A01136:75
A sermon preached at the christening of a certain Jew at LondonA sermon preached at the christening of a certaine Iew at London
A sermon preached at the christening of a certain Jew at London by John Fox. Containing an exposition of the xi. chapter of S. Paul to the Romans. Translated out of Latin into English by James Bell.A sermon preached at the christening of a certaine Iew at London by Iohn Foxe. Conteining an exposition of the xi. chapter of S. Paul to the Romanes. Translated out of Latine into English by Iames Bell.
London: printed by Christopher Barker, 1578
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Even in like manner your forefathers did look for a Messiah to come long before the birth of Christ almost two thousand years: but after that he was come in deed, & that the Lord of Lords,1 whom they sought, was entered into his temple, & the angel of the promised testament whom they wished for, was amid• amongst them, yet did not his own receive him.2 And why so? because they judged that he would come after an other sort, thei• the Prophets had foretold them. For the Prophets did describe his coming to be poor, simple & beggarly: but these lusty gallants do gaze for a certain trim earthly Emperor awaited upon with some famous troupe of princely guard. The Prophets did promise a silly meek lamb, whose voice should not be heard to bleat in the streets. These courageous champions attend for some Lyon & victorious Monarch. They did foreshow that he should be slain, tormented and hanged on tree, who should not avenge him of the injuries of his people with displayed banner of bloody battle, but with shedding of his own precious blood should redeem the sins & wicked transgressions of his people, should not with violence •• rush upon the crown of the Empire, nor with force of ⟨image 41⟩arms deliver his people from the thraldom of Cesar, but should restore freedom to his nation from the bondage of sin, and the tyranny of death, and the devil, with all the p• testates and principalities thereof: and so establish to him self a kingdom, not transitory and earthly in this world, but heavenly & endless for ever and ever. On the contrary part, these fellows stroking themselves with a fantastical opinion of worldly pomp, and measuring all things according to the glorious glittering show of some terrestrial dominion, do yet fondly believe, that some other puissant & victorious conqueror shall come in some notably advanced manner. Whereupon being worthily deluded of their own frivolous fond expectation, they can neither truly acknowledge their own heavenly Messiah: nor did accept of him when he was come. Neither was it any marvel if they could not find in their hearts to entertain him being in this beggarly plight: when as their own Prophets did long before pronounce, that the Messiah should be persecuted with none so savage and unmerciful en mie, as the people of his own linage: