A fruitfull commentarie vpon the twelue small prophets briefe, plaine, and easie, going ouer the same verse by verse, and shewing every where the method, points of doctrine, and figures of rhetoricke, to the no small profit of all godly and well disposed readers, with very necessarie fore-notes for the vnderstanding of both of these, and also all other the prophets. The text of these prophets together with that of the quotations omitted by the author, faithfully supplied by the translatour, and purged of faults in the Latine coppie almost innumerable, with a table of all the chiefe matters herein handled, and marginall notes very plentifull and profitable; so that it may in manner be counted a new booke in regard of these additions. VVritten in Latin by Lambertus Danæus, and newly turned into English by Iohn Stockwood minister and preacher at Tunbridge.

Vers. 21.

Then sayd I, what come these to doe? And he answered and sayd, These are the hornes which haue scattered Iudah, so that a man durst not lift vp his head: but these are come to fray them, & to cast out the hornes of the Gentiles, which lift vp their horne o∣uer the land of Iudah, to scatter it.

* 1.1A Making plaine of the vision which went next before concer∣ning the Carpenters, wherein appeareth both the desire of the Prophet in learning, and also the same louingnes of God in teach∣ing or instructing vs. But this interpretation containeth two things. First, it sheweth that God hath prepared and in a readines for his Church so many remedies, and out of the same places,* 1.2 out of how

many, and which places there arise enemies against it. Wherefore the Prophet seeth foure Carpenters, although God by one Carpen∣ter onely bee able to throw downe and breake in pieces all those hornes: how great soeuer therfore the terror or dread of those ene∣mies and hornes bee, and such as may make the whole Church a∣frayd, it is notwithstanding an easie thing vnto God to ouerthrow this their so great and so mightie strength also. Further, this repeti∣tion, whereby their crueltie, and the trembling of the Church is a∣gaine described in this selfe same chapter, serueth vnto this ende, least the godly might suppose that God were too weake against such enemies, and least they should measure his power & strength by their owne feare, and so consequently it serueth, that the godlie should cease to tremble at the power and might of men, bee they neuer so fierce, and terrifying or awhaping others. This is one point that is to be noted in this interpretation.

* 1.3Another poynt is, by what meanes, or after what maner those Carpenters shall helpe the Church at the commandement of God. First of all they shall make afrayd the aduersaries of the godly, then they shall cast them wholly downe, and ouerthrowe their whole power and strength. So then God vseth certaine degrees of punish∣ments in punishing and destroying the enemies of his Church, that is, his owne enemies, both that they may learne to repent, if it bee possible, and also that the Church may the better wey & consider, and more diligentlie meditate or thinke vpon those iudgements of God.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The interpre∣tation of the vision of the Carpenters cō∣taining two things.
• * 1.2

  1. Looke how ma∣ny enemies and in how manie places the Church hath, so manie reme∣dies, and out of so many places, God hath in readines a∣gainst them.
• * 1.3

  2. After what maner these Carpenters shall helpe the Church.