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. 3.

And when any shall yet prophesie, his father and his mother that begat him, shall say vnto him, Thou shalt not liue: for thou speakest lyes in the name of the Lord: and his father and his mo∣ther that begat him shall thrust him through, when he prophesieth.

A Confirmation of the former promise of the rooting out of false doctrine, the which is taken from the euent, issue,* 1.1 or falling out of the matter. For the false teachers shall be in such hatred, that they shall not so much as be priuatly borne with of their friends, or at their hands remaine vnpunished, much lesse publikely, or open∣ly. And here are three things taught. First, who shall punish false Prophets yea euen priuatly, to wit, their very parents which begat them, the which is in this sentence twise repeated very effectuallie, and not only their father, but also their mother,* 1.2 whose affection to∣wards her children is wont to bee most tender, but at that time the loue of godlines, and the desire and liking of true faith shall ouer∣come, and get the vpper hand in them. And so was it commanded concerning such as should entice vnto idolatrie, were they neuer so neere of kinne. Deut. 13. ver. 9. Thou shalt euen kill him (saith God in that place) thine hand shall be first vpon him to put him to death, & then the hands of all the people. And that which here is set downe in precept, seemeth by Moses to bee testified of the children of Leui, that it was performed in action, when they drew their swords at the commandement of God, and slew euery man his brother in the reuenge of the great idolatrie which was committed, in worship∣ping of the golden Calfe, whereunto he alludeth Deut. 33. ver. 9. saying: Who sayd vnto his father, and vnto his mother, I haue not seene him, neither knewe he his brethren, nor knewe his owne children: (meaning that he slew all, without partialitie) for they obserued thy word, and kept thy couenant. For wee ought to loue GOD more then our owne children. For Christ sayth, Matth. 10. ver. 37. He that loueth father or mother more then me, is not worthie of me. And he that loueth sonne or daughter more then me, is not worthie of me. And out of this place is easily gathered, if he ought to doe this, who is as it were a Magistrate but only in his owne familie or houshold, how much more ought he to punish the said false Shepheards, who is a Magistrate in the Common wealth, that is, vnto whom a grea∣ter care and charge of reuenging the glorie and doctrine of God,

is cōmitted by God himself? The second thing is, what punishmēt shall be appoynted for them,* 1.3 namely, death and destruction. For so I thinke these wordes to bee expounded, Thou shalt not liue, Shall thrust him through. Not that all false doctrine and the teacher ther∣of is to be put to death notwithstanding (for one doth more hurt and is obstinate or stiffe necked in his opinions then another in the Church of God) but, for that, if the case so stand, or fault be such, that the sonne be to be punished with death by his father, or by his mother for his stiffe standing in his error, the parents will not spare that their sonne themselues, there shall be in them so great a zeale of maintaining of the trueth. The third thing is, for what cause the Prophets both are to bee iudged false,* 1.4 and also to bee punished, to wit, for that they haue taught a lye, & that in the name of the Lord, as if they were true Prophets. So then their fault and sacrilege or robberie appeareth to be two-fold, and both of them committed against God, to wit, for that they corrupt or falsifie his trueth (for this is a lye) and doe falsely boast that they are sent of God, that is, that they are lawfully called. Yet neuerthelesse doth not this ex∣cuse those from punishment, who when as they doe not take vpon them the name of a Shepheard in the Church, yet do they notwith∣standing sowe and spread abroad lyes and errors. For it is all one, when as a man doth teach falshood and heresie, whether he giue himselfe out to be called, or doe not giue himselfe out so to be. For euen in this that he teacheth, he doth professe himselfe to be a shep∣heard, or a Prophet, and will haue himselfe to be beleeued to bee sent of God.

Notes

• * 1.1

  A confirmati∣on of the for∣mer promise of the rooting cut of false doc∣trine.
• * 1.2

  1. Who shall pri∣uatly punish the false Pro∣phets.
• * 1.3

  2. What punish∣ment they shall haue.
• * 1.4

  3. For what cause the Prophets are to be iudged false Prophets, and also to be punished.