John Trapp on Hosea 4:5

Verſe 5. Therefore ſhalt thou fall] how could they do otherwiſe that were a nation ſo incorrigibly flagitious, ſo unthankfull for mercies, ſo impatient of remedies, ſo uncapable of repentance, ſo obliged, ſo warned, ſo ſhameleſly, ſo lawleſly wicked?

therefore ſhalt thou fall in the day] vivens videnſ que peribis thou ſhalt ſtumble at noon day, becauſe there is no knowledge of God in the land: but thou haſt loved darkneſſe rather then light, therefore ſhalt thou have enough of it: thy feet ſhall ſtumble upon the dark mountaines Jer. 13.16. yea thou ſhalt ſtumble and fall and never riſe againe, which is threatned expreſsly to theſe ſwearers Am. 8.14 & implied in the Hebrew word here uſed. Such was Elies fall off his ſtoole, & Hamans fall before Mordecai the Jew Eſth. 6.13. Impenitent perſons are brats of fathomleſſe perdition, they are ripe for ruine, ſhall fall into remedileſs miſery, and (though never ſo inſolent and angry againſt thoſe that deale plainely and faithfully with them as in the former verſe, yet) they ſhall never want an Hoſea to tell them ſo to their teeth: that thoſe that will not bend may break, that if they will needs fall they may fall with open eyes, and not have cauſe to ſay that they were not fore-warned. And this ſhall be done to day [non-Latin text not transcribed] that is, very ſhortly, in this preſent age (ſo ſome interpret it (aut certe clariſſima luce, ſaith Mercer, or elſe in the open light, and in the view of all men, not in huggermugger. Tremellius thinks it is as much as rebus adhuc integris ſubitò opprimentur, Thou ſhalt be ſuddenly ſurpriſed when thou art in thy flouriſh, and feareſt no changes. What can be more faire and flouriſhing then the field a day before harveſt? then the vineyard a day before the vintage? certiſſimè citiſſimé que corrues. Every wicked man may apply it: wherefore alſo it is delivered in the ſecond perſon ſingular, Thou even thou: to thee be it ſpoken.

and the Prophet alſo ſhall fall with thee in the night] The Chaldee hath it, as in the night, if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, becauſe there is no light in him, John 11.10. The falſe Prophet cannot lay his hand upon his breſt and ſay as dying Oecolampadius did.Melch. Adam. Hic ſat lucis Here's ſtore of light. Such are wofully benighted ſhall be utterly darkened Zech. 11.17. yet more may look to be, for their right eye (being blind leaders of the blind) yea the night ſhall be upon them and it ſhall be dark unto them: the ſun ſhall go down over their heads &c. Mic. 3.6. and when they fall together with thoſe ſeduced ſoules into the ditch of deſtruction, themſelves ſhall fall undermoſt Mat. 15.17. and receive the deeper damnation Mat. 23.14. If others ſhall be damned, they muſt look to be double damned, as Dives feared to be, if ever his brethren (by his example) came to that place of torment. Mercers note here is very good Nocte caſuros dicit &c. He ſaith they ſhall fall in the night as ſignifying by an allegory, that when calamity ſhall lay hold upon theſe falſe Prophets, they ſhall alſo be pricked in their conſciences, which ſhall tell them that ventris cauſa for their bellyes ſake, and other baſe reſpects, they have brought upon the ſeduced people ſo great miſchiefs. This ſhall be as a dagger at their hearts: and ſhall fill their conſciences with horrour and diſtreſs.

and I will deſtroy thy mother] i. e. the whole ſynagogue, yea the whole Church and ſtate, the Vniverſity of the Iſraelites: ſo that their nation and name ſhould periſh together. Is it not ſo with the ten tribes? who can tell at this day where to find them or whence to expect them? whether from China, as ſome think and alledge Iſay. 49.12. Or from Tartary, as others who ſay that Tartar, (alias Tatari or Totari) comes from [non-Latin text not transcribed] Tothar a Reſidue or remnant.Breerw. Enquir. pag. 94. This is no other then a vaine and capricious fancy ſaith learned Brierwood &c. Is it not altogether unlikely that the Lord in this threat might allude to that law Deut. 22.6. Thou ſhalt not take the damme (Heb. the mother) with the young: But I that am above law, ſaith God, will cut off dam and young together in the neſt, I will utterly cut off the whole nation This was fulfilled 2 King. 17. and our Prophet lived to ſee it, to his great heart-break. Oh that we could be warned &c. Let holy mother church of Rome (as they call her) look to it, with her doctrine of Infallibility. Theſe Iſraelites gloried as much of their Mother, [non-Latin text not transcribed] Rev. 17. and thought (as Dionyſius did of his kingdome) that the Church had been tied to their nation with chaines of Adamant: but their mother is here threatned to be cut off: and of the ſea of Rome it is long ſince foretold, Babylon is fallen, is fallen &c. It is a queſton among Divines whether the Church can faile? It is anſwered, that the Catholike inviſible Church cannot: but any particular and viſible Church may, as this of Iſrael; and that of Rome, which hath long ſince caſt off Chriſt, and the publike exerciſe of true religion: and is become ex aurea, argentea, ex argentea ferrea, ex ferrea terrea: ſupereſt jam ut in ſtercus abeat ſaid one of her own ſons an duguſline friar Anno. Ren. de vit. Pontif. 1414. and many others of their own writers ſay the ſame neceſſariò potius quàm libenter, as wreſted from them by the truth, rather then of any itching humour to diſgrace their mother by uncovering her nakedneſſe.