and followeth more in the sayd chapter. Thine eldest sister is Samaria, she and her daughters vpon thy left hand: But the yongest sister that dwelleth on thy right hand is Sodoma with her daughters, whose sinnes were these: pride, fulnesse of meate, aboundāce and idlenesse, neither retched they theyr hand to the poore. And yet neither Sodoma thy sister with her daughters, hath done so euill as thou and thy daughters: Neither hath Samaria (that is the Sinagoge) done half of thy sinnes, yea thou hast exceeded them in wickednesse. Take therefore and beare thine owne confusion. &c. Agayne in the 23. chapter of Ezechiel. MarginaliaEzech. 23. After the Prophet had described at large the wickednesse, corruption, and punishment of the Sinagoge, turning to the Church, sayth: And when her sister saw this, she raged and was madde with lust, loue of riches, and folowing voluptuousnes. Her fornication and whoredome she committed with Princes and great Lordes, clothed with all maner of gorgeous apparell: so that her pappes were brused, and her brestes were marred. And then speaking of her punishment, sayth: Then my hart forsooke her, like as my hart was gone from her sister also. And moreouer repeating againe the cause therof, addeth: Thy wickednesse and thy fornications hath wrought thee all this. &c.

The like we finde also in Esay, Ieremy, Ezechiel and in all the other Prophetes, who prehesying all together in one meaning, and almost in one maner of wordes: Do conclude with a full agreement and prophecye to come, that the Church shall fall, and then bee punished for her great excesses, and to bee vtterly spoiled except she repent of all her abhominations. Whereof speaketh Oseas chap. 2. MarginaliaOsee. 2. Let her put away her whoredome out of her sight; and her aduoutry from her brestes, least I strip her naked and set her euen as she came naked into the world (that is in her primitiue pouerty) So if she do not it, it shal folow of her as in the prophet Nahum; chap. 3. MarginaliaNahum 3.For the multitude of the fornication of the fayre and beautifull harlotte, which is a maister of witchcraft, yea and selleth the people through her whoredome, and the nations through her witchcraft. And followeth vpon the same: Behold I will vpon thee sayth the Lord of hostes, and will pull thy clothes ouer thy head, tht they nakednes shall appeare among the heathen, and they shame among the kingdomes. &c.

Marginalia5. The reformation of the Church. Wherefore by these it is to be vnderstand, that vpon this Church the primitiue iustice of God is to be reuealed hereafter. And thus much of the first of the foure members aboue foretouched.

MarginaliaCertaine notes and signes, that the tribulation of the Church draweth neare. Now to the second member of my theame, Iuxta est: concerning the nearnesse of time. Although it is not for vs to knowe, the momēts and articles of time: yet by certaine notes and signes peraduenture it may be collected and gathered, that whiche I haue here to say. For the tractation wherof, first I grounde my selfe vpon the saying of the Apostle Paule. 2. Thessal. 2. Marginalia1. Signe. 2. Thess. 2. where he writeth: That vnlesse there come a defection first. &c. By the whiche defection. Ierome vltima quæst. ad inquisitiones Ianuarij, gathereth and expoundeth allegoricallye, the desolation of the monarchy of Rome: Betweene the which desolation, and the persecution of the Church by Antechrist, he putteth no meane space. And now what is the state of that common wealth, if it be compared to the maiesty of that it hath bene, iudge your selues. MarginaliaExcept there come a defection first: howe it is to be vnderstanded.An other glose there is that sayth, how by that defection is ment: that from the Church of Rome shall come a parting of some other Churches.

Marginalia2. Note or token. The second note and marke is this, when the Church shalbe worse in maners then was the Sinagoge: as appeareth by the ordinary glose vpon the 3. of Ieremy where it is written. The backslider Israell, may seeme iust and righteous in comparison of sinfull Iuda. MarginaliaThe Sinagogue and the church compared together in maners. That is, the Sinagoge in comparison of the Churche of God. Whereof writeth Origenes saying: Thinke that to be spokē of vs what the Lord sayth in Ezech. 16. Thou hast exceeded thy sister in thine iniquities. Wherefore now (to compare the one with the other) First ye know how Christ rebuked the Phariseis, who as Ierome witnesseth were then the Clergye of the Iewes: of couetousnesse, for that they suffered doues to be solde in the temple of God. Secondly, for that they did honor God with their lips and not with theyr mouth, & because they sayd, but dyd not. Thirdly, he rebuked them, for that they were hypocrites. To the first then let vs see, whether it be worse to sell both Church & Sacramentes, then to suffer doues to be solde in the Temple or not. The second, where as the phariseis were rebuked for honouring to God with their lips, and not with hart: there be some, which neither honor God with hart, not yet with lips: And which neyther do well, nor yet say well, neither do they preach any word at all, but be domb dogs not able to barke, impudent and shameles dogs that neuer haue enough, such pastors as haue no vnderstanding declining & straying all in their owne way, euery one geuē to couetousnes from the highest to the lowest. And thirdly, as for hipocrisy there be also some, whose intollerable pride & malice is so manifest and notorious, kindled vp like a fire: that no cloake or shadow of hypocrisy can couer it, but are so past all shame, that it may be well verified of them which the Prophet speaketh. Thouhast gottē thee the face of an Harlot, thou wouldest not blush &c.

Marginalia3. Note or token. The 3. signe and token of tribulation approching neare to the Church, may well be taken of the to much vnequall proportion seene this day in the church. Where one is hungry and starueth, another is dronke. By reason of which so great inequality, it cannot be that the state of the Church as it is now, can long endure. For like as in good harmony to make the musick perfect, is required a moderate and proportionat equality of voyces, which if it do much exceed it taketh away all the sweet melody: So according to the sentence of the Philospher, by to much immoderate inquality or dispariety of citizens, the cōmon wealth falleth to ruine: Cōtrary, where mediocrity, that is, where a mean inequality with some proportion is kept; that pollicy standeth firme & more sure to continue. Now among al the politicke regiments of the gentils, I thinke none more is to be found in histories, wherin is to be seene so great and exeeediing oddes, then in the pollicye of Prestes: Of whom some be so high, that they exceed all Princes of the earth, some agayne be so base, that they are vnder all rascals, so that such a pollicy or common wealth, may well be called Oligarchia.MarginaliaOligarchia, is where a fewe beare al the sway, and all the rest be nothing worth

This may we playnely see and learne in the body of man, to the which Plutarchus (writing to Thracinius) doth semblablye compare the common wealth. In the which body, if the sustināce receiued shuld all runne to one member, so that the member should be to much exceedingly pampered, and all the other parts to much pined, that body could not long continue: So in the body of the wealth ecclesiastical, if some who be the heads be so enormely ouergrown in riches and dignity, that the weaker members of the body be scant able to beare them vp, there is a great token of dissolution and ruine shortly. Wherupon commeth well in place the saying of the Prophet Esay. MarginaliaEsay. 1. Euery head is sicke, euery hart is full of sorrow, of the which heads it is also spoken in the Prophet Amos. chap. 6. MarginaliaAmos.Wo be to the secure and proud wealthye in Sion, and to such as thinke themselues so sure vpon the moūt of Samaria, taking themselues as heads and rulers ouer other. &c. And moreouer in the sayd prophet Esay it followeth: Frō the top of the head to the sole of the foot, there is no whole part in all the body, to witte: In the inferiours, because they are not able to liue for pouerty: in the superiours, because for theyr excessiue riches, they are left from doing good. And followeth in the same place: But all are woundes and botches and strypes, beholde here the daunger comming, the woundes of discorde and deuision, the botch or sore of rancor and and enuy, the swelling stripe of rebellion and mischiefe.

Marginalia4. Signe. The 4. signe is the pride of Prelates. Some there haue bene which fondly haue disputed the pouerty of Christ, and haue inueyed agaynst the Prelates, because they liue not in pouertye of the saynts. MarginaliaPride of Prelates noted. But this phantasy cōmeth of the ignoraunce of morrall Philosophy and diuinity, and of the defect of naturall prudence: for that in all nations, and by common lawes, priests haue had and ought to haue wherewith to sustayne themselues more honestly then the vulgare sort, and Prelates more honestly then the subiectes. But yet hereby is not permitted to them their great horses, theyr troupes of horsemen, their superflous pompe of theyr wayting men and great famylyes, whyche scarcely can bee maynteyned without pride, neyther can be susteyned with safe iustice, and many not without fighting and iniuries inconueniēt: not much vnlike to that as Iustine the historician writeth of the Carthaginenses. The family (sayth he) of so great Emperours was vntolerable to such a free Citty. In semblable wise, this great pride in the Church of God (especially in these dayes) doth moue not so few to due reuerence, as many to indignation: and yet mo to those thinges aforesayde, which thinke no lesse but to doe sacrifice to God if they may robbe and spoile certayne fatte priests and parsons namely such as neither haue nobility of bloud, and lesse learning to beare themselues vpon but are lyers, seruile and fraudulent, to whome the Lorde speaketh by his Prophet Amos fourth. MarginaliaAmos. 4.Heare you fatted kine of Samaria, ye that doe poore men wrong, and oppresse the needye, the daye shall come vpon you. &c.

Marginalia5. Signe. The fift signe is the tyranny of the Prelates and Presidentes, which as it is a violent thing, so it cannot be long lasting. For as Salomon sayth, Sap. 16. MarginaliaSap. 16. For it was requisite that (without any excuse) destruction shoulde come vpon those whiche exercised tyranny. The property of a tyraunt is to seeke the commodity not of his subiectes, but onely his will and profite. MarginaliaThe tyranny of prelates noted. Ezech. 34.Such were the Pastours that fedde not the Lordes flocke, but fed themselues: of whom and to whom speaketh the Prophet Ezech. 34. Woe be vnto those Pastours of Israel that feede themselues. Shoulde not the shepheardes feede the flockes? With many other threatninges agaynst them in the sayd chapter. Wo be vnto them which reioyce at the transgressions of such whom it lieth in theyr power to cōdemne, neither do they seeke what he is able to pay, to whom crieth Micheas the Prophet 3. chap. Ye hate the good and loue the euill, ye pluck of MarginaliaMicheas 3.mens skinnes and the flesh, from the bones: ye eat the flesh of my people, and flay of their skin: ye break their bones,