Newes from Niniue to Englande, brought by the prophete Ionas vvhich newes in plainlye published in the godly and learned exposition of Maister Iohn Brentius folovving, translated out of Latine into Englishe by Thomas Tymme minister.

¶ And when God sawe their workes,* 1.1 howe they turned from their wic∣ked wayes, he repented on the euill, which he sayde he would doe vnto them, and did it not.

This place the hypocrites doe abuse, to defende the merites of humane righteous∣nesse. And doe affirme that the wrath of God maye be pacified, and that sinnes might be forgiuen for such workes as are before mencioned, as by fasting, putting on of sackecloth, and sitting in dust. But they greatly erre, and are deceyued. For first of all, the whole ende and scope of the Gospell of Christ is to teach only that our sinnes are forgiuen, and that the wrath of

God is pacified for Christes sake, and by his death and passion, the which must bée acknowledged and comprehended by faith.

The pacifying therefore of the wrath of God, and the satisfaction for sinne before GOD, must not be attributed to anye of mans merites or deserts, but to the mercie of God in Iesus Christ. Furthermore, we haue shewed before, that fasting, and sack∣cloth of themselues, are works indifferent and not acceptable vnto God, if so be they be done of wicked men, and of such as are not reconciled vnto God. Wherevpon it is writtē in the prophecie of Esay Wher∣fore fast we (say they) and thou séest it not?* 1.2 Beholde when ye fast, your lust remay∣neth still.

What meaneth then the text when it sayth: God sawe their workes? Thys scripture is not to be vnderstoode of works which are done without repentaunce, but of the workes of true repentaunce: wher∣vpon it followeth in this place, howe euery man turned from his wicked way. This is the preaching and shewing forth of true repentaunce. For God in asswaging his

wrath, and in forgiuing sinnes, hath first of al respect vnto his only begotten sonne, which hath satisfied for sinne, then he hath respect vnto them in whome he hath found his sonne by faith. When as therfore they which beléeue in Christ, testifie y^e acknow∣ledging of their sinnes, by fasting and sackcloth, and declare their fayth also by the amendement of their lyues, and by imbracing of vertue, then is God sayde to haue respect vnto their workes, not that workes of themselues are so meritorious, that for them God will turne awaye his wrath, but bicause works are arguments and certaine signes of the fayth which we haue in Christ Iesus, whome God onely regardeth, and for whose merites alone he is pacified and forgiueth sinnes. This now must be applied to the Niniuets. For the Niniuets were sinners, & for their sinnes they deserued to haue their Citie destroy∣ed. But at the preaching of IONAS they are terrified, and made beleue, as is afore¦sayd. But what did they beléeue? 1 First, they beleued that God was angerie wyth them for their sinnes, and that the worde

which was preached vnto them as concer∣ning the destruction of the Citie, was true, & diuine. 2 Then they beleued that God was mercifull for the promised séede of A∣braham: by the which fayth they fasted, and put on sackcloth, to declare the true acknowledging of their sinnes. 3 Last of all, they turned euerie one from their wic∣ked wayes to godlynesse and vertue, to te∣stifie their fayth and obedience towardes the séede of Abraham. God therefore re∣specteth their works, not for their merits, but for the séede of Abraham which was: Christ, whome they acknowledged by faith to be their only Sauiour & redéemer.

And in this place we haue an excellent example, of howe great efficacie and pro∣fite, true repentance is. Many men thinke and déeme, that all thinges are done and come to passe by fatall destinie, that is, by a certaine necessitie, and immutable order of thinges. And therefore they count it vaine, to séeke meanes to auoide daungers to come, and to call vppon God to tourne away such daungers as are at hande.

And truely it is most certaine that God

is immutable,* 1.3 and without all shadowe of chaunge: I am God (sayth he) and am not chaunged.* 1.4 And the Prophet Dauid sayth. They shall perishe, but thou shalt endure. But as touching perils and daun∣gers at hand, God doth so determine them to come to passe, that if men doe repent, he receyueth them into his fauour, and for∣giueth the punishment to come, and if not the temporall, yet at least the punishment which is eternall. As the Lorde hymselfe testifieth by the mouth of y^e Prophet Hie∣remie saying. If that people repent them of their wickednesse, I also will repent me of the plague which I haue spoken.* 1.5 Thys truely was spoken euen at the first, of the destruction of Hierusalem to come, of the which Esayas also prophecied long before. By the which saying is signified that not∣withstanding the purpose of God in hys threatninges, if men doe repent them of their sinne, the Lorde also will turne from his wrath & forgiue. The which thing the example of the Niniuets well prooueth: By whose example also Hierusalem had re∣mayned safe, if so be y^e Citizens of Hieru∣salem,

had so repented at the preaching of Hieremy, as the Niniuets did at the prea∣ching of IONAS. The like had happened to the Iewes, if they had afterwarde re∣pented, at the preaching of Christ and his Apostles, as Christ himselfe declareth say∣ing. Hierusalem, Hierusalem, how often would I haue gathered thée,* 1.6 euen as the Hen gathereth hir Chickings vnder hir winges, and ye woulde not. And againe: There shall no signe be giuen vnto them,* 1.7 but the signe of IONAS in the Whales belly. God truely, is so delighted in repen∣taunce, that if the wicked doe but repent him externally, although he forgiue not his sinne, & remit not his eternall punish∣ment: yet notwithstanding, he wil forgiue some part, of his externe and temporall punishement in this worlde: as testifieth the example of Achab, the wickednesse of whose heart, although it remayned still: yet neuerthelesse, when he humbled him∣selfe at the preaching of Elias, and repen∣ted externally, God was so delighted ther∣with that the punishment was deferred to the posteritie of Achab. Wherfore if any

man desire to haue not onely the temporal punishment in this worlde for sinne, but also the euerlasting punishmente in the worlde to come, remitted. Let him repent truely, that is, let hym acknowledge hys sinne, let him beleue in Christ, and let him shewe true obedience towardes God. So God graunted a hundred & twentie yeres space of repentaunce before the floud. So that if they had repented at the preaching of Noe, they had not onely escaped the punishment of the flood, but also the punish∣ment of Hell fyre. So God gaue foure hundred yeres space of repentaunce to the Gentiles, the Cananites, so to Pharao, so also in these dayes to vs, in the which, the Turke threateneth to vs Christians de∣struction: I say he hath giuen vs space of repentaunce, to the which, he calleth vs by the preaching of his holy Gospell.

If therefore we repent vs truly, that is, if we faithfully and vnfeynedlye imbrace the Gospell, and amend our liues publike∣lye and priuately, generally and perticu∣larly, from the hyest to the lowest, then we shall escape the punishment and tyrannie

of the Turke, Pope, and all the enimies of God. But for so much as the contempt of the Gospell is great, and the wicked∣nesse of lyfe also verye much, as in drun∣kennesse, deceyte, whoredome, swearing, and in manye other vices, it is to be fea∣red that we shall not escape vnpunished. Wherfore, let vs all generally with one consent pray vnto God, that he wil vouch∣safe so to kindle our hartes with his holye spirite, that we maye amende our liues, and so be deliuered from all those plagues which are at hande.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The text.
• * 1.2

  Esay. 58.
• * 1.3

  Iames. 1.
• * 1.4

  Psal. 102.
• * 1.5

  Cap. 18.
• * 1.6

  Math. 23.
• * 1.7

  Math. 12.