Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, Because thou hast sent letters in thy name unto all the people that [are] at Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, and to all the priests, saying,
Ver. 25. Because thou hast sent letters in thy name.] Such as Sadoletus, a Popish bishop, sent to Geneva in Calvin's absence, to bring them back again to the obedience of the see of Rome; and as we have many from the Romish factors sent hither, to the seducing of not a few, a subtle and shrewd way of deceiving the simple.
And to Zephaniah.] The second under the high priest Seraiah, and successor likely to that Pashur Jer 20:1 who was deposed for some misdemeanour, like as Dr Weston was here in Queen Mary's days, put by all his Church dignities for being taken in bed with a harlot. a Of this Zephaniah, see 2 Kings 25:18, his office was to judge of prophecies, and to punish such as he found to be false prophets.
And to all the priests.] Who were much too forward of themselves to bandy against God's true prophets, Jer 26:8 and did as little need by letter to be excited thereunto, as Bishop Bonner did to be stirred up to persecute Protestants; and yet to him were letters sent from King Philip and Queen Mary, complaining that heretics were not so reformed as they should be, and exhorting him to more diligence, b &c.
a Acts and Mon.
b Clarke's Martyrol., 136.