Lectures upon the four first chapters of the prophecy of Hosea Wherein the text…Lectures vpon the foure first chapters of the prophecie of Hosea Wherein the text…

Secondly, by their mother in this place, we are to understand the Synagogue and Church of Israel, and more especially their rulers and governors both ecclesiastical and civill: for whereas they above others should have maintained Gods pure worship & service, and contained their inferiors in holy obedience; they were the first who did forsake God, and betook themselves to the worshipping of idols, drawing others by their authority and example into the like wickedness; and that in a twofold respect: the first concerned their religion, when as they were mislead by the false doctrine of their ecclesiastical governors, and drawn from God to their idols: the other concerned their policy, when as by their civill rulers, they were moved to join themselves in league and in near friendship with idolatrous Nations, whereby also they themselves were corrupted and seduced.

Secondly, by their mother in this place, we are to vnderstand the Synagogue and Church of Israel, and more especially their rulers and gouernours both ecclesiasticall and ciuill: for whereas they aboue others should haue maintained Gods pure worship & seruice, and contained their inferiours in holy obedience; they were the first who did forsake God, and betooke thēselues to the worshipping of idols, drawing others by their authority and example into the like wickednesse; and that in a twofold respect: the first concerned their religion, when as they were mislead by the false doctrine of their ecclesiasticall gouernours, and drawne from God to their idols: the other concerned their policy, when as by their ciuill rulers, they were moued to ioyne themselues in league and in neere friendshippe with idolatrous Nations, whereby also they themselues were corrupted and seduced.

Now we are further to observe, that he redoubleth the ⟨p. 157⟩word, plead, or contend: whereby he implieth the importune impudency of the people, which was such, that their mouths would not easily be stopped, but still they would calumniate Gods justice and truth; and therefore with greater earnestness (which is often expressed by such redoubled speeches) he biddeth them to plead against their mother again and again, and to lay the fault where it was, not upon God, but upon themselves. As if he should have said; Do not plead and expostulate with me, in that your mother is divorced, and you rejected as an adulterous issue; for the husband is not to be blamed for putting away an adulteress, but she rather for her filthiness and unfaithfulness: and therefore, seeing your mother hath forsaken me, and prostituted her self to idols, acquit me of all wrong and injury, and contend and expostulate with her, in that by her unfaithfulness and uncleanness, she hath moved me justly to divorce her from me, and to reject you as being an adulterous issue of an adulterous mother.