The copy of an epistle sentThe copie of an epistle sent

After that most miserable destruction of Jerusalem, when a remnant of the poor people and Nobility (who had escaped the edge of the sword) were left in the land with the prophet Jeremiah and with Godolias the son of Ahikam,¹ their old venom of rebellion against God & his revealed will was nothing purged. For albeit that the princes, ⟨p. 80⟩Johannan the son of Carea; & Jezanias the son of Hoseas with the whole people had promised unto Jeremiah by a solemn oath to do whatsoever the Lord should command unto them by his mouth: yet when he commanded them in the name of the Lord to abide in the land and not to carry the people to Egypt, they nether feared, nor ashamed to say unto him, thou speakest a lye, the Lord hath not sent the to us, commanding that we should not go to Egypt,² &c. to Egypt will we go,³ and we will serve the queen of heaven, &c. even as our ancient kings, and fathers did before us: and so in despite of God, of his prophet, and of his word revealed unto them departed from the land, which the Lord had given to the seed of Abraham, unto Egypt infected with all Idolatry. And thus ⟨p. 81⟩from their original they continued in rebellion even to the end, when they did utterly forsake God. for what soever they pretē dead, it was nothing else, but a plain denial of God, of his league & of his covenant, to contract familiarity, alliance or peace against his plain precept with that nation, from whose tyranny God had before delivered their fathers. And therefore he gave them: most strait commandment, that they should never return to that bondage again.

After that most miserable destruction of Ierusalem, when a remnant of the poore people and Nobilitie (who had escaped the edge of the sword) were left in the lande with the prophet Ieremie and with Godolias the sonne of Ahikam,¹ their olde venome of rebelliō against God & his reueled wil was nothing purged. For albeyt that the princes,