Ptōchomuseion [sic]. = The poore mans librarie Rapsodiæ G.A. Bishop of Exceter vpon the first epistle of saint Peter, red publiquely in the cathedrall church of saint Paule, within the citye of London. 1560. Here are adioyned at the end of euery special treatie, certaine fruitful annotacions which may properly be called miscellanea, bicause they do entreate of diuerse and sundry matters, marked with the nombre and figures of Augrime. 2.

Ioel. 4.

IT is not expressed in the holy scriptures, who and what manner of man Ioel, the sonne of Pathuel was. But it appeareth in the first sermon of Peter the Apostle, that his authority was great, and alledged of Peter against the wicked blasphemers of the holy ghost, prouing the seding of the holy ghost to be promised & prophecied before.

Saint Paul also alledgeth Ioel, when he disputeth of the principal ar∣ticles of our faith and saluation. But at what time he prophecied, the in∣terpreters do diuersly iudge.

I do consent to them, which iudge, that he liued in the time of Esay, and prophecied in Iuda, wher Sennacherib made cruel warre against E∣zechias. For although Ezechias had restored the true religion of God, yet (as testifieth Esay) ther wanted not some persons which endeuoured to retain and kepe still the old superstitions, and were licentiously geuen to al kinde of wickednes. Beside the league & couenaunt with the Egip∣tians, to the which Ezechias (being otherwise a verye good and godlye prince) was, by the suttle and crafty counsels of certain men, allured & prouoked: inso much as the state of the kingdom of Iewry thē was like to the state, that the church in these daies almost is in, vnder the Christian Magistrates, for some do maintain superstitions, & other againe vnder the pretence of the gospel, do liue to licentiously, & do put al their confi∣dence in mans defence. Vvhich thing was the cause y^t God sent vnto them the Assirians, to punish them being vngrateful & rebellious, y^t by their own harme they might learn to obey God, which before had to proudly cō∣temned his word. Not w^tstāding he sent before prophets, to aduertise thē of the daūger y^t was to come, & to teach & cōfort them being penitent, euen when the daūger came vpon thē. Among which prophets Ioel is nū∣bred, who did not so seuerely inueigh against their sins & offēces, as the other prophets did (bicauss they wer rather to be cōforted, then to be bit¦terly chid) but with a singuler grauity told thē the daungers which they alredy suffered, and also what they should suffer afterward.

Furthermore he told them, that repentance was the way to escape the pe¦rils,

and instructed them how they should repent.

Finally, least any man should be offended at the fortunate successes of the enemis of God, he prophecied also what perils should fall vpon them, and therby he taketh occasion to prophecy of the kingdome of Christ, & of the happy instauration therof. Vvhich both things he accomplisheth in two sermons, of which the first comprehendeth in a summe, what pe∣rill they should be in, and how they should repent. The second declareth, the same more largely, adding what daungers should come vpon the ene∣mies of God, and sheweth those thinges also that were pertinent to the kingdome of Christ promised.

In which things the maruailous goodnes of God is to bee considered, which doth not punish, no not the most wicked, except they be warned be¦fore, and yet he so punisheth thē, that he hath in the meane time a cōside∣racion of his chosen, whom he doth susteine with louing consolations.

He prophecied of the calling of the Gentiles to the fellowship of the church of God. Also he called the vale of Iosaphat, not the vale of ire, but the vale of grace.

Ioel in Hebrue signifieth 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, in Greeke, that is in Latin, incipi∣ens, a beginner, or els betokeneth Dominum deum, the Lord God.

How he died, we haue no certaintie.