Biblia the Byble, that is, the holy Scrypture of the Olde and New Testament, faithfully translated in to Englyshe.

The XIII. Chapter.

VAyne are all men, which haue not y^e knowlege of God: as were they that [ A] out of the good thinges which are sene, knewe not him,* 1.1 that of himself is euer∣lastinge. Nether toke they so moch regarde of the workes that are made, as to knowe, who was the craftesman of them: but some toke the fyre, some the wynde or ayre, some y^e course of y^e starres, some y^e water, some toke Sonne and Moone, or the lightes of heauen which rule y^e earth, for goddes.* 1.2 But though they had soch pleasure in their beuty, that they thought them to haue bene goddes:

yet shulde they haue knowne, how moch mo¦re fayrer he is that made them. For the ma∣ker of beuty hath ordened all these thinges. Or yf they marueled at the power and wor∣kes of thē, they shulde haue perceaued ther¦by, y^t he which made these thinges, is migh∣tier then they.

[ B] For by the greatnesse & beutye of the crea¦ture, y^e maker therof maye playnely be know¦ne. Notwithstondinge they are the lesse to be blamed, that sought God & wolde haue founde him, and yet myssed. And why? for so moch as they wēte aboute in his workes and sought after them, it is a tokē, that they regarded and helde moch of his workes y^t are sene: howbeit they are not wholy to be excused. For yf their vnderstondinge and knowlege was so greate, y^t they coude dis∣cerne the worlde and y^e creatures, why dyd they not rather fynde out y^e LORDE therof?

But vnhappie are they, and amonge the deed is their hope, that call thē God which are but the workes of mens handes: golde, syluer and the thinge, that is founde out by connynge, the similitude of beastes, or eny vayne stone that hath bene made by han∣de of olde.* 1.3 Or as whan a carpenter cutteth downe a tre out of the wodd, and pareth of [ C] the barck of it connyngly: and so with the one parte maketh a vessell to be vsed, and dighteth meate with the residue. As for the other parte that is left, which is profita∣ble for nothinge (for it is a croked pece of wodd and full of knobbes) he carueth it dili∣gently thorow his vanite, and (acordinge to the knowlege of his connynge) he geueth it some proporcion, fashioneth it after the simi¦litude of a man, or maketh it like some beest, straketh it ouer with reed and paynteth it, and loke what foule spot is in it, he casteth some coloure vpon it. Then maketh he a con¦ueniēt tabernacle for it, setteth it in the wall and maketh it fast with yron, prouydinge so for it, lest it happē to fall: for it is well know∣ne, that it can not helpe it self: And why? it is but an ymage, and must of necessite be helped.

[ D] Then goeth he and offreth of his goo∣des vnto it for his children and for his wife: he seketh helpe at it, he axeth councell at it: he is not ashamed to speake vnto it y^t hath no soule: for health, he maketh his peticion vnto him that is sicke: for life, he prayeth vn¦to him that is deed: he calleth vpon him for helpe, that is not able to helpe him self: & to sende him a good iourneye, he prayeth him that maye not go. And in all the thinges y^t he taketh in hande (whether it be to optayne eny thinge or to worke) he prayeth vnto him that can do maner of good.

Notes

• * 1.1

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• * 1.2

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• * 1.3

  〈◊〉〈◊〉 44. b 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 10. a