But marvellous notable, & to very good purpose, for these days, be S. 1Hieromes words: Whom so ever (saith he) the Devil hath deceived, and enticed to fall asleep, as it were with the sweet, and deadly enchantments of the Mermaids the Sirens, those persons doth God's Word awake up, saying unto them:2 Arise thou that sleepest, lift up thee self: and Christ shall give thee light. Therefore at the coming of Christ, of God's Word, of the Ecclesiastical Doctrine, and of the full destruction of Nineveh, and of that most beautiful Harlot, then shall the people, which heretofore had been cast in a trance under their Masters, be raised up, and shall make haste to go to the Mountains of the Scriptures: and there shall they find hills, Imeanemoses, and losua the Son of Nun: other Hills also, which are the Prophets: and Hills of the New Testament, which are the Apostles, & the evangelists. And when the people shall flee for succour to such Hills, and shall be exercised in the reading of this kind of mountains, though they find not one to teach them (for the harvest shall be great, but the labourers few) yet shall the good desire of the people be well accepted, in that they have gotten them to such Hills: and the Negligence of their Masters shall be ⟨p. 717⟩openly reproved. These be S. Hieromes words, & that so plain, as there needeth no Interpreter. For they agree so just with the things, we now see with our eyes, have already come to pass, that we may verily think, he meant to foretell, as it were, by the Spirit of Prophecy, and to paint before our face, the Universal state of our time: the fall of the most gorgeous Harlot Babylon: the repairing again of God's Church: the blindness, and sloth of the Bishops, and the good will, & forwardness of the people. For, who is so blind, but he seethe, these men be the Masters, by whom the people, as saith S. Hierome, hath been lead into error, & lulled a sleep? Or, who seeth not, that Rome, that is their Nineveh, which sometime was painted with fairest colours, now, her visor being pulled of, is both better seen, and less set by?
But marueilous notable, & to very good pourpose, for these daies, bee S. 1Hieromes woordes: VVhom so euer (saithe he) the Deuil hathe deceiued, and entised to fal asleepe, as it vvere vvith the svveere, and deadely enchauntementes of the Maremaides the Sirenes, those persones doothe Goddes VVoorde avvake vp, saieing vnto them:2 Arise thou that sleapest, lifte vp thee selfe: and Christe shal geeue thee light. Therefore at the comminge of Christe, of Goddes VVoorde, of the Ecclesiastical Doctrine, and of the ful destruction of Niniue, and of that most bevvtiful Harlot, then shal the people, vvhiche heretofore hadde benne cast in a traūce vnder their Maisters, be raised vp, and shal make haste to goe to the Mountaines of the Scriptures: and there shal thei find hilles, Imeanemoses, and losua the Sonne of Nun: other Hilles also, vvhiche are the Prophetes: and Hilles of the Nevve Testament, vvhiche are the Apostles, & the euangelistes. And vvhen the people shal flee for succoure to sutche Hilles, and shal be exercised in the readinge of this kinde of moūtaines, though thei finde not one to teache them (for the haruest shal be greate, but the labourers fevv) yet shal the good desire of the people be vvel accepted, in that thei haue gotten them to sutche Hilles: and the Negligence of theire Maisters shal bee ⟨p. 717⟩openly reproued. These be S. Hieromes woordes, & that so plaine, as there needeth no Interpretour. For they agree so iuste with the thinges, we now see with our eies, haue already comme to passe, that wee maie verily thinke, he meante to foretel, as it were, by the Spirite of Prophesie, and to painte before oure face, the Vniuersal state of oure time: the fal of the moste gorgeous Harlot Babylon: the repairinge againe of Goddes Churche: the blindenesse, and slouthe of the Bishoppes, and the good wil, & forewardenesse of the people. For, who is so blinde, but he seethe, these menne be the Maisters, by whome the people, as saithe S. Hierome, hath benne leadde into erroure, & lulled a sleepe? Or, who seeth not, that Rome, that is their Niniue, whiche sometime was painted with fairest colours, nowe, her vizarde beeinge pulled of, is bothe better seene, and lesse sette by?
- 1Hieronym. in Nam. Cap. 3.Hieronym. in Naum. Cap. 3.
- 2Ephes. 5.
