As wel of the auctor, as of the auctoritie of this booke, there haue bene diuers opinions among the lerned. ^note But in processe of time, the first is probably discussed, the other is clerly decided by the Church. For concerning the former doubt, Manie ancient Fathers alleage sentences of this Booke, as the sayinges of Salomon. Namely S. Ireneus (apud Eusebium, lib. 5. c. 8. Hist.) S. Clement of Alexandria, li. 5. & 6. Stromat. Origen. ho. 12. in Leuit. & li. 8. in Epist. ad Rom. S. Athanasius in Synopsi, & Orat. 2. cont. Arrian. S. Basil li. 5. cont. Eunomianos. S. Epiphanius heresi 67. S. Gregorie Nazianzen. lib. de Fide. S. Gregorie Nissen. in Testimonijs ex vet. Testam. cap. de Natiuitate ex Virgine. S. Chrisost. hom. 33. & 34. in Mat. S. Cyril of Alexandria li. 10. c. 4. Also S. Cyprian li. de

exhortat. Martyrum. c. 12. & li. 3. c. 59. ad Quirin. & li. de Mortalitate. S. Hilarie in Psal. 127. S. Ambrose, li. de Salomone. c. 1. and diuers others suppose Salomon to be auctor of this booke. ^note To whom likewise some of them ascribe the booke of Ecclesiasticus. But S. Ierom Præfatione in libros Salomonis testifieth that some ancient writers affirme this booke to be written by Philo a Iew, and the other by Iesus the sonne of Sirach. And S. Augustin very plainly (li. 17. c. 20. de ciuit.) faith, custom preuailed, that the bookes of Wisdom, & Ecclesiasticus, for some similitude of speach are called Salomons: but the more lerned assuredly iudge that they are not his. ^note what then shal we say, seing so manie other ancient lerned Doctors cite them as his. The answer is easie. And sufficiently insinuated by S. Augustin, that these two bookes being like vnto the other three, which are Salomons, were also called his. VVherto we may adde a like example in the two first bookes of Kinges, which are called the bookes of Samuel, though he writte not al the first, nor anie part of the second. Moreouer al these fiue are called by one general title Sapiential bookes. In so much that the Church readeth in the sacred Office before al Epistles, taken out of anie of these fiue bookes, not Lectio Prouerbiorum, or Ecclesiastæ, &c. but stil, Lectio libri Sapientiae. ^note The solution therfore is very probable, that this booke of wisdom was written by Philo Iudeus, not he that liued after Christ, but an other of the same name, nere two hundred yeares before. And Ecclesiasticus by Iesus the sonne of Sirach. who not only imitated Salomon, but also compiled their bookes, for most part of Salomons sentences; conserued til their times by tradition, or in separated scrolles of papers; yea they so vtter some sentences in his person, as if himself had written them. As touching the auctoritie of these two bookes, and some others, it is euident that the Iewes refuse them. ^note And therfore manie ancient Fathers writing against them, spared sometimes to vrge such bookes, as they knew would be reiected. Especially hauing abundant testimonies of other holie Scriptures, for deciding matters of faith against them. Euen as our Sauiour himself proued the Resurrection of the dead against the Sadduces, out of the bookes of Moyses, which they confessed for Canonical Scripture, denying other partes, where the same point might otherwise haue bene more euidently shewed. And so S. Ierom in respect of the Iewes saide these bookes were not Canonical. Neuertheles he did often alleage testimonies of them, as of other diuine Scriptures: sometimes with this parenthesis [si cui tamen placet librum recipere] in cap. 8. & 12. Zachariæ; other times, especially in his last writinges, absolutly without such restrictiou, as in cap. 1. & 56. Isaiæ. & in 18. Ieremiæ. where he professeth to alleage none but Canonical Scripture. As for al the other ancient fathers here aboue mentioned, ascribing this booke to Salomon, and manie others cited by Doctor Iodocus Coccius (To. 1. Thesauri. li. 6. art. 9.) they make

no doubt at al, but that it is Canonical Scripture, as appeareth by their expresse termes, Diuine Scripture, Diuine word, Sacred letters, Prophetical saying, the Holie Ghost saith, & the like. ^note Finally aswel ancient General counsels, namely that of Charthage, an. D. 419. with others, as the later of Florence, and Trent haue declared this booke to be Canonical. And that conformably to the most ancient, and lerned Fathers, as S. Augustin, not only iudgeth himself, but also plainly testifieth (li. de Prædestinat. Sanct. c. 14.) saying: The sentence of the booke of wisdom ought not to be reiected (by certaine inclining to Pelagianisme) Which hath bene so long publiquely read in the Church of Christ, and receiued of al Christians, Byshops, and others, euen to the last of the Laitie, Penitents, and Catecumes (cum veneratione diuinæ auctoritatis) With veneration of diuine auctoritie. Which also the excellent writers, next to the Apostles times, alleaging for witnes (nihil se adhibere, nisi diuinum testimonium crediderunt) thought they alleaged nothing but diuine testimonie.

The summe and contents of this booke is an Instruction, and Exhortation to Kinges and al Magistrates, to minister iustice in the comonwealth, teaching al sortes of vertues vnder the general names of Iustice & wisdom. ^note with frequent Prophecies of Christs Coming, Passion, Resurrection, & other Christian Mysteries. ^note Al may be commodiously diuided into three partes. In the six first chapters, the auctor admonisheth al Superiors to loue and exercise iustice and wisdom. In the next three, he teacheth that wisdom procedeth only from God, & is procured by prayer & good life. In the other tenne chapters, he sheweth the excellent effects, and vtilitie of wisdom and Iustice. THE BOOKE OF WISDOM. Chap. I. ^note Superiors are admonished to do iustice, sincerely seking God. 7. who being euery where seeth al thinges. ^note 11. Murmuration, detraction, and lying bring to perdition. 13. God created men to liue, but they brought death vpon themselues.

1   Love iustice, you that iudge the earth. Thincke of our Lord in goodnes, and in simplicitie of hart seeke him:

2   because he is found of them, that tempt him not: and he appeareth to them, that haue faith in him.

3   For ^note peruerse cogitations seperate from God: and proued powre chasteneth the vnwise.

4   because

wisdom wil not enter into a malicious soule, nor dwel in a bodie subiect to sinnes.

5   For the Holie Ghost of discipline, wil flie from him that feyneth, and wil withdraw himselfe from the cogitations, that are without vnderstanding, and he shal be chastened of iniquitie ensewing.

6   For the spirite of wisdom is gentle, and wil not deliuer ^note the curser from his lippes: because God is witnes of his reynes, and he is a true searcher of his hart, and an hearer of his tongue.

7   Because the Spirite of our Lord hath replenished the whole world: and that, which contayneth al thinges, hath the knowledge of voice.

8   For this cause he that speaketh vniust thinges, can not be hid, neither shal the chastising iudgment passe him.

9   For in the cogitations of the impious there shal be examination: and the hearing of his workes shal come to God, to the chastising of his iniquities.

10   Because the eare of ielousie heareth al thinges, and the tumult of murmurings shal not be hid.

11   Kepe your selues therfore from murmuring, which profiteth nothing, and refraine your tongue from detraction, because an obscure speache shal not passe in vaine: and the mouth that lyeth, killeth the soule

12    ^noteZeale not death in the errour of your life, neither procure ye perdition by the workes of your handes.

13   Because God made not death, neither doth he reioyce in the perdition of the liuing.

14   For he created al thinges to be: and he made the nations of the earth to health: and ^note there is no medicine of destruction in them, ^note nor kingdome of hel in the earth.

15   (For iustice is perpetual and immortal.)

16   But the impious with handes & wordes haue ^note prouoked it: and esteming it a freind, haue fallen to decay, and haue made couenantes with it: because they are worthie to be of the part therof. Chap. II. ^note Such as hope not of life to come, 6. addict themselues to present pleasures: 10. and persecute the iust, especially our Sauiour Christ, as contrarie to their wickednes. 23. Death came vpon man by the diuels enuie.

1   For they haue said thinking with themselues not wel: ^note Little, and with tediousnes is the time of our life: and in the end of a man there is no recouerie, and there is none knowne that hath returned from hel:

2   because of nothing were we borne, and after this, we shal be as if we had not bene: because the breath is a smoke in our nosthrels: & speach

a sparke to moue our hart.

3   Which being extinguished, our bodie shal be ashes, and the spirit shal be powred abrode as soft ayre, and our life shal passe as the trace of a cloude, and shal be dissolued as a mist, which is driuen away by the beames of the sunne, and oppressed with the heate therof:

4   and our name in time shal be forgotten, and no man shal haue remembrance of our workes.

5   For our time is the passing of a shadow, and there is no returne of our end: because it is sealed, and no man returneth.

6    ^noteCome therfore, and let vs enioy the good thinges that are, and let vs quickly vse the creature as in youth.

7   Let vs fil ourselues with precious wine, and oyntments: and let not the flowre of the time passe vs.

8   Let vs crowne ourselues with roses, before they wither: let there be no medow, which our riote shal not passe through.

9   Let none of vs be exempted from our rioteousnes: euerie where let vs leaue signes of ioy: because this is our portion, and this our lot.

10   Let vs ^note oppresse the poore iust man, and not spare the widow, nor reuerence the oldmans grey head of long time.

11   But let our strength be the law of iustice: for that which is Weake, is found vnprofitable.

12    ^noteLet vs therfore circumuent the iust, because he is vnprofitable to vs, and he is contrarie to our workes, and reprochfully obiecteth vnto vs the sinnes of the law, and defameth in vs the sinnes of our discipline.

13   He boasteth that he hath the knowlege of God, and nameth himselfe the sonne of God.

14   He is made vnto vs to the defaming of our cogitations.

15   He is greuous vnto vs euen to behold, because his life ia vnlike to others, and his wayes are changed.

16   We are estemed of him as triflers, and he absteyneth from our wayes as from vncleannes, and he preferreth the later ends of the iust, and glorieth that he hath God for his father.

17   Let vs see therfore if his wordes be true, and let vs proue what thinges shal come to him, and we shal know what shal be his later ends.

18   For if he be the true sonne of God, he wil defend him, & wil deliuer him from the hands of the aduersaries.

19   By contumelie and torment let vs examine him, that we may know his reuerence, and proue his patience.

20   To a most shameful death let vs condemne him: for there shal be respect had vnto him by his wordes.

21   These thinges haue they thought, and haue erred: for their malice hath blinded them.

22   And they haue not knowen ^note the sacraments of God, nor hoped for the reward of iustice, nor

estemed the honour of holie soules.

23   For God created man incorruptible, and to the image of his owne likenes he made him.

24   But by the enuie of the diuel, death entred into the world:

25   and they folow him that are of his part. Chap. III ^note The iust contemned by the wicked, and proued by tentations are happie. 10. and the wicked vnhappie. 12. Chastitie shal be rewarded, & adulterous generations shal not prosper.

1   Bvt ^note the soules of the iust are in the hand of God, and the torment of death shal not touch them.

2    ^noteThey semed in the eies of the vnwise to die: and their decease was counted affliction:

3   and that which with vs is the way, is destruction: but they are in peace.

4   And though before men they suffered torments, their hope is ful of immortalitie.

5   Vexed in few thinges, in many they shal be wel disposed of: because God hath tempted them, and hath found them worthie of him selfe.

6   As gold in the furnace he hath proued them, and as an host of holocaust he hath receiued them, and in time there shal be respect of them.

7   The iust shal shine, and as sparkes in a place of reedes they shal runne abrode.

8   They ^note shal iudge nations, & haue dominion ouer peoples, and their Lord shal reigne for euer.

9   They that trust in him, shal vnderstand truth: and the faithful in loue shal rest in him: because rest and peace is to his elect.

10   But the impious according to the thinges which they haue thought, shal haue correption: which haue neglected the iust, & haue reuolted from our Lord.

11   For he that reiecteth wisdom, and discipline, is vnhappie: and their hope is vaine, and labours without fruite and their workes vnprofitable.

12   Their ^note wiues are sensles, and their children most wicked.

13   Cursed is their creature: because happie is the barren woman: and the vndefiled, which hath not knowen bed in sinne, she shal haue fruite in visitation of holie soules:

14   and ^note the eunuch, that hath not wrought iniquitie with his hands, nor thought most wicked things against God: for the chosen gift of fayth shal be geuen to him, and a most acceptable lot in the temple of God.

15   For of good labour there is glorious fruite, and the roote of wisdom which falleth not.

16   But the children of adulterers shal be in consummation, and the sede of the vnlawful bed

shal be destroyed.

17   And if certes they be of long life, they shal be reputed for nothing, & their last oldage shal be without honour.

18   And if they dye quickly they shal haue no hope, non speach of comfort in the day of acknowledging

19   For of a wicked nation the endes are cruel Chap. IIII. Great difference betwen chaste, and adulterous generations. 7. Speedier death of the iust is recompensed by Gods prouidence, 19. but the wicked incurre greater damnation by liuing long.

1   O how beautiful is ^note the chaste generation with glorie: for the memorie therof is immortal: because it is knowen both with God, and with men.

2   When it is present, they imitate it, and they desire it when it hath withdrawen itself, and it triumpheth crowned for euer, winning the reward of vndefiled conflictes.

3   But the multitude of the impious, that hath manie children shal not be profitable, and bastarde plants shal not take deepe roote, nor lay sure fundation.

4   And if in the boughes for a time they shal spring being weakly set, they shal be moued of the winde, and by the vehemencie of the windes they shal be rooted out.

5   For the vnperfect boughes shal be broken, and their fruites shal be vnprofitable, and sowre to eate, and meete for nothing.

6   For the children that be borne of wicked sleepes, are witnesses of wickednes against the parents in their examination.

7   But ^note the iust if he be preuented with death, shal be in a place of refreshing.

8   For venerable oldage is not that of long time, nor accounted by the number of yeares: but the vnderstanding of a man are grey heares:

9   and an immaculate life is old age.

10   Pleasing God he is made beloued, and liuing among sinners he was translated.

11   09Q0296He was taken away lest malice should change his vnderstanding, or lest anie guile might deceiue his soule.

12   For the bewitching of vanitie obscureth good thinges, and the inconstancie of concupiscence peruerteth the vnderstanding that is without malice.

13   Being consummate in short space he fulfilled much time:

14   for his soule pleased God: for this cause he hastened to bring him out of the middes of iniquities: but the peoples that are seing, and not vnderstanding, nor putting such thinges in their hartes:

15   that the grace of God, and mercie is toward his saintes, and respect toward his elect.

16   But the iust dead condemneth the

impions aliue, and youth soone ended, the long life of the vniust.

17   For they shal see the end of the wise, and shal not vnderstand what God hath thought of him, and why our Lord hath fensed him.

18   For they shal see and shal contemne him: but our Lord shal laugh them to scorne,

19   and they shal fal after this without honour, and in contumelie among the dead for euer: because he shal breake them puffed vp ^note without voice, and shal remoue them from the fundations, and they shal be made desolate vnto the highest degree: and shal be moorning, and the memorie of them shal perish.

20   They shal come feareful in cogitation of their sinnes, and their iniquities on the contrarie shal conuince them. ^{note note} Chap. V. ^note In the general iudgement, the wicked seing the iust, whom they had contemned, to be in great honour, shal bewaile their owne miserie, 9. considering that their pleasure was short, 16. and the ioy of the blessed shal be for euer. 18. God wil arme himself, and al creatures, to punish the impious.

1   Then shal the iust stand in great constancie against those that haue afflicted them, and ^note taken away their labours.

2   They seing shal be trubled with horrible feare, and shal meruel at the sodennes of vnexpected saluation,

3   saying within themselues, ^note repenting, and sighing for anguish of spirit: These are they, whom we had sometime in derision, and in a parable of reproch.

4   We senslesse estemed their life madnes, and their end without honour.

5   Behold how they are counted among the children of God, and their lot is among the saints.

6   We therfore haue erred from the way of truth, and

the light of iustice hath not shined to vs, and the sunne of vnderstanding rose not to vs.

7   We are weried in the way of iniquitie and perdition, and haue walked hard wayes, but the way of our Lord we haue not knowen.

8   What hath pride profited vs? or what commoditie hath the vaunting of riches brought to vs?

9   Al those thinges are passed away as a shadow, and as a messenger running before,

10   and as a shippe, that passeth through the surging waters: wherof, when it is past, the trace can not be found, nor the path of that shippes keele in the waues:

11   or as a bird, that flyeth through in the ayre, of which there is no token can be found of her passage, but only a sound of the winges beating the light winde: and by vehemence of going cutting the ayre, mouing the winges she is flowen through, and afterward there is no signe found of her way:

12   or as when an arrow is shotte forth to a sette marke, the diuided ayre is forth with closed in itself againe, so that the passage therof is not knowen:

13   so we also being borne forthwith ceased to be: and of vertue certes haue bene able to shew no signe: but in our naughtines we are consumed.

14   Such thinges ^note sayd they in hel, which sinned:

15   because the hope of the impious is as dust, which is taken away with the winde: and as a thinne froth, which is dispersed by the storme: and as smoke that is scatered abrode by the winde: and as the memorie of a ghest of one day that passeth.

16   But the iust shal liue for euer, and their reward is with our Lord, and cogitation of them with the Highest.

17   Therfore shal they receiue a kingdom of honour, & a crowne of beautie at the hand of our Lord: because with his right hand he wil couer them, and with in his holie arme he wil defend them.

18   And ^note his zele wil take armour, and he wil arme the creature to the reuenge of the enemies.

19   He wil put on iustice for a brestplate, & wil take sincere iudgement for an helmet:

20   he wil take equitie for an inuicible thilde:

21   and he wil sharpen fierce wrath for a speare, and the round world shal fight with him against the senslesse.

22   The shottes of lightenings shal goe directly, & as it were from a bow of the clouds wel bent they shal be cast forth, and shal light on a certaine place.

23   And from rocked wrath shal thicke haile stones be cast, the water of the sea shal rage against them, and the riuers shal runne together roughly.

24   A spirit of powre shal stand against them, and as a hurle winde shal diuide them: and their

iniquitie shal bring al the land to a desert, and naughtines shal ouerthrow the seates of the mightie. Chap. VI. ^note Kinges and al Magistrates are againe admonished to exercise iustice: 7. otherwise they shal be more greuously punished. 13. wisdom may easely be found, 18. by those that sincerely desire it. 22. And is very profitable (25. excepting the enuious, or il disposed) 26. both to prince and people.

1   VVisedom is better then strength: and a wiseman then a strong.

2   Heare therfore ye kinges, & vnderstand, lerne ye iudges of the endes of the earth.

3   Geue eare ye, that rule multitudes, and that please yourselues in multitudes of nations:

4   because the ^note powre is geuen you of our Lord, and strength by the Highest, who wil examine your workes, and search your cogitations:

5   because when you were the ministers of his kingdom, you iudged not rightly, nor kept the law of iustice, nor haue walked according to the wil of God.

6   Horribly and quickly wil he appeare to you: because most seuere iudgement shal be done on them, that beare rule.

7   For to the litle one mercie is granted: but ^note the mightie shal mightely suffer torments.

8   For God wil not except any mans person, neither wil feare the greatnes of any man: because he made the litle and the great, & he hath equally care of al.

9   But to the stronger more strong torment is imminent.

10   To you therfore ô kings are these my wordes, that you may lerne wisdom, and not fal.

11   For they that haue kept iust thinges iustly, shal be iustified: and they that haue lerned these thinges, shal find what they may answer.

12   Couet ye therfore my wordes, and loue them, and you shal haue discipline.

13   Wisdom is cleere, and such as neuer fadeth, and is easely sene of them that loue her, and is found of them that seeke her.

14   She preuenteth them that couete her, that she first may shew herself vnto them.

15   He that awaketh early to her, shal not labour: for he shal find her sitting at her doores.

16   To thinke therfore of her, is perfect vnderstanding: and he that watcheth for her, shal quickly be secure.

17   Because she goeth about seeking them that be worthie of her, and in the wayes she wil shew her self to them cheerefully, and in al prouidence she wil meete them.

18   For ^note the beginning of her is the most true desire of discipline.

19   The care therfore of discipline, is loue:

and loue, is the keeping of her lawes: and the keeping of the lawes, is the consummation of incorruption:

20   and incorruption maketh to be next to God.

21   Therfore the desire of wisdom leadeth to the euerlasting kingdom.

22   If therfore you be delighted with thrones, and with scepters ô ye kinges of the people, loue wisdom, that you may reigne for euer.

23   Loue the light of wisdom al ye that beare rule ouer peoples.

24   But what wisdom is, and how she was made, I wil declare: and I wil not hide from you the mysteries of God, but from the beginning of her natiuitie I wil search out, and sette the knowlege of her into light, and wil not let passe the truth:

25   neither wil I goe with pyning enuie: because such a man shal not be partaker of wisdom.

26   But the multitude of the wise is the health of the round world: and a wise king is the stabilitie of the people.

27   Therfore take ye discipline by my wordes, and it shal profite you. Chap. VII. ^note wheras al men haue the like birth and death, ^note 7. wisdom maketh great difference, bringing al goodnes, 13. and knowlege, 17. as wel of natural thinges, 22. as moral. 25. which heauenlie gift is a sparckle, and participation of wisdom increated, God himself.

1   I also certes am a mortal man, like to al, and of the earthlie kinred of him, that was made first, and in the wombe of my mother was I fashioned flesh,

2   the time of ^note ten monethes was I brought together in bloud, of the seede of man, and the delectation of ^note sleepe concurring.

3   And I being borne receiued the common ayre, and fel vpon the earth, that is made alike, and the first voice like to al men did I put forth weeping.

4   I was nourished in swadling clothes, and great cares.

5   For none of the kinges had other begynning of natiuitie.

6   There is one entrance therfore into life to al men, and like departure.

7   For this cause ^note I wished, and vnderstanding was geuen me: and I inuocated, and the spirit of wisdom came vpon me:

8   and I preferred her before kingdoms and thrones, and riches I counted to be nothing in comparison of her.

9   Neither did I compare the precious stone to her: because al gold in comparison of her, is a litle sand, and siluer in the sight of her shal be estemed as clay.

10   Aboue health and beautie did I loue her, and purposed to haue her for light: because her light can not be extinguished.

11   And al good

thinges came to me together with her, and very much honestie by her handes,

12   and I reioyced in al: because ^note this wisdom went before me, and I was ignorant that she is the mother of al these.

13   Which I lerned without fiction, and doe communicate without enuie, and her honestie I hid not.

14   For she is an infinite treasure to men: which who so haue, are made partakers of the frenship of God, commended for the gifts of discipline.

15   And to me God hath geuen to speake according to my minde, and to presume thinges worthie of those, that are geuen me: because he is the guide of wisdom, and the creator of the wise:

16   for in his hand are both we, & our wordes, and wisdom, and the knowlege and discipline of workes.

17   For he gaue me ^note the true knowlege of those thinges, which are: that I may know the disposition of the round world, and the vertues of the elements,

18   the beginning, & end, & middes of times, the permutations of changeable seasons, and consummations of times,

19   the courses of the yeare, and dispositions of the starres,

20   the natures of beastes, and furies of wilde beastes, the force of windes, and the cogitations of men, the differences of plantes, and vertues of rootes,

21   and whatsoeuer are hid thinges and not forsene, I haue lerned: for wisdom the worker of al taught me.

22   For in her is the spirite of vnderstanding, ^note holie, onlie, manifold, subtil, eloquent, moueable, vndefiled, sure, swete, louing good, sharpe, who nothing hindereth wel doing,

23   gentle, benigne, stable, certaine, secure, hauing al powre, forseing al thinges, and that conteyneth al spirites: intelligible, cleane, subtile.

24   For wisdom is more moueable then al moueable thinges: and reacheth euerie where because of her cleannes.

25   For she ^note is a vapour of the powre of God, & a certaine sincere emanation of the glorie of God omnipotent: and therfore no defiled thing cometh vnto her.

26   For she is the brightnes of eternal light, & the vnspotted glasse of Gods maiestie, and the image of his goodnes.

27   And wheras she is one, she can doe al thinges: and permanent in herselfe she reneweth al thinges, and by nations transporteth herself into holie soules, she maketh the frendes of God, and Prophetes.

28   For God loueth none, but him, that dwelleth with wisdom.

29   For she is more beautiful then the sunne, and aboue al disposition of the starres, being compared to light she is found the first.

30   For night succedeth to it, but malice ouercometh not wisdom.

Chap. VIII ^note VVisdom excelling al thinges, that can be desired, 9. is worthely preferred as the cause of much estimation, 13. and of immortal glorie, 16. without molestation. 21. Al which is Gods gift.

1   She ^note reacheth therfore from end vnto end mightely, and disposeth al thinges swetely.

2   Her haue I loued, and haue sought her out from my youth, and haue sought to take her for my spouse, and I was made a louer of her beautie.

3   She glorifieth her nobilitie, hauing consociation with God: yea and the Lord of al hath loued her.

4   For she is the mistresse of the discipline of God, & the chooser of his workes.

5   And if riches be desired in life, what is richer then wisdom, which worketh al thinges?

6   And if vnderstanding doe worke: who is the worker of those things that are, more then she?

7   And if a man loue iustice: her labours haue great vertues: for she teacheth sobrietie, and prudence, and iustice, and strength, then the which nothing is more profitable in life to men.

8   And if a man desire multitude of knowlege: she knoweth thinges past, & coniectureth of thinges to come: she knoweth the subtilities of wordes, and the solution of arguments: she knoweth signes and wonders before they be done, and the euentes of times and ages.

9    ^noteI purposed therfore to bring her to me to liue together: knowing that she wil communicate vnto me of good thinges, and wil be a comfort of my cogitation & tediousnes.

10   I shal haue for her sake ^note glorie with the multitudes, and honour with the ancient being yong:

11   and I shal be found sharpe in iudgement, and in the sight of the mightie I shal be meruelous, and the faces of princes wil meruel at me.

12   Holding my peace they shal expect me, and whiles I speake manie wordes, they shal lay their hands on their mouth.

13   Moreouer by her I shal haue ^note immortalitie: and I shal leaue an eternal memorie to them, that shal be after me.

14   I shal dispose peoples: and nations shal be subiect to me.

15   Horrible kings hearing shal feare me: in the multitude I shal seme good, and in battel strong.

16   Entring into my house, I shal rest with her: for her conuersation hath no bitternes, nor her companie tediousnes, but ioy and gladnesse.

17   Thinking these thinges with myselfe, and recording in my hart, that ^note immortalitie is in the kindred of wisedom,

18   and good delectation in her frendship, and in the workes of her

handes honestie without defect, and wisdom in the disputation of her talke, and glorie in the communication of her wordes: I went about seeking, that I might take her to me.

19   And I was a wittie childe, and had gotten a good soule.

20   And wheras I was more good, I came to ^note a bodie vndefiled.

21   And as I knew that I could not otherwise be continent, vnlesse God gaue it, this verie thing also was wisdom, to know whose this gift was: I went to our Lord, and besought him, and said from my whole hart. Chap. IX. ^note A prayer (made by Salomon) for wisdom, 9. wherby Superiors are able to gouerne: 13. which by only humane wisdom, they can not rightly performe.

1   God of my fathers, and Lord of mercie, which madest al thinges with thy word,

2   and by thy wisdom didst appoint man, that he should haue dominion of the creature, that was made by thee,

3   that he should dispose the roundworld in equitie and iustice, and execute iudgement in direction of hart:

4   geue me wisdom the assistant of thy seates, and repel me not from thy children:

5   because I am thy seruant, and the sonne of thy handmaide, a weake man, and of smal time, and lesse to the vnderstanding of iudgement and lawes.

6   And if one be perfect among the children of men, and thy wisdom be absent from him, he shal be counted for nothing.

7    ^noteThou hast chosen me king to thy people, and iudge of thy sonnes, and daughters:

8   and badst me build a temple in thy holie mount, and an altar in the citie of thy habitation, a similitude of thy holie tabernacle, which thou didst prepare from the beginning:

9   and ^note thy wisdom with thee, which knew thy workes, which then also was present when thou madest the roundworld, and knew what was pleasing to thyne eyes, and what was direct in thy precepts.

10    ^noteSend her from thy holy heauens, and from the seate of thy greatnes, that she may be with me, and may labour with me, that I may know what is acceptable with thee:

11   for she knoweth al thinges, & vnderstandeth, and shal conduct me in my workes soberly, & shal keepe me with her might.

12   And my workes shal be acceptable, and I shal gouerne thy people iustly, and shal be worthie of the seates of my father.

13   For ^note who of

men is able to know the counsel of God? or who can thinke what God wil?

14   For the cogitations of mortal men be fearful, and our prouidences vncertaine.

15   For the bodie, that is corrupted burdeneth the soule, and the earthlie habitation presseth downe the vnderstanding that thinketh manie thinges.

16   And we doe hardly coniecture the thinges that are in the earth: and the thinges that are in sight, we finde with labour. But the thinges that are in the heauens who shal search out?

17   And thy sense who shal know, vnles thou geue wisdom, and send thy holie spirit from on high:

18   and so the pathes of them, that are on the earth may be corrected, and men lerne the thinges that please thee?

19   For by wisdom they were healed, whoseouer haue pleased thee ô Lord from the begynning. Chap. X. ^note The benefites of wisdom are declared by examples, in Adam, ^note 4. Noe, 5. Abraham, 6. Lot, 10. Iacob, 13. Ioseph, 15. And the people of Israel.

1   She kept him, ^note that was first made of God father of the world, when he was created alone,

2   and she ^note brought him out of his sinne, and gaue him powre to conteyne al thinges.

3   After the vniust departed in his anger from her, by the furie of brothers manslaughter perished.

4   For whose cause, when water destroyed the earth, wisdom healed it againe, gouerning the ^note iust by contemptible wood.

5   She euen in the consent of wickednes, when the nations had confederated themselues, knewe ^note the iust, and preserued him without blame to God, and in his sonnes mercie kept the strong.

6   She deliuered ^note the iust, fleing from the impious that perished, when the fyre came downe vpon Pentapolis:

7   to whom for a witnes of their wickednes the desert land standeth smoking, and ^note trees hauing fruites at vncertain season; and the memorie of an incredulous soule a standing ^note piller of salt.

8   For pretermitting wisdom they did not only slippe in this, that they were ignorant of good thinges, but they left also vnto men a memorie of their foolishnes, that in those thinges, in which they sinned in, they could not be hid neither.

9   But wisdom hath deliuered them, that obserue her from sorowes.

10   And ^note the iust fleing his brothers wrath, she conducted by the right wayes, and shewed him the kingdom of God, and gaue him the knowlege of the holie, did honest

him in labours, and accomplised his labours.

11   In the fraude of the circumuenters of him she was present with him, and made him honorable.

12   She kept him from the enemies, and from seducers she defended him, and from seducers she defended him, and gaue him a strong fight, that he might ouercome, and know that wisdom is mightier then al.

13   She forsooke not ^note the iust being sold, but deliuered him from sinners: and she went downe with him into the pitte,

14   and in bands leaft him not, til she brought him the scepter of a kingdome, and might against them, that oppressed him: and shewed them to be lyers, that spotted him, and gaue him eternal glorie.

15   The ^note iust people, and seede without blame she deliuered from the nations, that oppressed them.

16   She entered into the soule of the seruant of God, and stood against dreadful kinges in wonders and signes.

17   And she rendred to the iust the hope of their labours, and conducted them in a meruelous way: and she was vnto them for a couerr in the day, and for the light of starres by night:

18   and she transported them through the Redsea, and caried them ouer through a great water.

19   But their enemies she drowned in the sea, and from the depth of hel she brought them out. Therfore the iust tooke the spoyles of the impious,

20   and they sang thy holie name ô Lord, and thy victorious hand they praised together:

21   because wisdom hath opened the mouth of the dumme, and the tongues of infants she hath made eloquent. Chap. XI. ^note Other benefites of wisdom, protecting the Israelites in the desert; 3. ouerthrowing their enimies; 4. geuing them water out of a rocke; 8. plaguing the Ægyptians, 21. yet not al sudenly, but by often admonitions, that they might haue repented if they would.

1   She directed their workes in the handes of ^note a holy prophet.

2   They made a iourney through the deserts, that were not inhabited: and in desert places they pitched cottages.

3   They stood against ^note the aduersaries, and reuenged themselues of the enemies.

4   They thirsted, and inuocated thee, and water was geuen them out of a most high rorcke, and quenching of their thirst out of the hard stone.

5   For by the thinges wherby their enemies suffered punishment, for defect of their drinke, and therein, when the children of Israel abunded, they did reioyce;

6   by these thinges, when others lacked the same, it

went wel with them.

7   For in steede of the fountaine of an euerlasting riuer, thou gauest mans bloud to the vniust.

8   Who when they were diminished in the destruction of the murdered infants, thou gauest them abundant vnlooked for:

9   shewing by the thirst, that then was, how thou didst exalt thine, & didst kil their aduersaries.

10   For when ^note they were tempted, and in deede with mercie taking discipline, they knew how ^note the impious being iudged with wrath did suffer torments.

11   These certes admonishing as a father thou didst proue: but them examining as a hard king thou didst condemne.

12   For the absent and the present were tormented alike.

13   For duble tediousnes had taken them, and sighing with the memorie of good thinges past.

14   For when they vnderstood ^note by their punishement that it went wel with them, they remembred our Lord, merueling at the end of the euent.

15   For ^note whom before they derided, being cast forth in that wicked laying out to perish, him they merueled at in the end of the euent: not thirsting in like maner to the iust:

16   but for senseles cogitations of their iniquitie, for that ^note some erring did worshippe dumme serpents, and superfluous beasts, thou didst send vpon them a multitude of dumme beasts for reuenge:

17   that they might know that by what thinges a man sinneth, by the same also he is tormented.

18   For thine omnipotent hand, which made the world of inuisible matter, was not vnable to send vpon them a multitude of beares, or fierce lyons,

19   or vnknowen beasts ful of anger of a new kind; or breathing the vapour of fires, or casting forth the sauour of smoke, or shooting horrible sparkes from their eies:

20   of which not onlie their hurt was able to destroy them, but also their sight to kil them for feare.

21   Yea and without these with one spirit, they might haue beene slaine suffering persecution of their owne factes, and dispersed by the spirit of thy powre: but thou hast disposed al thinges in measure, and number, and weight.

22   For, to be of great force rested alwaies in thee onlie: & who shal resist the powre of thyne arme?

23   Because as the least weight of the balance, so is the round world before thee, and as a droppe of the dewe before day, that falleth vpon the earth.

24   But thou hast mercie on al, because thou canst do al thinges, and dissemblest the sinnes of men for repentance.

25   For thou ^note louest al thinges that are, and hatest nothing of those which thou hast made: for thou didst not ordaine, or

make any thing hating it.

26   And how could any thing continew, vnles thou wouldest? or be preserued which was not called of thee?

27   But thou sparest al: because they are thine ô Lord, which louest soules. Chap. XII. ^note Gods wisdom and mercie in destroying the wicked inhabitants of Chanaan, by parts (10. that they might haue amended,) whom he could haue slaine sudenly. 15. In that God neuer condemneth the iust, 19. his people are instructed to confide in him, 25. and sinners to turne vnto him.

1   O how good, and sweete is thy spirit ô Lord in al!

2   And therfore those, that erre, by partes thou doest chastise: and doest admonish, and speake to them, concerning the thinges wherin they sinne: that leauing naughtines, they may beleue in thee ô Lord.

3   For, those old inhabitantes of thy holie land, whom thou didst abhorre,

4   because they did workes odious to thee by sorceries, and vniust sacrifices,

5   and the murderers of their owne children without mercie, and eaters of mens bowels, and deuourers of bloud from the middes ^note of thy sacrament,

6   and the parents authors of aydelesse soules, thou wouldst destroy by the handes of our parents,

7   that they might receiue a peregrination worthie of the children of God, which is a land of al most deare to thee.

8   But them also as men thou didst spare, and didst send forerunners of thine host, waspes, that by litle and litle they might destroy them.

9   Not because thou wast vnable in battel to subdewe the impious to the iust, or with cruel beastes, or with a sharpe word to destroy them together:

10   but iudging by partes thou gauest place of repentance, being not ignorant, that the nation of them is wicked, and their malice ^note natural, & that their cogitation could not be changed for euer.

11   For it was a cursed seede from the begynning: neither fearing any, didst thou geue pardon to their sinnes.

12   For who shal say to thee: what hast thou done? or who shal stand against thy iudgement? or who in thy sight shal come reuenger of the wicked men? or who shal impute it to thee, if the nations perish, which thou hast made?

13   For there is no other God but thou, who hast care of al, that thou mayst shew that thou doest not geue iudgement vniustly.

14   Neither king, nor tyrant in thy sight shal enquire of them, whom thou hast destroyed.

15   For so much then as thou art iust, thou

doest dispose al thinges iustly: thou also estemest it disagreable from thy powre, to condemne him, who ought not to be punished.

16   For thy powre is the begynning of iustice: and for this that thou art Lord of al, thou makest thyself to spare al.

17   For thou shewest powre, which art not thought to be absolute in powre, and thou conuincest the boldnes of them, that know thee not.

18   But thou dominatour of powre, iudgest with tranquilitie, and with great reuerence disposest of vs: for ^note it is in thy powre when thou wilt, to be able.

19   And thou hast taught thy people by such workes, that they must be iust and gentle, and hast made thy children of good hope: because iudging thou geuest in sinnes place of repentance.

20   For if thou didst punish the enemies of thy seruants, and that deserued to die, with so great consideration, geuing time and place, whereby they might be changed from their wickednes.

21   With what diligence hast thou iudged thy children, to whose parents thou gauest othes and couenants of good promises?

22   Therfore when thou geuest vs discipline, thou scourgest our enemies very manie wayes, that iudging we may thinke vpon thy goodnes: and when we are iudged, we may hope for thy mercie.

23   Wherfore to them also, which in their life haue liued foolishly & vniustly, thou hast geuen great torments by the same thinges, which they did worshipe.

24   For they wandered long in the way of errour, esteming for goddes those thinges, that in beasts ^note are superfluous, liuing after the maner of sensles infants.

25   For this cause thou hast geuen iudgement on them as on sensles children to be in derision.

26   But they that were not amended by scornes and reprehensions, haue tried the worthie iudgement of God.

27   For in what thinges they suffering tooke indignation, by those whom they thought goddes, when seing they were destroyed in them, him, whom in time past they denied that they knewe, they acknowleged the true God: ^note for the which cause the end also of their condemnation shal come vpon them. Chap. XIII. ^note Men folowing their phantasies knew not God by his creatures, but honored the creatures for goddes. 10. Most sottishly also worshipped thinges fashioned by mens handes, as goddes.

1   Bvt al men be vaine, in Whom there is not the knowlege of God: and of these good thinges, which are sene ^note09Q0297 they could not understand him ^note that is, neither attending to the workes haue they agnised who was the workeman:

2   but either the fyre, or the wind, or the swift ayre, or a circle of starres or exceding much water, or the sunne and the moone, they thought to be goddes rulers of the world.

3   With whose beautie if being delighted, they thought them goddes: let them know how much the Lord of them is more beautiful then they. For the author of beautie made al those thinges.

4   Or if they merueled at their vertue, & operations, let them vnderstand by them, that he which made these, is stronger then they:

5   for by the greatnes of the beautie, and of the creature the creator of them may be sene, to be knowen therby.

6   But notwithstanding there is yet in these lesse complainte. For they also perhaps erre, seeking God, and desirous to finde him.

7   For whereas they conuerse in his workes, they enquire: & they are perswaded that the thinges be good which are seene.

8   But againe neither ought these to be pardoned.

9   For if they could know so much, that they were able to estimate the world: how did they not more easely find the Lord therof?

10   But they are vnhappie, & their hope is among the dead, who haue called ^note the workes of mens handes godds, gold & siluer, the inuention of art, and the similitudes of beastes, or an vnprofitable stone the worke of an old hand.

11   Or if an artificer a carpenter, cut streight timber out of the wood, & pare of al the barke therof cunningly, and vsing his art, diligently frameth a vessel profitable for the common vse of this life,

12   and vseth the chippes of that worke to dresse his meate:

13   and maketh that which is left therof, which is for no vses, but being a crooked peece of wood, and ful of knobes, carueth it diligently in the holownes therof, and by the skil of his art fashioneth it, and maketh it like to the image of a man,

14   or compareth it to some beast, straking it ouer with redde, and with paynting making the colour therof ruddie, and layeth a colour ouer euerie spot that is in it:

15   and maketh a worthie habitation for it, and setting it in a wal, and fastening it with yron,

16   lest perhaps it fal, prouiding for it, knowing that it can not helpe it selfe: for it is an image, and it nedeth helpe.

17   And concerning his substance, & his children, & for mariage, making a vow he seeketh to it. He is not ashamed to

speake with him, that is without soule:

18   and for health certes he besecheth the weake, and for life asketh the dead, and for helpe inuocateth him that is vnprofitable:

19   and for a iourney asketh him, that can not walke: and for getting, and for working, and for the euent of al thinges he asketh him, that in al is vnprofitable. ^note Chap. XIIII. Foolish men intending to saile, honour woodden idols, in regard of the profite they receiue by shippes: 6. by which some were saued in the general diluge. 8. Idols, and idolmakers are cursed. 12. They were not from the beginning, 15. but were deuised for memorie of the dead, and worshipped with diuine honour. 22. So men forgetting God, proceeded in idolatrie, with other abominable, and cruel enormities.

1   Agayne an other thinking to sayle, and begynning to make a iorney through the fierce waues, inuocateth wood ^note more fraile then the wood that carieth him.

2   For couetousnes of getting inuented it, and the craftesman by his wisdom framed it.

3   But thy prouidence, ô Father, doth gouerne: because thou hast geuen a way euen in the sea, and among the waues a most sure path,

4   shewing that thou art able to saue out of al thinges, yea ^note if a man goe to the sea without art.

5   But that thy workes might not be voyde of wisdom: for this cause also men commit their liues euen to a little wood, and passing ouer the sea are deliuered by shippe.

6   But from the begynning also when the prowde giants perished, the hope of the world fleing to a shippe, rendered to the world seede of natiuitie, which was gouerned by thy hand.

7   For ^note blessed is the wood, by the which ^note iustice is made.

8   But the idol that is made by handes, cursed is both it,

and he that made it: because he in deede wrought it: and the same being fraile, was called god.

9   But to God the impious and his impietie are odious alike.

10   For that which is made, with him that made it, shal suffer torments.

11   For this cause also in the idol of the nations there shal be no respect: because the creatures of God were made to hatred, and for tentation to the soules of men, and for a snare to the feete of the vnwise.

12   For the begynning ^note of fornication is the deuising of idols: and the inuenting of them is the corruption of life.

13   For neither were they from the begynning, neither shal they be for euer.

14   For this vanitie of men came into the world: and therfore there is found a short end of them.

15   For09Q0298 the father being sorowful with bitter moorning, made vnto himself the image of his sonne quickly taken away: and him, that then was a dead man, now ^note he began to worshipe as god, and appointed holie thinges and sacrifices among his seruants.

16    ^noteAfterward by succession of time, the wicked custom preuayling, this errour was kept as a law, and thinges grauen were worshipped by the commandement af tyrants.

17   And those, whom openly men could not honour, for that they were far of, their figure being brought from a far, they made an euident image of the king, whom they would honour: that by their carefulnes they might honour as present, him that was absent.

18   And to the worshipping of these, the excellent diligence also of the artificer, holpe them forward, that were ignorant.

19   For he willing to please him, that entertained him, laboured by his art, to fashion the similitude in better sort.

20   And the multitude of men caried away by the beautie of the worke, him that a little before had bene honoured as a man, now they estemed for a god.

21   And this was the deceyuing of mans life: because men seruing either affection, or kinges, gaue the name that is ^note not communicable to stones and wood.

22   And it was not sufficient that they erred about the knowlege of God, but also liuing in a great battail of ignorance so manie and so great euils they cal peace.

23   For ^note either sacrificing their children, or making abscure sacrifices, or hauing watches ful of madnes,

24   they now neither keepe life, nor mariage cleane, but one killeth an other by enuie, or playing the adulterer maketh him sorowful:

25   and al thinges are mingled together, bloud, manslaughter, theft and fiction, corruption, and infidelitie, truble, and periurie,

disquieting of the good,

26   forgetfulnes of God, inquination of soules, immutation of natiuitie, inconstancie of mariage, disorder of adulterie, and vnchastnes.

27   For the worshippe of idols not to be named, is the cause of al euil, and the beginning and end.

28   For either when they reioyce, they are madde: or certes prophecie false thinges, or liue vniustly, or quickly forsweare themselues.

29   For whiles they trust in idols, which are without soule, swearing amisse they hope not to be hurt.

30    ^noteTwo euil thinges therfore shal happen to them worthely, because they haue thought euil of God, attending to idols, and haue sworne vniustly, in guile contemning iustice.

31   For it is not the powre of them, that are sworne by, but the punishment of them that sinne, goeth alwayes through the trangression of the vniust. ^{note note} Chap. XV. The wise gratfully praise the swetenes, and mercie of God, by whom they are deliuered from idolatrie: 6. detesting the makers, & worshippers of idols.

1   Bvt ô thou our God, art sweete, and true, patient, and disposing al thinges in mercie.

2   For if we sinne, we are thine, knowing thy greatnes: and if we sinne not we know that we are counted with thee.

3   For to know thee, is absolute iustice: and to know iustice, and thy powre, is the toote of immortalitie.

4   For mens inuention of euil art hath not brought vs into errour, nor the shadow of a picture being a labour without fruite, a shape grauen by diuerse colours,

5   the sight wherof geueth concupiscence to the sensles, and and he loueth the shape without life of a deade image.

6   The louers of euils, are worthie to haue their hope in such thinges, both they that make them, and that loue, and that worshippe them.

7   Yea and the potter pressing softe earth, with labour fashioneth euerie vessel to our vses, and of the same clay maketh the vessels, that are cleane to vse, and in like maner them, that are contrarie to these: but what the vse of these vessels is, the potter is iudge.

8   And with vaine labour he ^note fashioneth a god of the same clay: he which a litle before was made of earth, and a litle after returneth backe whence he was taken, being exacted the debte of the life which he had.

9   But his care is, not because he shal labour, nor because he hath a short life, but he contendeth with goldsmithes and siluer smithes: yea and he imitateth the copper smithes, and counteth it a glorie, because he maketh vaine thinges.

10   For his hart is ashes, and his hope vaine earth, and his life viler then clay:

11   because he was ignorant who made him, and who inspired into him the soule which worketh, and who breathed into him the vital spirite.

12   Yea and ^note they estemed our life to be a pastime, and the conuersation of life made for a gayne, & that we must get euerie way euen of euil.

13   For he knoweth that he offendeth aboue al men, which of the matter of earth fashioneth frayle vessels, and sculptils.

14   For al the vnwise, and vnhappie aboue measure of the soule, proude ^note are the enemies of thy people, and rule ouer them:

15   because they haue estemed al the idols of the nations for goddes, which neither haue vse of eies to see, nor nosthrels to take breath, nor eares to heare, nor fingers of the hands to handle, yea and their feete are flow to walke.

16   For a man made them: and he that borowed breath, the same fashioned them. For no man can make God like to himself.

17   For wheras himself is mortal, he maketh a dead thing with his wicked handes For

he is better then they, whom he worshippeth, because he in deede liued, though he were mortal, but they neuer.

18   But ^note they worship also most miserable beasts: for the senslesse thinges compared to these, are worse then they.

19   Yea neither by sight can any man see good of these beasts. But they haue fled from the prayse of God, and from his blessing. Chap. XVI. God plaguing the Ægyptians for idolatrie, and crueltie, deliuered the Israelites. 5. Chasticed them also, but againe shewed them mercie; 20. and fedde them with Manna.

1   For ^note these thinges, and ^note by the like to these, they haue worthely suffered torments, and were destroyed by a multitude of beasts.

2   For the which torments thou didst wel dispose of thy people, to whom thou gauest the desire of their delectation a new taste, preparing them the quaile for meate:

3   that they in deede coueting meate, because of those thinges which were shewed and sent them, might be turned away euen from necessarie concupiscence. But they in short time being made needie, tasted a new meate.

4   For it behoued that without excuse destruction should come vpon them exercising tyrannie: ^note but to these onlie to shew how their enemies were destroyed.

5   For when the cruel wrath of beastes came vpon them, they were destroyed with the bytings of peruerse serpents.

6   Howbeit thy wrath endured not for euer, but for chastisement they were trubled a short time, hauing a signe of saluation for the remembrance of the commandment of thy law.

7   For he that turned to it, ^note was not healed by that which he saw, but by thee the sauiour of al:

8   and in this thou didst shew to our enemies, that thou art he which deliuerest from al euil.

9   For the bitings of locusts, and flies killed them, and there was found no remedie for their life: because they were worthie to be destroyed by such thinges.

10   But neither the teeth of venemous dragons ouercame thy children: for thy mercie coming healed them.

11   For in memorie of thy wordes they were examined, & were quickly saued, lest falling into deepe obliuion, they might not vse thy helpe.

12   For neither herbe, nor playster healed them, but thy word, ô Lord, which healeth al thinges.

13   For it is thou, ô Lord, that hast powre of life and death, and bringest downe to

the gates of death, and fetchest agayne:

14   but man certes killeth by malice, and when the spirit is gone forth, it shal not returne, neither shal he cal backe the soule that is receiued:

15   but it is vnpossible to escape thy hand.

16   For the impious denying to knowe thee, haue bene scourged by the strength of thine arme, suffering persecution by strange waters, and haile, and rayne, and consumed by fyre.

17   For that which was meruelous in water, which extinquisheth al thinges, ^note fyre more preuayled: for the world is reuenger of the iust.

18   For a certayne time, the fyre was mitigated, that ^note the beasts which were sent to the impious might not be burnt, but that they seing might know that by Gods iudgement they suffer punishment.

19   And at a certaine time the fyre aboue his powre burnt ^note in water on euerie side, that it might destroy the nation of a wicked land.

20   For the which thinges thou didst nourish thy people with the meate of Angels, and bread prepared thou gauest them from heauen without labour, ^note hauing in it al delectation, and the sweetnes of al taste.

21   For thy substance did shew thy sweetnes which thou hast toward thy children, and seruing euerie mans wil, it was turned to that, that euerie man would.

22   Yea snow and yce susteyned the force of fyre, and melted not: that they might know that fyre burning in hayle, and lightening in rayne destroyed the fruites of the enemies.

23   And this againe, that the iust might be nourished, it forgat also his owne strength.

24   For the creature seruing thee the Creatour, is fierce into torment against the vniust: and is made more gentle to doe good for them, that trust in thee.

25   For this cause euen then being transformed into al thinges they serued thy grace the nource of al, at their wil that desired thee:

26   that thy children might know, whom thou louedst ô Lord, that not the fruites of natiuitie doe feede men, but thy word preserueth them, that beleue in thee.

27   For that which could not be destroyed by fyre, forthwith being ^note heated with a litle beame of the sunne did melt:

28   that it might be knowen to al men, that we ought to preuent the sunne to blesse thee, and at the rysing of light to adore thee.

29   For the ^note fayth of the vngratful shal melt as winter yce, & shal perish as vnprofitable water. Chap. XVII. ^note Horrible darkenes falling in Ægypt. 19. the rest of the world had ordinarie light.

1   For thy iudgements ô Lord are great, & thy wordes inexplicable, for this cause the soules lacking discipline haue erred.

2   For whiles the wicked are perswaded that they can rule ouer the holie nation: fettered with the bands of darknes, and ^note long night, shut vp vnder roofes, they haue lyen fugitiues from the euerlasting prouidence.

3   And whiles they thincke that they lie hid in obscure sinnes, they were dispersed by the darke couert of obliuion, being horribly afrayd and disturbed with exceding admiration.

4   For neither did the denne that conteyned them, keepe them without feare: because the sound coming downe trubled them, and sorowful visions appearing to them, put them in feare.

5   And no force certes of the fyre could geue them light, neither could the clere flames of the starres lighten that horrible night.

6   But there appeared to them soden fyre, ful of feare: and being stroken with the feare of that face, which was not sene, they estemed the thinges that were sene to be worse:

7   and there were added derisions of the magical art, and contumelicus rebuke of the glorie of their wisdom.

8   For they which promised that they would expel feares and perturbations from the languishing soule, these with derision languished ful of feare.

9   For although none of the monsters disturbed them: being moued with the passing by of beasts, and hissing of serpents, they perished trembling: and denying that they saw the ayre, which by no meanes any man could avoyde.

10   For wheras wickednes is fearful, it geueth testimonie of condemnation: for ^note a trubled conscience doth alwayes presume cruel thinges.

11   For feare is nothing els but a bewraying of the aydes of cogitation.

12   And whiles inwardly there is lesse expectation, the greater doth he count the ignorance of that cause which maketh the torment.

13   But they that during the night in deede impotent, and coming vpon them from the lowest and highest hel, slept the same sleepe,

14   were sometime molested with the feare of monsters, sometime fayled by passing away of the soule: for soden feare and vnlooked for came vpon them.

15   Moreouer if any of them had fallen downe, he was kept shut vp in prison without yron.

16   For if one were a husbandman, or if a shepheard, or worker of the labours in the filde were sodenly taken, he susteyned necessitie ineuitable.

17   For with one chayne of darkenes they were al tyed together. Whether it were the hissing winde, or among

the thicke boughes of trees the sweete sound of birdes, or the force of water running downward exceedingly,

18   or the mightie sound of rockes tumbled headlong, or the running of playing beasts, that were not sene, or the mightie noyse of roaring beastes, or an Echo resounding from the highest mountaynes: they made them swoone for feare.

19   For ^note al the world was illuminated with a cleare light, & none was hindered in their workes.

20   But ouer them onlie was layd an heauie night, the image of darkenes, which was to come vpon them. They therfore were vnto themselues more heauie then the darknes. Chap. XVIII. ^note In the Ægyptian darknes, the Israelites saw clerly, and were not sene of their enimies. 5. For the Ægyptians crueltie against the Hebrewes infants, al their owne first borne were slaine, and their whole armie drowned in the redsea. 20. But fire deuouring the rebellions in Chores schisme, was quenched by Aarons intercession.

1   Bvt to thy ^note saincts there was very great light, and their voyce in deede they heard, but figure they saw not. And because themselues also did not suffer by the same thinges, they magnified thee:

2   and they that before had bene hurt, because they were not hurt, gaue thankes: and that there might be a difference, they asked a gift.

3   For the which cause they had a burning pillar of fyre for a guide of the vnknowen way, and thou gauest them the sunne without hurt of a good harbour.

4   They in deede worthie to lacke light, and to suffer the prison of darkenes, which kept thy children shut vp, by whom the vncorrupt light of the law began to be geuen to the world.

5   When they decreed to kil the infantes of the iust: and ^note one child being layd forth, and deliuered, thou to the reprouing of them, didst take away a multitude of children, and destroyedst them together in the mightie water.

6   For that night was knowen before of our fathers, that they knowing in deede what othes they had credited, might be of better comfort.

7   And by thy people in deede the health of the iust, was receiued, but destruction by the vniust.

8   For as thou didst hurt the aduersaries: so vs also thou didst magnifie, prouoking vs.

9   For the iust children of the good sacrificed secretly, and disposed the law of iustice in concorde: that the iust should receiue both good & euil alike, singing now the prayses of the fathers.

10   But there sounded a

disagreing voyce of the enemies, and a lamentable moorning was heard for the bewayled infants.

11   And the seruant with the master was afflicted with like punishment, and a man of the vulgar sort suffered the like thinges to the king.

12   Al therfore alike by one name of death had dead ones innumerable. For neitheir did the liuing suffice to burie them: because in one moment, that which was the nobler nation of them, was destroyed.

13   For concerning al thinges being incredulous because of the inchantments, but then first when there was destruction of the first begotten, they promised to be the people of God.

14    ^noteFor when quiet silence conteyned al thinges, and the night was in the midde way of her course,

15   thy omnipent word salying out of heauen from the royal seates, lighted as a seuere conquerour vpon the middes of the land of destruction,

16   a sharpe sword carying thy vnfeyned commandment, and standing filled al with death, and reached euen to heauen standing on the earth.

17   Then incontinent the visions of naughtie dreames trubled them, and feares vnlooked for came vpon them.

18   And one here an other there, cast forth halfe aliue, shewed for what cause of death he died.

19   For the visions, that trubled them, forewarned these thinges, that they might not perish as ignorant why they suffered euils.

20   But then ^note there touched the iust also a tentation of death, and a disturbance of the multitude was made in the wildernes: but thy wrath did not long continew.

21   For a man without blame hasting to pray for the people, bringing forth the shilde of his ministerie prayer, and by incense alleaging supplication, resisted the wrath, and made an end of the necessitie, shewing that he is thy seruant.

22   And he ouercame the multitudes, not in strength of bodie, nor with might of armour, but with a word subdewed he him, that vexed him, rehearsing the oathes of the parents, and the testament.

23   For when they were now fallen dead by heapes one vpon an other, he stood betwen, and cut of the violence, and seperated that way which leadeth to the liuing.

24   For in the vesture downe to the foote, which he had, was al the world: and the glorious thinges of the fathers were grauen in the foure iewels of stones & thy magnificence was written in the diademe of his head.

25   And to these he that destroyed gaue place, & these did he feare: for the proofe onlie of wrath was sufficient.

Chap. XIX. ^note Ægyptians persecuting the Hebrewes were drowned, 10. hauing bene plagued before with flies, and frogges. 11. Quailes were geuen to the people of Israel. 13. The barbarous not receiuing, or euil intreating Gods people, were strooken with blindnes. 17. And al creatures serue God in punishing the impious, and rewarding the godlie.

1   Bvt vpon the impious euen to the later end there came wrath without mercie. For ^note he foreknew also the thinges that should come vnto them:

2   because when they had permitted that they should depart, and had sent them away with great diligence, they repenting pursued them.

3   For hauing as yet moorning betwen their hands, and lamenting at the graues of the dead, they tooke to themselues an other cogitation of follie: and whom by intreating they had cast forth, them they pursued as fugitiues:

4   for worthie necessitie brought them to this end: and they lost the remembrance of those thinges, which had chanced, that punishment might fulfil the thinges that wanted to the torments:

5   and that thy people certes might passe through meruelously, but they might finde a new death.

6   For euerie creature according to his kind was fashioned agayne from the begyning, seruing thy precepts, that thy children might be kept without hurt.

7   For a clowde ouer shadowed their campe, and out of the water which was before, there appeared drie land, and in the redsea a way without impediment, and of the great depth a springing filde:

8   through the which al the nation passed, which was protected with thy hand, seing thy meruelous thinges and wonders.

9   For euen as horses they fed on meate, and as lambes they reioyced, magnifying thee ô Lord, which didst deliuer them.

10   For they were mindful of those thinges, which had bene done in their seiourning, how for the nation of beasts the earth brought forth flies, and for fishes the riuer yelded a multitude of frogges.

11   And last of al they saw a new creature of birdes, when allured by concupiscence they desired meates of deliciousnes.

12   For in comfort of their desire, there came vp to them the quaile from the sea: and vexations came vpon the sinners, not without those arguments, which were made before by the force of lightninges: for they suffered iustly occording to their wickednes.

13   For they instituted a more detestable inhospitalitie: ^note some certes receiued not the vnknowen strangers, and other some brought the good strangers into seruitude.

14   And not onlie these thinges, but in deede there was an other respect also of them: for they against their wil receiued the strangers.

15   But they that receiued them with gladnes, did afflict them with most cruel sorowes, that vsed the same rightes:

16   but they were striken with blindnes: as they in the dores of the iust, when they were couered with sodaine darkenes, euerie man sought the passage of his doore.

17   For whiles the ^note elements are turned in themselues, as in an instrument the sound of the qualitie is changed, and al keepe their sound: wherfore it may be certainly iudged by the very sight.

18   For the thinges of the fild were turned into thinges of the water: and what soeuer were swimming thinges passed into the land.

19   The fyre had force in water aboue his powre, and the water forgot her quenching nature.

20   On the contrarie the flames vexed not the flesh of corruptible beasts walking therewith, neither did they melt that good meate, which was easely dissolued euen as yce. For in al thinges thou didst magnifie thy people ô Lord, and didst honour them, and didst nor despise them, at al time, and in euerie place assisting them.

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