The prophete Ionas with an introduccion: before teachinge to vnderstonde him and the right vse also of all the scripture/ and why it was written/ and what is therin to be sought/ and shewenge wherewith the scripture is locked vpp that he which readeth it/ can not vnderstonde it/ though he studie therin neuer so moch: and agayne with what keyes it is so opened/ that the reader can be stopped out with no sotilte or false doctrine of man/ from the true sense and vnderstondynge therof. — John Locke — John Shaqi
The prophete Ionas with an introduccion: before teachinge to vnderstonde him and the right vse also of all the scripture/ and why it was written/ and what is therin to be sought/ and shewenge wherewith the scripture is locked vpp that he which readeth it/ can not vnderstonde it/ though he studie therin neuer so moch: and agayne with what keyes it is so opened/ that the reader can be stopped out with no sotilte or false doctrine of man/ from the true sense and vnderstondynge therof.
John Locke · en
¶ When Ionas had bene in te fishes bely a space & the rage of his
conscience was somewhat quieted ād swaged and he come to him selfe
agayne and had receaued a lytle hope/ the qualmes & panges of desperaciō
which went ouer hys hert/ halfe ouercome/ he prayed/ as he maketh
menciō in the texte sayēge: Ionas prayed vn to the lord his god out of
the bely of the fishe. But the wordes of that prayer are not here sett.
The prayer [that] here stondeth in the texte/ is the prayer of prayse &
thākesgeuēge which he prayed and wrote when he was escaped and past all
ieopardie.
¶ In the end of which prayer he sayth/ I will sacrifice with the voyce
of thankesgeuenge and paye that I haue vowed/ that sauinge cometh of the
lorde. For verely to cōfesse out of the herte/ that all benefites come
of God/ euen out of the goodnesse of his mercie and not deseruinge of
oure dedes/ is the only sacrifice that pleaseth God. And to beleue that
god only is the sauer/ is the thynge that all the Iewes vowed in theyr
circumcision/ as we in oure baptim. Which vowe Ionas now tawght with
experiēce/ promiseth to paye. For those outwarde sacrifices of bestes/
vn to which Ionas had haply asscribed to moch before/ were but feble &
childish thinges & not ordeyned/ that the workes of thē selues shuld be
a seruice vn to god/ but vn to the people/ to put thē in remembraunce
of this inwarde sacrifice of thankes & of faith to trust and beleue in
God the only sauer. Which significacion when was awaye/ they were
abhominable and deuellysh ydolatrye and imageseruice: as oure ceremonies
and sacramentes are become now to all that trust & beleue in the werke
of them and ar not taught the significacions/ to edifye theyr soules
with knowlege and the doctrine of God.
¶ When Ionas was cast vppō lond agayne/ then his will was fre ād had
power to goo whother God sent him & to doo what God bade/ his awne
imaginacions layed a parte. For he had bene at a new scole/ ye ād in a
fornace where he was purged of moch refuse & droshe of fleshly wisdome/
which resisted [the] wisdome of god & led Ionases wil cōtrary vn to
[the] will of god. For as ferre as we be blynd in Adam/ we can not but
seke & will oure awne profitt/ pleasure & glorie. And as ferre as we be
taughte in the sprite/ we can not but seke & wyll the pleasure and
glorie of God only.
¶ And as for the .iij. dayes iourney of Niniue/ whether it were in
length or to goo rounde aboute it or thorow all the stretes/ I cōmitte
vn to the discreciō of other men. But I thinke that it was then the
greatest citie of the world.
¶ And that Ionas wēt a dayes iourney in the citie/ I suppose he did it
not in one daye: but wēt fayre & easyly preachīge here a sermon & there
a nother & rebuked the synne of the people for which they must perishe.