John Trapp on Amos 7:10

Verſe 10. Then Amaziah the Prieſt of Beth-el] Obſerving that the prophet had foretold a deſolation, and not prayed as before that it might be averted: becauſe he ſaw God was fully reſolved, and their deſtruction determined.

Amos hath conſpired againſt thee in the land] Thus Eliah was the Troubler of Iſrael, Jeremy a feedſman of ſedition, Chriſt an enemy to Caeſar, Luther a trumpet of rebellion, all Contra-remonſtrants, antimagiſtraticall. As Athaliah cryed Treaſon, Treaſon, when her ſelf was the greateſt traytour: and as in Nero's dayes Sedition was unicum crimen corum qui crimine vacabunt, Lipſiu[illegible: 1 letter]. laid ordinarily to the charge of thoſe that were moſt free from it, ſo was it here. Amos bath conſpired &c. whereas Amos might well have ſaid as Latimer did, 3 Serm. bef. K. Ed. 6. As for ſedition, for ought that I know, methinks I ſhould not need Chriſt, if I might ſo ſay. Religion is an utter enemy to rebellion: and as there are few conſcionable Chriſtians, (Prophets eſpecially) that have not paſſed under this calumniation: ſo he cannot be rightly eſteemed ſuch an one, that deſerveth it. But Amazia's honour and incomes were now at ſtake: as he well perceived when he heard Amos ſay, Go not up to Bethe-el &c. the high-places of Iſaac ſhall be deſtroyed: and hence, his zeale againſt the Prophet, like as Eraſmus told the Electour of Saxony, that the Pope and his ſhavelings were therefore ſo ſharp ſet againſt Luther, becauſe he lifted at the triple crown; and ſought to bring down the monks fat paunches.

the land is not able to beare all his words] his burdenſome propheſies (See Mal. 1.1. with the Note) much leſſe can I endure them, or any faithfull ſervant of thine, true to his truſt. Such a lying accuſation we read of Eſth. 3.8. made by haughty Haman againſt the innocent Jewes, that they kept not the kings lawes, and that therefore it were good policy to weed them out, as not to be longer endured. So Francis King of France, deſiring to excuſe to the Proteſtant-Princes of Germany his cruell perſecution of the Lutherans in his Kingdome, wrot to them that he looked upon them all as Anabaptiſts, and as enemies to civil government: and therefore uſed ſuch ſeverity againſt them. This gave occaſion to Calvin to write his admirable Inſtitutions, to vindicate our religion from that ſoule aſperſion:Saultet. Annal. 454. the like diveliſh policy was afterwards uſed to blanch over that horrid French maſſacre. For it was given out, that the Proteſtants had conſpired againſt the King, the Queen-mother, the kings brethren, the king of Navarre, and the Princes of the blood. There was alſo coyne ſtamped in memory of the matter, in the forepart whereof with the kings picture was this inſcription, Virtus in rebelles: Cambd. Eliſab. 163. and on the other ſide, Pietas excitavit juſtitiam: Piety hath ſtirred up juſtice. Here was a faire glove drawn upon a foule hand: and this they learned of the devill, who was firſt a ſlanderer and then a murtherer: as thoſe that have a mind to kill another mans dog, make the world beleeve he was mad firſt, that they may do it with the better pretext.