as warmni; \o
war, plague, Imnger, dearth, sickness, fire, loss of lands or
goods, sweat. loss of friends ; look what grievous and notable
sins then reigned in such men or places, and learn to avoid
the same, lest the like fall on thee. 1^'or by that plague
God teachetli all which hear of it to avoid the like wicked-
r..^d-
176
EXPOSITION UPOX [cil. II.
ness, lest like plagues fall on them. If they will not learn,
what marvel is it if they sink in their own sin ?
So, if thou see thy neighbour punished, rejoice not at it;
but pray for him, comfort him, and learn the goodness of
God towards thyself; that where thou hast deserved more
to be punished than he, yet God spares thee, and gives
thee warning by his punishment to amend betimes, lest thy
course be next ; and then shalt thou be more grievously
plagued, because thou didst not learn to amend thy faults
by his correction and punishment.
If thy neighbour be in wealth, and thou in trouble, learn
to amend thy ftvults by his, that God may bestow his be-
nefits on thee, as well as on him. Disdain not his wealth,
nor be not sorry for it, whether he be jrood man or evil :
for if he be evil, God would win him with gentleness; if
lie be good, follow his doings, that God may bless thee also.
Thus shall we learn of God's doings to comfort ourselves,
and amend our own lives. How diligent we should be to
search out for what cause God plagues us, we are taught
Josij. vii. by Josua in casting lot with the people when they were
plagued, who had angered God so grievously, that he punished
them so sharply, and so tried by the lot, that Acham was
isjuuj. xiv. in the fault. So Saul tried by lot, that his son Jonathan
had offended, when God so sharply punished them. Jonas
running from God was tried by lot, cast into the sea, and
the tempest ceased.
Offenders Thus inust not God's plaofues and works be lisfhtly passed
must be . ^ ^ ^ to .' I
tried and ovci', but deeply considered wherefore he punisheth, and the
that the onenders tried out and punished that God's plague may
plague . . ^ 1 o .'
may cease, cease : for before it will not. If the rulers be neghgent in
jjunishing sin, as their duty requires, God must needs take
it in hand himself; for sin must needs be punished, and he
is a righteous God, and will as well punish the sinner as
reward the good : but if man do punish the fault, God will
not ; for he punishes not twice for one fault. Therefore let
us no more be so negligent in not regarding God's plagues,
lest in despising little gentle ones we provoke him to pour
his whole wrath on us, as these men did.
He bids them look backward, not at one year or two
passed, but even from the beginning "whole forty years, since
V. 15 19-] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. 1
/ /
one stone was laid on another in the foundation of the tem-
ple,'" and till all that time that they left off their building;
and to remember how unfruitful and unseasonable years they
had. The corn did not yield the half that men looked for,
or yet judged it to be ; the wine not three parts of that
they hoped for in thus many years together : therefore they
should have known, that all was for their disobedience in
not buildinor the Lord's house.
But how came all this to pass? who was the worker of
these plagues? was it wind, mildew, hail, storms or tempests,
which did all this? Indeed they had all those and many
more; but God saith, "I smote you with blasting winds,
and mildew, and hail, all the works of your hands/' In
which he teaches, that wind, hail, mildew, storm and tem-
pests, be his servants, go his messages, where he will, de-
stroying so much and so little, when and where as it pleases
him, as David saith, "Fire, hail, snow, ice, and tempests, Psai. cxiviii.
which do his commandment." And because no such harm Aitimu-ii
God use liis
comes by chance or by the rulino: of the stars, but all Ije croatiir.s in
*^ '' ^ ^ ^ punisliiiiir,
his creatures, serve and obev his holv will and pleasure; he v^'f ''<' «"i"='
•' ' ^ it his own
calls it his own deed, and saith, " I smote you."" There- ^'^^^•
fore by his just judgment it is done, whatsoever is destroyed:
and murmur or grudge we mast not at his doings, thinking
him to do us wrong, or deal like a tyrant with us ; but
thankfully bear it, knowing tliat by such light punishment
he ^^ills us to amend and escape a greater. We must say
with Job, "The Lord gave it, and the Lord took it away: Job i.
as the Lord willeth, so let it be : blessed be the name of
the Lord now and ever."
If we could thus with a reverent fear acknowledge Ciod's
working in all his punishing, we would not seek unlawful
means in danger of fire; as St Aga's letters', the holy
candle, or a hawthorn in lightning, the hallowed bell to
ring in thunder, etc. : and it would be a great quietness to
our minds, that we should patiently and willingly bear all
crosses that he shall lay upon us, lest we seem to grudge
\} "St Aj^citlic's k'ttcis" aiv incntioncd in one of our Homilies,
(Sennon on CJood 'Works, I'art .'5,) in an cnunu'Vation of various kinds
of •' i)apisti('al superstitions and al)uses." Agatlui was a martyr of tlio
third century. Ed.]
VI
[PILKINGTON.]
ITS EXPOSITION UPON [cH. 11.
at his doings, which were no small fault. When Job had
lost all that he had, yet he accused neither devil, enemies,
nor any other man, but said, " If we received good things
at the Lord's hands, why should we not suffer evil also?
The Lord gave it, and the Lord took it away."'' Though
the devil of malice stirred up such men to commit such
robbery against Job, and they of covetousness or envy did
spoil and rob the good man, and so both the devil and his
members in all their doings heap their own condemnation,
because they do it of such a wicked mind and for so evil
a purpose and end ; yet the good man in such plagues hath
a fm'ther respect to God, thinking that he which ruleth all,
and suffereth these things, by such means trieth his patience:
God^s love and therefore he thankfully taketh it. So in one deed God's
and justice, •'
maiic7a'nd ^^^^' ^^^^^^ J^^* punishment for our sins and trial of our faith
crueu ^^^ patience, do appear; and also the malice of the devil
onrdeed* towards US, and the frowardness of us one towards another.
But because the end and purpose wherefore it is done be
so far divers, we work our own damnation willingly, when
we do any wickedness one towards another: and God is not
the cause nor yet the enticer of us to any evil, but a just
punisher of all sin.
Mark here diligently the merciful goodness of our good
God and Father in punishing his people; how he destroys
not utterly first their wives and children, or plagues them
fiStgenUy ^^^^ extrcmo diseases, but begins gently with their corn and
to punish. Qii^Qj. fruits, far off from them, whose loss they might better
bear: yet nevertheless by these little ones he gives them
warning to amend ; or else he will punish them more
grievously, and come nearer unto them in such things as
they love more dearly ; and at length they and all theirs
should perish, if they would not amend. Thus saith God,
[2Sam. vii. cc J ^^jjj ^,jj^j^ y^^ jj^ ^j^g j,qJ ^f men,'' that is to say, gently:
psai. ixxxix. and David in God's name saith, " I will visit their wicked-
ness with a rod, and their sins with a scourge ; but my
mercy I will not take away from them, nor 1 will not hurt
them, as I am a true God." Thus, like a father and not
like a tyrant, he punishes to amend and not to destroy, to
save and not to condemn, for love and not for envy, to pull
us from our wickedness to him, and not to make us to hate
V. 15 19.] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. l79
Ilim or run from him, first by little ones, that we may avoid
greater, and not in them utterly perish.
The end of God's punishing this people so long appears God
here, when he saith, "You would not turn unto me, saith ''"• our
profit, and
the Lord/' For this cause then, that they should turn to ^^^*"^^ ^^^s*
In'm, did he send these plagues ; and not for hate or hanu
to his people. But what a wickedness and hard hearts were
these men of, that among so many threatenings, so great
plagues, and in so many years, they would not turn unto
the Lord ! Here appears, how true it was that he said
before, that all were fallen on sleep, both prince, priest and
people, until the Lord awaked up all their spirits to see
their great disobedience, and to go about their building.
And also this declares, how unable and unwilling we be to
do good, until God stir us up by his grace. God deals
with us as the shepherd dotli with his sheep : if a sheep
run from his fellows, the shepherd sets his dog after it, not
to devour it, but to bring it in again : so our heavenly
Shepherd, if any of us his sheep disobey him, he sets his
dog after us, not to hurt us, but to bring us home to a
consideration of our duty towards this our heavenly Father
and loving Shepherd.
God's dogs be poverty, banishment, sickness, evil rulers,
dearth, death, war, ignorance, superstition, loss of goods or
friends, kc. Who could have holden his hands beside such
a sturdy people, and not utterly liave destroyed them ; where
no sort of men among such a number, for so many plagues,
in so many years, would turn to their Lord God ? Here JJ^^,^""'^"
therefore may appear the long-suffering of God, who doth not
suddenly in a rage take vengeance on us, as soon as the
fault is done, as one of us doth towards another ; but tarries
so long to look for our amendment and repentance. Also it
is evident, how tme that is which God saith, "All the dayi^^m. x.
long I stretched out my hands to an unfaithful and re-
bellious people." Our Saviour Christ saith, he stands and ^^^"-^ ••'•
knocks at the door, and would come in, and we will not
let him in.
The Lord for his mercy's sake soften our hearts, that
we des{)ise not such gentle callings, and be found in the
number of such hard hearts ; lest we be given up to our
12— ti
130 EXPOSITION UPON [CH. 11.
own lusts, and so perish in our o^Yn wickedness. When we
read and liear this sturdy disobedience towards God, we think
this people to be the worst under heaven ; and if we had
been in their case, we would not have been so disobedient :
but if we look at ourselves, and without flattery examine
our own consciences and behaviour towards God, we shall
find that wo have been plagued no less than they, and have
had God's long sufferance and benefits shewed towards us
no less than they ; and yet we have not learned so much,
yea, less than they. God of his goodness amend it in us
for Christ's sake !
And because they had been so negligent in not con-
sidering God's plagues and works among them so many
years ; yet twice again in this verse he wills them not
lightly to consider it, nor forget it any longer, as they had
done beforetimes, but deeply to weigh why those plagues
had fidlen upon them. God works nothing in vain, but for
our learning and great profit, that we may remember our
duty the better, and more reverently worship him hereafter.
It is no small fault so lightly to consider God's works to-
wards us : for that we might the better do it, he hath given
man only reason as a chief treasure, that we may do the
same ; and also taught us by his word to do so. Therefore,
if we do it not, we are worse than beasts, which have not
reason to consider such his workings.
No kind of fruit, corn, vines, figs, pomegranates, olives,
had prosperously increased of all these years ; which could
not be but for some great cause : and yet they passed but
lightly on it, neither fearing God the more, lest he should
increase the plagues, nor amended their lives, that he might
i^-TJr sfns ^^^^^ ^"^ ^^^^^^ ^^'^^^ plaguing them any longer. Often and
MwkSd^ earnest remembering of our disobedience towards God, and
in us. considering his scourges for the same, works in all good hearts
Luke XV. an earnest amendment of life. The unthrifty son in the gospel,
that had spent all his portion of goods unthriftly, when he
was driven by hunger to remembrance of himself and his
misbehaviour, comes home to his father, submits himself, con-
fesses his fault, saying, "Father, 1 have sinned against heaven
and thee, and am not worthy to be called thy son ;" and
so is received to mercy. The puljlican, acknowledging his
V. IC 19.] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. 181
sins, went home righteous. St Paul, remembering how he i Tim. i.
was a persecutor, cruel, a blasphemer, is kept in an humble
and lowly knowledge of himself. Esdras and Daniel^^ con- Dan- ix-
fessing their disobedience and sins of the whole people, know- .i^/it^^i^
ledge their misery, God's justice in punishing, and so obtain
mercy. Closes, to teach the Jews to be pitiful to strangei-s,
bids them remember, how they were strangers in Egypt and ^-^o'*- '^'^»-
slaves to Pharao : for in so considering their old estate and
heavy case that thev were in before, thev should learn the
better to pity strangers and consider their heaviness. This //***^ .
by remembering diligently, our case and state past with God's
punishment for our sins, we shall learn our misery, call for
help of God, and be more ware hereafter, that we fall not
into the like sins, and so procure God's anger and heavier
hand, heaping our own damnation. God sends such things to
teach us our duty ; and if we do not learn, he will cast us
out of his school. No good schoolmaster will suffer such
lewd scholars in his school as will not learn, when they
be sufficiently taught both by gentleness and sharpness, by
things past and present, by example of others and experience
of themselves.
And where these plagues began to fall upon them, even
after the ground-work of the temple was laid, and when they
left off building ; a man would think God dealt extremely with
them, which would not spare them any thing at all, but for
the first fault punishes so sharply and continues so long. Jhit,
as the Machabees teach, when he hath reckoned the cruelty 2 Mace. vi.
and persecution of Antiochus, lest a man should think God
hated his people for dealing so shari)ly with them, he saith,
''God did it for love, and that he loved them more than all God's
other people, because bv correction he would so soon call them '-/^.i'*}^''"
11^ •/ ^ ^ of his love.
back', and not let them live in sin still, as he did other na-
tions." The Gentiles whom he punished nothing so sharply,
but let them live at their pleasure, they knew him not, wor-
shipped him not ; he gave them not his word nor his i)ro-
phets, but let them take their pleasure, as though he cared
not for them. David, considering the divers plagues and sick-
ness which God laid on him, said, "It is good for me that rsai. cxix.
thou ha.st corrected and humbled me ; for before I was cor-
182 EXPOSITION UPON [cH. II.
rected, I sinned." For as a man^ will suffer those beasts
which he appoints to be killed, to go where they lust in the
best pastui-es, and to break his hedges, that in so doing, the
sooner they be fat, the sooner they may be slain ; so God,
those people which he loves not in Christ his Son, he lets
them take their pleasure, corrects them not for their amend-
ment, but lets them work their just condemnation, in giving
them up to their own lusts. " Every father," saith the apostle,
*' corrects his children ; and those which he corrects not be
bastards." And although correction of God seem sharp and
bitter for the present time, and seems to come of hate and
not of love ; yet the end is sweet, loving, and profitable, that
he may give us his holiness. A vessel, if it be foul, must
be scoured before wine be put in it ; and he that will make
his ground fruitful, must first pull up the weeds, before he
sow good seed : so by these sharp medicines of God's cor-
rection must the body be purged, that the mind may bring
forth his due fruit in fear and reverence.
Let us in England therefore remember God's plagues,
which we have suffered of God's good will, so long and many,
for our amendment ; and let us lament our hardness of heart,
that have been so grievously and long punished, and yet,
have not duly considered the heaviness of God's hand, nor
the greatness of our sins which have so provoked his anger
upon us. We are sufficiently taught by all examples before
us, if we will learn, and by these present plagues that we
feel, what a grievous thing and horrible sin it is in God's
sight to leave God's house unbuilt : and yet, like unreason-
able beasts and unsensible, we neither fear our good God as
Maiac. i. a Lord, nor love him as a father, as Malachy saith, " If I
be your Lord, where is the fear ye owe me 1 If I be your
father, where is the love that is due unto me?"
From henceforth God promises "to bless their fruit and
works : " and they had not so great scarceness before, but now
t?us* whe? ^^i^y should have as great plenty. So that when man turns
hhn."'^" *° unto God, God turns unto him : when man amends, God
\2 The first edition reads, tJie hiitcher will — altered in the second to
the a man vAll — where the first word appears to have been left by mis-
take. Ed.]
V. 15 19-] THE PROPHET AGGEL'S. 183
looks cheerfully on him, where before he was anprry : when
man leaves sinning, God leaves plaguing : when man builds
God's house, and maintaineth his true religion, God blesseth
his house and all that is in it. As Moses teaches: '• If Deut.xxviii.
thou hear the voice of the Lord thy God, to do his com-
mandment, thou shalt be blessed in the city, in thy house,
in the field, 6cc."
And how came all this to pass, that they were so amended ■
By preachincr rather than plainiingr : for that which could not Preaching
J L n ^ 1 o o ^ moves
be obtained in forty years plaoucs, was orotten in three weeks' "^^re than
preachmg. Aggeus came the first day of the sixth month,
and the twenty-foui-th of the same they began to work ; so
they had no more time to preach in, nor to prepare their
tools in, but three weeks and three days. Such a strong
thing is the word of God, sharper than a two-edged sword, Heb. iv.
and piercing to the division of the mind and soul : and where
it is earnestly received, it makes many to fear no death nor
displeasure, nor to think any thing painful, so that he may .
please his God. Therefore let us have it in reverence, use
it, hear it, read it, mark it, remember it, and practise it :
for in it is shewed unto us all the counsel of God ; and it
is set for a sufficient doctrine to us, to stir us up to the
doing of our duty and salvation of our souls, to the worship-
ping of God, and understanding his goodness offered unto us.
Also a worthy example it is to be followed of all that have Gentleness
p 1 1 1 1 1 '11 '■*' "^' better
correction oi other, that when the rod will not serve, to prove than sharp-
IICSS,
words and counsel : for often many be such, that they will
do more for a word than a stripe ; and often strokes harden
the heart, when gentleness wins and persuades.
V. 20. The word of the Lord icas spoJcen the second time ?<w/o The text.
Affoeits^ in the tirenty -fourth day of the months sayinri^
21. Speak to Zeruhahel^ the ruler of Juda^ saylnri^ I will
trouble heaven and earth also.
22. And I will destroy the seat of the klnqdoms, and I
will break in sunder the strcnnth of the klnndoms of
the heathen^ and I will throw down the chariots and
the riders in th<'m: the horses shall fall down, and
the riders on them; and the noblest shall be slain by
the sword of his brother.
1S4 EXPOSITION UPON [cH. II.
23. In that day^ saith the Lord of hosts^ I loill take thee,
Zenihahel, son of Salathiel, my servant, saith the Lord,
and I will put thee as a signet ; because I have chosen
thee, saith the Jjord of hosts.
God blesses The people of God, now going diligently about to build
build his the Loi'd's house, and working at it now three full months,
sends'them did SO well pleasc the Lord, that he sent his prophet twice
on a day to comfort and encourage them in their doings,
lest they should faint or be slack in going forward, as they
were before. Such a loving Lord is our good God unto his
people, that he will maintain and set forward all such as go
about diligently to walk in their vocation, and build his house
to their power. Every month, from the beginning of the re-
storing of this temple, they had one message or other from
God by his prophet, to will them to continue and go for-
ward in this well doing and building God's house.
In the sixth and seventh month came this prophet Ag-
geus with God's message unto them, as is said before. Li
zech. i. the eighth month comes Zacharias the prophet. In the ninth
month comes this prophet again twice on a day from God,
with comfortable promises : in the eleventh month comes Za-
chary again. So while they were thus diligent to do their
duty, God was as ready to shew them mercy ; and will be
Luke xix. to all wliicli do the like, as he hath promised that " to every
one that hath it shall be given.'' Therefore, if we be desi-
rous to have increase of the Lord's blessings, let us be di-
ligent to increase that little which we have given us first,
and it shall be increased to much more. He brings the Lord's
message and not his own, like a true servant ; not for money,
as the pope's pardoners and priests do, but freely and wil-
lingly comes twice a day, as the Lord appoints him. Con-
trariwise, if the people follow not that which they be taught,
God takes his word and prophets from them. It is written of
Felix. a holy father called Felix, which when certain desired him to
preach, he said, " In time past, when men did as they were
taught, God opened many preachers' mouths: now the people
will not learn; therefore God stops their mouths ^"
\J VitsE Patriim. Lib. v. Libell. iii. 18. p. 56G. Antvcrp. 1615. The
sequel is: Quse cum auclissent fratres, ingcmuerunt dicentcs, Ora pro
nobis, pater. Ed.J
V. 20 — 23.] THE rnopiiET aggeus. 185
He is now sent to Zcruljabcl, the prince and chief ruler,
specially by name ; but not as though this promise per- Promises
tained to him onlv, and not to the rest of the people, rnirrs ikt-
,' /., 1TT1 11' tain lo tlicir
but by hmi to the rest of the people. Under the name of s"<^cc»sors.
Zerubabel is contained here all his posterity and kingdom :
for to him it was never performed. As what league, truth,
or promise of favour soever is made to any king, in the
same is his kingdom contained, and his subjects are also
partakers of the same : so the promises made to Abraham,
Isaac, Jacob, and David, belong not to them only, but to
their children also, successors, heirs, people and subjects.
*•'• I will restore the decayed houses of David," saith the -^"^^^ i-"^*
prophet, meaning the kingdom of Christ and Christians to
the end, whom he calls David, by the preaching of the
gospel.
For this " troublino- of heaven and earth '" enough was
said before ; and this is that which the apostle saith to the
Hebrews, " Yet once I trouble heaven and earth : '' mean- ^'f"''- *"•
ing, that those things which are thus troubled perish, and
those which be not continue ; and that those kingdoms that
set up themselves against Christ shall fall, but Christ's
kingdom shall stand for ever ; as David saith, '' This king-
dom is an everlasting kingdom.'"' It is as much to say,
that he would fill the world with war betwixt the Persians
and the Grecians, that they shall trouble the earth.
This prophet in the verse following tells of the destruc-
tion of the kingdom of the Persians, under whose dominion
the Jews were now, and to whom they paid great taxes, as
Nehemias tells. He calls it "the scat of kingdoms,"' be-
cause many kingdoms were subject unto them, and that all
the greatest kings feared tiiem, served them, were in league
with them, or sought friendship at their hands. And al-
though this is now told, yet it was not fulfilled of a hundred
forty and five years afterwards, or a hundred thirty and four
years, as some do count. It is spoken to comfort the Jews,
and answer to two privy objections, which they might have
laid against Cod and his prophet.
After that thev had now wrouffht earnestlv at the build-
ing of (lod's house three months, God was so well dchLjhted
with them, that whereas heretofore he had so long plagued
186 EXPOSITION UPON [CH. II.
and sharply punished them, he said, " From this day forth
will I bless you ;'' and your olives, vineyards, pomegranates,
and other fruits, should increase and multiply, which all be-
fore had been unfruitful. But to this the people might have
said, " What are we the better to have all these fruitful
and plenteous ? Are we not tributaries to the Persians I
and what plenty or profit soever we have, they take it from
us by their great taxes. All is one matter whether we
have much or little, plenty or scarceness, good cheap or
dearth: for if we have much, we pay much; and if we have
but little, we pay little : so all is one thing to us, except
^od's. this could be amended." Therefore our most merciful God,
promises '
satisfy the ^hich will take all doubts from us which we can object, and
conscience "^ '
doubts comfort US in all points that we can fear, saith thus unto
them : ' Be not afraid of this great power and kingdom of
the Persians, under whom ye now be, and pay tribute unto;
for rather than my people shall be still oppressed, I will pull
down the whole kingdom and strength thereof; the chariots,
horses, the riders on them, and horsemen, all shall fall ; yea,
the chiefest man among them, even the king himself, shall
be slain by the sword, not of a stranger, but of his own
countrymen, brother and servant. And although this shall
not come to pass nor be done in your time and days ; yet be
ye sure it shall be done at the time appointed, when God
shall think it best for his glory and your commodity.'
Dan. ii. vii. Daniel in his visions was often taught of four kings and
monarchies which should come : first, of the image which
had the head of gold, the arms and breast of silver, the
belly of brass, the legs of iron ; and again, by the image
of four beasts, a lion, a bear, a leopard, and the fourth for
cruelness wanted a name, which with his teeth should tear
all, and tread under his feet, &c. By which all were noted,
first the kingdom of the Assyrians and Babylonians, the
second of the Medes and Persians, under which the Jews
now were ; the third was the Grecians, and the fourth of
the Komans ; which all should reign in course a time, and
^, . should continue to the world's end; but every one more
The pope is .
Srand'^ cruel and worse than the other, as is now the Romish pope,
is wors?° under whom we be. He is emperor in deed, usurping the
rcstV^^ fourth kingdom; and rules like a prince on earth above kings;
V, 20 — 23.] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. 187
and hath driven the emperor almost out of Italy, and taken
the lands and possessions of the empire from him ; and makes
him content with a corner of the world in Germany, where
the revenues of the empire is not no^v so much as divers
lords have. Every one of these kingdoms was worse than
the other before them, as these beasts and metals were worse
than the other. By the which we may learn, that the king-
dom of the pope is worse than the others were ; and that
it is worse to be under him, than the other which were
heathen, and knew not God. God hates them worse, which
bear the name of christian men, and make a shew to love
God, and in deed do nothing else but hate and persecute the
good men, as the pope doth. " The servant which know-
eth his master's will, and doeth it not, shall be worse beaten
than he which offends by ignorance."
The kingdom of the Assyrians was now pulled down,
and given to the Persians : and this is that kingdom now,
which the prophet saith God Mould destroy, and give over
to the Grecians. This came to pass in the time of the last
Darius, who in divers battles fought with Alexander the
Great, suffered the worse, and was overcomen. AVhcre Alex-
ander, first taking Darius' wife the queen, his mother and
his children prisoners, used them gently as his own. Darius, Darius.
seeing such gentleness, and thinking to find like favour for
himself, sent embassage to Alexander, and said, if he would Alexander.
let him keep his kingdom still, all other things should be at
his pleasure. But Alexander answered, that he could not
suffer him so ; for the world could no more abide two kings
to reign, than to have two suns to shine : therefore there
was no remedy, but yield himself, if he would live. Then
Darius seeing that prepared himself to the field, where ho
was traitorously slain by his servant IJessus. So is this true,
which the prophet sayeth, "the chiefest man liy the sword
of his brother should be slain.'"* So would I translate the
Hebrew word Isch^ rather than "every man," as some do.
For every man was not slain by liis brother, but tlic king
namely, as the history tells. This is common in the scrip-
ture, to put the word "brother" for one that is of the samo
country, kindred, or religion; and not always for those which
have one father and mother. So it may well stand that ho
188 . EXPOSITION LTON [CH. II.
Brother. was slaiii of liis brother, that is to say, of his countryman,
as the history calls Bessus his servant. Alexander finding
king Darius thus deadly wounded of his servant, for justice
Traitors, sake to puuisli sucli traitoi's, bended down the tops of two
young trees, and tied the legs of Bessus to them, and let
them swing up suddenly again, and so rent him in pieces.
2 Sam, i. Likewise David, when one came unto him, telling him how
he had slain Saul his enemy, thinking thereby to pick a
thank and get a reward of David, he was by the command-
ment of David slain : and so should all traitors, which be
false to their masters, be served. Thus the king being slain,
the kingdom was brought from the Persians to the Grecians,
as the prophet telleth here.
Where God saith by his prophet, that he " will destroy
the kingdom, throw down the horses and horsemen," &;c.,
we be taught that God maketh kings, pulleth down, and
Ecdus. X. <■<■ changes kingdoms from one people to another,"" for the
rrinccs gj^g of the Dcople, as Sirach saith, and maketh to rule whom
stHml not r 1 ' '
by U)eir own pi^aseth him. The land spewed out the rulers and people
Levit. xviii. [^ [^ {qj. their sius, and God gave it to the Jews. There-
fore let not princes trust in their great strength and power;
for it is the Lord God that giveth victory, as he thinketh
good : whether they be good rulers or evil, they be set up
Frov. viii. of God, as Salomon saith in the name of God, " By me
kings do reign ;'" and our Saviour Christ said to Pilate,
John xix. u ^''i^ou shouldcst havo no power over me, except it were
given thee from above."' If they be good rulers, it is God"s
good blessing and free mercy : if they be evil, it is of jus-
tice to punish our sins, as Job saith, God makes hypocrites
jobxxxiv. to rule for the sins of the people.
[JO.] :
What cause have we then in England to complam, that
God deals so sharply with us ; that where we have been
long hypocrites afore him, he punished us of late awhile with
hypocrites to be in authority over us? When the Saxons
invaded this realm, drove out the Englishmen, and ruled as
kino-s ; the state of the commonwealth was much like to
these our days, and the like sins reigned in all sorts of
men, both high and low, nobility and people, rulers and
subjects, prelates and clergy : the most part were great hy-
pocrites, and superstitious, cruel, covetous, proud, gluttons,
V. 20 23.1 THE PROPHET AGGELS. 189
wliore-liimters. and ambitious. Therefore let us amend, or
we shall be given up to the Spaniards, Scots, Flemings, or
Frenchmen, as we were then to the Saxons. God gave his
people into the hands of the Babylonians, and other people
round about them, which were tlien the comn^.on scourges
of the world : and so will he do with us, as he hath done
to our fathers afore us, if we do not amend ; for he hateth
sin in all ages, and will punish it.
But as God comfoi-ts his people here, now building his
house, and saith, he will throw down that kingdom which
then troubled them; so he will l)e as good unto us, if we
worship him truly, and he will destroy them that trouble us.
His love to his people is irrcatest, as he saith, ''He that '^'"'V,'' '^^'^
I i f^ ' ' III all aires
touches YOU touches the apple of mv eve.'' So tender is our j** sfrtatest
i i * " to Ins
God over us, as we be over our eves, which be the tenderest J'<""p'*^-.
parts of us : and he will most assuredly revenge all displea-
sure done unto us; for he can no more see his people take
wrong and be oppressed now, than aforetimes. He is no
changeling, nor his love waxes not cold nor old : we be his
children and the members of his mystical body, as they were
now, to whom he promiseth this help : he is our Lord God
and Father, loving his children and members in all ages,
and pouring his l>lessings on them, for Christ's sake, in whom
he hath chosen them. Therefore he will shew the like mer-
cies unto us, and of justice revenge all displeasures done
to us for his sake.
The last verse maketh answer to another objection, which
the Jews might have made against the prophet, saying,
*If this kingdom shall be thrown down, and so great war
shall Ije, as though heaven and earth should go together,
then shall we be destroyed : we are but few in number ;
there is but few of us come home again ; and what shall
we do then i how shall we escape i Being compassed about
with so stronjT and nianv enemies, we shall be devoured."*
To this (Jod maketh answer, and biddeth them nut be
afraid: for ''in that day," when this great trouble shall f5;^»^^^^^i^
come, '• I will take thee, Zerubabel, my servant,"' whom 1 J;;;.;".^^
love, saith the Lord, "and 1 will keej) thee as my privy Ja'K«^^".
signet, and thou shalt not ])erish, saith the mighty Lord of
hosts, because I have chosen thee." So good a God and
190 . EXPOSITION UPON [cH. II.
comfortable Lord is our God to all his people in all ages,
that he will leave no doubt untaken away, that can discom-
fort his children ; but he will satisfy all which can be said,
and pull all fear from us. Therefore Zerubabel is here
promised to be delivered out of all dangers of that great
war, and translating of the kingdom from the Persians to
the Grecians, so that he should catch no harm.
But here riseth a hard question, how this should be true,
that God would deliver Zerubabel in that day of so great
trouble, seeing that he lived not so long, but died within
fourteen years after this prophecy. Zerubabel was the first
prince of Juda, which ruled the people, after their returning
home from Babylon : he came home with the people, was
their captain, and had now ruled a forty years : he ruled in
all but fifty-two years, as the history saith ; and this de-
struction of the kingdom of the Persians was not fulfilled
of one hundred and forty-five years afterwards, or near hand
so much. How could he then be delivered in that day, and
died so long afore ? Unto this may be answered that which
Promises was Said afore ; that promises made to kings and the^ fathers
made to the i- i ^ ^ ^
father be- are uot to bc applied to themselves only : but they be made
long- to the . . . .
children, also to their children and subjects, and shall be fulfilled in
long years afterwards, rather than at that present : so will
God exercise our faith in patiently looking for his coming,
when his holy wisdom shall think good, and not when our
foolish rashness shall wish and desire him to come. Pro-
mises made unto Abraham, Isaac, David, and Jacob, &c.
w^ere not fulfilled in their days, but to their children long
afterwards. So God makes promise here to these princes
and rulers, that all the subjects may know that they be
contained also in the same truce and league of God, and
that the promise concerns them also ; and they shall be
delivered in that day from all the danger of war and enemies
that shall come upon them. And it is as much as though
the prophet should say : ' Thou Zerubabel and thy king-
dom, all thy people and subjects, be not afraid ; for in those
troublesome days I will save you and keep you as diligently
as my ring and private seal.'
And that they might the more earnestly believe it, he
[} Second edition, that. Ed.]
V. 20 2.3.] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. 191
called him "servant:" whereby he might well assure himself,
that if earthly lords and masters will defend their servants,
much more he that was King of heaven and earth, and
Lord of lords, most tender and loving of his subjects, would
not see his servants oppressed, violently trodden under foot,
nor tlu'own down ; but he would be their mighty deliverer,
and revenore their wrongrs. What can be orreater comfort to God deliver.
o (^ o ^ eth Ins
any people, than to hear God vouchsafe to call himself their J^J' [J,* J!^^; ,.
Lord God and master, and them his servants? If this be [JJ'^J^.'''*
thought so great a promotion, that an earthly lord will take
us to his service, speak cheerfully to us, set us in some office,
or let us wear his liverv ; it is much more to be esteemed
to be servant to Jesus Christ, to bear his cross (for that is
his liver\'), to fight under his banner, and have him for our
captain. Men do commonly sue to be servants unto noble-
men, and wear their liveries, that whosoever seeth their coat
may fear them, and under their master's name they may rule
in their country, like lords of the land, do wrong when they
lust, and every man shall call it right ; and though they were
slaves afore, yet now they shall be eveiy gentleman's fellow:
but they which wear Christ's livery, be obedient and loving
to all ; do no wrong, but suffer ; pray for them which per-
secute them, and do good for evil. This livery we must wear
if we will be the Lord's servants, and partakers of his promise
and deliverance in the day of trouble.
This similitude, which the prophet useth, of a ring, that
God would keep him as safely as his ring, is taken of kings
and princes, which among all things keep their seal, signet
and ring most surely, either themselves, or betake it to some
most trusty friend to keep. If the seal should be counter-
feited, stolen, or blanks sealed with it ; what hurt or treason
might be done thereby ! Their lands, offices, or treasure
might be given away; the subjects stirred to rebellion; or
the destruction of the whole commonwealth might follow
thereon. Therefore, that they might most certainly persuade
themselves, that in that troublesome time of war and de-
struction of the kincrdom of the Persians thev should ])o f-od ^avi'th
•^ •• ^ Jus itoople
most safely kept; he saitli, he will keep tliom as his ring jj^*''^^^
and seal, that is to say, most safely. And as when a
friend send his ring or seal for a token to his friend, it
192 EXPOSITION UPON [CH. II.
signifietli tliat he loveth him most clearly, to Avhom he send-
eth such a pledge of love and friendship ; and also teaeheth
him, that where he seeth his friend's ring, he should not
deny him his request, nor doubt of the message that it
should be counterfeited ; so \Yhen he names his ring here,
they should not doubt of his love towards them, nor mis-
The scrip, -j^j.^g^ j-^jg promise. For as with us when doctors be created,
anlfthr^' ^^^^y l^^ye a ring given them, as a ceremony of honour and
ITsoaiP^^ authority; and in marriage the husband giveth his vnfe a
ring for a sure pledge of love : so God our Saviour under
this similitude of a ring commends his honour, that he hath
called us unto, to be his servants and children, the love he
bears unto us, in that he hath married us unto him in his
Son Christ by the wedding ring of faith; and the wedding
iiosca ii. apparel appeareth, when Osee saith, " I will marry thee to me
in faith, justice, judgment, mercy, and many mercies.''
Seal. Under this name of a seal he commendeth unto us
also both his outward visible sacraments, and the inward grace
of the Holy Ghost, working in our consciences by them. St
iioni. iv. Paul calleth circumcision (a sacrament of the old law) ''the
seal of the righteousness of faith:'' and as that was a seal
in tliat time to our fathers of righteousness, so be our sa-
craments to us in these days seals of God's promises unto
us, and all have one strength and virtue. The scripture of
God is the indenture betwixt God and us, wherein is con-
tained both the promises, grace, and mercy, that God offereth
to the world in his Son Christ, and also the conditions which
he requires to be fulfilled in our behalf: the sacraments are
the seals set to his indenture, to strengthen our faith, that
we do not doubt. For as it is not enough to write the con-
ditions of a bargain in an indenture, except it be sealed ; so
God for our weakness thought it not sufficient to make us
promise of his blessings in writing in his scripture ; but he
would seal it with his own blood, and institute his sacra-
ments as seals of the same truth, to remain to be received
of us in remembrance of him and strengthening our faith.
Baptism is a sacrament sealed by Cod, and sealing our
consciences that God taketh us for his children and servants;
and we offer and bind ourselves to serve him only as a Lord
and Father. The supper is also a sacrament, wherein he
V. 20 23.] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. 193
feeds us spirltucally, thus taken into his service, with his
own precious body and blood ; and we, reckoning with our-
selves wherein we liave offended liim, ask niercv, nothintr
doubting to obtain it, and renew our bond to him which we
have so often broken, and promise to do so no more. So
that, when God giveth these his sacraments to us by his
ministers, and we receive the same, the bargain is full made
betwixt God and us, the writing sealed and delivered : we are
become his people, and he our God ; we to serve, love,
honour, and worship him ; and he to help, deliver, defend,
and provide for us all necessaries.
This inward sealing of the conscience, which is the second
sort of sealing, is where God poureth his love so plentifully
into our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given us, that Rom. v.vjii.
he beareth witness to our spirit that we be the children of
God, and stirreth up our minds to call him "Father, Father :''
we have a taste and feelinij that God hath chosen and sealed God scaieth
■^ , the con-
US for his people with the Holy Ghost promised, as St Paul sciences of
/ * . . '"^ people
saith. This is a sure token to a faithful heart, that he is ^v^J' ^''^
Holy Cjliost.
the child of God, and God his Father : and of this he takes Kpi». i.
so great comfort, that in what trouble soever he fall, he
knoweth that God doetli it not of hate, but of love ; trieth
his faith, that other may know the same, how earnestly he
loveth his God ; and that nothing can be so strong to pull
him out of his God's hands, — not for his own strength, but
that God which holdeth him is strongfer than all. Of such
as were thus sealed St John in his Revelation speaketh, when
he saith, that of every tribe there were twelve thousand R<^^- ^"•
sealed ; and St Paul teacheth Timothy, that this ground-
work stand strong having this seal, "The Lord knoweth 2^""* "•
who be his." For as noblemen and princes bear a love to
their servants, and for a witness of the same will give their
outward cognizance, badge, and livery, whereby they may be
known from others, and stirreth up their minds to love lu'm
again by such tokens: so God will both by his Spirit pour
his love into our hearts, and let us see the care that he
taketli for us ; and will also by outward Sixcraments, as badges,
mark us for his people, and by the same seal us surely to
liimself, and stir us up to love him again and look diligently
to our duty. If earthlv lords and princes will so safely defend
13
[I'll.KINGTO.N.]
194 EXPOSITION UPON [cH. II.
their servants; let tliem not doubt but God, that is Lord
of lords, will defend his people from all dangers and wrongs,
be they never so many and so great, if they would earnestly
in faith call upon him in the day of their trouble, forsake
their own strength, w-it and policy, and trust in him only.
Psai. cxivii. David saith well : " The Lord is not delimited in the strenorth
of an horse, nor the strong legs of man ; but the Lord is
well pleased wdth them the which fear him, and with them
that trust in his mercy.""
There is no way sooner to provoke God's anger, and make
him to forsake us in trouble, than to trust to ourselves, and
in our own wit, strength, and policy : for that is as much
as to take the praise to ourselves from him, and mistrust
Aithousrh God that he cannot or will not defend us. And although
we must use , ^
all lawful we must not trust in ourselves, yet we must use all means
measures, , ' -^
yet trust which he hath ordained for our defence. For as we must
only m God.
be diligent to do all good works, and not put our trust of
Lukexvii. salvation in them, but say with St Luke, "When ye have
done all that I commanded you, say ye be unprofitable ser-
vants ;'"* so we must use all w^ays lawful to defend ourselves,
Psai. cxxiv. and yet say, " Our help is from the Lord, which hath made
both heaven and earth :" he hath ordained such means to
save us by, and works by the same our deliverance when
pleaseth him ; and sometimes, to shew his power, he deli-
vereth us w'ithout such ordinary means.
And why will God thus save them? for any goodness in
them, which had so long forgotten him and his house? or
for their good works, who had so long been so disobedient?
Godheipeth No; but even "because I have chosen thee, saith the Lord."
us for his rn . .
own sake, This is the first and chiefest cause, why he bestoweth his
and not for ' *'
ness"*'°^' goodness upon any people ; even because he hath chosen them
in Christ afore the world was made : and for this cause he
continueth bestowing his blessing to the end upon them whom
he hath once chosen.
St Paul, reasoning of this matter, putteth two causes,
Rom. ii. iv. wherefore God should love, justify, and choose us : either freely
of grace and mercy, saith he, or for the goodness of our
works. If it should be for our works, then (saith he) it
cannot be of grace : and if it be of free grace, love and mercy,
then is it not for our works, neither past nor to come; for
V. 20—23.] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. 195
then grace should not be grace, Baith he, if it were not thus
freely given. If God should choose us for any goodness in
us, then he should but do one good turn for another, and
freely without reward do nothing; which is most against his
nature, that doeth good for evil, yea, and where he seeth
no possibility of goodness or reward to be looked for. '' Who Rom. xi.
hath given him any thing first, and he shall be recompensed
again f saith St Paul ; as though he should say. No. " I joim xiiu
have chosen you, and ye have not chosen me,"" said Christ
to his disciples and apostles. And as he thus chose them,
so he chooses all which be chosen: and so he will declare
his free grace, love, and mercy, to all which be his, freely,
even because it pleased him to choose them, and they de-
serv^ed not to be chosen of him, but rather to be cast away
from him. When God promised to dehver his people in like
distress by his prophet, he said, "For mine own sake, for isai. xiviii.
mine own sake I will do it.'' And not only thus in bodily
deliverance, but in forgiveness of sins he says likewise, '' It isai. xiiii.
is I, it is I, which forgiveth thy sins for mine own sake."
Thus freely God our heavenly Father, for the love which he
beareth to us in his Son Chi-ist, in whom he had chosen us
from the beginning, and for whose sake he continueth his
favour to us, — he, I say, bestows all his blessings freely on
us both in body and soul, in this life and after.
The will of God is the first cause of doinj; all ffood P^^i'^f'"
o o IS the first
things: and when he will, all things work and obey him; *^''^"s<^°f*"-
and when he will not, they stay and cease. So because his
choosing of us cometh of his free will and mercy, it is the
first and chiefest cause of our salvation. If he should be
stirred to choose us for our goodness, which he foresees in
us. that is ever imperfect ; or if for any other cause witliin
us or without' us, then he should not be the first cause and
mover of all things. 15ut St Luke saith, " In him we live, Acts xvu.
be, and are moved." That which moves another thing is
in nature afore that which is moved ; and also it is better,
stronger, and wiser : but to say that anything is stronger,
wiser, or better than God, is treason and blasphemy to his
majesty: therefore his will is the first cause of all our
goodness.
Thus our good (Jod teaches us, and comforts his jKX)ple,
13—2
196
EXPOSITION UPON
[CII. II.
Num. xxi.
Acts vii.
that all things shall turn to the best to them which love
him, be the troubles never so many and great, that man's
wit cannot tell how to escape. Let kings and princes fall
together by the ears ; kill, murder, shew what cruelty they
God deli vers can; get or lose kingdoms; war, fight, or what they can
out of all devise: God will save and deliver his people, if it please
dangers.
him, out of all their hands. When Pharao persecuted the
Jews through the Red Sea, God saved his people and
drowned the Egyptians. In the wilderness when Seon and
Og, two mighty kings, denied them victuals and passage,
God destroyed them both, and gave their lands to his people.
After they came to the land promised, he drove out seven
mighty people, and dealt it to the Jews : and when all the
heathen people, which dwelt round about them, made war
against his people, he destroyed them all. In Babylon,
when they were prisoners under Balthazar, king within the
city, and Darius, king of the Medes, with Cyrus, the king
Dan.v. of the Persians, besieging the city round about, that none
should escape ; when the city was taken, God did not only
deliver his people from all the cruel hands of these three
mighty kings; but gave them such favour in the sight of
Cyrus, that he not only hurt them not, but set them at
liberty, sent them home to their country, gave them licence
to build this temple, restored their jewels, which Nebuchad-
nezer took away, and gave free licence to every man to
helj) them with money as much as they would. Who could
have thought God's people should have been now delivered
out of the hands of three heathen kings, being all their
enemies, and miglit have slain them like sheep ? When
Haman had gotten licence of the king to destroy the Jews,
and made a gallows for Mardocheus ; God sent queen Ester
Esther vii. to savc his people, and Haman was hanged on his own
gallows. When Darius was slain by Alexander, and the
kinjjdom brought to the Grecians; Alexander cominor to
destroy Jerusalem, because they denied him tribute, God so
turned his heart, that he entreated them well, submitted
himself to the high priest, meeting him with the other priests
in their priestly apparel, and confessed their God to be the
true God. When the Ilomans conquered the Grecians, and
the Jews were under the rule of the Ilomans, they did
V. 20 23.] THE PROPHET AGGEUS. 197
not greatly harm them, until they crucified Christ and de-
nied him to be their God, saying, "His blood be upon us Matt. wvii.
and upon our children!" In the cruel persecutions after-
wards, the more sorrow that was laid on God's people, the
more they increased.
Thus in all ages God delivered his out of trouble ; or
else taketh them to himself by some glorious death. In
these our days, when the mightiest princes of the world
strive and fight cruelly who shall be the greatest, rather than
godliest, God provideth always some corner for his to flee
into, where they may serve him. And if they be persecuted
from one place, he prepares another to receive them. And
although persecution was great amongst us, yet God shewed
himself more glorious, mighty, and merciful in strengthening
so many weak ones to die for him, than in so mercifully
providing for them which were abroad ; although both be
wonderful. What glorious cracks made proud persecutors,
that they would make God's poor banished people to eat
their fingers for hunger ! but they had plenty for all the
others' cruelty: God's holy name be praised therefore! What
a mercy of God is this, that where we deserved to be cast
from him for ever because of our wickedness, he now cor-
rected us gently, and called us to this honour, that he punished
us not so much for our own sins, as that he called us to the
promotion of bearing his cross, witnessing to the world his
truth, and vouchedsafe to prove, teach and confirm others in
this his truth by our witness bearing. He called us to the
same honour that he called his own Son Christ Jesus, in
suffering for his name's sake ; that " whereas we suffer with Rom. viii.
him, we shall be glorified" and reign with him.
Let the cruel papists consider therefore, how (iod hath de-
livered his people out of their hands, fulfilled this his promi.se,
and kept us safely, like his privy signet, in these miserable
days of their persecution. Let the bloody bishops, void of all
religion, and changing with the world to fill their filthy bellies,
(altliough they would now make men believe they would be
constant, and stoutlv confute that which afore thev proved ^"''',' .
true by oaths and doctrine,) let them, I sav, consider whether i''*" ''?:''"^'
they, or the simple souls which they tormented, have gotten
the victor)'. The simple soul offered himself to die, rather
198 A PRAYER.
than to offend God by superstition or idolatry: the proud
Oaiphas threatened fire and faggot, if he forsook not his
true faith. Thus whilst they strive for religion, and not for
life, the poor members of Christ hold fast their faith ; and
the proud prelate with his torments cannot overcome God's
simple sheep. They strive not for life ; but the simple man
offers it willingly, rather than forsake the truth: and so God
ever confounds the wisdom of the world, and is glorified in
the fools and abjects. God for his mercy's sake grant all
his like boldness to withstand their cruelty, whensoever God
shall try us!
A PRAYER.
Most riofhteous Jud^e and merciful Father, which of love
did punish sharply thy people, being negligent in building
thy house, that by such sharp correction they might be stirred
up to do their duty, and so have pleased thee : we acknow-
ledge and confess before the world and thy divine majesty,
that we have no less offended thee in this behalf than they
have done, and that, for all the sharp plagues which thou
laid upon us, we could not awake out of our deadly sleep
and forgetting the earnest promotion of thy glory and true
religion; but rather consented to the persecution of our
brother, thy ti'ue and faithful people, until now that of thy
infinite goodness, by giving us a gracious Queen and restoring
the light of thy word, thou hast let us taste the treasures
of thy mercies in our extreme and desperate miseries, when
for our wickedness we durst not, and for the great power of
thy enemies we could not, hope nor look for any such help
or redress at all. We fall down flat therefore before the
throne of grace, desiring pardon of this great negligence and
of all our former offences ; and pray thee, that thou will not
deal with us as we have deserved : but as of thy own free
will thou promised thy people, falhng earnestly to thy work
and restoring of thy temple, that from thenceforward thou
A PRAYER. 109
would bless all their work and fruits, overthrow their ene-
mies, and save thy people ; that thou wouldest make that house
also more glorious than the first, by the preaching of thy
gospel ; so we desire thee for Christ's sake, thy Son and
our Saviour, to be no less good and gracious. Lord, unto
us, yet once again going about to restore thy true religion,
trodden down and defaced by the cruel papists. Send forth,
0 Lord, many such faithfid preachers, as will set out thy
glory unfeignedly: open the hearts of thy people, that they
may see how far more acceptable unto thee is the lively
preaching of thy holy word, than all the glittering ceremo-
nies of popery: deliver us, we beseech thee, from all our
enemies : save and preserv^e our gracious Queen as thine own
signet ; endue her and her council with such reverent fear
of thee and thy word, that, all policy which is contraiy to
thy word set apart, they may uprightly seek and earnestly
maintain thy true glor)% minister justice, punish sin, and de-
fend the right. Confound, most mighty God, and bring to
nought all the devices of such as go about to overtlirow thy
word and true worship : open our eyes, that we may see how
dearly thou hast loved us in Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord.
Hold us fast, 0 Lord of hosts, that we fall no more from
thee : grant us thankful and obedient hearts, that we may
increase daily in the love, knowledge, and fear of thee :
increase our faith, and help our unbelief, that we, being pro-
vided for and relieved in all our needs by thy fatherly care
and providence, as thou shalt think good, may live a godly
life to the praise and good example of thy people, and after
this life may reign with thee for ever, through Christ our
Saviour; to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost, three
persons and one God, be praise and thanksgiving in all con-
gregations, for ever and ever. Amen.
Here endeth tJw prophet Aggcus.
ON
THE PROPHET
OBADIAIL
A PREFACE
TO ALL THE ENEMIES OF GOD, HIS M'ORD, PEOPLE AND
RELIGION, TO LEAVE THEIR WICKEDNESS: AND
TO COMFORT THE GOOD MANFULLY
TO BEAR THEIR MADNESS,
AND PATIENTLY TO
LOOK FOR GOD'S
GOODNESS.
Like as in Aggeus my endeavour and purpose was, that
those that fear the Lord should be stirred up to an earnest
building of God's house, loving of his word, and maintain-
ing of true religion ; so in this short prophet my travail
and meaning is, that the wicked, understanding how vainly
they strive with all their wit, power and policy against the
poor simple innocent crucified Christ Jesus, the almightv
Son of the living God, the wisdom and power of God, his
Father, might cease their raging madness; and not only that,
but also how they shall be overthrown in their own devices
that they imagine against true Christians, the mystical mem-
bers of his body and church, or against his word and religion;
as all their fathers have been from the beginning, whose steps
they follow in hating and persecuting God's people. Their
stomachs be stout, their policies great, their might is strong,
their wits are wile, yea, all the world is on their side ; yet
in .the end they shall serve dastards, ignorant, helpless, wit-
less and misers : for, as the wise man says, " there is no Pror. xxu
wisdom, polity nor counsel against the Lord.'' The more
wisdom, sublety, strength or power that a man has, the more
he has it to his own destruction, if he have it not and use
it to the glory of God and comfort of his people. For as
wild beasts, the more fierce and cruel that they be, the
more it harms them, and causes men to hunt and seek ways
how to destroy them ; so, the more that the wicked set up
themselves against the Lord, and oppress his {Kjopie, the
readier is God to help and deliver his, and overthrow the
204 EXPOSITION UPON [tHE
A-
Psal. ii.
other. Can they find any rebels against God, his word and
people, from the beginning to this day, that has prevailed
against the Lord and his chosen folk I If there be none,
(as it is most true none to be,) how can they look to be
the first? Why may not true Christians boldly say with
David then, " Why do the heathen fret and fume, and the
people imagine vain things against the Lord and his an^
ointed, saying. Let us brust in sunder their bonds, and cast
their yoke away from usT^ But it follows, " He that dwells
in the heavens will mock them, and the Lord will laugh them
to scorn."'
Li the two first sons^ of Adam, and so orderly in all ages
to these days, it appears how the wicked continually malice
and persecute the good, but to the hurt of themselves and
the praise of the godly. Cain killed his brother Abel, and
thought he should have been blameless : but AbePs innocent
Matt, xxiii. blood and such like cried vengeance on Cain and his follow-
ers from that day to this; and the righteous God revenges
it daily, and at length will condemn the obstinate utterly.
Gen. ix. Cham mocked his father Noe, and his seed the Canaanites
persecuted God's people the Jews, that came of Sem his
brother: therefore his posterity was accursed of God to the
Gen. xi. world's end. The proud giants with their captain Nimrod,
building the tower of Babel, to get themselves a name in
earth, were overthrown in their own device by God from
heaven. Carnal Ismael sought to destroy the promised Isaac,
Gen. xxvii. but in vain. Bloody Edom or Esau, whom this prophet de-
scribes, sought the death of his brother Jacob; but the God
Gen. xii. of Abraham their father saved them. Joseph was sold into
Egypt by his brethren, and by the false accusing of his
mistress was wrongfully prisoned : yet he that sits on high
looked down to the low dungeon of the prison, and raised
Exod. xiv. Joseph to be ruler and saver of the land. The Egyptians
oppressed God's people for a time ; but the Lord of hosts
drowned Pharao and his company for their cruelty against
them. The froward people, murmuring often against their
Num.xvi. captain Moses, some were swallowed up with earth quick,
some burned with fire. The Philistians and seven nations
[} In the only preceding edition it is sinnes, an evident misprint.
Ed.]
PREFACE.] THE PROPHET ABDIAS. 205
round about God's flock kept continual war atrainst them;
yet they could never devour them, but were devoured at the
length. Saul and his flatterers banished and pursued poor
David, whom his God of a shepherd made a king maugre
all his foes. The ten tribes of Israel with their kings
were enemies to Juda and Benjamin evermore : yet though
they were the stronger and more in number, they were
sooner rooted out. The Chaldees, Assyrians, Persians, Gre-
cians and llomans, the mightiest princes on the earth, oft
subdued the Jews, forsaking their God : but the Lord, their
old Saviour, ever restored them again when they sought him,
unto" they utterly refused Christ their Saviour. The Jews
crucified Christ Jesus our Lord, thrust him to the heart
with a spear, buried him and laid a heavy stone on him,
thinking he should never rise again a conqueror ; but in vain
was all their spite, and their labour lost.
The emperor many years cruelly tormented all that believed
in the Lord, fondly thinking to have by that means overthrown
them. The pope in process of time conquered almost all princes,
except the Grecians, unto of late the Lord, opening the eyes
of some, brake his snares, and delivered his folk. Plonks
and freres^ by man's traditions would have overwhelmed true
religion : papists of late have banished, burned and perse-
cuted many godly men so cruelly, as no history speaks of
the like this thousand year, willing to have feared all from
ever acknowledging their Lord and Christ. ALiny heretics
have laboured to have defaced God's truth ; but all is in
vain. God (his name be praised therefore !) has overthrown
them in their hiixhest ruft', laughed them to scorn, and raised
up that which they would most gladly have utterly oppressed.
For as death and the grave could not prevail against Christ
our head ; no more shall it against his body and members.
As Ninn-od therefore, F'harao, Jeroboam, Nebuchadnczz;ir,
Darius, and Alexander, with all their kingdoms and par-
takers, be now vanquished and subdued by the Turk, the
Sophy, and the Soldan, j)rester John, and other heathen
princes; their countries made waste, strangers p()s.sess tliem;
their religion altered from evil to worse ; their cities, towns
P Unto : lierc and clscwlKre used fur until. Ku.^
[]' Frercs: fiiars. Ed.]]
206 EXPOSITION UPON [tiiE
and temples (as the prophets did tell afore) are made dens
of wild beasts, owls and other lilthy birds : so since Chi-ist,
that which emperors manfully conquered, the pope by subtlety
devoured, made himself a prince of princes; but now by
the power of God's word preached he is made a laughing
stock to all those whose eyes the Lord has opened to see
his abominations ; and all realms that afore feared him, now
God visiting his people, fall from him. For as the wood-
bine leaning to a tree climbs up and spreads itself over all
the branches, unto it have overgrown and killed the whole
tree ; and as a strong heady stream, undermining great high
banks, at length makes all to tumble into the water, and
washes it away : so the pope, first seeking aid at princes'
hands and finding favour, overwhelmed them all at length,
as the wood-bine, and undermining them, as the heady waters,
has thrown them down these many years, unto it pleased
God to open the eyes of some few to consider their estate
and seek for remedy.
No kingdom, people, nor rehgion, that withstood God and
his truth, can be found, but it has been overthrown. Ba-
bylon, the first and worst, continued longest; yet it had an
end by the Persians. The Persians, Grecians and Romans
cannot all together comparje in time with Babylon, and yet
they be vanquished away. Popery has troubled God's church a
long time ; but now, through God's mercy, it melts away like
snow afore the sun. But Christ saith, our religion and peo^
pie professing the same, without all kind of popish supersti-
tion, have been from the beginning, continued in all ages
from time to time ; and at these days (the Lord's name be
praised therefore !) whole countries do abhor his abomina-
tions. In the midst of all mischief, when every kind of flesh
had so defiled himself, that God of justice drowned the whole
world except eight persons, yet was there found kept un-
defiled, and calling upon the living God with true faith, holy
Seth, Enos, Enoch, Noe, &c. Li idolatrous Chaldee was
faithful Abraham, Sarai, Nahor and Lot, &c. In supersti-
tious Eg}'pt lived innocently Jacob and his sons, Moses,
Aaron, &c. In the wilderness wandered in God's fear Josue,
Caleb, Phines, Eleazar, &c. When the number of God's
people increased in the time of the judges and kings, there
PREFACE.] THE PROPHET ARDIAS. 207
were so many godly men found among the people, beside
men of power, as Gedeon, Jephthe, David, Josaphat, Eze-
chias, Josias, that thev cannot be numbered. Against Je-
sabel stood up Elias, Eliseus, Abdias, &c. In the captivity
were Esdras, Daniel, Aggeus, Nehemias, with many more.
Against Haman and Holophernes stood Ester, Mardocheus,
Judith, and Alier. What valiant warriors the Machaboes
were against bloody Antiochus, the ancient father Eleazar,
and the manly mother of the seven brother so cruelly mur-
dered, the history declares. From Christ's time to consider
(jiod's stout soldiers, it is harder to tell where to be^in than
where to make an end. The apostles and martyrs, so cruelly
tormented, be so many and so well known, that they need
not be rehearsed. What storms then can the pope devise
with his clergy to oppress, deface and overthrow God his
word, religion or people ? Can they be more cruel than
Nero, Diocletian, Domitian? Can they pass Jesabel, Nebu-
chadnezzar, Antiochus, or such like beastly tomientors l In
the spite of all the mighty persecutors, God blessed his.
Surely their mischievous malice and blood-thirsty tyranny
pass all these in madness : and yet, if they could pass them-
selves in cruelty, all is vain. He is stronger that is with
ILS, than any can be a<;ainst us. The devil is cruel in his
members, but the loving Lord forsakes not his. Let not
the wicked then triumph, nor God's people be dismayed.
God our Father for love will try his people, what they
will bear for his sake ; but of mercy he will not lay too
heavy loads on us, nor forsake us : the Lord of strength and
power will shew his glory in our weakness, that by his
mighty hand such weak bodies may be strengthened to
suffer that that passes reason. The oftener that the gold-
smith tries his gold in tlie fire, beats and knocks it with
his hannner, the finer is the gold : the more that God tries
our faith in the furnace of temptation, the more he loves
us, and the more we glorify him. The stonny winter can-
not overwhelm the fruits of sununer. AN'eeds be many, yet
the corn is not devoured. W ild beasts be cruel; yet (rod de-
fends the'^hiftless sheep. Many fishes be raveners ; yet the ^
young fish increases. The hawks be greedy; yet shill.^ the ^^cii^
little birds. Dogs hunt and follow the cIklso most greedily; ^
208 EXPOSITION uroN [tiie
yet escapes safely the fearful hare. Summer is raging hot ;
yet the leaves make a comfortable cold shadow : the winds
~_^ - /, blow boustously ; yet stand fast the low bushes, when the
J great oaks are overthrown. The waves of the sea are rough
and huge ; yet safely slips away the sliding ship. The rage
of fire is swaged with water; the heady streams are kept
in with banks. Unruly people are bridled by laws : hot
burning fevers are cooled by medicines. Thus ever against
an extremity God has prepared a remedy, that fearful man
should not mistrust God's careful providence that he takes
for him. How should proud popery then think to conquer
all by might and cruelty, that God defends so fatherly \ and
why should God's people be afraid at every storm? He that
smites, heals ; and he that sends trouble, gives strength. Let
us therefore pluck up our stomachs, and pray with St Au-
gustine, Da quod jubes^ et jube quod ms^ : "Lord, give me
strenofth to do and bear that that thou commandest, and
command what thou will.'"*
It is wonderful to consider the foolishness of the wicked,
which in polity would seem so wise. The higher that a man
climbs, the nearer and more dangerous is his fall : the greater
weight that is cast on, the sooner it breaks : the faster a
man runs, the sooner he is weary : the further that the bow
is drawn, the sooner it flies in pieces : the heavier that the
cart is loaden, the slower it goes : the hotter that the fire
is, the less while it continues : the more grievous that the
disease is, the shorter it is. Tyrants reign not long: wild
beasts, the crueller they be, the more they be hunted and
killed. In sum, no violent thing can long endure. Yet
* /^ foolish papists think with cruelty to wish their will to reign
•> / v^/ like lords of the land, and stablish their kingdom on earth,
and to bring it so to pass, that not only men dare not or
will not withstand them, but willingly believe, follow, do and
practise whatsoever they command them. They cannot be
so ignorant to not know these things ; and wilfully to wish
against knowledge and conscience must needs be a great
madness. God's word, christian faith and religion is of that
nature, that the more it is persecuted, the more it thrives ;
the more it is hated, the more good men love it; the faster
[} Confess. Lib. x. C<ap. xxix. Ed.]
PREFACE.] THE PROPHET ABDIA". 209
that they be pulled from it, the more they run unto it. Let
them therefore consider, how God has wrought in other king-
doms, overthrowing them all that set up themselves against
him ; and how yet he works in the natural course of things,
to teach us by them his like working for us spiritual things:
and let them look for no less an overthrow at God's hand
in his appointed time.
If these things cannot persuade them to stay their rage,
I would they would consider to whom they make themselves
servants, that thev migrht be ashamed to seiTe so vile a
master. They " give place to the devil,'' (for all cruelty is
of him:) they become his instruments, whereby he works
his feats: they be his slaves and drudges at commandment
to do that he bids, but were made to serve and fear their
Lord God : they be driven and led of him like brute beasts,
forgetting him that made them, and their sely^ tormented
])rethren, that pray for them : unnaturally forgetting them-
selves to be men, they regard not man's life, but unmerci- ^^
fully spills and spoils them. And for what end or purpose?
to satisfy (if they could ever be full) their bloody appetites,
to fill their idle bellies, to rule like kings, to be glorious
in the world, to oppress the simple, to deceive the ignorant,
and deface God's truth, to feed the people with lies, to
set up their god the pope, to deface Christ and his merits,
to hide his word, and set up superstitious idolatry : where
they should do all things to the contrary, because in such
their doinjjs all true Christians abhor them.
But in these our miserable days, where it pleased God
of his undeserved mercy to stay their rage in burning and
prisoning God's sely souls, that mischief, which their bloody
hands and cruel hearts dare not attempt, their poisonl'ul
tongues spue out. Now ceases fire and faggot, yet their
slanderous lying lips are not stopped, where they dare not
l)laspheme the doctrine so freely as they be wont : now they
inveigh against the teachers and professors of it with such
terms as please them, though never one be true. J hit, ;ls
Samuel said to the ])cople, when he had anointed Saul king,
*' Speak licre afore the Lord and his anointed king, wiR'thcr i <.im. xii.
I have taken any man's ox or ass, or have oj)pres8ed any one
P Selv: simplr, in(ittcn.sivt'. Ed. j
14
[I'lr.KINC.TOX.]
210 EXPOSITION UPON [tHE
of you, or taken bribe ; and I will restore it ;" and they were
not able to charge him, and yet were weary of him : so I doubt
not, but they be not able justly to burden the preachers with
such lies as they devise against them : and if any be, for my
part I wish them not to be hid. This kind of persecution is
as grievous to an honest heart as the other is : but a justified
mind in this case will turn himself to the Lord, bear his
cross thanldully, and knowledge that the scholar is not above
his master. If Christ our Lord escaped not these tongues,
but they called him Samaritane, and said he had a devil,
let no Christian look to be free. David felt these pangs
when he prayed, " Lord, deliver my soul from wicked lips
and from a deceitful tongue." If they remembered God's
threatenings to all such, they would not be so talkative.
"What shall be given thee, thou crafty tongue?" says David:
"Even sharp arrows and burning coals," answers the Holy
Ghost. And again, " The Lord will destroy all crafty lips and
proud tongues." Would God that these wicked men under-
stood these threatenings to be true, and that God would faith-
fully fulfil them to their confusion ! If they did believe them,
they would tremble and quake for fear of them, and not be so
ready to speak what please them. Many think their tongues
to be their own, and that they may speak what they lust,
and words to be no grief nor kind of persecution : but blessed
David is of contrary opinion, when he compares such tongues
to swords, poisonful stinging of serpents, sharp razors, &c.
Thus be we fallen in such miserable days, where under
popery we be tormented and persecuted with all extremity,
and under the gospel we be slandered and reviled, that we
may justly say with the apostle, " We are counted as sheep
appointed to the slaughter daily."
If these fearful examples and grievous overthrows of the
wicked, and so many from the beginning, cannot persuade
these cruel haters of God and his word, murderers of his
saints and their brethren, to abate their pride and swage their
malice ; if this particular prophecy written for that purpose
(to teach all bloody butchers and proud Caiphas, that a like
destruction will fall on them, as it did on Edon) can not help ;
then let them mark the manifold threateninss of the Lord,
where he thunders against such wicked doers. " Be not
PREFACE.] THE PROPHET ABDIAS. 211
afraid," says the prophet, " thou Israel my servant, for I am
with thee ; and fear not, for I am thy God tliat strengthens
thee and helps thee. Behold, they shall bo ashamed and con-
founded all that fight against thee, and all that gainsay thee
shall perish and be brought to nought, &c.'' Again: '• Thou J^r-^^"*
art the hope of Israel : all that forsake thee shall be ashamed,
and they that go from thee shall be written in the earth," and
not in heaven. But this seed of Esau in oiu* days is worse
than old Edon, as their deeds \vill declare. When Jacob wa.s
banished twenty years, Esau was content to meet his brother
Jacob returning homeward, to forget all old grudges, to take
and use him as his friend and brother : but our Edomites would
not receive their banished l^rother returning home, forget no
old mahce, nor use any friendship toward them ; but with
word and deed shew all cruelty they could devise against them,
and yet so continue.
To this some of the wiser sort peradventure ^vill say.
There is just cause why they should do so : they be not
iLsed as Jacob did his brother Esau : Jacob sent great gifts
to his brother Esau, took nothing from him, but let him
live where he lusted. Indeed this may be a great cause: for
they are so well pleased with gifts and wealth, that in the
midst of their rage a little bribe would have loosed heavy
chains of iron, and quenched hot flaming faggots. But now,
though many things may be suffered in temporal matters,
yet the discipline of the gospel will not suffer persecutors to
occupy the place of feeders, nor wolves the room of shepherds.
If true chscipline might take place, not only murderers and
apostates, forsaking that religion which afore they professed
and taught, should be deposed from their office ; but all turn-
tippets, that turn with the world and keep their livings still,
should have no office in Christ's church, until they made satis-
faction by open repentance afore the congregation. But alas for
pity ! for lack of sharp discipline they lie lurking and looking
for that day when they may turn to their old vomit again,
enking' their hands in blood, and laugh in their sleeves to see
such coldness in religi(jn to serve the living Lord, where they
were so earnest, bold, and diligent to set up their own devices.
Yet, all things considered, it is no marvel why the good
[' Enkiug: inking. So used by Wickliffe, 3 John, IH, Kd.]
14—2
212 EXPOSITION UPON [tHE
/ f men, succeeding in the place of such evil persons, be so
--i-/% gyjl spoken of at these days. For as he that rips in a
dunghill is infect with the smell thereof a long time after,
though he were never so clean afore ; and he that comes to
a house infected with the pestilence is soon taken therewith,
though he be never so sound afore, (yea, the better com-
plexion, the sooner smitten ;) so good menjiow, searching the
festered cankers and ripping the stinking duddles^ of popery,
for a time smell evil in the noses of the wicked, and seem to
be infected with a worse plague than the other. Their places
may be w^ell termed with the scriptures Cathedrw Pestilentice,
^^ "the seats of pestilence," because they either infect the good,
or else sore assaults them. This misery good men must be
content patiently to bear: for this is our nature more than
any other people, always to repine and be grieved with the
present state. In the late days of persecution those which
now be eyesores to look on, were much desired and wished
for; and those that now be lamented, were then commonly
cursed of the greater and better sort. Then all cried, " Lord
God, deliver us this once, and we will be most ware ever
hereafter, how we offend thy divine majesty;" but now being
delivered, we are worse, more unthankful and disobedient than
ever afore : which wickedness surely the righteous God will
not let escape without heavy plagues.
To make an end : if any natural pity or mercy of man
were in them, or if like men they would be ruled by reason,
these threatenings and examples of the wicked might move
stony hearts : but seeing many of them be so blinded in their
wickedness, that it needs not or boots not to speak unto them ;
to the rest, whose hearts God has something touched, and
are not altogether cast of God, I say thus much: Consider
for God's love, and health of your own souls, who they be
that ye hate and persecute : they be God's creatures and his
handy work, made like to his own image and similitude : they
whom ye murder so innocently, be those that Christ loved
so dearly, that he would die with most bitter pains for them,
rather than they should perish: they be many of them your
kinsfolk, the most part your neighbours; but every one is
your countryman, speaking the same language that ye do,
[} Buddies: bundles of filthy rags. Ed.]
^' u di /^/^ (/^eLa^-d- Jt/f C^ //«^'^f-f li^ffr^
PREFACE.] THE PROPHET ABDIAS. 213
ti-ue subjects to the same prince that ye should faithfully obev,
and members of the same commonwealth : they saved vour
lives and goods, not seeking your undoing, when it lay in
their hands. Consider how unnatural a thing it is thus to
fight against nature : remember how dangerous in God's sight
it is thus unthankfully to provoke his anger. Think on how
in your late raging madness God suddenly cut you off, and
yet patiently tarries to see if ye would have new hearts.
When that day came which ye so long looked for, ye had
not every thing after your owti \vill, but many heavy plagues
God laid on you ; and surely, whensoever God sends the like
again for our unthankfulness, and not for your goodness, all
can not fall as ye would wish. Surely, if God like a father
sharply correct his children, what can his enemies look for?
Give place to nature, fear God, love yoiu* brother in Christ,
live quietly like friends and subjects to one prince : wash your
bloody hands and hearts with bitter weeping tears : take to
you pitiful minds : love them that wish you good : leave your
raging madness, lest ye perish in your obstinate blindness :
so shall God the Lord bless both you and us, contrary to
our deserts, for his own mercies, and not for any our goodness,
through his dearly beloved Son Christ, who offered himself
a sweet sacrifice for us all, that we should sacrifice ourselves
to him, mortifying all carnal lusts, that we may live and die
to him, and afterward be glorified with him; to whom with
his Father and Holy Spirit, three Persons and one God, be
glory and praise in all congregations, now and ever. Amen.
Psalm cxxxvii.
Remember, 0 Lord, the behaviour of the children of Edon,
in the day of Jerusalem, when they said, Down with it, down
with it, to the ground !
THE VISION OF ABDY.
V. 1 . Tims saith the Lord God to Edam : We heard a voice
from the Lord, and a message was sent to the heathen,
saying. Rise, and let us go fight against her in war.
This prophet is not long in words, but he is pithy in
sentence : he entreats not many nor divers matters ; but this
one is weighty and deeply to be considered. For even as
apothecaries use to put their costliest medicines, and rich
men their greatest jewels, in some little box or chest; so
God, our heavenly schoolmaster, uses many times to teach
in short writings so much of his heavenly wisdom, as many
other times ye shall not find in long books. Likewise of
^ learned men in one witty sentence and figure will declare as
^-i" if S ^^^^ ^* ^^^ eloquence, as the common sort will do in long
^4bi^^{ volumes. And as a little gold is worth a great deal of brass,
and a small diamond is better than a number of right stones ;
so in this short prophet is more learning, comfort, and godly
wisdom, than ye shall find in searching long and sundry sorts
of the learnedest philosophers or eloquentesti orators,
whypro- The propliets use to call their writings visions or siqhts,
phecies are ^ ^ ^ " . "^
called for divers causes : first, because none should take in hand
sights, and -^ '
prophets to be God's messenger to teach his people, but he that is
seers. '^ r r '
lightened of the Lord, and has his eyes and sight opened
to see the mysteries of God. For unto the blind sinner says
Psai. 1. Qod, " Why dost thou declare my righteousness, and take
Luke vi. my testament in thy mouth V and again, " If the bhnd
lead the blind, both fall into the pit." Secondly, because they
open the eyes and give sight to the blind ; as David says,
Psai. cxix. " The declaring of thy words lightens and gives understand-
ing to the simple ones :'"* and also, " Thy word is a lantern
to my feet, and a light to my paths." Thirdly and last of
all, because of the certainty of the things which they writ :
that is to wete, they were not tales which he had heard of
P The old edition, eloquence. Ed.]
V. 1.] THE PROPHET ABDIAS. 215
our- men, but which ho saw himself by the eyes of faith.
Things that a man hears of others oft be false ; but of those
which he sees himself, no man doubts, as the poet says,
" One witness that sees it with his eye, is more to be be-
lieved than ten that heard it by report"^." For this cer-
tainty, prophets were called seers commonly of all men. " In ^ Sam. ix.
old time," as it is written, " when they went to ask counsel
of God, they said. Come, let us go to the seer." But liow
can he see those things which were not done in his life-
time, but long after? He saw them not in a dream, nor
in a conjiu*or\s glass, nor by the vain foresight of the stars,
as a^stronomers, deceiving the world, would make men be-
lieve thev can tell them their destinies and thin^rs to come :
but he saw them by the eyes of faith, when God, which can
not lie, had shewed these things unto him aforehand, and
proved them true afterwards in deed. This is the surest -'^'Fht by
* . , faith is
wav of knowledge and seeinor • for those thino:s which I be- ^urer than
o^ r. "> ^ n the eye
lieve, and see with the eyes of faith, be surer than those
that I see with my bodily eye, or feel with my hand. God
is truth itself, and therefore those things that he teaches
must needs be true ; and that faith and credence, which is
given to his word, can not deceive, but must needs come
to pass, and be as tnie as if I see them with my eye. When
Thomas Didymus would not believe, except he see the print John xx.
of the nails, Christ said, •' Blessed be they that believe and
see not."
O notable example for all tnic prophets and teachers
to follow, that they teach nothing but that which they see
in God's book, and not man's learning, (for that is full of
deceit ;) and that they may call their preachings visions and
sicjhts for the certainty of them, that they be seen by a true
faitli, and found in God's book which can not He ; and there-
fore they be as true and to be believed, as if we saw them
with our eyes ! Man's learning is darkness, and therof(jrc
can not be called visions, or things seen, but feigned, a.s
Ezeehiel says, ''Woe be to the foolish prophets, which follow F.zik. xiii.
their o\vn spirit, and see nothing !" J^ut of Cod s word it
[^ Qu. other men. Kn.]
[■* Pluris fst oculatus testis uiius qiiam auriti dicem. Plautus,
True. II. 0. Ed.]
216 EXPOSITION UPON [v.
^^^- '• is said contrariwise : " We have a surer writing of the
prophets, to the which when ye give attendance, as to a
candle shining in a dark place, ye do well, unto the day
sliine and the day-star rise in your heart.^^ Thus St Peter
attributes thus to the scripture and writings of the prophets,
that they lighten our hearts and eyes, as a candle doth a
dark place, unto a fuller knowledge be given unto us by the
Spirit of God, to drive out ignorance, as the day-star or day
itself drives away darkness.
Abdias. Abdia, or Oabdia, as the Hebrew calls him, is as much
to say as the servant of God: wherein we learn, who is he
that writes this prophet, and from whom he comes, and the
goodness of our good God toward his servants, that he lets
not them wander in ignorance, but declares his whole will
and pleasure unto them, that they perish not with the wicked
w^orld. But he was not of such sort of servants, which St
John XV. John writes of, "The servant knows not what his master
does ;" for such be rather slaves, which know not their master's
pleasures, and serve not of love, but fear. But he served
the Lord his God in true worship : for such sort of servants
the Hebrew w ord signifies ; and that kind of service is true
freedom, as St Paul says, " Ye be made free from sin, but
ye are servants to God.'" Thus Paul and Peter call them-
selves not only apostles, but also servants of Jesu Christ.
Therefore the Lord vouchsaved to declare his whole will unto
him, his faithful and beloved servant, concerning things to
come, and the estate of the cruel Edomites, which did so
cruelly handle God's people, and had persecuted them so long ;
and, like a true servant that loves his fellows, he keeps it
not close to his self, but comforts others therewith.
Names are Names in the scripture be not given in vain, but that so
not given in .
vain. otten as they hear or think on their own name, so oft they
should consider what they be taught by it. Abdia in think-
ing on his name should remember, that he should serve the
Lord his God : Abraham, on the blessing of God, which
made him a father of many people : Zacharia, that according
to his name he should continually remember the Lord : Peter,
that his faith is the strong rock, whereon Christ will build
his church ; for so the word signifies by interpretation : and
80 forth in all others. Therefore fathers do well in giving
].] THE PROPHET ABDIAS. 217
their children such christian names, as may remember them
of their duty to God ward, and call them not by lieathen
names or feigned foolish saints, which can teach them no
goodness.
Many doth think this Abdias to be the steward of Achab's ,
house, which had an hundred prophets of God m caves, and y.>i^^ .
fed them, fifty in one company, and as many in another, in
the time of JesabeFs cruel prosecution ; and now by God's
providence feeds many thousands with his wholesome doc-
trine. And although the holy scriptures do not plainly shew,
that he was the same Abdias in deed, yet probable enough
it is, as many learned men think : unto whose mind also I
can well agree, that it is the same man. He was one that
feared the Lord, as he said to Elias ; and was a stranger i Kin^s
born in Sychem of Idumea, as some think, and not a Jew
born, but turned after to the law of the Lord, forsaking the
wickedness of his people. His writing is so much more no-
table, because, being a stranger, he prophesies against his
own countr}' ; and therefore the truer belike also it is, and
without partiality spoken ; because none will willingly threaten
such destruction to his native country, as he does here : but
he that is a true servant of God, without sparing will speak
his master's message freely and truly against his dearest
friends, if the Lord God send him.
This prophecy is more meet also for these our days, be-
cause we were under the like persecution that he was, or
worse : for the true prophets of God were not suffered to
hide themselves in dens and wilderness, as they might do
then under cruel Achab and Jesabel ; but were most cnieliy
thrown into the fire ; yea, the madness of God's enemies was
so nmch, that they could not be satisfied with the blood of
them that were on live, but, that which was seldom read of
among the heathen, they i)ull up the dead bodies which
were buried many years before, to ])urn their l)ones, and
straw their ashes abroad, as Master Bucer, Paulus Fagius,
fcc. yea, of thieves', for praying God to deliver us from the
[' i.e. the dead bodies of thieves: referring to the case of John
Tooley, wlio was hani,'ed for robl)ing a Spaniard at St James's, June,
1.5.5.5, and having at his exceution spoken against tlie pope, and cuIUmI
upon the bystanders to pray for deliverance " tVoni the tyranny of tlic
218 EXPOSITION UPON [v.
tyranny of the pope. These Edomites, against whom he
^vrites, were not so cruel as our men were and be. And
therefore your destruction shall be the greater at the ap-
pointed time, than this other was. Let us not flatter them
nor ourselves, because they be our countrymen, or because
we would not see the destruction of our country. For the
Lord is a righteous God, and will sharply punish sin, where-
soever he finds it, if we do not earnestly beg his pardon,
mercy and forgiveness, with amendment of life. But it is
to be feared, that as Abdias did no good to his country folks,
because they would not hear him ; so much labour is lost
in our country, because they stop their ears, and will hear
nothing but that which pleases them : for it is true that our
Matt. xiii. Saviour Cln'ist says, " There is no prophet without honour
and credit, but in his own country." Yet nevertheless lift
up your voice, blow the trumpet of God, and tell the peo-
ple their faults, lest they perish and their blood be required
at your hands : discharge yourselves, rebuke them earnestly,
and let it take root and profit as God will, which gives all
increase as he thinks good. If they hear not, they perish
in their ovm sins, and thou art free.
The preface that he puts here before gets him great au-
thority and credit with the hearers, and declares him also
to be a true prophet of God, because he speaks nothing in
his own name, but says the Lord God had put these words
in his mouth, and he was author, and Abdias but the mes-
senger to speak them to his people. A worthy example for
all teachers to follow, that they never say things but out of
God's book, and that they may say for every thing that they
teach, " Thus says the Lord." This saying is most common
in all the prophets, and to be followed of all preachers ; as
1 Pet. iv. St Peter says, " If any man speak, let him speak but the
words of God." But of this enough is said in sundry places
of Aggeus.
Edom, unto whom the Lord speaks here, is all the peo-
ple of Idumea, being so called of Edom their first father,
hishop of Rome and all his detestable enormities/' was ^'^ first suspected
and condemned after his death, and then digged out of his grave, and
given to the secular power, and so burned for a heretic." Foxe's Acts
and Monuments, Vol. vii. p. 90, &c. 1838. En.]
1.] THE PROPHET AUDI AS. 219
as the scriptures uses to call the people by the name of the
father. So were the Jews called Israel of Jacob, which was
called Israel, their old father : likewise Ephraim, Joseph,
Jehuda, of these their old ancestors. This Edom is Esau,
Jacob's brother, as he is called in Genesis, '• Esau, he is Edom.
Edom ;'"* and had that name given him for his colour that Gen. xxwi.
he had when he was born, or of the colour of the pottage,
for the which he sold his birth-right for unto his brother
Jacob, when he was hungry. Esau was also called Seir, Gen. xxxvi.
which signifies roughs because of the roughness of his skin :
and for this cause these people of Edom, and their country,
is sundr\' times in the prophets called Seir also. Or if we
seek fiui;her, Edom may have his name of Adam ; for they ^^'^a"^-
be written both with one letter in Hebrew, save that they
differ in points: Adam signifies to be red; wherefore Edom
for his cnielty in shedding blood may well be so called. As
our cardinals in their red scarlet robes, which be the fol-
lowers of these Edomites, do well declare in their apparel
the blood-thirsty minds within, and their outward deeds have
declared them to the whole world : but they say, their red
apparel signifies they should abide by the truth to their
blood-shed. Adam also betokens a man, and one of the
common sort : so these men were not noljle afore God, which
is only the true nobility, but enemies to his word and his
people. Adama signifies also the earth ; so that from whence Adama.
soever we shall derive this word Edom^ and all that be de-
rived like it, they signify no good people, but earthy, worldly,
cruel, blood-thirsty, mortal and abjects. Of the two brethren,
Jacob and Esau, came these two people, the Israelites and
the Edomites. And as Esau did ever hate and pei-socute
his brother Jacob, so his stock and posterity did continu-
ally hate and persecute the children of Jacob.
This is the secret judgment of (iod, tliat of one good
father, Isaac, came two so contrary cliildren ; the one so
wicked, the other so good, and this wicked hatred to con-
tinue in the hearts of their chiklren's chiklren, so many ages
after. Ihit this is to teach us \\m free grace of fiod, with-
out any deserts on our part, wlien.soever lie calls any to the
tnie knowledge and fear of hiui ; and that fit is| neither the
goodness or evilness of the father that makes a good or an
220 EXPOSITION UPON [v.
An evil evil child; for many ffood fathers have had evil children, and
latner ' »< o '
aJr\ii\on* ^^^^ fathers good children. Adam had good Abel and wicked
trary^"and ^^^^ " '^^^ ^^^^ o^^^ ^^^^^ ^"^ ^^'^^ Cham : Abraham had
so the good, j^q^.}-^ ^|-^g carnal Tsmael and the spiritual Isaac : Isaac had the
beloved Jacob and the hated Esau : David had both proud
Absalon and wise Salomon : so that the soul of the father
Ezek. xviii. is the Lord's, as well as the soul of the son ; and the soul
that sins shall perish, and not the father for the son, nor
the son for the father, as the prophet says : but every one
shall die in his own sins. So has there been from the be-
ginning, in the house and children of one father, both good
and evil, both carnal and spiritual, where the one has per-
secuted the other : as there is now in the outward church
of Christ and company of them that call themselves Chris-
tians, both true people and faithful, and also hypocrites, dis-
semblers and cruel persecutors of their brethren, as these
late days well declared, where the father persecuted the son,
and the son the father; the man the wife, and the wife the
man: which all and such other our Saviour Christ declares
to be consequents to the gospel. Therefore can none doubt
of the truth of the gospel now taught, and who be the true
followers of the same, but he that is wilfully blind, seeing all
these and many other true tokens fulfilled in our days.
And where he says, " We heard a saying from the Lord,
and a message was sent to the heathen, that they should go
fight against Edom;'' he declares by what authority these
people came to destroy the Edomites : not sent by any kings
or the high priest, but it was the Lord God, which would
use Nabuchodonozor and his people for a scourge of his jus-
tice, to the punishing of these wicked people. It must not
be thought strange that God lets one people plague another,
seeing the scriptures is so full of it : for as God shews his
mercy unto his people by the help and means of other men,
(for God works nothing without means,) so he does not plague
1 Kin-s xii. othcr without some means, and lets one people destroy
another. When Eoboam would have fought against Jero-
Aii plagues boam, for withdrawing ten tribes from him, the Lord spake
find, yet ^nto him, and bad him he should not fight with him ; for the
sins in thinff was his deed, and he willed it should be so. All God's
nla"'uinsr
one'ahother. crcatures be but his servants to do his pleasure ; to help and
].] THE PROPHET ABDIAS. 221
comfort where it please him, and to punish, correct, try, and
destroy where it please him.
But all other creatures, except man, do not sin in de-
strovinor or hurtins: man, because thev have no evil affection
of mind in doinir it : only man sins in his doings, because he
adds to his doings some evil affection of his own mind, or else
is stirred to it of the devil. So Job says, ''The Lord has-^**''-
given, and the Lord has taken away; the Lord's name be
praised.'' He calls it not the deed of the Sabees or Chaldees
that robbed him, but the Lord's ; and yet they sore offended
God in so doingr : for thev did it not to trv Job, as God would
have had it, but of a greedy covetousness to rob him, and a
malicious mind, because he was so wealthy, which thing they
disdained. Joseph says that his brethren, which sold him to Gen. xiv.
the Ismaelites, were not the cause of his coming into Egypt, but
the good will of God ; for the Lord turned the malice of his bre-
thren both to the promotion of Joseph and all their comforts.
The Lord therefore now, when the sin of this people was
ripe, and when he had tried long enough for the amendment
of them, and they would not turn unto God, but abused his
patience and long-suffering ; he sends forth his messenger
to the heathen about, to come and justly to punish these
obstinate people for their long disobedience. It is as well
the property of God to shew justice and punish sin, as merci-
fully to help the weak and repentant heart ; and mercy is not
so in God, that justice is banished. As the Lord said, he
would whistle and with hissing call for Nabuchodonozor, to is.ii. v. v
come and destroy Jerusalem ; so now he sends messengers
to come bid them fight against Edom. Yet Nabuchodonozor,
in justly punishing the Jews and Edomites, and that by the
commandment of God, sore oH'endeth God, because he was
proud of the victory, cruel in nuirder, and covetous of sj)oiling,
ambitious in raveing [ravening], and never thought he had
enough : and therefore was his kingdom afterwards destroyed
by the justice of God. So the deed, as it is of God, is good,
pure and just : but being defiled of us, with adding our evil
affections to it, as when good wine is put into an evil vessel,
it is sin and danmable; and yet is God free from all our sin aiul
wickedness, and no causer thereof, but a hater and revenger
of all wickedness.
222 EXPOSITION UPOX [v.
But here is doubted, who these be that heard this voice
of the Lord, and how this message was sent to the gentiles.
To the first part I had rather say, that the prophet speaks
of himself in the plural number, as though they were many
that heard it : which kind of speaking is common in the
1 Cor. L\. scripture ; as Paul says, " If we have sown you spiritual
things, is it much V — or else, that the other prophets, which
prophesy against Edom, heard the same saying from God
as well as he did, and they all together, or Abdias alone in
their names says, '• We heard a saying from the Lord, &;c."
And so this saying should be true and the rather believed,
because so many did agree in one saying. Against Edom
WTio heard prophesied Esav, xxi. xxxiv. Jere. xlix. Ezech. xxxv. Amosi.
this voice, t^ ^ . *' • • i i •
But most plainly, earnestly, and orderly agreeing with this
Abdias, and almost word for word, does Jere. xlix., whose words
if ye compare wdth this present prophecy, ye shall see the
agreeing truth of God's Spirit in his scripture, and a great
light shall be ministered to this place thereby.
How the It is no less doubt how this message was sent, and who
message , . , , '='
was sent, was the minister that carried it : for some think that Ab-
dias was sent with this embassage himself to stir up Na-
buchodonozor and his people to destroy these Edomites ; but
other, to whom I had rather agree, think that the devil by
God's sufferance put into the mind of them to work his will
Jer. XXV. and justice upon them. God calls Nabuchodonozor his ser-
vant for such causes, although the devil moved him to it,
and says that he did him good service in executing his judg-
ment ; as the hangman serves the king in punishing offenders,
and the jailor in prisoning them, as well as other do in their
kind and office : yet is God no more the cause of their sin
and evil doing, than the king is of the offences and robberies
of the people : but God, like a righteous judge, of justice
must needs punish such faidts as other magistrates do in
their commonwealth. But like as this voice of the Lord was
not heard by the ears of the body of the prophets, but put
into their minds by the work of God, as he thought good ;
so I think this message was not sent by any man : but as
when embassadors be sent, or rumours of war be certainly
spread, kings prepare themselves to war ; so these people, stirred
up of God by justice to punish their sin, and set forward
1.] THE PROPHET ABDIAS. 223
of the devil to satisfy their wicked desires, rise up all together
to fight against Edom, and destroyed it. So the Lord used
the devil as his jailor and hangman to be a lying spirit in iKin^swii.
the mouth of Achab's prophets, and sent him to war that
he might there perish, and God's righteous sentence be ex-
ecuted, where he said that the dogs should lick his blood where
they did lick up Naboth's. Thus God in liis scripture, speak-
ing to men, uses to speak as men : for as men by messages
or rumours of robberies are stirred up to war ; so the Lord
by some meet mean, as though it were by messengers, would
stir up the Chaldees to destroy Edom.
The cause of tliis war and destruction was, as Ezechiel ^f,,Jg!J^ar.
says, XXXV, because the Edomites, which should have been
helpers unto the Israelites in their trouble, (because they were
not only neighboui-s, their kingdoms joining together, but also
they came of two brethren, Jacob and Esau, which thing
should have knit them in brotherly love,) they did not only
not help them, but cruelly persecute them continually : "I will
destroy thee,'' says the Lord, " and make thee desolate, be-
cause thou hast had a continual hate against the Israelites, and
didst fear them with the sword in the time of their trouble."
Amos tells the same cause likewise, and almost with the
same word.
So this is the case of God's people, that for their reli- ^/J^^'g'',';^^^.
gion they shall have enemies of their own house, kinsfolk J^ be e?-'"
and friends, as this day well declares. And our Saviour ^""^"'^ ^'"'^•
Christ said, *' He came not to set peace, but to divide the
father against the son, &c." Where hatred falls betwixt
brethren and friends, and specially for religion, it is the
cruelest hate that can be. This hate began betwixt Jacol)
and Esau for losinj; his blessincr ; but it continued and in-
creased >Wth the time in their children and posterity. Tlie
eldest son, as the Hebrews write, had their privileges ^i^'^^r^' ^.'^,^. I'J'th'e
the younger, as they have commonly now. The eldest then j;^!jj[,pp
succeeded in his father's authority, was reverenced of his bre-
thren : he had also double portion of his father's goods, its
other say, and also enjoyed the priesthood. AVherc world-
lings, that care for nothing so nuicli as the world, have lost
their worldly honour and authority, how do they rage and
sin ! Esau, when he had lost and sold these things, he souglit
224 KXPOSITION UPON [v.
his brother's death : as our papists, that would be counted
the elder brethren, losing their worldly estimation, their belly
cheer and lordliness, their wealth and proud priesthood, they
fret and fume, burn and kill all that gainsay them, as the
Edomites did.
God refuses g^t as then for Cain the wicked and his seed, although
the elder
and-iorioiis tl^g elder brother, God chose Abel, the younger, Seth and
in the world ' '^
to choose Enos : for Ismael the elder, Isaac the younger ; for Esau
the vounffer ' ^ o
and abjedts. Jacob; for Eubcu Juda and Levi; and David, the youngest
of seven brethren, and as of no reputation in respect of
his other brethren, but set to keep sheep ; so God, to pull
down the pride of man in these days, also chooses the ab-
jects to set forth his glory, refusing the proud Pharisees,
and disdaining holy hypocrites, and at the length will de-
The wicked gtroy them, as he threatens here the Edomites. For God, to
shall not -^^ '
ever pros- comfort his pcoplc, that the wicked should not ever prosper,
per, nor the l r ' ^ ^ a i
g:odiybein ^nd the chosen people live in continual misery, lest they fall
away from God through over great adversities, threatens to
destroy their enemies, and deliver them, if they will abide his
leisure. But as destruction is here prophesied to Edom for
their cruelty ; so shall all haters of God's people perish at the
i^VherV?!-^ length. Where as difference is in religion, there can be no true
fifrl''"bit" lieart nor stedfast love. For seeing God is love itself, that
Join^tJTm^r- love which is not in God, but raised of carnal and worldly
throw It. reasons, when the world turns, must needs change, and shew
itself what a love it was, and where it was grounded : but that ,
which is builded on God will continue, because he changes not,
and all tlieir^ change with time. These Edomites joined them-
selves with Nabuchodonozor, when he came to destroy Jerusa-
lem ; as Pilate and Herod, which afore were enemies, agreed
to crucify Christ our Lord, and as our papists did now with
the Spaniards, to destroy the gospel and his professors.
The Text. y. 2. Beliold^ I Will make thee a little one among the heathen ;
thou shalt he very much despised.
3. The pride of thy heart has deceived thee^ because thou
dwellest in the open j^Iaces of the rock, and in the height
is thy dwelling, and says in thy heart, Who shall draw
me to the earth ? t/ , */ i/ p^ ^, ^
\_' Qu. othf.r. Ed.]
2, 3, 4.] THE PROPHET ABDIA3. 225
4. If thou will cUmh up as high as an eagle^ and if thou
will make thy nest among the clouds^ from thence I will
7)iake thee come domn^ says the Lord,
Where as the scripture uses to put this word, " Behold,'' Behold,
it betokens some notable thing to follow ; as when the prophet is»i. tu.
said, " Behold, a maid shall conceive and bear a son,'' he
signified that it should be a notable birth and conceiving of
a child, and contrary to the course of nature, and that the
child which was born should be wonderful. So says David,
" Behold, I was conceived in sin ;" betokening the great
corruption, infirmity and defiling of our nature in our con-
ception. "Behold, as the eyes of the servants are at their Psa'cxxiii.
masters' hand," says David, signifying that he would be more
diligent in watching what the Lord God would do, and what
were his holy will for him to do, than the lowest and dili-
gentest servants would be to watch what their masters would
will and command them to do. In the same sense says the
prophet here, " Behold," and mark it well, what I will say
unto thee ; for it is no small matter, and truly it shall come to
pa.ss. Likewise in the threatenings in our own tongue we
use to say, ' Mark what I say to you, take heed to yourself,
for I jest not ; remember my words well ; for I will be even
with you, and I will do it in deed,' and such like sayings.
" Behold, mark well," says the Lord, what I say : " I will
make thee a little one among the heathen :" thou that think-
est so highly on thyself, and thinkest thyself to be so strong,
so mighty and greater than thy fellows, " I will make thee
a little one among the people" where thou dwcllcst, and less
than any people about thee. Thou flatterest thyself of thy
strength, might, power, multitude, strong holds, and to be
greater than thy neighbours, people or countries about thee;
and thinkest none is able to conquer thee, or pull thee down,
or worthy to be compared unto thee : but I will pull thee
down, says the Lord ; I will cut thy comb ; I will abate thy
strength, pluck down thy courage and high stomach ; I will
throw down thy castles and strong hold ; and wliatsocvcr tluju
rejoicest in, I will take it from thee, and make thee more vile
and slave, less and weaker than any people round alx)ut theo.
Thou shalt well know that there is a Gud, which can and
15
[PILKINGTON.]
226
EXPOSITION UPON
[V-
The pro-
phets for the
certainty-
speak that
to be past
that is to
come.
will be avenged on all high minds, and will let all such lusty
stomachs see what it is to be proud in their own eyes, and
rebels against him and his people.
God casts in their teeth that, where he had given them
a narrow place to dwell in among the hills, they were proud
of it, as though it were the plenteoust place in the country.
They were proud of a thing of nought in comparison of other
places, as Malachi says, '' The Edomites I have placed in
the mount Seir." He speaks not all these words in number
and order, but so many in effect and purpose; and to the
same meaning he writes them in the preterite tense, as though
the thing were done and past: for so all the prophets use
to speak by the preterite tense such things as shall not be
done of many years after, and yet shall as certainly come to
pass, as though they were now done and past. In this sort
said David, "They have wounded my hands and feet;" as
though the thing were done and past, which was not fulfilled
unto Christ our Lord had suffered. Also of the murder of
the children by Herod spake Jeremy, as though it had been
done and past : '* A noise was heard in Eama, weeping and
much lamenting;" with infinite such other hke, which were
not fulfilled of many years after. And because the whole
country and people pleased themselves so highly, and stood
so much in their own conceit, God threatens them further,
that they shall be much despised.
The righteous judgment of God is commonly to punish
us by the same parts wherein we oifend him. The rich
glutton, that sinned so grievously in his feasting and ban-
quetting, now desires a drop of cold water, and cannot have
it. Adonibezec, which had cruelly used his victories, and
had chopped off the hands and feet of sixty kings, whom
he conquered and made them gather up the crumbs under
his table with the dogs, was used after the same sort him-
self, when he was overcome by the Israelites. Thus teaches
the wise man i*^" By what thing a man sins, he shall be
punished by the same." This people had much and many
years despised the Israelites without cause : they had highly
avanced themselves in their own conceit: therefore justice
requires that they should be despised again, and should un-
derstand how vile a thing pride is in the sight of God, and
n ».
J
/
/^•i
/ y
2, 3, 4.] THE PROPHET ACDIAS. 227
how horribly it procures his great anger to fall upon us,
when we one despise another. And although Nabuchodo-
nozor was the worker of this destruction, and minister ex-
ecuting God's justice upon this wicked people of Edom, yet
the Lord says himself that he will do it, and it shall be
counted his deed. So Job says, that the Lord had given
and taken away his goods, although the Chaldees and Sabees
robbed him, as we noted afore. Thus must we in all things in aii tilings
that be done, whether they be good or evil, (except sin, coa which
which God hates and causes not,) not only look at the se-
cond caases, which be but God's means and instruments
whereby he works, but have a further eye, and look up
to God. If they be good things that he bestows upon
us, think not nor marvel not so much at the man or the
means whereby it is wrought, but lowly praise the Lord God
which has vouchsafed to use such a way to thy comfort :
and if it bo evil adversity that is fallen upon thee, do not
so much murmur and grudge against him or the thing by
which it was done, but look up to thy Lord God, which
author, being displeased with thy sin, will this way correct
thee, and bring thee to repentance, amendment of life, and
the knowledge of thyself, thine own vileness, and his holy
majesty, mercy, and power, whom thou hast provoked so to
punish thee, and yet in mercy, and not as thou hast de-
served ; or else he will try thy patience, and declare thy faith
and hope that thou hast in him to the world, that his might
may be praised in thy weakness, which although of thine
own self thou be not able to suffer such adversity, yet by
the strength of his Spirit thou both can and will.
In the next verse is declared the cause of this great
destruction, and God\s vengeance so grievously poured upon
this people. It was the same sin that drove Adam out of
paradise, being not content with his own state, but would
be fellow with God ; and out of which, as out of a root,
springs all mischief. " The beginning of sin is pride," saith PriUe.
Ecclesiasticus, x. when a man leaves considering of his own
vileness, and the nn'ghty power and majesty of God, (wliiuh
author of both is able to work lowliness in any honest heart,)
and begins to flatter and please himself in any good gilt
that he has within him or without him, in body or soul, in
1 0—2
228 EXPOSITION UPON [v.
worldly wealth or wisdom; for then he forgets God and him-
self, runs headlong to all mischief, offending God and hurting
himself.
The pride of this people was both sundry and great, both
of mind, wisdom and polity, strength of body, holds, castles
and towers, wealth and plenty of corn and cattle ; that it
might be well said of them, that which proves true in all,
wealth makes wanton. We will entreat of all these in order,
as the prophet does, and set them out something more at
large. The kind of pride that here is touched, wherein they
rejoiced so much, trusting in themselves and offending God,
was their strong holds, their high castles, builded on the
top of the rocks so strongly, that they were sure enough, as
they thought, from all hurt and danger, that they should
not be overcome. These be pleasant things to a worldly
wit, and therefore we are soon taken with the love of them.
To declare the inexcusable pride of this people, the prophet
says, " The pride of thine own heart has deceived thee ;"
as though he should say, ' It is not God, nor the devil only,
nor any other man's counsel or persuasion, that has taught
thee this or beaten it into thy head ; but it is even thyself,
thine own device and free will, thine own proud heart, and
vain trust that thou hast taken in thine own strength and
goods.' It is a notable word, that the Holy Ghost puts
here, when he says, " The pride of thine own heart has
deceived thee ;" and well declares the nature of pride, and
well-spring of all sin to begin in thy heart and thine own
free will. " From the heart come evil thoughts, murder,
adultery, theft, fcc.*" as St Matthew says, xv. And well may
that be said to deceive man, that under the cloke of godli-
ness, honesty, profit, or pleasure entices a man to it, where
in the end it proves wicked, hurtful, and displeasant. For
except it had in the beginning some fair shew of some good-
ness in it, no man would be allured to it. If it were good
in deed, it were no deceit ; but because it is not, it may
well be said to deceive.
Pride is only Pride among all other sins has this property, that it
things. ever rises of some good thing that a man has given him of
God, and takes the praise of it himself. For no man is so
foohsh to rejoice in any thing that is evil of itself, except
2, 3, 4.] THE PROPHET ABDIAS. 229
it have some appearance of goodness in it. AMien God
gives a good gift to any man, then tlie devil and his own
froward nature makes him not to give God due thanks for
it, but to rejoice in himself, as though he himself were wor-
thy all the praise for finding out or using well such a gift.
Thus the Pharisee, being proud of his own righteousness
in fasting, holiness, and paying his tithes, abuses the good
gifts of God, and takes part of the praise to himself, which
should be given wholly to God alone ; and also in pride he
contemns the poor publican, which sat praying by him, be-
cause he was not so holy as he was. So strong holds and
castles is the good gift of God ; but to rejoice in them, not
putting his whole trust and deliverance in God, is a great
pride and unthankfulness to God, which has given thee such
gifts to stir thee up rather to praise him, which has taught
thee to find out the profitable use of such things. But it
is hard for a worldly man to have these, and not be proud
of them ; and therefore he says, " Thy pride has deceived
thee." Beauty is the good gift of God ; but because in out- Beauty,
ward appearance it seems good, it soon deceives man, en-
ticing him to evil, rather than to praise God in it. The
wise man savs, " Look not in the face of a maiden, lest ve eccIus. ix.
be enticed with her beauty." Towers, castles, holds, bul- Holds.
warks, be ordained by the provision of God to defend his
people : but yet must we ever know, that in vain labours the
watchmen, be they never so many, wise and strong, to de-
fend the city, except the Lord defend it, as David says. Psai. cxxvii.
AV'hat an unthankful pride is this toward God, that when
he has given us wit to devise such engines of war to defend
oui*selves withal, and liberally bestowed on us men and
money to make such things withal ; and then we do rob him
of his due glory, and take that praise to ourselves which is
due to him, and rejoice in ourselves ! Because they dwelt
and builded their holds on the tops of hills, they thought
no man should be able to climb up to hurt them, except
he could fly : and though undermining will hurt many times,
and throw do^^Tl great castles ; yet where the building is
on the hard rock of stone, as this was, they can not mine
through the rock: so that above, except they could ily, they
could not come near them ; nor by low they could not pierce
230 EXPOSITION UPON [v.
the hard stones of the ground-work, being so many, hard,
Wine. deep and strong. Wine is pleasant to look on, sweet to
taste and cheer the hearts of man ; yet in drinking it soon
deceives a man, and overcomes the brain, and therefore the
Prov. xxiii. wiso man counsels, saying, " Delight not thyself in looking
on the wine, when it shines merely in the glass." The
RichS"* "^vords of women are sweet, yet oft full of poison. Riches is"
1 Tim. vi. the good gift of God, yet the apostle calls them the nets of
the devil, because under a fair pretence we be soon tangled with
the desire of them. So generally to speak of all the crea-
tures of God, when they be loved or trusted in for themselves,
and not for his cause that made them, they deceive us.
Consider Consider not therefore the beauty, strength, wealth, com-
not crea- •^ ' o ^ '
thems"! • s ^^^^^^7 ^^^ pleasure of any creature in itself, for then it will
surely deceive thee : but lift up thy mind to him that made
them for thy use and commodity, and praise him for his great
care that he takes for thee, in making of them and giving thee
the use of them ; and so shalt thou not be deceived by them,
but receive profit thyself, giving him his due honour, when
thou knowledgest thy God to work thy salvation, pleasure,
or commodity by such his creatures. The Lord has given
herbs divers strength to heal divers diseases ; but if in sick-
Physic. nesg ^ve trust in the physician or his medicines, we be de-
Psai. ciii. ceived in his good creatures. For, as David says, " It is
the Lord that heals our diseases," and is at our bedside when
we be sick. So these people, having received a strong and
plenteous country at the merciful hands of God, forgat him
that gave it them, trusted in their own strength, wisdom and
polity ; and so be^ the fair outward shew of these things,
pride crept in, deceived them, and made them to trust in
themselves. And well it may be said to have deceived them,
because it crept in under such a fair pretence, and also be-
cause, when they looked to have been saved by them, they
were soonest deceived ; their holds wherein they trusted were
thrown down, their country conquered, and the people spoiled
and destroyed. Thus does all worldly thin^ with a goodly
outward shew, deceive a man when he trusts most in them.
Horses. " A horso is a deceitful thino;," says David : and ao^ain, " Some
Psal.xxxiii. . , . o '
^^' trust in their chariots, and some m the horses ; but we trust
P Qu. Inj, Ed.]
2, 3, 4. J THE PROPHET ABDIAS. 281
in the name of our Lord God." When the people would
have gone into Eg}'pt for succour, the prophet said, " Ef^pt isai. xxxvi
is but a reed/' Golias trusted in his harness and strength ;
but David in God's name overthrew him. Trust not there-
fore in any worldly thing ; for it will sure deceive thee, when
thou lookest for help of it. No, trust not in princes, be I'rinccs.
they never so mighty: for Nabuchodonozor, walking in his
gorgeous palace, considering his mighty strong city of iJa- i^an. iv.
bylon, containing sixteen miles square, as Pliny teaches, his
many kingdoms and people that were his subjects, thought he
should never have fallen; and then suddenly was he cast out i
of his kingdom, and lived and eat grass with beasts. What -
could be devised stronger than the tower of Babel 1 but how Gen. xi.
suddenly vanquished [vanished] that vain hope away !
That which is added, " Thou sayest in thy heart, A\nio
shall draw me down to the earth T' teaches us thus much,
that it is not only these gross outward sins, as murder, theft,
whoredom, and such like, but even the fine thoughts of our
own hearts, which we think that none knows but ourselves,
which God will judge and be avenged of them. They did
not 80 much blasphemously crack openly, saying, " Who shall
draw us down V as they thought it in their hearts, and
pri\nly laughed in their selves at God's people, being so few,
hated, oppressed, and despised of all round about them ; and
thoufjht themselves so strong, that none durst be bold to
touch them. Likewise speaks David, "The wicked man said Ps.ii.xiv.
in his heart. There is no God :" meaning not so much, that
there was no God, or that they did so openly speak of him,
as that they thought God had no care over them, or know
not things done on earth ; as lie says in another psalm,
*' Is there knowledge in the height ; or who sees us even
in these gross sins f ' Our Saviour Christ says, ''Ho that Matt- v.
looks at a woman to lust for her has committed adulter}*."
Therefore let us not deceive ourselves, saying, " Thought is j;;"" "fj'"'
free ;" or, " I may think what I lust," or, a.s the p.salm '•""""•'••c
says, " Our lips are our own, and who is our God C for as r**!. xii.
(iod has create and made our hearts and all our powers
of our souls, so will he have a count of them, ])c .served with
them, and have them to think on his majo.«^ty, mercy and
goodness, and ])e praised that ways as well as in our out-
232 EXPOSITION UPON [v;
ward deeds: and if we do use them for other purposes, it
deserves damnation.
In the last verse the Lord makes answer: What shall be-
come on Edon for all their great cracks, proud looks, strong
holds, or any thing that they rejoiced in? And he says, I
will not only draw thee down to the bare earth, from the tops
of the hills, where thou delightest thyself in thy strong holds ;
but if it were possible that thou could "fly as high as the
eagle, and build thy nest among the stars, from thence I
would draw thee down, says the Lord/' Herein we may see,
how horrible a thing it is to forsake God, hang on our self,
Jer. i.\. or trust in any worldly strength. " Let not the wise rejoice
in his wisdom, nor the strong in his strength, nor the rich
in his riches,'** says Jeremy.
And these things all to be true shall well appear in this
prophet, proved by particulars: for the people had all worldly
wealth wherein to rejoice ; but they were deceived in them
all, and destroyed, as hereafter shall appear. But this is
ever the wisdom of the flesh, to rejoice in things contrary
to God; and therefore is it worthily condemned by his ex-
ample. The worldly man says, when his enemies come
against him, it is good abiding within strong walls, and see
whether they can fly over them like birds, or undermine
2 Kings vi. them like conies: but the godly man says with Eliseus, being
besieged of the king within the city, and his boy came and
told him, " Fear not, for there is more with us than with
them." Afterward he desired the Lord to open his boy's
eyes, that he might see how many were on their side : the
Lord gave him sight, and he saw the hills full of angels
and chariots ready to fight for him : and beside that the
Lord blinded his enemies, and Eliseus led them into the
midst of Samaria, among their enemies, where God bade
him feed them, and not harm them ; for it was not he that
had brought them thither, but the Lord his God. The
worldly man, when persecution comes, thinks, ' Shall I leave
my country, friends, and goods, go into a strange land, I
know not whither, and whose language I understand notf
But the faithful man, hearing God speak to his conscience,
Gen. xii. ^s he did to Abraham, "Come out of thy country and from
thy friends, into a land that I will shew thee; serve me,
2, 3, 4.] THE PROPHET ABDIAS. 233
and fall not to idolatry ;" he will obey with faithful Abra-
ham, knowing that God will guide all those that love and
follow him, and that his country is wheresoever God is served,
and these be his friends and cousins that fear the Lord; as
our Saviour Christ said, '' These be my mother, brether,' and •'^^=»"- '^i'-
sisters, that hear the word of God and keep it.'"* The tower
of Babel was builded a wondrous height, and Nimrod with c^n- ^^'
his companions would have gotten an everlasting name by
it : but the Lord, perceiving their proud enterprise, disap-
pointed them and scattered them abroad into all countries.
Satan was an angel in heaven, but for his disobedience is
now made a devil in hell. Nabuchodonozor was the mightiest ^*"- i^-
prince, yet afterward made a very beast. Herod was proud '^*^^* '^"•
of his great eloquence, and straight after was worried of life.
Rabsaces, blaspheming the hving God of Israel, and avant-
ing himself in his great conquests, as though they had been
gotten by their idol's power, had almost two hundred thou-
sand slain in his camp in one night by the angel of God, ^Jfii"^
and without man's power, in the time of good Ezechias. The
Madianites, lying so thick as grasshoppers in the field, thought
they should have devoured God's people at their pleasure ;
but God send his captain Gedeon, which \\-ith three hundred J"^- ^''»'
naked men, unliarnessed, having lamps in one hand and earth
pots in the other, vanquished them all. Thus it is true
that the psalm says, " If I climb up into heaven, thou art Ps\i.cxxxix.
there ; and if I get down into hell, thou art there also ; and
there thy hand shall rule me."
The whole scripture, if ye go through it, is nothing else
but a perpetual teaching, how God always throws down the
proud, and lifts up the simple and lowly. Oh, if the papists
would be as earnest to set up the true glor\' of God, as they
be diligent spaniels to seek all ways possible to set up that vile
puddle of idolatry of their go4f the pope ! In all ages have
been some people that have been plagues to the rest ; and
yet God has thrown them down at length : so no doubt the
papists be now; but their fall will be incurable when it comes,
although they be a great scourge almost to all ( 'hristcndom,
and flourish for a time.
[^ The three forms brether, brrthern, and f/rrthrrn are useil by the
author. En.]
234 EXPOSITION UPON [v.
JMark well the last words of the prophet, " I will make
thee come down, says the Lord." The destruction of this
people was done by Nabuchodonozor many years after, and
yet the Lord calls it his own deed, and says he will pull
them down. So, as I have noted afore, &c. that is called
It is called the Loi'd's deed, which is done by his servants, whether
deed that they be good or bad : for by such means the Lord will cor-
the servants '^ ^ , iiii p ii«
do. rect us, bring us to the knowledge oi ourselves and him.
In all such worldly corrections therefore let us not look so
much at him that vexes us, or murmur and grudge at him;
but look who has sent him, whose servant he is, and where-
fore he comes : for he comes from God to do and teach us
good : and then we shall patiently bear whatsoever comes.
And because they should not flatter themselves, as though
these things should not thus come to pass, he joins unto
it, " The Lord says :" as though he should say, Flatter not
yourselves, I speak not of mine own head : the God of all
truth, that can not lie, says thus : therefore most certainly
look for it. He that is a righteous judge of all creatures,
and both can and will be avenged on all evil doers, and will
deliver us his people out of the hands of their oppressors,
Avhen he has sufficiently declared the patient abiding and
deep sighing of the oppressed, and abiden long enough for
the turning of the proud enemies, when he sees no amend-
ment to be hoped for, he will then come in deed, fearful
for his enemies, and comfortable for his poor people ; as the
Psai. xii. psalm says, " For the misery of the poor and the sighing
of the oppressed I will rise, says the Lord." Who shall be
able to stand, when he says he will pull down? yea, who
dare be bold to look, when he shews his anger I Deceive not
yourselves, he will come.
The Text. V. 5. If tMeves had come to iliee, and if rohhers in the night,
how should thoifj have holden thy peace ? Would they not
have stolen sufficient for themselves 9 If grape gatherers
had come to thee, icould they not have left some clusters ?
6. But hoio have they searched' Esau, and ransaclced their
hid things!
After that the prophet has told them that they shall be
destroyed, now he tells them after what sort, and of what
5, 6.] THE PROPHET ARDIAS. 235
things they should be spoiled. Edom was a country not only
compassed about with hills, that no enemies could enter, and
fortified with strong holds and castles on the top of the hills,
as appears afore ; but it was a plenteous country also of all
fruits, and full of wise men of great polity : which all should
be taken from them, with all their things that they rejoiced
in. And where he uses two similitudes here, one of thieves
and of grape gatherers, which both, wheresoever they come,
do much harm and take all things at their pleasure, spare
nothing, but search all privy corners, where any thing can
be hid ; yet these spoilers should be much worse, and more
cnielly entreat them. This first part of the similitude has
two ariruments of their cnielness in it ; and it is as much as
though he should have said thus to them : If thieves should
come in the day time to spoil thee, or robbers in the niglit
season, thou could not have holden thy peace, but would have
called and cried for help of thy neighbours ; thou would have
prepared thyself to have foughten with them, to have with-
stand them, to have defended thine own goods, and to have
taken or killed them that thus violently came on thee : but
when these destroyers shall come, thou shalt not be bold to
whisper, to cr}', to call for help ; or else, if thou ciT never
so loud, it is but vain to defend thyself or rescue thy goods;
but fearfully like a sheep lie still, and like a coward let them
do to thee what they please ; it shall be fulfilled in thee, that
God threatens to the breakers of his law, that "one shall
chase a thousand, and ten men ten thousand:" yea, and that nout.xxviii.
xxxii.
which is more mar>'ellous, they shall be afraid at the fall of Levit. xxvi.
a loaf.
Or if we read thus, (so the Hebrew word signifies both
ways.) " How should thou have been destroyed !'' then this
is the meaninjj, that althoudi thieves and robbers would have
destroyed them, yet that destruction should not' have been
like to this : so extreme a plague should tin's be to them, that
these other were not wortliy to be compared unto it. Tho
latter token of their great destruction is, that the Ikbylonians,
when they come, should deal worse with them than tliieves
or robbers would : for thieves, when they come, they do not
take all, but the best things they find, lest they should not
[} Not is rc(niircd by the sense: wantinj^ in the old edition. En.]
236 EXPOSITION UPON [v.
flee fast enough away, or be bewrayed by many things when
they should be known. And again, they use not to tarry
long in robbing a house, for fear lest some should espy them,
and come upon tliem suddenly. But the Chaldees should
not be afraid of any company of men, w4ien they should over-
run them; nor be content with a few things, but destroy
all after them; and that which they could not carry away,
they would utterly mar by some means, that they should
have no good of that which was left. They would not be
content with a few things, as thieves, but they would have
all : they would not hastily run away for fear of any help
coming to rescue them ; but they would without fear spoil,
and tarry their leisure, searching all corners, not caring who
shall espy them. And, that which is more marvellous, thieves,
although they come suddenly upon a man, giving no w^arning,
that a man might prepare himself to stand in his own defence,
should not do so much harm as the Assyrians should, coming
not suddenly upon them, nor they unprepared, but being
prepared, and although they knew of their coming, and
had all kind of weapons to defend themselves withal, yet they
should not be able nor bold to defend themselves or their
country, but should utterly perish, be robbed, spoiled and
destroyed.
The latter similitude of grape gatherers declares this more
plainly. Grape gatherers, although they search every branch,
and peep under every leaf, lest they leave any grapes growing
behind them, (and yet they were commanded in the law by
Levit. xix. Moscs to leave some growing of all kind of fruit behind them ;
and if they let any fall, they should not turn again to take
it up, but let the poor come gather and glean,) yet these
greedy cormorants, so covetous that they never had enough,
so greedy that they were never filled, they would not leave
one cluster growing behind them, but so utterly spoil them,
that they would leave nothing at all, neither for poor nor
rich. They would spare neither man nor woman, old nor
young, house nor land, town nor castle ; beasts of all sorts
without mercy should be wasted, burned, and destroyed.
The latter verse shews this utter destruction at large
in few words, saying, " But how have they searched Esau,
and ransacked their secret things V — as though he should say
5, 6.] THE PROPHET ABDIAS. 237
to them, Although thieves, robbers, grape gatherers, use to
do much harm, wheresoever they come, and nothing can escape
their hands ; yet it shall be nothing like unto this destruc-
tion, that these of Babylon shall do. This destruction shall
be incurable ; these shall spoil, kill and destroy without mercy.
Nabuchodonozor, when he comes with his men, shall search
and ransack all your secret places and corners, that nothing
shall escape them. In sacking of towns men be wont to
cast their plate, money, jewels, and such other treasures into
deep wells, to dig them in the earth or some privy place,
where none or few uses to come, or few would mistrust any
thing there to be hid : but when he comes, hide your trea-
sures where you lust; cast them into jakes, dunghills, cisterns,
or blind corners, where please you ; it shall not skill, it shall
be espied, and shall not escape : ye shall not have profit of
any thing ye have. He wondei*s at the utter destruction of
them, when he says, " How have they searched and ransacked
the secrets !" — as if he should say. It shall be unlike unto
all other doings : no reason would think what great cnielty
in searching and spoil shall be shewed unto thee ; it shall be
so horrible, so contrary to men's looking for, and so far un-
like to all that has been shewed to any other people.
And marvel not at this extremity shewed unto you : good
reason it is, that they which have comforted themselves in
their worldly things beside God, that they should be so cor-
rected of God, that they should understand that there is no
help, succour or comfort, but in God ; and they which would
not know God in prosperity, must now drink of his justice
in adversity. He had given plenty to them of all fruits, corn,
catties, and all kind of riches ; but this could not move them
to knowledge him to be their Lord and God, giver and saver
both of man and beast : therefore now nmst they taste of
the rod, to know there was a God whom they had offended.
God does not give us his benefits, riches and blessings to
make us trust in ourselves or any other creature, but to
stir up our minds to heaven, to look on him, trust in him,
call on him, and praise him : therefore it was right that all
these should be taken from them, to bring them to tlu' know-
ledge of themselves and his justice, which can not abide such
thinjTs. This is the reward due for all such as will not shew
238 EXPOSITION UPON fv.
mercy, but cruelty to them that be in distress; they shall
find the same cruelty and measure given them again, when
they shall be in need ; they shall ask mercy, call for help,
but find none.
Gen. x]iv. Joseph's brethren, when they would shew no mercy to
their brother, when he desired them, were straitly looked on
for a time, and sharply spoken unto, when they came into
Egypt : and then they could confess that God had worthily
rewarded them their unkindness that they shewed their brother
Joseph. Nabuchodonozor with all his cruel proud men, which
spoiled, conquered and cruelly entreated all countries about
them, were served with like measure at Cyrus"* hands, when
he overcame them : he destroyed their city, and conquered
their country. And as our papists, with their spies in all
corners, would let no man dwell in rest, but accuse, com-
plain, imprison, and burn them, and had rather fulfil the
bloody desires and minds of the cruel murderers and butchers,
than shew any gentleness to God's people, (and all to pick
a thank or get a bribe of the proud bishops or hard hearted
and never satisfied horse-leeches, the lawyers;) so their time
will come, when they shall feel God's heavy wrath and dis-
pleasure against them with such grief of conscience, that they
uev. vi. shall wish for death, and not find it, desire the hills to cover
them from the face of the Lamb, and yet be without com-
fort. These be the Edomites, that persecute the true sons
of Jacob at this day : these be the false brethren, that be
moved neither with the fear of God's love to his word, nor
natural to their brethren, countrymen and kinsfolk ; but,
like brute beasts, devour all afore them, satisfying their own
lusts and desires, increasing their own condemnation, if they
turn not and repent with tears.
The Text. v. 7. Even unto the harder of tliy country have they cast out
thee^ and persecuted all men which were in league and
confederate loith thee: the men that made peace icith
thee have deceived thee^ and prevailed against thee ; and
those that eat thy bread have wounded thee privily:
there is 'no wisdom in him.
8. Shall I not in that day, says the Lord, destroy the loise
men from Edom^ and wisdom from the hill of Esau 9
7} 8, 9.] THE PROPHET ABDIAS. 239
9. Tlie strong men of Theman shall he afraid^ because every
one of the hill Esau shall he destroyed.
This plague, that God threatens to this people now, is of
two sorts; and that, because they had double offended. Ac-
cording as it is the policy of princes to join themselves in
league and friendship with princes that dwell near unto them,
that by their help they might be the stronger and more feai-ed,
and also to have wise men of the counsel ; so had these
Edomites sought the friendship of all the mighty countries
about them, and picked out also the worldly-wisest men they
could find to be their rulers ; thinking that by polity and
wisdom of the one, and the strength, power, and riches of
the other, they should be able to defend themselves against
all men that would proffer them wrong ; yea, they should
rather under this pretence be bold to do other men wrong,
and none should once be so bold to say, AVliy do ye so?
This is a common practice likewise at these days, of such
as would hurt other, — but that either they dare not nor
can not, — to run always under some great man's wing, to
bear the name of his servant, wear his livery, or be one
of his retinue, that under this colour he may disquiet the
whole country where he dwells, and no man dare be so bold
to blame him.
But God hates all such as forsake him, and hang on them-
selves ; takes all such in their own devices, and that wherein
they think to save themselves is turned to their own de-
stiiiction. These people, says the Lord, with whom thou
art in league, thinking thereby to save thyself, and be stronger
than all other, even the selfsame people shall rise uj) against
thee, take part with thy enemies, and drive thee out of the
borders of thy own country. You would think it a great
pleasure if, when thou were conquered and overcome, thou
might dwell in thine own country still, paying tribute and
taxes to Nabuchodonozor and other about thee ; but thou,
that hast been so cruel to thy brethern, God's people, the
sons of Jacob, shall not find so much favour and friendsliip
at their hands, as to dwell in thy own land, but shall bo
driven not only out of thy strong holds and wealthy places
of it, but even out of all the coasts and borders of the
240 EXPOSITION UPON [v.
same ; and that by those which thou takest for thy friends,
and in whom thou puttest thy trust.
Such shall be the case of all those that forsake the Lord,
and put their trust in themselves or their friends. When
the people of God would have gone to Egypt again for
succour, when Nabuchodonozor had subdued all the country,
Jer. xiii. Jeremy cried still. No, they should not do so ; for where they
looked for help, they should find woe : for Nabuchodonozor
overcanie Egypt also, and then all that fled thither were
in worse case than if they had tarried in their country still.
isai. xxxvi. " Egypt is a reed," says Isaie, " and they that flee thither
shall perish." In dangerous times there is no succour to be
found, but at the Lord's hands: for when the Lord sees
that in prosperity we forget him, he sends us adversity, that
for fear we should be compelled to look for help at his hands.
Such a loving God is he unto us, that he would win us by all
means possible; but if we can be drawn to him by no way, he
gives us over, that we may work justly our own condemnation
without excuse, having nothing to lay for ourselves.
Moreover those that made peace with these people de-
ceived them, and those that eat their bread wounded them
privily. This is the reward of worldly wisdom, that when
they trust most in them, they shall be soonest deceived ; and
when they look for help of them, they shall be the first that
True love is shall wound them. There can be no true love, which is not
the godly. " grounded in God and for his sake : for where as God only
is sought for, there is love and truth itself; wheresoever he
is not, there is neither truth nor true love. That love which
is grounded on worldly causes, when the world changes, it
fails too. If it be for beauty, profit, or friendship, as soon
as these be gone, farewell love, friendship is gone. Nabu-
chodonozor, whom they feared, and looked for promotion at
his hands, was now comen to destroy Edom ; and therefore
all the country about was not only ready to fall from the
Edomites, with whom they were in league afore, giving them
no help ; but were the first and cruellest enemies that they
had, ready not only not to help them, but to drive them
out of their own country. Who pretended a greater love
to Christ than Judas, and who sooner betrayed and denied
him ? How many examples is England able to give of such
7, 8, 9-1 THF. PROl'HKT AP.IMAS. 241
as, while thov were in .'uitliority, tlioy were feared ratlier tliaii
loved, (althou<]rh it was called love, fair faces were (mt\var;ilv,
promises, oaths, bands, marriages were made, and all devices
that could be, to make it sure;) but when they fell, thev
which were thought dearest friends were become open ene-
mies, accusers and conderaners, in hope to climl) into his
room, or catch part of his goods or lands. David complains Psai. xii
of such as made fairest face of friendship, and did eat of the
same dish, and yet soonest deceived him.
These words in the Hebrew be written in the preterite Pf^ter
tense,
tense, but spoken that so it should come to pass as sure
as if it were now done: according as the custom of the pro-
phets is, to speak that ^vhich is to come as though it were
done, where other languages use to speak such tilings in
future tenses.
J^ut the latter end of the verse, where he says, "there
Is no wisdom in him," (that is to say, in them, or all the
ivlomites, by a common figurative si)eech in Hebrew, where
the singular is put for the plural, as in the 89th psalm, " I
will visit their wickedness with a rod, (Sec. but my mercy
I will not take from him," them,)* — is most marvellous; for
^vho will believe, or who can judge the contrary, but that
it is great wisdom and policy to the strengthening, defence,
and maintainiu": of a countrv, to have stronir holds in it, and
to be in league with their neighbours round about them, as
these men were ? ]^ut God says, '* there was no wisdom in
them," nor in this their doing : not l^ecause it is not lawful for
God's people to have, use, or make such things in their com-
monwealth for their defence and keeping out their enemies, but
that they may not do these things to put their trust in them ;
or when they have them, to despise their Lord God. seek-
ing no help at his hands, but trust in their own strength,
thinking themselves able to defend themselves against all
enemies ; as though God did nothing, nor victory and de-
fence were not of him. And again, when they have such
strong defence, they may not use it to the hurt of God's
))Cople ; as these wicked proud Kdomites did botli against
God, their brethren and the people of God.
Thi.s is right wisdom to forsake himself and hang upon
[' Tlu' oltl c.lition is ii)nfiw>(l : take froitt Uiiu. Th'iu »x itiusl. Ki>.J
Hi
i I'M.KINt. 1 ON. I
242 EXPOSITION UPON [v.
God, to know that no policies are good which is against
God'^s people, nor to think themselves strong by hurting
Exod. vii. others. The conjurers that stood afore Pharao working mi-
racles, thought they should have defaced Moses and set up
themselves : but Pharao was drowned with his host, Moses
with his people was delivered, and the conjurers granted
2Sam. xvii. that the living God wrought in Moses. Achitophel, coun-
selling Absalon to follow his father David that same night
he began to rebel, lest in deferring time he should escape,
w^oridiy thouofht Absalon should have been a king^ : but God proved
WIS iom s o o 1
fooiishiuss. his worldly-wise counsel to be foolishness ; for when he see
that he was not beloved nor his counsel followed, he went
and hanged himself: but David escaped, and Absalon was
Esther v.vii. slain. When Haman had obtained a proclamation for the
destroying of all the Jews, and made a gallows for Mar-
docheus, he thought himself wiser than all the world ;
and that he should have been promoted himself, and the
people of God spoiled and destroyed : but Haman was
hanged on the same gallows, Mardocheus promoted, and the
1 Sam. xviii. Jews delivered. When Saul promised David his daughter
for the killing of an hundred Philistines, not for love, but
thinkins: David should have been killed himself afore he had
killed so many, he thought he had done politicly; but Da-
vid killed them all, married his daughter, and was king
after him : for which thing only Saul abhorred him. The
Luke XX. scribes and Pharisees, thinking, if Christ were once dead,
they should be safe, and never hear tell more of him : but
after his death, the apostles wrought more miracles in his
name than he did himself, being alive, and more believed in
him after his death, than ever did when he was alive.
Thus all the scripture proves plain, that that which worldly
wisdom thinks best to set up themselves by, and to destroy
God's people, is proved to be the destruction of all those
that trust in it ; and when they look for most comfort of
their device^ it turns to their own hurt : as we see it has
chanced by God's merciful providence to our papists for
bringing in the Spaniards, trusting by that people to main-
tain their superstitious popery and idle lordly authority. " The
I Cor iii. wisdom of this world,'' says the apostle, " is foolishness afore
God." The wiser thou art afore men, not having the glory
7, 8, .9.] THK PROPHET ARDIAS. 243
of God afore thine eyes, ever studying how to set forth his
will to the world, the more fool thou art : the craftier thou
art to set up thyself, the sooner thou workcst thine own
destniction. How many of the worldly policy men have heen
trapped in their own snare here among us! Have not they,
when they were highest in authority, suffered death by the
same their own laws ? Thus ye see that all worldly wisdom
against God is nought ; and that it is no wisdom indeed,
but foolishness. And although worldly wits do many things
well for a time, yet when they trust in it most, and stand
most in need of it, they shall be deceived, as the next verse
says : " Shall I not in that day destroy, says the Lord, the
wise men from Edom," &;c? And as it is in worldly wits
and policies, that they be all vain when they strive against co^J's^mat-"
God ; so is it in the spiritual kingdom of Christ, in his word \qIL[^ ^'""
and church : for the dregs of popery, with their canons and
decrees, shall be throNvn down, and cannot always maintain
those idle belly gods, the pope's chaplains ; but as they
have been cast dowTi by times ever, so shall they at length
be trodden under foot to their confusion. Like is the case
of subtle schoolmen \\'ith their distinctions, defacing Christ
and his truth ; neither setting forth the majesty of God and
his Son Christ Jesus, nor edifying with comfortable promises
the weak consciences, nor opening the mysteries of the scrip-
ture ; but with foolish glosses defacing the mercies of God
taught in his holy word, and burdening men with traditions,
unwritten verities, or rather vanities, their onvti dreams and
fantasies ; all which God abhors, and says, '^ All that wor- ^i*". xv.
ship him, teaching man's doctrine, worship him in vain."
These and all such like, coming of " the wisdom of the Rom. vin.
flesh,''' be everla.sting death, as Paul says, and " sensual, James lii.
carnal, and devilish," as James terms them, and mere ig-
norance of God and his mercies : for a " natural sensual i Cor. ii.
man perceives not the things of God.'**
And to conclude, generally all wisdom that sets up it.self
in any kind of things, whatsoever it Ik?, it is no wisdom ; it
shall confound all that use it or tnist in it ; and when they
would most gladly enjoy it, they shall surely not have it.
" There is no wisdom nor counsel against the Lord," says Prov. xxi.
Salomon. The pope with all his rabble is not so wise to
16— *>
244 EXPOSITION UPON [v.
throw down Christ, as the scribes and Pharisees were in
their time : and as they were confounded, so shall all that
rebel against the Son of God, which by the might of his
Holy Spirit, in the mouth of his true apostles, disciples and
ministers, being but poor simple abjects and a despised people
in the sight of the world, has overthrown tyrants, stopped
blaspheming mouths, confounded the wise and learned, and
declared his strength in our weakness, that there is no power,
wisdom, strength nor policy that prevails against him or his
people : and because they did glory so much in their wisdom
and policy, the Lord counts it a glorious thing to throw
them down; and because the glory may be given to him
alone for such a noble victory, he says, " Shall I not throw
them downf — as though he should say, No man shall have
the praise of it, but I myself; I will destroy them with
mine own hands in that day when they look not for it, and
trust most in themselves. The tower of Babel, the cities
Nineve and Jerusalem, being great and mighty, were sud-
denly overthrown when they thought not on it. The wisdom
of God purposes one thing, and the wisdom of man another:
so wisdom shall overcome wisdom, and the pride of man shall
be overcome by the mighty hand of God. God tarries long
to have his enemies to turn by repentance, to see their own
folly, and ask forgiveness : but when he sees there is no
remedy nor hope of their amendment, he comes like a sharp
and righteous judge, and utterly overthrows them.
But not only their wisdom and wise men perished, but
their "strong men shall be afraid also, because every noble
man among them should be afraid,'' as the last verse says.
^Vhat a case shall these people be in, when neither wisdom
Theman. nor strength siiall serve ! Theman signifies by interpreta-
tion the souths and it is also the name of one of their chief
cities; and therefore some translate, " Thy strong men shall
be afraid of the south/' because Nabuchodonozor came with
his host from the south ; for so Babylon stood southward
from them : or better, "the strongest men of Theman," thy
Jer. xiix. chief city, shall be afraid ; and so Jeremy uses it, " There
is no more wisdom in Theman." It is thought of many
learned, and that probably, that Job dwelled in this country
afore Esau was born, and married Dina, Jacob's daughter,
7, i**', y.] THE PROPHET ABDIA>'. 245
a.s Philo says; and that Eliplias also the 'Ihemaiiite', one
of Job's friends, which came to comfort him as he sat onJfi»»>-
the dunghill, dwelled in this city Theman, and thereof was
called the Themanite': and well it may be so; for in his
coimsellings and comforting of Job he speaks oft more
worldly than godly, although wittily and wisely.
The latter end of the verse some read, "Every one of the
liill P^sau;"" some, "the noble men,'" as the Targuni reads; but
both well enough. For Isch signifies both ecery one, and also istii.
a man, but such one as is noble. Therefore I join them
together, and say, " every noble man ;" and so I express
both their meanings. So here is plainly taught, that neither
wisdom nor strength can prevail against the Lord. All
gloiying, cracking, rejoicing or boasting, that any man has
of himself, or any thing beside God, is vain and wicked: for
this must always l)e afore us, "He that glories, let him glory
in the Lord ;*' and Cyprian says well, " We nmst glory in
nothing, because nothing is ours : we have received all
from (rod, and therefore all praise must be given to him,
that gives all*." " What hast thou," says St Paul, •• that i Cor. iv.
thou hast not received of God? and if thou have received
it, why crackest thou on it, as though thou had not received
itf Wliat a proud soul is he that will be proud of his
borrowed coat, or painted sheath ! God clothes us, and covers
our filthv nakedness with his ixodlv erifts : what unthankful
treason is it then, to take the praise from him to ourself,
and not render due thanks to him for them !
Mark here the difference betwixt true wisdom and bold- fJo(iiy-wi><..
Worldly.
ness, and earthly worldly wit and power. When danger
comes, the ^rodlv-wise man will commit himself whollv to
God, looking for help and deliverance at his hands ; or else
patiently bear it without any dismaying, whatsoever ( rod lays
on him : for he knows well that things are not ruled by
fortune, nor that any thing can fall on him without the good
will of his good God and loving Father. Hut the worldly-
[' Old edition, the Ainiiiiti:s. Ko.]]
L* In proprias liuides odiosa jactatio v^i; (juamvis nun jactatuui
]»ossit esse, sed giatiim, quicquid non virtuti honiinis aM-ribitur, sc<l
<le Dei munere prscdicatur. • • ■ Dei est, inqiiani, Dei oinne quod
possiunus. Dc CJratia Dei, a(l Donatum. Pn^^. 1', Oxon. 17<K>. Kn.]
246 EXPOSITION UPON [v.
wise man, when he sees worldly wit, power and polity fail,
he thinks all the world fails, and things be without recovery:
he trusteth not in God, and therefore no marvel if he be
left desolate. Of the ofood man's fear in the time of ad-
Jer. xvii. versity writes Jeremy : " Blessed is he that trusts in the
Lord, for he shall be a tree planted by the waters, and in
the drought he shall not be careful, nor cease to bear fruit."
Psai. iii. And David also says, "Thou shall not be afraid of fear in
the night, &c.'' The wicked contrariwise shall be afraid at
the fall of a leaf : one shall chase a thousand, and [two] ten
SSi.tJo."'' thousand, as God threatens in Deuteronomy by Moses. He
will lie, flatter, swear, and what ye will have him to do, rather
than lose his profit. The like says Jeremy of them too :
" They shall be a reed shaken of the wind. They shall dwell
in dry wilderness, in a salt ground." The people which dwelt
in the land promised to the Israelites, when they heard tell
Josh. ii. what wonders God wrought in the wilderness and the Eed
Sea for his people, and seeing them come near unto them,
and hearing the victories they had against the kings. See
and Og, their hearts melted in their bodies like wax, as
E^hab confessed to the spies which Josue sent ; but Rahab
herself she plucked up her heart, trusted in God, and was
delivered where the other perished. So the good Gabaonites
Josh. ix. that feared God yielded themselves to Josue, and were saved :
the other that trusted in their own strength, and would try
it with the sword, for all their brag were faint hearted and
1 Sam. xvii. ovorcome. So the Philistines, seeing Goliath their grand
captain slain of David, being but a child in comparison of
him, fled away post ; where the Israelites afore were so afraid
that they durst not stir. Thus God turns the course of things
when pleases him, that those which afore were dismayed, pluck
up their courage and win the victory; and those that were stout,
bragging of themselves afore, now be made cowards, run away
and fly, thinking the dangers greater than they be indeed.
One wicked It does evidently appear here also, how the Lord raises
another. up ouo wicked to plague and throw down another. These
Edomites had joined themselves with their neighbours to
trouble poor Jacob's seed and his people : but now the mat-
ter is so turned, that one wicked persecutes, destroys and
plagues another, and Nabuchodonozor destroys Edom. Wicked
JO 16".] THE PKOPIIKT AIJDIAS. 2^7
Jehu was raised to throw dowTi cruel Jesabol : and all the 2 Kings ij
kings of Israel, called the ten tribes, being all evil, every one
murdered his predecessor, and was killed of his successor.
How many popes have used the same practice in j)oisoning one
another, that they miorht come aloft, it were more lono- and
tedious to tell, than hard to find. In twelve year space under
one emperor were eight popes, whereof every one almost persecu-
ted another, being dead and digged up out of the earth, and be-
headed them, as Formosus, Stephanus, &c. Some other reigned
but a month, and poisoned one another, as Crantz^ \\Tites.
v. 10. For the violence toicard thy brother Jacob, shame shall'^^^'^^^^'
confound thee, and thou shalt be destroyed for ever.
11. In that day did thou stand against hirn, even in
that day when strangers did take his goods, and ichen
strangers entered his gates, and when they cast lot for
Jerusalem, thou also least one of them.
12. Thou slialt not look in the day of thy brother, nor in
the day v^hen strange things shall happen him ; nor thou
shalt not rejoice against the children of Juda in the day
of their destruction, nor thou shalt not open thy mouth
boastingly in the day of their trouble.
13. Thoit shalt not enter the gates of my people in the day
of their destruction ; nor thou shalt not look on their
trouble in the day of their misery ; nor thou shalt not
stretch out thyself upon his goods in the day of his de-
struction.
14. Nor thou shalt not stand in thr cross ways to kill them
that fee ; nor thou shalt hem them that be left in the
day of their trouble.
15. For the day of the Lord over all people is at hand:
as thou hast done, they shall do unto thee ; like punish-
ment shall fall U2)on thim own head.
16. As ye Jtave drunken upon my holy hill, so shall all people
drink continually : thi y shall drink and stcalloir up,
and shall be as though they were not.
Now follows the declaration of the causes of Ciod's anger
and heavy displeasure against Ivlom. lost any man should
[' AUurt C'raiitz, or Kiaiitz, a celebrated liistoiian of tlu- loili rt-ii-
turv. Ki). I
248 EXPOSITION UPON" [v.
think God unjust in liis doings, or too sharp in his piuiishings.
Some would think a less punishment might have sufficed to
have corrected them withal : hut when they shall consider how
great and grievous the sins of them were, it shall be judged
too little a punishment for so many faults.
The first verse contains generally that which the verses
following declare by particulars. The pride, violence, injuries,
wrongs and robberies, that they shewed toward their brother
Jacob, be tlie causes of this their destruction. Jacob and
Edom are not here taken for the two brethren, the sons of
Jacob. Isaac ; but for tlie whole seed, stock, posterity, children, and
Ecioii'i. issue born of them both : so that, as hatred be^an in Esau
against Jacob in their father's life, yea, in their mother's
womb, insomuch that Esau persecuted his brother Jacob to
death so sore, that Jacob was caused to flee to his uncle
Laban ; so the hatred, persecution and enmity did continue
in their children unto this time, was fulfilled that the prophet
speaks of here, when the posterity of Esau was utterly de-
God is slow, stroyed. And this is comfortable both for the long-sufferinff
but he is -^ . to O
sure. of God afore he do extremely punish, and also a true proof
of his justice, that although he do defer his punishing long,
yet he is a righteous judge, and will come at the length, and
be avenged on his enemies, and deliver his children that have
been so long oppressed under their enemies. Therefore, as
the good need not to be discouraged, as though their God
cared not for them ; so the wicked shall not triumph, as
though they might do what they list, and God would not
call them to account.
They had thus persecuted Jacob and his posterity above
a thousand years, and that continually, afore they were de-
stroyed, and could never be satisfied of their cruelty : there-
fore, partly to stop their raging, and bring them to the know-
ledge both of God and themselves, and partly to fear other
for following the like example, if they should be unpunished,
becruei'^*^^ but specially for th(» crying of the poor o])})ressed people,
theiTOfiiy whom God takes into his custodv to be their tutor, the
patient. " '
Lord will rise to shew himself glorious, mighty, and merci-
ful, pull down his enemies, deliver his oppressed, as David
Psai. xii. says, " For the misery of the poor, and the sighing of the
wretched, I will rise, says the Lord, &c." Why should God's
10 16.1 IHr, I'HOPHKT AIJDIAS. 2 ID
people then be dismayed when they bo persecuted, seeiiifr thcv
have so mighty a judge, that can and will deliver them when
it shall be meetest for his glory and their comfort ? " Kefer Rom. ;.ii.
the venjjeancc to me, savs the Lord, and I will re venire it/'
Let us therefore submit ourselves under his hands, and pa-
tiently look for his coming ; for no doubt he will come.
When Closes led the people through the wilderness, and came
near the bounds of Kdom, he asked licence to pass through Num. \ii.
their country, keeping the highways, hurting them in no l)e-
lialf, insomuch that they would pay for the water that they
drank : but they, more like no men than cousins, coming of th.e
same stock and father, being not content with this churlish-
ness, to deny them passage, threatens them fm-thor, that if
they would not pass by all their country, and not once be
so bold as to enter within their coasts, they would by and
l)ye tight against them with all their pov.er. So Moses, to i>cut. ii.
keep peace, led the people by a great compass round about ;
and what said God to this I did he bid destroy them ? No ;
but clean contrary, he bade them not to fight against them ;
not only them, but he says unto them, " Thou shalt not harm
Edom, because he is thv brother.'"*
Note here the patience and long suffering of God's peo-
j)lo, that would not once attempt to revenge such displeasures,
unkindness and injuries done unto them. And again note
the churlishness of feigned friends, hypocrites and dis.sem-
blers, which will shew no gentleness to God's people, though
they may do it without their hurt or displeasure of any man.
Is not the world full of such unthankful, unkind, and un-
natural folk at this day ^ 8t Paul complains of such as
cast off all natund affection, that should be among men :
as when they which be all of one house, stock and kindred,
comini; of one {jreat irrandfatlier or ancestors, be so cruel
one against another, that nature, which works in brute
Ijeasts, has no place in them, one to love or hiip anotlur:
he calls them Kiife affertu; as though \\v sliould say. if Kom. i.
nature can not work or mo\c* thcni. wliich moves stones,
trees, herbs, and beasts, what hope is there that the go.s-
])('l. which is so far above and contrary to nature, should
take any place in them! So St Paul calls them which do
not ]>rovide for them and theirs, *• worse than intidels." > Tim- v.
250 EXPOSITION (PON [v.
Wherefore it was necessary, some great plague to fall on
this people that had so far forgotten nature, that they would
not let them pass through their country, nor drink of their
waters, which they would pay for.
But this is the mark betwixt God's chosen and the deviPs,
the gospeller and the papist, the true Clii'istian and an hy-
pocrite ; that the one will suffer wrong, do good for evil,
pray for them that hate him, be content with a little, not
murmuring ; but the bloody papist is proud, cruel, murder-
ing, oppressing the innocent, merciless, hating without re-
conciliation, ever seeking to hurt, that they may live like
lords of the land and idle belly gods. What a comfort is
Tiieg:odiy this for God's poor afflicted people, that although God do
be corrected i .
theVicked ^^"S Suffer them to be vexed of their enemies, yet he will
for ever. j^q^ suffer them to be overwhelmed ; but he will utterly root
out the wicked, when he begins to execute his justice on
zech. ii. them! "He that touches you," says God to his people by
the prophet Zachary, "touches the apple of mine eye." What
part of man is more tender than the eye? or which part do
we take more care for than that? Yet, if the eye be sore
or dim of sight, we will lay sharp biting waters or powders
in it to eat out the web, pearl, or blearedness. So will God,
although he love his people so tenderly, lay sharp biting salves,
purging medicines, corrosives, lancings, letting blood, yea, and
cut off rotten members, lest the whole body perish or rot
away. But all that is for fatherly love, to di'ive us unto
him, to make us weary of the world, to purge carnal cares,
eat out the dead rotten fantasies of our minds, let out
the bruised blood, or cut away by death some for the ex-
ample of other, to strengthen them boldly to confess the
truth and glorifying of his name by such constant witness
of our weak natures. A little worldly shame, as it is thought
of worldly, but not godly men, may light on God's people
for a time ; but everlasting shame shall confound their ene-
mies for ever afore God. A short temporal punishment may
grieve God's children for a time ; but their haters shall be
utterly destroyed for ever. The Israelites were ashamed for
a time in their captivity, when Esau joined with Nabucho-
donozor to destroy them ; and yet afterwards were brought
home again : but now should these be utterly destroyed for
1() 16".] THE PROPHET ABDlAsJ. 251
ever without recovery. The Phihstines tor a time made the
Israehtes ashamed : but after that David had slain Gohath, i sjam. xvii.
the Phihstines were vanquished^ slain, and every day more
and more rooted out.
The verses following declare the cause of the destruction
of Edom. First, because when Nabuchodonozor sacked their
city Jerusalem, entered the gates and cast lot on Jerusalem,
who should have the best part, spoiled their good, burned
their houses and temple, beat down their walls, and made
havoc of all, '• Thou, Edom, stood among them," took their
parts, robbed as fast as the best, cast lot with them which
should be thy part ; and when other would have shewn pity,
thou cried, as the psalm says, " Down with it, down with ^^*l-
them, even to the bottom ;'' leave not one stick standing,
leave not one stone upon another. O what cruel words are
these, that they which were cousins, and should have been
friends unto this people, when their enemies would have shewn
pity, they cry, Down with them, down with them ; leave
not one piece standing ! The Scots invading England made
a like brag among themselves, to destroy all afore them ; and
the morning afore the battle was fought, they played at dice
for all the dukedoms and great cities in England, who should
have them: but God turned them in their own pride; for
their king was slain in the field, and all the host discom-
fited to their great loss and shame'.
Where brotherly love required that thou should have
holpen thy brother Jacob and his seed, thou stood by and
looked on, and would not help, when such strange things
and destruction fell on him : yea, not only that, but ye re-
joiced at their harm, and stood boa.sting and cracking against
them, where thou should have been a comfort, and delivered ^^^^ l/^^^tf^
of them. It is hard to tell whether ho offends (iod more
that does the wrong and 0})prcsses another, or he that stands
by laughing, mocking and scorning, and may help and will
not ; but sure both be danniable. David complains of siu-h
as hurt the oppressed, '-They have ])ei*secuted him whom !***•• i^w.
thou hast smitten, and they increased my sorrow :" and again,
" They sang rhymes against me, as they sat (h'inking wine.''
They that stood mocking at our Saviour Christ, hanging on
[' The battle of Flodden Field, a.d. l.-)!'^. Kd. )
-•i>2 EXPOsiTiox ri'ox Tv.
the cross, were as oiiilty of his death as they tluit crucified
.\!att.xxvii. hin^. ''Thou that destroyest the temple of God, hail, king-
Rom, i. of the Jews ! Let him save him. if he will have him." They
which consent to any wickedness are as well guilty as they
that do the deed. It is against all humanity that, when God
punishes, man should also lay on more sorrow beside. No
beast, if another stick fast in the mire or fall under his load,
will stand mocking or hurting him, or laying on more weight
to hold it do^^■n : and what beastliness or worse rather is
this, that man should rejoice at another man's harm ! it is
against nature of man. God bids by Moses, that if ye sec
E.\o(i. x.Niii. thine enemy's ass fallen under his load, that thou shall not
pass by, but thou shall help to lift him up : and surely God
does not command this so much for the ass's sake, as the
man's ; as St Paul says in a like case, in muzzling the labour-
ing ox, " Has God care for oxen V And if we be taught
thus to shew this friendship to our enemy and his ass, much
more it will be required at our hands for our friends and
neighbours. But they had so far forgotten all gentleness,
that they were more ready to do them harm than their open
enemies were and strangers. " They burst open their gates,
and went in with the first, laid hands upon their goods, and
spoiled them as fast as the best." Yea, they were not con-
tent to stand by, look on, and rob them ; but they stood
in the cross ways, that if any escaped, ran away, or made
shift to save himself, they either w^ere ready to kill him, or
else take him prisoner, and bring him and deliver him into
the hands of his enemies. 0 miserable cruelness, that would
not let them live which had once escaped danger, nor would
not let them flee away which were once delivered from their
enemies ! What a pleasure had these wicked men in mur-
dering and robbing their brethren, that could not suffer them
to escape which had once escaped !
Yea, all this cruelty they shewed when the Lord had
forbidden them : for so the Hebrew reads all these cruel parts
negatively, forbidding them so to do. And because they had
done so cruelly to their brethren, and contrary to God's
commandment, the plagues fell on them which the next
verse speaks of. The Chaldee targum reads them all affirm-
atively, saying, " Thou did stand against thy brother ; when
10 If).] THF PROPHET ABDIAS. 253
the heathen robbed him, entered liis city, cast lot for .Torii-
salem, thou took their parts, stood looking on him in the
day of his destruction, and spake boastingly against him; thou
robbed him, and stood in the cross ways to kill them that
ran awav to save themselves/' The sense and meanin<»' is
all one, whether we read them affirmatively or negatively ;
for the one casts in their teeth their cruelty, and the other
forbids them it, and shews that for this their unkind and
wicked behaviour toward their brethren, God's people, thev
should drink such as they had given other. This is the
common practice of the world, that when a man is down,
then even those which were his feigned friends afore, \Nill
be the first that shall work him displeasure. AVhen Absalon
had gathered a great company, and driven out his father,
then those that were David's counsellors and flattering friends,
were the first that forsaked him; saw the world chanfre, 2S.im. x\.
ran to Absalon, and thought tliere was most profit /to get^i Kin^^s xv.
to be gotten tliat wav. ^ ' ,
]5ut if I should apply this to antichrist, the pope, and , .
his pigs, we shall easily perceive how true it is not only afore, •
l)ut in these our miserable days. When Vertiger, king of
this realm, would forsake his lawful wife tlie queen, and marrv
tiie daughter of Hengist a Saxon, then to defend that naught v
deed nnist the Saxons be brought in contrary to the people's
mind ; and so at length they conquered all, and made tliem-
selves kings, driving out the Englishmen. Of what one cruel
point can our unmerciful papists excuse themselves at this day,
but they have been as cruel against the brethern in this realm
for religion, as Edom was against Jacob • For the maintaining
of the idolatries, when they see that the most part of the
realm had espied their wickedness and proud tvrannv that thev Papists aro
would exercise agamst the people or dod, tliev see tliere was th.- vAom-
. . . * . iti'ft.
no way to keep their pomp and feed their idle bellies, but by
might, power, and strong hand. So these caterpillars, caring
not how they come by it so that they had it. better they think
it to danger the whole realm, than idolatry be not maintained,
their pope honoured, poor souls bought and sold, their greedy
ambitious desires set aloft, that they may rule like lords.
When they see their brethren cast in the fire, they stand l>y
laughing, boasting their I'alsc diKtrinc. cracking to root nut all
254
EXPOSITION UPON [v.
that love the gospel, and not to leave one alive that is sus-
pect to love any good religion. These greedy cormorants, if
they see any that had a good living that they list to have, by
and bye they set one of their promoters or other to accuse him,
and never ceased unto they had driven him out. Yea, when
the pope'*s spaniels some would speak against such cruelty,
and wish more gentleness to be used, they would most
earnestly be against it, and yet call themselves spiritual.
Nero. Nero, when any evil chanced, or he had done any mischief
himself and set fire in Rome, would say the Christians were
cause of it, or had done it, to bring them in hatred with
the people. So our papists, if there was unseasonable weather,
or any thing did displease the people, they said it was because
these gospellers were not yet rooted out, but suffered to live :
when any was content to forsake country, house, wife, lands,
and goods, according to God's commandment, rather than
defile himself with wickedness, submitting himself to their
t.^ctM^ abominations, they would rail on him, calling him runagate,
^ traitor, heretic, and what pleased them. And because they
would be like Edomites in all points, which watched their
cross ways to kill those that escaped ; so the papists, if any
gospeller had escaped their hands, they would send command-
ments into other countries to call them home, lay watches and
spies in all corners to catch such as they lust to have, and
bring them home like prisoners, which never had offended.
What strait watch was laid in every haven to catch them that
came in or out, though they were but poor afflicted men, and
banished members of Christ ! What rejoicing, if any was
taken ; and what strait commissions to search what ffoods
any such banished person had left behind him, and in whose
hands it was, that it might be taken from them ! What great
cracks their great Nimrod^ and captain made, that he would
\^ " Seeing the professors were fled out of their bloody hands, they
thought to be even with them by endeavouring to hinder all supplies
of money and provisions to be sent them ; saying that they ' would
make them so hungry, that tliey should eat their fingers' ends.' These
words Gardiner in great passion had uttered in Calais, being there
embassador with Cardinal Pole and others." Strype, Memorials, Vol.
III. i. ch. xxxi. p. 403. 8vo. where he proceeds to illustrate this by
a quotation from Bishop Pilkington. See the passage at p. 197 of this
edition. Ed.]
10 1(7.] THK PROPHET ABDf.\>. '2'j'>
hr'mg all such ninaojates (as it pleased him to term them)
to such need, that thev should eat their finders for huimrer
it is not unknown to the world : that they might thus prove
themselves true Edomites, in rohhing their poor brother Jacob.
But that we may perceive our papists to be the true seed of
the spiritual Edom. mark the beginning, and it shall more
easily appear.
Edom, which is Esau, lost his father's blessingr, bv which -^ compari-
' ' o' .' son betwixt
he should have had authority over his brother , and that was *]"" i*^*'^""-
ites and
the chief cause of hatred toward Jacob : so our papists, by p^p*^^-
cause the gospellers teach them to be humble, as Christ was,
and to leave their lordliness over God's flock, they perse-
cute them to death. Esau, to fill his belly, lost his bii-th-
right, b}- which he should have had double portion of his
father's goods, to his brother : so our popes, because they
may not have double honour, promotion, riches, and wealth
to other, as their father the pope has, they hate all that
gainsay them. Esau was rough skinned, a wild man of con-
ditions, and a hunter : so our hypocritical popes be of cruel
and rough conditions, hunters for promotions, yea, hawkers
and hunters in deed, and given to all pleasure, rather than
to feed God's sheep. We read in the scripture of two no-
taljle hunters, and they were both naught, Nimrod and Esau :
but among the popish priests ye shall find few but he can
keep a cur better than a cure, can find a hare, keep a ken-
nel of hounds or a cast of hawks, better than many other; /J llvy'
and because they will be cunning in their occupation and
all kind of hunting, they hunt for pluralities of ])enoHces a
trihus ad centum et tot quot ; yea, they can hunt whores (for
they say, it is better to have a whore than a wife) so cun-
ningly, that they may teach a school of it. Edom lumted
for venison and good cheer : so can our belly gods, the popes.
Sir John Smell-smoke, smell a feast in all parishes near liim,
sit at ale house, carding, dicing, bowling, drinking from morn-
ing to night, thinking he has served God well when he has
mumbled his matins, some piece roasted over the fire, some sod
over the pot, some chased over the fields, some chopped, some
chowed ; that if their (Jod were not coming, he could never
set them together. Other of the higher sort can sit drinking
with their malvesey, marmalade, sucket, figs, raisins, and jrreen
2r)G
EXPOSITION IT PON [v.
o'inger, &c. and say they fas{, punish their bodies, and go tlio
right way to heaven : even as right as a ram'*s horn.
Esau, because he had lost authority over his brother, per-
secuted him so sharply, that he lived banished twenty years :
so our Edomites (I had almost said, Sodomites) banish their
brethren for ever, if they can ; yea, curse them to hell, be-
cause they may do much there by their many friends, not
leaving them any room in their purgatory, because they be
lords of the soil, and none shall dwell there, except he take
a lease and pay rent to them. Esau, because he would not
obey but displeased his parents, married divers wives of the
heathens round about him, contrary to God and example of
all his good forefathers : so our papists, abhorring lawful
marriage, follow carnal whores; and living in spiritual adul-
tery, worship false gods, images, stocks and stones, the
works of man's hands, and follow all men's traditions in all
countries about, gadding from country to country a pilgrimage,
to buy pardons, and rob Christ of his due honour.
But I must make an end of their ungodliness, which has
no end ; and let them which would see more of their doings,
confer the life of Jacob and Esau together from the begin-
ning to the end ; and then they shall easily see how truly
these antichrists do resemble their father Edom, that all things
which is here prophesied may be well and truly applied to
them. It shall be sufficient for me thus briefly at tliis time
in these few things to have compared them together, and have
opened the way and given an example for the ruder sort to
follow, in comparing them further together, and setting out
worthily their wickedness, if any tongue or pen could suffi-
ciently do it.
AVhat shall be the end and reward of such cruelty, pride,
rejoicing, robbing, killing their brethren, the two last verses
declare. The day of vengeance over all people that have so
violently handled God's flock is at hand : God has borne long
enough, he will not see his sheep any longer devoured: he
has tarried sufficiently for their repentance, if they would have
turned : he sees there is no hope of amendment ; he will now
be avenged of his enemies, and that most justly. For '' even
as thou, 0 Edom, hast done to him, it shall be done to thee C
Liikovi. j^fjd '-what measure thou hast given othei", the same sliall be
]0 16.] THE PROPHET ABDIAS. 257
measured to thee again, '"' Such punishment shall it ])e, that
it shall extend even unto thy infants, which in all other de-
stnictions are wont to find favour, and thought to he inno-
cent ; yet now they shall be as extremely punished as the
rest.
And as ye have drunk and made merry on my hill Sion
and Moria, where the temple was builded and <j!od worship-
ped, and ye laughed to see it destroyed, burned and cast
down ; so shall your enemies drink, laugh and make merrv
on your hills, where your strong holds were builded, when
they shall throw them down, conquer your lands, and lead
you captives and prisoners, make you slaves, rob your goods
and treasures, laugh you to scorn, and work their pleasure
on you and yours : they shall swallow you and yours up so
clean, leaving nothing behind them, and devour all your
goods, as though ye had never been dwelling there, and as
though no such things had been. This is the just judg-
ment of Ood, to do again the same things to his enemies
that they did to his people, and reward like with like.
If he should shew sharper punishment, men would call
him cruel : if less, many would judge that he could not,
would not, or durst not. Therefore he renders even the
same again, that botli his enemies and his people may call
him a righteous judge : for few will or justly can blame
him that does but like for like. So says David : " Let the Psai. ixvii.
people rejoice, for thou judgest thy people righteously."' Judges i.
Adonibezcc, a heathen, that cliopped off the toes and fingers
of seventy kings which he conquered, was so served himself
when he was taken ; and then confessed he God to be right-
eous in doing to him as he had done to other. Absalon
killed his brother with the sword violently, and perished with 2Sam.xiii.
•' * , XVIII. 111. II. I.
the sword him.self. Joab smote Abner unjustly, and David
connnanded him to be likewise handled. lie that caiiH'
bringing word to David that he had killed Saul, thinking
thereby to have picked a thank and gotten a bribe of David,
was commanded by David to !)e slain ior laying his hand
on the anointed of the Lord, contrary to his expectation.
Thus ])y these few and sucli other e.\ani})les the rii^ht-
eous judgments of God and merciful dealing in hi.s punishing
apj)ear, that although his enemies rage and fury in their
17
[PILKINOTON.]
258 EXPOSITION UPON [v.
doings and in their madness, care not what cruelty they
shew ; yet God, although he most justly might, according to
their deserts, revenge with more sharpness, he will not but
reward with like. Let all cruel papists and persecutors of
God's people take heed therefore, what violence they shew :
for although God seem to suffer for a time, yet he will come
at his appointed time to deliver his, and reward them with
injiS God *^^ like lucasure that they have shewed to other. And of
suffer ms ^^1 causes and injuries God can suffer none worse unavenged,
speSaiiyto than that which is counted against Jerusalem, his temple,
be defaced, j^jg religion, and where he is honoured : for that touches
isai.xiviii. j^jg q^,jj person. "His honour," he says himself, "he will
give to no other:" he is a jealous God, and the first and
chief commandment is, to worship him alone, to have no
Exod. XX. other Gods but him ; for else he punishes to the third and
fourth generation of them that hate him. Can any country
or people be found from the beginning, which rebelled against
God and his people, but God has thrown them down? Can
then our antichrists, or any hater, mocker of God or his peo-
ple at this day, by what name soever they be called, look
for any less than to receive the same measure that they have
given other ? Nay, nay ; for surely the more examples that
they have had to teach them, and they will not learn, the
greater shall be their condemnation.
And let them not think that this day of vengeance is
so far off, seeing that so many things cry on the Lord to
Rom. viii. hasten his coming. Every creature in heaven and earth, quick
and dead, groans and travails, looking for our full deliverance.
Rev. vi. The souls under the altar cry, "How long, 0 Lord, is it
that thou revengest not our blood?" And these be not few-
Matt, xxiii. in number; for "from the blood of righteous Abel all inno-
Rev.xxii. cent blood shall come on you." "The Spirit and the spouse
cry, Come, and he that hears cries. Come." Mercy to help
his oppressed, and justice to revenge, cry, " Come, Lord
\en<^£Lct J^s^S' quickly." Can God stop his ears from all these cry-
off"°^ ^^^ ^'^g^ • '^^^ ^o • ^^t them assure themselves, their days be
at hand : they shall perish everlastingly, if they repent not,
and God's people shall be delivered to his glory. " Come,
Lord Jesus," let all cr)^ and he will come. The church of
Christ is the spouse of Christ; and he is our husband, he
10 16.] Tin: PROPHET ARDIAS. 259
our head, and we his members and part of his mystical body :
he our father, and we his children ; he our God, and we his
creatures; he our king, and we his subjects; he our Lord
and master, and we his poor servants ; Christ our brother,
and we fellow heirs with him ; he loves us better, and takes
more thought for us, than we do for ourselves. Great is
the love of the mother toward her children ; yet greater is
God's love toward us. Although " the mother can forget isai. xiix.
the child,'' says the prophet, " 1 will not forget thee :'"* yea,
as the hen will fight for her chickens, so will our God for us
against all our enemies. '' How oft would I have gathered >iatt. xxiii.
thee imder my wings, as the hen her chickens ! " says our
Saviour Christ. Our bodies are the temple wherein he dwells ; i cor. iii.
yea, we are the hvely stones, whereof his house is built : we i Pet. ii.
be of his household, citizens, burgesses, and freemen in hea- Epii. ii.
ven ; his familiar friends, whom he loved so dearly, that his
Son should die that we mi^ht live. And that we should
not doubt of his good will, Ijut that he has given us all his
treasure, he says, "He that spared not his own Son, butRom.viii.
gave him for us all, how can it be but he has given all things
with him, fccT
Let no man therafore doubt of God's jjood will towards
us, seeing God himself has declared so many ways his ex-
ceeding great love towards us by so many similitudes : and
let no papist rejoice nor triumph against God's people, as
though God cared not for them, had ca.st them away, or
would not deliver th.em. For he will come in deed, and not
be slow. Peter says, " The Lord is not slow in coming, 2 Pet. lii.
as some think, but patiently tarries for us, fcc." Can any
husband see his wife take \vrong? or any man hate or ne-
glect his own Hesh i Can the father deny his child any thing
he asks ; or " if he a.sk bread, will he give him a stone f ' Matt. vii.
Is any more ready to help his people than God .' ^\'ill not
a king defend his subjects, the ma.ster his servant, (»r lord
his tenant • Will not brotherly love move him that is love
itself, a,s St John says, to have pity on us? He has Ixiught
us too dear to see us cast away. Will he do lejvs for as
than the hen for her chickens, or the brute bca.st for her
young ones? No man will see his house pulled down over
his head, but he will restore it. A good burghmaster and
17— .i
260 EXPOSITION UPON [v.
ruler of a city will provide necessaries for his, that he has
rule over. Therefore, seeino- our God has taken all these
names and offices on him, doubt not but he will do his part
for us, if we do not run from him. He sets not deputies
to do his office, nor is not weary of well doing : he bears
not the name of these offices, and refuses the labour, as
Prov. viii. Hieu do ; but he says by Salomon, " My delight is to be
Psai. cxxi. with the children of men;"" and by David, "He neither
slumbers nor sleeps, that watches Israel."
The Text. V. 17. But in the hill Sion shall he escaping^ and there shall
he holiness; and the house of Jacoh shall 2^ossess the
inheritance of them which possessed his.
18. A7id the house of Jacob shall he fre, and the house
of Joseph the fame, and the house of Esau for stuhhle,
and shall hum them, and shall demur them, and there
shall he no remnant of the house of Esau : for the
Lord has spoken it,
19. They shall possess the south part of the hill Esau, and
the plain country of the Philistines, and they shall
possess the country of Ephraim and the country of
Samaria : Benjamin shall possess Galaad.
20. And the captivity of this host of the children of Israel,
those which he the Canaanites unto Zarphat ; and the
captivity of Jerusalem, which he in Sepharad, shall
possess the cities of the south.
21 . And there shall come saviours into the hill Sion, to judge
the hill Esau ; and the Jcingdom shall he the Lord''s.
Mark here the diverse end of the good and bad, the
persecuted and the persecutor, the true Christian and the
hypocrite, the gospeller and the papist. The wicked flourishes
for a time, but his end is everlasting damnation : the man
of God, looking for anotlier kingdom than on the earth, is
content to bear the cross here, under hope of that which is
to come. The stock of Esau has hitherto triumphed against
Jacob, God's people ; but now, when his wickedness is ripe,
the Lord rewards' him according to his deserts. The hill
Esau afore rejoiced in his strong holds, wealthy country,
{} Old edition^ rewarde.. I'^n.]]
17 21.] THE PROPHET ABDIAS. 261
and the leagues made with all neighboui*s round about them :
but now in the hill Sion shall be safe escaping, when Edom
shall have no place to flee unto. In Sion, that is Jerusa-
lem, and God's elect beloved people, shall be holiness, the
tiiie worshipping of God, the holy sanctuary and temple where
God's holy name shall be called upon : whereas Esau in
the mean time is defiled with idolatry, and given up to the
hands of the gentiles. Yea, and furtheniiore Jacob shall
possess the land of them that possessed his.
And although God have promised to godliness, not only
in the world to come, but in this life also, great blessings,
as appears by Job, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Josias,
Ezechias, Josaphat, which were of great riches ; yet this place
do I not think to be so understand, that Jacob should ever
possess the lands of Esau, although the scripture says that i ciiron.
David and Jacob overcame the Edomites. But I think 2 Kings xiv.
rather under this outward kingdom to be prophesied, that the
kingdom of Christ, as the prophets use by worldly prosperity
to declare the spiritual felicity, by the preaching of the gos-
pel should be enlarged in those countries, which were now
enemies to God and his people ; and so the spiritual seed of
Jacob, the Christians, should by preaching conquer- and pos-
sess Esau his land and the gentiles, which so sore hated and
persecuted them afore. This is the nature of God's people,
to be good to them which hate them, and to win them all
to God, which have done them most displeasures : and this
is the nature of God, to call them which be his utter enemies,
and soften their stony hearts to make them meet houses for
the Holy Ghost to dwell in ; and in the midst of their raging
persecution to smite them down, as he did Saul, raise them
up and make them Pauls, of wolves sheep, and of haters lovers
of the truth. Thus shall Esau be destroyed, when his idolatry,
superstition, false gods, and such wickedness shall be taken
away : and Jacob shall possess him, "when he shall turn him
to the true worshipping of the living (iod, forsaking their idols
and superstitions, and follow true religion, ^^'llat can l>e
counted a greater conquest than to conquer the devil, and
make all people subject to Christ?
After rebuking their sin, and threatening them just punish-
Q'"' Old edition, ronfrr. Ed.]
262 EXPOSITION UPON [v.
ment for the same, now follows comfort ; as ever after the
law preached follows the gospel, and after correction comes
sion. grace and pardon. Sion is the church and congregation of
Christ and faithful men behoving in him ; so that whosoever
flees thither shall be safe, and whosoever is not under his
wings and in the number of christian people, shall perish
in the day of his wrath: as all living creatures, which were
not in the ark with Noe, did perish with the waters, so all
that be not of God's household shall be cast into outward
darkness. This other promise, that God makes here unto
the faithful seed of Jacob, that has his faith, is most no-
table and comfortable : "In the hill Sion, the church of Christ,
there shall be the Holy One," as the Seventy read; or "holi-
ness,"" as other; or "the sanctuary,"" as some, and holy place
to worship God in purely. It skills not much which we read ;
for the sense is all one, and the meaning is, that the church
and faithful people of Christ shall not want the true reli-
gion and knowledge of God. For the church of Christ is
tlie spouse of Christ and his mystical body : and if mortal
men love their wives and bodies so dearly, that they will not
forsake them or leave them comfortless, much less will Christ
our Saviour not forsake us after that he has redeemed us,
seeing he bought us and love us so dearly, being his ene-
mies. This is then the greatest token of God's love to his
people, when he gives them his true religion, and therefore
most earnestly to be embraced of us. And this, is the bless-
ing taken from Esau and given to Jacob.
Matt.xxviii. If WO read "the holy one," he is Christ, which promised
icor. i. to be with us to the end of the world : he " is made to us of
God our Father righteousness, holiness, wisdom and redemp-
tion;"" because that whosoever is holy receives it of him, and
none is holy that has it not of him, though he have bulls,
calves, pardons, relics, holy water, holy ashes, holy palms, holy
cross, yea, and all the holiness that is in Rome, if he have
not the Spirit of Christ. I am sure, they will not say they
sell the Holy Ghost when they sell pardons, for that were
simony: therefore they buy no holiness in them. If we read
" holiness," then it is an upright life, true faith with pure
1 Thess. iv. worshipping of God. " This is the will of God," says St Paul,
"your hohness." As they have but one God, so they will
17 21.] THE PROPHET AUDI AS. 263
worship him only, and as he has taught them, and not after
the device of man : they will also study for a holy life, as
God commands, " Be ye holy, for I am holy." And if we
read " holy place,'' or sanctuary to worship God in, it is Levit. xix.
true also : for in all persecutions, and in the spite of the
pope and all antichrists, there has been in all ages and shall
be (for God so saying can not lie) true professors of God,
although the most part of the world was blinded. So Christ
comforts his, saying, "Fear not, thou little flock.*' Lukexii.
Thus in Christ's church, in spite of their foes, shall ever be
Christ the head, knit to the body necessarily ; and as he is
holy, so shall he make them holy that hang upon him, and so
govern them by his Spirit, tliat they shall ever follow a holy
kind of life, fleeing mischief and uncleanness ; and so shall
they have also his sanctuary and holv place where to resort in an perse-
'' , ./ .- X cutions God
to woi*ship their God, hear his word, and call upon bun. defends his,
*■ , . * and pro-
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, in their wanderinj^s, called Y»ies a piare
' ' ' - for them to
Upon their God, taught their children to fear the Lord, made "orshiphim
their sacrifices ; and God revealed himself to them again, and
never forsaked them. In the captivity of Babylon, though
not in the temple, yet they could by the water-banks sing Ps.cxxxvii.
psalms on their instruments. When Christ was crucified,
the disciples kept them together in a chamber, praying and Acts i. ii.
lookinjr for the cominu; of the Holy Ghost. After, when
persecution began, some went to other countries, some from
house to house, teaching, praying, comnmnicating and deal-
ing to the poor. Paul says at Philippos, " Hy the water Acts xvi.
side they were wont to pray:" and in the midst blindness
of all popeiy has there ever been some good men teaching
true doctrine, and opening their blasphemies : for this can-
not be false, that Christ promised his church. '' When the John xiv. x.
Spirit, which is the Comforter, shall come, he shall lead you
into all truth." "I will be with you unto the end of the Matt. wviu.
world." "He that is of God heareth the words <»f (iod ;
and vou hear not, for because ve are not of God." " And
my sheep hear my voice; a stranger they do not follow.'
Therefore let all that be under the cross and persecu-
tion, see they assemble together to praise (Jod, and (»j>enly
conf(\ss him, if it be possible, or at the least as nuich as they
may. following the example of the faithful Christians in the
264 EXPOSITION UPON [v.
beginning, which in spite of their foes could not be holden
from assembhng together with prayers and songs, afore the
day was hght. Nor let any papist rejoice against God's scat-
tered and persecuted flock ; for this is the state and con-
dition of God's people, and preaching the gospel, that they
shall not want a cross : and yet God will perform this pro-
mise, that "in Sion the Holy One, Christ, will be'' with them,
to govern them in holiness of life, pureness of religion, and
an earnest faith, trusting in God, and will give them a place
to call upon him in, that his might, mercy and grace to his
people may appear to the world in the sight of his enemies.
When Abraham and Jacob fled into Egypt, the Egyptians
Persecution learned God, which afore never heard of him. In the cap-
spreads the . , . .
gospel tivity of Babylon the Chaldees, Assyrians, Babylonians, Medes
and Persians, with all other people among whom the Jews
were scattered, learned God of them. When persecution be-
gan in Jerusalem after Christ's ascension, the disciples scat-
tered by persecution went and preached Christ to the heathen,
which afore heard not of him. In England, after Wickliffe's
death, when persecution arose, some died for the truth con-
stantly ; some fled into Bohemia and brought the gospel
thither, where it continues to this day, although both em-
peror and pope with all their might, many sharp battles and
blood shedding, would have rooted it out. What great assault
the poor Waldenses have suffered at divers French kings'
hands, going about to have destroyed them for theii* reli-
gion, being a few in number, and yet could never deface them
this three hundred and sixty years, it is piteous to hear.
Thus is this ever true, that in Sion, the true church of
Christ, shall be the "Holy One," Christ, sanctifying all that
believe in him: there shall be "holiness" in faith, religion and
manners, to the praise of God : there shall be also "a sanctu-
ary and holy place" with assemblies, in spite of their foes ;
and persecution does not hurt, but rather increase and further
true religion, though not in the greater, yet in the better part
of men. For whosoever the Holy Ghost does inflame with an
earnest zeal to his religion, they can not keep it within them;
they can not abide to see their God and his word blasphemed ;
Psai. ixix. they will brast' out and declare their faith, and say, "The
[^ Bra.st, brud, and burnt are used indiscriminately in this autlior. Ed.]
17 21.] THE PROPHET ABDIAS. 265
earnest love towards thy house has eaten me,'' as our Saviour John ii.
Christ did : when he see the temple, his Father's house, so
misused, and his rehgion contemned, he gat whips and drove
them out. Jeremy says, '• the word of God was to him as Jfr. xx.
a burning fire in his heart, and closed within his bones,
that he was not able to keep it" within him, but would brust'
out.
This victory is set out more at large in the next verse
following, where he says, " The house of Jacob shall be fire,
the house of Joseph the fiame, and the house of Esau the
stubble, (Sec.'"' Here is no description of horse, harness, guns,
any great host, or such other worldly things, wherein princes
do conquer and triumph. As the house of Jacob is spiritual,
and the kingdom of Christ, so be the weapons, soldiers, and
victory. The swords, wherewith they fought, were, as the
apostle says, " the word of God, which is sharper than any Hcb. iv.
two-edged sword,'' and pierces more the soul, conquers the
affections, and pulls down high stomachs, deeper than the
sword can the body.
The guns were the apostles' words, as James and John Mark in.
were called " the sons of thunder," because with such great
power they thundered terribly, preached and feared carnal
minds more than the thunder does, and threw down sin more
than any guns could the walls. When lector at two sermons Actsjv. xv.
converted five thousand, and Paul filled all countries from
Jerusalem to Illyricum with the gospel, what emperor is able
to be compared of such men of war? AVhen Charles the Fifth,
emperor, began to reign, Luther and Zuinglius began the same
time to preach : and whether he has thrown down, stopped
and hindered the gospel more with all the help that his ghostly
and superstitious })relates could give, than they with their Prrarinnc
scholars have set it forth, and shewed the wickedness of poperv more [than]
and defaced his pomp, let themselves judge. The pope with
his partakers have had strength, power, polity, wit. wisdom,
annour, guns, horses, harness, men, and money, and wliat-
socver they could devise: these other have loughtiii Nvith
preaching, writing, and giving themselves to the fire for tlie
truth. Their weapons were their tongues, pen, ink and |>a|>cr,
never shedding blood ])ut their own, and ever sc»eking how
to save other men's souls, sparing no labour, nor fearing any
266 EXPOSITION UPON [v.
Psai.xix. displeasure. So mighty weapons is "the undefiled law of the
Rom. viii. Lord,'' turning souls and hearers, that " neither life nor death,
angels nor powers, things present nor to come can pull them
from the love of our God, offered in Christ Jesus."
This fire, that he speaks of here, is the might of the Holy
Ghost, which came on the apostles in fiery tongues, and so
kindles the hearts of all that receive the word, that it burn up
all carnal affections and worldly lusts, so that for the glory of
God they care not what they suffer. David prays oft for this
Psai.xxvi. iire : '*Burn my reins and heart.'' And John in his Ee-
R€v. iii. velation says, that these which be " neither hot nor cold, God
will spue them out of his mouth." It is therefore a good fire
that burns up the stubble, which is false doctrine, superstition
1 Cor. hi. and all evils, as St Paul calls it, " If any man build hay, wood,
stubble, it shall perish, &;c." The house of Jacob and Joseph
shall be the preachers ; and Esau shall be thus happily burned
up from his former filthy life, and turned to the Lord. The
house of Joseph contains two tribes, Ephraim and Manasses,
Joseph. which were the children of Joseph, but chosen and taken of
Gen. xiviji. Jacob to be as his own sons, when he blessed them all, lying
on his death bed, and made them equal inheritors with his
1 Kings vii. own children of the land promised. And because Jeroboam,
which first set up the golden calves in Dan and Bethel, (and
so provoked all Israel to sin and idolatry, in which they con-
tinued so many years,) was of the house of Joseph and stock
of Ephraim, lest they should think themselves to be cast away
of God, and their sins could not be forgiven, he says, they
God is mer- gj^^ll be SO hot foUowei's and setters forth of Christ, that they
ciful to the ' ''
wretched- ^\\-i\\ ])q fike the flame, and shall turn Esau and the gentiles,
est, and his ' o '
SerTfe^^ hcatlieu and wicked men, to the knowledge and worshipping
or death ^^f ||-,q |j,yg God. Sucli a mcrciful and loving God is our
mightily. o
Christ, that even those that have been most traitors and
enemies to him, he will call them to most high honour. Peter
and all the rest of the apostles denied our Saviour Christ,
when he was taken of the Jews, and ran away from him :
but he forsaked not them, nor cast not them out of their apo-
stleship ; but sent them into all the world to preach the word
of life, grace and salvation, and gave them more fulness of
the Holy Ghost than they had afore. And because it is un-
certain in the scripture, ^vhether any of the apostles were of
17 21.] THE PROPHET ARDIAS. 267
the tribe of Ephraiin ; yet in the latter end, and when all sort
of Jews shall be converted to the Lord, and so "all Israel shall Rom. .\i.
be saved,'" if this be not yet performed in them or but partly
performed, it shall be afore the last day more fully.
"Thy word is fierce," says David; and therefore it isPsai.cxix.
no marvel, if It burn them up, that hear and receive it.
The word of God is not like other histories or learning,
which do not move, or else but little stir the hearers: but
such grace and strength is given by it to the ministers and
hearers of the same, that either it turns them that hears
it to a godly zeal and love toward his glory and an upright
life, or else it easts them into the burning fire of hell ; as
the apostle says, " He makes his angels spirits, or wind, Heb. i.
and his ministers a flaming fire :'' and again, " The preach- i Cor. i.
ing of Christ's cross is foolishness to them that perish ; but
to them that be saved it is the power of God.'' In the dis- RnfRnus.
putations against the Arians, where all the learned men could ii!. ' '' ^ ''
not confute Arius, a man unlearned stood up, making a sim-
ple confession of his faith openly ; and where, as long as
they thought to overcome him by disputing and by reasons,
he ever had to answer them withal, when this simple plain
man, trusting not to eloquence nor learning, l)ut in the might
of God's Spirit, and only seeking the glory of God, began to
speak, he see such grace in his words and power joined withal,
that he was not able to withstand it. Arius granted his own'
error, and the other to say true'. So St Paul, writing against i Cor. ii.
false prophets, says, his "preaching wa« not in eloquent words -iCor. \i.
of man's wisdom, but in power of the Spirit ;" and although
he was not eloquent in words, "yet not ignorant in know-
ledge." Thus shall In-pocrites, antichrists, and unbelievers
be overcome by the miofht of God's word and the Holv Ghost
working withal, and not by any worldly wit, strength or polity ;
as the apostles' ])roaching took place and turne<l the wliolc
world to receive their doctrine after the same .sort.
[} Old edition, one. Ed.J
['•' Auctorcs Ecclesiastical Ilistoriic, Lilt. x. (Ruftini I.) ca\\ ill. r- 210.
E<1. IJ;vsil. ]:>:]:,, where tile story is told not oi' Arius, hut of **«juiduiii
insij^nis in arte dialectica," an<l the coiKJusion is thus statc»l : Ita oh-
Btupefactus virtute dictorum, mutus ad omnia, hoc solum intuit ro-
spondere, Ita sihi videri, ncc aliud vcrum esse <iuam <)Uod dixcrat. Ei».~j
268 EXPOSITION UPON [v.
But where he says, " there shall be no remnant of Esau
left," that shall be fulfilled in the latter day, where the wicked
shall be cast into unquenchable fire : for in the mean time
the good and bad shall be blend together, so that wicked
hypocrites, idolaters, shall be consumed both in this world and
after, but in the fulness of time, when God has appointed, and
not when we think ; for they shall pre\ ail a time, as this wick-
ed seed of Esau did, for the trial of the good, and exercise of
their faith, that all men may know that the godly love the
Lord unfeignedly. Thus the house is put for them that be
of the house of Jacob and Joseph ; and not so much for the
carnal seed, as for them that have and follow the faith of
Jacob and Joseph, which be only they that be ordained to
Hfe.
And because they should not doubt of the performance
of the thing, he adds, "The Lord has said it.'' As though
he should say, This is no man's tale, but the living Lord God,
that made both heaven and earth, and have all things at his
commandment, which is truth itself and cannot lie, which is
both able and will perform it, has said these words ; therefore
they must needs come to pass. " All men be liars," but God
only cannot be deceived nor deceive; and whatsoever he has
said, that he will perform. Can ye find anything that he said
he would do, since the world was made, but he has done it i
Believe him therefore in this thing too ; for he will do it
in deed.
The next verses, which contain so many people by name,
I think do not signify these people only to be counted (for
that is to " possess" them) to the faith ; but all gentiles and
people should receive the word, and these be put by name,
specially because they were the next countries about them,
and always their open enemies. For if these, which were
ever most bitter enemies, should be converted by them; much
more other countries, that were not so earnest haters of them,
Canaanites. should rather be turned to them. The Canaanites be called
Zarphat. of somc men the Germans : Zarphat is thought to be France,
Sepharad. and Scpharad Spain, by the Rabbins : so that even the ut-
most parts of the world shall follow them. For into these
parts it is written of some that the apostles came, or at least
Psai. xix. their doctrine ; as David says, " Their sound went out into
17 21.] THE PROPHET ARDIAS. 269
the whole earth f ' Ijiit whether they or their scholars came
to teach the gospel, it skills not : the thing is proved i)lain,
that these countries once received the word and faith of Christ,
howsoever they be now drowned in popery, or fallen to hea-
then idolatry, which shall be rooted out at length too, not-
withstanding their maliciousness now. Have not all the wicked
tyrants and idolaters, which reigned once in all these countries,
been driven out by the light of God's word I Their cruelness
could not stop the faith of the Christians, neither with fire,
sword, nor any cruel death they could imagine : yea, the more
cruel tliey were in persecuting, the more earnest were they
in professing ; and the more they put to death, the more
increased, as Augustine savs', "Christian men were bounden, Civitat. Dei,
•' . . , Lib. xxii.
cast m prison, beaten, racked, burned, cut m pieces as butchers cap. m.
cut their flesh, killed ; and yet notwithstanding all this they
multiplied and increased.''
The last verse promises saviours to come and judge, and
the kingdom to be the Lord's. This is notable to consider
in the kingdom of Christ, that which is contrary to earthly
kingdoms. Worldly princes, when they go to conquer a
country, they go with fire and sword to destroy all that w ith- J^l^. ^J^^"""
stand them : but in Christ's kingdom there come saviours kln'^dom
to preach salvation to rebels, his enemies and haters, if they ""^ ''*''*'''*'*
will repent, l^^arthly princes come with guns, horse and har-
ness : Christ's di.sciples come to conquer the devil and his
members without bag, staff, or money. Mortal i)rinces come
with might and power of men : the preachers of Christ's
kingdom come in the might of Clod's Spirit, which oju'iis
the eyes of the blind, and softens stony hearts, and turns
them to the Lord. Worldly ])rinces do much by flattery,
])ribery, or threatening to win the people : but Christ's mi-
nisters come in meekness of spirit, praying and beseeching,
seeking not their own vantage, but the turning of the poor
stray sheep, that they may bring them home to the fold
again. Earthly princes fight for an earthly kingdom : but
the preachers of Christ's gospel teach the way to heaven,
peace of conscience, the love and favour of (Jotl. jiurchased
by the death of (.'hrist Je.sus, So in all points, as heaven
and earth are contrary, .so are the kingdoms, the ministers
Q' See the piissage tited before, \k 141. Ki>.]
270 KXPOSITION UPON [v.
and subjects of them both, the way to conquer and compass
them both, the means to enjoy them both, and the pleasures
in them both when we have gotten them. Yet, notwithstand-
ing, all things in them be so contrary, and worldly men by
all ways possible go about to stop and hinder the getting
of the other heavenly kingdom, to withdraw men from it,
and envy the glory and increase of it ; yet " the kingdom
shall be the LordV in spite of all his foes, and their ma-
licious enterprises shall come to nought.
Saviours. They be called saviours^ because they teach the word of
Judges. salvation ; and judges^ because they will be righteous, and
neither for gifts, bribery, nor partiality deliver the wicked,
and condemn the innocent, but uprightly according to the
scripture preach salvation to the penitent, and condemnation
to the hard hearted. Their judging shall not be in worldly
matters, no more than their preaching and saving : but as
their ministery is spiritual, so shall their commission, judg-
ment, and deliverance be. In Esau is meant hypocrites,
persecutors, false teachers and all evil doers. St Paul says
iTim.iv. to Timothy, that "in doing these things," which he taught
him, "he should save liimself and these that heard him."'
James i. St James called the gospel the word that " can save their
Rom. i. souls ;'' and to the Romans it is called " the power of God
unto salvation of every one that believes," because the mighty
power of God, how he saves us, is declared in it. But
Christ is only the Saviour, properly speaking; and other be
Acts iv. ^^ut ministers and teachers of the same : for " there is no
other name," as St Luke says, " under heaven, in which
we must be saved." Thus in the church of Christ, Sion,
shall be ever salvation preached, judgment ministered, and
sin punished.
Woe then be to them that flatter, lay pillows under their
elbows, teach false doctrine, &c. and yet will have the rooms
and names of prcacliers in the house and church of Christ!
They be wolves, hirelings, and devourers of the flock of
Johnix. Christ. Christ says, he came to the judgment of the world,
to condemn the works of the world ; and so for the same
use he gives his Spirit still to his ministers, to set up his
kingdom, and condemn the works of the world, antichrist
and his enemies. A kingdom cannot stand without minis-
17 21.] THE PROPHKT ARDIAS. 271
tering of* justice, punishing sin, and maintaining the truth,
dehvering the innocent repenter, and condemning obstinates.
So the ministers of Christ's kingdom have power spiritual
to loose and bind, as they see the scriptures teach them,
*' Receive ye the Holy Ghost : whose sins you forgive, they joim xx.
are forgiven ;" but not whensoever Sir John Lacklatin will
for money lay his hand on his head, whisper Absoluiione et
remissione, kc. in Latin, that neither he nor the other weak
conscience understands, it is not, I say, by and bye forgiven;
but unto them it is said, '• I will curse your blessings,'" and Mai. ii.
I will bless vour cursinos. If the absolution be not criven
to the penitent heart, oppressed with the burden of sin, and
seeking comfort in Christ, it is no more profitable than
baptism or the communion is to a hy|30crite or unpenitent
sinner. Yea rather, it is to the condemnation both of the
giver and receiver, if it be ungodly done, because they mis-
use the good ministery of God. Therefore they that in ab-
solving judge not, according to the commission of (iod's
word committed unto them, be not saviours of the people,
but deceivers.
And where he says, '• the kingdom shall be the Lord's,"
he condemns all that teach any doctrine in the church, to
set up any other king or kingdom, but the word of God.
which ])e his laws, given to his people, that they may live
according thereto, knowing them to be his subjects, and him
their king ; that so his kingdom may increase and be ruled
by his laws, as earthly princes rule by their laws. 'J'here-
fore the pope, teacliing his decrees, setting up himself and
, his kingdom, as though he were lord of heaven and earth,
purgator}' and hell, and bringing the people to his obedience,
as the chief ruler, is traitor to God and deceives the people.
And to St Peter, whose vicar he siivs he is, he must needs The p..i».,*
' • most uii.iki-
be proved most unlike, and a traitor to Clirist for drawinir st ivtrr.
men from him, and willing them to buy his ])ar(lon and for-
giveness of sins at his hands, as though he were sot to gather
up Christ's tolling money; when St Peter teaches, '• ^'e heiPct. i.
not redeemed from your vain and false sui>ei-stition with goM
either with silver, ^c." If we be not redeemed with money,
then the pope lies, saving our sins be forgivi'U, if nm' buy
pardons to forgive sin. St Peter says, money does not for-
272 EXPOSITION UPON THE PROPHET ABDIAS. [v. 17 2I.j
give sins, but the blood of Christ Jesus : the pope says,
Yes, or at least he will not do it without money. St Peter
had his own wife ; the pope will none, nor let his clergy,
^^ t'- but whores as many ye will. St Peter said, he had neither
gold nor silver; the pope will do nothing without gold or
silver, as it is said, Quicquid Roma dahit^ nugas dahit^ cic-
cipit aurum : " Whatsoever it be that Rome will give, trifles
it will Gfive. but o-old it doth receive.'' St Peter was sub-
ject himself unto Nero, a wicked infidel tyrant, and teaches
other to be so in civil matters ; but the pope will rule all
christian princes by rigour, depose them at his pleasure, and
obey none, but his own lusts. Therefore it is plain to see,
what is to be thought of his kingdom, and of such men
as will rule with rigour over the flock of Christ, and will
not feed God's sheep with his word, that the Lord may
rule in his own kingdom by his own law and word, and his
sheep hear the voice of their own true Shepherd, and flee
from strangers, hirelings and wolves. It is not meet that
God should be king, and the pope to make laws for him to
rule by; but God rules by his own laws.
" Pray therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will
thrust out workmen into his harvest," that they may work
truly for the setting up of his kingdom, and pulling down
the pope's; and that we may grow to good corn, to be laid
up in the Lord's barns, and be not light chaff', blown away
with every puff* of doctrine ; but grounded upon the rock
Christ Jesus, may surely stand against all storms ; that we
be not cast into outward darkness and everlasting fire, but
may enjoy that unspeakable joy that he has prepared for
them that love him and look for him. Amen.
A PRAYER. 273
A PRAYER.
Most righteous Judge, God of all mercy and comfort,
which by thy secret judgment and wisdom suffers the wicked
to triumph and increase for a time, for trial of the faith of
thy well beloved little flock, and the mortifying of their lusts,
but at length to the utter confusion of the enemies, and joyful
deliverance of thy people : look down, we beseech thee, on
thy dispersed sheep out of thy holy habitation in heaven, and
strengthen our weakness against their furious rages ; abate
their pride, assuage their malice, confound their devices, where-
with they lift up themselves against Clu-ist Jesus thy Son,
our Lord and Saviour, to deface his glory and set up anti-
christ. We be not able of ourselves to think a good thought,
much less to stand against their assaults, except thy unde-
served gi-ace and mighty arm defend and deliver us.
Perform thy promises made to Jacob, and stop the mouths
of the cursed Edomites : call them to repentance whom thou
hast appointed to salvation : bring home them that run astray,
lighten the blind, and teach the ignorant : forgive all those
that wilfully and obstinately rebel not against thy holy will ;
let thy fearful threatenings parse ^ our stony hearts, and make
us tremble at thy judgments. Make the examples of them,
whom thou hast overthrown in their own devices, to be a
warning for us, that we set not up ourselves against thy holy
will. Grant free passage to thy holy word, that it may work
effectually in us the blessed hope of our salvation, to the
eternal praise of thy majesty, through our Mediator Christ
Jesus, to whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost, three
Persons and one God, be praise and thanksgiving in all con-
gregations, world without end. So be it.
Jaco. P. Ep. D'.
P Parse: pierce. En.]]
[^ Jacobus Pilkington, Epiacopus Dunelinensis. En. ]
IS
[PILKINQTOX.]
C Jmprunteir at ilonJron,
tip ^lOpUiatn Sere0, ntDeUing
at tje iDe0t entie of IJaii^
le0 (Ef^uvC^t, at tfte
0igne of tfte
fgetigeljogge.
Anno, 1 562.
H Cum priuilegio ad Imprimen-
(lum solum. ,;»
EXPOSITION
UPON CERTAIN CHAPTERS OF
N E H E M T A H.
TO WHICH IS ADDED
DR ROBERT SOME'S
TREATISE OF OPPRESSION,
AS INSERTED BY THE ORIGINAL EDITOR.
1 .S o
A GODLIE
EXPOSITION
FPON CERTEINE CHAP-
ters of Nehemiah, written by that worthy
Byshop and faithfull Pastor of the Church
of Durham Master lAMES
PILKINTON.
(•)
AND NOW NEWLIE PVBLISHED.
In the latter end, because the Author could not finish that
treatise of Oppression which he had begonne, there is added
that for a snpplie, which of late was published by ROBERT
SOME D. In Diuinitie.
Psal. 127. 1. Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vaine
that build it : except the Lord keepe the citie, the keeper watcheth
in vaine.
Psal. 122. 6. Praie for the peace of Jerusalem : let them prosper
that loue thee.
Psal 80. 14. 15. Returne, we beseech thee, O God of hostes:
looke downe from heauen, and behold and visit this vine, And the
vineyeard, that thy right hand hath planted, and the young vine,
which thou madest strong for thy selfe.
Imprinted by Thomas Thomas printer
to the Vniuersitie of Cambridge.
1585.
A PREFACE
OF
M. JOHN FOX,
TO THE CHRISTIAN READER.
As it is greatly to be rejoiced, and the Lord highly to
be praised, for the happy enterprise of the godly work of
Nehemiah, begun by the reverend and vigilant pastor of
Christ his church of famous memory, M. James Pilkington,
Bishop of Duresme ; so again it were to be wished that, if
the Lord had thought it so good, his days might have con-
tinued to the full perfiting of the same, which now is left
unperfect, only containing five chapters by him expounded.
For the setting out whereof, being requested hereunto, I
thouf]rht to add these few lines in recommending the same
to the godly reader, trusting no less than that whosoever will
take pains in reading thereof, the same shall find his labour
therein not altogether lost. And that for divers causes.
First, for the better explaining of the chapters whereof he
entreateth. Secondly, for the opening of ancient histories in-
termixed withal, much needful to be knowTi. Thirdly, for the
opportunity of the time well serving for the purpose present.
For as Nehemiah then by Cfod's providence wa.s set up for
the re-edifying of the material temple of Jenisidem, de-
stroyed by the Babylonians; so in like sort the spiritual
church of Christ, in this spiritual Babylonical captivity, l>eing
in long time in niin and decay, standeth in great need of
godly helpers and good workmen; as, bleased be the Lord!
some we have seen, and do see, right zealously o<Tupied to
the shedding of their blood in repairing Christ bis temple.
278 TO THE CHRISTIAN READER.
Yet notwithstanding, the matter being of so great importance,
and the time so dangerous, it shall not be amiss in these
our days to be taught by the time before us.
First, that the outward temple in Hierusalem, destroyed
by the Babylonians, did lie waste for many years, it cannot be
denied. Which being granted, it must needs follow, that either
the said material temple doth bear no representation of the
spiritual church of Christ (which cannot be denied,) or else
that the same church of Christ must necessarily suffer some
captivity and apostasy for a time by certain spiritual Babylo-
nians in latter times: which being so, then must it likewise
follow consequently, that as that former temple of God in
Hierusalem, after long captivity, at length was restored again
by the mighty hand of God ; so the like is to be accomplished
in Christ his church, after long wrack and decay to be repaired
again, as we see now come to pass. For what oppression,
what t}Tanny, what darkness hath overwhelmed the poor
church of Christ these many years by the Romish Assyri-
ans, who is so blind that seeth not? Wherefore much deceived
be these our pope-holy pretensed catholics ; who, dreaming in
their fantasies no other true church to be in earth but only
their holy church of Rome, falsely so persuade themselves,
because the outward state of their Romish church so glori-
ously and richly shineth in the world, and therefore the
true church of Christ is at no time to be blemished with
ignorance and darkness, but continually flourish without spot
or wrinkle in the eyes of men, never to suffer any wrack or
decay, but perpetually to be preserved from all ruin or distress.
By which ruin if they mean the perpetual or final desolation
of the true church of Christ, true it is that the same shall
never finally be forsaken nor overthrown; but for a time the
same to suffer violence and oppression by enemies, it cannot
be denied. For antichrist, by the secret permission of God,
must have his own course, and reign here in the church
for a time; in which time, by the assured testimony of St
Paul's epistle, there must come a defection and apostasy:
whereby is signified, no doubt, a spiritual and, as it were, a
TO THE CHRISTIAN READER. 279
general departing from the right faith of the gospel for a
time and space, till it shall please the Lord again to give
his book to the mouth of his prophets, and to send down
by his angel his measuring-reed, to measure the wasted
temple of the Lord for the re-edifying again, as we read
Revela. x. xi.
Howsoever, anticlu-ist in the mean space doth flourish
in this world, sitting in the temple of God, boasting him-
self as God, and drawing the faith of the people from God
to himself. Certainly with the true church of Christ it
standeth much other^^^se, which must be brought down by
antichrist, not to final destruction, but for a time to be op-
pressed till it shall please God again to repair it, as we by
experience have good proof to declare. Wherefore let no
man marvel at the decayed state of Clu"ist his church, which
hath been so long time continued ; nor think the worse of
the gospel now preached, as though it were a new faith or
a new religion lately erected. If this gospel now preached
were not taught by Christ himself, by Paul and other
apostles, let it be counted for new. If the pope's doctrine
be not agreeing to the same, then let every man judge
which is new and which is old. Briefly, let us take example
of the ancient tabernacle or house of God, first set up
by Moses, afterward more magnifically framed to the like
proportion in timber and stone by Salomon, which house
or tabernacle the Lord promised to stand for ever: yet
not^vithstanding the same temple of God (exemplifying no
doubt the spiritual church of Christ here in earth) was
utterly overthrown by the Babylonians for a certain space,
and afterward repaired again by God's people with much
difficulty and hardness of times ; and after that the same
again miserably despoiled and destroyed by wicked Anti-
ochus. In like manner the spiritual church of Christ,
although it have the true promise of Christ to endure
for ever, as it doth and ever shall do, yet lacketh not her
Babylonians, her Antiochus, her overtlirowers and temporal
oppressors ; yet not so oppressed, but at length by lalK)urcrs
280
TO THE CHRISTIAN READER.
and artificers of Grod is to be repaired again, albeit sent in
great sharpness of time : we see it now come to pass.
Which being so, let us therefore, comparing time with
time, look well to the matter every man what he hath to
do. Such as be builders may take example of those good
builders there, of whom we read, that with one hand they
builded and with the other they held their weapon, that is,
the spiritual sword of God's word to keep off the enemy.
Such workmen the Lord send into his vineyard to be diligent
labourers, not loiterers; not brawlers, but builders, labour-
ing and working, not with one hand, but with both hands
occupied. And likewise upon these labourers the Lord
send good overseers, such as this good Nehemiah ; who, not
regarding his own private charges and expences, bestowed
all his care in tendering and setting forward the erection of
the Lord's house, to encourage the workmen, to provide for
their necessities, to defend them from enemies, to keep them
in good order from strife and variance. For as every good
building there best goeth forward, when the workmen in
one consent join themselves together ; so contrariwise, nothing
more hindereth the setting up of any work, as when the
workmen are divided among themselves. Albeit during the
time of Nehemiah we find no great stirs among the people ;
or if there were any, it was soon composed by the wise
handling of that good governor, as in the fifth chapter may
appear. Wherefore for the better example to be taken of those
distressed days, I thought it not amiss, in this so dangerous
building up of Christ's church in the perilous latter times, this
treatise of Nehemiah, compiled by the right reverend and
famous prelate, M. James Pilkington, of blessed memory, to be
published and commended to Christian readers; whereby all good
labourers and overseers of Christ his church may receive some
fruitful advertisement to consider in these so great affairs of the
Lord his business, what is to be done and looked unto.
THE BOOK OF NEHEMIAH.
Benigne fac, Domi.ve, in bona voluntatc tua Sion, ut (edificentur muri
Jerusalem.
Non nobis, Domine, non nobis, sed nomini tuo da gloriam.
Non moriar, sed vivum et narraho opera Dosiim.
THE ARGUMENT UNPERFECT, AND SO MUCH THEREOF AS
WAS FOUND IS HERE PUT DOWN.
And because both the books of Ezra and Nehemiah
entreat only of such things as were done under the kings of
Persia, which few other parts of the scripture do ; it is not
amiss something to touch the manner of hving and behaviour
both of the kings, people, and nature of the country, that
thereby things may better he understood ; as Strabo in his
book, Leovicius in his Varia Historia, and others have left
them in writing.
Susia was that part of the country which lay towards
Babylon, wherein was also the chief city Susa, which was
like in building unto Babylon. These were a quiet people,
never rebellious, and therefore kings loved it the better ; and
C}Tus was the first that made his chiefest abode there.
Other houses the king had, which were strong and costly,
and where their treasure was kept. At Susis they lay in
winter, at Ecbatana in summer, at Persepolis in harvest,
in the spring at Jiabylon : Pagasabia, Gabis, and other
houses were not neglected, although destroyed with the king-
dom shortly after by Alexander Magnus. The riches of the
kings were great ; for when all was brought to Ecl)atana,
men report that there were ISO talents. This country of Susia
was HO fniitful, that their barley and wheat would bring forth
an hundredfold or two hundred as nuich :is was sown.
Their kings be of one kindred ; and whosoever ol>oyeth
not, he hath his head and arm cut off and cast away. They
282 THE ARGUMENT.
marry many wives and keep many harlots. The kings yearly
give rewards to them that have gotten most sons. The
children come not in their father's sight before they be four
years old. Their marriages are made in March. From five
years old unto fourteen they learn to shoot,'''pick darts, ride,
and chiefly to speak truth. Their schoolmasters be men
most sober, applying all things to the profit of their scholars.
They call their scholars together afore day by ringing of a
bell, as though they should go to war or to hunt. They
make one of the king's sons their ruler, or some great men
over fifty in a band ; and command them to follow their
captain thirty or forty furlongs, when he runneth afore them.
They ask account of those things that they have learned,
exercising their voice, breath, and sides to heat, cold, rain,
and passing of rivers. They teach them to keep their armour
and clothes dry, and to feed and live hardly like husband-
men, eating wild fruits, as acorns and crabs. Their daily
meat after their exercise is very hard bread, cardanum, salt,
and flesh roasted. Their drink is water. They hunt on
horseback with picking their darts, shooting their shafts, or
casting with their sling. In the forenoon they are exercised
with planting of trees or digging up the roots, or make
harness, or apply themselves to working of line, or making
of nets. The kings give rewards to those that get the best
game at running and other games, which they use every five
year. They bear office and play the soldiers on foot and
horse, from twenty years old unto fifty. They be armed
with a shield made like a diamond. Besides their quiver
they have their crooked faulchion and daggers; upon their
head a steeple cap, upon their Greast a coat of plate. Their
princes have their breeches triple-fold, and a coat with
wide sleeves lined with white inside^ to the knee, and the
[^ The old edition reads, and syde to the knee. But the passage in
Strabo, which is here translated, is : -^irwv oi -x^eipidwro^ IlttXov^ tw?
THE ARGUMENT. 283
outside coloured. Their apparel in summer- is pur|)le, or
else of divers colours; in winter of divers colours. Their
caps like unto the mitres of their soothsayers; their shoes
high and double. The common sort wear a lined coat to the
mid- leg, and about their head a roll of sindaF. Every man
useth his bow and sling. The Persians fare daintily, having
many and divers kinds of meat, and their tables shine with
their plate of gold and silver. They debate their weighty
matters at the wine. If they meet their fellows or acquaint-
ance by the way, they kiss them : if they be poorer, they
make curtesy. Their soothsayers they leave unburied to the
birds. The greatest riches that the kings had were in build-
ings; and they coined no more money than served the pre-
sent need. The people were temperate in their living, but
their kings passed in excess. The king's attire of his head
was of myrrh and other sweet gums. They kept commonly
three hundred women, which slept in the day, and sang and
danced all the night. If the king would go to any of them,
the floor was covered with fine arras. He rode seldom but
in his chariot. If he suffered any man to come to his speech,
he sat in a throne of gold, standing on four pillars, with
precious stones. At the head of his bed were five thousand
talents of gold, which were called the king's pillow ; at his
feet were three thousand talents of silver, which was called
his footstool : over his bed was a golden ^^ne with golden
branches and grapes drawn with precious stones.
Thus far the Argiuncnt was
finished, and no more
thereof found.
youaru^' 6 uVf i/cJt>/<: fxev A£i/KO<:, avdivo<: c o efravo). Lil». x\". loin.
11. p. 1042. Oxon. 1807. Ed.]
[^ Old edition, name : the eorrcetion is 8Ui)plicd by the ori«^in(il pOiWigc
of Strabu, a-s before : IfiUTiov SeiiDv: /uV iroj^pvoovt' »'/ cn'tUioi', ^f '-
fibovo': C avdiuoi', Rd.~\
[* Sindal : sindon, fine linen. Kv.^
AN EXPOSITION
UPON'
PART OF THE BOOK OF NEHEMIAH,
BY
MASTER JAMES PILKINGTON,
LATE BISHOP OF DURHAM.'
CHAPTER I.
Tlie word of Nehemiah the son of ffaclialia.
AlthouctH there be divers opinions, whether Ezra or
Nehemiah wrote this book; yet for my part I rather beheve,
all reasons considered, that Nehemiah wrote it, as Wolfius
well proveth it.. But whether so ever the one or the other
wrote it, if the authority of the writer may give any strength
to the writing, or man's worthiness add any thing to the
credit of God's holy scripture, it skilleth not much ; for they
were both the true, learned, and faithful servants of (Jod.
Yet surely this worthy man Nehemiah, which in English is
to say, a comfort sent from God, to comfort his people in
those troublesome times, should not be robbed of his well
deserved thanks. But first God should be chiefly praised, that
raised up so worthy a man, whose pedigree is unknown, and
his father's too, in so ill a time to do not only so great
things both in the commonwealth and religion, in peace and
war: and then should Nehemiah also be worthily next com-
mended, that so faithfully obeyed the Lord his (Jod, so pain-
fully travailed for the wealth of his country; also attained
.such learning that he could, and was so diligent in study
among all his great affairs that he would, to the great glory
of God and comfort of all his church unto the world's end,
put these his own doings in writing. A worthy example for
all that love religion, be servitors in the court, attend on the
prince, bear office in the commonwealth, or captains in tlie
286 AN EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAH. [cH. I.
wars, to follow. For in all these things was Nehemiah
famous: in religion earnest; in great favour with his prince;
with all uprightness of life towards all; in war skilful,
courageous^ and painful ; and \vitli his pen so learned, that
he could so clerkly put it in writing. Gentlemen therefore
and men of the world are not born to live in pastime and
pleasm*e, as they Hst, and many do, no more than poor men ;
but first to serve the Lord, promote his word and religion
earnestly, minister justice severely, maintain peace quietly,
defend the commonwealth stoutly, relieve the oppressed
mightily, follow learning and study diligently; that so they
may increase in virtue and honesty, as Nehemiah did, and
after all these great travails refresh themselves with honest
pastimes measurably. Among the heathen princes such a
one was Julius Caesar ; in the wars cunning and happy ; in
government of the commonwealth commendable ; and in learn-
ing so excellent, that no man hath written more eloquently.
Such like were Alexander Severus and Marcus Aurelius,
emperors. But I will not persuade much in God's cause
with profane examples.
And to return to our purpose, I would not have men
think that the scripture taketh his authority and credit of
the man that writeth it; but the writer is to be credited
for the Holy Ghost's sake, who inspired him with such
heavenly knowledge, and whose instrument he is for God to
speak by. Scripture cometh not first from man, but from
God ; and therefore God is to be taken for the author of it,
Matt. X. 20. an^ jjQ^ jjj^jj rj^jjg gospel saith, "It is not you that speak,
but the Spirit of your Father that speaketh in you." And
2 Pet. i. 21. St Peter saith, " Prophecy came not in old time by the will
of man, but holy men of God spake as they were moved by
the Holy Ghost." Augustine saith well, " The scripture is
a letter sent from God the Creator unto man his creature^"
Therefore, when thou readest this book or other parts of
the scripture, do it as gladly and reverently, yea, and much
more too, than thou wouldest use and read the prince's or
" thy friends' letters, seeing it is a letter sent to thee from
[} Et de ilia civitate, unde peregrinamur, litterae nobis venerunt:
ipsae sunt scripturse, quae nos hortantur ut bene vivamus. Enarr. in
Psal. xc. Tom. iv. p. 1387. Paris. 1836. Ed.]
V. 1 — K] an exposition upon nehemiait. 287
thy God for thy salvation. God then is the ehiefest author
of this book, as he is of the rest of the scripture, and
Nehemiah the pen or writer of all these mysteries. David
said of himself, " My tongue is the pen of a >mter that p^*'- j^iv. 2.
\vriteth swiftly;^' meaning the Holy Ghost to be the WTiter,
and his tongue the pen. So Nehemiah was the author of
this book, as David of the psalms. And because they
should know which Nehemiah he was, he saith he was "the
son of Hachalia.*' For there were divers othei-s of that
name, but not his sons.
V. 1. It came to pass in the month of November^ and in ^^g The Text.
twentieth year^ that I icas in the castle of Susan,
2. And there came Chanani, one of my brethren^ he and
men of Juda ; and I asked them for the Jews which
scaped and remained of the captivity^ and for Jeru-
salem.
3. And they said to me^ The remnant ichich remained of
the captimty there in the country be in great misery
and reproach ; and the icall of Jerusalem is broken
down, and the gates of it are burned with fire.
4. And it came to pass when I heard these words, I sat
dozen and wept ; and being sad certain days, I fasted
and prayed before the Lord of heaven.
The scriptures use not to reckon their months after the
order of our calendars, but by the exchange of the moon; for
our calendars are not of that ancienty that the scriptures
be by many years. The first month in the year with them
began at the next cliange of the moon, whensoever it fell,
after the 22nd day of March, when the days and nights be
both of one length. And then was March called the first
moon of the year, whereas we make Januaiy our first moon.
So this moon here, which is called Casleu, was the .Mtii month
from it, and fell in the latter end of November, what day
soever the moon then changed. The twentieth year that he
speaketh of here, was of the reign of king Artaxerxes, a«
appeareth in the beginning of the 2nd chapter; of whom y<»
shall hear more there. Susiin was the chief city of all the
kingdom of I'ersia. where the kini^ had bnth his palact*
288 AN EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAH. [CH. I.
and a strong castle also of the same name, where his
treasure was kept. This city (as Strabo writeth) was long,
and in compass 15 miles about.
Who this Chanani was, it appeareth not; but belike some
honest man of good credit, and more earnest in religion and
love to his country than others, because his name is put
down in w-riting, and the others are not. And where Ne-
hemiah calleth him hrother^ it is not necessary to think
that he was of the same father and mother that Nehemiah
was; but either further off in kindred, or else of the same
country and religion. For this word brother in the scrip-
ture signifieth all those sorts of brotherhood, that be any
ways kinsmen, or else of any country and religion. St Paul
Rom. ix. saith, " I wish to be accursed from Christ for my brethren
and kinsmen after the flesh, which be the Israelites." Where
he calleth all the children of Israel his brethi-en, because
they came all of one father, Jacob, long ago, and now were
of one country and professed one God.
AVhat occasion these men had to come to the court, it
appeareth not, and therefore not necessary to be searched ;
but belike some great suit for their country, because they
took so long a journey in the winter and so unseasonable a
time of the year, which men commonly use not to do for
small causes. And by this we may learn a good lesson, that
no time is so troublesome, no journey so long, but good men
will not refuse it to serve God and their country.
And where Nehemiah, walking abroad about the court,
beginneth to examine them of the estate of the Jews, how
they did, and of the city of Jerusalem, in what case it
was, it declareth the great love that he had to his people,
country, and religion. 0 worthy example for all courtiers to
follow; sometimes to walk abroad, to see what suitors there
be, and learn the state of the country from whence they
came, and help to further their good causes! The contrary
is too commonly used : they lock themselves up, and will
not be spoken with; their doors must be opened with silver
keys, many means and friends must be made, and a long
time of attendance, afore ye be heard, except some servant
about them have some gentle remembrance to help you to
their speech. And this is more common in the meaner sort
V. 1 4.] AN EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAH. 289
than the higher. Yet I say not that all walkers al^road and
talking with suitors be ever good men. For "Absalon walked ^Sam- xv.
afore the court gate, took them by the hand and embraced
them, asked what suits they had, pitied their causes ;'' but
for an ill purpose, to bring the king his father in hatred with
the people, saying, ''there was none about him that would
hear and help them;'"* and to bring himself in favour with
the people, saying, 'Mf he were king, he would do them asain.xv.
justice, hear their causes, and they should not wait so long
but be quickly despatched." God deliver us from such cour-
tiers ! for by this means he robbed the hearts of the people
from their natural and liege prince, and by flattery won
the people so to himself, that they rebelled against their
king and set up Absiilon.
We need not at these days to complain of all courtiers,
that they be so hard to speak to, and that many times the
master is not at leisure, until the servant be pleased with
something, though the master bid the contrary. For there
be too many, that when suitors do come, thev will learn too
diligently what suit they have, out of what country they
come ; and then, if they will faithfully declare unto them,
what office is there void in the country, or what good
farmhold is to be had there at the prince's hand, or ratlier
at any church, they ])romise they will help to further his
suit diligently : but when they have learned all that they
can, then they know him not when they meet him again the
next day; or else give him fair words, with strange looks and
many delays. \iy these means and such like they are so
cunning in all corners of the realm, that they can perfectly
tell what the prince or any man in the country hath : and if
it be not presently void, they are content with a reversion,
though it l3e many years to come ; yea, and often sue for the
same thing that the poor man came for, saying, anotlicr would
have had it, if he had not stayed it ; and so under a cloak of
friendship make him pay more than he needed. N\ e seek
what should be the cause of such needless dearths as the realm
is full of: and surely, though many be given, yet I think
none greater than this. For when these leases be granted,
the landlord hath but his old rent, and the tenant no more
but his old farmhold : Imt the leasemonger, that is crept in
[I'lLKIXr, TON. |
290 AN EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAH. [cH. I.
betwixt the landlord and the tenant, goeth away with the
sweet from them both. For first he racks the rent and sacks
the tenant so, that he is not so able to sell his things so
reasonably as else he might, nor serve the prince nor his
landlord as he should ; nor the landlord, paying so dear for
all things, is able to live as his elders did before. This
undermining micher^ liveth better than they both, and taketh
no pains at all for it, that they both should live on, and the
one relieve the other.
Haman walked afore the court gates, to see who would
reverence him, as he passed by, and who would not: poor
Esth. iii. Mardocheus, because he would not, was brought in great
danger of his life, and all the Jews with him ; but God, that
overthroweth such courtiers, deliver us from the like, and
raise us up some godly Nehemiah to favour the common-
wealth and religion, as he did ! The miserable end of Ab-
salon, Haman, and such as we have seen in our days,
maketh wise men to take heed how they live and behave
themselves in the court: for none is so high, but by hke
offending of God they may have as great a fall. As this
toucheth not the honest sort of courtiers, so the good ones
will not be offended; and those that be guilty, God grant
them to amend it !
3. And they said. After that Nehemiah had of good
will towards his people and country so diligently inquired
how they did, and in what case they were, Chanani and the
other Jews that came with him declared in what miserable
case the people were, in hatred and despised of all people
about them, and that "Jerusalem, their city where God was
chiefly worshipped, lay waste and burned and unbuilt." Thus
God bringeth good men together, one to comfort another;
and things are not ruled by chance : for both Nehemiah and
these Jews lamented the miserable state of their people and
country, and by their talk God provided a remedy. Nehemiah
was in good state to live, and in great favour with the king;
and needed not to trouble himself with the cares of his
country, if God had not otherwise moved his mind to pity
with talking with his countrymen. This good, then, courtiers,
lawyers, and great men may have by talking with poor suitors,
p Micher: pilferer. Ed.]
V. 1 4.] AN' EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAH. 291
that if there be any spark of grace in them, they will be moved
with the lamentable complaint of poor suitors. Surely thou
that art in authority, or hast learning, oughtest to think that
the poor suitor cometh not to thee by chance : but the same
God, that gave thee thy authority and learning, hath sent this
poor man to thee to be relieved by thee. Look therefore upon
him, hear him, as Salomon teacheth, saying, "The good man Prov. xxix.
heareth the cause of the poor." Hide not thyself from him,
consider his complaint, pity and help him ; and not so much for
money as for charity's sake ; for so did good Nehcmiah.
What can be a greater grief to an honest heart, than to
have all things that he doeth or saith, be they never so good,
to be taken in ill part; to be hated and ill spoken of by all his
neighbours ; to be slandered and belied, and to have displeasure
where none is deserved ? In this case were the miserable Jews,
then the beloved people of God, though now justly cast off
for their wicked hate to our Christ, the Son of the living God.
Beside that, their " city was burned, the gates stood open,'"*
that enemies might nish in, murder and spoil them when they
list, except they should keep a continual great watch, wliich
was too troublesome and costly for them.
4. And it came to pass. What good cometh by hearing
poor men speak, appeareth here plainly in them that fear God.
For that pitiful state, which he understood his brethren the
Jews and that famous city Jerusalem to be in by their re-
port, did so move his heart and grieve him, that he " sat
down, and wept certain days, was sad for them, fasted, and
prayed unto the Lord of heaven'' for them. Hearing and
seeing be two senses, which bring into the mind of man to
consider all things that be painful or i)leasant to others ; for
except we see them or hear them, we cannot learn or un-
derstand them, much less pity them, or be glad of them.
8t Paul saith likewise in God's cause, " Faith conu'th by K„n,. x.
hearing." For when thou hearest the preacher di'clare the
glorious majesty of God, his sharp punishing of sin. the
wretched estate of man, that of himself can do nothing but
sin, and the everlasting pains appointed for all hard-hearttnl
sinners; it maketh him to quake, to enter into himself, con-
denm himself, ask for mercy, and from thencef<»rth to be-
come ii new man : so when he liearetli G'od's great mercy
1!^— ,i
292 AN EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAH. [cH. I.
declared to man in Christ, it maketh him to beheve, love,
obey, and follow so loving a Father. This profit then cometh
by hearing the poor man's complaint, that it moveth them
to pity, to tears, to fasting, and praying the Lord to relieve
the misery of thy oppressed brother. Turn not therefore thy
face from the poor; but hear them and pity them, as thou
wouldest be heard and pitied thyself. So in religion, if thou
wilt learn to fear God aright, to know thyself, amend thy
'-^^if^-fyj life, and what blessing God hath prepared for thee, run not
from the church, as many do, some for one cause, some for
another, but none for good : but humble thyself in the sight
of thy God and his people ; hear his word reverently, believe
it stedfastly, obey it diligently, pray earnestly ; and God shall
heap his blessings on thee plentifully.
And that we may the better understand how this miser-
able case of his brethren and country did touch his heart
inwardly, he sheweth it by his behaviour outwardly: for the
affections of the mind declare themselves openly in the face
and behaviour of man, when they grow great in the heart.
As, if we be sorry, our countenance is heavy, sad and cloudy;
if we be merry, our face hath a good colour, and sheweth
itself pleasantly ; when we be ashamed of ill doing, we blush ;
in fear we be pale, in anger high coloured and swollen in
the face, &c. So this sorrow for his brethren did so pinch
him at the heart, that he could not stand, but sat down;
as a man'*s legs in heaviness are so weak that they cannot
bear him : his heart was so burdened, that he could not
forbear, but brast out into tears; for certain days he could
not be merry, eat nor drink, but fasted ; and in the end
found no other remedy, but turned himself unto the Lord,
fell unto prayer, assuring himself that God would hear him,
and relieve them in his due time, when he thought good.
By this we may learn how coldly they pray, that cannot
bend nor kneel when they speak to the Lord ; or if they
kneel, it is but on the one knee, and that must have a soft
cushion under it, and a softer under his elbow. Weep he
may not, for disfiguring his face ; fasting is thought hypo-
crisy and a shame : and when his paunch is full, then, as
priests with their drunken ilowls' said matins, and belked
^^ [} Nowls: noils, noddles, heads. Ed.]
V. 1 !•.] AN EXPOSITION UPOX NEIIEMIAH. 293
out, Eructamt cor meum verbum bonum-^ with good devotion,
as they thought ; so he bhisters out a few blustering words,
without due consideration of them, and then he thinketh he
hath prayed well. 0 wretched man, that forgettest thy God
and thyself! Remember what thou art, a lump of earth, a
sink of sin, worms"* meat ; and that belly which thou carest
so much for, is but a stinking dunghill. Do\\'n, proud pea-
cock ! consider, when thou prayest, that thou speakcst to
the Lord of heaven and earth, at whose beck the devils do
tremble : his thunderbolts fly abroad to punish thy sin : who
in his anger drowned the whole world, except eight pei-sons ; Gen.vii.xu.
burned Sodom and Gomorrah with fire and brimstone from
heaven, to pull down thy proud heart, and teach thee to fear
his majesty. Learn of the poor publican, which was so
ashamed of his wicked life, that he durst not look up unto
heaven, but condemning himself cried, "0 God, be merciful Luke xviii.
unto me a sinner : "' whereas the proud Pharisee stood stoutly,
cracking of his holiness, as thou doest. Learn of the woman
of Chanaan to be earnest in prayer : go not away from the Matt. w.
Lord, until thou feel thy conscience comforted and mercy
promised : for no doubt the Lord will hear such a prayer.
These outward things, as kneeling, weeping and fasting, are
good helps and preparations unto prayer ; as Sara continued Tobit iii.
three days in fasting and prayer, that the Lord would de-
liver her from that shame : and so Toby makcth a general
rule of it, saying, " Prayer is good, joined with fasting.''
Ecclesiasticus saith, " The prayer of him that humbleth him- eccIus.
self pierceth the clouds, and she will not be comforted until
she come nigh, nor go her way, till the highest (Jod have
respect unto her.'" God grant us here to learn to pity our
poor brethren, and thus to prepare ours^elves to pray for
them, that our prayer may be heard in their need !
And although I noted afore the disordered life of some
lewd courtiers, which make so much of their jiaintod sheath,
esteem themselves more than all the world doth besides;
and when they think they deal so cunningly that they l)C
not seen, many one espieth them, and lauglis full drily in
[- Tlio vulgnto translation of Ts. xlv. 1. \vliiih our version rrnders,
"My heart is inditing a good matter." Litirall.v, " lmt|i KUlu-U
out." Ed.]
294 AN EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAH. [cH. I.
their sleeves at them; yet now in this godly gentleman
appeareth a contrary dealing, and he may be a worthy
pattern for all courtiers to follow. The court is not ill
of itself, but a man, if he will, may serve the Lord up-
rightly, and also defend his church, and profit the com-
monwealth mightily; and good men may live in it honestly.
It is a dangerous place, I grant, to live in, and many oc-
casions of ill are offered daily in it; yet not so wicked,
but good men living in it may take great occasions to do
Gen. xii. mucli good in it, Joseph in Pharao's court, a godless king,
provided for all the country in the time of their great dearth
and scarcity ; relieved his father and brethren, then the only
known church of God, in their necessity. Moses in the same
Exod. xiv. court, though not under the same king, learned all the
wisdom of the Egyptians, and delivered all the people from
1 Kings the slavery that they lived in. Abdias hid and fed a hun-
xviii. • '' n ' 1 T
dred prophets in caves by fifty m a company, whose lives
Jesabel sought for, himself being in the wicked court of
Achab and Jesabel. David feared the Lord in the court of
Saul, though he escaped oft not without many great dangers.
Daniel, an ancient courtier, in three kings'* days kept the law
of God his Lord diligently ; and being in great authority with
the king, had the charge of divers countries committed unto
him, which he ruled faithfully, and relieved God's people
mightily. So did his three companions, Sidrach, Misach,
and Abednaofo. Mardocheus in the court of Assuerus saved
the king's life, whom his chamberlains would have murdered;
Esth, vi. and delivered all the Jews, which were appointed all by Ha-
Tom.i.Ep.6. man on one day to be slain. Jerome in his epistle com-
mendeth one Nebridius, who, living in the court, and being
nephew to the empress, behaved himself so virtuously, that
all his suits were for the relief of the poor.^ The place
therefore maketh no man ill, but his illness cometh of his
own wicked and crooked mind. The dangerous life of cour-
tiers, if they will rebuke sin, and not sing Placebo, the ex-
Matt, xiv. ample of John Baptist, who lost his head for telling the
truth, may suffice to teach. But let not good men be afraid:
P Quicquid ab Imperatorc posccbat, clccmosyna in pauperes, pre-
tium captivorum, misericordia in afflictos erat. Tom. i. Epist. ix. Fran-
cofurt. 1684. Ed.]
v""^^ 'Wi^'i^ /^i^'^^'^ f^^ ^^^''- '^''^'^fr^H^
V. 5, 6', 7-] AX EXPOSITION UPOX XEHEMIAH. 295
for God hath the heart of princes in his hand, to turn as
pleaseth him. Do thou thy duty in the fear of God; and
he will defend thee, as he thinketh best.
V. 5. And I said^ I beseech thee^ 0 Lord God of tew?j, The Text.
thoih great and fearful God^ icMch keepest covmant
and mercy for them that lorn thee and keep thy com-
mandments ;
6. Let thy ears hearken^ I heseech thee^ and thy eyes he
open, to hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray
before thee this day, night and day, for the children of
Israel thy servants, and knoicledge for the sins of the
children of Israel which they have sinned against thee;
yea, I and my father s house have sinned.
7. We have outrageously sinned against thee, and have not
kept thy commandments, and thy ceremonies and judg-
ments, which thou, commandest Moses thy servant.
As a man tliat is earnestly bent to prayer hath com-
monly these outward things joined Avithal that were spoken
of afore, as sitting or kneeling, weeping, a grieved mind,
sad countenance, fasting and abstinence : so necessarily he
must have a charitable mind and pitiful towards his brethren,
and an earnest and lively faith towards God, (which both
appear in Nehemiah;) for witliout these two his prayer can
not be heard. His loving mind towards his brethren ap|)careth,
in that he, leaving all other pastimes, so diligently inquir-
eth of their estate and their countr\% and disdaineth not to
hear them : but it is seen more evidently, when he wcepeth
and mourneth, fasteth and forbeareth dainties, as though he
were in misery with them ; but specially, when he takcth so
great pains and travail to do them good, as appeareth here-
after tliroughout this book. I lis earnest faith appeareth, in
that he i)rayeth, and that only "to the God of heaven,''* and
with such vehement and meet words, as do declare his full
mind, that he doubted not but God both could niid woul.l
help them. In trouble no man asketh help but of him
whom he thinketh will do him good : and becaus<' there is
none so merciful to hear, and so willing to help, as (Jml
himself is, in all our griefs we must iwm unto the Lonl of
^06 AN EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAH. [cH. I.
heaven alone : for otlier saint there is none that will help or
Hcb. xi. can help. The apostle saith, that " he which will come to
the Lord must not only believe that there is a God, but also
that he is a rewarder of them that seek him." This faith
therefore let us bring with us when we pray. This faith
did continue in Nehemiah, though he had lived so many
years amongst the unbelieving Persians ; which was a special
gift of God to him in such troublesome times. In prayer
let us ask only such things as may stand with God's good
pleasure. For where many times foolishly we ask things to
our own hurt, God of his wisdom and fatherly goodness doth
James iv. not grant them; as St James teacheth us, saying, " Ye ask,
and receive not, because ye ask evilly, to spend it upon your
lusts.''
I am afraid to enter into the opening of this prayer,
because it is so perfect of itself, that it cannot be amended:
yet for the help of the unlearned, for whose cause only I take
these pains, 1 shall in few words open it more plainly.
O thou Lord God of heaven and earth, which of thy
mere love towards man madest heaven and eai-th, the sea,
with all the furniture in them, as the sun, moon, and stars,
fish, fowl, herbs, trees, corn, fruit and cattle, and appointed
them to serve him, that he might serve, honour, and obey
thee ; which not only rulest, feedest, governest and guidest
them all according to thy good pleasure, but hast made
heaven thy seat and the earth thy footstool, that from hence,
out of this vale of misery, we should look up unto thee our
only God, where thou reignest in thy majesty above all the
heavens, and from ^^'hence we should look for our deliverance
out of all troubles: 0 thou great and fearful God, whose
creatures pass all powers of princes, against whom to strive
is mere folly, and with whom to wrastle is extreme madness;
whose might, wisdom, and justice is infinite ; whose mercy,
goodness, and pity hath no end; which art so great, that
thou fillest all places, and not concluded in any, but art
present every where, and seest all things ; whose majesty
surmounteth all creatures so far, that it cannot be contained
or ruled of any : thou great and fearful God, which in thy
anger threwest thy angels that offended thee out of thy
glorious presence in heaven into everlasting darkness of hell;
V. 5, 6, 7.] AN EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAH, 297
who in thy rage dro\\Tiedst all the world except eight per-
sons; which bumedst up Sodom and (iomorrah with fire and <j''"-^'^-*-
brimstone from heaven ; which didst cast Adam and us all
out of paradise for eating the forbidden apple; who causedst
the man to be stoned to death for gathering a few sticks N"m. xv.
on the sabbath day; which man would judge to be but small
faults, yet were great because they were contrary to thy
commandments ; who killed Uzzah for upholding the ark
being ready to fall ; which plagued Pharao with frogs, flies
and hailstones ; which made Nebuchadnezzar of a mighty king
a vile beast to eat grass, and made Herod to be worried with
lice: 0 thou great and fearful God, at whose beck the devils
do tremble, the earth doth quake, and the heavens shoot out
hot fiery thunderbolts, the clouds pour out great storms and
tempests, to destroy thine enemies : 0 thou God of heaven,
thou great and fearful God, I thy poor wretch, vile worm,
and miserable creature, void of all goodness and full of all
wretchedness, I forsaking myself, and tnisting on thy good-
ness, am bold to creep in at a corner, and present mvsclf
before thy throne of mercy, quaking and trembling at thy
fearful judgments and sharp justice against sin. I offer unto
thee this poor soul and carcase, the work of thy onmi hands,
made glorious by thee, but foully defaced by me. I, Lord,
I, God, do most humbly with a heavy heart and troubled
mind beseech thee ; I most earnestly with bitter tears beg
and crave of thee, to cast me not away out of thy sicjlit,
but graciously to hear my prayer. For although thou dwcll-
est in thy high and holy place in heaven, yet thou lookcst
down into the earth, to hear the sighing of the poor and
deliver the oppressed ; and though thou be great and fearful
in all thv works, vet I know thou art CTcat in mercv and
rich in goodness. For although thou hast punished sliarply,
yet thou savest more mercifully. Adam was cast out of
paradise in justice, and yet had mercy offered unto hlni in
great plenty. The enticing of a woman made him to nffi-nd
thee, and the blessed Seed of the same woman hath bniisoti
the serpent's poisonful head, and delivered us. • Thou there-
fore, that art a God of truth, and kee|)est promise, and shewest
mercy to them that love thee and keep thy coiimiaii<hnent.s
look pitifully on us, which forsaking ourselves hang upon thee.
298 AN EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAH. [cH. I.
and though we see thy deserved rod, yet we fly to thy pro-
mised mercy. Though we have not kept our promise made
unto thee in our baptism, " that we should forsake the devil,
world and flesh, serve, honour, and faithfully obey thee our
only Lord and God, with all our heart, strength, power and
soul;" yet art thou a true God in keeping thy promise and
not casting us off*. When we run from thee, thou callest
us again; and not destroying us suddenly, tarriest for our
amendment. When we hate thee and become thy open ene-
mies, thou, remembering thy promise made to Abraham,
David, and our fathers, seekest by all means to bring us
home again to thee. Though we be unfaithful, thou art true:
though we forget thee, thou rememberest us. Though we
deserve to be cast away from thee, without all hope of re-
demption, yet when thou fatherly correctest us, in the midst
of thine anger thou rememberest thy mercy, and receivest
us again to thee. We grant, 0 Lord, that we do not love
thee, nor keep thy commandments, as we ought: yet. Lord,
thou that art love and charity itself, and lovest all things
that thou hast made, and in thy dear Son Christ Jesus dost
embrace us, not looking at our deserts, but at his worthi-
ness, who hath fulfilled the law for us, and made us partakers
of thy righteousness ; Lord God, hear us and have pity on us.
O thou Lord God of all mercy, which never didst cast any
away that fled unto thee, open thy ears and hear the prayers
of me thy humble suitor. Shall I be the first whom thou
wilt not hear ? Is thy mercy all spent, and none left in
store for us? Open thy eyes, 0 God of our salvation, and
behold the miserable state of thy poor people. Our city
lieth waste, the walls unbuilt ; our enemies rush in on every
side, and we are a laughing stock unto them. Thou heardst
the crying of Agar, being cast out of her house ; thou look-
edst at the oppression of Egypt ; thou pitiedst the woeful
sighing of Anna; and when thy people were oppressed of
any enemies round about them, thou raisedst up one judge
or other to deliver them. Consider, O Lord, I beseech thee,
our woeful state. We are spoiled on every side : mark and
hearken to the prayer, which I thy poor servant make unto
thee, which seest all secrets this day, continually crying
night and day with a simple and unfeigned heart, not for
V. 5, 6', 7.] AN EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAH. 299
mine own self, whom thou hast so well placed in the court
with plenty of all things, but for my brethren, the children
of Israel thy servants, the offspring of thy dear beloved
Jacob, which be in great heaviness. While they be in miserv,
I cannot be merry. Their grief is my sorrow, and their
welfare is my rejoicing. I grant, 0 Lord, we have grievously
offended thee; yet have we not cast thee off, nor forsaken
thee to be our Lord : we be thy servants, though untlirifty,
unthankful, and miserable; and thou art a God rich in mercy
to all that turn unto thee. I confess, 0 gracious God, that
the children of Israel have sinned against thee ; yea, not
only they, 0 Lord, but I and my father's house have hein-
ously broken thy commandments : and yet we despair not
to obtain thy favoiu* again, as children that have offended
their loving Father. There is none of us free: we plead
mercy, and not justice ; we stand not in defence of our doings,
but jield ourselves' into thy merciful hands. While thou
givest us a heart to pray, we continually believe thou wilt
hear us in the end. O Lord, correct thou us after thine
own good will and pleasure ; but give us not up to the lust
of thy enemies which blaspheme thee, saying, Their God
hath forsaken them, their God cannot nor will not help them:
they hate us, not so much for our own sins, as for that we
be called thy ser\'ants. 0 Lord, let not thy holy name be
ill spoken of through our wickedness : rise and defend thine
own cause ; cast not away thy ser\'ants in thy heavy dis-
pleasure. What vantage canst thou have in giving us over
to thy foes ? They shall laugh, when we shall weep : they
will slander thy goodness for our forgotfulness of thee. Thou
promisedst, 0 Lord, by the mouth of thy j)r()pliet, that inEzek.xviii.
what hour soever the sinner did repent, thou wouldst no
more remember his wickedness, nor lay it to his charge.
We weep, we confess and acknowledge our manifold wicked-
ness, wherewith we and our fathers have offended thee: we
call for mercy; we pray night and day, not doubtint; but
thou wilt keep thy promise in delivering and hearing us in
thy due time. Though we have broken our promise in dis-
obeying thee, yet if it please thee thus to try our faith and
exercise our patience by laying on us thy heavy hand and
[* Old edition, yoursclvnh: Kn.J
oOO AN EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAH. [cH. I.
sharp correction, thy good will be done : give us strength to
bear that thy wisdom will lay upon us, and lay on us what
thou wilt. Thou gavest us thy law to be a bridle, to rule
our wicked desires, and keep us within the compass of them;
but we, like madmen, or rather wild and untamed beasts,
that cannot be tied in chains nor holden in any bands, have
outrageously broken all thy commandments. No laws could
rule us, no saying compel, nor correction could stay us ;
but wilfully we followed our own fantasies. There is nothing,
0 Lord, that thou canst lay to our charge, but we willingly
and frankly confess ourselves guilty thereof: for we have
neither kept thy commandments, which thou gavest us by
Moses thy servant, wherein privately we might learn how to
direct our lives both towards thee our God, and also toward
all men; nor the ceremonies, sacraments and sacrifices, which
thou appointedst us to keep in thy religion, and in them to
worship thee, we have not duly regarded and kept, but cast
them away, and followed the fashions of the heathen people
about us, and such as we devised ourselves. Our priests
and prophets have taught us lies and devices of their own
heads ; yet have we been more ready to hear, believe and
follow them, than thy holy will and word, declared unto us
in thy book of life. The civil laws, by which thou appoint-
edst thy commonwealth to be ruled, we have broken and'
disobeyed, living at our own lust and pleasure. Our judges,
rulers, and lawyers have sought their own gain more than
justice to their people, oppressing them wrongfully. There
is no goodness in no sort of us: prince, priest, people, judge,
ruler, and all sorts from the highest to the lowest, we have
all run astray: we deny it not, but with many tears and
grievous heart we fall before thy throne of mercy, earnestly
craving and faithfully believing to find mercy, gi-ace and par-
don at thy hands.
AVith these and such like words he poured out his grief
before the Lord. For no doubt he spake much more than
is here written ; but these may suffice to teach us the like.
TiieText. v. 8. Remember^ I heseech thee, the nx^ord that tliou com-
7nandedst Moses thy sermnt, saying, Ye icill of end,
and I loill scatter you among the heathen:
xxxn.
V. 8 11.] A\ EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAH. 301
9. And if ye tarn unto nie^ and keep my command meiits^
and do them ; if ye were cast to the uttermost parts
of heaven^ from thence I will gather you^ and ioill bring
you to the place which I haoe chosen to set my name
there,
10. They are thy servants^ and thy people^ whom thou ha4
redeemed in thy great power and with thy mighty hand.
11. / beseech thee^ my Lord^ I pray thee^ let thy ear be
bent to the prayer of thy servants, which desire to fear
thy nams; and give good success, I pray thee, to thy
servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of
this man. And I was the king''s cup-bearer.
Give me leave, Lord, I beseech thee, to speak unto thee,
and put thee in remembrance of those things which thou
seemest to as to have quite forgotten. Thou forewarnedst us
by thy faithful servant Moses, that if we offended thee, thou ^^- iV.
wouldst drive us out of that pleasant country which thou
gavest us, and scatter us among the heathen people in all
countries ; yet, if we would turn unto thee again, and keep
thy commandments, there was no part under heaven so far
off, nor none so mighty or cruel against us, but thou wouldst
bring us again and settle us in that place which thou hadst
chosen and appointed us to call on thy name there. The
first part, 0 God, we find too true : we have sinned, and
thou hast punished us : we have broken thy laws, and thou
hast scattered us into all countries : and if we lived among
a people that knew thee, or loved thee, our banishment and
loss of our country would be less grievoiLS unto us. iJut,
alas, good God ! we live amongst them that hate thee, aiul
laugh at us : they worship) gods of their own making, and
think them to be of greater might than thou, the aluiiglity
and ever-living God, art. This grief we cannot digest : tliis
is so tedious unto us, that we cannot be merry until tliou
restore us. After our long captivity by Nebuchadnezzar in
Babylon thou seemedst to rememlxn* us something, and
movedst the good king Cyrus to give licence to ;ts many as
would to go home and build thy temple again ; and this was
some good token of thy love and favour towards us : but
yet, alas ! (J Lord, there l>e as many years or more jnust,
302 AN EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAH. [cH. I.
since Cyrus began this our deliverance ; and yet we live among
the unbelieving Persians, a people as cruel and wicked as
the Babylonians and the Chaldeans were : thou changest our
captivity from one kingdom to another, and from country to
country ; yet we never a whit the better. We are not brought
to thy promised place and holy land : our city is burned up,
and lieth uninliabited ; the walls are pulled down, and the
gates lie open, that our enemies may rush in on every side,
spoil and murder us at their pleasure. By thy good servant,
king Darius, thou didst build us a temple to call upon thy
name in it ; and that was some good hope that thou wouldst
fully deliver us from our enemies, and mercifully restore us
to our undeserved country. Thou seemest, 0 Lord, to have
kept part of thy promise ; but yet the greatest part is be-
hind. Remember, 0 God, I beseech thee, thy promise, and
bring us home again; finish the thing that thou hast so
prosperously begun. Thy enemies will think that either thou
canst not or wilt not perform thy promise : arise, 0 Lord,
and deliver us fully, that the world may know thou art a
true God in keeping thy promise : let thy enemies see that
there is no people so strong to hold us, nor country so far off,
but thou both canst and wilt destroy them that rebel against
thee, and fully deliver us and bring us home again. Pardon
my mde boldness, gracious God, which so saucily speak unto
thee ; the grief of my heart is so great, it brusteth out, I
cannot hold in, but talk unto thee as one doth to another.
The faithful hope that I have in thee, that thou wilt per-
form thy promise fully, maketh me thus boldly to speak;
yet the greatness of our misery and the weakness of our faith
maketh many to think that thou hast forgotten us. Bear
with our weakness, and pardon our impatience. The sick
man that lieth in great pains, and looketh for the physician's
coming, thinketh he cometh but slowly, when he maketh all
the haste he can ; and when he is come, except he give
him some ease quickly, he thinketh that either he cannot
or will not help him. But the wisdom of the physician is
such, that if he should purge or let him blood presently, it
were great danger; or if he should satisfy his fantasy, let-
ting him eat and drink what he list, it would increase his
pains ; and therefore he tarrieth until he see better occa-
V. 8 11.] AN EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAH. 303
sion given : so we, 0 Lord, lie in great pains, and think
thou tarriest long : we would gladly have our desires ful-
filled ; but thy wisdom seeth the time is not yet come. Give
us patience, 0 God, to tarry thy leisure, or rather a speedi-
ful deliverance. Our weakness is such, that we cannot but
murmur and grudge at our delays, and think thou hast for-
gotten us. Bear with our foolishness, O Lord, which can-
not understand the secret wisdom of thy doings : we judge
thee according to our own wits, as we think good, and sub-
rait not ourselves to thy wisdom, which knowest what time
is best and meetest for us to taste of thy undeser\'ed good-
ness. We think thou hast forgotten us, if thou speedily
satisfy not our desires. Arise, gracious God, and deliver us,
that the world may see that thou rememberest thy promise
made so long ago to thy faithful servant Moses. This profit
we have by reading thy scriptures, left unto us by thy ser-
vants the prophets, that our faith is increased, our hope
faileth not, but manfully tarrieth with patience for thy coming.
Faith doubteth not, and hope is not wear}', though our grudg-
ing nature cannot be contented. Increase our faith, O gra-
cious God, our hope and strength, that we fall not from thee :
pardon our murmuring and mistrusting of thee : though our
state be despised when we look at ourselves, yet when we
remember thy promise, we cannot despair. We follow our
father Abraham, who, contrary to hope by reason, hoped in
thee that thou wouldcst fulfil thy promise to him, though rea-
son could not see it. And that thou mayst the more willingly
do it, O Lord, consider who we be. We be thy servants ;
other lords and masters we seek none : we are thy people,
and thou our (iod and King. Can any master forsake his
serwant, or any king his subject, that humbly submittetli
himself unto him { Thoufrh we have sinned and dcsorved
to be cast away from thee, yet art thou, O Lord, rich in
mercy, a King of great power, and thy glory shall shine in
our deliverance. Ls any fault so great, that thou canst not
forgive it? Is any man so hard-hearted, but at length ho
will be entreated i and shall any wickedness overflow thy
goodness so far, that thou wilt not bo ontroatod ' So many
years' punishment would satisfy a stony heart, and forgive and
forget all that is past: think on us, (> l^ord, what nictaJ
S04 AN EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAH. [cH. I.
we be made of, and deal not with us in the balance of justice,
but in mercy. We are by nature earth, dust and ashes, and
therefore heavy, sluggish, and forgetful : we are born of sin-
ful parents even from the beginning ; and therefore of our-
selves must needs follow their trade in ill do'mcr : we be no
angels, and therefore cannot serve thee as we should do. Take
in good part, 0 Lord, our simple good will : that that wanteth
in us, thy Messias, thy Son, our Lord and Christ, hath ful-
filled for us, and made us partakers of his righteousness.
Look at him, 0 Lord, and not at us, who redeemed us with
no gold nor silver, but by his own precious blood ; and let
that price satisfy thee, and deliver us. I grant, 0 Lord,
thou deUveredst our fathers from their bondage and slavery
in Egypt, wherein we should have continued, if thy mighty
hand, great power and strength had not made us free. And
not only then, 0 Lord, we tasted of thy goodness, but ever
since, when the Philistines, Ammonites, Moabites, or other
enemies round about us oppressed us, thou heardst us, thou
deliveredst us ; and shall we now be clean forgotten ! Arise,
0 Lord, speedily, and let thy people know that thou remem-
berest them, and hast a care over them. How shall thy
goodness be known, if thou have not a people to praise thee i
1 beseech thee. Lord, pardon my importunity. I cannot de-
part, until I obtain my suit at thy hands : though thou seem
to deal hardly with us so many years, yet I will say with
patient Job, " Although he kill me, yet I will trust in him
still.'*"' I know thou lovest us, whatsoever thou doest unto us ;
and therefore I will trust in thee still. Though thou hast
seemed hitherto, O Lord, to look strangely on us, yet now
bow down thine ear, and hear the prayer of me thy poor
servant, and the prayers of all the rest of my sorrowful bre-
thren, thy servants ; which would gladly, so far as the weak-
ness of man's nature will suffer us, fear thy name. Thy
Holy Spirit giveth us a desire to serve thee; but the rebel-
lious flesh, which we received of our first father Adam, with-
standeth all such motions, and draweth us from thee. Deal
not with us, therefore, 0 God, in the rigour of thy justice,
but in the unspeakable measure of thy mercies. Rule thy
servant this day, and grant me to find grace and favour in
the sight of this mighty king, Artaxerxes, whose cup-bearer
V. 8 11.] AX EXPOSITION UION NEIIEMIAH. 305
I am. It lieth most in him to lielp and to hinder us, to
set us at Uberty or keep us prisoners still, to build our city
or to let it lie waste. I see, 0 Lord, the fierceness of his
nature, and how little he understandeth thv goodness to-
wards him : but yet I know, 0 God, that the hearts of
princes, even infidels, are in thy hands to dispose as thou
thinkest good. Have pity therefore, 0 God, on thy people,
and bend his mind to pity them. Other friends I do not
seek; for without thee all suit and labour is in vain.
, A PRAYER.
Lord God, which of thine own mere good will inspiredst
thy prophets in old time with the knowledge of thy secret
mysteries, and of thy great love towards us thy servants hast
caused them to be put in writing, and hast preserved them
from destruction by thy mortal enemies, that we might learn
in them thy mercies, shewed to our fathers and promised to
us ; give us, we beseech thee, a willing mind with reverence to
hear and read thy holy word, declared in this book, and a
diligent care to follow the same. Raise up, we pray thee, in
these our latter days such faithful servants a])out the princi'
in the court, a.s Nehemiah was, that would pity the nn'si'ral)le
state of the poor people and afflicted church, rather than seek
their own ea.se, wealth, and profit. Grant us, we pray thee,
to weep, fast, and pray with such love to our brethren and
sure faith in thee, a.s Nehemiah Ixid, and not to cease, until
we have obtained some grace in thy sight, as he did. Our
need and misery in these latter days are us great as was in
his time; and yet we see it not. Thou convcttst us. and
we feel it not : thou teachest, and we will not learn. Thou
hadst brought home part of the Jews from their captivity, and
yet many remained behind : so, Lord, thou hast in our days
opened the eyes of some, and tlelivered us from tliat Itomish
fpil KIN'GTOV.]
''"'^ A PRAYER.
slavery wherein we were so long drowned : but, alas ! 0 Lord,
many of our bretliren lie blind and will not see, have ears and
will not hear. Open their eyes, 0 God, and fully restore us,
that we and they may jointly fear thee as our Lord, and
reverently love thee as our dear Father, to the confusion of
Satan and his partakers, and the everlasting glory of thy
blessed name, and comfort of thy poor people, through Christ
thy Son, our Lord and only Saviour. Amen.
CHAP. ][.
V. 1. It came to 2)ass hi the month of March ^ in the ticr-ntleth
year of king Arta.rerxes, that wine teas afore him; and I
took up the icine^ and I gave it to the king, and teas not
sad afore in his sight.
2. And the king said to me, Whj is thy countenance so sad,
and thou art not sick? It is nothing else than a heavy
heart. I was very sore afraid.
3. And I said to the king, 0 king, God save thy life for
ever. Why shoidd not my countenance be sad, when the
city and the place of my fathers'" burials lieth waste, and
the gates are consumed icith fire ?
4. And the king said to me, For what thing dost thou ask?
And I prayed to the God of heaven.
5. And I said to the king. If it be thought good to the king,
and if thy servant find favour in thy sight, send me
into Juda to the city of my fathers' burials, that I may
build it.
G. And the king said to me, the queen sitting by him, How
long will thy journey be, and when tcili thou return ?
And it teas thought good in the king^s sight, and he sent
me ; and I appointed him a certain time.
The month Nisan, as it is called in the Hebrew here,
is the first niontli of the year, as the scripture useth to reckon,
and answereth unto our March, beginninfy at the first chanpre
of the moon after the twelfth' day of March, when the days and
nights are both of one length. And although many doubt
who this Artaxerxes was, I take it certainly to be him that
was called Longimanus, Long-hand, because the one hand
was lonjjer than the other: as Edward the First was called
Long-shanks because of his long legs. I love not to fill up
books with moving doubt unto the unlearned, for whose cause
specially 1 write ; and namely such doubts, as he harder in
searching than profitable in understanding. The learneder
sort, that list to try their wits, may search many men's
writings, and see divers opinions ; but a most apparent tnith
{} Old edition, 12. Compare p. 287, "22nd day of March." En.]
20—0
SOS AN EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAH. [ciI. 11.
simply told is best for the unlearned. Yet in the fourth chap-
ter of Ezra' I have fully enough opened the matter, which I
think after good consideration will be best hked of most men.
Among many things, which prove the good disposition
of Nehemiah, these certain times that he appointeth of his
doing most clearly declare the same. In the ninth month,
November, in the latter end of the year, reckoning the year
by the course of the sun, he received these heavy news of
the misery of his people and country : and in the first month
of the year following, (yet both these months fell in the
twentieth year of the king Artaxerxes,) God gave him this
occasion to speak for the relief of them to the king. It
oft falleth out, that the latter end of the year by the course
of the sun is the beginning of the year by the reign of
the king : as our gracious queen Elizabeth began her happy
reign in November, yet March in the year following is part
of the same year of her reign that November was in the
beginning. All this while, four months at the least, from
November to March, was Nehemiah sad, weeping, fasting,
praying, and seeking some good occasion to seek to the king
for the relief of his country. After this sort will good men
commend their suits unto princes, first by weeping, fasting,
and praying unto God ; because they knosv the princess heart
to be in God's hand, to dispose and turn as he thinketh good :
but the wicked worldlings, that have not God afore their
eyes, nor think not God to rule the world and princes too,
seek clean contrary ways ; and by rewards, by him and by her,
by flattering and dissembling, make their way, and break their
suits unto princes. AVhen queen Ester should speak to the
king for the deliverance of the Jews her people, as Nehemiah
Esth. iv. should here, she bade Mardocheus go and will all the Jews to
fast and pray for her, that she might find favour in the king's
sight, and obtain her suit for them : and by these godly means
both Ester and Nehemiah prospered in their requests.
But because every one cannot have access to speak unto
the king, and break his suit himself, (nor it is not fit that
it should so be,) it is not amiss to use the means of some
good man about the prince to open the suit unto him sim-
P It does not appear that the Exposition on Ezra was ever printed.
Ed.]
V. 1 6'.] AX EXPOSITION- UPON NEHEMIAH. 30.0
ply in the fear of God, committing tlie success thereof hv
earnest prayer to God's good will and pleasure. And better
it shall be for them thus simply to walk in the fear of God,
and to fail in the suit, than by lying, flatters-, or bribery to
obtain it. A hard lesson for courtiers to follow, but a most
true and godly way ! When Absalon was out of favour with - -^m. xiv.
his father David, by the means of Joab and the woman of
Thecoa he was brought in again; but by practice rather than
upright dealing, and therefore it prospered not.
Nehemiah had hitherto kept his inward sorrow so secret,
that the king perceived it not : but it overcame him now,
and he was not able to cover it any longer. AV hat earnest
love was this in him toward his countrv. that thus lonir
fasted and prayed ! and we are so nice, that what danger
soever hangeth over us, we cannot forbear a dinner, that
by some abstinence from the belly we may more earnestly
give ourselves to prayer. They that with reverence will con-
sider God's secret providence and care that he hath for his
people, how he governcth all things, yea, even those that seem
outwardly of no value, after such a sort, that his heavenly
wisdom and fatherly love doth most manifestly appear in them
toward those that seek him, may here see a manifest example
of it. Not by chance (for so nothing falleth out.) but by
God's great providence, the king had wine aforo him, was
dry, and called for drink. Nehemiah also, as God had aj)-
pointed, stood by; and as his office required, being his cup-
bearer, took uj) the cup, tasted and gave it to the king to
drink, looking very sadly, which ho was not wont, and ])riuces
love not to have any to do so about them. Upon this sad
look falleth out all the matter, which otherwise he durst not
open. The king demandeth what maketh him so sad : Ne-
hemiah openeth his grief: the king askcth what lie would
have: Nehemiah maketh his petition: the king grantcth it,
and sendeth him to ])uild Jerusalem, and givcth him lil>oralIy
things necessary to the doing of it. A weighty matter to
rise by occasion of a sad countenance: ])ut tiuis our (iod of
small things can bring forth great matters. J)a\i(l used to
sit at king Saul's table, until he fell in displea.sure with him :
when he saw his place empty, Saul would ask where he wa.s,
that he came not to dinner. And if he spake angrily, Jona-
Esth. V.
310 AX EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAII. [cH. II.
than, SauPs son, would let David know, that he might keep
him out of SauFs danger: thus by an empty place at the
table David's life was divers times saved. Ester, when she
would go to speak for her people, and of long time afore
had not seen the king, nor might not come in his presence
except she were sent for, putteth on her costly apparel, and
standeth afore the king's window, where she might be seen.
The king, seeing her, sendeth for her; and she, spying her
time, maketh her suit to the king for her people, and de-
li vereth them. Thus of small occasions God worketh great
things, that we may know that he ruleth all things, be they
never so small in man's sight.
But among many great tokens of God's providence and
good will toward Nehemiah, none is greater, than that he,
being a prisoner, a stranger born, and one not of their re-
ligion, serving idols, but worshipping the true living God,
should be called to such a place of credit and worship, to
be the king's cup-bearer and taster. None useth to put any
to such offices of trust, but such as be thought to be of great
honesty, truth and fidelity. No doubt many of the Persians
desired that office, and disdained that Nehemiah, a stranger,
should enjoy an office of that credit and authority, where he
might have free access to the king, and take occasion to
move his suit for himself or his friend. Yet this is God's
accustomed goodness, that when his people be in trouble, he
always provideth some to be about the prince, which both
may and will help to defend them. In this long captivity,
under king Darius was Daniel and his fellows in great au-
thority with the king ; under king Assuerus were Ester and
Mardocheus ; under king Cyrus were Ezra, Zorobabel and
others ; under Artaxerxes was Nehemiah in great favour :
which all, being Jews born, did wonderfully relieve and com-
fort the oppressed people in this great extremity under hea-
then kings. A strange work of God, to cause heathen princes
to favour and defend the religion that they knew not, and
to defend that people which their subjects hated ! But such
a loving Lord is our God to us, that though he punish his
own people sharply for a time, yet he casteth them not away
for ever ; and if he lay on heavy load, yet he giveth them
fstrenocth to bear it.
V. 1 6.] AN EXPOSITION- UPON" NEHEMIAH. 311
Here may he moved a liard question on these men's
doings, whether it be lawful now for a christian man to
serve a heathen prince or no, as they did then. Let the
case stand as it doth here, and it is easy to answer. These
men all were prisoners, taken out of their own country bv
violence ; lived under heathen kings ; and therefore ought
faithfully to sene and quietly to obey them. So lived Jo-
seph in Egypt under Pharao: so Daniel, Mardocheus, Ezra,
Nehemiah, and others. So did Jeremy and Baruch the
prophets teach them to live, saying unto all the Jews, then
being captives under infidels, '• Pray for the life of Nebuchad- Jcr. x.\i.x.
nezzar and Baltasar his son ; seek the peace of that country
whither ye be carried away prisoners, and be not troublers
of the commonwealth." So St Peter taught the Christians
in the beginning of their receiving of the gospel, that ser-
vants should not forsake their masters, though they did not i Pet. ii.
yet believe, l)ut serve them faitlifully and ()l)cy them rever-
entlv ; vea, thouoh thev were hard and froward to them.
So St Paul and Peter both l)iddeth the faithful wife not to i cor. vii.
leave her unfaithful husband, but behave herself more honestly,
that by her well doing the husband may be won to the
Lord, and God's holy name not ill spoken of through them.
What good could a nide unfaithful people think of that
God or religion, that would teach the servant or wife to
run away from their masters or husband i The scripture
teacheth no such thing, but all faithfulness, duty, and obe-
dience toward all men, so far as we offend not God. But
in these days, if any should leave the company of christian
people willingly, and go serve an infidel king for vantage
sake, that were ill done, and differeth far from the case of
these good people, and may not be done, except it were to
go and preach. Good men afore rehearsed dissembled not
their God nor their religion ; but among the infidels boldly
confessed it, as all Christians ought to do in nil j)laces. and
afore all men, though they be cruel against them.
2. And t/ic kiuq mhl. The good will of the king
toward Nehemiah appeareth, in that he marketh the counte-
nance of his servant so diligently, (which kings use not com-
monly to do, but to such as they love dearly,) and asketh
the cause of his sadness. Some wouM rather have chid him.
812 AN EXPOSITION UPON NEHExVlIAH. [cH. IT.
and bid liiin go out of the king's presence ; for princes may
not have any occasion of heaviness shewed before them, but
all devices that can be to make them merry : yet God would
by this means move the king's heart to pity his man, and
by granting his suit comfort his heavy heart. The king, be-
like, was a wise man : for by a heavy countenance he could
perceive the heaviness of his heart. A good kind of rea-
soning and seldom untrue. The heart is the beginning and
well-spring of all affections and motions of the body, and by
outward signs sheweth what it thinketh inwardly. Momus',
which is one that findeth fault with all things, when he was
willed to tell what fault he could find in the fashion and
shape of man, sayeth, Man was not rightly made ; for that
his heart was locked up secretly in his breast, that his
thoughts could not be espied : he should have had some
glasses set there, that his thoughts might be seen. But
he that will diligently mark the countenance and behaviour
of a man, shall easily perceive what the heart thinketh.
Hypocrites may dissemble and cloak them for a time ; but
time will soon descry them to a wise man. Salomon say-
Prov. XV. 13. eth, "A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance, and
by the sorrow of the heart the mind is heavy.'' Ecclesias-
ticus saith, " A wise man is known by his countenance ;"
and the next verse is, "A man's garment, laughter and
going declare what a man is.'' Gregory Nazianzen, when
he saw Julianus Apostata, the emperor, first, by his coun-
tenance and foolish moving of his body conjectured truly
of his wickedness and falling from God, which followed after-
iinectiva2. ward; and cried out, "0 Lord God, how Qrreat a mischief
cap. 37.' " is nourished in the empire of Rome!"- Other affections
likewise, when they grow much, as this sorrow of Nehemiali
[^ An allusion to Lucian, Ilcrniothnut;, sec. 20. Tom. i. j). 759.
Hcmsterli. Ed.^
1 r \ „ ~ ' ^ _ , ,
tyV(Opi(T(l. KUl CL 1X1)1 TTUpilfTftV TJI/tV TlOV TtjVlKUVTd (TVVOVTWV KUl
aKova-avTcou, ov T^aAeTTw*? av t}KupTvpi]<Tav' oi^, eireiCr] Tavra ide-
ua-a/ir]!', eiSv^ e(pdey^dpt]v, Olov kcikou i; 'Pto/xa/wi/ (7^) Tpeipei !
Oral. IV. (Invectiva in Julian. 11.) Tom. 1, p. 122. Paris. 1630. Niceplio-
rus, as refeiTC'd to by tlie autlior, cites the passage, supplying the yyj,
wliich is wanting in Gregory. Ed.]
V. 1 '''.] AN EXPOSITION* UPON NEIIEMIAH. 313
did, work greatly. When Oplnii and Phinees were slain, and
the ark of God taken, Eli their father, hearing the news, for
sorrow fell off his chair, and died : and Phinees' wife, heing
near the time of her childbirth, hearing the death of her hus-
band, fell on travail, and died for sorrow. When the ))lessed
virgin Mary came to salute Elizabeth, "the child sprang in
her womb for joy."* So much a merry heart can do.
I cannot tell, whether the wisdom of Xehemiah in bridling
his affection, that in so great a sorrow he cried not out
like a woman, or the good disposition of the king that so
pitied the sorrowful heart of his man, is worthy more praise:
but surely both arc to be followed of all Christians. Affec-
tions must be holden under, that they grow not too nnich ;
and hea\y hearts would be comforted. For as the king, see-
ing the sad countenance of his man, diligently searched out
the cause of his sorrow; so Christians, when one seeth an-
other in heaviness, should brotherly comfort him, and " weep Rom. xii.
with them that weep," as though we were i)artakers of the
same sorrow, according to the rule of St Paul, "If oneicor. \ii.
member of the body, be it never so small, be in pain, the rest
of his body is grieved" also, and every member seeketh to
ease it as they may, so they be naturally linked together. So
should all Christians, beinij members of Christ's mvstical body,
one bear the grief of another, and help to relieve him.
When Nehemiah had been thus long sad, weeping, fasting,
and praying, he was now cast into a very great fear, by reason
of the king\s earnest requiring the cause of his sadness. Thus
one sorrow followeth another, and a christian man's faith and
patience is continually exercised : when one irrief is ended, it
hath another strai^xhtwavs followinnf. The kinji said, " This
sorrow nuist needs come from a heavy heart, soein;^ thv body
is not sick." This toucheth a man near, when he nni.st
needs open the secrets of his heart to a King. \NlM>ni he
cannot tell how he will take it, or what (»j>iiiion he hath of
him. Many thoughts and suspicions rise in go(td meirs
hearts, as well as ill men's, and cast them into great fear :
for ever\' man is .subject to affection, of his own nature.
Nehemiah nnght fear lest the king had heard some accu-
sation again.st him, or had taken some displea.sure with him,
or would not grant his request, or .some other would hinder
314 AN EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAII. [cH.
11.
his suit, or might lose his office, &c. and therefore no mar-
vel if he were sore afraid : but a strong faith will boldly
pass through all such cares, and trusting in God, will con-
Psai.xxxiv. tinue his good purpose. '-The troubles of the righteous
be many," saith David, "but the Lord will dehver him out
of them all."
o. And I said. After that he had something overcome
his fear, and recovered his spirits, he declareth unto the
king the cause of his sadness. The majesty of a king will
make any good nature afraid to speak unreverently, though
they be daily in company with him and favour, as Nehemiah
was. And though the courtesy of a prince be such, that he
will abase and humble himself familiarly to use his subject ;
yet the subject should not over boldly nor saucily behave him-
Diojenes. ggjf toward liis pHuce. Diogenes said, A man should use his
prince or peer as he would do the fire. The fire, if he
stand too near it, will burn him ; and if he be too far off,
he will be a cold. So to be over bold, without blushing or
reverence, bringeth in contempt of both sides; for the king
will think him too saucy, and the subject will forget his duty :
and to be over strange and afraid will cause the king to
think him to be of an ill nature, and not bearinoj a ffood
heart towards him. Therefore Nehemiah, not over bold with
his prince, with most huml^le obeisance wisheth the king good
life, as the common phrase of the scripture useth to speak,
and plainly telleth the true cause of his sorrow and sad coun-
tenance. Here we may learn the duty of Christians, that live
under heathen princes : that is, they may not only serve them,
but ought humbly to obey and reverence them. For surely
this kind of salutation in Nehemiah, to pray for the king's
life, w^as not holy water of the court from the teeth out-
ward, Saluta lihenter ; but from an unfeigned heart desiring
it. St Paul, who lived under the emperor Nero, as wicked
a man as ever the earth bare, biddeth to pray for all " kings
and them that be in authority," (which then were all infidels,)
" that under them we may live a quiet life with all godliness
and honesty." And if thou thinkest such ill men are not
to be prayed for, yet for the quietness of God's church thou
must pray for them, that God would so rule their hearts, that
luidcr them we may live a peaceable and godly life. For
V. 1 f).] AN" EXI'OrilTlUX UPON NEHEMIAH. olo
that is tlie reason that St Paul yieldeth, tliough such wicked
men will not learn their own salvation tlicmselves.
After that Nehemiah had thus dutifully behaved himself
to the king, so that there could be thought no just cause
of any evil suspicion in him toward the king; then he boldly
declareth the cause of his sadness, and saith, "the city where
his fathers lay buried lay waste, and the gates were burned/'
And is this so great a cause why Nehemiah should be so sad,
weep, fast, and pray so long I had he not seen nor heard of
greater cities and countries than it was, which were destroyed
as miserably as it was i Babylon, which was much bigger
than Jerusalem, was conquered not long afore by Cyrus ;
Samaria, their neighbour, by Sennacherib and Salmanasser,
&;c. But this city had a greater cause to be lamented for
than others. For it was taken from wicked men by God's
mighty hand, and given to God's people : it was increased
with many benefits from God, beautified with religion, priests,
a temple to worship the living God in; strengthened by many
worthy princes and laws; and was a wonder of the world.
It was " the holy city,"* because it was dedicated to the Lord's
service ; though the peojile were evil that dwelt in it, and
misused it. The gospel saith, the devil tempting Christ our .Matt. iv.
Saviour '• took him into the holy city, and set him on a
pinnacle of the temple;" and (Jhrist our Lord, foreseeing the Luke xix.
destruction of it to be at hand, wept for it.
This was then the cause of Nehemiah's sorrow, that Ciod
was dishonoured ; for that this city, which was dedicated to
his name, and given to his people to sene him in, was
now defaced by heathen princes ; his religion decayed, and
people subject to strangers. A zealous man cannot abide any
thing without great grief, that seemeth to deface the glory
of his (lod. Hut if these causes were not, yet the natural
love to his country had been sufticient to mov(; him to tcai-s.
For as it is a pitiful sight to see a prince or nobleman to
be cast from his dignitv. to be sj)oiled of his honour, lands
and goods, and become a carter and driv(» the pl(»ugh, or lie
tied in prison ; so surely it nuist needs movu any heathen
man, to see the city where he and his elders were bom and
buried, to be overthrown, lie open to all cncnn'cH, unfenced
with walls or gjites. aiul be inhnl>itr^d y\hh a few cottages.
316 AN EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAH. [cH. II.
and no better than the poorest ragged hamlet in a country :
much more Nehemiah must needs be touched for this city,
which was so famous throughout the world. There may be
good reasons alleged beside these, why he should weep for
his city and country; as because it was a great relief and
succour in all needs, to all that lived in it from time to
time, and a great strength to the country about it.
But what is that, to be sad for the place where his elders
were buried? Is there any hohness in the ground, that it is
better to be buried there than elsewhere ? or the dead men
any thing the worse, if they be pulled out of their graves?
What is the cause ? Indeed it was called holy in divers places
of the scriptures, as other outward things be, that are appointed
and consecrated to a holy use. St Matthew saith that divers
Matt.xxvii. dead bodies, "after the resurrection of our Lord and Master,
Christ Jesus, rose out of their graves, came into the holy
city, and appeared to many.'' This holiness came not by
holy-water casting, or hallowing of popish bishops which
hallowed church or churchyard; but by God's appointing,
and choosing it for his dwellingplace, where he would be
Psai. c.xxxii. worshipped, as the psalm teacheth, " The Lord hath chosen
Sion, he hath chosen it for a dwellingplace for himself: this
is my restingplace for ever; here will I dwell, because 1
have chosen it." So on God's behalf and appointing it for
a place where he would be worshipped, it was holy, though
the wickedness of the people had defiled it, and justly pro-
cured God's anger to destroy it. Christ Jesus our Lord,
finding his temple full of all usurers, buyers and sellers, gat
Luke xix. a whip, and drave them out, saying, " My house is a house
of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves." So, by
God's appointing it was "a house of prayer," and by man's
misusing of it " a den of thieves." And he, seeing the wicked-
Matt, xxiii. ness of the people in it, wept for it, and said, " Jerusalem,
which killest the prophets, and stonest to death them which
are sent to thee, how oft would I have gathered thee, as the
hen doth her chickens under her wings, and thou wouldst
not !" The prophets of old time for the wickedness of the
people in it have likewise rebuked Jerusalem sundry times:
isai. i. " How is this faithful city, which was full of justice, now
Ezck. xvi. become a harlot !" And again : " Hear, thou harlot," speaking
V. 1 G.J AX EXPOSITION UPON NEIIEMIAH. 31?
to Jerusalem. Thus one thing, by God's appointing it to a
holy use, may be called holy ; and by man's misusing of it
become most unholy. But the place itself maketli nothing
holy, as it is written : God chose not the man for the
place sake, but the place for man's sake ; and therefore
this city did not make the dead men holy that were buried
in it, nor any thing the worse if they were buried out of it.
Therefore the papists are both wicked in teaching the peo-
ple, that one place is more holy than another to be buried in.
as in the church rather than in the churchyard, and near
the high altar rather than in the body of the church ; and
they are thieves also in picking poor men's purses for the same.
In these were manv abuses, as in any one thinir.
But he that will keep these three rules shall not err.
First, that he do not cast out the dead bodies unburied^ to
be devoured of wild beasts ; nor l)ury them in dunghills,
ditches, or such like places, where none else is buried. Dio-
genes, when his friends asked him. How he would be buried?
bade them ca.st him out, it skilleth not how . '• A\'hv," sav
they, "the bea.sts will devour thee." '"Nay then," saitli he,
'' lav mv staff bv me, and I shall drive them awav.'^ A
barbarous saying, and meet for a heathen man'! Yet I
think the laving of the metevard in the jifrave with the dead
man came upon some such like cause, or else to drive away
devils. Socrates, when he was asked the like question, an-
swered more honestly, and Ijade bury him so as were most
easy for his friends.
The second is, to aroid nreat cost and sumptuousutss, as
shrines, tombs, tapers, torches, candles, mourning coats, fea.st-
ings, (fcc. which do no good to the dead, and are too chargeable
and unprofitable to their friends. Yet, if civil policy add some
solemnity to princes and noblemen, as their coat, armour. Hag,
sword, head-piece and recognizance, 1 dare not utterly condi'inii
it; and yet would wish it more moderately used tiian njany
times it is. As there was difference in them, while they lived,
from the common sort and state ; so there may be in tlieir
burials for policy's siike, but for no religion or holiness at all.
[' Yet not so haibarous, if the reinaiiidir <>f the story l-e told:
Qui poteris? illi : non enim senties. Quid iptur inihi feraruni lanintus
oberit, nihil sentient! ? Cic. Tusc. Quitst. i. 104. Eu.]
318 AX EXPOSITION rpox \i:hr?»iiati. [cit. u.
The third thing to be observed is, that no superstition
should he committed in them ; wherein the papists infinitely
offend : as in masses, diriges, trentals, singing, ringing, holy
water, hallowed places, years', days' and month-minds^, crosses,
pardon-letters to be buried with them, mourners, de profundis^
by every lad that could say it, dealing of money solemnly
for the dead, watching of the corpse at home, bell and banner,
with many more than I can reckon.
These three abuses taken away, remaineth that comely
order which christian charity requireth : as, to have neighbours
quietly to accompany the corpse to the grave, as it was in
Luke ni. the poor widow's son of Naim ; brotherly to comfort those
that lost their friends, as the Jews did Mary and Martha
for their brother Lazarus ; to confirm faith in the resurrection
of the dead in the selfsame body, that there is put in the
earth ; to prepare themselves to die daily, not knowing when
our course shall come ; to praise the Lord, that granted the
man so long a life among us with honesty, and in the end
gave him a stedfast faith to seek his salvation only in Christ
Jesus, who hath conquered death, hell and sin, by his own
death, and by his rising from death hath justified us, and
will raise us up from the grave in the end to live with him
in heaven without end. The comely using of these in God's
church is a great comfort to all good Christians, and the
want of them a token of God's wrath and plague. Abraham
Gen. XV. was promised burial in his ripe age, as a blessing from God :
2 Kings. Josias was promised that he should be biu-ied in peace, and
2Sam. ii. not See the plagues that should follow. The Gabeonites
are praised of God, and rewarded also of David, for that
they buried king Saul and his son, though the father was
] Kinf?.s xiv. an ill man. Contrariwise, to king Jeroboam and Achab was
threatened for a plague, that he and his posterity should
not be buried, but devoured of beasts ; and to king Joachim
was foretold it, that he should be buried as an ass for his
Tobit V. falling from God. Tobias was chiefly commended for burying
the dead bodies of his countrymen that were cruelly slain.
Thus burial is commended; and to want it was great re-
[} The minding or remembrance of the dead, attended with feasting,
at particular periods after their decease. The "month's mind" was
generallj' used in our country; the "day's mind" &c. elsewhere. Ed.]
V. I — 'J.j A\ i.xposiTiov rpox NKfir.MrAn. olf)
proof. Jeremy tlireateneth them, that lor tlieir wiekod lil'e they J«r. xxii.
should be pulled out of* their graves. The place of burial neod-
eth no bishop's blessing nor popish hallowing; but every comely
place is holy enough, so it be resen-ed for that use only. It
is called in the Greek Coimeterion^ (^Komtjrrjpioy,) that is, a
sleeping place, and in the Hebrew Beth-haiaim, that is, the
house of the living; thereby to teach us, that the body
sleepeth. and the souls live, as Salomon saith, '• The earth
shall go to the earth from whence it was. and the soul shall
return to him that gave it.*' Abraham bought a field toGen. xxiu.
bury his in, and there was he and his posterity buried : and
that "was a common custom, continued long after by the judges
and kings of Judah. So Gedeon, and generally the rest, were Juti?. viii.
buried. It is said of khvr Osias, that he was *' buried in the - <^^^rnn.
field where the other kings afore him were buried,'' in a place
kept for that use only. And the gospel teacheth, that with the
money which Judas sold Christ our Lord for, they "bought -^'att.xxvii.
the potter's field to bury strangers in/' These places were
sometimes within cities, sometimes without, as Jesus Christ
our Master was buried in a garden without the city Jeru-
salem ; and he met the poor ^yidow of Nairn at the gates Luke vii.
of the city, going farther to buiy her son. It was long after,
afore they used either church or churchyards.
Likewise mourning for the dead would be bridled, that
it 1)0 not too much, and seem to grudge at God's doings in
tnking our friends from us. David wept for his child. and2?am.xii.
])rayod w hilst it was sick ; but after it was dead, he wept
no more. Our Saviour Christ cast the minstrels and mourners Matt. ix.
botli out of the doors, when he raised up tlio young woman
in her father's house. I^y which we are taught, that w(»
should not dance with minstrels (for that is too barbarous
and against nature,) nor to be grieved with the death of our
friends, nor desperately mourn with the heathen, as thounfh
there were no life after this. '• I would not have you igno-
rant,"' saith St Paul, '-of them that sleep in death, that ye
mourn not, as they that have no hope" to rise again. Sirach
anpointeth a reasonable time for reasonable mourning, saying,
'Mourning for the dead is two or three days;" and before
he addeth, ''or seven days at the most." The cost tlmt is
made for the dead is rather, as St Augustine saith full well.
320 AN EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAH. [CH. II.
"a comfort for the living, than help for the dead^*" For
sure it is comfortable to all good folk to see our friend in
his life-time to have behaved himself so honestly, that his
neighbours bear him so good will after his death, that they
will see him buried ; and it strengtheneth our faith of the
resurrection, when the bodies are not cast away, as beasts'
bodies be.
And although this general doctrine of comeliness be most
true and comfortable, yet many times the case falleth out
so, that many a good man cannot enjoy this kind of burial.
In persecution many good martyrs have been devoured of
wild beasts ; many torn in pieces, and hanged on gibbets ;
f many burned, aad their ashes cast into the water : yet these
good men were nothing the worse for wanting their grave.
For the kingdom of God standeth not in outward things, but
in true faith in God by Christ. For as it profiteth not an
evil man any thing at all to be solemnly buried ; so it hurteth
not a good man to want it in these cases, if he cannot get it.
2 Cor. V. Every one shall receive then, as he hath done in his life ;
and not after his death, nor his costly burial. We read of the
LukexAi. rich glutton, that he "was buried," and no doubt costly, as
all his life was gorgeous ; but poor Lazarus gat little cost
at his death, that could find so little mercy in his life : yet
was the glutton ''in hell" for all his pomp, and poor Lazarus
" in Abraham's bosom" in joy.
But among all other foolishness in popery, I cannot but
marvel at this, that in their great solemn singing for the
dead they would not use, but forbid Alleluia to be sung. If
the Eomish church be the true church, and all well that
they command, why should the late synagogue of Rome deface
that which the best bishops of Rome allowed of? Jerom
jer. Ep. 30. writeth in his thirtieth Epistle, called EpitapMum Fabiolce,
that at the burial of that noble woman " the people of Rome
were gathered to the solemn funeral ; and there the psalms
did sound aloud, and Alleluia, rebounding with his echo on
high, did shake the gilded ceilings of the temple. On one
side a company of young men, on another side were old
\} Proinde omnia ista, id est, curatio funeris, conditio sepulturae,
pompa exsequiarum, ma;^is sunt vivoruni solatia quam subsidia mor-
tuorum. De Civ. Dei, Lib. i. cap. xii. Ed.]
V. 1 f).] A\ EXPOSITION UPON XEHEMIAM. 321
men which sang forth the praises and deeds of that good
woman. And no marvel," said he, *'if men rejoice of her sal-
vation, of whose conversion the angels in heaven were glad."'
The like is written in the twenty-seventh Epistle ad Eusto-
chinm for her mother Paula. In this I note the old church
of Rome, that at such solemn funerals they sang Alleluia on
high, as the papists do now on Easter day. Then they praised
Clod for the dead, for so Alleluia signifieth ; and now they
pray God for the dead to get money withal. Then they re-
joiced of their salvation ; and now they weep for fear of the
pope's purgatory. " Blessed are they that die in the Lord,'"*
saith St John. Why, then they go not from pains here to mi-
sery there. Why should the new Romish synagogue mislike
that good ancient order? The one of them must needs err;
which many think cannot be, and specially in this our age.
There be other controversies in these our days abroad,
which might have been very well left untouched, if the quiet-
ness of God's church had been dutifully sought, as it ought to
be : as, " whether the ministers should bury the dead, as the
common order appointeth ; and whether burial sermons are to
be suffered and used, &c." This place giveth no great occa-
sion to entreat of such matters, and therefore I shall let them
pass. I love not contention, but do earnestly require every
one in his calling for God's cause to seek peace with all their
might ; and tliose that profess Jesus Christ, I desire the Lord
that they would join with their brethren in pulling down the
Romish antichrist, the common enemy of all God's doctrine
and religion, leaving such unprofitable contentions which breed
division. And if they have too many burial sermons in the
city, God grant us some more in the country !
Thus much have I spoken by occasion of Nehemiah's
mourning for " the place of his fathers' burial ;" not for the
loss of the houses, city or walls ; or that he Wius trouliled
with such superstitious opinions of thinking any holines.s in
the place, or that the dead folk were any thing worse in
wanting their covering in the earth ; but that he was grieved
to see the city, which God chose himself to be worshipped
in, and those good men, whose bones did rest tliere, or had
faithfully served tiie Lord in their life, now to be given to
hcMtlieu men's hands, (lod's reliLfion neglected, the state ol
I i'ii.kin(;to.\.J
322 AX EXPOSITION UPOX NEHEMIATT. [cH. II.
the commonwealth and good laws overthrown, God's enemies
to triumph over them, as though their God could not or
would not restore them. This should grieve all Christians in
all ages, when they see the glory of the living God any ways
blemished. God grant us this zeal unfeignedly !
4. And the king said. After that the king understood
the cause of his sorrow and sad countenance, he both pitied
the case and his man's heavy heart ; and God so moved
the king to favour his suit, that he asked him "what he
would haveT' When Nehemiah perceived the king's good
inchnation towards him and his suit, afore he would declare
his petition, he turned him unto the God of heaven, and
prayed him that he would so guide his tongue, that he should
speak nothing which might justly offend the king, and also
that he would so move the king's heart that his request
might be granted. A worthy example for all Christians to
follow in their suits making to the prince. He goeth not
to any great man, nor to any other which was in favour
with the king, to desire him to speak for him, to commend
his cause, to persuade the king to grant his request; which
he might lawfully have done. Also, he offereth no rewards
nor like pleasure to any man ; but turneth him to the God
of heaven, as the chiefest governor of all goodness, which
setteth up rulers, and putteth down kings, and is King of
kings, and prayeth him to prosper his suit. He prayeth to
no idols nor saints, though he lived among that idolatrous
nation ; for he knew they could not help him ; but faithfully
called on the living God, which his good fathers had wor-
shipped of old time. This prayer was not so much in speak-
ing or kneeling, but a lifting up of his mind towards God,
1 Sam. i. and desiring him to further his suit. Anna made like prayer,
when she pom'ed out her sorrow before the Lord, moving
her lips, but speaking never a word ; in so much that the
high priest thought she had been drunken. For it falleth
out oft, that in great sorrow a man cannot let a tear fall,
the heart being oppressed with grief, and yet he at another
time will >\eep tenderly : so in prayer ofttimes, the more
earnestly that a man prayeth, the less he can speak, his
heart being so earnestly given to call on the Lord. As when
Moses was in great heaviness, and prayed for the children
V. I f).] AN EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAH. .*523
of Israel, being in that great distress, God said unto him,
" Why criest thou unto ine V and yet there is not one word Exod.
written, that he cried or said. It is the praying and cry-
ing of the heart, that God is so much delighted withal ; and
yet never the worse, if it burst out into words, and shew
itself. Let no man then excuse himself, and say he cannot
pray, except he were in the church or in his chamber alone ;
for in all places he may lift up his mind to God, though
he were in the market or mountain; and with hearty prayer,
though he speak not at all, desire the Lord to hear him,
as Nehemiah doeth here in the presence of the king and
many others. And no doubt, if he pray in faith and for
such things as further the glory of God, the Lord will hear
him. Let us learn here to begin all our doings with prayer
unto the Lord, and we shall speed so much the better.
5. And I said. AV^hen Nehemiah had made his short
prayer in so earnest a faith, and perceived the king's good
will towards liim, then with all humbleness, not appointing
the king what he should do, but referring all to his con-
sideration and wisdom, desireth him, that if he thought it
good, if Nehemiah himself were thought a fit man for the
])uq)ose, or his service had been acceptable to the king, that
it w ould " please him to send him to Jewry," to the city
where he was born, and his elders lay buried, that he might
'•build it up again." No marvel that Nehemiah was afraid,
and prayed earnestly for good success in his suit : for he
know well that the Jews were counted a rebellious people,
and hated of all countries about them ; and the king might
think him to make his suit for building of Jerusalem, that
thev mi«>-ht settle and strenf{then themselves a^jainst him and
(jther kings, and claim their old liberties that they had afore.
Vivxi God so moved the king's heart, that he had no suspi-
cion of any such enterprise by Nehemiah, his faithful and
trusty servant.
With such modesty princes would be dealt withal, and
not roughly nor unreverently : for so Xehemiah doth here
most dutifully. If many men had their choice at the king's
hand now a days, to ask what they would, as Nehemiah
might have done here, would they not have asked castles,
lauds, ntHci"^. and authority for them and their issue, that
2 ] «
324 AN EXPOSITION UPO\ NEHEMIAII. [oil. II.
they might have been great men in the world ; and not the
building of a city, which would have been a trouble and cost
unto them rather than any profit, and when they had finished
it, it had not been their own, but other should have en-
joyed it, and they little the better for it? But such is the
zeal of them that love the Lord, that they will seek to build
and not to pull down, as many do, and will prefer all things
that may further the glory of God, though it be with their
own loss, rather than seek their own profit with the hin-
derance of it. Terentius, a nobleman, captain under the
emperor Valens, when he had been in wars and sped well, the
Theodo:-. emperor, liking well of his good service, bade him advise
cap. 32. himself what he would make suit for, and he would reward
him liberally. Terentius, being a zealous man in religion,
and perceiving the great heresy of the Arians to be much
favoured, (and the emperor himself being thought to be in-
fected therewith,) could not abide such blasphemy against
Jesus Christ our Saviour, put this supplication in writing,
and with most humble reverence and earnest desire required
the emperor to grant him his request, and he would think
his service fully recompensed. The effect of his supplication
was, "that it would please the emperor to grant the true
Christians a church to serve and worship the Lord Jesus in
separately from the Arians, which dishonoured him; for it
was not fit among the Christians to hear such blasphemy
Nireph. xi. against the Lord Christ, as they spued out.'' The emperor,
reading his supplication, and considering the effect of it, was
very angry, pulled it in pieces, and threw it away, chid with
Terentius, that he could devise nothino: to ask but that.
Terentius gathered up the pieces of paper courteously, and
said, "if he could not be heard in God's cause, he woukl
not make further suit for his own profit'."
0 noble captain ! where is thy fellow ? Who hath done
the like, but Nehemiah here, Ester, and some few other ?
God increase the number of such religious men about princes!
and then they will not gape so fast as they do, to pluck
[} O 0€ TY}^ iKCa-ta^ avWe^ac; ru fhjyuuTa, *Ecf£'a/u;i/, t'(pij,
o) fBacriXeVf kui e^w to diopuv, kui eTCftov ovk alrtja-u)' a-Koirov
yufj KpiTt]^ o Ttav oXoou Kpirt]^. V. 834. Ed. Paris. 1544. — Nicephonis
merely repeats Theodoret. Ed.J
^■. I — ().] w KXi'osnioN li'on nkhemiah. o25
and pull iiway from (lod and his ministers all that thoy may
scratch or scrape, to the dishonour of God, defacin^r of his
^dory, decay of the ministery, reli^jion, and all good learninir;
thinking most highly of themselves, that they be wortliy to
have all things, where in deed they deserve least, and the
more they get the less are they satisfied. It is a full con-
tentation to all good men, when they see God glorified in his
church, word, and ministery; for then they know, if they du-
tifully seek, that the Lord will not see them lack that which
shall be necessary for them ; and they will content themselves
with that portion that God giveth them, and will not greedily
seek for other men's things wrongfully, to the dishonour of
the high God.
6. And the king said. A\'hen the king had considered
his request, he advised himself well, and was both loth to
denv him his suit, and also to forego so faithful a servant ;
asked him how long he would be absent, and when he would
return. So did the queen too, which sat by the king: they
both loved him so well, and would not have him long from
them. A special gift of God, to see a stranger born, of that
religion and people which were hated of all the world, to
be in such favour with the king and queen, and to find such
favour and grace in their sight, that he gave licence and
all other necessan- thinors to build that citv, which had been
noisome to so manv kini^s about them. But such is the
merciful goodness of our (iod towards his church and people,
that he will make strangers and their enemies to defend
and help them : as Pharaoh and Assuerus did, bv the good Gen. xivii
means of Joseph and Ester, «fcc. j-^-
And because '' the queen sat by,'' it is like that there was
some solemn feast that day ; for the queens of Persia used
not to come into the king's presence, but \\hen they were
called for by name, as it is written in the book of Ester:
and Strabo writeth, that the Persians "used to debate of
weighty matters, when they were refreshed with wine."* This
might be a great cause of the great fear th.at Xehemiali was
in, as he said before, to see the queen present, and many
other great men beside, no doubt, as is commonly used at
such solenmities. It will make anv good nature afraiil to
speak to a king, but nuich more in the presence of so many
S26* AN EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAH. [cH. II.
estates, who might be hinderers of his suit, and counsel
the king to the contrary. J3ut when God will pity his peo-
ple, and have things forward, he will so move kings' hearts,
that nothing shall hinder that he will have done. And so
the king did grant him his request, gave him leave to go
build that city, and sent him away honourably, and rewarded
him liberally, as folio weth. Nehemiah appointed the king a
time of his return to him again ; but when, it is not here
mentioned ; yet such a time as the king was content withal.
In the last chapter of this book it appeareth, that in the
twelfth year following Nehemiah returned unto the king,
and yet gat licence again to go to Jerusalem. But whether
this was the time that he appointed to return, it is not written,
and therefore uncertain ; and being unwritten and uncertain,
it is not so necessary to be known, nor curiously to be
searched; but we may content ourselves to be ignorant of
it, as of all uncertain, unwritten, and unnecessary truths.
The Text. y. 7. And I Said unto the king, If it be thought good to
the king, let them give me letters to the captains he-
yond the river, which may convey me tmtil I come
into Jehuda ;
8. And letters also to Asaph, keeper of the Icing'' s looods,
that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates
of the palace, which is near the temple, and for the
walls of the city, and for the house which I shall enter
to. And the king gave me, according to the hand of
my God, which was good toward me.
9. And I came to the captains beyond the river, and
gave them the king''s letters; and the king sent with
me captains of the army and horsemen.
10. And Sanballat the Horonite and Tobias, that servant
and Ammonite, heard of it, and they loere grieved with
great sorrow that a man was come to seek any good
for the children of Israel.
Nehemiah was a glad man, that the king had granted
his request; and sleepeth not his purpose, nor letteth the
time slip; but with all diligence prepareth things necessary
for his journey. And first, because the journey was long,
^■' 7 10.] A\ KXI'OSITION Ll»0.\ XEUExMlAH. o27
and daiif^croiis for enemies, that hated liini and all the Jews,
lest he should have some displeasure done him by the wav,
he desireth the king, that his council and secretaries mifxht
give him a passport, and grant him men to conduct him safely
into Jewry. A bold request for so mean a subject, being
but the king's cupbearer, a stranger, and bom of that people
and country which all the world hated. AVhat could have
been done more for the noblest man in the countr}', or for
the best servitor the king had ? I cannot tell whether it is to
be more marvelled at, that either he diu-st ask it, or that the
king would grant it. But Nehemiah perceived God's good
will and the king's favour toward liini, and was bold to ask :
God prospered his suit, that the king granted his request.
And as afore, so here mark also, that he doth not boldly
and rashly appoint the king what he should do, but with
all modesty referreth his request unto the king's wisdom
and discretion, to grant or deny, and saith, '• If it be thought
good to the king." Again, he doth not with bribes or flat-
tery procure the king's letters to be signed privily, (as many
do, that make unhonest suits, and would not have their matter
debated by the wiser sort, lest so it might be denied;) but
he requireth, that they which are aj)pointed for that pur-
pose, and do such things by good advice, as chancellors and
secretaries, might give him letters to the captains beyond
the river Euphrates, (for that is meant by the river, because
it was more notable than any other river in the country',
and did divide the kinerdom of Persia from other countries
about it,) over which into Jewry he might pass.
It might be thought strange to sonie, that Nehemiah
here asketh not only of the king his letters of passport, but
also a number of soldiers, to conduct him siifely into JeuTy.
For Ezra, when he had licence of the king to take the same Kzn vm.
journey, and ])uild the temple, neither asked nor had any
to conduct him safely on his way, though the danger wa-s
as great then, and he was afraid as well as Nehemiah was
now. Why should Nehemiah ask now, seeing lu' sencd
and trusted in that same God that Ezra did, and was as
earnest and zealous in relitrioii as he was? whv should (his
Ik) lawful or connnendable in the nnv, and not in the other f
Causes may be rendered divers. There was difference in
o28 AX EXPOSITION UPON NEllEMIAH. [cil. 11.
the persons and times. Ezra ^vas a priest, cunning in the
law, and Iiad oft taught boldly afore the king and his nobles,
how sure and safe they were from all dangers, that put their
trust in God alone: and if he should have afterwards been
afraid, he should have seemed to have spoken untruly afore,
and his God should not have been thought able or willing to
defend his people that trusted in him. Nehemiah was a cour-
tier, and in great favour with' the king, and had not so openly
and boldly spoken of God's providence and care towards
his people as Ezra had, (though he believed it as faithfully
as the other did,) and therefore might more boldly, without
reproach of his God or his doctrine and sayings, ask it.
Yet this proveth not, that preachers may not at any
time require a safe conduct of princes, to whom it be-
longeth to provide in dangerous times, that passage by the
Actsxxni. ]^\g\i ^vay may be safe and quiet. Paul, as we read, when
the Jews had " sworn that they would neither eat nor drink
until they had killed him," desired an under-captain to bring
his nephew (who told him of that conspiracy) to the high
captain, to declare so much to him, and desired that he
would provide some safety for him, that he were not mur-
dered by the way : and in this doing Paul neither offended
man, nor distiiisted of God's providence and care toward
him. Again, in that great and long storm that Paul and
his fellows were in on the sea, where they looked for nothing
but to be drowned, the angel of God told Paul, that " God
had given him the lives of all that were with him in the
ship,'' and none of them should perish ; yet afterward, when
the mariners would have cunningly conveyed themselves out
of the ship, '' under pretence to have cast anchor," Paul told
the high captain, that if he suffered them to go out of the
ship, they should all perish: and this he did not say, as
doubting of the angel's true message, nor of God's good will
and mighty hand, able to deliver them, but to teach us that,
although God have made us promise of his mercy, we may
not tempt him, lie down, and sleep carelessly, but diligently
to look for and use such helps and means, as God hath
appointed us to work by. God worketh all goodness in us
himself, and yet hath appointed means for us to use and
do sucli things, the which we may in no caee neglect ; and
Acts xxvii.
V. 7 — 10. 1 AX Kxro.-moN i mts .\kiii,.mi.\ii. :j:2.M
yet all praise is due to him. whatsoever \\v do; t«ir it is
he that both ordaineth the end of all things, how thev shall
come to pass, and also the means, how they shall he hrouirht
to pass, and prospereth all them that, forsakinG^ themselves, use
such means and hang on him, knowing the beginning, midst,
and end to be ruled and come to pass as he ap})ointcd.
God inspired the apostles with all knowledge of the
scriptures suddenly, which were unlearned and never went
to the school ; yet may not we think that we will be learned
after the same sort, without study and prayer : for then we
tempt God, refusing such helps as he hath appointed for us
to come to learning by. And though we study and pray
never so much, vet we shall understand nothiuir until he izive
us his Holy Spirit, the schoolmaster of all truth, to lighten
our minds and give understanding of his holy will. ^Ve be i^*'- >-
like an axe in the carpenter's hand, which though it be a
good one, yet the praise of the good work that is done with
it is to be given to the man, and not to the axe. Such
things be we in God's hand, by whom he worketh his will
and glory, though not unsensible, as dead things Ix?, yet as
unable to work any good thing without him, as the axe is
without the carpenter ; for of ourselves we " are not able to
think" a good thought, as the apostle saith. that all praise 2 Cor. ni.
may be his, that blesseth and prosj)ereth both us niid the
means that he hath appointed for us to work by. and bringeth
it to a good end. We must think likewise of (Jod's doings
and ourselves in all other things, sin except, that he -worketh
all in all,'' yet not without us; that all mny say with David,
''Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name J^**!- <^»'^'
give all praise and glory."
Thus we see that some man may at some times dn that
another may not; yea, one man himself cannot do at ail
times that he may well do at some times, liut, this general
rule being kept, that God's glory be not defaced by doing
of it, it may be done of all men at all times. I'aul wrought
for his living, when he preach('(l, which others did not, nor
are bound to do ; and he might have lived (»f his pn\-iching,
as well as others did : yet the time was such, and the jn^ople
so |K'evishly bent to slander the gosp<'l of (iod. that Paul for-
bare to use that libertv which (Jod gave him. and wnuM m»t
oSO AN EXPOSITION Ul'ON NEHEMIAH. [CH. II.
be thought to preach for gains; but wrought for his Hviiig,
would not be chargeable to any man. Such was the case here, .
that Ezra might not ask help, and Nehemiah might.
8. And letters also. Nehemiah, wisely considering what
he wanted yet to the finishing of such a work as he went
about, perceived he should need timber; and therefore de-
sired the king's letters of warranty " to Asaph, keeper of
his woods, that he might deliver him such trees and so many,
as would serve his purpose, both for the building of the
gates, the towers of the palace near the temple, the city walls,
and the house that he should dwell in himself." And here
we shall see the king worthy great praise, though he was
but barbarous; that for policy's sake, and wealth of his
country, both preserved his woods, and set a keeper over
them, that they should not be wilfully wasted. A good ex-
ample for princes, to foresee the like in their countries in
all ages ; for commonwealths cannot stand without the use
of woods in many kind of things. Nehemiah is also much
to be commended, that although he was in so great authority
and favour with the king, yet he would not take of his woods
without his licence and warrant, as many do. If these two
things were kept in this land, that both the prince's woods,
and others too, should be preserved, faithful keepers set over
them, and none delivered without sufficient warrant, w^e should
not find the great lack that we generally do. What spoil
liath been made of woods in our remembrance, wise men
have noted, but few gone about to amend it, though many
have lamented it. What common dealing hath been practised
to get such lands of the prince and other men, as were well
wooded, into their hands, and when they had spoiled the
woods, racked the rents, and deeply fined the tenants, then to
return the same land into the prince's hand again, or sell it
over to others, and get as much, it is too well known through-
out the realm, and to the hurt of many, at this day.
Nehemiah could ask nothing so much, but the king did
grant it speedily. God did so move the king's heart, and
prospered Nehemiah's doings, in so much that he giveth all
the praise to God alone, and saith, "the hand of his God
was good toward him," to set forward his good purpose of
building Jerusalem. Nehemiah knew well that God was
V. 7 lO.j AN EXPOSITION' UPON NKIIK.MI AH. TJol
the common God of all people and nations, both ])y creation
and goveiTiment of them : but because he seemed to favour
him more than he did other, in givinpr him boldness to open
his grief unto the king, wisdom to make his humble suit
without offence unto the king, and so good success to have
all things granted that he required of the king, so unlookod
for, he calleth him his God, as if he loved or cared more
for him than for the rest of the world. This is the conmion
use of the scripture, to call him the God of Abraham, Isaac,
Jacob, David, and Daniel, because he did both deliver them
out of such trouble as none else could or would, or anv hath
been so oft and wonderfully delivered as they were ; and also,
did so bless and prosper them and their doings, as the com-
mon sort of men were not wont to be. So they that see
their own misery, and how little goodness, but rather punish-
ment, they deserve at God\s hand, when they see the Lord
pity them, remember them, help them, and bless them, they
conceive by and bye such a love toward God, that it would
please him to look upon them, that for joy they burst out
into tears, they call him their God, because they feel his
jjood will and favour so much toward them, and more than
to other, yea, much more than they could deserve or be bold
to look for at his hands. And as one man useth to help
another by putting forth his hand to raise him that is fallen,
to give him such things as he wanteth, and to put away and
defend him from such things as may hurt him ; so it is callc*!
*' the good hand of God,'' when he either bestoweth his bless-
ing and good things upon us, or when he putteth away such
dangers and evils from us, as might hurt us. as it were with
his mighty and merciful hand.
.'). And I caiw. to tJu>. rajytains. Nehemiah hath now
taken his leave at the court, and loseth no time; but when
he had provided all things necessary for his journey, he
speedeth himself forward, and thinkcth all tiuK^ lost that is
not bestowed in relieving his country, being in such mis<Ty.
A strange examj)le, to see a courtier leave that wealth, cas*^
and authority that he was in, and go dwell so far from the
court, where connnonly it falleth out that he which is out
of sight is out of mind and soon forgotten, in an old, torn,
and decayed city, a rude people and poor country, where
00'2 AN KXrO.SlTlOX Ll'OX NEHE.MIAII. [cH. II.
lie slionid not live quietly for his enemies, but take pains
to build himself a house, and the city where he would dwell ;
to toil and drudge, like a poor labouring man, that should
work for his living, yea, and many times to be sore assaulted
of his enemies, both openly and privily, to the great danger
of his life, as the rest of the book following wall declare.
But this is the case of earnest and zealous men in religion,
p^ai. ixxxiv. that they can say with David, " I have chosen rather to be
a door-keeper in the house of God, than to dwell in the
palaces of sinners C and, " it is better to be one day there
than a thousand elsewhere." God for his mercy's sake raise up
some such few courtiers as Nehemiah w-as, which can be con-
tent to forsake their own ease, wealth and authority, and give
themselves painfully to travail for the wealth of their country !
And because that is to be wished, rather than hoped for, good
Lord, give us such as will be no hinderers, and will be con-
tent to live in compass quietly, and not seek to trouble others
that would serve the Lord willingly. Amen.
The king did not only deal thus liberally with Nehemiah
at his departure, but also lionourably sent him away with
captains and horsemen, safely to conduct him on his journey,
that none should hurt him by the way. And where the king
used him so courteously, no doubt the rest of the court shew^ed
him much courtesy ; for courtiers must needs like and mis-
like whatsoever the king seemeth to like or mislike, to set
up or pull down. Courtiers commonly, when the king speak-
eth, have lost both sense and wit ; for if the king seemeth
to favour any thing, they all, as men without understanding,
say it must needs be so. If the king will not give ear to
hear a matter, they are all deaf and cannot abide to hear
speak of it. If the king will not see it, they all cry out,
Away with it ! So that it is hard to tell, whether is in more
miserable case, the king or such dissemblers : for if the king
have no judgment of himself, he shall have no help of such ;
and they, like witless men, dare not speak a truth. Happy
is that prince therefore, that hath wise counsellors about him,
which will dutifully inform him of matters uprightly, wisely
debate the matter with him, without all double dealing, as
the other sorts do. When king Assuerus would advance
llaman, every man had him in reverence; but when Mar-
V. 7 — 10.] AX nxpo.siTiox ipox \riii:miaii. ,*];];j
docheus was set up, then was tliere cryint(, Cntrifip'', on v.mu. iii. &
Haman. But thus uiercifiilly doth our Lord God deal witli ^"''
his church and j^eople, that in every age he hath some ahout
the prince, that both can and will speak and Ije heard, thouirji
not for all generally in their rage and persecution, yet for
many, as occasion serveth, which shall be delivered from
such tyranny to glorify their God for his mercy ; thourrji
many willingly spend their lives patiently to the praise of the
same God eternally. But no rage shall be so great to root
out God's chosen, but the Lord will ever j)reserve a number,
even by help of their enemies, openly to worship and serve
him in despite of all their foes.
Plinius, the ruler of a province under Trajan the emperor, Kuseb. Lib.
and appointed to punish the Christians sundry ways, seeing
the great number of them, doubted what he should do ; and
wrote to the emperor, that '' he found no wickedness in them,
but that they would not worship images, and that they would
sing psalms before day-light unto Christ as a God, and did
forbid all sins to be used among them.'"' The emperor, hearing
this, became a jn*eat deal more jjentle unto them'. Sail us- Ruff. mi., i.
tins, tormentins: Theodorus, a Christian, sundrv wavs and a
long time, to make him forsake his faith, but all in vain,
went to Julianus the emperor, and told him what he had
done from the day-break until ten of the clock ; and coun-
selled him that he ''should ])rove that wav no more bv erucltv,
for they gat glory in suH'ering patiently, and he gat shame
in punishing so sharply,'' because they would not yield unto
him". Many more such examples the ecclesiastical histories
|_ npu^ a Tou Tnauiuou coyna toioutou TeddKevm' to \j>t(T-
Tutvuiv ipvXov fiij eK'itjreTa-dui /itV, efXTrtanv oe ko\uQl(tOui. ' • •^^^
VA. l*aiis. 1.544. Pliny's Letter to Trajan licrc referred to is extiUit.
Lib. X. Epist. H7. Kd.]
['^ Quod Sallustiu.s, jjriefectus ejus, iion i)ro])ans, lieet esset gcntiliH,
tamen jussus exe(jiiitur; et ai)i)relu'iisuin unuin (lucndain adttlestvnt«'ni,
qui primus occurrit, Tlieodoruui nomine, a ])rima luei' usquf ad lionim
deeimam tanta erudelitate et tot mutatis eaniititibus torsit, ut nulla a-ta**
simile factum meminerit. Cum tamen ilk' in equulco suhlimis, et
liinc inde latcrilius instanti turtort', nihil aliu<l iaeeret. nisi quinl vultu
s<'t'uro ft hrto ps;ilMium, (jucm ])ridii' omnis I'celrsia ei'tinenit, iterun-t ;
euuKjue sc omni expen.sa erudelitate Sallustius nihil ei,'iHse |K'rHpieerct.
rt'ci'i.to in carcfre.u juvi-ne, alui^^sc I'l rtnr ad ImiM'rat<»rrni, «t tiuideKTrir
334 AN EXPOSITIOX UPON NEHEMIAH. [cil. II.
are full of, where God delivered his people by the forespeech
of tlieir enemies : but these shall suffice at this present.
God had now raised up Nehemiah, and had given him
favour and o-race in the kino-^s sia'ht, to ask and obtain com-
fort for the deliverance of his church and people, the Jews,
which had been so long in great misery and slavery. Ne-
hemiah then passeth on his journey toward Jerusalem with
great speed and honour, passeth the river Euphrates, and
those thievish and dangerous ways that he was afraid of,
safely cometh to the rulers of the country beyond Euphrates,
delivereth them tlie king's commission for timber, and a band
of new soldiers for his safe conduct into Jewry, that these
might return home again to the king, with thanks that they
had conveyed him so far on his way safely.
10. And SanbaUat. As Nehemiah was glad that God
had prospered his doings so well hitherto, so others were
sorry. For at his coming into the country Sanballat and To-
bias were so sore grieved, that any man found such favour with
the king, that he might procure any good thing toward the
children of Israel ; that, if he had not brought the king's
letters with him, he could not have escaped their displeasure.
It is not manifest in the text, what country these men be
of; but I can well incline to that opinion, which thinketh
that Sanballat was a Moabite of the city Horonaim, which
Esay in the xv and Jeremy xlviii speak of, and that Tobias
was an Ammonite ; because the Moabites and Ammonites were
ever from the beginning most cruel against the Israelites in
their coming out of Egypt and all their doings, though they
came and were born of near kinsmen. Abraham was uncle
Ceil. xix. imto Lot : of Abraham came the Israelites ; of Lot, when
he was drunken, came the Moabites and Ammonites, gotten
by his own daughters. And this is commonly seen, that
both those which be so bastardly born against nature prove
not honest ; and when displeasure groweth among kinsfolk,
and specially for religion, as this was, it scarce can be for-
given. Sanballat by interpretation signifieth a fure enemy;
nuiitiasse, ac monuisse ne tale aliquod tentare vellet de cetero ; alioquin
ot illis gloriam et sibi iofnominiam quaererct. Auctores Hist. Eccles. x.
(Ruffini I.) cap. •%. Tlie same account is given by Tlieodoret, Lib. iii.
cap. 1 1 . Ed.]
V. 7 10.] AX EXPOSITION' UPON NEIIEMIAII. ,*]3.j
and Tobias was a servant, and yet crept into ofreat authority,
as the other was. Tliese two points may well agree to the
papists, and all enemies of God's truth; for they will lurk
privily, until time serve them to shew their cruelty, and then
they will rage fiercely : and so will .slaves and servants, that
come to authority from base degree. Salomon saith, ''There Ptov.xxx.
be three things that trouble the world,'' whereof tlu' first is
"a servant when he cometh to be a ruler :"' for then he waxeth
so proud and cruel, that he forgetteth what he wa.-^, he dis-
daineth all men but himself. The papists are bastardly bom
of spiritual whoredom, serve the pope as slaves in all his
superstitions : they come of ^Vgar the bond woman, and not
of Sara the free woman ; and therefore hate the true children
of God, whicli believing the promises of God are saved,
and they will be saved by their own works, contrary to the
scripture ; and so grieved when they see any thing prosper
with them, that for ver}' malice and envy they j)ine away ;
as these two wicked imps do here shew themselves, becau.se
they would not see Jerusalem restored.
As the buildintr of this Jerusalem had manv enemies,
so the repairing of the heavenly Jerusalem by the preaching
of the glorioius gospel of Christ Jesus hath many more. The
malice and envy of worldlings against all those that set up
the kingdom of Christ, and pull down the pride of man's
lieart, is so great that it can never be .satisfied. If malice
had not blinded these men, what harm was it to them tt»
.see the Jews do well, and God worship})ed there ? The Jews
never went about to invade or conquer their country ; and
yet they could not enjoy their own country without much
trouble of these envious people. Envy ever disdaineth to
see other do well, and sj)ecially such as live well and .^erve
the Lord Christ, and is glad of other men's mischii'f and
harm, for then they think none shall be able to withstand
their pleasures and devices. The people of Canaan, whcnJ^^h. u.
they heard of Josua and the Israelites coming with so
great courage to possess their country, were so di.sinaye(l,
that their courajre melted awav like wax at the fire. llenKl
and all Jerusalem were a.stonied, when they lieard tell that
a new king Christ, being but a ehlkl, was lM»rn ; and yet
the angels sung i\>v jo\ . When nur Saviour Christ wa^
V)oC> AX KXPOSITIOX UPON XEHEMTAH. [cH. II.
crucified and burled, his disciples were sad, and the Jews
rejoiced: but when Christ had conquered death, and was
risen again, then the disciples were glad, and the Jews were
sad. Thus one thing worketh diversely in divers men. Nehe-
miah was glad that he had found such favour with the king
to build Jerusalem ; Sanballat and his fellows were as sorry
that any should do it. The gospel hath foretold that it
should so fall out with the worldlings and the godly : the
one shall rejoice, when he seeth God''s glory flourish ; and
the other shall be grievously tormented in conscience. " The
joii. xvi. world shall be glad,"" saith St John, " but ye shall weep ;
and yet this your sorrow shall be turned into joy :" for God
1 Cor. X. will not see his servants overwhelmed with trouble, but he
will deliver them. David, describing at large the manifold
blessings that God poureth on them that fear him, in the end
Psai. cxii, of the psalm saith, '-The ungodly shall see it, and it shall
grieve him ; he will gnash with his teeth, and pine away for
malice ; but the desire of the ungodly shall perish.''
There cannot be a greater grief to an ill man, than to see
a good man do well. When there w^as a question moved before
king Frederic among his physicians, what was best to make
the sight clear, and some said fennel, some saladine, some
glass, some other things, as they thought good ; Actius
Sincerus, a nobleman standing by, said he thought envy
was the l)est : when every man either laughed or marvelled
at his saying, he yielded a reason, and said, " Envy maketh
any thing that she seeth to appear better than it is ; for
the envious man thinketh another man's corn to be better
-r|— than his own, and another man's cow to give more milk,
and the least good thing that a good man hath seemeth
great in his eye, that cannot see other thrive, and espieth
diligently with great grief the smallest things the good man
doeth ; and that is," said he, "to make the eye sight clearest,
when every small thing shall be best espied." Envy is worse
than any poison of other beasts. The snake, the adder,
the toad, have deadly poison in them, wherewith they hurt
others, and yet it hurteth not themselves: but envy is so
poisonful a thing, that it killeth him that hath it first, and
hurteth not other: for he fretteth with himself, he fumes,
Jio pines away to see others do \\ell ; lio eateth not, nor
V. 6 10.] AN EXPOSITION UPON NEIIEMIAH. 337
sleepeth quietly, nor can be merr}' until he see some mischief
fall on the good man : and as the canker eateth and consum-
eth hard iron and brass, so malicious envy with fretting
consumeth out envious stomachs. When Sanball.it and To-
bias, hearing but of Neheniiairs coming into the country,
and tliat he had found such favour with the kinnr to build
o
Jerusalem, were thus grieved with malicious envy to see
the Jews do well ; what sundry attempts they made afterwards
to overthrow that building, the residue of this book will de-
clare. How the envious papists, disdaining to see God's
gospel take place in any country, do rage, fret, fume, pine
away for sorrow and anger ; how they have blooded and
bathed their hands in their brethren's blood, and yet cannot
be quiet, the world seeth it too well, good men lament it,
justice crieth vengeance, and God will revenge it.
v. 11. And I came to Jerusalem, and I iras there three days. The Text.
12. A7id I rose in the night, I and a few men with me,
and told no man what God had put in my heart to
do in Jerusalem : and tJiere teas no beast with mf,
but the beast ichich I sat upon.
13. And I went forth at the Talh-y qate in the n'xnht, and
before the draqons well to the dnnqhill qate ; and con-
sidered the walls of Jerusalem which were broJcen down,
and the gates which were consumed with fire.
14. And I passed over to the well gate, and to the ling'^s
fishjiool, and there was no room for the beast under
me to pass.
15. And I went up in the night by the brook, and I con-
sidered the well ; and coming back I came by the valley
gate, and returned.
Nehemiah hath now done with the court, and is come
to Jerusalem, which he so much desired : he was wi'ary of
the noise and solcnmitv of the court, and thoiiglit lu* should
live more quietly in his country ; but it rallctii out clt*an
contrarv : for his trouble and danjjer is double to that it
was afore ; and he cometh from the court to the cart, and
from a i)leas:int life to a canl'iil. Alter his l..ng journey
he resteth himself and his company thrcf days, knowing
.).)
[I'lI.KlNOTON.]
338 AN EXPOSITION UrON NEHEMIAH. [cH. II*
the weakness of man^s body to be such, tliat it cannot con-
tinually endure labour, but must be refreshed with ease and
rest. Thus must good men in authority not overlay their
servants with continual labour, but let them have reasonable
time of rest : for God made the sabbath day, that both man
and beast might rest, and not be oppressed with continual
toiling : such a consideration he had of man's weakness.
We do not read of any great solemnity that the Jews used
to welcome him withal, being their countryman, and coming
from the court so honourably, with such a band of men to
conduct him, and being in so great favour with the king:
it is like, if that there had been any such thing, it would
have been declared, as well as his estate was in the court
afore. It was but a hard beginning, to have Sanballat and
Tobias, two of the greatest men in the country, to lower
so at his coming, and no greater rejoicing made of his country-
men, for whose sake he took all those pains : but nothing can
discourage him ; on forward he goeth with his purpose.
These three days, though he rested with his body, his
mind was not yet quiet : he was still devising how he might
best and speedily go about his building; how he might open
to his countrymen the cause of his coming ; how he might
persuade them to join with him in that work; and to declare
unto them the king's commission and good will toward him,
and what favour he found in the court. For they might
well doubt, if they should enterprise so great a work without
the king's licence, they might run into great displeasure,
seeing they had so many enemies in the country about them,
that with all their might had sought the hinderance of that
building so many years. They themselves had lien so long
in despair, followed their own business, sought their own
gains, and cared not for building their own city, nor sought
any ways how to do it; they had almost so far forgotten
their God, oppressed the poor, and fallen to so great wicked-
ness, as appeareth hereafter, that they had no care of religion
in the most part of them.
12. And I rose in the night. After that Nehemiah had
thus long debated with himself, how this work should be
taken in hand, he could not sleep, but riseth in the night,
taketh a few of his men with him on foot, and he himself
V. 11 1.1.] AX EXPOSITION UPON NETIEMIAII. 339
on his inule, and ridetli round about JeriLsaloin, vieweth the
walls, in wliat place they were woi*st destroyed, and how they
might most speedily be repaired. If he had taken Iiis view
in the day-time, every man would have stood gazing on him,
wondering what he went about, and have hindered it; and
not unlike, some would have been offended at him, and his
enemies round about would, as much as they durst or could,
have stopped his enterprise. The night therefore was thought
to be the quietest time to do this in, and he is content to
Ijreak his sleep for the furtherance of this great good work.
A good example for all men, and especially for those that
be in authority in the commonwealth, as Nehemiah was now,
and for those that have the charge of God's church committed
unto them, not to be idle, even in the night season to break
a sleep, yea, watch all night, if need be, to set forward the
buildino; of God's house and citv.
The physician will watch with his patient all night, if need
be : the good captain will not sleep all the night long, though
he have set his watch afore ; but he will sometimes at the
second watch, sometimes at the third, arise and see whether
his watchmen be fallen on sleep, and what they do, or whether
any enemies draw near or no: so should every Christian
privately for himself break his sleep, lift up his mind unto
the Lord, call upon him by faithful prayer, call for mercy
at his fatherly goodness, commend himself and all God's people
to his gracious protection, desiring that all stumbling-blocks,
which be hinderers of his glory, may be taken away; but si)e-
cially those that be negligent to watch a whole night in prayer,
devising wliat ways God's glorious name, gospel, and rclii^n'on
may best be increased, his kingdom enlarged, Christ glorified,
and antichrist confounded. David saith, he '^rose at midnight P»i.«i»«
to give praise" unto the Lord's blessed name. Our mortal
enemy, Satan, never sleepeth night nor day, but continually
" goeth about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may de-
vour ;" and if we had not as good a watchman to watch for our
safety when we sleep, we should be swallowed up ever}* liour.
''lk>h()ld," saith David, "he neither shnnberi'th nor sleeiM'th, P«"<""*-
that is the watchman of Lsrael." All praise be to that mereihil
God, which taketh such care for his miserable people, an«l watch-
eth when we sleep, that our enemy devour us not suddenly !
22—2
340 AN EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIATI. [cH. II.
Luke vi, Oui* Saviour Christ, to give us example of this dihgent
watching to pray in the night, prayeth the whole night him-
self in the mount, afore he chose his apostles to preach.
Josh. X. Josue marched forward all the night long, to fight with the
Amorites, and overcame them. Gedeon in the night season
Juiig. vi. pulled down the altar of Baal that his father had made, and
the grove of wood that was near unto it, being afraid to do
it in the day time for fear of his father's house and people
thereby ; and in the night also set on the !Madianites, and
vanquished them. So good men let no time pass, wherein
occasion is given them to further God's glory, night or day,
but earnestly follow it until they have brought their purpose
to effect. And that this viewing of the walls might be more
secretly done, he chooseth the night season rather than the
day to do it in ; a few men to wait on him, rather than many ;
no more horse than his own, and all the rest on foot, for
making noise. Many men and horses would soon have been
espied, one troubled another, made a great noise, and have
bewrayed his counsel, which he kept so secret to himself,
that he told it not to any man what he went about : and if
he had gone alone, he might have fallen into some danger
of life, having none to help him. The night is the quietest
time to devise things in ; for then all things be quiet, every
man keepeth his house and draweth to rest ; no noise is made
abroad ; the eyes are not troubled with looking at many
things; the senses are not drawn away with fantasies, and
the mind is quiet.
Many men would have committed the doings of such
things to other men, and would have trusted them to have
viewed the walls, and after to have certified him of their
doings, in what case they were, and how they might most
speedily be repaired : but Nehemiah, lest he should have
wrong information given him, though he was a man of great
authority, did not disdain to take the pains himself, brake
his sleep, and rode about the walls himself, — to teach us that
nothing should be thought painful at any time, nor disdainful
to any man, of what estate soever he were, to set forth the
building of God's city and dwelling-place, which every man
ought to do in his calling. David, when the ark of God was
brought out of Abinadab's house, played on instruments, and
V. 11 15.] AN EXPOSITION UPON NEIIEMIAII. 341
after cast off his kingly apparel, and for rejoicinf;^ danced
afore the ark in his poor ephod, to glorify his God witi-.al.
^lichal his wife, looking forth at a window, and seeing himasam. vi.
dance, laughed him to scorn, and asked him if he were not
ashamed to dance so nakedly afore such a company of women,
as though he had been but some light scoffing fellow. lUit
David was so zealous a man and earnest to jriorifv (iod l»v
all means, that he forgat himself to be a king, al)ased him-
self with the lowest and simplest, and said to Michal, that he
would " yet more lowly cast down himself," so that his God
might be glorified in his doings. Michal for mockini^ of
him was barren all her life, and had no children ; but David
for this humblinnr of himself was blessed of the Lord. Moses iieb. xi.
forsook to live in pleasure in Pharao's court, and to be called
his daughter's son, and chose to live in trouble with his
brethren the Jews, and to keep Jethro's sheep, so that he
might serve the Lord. Our Sa\'iour, the perfect pattern of
all humbleness, did not disdain to wash the miry feet of his Joh- ^^»'
disciples, and wipe them : and last of all, as though that had
not been base enough, he humbleth himself to the slanderous
death of the cross, and to hang on a cross between two
thieves for us, being his enemies, as though he had Ix'cn a
third : he loved us so tenderly, that he would go to hell,
that we might go to heaven ; he would die so vile a death,
to purchase us so glorious a life ; and suffer the pains due
to our sins, that we might enjoy the [)leasures of heaven,
God grant all estates this humbleness of mind, that for his
cause, that forsook all worldly honour, they may be content
to abase themselves, to suffer all pains and reproachful
things in the world for the furtherance of the building of
(iod's city! Such humble abasing of themselves is the
greatest honour that ever they shall get : all worldly pomp
witl out this is vile and shameful.
In that he '' telleth no man what he went al)out, and that
(Jod had put it in his mind to <lo it," he declareth that it
was not his own device, nor came from any man, but God
himself was the mover of it, and therefore was more eanu'stly
to be followed. He that will l(>arn to keep counsel in dtvd,
let him learn of Nehemiah here to tell no man, not to hi.s
dearest friend. Manv will come to his friend, and say, I
342 AN EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAH. [CH. II.
can tell you a secret matter, but ye must keep in counsel
and tell nobody. What foolishness is this, that thou wouldst
have another to keep thy counsel secret to himself, and thou
thyself canst not keep it secret to thyself! Wouldst thou
have another man to do that for thee, which thou wilt not
do for thyself? Keep thine own counsel, and then thou
shalt not need to fear lest other men bewray thee. And if-
thou wouldst have another man to keep thy counsel, he will
think thou shouldst not have told it thyself, and then it
had heen safe enough : but in telling him, he telleth another
friend, and he saith to him as thou saidst to thy friend afore,
I can tell you a thing that was told me secretly, but you
must keep counsel and tell nobody : so with going from friend
to friend, it will be known to all men. Therefore the surest
and only way to have counsel kept secret is to follow Nehe-
miah here, and tell it to no man, though he be thy dear
friend ; for he hath other friends to tell it to, as thou didst
tell it him.
If any do marvel why Nehemiah was thus earnest in this
building, and refused no pains nor jeopardy, but with courage
went through them all, he telleth a sufficient cause here him-
self, and saith, his " God had put it in his heart to do it.'"
He taketh not the glory of it to himself, but giveth all the
praise to God alone, as we must do in all good things. When-
soever God putteth any good thing into man's heart to do,
he driveth him so forward, that he cannot eat, sleep, nor
rest quietly, until it be done : he thinketh all time long and
lost, that is not bestowed on it : therefore they that be so
cold in their work, that they care not whether it go forward
or not, are not moved by God. The Holy Ghost, which
worketh this great desire in us, is called fire. John Bap-
Luke iii. tist said, he "baptized in water, but he that came after him
should baptize them with the Holy Ghost and fire." The
Actsii. Holy Ghost fell on the apostles in fiery tongues; and our
Lukcxii. Saviour Christ said, he "came to set fire on the earth, and
what would he else but that it should burn ?" These be spoken
to teach us, that those \A'hich are moved of God are earnest
Rev. iii. j'n their doings. God loveth not those that be "lukewarm;"
he " will spue them out of his mouth." You must be either
an earnest friend or an open enemy : he loveth no dissem-
V. II 15. \ AN EXPOSITION UPON NEIIEMIAII. o43
biers ; you must be either hot or cold : " he that is not with
him is against" him : double dealers are the worst people tlmt
be ; they are good neither afore God nor man : an open enemy
is better than a flattering friend. All which sayings do teach
us to be earnest in God's work ; or else he putteth it not into
our heart. Salomon commendeth plain dealing so much, that Ptov. xxvii.
he saith, '' The wounds that a friend giveth are better than
the crafty kisses of him that hateth thee.""
This heavenly fire burnetii up all desires in man. and
kindleth all goodness in him. Jeremiah, when he saw the
word that he preached to be contemned of the people, he
waxed very sad ; he would preach no more : but when he had
holden his tongue but a little while, he said " the word within Jer. xx.
him was like a burning fire ; it burst out, he could not hold
it in," and he fell to preaching again : he was so grieved to
see God dishonoured, and so earnest to bring the people to
knowledge of their duty, that he could not hold his peace,
but needs must preach again. AVhen Jesabel j)ersecuted
Helias, because he had killed EaaFs jiriests for their idolatry,
he fled into the wilderness, and the angel finding him asked ^ '^>ns» ^•
him what he did there. Helias said, " I am earnestly zea-
lous and grieved for thee, 0 Lord God of hosts, that the
children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, &:c." Moses exo i. xxxn.
loved his people so well that, when God would have destroyed
them, he prayed to forgive them, or else to put him out of
his book. The Holy Ghost told St Paul, that in every town Actsxx.
there were chains and troubles ready for him ; but he said
he cared not, his life was not dear to him, so that he might
nm his course. For his countrymen also he wished to l)e
"accursed from Christ," so that they might be* saved. The
other apostles, when they were whipt for preaching C'lirist
Jesas, went away ''rejoicing that they were thought w(»rtiiy
to suffer any worldly shame for his name's sake."
Such an earnest love should every one have, both the
magistrate to do justice and punish sin. and the preacher t»)
root out evil doctrine and preach Cinist jjurely, that notliing
should make them afraid, but they should build Ciocrs city,
the heavenly Jerusalem, boldly: nothing .should wear)' them,
and all labour should ])e plea.sure, .so that they nn'ght sen'C
the Lord. Phinees, when he saw whoredom and wickcHlnchh Num. "»•
344? AN EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAH. [cH. II.
abound, and none would punish it, taketh the sword himself,
when others would not, and killed the man and woman,
being both of great parentage, in their open whoredom.
God was so well pleased with this zealous deed of Phinees,
that could not abide to see sin unpunished, and God's glory
so openly defaced, that he blessed him and his issue for it
Johnii. after him. Our Saviour Christ, when he saw God's house
appointed for prayer misused, "gat a whip and drave them
out.'' Thus whensoever God putteth any thing into man's
heart to do, it pricketh him on forward, that he cannot rest
until he have finished it. Nehemiah was here moved by
God to this work. God for his mercy's sake inflame many
men's hearts with the like earnest desire of building God's
spiritual city, that the workmen may be many, strong and
courageous; for the work is great and troublesome, the ene-
mies many, malicious, and stout hinderers, in number infinite,
and true labourers very few.
Gregory saith well, there is no such pleasant sacrifice
afore God, as is the earnest zeal to win souls unto the
Judg. xxi. Lord. The men of Jabes Gilead, when the Israelites joined
all together to punish that wicked adultery in Benjamin,
stood by, looked on, and would take part with neither of
them ; not knowing who should get the victory, thinking to
scape best and pick a thank in meddling on neither part :
but for such double dealing the Israelites set on them after-
ward and destroyed them. A just reward to fall on such
as will stand by, and look how the world goeth, meddle of
no side for fear of a change, or else ever join with the stronger
part. How full the world is this day of such double-faced
popish hypocrites, that will turn with every wind, good men
lament, and God must amend when pleaseth him. They be
the worst men that live. Such men be of no religion : some
call them neuters^ because they are earnest on no side : some
call them uterques, because they be of both sides as the world
changeth : some call them omnia^ because, if a Turk or any
other should come, they would yield unto them all. They be
like free-holders ; for whosoever purchaseth the land, they hold
of them all, though every year come a new master. But they
say, best it is that they be of no religion : for as there is but
one God, so there is but one religion ; and he that knoweth
V. 11 15.] AN EXPOSITION UPON NEIIK.MIAII. o45
not the ti*ue God and religion, knowetli none at all, althou'di
he make himself every day a new God and a new religion,
and the more the worse.
13. A7id I icent forth. In these next verses is no-
thing but the way described, by which he went to take the
view of the walls, how they were j)itifully destroyed, and
how they might best and most speedily be repaired. 'JIkj
gates of cities have their names on some occasion outwanllv
given, as the north-gate and the east-gate, because it goeth
northward or eastward: sometimes of them that builded them,
as Lud-gate and Billings-gate, of Lud and Billinus : some-
times of things that are brought in or carried out of the
city by them, as the fish- gate, the dunghill-gate, t^c. This
gate that he goeth out at first is called the '• valley-gate,"
because the way into the valley of Josaphat, which lay
afore it eastward, betwixt it and mount Olivet, was through
it. This valley was called Josaphat's by reason of a n(jble
victor)' that God gave Josaphat there. Divers people joined ^ chron. xx.
themselves together against Josaphat ; but God so ordered
the matter, that one of them killed another, and Josaphat,
looking on, after the slaughter came and took all their riches
and spoil, and he delivered without any stroke giving. The
''dragon's well" had its name of some venomous serpent lying
there : the " dunghill-gate," because the filth of the city was
carried out that way : the "well-gate" and ''king's fish-pool,"
because there was great plenty of water ponds, watering places,
&c. "The brook" he speaketh of is thought to be Cedron,
which is spoken of in the gospel, John xviii.
Nehemiah, when he had viewed all the walls, returned in
at the same gate that he went out at : but in some places he
found so great store of rubbish of the broken walls, that he
could not pass on horseback ; so miserably were they torn
and overthrown, and all the gates that should Im^ shut were
burned to ashes. O righteous God and miserable iHMiple !
(iod of his mercy foretold them by his prophets, that if tiny
fell from him and served othcT gods, these mischiefs shouM
fall on them : but they, blinded in their own afiections, U'-
lieved it not. () stony heart, learn here how vile a thing
sin is in God's sight: for not only the man that doeth sin
is punished, but the earth, the country, the stones, the walls,
346 AN EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAH. [CH. II.
the city, trees, corn, cattle, fish, fowl, and all fruits, and
other things that God made for man's necessity, are perished,
punished, and turned into another nature for the sin of man:
yea, and not only worldly things, but his holy temple, law,
word and religion, the ark of God, the cherubims, the pot
with manna, the mercy seat, Aaron's rod, with all the rest
of his holy jewels, were given unto the wicked Nabuchad-
nezzar's hand for the disobedience of the people: and God
will rather suffer his open enemies to enjoy his wonderful
benefits than his flattering friends. When Adam had sin-
ned, the earth, which afore was decked with all good fruits,
brought forth weeds to punish them withal. For the wicked-
ness of Sodom God not only cruelly destroyed the people
in it, but to this day that pleasant ground, whichafore was
like paradise, is now barren, full of filthy mire, ^ntch, tar,
&;c., and the air of it so pestilent, as divers do write, that
if any birds fly over it, it killeth them. The whole country
^ -^^ of Jewry, a plentiful land, "flowing with milk and honey'" of
his own nature, by the disobedience of the people became
Pdai. cvii. a barren land, as David teacheth in his psalm, " The Lord
turneth a fruitful ground into a barren for the wickedness
of the dwellers in it." Jerusalem was not only destroyed now
thus piteously by the Babylonians, but afterwards by Vespa-
sian the emperor, and had "not one stone left standing on
another," and the Jews driven out of it, who now live scat-
tered through the world, abhorred of all good men, and un-
der God's heavy rod, for crucifying the Lord Jesus Christ,
the Son of God, and their continual despising of him.
Let every man therefore learn reverently in the fear of
God to live : for sin will not only be punished with ever-
lasting death in the world to come, but even in this life
man himself is plagued, and all things that should serve or
pleasure him shall be turned to his destruction, because he
would not serve his God as he ought to do. What can
be a more righteous judgment of God, than so to order
things, that no creature of God shall serve a wretched man,
which will not serve nor fear the Lord, his God and Cre-
ator? Sin is so vile in God's sight, that he will punish
those innocent, unsensible, and unreasonable creatures, as the
stones in the wall, the house wherein thou dwellest, the
V. 11 15.] AN EXPOSITION UPON NEIILMIAll. 347
earth whereby thou livest, whicli never sinned, for the sin
of thee, wretched man. () consider liow God abhorreth sin
and disobedience of his word, that he could never be paci-
fied, but by the death of his own dear Son Christ Jesus
for thy sins ! 0 miserable man, consider tliy wretched state !
Thy sins pulled thy Lord Christ from heaven to hell, from
joy to pain ; thou causedst him to be w hipped, and han^^ed
on a tree, thrust to the heart with a spear, by his blood
to save thee: thou causedst him to die, that thou nn'[^hte.st
live. If thou shouldst deal thus with another man thy
fellow, what wouldst thou think thou hadst deserved i And
when thou hast thus misused thy Lord and Christ, the Son
of God, crucifying him again, and yet continuest in sin,
contemning his conmiandments, " treading the Son of Crod "eb. x.
under thy feet, and esteeming the blood of his eternal tes-
tament as a profane thing,'' how canst thou look up unto
him, how canst thou hope for mercy I AVicked men are
so horrible in God's sight, tliat the angels in heaven abhor
them, the creatures on earth disobey them, good men Hy
their company, and devils in hell pull them unto them : and
yet malice hath so blinded them, that they cannot turn
unto the Lord.
But whatsoever there is in us, O God, forget not thou
thyself; shew thyself a God still, though we forget thee.
As thou lovedst us when we were thine enemies, so love
us still now, whom thou hast made thy friends, and bought
so dearly ; and turn us, good God, that we may love thee.
Remember, O Lord, whereof we be made : from the earth
we came, on the earth we live, and deliirht in earthly
things; unto the earth we shall return: thou canst not
look for heavenly things to come from so vile a matter;
this earthly nature cannot be changed but by thy heavenly
Spirit : deal not with us therefore, O Lord, in justice as wo
deseiTC, but in thy great mercy, which is our sure s^dvation,
and let thy manifold mercy devour our manifold misery, that
our manifold sins be not laid to our charge, (iracious (itwl,
forgive us: as our misery is endless, so is thy nici.v. :ind
nuich more large than we can tliink.
As we sec (iod deal in his anger with this city, for tho
sin of the people that dwelled in it, so he will deal with all
[J 48 AN EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAH. [cH. II.
obstinate breakers of his law in all ages and places, without
respect of persons. The walls of the city may well be com-
pared to the magistrates, which both defend the people from
their enemies, and also govern the citizens within; as the
walls keep out other from invading, so they keep in the
inhabitants from straying abroad: and the gates of the city
may well be compared unto the ministers, which open the
door of life to all penitent persons by the comfortable preach-
ing of mercy promised in Christ, and shut heaven gates against
all reprobate and impenitent sinners, by terrible thundering
of his venofeance, threatened to such in his word. The walls
are destroyed, and the gates burned, when the rulers and
ministers do not their duty, but care for other things. And
as this wretched people had justly, for their disobedience,
neither walls left to keep out the enemy, nor gates to let
in their friends, but all were destroyed ; so shall all godless
people be left without godly magistrates to govern them,
and live in slavery under tyrants that oppress them, and also
without comfortable ministers to teach them, and be led by
blind guides that deceive them, and so "the blind lead the
blind, and both fall into the ditch," to their utter and end-
less destruction. They be not worthy to have either magis-
trate or preacher, that will not obey laws nor believe the
word. This Osee, the prophet, foretold them should fall
on them, saying, " the people of Israel should sit many days
without a prince, without sacrifice and image, without the
ephod and teraphim, and yet in the end they should re-
turn unto their God.''' But they feared not these threaten-
ings then, no more than we do now : yet as they fell on
them then, so will they fall on us now.
After that Nehemiah had thus diligently viewed the walls,
and the breaches of them, he was more able to render a
reason, and talk with the rulers how they might be repaired.
A good rule for all those that have any charge committed
to them, that they should first privately consider the things
they have to do themselves, and then shall they be more
able to consider who giveth best counsel for the doing of it.
Rashly to enter on it, a wise man will not, nor open his
mind to others, until he have advised himself privately first
what is best to be done : and so shall he be best able both
V. 11 15.] AN EXPOSITION UPON NFJIEMIAII. 349
to render a reason of his own doings, and also to judge
who giveth best advice.
V. 16. The magistrates hiein not tchither I irent, or what /TheTcit.
did ; and to the Jeics, the priests, the nobles, the rulers,
and the rest of the irorhnen, I told nothing hitheiio.
17. And I said unto them. Ye liiow the misery that ice be
in, ho20 Jerusalem is wasted, and her gates burned in
the Jire: come, and let us build the icalls of Jerusalem,
that we be no more a reproach.
18. And I told tliem of the hand of my God, that it was
gracious toward me, and also tlte king^s icord that he
spake unto me; and they said. Let us rise and build:
and they strengthened their hands to good.
Nehemiah not only, like a godly zealous man, is diligent
to set forward this work, but also, like a very wise man,
sheweth in his doings the chief properties of him that hath
weighty matters committed unto him. He that hath great
matters to do must be faithful and trusty, and also secret, and
keeping counsel close, as the poet saith, Fida d tacit uruitate
est opus\ And where every sort must be made privy in such
a work, hitherto he had opened it to never a one.
17. And I said unto them. After Nehemiah had thus
long kept his purpose secret, and diligently viewed the walls,
how great the breach was, how it might be best and speedily
rei)aired, and was able to talk with all sorts, and rendiT a
reason of his doings to every one, both high and l<»w in
authority, to the common sort of the Jews, to the workmen,
priests and rulers ; he now propoundeth the matter unto them
all ; and in few words, after he had declared the misery that
they were in, and how that famous city lay open to all ene-
mies to invade, to their great shame, exhorteth and encou-
rageth them to fall to the building of the walls, and live no
more in such shame and reproach, as they had done, but
recover their old estimation again ; for he had f(»und favour
both in (lod's sight and the kings.
There be two kind of reasons to persuade a man to do
any thing : the one is, if he declare how hurtful and shameful
Q' Terence, AikU-. i. i. Fi<Mltij and Hecremj are necessary. Kn.]
350 AN EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAH. [CH. II.
it is to do or suffer such a thing to be done or undone : the
other reason is, to open unto him what good help and en-
couraging there is to set it forward. The shame was great,
that for their great sin and disobedience God's people, who
cracked so much of their good God, should live in such slavery
under infidels, as though their God could not or would not
deliver them. The hope to prosper well in this building was
great, for that both God and the king had shewed great
tokens of their good wills for the furtherance of this good
work. Both these kinds of persuasions he useth here : his
words be not many, but effectual. For as the shame was, to
lose their city, so the glory should be greater in recovering
it ; and wise men use and love few words ; for either those
will serve good men, or more will not. The woeful sight of
those broken walls, and this miserable slavery of the people in
it, were sufficient to move a stony heart to pity, though never
a word were spoken by any man : but those weighty reasons,
well considered, made them all to fall to work with great cou-
rage. What man had so little feeling of God and honesty, that
would not help to build God's city and their own country?
Those that love to hear themselves talk, and with many words
to colour their ill meaning, may here learn how a simple truth,
plainly told in few words, worketh more in good men's hearts,
than a fair painted tale that hath little truth and less good
meaning in it. An honest matter speaketh for itself, and need-
eth no colouring ; and he that useth most flattering and subtle
words, maketh wise men mistrust the matter to be ill. A few
words well placed are much better than a long unsavoury tale.
18. And I told them. After that Nehemiah had briefly
set afore them the misery they lived in, the cruel destruction
of Jerusalem, which God chose for himself to dwell in, and
what shame it was for them, not to recover by well doing
that which their fathers for their wickedness lost; he now
declareth unto them, as a full reason to persuade any man
tliat would be persuaded, and saith, " both the hand of his
God was gracious toward him in this enterprise, and the
king's words were very comfortable." When a man hath both
God and the king of his side, what needeth he more ? who
can hurt him? what should he doubt or be afraid of? what
would he have further? God had given him such a favour
V. l6 IS.] AN EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAH. Sol
in the king's sight, that as soon as he asked Hcence to go
and build the city, where his fathei-s lay buried, it was granted;
and the liberality and good will of the king was so great, that
he granted him both soldiers, safely to conduct him to Jeru-
salem, and also commission to his officers for timber to
this great building. ^Vhat should they mistrust or doubt
of now ? There wanted nothing but a good will and courage
on their side : if they would rise and work lustily, no doubt
the work would be finished speedily.
Nehemiah still calleth him Ms God, as thoujrh God heard
his prayer only, and moved the king's heart to give him
licence to build this city, which many, divers times, had
wished and laboured for, and could not got it. He thought
this to be so great a blessing of God, that he can never
be thankful enough for it, and therefore calleth him his
God. He that loveth liis God earnestly, rejoiceth in nothing
so much as when he seeth those things prosper, whereby
God's glory may be shewed forth. He careth more for
that, than for his own pleasure and profit. And when such
things go backward, it grieveth him more than any worldly
loss that can fall unto himself. And though some wavering
worldlings may say, the king might die, or change his good
will from them ; and God many times, when he hath given a
good beginning for a while, yet in the end he cutteth it
off; and by this means discourage other from this work, and
will them not to meddle; the time might change, and then
they might be blamed ; and Nehemiah, although he was in
great favour with the king at this present, yet, being al)Si»nt
long from the court, might soon be forgotten ; others, that
bare him no good will, might creep in favour and bring
him into displeasure, (for in the court commonly, out <>f
sight, out of mind;) these and such other reasons would
soon withdraw dissemblers from their good furtherance of
this work ; yet God so wrought with them all, that they all
boldly took this work in hand and finished it. («'od, of hi.s
great goodness, for the better exercising of our faith hath
thus ordered the course of things, that although, when we
look into the world, we shall find many things to withdraw
us from doing our duties to his majesty, yet by his Holy
Spirit he hath given us faith and hope of his promised good-
352 AN EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAH. [cH. II.
ness, that nothing should discourage us from doing our duties :
for we have him on our side that hath all things at his
commandment, and whose purpose none can withstand.
Let the world therefore \vaver never so much ; let it
threaten never such cruelty; let it counsel and persuade as
craftily as it can, to meddle in no such matters of God : yet
good men cannot be quiet, until they have shewed their
good will, to the uttermost of their power, for the fui-ther-
Gen. xii. ^ucc of God's woi'k and obedience of his will. Abraham,
when he was bidden to leave his country and kinsfolk, and
go into that place that God would shew him, might have
many reasons to stay him : as, that he could not tell how to
live when he came there, that he should want the comfort of
his friends, live amongst strangers, and those that would
rather hurt him than help him : yet none of these could stay
him, but he w^ould follow whither the Lord would lead. God
Gen. xxii. bade him sacrifice his son Isaac, having no issue, and yet
promised him that " in his seed all nations should be blessed."
Abraham could not tell how these two should stand together,
both to kill his son and to have issue of him : yet he doubted
Heb. xi. not ill faith but, rather than his promise should not be true,
God would raise him from death, to beget and raise up seed
Gen. xxii. after him. When Isaac, going to be sacrificed, asked his
father where the sacrifice was that should be killed, (for he
had the wood on his back and the fire in his hand,) Abra-
ham, not doubting, though not knowing how, where, nor when
it should be done, said, " God will provide himself a sacrifice,
my son;" and proceeded to sacrifice his son, until the angel
stayed him, and shewed him a ram in the bushes, which he
should offer unto the Lord instead of his son. The apostles,
when our Saviour Jesus Christ sent them out to preach without
bag or wallet, money, or staff, made no question how they
should live, or defend themselves against so many enemies,
or how they should teach others, that never went to school
themselves to learn ; but obeying his commandment, and be-
lieving his promise, went forth boldly, and did their message
diligently, and God blessed their doings wonderfully. When
they came again unto him, and told him how well they had
sped, he a.sked them whether they wanted any thing by the
way, while they were in his service I and they said, Nay. Thus
Luke xxii.
V. iC 18.] AN EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAH. 353
good men will not be withdrawn from serving their God,
though many worldly reasons might withdraw them : and God
will so increase their faith to cro forward, that nothinor shall
discom-age them. They will rather stick to God's promise
than any cunning practice of man. A good beginning is a
great reason to persuade a man that God will give good suc-
cess unto the end. David comforteth himself to kill Goliath, ' s»ra. xvii.
because he killed a lion and a bear when he was young, keeping
sheep. God never doeth any thing in vain; but when his faith-
fid servants take things in hand of mere love and duty to
further his g\ory, he ever bringeth it to good effect. The good
success that God hath given us afore, should persuade us that
he will give us more. Hypocrites, faint-hearted soldiei*s,
double-dealei*s, and those tliat be not grounded upon a sure
faith and hope of his promised goodness, oft fail of their
purpose through their own default. God hath promised
nothing to such dissemblers, and those that trust him he
never faileth. Let all those therefore, that fear the Lord
unfeignedly, boldly begin the Lord's work, continue it sted-
fastlv, look for the mijrhtv furtherance of the siime faithfullv ;
and no doubt they shall have it. Who ever to this day
trusted in the Lord in vain, but he had goml success in his
doings? Let no man mistrust (iod's goodness to further
those good things that he taketh in hand : let us work dili-
gently, and connnit the success unto him boldly; no d(jubt
he will bring it to good pass.
\Vlien they had well considered Nehemiairs words aiul
his good counsel, they cast all perils away, and said, '• Ltt
us rise and build those decaved walls." Let us linirer no
longer, but speedily fall to labour, and recover that with our
diligence that our fathei-s lost by disobedience. Now they
^/'tbuskleandHjowne' themselves to this work ; they spit on their
hands, and take better hold than afore; they buckle them- /^ y^ ^
selves to labour with courage, not to be driven from it any ^
more. So nmch can a few words spoken in the fear (»l (iinl ^^'^v
uprightly by some man at some times do, that cannot Ihj i / 'hx^
gotten at other times by many persuasions. Aggeus, when
they had lain many years on sleep, forgi'tting the buiMmg
of God's house, with like few words so L'ncourage<l them to
[' liufikle, the same as huMk; pri-pan-. Jiounr I cannot explain. Ku.]
[.•iLKiNirroN.J > / / J /
354
AN EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIATI.
[CK. II.
laat. viii
Rom. viii.
work, that they finished the temple in four years, which afore
had lain almost forty years unlooked at. So can God make
them earnest in a short time, when pleaseth him, which afore
had been cold and negligent.
And this courage that they gather now came rather by
gentle persuasions than by fearful threatenings : for good
natures are moved rather with the glad tidings of the gospel
than sharpness of the law. The law threateneth correction,
the gospel promiseth blessings: the law killeth, the gospel
quickeneth : the law breedeth fear, the gospel bringeth love :
the law casteth down, the gospel reareth us up : the law
layeth our sin to our charge ; the gospel saith, Christ hath
/^ paid the price for our reconciliation. J A gentle kind of preach-
^ ing is better to win weak minds, than terrible thundering of
vengeance. Yet is the law most necessary to be taught, to
pull down froward hearts, and bring them to knowledge of
themselves. I see divers of the prophets terribly tlireaten the
wickedness of their time ; yet I see none of them, that doth
so mightily dissuade them from their ungodly life, as Aggeus
and Nehemiah with their mild dealing bring so many to re-
pentance. Both be good and necessary; but the gospel more
comfortable, and the law fearful. Fear maketh a man many
times to fly from ill, but love maketh him willingly to do
good./ Salomon saith, "Love is as strong as death:" for
as all things yield unto death, so nothing is too hard or
painful for him that loveth, but he will adventure at all
perils, until he get the thing that he loveth. St Paul saith,
" Who shall separate us from the love of Christ Jesus I Shall
trouble, anguish, persecution, hunger, nakedness, jeopardy,
or the sword?" If thou wouldst have a^man earnest in
any thing, rather draw him to it by love, than drive him
to it by fear : bring him once to love it earnestly, and nothing
shall make him afraid to stand to it manfully. Fear maketh
men cold, discourageth them, and many times turneth them
to hatred. ^^That preacher therefore, which will win most
unto God, shall rather do it by gentleness than by sharp-
ness, by promise than by threatenings, by the gospel than
by the law, by love than by fear : though the law must be
interlaced to throw down the malice of man's heart; the
flesh must be bridled by fear, and the spirit comforted with
J
V. IC 18.] AX EXPOSITION UPON NEIIEMIAH. 355
J loving kindness promised. Nehemiali iiseth both the law andS
\ the gospel to persuade them withal. '
The seventeenth verse layeth afore them the misery they
were in, to live mider heathen and strange princes, the pitiful
sight of their broken wall, their gates burned, whereby they
lived in continual danger of the enemy round about them to
be spoiled and murdered : the shame was no less tliaii the
loss, that they could not repair and recover by their well-doing
that their fathers lost ; and they had dwelled so many years
in it since king Cyrus gave them licence to go home again:
all which were the heavy burdens and curse of the law. But
this verse setteth afore them the gracious goodness of God
and the king, which had given great tokens of their good
\vill and favour toward the work, of their mere mercy : and
so both the law and the gospel laid afore them the misery
taken away and mercy offered unto them; they should most
thankfully receive the goodness promised, and avoid the great
burden of misery that they so long had borne. This kind
of teaching is very meet to be followed of all preachers, and
those that shall speak unto a people where all sorts of states
are to be persuaded ; for these kinds of reasons touch all
sorts of men, and if it be done in the fear of God, it will
work as it did then. Those be the best scholars that will
learn ^^^thout the rod ; yet none so good but at times he
needeth the rod : and a wise schoolmaster will make such
choice of his scholars whom he >vill have learned, that he
shall profit more with gentleness than cruelty ; and such
asses as must continually have the whip, are meeter to be
driven from the school to the cart, than by their loitering to
hurt others.
V. 19. Sanhallat the /loronite, and Tobias the serrant, an >1 w?- The Tnt.
monite, and Gesem the Arabian heard if. ami they
mocked us, and said. What is this thivn that ye do?
do ye fall away from the kinn^
20. And I answered them, ami said unto them. The (Jod
of heaven is he that hath pranted vs prus/M rify ; and
we his servants trill rise vjt and build: and as for
you, there is no portion and ri<jht nor rtmrmbrancr
in Jerusalem.
356 AN EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAH. [cH. II.
These men, as they were sad at Nehemiah's first coming,
when they see tliat any man had found such favour with the
king to do good to Jerusalem, so now were they almost
mad for anger, when they heard that they went about to
build the walls of Jerusalem. Openly to withstand them, or
forbid them to work, they durst not, because they had the
king's commission to do so ; but so much as they durst,
they discourage them : they mock them, they threaten to
accuse them, and of that which would make any man afraid ;
they lay rebellion to their charge, and say, they would build
that city for no other cause, but that they would make them-
selves strong against the king, fall away from him, set up
a king amongst themselves, obey none, but use their own
liberty, and rule all about them, as they did afore. These
men bare some authority in the country; and like proud
braggers, and dissembling malicious enemies to God and
his word, they would hinder so much as they could this
building. The world is too full at this day of such like
dissembling hypocrites. The one sort, if they come up of
nought, and get a badge ' pricked on their sleeve, though they
have little, yet they look so big and speak so stoutly, that
they keep the poor under their feet, that they dare not rout.*
All must be as they say, though it be neither true nor honest :
^^^ ^ dti^ff^. none dare say the contrary. But the du\igeon dissembling
^^<^^^. J papist is more like unto them : for he careth not by what
/ means to get it, by fear or by flattery, so that he can obtain
his purpose.
These men first mock the Jews, and scornfully despise
them for enterprising this building, thinking by this means
to discourage poor souls, that they should not go forward
in this work : after that they charge them with rebellion.
These two be the old practices of Satan in his members, to
hinder the building of God's house in all ages. Judas in
his epistle saith, that " in the last days there shall come
2 Pet. iii. mockers, whicli shall walk after their own wicked lusts." Peter
2Tim.iii. and Paul foretold the same. Our Saviour Christ, though
he was most spitefully misused many ways, yet never worse
[} Badge : a mark or ornament, usually of silver, shewing that they
were in the service of some nobleman or powerful person. Ed.]
[^ Rout : make a stir, rebel. Ed.]
V. If), 20.] AN EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAH. o.")7
than when they mocked him ; both Herod, l*ilatc, the priests
and the Jews. It is thought but a small matter to mock
simple souls, and so to withdraw them from God; but Salomon
saith, " He that mocketh shall be mocked :'' and David, " He i^fov. m.
that dwelleth in the heavens shall mock them, and the Lord ^^*\»-
shall laugh them to scorn.'' This shall be the just reward
of such scorners.
It is justly to be feared, that as the Jews were triven - <^"""n-
•' •' _ f^ XXXVI.
up to Nebuchadnezzar for mocking the prophets and preachers
of their time, as it is written ; so we, for our bitter taunting,
scoffing, reviling, disdaining, and despising of God's true minis-
ters at these days, shall be given into our mortal enemies'
hands. What is more common in these days than, when such
hickscorners^ will be merry at their drunken banquets, to fall
in talk of some one minister or other? Nay, they spare none,
but go from one to another, and can spy a mote in other
men, but cannot spy their own abominations. Christ was
never more spitefully and disdainfully scoffed at, than these
lusty ruffians open their mouths against his preachers : but
the same Lord Christ saith of his disciples, that '' he which
despiseth them despiseth him." AN'hat reward the mockers
of Christ shall have, I think ever}' man knoweth. (lood
men with heavy hearts commit themselves and their cause
unto the Lord, and pray with David, '' Lord, deliver my soul
from wicked lips and from a deceitful tongue." Salomon saith, [Prov. i.)
"God will laugh when such shall perish." Michal, wife toasAm.vi.
David, was barren all her life for mocking her husband, when
he played on his harp and danced afore the ark of God. The
children that mocked Eliseus, and said, "Come up, thou bald^Kinfiii
pate, come up," were all devoured suddenly of \>ild bears,
that came out of the wood hard by. David, amongst many
miseries that he complaineth of, saith, that "the scorners made r^Lixix.
their songs of him," when they were at their drunken feasts ;
and when he seeth no remedy how to escape their poisonful
tongues, he patiently turneth him unto the Lord, cfniimittcth
all to him, and in the latter end of the psalm (iod conifortrth
him, and telleth him what sundry mischiefs shall fall (»n tluin
for their despiteful dealing. ^\ hen IJdshazzar, king (»f IJa- »*"»• ^•
[^ In an old allegorical drama, \n\n\n\ lyMvnkyn dt- ^^^•nlc, //ycAr-
scomcr is represented as a libertine ^vlio bw^a at ri ligiuu. Ki>.j
358 AN EXPOSITION UPON NEIIEMIAH. [cH. II.
bylon, made his drunken feast to his great men, and called
for the vessels and jewels which Nebuchadnezzar brought from
Jerusalem, that he and his harlots might eat and drink in
them in despite of the living God of Israel, a hand appeared
writing on the wall, w^hich Daniel expounded, when none
of his soothsayers could do it, and said, his kingdom should
be taken from him; and so it came to pass: for the same
night Belshazzar was slain, and Darius king of the Medes
possessed his kingdom. A just reward for all such drunken
mockers of God, his people, religion, and ministers ; and yet
our merry toss-pots will take no heed.
Gen.xxi. Sarah saw Ismael playing with Isaac her son, and said
■^ ^ ' ''^0 Abraham, "Cast out the handmaid and her son, for he
shall not be heir with my son.'' But St Paul, alleging the
Gal. iv. same text, calleth this playing persecution, and saith, "As he
that was born after the flesh did persecute him that was
born after the spirit, so it is now : but the scripture saith. Oast
out the handmaid and her son, for he shall not be heir with
the son of the free woman." So shall all scornful mockers,
jesters, and railers on God, his word, religion and people, be
cast out into utter darkness, and not be heirs of God's king-
dom with his children. This playing and mocking is bitter
persecution, and therefore not to be used of good men, nor
against good men and lovers of religion : yet at this day he
is counted a merry companion and welcome to great men's
tables, that can rail bitterly or jest merrily on the ministers.
Such is our love towards God, his word, and ministers : but
sure, he that loveth God and the word in deed, cannot abide
to hear the preachers ill spoken of undeservedly. I cannot
tell whether is worse, the scoffer, or the glad hearer. If the
one had no pleasure in hearing such lewd talk, the other
would not tell it.
The other thing they charge the Jews withal is rebellion,
fiilling from the king, and setting up a kingdom amongst them-
1 Kinps selves. When Elias rebuked Achab and the people to return
unto the Lord, Achab saith unto him, "Art thou he that
troubleth Israel V " Nay," saith the prophet, " it is thou and
thy father's house." Rebuking him and teaching tinitli was
counted trouljling of the commonwealth and the king. What
was the cause that king Saul and his flatterers hated poor
^^^^/Vfu<^ e?fi^M>Sf^ ^^vki*^ U^e^^s^ ^^ t^^*^
V. 19) 20.] AN EXPOSITION UPON NEHExMIAH. 359
David so much, and so cruelly sought his death, but that the
people sang, after that Goliah was slain, that '• Saul had killed » ^^^ ^rriii
a thousand, and David his ten thousand'' I Which was as much
to say as, they thought that David was a mightier man than
Saul, and mceter to be king. Daniel set open his windows, and
contrary to the king's commandment prayed tlu-ice a day unto '^^n. vi.
the living Lord, and therefore was accused of disobedience to
the king, and cast to the lions' den to be devoured of them.
The Israelites in Egj'pt, when God blessed them, and increas- Exod. i.
ed them to a great people, were accused that they waxed so
many and wealthy, that they would rebel against the king ;
and therefore, to keep them under, were oppressed by the task-
masters, and set to make brick for their buildings. When
our Lord and Master Clirist Jesus was bom, the wise men Matt. ii.
asked, " Where the king of the Jews was?" Herod was mad,
and killed all the children of two years old and under, lest
any of them should come to be king and put him down.
When our Saviour Christ said, his "kingdom was not of this Johnxviii.
world," then said Pilate, "Thou art a king then?" Whereupon
the Jews took occasion to accuse him of treason ; and said,
" Every one that maketli himself a king speaketh against the
emperor; for we have no king but the emperor." The apostles Acts v.
were accused, that they had troubled the commonwealth by
preaching Christ, and filled Jerusalem with their doctrine,
contrary to the commandment of the priests and elders.
Jason was drawn out of his own house for lodirinof Paul,
being accused that he had troubled the world, and disobeyed
the emperor. When St Paul had preached Christ in Athens, Acts wii.
he was accused for troubling the state by teaching his new
doctrine. Thus ever the building of God's house by preaching
of the gospel hath been charged with rebellion, disobedience
to princes, and troubling of the commonwealth and peace.
Ikit good men have not been dismaved at such big words,
but with good courage have proceeded in their work, haviirjj
the testimony of a good conscience that they be not guilty
of any such thing.
20. And I answered. This was the first push, but not
the worst, that they had to discourage them for proceeding
in tliis building; and not unlike but it made some afraid to
hear such big words, and so great matters laid to tiieir
360 AX EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAH. [cH. II.
charge, by men of such authority as they were. But as they
were not ashamed so unjustly to accuse God^s people, so
Nehemiali steppeth forth, as boldly answereth for them all,
and defendeth their doings. A worthy example for all those
that be in authority to follow : they have not the sword com-
mitted unto them in vain ; they ought to defend, both by
word and deed, in their well doings those that be committed
unto them. Their duty is not to suffer God's enemies to
invade or hurt, slander or blaspheme, those that they have
charge over, but draw the sword, if need be, to drive away
such wolves, and punish such wicked tongues. It is not, as
we commonly say, when any danger or persecution ariseth
for the doctrine, or that the ministers are untruly reported
of, Let the preachers defend it, it is their duty and vocation ;
we are not learned, it belongeth not to us ; our care is for
the commonwealth only. Rehgious magistrates will neither
do so nor say so : they will not suffer, as much as in them
lieth, the church, religion, doctrine, nor the ministers to be
ill spoken of, reviled, defaced, nor overrun. They be mouths,
to speak for God's people, as Moses was unto Pharao : they
be hands to fight for them ; they be rulers to defend the
Judg. XI. good, and punish the evil. Jephthah, when the Ammonites
fought against Israel, defended the cause in disputation by
words, and after in battle with sword. The good king
l^i!^^^^ Ezechias, when he received the blasphemous message and let-
ters from Rabshakeh against God, his temple, people and
r(;ligion, he seeketh by all means to defend them all, and
encourage the people not to fall away from their God in
that great danger. When Holofernes railed on God and his
people, Achior and Judith defend them, and she cutteth off
isam. xvii. Jiis head. When the great giant Goliah reviled the people
of God, and provoked them to fight with him hand to hand,
if they durst, for the victory, none was found that durst do
it ; but poor David, with no strong weapons, but his sling
and a few stones, killed that lusty champion, and delivered
xum. xYi. his people. When Dathan, Korah, and Abiram, with their
fellows, railed against Moses and Aaron, God's true ministers,
Moses, committing the revenge of it to the Lord, warned the
people to depart from their company, lest they perished with
them by that strange death : and straight ways the earth
V. 19) ~0.] AN EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAH. 3t)l
opened, and swallowed up them and their goods and tents
where they dwelt, quick into hell. Nay, women were not
spared ; for Mar}', Moses' sister, was smitten with a leprosy for [Num.xii.]
railing on Moses her brother, God's lieutenant over them.
As the magistrate therefore both with word and sword
must defend God's cause, his religion, temple, people, mi-
nisters and doctrine; so must the preacher and those that
be learned, with their pain, prayer, preaching, and all other
means that they can : yea, if our goods or lives were required
for the defence of it, no state of man ought to refuse it.
For this end are we born and live, to glorify our God and
set forth his praise : for this purpose are all things given us,
and therefore must not be spared, but spent and 1)estowed,
when his glory requireth. For this cause Esaias the pro-
phet gave liis body to be sawn in sunder with a saw of
iron. For this cause Jeremy was cast into a dungeon of Jcr. w.wiii
mire and filth, Daniel into the lions' den : St Paul pleadcth
his cause oft in chains at Jenisalem and at Home, afore
Festus, Felix, and Agrippa ; and our Lord and Master Christ
Jesus, afore Annas, Caiaphas, Pilate and Herod: John Paptist
lost his head for this quarrel ; and no good man will think
any thing too dear to spend in Christ his Master's cause.
For this cause Tertullian, Ireneus, Justinus, Athanasius, Chrj-
sostom, Nazianzenus, have written great books against the
heathens which railed on our religion. What infinite num-
ber of martyrs have stood stoutly and given their lives in
the same quarrel ! He that hath seen any learning can better
tell where to begin than where to make an end of reckon-
ing ; the number is so infinite : and our late days have given
sufficient proof thereof, under that bloody butcher Poimer,
that the most ignorant, if he will open his ears and eyes,
might hear and see great plenty.
ihit alas ! the fiery faggots of those days were not so
grievous then, as the slanderous tongues be now in our days.
Nebuchadnezzar made a law, ''that if any did blaspheme the Dan. m.
Ciod (>{' Sidrach, Mesach, and Abednago, he should be slain,
and his house made a dunghill." Moses made a law, that every i^vit. xxiv.
blasphemer should be stoned to death. Seeing God and j)rinces
have made such strait laws against such lewd railers, giKxl
rulers should sec some correction done, and not with silence
362 AN EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAH. [cH. II.
to suffer ill men to talk their pleasure on God s city, religion,
and ministry. While others possibly made courtesy to speak
and answer these busy braggers and quarrellers, Nehemiah
steppeth forth boldly, defendeth this cause stoutly, answereth
their false accusation truly, encourageth the people manfully
to go forward with their work, despiseth their brags, and
telleth them plainly, that they "have no part nor right, nor
are worthy to be remembered in Jerusalem.""
The effect of Nehemiah's answer was, that the God of
heaven had given them good success hitherto in moving the
hearts of king Cyrus and Darius first to the building of the
temple, and now of Artaxerxes to restore the city ; they were
his servants and worshipped him, and he stirred them up
to this work ; for of themselves they were not able to do
such things. They served no idols nor false gods, they needed
not to be ashamed of their Master, the God of heaven was
their Lord, and they his people, he was their master and they
his servants ; he their king and they his subjects : they would
go forward with their work, they must have a city to dwell
in to serve their God, who would defend them in this their
well doing : these men had no authority to stop or forbid
them to work, they had nothing a> [to] do in Jerusalem, nor
any authority; they would not obey them, but with all dili-
gence apply this work until it be finished. The apostles, when
they were forbidden, preached and would not obey, but said,
they must obey God that bade them. Thus must all they
that take God's work in hand, confess it to come from God,
and that he blesseth their doings, that all the praise may
be his, and that they of themselves be weak and unable to do
such things without his special grace and assistance.
All good men in such enterprises will say with David,
Psai. cxv. " Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give
all the glory." If these wicked men had had any worldly
shame or fear of God in them, they would have quaked and
trembled : as the good men rejoiced to have God on their
side to further them ; so they, when they heard the God of
heaven named to be against them, and that it was his doing,
they would have forsaken their idols, and have furthered this
building, or at least have sitten still and not hindered it.
For who is able to withstand his will, or hinder that he
f ^/ iU^lr^ C^0 l-dM^-f^ //i^l ClI'^ t>^i ^y^^^f y ^^^^
V. 19, 20.] ANT EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAII. 363
will have foi'warcH Tlic devils in hell quake and tremble at
the naming and considering of God's majesty ; hut these
^vickcd imps not only now, but sundry times, as appeareth
hereafter in this book, most cruelly, spitefully and craftily
go forward in their old malice, and by all means seek the
overthrow of this building. So far worse is a devil incarnate
in an ill man, than by himself in his own nature. ^Vhen the
devil will work any great mischief, he taketli commonly one
man or other, angel or creature, to do it by, knowing that he
shall do it more easily that way than if he should attempt
it by himself. How is every murder, false witness, whoredom,
robber}', &c. committed, but when the devil stirreth up one man
against another i Let every good man therefore take heed
unto himself, how he yieldeth unto sin : for in that doing
he maketh himself a slave to the devil, and his instrument to
work by. One devil will not offer that villainy to another
devil to make him his slave ; but if he can bring man unto it,
there is his rejoicing. Take heed therefore, O man.
In that they confess themselves to be " the sen-ants of
the (j()d of heaven," it is as nmch to say as, they wrought
not for themselves, nor at their own appointment, nor for
their own profit : they wrought for their master's cause, and
for his glory. Good servants in all their doings will seek
their master's profit and praise, not their own : they hve not
for themselves, but all the profit of their doings returneth
to their masters. If they take any thing to themselves more
than their master giveth them, they be thieves unto him,
they do him no true semce. Let all the builders of (iod's
house therefore, whether they be rulers in the commonwealth,
as Nehemiah was now, or of the learned sort in the mi-
nistry, or elsewhere, not only confess in words that they be
servants to the God of heaven, Init most humljly, simply,
and boldly shew it in their deeds, that they seek their master's
praise and glory, the common proht of tluir country and not
their own ; that they work for him, and not for themselves ;
and that they serve him not for any worldly respect, or gain,
or honour, but uprightly for conscience sake serve and oboy
him, yield all praise to his glorious name, taking nothing to
themselves, and being not afraid to go forward in his buiM-
ing for any braggers, knowing that all the pride of man's
064 AN EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAH. [CH. II.
heart, \vhich setteth up himself against the God of heaven,
is vile and vain ; and that their God will defend his ser-
vants, and confound his foes.
It is np rebellion against princes to do that which God
commandeth : for princes themselves are bound, as well as
other meaner degrees, to serve the Lord God of heaven with
all their might and main ; and unto the same God they must
make account of their doings, as all other must. For this
building they had the king's commission, and therefore it
was no treason to do it. It is more glorious to be called
God's servants, than to have all the titles of honour and
dignity that the world can give. He that serveth the Lord
truly is master of sin, hell, death, and the devil, and by the
assistance of God's Holy Spirit shall not be overcome of
them, but shall overcome and conquer them : which is greater
Acts.wi. honour than any worldly prince can give. The woman that
had an evil spirit in her confessed Paul and his fellows to
be "the servants of the mighty God, and that they taught
them the way of salvation."" See then, how devils are afraid
of God's servants. Paul in all his epistles rejoiceth in no-
thing more than terming himself an apostle and servant of
Christ Jesus. The Holy Ghost told Paul, that in every city.
Acts XX. where he should come, there were chains and troubles ready
for him ; but he said, he " cared not for them, for his hfe
was not dear to him, so that he might run his race, and
testify the glorious gospel of God." Be not ashamed there-
fore of thy master ; for our Saviour Christ saith, that " whoso-
ever denieth him afore men, he will deny him afore his Father
in heaven." Worldly masters will not cast away their faithful
servants, but maintain them as they may ; and thinkest thou
that God will forsake his servants? Thinkest thou a mortal
wretched man to be more loving to thee than the eternal
God and merciful Father, that made thee, feedeth thee and
defendeth thee, when man cannot help thee ? — yea, loveth thee
better than thou lovest thyself, and stayeth thee from run-
ning from him, when thou wouldst willingly seek thine own
destruction wilfully. Stand to boldly, forsake him not cow-
Eusch. iv. ardly. Polycarpus, an old man, when he should suffer mar-
Niccph. iii. tyrdom, was advised by some to have pity on his old age, and
not so stiffly to stand. " Nay," saith he, '' I have served my
V. 19, 20.] AN EXPOSITION' UPON NEHEMIAII. o65
master Christ these eighty-six years, and lie did me never
harm; I will not forsake him now in my last days'."
Thus Nehemiah stoutly answering tliem, and boldly en-
couraging his fellows, goeth forward with the work, contemn-
eth their mocking and false accusations, and falleth to his
building again. So must all good builders of God's house
neither be afraid nor weary of scornful mockers' threaten-
ings, accusations or violence ; but manfully go forward to
the end, knowing that their God is stronger, wiser, and
more willing to defend his people, than his enemies shall be
to hurt them. "He that putteth his hand to the plough, and Lukcix.
looketh backward, is not meet for the kingdom of God," saith
Christ our Lord. " And he that continueth unto the end shall
]je safe." Our Saviour Christ, when he preached that '• what- Matt. xv. 20.
Foever went in at the mouth did not defile a man," was told by
his disciples that that doctrine offended the Pharisees : but he
answered them, and said, " Every plant that my Father hath
not planted shall be plucked up, &c." As though he should
say, Their doctrine is not from my Father, and therefore cannot
stand : let those blind guides alone, seeing they be wilful and
obstinate, and will not learn : go ye forward with preaching
of the gospel, care not for them. So every good man must
continue, that he may say with St Paul, "I have kept my 2 Tim. jv.
faith, I have run my race, the crown of rigliteousness is
laid uj) in store for me, &c."
After that Nehemiah had thus boldly answered them, and
encouraged his countrymen to their work, he now turneth
him to Sanballat and his fellows, and sheweth himself to
make as little account of them as they made of him, and
.saith, "As for you, ye have no right, part, nor remembrance
in Jerusalem;" as though he should say, What have you to
do with us in tliis buildintr i ve are not Jews born, as wi'
lie, ye belong not to Israel, nor are partakers of his blessing :
[^ V.yKiiiJievov cc tou tjyovfitvuv ka« Xtyot'Tof;, i/fXoaoVf kui
UTToXvaU) (TC, XoiCUOtlfTOV TOV XoiCTToV, Tj/^f/ u n^Ai/Ka^JiTtK, O7-
cotiKovTu KUI (^ ertj covXevta cii/rto, kui uvcii> /le f/t'iKr;<rC ku<
7rto<? cvfitnai (i\u<Tipi]fkti(T(ti tuv ftitaiXiu /lov tuv (Tuxruvra fti ;
Kiisol). Flrcl. Hist. Lil). iv. Cftp. xvi. i». .18. K<!. I'aris. 1544. Thr j»jis?«iir|.
in Niccpliorus is a quutution of tlie siiuw ori^'inal, viz. tlu* K'ttcr writliii
l»y tlu- cliurt'h of Smynm to other ••liurrlu'^. Ko.J
36*6 AN EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAH. [cH. II.
ye be Samaritans, strangers to his city and commonwealth;
ye be none of God's household ; if ye will be doing, meddle
where ye have to do. This city God himself did choose for
his people to dwell in and serve him. Ye be idolaters, and
worship not the true God of heaven. If ye will be building,
build ye Samaria, your own head city: ye are no citizens
here, nor have any freedom, liberty, or privilege granted unto
us : ye be none of our corporation, or denizens ; ye shall have
nothing to do here. All that build here have their portion
of land and living in this city and country appointed for
them : they shall have justice, right and law ministered unto
them; and for a perpetual remembrance of their faithful service
unto the living God, their names shall be registered, that all
posterity may know their doings, and praise the Lord that
strengthened them to this building. But ye have none of all
these. For when the land was divided by lot and measure
by Josue, ye had no part appointed for you : under the law
ye do not hve, but have lived after your own device ; nay, ye
bear such hatred unto us, that ye will not willingly eat, drink,
nor keep company with us friendly : let us alone, trouble us
not : get you hence, and let us fall to our building again.
It is no small blessing of God, when he calleth any to
be a builder of his house ; for both in this world his name
shall be had in perpetual remembrance, and he is written in
the book of life, where no death can prevail. David saith,
" The righteous man shall be had in perpetual remembrance:"
and St John saith, that " he that is not found written in the
book of life, shall be cast into the fiery lake." The builders
of this city now have their names written in the next chap-
ter following for their perpetual praise in this world, to teach
us, that as the builders of this worldly Jerusalem have their
names registered here, much more the builders of the hea-
venly Jerusalem have their names written in the book of
life to their salvation. Ill men and troublers of GodJeJ^lding.
have their names written in this book too. WMt liiore
blessed then is [he that buildeth than]^ he that hindereth ? ^
Salomon teachetli and saith, " The remembrance of the right-^
eous is to his praise, but the name of the wicked stinketh."
This is then the difference, and thou mayst choose whether
[} These words are supi)lietl, as necessary to the sense, Ed.]
V. 19, 20.] AN EXPOSITION UPON NEIIEMIAH. 367
thou wilt be remembered to thy praise or to thy shame, and
with the good will of the living, or hatred.
But by this answer of Nehemiah, when he saith that
they "have no part, right, nor remembrance in Jemsalem,"
it is partly given us to understand, that when they coidd not
hinder this work by big brags and threatenings, they offered
themselves to join with them in this building, to take their
part and bear their charges fellow-like : for why should he
deny them these, except they required it? But Nehemiah,
a wise man, would neither be afraid of them as open ene-
mies, nor receive them into his fellowship as feigned friends.
Wherein he teacheth all true Christians how to behave them-
selves in building of God's house ; that is, neither to fear the
one nor to receive the other. St Paul saith, " Be not yoked
with infidels : what hath righteousness to do with unrighteous-
ness, light with darkness, or Christ with Belial?" God's people
are knit together with two bonds : the one is Christ their
head, who giveth life to all members of the body ; the other
is brotherly love among themselves. But neither of these
can be found in idolaters ; for they neither take Christ for
their head and live by him, nor they love not Christians as
their bretliren, but dissemble with God and man. All Clirist-
ians have one God, one Father, one baptism, one rehgion,
one law to live under, and one heavenly kingdom to look for :
but infidels and hypocrites have many gods ; ail religions be
alike unto them ; they live as they list ; and that is their law
and will, to go to heaven after their own device, if they can
get it. Yet they have a delight to thrust themselves in
among God's people, pretending a love unto them ; where in-
deed it is for no good will, but to learn their secret counsels
and purposes, that by such means they may betray them when
occasion serveth. J hit wise builders will admit them into no
fellowship nor friendship, as Nehemiah here utterly refuseth
them, and will have nothinfr to do with them. Hut this case Ezmiv.
is more plainly propounded to Ezra, and there I have spoken
more largely of it ; and Ezra plainly (k'termineth tlic matter
there; whoso list to read and consider. God be praised!
o
68 A PRAYER.
A PRAYER.
Whereas of tliy great power, most gracious God, thou
hast not only made the hearts of all men, but farther of thy
plenteous mercy hast taken into thy custody and defence the
hearts of all those that thou hast chosen in Christ Jesu to
serve thee ; grant us, heavenly Father, we beseech thee, such
an earnest love to the building of thy house and city, as thou
gavest to thy faithful servant Nehemiah ; that as he was sad,
gave himself to prayer and fasting, and could not be merry,
until he found grace in the king's sight to repair thy de-
cayed house and wasted city Jerusalem, so we, by diligent
prayer calling on thy name, and humbly submitting ourselves
to thy blessed will and pleasure, may not cease crying at
thy throne of mercy, until we, by the means of our spokes-
man Christ Jesus, thy Son and our Lord, may find such
favour at thy hands, that by the assistance of thy Holy Spirit,
according to our calling, we may every one of us build the
heavenly Jerusalem, set up the kingdom of thy crucified
Christ, and with one consent pull down the tyranny of an-
tichrist, to thy eternal glory and comfort of our consciences.
And as thou then movedst the hearts of heathen kings, not
only by laws, commissions, and commandments to give licence
to every one that would repair thy house, but also with great
gifts and liberal rewards to set it forwards; so now, most
loving Lord, move the hearts, we beseech thee, of all christian
princes, humbly to throw their sceptre at thy feet, with all
their power, laws, commissions and commandments, that they
may by the authority committed unto them procure the
speedy repairing of thy heavenly kingdom, and with their
lil)erality maintain the builders of the same. And, alas ! 0
Lord, we are so weak of ourselves, and impotent to do these
tilings without thee, that, considering our miserable case,
extreme need driveth us impudently to crave thy fatherly
goodness, not only to grant us all these thy blessings, but far-
ther to confound the wicked devices of all greedy raveners,
that seek the spoil and defacing of thy church ; and defend us
A PRAYER. SCO
from thy foes, our mortal enemies, Sanballat and his partakers,
tliat we be not afraid of their proud bra^rs, nor deceived bv
their subtle practices. Thou, most mighty Lord, mayst not
only give us all good things, but also deliver and defend us
from all ill ; for of ourselves we can do neither of them to
ourselves. Raise us up such rulers, 0 God, we most humbly
beseech thee, both in the church and commonwealth, as may
and will, with the spirit of boldness, encourage the dull spirits
of the fearful and wavering people courageously to go forward
in thy building, as Nehemiah did ; that neither mocking
nor threatening of the Romish Sanballat and his meml^ers,
nor the crafty practices of the flattering Ammonites, pre-
vail ao^ainst us, but with all mvAit and main we all mav be
found true workmen in thy house, so far forth as our vo-
cation sliall stretch, to the confusion of thy enemies, tliy
eternal praise, and our endless comfort in Christ Jesus thy
Son, our Lord and gracious Saviour. Amen.
21
[piLKlxnTox.)
70 AN EXPOSITION UPON NETTEMTATI.
CHAPTER III.
Because this chapter standeth most in describing the
building of the walls of Jerusalem, by whom they were done,
and what part every one did repair, rehearsing the name
both of the builders and of the portions of the walls that
they took in hand to finish, (which thing seemeth strange,
or rather unprofitable, to the people that understand not the
mysteries of it, nor the fashion and situation of the city.)
I shall in few words pass over things not so necessary for
the edifying of the unlearned, and note only such things as
may increase the faith of the simple unlearned, for whose
profit chiefly this labour is taken ; and also in reforming their
lives may move and stir them to a more careful building of
the spiritual Jerusalem ; which thing is chiefly to be learned
here, and to the which every one is bound with all his
power to employ himself and all that he hath.
The Holy Ghost, who is the author of the holy scrip-
ture, hath not put down any one word in writing, whether in
0 the new testament or in the old, that is either superstitious
_ or unprofitable, though it seem so to many ; but it hath his
t^Uf^y^ mystery and signification for our learning, and either for the
^1^^ plainness of it it may be understood of all men, or else for
Z7 the deep mysteries that be hid in it is to be reverenced
j^ A ^^2. ^^ ^ ^^y\% of men, and with diligence and prayer is to be
searched out, as far as we may. The new building of this
old destroyed city by God's enemies putteth us in remem-
brance, how Satan by his members had overthrown God's city
and chosen people ; and where now all sorts of men lay on
hands lustily to repair it again, it teacheth us our duty, how
diligent every one should be in his degree to the restoring
of God's city, his church, to his old beauty and strength
again.
This city Jerusalem was first called Salem or Solyma,
Gen.xiv. where Melchisedech w^as king, and met Abraham returning
with the spoil which he recovered from the king of Sodom
and his fellows. Melchisedech, by interpretation of his name,
is first called ''the king of righteousness," and after, " the king
'•* ^'4*^
sain. V.
CH. III.] AN EXPOSITION IPON NEHEMIAH. 371
of Salem, that is, of peace," who representeth unto us Christ
Jesus, as the epistle to the Hebrews saith, which is the "'^i^' ^'''•
king of all righteousness, and by whom all we are made
righteous, as the apostle saith, and is ''a priest for ever after i Cor. i.
the order of Melchisedech," and offered up that sweet and
saving sacrifice of his own body and heart's blood, to pacify
the wTatli of God against man, and make peace betwixt theui
both, as it is written to the Ephesians, ch. ii.
This city afterwards was called Jebus, where the Jebu- ^'^'^^' ^^'^
sites, one of the nations, did dwell, whose land God gave to
his people of Israel. These Jebusites came of the cursed ^'^"' '"*
seed of Canaan, whom Noe his father cursed for mocking
him in his drunkenness ; and inhabited this country until that
worthy king David recovered the strongest part of it from - ^^
them, called Sion, and named it the City of David after
himself. That noble captain Josue indeed conquered the
whole land, and divided it among the Israelites ; but these
Jebusites were partly so strong, dwelling in the mountains,
that they could not be vanquished in short time, and [)artly
the people so negligent, that they would nut drive them out
or destroy them, as they were commanded, but suffered them
to dwell among them, to their great shame and harm: for they
were ever like ''thorns in their sides, to prick and hurt them,"
as it is written, Josue xxiii. Whereby we learn, that as the
Jebusites, God's enemies, could not fully be conquered until
David came, no more could the kingdom of Satan be clean
overthrown, until Christ Jesus, the King of glory, wius born
of the seed of David, who conquered sin, hell, and the devil,
and possessed the holy hill Sion, and made his people citizens
of the heavenly Jerusalem. And like as they suffered the
Jebusites to dwell amonjjst them to their jrreat hanii, so
sin remaineth in our mortal bodies, conquered indeed that it
doth not reiijn over those that serve the Lord, vet not clean
taken away, but left for our exercise, who, having our mor-
tal enemy dwelling within us, should fight against sin under
the banner of faith in Christ Jesus, who only hath, can, and
will continually defend his people, subdue their enemies, and
give his children the victory.
How kincc David won this citv from the Jebusites, is
fully declared in the 2nd Samuel, v. chai)ter. And how Christ
872 AN EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAH. [cH. III.
Jesus, the Son of God, conquered the whole kingdom of
Satan, sin, death, and hell, the whole history of the gospel
declareth. And as king David, when he had reigned thirty-
three years nobly in Jerusalem, died with great victory; so
Christ Jesus, our Lord and grand Captain, after he had
preached the kingdom of his Father, gat this noble victory
against death and all his enemies in the thirty-third year of
his age, by suffering death and triumphantly ascending into
heaven, where he reigneth a glorious King for ever.
After that David had recovered this city from the Jebu-
sites, it was continually called Jerusalem, (which is, by inter-
pretation. The Lord he will see Salem,) alluding to both the
old names joined together, Jehus, Salem, and changing one
Matt. iv. letter only. In the gospel it is called " the holy city,'"* as when
the devil tempted Christ, he ''took him into the holy city,
and set him on a pinnacle of the temple;" which name it
gat rather of the holy law, word, and sacrifices, that were
taught there and offered, than of that wicked and unholy
people that " denied the Lord of life, and required Barabbas
to be delivered." But when it was destroyed by the Romans,
and not one stone left standing on another, as Christ foretold
it sliould be, ^lius Adrianus, the emperor, for vain glory
builded a new city, and called it after his own name, ^lia
or Capitolina. And when the heathen had gotten it from
the Christians, pope Urban the second kept a council in
France, and by his flattering friars stirred up all princes
to recover the holy land again, more like a superstitious
Jew, putting holiness in the place which then was inhabited
with wicked people, than like a true preacher of true holiness.
]iut it cost many princes their lives, lands, and goods, and
yet not recovered ; whereof England felt his part, when king
Kichard the first went thither, and was taken prisoner, paid a
great ransom to the impoverishing of the realm. As God gave
this city and people, falling from him, into his enemies' hands;
so will he cast us up, if we frowardly forsake him.
This city Jerusalem', after that it was recovered from
the Jebusites, was enlarged and fortified by David, Salomon,
Ozias, and Ezechias, and other good kings, and had within
it two chief hills,— Sion, where the king s palace was built,
P See before, pp. 87, 88. Ed.]
CH. Ill,] AN EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAIf. 373
and Moria, where the temple was. And after, when tlie
people increased, other two liills were taken into it, Acra anfl
Bethera, as Josephiis writeth. It liad three wards and walls
within it. AVithin the innemiost wall was the king's palace,
and temple, and the priests' lodging : in the middle ward
were the prophets and noblemen, their schools, Levites and
doctors. By which we are taught how to place and esteem
learning and learned men, schools, universities and preachers,
which are not now much regarded. In the uttermost dwell
the citizens, merchants and artificers. It was then four miles
about, and after enlarged to six. It was most glorious in
the time of our Saviour Christ ; for Herod and Agrippa had
made great cost on it : and Christ wept for it. David in
the forty-eighth psalm describeth the beauty and strength
of this city, and biddeth them '' go round about it, mark and
behold it, and count the towers of it," that were many, that
the Lord might be praised for it. The uttermost wall had
towers ninety ; the middle wall had towers fourteen ; and
the innermost wall had towers sixty : in the whole a hundred
and sixty four towers, as Josephus and others do write. But
I take it, that it was so rather in the time of Christ than
of David, or of this building now: for as it increased in
wealth, beauty and strength, so it did in pride, riotousness,
superstition, contempt of God, and all wickedness ; so that
this last and utter destruction was at hand, for refusing, cruci-
fying and condemning the Son of God, their Saviour.
Whensoever the scri})ture speaketh of any going to this
city, it saith commonly " they went up to Jerusalem,'"' because
it was built so on hills, that on what side soever thou camest
in, thou shouldst go up an hill ; which though it seem a
small matter to be noted, yet (fod, which dooth nothing in
vain, as he did by other outward things t(>ach that gross
people heavenly things, as here in this climbing up to this
earthly city they left worldly things beneath them in the
valleys; so they that would pray unto the Lord or seek the
heavenly Jerusalem, nuist cliinb up by faith into heaven to
the mercy-seat and throne of grace, casting away all worldly
cares, and leaving that behind.
The connnon opinion is that Adam, our first father, dwi'lt
and was buried here in this citv. A'J'J the scripture teack'th, G^n.^*^".
374 AN EXPOSITION UPON NEIIEMIAH. [cH. III.
tliat good fiither Abraham offered his son Isaac on the mount
Moria, where Salomon built the temple. Which all were
figures that Christ Jesus, the new Adam, should be buried
in the same place, where the old Adam was, to restore to
us that life which old Adam had lost; and should offer his
precious body on the tree for our redemption, a sweeter sacri-
fice than Isaac, or any bloody sacrifice that was offered in
the temple of Salomon.
It is comfortable to consider, and wonderful to behold,
how the wisdom of God hath made the circumstances of our
destruction by Adam, and salvation by Christ Jesus, to agree.
Adam in paradise, a garden of pleasure, offended God, and
was cast out for his disobedience, and we all his posterity :
Christ Jesus was buried in a garden, and hath by his death
restored to us life again. By the enticing of a woman man
fell from God; and by a woman that blessed seed, Christ
Jesus, was born, and reconciled us to his Father again. By
a pleasant apple was man deceived; but by Christ having
bitter gall given him to drink man was saved. In that
garden had Adam all pleasant things freely given him : and
in this garden without the city had Christ our Lord all cruel
and spiteful torments that could be devised ; that we should
go forth to suffer with him, forsaking the dainty pleasures
of this city. In the temple no sin could be forgiven without
shedding of the blood of some sacrifice ; and in this world
is no pardon of our wickedness without the blood of Christ
Jesus, the innocent Lamb of God. And as by the fall of
one man, Adam, we all were condemned, so by the rising
from death of one man, Christ Jesus, we are justified. By
the corruption of our father Adam we all did perish, and by
the innocency of our brother, the Lord Christ, we all be sanc-
tified. Why should not the goodness of the one profit us
a.s much as the illness of the other did hurt us; or rather,
much more bless us, being the immortal Son of the living
God, and the other being but a mortal man made of the
earth ?
And as they that had any suit to the king, or sacrifice
to be offered by the priest, first entei*od in at the uttermost
gate, where the common sort of citizens dwelt ; and then
through the second, where the Levites and learned men were ;
CH. III.] AX EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAII.
O/O
and lastly in at the innermost gate, where the king and his
palace, the high priest and the temple, were built: so they
that ^vill go to the great King and High Priest of the heavenly
Jerusalem, must first enter the uttermost gates, where all
sorts of Christians are born into this world ; and then Ijc
brought to the second, to be instructed by the ministers in
the law of the Lord, and received into the church, and there
nourished by the sacraments of God ; which being diligently
done, he may boldly enter at the innermost gate to the Kin^r's
palace and temple, to make his humble suit, pray, and offer his
body and lively sacrifice to God the Father by Christ Jesus,
his Son, King of kings and Lord of the heavens, who also
is our High Priest and Archbishop, that offered up that
sweet sacrifice of his own blood for our filthy and stinking
sins. For as the king and the priest dwelled both together in
the innennost ward, and on the high hills ; so our King and
High Priest, Christ Jesus, hath taken unto himself the king-
dom and priesthood, and by his Holy Spirit made us "a kingly
priesthood"' to God his Father : kings, that we might by him
conquer the kingdom of Satan ; and priests, to mortify and
kill the filthy lusts of our fiesh, and offer our souls a living
and holy sacrifice to serve him. For as no sacrifice could
be offered any where, but in this only temple of Jerusalem ;
so no prayer nor thankful sacrifices can be offered unto him,
but in the name of Christ Jesus, his Son and our Lord.
Lastly, as God of his justice for the wickedness and super-
stition both of the princes, priests, and the people, destroyed
the kingdom, law, and priesthood of Moses, never to be built
or restored again, though the Jews sundry times attempted
it, and with great sums of money would have gotten licence
to have yearlv come and lamented the destruction of it ; vet
both the emperor il^^lius Adrianus', to withdraw them from ^''<'<'p'>- '«'•
it, built a new city in another place, called it after his own
name, and graved a swine and his own image over tho gates
to ])ring them in hatred with it, and commanded in pain of
death they should not come thither ; God also with earth-
L l*'iV cnrav ce t»/i/ tto'Aji/ ftTro/ufitorrfic eVi rot rnpcrepta ovuftan
T(WTt]u cyciptif Kill Ttjif trno(Tt}yopiuv uuti/ covk /\t\iav totntftaacv
e I' auTfp ce no ucvtm tuv linov k(j\ tu cuvtov avlcpvccv tiCw\ov.
Ki).]
o76 AN EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAH. [cH. III.
qiialvGS overthrew their doings, destroyed their tools, and
so'^sT^'"^* swallowed up the workmen': so in his mercy he hath built
a new spiritual Jerusalem, given us the comfortable tidings
of the gospel, sent his apostles to preach it through all the
world, set up a new kingdom and ministery, not in a corner
of the world, as it was then, but through all countries, that
all which believe may be saved: and that, not in fear and
threatenings, as the law was, but in loving- kindness and
mercy, grace, peace and truth in Christ Jesus.
Many of these things are well noted by Wolfius and
other learned men : and because there is divers times occasion
given in this chapter to speak of these figures and spiritual
comparisons, I have once for all set them down, that I need
not oft repeat them afterward ; and they that list, may briefly
here see all set together, and apply them afterward as oc-
casion serveth. I will not in this chapter, as I have done
in others, follow verse by verse, nor sentence by sentence,
nor word by word, to examine them particularly, because it
standeth most of names, wherein the unlearned should not
take so nuich profit as labour in reading of them ; (though
the learned may with pleasure pick out good lessons of them
by allegorical interpretation of the places, &)c.) but I will
briefly note such things here and there in some verses, as
shall give occasion to help the simpler sort to further the
buikling of these walls, for whose cause specially I have taken
this labour.
|_ Irj eviovcrr] eXdovrwv (o<; av rov irpiarov QejxeKiov VTroOrjaiaaif
<Tei<TiKov (pam ncyau ev lyeueaBai, to) tc ttoAAw t»;9 ytjc; kXovic e^
ecr^uriou Kprjiriccoi/ avatoOrjvai tov^ Xidov^;, ovk o\iyov<; ce kui rtav
iovcaiiav 6ia(pOapt]vai, Cap. 32. /\evTepa yovv ireipn e'ni'yeipovvTtaVy
•nvp €K€76€v XejCTai twi' de/xeXitov dua7rr]dt]<rav, kui aXXo 3e ovpd-
viov K«Tao-K//\//ai/, Kiti irXe'iovi i] irpoTCpov hia(pOeTpai, * * * *
Tov oe TTupo^, 0)9 cipt]TCiiy KaTU(rKrj\j/auTu<;, ai tc (Tihvpai kui
yXupioe'! K(ii TTpiovc:, vl TrtAtxe/? tc k(u tu (TKeirupva, ku\ ocra
TTpoy Ttju (HKoCofxr^u cTTirtjceui o'l epyuTfci Trpoa-cTrcifyepovTo, durrov
K9 X"*^" i^XtTTTvi'oi/To, Tov TTvpoK Ct oXiy; tj/xepci'; tirit't/xo/xevov uu-
rovi. Cap. 33. El).]
'. 1, 2.] AX EXPOSITION LPON NEIIEMIAH. o77
V. 1. Eliasib the high priest r/at him up, and his brethren The text,
the j)riests, and huilded the sheep gate.
2. And next unto him budded the rnen of Jericho.
After that Nehemiah had so stoutly answered Sanl)allat
and his fellows, and encouraged his countnuien to the building
of* the walls, all sorts of them pluck up their stomachs, and
are no more afraid, but lustily fall to their work. And anion"-
other, Eliasib the high priest and the rest of the priests also
gat them up, and took in hand to repair the sheep gate which
went toward mount Olivet, and so the wall all along unto
the tower Hananeel. Such goodness cometh by having a
stout captain, where the people be faint-hearted. Aggeus
complaineth in the building of the temple, that prince, priest,
and people were fallen on sleep, until he came with message
from the Lord to awake them, and then they fell lustily to
work. So now here, after that Nchcnn'ah came with com-
mission both from God and the kinff, thcv lincrered their
building no more, but boldly went on forward with it, though
it had lien many years unlooked at ; and now in the begin-
ning they had many stout brags.
Chabrias, as Plutarch doth write', was wont to say, that
'•a host of harts should be more feared if a lion were their
captain, than a host of lions should be if a hart were their
captain ;'' teaching what profit cometh by a stout captain :
and so it fareth in (lod's cause too. St Paul, considerinir
what a chargeable office was committed unto him, and how
fearful a thing it was to preach Christ afore princes and
wicked people, desireth the Ephesians to pray for him, that
he might have "utterance given him, boldly and freely to do
his message in preaching the gospel." He desireth the same
thing of the Colossians and the Thossalonians. So that, f'^'-'v-
1 1-111 . , . , . , . aXhci.^.Mi.
where we see this boldness in preaching joined with wis-
dom and discretion, we may persuade ourselves that it is the
gift of CJod in such a man, and above the nature of man to
do it.
This lesson is given to all good buildei*s of (Jod's spiri-
tual house, that they should "not fear him that will kill the>»«"-x-
i_- Apotlu'gm. 'I'. I. p. 741. c(l. A\ yttinl). Oxon. 170o. Ed.']
378 AN EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAH. [oH. IH.
body, and cannot hurt the soid, but fear him that can cast both
Rev. xxi. body and soul into hell/' And St John saith in the Reve-
lation xxi., that " those which be fearful shall have their part
in the burning lake of brimstone, with murderers, adulterers,
and idolaters." And by the example of Eliasib and the priests,
which disdained not to be admonished and learn their duty of
Nehemiah, coming from the court, we shall learn humbleness
of mind, and not disdain to be admonished of our duty at
mean men's hands. They are not offended at him, nor think
him saucy to counsel and teach them, which were teachers
of others, but are content to join in this work with him
and the rest, yea, boldly to begin and give good example to
the rest, as their duty was, and to encourage others. So no
estate must disdain to be warned of his duty, and to be en-
couraged, though it be by mean men ; for all sorts, high and
Iow% learned and unlearned, are fearful and forgetful of them-
selves, until God stir them up by his word, Holy Spirit, and
messenger.
And reason it was, that as they were shepherds to the
people, so they should build "the sheep-gate,'"" which was at
the east end of the city where the temple was, in the ut-
termost wall, where the sheep came in that were offered in
sacrifice, and whereof they had their parts according to the
law. This gate may well be compared to Christ Jesus, who
sought the lost sheep, and was sacrificed as a lamb, and is
the gate whereby only we enter, and his shepherds must be
the builders of it, and bring the people into the fold.
Many good lessons might be plucked out of the inter-
pretation of the names herein contained, and what were sig-
nified by them ; but those be meeter for the learned, which
can by order of learning keep themselves in compass, and
apply all things to the rule of faith, than to the unlearned
which have not that judgment. And where the men of Je-
richo join with the high priest in this building, it teacheth
that not only priests and citizens must build God's city, but
also countrymen ; yea, those that dwelt farthest off, and be
least regarded, must put to their helping hand. It is commend-
able in both, that neither the priests refused their aid, and
they that dwelt farthest off were the first that came to work.
So nmst all that be of God's household help to build, even
V. Ij 2.] AN EXPOSITION IPON NEHEMlAlf. o70
the simplest and basest as well as the best ; for as he is God
of all, so he will have all to sen'e and worship him.
If either Nehomiah or any other had taken this work in
hand alone, it would have been thoun^ht great arrogancy in
them, and others would have disdained that they should have
all the praise of so great a building alone. Common things
would be done with common consent, and the common aid
of them to whom it pertaineth would not be refused. Je-
richo was the first city that Josue overthrew for their
wickedness, and it is now the first that cometh to help this
building. So great a change cometh when God turneth the
hearts of the people. AVithout this gate was that watering
place or sheep-pool, whereof St John writeth in the fifth
chapter, and where the sheep were washed that came to be
offered.
v. o. The fsh-gatc hidlded the sons of Senaah ; they covered ti\c text,
it, and set on the doors, loch and bars.
5. The fjreat men of Thecoa put not their nech to the
work of the Lord.
This gate was at the west end of the city, where the
fishers came in at the sea-coast with their fish to sell. If
a man would stand on figures and allegories, this gate may
well signify Christ, who made his apostles and preachers
fishers of men, who by him brought and daily bring them
into this spiritual Jerusalem ; for he is only the door, whereby
all must enter into the Lord's city. These men, like good
builders, leave nothing undone that might fortify that gate ;
for they set on not only the doors, but also bolts and locks.
So must God's cliurch be made strong by laws, dlscipliuf,
and authority, that ravening lions nor filthy swine rush not
in, and disquiet or devour God's people: and the wholesome
doctrine must be confirmed with stronj; arguments and
rea.sons against false teachers.
Much controversy there is now about discipline, whicli
every man granteth to be necessary, and desireth to have ;
but whether this, that is so vehemently urged, be the right
way to strengthen tlie Chureli, as stronger doors, locks au<l
bars, that should keep out all ravening wolves and wild bea.st«,
3^
380 AN EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAH. [cH. III.
or they be like to spider's cobwebs, that will catch a weak fly
and let the great drones burst through, I leave it to the.
consideration of the wise. I will be no partaker of these
troublesome contentions. And if a man would study for an
example of this, I cannot tell where he might find a fitter.
These poor men of Thecoa work willingly and diligently, but
the richer sort were too stiffhecked, would not stoop nor obey
the superiors of the work ; for so the Hebrew word signifieth
him that is appointed a ruler and master, as well as it doth
signify the Lord God ; and divers of the best learned do so
turn it into Latin.
Every company of workmen had their overseers, appointed
to direct and keep them in order, that every one should not
do what he list, work when and where he list, nor loiter and
be idle : other companies did obey their masters of the work,
but these rich men were too proud. This kind of speech,
"they put not their neck to the work," is taken of oxen,
w^hich being made for the yoke to draw, should teach all
labourers in God's building, as well laymen as kirkmen, to
be painful as the ox, and not too stately to stoop under the
yoke. The scripture sundry times commendeth this painful
labouring by the example of the plough and the ox : as, " He
Luke ix. that putteth his hand to the plough and looketh, &c.," and,
1 Cor. ix. u Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox, &c.'' For no kind
of people are exempt, neither poor nor rich, learned nor un-
learned, man nor woman, but they must bend and bow their
necks under the yoke, and be not ashamed nor too stately
to work at the building of God's city. The proud pharisa-
ical popish friars and monks, which have so many privileges
from their father the pope, may not say, Domine^ nos sumtis
exempti. We may not work : the solemn prelate, the fine-fingered
dames, nor the surly lords of the land, the dainty and trim
courtier, nor the lofty lawyer, are exempt ; but every one must
bow his neck in his vocation, painfully to work at God's
l)uilding ; a,s in this chapter ye shall have examples of all
these sorts, that painfully wrought at this building.
But I fear me, that if, after the order of this discipline
which is so greedily sought, and many do like of it, because
it is so gentle, the rich would not care for it, but live as
they list ; if their consistory of seniors were set in their
/
\,^y b,\ , AN EXPOSITION UPON N EH EMI All. S81
seats with their pastor in every church, with their full au-
thority in all causes ecclesiast, they should find many proud
peacocks, that would not bend their necks under the yoke of
such simple silly woodcocks, as every parish presently is able
to give. For as yet in few places shall able men be found,
that dare and will wrastle with the rich in correction. A
,-1
proud thacker^^ of Thecoa would laugh them to scorn and
1 contemn their^Sispiling discipline. For they that will con-
temn correction, the laws and officers standing as they be,
it were also necessary to have the prince's power, doors of
iron, bolts of brass, and locks of steel to bind them fast,
ad alligandos reges eorum in compedibus, et nobiles eorum in Poai. cxiix.
oiianicis ferreis : then with such kind of dealing to be mocked,
they would stoutly say, Disrumpamus vhicula eorum., et pro- v^a\. a.
jlciamus a nobis jufjuni ipsonuii.
We read of Ambrose, that excomnmnicated the emperor xiceph. xii.
Theodosius', and how humbly he obeyed it : but whether
was more to be praised, he that durst do it or the other
that would obey it, I cannot tell; and I know not where
in a good cause the like has been done since, though the
proud pope for his wicked authority hath attempted and
achieved the like sundry times against emperors. Indeed
excomnmnication rightly executed is a fearful bond to all
good consciences ; for it locketh up heaven gates, and throweth
into the pit of hell : yet worldly men, that fear not (lod nor
love his people, are more afraid of prison, iron chains, and
fetters here, than of God's eternal wrath there. Such there-
fore must have a shar|)er consistory than our seniors be. (fod
for his mercies' sake grant us a worthy discipline for such
stiHhecked Thecoites I For the simple ones will be more
[} Thackcr: a provincial form of thatcher. En.]
\J 'K7r€< fxcTci Tt]i/ Kvyevlov v'lKtju t'jKCu (0foco'(r«oc) f«V Mecio-
Xdi'ov, K<u eic Ttju eKKXtjaiuUf (J<? €0o<i, elfftjyero ev^iKrOat, koi tt^oc
Tfuc Supatf: eyevcTo, v'rruurtj(ra<; Wfifipocrio^j koi t»/c aXovpyiCo^
Xiij-iufJLCuo^ tVi fxecrio no TrXtjOct, Tuji/ 'tip(Joi> tTrif^aiftiv irpoUvfyutM
CKOiXveu, 'L7r/(r;]^€?, <pdaKuii', k. t. A. » « * • At';^oi' C€ tov
cetrnuVf (I) Geo<? uvuidev Ttju \l/tjipov €Trt}V€yK€i>' uXtj^ovc c i/yifiac
oJtoo-i TTpo^cvof:. Xicoph. Ecclcs. Hist. Lil). xii. cap. 41. The Ci<t-
/loc, chain, was the symbol of rxcommiinicatioii. iNv tlu* saim« atr«nint
in Tiieodoret. Lib. v. cap. IT. ; also Amltrosc, Lib. v. Ki>ist. SH. En.]
S82 AN EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAH. [cH. III.
easily ruled with a gentle discipline. Such as have the wealth
and authority of the country, given them of God to benefit
and defend the country withal, are not worthy to live in
the country, if they withdraw their helping hand from their
country, as these Thecoites did now. The porters of every
city and great men's houses are commonly tall, big and bold
men, to keep out unruly people : and reason is that it should
be so, for else all men would be bold to trouble the gates.
So must the ministers and rulers of God's house, whom the
Holy Ghost calleth his porters, be more stout men and strong
than every realm is able to set up in any parish.
Surely the having of these seniors might do much good
in many matters, but in my opinion after another sort than
as yet is put down : which I refer to the determination of the
wisest. How many papists at this day do contemn the church
and all the disciphne in it, because it is so soft ! and if the
fear of the magistrate's sword did not more bridle them than
any honest fear, they would daily increase in boldness and
contempt of all orders. If ye did but excommunicate them,
they would heartily thank you and laugh you to scorn; for
they wiUingly excommunicate themselves, and will come at
no congregation ; and under pretence of your excommunica-
tion they had just pretence of absenting themselves, and
never would seek reconciliation. God grant all such obsti-
nate contemners of his church and his word their just and
deserved discipline ! This overmuch softness that is used,
and an opinion of some that be zealous in religion, whereby
they think they may not punish an ill man for his conscience
and religion, doth much harm, and emboldeneth them in their
ill doings. Surely in my opinion they that have authority,
and will not correct such wilful dealings, be partakers and
maintainers of others' ill doing, and fill both the church and
commonwealth with disobedient persons.
The text. V. 6. The old gate biiilded Joiada^ ^c, they recovered it, and
set on the doors, loch and bars.
Because this setting on of locks, doors, and bars is sundry
times rehearsed here, it shall suffice once to declare it, and
not to fill up books with much writing, and trouble others
with often reading of it. "Doors" serve to let men in and
V. f).] AN EXPOSITION KPON NEIIEMIAH. 8S3
out, to shut them in or keep them out: "locks" serve against
treasons or conspiracies within, and " bars'' serve against open
enemies and violence without. So must God's church be
fenced and strengthened with sundi-y doctrine and discipline,
to instruct the ignorant, comfbii: the weak, raise up them
that be fallen, encourage the forgetful, bridle the unruly, and
confute all errors. This promise God made to his church. Matt. xvi.
that " hell gates should not prevail against it/' It hath been
oft sore assaulted, and yet never conquered ; and never worse
dealt with than by her own children and feigned friends,
rather than by open enemies, as this day well proveth : no
force: it hath a watchman that "neither sleepeth nor slumber- P^ai. cxxi.
eth," which can neither be overcome by strength, having all
things at his commandment, nor deceived by treason, prac-
tice nor policy, having all wisdom to foresee mischiefs pre-
tended, cunning and great good will to prevent them all ;
wherein standeth the comfort of all good men, that they
have such a grand Captain.
By the right use of this discipline and doctrine is hea-
ven gates set open to all penitent believers, and locked up
against all obstinate and double-faced hypocrites. And what- Matt. wi.
soever the true and faithful **porters" of these doors "do bind
in earth, it is bound in heaven ; and whatsoever they loose
in earth is forgiven in heaven :" and whosoever they let in
are welcome, and whom they keep out are cast away. Such
commission and authority hath God given to his word and
ministry for the comfort and correction of his people, that
all dis.solute behaviour may be banished from among-st his,
and all good order, peace and quietness maintained. The
Lord for his mercy sake grant his church faitiiful porters,
to open the doors to the sheep and shut them liist against
the wolves, and drive from this chargeable office of trust all
picklocks and conspirers to betray this city and citizens of
the si)iritual Jeru.salem! For this is the duty of all good
builders, not only to set up the walls and house, leaving
the dooi-s and windows open ; but to make it strong with
doors, locks, bolts, and bars, and set true and faithful por-
ters and overseei*s of the house and all in it. The building
of this old gate is the preaching of the old commandments of
faith and love, which St John writeth of, as Uoda notetli well. » John ii.
384 AN EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAH. [cH. III. '
The text. V. 7. The men of Giheon and Mizpali hnilded unto the throne
of the duke beyond the river.
Now this work goeth forward, and the towns in the country
come and help to work lustily. Such goodness cometh, when
God sendeth such a faithful ruler as Nehemiah was : God
increase the number ! Who this duke was it is uncertain,
whether he was a Jew or a stranger ; but God is to be praised,
that stirred up such to set forward this work. Some think
him to be Daniel, that was set in great authority by king
Darius ; and not unlike to be he, if he lived so long, for he
Dan. vi. was as zcalous towards his country as any other. Divers
Jews were in great authority in their captivity and trouble-
some times, who ever helped them in their great need. So
God provideth for his church, that when any doth trouble
Esth. viii. them, he raiseth up some to comfort them. Mardocheus
Dan. iii. about this time was in great favour with Assuerus. Sidrach,
^lisach and Abednego, DaniePs companions, were much ac-
counted of in their time. The river, that he speaketh of
here, is Euphrates, which was a great notable river in the
borders of Persia, and is ever signified by this kind of speech
amongst the people, as Nilus was called " the river"" in Egypt,
and understood by that name in that country, as they be
both called by that name in one sentence. Gen. xv. Some
translate unto the throne, and some for the throne, as Munster
and others : both may stand well, and not unlike but this
duke, though he was out of the country, yet bare his portion
of the charges and builded his part. What cause is there to
name him here, if he did nothing to this building?
In the eighth verse come in the "goldsmiths and apothe-
caries," (for so the Hebrew words signify), and they leave
their fine work and sweet spices, and fall to work in rough
stones and mortar. None must be too dainty to file his clop
fingers in working at God's building : all sorts, as they be
the Lord's, so they must serve the Lord, and the Lord
looketh for it of duty.
But in the eleventh verse the Moabites, which is most
mar\'el, (for they were most utter enemies to the Jews,)
come and lielp to build. Thus God, who hath the hearts of
all men in his hands, of foes maketh friends, and where
V. ?.] AX Expo.iiriox rP3x xfhemiaii. o8.*>
oreat hatred was afore, much love to ensue. And tliouMi
the greatest part of the Moabites were ever utter enemies
unto the Jews, as the Jews be unto the Christians, yet
some Jews be turned unto the faith now, as some Moa))-
ites were then. And in the twelfth verse Sallum, an en-
chanter's son, (for so the Hebrew word signifieth.) cometh
^^'ith his daughters and falleth to ^vork. ^^^herein I cannot
tell, whether I should marvel at the father or the daughters
more. The father was a great man of authority in Jerusa-
lem, and therefore no doubt the daughters were as nice and
fine as their calling required ; and therefore great marvel that
they would humble themselves to wnrlv in mire and clay.
No less marvel that Sallum, having a wicked conjm-or to his
fiither, should forsake that science which many great men
delight in to their own destruction, and fall to work at such
rough work.
But thus God calleth whom pleaseth him, and those that
be truly called are neither weary nor ashamed to serve tlie
Lord in the lowest kind of service. Thus David promised,
that ''the kings of Tharsis and the isles, of Arabia and Saba
should bring gifts,'' and serve the Lord Christ, which all then
were heathen people and knew not God. Conjuring was a
connnon thing among the Jews, insonuich that some of the
high priests were infected with it, as appeareth. Acts xix.; yet
at Paul's preaching they came and brought in their conjuring
books, and burnt them. A comfortable example is this to all
those that have ill men to their fathers, that the illness of the Ezck. wiii.
father shall not hurt the son, if he turn to the Lord, leav-
ing his lather's steps. And all dainty dames may here loam
of these gentlewomen to set more by working at Clod's house
than by trimming of themselves. Would (iod they would
spend that on the poor members of Christ and citizens ot
this spiritual Jerusalem, that they wastefully l)est()\v on tlu'iu-
selves, and would pity their poverty something like as they
pamper themselves ! St Peter biddeth them leave their ''<jriM i «'•'. ..i.
and frizzled hair, and tlieir costly apparel." and >o nuMlcstly
bt'hav(r themselves, that ''their husbands, seeing their honest
behaviour, may be won" to the Lord by them; f«»r ><» Sara
and other holy women did attire themselves, vVc.
I hit it is to be feare«l. that manv desire rather to \h' like
[I'lLKIXOTON.j
o
86 AN EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAH. [cH. III.
dallying Dinah than sober Sara. And if the husband will
not maintain it, though he sell a piece of land, break up
house, borrow on interest, raise rents, or make like hard
shifts, little obedience will be shewed. Placilla the empress,
the worthy wife of Theodosius the emperor, would visit the
sick folks in their houses herself, and help them ; would taste
of their broths how they were made, bring them dishes to
lay their meat in, and wash their cups ; and if any would
forbid her, she said she offered her labour for the empire
to God that gave it. And she would oft say to her hus-
band. Remember what ye were, and who ye be now, and so
shall ye always be thankful unto God\ It were comfortable
to hear of such great women in these days, where the most
part are so fine that they cannot abide to look at a poor
body, and so costly in apparel that that will not suffice them
in jewels, which their elders would have kept good hospita-
Exod. XXXV. lity withal. When Moses moved the people to bring such
stuff as was meet for the making of God's tabernacle and
other jewels in it, the women were as ready as the men,
and they " brought their bracelets, ear-rings, rings and chains
all of gold;" and the women "did spin with their own
hands" both silk and goat's hair: they wrought and brought
so much willingly, that Moses made proclamation they should
bring no more.
Compare this people's devotion with ours that be called
Christians, and ye shall find that all that may be scratched
is too little to buy jewels for my mistress, though she be but
of mean degree ; and if any thing can be pulled from God's
house or any that serveth in it, that is well gotten, and all
is too little for them. God grant such costly dames to con-
sider what metal they be made of ! for if they were so fine
of themselves as they would seem to be, none of these glo-
rious things needed to be hanged upon them to make them
gay withal. Filthy things need washing, painting, colouring,
and trimming, and not those that be cleanly and comely of
themselves : such decking and colouring maketh wise men
to think, that all is not well underneath : content yourselves
with that colour, comeliness, and shape, that God hath given
[^ Theodoret. Lib. v. cap. 18. The above is a close translation of
the leading i)articulars of the original. Ed.]
V. 7.] A\ EXPOSITION- rPON NEHEMIATI. 3S7
you by nature, and disfigure not yourselves with your own
de\ices ; ye cannot amend God's doings, nor beautify that
which he hath in that order appointed. Learn of these good
women to offer your jewels to the building of God's city:
lay to your hands, and spin rough goat's hair to clothe the
poor ; stoop and work, be not ashamed of it, it is the greatest
honour that ever ye shall win. If ye will be partakers of the
pleasures of God's city, ye must take part of the pains to
build it. If women would learn what God will plague them
for, and liow, let them read the third chapter of the prophet
Esav : and if thev will learn what God willeth them to do
and be occupied withal, though they be of the best sort, let
them read the last chapter of the Proverbs. It is enough
to note it, and point them to it that will learn ; for I fear
few will read, fewer learn, and fewest practise it : but many
rather wish it cut out of the book, that they should not be
troubled with hearing of it.
And in the thirteenth and fourteenth verses and others
following come in the rulers of the country towns, with their
jjeople, for to work : wherein we learn that not only the
priests and Levites, but the great men in every country, yea,
and the countr}' people too, must work at God's building.
This ''valley gate" that he speaketh of is thought to be the
gate that goeth into the valley of Josaphat, which otherwise
waii called Gehennon. This is a worthy example for all
Christians, that they should not live to themselves, but help
to bear the burdens of the church and commonwealth. That
city and temple were the common places a})pointed, whither
they should resort to ser>'e the Lord, and whither they might
Hy and find succour against the enemy, where victuals and
other necessary provision might be had for all sorts. There-
fore, if zeal toward God and love toward their neighbours could
not move them to lay to their helping hands, and open their
pui-ses wide to set forward this building, their own private
profit would move those that liad any consideration of them-
selves, to maintain this city. And that no man should dis-
dain to work at the vilest place in (Jod's city, here cometli
a n()l)leman, and buildeth '' the dung gate," where all the filth
of the city was carried out, and where all the sinks, caiuils,
and conduits did wash and convey away all the sweepings
1 Ck)r. V.
388 AN EXPOSITION' UPON NEHEMIAH. [cH. II[.
and filth of the streets into the brook Cedron. As in all
great and well ordered cities there be officers appointed for
that purpose, which be men of wisdom, painful, and in au-
thority, and have a great care for the health and wealth
of the inhabitants, who will daily and duly look that such
noisome things be conveyed away out of the streets for in-
fecting the people with pestilent smells and contagions ; so
in God's church and city must be men of gravity, wisdom,
learninor and authoritv, which must dare and will wrastle
with the stoutest, and see due correction done, and such
rotten members, as would infect the whole body, cut off and
carried away from among the congregation, to the comfort of
the good, and terror of the evil doers.
In God's house there be both good and ill, as in the
field the corn groweth not without the chaff, nor in the
garden the good herbs without the weeds. Yet the good
husband will carry in the good corn, and winnow the chaff":
when the weed overgroweth the herbs, the good gardener
will pick out the weeds, and carry the good herbs to his
house. So in God's church open blasphemers, notorious
wicked livers and teachers must be cast out, that God's
holy name be not ill spoken of, as though he loved such
ill doings, and would not with justice punish them ; and
also, that other by their ill example should not fall into the
like mischiefs. St Paul biddeth, that "if any brother were
called covetous, a fornicator, drunkard, a railer, extortioner,
idolater, they should cast him out of company, not eat nor
drink with him," that he may be ashamed of himself, when
he seeth himself abhorred of all men, and so amend his
wickedness.
Excommunication is the common remedy for such dis-
obedient persons, \\hich God for his mercy sake grant that
it may be restored to his true use, and that every one may
willingly submit himself to godly correction ! We have so
long contemned the pope's curse, that now we think we may
live as we list without blame; and if any due correction be
offered, we laugh it to scorn, despise the ministers of it, and
by this means shall cause the Lord to take the whip into
his own hands; and then "who shall be able to stand?" God
will not have sin unpunished; and if we refuse this gentle
V. 7.] A\ EXPOSITION- UI'OX NEIIKMIAH. 389
correction, that he hath given his church to execute and
bridle ill doers withal, we shall find it ''an horrible thinir to lich. \.
fall into the Lord's hands," and he will '-rule us with anpsai. ii.
iron rod, and bruise us all to pieces.'"* Such dung and filth
may not be suffered in God's house ; and it is as necessar}-
to have a gate to carry such out at, as it is to have a gate
to bring good ones in : for as the rain from heaven wa-sheth
the streets, so God's grace from above must first wash the
heart, that the mind may be renewed. In worldly matters
prisoners condemned to die are carried out of the city to
suffer execution, as members not meet to be suffered in any
company: so God's city will not suffer such ill doers to live
amongst them, but cast them out.
The '"stairs" which be spoken of in the fifteenth verse,
and the "tomb of David" in the sixteenth verse, contain
good lessons in them, if they be well applied : for all outward
things in this worldly Jerusalem's building have a significa-
tion in them, to teach us to build the spiritual Jerusalem.
By these stairs the king came down from his palace on the
hill Sion into the lowest part of the city : and by the same
steps all suitors went up into the palace to make their pe-
tition. So the merciful Lord Jesus, by taking our nature on
him, and being made man in his mother's womb, came down
from the bosom of his Father in heaven into " the lowest
j)art of the earth," yea, and humbled himself unto the vilest
death, and hell too ; that we by the same ladder, steps and
stairs of humbleness may climb by faith from virtue to virtue
into the heavens, by Christ Jesus our Lord, who is our
only spokesman and mean-maker, unto that high and mighty /y^^.^^^^
King, God his Father. And as David born in IJctlilcliem,
when he had reigned thirty-three years over all Israel, was
buried in Jemsalem, and great treasures laid in the grave
with him, with part of which llircanus delivered the city
when cruel Antiochus besieged it; so Christ Jesus, Ixirn in
Ik'thlchem, in the thirty-third year of his agc» was crucified,
and buried in Jerusiilem, in whose grave \vc find great
treasures of our redemption: for both our filthy and stink-
ing sins are there buried with him ; and the sweet '* k'lhns,
spices, and ointments" that he was einbahned withal, are
there to be found by faith, and no liolincs4> of the place;
390 AN EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAII. [CH. III.
that is, forgiveness of sins and rising with him to life ever-
lasting in heaven.
In the seventeenth verse, and the rest of the chapter fol-
lowing to the end, is almost no great matter to be noted, but
the earnest diligence of the Levites and priests (which were
some chief men and rulers, as appeareth here,) and their bond
servants to set forward this building, and for the most part in
repairing the innermost walls in the first and second ward.
Whereby we shall learn, that they were not so beggarly as
many would make them in our days, if they might have their
will, but of good wealth. How vain are those foolish ex-
emptions which the pope giveth to his shameless shavelings,
that they should not bear the common burdens of the church
and commonwealth ! St Paul biddeth them and all others
to "pay tribute and taxes to whom they be due," and shew
their obedience to the higher powers in all godly things, as
Matt. xvii. well as any of the laity. Our Saviour Christ "paid tribute
for himself and Peter,"'* and willed the Pharisees to do the
like ; but these unprofitable pharisaical drones, because they
will be most unlike unto him, will pay none at all.
There is yet remaining here amongst us a sort, not
popish, as they pretend, but earnest builders of God's
house in their own opinion, where indeed they be the over-
throwers of it ; which are in effect as ill Pharisees as the
papists be. They will take a benefice and cure of souls,
promising solemnly to feed the flock; but when they have
turned their back, they have a dispensation in a box to lie
from it, and flock and flout whosoever would have them to
continue there and do their duty, contending by law they
may do it, and stand on their defence, Domine^ nos exempti
sumus. God for his mercy sake take away such laws, grant
discreet officers, that will not dispense so unadvisedly with
every one for small causes, as is too commonly used, and
give those unprofitable caterpillars such remorse of conscience,
that they will take pains to feed the flock as well as they
feed themselves, eating until they sweat again, and become
pillars to uphold God's church, and not pollers of his people,
nor so greedy to pick their purses and pluck off* the fleece,
as painful to relieve and comfoi-t the weak both in body and
souls with wholesome doctrine and corporal food, as the great
V. 7.j A\ EXPOsiiTiox I POX m:iie.miaii. '3[)l
God will ask a strait account of them at the last day, where
their dispensation may not be pleaded, nor will be allowed,
nor the dispenser can justly excuse himself nor them, but
both like wolves and hirelings shall be charged, V(v pastor et ^^^^' ^'*
idohnn dereVmqnens nrenein^ and. Savnnhu'm eorum de manu fua
requiram, Ezech. iii. Full little do such men consider, what
a jewel God hath committed to their charge; and less they re-
gard the charge they have taken in hand. JesiLS Christ came
down from heaven to preach his Father''s will unto his wander-
ing sheep, and shed his precious blood to purchase us heaven :
and these idle labourers will not take pain to visit, teach, or feed
them whom our Lord God hath bought so dearly. God amend
us all !
This '-second measure,"' another part of building which
is so oft spoken of here, is thought of the most part of WTiters
to be the second ward and wall, which was called Secunda^
where the Levites, prophets and learned men did dwell, and
was divided into every man his portion to build ; or else
were they appointed first to build the half height of the
wall for a time, to be some succour for them against the
enemies. Some were so earnest in building, that they finished
the second height unto the top of the wall afore other had
built the half heijjht. As in the twentieth verse Jiaruch
"burst out in a heat,'' (for so readeth the Hebrew,) being
angT}' both with himself and others, that were so slothful in
working, and had done no more, and in a fume rose up, and
finished his portion in a short time. Such anger is good,
when a man is offended with himself or others, that they be
so slow in ser\'inn: their Crod and buildinu: his house : it
will make him more earnest and diligent afterwards.
In the twenty-first verse Meremoth is commendiMl, that
he built so far a.s the house of the high priest raiight. A
small praise, if the house were not of some great ncR^.
And so other priests, against their houses, in the verses fol-
lowing and in the twenty-eighth verse. I <!•» but note it,
because that many disdain that any ministers should have
a house of any countenance. Ihit among all builden*, nom*
are worthy moro j)raiso than these Xcthiin'ms bo. They
were no Jews born, but descended from those heatiien Gi-
392 AN KXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAH. [cH.
III.
bconites, which deceived Josue by putting on old shoes, and
having fusty bread in their bags, clouted sacks, and broken
bottles, feigning themselves to have come a long journey to
be received amongst God's people. By law the Jews should
have destroyed all heathen people at their entering into the
land of promise ; but where by this policy Josue had granted
them life and liberty, and so could not destroy them for
his promise sake, he "gave them to the Lord to serve the
priests in carrying water, cutting wood,"*"* and such other
drudgery works for the sacrifices. So that Hebrew word
signifieth them that were freely given unto the Lord; and
all this people from that time forth, as long as the common-
wealth stood, served the Lord as faithfully as any Jews even
in their captivity, never grudging that they were not called to
no higher estate, nor disdained not at their drudging; never
ran away in any troublesome time, as they might easily have
done, nor claimed any liberty, nor wrought any displeasure
to the Israelites, where they might have oft betrayed them,
and now most earnestly fall to building, and serve the Lord.
A strange example, that such a people continued faithful in
the house of God so many years, and stood so stoutly in all
storms : but when God calleth, he blesseth, and nothing is
Psai. i.\.\xiv. painful, so they may serve the Lord ; as David saith, " I
had rather be a door keeper in the house of God than to
dwell in the palaces of sinners." Saul would have destroyed
this people, but God saved them and plagued him.
If we look unto ourselves without flattery, we shall easily
perceive how unlike we be unto them, how cold in serving
the Lord, how soon weary of our estate, how desirous to
climb higlier, how changeable in every age, how fearful to
profess our religion, how flattering to men, and how " carried
away with every blast of new doctrine.'' God grant us to see
it, to be ashamed of it, and to amend it ! Our own days have
given us too many examples of such wavering worldlings;
and I fear our sins will shortly pluck the same plagues on
our heads again : so little tokens of repentance appear amongst
us. We be the right Nethinims, made free from sin, and
servants to the Lord. God grant we be not found worse,
(being called Christians, and living in the time of grace under
V. 7.] AN tXPOfilTlON* L1>0\ XKHEMIAM. S.Oo
the bright hght of Christ Jesus, declared unto us in his
gospel, and by whom we be saved and made free,) than
these heathen people the Gibeonites were, living in bondage,
under shadows of Moses"* law.
Hanum, the sixth son of Salech, wanteth not his praise
here ; who, being a younger brother, falleth to work, and
no mention made of the elder. There must be no courtesy
making, who shall begin : God hath oft called the younger
to serve him before the elder, as Jacob, David, &c.
Thus the Holy Ghost hath registered unto us the names
and diligence of the builders of this earthly city Jerusalem,
by the pen of his faithful servant Nehemiah, for our com-
fort ; and to teach us, that much more he hath registered
the names of the builders of the spiritual Jerusalem in the
book of life, where no devil can scrape them out, but shall
be the dear children of the Lord God, defended by him
from all ill. Let us therefore cast away this slothful slug-
gishness, wherein we have lain so long, rise up quickly,
work lustily, spit on our hands, and take good hold, that we
fall not back again from our Lord God. It is more honour
to be a workman in this house, than to live the easiest life
that the world can give.
A PRAYER.
As thou didst choose unto thyself here in earth, (> mighty
Lord, a certain place and city, Jerusalem, whither thy |>eoplc
should resort to worship thee, to offer their sacrifices and
make their sup})lioations unto thee ; and as long as they did
it faithfully, thou didst ])less and prosper their doin^i^s ; when
they offended and fell away from thee, thou laidst thy heavy
hand and shar]) scourge upon them; so gi*:iiit unto us, (>
gracious God, whom thou luist made free by thy dear Son,
39 4' A PRAYEK.
Christ Jesus, and not bound us to any one place, but hast
left us free in liberty of conscience to assemble ourselves,
and call upon thee in every place and corner of the earth, to
preach thy word, learn our duty, and set forth thy majesty,
to receive thy sacraments, and offer ourselves, our souls and
bodies, a sweet sacrifice to thee : grant us, we beseech thee,
0 merciful Father, thy loving countenance, to continue thy
blessings amongst us, and deal not with us in thine anger,
as we justly have deserved to be cast away from thee ; but
as thou in thine anger grievously punishedst thy people the
Jews, burnedst their city, destroyedst their temple, spoiledst
the country, leddest a great number into captivity, killedst
more, and broughtest them all into bondage and slavery under
heathen princes ; so, loving Lord, we confess our horrible
sins have deserved no less in justice at thy hands, but thy,
mercy, 0 God, triumpheth against justice : for as, after a few
years' correction, thou movedst divers heathen princes to send
home thy people with great gifts, to repair the broken walls,
build the temple, inhabit the country, and restore thy re-
ligion ; and stirredst up also thy people, priests, princes,
nobles, worshipful rulers and private men, artificers, women,
and of all sorts some, earnestly to work at the building of
thy city ; so, heavenly King, let us not be cast away in thy
heavy displeasure, and be the first that cannot find favour
in thy sight ; but turn the hearts of christian princes to
give free course and liberty to thy word of salvation, and
raise up faithful workmen of all sorts and degrees to build
thy spiritual Jerusalem : thrust forth true labourers into thy
harvest ; root out all slothful sluggishness from amongst us,
that we be not unprofitable members of the church and com-
monwealth ; and let all magistrates know that by thee they
rule, that thou settest them in authority, and maintainest
them that fear thee; and make them not only to offer unto
thee their bounden duty and service in building and work-
ing themselves to the good example of others, but also in
encouraging and defending the faithful labourers in thy vine-
yard, and compelling the froward diligently to set forward
thy building. Grant us strong walls and bulwarks to keep
out Turk, pope, tyrants, atheists, anabaptists and libertines.
A I'HAYEK. 395
with all other hindorers of thy building, that thy simple
people may live quietly, and serve thee without invasions or
persecution. And as of thy great mercy thou hast left to us
in wTiting the names of all such as were the chiefest doci-s
in this work, for our comfort and example to follow ; so we
beseech thee, loving Lord, to stir up those whose names
thou hast \mtten in the book of life, that manfully thev
may stand in the defence of thy truth, to the confusion of
thy foes, and thy immortal praise, for thy Christ's sake.
Amen.
196 A\ EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAH. [€11. IV.
CHAPTER IV.
V. 1. It came to pass^ when Sanhallat heard that we hiiilded
the wall, he loas very angry in himself, and disdained
qreafly, and mocked the Jews.
2. And he spake afore his brethren and the soldiers of
Samaria, and said. What do these impotent Jews? icill
they make themselves strong? shall they ofer sacrifice?
shall tliey finish it in a day ? shall they rear up the
stones out of the dust, ichere they were hrent ?
3. And Tohias the Ammonite loas beside him, and said,
Yea, that ichlch they do build, if a fox come up, he
shall break down their wall of stone.
The last chapter declared unto us the forwardness of all
sorts of men, from the highest to the lowest, both of the
laity and the ministry, strangers and citizens, to build and
repair the broken walls of Jerusalem ; and this chapter and
divers others following describe the manifold lets, subtle de-
vices, bold enterprises, both of the outward enemy and hypo-
crites amongst themselves, to overthrow all this building ;
so that if God had not, contrary to reason, assisted, en-
couraged, and defended his faithful servants, this work had
never been finished. Such hath been, is, and shall be unto
the end, the state of God's people and church, that in no
age it hath wanted or can want many sore assaults to over-
throw it, if it were possible. But let us trust his faithful
promise that said, he would "be with us unto the end of the
world,'' and we shall not be overcome.
Let no man marvel therefore in these our days, because
he seeth the like troubles fall among us, nor blame the doc-
trine that is taught, as though that were the cause of all
mischiefs : for God is not so gracious to any country in any
age to set up his kingdom there, but the devil is as busy
and malicious to overthrow it, as much as he may. Let
every man also, that will faithfully serve the Lord, think this
to be most true, and look into this state of the Jews, as it
Acts xiv. were in a glass, and he shall find that " by many troubles we
V. 1, 2, .O/j AX EXPO?;iTiox rpox xehemiah. 397
must enter into the kingdom of heaven,'" and that it is a
"narrow way" that leadeth thither, as it is written, Matthew vii. Matt. vii.
only take thou heed that thou deserve not to he persecuted,
and the Lord will confound them. The rich glutton went to
hell with all his belly-cheer ; and the poor beggar Lazarus
to heaven, and all his sorrow was no hinderance. Look at the
footsteps of all our forefathers, the patriarchs and prophets,
Clirist Jesus and his apostles, with all other martyrs and
good men ; and we shall find none, but his whole life was a
perpetual warfare, subject to infinite sorrows, and the end-
incr of one was the beffinninfj of a new: ''but he that con-
tinned to the end was saved." Let us not look to come into
heaven, if we walk another way ; and be of good cheer, for
the end shall be happy. These be spoken and written for
our learning, not to discoiu-age as, but rather to encourage
us, that we be not found imlike to our forefathers, but man-
fully to stand in all trials, knowino: that we have the same
God that they had, that he is as able now and as willing
to defend his chosen congregation as he was in the begin-
ning, and will never forsake his dear children.
In the second chapter, verse 10, Sanballat and Tobias,
hearing that Nehemiah was come with connnission from the
king to build Jenisalem, they were ''grieved very sore" within
themselves, cast into a dumpish sad heaviness, almost amazed
for sorrow that any man should come to do the Jews any
good at all : but now that they heard say they did work so
lustily at this building, Sanballat first burst out into anger;
h(^ stamps, he stares, he frets, he fumes, he ragetli, be rail-
oth, and taketh on like a madman, and cannot tell how to
stay them ; and after that he falleth on mocking and mow-
ing, j){){ting and smiling at them, and flocking and flouting, /j Crt^
scorning and scoffing of them, in fingering, fleering, and girn- ^>-»\»^^
iiig at them, to try them, whether they by this means would
1k' dismayed or afraid to work any more. A slinwd trial ^ ' / m.
for a sort of poor people, which were but lately nstori'd to ^^
their country, and yet not well settled in it, to see thr great- /
est ruler in tbe country to be s(> angry toNNanl tiiem, to
sconi an<l mock tliem ! If (iod had not strcnirthciied them,
it would have made them to leave their work for ft-ar and
run awav. Look roimd about vou in these (Uir davs ; and
3.98 AN EXPOSITIOX UPON NEHEMIAH, [CH. IV.
ye shall see that if but a mean man in authority, or his
man with a badge on his sleeve, do but look sourly, speak
roughly, or behave himself any thing stoutly, all about them
stoop, make low courtesy, run when they are bidden, and
dare not whisper nor mutter one word, no, not in their good
and just cause : yet where God's Holy Spirit giveth comfort,
all these brags are nothing regarded, but in their well doings
they will on forwards with their just cause and serving the
Lord. Let every man take heed how he falleth into wicked-
ness, for he cannot get out when he would. These men
increase in mischief and amend not : so shall all they that
yield unto it, and stay not in the beginning.
2. And lie spake afore Ms hretliren. The malice that
the wicked men bear against the godly is so great, that it
cannot be forgiven nor forgotten : whatsoever falleth out well
to the good man, they are sorry for it ; and they think all
the posterity [prosperity] of the godly to be their disgracing
and overthrow. Cain envied Abel, because God accepted his
sacrifice better ; Saul envied David, because he was more es-
teemed of the people. The Pharisees disdained Christ our
Lord, because they see their doctrine decay and his received.
And what maketh such a stir this day in the chm*ch, but
that the pope and his partakers see their kingdom decay and
the truth appear ? These be " written for our learning,'' that
we should not discourage om'selves in these miserable times,
but boldly stand and continue to the end.
Sanballat, after that he had thus chafed in himself, and
also had scorned and scoffed at their doings, he is so sore
vexed in his mind that he cannot hold in, but bursteth out
into blustering big words, and saith openly before his fellows
and countrymen, which were of the same mind and superstition
that he was ; and [that] it might be more fearful to the Jews,
to discourage them, he " speaketh" and braggeth it out " be-
fore the soldiers," which were set there to repress all mis-
chievous attempts and enterprises that any should take in
hand. As who should say, that if any went forward with
his building, the soldiers should overthrow it and destroy
them ; for they were as ready to do such a mischief as he
was to bid them. And thus he saith, " What do these beg-
garly Jews," these slaves, peasants, and villanes? what go
V. 1,2, ."].! A.\ EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAH. o99
they about ? what mean they • will they take in hand such a
building as no mighty prince is able to finish ? and that many
noble kings afore them could scarce in many years perform,
will they on a sudden bring it to perfection ? But if they
be so foolish to think that they can finish it themselves, are
the heathen people so mad to stand by, look on, and laugh,
and suffer them to go forward with this building, which hath
been of old time a great enemy unto them, and may be now
again, if they be suffered to work still I Do they think the
gentiles so foolish tliat they foresee not their meaning? or
do they think them such cowards that they dare not, or so
impotent and unable that they cannot, hinder and overtlirow
this work ; or so unwilling to help their country, that they
will suffer them to go forward in it ? Nay, I warrant you,
ye shall find them stout men, ready and willing to defend
their country, and will not suffer such runagates to strengthen
themselves against them. Shall they offer their old sacrifices I
Shall they restore their old religion, in despite of us and our
country, and go about to draw others to their religion ? Shall
they use their old accustomed solemn days, their great as-
semblies, and have it for well done i Nay, let them assure
themselves, we shall find them otherwise occupied ; we shall
hold their nose to the grindstone ; they shall not have leisure
to pray and to be merry, as they look for. They work so
lustily as though they "woidd finish it in one day," afore their
neighbours should espy them ; but they shall find it far other-
wise : we foresee their meaning well enough, we will be heavy
neighbours to them : it shall not fall out as they look for.
Many kings afore them were busy to build, some one place
and some another, and in many years ; but these braggers
go to it so greedily, a.s though they could finish it in a day
or two. A sort of beggarly vagabonds and proud beggars
take this work in hand, as though they were able to go
through with it. What will they do i Will they glue the old
stones together again i when will they get new stone i The
old ones are burnt to powder, knocked in pieces, and will
not serve for anv buildinir airain. Thev shall find it another
manner of work to finish than they look for.
The same miseries is the building of God's church subject to
at this day ; the same scoffs, mocks, tlu-eatenings and jeopanlies
400 AN EXPOSITION ri'OX NEIIEMIAH. [cH. IV.
are daily spued out by such like wicked ruffians and popisli
imps, some in corners and their drunken feasts, some afore
princes and rulers : yet God confoundeth their wicked devices,
comforteth and encourageth his poor people to go forward, and
the Lord blesseth their doings. God in all ages " hath chosen
1 Cor. i. the abjects of the world" to set up his kingdom by, and to over-
throw the pride of man's heart, be they never so worldly-wise.
3. Tobias the Ammonite. It was not sufficient for this
Miles gloriosus, Sanballat, to rail at God's people and their
building, as proud Golias and blasphemous Sennacherib did
afore him, to their open destruction; but starteth forth another
flattering lewd lubber, Tobias, an Ammonite, that slave, pea-
sant, "servant'' and bondman, as he termed him afore, ch. ii.
19. and he, not with so many words, but with as bitter scoffs,
scorneth as scornfully at them as Sanballat did afore. And
he standeth up and saith. If it like your worship, you need
not thus to vex and chafe yourself at these vile Jews. For
let them go on forward with their building as they have be-
gun ; when they have done the worst that they may, " if a
fox come up, he shall break down their stony wall," he shall
scrape it down with his claws and deface it. What needeth
your mastership to care for so small a matter? it can do no
harm : quiet yourself, w'e shall be able to deal with them
well enouijh, and overthrow them : ye are a man of wisdom
and authority, and may easily put these vagabonds to flight ;
we need not so much the strength of a lion, as the subtlety
of a fox, to vanquish them. Thus bragging Thraso never
wanteth a flattering Gnatho^ and one^jade claweth another
by the back, and all to discourage the poor workmen.
Our miserable days can give many like examples, as when
the bloody butcher" sat broiling God's saints and that glorious
disputation at Oxford" with God's good and learned ministers,
whom after many such like blasphemous mocks the Lord
of his mercy took to his rest, and yet suffereth some of his
enemies to live in shame, who in so long a time cannot
[^ The allusion is to two characters in the Eunuch of Terence. Ed.]]
[_'^ Bishop Bonner is intended by the term butcher, an appellation
usually given him for his cruelty. Ed.]
p Between Cranmer, Ridley, and Latimer on the one side, and certain
divines apjiointcd from both the universities on the other, in 1;")')4. Ed.]
V. 1, 2, 3.] AX EXPOSITION' I'POX NEHEMIAH. 401
repent, but are given up to their own lusts and hardened
hearts, so far as man can judge ; beside many other young
whelps of their teaching, which can bark in corners, and make
themselves merry with railing and scoffing at the holy scrip-
tm'es of God, the ministers and professors of it. Yea, some
became so shameless, that they \NOuld call their dogs by the
names of the first writers and professors of it. But our
God liveth, who will defend his own quarrel, and confound
his foes, laugh they never so merrily, or brag and scoft' they
never so bitterly. Salomon saitli, " God will mock them Prov. iii.
that mock:'' and David saith, he is '-blessed that sitteth Psai. l
not in the seat of scorners.'' Diocletian, the emperor, as
Volateran' writeth, had a jester called Genesius, who used
to make him merrv at his dinner, and amongst other devices
would scoff at the Christians with mad gestures ; but God
plagued him for example of others, that they should not do
the like. And yet it is too common at this day : they cannot
eat their moat nor be merry, except they liave some at their
elbow that will blaspheme, scorn and laugh at the religion,
scriptures, and lovers of it. A shrewd kind of trial for
poor souls : for some are so weak that, rather than they will
be mocked, lose their estimation amongst their acquaintance,
or have a strange look of many a gentleman, their neighbour,
they will forsake God, his word and religion, and say what-
soever a man will have them.
What hindereth more at these days, than such like
brags and mocks as these i What will these new I'ellows
do i sav thev : will thov overthrow that faith that ourselves
had so many years ago I Nay, let them alone a while ; sit
down and laugh at them, they will be trapt in their own
snare. Do they so tuni the whole world into their onmi fan-
tasies 'i will such a prince or such suffer it I See ye not this
great man and that great man look strangely at it ? Do
'' any of the rulers Ijelieve it,'' but a sort of rudr and com-
mon people • Are not all countries in trouble about it, and
have been manv vears .' Live (luietlv, and let them alone
P Genesius, Arelatensis patria, arte minuis et infaiuis, Cliristianos
apud iinperatorem Dioclctianum turpissiinis ^estibus irri<lt'l>at, ptissus
tandem et ipse sub eodeni. lUph. Volatcrranus, Coinnjentariorum :
Antliropolog. Lib. xvi. p. .'iT-. ed. HJO.J. Ki*.^
•_m;
[i'ii.kim;iu\.|
402 AN EXPOSITION UPON NEHEJIIAH. [CH. IV.
a while, and look for a day, and apply it better when it
cometh than ye did : the last was lost for want of good look-
ing to in time.
But the good Christian will with patience go forward,
and not be ashamed of God nor his word, nor afraid of
such proud brags, nor amazed at their bitter scoffs. He
knoweth that " all which will live godly in Christ Jesu must
suffer persecution,"' and that all good fathers from the begin-
ning have suffered the same ; and prepareth his back and
shoulders patiently to bear all sorrows for his Master's cause.
Psai.ixxix. David complaineth in all good men's names, " We are become
a mocking stock to our neighbours, a laughing matter and
scoffing to them that be round about us." When Peter
had preached the fearful last day to be at hand, they mocked
2 Pet. iii. him. Saying, " Where is the promise of his coming, that thou
hast so long talked of? Since our fathers died, do not all
things continue as in the beginning V But enough was
said of this matter afore in the second chapter, nineteenth
verse. This is then the remedy that David useth in all these
griefs : fall to prayer, commend thy cause unto the Lord,
[Psai.xxvii.] fall not from him for any storm, "tarry the Lord's leisure,"
and play the man ; comfort thy heart, look for the Lord's
Psai. cxxiii. coming, and say unto him with David, " Have mercy on us,
0 Lord, have mercy on us, for we are utterly despised. Our
soul is full of the slanders of these wealthy worldlings, and
despising of the proud." No doubt, the Lord will comfort thee
and confound them, as our days have well declared.
The Text. y. 4. Hearken thou, 0 our God, for we are despised; turn their
shame upon their own head, and make them despised in
the land of their captivity.
5. Cover not their wickedness, and let not their sin he put
out of thj sight ; for they have provoked, the builders.
G. Then we huilded the wall, and the tchole was joined
together unto the half height, and the people had a mind
to work.
After that he had described the mockings and threaten-
ings that they had for their bold enterprise in building, to
discourage and drive them from it, if they could, if it had
V. 4, 5, 6.] AN EXPOSITIOX UPON' NEIIEMIAH. 403
been possible, he now declareth what remedy and comfort
he found by prayer at the Lord's hand. Nehemiah, seeing
their great danger, turneth him to the Lord, the people
praying with him, and saith : Our God, that hast chosen
us only, though most unworthy, for thy people amongst the
whole world, and whom only we worship, and at whom we
seek for help and deliverance in all our trouble, hearken, we
beseech thee, O Lord ; bow do\\'n thine ear and hear our
prayers ; for thou art a righteous judge and mighty revenger
of all thy faithful servants : we, thy poor people, are in a
miserable case : we looked for aid at our neighbours' hands,
and they are our utter enemies : we hoped for comfort of
them, and they utterly despise, mock and contemn us : but
thou art a God that never forsakest any that come unto thee,
nor castest any away tliat faithfully trust in thee : hear us, 0
gracious God, and turn their own shame, that they would lay
on us for building thy city, on their own heads : tliat villainy
that they would do to us, let it fall on themselves. If thou
let this cruelty scape unpunished, thou shalt be thought negli-
gent and careless of thy people : these Samaritans, that be so
cruel against us, be strangers in the country where they dwell,
as we were in liabylon ; they were brought out of their own
country, and placed here by Esar-haddon, king of Assyria:
make them, O Lord, to be despised in this land of their
captivity, as well as they despised us in our misur}'. O Lord,
let not their wickedness be hid, but make it known to all
the world and all ages to come, how despitofully tliey deal
with us for thy sake : others will attempt the like, if this scape
unpunished. Forgive not their sins, but ever keep them in
thy remembrance : thou shalt not be thought a righteous
judge, if thou wink at such wickedness : they hinder not our
own buildings, but they provoke the builders of thy house
and city. They despise ils because we serve thee. 'V\wy
hate us, not for any of our wickedness, but for the hatred
that they bear to thy house, religion, and city, which they
would have lie waste, overthrown and trodden down. ^Ve
grant we have deserved to be cast away from thee, if thou
deal with us in justice ; and yet after tliy fatherly correction
we obediently return and submit ourselves unto thee ; whereas
they contemptuouslv still rebel against thee, and hate us
404 AX EXPOSITION' UPOX NEHEMIAII. [cH. IV.
because we love thee. If they did persecute us for our own
deserts, we would bear it ; but to see thy majesty defaced we
cannot abide it : they would have thy city to lie unbuilt, that
men might speak ill of thee, that thou were a weak God,
not able to defend thy people, that call on thy name, so
mightily as their idols do them that know not thee. The
shame that they would lay on us shall turn unto thee, 0 Lord :
for it is done unto us for thy sake, and hatred of thee and
thy word. Avenge thy own quarrel, 0 God, and look not
at our own deserts : for though we have grievously offended
thee, yet we repent, and they obstinately stand in defence of
their o^^^l wickedness. 0 Lord, forget not this malicious
dealing of them toward us for thy sake ; abate their pride,
assuage their malice, and confound their devices that they
intend against us : comfort and encourage thy poor w^ork-
men and builders, whom they provoke to anger, and grant us,
that we may, by thy aid, with good success finish that which
we have, through thy goodness, so well begun. Amen.
Out of his prayer may arise two doubts : one, whether it he
ciodhf^ and good men may use the like that he prayeth for here,
that is, that the same ill may fall on them that they would do
unto the Jews ; the other, that their sin shoidd not be forgiven
them. The scripture teacheth both to pray for our enemies,
and to forgive them, and also that God would revenge their
cause himself in his justice. Our Saviour Christ prayeth for
them that crucified him, saying, " Father, forgive them, for
Actsvii. they know not what they do.'' St Stephen likewise. But
psai. vii. David many times prayeth the contrary, as, " Let his sorrow be
turned on his own head, and let his wickedness fall upon his
Psai. ixix. own pate." Again, "Let them be confounded and ashamed
that seek for my life, and let them be driven back and ashamed
that seek to do me evil." These psalms and others are full of
such like speeches. And where some expound such places to be
a prophecy and foretelling of such mischiefs as should fall on
them, rather than a wishing or praying that they should fall, it
is not ill that they say ; but it may be doubted whether it be
most agreeing to the text. But howsoever it be, this must be
most taken heed of, that in all such prayers nothing be asked of
malice against the party, which is hard for our froward nature
to do, but only for the glory of God, which is to be sought in
V. 1, J, f).] AX EXPOSFTION UPON XEHK.MIAH. 405
all our doings and prayers, which may he in shewing his justice.
In the Lord's prayer we say, " Hallowed be thy name f we
desire not God only that he would direct both every man in his
doings to set forth his glory, that his name may be hallowed ;
but also that he would stay, confound, and take away all hin-
derers of the same, with all their devices and subtle prac-
tices ; that, all stumbling-blocks being taken away, his name
may be sanctified in all nations. So prayed David, 'M) myasam. xv.
God, make the counsel of Achithophel to seem foolish.'' So
in the commandments, the affirmative is included in the nejra-
tive, and the negative in the affirmative; as, "'Thou shalt not
kill f wherein we are not only forbidden all ciiielty, but are
commanded to relieve, succour, and help, by all means that
we may. Nehemiah hateth not the men, but their wicked-
ness : so we learn to put a difference betwixt the man and
the sin of man, and pray for mercy to the one, and justice
to the other. Man is God's good creature, and to be be-
loved of all sorts : sin is of the devil, and to be fled of all
sorts. And it is a great difference, whether we pray for
revenging our own private quarrel, which may not be in any
case ; or it be for God's cause and gloiy, which we would
seek the furtherance of by all means we may.
6. Then tee huUded the icall. This verse declareth what
they got by this short prayer. The people's heart was encou-
raged to go forward with this work, insomuch that they
repaired all the breaches of the wall, and joined it all together,
as though it were one whole sound wall, and never had been
defaced afore. Prayer is a sovereign salve for all sores : for it
will heal not only the wounds of the body and soul, but also
hard stony walls. This is the common practice of all good
men, when thev be scorned for the Lord's sake, to turn them-
selves unto humble prayer, conmiit the cause unto the Lord,
who will justly revenge his own quarrel, when he thinketh good.
David, when he had complained unto God how the '-judges did pmI. uix.
mock him, and the drunkards and minstrels sang their songs
against him" to make them merry withal, and could find no
remedy, he saith thus, after that he was sore grieved at
them, '• Hut I, (J Lord, made my prayer unto tlu'c;" and
then the Lord comforted him. Likewise king Kzcchias grt-
tcth him to the temple, when Kabsiichis had railed against a Kin;*. w.
406 AN EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAH. [cH. IV.
the living Lord, and written blasphemous letters : he read
the letters in the sight of God, falleth to prayer, and de-
sireth the Lord to help him in that extremity; and his God
delivered him.
This prayer of Nehemiah is not long; for God regardeth not
so much the length of our prayer, as the earnest hearty desire
of the mind, with an humble submission of himself to the
Lord's good will and pleasure, repenting earnestly for his
offences, and faithfully hoping without mistrust for the Lord's
comfortable assistance, when and as he shall think good. By
this prayer they obtain at the Lord's merciful hand boldness
to go forward with their building, and to contemn their proud
mocks and brags : they finish the whole length and the height
of the wall, in despite of their enemies : and the people were not
weary of working, but the more they 'wrought, the more de-
sirous they were to work still ; for the good success that they
had in building hitherto did encourage them to go forward
with it, and they doubted not but that God was with them,
and therefore feared no other. Let us learn therefore at these
good men's examples, to be bold and constant in well doing,
and not to fear every brag and blast of wind. Let us be as
a lusty horse, that goeth through the street, and careth not
for the barking of every cur that leapeth forth, as though
he would bite him : so let us not be afraid of the barking-
curs, nor look backward, but go on forth, not changing with
every tide : and the mighty Lord will strengthen our weak-
ness with good success to finish his building : for so have all
good men done from the beginning.
The Text. y. 7. It Came to pass that when Sanballat and Tobias^ the
Arabians^ the Ammonites and the Azdodites heard tell
that a salve was come on the wall of Jerusalem^ and
that the breaches of it began to be stopped up^ they were
very wroth.
8. And they conspired all together to go and besiege Je-
rusalem., and to make a scattering in it.
9. But we prayed unto our God., and set a watch by them
day and night in their sight.
10. And Ju^das said, The strength of the bearers is decayed,
V. 7 11. I AN EXPOSITION' I TON NEHExMIAH. 407
and there is much mortar, and we are not able to build
on the wall.
11. And our enemies said. They shall not know nor se^j till
we come into the middle of them, and ice shall slay
them, and make the work to cease.
As good men go forward with God's work, so the ^^^cked
swell for anger, increase in mahce against them, and, bv all
means possible, not only by themselves go about to overthrow
all their good enterprises, but they seek all the partakers that
they can get, and will refuse no kind of man, be he never so
ill, to join \vith them, so they may obtain their purpose, and
hinder the Lord^s building. Sanliallat and Tobias afore
thought with their bitter scoffs, big words, and haughtv looks
to have dashed these poor souls out of countenance, and made
them to leave building : but now, when they see they were
not afraid, but wrought more lustily, they make other de^^ces ;
they ^^^ll fight for it, they gather a great company of neigh-
bours, as ill as themselves, and will set upon them, kill them,
and overthrow their building. Such a thing is malice once
earnestly in man's mind conceived, and specially for religion,
that it so blindoth a man, that he seeth not what he doeth,
nor what will follow of liis doings. He that falleth from (jod
wandereth in darkness, and cannot tell what he doeth, where
he is, nor whither ho goeth ; but the farther he stii-reth, the
farther he is out of the way, and the more darkness he is in;
for " God is light,'' " the way, truth, and life," and he that hath
not God for his guide cannot find the true way to everlasting
life. Let every man therefore, that will walk uprightly in the
fear of God, take heed how he once give place to any wicked-
ness : for if the devil get a little entrance into thee, he will
draw thee clean away with him, if (lod be not more merciful
to hold thee. When the devil tempted Eve, he ajjpeared in
likeness of a serpent, — to teach us, that as the head of the
serpent is the greatest part of the body, and wheresoever the
head getteth in, the whole body followeth easily ; so the devil,
if he once enter into man's heart, he will creep into all parts,
and never cease, until he possess the whole man. and bring him
to everlasting death with him and destniction in this world,
as he did with Judas, entering into him first by little and little.
408 AX EXPOSITION UPON NEH^MIAH. [CH. IV.
but after that Jesus Christ " had given liim the sop,'' he did so
fully possess him, that straightways he betrayed his master,
the Lord of life, into the hands of wicked men, to be put to
most vile death, and all for greediness of a little money.
Sanballat by the help of Tobias had now gotten a great
band of soldiers, of others, and specially of Arabians, Am-
monites and Azdodites, to fight for him against these sely
souls, and for no other quarrel, but because they heard say that
they had repaired all the breaches of the walls of Jerusalem.
Their foolish madness appeareth the more, because they rage
so fiercely for only hearing how well the work went forward,
as though that had been the greatest fault that they could
have committed. AVisdom would have tried, whether such tales
had been true, afore they had beheved them : but anger is so
hot an affection, that it cannot abide to be ruled by reason.
There is no difference betwixt an angry man and a mad man,
but that anger lasteth but for a time, and continueth not
still, as madness doth. Ira furor hrevis est, "Anger is a short
madness,"'' saith the poet ; and again,
Impedit ira animum, ne possit ceinere verum:
"Anger letteth the mind, that it cannot see the truth.'' St
James i. James therefore biddeth, " Let every man be swift to hear,
but slow to speak, and slow to anger : for the anger of man
worketh not the righteousness of God." And though anger
ought to be suppressed in all things, that it grow not to any
extremity, yet is it most chiefly to be holden down when any
correction is to be executed. Tully teacheth well. Qui iratns
accedlt ad po'iiam, nunquam mediocritatem illam tenehit, quw
est inter nimium et parum^ : "He that punisheth when he
is angry cannot keep that mean, which is betwixt too much
and too little." Theodosius the emperor, when he had caused
a great number to be slain in his anger at Thessalonica, and
for his rashness in so doing was excommunicated by Am-
brose, bishop of Milan, after that he knew his fault and
openly confessed it, made a law that no execution should be
done on any offender, whom he judged to die, afore thirty
days were expired, that he might have so long time to con-
[' Dc Officiis, Lib. j. cap. 2o. Ed.]
V. 7 11. J AX EXrO"?lTiON LI'O.X NEHEMIAH. 409
sider in, whether he had judged rifrhtfiilly-. God ^rant every FRnffin.]
man a dih'gent care to foresee that he do nothing in his cap! is.
anger unadvisedly, but with patient modesty may do all
thinnfs in the fear of God !
Tobias was an Ammonite, of the seed of Amnion, whom
Lot begat of his own daughter in his drunkenness ; and as Gen. xix.
they were ever utter enemies to the Jews, though they were
near kinsmen, the one being come of Abraham, the other of
Lot his nephew, so now, having such a man of authority their
countrvTiian to be their captain, as Tobias was, they were
more easily drawn to join with them, that by this occasion they
might more easily revenge old quarrels against the Jews more
bitterly. The Arabians were their next neighbours, a wild
mountain people, living nnich by robl)ery, and therefore easily
brought to such a mischief. The Azdodites were one corner
of the Philistines, their old enemies, and would rather run to
such a mischief unbidden, than taiTy for any calling for. So
we may see, how readily one wicked man will be drawn to
help another, and how the wickedness of one will infect
another that will give car unto it. Hut good men are oft
left to themselves, without help or comfort at man's hand,
as the Jews were here now ; and the church of (fod hath
been from the beginning subject to such dangers, and shall
be to the end, that Cfod's glory may more evidently shine
in defending of it, in despite of all their foes.
The metaphor, or kind of speech that is used here, when
lie saith, " a salve was come on the walls of Jenisalem," is
taken from chinirgeons, who, when they heal wounds, join the
flesh together again which afore was cut in sunder : so the
new breaches of the walls, which afore lay gaping open, were
now joined together and made sound, as though it were one
whole sound wall. And as it was such a grief to thesp
wicked men, to hoar tell only that the walls went well for-
ward in repairing ; so is it at this dav the greatest grief
that God's enemies can have, when they hear tell that re-
[* Lcpc sanxit in postennn, ut scntentiic |irinciiuim super iiniinad-
versionc prolate? in diem tricesimum ab exccutorihiis diffVrrcntur ; quo
locus misericordijc vel, si res tulissrt, ixiMiiteiitiir iion piriret. Anctnrrs
Hist. Ectleb. Lib. xi. (Ruftiui ii.) cap. \U. — it wjis done ut AiubrottcH
buggcstion. Sec Thcodoret. Ecik>. Hi>t. Lib. v. cap. 10. Kn.J
410 AN EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAH. [CH. IV.
ligion goeth forward in any country : then they conspire, both
by themselves and their friends, and specially by that hastard
Tobias, their pope, so much as in them Heth, though it be with
fire and sword, or any other cruel device, to overthrow it.
8. And tliey conspired. When they perceived that mock-
ing taunts, high looks, nor proud words could not drive them
from their building, they will now make open war against
them, to dash them out of countenance, put them to their
shifts, and scatter them asunder, that being amazed at such
a company coming on them suddenly, they should not as-
semble any more to work there. Thus the wicked never cease
by all means to hinder God's building; but as Satan their
father " goeth continually about, like a roaring lion, to devour''
the Lord's flock, so do they : but our God is as diligent to
save us that they do no hurt, and watcheth us when we do
sleep, that they overcome us not. Pilate and Herod were
Lukexxiii. not friends afore; but to condemn our Lord Christ Jesus
they soon agreed, and were friends afterward. So thus many
kind of people, which agree not well many times among them-
selves, yet now to overthrow Jerusalem they all put on ar-
mour, join themselves together, become friends, and agree all
Psai. ii. in one mischief. David marvelleth to see, how all sorts of
people and princes conspire together against the Lord Christ,
and crieth out, " Why do the heathen so fret, and the people
devise vain things? the kings of the earth have risen to-
gether, and the princes have assembled together against the
Lord and his Anointed." But when David had considered all
their raging madness, he comforteth himself, and saith, " He
that dwelleth in the heavens shall mock them, and the Lord
shall laugh them to scorn, &;c." So shall God's faithful little
flock be defended and comforted in all their troubles unto
the end, and their proud enemies shall be confounded. But
this is all our froward nature bent unto, that we be so ready
to mischief and slow to do good.
9. But we frayed. As Nehemiah declareth the mani-
fold troubles that fell on them for this building, so also he
setteth forth their merciful deliverance and God's favour to-
wards them. For if Satan should continually assault us, and
the Lord leave us to ourselves, man's weakness were not able
to stand ; so strong and subtle is he, so unable and wretched
V. 7 II.] AN EXPOSITION L PON NEHEMIAH. 411
are we. They forsake themselves therefore, and by humble
prayer submit themselves to their God, who never failed them
in all assays. Prayer is a sure anchor in all storms ; and
they never perish that humbly fly unto it, and ftiithfullv
cleave unto it. Prayer is a salve for all sores, yea, it hcaloth
not only body and soul, but even hard stony walls. No kind
of earthly physic that God hath made is good for all kind
of folk at all times, and all kind of diseases : but this hea-
venly physic of prayer in wealth and woe, in plenty and
poverty, in prosperity and adversity, in sickness and in health,
in war and peace, in youth and age, in life and death, in
mirth and sadness, yea, in all things and times, in the begin-
ning, midst and ending, prayer is most necessar\' and com-
fortable. Happy is that man that diligently useth it at all
times. But he that wiW so effectually pray that he may ob-
tain the thing he desireth, must first prostrate himself in
the sight of his God, as this people did, (for so the Hebrew
word here signifieth,) forsaking himself as unable to help
himself, condemning himself as unworthy to receive such a
blessinof at the Lord's hand ; and vet nothino: doubtinnr but
that his God. that never forsaketh them that unfeignedly fly
unto him, will deal with him in mercy and not in justice,
deliver him and comfort him, not for any goodness that he
findeth in him, but of his own mere pity, love, grace, and
mercy, whereby he may shew himself a glorious God, a
present help and succour to all aftlicted and oppressed nn'nds.
He that findeth anj-thing in himself, to help and comfort
himself withal, needeth not to pray ; but he that seeth and
feeleth his present want and necessity, he will beg earnestly,
crave eagerly, ccjnfessing where his relief is to be had. No
man will pray for that thing which he hath or thinketh
himself to have ; but we ever ask, desire, beg, and jiray for
that we want.
Let us therefore in all our supi)lications and prayers unto
the Lord first confess our beggarly poverty and unablene.ss
to help ourselves, the want of his heavenly grace and fatherly
assistance; and then our gracious God will ph^iteously pour
his blessings into our emptv souls, and fill tlii'in with liis
grace. If we be full alrciidy, there is no room left to take
any more : therefore we must know ourselves to be empty
412 AN EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAII. [cil. IV.
and liiingry, or else we shall not earnestly desire this hea-
venly comfort from ahove, which is requisite in all prayer.
For he that asketh coldly getteth nothing; and the more
that we confess our o\An weakness, our want, and unable-
ness, the more we confess our God to be almighty, rich in
mercy, possessing all things in his own hands, and dealing
them abroad to his poor people where he seeth them need,
and sending the rich empty away. And as we must thus
cast down ourselves in ourselves by faith to our God, and to
pray to no other, but unto the living Lord that made hea-
ven and earth, as this people doeth, and therefore call him
" their God.'' For if we seek help at any other, we mis-
trust him, we do not faithfully believe on him, and then we
Psai.i. shall not be heard of him. "Call on me in the day of thy
trouble,'' saith thy God, " and I will deliver thee ;" and I
ask no other reward but to glorify, praise and thank me,
knowing thy safety and deliverance to come from me.
But these men did not only pray to their God, but ac-
cording to their duty they put themselves in a readiness to
defend themselves against their enemies, which is lawful for
all men to do. It is not sufficient to pray, and then to
neglect such means as God hath appointed us to use for
our defence and comfort, no more than it is to say, when
he hath prayed, I will live without meat and drink, and
God himself shall feed me. For as the Lord hath taught
us to pray, "Give us this day our daily bread," so he hath
2 Thcss. iii. commanded us to work for it, and saith, " He that doth not
lal3our, let him not eat." So here it was not sufficient to
call upon their God, though he was most mighty and loving
unto them ; but they keep watch and ward, put on armour,
talvc their weapons, not cowardly creeping into corners, but
stand forth stoutly on the top of the walls by the workmen's
el])ows in the sight of their enemies, that they might see that
they were not afraid of them, but would manfully defend
themselves and the workmen against all assaults they could
devise. They had a stronger God to defend them, than any
devil could be to hurt them, or overthrow their work.
So prayer and God's providence destroyeth not policy,
but maintaineth it ; and when they be joined together, God
blesseth them both, as his own ordinance. Thev knew well
V. 7 n.] AN EXPOSITION' ri»ON NEHF.MIAH. 41o
how true it was that David said, '• Except the Lord defend p**'- c«vii.
the city, the watchmen watch in vain that keep it.'' But
when the Lord defendeth it, and the watchmen do their
duties faithfully, trusting in the Lord, and not foolishly brag-
ging of their own strength and power, then is that city well
and stronoflv kept. The children of Reuben, Gad. and the ■l^I''"-,^-
n . I ... IS— 20.J
half tribe of Manasse, as it is written, when they fought
against the Agarens, gat the \ictory, and all because they
joined prayer with their power, not trusting in themselves,
but in the migrhtv Lord of hosts, who heard them and over-
threw their enemies. Thus must good captains learn to join
prayer with policy, if they look to obtain the victory, and not
tiiist in horse, spear, shield or other kind of weapons. God
ruleth those that fear him in battle as well as in peace, and
those that trust in their own strenofth he will overthrow.
Constant ine the great, that worthy emperor, our country-
man', taught his soldiers daily to pray thus: "We J^now- ?j"^j^-^|j'^*^-
ledge thee, 0 Lord, we know thee for a King : we call on Constant.
thee for our help ; from thee we have the victory, and by
thee we are conquerors. We give thee thanks for this pre-
sent prosperity, and by thee we hope for things to come.
We all are humble suitors unto thee, that our emperor and
liis godly children may be preserved safe, long to live, and
we humbly beseech thee tliat he may be a valiant conqueror,
&c.
And that captains may not do what they list, but must
learn to defend good causes only, Theotlosius, the good em-
peror, teacheth in his jjrayer that he maketh for himself,
saying: '' O Almighty (iod, thou knowest that 1 have taken
P One traditionary account represents C'onstantine to have l)een
born in Knjjland ; but it is very doubtful. (Jilibon adopts tliat whiih
assij^ns liis birth to Naissus in Dacia. His father Constantius died at
York. Ei).^
L Se fkouov oicafxev (3toi/, tre fSaaiXea yvuyplc^ufKv' at fioijVitv
uvaKaXovfieda' irupd trov Ta<: viKa^: tjud^eSu, Ciu (tuu npfiTTovK
Tbiif f^dpuv KaT€<rTt]fi€v' <To\ Tt]i' Tuiv viruppcivTUJi' ayaVu>¥ \»ptf'
yifwpt^'ofiii'' (Tf Ku\ Tuv Hi\\di>T(t)v fXir'i'cofUV. auv 'kuvtc: ik€T<ei
yivup(6u^ Tov t'lfUTCpov (iuaiXtu ]\wu<ni.n>-r'ivoi', iruTcuc tc uvtuv
OcixpiXuK^ tTTi pitjuifrrou tjpi7t> ftluv auou k<i1 viKr/Tr/f 0i/.\uTTf<T('ut
-roTi'iwnteu. v. I. 10. B. Kd. Paris. 1-044. Ki». 1
Ruff. Lib.
ii. cap. 33.
Deut. XV.
414 AN EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAH. [cH. IV.
these wars in hand in the name of Christ thy Son, for a
just revenge : if it be otherwise, revenge thou it on me ; but
if I come hither in a good quarrel, and trust in thee, then
reach forth thy right hand unto thy people, lest peradven-
ture the heathen people will say, Where is their God?'" By
]\Ioses' law the priests should go to the field with the army
to encourage, teach, and comfort them, even when they
should join battle. The papist will have his morrow mass
priest with him; and yet such negligence is in those that
call themselves protestants, that they think the company
worse if a learned minister be among them : and if he will
rebuke their spoil, gaming, swearing, whoring, they are weary
of him; and if he touch any of the better sort, then away
with him, or else work him some displeasure. So rashly we
cast off the Lord's yoke ; so foolishly we enter into wars, as
though the victory lay in our own hands, and God did not
bestow it on whom he thinketh best. John Baptist, when
the soldiers came to him to be baptized, as other sorts of
men did, he taught every one how to amend their lives ; and
Lukeiii. to the soldiers he saith, "Do violence to no man, accuse
none falsely, and be content with your wages."
God grant all good soldiers to follow these lessons un-
feignedly; for the Holy Ghost noteth these as common faults,
that such kind of men be infected withal. Many lusty younk-
ers think not themselves brave enough, except they can look
big, speak stoutly, and pick a quarrel against every simple
man, dealing hardly with all sorts, that they can come by,
they think all is well gotten. How common this kind of
dealing hath been, I leave it to the consideration of others.
And for that divers have fallen to a great sobriety and lived
orderly, since they learned religion, God is to be praised; and
God increase the number ! They be not made soldiers to do
wrong, but to correct them that offer wrong. They enter not
[' 'I'll in ille, lit conversas suorum acies videt^ stans in edita rupe,
unde et conspicere et conspici ab utroque posset exercitu, projectis
armis, ad solida se vertit auxilia, et prostratus in conspectu Dei, Tu,
inquit, omnipottnis Deus, nosti quia in nomine Christi Filii tui ultionis
ju.stae, ut puto, proelia ista suscepi: si secus, in me vindica. Si vero
cum causa proba])ili, et in te confisus, hue veni, porrige dexteram tuis,
no forte dicant gcntes, Ubi est Deus corum ? Auctores Eccles. Hist. xi.
(Rufiini II.) c. 83. Ed.]
V. 7 11.] AX EXPOSITION UPOX NEIIEMTAH. 415
that trade to live without law, but to brinor them in obcdi-
ence that offend the law. They may not think the prince's
coffers to be at their disposition, but must content themselves
with wages and that portion that is allotted to them. He
that dealeth otherways getteth it unjustl}- ; and though he
thinketh he dealeth so cunningly that it cannot be espied,
yet the righteous Lord will punish it in this world to his
shame, and, if he be not more merciful, most grievously in
the world to come.
Thus prayer and pohcy joined together make a perfect
work, and the one halteth if it want the other. David when
he fought with Goliah, though he refused king SauFs armour,
yet he took his shng and stones in his shepherd's bag, and
calling upon the Lord overthrew that giant mightily. So shall
it be in God's church, when the ministers and people pray
earnestly, the preachers speak boldly, licat down sin mightily,
and watch night and day, that Satan by his members creep not
in subtilly and disturb the flock of Christ. God grant us so to
watch and pray that the Lord's name may be worthily praised in
us : for so St Paul teacheth, '' J3e diligent in prayer, watching coi. iv,
in it with thanksffivino:;' And St Luke saith, ''Watch and Luke xxi.
pray at all times, that ye may scape all the eWls which are
to come." This kind of fighting against all fiery assaults of
Satan is as necessar}- in God's church, as open war is against
the enemies of the commonwealth.
10. And Judas said. This gap was not so soon stopped,
but there bursteth forth another worse than that. Open
enemies can do little harm, if the other parties within l^e
true amongst themselves ; but if the soldiers within the city
fall at a mutiny among tiiemselves, disobey their captain, dis-
courage their fellows, or work any trea.son, drawing parties
together, then the danger within is greater than any can be
without. Till' greatest part of the tribe of Judah now wax
faint-hearted, draw back, discourage their fellows, nninnur
against the capt'iins, and would gladly leave working. A
perilous ])ractice in such a dangerous time, and able to over-
throw all. One coward in an army, breaking the array, run-
ning away or discouraging tiie rest, may easily discomfit the
whole army, ihit here come now a great company, not of
the meanest sort, but of the king's triln; of Juda; and they
41 G A\ EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAH. [cH. IV.
murmur, they discourage, they dissuade, and hinder the work
as much as they may. The Israehtes in Egypt, when Pha-
raoh increased their labour, because Moses and Aaron would
have them delivered, they cry out on Moses and Aaron for
Exod. xvi. tiieir well doing. When they were come out of Egypt, and
wanted their flesh-pots, they cry out of Moses and Aaron
which brought them out, and would return again into Egypt.
The spies, that were sent afore to bring word what a people
and country they should come unto, were faint-hearted, and
discouraged the rest, saying, " The men were great giants,
their cities stronger" than they could conquer, though the
ground was fruitful and pleasant of itself. Thus Satan never
ceaseth to devise something to overthrow God's building.
The reasons that Judas allege th were great, and able to
persuade any man. First, " the workmen were weary,'' say
they; their shoulders ached with bearing so many heavy bur-
dens, their strength was gone, they were not able to bear
any more. Secondly, there "was much mortar" to carry away,
both of the old rubbish of the broken walls, and also new
mortar to be brought in for the new building. The Hebrew
word will serve for both, which I had rather follow, though
some learned apply it only to the old rubbish of the old
walls, and some to the new mortar to be carried for the
new building. This troubled Nehemiah more than any brags
f)f his enemies abroad. For of these he looked for help, and
of the others none. These should have comforted him, and
now they discomfort. Now he must first pacify and please
the men, then he must comfort them, and also stir them up
to their work, lest others should faint and fall away as well
as they.
It is an easy matter to begin a good work, but a spe-
cial gift to stand in all storms and continue to the end.
The proud papist at this day, at whose hands no goodness
is to be looked for, neither toward God nor good man,
doth not hinder the building of God's church and preferring
of his gospel so much, as these faint-hearted protestants,
white-livered hypocrites, double dissemblers, and servers of
time. When they set them down and look into the world.
What? say they, we have wrought ourselves weary these fifty
years, and profited little; our shoulders ache; the more popish
V. 7 11.] AN EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAII. 417
rubbish we earn- away, the more we see remain belli ntl. Our
open enemies are so many and so cniel, that they will not let
us work, and our friends are so weak, that they are not able to
help themselves and us : many of those that seem to be friends
are faint-hearted, wax cold, and deal cunningly against a new
day and a change do come, and then we shall be left in the
briars. So much old popish rubbish is left behind in the church,
that it will never be carried out : so much new good order and
discipline is to be brought in, that it is hard to tell, whether it
l)e a harder matter to carry out the old dregs, or to bring in
new mortar to build new walls. How many have they burned !
how greedily do they gape to be broiling again ! St Peter in
the Acts of the Apostles asketh, '' why they would go about
to lay that yoke of Moses' ceremonies on the neck of the
disciples, which neither they nor their fathers were able to
bearr' And if that might be truly said then, of those cere-
monies which came from God himself, how much more may
it be verified now on those which come from the pope, the
father of all superstition! The douljle dealing of wily world-
lings is such, that it is to be feared this popish rubbish will
never be clean rubbed off. For we ever keep some Romish
room in store to turn ourselves on, so oft as the world shall
turn.
And this old Judas may well be a figure of the latter Judas,
that betrayed our Master Christ, and all other such hypocrites,
which being faint-hearted would betray the building and
builders, that Ood's city should not be finished. There is great
striving, who shall be Peter's successor in authority ; but 1 fear
Judas hath more followers, which cowardly and greedily for a
little money hinder, betray, and undermine both the faithful
builders and buildinir. If it be heinous treason to betrav one
man, whom thou owest duty, reverence, and faithful service
unto, it nuist needs ])e much more heinous in a city, a camp, a
church, or any society, where faithfulness should be fouud, to
deceive, nm away, deal dissemblingly, or to dissuade, discou-
rage, and withdraw anv or m.inv from their dutiliil olx'dience,
labour, diligence, and faithful dealing, to the dishonour of God,
the overthrow of religion, and hurt of his people. God for his
mercy's sake root out all desi)erate Jud:ust>s from among all
faithful companies, that they may not discourage others, and
I PII.KINdTOX.]
418 AN EXPOSITION UPON NEIIEMIATT. [oH. TV.
specially from among the flock of Christ, whom he hath
so dearly bought, that the Lord's building may go forward
lustily !
What these Romish rubbish be, I had rather leave it to
other men's considerations, than by blotting of paper, and
filling men's ears with such filthiness, stand to rehearse them :
but among many I think none worse than many lewd dispen-
sations, which such idle lubbers seek for, whereby their duty is
undone. But many a good builder will not build on the sand,
but dig to the sad' earth ; and the good husband will pluck up
the weeds afore he sow good corn : so surely in God's church
ill doctrines, ceremonies, customs, and superstitions must be
rooted out, afore good laws, orders, wholesome doctrine and
government can take place.
11. And our enemies said. The malice of Satan by his
members is so great against the building of God's city, that
by all means, openly and privily, inward enemies and outward,
fair words and foul, sword, fire and faggot, war and peace,
teaching or holding their tongue, knowledge or ignorance,
undermining or conspiracies, and all other devices whatsoever,
they let none slip, but try all, that they may overthrow all, and
not so much to do themselves good, as to hinder others ; to set
up themselves in the sight of the world, and to deface the glory
of God ; but in the end all is in vain, and our God shall have
the victory. They will not yet use any open violence, but
cunningly come on them unawares, be on them afore they know
it or look for it, secretly prepare all things necessary for their
purpose, and steal on them privily, that they shall be in the
midst of them afore they wot where they be ; they will kill
them, shed their blood, mercilessly murder them, and make
that building to cease, overthrow the walls, pull down the bul-
warks, and so overwhelm them that they never dare attempt
any such building any more. O monstrous malice against thy
Lord to thine own destruction in hindering his building, and his
immortal praise in defending of it ! What foolishness is this
to strive against the Almighty ! a wretched worm on the earth
to rebel against the Lord's holy will and determinate pleasure
in heaven ! Nothing grieveth them so much as to see this
work go forward : if this work were laid asleep, their hearts
[' Sad : firm, solid. Frequent in WicklifFe. Ed.]
V. 7 11.] AN EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAH. 419
were well eased : but our God in patience letteth them utter
their malice, that in his justice he may overthrow them.
In this serpentine^ crafty^ and devilish dealing of these
wicked men appeai'eth the old serpentine, devilish nature and
malice of Satan, that old cankered enemy of God and man
from the beginning. God said to the serpent, that " the seed Gen. iii.
of the woman should tread upon liis head, and the serpent
should tread upon his heel.'' Crafty and subtle men, when they
will work a mischief, go privily about it, to deceive the good
man, as the serpent, if he will sting a man, will not look him in
the face, but steal on him privily when he seeth him not. God
endued man, when he made him, with such a majesty in his
face, afore he fell to sin, that all creatures did reverence and
fear him : and although sin hath much defaced and blotted out
that noble majesty and grace that God endued him with, yet it
is not utterly disgraced and taken away, but some spark and
rehc remaineth at this day, that no wild nor venomous beast
dare look a man in the face boldly, and hurt him ; but will give
place for the time, and seek how he may privily wound or
hurt him, when he seeth him not. It is good wisdom, therefore,
for every man that shall be in danger of any such hurtful
beasts, always to look them in the face, and beware when he
tumeth his eye from them, that they suddenly and subtilly leap
not on him and hurt him. These crafty and subtle foxes
therefore, like the seed of the serpent, would not openly invade
nor gather any great power of men against them, but at
unawares steal on them privily, afore they should suspect any
such thing. This is the nature of wicked men, so craftily to
undennine the godly.
The next property of the serpent that appeareth in these
(levilLsh men is, that they uLercilessly woidd murder t/u/n^
when they had once thas suddenly invaded them. Satan was
" a murderer from the befjinnini; '' as St Jolm saith ; and John viii.
therefore no marvel if his children be bloodsuckei*s, like unto
the father. When he would not spare the iimocent Lamb of
God, Jesus Christ, but most cruelly crucitieil him, why should
we marvel, to see him by his wicked children so grei'dily seek
to shed innocent bl(K)d still i
The last property of Satan appeareth here most plainly
in these wicked men, in that they would so oladh/ onrfhrow
^27—'^'
420 AN EXPOSITION UPON NETIEMIAH. [cH. IV.
this building of Jerusalem, that it should never be thought on
any more. Satan is " the prince of this world," and therefore
cannot abide another king to reign, nor any kingdom to be
set up but his own ; and for maintaining of that he will strive
by his members unto death.
If a man would describe a papist, I know not where he
should find a more lively example than these men be. The
papist is close and subtle in going about to work his feat on
a sudden, as these men were, afore it be spied, if God utter
it not. Their bloody hearts and hands have filled all countries
in all ages with shedding innocent blood ; but especially this
age plainly declareth to them that will not be wilfully blind,
how true it is. Those bloody marriages in France of late,
which were pretended to be made for peace, love and quietness,
shall be witnesses against them of these kind of dealings,
(though they rejoice in their mischief,) unto the world's end.
2Cor.iv. St Paul calleth the devil not only a prince, but a "god of
the world," because he disdaineth the glory of God, and
would have that honour given unto himself. And that ye may
2Thess. ii. easily see who is his truly begotten son, look who " sitteth
in the temple of God, boasting himself as God," as St Paul
saith ; who sitteth so deeply in ignorant men's consciences
that they dare not offend him, but think him to be holiest?
who taketh in hand to bestow heaven and hell and purgatory
at his own pleasure, to forgive sin, and make righteous, which
belong to God alone, but the pope and his chaplains ? There-
fore he that will not wittingly deceive himself, may easily judge
whence popery cometh, and whither it leadeth us.
No marvel therefore, if the papists at this day be so earnest
to serve their god, the pope, and hinder the building of God's
church and city, lest their kingdom, superstition, pride and
authority decay. Open your eyes and see, mark the practices
of superstitious idolaters from the beginning; and ye shall
find them in nothing more earnest, than in hindering the
true God to be worshipped as he ought. What made Pha-
Exod. raoh so desirous to stay the children of Israel in Egypt,
but that they should not go sacrifice to the Lord, as he had
Matt. appointed ? Wherefore did the scribes and Pharisees so rage
against Christ, but that they would not have their tradi-
tions to decay, and the true doctrine of Christ Jesus to be
V. 7 n.] A.\ EXPOSITION' UPON NEHEMIAH. 421
set lip? Why did the high priests and elders wliip the Acts v.
apostles, and " command them to preach no more in the name
of* Jesus," but that they would overthrow his kingdom, if that
they could I Why were so many thousand martyrs so cruelly
murdered in so many ages, but that they would know no God
and Saviour but only the Lord Christ ■ Why doth the pope
and his partakers so rage at this day, as Herod did, when he
heard that a new king was born, but that he seeth his kingdom
and superstition overthrown by the preaching of the gospel ?
And as it falleth out thus generally in the building of
God's spiritual house and city, that all sorts of enemies most
diligently apply themselves, their labour, wit, power, pohcy
and friendship to overthrow the true worship of God ; so
particularly '' Satan goeth about like a roaring lion seeking
whom he may devour,'' and therefore every man hath great
need to be war}' and circumspect, that he be not suddenly
overthrown; but let him watch and "put on all the armour
of God," which St Paul describeth, saying, '' For this cause Eph. m.
take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be
able to resist in the evil day, and having finished all things,
stand fast : stand therefore, and your loins girt about with
verity, and having on the breastplate of righteousness, and
your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace,
&c." that he may stand stoutly in the day of battle, and
through the might of his God get the victor}-. The devil
never ceaseth ; for if he cannot overthrow the whole church,
yet he would be glad to catch any one that belongeth to the
Lord, if he could.
v. 12. And it came to j^dss, when the Jeics wlilch dirdt ^c-TiicTcxt.
side them came and told us of their -practices ten times
out of all 2)laces tchence they came unto us^
13. / set in the loiv places beyond the wall, and in the
hi oh places also I set the people according to their
kindreds, tcith their swords, their spears, and their
hows.
Ik And ichen I saw them, I rose and said to the nobis,
and to the officers, and the rest of the piople. Be not
afraid of the sipht of t/wm, but remember the gnat
and fearful Lord^ and fight for your brethren, for
422 AN EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAH. [CH. IV.
your sons and your daughters^ your wives and your
houses.
15. Aiid it came to pass, when our enemies heard tell that
it was told us, God disappointed their purpose, and all
we returned unto the walls, every man to his work.
This comfort our loving God hath left to his chosen
people, that as the devil ceaseth not by his members to
trouble and vex his church and beloved children by all means
that he can devise, so the mighty Lord of his own free
goodness, by his Holy Spirit, his angels, his creatures all,
and most sensibly by the comfort that one good man giveth
another, in all our griefs faileth not to aid and comfort us,
night and day, privily and openly, that ever we may have
just cause to rejoice in him for our deliverance, and not in
ourselves.
These wicked Samaritans, Sanballat, Tobias, and their
fellows, were not so cunning privily to prepare men and ar-
mour suddenly to invade Jerusalem unlooked for, to murder
the builders and shed innocent blood, but the living Lord,
to glorify himself in opening their subtle practices, which
they thought had been kept close from all men, by other
of the Jews which dwelt among them, in Samaria, Arabia,
and other places, doth bewray their conspiracy, and maketh
it known in Jerusalem often times out of all corners of the
country. Thus it proveth true, that the gospel saith, " No-
thing is hid but it shall be openly known," be it never so
craftily devised : nothing can be so privily devised to hurt
the man of God, but the wisdom of our God doth foresee
it, his merciful goodness doth open it, and his mighty hand
doth so rule it, that it overwhelmeth us not. God increase
our faith, and help our unbelief, that in all dangers we may
humbly submit ourselves unto him, and without grudging
or doubting boldly look for his help in due time, and pa-
tiently tarry his leisure : for no doubt he will help them that
faithfully look for and earnestly beg his aid.
King Saul purposed divers times suddenly to have slain
poor David ; but God opened his mischievous mind and ma-
2 Sain.xTiiu lice by Jonathan his son and Michal his daughter, and David
was delivered. The king's chamberlains had privily conspired
XV.
V. 12 15.] AN EXPOSITION UPON NEIIEMIAII. 423
to have murdered Assuerus, their king and master ; l)ut Mar- Estii. vi.
docheus openeth his treason, and the king was saved. Ben-
hadad, the king of Syria, made war against Joram, king of
Israel, and by counsel of his servants laid ambushmonts privily
to trap Joram, the king of Israel, by the way ; but Eli-
seus the prophet, perceiving that Joram would go the way
where the ambush was laid in wait for him, gave the king
warning, and bade him go another way : when JBenhadad
heard tell that his secret purpose and counsel was known to
Joram, and he came not that way, he was angry with his
servants, and said they had betrayed and opened his counsel
to Joram. "Nay,'' saith one of his servants, "there is a-'KinLsvi
prophet in Israel, Eliseus, and he openeth whatsoever thou
speakest in thy privy chamber.'' King Herod minding subtilly Matt. ii.
to kill the young babe, Christ Jesus, craftily bade the wise
men go and learn " where the new king was bom, and he
would come and worship him," as well as they did : but the
gracious God, which never faileth at need, bade them go ano-
ther way, and not tell Herod ; for he meant to kill the young
babe Christ. The wicked Jews made a " vow, they would nci- Actsxxiii.
ther cat nor drink until they had killed Paul :" but Paul's
sister's son, when he heard their conspiracy, opened it, and
the captains set soldiers to defend him, and deUver him out
of their hands.
I cannot tell, whether these Jews which dwell abroad in
divers countries, and came and told them in Jerusalem of the
conspiracy that was intended against them by Sanballat and
his follows, be worthy more praise or dispraise. It was thcii-
duty to have come homo, stood in storms, and help to build
Jerusalem, as well as those other their fellows did: but (Jod,
which turneth our negligence and foolishness to the settinu:
forth of his inunortal goodness and wisdom, gave them a good
will and boldness to further that building as they might, and
stirred them up to come often times, and open unto them in
Jenisalem the great conspiracy that was intended against
them ; that they might bo ready to defend themselves wluii-
soever they wore a.ssaulted. It grieved thorn to understand
the mischief that was purposed, both to have their !)rethron's
])lood cniolly slunl, and also that building to })c overthrown ;
and though they durst not come and join with them lM)th in
424 AN EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAH. [cH. IV.
battle and working, yet they are to be commended that they
so pitied their brethren and the work, that they gave warning
of that great conspiracy purposed agamst them.
Thus God useth the service of all men and creatures to the
benefit and comfort of those that fear him truly. So among
wicked people many times do good men dwell, both to bring
them from their wickedness by their good example and counsel,
and also to be a relief to other good men abroad in other
places, when occasion shall serve. Thus was Lot in Sodom,
Joseph in Pharao's house, and Daniel in Babylon; and if
these Jews had not dwelt abroad among the Samaritans and
Arabians, this conspiracy had not been opened to the builders
in Jerusalem ; but they should have been suddenly slain, afore
they knew of their coming. Thus is God's providence and care
for his people, when they understand not their own danger,
to be praised ; and this natural love, that these Jews bare to
their country and brethren, in forewarning them to defend
themselves, is to be followed of all good men. Demaratus
of Lacedemon was unjustly banished his country: yet when
he heard that the Athenians^ would make war against his
countr}', he gave his countrymen warning of it, that they might
be in a readiness to defend themselves. When the Israelites
Exod.xxxii. had made the golden calf, and God in his anger would have
destroyed them, Moses falleth to prayer, though they oft
rebelled against him, and desireth the Lord to pardon them,
Rom. ix. or else to put him out of his book. St Paul wisheth "to be
accursed from Christ," so that he might win his brethren the
Jews to the Lord Christ, though they oft sought his death.
Thus good men will forget displeasures done unto them,
and be ready always to help and comfort their country, and
specially those that be of the household of faith. This may be
a comfort to all good men, that as God opened this conspiracy
to his people at this time by the Jews that dwelt far from
them, so his fatherly care never faileth them that love him, but
he will defend and deliver them : for he maketh his enemies,
if they be made privy of any such mischief, so babbling that
they will open it, either for vain glory, bribery, malice, or else
their own consciences do accuse them, that they cannot quietly
suffer such a mischief to be wrought. And although they were
\} The Persians. See Herodotus, vii. 239. Ed.]
V. 12 15.] AN* EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAH. 425
thus oft, and out of all corners, warned of this conspiracy, yet
they could scarcely be brought, many of them, to believe anv
such thing to be attempted; it was so horrible and incredible.
Good men judge others to be like themselves, simple and plain
dealers, and cannot easily be persuaded that any man should go
about such a mischief. But the gospel teacheth that we should
" be wise as serpents, and as simple as doves." The serpent
is wise to save his own head, and hide himself until the danger
be past; and the dove will not craftily devise any harm to any
other : so the man of God must be wise as the serpent, and
not be careless of his safety, (for God hath given him reason
to defend himself, and foresee mischiefs, and provide for them;)
nor he must not be crafty to hurt others, as the dove is not :
but he must rather tliink, that the wicked men, whom Satan
hath so possessed, will leave nothing undone that may over-
throw the good; and therefore they ought to be as wise, cir-
cumspect, and diligent to defend themselves and their country
from such mischiefs by all honest means, as the other shall
be busy to devise or do them any harm, or else they shall be
guilty of their own destiiiction and many others'; which can-
not be defended in conscience, nor the Lord can allow it in
justice, being hurtful to so many.
lo. / set in the loio places. Nehemiah by leaving the
court, where he lived in ease, is now come to a goodly bar-
gain. First, he was master of the work, set every man in
order, that none loitered, nor wrought otherwise than he was
appointed, and that none troubled his fellows ; daily dabbling
in the mire, mortar and clay, as long as he might, and yet
would not be weary, with great displeasure and grudginn; of
those that should be his friends and helpers ; but now is be-
come a warrior, is driven to put on armour, keep N\atch and
ward night and day, and ovei*see them himself; to set his
people in array, and appoint them their standing places,
giving them their weapons, and teaching them what they
should do. Such reward shall they have that forsake the
world, and will build (rod's house and city: Ctod and tlic
world cannot l)e friends; and that maketh so few ciuirticrs
to tread this U'ode. Moses, being brought up in Phanio a
house, and intmit have been called as sou to IMiarao^M
daugliter, refused the court, and " chose to bo in troul)le iici-. xi.
426 AX EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAH. [cH. IV.
with his brethren the Jews," and serve the Lord, rather than
to have all the dainties in the court, living in idolatry and dis-
pleasure of God. I know not many courtiers, which might
have lived in the court with such favour and authority, and
^ would not, to set by these two men. God increase the num-
^^>lf^n^ ber, and make many earnest followers of them !
Nehemiah now, like a good captain, "setteth some of his
soldiers in trenches," that they could not be seen below, where
the walls were lowest, that if any entered there, they should
be entrapped by and bye: some he "setteth on the top of
the walls with their bows," that they might both be seen far
off, and so make the enemy afraid to come near, when they
should see them in such readiness; and also that they might
shoot far off at them, and hurt them afore they could as-
sault the walls. And like a wise captain, he setteth " all of
one kindred" together, that one should be true to another,
as kinsfolks will rather than strangers.
It hath been a common practice with us of late to take
the soldiers of one country from their captain, whom they
know and love, and put them to a stranger whom they know
not : what goodness hath come of it, let wise men judge ; in
my opinion little or none, except it were the private profit
of the captain. But sure it is not without great cause, that
the Holy Ghost declareth here the order that Nehemiah
set them in "by their kindreds" together, teaching us that
nature will move one kinsman to be truer in all dangers to
another of his kindred, rather than to a stranger ; and that
one kiasman will open his grief to his friend, and take com-
fort at his hand, rather than to him whom he knoweth not.
He cannot be bold with a strange captain nor a strange
soldier, and that discourageth him, and casteth down his
spirits ; but when neighbours, friends, and cousins are to-
gether under a captain whom they love and know, it em-
boldcneth them, they cleave together like burrs; if one be
in danger, the rest will not forsake him : where as strangers
every man seeketh to save himself, and careth not for his
fellow, but letteth him shift for himself as he may. This
godly example of Nehemiah in placing friends together is to
be followed, rather than the private profit of one captain.
How strangely strange captains have used their strange sol-
V. 12 I.J.] A\ EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAil. 427
diers, it is strange to remember ; and pity it is to see the
soldier, how umvilling he is to seiTe among strangers, and
many times doth serve but slowly. I have seen, when a
mean gentleman hath gone to the wars, his tenants would
strive who should go with him first ; and if he refused any
to go, he thought his master loved him not : but now, by
this dividing of neighbour from neighbour, friends and friends
from other, neither the gentleman that cannot have his trusty
men about him, nor the soldier having not such a captain
and fellows as he loveth, trusteth, and knoweth, both the
master and the man seeketh by all means to tarry at home,
and so the worst men are thrust out to serve, which is to
be lamented. God amend it !
It is possible, some will think mo too saucy, to enter into
matters wherein I am not skilled: but that forceth not, the A^ i^ii. ^. /
truth must be spoken, though some do grudge ; and this ex- .^ /i^/#
ample of Nehemiah shall defend me, whatsoever is said to , '
the contrar)'. The scripture teacheth generally every man his ^ ^♦^'^
duty, what kind of life soever he live ; and God will require f, /^v A
that every man shoidd frame himself to that nde : therefore p
the preacher may enter into consideration of ever}- man's duty,
so far as the scripture leadeth him. even to the controlling of JIaAaS^/
the mint, as master Latimer of worthy memory, being found
fault withal for meddling in such matters, alleged the pro-
phet, sajing, " Thy silver is turned into dross." When John isai. i.
Baptist began to baptize, and all sorts of people resorted unto Luke iii.
him, amongst whom came the soldiers too, he taught both the
soldiers and all the rest how to behave themselves in their
kind of life, if they would receive the gospel.
Here may be noted also, what simple kind of weapons
were then used in the wars, and how many cniel and subtle
devices we have of late devised one to kill another. \\y.^ny
is none other mentioned but the sword, if they joiiuMl hand-
strokes; the spear to i)ush tlu>m away, if they scaled the
walls, and the bow to shoot afar off, to keep them from coming
near the walls. AVhat glory this realm hath gotten with
these weapons, and specially by the bow, all chronicles declan\
and all nations for that feared us : but how in shootinir tlu?
old glory of this land is decayed, and gaming and ale-houses
haunted, t(j the hurt of the youth, wjtsting of their money,
1 t'a
428 AN EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAH. fcH. IV.
wealicning of their strength, and decay of this worthy exercise,
good men lament, and few go about to amend. Shooting is a
special thing, not given to all men and nations, but chiefly
to the Jews first, while their kingdom stood ; then to the
Persians, who yet can do something with it ; and then to
the Englishmen, who have wrought great feats by it. Few
histories make any mention of other countries, that could or
did use it much in the wars; and if there were some few among
them that could do something in it, it was to small purpose or
none in the battle. Look at our neighbours round about us,
even to the Scottish man, which goeth nearest unto us, and
coming both of one ancestor; and it will easily appear how
true it is. If any shoot ill favouredly, we say "he shooteth like
a Scot ;" and yet some few of them shoot well too.
The scripture, which is ancienter than any kind of learning
Gen. xxi. by many years, maketh mention, that Ismael, Abraham's son,
"was a cunning archer:" king Asa had out of one httle tribe
2Ciiron.xiv. of Benjamin two hundred and fourscore thousand archers.
m. xxxi. King Saul was chased with bowmen, and slain with the Phi-
listians. The sons of Reuben, Gad and Manasses were good
warriors and bowmen forty and four thousand seven hundred
and threescore. Judas Maccabeus set his bowmen in the fore-
front of the battle. Pliny, lib. vii. cap. 5, writeth that Perses,
the son of Perseus, of whom the Persians had their surname,
should be the first deviser of shafts ; but how untruly it is re-
ported, these scriptures afore rehearsed, which were long afore
this time, will testify. By the which the ancienty of the scrip-
ture appeareth afore all other learning. And yet the papist will
stand on his ancienty, and say they have all old learning on
their side, where their fathers the popes were but yesterday
in comparison of the scriptures, which were elder than any
of these by three thousand years : but such lewd doctrine is
meet to come from them that will not obey the truth.
The Persians loved shooting so well, that they set an archer
on their coin of gold which was of great value, as we do the
angel : and, as we used to say, when a man hath great suits,
and cannot be so well heard as he would wish, that he must
make angels to speak for him, and they cannot be said nay,
which thing by report is too common and true at this day ;
so the king of Persia, being offended at Agesilaus, gave the
V. 12 \5.~\ A\ EXPOSITION UPON NEIIEMIAH. 429
Athenians thirty thousand pieces of this great coin of gold
of theirs ; which thing when Agesilaus understood, he said
merrily, but yet truly, that "he was driven awav with tliirtv
thousand bowmen,'' (meaning their coin of gold, which had
an archer coined on it,) " and how should he a poor man be
able to withstand so many archers?"''* No more, truly, than
our men can say angels nay. For the feats of war done by
our elders in this land with bowmen, I refer it to be con-
sidered by our own chronicles. I]ut I will not enter into a
full discourse of this matter, it belonijeth not so much to
our purpose ; this short touching of it shall suffice now.
Whoso listeth to see more of the commendation of it in
time of peace, may read that learned book which Master
Ascham wrote of it.^
As these Samaritans ceased not continually to hinder the
building of this earthly Jerusalem, so Satan by his members,
papists, and Arians, &c. ceaseth not in every age to hinder
the comfortable building of Christ's kingdom and spiritual
Jerusalem by all means that he can devise, and never more
fiercely than now in our days. But as God stirred up Ne-
hemiah then to defend and encourage the people to go for-
ward with their building, notwitlistanding their cruel assaults;
so the Lord stirreth up some few to stand in defence of
this truth, and Clod's enemies win not at their hands so
much as they look for.
And as Nehemiah here "setteth the people in order by
their kindreds, with their swords, spears, and bows, to defend
the workmen," so should good magistrates place everv where
stout soldiers of one doctrine and religion, endued with the
special gifts of the Holy (ihost, as knowledge of tongues, dis-
cerning of spirits and doctrines, able to confute the false and
defend the truth with gifts of utterance, eloquence, and per-
suading, and with government to bridle the unruly and troublo-
Rome folk, that the flock of Christ Jesus, which he boiiirht
so dearly, be not drawn awav headlong by devilish doctrine
from tlieir Lord and Shepherd of their souls, the Lord Clirist.
(Jod for his mercy sake stir up the hearts of magistrates,
and specially courtiers, to set this example iK'fore theuLselves,
and diligently to follow it; that we be not found more nog-
P Toxophilus, the Schoole of Sliootingi\ Loiul. 1.1-1 J. Ki).]
430 AN EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAH, [cH. IV.
ligent in this our free liberty under the light of the gospel,
in serving our God faithfully, than these poor Jews were
under the ceremonies of Moses after their captivity. A la-
mentable case, to see how bold and earnest these Jews were
against so many fierce enemies, and how cold, negligent, and
careless we that bear the names of Christians be. Lord, in-
crease our faith, help our unbelief, and make us with courage to
work at thy building. We are lulled on sleep ; we wallow in
wealth and forget thee ; we seek our own advancement in the
world, and care little or nothing for the advancement of thy
kingdom, thy glory, thy people, and the wholesome doctrine
of salvation declared unto us in thy holy word.
14. And when I saio tliem^ I rose and said to the nobles.
After that Nehemiah had thus, like a good captain, set the
people in array by their kindreds, appointed them their stand-
ing places and weapons, and conveyed himself into some cor-
ner to breathe and refresh himself, he looked about him,
and, behold, Sanballat, Tobias, and their fellows were at hand,
appeared in sight, and marched forward in battle array to-
ward the walls stoutly, to dash them out of countenance, if
it had been possible. But then Nehemiah, though he was
weary and sat down to rest himself, bestirred him, rose up
quickly, forgat that he was weary, plucked up his spirits,
and called the nobles, officers, and the people together : and
because the time would not suffer him to use many words,
the enemies drawing so near, he maketh a short but a pithy
oration to them, and in effect so much as could have been
spoken in a long time and at leisure ; and all to this end,
to embolden them to cast away the fear of man, and fear
the mighty Lord of hosts, in whose hand it was to dispose
as he thought good : and not only that, but the honesty of
the 'cause was such, that they could not without great shame
and reproach leave it undefended, so far as their power would
stretch. They fought against infidels for the maintenance of
God his true religion ; they fought for their brethren, for their
sons, their daughters, their wives, houses, life, lands and goods.
They had of late been in captivity, they felt the smart, what
it was to live under strange princes ; God had mercifully
restored them to their country again, and prospered well the
beginning of their buildings ; and should they now cowardly
V. 12 1.7.J AN EXPOSITION UPON NEIIEMIAH. 431
fly away, lose all that they had gotten, fall into their own
slavery, live among idolaters, their wives and children to be
prisoners afore their face i He that had any blood in liim,
and either feared God or loved his country and people, would
first step out in so good a cause, manfully defend it, spend
his blood in it, would strive who should be the first and
foremost to give the onset, not doubting but that mighty God,
who liad so prospered their doings hitherto, would with good
success finish it to their great comfoi*t and perpetual com-
mendation. Joab useth the same reason to Abisai and liis
soldiers, to '-fight for their people and country." God nevcr2Sam. x.
faileth them tliat fail not themselves : do thou thy duty, and
no doubt God will fill out the rest.
What a courage had Nehemiah, that, being come thither
but of late, durst speak so Ijoldly to the noblemen and rulers
with the people, which should have taken the matter in hand
themselves, and encouraged others, rather than he ! J3ut in
God's cause, when those that should be furtherers of it wax
cold, and either will not or dare not, then those whom God
doth thus earnestly move, may and ought, so nmcli as in
them is, encourage all sorts of men manfully to go forwai-d
in serving the Lord. And whereas fear is a great hinderer
of all well doing, he Ijeginneth to pluck away that block
first, which being removed, boldness must needs follow and
take place. Fear not, saith he, their brags, their stern coun-
tenance and proud looks, their glistering armour, their great
bands of soldiers, their mighty captains, their long spears and
sharp swords; they are cowards, their heart faileth them, they
are like nmles with golden trappers and costly foot-cloth,
which outwardly shew bravely unto the eye, but underneath
are slow asses and dull beasts. So these big boasting Tiira-
sones and vaunting mtlites gloriosi make a shew of great
matters, as though they would and could pull down ail, de-
stroy all afore them at their pleasure, where indeed they Ix?
fainthearted lubbers, and dare do nothing, as it appcareth
hereafter. Our (lod is an almighty Lord, at whosi' loi)k
the earth (juaketli and the devils tremble ; and these wretches
be vile wonns' meat, mortal men, God's enemies, and chil-
dren of darkness. Our God alone is strong enough for all
the devils in hell, and out of lu-ll, with all their members
432 AN EXPOSITION UPON NEIIEMIAH. [cH. IV.
and partalcers. Why should ye be afraid to fight in his
[Ps ii. cxv.] quarrel ? " He hath done what he will in heaven, earth, and
hell,"" as the psalm saith. All things bend when he doth
beck, and all be at his call and commandment. Shrink not
from this captain, and he will defend you : manfully fight
under his banner, and the victory shall be yours. The worst
that the wretches can do you is to hurt the body ; but our
God teacheth us to "fear him that casteth both body and
soul into hell fire." Remember the old grand captain of our
fathers, Moses, when Pharao with a mighty power chased
them to the Red Sea, where the people were afraid, and
saw no remedy but either leap into the sea and be drowned,
or else tarrv Pharao and be killed ; call to remembrance, I
say, what Moses, in the like distress and jeopardy then that
i: xod. xiv. ye be now in, said unto them in few words : " Stand still,''
saith Moses, behold, and mark the end ; when ye are not
able, "the Lord himself will fight for you: these cruel ene-
mies whom ye see this day, ye shall never see any more.''
And so it came to pass: for by God's mighty hand the
Israelites passed through the sea safe, and Pharao with his
people were drowned.
Kev. xxi. The scripture teacheth that " the fearful, unfaithful, mur-
derers, adulterers, enchanters, idolaters, and liars shall have
their parts in the burning lake of fire and brimstone." If
ve will not stick unto this God, and fear him as children
ought to love and reverence their father, yet fear him as
servants do their masters, and as ill men do, which are afraid
of punishment, and forbear ill doing for fear rather than for
love. The grievous punishment which is threatened to fear-
ful men, is the second and everlasting death both of body
and soul : which whosoever hath any true fear of God in
him, will tremble and quake when he thinketh on it. Be
not therefore afraid of them, but pluck up your stomachs,
and boldly stand in the defence of that city, which the Lord
(xod hath given you to serve him in. To "fight for sons,
daughters, wives and houses," I thinic it were an easy matter
to persuade any man ; for they be our flesh and bones, and
we be ready enough to such matters ; and surely not with-
out a cause, for both the law of God and the law of nature
bindeth us to defend them in their well doings. Moses in
^'' 1* — !•>•] AX rxposrnox rpox xehemfati. 40:">
Ill's law saith, tliat "if thou travellinor by tlie wav do fiiKirExoj.xxi:i.
thine enemy's ass fiiUen in the mire under his load, tliou
shalt not pass by, but help him up/' Surely the meaning of
this law was not for the ass; but as St Paul, alleging the
like law, " Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox tliat i Cor. ix.
treadeth out the com.'' said, " Had God care for the ox i
Nay, verily; but for you it is written," that ye should feed
your painful teachers, which labour for you as the ox; so I
say, tliis law was not made for the ass his sake, but even
for thy enemy, who is overloaden as the ass was, and spe-
cially those to whom thou art bound bv nature ; for else
thou art worse than an infidel.
But in this matter men are soon resolved what to do :
there is a harder matter in men's minds, that is, ichetlier we
^liould fnht for rf^Iff/ion as t/tci^e men did, or no. We see
great troubles in many countries against their princes in our
days for religion, and many doubt what they may do herein.
Let the case stand as these men's did, and it is soon answered.
These Samaritans, Sanballat and his fellows, were no princes,
])ut subject to Artaxei^xes, as the Jews were, nor had any
authority over them ; they were God's enemies, and did the
Jews wrong, that would not suffer them to go forward with
that buildinnr, which the kintc had jjiven them licence and
commission to do. Therefore they might justly defend them-
selves against such thieves.
Further, here is to be noted also, that they defend them-
selves only, and do not invade the other, offering any violence
to them, but would (juietly enjoy their own, if they might.
And this is a great difference in the wars, whether a man
stand to defence of himself and his people in any cause, or do
invade others and offer them wronff. Defending a man's self
is allowed by all laws in many causes, and yet in religion
by flying, and not by drawing the sword against his prince ;
but to rebel and draw the sword against thv lawful prince
for rehgion, I liave not yet learned, nor cannot allow ot it ;
nor I cannot see, how 80 many martyrs in all ages would have
submitted themselves to death willingly, if tlu'y might have
fought for it. '-Peter drew his sword tt) cut off Malchus' ear,"
and wouM have fought for his master; but Christ Jesus l)ade
him ^-put up his sword;" for if the matter stood by fighting,
28
[PIMvINGTON.]
4t^4 AN EXPOSITION UPON NEIIEMIAII. [ciT. IV.
he " could ask his heavenly Father, and he would give many
jer. xxix. thousands of angels to fight for him." The prophet biddeth
the Israelites in their captivity in Babylon " pray for the life
of Nebuchadnezzar and Balthasar his son, and seek for the
peace of the city in which they were prisoners," and not trou-
1 Tim. ii. blc them. St Paul biddeth " pray for all them that were in
authority," and then was Nero emperor, a beast in condition
1 Sam. xxiv. rather than a man ; yet he must be prayed for. David would
never hurt king Saul, though he might, and had him in his
danger sundry times, and might have killed him, if he would.
Therefore, as Christ overcame his enemies by suffering, so they
that be Christ's shall get the victory by patientness and bearing
the cross, not by rebelling and drawing the sword.
As Nehemiah therefore here encourageth " the nobles,
rulers, and people, manfully to stand in defence of their
country, city, wives, children, brethren and houses against
their enemies ;" so in the spiritual kingdom of Christ must the
preachers and pastors encourage all sorts from the highest to
the lowest, manfully to stand to that wholesome doctrine of
salvation, which they have been taught out of God's holy book,
and not be afraid nor change with every blast of wind, and
turn with the world, as all sorts in this land have done, to
the offence of God's majesty, and their great reproach, and
specially of those that were the heads and should have been
stays to others. Eeligion is not a thing at the pleasure of
princes, to change as they list, (though the outward circum-
stances in it may be changed by them;) but it is the
unchangeable will and determinate pleasure of the almighty
Lord of heaven and earth, decreed by high court of parlia-
ment in heaven, afore the world was made, and declared
unto man by his prophets and apostles, in such times as his
infinite wisdom thought meet, and cannot be altered by any
man nor authority in any age. "I am God, and am not
changed," saith the Lord ; " my thoughts and my ways are
not like your thoughts and ways," which are ever changeable
and uncei-tain, but I am ever one and change not. Stick
therefore fast unto that Lord, which shrinketh not away
from his people, but manfully delivereth them, and by suffering
we shall have the \'ictory, as our captain Christ Jesus had ;
for " if we suffer with him," St Paul saith, " we shall rei^n
V. 11 15.] AN EXPOSITION UPON NF.IIFMIATI. 435
with him." In bearing his cross and sufferance tlicn standeth
our conquest, not in rebeUing ; in dying to him, and not
Hving to ourseh'es.
Mark now the mighty hand of God fighting for his people,
and the cowardly hearts of these boasting braggers, how soon
they come to nought : they l)ut heard tell that the Jews
understood their conspiracy, how they thought to have come
suddenly and murdered them, and that they were ready in
armour to withstand and defend themselves against them ;
their hearts fail them, they run away, lay doNMi their weapons,
and the Lord defeated their whole purpose and devices. Thus
light heads they had, that when they heard tell that the Jews
went forNNard with this building, they prepare themselves to
fight with them ; and when they heard tell that they were
ready to defend themselves, they run away. Such rash heads
have wicked men always, unconstant, and changing with every
wind : but Nehemiah is ever one man, constant and bold in
well-doing, and goeth forward in building God's city, not-
withstanding all their brags.
Here appeareth how true it is that David said. » The ^^^^ "'^'''•
Lord bringeth to nought the counsel of the heathen, and dis-
appointeth the devices of the people ; but the counsel of the
Lord endureth for ever, and the thoughts of his heart through-
out all ages.'' The scribes and Pharisees, and the high priest,
gathered a council against the Lord Christ, thinking to liave
overthrown him and his doctrine, that it should never have
been heard of more: but David said truly of them, "Why
did the heathen fret, and the people imagine a vain thing?
the kings of the earth stood up together, and the })rinces as-
sembled against the Lord and against his Anointed :" but all in
vain, for the Lord raised up his Son Christ from death, and de-
stroyed them. Judas with a band of soldiers thought he should
have been able cunningly to have wrought his pletisure against
his master, Christ Jesus. Ihit as soon as Christ a.sked them
that came to take him, " whom thev souMit, thev all foil flat to Juh. xviii.
the ground," and were not able to stand at the hearing of his
word. Achithophel thought by his wicked counsel to have over-
thrown his lord and king David ; but (iod ovortlirew his device,
and he -'went and linnged himself:" and so did Judas too. when
he saw the matter fall out otherwise than he looked f«)r.
2S--2
43 () AN EXPOSITION UPON NRHRMTAII. [cTI. IV.
These and such other terrible examples may teach men
to be wise, and that they take nothing in hand against the
Lord, though it be never so wisely devised ; for it shall prove
true that the prophet saith, " There is no wisdom, no fore-
sight, no counsel against the Lord." All shall be overthrown,
and the more cunning it is, the sooner it shall be cast down :
none can stand against him ; he only is wise ; and all other,
that have it not from him, be fools. Good men may also
learn here not negligently to look to themselves, nor to go
nakedly without weapon, to yield themselves into their enemies'
liands : for so they may be guilty of their own death. " A
weapon bodes peace," as the common saying is : for God hath
made the weapon to defend the body, as he made the meat
to feed the body ; and these braggers, like thieves, will set
on no man that they see weaponed, and will stand against
them, but on those that be naked or faint-hearted they
will be cruel. God requireth not such peakishness in a man,
that he suffer himself to be wounded, that hj the law of nature
alloweth every man to defend himself with weapons against
such thieves, if peace cannot other ways be had.
Now that their enemies were vanquished and fled away,
they brag not of their strength and courage ; they go not to
the tavern to toss pots, and boast of their great victory ; but
in the fear of God return to the walls, and every man falleth
to his work again. Thus we learn here, both in the spiritual
battle against Satan and his members, to " put on the spiritual
Eph. vi. armour," that St Paul armeth the christian soldier withal, and
they will fly away as these braggers did, if we stand boldly
jjrepared to fight against them, as Nehemlah and his fellows
did. It is true that the common verse teacheth,
Hostis non laedit, nisi cum tentatus obedit:
Est leo, si cedis; si stas, quasi musca recedit.^
James iv. St Jamcs agreeth to the same, saying, '' "^Vithstand the devil,
and he will flee from you." And St Peter teacheth how to
withstand him, saying, "Stand against him, being strong in
faith, &c." And also we learn not to be idle, unprofitable, or
unthankful after the victory and our deliverance; but to re-
turn to our work again, and sleep not, nor be negligent: for our
Q^ The enomy luirtotli not, oxcept wiicn the assailed jierson yields to
him : he is a lion, if you submit; if you stand, he retires like a fly. Ed.}
V. 11 1.5.] AN- EXPOSITIO.V UPON NKIlK.MrAH. 4o7
mortal enemy never slcej)ctli ; and if he prevail not one wav,
lie attempteth another; he is not ashamed to take a foil, l)iit
he will assault us again some other way ; he is not wearv,
for he hopoth to speed at length, and take thee nappinir.
^Vll histories declare that the greatest kingdoms, which
came to great power and authority by taking pains, by j)ain-
ful battles, by suffering hunger and cold, even the same,
when they fell to idleness, wallowing in wealth and riotous
feasting and daintiness, they lost their former glory faster
than they won it. Such be those '• time-sen-ers'"* which the
gospel speaketh of, that " for a time make a shew in ser\ing
the Lord, but in the time of trial they fall away :'' their hollow
hearts declare plainly, that they never feared the Lord up-
rightly. Thus must the men of God neither be rash in
attempting things unadvisedly, nor negligent in providing
things necessary for their defence, or desperately fear the
brags and power of the enemy ; but in the fear of God stand
to their lawful defence, conunitting the success to the Al-
mighty, whose wisdom ruleth all things at his pleasure, who
dcfendeth his people, and no power can withstand him.
V. If). Aud it /ell forth from that day forward^ that the A«//"n'c Tcm.
l)art of the younn nifn did worJc^ and the other part of
them held their spears^ shields^ boics^ and hreast-platea :
and the riders tcere behind the whole house of Juda,
17. They that hvilded the icall^ ami those that bare burdens^
and those that laid on the burdens^ icith the one hand
tnrovght their worl\ and with the other held their darts.
18. And every one of the builders cfirded their sf cords
upon their loins^ and so they built; but he that blew
the trumpet icas by me.
1,0. And I said to t/te nobles and to the rulers^ and to the
rest of the peopk. This work is great and larqe^ and we
are scattered oil the walls far every one from other.
20. In icliat place soever ye shall hear tJic sound (f the
trumpet^ thither come toqether to us: our (iod wdl fnht
for us.
21. And we trill labour at the work. And the Mf of
them held their spears from the day-spring nnlil the
stars did rise.
438 AN EXPOSITION UPON NEIIEMIAII. [cH. IV.
22. And at that time also I said unto the j)eople^ Let
eoery one loith his servant lodge in the midst of Jem- .
salem^ that in the night we may have loatch^ and in
the day labour.
23. As for me^ my brethren^ my servants^ and the ivatch-
meii that followed me^ we put not of our clothes, any
of us, but only to wash them in water.
Although Sanballat and his fellows were fled and retired
back, yet Nehemiah, like a wise captain, fearing some new
practice, and lest they might hide themselves for a time, and
come again on the sudden and overthrow them, divideth all
the young men into two parts, and the one half foUoweth
their work, and the other standeth ready in armour to defend
them, if any sudden assault should be made against them. So
must good captains not be negligent nor careless, when the
enemy is fled; for many times they will retire for a time, for
policy's sake, to see whether the other part will be careless
and negligent, and yet come again on a sudden ; or else to
draw them into the field from the defence of their town, and
there join battle with them, and having some ambush of
soldiers lying privily, who should invade the town, being left
without sufficient defence, might sack and burn it at their
pleasure, as we read the Israelites did against Gibea of Ben-
judj?. xx. jamin, in revenging that horrible abusing of the Levite's
concubine. Such other policies ye shall read divers both in
the scriptures and other histories. A good captain therefore,
as he must not be a coward and fearful, so he must not be
too careless and negligent, but still provide for the safety of
his people ; though he had good success of late, and seemed
to have vanquished his enemies.
So must the preacher not be careless, when he seeth that
God hath blessed his labour, moved the people's hearts to
the receiving of liis doctrine, and that a reforming of life
and love to the truth doth appear ; but he must water his
gardens, pluck up the weeds, and labour continually : for
Satan never ceaseth ; and though he be once cast out, yet
i.ukexi. he "wiU return to his old house, and if he find it swept and
made clean, he will come with seven other devils worse than
himself, and then the end shall be worse than the beginning,"
V. 10" 2.'j.] A\ i:Xl'OSITIO\ L'l'OX NEHE.MIAII. iSi)
as the gospel teacheth. Christ our Saviour saith also, that when
" tares and darnel appeared among the good com, that it wjis
done by the enemy, when men were on sleep.'"* AVatch there-
fore and pray continually, that we be not taken na[)ping.
These young men stood not naked, but had armour oi'
all sorts, both to defend themselves and to luirt the enemy ;
to shoot and smite far off, and keep them that they drew not
near : so must every Christian in his spiritual battle agaiast
Satan and his members "put on the whole spiritual armour
of God," which St Paul teacheth him, that he may " quench
the fier}^ darts of Satan,'' and not stand naked of God's grace,
trusting in his own strength. It is marvel to see how Ne-
hemiah, being so long a courtier, is now become so cunning
a soldier on the sudden, being not used to it afore : he set-
teth " the young men before" to bear the brunt of the battle,
as most strong and able to bear it ; and " the iiders come
])ehind," as being wise men to direct and teach the younger
sort what they should do, and how to behave themselves:
young heads of themselves are uaskilful, and therefore it is
necessary they should be directed by others ; so that, when
youthful courage is governed by the sage counsel of the wise
and ancient ruler, the battle will fall out well. Tully said
well, Parci sunt arma foris nisi sit consilinm domi : and an
it were determining whether strength or wisdom in tlic wars
be more profitable, he saith, Cedant arma tona:'^ concedat
laurea linrfuw.^ Courage and strength witliout wisdom is
foolish rashness, and wisdom without courage and strength
is fearful cowardliness : join them together, and they make
a perfect soldier.
And here the wise ruler cometli behind in a place of
more safety, and as it were a thing more necessary in the
wars to save a wise captain and counsellor, than to sjivo the
strong and lusty soldier. The stronger that a man is, wanting
wisdom, the sooner he overthroweth himself: as a tree that
the wind hath shaken loose at the root, the higher and greater
that it is, the sooner it is overthrown. Tn persecutions, there-
fore, every man nmst stand armed with these spiritual wea-
[' Do Oilic. I. 22. Anns nhrond aro of little iim' without n)uns<-l at
lioinc. — Let anns qivc place to the c:'»\vn, ami the laun 1 ^>^ \sai ) to
clo(iuencc. Ed. J
440 AN EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAH. [cil. IV.
pons, and the preachers would be preserved so much as may .
be, lest the people, being destitute of faithful guides and
counsellors, cowardly fall away, or else overthrow themselves
by rash dealing. When the emperor Julian took displeasure
with Athanasius, and needs would have him banished, the
Nicepb. x. people wept, and he comforted them, saying, " Be of good
cheer; this is but a little cloud, it will pass away^"'
17. Theij that built. Not only the young men were thus
weaponed, set in order, and exercised to pains-taking, and
taught to defend their fellows; but "the workmen"' themselves,
both that were master-masons, and cunning in their occupa-
tion, and also the common labourer, both they that laid on
the burdens, and they that bare burdens of stones and mor-
tar, had every one "his sword or his darf' by him while they
wrought, that they might be ready to keep off the enemy,
defend themselves, when need shall require. This kind of
y^ /• A^/ ^veapon was to pick, as a dart, and is light and easy to carry,
' and would not hinder their working much ; and so " with the
one hand they ^^T0ught, and with the other hand they held
their weapon .""' O worthy workmen ! 0 noble captain Nehe-
miah ! what a godly sight was this, to see every one so full
of courage that they feared not the enemy, and so willing to
work that they would not be weary, but with the one hand
work, and with the other hand hold their weapon !
Let christian men look into this notable example, and
be ashamed of themselves, that are afraid of every blast of
wind. And where these people, being under the dark sha-
dows and heavy burden of Moses' law, would take these
pains for building an earthly city to serve their God in, yet
we that live under that blessed light of the gospel, so plen-
tcously poured on us, lie loitering, and will not open our eyes
to see the light, nor put forth our hand to receive that which
is so freely offered to us, that it would fall into our mouths
if we would gape. Let the fine courtier, that had rather be
a dainty carpet gentleman, than a labourer at God's building,
look at Nehemiah, and learn to be like him.
P 'Ei/0ci/ roi KUi (pcvyeiv kutci to tou ftatnXeta'i Qeairiafxa
pi«^o/;tei/oc, ToT? TTCfn avTOv da-y^a.X\ov<Ti kcjli cv ceivoa Troiovfxevoi^
Ttju (pvyacuav UTCuiaaf; clire, OappeTTc, <v tqkvci' vccpvdpiov yap
co-Ti, Kui Ta^e'o)? cjaAi'^^/Veraj, Ej).~]
V. 16 2.S'.] AN EXPOSITION UPON XEIIEMIAII. 441
18. Atid ecery om. The chief "workmen had tlioir swords
girded unto them'' also : by the which we learn, that in the
building of this spiritual Jerusalem, not only the people, pnnces
and rulers must be armed, but the preacher, the minister,
nmst stand in armour against God's enemies, and work and
not forsake his flock, but comfortably assist them, and take
such part as thev do. Paulinus, bishop of Nola, when his Orp-nr.
flock were taken prisoners, and led forth of the countr}-, he
followed them, A\Tought for his living, preached unto them,
and comforted them ; and when for one widow's son, being
a prisoner, he offered himself to lie in prison for him, so
that he nn'ght be restored to his mother, it so moved the
tyrant's heart, that he let them all go free." Moses com- [Deut. xx.]
manded that the priest should go to the field with the
people, to comfort and teach them, because soldiers com-
monly fall to licentious living, if they may have their will,
and be not called back : yet the pope will have his chap-
lains free from going, except they take some hedge priest
to say them a mass ; but they w ill not have a preacher in
any ca.se, no, not oft among the professors of religion, be-
cause they will not be told of their duty, but more licenti-
ously live at their pleasure, follow the spoil, and get the gains ;
and this is a great occasion of much wickedness committed
among soldiers, and oft causeth God to plague the whole host,
and the enemy to prevail. How many lessons the best cap-
[' Tlic follov.in!:^ extracts state the chief particulars: Vir Dei pctenti
leiiiimc respondit diceiis, " .Mulier, quod possini dare noii liabeo: se<I
incmct ipsum tollc scrvum ; me juris tui profitere ; atque ut iiliuni
tuum recipias, me vice illius in servitium trade. • • • • gyg.
cepit ita([uc serN'iim (vir l)ar])arus), ot roganti vidu;c tradidit filium,
(^uo aecej)to vidua ah .Africa rcgioiie discct?sit; Paulinus vero excolcndi
horti suseepit curam. • • • Cum instantcr ille rc(iuircret ut non <|uis
cssct, sed (juis in tena sua fuisset indicaret, atque hoc ah co iterationo
frc<iucntis inquisitionis exip^eret ; vir Domini, constrictus niaLTiu's con-
jurati<»uil)us, jam non valens ne^are quod cs.sct, cpiscnpum m' fui?«.so
tcstatus est. Quod possessor ejus audiens valde pertimuit, at<|U(' hu-
militer obtulit, dicens, "Pete quod vis: quatenus ad tcrrani tuam a
me cum ma{,nio munere revertaris." Cui vir Domini Paulinus ait,
" Unum est quod mihi imi)cndcre iR'neficium potcs ; ut omnes civitiitLs
mcffi captivos relaxes." Qui cuncti protinus in Africana npione rv-
quisiti cum onustis frunuiito iiavihus jmo vcncrandi Paulini viri S4iti:,-
factione in ejus comitatu laxati sunt. <Jrci;orii I'apjr ()[>cni. Dialog.
Lib. III. cap. i. Tom. i. p. I'JOO. JJasii. loOJ. Kn.]
142 AN EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAH. [cil.
IV.
tains may learn of this worthy man Nehemiah, God grant
they may well consider !
He keepeth "the trumpet by himself at his elbow, to
blow when and after what sort he would command : and good
reason it should be so ; for he that was appointed to be the
chief builder by the king's commission, reason would that he
should have the disposition of the chief things that belonged
thereto, at his discretion. And every one would not be trusted
with such a charge as the trumpet was ; for some were hol-
low-hearted, bewrayed his secrets to Sanballat and his fellows,
and received letters from them. Some gave ill counsel, and
would have had him to have left off his work ; as appeared
by Judas afore in this chapter, and by Semaias, Noadia, &c.
in the sixth chapter. The "trumpet'' is a thing of such im-
portance in the wars, that if it be not in the hand both of
a skilful and trusty man, he may discomfit the whole host
on a sudden. Therefore he trusteth himself best with that
Num. X. charge. Moses committed the blowing of the trumpet unto
the sons of Aaron, as a thing of great trust and importance ;
and they were counted as men of better credit than other
for their vocation sake : though now, I cannot tell how, every
common man is put to that office, though his credit be not
much. God in his law made such a count of the trumpet
[Lev. xxiii.] in the wars, that he appointed yearly a solemn feast and holy
day of the trumpets, to put them in remembrance how oft
he had given them the victory by sounding the trumpet ;
that they should not brag of their own strength and policy,
as though they had conquered all by their own power, but
praise the Lord of hosts who vanquished their enemies, and
rejoice in hiin.
Yet now, I cannot tell how it falleth out, every thing
being turned contrary ways, the tnimpet is used at great
feasts and solemnities to make us merry, rather than to stir
us up to any praising of the Lord for his blessings bestowed
upon us, or to put us in remembrance of the last trump,
when " the dead shall arise out of their graves," and the Lord
shall come in his majesty to judge the world. These were
good lessons to think on at the sounding of the trump, and
not only for mirth and solemnity, to strive who shall blow the
loudest and be the merriest ; though mirth is not ill.
V. 16" 23.] \S KXl'OSlTIOxN Ul'O.V NKIIKMIAII. 1 i3
10. A9id I said to ike nobles. The more that a man
looketh into Nehcmiah's doings, the more godly wisdom, manly
courage, earnest zeal, and painfulne&s that would not be weary,
appeareth in him : so that he may be a pattern for all good
captaias and builders to follow ; a mark to shoot at, but
few or none will hit it. Now he turneth him to the nobles,
rulers, and rest of the people that wrought not, but serve
in other turns, in watching, warding, and preparing things
necessary for the workmen, and maketh a short, but a wise
and pithy oration unto them, as the time would serve. In
wars, and specially in dangers, many words are not to be used ;
but briefly the captains and soldiers are to be warned of their
duty, and encoiu-aged to go forward boldly.
So Nehemiah telleth them here of their danger; for the
compass of the walls was great, the labourers were not many,
and yet those that were, were scattered on eyery comer of
the walls, one far from another, so that when any assault
was made, one should not nor could not be ready for to
help another in any short time. The compass of the walls
at this time is thought by good writers to be certain miles
about, and yet was enlarged as much afterwards by Herod.
Many thousands would not serve to man such a ground, to
keep out the enemy ; but while they defended one piece, ano-
ther would be assaulted. Thus in peace he provideth against
danger to come, as all wise men will ; for else oft it will
be too late, if such good foresight be not had, A wise man
should not say. Had I wist this or that, 1 Mould have pro-
vided for this and that : provide for the worst, and the best
will save itself; and if the worst fall not out, thou ha.st
more to thank God of.
Possibly some man would think Nehemiah too IjoM. nr
rather saucy, that he, being a stranger and new come. >\(tiild
take in hand to teach the nobles and rulers, what they had
to do : but surely he that with reason will consider all the
circumstances, shall easily perceive that neither he pa.sscth
the bounds of modesty and duty, nor taketh more on him,
than he had authority given him to do. The king l)y rom-
misaion appointed him to l>e the chief doer at this building,
as appeareth hereafter, and therefore he presmncMl no farther
than he lawfully might : and in many of the nilcrs he jicr-
444 AN EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAH. [cH. IV.
ceived either a coldness or fearfulness to set forward this
worlv ; so that, if he had tarried on their leisure, httle or
nothing should have been done at all. So in God's cause a
man must be bold and blush not ; and if he see them slow
that should be forward, he may and ought with modesty to
put them in remembrance of their duty, as Nehemiah doeth
here, neither chiding nor reviling them, but brotherly, godly,
quietly, and modestly encourage them, telling them the danger
that hangeth over them, if they do not wisely provide for
it, and manfully withstand it. "A man forewarned is half
armed,'' as the common saying is.
20. In idiat place soever. And because they were scat-
tered so far asunder on the walls, working in every corner of
them, he giveth them warning, that " wheresoever they heard
the trumpet blow, thither they should all resort;" for there was
then some danger toward : he himself would walk round about
the walls continually, searching the watch, how diligently they
kept their standings ; he would spy if any enemies drew near,
and then by the trumpet he would give them warning, whither
they should resort unto him, to defend such or such a place :
and if they would brotherly and manfully join together, no
doubt " God would fiQ:ht for them" and deliver them. This
rea&on to hang upon God is sufficient for him that feareth
the Lord, and knoweth that all victory cometh from him ;
and in that he will quiet himself, not doubting of his aid:
but the worldly-wise man, that trusteth in his strength, po-
licy, ordinance, friends, and soldiers will laugh such reasons
to scorn, and the mighty Lord of hosts will make such proud
braggers to become a laughing stock to the whole world in
the end. Nehemiah knew well that David had written long
Psai. cxxvii. afoi'c, " Exccpt the Lord defend the citv, the watchmen
cxliv. ... "
watch m vain which defend it;" and he knew also that Da-
vid had said, " Blessed be the Lord my God, which teacheth
my hands to fight, and my fingers to the battle:" yet he
ceaseth not to keep watch and ward night and day, to search
the watch himself, to teach the soldiers how to use their
weapon, to set them in array, to encourage them, to teach
tJieni to understand what the trumpet meaneth, and how in
all things to obey their captains, ^nd to be loving and true
one to another.
V. l6 23.] AN EXPOSITION UPON NKIIEMIAII. 445
And all this is to let us see, that although God do work
all things himself, and as he liath appointed, so they fall out,
yet he worketh them not without us : we must not be idle,
we miLst shew our diligence and due obedience to our God,
that hath made us, and commanded us to exercise ourselves
in these things ; and yet, when we have done all we can, all
the praise must be given to him, and we must say, " AVe be
unprofitable servants." We be as an axe in the carpenter's
hand, where the axe may not claim the praise of well-doing
from his master tliat worketh with it : and though the axe
be a dead instrument without life or feeUnof, and man hath
life, wit, and reason given him to do things withal ; yet is
man as unable to work his own salvation without the free
mercy and special grace of God, as the axe is unable to
build the house without the direction and rulinor of the car-
penter. Crearis^ sanaris, sal car is : quid horum tibi ex te^
homo?^ saith Bernard. Let everv man be dilijjent, and a
painful labourer in his vocation, and work his own salvation
as far as an instrument mav, not loitering nor livino: un-
profitably, thinking that God will bring such things to pass
if we lie down and sleep ; but the chief praise and effect
must be given in all g(jod things to God alone. The Lord
hath promised nothing to idle bellies; and unto him that
laboiu-eth to serve his God faithfully, he hatii {promised his
sure aid, and will surely perform it. Adam in })aradise was
not suffered to be idle, even in his innocency, afore he sin-
ned ; and shall we misers, that have so oft and grievously d-n/^^^^
ofi'ended our merciful God, think to live as we list at our
ease ? Josue at his death putteth the people in remem- josh. wiii.
brance, "how the Lord had fought for them, and driven out
their enemies;'' and to encourage them still to serve their (iod
faithfully, and forsiike strange gods, he promiseth them that,
if they will so do, " the Lord will fight for them still ;*' and Exod. xiv.
so did Moses afore him.
God's bare promise by his word is surer than any promise
made by man, though you have never so many good sureties
and bonds with forfeitures, and it be sealed and delivered,
and devised as cunningly as law can tliink. God is truth
(' "Tliou art created, liealrtl, ainl s;iveil : what of nil thest' host
thou of thyself, O man?" Ed.]
446 AN EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAII. [oH. IV.
itself, and therefore cannot lie ; and whatsoever he promisetli
he performeth : for else he should be untrue, like a miserable
man, which cannot be. God grant us such captains as Mo-
ses, Josue, and Nehemiah were, that with like persuasions they
may encourage their soldiers ! For surely, if they went to the
field with like mind, faith, reverence, and due obedience unto
the Lord, that these godly men did, the same God liveth still,
and would bless their enterprises, as he did the other ; for he
is not weary of well doing and relieving his people.
21. And we will labour. Among all these great trou-
bles he forgat not his principal work in building of the walls,
but went on forward still, like a faithful servant to his Lord
and God. Such earnest zeal the Lord poureth into his ser-
vants, when he will declare his majesty and mercy to the
world. For as the greedy merchant for love of himself run-
neth by sea and land, so far as sea or land will carry him, to
increase his worldly goods; so he that is inflamed with this
spirit of jealousy toward God's house, will go through thick and
thin with wisdom, feareth no dangers, and will suffer neither
open enemy to invade, nor flattering friend to deceive, the
/ ^/dear spouse of his Lord and Master, but manfully will stand
*'"'in defence against all sorts, deal they never so cunningly.
I cannot tell whether is more diligent and praiseworthy,
the soldiers or the workmen. They be both at their business
" from the day spring unto the late in the evening, that the
stars did rise." A rare example to be found at this day : for
the labouring man will take his rest long in the morning ; a
good piece of the day is spent afore he come at his work ; then
must he have his breakfast, though he have not earned it, at
his accustomed hour, or else there is grudging and mur-
muring: when the clock smiteth, he will cast down his
burden in the midway, and whatsoever he is in hand with,
he will leave it as it is, though many times it is marred afore
he come again; he may not lose his meat, what danger
soever the work is in. At noon he must have his sleeping
time, then his bever in the afternoon, which spendeth a great
l)art of the day ; and when his hour cometh at night, at the
first stroke of the clock he casteth down his tools, leaveth
his work, in what need or case soever the work standeth.
The common soldier thinketh long, while his course is to
V. iC 23.] AX EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAH. 447
watch and ward ; it is cold standing on the walls, he must
to the alehouse, refresh himself with [raming, swearing,
whoring, or else he thinketh himself nobody : he thinketh it
shame to live honestly in order. Thus all sorts are out of
order: and though abbeys be gone, yet the aljbey-lubbers,
which will work until they be cold, eat until their belly ache,
and sleep until their bones ache, are too common in everj'
house. A lither^ day's work is thought with many no sin, but
a pastime ; and yet is it thievery to take the day's wages, and
do not a good day's work for it. St Paul biddeth " servants Eph. vi.
obey their masters," not only when they stand by and look
on, but in their absence, and where thev see them not.
AVhat is more hard in these days than to find a faithful, true
sen^ant I Good masters complain, and find great lack, though
many be better rewarded than they deserse. It is lament-
able to see the stones in the wall many times bear witness of
the murmuring of the one against the other. The servant,
he will ^vTite on the wall, Fidelis servus i^^^^^tims asinine:'
the ma.ster will answer, Deserve, and then desire ; and both
misliking the one and the other, when the servant cannot
have that he gapeth for, then he taketh bribes ; and the
master must wink at it, because he will not otherwise prefer
him : so both being to blame, both procure God's anger to-
wards them.
Beda, considering the great troubles that fell on the
building of this second temple and walls, asketh why it should
fall out so now, rather than in the buildinjr of the tabernacle
by Moses, or the first temple by Salomon, which both were
finished with great quietness : and when he hath mused on it
long, he saith that '• it fared with this outward temple as it
doth with every particular man, that is the spiritual temple of
the Lord.'^ When God made man in his innocency, it had
been easy for him to liave stood, if he had would ; but after
that he fell, it was much harder to restore him again. It is
liarder to repair an old rotten house, than to build a new ;
and to make an old man stronjr, than a voun<^^ (ind made
Adam with a word easily, and breathed life into him : but
after that Adam fell, what trouble and misery fell afore
[' Lithcr: hizy. En.]
[■•' A faithful servant is a thorough ass. Ki>.]
448 AN EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAH. ~ [cH. IV.
he could be restored? Christ Jesus must come down from
heaven unto the earth, nay, into hell, to pull us out of
hell : he must be accused, whipped, scourged, falsely con-
demned, thrust to the heart with a spear, die and be buried,
ascend unto his Father again, open heaven gates, which afore
our sins had locked up, and abide many more sorrows, afore
we could be restored into God's favour again, and follow him
where he sitteth on the right hand of his Father. So it is an
easy matter to enter into God's church by baptism ; but if
thou fall after, how hard it is to rise again, daily experience
teacheth. We must repent, fast, pray, give alms, forsake
ourselves, condemn ourselves, with bitter tears and trembling
work our salvation, stand in continual war against the devil,
the world, and our own affection : which things to do, are
more common in our mouths than in our lives, and more do
talk of them than practise them. God for his mercy's sake
forgive us and amend us all !
It fareth so likewise in the outward church of God in all
f Acts n. iv.] ages. In the beginning, Peter converted at one sermon three
thousand, and at another two thousand : Paul filled all the
Uoni. XV. countries "from Jerusalem to Illyrlcum with the gospel." The
apostles and their successors converted the whole world unto the
Lord in few years ; but how many of these countries, where
their successors preached, have fallen back, and how little hope
there is of their returning again unto the faith, the Jews,
Turks, and Infidels declare, whom God hath given up to
their own lusts; and though they inhabited the same coun-
tries where true Christians dwelt afore, yet they have hardened
their hearts, that they will not understand, nor open then-
eyes to follow the footsteps of them that went afore, that they
may see the light. How hard a thing it is at this day to
turn a papist, and specially to see one that knew the truth
once, if he fall to popery or other errors, to rise again and
believe the gospel, we have too many examples to teach us.
I fear the saying of the apostle may be verified on them : "It
Heb. vi. X. is Impossible for them that w^ere once enlightened and knew
the truth, if they fall away, to be renewed by repentance.'*
The Lord In his mercy stay us that we fall not from him i
for "It Is horrible to fall into the hands of the living God"
in his anger.
V. iC S.*?.] AN EXPOSITION L'PON NEIIEMIAH. 449
22. And at that time also. Now, wlien Neheniiali had tliiis
persuaded '-the nobles, the iiilers, and the people'' manfiilly
to stand in defence of their citv, and dihi^entlv to follow their
work in ])uilding of the walls ; had set both the soldiei*s and
the workmen in order and array, like a good captain and mas-
ter of the works, looked diligently to each of them all the day
long, that they slipt not away from their charge, nor loitered
at their work ; kept the trumpet with himself, as a thing of
great importance and trust, to give warning if the enemy
did approach ; lest there might some mischief fall out in the
night, he appointeth '-a watcli for the night season" also, to
prevent all practices that miglit be devised against them. A
good captain will so provide both for day and night, in peace
and war, that the enemy, who is ever to be feared, even when
he pretendeth most quietness and friendship, and when he
seemeth to flee, retireth oft on a sudden, to see whether there V i^jOu^r^Lj.
be any power remaining to hold him out ; he will foresee, I
say, tliat the enemy have no advantage against him, but cNery
place be well manned and fenced to withstand him.
He willeth the people therefore, that every man shall
" watch in the street afore his own door with his servants,''
that no mischief fell out within the city, where so many
hypocrites and hollow-hearted people, and unwilling folk of
all sorts to further this work, did dwell. The outward enemy
miffht do much harm, but inward treason mi<i;ht overthrow
all in a short time. For the utter eneinv, the watch of the
wall would be able to withstand him, and give warning t«»
the rest for aid ; and if any practice were within the city,
the watch in the streets might suppress it for a time, until
more aid came. He had good cause to provide for this; for
e.\perience taught him, as is written afore, that ''the tribe
of Juda was weary, and discouraged the i)eople to work : '
Semaia, and Noadia, as though they were prophets scut from
(iod, counselled him to '^ take sanctuary and save hinis<.'lf, h>r
they .sought his life;" which was not for any good will, but to
discourage him from his work: and '' divei-s of the rulers \\ere
joined in friendship and marriage with Sanballat and Tobias,
received messengers from them, and liewrayed his domgs to
them again," a.s appcareth hereafter; and therefore, not know-
ing whom he might well trust, he conKl do no less but keep
[PILKINGTON.]
450 AX EXPOSITION UPOX NEITEMIAH. [cil. IV.
watch and wai'd day and night, on the walls and in the streets,
both against the outward and the inward enemy. 0 worthy,
wise, and stout Nehemiah ! where is one courtier that hath
followed thy footsteps since thou wast born 1 God for his
mercy raise up some, that though not with that fulness of
spirit, yet with such courage and measure of grace as shall
please him to give, some one may in jealousy of spirit take in
hand the repairing of the old ruinous walls of God's church,
house, and city; that both the outward and inward enemy,
which have wrongfully possessed, invaded, and wasted the
Lord's inheritance, may be vanquished and suppressed ; and
God's children may in quietness of mind worship and serve
the Lord our God, as he hath taught us.
After all this watching and warding he is not weary ; but,
" We will to our work again," saith he, " as soon as the day
peeps." Who could or would have taken these pains, but he ?
it would have discouraged any man but him. But Nehemiah
knew well, that Satan never ceaseth to trouble the Lord's
flock : and though slothful idleness be meetest for him to work
by, yet he forsaketh not the painful labouring man, and will
assault him likewise. Let every man therefore take heed how
he standeth, and see that he fall not ; for Satan refuseth no
sort of men to overthrow them, no time nor place he dis-
daineth ; but is glad if he can devour the poorest simple sheep
of the Lord's, if he cannot meet with a better prey. The
people are worthy no less praise than the rulers: for they
are as ready to obey as the other to command ; and so join-
ing together in the fear of God, brotherly love and due
obedience to their rulers, this work goeth forward, and God
blesseth their labour.
23. As for me and my brethren . Now, lest Nehemiah
should seem too busy and impious [imperious] to command all
other, and to do nothing himself, which were a point of op-
Exod. iii. pression or tyranny, as Pharao did to the Israelites in Egypt,
he saith, both " he, his brethren and servants and watchmen,"
took as much pains as the worst of them, which is the pro-
perty of a good captain to do : for they wrought and watched
so diligently, that " they put not off their clothes to sleep or
take rest, but only when they were foul and must needs be
washed." O worthy example ! God grant us many such rulers
V. 16' 23.] AN EXPOSITION UPON XEHEMIAII. 451
and captains, both in God's cliurch and commomvealth !
When the people and soldiers shall see the rulers and cap-
tains take pains, as well as they do, it maketh them both
ashamed if they di*a\v back, and also encomagcth them to be
with the foremost. Julius Ccesar, to encourage his soldiers,
would not ta^ pains himself; but the rather to stir them
more willingly to labour, he calletli them not "soldiers,'' nor
commandeth like a captain, but gently speaketh unto them,
and calleth them " fellow soldiers,"" as though he were no bet-
ter than one of them. So in great works the chief master,
when it cometh to a dead lift, or some danger like to follow,
he will lay to liis hand hiiiLseli^ he will chmb, he will lift as
busily as any oFHis senants, and say to them, 'Now, good
fellows, spit on your hands, lift once again, and we tiave
won it; now play the men, and we shall be past the >Noi*st
straightway.'
Such examples of the better sort, with gentle persuasions
in words, will malce'tKe connnon sort to refuse no paias, be
the danger never so great. Abimelech, when he would smother Jud? i^-
the men that fled into the tower of Sichem, and could not
get them out, he "gat first himself bouglis of green trees,"
and bade every one of his soldiers '' do as they saw him do."'
When every man had loaden himself with green boughs, Abi-
melech goetli first, and setteth his boughs on fire : the rest
of the soldiers seeing him so bold and forward, they set their
boughs on fire too. and so easily they killed them that were
within with smoke. So much can the example of a captain
or good master do. God grant nmny such foregoers in CJod's
church, and then the people will follow last enough. AN'liat
maketh the people draw back so much at this day, but tliat
gentlemen and priests go not afore i Want of good exampk*
and due correction maketh many to do ill without fear of God
and man. David, when he would stir up the people earnestly
to serve the Lord, and diligently to resort to the talxTuaele of
prayer, saith, 'MJ come, let us sing unto the Lord, let us re- p»«i. xcv.
joice in the strength of our salvation."' He biddeth them not
go pray, and he will go play ; but he will be foremost hinuielf
in praising the Lord, and call on them to follow.
When they were thus to watcli and ward nigiit and day,
to forego their pleasures, and take infinite pains in building
452 A PRAYER.
this earthly city and walls of Jerusalem ; It teaclicth us, how
diliorent we ought to be in building the spiritual Jerusalem,
Christ his dear spouse and church, by prayer, jireaching,
watching, fasting, and all other godly exercises.
A PRAYER.
As thou, 0 Lord, of thy infinite and undeserved goodness,
stirredst up thy faithful servant, Nehemiah, to pity the la-
mentable state of Jerusalem, and gavest him such favour in
the sight of king Artaxerxes, procuredst licence and liberty,
great rewards and liberality, to all them that would repair the
broken walls of the city, movedst his heart to leave the wan-
ton pleasures of the court, and madest him willing to toil at
thy work, and not only prosperedst their doings, but defend-
edst them from their mortal enemies many and sundry times,
being cruelly assaulted both by inward hypocrites and out-
ward force ; so, we beseech thee, most merciful Father, for
thine own mercy's sake look pitifully at thy ragged and torn
church, the contemned spouse of thy dearly beloved Son,
Christ Jesus : raise up some faithful servants in every country,
that may obtain such favour in the sight of christian princes,
that with freedom of conscience and quietness of the country
the kingdom of thy Son and our Saviour may be truly preached,
obediently received, faithfully believed, and diligently followed,
to the overthrow of antichrist and all his members, and the
endless comfort of thy poor afflicted people. Confound, O
gracious God, Sanballat, Tobias, and all their partakers, which
laugh to scorn the simplicity of the gospel and builders of
the church : make them to be scorned, that the world may
see, what foolish wickedness it is to rebel against thy holy
will, and how little all such shall prevail in the end. Turn
away all open violence, that shall be devised against us out-
wardly ; keep us from civil war and sedition inwardly ; con-
found all wicked counsels and conspiracies of Ahitophel with
his fellows, and overthrow the subtle })ractices of Judas and
A ri5AYEK. 4o3
such Iiypocritcs : encourage the people, that tliey fear not
their brags nor big looks, but manfully may stand in defence
of tliy tiiith, and boldly confess thee in all dangers, know-
ing thee to be the only Lord and giver of all victory, and
that none shall be ashamed nor left succourless, that flv unto
thee in their great necessity. Give us grace to pray and ])ut
our trust in thee, as this people have done afore us ; that
we may find the like grace, favour and deliverance, that they
did. Give us, we most humbly beseech thee, 0 gracious (iod,
such guides and rulers in the commonwealth, as will work
with the one hand, and fight with the other, keep watch and
ward night and dav, to drive away the outward enemy, and will
defend thy i)oor sheep from the rebellious practices of Satan
among ourselves. Thrust forth such faithful preachers for the
advancement of thv fflorv onlv, which, without any worldly
respect of profit or pleasure, may purely teach thy holy will
declared in thy blessed word, root out all errors in doctrine
and deformities of life, and may by the power of thy Holy
Spirit l)ring home all those that be run astray, confinn and
strengthen those that do stand, and raise up those that be
fallen ; that in unity of mind, brotherly love and christian
faith, we may be lively stones in the spiritual building of
thy house, may acknowledge thee our only God, and thou of
thy accustomed goodness and free mercy mayest take us to
thy children, and defend us as our Lord, teach us as a scho(>I-
ma.ster, feed us as a shepherd, make us partakei*s of thy glo-
rious conquest of sin, death, hell, the world, and the fiesh ;
that afterward we may reign with thee in thy ])lessed king-
dom, which thou hast so dearly purchased for us by the
<lcath of thy Christ our Saviour, thy Son our Lord, to whom,
with thee and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory for
ever. Amen.
454 AN EXrOSITlON OF NEIIEMIAH. [CH. V.
CHAPTER V.
vt. V. 1. And there ims a great cry of the "people made and their
toives against their brethren the Jews.
2. And there tcere that said, Our sons and our daughters
and ice are many ; therefore we must taJce corn, that we
may eat and live.
3. And there tcere some that said, Our f elds and our vine-
yards and our houses we have laid to pledge, that we
might have corn in this hunger.
4. And there icere some that said. We have borrowed money
for the Jcing''s tribute upon our lands and vineyards.
5. And now, as tlie flesh of our brethren is, so is our flesh ;
and as their children be, so are our children ; and marlc,
v^e bring into bondage our sons and our daughters as
servants : and there be some of our daughters in bondage
already : and there is no power in our hands : our layids
and our vineyards are in other merCs hands.
While that Neliemiah had travailed himself weary in
keeping watch and ward, and setting the people to building the
walls again, and thought all was quiet, both within the city,
and safe against the utter enemy, behold, now bm-steth out
y a new sore, worse than the former. "The people and their
■t wives" come with open mouth, and make an outcry against
the rich and rulers among them, which unmercifully had
spoiled and oppressed them, insomuch as they were not able
to live. Such is the state of God's people here in the earth,
iii. that as our Master Christ saith, he came " to overthrow the
works of the devil,'' so the devil ceaseth not by all means
to overthrow, or at the least, so much as in him is, to hinder
by his partakers the building of God's house and the setting
forth of his glory. And to declare the vehemency of the
cry, the Holy Ghost noteth it by such a word in the Hebrew,'
as signifieth those uproars and outcries which are made in
rebellious or seditious riots, or else of such as cry out for great
grief and anguish of heart.
[^ vVi. Compare 2 Kings vi. 20. Job xix. 7- Ed.]
V. 1 .3.] AN EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAH. 1-55
The parties that make their cry are the common people
and women, of which it is hard to tell whether of them is
often more importune in outcrying, and many times without just
cause. The people, if they smart a little and have not their own
wills fulfilled, are ready to exclaim ; and \\ omen can weep and
howl when they list, and the basest sort are the woi^st. The
parties against whom they cry be "the Jews their country-
men,'' brethren in kindred, and professing one religion. If this
oppression and cruel dealing had been by strangers, where no
mercy is commonly shewed nor looked for, it would have been
less marvelled at, and less it would have grieved them : but to
be entreated ci'uelly by their countrymen, kinsmen, and those
that served the same God, and professed the same religion
that they did, and at whose hands they looked for aid and
comfort, this was thought so strange, that it would make
any astonied to hear tell of it. AV'ith these circumstances the
Holy Ghost setteth out the greatness of the cr\', to make it
more horrible in men's sight, and so the more easily to bring
tliem to repentance, and make them ashamed of their cruel
dealings. When the devil prevailed not by Sanballat and his
fello\\s to overthrow the building, he setteth now on the
poor common sort and women to cry out against their rulers,
thinking by this means to overthrow all, rather than to pro-
cure any remedy or relief for them : though God of his
accustomed goodness (turning oft our wicked doings to the
setting forth of his glory,) by this means wrought their de-
liverance and liberty. Such is the wisdom of our God, that
by our foolishness ho declareth his mighty power, wisdom
and majesty ; and our ill dealing sheweth forth his justice
and mercy, and that against our will and meaning.
2. And there tcere that said. The cause of their cry is
set forth in these four verses following ; hunger, need, op-
pression, pinching poverty, and pining penury, made them
so to cr}' out. And this is too common a fault in our days,
in the preaching of the gospel. Some of tlic i>oorer sort,
thougli they had not lands and goods, yet God, a.s he useth
commonly, had blessed them more than the richer sort with
children so many, that they could not tell how to {rci bread
for them, except they should sell them a.s slaves ; and where
they were free born, they should now become bond and l)c used
4:56 AN EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAII. [cH. V.
as beasts. A\'hat a grief that is to a good father, that loveth
his child dearly in the fear of God, to be driven by the iiii-
iiierciful dealing of the rich, to sell his own children for bond-
men, I leave it to the consideration of those that be natural
and loving parents : for none can express the greatness of
that grief, but he that hath been pinched with it and felt
the smart of it. When Jacob should send little ]3enjaniin
into Egypt with his brethren for corn, it was long ^ he could ^-^^'^^
be brought to it, and he almost had rather died for hunger
2 Sam. xviii. t jian let him go from him. What a love had David toward
his wicked son Absolon, even in the midst of his rebellion,
and what charge gave he to his captains that they should
not kill him ! Such is the love of natural parents towards
their children, that they will love them, and cannot cast them
off, even in their ill doings, though many times the children
be most unthankful. Liberty is a thing that every man
naturally desireth, and by all means seeketh for ; therefore
l)ondage nuist needs be such a thing as every man doth abhor
and flv from : vet hung^er is such a thino;*, that it will break
stony walls, and, rather than a man will bear it continually,
he will sell lands, goods, wife, children, yea, himself, to be
slaves for ever. Nay, hunger is so pinching a pain, that a
woman will eat her own child, as in siege of Jerusalem, in
Samaria, and Saguntine ; yea, a man his own flesh, rather
than he will die for hunger. Hunger of all things may not be
abiden, what inconvenience soever fall out after.
Consider then, what miserable case these poor men were
in, that had so many children, and could get no bread to put
in their mouths ; and wicked men, the richer sort, were they
that had brought them to this poverty, and now would not
relieve them in this their extremity. AVe read of a bishop
of Mentz in Germany, called Hatto, who had great store
of corn, and would not relieve the poor with it in time of
great dearth, but let the rats eat it; in revenge of which
God raised so many rats about him, that they drove him from
house to house to save his life : and where he had a strongr
tower in the midst of the great river of Rhene, which .yet
standeth there to be seen in the midst of the river, he
thought himself sure, if he could fly thither : notwithstanding
the rats swam after him thither, and there devoured him,
V. 1 J.] AX KXPOSITION UPON NKIIEMIAH. 4o7
and it is called the rats' tower at this dav.' Salomon saith,
"- He that hideth up his corn shall be cursed among the people, ^row xi
but blessino- shall be on them that sell it/' God jrrant the
richer sort pitiful hearts to open their barns and purse to
the relief of the poor, that they may escape God's plague
and man's curse !
o. And there icere some that said. Thus far jjoeth the
cry of the poorest sort : now followeth another company, that
cry as fast, but they are not altogether so poor. They were
])inched with hunger ; but they had some " lands, vineyards and
houses to lay to pledge, that they might have some com" to
fill their bellies withal. These men were hunger-bitten also ;
for though they had land, yet they were not able to store
it, nor husband it as husbandry required ; and therefore had no
profit by it. And like enough they were such as Aggeus the
])rophet complained on, saying, that ''every man buildeth for
himself fair houses," and God's house lay unbuilt, and therefore
(fod plagued them. They " had sown much, and reaped little,
their corn wasted in their barns, and their grapes consumed
away in the wine-press." These days were like the time of
Micheas the prophet, who crieth out against the rulers for their
oppressing of the poor so extremely, saying, '' They pluck off Mic iii.
their skins from them, and their flesh from their bones : and
they eat also the flesh of my people, and flay off their skin
from them, and they break their bones, and chop them in
pieces, as for the pot, and as flesh within the caldron."
4. And there were some that said. Yet cometh another
sort ; but they were in some better case, for they had some
corn, and no money, and they ciy out as fast as the rest.
The king of l^ersia, although they had given the Jews licence
to go home to build their temple and city, yet they lai<l a j
great task on them, which tluy should pay in token of tlnir
.subjection, and recompence for their liberty's sake.
The rulers and chief of the Jews had engrossed up in
their hands unmercifullv all the corn and money that could
be come by, so that little or nothing could be gotten to fill
their bellies, and to pay the king's tribute withal ; therefore
these men nuist '' pledge their lands and vineyards to get
some money" for this puq)ose. O iiiiseral>le wretches, that
P Sec ul>ovc, p. •\*K Ki>.]
458 AN KXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAH. [cH. V.
liad tliiis miserably oppressed their poor brethren and country-
men, ^\ho had taken as much pains as they, or more, for
the defence of their country, building of their temple and
city ; and now in their great need could find no comfort nor
relief at their hands ! But these be no new things in the
world ; for Amos the prophet complaineth likewise of the
oppression that the richer sort used toward the poor in his
time: "When will this moon pass away,'' say they, that hath
so much plenty ; " and the time come that we may make the
measure less, and buy the poor for silver, and the needy for
shoes, and sell the outcast of the wheat?"
5. And noio as the flesh of our brethren is. But now
come they all howling and crying together, and say, What
better case are we in, that be come home to our country,
than our brethren which live in captivity under the Chaldees,
Assyrians, Babylonians, Medes, and Persians, or any other
country, wheresoever they be scattered on the face of the
earth ? They live in penury and hunger, and so do we. They
be oppressed with their rulers, and so be we. Their flesh is
parched with toiling in the heat, and frozen up with cold,
and so is ours. Their bellies cleave to the very back for
hunger, and so do ours. There is no strength nor courage
left in them, no more is there in us. They be weary of their
lives, and so be we. They have not wherewith to fill their
belly, and cover their back, and no more have we. They
pine away for sorrow, and so do we. They have nothing
left but skin and bones, and those will scarce cleave together
for sorrow ; and in the same case be we. If they get a
penny with great labour, one or other is ready to snatch it
from them ; and so it is with us. As their children live in
as great slavery and misery as their fathers, so do our chil-
dren live as miserably as we do. There is no respect of
age nor youth, neither there nor here, but all kinds of sor-
row are laid upon us without mercy : if this sorrow were
laid on us alone, we could better bear it ; but when we see
our children, young infants that cannot help themselves, to
be wrapt in the same misery that we be, and can help nei-
ther them nor ourselves, it doubleth and trebleth our sorrow,
and yet both is remediless, endless, and comfortless.
These be strange things which were laid to their charge
V. 1 .>.] AN EXrOSITION ll'ON NEIIliMlAH. 45i)
for their ungentle dealing : but lo, mark and consider far-
ther, and these dealings that follow are much worse ; mon-
sters in nature, and things intolerable, both afore God and
man. This word, '' Lo, mark or behold,'' ecce. ever beto-
keneth throughout the scripture some notable thing, either
very good or veiy ill, that is spoken of immediately after-
ward, and such a one as commonly falleth not out among
men. And the Holy Ghost of purpose useth to mark such
notable things with this word, " lo," ecce^ mark or behold, to
put men in remembrance, and awake them to the consider-
ation of the weighty matter that followeth, that they should
not lightly pass over it, but deeply mark and consider it.
Mark the greatness of this oppression and unmerciful
dealing of the richer sort toward us, their poor brethren and
countrj'men, of the same religion and serving the same God
that they do, and have taken as much pains in building the
temple, city, and defending our country as they have done,
or more ; and yet can find no mercy at their hands, but
are made their slaves. For behold, in strange countries, where
our brethren dwell, strangers take their sons and daughters
bv force, and make them bondmen and slaves ; but we are
brought into such misery, that we oui*selves are driven by ne-
cessity, through the oppression of our rulers, against our will,
and willinfflv, to brinfj and offer our sons and dauorhters to
them to be their bond servants, slaves, and used as beasts
at their commandment, that we and they may live, though it
be in great misery, rather than perish for hunger or penur}*.
And that ye may see the thing to l)e tnie, and not feigned,
" some of our daughters are in bondajje to them alreadv.*"
It is a great grief to parents to see their o^^Tl children taken
by strangers, and made slaves in their own sight ; but it is
a greater grief for fathers to be so cruelly dealt with in
their on\ti country, at their friends' hands and countrymen,
that they shall be compelled willingly, though against their
wills, to sell their children for slaves, or else die for hunger.
At strangers' hands, and specially if they be of another re-
ligion, no man looketh for any favour; and if any do come,
it is more than looked for. and so nnich the more welcome
when it cometh : luit at a friend and countryman's hand,
where all courtesy is to Im) looked for, and to find none, but
460 A\ EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAII. [cil. V.
all extremity, is a grief above all griefs, and man's heart
can never digest it. It is against God, against nature and
common reason, which teacheth all gentleness to such : nay,
it is worse than beastliness ; for one beast will not deal so
cruelly with another of his own kind, and one thief will not
rob another ; therefore to be spoiled and robbed by them
of whom they should be defended and reheved, it is a grief
that passeth all sorrows. But if these sorrows could have
an end, or there were any hope to have release of them in
time, we could take it the better, and have some comfort :
but all hope is taken away, for we have no power left, we
have nothing to help ourselves withal, we have wrestled as
long as we might, and made shift as long as it would be ;
but now we are able to bear it no more, we have nothing
left, all is spent and gone, and we cannot devise where to
get any more ; our houses, our lands, and vineyards other
men have cruelly gotten from us, and unmercifully do keep
them, and have no regard to help us in this our great and
extreme necessity. We can do nothing but cry out on heaven
and earth ; but they hardened their hearts, and stopped their
ears, that they will not hear nor pity us. Mercy is gone;
cruelty, oppression and greediness carry them away, that both
forget God and themselves.
This was the miserable state of that time : a man would
have thought that the misery, slavery and bondage, that they
themselves were in of late under heathen princes, in strange
countries, and so late being restored through God's free and
undeserved goodness to their own country, with liberty, great
gifts, and liberality, to build their temple and city, should not
liavc been so soon forgotten; but as they then would have
been glad of some relief, succour and courtesy to be shewed
unto them at strangers' hands, so they should now shew the
^ like unto their brethren and countrymen. But such is the (
; wickedness of man's heart, that the more mercies we receiver
^ at God's hand, the more unthankful we be : and such is the '
malice of Satan against God, his church and people, that
when the Lord of his own free will and undeserved o'ood-
o
ness bestoweth his mercy upon his servants, the devil, by his
members and all devices possible, goeth about to overthrow
and withdraw all sorts of men, so much as in him is, to a
V. 1 5.] AX EXPOSITION IPOX NEIIEMIAII. 4fil
forgetfulness of such merciful goodness Ijcstowed upon them,
and maketli them unmerciful to their ])rethren, which liave
received so great mercy at the Lord's hand.
Religion is the chiefest help that God hath given us to
know him by, to bridle our ill afiections and desires withal,
to make us love one another, and set forth his glory : ami
yet, if we look into ourselves in these days, we shall find
that there was never greater cruelty, oppression of the j)oor,
hypocrisy and dissembling in God's cause, and unmerciful-
ness amongst men in this land, than hath been since the
beginning of the reforming of religion amongst us ; yea. and
that is more wonderful, of such as would pretend to ho
favourers of religion. Hypocrites, as they use nothing well,
so they misuse religion for a cloke to work their own v.ill
and pleasure by, to the defacing of all good religion. Things
be fresh in memory, and cannot be forgotten of them that
will not willingly be blind ; but they that list to read may
see in that worthy father, master Latimer's sermons, many
such things opened, that then were preached ; and nnouUI to
(jiod they were now reformed, or not fallen to worse and more
shameful deahngs, without hope of amendment ! As for beg-
ging or buying good things at the king's hand, then selling
the woods, survevingr the land to the uttermost acre or roods
of land, enhancing of rents to the highest, from twenty pomids
to an hundred, racking the tenants by intolera'ole fines and
incomes, sine fine^ every five or seven year commonly, lay-
ing load on them to carry and recarry whatsoever is to be
done, paying never a jjenny for their labour, ride and run
when he is commanded, &c. then turn it into the prince's
liand again, get its much, and use it as ill or worse; this
practice hath been so common, and declared by divers, that
few can be ignorant of it. and many cry out on it at this
day, but remediless, ^'et this is not the woi*st : if there Ik*
any ])roken title of tlie land that may make question in the
law, or it* there be anv danger of waters or extraordinary
charges, reparations, «kc. then it is meet for the prince by
exchange. \\'hen it is racked to the highest, and a good
thing gotten instead of it, yet, that the prince shall not 1h»
thouirht to have an ill bar<rain, he will dr^irc to b»* fanner
of it himself after the same rato, to st(»p nu-n's nuniths for
4G2 AN EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAH. [cH. V.
a time. As it is reason, honourable and godly, that the prince
should liberally reward and encourage the good servitor ; so
is it reason again, that the princess goodness nor the sub-
ject be misused. Master Latimer did freely speak of these
things, not without blame, as peradventure this will be too ;
but would to God this had been used only in the prince's
state ! but he that will look abroad and see, shall find the
like too common in mean men's doings.
As for pulling down of towns, turning tillage to pasture,
and turning out the tenants, as Achab did to Nabotli for his
vineyard, that they may have elbow room, make them large
domains, or set a shepherd and his dog where so many have
dwelt, and that a poor man may not dwell so near a man
of worship ; these be so common among the meanest sort
of purchasers, that men need not to study where to find them.
Kaising of rents, and taking unreasonable fines and gressans,
is thought no fault, it is so common; but some are waxen
so cunning, that it is strange to think of. A landlord is
hungry, and needs must have fines, even of the poorest sort ;
and because he will be thought to deal mercifully, this way
is devised. The poor man hath no money, and yet he must
pay ; his goods, and specially his sheep, though they be few,
,^, V shall be praised, and according to the rate out of those goods
the fine shall be raised. And that some pity shall be thought
to be shewed, the poor man shall have his goods again by
the price, to pay his fine withal, and for occupying of those
his own goods he shall pay a yearly rent or interest, as it
were an usury ; and this dealing is thought great courtesy.
Solon, when he was asked why, among the other good laws
that he made, he made not one for him that killed his fa-
ther, he answered, "because he would not put men in re-
membrance that there was any such a mischief, that could
come into men's heads." So, I fear, the opening of these
things shall give occasion to some ill men, but not to the
good, to learn the like devices. So ready we be to learn
that that is ill.
The law indeed openeth sin what it is, that a man should
Roni.vii.7. fly from it, and not be condemned for ignorance. St Paul
saith, " I had not known lust and desire of ill things to be sin,
except the law had said, Thou shalt not lust nor desire them."
V. 1 .;.] A\ f-.XPOSITIOX UPON' XF.IlEMIAir. 4G.*]
The law is not to blame in declarin;^ what sin is, that by
knowing of it we may fly from it, no more than the physi-
cian is to blame in opening the disease to his patient, and
teaching him what things to avoid that he may recover health.
But as an ill stomach, what good meat soever it eateth, tum-
eth it into ill humours, and the spider gathereth poison on the
same flowers that the bee gathereth honey ; so on the holy
word of God, and his blessed laws, which he made for our
health and salvation, ill men gather death and damnation
through their o\mi wickedness, and no fault in the law nor
law-maker. As the Israelites cried out in this time justly on
their rulers for this great oppression, so it is to be feared
that in our days there is no less cause to cry aloud, that God
may hear when man wiU not.
There be four things that cry for vengeance out of hea-
ven unto the Lord, and the scripture useth the same word of
cr}'ing with them, which for memory's sake are contained
in these two verses :
Clamitat in coelum vox sang^ini', vox Sodomonim,
Vox oppressorum, mercesque rctenta labonim.
For nmrder and bloodshed God said to Cain, when he had
killed his brother Abel, *• The voice of thy l)rother's blood Gen.iv.
crieth out from the earth to me in heaven/' For the Hlthy
incest, fornication, pride, gluttony, wealth, and idleness of So-
dom, the prophet Ezechiel and Genesis testify saying, '"^i'^^<-' JiJ^pJ: ^^J^;
or}' of Sodom is come up to me.'' The Israelites oppressed
in Eg>iDt with making of brick, kc. God delivered them when Exod. ii. iii
they cried unto him, and drowned the oppressors. St James
saith, '• The wages withholden from those that reaped their Jimes v.
fields cried out unto tiie Lord of hosts." These be good les-
sons for such as oppress the poor, or deal straitly with their
tenants, thinking they may use them like slaves or beasts at
their pleasure. Though they be servants here, yet they 1h'
children of the same God. and bought by the same price that
their masters be; and therefore ought of duty to be used
with christian and brotherly charity, as thou wouldst Ije if
thou were so.
There be other sorts of cruel oppressors, but not so com-
mon as these : as cozening, ])y, cunning dealing to creep into
464 A\ EXPOSITION UPON NEIIEMIAH. [cil. V-
men^s bosoms, to be feoffees of trust, executors of will, guard-
ians of infants, and these play best be [by] trust ; but they
trust themselves best, and go away with all. Carriers of corn,
victuals, and other commodities out of the realm, to make a
dearth within the realm, yea, and oft to feed our enemies, and
enrich themselves, by procuring licences to carry them out,
are too well known how hurtful they be through all countries.
As for engrossers, forestallers, regraters,^ leasemongers, they
are thought honest men. The lawyers of both sorts, by
feeding their clients with fair words, and the questmongers
with sluttish shifts, making them believe their matter to be
good, and with long delays impoverish the suitors ; and if he
come to be judge in the same matter afterward, wherein he was
a counsellor afore, he saith, ' I spake then as a counsellor,
and now I must speak as a judge,"* and thinketh that he hath
spoken good reason; as though God had made it lawful at
any time, or in any case, to bear false witness or speak un-
truths. The physician and the apothecary deal so cunningly
that no man espieth them, and yet be as ill. The clergy
that will take the profit and refuse the pains, lie at his ease
from his charge, and let his sheep hunger, are not better
than the rest. Pen-clerks, sheriffs, bailiffs, and summoners
are not worthy to come to this company ; for they can re-
turn, non est inventus^ when they stand and talk with him,
and make cuiming delays, until they make men pay double fees
for expedition. Worst of all cometh the common cut-purse,
the usurer, and his broker : he standeth on his reputation, he
sitteth highest on the bench, and looketh big ; nay, it is crept
into mean men's dealings ; he speaketh courteously and
dealeth cruelly ; he defendeth his doings to be charitable,
v»'hen he eateth up house, lands and goods, turneth infants
a begging, and overtliroweth the whole kindred. Captains
convey as cunningly as jugglers with legerdemain. Mer-
chants and artificers are so honest, that they may not be
touched : they have so few faults, that they cannot be told ;
and yet there could never be laws enough made to bridle
them, but they will creep out. When receivers are become
deceivers, controllers be pollers, auditors searchers, and ^s-
[' Engrossinq;: buying large quantities of corn, &c. to sell again. Re-
grating: buying it to sell again in, the same market. Ei>.]
V. 1 J.] AX EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAII. \^:y
tomei-s look through their fingers, and keep their okl custom ;
andgenerally, '^ every man is a thief in his occupation,'' a.s the
common proverb saith, " there is craft even in daubing ;" it is
t(» be feared that, as the course of a stream ])eing stopped,
it gathereth a great dam, and being let suddenly go, it over-
throweth all in its way; so God's anger being staid a time,
the windows in heaven being opened, it will pour down on
our heads plentifully.
How should God's plague be far from us, when these
cry vengeance daily \ The thief by the highway is not so ill
as any of those that deal not uprightly in their vocation. For
against a thief a man may fight for his purse wittingly, jmd
say, Master thief, gramercy ! If a man consider in how
little tents, shops, offices, and houses those men dwell, and
how great gains they get, he shall easily see where the pro-
fitablest ground lieth in the realm. If this people had such
cause to oxs out then on their rulers, what cause have we now
here among us, where not only the richer and mightier sort
overload the poorer, but every one in his degree useth craft,
subtlety, and deceit, to oppress, undermine, and scratch from
other, without respect of friend or foe, what he can, not re-
garding how he cometh by it, by hook or by crook, by right
or wrong, be it short or long I
Here is nothing spoken particularly against anv man's
vocation or occupation, nor any man that dealeth honestly
in them ; but generally to note the general faults of the of-
fenders, that ever)' man may look into his own ])osom, consider
his doings, and amend one. If every one would amend one.
all should be well straight ; but every one would amend
another, see other men's faults, but not his own, and there-
fore all lie still ius they did, nothing amended, and ever)' one
maketh courtesy who shall begin. Sophony the prophet
complaineth of his time, and saith, ''Thy rulers are roaring [Zrph. in.]
lions, thy judges are ravening wolves in the evening, and
will not leave the hemes until morning ; thy j)niphets are
lewd and unconstant, thy priests have defiled the huly place,
and broken thy law." Micheas crieth out, and siiith, "There is r.Mir. m.
not a good man left on the earth, and not a righteous man
among men ; all lie in wait for blood, every man hunteth his
brother unto death, ^c." ('od Lrrant our times were not like !
[ril.KlNGTO.N.]
4:66 AN EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAH. [cH. V.
Among us it is merrily said of* some, that there be some
com'ts where law is executed without conscience ; another,
where conscience is without law; the third, where neither
law nor conscience ; the fourth, where both law and con-
science shall rule, I can rather pray for than look for, until
the last day come, when the righteous Judge shall judge
both with law and conscience. In the meantime we may
mourn, and turn unto the Lord, that he may forgive us, and
receive us in his many and great mercies ; for we are full of
many and great miseries. The pride of women is through the
fault of men ; therefore they be blameless : God amend us
all !
Gen. xivii. It is written, that Joseph in Egypt used the people almost
of like sort that they do here, and yet is he praised and these
justly reproved ; which possibly some marvel at, not under-
standing the diversity of their doings. Joseph laid up corn in
I the time of plenty, when every man had enough : these men
\ did it at all times without respect, in plenty and scarcity.
\ Joseph brought the money into the, king's coffers to serve the
i commonwealth : these men laid it up in their own coffers to
their own private use. Joseph " bought their cattle" for such
I price as they were worth : these men pay not the just price for
I any thing they take. Joseph " buyeth their land, and maketh
the people bond unto the king," restoring them again the land,
the king finding the seed to sow, the people only labouring to
till the ground. And where we think we deal courteously if
we let them sow to halves, the Egyptians have the fourth part
for their labour, and pay the king the fifth part of the increase
for the land and seed ; but these men kept all in their own
hands. Joseph "bought not the priests' lands," but gave them
allowance of such things as they wanted out of the king's
store ; and these men, like unto our days, if they can scrape
any thing from the churchy that is a pastime among all other
to laugh at, and thought best gotten. So much more is a
minister of God's gospel thought meeter to be spoiled by these
cut-purses, than Joseph thought meet to do to those idolatrous
priests. Joseph opened his barns in time of dearth, and sold
liberally to the needy ; these men, the greater the need was,
the faster they locked it up, until they had their desire of the
poor. Joseph restored their land, and took but the fifth part
V. 1 5.] AN EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAli. 467
of the increase : these men restore nothing, and yet take i n-
terest. /
As this cruel dealing toward their bretlu'en and country-
men was thought strange to be found amongst this people, in
the time that God had shewed to them such great mercies, in
restoring them again to their country, giving them the liberty
to build their temple and city, with great gifts, liberality, and
favour of the kings, under whom they were bondmen and
slaves ; so it is much more marvel, that among Christians, in
the time of the gospel, so mercifully restored unto us and so
freely taught, greater cruelty should be found and exercised,
than among the hard-hearted Jews or infidel pagans.
But this is the common practice of Satan, that in no
age, people, nor countr}', he can be quiet to see God's kingdom
set up and flourish, and his power fall ; but he will rage,
storm, bestir him, and by all devices that may be, and by
all power that he can. overthrow it. And seeing this is no
new thing, but hath fallen out divers times afore, let us not
now be astonied nor dismayed at it, nor murmur and grudge
against the doctrine of our salvation, so mercifully offered
unto us, as though it were not the true word of Ciod, because
men live so far contrary to that which is taught, and they
openly profess. The devil is content, when he cannot over-
throw the truth of the doctrine, to deface it so much as lie
can with the ill life of those that profess it. J5ut the gospel
teacheth us what to do in this case, saying, '' Do as they .^'«"- >^^"'
say, but do not as they do.'' The doctrine is good, though
they be ill. The truth and worthiness of God's word hangeth
not on our life and doings, but our life and doings should
be refonned by Ciod's word ; for that "it is a lantern to our Psai. cxix.
feet, and a light to our steps," that we may know when we
1)0 in the right way, and how to come into it. We must Ik)
judged by (iod's word, and not it by us : we nuist be ruled by
it, and not overnile it accordins to our fantasies : we nuist
hang on God's true saying, and not on man's evil living.
30— J
468
Because the Author, being prevented by death, could
not finish the rest of this treatise, much less of this and the
other chapters which remain untouched, I thought it good,
for the better instruction of the reader, and instead of a supply
for this point of oppression, which that godly and zealous
father had begun, to annex and set down that which of late
was pubhshed by Robert Some, D. in Divinity.
TO THE READER.
It hath pleased an English papist to give out in prints that
the church of Rome doth both teach and require actual resti-
tution^ and that our church doth neither. His speech of us
is very slanderous^ and my treatise against oppression is argu-
ment enough to confute him. If they of Rome teach and
require actual restitution., it is no work of supererogation:
they do no more hut their duties. If we should fail i7i this
clear pointy we deserve great condemnation at Almighty God''s
hands. I confess that a man is good^ (and therefore justified
in God^s sight,) before he doth good tcorks ; hut toithal I set
down this, that good works do follow him that is truly justi-
fied, and that such as have oppressed or injured any
man, shall not he pardoned at God''s hands, unless
they make actual restitution, if they he
able to do it. If any require proofs
of this, I refer him to this
treatise of mine against
oppression.
4C9
A GODLY TREATISE
AOAIN'ST
THE FOUL AND GROSS SIN OF OPPRESSION
Ql'KPTIOV.
What i.9 oppression ?
Answer.
It is unjust dealing, used of tlie mightier, either hy violence, colour
of law, or any other cunning dealing, against sueh as are not able to
withstand them. The ground of this definition is contained in these
places of Scripture. Michciis, chap. ii. verse 1,2. 1 Thess. chap. iv.
verse C.
2. // i* not lawful for any man to oppress another.
*'Give us this day our daily bread." Every Christian desireth God Matt. vi. ii.
to give daily bread, (tliat is, all things necess."iry for this life,) both to
himself and to others: therefore no Christian is privileged to spoil
another of his necessarj' food.
If one of us must pray for the good of another, one of us may
not prey upon another. " He that taketh his neighbour's living is a Fkvius.
murdertT." *"'^•"•
"Thou shalt not desire thy neighbour's house, his field, &c." If we Deut. v. 'i\.
may not desire his house or land, then we may not spoil him of his
house or land, or inclose that gTound, whereby the poor either by
right are, or by right ought to he, relieved.
" If thou meet thine enemy's ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt F.x«k1. xxiii.
bring him to him again. If thou see thine enemy's ass lying under
his burden, wilt thou cease to help him? thou shalt help him uj» with
it again." Almighty God commandeth us to deal \\\ 11 with our enemy's
ass: therefore we may not by undoing our neighbour, or spoiling him
of any part of his land or goods, make him an ass, and s«Mid him a
begging.
" He that oppn'sseth the poor, reproveth him that made him, \'c." It i*rov. xir.
is a gross sin to reprove the majesty of (iod ; tlurifori' it is a gross sin
to o])i)ress the poor.
It was one of the sins of So<loni, " not to reach out the hand to the F.irk. xvi.
po«>r." If it be a great sin not to relieve the poor, it is a vi ry gross
K
/ 0 DR SOME S GODLY TREATISE
Eccius. sin to s])oil the poor. "The bread of the needful is the life of the poor ;
x.wiv. 21.
he that defraudeth him thereof is a murderer."
There is a writ in England which beareth this name, ne irijuste
vexes, that is to say, "vex not any man unjustly." This is a godly law,
and is derived from the law of God, which forbiddeth and condemneth
oppression.
There are certain beggars, which of purpose keep their legs sore,
to get money by it. If they are justly misliked, which gain by their
own sore legs, what deserve they to be thought of, which gain by other
men's sore legs?
Levit. XXV. « When thou sellest ought to thy neighbour, or buy est at thy neigh-
1 Thess. iv. hour's hand, ye shall not oppress one another." "This is the will of God,
that no man oppress or defraud his brother in any matter." Therefore
men of trade may not gain by little measures, false weights, and false
speeches and oaths ; nor any mighty men may gain by cunning dealing,
by colour of law, or by using any violence whatsoever.
8. They which have done wrong unto or oppressed any, must make
actual restitution.
Num. V. c, God saith thus unto Moses : " Speak unto the children of Israel,
^Vhen a man or woman shall commit any sin that men commit, and
transgress against the Lord, when that person shall trespass, then
they shall confess their sin which they have done, and shall restore
the damage thereof with his principal, and put the fifth part of it
more thereto, and shall give it unto him against whom he hath tres-
passed. But if the man have no kinsman, to whom he should restore
the damage, the damage shall be restored to the Lord for the priests'
use, &c." We are taught in this place, to whom this actual restitu-
tion must be made, even to him whom we have injured: if he be
dead, we must restore it to his kinsman; if he have no kinsman
alive, actual restitution must be made to Almighty God for the priests'
use, and in our time for the poor's use.
Judg. xvii. Michah robbed his mother of eleven hundred shekels of silver: his
mother did not know that he had it ; but he had remorse of that sin,
and made actual restitution.
1 Sam. xii. Samuel saith thus of himself: "Whose ox have I taken? whose
ass have I taken ? or whom have I done wrong to ? or whom have I
hurt ? or of whose hands have I received any bribe to blind my eyes
therewitli? and I will restore it you, &c." It is certain that Samuel
did not deal either corruptly or unjustly in his office: if he had, he
would have made actual restitution.
Zaccheus was sometimes very disordered in his life : it pleased our
Saviour Christ to Ijc a good God unto him, and to lodge in his house.
Zaccheus, having feeling of his former wants, uttered these words, " If
I liave taken from any man by forged cavillation, I restore him four-
fold." If Zaccheus of Jericho after his conversion was content to
restore fourfold, it is a good consequent, that they have little sense
of religion, which will not restore the principal.
AGAINST OPPRESSION.
471
Question.
Jf a man have deceived, robbed, or oppressed other men, shall he })c
pardoned at God's hand, if he make not actual restitution ?
Answer.
God will not pardon him, unless he make actual restitution, if he
be able to do it: my reasons are these.
" If the wicked restore the pledge, and give again tliat he liad rob- Ezek.xxxiii.
bed, he shall surely live and not die, saith the Lord." Therefore it 12^ 13,
is a sure consequent, that he shall not live eternally, whicli, being in
case to make actual restitution, doeth it not accordingly.
" Is not tliis the fasting that I have chosen, to loose the bands of jsai. Iviii. 6,
wickedness, to take off the hea\y burdens, and to let the oppressed go ^*
free, and that ye break every yoke, ike. ? Then shalt thou call, and
the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say. Here I am,
&c." If the oppressor must let the oppressed go free, he must make
actual restitution. If Almighty God will not hear the prayer of the
oppressor, until he let the oppressed go free, it is a necessary conse-
quent, that God will not pardon him.
Augustine is very flat for this point: "If men be able to make Epist. 54.
actual restitution, and do it not, pmnitentia non agitnr, scd fiiiyitur^:"
that is to say, " their repentance is no repentance," and their sin shall
not be pardoned until actual restitution be made.
Question.
If a man have secrethj either rolled or deceived another, and is very
williny to make restitution, lut cannot do it without some worldly danyer
and disgrace to himself, what must he do in this case?
Answer.
Let him send that which he hath taken unjustly by some trusty
messenger to him whom he liath wronged, and let his name be con-
cealed.
Question.
If he that hath taken unjustly from others, hath wasted all, and is
not able to make restitution, what shall he do?
Answer.
Such a one must desire pardon very humbly at God's hand, and
water the earth with his tears.
4. // is the duty of the magistrate to deliver the oppressed out of
the hand of the oppressor.
" Execute judgment in the morning, (that is, carefully and without Jer. xxi. 12.
delay,) and deliver the oppressed out of the hand of th»' oppr««t)r,
saith the Lord, &c." "Seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the *"•• '• *"•
[I 91 enim rosaliena, propter quain peccatum est, cum reddi jwsHit, non rt'dditur,
non »jcitur poenitentia, sed f^n^itur. August. Epist. i.iv. (c mm.) Tom. ii. p. 7W. Ed.
Paris. 183G. Ed.]
472 DR SOMF^S GODLY TREATISR
fatherless, and defeiKl tlie widow." Almighty God commandcth the
magistrates to execute judgment in the morning; therefore they must
use no delays in doing justice. God commandeth the magistrates to
seek j udgment ; therefore, in cases of oppression, they must not stay
till they he called for. God commendeth unto the magistrates all
that are oppressed, but specially the fatherless and widow, because
they want the defence of their parents and husbands, and every man
goeth over where the hedge is lowest.
Jer. xxii. "Josias executed judgment and justice: he judged the cause of the
afflicted and poor," saith the Lord of Josias.
Job xxix. Job saith thus of himself: " I delivered the poor that cried, and
the fatherless, and him that had none to help him, &c. I put on
justice, and it covered me: my judgment was the eye to the blind,
and 1 was a father unto the poor ; and when I knew not the cause, I
sought it out diligently. I brake also the chaws of the unrighteous
man, and plucked the prey out of his teeth, &c." It appeareth by
this, that Job was a worthy magistrate. God send us many such as
Job was !
The Shunamite, whose son Eliseus raised to life, sojourned in
the time of famine seven years in the land of the Philistines: in her
absence her lands and goods were unjustly entered upon: at her return
she complained of the injury to Jehoram the king of Israel ; Jehoram
without delay commanded an eunuch to restore her goods and lands
2 Kings viii. unto her : " Restore thou," saith Jehoram, " all that are hers, and
all the fruits of her lands, since the day she left the land, even until
this time."
The Jews in Nehemiah's time were greatly oppressed: Nehemiah
was very angry with the princes and rulers which oppressed them,
Neh. V. and said unto tliem, " You lay burdens every one upon his brethren,
(S:c. Restore unto them this day their lands, their vineyards, their
olives, and their houses."
If it 1)6 the magistrate's duty to deliver the oppressed, they must
take great heed, that themselves be neither principals nor accessaries
fiiTV' "■ '" *^^ ^'^ ^^ oppression. If they be guilty, "judgment shall be turned
into wormwood, and the righteous shall be sold for silver, and the
poor for shoes :" that is to say, filthy bribes shall be more accounted
<jf than men's lives, which are most precious.
6. The magistrate loseth nothing hy ddivering the oppressed.
If he do it with a single heart, beside the testimony of a good
conscience, (which is a continual feast,) he may assure himself of
God's favour and blessing, and of the singular liking of all God's
people.
Jer. xMi. "Josias did eat and drink and prosper, when he executed judgment
and justice, when he judged the cause of the afflicted and the poor."
J'-i) xxvi. Jol) " delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him
tliat had none to help him ; and the Idessing of him that was ready
to perish came upon him."
AGAIXST OPPRKSSIOX. 47.3
Our sovorcltrii La<ly Quoon Elizal.etli hatli dealt graciously with
many poor suitoi-s at the court: she hath spoken comfortably to them,
and procured restitution accordingh'. If it be no disgi*ace to this noble
lady, which sitteth under the cloth of estate, to deliver the oppressed,
it is no blot to inferior magistrates if they do the like. If the prince
l)leaseth God highly, and winneth the hearts of her subjects soundly,
for relievbig the oppressed, it is very certain, that those cormorants,
which grind tlie faces of the poor, are accursed of God, and lose the
hearts of his people. If the prince sitteth fast in the seat of her
kingdom for tendering the cause of the oppressed, can they assure
themselves of sitting quietly under their vines and fig trees, which
cat bread baked with the tears of men ? It is certain they cannot ;
for (besides the manifold curses of God and his people,) their own
consciences do mightily sting them, and are enemies enough to tor-
ment them.
0. Oppressors shall he grievonsly punished.
"Cursed be he that removeth his neighbour's mark; and all the D^ut- vxii.
people shall say, Amen." If they are accursed by God and his peo- '
pie, which remove the mark of the land, they are more accui-sed,
which take away house* and land.
"Oppression maketh a wise man mad." Madness is a gi-ievous Eccles. vii.
punishment. God punisheth oppression by madness, one gross sin by '
another.
" Ve have builded houses of hewn stone, but ye shall not dwell in Amos v.
them; ye have planted pleasant vineyards, but ye shall not drink
wine of them." The reason of this is set down by Almighty God in
the same verse, in these words: " Vour treadings are upon the i)oor,
and you take from him burdens of wheat," (that is to say, the ne-
cessary relief of him and his family.) If the taking away of burdens
of wheat from the poor wils so great a sin, the taking away of arable
ground, which by tillage and (Jod's blessing bringcth relief to a man
and his family, is no little sin.
"They shall not mourn for hifii," saith God of Joachim, the king Jer. wu.
of Juda, (which wa.s a great oppressor;) "he shall be buried as an ass
is ])uried, and cast forth (as a carrion alK)ve the ground,) even with-
«)ut the gates of JerusiUem." Joachim had closed himself in cedar, but
that was not able to keep God's judgments fron\ him.
"The stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the Hab. ii. il.
tiin])er slmll answer it, &c." As if Almighty God should say. Rather
than the vile dealings of oppressors should not come to light, the
stone shall cry out of the wall, I am built of blood and initiuity ; aiul
the beam out of the timlx^r shall answer, I am built likewis*' of l>lo04l
and ini([uity. If the stones and beams of oppressors' houses give in
tlu'ir evidence (like honest jurates,) against such houses, the oppn'ssors
n)ust prepare thems<'lves to hear this fearful M-ntence prou«nineed
by the Lord chief justice of heaven and earth against them: "Woo lUb. li. 13.
474 DR some''s godly treatise
unto him that buildeth a town with blood, and erecteth a city by
iniquity !"
They which oppress others, do more hurt themselves than those
An?. Epist. whom they oppress. " The smart of the oppressed hath an end, the
Rom. ii. smart of the oppressor is everlasting ; for he heapeth unto himself
wrath against the day of wrath, and of the declaration of the just
judgment of God^"
There were never any oppressors so many and mighty, but at the
Isai.xxx. 14, length they were met with. God's judgments have feet of wool, but
they have arms of brass: it is long ere God begin; but when he
striketh, he payeth home.
Jer. V. " Woe imto them that imagine iniquity and work wickedness upon
their beds ! when the morning is light, they practise it, because their
hand hath power, and they covet fields, and take them by violence,
and houses, and take them away: so they oppress a man and his
liouse, even a man and his heritage: therefore thus saith the Lord,
Mic. ii. 1, Behold, against this family have I devised a plague, whereout ye
shall not pluck your necks." God be merciful unto us, and make us
afraid of his judgments !
7- Oppressors have no religion in them.
Isai. V. 7. « God looked for judgment, but behold oppression ; for righteousness,
but behold a crying, &c." Judgment and righteousness are the true
fiTiits of God's religion : therefore oppression is no branch of God's re-
ligion : and consequently the oppressor is void of all religion.
"Do not all the workers of iniquity know, that they eat up my
people as they eat bread ? they call not upon the Lord." Oppressors call
not upon the Lord ; therefore they are void of religion : for invocation
is a principal and necessary fruit of religion. If the oppressors say, that
they stretch out their hands and make many prayers, I grant they
.\nc;iii!4'. ^^" ^^> ^^^^ Almighty God giveth them this answer, "I will hide mine
eyes from you, 1 will not hear; for your hands are full of blood."
Mai. iii.5. «i will be a swift witness against those that wi-ongfuUy keep back
the hireling's wages, and vex the widow and fatherless, an I oppress
tlie stranger, and fear not me, saith the Lord of hosts, &c."' They
which oppress others fear not God ; therefore they are void of religion.
If they say they fear God, they deserve no credit, because their doings
confute their speech. " A good tree bringeth forth good fruits/' and a
justifying faith appeareth by good works.
Neh. V. 15. "The former governors did burden the people, but so did n)t I,"
saitli Nehemiah, " because of the fear of God." If Nehemiah did
neither oppress nor deal hardly, because he feared God, it is manifest
that oppressors fear not God, and therefore are void of religion.
[' Utinam vel tantum tibi obesset iniquitas, quam miseris et paiiperibus facis, quan-
tum obest ipsis quibus earn facis ! Illi enim ad tempus laborant ; tu autem vide quid
tibi thesaurizes in die irai et revelationis justi judicii Dei, qui reddet unicuique secun-
dum opera sua. August. Epist. ctxi. (ccxlvii.) Tom. ii. p. 794. Ed. Paris. 1836. Ed.]
Psal. xiv. 4.
AGAINST OPPRESSION. 47 •'^
" When lie, (that is, Josias,) judged the cause of the afflicted and the Jer. xxii. 16,
poor, he prospered: was not this because lie knew me? saith the Lord. *"
But thine eyes and thine heart, (he speaketh to Joachim, the king of
Juda,) are but only for thy covetousness, and for to shed innocent
blood, and for oppression, ike." Josias was a singular defence to the
oppressed, because he did know and fear God : Joachim was a notable
oppressor, because he did neither know nor fear God, that is to say,
because he was void of God's religion.
This which I have set down against oppression, may sen'c for
oppressors to look upon, and to refoi-m themselves by. If it work their
good, it is hai)py for them; if it do not, let them remember that die
they must, and that after death they shall have a fearful judgment.
The best advice that I can give to them which are oppressed is, that
they desire the magistrate to be their defence. If by this
ordinaiy means they cannot compass their own, they
must patiently bear injuries, and commit their
cause to Almighty God, who hath their
flittings in his register, and their Psal. Ivi. 8.
tears in his bottle, and will l)e
surely, but yet justly,
revenged of their
oppressors.
Veritas et dnicis est et nmara. Qnando diilds est, jmreit ; quaiido
amarUy curat. Aug. Epist. ccxi^ ad Romuhim.
\} ccxi.vfi. in the later editions. See the last note. Ed.]
47fi AN EXPOSITIO.V UPON \EHEMIAH. [CH. V.
V. 6. A7id I was mry angry ^ when I heard their cry and
these icords.
7. And my heart within me advised nie, and I chid the
noblemen and the rulers^ and I said unto them^ Every
one of you lay burdens on your brethren ; and I as-
sembled a great congregation agai7ist them.
8. And I said ^mto them, We have redeemed our brethren
the Jews, which loere sold to the Gentiles, as far as
we loere able; and ivill ye sell your brethren again,
and shall they be sold to us ? And they held their tongue,
and found not a word to speak.
9. And I said, The thing that ye do is not good: ought
ye not to icalh in the fear of God, for avoiding the
slander of the heathen ichich hate us ?
10. Both I, my brethren, and my servants, lent them money
and corn; I pray you, let us leave off these burdens.
11. / pray you, this day restore them their land, their
vineyards, their olive gardens, and their houses, and
the hundredth part of money, and of the corn, and of
the wine, and of the oil, lohich ye do exact of them.
12. And they said. We will restore them again, and ice
will require nothing of them ; we will do as thou hast
said. And I called the priests, and did swear them
to do according to these words.
18. And I also did shake my lap, and said. Let God
thus shake every man which maintaineth not this word,
out of his house and his labour ; and after this man-
ner let him be shaken out, and void. And all the mul-
titude .said Amen, and praised the Lord ; and the people
did according to this word.
Here we shall learn well, both what the cry of the poor
oppressed prevaileth in the ears of the godly, and what a
good ruler ought to do in such a case. Magistrates are
mortal gods, and God is an immortal magistrate : therefore
as the merciful God heareth in his holy habitation in hea-
ven the cry of the miserable oppressed people in earth, so
should every godly ruler hear and relieve the pitiful cry of
the oppressed, being his brethren, seeing he is God's lieute-
nant, and hath the sword and law in his hand to bridle such
V. (j 1.3.] AN EXPOSITION UPON NEIIEMIAH. 477
ill doers, and must not for favour, gifts, nor fear, suffer it
unamended : else he doeth not his duty unto the mighty
Lord, who set him in that place, gave him the authority,
and will ask a strait account how he hath used it to the
relief of the oppressed.
Nehemiah, hearing this open outcry of the peoi)le, and fear-
ing the inconvenience that might follow of it, dealeth wisely.
First, as justice requireth, he is very angry at it, and yet
with wisdom bridleth his affection, that he doth not rashly
punish them, but after due consultation within himself, and
good advice taking, first with words sharply rebuketh them,
and after by authority compelleth them, not only henceforth
to leave their cruel dealing, but also to restore that which
they had so wrongfully gotten.
Some be of opinion, that a magistrate should not be
moved with anijer in doin^j his office, but ;nve everv man
fair words, pass over matters slowly, please all men, though
he do them little good ; but, the truth being well considered,
it may be judged otherwise. Lactantius writeth a book De
Ira Dei^ wherein he proveth that Hod h'nnseJf is angrtf^ and
icery anfjrr is uof nn. If God then be angry against sin,
why may not a good man in God's cause then do the same ',
Hate not the man, but his ill doing ; be not angrj' with-
out a just cause imadvisedly ; keep not thy anger long, that
it grow not into hatred ; let it be no more nor no less than
the fault deser\'eth, and let it be without raging, funn'ng,
fretting, swelling, and raving and disquieting of body or mind ;
not for malice of revenging, but for pity or justice to cor-
rect and amend : and anger well qualified is not ill. Phi-
nees, being angry with the filthy whoredom conuuitted oj)enly
and unpimished by those that were in authority, took his
sword, killed both the parties in liis zealous anger, and for so
doing the Lord blessed him, and '* the plague ceased." Moses
is called the "mildest man u|)on earth;'' and yet in his anger Kxod. xiih.
ho threw down the tables wherein God wrote the fen com-
mandments, and brake them, when he saw they had made
the golden calf. Jesus Christ our Lord was angr}-, when he
"whipt the buyers and sellers out of the temple.'' St Mark
saith, "he looked on them round about with anger.'' Every
anger therefore is not ill.
478
AN EXPOSITION UPON NEHEMIAH. [CH. V. 6 13.]
This is not spoken to give liberty to anger, for we are
too ready to it by nature; but rather to bridle it, seeing it
standeth on so narrow a point to keep measure in. This
qualifying of anger is declared in the scripture, as that it
[Ephes. iv.] should not continue : St Paul saith, " Let not the sun set
upon your anger ;" and that it should not be rashly without
cause, nor more than the cause requireth, the gospel teacheth,
saying, " He that is angry with his brother without a just
cause is guilty of judgment." This anger of Nehemiah was
just in all circumstances, and kept the rule of St Paul, " Be
angry and sin not ;'' which is a hard point to keep.
Matt. V.
FINIS.
SOLI DEO SIT GLORIA,
THE
BURNING OF ST PAUL'S CHURCH:
TIIK
ADDITION
AM>
COiNFUTATlOxN OF THE ADDITION.
^fje iJtitttKttse
of ilaulee tfiuttt) in aott^
Don in ttje prate of oure HorU
i56i,anUtt)eiuiUapofSune
bB iBS^tn^ngc, at ii)rce of m
dotlic, at after noonc, tof)icf)
tontinucTJ tttribU anti
ijdpUsse tonto
(•)
WERE THESE GREATER SIN-
ner.,than the rest? No: 1 saye vnto you ex-
cept ye repent, ye shall all lyke-
wyse peryshe.
Luc. 13.
(*)
C Jmprinteii at ftoniron »»
at m toeet entre of lloU3U0,
at m SP9«^ ^^
m feeuge:=
t)og.
(.)
AN ADDICION, WITH AN AP-
POLOGIE TO THE CAUSES OF BRINNVNGE ' OF PAULE'S
CHURCH, THE WHICH CAUSES WERE UTTRED AT
PAULE'S CROSSE BY THE REUEREND BYS-
SHOP OF DURESME, THE 8th
OF JUNE, 1561.«
Although Almighty God be patient, merciful, and long-suffering,
willing all sinners to repent their wickedness, to rise from sin, and
come to his mercy ; yet, if sinners will not amend after monition and
warning had, at the last God strikes suddenly and sore, as appears in
the scripture by Sodom and Gomorra, upon the which cities God
rained fire and brimstone, wherewith the five cities were destroyed
miserably. Also Pharao and the Egyptians, that would not be moved
[' Brinning : burnin?, as brent is the old form of the participle burnt.— TXxe oc-
casion of this controversy is thus stated by Strype : " When by lishtning", on the
4th day of June, this year, [1561] the steeple, the bells, and roof of St Paul's church
were burnt, a papist, soon after this accident, spread certain papers about at West
Chester concerning^ it. * * * And whereas, June 8, that is, the next Sunday
after this fire, Pilkington, bishop of Durham, preached at Paul's Cross, and took notice
in his sermon of the dreadful devastation of this church, exhorting^ the people to
take it to be a warning of a g^reater plague to follow to the city of London, if
amendment of life were not had in all estates: he did also recite certain abuses of
the said church ; as talking, buying and selling, fighting and brawling there : he
shewed also, how the virtue of obedience to superiors was much decayed in those
days: these causes assigned for this judgment were reflected upon in the said paper;
making the chief causes rather to b<', ' that the old fathers and the old ways were
left, together with blaspheming God in lying sermons preached there, polluting the
temple with schismatical service, and destroying and pulling down altars, set up by
blessed men, and where the sacrifice of the mass was ministereil.' This occasioned
the writing of a tract in confutation of the paper aforesaid; printed by Will. Seres,
ann. 1563." Str>-pe, Annals, Vol. i. Part i. p. 390. Kd.]
[' It is to be regretted, that the ^sernlon preached by the bishop on the occasion
referred to is not now extant. It does not indeed clearly appear that it ever wxs
printed, though it is so stated by Surtees, History of Durham, p. i-xxviii. and others ;
but Strype, whose authority is referred to, (see the last note,) makes no mention
of its being printed. In his life of (irindal, p. 53—55, fol. Ix)nd. 1710, he gives a
full account of the circumstances of the fire, and of the bishop's .sermon, ysh\c\\
was *' preached with ifreiit applause of the hearers," and api>ears to have embraced
many points afterwards enlarged u|K)n in the "Confutation." "All this," he adtls^
"and much more was written in Ijitin, and afterwards entere«l into Bishop (irindarn
Register by his special command to Peter Johnson, his Ri^gistrary, for a jHTpttual
memory of this fire and of so great a destruction."— We have therefore the "Addition"
without that to which it was originally adde«l. This " .Vddition" was put forth anony-
njously by John Moren, or .Morwcu, Bonner's chaplain, and replietl to in the Bi»hup's
"Confutation." Eo.l
31
[pilkington.]
482 THE BURNING OF PAUl'*S.
by the words of Moses and Aaron, nor with the ten plagues, at last
were suddenly drowned in the sea.
Also Chore, Dathan and Abiron, ^\ith a great number of people,
that would not obey the ministration of Aaron and the priests ap-
pointed by God, but went from them, seeking a new way to serve
God; part of them were suddenly swallowed up of the earth, and
part brent suddenly with fire from heaven in the tabernacle. After,
when the people of Jerusalem would not hear the true prophets of
God, but would believe false lying prophets, and so declined from the
steps of David, Ezechias, and Josias, which walked in the fear of
God; because they forsook their fathers' steps, and fell to idolatry,
the temple was brent, the city destroyed, and the people taken cap-
tives to Babylon. Also our Saviour Christ, for the tender love he had
to mankind, came into this world; by his doctrine he gathered twelve
apostles disciples, and a great multitude of people in one unity of
faith, and sanctified them, his church, by his precious blood-shedding,
j^ " committing the rule and government of his church to the bishops :"
after his ascension he sent the Holy Ghost in Jerusalem, in likeness
of fiery tongues, among the apostles, and straightway they preached
as the Holy Ghost taught them: and there in Jerusalem St Peter
converted a great multitude to the faith, which faith at Jerusalem was
first taught and declared upon by a council of the apostles and seniors,
XI, "there St James being bishop, and there said mass:" and afterward
the same faith was taught in all lands, as the prophet David says.
In omnem terram exivit sonus eorum. The faith of Christ's church
hath been from time to time established by general councils : the
wliich faith what country soever hath forsaken it, hath been miser-
ably scourged and plagued; as about forty years after the ascension
of our Saviour Christ, because the Jews would not abide in that re-
ligion that was decreed by the apostles, and walk in their steps,
miserably Jerusalem was plagued with fire, pestilence, famine, battle,
and murder. Also in all other countries, as well with the Greeks as
other parts of the world, when the people have declined from the
fear of God, forsaking the steps of blessed fathers, miserably they
III. have ])cen plagued. And " in England, where the faith of Christ and
" time rehgion was planted about the year of our Lord 182. by Eleu-
" therius, pope, sending legates to Lucius then king of England, which
" converted this realm to the faith, and established true religion in
" England, which continued two hundred years ;" but when the people
did decline from the fear of God, and the steps of God and blessed
fathers, they came to great calamity and misery by the scourge of
God. Cadwallader, last king of the Britons, did confess by the hand of
God with pestilence and famine they were driven out of tliis land.
IV. " After that again, this land being inhabited with Saxons, being Pai-
" nims, St Gregory, pope of Rome, about the year of our Lord God, 595.
" sent St Augustine and otlier monks with him into England, Ethel-
'• bert being king ; and then St Augustine and his company by their
" doctrine and virtuous living jilanted tlie faith, and so established a
AN ADDITION. 483
" true religion in England : the which faith and religion ever when
" the people have declmed from it, they have felt great calamities, as
" well by the hand of God, as by the concjuest of the Danes, and
" after by the Normans ; and sith the conquest from time to time" God
hath plagued this realm for sin and infidelity. And " now, whether y.
" the people of this realm be declined from the steps of St Augustme
" and other blessed fathers and samts, which had mass and seven sa-
" craments in the church ; and God was honoured night and day in
" the church with divine service ; I think there is no man so simple
" but he may easUy perceive, except malice have blinded his heart.
" As in St Paul's church in London, by the decrees of blessed
" fathers, every night at midnight they had matins, all the forenoon
" masses in the church, with other divine senice and continual i)rayer ;
" and in the steeple anthems and prayers were had certain times :" l)ut
consider, how far now contrary the church has been used; and it is
no marvel, if God have sent do^vn fire to bum part of the church as
a sign of his MTath. And where a reverend bishop at Paul's cross
did exhort the people to take the burning of Paul's to be a warning
of a greater plague to follow to the city of London, if amendment of
life be not had in all estates, it was well said: but we must add,
accedentem ad Deum oportet credere; the scripture says, " He that >vill
come to God must first believe." St Paul says, " Without faith it is Heb. xi.
impossible to jjlease God:" and the prophet Jeremy saith by the Jer. vi.
Spirit of God speaking, State super vias, et interrogate dc semitis
antifjuijf, fjiue ait bona ; et ambulate in, ea, et invenietis rej'rigerium ani-
mabus vestris : that is, " Stand upon the ways of blessed fathers, and
consider and ask of the old paths and high-ways, wliich is the good
way; and walk therein, and ye shall find refreshing to your souls."
" First search, whether the faith and religion now used was taught VI.
** with the blessed fathers in Christ's church in times past : ye shall
" prove by no record of authority or chronicle, that this manner of
" service now used in the church was ever heard tell of afore Luther's
" time, whicli is nut forty years old. Therefore it is to be rejected
" and put away, as a ncw-fangk'd doctrine and schismatical : there-
"fore come back again unto the old fathers' steps," as well in faith
and religion, as godly convei-sation and living; or a greater i)lague is
at hand.
"Also, where the said preacher did recite certain abuses of the \il.
"said church, as talking, buying and selling, fighting and brawling;
'* althougii these be very evil and worthy much rebuke, yt-t tlicrt- be
" worse abuses, as blaspheming God in lying sermons, polluting the
" temple with schismatical service, destroying and pulling down holy
" altars, that were set up by good blcssfd nun, and there the sacrifice
" of the blessed mass ministered according t<» tlie order of Christ's
" catholic church. Yea, where the altar stood of the Holy iihost, the
" new bishops have made a place to set their tails upon, and there
" sit in the judgment of such as be eatliolic and live in the fear of
" (Jod. Some tiiev deprive from tlieir livings; some they cumniit to
31—^'
4S4 THE BURNING OP PAUl'^S.'
" prison, except they will forsake the catholic faith, and embrace a faith
" and religion, that has no foundation laid by general council nor blessed
'•'fathers in times past, but invented by heretics that do not agree one
'' with another nor themselves." Thus the bishops that now be have
abused the church, and polluted it, as the prophet Jeremy says, " They
have put offendicles in the house of God, and polluted it."
Also the said preacher in his sermon at Paul's cross did declare the
virtue of obedience to be much decayed in these our days ; but he leaves
VIII. out, who they be that cause disobedience. For ''there is none more
" disobedient than the new bishops and preachers now a days, which
" disobey the universal church of Christ : the which church whosoever
Matt, xviii. « ^i^ ^iot obey, our Saviour in the gospel commands us to take them
" as infidels. As, where the universal church of Christ commands mass
" and seven sacraments, as necessary for our salvation, they call it
" abomination with their blasphemous mouths : where the church
" commands to fast, they command to eat : where the church com-
*' mands conthiual prayer of the clergy, they call it superstition and
" blind ignorance : where the church commands the clergy to live in
" chastity, they command and exhort the clergy to marriage : where
" the church and all laws, civil and canon, yea, the laws of this realm
" do prohibit marriage of priests, they allow marriage of priests, obeying
*' no law, but follow their own carnal lust. Yea, where the Queen has
" given strait commandment to abstain from flesh in Lent and other
"days commanded by the church, these new preachers and protestants
"have eaten flesh openly, to the great slander of other:" so they obey
neither the Queen nor the church; so that Almighty God complains
Isai. lii. by his prophet Esay, Tola die hlasphematur nomen meum : " With
these men God is continually blasphemed." " Woe be to you," says
Isai. V. Esay, "that call good evil, and evil good, putting darkness light, and
Ezek. xvxii. light darkness ;" as by Ezechiel says Almighty God, " The priests have
contemned my law, and have polluted my sanctuary." Also Osee the
prophet does say, " The bread that they do offer is full of mourning,
and all that eat thereof shall be defiled."
We may see how they contemn all that blessed fathers, holy martyrs
and saints have decreed : they disobey all that have been virtuous and
IX. good in Christ's catholic church. As now of late " they have invented a
" new way to make bishops and priests, and a manner of service and
" ministration, that St Augustine never knew, St Edmund, Lanfranc, St
" Anselm, nor never one bishop of Canterbury, saving only Cranmer,
" who forsook his profession as apostata: so that they must needs con-
" demn all the bishops in Canterbury, but Cranmer, and he that now is ;
" all the bishops in York, saving Holgate, and he that now is : although
" St Wilfred, St William have been taken for saints, and were bishops
" in York. In Coventry and Lichfield St Chad was bishop, and many
" blessed bishops : and he that is bishop now can find not any one that
" was made as he is, nor of his religion. Therefore he must prove, all
" bishops of Lichfield were deceived, walked in blindness and igno-
" ranee ; or else he that now is must needs be deceived and be in blind-
AX ADDITION. 485
" ness. In Duresme have been many good fathers; hut he that is now
*' bishop can not find any one predecessor in that see, that was of his
" religion, and made bishop after such sort as he was : so that he tliat
" now is must take in hand to condemn all the bishops afore liini, that
" they were in ignorance and blindness, or else they will come to his
" condemnation at the day of judgment. And this in all bishopricks in
" England : some can find one, and some none, that ever was of their
" religion. What arrogancy may be thought in those men that will take
" in hand to condemn^ so many blessed fathers all to be in blindness !"
But now they say, they have found a light, and reform religion ac-
cording to the primitive church. Then "seeing they reform religion so X.
" well (as they say), it were meet, as they forsake all the religion that
" their predecessors used, as mass, matins, ministration of sacraments,
" that they should also forsake houses, parks, lands and revenues, that
" their predecessors had, and go from place to place for God's sake
" and preach," and then were some likelihood of reformation : or else
it may be called rather a deformation than a reformation.
" In Christ's church has ever been a succession of bishops from the XI.
" apostles* time to this day, in every see. And Tertullian says : ' If in
" any see there be a bishop that walks not in his fathers' steps, he is
" to be counted a bastard, and no true inheritor in Christ's church.'
" Saint Cyprian does say : ' They that be made bishops out of the
" order of the church, and not by tradition and ordinance of the apos-
" ties, coming by succession from time to time, are not bishops by the
** will of God,' but thieves and murderers," coming to kill the flock of
Christ with heresy and lies. And " where the said preacher does af- XI I.
" firm greater matters than the burning of Paul's to have chanced in
" time of superstition and ignorance, (as the church of Paul's was
" burnt in the first year of Stephen, and the steeple of Paul's set on
'* fire by lightning in the time of king Henry the VI.,) they that count
" that to be the time of superstition and ignorance, when God was
" served devoutly night and day, the j)eople lived in the fear of God,
" every one in his vocation, without reasoning and contention of mat-
" ters of religion, but referred all such things to learned men in gene-
" ral councils and universities, there to be disputed : then was the
" commandments of (Jod and virtue expressed in living ; now all is
** in talk and nothing in living: then was prayer, now is prating: then
" was virtue, and now is vice : then was building up of churches, houses
" of religion and hospitals, where prayer was had nit,'ht and day, hos-
" pitality kept and the poor relieved ; now is pulling down and dr-
•* stroying such houses, where God should be 8cr>-ed, hospitality kept,
" and the poor relieved ; by means whereof God's glorj' is dcstroyi'd,
" and the commonwealth impoverished : then was plenty of all things,
" now is scarceness of all things: therefore 0})erihux nt^iitr ;" the fruit
will shew whether then was superstition and ignorance, or now in
these day**.
Further: where the true word of God is taught the Holy Ghost
[' Old edition, contemn; but it is afterwards quoted condrmn. Ed.]
486 THE BURNING OF PAUL''s.
does so ^vo^k therewith, that virtue does increase: but as the pro-
Hos. iv. phet says, aicut populus ita et sacerdos, " as the people he, so God
Jere. viii. sends them priests." Apprehenderunt mendacium et noluerunt reverti,
''the people have apprehended a lie and will not come back, but
Jere. vii. trust in Ij'ing sermons which will not profit them," as Almighty God
says by his prophet Jeremy, thinking they have done well because
they have done these abominations, says God by his prophet Jeremy.
So as the priests be, so be the people : blinded in heresy, as God says
Isai. vi. by his prophet Esay, that their hearts do not understand, their eyes
do not see, their ears be stopped for hearing the truth : so that this
may well be called the time of superstition and ignorance, calling
Isai. V. darkness light, and light darkness, that which is evil good, and good
evil. And for the burning of Paul's church which he speaks of " was
XIII. "in time of civil war, and not destroyed by the hands of God, as it was
"at this time," whosoever reads the chronicles shall perceive that and
this be not like. Therefore beware of false prophets and preachers,
which come with fair words in their mouths of the gospel, but mark
/ the fruits that come of their preaching; how they have set the
people in such case, that no prayer is used, no fasting, little alms-
XIV. deeds, "all liberty used;" what disobedience children be in against
their parents, how untrusty servants be, what swearing and blas-
pheming of God is used of all people; what theft, whoredom, craft,
subtlety and deceit: these be fruits that come of this new-fangled
doctrine. Therefore return back again to the steps of good fathers
afore us: be not carried away, as St Paul says, with a strange and
diverse doctrine; "embrace the religion and faith taught in Christ's
" church from time to time continually, and frame your living ac-
" cordingly ; or else God's vengeance hangs over your heads, ready
" suddenly to fall upon you : so says the scripture, and let this token
" of burning of Paul's be an example and token of a greater plague
" to follow, except ye amend." (*.-,*)
A CONFUTACION OF AN AD-
DICION, WITH AN APPOLOGYE WRITTEN AND CAST
IN THE STRETES OF WEST CHESTER, AGAYNST
THE CAUSES OF BURNYNG PAULE'S CHURCH
IN LONDON: WHYCH CAUSES, THE
REUEREND BYSHOP OF DV.
RES3IE DECLARED AT PAU-
LE'S CROSSE 8. JU-
NII. lofil.
Our Saviour Christ, when the devil spake the truth
plainly, did not confute or gainsay it : but when he did it
frowardly, Christ rebuked him sharply. As when the devil
said, ''Jesus of Nazareth, what have we to do with thee? art Lukeiv.
thou come to destroy us? I know that tliou art the Holy
One of God f ^ he did not refuse nor deny that trutli which
he spake : but when the devil tempted him to throw him-
self down from the pinnacle of the temple, he rebuked him :\iatt. n.
quickly, because he alleged the tnie scripture maliciously.
So it is not sufficient to do a good deed barely, or speak the Truth must
truth only, except it be done rightly, and with such circum- uttered,
stances as be necessarily required to make it good : as, that
it be from the heart, and for (iod's cause willingly, \:c. In
like manner, where this scavenger, sweeping the streets with
his books (as a fit broom and officer thereto), has spoken the
truth, not truly, because it is for an evil purpose and frowardly,
I shall pa.ss over it with silence : but where he follows his
master, the father of lies, in falsifying the tnith, or racking
the scripture subtilly, T shall by Ciod's grace let the world sec
his juggling, and by tnith truly uttered disclose iiis shame-
less lying.
The first examples that he brings, declaring how (iod does
justly plague the obstinate sinners, that will not repent after
many warnings given, are true all : but l)cing allege*! to bring
us back to popery, and for another puq>os<- than (Jod our
Lord has taught them, they be craftily misuscHl, and ye 8«'e
488 THE BURNING OF PAUL\«i. [sECT.
whose footsteps he followed. And as he uses them to per-
suade us to superstition, so they may and ought to be used
specially, for maintaining tine religion. The rhetoricians
teach, that such kind of beginnings as may be applied to two
contrary parts, are faulty. Therefore, seeing I may use the
self-same reasons and words, that he has from the beginning
hitherto, to train us to love and embrace our godly reformed
religion, he cannot much crack of his wisely placed examples or
reasons. But I will not stick with him in such small points
as these, although they be false : but I will join with him in
matters of weight, and those chief points of religion which he
has touched, and we differ from him and his sort in them.
I. Committing the rule and government of his Church to the
Bishops, &e.
The first is concerning the authority and government
given to bishops over God'*s church : wherein his w^ords are
not so untrue, as they contain a false doctrine and meaning in
them. If ye think that I too boldly enter to judge his mean-
ing, confer these words with such as follow in his own writing,
wherein untinily he claims those privileges to his bishops,
which neither he nor they are able to justify; and there at
large ye shall easily perceive what he means by these few
words here. But I will follow him where away he leads me ;
and because he does here but briefly touch it, I shall like-
wise shortly pass over it, and more throughly search it, where
, he does more at large press it.
In the beginning of their late revived tyranny, and afore
they had obtained their long desired authority to reign over
kings and princes, it was my chance to talk with one of their
stoutest champions, and of those that he calls the godly
bishops in prison. Among sundry things that were to be re-
dressed in talk, as he thought, he took this self-same matter
first, and said it was not fit for any temporal officer to sit as
judge on any priest or spiritual man, specially in any spiritual
What au- matter. For the same cause began Thomas Becket to rebel
thority . , . . °
hishops agamst his prmce, not suffering his priests to be punished
the church, for thcir umrders and robberies ; and now like good children
they follov/ his steps. I asked, Why I for the laws were then
I.] CONFUTATION OF AN ADDITION. 489
as they be now ; and both very well, that justices in their
sessions and assizes might and should inquire who then of-
fended the civil laws and the order of rehgion established,
whether he were priest or other. He answered, that in the
20th of the Acts of the Apostles it was plain that God had
set the bishops to govern the church. 1 said, that was another
kind of government that St Paul there grants to bishops,
and differs from that which kings or princes claim and ought
to have. " No,'' says he, " mark the words, and it is ad re-
gendum ecclesiam^ et regere regum est : therefore bishops have
authority to rule as kings.'' " No," said I, " if ye will be
judged by the word, the Greek word must be judge in this
case ; for in Greek it was first written and spoken : and there
will appear another kind of government, far diverse from
that which belongs to princes. The Greek word in that place
is TToi/iaiveiVi which signifies to feed, as the shepherd feeds
his sheep ; and yet not without all government or authority,
but only such a simple kind of rule and authority as shep-
herds have over their flock. If ye will confer one place
of the scripture with another, where this word is read or
found, (which is the best kind of interpreting the scripture
rightly, as St Austin teaches,) and see what kind of govern-
ment it signifies there, then this place shall more easily be
understand." " Feed the flock that is among you," says i rot. v.
St Peter. " Feed my sheep," says our Saviour Christ to john xai.
Peter. Where, and in other like places also, the same Greek
word, that is conmionly translated in the Acts, regere^ to nde, is
put, and signifies (as ye see) to fad. The same word is applied
also to our Saviour Christ in the gospel, where is declared ^i*"h. ii.
plainly, what kind of authority it signifies : *' Thou, IJethloem,
in the land of Juda, thou art not the least of the princes of
Juda ; for out of thee shall there come to me a prince, that
shall rule, or feed, my people Israel." Also, '' I am the John \.
good Shepherd," says Christ ; where likewise is the siimc
(ireek word placed. Then, if Christ our Lord had any tempo-
ral jurisdiction, or these other places, using the same GrcH}k
word, contain any such thing, they might have s^)me ap|K»ar-
ance to claim their usurped authority : else, it is not prolwiblc
to give the Siime word in that place alone tliat meaning,
contrary to so many other places having the self-same word.
490 THE BURNING OF PAULAS. [
SECT.
Nay, further to say : did not our Lord and Master Jesus
Christ refuse this worldly authority himself, when it was
offered unto him, and the one brother desired him to " divide
the inheritance" betwixt him and his other brother? He
Luke xii. would not, but Said, " Who appointed me a divider betwixt
you r' — as though he should say, It is not my calling, nor
belongs to me. His kingdom was not of this world ; but
he came to teach his Father's will. Likewise he taught his
Luke xxii. apostles not to challenge this superiority, saying, " The princes
of the people have rule over them, but it shall not be so among
you ; but he that would be the greatest, shall be the least ;"'
that they might follow his steps truly.
But the manifest place, where the proper signification of
Eph. iv. this word appears, is in Paul, where he reckons what officers
God has set in his church, and says, " First he set some
apostles, other prophets, some evangelists, other shepherds
and teachers."' These shepherds, which are noted there by
the same word that they claim their authority by, are placed
by St Paul almost the lowest officers in God's church : then
much more they cannot have the highest room in the common-
wealth and church both.
I know, the Greek poets attribute this word to kings,
but I trust they build not on heathen men's writings ; and yet
that name there is given them for their fatherly love towards
their subjects, rather than their royal authority. But com-
pare them with shepherds that keep our sheep in deed, of
whom they have their name ; and easily their nature, property,
office, and authority shall be spied. God's people are called oft
in the scriptm-e sheep, (as, "We thy people and the sheep of
thy pasture will praise thee;") and their teachers are called
shepherds: because the one should in living follow the sim-
plicity and obedience of sheep ; and the other, the careful
pains and diligence of shepherds, in feeding, healing, relieving,
guiding, correcting, &c.
Look then, what temporal authority the shepherd has over
his sheep ; and the same spiritual power have the bishops
over the church. The good shepherd will not let his sheep
feed in hiui:ful and roating' pastures, but will remove them
1^^ Rooty, rowty: coarse, or over-rank; said of grass or corn.
Brockett's Glossary of north country words. Ed.]
,^- €^ eu^^<'^ ^^' -i^^"^
I.] CONFUTATION OF AN AUDITION. 491
to good feeding grounds : no more will God's good shepherds
let God's people and his brethren lie poisoned with false
doctrines, but by his authority root out and confute them.
The tnie shepherd, if he see the wolf or fox come to devour
the flock, he will watch and defend the fold : so should the
good bishop by his office. The good shepherd will save the v/A-/^*^ ^
scabbed sheep, bring home the stray, and feed the weak and n^^^^l
hungry : so \N-ill the good bishop, according to his duty. The ^£^./v>, ^
good shepherd, if his sheep be unruly, will set his dog to
pull him down and tame him : if any cannot be healed, he
will cut it off, and kill it, for infecting the rest : so will God's /^ «^M^i
good bishop \\\\\\ the threatenings of God's vengeance pull
down the unbridled stomachs of the people, make them to
tremble and quake at God's judgments ; and if any cannot be
reclaimed, he will cut him off by excommunication, separate
him from the fello\\ship of God's people, not suffer him to
communicate the Lord's supper, which is the band of brotherly
love, and forbid all good folk his company, if through such
shame he may be l)rought to knowledge his fault and amend,
that he may jayfully be received as a brother in the com})anv
and fellowship of (rod's people again, and communicate with
them in prayer, doctrine, discipline, and sacraments, as afore.
In these points the authority of bishops is so great, that it
extends to prince, pope, and prelate, and none is exempt ; but
as they be subject to God's word, sacraments, and doctrine,
so miLst they obey God's true minister and dicipline. As for
example, the good bishop Ambrose did sharply correct and ex-
communicate the emperor Theodosius for a rash murder done
by his commandment : and whether he is more praiseworthy
that would or durst rebuke and excommunicate so mighty
a prince, or the good emperor, that ^v^llingly submitted him-
self and obeyed his correction, it may be doubted."
The power and authority then of bishops is spiritual, l>elong-
ing to man's soul, as their office and ministery is; and it stands
chiefly in those two points, in doctrine and discipline. As the
temj>ond officer in the commonwcnltli has not the sword rom-
mitt(Hl to him in vain, but to dcfcnil the good, and punish the
evil ; to smite the enemy and save tho subject ; t(» prison the
froward, and loose the guiltless: so luis (Jod's minister in his
[' Sec above, i>. 301. Ed.]
^ i i f ri
492 THE BURNING OF PAUl'^S. [sECT.
church full power and authority to teach sound doctrine and
confute the false ; to beat down haughty minds, and raise the
weak ; to bind and loose the conscience by virtue of God's word ;
to throw into hell the obstinate, or lift into heaven the penitent;
to cast out of God's church, and receive again, such as he right-
ly judges by the scriptures meet for mercy or justice. And as
St Peter calls Clirist our Lord "the Shepherd and Bishop of
our souls ;" so those bishops that follow Christ will challenge
no'more authority to them, than their Master Christ had.
I am sure this pleases him well to hear, specially of my
mouth, that such spiritual authority is given to spiritual min-
isters, to execute on all sorts of people : for as they belie us in
other things, saying, w^e teach false doctrine, and move the
people to sin ; so they say, that in denying them their usurped
authority, we take from them that which is due to them. Yet
in granting thus much unto them I mean not, as they teach,
that priests and bishops have this power of themselves, or
when they be greased with the pope's oil, that they may exe-
cute it when and on whom it pleases them ; but that God
works it by them, as his wisdom thinks good, when they use
them as he appointed them. For as the judge or pursuivant,
that brings the king's pardon to save a thief on the gallows,
is but the prince's servant, and not the chief saviour and deli-
verer of the condemned ; so in this absolving and raising up the
sinful clogged conscience, the chief praise and work is God's,
and the bishop or minister is but God's servant, going his
message bv his word and commandment, to save and loose
them whom it pleases God to offer this grace unto.
But methink I hear him say. If bishops in temporal causes
have not this authority, why sit they so oft by commission
now under the gospel in temporal matters? Indeed, forso-
much as they sit by commission, it proves that it belongs not
to their office, as appointed by God, but in that they serve the
prince, as they be bounden. Who wills and commands them
by commission to serve in such place and time ? The bishop's
office is chiefly taught in the scripture by the Holy Ghost, and
from him he receives his commission, and is not invented by
pope or man. If ye compare together St Paul's bishop, de-
scribed in Timothy and Titus, with such toys as the pope's
prelates are ordained to play and feed the people withal, they
I.] CONFUTATION OF AX ADDITION. ^ 493
are as like as black and white. St Paul's bishop is in the
first place licensed to marry : the pope's are forbidden wives,
and allowed whores for money. St PauFs bishop must preach :
the pope's think it shame to stand in the pulpit. St Paul wills
his bishop to " have his children obedient with all reverence :"*
the popish priest's children sit by other men's fires, and brought
up most wantonly. The pope has commanded his bishops to
christen bells and ships, to hallow mitres and staves, rings,
church-yards, altars, superaltars, albs, vestments, chalices,
corporas, palms, ashes, candles, water, fire, bread, oil, cream,
flowers, strips, swords, crowns, fingers, &c. This is their
whole life ; and yet not one such word appointed them by God
in scripture. Wliat is this but to forsake God's ordinance, and
follow their own devices, to prefer man and his doings to the
wisdom of the Holy Ghost? AV'hen he has done all these things,
he may say, he has served his master the pope, and done his
commandment, but not one thing that God bids him.
Yet remains one doubt unanswered in these few words,
when he says, that " the government of the church was com-
mitted to bishops," as though they had received a larger and
higher commission from God of doctrine and discipline than
other lower priests or ministers have, and thereby might chal-
lenge a greater prerogative. But this is to be understood,
that the privileges and superiorities, which bishops have above
other ministers, are rather granted by man for maintaining of
better order and quietness in commonwealths, than commanded
by God in his word. Ministers have better knowledge and
utterance some than other, but their ministery is of equal dig-
nitv. God's commission and connnandment is like and indiffe-
rent to all, priest, bishop, archbishop, prelate, by what name
soever he be called, '*Go and teach baptizing in the name M»rk xvi.
of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost : " and again,
'•Whose sins soever ye forgive, they are forgiven, and what- John xx.
soever ye loose in earth, it is loosed in heaven, «S:c.'' Lik(>uis<»
the Lord's su})per, by whomsoi'ver, being lawfully called, it b<*
ministered, it is of like strength, power and holiness. St Paul
calls the elders of Ephesus together, and says, ''the Holy Ghost Act«xx.
made them bishops to rule the church of God:" he writes also
to the bishops of Philipjxis, meaning the ministers : fur neither
Ephesus nor Philippos were so great towns, but one little
494 THE BURNING OF PAUl''s. [sECT.
bislioprick is a greater compass of ground ; then they needed
not many bishops. Therefore this diversity of absolving sins,
invented by idle brains, that a simple priest may absolve some
small ones, other greater belong to the bishop ; the archbishop
claims another higher sort ; the rest and foulest sort pertain to
popes and cardinals, as the fathers and maintainers of them ;
Ministers' thesc, I sav, are so foolish and childish to believe, that I think
authority is . i « i ^ n a i i i
oiiike it not neediul to speak ot them : they are not grounaed on
power, all. ^,, t t i o ti i
bod s word, and thereiore must needs be untrue, and not to be
credited, because our faith hangs only on the holy scripture.
Greedy covetousness to enrich themselves has invented these,
as also the rest of their superstition, which they term religion.
St Jerome, in his commentary on the i. chapter ad Tit. says,
that " a bishop and a priest is all one ;" and in his epistle ad
Evagrium he says, that "the bishop, wheresoever he be, he is
of the same power and priesthood \" Rome makes him not
better, nor England makes him worse.
A bishop is a name of office, labour, and pains, rather than
of dignity, ease, wealth, or idleness. The word episcopus is
Greek, and signifies a scoutwatch, an overlooker, or spy ; be-
cause he should ever be watching and warning, that the devil
our enemy do not enter to spoil or destroy. And as in war the
watchmen, scouts, or spies, if they fall on sleep or be negligent,
they betray their fellows, and deserve death; so in God's church,
if the bishops watch not dihgently, and save their sheep, God
has pronounced sentence of death against them by his prophet.
Ezek. xxxiii. " I made thee a watchman to the house of Israel, says the Lord :
tliou shall hear the word of my mouth, and declare it them from
me. If 1 say to the wicked. Thou wicked, thou shalt die, and
thou wilt not warn him to take heed to his way, he shall die
in Iiis wickedness, but his blood I will require of thee.''
But I think the holy bishops he cracks so much of, have
|_^ Qui, qualis presbyter debeat ordinari, in consequentibus disserens,
hoc ait, Si quis est sine crimine, unius uxoris vir, et cetera, postea intulit,
Oportet enim episcopum sine crimine esse, tanquam Dei dispensatorem.
Idem est ergo presbyter qui episcopus. In Titum, c. i. v. 5. T. iv. p. 413.
Paris. 1700. — Ubicunque fuerit episcopus, sive Romae, sive Eugubii, sive
Constantinopoh, sive Rbegii, sive Alexandriae, siveTanis, ejusdemmeriti,
ejusdem est et sacerdotii. Epist. ci. Ad Evangelum. ("Falsely in-
scribed," say the Benedictine editors, "in the old editions, Ad Eva-
yriiim.") T. iv. Pars ii. p. 803. Ed.]
I.] CONFUTATION' OF AN ADDITION. 495
their calling of the Dutch name, that signifies hitp shefp^ rather
than of the Greek, that teaches to save sheep by his paiiilul
diligence. If they were not too much blinded in their (jwn fool-
ishness, they might see in the last subsidy granted in the time
of their own reign", that they grant those to be their betters
and above them, from whence they receive their authority. The
parliament gives them and their collectors power to suspend,
deprive, and interdite any priest that pays not the subsidy : in
that doing they grant the parliament to be above them, and
from it to receive their power; yea further, to let them see how
they be contrary' to themselves, they give a lay-man (as most
part of their collectors were) power to interdite, suspend and
absolve a priest : which both be contrary to their own doctrine.
1 liad not thouj'ht to have said so much on these his few
words; and yet much more hangs on this their opinion of
claiming their usurped power above princes and other ministers.
For if this their opinion were true, that God gave them such
authority over his church as they claim, it might be said on
them, as the poet says, Ovem lupo coramisistl^-^ that God had
appointed wolves to keep his sheep.
II. Tliere Saint James ])eLng Bishop, and there said Mass.
Alar, poor mass ! that has no better a ground-work to be
built on than false lies, and so unlearned a proctor to speak for
it. I pray you, whoheljxid St James at mass^ who hallowed his
corporas, superaltar, chalice, vestments, ^v.i wlio was deacon
and sub-deacon to read the epistle and gospel ; who rang to the
sacring, and served the pax V For I am as sure it was a .solenm
feast, and tliat these things were done, as he is that St James
said mass. He that told you the one, could have told you the
[} Anno 1557. " Tlie clergy gave her [quoen Mary] an entire subsidy
of eight shillings in the pound, *now,' as the act ran, 'when the im-
minent necessity of the defence of the realm re(iuired |.res<'nt aid and
remedy.' The parliament gave her one subsidy, one l.')th and one KkIi."
Strype*8 Memorials, Vol. iii. Part ii. p. 105. Oxford, 1H22. Kd.]
(7 Terence, Eunttrh. v. 1. You have committed the sheep to the
care of the wolf. Kn.]
[^ Pax : A board, or plate of metal, on which there was a repn^aonta-
tion of the crucifixion, handed round to the jK'ople at ma.'w f«)r them to
kiss instead of a mutual salutation — the kiss of i)e:ice. F«>sbroke. Kn.J
496 THE BURNING OP PAUL''s. [sECT.
other as well as this, if he had lust ; and ye say your mass
cannot be said without these trinkets. I pray you, what mass
was it I Began it with a great E. of requiem, or scala cceli,
or resiirrexi, for the plague, or murrain of beasts ? part of a
trental, or for all christian souls I If ye will have us to believe it,
ye must tell us some more. I pray you also, which St James
was it I for we read of divers of that name, both in the scrip-
ture and others histories, living at that time. It is not enough
to say, so it is ; but ye must prove it, if ye will be believed.
I pray you, whose mass, as they term it, used he, and of whose
making was it 1 Chrysostom's or Basil's, Gregory's or Ambrose',
or that which bears his own name of St James I What lan-
guage spake he ? Hebrew, Greek, or Latin ? These things must
be proved, afore your Latin popish patched mass by so many
popes in so many years, or it was brought to his perfection,
can be proved. Do they think that, because my lord bishop,
master doctor, or such scavengers and corner-creepers as this
champion is, say it is so, and deceive the people with lies
privily in corners, that none dare say against it openly, but all
their sayings must be believed I I do not take them to be of
that authority or credit.
But I will not stand with him in all these narrow points,
although I could keep him much play in so doing. I agree
tliat James, brother of our Lord, was bishop there at Jeru-
salem, as the ancient writers testify : but that he said or did
any thing like the popish clouted Latin mass, that I utterly
deny. For that the church, altar, superaltar, vestments, cha-
lice, &c. should be hallowed, afore they could have mass said
in them, on them, or with them, it is plain written in their
own law, de Consecra. distinct, i} When they have proved
that St James had these hallowed, how and by whom they
were hallowed, then I will believe he said their foolish mass,
and not afore : for their mass cannot be done without them.
Also, if they will be believed, they must declare what order of
mass he used : was it Chrysostom's, Basil's, Justin's, Tertullian's,
[} Sacrificia non nisi super altare et locis Deo consecratis qfferantur.
Sicut non alii quam sacrati Deo sacerdotes debent missas celebrare, sic
non in aliis quam in Domino consecratis locis, id est in tabemaculis divi-
nis precibus a pontificibus delibutis missas cantare aut sacrificia ofFerre
licet. Dccret. Gratian. p. 1979. Antv. 1573. Ed.]
n.] COXFUTATION OF AN ADDITION'. 497
Austin's, Dionysius", Isidoriis\ Oregory's, Rabanus", the Ro-
mans'*, or whose else ; Surely all these were unborn inanv vears
after St James died, that it could not be theirs. ^^ hy, 1 am
sure, some will say, Is there so many divers sorts of so many holy
fathers to minister the Lord's supper, and our holy bishops of
late have burned so many innocents, that would not use their
only one disordered order of massing, as though all other were
heretical and schismatical, (as they term it.) but that only one
which they have devised, disguised and misused i Yea, surely
these diversities all be printed and to be had with many more
godly ones, and therefore they cannot deny it : and because
they be printed, I will not stand to rehearse them wholly, for it
were infinite. There is yet another liturgy in print, (which
word they call and unlearnedly translate ever a 7)iass,) bearing
the name of St James : but even in their late raixinjr time of
madness, when they had gotten certain copies of these Greek
liturgies, or ministering the Lord's su})per, thinking to have
printed them, and that it would liave stablished their doings,
when in trial and translating them they see it fall out other-
ways and to make against them, they let it alone, and sup-
pressed it: like as the same holy father and cardinal' first
printed his book, that he wrote against king Henry the eighth,
to please the pope withal, and to stir the emperor to war
against England for falling from popery ; and after, his con-
science accusing him to have done amiss, he burned all the
books he could come by, and yet now they be commonly sold to
his shame, as these liturgies be to theirs. All these orders of
ministering the communion difftu* from their pope-holy relic,
their Latin mass, in the chiefest points : that is, that the
priest prays not alone, nor in a strange language, eats not, nor
drinks up all alone, nor receives it for other ; sells it not for
money, nor s\Nceps the pope's scalding house, his puriratory,
with it; but the people pray with him in their mother tongue,
receive with him for the comfort of their own souls, an«l not for
pocky pigs, scalied horse, nor scabbed sheep ; neither making
trentals or merchandise of it, but in remembrance of Christ's
death, who died for them.
liut that St James never said tin* popish mass, as thoy
[} Canlinnl WAv. Th<' book rcforrcd to is liin work on tlu« Kini»'H
Supreniaty, jMitithd I)r I'nitate Kirh"ii(i', anno I.Vri. Kn. |
[I'lI.KlNOTON.]
XIV. 1
498 THE BURNING OF PAUL's. [sECT,
would father it on him, the pope himself grants. Pope Gre-
gory the first (called the great for his great holiness and
learning, in comparison of the rest) says, that "the apostles con-
secrated the host only with the Lord's prayer,"" when they minis-
teredo Then St James, if he ministered any thing at all there,
even by the pope's confession, never said their Latin mass, nor
any thing like it. For that consecration in Latin of theirs has
many long other prayers, crossings and blessings, and supersti-
tious ceremonies, as all men see, beside the Lord's prayer. And
in that same-self chapter of Gregory, ye shall see other diver-
sities of ceremonies and prayers there rehearsed, wherein the
Latin mass differs from the Greek and other. Wherefore it
was not thought of old time to so many holy fathers a wicked
thing to have divers orders in ministering the communion,
though our bloody butchers will not swerve an inch from their
father of lies, but burn all that gainsay them. How many
toys, crossings, blessings, blowings, knockings, kneelings, bow-
ings, liftings, sighings, houslings, turnings and half turnings,
mockings, mowings, sleepings, and apish playings, soft whis-
perings, and loud speakings, have we to consecrate our own
devices withal, or it can be gotten done !
Moreover, if St James should have used our Latin canon
and privity of the mass (as they term it) in his consecration,
or any such like, he should have prayed to himself, and wor-
shipped himself, being alive, which were a great absurdity to
grant. For the Latin canon and privitj^ of the mass is full
of praying to saints, and names them particularly; among
whom St James is one himself. Then St James using the
Latin mass, as they say he did, he should have prayed to
himself, and worshipped himself, being ali^e : which I think,
when they advise themselves better, they will not grant to be
true nor meet to be done ; and with such vvicked foolishness
I trust they will not burden St James withal. Furthermore it
skills nmch, what language St James used : for our holy bi-
shops think it not meet that their holy relics should be uttered
n our English tongue. St Paul says, he " had rather speak
five words that he understands, and to teach other, than ten
l_ Orationem autem dominicam idcirco mox post precem dicimus,
qui mos apostolonim fuit, ut ad ipsam solummodo orationem oblationis
hostiam consecrarent. T. ii. p. 900. Basil. 1564. EdJ
JI.] CONFUTATION OF AN ADDITION. 499
thousand in a strange tongue:*" our prelates say, Nay. ''None
will prepare himself to war, except he understand what the
tmmpet blows f' no more can any learn his duty to God, if he
understand not the thing that is taught, and the languaore.
Our prelates say, that blind ignorance is the mother of de-
votion; but Clu-ist says, "Ye err, because ye know not the
scripture :" then ignorance is the cause of error. By like God
either understands not English, or else he is partial, and loves
not our English tongue so well as the Latin : and yet to speak
or understand divers languages is the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Surely, if the Holy Ghost give the grace to speak and un-
derstand divers languages, God cannot hate them that use
any of them, nor disallow the gifts of the Holy Ghost in any
man.
We read (for they l^e turned into Latin and printed), that
other countries have used of old time, and yet do at this day,
their own language in ministering the Lord's supper. N\ hy
then may not England do the same i AVhat fault have we
made, more than other ; Chrysostonrs order of the communion,
liasiFs, and that which l)ears the name of 8t James, were writ-
ten in the Greek, which the jxjople understood, and answered
in the same language. The Syrians, Ethiopians, Armenians,
Muscovites, and the dominion of prester John do at this day,
and ever did, use their own language when they ministered, and
out of them are turned into Latin, that easily it may be seen
how we differ. The good christian emperor Justinian com-
mands plainly in his civil laws, Novell. Constitut. 124 and 1:^(),
'• That all tilings should be done in the churches in those lan-
guages which were known in the countries, and also that the
words of baptism and the Lord's supper should be spoken in a
loud voice, that thereby the devotion of the hearers might be
stirred up* :'' which all (although they were written a thousand
[* Ad haec jubcmus lit omncs cpiscopi paritcr ct presbyteri non
tacito niodo, sed clam voce, quit a fideli populu cxainliatur, siicrain ob-
lationem ft ])ivcc'S in sancto baptismo adhibitas ctlcbivnt ; quo majore
exiiiJc devotione in di'pronuiidi.s Domini Dei laudibus audifntiiini uiiimi
cfferantur. Ita enini et divus apostolus docet, dicens in prima ad Corin-
tliios epistola, FInimvero hi bolummodo bini'dit-as sjiiritu, (jmimodo i»,
qui privati locum implct, dicet ad ^ratiaruin actionem tuam Dio ipsuui
Amen, quando quideni quid dicas non videt? Novell. CoUMtitut. cxxiii.
De Ecclmasticia Divemis Capilnliit, p. 215. I'aris. loO'L Ku.J
00 THE BURNING OF PAULAS. [sECT.
cap. 13.
years since) our holy papists deny, and say it was never done,
nor ought to be done, nor that princes have any such authority
to command or meddle in. Pope Pius the second bears wit-
^neas Syi- ness, that the Sclavons, when they made suit to minister in
Bohemica, ' their owu tongue, and the pope made courtesy to grant it, '' a
voice was heard from heaven, that every spirit and language
should praise God; and so it was granted them to use their
own language'.'' The popish kind of marriage, although the
rest was Latin, yet the best part was English : "I, N. take
thee, N. to my wedded wife, &c. I, N. take thee, N. to my
wedded husband, &c." If this was well, why not the rest
also ? If in making promises we use that language which we
understand, why should we not do it to understand what God
commands us! Is a promise to man more to be considered
than that which is made to God? If these things should be
denied, they be in print, that every man may read; and there-
fore I will not stand long in rehearsing of them. Are these
tongues more holy than ours, that the holy mysteries may be
used in them, and not in ours? I leave out the Bohemians
and Waldenses, which have used to communicate in their own
language many (though not all) these three hundred years.
The Germans, the Italians, and the French I pass over, be-
cause it is not old.
But these countries, they will say, are in the east part of
the world, and parts of the Greek church, which never was
subject to their holy father, the pope, and in these things they
do err; but the west church, worshipping the pope, would
never suffer any such thing. In thus saying they prove the
pope to be worse than the Turk, prester John, the Sophi, or
any heathen prince, that will not suffer God\s people to wor-
ship their God in their own language, as they do. It is great
marvel to me, why our holy prelates will not have the people
to pray in English, seeing the common rude sort and altogether
unlearned in all the far north parts of the realm, even the bor-
[^ Referunt Cyrillum, cum Romae ageret, Romano pontifici siippli-
casse, ut Sclavorum lingua ejus gentis hominibus,, quam baptizaverat, rem
divinam faciens uti posset. De qua re dum in sacro senatu cliseeptaretur,
essentque non pauci contradictores, auditam vocem tanquam de coelo in
lia.'c verba missani, " Omnis spiritus laudet Doniinum, ct omnis lingua
confiteatur ei." Indeque datum Cvrillo indultum. JEn. Sylv. Historia
Holiemica, cap. xiii. p. J)l. Basil. 1^71. Ed.]
•^•J CO-NFUTATIOX OF AX ADDITION. 501
ders, have ever used the Lord's prayer, tlie articles ot* our
faith, and ten comniandnients, and yet do, in English metre,
differing nothing from the true sense of the scripture. They
never learned them in Latin, and cannot nor will not learn that
they understand not. Surely, God's wisdom in their rude sim-
plicity does confound these proud prelates' wicked poperv.
Yet is there remaining one of the foulest lies that is com-
monly read or written in the pope's testament, the decrees
whereon they build their faith ; \\hich if this proctor and all
his partakers can prove to be true, 1 will say with them. It is
written de Consecra. distinct, i. cap. Jacobus, that "St James,
the brother of our Lord, bishop of Jerusalem, and Eusebius,
bishop of Cesarea, made their mass'." If this have any likeness
of a truth in it, let the world judge. St James was bishop
of Jerusalem, and there lived continually, not wandering into
other countries, as other apostles did, but there suffered mar-
tyrdom, being thrown down from the pinnacle of the temple,
where a fuller smote out his brains with a club. In Jcnisaleni
then their natural speech was Hebrew, and the prayers that
they used in the temple were only the scriptures, and in the
Hebrew tongue, as the Jews do to this day in their syna-
gogues : (wherein they prove themselves better than the pa-
pists, which in their churches have few prayers of the scrip-
ture, but many foolish ones devised of their own brain, and in
a language that the people understand not.) Therefore, wIkmi
they have proved that the Latin tongue was used in Jenisii-
lem, or that St James prayed in Latin, (although I doubt
not but he had the gift of tongues, as well as other apostles
liad,) I shall then believe them.
The order of the communion which is abroad in tlic name
of St James, is in (J reek ; but that he wrote or spake Latin
in Jerusalem, there is no probability in it. And if he made
our Latin mass then, that should be used now throughout the
world, why would he make another in Greek so far unlike to
it I IJoth cannot be true, that he made one in Greek and
(^^ .1 quihus fucrit tradita missaruvi rtkhruth. Jacol)Uj«, frntcr Do-
mini secundiini camcni, cui primum cicditn vat Hiin>f*«lviiiitnnH ccclc-
sifi, I't Eus<«])ins, (Vsnrieiisis cpiscoinis, ciijiis claritas per totuin orl)cm
icfiilsit in sciiptuiis, addidcrunt nobis uu-^^v ciUd»mlioncm. I>i»t. i.
(Jratian. Pani in. p. IHW. Antv. lo7'3. Kd.]
502 THE nURNING OF PAULS. [sECT.
another in Latin, so far unlike one to the other. Afterward
the gloss upon this text of the pope's decree, afore rehearsed,
de Consecra. distinct, i. says, that " St James made the canon
of the mass, and Eusebius added other pieces to it afterward :'"
but beside that inconvenience which I spake of afore, that St
James then should pray to himself, if that were true, a greater
untruth would follow, that is, to pray to saints that were un-
born, some one hundred, some two hundred, some three hun-
dred year after, and more; as to Cyprian, Cornelius, Lau-
rence, Chrysogonus, Damianus, which, and such-like women as
Luce, Agnes, Cecily, &c. are put in their canon, or privity of
their Latin mass. Is this like, that St James, a saint him-
self, would pray to a saint (if they were saints), that was yet
unborn so many years after his death ? But it may be thought
that they knew these things to be so foolish, that if they
were openly read and understand, they would be laughed at
and despised, and therefore they enjoin their chaplains to
speak softly when they say these things, that none should hear
them what they say. If it were good, it were no danger in
letting it be heard, for it would make them good that heard
it (for faith comes by hearing), though their opinion is that it
would be despised. But surely hearing is the way to make
men good.
Yet follows a greater inconvenience, if this pope's decree
were true. For as the gloss there says that St James made
their canon, so it says that Eusebius, which lived (as he says)
under the emperor Julianus Apostata, should make the rest.
How can their great relic, the mass, then be one thou-
sand five hundred years old, as they crack it to be? This
council of the apostles, where St James said mass (as this
proctor says), was about fifty years after Christ our Lord w^as
bom, and not full twenty years after he was crucified, as
many histories do testify ; but Eusebius lived under Julian
the emperor three hundred and sixty year after the birth of
our Saviour Christ: and now since Christ's birth it is one
thousand five hundred and sixty-two. Then take three hun-
dred and sixty out of one thousand five hundred and sixty-
two, and so remains but one thousand two hundred and two.
So by their own account they lie three hundred and sixty
year in the ancienty of their mass.
II.] CONFUTATION OF AX ADDITIOX. oOo
But yet a greater lie. Eusebius was a Grecian, and never
wrote in Latin, that any history makes mention of : how then
wrote he their Latin mass? Yea, where Gregory, ])ishop of
Kome, in the epistle afore alleged says, that one Scholasticus ' I'li.'.^v'ii.
made the prayers of their canon, how can this be true that '^'*^' ^'
St James made it I Dare they deny that which the holiest of
the popes, their fathers, says is so ?
But because they charge us with contrarieties and diver-
sities of opinions, and are most in that fault themselves, I
will yet let them see more wherein they differ among them-
selves. Isidorus, lib. i. de Origine Officiorum^ cap. v, as Faber ^f<^^yyj^^^
alleges hinr, says that "St Peter ordained first the order of ^^*"=^^-
the mass or prayers, with which the consecration is made, and
that the whole world followed the same order ;'"* and this was
done by Peter at Antioch, as the same Joan. Faber says.
Then how is that true, that St James and Eusebius made it
at Jerusalem \ Nay, how can any of these sayings agree with
Platina\ one of the pope's sworn men, which affirms that pope
Sixtus appointed the Sanctus to be sung ; Gregory, the Kyrie
Eleeson ; Telesphorus, Gloria in cxcehh ; Jerome, the epistle
and gospel; Leo, the censing; Innocentius L the pax; Ser-
gius, the Agnus, &c. ; which all lived a great sort of years
a.sunder; and from the first to the last, afore it could be
\} Et valde mihi inconvcniens visum est, lit prcccm quam Scholasticiis
romposuerat, super oblationem diceremiis ; et ipsam traditionem, quam
lU'demptor nostcr composuit, super ejus corpus et sanj,n.iinem non diccre-
mus. Gregor. Op. T. ii. p. i)(»0. JJai?il. lo(54. Ed.^
P Isidorus, qui ante nongentos floruit annos, lib. i. de Origine Of!i-
ciorum, cap, o. Ordo missa? vel orationum, quibus oblata Deo sacrificia
consecrantur, primum a S. Petro est institutus: cujus celebrationcm
uno eodcmquc modo totiis peregit orbis, ^'c. Lib. iv. cap. iii. p. 97. Pe-
tru8 quidem missam cclebravit Antiochiic. Lib. i. cap. ii. p. fi. Paris.
lo(H. El).]
Q^ In celcbrationc vero mandavit (Sixtus I.), ut Snnrtus, sanctux,
mnrtmt, DnminuK Dens s/ifmolh cantaretur. Nuda primo biec erant, et
omnia simplicitcr tracta])antiir. Petnis enim ubi consccravcrat, orationc
Pntrr iioxtrr usus est: auxit liicc my-toiia .lacobus episonpus Ilierosoly-
initanus: auxit et Jiasilius; auxere et alii. Nam Crlcstiims missa* in-
troitum dedit, Grcgorius Kt/rie ckemn, Gloria in edvchi^f Deo Telesphorus,
collationes (Jela-sius primus, epistolam et evangellum Ilieronymus, • • •
thus Leo tertius, oscuhim pacis Innocentius primus; ut caneretur A^-
tittx Dei, Scriijiu' pontifex instituit. De vitis Pontificum, p. 10. Colon.
1,540. En.]
504 THE BURNING OF PAUl's. [sECT.
patched together, it was six hundred year.^ For Gregory
was pope six hundred year after Christ was born. Other
sorts of reckoning there be, which pope added which part to
the mass, and they agree not on the names ; but in the num-
ber of yeai*s there is no great difference : for it was seven
hundred year after Christ afore they had perfectly patched it
together, and brought it in estimation, as appears by these
reckonings. Where is now their one thousand five hundred
year they crack so much on? When they have learned to
speak the truth, and agree among themselves, they may better
blame other that do not. I will not lay all their lies and dis-
agreeings to their charge, for it were too long; but when they
have answered these, then they shall have more. In the mean
time, these are sufficient to let them see that have eyes, and
be not wilfully blind, how vain their bragging lies be, when
they crack that their superstition, which they term their re-
ligion, is so old, and that the contrary was never heard of
unto now a few years past.
There is another subtler sort of papist ; and when they see
these things to be so foolish, that they have no good ground-
work, nor able to be defended, they say, that Christ himself
said the first mass : and yet that is as untrue as the rest. For
the reasons that I made against the canon of St James (as they
call it), the same may more justly be applied for our Saviour
Christ. I am sure they will not say that he ate all alone,
nor prayed to any saints; nor what kind of mass it was, they are
not al)le to shew, and prove it so to be. 1 grant, and most
true it is, that our Saviour Christ instituted the holy Commu-
nion, or the Lord's Supper (as St Paul calls it) ; but for any
thing done by him to prove their mass, I utterly deny. In his
last supper he sacrificed not for the quick and the dead, as they
do in their mass : but that sacrifice was offered by himself in
his own body and blood shed on the cross, on Good Friday, the
next day after that he instituted his holy Supper the night
afore, and bid them do that in remembrance of him unto his
coming again. This is that which we desire all to follow : this
is that which condemns their mass : this is that which we would
have, all to eat and drink of that bread and cup with the min-
ister, as he did with his apostles, and as St Paul wills the
Corinthians to do ; and not one priest to stand lifting it over
II.] CONFUTATION OF AN ADDITION. 505
his head to l3e woi-shipped, and the people to stand gazing at
it, and be content with looking at it : and when they receive, to
take both the bread and the cup, and not to rob God's people
of the one half of the supper, the blood of our Saviour Christ,
which he shed for the lay-people, as well as for priests ; and
bad them drink it, as well as the priests : for he loved them,
and died for them, as well as for the priests. And priests can
no more save themselves than they can, but have the same
Saviour that they have, and must go to heaven the same way
that they do.
And because they crack so proudly of the ancienty of their y^^^^
mass^ let me see in what ancient writer they read of it or find
the word ^^Titten. I know they would fiiin have the word to be
Hebrew : but if it be so, it rather makes against them than
with them. For if it be a sacrifice of the Jews, then it is
taken away by our Saviour Christ, and fulfilled by him, as all
other sacrifices of Moses be ; or else, they be Jews, using those
sacrifices which God forbad to use at these days after the
coming of Christ. The apostle to the Hebrews says, that "if Hob. vii
the priesthood be taken away and translate to another sort,
then the law is taken away toof but the priesthood of Aaron is
taken away and all his sacrifices, (or else Christ is come in vain);
why, then the law of sacrificing nmst be taken away too, as the
apostle there says. If they consider the nature of the Hebrew
word, they would not strive so much about it. They glory
nmch that the name of their mass is missa/i in Hebrew, and
should be written, Deut. xvi. and thereof should inissa come
in Latin, or else the Hebrew name to remain still. The word
missah signifies a fretinill g\fi ^ that a man ofiers willingly unto
the Lord ; and not only that which the priests ofi'er of them-
selves, but also which any other man freely brings to be offered :
therefore, if this word or place make for them, it proves that all
manner of men may say mass ; for ever)' man may m illingly
bring what he lust to ofi'er; and then priests have spun a fair
thread in alleging this against themselves, and proving that
ever}- man may say their mass. 13ut the word signifies also a
\^ In the AvIh and Monnmaxts of .Tolm Foxc, a contemporary ot*
hishop IMlkiiii,'ton, will he found an inteie?>tin;,' and valuahle tivatiso on
the Orijjin and Canon of the Moss. J5ce the heginning of Dock x. Edit.
1583. and in V\ 1. rn. Kdit. 1G84. Ki*.]
506 TFIE BURNING OF PAUl's. [sECT.
lifting up, as some do take it, and therefore they prove their
elevation by it. Thus they be driven to hard shifts, that they
cannot well tell what to make of it. They are well content with
either signification, or both, if they might keep it ; for the one
bids men bring, and they would gladly take ; the other to lift
up as a sacrifice, and that maintains their state. Read the
fio?l' ^^'' P^ace, and then judge the meaning : "Thou shalt keep the holy
day of weeks, says Moses (that is, Whit-sunday seven weeks
after Easter), and thou shalt bring a gift of thine own free will
according to thy power, as the Lord has blessed thee with
much or little.'"'
This free gift is called missah, and the people must give it :
then, if it make any thing for mass, it makes also that the peo-
ple should say mass ; for they bring every one this gift as they
be able. The priests say not mass freely, but for money, and
therefore it cannot be called a freewill gift on their part. But
because they are delighted with gifts, and will not say mass
freely, they rather ground themselves hereon, that they may not
only sell, but raise the price of them, and lift it high over
their heads. They may speak well of the gospel, if they would,
or had any good natures in them. For their mass was never so
honoured, nor at so great a price, as the gospellers have made
it, at a hundred marks, where they will sell it for a groat ; and
God forl)id that ever it be better cheap ! Surely, if it be so good
as they report it to be, it is too good cheap yet, and they with
selling so good cheap have brought it out of estimation. A
good thing cannot be too dear : and surely he that will lie broil-
ing in purgatory for sparing one penny, a groat, or ten shillings
for a trental, he has few friends ; and if he be able to pay it and
will not, I will never be sorry for him, though he lie there still.
There is another Hebrew word called mass, that signifies a
tribute, which may well be applied to it, (because they be de-
lighted with ancient names, I shall help them,) for it is the
greatest tax that ever was laid on the world. All princes, hea-
then and christened laid together, never took such a tribute of
the people, as the pope and his collectors do by mass. For mass
princes have given whole countries, noblemen their land, and
the people their goods; they have disherited their children, and
impoverished themselves, to feed the pope's chaplains and buy
masses. Alas, dear pennyworths for so vile a thing ! The
II.] CONFUTATION OF AN ADDITION. 507
Dutch word messe helps them well too, which signifies a free
mart or fair for all people to resort to with all wares to buy and
sell, and with such liberty, that those evil men, which dare not
nor may not come near at other times without danger, then
may freely go and come without harm after that the market bell
be rung, as they use. So is their mass. What ware soever is
brought for it, it is welcome, they refuse none : wool, bacon,
cheese, freers never refused ; and be he never so wicked, it is
not denied him ; it is a salve for all sores, and heals all ^vicked-
ness and sorrows, that fall either on man or beast.
They would fain have it ancient, and therefore they seek
the old authors, where the word missa may be found. They
allege Ignatius, Clemens, Dionysius, Sozomenus, &;c., where
they would make men believe it were read. Indeed, in trans-
lating these out of Greek they use the same word ; but he that
has read his Greek grammar can soon understand, that there is
no such word in Greek. Therefore, as the interpreter does
foolishly use the word, so foolishly they follow and believe him.
The word is Latin, and is used in no Latin wTiter commonly
afore Grefforvthe first, who lived six hundred vear after Christ, '-'l'-^- fp'^-
save twice or thrice only in Ambrose in his Epistle^ and yet he
lived four hundred year after Christ. Then they have not so
great cause to crack of ancienty of the thing, nor of the word,
seeing neither Hebrew, Greek, nor Latin can be proved to have
such a word in such a signification the space of four hundred
year after Christ, no, nor tlien neither; for though Aml)rose
used the word, yet it signifies far otherways, as Ambrose's
order of conununion well declares. 1 will not stand to reheai*se
the manifold interpretation of the Latin word, and what the
meaning of it is, lest ye would laugh : hereafter, if occasion be
given by them, I shall more fully entreat of it.
One thing I would demand of master proctor ; and if his
answer be not ready, I am content he ask counsel, so that he
answer substantiallv, that it mav abide trial, (rood Fridav- V"*^"vi''
. ^ . . (lay » .Mxss.
mass, why does it differ from all the voar beside i ( )ni' of
these three must needs follow, eitiier that one mass only is
good, and the rest naught ; or the rest good, and that naught ;
or else (a.s I am sure he will say) l>oth are good. If both be
[^ Kp^o tamen mansi in muncrc ; iiiissam faccrc ca«pi. Class, i.
Epist. XX. § 4. Kn.]
508 THE BURXIXG OF PAUl''s. [sECT.
good, then there may be divers sorts of them : if there may
be two divers sorts, and both good, why may there not be a
third or a fourth as good ? AVhy then may not the order now
appointed in English be good too ? On Good Friday there is
neither epistle, nor gospel, gloria in excelsis, nor creed, sane-
tus nor apmis, canon nor privity, crossing, toying nor blow-
ing, nor their words of consecration, pax, nor Ite, tuissa est, not
so much as Domlmis wbiscum, but straight after confiteor he
leaps post haste over all to the Paternoster, Surely, if this
be good one day, it may be used oftener : and this agrees best
with that that Gregory says, "The apostles consecrated only
with the Lord's prayer :" and therefore it seems, that if any of
their masses should be good, that this goes next to the best
and simplest sort, without all curiosity. If they may do all
perfectly this day without their canon, then their canon and
privity is not of so great force as they make it to be. For
sure, if this be well on this day, it may be well on other days
too ; for God is no changeling, nor he commands not one sort of
communicating his supper to-day and another to-morrow, but
always such a one which agrees with his word. Their common
answer and solution is known, but it will not serve : they must
provide better stuff, or else their doings be foohsh.
But to make an end of this great controversy for the
ancienty of their mass, ye shall hear it determined by a mira-
cle from heaven. AVhen there were divers sorts of masses, as
they be called, used in Latin in divers places, as at Milan,
and ever}' where almost generally, there w^as used St Am-
brose's order of communion, which there continues to this day,
and Gregory's order was used also in other places ; the pope,
to determine the matter, would try whether should be allowed
through his dominion ; for Gregory's was not used at all in
France, and it was thought shame that Ambrose's order,
being but a bishop, should be preferred to the pope's. There-
fore he took either of their mass-books, as they term them,
in an evening laid them on the altar, locked the church-doors,
and desired God to declare bv some miracle, whether book
should be used generally of all sorts. In the morning Gre-
gory's book-leaves were found scattered all the church over, and
Ambrose's lay still ; the doors being fast locked all night, as
he says, Ijut wise men may doubt. This miracle master pope,
II.] CONFUTATION OF AN ADDITION. 509
like a wise expounder of dreams, says, that as the leaves were
torn and blown abroad all the church over, so should Gre-
gorj'^s book be used throughout the world. For this was done
by God, as well as their great god Bel did eat up all the
meat that was set afore him all night, as Daniel writes. ]3ut
that a man may not be wiser than mounser pope, I would in-
terpret this great miracle thus : That God was angry with
Gregory ""s book, and therefore rent it in pieces, and scattered
it abroad ; and the other, as good, lay sound untouched, and
at the least so to be preferred. This was done by pope Adrian
the first, more than seven hundred and seventy-seven years
after Christ ; and thus long their holy mass was in controversy
afore it was determined. Then it lacks much of one thousand
five hundred, as they untruly and proudly crack. These things
are not written by any new men, or heretics, as it pleases
them to term them, but by their own catholic fathers, l)u-
randus and Xauclerus'. Yea, Polychronicon, lib. vii. chap. 10,
writes, that the white observant monks" use by their profession
St Ambrose's order, and not Gregory's, even at these days :
wherefore their mass is not general.
I would thev did make an end of Ivinof, that we mifjht
make an end of reproving them, and both join together in
worshipping the living God only, and l^elieving his holy word
afore all other. St Austin, in a like controversy of religion
{]' Concilio igitiir iterum congreu^ato, omnium patnim fuit una sen-
tentia, quod niissale Ambrosianum ct (iivi,'orianum super altare sancti
Petri apostoli ponerentur, plurimoi-um episcoporum sigillis munita, et
fores ec'clesiie clauderentur, et ipsi tota nocte orationi insisterent, ut
Dominus i)er aliquod signum indicaret, quod liorum niagis ab ecclesia
servari vellet ; sic([ue jjcr uinnia factum est. Mane igitur ecclesiam iu-
trantes, utrumque missale super altare apertum invenerunt ; vel alii
as.s<;runt, Gregorianum penitus dissolutum et liuc illuc<iue dispersum in-
venerunt ; Ambrosianum vero solummodo apertum super altare in eodem
loco, ubi positum fuerat, invenerunt. Quo signo edocti sunt divinitus,
(iregorianum officium per totum mundum dispergi, Ambrosianum vero
tantum in sua ecclesia observari debere ; et sic usijue hodie scrvatur.
(iul. Durandi Iliitionale Divinorum OHiciorum, Lib. v. caj). ii. p. l.*51>-40.
Venet. 16011. — Nauclerus's account, after the introductory circumstances,
proceeds: Mane facto invenerunt missale Am])r()sianuin in loco suo clau-
.sum, Gregorianum vero apertum et per <|uaternos dispei-sum: ex quo
statuennit, ikv. Chronica, (ienerat. xxi. p. <>-». (\don. ITiTO. En.]
p "That order is named order Cystersiensis in Latin. ••• They ii«»e
Ambrose'softice, and have diargeof sick men, \'c." Polychron.vii.lO. Ed."!
510 THE BURNING OF PAULAS. [sECT.
Retract. I. bctwlxt liiiii and the Manicliees, prays thus : ''0 great and
cap. .\\. jViiiughty God, and God of all goodness, whom we ought to
think and beheve that thou art inviolable, incorruptible, and
immutable ! 0 triple Unity, which all the church does worshipj
I, having experience of thy mercy toward me, pray thee humbly,
that thou wilt not suffer them to differ from me in thy reHgion
and worship of thee, with whom since I was a child I have
had a most special agreement in fellowship of men. Anient"
God grant us all this to pray, and diligently endeavour our-
selves to seek this unity of religion, in worshipping the living
God only as he has taught us in his holy word, and no other-
ways, for his Son's sake, our Lord and Christ ! So be it.
III. " In England, where the faith of Christ and true rehgion was planted
about the year of our Lord 182, Eleutherius, pope, sending le-
gates to Lucius, then king of England, which converted this realm
to the faith, and established true religion in England, which con-
tinued 200 years."
As the rest of all their doctrine is founded on the pope,
so is this. This is their subtlety, to make men believe that
England has ever received the christian faith and religion
from Home ; and therefore we must fetch it from thence still :
which are both most untrue. If nothing else would, this one
saying proves him to be unlearned, that thus says. Gildas",
England ^"^ couutrymau, in his history says, that Britain received the
fr.rf.irth "°* gospel in the time of Tiberius the emperor, under whom Christ
Rome',S in suffered. Does not TertuUian, who lived at the same time
tije.\postieh' ^j|. ^i^jg ]i0^e, write in his book against the Jews thus? "The
P Deus magnc, Deus omnipotens, Deus summae bonitatis, quern in-
violabilein et incorruptibilem credi atque intelligi fas est, Trina Unitas,
quam catholica ecclesia colit, supplex oro, expertus in me misericordiam
tuam, ne homines, cum quibus mihi a pueritia in omni convictu fuit
summa consensio, in tuo cultu a me dissentirc pcrmittas. T. i. p. 59. ed.
Paris. 183G. Ed.]
P Intcrea glaciali frigore rigenti insula?, et velut longiore terrarum
sccessu soli visibili non proximac, verus ille non de firmamento solum
temporali, sed de summa etiam coelorum arcc tempora cuncta exeedenti,
universe orbi praefulgidum sui coruscum ostendens tempore, ut scimus,
summo Tiberii Caesaris, quo absque uUo impedimento ejus propagabatur
reUgio comminata scnatu nolente a principe morte dilatoribus mihtum
ojusdem, radios suos primum indulget, id est, sua praecepta, Christus.
Rerum Britannicarum Scriptores, p. IIC. FoL Heidelb. 1587. Ed].
Ill
.] CONFUTATION OF AN ADDITION. 511
apostles are declared in David's psalm to be the preachers
of Christ. Their sound, he says, went out in all the earth,
and their words unto the coasts of the earth. In whom else
have all people believed but in Christ, which is now comen?
^Vhom have other people believed l The Parthians, the Medes,
the Persians, they that dwell in Mesopotamia, Jury, Cappa-
docia, Pontus, Asia, Plirygia, Pamphyha, Egypt, and the
parts of Libya about Cyrene, the strangers of Home, the Jews,
proselytes, men of Crete and Arabia ; and other people, as
now the diverse sorts of the Getes, and many coasts of the
Morians, all the borders of Spain, divers nations of France,
and the places of the Britons, which the Romans could never
attain to, now are subject to Christ, and the places of Sar-
matia, of the Danes, the Germans, the Scythians, and of many
other liid people and provinces, and many isles unknown to
us, and which now we cannot reckon. In all which places
reigns the name of Christ, which is now comen'.'"
Thus far TertuUian. Mark in how many countries, he says,
the name of Christ reigned, it was so commonly and well be-
lieved ; and how among them he reckons the wildest places
of the Britons to be of the number : and these were cliris-
tened in his time, who lived in the same pope Eleutherius^
time. Then it was not pope Eleutherius, that first sent the
christian faith hither, but they had received the gospel afore
he was born. Does not some chronicles tell, that Joseph of
Arimathea came hither and preached here i No doubt, either
he or some apostle, or ^scholar of theirs, had preached Christ
P Cujus et pra'dicatores apostoli in psalmis David ostendiintur:
" In universa," mquit, " ten*a cxiit sonus eoruni, et usque ad tcnninos
tcrrae verba corum." In quern enim alium universae gentes credidcrunt,
nisi in Christo, qui jam venit? Cui enim et alisc gcntcs credidcrunt?
*' Parthi, Medi, Klaniitte, et qui inhal)itant Mesopotamiam, Arnuniam,
Phrygian!, Cappadociani, et incolentes Pontum et Asiam, Pamphyham,
immorantes iEgj-ptum, et regioncm Africfr, qua? est trans Cyrenen,
inhabitantes Komani et incola* tunc, et in Hici-usiilom Judici," et cctenc
gentes : vtmn (Jctuloruni varictatcs, et Mauroi'uni muhi fines, Hispa-
niaruni onmes termini, et Galharum diversa? nationes, ct Britannorum
inaccessa llomanis loca, Christo vero su])dita, et Sannatanim, et Daco-
rum, et Gcrmanorum, et Scythanim et abditarum multarum gentium, et
])rovineiarum et insularum multarum, nobis ignotarum ; et (jua* enume-
rare minus possumus: in «iuibus omnibus locis Christi nonien, <iui jam
venit, regnat. Adv. Juda-os, cap. vii. En.^
512 THE BURNING OF PAULA'S. [sECT.
liere, and he was received and believed afore this pope was
P,"^>-. born. Beda writes, that in his time and almost a thousand
chrome. '
'•]'• ^ • <^'*i'- year after Christ, here in Britain, Easter was kept in the
full moon, what day in the week soever it fell on^, and not on
the Sunday after, as we do now. Wherefore it appears that
these preachers came from the east part of the world, where it
was so used, rather than from Rome, which condemned that use.
Peradventure, Eleutherius helped to increase it, and send some
preachers hither, but that he was the first it cannot be proved :
yet would to God they would follow that gospel, religion, laws,
and counsel, that Eleutherius gave king Lucius !
But let it be granted them, that Eleutherius established
religion in England : will it make any thing for their pur-
pose ? Read the pope's epistle to the king, and then judge.
There is great controversy what time this king lived, as ap-
pears in Fabian^'s table ; and therefore a froward man might
doubt, whether any such thing were or not : but I will not
deal so precisely with him.
Eleutherius' " In the year from Chrisfs passion one hundred and sixty-
I'pistlc to , 111 -r^i 1 • 1 • T •
kin;,' Lucius, umc, the lord Eleutherms, pope, wrote thus to kmg Lucms,
king of Britain, for the correction of the king and his nobles
of the realm of Britain : Ye required of us the Roman laws
and the emperor's to be sent over to you, the which ye would
practise and put in ure within your realm. The Roman laws
and the emperor's we may ever reprove, but the law of God
we may not. Ye have received of late, through God's mercy,
in the realm of Britain, the law and faith of Christ : ye have
with you in the realm both the parts of the scriptures : out
[^ Permansit autem hiij usmodi observantia paschalis apud eos tempore
non pauco, hoc est, usque ad annum dominicae incarnationis 716. per annos
loO. Bed. Lib. in. cap. iv. — That time was a great question made and
moved of the Easter day, that was not that time holden lawfully of Scots
and of Britons.* ••There in that one side came Colmannus the bishop
and Hilda the abbess, and alleged for them that their predecessors were
worthy men and holy, and held the Easter tide from the 14th day of the
moon unto the 20th day of the moon ; and specially St John the Evan-
gelist held so the Easter tide in Asia. In the other side against them
Egylbertus, Sec. alleged, that tlie manner and the usage of all holy church
of Greeks, of Italy, of Rome, of Gallia, and of France should be set tofore
the manner, custom, and usage of a corner of the world, that knew not the
decrees of synods. Polychron. v. 17. See Bed., Lib. in. cap. xxv. Ed.]
III.] COXFUTATIOX OF AN ADDITIO.V. 51
of them by God's grace, witli the counsel of your realm, take
ye a law, and by that law, through God's suft'crancc, rule your
kinjofdom of Britain, For ve be God's vicar in vour kingdom,
according to the saying of the psalm, &c. '' O God, give thy
judgment to the king, and thy righteousness to the king's son."
He said not, the judgment and righteousness of the emperor,
but thy judgment and justice, that is to say, of God. The kings
sons be the christian people and folk of the realm, which
be under your government, and live and continue in peace
within your kingdom, as the gospel says, '' Like as the hen
gathers her chickens under her winojs. so does the kino; his
people.'' The people and folk of the realm of Jlritain be yours,
whom, if they be divided, ye ought to gather to concord and
peace, to call them to the faith and law of Christ, and to
the holy church, to cherish and maintain them, to rule and
ffovern them, and to defend them alwavs from them that would
do them wrong, from malicious men and enemies, SiC. A j^'^^J,^-^,^"'
kino: has his name of rulinn:, and not of having a realm. '''!'""■
Thou shalt be a kin": while thou rulest well : but if thou do
not, the name of a king shall not remain with thee, and thou
shalt lose it. which God forljid! The Ahnighty God grant
you so to rule the realm of Jh-itain, that ye may reign witli
liim for ever, whose vicar ye bo in the realm' !"
P Tliis letter to kini; Lucius is quoted, as hei*e translated, in Foxe's
Acts and jMoniimcuts, \o\. i. \>. 10". Kd. 158.1. Tliis letter is noticed by
l.'slier, Spelman, Stillini,'flect, and many others. Collier in liis Kcclcs.
Hist, of Great Britain lias ^'iven a full account of the paiticulai's stated l)y
historians respecting king Lucius. Concerning this letter, of which he
gives a translation from Lanihert de Prhrls Ainjlunnn Lcffihtis, he states
various ohjections agahist its authenticity, concluding thus: "Sir H.
Spelman ohserves, that this letter is not to be met with till a thousand
years after Eleutlierius' death, and where it was fn-st found, is altogether
unceitain. The author of "The customs of London" printed it in the
12th year of Henry \'I1I. : afterward Lainhert insnted it among tlu' laws
of Kd ward the Confessor; ])ut there it is jirinted in an italic letter, as a
mark of its heing si)urious. lioveden's numuscripts of about 400 years'
stiuuling take no notice of it ; and, which is reinarkahle, his contem-
porary, (ieoftVey of .Monmouth, who di»l not use to sui)press or overlook
any British antiquities, says nothing about it. Anil as for the manus<ript
in(Juil<lhall, London, it seems, at the most, to be no nutrc than I'^M) yeai-s
olil." Collier's Eccles. Hist. 1700. Hook i. Cent. 2. Moslu-im observes,
** These ancient acx-ounts arc exiM»setl to much doubt, and are rejeete*! }»y
tile Invst informed pei-^ons." \ ..). i. (Vnt. 1'. I'J> ]
I'l I u I \i; i()\
J
514 THE BURNING OP FAULTS. [sECT.
Thus far the epistle. Mark, I pray you, what this good
pope grants, and whether he be of this peevish proctor's opinion,
or of his holy bishops' that he cracks so much on. First, he
wills him not to take the Eomans' laws to rule his realm by,
for they may ever be reproved ; but to make laws according to
the scripture, which never can justly be gainsaid, and by them
to rule. Further, he calls the king "God's vicar" twice in this
letter. Thirdly, he says the king ought to call the people to the
faith of Christ. How can papists then be disobedient to kings,
when they see the pope grant so much to kings ? The pope
calls the king God's vicar; and our papists deny it, and say
the pope is God's vicar. The pope bids rule by the scripture,
and refuses his own laws : but our holy bishops say scriptures
make heretics, and will be subject to no laws but the Romans'.
Lastly, he charges kings to bring the people to the faith : but
our spirituality say, kings have nothing ado in ecclesiastical
matters nor religion. They stick much on ancienty, and the
pope's authority : and yet those godly things which godly
ancient popes have said and decreed, they cannot abide, be-
cause it takes away their authority and pride.
Platina and Polychi-onicon^ write, that this pope decreed
that no man should refuse any meat that man eats. If this pope
say true, why have we then commanded, upon pain of deadly
sin, by papists so many superstitious kinds of fastings and for-
bearing meats at certain times 1 If they be not superstitious,
because they would bind the conscience with them, and make
it sin to break them, let them prove it by the scripture to be
godly. If they be catholics that believe and follow the pope,
why are we called heretics in believing and teaching that which
the pope has written ? If they will be called the pope's dar-
lings, why do they deny the pope's writings ? If true religion
was stablished here by this pope, why then does this scavenger
sweep the streets with contrary doctrine to this pope, and with
false lies I If they would have us beheve and honour the pope,
they must first begin themselves. Who will think that he
P Idem etiam statuit, ne quis ob superstitionem cibi genus ullum
respueret, quo humana consuetudo vesceretur. Platina De Vitis Pontif.
p. 21 . After Soter Eleutherius was pope 1.5 years : he ordained that chris-
tian men should not forsake nor forbear no meat that is skilful and rea-
sonable for mankind. Polychron. Lib. iv. ch. IG. Ed.]
III.] CONFUTATION OF AN ADDITION. 515
gives good counsel, and would have men to follow him, which
will 1)6 the first that will do and teach contrary to his own
sayings i These holy bishops of oui*s honour their pope in suf-
fering for him, that never will thank them, and say, they would
have all to do the same : yet they themselves are the first that
teaxih and do contrary to this pope, and many other of the
eldest sort, in all such things as please them; and so they will
correct him rather than follow the ancientest and best of them.
IV'. After that again, this land being inhabited with Saxons, being Pai-
nims. Saint Gregoiy, pope of Rome, about the year of our Lord God,
.595, sent Saint Austm and his company, who by their doctrine and
virtuous hving planted the faith, and so established a true rehgion
in England: the whidi faith and rehgion ever when the people
have declined from it, they have felt great calamities as well by
the hand of God, as by the conquest of the Danes, and after by
the Normans; and sith the conquest from time to time.
As I noted afore, they derive all their religion from Rome,
to make men believe that place (which is a sink of all sin,
and esteemed of none but them that knows it not) to be the
fountain of all godliness, liut as I declared afore, that they
forsake all the ancient goodness in Koine, so shall I by this
pope's doings too let the world see, if they will, that in main-
taining the pope in words by outward appearance, they utterly
deny him in their deeds ; and they only pick out of the filthiest
of them that which may maintain their superstition, pride, and
tvrannv. That the Saxons invaded and obtained tliis realm
for the sins of the country, it is too plain; but whether Austin
planted true religion, the doctors may doubt, and his deeds will
prove. It were too long to write all that Galfridus Jkitannicus
in his history wrote, about the year of our Lord one thousand
one hundred and fifty, in the latter end of his eighth book,
cap. IV. how the holy learned bishops withstood the teaching
of Austin at his coming into the realm, and the p()[>e's autho-
rity that sent him ; but these few words of his are sufficient to
(h'clare their mind. ** In the mean while was Austin sent of
(iregory,*" he says, '' into Britain to jjreacii the word of God to
the Englishmen, which almost had driven out all christian re-
ligion of that part of the isle where they dwelt in Kent : but
among some of the Britons the iaith of Christ did yet tiourisii;
il6 Tin: RtTRxrxG of pall's. []i
SECT.
and there were seven bishops, and an archbisliop, and many
lioly prelates and abbeys remaining, which taught their flock
the right order. At Bangor in one church were two thousand
one hundred monks, which get their Hving with their hands :
their abbot was called Dinoth. When Austin required of the
bishops subjection, Dinoth proved by divers arguments that
they ought [owed] him none. Then Ethelbert, king of Kent,
perceiving that the Britons disdained to submit themselves to
Austin, he stirred up the other Saxons' kings to fight against
Dinoth and his clerks. They gathered a great army, and came
to West Chester, where Bremael was mayor. The monks and
eremites met him there to pray for the safeguard of their
people. Eldefridus, king of Northumberland, fought with
Bremael, and slew one thousand two hundred monks, and had
many of his own men slain. Then the dukes of Britain, hear-
ing of his cruelty, Blederic duke of Cornwall, Margadud duke
of South AVales, Caduane duke of North Wales, came and
fought with him, and slew ten thousand of his men, and about
sixty-six more ; and Blederic, that was the grand captain, was
slain there '.'"' Thus far says he. First mark here, that the
christened Britons would not submit themselves to Austin, the
pope's legate, as they that had fallen from religion did. Se-
condly, that so many monks lived not idle, but wrought for
their living. Thirdly, note the old practice of papists, to shed
l^lood cruelly, if their superiority be denied them.
Polychronicon, lib. v. chap. 9, and Fabian, chap. 119, write
all this same in effect, and also further, that Austin called a
council for stablishing his religion; and when the bishops asked
Dinoth whether they should go to it or no, he said they should
go, and obey him if he behaved himself lowly, like a disciple
of Christ. His lowliness they should try, if he would rise and
reverence them when they come into the council. But when
Austin gave no reverence to them at their coming, they were
angry, and went their ways. Among other things mark also
the pride of the lloman legates, that would not as nuich as
make any kind of curtesy to so many bishops coming to the
council.
[' Tho passai^c is in Lil). xi. eapp. xii. xiii. of Galfrodns, p. 85. of
Heniin liiitaniiicanim Sciiptoros A^'Ui.stiorcs, Ilcidelboro. ].587. The
mayor of Chester is there railed Brocmai/, instead of Bveinuel. En.]
IV.] COXFL TATIO.V OF A\ ADDITION. 517
Gildas, wliich writing laments this miserable destruction of
Britain by bringing in the Saxons, and complains as much of
the decay and neglecting of religion as of wicked living in all
sorts of men, from the highest to the lowest, to l^e the cause of
this plague of God, and overthrow of the realm ; he sharply
rebukes the kings, but priests and bishops rather more than
any other sort of men : so that it seems to be a double plague,
both in bringing strangers to rule, and strange religion to blind
us withal. And because they crack so much of the religion
that Austin brought in, ye shall see what he used. There be
eleven questions written in the latter end of Gregory's works in
Latin, which Austin, being in England, desired Gregory, pope of
Rome, to write him his mind and opinion in them. The third
question is this, which Polychronicon also touches, lib. v. ch. 9:
" ^V'hy, seeing there is but one faith, there be divers customs of
masses in the churches; and one custom is in France, and another
in Rome'"' To this Gregory answers, that Austin '-should pick
out of the Romish church, or the Frencli church, or any other,
the best, and use them in England'.*' Mark here, I pray you,
the begiiming and ancienty of their mass here in England,
and the patching it together, and beggarly picking it out of
all countries; and also, that the pope did not condemn those
divers kinds of masses, as our butchers have, and burned them
that gainsiiid it ; and then ask my masters, that so shamefully
lie and proudly crack their mass to be one thousand five hun-
dred year old, whether these saying-s be truly alleged or no.
P To the second that is asked, "AMiilc tlie faith is all one, why be
there so many divers iisjiijes in churches?" — hereto it is answered in this
manner: " AVhat thou knowest is most i)lcasing to God Almijjhty,
j^thcr thou together, and make that to he used in churches of England.
Things he not loved for tlie place, but tlie places be loved for good
things." Polychron. v. 0. To. crxxxiv. col. 4. — The Avhole of CJrcgory's
answer on tliis point is as follows: Novit frateniita^ tua Uonian«? eccle-
sitc consuetudinem, in qua se meminit nutritam. Sed mihi placet, ut
sive in Romana, sive in (lallicana, sen in qualibet ecclesia ali([uid inve-
nisti, quod plus omnipotenti Deo possit i)laccre, sollicite eligas; ct in
Anglorum ecclcsiam, qua; adhuc in fide nova est, institutione pnccipua
(jute de multis ecclesiis colligere potuisti, infundas. Non enim pro locis
res, sed pro l)onis re])us loca amanda sunt. Ex singulis ergo quibusque
ecclesiis qux pia, quir religiosa, qu;c recta sunt, eligc ; ct hac quasi in
f.i-sciculum collecta apud Anglorum mentcs in consuetudinem depone,
(trugtu-. Op. Tom. ii. p. 1101. Iljwil. lo71. En.]
518 THE BURNING OF PAUl's. [sECT.
But believe neither me nor them ; look your book of Gregory,
and judge yourself who lies.
cVrlstening. Fabian also writes, chap. 119 and 130, that this Austin
christened the people in the river called Swale, in Swaldale,
not far from York ; and that Paulinus, instead of fonts, at the
same time (who was one of those whom Gregory sent from
Rome hither to preach here) baptized many also both in the
same river and in another called Gweni, in Gwensedale, in
Yorkshire too\ Was it lawful then to christen without hal-
lowing of fonts, yea, without fonts, without crossing, blowing,
censing, salting, spitting, oil and cream, fee, and now is not ?
Who has made it unlawful since ? Are we heretics in doing
it without conjured water, as Austin did, whom they so much
commend ? Nay, we do it not, nor wish it to be done, in the
river, as they did, but in the church. Are they worthy to be
called papists, and glory so much in it, which will not follow
the pope's legate, nor allow his doings, and dispraise them
that do as he did? I speak not this because I would be
called a papist, or make the pope my schoolmaster ; but that
we would not untruly be called forsakers of true religion and
ancient customs of the church, when we have the old popes and
ancient Romish church to teach and allow that which we do.
And because this scavenger cracks so much of his holy
bishops, that suffer so great pains for disobeying their prince,
and cleaving to their holy father the pope, they that be not wil-
fully blind shall see here, that there is none more enemy to that
usurped power of the pope, claiming to be above other bishops
and princes, nor to that blasphemous name, to be called the
universal bishop of the whole church, than this Gregory was, as
fully appears in sundry places of his works. In his time began
this ambitious desire to creep into the mind of John, archbishop
of Constantinople, to be called the head bishop of the world,
because Maurice, then emperor, and head above many princes,
lay then at Constantinople, and not at Rome, as his ancestors
P When he liad in one day christened ten thousand of Saxons or
Angles in tlic west river, that is called Swale, hefore York, &c. Fabian,
Chron. Cap. cxix. p. 115. Lend. 1559. From that time forward, by the
term of six years, during the life of king Edwin, Paulinus christened con-
tinually in both provinces of Deyra and in Brennicia, in the rivers of
Gweny and Swala, which he used for his fonts. lb. Cap. cxxx. Ed.]
IV.] CONFUTATION OF AN ADDITION. 519
did for the most part. While the emperor lay at Kome, the
bishop there was more reverenced than other Ijishops were, as it
is in all commonwealths, wheresoever the prince lies : therefore
he thought that, like as when the emperor lay at Rome, the
bishop was preferred above other (because commonly princes
>vill have the learneder sort near them), so he thought that
the emperor now lying at Constantinople, that that bishop
should likewise be esteemed ; and therefore he caused the em-
peror to write to Gregory, bishop of Rome, in this behalf, and
that he should submit himself to the bishop of Constantinople.
Gregory answers divers of the emperor's letters sharply, godlily,
wiselv, and learnedlv, sayinir that neither he at Rome, nor the Neither
" ^ ..'JO' pope nor
other at Constantinople, nor no other in any place, should chal- j'^'j^^g'" °g,fp;{
lenge to him that proud name nor authority above other, g^f ^'"r'^head
" None of my predecessors," says Gregory, " would use this ^^i^hop of
cursed name (to be called the universal bishop of all) ; for if one Lib.iv.Epis.
patriarch should be called univei-sal, then the name of patri-
archs should be taken from other : but God keep this far from
a christian mind, that any man should challenge that to him-
self, whereby he might any thing at all diminish the honour of
his brother.'' Note, that he says none of his predecessors used
this cursed name. Then in his time it began to be desired :
then also they lie, saying that Christ gave this authority of
beintr above other to Peter and his successors from time to
time. He calls it also a wicked and cui-sed name, wherein they
glory, and so much desire : wicked and cui*scd therefore is he
that has it or desires it. He says further, they do their brother
wrong in taking that honour from them that is due to them,
which is, to be of like power and authority with them. If any
man now a days should write thus, he would be called a railer,
a fool, a prater, &c. but seeing this good pope says so to i^ib. vi. rpi«.
them, let them take it among them, and believe their pope; for
it is true. Again he says : ''I say boldly, that whosoever calls
himself, or desires to be called, the universal priest, in his pride
he runs afore antichrist ; because in being ])r()ud he prefers
himself above other*." This is their parts then that they play,
[" FJ;;o aiiti'iu fidcntcr dico, (|ui;i quis<iMis sc iinivor>alrin saccrdotnu
VJK-at, vcl votari dcsideiat, in clatioiu- sua anticliristimi itni'turrit, quia
supcrbicndo sc ceteris pneponit. Greg. Kpist. Lib. vi. Ei»ibt. xxx. p. 888.
Bubil. 15G4. Ed.]
520 THE BURNING OF TAUL's. [sECT.
to be antichrist's forerunners, or rather to be antichrist himself.
Much good do it them with their popes, that so reward their
followers : and, seeing their master gives them that name, they
may be glad of it, and neither refuse it, nor be angry with them
that so call them.
It were an easy thing to take many such like sayings out
of other doctors ; but because he cries out so oft of this holy
father's religion, I keep me within his compass, and allege his
i.ib.iv.Epi.^. writings only. Gregory in his epistle to Maurice the emperor,
among many other words, says thus: " Who is this that against
the ordinance of the gospel, and against the decrees of the
canons, presumes to take this new name l Let this blasphe-
mous name be far from christian men's hearts, to be called
the universal bishop, by which the honour of all priests is taken
away, when it is foolishly claimed of one man. This name
was offered in the synod of Chalcedon to the Romish bishop,
but none of them did take this name of singularity, nor did
agree to use it ; lest, while any private thing should be given
to one man, all priests should be robbed of their due honour.
He is to be bridled, which does wrong to the universal church,
which by this private name sets himself above the honour
of your empire, &c.*"
Thus much Gregory. I marvel that the later popes scraped
not these sayings out of Gregory's works, or else condemned
not his books for heresy, seeing he does so plainly condemn
their proud prelacy. But surely, as God has preserved the true
text of the bible by the Jews, that are his enemies, to the com-
fort of his people ; so for the glory of his name he has saved
the writings of good popes, to condemn the foolishness of the
[^ Quis est iste qui contra statuta evangelica, contra canonum decreta,
novum sibi usurpare nomen praesumit? • * • Sed absit a cordibus
christianorum nomen istud blasphemisp, in quo omnium sacerdotum
honor adimitur, dum ab uno sibi dementer arrogatur. Certe pro beati
Petri, apostolorum principis, honore per venerandam Chalcedonensem
synodum Romano pontifici oblatum est. Sed nullus eorum unquam hoc
singularitatis vocabulum assumpsit, nee uti consensit, ne dum privatum
aliquid daretur uni, honore debito sacerdotes privarentur universi. * • •
I lie coercendus est, qui sanctai universali ecclesise injuriam facit, qui
cordc tumet, qui gaudere de nomine singularitatis appetit, qui honori
quoque imperii vestri sc per privatum vocabulum superponit. Ibid. Lib.
IV. Epist. xxxii. Tom. ii. p. 793. Basil. 1564. Ed.]
IV.] COXFUTATIOX OF AX ADDITIOX. 521
late presumptuous tyranny of popes alter their times, llemem-
ber that he calls it a blasphemous name, and that it is against
the gospel and canons, that it was never used, and is a wrong
to all the rest. Thus many years it was, six hundred and five,
afore the pope had any supremacy granted him ; but straight
after his death, when Phocas had murdered the emperor
Maurice his master, and made himself emperor, pope Boniface
the third and fourth obtained at his hand, that Rome and the
bishop there should be the head of other churches and bishops.
A meet man to set up a bishop like himself! the one mur-
dered his master, and the other kills souls. When they have
answered this pope, that denies any of his predecessors to have
had this name and authority, then they may crack that they
have had it one thousand five hundred since St Peter's time.
And where he says in the latter end, that when the people
fell from this religion that Gregory send 'and Austin brought
in, they felt great calamities by the conquest of the Danes and
the Normans ; if he had advised himself well, he would not have
said thus. But as Caiphas prophesied tnily, saying, that "it
was necessary that one man Christ should die for the people,
and not all perish,'' not understanding what he said ; so this un-
learned proctor has spoken more truly than he wots of. For
God indeed plagued this realm for falling from true religion
taught in his holy word, rather than by Austin, and submitting
themselves to the pope, who. as ye heard, refused that name and
authority. The conquest of the Danes was not long nor great,
but then followed the Normans, five hundred year since save
five. And if ye mark, even about that time was Hildebrand,
commonly called Gregoiy the seventh, pope, who with his
fellows brought more wicked superstition into the church of
God than ever was afore. Afore his time there was no swarm
of idle monks and friars in Enirland, nor in the world, but they
wrought for their living; no such gadding of pilgrimages, selling
of masses, 6cc. And therefore God justly plagued the world
for falling from him, and defiling themselves so filthily with the
dregs of popery. I speak not this because I think all was well
afore, or that all the doings of (Gregory and Austin were perfect,
but to let you see that our papists leave the best, and pick out
the worst to follow, as meetest for their purpose.
522 THE I3URNING OF PAUl'*S. [sECT.
V. Now, whether the people of this realm be declined from the steps of
St Austin, and other blessed fathers and saints, which had mass and
seven sacraments in the church, and God was honoured night and
day in the church with divine service, I think there is no man so
simple but he may easily perceive, except malice have blinded his
heart. As in St Paul's church in London, by the decrees of blessed
fathers, every night at midnight they had matins, all the forenoon
masses in the church, with other divine service and continual prayer,
and in the steeple anthems and prayers were had certain times.
That the people of this realm be swerved from the steps
of Austin, I will not greatly stick with him to grant : but how ?
Not in falling from any goodness that he used (for that they
either keep still, or the better instead of it), but in refusing
such abuses as he first began, and since his time the church of
God has been overloaden by the pope's oppression withal. And
because he says, that we swerve from Austin and other blessed
fathers and saints, which had mass and seven sacraments ; who
those fathers and saints be, I would he had named them, that
it might be seen how truly he says. 1 think he durst not, nor
yet can, lest he be taken with a loud lie. I think he means
• that Austin which is called the apostle of England, and not
that other Austin, which is taken for one of the four doctors
of the church. There is great difference betwixt them two,
both in ancienty of time, in learning and godliness. The
English Austin lived here six hundred year after Christ, the
other in Afric four hundred : and that the elder Austin and
blessed fathers afore him agree better with our reformed re-
ligion than with their popery, I boldly affirm ; and if he or his
partakers have or can say any thing to the contrary, they should
prove it better than they have done hitherto, or else the world
may judge, that they more proudly brag (as Golias did God's
1 Sam. xvii.; people) than can truly prove it. But as David with his sling
and stone overcame that mighty giant, so I doubt not but they
shall find many, that with the simplicity of God's truth shall
be able to confound their wicked subtlety.
I am sure, he means chiefly the doctrine of the sacrament
of Christ's body and blood : but in that he is already over-
matched. I remember, in the time of that blessed king, Ed-
ward the sixth, Doctor llidlcy, late bishop of London, came in
visitation to Cambridge ; and because that doctrine of the sacra-
ment seemed strange then to many, he propounded this propo-
v.] CONFUTATION OF AX ADDITION. 523
sition to the whole university to dispute on : That it could not
be proved by any ancient ANTiter, Greek or Latin, which Hved a
thousand year since, or within five hundred year after Christ,
that the substance of the bread was changed in the sacrament
to the substance of Christ's body". There was the eldest and
stoutest champions of the whole university, and the pertest
lusty young princocks- also that could be picked out, to say
what they could two or three days together : and one while
they had liberty to speak what they could in defence of it, and
another while to speak against them that withstood it with
what reasons or authorities they could devise. But the pithy
solutions of that godly learned bishop were so strong then, that,
unto the world changed, his enemies praised him, and wondered
at his learning, and liked the doctrine so well, that their lusty
younker would have turned bishop Cranmer's book into Latin,
yea, and married too (as was needful), if the good king had
lived awhile longer. If this be true in the chicfest point of
their religion (as it is most true indeed), that they have not
one ancient writer ^^^thout ^^Testing to seem to make for them,
it is much more true in the rest. There is another conference
of late betwixt the reverend bishop of Sarum^ and Doctor Cole,
wherein that learned father lays to their charge, that for the
rest of their trash (which they reverence as holy relics) they
have neither scripture, ancient writer, doctor, nor general
council, to defend their doings. The writings of good Cranmer
and these learned bishops are in print, and yet unconfuted and
in strength, although one attempted with small praise of late
to defend Doctor (^ole's part ; but if they could have gain-
stand it, no man doubts of their good will. They need not to
fear their recognizance, fire nor fagot, nor any punishment ac-
cording as they deserve ; their bloody laws are laid on sleep,
though their hearts be bloody still.
And because he but only names particularly mass and
[^ See ¥o\c, Ads and Monuments, Vol. ii. p. loja. cd. 1583. for a full
account of this disputation. Ridley's Determinations are given p. 1387.
See also Ridley's Works, Parker Society, p. 171. Kn-1
[3 Princocks: ]»ert forwanl youths. Perhaps from the Latin prervax.
Ei).]
[]' Bishop Jewell, whoso challenge given in his sermon at Paul's Cross
led to a c(>rresi»on(lcnce with Dr Cole. These letters were printed a.d.
15G0, and arc reprinted in bishop Jewell's works. En.]
524 THE BURXIXG OF PAUlV. [sECT.
seven sacraments, and proves it not to be so, 1 will not use
many ways in disproving it ; for he is not a man of that au-
thority, learning, nor credit, that because he says it is so,
therefore straight it must be so, and be believed : for I may say
it is not so with as good reason as he, if saying without proof
were sufficient. For their mass I said enough afore, and
proved of what ancienty it was. I declared afore \ how Gre-
gor}''s mass-book was allowed seven hundred and seventy-seven
years after Christ ; and also how Austin, by Gregory's command-
ment, out of such diverse orders of massing as ye see in other
countries, patched their order of mass together that they used
here in England. Seeing then by their own doctors' confession
it is manifest to be so many years after Christ, afore their mass
took place here or elsewhere, I may boldly say, that never
one holy father, afore Gregory, knew nor allowed any such kind
of massing: for then was no such thing made nor used.
These, unto they be answered, are sufficient.
For their seven sacraments I will not say much at this
time, because he stands not any thing in the proof of them.
The question is meeter for the learned sort than the people, to
try out such narrow points. The controversy is more about
the word and name, than the thing itself and use of it. We use
six of them that he calls sacraments as well as they, though
not without great reason we forbeai* to call them all sacra-
ments; and differ much in the doctrine, the order and using of
them, with other ceremonies and language than they do. Bap-
tism, the Lord's supper, confirmation of children, marriage, or-
dering of ministers, we use them all as well as they, though not
in the same sort that they, and teach the people to have them
in reverence better than they. Confession is left free to all that
feel themselves burdened in conscience, and want either counsel
or comfort, and the weak and ignorant are moved to resort to a
learned minister to receive the comfortable promises of absolu-
tion and forgiveness of sin by the lively word of God, applied to
so troubled a mind as a sovereign salve for all such griefs.
The only controversy in number then betwixt us is for ex-
treme unction, whether that be so necessarj^ to be observed
continually in the church. The chief reason whereon they
Jamts V. ground it, is the saying of St James, " If any be sick, let him
[^ See pp. 508 and 517. Ed.]
v.] COXFUTATIOX OF A\ aDDITIOX. i)2o
call the elders of the congregation, and let them pray for
him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord, &c."
The other place of St Mark, where the apostles used oil in Mark vi.
healing the sick, though they allege it, it proves not their
purpose, even as their own doctors teach. Then was a time of ^^•"'^i'^'"
■* ^ extreme
miracles, and God orave that power of healino: diseases to con- un*^'>on be
' " A o a sacrament
firm his gospel withal : now it is not lawful to look for such ^r "u.
miracles. If they weigh the words of St James well, they will
not so much glory in that their sacrament. St James bids
them '* anoint him with oil." I ask them, with what oil i I mean
not, whether with oil-olive, or lamp-oil, or other kind of oil
(although that question cannot be answered out of the text of
the scripture, and yet, according to the general rule, I grant
that where oil alone is named, there is meant oil-olive), but
whether it be liallowed and consecrate oil, or common and
unhallowed • I trust, they will not say unhallowed ; for then
their holy sacrament should stand on an unhallowed thing,
which is a great inconvenience: then, if it must be consecrated,
I ask with what words, and after what soi-t nuist it be done I
There is no words of consecration for the oil in St James, nor
in any place of the scripture. If there be, let them shew them:
but their own doctors say that there is none. Then it must
])e hallowed with words of their own devising : why, then follows
it consequently, that man is better thandod; which is blasphemy
to grant. It is a greater might and power to make a holy
thinu than to make the unholv and bare thins: itself, as the
baker makes the bread, but Christ's holy ordinance sanctifies
the bread in his holy supper; but in this their sacrament, God
should make the oil, and the bishop should make it holv. And
because they stick so stifHy, that all consecrations stand in
speaking certain words, I ask what those words be, where they
be taught in the scriptures, and whether man have power of his
own head to make a thing holier than ( Jod has done, and to de-
vise the words himself also, wherewith it shall be consecrated
and njadeso holy' The scripture has no such words; and tliat
man sliould devise those holv words, is great absurdity. N\ hen
these are answered, more may be replied against them.
Again, I demand wliat scripture they have to prove that
bishops only nuist hallow this oil; for tliose that be sacraments
indeed, a^ baptism and the liOrd's supper, every priest has au-
526 ^ THE BURNING OP PAUl's. /r^jWn- ^f^T.
thority to use, minister, and consecrate them according to their
holy institution, and do all that belongs thereto, as well as the
bishop. Is this their sacrament of an oiling more holy than
the other, because bishops, as more holy men, are put to the
doing and consecrating of the oil ? Yet one doubt more. They
have two sorts of oil to anoint withal, differing in holiness, con-
secration, and use of them, and yet both hallowed by the bishop.
One is of oil and balsam blend together, which is called com-
monly oil and cream, wherewith bishops and priests in their con-
secrating, and children are anointed in christening : and that is
more holy than this for sick persons is, for this is oil alone
Mag.senten- without Other things blend thereto, as their master teaches'.
tiar. lib. 4. *
dist. 23. What scripture is there for these toys, and the consecrating
of them ^ St Paul says, that our meat "is sanctified by the
word and prayer f' but I trust they will grant a better conse-
cration than this, and more holiness in that oil than in our
daily meat. But how will they prove it 1 Further, every sa-
crament has a promise annexed of God working some spiritual
grace by them in the receiver : here is none such, but St
James says, "the faithful prayer shall heal the sick man.'"* The
promise here named is corporal, bodily health, and is attributed
to prayer, and not to their sacrament. Then, as the promise
is corporal, so was this oil a corporal medicine and salve for
diseased bodies ; although I doubt not but then by such godly
prayers and exhortations God wrought a spiritual grace in-
wardly.
Nothing was more commonly used for weak and weary
bodies than oil in all those countries, and nothing does more
ease the pains of the sick body than these suppling oils : there-
fore, partly for the custom of the country, partly for the whole-
some strength and medicinable nature of oil, and partly for an
outward sign of an inward grace wrought by God (while that
gift of healing diseases did continue in Christ's church), St
James bids them " call the elders, anoint him with oil in the
name of the Lord, and the faithful prayer shall heal the sick
person;" but what does that belong, or how is it to be applied, to
our days, where no such gift is ? I would fain make an end of
[^ Nee tamcn omne oleum ad unctionem sanctificatum chrisma voca-
tiir, sed illud solum (juod miscetur eum balsamo, &c. Magister Senten-
tiarum. Lib. iv. Dist. xxiii. cap. 1. Ei>.]
v.] CONFUTATION OF AN ADDITION. 527
their foolishness, if it had any end. Their own doctors teach ^"orus?""^
further, that this anointing takes not away mortal sin, but venial fu"t%"'/^ '
only, and that it must not be used as long as there is hope of
life in the sick person-: then by their own doctrine it is not so
holy a sacrament, nor a sacrament at all. Their opinion holds,
that sacraments do both give grace and forgive sin, and should
be given only to them that have use of reason to repent for
their sins, and call on God for his mercy, being not children,
but come to full aofe. This does not so, nor is so used bv their
own doctrine ; and therefore no sacrament. The pope's holy
water is as good, or better, as this their sacrament, by this
doctrine : for he says that his conjured water can forgive venial
sin, and drive away devils too. Then, after their own teaching,
this their sacrament is not so good as the pope's holy water ;
for it can drive away devils, beside forgiving venial sin, which
this oiling cannot. But thus to teach is to blasj)heme God, in
making God's sacraments worse than the pope's dregs.
To conclude the authority and ancienty of this their sacra-
ment, from whence it comes, and wliat it is, Polychronicon
teaches, lib. v. chap. 5, that pope Felix IV. grandsire to pope
(jrregory's father, (mark, whether he was married or no,) ordain-
ed the sick to be anointed with oil^ If ye look f(jr greater
authors, Volaterran teaches the same* ; but I had rather prove
it by their own doctors, because they caU other new fellows.
Then Christ taught it not.
Further, where he charges us with declining from the steps
of blessed fathers, which ordained in Paul's matins to be had
at midnight, all forenoon masses, and in the steeple anthems;
these things we do not only not deny, for we do not count such
[•^ Non inteUigit dc mortalibus (Jac. v.) quia haec non remittuntur
nisi in haptLsmo vel i)a'nitcntia : ert^o de venialihus. Jo. Duns, St>nt. iv.
Dist. xxiii. Concl. i. — Ideo non debet conferri sano, ncc qualitorcunque
exposito periculo mortiifi, * " nee qualitercunque infirmo, sed periculose,
ita (juod probabiliter inimincat sil)i exitus de statu viatoris ad temiinum.
Concl. ii. Tom. ii. p. 114. V'enet. I0O8. Ed.]
[•^ After Jolin tlie fourth, Felix was j»ope four yeai-s. Jle was St
(Iregor.v's father's grandsire. He ordained that sick men should be
anointed with holy oil, or they passed out of this life : and cursed patri-
arch of Coiwtantinople. Ei».] '^
[* Quodque niorientes ungerentur instituit. Comm. I'rban. .Vnthro-
polog. an. .53^. Lib. xxii. p. 7I>0. Ed. lOO:?. Ed.]
5 28 THE nUT^NING OF PAULAS. [sECT.
sui>erstitious idolaters to be our fathers in religion, but we re-
joice and praise God for our deliverance from such superstition.
Thev crack much of blessed fathei"s, and vet name not who
they be ; but much it shall not skill, for their deeds will prove
MWmVbt their holiness. AVhat great holiness was this, to have matins at
matins. ^ , . , .
midnight, when folk were on sleep m then* beds ? Is not common
praver to be had at such hours, when the people might resort
commonly unto it conveniently ? if midnight be such a time
most convenient, let the world judge. I grant, in the primitive
church God's people had their prayers early afore day, because
at other times they were not suffered ; but in those assemblies
were not only monks or priests, but all sorts and degrees of
men were gathered to pray, hear sermons, and receive the
sacraments : for at other times of the day they durst not for
the greatness of persecution. In PauPs and abbeys at their
midnight prayers were none commonly, but a few bawling
priests, young quiristers and novices, which understood not
what they said ; the elder sort kept their beds, or were worse
occupied. A prayer not understand in the heart, but spoken
with the lips, is rather to be counted prating and bawling, than
praying with good devotion. The elder sort, both in cathedral
churches and al^beys, almost never came at their midnight
j)rayer : it was thought enough to knoll the bells, and make
men believe that they rose to pray : therefore they have not so
nmch to crack of this their doing. The papists have a rule of
their own making, to say their matins in, which I think was a
great cause of these early matins, and also of saying them over
night : Ante temptis meritmn, in tempore debitum^ post tempiis
peccatiun. " To say matins afore the time due is a merit, to
say them in due time it is duty, but after the appointed time
is sin."' But as all their relioion is of their own devisino- so is
their reward: God lias made them no such promise, and thercr
fore they can claim nothing at his hands.
Forenoon YoY their continual massino; afore noon, we praise God that
has delivered us from it, as a thing contrary to his holy will and
ordinance. St Paul says, that " when they came together to
eat the Lord's supper, they should tarry one for another ;" but
tliose shorn, shaveling, shameless pri(\sts would neither receive
together one of them with another, nor yet let the people have
any part with tliem. Every one would creep into a coi-ner to an
.
v.] CONFUTATION OF AN ADDITION. .'>29
altar alone, there lift up on high, eat and drink up all alone, sell
good pennyworths, and bless them with the empty chalice. Then
all was well, as they thought, and God w ell served ; but to break
God's commandment of receiving together, they passed not of
it, so that they might follow their own device.
I know their shift in writhing this text to their purpose, and
saying, that St Paul spake this of that feast which they used
then to have, when they received the communion : but that
wresting will not serve ; for both for that feast, and all other
kind of eating to fill their belly, St Paul gave that command-
ment that follows, '' If any man be an hungered, let him eat ^ ^^^- -^'•
at home : have ye not houses to eat and drink in ; or do ye
despise the congregation of God f Seeing that Paul speaks
there but of two sorts of eating, the one for hunger to fill
their bellies, the other feeding the soul with the spiritual food
of Christ's body and blood ; for nourishing and feeding our
weak bodies he bids us '* eat at home,'' but for the lively food
of our souls, in the sacrament of his body and blood, he bids
us '-tarry one for another;" for it is the seal and band of
brotherly love, as well as the sacrament of Christ's body and
blood.
Every pillar in the church commonly had his altar, every
altar his priest, and his god, to whom the altars were dedicate:
thus, like men not regarding God's commandment, they fol-
lowed their own devices ; and yet having the truth revealed,
they harden their hearts, and stop their ears, that they will not
learn.
For climbing up to the top of the steeple to sing their ^JJ^^Jj^^JJ^j^,,!^."
anthems, I demand of them to shew a reason, if there be any,
why it is done there, rather than on the ground? and why
on such saint days rather than on other I and why that time of
the year rather than other i When Baal's priests were as-
sembled against the prophet Elias, to try whether of them
served the living God, and ]3aars priests began to pray, and
call on their (Jod, but he would not hear them, Klias said,
" Cry louder : peradventure your god is busy, he is chasing his
enemies, from home, or on sleep :" so, unto ye find a better
answer, I am content freely to lend you this, without paying
any penny for it, that ye may frankly say, ye go up to the top
of the steeple to call on your god, that he may tlie more easily
:\ \^
[PII.KINOTON. I
530 THE BURNING OF PAULAS. [sECT.
hear you, standing so high, rather than on the ground so far
off, and at night when other suitors take their rest : for all the
day long peradventure he has been otherways occupied ; and
now waxing old, his hearing decays so much, that if ye stand
not near hand and cry loud, he cannot help you. These and
such other are meet for them that serve strange gods : but he
that calls on the living Lord knows him to be present in all
places, and therefore makes no such difference of them. Again,
if according to their own doctrine a prayer made in a hallowed
place be better than that which is made in an unhallowed, then
better it is to stand on the ground than to climb on height ;
for the top of the steeple was never hallowed, as the church
was beneath. When such foolishness is wisely proved, we
shall straightways believe it.
VI. First search, whether the faith and religion now used was taught
with the blessed fathers in Christ's church in times past. Ye shall
prove by no record of authority or chronicle, that this manner of
service now used in the church was ever heard tell of afore Luther's
time, which is not forty year ago : therefore it is to be rejected
and put away, as a new-fangled doctrine and schismatical : therefore
come back again into the old blessed fathers' steps.
In that he denies this faith and religion ever to be heard
tell of unto within these forty years, and bids try the records
whether it be true that he says, and seems to charge us with
forsaking the old faith and fathers, alleging the epistle to the
Heb. xi. Hebrews, that " he that comes to God must believe," and that
" without faith it is not possible to please God ;" and Jeremy,
that we should " search out the old way, and walk in it ;" I
am well content to stand with him in these points, and prove
that this faith and religion was taught in Christ's church con-
tinually from the beginning, and that this service now used
goes nearer the order appointed in the scripture, than any
that ever they have received from the pope. If we had not
this faith spoken of to the Hebrews, we durst not so boldly come
to the throne of grace, without making any more mediators
than one only, Jesus Christ: whereas they, in making so
many means and intercessors for them, (as though God were
a cruel judge, and not a merciful Father,) declare themselves
to want this faith, in that they dare not so boldly come to the
Jer. vi.
VI.] CONFUTATION OF AN ADDITION. 531
throne of grace, without such spokesmen as we use none ; for
faith only makes us bold to come into God's presence, and beg
of his grace. But according to their desire, let us "search out
the old way" which is good, that we may walk in it.
The faith of a christian man is generally contained in the
creed, and particularly declared in the scripture at large ; and
whether we keep that better than they, let wise men judge.
We do esteem these articles of the christian faith so much,
with the Lord's prayer, and the ten commandments of Almighty
God, tliat by common order it is appointed, and good minis-
ters practise it, that children shall learn them, not in a tongue
that they understand not, as the pope would have them, but
in their mother tongue, with such a short declaration on it by
a catechism, that now a young child of a ten year old can tell
more of his duty toward God and man, than an old man of
their bringing up can do of sixty or eighty year old. All the
canonical scriptures we do so reverently receive, and faithfully
believe, that we stand in contention with the papists, that
nothing is to be believed as necessary to salvation, but only
the old testament and the new : where their faith is never
certain ; but when it pleases the pope or his council to make
them a new article of their faith, or condemn or change any
that they have, they receive it willingly, believe it faithfully,
and follow it earnestly with fire and fagot. It is not long since
that by common authority, where our creed has but twelve
articles, they added six more articles, and with no less danger
of withstanding them, than of life'. This six-stringed whip
did vex God's people sore, mito God of his undeserved mercy
provided a remedy.
And where they think no faith nor religion to be good, Councils,
allowed or received, but that which is confirmed by general
councils or written by the doctors ; for that I say, their reli-
gious superstition cannot Ijo proved by general council, nor
doctor, as the reverend bishop of Sarum lays against doctor
Cole : but so far as either trcneral council or the doctors' wri-
tings do agree with the Ijody (jf the holy scriptures, we do not
only reverently and willingly receive them, but diligently, so far
forth as we may, practise them. They crack nmch of the autho-
[' The bill of the six articles, passed in 1531), iipholdmg by the penalty
of death some of the most obnoxious dogniiis of poperj'. En.]
;i4— 1>
532 THE BURNING OP PAUL's. [sECT.
rity of a general council, and blear the people's eyes with so
glorious a name, and also with the reverend name of the fathers,
doctors, and ancienty, where indeed they make more for us
than them.
If they considered what Gerson and Panormitanus' write,
which were ancient fathers, and not new protestants, and were
at the council of Basil, where it was disputed what authority a
council has, they would not so stiffly stick to so weak a staff: "We
must rather believe one simple layman," say they, "alleging the
scripture, than the whole council to the contrary." De Elect, ca.
Slgnificasti. This thing was well proved true in the great Ni-
cene council, where many would have forbidden priests' mar-
riage, and only Paphnutius, being unmarried, and alleging the
scriptures which allow marriage in all men, did stop it.^ Gregory
Nazianzene says, that he "never see good end of a council.'
•'■>3
[^ The following appears to be the passage of Panormitanus : Nam
in concernentibus iidem etiam dictum unius privati esset praeferendum
dieto papae, si ille moveretur mehoribus rationibus novi et veteris testa-
menti quam papa. Panormitan. Prima super primo Decretalium, T. i.
p. 122. col. 1. 1534. The following is from Gerson, De Examinatione
Doctrinarum, Pars i. Consideratio quinta: Jungatur huic considerationi
cum sua declaratione duplex Veritas. Prima, staret quod aliquis simplex
non auctorisatus ; esset tam exccllenter in sacris litteris eraditus, quod
plus esset credendum in casu doctrinali suae assertioni quam papae decla-
ration!; constat enim plus esse credendum evangelio quam papae: si
doceat igitur talis eruditus veritatem aliquam in evangelio contineri, ubi
et papa nesciret vel ultro erraret, patet cujus praeferendum sit judicium.
Altera Veritas, taHs eruditus deberet, in casu si et dum celebraretur gene-
rale concilium cui et ipse praesens esset, illi se opponere, si sentiret majo-
rem partem ad oppositum evangelii malitia vel ignorantia declinare:
cxemplum l)eatissimus dedit Hilarius. Gersoni Opera, Tom. i. p. 11.
Edit. Antvei-p. 1706. Ed.]
I LjV 0€ Tto) Trepi TovTov (JovXeveaaai, toi<: fxeu «,\\o(? edoKCi
vofiov: eTTCiaayeiv, eTria-Koirov^ kui irpeo-louTepov^i ciaKouov^ tc kui
VTTociaKovov^ fit] (TvyKuQevceiv Ta7<: yaneraT^, a? irp^iv lepaaOai liyu-
yovTo. cti/ao-Ttt? ce Ila^i/oyTjo? 6 o\xo\oyY]TY\^ avreltrc Tipiov de
Tov ycifiov UTTOKaXiaVy <T(t)(ppo<rvvr]v ce rrfv 7rpo<i ra? lc'ta<; 7i/»/a?Ka?
avvovaiaUf avvefiovKevae rjy (ri/i/oBw fxiq toioZtov Oeadai uofxov yaXtirov
yap civut TO Trpuyixa (pepciv 'i(T(a^ ce kui civroT^ kui rai^ Tovro)i>
yaneruii; tov firj aiacppove'iv ulria yevijaerai, "^^ * * eTrtjucae
cc Kfu t] <Tvvocu^ Tt]u f3ov\i]v, Ka\ irep) TOVTOV ovoeu evofkoQeTri<rev.
Sozomen. Ecclcs. Hist. Lib. i. cap. 23. Ed.]
L A'.! 1^0) ixev ouTo)?, et Be? TuKijde^ ypd(pcn', wkttc ttuvtu (rvWoynu
VI.] COXFLTATION OF AX ADDITION, 533
They allege much general councils, when indeed verj' few of
them be general : if it be but a provincial council, they them-
selves grant that it may err. Now then look how many may
be called, or are called, general in their own books, and ye shall
find very few. Take heed therefore of these foxes, ye that will
not be deceived, when they allege a council, and try even by
their own book of councils, whether it be general or no. Ye
shall find that every tenth that they allege is not general :
then, being a particular and provincial, they give us leave to
deny it ; and so they condemn their own doing, when they allege
nothing but provincial councils. There is no creed made at any
general councils, rfor Athanasius' creed, but we wilhngly em-
brace it, receive it, and believe it. Seeing then we openly pro-
fess and teach all things contained in the holy scriptures, and
all the articles of any creed determined in general council, or
written by Athanasius, or any catholic father, how can it be that
we be out of the faith ? and how can it be, but this slanderous
proctor of the pope has blasphemed God, belied his ministers,
God's people and his truth I Thus much I have spoken parti-
cularly to purge us from his lying lips, where he speaks generally,
naming nothing, but meaning all, that we should foi*sake both
faith and religion, and devise a new one of our own ; where they
themselves are guilty in this, as more plainly shall appear.
This shall be sufficient, I trust, to them that will be satisfied,
to declare that we be not out of the faith, seeing we profess our
faith. Now to try whether we be fallen from the old ways of
holy fathers, and whether ancient records do testify this man-
ner of church service to be godly, and have been heard tell of
afore Luther's time, and whether it be elder than theii*s, I am
content to join with him in trial thereof. I trust they will be
content to call Moses, David, and the prophets ancient fathers:
why then, look what order of prayer was in the tabernacle of
God, and Salomon's temple in their time, and see whether it <^'>r<'i»"rch
^ _ service
go nearer our service, or the pope's portus I Kead David's JJ^'^^^p^g^J
psalm, and mark how many of them have their title directed cimrch.
to the chanter, or chief singer and player on the instruments,
to Asaph, Heman, Dithuin, &c., to be sung in the temple, and
ipevyfiv e'TricrKUTTUiu, uti fit]C€fXia<: (rvvocov re\o<: tiCou ■^pt]<rruvy fitjCi
\v(riu KUKiou fiaWov errYt]Kviu<: r/ irpoa'Oi'jKtjv. K|»ist. LV. (xLil.) loiu.
i. p. 014. I'aiib. KxX). Ed.]
584 THE BURNING OP PAUl'?!. [sECT,
ye shall find a great sort such. Read the twenty-fifth chapter
of the first book of the Chronicles, and there it appears whom
David appoints to be singers of the psalms in the temple with
their posterity. Read the thirteenth chapter of the Acts of the
Apostles, and there it appears that the law and the prophets
were read in the temple every sabbath-day, for their service, with
a sermon. "After the reading," says St Luke, "of the law and the
prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to Paul and Barna-
bas, saying, Ye men and brother, if ye have any exhortation to
the people, speak." Again, in the fifteenth chapter he says :
" Moses has of old time them that preach him in every city in
the synagogues, where he is read every sabbath-day." Mark
what prayers or kind of service, as we term it, St Luke says
here, was then used in the temple of Salomon : the law and
the prophets, he says, were read. In the Hebrew bible appears
the division in the books of Moses, how far was read weekly and
monthly. So that, as they had then the law and the prophets
read in their temple for their common prayer and service, so
have we now the psalter of David monthly read over, and one
chapter of the old testament and another of the new read daily,
in our churches, in our own tongue, as they had then in theirs.
The new testament was not then written, so that it could not
be read : but as the new testament now does more plainly set out
to us the office and mediation of our Saviour Christ, so did then
the prophets more plainly speak of the coming of Christ, than
the law of Moses did signify him ; and therefore was orderly
read with Moses the law, as a fuller declarer thereof: so that
in effect our church service disagrees not from theirs, in this
reading together of the old testament and the new in our com-
mon prayer, as they read the law and the prophets together.
This order is three thousand year old : when they have proved
their popish portus to be much above three hundred year old,
then they may begin to try ancienty. Their matins and even-
song are appointed them out of their portus : and when any
old record of authority teaches them, that so many false mira-
cles, feigned lies and tales, as be there written, with serving such
samts, a.s no scripture does allow, nor good history makes men-
tion of, (but only the pope's calendar and his scholars,) were
used in the church for common prayer and God's service, then
let them crack of the blessed fathers' steps that they follow.
VI
.] CONFUTATION OF AN ADDITION. 535
Let them try their ancient portus of Sanim, York's use, Ban-
gor, or the great diversity of friars, monks, canons, nuns, which
for ever)' order of them had their divers sorts of matins and
evensong ; and if they be proved three hundred year okl, they
have much to rejoice in, and yet far short of three thousand.
But of all other blasphemies the psalter of Brigit, where
every word and prayer that David names God in, is turned to
our Lady, is most horrible, to pervert the scripture to man's J^^^ ^^7"^'
fantasy. Pope Paul the third, but twenty year ago, was so
ashamed of his portus, that he printed a new one, putting out
many of the blasphemous lies that were in the old ; yet this
popish pricker thinks all in it to be so good, that it cannot
nor should not be amended. The English priests' portus
and order of service, that he cracks so much of for ancienty,
is full of memories^ daily, and service of Thomas Becket
twice in the year : and yet it is not long since he was bishop
of Canterbury; he lived under king Henry the Second, four
hundred year since. The feast of Corpus Christi, and the
service of that day, was invented by pope Urban the fourth,
scarce three hundred year since. The feast of the visitation
of our Lady, commonly called the new found Lady-day, and
the service for that day, is not two hundred year old, and de-
creed by pope Urban the sixth. What ancienty then is their
portus and ma.ss-book of, which received these solemn feasts
and their service of so late years? And yet he would make
men believe that it has been from the beginning, and that old
records make mention of them.
Many such other may be found in their popish service,
whereby it may easily be seen how falsely he brags of their
ancienty. The ancientest beginning of their portus of Sarum
was under AN^illiam Conqueror, not five hundred year since,
by Osnmndus, the second bishop of Sarum, as Polychro-
nicon writes. Lib. vii. chap. 3'; but it has been increased
[' Memories : commemorations, memorial services — a sense preserved
in our communion service: "He did institute, and in liis holy Ljospel
command us to continue, a perjjftual inrDian/ of tliat his y>rocious
death." Ed.]
17 After him the kinj^'s chancellor, Osmundus, was liishop twenty-
four years. He huilded there a new church. * * * Also, he made the
onlinal of the service of holy church, and named it the Consuetudinnry.
Now well nigli all England, AVales, and Ireland used that ordinal. Ed.]
536 THE BURNING OF PAULS. [sECT.
since with many a loud lie, as though they should strive
who should tell the greatest for the best game. Our service
has nothing in it but it is written in God's book, the holy
Bible (where no lie can be found), saving Te Deum and a few
collects or prayers, which although they be not contained in
the scripture, yet differing in words, they agree in sense and
meaning with the articles of the faith and the whole body of
the scripture. Their portus and missal has many untrue
fables and feigned miracles for their lessons, written neither in
the scripture, old history, nor ancient record of authority;
many invocations of such as be no saints, and wickedly call-
ing on saints of their own making, instead of the living God,
as Thomas Becket, and many popes; some charms, as St
Agatha s letters^ for burning of houses ; some witchcrafts, as
holy water for casting out devils, holy bread instead of the
communion, ringing the hallowed bell in great tempests or
lightnings, and all in an unknown tongue, contrary to God's
commandment, yet craftily devised to deceive the people, lest
in hearing them in their own tongue, and proving them false,
they would laugh them to scorn. Ansegisus,^ Lib. i. cap. 20
and 76, writes that Charles the great emperor decreed,
that nothing should be read in the churches, but only the
scriptures, nor any thing taught, but out of the scriptures;
but none is so ignorant, but he sees the popish service and
doctrine to agree little witli the scriptures, and ours to con-
tain nothing else but the scriptures. Now compare these to-
gether, and judge whether that be the elder and more to be
allowed, that has nothing in it but the scripture itself, and that
which is drawn out of it, or that which is devised of man's
p Sec p. 177. The story is, that when the emperor, Frederic II.
was about to destroy Agatha's native city, Catana, while engaged in
prayer to the virgin Mary, the book he had opened exhibited these
words in gglden letters: Noli ofFendere patriam Agathae, quia ultrix
injurianim est. This was done three times; and what result followed
such a miracle, need not be told. Ed.]
[^ Capit. XX. Item in eodem concilio, ut canonici libri tantum legan-
tur in ccclesia. lxxvi. Ut presbyteri quos mittitis per parochias vestras
ad regcndum et pra;dicandum per ecclesias populum Deo servientem ut
rectc ct honestc praedicent, et non sinatis nova vel non canonica aliquos
ex siio scnsu ct non secundum scripturas sacras fingcre ct pracdicare
populo. Baluzii Capitularia Regum Francomm. T. i. pp. 707, 710.
Paris. 1G77. En.]
VI.] CONFUTATION OF AN ADDITION. 5o7
brains alone, beside and contrary to God's word. Is that new-
fangled and schismatical, that contains nothing but the doc-
trine of the prophets and apostles ; and is that ancient, that
cannot be proved good at all I
This text of Jeremiah, that bids them " search out the old
way, and walk in it,'' does not mean all old ways ; but he says,
•'Search of the old ways which of them is good, and walk in it,"
as though he should say, all old ways are not good. If all old
ways were good, he would not bid try which were good : there-
fore it is not enough to have it old, but to have it good also,
and then to cleave to it. If bare words would serve, there is
manifest sayings for the contrar}'. Ezechiel says, ch. xx. "Walk
not in the commandments of your fathers, nor keep not their
judgments." I might as well beat in this text as he the other,
and of like strength : therefore it is not sufficient to say it is
old, or to follow fathers ; but to try that it be good, and that
godly fathers used it, and then be bold to follow it. Evil has
been from the beginning as well as good, and there have been
in all ages evil fathers as well as good. Cyprian notes well
therefore and goodly, saying that '' Christ said not that he
was ancient custom, but he was the truth itself."^ To follow
Christ then, and his doctrine, is to follow the true old way. For
he is both the truth itself, and was from the beginning : and
those fathers that follow not his steps, are not our mark to
follow, though the world do never so much reverence them.
St Paul says to the Corinthians, "Be ye followers of me, even
as I follow Christ:" this is then the right way of following
fathers, as they followed Christ our Lord, and no other way ;
for Christ is the way and truth itself. And because he charges
us with schismatical doctrine and service, because we cither
differ from the pope's synagogue, or else we have not all one
order in all points of our church service ; to them that be
offended with such divers orders of ceremonies of prayers or
ministering the sacraments in the church, Ansclm shall an-
[* Nam consuctudo sine veritatc vctustas crroris est : propter quod
rclicto crrorc scquamur vcritatcm. • • ■ Quam veritatcin nobis Christus
ostcndcns in cvangelio suo dicit, " Eqo sum Veritas." Propter (juod si in
Christo sunius, et Cliristum in no])is habomus; si mancnnis in veritato,
ct Veritas in nobis nianct ; ca quie sunt vera tencannis. lCpi:»t. i.xxrv. ad
Pompcium. p. 317. Ed. Fell. Oxon. 1700. En.]
538 THE BURNING OF PAUL't?. [sECT.
swer now, as he has done afore, in his Epistle iii. ch. 27, to
the same case :
"To the lord and his friend Waleram, by the grace of God the worshipful
bishop of Nicenburge, Anselm the servant of Canterbury church,
greeting, &c.
"Your worship complains of the sacraments of the chm*ch,
that they are not ministered every where after one sort, but are
handled in divers places after divers sorts. Truly, if they
were ministered after one sort, and agreeingly through the
whole church, it were good and laudable : notwithstanding, be-
cause there be many diversities which differ not in the sum of
the sacrament, nor in the strength of it, or in the faith, nor all
can be gathered into one custom, I think that they are rather
to be borne with agreement in peace, than to be condemned with
offence. For we have this from the holy fathers, that if the
unity of charity be kept in the catholic faith, the diverse cus-
tom hurts nothing. If it be demanded, whereof these diversities
of customs do spring, I perceive nothing else than the diver-
sities of wits ; which although they differ not in the strength
and truth of the thing, yet they agree not in the fitness and
comeliness of the ministering. For that which one judges to
be meeter oftentimes other think it less meet. And not to
agree in such diversities, I think it not to swerve from the truth
ofthething.''^
1^^ Queritur vestra reverentia de sacramentis ecclesiae, quoniam non
uno modo fiunt ubique, sed diversis modis in diversis locis tractantur.
Ubique si per universam ecclesiam uno modo et concorditer celebraren-
tur, bonum csset et laudabile : quoniam tamen multae sunt diversitates,
quae non in summa sacramenti neque in virtute ejus aut fide discordant,
nequc omncs in unam consuetudinem colligi possunt ; aestimo eas potius
in pace concorditer tolerandas, quam discorditer cum scandalo damnandas.
Habemus cnim a Sanctis patribus, quia si unitas servatur caritatis in fide
catliolica, nihil officit consuetudo diversa. Si autem quseritur, undo istae
natae sunt consuetudinum varietates ; niliil aliud intelligo, quam huma-
norum sensuum diversitates : qui quamvis in rei virtute et unitate non
disscntiant, in aptitudine tamcn et decentia administrationis non con-
cordant. Quia [quod] cnim unus aptius esse judicat, alius saepe minus
aptum; neque in hujusmodi varietatibus non consonare puto ab ipsius
rei veritate exorbitare. Anselm. Epist. cxxxvi. Waleranno Numburg.
Episc. Tom. IV. p. 157. Colon. 1612. Ed.]
VII
.1 CONFUTATION OF AN ADDITION. 539
V^II. Also, where the said preaclier does recite certain abuses of the said
church, as talking, buying and seUing,figtitingand brawling, (although
these be very evil and worthy much rebuke,) yet there be woi-sc
abuses, as blaspheming God in lying sermons, polluting the temple
with schismatical service, destroying and pulling do'vvn holy altars,
that were set up by good blessed men, and there tlie sacrifice of the
blessed mass ministered according to tlie order of Christ's catholic
church. Yea, where the altar of the Holy Ghost stood, the new
bishops have set their tails upon, and there sit in judgment of such
as be catholic and live in the fear of God. Some they deprive from
their livings, some they commit to prison, except they vnil forsake
the catholic faith, and embrace a faith and religion that has no foun-
dation laid by general council, nor blessed fathers in times past,
but invented by heretics, that do not agree one with another nor
themselves.
We both do agree the church of PauFs to be abused, and
therefore justly plagued. God grant that henceforth it may be
amended, that worse do not follow ! When Josue had con- josh. vi.
quered Jericho so mars-ellously ^v^th carrying the ark of God
about it, the priests blowing their trumpets and the people
shouting, by the might of God rather than strengtli of man, he
said, "Cursed be the man afore the Lord that builds up Jericho
again : in his first-])om son let him lay the foundation, and in
his last child let him set up the gates of it." Which thing was i Kings
truly verified many years after by Hiel of Bethel, as it is writ-
ten. So God grant that the citizens of London may more
warily build, and provision ha made, that Paul's be not so mis-
used again, as it lias been, lest the like plague follow as did on
Jericho, or worse.
Surely, if vain glory be tlie cause to build a more stately
house than it was, and not to foresee that God's house be
better used for a house of prayer, than aforetime it has been,
a greater scourge must needs follow. Costly solemn buildings
are not to Ix) condemned altogether in commonwealths; but
if the merchants of London say, as Nimrod said to his fellows,
" Come, let us Ijuild ourselves a city and tower, whose top may ^^^^ ^■
reach to the heaven, and let us get ourselves a name afore we
be scattered abroad,'' surolv thev will bo overthrown in their
owTi device, as JJabel was. God, and not man, will be glorified
in God's house: God's house must be a house of prayer, and Paul's.
not the proud tower of ]}abylon, nor the pope's market place,
nor a stews for bawds and ruffians, nor a horse fair for brokers,
,")40 I'lii: BURNING OF Paul's. [sect.
no, nor yet a bourse for merchants, nor a meeting-place for
walkino- and talkinor. If a convenient place' to meet for honest
assemblies cannot be found nor had conveniently other where,
a partition might be had to close up and shut the praters from
prayers, the walkers and j anglers from well disposed persons,
that they should not trouble the devout hearers of God's word,
so that the one should not hear nor see the other. God has
once again with the trumpet of his word, and the glad receiving
of the people, thrown down the walls of Jericho, and the pope's
bulwark there, by his own might, without the power of man, if
man would so consider it and fear the Lord. No place has been
more abused than Paul's has been, nor more against the re-
ceiving of Christ's gospel: wherefore it is more marvel that
God spared it so long, rather than that he overthrew it now.
From the top of the steeple down within the ground no
place has been free. From the top of the spire at coronations, or
other solemn triumphs, some for vain glory used to throw them-
selves down by a rope, and so killed themselves vainly to please
other men's eyes. At the battlements of the steeple sundry
times were used their popish anthems to call upon their gods
with torch and taper in the evenings. In the top of one of the
pinnacles is Lollards' tower,* where many an innocent soul has
been by them cruelly tormented and murdered. In the midst
alley was their long censer reaching from the roof to the ground,
as though the Holy Ghost came in their censing down in like-
ness of a dove. On the arches,^ though commonly men com-
plain of wrong and delayed judgment in ecclesiastical causes, yet
because I will not judge by hearsay, I pass over it, saving only
for such as have been condemned there by Annas and Cai-
phas for Christ's cause, as innocently as any Christians could
be. For their images hanged on every wall, pillar, and door,
\\ith their pilgrimages, and worshipping of them, I will not
stand to rehearse them, because they cannot be unknown to all
men that have seen London, or heard of them. Their massing
and many altars, with the rest of their popish service, which he
so much extols, I pass over, because I answered them afore.
[^ So named from the followers of the truth, called Lollards, con-
fined there. Ed."]
P The court of arches, the bishop's court, held in the cathedral.
Ed.]
VII.] CONFUTATION OF AN ADDITION. 541
The south alley for usury and popery, the north for simony,
and the horse fair in the midst for all kind of bargains, meet-
ings, brawlings, murders, conspiracies, and the font for ordi-
nary payments of money, are so well known to all men as the
beggar knows his dish. The popish clerg}' began and main-
tained these, and godless worldlings defend them ; where the
poor protestant laments and would amend them. Judas' cha-
pel'' under the ground, with the apostles' mass so early in the
morning, was counted by report as fit a place to work a feat in
as the stews or taverns. So that without and within, above
the ground and under, over the roof and beneath, on the top of
the steeple and spire down to the low floor, not one spot was
free from wickedness, as the said bishop did then in his sermon
declare ; so that we should praise God for his mercy in sparing
it so long, and now tremble at his fearful judgment in justly
revenging such filthiness. God, for his mercy's sake, grant it
may now be amended !
Secondly, where it pleases him to term this church service
now used schismatical, it is as true as afore, when he said that ^Ve follow
' ' , the old fa-
no ancient record made mention of any such afore forty years ^i'f'''^' and
•^ . . ^''^ papists
past. Why do ve call it a schismatical I Because it differs ^^ sciusna-
*^ J J ^ tics.
from the pope's portus ? That it differs we deny not, but re-
joice and praise God for it : but if it agree with the holy scrip-
tures and the ancient fathers, as I have proved afore, then be
ye schismatics in swerving from them, and not we.
In our morning and evening prayer we agree with the old j^omnion
prayers of Salomon's temple, as I proved afore. In baptism r.aptism.
we follow Christ Jesus, his apostles, Austin and Pauline, whom
pope Gregory sent into England, in the chief points ; which all
christened in unconjmed water, without salt, spitting, oil, and
chrism, Szc.
In the Lord's supper we receive together, as St Paul com- commu-
manded: and pope Gelasius teaches either to receive both parts,
or to refrain from ])()th : for it is sacrileffe to divide them. Dc
Coiistcra. distinct . ii.' A\^e give the people the cu[) of Christ's
P "Misnamed on purpose for Jesus' Chapel." StryiH?, i.p.392. En.J
[]^ Item (Jehisius Papa Majoiico et Joanni ejtiseojiis: Conipeiiinus
autennjuod (luidaiu, sunipta tantumniodo curimris sacri portione, a ealiee
.saerati cruoris abstineant. Qui proculdubio ((luoniani neseio qua su-
pei-stitionc docentur astrinpi) aut inteprn sacranienta i»or('ipiant, aut al>
142 THE BURNING OF PAUl's. [s
SECT.
Lib.i.Ep.2. blood, as well as to the priests, as Cyprian teaches, saying,
"How do we teach or provoke them to shed their blood in con-
fessing his name, if we deny them that shall be Chrisfs sol-
diers the blood of Christ ? Or how do we make them meet to
the cup of martyrdom, if we do not admit them to drink first
in the church the cup of the Lord by the right use of commu-
nicating ^ V Again, St Matthew says, " Drink ye all of this :""
lest any should think himself exempt from drinking, he says,
"Drink ye all." God is the God of the lay-people as well as of the
priests, and offers his sacraments and salvation to them as well
as to other. We move the people also often, and not once in the
year, to receive the communion (as the papists do), following St
Deeccie- Austin, who says, "Everyday to communicate, I neither praise
mat.capr53. nor dispraisc it; but I counsel and move all men to receive it on
the Sunday, if the mind be without desire to sin.*"^ Chrysostom
says, that when they ministered the communion in his church,
Ad Heb. "the deacou stood up, gave warning to the people, and said sanc-
ta Sanctis^ those holy mysteries were ready for them that were
holy and had worthily prepared themselves :^ they that would not
Homl'sf^' receive went their ways, would not stand gazing on them that
received, but thought themselves unworthy to be partakers of
the prayers, which would not communicate."* The pope's law
integris arceantur; quia divisio unius ejusdem mysterii sine grandi
sacrilegio non potest pervenire. Decretum Gratiani, &c. Tertia Pars.
De Consecra. Distinct, ii. fo. cccxcviii. Antv. 1573. Ed.]
[^ Nam quo modo docemus aut provocamus eos in confessione nominis
sanguinem suum fundere, si eis militaturis Christi sanguinem denega-
mus? aut quo modo ad martyrii poculum idoneos facimus, si non eos
prius ad bibendum in ecclesia poculum Domini jure communicationis
admittimus?Epist.Lvii.p.253.Ed.Fell.l700. Lib. i. Ep. ii. Erasm. Ed.]
[^ Quotidie eucharistiae communionem perciperc nee laudo nee vitu-
pero : omnibus tamendominicis diebus communicandum suadeo ethortor,
si taraen mens in affectu peccandi non sit. De Eccles. Dogmatibus Liber
Gennadio tributus. Tom. viii. August, p. 1698. Paris. 1837. Ed.]
!_' Oral/ -yap e'nrr], Ya ayia to?? dyioif:, tovto \eyei, E'/ tz? ovk
k<TTiv ciyio^, }xri TrpocriTw. Chrysost. in Hebr. Hom. xvii. Tom. xii.
p. 245. Paris. 1838. Ed.]
L yJVTio ct] Kui av irapayeyova^' tov vfxvov t)(ya^, jxera iravrtav
uifkoXoyriaa^ elvui riav a^icoi/ tw jjirj fxerd Ttav uva^'itav dvaKS'^tapri'
Kemt* TToj? e/ie»i/a9, kui ov /iere^j^et? t»^<? Tpaire^j]^ ; 'Ai/a^to? elfxi^
(Pr](Tiv, yJvKovv kui T^;? Koiviavtu^ eKe/j/r;? Trj^ iv ra?? eyya??. In
Eplies. Hom. in. Tom. xr. p. 27. Ed.]
VII.] CONFUTATION OF AN ADDITION. 543
says, de Consecra. distinct, ii : " The temporal men, which \vill
not communicate at Easter, Whitsunday, and Christmas, are
not cathoHcs.''^ Let papists then note, what their master says
to them.
In burials we do not assemble a number of priests to sweep Burials.
purgatory, or buy forgiveness of sins of them which have no
authority to sell; but according to St Jerome's example we
follow. " At the death of Fabiola,'' says he, " the people of
Rome were gathered to the solenmity of the burial. Psalms Epitaph.
1 • • • 1 • 1 1 1 Fabiolae.
were sung, and Alleluia sounding out on height did shake the
gilded ceihngs of the temple. Here was one company of young
men, and there another, which did sing the praises and worthy
deeds of the woman. And no mar\'el if men rejoice of her
salvation, of whose conversion the angels in heaven be glad*'."
Thus Jerome used burials. Like^vise Gregory Nazianzene has
his funeral sermons and orations in the commendation of the
party departed : so has Ambrose for Theodosius and Valen-
tinian the emperors, for his brother Satyrus, &c. Their dirige
groats,^ masses, and trentals, tapers, and ringings, have no
foundation on the scripture nor good ancienty to maintain
them. Jerome says, that Alleluia was sung so loud, that it
made the church roof to sliake : and our papists will not sing
Alleluia at all, neither at burial, in Lent, nor Advent, and say
they follow ancienty. Alleluia is a.s much in English as, " praise
ye the Lord;'" as though they should say, Praise the Lord that
has called his servant out of this misery to himself in hea-
Q' Ex Concilio Agatheuo: Non habeantur catholici, qui hU- tribus tem-
poribus commnnicarc. desinmit. Sccularcs, qui in iiatali Domini, pascha,
pentecoste non coniniunicaverint, catholici non credantur, nee inter ca-
thoHcos habeantur. Decret. Gratian. Tertia Pars. De Consecra. Dist. ii.
Ed.]
[" See above, p. 320. Necdum spiritum exhalaverat, necdum debi-
tam ChrLsto reddiderat animani; tt jam fatna vol^ina tanti pranuncia
InctuSy totius urbis populum ad exequiaa congregabat. Sonabant psalmi,
et aurat'i templorum reboans in sublime quatiebat Allkliia. Hie
juvenum charms, iUe. ttenuin, qui carminr laudea J'amineas et facta Jerant.
* * * Nee miruni si de ejus salute homines exultarent, de cujus con-
versione angeli la?tabantur in cado. Ilieronymi Op. Epist. lxxxiv,
(x-xx.) Tom. IV. Pars ii. p. (;n2. Paris. ITOO. P'd.]
\] Tile groat was a common charge for a diruje or dirge for the
dead. Seidell, Table Talk, speaks of "twenty dirgies at fourpcncp
a piece." En.^
544 THE BURNING OF PAUl/s. [sECT.
ven : but the desperate papists say, AVeep ; rejoice not for the
dead, but mistrust of their salvation ; think that they be gone
from one sorrow to another, and therefore buy masses apace ;
the pope's proctors for money enough will sell that which God
cannot, or will not, give freely, as they think. God is weary,
as they say, of well-doing, and turned over the matter to these
the pope's proctors.
iccics. xii. gut Salomon teaches, that in death "the body turns to
earth from whence it came, and the soul to him that gave it."
Look how both body and soul is bestowed, whatsoever greedy
gaping cormorants do say, to get money withal. " Blessed be
the dead that die in the Lord," says St John ; " for they rest
from their labours :" the popes say, the dead be accursed, and
go into purgatory, from sorrows here to greater there : choose
whether ye believe.
.Marriage. Jn marriage, as in other things beside, we are but too much
like imto them : that is our fault generally, that we differ not
more from them in all our ministery. We have all in English,
where they have but " I, N., take thee, M., &c." And here I
would ask master D. a reason, why this piece in marriage is
used of them in English, and not more ; or the like in other
sacraments? Is marriage so holy a thing, that the parties
must needs understand in English, what promise the one makes
to the other ; and other sacraments be not so to be regarded,
what we promise unto God ? Do we not in baptism and the
Lord's supper make as solemn a vow to God, to serve him only
and forsake all other, as in marriage the one party does to
the other ? Seeing then we differ not from the scripture nor
ancient fathers, they do us much wrong to charge us with a
schism, where they themselves are rather schismatics in swerv-
ing from the ancient fathers' steps, than we that would bring
home again their old religion.
But as hitherto I have answered them out of their own
doctors, so in this thing also I will be judged who be schis-
matics by their own books. Look all the histories and chroni-
cles written within this thousand year, and in religion ye shall
find almost none called schismatics, but papists. For when
tliere were two or three popes at once, and some countries
followed one pope claiming to be head, and some another, so
they made schisms. Pai)ists then are called schismatics com-
VII.] CONFUTATION OF AN ADDITION. 545
monly, and not protestants. Fasciculus temporum\ a book
made by one monk of their own sect, rehearses twenty-three
schisms betwixt popes and their partakers : when they find the
third part of so many among the protestants, then they may
have some face of appearance to call us schismatics. At the
council of Constance were three popes in three diverse countries,
Italy, France, and Spain, all claiming to be chief, and some
countries followed one, some another; but all were deposed,
and a fourth chosen little more than a hundred and fifty
year since".
It were too long to rehearse all the schisms spoken of:
whoso lust, there may read. This schism that I named last,
and the other, when there was one pope at Rome, and an-
other at Avignon in France forty years together 3, are the
notablest, and troubled the world most, in striving who should ^,^J,'i,fo,'^'
have the most followers and partakers : the other I pass over ^^^^^'
for shortness sake, unto these be considered better of them,
how they may defend themsehes, that they be not proved
schismatics. If that be schismatical service, when one differs LuUl- xxii.
from another, tlien be all orders of friars, monks, canons,
nuns, York's use, Sarum, Bangor, <Scc., scliismatical ; for they i cor. x.
differ every one from other.
Now for pulling down altai*s, and ministering the commu-
nion on tables, a few words to try, whether we do this with-
out reason or example. First, our Saviour Christ ministered i''- v. cap.
it sitting at a table : then it is not wicked but best to fol-
low his doings ; for he did all things well. St Luke says,
that "the hand of the traitor was with him at the table.'' St
Paul, for the use of it in his time, says, " Ye cannot be par-
takers of the Lord's table, and the table of devils :" where it
appears plain, that both idolatei*s at their sacrifices, and tlu'
Christians also in their holy mysteries, used tables. Thoodort't
writes, that after Ambrose had exconuiuinicated the emperor
Theodosius, and received him again to the church, "tlii' em-
{} The whole series is given in order, pp. xlv. — i.xxxviii. l*aris.
l/i24. El).]
[' In the year 1410. 'llie popes were Gi-egory XII. Heneiliet XIII,
Alexantler V. ami John XXII I. upon whose deposition .Martin \. sue-
eeeded. Ki».]
[' From about the vear l.OiM) to 1447. Kj».]
35
[imi.ki\(;toN.J
O-iG TTIR BURNING OF PAUl''s. [sECT.
j)eror, lying flat on the ground, weeping and tearing the hair
of his head for sorrow and shame of his offences, he rose
up and offered at such time," says he, "as the gifts were
offered at the holy table^/' Sozomen writes, lib. viii. cap. vii.
how Eutropius fled to the church as a sanctuary for succour,
because he had offended the emperor: and when John, bi-
shop of Constantinople, ''see him lie afore the holy commu-
nion table, he preached unto him, and rebuked him of his
pride, when he was in authority"." The canon of the great
Nicene council says thus : "In the godly table we must not
lowly cleave to the bread and cup set afore us; but lifting up
our mind on high by faith, we must consider the Lamb of
God to be set afore us in that holy tabled" Wherein I note
that they all call it a table, and not an altar, where they
ministered the communion. This was four hundred year
after Christ, above a thousand year since : why then, altars
were not continued from the beginning, as they say, and we
are not the first that used tables, but we would gladly re-
store these old customs again. If Ambrose lawfully and well
used tables at the communion at Milan, and the bishop at
Constantinople in Greece, and elsewhere, I see no reason
why we should be rebuked for following them, except they
can prove that they did it against the scripture. I know
that the scripture, and old writers also, make mention of
altars : but that is because Moses in the law commanded
them to offer their sacrifices upon altars, because the sacri-
fices then commonly used were heavy, as oxen, calves, sheep,
&c., and tables were not able to stand and bear such weights
continually.
These sacrifices were a figure and shadow of that only
LtTreiuj ce o Kuipo^ CKuXei rri tepa rpaTreQr] tu dwpa rrpoc-
cvejKeTu, avaa-ra^ /xera twi/ 'lauiv CaKpvMv rwu uvaKToptov eVe/?^/.
Eccles. Hist. P. 343. Ed. 1544. Ed.]
1_ ni/iKu or} Aafitrpov riva kut civtov, vjto tyiv lepav Tpaire-
^au Keifxeinw, KareTcive Xoyov 'Iwdi/i/j;?. Ibid. P. 108. Ed. 1544. Ed.]
i^-TTi T»/? ucifx<i TpaireCt]^ TraXiv Kavravva p.r] tco tt poKeifxevw apTta
Kai TU) 7roTr]pi(a TOTreji/co? TrpocrcYionev, d\?C v\lyu}(rauT€<5 r}ix(av Trju Cia-
voiav TTKTTCi uotja-u/xev KcTadai eV* Trj<? lepcif; eKe/i//;? tov ajKvov tov Qcov.
Gelasius, Hist. Concil. Nicen. cap. xxx. ap. Labb. Tom. ii. col. 233. Ed.
1071. Ei)."|
VII.] CONFUTATION OF AN ADDITION. 547
pure sacrifice, which Christ should offer on the cross for us
all : for as those innocent beasts were killed for other men's
faults, so Christ without sin should die for the sins of the
world. For this cause the cross, whereon Clirist our Lord died,
is called an altar also ; because the sacrifice for the sins of
the whole world was thereon offered, as those were on an
altar. Wheresoever, therefore, the new testament or old
writers use this word altai\ they allude to that sacrifice of Altars.
Christ, figured by Moses, and use the word still that Moses
used to signify the same sacrifice withal ; and rather it is a
figurative, than a proper kind of speech in all such places.
And becau.se altars were ever used for sacrifices, to signify
that sacrifice which was to come, seeing our Saviour Christ
is come already, has fulfilled and finished all sacrifices, we
think it best to take away all occasions of that popish sa-
crificing mass (for maintaining whereof they have cruelly
sacrificed many innocent souls) to minister on tables, accord-
ing to these examples.
It grieves him that the bishops set their tails, (as it
pleases him to speak,) when they sit in judgment, where the
altars were : but if they were handled as Jehu did J3aars 2 Kings x.
priests and his altai-s, God did them no wrong. It is a com-
mon true saying, "He that will do no ill, must do nothing that
longs theretil* f so surely, if we will warily avoid the wicked-
ness of poper)% we mu.st flee from such things as maintain
their doings. There is nothing more profitable unto them than
massing sacrifices : tlierefore, becau.se altars imj)oi*t and main-
tain their gainful sacrificing, it is necessary they be removed.
For their sacrifice of the ma.ss, that he so much laments
to \yQ defaced, and all good consciences rejoice that (xod of
his undeserved goodness has overthrown it, 1 refer all men
to the fifth and last book that the bles.sed souls now living
with God, bi.shops Cranmer and Ridley, wrote of the sacra-
ment, whose bodies they cruelly tormented therefore. There
who.soever lii.st, may read, and with indiffcrency weigh the
rea.sons of both parties, and judge with the truth. Stout
Stephen'' would gladly have overthrown tliat )>ook : but God
l^* Loni^s tlic'ivtil: licloni^ij theivto, Ki».]]
[^ Stri)ht'ii (Jardiner, bi.shoi) of W'incijosttr, >viio wrote several trea-
tises on tlie su1)jeet of the sacrament ni,'ainst Cranmer and l\i<ll«y. Ki>.]
548 THE BURNING OF PAULAS. [sECT.
confounded him, and their names live for ever. So long as
that book stands unconfuted, they may bark against the truth,
as the dog does against the moon, and not prevail.
And if ye will call but a little to your remembrance, how
many divers sorts of masses there were used in divers coun-
tries, as appears in the words afore rehearsed, ye shall see
clthoHc"°* ^^^^' ^^^^ ^^^ ^^^^' ^^ saying here, that their mass was ac-
cording to the order of Christ's catholic church. That is
catholic, as the Greek word signifies, which is universal and
general, both in time, person and place : therefore he must
prove, if he will be believed, that this popish Latin patched
masking mass has been used at all times, of all men, and in
all countries. But I have declared afore both many sundry
sorts of ministering the Lord's supper in several countries,
and also how of late years this his order has been violently
and by blind ignorance brought in : therefore it cannot be
catholic.
JilcVbeuvi'xt None that be counted learned can be ignorant of the gene-
churcrand ^'^^ poiuts, whcreiu the Greek east church differs from the west
the Latin. L^tin Romisli church. The Grecians never received the pope
for their head, nor the doctrine of purgatory ; their priests were
ever free to marry ; they ministered the Lord's supper always in
their own language, with leavened bread, in both kinds to the
lay-people, both the bread and the cup severally ; the priests^
never received alone without other to receive with him ; they
never made trentals of it, nor knew transubstantiation ; they
never used pardons, images, with many other more things, like
as auricular shriving to a priest, &c. ; which all the Latin
Romish church defends, and does contrary, and their [these]
religion stands in them. Therefore none of these opinions can be
called catholic, because the Greek church, which is the greater
part of the world, never received, believed, nor used them.
Thus many lies then this master D. has made in one word,
calling it catholic, as there be things wherein their Romisli
mass differs from the Greek liturgies and orders of ministering
the Lord's supper; as I have declared most of them. Jf I should
particularly and throughly handle all his foolish sayings, it
would grow to too great a work : therefore briefly I touch the
ehiefest.
He charges us with a faith and religion that has no foun-
VII.] COXFUTATION OF AN ADDITION. 549
dation laid by general councils ; which saying when he better
considers, I tnist he will be content to be reckoned in the same
number with us. Was not the first general council, under Con-
stantino the emperor, at Nice, above four hundred and thirty' [i*"Ji<ier^'°"
years after Christ was born ^ Shall I say then., or is he so ^Jj^'' ^°"'^-
shameless to think, that there was no religion nor faith in the
world so many vears together after Christ, because there was
not of so many years a general council to build upon? No; and
because we say and prove our faith and rehgion to be the best
and ancientest, we build not on comicils, as they do, but on
God's word, which is above the council, and rules all, being not
Tided of any, has been from the beginning, and shall continue
to the end : and we sav with Paul, that we " be builded on the ^^^' "'
foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ himself being
the head comer stone."' The prophets, whereon we build, lived
many of them a thousand year afore any general council
was heard of, and the apostles lived four hundred year afore
them, ^\'herefore our foundation and religion is much elder
than theirs. Councils are like to parliaments: that that pleases
one pope in his council, pleases not another, as the books
do easily declare ; and that which one thinks good, and makes
a law one year, another condemns and disannuls. What a
vain thing is it then, to build on so uncertain a groundwork !
Heaven and earth j^hall pass, change and decay; but the word
of the Lord our God, from whence comes our religion, ''remains
for ever,'' as the prophet says. Therefore the wise builder will
follow that which will not fade.
Lastly, where he charges us that we agree not one with
another, nor with ourselves. T may say to him with the gospel,
"• Thou hypocrite, first pluck the mote out of thine own eye, Luke ri.
and then thou shalt better see to take the beam out of thy
brother's eye." There is no sort of people more guilty in this
behalf than the papists be. The heathen philosophers had not
so many sundiy sects and opinions among themselves in their
schools, as the papists have in their doings. I). Ponet, late
bishop of ^^'inton, in his answer to the book that bears Martin's
name, for marriage of priests, proves well that poper)' is a
monster patched of all kinds of heresy, and worse than they all.
\\'here such tilings arc fully taught and j)roved, I had rather
[^ Old edition, iiii. c. xxx. The real date is 325. Ed.]
550 THE BURNING OF PAULAS. [sECT.
refer you to tlie reading of them there, than to write one thing
oft. I declared to you afore also, where ye shall find twenty-
three schisms among the popes themselves. These holy bishops
that he cracks so much on for their imprisonment, and other
that in losing their livings live more wealthily and at ease
than ever they did afore, or the protestants do in their liberty
now, mark how like themselves they be, and agreeing with
S-n m^th^"* themselves. As long as king Henry lived, and all the time of
andSer' W^ssed king Edward, they taught, they preached, they sub-
another? scribed, they sware and beheved all this that they now deny.
As oft as they had any living in any college of the universities,
as oft as they took degree in the schools, as oft as they took
any benefice, and when they were made priests or bishops, so
oft they sware and forsware all that now they deny. Perjury
in other men is punished with bearing papers, loss of their ears,
and other worldly shame : but these men, abusing the gentle-
ness of the prince, being thus oft foresworn, are counted holy
in the world.
The papists in their religious monsters have more kind
of monks, friars, canons, nuns, differing in their coats, than
any people have; some be white, some black, some gray;
differing in their shoes, some having whole, some half, some
nothing but soles under the foot; differing in shaving their
heads, some more, some less ; differing in meats, some eating
fish only, some flesh and fish at their days and times appointed ;
differing in places, for some never go abroad, but are kept still
within compass of the house, some walk abroad at their plea-
sure, and some locked up in stone walls; differing in their
service, for every order had his diverse order of mass and
matins, in many points ; differing in then- saints, or rather their
gods, whose names they bear, whom they worship, and striving
which of them should be the holiest. Some hold of Francis',
some of Benet, some of Dominic, some of Brigit, and others
of other, as they lust to devise. In their schoolmen is found
more diversity of opinions, than among any sort of philosophers.
Some hold of Thomas, some of Duns, some of Albertus, some
of other, as they like ; for there be so many that almost they
cannot be reckoned. AVhich things being all considered, and
known of all men to be true, except they be wilfully blind, how
C' Sec above, j>. 80. Ed.]
VIII
.] COXFUTATIOX OF A.\ ADDITIO.V. 551
can they say that they agree in one unity of the truth i Pilate
and Herod agreed to crucify Christ : so these in mischiefs
agree to set up superstition, but in their private oi)inions none
are more contrsLvy and divers. In their pilgrimages, pardons,
relics, fastings, what diversities and striving which should be
the greatest ! Among so many ladies and roods, what striving
in every country which should be the holiest, and work most
miracles ! Among pardons, Boston bare the name, and yet
other would compare : among relics, the blood of Hales passed
other, unto their juggling w^as kno\vn. Fastings were more
than I know : some used St Rinian's^ some our lady's, some
the golden Fridays, some ever)' Wednesday, some half Lent,
some whole ; some with fish only, other as they lust. AVhat
reason is it, that they which fasted our lady's fast, some fasting
to bread and water ended it in three years' space, other in
eating fish had seven? and why should they follow the lady-day
in Lent, more than other lady-days ? And why yearly do they
change their day, fcc? When these and such other their
doings are j^roved to agree in one, and good reason shewed for
their doings, they may better charge other men with disagree-
ing: but they may think it shame to burden other with that
wherein they be most guilty themselves.
V'lII. There is none more disobedient than the new bishops and
preachers now a days, whicli disobey the universal church of
Christ, the which church whosoever will not obey, our Saviour
in the gospel commands us to take them as infidels. As, where ^'^tt- >iv>
the universal church of Christ commands mass and seven
sacraments, a.s necessary for our salvation, they call it abomi-
nation with their l)la.sj)hemous mouths: where the chuix-h
commands to fast, they command to eat: where the church
commands continual prayer of the clcrgj-, they call it sujjor-
stition and blind ignorance : where the church commands the
clergy to live in cliastity, they command and exhort the clergy
to marriage: where tlie church, and all laws civil and canon,
yea, the laws of tlie realm, do prohibit marriage of priests, they
allow marriage of priests, obeying no law, but follow their own
carnal lusts. Yea, where the <iueen has given strait command-
ment to abstain from flesh in Lent, and other days commanded
L* St Rinian's, or llonian's, — the siinie, no di»ubt, as is mentioned
before, ]>. R<>, where the author, or his printer, erroneously calls it
St Tronion's. Ed.]]
552 THE BURNING OF PAULAS. [sECT.
by the church, the new preachers and protestants have eaten
flesh openly to the great slander of other.
0 God, how many lies in so few lines ! The universal
church of Christ agrees in the necessary articles of our salva-
tion ; but in certain outward orders and ceremonies, every
country differs from other, without any dishonour to God.
1 declared afore, how we agree with the universal church,
and confess the necessary christian articles of our faith, re-
ligion, and salvation, better than they ; and also I touched some
diversities of outward orders in the church, whereof many
or all were tolerable : and now, by occasion of these matters
ministered by him, I shall touch some more. He lays to our
charge, that we disobey the universal church: if he mean, in
those things which afterward follow, I am content to try with
him. AVliere under the name of mass he understands the
Mass. Romish Latin mass, it appears afore how many sundry good
sorts of ministering the Lord's supper be in other countries
at this day, and have been of old time : therefore he makes a
loud lie in saying or thinking, that whosoever disagrees from
their popish mass disobeys the universal church ; for the most
part of Christendom neither does at this day, nor at any time
has used it. In the substance and doctrine of the holy com-
munion, we agree with the scripture and the catholic church,
though we differ in some piece of the outward order of it from
other countries : but we profess an open disagreeing from the
Romish synagogue, both in the order and substance thereof.
The church of God, according to the scriptures, does pro-
fess and believe that all faithful Christians, worthily coming to
the Lord's table, receive by faith in those holy mysteries the
body and blood of Christ, which was given, broken and shed
for the sins of the whole world. This we teach, believe and
follow, and exhort all men often to prepare themselves worthily
thus to receive. The popish synagogue, contrary to St Paul,
teach, practise, believe, (and persecute with fire and fagot all
gainsayers,) that in the sacrifice of their bread and wine the
creatures be changed from their natural substance, and are
made a god to be worshipped, when they lift it over their heads,
hang it in a cord over the altar, or carry it about the fields ;
and if the people will buy trentals or masses of it at their
VIII.] CONFUTATION OF AN ADDITION. 553
hands, they can sweep purgatory clean, and make souls fly to
heaven as thick as dust. These have no groundwork on God's
word, and therefore we cannot beheve them : for we read that
Christ took the substance of his liesh of the virgin Mary, but
never of bread. Only the llomish prelates have made this
merchandise, put in that article, taught this doctrine, and
believe this, contrary to the whole church of Christ beside
themselves. Then it is they that disobey the church, and not
we. I spake sufficiently for their mass and sacraments afore ;
yet for their sacraments now a little more.
He says here, that there be seven sacraments necessary
to salvation ; and yet within few words following, he denies
marriage to priests ; and that is as much to say, as either that
marriage is no sacrament, or that priests shall not be saved.
There is but one way of salvation for all men: then priests must
either be saved that way, or else condemned. But it is too
foolish to say that any man shall be condemned, except he be
married. Shall none be saved but married folks I When he
looks at him.self, being unmarried, and yet not so chaste, he will
say, Nay. Then seven sacraments are not necessary for salvation
to every man ; for many have been saved w ithout many of them,
as marriage, extreme unction, order of priesthood, shriving,
bishoping', and the Lord's sui)per. Who is so ignorant but he
knows, that many children never, yea, and old folk too never,
received all those his sacraments l which God forbid should all
be condemned ! No learning can bear this saying to be true,
that there be seven sacraments necessarv to salvation : there-
fore by this judge the rest of his sayings.
And lest he sliould think the general order of the church to
be thus, though many |xirticulars never receive them, yet in
searching he shall find that to be untrue too. Socrates, lib. v.
cap. xix. and Sozomen, lib. vii. cap. xvi. in their ecclesiastical
histories write and teach, that shriving to a priest was not com- Confession,
inanded by God, but invented by man ; and therefore, when
they see it abused, they took it away, and used it not any more.
In the time of Theodosius tlie emperor, four hundred year after
Christ, and Nectarius being bishop of Constiintinople, as they
write there', a deacon of the church get a gentlewoman with child
p Bishopinj?: confinnation. Ei>.]]
[_'■' l.V TlWrtO C€ TOI/ CTTI TUJI/ fAeTaVOOVVTlOV TtTUfUiVOU TTflfcr/jWTe-
554 THE BURNING OF PAUl''s. [sECT.
in the church, that came to be shriven, while she was there doing
the appointed penance by her ghostly father. The whole church
was so offended at it, that not only there, but many other bishops
beside in their churches left off afterward that order of shriving,
and left every man free to the examination of his own conscience
for his sins. There has been nothing more profitable to the pope
than this ear-shriving has, beside many such like filthiness done
by it, as this deacon did ; for no time was fitter to woo or work
their feat in, without suspicion, than shriving time. No prince
could enterprise or purpose any great thing, but his confessor
would by some means learn it under confession, and declare it
to the pope or his chaplains. Eliseus by the Spirit of God
2 Kin-s vi. never told more secret things, what the king of Syria did in his
privy chamber, than the pope could learn by these his con-
fessors the secret purposes of all princes. Then, if confession
might be taken away, as here appears it was, it is not so neces-
sary to salvation : nor the universal church has used it ever, as
he says ; nor we disobey not the church in leaving it off, seeing
so many holy men have done it afore us.
John Duns, writing on the fourth book of sentences, dis-
tinct, xvii. and searching out where this their sacrament should
be builded, writes thus: " If we say it is grounded on the saying
of St James, ' Confess you one to another,' many inconveniences
^vill follow ; for so every man might hear another's confession ;
and how should St James, bishop of Jerusalem, command Peter
the highest and the Romish church ? If it be grounded on St
John's saying, ' Whose sins ye do forgive, they are forgiven ;'
yet there is no mention to do it in his ear. If that will not
pov ovKeri crvve'vwptjcrev elvui Trpwro? ^CKTCcpius: o t»/i/ €KK\t](riai/ Kwi/-
a-TuvTivovTroXeiDK eiriTpoTrevoiv. eTrrjKoXoudria-uu de a'^eoov oi iravTiav
eirta-KOiroi. * * * eire) yap to /jitj djxapTeiv navTeXta^ QeioTCpa^ t] kutu
uvdpvDTTou 66e?TO 01/(760)?, /jieTa/ueAoujU€i/ot9 06 Kai TToAAaKJ? a/jiapTavova-t
avyyuianrjv vep-eiv o Geo? irapeKeXeva-aTOj ev t(o TrapaiTeio-iai <Tvvofj.o-
Xoyeiv Tf/i/ dfxapTiav ■^pecou (popTiKou^ o)<? eiKO^, i^ ap-^rj^ Toh icpevaiu
eco^ev cJ? ev deciTpa) vtto fxaprvpi too TrXrjOei ty]^ €KK\r]aia<i Ta? aixap-
Ti'a? i^ayyeWciW irpetrfivTepov te twi/ upiaTci TToXiTevofxeviav, e^ep-v-
6uv T€ Ktt't €fX(ppovu, eni tovto T€Taya<riv, w cr] irpcKTiovTe^; oi rjixapTr]-
KOTec TO. fteftiwjuva lapoXoyovu. Sozom. Lib. vii. cap. xvi. p. 98. The
incident that follows is narrated with some difference of circumstances by
the two historians. Ki>.]
VIII.] CONFUTATION OF AN ADDITION. 555
serve then, say that it comes from the apostles : if that serve
not, because the Grecians use it not, then say it comes from
Rome, as does tlie communion in unleavened bread'.'' Thus
ye see, what hard shifts they are driven to, in trying out the
authority and ancienty of this their sacrament, and how small
it is when it comes to proof.
But if ye will indifferently judge, whether the new bishops
or the old obey their prince and God's church better, read
the oath of them both, and then judge. The pope first de-
vised an oath for his bishops to swear at their creation, and
when that was not thought strait enough, he devised this
afterward : " I, N., bishop of N., from this hour forward, Thepreiates'
shall be true to St Peter, and the holy Romish church, and pope.
to my lord pope N., and to his successoi-s, entering canoni-
cally : I shall not be in counsel, consent, nor at deed, that
he may lose his life, or that any member may be taken
from him by deceit, or ^siolent hands laid on him, or wrong
done to him by any means. That counsel that shall be de-
clared to me by himself, letters, or messengers, I shall not
disclose to any man wjttingly to his harm. I shall help to
defend the popedom of the Romish church, and the rules of
holy fathers, and the royalties of St Peter against all men,
saving my order. I shall not be at any counsel or deed, where
any evil is devised against the honour and power of them, but
to my power I shall stop it, and so shortly as I can signify it
to our lord pope, or some other that will tell it his holiness.
Heretics, schismatics, and rebels to our lord pope, to my power
I shall pursue, fcc."" Look how well our holy prelates keep
their oath to the pope, and deny it to their lawful prince. The
oath of the new bishops is in print in English, and so known
of all that lust to learn, that I need not to write it ; and al-
[} Dicitur quod sic dc illo vcrbo Jacobi quinto, Confitemini alterutrum
peccata, c^c. Set! nee per hoc videtur inihi, quod Jacobus priccej>tuin hoc
dedit,nec i)ra'cci)tuin aChristo pronuilgavit. Prinium noii. Unde cnim
sii)i auctoritas ohlij^andi totain ecclesiam ? cum esset episcopus ectlesia;
Hierosolyinitantc: nisi dicas illam ecclesiam in principio fuisse princi-
]>alcm, et per consequens ejus episcopum principak*m patriarcham ; quod
non concedercnt Romani, noc (juod ilia auctoritius pruprie pro tempore
illo erat y>\\n subtracta. Duns, Tom. ii. p. K^^'j. W-nct. 1.51)0. — Alter u
lon^ discussion the conclusion arrived at is, that it rests ujMjn tradition
orally hande<l down from the apostles! Ki».^
Ambrose.
556 THE BURNING OF PAUl's. [sECT.
though the popish prelates refuse to take that oath, because
it makes the prince the chief governor over them, (which they
cannot abide,) hereafter in his proper place, where he falls into
that question, I shall entreat of it.
Fasting. Secondly, where he charges us, that where the church
commands to fast, we command to eat, and have eaten flesh
in Lent and other forbidden days, we speak plain English,
and say he lies. Under the name of the church he ever
understands Rome, yea, and not when it continued in any pure
religion, but even in these latter days, when it is overwhelmed
with infinite superstitions. Fasting days be appointed com-
monly l3y every particular church and country, rather than
by the universal church ; but if any kind of fasting be general,
I say they break that order rather than we. Ambrose writes
on the 17th chapter of Luke, that "for the space of fifty days
betwixt Easter and Whitsunday, the church knows no fasting
day^". Mark, what the church used in his time, and what it
is grown to since. How many fasting days in that space have
popes brought in since ? From whence came all the gang-
days to be fasted in the cross-week^? Was it from the church
or no ? If the church did it, then the latter church and popes
were contrary to the old church in Ambrose' time ; or else the
church is free in all ages to disannul that which was done afore
them. If it be free, why then may not the church now disan-
nul that which was done afore our time, as well as they break
the custom of the church in Ambrose' time afore them? Has
not the church like power in all ages to decree or disannul
what they lust ? Are we more bound that we shall not break
old customs, than they were ? What is the reason that we
should be so, or where is it so written? If the church be
ruled by general councils, where is that council that decreed
so many fasting days to be betwixt Easter and Whitsunday ?
And Ambrose says none was afore his time. Is council so
contrary to council, or does one council deface that which
another determined? Then is that true, where I said afore
[} Ergo per hos quinquagiiita dies jejunium nescit ecclesia, sicut
dominica (jua Dominus resurrexit, et sunt omnes dies tanquam dominica.
Ainbros. in Luc. xvii. 4. § 25. Ed.]
P Gang-days : procession-days. Cross-week : the week in which the
fea.st of the Invention of the Cross (May 3) occurs. Ed.]
VIII.] CONFUTATION OF AN ADDITION. 557
that their councils were like our parliaments, and they are
no longer to be observed than other councils following shall
think meet. AVhich being true and granted, who will be so
mad to build his faith upon councils, which have so often
changed, and one sort believe contrary to another? And al-
though Ambrose say, that the church knew no fasting day
betwixt Easter and AV'hitsunday, yet beside these many fasts
in the Rogation week, our wise popes of late years have de-
vised a monstrous fast on St Mark's day. All other fasting
days are -on the holy-day even; only St Mark must have his
day fasted. Tell us a reason why so, that will not be laughen
at. Wq know well enouirh vour reason of Thomas l^ecket.
and think you are ashamed of it : tell us, where it was de-
creed by the church or general council. Tell us also, if ye
can, why the one side of the street in Cheapside fasts that
day, being in London diocese, and the other side being of
Canterbury diocese fasts not? And so in other towns more.
Could not Becket's holiness reach over the street, or would he
not; If he could not, he is not so mighty a saint as ye
make him : if he would not, he was malicious, that would
not do so much for the city wherein he was born. This is
his great ancient holy church that he cracks so much of.
Becket was living since the conquest under king Henry the
second, not four hundred years since : and yet all, as they
think, that will not believe their trnmperv' to bo fifteen hun-
dred year old, and ought not to be broken, is an heretic,
disobeys the universal church, and not meet to live.
Monica, St Austin's mother, seeinir them fast at Rome on Au^'i-.t.
the Saturday, and coming to Milan see them not fast there,
marvelled at it, and asked Austin, her son, the cause of such
diversity of fasting, thinking that both did not well. Austin,
being yet but a young scholar in Christ's school, asked
Ambrose the cause: Ambrose said, '* Fasti ncr was free, and
therefore, when he came to Rome, he fasted, and did as they
done ; when he was at Milan, he fiusted not, but did as they
(lid '."' Afterward Austin, being better learned, gave this lesson
[^ Quando hie sum (Mediolani), non jejuno sabhato ; quando Komti*
sum, ji'juuo sabbato: et ad (luamcuntjUf iitU-siam vtiu-ritis, ln(|uit
(Aml)rosius), I'jus morcm scrvatt*, si pati scandaluin iion vultis aut facore.
August. Kj.ist. XXXVI. (al. lxxxvi.) Tom. ii. p. IJO. Paris. IJWO. Ki>.]
558 THE BURNING OP PAIjL''s. [sECT.
in the same epistle, and said, that "he found wiitten in the
New Testament, that we ought to fast ; but he never found it
there written, wliat days we should fast." Therefore the time
is free to all Christians by the scripture, to eat or not eat :
but they must eat so soberly every day, as though they fasted,
and see that they surfeit not. Montanus, an heretic, was
the first that made laws for fasting; and they, like good chil-
dren, make it heresy to break their days, or fast otherways
than they appoint.
There be two sorts of fasting from meat, which we be
bound unto : the one 'coluntary^ when we feel ourselves by too
much eating given to any kind of sin; then the flesh must be
bridled by abstinence, that it rebel not against the spirit, but
the mind may more freely serve the Lord : the other is hy
commandment^ on such days as be appointed by common order
of the country, wherein we must beware that we be not break-
ers of polities. These kinds of fasting stand in outward disci-
pline, and are to be observed with freedom of conscience, so far
as the health of the body may bear, and superstition be not
isai. hiii. maintained. There is a third sort which Esay speaks of, that
stands not in forbearing meats only, but in exercising the works
of mercy. " Is this the fast that I choose,'' says the Lord, "that
a man should punish himself, pinch his belly, and pull down
himself, so that for hunger and pain he cry out or fall into sick-
ness, that he ^\ rithe and lap his head in hoods and kerchiefs \
No," says the Lord; "but this is the fast that I have chosen;
bring the poor and strangers to thy house, feed the hungry,
clothe the naked, &c." God is not delighted with a hungry belly
for meat, l)ut with the soul that hungers for his righteousness.
Furthermore, this general kind of fasting, which stands in for-
bearing flesh, and eating but one meal a day, to many it is no
grief nor a bridhng to the lust of the flesh. Some love fish so
well, that they had rather feed of that than of other meat ; and
some have so weak stomachs, or live so idle lives, that they can
scarce digest one meal a day. Again, other some have so cost-
ly and great dinners, that they eat more at that one dinner,
than tlie poor man can get at three scamlings on a day\ There-
fore I cannot say that he punishes his body by abstinence, that
[' Scamlings or bcaniLlings: meals ol^tained by shifting or scram-
bling. Ei),^
VIII.] CONFUTATION OF AN ADDITION. 559
eats fish which he loves ; nor that for weakness of stomacli can-
not eat more, although his appetite desire it ; nor lie that gorges
himself so full at one meal, that he cannot he hungry of a whole
clay after. Hard it is therefore to appoint to every particular
man, what, when, or how seldom he shall eat when he fasts :
but because generally every man loves flesh better than fish,
and eats twice a day at the least, generally it was well appointed
in fasting to forbear flesh, and eat but once a day, though it
I'ail in many particulars.
Therefore, when any is to be charged with breaking his
fast, the person is to be considered, whether he may do it
with the health of his body ; the Mnd of fasting, whether it
be superstitious, to buy forgiveness of sins and righteousness ;
the thne^ that it be not with Jewish obseiTation of days;
and the meat itself, that it be not thought unclean by nature
and unla^^ful ; and the cause, that it be for taming the
flesh, and not to compound with God or bargain, that for so
many days' fasting God shall reward him with such worldly
blessings as please him to appoint. In Flanders, every Satur-
day betwixt Christmas and Candlemas they eat flesh for joy,
and have pardon for it, because our lady lay so long in child-bed,
say they : we here may not eat so ; the pope is not so good to
us : yet surely, it were as good reason that we should cat flesh
with them all tliat while that our ladv lav in child-bed, as that
we should bear our candle at her churching at candlemas with
them, as they do. It is seldom seen that men ofter candles at
womens' churchings, saving at our lady's : but reason it is, that
she have some preferment, if the pope woidd be so good master to
us, as let us eat flesh with them. Every one, even by the pope's
law, is not bound to fast, as children, old folks, women with
child, pilgrims, poor prisoners, labouring or journeying men; and
by the con.sent of the i)hysician and ghostly father, even in the
midst of blind j)oper}', all sick persons might eat flesh at all
times: and those that be bound to fast mav be dispensed with
for a little monev. That is jxood holiness, that is bou^^lit for so
little money. Our Saviour Christ, seeing the Pharisees ofl*ended
with eating meat, said to them, "That which enters in at the Matt.w,
mouth defiles not the man;" and when they would not be so
.siitisiied, he said, ''Let them Jilone, they be blind, and guides of
the blind." So .surely to such obstinate blind papists, as will not
560 THE BURNING OF PAUl/s. [sECT.
learn the freedom of conscience taught in the scriptures, and
serve the Lord in singleness of heart, but put their whole de-
votion in outward observation of man's traditions, it may well be
said, '-Let them alone, they be blind, and guides of the blind."
It is the weak conscience that is to be borne with, as St Paul
teaches, saying, "I had rather never eat flesh, than offend my
brother;"' and not the obstinate wilful bhndness of the supersti-
tious, that may learn and will not. When he has proved that
the protestants upon their wilful lusts, and not for such neces-
sary considerations as is here rehearsed, have contemptuously
l)roken the fasting-days appointed by common order, he may
well rebuke them : but there be too many witness, which have
heard many of them, sundry times, out of the solemnest places
and pulpits in the realm teach the contrary : therefore none can
believe these his lying words to be true. Breaking thy fast
stands not so much in eating any kind of meat, as in the quan-
tity of it, or doing it with contempt of the higher powers and
common order appointed; or else in offending the weak con-
science, which has not learned his liberty given by God in his
holy word.
Lent. Where he casts in our teeth the breaking of Lent, as though
that were commanded by Clod's own mouth, and should be ob-
served without all excuse, they that lust shall see how great
diversities of fasting Lent have been in old time before, and
then judge, whether this their one kind of fasting Lent be so ne-
cessary. Socrat. lib. v. cap. xxii. of his ecclesiastical history^
writes of the diversities of sundry things in the church, as keep-
ing of Easter, baptizing, marriage, and the communion, &;c.;
among which he touches the diversity of Lent fast, and says,
that "the Romans fasted three whole wrecks afore Easter, except
Uri Ce et; €"ou? /jiaAAoi/ »; utto vofxov irap eKao-rot? e^ ap-^aiov
Tr]v irapaTrjprjaiu eXal^ev, avrd tu Trpdy/JiaTa ceiKuvei. * * * avTiKa
TttQ TTOo Tou TTao-^u vrjo-Teiw; aAAc«)9 Trap aAArn? (pvXaTTO}X€va<i ea-Tiv
evpclv. oi fxev 'yap ei> Puifir] t/qg?? Trpo tov iracr-ya e/Sco/jiada^, 7rA>;i/
(TaftftoLTov Ka\ KvpiaKt}^, (Tvvr}fX}Xeva<i vt)(TTevovaiv' oi he eu l\Xvpiot<;,
Kui oXr] Tt] 'I'AXdci, K. T. A. * * ecTTJ 3e evpeiv ov jkovov Trep) tov upidfxov
TUiv rnxcpdv cia^mvovvTa^, aXXa Ka\ Trjv aTroytjv twv edeapaTvov ov^
o/joiai/ 'Troiovpeuov^' ol fxev jap irauTri €p\l/v'y<ov aire'^ovTai, ol Cc tiuv
c/ix/zu^aji' \-^dv^ povov^ pcTaXapftavovcri' Tiue^ Be avv to?<? i-^Boai, k, t. A.
p. 249. Ed. 1544. It is needless to quote more at lengtli. Ed.]
VIII.J CONFUTATION OF AN ADDITION. 5G1
Saturday and Sunday; some Grecians fast six weeks; some begin
seven weeks afore, and fast but fifteen days in that space, and
those not all together. They differed also in meats, for some
would eat nothing; that had life ; some would eat no lively thinof
but fish ; some would eat both fish and fowl ; other forbare
berries and eggs; other forbare all things save diy bread ; and
other would not eat that : some would not eat afore the ninth
hour, but then would feed of divers meats ; some at one hour
of the day, some at another, &c." If all these christian men
served God, and yet had such diversities of fasting their Lent,
why should they be counted evil men, that do no worse tlian
they did, or swerve but a little from this their used Lent fast i
1h this so well, that nothing is well but this 2 And because
they stick so nmch to the Romish church, note that he says
the Romans fasted but three weeks ; whv should we then fast
six ? Or how has Rome changed this old custom I Or may it
be changed I If it may not, why have they done it I and if it
may, why blame they them that do it I Polychronicon, lib. v.
cap. ix. writes, that pope Gregory the fii*st ordained fasting
of all Lent", who lived six hundred y^r after Christ : then it
lacks much of their authority and ancienty, that they crack so
much of.
AVe read tliat our Saviour Christ eat flesh at his last
supper on maundy-thursday, which day of all in Lent is one of
the holiest. If Christ then fasted Lent, I speak not this Ijecause
I would Iiave men to break the common appointed order of
fasting without lawful cause ; but that I would every man
should know the liberty of conscience that Christ has given
and taught us in his word. Let every man obey the ordinance
of the rulers, which command not any thing contrary to God ;
and let them know also the freedom of conscience, that they he
not boundmen to the creatures, which God of love has made to
serve, and not to rule us. Surely these people were christened,
and holy members of the church of Christ : and yet so shame-
lessly he cracks so much of the whole church to maintain their
doin<rs. Spiridion, bishoi) of a town in (vnrus, when his friend soio. lib. j.
, ^ • * . cap. 11-
came to him on the fa.sting-day after dinner, bade his tlaughter
Irene dress a piece of bacon, because he had no other meat in
[j* Also in all the churches of Rome he onlaincJ fiibting every day in
tlie Lent for forijivenesii of sins. Kd.J
[iMI.KIXtJTON.J
562 THE RURNING OF PAUl''s. [sECT.
the house : " Nay,'' says the man, "I am a christian man ; I
eat no flesh on the fasting-day/' "Why," says Spiridion,
" because thou art a christian man, thou should eat\" 0 wor-
tliy lesson, teaching both the marriage of bishops, and also
liberty of meats !
Prayer. Thirdly, where he belies us, saying that we call prayer
superstition, read the books of prayers which the protestants
have made, the order that they teach to pray in ; mark their
prayers openly in their sermons, with what fervent zeal it is
done; and judge then, how falsely he misreports them. But if
he mean the prayers of monks, friars, nuns, &c. we will not
greatly stick to grant them to be so indeed : and good reasons
we have out of their own doctors, why to say so. St Thomas
in his secunda seciindw^ Quaest. xcii. writes, that " it is super-
stition when a man is too holy"." As when he is so pope-holy,
that he believes things not to be believed, fears things not
to be feared, worships things not to be worshipped, or does
things as holy which be not holy indeed. Confer these say-
ings with monkish prayers, and such like, and see whether
we say true. Things necessary to be believed are written
only in the scriptures : so be things to be worshipped, to be
feared as godly, or counted holy, are taught there only. Then
u'm!^^^' ^^^ ^^^^^ believes more than the holy bible teaches, or worships,
fears other gods than the only living God, or does any thing
for the service of God, or counts holy that which is not taught
there generally, he is superstitious, and the use of the thing
itself is superstition.
The English word is the harder, because we use the Latin
word superstition, and makes it English : but the Greek word
makes the nature of it, and the things afore rehearsed, plainer by
much. There be two Greek words signifying this superstition;
ui^resctia. ^^^^'■^lotlivesceia \kde\odpn(jK^ia\ and deisidwmonia [^eiat^ai-
fxov'ia]. The further word signifies, as the interpretation of it
L Taurr; /xaWoi/, e<pri, ov Trapairrjreov -rrcivTa yap Kudapd to?-?
KudapoT^, 6 6eTo^ dirccpi^vaTo Ao'70?. Sozomen. Eccl. Hist. 11. 11. Ed.]
Q^ Dicitur enim superstitio esse religio supra modum servata, lit
patet in Gloss, ad Coloss. ii. super illud, Qucs sunt rationem hahentia
mpienticp in superstitione. Qusest. xcii. Artie, i. p. 266.— Simulata religio
ibi dicitur, quando tradition) humanie nomen religionis applicatur, prout
in Glossa sequitur. Ibid. Artie, ii. p, 267. Antverp. 1575. Ed.]
VIII.] CONFUTATION OP AN ADDITION. 563
declares, all such religious worshipping of God, as man de^'ises
on his own head, and is not taught in the holy scripture. So
says the Gloss. Coloss. ii. " When man's tradition is taken for
religion, then it is superstition^:" as, either to worship any
other God tlian the only true living God, or to worship the fi^P^"*'"
only God otherways than he has appointed us in his word, as
with lady psalters, trentals, pilgrimages, kc. And because the
chief part of godly worship stands in praying to God, and call-
ing on him in our necessities with a stedfast behef of his holy
word and promise ; he that calls on any creature but God alone
for help, or believes other doctrine necessar}^ to salvation than
God's book alone, he is well called superstitious. The latter
word sifmifies that godly fear in their opinion which is due to Deisidae-
, , , monia.
God alone; which whosoever gives to any other creature beside
the true God, he is superstitious also : as they that to know
things to come will counsel with spirits, or in their sickness
or trouble seek help at their hands, hang upon the stars for
lucky or unlucky days, or fear any creature more than the
Lord and creator. All the pope's creatures therefore be su-
perstitioas, putting their holiness and religion in their cowls,
cloisters, order invented of men, and fearing more to break
the rule of Austin, Dominic, Benet, than of any apostle, evan-
gelist, or Christ himself. They also be superstitious, that put
holiness in meats, days, times, places, beads, holy water, palm,
cross, pardons, St Agathe's letters for burning houses, thorn-
bushes for lightnings, Szc.
Learn therefore to put difference betwixt religion and su-
perstition, and then ye shall easily know how we disallow no
prayer but the superstitious. The scribes and Pharisees prayed
at every corner of the streets, and fasted oft : yet our Saviour
Christ rebuked them, not condemning prayer, but their mis-
using of it. So we will every man to pray in ever}' time Prayer,
and place ; yet superstition we abhor in all sorts of men,
prayer, time and place. What wicked blindness is this then,
to think that bearing prayers written in rolls about with them,
as St John's gospel, the length of our Lord, the measure of
our lady, or other like, they sliall die no sudden death, not
be hanged, or if he l)e hanged, he shall not die! There Is
P Sec the preceding note. En.]
30—2
504 THE BURNIXG OF PAUl''s. [sECT.
too many such, though ye laugh and beheve it not, and not
hard to shew them with a wet finger.
Prayer then is of two sorts, either in begging that that we
want, or orivinff thanks for that which w^e have received: and it
is the earnest Hfting up of a man's mind to God, or a famiHar
and reverent talk and complaint to our heavenly Father of our
miseries, with a craving of his mercies, and trusting to obtain
of his mercy that which shall be necessary ; or else an humble
thanksgiving for his liberal benefits, so plenteously bestowed on
us undeserved. These stand in deep sighs and groanings, with
a full consideration of our miserable state and God''s majesty;
in the heart, and not in ink or paper ; not in hanging written
scrolls about the neck, but lamenting unfeignedly our sins from
the heart, accusing and condemning ourselves, and begging par-
don for them; not in speaking a number of words with the
lips unconsiderately, be they never so holy, but with bitter
tears weighing from the heart every syllable that he thinks or
[isam.i.] speaks. Thus prayed Anna to have a son, 1 Kings i. so sor-
rowfully pouring out her griefs afore God in her mind, that
the priest, seeing her lips move and hearing not her words,
thought she had been drunken. Thus earnestly called Moses
on God in his sorrowful meditation, that the Lord said to him,
" Why criest thou so to me V — ^and yet we read not that he
spake any word at all. The other is lip-labour in speaking
much, or saying a great number of their own devised prayers,
or else a charming; thinking that in certain words speak-
ing they could make things come to pass as they lust. These,
with such other as popery is full of, we say be supersti-
tious.
Lastly, he burdens us with breaking all laws of the church,
civil, canon, and the realm, in that we say, marriage of priests
is lawful. This is that which may not be borne: this is thought
so heinous, that christian men should not suffer it. If he were
learned, he could never have heaped so many lies together.
All writers confess, that the Greek church in the east part
of the world (which is the greater part of Christendom) never
iorbad their priests marriage, nor do at this day. For the
west and Latin church now will I try a little, whether any
such have been borne by law, or no. Hildebrand, commonly
called Gregory VH. (who for his deeds might be turned and
Marriage of
VIII.] COM-r.TATlO.V OF A\ ADDITION . 565
called a hll-hrand) was the first that ever brought about (but J'j[i-4;'''''^'
with much ado,) that priests should not marry', and the mar- i>ein^<^"^'J»-
ried should lose either their wives or livings : but the priests
of Spain withstood him by their bishop. Some afore attempted
it, but never one could compass it. This pope lived about
the conquest, five hundred year since ; and since the begin-
ning of the world unto his time it was not brought to pass.
There is a great difference in continuance of time then, that
marriage was allowed, and a small that they were forbidden.
In Moses' law it was not forbidden, two thousand year afore
Christ. Peter the apostle and Philip the evangelist were mar- Actsxxi.
ried, and had daughters. Gregory, bishop of Nazianzum, was J^a'lf'./'^' "'
bishop there, as his father was afore him^. Polycrates, bishop Kusph. lib.
of Ephesus, says, that "seven of his cousins and ancestors had
been bishops afore him^."" When Phileas, bishop of Chinna,
was led to martyrdom, the greatest reason they had to per-
suade him to recant, was that he would have pity on his wife'.
Eustathius and his scholars are blamed because they despised sozo. lib. iii.
•^ ^ cap. 14.
married priests\
These among the Grecians, I trust, prove that the church
(]' Ita aliis deniquc super aliis promulgatis Icgibus, non ante poiiti-
ficatum Grej^oiii septimi, qui anno salutis MLXXIV. est pontifex creatus,
conjugiuni adinii occidcntalibus sacerdotilms potuit. — The remark which
the writer suhjoins, sliortly after, is too much to the pur])ose to he passed
over: Illud tamen dixerim, tantum ahfuisse ut ista coacta castitas illani
conjugalem vicerit, ut etiam nullius delicti crimen majus ordini dedecus,
plus mali religioni, plus doloris omnihus bonis impresserit, inusserit,
attulcrit, quam sacerdotum lihidinis lahes. Polyd. Vergil. Lib. v. caj). 4.
pr. fin. ]». 298. Argentor. KIOO. Ed.]
Q^ Gregorius vero apud Nazianzon oppidum in locum patris episcopus
su])rogatus hicrcticorum turhinem fidelitcr tulit. Auctores Hist. Ecclcs.
Lib. XI. (Ruffini ii.) cap. ix. Ed.]
Q In his letter addressed to Victor, bishop of Rome : 'V.-rrrd fxiu iitrav
<Ti/77£i/cK fiov eTTtn-KOTToi, €yw ce oycoo<:. Translated by Ruftinus, Septcm
namque ex parcntibus meis i)cr ordinem fuerunt episcopi. En.]
r* riooV C€ KUi avrov tou cinaaTov "TrapaKuXovfroc^ 4o<; uv avrtai'
(HKTOV \uf30iei', (^CHO) T€ TTa'tCWU KCH "/VVIUKUJI/ Trajf/rTCt JI/TO. Euscl).
Eccl. Hist. Lib. viii.cap. ix., where it is told of I'hilcas, bishop of Thmuis,
and his fellow-martyr, Philoromus, Ed.]
fiivov^y Ku\ tv o'lK-ojc ycyuiit]KoTU}v iv\((rOai 7r«^)«iToi/^fi/oi/v, ku) tov^
ytyuistiKora^ "rrnta-livrepov^ v-n(p(f)povovvTas. 1*. -i'l. Ed. \b\A^ Ed.]
566' THE BURNING OF 1'AUL\«!. [sECT,
has had married priests of old time. The fiftieth canon of
the apostles says : " If any bishop, priest, deacon, or any of
the clergy, forbear marriage, flesh and wine, not for that his
mind might be fitter to godliness, but for abomination, for-
getting that all that God has made is good, and that he made
both male and female ; let him be correct or deposed ^" The
third council of Carthage says thus : " Let not priests' chil-
dren make any plays and games .^''' " If any,'' says the pope's
canon law, " should teach that a priest for religion sake should
despise his wife, accursed be he." Distinct, xxviii^. Again,
the next chapter following : "If any make a difference of a
married priest, as though he should not minister by occasion
of his marriage, and therefore forbear from his ministration, ac-
cursed be he." When this foolish unlearned papist has scraped
these and such like sayings out of the pope's testament, com-
monly called his decrees, then he may say the pope's law has
utterly condemned marriage of priests in the Latin church.
St Paul. But what needs these proofs, when St Paul says plain,
"A bishop must be the husband of one wife ?" And Am-
Ambrosc. brosc. Writing on the same place, says that " he is not for-
piatina. bidden to have a second \" Pope Pius 11. writes, that "there
were great causes why priests were forbidden wives, but there
Jerom. were greater causes why they should be restored.^" Jerome
[^ Si quis episcopus aut presbyter aut diaconus, aut qiiivis omnino do
sacerdotali consortio, nuptiis et carnibus et vino abstinuerit, non prop-
terea quo mens ad cultum pietatis reddatur exercitatior, sed propter
aboniinationem, oblitus, quod omnia pulchra valde, et quod masculum et
feminam Deus creavit hominem, sed difFamationibus lacessens creationem
Dei vocat ad calumniam; aut corrigitor, aut deponitor, et ex eeclesia
rejicitor. Consimiliter et laicus. — Canones sanctorum apostolorum per
Clemcntcm, a Petro Apostolo Romae ordinatum episcopum, in unum
con^osti. Can. l. Ed.]
P Held in the year 397. Cap. xi. Ut filii episcoporum vel cleri-
forum spectacula sccularia non exhibeant, sed nee spectent. Concil.
Tom. III. p. 480. Ed.]
P Si quis docuerit sacerdotem sub obtcntu religionis propriam
uxorem contemnere, anathema sit. Decret. Gratiani, Pars i. Distinct,
xxviii. p. 148. Antvcrp. I'uPj. Ed.]
[^ Sed conjugia non rcsolvuntur, si quis iteraverit. « * * Qui autem
iteraverit conjugium, culpam quidem non habet coinquinati, sed prac-
rogativa exuitur sacerdotis. Class, i. Epist. lxiii. (lxiv.) § 63. Ed.]
[■' Sacevdotibus magna rationc sublatas nuptias, majori restituendas
vidcri. Platina, De Vit. Pontif. fo. 157. Colon. 1540. EDr\
VlIl.J COXFUTATIOX Or A.\ ADDlTlU.N. .567
grants that in his time many priests were married, contra Joici-
nian^ And on the sixth chapter of the epistle to the Ephesians
he WTites thus: "Let bishops and priests read these, which
teach their children \vorldly learning, and make them to read
comedies, and sing bawdy songs of minstrels, &c.' Nauclerus,
Part VII. Generat. xxxvii. writes thus: "Gregory VII. de- Grcj;:ory vn
creed in the year one thousand and seventy-tliree, that from
thenceforth priests should not have wives ; and they that had,
should leave them or be deposed. He wrote to the bishops of
France and Germany, that they should procure it so to be with
them. The whole clergy cried out against this decree, calling
him heretic; who had forgotten the word of the Lord, who said, ^^^^^- ''»''•
" All receive not this saying ; and he that cannot refrain, let ^ ^'■- ^''••
him marr}'; and it is better to marry than to burn." How vio-
lent a thing is this to compel, that men should live like angels!
and when he denies the accustomed course of nature, he should
give liberty to whoredom ! If he continued to confirm this
decree, they had rather leave their priesthood than marriage.
Gregorj', notwithstanding, was instant, and rebukes the bishops Gregorj-.
of slothfulness, that these things were not done among them.
The archbishop of Mcntz, perceiving how hard a thing it was,
to break so long a rooted custom, and to reform the world
in his old age", appointed his priests six months to do that
in, which they must necessarily do : they purposed then to
lay violent hands on the bishop, except he changed his pur-
pose. The year following Gregory attempted that divorcing
of them by his legate, which he could not ])ring to pass by
the bishop. The priests were so moved against the legate,
\^ Eliguntur mariti in siicerdotium, non ncgo ; quia iion sunt tanti
virj^nes, quanti neccssarii sunt saccrdotcs. Hieron. advcrsus Joviniiuunn,
Lib. I. Tom. IV. Pars ii. p. 17'). Paris. 1706. Ed.]
p Lcj^ant c])isc'opi at(iuc prcsl)yteri, <|ui filios suos socularihus litem
crudiunt, ct faciunt conicdijis lege re, et minionun turpia scripta cantarc.
In Ephes. vi. Tom. iv. p. 31K). Ed.]
Q" i. e. its old age, the world's. Ad rudimcnta nascentis ccc-lcsiic se-
noscontem jam mundum rofonnaret. — It is unncccssiiry to (juoto the
original, of which, in substance, the text gives an accurate tran.slation.
The conclusion is as follows: Hanc disceptationem horrcnda ecclesitc
occi<lentalis pestis sccuta est; udeo ut et laiei in hoc saeerdotum dissidio
sjicra tnutarent, bapti/arent, inungerent sonlibus pro vero pietatis()le<», i\:e.
Nauclcri Chronica, Tom. ii. Gcncnit. x.vxvi. p.777 — 0. Colon. lo7l>. En.]
matter.
.56*8 THE BURNING OF PAUl/s. [sECT.
that they had ahnost torn him in pieces, except he had gone
away, and left the matter undone. A horrible plague,"" he says
further, ''did follow this contention of the west church, inso-
much that laymen did christen and minister sacraments, be-
cause the priests had rather forsake their priesthood than
their wives, and would not minister, &c.'' Thus far the his-
tory. i\Iark when this was done, the trouble in doing it, the
plague that followed, and that marriage, as he says, was long
used afore him.
Note also " To the lord and fother Nicliolas, the diligent provider for the holy
episUc*^ ^ Romish church: Huldrich, l)ishop of Augsburgli in name only,
cnurerning Avislics love as a son, and fear as a servant.
the same
" Where I found, O father and Lord, your decrees for the
continenty of clerks, which ye send me of late, to be without
discretion, a certain fear and heaviness both troubled me : fear,
because the judgment of the shepherd, whether it be right or
wrong, is to be feared ; for I was afraid lest the weak hearers
of the scripture, which will scarce obey a righteous judgment,
not regarding this of yours, as wrongful, should boldly break this
so heavy a commandment of the shepherd, that it may not be
borne : sorrow, or rather pity, troubled me, when I doubted by
what means the members might escape, where their head was
so sore sick. What can be more grievous, or more to be
pitied of the whole church, than that you, the bishop of the
chiefest see, should swerve but a little from a holy discretion i
Thou swerved much from this, when thou would that clerks,
(whom tliou should warn for the continenty of marriage,) should
be compelled to it by a certain imperious violence. Is not this
worthily to be counted a violence, by the common judgment of
all wise men, when any man is compelled to execute private
decrees, contrary to the doctrine of the gospel and decree of
the Holy Ghost?
" Therefore, where there be many examples of the old testa-
ment and jiew, teaching discretion, as ye know; I beseech
your fatherhood, be content that some few among many may
be put in this writing. Our Lord appointed marriage to
priests in the old law, which is not read to be forbidden them
afterward. J3ut he says in the gospel, " There be eunuchs
which have gelded themselves for the kingdom of heaven : but
V
Til.] C'l.N FUTATIOX OF AN ADDITION. 569
all men receive not this word ; he that can take it, let him take
it." Therefore the apostle says, '' For virgins I have no com-
mandment of the Lord, but I give counsel.'^ Ye see that all
men cannot take this counsel, according to the saying of the
Lord. And ye see also many flatterers of the same counsel,
willing to please men and not God, with this false shew of con-
tinenty, to do more heinous things; as to provoke their fathers'*
wives, not abhor to he by beasts and men. But lest the state
of the whole church should be decaved bv the great mischiefs
of this filthiness, he said, ^'For fornication let every man have
his own wife." Yet these hypocrites falsely say, that this same
belongs specially to laymen : which h\q)ocrites, although they
be in a most holy order, yet they doubt not to misuse other
men's wives. These men understood not the scripture rightlv;
and because they wrung the pap too sore, they sucked blood
instead of milk. For that saying of the apostle, '*Let every
man have his own wife," excepts no man indeed, but him that
professes continenty, or him that determines to continue his
virginity in the Lord, «S;:c. And that ye may know that they
which have not made this vow, ought not to be compelled,
hear the apostle to Timothy, saying, " It becomes a bishop to
be blameless, the husband of one wife:" and lest any man should
turn this saying to the church only, he adds, ''He that cannot
rule his own house, how can he rule the church of Godf Like-
wise he says, '' Deacons must be the husband of one wife, which
can well rule their children and houses."
'• I know that ye have taught by the decrees of holy Silvester,
pope, that this wife must be blessed of the priest. The writer
of the rule of clerks' lives, agreeing with these, and such sen-
tences of the scripture, says, '-A clerk must be chaste, or else
bound with the band of one marriage." Of all which savings
lie gathers truly, that a bishop and deacon are to be blamed,
if they be divided into many women : but if either bishop or
deacon forsake one woman for religion sake, the canonical sen-
tence here condemns them without respect of their degrees,
saying, "A bishop under pretence of religion must not put away
his own wife : if he put her away, lot him be excommunicate ;
Imt if he ccmtinue, lot him be deposed, ^wvXposini. There Ix)
some which take St (Jregory for a helj) of this oj)inion ; whose
foolishness I laugh at, and am sorry for their ignorance : they
570 THE BURNING OF PAUL's. [sECT.
know not that the perilous decree of this heresy, made by St
Gregory, was purged afterward of him by worthy fruit of repent-
ance. For on a time when he send to his pond for fish, and
see more than six thousand children's heads brought, he sighed,
moved with inward sorrow, and confessing that decree, which he
made for forbearing of marriage, to have been the cause of so
great a slaughter, did purge it with worthy fruit of repentance;
and condemning his own decree praised that counsel of the apo-
stle, "It is better to marry than to burn;" adding for his part
this. It is better to marry, than give occasion of murder ^"
Thus much, among many other reasons concerning this
matter, this bishop wrote a seven hundred year since. Friar
Mantuan says that Hilary, the learned writer and bishop of
Poitiers in France, was married. The council Grangrense,
about a three hundred year after Christ, says : " If any man
think that it is not lawful for a married priest to use his
ministery, or abhor him for that cause, cursed be he\''' The
priests of Spain did earnestly defend their marriage against
pope Syricius, being angry with them.
Thus far ye see of how late years, and how troublesome
a beginning this forbidding of priests' marriage had in other
countries : now let us see a little how and when it began here in
England, that this proud pricker and unlearned papist may see
his own foolishness. If I should begin at Wales, the relics
of the old Britons, which have at all times suffered their priests
to marry in all popery, peradventure some would call them
concubines for a shift, rather than wives, as they be indeed; but
surely, if papists will suffer fathers so to bestow their daughters,
and their chaplains to keep unlawful women, rather than their
lawful wives, (as Pighius, their great patron, says it is better
for a priest to keep a whore than have a wife',) they declare
\J For the original of this letter, with some further notice of it, see
Note C in the Appendix. Ed.]
\y Quicun(|uc discernit a presbytero <iui uxorem habuit, quod non
oporteat eo ministrante de oblatione percipere, anathema sit. Cap. iv. De
oblatione Presbyteri conjugati. Concil. Tom. ii. p. 501. Paris. 1644. Ed.]
\^^ Having explained just before the sense of uri (^Trvpovadai, 1 Cor.
vii. 9.), Non est writentari, ut adversarii falsissimo intelligunt et jjersua-
dent miseris, sed tentationi succumbere, Pighius discusses the question
as follows : Sed csto, non faciunt obligati voto omnes, quod possunt et
debent, ut habeant contincntiic gratiam, et proinde non solum tentantur,
VIII.] CONFUTATION OF AN ADDITION. 571
wlioso children they be : marriage is of God, whoredom is of
the devil. Therefore I come to more certain things. In the
time of king Henry the first, Paschal being pope, and Anselm
bishop of Canterbur}', about four luindred years since, this di-
vorcing of priests began chiefly here with us. The pope willed
Anselm to do it : he attempted to do it, and the king withstood
it, as appears by sundry epistles of Anselm concerning the
same matter, Epistle 77, and 376.
" Anselm to his brother and sons, the lord prior Ernulph, E'""'ph-
and other serving God under him in Christ'*s church in Canter-
bury, greeting and his blessing. As concerning priests, of
wh(3in the king gave commandment that they should have both
their churches and their wives, as they had in the time of his
father, and of Lanfranc, late archbishop ; yet both because the
king has revested and reseised me of the whole archbishop-
rick, and also because so cursed a marriage was forbidden in a
council in the time of his father and the same archbishop, bold-
ly by that authority which I have by the archbishoprick, I com-
mand, not only within the archbishoprick, but also throughout
England, that all priests which keep their wives, shall be de-
prived of their churches and ecclesiastical benefice."'
Mark the things contained in these few words : the king'*s *
connnandment for priests to keep their benefices and wives both,
contrary to pope Grogorj^'s decree afore, and yet not contrary
to the custom in his father's time and bishop Lanfranc. And
sed otiam iinintur eonim ]»kTi(iiit'. Quid iiifitur? An niihere his minus
malum crit ? Nam melius hoc ditcre non j)otc'S, ([uod apostolus dam-
nation! imputat, si primam fidcm irritam faciant. His, inquam, an
saltern minus malum minusijue <lamnabilc crit nuboro, (juam uri ? Tu
vide, (|uis i>ojor scrvus est ? • • • In (|uil)us si (|uand(> remissiorcs ex in-
firmitatc camis ecciderimus, tolerabilius hoe ])eeeatum est, (|uam si jup:uni
in totum cxcutiamus, i.e. by marriage. Alberti Piji^hii Explicationes
Catholieic pnceipuarum Controversiarum. p. 215. Paris. 1.58(). En.]
[_* Ansclmus Arehiepisenpis, t'^e De prcsbyteris ct quibus rex
linreepit, nt et ceelesias ct feminas liabeant. sieut tempore j)atris sui et
I^anfranei archiopiscopi habucrimt ; et quia rex me resarsivit dc toto
arehiej)iscopatu, et quia tem])ore patris ejus et ejusdem areliiejiiseopi in
eoncilio probibitum est tarn cxeerabile eonjuerium ; fidueialitcr ea, quam
in an-biepiseojiatu ha])eo, auetoriUite pnecipio, non solum in arehie-
piseopatu, scd ctiam per totnm Ani^^liam, ut omnes siieerdotes, qui femi-
nas tenueriut ceelesiis et omni eeelcsiastieo beneficio privcntur. Lib. m.
Epist.cx. Tom. IV. p. ll.'J. Colon. 1012. En]
572
THE BURNING OF PAULS.
TSE
SECT.
Anseim. \\Iicrc Aiiselin demanded the pope^s advice what was best to
do, seeing it was so hard to divorce them, note the pope's
answer, Epistle 331.
Faschai. ''Paschal bishop, servant of God's servants, to his reverend
brother Ansehn, bishop of Canterbury, greeting and apostohcal
blessing. We beheve 3'our brotherhood is not ignorant, what
is decreed in the Romish church concerning priests' children :
but because there is so great a multitude of such within the
realm of England, that almost the greater and better part of the
clerks are reckoned to be on this side ; we commit the order
herein to your charge : for we grant those to be promoted to
holy offices (by reason of the need at this time, and for the
profit of the church) whom learning and life shall commend
among you, and yet notwithstanding the prejudice of the
ecclesiastical decree be taken heed to hereafter 1."
Here I note the pope's confession, that almost the greater
and better part of the clergy here in England were married
then, and that he suflPers them to be promoted to benefices, and
afterward, as time would suifer, to execute the pope's divorcing
decree. When the bishops could not well bring those divorces
to pass, the pope send Joan, his cardinal, to do it : and he, as
Poiychron. Polyclironicon writes, lib vii. cap. xvi. was taken the same
night in bed with a whore, in the time of Henry the first.^ 0
holy single life that the pope went about !
But not only this hardness was in beginning of this
divorce, but after that they were separated, divers came to-
gether again, as appears in the epistle that Anseim wrote to
WiUiam his archdeacon in this behalf. "Anseim, archbishop,
Q^ In Lib. III. Epist. xlv. of Anseim is pope Pascliars letter, giving a
succinct account of the various points on which Anseim asked for counsel,
Avitli the respective answers. The answer to the second question is as
follows: De sacerdotum filiis vel concubinarum quam vitam tenendam
priL'decessorcs nostri sedis apostolicae pontifices instituerunt, nosse te
cicdimus: nee nos ah illorum volumus aberrare vestigiis. Quod igitur
tibi super his in harbaris regionibus sit disponcndum, ex ipsius praecepti
jtotoris collatione distinguere. Ed.^
P John, cardinal of Homo, came into England, and made a grievous
l)roccss against priests' concubines, and said, that " it is a foul sin and a
great to arise from a strumpet's side to sacre [[consecrate] Christ's body:"
but the same day, after that he had sung mass, he was taken with a
strumpet at even. Thing that was openly kno^vn might not be forsake :
it must needs be known. Ed.]
VIII.] CONFUTATION OT AN ADDITION. 573
to the reverend Gundulph bishop, and to Ernulpli prior, and to
William, archdeacon of Canterbury, and to all in his diocese,
greeting. Epistle .373. William our archdeacon has written
to me, that some priests which be under his custody, taking
again their wives that were forbidden them, have fallen into
uncleanness, from which they were drawn by wholesome coun-
sel and commandment, ^^'hen the archdeacon would amend
this thing, they utterly despised his warning and worthy com-
mandment \N'ith a wicked pride. Then he, calling together
many religious men, and obedient priests, excommunicated
worthily the proud and disobedient, which beastly despised his
curse, and defiled the holy ministery as much as in them lay,
Here appears, liow hard it was to divorce the married
priests, and how some would not obey, though they were ex-
communicate. I mark also, how the bishop calls these mar-
riac^es ''uncleanness," and savs, thev "defile the ministerv:" but
to an indifferent judge the priests have better reasons out of the
scriptures for themselves, than the bishop had. Let all them
therefore, that have the fear of God afore thera, consider the
great plagues that God laid on this realm at that time. The
realm was conquered by strangers, William conqueror and his
fellows, the ])ope^s chaplains. Lanfranc, bishoj) of Canterbury
under king William the second, brought in transubstantiation,
and Anselm under Henrv the first, next kiuGT folio winor brouirht
in unmarried priests, and divorced the married. The doctrine of
transubstantiation is so holy, that a married priest may not
handle it : the one cannot stand without the other, and the one
necessarily brings in the other. The late popes were better
P Nuper rclata est mihi Deo cxecrabilis et omnibus christianis
oilibilis superba quorundam, qui se sacerdotes nominant, pra?sumptio.
Scripsit imiTKiue mihi archidiaconus iiostcr A\Mllc'linus, <inia nunnulli
jircsbyteri, \,\\\\ sub ejus sunt custodia, iteium ivpetcntt's ju-oliibitiis
i'ominas, in immunditiam, a qua salubri consilio et jussione abstract!
fuerunt, se revolverunt. C^uod cum idem archidiaconus vcliet corrii^cre,
(tinnino ejus monitiunem et susceptibilem jussionem nefamhi supcrl)ia
contcmpscrunt. Qui, convocatis secuui phirilms rcligiosis ct obcthi'n-
tibus sacenlotibus, superbos et inobedientes ^hidio di^ue excom-
municationis jwrcussit: quam excommunicationem In'stiali ins^inia
cnntemnentes, ministcrium sanctum pollucre, ijuantum in ipsis est, non
I'tninidant. Lil>. in. Kpist. cxii. Tom. iv. p. 1-J4. Colon, 1012. En.]
574 THE BURNING OP PAUl's. [sECT.
than they ; for in the time of pope Paul the third, keeping his
council at Trident a seventeen year since, came forth that
worthy book Interim^ wherein is entreated the marriages of
priests, and concluded that those which be married should not
be divorced ; but whether any more should marr}', it should be
referred and deferred to a general council. These men were more
reasonable, modest, and wise than om* late brutish papists:
for in the late days of their raging madness, contrary to this
decree of the pope made not sixteen year afore, they divorced
here with us all priests that afore were married.
But when these old popes see how hard it was to drive
priests from their wives, that hell-brand Gregory VII. decreed
that none should hear his mass, that was married : and by this
polity he brought more to pass, than by excommunication or any
other way. Such practices the pope's prelates are full of : for
when the priests perceived their ministery was despised, it made
them something to relent, and at length altogether to quail. At
the same time, and straight after the conquest, were swarms of
monks brought almost into all the cathedral churches of the
realm. As at Duresme, in the year one thousand and eighty-
three, the priests (which then were married) were brought from
Daresme. Duresme, and had the prebends of Aucland, Darnton, and Nor-
ton ; and monks were placed in their steads at Duresme, in the
eighteenth year of William the Conqueror : and these prebends
were then first founded and appointed for these secular married
priests. 0 gentle papists of old time, that would not displace
married priests, but provide livings for them, where our Edom-
ites persecute them without mercy ! Marriage, God's holy ordi-
nance in paradise, and blessed, is punished of popery in the
world : such is their wickedness. In other places, as Winches-
ter, Worcester, and elsewhere, this bringing in of monks and
driving out married priests began a little afore the conquest
under king Edgarus, but no great difference in the years.
Dunstan and Oswalde, bishops of Worcester first, and after of
Canterbur}' and York, were great helpers in this matter. Os-
walde thrust all the clerks out of Worcester church, which
would not be made monks. Ethel woldus, bishop of Win-
chester, thrust out his married priests likewise, if they would
not forsake their wives, and become monks, and placed monks
in their stead ; but they so hated the monkish life, that they
VIIl
.] CONFUTATION OF AN ADDITION. 'u O
were content to leave all rather than become monks, ever}' one
of them save three. But after the death of Edgarus, Aelfer,
king of Mercia, (which was the middle and chief part of
England,) and many other nobles of the realm, drove out the
monks, and brought in the married priests again. These and
such like are written in the records of these churches, and were
done many of them about the year of our Lord nine hundred
and sixty-three, and after. Polychronicon also, in his sixth
book, touches many of these things.
These things I have spoken more largely, because he
charges us with disobeying all laws, a.s though these were never
done in England afore, and good men should not suffer them;
and also, that the world may see how lewd, unlearned a j)roc-
tor has taken their case in hand. If he were not too far past
shame, he would not deny the laws of the realm to suffer
priests' marriage, seeing the twenty-ninth Injunction, which
the queen's highness set forth, entreats of their marriage only*.
But this is their obedience that they shew to their princes, in
denying their laws : and it is their old opinion, that injunctions
be not laws, nor princes have that authority over them to make
such laws. God give them better minds, or grant the prince
better subjects !
It were too long to write all that may be said in this behalf,
and it is not my meaning : only I would let them see which
would learn, how \vrongfully priests' marriage is accused. For
the fro ward obstinate, that will not learn, but contemn and con-
demn all that gaiasay it, afore they hear them speak, I say with
our Saviour Christ in a like case, ** Let them alone, they be blind. Matt. w.
and guides of the blind." They are not to be passed on: do as
truth, God's word, and a j^ood conscience teaches vou. nothinjr
regarding their railing blaspliemies. Austin, in his book De
Bono Conjugally cap. 21, comparing the chastity of marriage
and single life together, says tlius: '• The virtue of continenty
must be always in the power of the mind, but indeed it must
be shewed as things and times change. For as there wa.s not
a diverse merit of suffering martyrdom in Peter that suffered
cruel death, and in John that suHered not ; so there is not a
diverse merit of chastity in John wliich was not married, and
[' Qiu'c'ii Kliz;il)fth's Injuiutit)iis piildislu'tl in lo.*)!). Injunctiuii
xxix. Si-e Bp. i>i»arruw's (oUectiuii, \). T'l. Loud. K^ •*>. Kn.]
570 THE r[JRNIXG OF PAUl's. [sECT.
in Abraham which gat children. For both his single life and
this man's marriage served Christ, as the time changed ; but
John had chastity both in power and deed, Abraham only in
poweri."" Again, cap. 22, " Evil men say to him that is chaste.
Art thou better than Abraham? But when he hears it, let
him not be afraid ; but say, I am not better, but the chastity of
single men is better than the chastity of marriage"." Again,
cap. 23, " If we compare the things themselves together, it is
sure that the chastity of continenty is better than the chastity
of marriage, and yet both good : but when we compare the men
together, he is the better that has a greater goodness and virtue
in him than the other has^" Thus far Austin. Mark the
difference that he puts betwixt the goodness of things them-
selves, and the goodness of the men that have them.
I am sure many will judge, that I speak this to please my
S07.0. lib. i. wife : but we read that Paphnutius unmarried, when some in
cap. 23. . *^ .
the council would have determined that priests should leave
Ibid. cap. 11. their wives, persuaded the contrary^. Spiridion, being married,
as he writes also^ and having children, was never the worse,
or hindered to minister the sacraments. Chrysostom, in his
homily on the marriage in Cana of Galilee, writes thus: "Thou
reprovest marriage, that they be a let to godliness : but wilt
[} Qui vident continentiae virtutem in habitu animi semper esse
dtl)crc, in opere autem pro rerum ac temporum opportunitate mani-
festari. * ^ Quocirca sicut non est impar meritum patientiae in Petro
qui passus est, et in Joanne qui passus non est ; sic non est inipar meritum
continentiae in Joanne qui nullas expertus est nuptias, et in Abraham
qui filios generavit. Et illius enim caelibatus et iUius connubium pro
temporum distributione Christo mihtarunt: sed continentiam Joannes
(;t in opere, Abraham vcro in solo habitu habebat. Cap. xxvi. (21.) Tom.
VI. i>. 504. Paris. 188G. En.]
P Ac per hoc ab eis, qui corrumpunt bonos mores coUoquiis malis,
inani et vana versutia dicitur homini christiano continenti et nuptias
recusanti, Tu ergo mehor quam Abraliam ? Quod ille cum audierit, non
perturl)etur ; * * sed dicat, Ego quidem non sum mehor quam Abraham ;
sed melior est castitas caehbum quam castitas nuptiarum. Ibid, xxvii.
(22.) Ed.]
[•* Kcs ergo ipsas si comparemus, nullo modo dubitandum est melio-
rem esse castitatem continentiae quam castitatem nuptiarum, cum tamen
utrumque sit bonum : homines vero cum comparamus, ille est melior qui
bonum amplius quam alius liabet. Ibid, xxviii. (20.) Ed.]
[' See above, p. 582. Ed.]
[■' See above, p. 501. En.]
VIII.] CONFUTATION OF AN ADDITION. 5T7
thou know that it hurts not to have wife and children? Had
not Moses wife and children? Was not Elias a virgin? Moses
brought manna from heaven, and Elias fire : God spake to
Moses, and was conversant with Elias. Did not Moses make
quails to come ? and Elias shut up heaven from rain with a
word ? Did not Moses divide the sea. and brouQ-ht througrh the
people ? Was not Elias taken into heaven in a fiery chariot ?
Did virginity hurt the one, or was wife and children a hindrance
to the other? Hast thou marked Elias in his chariot in the
air, and Moses going on foot in the sea ? Mark Peter also, a ^^^^^- ^ '>>•
pillar of the church, that he had a wife ; for it is written, that
Jesus went in to Peter's mother-in-law, being sick, touched
her, and the fever left her. Where there is a mother-in-law,
there must needs be a wife and daughter-in-law. Seest thou
not then that Peter had a wife ? Blame not marriage then,
&;c." Thus far Chrysostom*^.
I could shew you like examples of married ministers at
these davs, which are not hindered in their dutv doingf therebv,
nor in any part of godliness ; Init rather furthered, in that
household cares be taken from them thereby, and in sickness
they better cherished. These be enough for them that will
be persuaded, or more will not serve. It is not hard to bring
[^'' Su ei/u/joi^fj? Tov ydfiov, kui Aeyej? otj (fXiroCKTfxa ecTiv o
fdixo^ ; ovcev efXfrdcKTfxa tt^o? eva-e/Seiav. ftovXci juade^v oti ovceu 7ra-
paftXaTTTfi eycM' yvvctiKa Kai TCKva ; yiwvat)^ "^X^ 'yvvaiKU Ka\ TtKi/a
e'lyev y H\/a9 tJi'V' irap^evu^ i/i/; ov^i Mwucr^c fxavva KaTtjyayev e'/c
Tov ovpavov ] o^'X^ li\ia<s irvp KCiTtjyayeu ex tov uvpauov \ t)uy(
lMa)i;(n7<r onrvyofitjTpav e^eneracreu ; ov^i liXia^ r(o Xoyio tov ovoavov
tK'Aejcrci/ ; ovyi Mwuo-f; 6 t)eo9 to/AiAf « ; ov^i kui Wxla tJfo? tafxlXci \
oi/vi Mwi/rr»/? OuXcKTCTUv tcv^Kre^ kui Cttjyaye tov Xuov ; f'^Y' MAk(? ev
upfxuTi irvpivui dveXr](p0t] ; ixtj t» TrapefSXaxj/e tovtov tj irapBevia ; /iiy
Ti TTupfveiroCiae tovtov »/ ywti kui tu t€kvu ; cicei 'Wxlav tuv tov
depo*: tjvio'^oVf e7ce<? M(ou(Tf;i^ tov ti-/? OuXaaarj^ oconrdpov'^ (iXttre ku\
YliTpov TOV (TTvXov Tt}^ eKK/Xf/fTtac, uTi KUI uvToc yvvu?Ka f'^c* iroucv
twu Ct]\ov oT I yvvuiKU ciy€v \ eyu) Aeyo). V^lcrtiXOc, (pt]criv, o lt}n-ovf: Trpo<:
Ttjv TTcvdepav FleTpoi/* Kai »)i/ eKe'ivtj appuxvTovau, kui »/\|/aTO ai/Tr;<r,
KUI ecpvycv o irvptTO^ «uti/v, kiu citjKovci. itpn<; oti kui \\eTpu<: yvvuTKU
€j Vf »/ ; oTTOv yup TTCvvcpay etcijXoi' on ku« yvvti. i>pu<: oti kui VleTpo*:
yvvu^KU u^( ; ft/] TI Cia/i«\/\»/<j tov yci/xov. Hoinil. contr.l JudiL'OS,
(.iontiics, vt IIiiTftk'o^. Tom. i. \t. 1(M)0. Paris. IHiJi*. — liut tlu* ^'cnuino-
ness of this Homily is ((uestioned. Ki>.]
:J7
[I'i IK i.\(;tox.]
578 THE BURNINCx OP PAUl's. [sECT-
divers more authorities out of the pope's distinct, xxviii. and
XXXI.' to prove this withal: but he that is father of all filthi-
ness, is not worthy to bear witness in so honest a matter. In
Moses' law, where every one should marry within his own
tribe, the priests had this privilege, that they might marry
with the king's stock: but our men abhor priests' marriage,
lest they should get gentlewomen, and so possibly might in-
herit their lands. God was not so wise to foresee these things
as we be; and that which God's wisdom thought good and
commendable, we with our polities think hurtful and unpro-
fitable. God make us wise in him ! For the foolish writhing
and racking of the scriptures following, because they be so
unaptly applied that a bhnd man may see them, I will not
stand to set out his folly; for they contain no matter of weight
against us.
IX. They have invented a new way to make bishops and priests, and a
manner of service and ministration that St Austin never knew, St
Edmond, Lanfranc, St Ansehn, nor never one bishop of Canterbury,
saving only Cranmer, who forsook his profession as apostata; so
that they must needs condemn all the bishops in Canterbury but
Cranmer, and he that now is; all the bishops of York, saving
Plolgate, and he that now is; although St Wilfride, St William
have been taken for saints, and were bishops in York. In Coventry
and Lichfield St Chad was bishop, and many blessed bishops ; and
he that now is bishop, can find not any one that ever was made as
he is, nor of his religion. Therefore he must prove all bishops of
Lichfield were deceived, walked in blindness, and ignorance; or
else he that now is must needs be deceived and be in blindness.
In Durcsme have been many good fathers ; but he that now is
bisliop cannot find any one predecessor in that see that was of his
reUgion, and made bishop after such sort as he was : so that he
that now is must take in hand to condemn all the bishops afore
him, that they were in ignorance and blindness, or they will come
to his condemnation at the day of judgment. And this in all
bishopricks in England; some can find one, and some none, that
ever was of their religion. What arrogancy may be thought in
those men that will take in hand to condemn so many blessed
fathers all to be in bhndness!
Here this proud papist triumphs, as though nothing could
be said to the contrary. For our church service I said enough
afore: now mark what weight his raging railing words have.
[' See p. 560. Ed.]
X.] CONFUTATION OF AN ADDITION. o79
IX
He says St Edmond, Lanfranc, Anselm never knew such an
ordering of priests and bishops : how proves he that I I tliink
they did : for they hved in that age when rehgion began to
decay, bhndness and superstition to creep into the world, and
therefore could not be ignorant of such good order as had
been afore them, although they themselves then began to
change and bring in the contraiy ; whereof I declared part
afore, as marriage of priests, church service, &;c. To grant
that so many bishops of Canterbm-y, York, Lichfield, and
Duresme were in blindness, he thinks it such an inconvenience
as no man will do it ; and therefore these that now be bishops
must needs be deceived. I am not of that opinion, to think
it a shame to grant that bishops be deceived, either in that
age or other : for there has been no man so holy (except
Clu-ist Jesus) but he has been deceived and ignorant in many
things, even in religion. Did not Paul rebuke Peter for dis-
sembling in meats with the Jews? Only Christ has the full
truth. That is the proud principle of popery, to think that
they cannot be deceived : yet in that saying they are most
foully deceived. The scribes and Pharisees used the same rea-
sons against Christ our Lord, and the false prophets against
the true, saying that they kept the old true learning, and the
other brought in a new, and deceived the people.
But in granting these old bishops to be made after another
sort than these be now, what harm may follow? ^Mlat an-
cienty be they of? All since the conquest, and not past five
hundred year since. Then it is but new in comparison of one
thousand five hundred and fifty. And if our order agree with
Christ's doings and his apostles' wTitings better than theirs,
are we to blame in forsakino: them and followinjx Christ and
his apostles i or are we to be counted devisers of a new way,
when we follow that which is a thousand year elder than
theirs ? Nay surely, their devices be new, and we restore the
old religion again, practised and taught by Christ and his
apostles, which they have defaced with their new devised su-
pei*stition and popcr}'. AVhether is it more to contenm or
correct these bishops of Canterl)ury, York, Lichfield, and
Duresme, that he names, rather than Christ our Lord, Peter,
Paul, Timothy, Titus, &c. ? WhctluT is to be judged elder,
wiser, and godlier, these bishops that he names, which are
'37—2
Acts xiii.
580 THE BURNING OP PAUl'*S. [sECT.
not five hundred year old, or Christ and his apostles, which
be one thousand five hundi-ed year old and more?
In the Acts of the Apostles, where Matthias was chosen
instead of Judas the traitor, where the seven deacons were
chosen, and when Paul and Barnabas were sent forth to preach,
how few ceremonies were used in comparison of that multitude
^e order- ^yjiich the papists usc now ! And how much does it agree
ministers, ^yj^j^ Q^J. ]^\y^^ ^f ordering ministers better than with theirs!
When Paul taught Timothy and Titus to appoint ministers
and bishops in every town, how far differs it from the pope's
oiled shavelings! Acts i. Peter calls the disciples together,
preaches unto them; they fall to prayer, and chose Matthias
instead of Judas. In the sixth of the Acts the apostles
assemble the people, declare to them how they themselves
should follow preaching, and wills them therefore to pick out
men of honesty and godliness to serve the poor : they pray
together, lay their hands on them, and made them deacons
to provide for the poor. In sending forth Paul and Barna-
bas, when they were assembled, to their ministery, they fasted,
prayed, laid their hands on them, and send them forth. In
the fourteenth, Paul and Barnabas " ordained in every church
ministers," requiring the consent of the people by holding
up their hands, as the Greek word there signifies \ In the
first epistle to Timothy, chap. v. he bids him, that he "lay
not his hands rashly on any man," where afore he had taught
him sufficiently what manner of men, and with what qualities
he should call and think them meet for the ministery.
But because he finds not so great fault with the men that
be called now a days, (although other do grudge at them,) as
with the order and manner of their calling, I will only an-
swer to that point which he touches. In these places of the
scripture afore rehearsed, there be these things to be noted,
in sending forth ministers. First, an assembly of the clergy
and people, to bear testimony of their honesty and aptness
that be called : for it must not be done in corners, lest such
be admitted as be unworthy, and with whom some could or
would have found fault, if it had been known and done openly.
The ministery is so godly a vocation, that none ought to be
admitted to it having any notable fault in them, or if they
Q ')^€tpoTovt]<j-a'jr€^f v. 2o. Ed.]
IX.] CONFUTATION* OF AN ADDITION. 5<S1
may not abide the trial and judc^inent of the multitude, vca,
though they be heathens. For 8t Paul says, they must have
good testimony of their honesty, even " of them that be out
of the church.'' Secondly, I note they used exhortations, with
fasting, prayer, and laying on of hands. These ceremonies
we be sure are good and godly, because the apostles used
them so oft : and these, except some great cause to the con-
trary, are to l^e used of all in calling of the ministers.
All these things the order now appointed observes, and no
more : all the popish ceremonies be cut off as vain and super-
fluous. The time of giving orders now is the holy day, when
the people be assembled, that they may see who be called : and
if they know any notable fault in any of them that are there to
be appointed ministers or bishops, they may declare it, that
they may be rejected as unworthy. The popish prelates give
their orders on the Saturday, when the people is not present,
and commonly at home in their chapels, where few resort to see.
The bishops now use in gi^^ng their orders an exhortation,
common prayer, the communion, and laying on of hands, which
the apostles used. The pope and his prelates have devised of
themselves clippings, shaving their crowns, an unlawful com-
pelled vow to live unmarried, oil for anointing their fingers, and
power to sacrifice for quick and dead, their double Latin matins
and even song daily, with such a kind of apparel, that they
be more like to Aaron and Moses, priests of the old law, than
a simple preacher of Christ's gospel, or minister of his sacra-
ments of the new testament.
When we do that which Christ and his apostles did and
used, we may be sure it is good, lawful, and necessary: when
we add any thing of our own, it may be dou])ted on ; and if
it be commanded as necessary, or as the true worship of (iod,
it ought to be refused, changed, yea condenmed. For Christ
says, "They worship me in vain, teaching doctrines the com- Matt. xv.
mandments of men." Therefore, as he reasons here, that it
should be too great an inconvenience to say, that these bishops
which he names were blind and ignorant in their doings, and
that they would come at the judgment to the condenination
of these new bishops whicli iollow not their ways, 1 had ra-
ther turn his argument against himself on his own head, and
say, that it is a greater inconvenience, yea blasphemy, to
582 THE RURNING OF PAUL's. [sECT.
say that Peter, Paul, Timothy, Titus, &c., were in blindness,
and had not the right order of appointing their ministers, but
that these latter popish prelates have invented of late years a
perfecter way to do it than they knew or used. Let them prove
that either the apostles themselves, or any of their scholars, used
clipping, shaving their crowns, the vow of single life, sacrificing
for the dead, oiling their fingers or crown, their Jewish apparel,
their hallowings, crossings, blessings, or such trash as their
order is full of, and then blame this new order : but because
they cannot, the scripture teaching no such thing, I say they be
hypocrites, laying heavy loads on men's backs and consciences,
yea, greater than any may bear, not touching them with their
finger to ease them, but rather to press them down lower, in
preferring man's dreams before the simple truth of the gospel.
Christ and his apostles, with their scholars, shall come in
judgment to their condemnation, for that they have main-
tained their own devices afore the infallible truth of the scrip-
ture, the perfect rule and only example of all our doings and
religion. Then, if our bishops now use all such order as the
apostles themselves used (as in comparing them together it
will easily appear), why should any proud papist be so bold to
correct maqnificat^ to reprove them, and say that the pope has
devised a better way than the apostles used? Or why should
any weak conscience, hanging on man rather than on God, be
offended to see such vain, superfluous, and wicked toys left off
and not used ? If they left out any thing that the apostles used,
they might well be blamed : but seeing they had rather follow
them as their schoolmasters, and not the pope, they were to be
praised. Are popes wiser than the apostles ? Or shall papists,
for following their father of lies, be preferred to protestants,
which have God's word and his truth, with the doings of the
apostles, for their defence to allege for them ? God forbid !
But I think, this good proctor of the pope is offended, be-
cause the new bishops run not to Rome themselves, or by their
deputy to do their homage to their holy father, and swear an
unlawful and traitorous oath against their lawful and natural
prince, and bring home the holy relic, their pall, which many
have bought so dear, that in gathering money for it they beg-
gared their whole diocese. Yet, that the blind may see that
these ragged popish clouts, which they think so holy relics and
IX.] CONFUTATION OF AX ADDITION. 583
necessary, are not of such worthiness, nor to be rcfj^arded so
highly, it is easy to see even in this reahn and others, that
both they have been not regarded of old time, and also that
they had another fashion of making priests and bishops, than
our papists of these days have, and more agreeing with the
order that the new bishops use. Fabian writes, part in. cap.
Ix. that the bishop of St David's had no pall from Rome at Pali,
all, from the time that Samson was bishop there, unto the time
of king Henr}' the first, in which space were there twenty-one
bishops^ Polychronicon writes, hb. v. cap. xii-. that North-
umberland was ^^^thout bishop thirty year ; without pall one
hundred and twenty-five year ; nor had any altar at all unto
the six hundred and twenty-third year of our Lord. Then these
things are neither so ancient nor so necessary as papists would
make men believe: seeing they had no altars, then they had no
popish masses ; for they may not be said but on a hallowed
altar or superaltar. The pope decreed that all abbots and bi-
shops, being chosen to their dignities, should come to Rome to
be confirmed and blessed : by which means, he and the cardi-
nals made them to pay such sums of money to be speedily dis-
patched (as our under officers do now for expedition), that they
impoverished many realms by it, and enriched themselves; by
reason whereof king Edward the first, perceiving the bishop of
Ely and the abbot of St Edmond's Bury, l)eing then chosen
to their dignities, to have spent so much money, was ashamed
of it, and forbad any more to go thither afterward themselves.
For they beggared their churches, or they could pay their
debts, as Matthew Parisiensis writes all this at large and
more, speaking against this decree of the popes. The bishops
of Colen and Mentz pay either to the pope for their pall
[' The said Sampson took witli him the pall, and sailed into Amorica
or Little liritiiiu, and was there l)i.shop of Dolencc or Dolonccs. And
from that time unto the first Henry's time, kin;:? of Eni,dand, had sitten
at Menevia, or St David's, one and twenty 1)ishops, and all without jiall.
Chap. Lx. col. .3. — The jxdl was a short cloak, or rather strip of woollen
cloth, worn hy an archhishop, who received it from the pojie. En.]
[''' And so the church of men of Northumherland was without bishop-
l-ick after Paulinus' death xxx. year; an<l was without the us<' of pall
six score year and five. • • • To fore that time was no church that had
an altar in Brenicia, till kinp^ Oswaldus had raised that cross at that
battle. Lib. V. chap. xii. col. 5,0. En.]
584 THE BURNING OF PAUl's. [sECT.
twenty-four thousand ducats. The same man says also, that
Thurstan, archbishop of York, going to a council, holden at
llemis by pope Calixtus, was forbidden of the king to be con-
secrate of the pope, and sworn also: but he notwithstanding,
as a wicked man, obtained of the wicked Romans by rewards
to be consecrate there of the pope : which thing when the king
heard tell of, he forbad him all places of his dominion. Tho-
mas Hatfield, bishop of Duresme, chosen a. d. one thousand,
three hundred and forty-five, and the nineteenth year of Ed-
ward the third, payed to pope Clement the sixth nine thousand
florins of gold, for his common service, beside five accustomed
services, which were forty-three florins yearly : which appears
by the pope's acquittance made to him. The bishop of Lyons
declared in the council of Basil, that the pope had nine millions
of crowns yearly out of France of the bishops. A million con-
tains ten hundred thousand. If these be not his griefs, perad-
venture because they have not the cruche [crook] and mitre, as
the old bishops had, displeases them : surely such horned beasts
be fitter for the pope than the gospel ; for as the Latin proverb
says of unruly beasts, that they were wont to be known by hang-
ing hay on their horns, /wnum hahet in cornu^; so these unruly
popish cattle have their mark that they might be known by, their
horned mitres ; or else, because they were of the generation of
the horned beast, that Daniel in the seventh chapter and St
John writes of in his Revelation, thirteenth and seventeenth.
Read the latter end of Gildas^, our countryman, in his
chronicle and chiding exhortation to the priests ; and ye shall
find, that in his time, which is a thousand year since, there
were divers other parts of the scriptures appointed to be read
out of the Acts of the Apostles and Peter's epistle, when they
were appointed ministers and made priests, which the popish
prelates use not in ordering their chaplains now. Whereby it
may be gathered, that the ceremonies differed also. But the
barbarousness of the time has been such since, that scarce any
perfect memorial of their doings remain. The rude Saxons
P Horat. Satir. i. iv. 34. Ed.]
[ In the Rerum Britannicarum Scriptores Vetustiores, referred to
before, p. 515. Audistis etiam illo die, quo multo dignius multoque
rcctius erat, ut ad carcerem vol catastam poenalem quam ad sacerdotium
traheremini, &c. p. 145. Ed.]
IX.] CONFUTATION OF AN ADDITION. 585
overran this realm, and destroyed all learning and religion, with
help of the pope and his creatures, the monks and friars : so
that unto now of late years very little good learning has been
heard of. Dionysius Areopagus, as he is commonly called, and
whom they say was Paul's scholar, and of whom St Luke
writes, Acts xvii., says in his book, (if it be his book, as they Ecciesiast,
. .. .. . ... Hierarch.
say it is,) that ''in making their priests and bishops in his time
they used no more ceremonies, than to bring him that was to
be called a bishop, to kneel afore the altar, to lay the bible
on his head, and the bishop his hands also, with certain prayers
and salutations.''^ This simple fashion was used of old time,
without any further ado. The priests and deacons had not all
these ceremonies in their creating: and yet our bishops, which
follow this ancient simplicity, are blamed that they have de-
vised new fashions of their own, which never were heard of
afore. But by these few things that I have recited it may
well be seen, how malice has blinded their popish hearts, falsely
to accuse the protestants of those things which are not true.
And to put away all doubts, that may be moved for the ancienty
and authority of their order and fashion of making priests and
bishops, Polychronicon writes, lib. v. cap. 12, that pope Hono-
rius sent to Honorius, bishop of Canterbury, the pall and the
order how to make bishops : this was about the year of our
Lord one thousand one hundred and twenty-seven*. Look how
ancient it is ; and they cry one thousand five hundred year old,
where it is not past four hundred.
And as Dionyse in this ordering of priests declares, how
[f () fiev lepdp-^ti^ tVl Ttiv lepapy^iKriv TcXe'mcriv 'Trpoaayofxeuo^y
a/ui0(o TO) TToce k\<V(K eirnr poaSev rov dva-iaa-Ttjplov, eV) K€(t>a\tj^ f yf
Tu diOTTcipacora Xoyici Ka\ Ttjv lepnp-^iKtiu -^eTpa, kcu tovtm tw
TpoTTw Trpo<: Tov Te\oviiTo<: avrou lepapyov rai? Trat/ayecrTaTai? eiri-
K\t](r€(Tiu aTTOTeXeiovTcti. O ce 't€p€v<:, aiKpto tw iruce kA/i/o": eV/-
TrpofTueu TOV Oeiov 6u(Tia(TTriptov, eir) Ke(pa\t}f; ei^ei rtju Upap-^iKtjv
C€^iav, Ktti TOVTia Tti) rpoTTto irpo^ tov Te\ovvTO<i avTOv Kpunyov raic
iepoTTomT^ €-niK\tj(T€(rti> dyui^cTui. Dionys. Areo|). De Eccksiiistica
Ilierarchia, Tom. i. cap. v, p. .*3f).3. Aiitvcrp. lO'U.— I'^hcr say8, {Ausxtrr
to a Jesuit, p. TjOT. la^d.) " The books that l)car his (l)ionysius') name
seem to he written in the fourth or fifth a:,'e after Christ." En.]
[* That year thep«»pe Honorius si'iit the pall to Honorius, ar(hl)i8liop
of Cantcrhury, with letters that informed hi in of the manner of tho
ordaining of archbishops in Britain. Lib. v. chap. ,\ii. col. 4. Ed.]
^^^ THE BURNING OF PAUl's. [sECT.
far they differed in his time from all these popish toys, that
this beast would burden the church and simple souls withal ;
so shall ye find in him also, how much they differed in his age,
in ministering the communion, in burying the dead, and other
such service and ceremonies, from the pope^s synagogue in our
days : in so much that it may be truly said of this our re-
ligion, that friar Mantuan said : Hggc novitas non est ozovitas,
sed vera vetustas. The pope's superstition may well be called
new, as I have proved by many particulars afore : but this of
ours is both old and true, as it may be more fully proved than
I have yet spoken. Therefore let them set better clerks to
speak for them, and prove it by the scriptures, or else for shame
hold their peace. But a scalled horse is good enough for a
scabbed esquire ; and for so false a doctrine, so foolish unlearned
.{i ir. a drunken dotel is a meet schoolmaster. They know well
^ enough, that they be not able to stand in defence of it, and
^ / . J therefore they set up such a dolt, that when he takes a foil, no
. y man will marvel; and yet they shall think that the stout cham-
**'' ^ pions are behind, which can bind bears and confute all men.
fn^ni-H/UL^ But surely this rude ass is the mouth of them all to utter what
/^ /f^ they think, and they have no better ware than he has uttered :
let them put their helping hands to, and bring better stuff, if
they have it; but if they run to the later constitutions of Gregory
and Clemens, or such like, w^e know what ancienty and authority
they be of, and our answer is ready : for they themselves keep
them not.
What religion the old bishops have been of from the be-
ginning in these sees which he names, or how they were made,
I think no good record declares. The rudeness of the times
have been such, and such destruction of old monuments, both
by inward and outward war, that none or few remains. I will
note only therefore such things as were done in our days, that
every man knows, or else such as be in print. In Duresme
I grant the bishop that now is and his predecessor were not of
one religion in divers points, nor made bishops after one fashion.
This has neither cruche nor mitre, never sware against his prince
his allegiance to the pope : this has neither power to christen
bells, nor hallow chalices and superaltars, &c. as the other had;
and with gladness praises God, that keeps him from such filthi-
ness : his predecessor wrote, preached, and sware against the
f^,r
IX.] CONFUTATION OF AN ADDITION. 587
pope, was justly deprived afterward for disobedience to his
prince ; and yet, being restored, submitted himself to the pope
again. Stout Stephen and bloody Bonner, with other cham-
pions yet living, be in the like case. God defend all good people
from such religion and bishops !
For these other holy bishops that he reckons and calls
saints, if I should speak all that I know and they deserve,
it were too long: a book, and to wise men it would be thouofht
a scorn, rather than a praise. There is no good ancient his-
'tory that makes mention of them; for they themselves are
not ancient, nor long it is since they lived here. There is
no better history than the pope's portus and Legenda Sane-
toniin. with such like, that speaks of them ; and to read those
miracles would make a horse to laucrh : vet something will I
say. In the time of that famous prince, Henry VIIL, when
God's enemy and the overthrower of all princes, the pope,
was banished this realm, it was decreed well, tliat all doc-
tors, deans, and other head men of the clergy, should de-
clare to the people in their sermons the usurped power of
the pope divers times in the year. Among other, one D.
Str. preaching at York, and inveighing against the abuses
of popery, (although in many things a papist himself,) and
namely against his canonizing and making of saints ; among
other, he fell in talk of St Wilham of York, and said, that
St William's horse was more worthy to be made a saint,
than St William himself. The reason was this : St William -^t wiiiiam
on a tmie, when he was made new bishop, ridmg m his
royalty over Ouse bridge within York, (as he was wont to
do oft very gloriously, and as stoutly as Thomas Becket, in
whose time he lived also,) the bridge brake, and many that
followed were drouned. St William's horse, as full of cou-
rage as liis master, with \\Testling and s])urring up, saved
himself and his master from drowning. The horse did the
notable deed, and deserved the praise : but the ma-ster won
tho reward, and was made a saint by the pope. This and
such other is enough, witli the pope, to make his servants
saints: ])ut this bishop's life and doings otherwise, afore (iod
and godly men, are in wickedness as evil as Thomas Beckct's.
He was sr) unhappy a man, that when he wius first chosen
bishop of York, tiie pope Eugenius would not confirm liim,
."588 THE BURNING OF PAUl's. [sECT.
but made Henry Murdach bishop there in his stead. When
both that pope and bishop were dead, then he was chosen
again and made bishop of York, and coming so gloriously
into the city as I spake of, the bridge brake for the weight
of men that followed, as Legenda Nova Sanctorum says in
stEdmond. his life. St Edmond was so holy, as the same worthy his-
tory says, that when divers women came to his chamber to
him, he would not touch them. If ye believe him, he ever
set great store by women, for honour of our lady, the same
writer says also ; and when one of his friends rebuked him
because he talked so oft with a certain wife, he said, "Seest
thou not how fair she is, and oft sat by me, and yet I was
never tempted with her?" Polychronicon also tells the same
tale, lib. vii^ Further, when one of his clerks, sitting at
dinner, did eat nothing, because that day was ordinary to have
his fit of a quartan, he asked why he did not eat: "because I
look for my fit," says he. "I will make a cross on this lamprey
in my dish," says Edmond, "and put in thy mouth in the name
of the Trinity, and thou shalt be whole." But that such holy
men may do what they lust, and have it for well, yet if poor
souls should have done it, it would have been laughed at, and
counted a charming ; for lamprey is very evil for a quartan.
Lanfranc. Lanfranc brought in the heresy of transubstantiation.
Anseim. Ausclm divorced married priests, and says also further, that
Linus was the first bishop of Rome, writing in the latter
end of his commentaries on the second epistle to Timothy^.
Let the papists look their books, and see whether I say
true; and then judge how truly they crack, that Peter was the
first pope at Rome, and that all the rest have their autho-
rity from him. If this fool had looked, he should find some
bishops of Canterbury, even papists, as Austin and Anseim,
to have been of our religion in some opinion of the greatest
matters, more than Cranmer: whose writings and doings, be-
cause they be in print and so fresh memory, like a barking
cur in the night at the moonshine, he may declare his own
malice rather than deface the godly memory of that holy
\} Chap. XXXV. col. 8. Ed.]
^ Romse vcro morantes te salutant Eubulus, ct Ptidens, et Linus,
(iste Linus fuit primus Romanae sedis episcopus,) et Claudia. Anseim.
Tom. II. p. 379. Colon. 1612. Ed.]
IX.] CONFUTATION Or AN ADDITION. 589
martyr, and therefore I will not speak of him. But that the
world may see how lewdly he lies, when he says that no bishops
have been of our religion, the same Legenda Hanctorum tells
that Anselm, bishop of Canterbury, came to king Henry the
first, to desire licence to go to Rome to pope Urban to
fetch his pall. The king said, he knew him not for pope,
nor it was not lawful for any to name any pope without his
hcence. The prelates and nol)lemen were called together,
and Anselm accused ; and all the bishops there said, it was not
lawful for him to take Urban for pope in his realm, and keep
his oath that he made to the king : and so all the bishops
(except Rochester) forsaked him, and would not obey him as
their archbishop. Judge now, whether any bishops in this
realm have refused the pope afore these our days.
And because I have entered to entreat of these holy fathers
that he cracks so much on, I will shew you what is written in
the life and history of Thomas 13ecket, bishop of Canterbury, Ti.omas
their stinking martyr, and tmitor to his prince. When the ^*'''^'^*^^-
bishop was fled out of the realm, the king sent embassadors
by the consent of the nobles and prelates to Rome after him,
to declare the matter, and accuse him of disobeying the king,
troubling the realm and the clergy, and of perjury in not keep-
ing the laws which he sware to first. The em])assadors were
Roger, archbishop of York, Gilbei*t, bishop of London, Roger,
bishop of Worcester, Hilar}', bishop of Chichester, Bartholo-
mew, bishop of Exeter, the Earl of Arundel, with many other
noblemen and clerks. Their orations, wherein thev accuse this
holy traitor, bo there in print severally, and somewhat long
to recite; but judge indifferently, when so many bishops and
the earl accuse Thomas J3ccket afore the pope so earnestly,
whether we be to blame to accuse him now. The effect of
the bi.shoj) of London's oration to the pope and cardinals was
this ; and the other bishops'' orations are like : Fathers, the
care of the church Ix^longs to you, that they which be wise
niiijht 1)0 cherished bv vou, and thev that bo unwise might
be c(jrrected, that they might ho wise: but he is not thought
wise to your wisdoms, that trusts in his own wisdom, and
goes about to troul)le the peace of his brother and the king.
Of late there fell a debate in England betwixt the king and
tlie clerg}', for a light cause, whicli might have been easily
590 THE BURNING OF PAUl'*S. [sECT.
buried, if a gentle medicine had been ministered: but the
bishop of Canterbury, using his own will, and not ours, was
too earnest, not considering what harm might come by such
headiness. And because he could not get our consent, he
went about to cast the fault of his rashness on our lord
the king, and the realm : and that he might deface our bro-
therly love, he flees away, no man compelling him, as it is
written in the psalm, " The wicked flees when no man per-
secutes him." The other bishop and earl follow with like or
more vehement words.
When long Egfride had married Etheldrede, and she had
rather live a virgin than do the duty of a wife, the king
stwiifride. desired St Wilfride to counsel his \vife to do her duty: the
bishop would not, but rather encouraged her, divorced her,
Le?enda made her a nun^, and the kinej married another : which
rsova banc- , , ^ '-'
torum, in couuscl of Wilfride was plain contrary to St Paul, saying,
"The woman has not power of her own body, but the man;
for she cannot depart from her husband without licence,
and but for a time." God keep us from such holy bishops!
Polychronicon, lib. v. cap. xxii. declares a knot of these his
holy fathers. Adelme, first priest, then abbot, and lastly
a bishop, when he was tempted in the flesh, took a fair
wench into bed with him while he might say the psalter;
and yet would not marry ^ Lib. vii. cap. ii, Walter, bishop
of Hei-tford, was slain by a woman, which gored him in the
groin^ with her shears, because he would have ravished her.
[} Juncta est turn (Etheldreda) regi praefato lege conjugali, non con-
junctioiii carnali. Cujus rei gratia beatum Wilfridum tarn per se quam
per alios rex convenit, orans et obsecrans quatenus reginse persuaderet,
ut omisso virginitatis proposito regiae voluntati assensum praeberet. Ille
tamen non consentiens vigilanti animo procurabat, nequa feminese mentis
inconstantia propositum virginitatis postponcret, et terrenis illecebris
animura divicta supponeret. Sua enim crat industria ut virgo di-
vortium qusererct, quatenus libertate potita seculum relinquere et regi
c &v>« ctema (sic) feHciter inhaerere posset. Et factum est ita. Nam cum
regi constaret nullo illam pacto a proposito posse mutari^ licet invitus
concessit, ut relicto seculo, sicut volel)at, virginitatis velamen acciperet.
/ff««Kk/ Legenda Nova Angliae, fo. cccii. col. 4. Lond. 151G. Ed.]
P He took ui)on him this martyrdom, that vv^hen he were tempted in
his flesh, he -svould hold with him, &c. col. 2. Ed.]
(^■* This expression is slightly altered from the original. The story
is in Polychron. Lib. vii. chap. ii. col. 2. Ed.]
IX
.] CONFUTATION OF AX ADDITION. o91
Cap. xi, Walter, bishop of Durham, made women to serve
him and the monks at the table, with their hair hanging
down, where few scaped their hands'. Cap. xii, Giraldus,
bishop of York, was, says he, "a lecherous man and a witch*."
The same Polychronicon says also, lib. vii. cap. xxxi. that
Fulco, a French priest, came to king Richard the first, and bad
him marry his tlu-ee daughters. The king said, he had none :
" Yes,'"* says he, " pride, covetousness'', and lechery."' Then
the king said : " Pride I give to templers ; covetousness to
white monks; and lecher}- to prelates." This marriage was
so knit then, that it could not be broken since; and this
was the king's opinion of them.
0 holy fathers ! I trust, whosoever considers these things
well, will judge the holiness of these good bishops, on whom
he glories so much. The rest of the bishops which he names
be such like; and because he speaks not much of them, I will
let them pass, for they be no better : and out of the same
worshipful history ye shall read of them, because no learned
man has thought meet to lose his time in commending such.
They lived all since the conquest, not five hundred year
since : all made saints, and promoted by the pope, and he by
them : therefore they must need maintain his doings, and he
theirs.
1 would not have blotted so much paper with so much
wickedness, nor filled your ears and eyes ^^ ith such filthiness,
but that he provoked me to it, and calls that good, which is
evil, and light, darkness : the rest be no better. In every
bishoprick ye shall find some bishops, that were enemies to the
pope and his doings in that blind age. In Lincoln, Robert
Grosshead appealed from the pope to Jesus Christ, and wrote
divers good books against many his doings. Ranold Pecocke
of Chichester was condemned in the twenty-sixth ye-ar of
Henry VI. for this new learning, and specially for saying
[* Col. 2. But, continues Polychron. this is wortliy to 1)C greatly
praised : for by liis prut urini,', St C'uthl)ert's body was taken out of thu
i;riive, and clothed worshipt'uUy in new clothing. En.]
[f And (lyralde was urchljislioj* after liini, a kiherous man, a witch,
and an evil doer, as the fame telletli. Chap. xii. col. l'. En.]]
P In the old edition, covetous: in Polychron. covetym: It occurs
ill the be^'innin^ of the chapter. En.]
592 THE BURNING OP PAUl''s, [
SECT.
that a general council and the church may err in religion. In
the late days of popery were burned five bishops, and five
banished : let them shew so many bishops that suffered within
this thousand year for their god, the pope, and they might
have some shew of honesty for them. It is a rare thing to
see a bishop die for religion, and specially a papist.
X. Seeing they reform religion so well, as tliey say, it were meet, as
they foi-sake the religion that their predecessors used, as mass,
matins, ministration of sacraments, that they should also forsake
houses, parks, lands, and revenues, that their predecessors had, and
go from place to place for God's sake and preach.
If nothing else, this one saying will prove him a dissem-
bling lying hypocrite. All the world knows, that the greatest
fault and readiest that they have to lay against the gospel-
time, is, that church-lands and livings are taken from spi-
ritual men, and bestowed on other; and of this thing he
complains himself in manifest words hereafter. Therefore it
is manifest, that he would not have the bishops to give away
their lands, seeing he complains of the taking it away : but
he would so fain find a fault in the new bishops, that rather
than he find none, he will shew himself a fool in blaming them
wherein they deserve it not, and which he thinks to be no
fault indeed. Why they forsake their mass and matins, is
sufficiently declared afore. For their houses, parks and lands,
why some few that have any such do not forsake them that
be left, there is good reason : but why other some have them
not (that they might forsake them, if they should), I fear their
popish predecessors have provided too well for them against
reason. They keep house, and such lands as they can get,
because they be not anabaptists, nor heretics, thinking it not
to be lawful for them so to do, (for God's good creatures are
ordained to serve God's good ministers;) and also, because they
bo not so superstitious as the observants friars, which thought
themselves so holy that they might not handle money. They
remember also, that God commands them to keep hospitality
to their power : and because by this means it may the better
5«pirrnia-i Le done, they do not refuse it, although greedily they do not
un.i». desire it. The prince also and commonwealth desires a service
of them, which they cannot so well perform without these ;
X.] COXPUTATION' 01" AX ADDITION'. .'93
hut chiefly for the maintenance of learnins:, which is so de-
cayed ahnost remediless, and so little hope to recover it, if
these helps be clean taken away, that extreme blind ignorance
is like to follow this age.
Look into the universities, and spy what ancient learned
men ye find there, either papist or protestant. 1 am ashamed
to tell, and it is to be lamented to see that there is so
few, and it is earnestly to be begged at God's hand that it
may be amended : but I fear it is rather to be wished than
hoped for. This plague is over our heads not regarded, and
cannot be avoided, howsoever the w^orld go. These few that
now live, both papist and protestant, must needs die. AV'here
is there then any learned number to supply their rooms?
There be few schools abroad to bring up youth ; but so
many ])enefices so small, that no man will take them, and so
the parishes ])e unserved, and the people wax without fear of
(xod. The universities have many goodly fresh wits in them,
but so young, and \n itliout a sufficient number of ancient guides
to teach and rule them, that many men's days shall be spent
afore any number come to ripeness, although for their young
years many can do well. But fathers and mothers nmst an-
swer this question ; and they, if they be asked why they keep
not their children at school, will say, there is more profit to
be had in making his son a lawyer, a physician, or any tiling
except a minister : for when they have bestowed all they can
get on one child in the university, he shall not be able to
live himself, nor help any friend he has ; where the lawyer will
become a gentleman, a purchaser, within few years. They will
do any thing with him, rather than make him a priest.
St Paul bids, '-lie tliat is taught, let him give part of all his Cai. vi.
goods to him that teaches him :"* and the next words following
be, ''God is not mocked;'' as though he should say. If ye deal
not liberally with your teachers, and think nothing so pre-
cious, but they should have their ]>art of it in their need, ye
but mock God in so mocking his ministers; but ''he that dwells Psai. ii.
in heaven will mock you again," says David. Let them weigh
these words well, which in paving their tithes, if they find <tne
sheaf, lamb, or Heece, worse than another, ca.st it out in .scorn,
and say it is good enough for a priest, or with worse words,
as thev b<' full of sucli. * If thcv son spiritual thini^. is it i <-'or. ix.
[ I'll.K IMITON.]
594 THE BURNING OP PAIJl''s. [
SECT.
much if they reap your carnal things?" No, sure: ye have no-
thing good enough to recompense their labour withal. In the
primitive church it was not unlawful to have lands, though
many sold their lands for to relieve the poor Christians withal.
It is no more unlawful to keep lands, tlian to keep the money
for which he sold the lands ; and Peter said to Ananias that
Actsv. sold his land, "Did it not remain to thee, and when thou
had sold it, was it not in thine own power to do with it what
thou would V So Peter grants that it was lawful for him both
to keep the lands, and to keep the money too, that he received
when he had sold it : and yet I doubt not but the new bishops,
if case so should require, could be content to forego all, and live
as God would, as their deeds of late well declared, so that they
might serve God or his people the better, and rather than they
defile themselves with popery. We read that divers of the
holy fathers and bishops had lands with their churches : but it
is folly to answer so curious a fool in a matter of no doubt,
but invented of an idle scoffing brain. If ye demand, why
some bishops have so little lands, few houses and parks, the
reasons also be sundry : but surely, few or none have so much
as to keep them out of debt, or to maintain that hospitality
which is looked for at their hands. Some of their lands and
parks against their wills be exchanged by order of law : but
the most part, the malicious popish prelates, that were their
predecessors, seeing their kingdom decay, and that professors
of God's gospel should follow in their places, would rather
give it women, children, horsekeepers, (I say no worse,) by
lease, patents, annuities, than any that loves God should en-
joy it. This is the greatest reason why they have not lands,
and tliat cannot be avoided; more is the pity. How many
bishopricks in the realm have they impoverished by these
means ! So that they which now succeed, are not able to re-
lieve themselves nor the poor as they would and should.
The nmltitude ciy out on the protestants, that they keep not
liouses, like the papists, nor such a number of idle servants:
thoy consider not how barely they came to their livings, what
})ensions they pay, and annuities, which their predecessors
granted ; how all commodities be leased away from them ; what
charges they bear for first-fruits, subsidies and tenths ; how they
lack all household stuff and furniture at their entering ; so
X.] CONFUTATION OF AN ADDITION. /)95
that for three years'* space they be not al)le to live out of debt,
and get them necessaries. The popish prelates, afore they were
bishops, had divers fat benefices and prebends, which they kept
still for a commendam : they were stored of all necessaries of
household afore they entered ; they paid no fii-st fruits ; so that
they may do on the first day more than the other can do in
seven year. " If ye were of the world," says our Lord, " the J^hn xv.
world would love you ; but because ye be not of the world,
therefore the world hates you." The world loves the papists ;
therefore they be worldlings, and not of God : the poor pro-
testant, because he will not lie, not flatter, is despised of the
world. The world gives to the papist honour, castles, towers,
and all that it has : to the protestant if he give any thing,
it is thought too much; and of those things that it gives, it
gives the worst that can be picked out, and yet thinks it too
good. Therefore, surely the one has his reward in this world :
the other must look for it at God's hand. For the proud
papist there is nothing good enough : for the poor protestant
every thing is too good. What can the professors of God's
truth therefore look to have here, but to follow the example
of the apostles whose doctrine they teach, to suffer wrongs,
slanders, contempt, to be counted as outcasts, and sheep ap-
pointed to the slaughter i \Vhon the pope's butchers are aloft,
they broil and brenne, they prison, hang and torment the sely
gospeller at their pleasure : when the protestant Ls at the best,
and the world seems to laugh on him, he is scarce able to
live, runs in contempt and slander of the world; and the
lurking papist, looking for his day when he may run loose
again, gapes to satisfy his bloody heai't and hands, which
never will be satisfied with blood.
Divers of these holy prelates, that he cracks so much of, had
so leased out their houses, lands and parks, that some of the
new bishops had scarce a corner of a house to lie in, and divers
not so nuich ground as to grese [graze] a goose or sheep; so that
some were compelled to tether their horse in their orchard: and
yet have these holy fathers provided, that if they be restored
(as they look for, as many think,) that they sliall have all tlu'ir
commodities again, O notable charity, and meet for the chil-
dren of such a father ! The Lord (iod for his mercy amend
this at his good will and plea,sure ! The jxjople are so blind,
;J8— 2
.'i)6' Tlir: BURNINO OF PM'LS. [sKCT.
that thev rather beHeve him that fills their belly, than him that
teaches them Christ ; so rude, that they care more for the body
than for the soul : even as Christ, when he filled five thousand
^^ ith five loaves, they would have made him a king ; but with-
2 Thess. iii. jj^ fg^y fi^yj^ ^f^gj. ii^Qy ^vould have stoned him. Paul wrought
for his own living, and would not be a burden to any congre-
gation : yet he says, that it was lawful for him to take all his
necessaries of them whom he taught. Chrysostom in the eighty-
sixth homily on ]Matthew, writing, entreats the like question,
and tells causes why he and others had lands belonging to their
churches. He says, " The unthankfulness of the people was
such, that if they had not such provision, they should go a
begging'."' So surely I think now, if the bishops and ministers
had not that provision, they might starve for hunger. Love
and duty to God, his word, and ministers, is so decayed, that
y^^ to get away from them is thought godliness, pastime and profit.
Surely God will not have his servants so mocked : God turn
from us for Christ's sake that which we deserve and provoke him
to in these our doings ! Julianus apostata, the emperor that
forsaked his faith, hearing that the gospel taught the Christ-
ians to live in poverty and suffer persecution, took their goods
from them, and punished them, saying, he would help them to
heaven, because their gospel taught them to live poor and
suffer : ^ so our papists, hearing the protestants preach poverty,
and condemn their proud prelaty, have leased, granted, and
given away their livings, that now the poor gospeller has
scarce whereon to live, through their malice.
XI. In ("lirist's church has ever been a succession of bishops from the
apostles' time to this day, in every see. Tertullian says: "If in
any sec there be a bishop that walks not in his fiither's steps, he is
[_ Kcu yuf) jxlB vhoju t'jua^; KarayeXdarov^ y\ dTrauOpwTTia avrtj
'noicT, ijTi Ta\ ev-^^^d^: dcpevre^ kui Trju cidaa-KaXiav kui Trjv d\\i]u dym-
<rvvi]v, 1,1 jiiv oiuo7r(a\ai<;, k. t. e. — The passage in the text is rather an
allusion to the whole passage, than a direct quotation. In Matth. Homil.
i.xxxv. (al. i.xxxvi.) Tom. vii. j). 01.5. Paris. 1830. Ed.]
[■- Quod Imperator audiens, Christianis videlicet adeuntibus eum, de-
fcndcro contemnebat, diccns, " Vostrum est ut patientcs mala sustineatis ;
Jioc cnim est prircoptum vestri Dei." Hist. Tripart. Lil). vi. Cap. 39. p.
43(;. in Auctores llistoriie Ecdcsiast. Basil. ^TAo, En.]
XI.] CONFUTATJO.V 01 A\ ADDITION. .597
to he counted a bast<ird, and no tnie inheritor in Christ's ehurchV
St Cyprian docs say : " They that he made Inshops out of the
order of the eliureh, and not hy tradition and ordinance of the
apostles, coming hy succession from time to time, are not bishops
hy the will of God," but thieves and murderers^
A .succession of bishops or ministers, we grant, has been
in the world, rather than in any one see or country, since
Christ : which succession we say we have and follow better
tlian the}', Ijut not after such sort as he says and means.
God is never without his church in the world, although some
countries fall ; and his church never wants his ministers and
true teachers, at the least privily, although in sonic ages it
lias them more plenteously than in other some, and some-
times the outward face of the church wants not his errors
and blots. But where he says, there has been bishops in
every see since the apostles' time, it must needs be false :
for here with us unto the time of king Lucius, almost two
hundred year after Christ, there were no ])isliops in this
realm at all, but Haniines, as Fabian^ and Polychronicon'' sav,
P Quos apostoli (a/, ah apostolis) in cpiscopatum constitutos, apostolici
seminis traduces haheant, ike. See the whole passage. Do Pracscript.
Ha?reticoi'um, cap. xxxii. Tom. ii. p. 31. I\Iagd. 1828. But in this and
other instances the author cited is so overlaid by the mass of papistical
comment, that it is not easy to identify the passage intended. ISee what
Pilkington says on this practice at the end of his answer to the first
question of the papist. Kn.]
Q' Plane episcopi non dc voluntate Dei fiunt, (^ui extra ecclcsiam
fiunt ; sed contra dL^positionem et traditionem evangelii fiunt. Epist.
Lix. (lv.) p. 2G1. ed. Fell. Oxon. 1700. En.]
P The which Lucie, after the faith thus by him received, " • insti-
tuted and ordained, that all or tlie more part of arch-flamines and flami-
ncs, which is to mean archbishops and bishops of the pagan law, which
at that day were in number, as witnesseth Claufryde and other, three of
the arch-flamines and twenty-eight of the flamines, were made and
ordained archbishops and bishojjs of the church of Christ. Faliian, Part
in. chap. lix. fin. Vak~\
Q" In his time (Lucius') were three archhisliops'soes in liritain. • • ■
To tliese archbishops' sees were subject eighteen bishops, and were called
flamines. Polychron. Lib. i. chai). lii. init. Here xviii. is apparently a
mere cn*or for xxvin. the number twice given by Fabian, who cites Poly-
chron. as his authority.
Tlic Ptdychronicon, so frequently cited by thi^ autluir, was originally
compiled in Latin by ll;inuii»h, monk of Chester, translated into English
bv
698 THE BURNING OP PAUL'*S. [sECT.
and heathen priests; and sundry times since divers sees in
this reahu many years together had no bishops at all, when
poiychron. the micliristened Saxons were here; and divers bishopricks
''^'^" here are not half so old as the apostles' time. Yet in all
these ages were some that both knew, taught privately, and
followed the truth, though they were not horned and mitred
bishops, nor oiled and sworn shavelings to the pope. Such
popish bishops I am sure no man is able to prove to have
been in every see of this realm continually, since the apostles'
time, nor elsewhere : when he has proved it, I will say as he
does. Does the see make the bishop and his doctrine good
or bad ? Does the place make him good or bad ? If his
saying be true, that they have such a succession, the man
must needs be good because he is bishop of such a place or
such, (for he means to have a continual succession of good
bishops everywhere without interniption :) but whether they
succeed in agreement of one true doctrine, as they do of one
see or place, he cares not. If succeeding in place be suffi-
cient to prove them good bishops, then the Jews and Turks
have their good bishops and religion still at Jerusalem, Con-
stantinople, and elsewhere ; for there they dwell where the
apostles did, and have their synagogues, Levites, priests and
bishops after their sort.
We do esteem and reverence the continual succession of
Succession, good bishops in any place, if they can be found : if they can-
not, we run not from God, but rather stick fast to his word.
I think there is no place, where evil bishops have not been.
If Corinth, Galatia, Ephesus, Philippos, Colossa, Thessalonica,
Macedonia, where Paul preached, and to whom he wrote his
several epistles, might fall and have Turkish prelates; why
may not Home fall too ? The same may be said of Jerusalem,
where St James was, and of Africk, where Cyprian and Aus-
tin were, and of other places where the apostles preached,
])y " one Trcvisa, then vicar of the parish of Barkley," and afterwards
contmued by William Caxton, "a simple person," as he calls himself,
from the year 1^57 to the year 14G0, in which he complains that he has
not "ne can getc no bokcs of auctoryte treatynge of such cronycles,
except a lytel boke named Fasciculus temporum, and another called
Aureus fie Universo." Ed.]
[} This is a general reference to the state of things under the Saxons,
not to any pailicular passage. Ed.J
XI
.] CONFUTATION OF AN ADDITION. 599
and now be fallen away. Succession of good bishops is a great
blessinir of God : but because God and his truth hannrs not on
man nor place, we rather hang on the undeceivable ti-uth of
God's word in all doubts, than on any bishops, place, or man :
for '•'• all men are liars,'' and may be deceived ; only God and
his word is true, and neither deceives, nor is deceived. In the
ten tribes of Israel, where Jeroboam made him priests against
God's law, and the greater part of their religion was defaced
^vith idolatry, yet were there ever some good prophets among, /hi/n^.
that taught God's people their duty, though not of the higher
sort of priests and in authority, as there be some few among
the Turks at this day also. Elias complains that he was left
alone : of all the true followers of God's law, he knew none
that feared God beside himself: but God said, he had "re-
served seven thousand that never bend their knee to Baal."
So, surely, though the great number of priests and bishops,
having authority, have been these many years the pope's
darlings, rather serving ]3aal than God ; yet our good God,
pitying his people, has in all ages resened some few that
tauffht the truth and feared him.
God has not promised that every bishoprick, no, nor any one
bishoprick, should have always good bishops one after another,
no more than one good father should have always good children
born of him, nor a good king should have good princes to reign
after him. After wise Salomon reigned foolish Roboam : after
godly Ezechias reigned wicked Manasses ; and after Jesus,
the son of Josedec, followed not long after x\nnas and Caiphas,
and manv wicked ones afore them. Contrariwise, of sinful
ancestors came the innocent Laml^ of God, Christ Jesus, and
after the traitor Judas followed the good apostle Matthias. So
that, both in kingdoms and priesthood, the good has followed
the bad, and the bad the good. The gospel says, that " in Matt, xxiii.
Moses' chair the scribes and Pharisees sit :" if after Moses
followed the wicked scri])es and Pharisees, what privilege have
our bishops or popes more than Moses, that their successors
should continue in pureness of religion, and not fall away as
the Pharisees did? Are thov better than Moses ^ Or where
is this their promise written in (Jod's book? The glorying of
this succession is like the proud brags of the Jews for their
600 THE BTTRXrXG OF PAUl's. [sECT.
ij^onealogies and j)edigrees, saying, •' We have Abraham for our
John viii. father;*' but our Saviour Christ said, "Ye are of the devil, your
father, and his works will ye do." So it may be said to these
which crack that they have the apostles for their fathers, that
they have the pope their father; for his works and doctrine
they follow, and not the apostles\ As Christ our Lord there-
fore proved the Jews to be of the devil, because they filled his
desires, and therefore not the children of Abraham ; so it is
easy to see whose children these be, when they follow the pope
and not the apostles. Succession in doctrine makes them the
sons of the prophets and apostles, and not sitting in the same
seat, nor being bishop of the same place.
There is one of his holy bishops that he cracks so much of,
a little wiser and subtler than he in words, although in sense they
agree. He says, that in every see there has been a succession;
but for example he takes Canterbury, and says in a little scroll
that he wrote for the authority of the church, and sent it privily
to his friends, to comfort and confirm them with that they
should stick fast, thus: "AVe can reckon all the bishops there
since St Austin, tliat was the first, and from him go to Gregory,
bishop of Eome, who sent Austin hither, and from Gregory
up to Peter, and so prove that all our religion came from Rome
by succession; and therefore we must hang on Rome still." He
says, the like may be done in every see : and when it is proved,
I will believe it. But I am content to stand with him in trial
of this. If Austin was the first, as he says, then Canterbury
has not had a continual succession since the apostles' time. It
is since Austin lived a seven hundred and sixty year, but
since the apostles it is one thousand five hundred and sixty.
How is there then a continual succession in Canterbury since
the apostles' time, if they wanted bishops the space of eight
Jmndred year.' The same reason is against other bishopricks
too ; and there cannot be proved a succession of their bishops
in any one place of this realm since the apostles.
And for a succession of agreement in one doctrine, religion,
and other their doings, they cannot find it in Rome, neither afore
Gregory nor after. Clemens, in the book that goes in his name,
says, tliat wives ought to be connnon, which God forbids : and
hereof, 1 tln'nk, the papists are so bold with other men's wives,
Cle-.nens.
XI
] rOXFUTATIOX OF AN ADOmON. HOl
and will none of their own. Alexander made holy water*. a.s Alexander.
they sav, to drive away devils and heal diseases, as thoni>h it
were more holy than Christ himself: for the devil tempted
him. and yet runs away from their conjured water, as they
would make fools to believe. Jiut what papist was ever so
mad to forsake the physician's help in his sickness, and say he
wiis healed by the pope's holy water ^ If that were true, phy-
sicians might put up their pipes. Pope Pius bad keep Easter Pius,
in the full moon, wliat day in the week so ever it light on ; and
not alwavs to keep it on the Sunday, as we do now". Mar- -''arreiiinus.
cellinus, in persecution, sacrificed [to] idols*\ Liberius', Fe- Feij^'"^'
lix\ and Anastasius'^, popes, were Arians and great heretics, Anastasius.
denying Christ to be God equal with his Father. Pope Leo Leo.
cut off his hand, because a woman kissed it, and he felt himself
something tempted'. John the first was sent to the emperor as John.
Q' Instituit item iit uqua, <iuam sanctam appellamui?, Siile adinixta,
interpositis sacris orationibus, et in tcini)Iis et in cubiculis ad fugi-
endos datuiones retineretur. Platina, De Vitis Pontilicuni, fo. 9. \'enet.
loll. Ed.]
P Hoc tempore Pius pontifex consuetudinem, ct quidem magiiam,
cum Hermete habuit, qui librum scripsit titulo Paatoris insignitum ;
(|uo quidem in Ubro angelus pastoris personam induens ei mandat, ut
omnibus pereuadeat pa.scha die dominico celel)rari: ([uod etiam fecit.
Ibid. fo. 11. El).]
p At Marccllinus pontifex, ad sacriiicia gentium ductus, cum nimis
instarent carnifices ut thura diis exliiberet, mctu perterritus deos
alienos adoravit. Ibid. fo. 11). Ed.]
Q^ Qui, imperatoris beneticio motus, cum htereticis in rebus onmibus,
ut quidem volunt, sentiens, illud tamen cum catholicis tcnebat, ha?ie-
ticos ad fidem redeuntes non esse rebaptizandos. Ibid. fo. 2o. En,]
\j Hie vero (Acbatius) tantje auctoritatis apud Constantium fuit,
quemadmodum Hieronymus dicit, (quod ego certe miror,) ut Romie in
Libcrii locum Felicem Arianum episcopum constitueret ; quern profecto
catholicum fuisse constat, ut scripsimus, et Arianos semper damnasse.
Ibid. fo.2(J. En.]
P Anastasius (Secundus) Anastasium impcratorem excommunicavit,
quod Acatio favcret : tamctsi postea ipse ab Acatio seductus, dum eum
revocaro clanculum tentat, clcrum a se gravitcr alienavit ; qui se a com-
inuuione p<intifRis turn maxiinc subtraxit, (|Uod etiani >ine cathulicoruin
consensu Photino Thessalonicensi diacono c»)mnninicji.vset, qui turn
Acatii ciTorem iinita])atur. Ibi<l. fo. .'U. P^n.]
[^ Tliis circumstance, and some otbei-s referred to in the following
]»assage, are not mentioned in Platina, \\\\o is the only authority named
l»y the author. Ed. j
602 THE BURNING OF PAUL's. [sECT.
embassador from the king of Goths, to counsel him to restore
sergius. the churches to the Arians, heretics'. Sergius, pope, set forth
yearly a piece of a cross (which he said was Christ's) to be
Gregory III. worshipped and kissed. Gregory the third granted licence to
Zach^'. marry his uncle's wife, plain against the scripture. Zachary
'^ 'the first, pope, absolved the Frenchmen from obeying their
king, deposed him, and confirmed Pipin for their king^ and so
Stephen, dij pope Stephen too^ Leo the third allowed the blood of
Christ at Mantua \ such a one as was the sweet blood of Hahs
John VIII. here. John the eighth, a harlot wearing man's apparel, was
made pope, and got with child, and delivered as she went in
Nicholas, proccssion solemnly \ Nicholas the first was so proud, that
he said " it was not lawful to reprove the pope's judgments^'."
siivesterii. Silvcster the second^ and Benet the ninth^ gave themselves to
Benet IX. ^
[} Quam quidem rem Theodoricus segre ferens, Joannem pontificem,
Theodorum, duosque Agapitos oratores ad Justinum mittit, qui eum
adliortarentur, ut Arianos restitueret. * * Ad lacrymas versi, ac suppH-
citer petcntcs ut periturse Italic una cum catliolicis omnibus subveniret,
CO tandem pium hominem pepulere^ ut Arianos restitueret. Ibid. fo.
35. Ed.]
p At Pipinus, regnandi cupidus, legatos sues ad pontificem mittit,
cumfjue rogat ut regnum Francis sibi auctoritate sua coniirmet. Aunuit
pontifex ejus postulatis, accepti beneficii et veteris benevolentiae memor,
quic inter pontifices et principes hujus familiae intercesserat : atque ita
ejus auctoritate regnum Francise Pipino adjudicature anno Domini 758.
Ibid. fo. 58. Ed.]
f* After Zacharias Stephen was pope five year. This anointed Pipi-
nus' two sons. Polycliron. Lib. v. chap. xxv. — Platina, without expressly
mentioning the fact, assumes it, fo. 54. Ed.]
\j^ At Leo, cum seditionibus semper vexaretur, ab urbe discedens
Mantuam proficiscitur ad visendum Cliristi sanguinem, qui tum miraculis
magno in pretio erat. Platina, fo. 59. Ed.]
[^' Postea a servo compressa, * * inter theatrum, quod Colosseum
vocant a Neronis colosso, et sanctum Clementem doloribus circumventa
jjcpcrit, eoque loci mortua, pontificatus sui anno ii. Ibid. fo. 64. — The
disgusting storj' is told also in Polychronicon, Lib. v. chap, xxxii. The
papists in general deny the truth of it : several works have been written
on the controversy. Ed.]
[•' Is Nicholas I. the person here intended ? It is of Paul II. that
the memorable expressions arc recorded, Nos ad judices revocas ? ac si
nescircs omnia jura in sci-inio pectoris nostri coUocata esse, &c. Platina,
fo. 1.58. Sec above, p. 90. Ed.]
(7 Pontificatum postremo majore conatu, adjuvante diabolo, conse-
cutiis est; hac tamcn lege, ut post mortem totus illius essct, cujus
fraudibus tantam dignitatem adeptus erat. Ibid. fo. 75. Ed.]
XI.] CONFUTATION OF AN ADDITION. 60S
the devil, and offered sacrifice to him, tliat he would make
them popes, and promised after their death wholly to be his:
they enticed women to naughtiness with them by witchcraft.
Innocent the third dispensed with the emperor Otho to marry innocent
his niece, plain contrary to God's word. John the twenty- John
third denied the souls to live after this life, the cardinals findino-
no fault with him : but the French king compelled him to re-
cant.
This is the goodly succession, that he would have us to
follow, of doctrine in Romish popes, written by Platina and such
like, no protestants : these be the successors and fathers, whom
he would have us to be like unto. God defend all good folk
from all such doings, sayings, believing, living, loving, or fol-
lowing ! Except God dwell and be tied in chairs, seats, and
places, he cannot dwell in such wicked men as these popes be.
God " dwells not in houses made with man's hands," nor in the
mighty prelates of the world : but he dwells in the pure minds
and consciences of his elect people, of what estate or degree so-
ever they be. Compare the doings, preachings, and troublesome
life of Peter the apostle, from time to time, with the wicked
blasphemies of these Romish prelates, and with their lordly
idleness ; and mark in what thing he is like to them, or they to
him. They are no more like than an apple and oyster : then can-
not he be their predecessor, nor they his successoi*s. If they
claim to be Judas' successors, I will not stick with them.
In temporal inheritance an evil man may succeed as right
heir to a good ; but in matters of pure religion a heretic, or he
that differs from the tnith, cannot be a lawful follower in God's
church, and defender of the same religion and truth from which
he is fallen, and become an enemy. Therefore, as the suc-
cession of good kings stands not only in enjoying the lands,
goods, possessioas and pleasures of the realm, but in the pain-
ful ministering of justice, defending his subjects from strangers,
maintaining the good, and punishing the evil, by wholesome
[^ Constat enim simulacrum ejus admodum monstruosum post
mortem cuidam apparuissc; intcrrogatumquc, quid ilia horrida imago
pne sc ferret, cum antca pontifex fuisset, •'Quia," in(|ijit, "in vita sine
lege et rationc vixi, ideo, volente Deo et IVtro, i ujus sedem omnilnis
prohris fa'davi, simulacrum meum plus tcritatis quam humaiiitatis iii sc
habet." Ibid. fo. 77. Ku.]
()()j. Tin: 1)1 jjxixfi OF PAur/s. [sj:ct.
and iL;odly laws: so stands the succession of the church not
in mitres, palaces, lands, or lordships, but in teaching true
doctrine, and rooting out the contrary ; by sharp discipline to
correct the offenders, and godly exhortation to stir up the
slothful, and encourage the good, to raise thcni that be fallen
In- comfortable promises, to strengthen them that stand, and
bring home them that run astray. He that does these is the
true successor of the prophets and apostles, though he live in
wilderness, as Elias did, or be tied in chains, as Peter and
Paul : he that does not, is not their successor indeed, but in
name only, though he have the pope's blessing, cruche and
mitre, lands and palaces, hallowings and blessings, or all that
the pope has devised for his prelates.
To be a bishop is to be an officer, a ruler, a guide, a teacher
of God's flock in God's church ; and to be a true successor
in a bishoprick, is to succeed in like pains, care, and diligent
regard of God's people. Is he an officer that does not his
office i Nay, sm-ely, but only in name ; for he is a thief in his
office, and an usurer, that takes the profit and not the pain.
An office stands properly in doing the duty of it, and not in
talking of it, setting in deputies, bearing a shew, brag and face
of a bishop. When they can bring the apostles' doctrine or life
for example to be like their life and teaching, they may say
they follow the apostles : but because they seek to be lords over
[1 Pet. v.] the flock, contrary to Peter's doctrine, and be enemies to the
gospel, and murderers of the professors of it, they be traitors
to their Lord God.
\Vhat does Tertullian make for his purpose ? " If he walk
not in his father's steps," says he, " he is a bastard." Content :
who be the fathers ? Surely, the apostles ; for in his time the
pope had no such authority, nor there were any such horned
cattle of the pope's made bishops. Prove then, that the pope
walks in the apostles' steps, and we will reverence him. Surely
he is like no apostle, except Judas ; and these popish prelates,
so as the father is, such is the son. Judas sold and betrayed
his master for thirty pieces of silver ; and our papists sell their
purgatory for thirty groats, the price of a trental. Or else, for
their pleasure, I will grant them something. The pope may be
Matt. wi. like to Peter in such case as Christ our Lord said to him, " Go
after me, Satan, for thou understandest not the things of God."
XI
.] CONFUTATION OF AX ADDITION*. CO-
Peter was ambitious, and therefore our Lord called him devil,
and bad him go back : so the pope, desiring to be above all,
follows the devil his father; and therefore we may justly say to
them with Christ, '• Come after me, thou devil/'
But I put case a man should grant, that the fathers which
Tertullian speaks of, be the popes indeed of Rome : what then i
what makes it for this man's purpose I Tertullian lived within
one hundred and seventy-seven yeai*s after Christ's death : why
then, prove that any of these popes, and their trash which he
esteems so hi^hlv, to be of that authority and ancientv. that he
would, and then let him begin to crack something. He is not
able to do it. Thirty of the first popes, which lived almost three
hundred years after Christ, were persecuted, suffered death for
their religion, lived in caves, and had none of the royalty of the
world, but were subjects to princes according to their duty :
then these latter proud popes, that would rule both God and the
world, by Tertullian's saying, be bastards, and follow not their
ancient lathers, the first popes. And tluis he has brought a
good reason against himself.
Does Cyprian make any more for his purpose i Mark his
words, and judge. *• They that be made bishops" (says he)
"out of the order of the church, and not by tradition of the
apostles by succession, are not bishops, but thieves, &c." I am
content to be judged by these words. I proved afore by Paul
and Timothy, by Dionysius, &c. that the order, by which our
bisho[)S and priests are made now, is more agreeing to the order
of the church in Cyprian's time, and tradition of the apostles,
than that misorder whereby the popish prelates order their
clergy. Let them prove by good writers, that their oiling,
shaving, vowing, sacrificing, apparel, &;c. was used in the church
in Cyprian's time, and I submit myself. Cyprian was living
more than two hundred and fifty year after Christ, in which
time was no such proud pope nor popish order used in the church
as he requires of us, but only such a simplicity as 1 spake of
afore. Thus, like a foolish bov, he has i»otten a rod to beat
himself withal: (Jod send him more wit!
XII. A\'li('n' tin* saiil i)ri';K]u'r docs artinii cjivattT inattirs than tlio
Iturninj,^ of Paul's to have chanced in the time of sujterstition and
ic^n^ranco, as the church of Paul's was hrent in the first year i»f
Sto]»hcn, and the sterjde of l\iur>^ set on tire hy liLrhtiiini: in the
606 THE BURNING OF PAUL's. [sECT.
time of king Henry the sixth; they that count that to be the time
of superstition and ignorance, when God was served devoutly night
and day, the people lived in the fear of God, every one in his own
vocation, without reasoning and contention of matters of religion,
but referred all such things to learned men in general councils and
universities, there to be disputed : then was the commandments of
God and virtue expressed in living; now all is in talk, and nothing
in living: then was prayer, now is prating; then was virtue, now
is vice : then was building up of churches, houses of religion and
hosjiitals, where prayer was had night and day, hospitality kept,
and the poor relieved ; now is pulling down, and destroying such
houses, where God should be served, hospitality kept, and the poor
relieved: by means whereof God's glory is destroyed, and the
commonwealth impoverished : then was plenty of all things, now
is scarceness. Therefore operihus credite.
If I should fall into a comparison of the plagues in the time
of popery and the gospel, although both were great, yet in super-
stitious times were the greater. Many did not believe that
these other brennings of Paul's were true, which the bishop
declared, when he spake it openly there : but it was either for
ignorance or malice, or both ; for all these were true, as appears
in records, and many more. In the year of our Lord one
thousand and eighty-seven, and the seventh day of July, the
church of Paul's and all that was in it, with a great part of the
city, were burned, Maurice then being bishop of London, and
the twenty-first year of William conqueror. In the year one
thousand one hundred and thirty-two, the most part of the city
of London was burned by the fire of Gilbert Becket, and in
the thirty-second year of king Henry the first. Of this kin-
dred came that goodly imp, Thomas Becket. In the year one
thousand one hundred and ihirty-seven, and the first year of
king Stephen, began a fire at London bridge, and burned all
the city and church of Paul's, unto ye come out at Temple-bar,
to St Clement's church, which was then called the Danes' church.
Kr^at/r"'^ ^" ^^^^ ^'^^^' ^"^ thousaud thrcc hundred and eighty-two, and
[Hf,i"r^'than ^^^^ twent}-first day of May, with a great earthquake thi'ough
u.e gospel, the realm, the cross in Paul's churchyard was overthrown, in
the sixth year of Kichard the second. To the buildinfr of that
cross again AV^illiam, then bishop of Canterbury, gathered
great sums of money, and enriched himself. And because
men should be more willing and liberal to give, he and the rest
of such lioly bishops granted many days of pardon to them
XII.] CONFUTATION OF AN ADDITION. 6'07
that would freely give money to the building of that cross again.
Canterbury granted forty days; London, Ely, Bath, Chichester,
Carlisle, Llandaff, Bangor, every one forty days : the sum in all
three hundred and twenty days of pardon; but not one dodkin^
of money came out of their purse. All which things, and more,
the dean of PauFs declared well at the cross out of the records
of their church and city. Three year afore Lanfranc was made
bishop of Canterbur}% as Legenda Sanctorum writes, the whole
city of Canterbury almost, and Christ's church there, was burned
up with fire, in the beginning of AV'illiam conqueror's days.
Polychronicon tells, hb. vii. cap. 4, that "a great piece of
London, and Paul's church, with the principal cities of England
were burned.'"* Cap. 7, he says, " a whirlwind threw down a
hundred houses in London-, and many churches also." Lib.
VIII. cap. 1, liasil, a great city with many towers fell \A^\\
earthquake in Edward the third's days ; and in Naples forty
thousand were killed, cap. 28. On Candlemas even, in mid-
Vvinter, Paul's steeple was burned with lightning in the time of
Henry the sixth, cap. 22. The church of Durham likewise,
about forty year since ; with many other like.
But why should I stand to prove that which every man
knows to be true, if he be of any learning and knowledge,
as though it were a doubt or strange thing? What great
town or church can ye reckon within the realm, or without
almost, that has not suffered the like ? Why should we then
marvel of this \ Call to remembrance the late days of popery
here with us, not seven year since ; and see what horrible
stomis, thunders, and lightnings, was here by Nottingham,
where houses, churches, bells, woods, and loadeii carts were
overthrown and carried away. ]3ut, he says, these chanced
some in time of civil war, and not all with fire from heaven.
What then i What helps that his case \ All were in the time
of popery, and many more like. And though all these were
not with fire from heaven, yet it is as great a token of God's
anger as well as the other, or more. Says not David, ••' Fire, Psai. cxiviii.
Q' Dodkiu: little iloit. A Dutch duyt is the eighth part of a penny.
Ei>.]
P Also, at London a whirhvind tlircw down six hundred houses or
more, and many eliunhes thereto. — The otlier facts stated in this passaj^e
are accurately quoted. Kn.]
(108 Tiin nrRXixr, of paitl's. [sfxt.
hail, snow, ice, and windy storms do his commandment f' If
tliey do his commandment, then the one is his doing as well
as the other. Does not God rule the earth as well as the
heaven? These fires from heaven chance more seldom than
the other, and therefore more fearful when they come : yet
these on earth obey his word as well as the other, and
are not done ^^•ithout him. And not without a cause it may
be a token of God's greater anger to punish us rather with
those thinofs that be dailv amonoj us, and were ordained to
serve us for our health, than to correct us with those that
fall so seldom, and are made to fear us, and declare God's
gi'eat fearful majesty.
But this grieves him, to call that the time of superstition
and ignorance, when God was served night and day so
devoutly, as he thinks, and every one lived quietly with-
out reasoning of the scripture, and believed whatsoever the
jiope sent them, and served God after their own device, and
not as God himself taugrht them ; and, so that the bellv were
full, all was well, though they maintained idle lubbers, which
was no more alms afore God than their prating was pray-
ing. For their monkish night-prayer, how vain lip-labour it
was, and mumbled up of an unlearned sort, I said enough
afore, and declared how far it differed from true prayer : but
this is that may not be borne, when the people have the
scripture in their own tongue ; for then they are able to tell
the priests their duty, and correct their superstitious idolatry.
It skills not much, though the papists would have the people
to live in blindness still : for in that the pope and the Turk
Theppoi>ie agrees well, that their people shall be unlearned, and under-
sliouhl learn .i,!-,.,., . i
thpscrip- Stand notnmg but whatsoever it pleases the priests to teach
them, which is neither much nor good : but God in his word,
and the ancient fathers in their writinors, do teach christian
Pwi. ixxviii. people othorways. David says, '-The father should declare
Deut. xxxii. his truth to their cliildren." Moses says, " Ask thy father,
and he will tell thee ; demand of the elders, and they will
declare unto thee.'' Paul says, '- Wives, if they would know
any thing, let them ask their husbands at home." If fathers
must teach their children, and children learn of their fathers,
and wives of their husljands ; how should cither party be ig-
p*ai.rTxxiii. norant ? Jerome savs. •' Men are wont, women are wont, and
XII
.] CONFUTATION OF AN ADDITION. C09
monks are wont, to strive among themselves, who should learn
most scriptures, and thinks them best that learns mcjst ; but
he learned most, that does most'.'' Chrjsostom, in his thirty-
first homily on St John, rebukes the people "that were so un-
willing to learn the scriptures, seeing the woman of Samaria,
of whom there he ^\Tites, was so desirous ; and that at home
in their houses they had tables and chesses, rather than books;
and if they had any books, they were not occupied, kc.''''-
In his second homily on Matthew, in declaring how " the
scriptures refresh the mind, as a wholesome air does the ])ody."'
he moves them to the reading of it, and rebukes them that
say it "belongs to monks and priests to read it and study
it, and not to the people^." Thus in corners these enemies
of God and his word would draw the people from their sal-
vation, and would make them believe that it were not their
duty to learn. What bhndness is this, to think ignorance
better than learning, and lilindness than sight I St Paul says,
"the gospel of God is the [wwer of (iod, to save them that iiom. i.
beheve." St James says, "the word of God is able to save our James »
souls.'' Then surely, those thieves that would rob God's people
of God's word, would rob them of their salvation by Christ,
and sell them such filthy salves as the pope would heal his
scabbed .sheep withal, which stinks in God's sight. Christ
[]^ Solent et viri, solciit et moiiachi, solcnt et muliei-culse, hoc inter so
habere certamcn, ut pluros ediscant scripturas; et in co se putant esse
meHorcs, si j»luros odidiiciint : illo plus odidicit, qui plusfacit. Hieron.
Opera, Tom. ii. Pai-s ii. ji. 474. Paris. lOlM). Ed. J
Q' ll/te?? ce ov fun'ou ttc^i coynciTiav ov CtjTovneu, aWa kui Trefn irav-
Toiv wnXta^ kui u)<: €tv^€ cuiK€ift€0a. cut tovto ra iravra tifXtXrirai. tiv
7ap vfxcov, elire fioi, tu oiKin yevofxevo^y trvKTiov eXctf^e "^piffTiaviKov fxera
^t7pa<i, Kai Ttt eyKe'ifxeva (TnjXde, kui t}ptvvt](Te rtjv ypacptjv ; oi/ct«? av
C^Ol TUVTU ClTTcTll' CtWa TT€TTin>^ fltV KUl KvftoV^ TTUpd TOK 7rAflOO"<|/
tvpticrupev oi/ra?, jSifSxla cc ovca/iaVy aWa kui Trap (tXiytuK. Ilnni. lU
Joann. xxxii. (al. xxxi.) Tom. viii. p. 21(}. Paris. 1U3(>. Ed.]
Q^ "ilcTfrep yap mjHuu cuno^ uiroXuvnv kuOuoov vyidvorepov t(TTui,
owT*) KUi \l/v^rj <pi\o(ro(pa)Tt:pu toiuvtui'! tvTp€(pofxevrj piXeTai>i.
u\Xu t/c 1/ uTToXoyui lyKXtifiurw:' 'r<)VTU)u ; ovk e</i'i ^P'l'^'^ rtcv /lova'
yaii/, a\.\a Kut yvmiTKU t^u) kul iraiciu, kui (UKiwi ctti/k Aouiuu. touto
yap €(rrtu u iravTa eXvfktjvnTOy on €Keivui<: ftovoi^ vopiQcre trpoatjK^iv
T»/i/ uvuyvui(Tiv TWO vcitav ypa(ptov, iroXXu) vXiov (K'^iccdi' v/tieic CCOfUvot.
Mom. ir. in Mattli. Tom. \ ii. pp. n2, '{-1. Ed. J
39
[I'll.klXr.TO.N.]
GIO Till: niiRXJNG op Paul's. [sect.
Matt. XV. our Lord says, '' If the bilnd lead the bHnd, both fall into the
ditch.'' Then it is not enough to say, Sir John our priest
taught me thus: for surely, if he be as bold as blind Bayerd^
to lead thee wrong, and thou be so mad to follow him, thou
shalt be condemned as well as he. If he alone might fall
in the ditch, thou might more boldly follow him : but now
thou art warned, learn and take heed; for ignorance will not
excuse thee.
Hospitality. The hospitality and alms of abbeys is not altogether to be
either allowed or dispraised. The most of that which they did
bestow was on the rich, and not the poor indeed, as halt, lame,
blind, sick, or impotent, but lither lubbers, that might work
•• ' and would not: insomuch that it came into a common proverb
to call him an abbey lubber, that was idle, well fed, a long lewd
lither loiterer, that might work and would not. On these and
the richer sort was the most part of their liberality bestowed,
that I need not to speak of any worse : the smallest portion was
on them that needed most, not according to their foundation.
Polychronicon says, lib. v. cap. xxxii, that abbeys "wasted their
goods in gluttony and outrage";'' lib. vii. cap. vi, that "monks
used hawking, hunting, dicing, drinking ;" and therefore under
king Richard T. monks were put from Coventry and clerks
brought in, lib. vii. cap. xxv. and Baldwin a monk, and bishop
of Canterbury, did the like with his monks the same time,
cap. xxviii. But whether the new monks with their short
coats, and almost without all religion, keeping a shepherd and
a dog, wliere all this good cheer was afore, be worse than
the monkish idolatrous popish creatures, which devised a reh-
gion of their own, shewing their holiness in their long coats,
I leave it to the disputation of the learned. Look into Lon-
don, and see what hospitals be there founded in the gospel
tune, and the poor indeed relieved, youth godly brought up,
and the idle set to work. Popery would sometime feed the
hungry, but seldom correct the unprofitable drones that sucked
[' Bayard, a name commonly applied to a horse. The proverb here
used is frefiuent in Chaucer and the old writers. Ed.]
P But in our time covetyse (covetousness) and pride hath so changed
all things in England, that things that were given to abbeys in old time be
now more wasted in gluttony and outrage of owners than in sustenance
and helj) of needy men and guests. Chap, xxxii. fin. Ed.]
XII.] CONFUTATION OF AN ADDITION. 0 i J
the honey from the labouring bees, nor })ring up children in
the fear of God : but to fill the belly, and not to teach virtue,
is to increase vice. A Veil \\orth Bridewell^ therefore, for it is
a good school.
The rest of his railing is not worthy answering, for there is as
much and more virtue and keeping God's commandments used
now as was then, and more ; though both sorts be bad enough,
and the best may be amended. Ask an old papist of the com-
mon sort, how many commandments of God, and what they be,
and he cannot tell. Ask a protestant's child of seven year old
that has learned his catechism, and he can tell his duty to God
and man, how to live and die, what to love, and what to flee,
better than all their popish priests. Is it like that he keeps
God's commandments, which knows not what they be ? How
many of the people were taught then, would learn, or were moved
to learn, their conmiandments? No: few such at these days are
willing to hear them, or learn them; how much less to practise
them ! AVhat a wicked opinion is this, to think that igno-
rance is better than learning, or that a man shall better
serve God without knowledge of God, his duty and his word,
rather than by knowing, feeling, and understanding God's good-
ness and man's frailness, God's mercy and man's miser), our
wretched worldly state and God's everlasting blessed felicity !
God give us grace to think and thank!
The last reason tliat he lays for maintaining his superstition,
declares what religion and opinion he is of. "Then was plenty,"
he says, "and now is scarceness of all things :" w^hich how true
it is, let the world judge." Look at the late days of poper}^
and see what dearth, death, and scarceness was then; and com-
pare it with these days, and the plenty of God's imdeserved
blessing poured on so unthankful a people. Then acorns were Dearth,
good to make bread of, and under Henry the Sixth they made
bread of fern roots, as Polychronicon says, lib. viii. cap. 21:
now commonly the poorer sort almost have disdained with brown
bread. Then scholars of the universities brake up their houses,
went and lived abroad with their friends, being not able to con-
tinue at their study : then was such dearth and scarcity, as the
[^ Br'uIcwt'U was ouf of the hosititals ioundeJ by kiiiij Edward \'I.
whose rci^^n is meant by "the gowpel time." It was espeeiaily dcsig^neil
for the einployiueut of the idle. En.]]
;J1)— 'J
(;i2 THE BURNING OP PAlIl/s. [sKCT.
like has not oft been read of: then a bishop of Mentz was so
pursued with rats in a time of dearth, that he was compelled to
flee to his tower standing in the midst of the river Rhine, a
mile from any land; yet the rats followed him and devoured him
there, for his unmercifulness, and therefore is called the rats'
tower to this day'. This bishop was no protestant. Whether
the like be now, the blind may see. Who feels it ? God gives
his blessing plentifully, if man could consider it thankfully, and
use it lilierally. ^Vho has cause to complain, or where is it
seen? I think, England had not the like plenteous time so
commonly these many years, although this year corn be dear,
and somewhat scarce^.
But I put the case, that there were scarceness and dearth
of all things, plagues and war, &;c. ^Vere this a sufficient
cause to condemn our religion I No, sure : no worldly thing,
good or evil, will move God's people to judge God's truth by
any other thing than by God's holy book. Should we condemn
St Austin, because the city where he was bishop was besieged
and won by God's enemies, Austin himself being within it, and
died a little before the winning of it? Should Elias and Eliseus
have forsaken God's law, because there was so great dearth
and scarceness in their times? Should Daniel for the lions'
den, or Paul for his chains, have forsaken their God ? In the
days of Elias it rained not the space of three year and a half :
under Eliseus, in the siege of Samaria, women eat their children,
and dove's-dung was good meat. Only the worldlings judge
by their belly their religion. The godless people said to Jere-
jfr. xiiv. miah, " We will not hear the word of God of thee : for while
we worshipped the moon and stars, we had plenty of all things ;
but since we heard the word of God of thee, we have had
scarceness of all things." This is the reason that led the
Jews, and by the same is this Jewish papist moved to judge
of God's ti-uth. Therefore I cannot judge him to be of another
religion than those, whose belly is their God.
Let us praise God for our health, wealth, and liberty, that he
bestows on us undeserved so plenteously, lest in not thankfully
[' liI.-,liop Ilatto. Sec p. 30. Ed.]
£^ In the year 1561-2 wheat and ryo were 8s, the quarter ; in 15G2-3
rye was l-O.-. 4d.— Fleetwood, Cfiron. Free. Ed.]
XI
I.] CONFUTATION OF AN ADDITION. 613
receiving his word, and niurnuiring against his bleSvSings, wc pro-
voke him to plague us worse than afore. If wealth may move,
consider what great things the Lord has wrought by the queen's
majesty, and then judge. ^Vhen the realm was in danger to be
given into strangers' hands, and none could tell how to deliver
themselves, God of his undeserved goodness set up the queen our
mistress, who quietly, contrary to all men's expectation, avoided
them all. AVhat danger was Scotland in I Yet so God blessed
the queen's majesty, that she not only delivered us, but them
from their enemies' hands. AVhat release in France the poor
oppressed have had at her highness' hands, the blind see, all
her loving subjects rejoice, though the envious papists murmur
and grudge. God grant her highness grace to be thankful to
God's majesty, who does so past all man's expectation prosper
her doings, that he only may have the praise ! A\'hat cause
we have to praise God for restoring religion through the queen's
travail, all men of God do see and praise him for it. though blind
papists be sorr}- therefore. AVhat cost her highness has sus-
tained in restoring us a fine coin from so base, wise men rejoice,
though this malicious fool say we be in great poverty. Look
how few taxes she has taken to do this withal, and how many
and how great were levied afore. How was this realm pestered
with strange rulers, strange gods, strange languages, strange
religion, strange coins; and how is it now peaceably rid of them
all, to the great glory of God, that has wrought so many won-
derful, strange, great things in so short a time in a weak vessel,
which he never did by any her noble progenitors, which have
been so many and so worthy ! Could any be so blind, but that
malice has bewitched, to not see, or not praise God for these
worthy deeds ? I would have wanted the suspicion of flattery
in rehearsing these things, but that I would the unthankful
world should see the disdainful blind malice of popery, which
cannot say well by God's good blessings.
The foolish linking and clouting of the scriptures together
which follows, declares what wit he has : they may be applied
all against himself, and such as he is, rather than against the
professors of God's truth. A\'hat blasphemy is it to lay all kind
of wickedness on God's word ! What evil soever reigns in the
world, it is to be imputed to man, and not to God; to man's
frailness, and not to God's truth and goodness. God and his
614 THE BURNING OF PAUl's. [sECT.
holy word punish and condemn all false doctrine and filthiness :
therefore God vAW confound all such filthy mouths, as blaspheme
him or his holy word, to be the cause of any kind of naughti-
ness.
XIII, "All liberty is now used," he says:
Justice. where indeed justice was not better ministered these many
years, even as the \\'iser and indifferenter sort of papists do grant.
Call to remembrance how sharply unnatural lust\ conjuring,
witchcrafts, sorcery, &c. were punished with death by law in
the gospel time of blessed King Edward. When were these
laws repealed, but in the late days of popery? Then judge,
whether there was greater liberty to sin under the christian
king, or under superstitious popery. But the sodomitical pa-
pists think these to be no sins, and therefore beastly do mis-
use themselves, defiling themselves both with spiritual and
sodomitical uncleanness. Whether is there more liberty given
to sin, when such sins be made death by order of law, or when
the laws appoint no punishment for them ? Surely the gospel
is unjustly blamed in giving carnal liberty, and popery right-
fully condemned in taking away the pain, and opening a door
to all mischiefs. Who lives more licentiously than the pope
himself, without all fear of God, good order, and God's law,
doing what he will ! So be all his scholars, following their
o^^^l father's steps.
In these my sayings I go not about to prove us angels, yet
surely not such devils as he would make us, but in comparison
of them we be saints. Therefore let us both amend, that God
may be merciful to both, and glorified in both. And as the
examples in his beginning were good, if they had been well
applied, so is his conclusion.
P This expression is altered from the original. — " This offence, being
in the times of popery only subject to ecclesiastical censures, was made
felony without benefit of clergy by statute 25 Henr. VIII. c. 6. revived
and confirmed by 5 Eliz. c. 17." Blackstone's Commentaries, Book iv.
chap. 15. Vol. IV. p. 216. Lond. 1791.— It was made felony, punishable
with death, loss of lands, Sec. by the statute of Henry, which was so fa?-
repealed })y 2 and 3 Edw. VI. as to remit the forfeiture of lands, &c. and
wholly repealed, ^vith several other penal statutes, by 1 Mar. c. 1. Ed.]
XrV.] CONFUTATION OF AN ATJOmox. 615
XIV. I will conclude with liim therefore, in the right sense
and meaninor of it saving with him : " Return to the steps of
the good fathei-s, the prophets and apostles, framing yourselves
to follow their doctrine : be not carried away with strange and
diverse doctrine of popes, contrary to God's holy word, and in-
vented of late by men. Embrace the religion and faith taught
from the beginning, in Christ's church, from time to time con-
tinually/' Flee this new-fangled popish superstition, which has
crept into the church of late years, and believe that only which
Christ has taught, and his apostles and martys have confirmed,
" and frame your lives accordingly ; or else God's vengeance
hangs over your heads, ready suddenly to fall upon you : and
let this token of brenning of Paul's be an example and token
of a greater plague to follow, except ye amend ;'"* which God
srant us all to do! Amen.
A PRAYER.
Most righteous and wise Judge, eternal God and merci-
fid Father, which of thy secret judgment hast suffered false
prophets in all ages to rise for the trial of thino elect, that
the world midit know who would stedfa.stly stick unto thv
undoubted and infalHble truth, and who would be carried awav
with every vain doctrine; and yet by the might of thy Holy
Spirit ha.st confounded them all, to thy great glory, and comfort
of thy people : have mercy upon us, we beseech thee, and
strengthen our weakness against all assaults of our enemies:
confound all popers', as thou did the doctrine of the Pha-
risees; strenfrthen the lovers of thy truth, to the confusion of
all superstition and hypocrisy : give us due love and reverence
of thy holy word; defend us from man's traditions: increase
our faith; grant us grace never to fall from thee, but up-
rightly to walk according as thou hast taught us, swening
neither to the right liand nor the left, neither a<lding nor
616 A PRAYER.
taking any thing away from thy written word; hut submitting
oursehes wholly to thy good will and pleasure, may so
pass this transitory life, that through thy goodness
^^c may live everlastingly with thee in thy
gIor}% through Christ our Lord, who with
thee and the Holy Ghost lives and
reigns one God and our
Saviour, for ever
and ever.
(*)
Have not I hated them, O Lord, that hate thee, and even pined away
because of thine enemies ? Psal. cxxxix.
I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your enemies cannot
gainsay and A^ithstand. Luke xxi.
FINIS.
HERE FOLOWE
ALSO CERTAINE QL'ESTIONS PROPOUNDED BV HLM,
WIIICHE ARE FULLVE ALTHOUGHE SHORTLY
AUNSU'ERED.
L MHiich is the catholic church ?
St Ausrustinc and St Jerome do say : " The church is a visible compauv Ausrusf.rap.
4. Epist.
of people gathered of Christ our Lord and the apostles, and continued Fund.
unto this day by a perpetual succession, living in one faith apostolical, trrLudfer.
under Christ the head, and his vicar in earth, being the pastor and
high bishop. Out of this catholic and apostolical church is no trust of
salvation ^"
St Augustine says: " Whosoever shall be out of this churcli, although Augrust. ^
his life be esteemed to be very good and laudable, by this only fault, that
he is disjoined and separated from the unity of Christ and liis church, he
can have no life, but the wrath of God hangs over him^"
St Cyprian says: "He separates liimself from Christ, that does against CypriaTnis
the consent of the bishop and clerg^••^"
St Jerome does say : '* Wt must remain in that church which is Hiero. con-
tra Lucifer.
p In catholica ecclesia "' •''■ tenet me consensio populorum atque
gentium : tenet auctoritas miraculis inchoata, spe nutrita, caritate aucta,
vctustate firmata: tenet ab ipsii sede Petri apustoli, cui pascendas oves
suas post resurrectionem Dominus commendavit, usque ad pra?sentem
episcopatum successio sacerdotum. Augustin. contra Epist. Manicli.
cap. .5. (iv.) Tom. vin. p. 200. ed. Paris. 1837.
Super illam petram sedificatam ecdesiam scio. Quicunque extra banc
domum agimni comederit, profanus est: si quis in area Noe non fuerit,
peribit regnantc diluvio. Hieron. Flpist. xiv. ad Damasum. Tom. i\-.
Pars i. p. 19. ed. Paris. 1700. If the reference in the margin [to tlic
treatise ''contra Lucifer." be correct, the j)assage intended must be that
quoted below in note 1. p. 010. En.]
\j^ Ab ea vero separati, (juamdiu contra illam sentiunt, l)oni esse non
possunt : quia etsi aliquos eorum l)onos videtur ostemk-re quasi lauda-
bilis conversjitio, malos cos facit ipsa divisio. .August. Epist. ccvin.
(al. ( rix.) Tom. n. p. 1177- Ed.]
Q^ An esse sibi cum Chriato videtur, <|ui advcrsus siicerdotes Christi
facit; qui sea cleri ejus et plcbis socictatr .sccernit ? Dc L'uitate Ec-
clesiw : {ntlyo Dc Simplicitatc Pnelatorum:) p. 83. Ed. Fell. Oxon.
1700. Ei).]
618 QUKSTIOXS AND ANSWERS. TqUEST.
founded of the apostles, and does endure unto tliis day by a succession of
bishops, to whom the Holy Ghost has appointed the rule and government
of this church, sanctified by Christ's blood-shedding. Nor let heretics
take any comfort to themselves, if they can frame out of the chapters of
the scripture for their purpose that which they say, seeing the devil
has alleged some things of scripture : for the scriptures consist not in
reading, but true understanding."^ If we will be members of Christ's
church, we must continue firmly in that faith and religion, that was sent
from the apostolical see of Rome, by St Gregory, into England : which
faith and religion was planted and stablished by St Augustine in this
realm." St Augustine stablished mass and seven sacraments to be used
in the Latin tongue, as Gildas does witness, and such manner of divine
service as is now used.
The Answer to the First Question.
St Austin, in the first place alleged, has no such defi-
nition, although the most part of the words which he puts
there are true : and would to God he considered how much
he speaks against himself herein ! This is that which we
defend, that the church is gathered by Christ and the apostles
first, and continues, not in the papistical but in the aposto-
lical faith, under Christ our head, who rules his church still
by his Holy Spirit and word, and has not put it into the hands
of any one only general vicar in the earth, as he untruly says :
whereas their church is builded not on Christ, but on the
pope's decrees, which the apostles never knew, and were un-
written many years after the death of the apostles, and are
always uncertain, changing ever, as it pleases the pope for
his time to determine : and their church has had at one time
three or four popes for their heads, like a monster with many
heads ; some country following one pope, some another, as
their head. We say also, that the papists have divided them-
selves from this church of Christ, making themselves syna-
gogues and chapels, gods, and religion of their own devising,
Judff. xvij. as Micha did, contrary to God's word: and therefore the wrath
of God hangs over them, except they return, how holy so-
ever they pretend to be.
[^ In ilia esse ecclesia pennanendum, qujc ab apostolis fundata usque
ad diem banc durat. * * Nee sibi blandiantur, si de scripturarum capi-
tulis vidcntur sibi affirmare quod dicunt, quum et diabolus de scripturis
aliqua sit locutus, ct scripturje non in Icgendo consistant, sed in intelli-
gcndo. Adv. Lucifer. Tom. iv. Pars ii. p. .306. Paris. 1699. Ed.]
I.] QUESTIONS AND ANSWERiS. 619
C)'prian''s words are not altogether so plain as he sets
them; hut if they were, he means another sort of priests
and clergy than the pope's : for neither the}' did take then
to them, nor he knew no such authority in them, as thev now
usurp unto themselves; for he wTites as sharply and homely
unto Cornelius, then bishop of Rome, as he does to any other
his fellow bishops. Surely, whosoever divides himself from
Christ's ministers and people, refusing their doctrine and dis-
cipline, separates himself from Christ : even a,s he that flees
from the filthy dregs of poper}', and his chaplains, is cut off
from the pope, the father of such wickedness.
In Jerome's words we most rejoice, teaching us to continue
in that church, which is founded by the apostles, and not
popes, and endures to this day. The words of " succession,"
&c. follo^^^ng, are his own, and not Jerome's. By this doctrine
of Jerome we flee to the apostolical, and flee from the papis-
tical church, which was never known of many yeai*s after the
apostles. And we grant that the devil, papists, and heretics
can allege some words of the scriptures ; and therefore we say
that the papists bo devilish heretics, because they rack and
writhe the scriptures to a contrary meaning, to their o\mi dam-
nation, as the devil did. For succession and government of
bishops, for Austin's religion, massing and seven sacraments,
T said enoujjh afore : but where he alleges Gildas as father
of his lies, he does him much wrong; for he has never such a
word in all his writings. If he have, let him shew it. This
is ever the fashion of lying papists, to have the names of doc-
tors and ancient writers in their mouths, as though they were
of the same opinion that they be, where indeed they be no-
thing less : and if they get a word or two that seems to make
for them, they will add a whole tale of their own making, as
though it were a piece of the same ancient man's saying;
and by this means they deceive the simple, which have no learn-
ing to judge, or have not the books to try their sayings by;
as this miser goes about in those places afore.
II. Who is an heretic ^
He that tcaclies, defends, or niaintain.s any erroneous opinion against
the decrees, judgment, or determination of Christ's catholic church, is an
heretic.
(l20 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. [qUEST.
III. Who is a schismatic?
He that is divided or separate from the unity of the catholic church
in ministration or receiving the sacraments or divine service, is a schis-
matic and in state of perdition.
The Answer to the Second and Third Questions.
He would gladly appear to be well seen in logic, if he had
any. If all be heretics that defend an erroneous opinion, then
many disputations shall be condemned.
In disputing, it is oft seen that of ignorance, or for his
learning sake, many defend an untruth : yet God forbid that
they should all be heretics! Austin says well, "I may err,
])ut T will not be an heretic.*" Then he is an heretic properly,
that defends an error obstinately, and will not be corrected.
Tit. iii. So teaches St Paul, "Flee from an heretic after one or two
warnings :" he says not, for once teaching or defending of it.
Also he is not a schismatic, that differs in small points or cir-
cumstances of ministering the sacraments from other ; for then
should all the Greek church be in a schism, because they differ
in some ceremonies from the Latin church, and also one from
another, as I declared afore in the ministration of Basil, Chry-
sostom, St James, &c. : the same may be said of the Latin
church too, as for Ambrose' order, Gregory's, &c. And be-
cause ever under the catholic church he signifies Eome, we
say that no country, which uses other ceremonies than they
do, is in this case a schismatic ; for that their Romish orders
and ceremonies be of their own devising for the most part,
and not commanded by God, nor never were used generally
in the universal catholic church, as I proved afore, and there-
fore they be free to use or not use, as shall be thought meet.
To differ in the substance and doctrine of sacraments may
make a schism or heresv : but such ceremonies are free to
all countries, which may edify, as appeared in Anselm's epistle
afore. ^ These few words are sufficient to let him see his own
foolishness: more might be said, but I will not be so curious
iccr. i. xi. nor tedious to note all. St Paul calls the Corinthians schis-
matics in hanging on men's sleeves for opinions in religion,
and for misusing the communion ; and not for every diver-
sity of trifling ceremonies, as he defines it here.
I' Sec p. .533. Ed.]
IV.] QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. (j-l
IV. A\'hether be priests in schism that have subscribed to the
religion now used in England {
In subscribing to this religion now used in England, they have both
refused the power and authority which was given to them by the bishop,
when they were made priests, (that is to say, power and authority to con-
secrate and offer, and to celebrate mass for the quick and the dead;) and
also they have refused their canonical obedience solemnly promised to the
bishops with a kiss. And where the bishops of this realm witli the clergy
assembled at time of parliament would agree to no part of this religion,
(in witness whereof the bishops be in prison, and put from all their
livings, and a great num])er of the clergy have lost all their livings, some
be in prison, some banislied from their friends; both the bishops and all
the clergy that has lost their livings, are all ready to suffer death afore they
will consent to any part of this religion ; but all they which have sub-
scribed, have forsaken the bishops, their true pastors and captains, obeying
and following wolves and apostates ; in witness whereof tliey have sub-
scribed their names;) so separating themselves from the bishops and
clergj', they must needs be in scliism.
The Fourth Answer.
Where he lays to the priests' charfre, that in subscribing to
this religion they have refused both the power tliat was given
to them to offer sacrifice and celebrate mass for the quick and
dead, and also their canonical obedience promised to the bishops
by a Judas kiss, because the old bishops in parliament did not
agree to it; he does the priests more honour than he knows of,
or thinks well Ijestowed. If he would call to remembrance the
answer that the pillar of their church, stout Stephen, makes in
his book Dc Vera Ohedlentia to the like reason, \\here he was
charged with falling from the pope, and ])reaking that oath and
vow of subjecti(jn which he made unto him, when he was first
made bishop; he might better defend the priests of our time
than accuse them. In our baptism we all make a solemn vow
to God our Lord, that him only we will serve, and believe his
word : all vows following, which are contrary to that, not only
may and ought to be l)roken, ])ut it is wicked to keep them ; for
we must serve (iod onlv. as he has tauuht us in his holv word.
But th(» scripture condemns all such sacrificing now for sin,
save only that sacrifice which .lesus Christ ofl'ered (uice for the
sins of the whole world, and bids us also obey our king as chief
and highest governor: therefore the ]»riests, forsiiking these
later wicked vows and pov\ei-s, which are (•(•ntrary to (Jod's
622 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. [qUEST.
word and their solemn profession made in baptism, (as Stephen
did well then, though he flattered afterward, and turned to his
old vomit, ) are more worthy to be praised than these obstinate
prelates, which now, misusing the gentleness of the prince, deny
with mouth that which they know in conscience to be true,
and yet charge the priests with it, although they subscribed to
the same things themselves under that good king Edward, be-
cause both they knew it to be true, and see the rod then more
sharply shaken than it is now.
And though he crack in their name, that they will rather
die than agree to any part of this religion, which they them-
selves used, ministered, taught, and received afore; I doubt
not but, if they were opposed as they opposed other, they would
as soon eat the fagot, as feel it burn them. The apostle says,
Hfb. X. "By one offering he has made perfect all them that be sancti-
fied.'' If one offering once made have made all perfect, then
cursed be they that will correct or amend Christ's death, as
though it were not perfect to save all without their often sacri-
Actsv. ficing. "We must obey God rather than man," as St Luke
teaches : therefore that unlawful obedience promised to the pope
and his prelates, contrary to their due allegiance to their prince
commanded in the scripture, not only may, but ought with safe
conscience to be broken. At the preaching of Christ our Lord
and his apostles, many forsaked the traditions of the elders and
Pharisees, receiving and believing the gospel of Christ Jesus,
and forsaking the Jewish ceremonies, and were not counted
forsakers of God and his word : no more are they surely to be
/ reckoned apostates, that forsake the pope's (&ag the clog of all
*^ good consciences, and cleave to the simplicity of God's truth,
taught in the scripture.
And where he cracks much, that they have lost their livings,
and be in prison, or banished, let the world judge whether they
ever lived more merrily, quietly, fared better, lay easilier, had
more plenty of all things, than they have now. They are far
short from such handling as they dealt with other. Some they
hungered to death, some they beat in prison, some they cast on
dunghills, being so murdered at their hands, some they burned,
after they had been long buried : but every one was so miser-
ably handled, that christian ears and hearts abhor to think or
hear (;f it ; and yet, like shameless beasts, they blush not nor
IV
:.] QUESTIONS AND AXSWEIIS. C2o
repent, but wish and look to l)e murdering again. They are j
as pale in prison as a butcher's boll : they are as lean as a fat '^^■*'*-^^^ F^
hog; they lie at ease unto their bones ache with rising early;' u't^^'^c^-
they fare of the best; they take no thought, but look for a day, ^-^ y o.^^
and think long unto they may imbrue their hands in blood , ^^4 ^ C
again, and make all officers to be their hangmen, and the stout- ' j/^^jL ^
est to be afraid of a priest's cap, as they did afore. They pro- /^
vided so well for themselves in their summer, that they need not
to starve in this oentle winter : the world is so much their
friend, that they can lack nothing : they would fain be counted
to suft'er for rehgion, if any man would believe it'. The poor
protestant, which has his liberty, lives in more miser}', need,
debt, reproach and contempt, than these the pope's prisoners,
who, he says, have lost all. It is better in the world to be the
pope's prisoner than Christ's preacher. God amend all !
V. AV'hether be priests in schism that minister the communion and
other sacraments according to the book of common prayer now
set forth ?
This manner of ministration of sacraments, set forth in the book of
common prayers, was never allowed nor agreed upon by the univei*sal
church of Clirist in any general council or sacred synod ; no, not by the
clergj' of England at the last parliament : but only it was agreed upon
by the laity, which have nothing ado with spiritual matters or causes of
religion, but ought to stand to the decrees, judgment and determination
of the clrrgj' in causes of faith and religion. For so it was used in the
apostles' time, as appears in the Acts of the Apostles: As when the apos- Acts vi.
ties took then order to make seven deacons, and when they put away Acts xv,
the ceremonies of the old law. Such decrees as the apostles and clergy-
made at Jerusalem, with(»ut any council of the laity, St Paul and other
Q' The pa])ists had nmch libeily in the early part of queen Elizabeth's
reign, till the bull of Pius V. in 1.570 required them to rebel against their
sovereign. Even of Bonner, who was committed to the Marshalsea in
1560, Strype says: "He grew old in jjrison, and died a natural death
in the year 15(Ji), not suffering any want, or hunger, or cold. For he
lived daintily, liad the use of the garden and orchards, when he was
minded to walk abroad and take the air ; suffering nothing like im-
prisonment, unless that he was circumsc-ribed within certain liounds.
Nay, he had his liberty to go abroail, but dared not venture: for the
people retained in their hearts hLs late bloody actions. Strype, .Aiinal.*, i.
(bap. xi. ]). L'14. Oxford, 1824. En.]
C24 QIJKSTIOXS AXn ANSWER:?. [qUEST.
of the apostles taught all countries and nations to obey and observe : and
sith the apostles' time the clergy has ever decreed matters of religion and
faith. Nor it cannot be proved, that ever the laity in any country or
nation, afore the last parliament, did presume to set forth a religion against
the whole consent of the clergy. Therefore this manner of ministration
of sacraments now used, being against the consent and determination of
Acts XX. Christ's church, which ought to be ruled and governed bj^ bishops, it
must needs be schismatical, and they that use this manner of ministration
must needs be in schism. The blessed martyr, St Cyprian, does declare
what danger they do stand in, that do use this manner of ministration
against the order of Christ's church, saying these words: "They be
enemies of the altar, and rebels against the sacrifice of Christ, contemning
the bishops and forsaking the priests of God : they are bold to set up
another altar with unlawful voices, to make another manner of prayer,
to profone with false sacrifices the verity of the blessed sacrament of
A C> the altar: nor they will not know them thatiare about to do against
v/ -, tlie ordinance of God, for their bold rashness, by the punishment
^0^ fA^^ of God ^they J shall be punished ; as he punished Chore, Dathan, and
rd^^^ Abiron, \vhich would offer up sacrifice against the consent of Moses
and ^Aaron : some were swallowed up of the earth, and the rest
brent with fire, to the terrible example of all others."^ Hitherto be
St Cyprian's words.
Mai. i. Also Almighty God, by his holy prophet Malachi, does cry out upon
such priests as minister against the ordinance of Christ's church, saying,
'•' they despise his name in offering up polluted bread."
Hosea ix. The prophet Osee does call the sacrifice of such priests " bread of
mourning, and all that eat thereof shall be defiled," says the prophet.
Kzek. x.\ii. Almighty God does complain by his prophet Ezechiel, saying: "The
priests have condemned my law, and have polluted my sanctuary." " Woe
be unto you, that go from the truth," says our Lord by Esay. Our Lord
Mai. ii. says by his j)rophet, " except such priests will amend quickly and give
glory to his name, they shall be brought into great necessity and poverty,
and he will curse their blessings ; and because they have made void the
pact of Levi, they shall be in contempt in all people."
[^ Hostis altaris, adversus sacrificium Christi rebellis, pro fide perfi-
dus, pro religione sacrilegus, inobsequens servus, filius impius, frater
inimicus, contemtis cpiscopis et Dei sacerdotibus derelictis, constituere
audot aliud altare, precem alteram illicitis vocibus facere, Dominicse
hostile veritatem per falsa sacrificia profanare ; nee dignatur scire, quo-
niam (jui contra ordinationcm Dei nititur, ob temeritatis audaciam divina
aiiimadversione punitur. Sic Chore et Dathan ct Abiron, qui sibi contra
Moyscn et Aaron sacerdotem sacrificandi licentiam vindicare conati sunt,
popiias statim pro suis conatibus pependeiimt. Terra compagibus ruptis
in jtrofiindum sinum ])atuit, stantes atque vivcntes recedentis soli hiatus
absorl)uit. The fire and examph'. of others are afterwards mentioned.
Cypr. Dc rnitiito Ecdesia', p. 8-^. ed. Fell. Oxon. 1700. Ed.]
v.] QUESTIONS A.\D ANSWERS. 62o
The Fifth Answer.
What if this order of ministering and common prayer was
not agreed on by the universal church in general council I Is
it not good therefore ? Then is neither their Latin portus, nor
missal and mass-book good; for the general church never al-
lowed them, as I declared afore. It is free for all countries to
differ in outward order of prayer and ceremonies, so that they
agree in substance of doctrine with the scripture. But the laity,
he says, has nothing ado with spiritual matters and religion, and
alleges the Acts of the Apostles: how will he prove that none Actsxv.
of the eldei-s there were of the laity, nor none of the multitude
in the choosing of the deacons; Unto it be well proved, it may
well be doubted on. As in other things, so in this, he shews
himself, how learned he is. When the law of God was neglected
in the days of Saul, David coming to be king, and moved with
love of religion, calls all the nobility and worship of the realm
together, thirty thousand, and also the Levites and priests, to i.chron.
know their minds, whether thev would brinir home the ark of 2 sam. vi.
God, and restore the religion decayed, or no ? And they an-
swered all, "Yea.'" What a great parliament was this, and full
of the laity, to determine for receivinfj of rclijrion ! Josaphat, 2 Chron.
•^ ^ o ... XXX. XXXIV.
Ezechias, and Josias, go(xl kings, sent their visiters aljroad -^vii.
through the realm, joining m coumiission from the king noble-
men of the laity, to go in visitation with the Levites. Legenda luWiifrido.
Sanctorum^ tells, how king Oswi called a synod at Whitby, for
taking away that diversity of keeping Ea.ster which was here
in the realm, when some kept it in the full moon, what day
of the week soever it fell on, other only on the Sunday follow-
ing : wherein appears the authority that the king justly claims
to himself in religion, even in that blind age, when he calls the
.learned men together to dispute on it, hears what they can say,
and concludes so the matter himself that all other did follow
his sentence.
[]* Fiicta est itaquc synodus in monasterio Hilda; a])batissa? apud
Streues/uilrh, (juod iiiodo Whitehy vocatur, u])i qua?stio vcntilari dobcret ct
terniiiiari ; iibi conveiu'runt rej^es r)sui et filiu.s ejus Alfrrdus, Ailbertus
cpisc'opus cum bt-ato N\'ill'ndo. • • Hal)it() autiiu silLiitio rex Oswi tali
modo loquutus est : " Ilactcnus, patrcs veiicrandi, scisnia, &c. * • I'ia re
ill lianc me sentcntiani ipsa rationis iurccssit;v3 potissiinum duxit, qua-
tcnus utriusi|ui' partis drfeiiMnvs una veniri' jussio nostra const ringeret,
ikv." Nova Legenda Angliic. fo. ccc. ccci. Loud. 1 ">1(>. Ei).^
40
[iMi.Ki.\(n()\.)
626 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. [qUEST.
John Gerson and Panormitaniis, as I alleged afore \ no
new protestants, but ancient catholics, and both being pre-
sent in the last councils at Constance and Basil, said they
would rather believe a poor simple learned layman that brings
and alleges the holy scripture, than all the whole council
having no scripture for them. God's truth is not bound to
mitres, bishops and priests alone ; but laymen may have, and
oft have, better the true understanding of it, than those that
look highest in the clergy : and therefore they are to be be-
1 chron. lievcd and heard, as well as the priests. Did not king David,
no priest, set in order the Levites, how they should resort in
course to serve in the tabernacle, made the psalms, appointed
them, how, where and when they should be sung ? Ezechias
and Josias pulled down the brazen serpent and other images.
Actsxviii. Did not Priscilla and Aquila teach Apollo the mysteries of
the scripture ? By these, I trust, it appears that laymen may
do something in religion. If these may not serve, look the
statutes of Queen Mary, how she takes away one religion, and
brings in another: and there is no more done now. How blind
be they in their own causes, and partial to themselves !
But it was never heard of, he says, that the laity in any coun-
try presumed to set forth a religion against the whole consent of
the clergy, afore the last parliament. 0 proud brag ! Was all the
clergy of the realm contained in a few horned popish bishops ?
^Vas there no clergy in the university^, nor other parts of the
realm, beside those few bishops? Did not many in the university
and abroad in the realm use this service openly and commonly
in their churches, afore it was received or enacted by parliament?
Because the rulers, the scribes, and all the priests, Acts iv.
forbad the apostles in their parliament and council, that they
should not preach Christ any more, were not the apostles there-
fore of the clergy, or was not their doctrine good, because it
was condemned in that wicked council ? Was there not a dis-
putation for religion appointed by the queen's majesty, wherein
your clergy wa^ afraid to utter their foolishness in defending
their superstition, lest they had taken more shame in answering
P Sec p. 632. Ed.]
[- Both here and in the next line Strype, (who quotes this passage,
AimnLs, Vol. i. p. 202. Oxford, 1824.) reads nniversitief.: The old edition
of Pilkmi,^(jn lias nnivrrsitie. Ed.]
v.] QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. 627
than they did in holding their peace, which well they could
not V I think the universities, with so many places of the realm
receiving religion, and these other disputing for it, may be
counted to be some part of the clergy of the realm ; and so it
was not received without consent of the clergy. But these
were not of the parliament : what then ? Is religion to be de-
termined no where but in parliament i He is wont to say, and
did afore, in universities and councils. To make a religion, as
he terms it, no man has authority, (for that belongs to God
alone;) but to restore pure religion, which has been defaced by
superstition, princes in their countries ought to do, though
their prelates be against it. Did not king Joas command the
priests to restore the temple, and first ordained the poor man''s
chest in the church i Did not Nabuchodonozor and Darius
make proclamation through all their countries, without and
against the consent of their priests, that all people should wor-
ship Daniel's God ? Though there was not a perfect order then
set forth by them to do it in, yet it was much for heathen
princes to do so, and it teaches christian princes how to do in
the like case. But as Joas, Josaphat, Ezechias and Josias
did not make a new religion, but restore that which afore was
defaced and had long lien ])uried; so our parliament did not set
forth a new religion, but restore that which was godly, begun
under good king Edward, confirmed by the parliament and the
clergy then, but suddenly by violence trodden under feet by
bloody papists a little after.
Yet all this satisfies not them ; for nothing can be con-
cluded as a law by parliament, say they, without consent of the
clergy there present ; but this, having not their consent, caimot
be counted a law, as they think. I had rather leave this to
be answered Ijy the lawyers than otherwise, because it is a mere
temporal case to dispute on, and concerns their profession : yet
that the world may see that something may be said in it, we
grant him not this to be true, that no law at all can be made
without consent of the bishops. Look your okl statutes of
]);irlianient, when bishoj)s were highest, afore Edward III. and
ye sliali read that they pa.ssed by the consent of tlie lords
temporal and connnons, without any mention of the lords
P For an account of this diKinitation, set' Strype, Annals, \'ol. i. cliap.
iv. i>. 12«, \r. Ki).]
40—2
628 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. [qUEST.
spiritual ; which statutes many of them stand in strength at
this day. Then it may well be gathered, that the consent of
the clergy \\as not always so necessary as they think it.
If it be so strong a reason, as he thinks it to be, to have
consent of the bishops, I will prove by the same reason, that
it is as necessary to have abbots of the parliament : for they
were present of old time, and their consent w^as required as well
as the bishops', and but of late years they w^ere put off the par-
liament, and it is not long since the convocation house was
separate from the parliament too. The lawyers, judges and
justices, put in practice and execute these laws: therefore their
doings may be a sufficient reason to lead the unlearned, what
opinion they have of these statutes for religion, except justice
Rascal, first executing them and after running away, may con-
demn the rest, which I trust he may not. I think they would
not execute them, except they had the strength and nature of
laws : if they do contrary to their knowledge and opinion, they
cannot be able to answer their doino^s. But I think no wise
men are of this opinion ; only these corner-creepers that dare
not shew their face, and w^ould deceive the people, go about
thus to deface all good and godly order that displeases them.
In the days of blessed king Edward, they had the like fond
opinion, that a king could not make laws in his minority until
he come to full age : but this and that was only to hinder re-
ligion, and to make the people disobey their prince : yet God
has, and I trust will confound all such wicked devices.
Cyprian's words are not truly alleged ; and if they were,
what do they make against us? How could Cyprian write against
our order, which he never knew, being found of so late years as
they say ? And he does not mean them that differed in outward
order of prayer, but that swerved from the substance and verity
taught in the scriptures. In ceremonies he himself differed
from other countries, and every country almost from others,
as I declared afore : and the bishops which he speaks of, are
a.s like our popish prelates as William Fletcher and the sweet
rode. The prophefs words may all be turned against him and
his, so wisely he apphes them.
VI. Whether they be in schism that minister no sacrament, hut
only instead of divine service read chapters and psalms, &c.
afore tlic people ?
\^
VI.] QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. 629
To read afore tlie people, instead of divine service, psalms and chapters,
or other such like, being not appointed by the universal consent of the
church of God, but against the decrees of the church, must needs be
schismatical, and they in schism that do it. For as the two sons of Aaron Lev. x.
■were stricken with sudden death, because they offered up strange fire,
which was not appointed to them by Moses and Aaron; even so do
they offend that will, instead of matins and evensong and other divine
service appointed by the church, read psalms and chapters and such like,
not appointed by the catholic bishops lawfully consecrated. For our
Saviour says in the gospel : " He that will not hear and obey the church," Matt, xviii.
that is to say, the bishops, " take him as an infidel." And St Clement
does say in an epistle that he writes to St James: "By the judgment of
God they shall sufi'cr everlasting torment in the fire of hell, that neglect
the decrees of the church ^" Therefore the holy martyr, St Cyprian,
does say : " He that has not defiled his hands with these wicked sacra-
ments, and has polluted his conscience otherwise, let him not comfort
himself that he needs to do no penance : for he has broken his profession
and canonical obedience, that he made to the bishops when he was made
priest ^" Also, this decree was made in the canons of the apostles : Si quia
clericus ant laicus syimgogam Judcporum nut convcnticnlum hcprcticorum
ingrensusfnerit, ut preces cum illis conjungat, dcponatuP : that is, " If any
of the clergy or laity shall enter into the synagogue of the Jews, or the
company of the heretics, to say prayers with him l^them,^ let him be
deposed."
The Sixth Answer.
The cuckoo has but one song, and that is unpleasant : no
more has this cokew^old maker but one foolish false principle to
ground his sayings on ; that is, the Romish church. I said afore,
(and no man is able to improve* it,) that the universal church
never made any one order of service to be used through the
whole world, but every country has and may have divers without
[} Hffic ergo pracepta nemo credat absque sui periculo negligere vel
dissimulare, quia in judicio Dei ignis aterni tormenta sustinebit, qui ec-
dcsiastica decreta ncglexerit. Clemens Rom. Epist. ad Jacol). Concil.
Tom. I. p. 104. Paris. 1G44. Hut the epistle is considered spurious. En.]
(^^ Nee sibi, quo minus agant pcenitentiam, blandiantur, qui etsi ne-
fandis sacrificiis manus non contaminavenmt, libellis tamen conscientiam
polluerunt. "' * '•■ Minus plane peccaverit non videndo idola, nee sub
oculis circumstantis at(pie iusultantis populi sanctitatem fidei profanando,
non polluendo manus suas funestis sacrificiis, nee scelcratis cibis era
maculando : hoc co j)roficit, ut sit minor culpa, non ut innoccns consci-
entia. Cyprian. De Lapsis, p. Qn, 90. Oxon. 17<)0. En.]
[' Concil. Tom. i. p. 22. Canon (>3. Ed.]
[_* Improve: disprove. En.]
6o0 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. [qUEST.
oftending, so they agree in one substance of true doctrine. He
knows no church but Rome, and yet Rome never decreed any
one general order for the whole world; nor the whole world
never obeyed nor received any. The pope's portus and missal
has been oft changed, as I proved afore, and every country has
their divers order of service. Aaron's sons did plainly against
God's express commandment, and therefore were justly plagued:
ours do not so, and therefore they be not in like case, but unde-
servedly blamed. Clement's words and Cyprian's, when they are
proved to be truly alleged, touch not us, but such as he is ; for
they knew no such priests nor church as he means, nor any such
were many years after. The papists differ very little from Jews ;
for both of them set their whole religion in ceremonies and old
customs. We stick stiffly to the word of God only, and build
not on such vain foundations. Therefore he brings that canon
against himself and his sort, being as superstitious as the Jews,
and blinded obstinately in errors as heretics.
VII. "Vyhetlier is it Ia^vful for priests that say the communion also
to celebrate mass ?
Cyprianus The holy martyr, St Cyprian, says : " It is not leaful by and bye afore
penance done, to consecrate or touch with his wicked hands the body of
our Lord, and with his polluted mouth to receive the blood of our Lord ;
but first let him do penance^." "Does thou think," says St Cyprian,
" that our Lord will be so suddenly mitigated, whom thou has refused,
and has more esteemed thy worldly living than him?^" St Cyprian
says : " The bhnd love of their patrimony and worldly goods has deceived
many, and bound them as it were in stocks and fetters, that they cannot
follow Christ ^" "A great number, for fear of words of such as be not
[^ A diaboli aris rcvertentes, ad sanctum Domini sordidis et infectis
nidore manibus accedunt. Mortiferos idolorum cibos adhuc pene ruc-
tantes, exhalanti])us etiam nunc scelus suum faucibus, et contagia funesta
redolcntibus, Domini corpus invadunt. * * Ante cxpiata delicta, ante
cxomologcsin factam criminis, ante purgatam conscicntiam sacrificio et
manu sacerdotis, ante ofFcnsam placatam indignantis Domini et minantis,
paccm putant esse, quam quidam verbis fallacibus venditant. De Lapsis,
p. 92. Ed.]
P Putasnc tu Dominum cito posse placari, qucm verbis perfidis
abnuisti, cui patrimonium praeponere maluisti ? Ibid. p. 98. Ed.]
[f Decepit multos patrimonii sui amor caecus; nee ad recedendum
parati aut expcditi esse i)otuerunt, quos facultates suae velut compedes
ligavei-unt. Ibid. p. 90. Ed.]
VII.] QUESTIONS AND AX8WEiW. 631
good, have refused their faith, not cast dowii by any violence of perse-
cution, but by a voluntaiy lapse have cast do^vn their selves^;" although
they have perceived the bishops and a great number of the clergy not
to be afraid to lose all their livings, not fearing loss of goods, or im-
prisonment, or banishment from their friends; yea, all ready to suffer
death in this case. Oui- Saviour in the gospel says, " No man can serve
two masters :" that is, to say the communion decreed and appointed by
the laity parliament against the consent of the clergy in Christ's church,
and also celebrate mass, decreed and appointed by the clergy in sacred
synods, representing the whole estate of Christ's church. St Paul says :
" Ye cannot be pai-takers both of the table of our Lord, and the table of
the devils." St Cyprian says : " It is an horrible abomination to fare Cyprianus
about to serve both Baal and Christ : it is contumely and not religion, it uom.
is injury and not devotion, if thou communicate of the cup of Christ with
the devils^" Hitherto be St Cyprian's words. St Paul says: "We have ^
an altar, whereof they may not eat that serve the tabernacle." By these
examples it is evident, that the priests may not minister the commu-
nion to one sort, and mass to another sort. In Tripartita Historia it
appears, the catholics and the Arians did not communicate one with
another".
VIII. A^Tiether it be lawful for priests to say mass which say no
communion, but only read psalms and chapters to the people
instead of service ?
St Cyprian says: " The verity is not to be dissembled^." It is naught Cyprianus
to halt upon both the parts : " if God be the Lord, follow him ; if Baal, ^ ^^'
follow liim." Even so, if matins and evensong be the ordinances of
Christ's church, use them : if the psalms and chapters, use them. It is no
less offence to allow a schism with assent, tlian to offer to idols. St Austin
\^ Ad prima statim verba minantis inimici maximus fratrum nume-
rus fidem suam prodidit; nee prostratus eat persecutionis impetu, scd
voluntario lapsu se ipse prostravit. Ibid. p. 89. Ed.]
^ Tu si tcmplum Spiritus sancti viola.s, si intra te sacrarium Dei
deturpas et foedas, si cum calice Christi de calice dacmoniorum com-
municas, contumelia est, non religio ; injuria, non devotio. Idolorom
servitus et horrenda abominatio, velle simul Baal famulari et Christo. De
Crena Domini. — This treatise is not Cyprian's, but Arnold's, abbot of
Bonavalla. It is printed with his other works in the appendix to Cv-prian,
and the passage here cited will be found in p. 77. of Fell's edition, Oxon.
1700. Ed.]
[_" Sunt aliqui in Alexandria populis tuam doclinantes communionem,
arc the words of Coastantius to Athanasius in Trip. Hist. Lib. »v. cap. 31.
p. O.')!). And sec the passage quoted below, p. 033. from Lib. v. cap. 31.
of the same work. En.]
[J DLssimuluuda, fratros, Veritas non est, nee vulncria Doetri materia
ct causa rcticenda. Dc Laps. p. 00. Ed.]
632 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. [qUEST.
August, de says : " Such us be in schism, that is to say, in sacraments or divine
lib '.v\L Jap! service separated from the unity of Christ's mystical body, and not in
25. joining together of christian members, not in the band of peace, which is
expressed in the sacrament of the altar, they may consecrate and receive
this sacrament ; but it is not profitable to them, but very hurtful, whereby
they shall be judged more grievously of Almighty God\" St Paul says :
[Rom. u.] a -^Q^ Qj^iy ^jjgy that do evil be worthy death, but also they that con-
sent to the doers." The Holy Ghost does cry by his prophet Esay,
saymg, " Get you hence, go forth, beware that you touch no unclean
thing." The scripture says : " Thou shalt love the Lord God with all
thy heart, with all thy strength, &c." God loves no half service. As
[2 Sam. X.] foj. example, it is written in the book of Kings, that king David sent his
servants to comfort Anon for the death of liis father : albeit king Anon
took them as espies, and caused the half of their beards to be shaven, and
cut their clothes by their buttocks, and so sent them back again to king
David. But when king David heard of this, he would not suffer them
to come in his sight at Jerusalem, but commanded them to tarry at Jericho
until their beards were grown out again. Even so such priests as has
gone out of Christ's church, and entangled themselves with any part of
this religion against the decrees of the church, are not worthy in minis-
tration of sacraments to come in the presence of the faithful, that
continue stiU in Christ's church, until they be reconciled, and have done
penance for their lapse into schism.
IX. Whether is this to be called a wicked time, that such heresy
and schism does reign ?
Cyprian, de No, rather it is a blessed time : for now " God tries his family," as St
Cyprian says ; " for the long rest and peace, which has been in Christ's
church aforetime, caused the clergy to be almost on sleep; by reason
whereof devout religion was not in a gTeat number of priests, in works
was smaU mercy, no discipline in manners^." St Paul says, " It is meet
that there be heresy, that the good may be tried ;" so that such as have
grace to stand this troublous time, and be not spotted with schism, shall
\} Qui ergo est in ejus corporis unitate, id est, in Christianorum corn-
page membrorum, cujus corporis sacramentum fideles communicantes de
altari sumere consueverunt, ipse vere dicendus est manducare corpus
Christi, et biljere sanguinem Christi. Ac per hoc hseretici et schismatici,
ab hujus unitate corporis separati, possunt idem percipere sacramentum,
sed non sibi utile, imo vero etiam noxium, quo judicentur gravius, quam
vcl tardius liberentur. Non sunt quippe in eo vinculo pacis, quod illo
exprimitur sacramento. Tom. vii. Pars i. p. 1038. Paris. 1838. Ed.]
[^^ Dominus probari familiam suam voluit; et quia traditam nobis
divinitus disciplinam pax longa corruperat, jacentem fidem et pene dixe-
rim dormientem censura coelestis erexit. • * * Non in sacerdotibus
rcHgio dcvota, non in ministris fides integra, non in operibus misericordia,
non m moribus disciplina. Cyprian, de Laps. p. 88. En.]
VII
IX.] QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. 633
be kindled more fervent in tlie love and fear of God ; and siicli as be
fallen in lapse, if they will seek to come back aj,^ain to our mother holy
church with penance, that is, with prayer, satisfaction and tears, she shuts
her bosom from none that will so come ; for God is near at hand to all
that call on him in virtue, and will rejoice more in them, than in other.
But " some are not to be gathered out of schism," says Cyprian, " so that
such as be whole and stedfast be thereby wounded ; nor he is not a
profitable and wise pastor, that gathcretli the sheej) that be diseased,
scabbed, or sick unto the whole flock, afore they be whole, lest they infect
all the flock ^ Nor the bishoj) must not have a respect to the gi-eatness
of the number : for better it is to have one good priest that feareth God,
than a thousand that be evil." This says St Cyprian.
Answer to the Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth Questions.
What a fool is he that goes about to prove by so many bald
reasons, (clouting such patched pieces together.) that which is
already granted him ! We confess that no man ought to say mass
at all, much less they that say the communion should become
mass-mongers : his authorities are fondly brought to prove his
purpose, and may be turned agaiast himself all ; for there is no
sort of men that use double dissembling so nuich as the pope's
do. Other things that 1 proved afore I will not repeat again
now; but I wish of God that, as David would not suffer his
men that were shaven so to come in his sight, so all christian
princes would banish the pope's shavelings : for so the reason
holds in like of both. The time for trial of God's people we do
not greatly mislike : only this grieves us, that so many withstand
the manifest truth, which their conscience acknowledges to be
true, and yet for fear of a change or flattery of the world they
]je cold, and will not or dare not openly profess it; and also
tliat another sort of turn-tippets, for lack of discipline, occupy
the place of paiitors, serving rather to fill their belly, than for
love, conscience, or duty ; where good order would that either
such should be displaced, or else do great and worthy open
penance solemnly, afore they ministered. The alleging of these
sundry authorities are untrue and foolish.
Q* Quibusdam cnim ita ant crimina sua <)l)sistunt, aut fratrcs obsti-
nate ct firmiter renituntur, ut recipi omnino non jtossint, cum scandalo
ct pcriculo plurimorum. Nequc enim sic putiimina qua?dam coUigenda
sunt, ut qutc Integra et sana sunt, vulnerentur: nee utilis aut consultus
est pastor, (jui ita morbidas et contractus oves gregi admiscet, ut grcgcm
totum mali coliarentis afflictatione contaminet. Papist, lix. (al. lv.)
Comclio Fratri. p. 2G7. Kd.]]
634 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. [qIIEST.
X. ^Vlietlier it is lawful for the laity to receive the communion as
is now used ?
In receiving the communion as now used, you break your profession
made in baptism, and fall into schism, separating yourselves from God
and his church, refusing the bishops, your true pastors ; so entering into
the malignant church of Satan. St Paul does command us to obey the
[Heb. xiii.] bishops, for they watch as to give an account for our souls. The bishops
be in prison ready to suffer death, afore they will either minister or re-
ceive the communion, like true pastors: they put themselves walls and a
sure defence for the people. The catholic church, which we professed
at our baptism to believe and obey, teacheth us to receive Christ's
body consecrate at mass with prayers, invocations and benediction, with
the sign of the holy cross, and not bare bread and wine without conse-
cration and benediction, as is used in this communion, being against the
decrees and ordinance of Christ's catholic church. Almighty God does
Num. xvi. command us to separate ourselves from such as take in hand a ministra-
tion of sacraments against the ordinance of Christ's church, and that ye
touch nothing pertaining to them, lest ye be lapped in their sin. The
prophet Osee does say, that "all that receive that bread of mourning,"
over the which words of blasphemy be spoken at the table, " shall be
C>'prian. defiled." Therefore St Cyprian says: "Forasmuch as we can exhort
^'^ ■ you by our letters, that you come not to the cursed communion with
,/ -,. , ^ priests that be maculate ; for they be not worthy death that do evil, but
y .. all that consent to the doing of evil. Nor let not the people persuade
^-^1 -^ "^ with themselves, that they can be free without spot of sin, communicating
with a priest in sin^." No man can be well excused by ignorance : be he
never so gross of wit, he may perceive it is not that which we have pro-
fessed to believe, but against it ; and if it were for a worldly gain, every
one would learn a longer matter, and keep it in memory.
The Tenth Answer.
In receiving the communion now used the laity keep their
profession made in baptism, where they promised, like good
sheep, to believe the catholic church, which hears the voice of
P Et quantum possumus, adhortamur Uteris nostris, ne vos cum pro-
fanis ct maculatis sacerdotibus communicatione sacrilega misceatis. * *
Quoniam qui talia, inquit, agunt, morte sunt digni, manifestat ct com-
probat morte dignos esse, et ad pcenam venire non tantum illos qui mala
faciunt, scd etiam eos qui talia agentibus consentiunt. * * * Nee sibi
ple])s blandiatur, quasi immunis esse a contagio delicti possit, cum sa-
ccrdote peccatore communicans, et ad injustum atque illicitum praepositi
8ui episcopatum consensum suum commodans; quando per Osee pro-
phetam comminetur et dicat censura divina, Sacrificia eorum tanquam
panis luctus : omnes qui manducant ea, contaminabuntur. Epist. lxvii.
(al. Lxviii.) Cyprianus, &c. Felici Prcsbytero, &c. p. 291, 288. Ed.]
X.] QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. 635
their shepherd only, and flees from strangei's : the popish church
and prelates have devised a fashion of the communion, contrary
to Clu-ist's and his apostles"* doings ; and therefore they be wor-
thily abhorred. Ye lie in sa\ing, that the catholic church teaches
to receive Christ's body consecrate at mass with the sign of the
holy cross, or that we give nothing but bare bread and wine now.
Prove where the church teaches so. I proved afore, how many
diverse sorts of ministering there was of old time, and all good :
therefore this your one only popish way is not decreed^ by the
universal church, nor never was generally received throughout
all the world. AVith what face can they say, we have no con-
secration, and give nothing but bare bread and wine ? If they
have any in their mass, if the evangelists have any consecration,
or Paul, or if the apostles, we have it also. For if consecration
stand in words, we have all the words that their mass, the gospel,
St Paul, or the apostles had. Eead Matthew, Mark, Luke, and
the eleventh to the Corinthians, what is written of the Lord'*s
supper; and see whether our communion want any one word that
is in any of them. Then if we have all (as we have indeed), why
is there no consecration with us • Grefjorv says, the apostles Lib. vii.
consecrated only with the Lords prayer'; and that we use as
well as they. John Duns says, the words of consecrating the
bread be these, "This is my body:" and those words we have Lib. iv.sen-
too. Further he says : "Neither Christ nor the church has de- s.
fined which be the words of consecrating the cup;" and therefore
he will not determine them'. What are we now worse than their
own doctors, and why do ye lie in saying the church has defined
it? Duns knew it not in his time, nor the church. Where is one
{^- See before, p. 498. Ed.]
Q^ De ffecundo dico, quia verba consecratioiiis corporis sunt quatuor,
scilicet illud pronomen hoc, et verbum est, et in apposito corpus meum.
p. 30, G. Venet. 1598.
De verbis autem consecrationis sanguinis est (lubiuni magis, quia
quantum ad duu. Prinium est, quia formani, qua utiniur, nullus cvan-
gelistarum recitat ; idco non vidctur ex cvangelio certa. Graeci ctiam alia
forma utuntur, dicentes, Hie est sanguis, 6{C. Et per consecjuens fonna
nostra non est priecisa. • • * * Do isto sccundo articulo dico brcviter,
quod non est nobis traditum omnino certitudinalitc r, an ad fonnam con-
.sccrationis sanguinis pertineant aliqua verba i)0st illud sanguinis niri, vcl
an ali(|U<)d illorum sciiucntium uscjue illic, Jfor faritr, S;r. Imo pericu-
losum est lioc if^screre, de quo sulHciens auctoritas non habetur. Ibid,
p. 36, F. 37, A. Ed.]
636 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. [qUEST.
SO mad, except priests, to say that consecration stands in cross-
ing, or that henedicite is to make a cross I Prove it, if ye can ;
or else hold your tongue for shame. Deceive not the people.
'^ All ye works of the Lord, praise ye the Lord,"" says the psalm.
Is hless'mg there to make a cross, or in any other place ye can
find I I have seen and heard many foolish unlearned papists,
but a more ass than this I have not. He says, the people which
communicate with a priest that is in sin, cannot be free from
sin. If the priest be a drunkard, art thou a drunkard too in
communicating with him I If he be a whore-hunter, art thou
one too I I trust ye can judge, how false and foolish this is.
St Paul says, " He that eats and drinks unworthily, eats and
drinks his own danmation :" he says not, " thy damnation, or
any other man's,"" but "his own." Chrysostom notes well, that
he says, sihi ipsi, non tihi : " He eats it and drinks it damnation
to himself, and not to thee\*'"' God forbid the evilness of the
priest should defile them that receive with him ! for what priest
is so clean that he has no sin in him 1 If the sin of the priest
should defile the receiver, who would ever receive at any priest's
hands, seeing all be sinners 1 It is a general rule and true in
their own books : the unworthiness of the priest hurts not the
goodness of the sacrament. God forbid that the evilness of man
should hurt or defile God's holy ordinance, or that the wicked-
ness of the priests should be imputed to them that receive the
CEzek. sacrament at their hand ! " The father shall not bear the sin of
XVIU.J
the son, nor the son of the father, but the soul that sins shall
die itself,'' as the prophet says. Much less shall the sin of the
priest condemn the people, but every one shall answer for him-
self.
XI. Whether the people, compelled with fear for loss of worldly
goods or temporal punishment, may receive the communion as
bread and wine, not consenting to it in the heart?
Rom. X. St Paul says, it is requisite to our salvation with our mouths to con-
Matt, x. fess the truth : also our Saviour Christ says, "he that denies him afore
men, he will deny him afore his Father in heaven." And to kneel down
to receive that cursed and polluted bread, ye commit idolatry : nor it is
L' Ku\ oi)^ cTcpov erepui KcXevei coKindaui, aA\' avTOv tavrov
0 yap ea-Oiojv ku\ -nlvtav uva^lu3<i Kp'ijxa cavrw ea-Qki Ka\ tt'ivci. In
1 Corinth. Homil. xxviii. Tom. x. p. 293. Paris. 1837. Ed.]
XI.] QUESTIONS AXn ANSWERS. Co7
not lawful to dissemble herein ; as we have example Eleazarus, which [2 Mace, vi.]
rather than he would dissemble to eat swine's flesh, forbidden by the
law, he was content to suff^er a very cruel death. Also it is read in Tri-
partita Historia of a good woman, one Olympias, that rather than she
would receive the communion, was content to have her paps writhen off,
or any other punishment, saying, " Lay upon me more punishment ; for
it is not lawful for me to do that which the good priests refuse to do^."
Even so at this time the bishops and good priests refuse to meddle with
the communion : therefore it is evident, it is not lawful for any of the
laity to receive it for any cause. Also, when Constantius the emperor
persecuted the church of God, such as would not receive the communion
with the Arians, the bishop Macedonius put them in prison, and caused
the communion to be brought unto them in prison, and opened their
moutlis witli sticks and hot irons^ Yet for no i)unishment the good
catholic people would in any wise receive with the Arians: much less
ought we to receive the communion now used, for any punishment. For
if we receive it against our conscience, we be traitors to God, and dis-
semblers with the queen, as Ustazadis did say to the king of Persis,
lamenting that he did live; for he confessed (after the archbishop Simeon
had rebuked him) that he was worthy to have a double death, for he
was a traitor to God in foi-saking his profession in religion, and a dis-
sembler with the king; for to please the king, and to avoid punisliment,
he had done against his conscience; but utterly he did i)rotest that he
would never disseml)le again, offering his whole body to make amends :
and in conclusion had liis head stricken off \ Would to God all, that by
dissimulation be traitors and dissemblers with the queen against their
conscience, would follow the example of Ustazadis in earnest repentance!
Our Saviour commands us "not to fear them that can but only kill the Matt. x.
body, but fear him that can kill the body, and after cast the soul into
the fire of hell."
XII. How should the people do, that cannot have the sacrament mi-
nistered to tliem according to the ordinance of Christ's church ?
p Olympias autem, injustum credens inaliti« sati.sfacere, dixit, " Ad-
jice milii calumniatores, et violentiam majorem imi)onc: mihi vero fas
non est communicare, et ea facere qua; piis non licet perpetrare." Quani
cum neijuisset flectere pra'fectus, ut communicaret Arsatio, turn dirais-
sam, et paulo post tentam, multo nudavit auro, hoc modo credens ipsiu.s
frangi constantiam. Hist. Eccles. Tnjjavt. Lil). x. cap. 21. — The original
is in Sozomeii, Lil). viii. cap. 21. Ed.]
[^ I'lurimi vero insigucs viri detenti, nolentesque ei communicare,
puniti sunt : i\\\\ ])Ost tonnenta violentcr commuiiioueni ore suo sus('ij)ere
et tenerc conii>ellebantur. Ligno nanique ora hominum aperientes, eis
sacramenta inserebant. llistor. Eccles. Tri]>art. Lib. v. cap. 01. p. 088.
Sec Socrat. Eccl. Hist. Lib. ii. cap. 08. Ed.]
[* The storv' is in the Historia Trijiartita, Lib. in. cap ii. p. 025-0. of
Auctorts motoric/' KvdeniaHtiva'. Basil. J jO.i. Ed.]
638 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. [qUEST.
In no wise they ought to receive the communion, but to commend
their minds and good wills to God with devout prayer, firmly continuing
in that faith that they were christened in ; which sith the apostles' time
has ever been taught by blessed fathers in Christ's catholic church. And
so being in will to receive the blessed sacrament, if he were in place
where it is ministered according to the ordinance of Christ's church,
God will accept your will and good intent, as if you did receive it cor-
porally : and by that will and intent ye be partakers of the sacraments
and prayers of the universal church of Christ in all christian countries
and nations, as well as if you were present bodily. But if you receive
this communion, ye separate and divide yourselves from the sacraments
and prayers of all the universal church of Christ, and so wander in the
way of perdition.
The Answer to the Eleventh and Twelfth Questions.
To receive the communion dissemblingly, we grant to be
damnable, as well as he : and therefore we exhort all men with
an earnest faith and pure love, sorrowful repentance, and full
purpose of a new life, to resort unto the Lord's table devoutly,
without all hypocritical dissimulation. God will confound such
blasphemers, as open their filthy mouths to rail against his holy
sacraments, as this wicked Morian does here, calling it "cursed
bread." Eleazarus did well in obeying God's law ; and papists
be God's enemies in their doings contrary to God's law. The
Arians were heretics and enemies to the truth, denying Christ
our Lord to be God equal with his Father, and saying he was
but a weak simple man as we be. So the papists be, saying
Christ's death is not a sufficient sacrifice for the whole world,
except their sacrifice be joined to. They do both err in the
chief article of our faith and salvation; and surely to communi-
cate with such is to deny our faith and salvation: therefore
Olympias and other well abhorred them. He that has not a
right faith of Jesus Christ that instituted the sacrament, he
cannot have the true use of the sacraments which Christ or-
dained. It is well that he wishes all dissembling papists, which
have turned with every world, to repent as Ustazadis did; and
God grant that they may! if they will not, if their reward were
like his, they had no wrong. And thus, as all dissembling
papists, receiving the communion against their consciences, are
worthily condemned ; so surely are all dissembling protestants,
resorting to mass for fear of worldly losses. God grant us all
XI. Xir.] QUESTIONS AND AN'SWEUS. C39
uprightly to walk, not feigning a conscience to om*selves of
man's device, but following the rule of scripture without halt-
inor, whatsoever the world sav of us !
If this counsel that he gives for not receiving the commu-
nion now used were turned and applied against their mass, it
were well and truly applied. A\^e were never christened in any
faith of the mass, but in the name of the Father, and the Son,
and the Holy Ghost, who in the holy scriptures condemn all
sacrificing massers : and surely to communicate with mass-mon-
gers is to forsake God's institution, and follow the pope ; to for-
sake Christ, the head of his church, and join himself to papists,
and become a member of his synagogue, robbing Christ of his
glor}% and preferring man's dreams and doctrine, de\ised of late
years by popes, as was proved afore, afore the infallible truth of
the gospel, which Jesus Christ himself brought from heaven,
preached it, and commanded us all diligently to follow it. To
be partaker of prayers made in other countries is true that we
may, and to be wished of God that it were diligently used : but
imto he have proved that we be partakers of sacraments, wise
men will not believe it. No man is christened one for another,
nor receives the communion one for another. This doctrine
comes from the pope, and fed his cliaplains fat, when they
taught, that it was sufficient to come and sec the priests lift up
their sacrament, oficr it for the dead and quick, and eat all up
when they liave done.
XIII. \Vliether is not every one, as well the priests as laity, bound
to obey the queen and her laws ?
Both i)ricsts and tlio laity hv 1)0und to ohcy the queen and Iicr laws,
as far as (Jod's law will permit : l)ut no man ouj^dit to obt-y tlic (luccu
and her laws against God and liis laws. For lands, goods, and body,
every one is l)ound to obey the queen and her laws, and no man ought
to disol)ey or resist her or her laws: for Clod in the scripture commands.
Hut for matters of faith and religion, pertaining to our soul health, she
hath nothing ado to meddle : for Christ himself hath dearly bought our
souls with his j»recious blood-shedding, and committed them to the
rule and government of the bishops, which watch as to give an ac-
count for our souls. Therefore the scripture commands us to obey
the l)ishops in matters of faith and religion pertaining to our souls'
health, and the (jueen in temporal causes eoncemiug land«, and goods,
an<l body.
640 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. [qUEST.
The Thirteenth Answer.
For obeying the queen's majesty and her laws, or for dis-
obeying, we do not greatly differ from him: but where he says,
she has nothing: ado with matters of faith and religion, we
utterly deny it. For that is as much to say, as that she were
not a christian prince, no, nor a prince at all; for princes are
charged by God to maintain true religion, and suppress super-
stition and idolatry. This is the mark that they shoot at, to
be exempt from all correction of princes, that they might do
what they lust, bring in superstition instead of religion, and
nourish the people in blood devotion, rule all other, and be
ruled of none, no, not of God himself. So much obedience the
Turk's subjects owe him, and yet deny him not authority in
their religion. But this matter was more fully handled in the
fifth answer. King Kichard the second proves well in his
epistle to pope Boniface the ninths that temporal rulers have
often from the beginning bridled and ruled the spirituality,
even the popes. Salomon, says he, put down the priest Abi-
athar, and set up Zadoc. Otho the emperor deposed pope John
the twelfth. Henry the emperor put down Gratianus. Otho
deposed pope Benet the first. The controversy betwixt Sym-
machus and . Laurence, who should be pope, was ended afore
Theodosius, king of Italy. Henry the emperor deposed two,
striving who should be pope, and set up a third, called Clement
the second. Frederick the emperor corrected four popes. By
these and many such like he proves, that princes have cor-
rected and iDrought in order so many popes : therefore they
liave lawful power so to do.
And shall not our queen have power to see whether the
clergy here within her realm do their duty, in teaching true
doctrine, pure ministering of the sacraments, and an upright
godly Hfe 'i Indeed, this was the beginning of the controversy
Ijetvvixt Tliomas Becket and king Henry the second; and these,
like good scholars of tlie same school, follow the same way.
Certain priests were complained on for their lewd living, whom
the king would have punished : but Becket withstood him, say-
ing it belonged not to the king to handle such holy anointed
sj)iritual men. Austin in his book contr. Liter. Petiliani^ ii.
[' Tlie whole letter is ia Foxe, Acts and Monuments^ Vol. i. p. 509. ed.
1583. Ei).]
XIII.] QUESTIONS AXD ANSWERS. G41
in tlie sixth' and other sundry chapters, proves that it belongs
to kings to liave care and charge for rehgioii, both in main-
taining the good and puHing down the evil. He alleges this
of the second psalm, '' Serve the Lord in fear, «S:c.'' " How
should kings,'' says he, " serve the Lord in fear, but in for-
bidding and punishing those things that are done against the
Lord's commandment ? He serves in one sort, inasmuch as
he is a man ; and in another, insomuch as he is a king : he
serves him as a man in living truly, but as a king in making
laws, which command just thinors and forbid the contrarv. So
served king Ezechias in descrying the groves and temples of C^^ ^ ^
idols : so served Josia.s, so the king of Nineve in compelling
the whole city to pacify the Lord. Thus served Nabucho-
donozor, in forbidding by a fearful law that they should not
blaspheme God. Kings serve the Lord in this point, when
they do those things to serve him, which none can do but kings,
&c.-" Thus far Austin. Constantine also, the good emperor,
commands the Donatists to come to Home to hear the bishops'
judgment; but afterward, when he had heard the matter de-
bated, he judged the cause himself, and made a law against
them, as Austin writes, Epist. lxviii.-^
Thus princes then, calling their clergy together, because
few of them have sufficient learning of themselves, and hearing
the matters of religion debated, and the truth tried, may and
[" Mirantcsqiie fortassc qucrunt, propter id quod in consequent ibu 8
audiunt, Servile Domino in tiniore, in i[\u> illi servile possiiit in ([uantuni
rcgcs sunt. Onines cnim homines servire Deo dcbcrtt: aliter euiujnuni
conditione, qua homines sunt ; aliter diversis donis, quod ille aliud ag^it
in rebus humanis, ille aliud. Non enim aufcrcnda idola de terra, quod
tanto ante futurum pra^dictum est, posset (iuis<piam julierc i)rivatus. 1 la-
bent ergo reges, exeepta generis liumani sueietate, eo ipso quo reges sunt,
unde sic Domino serviant, quomodo non possunt qui reges non sunt.
Contra Lit. Petiliani, Li!), ii. eap. 210. Tom. ix. p. 441). Paris. I«n7.—
('omi)arc also the following: Quomodo ergo reges Domino rervinnt in
tiuiore, nisi ca, qua; contra jussii Domini fnint, religios;i severitate i)ro-
liibendo ntque pliKriendo ? Aliter enim servit, <iuia hon;o est ; aliter quia
etiam rex est. Ei)ist. clxxxv. Tom. ii. p. {>77. I'n.]}
[/ Post banc relationem ad sc miss;im jussit Imperator venire partes
nd episcopalc judicium in urbc Iloma faciendum. • • " Postea ct ipse
coactus episcopalem causam inter partes cognitam terminavit, et primus
contra vcstram partem legem constituit. Kpist. i.xxxviii. (al. i.xvni.)
Tom. n. J). .121. Kd.^
41
[PILKINGTO.V.]
642 QUESTIONS AND ANSAVEBS. [qUEST. XIII.
ouoht by their law and royal power defend that truth, and
isai. xiix. punish the disobedient, whosoever they be. The prophet says,
that God made kings and queens to be nurses to his church.
The nurse's duty is to feed, guide, and cherish the child ; yea,
to correct, instruct, and reform him when he does a fault. She
must not be a dry nurse, but with the two paps of the new
testament and old feed her children : she must teach him to
go; when he is fallen, take him up again; and give him such
wholesome meat, that she may and dare taste and try it her-
self. God grant princes thus to be nurses, and not stepmothers,
that God's children may serve their Lord God, Master and
Father, quietly under their wings !
THE CONCLUSION.
Our Saviour Christ, when they called him Samaritan, a
friend of publicans and sinners, a drunkard, &c., held his
tongue, and made no answer : but when they said he had a devil,
lie said, "I have no devil." It is written also in mtis patrum
of Agathon, whom certain would try whether he could patiently
bear slanders, and called him proud, advoterer [adulterer], a
thief and heretic : all other he let pass, and said, "I am a sinner,
but I am not an heretic.'' They asked him, why he answered
to that rather than to the other: he said, he learned of Christ
his master to suffer lies, but not his doctrine to be touched ;
for heresy separates a man from God^ So among all slan-
derous tongues, that go about to deface God's truth by railing
on the ministers of it, many are borne of many with grief of
mind : but to be charged with false doctrine, no honest mind
p Ilia prima milii ascribe, utilitascnim aniinae meae est: quod an tern
(lixistis hiLTcticum me esse, idco non acquievi, quia scparatio est a Deo,
ot non opto separari a Deo. Vitae Patrum, Lib. v. Libell. x. cap. 10.
p. .097. Antverp. 10]. 5. Ed.]
THE CONCLT'SrO.V. 048
can bear, nor good man sliould suffer. For as he teaches the
good and wholesome doctrine, so he should confound the con-
trar}' to his power. And this was among other a great cause,
why I (though not hurt by this his foolish railing) took in
hand to answer this blind papist; and because those learned
fathers, whom he would seem to touch, thought it unworthy any
answer. When I see this copy cast abroad by a malicious
member of antichrist, to withch^w God's people from his truth,
my spirit was stirred to the answering of the same : but many,
when they see how foolish it wa.s, laughed at it, and thought it
to be passed away with silence, for that foolishness of itself
would confound itself to them that had wit or leaniing. Yet
that the simple ones, for whose cause chiefly this labour is
taken, should not be deceived and overcome with fond fanta-
sies of idle brains, and lest God's enemies should crack, that
none could or durst answer it; I thought good, because other
that can do better would not, thus shortlv to answer the chief
points of popery, touched in this his unlearned apology.
This is the polity of papists, to set out a broker to utter
their ware, and catch the unlearned, but the subtler sort hold
their tongue, stand aloof to see how this forerunner will take
place, and are thought by their silence to be able to say nmch
more ; when as they fear indeed, lest in being answered they
should take the foil, to the clean overthrowing of their cause.
This proud Golias has cracked and provoked all God's people,
as though none durst meddle with him : but I trust poor
David has wiped his nose, and given him a fall with his jjoor
sling and few stones. But I fear I lose my labour : for as the
prophet says, ''Can the black man of Ind change his colour f Jer. lUi.
No more can this Morian learn to say well. If the miserable
state of the peoj)le had not moved me, 1 would have holden my
tongue, and laugh at it, as wise men do; but that with the pour
simple ones, whom they deceive in corners with such lies as
these, such common bald reasons as he lias brought should
not prevail, I thought good for pity sake to say thus much,
to stay them whose eyes God shall open to see.
My rea.sons and authorities of purpose are conunonly taken
out of their own doctors and writers, and such books as are not
counted protestants, nor made by any of this new learning.
41— '2
644 THE CONCLUSION. ^ «r ^/
For tlie nonest', I forbare to allege the learneder sort, lest the
unlearned should say, they could no skill on such books, nor
knew not whether they were truly brought in : and seeing their
own doctors and schoolmasters have given us this vantage
against them, I fear not to try with them in writers of greater
authority and ancienty.
Thus much I have spoken for my part : let the rest, whom
God has given greater knowledge and utterance unto, help thus
to stop the mouths of God's enemies ; and I trust, by the
power of his Holy Spirit, antichrist with his members shall
daily decay, and God's glorious truth shall shine to the comfort
of all his elect; though their eyes be not yet fully opened to see,
nor their hearts lightened to understand it. God the Father
grant for his Son's sake, Jesus Christ crucified, that
we all may be partakers of his Spirit of truth, and
his wilful obstinate enemies confounded,
his poor lambs delivered from the
wolves, and strengthened against
the assaults of Satan ; that
at the length we may
be glorified with
him for ever
and ever.
Amen.
Behold, says tlic Lord of Hosts to thee, I will lay thy skirts on tliy
face, and open tliy filthiness to the people, and thy shame to kingdoms ;
and I will cast tliy abominations upon thee, and I will revile thee, and
make thee like dung : and it shall come to pass, that every one that sees
thee shall fall from thee. Nah. iii.
Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us, for we arc utterly
despised. Our soul is filled with the mocking of the rich, and despite
of the proud. Psalm exxiii.
\} The nonest: the nonce. For tlie purpose. En."]
COMMON PLACES ENTREATED.
The authority of bishops 488
St James's mass and others' 495
England received not the faith from Rome 510
None is universal bishop over all 518
Kxtreme unction is no sacrament 524
Our cliurch service 533
Communion. Burials. Communion-table 541
Altars 547
Confession 553
Fasting 55(5
Lent "^ 560
Marriage of priests 564
Ordering of ministers 580
Succession 597
The people learn the scriptures 608
The prince's authority in religion,. 625
at Honiron ftg WB^l-
at t))z Mm cntr of ^au=
Us, at tf)c spgnc of
tf)e l^eUge=
f)oggc.
H The tenth of March.
Anno. 1563.
f ^ Though the Sermon of bishop Pilkington, ^vhic•h gave rise to the
preceding tontrovei-sy, is not extant, and probably never was printed,
(see note, p. 481.) yet we have a very minute abstract of its contents,
published by Seres himself only on the Tueadinj following the sermon.
This abstract is preserved in a Tract printed and published on that
day by Seres, and reprinted in the Archaologia, Vol. xi. p. 74, London,
1794, and from thence in the new edition of Dugdale's History of St
Paul's. The title-page of this Tract is :
"The true Report
uf the buniATig of the Steple
and Churche of Poulct,
in London.
Jeremy, xviii.
I will speake suddenlye agaynst a nati-
on, or agaynste a kjmgdome, to plucke
it up; and to roote it out, and dcstroye
it. But yf that nation, agaynste
whom I have pronounced, turnc
from their wickedness, I wyll re-
pent of the plage that I thought
to brynge uppon
them.
Imprynted at London, at the
West ende of Panics ("hurch
at the Sygne of the Hedghogge,
by M'"ylliam
Seres.
Cum privilcgio ad imprimendum
solum.
Aimo 156L The x of June."
The Rev. S. Denne, in communicating this tract to the Arcliypologia,
says : " The passage from Jeremiah printed in the title-page was, it may
be presumed, the text to bishop Pilkington's sermon, the substance of
which so speedily issued from the press of Master Seres."
The former part of the tract gives an interesting nai-rative of the fire,
and then concludes with the following abstract of the bishop's Sermon :
On S)nday folowing, beynge the viii day of June, the reverend in
God, the Bishop of Duresmc, at Panics Cros'-c, nuide a leamcd and fruit-
ful scnnon, exhorting the auditory to u general repentance, and namely
to humble obediecc of the lawes and superior powers, which vertuc is
much decayed in these our <laics. Seeming to have intellygOce from
the Queenes highnes, that her Majestie inteiideth that more severitie <»f
lawes shall l>c executed against persons disolnxlycnt, as well in causes of
religion as civil, to the great rejoysing of his auditoui-s. He cxliorted
also hys audiece to take this as a general warningc to the whole realmc,
and namclye to the citie of London, of some greater plage to folow, if
amcndenicnte of lyfe in all states did not ensue : He muclie reproved
those persons wliiche would assigne the cause of this wrathe of God to
ahy particular state of me, or that were diligent to loke into other
men's lyves, and could see no faultes in themselfes; but wished that
every man wold descend into himselfe, and say with David, Ego sum
qui peccavi : I am he that hath sinned ; and so furth, to that effect very
godlye. He also not onely reproved the prophanatyon of the said churche
of Panics, of long time heretofore abused by walking, jangling, brawling,
fighting, bargaining, &c., namely in sermons and service time ; but also
auswered by the way to the objections of such evil-tunged persos, which
do impute this token of God's deserved ire. to alteratio or rather refor-
matio of rcligio, declarmg out of aucicnt records and histories, y^ like,
yea and greater matters, had befallen in the time of superstitio and
ignorance. For in the first year of King Stephe, not only the said
churche of Paules was brent, but also a great part of the city, that is to
say fro Londo Bridge unto St Clemets without Teple bar, was by fier
cosumed. And in y*^ daies of King Hery VI. y^ Steple of Paules was
also fired by lightning, although it was then staide by diligece of y*'
citizens, y^ fier being the by likely hode not so fierce. Many other suche
like comon calamities he rehersed, which had happened in other coutreis,
both nigh to this realm, and far of, where the church of Rome hath most
authority, and therefore concluded the surest way to be, y' every man
should judge, cxamin, and amed himselfe, and embrace, beleve, and
truely folow y^ word of God, and earnestly to pray to God to turn away
fro us his deserved wrath and indignation, whereof this his terrible work
is a most ccrtcin warning, if we repent not unfeinedly. The whiche God
grat may come to passe in all estates and degrees, to y^ glory of his
name, and to our endlesse comforte, in Christ our Saviour, Amen.
God Save the Qucene.
So ends the Tract published by W. Seres, probably from his own
notes of the Sermon, only two days after it was preached. And this is
]icrhaps all the printing of the sermon which Strype refers to. Life of
Parker, Book ii. ch. 5. where he states that " Pilkinton, bishop of Dur-
ham, a great preacher, made a sermon at Paul's Cross on this occasion,
which was afterwards printed and entitled, &c."
After all that has been written on the subject of this fire, it is stated
by Baker, (MS. History of St John's College, Cambridge, of which the
original is in the British Museum,) that it arose from an accident through
the carelessness of a plumber: he remarks, ''Had he (Pilkington) out-
lived tlie i)lumber tliat burnt that church by his carelessness, he would
have known the true cause by the poor man's own confession." But
wjiatcver may be tlie case as to the fact here mentioned, the conclusion
intended to be drawn docs not follow : the pious bishop would still have
dealt with circumsUmcc as a judgment and warning. See his remarks
in p. 608— y. Ed.]
MISCELLANEOUS PIECES.
SERMON
Al THt RESTITUTION OF
MARTIN BUCER AND PAULUS PHAGIUS.
(From Foxes Acts and Monuments, p. 196G — 8, edit. 1583.)
[]The Commissioners appointed by the queen to make a reformation
of rclij^ion in the University of Cambridge and other parts of the realm,
having addressed their lettei-s to the Vice-Chancellor of tlie University
touching the restitution of Bucer and Phagius to the degi-ees and titles of
honour which had been taken from them after their death, and the re-
pealing of all acts done against them and their doctrine ; these demands
were openly consented unto by all tlie graduates of the University : and
a congregation being called in St Mary's Church on the 30th of July,
1560, an oration was made on the occasion by Master Acworth, the
common orator of the Univei"sity.]
WiiK.N Acworth Iiad made an end of his oration, Master
James Pilkington, the queen's reader of tlie divinity lecture,
going up into the pulpit, made a sermon upon the 1 1 2tli psalm,
the beginning whereof is : " Blessed is the man that feareth
the Lord/'
Where, intending to prove that the remembrance of the tiu
iust man shall not i)erisli, and that ]]ucer is blessed, and that Jam.
the ungodly shall fret at the sight thereof, but yet that all their
attempts shall be to no purpose, to the intent this saying may
be verified, '' I will cm*se your blessings, and bless your curs- [^'»i
ings ;" he took his beginning of his own person, that albeit he
were both ready and willing to take tliat matter in hand, partly
for the worthiness of the matter itself, and in especially for cer-
tain singular virtues of those persons for whom that congrega-
tion was called, yet notwithstanding, he said, he was nothing
meet to take that charge upon him. For it were more reason,
that h(? which liefore had done JJucer wrong, should now make
him amends for the displciisure. As for his own i)art, lie was
so far from working any evil against IJucer, either in word or
deed, that for their .singular knowledge almo.st in all kind of
learning he embraced both him and IMiagius \Nith all his
652 SERMON AT THK RESTITUTION OF
heart : but yet he somewhat more favoured Bucer, as \\ith
>\hom he had more famiharity and acquaintance. In con-
sideration whereof, although that it was scarce convenient
rhat he at that time should speak, yet notwithstanding he was
contented, for friendship and courtesy sake, not to fail them
lii this their business.
Having made this preface, he entered into the pith of the
matter ; wherein he blamed greatly the barbarous cruelty of
the court of Rome, so fiercely extended against the dead. He
said, it was a more heinous matter than was to be borne with,
to have shewed such extreme cruelness to them that were alive ;
but for any man to misbehave himself in such wise toward the
dead, was such a thing as had not lightly been heard of: saving
that he affirmed this custom of excommunicatino; and cursinjj
of dead folk to have come first from Eome. For Evagrius re-
porteth in his writings, that Eutychius was of the same opinion,
induced by the example of Josias, who slew the priests of Baal,
and burnt up the bones of them that w^ere dead, even upon the
altars. Whereas, before the time of Eutvchius this kind of
punishment was well near unknown, neither afterward usurped
of any man, that ever he heard of, until a nine hundred years
after Christ. In the latter times, (the which how much the
further they were from that golden age of the apostles, so much
the more they were corrupted,) this kind of cruelness began to
creep further. For it is manifestly known, that Stephen the
sixth, pope of Rome, digged up Formosus, his last predecessor
in that see ; and spoiling him of his pope's apparel, buried him
again in layman's apparel, (as they call it,) having first cut off
and thrown into Tiber his two fingers, with which, according
to their accustomed manner, he was wont to bless and conse-
crate. The which his unspeakable tyranny used against For-
mosus, within six years after, Sergius the third increased also
against the same Formosus. For taking up his dead body,
and setting it in a pope's chair, he caused his head to be smit-
ten off, and his other three fingers to be cut from his hand, and
his body to be cast into the river of Tiber, abrogating and dis-
annulHng all his decrees ; which thing was never done by any
man before that day. The cause why so great cruelty was
exercised (by the report of Nauclerus) was this : because that
Formosus had been an adversary to vStephen and Sergius, when
they sued to be made bishops.
MARTIN' nuCER AND PAULUS PHAGIUS. (j53
This kind of cruelty, unheard of before, the popes awhile
exercised one against another. But now, or ever they had
sufficiently felt the smart thereof themselves, thev had turned
the same upon our necks. Wherefore it was to be wished
tliat, seeinc: it beoran amonjj them, it mifjht have remained still
with the authors thereof, and not have been spread over thence
unto us. But such was the nature of all evil, that it quickly
passeth into example, for others to do the like. For about the
year of our Lord 1400 [1428], John Wickliffe was in like
manner digged up, and burnt into ashes, and thrown into a
brook that runneth by the town where he was buried. Of the
which self-same sauce tasted also ^^^illiam Tracy of Gloucester,
a man of a worshipful house, because he had written in his last
will that he should be saved only by faith in Jesus Christ, and
that there needed not the help of any man thereto, whether
he were in heaven or in earth ; and therefore bequeathed no
legacy to that purpose, as all other men were accustomed to
do. This deed wixs done sithens we may remember, about
the twenty-second year of the reign of king Henry the eighth,
in the year of our Lord \^)oO.
Now, seeing they extended such cruelty to the dead, he said,
it was an easy matter to conjecture what they would do to the
livinrr. AN'hereof we had sufficient trial bv the exam])les of
our own men, these few years past. And if wo would take
the pains to peruse things done somewhat longer ago, we
minrht find notable matters out of our own chronicles, llov,-
beit it was sufficient, for the manifest demonstration of that
matter, to declare the beastly butchery of the French king, ex-
ecuted uj^on the ^^'aldenses at Cabrier and the places near
thereabout, by his cajjtain Miner, about the year of our Lord
1 .■>4o ; than the which there was never thing read of more
cruelty done, no, not even of the barbarous pagans. And yet
for all that, when divers had shewed their uttermost cruelty both
anrainst these and many otiiers, thev were so far from their
purjjose in extinguishing the light of the gosj)el, which they
endeavoured to suppress, that it increased daily more and more.
The which thing Charles tlie Hfth, (tlian whom all Christendom
had not a more prudent prince, nor the church of Christ ahnost
a sorer enemy,) easily |>erceive(l ; and therefore, when he had in
his iiand Luther dead, an<l Melancthon and I\)meran with cer-
654 SERMON AT THE RESTITUTION OF
tain other preachers of the gospel ahve, he not only determined
not any thing extremely against them, nor violated their graves,
but also entreating them gently sent them away, not so much
as once forbidding them to publish openly the doctrine that
they professed. For it is the nature of Christ's church, that
the more that tyrants spurn against it, the more it increaseth
and flourisheth.
A notable proof assuredly of the providence and pleasure
of God in sowing the gospel, was that coming of the Bohe-
mians unto us, to the intent to hear Wickliffe, of whom we
spake before, who at that time read openly at Oxford ; and
also the going of our men to the said Bohemians, when perse-
cution was raised against us. But much more notable was it,
that we had seen come to pass in these our days ; that the
Spaniards, sent for into this realm of purpose to suppress the
gospel, as soon as they were returned home, replenished many
parts of their country with the same truth of religion, to the
which before they were utter enemies. By the which examples
it might evidently be perceived, that the princes of this world
labour in vain to overthrow it, considering how the mercy of
God hath sown it abroad, not only in those countries that we
spake of, but also in France, Pole, Scotland, and almost all
the rest of Europe. For it is said, that some parts of Italy,
(although it be under the pope's nose,) yet do they of late incline
to the knowledge of the heavenly truth. Wherefore sufficient
argument and proof might be taken by the success and in-
creasement thereof, to make us believe that this doctrine is
sent us from heaven, unless we will wilfully be blinded. And if
there were any that desired to be persuaded more at large in
the matter, he might advisedly consider the voyage that the
emperor and the pope with both their powers together made
jointly against the Bohemians; in the which the emperor
took such an unworthy repulse of so small a handful of his
enemies, that he never almost in all his life took the like dis-
honour in any place. Hereof also might bo an especial ex-
ample that death of Henry, king of France, who the same day
that he had purposed to persecute the church of Christ, and to
have burned certain of his guard, whom he had in prison for
religion, at whose execution he had promised to have been
himself in proper person, in the midst of his triumph, at a
MARTIN m'CER AND PAULU.^ PIIAGd'S. 6')')
tonmey, was wounded so sore in the head with a spear by one
of his own subjects, that ere it was long after he died. In the
which Ijehalf the dreadful judgments of God were no less ap-
proved in our own countrymen. For one that was a notable
slauo^hterman of Christ's saints, rotted alive ; and ere ever he Stephen
~ ^ Gardiner
died, such a rank savour steamed from all his bodv, that none of ^' ^^ incues-
ter.
his friends were able to come at him, but that they were ready
to vomit. Another, being in utter despair well nigh of all health,
howled out miserably. The third ran out of his wits. And divers
other, that were enemies to the church, perished miserably in
the end. All the which things were most certain tokens of the
favour and defence of the divine majesty towards his church,
and of his wrath and vengjeance towards the tvrants.
And forasmuch as he had made mention of the Bohemi-
ans, he said, it was a most apt example that was reported of
their captain Zisca : who, when he should die, willed his body
to be slain, and of his skin to make a parchment to cover the
head of a drum : for it should come to pass, that when his
enemies heard the sound of it, they should not be able to stand
against them. The like counsel, he said, he himself now gave
them as concernin"; iiucer ; that like as the Bohemians did
with the skin of Zisca, the same should they do with the argu-
ments and doctrine of JJucer : for as soon as the papists
should hear the noise of him, their gewgaws would forthwith
decay. For saving that they used violence to such as witli-
stood them, their doctrine contained nothing that might seem
to any man, having but mean understanding in holy scripture,
to be grounded upon any reason. As for those things tliat
were done by them against such as could not play the madmen
as well as they, some of them savoured of open force, and some
of ridiculous foolishness. For what was this first of all ? was
it not frivolous, that by the space of three years togetlier mass
should be sung in those places where Bucerand Phagius rested
in the Lord, without any offence at all ; and as soon as they
took it to l:)e an offence, straightway to be an offence if any
were heard there? or that it sliould not 1)0 as good then as
it was before? — as if that then ui)on the sudden it had been
a heinous matter to celebrate it in that place, and that the
fault that was j)ast should be counted the grievouser, because
it was done of lontrer time before.
sometime
iiia\or of
Uic town
GTyC) SERMON AT THE nESTITUTION OF
Moreover, this was a matter of none effect, that Bucer and
Phagius only should be digged up, as who should say, that he
alone had embraced the religion which they call heresy. It was
well known, how one of the burgesses of the town had been
r.iiuip, minded toward the popish religion : who, when he should die,
willed neither ringing of bells, diriges, nor any other such kind
of trifles to be done for him in his anniversary, as they term it ;
but rather, that they should go with instruments of music before
the mayor and council of the city, to celebrate his memorial, and
also that yearly a sermon should be made to the people, be-
queathing a piece of money to the preacher for his labour.
Neither might he omit in that place to speak of Ward, the
painter ; who, albeit he were a man of no reputation, yet was he
not to be despised for the religion sake which he diligently fol-
lowed. Neither were divers other more to be passed over with
silence, who were known of a certainty to have continued in the
same sect, and to rest in other churchyards in Cambridge, and
rather through the whole realm, and yet defiled not their masses
at all. All the which persons, (forasmuch as they were all of
one opinion,) ought all to have been taken up, or else all to have
been let lie with the same religion : unless a man would grant,
that it lieth in their power to make what they list lawful and
unlawful at their own pleasure.
In the condemnation of Bucer and Phagius, to say the truth,
they used too nmch cruelty and too much violence. For how-
soever it went with the doctrine of Bucer, certainly they could
find nothing whereof to accuse Phagius, inasmuch as he wrote
nothing that came abroad, saving a few things that he had
translated out of the Hebrew and Chaldee tongues into Latin :
after his coming into the realm he never read, he never dis-
puted, he never preached, he never taught ; for he deceased so
soon after, that he could in that time give no occasion for his
adversaries to take hold on, whereby to accuse him, whom they
never heard speak. In that they hated Bucer so deadly for the
allowable marriage of the clergy, it v»'as their own malice con-
ceived against him, and a very slander raised by themselves.
For he liad for his defence in that matter, over and besides
other helps, the testimony of the pope Pius the second, who in
a certain place saith, that upon weighty considerations priests'
wives were taken from them, but for more weighty causes were
MARTIN BUCEK AND PAULL'S PHAGIL'S. Go7
to be restored again ; and also the statute of the emperor,
(they call it the Interim^) by the which it is enacted, that
such of the clergy as were married should not be divorced
from their wives.
Thus turning his style from this matter to the university,
he reproved in few words their unfaithfulness towards these men.
For if the Lord suffered not the bones of the king of Edom,
being a wicked man, to be taken up and burnt without revenge-
ment (as saith Amos), let us assure ourselves, he will not suffer [Amos ii.i.]
so notable a wrong done to his godly preachers, unrevenged.
Afterward, when he came to the condemnation (which we told
you in the former action was pronounced by Perne, the vice-
chancellor, in the name of them all), being somewhat more moved
at the matter, he admonished them, how nnich it stood them
in hand to use great circumspectness, what they decreed upon
any man by their voices, in admitting or rejecting any man to
the promotions and degrees of the university. For that which
should take his authority from them, should be a great preju-
dice to all the other multitude, which (for the opinion that it
had of their doctrine, judgment, allowance, and knowledge) did
think nothing but well of them. For it would come to pass,
that if they would bestow their promotions upon none but meet
persons, and let the unmeet go as they come, both the common-
wealth should receive much commodity and profit by them, and
besides that they should highly please God. J hit if they per-
sisted to be negligent in doing thereof, they should grievously
endamage the common weal, and worthily work their own shame
and reproach. Over and besides that, they should greatly of-
fend the majesty of G(xl, whose commandment, not to bear
false witness, they should in so doing break and violate.
In the mean while that he was speaking these and many
other things before his audience, many of the university, to set
out and defend ]3ucer withal, beset the walls of the church and
church-porch on both sides with verses, some in Latin, some in
Greek, and some in English, in the which they made a manifest
declaration how they were minded both toward Ihicer and IMia-
gius. Finally, when his sermon was ended, they made common
.supplication and prayers. After thanks rendered to God for
many other things, but in especially for restoring of tlie true
and sincere religion, eveiy man departed his way.
42
[i»n-Ki.\(;T0N.]
LETTER
TO
THE EARL OF LEICESTER,
IN BEHALF OP THE
REFUSERS OF THE HABITS.^
(From Strype's Life of Archbishop Parker, Appendix xxv. Vol. iii.
p.69. Oxford, 1821.)
Right honourable, my duty considered, and under cor-
rection :
I understand by common report, and I fear too true, that
there is great offence taken with some of the ministery for not
P In Tanner's account of Bishop Pilkington there is mention made
of an "Epistola Consolatoria (contra usum vestium pontif. in sacris)" as
existing in the MSS. of the Bodleian. This appears to be a mistake.
There are two MS. letters of Pilkington's in that collection, viz. this to
"the Right Hon. Lord Rob. Dudley, Earl of Leicester," and the Latin letter
to his brother-in-law, Andrew Kingsmill, inserted in the Appendix to this
volume. The " comfortable letter " is found in a printed volume in the
same Ubrary, and is only another form of the present letter. The author
appears to liave made a double use of this letter, addressing it as a letter
of comfort to the refusers of the habits, and as a letter of intercession to
the earl of Leicester on their behalf: or more probably, the former use
was not made of it by himself, but by some one else after his deatli.
There is no reason to think that in either form he wrote it m Latin.
There are some unimportant variations between the letter as printed by
Strype from a manuscript in his possession, and that in the volume above
mentioned; chiefly to change the form of the letter from that of an
address to an influential individual to that of a consolatory epistle to
"the refusers of the habits": but these, as already noticed, do not appear
to have been made by Bishop Pilkmgton himself, but at a later date. —
The beginning and ending are here subjoined, as they stand in the
printed book; which is that "very rare" volume entitled, A parte of a
Register, printed 1593, at Edinburgh, an account of which, and the
circumstances attending its suppression, is given by Herbert in his
Typographical Antiquities; Vol. iii. p. 1414. See also Archbishop Ban-
croft's Dangerous Positions, as there quoted.
"Grace and peace, with all manner spiritual feeling and living worthy
of the kindness of Christ, be with all that thirst after the will of God.—
To my faithful and dear brethren in Christ Jcsu : As in common dangers
LETTER TO THE EARL OF LEICESTER. 059
using such apparel as the rest do. Therefore, as in great
common dangers of fire or such hke, they that be far off come
to succom- those that have need ; so I, being out of that jeopardy
and far off, cannot but of duty wish well to those that be touched
in this case. In this hberty of God's truth, which is taught
plainly ^^^thout offence in the greatest mysteries of our religion
and salvation, I marvel much that this small controversy for
apparel should be so heavily taken. But this is the malice of
Satan, that where he cannot overthrow the greatest matters, he
will raise great troubles in trifles. Peter and Paul agreed in
the chiefest articles of our salvation ; and yet they differed so
about meats, that Paul withstood and rebuked him openly.
Paul and Barnabas fell at such bitter contention, whether Mark
should go with them or no, so that they parted companies, and
went either sundiy ways. God defend us from the like ! Paul
circumcided Timothy, when there was hope to win the Jews ;
but when they \\ould have it of necessity, he would not circum-
cide Titus. Therefore compelling would not be used in things
of liberty. In this rude superstitious people, on the borders,
priests go with sword, dagger, and such coarse apparel as they
can get, not being curious or scrupulous what colour or fashion
it be, and none is offended at them. ]3ut such grief to be taken
at a cap among them that are civil and full of knowledge, is
lamentable. Consider, I beseech your honour, how that all
countries, which have reformed religion, have cast away the
popish apparel with the pope ; and yet we, that would be taken
for the best, contend to keep it as a holy relic. Mark also,
how many ministers there be here in all countries, that be so
zealous, not only to forsake that wicked doctrine of popery-, but
ready to leave the ministery and their livings, rather than to be
hke the popish teachers of such superstitions, either in apparel
or behaviour. This realm has such scarcity of teachers, that if
so many worthy men should be cast out of the ministery for such
small matters, many })laces should ];e destitute of i)rcachers.
of fire or such like, well beloved, they that be far off come to succour
those that have need ; so I, bemg out of jeopardy, &c."
"(iod grant that we may give all honour to whom all honour is due,
l)oth inwaRlIy and outwardly, to servi- him unfeignedly all the days of
our life. Farewell, dear brethren in tlic Lord tJesus, who ever keep us in
his faith, fear, and love for ever. Amen." Ed.]
42— i3
660 LETTER TO THE EARL OF LEICESTER.
And it would give an incurable offence to all the favourers of
God's truth in other countries. Shall we make so precious that,
that other reformed places esteem as vile? God forbid. St
Paul bids women use such apparel as becomes them that pro-
fess true godliness. Which rule is much more to be observed
of men, and specially preachers. But if we forsake popery
as wicked, how shall we say their apparel becomes saints and
professors of true holiness I St Paul bids us refrain from all
outward shew of evil : but surely, in keeping this popish apparel,
we forbear not an outward shew of much evil, if popeiy be
judged evil. As we would have a divers shew of apparel to be
known from the common people, so it is necessary in apparel to
have a shew, how a protestant is to be known from a papist.
It has pleased God to call your lordship to honour worthily,
(God be praised for it !) and the same God will preserve and
increase it, if ye diligently endeavour yourself to set forth his
glory again. For so he has promised, " Honorantes me glori-
ticabo ; qui vero contemnunt me, contemnentur.'' When Hester
made courtesy to speak for God's people, being in danger, Mar-
docheus said to her : "Si nunc tacueris, alia ratione libera-
buntur, et tu et domus patris tui peribitis." Wherein it easily
appears by these threatenings, how great a fault it is, not to
help God's people in their need, or not to further religion when
they may. But of your good lordship's inclination to further
God's cause no man doubts ; and seeing many good men have
felt and rejoiced of it, I am bolder to crave it. When Teren-
tius,^ a good christian captain, returned with great triumph and
victory, the emperor Valens bad him ask what he would, and
he should have it, for his good service : he, having God afore
his eyes, desired neither riches nor honour, but that those
which had aventured their lives for true religion, might have a
chiu-ch allowed them to serve their God purely in, and several
from the Arians. The emperor, being angry with his request,
pulls his supplication in pieces, and bade him ask some other
things. ]3ut he gathered up the pieces of his paper, and said,
" I have received my reward, I will ask nothing else." God
mcrease about princes the small number of such zealous suitors
and promoters of religion ; and then, no doubt, God's glory shall
Hourish, when we seek his due honour, and not our own profit.
C See p. 324. Ed.]
LKTTER TO THE EARL OF LEICESTEK. 661
Your honourable gentleness toward all has encouraged me thus
boldly to speak for this case ; and I doubt not, but your ac-
customed goodness has sundry times spoken in it ; and though
ye speed not at the first, yet importunity procures many things
in time. Austin in mine opinion gives a good rule, how a man
should behave himself in contentions of religion, to avoid both
schisms and breaking the quietness and peace of christian men ;
which God grant might take place in this case ! '* Quisquis
quod potest arguendo corrigit, vel quod con*igere non potest,
salvo pacis vinculo excludit, vel quod salva pace excludere non
potest tolerat, lequitate improbat : hie est pacificus, et a male-
dicto alienus/' Contra Epist. Par.=
]5ut how this christian peace should be kept in this church,
when so many, for so small things, shall be thrust from their
minister}' and livings, it passes my simple wit to conceive. St
Paul's rule in such things is, '• Omnia mihi licent, sed non
omnia expediunt : omnia mihi licent, sed omnia non sedificant.'"*
Therefore in this case we must not so subtilly dispute, what
christian liberty would suffer us to do, but what is meetest
and most edifying for christian charity and promoting pure
religion. 15ut surely, how popish apparel should edify, or set
forward the gospel of Christ Jesus, cannot be seen of the
multitude. Nay, it is so much felt, how much it rejoices the
adversary', when they see what we borrow of them, and contend
for therein, as things necessary. The bishops' wearing of their
white rochets began first of Sisinius, an heretic bishop of the
Novatians : and these other have the like foundation. Ihit thev
have so long continued and pleased popery, which is beggarly
patched up of all sorts of ceremonies, that they could never be
rooted out since, even from many professors of the truth.
Thus, setting shame aside in God's cause, and forgetting my
duty in troubling your honour so much. I most humbly beseech
your honour to defend this cause, though it be with some dis-
pleasuro. God will reward it.
Ihit while T defend others, it may 1)0 said, " Medice, cura
teipsum /"' and let your doings and sayings agree in yourself.
Surely, my good lord, though I in this ca.se follow St Austin's
rule afore rehearsed, vet should not anv man's doinj^s be a
P (.'on. Epist. Parmcn. Li!), ii. cap. 3. Tom. ix. p. 82. Paris. 1837. Ed.]
662 LETTER TO THE EARL OF LEICESTER.
prejudice to others that would come to a better perfection.
Though things may be borne with for christian Hberty sake for
a time, in hope to win the weak ; yet, when Hberty is turned to
necessity, it is evil, and no longer liberty: and that that was for
^vinning the weak suffered for a time, is becomen the confirm-
ino" of the froward in their obstinateness. Paul used circumcision
for a time, as of liberty ; but when it was urged of necessity,
he would not bend unto it. Bucer, when he was asked why
he did not wear "quadrato pileo,'' made answer, "Quia
caput non est quadratum." Wherein surely he noted well the
comeliness of apparel to be, when it was fashioned like the body,
and great folly, when a square cap was set on a round head.
God be merciful to us, and grant us uprightly to seek his honour
mth all earnestness and simplicity ! The Lord long preserve
your lordship to the comfort of his afflicted church, and gi-ant,
that in this old age of the world we may serve the Lord of hosts
in singleness of heart, and root out all stumbling blocks in
religion ; that Christ's glory may nakedly shine of its self, with-
out all man's traditions or inventions, as in the beginning, when
it was purest, and all such devices unknown, but invented of late
to blear the eyes of the ignorant vdth an outward shew of holi-
ness. So craving pardon for my boldness in so long a tale, I
humbly take my leave, and commend your honour to him that
gives all honour, and to whom all honour is due.
Yom* honour's to command,
J. A. DURESME.
From my house at Awcland the
25th of October, 1564.
EXTRACTS
FROM
THE STATUTES OF RIVINGTON SCHOOL,
IN THE COUNTY OF LANCASTER,
FOUNDED BY BISHOP PILKINGTON.
From the "Statutes and Charter of Rivington School, &c. By the
Rev. J. Whitaker, M.A." 8vo. London. 1837.)
I. Meetings of the Governours.
But before they begin to talk, they shall call on God by
prayer severally, every one by himself, desiring God so to rule
their minds, that they may do those things that be for his glor}-,
and profit to his people ; and if they meet for the choosing of a
governour, or schoolmaster, they shall procure also an exlioi*ta-
tion to be made by the schoolmaster, or some other learned
man, to move them to consider deeply their duty and weighty
cause that they have to do, declaring to them what good may
follow in choosing a good man, and what harm, if they do not.
Chap. II. p. 147-8.
1 1 . Character of the Governours.
The schoolmaster, usher, or curate, shall not be chosen a
governour ; but it shall be well to use the assistance and advice
of them, and other honest neighbours, as occasion shall serve :
none shall be chosen a governour also, but he that is sober, wise,
discreet, a favourer of God's word, and profea'^or of pure re-
ligion, and is a hater of all false doctrine, popish superstition
and idolatry : further, he that is chosen a governour, must be
of honest name and behaviour, no adulterer nor fornicator, no
drunkard nor gamester, no waster of his onnti goods, but able
to live of himself.
Chap. III. p. 150-1.
664 EXTRACTS FROM THE STATUTES
III. An oath to he taken of every one that is appointed and
chosen Governoitr.
I, A. B., chosen governour of this school of Rivington, do
swear and promise here afore God and the world, that I shall
be true and diligent in this office of governing this school,
scholars, and goods thereto belonging, to the uttermost of my
power and knowledge ; I shall suffer no popery, superstition,
nor false doctrine, to be taught nor used in this school, but only
that which is contained in the Holy Bible and agreeing there-
with. These statutes of governing, nurture, learning, and teach-
ing, which James Pilkington, bishop of Durham, hath allowed
and appointed for this school, I shall see diligently practised and
put in use. The goods and lands belonging now to this school,
or that hereafter shall belong, I shall not consent at any time to
tiu*n them or any of them to any other use, but on the school,
schoolmaster, usher, and scholars only ; such lands or rents as
be given or shall be given to this school hereafter, or bought, I
shall never consent to sell, change, give, or put away, all or any
part of them, except it be for procuring as good or better, and
of the same yearly value at the least, and to be bestowed on this
school as the other was ; and that I shall see done afore any
bargain and putting away of any lands, rents, or goods be made,
stated, and dehvered : w'hat office or charge soever shall be put
to me by the governours of this school, I shall willingly take it,
and faithfully to my wit, power, and knowledge discharge it, so
help me God, and as I hope to be saved by Jesus Christ.
p. 154-6.
IV. Devotions of the Scholars.
In the morning, afore they come out of their chamber, every
scholar shall pray kneeling, as foUoweth :
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Ghost, Amen. Most merciful God and loving Father, I give
thee most hearty thanks for that it hath pleased thy godly
Majesty to save, defend, and keep me thy unworthy servant all
this night, and hath safely brought me to the beginning of this
day, and for all other thy benefits and blessings, which of thine
only goodness and not for our deserving thou hast bestowed, not
only on me, most vile, wretched, and miserable sinner, but also
OF BIVINGTOX SCHOOL. 665
on all other thy people and servants most plenteously. I beseech
thy fatherly goodness for Jesus Christ's sake not to deal with
us as we have deser\'ed, but forgive us our manifold wickedness,
whereby we have provoked thine anger and heavy displeasure
to be poured upon us ; and grant me and all thy people, quietly,
without all dangers and assaults of our enemies, to pass this
day, and all the rest of our lives, in thy holy service ; that as
the darkness of this night is past, and my weak body refreshed
with sleep through thy goodness, so thy heavenly grace may
lighten my heart, and stir up this sinful flesh and sluggish
body, \\iningly to walk in thy commandments and obedience
of thy word ; that I may worthily praise thy holy name in this
life, and after be partaker of that glory which thou hast pre-
pared for them that love thee ; through the bloodshed of thy
dear Son Jesus Christ, our God and only Saviour. Amen.
After this he shall say the 2oth Psalm, " I lift up my soul
unto the Lord,'' &lc. then desiring God to increase his faith, he
shall rehearse the articles of his belief, " I believe in God the
Father Almighty,'' &c., and last of all, the Lord's prayer, ''Our
Father, which art in heaven," &c.
Every time afore they begin to eat breakfast, dinner, or
supper, they shall begin with prayer openly, that all in the
house may pray with them, as this : — " The eyes of all things
look up and trust in thee, O Lord," &c. ; and so after meat
likewise they shall give God thanks for the repast which they
have received, as thus, viz. " Most mighty Lord and merciful
Father, we give thee hearty thanks for our bodily sustenance,"
&c. Which graces and divers others more, because they be
printed in the catechism and other places, I will not rehearse
here, but will that the schoolmaster and usher see dilijrentlv,
that every one of the scholars can say perfectly by heart divers
sorts of them, and use them reverently, or else be duly cor-
rected therefore.
Pif'tas Mendiana.
And because the number of (iod's mercies and blessings
are infinite, and plenteously j)Oured every minute of an hour
upon us, and the forgetfulness of our dull and unthankful minds
hatli no measure, ever after dinner especially, and at other
times also, in his chamber or elsewhere, every one shall by
66 G EXTRACTS FROM THE STATUTES
himself say, and consider with himself, the 103rd Psalm, " My
soul, praise thou the Lord," &;c. and then, as David doth here
reckon the great number of blessings that God hath plenteously
poured upon him, so every one shall enter an account with him-
self, what mercies and special blessings God hath poured upon
him from his childhood, and give God hearty thanks for every
one of them, as the prophet in the psalm doth : for this thankful
kind of receiving goods is a provoking God, of his fatherly kind-
ness, continually to pour more of them on us plenteously, as the
unthankful taking and using of them is likewise a cause of the
loosing and taking away of those mercies which he hath already
given, or would most lovingly give us : that done, he shall pray
as folio weth : " Eternal God and loving Father, who lovedst us
when we hated thee, and pourest thy blessings plenteously on
us when we are unthankful unto thee ; give us, we beseech thee
now, hearts to love thee, that we may think upon thy manifold
mercies, and thank thee for the same ; root out of us this
unthankful forgetfulness of thee, and of thy name and great
mercies ; make us often worthily to consider this thy fatherly
dealing with us, that from henceforth we may become new
men, and may worship, love, and obey thee as becometh good
children, through Christ our Lord. Amen."
Fief as Vespertina.
Likewise at night, afore they go to bed, they shall, on their
knees, first say the Ten Commandments ; and afterwards ex-
amine themselves diligently, how they have lived according
unto them, and spent that whole day; what company they have
been in, what evil or bawdy talk, vain oaths, chiding, or slan-
dering they have used ; then, what shrewd turns they have
done, how slow they have been to do good, and how much de-
lighted in filthy thoughts and naughty deeds: which being
done, they shall with sorrowful hearts and tears ask God for-
giveness for that they have so lewdly misbehaved themselves,
in breaking his holy laws, provoking him to anger, and deserv-
ing so grievous punishment for the same ; and then say the
fifty-first psalm, " Have mercy. Lord, on me, according to thy
great mercy," &c., diligently considering every word and verse
in it. Then shall follow this prayer :
OF RIVINGTON SCHOOL. 667
"All praise and tlianks be to thee, 0 Lord, for that thou
hast vouchsafed to look down out of thv holv heavens in this
vale of misery, on us thy miserable creatures, and liast saved us
this day from all dangers and assaults of our enemies : Forgive
us, most gracious God, ^vhere we have offended thy divine
majesty in word, thought, or deed, and strengthen us by thy
Holy Spirit, that we never fall more from thee : and as thou
hast ordained the day for man to travel and labom* in, and the
night to rest and refresh our feeble bodies ; so we beseech thy
fatherly goodness, that thou wilt defend and keep us from all
perils of this night, that, our bodies taking rest and sleep,
which is the imaffe of death, our minds may think on thee
which only giveth life, and not be overcome with any tempta-
tions of the devil ; that we mav afterwards cheerfullv rise, and
painfully labour in our vocations to the praise of thy holy
name, and the profit of thy people ; and that lastly, both in
body and soul, we may be partakers of that kingdom, which
Christ thy dearly beloved Son, our Lord and Redeemer, hath
wrought for us with the shedding of his precious blood : to
whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost, be praise in all congre-
gations for ever. Amen."
Then he shall say the Lord's prayer, '• Our Father, which
art in heaven," &c. And so commending himself and all
christian people to God's goodness and merciful keeping, ho
may lie down and take his rest. But it is not sufficient only
to use these prayers evening and morning, but every one shall
learn more such out of the psalms and other godly prayer
books, being not popish.
Chap. V. p. J 65-71.
«
V. Tfie Oath of the Schoolmaster and Usher.
I, A. B., appointed to be schoolmaster (or usher) of this
granunar school in llivington, do swear and pronn'sc here afore
God and the world, that I will unfcignedly, unto the uttermost
of my power, teach all such sorts of those that T have to do
withal, the tnie fear of God, as it is written in his holy word,
and shall set fonvard no other reh'gion nor worship of (iod, but
that which shall bo contained in the Holy Hiblc, and agreeing
therewith; all llomish superstition, doctrine, and idolatr>', I
668 EXTRACTS FROM THE STATUTES
sliall not only in conscience abhor, and in deed flee from, but
also shall diligently exliort, persuade, and teach my hearers to
do the same.
I shall also teach my scholars, and bring them up in learn-
ing and good nurture, according to these orders and statutes,
which the governours of this school, with the assent of James
Pilkington, bishop of Durham, have appointed us for that pur-
pose, and so diligently as they may in short time proceed to
higher kinds of learning.
The goods belonging at any time to this school, I shall not
only save as they were my own, and suffer none other to spoil
or waste them to my power ; but I shall counsel and persuade
others to give more thereto ; and if any w^aste be made of
them, I shall declare it to the governours of the school, so soon
as I know it and conveniently may, and help that it may be
restored or recompensed with speed. All which things afore-
said I shall keep to my power, as I shall answer God at the
dreadful day of judgment, and hope to be saved by the death
of Jesus Christ, or look for the comfort of the Holy Ghost in
this hfe.
Chap. VII. p. 193-4.
VI. Morning and Evening Prayers in the School,
As soon as the scholars be assembled in the school in the
morning, at the master^s or usher''s appointment they shall all
fall on their knees to common prayer openly, and begin first
with some general confession, as that which is set forth in the
common book, and appointed to be said before the receipt of
the communion, " Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, Maker of all things, Judge of all men,7 &c. or this
confession that folio weth, or other such like, not being super-
stitious :
" Most terrible and merciful God, we do acknowledge before
thy di\ine majesty, that we are miserable sinners, not only con-
ceived and bom in sin and blindness, but are daily heaping
great wickedness in thy sight. We cannot for shame lift up our
eyes and minds to thee, whom we have so often and so grievously
offended ; yet thy infinite goodness and mercy, shewed in all ages
to them that repent, embolden and encourage us to present our-
selves before thy goodness, to beg and crave some drops of thy
or RIVINGTOX SCHOOL. 069
manifold gifts and graces. Let not our miseries overcome thy
mercies, nor our blind ignorance deface the brightness of thy
gifts in us. ^\'e are unapt unto all goodness, until thou hast
fashioned us anew by thy Holy Spirit, to understand some part
of our duty to thee. We forgret our bounden duties to thee
and to thy people, until it please thy fatherly mercy to enlighten
our minds with thy heavenly grace : frame us anew, most
merciful Lord, from henceforth to serve and fear thee ; stir up
our dull and sluggish nature to the obedience of thy holy word ;
enlighten om* blind and ignorant minds, that we may learn such
tilings as may help us more plainly to behold the treasures thou
hast laid up for us in Christ, thy dearly beloved Son ; to whom,
with the Father and the Holy Ghost, be praise for ever, in all
congregations. Amen.*"*
Then shall be sung or said a psalm or two in prose, if they
be not long, at the discretion of the master or usher, in English,
in order as they stand in the psalter, and then begin again con-
tinually ; and when the psalm is ended, with the Lord's prayer,
the schoolmaster or usher shall say the collect appointed in the
morning prayer, '• 0 Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and
everlasting God, who hast safely brought us to the beginning of
this day," kc. and then this prayer following :
•* Most loving God and merciful Father, which of thine own
iree good will hast stirred up the minds of some of thy ^vell
beloved ser\'ants to have a care and respect to thy church and
people after them, and hast moved them to provide some places
where youth may be brought up in learning and virtue ; we give
thee most hearty thanks for all such, but especially for this
school, which of thy goodness thou hast provided for us. Make
us, we beseech thee, profitable members of thy church and
people, and as thou hast given us wit and aptness to take learn-
ing, so make us to take pleasure and to prosper in the same.
Enlighten our ignorant minds, and stir up our dull and sluggi.sh
natures, to the learning and understanding of such things as
may plea.se thee, and serve to the setting forth of thy glory and
the edifying of thy people. Jiless and increa.se, we pray thee,
the ministers of thy church ; grant that their labours l)e not in
vain. Send forth many diligent workmen into thy harvest, and
of thy goodness accept our Ijoundtn duty and service, and frame
us to .serve thee ; that we may apj)ly our whole study and labour.
G70 EXTRACTS FROM THE STATUTES
SO that out of this school may proceed a number of faithful and
true ministers, that by their labom-s and study thy holy name
may be better had in reverence among all people; and that
learning and virtue may so appear in us, that we may serve
thee as our Master, fear thee as our God, and love thee as our
Father ; to whom, with Jesus Christ thy Son our only Saviour,
and the Holy Ghost the Comforter, be praise for ever. Amen."
Then shall they go to their lectures, and so continue till
eleven o'clock, at which time, after the rehearsal of the ten
commmandents, by a scholar appointed thereto in order through
them all, they shall sing a psalm in English metre, in order
through them as they stand, or part of one, if it be too long ;
and so every one go to dinner, after the master or usher hath
read openly in English a common prayer drawn out of the psalms,
gathered into the form of prayers by Peter Martyr, or some
such like ; that so the scholars may learn to gather the effect
of the psalms into prayers, and use them to their comfort.
Likewise in the evening, before they depart from the school,
they shall sing or say a psalm or two in English prose all to-
gether, if they be not too long, at the discretion of the master
or usher ; which being done, with the Lord's prayer and the
articles of our faith said openly, the master or usher shall pray
openly as foUoweth :
" 0 Lord, our God and only Saviour, which hast ordained all
creatures to serve and obey us for our health and comfort, grant
us, we pray thee, such plenty of thy grace, that we may never
abuse them, nor be found unthankful unto thee : turn and
subdue our stubborn and froward minds to the obedience of
thy holy will. Save and defend, we humbly beseech thee, our
realm and commonwealth ; relieve the oppressed and comfort
the heavy hearted. Protect our king and the honourable
council ; grant unto him and them, and all that be in authority
under them, such godly wisdom, fear, love, and reverence of thy
godly majesty, that they may maintain peace with justice, and
punish sin. Set forward and advance pure religion; suppress
idolatry and superstition ; and of thy goodness make us, 0 Lord,
thy poor servants, profitable members of this commonwealth.
]31ess our studios so in learning and good nurture, that we may
be profitable to many others ; and that by our travail and labour
thy glory may shine and appear to the comfort of thy chosen
OF niVINGTON SCHOOL.
r,7i
people, through Christ our Lord, thy Son ; to whom, with thee
and the Holy Ghost, three Persons and one God, be praise and
thanksgiving tlu'oughout all ages. Amen.''
Chap. viii. p. 199-204.
VII. Catechising,
On Saturdays and holyday eves the usher shall exercise his
younger sort in learning their short catechism in English, in
the common book ; and the same days to all sorts the ma.ster
shall read Mr NowelFs' or Calvin's Catechism, taught in Cal-
vin's Institutions, willing the elder sort both to learn it by heart,
and examine them briefly the next day after, when they come
to school again, before they go to other things, how they can say
it, and shall commend them that have done well, and encourage
others to do the Hke.
Chap. X. p. 215-6.
VIII. Nature and end oftlieir Studies.
But above all thinfjs both the master and the usher shall
continually move their scholars to godliness, both in manners
and conditions ; and jirosper theu- studies, that they may serve*
God and the commonwealth diligently, as becometh Christians
and faithful members of his church ; teachin<r and notinfj unto
them such wise and godly sentences out of the scriptures, and
other authors, as may stir them up more earnestly thereto, and
will them to learn them by heart, and oft to think upon them.
p. 218-9.
IX. Commemoration of the Founder.
Every year once, on that day in which it shall plea.se God
to take James Pilkington, now bishop of Durham, out of this
wretched |life to a better with himself, the scholars shall have
liberty to play, so that they exercise themselves in making
verses, orations,.or declamations severally in praising (iod, that
moved him and others to prepare this school for the bringing
uj» of youth, and proHt of his ehurch.
Likewise the schoolmaster shall yearly, on the same day
openly in the school, or rather the next holiday in the church,
[]' Si'c Nuwcll. Catechism Uii, p. xxi.x. Oxhh, WVX,. ¥Ai.~\
672 EXTRACTS FROM THE STATUTES OF RIVINGTON SCHOOL.
wliethersoever the governours shall appoint him, make some
exhortation to praise God for his fatherly care and providence
towards his people, which stirred some to provide some means
for posterity to be brought up in learning and the fear of God :
and shall further declare the comfortable hope of the last resur-
rection both of body and soul to everlasting life, and of the
blessed state in the mean time of those that die in the Lord
and the faith of Jesus Christ ; that so the hearers may learn
both how to live, and bestow their goods on like godly uses,
and not be afraid to die, nor of the pope's purgatory, when God
calleth them ; but desire with St Paul to be delivered out of
this mortal, sinful, and most wretched body, and to reign with
Christ and his holy angels for ever, at the right hand of God
the Father, through the merits and bloodshed of Jesus Christ
our Lord and only Saviour: to whom, with the Father and
the Holy Ghost, be praise both now and ever. Amen.
p. 220-2.
TRACTATUS JACOBI PILKINGTON,
DUM ERAT STUDENS CANTABRIGI^.
(From the Parker MSS. of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge,
Vol. cv. 15.)
Deus cujus Tult miseretur^ quern mdt indurat.
Humana temeritas cum audit Deum ipsam esse caritatem
et l)onitatem, si quicquam de illius secretis judiciis in repro-
bos perceperit dictum, veluti quod indurat, excfecat, rejicit,
indignum esse clamitat de tanta majestate talia cogitare : sic
tamen hac caecitate nobis placemus, ut ab ea divelli nequea-
mus, et niliil de Deo pronunciari velimus, quod non cum ra-
tione justiticG nostnc et humano judicio per omnia conveniat.
Apud homines condemnare quenquam indicta causa et nullo
commisso flagitio iniquum esse fateor : sed apud Deum, cujus
voluntas est aquissima regiila, et qui niliil quicquam cuiquam
debet, sed pro arbitrio suo justissime quod vult facit, hsec juste
fieri ante facta secula ratione smnma contendo.
Sunuis apud ilium tanquam lutum in manu figuli : at nun-
quam dicit figmentum figiilo, Cur me finxisti sic ? cimi aliud
vas in honorem et aliud in contumeliam effinxerit. Sic tu, cum
non potes capere cur ille reprobos nonnullos vult esse, noli
quod ita fiat calumniari, sed ilium qui id fecit venerare : noli
figulum in operibus suis culi)arc, sed justam illius voluntatem
in secreto suo consilio' cole, admirarc, obstupcscc. Audi apos-
tolum intonantem, et nullam aliam causam reddentem nisi quia
voluerit : Cujus vult miseretur^ inquit, quern cult indurat. Ecce
eandem causam utriusque, nempe misericordiie et indurationis,
nempe Dei voluntatem : hie conquiesce ; hoc uno perturbatam
conscientiam jiacare potes.
Ne audijis furores eorum (pii dicant, Tyrannicum hoc est,
quando (juod libct licet, et (juibus stat pro ratione libido : Deus
est enim, cujus vohuitas aberrare non potest. Nee ilhs credas,
qui ob piievisa mcrita tua hiec fieri coiitendant. lliec nanKjue
[' MS. (wu'iV/o. Ei>.]
43
[PILKINQTON.]
()74 TRACTATUS
omnia ab humano nascimtur judicio, et iis qui nihil credant
quod ratione humana non percipiunt. Crede apostolo cum
dicit, Numquid injustitia apud Deum ? vohntati ejus quis re-
sistit ? Et, Aimon habet figidus potestatem ex eadem massa
facere aliud ms in houorem, et alkid in contiimeliam ? Noli
quferere causam antecedentem aliquam, quae voluntatem Dei
ad quicquam faciendum commoveat; sed illam intellige et crede
priorem esse omnibus, et quse ceteras omnes ad agendum con-
citet.
Audi Augustinum contra Manicliseos disputantem, qui cau-
sam aliquam ponebant priorem voluntate divina, et quse illam
ad^ agendum impelleret, his verbis : " Causas voluntatis Dei,"
inquit, " quserunt, cum voluntas ejus causa sit omnium quae
sunt : si namque causam aliquam habet voluntas Dei, est ali-
quid quod pr?ecedat volimtatem Dei ; quod dicere nefas est.
Compescat se ergo humana temeritas, et id quod non est non
quaerat, ne id quod est non^ inveniat. Voluntas Dei causa
est cceli et terrae, et ideo major est voluntas Dei quam coelum
et terra^" Hsec Augustinus. Si ergo nulla causa, turn propter
opera pi*?evisa nee miseretur nee indurat, sed solum quia vult,
attestante apostolo: Non ex operibus^ sed ex wcante^ dictum
est, Major serviet minori: et priusquam nati essent, et boni
aut etiam mali quicquam fecissent, dixit, Jacob dilexi et Esau
odio habui. Hie conquiescendum ; hie non disputandum, sed
clamandum, 0 altitudo divitiarum, Sfc. Hsec de voluntate.
Misertus est nostri Deus ante jacta fundamenta mundi,
eripiens nos e massa perditionis in qua jacebamus submersi, et
adoptavit nos in filios per Christum suum, in quo et nos elegit
ante tempora, ut essemus sancti et irreprehensibiles coram eo :
miseretur etiam et quotidie tanquam pater dispensans nobis sua
dona i)ro sua prudentia, prout novit ea nobis fore usui. Ni-
hil novum tamen donat; sed quod pro beneplacito suo nobis
daturum se decrevit in Filio ante secula, id nobis distribuit
per Spiritum in tempora. Novit infirmitatem nostram et te-
moritatem, quam inopti sumus ad dispensandum illius dona et
consorvandum : rescrvat ergo sibi thesauros suos ; et cum ad
petendum accedimus, effundit in nos quam opulente.
[' Ad illam ad MS. Ed.] p Deest non in MS. Ed.]
P De Goncsi contra Munich. Lil). i. c. 4. Tom. i. i). 1049. Paris.
18.%-. En.]
DE PR^EDESTINATIOXE.
C7.-
Haec certitudo prsedestinationis nostne per Christum, et fixa
sententia Domini, quia decrevit apud se quod nobis impertiret
boni, aut a Christo alienatis nobis eveniret mali, (et sic quidem
ut nulla de causa conmiutari queat quin quod"* statuit fuit, et
quod non sit statutum non fuit,) alienum videtur nonnullis a
recepta doctrina et orthodoxoruni scriptis, ut ferri non queat.
Veruni qui pncjudicatam non asserunt sententiam, longe aliud
percipient ex lis qua; dixero, non tam quidem e cerebro meo,
quam ex sacratissimis scripturarum penetralibus et patrum
voluminibus.
A patribus. quod illorum auctoritas plus apud nonnullos
poterit quam Spiritus Sancti majestas in scripturis suis : (xre-
gorius, immensa bona ilia descripturus, quiie nobis Pater per
Filium communicavit, et non poenitendo consilio suo et im-
mutabili sententia pra^destinavit, in haec verba prorumpit :
'• Nulla qua? in hoc mundo hunt, absque omnipotentis Dei
consilio veniunt : nam cuncta Deus sequutura praesciens ante
secula decrevit, qualiter per secula disponantur. Statutum
quippe jam est homini, vel quantum hunc mundi prosperitas
sequatur, vel quantum advei*sitas feriat ; ne electos ejus aut
immoderata prosperitas clevet aut nimia adversitas gravet.
Statutum quoque est, quantum in ipsa vita mortali tempora-
liter vivat : nam etsi annos quindecim Ezechiie regi ad vitam
addidit onmipotens Deus, cum eum mori permisit, tunc eum
pi*icscivit esse moriturum. ■ Per prophetam Dominus
dixit, quo tempore mori merebatur : per misericordiam vero
illo eum tempore ad mortem distulit, quod ante secula ipse
|)rtescivit. Nee propheta ergo I'allax, quia tempus innotuit quo
mori merebatur ; nee divina statuta couNiilsa sunt, quia ut ex
largitate Dei anni vitie crescerent, hoe quoque ante secula
pra'fixum fuit, atque spatium vita?, quod inopinato foris est
additum, sine augmento in pnescientia fuit intus statutum. * "
Potest hoc quoque juxta spiritum intelligi ; quia nonnunquam
in virtuti])us proficere conamm*, et quiedam dona percipinuis,
a quibusdam vero repulsi in imis jacemus. Nullus cnim est, qui
tautum virtutis apprchendat. quantum dcsiderat, quia onmipo-
tens Deus, interiora tliscernens, ipsis spiritalibus profectibus
modum ponit, ut ex hoc quod liomo apprehendere conatur et
I' Dccst fjuod in MS. Ed.]
676 TRACTATUS
lion valet, in illis se non elevet quae valet. Unde Paulus, in
tertium coelum raptiis, post revelationem non valebat esse tran-
quillus et intentatus\" ne extoUeretur. Eursus de eo disputans,
quod nullus possit niori nisi eo ipso momento quo moritur,
plura asserit in eandem sententiam, quae et utilia et jucunda
sunt lectu, ego tamen tempori consulens singula prsetereo.
Alibi sic quoque generaliter : " Quicquid foris futurum est in
opere, intus jam factum est in prsedestinatione'.''
Advertite per Deum quod dicit, hsec sic statuta esse ante
secula, quae nobis distribuit per tempora; tum quid boni et mali
sequeretm- singulos, tum etiam quamdiu in hoc ergastulo corporis
viveretm*, et postremo quantos progressus in virtutibus facere-
mus, quia hsec dividit singulis Spiritus prout vult. Et talia
non^ sunt dona Dei et vocatio, ut eum dedisse aut non dedisse
poeniteat : sed sic omnia moderatur pro prudentia sua tarn
bene, ut melius quicquam excogitari non queat, nee aliter
fieri quam sit hodie debebat. Eadem sunt quae docet Evan-
gelista, quamvis non eisdem verbis : Passer non cadit in ter-
ram^ S^c. Capilli capitis vestri numerati. Conjicite curam
wstram in illum^ quoniam est illi cura de whis. Hsec de
misericordia.
Quae de indm'atione dici debeant aut possint, eo videntur
esse duriora, quia non credimus ea quae de voluntate Dei dixi-
mus esse vera. Putamus hoc esse tyrannicum, si Deus quae
velit faciat : si non omnibus aequaliter dona sua dispartiat,
acceptorem personarum fore clamamus : si non futura merita
vel bona vel mala respiciat, et ideo vel misereatur vel induret,
injustum esse pronunciamus. Si quempiam rejiciat qui nihil
mali sit commeritus, statim culpam omnem in Deum rejicimus,
et auctorem flagitiorum nostrorum contendimus ; et quia quod
Dominus decrevit facimus, placemus nobis in nostris vitiis, et
peccata recte facta dici volumus. Potius de tanta majestate sic
eogitare fas est. Deus est : quicquid cogitat bonum est ; quod
facit justum est : sapientiae ejus non est numerus : nihil ergo
cogitari melius poterat. Nos tanquam lutum sumus in iUius
manu : injustus esse non potest, si te matulam et vas in con-
[' Gregor. Op. Exposit. in Job. Cap. xiv. Tom. ii. p. 313. Antverp.
161.5. ubi (juacdam alitor leguntur. Ed.]
[^ Ibid. p. 71C. in Job. xxxviii. 4, ike. Ed.]
C* Decst non in MS. Ed.]
DE PR.^iDESTINATIONE. 677
tumeliam fecerit, quia fif^ilus est. Caiisam ne quadras cur sic
te fecerit, sed admirare tantam prudentiam, cujus consilii ratio-
nem in faciendis ro])us perspicere non potes. Potius deplora
cajeitatem tuam, quod in tantis tcnebris vei-saris, quam illius
justitiam culpes, cujus splendorcni intueri non potes. Desine
humano judicio divina consilia metiri : potius te intra tuos
limites contine, et ne causam perquiras quod ita te fecerit, sed
ilium cole qui te ita fecerit. Nihil tibi debet : age perinde
gratias, si quid dederit ; et ne obmuniiures, si non tantum
quantum alii acceperis : respondet enim tibi, Aiuice, non facio
tibi injuriam ; nihil ti])i debui. ne succenseas ergo quod plus
aliis quam tibi dederim. E.^fne oculus tuns malus, quod eqo
hoii^fs sum? et annon Ucebit mihi facere de meis quod toluero^ et
quibus libuerit impartire, et quibus visum fuerit subtrahere?
Tu^ Tiomo^ quis es qui respondeas Deo ? Disce loqui de Deo et
sentire, quemadmodum ipse in scripturis suis per Spiritum suum
loquitm* : ne time ; si sic loquaris, non errabis, nisi novos lo-
quendi modos tibi fingas. Sic dicit Dominus de seipso : quod
tradit in reprobum sensum ; exc?ecat cor populi ne intelligant,
et aures aj^gravat ne audiant ; inducit in tentationcs ; indurat
Pharaonem ; odit Esau prius quam natus, et boni quicquara
aut mali fecisset ; facit vasa quiedam in contumcliam ; prae-
cepit Semei maledictis proscindere et lapidibus impetere David ;
seducit prophetas, errare facit, indurat cor nostrum, ne timea-
mus ilium ; immittit spiritum malum in Saul ; abstulit omnia
bona Job ; voluit occidere filios Heli ; projicit a facie sua, et
Spiritum Sanctum aufert, obliviscitur nostri ; non est malum in
civitate quod non facit ; inunittit spiritum mendacem in pro-
phetas Achab ; pneparat va.sa ine, scindit regnum Israel, et
dat Jeroboam impio : moi's et vita, bona et mala a Domino ;
mittit operationem erroris, ut credant mendacio.
Htcc et multa similia eisdem verbis de seipso pronunciat
Dominus. Cur ergo timebimus sic de illo loqui, quemadmodum
ipse nos docuit et loqui voluit l Stulta est pnidcntia, qua
Domino placoro studcmus, cum tristitiam istanmi rerum s;epe
lonitatc verbi mitigare velimus. Non opus habct prudontia
nostra ad tollenda (juie nol)is videntur esse injusta. Injustus
es, si illud ci surripis quod illc sibi vindicat : non est tam otio-
sus aut invidus, ut velit uspiam dcessc suis et gubcrnationeni
suarum rerum aliis concredcrc. Ne nega hicc esse vera, quia
678 TRACTATUS DE PR.EDESTINATIOXE.
ratione non potes capere cur sint^ vera : satis tibi sit quod hsec
dixerit, et sua dici voluit. Nimis negligens suarum rerum esset,
si hsec in suo regno sine se fieri permitteret: omnia non poterat,
si h^ec depellere non poterat et voluerit: imbecillis esset, si
haec invito illo fierent : sapientissimus non haberetur, si haec
futura ignoraret, sed fortuito aut in ignominiam Creatoris
cederent. Sed qui excitavit Pharaonem ut in eo ostenderet
potentiam suam, et potest et vult ex summis flagitiis nostris
summam sibi comparare gloriam : et quae a te percipi non pos-
sunt, cm* fierent, ab illo cm* fiant pervidentur clarissirae.
Proinde cum nuUus voluntati ejus resistere queat, quse-
cunque fiunt, eo volente fiant est necesse : et cum omnia quae
vivimt, moventur, et sunt, ab eo vivunt, moventur, et sunt, et
in eo, ab ulla actione ille abesse non potest, sed omnibus agendi
vires subministrat.
Plura possem et vellem, sed plura non vellet tempus.
[1 MS. sit. Ed.]
EPISTOLA AD ANDREAM KINGSMILL.
(MS. Bodl. Mus. oo. olim i).)
Gratia et pax. Gratulatorias tiias Uteras cuiu primas tiim
postremas grato quo decuit animo accepi, et magnas ob illas
ago gratias. Perge porro in bonis litcris, et cursuni quern
cepisti perficc. Dominus novit, qui has tibi dedit, in quern
usnni t\h\ subserviet. Otium tibi suppetit, ut Latine ot Graece
ad nic scriljas. Negotia mea non s«^pe, in initiis terminorum
(quos vocant jurisconsulti) prsesertim, vix amicos salutare,
aut de rebus gravioribus pro dignitate cogitare sinunt. Da
igitur veniam, si non qu?e velles aut ego exoptem scribam :
nam defatigatus ad hccc pauca aceedo.
Quod Cicero' de Hercule Prodico scribit, hoc tibi jam ego
sic venire ex literis sororis tuic intelhgo. Tile cum in viam
voluptatis amo'nam ct virtutis asperam incidissot, qua potissi-
muni ingrederctur, dubitavit : tu num in contemptte theolo-
gisc an in splendidie jurisconsultorum scientisc scholam te
tradas, ignoras. At bono sis aninio : fidelem habes duccm ct
consultorem, qui ad exoptatum suum propositum te deducet.
Si cut cestrum desit sap tent ia, inquit Jacobus, petat ah eo
qui dat^ et dahltnr. In veteri lege de rebus dubiis consulc-
bant Dominum per sacerdotcm : is indutus Urim et Thum-
mim, (gonmiis in veste sacerdotali,) si resplenduerint, aggrc-
diendum confidenter rcsponsa ferebat. Sic tu, Andrea, avopiQi'
prostratus coram Domino, pete ap-^iepea \pic7Tov ffacrepov'
pulsa, qujere ; bcnignus est Dominus, dabit, aperiet, invenies.
In qua parte splendescentem Christum ct mentcm tuam niagis
illustratam videris, in illam inclina ; si pcrturl)atam et dejec-
tam senseris, dcvita : nam pacis ct consolationis Deus noster
auctor est.
At me vis aliquid dicere i ^'is cnim certc, ct in talibus
non libentcr rcspondere soleo. Non is sum c cujus consilio
pendens, neque per quem in alicpiid certum vitie genus tc con-
[' Dc OfhdLs 1. 32. Kd.]
6S0 EPISTOLA AD ANDREAM KINGSMILL.
jicias : sed qiiimi dicendum est, ingenue quid sentio dicam.
" Dat Galenus opes, dat Justinianus honores ;"" quod vel pueri
norunt : quid Christus ? crucem et carceres. Elige jam : quid
tibi videtur ? Potes cum psalmista dicere, Elegi abjectus esse
in domo Dei magis qiiam Jiabitare in tahernaculis peccatorwn ?
Si potes, sequere : sin minus, ora ut possis ; est enim Domi-
nus exercituum et potens; non sinet suos milites labescere.
Proponunt leges nostrse prsemia quidem, at peritura; sed
Christus coronam, non lauream nee auream, sed seternam.
Consiliis principum intersunt jm-isperiti; at theologi Dei
patrLs mandata deferunt : imo non solum secreta illius intel-
ligunt, sed et interpretes illius sunt, ac cum eo regnabunt,
regesque ipsi erunt, modo prius fideliter serviant.
Difficillima est hsec deliberatio, fateor, de deligendo certo
vitse genere ; sed hsec non e re ipsa nascitur dubitatio, sed ex
teipso, vel iis quae in vita contingunt : nam si hsec inter se
conferas, iniqua est comparatio ; et tantum hoc illi prseponde-
rat, quantum coelum terrae, si dignitatem rei subjectse spectes.
Divina oracula e coelo sunt delapsa, auctorem habent Deum
ipsum : majestas eorum tanta, ut vel Satanam ipsum compri-
mant ; Veritas ac certitudo talis, ut nee fallere nee falli queant;
usus tam necessarius in omnem eventum vitse, ut sine his beate
vivi non possit. Mentem in coelum sublevant: doctorem et
interpretem habent Spiritum veritatis : in adversis sunt solatio,
in prosperis t)rnamento. Hsec sola mentem perturbatam pacare
possunt, mores formare, et inexhaustos fontes misericordise mi-
seris aperire' : haic ignaros decent, lapses erigunt, robustos
confirmant: ex his solum salus petenda, Deus invocandus;
promissorum certitudo firmissima ad incitandum, minseque
gravissimae ad deterrendum proponuntur. Jura humana humi
repunt, ab liominibus inventa : pro varietate loci varia, incerta,
contentionum fomes : mentem perturbant, animum abducunt
a moditatione renim coelestium et saluti propinquiorum. Quid
Cyprianus de sui temporis legislatoribus scripsit ? pete ex epis-
tola 2. 1. 1 1 2. Confer cum nostris hac tempestate, et num illos
supcrant, adverte. Non hsec dice quod leges condemnem aut
eanim studium, sed ut quantum inter has intersit appareat.
Sunt quidem leges et earum interpretes in republica bene in-
\} MS. reperire. Ed.]
[* Ad Donatum, de Gratia Dei. p. 5. ed. Fell. Oxon. 1700. Ed.]
EPI3T0LA AD ANDREAM KING3MILL. 681
stituta adeo necessarisp, ut sine his constare nequeat neque
pax publica consen'ari. Non ergo de dignitate rerum est
aliqua dubitatio.
De teipso dubitas : non satis iastnictus tibi videris ; non
bene jacta fiindamenta. manus illotie. lingua balbutieas, elo-
quentise carentia, animi juveniles, mysteria profunda; in re-
prehendendLs principibus pericula, paupertas, exilium, ignes,
equuleus, et malorum omnium tolerantia : hsec quidem sunt
quae plurimos deterrent, hsec causari solent. His moti Moses,
Jeremias, Jonas legationem Domini detraetabant ; at \'ide
quid Dominus responderit: Qui Jinxit os, et illud aperiet. Si
gloriam illius, non tuam quaeras, dabit os et sapientiam, cui
contradici nequit. Etiam nostra prsemeditatio luculentum coe-
num humanae eloquentiae majus non raundat, sed coinquinat.
In Hebraicis tantos progressus si feceris, quantos in Grdecis
et Latinis, raultis non opus erit interpretibus. Timotheus in
ipsa adolescentia fit episcopus ; et quantumcunque sunt ardua
mysteria, Spiritus veritatis omnem dabit intclligentiam. De
ferenda cruce si dubites, non est serens supra Dominum:
communis est ha?c fors et omnium conditio, ut persecutionem
patiantur qui pie volunt vivcre. (Juamprimum apostolos emisit,
prsemonuit, Mitto ros sicut orr.< ia nydio Inponmi. Ora Domi-
num^ ut extrudat in messem ; nam volens \ix quisquam exit.
Non te pigeat laboris in legibus perdiscendis impensi ; nam
vellem et ego magna j)ecunia vel minimam partem cognitionis
tuae redimere. Magnam conciliat concionatori benevolent iam,
si possit de jure resj)ondere aut oppressis consilio adesse.
Dominus concessit apostolis vim miraculorum edendonun. ut
indocta plebs avidius eos audiret, et evangelium libentius in
connn animos inHueret. Sic onim sunt afibcti maxima ex parte
omnes, ut facilius credant, faveant. ament. a quo beneficium
expectant, vel quos sibi consilio aut auxilio profuturos sperant.
Sic ergo tu pro sapient ia tua h^ec utraquo conjunge, ut ha»c
pnesit, ilia prosit ; hiec sit velut doniina. et ilia ancilla :
flirt i vis fjuibusdam horis sic stude, ut et illud quod hactenus
imbibisti de legibus, retineas, adaugeas, et in usum pauponnn
qui consilio carent convertas; et maxinumi quod datur tcmporis
in sacras literas imponde. <}\\iA si Dominus ut publici' pro-
fitearis leges te vocat ad annum uinun aut alterum, ne contem-
nas : potes enim interim in Hebraicis sic proficcrc, ut paratior
582 EPISTOLA AD ANDREAM KINGSMILL.
et instriictior ad theologiam accedas ; et annorum accessio
auctoritatem secum adferet. Etsi Dominus ssepe " Vse"" intonat
leo-is peritis, Pauliis tamen, ne vocatio rejicienda putaretur,
virum Zeiiara bonum jurisperitum reperit quern commendet.
Qiic^ris adhuc, quos auctores et historiographos tibi legen-
dos censeam. E veteribus maxime popularis S. Ohrysostomus,
et formando concionatori aceommodatissimus. Contentiones
illius aitatis aeutissirae tractavit Augustinus, e cujus epistolis
velut compendium totius illius doctrinse hauries. E recentiori-
bus duo sunt clarissima lumina Calvinus et Martyr : sed ille
exlex est et devius, attentum petens lectorem ; hie facilitate sua
fluit, et tamen pondus rerum subtiliter satis inquirit. Historise
seriem ab Adam ad Christum et Jerusalem subversam deducit
Josephus; post Christum ad papas ^ Eusebius; post Gregorium
Magnum paparum tyrannidem succincte et satis luculenter
descripsit dominus Barnes noster et Bate. Chronographorum
infinitus est numerus ; sed illis per otium poteris uti ; et inte-
rim contextum scriptura? potissimum, qua lingua conscribe-
batur, famiharem tibi facito : sic enim per omnes scriptores
inoffenso pede pervagaberis ; et quis dexterrime sit interpre-
tatus, sine errore judicabis.
Vides quomodo, quicquid in buccam venerit, calamus er-
rando obliteravit : sed mallem apud te loquendo peccare, quam
tacendo ingratus haberi. Saluta fratres tuos meosque adeo
quam potes officiosissime : quod tibi in hac re dictum sit, et
illis dictum esse puta : et quum tres unus sitis, his unis, qui
et unus esse vobiscum velim, vos omnes compellari existimo.
Commendatissimum me habe domino D. Humfrey et domino
Sampsono, Bernardo, et omnibus qui Christo bene volunt.
James Pilkinton the bishop of Duresmes
lettre to his brother in law Andrew
Kingsmill, fellow of Allsoules
College, in Oxon. 1564.
[_^ ^IS. ad papaa pod Grcfjorium Magnum Eusebius; paparum. Ed.^
NOTES.
NoTK A. Page 141.
On the passage of Tertullian cited in the note a recent Editor re-
marks: Totum hoc descripsit Eusebius, et hist, suae eccles. ii. 2.iuseruit.
Narrat idem Scverus et ^lius Lampridius: Tanaq. Faber tomo ii. Epist.
12. multis evincere conatur, deccptuni esse Tertiillianum, veritateraquc
hujus rei elevat. Argumentis quatuor utitur: Quod liistoria ex libro
supposito sit hausta, Actis Pilati scihcct. Quod rcligionis curam nullam
gesserit Tiberius, undo Suetonio dicitur circa deos no rellgioncs ncyligen-
tior. Quod senatus Romanus sub Tiberio ad vilissimam adulationem
prolapsus, ne hiscere quidem contra principem ausus fuisset. Quod ex
chronologia pateat, christianum nomen eo tempore vix notum Roma?
fuisse. Quibus adde infensum potius Tiberium, ut Judiro, ita et christi-
ano, nomini fuisse, ut clare patet ex Sueton. cap. xxxvi. ubi per .similia
ftectautes nuUi nisi cliristiani intelligi possunt. — See TertulHan. Semler.
Tom. VI. Ind. v. Tihcniis, Habc Magd. 1825.
Tlie passage of Eusebius is as follows :
at Ct] Tt]<: irapuco^ov tov wft)T;/oo<: tifiwv avufrracrciof: Tt KUi
tiv ovpavov^ ai/a/\»7\//-co)9 to?? ttXcio-toi^ tjcr] TreptfiotjTov KudeaTiaa-tj^f
TTCiXaiov KCKpaTtjKOTo^ l6ov<: TO?? TU)U edutov upyovai ra irapa (T(pl(Ti
KixivoTOfxovfUva T(o Tr}v iSatTiXeiov apyt]v eiriKpUTovvTi crtjua'iueiVy a)9
uv fitjcev avToif ciactcpacrKoi tmu "/ivo/ievoJUy tu trepi t»;? €k veKpmv
(tuaaTuacu)^- tov ScoT./jm iifiiav \}}(rou, elf; Tai/rac »)ci/ ku6 o\»;«j
Yla\ai(rTiur]f: /iefSotjiievu, YIiXcitoo 'VifStpito (SaaiXeT koiuovtui' ojv tmV
T£ aXXat: avTov irvdufxcvo^ repciTcia^, Kai w^ oti uctu davciTou en
vQKpuiv ai/atrrac, rict] Qio^ eii'cti trapa to?? xoXXoi<: eireTTicrTtvTo, Tor
Ce 'Vifiipiov uveveyneTu fxev t»/ ffv/KXyfru^^ eKelutjv t aTrwcran-Sai vy)aa-i
TOV Xoyuu, Tio fiev cokciv, oti fxt] trpoTCpov avTtj tovto coKifxarrcifra
»/»/, TTuXaiov i/o/xoi/ KiKpaTrjKOTOf:, fxif aXXcoK Tiva irupa 1 tafiaioi^
veoiroieTffduiy fitj ovy\ yj^tjipot kcu coyixaTt (rvyKXtjTov, t?/ ( aXtjdctn,
OTI fXtjCe Trj'i €^ av6pu)7rtt)i> etriKpi(T£(a^ tc kcu (TvrrTuaco)^ »/ (TWTtjpiof,
TOV deiov K»/ou7/i«To? cccTto CicarrnaXta. TavTfj^ c ovv (i7rMaan€vt]<:
TOV irpofrdyyeXSevTu weni tov ^u}Ttjpo<: tjiiwu Xoyov rr/v Vtafiu'iuv
lSovXt}<^, Toi/ VifttpioVf tji' K(i\ irpoTcpov ci^€ yvui)ii]v TtipiitravTn,
fXrjOeV UTOTTOV KUTU Tf/C TOU \pl(TTOU ClCa<TKaAia? iTriV01}(T(H. TQVTa
'VcDTvXXiavo'iy Toi*c Vtajxiinav voftov^ »/k-pi/3o)K'a)<r avijp, t« tc aXXa
ti'Cofoc, K-(C( Toav lutXiaTd ctti 'Vwfit]<^ XufXirptiiVy k. t. X.
He then ])rocccds to quote the jui-iSiigc of Tertullian cited in the
note.
684 NOTES.
A modem writer, Mosheim, states the position of the question in the
following terms :
Ex imperatoribus Tiberius Christum inter populi Romani deos co-
optare voluissc, at senatu resistente baud potuisse, fertur. Quod licet
multis hodie parum videatur probabile, sunt tamen egregii viri, qui,
magnis ducti rationibus, licere sibi his accedere negant. Institutionum
Historige Eccles. Sec. i. cap. iv.
Note B. Page 142.
A full account of this circumstance is given by Hottinger :
Constantiae vero documenta dedit [Zuinglius] luculentissima, quando
nullis vel pontificum promissis, vel pontificiorum minis aut insidiis a
proposito terreri potuit. Promissiones Pontificis liberalissimas fuisse,
vel spem saltem non obscuram lautioris conditionis factam, probat Adri-
ani VI. Breve, quod vocant, an. Chr. 1523. d. 23 Januarii ad Zuinglium
scriptum. Archet^7)on in bibliotheca adhuc publica asservatur; ecty-
pum ita sonat: " Dilecte fili, salutem et apostolicam benedictionem :
Remittimus venerabilem fratrem, Ennium, episcopum Verulanum, Prae-
latum, domesticum nostrum et apostolicae sedis nuntium, hominem pru-
dentia et fide praestantem, ad istam invictam, nobisque et huic sanctae
sedi conjunctissimam nationem, ut de maximis rebus nos, eandem
sedem, totamque christianam rempublicam concernentibus, cum illa^
agat. Licet autem ei dederimus in mandatis, ut ea communiter cum
omnibus et publice tractet ; tamen cum de tua egregia virtute specialiter
nobis sit cognitum, nosque devotionem tuam arctius amemus ac diliga-
mus, ac peculiarem quandam in te fidem habeamus, niandavimus eidem
episcopo, nuncio nostro, ut tibi separatim nostras literas redderet, nos-
tramque erga te optimam voluntatem declararet. Hortamur itaque
devotionem tuam in Domino, ut et illi omnem fidem habeas^; et quo
nos animo ad honores tuos et commoda tendimus, eodem tu in nostris
et dictae sedis apostolicae rebus procedas, de quo gratiam apud nos
invenies non mediocrem. Datum Romae, &c" Eadem epistola inserta
est TTpoauyiroypaipia Zuinglianae, a Myconio editae, et Epist. Zuing. et
Q^colamp. praefixae; cui editor subjungit: "Has literas propterea nolui
nescires, ut constaret, si gratiam hominum quam gratiam Dei maluisset
Zuinglius, quantusnam esse potuisset. Non enim ad hunc solum Papa
scripserat, verum etiam ad eximium D. Franciscum Ziggium, ut sibi et
scdi apostolicae virum lucrifaceret. Dumque rogitarem a Francisco, quid
pro illo pollicitus cssct Papa, serio respondit, ' Omnia certe prater sedem
papalem'." Ipse etiam Zuinglius an. Chr. 1.523. pracceptori suo, Thomae
Witcnbachio, postquam dolorem suum expectorasset, quod praeteritis
sctatilms t('m])us suum non melioribus impendissent studiis, pauloquc
fusius suam de cocna Domini mcntem apcruisset; indicavit, "Pontificem
conatum esse se a proposito avocare, magnis oblatis poUicitationibus ; se
P Hottinger concernentem cum illo, Myconius concernentem cum ilia. Ed.]
[' Hottinger habcads, Myconius habcait. Ed.]
NOTES.
685
interea constanter docuisse Papam esse Antichristum." J. H. Hottiiiger.
Histor. Eccles. Nov. Test. Sec. xvi. Pars ii. p. 233, ike. Tiguri, IGOo.
The passage cited from Myconius will be found in his Letter De Vita
et Obitu H. Zuinglii, prefixed to the Epistola; Doctonim Virorum, qui-
buscum Eucharistiae, &c. fo. »/. 4. Basil. 1548.
Note C. Page 570.
Haec est rescriptio sancti Hulderici eiiiscopi, in qua Nicolao papse, de
continentia clericorum non juste, sed impie, non canonice, sed indiscrete
tractanti, ita respondit :
Nicolao Domino et patri pcrvigili, sanctae Romance ecclesia? provlsori,
Huldericus solo nomine episcopus amorem ut filius, timorem ut servus.
Cum tua, O pater et doraine, decreta super clericorum continentiam
nuper milii transraissa a discretione invenirem aliena; timor quidam
turbavit me cum tristitia : timor quidem propter hoc, quod dicitur pas-
toris sententia, sive justa sive injusta, timenda es.se; timebam enim
infirmis scripturae auditoribus, qui vel justa vix obediunt sententia?, ut
injustam couculcantes liberc, onerosa, imo importabili pastoris praevari-
catione prseccpti se obligarent : tristitia vero vel compassio, dum dubi-
tabam (jua ratione membra cavere possent, capite suo tam gravi morbo
laborante. Quid enim gravius, quid totius ecclesise compassione dignius,
quam te, summa; sedis pontificem, ad quem totius ecclesiae spectat
examen, a sancta discretione vel minimum exorbitarc ? Non parum
quippe ab hac deviasti, dum clericos, quos ad continentiam conjugii mo-
nere debebas, ad hanc imi)eriosa quadam violentia cogi volebas. Num-
quid enim mcrito communi omnium sapientum judicio hicc est violentia,
cum contra evangelicam institutionem ac Sancti Spiritus dictationem ad
privata aliquis decreta cogitur exequenda?
Cum igitur plurima veteris ac novi tcstamenti suppetant exempla,
sanctam, ut nosti, discretionem doccntia, tu«e rogo ne grave sit patcrni-
tati, vel ])auca ex pluribus liuic i)agina.' interseri. Dominus quidem in
veteri lege sacerdoti conjugium constituit, quod illi postmodum inter-
dixisse non legitur. Sed in evangelio loquitur: Sunt euniuhi, qui ne.
vastraverunt propter regtium eo'lorutu ; sed non oninea hoc verbum capi-
unt : qui potest capere, capiat. Quajjropter apostolus ait : De virgini-
bug prcEceptum Domini non Imbeo, eontsilium auteni do. Quod etiani
juxta pra'dictum Domini non omncs lioc consilium capcre posse con-
sideras; sed multos ejusdcm c«insilii assentatorcs, honiinibus, non Deo,
pro falsa specie contincntite placere volentes, graviora vides committere,
patrum scilicet uxores subagitare, masculorum ac pccudum amplexus
uon abhorrcn.?: ne morbi hujus aspersionc ad usque pestilcntiam conva-
lescente, nimirum status labeiactctur ecclesiie totius, propter fornica-
tionem, dixit, unuaquisque ttuani uxornn hubeat. Quod specialiter ad
laicos i>ertim're iidem mcntiuntiir liypocrita- : qui, licet in »iu(»vis wuic-
tlssiuio ordine constituti, tdieni:» revcra uxoribus nou «lul>iiant abuti.
Et quod ilendo ccrnimus, unme8 in uupradictis ii&*viunt sceleribus. Hi
nimirum nou scripturom rccte iutullexerunt, cujus muiuillam cjuiii durius
686 notes!.
presseve, sanguinem pro lacte biberunt. Nam illud apostolicum, Unus-
(}ni<ique siKun habeat luorem, nullum excii)it vere nisi professorem con-
tinentiae, vel cum qui de continuanda in Domino virginitate prsefixit.
Quod niliilomiuus tuam, pater venerande^ condecet strenuitatem, ut om-
nem qui tibi manu vel ore votum faciens continentiae postea voluerit
npostatare, aut ad votum exequendum ex debito constringas, aut ab
omni ordine canonica auctoritate deponas: et hoc ut viriliter implere
sufficias, me omnesque mei ordinis viros adjutores habebis non pigros.
Verum ut hujus voti nescios omnino scias non esse cogendos^ audi Apos-
tolum dicentem ad Timotheum : Opoi'tet, inquam, episcopum irreprehen-
sihUem esse, uniiis iixoris virum. Quam ne quis sententiam ad solam
ecclesiam verteret, subjunxit : Qui autem domui suce p7'(Besse nescit, quo-
modo ecclesicp Dei diligentiam habehit? Similiter, inquit, diaconi sint
unins uxoris viri, quifiliis suis bene prcesint et suis domibus.
Hanc autem uxorem a sacerdote benedicendam esse, sancti Sylvestri
papse decretis scio te sufficienter docuisse. His et hujusmodi Sanctis
scripturae sententiis regulae clericorum scriptor non immerito concordans,
ait : " Clericus sit pudicus, aut certe unius matrimonii vinculo faedera-
tus." Ex quibus omnibus veraciter colligit, quod cpiscopus et diaconus
reprehensibiles notantur, si in mulieribus multis dividuntur: si vero
unam sub obtentu religionis abjiciunt, utrumque, scilicet episcopum et
diaconum, sine graduum differentia, hie canonica damnat sententia :
"Episcopus aut presbyter uxorem propriam nequaquam sub obtentu
religionis abjiciat: si vero rejecerit, excommunicetur ; et si perse vera-
verit, dejiciatur." * * * *
Sunt vero aliqui, qui sanctum Gregorium sua? sectse sumunt adjuto-
rium : quorum quidem teraeritatem rideo, ignorantiam doleo. Ignorant
cnim quod periculosum hujus haeresis decretum, a S. Gregorio factum,
Londigno poenitentiae fructu postmodum ab eodem sit purgatum : quippe
cum die quadam in vivarium suum propter pisces misisset, et allata inde
plus quam sex millia infantum capita videret, intima mox ductus poe-
nitentia ingemuit, et factum a se de abstinentia decretum tantae caedis
causam confessus, condigno illud, ut dixi, poenitentiffi fructu purgavit ;
suoque decreto prorsus damnato, apostolicum illud laudavit consilium,
Melius est nubere quam uri : addens ex sua parte, " Melius est nubere
quam mortis occasionem praebere."
The whole of the letter, of which the above (being the original of the
bishop's citation in ]). o08-70.) forms about one half, is contained in a
little volume published at Basil, anno 1555, consisting of various treatises
against the papacy, and entitled Antilogia Papa: hoc est, De corrupto
Erelesia* statu, et totius Cleri Papistici perversitate, Scripta aliquot vete-
rum aiithorum, ante nnnos plus minus ccc. et interea : nunc primuni in
iKcem ernta, et ab interitii vindicata. At the end of the letter is subjoined
the following note : " Inventa est haic epistola in quadam bibliotheca
opi)idi Veteris Aqua', Gcrmanice Altuuatter, in Hollandia, inferioris Ger-
manitt.' provincia." Its heading is as follows :
" Ki)istola Divi Hulderichi, Augustensis cpiscopi, adversus constitu-
tioncm de cleri cielibatu, plane referens apostolicum spiritum: quam cum
NOTES.
687
-Sneas Sylvius, tituli sanctae Sa])Insc presbyter cardinalis, ac Sencnsis
episcopus, in sua Germania, cum Augusta? Vindclica? mentionem facit,
incessat, libuit hie subjicere: judicium esto apud lectorcm, veri et pub-
licse utilitatis amantem. *Transimus/ inquit, 'Campidonam et Mcmmin-
gam, illustria oppida: Augustam Vindelicam (sanctus Udalricus huic
pr^esidet, qui papam arguit dc concubinis)]ad Lycum fluvium jaccutem:'
qui vixit anno nongentesimo, setatis suae lxxxiii."
The passage of yEneas Sylvius is in his Descriptio de Ritu, Situ, Mori-
bns et Couditione Germankc, and will be found in p. 1053 of his works,
Fol. Basil. lo71. wliere liowever the concluding words of the above,
qui vixit, &c. are not found. But Chemnitius, quoted by Bishop Hall,
states, that ".Eneas Sjdvius writes him to have died anno 900, and in the
year of his age 83." (It cannot 1)C doubted that vlrit is an error.) See
Bishop Hall's Honour of the Married Clergy, Book in. Sect. ii. In that
and the following section the bishop vindicates the genuineness of the
letter against the cavils of his popish adversary-, summing u]) the argu-
ment for it in the following particulars: "Whereas tlieir own cardinal,
jEneas Sylvius, almost two hundred years ago, mentions it, and reports
the argument of it ; whereas it is yet extant, as Illyricus, in the libraries
of Germany ; whereas Hedio found an ancient copy of it in Holland ; and
our Jolm Bale, Archbishop Parker, Bishoj) Jc^vell, John Fox, had a
copy of it, remarkable for reverend antiquity, in aged parchment, here
in England, which I hope to have the means to produce ; whereas, lastly,
the very style imi)ortcth age." — ^Vhile thus vindicating the letter itself,
the bishop further remarks on one i)articular in it which has been made
a ground of objection: "As for the number of children's heads, I can
say no more for it tlian he can against it. This history shall be more
worth to us than his denial. But this I dare say, that I know persons
both of credit and honour, that siiw betwLxt fifty and threescore cast up
out of the little mote of an abbey where I now live. Let who list cast
up tlie proportion." lb. Sect. iii. — Errors in numbers are of sucli obvious
occurrence, that they can seldom seriously aft'ect the tredit of an ancient
document.
ADDENDUM.
P. 26. Pambo. The circumstance here recorded of him will be
found in Socrates, Eccles. Hist. Lib. iv. c. 23. llaf^f^o} he aypdixnuTOfi
101/ TrpoarjXde tivi eTr\ tw didaydrjvai xj/aXaov. aKOv<ra<s ce tov Trpu)"
Tov (TTiyov TOV Xtj "yj/aXixov, tov XeyovTO<;, EtTra, (pvXa^u) ra? ooou?
fxov, TOV fxrj afxapTaveiv fie ev jXwa-crr] p.ov' devTepov aKovaai p.t]
aveyofxevo^ ave')^o)pr]<Tev, apKeTcrOai (pvicra^ tovtco tw evi o"Ti^u), eav
^vvr]6(a ep'yot} avTov eKfxadeTv. eyKuXea-avTO^ Ce tov TrapaBeBtoKOTO?
TOV (TTi-^ov, CiaTi e^afxtjuiaiov iTapaopafXovTOfi tov ypovov fxr] ew-
puKei avTov, aireKpivaTO oti tov \l/^aXfjLov tov (TTiyov ovttw t(o
epyio e^efxadov. fxcTU rai/ra de ttoAAou? eTrijiiov^i ypovov^, irpo^
Tiva Tuv yvu}pip.(av epuiTtjaavTa el tov (TTiyov e^efxadev, Ej/ oXoi^,
e(pr], evveuKaldeKa ereo-t fxoXi^ avTov "npuTTeiv e^efxadov.
ERRATUM.
In p. 486, the figures in the margin are misplaced. The XIII. should
be where the XIV. now stands, opposite " all liberty used," and the XIV.
should be removed five lines lo:ver. These figures and the accompany-
ing marks of quotation are to indicate the corresponding sections of the
bishop's Confutation.
INDEX.
A.
Abbeys, hospitality of, CIO; gluttony,
ice, ib.
Abdia, meaning of, 2UI; some tliink
him tlie same as Ahab's steward, 217-
Abel, a chosen vessel, lfi8.
Abimelech, 4')1.
Abraham's faith, 352,
Absalom, 289, 309.
Absolution, general and particular,
131.
Acta Conciliorum, 19, 22, 029,
Actius Sincerus, 33fJ.
Adam, meaning of, 94, 9a, 219; sup-
posed to be buried in Jerusalem,
373; his fall, 447.
Adelme, bishop, ")90.
Adonibezec, 2.')7.
Adrian, the emperor, built /Elia, *}7-}
37.^.
Adrian IV'. pope, his arrogance, 22.
\'I. his offers to Zuingle, 142,
^lla, the city built by Adrian in i)lace
of Jerusalem, 372.
yl'neas ."Sylvius (see Pius II. pope.)
»;a7.
Affections in religion, divers good,
127; of the mind shewn in the face,
292, 312; must be kept under, 313.
Aga, St, (Agatha's) letters, 177, ^3(1,
im.
Agathon, (»42.
Agesilaus, 429.
Agrippa, troubled at Paul's preaching,
141.
Ahasuerus, king, husband to Esther,
14 ; raised up to punish the Jews, 37.
Ahithophcl, 242.
Alexander, his visit to Jerusalem, fi9,
1411; appealed from, *M ; his answer
to Darius, U<7; punishment uf Ues.
sus, iKil.
Alexander, pope, (101.
Alleluia, not used by papistH at fune-
rals, 320; anciently used, 321, M3.
Altar of the Holy Ghost, 433, ri39;
altars, use and meaning of, r)47.
Ambrose, loi;, 381, 409, 491, 507, 543,
54(J, 5r>(J, 56f;.
Ammonites, 409.
Analogy between David and Christ,
371-2; Adam and Christ, 374 ; ihe
earthly and heavenly Jerusalem,
37:..
Anastasius, pope, 001.
Angels, 134; happinessof, 01. Angel,
a piece of money, 429.
Anger, when good, 391, 477; a hind
of madness, 408 ; sin of, 478.
Ansegisus, ap. Baluz. Capit. rt30.
Anselm's letter to Walerani, ,"i38, 020;
forbids priests' marriages, 571? ''88 ;
pope Paschal's letter to him, ,'•72;
his letter to his archdeacon, 573 ;
accused for acknowledging pope Ur-
ban, 589.
Anthems in .St Paul's, 483 ; why in the
steeple, 529.
Antilogia Papa;, 080.
Antiochus Epiphanes, 4, fl8.
Antiquity to be followed, tliat of
Christ and his apostles, 579.
Antony, the monk, 140.
Apostles, their faith, 352 ; tlie true
fathers, to whose steps we should re-
turn, 015.
Apostolical Canons, SCO, 029.
Apparel, costly, 55, 50; love of, re-
proved, 380—7.
Appose, pose or question, lOU.
Arches, court of, 540.
Arius, his death, 29.
Artaxerxes, name of Persian kings, 14,
307.
Ascham's Toxophi/iis^ 421*.
Astronomers censured, 17, H^
Alhanasius, 440.
Augustine, 139, 144, 158, 208, 209, 28(;,
320, 471, 474, 475,542, 557, 575, 012,
017, 020, 032, 041, 001, O74.
Augustine, missionary to England,
482, 483, 515; hi* rtcci)tion, 5H;;
44
[PII.KI.NGTO.V.J
cm
INDEX.
his letter to Gregory, r>17; his
christening, 518 ; England declined
from his steps, 522; established mass
and seven sacraments, 618.
Aurelius, Marcus, 280.
Authority, how it began, 125.
B.
Babel, tower of, 30, 231.
Babylon, greatness of, 231 ; country
of, &c. 281, &c.
Babylonian captivity, Romish slavery
compared to, 4, 277 ; Babylonians'
cruelty to the Edomites, 235, &c.
Badge, pricked on the sleeve, 35fi.
Bale, ii.
Baptism, of faithful ministers to be
preferred to that of papists, 171 ;
sin after, 448; our vows in, 021.
Baronius, 76.
Basil, fell by an earthquake, 007.
Bayard, a horse, 010.
Beasts, their disobedience reminds us
of our sin, 91.
Becket, Thomas, canonized, 19; his
service, 535, 536, 557 ; accused be-
fore the pope, 589; quarrel with
Henry II., 640.
Bede, 447, 512.
" Behold," its use, 72, 225, 459.
Benedict IX. pope, 002.
Bene't, St, 80, 550.
Bernard, 158, 445.
Billingsgate, 345.
Bishop's office laborious, 30, 494, 604;
blessings, 64; popish, 82, 197, 003;
church committed to government of,
482, 488; succession of, 485; their
authority, what, 488; spiritual, in
doctrine and discipline, 491 ; how to
be executed, 492; their temporal
authority derived from the prince,
ib. ; grounds of their superiority,
493 ; Universal, a cursed name, 519 ;
popish, their oath to the pope, 555 ;
protestant, impoverished by their
predecessors, 592, 594-5 ; by tradition
of the apostles, 005.
Bishoping, confirmation, 553.
Blasphemy, law of, 301.
Body and blood of Christ, how receiv-
ed in the Lord's supper, 552.
Bohemians, came to England to hear
Wicklifie, 054.
Boniface, made pope by Phocas, 76,
321,
VIII. pope, 18.
Bonner, called a butcher, 361, 400,
687, 623.
Boulogne won, 70, 86.
Bow, great importance of, in war, 428.
Brast, brust, burst, 264.
Brent, brinning, burnt, burning, 481.
Brether, brethern, brethren, 233.
Brother, how used in scripture, 187,
288.
Bucer, dug up from his grave, 65 ; his
disinterment and restitution. 651 ;
his learning, ib. ; his doctrine, 655.
Builders of God's house must seek his
glory, 363; must not fear mockers,
365; blessedness of being one, 366;
will have no fellowship with hypo-
crites, 367.
Burials, out 'of the church or church
yard, 64; place of, 316; three rules
for burials, 317-8 ; comely order in,
318; in the English service, 543.
Burning of St Paul's cathedral, cir-
cumstances of, 481 ; a warning, 483,
648; whether by lightning or by
accident, ib.
Buskle, pTepare,».353.
C.
Cassar, Julius, 280, 451.
Calais lost, 70, 86.
Calendar, of the Roman church, 15,
19.
Canaanites, what, 268.
Canterbury burnt, 607.
Canute, 51.
Capitolina, built by Adrian, 372.
Captain, benefit of a stout one, 377;
especially Christ, 383; good, duties
of, 449.
Captivity in Babylon, length of, 127.
Carthage, third council of, 566.
Casleu, Jewish month, 287.
Catholic church, agrees in the sub-
stance of doctrine, differs in cere-
monies, 552; what? 617; papists
divided from, 618; never had one
order of service, 629.
INDEX.
C91
Cedron, brook, 345.
Celibacy of clergy, 527; difficulty of
enforcing it, 567.
Ceremonies, of the old law, 129; po-
pish, 130.
Chabrias, a saying of hi:$, 377-
Chance, things do not turn out by, but
by providence, 308.
Charlemagne's decree for reading scrip-
ture in churches, 53fJ.
Charles V., opposer of the gospel, 2(»5,
«o3.
Charms, popish, 177, 536, 563.
Children, said to have that which their
fathers had, 135.
Chorebf ehereh, explained, 87.
Christ, his zeal for God's house, 5; the
only schoolmaster, 81 ; salvation only
by, 81 ; before his incarnation present
with the fathers, 134; promise of,
138; connected with trouble, 139;
trouble at his birth, 140, 335; the
desire of all people, 147-8 ; glory of
in his church, 148 ; his kingdom sha-
dowed forth by temporal conquests,
261 ; the Holy One, 262 ; in Sion,
2W ; difference of his kingdom from
an earthly one, 2fJ9 ; all night in
prayer, 340 ; his voluntary humilia-
tion, 341 ; zeal for the house of (rod,
344 ; signified by different gates of
Jerusalem, 378-9 ; his body and blood,
how received in the Lord's supper,
552; his one sacrifice for sin, 621.
Christians serving heathen, lawfulness
of, 311; accused of troubling the
state, 359.
Chrysostom, 23, 45, ;»8, 542, 576, 696,
609, 636, »M{2.
Church, use of, 64; to be built for
God's glory, 53!».
Church goods, not to be taken away,
61.
Cicero, 317, 408, 439, 679.
Clemens, held wives should be com-
mon, JJOO.
Clemens Romanus, 629.
Comfort, most to greatest offenders,
131.
I'onmiunioM service of the English
CImrch not contrary to our vows in
baptism, 634, W'M).
Communion tahlc instead of altars,
545.
Confession, 553 ; on what grounded,
554.
Conjuring among the Jews, 385.
Consecration of the elements by the
apostles, 498, 508, 635.
Constantine the Great, 8, 413, 641.
Constantius, the emperor, 637.
Contentment with God's will, 153.
Corah, &c., their punishment, 28, 624.
Corporas, 46.
Councils, popery not proved by gene-
ral, 531 ; Gregory's (of Nazianzum)
opinion of, 532 ; but few general, 533 ;
our religion older than, 549.
Courtiers, Nehemiah an example to,
288; their character, 289, 309; ex-
amples of good, 294.
Cranmer, his reformation. 37; his dis-
putation at Oxford, 400; book on
the sacrament, 523, 547-
Crantz, or Krantz, Albert, 247.
Creatures, the, obey God, 59, 90; re-
fuse to serve man through man's sin,
91 ; not to be considered in them-
selves, 2:i0.
Cross, "must be borne strongly, though
it seem long, 127; the livery of
Christ, 191 ; cross-week, 556.
Cruche, crook, 584, 586. c.-u»v»a*»i^ /I; 0
Cyprian, 144, 245, 537, 542, 597, 605, ^/
617, 619, 624, 628, 629, 630,631,632,
(;.{3, 634, 680.
Cyrus, raised up to deliver God's people,
4, 11, 12; restores the vessels of the
temple, 8.
D.
Dalida, Delilah, 169.
Daniel, his diet in Babylon, 52; his
visions, 186.
Darius, how far removed from Cyrus,
13; son of Esther, 14; same with
Artaxcrxes, ib. ; his embassy to
Alexander, 187.
David, his zeal for (iod. 7 ; for the ark,
:U0 ; collects for building the temple,
8; reproved by Nathan, 12, 112, 161 ;
kills Goliath, 30, 120, 'M\0, 415 ; ana-
logy between him and Christ, 371—2;
tomb of, 389.
Days of the week, how named, 16; cer-
44—2
Ayn
C92
INDEX.
tain days improperly called unfortu-
nate, 17, 18.
Deartlis in England, 289 ; in the time
of popery, 611.
Demaratus, 424.
Aeo-/xos, excommunication, 381.
Devil, the, works with God and man
in one deed, 178; incarnate, worse
than in his own nature, 3(53 ; con-
stantly hindering the building of
God's house, 454-5; tries to deface
the gospel, 467.
Diogenes, 314, 317.
Dionysius Areopagus, 585.
Discipline, want of deplored, 5, 6, 211,
382 ; must be impartial, 67 ; neces-
sary in a church, 129, 176; contro-
versy about, 379; insufficiency of that
proposed, 381 .
Disobedience, to God, defiles all our
doings, 172; to the church, protest-
ants charged with, 484.
Disputation on religion in Elizabeth's
time, 626.
Dodkin, little doit, 607.
Doors, locks, &c. the emblems ex-
plained, 382-3.
Duddles, 212.
Dung.gate, its use, 387.
Duns Scotus, 80, 527, 550, 554, 635.
Durandus, 509.
Durham, the church burnt, 607.
E.
Edmond, St, 588.
Edom, Esau, 219; several prophesied
against, 222.
Edomites, who, 219 ; cruelty to Israel,
223, 251, 252; deceived by their
prosperity, 232; their utter destruc-
tion, 235 ; beginning of their enmity
to Jacob, 248.
Egfrid and Ethelreda, 590.
%ypt, plagues of, 28, 29, 75 ; no refuge
to the Jews, 240.
Elder brother, privileges of, 223; re-
fused by God, 224.
Eleutherius, pope, 482, 510, 612; his
letter to Lucius, 512-3; his ordinance
about meats, 514.
tli, his neglect to punish his sons, 35.
Elijah, 54, 358, 599, 612 ; his zeal for
God, 7, 98.
Elizabeth, queen, compared to Esther,
4 ; the gospej restored by her, 13 ; her
injunctions, 575; prosperity in her
reign, 613.
Enemies, how to pray in regard to, 404-
5 ; kindness to, 433 ; outward and
inward, 449.
England, conduct of in time of persecu-
tion reproved, 24; long neglect of
building God's house, 25, 37 ; plagued
for neglecting, 58; oppressed by
Romans, Saxons, &c., 73 ; called to
repentance, 82 ; warned, 89, 188 ;
English apparel, 56 ; Enj^lishmen,
nothing to boast of in their origin,
125 ; planting of Christianity in Eng-
land, 481 ; received not the faith from
Rome, 510; conquered by Danes and
Normans, 521.
English Service, its antiquity, 530;
based entirely on scripture, 631 ;
agrees with the ancient church, 533 ;
common prayer, 541, 562; baptism,
lb. ; communion, 541-2; burials, 543;
marriage, 544; confession, 653.
Engrossing, 460.
Enk, ink, 211.
Envy, its nature illustrated, 335-6 ; of
the wicked against the good, 398.
Esther, 310, 660.
Eunuch of queen Candace, 149.
Eusebius, Eccles. Hist. 333, 365, 413,
565, 682, 683.
Eustathius despised married priests,5G5.
Evil company to be avoided, 169 ; mi-
nister, does not hinder the sacrament
or word, 170, 636 ; evil-gotten goods
never thrive, 57, 58; evil to be im-
puted to man only, 613.
Example, want of good, 451.
Excommunication, 381, 388.
Excuses of negligence vain, 32, 41, 43,
172.
Exemptions, claim to, reproved, 390.
Exhumation of the dead, 217.
Ezra, v/ould not ask for a guard, 327 ;
Pilkington's exposition on, 308, 367.
F.
Faber, Joan., 603.
INDEX.
603
Fabian, 512, 516, 518, 583, 5f»7.
Fagius, associated with Bucer, H51,
H55-H, fJ57.
Faith, how gotten and increased, 112;
the same in different effects, 132;
sight by faith surer than the eye,
215 ; necessary in prayer, 295.
Faithful, the, cannot want, 154.
Fasciculus Temporum, 80, 545, 5H8.
Fasts, different among papists, 80 ;
fasting regulated by particular
churches, 55«) ; none between Easter
and Whitsunday, ib. ; laws for, first
made by 3Iontanus, 558 ; two sorts
of, voluntary and by commandment,
ib. ; several things to be considered
in, 559.
Fathers, different children from the
same, 219; of the church, their
authority, 484 ; called to return to
their steps, 486 ; followed by the
En;;lish church, 541.
Faude, mayor of Cambridge, 656.
Fear goes before love, 104; two sorts
of, ib.
Fearfulness condemned, 378, 432.
Felix, IW.
popP) ^^*
Feries, 17. v"^' ^- - 3^4 U^-f^c
Fire, used for the influence of the Holy
Ghost, 266; wind, &,c., God's in-
struments, 608.
Florence, council of, 145-6,/, , /!-
Fonts, baptism without, 5l6. V / fi ^
Food, moderation in, 52; miracle^ijy
which it nourishes, 53.
Forgiveness, hope of, as long as God
speaks to us, 25.
Formosus, pope, disinterred, 652.
Foxe, John, 505, 523, 640.
P' ranee, bloody marriages in, 420.
Fratricelli, 18.
Frederick, king, story of his physicians,
:J36.
Frederick Barbarossa, letter to Pope
Adrian, 22.
Freres, friars, 205; and monks, their
privileges, 380.
Friar JMantuan, 586. '
Friday, named from Fria, 16 ; golden,
80.
O.
Galfridus Britannicus, 515.
^ <^ f^*^
(Jangrense, council, 570.
Gardiner, bishop, his threat, 197, 254;
his works on the sacrament, 547; his
changing, 587, 622 ; his book De vera
obedxentia, 621 ; his death, 655,
Gates of cities, how named, 345; mi-
nisters compared to, 348.
Gelasius, pope, 541, 546.
Genesius, a jester, 401.
(ientleness better than sharpness, 183.
Gerson, 532, 626.
Gibeonites, 246 ; burying Saul, 318 ;
commended, 392.
Gideon, 29, 47, 109.
Gildas, 510, 517, aW, 618, 619.
(riraldus, bishop of York, 591
Gluttony, 52 ; of abbeys, 610.
God, his house, building of, 3 ; to be
built before our own, 3!» ; building
of hindered by shi, 40 ; God delights
in, 68; his long suffering, 11, 119,
179; God to be obeyed rather than
man, 24, 41 ; his blessing prospers
labour, 50 ; makes food serviceable,
53 ; his delight in his people, 71 ;
giver of all good things, 85 ; his
providence, 93; his presence with
his people, 108; not a partial God,
133; effect of his blessing, ib. ;
wise in disposing of his goods, 153 ;
his doings to be marked, 173, 175;
punishes by his creatures, 177,220;
. as a token of love, 181 ; his punish-
ments at first gentle, 178; for our good,
179; turns to us when we turn to him,
182; his love to his people, 189; saves
them in all dangers, 191, 196 ; his
will the first cause of good, 195; tries
his people, 207 ; punishes us by the
offending parts, 226 ; to be looked to
in all things, good or evil, 227 ; his
deed, that which his servants do, 234 ;
slow in punishing, but sure, 248, 258;
his righteous retribution, 257 ; jealous
for his religion, 258; his relations to
his people, 25!t ; majesty, 2*»6-7 ; spe-
cially tlicGodof his people, 331,351 ;
righteousness of his judgments, 346 ;
his goodness not to be mistrusted,
3.'i3; watchfulness over his people,
422 ; an almighty helper, 431.
" (fod, little" of the papists, 129, 156.
Godly, patience of, 248 ; punished for
a time, 250.
y^jjr
694
INDEX.
Godly-wise, 245.
Goliath, 30, 120, 24fi, 360, 416.
(rood, the, persecuted by the wicked,
204 ; and evil mixed in the church,
388 ; dwell among the wicked, why,
424; forgive injuries, ib. ; judge
others to be like themselves, 425.
Good returned for evil, nature of God
and his people, 261.
Gospel, enemies of, 44; follows the
law, 96, 108 ; its use, 97, 107; gives
life, 111 ; its general reception, 145 ;
preaching of makes a church pleasant
to God, 156 ; spread by persecution,
264.
Grace, necessary for worthily consider-
ing God's plagues, 174 ; freeness of,
194.
Gratian, Decretal. 496, 501, 543, 566.
Grave called coimeterion, Beth-haiaim.,
319.
Greediness, insatiable, 51.
Greek names, Aggeus,&c. 11; histories,
whether agreeing with the scriptures,
13 ; church, not agreeing with Rome,
145, 205, 500; and Latin churches,
difference between, 548.
Gregory Nazianzene, 312, 532, 543,
565.
Gregory, the first pope, 76, 344, 441,
482, 498, 503, 508, 515, 517, 518, 519,
520, 635, 675 ; his letter to Austin,
517, 524 ; his opposition to John of
Constantinople, 519 ; his mass-book,
508, 524 ; ordained fasting of all Lent,
561.
III. pope, 602.
VIL (Hildebrand) 521, 564,
567, 574.
Groat, price of a dirige or mass, 543.
(irosshead, or Groseteste, bishop of
Lincoln, 591.
H.
Habits, the, regarded by some as relics
of popery, 659.
Haggai, intent of his prophecy, 3; a
poor Levite, 19, 99.
Hales, blood of, 551, 602.
Half-service not accepted, 632.
Hall, bishop, 687.
Hallelujah. See Alleluia.
Hallowing, popish, vanity of, 163, 316,
496.
Haman, 242, 290.
Hand, use of the term in Hebrew, 21 ;
good hand of God upon us, 331.
Hannah, her prayer, 322, 564.
Harrow, destroy, 171.
Hatto, bishop of Mentz, his death, 30,
456, 612.
Hearing, benefit of, 291.
Heathen called into the church, 61.
Helen's day, 15.
Henry, king of France, his death, 654.
Heretics, not generally unlearned, 120;
learned, refuted by an unlearned man,
267.
Hermanius or Hermannus, a reputed
heretic, 18.
Herod, troubled at Christ's birth, 140,
335, 359, 423 ; Agrippa, his death,
29, 233 ; troubled at the gospel, 141 ;
his pride, 233.
Herodotus, 424. '
Hezekiah commended, 360.
Hickscorners, 357.
Hilary, of Poitiers, married, 570.
Hildebrand, 521 ; hell-hrand, 565, 574.
Historia Tripartita, 596, 631, 637.
Holiness only in and from Christ, 164;
of temple, &c. what, 165 ; popish,
vain, 262.
Holy flesh, what, 162; how the un-
faithful part made holy by the faith-
ful, 164.
Holy Ghost, his influence compared to
fire, 266, 342; the schoolmaster of all
truth, 329.
Homo, meaning of, 94.
Horace, 584.
Hospitals, founded in the time of the
gospel, 610.
Hosts, the Lord's, what, 27, &c., 59,
132, 138.
Hottinger, 142, 684.
House of God, general and particular,
65; spiritual, 66; building of, 3;
Christ's zeal in, 5 ; what it consists in,
7, 62, 73 ; promoted by David, Cyrus,
Darius, Artaxerxes, Constantine,
&c., 8; negligence in, 11,13, 90; vain
excuses for, 32, 42 ; all required to
build it, 66, 94, 378 ; men build their
own rather, 83 ; all that build it not
sleep in sin, 116; builders of, need
INDEX.
605
oo
not fear want, 150, l,U-5 ; blessed of
God, 184.
Houses, of princes, 6lc. according to
their degree, 42 ; of priests, 391.
Huldrich, his letter to pope Nicholas,
068-70, 68.)-/.
Humility, examples of, 4/.
Hunger, force of, 456, 458.
I.
Idleness, the evil effects of, 4:^7; of
labouring men, 446 ; of servants, 447.
Ignorance, none excused by, 146; com-
parative, of popish and protestant
times, 611.
Images, 540.
Improve, disprove, 629.
Innocent III. pope, 602.
Interim, the, 574, 657.
I. P. L. C. D. These initials explain-
ed, 10, 273.
Isaiah, his death, 361.
Isch, 94, 187, 245.
Ishmael, an aicher, 428.
Isidore, 503.
J.
Jabesh Gilead, neutrality of, 344.
>> Jacob, banished by Esau, 250.
^ James, St, bishop of Jerusalem, 482;
t^P€if ; his mass, 497 ; in Greek, 499 ; never
,^,^^ used the popish mass, 498.
Jealousy for (rod's glory, 351.
Jebusitcs, account of, 371.
Jehovah, 27.
Jehu, his zeal agaiiiHt Baal, 7-
Jephihah,3(;0.
Jeremiah, his prophecy of the cap-
tivity, 12.
.Jericho, taking of, 29.
Jerome, 294, 3'20, 494, 543, 666, <»9,
617, 619.
Jerusalem, its temple, 13, 14, 68, 69,
70, 8H; hills and walls of, 87-fl,
372-3 ; destroyed by T i tus, R8, 89, 346,
372; by Nebuchadnezzar, 89, IWO;
the holy city, 31. 'i, 372; its lamentable
state, 345 ; the new building of, what
it teaches, 370, 452; called Salem,
Solyma, Jebus, 370-1 ; won by Da-
vid from the Jebusitcs, 371 ; Adam
supposed to be buried in, 373 ; com-
pass of its walls, 443.
Jewel, bishop, conference or corres-
pondence with Dr Cole, 523.
Jews, their mode of reckoning years
and months, 15; government of their
commonwealth, 23 ; their backward-
ness in building the temple, 37; their
present dispersion, 74; their usury,
heathen marriages, &c. reproved, 162;
their miserable state after their cap-
tivity, 291.
Job, his country, 244.
John, archbishop of Constantinople,
76, 518.
prester, 205, 499, .500.
the pope's legate, sent to enforce
divorces of the clergy, 572; his in-
famous conduct, ib.
John I. pope, 601.
VIII. pope, 602.
XII. pope, vii.
XXIII. pope, 603.
Jonathan, slaughtering the Philistines,
29.
Joseph, his conduct as governor of
Egypt, 466; of Arimathea, preached
in England, 511.
Josephus, 69, 682.
Joshua destroys the Amorites, 28.
Judah, good kings of, prosperous, 75;
tribe of, grow faint-hearted, 415-6.
Judas' chapel, 541.
Judges, of Israel, 23. Judges on the
hill Esau, 270.
Judgment, human and divine, 97.
Judith, kills Ilolofenics, 29, 360.
Julian, 312, 440, 596.
Justice better ministered imder Edward
VI. than Mary, 614.
Justification, by faith or works, 167.
Justinian, Novell. Con.stitut., 499.
King, the, G<»d'8 ricar, 512, M4. ^
L.
Labour, vain without God's blessing,
696
INDEX.
Laboiiriiifj men, idleness of, 44»».
Lacklatin, Sir John, a nickname for an
ignorant popish priest, 20, 160, 271.
Lactantius, 477'
Laity, may interfere in religion, by the
example of David and others, fi25.
Lanfranc, archbishop of Canterbury,
brought in transubstantiation, 5/3,
588.
Latimer, his preaching, 427, 4H1.
Laurence, St, martyr, 144, 157.
Law, use of, 104; kills, 111 ; necessary
to be taught, 354 ; law and gospel,
their order and use, 96, 97> 108, 111 ;
different effects, 354; courts of law,
466.
Laws repealed under 3Iary, 614.
Layman a, alleging Scripture, to be be-
lieved against a whole council, 532.
Laymen's books, 146.
Lazarus, 52.
Legenda aurea, 18 ; Nova Sanctorum,
587, 588, 589, 590, 607, 625.
Lent, flesh eaten in, 484; diversities of
fasting in, 560.
Leo, pope, 601.
III. pope, 602.
X. confounded with Adrian VI.,
142.
Liberius, pope, 601.
Liberty, love of, 455.'
lyinus, first bishop of Rome, 588.
Lidier, lazy, 447.
liollards' tower, 540.
iiord of hosts, 40, 59; a name rarely
used in the New Testament, 27; why
(iod calls himself, 132, 138.
Lord's day, 17.
Love, faithful, seeks no delays, 119
true, only among the godly, 240
draws to earnestness in religion, 354
of parents, 456.
Lucian, 312.
Lucius, king of England, 482, 510
597.
Ludgate, 345.
Lukewarmness reproved, 342.
Luther, his preaching, 265.
."Maccabees, 23, 68, 181, 207.
31acedonius, bishop, 637.
31 agister Sententiarum, 526.
Magistrates, the walls of a city, 348 ;
their duty to defend religion, 360 ; to
care for the church, 429 ; to deliver
tlie oppressed, 471-2, 476.
Mahomet, God's plague, 75 ; his rise,
77.
Malice, blinds men, 407.
Man, different names of, 94 ; God and
the devil, work together in one deed,
178.
I\Iarcellinus, pope, 601.
Marriage, in the English church, 544 ;
accounted a sacrament, yet denied to
priest?, 553; of priests condemned by
papists, allowed in the Greek church,
564.
i\lartyrs, their blood the seed of the
church, 144.
Mary, the Virgin, her humility, 47.
Mass, &c., differences in, 81, 496, 497;
at Jerusalem, 482, 495; Latin, full
of prayers to saints, 498, 592 ; by
whom made, 501-2; language used in,
499 ; its antiquity denied, 502 ; de-
termined by a miracle, 508; its dif-
ferent parts, by whom appointed, 503 ;
the first, said by Christ, 504 ; origin
of the name, 505 ; price of a mass,
506 ; the word in Ambrose, 507 ;
Good-Friday mass, 507-8 ; mass, not
catholic, 548; forbidden to married
priests, 574.
Masses, popish, we must not communi-
cate at, 171, 633 ; forenoon, 483, 528.
Matins, midnight, 483, 528; papists'
rule about matins, 528.
Means to be used, not trusted in, 194.
Measure, second, what, 391.
Meats, popish differences in, 46.
IMelchisedec, 370.
Memories, memorials, 535.
Mentz, Hatto, bishop of, 30, 456, 612.
Mercy, ready to all repentant, 101 ;
fonner, a pledge of future, 136.
3Iessages of God, how sent, 222.
Micher, pilferer, 290.
Minds, month-minds, &c., 318.
IMinistcrs, not to thrust themselves into
office, 102 ; must not forsake their
flocks, 441.
Ministry, zeal for maintaining and the
contrary, 9 ; unprofitable, in a worldly
view, 105, 593 ; in all, of equal digni-
ty, 493.
INDEX.
697
3Iiriam (Mary), 3H1.
Missah, .')0f).
3Ioabites, build with the Jews, '.V^.
3Iocking, sin of, 357, 401; Ishmael's,
358.
Glomus in Lucian, 312.
3Ionks brought into the cathedral
churches, 574.
3Ionths, names and reckoning of, lo;
how reckoned in scripture, 287j 307.
3Ionth-minds, 318.
3fordecai,(Mardocheus), 384, 423, H60.
."Moren, or 3Iorwen, Bonner's chaplain,
481.
Moriah, Isaac ottered up on, 374.
JMoses, making the tabernacle, 8, 78 ;
jealous tor (Jod's word, 24; incul-
cates the teaching of it, 2H ; and
Aaron associated as rulers, 35 ; for-
saking Pharaoh's court, 341, 425.
.Mosheim, ID, 513, f)»4.
31ourning for the dead, to be bridled,
319.
3Iumble-matins, a nick-name of popish
priests, 26.
N.
Namely, 34, 40.
Names, in scripture not given in vain,
2 IK.
Nauclcrus, 509, 5«7, R52.
Ncbridius, a courtier, 294.
Nebuchadnezzar, 8, 12, 29, 75, 238, :m ;
offended (»od, though he was his in-
strument, 221 ; his pride and punish-
ment, 231, 233.
Nectarius, bishop of Constantinople,
553.
Negligence in building (rod's house,
1 1, 13, 90; in captains and preachers
deprecated, 438.
Nchemiah, meaning of his name, 285 ;
his example recommended, 286,443 ;
to courtiers, 440 ; his prayer para-
phrased, 2!**»-305 ; his promotion in
the Persian court, 310, 325; his
modest boldness, 314, 327 ; his love
to his country, 315; his prayer for
divine guidance, 322 ; diflcrcncc be-
tween him and Ezra in goi'^R to Jeru-
salem, i{27; his zeal in leaving the
court, 332; his conduct on arriving
at Jerusalem, 337-8; his secrecy,
'Ml, 349; his zeal inspired by God,
342 ; boldness in withstanding their
enemies, 3H0, 362 ; seeks comfort in
prayer, 403 ; his laboriousness, 425,
4.tO ; a wise captain, 426 ; his address
to the nobles, 430, 443 ; diligence and
tnist, 444.
Nero, 254, 314.
Nethinims commended, 391.
Neuters, uterques, omnia, 344.
Nicene council, 532, 546, 549.
Nicephorus, 312,364, 375, 376, 381,440.
Nicholas I. pope, 602.
Night, prayer by, 339.
Noah's flood, 28.
Nonest, nonce, purpose, 644.
Noting of time and circumstances an
evidence of truth, 11.
Nowls, heads, 292.
Numbers, errors in, 687.
O.
Oil, used in popish hallowing, 163;
hallowed for extreme unction, 525;
two kinds of, 526; how used in east-
ern countries, ib.
Olympias, 637, 638.
Opposers of God's truth always over-
thrown, 206.
Oppression, complaint of, 454, 457,
458; by their own countrymen, 459;
various kinds of, 461-2; general prac-
tice of, 465; what it is, 469; its un-
lawfulness, ib. ; restitution required
of oppressors, 470-1; they shall be
j>imished, 473; have no religion in
them, 474.
Or, ere, 86.
Ordering of ministers, the English
service censured by papists, 484, 578 ;
the scripture method, 580 ; our order
agrees to this, the popish ditt'ers, 581 ;
the ancient method, 584-5.
Oswi, king, called a synod, 625.
Ox, an emblem of a good builder, 380.
F.
Pall, brought from Rome, 5i^2; several
sees a long time without it, 583;
698
INDEX.
Edward I. forbid bishops to go to
Rome for it, ib. ; Rome enriched by
it, n84.
Palladius, 26.
Pambo, a monk, 2(5, 688.
Panormitanus, ,532, 626.
Paphnutius vindicates the marriage of
the clergy, 532, 5/6.
Papists, their zeal and success, 6; their
priests sell heaven, &c., 20 ; withhold
God's word from the people, 25, 120 ;
differences among, 80, 81, 549 ; change
with the world, 100, 197, 550; despise
preaching, 112; their dissimulation,
117; their worship, 129; fear the
gospel, 142 ; in effect deny Christ to
be God, ib, ; their baptism not so
evil as their mass, 171 ; their arro-
gant pretensions, 208; compared to
Edomites, 211, 238, 255, 256; more
cruel than they, 218, 253; their ex-
humation of the dead, 217; make the
pope their god, 233, 420; their breed,
335; hard to be converted, 448; their
marriage service, 500; their bloody
practices, 516; are schismatics, 541,
544 ; suffered much less from the pro-
testants, than the latter from them,
622 ; differ little from Jews, 630 ; their
cruelty against the dead, 217, 652.
Parse, pierce, 273.
Paschal, pope, his letter to Anselm,
572.
Pastors, their office, 490.
Patience of the godly, 248; under
scoffing, 402.
Patrons of benefices, their duties, 36.
Paul, St, exercises discipline, 7; jealous
for God's word, 24 ; at Philippi, 145,
263; how he uses means, 328; de-
livered from the Jews, 423 ; wished
himself " accursed from Christ,"
424 ; his rule for eating the Lord's
supper, 529.
Paul's, St, church, burning of, 481 ;
abuses of, 483, 539, 540; several times
burnt, 485, 606.
Paul II. pope, 99, 602.
Paulinus, of Nola, 441.
Pax, 495.
Peace, promised in Christ, 1 57 ; worldly,
grievous, 158.
Pecocke, Ranold, condemned in Henry
the sixth's days, 591.
llocd^jk /^i/
Perne, vice-chancellor of Cambridge,
657.
Pernel, 56.
Persecutions, papal, 142, 205; remon-
strance against, 212; effect of, 143;
Christians supported in, 158, 197;
place of worship provided in, 263 ;
spreads the gospel, 264.
Persians, destruction of their kingdom,
185; their manner of deliberating,
325 ; their archery, 428.
Persius, 156.
Persuasions, of two kinds, 349-50;
more effectual than threatenings,
354.
Peter, the apostle, the pope unlike him,
271 ; except in his faults, 604 ; cut-
ting off Malchus' ear, 433.
Phagius, see Fagius.
Pharisees, troubled at Christ's preach-
ing, 140.
Phileas, bishop of Chinna, 565.
Phinehas, zealous for God, 7, 343, 477-
Phocas, 76, 521.
Pighius, 570 ; (comp. 255.)
Pilate, troubled about Christ, 141;
and Herod agree against Christ,
410, 551.
Pilkington, Bp., his birth, i ; his col-
lege, ib. note ; expositions at Basil,
ii ; whether printed, ib. note ; signs
the " peaceable letter" at Frankfort,
iii ; a commissioner for revising the
Prayer Book, ib. ; Master of St John's
College and Divinity professor, ib. ;
his exposition of Haggai and Oba-
diah, iv ; bishop of Durham, v ; his
Sernion at Paul's cross, ib. ; Confuta-
tion of an Addition, &c. vi; his
letter to archbishop Parker, vii; to
the Earl of Leicester and the Epistola
Consolatoria^ viii; to Sir William
Cecil, ix ; another on the conclusions
in the university of Louvain, x ;
foundation of Rivington School, xi ;
death and will, ib.; epitaphs on, xii,
xiii ; Commentary on Nehemiah,
xiii ; character, ib. ; list of his works,
xiv — xvi ; Lancastriensis, Canta-
brigiensis, Dunelmensis, 10; writes
for the unlearned, 307, 376, 643 ; his
exposition on Ezra xvi., 308, 367;
commemoration of, at Rivington
school, 671.
v/' (/
'rpem
LNDEX.
690
4? ^<^V :^
Pilkington, Leonard, John, and Lau-
rence, V.
Pius, pope, 601.
— — II. pope, 500; in favour of priests'
marriages, o6().
Fix, the box for the consecrated wafer,
129.
Places, supposed holiness of, 63, W.
Placilla, wife of Theodosius, 386.
Plagues, God's, the cause of, 73 ; cause
of to be searched, 50, 180; not to
be resisted, 72, 77 ; difterence of,
under popery and the gospel, 85 ; of
one a warning to others, 175; if de-
spised, bring greater, 176 ; come from
God, but man sins as the instrument,
220; greater in popery than in the
gospel, 606.
Platina, 'J% 503, 514, 566, 601-3.
Plautus, 215. 5^^^ 3^"^
Pliny, 231, 333, 428. •'^- ^
Pluralities, 255.
Plutarch, 377-
Hoifxaii/eiv, JCIJ.
Pole, Cardinal, his commissioners, 65;
his book De Unitate Ecclesiee, 497.
Policy joined with prayer, 413, 415.
Polycarp, his martyrdom, 364.
Polychronicon, 509, 512, 514, 516, 517,
527, 535, 561, 572, 575, 583, 5J{5, 588,
530, &c., 597, o98, 607, 610, 611.
Polycrates, bishop of Ephesus, 565.
Polydore Vergil, 565.
Ponet, bishop of Winchester, answer
to .Alartin, 549.
Poor, as well as rich, builders in God's
house, 33, 46; wants of their chil-
dren, 455-6.
Pope's testament does not teach Christ,
20; pope, his seat shaken, 30, 421 ;
when he began to flourish, 75 ; his
power declining, 77 ; thinks his laws
better than Christ's, 80; pride of, 99,
206; liable to err, 115; his church
and C^hrist's, diversity of, 129; popes
poison one another, 247 ; pope most
unlike St Peter, 271; compared to
Tobias, 410; several popes at once,
545, 618; pope's creatures all suj)cr-
stitious, 563; a woman, pope, 602;
popes corrected or deposed by empe-
rors, 640.
Popery, 6, !< ; opposed to the grace of
the gospel, 20; dregs of, 121 ; plagues
in, greater than under the gospel,
6(>6.
Popish questions, see Questions.
Popish rubbish left in the church, com-
plaint of, 417-8.
Porters of the church, 383.
Portus, 17, 630; its antiquity, 534-5;
of Sarum, 535. *" j^,^.^-i£r '\ ^
Prayer, common places of, 63;,fervencf /
of, and the contrary, 292; outward
forms and inward dispositions of,
295; in all places, 323; a sovereign
salve for all sores, 405, 411 ; feeling
of helplessness necessary for, 411;
must be joined with means, 412; of
Constantine's soldiers, 413; two sorts
of, 564.
Preachers, the Lord's servants, 21 ; how
called and sent, 22, 38; what to
preach, 59, 218; not to be disdained
for their simplicity. 99, 100; their
office worshipful, 106; their higli
titles, 106, 107; sent to the builders
of (rod's house, 184; gentle kind of,
win most to God, 3.54.
Preaching, not to be despised, 12, 114;
necessary, 112; its effect, to make
us new men, 117; moves more than
plagues, 183; conquers more than
fighting, 265.
Preter tense used of things future, 226,
241.
Pride, the beginning of sin, 227; arises
of good things, 228 ; of beauty,
strength, <!s:c., 229, 230; (rod throws
down the proud, 233.
Priests, unable, their unprofitableness,
36; popish, wickedness of their tren-
tals, (Sec, 126, Ifil; should he learned
in scripture, 160; admonished by .\e-
hemiah, 378 ; extent of their houses,
391 ; should go with the army to war,
414.
Princes, stand not by their own power,
188; not to be trusted in, 231 ; suits
to, conunended by prayer to (rod,
308 ; to be prayed lor, 4ii4 ; are to
maintain true religion, fUO, ♦J42.
Princocks, 523.
Promises, efleci of (iod's, 109; satisfy
the conscience in all doubts, 186;
Christ'?, to be with his church, I lo ;
given to rulers pertain to their siu-
cc9Son, 185; those to fathers belong to
'orC<^/cU
700
INDEX.
3?
lA^^t^
tlieir children, 190; pleaded in prayer,
301 ; certainty of, 445.
Prophets, why called seers^ and pro-
phecies visions^ 214 ; speak of the
future as past, 220, 241.
Prosperity, not always to the wicked,
224.
Protestants, faint-hearted, 41G-7; their
religion older than councils, 549.
Purgatory, deliverance from for money,
21, 77; fear of, at death, 321.
Q.
Questions, popish, answered : which is
the catholic church? G17; who is a
heretic ? 619 ; who is a schismatic ?
620 ; whether protestant priests be in
schism, 621 ; whether ministering the
communion according to the book of
common prayer be schism, 623 ; whe-
ther reading chapters and psalms,
&c. instead of " divine service" be
schism, 62{{ ; whether priests that say
the communion may also celebrate
mass, 630; whether priests who say
no communion, but only read psalms
and chapters, may celebrate mass,
631 ; whether it be a wicked time, in
which such heresy and schism reign,
632; whether the laity may receive
the protestant communion, 634 ; whe-
ther through fear they may receive it
dissemblingly, 636 ; what they must
do, who cannot have the mass, 637 ;
whether all are bound to obey the
queen and her laws, 639.
R.
*' Rat's tower," 30, 457, 612.
Reformation, its slow progress com-
plained of, 37; was not received
without consent of the clergy, 627.
Reformers, their weapons, 265.
Register of the builders' names, 393.
Regrating, 464.
Religion, makes nearest friends extreme
foes, 223; where it differs, no true
love, 224 ; the true, restoration of, 3 ;
false, how maintained, 7B; brings
evils, 73; withholds blessings, 85;
whether we should fight for religion,
433 ; princes not to change it at their
pleasure, 434 ; worldlings judge it by
their belly, 612; no man has autho-
rity to make a religion, 627.
Remembrance of sin good, 181.
Repeating of instruction profitable, 84.
Rich, not allowed to misuse their
goods, &c. 41.
Richard I., story of, 591.
II., epistle to pope Boniface,
640.
Riches, all belong to the Lord, 150; not
to be wrongfully gotten nor waste-
fully used, 150-1 ; contentment with
regard to, 152.
Ridley, Dr, his visitation of Cambridge,
522; on the sacrament, 547.
Rivington school, foundation of, xi ;
statutes of, 663.
Rochets, origin of, 661.
Ronian's, St, (or Tronian's) fast, 80,
551.
Rooty, coarse, 490.
Rout, stir, 356.
Rufiinus, 267, 333, 409, 414, 565.
Rulers, blamed if the people offend
through their negligence, 34; tem-
poral above spiritual, 22, 116, 124;
have chief power 'in all common-
wealths, 23; their ordinances in the
church not articles of faith, 25.
S.
Sacraments, few in number, 130 ; God's
seals, 192 ; seven, asserted by papists,
484, 522, 524, 553 ; ministration of,
according to the book of common
prayer, not schismatic, 623, &c.
Sacrifices, a figure of Christ's, 546;
offered on altars, 547 ; sacrificing for
sin now, condemned, 621.
Sad, solid, 418.
Saints, the right way of remembering
them, 18 ; not to be looked to for
protection, 92.
Sallustius, a Roman prefect, 333.
Salvation, one doctrine of, for all, 124 ;
means of, given to all alike, ib.
Samaria, siege and famine, 28.
Sanballat, his name and country, 334 ;
his violent rage, 397.
IXDEX.
'01
Satan's practices to hinder the building
of God's house, 3of», 410 ; his malice
exhibited in Nehemiah's enemies,
419 ; in the papists, 420.
Saul, case of, 25.
Saviours promised, 209, 271.
Scamblings, 058.
Schisms, twenty three among papists,
545.
Schismatic, who ? r»20 ; papists are,
541, 544; differing in substance, not
in ceremonies, makes one, 020.
Schoolmaster, a wise, 355.
Sclavons, their ministering the Lord's
supper, 500.
Scots defeated, 80, 251.
Scriptures, necessary for all, 120, 008 ;
(lod's indenture, 192; his letter,
280; nothing superstitious or unpro-
fitable in, 37O; antiquity of, 428, 531.
Seals, the sacraments and the Holy
Ghost, 193.
Sely, simple, 209.
Sennacherib, overthrown, 28.
Sepharad, what, 208.
Sergius, pope, 002, 052.
Sermon on the burning of St Paul's,
whether printed, 481 ; abstract of, ft47.
Servant of God, a glorious name, 304.
Shadrach, &C.384.
Shalmaneser, places strangers in Judea,
12.
Similitudes, a good kind of teaching,
101.
Sin, sleep in, 0, 12 ; insensibility pro-
duced by, 49; hinders every thing
from doing good, 54 ; must I)e re-
buked in all, 9!{; the sleep and death
of the soul, 111; defiles even what
(Jod commands, 102; defiles every
thing in the sinner, 105, 100; con-
demns, 109; sins of the mind, 231 ;
sin crucified (Christ, 347.
Siori, mount, holiness in, 201, 204;
what, 202.
Six Articles, the bill of, 531,
Sixtus, see Xistus.
.Slander, a kind of persecution, 210;
yf^ worse than the fire, 301.
Socrates, 317.
.Vocrates, Kccles. Hist. 2!», l40, 5.'»:{,
500, aw.
Sodom and Gomorrah, their punish-
ment, 28.
Soldiers, admonition to, 414 ; of one
kindred should be joined together,
420.
Sozomen, Eccles. Hist. 532, 540, 553,
501, 505, 570, 037.
Spaniards, brought into England to
maintain popery, 242.
Spiridion, a bishop of Cyprus, 501,
570.
Spirit, Holy, promise of, 130; effici-
ency of, 137.
Spiritual persons, their neglects reprov-
ed, 35; their landi, 592.
Stairs, the emblem explained, 389.
Stephen, pope, 002, 052.
Strabo, 281-3, 288, 325.
Strype :
Annals, ii — vi, xiv, xvi, 481, 541.
023, 020, «;27.
.^Memorials, 254, 495.
liife of (irindal, 481.
Life of Parker, viii, 048, 658.
Subsidy granted by the clergy to queen
Mary, 495.
Succession of bishops, 485, 597, 598;
in succession, the good follow the
bad, and the contrary, 599; that of
doctrine, the true, 000 ; the claim of
the papists, of a line of bishops from
the apostles, denied, ib.; no succession
of doctrine in the Roman church, 001 ;
instanced in particulars, (101 -.3.
Suffering, victory by, 197-
Superstition, to be too holy, 662; two
kinds of, 503.
.Surtees, history of Durham, 481.
Swash-buckler, 151.
Sylvester II. pope, ♦J02.
Tax, paid by the Jews to the king of
Persia, 457.
Temple, 40 years in building, how cal-
culated, 13; under what kings built,
14; (iod's deligJit in it, 08; how ho-
noured, 09, 70 ; defiled by Aniiochus.
88; tlie first and second, 120, 128;
comparative glory of, 155 ; desolation
and restoration of, an emblem of the
state of the christian church, 278.
Terence. :W9, 400, 495.
Tcrcniius, a Human captain, 324, 04»0.
yr
r
^<
'02
INDEX.
Tertullian, 144, 48o, 510, 597, 604,
G83.
Thacker, thatcher, 3151.
Thecoites, 381.
Thecua, or Tekoah, widow of, 161,
309.
Theraan, 244.
Theodoret, 165, 324, 386, 409, 546.
Theodorus, a confessor, 333.
Theodosius, favours the church, 8 ; ex-
communicated by Ambrose, 381,491,
546 ; his law about punishment, 408 ;
his prayer, 413.
Therfe, unleavened, 54.
Thomas Aquinas, 80, 550, 562.
Thraso, 400, 431.
Threatenings move the evil, 71 ; re-
peated, 84 ; God's, conditional, 89 ;
benefit of, 96.
"■ Thunder, sons of," 265,
Tiberius, troubled at the preaching of
Christ, wished him to be worshipped
as a God, 141,683-4.
Tobias, 57, 58.
Tooley, John, burned for a heretic after
death, 217.
Tracy, William, dug up from his grave,
653.
Trajan, 333.
Traitors, punishment of, 188.
Transubstantiation and constrained
celibacy must go together, 573.
Trees, simile of, 67, 68.
Trentals, 20.
Tronion's, St (Ronian) fast, 80, 551.
Troubles to be expected in building
God's house, 3<»(;-7, 399.
Trumpet, its use and importance, 442.
Trust, not to be placed in physic,
horses, 6^c. 230.
Truth, must be truly uttered, 487.
U.
Unction, extreme, no sacrament, 524,
&c.
Universities, state of learning in, 593.
Unthankfulness, grievous to be charged
with, 30, 31 ; great wickcdnessof, 460.
Unto, until, 205.
Urban, pope, set on foot the crusades,
372.
Ustazadis, 637, 638.
Usury reproved, 39, 162, 464.
Uterques, 344.
Valentinianus, refused to be sprinkled
with holy water, 1 65.
Vengeance, belongs to God, 249 ; the
day of, not far off, 258 ; sins cry for,
465.
Vitae patrum, 184, 642.
Volaterran, 401, 527.
\V.
Waldenses, 264, 653.
Walter, bishop of Durham, 591.
bishop of Hg:tford, how killed,
590. j^.r^»iri- Z-^'*^' lAJ-gf-^r<f
Water, conjured, 63, 64, 518. f/' A'
Weak, how to be borne with, 45.
Weapons in war, simplicity of, 427.
Wednesday, named from Woden, 16. _^
Wicked, the, plague one another, 246 ;
cruelty of, 248; punished for ever,
250 ; soon dismayed, 435-6.
Wickliff'e, the persecution that followed
after his death, 264 ; dug up from his
grave, 653. (^ ^* ^ jT^r ^•*l-
Wilfride, St, 590. V ^^^
William, St, and his horse, 587.
Wisdom, worldly, is foolishness, 242,
245 ; in God's matters, 243 ; better
than arms, 439.
Woltius, Jo., 30, 376.
Women, offered for the tabernacle, 386.
Wood, mad, 160.
Woods, policy of preserving, 330.
Word of God, its effect either salva-
tion or condemnation, 3, 266; only
to be taught, 19, 24 ; profit of hear-
ing, 103.
Work, required of us, the profit of it
with God, 133; good for the man's
sake, 167.
Worldliness decays the ministry, 105.
INDEX.
703
Worship, simplicity of protestant, 120.
Worthiness and unworthiness, 47.
Xistus, or Sixtus, martyr, 144.
Y.
Years diversely reckoned, In, IGO,
Z.
Zarphat, what, 208,
Zeal for God's glory commended, .'», {J.
Zion, see Sion.
Zisca, Ho J.
Zuingle, the pope's offers to him, 142,
r»84 ; his preaching, 26r».
^U^
0
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BINDI^
BX Pilkington, James, Bp. of
5130 Durham
P5 The works of James
IB/a Pilkington
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