A10933:1333
A commentary upon the whole book of Judges Preached first and delivered in sundry…A commentary vpon the vvhole booke of Iudges Preached first and deliuered in sundrie…
A commentary upon the whole book of Judges Preached first and delivered in sundry lectures; since collected, and diligently perused, and now published. For the benefit generally of all such as desire to grow in faith and repentance, and especially of them, who would more clearly understand and make use of the worthy examples of the saints, recorded in divine history. Penned by Richard Rogers preacher of Gods word at Wethersfield in Essex.A commentary vpon the vvhole booke of Iudges Preached first and deliuered in sundrie lectures; since collected, and diligently perused, and now published. For the benefit generally of all such as desire to grow in faith and repentance, and especially of them, who would more cleerely vnderstand and make vse of the worthie examples of the saints, recorded in diuine history. Penned by Richard Rogers preacher of Gods word at Wethersfield in Essex.
London: printed by Felix Kyngston for Thomas Man, 1615
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.
But all these are bruised reeds, and spiders webs: much like the help that Baals Priests obtained by calling on him; whom for their deceiving of the people in such a manner, Elijah caused to be slain. Even such help doth 1the wilful generation of Papists and Seminaries at their death in their greatest need, obtain themselves, and their superstitious votaries whom they have deluded, and brought into the snare with them. Of whom one (a principal ring-leader) at his death, was constrained to renounce the opinion of merit, and humane satisfactions for sin, although he was loth to have that gap opened to the people, for shame, whom they had so grossly seduced. Another (yet living and of greater reckoning in the Popish Church) Better I mean, is forced to confess, that for the avoiding the peril of vainglory and carnal presumption, it is the safest of all to repose a mans whole confidence in the only mercy of God in Christ Jesus. And by this we see that howsoever (for sinister ends) they suppress the truth, and abuse their silly Proselytes: yet when they are compelled by the force of their conscience, or the terror of death, to put away lying, and equivocating, which few of them attain to, but dye in hardness of hart, wherein they lived: but when it f•lleth out otherwise, then they confess & renounce their conceits, as bruised reeds, to be unable to support them: which as it is commonly unprofitable to themselves, so yet it should serve to debtor others from venturing and resting so ⟨p. 494⟩boldly upon their ungrounded assertions. To omit other there was a third, of long and great account and reckoning among people of that religion, whom I visiting upon the death-bed, was an ear witness with six or seven other of that place, then present also; that the party, then shortly after deceasing, renounced the dunghill stuff of that religion, and reckoned all Popery as a deceitful trade, and particularly the chief points thereof, who yet had long been a stiff and stout defender and maintainer thereof. Oh therefore blessed are the people whose God is the Lord Jehovah, and who know him the only true God, and whom he hath sent Jesus Christ, for this 2is eternal life.
But all these are bruised reedes, and spiders webs: much like the helpe that Baals Priests obtained by calling on him; whom for their deceiuing of the people in such a manner, Elias caused to be slaine. Euen such helpe doth