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. 10.

The Princes of Iudah were like them that remoue the bound: therefore will I poure out my wrath vpon them like water.

* 1.1THe figure Metasthasis, or Transitio, or passage to another mat∣ter. For after that the Prophet hath set out the punishment the which did hang ouer the heads of the Israelites: he passeth vnto the Iewes, whose sinnes and punishment like to insue for the same hee now declareth also. And that these things also doe appertaine and are to be referred vnto the Priestes and Nobles of the kingdome of Israel especially, the wordes themselues of the Prophets doe de∣clare.

This verse hath two partes. The first sheweth the sinnes of the Iewes, and that by a metaphor (which what it is, see Amos cap. 4. ver. 12) or similitude. For they are compared vnto those that re∣moue and maliciously confound land markes. Whereupon insue great hurliburlies and disordering of things, yea and sometimes warres and fallings out euen among citizens themselues, or among kingdomes. Hereof is that saying of Ouid:

Termine, siue lapis, siue es defossus in agro Stipes, ab antiquis tu quoque nomen habes. Si tu signasses olim Tyreatida terram, Corpora non letho missa trecenta forent.

In English thus:

Thou God of bounds, if stone thou be, Or doule deepe set in ground, Of old thou also hast thy name, And thus the same doth sound. If in times past thou bounded hadst And mark'd the Tyrean soile, Three hundreth persons then by death Should not haue tane the foile.

* 1.2Wherefore this sinne is most sharply punished in the law of God Deut. 19. ver. 14. there is a law set downe touching this mat∣ter after this maner: Thou shalt not remoue thy neighbours marke, which they of old time haue set in thine inheritance, that thou shalt in∣herit the land, which the Lord thy God giueth thee to possesse it. And Deut.* 1.3 27. ver. 17. there is a curse pronounced against those that commit this sinne. Cursed be he that remoueth his neighbours marke: and all the people shall say: So be it. Hereof also is much spoken in the

ciuil lawes of the Romans, in the whole title Digest. De termino mo∣to. Now the Princes & the Priestes of Iudah did confound, remoue, and alter the markes set by God Deut. 19. in distinguishing and seuering of ciuill and Church matters, the one from the other, for that the Kings did with great pride of minde assay, and would haue vsurped, or vnlawfully taken vpon themselues the priuiledges and offices of the Priestes, as appeareth 2. Chr. cap. 26. by Vzzia his at∣tempting to burne incense in the Temple of the Lord. And also 2. King. 16. ver. 10.11. By Ahaz his prescribing Vriiah the Priest, to make an idolatrous Altar after the paterne of that of Damascus: for when as the Magistrate how faithfull and godly soeuer hee bee encrocheth vpon the office of the pastors: and on the contraric when as the pastor of the Church taketh on him the office of the politick Magistrat, doubtles there must needes follow great distur∣bance and disordering of things: and the markes and boundes which God hath set in the due gouernement of this world are pul∣led vp, and al things are turned topsie turuie, and doe run to wrack, ruine and decay. This therefore was the sinne of the princes of Iudah.

Now followeth the punishment,* 1.4 namely not onely the anger of God, but also his red hot or burning anger, that is, the most ex∣ceeding great heate of the wrath of God against them. And this heate of the wrath of God shall not fall vpon them by droppe meale, but shall be poured downe vpon the heads of them. For the anger of God shall light vpon them, and follow after them withall his might and maine, sway and weight. And it shall be pou∣red out vpon them as water, that is to say, most plentifully and in great aboundance, and on e••ery fide bursting forth and diuiding it selfe into all places, like as water poured out, is wont to doe. This is indeede a most sharp and heauie punishment of proud Princes, and such as confound or alter the boundes set by God, whereby God beateth downe their stubborne pride and power: albeit that for the most part such kinde of fellowes are not afraide of men at all: but range about without punishment, being held vnder and kept back with no feare of lawes nor punishments of man. Let therefore princes and rulers whatsoeuer, consider how great a iudgement of God hangeth ouer their heads, when as they meddle with those things which appertaine not vnto them, and will order them at their pleasure: without any warrant from Almightie God.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The figure Me∣tasthasis, or Transition, is when as we ei∣ther brieflie repeate what hath been said, or else shew what remai∣neth to be said. When both these things are performed to∣gether, then is it called a per∣fect transition: when but one of them, as in this place, then is it called an imperfect tran∣sation, or pas∣sing to another matter.
• * 1.2

  A law of God against remo∣uing of markes and bounds.
• * 1.3

  A curse against the same sinne.
• * 1.4

  2. The punish∣ment of the former sinne in remouing of markes.