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0 After that the ten tribes had fallen away from God by the wicked and subtil counsel of Jeroboam the sonne of Nebat, and in stede of his true seruice commanded by his worde worshipped him according to their owne fantasies and traditions of men, giuing them selues to moste vile idolatrie and superstition, the Lord from time to time sent them Prophetes to call them to repentance: but they grewe euer wrose and worse, and stil abused Gods benefites. Therefore now when their prosperitie was at the highest vnder Jeroboam the sonne of Joash, God sent Hosea and Amost to the Israelites (as he did at the same time Isaiah and Micah to them of Judah) to dondemne them of their ingratitude: and where as they thoght them selues to be greatly in the fauour of God, and to be his people, the Prophet calleth them bastards and children borne in adulterie: and therefore sheweth them that God wolde take away their kingdome, and giue them to the Assyrians to be led away captiues. Thus Hosea faithfully executed his office for the space of seuentie yeres, thogh they remained stil in their vices & wickednes, & derided the Prophetes, & contemned Gods judgements. And because they shulde nether by discourage with threatenings onely, nor yet flatter them selues by the swetenes of Gods promises, he setteth before them the two principal partes of the Law, which are the promes of saluation, and the doctrine of life: for the first parte he directeth the faithful to Messiah, by whome onely they shulde haue true deliuerance: and for the seconde, he vseth threatnings and menaces to bring them from their wicked maners and vices, & this is the chief scope of all the Prophetes, ether by Gods promisesto allure them to be godlie, els by threatnings of his judgements to feare them from vice: & albeit that the whole Law conteine these two pointes, yet the Prophetes more ouer note peculiarly bothe the time of Gods judgements and the maner.