ERRATA AND ADDENDA. VOL. II. PAGE 253 note 9 line 2, for percipiendo read præcipiendo. 263 note 2 line 3, for xxiv. read xxiii. 282 note 2 line last but one, for Pars 11. read Pars I. VOL. III. 129 173 note 2. The following is more likely the passage meant: Oudeis yap Twov ἐνταῦθα μὴ διαλυσαμένων τὰ ἁμαρτήματα, ἀπελθὼν ἐκεῖ δυνήσεται τὰς ἐπὶ τούτοις εὐθύνας διαφυγεῖν· κ. τ. λ. Chrysost. Op. Par. 171838. In Matt. Hom. xiv. Tom. VII. p. 183. line 31, for Son read son. 403 note for 13 read 14. 414 note 12, after line 3, insert, symbolum fidei recitetur. 437 note 14, add: Eusebius elsewhere uses an expression very similar to that in the text: Τὴν εἰκόνα τοῦ ἰδίου σώματος ποιεῖσθαι παρακελευόμενος. — De Demonst. Evang. Lib. vIII. cap. i. in Catalog. Test. Gen. 1608, cols. 180, 1. 444 note 3 line 12, for Ludg. read Lugd. TO THE MOST HONOURABLE AND VIRTUOUS LADY ANNE, DUCHESS OF SOMERSET HER GRACE, THOMAS BECON, HER MOST HUMBLE AND FAITHFUL SERVANT, BOTH OF BODY AND SOUL. So oft as I behold the face of this world, namely of this realm of England, most gracious lady, I know not whether there be offered unto me greater occasions of gladness or of sadness. For when I consider the horrible blindness and monstrous ignorance which heretofore reigned among us a great number of years, yea, and that almost universally in all parts of the christian public weal, through the subtile devices of Satan and of his ministers, which, to deceive the foolish blind world, fashion themselves like unto the apostles of Christ, and walk as the angels of light, when, notwithstanding, they 2 Cor. xi. are indeed false apostles and deceitful workers, "having an outward appearance of 2 Tim. iii. godliness, but utterly denying the virtue and power thereof;" and now see the aforesaid pestilences banished and driven out of this most flourishing realm of England, through the wonderful working of God's Spirit in the king's majesty, and in his most honourable council, I cannot but heartily rejoice and give God most entire thanks. For who seeth not, except he be wilfully blind and obstinately refuse to see, how many notable and excellent benefits of our salvation we have received of God under this our king? a prince for his godly disposition and virtuous enterprises worthily, to King Edward enjoy not only immortal fame, but also the years of ancient and long-living Methuse- the Sixth. lath. His majesty even in these his young years, by the advice of his most honourable council, hath no less travailed in putting away idolatry, papistry, superstition, and hypocrisy out of this his grace's realm, and in restoring unto us his humble and obedient subjects the true religion, and the glorious gospel of our Saviour Jesu Christ, than that most godly young king Josias did in his kingdom of Juda, which, being but a child 2 Kings xxii. of eight years old when he began to reign, did notwithstanding both studiously and xxxiv. earnestly seek after the God of David his father, and turned neither to the right hand nor to the left. And in the twelfth year he began to purge Juda and Hierusalem of hill-altars, groves, carved images, and images of metal; so that they broke down the altars of Baal even in the king's presence, and the idols that were upon them he caused to be destroyed. He slew the idolatrous priests and the chaplains of Baal. He destroyed the stews and whorish houses. He never ceased till he had reformed all A glass for his whole realm, and brought in again the true religion of God. O most shining mirror behold. and lively exemplar for all godly princes to behold and follow! [ Anne, duchess of Somerset, was mother to that lady Jane Seymour to whom Becon dedicated the "Governance of Virtue;" in the account of whom (Vol. I. page 396, note 1) some notice was taken of the duchess. To what is there said it may be added, that her father, Sir Edward Stanhope, who distinguished himself at the battle of Stoke, in which Lambert Simnel was overthrown, and also at that of Blackheath, was the ancestor of the earl of Chesterfield. The date of her marriage with her husband, at that time earl of Hertford, though not precisely known, was in all probability about 1538. The character of this lady, whom Becon so highly commends " 'as a worthy patron both of the godly [ Six words are omitted.] 2 Chron. princes to pedlary. Even this also hath our most christian king done and brought to pass in his dominions, yea, and that in a younger age. For this his grace's realm is already delivered from antichrist's tyranny. We are made free from his yoke. We are cumbered no more with his trifling traditions and dirty deceits. The breaking of his laws disquiet our conscience no more. His ceremonies are banished. His religious monsters have no The pope's longer place among us. His invocation of saints, his gadding on pilgrimages, his gilding of images, his painting of tabernacles, his setting up of candles before stocks, his purgatory, his masses of Scala Coli, his bulls, his pardons, his dispensations, his jubilees, his justification of works, his selling of merits, his canonizing of saints, his diriges, his trentals, his blasphemous masses, his idolatrous altars, his earish confession', his housel' in one kind for the lay, his holy bread, his holy water, his oil, his cream, his wax, his flax, his palms, his ashes, his idolatry, his hypocrisy, his candlesticks, his reliques, his corporas, his portass, his sheep-hook, his mass-book, his crosier, his mitre, his censing, his popish fasting, his shaving, his greasing, his sacrificing, his god-making, his transubstantiation, his excommunication, his unchaste chaste vows, his hallowed boughs, his beads, his vestments, his idols, his Romish service, his antichristian orders, his Peterpence, his frankincenses, his primacy, and all his pelting pedlary is utterly banished and driven out of this land. Tit. ii. Instead of these outrageous pestilences of the christian public weal, is entered in among us the glorious light of Christ's gospel, the true knowledge of God, the right worshipping of God, the hearty calling on the name of the Lord, the justification of faith, the hope of having remission of all our sins in Christ's blood, the godly and christian works, the sincere preaching of God's blessed word, the true ministration of the holy sacraments, the reading of the sacred scriptures in our own English tongue, the knowledge of our duty toward the king's majesty and all the high powers, and how we should behave ourselves toward all men, yea, and how we ourselves ought to "live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world," with an infinite number of such godly treasures. And if any thing be behind that is not yet brought unto perfection (as sores of long continuance are not straightways healed), I doubt not but that the king's most excellent majesty, and his godly, prudent, wise, and honourable council will see it reformed, and never leave off their godly purpose, after the example of good king Josias, till they have stablished all things in this realm according to God's word, and made this church of England a worthy spectacle and notable exemplar for all fornications to behold and follow. 3 The restoring of the glorious light of Christ's gospel unto us, the driving away papistry out of this realm, the having of so godly and noble a prince to be our king and governor, assisted with so honourable and godly-wise councillors, are without all doubt the incomparable and singular great benefits of God, and evident tokens of his Psal. cxlvii. earnest good-will toward this realm of England, and the inhabitants of the same. "He hath not dealt so with all nations," neither hath he shewed so manifestly his blessed will unto them. tude of England toward God When I consider, most gracious lady, these things, I am joyful, glad, and merry, and judge myself happy and blessed of God, that it hath chanced me to live in that age wherein the whore of Babylon, with all her marked merchants, is confounded, and the Lamb, I mean Christ, even in us his weak members, hath gotten the victory; wherein also so godly a prince and so virtuous a council ruleth and governeth this our country. But as of these friendly benefits of God I conceive an unfeigned gladness in my heart, forasmuch as through them I am fully persuaded of God's good-will toward The ingrati- this realm of England, so contrariwise am I many times provoked unto sadness, when I consider our ingratitude, our unthankfulness, yea, our beastly churlishness toward God. For, albeit many among us, both of the nobility and of the baser sort (thanks be to God!) do both faithfully and earnestly embrace this loving-kindness of God, and be for the gift of his word. [ Earish confession: confession whispered in the ear.] [2 Housel or hushel: the eucharist.] [ Possibly the true reading is foreign nations.] |