An oversight, and deliberation upon the holy prophet JonahAn ouersight, and deliberacion vpon the holy prophete Ionas

this might bishops in their dioceses help well if they intended as much good as they bear the world in hand they do: ⟨image 178⟩and bestow some part o• their excess upon the towardly youth of their dioceses. So might y• Nobility, and our worshipful men of the shire do: yea so might every person and curate do, either with his goods help forth the truth and old catholic faith of Christ, either with their goodwills animate them to learn the doctrine of y• Patriarchs, Prophets, and the apostles: and such as have the talent of teaching, might rather teach, then play: help, then hinder: build, then pull down: help forth, then drawback: promote God, rather then the devil, favour Christ, then Antichrist: agree with the king, then conspire with the Pope. As concerning the polic•e, ⟨p. clxix⟩and reformation thereof, I have said my mind before: the which God give grace it may be accepted & followed. If it be not, yet I have delivered my soul, & God shall require your bloods at your own hand. And in case any man be offended with me for my true saying, I had rather have displeasure of all the world, then of God, that is able to damn •ath my body and my soul. In y• third place Jonah putteth an excellent description of God, the which we should well keep in mind: that he is a pitiful and merciful God, long suffering and of much clemency. This description of God agreeth with Gods own words spoken to Moses .cx.xxxiiii ⟨image 179⟩the which encouraged Justs & should do the same to us if we were of god. Great (doubtless) was the sin of Jonah, that toke an occasion to be angry by gods favour and goodness towards this sorrowful City. Even thus did the Pharisees, that were angry at Christ, because he kept company with sinners. Jonah was then, as many men be now adays, that think wretched Sinners should never find pardon for their since before God. Now followeth a farther description of Jonah fault and impatience.