There be, saith Solomon, many devises in mans hart, but the counsel of the Lord abideth stable: for there is no knowledge, there is no wisdom, there is no counsel against the Lord. Things, saith Hilary, that are builded up by mans work, do not endure. The Church of God must be otherwise builded, and otherwise conserved. For it is grounded upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, and jointed together with one corner stone Jesus Christ. But S. Hierome of all other speaketh ⟨image 64⟩most plainly and most aptly for these times:1 Whom soever saith he, the Devil hath deceived, and hath as it were with sweet and impoysened enchantment of the mermaids, enticed to fall a sleep, those the word of God doth awake, and saith: Rise thou that sleepest, stand up, and Christ will give the light. Wherefore at the coming of Christ and of Gods word, and of the doctrine of the Church, & of the utter overthrow of Nineveh, and of that most beautiful harlot: the people that before under schoolmasters was rocked a sleep, shall be raised up, and with haste shall go to the mountains of the Scriptures, there they shall find mountains, Moses, Jesus the son of Nave: mountains the Prophets: mountains of the new testament, the Apostles, the Evangelists: And when they shall flee unto such mountains, and exercise themself in the reading of these kind of mountains: if they find no man to teach them (for the harvest shall be great, and the workmen few) nevertheless both the endeavour of the people, because they flee unto these kind of mountains, shall be allowed, and the negligence of the schoolmasters shall be controlled. These be the words of Hierome, so plain that there needeth no interpreter: so well applied to those things which we see now before our eyes, that he seemeth unto us, to foreshow as it were with the spirit of Prophecy, and to intend to set before our eyes the whole state of our times, and the fall of that most sumptuously attired harlot of Babylon, and the reformation of the Church, & the blindness and loitering of the Bishops, and the endeavour & cheerfulness of the people. For who is so blind, that he seeth not these men to be those schoolmasters, by ⟨p. 64⟩whom the people, as Hierome saith, hath been led into error & therein rocked a sleep?
There be, saythe Salomō, many deuises in mans hart, but the councel of the Lorde abideth stable: for there is no knowlege, there is no wisedome, there is no councell agaynste the Lorde. Thinges, sayth Hilary, that ar buylded vp by mannes worke, doe not endure. The Churche of God muste be otherwise buylded, and otherwise conserued. For it is grounded vpon the foundation of the Apostls and Prophetes, and ioynted together with one corner stone Iesus Christ. But S. Hierome of all other speaketh ⟨image 64⟩most plainely and most aptly for these times:1 Whō soeuer sayth he, the Deuil hath deceiued, and hath as it were with swete and impoysened enchauntment of the meremaydes, entised to fall a slepe, those the worde of God dothe awake, and sayth: Ryse thou that slepeste, stande vp, and Christe will giue the lighte. Wherefore at the commyng of Christe and of Gods worde, and of the doctrine of the Churche, & of the vtter ouerthrow of Niniue, and of that moste beautifull harlot: the people that before vnder sholemasters was rocked a slepe, shall be raysed vp, and with haste shal goe to the moū taynes of the Scriptures, there they shall finde mountaynes, Moses, Iesus the sonne of Naue: mountaines the Prophetes: mountaynes of the newe testamente, the Apostles, the Euangelistes: And when they shall flee vnto suche mountaines, and exercise themself in the readyng of these kinde of mountaynes: yf they finde no manne to teache them (for the haruest shall be greate, and the workemen fewe) neuerthelesse bothe the endeuour of the people, bycause they flee vnto these kinde of mountaynes, shall be allowed, and the negligence of the scholemasters shal be cōtrolled. These be the words of Hierome, so playne that there needeth no interpreter: so well applied to those thinges whiche we see now before our eyes, that he semeth vnto vs, to foreshewe as it were with the spirite of Prophecie, and to entende to set before our eyes the whole state of our times, and the fall of that moste sumptuously attiered harlot of Babylone, and the reformatiō of the Church, & the blindenesse and loytering of the Byshoppes, and the endeuour & cherefulnesse of the people. For who is so blinde, that he seeth not these menne to be those sholemasters, by ⟨p. 64⟩whome the people, as Hierome sayth, hath bene ledde into error & therein rocked a slepe?
- 1In prophetam Nam. ca. 3.In prophetam Naum. ca. 3.
