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. 8.

The watchman of Ephraim should be with my God: but the prophet is the snare of a fouler in all his waies, and hatred in the house of his God.

* 1.1A Confirmation of both the sinnes, that is to say, both of the multitude of their iniquities, and vngodlines of the Israelites, and also of their hatred against all the godly. And it is taken from the effects and examples, the which were euery where seene in that kingdome and people. And first of all it hereby appeareth, that all the Israelites were notoriously wicked and vngodly, in that whole Ephraim, that is to say, the whole nation it selfe, and not onely one or two, watcheth, searcheth, inquireth, if any doe cleaue vnto the true God, and his pure doctrine, that they may afterwards perse∣cute and vexe them. The which no doubt is a signe of notorious & vnrecouerable rebellion and iniquitie against God, and of a com∣mon and generall conspiring among them selues against the god∣ly. The selfe same thing is done in this our time in Spaine by the In∣quisitors, whome others call Inquinators of the Romish faith. For they generally doe slay the godly. As for the hatred of the said Is∣raelites and false prophets, especially against all holy men, there is hereof brought a notable proofe in this place, for that the selfe same false prophets, doe not onely manifestly and openly persecute them, who professe them selues to be godly: but doe more ouer lay snares for the godly, that they may discouer, and catch them, if they any where lie hidden: and are the continuall foulers, hunters, and watchers of the godly, to doe them some harme, as the 10. Psalme vers. 7. describeth such maner of persons, where it saith of the op∣pressour, His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraude: vnder his tongue is mischiefe and iniquitie. He lieth in waite in the village: in the secret places doth he murther the innocent: his eyes are bent a∣gainst the poore. For these false prophets here spoken of doe so ex∣ceedingly hate the godly, that they vtter and bewray their hatred against the true faithfull openly in the middes of the chappell of their idols, and in the Temple of their gods, whiles they either ex∣communicate them from their companie, or els rayle agains•• them like madde men, as appeareth in the 7. chapter of Amos, or else doe strike them also, as Zidkiiah did the Prophet Micaiah 1. King. 22. ver. 24. So at this day doe the Popes and bishops of Rome, and their flatterers the Monkes, handle those that are in deede godly,

and such as doe professe the sound doctrine of Christ, so that our age could not possibly be more liuely described.

Notes

• * 1.1

  A confirmatiō of both the sinnes of the Is∣raelites, taken frō the effects.