The thre bokes of cronicles, whyche Iohn Carion (a man syngularly well sene in the mathematycall sciences) gathered wyth great diligence of the beste authours that haue written in Hebrue, Greke or Latine Whervnto is added an appendix, conteynyng all such notable thynges as be mentyoned in cronicles to haue chaunced in sundry partes of the worlde from the yeare of Christ. 1532. to thys present yeare of. 1550. Gathered by Iohn Funcke of Nurenborough. Whyche was neuer afore prynted in Englysh. Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum.

The Kynges of Israel.

THe iudges of the people of Israel wer not succedyng by enheritaunce: there∣fore was not the gouernaunce among that people firme or certayne, saue on∣ly with the hygh priestes: but God or∣deined somtyme wyse princes amonge thē in steade of a garnison, & those raysed God now here now there. But the people euell cōtented with this incertaintie of gouernaunce, required of Sa∣muel the hygh priest too haue a certayne kyng, the whiche might gouerne the kyngdom. Samuel wil¦lyng to do nothyng rashly, asked counsayl of God. god shewed that he was very wroth with that wil∣fulnesse of the people demaundyng a newe kyng & commaunding y^e people to bee greuously punyshed therfore. Neuerthelesse God dyd in the meane sea∣son* 1.1 graunt to the makyng of the kyng and institu∣tyng and continuance of a kyngdome. The power of the kyngdom, and administration of it, is confir∣med here with wordes of no small importaunce: the whiche must chefely be consydered.

Moreouer it is to bee marked, that God is not

dyspleased because he doth mysprayse the gouer∣naunce of a kyng (for he doth manifestly cōfirme it) but hee is displeased with thee peoples desyre of newfanglinesse in chaunging that commune welth,* 1.2 which he him selfe had instituted. For God will not suffre the chaunge of the kyngdomes, whiche are ordeined by hym. Also are we admonished by thys example, that we eschue any mutacion at all. In this historie are there many other notable com∣maundementes, the whiche for shortnesse, I must* 1.3 ouerpasse. This one thyng wyll I only reherse, that the ciuill gouernaunce, the aucthorite of prin∣ces and kynges is here cōfirmed of God, when he speaketh of the ryght and duetie of a kyng.

Saul reigned fourty yere, and was destroied for* 1.4 his vngodlynesse, & all his kynred was destroted.

Dauid reigned forty yeare, and God punished* 1.5 hym for aduoutry committed, and by sedition was he dryuen out of hys kyngdom by his owne sonne Absalon: But God restored him into the kyngdom, and punyshed the sedition greuously. Absalon died a straunge death.

Salomon was forty yeres kynge, but after his* 1.6 decease, was the kyngdom deuided in sundery par∣tes for the aduoutry of Dauid.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The institu∣tion of kyng∣domes and kyn••e•• ••e of ••••••.
• * 1.2

  The chaun∣gynges and renewynges of kyngdōs displeaseth God.
• * 1.3

  The confir∣macion of ci∣uyll gouer∣naunce.
• * 1.4

  Saul.
• * 1.5

  Dauid.
• * 1.6

  Salmon.