A most plaine and profitable exposition of the book of Ester deliuered in 26. sermons. By Peter Merlin, one of the ministers of the church of Garnezey: and now translated in English, for the helpe of those who wanting the knowledge of the tongues, are yet desirous of the vnderstanding of the scriptures and true godlinesse. With a table of the principall points of doctrine contained therein.

THE TRANSLATOR to the Reader, wisheth grace and mercy from God the Father, in Christ Iesus.

IT is to bee lamented (deare Christian bro∣ther) euen with bloudie teares, that the policies & subtilties of satan v∣sed in the time of dark∣nesse & superstition, and not better discerned, or at the least not auoyded in this cleare light of the Gospell. The Apostle S. Paul saith that* 1.1 ••e was not, (and by his example we shuld not: ••e) ignorant of his enterprises, and subtill ••ractises: For this ignorance in not knowing, ••nd negligence in not auoyding, are the causes why many runne headlong into his nets, and ••re taken captiues to do his will. Amongst* 1.2 which nets and snares of his, wherewith hee draweth soules into perdition, he hath not any

more gainfull vnto himselfe, more hurtfull vnto man, then the writing, publishing & rea∣ding of idle, fruitlesse, filthie & wicked bookes. This is perceiued most plainely in Papistrie, wherein it is lawfull to publish or reade any booke but those that are good, and which in any sort might tend to the opening of ignorāce* 1.3 and reformation of wickednesse. Which thing a learned man of our age complaineth to haue happened at the time of the alteration of reli∣gion, in the wofull raigne of Queene Mary, when the Bible and all bookes of religiō were banished & Mort Arthure, with the like re∣ceiued into the Princes & Nobles chambers. Satan is the same which euer he hath bene, an* 1.4 auncient Aduersarie, and old Serpent; and therefore euer worketh to the same end, that is to our destruction▪ euery day more cunning∣ly then other: and euen by the same meanes which euen now I spake of: For who so list to take a view, may easily see, there haue moe of those hobgoblin bookes, hauing neither shewe of reason▪ nor likelyhood of any trueth; and more vnsauoury and vnfruitfull matters ben•• partly raked vp out of obliuion, and partly by setting on the glosse of finer conceits as it were new coyned▪ within these fewe yeares, the•• since the abolishing of Papistrie in many yer••••

before. What the Diuel purposeth it is appa∣rant▪ to nuzle ignorance▪ and cherish wicked∣nesse: what we should do herein we cannot be ignorant, euen euery one in his place and cal∣ling, to set himselfe to the bew••••ying & bea∣ting downe of Satans practises. Wherein for mine owne part, as in my place I cease not▪ ac∣cording to the measure of the grace of GOD committed vnto me▪ by my voice to effect it: so haue I aduentured both by the translation▪ of this booke, and by this short & rude admo∣nition in writing▪ to deale with others farther of, that whither the Authors voice nor mine could reach, our pennes might▪ and where he either in French or Latin could not be vnder∣stood▪ mine Englishing of him might▪ instruct.

As for those who by the penning of those bookes defile their owne wits, and by the pub∣lishing of them, both abuse other mens time▪ and defame that Noble and woorthie Art of Printing▪ I desire them euen by the mercies* 1.5 of GOD, (if they make any account of that dreadful account▪ which in the last iudgement they shall render of euery idle word, and* 1.6 therefore much more of idle and worse wri∣ting:) that they looke into this policie of Sa∣tan and detest it, knowing that his promise of the knowledge of good & euil, performes* 1.7

but euil vnto those that beleeue him: and that they acknowledge God to bee the Authour of those gifts and ornaments of wit and learning which they possesse, and therefore vse them vnto his glorie. The Printers, who for the greedinesse of a little gaine, lose the greatest* 1.8 gaine, which is godlinesse, and the gain that groweth by that, euen ••ternall life, if in time they repent not: I exhort to consider how ex∣cellent members they be or shuld be of a Chri∣stian Common-wealth, how excellent & euen miraculous Art they professe: and how profi∣table they might be vnto the Church of God, which now by printing these ougly pamphlets, they iniurie and (as much as in them lyeth) pull downe. The graue and reuerend Fathers vnto whome the ouersight of bookes to passe the Print is committed, in most humble and earnest maner I beseech, that yet in time they stop this mischiefe, which they know better thē I can tel them, how much it tendeth to the dis∣honour of God, whose glorie they are appoin∣ted to set foorth, and to the disgrace of the Church whereof they are ouer-seers.

And you (ô deare Christians whosoeuer) that shall by Gods prouidence reade this sim∣ple admonition, if you haue at any time bene tainted with an itching desire of reading such

fables and toyes, yet now at the last come to amendment out of the snares of the diuel.* 1.9 Whiles it is yet to day harden not your hearts, but heare the voice of God sounding in his word, and soundly set forth and explai∣ned by godly learned men. Hearken not vnto Satans promises for he wil deceiue thee, as the woman of Samaria did her neighbor, who hid her child when she had promised to dresse him* 1.10 tomorrow: the very Heathen can tell thee, Sera nimis vita est crastina, viue hodie:

Tomorrowes life is all too late, Liue thou to day, that lou'st thy state.

If we may not in Salomons iudgement, bid our neighbour come tomorrow, much lesse* 1.11 maist thou bid God come againe tomor∣row, when he standeth at thy doore and knocketh. Vse then the opportunitie which God hath giuen thee by the publishing of good bookes, and mispend not thy time any longer in reading damnable and wicked Treatises. Thou hast (the Lordes name be euer blessed therefore) the holie Bible, the most necessary, the most profitable booke, euen the booke of life, and that dispearsed in infinit numbers ea∣sie to be gotten. Thou hast also euen in thy mo∣ther

tongue, Expositios, Readings, Comments, Sermons, Catechismes innumerable, which all tend to the opening of that booke, and to make the vnderstanding therof easie vnto thee. For the furthering whereof, seeing I had nothing of mine owne worthie the vieu in this learned age, I haue taken some time which I might best spare from mine ordinary functiō of prea∣ching of the word▪ and haue imployed it in this translation. Wherby if I may do any good euen vnto the rudest and simplest, for whose cause I vndertooke it, I haue my desire: the learned haue the Fountaines out of which they may draw in abundance, this is vndertaken to help the vnlearned, and vnskilfull in the tongues.

Touching the Authour of this booke, and the occasion why he vndertooke it, I am short∣ly to admonish thee. He was a French man, and sometimes Preacher vnto the King of France that now is, then King of Nauarre; and therefore he bendeth himselfe principal∣ly to touch the state of that Countrey: and be∣ing by those broyles which then were raised by the League against the professours of the Gospell, driuen to forsake his Countrey, hee came into the Isle of Gernezey, within her most excellent Maiesties dominions, where he was accepted for one of the Ministers of

that Church, and there he deliuered first in French vnto his Auditorie, and afterward committed to writing in latin these Sermons, which here now (good Reader) thou hast now in English. The occasion why he tooke this booke in hand, was vpō the death of the Duke of Guise, who as an Haman had set himselfe against the Church of God, and was by the same Assuerus▪ whose power and authoritie he had before abused (he meaneth the French King, Henry the third) suddenly slaine at an assembly of the states at Bloys, whē he thoght himselfe most sure of obtaining his purpose a∣gainst all the godly; and was most secure of his owne state. The obseruing of this, serueth to open the Authours meaning in diuers places▪ which otherwise might seem somewhat dark▪ & therfore thus briefly I set it down to thee.

The profit that shall come by the reading of this Treatise, and the principall points con∣tained therein, I had rather euery man should finde by proofe in reading the booke, thē spend time in blazing it before hand. And therfore I commit it to thine owne care and diligence, praying God to open thine hart to vnderstand, and blesse thy diligence, to profit heereby both in knowledge & practise, euen for Christ Ie∣sus sake, to whose grace I commend thee.

Farewell.

Notes

• * 1.1

  2. Cor. 2. 11.
• * 1.2

  2. Tim. 2. 26.
• * 1.3

  R. Aschame Praeface to his schoole∣maister.
• * 1.4

  1. Pet. 5. 8. Reu. 1••. 9. 10.
• * 1.5

  Rom. 12. 1.
• * 1.6

  Mat. 12. 36.
• * 1.7

  Gen. 3.
• * 1.8

  1. Tim. 6. 6.
• * 1.9

  2. Tim. 2. 26 Psal. 95.
• * 1.10

  2. Kin. 6. 29.
• * 1.11

  Prou▪ 3. 2••. Reu. 3. 20.