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…

And this was the first and chief sin for which the mother was divorced, and the children disinherited; namely, because she played the harlot, and the children were begotten in her adultery. Now this their sin is aggravated; first by her shameless filthiness therein showed: and secondly, by her impudent and obstinate resolution to commit it. The first is expressed in these words; she that conceived them hath done shamefully. The Hebrew text hath it; She that conceived them is affected or confounded with shame: whereby is not meant, that she was shamefast or ashamed of her sins; for this agreeth not to the disposition of an harlot, especially to such a shameless harlot as this, whose fornications were in her face, and her adulteries between her breasts, and who impudently professed that she would go after her lovers, but that she had committed such shameful actions, and had lived so filthily and infamously, that she had exposed her self to all shame and reproach. The meaning therefore of these words is this, that she had not fallen into her sins of infirmity, or after she was fallen, carried her self after any moderate manner, but that she often committed these sins, and defiled her self with so many kinds of idolatry and superstition, that she was grown infamous, and justly reproached of all who heard of or saw her abominable filthiness.

And this was the first and chiefe sinne for which the mother was diuorced, and the children disinherited; namely, because she plaied the harlot, and the children were begotten in her adultery. Now this their sinne is aggrauated; first by her shamelesse filthinesse therein shewed: and secondly, by her impudent and obstinate resolution to commit it. The first is expressed in these words; she that conceiued them hath done shamefully. The Hebrew text hath it; Shee that conceiued them is affected or confounded with shame: whereby is not meant, that she was shamefast or ashamed of her sinnes; for this agreeth not to the disposition of an harlot, especially to such a shamelesse harlot as this, whose fornications were in her face, and her adulteries betweene her breasts, and who impudently professed that shee would goe after her louers, but that she had committed such shamefull actions, and had liued so filthily and infamously, that shee had exposed her selfe to all shame and reproch. The meaning therefore of these words is this, that shee had not fallen into her sinnes of infirmity, or after shee was fallen, carried her selfe after any moderate manner, but that she often committed these sins, and defiled her selfe with so many kindes of idolatry and superstition, that shee was growne infamous, and iustly reproched of all who heard of or saw her abominable filthinesse.