the holy scripture telleth us, there is none other wisdom, but the fear of God. Then if we have our eye upon God, so as we direct §60our life according to his will, and put our whole trust in him, to have recourse to him for succour: behold, the same is our true wisdom. And here we see why S. Paul saith, that such as are learned in the Gospel, are perfectly wise. For there they find how to order their whole life without missing or erring. Although then that men be full of subtlety and fine conveyance, and ween themselves to be very wise: yet must we hold us to this that is taught us here, how it is every whit of it but folly and vanity, so long as the fear of God reigneth not in them. And now let us come to that which is said here. I have cursed the fool notwithstanding that he had taken root, yea and I have cursed his house immediately. When he speaketh of taking root: it is to express, that it seemed well that the prosperity should have continued firm and stable. If Eliphas had said, I have seen the fool advanced aloft to great dignity: he had not expressed so much as he doth. For he sayeth he is planted, because the despisers of God and all perverse & froward folk, hope to have fortune always in their sleeve. And like as a tree that is throughly well settled & deeply rooted in the ground, standeth fast though it be shaken with winds & storms: even so it seemeth that after God hath once advanced the wicked, they shall reign continually, & their triumphs shall never come to an end. But Eliphas saith, that when he saw such a likelihood, he forbore not to curse the wicked out of hand: & he saith out of hand or immediately, meaning that he tarried not till there came a change, as we commonly do, who at the first blush, when we see the despisers of God to be in their chief ruff, and to have the wind at their stern as they term it, do linger the time & are as it were astonied, saying, what will this gear prove to? If we perceive them to be falling into decay: then we change our mind: but so long as we see them flourish, we wot not what to say, we be at our wits end. Contrariwise Eliphas telleth us, that he was not abashed a whit at the matter, but spake his mind according to that which God had uttered. For his coming to give judgement & condemnation here, is not of his own head & after his own fancy:
the holy scripture telleth vs, there is none other wisedome, but the feare of God. Then if we haue our eye vpon God, so as wee direct §60our lyfe according to his will, and put our whole trust in him, to haue recourse to him for succour: beholde, the same is our true wisedome. And here we see why S. Paule sayth, that such as are learned in the Gospell, are perfitly wise. For there they finde how to order their whole lyfe without missing or erring. Although thē that men be full of suttlety and fine conueyance, and wene themselues to bee verie wise: yet must we hold vs to this that is taught vs here, how it is euerywhit of it but folly and vanity, so long as the feare of God reygneth not in them. And now let vs come to that which is sayde here. I haue cursed the foole notwithstanding that hee had taken roote, yea and I haue cursed his house immediatly. VVhen hee speaketh of taking roote: it is to expresse, that it seemed well that the prosperitie should haue continued firme and stable. If Eliphas had sayd, I haue seene the foole aduaunced aloft to great dignitie: he had not expressed so much as he doth. For he sayeth he is planted, bicause the despizers of God and all peruerse & froward folke, hope to haue fortune alwayes in their sleeue. And like as a tree that is throughly wel sattled & deeply rooted in the ground, stādeth fast though it be shakē with winds & stormes: euē so it seemeth that after God hath once aduaūced the wicked, they shal reygne cōtinually, & their triumphes shall neuer come to an end. But Eliphas sayth, that when he sawe such a likelihod, hee forbare not to curse the wicked out of hand: & hee sayth out of hād or immediatly, meening that he taried not till there came a change, as we commonly do, who at the first blushe, when wee see the despizers of God to bee in their chiefe ruffe, and to haue the winde at their sterne as they terme it, do linger the time & are as it were astonied, saying, what wil this geere proue to? If we perceiue thē to be falling into decay: thē we chaunge our minde: but so lōg as we see thē florish, we wote not what to say, we be at our wits end. Contrariwise Eliphas telleth vs, that he was not abashed a whit at the matter, but spake his minde according to that which God had vttered. For his comming to giue iudgemēt & cōdemnatiō here, is not of his own hed & after his owne fancie:
