Fifty Godly and Learned Sermons (The Decades)

To these if we add the ends and destinies of the kings of Israel, we shall again be compelled to confess that all felicity of kings and kingdoms do consist in hearing and ¹following the word of God, and that contrarily calamities and miseries do rise by the con tempt and neglecting of the same. For Jeroboam the first king of the separated Israelites, letting pass the word of God, did ordain new rites to worship the Lord by, and erected new temples, but by so doing, he overthrew himself, his house, and all his kingdom. After him doth Baasa succeed both in the kingdom & idolatrous religion, which was the cause why he & his were utterly destroyed. Then followeth Amri the father of Ahab, who for augmenting idolatrous impiety, is horribly slain with all his family so that not one of his escaped the revenging sword of Gods anger & jealousy. And for because Jehu was faithful & valiant in killing those tyrants, in dispatching Baals priests, & rooting out of idolatrous superstition, the Lord doth promise & say unto him: Because thou hast zealously done that which thou hast done, according to all that is right in my sight, therefore shall thy children unto the fourth generation sit on the seat of Israel. And we read verily that his sons and nephews were notable Princes which succeeded in the kingdom, even Joachas, Joas, Jeroboam the second of that name, and Zechariah. The other kings, as Sellum, Manna, Pekaiah, Peka and Hosea, had their kingdom altogether like to the kingdom of the son of Joshuas, to wit, in a seditious troublesome & a most miserable taking. For they despised the mouth of the Lord. Therefore were they utterly cut off, and for the most part either slain or carried away captive by their enemies the Assyrians. From the division of the people into two several kingdoms after the death of Solomon, there were in number 19 kings of Israel, and 18. of Judah. The kings of Israel altogether reigned about 272. years, and they of Judah about 393.

To these if wee add the endes and destinies of the kinges of Israell, we shal againe be compelled to confesse that all felicitie of kinges and kingdomes doe consist in hearing and ¹following the word of God, and that contrarily calamities and miseries doe rise by the cō tempt and neglecting of the same. For Ieroboam the first king of the seperated Israelites, letting passe the word of God, did ordeyne new rites to worship the Lord by, and erected new temples, but by so doing, hee ouerthrew himselfe, his house, and all his kingdome. After him doth Baasa succeede both in the kingdome & idolatrous religion, which was the cause why he & his were vtterly destroyed. Then followeth Amri the father of Achab, who for augmenting idolatrous impietie, is horriblie slaine with all his family so that not one of his escaped the reuenging sword of Gods anger & ielousie. And for because Iehu was faithfull & valliant in killing those tyraunts, in dispatching Baals priestes, & rooting out of idolatrous superstition, the Lord doth promise & say vnto him: Because thou hast zealously done that which thou hast done, according to all that is right in my sight, therefore shall thy children vnto the fourth generation sit on the seat of Israel. And wee read verily that his sonnes and nephues were notable Princes which succeded in the kingdome, euen Ioachas, Ioas, Ieroboam the second of that name, and Zacharias. The other kinges, as Sellum, Manahe, Pekaiah, Peka and Osee, had their kingdome altogether like to the kingdome of the sonne of Iosas, to wit, in a seditious troublesome & a most miserable taking. For they despised the mouth of the Lord. Therfore were they vtterly cutt off, and for the most part either slaine or carried away captiue by their enimies the Assyrians. From the diuision of tbe people into two seuerall kingdomes after the death of Solomon, there were in number 19 kinges of Israell, and 18. of Iuda. The kings of Israell altogether reigned about 272. yeares, and they of Iuda about 393.