John Trapp on Hosea 4:7

Verſ. 7. As they were increaſed] ſc. in number, wealth and honour. Their proſperity undid them, they flouriſhed at this time in Court and Country, they waxed fat and kicked. The Prieſts are here accuſed of deteſtable ingratitude, and of unſufferable pride and inſolency.

As they were multiplyed or magnified, they have ſinned againſt me] that is, they have abuſed my gifts to my great diſhonour. Like fed hawkes, they have forgot their maſter. Nay, like yong mules, which when they have ſucked, turn up their heels and kick their dam: ſo did theſe haughty and haunty Prieſts.Pſal. 17.10. Pſal. 119.70. Their hearts were fat as greaſe, they were incloſed in their own fat, but they delighted not in Gods Law. Cum ipſis opibus laſcivire coepit Eccleſia. ſaith Platina. The Church began to be rich and wanton at once, rich and riotous. They had golden chalices but wooden Prieſts, Repugnante contra teipſum felicitate tuâ, as Salvian ſaith to the Church in his time: thy proſperity is thy bane. What would he have ſaid if he had ſeen the Pope in his Princely State, thundering from his Capitoll, and heard their big-ſwoln titles of Padre benedicto, Padre Angelo, Archangelo, Cherubino Seraphino &c. Spec. Europ. Ammianus Marcellinus a heathen hiſtorian inveiged againſt the Biſhops of Rome, even in thoſe purer times, for their pride and luxury. Odi faſtum illius eccleſiae ſaith Baſil, I hate the haughtineſſe of that Weſtern Church. It cauſed the lamentable ſeparation of the Greek Church from the Latine: the other four Patriarches (not without the like pride and ſtomack) dividing themſelves from the Biſhop of Rome, and at their parting uſing theſe or the like words. Thy greatneſſe we know, thy covetouſneſſe we cannot ſatisfie, thy encroaching we can no longer abide: live to thy ſelf. And yet if they could have held them there, and ſhunned thoſe evils which they blamed in others (walking humbly with God, and committing themſelves to him in well-doing) they might have flouriſhed to this day. But wrangling away the truth, and contracting ruſt with long eaſe and proſperity, God was forced to ſcour off that their ruſt with bloody War by the Turks. Of whom theſe Churches being in fear and danger, fled to carnall combinations: ſent and ſubjected themſelves to the Biſhop of Rome that they might have his help. But all in vain: for ſhortly after, they were deſtroyed, and loſt all. God covered them with confuſion, and turned their glory into ſhame. So he hath done the Roman glory in part, and will do more every day.Parei Medull[illegible: 1 letter]

Roma diu titubans varijs erroribus acta. Corruet: et mundi deſinet iſte caput.

God will caſt dirt in the faces of proud prelates,Iſa. 23.9. be will ſtain the pride of all glory caſt upon them with ignominy, reproach Prov. 18.3. cruſh their crown with a woe, Eſay 28.1. change their glory (their dignitie and greatneſſe wherein they gloried) into ſhame, not without much bitterneſſe in the change, as the Hebrew word here uſed ſeemeth to import. Miſerum enim eſt, fuiſſe felicem. [non-Latin text not transcribed]