and serue him with a perfect and verie true hart and take away the goddes which your fathers serued in Mesopotamia and in Aegypt and serue our Lord. â But if it like you not to serue our Lord choise is geuen you choose this day that which pleaseth you whom you ought especially to serue whether the goddes which your fathers serued in Mesopotamia or the goddes of the Amorrheites in whose Land you dwel but I and my house wil serue our Lord. â And the people answered and said God forbid we should leaue our Lord and serue strange goddes â Our Lord God he brought vs and our fathers out of the Land of Aegypt out of the house of seruitude and did in our sight great signes and kept vs in al the way by the which we walked and among al the peoples through which we passed â And he hath cast out al the nations the Amorrheite inhabiter of the Land which we haue entred We therfore wil serue our Lord because he is our God â And Iosue said to the people You can not serue our Lord for God is holie and a mightie aemulator neither wil he pardon your wickednes and sinnes â If you leaue our Lord and serue strange goddes he wil turne him self and wil afflict you and ouerthrow you after he hath geuen you good thinges â And the people said to Iosue No it shal not be so as thou speakest but we wil serue our Lord. â And Iosue said to the people You are witnesses that your selues haue chosen to you our Lord for to serue him And they answered Witnesses â Now therfore quoth he take away strange goddes our of the middes of you and incline your hartes to our Lord the God of Israel â And the people said to Iosue We wil serue our Lord God and wil be obedient to his preceptes â Iosue therfore in that day made a couenant and proposed to the people preceptes and iudgementes in Sichem â He wrote also al these wordes in the volume of the law of our Lord and he tooke a very great stone and put it vnder the oke that was in the Sanctuarie of our Lord â and said to al the people Behold this stone shal be a testimonie for you that it hath heard al the wordes of our Lord which he hath spoken to you lest perhaps hereafter you wil denie and lye to our Lord your God â And he dismist the people euerie one into their possession â And after these thinges Iosue the sonne of Nun the seruant of our Lord died being a hundred and ten yeares old â and â they buried him in the coastes of his possession in Thamnathsare which is situated in the mountaine of Ephraim on the North part of mount Gaas â And Israel serued our Lord al the daies of Iosue and of the ancientes that liued a long time after Iosue and that had knowen al the workes of our Lord which he had done in Israel â The bones also of Ioseph which the children of Israel had taken out of Aegypt they buried in Sichem in part of the field which Iacob had bought of the sonnes of Hemor the father of Sichem for a hundred yong ewes and it was in the possession of the sonnes of Ioseph â Eleazar also the sonne of Aaron died and they buried him in Gabaath of Phinees his sonne which was geuen him in mount Ephraim ANNOTATIONS CHAP. XXIIII 2. They serued false goddes It is euident by this place that Thare and some other progenitors of Israel sometimes serued false goddes from which they were reduced but Abraham was euer preserued in true religion and the whole familie of Thare was therfore persecuted in Chaldea as S. Augustin sheweth li. 16. c. 13. de ciuit Likwise Theodoret q. 18. in Iosue and other both ancient and late writers teach the same as is already noted pag. 203. 30. They buried In that no mention is made of mourning for Iosue S. Hierom noteth a mysterie and a special point of Chistian doctrin It semeth to me saieth he Epist de 42. Maus mans 33. that in Marie prophecie is dead in Moyses and Aaron an end is put to the law and priesthood of the Iewes For so much as they could neither passe into the land of promise nor bring the beleuing people out of the wildernes of this world And Mans 34. Aaron sayeth he was mourned and so was Moyses Iesus is not mourned that is in the law was descentinto hel called limbus in the Gospel is passage to paradise THE ARGVMENT OF THE BOOKE OF IVDGES SAINCT Hierom geuing this general rule Epist ad Eustoch virg that in reading historical bookes of holie Scripture the historie as fundation of veritie is to be loued but the spiritual vnderstanding rather to be folowed agreably therto teacheth Epist ad Paulin. that in this booke of Iudges there be as manie figures as princes of the people Neither doth he meane that there were no more but for example sake affirmeth that these Iudges raised vp after Iosue and sent of God to deliuer the people fallen for their sinnes into afflictions were types and figures of the Apostles and Apostolical men sent by Christ to propagate and defend his Church of the new Testament For albeit diuers of these Iudges were sometimes great offenders yet they were reclamed by Gods special grace and so amending their errors did great thinges to the singular honour of God and are renowmed among the holie Patriarces and Prophetes particularly praysed in bolie Scipture saying And the Iudges euerie one by his name whose hart was not corrupt Who were not auerted from our Lord that their memorie may be blessed and their bones spring out from their place and their name remaine for euer the glorie of holie men remaining to their children After Iosue therfore who it semeth guided and ruled the people 32. yeares this booke written as is most probable by Samuel shewing the famouse Actes of these Iudges of Israel prosecuteth the historie of the Church the space of 288. yeares more And may be diuided into three partes First is described in general the state of the people sometimes wel and sincerly seruing God other times falling to great sinnes in the two first chapters Secondly their offences afflictions repentance and deliuerie from their enemies are more particularly reported from the third chap. to the 17. Thirdly other special accidents which happened within the same time are recorded in the last fiue chapters THE BOOKE OF IVDGES IN HEBREW SOPHETIM CHAP. I. Vnder a general captaine of the tribe of Iuda assisted by the tribe of Simeon Israel subdueth diuers cities of the gentiles 12. Othoniel taking Cariath sepher possesseth it and marieth Calebs daughter obtainig also addition of her dowrie 21. Iebuseites yet dwel in Hierusalem with Beniamin 27. and the Chananeites with diuers of the tribes AFTER the death of Iosue the children of Israel consulted
punishing oftenders in that behalfe 3. Reg. 15. 4. Reg. 18. 23. they did the same without preiudice of the High Priestes supremâcie in spirituall causes and their godlie actes make nothing for the English Paradox of Laiheadshippe For superior authoritie and ordinarie povvre is not proued by factes good or euil but rather by Gods ordinance and institution For as the factes of vsurpers make no lawfull prescription so neither the factes of good men do change Gods general ordinance and law But are done either by waie of execution or sometimes by dispensation Often also by commission and special inspiration of God As king Dauid by dispensation did eate the holie bread which was ordained for Priests onlie 1. Reg 21. He disposed of Priestes and Leuites offices about the Arke of God Par. 15. 19. by way of execution according to the law And of the like offices in the Temple when it should be built 1. Par. 23. 24. 25. 26. by diuine inspiration And Salomon by commission from God deposed Abiathar the High Priest from his office and put Sadoc in his place 3. Reg. 2. VVherefore albeit good kinges did excellentlie well in calling together the Priestes and disposing them in their offices for execution of Gods seruice yea in commanding what they should do 4. Reg. 18. 19. 22. and in punishing Priestes 4. Reg. 23. yet they did such thinges as Gods Commissioners not as ordinarie Superiors in spiritual causes and still the ordinarie subordination made by the law Deut. 17. Num. 27. stood firme and inuiolable the High Priest supreme Iudge of all doubtes in faith causes and quarels in religion when other subordinate inferior Iudges varied in their iudgmentes Of which offices Malachias the Propher cap. 2. admonished Priestes in his time that whereas they were negligent not performing their dutie their sinne was the greater for that their authoritie stil remained and the perpetual Rule of the lavv that the lippes of the Priest shal kepe knowlege and they other men generally shal require the law of his mouth because he is the Angel of the Lord of hostes And al Princes others were to receiue the law at the priestes haÌd of the Leuitical Tribe This vvas the vvarrant of stabilitie in truth of the Synagogue in the old Testament Much more the Church and Spouse of Christ vvhose excellencie and singular priuileges Salomon describeth in his canticle of canticles hath such vvarrant Of this spouse al the Prophets write that more plaânlie then of Christ himselfe forseing more aduersaries bending their forces against her as S. Augustine obserueth then against Christ her head And the same holie father in manie places teacheth that she neither perisheth nor loseth her beutie for the mixture of euil members in respect of whom she is blacke but fayre in respect of the good Cantiâ 1. Notwithstanding therfore sinners remaining within the Church schismatikes and heretickes breaking from the Church stil she remaineth the pillar and firmament of truth the virgin daughter of Sion THE ARGVMENT OF THE BOOKES OF ESDRAS ESDRAS a holie Priest and Scribe of the stocke of Aaron by the line of Eleazar vvriteth the historie of Gods people in and presently after their captiuitie in Babilon vvhich Nehemias an other godlie Priest prosecuteth vvhose booke is also called the second of Esdras because in the Hebrevv and Greke they are but one booke relating the acts of them both The other two books called the third and fourth of Esdras touching the same matter are not in the Hebrew nor receiued into the Canon of holie Scripture though the Greke Church hold the third booke as Canonicall and plaâeth it first because it conteyneth thinges donne before the other In the two here folowing vvhich are vndoubtedly holie Scripture S. Ierom sayth that Esdras and Nehemias to witte the Helper and Comforter from God restored the Temple and built the walles of the citie adding that al the troope of the people returning into their countrie also the description of Priestes Leuites Israelites Proselites and the workes of walles and to wres diuided by seueral families aliud in cortice praeferunt aliud in medulla retinent shew one thing in the barke kepe an other thing in the marrow signifying that this historie hath both a literal and a mystical sense According to the letter this first booke shevveth the reduction of Gods people from Babylon In the first six chapters In the other soure their instruction by Esdras after their returne THE FIRST BOOKE OF ESDRAS CHAP. I. Cyrus king of Persia moued by divine inspiration releaseth Gods people from captiuitie with license to returne and build the Temple in Ierusalem 7. restoring the holie vessel which Nabuchodonesor had taken from thence IN THE first yeare of Cyrus king of the Persians that the word of our Lord by the mouth of Ieremie might be accomplishd our Lord raysed vp the spirit of Cyrus king of Persians and he made proclamation in al his kingdom yea by wryting saying â Thus sayth Cyrus king of the Persians Al the kingdomes of the earth hath the Lord the God of heauen geuen me he hath commanded me that I should build him a house in Ierusalem which is in Iewrie â Who is there among you of al his people His God be with him Let him goe vp into Ierusalem which is in Iewrie and build the house of the Lord the God of Israel he is the God that is in Ierusalem â And let al the rest in al places whersoeuer they dwel let euery man of his place helpe him with siluer and gold and substance and cattel besides that which they offer voluntarily to the temple of God which is in Ierusalem â And there rose vp the princes of the fathers of Iuda and Beniamin the Priestes and Leuites and euerie one whose spirit God raysed vp to goe vp to build the temple of our Lord which was in Ierusalem â And al that were round about did helpe their handes in vessels of siluer and of gold in substance and beastes in furniture besides those thinges which they had offered voluntarily â King Cyrus also brought forth the vessels of the temple of our Lord which Nabuchodonosor had taken of Ierusalem and had put them in the temple of his God â But Cyrus the king of Persians brought them forth by the hand of Mithridates the sonne of Gazabar numbred them to Sassabasar the prince of Iuda â And this is the number of them Phials of gold thirtie phials of siluer a thousand kniues twentie nine goblettes of gold thirtie â goblettes of siluer of the second order foure hundred tenne other vessels a thousand â Al the vessels of gold and siluer fiue thousand foure hundred Sassabasar tooke al with them that went vp from the transmigration of Babylon into Ierusalem CHAP. II. The names and number of special men which returned vnder the conduct of Zorobabel into lerusalem 66.
the tabernacle he drew before it the veile to fulfil the commandement of our Lord. â He sette the table also in the tabernacle of testimonie at the north side without the veile â ordering the bread of proposition before it as our Lord had commanded Moyses â He sette the candlesticke also in the tabernacle of testimonie ouer against the table on the south side â placing the lampes in order according to the precept of our Lord. â He set also the altar of gold vnder the roofe of testimonie against the veile â and burned vpon it the incense of spices as our Lord had commanded Moyses â He put also the hanging in the entrie of the tabernacle of testimonie â and the altar of holocauste in the entrie of the testimonie offering on it the holocauste and the sacrifices as our Lord had commanded â The lauer also he set betwen the tabernacle of testimonie and the altar filling it with water â And Moyses and Aaron and his sonnes washed their handes and feete â when they entred the roofe of couenant and went to the altar as our Lord had commanded Moyses â He erected also the court round about the tabernacle and the altar drawing the hanging in the entrie therof After al thinges were perfited â the cloude couered the tabernacle of testimonie and the glorie of our Lord filled it â Neither could Moyses enter the roofe of couenant the cloude couering al thinges and the maiestie of our Lord shining because the cloude had couered al thinges â If at anie time the cloud did leaue the tabernacle the children of Israel went forward by their troupes â If it hong ouer they remained in the same place â For the cloude of our Lord honge ouer the tabernacle by day and a sire by night in the sight of al the children of Israel throughout al their mansions THE ARGVMENT OF LEVITICVS VVHEN the Tabernacle was erected nere to Mount Sinai the first day of the second yeare after the children of Israel parted from Aegypt and was so replenished with Gods Maiestie that none no not Moyses him self could enter in our Lord speaking from thence called Moyses and declared to him the offices of the Leuites whom only and no others he deputed for the administration and charge of sacred things wherof this booke wherin they are written is called Leuiticus In which saith S. Hierom al and euerie Sacrifice yea almost euerie sillable and Aarons vestments and the whole Leuical order breath forth heauenlie sacraments or mysteries For first God here prescribeth what sacrifices he wil haue in what manner and to what purposes Then what partes and qualities he requireth in Priests how they shal be vested and consecrated seuerly punishing some that transgressed with commandment neither to offer in sacrifice nor to eate things reputed vncleane and the maner of purifying such things and persons as by diuers occasions were polluted Interposing also some moral and iudicial precepts appointeth certaine solemne feastes times of rest and Iubilie yeare Finally promiseth rewardes and threatneth puâishments to those that kepe or breake his commandments with particular admonition touching vowes and tithes So this booke may be diuided into fiue special partes The first of diuers sortes of Sacrifices in the seuen first chapters The second of consecrating Priests and their vâstments with punishment for offering strange fire in the three next chapters The third of distinction betwen cleane and vncleane with the maner of purifying certaine legal vncleanes and other precepts moral and iudicial from the 11. chap. to the 23. The fourth of feasts times of rest and Iubilie with priuiledges rewardes and punishments from the 23. chap. to the 27. The fifth of vowes and tithes in the last chapter THE BOOKE LEVITICVS IN HEBREW VAICRA CHAP. I. Diuers rites in offering holocaustes as wel of cattle 14. as of birdes AND OVR LORD called Moyses and spake to him out of the tabernacle of testimony saying â Speake to the children of Israel thou shalt say to them â The man of you that shal offer an hoste to our Lord of beastes that is of oxen sheepe offering victimes â if his oblation be â an holocauste and of the heard he shal offer a male without spotte at the dore of the tabernacle of testimonie to propitiate our Lord vnto him â and he shal put his handes vpon the heade of the hoste and it shal be acceptable and profitable to his expiation â And he shal immolate the calfe before our Lord and the children of Aaron the priestes shal offer the bloud therof powring it in the circuite of the altar which is before the dore of the tabernacle â And the skinne of the hoste being plucked of the ioyntes they shal cut into peeces â and shal put fire vnderneth in the altar hauing before laid a pyle of wood in order â and the ioyntes that are cut out laying in order thereupon to wit the head al thinges that cleane to the liuer â the entralles and feete being washed with water and the priest shal burne them vpon the altar for an holocauste and â sweete sauoure to our Lord. â And if the oblation be of flockes an holocauste of sheepe or of goates a lambe of a yeare old without spot shal he offer â and he shal immolate it at the side of the altar that looketh to the North before our Lord but the bloud therof the sonnes of Aaron shal poure vpon the altar round about â and they shal diuide the ioyntes the head and al that cleane to the lyuer and shal lay them vpon the wood vnder which the fire is to be put â but the entrales and the âeâte they shal wash with water And the whole the priest shal offer and burne vpon the altar for an holocaust and most sweete sauoure to our Lord. â But if the oblation of holocaust to our Lord be of birdes of turtles and young pigions â the priest shal offer it at the altar and writhing the head to the necke and breaking the place of the wound he shal make the bloud to runne downe vpon the brimme of the altar â but the croppe of the throate and the fethers he shal cast nigh to the altar at the east side in the place where the ashes are wount to be powred out â and he shal breake the pinnions therof and shal not cut nor diuide it with a knife and shal burne it vpon the altar putting fire vnder the wood It is an holocaust and oblation of most sweete sauoure to our Lord. ANNOTATIONS CHAP. I. 2. The man that shal offer Sacrifice being the most special external seruice wherby man acknowledgeth the supreme dominion of God and his owne subiection and homage to his diuine Maiestie was so wel knowen to be necessarie as being in most frequent vse in the law of nature and in al nations that here neded not anie new precept in general
builded not houses to inhabite and vineyard and filde and seede we haue not had â but we haue dwelt in tabarnacles and haue bene obedient according to al thinges that Ionadab our father commanded vs. â But when Nabuchodonosor the king of Babylon was come vp to our Land we said Come and let vs goe into Ierusalem from the face of the host of the Chaldees and from the face of the host of Syria and we haue taried in Ierusalem â And the word of our Lord was made to Ieremie saying â Thus saith the Lord of hostes the God of Israel Goe say to the men of Iuda and to the inhabitants of Ierusalem Why wil you not receiue discipline to obey my wordes saith our Lord â The wordes of Ionadab the sonne of Rechab haue preuailed which he commanded his sonnes not to drincke wine and they haue not drunke vntil this day because they haue obeyed the commandment of their father but I haue spoken to you early rysing and speakeing and you haue not obeyed me â And I haue sent to you al my seruants the prophetes rising early and sending and saying Returne ye euerie one from his most wicked way and make your studies good and folow not strange goddes nor worship them and you shal dwel in the land which I gaue you and your fathers and you haue not inclined your eare nor heard me â The children therefore of Ionadab the sonne of Rechab haue firmely kept the precept of their father which he commanded them but this people hath not obeyed me â Therefore thus saith the Lord of hostes the God of Israel Behold I wil bring vpon Iuda and vpon al the inhabitants of Ierusalem al the affliction which I haue spoken against them because I haue spoken to them and they haue not heard I haue called them and they haue not answered me â But to the house of the Rechabites Ieremie said Thus saith the Lord of hostes the God of Israel For that you haue obeyed the commandment of Ionadab your father and haue kept al his commandments and haue done al thinges that he commanded you â Therefore thus saith the Lord of hostes the God of Israel There shal not want a man of the stocke of Ionadab the sonne of Rechab standing in my sight al daies ANNOTATIONS CHAP. XXXV 1. The house of Rechabites VVe haue here according to the state of Gods Church in the old Testament a cleare example of religious life by professing and performing good workes of supererogation not commanded by God but piously instituted by a holie man called Ionadab VVhich not only himself and his proper children but also their posteritie manie ages after him voluntarily obserued by a prescript Rule Not to builde houses nor dwel in anie but in tentes not to sow seede nor to plant nor haue vinyardes nor to drinke wine A like rule but not the same in al pointes was prescribed by God himself Num 6 for such as would voluntarily embrace it And Elias and Elizens with then disciples obserued an other forme of religious life as appeareth 4. Reg. 1. 2. c. Al which vvere figures of more perfect Religious Orders in the Church of Christ consisting in three essential vowes of voluntarie Pouertie Chastitie and Obedience not commanded but commended and for the better attayning to perfection counseled by our Sauiour vvherof they are called Euangelical Counsels observed by the Apostles leauing al their worldlie substance and al desire of hauing anie proper possessions such also as had wiues leauing them the rest noâ marying al renouncing their owne willes subiected the same to Christs wil folovving him VVhose example others imitating this holie maner of life hath stil continued in the Church as is euident by the Ecclesiastical histories euen from the Apostles time But al obserued not the same particular rules nor were called by the same titles For as in the time of Moyses law some were called Nazareites some the Children of the Prophetes and some Rechabites after the name of their founders father Rechab a renowmed godlie man so now some are called Eremites some Monkes some Freares and some Religious Clerkes And of ech of these kindes diuers sortes are distinguished by varietie of rules habites special functions and titles either of their first Institutors or of the Institutes themselues or of the places or other occasions As Carmelites Augustines as wel Monkes as Canons Regular Benedictins Bernardins Carthusians Dominicans Fraâc scans Iesuiâes Theatines Capuchines and the like As also manie distinct Orders of Nunnes But none of them al differ from the rest nor from other Catholique Christians in pointes of faith nor make anie Sectes of Religion as Heretikes ridiculously obiect For al beleue and confesse the self same Catholique Faith in al the Articles therof al vse and acknowlege the same and no other holie Sacraments and al are vnited in one vniuersal Church vnder one visible Head Euerie Order good and holie in their profession al together excellently aâoâing the whole bodie with sacred semelie varieties make the same vniuersal Church more glorious CHAP. XXXVI Ieremie in prison sendeth Baruch by Gods commandment to read a booke of comminations before the people 7. exhorting them to repent 9. which being read in a porch of the Temple 11. Micheas reporteth it to the Nobles in the court 14. whither Baruch being called readeth the same before them 20. they informe the king 21. who hearing part therof causeth the booke to be burned 26. and commandeth to apprehend Baruch and Ieremie 27. The booke is write againe by them with addition of more AND it came to passe in the fourth yeare of Ioakim the sonne of Iosias king of Iuda this word was made to Ieremie from our Lord saying â Take a volume of a booke and thou shalt write in it al the wordes that I haue spoken to thee against Israel and Iuda against al Nations since the day that I spake to thee from the daies of Iosias euen to this day â If perhaps the house of Iuda hearing al the euils that I meane to doe vnto them let euerie man returne from his most wicked way and I wil be propicious to their iniquitie and to their sinne â Ieremie therefore called Baruch the sonne of Nerias and Baruch wrote from the mouth of Ieremie al the wordes of our Lord which he spake to him in the volume of the booke â And Ieremie commanded Baruch saying I am shut vp neither am I able to goe into the house of our Lord. â Goe thou in therefore and read out of the volume wherein thou hast written from my mouth the wordes of our Lord in the hearing of al the people in the house of our Lord on the fasting day moreouer also in the hearing of al Iuda which come out of their cities thou shalt read it to them â if perhaps their prayer may fal in the sight of our
Ser 1. de S. Andrea S. Beda ãâã 4. S. Aug. cont Faust S. Greg. in li. 1. Reg. et in Iob. Inuocation of Patriarches S. Hiere Ep. 12. ad Gauden Obiections answered by holie Scriptuâes Iob. 4â How Sainctes knâw mens prayers Titles geuen to men in office and to Sainctes lib. de mortalitate Angels adââed Reliqués Images Exequies fââ the dead Purgatorie To. 2. in sept Psal paeuitent Limbus pattâ No entrance into heauen before Christ Resurrection Iudgement Eternal paine of the damned and glorie of the blessed 1. Coâ â ãâã dowries of glorified bodies presigured 1 Cor. ãâã Cathâ cââs Rom p. 1. c 12. q 9. The Church more knowen to other nations then before The Ecclesiastical and temporal states more distinguished Succession of High Priestes Distinction of offices in Priestes Leuites Succession of temporal princes interrupted Dukes Iudges Kinges M ãâ¦ã Church Murmure Idolatrie ãâ¦ã e. ãâ¦ã ãâ¦ã * Iudic. 3. Ordinarie meanes of conseruing the Church No participation with infiâels No ãâ¦ã But one Tabernacle One Altar ãâã ãâ¦ã 8. Chris orat 1. aduers Iudeos One supreme Iudge of controuersies Al bound to obey him His sentence infallible The Church of Christ preserued from âââing in Religion Math. 16. 28. Luc. 22. Ioan 14. 16. Eph. 4. â Tâm 3. Not anie temporal but Christs kingdom is in al nations and perpetual S. Aug. li. 17. ââ de ââuit S. ââpipââ here 's 2â The Church of Christ vniuersal Act. 4. in hunc Psalm The Iewes wil not see Christ 2. Cor. 3. And Heretikes wil not see the Church which yet is alwayes visible S. Aug. in Psal 30. cânâ 2. Collat. Carthag at cont Donatist Ibidem The beginning of the fifth age * Firmnes * in strength :: A vessel so ãâ¦ã for the ãâ¦ã being ãâ¦ã :: âatus contayned ãâ¦ã :: Had designed and dedicated to holie vses :: There was no more with in the arke Deut. 10. but on the outside was the rodde of Aaron Nu. 17. Heb. 9. the golden potte with Manna Exod 16 Heb 9. and the booke of the law repeted by Moyses Deut. 31. :: Prices blesse their people parentes their children :: Salomon knew wel Gods conditional promise but perseuered not in keping his coÌmandments and therfore a great part of the kingdom was takeÌ from his children yet the right of the kingdom of Iuda remayned to his seede euen to Christ our Sauiour :: Reward of good workes :: External workes of penance except they proceede from the hart suffice not for remission of sinne :: External worship is not acceptable to God except it procede from internal sinceritie and dââodon VVherfore S. Augustin sayth God is worshipped in faith hope and charitie Enchirid c. â :: Salomon did not âel these cities for he could not alienate them but let the king of Tyre haue the vse and reuenewes in payment for timber for the gold which he sent * dirtie or disples sing :: a monument :: Part of Arabia is called Saba nere to Iurie but this Saba is beyond Arabia as S. Hierom testifieth in Esaiae 60 li. 17 it semeth to be in Aethiopia for our Sauiour saith Mat. 12. The quene of the South came froÌ the endes of the earth to heare the vvisdom of Salomon :: As this quene had no spirite when she saw Salomons wisdom so the Church gathered of gentiles knowing Christs grace finding the masters of Euangelical doctrin casting away the spirite of pride and laying of al hautinesse of mind lerned to distrust in her self and to trust in the great mercie of her king S. Greg in Psal 7. paââten to 2. * A wonderful thing that a Quene vpon fame of a mans wisdom traueled so farre to heare him speake and to see his gouernment but it was Gods inspiration to signifie by this figure that the Church of Christ should be gathered of the Gentiles in al nations Kiges Quenes noâ potent Princes also submitting themselues to Christ Isaae c. 49. :: Though pluralitie of wiues was then alowed yet it was forbid to multiplie manie Deut. :: The tribe of Iuda :: By Ierusalem is vnderstood the tribe of Beniamin wherin it stood so there remained two tribes to Salomons heyres 2. Reg. â ââ Reg. 10. :: From the time that Salomon fel to idolatrie he was more impugned by three perpetual aduersaries Adad Razon and Hieroboam mystically signifying the flesh the world and the diuel :: This fact coÌfirmed his wordes that he spoke seriously fained not :: VVhether he repented and was saued or no is vncertaine The third part The diuision of the Kingdom Seueral reigues of certaine kinges and preaching of special prophetes :: This pharaise noteth the sequel not the final cause As chap. 14. â â :: A diuelish policie to make a religion conformable to the temperal state :: For such a religion such priestes were fittest :: Places on hilles where they sacrificed calues and other thinges to the images of calues :: This foreshewing long before the name of a childe that should be borne importeth that he should do great thinges See 4. Reg. 2â :: This man of Bethel was indeede a prophet of God but in this lied wickedly and so deceiuing the other prophet made him to breake Gods commandment for which he was slaine VVhervpon Hieroboam swhom the wiked prophet sought to please was lesse afeard to procede in idolatrie :: Not only the deceiuer but also he that is deceiued is guiltie and punishable for breakiÌg Gods coÌmandment :: By this it appeareth to be Gods worke and punishment :: Ieroboam did not wittingly and of purpose set vp false goddes to the end he might prouoke God to anger for his intention only was to kepe the people froÌ going to Ierusalem left by that occasion they should returne to Roboam their Lord king of Iuda ch 12. v. 27. But by settiÌg vp idols he did prouoke God consequently to anger So here and in other places this phrase that he might prouoke that it might be fulfilled and the like signifieth not the final cause but the sequele of other factes without direct intention :: Dauids postetitie conserued for his sake :: Those altares which Salomon had made for his wiues that were idolaters Asa destroved not but al which RoboaÌ and Abias had made or suffered to be made for their owne people he pulled downe Iosias afterward destroyed also those which Salomon had made 2. ââââl 34. :: The aâââouâ of schisme punished in his posteritie :: Al those that were in the campe chose their general to be their king and preuailed therin though an other half of Israel chose and folowed an other for a time :: Thebni being then dead he reigned peaceably for he began his reigne the 27. yeare of Asa â 15. 16. and reigned in al 12. yeares :: VVhen Hiel began to build Iericho his eldest sonne died so the rest successiuely that the last died when he finished the building because God by the mouth of
fiction of the author That is If anie error could be committed by the authores of Scriptures either through ignorance obliuion or anie other humane frailtie what soeuer were produced exception might be taken and question made whether the author had eâred or no True it is that some of these bookes as we shal particularly discusse in their places were sometimes doubted of by some Catholiques and called Apochrypal in that sense as the word properly signifieth hidden or not apparent So S. Ierom in his Prologue before the Latin Bible calleth diuers bookes Apochryphal being not so euident whether they were Diuine scripture because they were not in the lewes Canon nor at first in the Churches Canon but were neuer reiected as false or erronious In which sense the Prayer of Manasses the third booke of Esdras and third of Machabees are yet called Apochryphal As for the fourth of Esdras and fourth of Machabees there is more doubt But diuers others as the booke ascribed to Enoch the Gospels of S. Andrew S. Thomas S. Bartholmew and the like recited by S. Gelasius Decreto de libris Ecclesiasticis dist 15. Can. Sancta Romana S. Innocentius the first Epist. 3. S. Ierom Ep ad Laetam S. Augustin li. 15. cap. 23. de ciuit Dei Origen homis 2. in Cantica are in a worse sense called Apochryphal are reiected as conteyning manifest errors or fained by Heretikes Neither can a Christian Catholique he otherwise assured Which Bookes are Diuine and Canonical Scriptures but by declaration of the Catholique Church which without interruption succedeth the Apostles to whom our Sauiour promised and sent the Holie Ghost to teach al truth For if in anie thing more then others assuredly one chief and most necessarie point is to know and declare which Bookes are Gods holie Word being of most singular importance THE SVMME OF THE OLD TESTAment as it is distinguished from the new Not withstanding the subiect general argument of both Testaments is one the same in substance as is already said yet they differ in time in maner of vttering of Mysteries in varietie of precepts promises also in meanes to obserue the thinges exacted to attayne to the end proposed In regard wherof S. Ierome saith Lex Moysi omne vetus instrumentum elementa mundi intelliguntur quibus quasi elementis Religionis exordijs Deum discimus The law of Moyses and al the old Testament are vnderstood the elements of the world by which as by first rudiments beginnings we lerne to know God For that in it we haue first the Law of nature and asterwards a law written with promises of temporal rewardes as long life land flowiug with milke honie the like but it brought nothing to perfection as S. Paul saith when giftes hostes were offered which could not according to conscience make the obseruer perfect For the helpes of that time were but infirma egena elemeÌta Weake poore elements Likewise in general touching the punishments that sometimes happened to the people of the old Testament when they transgressed the same Apostle affirmeth that al the same chanced to them in figure are written for our correption vpon whom the ends of the world are come so that the old Testament or Law was but our pedagogue in Christ Yet it setteth forth to vs the whole course of Gods Church for the space of foure thousand yeares that is from the beginning of the world vntil Christ our Redemer which Diuines diuide into six ages wherein was varietie change of her state three vnder the Law of nature and three others vnder the written Law The seuenth last age being this time of grace wherin we now are from Christ to the day of general Iudgement as the world was made in six dayes and in the seuenth God is said to haue rested and therfore sanctified it in other sort then the former six The eight wil be after the Resurrection during for al eternitie VVhich six ages of the ancient Church old Testament are thus distributed The first from the Creation to Noes floud conteyning the space of 1656. yeares The second from the floud to the going of Abraham out of his countrie 368. or counting Cainan Gen. 11. iuxta 72. Luc. 3. 398. yeares The third from Abraham his going forth of his countrie to the parting of the children of Israel out of Aegypt VVhich-some count to haue continued 720. yeares others whom we folow but 430. And thus farre in the law of nature before the written law The fourth age dured 480. yeares from the deliuerie of the children of Israel forth of Aegypt to the fundation of the Temple in Ierusalem The fifth age was from the fundation of the Temple to the captiuitie transmigration of the Iewes into Babylon about 430. yeares And the sixth age dured about 640. yeares from the Captiuitie of Babylon to Christ In al which times God was acknowledged and rightly serued by a continual visible Church with true Religion the same no other which now that Church holdeth that is called and knowen by she name of Catholique As we intend by Gods assistance to shew by briefe Annotations concerning diuers particular points now in Controuersie as the holie Text geueth occasion And especially by way of Recapitulation after euerie one of the six ages when we come to those passages in the Historie where the same are ended OF MOYSES THE AVTHOR OF THE fiue first bookes MOyses so called because he was taken from the water as the name signifieth was borne in Aegypt the sonne of Amram the sonne of Caath the sonne of Leui the Patriarch and so of Iacob Isaac and Abraham His maruelous deliuerie from drowning his education excellent forme singular wisdome heroical vertues rare dexteritie in al affayres whole life most admirable are gathered out of holie Scriptures by S. Gregorie Bishop of Nissen into a briefe Summe most worthie to be read but to large for this place He was borne about the yeare of the world two thousand foure hundred long before al prophane writers yea before manie of the Painimes false goddes as S. Augustin declareth in diuers places of his most excellent booke intituled of the Citie of God He liued in this world 120. yeares Of which 40. were in Pharaos court as the adopted sonne of Pharaos daughter fourtie in banishment from Aegypt in Madian and fourtie more he gouerned the people of Israel His singular prayses are also briefly touched in the last chapter of Deuteromie added by Iosue and in the booke of Ecclesiâsticus He died in the desert and was buried in the vaâle of Moab so secretly that no mortal man knew his sepulchre lest the Iewes who were very prone to Idolatrie should haue adored his bodie with diuine honour for the greatnes and multitude of his miracles and for the singular estimation they had of
Morales and 36. chapter vpon the third chapter of Iob recounting certaine principal Patriarches among the rest saith Noe for that he pleased Gods examination vvas saued aliuâin the vncleane vvorld and after a large catalogue of other iust men in confirmation of this doctrine that some were iust in the law of nature concludeth thus Neither is it to be beleued saith he that only so manie vvere iust before the lavv vvas receiued as Moyses contracteth in his most briefe description 15. Three hundred cubites Apelles an old heretike scholar of Marcian but after leauing him and amongst other new coyned heresies reiecting the Law the Prophetes would by this place impugne Moyses saying it was vnpossible that in so smale rowme as was the arke by this descriptioÌ the designed payres of al kindes of beastes foule serpents should be contained with the eight persons and al their prouision of meate for a whole yeare VVherupon he concludeth that this narration which he calleth a fable hath no probabilitie nor possibilitie to be true To whom al such calumniators it may be answered that Moyses euen in an heretikes owne coÌceipt if malice obscured not his sense must needes be thought wise ynough if he had benne disposed to fayne fables to frame them probable or possible especially when he pretended not to signific a miracle in the smalnes of the rowme to receiue so much as he reporteth Origen to answer him supposeth a cubite here meÌtioned to haue coÌtained six ordinarie cubites and so doubtles the arke might easily containe al thinges that are here spoken of for so it were like to a great citie But this opinion neither hath good warrant that euer the Aegyptians of whom he supposeth Moyses might haue learned it or any other nation vsed such long cubites neither can this measure of a cubite be agreable to Moyses meaning who no doubt speaketh of the like cubites here as he doth in other places And in Exodus he describeth an Altar to be made fiue cubites long fiue broade and three in height VVhich would be by Origens measure euetie cubite contayning six ordinarie cubites that is nine foote at least in length and likewise in breadth 45. foote and 27. foote in height Againe Deut. 3. Moyses telleth of an iron bed of Og King of Basan that was nine cubites long foure broad VVhich make according to Origens measure of a cubite fourscore and one foote in length and in breadth 36. foote which in deede haue no probabilitie And therefore S. Augustin and other Doctors supposing that Moses in al these bookes written for instruction of the same people whom he brought forth of Aegypt speaketh of one sorte of cubites do likewise iudge that he meaneth ordinarie knowne cubites which containe a foote a halfe euerie cubite as Vitruuius Agricola and others do proue or a foote and three quarters of a foote which is the greatest cubite that semeth to be mentioned in holie Scripture called a mans cubite or cubite of a mans hand And so the Arke was atleast in length 450. foote in breadth 75. in height 45. or at most in length 525. foote in breadth 87. and a halfe in height 52. and a halfe And either of these capacities was sufficient to receiue al the thinges here mentioned considering the loftes partions that were in the whole arke CHAP. VII Noe vvith his familie and paires of al kindes of beastes and foules being entred into the arke 12. it raineth fourtie daies and fourtie nights 21. Al men and other liuing creatures on the earth without the arke are destroyed AND our Lord said to him Get thee in thou and al thy house into the arke for I haue sene thee iust in my sight in this generation â Of al beasts that are cleane thou shalt take seauen and seauen male female â but of the beasts that are vncleane two and two male female Yea and of the foules also of the ayre seauen âeauen male and female that seede may be saued vpon the face of the whole earth â For yet a while and after seauen dayes I wil rayne vpon the earth fourtie dayes and fourtie nights and I wil cleane destroy al substance that I haue made from the face of the earth â Noe therfore did al thinges which our Lord had commanded him â And he was six hundred yeares old when the waters of the floud flowed ouer the earth â And Noe entred and his sonnes his wife and the wiues of of his sonnes with him into the arke because of the waters of the floud â Of beasts also the cleane and the vncleane of foules and of al that moueth vpon the earth â two two went to Noe into the arke male and female as our Lord had commanded Noe. â And after the seauen dayes were passed the waters of the floud flowed ouer the earth â In the six hundred yeare of the life of Noe in the second moneth in the seauententh day of the moneth al the fountaines of the greate deapth were broken vp and the floud gates of heauen were opened â and the raine fel vpon the earth fourtie dayes and fourtie nights â In the verie point of that day entred Noe and Sem and Cham Iapheth his sonnes and his wife and the three wiues of his sonnes with them into the arke â they and euerie beast according to their kind and al cattle in their kinde and al that moueth vpon the earth according to their kind and al foule according to their kind al birds and al that fly â went to Noe into the arke two and two of al flesh wherin there was breath of life â And such as entred in male and female of al flesh did enter in as God had commanded him and our Lord shut him in on the out side â And the floud grâw fourtie daies vpon the earth and the waters increased and lifted vp the arke on high from the earth â For they ouerflowed excedingly and filled al on the face of the earth moreouer the arke fleeted vpon the waters â And the waters preuailed out of measure vpon the earth and al the hiegh mountaines vnder the whole heauen were couered â Fiftene cubites higher was the water aboue the mountaines which it couered â And al flesh was consumed that moued vpon the earth of foule of cattle of beasts and of al creepers that creepe vpon the earth al men â and al things wherin there is breath of life on the earth died â And he cleane destroied al substance that was vpon the earth from man euen to beast as wel it that creepeth as the foules of the ayre and they were destroied from of the earth but onlie Noe remained and they that were with him in the arke â And the waters held on aboue the earth an hundred fiftie dayes ANNOTATIONS CHAP. VII 16. Shut him in God who
goddes Israel that haue brought thee out of the land of Aegypt â Which when Aaron had senne he builded an altar before it and by a cryers voice proclaimed saying Tomorow is the solemnitie of the Lord. â And rysing in the morning they offered holocaustes and pacifique hostes and the people sate downe to eate and to drinke and they role vp to play â And our Lord spake to Moyses saying Goe get thee downe thy people which thou hast brought out of the Land of Aegypt hath sinned â They haue quickly reuolted from the way that thou didst shew them and they haue made to them selues a molten calfe and haue adored and immolating hostes vnto it haue sayd These are thy goddes Israel that haue brought thee out of the Land of Aegypt â And againe our Lord said to Moyses I see that this people is stiffenecked â suffer me that my furie may be angrie against them and that I may destroy them and I wil make thee into a great nation â But â Moyses besought the Lord his God saying Why Lord is thy furie angrie against thy people whom thou hast brought forth of the Land of Aegypt in great power and in a strong hand â Let not the Aegyptians say I beseech thee He hath craftely brought them forth that he might kil them in the mountaynes and destroy them from the earth let thyne anger cease and be pacified vpon the wickednes of thy people â â Remenber Abraham Isaac and Israel thy seruantes to whom thou swarest by thine owne self saying I wil multiplie your seed as the starres of heauen and this whole land wherof I haue spoken I wil giue to your seed and you shal possesse it alwayes â And our Lord was pacified from doing the euil which he had spoken against his people â And Moyses returned from the mount carying the two tables of testimonie in his hand written on both sides â and made by the worke of God the writing also of God was grauen in the tables â And Iosue hearing the tumult of the people crying out said to Moyses The noyse of battaile is heard in the campe â Who answered It is not the crie of men encouraging of fight nor the shoute of men compelling to flee but I doe heare the voice of singers â And when he approched to the campe he saw the calfe and the daunces and being very wrath he threw the tables out of his hand and brake them at the foote of the mount â and catching the calfe which they had made he burnt it and bette it into powder which he strawed into water and gaue thereof drinke to the children of Israel â And he said to Aaron What hath this people done to thee that thou shouldest bring vpon them an heinous sinne â To whom he answered Let not my lord be offended for thou knowest this people that it is prone to euil â they said to me Make vs goddes that may goe before vs for vnto this same Moyses that brought vs forth out of the Land of Aegypt we know not what is chanced â To whom I said Which of you hath gold They tooke and brought to me and I cast it into the fire and this calfe came forth â Moyses therfore seeing the people that they were made naked for Aaron had spoiled them for the ignominie of filth and had set them naked among their enemies â and standing in the gate of the campe he said If any man be our Lords let him ioyne to me And there gathered vnto him al the sonnes of Leui â to whom he said This saith the Lord God of Israel Put euerie man his sword vpon his thigh goe returne from gate to gate through the middes of the campe and euerie man kil his brother and frend and neighbour â And the sonnes of Leui did according to the saying of Moyses and there were slaine in that day about three thousand men â And Moyses said You haue consecrated your handes this day to our Lord euerie man in his sonne in his brother that blessing may be giuen to you â And when the next day was come Moyses spake to the people You have sinned a verie great sinne I wil goe vp to our Lord if by anie meanes I may be able to intreate him for your sinful fact â And returning to our Lord he said I beseech thee this people hath sinned a heinous sinne and they haue made to them selues goddes of gold either forgiue them this trespasse â or if thou doe not strike me out of the booke that thou hast written â To whom our Lord answered He that hath sinned to me him wil I strike out of my booke â but goe thou and leade this people whither I haue told thee myne Angel shal goe before thee And I in the day of reuenge wil visite this sinne also of theirs â Our Lord therfore smote the people for the fault concerning the calfe which Aaron had made ANNOTATIONS CHAP. XXXII 4. A molten calfe No other reason can be imagined why the people falling to Idolatrie required the image of a calfe rather then of anie other thing but for that they thought the blacke calfe with white spottes called Apis or Serapis whom they sawe the Aegyptians estemed most of al their goddes to be the chiefe or onlie God And therfore to this famous Idol they ascribed the benefite of their deliuerie from bondage saying These are thy goddes o Israel that haue brought thee out of the Land of Aegypt So they ment not to worship our Lord the true God in that image as Caluin would haue it but the very calfe whose image it was for adoring immediatly the calues image and immolating hostes to it v. 8. they protested that to be their God which the image represented This appeareth also Deut. 32. v. 18. God that begat thee thou hast forsaken and hast forgotten our Lord thy creatour And Psal 105. v. 21. They forgat God vvhich saued them 11. Moyses besought Albeit Moyses with most humble submission prayed for the people which God so accepted that he was therby pacified v. 14. yet Caluin here condemneth him of arrogancie and pride as though he imperiously prescribed law to God spoyling him of his iustice Much otherwise S. Hierom Epist 12. ad Gaudent commending his feruent charitie doubteth not to say Dei potentiam serui preces impediebant The seruantes prayers hindered Gods povver because God himself saying suffer me that my furie may be angrie against them and that I may destroy them shewed his diuine prouidence to be such as he might be staied from doing that vvhich be threatned 13. Remember Abraham It much trubled Caluin that for obtaining pardon for the people the Patriarches are mentioned for whose sake and merites mercie and protection was promised by God Gen. 18. 22. 26. prophecied by Iacob Gen. 48. performed here and in manie other places And
Lord â the priest shal account the price according to the number of yeares vnto the iubilee and he that had vowed shal geue that to the Lord. â but in the Iubilee it shal returne to the former owner that sould it and had it in the lotte of his possession â Al estimation shal be weighed by the sicle of the sanctuarie A sicle hath twentie oboles â The â first borne which pertaine to the Lord no man may sanctifie and vow whether it be oxe or sheepe they are the Lordes â And if it be an vncleane beast he that offereth it shal redeme it according to thy estimatimation and shal adde the fift part of the price If he wil not redeme it it shal be sould to an other for how much soeuer it was estemed by thee â Anie thing that is consecrated to the Lord whether it be man or beast or field shal not be sould neither can it be redemed Whatsoeuer is once consecrated shal be holie of holies to the Lord. â And any consecration that is offered of a man shal not be redemed but dying shal die â Al tithes of the land whether of corne or of the fruites of trees are the Lordes and are sanctified to him â And if anie man wil redeme his tithes he shal adde the fift part of them â Of al the tithes of oxen and sheepe and goates that passe vnder the sheepheardes rodde euerie tenth that commeth shal be sanctified to the Lord. â It shal not be chosen neither good nor bad neither shal it be changed for an other If anie man change it both that which was changed and that for the which it was changed shal be sanctified to the Lord and shal not be redeemed â These are the precepts which our Lord commanded Moyses vnto the children of Israel in the mount Sinai ANNOTATIONS CHAP. XXVII 26. The sirst borne God here forbiddeth to vow the sirst borne and geueth the reason for that they are the Lordes shewing that those things wherto we are already bound are not properly matter of vow But a vowe properly is a religious promise voluntarily made to God of a good thing vnto which we were not bound And that the same is verie gratful to God appeareth not only in this chapter and in manie other places of Moyses law but also in the law of nature Gen. 28. Iacob vowed and God accepted therof Gen. 31. v. 13. And the royal Prophet in diuers Psalmes pertaining to the new Testament commendeth vowes It is certaine also manifest 1. Tim. 5. that widowes did lawfully vowe chastitie in the primitiue Church and such as did afterward breake the same did violate their promise to God Innumerable also most lerned and most godlie fathers haue euer from Christs time both taught and practised religious vowes of obedience to superiors who otherwise had no authoritie ouer them and of perpetual chastitie and voluntarie pouertie It is likewise and continually hath benne a most common practise in the Church to vow other good workes of pietie as to visite holie places to build Churches Collegies Hospitals and the like being no way bound therto but of mere deuotion See Annotations 1. Tim. 5. THE ARGVMENT OF THE BOOKE OF NVMERI IN this booke called Numeri are contained saieth S. Hierom the Mysteries of al Arithmetike or numberiug of the Prophecie of Balaam and of the fourtie two Mansions of the Israelites in the desert VVhich mystical sense the same great Doctor as also S. Augustin and other Fathers do gather of the literal written by Moyses VVho here prosecuteth the sacred historie after Genesis and Exodus Leuiticus also containing one moneth from the second moneth of the second yeare after the deliuerie of the Israelites out of Aegypt nere 39. yeares to the last of Moyses life First therfore he reportetâ how al the men of twelue tribes of the age of twentie yeares and vpward were numbered Likewise the tribe of Leui was numbered and imployed parth in priestlie function the rest to assist the priests He describeth also the oraer of marching and encamping the Leuites alwayes next and round about the Tabernacle the other twelue tribes in circuite of them on al sides He moreouer recordeth certaine notable murmurings tumults schismes and rebellions with the euents therof and miserable endes of chief seducers VVhose great iniuries Moyses mekely sustained with singular patience stil executing his owne function with heroical fortitude Among which diuers precepts and lawes are partly repeated partly added as wel concerning Religion and Gods seruice as godlie policie and ciuil gouernment of the people with chastisment of offenders How also their enemies endeuoured to annoy them Balaâ king of Moab procuring Balaam the sorcerer so much as in him lay to curse them but al in vaine Yet by carnal fornication manie were drawen to spiritual Both which being punished God againe prospered his people in diuers encounters and battailes against Infidels Finally the promised Land of Chanaan on both sides lordaine is described by limites which they shal parte amongst them by loât the Leuites mingled in euerie tribe with their appointed cities and commodities for habitation and the tithes first fruites oblations and abundant prouision for their maintenance Cities also of refuge are designed for casual manslayers and a law established that al shal marie within their owne tribes to avoide confusion of inheritances So this booke may be diuided into three partes In the first the principal and most perfect sort of the people are numbered and disposed in order according to diuers states and offices before they depart from the desert of Sinai in the nine first chapters Then are related sundrie thinges which happened vnto them in the rest of their iourney especially manie and great impediments through al which God punishing some brought the residue to enioy the promised land from the 10. chap. to the end of the 33. Lastly the countrie of Chanaan is againe promised with order so to possâsse and enioy it that euerie tribe may haue and keepe their seueral partes in the three last chapters THE BOOKE NVMERI OR NVMBERS IN HEBREW VAIED ABBER CHAP. I. Al the men of twelue tribes of Israel of the age of twentie yeares and vpwardes but not vnder nor wemen are numbred 20. and are sound in al six hundred thirtie thousand fiue hundred fiftie 47. The Leuites not yet numbred are designed to serue about the Tabernacle AND our Lord spake to Moyses in the desert of Sinai in the tabernacle of couenant the first day of the second moneth the second yeare of their going out of Aegypt saying â Take the summe of the whole assemblie of the children of Israel by their kinredes houses and the names of euerie one whatsoeuer of the male sexe â from the twentith yeare and vpward of al the strong men of Israel and you shal number them by
of an vnicorne in them shal he winow the Nations euen to the endes of the earth these are the multitudes of Ephraim and these the thousandes of Manasses â And to Zabulon he said Reioyse Zabulon in thy going out and Issachar in thy tabernacles â They shal cal the peoples to the mountaine there shal they immolate the victimes of iustice Who shal sucke the inundation of the sea as milke and the hidden treasures of the sandes â And to Gad he said Blessed be Gad in breadth as a lion hath he rested and taken the arme and the toppe of the head â And he saw his principalitie that in his part the doctor was reposed which was with the princes of the people and did the iustices of our Lord and his iudgement with Israel â To Dan also he said Dan a lions whelpe he shal flow largely from Basan â And to Nephthali he said Nephthali shal enioy abundance and shal be ful of the blessinges of our Lord the sea and the south he shal possesse â To Aser also he said Blessed be Aser in children be he acceptable to his brethren and dippe he in oile his foote â His shoe yron and brasse As the daies of thy youth so also thy old age â There is no other God as the God of the rightest the mounter of heauen is thy helper By his magnificence the cloudes runne hither and thither â his habitation is aboue and vnder the euerlasting armes he shal cast out the enemie from thy face and shal say Be destroyed â Israel shal dwel confidently and alone The eie of Iacob in the land of corne and wine and the heauens shal be mistie with dew â Blessed art thou Israel who is like to thee o people that art saued in our Lord the shield of thy helpe and the sword of thy glorie thy enemies shal denie thee and thou shalt treade their neckes ANNOTATIONS CHAP. XXXIII 2. Came from Sinai According to the historie Moyses recounteth here three benefites First that God gaue the Law in Sinai Exod. 20. Secondly he cured those which were bitten with serpentes nere to Seir. Num. 21. Thirdly in mount Pharan he appointed Seuentie ancientes to assist Moyses in iudgementes Num. 11. But according to the Mysterie which specially is intended S. Augustin q. 56. in Deut. saieth this prophecie is not to be negligently passed ouer For it euidently appeareth that this benediction perteineth to a new people whom Christ our Lord hath sanctified in whose person Moyses spake and not in his owne So in this prophetical and proper sense saieth this Doctor our Lord and Sauiour cometh from Sinai which is interpreted tentation when he passed the tentation of his passion and death Heb. 2. v. 18. Christ riseth from Seir interpreted hearie for that in the similitude of the flesh of sinne eâen of sinne he damned sinne in the flesh Rom. 8. v. 3. He appeareth from mount Pharan interpreted fruitful mountaine in that he geueth abundance of grace in his Church of the new Testament which is a citie set vpon a hil Mat. 5. CHAP. XXXIIII Moyses seeth the promised land but is not suffered to goe into it 5. He dieth at the age of 120. yeares God burieth his bodie secretly and al Israel mourne for him thirtie dayes 9. Iosue replenished by imposition of Moyses handes with the spirite of God succedeth 10. But Moyses for his special familiaritie with God and for most wonderful miracles is commended aboue al other Prophetes MOYSES therfore went vp from the champion of Moab vpon mount Nebo into the toppe of Phasga against Iericho and our Lord shewed him al the land of Galaad as farre as Dan â and al Nephthali and the land of Ephraim and Manasses and al the Land of Iuda vnto the vtmost sea â and the south part and the bredth of the plaine of Iericho a citie of palmetrees as farre as Segoâ â And our Lord said to him This is the Land for the which I sware to Abraham Isaac and Iacob saying To thy seede wil I geue it Thou hast seene it with thyne eies and shalt not passe ouer to it â And Moyses the seruant of our Lord died there in the land of Moab our Lord commanding it â and he buried him in the valley of the Land of Moab against Phogor and no man hath knowne his sepulchre vntil this present day â Moyses was an hundred and twentie yeares old when he died his eie was not dimme neither were his teeth moued â And the children of Israel mourned him in the champion countrie of Moab thirtie daies and the daies of their mourning that mourned for Moyses were accomplished â And Iosue the sonne of Nun was replenished with the spirit of wisedome because Moyses did put his handes vpon him And the children of Israel obeied him and did as our Lord commanded Moyses â And there rose no more a prophete in Israel as Moyses whom our Lord had knowen face to face â in al signes and wonders which he sent by him to doe in the Land of Aegypt to Pharao and to al his seruantes and to his whole Land â and al the strong hand and great meruailes which Moyses did before al Israel The end of the fiue bookes of Moyses conteining the Law THE SECOND PART OF THE OLD TESTAMENT CONTEINING HISTORICAL BOOKES The argument of the booke of Iosue VVHETHER Iosue himself writ this booke which is the common opinion or some other it was euer held vndoubtedly by al for Canonical Scripture and according to the distribution of the whole Bible into Legal Historical Sapiential and Prophetical Bookes this is the first of the historical sorte But as the fiue procedent called Legal besides the Law comprehend also the historie of the Church from the beginning of the world nere 2500. yeares and withal conteine much diuine Wisdome Prediction of thinges to come so these bookes now folowing called Historical and likewise the Sapiential and Prophetical ensuing after participate each with others in their seueral argumentes euerie one more or lesse inducing Gods seruantes to keepe his Law recording thinges donne teaching what is most meete to be donne and foreshewing before hand thinges donne afterwardes or which yet shal come to passe So this booke doth not only set forth the Actes of Iosue who succeded Moyses in teÌporal gouernment of Gods people commanding and directing them by lawe and wisedome but also the same thinges donne by him and his verie name as S. Hierom other Fathers teach prefigure our Lord IESVS Christ For in Hebrew IEHOSVA is the name both of this Capitaine General the leader of The Israelites ouer Iordan into the Land of promise and of our Lord and SAVIOVR who by his Baptisme and other Sacramentes bringeth his people of al Nations into the true Land of the liuing where is life and felicitie euerlasting Touching thâfore the historie these foure special thinges are here described
First the passage of the Israelites ouer Iordan In the five first chapters Secondly their conquest of the promised Land In the seuen chapters folowing Thirdly the partition of the same Land amongst nine Tribes and a half from the. 13. chap. to the 22. Fourthly In the three last chapters the returne of the other two Tribes and a half to their possessions on the east side of Iordan with Iosues last admonition to them al to serue God sincerly and his and Eleazars death THE BOOKE OF IOSVE IN HEBREW IEHOSVA CHAP. I. Iosue encoreged by our Lord 10. admonisheth the people to prepare themselues to passe ouer Iordan 12. and al the able men of the tribes of Ruben Gad and half Manasses to march armed before the rest 16. Al promise to doe whatsoeuer he commandeth AND it came to passe after the death of Moyses the seruant of our Lord that our Lord spake to Iosue the sonne of Nun the minister of Moyses and said to him â Moyses my seruant is deade arise and passe ouer this Iordan thou and al the people with thee into the Land which I wil geue to the children of Israel â Euerie place the steppe of your foote shal treade wil I deliuer to you as I haue spoken to Moyses â From the desert and Libanus vnto the great riuer Euphrates al the land of the Hetheites vnto the great sea against the going downe of the sunne shal be your border â No man shal be able to resist you al the daies of thy life as I haue beene with Moyses so wil I be with thee I wil not leaue nor forsake thee â Take courage and be strong for thou shalt by lotte diuide to this people the Land for the which I sware to their fathers that I would deliuer it to them â Take courage therfore and be very strong that thou keepe and doe al the Law which Moyses my seruant hath commanded thee decline not from it to the right hand or to the left that thou mayest vnderstand al thinges which thou doest â Let not the volume of this law depart from thy mouth but thou shalt meditate in it daies and nightes that thou maiest keepe and doe al thinges that be written in it then shalt thou direct thy way and vnderstand it â Behold I command thee take courage and be strong Feare not and dreade not because the Lord thy God is with thee in al the thinges to whatsoeuer thou shalt goe â And Iosue commanded the princes of the people saying Passe through the middes of the campe and command the people and say â Prepare for your selues victuals for after the third day you shal passe ouer Iordan and shal enter to possesse the Land which our Lord your God wil geue you â To the Rubenites also and Gaddites and halfe tribe of Manasses he said â Remember the word which Moyses the seruant of our Lord commanded you saying Our Lord your God hath geuen you rest and al this Land â Your wiues and children and cattel shal tarie in the Land which Moyses deliuered to you beyond Iordan but passe you ouer armed before your brethren al that are strong of hand fight for them â vntil our Lord geue rest to your brethren as to you also he hath geuen and they also possesse the Land which our Lord your God wil geue them and so returne into the Land of your possession and you shal dwel in it which Moyses the seruant of our Lord gaue you beyond Iordan against the rysing of the sunne â And they made answer to Iosue and said Al thinges that thou hast commanded vs we wil doe and whither soeuer thou shalt send vs we wil goe â As we obeyed Moyses in al thinges so wil we obey thee also only be our Lord thy God with thee as he was with Moyses â He that shal gainesay thy mouth and not obey al thy wordes that thou shalt command him let him die thou only take courage and doe manfully CHAP. II. Two discoueres sent into Hiericho are hid and concealed by Rahab 8. and vpon promise of like safetie to her whole samilie 21. she helpeth them secretly away THERFORE Iosue the sonne of Nun sent from Setim two men to spie in secrete and said to them Goe and view the Land and the citie of Iericho Who going entred into the house of a woman a harlot named Rahab and rested with her â And it was told the king of Iericho and said Behold there are men come in hither by night of the children of Israel to spie the Land â And the king of Iericho sent to Rahab saying Bring forth the men that came to thee and are entred into thy house for they be spies and are come to view al the Land â And the woman taking the men hid them and said I confesse they came to me but I knew not whence they were â and when the gate was a shutting in the darke and they withal went out I know not whither they be gone pursew quickly and you shal ouertake them â But she made the men to goe vp into the roofe of her house and couered them with the stalke of flaxe which was there â And they that were sent folowed them the way that leadeth to the ford of Iordan and they being gone out the gate for with was shutte â Neither were they yet a sleepe that lay hidde and behold the woman went vp to them and said â I know that the Lord hath geuen this Land to you for your terrour is fallen vpon vs and al the inhabitantes of the Land are become fainte â We haue heard that the Lord dried vp the water of the Redsea at your entring when you came out of Aegypt and what thinges you did to the two kinges of the Amorrheites that were beyond Iordan Sehon and Og whom you slew â And hearing these thinges we greatly feared and our hart fainted neither did there remaine spirite in vs at your entring in for the Lord your God he is God in heauen aboue in the earth beneth â Now therfore sweare to me by the Lord that as I haue done mercie with you so you also doe with my fathers house and you geue me a true signe â that you saue my father and mother my brethren and sisters and al thinges that he theirs and deliuer our soules from death â Who answered her Be our liues for you vnto death only if thou betray vs not And when our Lord shal haue deliuered vs the land we wil doe in thee mercie and truth â She therfore did let them downe by a corde out of a window for her house ioyned fast to the wall â And she said to them Goe vp to the mountaines lest perhaps they meete you returning and there lie hid three daies til they returne and so you shal goe on your way â Who said to her We shal be quitte from this oath wherwith thou hast sworne vs â if
men dying They fel and were ouerthrowen on the east side of the citie of Gabaa â And there were that were slaine in the same place eightene thousand men al most valiant warryers â Which when they had seene that were remayning of BeniamÃn they fled into the wildernes and went on to the rocke the name wherof is Remmon In that flight also stragling and going diuers waies they slew fiue thousand men And whereas they went farder they pursewed them and slew also other two thousand â And so it came to passe that al which were slaine of Beniamin in diuerse places were fiue and twentie thousand one hundred fighting men most prompt to warres â There remayned therfore of al the number of Beniamin that could escape and flee into the wildernes six hundred men and they abode in the Rocke Remmon foure monethes â But the children of Israel retyring stroke al the remaines of the citie with the sword from men euen to beastes and al the cities and villages of Beniamin the deuouring flame did consume CHAP. XXI The tribe of Beniamin is repayred 8. by foure hundred virgins reserued in the slaughter of Iabes Galaad 19. and by other virgins taken that come forth of Silo to daunce THE children of Israel sware also in Maspha and said None of vs shal geue of his daughters to the children of Beniamin to wife â And they came al to the house of God in Silo and sitting in his sight vntil euening lifted vp their voice and with great wayling beganne to weepe saying Wherfore ô Lord God of Israel is this euil done in thy people that this day one tribe should be taken away out of vs â And on the morrow rising early they built an altar and offered there holocaustes and pacifique victimes and said â Who hath not ascended in the hoste of our Lord of al the tribes of Israel For they had bound them selues with a great othe when they were in Maspha that they should be slayne which had beene wanting â And the children of Israel being moued with repentance vpon their brother Beniamin beganne to say One tribe is taken away out of Israel â whence shal they take wiues For we haue al sworne in common that we wil not geue our daughters to them â Therfore they said Who is there of al the tribes of Israel that went not vp to our Lord into Maspha And behold the inhabitantes of Iabes Galaad were found not to haue bene in that armie â At that time also when they were in Silo none of them was found there â They sent therfore ten thousand the strongest men and commanded them Goe and strike the inhabitantes of Iabes Galaad in the edge of the sword as wel their wiues as their litle ones â And this shal be it which you shal obserue Al of the male kinde and wemen that haue knowen men kil ye but the virgins reserue â And there were found of Iabes Galaad foure hundred virgins that knew not mans bedde and they brought them to the campe in Silo into the Land of Chanaan â And they sent messengers to the children of Beniamin that were in Rocke Remmon and commanded them that they should receiue them in peace â And the children of Beniamin came at that time and there were geuen vnto them wiues of the daughters of Iabes Galaad but others they found not which they might geue them in like maner â And al Israel was very sorie and repented for the killing of one tribe out of Israel â And the ancientes said What shal we doe to the rest that haue not taken wiues For al the wemen in Beniamin are dead â And we must very carefully and with great studie prouide that one tribe be not destroyed out of Israel â For our owne daughters we can not geue them being bound with an oath and a curse wherby we said Cursed be he that shal geue to Beniamin anie of his daughters to wife And they tooke counsail and said Behold there is an anniuersaire solemnitie of our Lord in Silo which is situate on the North of the citie of Bethel on the East side of the way that goeth from Bethel to Sichem and on the South of the towne of Lebona â And they commanded the children of Beniamin and said Goe and lie hidde in the vineyardes â And when you shal see the daughters of Silo come forth after the maner to lead daunses issue forth sodenly out of the vineyardes and catch of them euerie one his wife and goe into the Land of Beniamin â And when their fathers shal come and their brethren and shal beginne to complaine against you and to chide we wil say to them Haue pittie on them for they tooke them not away by the right of warryers and conquerours but when they desired to receiue them you gaue them not and on your part the fault was committed â And the children of Beniamin did as it had beene commanded them and according to their number they tooke away to them selues of those that ledde the daunses euerie one his wife and they went into their possession building cities and dwelling in them â The children of Israel also returned by their tribes and families into their tabernacles In those daies there was not a King in Israel but euerie one did that which semed right to him selfe THE ARGVMENT OF THE BOOKE OF RVTH AMONGST other thinges that happened to the people of Israel in the time of the Iudges this historie of Ruth to witt her coming from Moab her conuersion to true Religion godlie conuersation and mariage with Booz of the tribe of Iuda is recorded as a more principal matter For that not onlie king Dauid but consequently also our SAVIOVR the Redemer of mankind descended from her VVherby was fore signified that as saluation thus proceded from the Gentiles together with the Iewes so the Gentiles are made partakers of the same grace More clerly prophecied as S. Hierom noteth by Isai cap. 16. saying Send forth ô Lord the lambe the Ruler of the earth from the Rocke of the desert to the mount of the daughter of Sion That is from Ruth the gentile to Hierusalem or rather to the Church This mariage of Ruth came to passe about the time of Abesan Iudge The booke was written as is most probable by Samuel and is diuided into foure chapters whose contentes folow in their places THE BOOKE OF RVTH CHAP. I. By occasion of famine Elimelech of Bethleem going with his wife Noemi and two sonnes into the Land of Moab there dieth 4. His sonnes marrie wiues of that countrie and die without issue 6. Noemi returning homewardes hardly perswadeth one of her daughters in law to part from her 15. The other called Ruth wil needes goe with her professing the same God and Religion 19. So these two arriue in Betheleem IN the dayes of one Iudge when the Iudges ruled there came a famine in the Land And there went a
borders of Beniamin in the South and they shal say to thee The asses are found which thou dist goe to seeke and thy father letting goe the asses is careful for you and sayeth What shal I doe concerning my sonne â And when thou shalt depart thence and passe farder and thaât come to the oke Thabor three men going vp to God into Bethel shal finde thee there one carying three kiddes and an other three manchettes of bread and an other carying a flagon of wine â And when they haue saluted thee they wil geue thee two loaues and thou shalt take them of their hand â After these thinges thou shalt come into the hil of God where the garrison of the Philisthiimes is and when thou shalt be entered there into the citie thou shalt meete there a flocke of prophetes coming downe from the excelse and before them psalterie and tymbrel and âhalme and harpe and themselues prophecying â And the Spirit of our Lord shal sease vpon thee and thou shalt prophecie with them and shalt be changed into an other man â Thefore when al these signes shal chance to thee doe whatsoeuer thy hand shal finde because our Lord is with thee â And thou shalt goe downe before me into Galgala for I wil come downe to thee that thou mayest offer oblation and immolate pacifique victimes seuen daies shalt thou expect til I come to thee and I wil shew thee what thou must doe â Therfore when he had turned away his shoulder to depart from Samuel God changed vnto him another hart and al these thinges came in that day â And they came to the foresaid hil and behold a troupe of prophetes meeting him the Spirit of our Lord seased vpon him and he prophecied in the middes of them â And al that had knowen him yesterday and the day before seing that he was with the prophetes did prophecie said to ech other What thing hath happened to the sonne of Cis what is Saul also among the prophetes â And one answered an other saying And who is their father therefore it was turned into a prouerbe What is Saul also among the prophetes â And he ceased to prophecie and came to the excelse â And Sauls vncle sayd to him and to his seruant Whitherwent you who answered To seeke the asses which when we had not found we came to Samuel â And his vncle sayd to him Tel me what Samuel sayd to thee â And Saul sayd to his vncle He told vs that the asses were found But concerning the word of the kingdom which Samuel had spoken to him he told him not â And Samuel called together the people to our Lord in Maspha â And sayd to the children of Israel Thus sayth our Lord the God of Israel I brought Israel out of Aegypt and deliuerd you from the hand of the Aegyptians and from the hand of al the kinges which afflicted you â But you this day haue reiected your God who only hath saued you out of al your euils and tribulations and you haue said Not so but appoint a king ouer vs. Now therefore stand before our Lord by your tribes and by your families â And Samuel brought al the tribes of Israel and the lotte fel on the tribe of Beniamin â And he brought the tribe of Beniamin and the kinreds thereof and it fel vpon the kindred of Metri and it came vnto Saul the sonne of Cis. They therfore sought him and he was not found â And after these thinges they consulted our Lord whether he would come thither And our Lord answered Behold he is hid at home â They ranne therefore and tooke him from thence and he stood in the middes of the people and he was higher then al the people from the shoulder and vpward â And Samuel said to al the people Certes you see whom our Lord hath chosen that there is not the like to him in al the people And al the people cried and sayd God saue the King â And Samuel spake to the people the law of the kingdom and wrote it in a booke and layd it vp before our Lord and Samuel dismissed al the people euerie one into his owne house â But Saul also departed vnto his house into Gabaa and there went with him part of the armie they whose hartes God had touched â But the children of Belial sayd What shal this fellow be able to saue vs and they despised him and brought him not presentes but he dissembled as though he heard not CHAP. XI Ammonites fighting against Iabes Galaad and the citie readie to yelde 5. Saul gathereth an armie 11. ouerthroweth the enimie 14. and is established King AND it came to passe as it were a moneth after Naas the Ammonite ascended and began to fight against Iabes of Galaad And al the men of Iabes sayd to Naas Make a league with vs and we wil serue thee â And Naas the Ammonite answered them In this wil I make a league with you that I may plucke out the right eyes of you al and may make you a reprochââ al Israel â And the ancientes of Iabes sayd to him Graunt vnto vs seuen daies that we may send messengers vnto al the coastes of Israel and if there shal not be that may defend vs we wil come forth to thee â The messengers therefore came into Gabaa of Saul and they spake these wordes in the hearing of the people and al the people lifted vp their voice and wept â And behold Saul came folowing oxen out of the field and sayd What ayleth the people that they weepe And they told him the wordes of the men of Iabes â And the Spirit of our Lord seased on Saul when he had heard these wordes and his furie was exceding wrath â And taking both the oxen he cutte them into peeces and sent them into al the coastes of Israel by messengers saving Whosoeuer shal not goe forth and folow Saul and Samuel so shal it be done to his oxen Therefore the feare of our Lord inuaded the people and they went forth as it were one man â And he numbered them in Bezec and there were of the children of Israel three hundred thousand and of the men of Iuda thirtie thousand â And they sayd to the messengers that came Thus shal you say to the men that are in Iabes Galaad To morow when the sunne shal waxe hote you shal haue relife The messengers therefore came and told the men of Iabes Who were glad â And they said In the morning we wil come forth to you and you shal doe to vs whatsoeuer shal please you â And it came to passe when the morow was come Saul sette the people into three partes and entered into the middes of the campe in the morning watch and stroke Ammon vntil the day waxed hote and the rest were dispersed so that there were not left among them two together â And the people sayd to Samuel
when they heard that Zambri had rebelled and slayne the king al Israel made Amri their king who was General of the warfare ouer Israel that day in the campe â Amri therfore went vp and al Israel with him from Gebbethon and they besieged Thersa â And Zambri seing that the citie should be taken he went into the palace and burnt him self with the kinges house and he died â in his sinnes which he had sinned doing euil before our Lord and walking in the way of Ieroboam and in his sinne wherwith he made Israel to sinne â But the rest of the wordes of Zambri and of his treason and tyrannie are not these thinges writen in the Booke of the wordes of the dayes of the kinges of Israel â Then was the people of Israel diuided into two partes the halfe part of the people folowed Thebni the sonne of Gineth to make him king and the halfe part Amri â But the people that was with Amri preuayled ouer the people that folowed Thebni the sonne of Gineth and Thebni died and Amri reigned â In the one and thirteth yeare of Asa the king of Iuda Amri reigned ouer Israel twelue yeares in Thersa he reigned six yeares â And he bought the mount of Samaria of Somer for two talentes of siluer and he built it and he called the citie which he had built by the name of Semer the lord of the mount of Samaria â And Amri did euil in the sight of our Lord and wrought wickedly aboue al that were before him â And he walked in al the way of Ieroboam the sonne of Nabat and in his sinnes wherwith he made Israel to sinne that they might anger our Lord the God of Israel in their vanities â But the rest of the wordes of Amri and the battels he made are not these thinges writen in the Booke of the battels that he made are not these thinges written in the Booke of the wordes of the daies of the kinges of Israel â And Amri slept with his fathers and was buried in Samaria and Achab his sonne reigned for him â But Achab the sonne of Amri reigned ouer Israel the eight and thirteth yeare of Asa the king of Iuda And Achab the sonne of Amri reigned ouer Israel in Samiaria two and twentie yeares â And Achab the sonne of Amri did euil in the sight of our Lord aboue al that were before him â Neither did it suffice him that he walked in the sinnes of Ieroboam the sonne of Nabat besides he tooke to wife Iezabel the daughter of Ethbaul the king of the Sidonians And he went and serued Baal and adored him â And he sette an altar to Baal in the temple of Baal which he had built in Samaria â and he planted a groue and Achab added in his worke prouoking our Lord the God of Israel aboue al the kinges of Israel that were before him â In his daies Hiel of Bethel built Iericho in Abiram his first borne he founded it and in Segub his last he sette vp the gates therof according to the word of our Lord which he spake in the hand of Iosue the sonne of Nun. CHAP. XVII Elias by his prayer âhutteth the heauen from raining 2. Is fed by a crovv 8 and by a vvidovv of Sareptha 13. vvhose potte of meale and barrel of oyle diminisheth not 17. Her sonne dieth and is raysed to life AND Elias the Thesbite of the inhabiters of Galaad said to Achab Our Lord liueth the God of Israel in whose sight I stand if there shal be these yearer dew and rayne but according to the wordes of my mouth â And the word of our Lord came to him saying â Depart from hence and goe agaynst the East and be hidde in the Torrent carith which is agaynst Iordan â and there thou shalt drinke of the torrent and I haue commanded the rauens that they feede thee there â He therfore went and did according to the word of our Lord and when he was gone he sate in the Torrent carith which is against Iordan â The rauens also brought him bread and flesh in the morning in like maner bread and flesh in the euening and he dranke of the torrent â But after certayne daies the torrent was dried for it bad not rayned vpon the earth â Therfore the word of our Lord came to him saying â Arise and goe into Sareptha of the Sidonians and thou shalt tarie there for I haue commanded a wydow woman there to feede thee â He arose and went into Sareptha And when he was come to the gate of the citie the wydow woman appeared to him gathering stickes and he called her and sayd to her Geue me a litle water in a vessel that I may drinke â And when she went to fetch it he cried after her saying Bring me also I beseche thee a morsel of bread in thy hand â Who answered Our Lord thy God liueth I haue no bread but so much meale in a potte as a hand can hold and a litle oile in a vessel behold I gather two stickes that I may goe in and dresse it for me and my sonne that we may eate and die â To whom Elias sayd feare not but goe and doe as thou hast sayd but first make for me of the same meale a litle harth cake and bring it to me and for thy self and thy sonne thou shalt make afterward â For thus sayth our Lord the God of Israel The potte of meale shal not fayle nor the vessel of oile be diminished vntil the day wherin our Lord wil geue rayne vpon the face of the earth â Who went and did according to the word of Elias and he did eate and she and her house and from that day â the pot of meale fayled not and the vessel of oyle was not diminished according to the word of our Lord which he spake in the hand of Elias â And it came to passe after these thinges the sonne of the woman the goodwife of the house fel sicke and the sickenesse was verie vehement so that there remayned no breath in him â She therfore sayd to Elias What is to me and thee thou man of God comest thou vnto me that myne iniquities might be remembred and thou mightest kil my sonne â And Elias sayd to her Geue me thy sonne And he tooke him from her bosome and caried him into the vpper chamber where him self abode and layd him vpon his bed â And he cried to our Lord and sayd O Lord my God what the widow also with whom I am after a sort susteyned hast thou afflicted that thou wouldest kil her sonne â And he stretched forth measured him selfe vpon the childe three tymes he cried to our Lord and sayd O. Lord my God let the soule of this childe I beseche thee returne into his bodie â And our Lord heard the voice of Elias and the soule of the child returned into him and he reuiued
wordes of the dayes of the kinges of Iuda â And they buried him in his sepulchre in the garden of Oza and Iosias his sonne reigned for him CHAP. XXII Iosias repayreth the temple and Diuine seruice 8. The booke of law is found 11. wherupon they consult our Lord 15. and are foretold that much euil shal fal vpon them 18. but the good king shal dye in peace EIGHT yeares old was Iosias when he began to reigne he reigned one and thirtie yeares in Ierusalem the name of his mother was Idida the daughter of Hadaia of Besecath â And he did that which was liked before our Lord and walked in al the waies of Dauid his father he declined not to the right hand or to the lefte â And in the eightenth yeare of king Iosias the king sent Saphan the sonne of Aslia the sonne of Messulam the scribe of the temple of our Lord saying to him â Goe to Helcias the high priest that the money may be gathered into a summe which hath beene brought into the temple of our Lord which the porters of the temple haue gathered of the people â and let it be geuen to the workemen by the ouerseers of the house of our Lord who also shal destribute it to them that worke in the temple of our Lord to make the reparations of the temple â that is to the carpenters and masons and to them that mend broken places and that timber may be bought and stones out of the quarries to repayre the temple of our Lord. â Yet let not the money which they receiue be accounted to them but let them haue it in their powre and vpon their fidelitie â And Helcias the highe priest sayd to Saphan the scribe I haue found the Booke of the law in the house of our Lord and Helcias gaue the volume to Saphan who also did reade it â Saphan also the scribe came to the king and reported vnto him that which he had commanded and sayd Thy seruantes haue gathered into a summe the money which is found in the house of our Lord and they haue geuen it to be destributed to the workemen by the ouerseers of the workes of the temple of our Lord. â Saphan also the scribe told the king saying Helcias the priest hath geuen me a Booke Which when Saphan had read before the king â and the king had heard the wordes of the law of our Lord he rent his garmentes â And he willed Helcias the priest and Ahicam the sonne of Saphan and Achobor the sonne of Micha and Saphan the Scribe and Asaia the kinges seruant saying â Goe and consult our Lord for me and for the people and for al Iuda concerning the wordes of this volume which is found for the great wrath of our Lord is kindled agaynst vs because our fathers haue not heard the wordes of this Booke to doe al that is writen for vs. â Helcias therfore the priest and Ahicam and Achabor and Saphan and Asaia went to Holda a prophetesse the wife of Sellum the sonne of Thecua the sonne of Araas keeper of the garmentes who dwelt in Ierusalem in the second and they spake to her â And she answered them Thus sayth our Lord the God of Israel Tel the man that sent you to me â Thus sayth our Lord Behold I wil bring euils vpon this place and vpon the inhabitantes therof al the wordes of the law which the king of Iuda hath read â because they haue forsaken me and haue sacrificed to strange goddes prouoking me in al the workes of their handes and my indignation shal be kindled in this place and shal not be quenched â But to the king of Iuda that sent you to consult our lord thus you shal say Thus sayth our Lord the God of Israel For that thou hast heard the wordes of the volume â and thy hart is striken with feare and thou art humbled before the Lord hearing the wordes agaynst this place and the inhabitantes therof to witte that they should become a wonder and a curse and hast rent thy garmentes and wept before me and I haue heard it sayth our Lord â therfore I wil gather thee to thy fathers and thou shalt be gathered to thy sepulchre in peace that thy eies may not see al the euils which I wil bring in vpon this place CHAP. XXIII Iosias reading the law before the people they al promise to serue God 4. Al thinges belonging to Idolatrie are cast forth of the temple 8. and other places of Iuda 15. He also destroyeth the altar in Bethel not remouing the bones of a prophet 19. and other altares in Samaria killeth the false priestes 21. And maketh a notorious great Pasch 26. Yet God threatneth the captiuitie of Iuda for their sinnes 29. Iosias is slaine in battle by the king of Aegypt and his sonne Ioachaz reigneth VVho after three monethes is deposed by the king of Aegypt and his brother Eliacim henceforth called Ioakim made king AND they reported to the king that which she had sayd Who sent and al the ancientes of Iuda and Ierusalem were assembled to him â And the king went vp to the temple of our Lord and al the men of Iuda and al that dwelt in Ierusalem with him priestes and prophetes and al the people from litle to great and in hearing of al he read al the wordes of the Booke of the couenant which was found in the house of our Lord. â And the king stood vpon the steppe and made a couenant with our Lord to walke after our Lord kepe his preceptes and testimonies and ceremonies with al their hart and with al their soule and to performe the wordes of this couenant which were writen in that booke the people agreed to the couenant â And the king willed Helcias the high priest the priestes of the second order al the porters that they should cast out of the temple of our Lord al the vessels that had bene made to Baal and in the groue and to al the host of heauen he burnt them without Ierusalem in the Valley cedron and caried the dust of them into Bethel â And he destroyed the Southsayers which the kinges of Iuda had appointed to sacrifice in the excelses in the cities of Iuda and round about Ierusalem and them that burnt incense to Baal and to the Sunne and to the Moone and to the twelue signes and to al the host of heauen â And he caused the groue to be caried forth out of the house of our Lord without Ierusalem in the Valley cedron he burnt it there and brought it into dust and threw it vpon the sepulchres of the common people â He destroyed also the litle houses of the effeminates which were in the house of our Lord for the which the wemen woue as it were litle houses of the groue â And he gathered together al the priestes of the cities of Iuda and he contaminated the excelses where
Whom Nabuzardan the General of the armie taking brought them to the king of Babylon into Reblatha â And the king of Babylon stroke them and âlew them in Reblatha in the land of Emath and Iuda was transported out of their land â And he made Godolias the sonne of Ahicam the sonne of Saphan Gouernour ouer the people that was leift in the land of Iuda which Nabuchodonosor the king of Babylon had leift â Which when al the captaynes of the souldiars had heard they and the men that were with them to witte that the king of Babylon had appoynted Godolias there came to Godolias into Masp a ãâã the sonne of Mathanias and Iohanan the sonne of Câée and the Saraia the sonne of Thanehumeth a Netophathiâe and Iezonias the sonne of Maachathi they and their felowes â And Godolias sware to them and to their companions saying Be not afrayd to serue the Caldees tarie in the countrie and serue the king of Babylon and it shal be wel with you â But it came to passe in the seuenth moneth there came Ismahel the sonne of Nathanias the sonne of Elisama of the kinges seede and ten men with him and stroke Godolias who also died yea the Iewes also the Chaldees that were with him in Maspha â And al the people rysing vp from litle to great the captaynes of the souldiars came into Aegypt fearing the Caldees â But it came to passe in the seuen and thirteth yeare of the Transmigration of Ioachin the king of Iuda in the twelfth moneth the seuen and twenteth day of the moneth Euilmerodach the king of Babylon in the yeare that he began to reigne lifted vp the head of Ioachin the king of Iuda out of prison â And he spake vnto him courteously and he sette his throne aboue the throne of the kinges that were with him in Babylon â And he changed his garmentes which he had in the prison and he did eate bread alwayes in his sight al the dayes of his life â A certayne prouision also he appointed for him without intermission which was also geuen him of the king day by day al the daies of his life THE ARGVMENT OF PARALIPOMENON PARALIPOMENON that is A supplement of thinges ommitted called by the Hebrewes Dibre haiamim The wordes of the dayes or Chronicle is an Abridgement briefly shewing besides diuers other genealogies from the beginning of the world the faith and religion both of the progenitors and ofspiring of the Patriarch Iacob whose progenie God chose and made his peculiar people and in that nation more particularly recounting the Actes of king Dauid and other kinges of his line til they were led captiue into Babylon A booke of such and so great importance sayeth S. Hierom. as whosoeuer without it arrogateth the knowledge of Scriptures may mocke himselfe The author is vncertaine but probably it semeth to be gathered by Esdras out of other bookes and traditions for the perfecting of the old Testament and is vndoubtedly canonical Scripture In hebrew it is al one booke but being large is with the Greekes and Latines parted into two And the first booke may be diuided into three principal partes The first nine chapters conteyne diuers genealogies first by the only right line from Adam to Noe then by diuers lines of Noes progenie but most specially of Iacobs twelue sonnes In the tenth chapter the reiection and death of king Saul is repeted The other ninetene chapters are al of Dauid to wit of his election to be king and inunction his vertues his faultes also and his special actes concerning Gods seruice gouernment of the people and prouision made for building Gods Temple THE FIRST BOOKE OF PARALIPOMENON IN HEBREW DIBRE HAIAMIM CHAP. I. The genealogie of Adam in the right line to Noe and his three sonnes Sem Cham and Iaphet 5. The generations of Iaphet 8. of Cham 17. and of Sem. 24. The right line of Sem to Abraham 26. Abrahams generations by the line of Ismael 32. by the sonnes of Cetura 34. and by the line of Isaac and his sonne Esau 43. with their kinges 51. and dukes ADAM Seth Enos â Cainan Malaleel lared â Henoch Mathusale Lamech â Noe Sem Cham and Iapheth â The sonnes of Iapheth Gomer and Magog Madai and Iauan Thubal Mosoch Thrias â Moreouer the sonnes of Gomer Ascenez and Riphath and Thogorma â And the sonnes of Iauan Elisa and Tharsis Cethim and Dodanim â The sonnes of Cham Chus and Mesraim and Phut Chanaan â And the sonnes of Chus Saba and Heuila Sabatha Regma and Sabathaca Moreouer the sonnes of Regma Saba and Dadan â And Chus begat Nemrod this begane to be mightie in the earth â But Mesraim begat Ludim and Anamim and Laabim Nephtuim â Phetrusim also and Casluim from whom came Philisthijm Caphthorim â But Chanaan begat Sidon his first-borne the Hetheite also â and the Iebuseite and the Amorrheite the Gergeseite â the Heueite and the Araceite and the Sineite â The Aradium also and the Samareite and the Hamatheite â The sonnes of Sem Aelam and Assur and Arphaxad Lud and Aram and Hus and Hul and Gether and Mosoch â And Arphaxad begat Sale who also begat Heber â Moreouer to Heber were borne two sonnes the name of one was Phaleg because in his daies the earth was diuided and the name of his brother Iectan â And Iectan begat Elmodad and Saleph Asarmoth and Iare â Adoram also and Vsal and Decla â Hebal also and Abimael and Saba moreouer â also Ophir and Heuila and Iobab Al these are the sonnes of Iactan â Sem Arphaxad Sale â Heber Phaleg Ragau â Serug Nachor Thare â Abram this is Abraham â And the sonnes of Abraham Isaac Ismael â And these are the generations of them The firstbegoten of Ismael Nabaioth and Cedar and Adbeel and Mabsam â and Masma and Duma Massa Hadad and Thema â Ietur Naphis Cedma. these are the sonnes of Ismahel â And the sonnes of Cetura Abrahams concubine which she bare Zamran Iecsan Madan Madian Iesboc and Sue Moreouer the sonnes of Iecsan Saba and Dadan And the sonnes of Dadan Assurim and Latussim and Laomim â And the sonnes of Madian Epha and Epher and Henoch and Abida and Eldaa Al these the sonnes of Cetura â And Abraham begat Isaac whose sonnes were Esau Israel â The sonnes of Esau Eliphaz Rahuel Iehus Ihelom and Core â The sonnes of Eliphaz Theman Omar Sephi Gathan Cenez Thamna Amalec â The sonnes of Rahuel Nahath Zara Samma Meza â The sonnes of Seir Lotan Sobal Sebeon Ana Dison Eser Disan â The sonnes of Lotan Hori Homam And the sister of Lotan was Thamna â The sonnes of Sobal Alian and Manahath and Ebal Sephi Onam The sonnes of Sebeon Ais Ana. The sonnes of Ana Dison â The sonnes of Dison Hamram and Eseban and Iethran and Charan â The sonnes of Eser Balaan
his hand to day and offer what he wil to our Lord. â The princes therfore of the families promised and the nobles of the tribes of Israel the tribunes also and the centurions and the princes of the kinges possessions â And they gaue vnto the workes of the house of our Lord of gold fiue thousand talentes and ten thousand solidos of siluer ten thousand talentes and of brasse eightene thousand talentes of yron also an hundred thousand talentes â And with whomsoeuer were found stones they gaue them into the treasures of the house of our Lord by the hand of Iahiel the Gersonite â And the people reioysed when they promised vowes of their owne accord because they did offer them to our Lord with al their hart yea and Dauid the king reioysed with great ioy â And he blessed our Lord before al the multitude and he sayd Blessed art thou ô Lord the God of Israel our father from eternitie vnto eternitie â Thine ô Lord is the magnificence and might and glorie and victorie to thee is the prayse for al thinges that be in heauen and in the earth are thine thine ô Lord is the kingdom and thou art ouer al princes â Thine are riches and thine is glorie thou hast dominion ouer al in thy hand is power might in thy hand greatenesse and the empire of al thinges â Now therfore our God we confesse to thee and we prayse thy glorious name â Who am I and what is my people that we can promisse thee al these thinges al are thine and thinges that we receiued of thy hand we haue geuen thee â For we are pilgrimes before thee and strangers as al our fathers Our daies are as a shadow vpon the earth and there is noe abyding â Lord our God al this plentie which we haue prepared that a house might be built to thy holie name is of thy hand and al thinges are thine â I know my God that thou prouest the hartes and louest simplicitie wherfore I also in the simplicitie of my hart gladly haue offered al these thinges and thy people which is here found I haue sene with great ioy offer thee donaries â Lord God of Abraham and Isaac and Israel our fathers keepe for euer this wil of their hart and let this mind reinayne al waies to the honour of thee â To Salomon also my sonne geue a perfect hart that he keepe thy commandementes thy testimonies and thy ceremonies and doe al thinges and build the house the expenses whereof I haue prepared â And Dauid commanded the whole assemblie Blesse ye our Lord God And al the assemblie blessed our Lord the God of their fathers and they bowed themselues and adored God and then the king â And they immolated victime to our Lord and they offered holocaustes the day folowing oxen a thousand rammes a thousand lambes a thousand with their libamentes with al rite most abundantly for al Israel â And they did eate and drinke before our Lord in that day with great ioy And they anoynted the second time Salomon the sonne of Dauid And they anoynted him to our Lord for the prince and Sadoc for the high priest â And Salomon sate vpon the throne of our Lord as king for Dauid his father and he pleased al al Israel obeyed him â Yea and al the princes and men of might and al the sonnes of king Dauid gaue their hand and were subiect to Salomon the king â Our Lord therfore magnified Salomon ouer al Israel and gaue him the glorie of akingdom such as no king of Israel had before him â Dauid therfore the sonne of Isai reigned ouer al Israel â And the daies that he reigned ouer Israel were fourtie yeares in Hebron he reigned seuen yeares and in Ierusalem three and thirtie yeares â And he died in a good age ful of daies and riches and glorie And Salomon his sonne reigned for him â But the actes of king Dauid the first and the last are writen in the Booke of Samuel the Seer in the Booke of Nathan the prophete in the Volume of Gad the Seer â and of al his kingdom and strength and of the times that passed vnder him either in Israel or in al the kingdomes of the earth THE ARGVMENT OF THE SECOND BOOKE OF PARALIPOMENON AS the former booke sheweth how after manie generations from the beginning of the world God selecting one special nation for his peculiar people and the same being afterwardes made a kingdome the Scepter therof both by Gods and the peoples election came to Dauid and his sonne Salomon See this booke declareth that first Salomon reigned peaccably ouer the whole kingdom in the nine first chapters Then in the other twentie seuen chapters relateth how the same kingdom was diuided tenne tribes being taken away the historie wherof is but here briefly touched and two only with the title of the kingdom of Iuda were possessed by succession of ninetenne kinges al of Dauids and Salomons issue in royal estate til the captiuitie in Babylon THE SECOND BOOKE OF PARALIPOMENON IN HEBREW DIBRE HAIAMIM CHAP. I. Salomon establiâhed in the throne offereth a thousand hostes of sacrifice 7. asking wisdome 12. it is geuen him with richesse and temporal glorie which he asked not 14. He prouideth manie chariottes and horsemen SALOMON therfore the sonne of Dauid was strengthened in his kingdom and our Lord was with him and magnified him on high â And Salomon commanded al Israel the tribunes and the centurious and the dukes and iudges of al Israel and the princes of the families â and he went with al the multitude into the Excelse of Gabaon where was the tabernacle of the couenant of our Lord which Moyses the seruant of God made in the wildernesse â For Dauid had brought the Arke of God from Cariathiarim into the place which he had prepared for it and where he had pitcht a tabernacle for it that is in Ierusalem â The altar also of brasse which Beseleel the sonne of Vri the sonne of Hur had made was there before the tabernacle of our Lord which also Salomon sought and al the assemblie â And Salomon went vp to the altar of brasse before the tabernacle of the couenant of our Lord and offered on it a thousand hostes â And behold in that verie night God appeared to him saying Aske what thou wilt that I may geue it thee â And Salomon sayd to God Thou hast done great mercie with my father Dauid and hast made me king for him â Now therfore Lord God be thy word fulfilled which thou hast promised to Dauid my father for thou hast made me king ouer thy people great in number which is so innumerable as the dust of the earth â Geue me wisdom and intelligence that I may come in goe out before thy people for who can worthely iudge this thy people which is so great â And
thinges which his father had vowed and him self he brought into the house of our Lord gold and siluer and of vessels diuers furniture â And there was no warre vnto the fiue and thirteth yeare of the reigne of Asa CHAP. XVI Agaynst the king of Israel king Asa procureth helpe of the Assyrians 7. which a prophet reprouing is put in fetters 11. Asa dieth with disease of his feete and is buried with pompe AND in the six and thirteth yeare of his reigne came vp Baasa the king of Israel into Iuda and with a wall compassed Rama that none could safely goe out and come in of the kingdom of Asa â Asa therfore brought forth siluer and gold out of the treasures house of our Lord and of the kinges treasures and he sent to Benadad the king of Syria who dwelt in Damascus saying â There is league betwen me thee my father also and thy father had concord wherfore I haue sent thee siluer and gold that breaking the league which thou hast with Baasa the king of Israel thou make him retire from me â Which being knowen Benadad sent the princes of his hostes to the cities of Israel who stroke Ahion and Dan and Ablemaim and al the walled cities of Nephthali â which when Baasa had heard he ceased to build Rama and intermitted his worke â Moreouer Asa the king tooke al Iuda and caried away the stones out of Rama and the timber that Baasa had prepared for the building and he built of them Gabaa Maspha â At that time came Hanani the prophete to Asa the king of Iuda and sayd to him Because thou hast had confidence in the king of Syria and not in our Lord thy God therfore hath the armie of the king of Syria escaped out of thy hand â Were not the Aethiopians and Libyians manie moe in chariotes and horsemen and a multitude exceding great whom when thou didst beleue in our Lord he deliuered into thy hand â For the eies of our Lord behold al the earth and geue strength to them that with perfect hart beleue in him Thou therfore hast done foolyshly for this cause from this present time shal battels arise agaynst thee â And Asa being angrie agaynst the Seer commanded him to be cast into fetters for he tooke indignation excedingly vpon this thing and he slewe of the people at that time verie manie â But the workes of Asa the first the lasl are writen in the Booke of the kinges of Iuda and Israel â Asa also fel sicke in the nine and thirteth yeare of his reigne of a most vehement payne of his feete and neither in his infirmitie did he seeke our Lord but rather trusted in the arte of Phisitians â And he slept with his fathers and he died the one and fouâteth yeare of his reigne â And they buried him in his sepulchre which he had digged for himsels in the Citie of Dauid and they layd him vpon his bed ful of spices and odoriâerous oyntementes which were made by the arte of apothecaries and they burnt it ouer him with exceding ambition CHAP. XVII Iosaphat succeding in the kingdom preuaileth in battel agaynst the king of Israel 6. destroyeth Idolaters and sendeth Priestes and Leuites to instruct the people 11. The Philistians and Arabians send presentes to king Iosaphat 13. the leaders of the armie and souldiars are numbred AND Iosaphat his sonne reigned for him grew strong agaynst Israel â And he appoynted numbers of souldiars in al the cities of Iuda that were compassed with walles And he placed garrisons in the land of Iuda and in the cities of Ephraim which Asa his father had taken â And our Lord was with Iosaphat because he walked in the first waies of Dauid his father and he trusted not in Baalim â but in the God of his father and went forward in his preceptes and not according to the sinnes of Israel â And our Lord confirmed the kingdom in his hand and al Iuda gaue giftes to Iosaphat and there grew to him infinite riches and much glorie â And when his hart had taken courage for the waies of our Lord he tooke away also the Excelses and groues out of Iuda â And in the third yeare of his kingdom he sent of his princes Benhail and Abdias and Zacharias and Nathanael and Micheas that they should teach in the cities of Iuda â and with them Leuites Semeias and Nathanias and Zabadias Asael also and Semiramoth and Ionathan and Adonias and Tobias and Thobadonias Leuites and with them Elisama and Ioram Priestes â And they taught the people in Iuda hauing the booke of the law of our Lord and they went about al the cities of Iuda and instructed the people â Therfore the dread of our Lord came vpon al the kingdomes of the landes that were round about Iuda neither durst they make battel agaynst Iosaphat â Yea and the Philistians brought giftes to Iosaphat and tribute of siluer the Arabians also brought cattel of rammes seuen thousand seuen hundred and buckegoates as manie â Iosaphat therfore grewe and was magnified on high and he built in Iuda houses like to toures and walled cities â And he prepared manie workes in the cities of Iuda there were also men of warre and valiant in Ierusalem â of whom this is the number by the houses and families of euerie one In Iuda princes of the armie Ednas duke and with him most valiant men three hundred thousand â After him Iohanan the prince and with him two hundred eightie thousand â After him also Amasias the sonne of Zechri consecrated to our Lord and with him two hundred thousand of valiant men â Him followed Eliada valiant to battels and with him of them that held bow shield two hundred thousand â After this man also Iozabad and with him an hundred eightie thousand readie souldiars â Al these were at the hand of the king beside others whom he had put in walled cities in al Iuda CHAP. XVIII Iosaphat ioyned in affinitiâ with wicked Achab king of Israel goeth with him against Ramoth Galaad four hundred false prophetes promising victorie 14. Micheas prophecying the contrarie 25. is put in prison 28. Achab notwithstanding he changeth his attire and leaueth Iosaphat in danger 33. is slaine IOSAPHAT therfore was rich and verie glorious and was ioyned in affinitie to Achab. â And he went downe to him after certaine yeares into Samaria at whose coming Achab killed muttons and oxen very manie for him and the people that came with him and he perswaded him to goe vp into Ramoth Galaad â And Achab the king of Israel sayd to Iosaphat the king of Iuda Come with me into Ramoth Galaad To whom he answered As I am thou also as thy people so my people also and we wil be with thee in battel â Iosaphat sayd to the king of Israel Consult I besech thee presently the word of our Lord. â Therfore the king of Israel
of Israel should bring it in into the tabernacle of testimonie â For the most impious Athalia and her children haue destroyed the house of God and of al thinges that had bene sanctified in the temple of our Lord they adorned the temple of Baalim â The king therfore commanded and they made a chest and set it by the gate of our Lord on the out side â And it was proclaymed in Iuda and Ierusalem that euery man should bring the price to our Lord which Moyses the seruant of God appoynted ouer al Israel in the desert â And al the princes reioysed and al the people and going in they contributed into the chest of our Lord and cast in so that it was filled â And when it was time that they should bring the chest before the king by the handes of Leuites for they saw much money the kinges Scribe went in and he whom the high priest had appoynted they powred out the money that was in the chest recaried it to his place and so did they from day to day and there was gathered infinite money â Which the king and Ioiada gaue to them that ouersaw the workes of the house of our Lord but they hired with it hewers of stones and artificers of al workes to repayre the house of our Lord smithes also of yron and brasse that that which began to fal might be vpholden â And they that wrought did industriously and the breach of the walles was closed by their handes and they raysed the house of our Lord into the old state and made it stand firmely â And when they had accomplished al the workes they brought the rest of the money before the king and Ioiada of the which were made vessels of the temple to the ministerie and for holocaustes phials also and other vessels of gold and siluer and holocaustes were offered in the house of our Lord continually al the daies of Ioiada â But Ioiada became old being ful of dayes and died when he was an hundred and thirtie yeares old â And they buried him in the citie of Dauid with the kinges because he had done good with Israel and with his house â And after that Ioiada was dead the princes of Iuda went in and adored the king who being altered by their seruiceablenesse agreed to them â And they forsooke the temple of our Lord the God of their fathers and serued groues and sculptilles and there came wrath agaynst Iuda and Ierusalem for this sinne â And he sent them prophetes that they should returne to our Lord whom protesting they would not heare â The spirit of God therfore inuested Zacharias the sonne of Ioiada the Priest he stood in the sight of the people and sayd to them Thus sayth our Lord God Why transgresse you the precept of our Lord which thing shal not profit you haue forsaken our Lord that he should forsake you â Who being gathered agaynst him they threw stones according to the kinges commandement in the court of the house of our Lord. â And Ioas the king did not remember the mercie that Ioiada his father had done with him but he killed his sonne Who when he died sayd Our Lord see and require it â And when a yeare was come about the armie of Syria came vp against him it came into Iuda Ierusalem slewe al the princes of the people and al the pray they sent to the king into Damascus â And wheras there was come a very smal number of the Syrians our Lord deliuered into their handes an infinit multitude for that they had forsaken our Lord the God of their fathers on Ioas also they exercised ignomious iudgementes â And departing they left him in great diseases and his seruantes rose agaynst him for reuenge of the bloud of the sonne of Ioiada the priest they slewe him in his bed he dyed and they buried him in the Citie of Dauid but not in the kinges sepulchres â And there conspired against him Zabad the sonne of Semmaath an Ammonitesse Iozabad the sonne of Semarith a Moabitesse â Moreouer his children and the summe of money which was gathered vnder him the repayring of the house of God are writen more diligently in the Booke of kinges and Amasias his sonne reigned for him CHAP. XXV Amasias killeth those that slew his father 5. Besides his owne people hyreth souldiars of Israel but by aduise of a Prophete dismisseth them 11. and with his owne owerthroweth the Idumeans whose idols taken in battel 13. the dismissed souldiars in the meane time spoyling his countrie he adoreth 15. Contemning admonition 17. and prouoking the king of Israel to warre 22. is taken in battel and spoyled 27. Fearing treason in Ierusalem fleeth and is slaine in Lachis FIVE and twentie yeares old was Amasias when he began to reigne and he reigned nine and twentie yeares in Ierusalem the name of his mother was Ioaden of Ierusalem â And he did good in the sight of our Lord but yet not in a perfect hart â And when he saw his kingdom strengthned he put to death the seruantes that had slayne the king his father â but their children he slew not as it is writen in the Booke of the law of Moyses where our Lord commanded saying The fathers shal not be slayne for the children nor the children for their fathers but euerie one shal die in his owne sinne â Amasias therfore gathered together Iuda and appoynted them by families and tribunes and centurions in al Iuda and Beniamin and he numbred from twentie yeares vpward and found three hundred thousand of yong men that went forth to battel and held speare and shielde â He hyred also for wages of Israel an hundred thousand strong men for an hundred talentes of siluer â But a man of God came to him and sayd O king let not the host of Israel goe forth with thee for our Lord is not with Israel and al the children of Ephraim â and if thou thinke that battels consist in the force of an armie God wil make thee to be ouercome of the enemies for it perteyneth to God both to helpe and to put to flight â And Amasias sayd to the man of God What shal become then of the hundred talentes which I haue geuen the souldiars of Israel And the man of God answered him Our Lord hath wherby he is able to geue thee much more then this â Amasias therfore seperated the host that came to him out of Ephraim that they should returne into their place but they being wrath excedingly agaynst Iuda returned into their countrie â Moreouer Amasias brought forth his people confidently and went into the Vale of salt pittes and stroke the children of Seir ten thousand â And other ten thousand men did the children of Iuda take and bring to the steepe of a certaine rocke and cast them down headlong from the toppe who burst in sunder euerie one â But
the face our Lord as Manasses his father did reuerence it and he committed farre greater sinnes â And when his seruantes had conspired agaynst him they slewe him in his owne house â Moreouer the rest of the multitude of the people hauing slaine them that stroke Amon made Iosias his sonne king for him CHAP. XXXIIII Iosias destroyeth idolatrie 8. repaireth the Temple 14. The booke of the law found in the Temple is redde before him 19. wherby vnderstanding the sinnes of the people 23. a prophete foresheweth their punishment 26. but not in his daies 29. He reneweth the couenant betwen God and the people EIGHT yeares old was Iosias when he began to reigne he reigned thirtie and one yeares in Ierusalem â And he did that which was right in the sight of our Lord and walked in the waies of Dauid his father he declined not neither to the right hand nor to the left â And in the eight yeare of his reigne when he was yet a child he began to seeke the God of his father Dauid and the twelfth yeare after he began to reigne he cleansed Iuda and Ierusalem from excelses and groues and idols sculptils â And they destroyed before him the altars of Baalim and the idols that had bene set vpon them they destroyed the groues also and sculptils he cut downe and brake in peeces and ouer their tombes that were accustomed to immolate vnto them he strawed the fragmentes â Moreouer the bones of the Priestes he burnt on the altars of the idols and he clensed Iuda and Ierusalem â Yea and in the cities of Manasses and of Ephraim and of Simeon vnto Nepthali he ouerthrew al. â And when he had destroyed the altars and the groues and had broken the idols into peces and had ouerthrowen al profane temples out of al the land of Israel he returned into Ierusalem â Therfore in the eightenth yeare of his reigne the land now clensed and the temple of our Lord he sent Saphan the sonne of Eselias and Maasias the gouernour of the citie and Ioha the sonne of Ioachaz Commenter that they should repayre the house of our Lord his God â Who came to Helcias the high priest and taking of him the money which had bene brought into the house of our Lord and which the Leuites and porters had gathered together of Manasses and Ephraim and of al the remnant of Israel of al Iuda also and Beniamin and the inhabiters of Ierusalem â they deliuered in their handes that ouersaw the workemen in the house of our Lord that they should repayre the temple and mend al weake partes â But they gaue it to the artificers and to the masons that they should bye stones out of the quarries and timber for the ioyntures of the building and for making the roofe of the house which the kinges of Iuda had destroyed â Who did al thinges faithfully And the ouerseers of the workemen were Iahath Abdias of the children of Merari Zacharias and Mosollam of the children of Caath which vrged the worke al Leuites skilful to sing on instrumentes â But ouer them that caried burdens to diuerse vses were scribes and masters of the Leuites and porters â And when they caried forth the money that had bene brought into the temple of our Lord Helcias the Priest found the Booke of the law of our Lord by the hand of Moyses â And he sayd to Saphan the Scribe I haue found the booke of the law in the house of our Lord and deliuered it to him â But he brought in the volume to the king and told him saying Al thinges which thou gauest into the hand of thy seruantes loe are accomplished â The siluer that was found in the house of our Lord they haue gathered into a masse and it was geuen to the ouerseers of the artificers and of them that make diuerse workes â Moreouer Helcias the Priest deliuered me this booke Which when he had read in the kinges presence â and he had heard the wordes of the law he rent his garmentes â and he commanded Helcias and Ahicam the sonne of Saphan and Abdon the sonne of Micha Saphan also the scribe and Asaa the kinges seruant saying â Goe and pray our Lord for me and for the remnant of Israel and Iuda concerning al the wordes of this Booke which is found for the great furie of our Lord hath distilled vpon vs for that our fathers haue not kept the wordes of our Lord to doe al thinges that are writen in this volume â Helcias therfore went and they that were sent together by the king to Olda a prophetesse the wife of Sellum the sonne of Thecuath the sonne of Hasra keeper of the garmentes who dwelt in Ierusalem in the second part and they spake to her the wordes which we haue aboue mentioned â But she answered them Thus sayth out Lord the God of Israel Tel the man that sent you to me â Thus sayth our Lord Behold I wil bring euils vpon this place and vpon the inhabitantes therof and al the curses that are writen in this Booke which they redde before the king of Iuda â Because they haue forsaken me and haue sacrificed to strange goddes that they might prouoke me to wrath in al the workes of their handes therfore shal my furie droppe vpon this place shal not be extinguished â But to the king of Iuda that sent you to beseche our Lord thus speake ye Thus sayth our Lord the God of Israel Because thou hast heard the wordes of this volume â and thy hart is mollified and thou art humbled in the sight of our Lord for these thinges which are spoken against this place and the inhabitantes of Ierusalem and reuerencing my face hast rent thy garmentes and wept before me I also haue heard thee sayth our Lord. â For now wil I gather thee to thy fathers and thou shalt be brought into thy graue in peace neither shal thyne eies see al the euil that I wil bring in vpon this place and vpon the inhabitantes therof They therfore reported to the king al thinges that she had sayd â But he calling together al the ancientes of Iuda and Ierusalem â went vp into the house of our Lord and al the men of Iuda and the inhabitantes of Ierusalem Priestes and Leuites and al the people from the least to the greatest In whose hearing in the house of our Lord the king read al the wordes of the volume â And standing on his tribunal seate he made a couenant before our Lord that he would walke after him and keepe his preceptes and testimonies and iustifications in al his hart and in al his soule and would do the thinges that were writen in that volume which he had read â He adiured also vpon this al that were found in Ierusalem and Beniamin and the inhabitantes of Ierusalem did according to the couenant of our Lord the God of their fathers â Iosias
therfore tooke away al abominations of al the countries of the children of Israel and made al that were left in Israel to serue our Lord their God Al his daies they reuolted not from our Lord the God of their fathers CHAP. XXXV Iosias celebrateth a most Solemne Pasch 20. Is slaine by the king of Aegypt al Iudalamenting him 25. most specially Ieremias AND Iosias made in Ierusalem a Phase to our Lord which was immolated the fourtenth day of the first moneth â And he appoynted the Priestes in their offices and exhorted them that they would minister in the house of our Lord. â To the Leuites also at whose instruction al Israel was sanctified to our Lord he spake Put the Arke in the Sanctuarie of the temple which Salomon built the sonne of Dauid the king of Israel for you shal carie it no more but now minister to our Lord your God and to his people Israel â And prepare your selues by your houses and kinredes in the diuisions of euerie one as Dauid the king of Israel commanded and Salomon his sonne described â And minister ye in the Sanctuarie by families and Leuitical companies â and being sanctified immolate the Phase prepare also your brethren that they may doe according to the wordes which our Lord spake in the hand of Moyses â Moreouer Iosias gaue to al the people that was found there in the solemnitie of the Phase lambes and kiddes of the flockes and of the rest of the cattel thirtie thousand of oxen also three thousand al these thinges of the kinges substance â His dukes also voluntarily offered that which they vowed as wel to the people as to the Priestes and the Leuites Moreouer Helcias and Zacharias and Iahiel princes of the house of our Lord gaue to the Priestes to make the Phase cattel one with an other two thousand six hundred and oxen three hundred â And Chonenias and Semeias also Nathanael his brethren moreouer Hasabias and Iehiel and Iozabad princes of the Leuites gaue to the rest of the Leuites to celebrate the Phase fiue thousand sheepe and oxen fiue hundred â And the ministerie was prepared and the Priestes stood in their office the Leuites also in companies according to the kinges commandement â And the Phase was immolated and Priestes sprinkled the blood with their hand and the Leuites drew of the skinnes of the holocaustes â and they seperated them to geue them by the houses and families of euerie one and to be offered to our Lord as it is writen in the Booke of Moyses of oxen also they did in like maner â And they rosted the Phase vpon fyre according to that which is writen in the law but the pacifique hostes they bâvled in caudrons and kettles and pottes and in hast they distributed it to al the people â And for themselues and for the Priestes they prepared afterward for in oblation of holocaustes and of fatte the Priestes were occupied vntil night wherfore the Leuites prepared for themselues and for the Priestes the children of Aaron last â Moreouer the singing men the children of Asaph stood in their order according to the precept of Dauid and Asaph and Heman and Idithun the prophetes of the king and the porters watched at euerie gate so that they departed not a moment from the ministerie for the which cause also their brethren the Leuites prepared meates for them â Therfore al the seruice of our Lord was ritely accomplished that day so that they made the Phase and offered holocaustes vpon the altar of our Lord according to the precept of king Iosias â And the children of Israel that were found there made the Phase at that time and the solemnitie of Azymes seuen daies â There was not a Phase like to this in Israel from the daies of Samuel the prophete neither did anie of al the kinges of Israel make a Phase as Iosias to the Priestes and the Leuites and to al Iuda and Israel that was found and to the inhabitantes of Ierusalem â In the eightenth yeare of the kingdom of Iosias was this Phase celebrated â After that Iosias had repayred the temple came vp Nechao the king of Aegypt to fight in Charcamis beside Euphrates and Iosias went forth to meete him â But he sending messengers vnto him sayd What haue I to doe with thee king of Iuda I come not agaynst thee this day but I fight agaynst an other house to the which God hath commanded me to goe in hast leaue to doe agaynst God who is with me lest he kil thee â Iosias would not returne but prepared battel agaynst him neither did he agree to the wordes of Nechao from the mouth of God but went forward to fight in the fielde of Mageddo â And there being wounded of the Archers he sayd to his seruantes Carie me out of the battel because I am sore wounded â Who remoued him from one chariote into an other chariote that folowed him after the maner of kinges and they caried him away into Ierusalem he died and was buried in the monument of his fathers and al Iuda and Ierusalem mourned for him â Ieremie most of al whose lamentations al the singing men and singing wemen repeate vntil this present day vpon Iosias and it is growen as it were a law in Israel Behold it is sayd to be writen in the lamentations â But the rest of the wordes des of Iosias of his mercies which are commanded by the law of our Lord â his workes also the first and the last are writen in the Booke of the kinges of Iuda and Israel CHAP. XXXVI Ioachaz reigneth three monethes 4. His brother Eliakim named loakim eleuen yeares 9. his sonne Ioachin three monethes 11. his vncle Sedecias eleuen yeares 14. Most Priestes and people contemning the admonitions of Prophetes 17. manie are slaine by the Chaldees the Temple and Ierusalem spo led and burnt 20. The sayd kinges successiuely and people are caryed captiue into Babylon 22. After seuentie yeares Cyrus king of Persia releaseth the captiuitie and geueth leaue to reedifie the Temple THE people therfore of the land tooke Ioachaz the sonne of Iosias and made him king for his father in Ierusalem â Taree and twentie yeares old was Ioachaz when he began to reigne and he reigned three monethes in Ierusalem â And the king of Aegypt when he came into Ierusalem deposed him and condemned the land in an hundred talentes of siluer and a talent of gold â And he made Eliakim his brother king for him ouer Iuda and Ierusalem and he turned his name Ioakim but he tooke Ioachaz himself with him and caried him away into Aegypt â Fiue and twentie yeares old was Ioakim when he began to reigne and he reigned eleuen yeares in Ierusalem and he did euil before our Lord his God â Agaynst him came vp Nabuchodonosor the king of the Chaldees and brought him bound in chaynes into Babylon â Whither he transported also the vessels of
Senaa three thousand nine hundred thirtitie â The Priests The children of Idaia in the house of Iosue nine hundred three â The childeren of Emmer a thousand fiftie two â The childeren of Phashur a thousand two hundred fourtie seuen â The children of Arem a thousand seuentene The Leuites â The children of Iosue Cedmiel the children â of Cenia seuentie foure The singing men â the childeren of Asaph an hundred fourtie eight â The porters The childeren of Sellum the childeren of Ater the childeren of Telmon the childeren of Accub the childeren of Hatita the childeren of Sobai an hundred thirtie eight â The Nathineites The childeren of Soha the childeren of Hasupha the childeren of Tebbaath â the childeren of Ceros the childeren of Siaa the childeren of Phadon the childeren of Lebana the childeren of Haguba the childeren of Seimai â the childeren of Hanan the childeren of Geddel the childeren of Gaher â the childeren of Raaia the childeren of Rasin the childeren of Necoda â the childeren of Gesem the childeren of Aza the childeren of Phasea â the childeren of Besai the childeren of Munim the childeren of Nephussim â the childeren of Bacbuc the childeren of Hacupha the childeren of Harur â the childeren of Besloth the childeren of Mahida the childeren of Harsa â the childeren of Bercos the childeren of Sisara the childeren of Thema â the childeren of Nasia the childeren of Hatipha â the childeren of the seruantes of Salomon the childeren of Sotai the childeren of Sophereth the childeren of Pharida â the childeren of Iahala the childeren of Darcon the childeren of Ieddel â the childeren of Saphia the childeren of Hatil the chideren of Phohereth who was borne vnto Sabaim the sonne of Amon. â Al Natheneites and the childeren of the seruantes of Salomon three hundred nyntie two â But these be they which came vp from Thelmela Thelharsa Cherub Addon and Emmer and could not shew the house of their fathers and their seed whether they were of Israel â The children of Dalaia the childeren of Tobia the childeren of Necoda six hundred fourtie two â And of the Priests the childeren of Habia the childeren of Accos the childeren of Berzellai who tooke a wife of the daughters of Berzellai a Galeadite and he was called by their name â These sought their writing in the register and found it not they were cast out of the Priesthood â And Athersatha said to them that they should not eate of the Holies of holies vntil there stood vp a Priest learned and cunning â Al the multitude as it were one man fourtie two thousand three hundred sixtie â beside their men seruants and wemen seruantes which were seuen thousand three hundred thirtie seuen and among them singing men singing wemen two hundred fourtie fiue â Their horses two hundred fourtie six their mules two hundred fourtie fiue â their camels foure hundred thirtie fiue asses six thousand seueÌ hundred twentie Hitherto is reported what was written in the Register From this place forward goeth on in order the historie of Nehemias â And certaine of the princes of families gaue vnto the worke Athersatha gaue into the treasure of gold a thousand drachmas phials fiftie tunikes for Priestes fiue hundred thirtie â And of the princes of families there gaue into the treasure of the worke of gold twentie thousand drachmas and of siluer two thousand two hundred pound â And that which the rest of the people gaue of gold twentie thousand drachmas and of siluer two thousand pound and tunikes for Priestes sixtie seuen â And the Priestes and Leuites and porters and singing men and the rest of the common people and the Nathineites and al Israel dwelt in their cities And the seuenth moneth was come and the childeren of Israel were in their cities CHAP. VIII Esdras readeth the law before the people 9. Nehemias conforteth them 13. They celebrate the feast of tabernacles seuen dayes 13. of collection the eight day AND al the people was gathered togethor as it were one man to the streate which is before the water and they sayd to Esdras the scribe that he should bring the booke of the law of Moyses which our Lord had commanded Israel â Esdras therfore the priest brought the law before the multitude of men and wemen and al that could vnderstand in the first day of the seuenth moneth â And he read it playnly in the streate that was before the water gate from morning vntil midday in the presence of the men and wemen and of these that vnderstood and the eares of al the people were attent to the booke â And Esdaas the scribe stood vpon a steppe of wood which he made to speake vpon and there stood by him Mathathias and Semeia and Ania and Vria and Helcia and Maasia on his right hand and on the left Phadaia Misael and Melchia and Hasum and Hasbadana Zacharia and Mosollam â And Esdras opened the booke before al the people for he appeared aboue al the people and when he had opened it al the people stood â And Esdras blessed our Lord the great God and al the people answred Amen amen lifting vp their handes and they bowed and adored God flatte on the earth â Moerouer Iosue Bani and Serebia Iamin Accub Septhai Oâia Maasia Celita Azarias Iozabed Hanan Phalaia Leuites made silence in the people to heare the law and the people stoode in their degree â And they read in the booke of the law of God distinctly and playnly for to vnderstand and they vnderstood when it was read â And Nehemias said the same is Athersatha and Esdras the Priest and scribe and the Leuites interpreting to al the people It is a day sanctified to the Lord our God mourne ye not and weepe not For al the people wept when they heard the wordes of the law â And he said to them Goe eate fat thinges and drinck the sweete wine and send portions to them that haue not prepared for themselues because it is the holie day of our Lord and be not sadde for the ioy of our Lord is our strength â And the Leuites made silence in al the people saying Hold your peace because the day is holie and be not sorowful â Therefore al the people went to eate and drinck and to send portions and to make great ioy because they vnderstood the wordes that he had taught them â And in the second day were gathered the princes of the families of al the people the Priests and Leuites to Esdras the scribe that he should interpret vnto them the wordes of the law â And they found written in the law that our Lord commanded in the hand of Moyses that the children of Israel should dwel in tabernacles on the solemne day the seuenth moneth â and that they should proclame and publish a voice in al their cities and in Ierusalem saying
Goe ye forth into the mount and fetch branches of the oliue tree and branches of the most fayre tree branches of the mirtle tree and boughes of the palme trees and branches of the thicke leaued tree that tabernacles may be made as it is written â And the people went forth and brought And they made themselues tabernacles euery man in his house toppe and in his courtes and in the courtes of the house of God and in the streate of the water gate and in the streate of the gate of Ephraim â Therefore al the church of them that were returned from the captiuitie made tabernacles and dwelt in tabernacles For from the daies of Iosue the sonne of Nun the children of Israel had not done it in such sort vntil that day and there was exceeding great ioy â And he reade in the booke of the law of God day by day from the first day til the last and they made the solemnitie seuen dayes in the eight day a collect according to the rite CHAP. IX The people repenting in fasting and sakcloth put away their wiues of strange nations 5. Esdras confesseth Gods benefites and the peoples ingratitude 32. prayeth for them and maketh league with God AND in the foure and twenteth day of the moneth the children of Israel came together in fasting and sackeclothes and carth vpon them â And the seede of the children of Israel was seperated from euerie strange childe and they stood and confessed their sinnes and the iniquities of their fathers â And they rose vp to stand and they read in the volume of the law of our Lord their God foure times in a day and four times they confessed and adored our Lord their God â And there arose vpon the steppe of the Leuites Iosue and Bani Cedminel Sabania Bonni Sarebias Bani and Chanani and they cried with a lowde voice to our Lord their God â And the Leuites Iosue and Cedmihel Bonni Hasebnia Serebia Odaia Sebnia and Phathahia said Arise Blesse our Lord your God from eternitie to eternitie and let them blesse the high name of thy glorie in al blessing praise â Thou the same o Lord alone thou hast made heauen al the host therof the earth al thinges that are in it the seas and al thinges that are therin and thou dost giue life to al these thinges and the host of heaueÌ adoreth thee â Thou the same o Lord God which didst choose Abram broughtest him out of the fire of the Chaldees and gauest him the name Abraham â And thou didst finde his hart faithful before thee and thou madest a couenante with him that thou wouldest geue him the land of the Chananite of the Hetheite and of the Amorrheite and of the Pherezeire and of the Iebuseite of the Gergeseite to geue vnto his seede and thou hast fulfilled thy wordes because thou art iust â And thou sawest the afflicton of our fathers in Aegypt their crie thou didst hearâ vpon the Read sea â And thou gauest signes wonders in Pharao and in al his seruants and in al the people of his land for thou didst know that they had done proudly against them and thou madest thyself a name as also at this day â And thou didst diuide the sea before them and they passed througth the midst of the sea in drie land but their persecutors thou threwest into the depth as a stone into the rough waters â And in a piller of a cloude thou wast their leader by day and in a piller of fire by night that the way might appeare to them by the which they went â To mount Sinai also thou didst descend and spakest with them from heauen and thou gauest them right iudgements and the law of truth ceremonies and good preceptes â Thy sanctified Sabbath thou didst shew them and the commandements and ceremonies and the law thou didst command them in the hand of Moyses thy seruant â Bread also from heauen thou gauest them in their hunger and water out of the rocke thou didst bring forth to them thirsting and thou saidest to them that they should enter in and possesse the land vpon which thou didst lift vp thy hand to diliuer it them â But they and our fathers did proudly and hardned their neckes and heard not thy coÌmandements â And they would not heare and they remembred not thy merueylous workes which thou hast done to them And they hardned their neckes and gaue the head to returne to their seruitude as it were by contention But thou a propitious God and gratious and merciful long suffering and of much compassion didst not forsake them â Yea and when they had made to them selues a molten calfe and had said This is thy God which brought thee out of Aegypt and they did great blasphemies â But thou in thy manie mercies didst not leaue them in the desert the piller of the cloude departed not from them by day to lead them into the way and the piller of fire by night to shew them the way by which they should goe â And thou gauest them thy good spirite which should teach them and thy Manna thou didst not withhold from their mouth and thou gauest them water in thirst â Fourtie yeares didst thou feede them in the desert and nothing was wanting to them their garmentes waxed not old and their feete not worne â And thou gauest them kingdomes and peoples and didst part lottes vnto them and they possessed the land of Sehon and the land of the king Hesebon and the land of Og the king of Basan â And thou didst multiplie their children as the starres of heauen brought them to the land wherof thou hadst said to their fathers that they should enter and possesse it â And the children came and possessed the land and thou didst humble before them the inhabiters of the land the Chananâites and gauest them into their hand and their kinges and the peoples of the land that they might doe to them as it pleased them â They therfore tooke the fensed cities and fatte ground and possessed houses ful of al goodes cesternes made by others vineyardes and oliuetes manie trees that bare fruite and they did eate and were filled and became fatte and abounded with delicious thinges in thy great goodnes â But they prouoked thee to wrath departed from thee and threw thy law behind their backes they killed thy prophetes which admonished them ernestly to returne to thee and they did great blasphemies â And thou gauest them into the handes of their enemies and they afflicted them And in the time of their tribulation they cried to thee thou from heauen didst heare and according to thy manie coÌpassions gauest them sauiours that should saue them from the hand of their enemies â And when they had rested they returned to do euil in thysight thou didst leaue them in the hand of their enemies and they possessed them And they
And she abode in her husbands house an hundred fiue yeares and dismist her abra free and she died and was buried with her husband in Bethulia â And al the people mourned for her seuen dayes â And in al the space of her life there was not that trubled Israel and after her death manie yeares â But the day of the festiuitie of this victorie is receiued of the Hebrewes in the number of holie daies and is worshiped of the Iewes from that time vntil this present day ANNOTATIONS CHAP. XVI 26. After that her husband vvas dead As yong Toblas and Sara were notable patterns to maried persons so Iudith is a like good example to deuout widowes excelling most partin manie respectes For first she professed this holie state of life in the old Testament when it was most rare the law prouiding that the brother or next kinsman should marie the widow of him that died without children as it semeth she had none the Greke text affirming that she gaue al her goodes before her death to other kinred ch 16. v. 24. Secondly she was only once maried ch 15. v. 13. ch 16. v. 26. wheras it is also commendable after twise or oftenner mariage at last to abstaine Thirdly she was yong about 36. yeares for three yeares and a half after that her husband was dead she was called a yong maide ch 12. v. 12. Fourtly she was of excellent beautie ch 8 v. 7. Fiftly exceeding rich ibidem Sixtly very noble especially after the deliuerie of the people from such distresse ch 15. v. 10. Seuently for this renowmed fact and for her other great vertue ch 8. v. 8 manie principal men desired to marie her ch 16. v. 22 Eightly al the people wished much issue of so noble a stock ch 16. v. 25. Nintly she liued long in the state of widowhood about threescore and nine yeares from 36. to 105 ch 16. v. 28. Tently there was great and long peace in al Israel after that she had releeued Bethulia ch 16. v. 30. Al which might easely haue inuited an other to haue maried but her great deuotion and feruent desire to serue God in a retired austere life fasting praying ch 8. v. 6. cutte of al incitements to mariage and made her before the Gospel to embrace Euangelical counsel not commanded but for better attaining to perfecton counseled by our Sauior and S. Paul Mat. 19. 1. Cor. 7. THE ARGVMENT OF THE BOOKE OF ESTHER OF the authoritie of this booke only two or three ancient writers doubted before the councels of Laodicea and Carthage declared it to be Canonical Al the rest did euer esteme it as diuine Scripture For albeit S. Ierom in his time found not certaine partes therof in the Hebrew and therfore transposed the same to the end of the booke as now we haue them yet in the Greeke he found al these sixtenne chapters conteyned in tenne And it is not vnprobable that these parcels were sometimes in the Hebrew as were diuers whole bookes which are now lost But whether they were at anie time in the Hebrew or no the Church of Christ accounteth the whole Booke of infallible authoritie reading as wel these partes as the rest in her publique office And the councel of Trent sess 4. For more expresse declaration defiueth that al the bookes recited in the same Decree amongst which is Esther with al the partes therof as they are accustomed to be read in the Catholique Church and be conteyned in the old vulgare latin Edition are sacred and Canonical Scripture It conteyneth a particular great danger of the people of Israel hapening as is probable shortly after their general relaxation returne of some from the captiuitie of Babylon and their deliuere from it through the godlie Zele and other vertues of Quene Esther directed herein by Mardocheus who being also in imminent danger was deliuered aduanced and finally writ the historie which may be diuided into foure partes not by order of the chapters as hey are here transposed but in order of time first the author reporteth some thinges going before the peoples danger in the 11. 1. 2. 12. chapters and part of the 3. Secondly their danger and distresse in the rest of the 3. and part of 13. chapters Thirdly their deliuerie from the 4. chapter to the middes of the. 9. and rest of the 13. and in the 14. 15. and 16. Fourtly the thinges that ensued hereupon in the other half of the ninth chapter the 10. chapter and first verse of the eleuenth VVho soeuer vvil please to read this historie in order of the time as the thinges happened adioyning the latter chapters vvhich are in the Greke and not in the Hebrevv may folovve the letters of the Alphabet as here vve haue placed them in the margent beginning at the second verse of the 11. chapter vvhere he findeth the letter A. and vvhen he cometh to B. returne vvhere the same letter is noted ch 1. And so in the rest folovv the same direction THE BOOKE OF ESTHER CHAP. I. King Assuerus celebrateth a great banket to shew his glorie 10. calleth quene Vasthi therto who refusing to come is by aduise of his counsel deposed IN the daies of Assuerus who reigned from India vnto Aethiopia ouer an hundred twentie seuen prouinces â when he sate in the throne of his kingdoÌ the citie Susá was in the begynning of his kingdom â In the third yeare therfore of his empyre he made a great feast to al the princes and to his seruantes to the most valiant of the Persians and the nobles of the Medes and the rulers of the prouinces in his sight â that he might shew the riches of the glorie of his kingdom and the greatnes vaunting of his might a great time to witte an hundred foure score dayes â And when the daies of the feast were accomplished he inuited al people that was found in Susan from the greatest to the least and commanded seuen daies a feast to be prepared in the entrance of the garden and of the wood which was planted with royal garnishing and with hand â And there hong on euerie side hangings of skie colour and grene and hyacinthine colour held vp with cordes of silke and of purple which were put into rings of yuorie and were held vp with marble pillers Beddes also of gold and siluer were placed in order vpon the floore paued with the emerauld and the touch stone which paynting adorned with meruelous varietie â And they that were inuited dranke in golden cuppes and the meates were brought in change of vessels Wine also plenteous and the best was set downe as was worthie of a kings magnificence â Neither was there that compelled them to drinke that would not but as the king had appointed making ech of his princes ouerseer of euerie table that euerie man might take what he would â Vasthi also the
shortly after the king sent new letters for the Iewes saftie geuing them leaue to kil whom soeuer they would of their enemies ch 8. v. â 11 Eightly the same day which was designed for destruction was made the day of ioy and exultation to the children of God ch 9. v. 1. 17 ch 16. v. 21. c. By which literal sense Gods meruelous prouidence is manifestly shewed neuer suffering his church to perish It hath moreouer two special mystical senses First as saftie of temporal life was procured to one nation by Esthers intercession to king Assuerus so general saluation is procured to al mankind by mediation of the blessed virgin Marie crushing the serpents head and the sentence of death is changed by new letters granting euerlasting life and glorie to al Gods true seruantes Esther also as likewise Iudith in figure of the Church saith S. Ierom Prologo in Sophon killed the aduersaries and deliuered Israel from danger of perishing CHAP. X. Assuerus subdueth manie countries 4. Mardocheus vnderstandeth and declareth his dreame 9. God separateth his people from other nations by a better lotte BVT king Assuerus made al the earth and al the ilandes of the sea tributaries â Whose strength and empire and the dignitie and highnesse wherewith he exalted Mardocheus are written in the bookes of the Medes and of the Persians â and how Mardocheus of the Iewes kinred was second after king Assuerus and great with the Iewes and acceptable to the people of his bretheren seking good to his people and speaking those things which pertayned to the good of his seede That which is in the Hebrew I haue expressed most faithfully And these things that folow I found written in the common edition which are conteyned in the greeke tongue and leetters and in the meane time this chapter was extant after the end of the booke which according to our custome we haue marked with an Obelus before it that is to say a broch â And Mardocheus said These things are done of God â I remember the dreame that I saw signifying these verie things neither was any of them frustrate â The litle fountayne which grew into a riuer and was turned into light and into the sunne and abounded into manie waters is Esther whom the king tooke to wife and made her to be queene â But the two dragons I am and Aman. â The nations that were assembled are they that endeuoured to destroy the name of the Iewes â And my nation is Israel which cried to our Lord and our Lord hath saued his people and he hath deliuered vs from al euils and hath done great signes and wonders among the nations â and he commanded that there should be two lottes one of the people of God and the other of al Nations â And both lottes are come to the day appointed euen now from that time before God to al nations â and our Lord hath remembred his people and hath had mercie on his inheritance â And these daies shal be obserued in the moneth of Adar the fourtenth and fistenth day of the same moneth with al diligence and ioy of the people gathered into one assemblie through out al the generations hereafter of the people of Israel CHAP. XI An Appendix and conclusion of this historie 2. The dreame of Mardocheus IN the fourth yeare when Ptolomee and Cleopatra reigned Dositheus which named himself a Priest and of the Leuitical kinred and Ptolomee his sonne brought this epistle of Phurim which they sayd Lysimachus the sonne of Ptolomee did interprete in Ierusalem This beginning was in the common edition which is neither extant in Hebrew nor with any of the interpreters â In the second yeare when Artaxerxes the greatest reigned in the first day of the moneth Nisan Mardocheus the sonne of Iairi the sonne of Semei the sonne of Cis of the tribe of Beniamin â A Iew which dwelt in the citie of Susan a great man and among the first of the kings court saw a dreame â And he was of that number of captiues whom Nabuchodonosor the king of Babylon had transported from Ierusalem with Ieconias the king of Iuda â and this was his dreame Theâe appeared voices and tumultes and thunders and earth quakes and pertuibation vpon the earth â and behold two great dragons prepared one against an other into battel â At whose crie al nations were raysed vppe to fight against the nation of the iust â And that was a day of darkenesse and danger of tribulation and distresse and great feare vpon the earth â And the nation of the iust fearing their euils was trubled and prepared to death â And they cried to God and they crying a litle fountayne grew into a verie great riuer and abounded into verie manie waters â Light and sunne arose and the humble were exalted and they deuoured the glorious â Which when Mardocheus had seene and risen out of his bed he mused what God would doe and he had it fixed in his mind desirous to know what the dreame should signifie CHAP. XII The conspiracie of two eunuches detected by Mardocheus is repeted 6. and Amans malice against him for the same AND he abode that time in the kings court with Bagatha and Thara the kings eunuches which were porters of the palace â And when he vnderstood their cogitations and had throughly seene their cares he learned that they went about to lay hands on king Artaxerxes and he told the king therof â Who hauing them both in examination when they had confesssd he commanded them to be led to death â But the king wrote that which was done in the comentaries and Mardocheus also committed the memorie of the thing to wriring â And the king commanded him that he should abide in the court of the palace geuing him giftes for the delation â But Aman the sonne of Amadathi the Bugeite was most glorious before the king and would hurt Mardocheus and his people for the two eunuches of the king which were put to death Hitherto the proeme That which foloweth was set in that place where it is written in the volum And should spoyle their goodes VVhich we found in the common edition only CHAP. XIII Acopie of the epistle which Aman sent to al prouinces to destroy the Iewââ 8. And Mardocheus his prayer for the people AND this was the copie of the letter The most great king Artaxerxes from India vnto Aethiopia to the princes of an hundred and seuen and twentie prouinces and to the captaynes that are subiect to his empire greeting â Wheras I reigned ouer manie nations and had subdewed al the world to my dominion I would noâ abuse the greatnes of my might but with clemencie and lenitie gouerne my subiectes that passing their life quietly without any terrour they might enioy peace wished of al men â But when I demanded of my counselers how this might
the Sabbath which is the seuenth day in the new we kepe our Lords day after the sabbath that is the eight which seuen and eight making fieftene multiplied by tenne signifying the Law of tenne commandments rise vnto 150. Againe euen multiplied by seuen make 49. wherto one to witte the eight being added make fieftie which multiplied by three signifying the B Trinitie make 150 Neither semed it without cause to this great Doctor that the fiâââ fieftie end with a Psalme of Paenance crauing mercie remission of sinnes the second with Mercie and Iustice which God ioyneth in the Redemption Iustification and Saluation of men the last with Diuine Praises signifying that by condemning sinnes in our selues through Gods mercie we may be iustified and so beginne in this life which is to be perfected in the next to praise our Lord as S. Paul admonisheth with Psalmes Hymnes and Spiritual Songues Concluding with the tvvo verses appointed by S Dama us Pope to be added in the end of al Psalmes and is obserued euer since his time by tradition in the vvhole Church Glorie to the Father and to the Sonne and to the Holie Ghost As it was in the beginning and now and euer into worldes of worldes in eternitie vvithout end Amen THE THIRD PART OF THE OLD TESTAMENT CONTEINING SAPIENTIAL BOOKES The argument of Sapiential Bookes Hitherto the Law and Historie of Gods peculiar people are set forth in the former partes of the holie Bible after which folowed the Booke of Psalmes which in maner of stile being al in verse is a distinct part but in substance of matter is an Epitome or briefe Summe of al holie Scripture most conueniently therfore placed in the middes of the rest as the Sunne amongst other Planetes a shining great light in a large house Now ensueth the third part conteining Diuine Instructions or Rules of good life A doctrine most agreable to Gods hiegh wisdom and most fitly commended to Man his reasonable creature in earth But besides this principal subiect as before is noted that each part participateth with others in their proper contents so here be manie precepts of the Law renewed sundrie examples of men and thinges past repeted and diuers prophecies vttered of thinges to come though in this part more specially is shewed the ground and as it were the very life or soule of the Law which is Reason the true Rule or Directorie wherin al good lawes are grounded For it both sheweth what ought to be done or auoided directeth mans iudgement to embrace that is good and to flee from al euil not only illuminating the vnderstanding to see that is right and iust but also disposing the internal affection to desire loue choose and preferre the right path of Gods law before whatsoeuer otherwise semeth pleasant or profitable so notwithstanding al dangers difficulties distresses worldlie calamites and death it self effectually perswading to perseuere to the end in holie conuersation Al which by a general name is called Wisdom comprising in one word al good desires holie vertues supernal giftes godlie endeuoures and the whole meanes wherby God is rightly knowen duly serued wherof these fiue Bookes teaching this most excellent and most necessarie maner of life are called Sapiential Neuertheles foure of them haue also other particular names as appareth in their titles Only the fourth is called the Booke of Wisdom by appropriation of the general name Al fiue are Canonical and assured holie Scripture as is shewed before and may be further proued of the two later which Protestants denie It is also euident that King Salomon was Auctor of the three former as S. Ierom S. Augustin and other Fathers proue by the holie text it selfe As it is likewise certaine that he either writte or at least by diuine inspiration vttered much more then is now extant For the holie Scripture 3. Reg. 4. testifieth that he spake three thousand Parables and his Songes were a thousand and fiue He disputed of the trees from the ceder that is in Libanus vnto the hyssop which cometh out of the wal and he discoursed of beastes and foules and creeping wormes and fishes Iosephus li. S. c. 2. Antiq. folowing some other Edition saith his songes were fiue thousand and parables as the ordinarie text hath three thousand For he deduced a parable saith Iosephus through out euerie kinde of trees from the hyssop to the ceder In the same maner he treated of beastes and other liuing creatures of the earth water and ayre For he was not ignorant of anie natural thing neither omitted to treate therof but clerly explicated al their natural proprieties Most briefly S. Ierom declareth both the Auctor and matter of these three bookes saying Salomon the Peaceable and amiable of our Lord correcteth maners teacheth the nature of creatures ioyneth the Church and Christ and singeth the swete bridal song of the holie Mariage THE ARGVMENT OF THE PROVERBES THE first booke called Prouerbes that is common vsual pithie sentences shorte in wordes ample in sense and Parables signifying likenes or similitudes wherby more important thinges are vnderstood then expressed instructeth and exhorteth new beginners to lerne and practise al sortes of vertues the only right way to true wisdome and eternal happines It may be diuided into foure partes In the first nine chapters the auctor interposing certaine general preceptes produceth wisdom her selfe inuiting al men to seeke her for the spiritual profite they shal therby enioy From thence to the 25. chap. he geueth sundrie more particular precepts as wel for embracing vertues as shunning of vices In the next fiue chapters more like precepts of the same auctor are added by the care of King Ezechias In the two last chapters either an other Auctor or rather the same vnder an other title commendeth to al men certaine most excellent precepts receiued of his mother wherto he adioyneth the praise of a right wise woman prophetically the Catholique Church THE BOOKE OF PROVERBES WHICH THE HERBREWES CAL MISLE CHAP. I. Parables are profitable to those that loue and wil lerne wisdom 10. Al are admonished not to folow the alurements of sinners 20. but to embrace wisdome 24. and ruine is threatned to the contemners THE Parables of Salomon the sonne of Dauid king of Israel â To know â wisdom and discipline â to vnderstand the wordes of prudence and to receiue instruction of doctrine iustice and iudgement and equitie â that subtilitie may be geuen to litle ones knowlege and vnderstanding to the youngman â The wise man hearing shal be wiser and he that vnderstandeth shal possesse gouernementes â He shal vnderstand a parable and interpretation the wordes of the wise and their darke sayings â The feare of our Lord is the begynning of wisdom Fooles despise wisedom and doctrine â My sonne f heare the discipline of
S. Ierom. VVhose discourse vve haue here cited at large for a taste of his profound exposition of this vvhole booke that such as haue apportunitie may read the rest in the auctor himself To. 7. CHAP. XI Workes of mercie are necessarie whiles we haue time 3. because after death none can merite 4. neither must we differ to beginne nor cease from good dedes 8. but stil be mindful of death and iudgement 10. auoiding wrath and malice CAST thy bread vpon the passing waters because after much time thou shalt finde it â Geue a portion to seuen and also to eight because thou knowest not what euil shal be vpon the earth â If the cloudes be ful they wil powre out raine vpon the earth If the tree shal fal to the South or to the North in what place soeuer it shal fal there shal it be â He that obserueth the winde soweth not and he that considereth the cloudes shal neuer reape â As thou art ignorant which is the way of the spirite how the bones are framed together in the wombe of her that conceiueth childe so thou knowest not the workes of God who is the maker of al. â In the morning sow thy seede and in the euening let not thy hand cease for thou knowest not which may rather spring this or that and if both together it shal be the better â The light is sweete and it is delectable for the eyes to see the sunne â If a man shal liue manie yeares and shal haue reioyced in them al he must remember the darkesome time and manie dayes which when they shal come the thinges past shal be reproued of vanitie â Reioyce therfore yongman in thy youth and let thy hart be in good in the dayes of thy youth and walke in the wayes of thy hart and in the sight of thyne eyes and know that for al these God wil bring thee into iudgement â Take away anger from thy hart and remoue malice from thy flesh For youth and pleasure are vaine CHAP. XII In youth is fittest time and most meritorious to serue God In age the same is more and more necessarie but harder then to beginne and lesse gratful 8. In this booke the preacher hath shewed that al worldlie thinges are vanitie 13. and that true felicitie is only procured by wisdom which consteth in the feare of God and obseruation of his commandments REMEMBER thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth before the time of affliction come the yeares approch of which thou maist say They please me not â before the sunne and light and moone and starres be darke and the cloudes returne after the raine â when the kepers of the house shal be moued and the strongest men shal stagger and the grinders shal be idle in a smal number and they shal waxe darke that looke through the holes â and they shal shut the doores in the streate at the basenes of the grinders voice and they shal rise vp at the voice of the birde and al the daughters of song shal be deafe â The high thinges also shal feare and they shal be afrayd in the way the almondtree shal florish the locust shal be fatted and the capertree shal be destroyed because man shal goe into the house of his eternitie and the mourners shal goe round about in the streate â Before the siluer coard be broken and the golden headband recurre and the water pot be broken vpon the fountaine and the wheele be broken vpon the cesterne â and the dust returne into his earth from whence it was and the spirite returne to God who gaue it â Vanitie of vanities sayd Ecclesiastes and al thinges vanitie â And wheras Ecclesiastes was most wise he taught the people and declared the thinges that he had done and searching forth made manie parables â He sought profitable wordes and wrote wordes most right and ful of truth â The wordes of wisemen are as prickes and as nailes deepely stricken in which by the counself of maisters are geuen of one pastour â More then these my sonne require not Of making manie bookes there is no end and often meditation is affliction of the flesh â Let vs al heare together the end of speaking Feare God and obserue his commandments for this is euerie man â and al thinges that are done God wil bring into iudgement for euerie errour whether it be good or euil THE ARGVMENT OF THE CANTICLE OF CANTICLES SALOMON called also Ecclesiastes and Idida according to these three names as S. Ierom noteth writte three bookes of three particular arguments directed to three degrees of people with three distinct titles al tending to one end the true seruice of God which bringeth to eternal felicitie In the first he teacheth the principles of good life to flee from vices and folow vertues belonging to such as beginne to obserue Gods law wherin true wisdom consisteth and this booke is called the Prouerbes or Parables that is to say Pithie brief sentencious precepts of Salomon which signifieth Pacificus Peaceable or Pacifier the sonne of Dauid King of Israel In the second he exhorteth to contemne this world shewing that true felicitie consisteth not in anie worldlie or temporal thinges but in the eternal fruition of God which is obtayned by keping his commandments And this booke he intitleth The wordes of Ecclesiastes which is Concionator Preacher Sonne of Dauid King of Ierusalem because he there exhorteth such as haue made some progresse in vertues called Proficientes signified by the inhabitants of the Metropolitan citie Ierusalem whereas in the former he stiled himself king of Israel proposing precepts mete for al the twelue tribes and al vulgar men desirous and beginning to serue God In both bookes for more auctoritie sake making mention of his godlie renowmed father the Royal Prophet Dauid with his owne title also of king But in this third booke he only expresseth his proper name Salomon whom God singularly loued wherof he was called Idida Because this alone without mention of father or king was most conuenient for the Perfect who not as seruants or yong scholars are moued by feare of auctoritie but as children are swetly drawne by loue And this he writte in verse intitling it not simply a Canticle but The Canticle of Canticles as preeminent aboue other Canticles The bridal songue for the Mariage to be solemnized betwen God himself and his glorious spouse For though al holie Scriptures are the spiritual bread and food of the faithful yet al are not meate for al at al seasons Some parts are not for sinners nor for beginners nor for such as are yet in the way towards perfection but only for the perfect According to the Apostles doctrine Milke is for children that are yet vnskilful of the word of iustice But strong meate is for the perfect them that by custom haue their senses
his time The end of the Sapiential Bookes THE FOVRT PART OF THE OLD TESTAMENT CONTEINING PROPHETICAL BOOKES The argument of Prophetical bookes in general AMongst manie great benefites which God bestowed vpon his peculiar people in the old Testament one principal and very excellent was that besides their ordinarie Pastors and gouerners in spiritual causes the Priestes of Aarons progenic and other clergie men of the same tribe of Leui in âerarchical subordina ion of one chief with other superiors and subiectes disposed in sacred functions he also gaue them other extraordinarie Prophetes of sundrie tribes as admonitors and guides to reduce them from errors of sinne into the right way of vertue Which office the same Prophetes performed as wel by threatning the offenders with Gods wrath and punishment as by exhorting them to repentance and so to trust in Gods assured mercie that he would geue them better times and reliefe from their miseries But most especially these holie Prophetes did foresee and foretel the happie times of Grace in the New Testament The coming of Messias Christ our Redemer and Sauiour With the mysteries of his Incarnation Birth Passion Death Resurrection Ascension Coming of the Holie Ghost Fundation Propagation perpetual Stabilitie of his Church and finally the General Iudgement Eternal Glorie of the blessed and Euerlasting paine of the damned For albeit they preached and prophecied manie thinges properly and immediatly perteyning to the particular state and people of the Iewes and other nations Where they conuersed yet the principal summe of al the prophetical bookes is of Christ and his Church Yea al the old Testament is a general prophecie and forshewing of the New Which as we noted in the beginning is conteyned and lieth hid in the old Neuertheles speaking more distinctly of the proper arguments or contents of the foure partes of the old Testament the former three more peculiarly setforth the Law the Historie and Sapiential precepts and this last part chiefly conteyneth Prophecies of thinges to come Of which the greatest part is now come to passe or dayly fulfilled and the rest shal likewise be performed in due time So now in order after the Legal Historical and Sapiential bookes folow the Prophetical and are these according to the names of the Prophetes that writte them Isaie Ieremie with Baruch Ezechiel and Daniel commonly called the greatter Prophetes and the twelue lesser aâe Osee Ioel Amos Abdias Ionas Micheas Nahum Abacuc Sophonias Aggeus Zacharie and Malachie Who were al singularly inspired and gouerned in their preachings and writinges by the Holie Ghost that they could not erre Yea they were so illuminated in their vnderstanding that they clerly saw that which they vttered And therfore their Prophecies are called Visions for the assured infallibilitie of truth which they auouch For as nothing is more certaine in vulgar knowlege then that which we see with our corporal eyes and therfore of al witnesses the eye witnes is estemed the surest and as in al natural knowlege that is most certaine which is sene by discourse of reason so in supernatural knowlege nothing is more assured then that which is sene by supernatural light Whereof there be three sortes the light of Faith of Prophecie and of Glorie Al three certaine and vndoubted but most clere and manifest is the vision by light of glorie wherby God is sene in himself and al thinges in him that perteyne to the state of euerie glorious Sainct Next therto is the vision by light of prophecie wherwith God illuminateth the vnderstanding of the Prophet by a special extraordinarie and transitorie light of grace that either he clerly seeth the reueled truthes or at least perfectly knoweth that he is moued by the Holie Ghost though he vnderstand not al that the Holie Ghost intendeth and so when and where it is Gods wil he vttereth the same for instruction of others The last which is also certaine but more obscure is the supernatural knowlege which al Catholique Christians haue by light of faith assuredly beleuing al thinges which God reueleth by his Church Concerning therfore this excellent diuine gift of Prophecie granted to few for the benefite of al Gods seruants we are here to informe the vulgar reader that wheras these prophecies are for most part hard to be vnderstood and as S. Peter teacheth not knowen by priuate interpretation but must be interpreted by the same Spirite wherwith they were written our purpose is not to explicate them nor yet to produce large explications of the godlie lerned Fathers but rather fewer and briffer notes then hertofore and for the rest we remitte the more lerned and studious readers according to their capacities to search the same in the commentaries of ancient and late Expositers wishing others to content themselues with the more easie partes of holie Scriptures and other godlie bookes and daylie instructions of spiritual teachers And such as do also read these may obserue with vs these amongst other special causes of the hardnes of the Prophetes One cause is the frequent interruption of sentences with suddaine change from one person or matter to an other without apparent coherence Which S. Ierom noteth in sundrie places As I saie 7. after that the Prophet hath seuerely reprehended king Achab for his distrust of Gods assistance against his temporal enimies v. 13. in the next wordes he prophecieth that a Virgin shal conceiue and beare a sonne Christ our Sauiour and the like in other places An other cause is that the Prophetes speake thinges of some persons which are to be fulfilled in others either of their progenie or prefigured by them As the prophecie of the Iewes and Gentiles comprised in the historie of Esau Iacob Likewise that which Iacob prophecied Gen. 49. of Simeon an Leui not fulfilled in themselues but in the Scribes and Priestes descending of their stock Also much of that which Dauid semeth to speake of Salomon Psal 88. can only be vnderstod of Christ Other examples wil occurre in the Prophetes ensuing Briefly for we can not here expresse al the causes in few wordes prophecies are often times vttered in figuratiue speaches and often not in wordes but in factes other times so mixed with histories and temporal thinges with spiritual againe some thinges perteyning to the old Testament so ioyned with mysteries of the new and the like that most hard it is to discerne nay not possible without special reuelation or instruction of others to know to what purpose or thing euerie part perteyneth or is to be applied for some thinges are spoken only of the historie some thinges of misteries manie thinges of both And the reason why the Holie Ghost doth so vtter these prophecies is noted by S. Ierom in Nahum 3. that the proud and malicious enimies of Religion may not vnderstand them lest sayth he a holie thing should be geuen to dogges pearles cast to swine most sacred mysteries
violence of manie waters ouerflowing sent forth vpon a large ground â The crowne of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim shal be troden vnder feete â And the flowre of the glorie of his exultation which is vpon the toppe of the valley of fatte ones shal be falling as a timely fruite before the ripenesse of autumme which when he that seeth it shal behold as soone as he taketh it in his hand he wil deuoure it â In that day the Lord of hostes shal be a crowne of glorie and a garland of exultation to the residue of his people â and a spirit of iudgement to him that sitteth in iudgement and strength to them that returne out of battel to the gate â But these also haue bene ignorant because of wine and by drunkennes haue erred the priest and the prophete haue bene ignorant because of drunkennes they are swalowed vp with wine they haue erred in drunkennes they haue not knowne him that seeth they haue bene ignorant of iudgement â For al tables were filled with vomiting and filth so that there was no more place â Whom shal he teach knowledge and whom shal he make to vnderstand the thing heard them that are weyned from the milke that are plucked away from the breasts â For command recommand command recommand expect reexpect expect reexpect a litle there a litle there â For in the speach of lippe and in an other tougue he wil speake to his people â To whom he sayd This is my rest refresh the wearie and this is my refreshing they would not heare â And the word of our Lord shal be to them command recommand command recommand expect reexpect expect reexpect a litle there a litle there that they may goe and fal backward and be destroyed and snared and taken â For this cause heare the word of our Lord ye scorneful men which rule ouer my people that is in Ierusalem â For you haue sayd We haue stroken a league with death and with hel we haue made a couenant The scourge ouerflowing when it shal passe shal not come vpon vs because we haue made lying our hope and with lying we are protected â Therfore thus sayth our Lord God Behold I wil send in the foundations of Sion a stone an approued stone a corner stone pretious founded in the foundation He that beleueth let him not make hast â And I wil put iudgement in weight and iustice in measure and haile shal ouerthrow the hope of lying and waters shal ouerflow the protection â And your league with death shal be abolished and your couenant with hel shal not stand when the scourge ouerflowing shal passe you shal be troden downe of it â Whensoeuer it shal passe through it shal take you away because in the morning early it shal passe through in the day and in the night and vexation alone shal geue vnderstanding in the hearing â For the bed is streitened so that one must fal out and a short mantel can not couer both â For our Lord shal stand as in the mount of diuisions as in the valley which is in Gabaon shal he be angrie that he may doe his worke his strange worke that he may worke his worke is strange from him â And now mocke not lest perhaps your bonds be tied strayte For I haue heard of our Lord the God of hostes consummation and abridgement vpon al the earth â Harken with your eares and heare my voice attend and heare my speach â Wil the ploughman plowe al the day to sow wil he cut and harrow his ground â Wil he not when he hath made euen the face therof sprinkle cummine and place the wheate by order and the barley and millet and vetche in their bondes â And his God wil instruct him in iudgement he wil teach him â For gith shal not be threshed with instruments that haue teeth neither shal the wayne wheele turne about vpon cummine but gith shal be beaten out with a rodde and cummine with a staffe â But bread corne shal be broken smal but the thresher shal not thresh it for euer neither shal the wayne wheele vexe it nor breake it with the teeth therof â And this is come forth from our Lord the God of hostes that he might make his counsel meruelous and magnifie iustice CHAP. XXIX The Prophet bewaleth the Iewes destruction 9. for their blinde obstinacie 17. prophecying the Gentiles conuersion VVOE to Ariel Ariel the citie which Dauid ouercame yeare is added to yeare the solemnities are at an end â And I wil make a trench about Ariel and it shal be sorowful moorning and it shal be to me as Ariel â And I wil compasse as a sphere round about thee and wil cast a rampier against thee and place munitions to besiege thee â Thou shalt be humbled thou shalt speake out of the earth and out of the gronnd thy speach shal be heard and thy voice shal be out of the earth as the Pythons and out of the ground thy speach shal mutter â And the multitude of them that fanne thee shal be as smal dust and as issles passing away the multitude of them that haue preuailed agaynst thee â And it shal be sodenly forthwith It shal be visited of the Lord of hostes in thunder and earth quake and with great voice of whirlewind and tempest and with flame of deuouring fyre â And the multitude of al nations that haue fought agaynst Ariel shal be as the dreame of a vision in the night and al that haue waried and beseged preuailed agaynst it â And as he that is hungrie dreameth eateth but when he is awake his soule is emptie as he that is thirstie dreameth and drinketh and after he is awake faint as yet thirsteth and his soule is emptie so shal the multitude be of al the Gentiles that haue fought agaynst mount Sion â Be astonied and meruel wauer and stagger be ye drunke and not of wine be moued not of drunkenes â Because our Lord hath mingled vnto you the spirit of drowsines he wil shut your eyes he wil couer your prophetes and princes that see visions â And the vision of al shal be vnto you as the wordes of a booke sealed which when they shal geue to him that knoweth letters they shal say Read this and he shal answer I can not for it is sealed â And the booke shal be geuen to one that knoweth not letters and it shal be sayd to him Reade and he shal answer I know not letters â And our Lord sayd Because this people approcheth with their mouth and with their lippes glorifieth me but their hart is far from me and they haue feared me by the commandement and doctrines of men â therfore behold I wil adde to make admiration to this people by a great and wonderful miracle for wisdom
shal perish from their wise men and the vnderstanding of their prudent shal be hid â Woe vnto you that are deepe of hart to hide your counsel from our Lord whose workes are in darkenes and they say Who seeth vs and who knoweth vs â This your cogitation is peruerse as if the clay should thinke against the potter and the worke should say to the maker therof Thou madest me not or the thing formed should say to the fashioner therof Thou vnderstandest not â Shal not yet within a litle while and in a short time Libanus be turned into Charmel Charmel reputed for a forest â And in that day the deafe shal heare the wordes of the booke and out of the darkenes and mist the eies of the blinde shal see â And the meeke shal adde ioyfulnesse in our Lord and the poore men shal reioyce in the holie one of Israel â Because he hath fayled that did preuaile the scorner is consumed and they are al cut downe that watched vpon iniquitie â that made men sinne in word and supplanted him that reproued them in the gate and declined in vayne from the iust â For this cause thus sayth our Lord to the house of Iacob he that redemed Abraham Iacob shal not now be confounded neither shal now his countenance be ashamed â but when he shal see his children the workes of mine handes in the middes of him sanctifying my name and they shal sanctifie the holie one of Iacob and shal preach the God of Israel â and they that erre in spirit shal know vnderstanding and the mutteters shal learne the law CHAP. XXX The Iewes are blamed for seeking counsel and helpe of the Aegyptians 18. but if they repent they shal find releefe and spiritual riches of the soule 27. Gods iudgement wil be strict 33. and hel is most horrible VVOE vnto renegate children sayth our Lord that you would take counsel and not of me would beginne a webbe and not by my spirite that you might adde sinne vpon sinne â which walke to goe downe into Aegypt haue not asked my mouth hoping for helpe in the strength of Pharao and hauing confidence in the shadow of Aegypt â And the strength of Pharao shal be a confusion to you and the confidence of the shadow of Aegypt an ignominie â For thy princes were in Tanis and thy messengers came euen to Hanes â Al were confounded vpon the people that could not profite them they were no helpe nor to any profite but to confusion and to reproch â The burden of the beastes of the South In a land of tribulation and distresse the lionesse and the lion of them the viper the flying basiliscus carying their riches vpon the shoulders of beasts and their treasures vpon the bunch of camels to a people that can not be able to profite them â For Aegypt shal helpe in vaine and to no purpose therfore haue I cried vpon this It is pride onlie cease â Now therfore going in write to her vpon boxe and drawe it diligently in a booke and it shal be in the latter day for a testimonie for euer â For it is a people prouoking to wrath and lying children children that wil not heare the law of God â Which say to the seers See not and to them that behold Behold vs not those thinges that are right Speake vnto vs pleasant thinges see errours vnto vs. â Take from me the way turne away the path from me let the holie one of Israel cease from our face â Therfore thus sayth the holie one of Israel For that you haue reiected this word haue hoped in calumnie and tumult and haue leaned therevpon â therfore shal this iniquitie be vnto you as a breach that falleth and is found lacking in an high wal because sodenly whiles it is not hoped shal come the destruction therof â And it shal be broken smal as the potters vessel is broken with mightie breaking there shal not a shread be found of the fragments therof wherein a litle fyre may be caried from the burning or a litle water be drawen out of the pitte â Because thus sayth our Lord the God of Israel If you returne and be quiet you shal be saued in silence and in hope shal your strength be And you would not â and you haue sayd No but we wil flee to horses therfore shal you flee And we wil mount vpon swift ones therfore shal they be fwifter that shal persecute you â A thousand men at the face of the terrour of one and at the face of the terrour of fiue shal you flee til you be leaft as the mast of a shippe in the toppe of a mountaine and as a signe vpon a litle hil â Therfore our Lord expecteth that he may haue mercie on you and therfore shal he be exalted sparing you because our Lord is the God of iudgment blessed are al they that expect him â For the people of Sion shal dwel in Ierusalem weeping thou shalt not weepe pitying he wil pitie thee at the voice of thy crie as soone as he shal heare he wil answer thee â And our Lord wil geue you straite bread and short water and wil not make thy doctor to flee away from thee any more and thine eies shal see thy master â And thine eares shal heare the word of him that behinde thy backe admonisheth thee This is the way walke in it and decline ye not neither to the right hand nor to the left â And thou shalt contaminate the plates of the sculptils of thy siluer and the garment of the molten of thy gold and shalt scatter them as the vncleannes of a menstruous woman Thou shalt say to it Get thee hence â And rayne shal be geuen to thy seede wheresoeuer thou shalt sow in the land and the bread of the corne of the land shal be most plentiful and fatte The lambe in that day shal feede at large in thy possession â and thyne oxen as the asse coltes that til the ground shal eate mingled prouender as it was fanned in the floore â And there shal be vpon euerie high mountayne and vpon euerie litle hil eleuated riuers of running waters in the day of the killing of manie when the towres shal fal â And the light of the moone shal be as the light of the sunne and the light of the sunne shal be seuenfold as the light of seuen daies in the day when our Lord shal bind vp the wound of his people shal heale the stroke of their wound â Behold the name of our Lord commeth from farre his burning furie and heauie to beare his lippes are filled with indignation and his tongue as a deuouring fire â His spirite as a torrent ouerflowing euen to the middes of the necke to destroy the nations to nothing and the bridle of errour that was in the iawes of peoples â There shal be a song vnto
princes nor by priestes and prophets of that time The same vve might deduce of innumerable other places of this other Prophetes but it is not our * purpose to explicate much in this Edition 1. Reigne in iustice and rule in iudgement Here also to auoide prolixitie vve may once note that these vvordes Iudgement and Iustice haue a saââe other higher and more excellent signification in holie Scriptures vvhere they most frequently occurre then in prophane vvritings and natural or moral philosophical discourses For Philosophers such as Plato and Aristotel could reach no further then to natural reason vvhich they called right iudgement and to moral equitie vvhich in general they named iustice But the Holie Ghost by these vvordes reueleth most high spiritual mysteries knovven by faith most comfortable to mens soules releeuing and refreshing the consciences of penitents in this life replenishing the iust vvith vnspeakable gladnes in eternal glorie Therfore in the sense vsual in holy Scripture Iudgement is the act of the mind or vnderstanding discerning what is right iust agreing to reason And Iustice is the rectitude of the vvil doing conformably to right direction of the mind or vnderstanding And so these wordes are applied to signifie both Gods and iust mens actions As that vvhich God mercifully decreed in eternitie and promised after the fal of man to do for mankind as conuenient for his Diuine Povvre VVisdom Iustice Mercie Goodnes vvith al the meanes vvhich he ordained for effecting the same is called his Iudgement and the performing and accomplishment therof so saâre as is of his part is called his Iustice Also that vvhich anie man discusseth discerneth and determineth in his vnderstanding as right or reasonable in supernatural thinges is called his spiritual iudgement and that vvhich he doth of his freevvil according to the same right iudgement is called his iustice So in this place the Prophet forshevveth that Christ our Kingvvil reigne in iustâââ that is performe and fulfil al that he as God vvith the Father the Holie Ghost decreed for Redemption Iustification and Salâation of men And the princes his Apostles and other Pastors shal rule in iudgement that is discerne and iudge vvhat is right and good for themselues and the people in respect of their soules and eternal saluation CHAP. XXXIII Sennacherib beseeging and threatning Ierusalem shal be ouerthrowne by Angels 13. that both wicked arrogant infidels may feele the hand of God and faithful sinners repenting after great terror be comforted VVOE to thee that spoilest shalt not thy selfe also be spoiled and that despisest shalt not thy self also be despised when thou shalt haue ended spoyling thou shalt be spoyled when being wearied thou shalt cease to contemne thou shalt be contemned â O Lord haue mercie vpon vs for we haue expected thee be our arme in the morning and our saluation in the time of our tribulation â At the voice of the Angel the peoples fled and at thy exaltation the nations are dispersed â And you spoiles shal be gathered together as the locust is gathered as when the ditches shal be ful therof â Our Lord is magnified because he hath dwelt on high he hath filled Sion with iudgement and iustice â And there shal be fayth in thy times riches of saluation wisdom and knowlege the feare of our Lord that is his treasure â Behold they that see shal crie without the angels of peace shal weepe bitterly â The wayes are dissipated the passenger by the path hath ceased the couenant is made frustrate he hath reiected the cities he hath not estemed the men â The land hath moorned and languished Libanus is confounded and become foule and Saron is made as a desert and Basan is shaken Carmel â Now wil I rise vp sayth our Lord now wil I be exalted now wil I be lifted vp â You shal conceiue heate you shal bring forth stubble your spirit as fire shal deuoure you â And the peoples shal be as ashes of a great fyre thornes gathered together shal be burned with fyre â Heare ye that are far of what thinges I haue done and ye that are neere know my strength â The sinners are terrified in Sion trembling hath possessed the hypocrites Which of you can dwel with deuouring fyre which of you shal dwel with euerlasting heates â He that walketh in iustices and speaketh truth that casteth away auarice of oppression and shaketh his handes from al gift that stoppeth his eares lest he heare bloud and shutteth his eyes that he may see no euil â This man shal dwel on high the munitions of rockes shal be his highnes bread is geuen to him his waters are faithful â His eies shal see the king in his beautie they shal see the land farre of â Thy hart shal meditate feare where is the lerned where is he that pondereth the wordes of the law where the teacher of litle ones â The vnwise people thou shalt not see the people of profound speach so that thou canst not vnderstand the eloquence of his tongue in whom there is no wisdome â Looke vpon Sion the citie of our solemnitie thine eies shal see Ierusalem a rich habitation a tabernacle that can not be transferred neither shal the nailes therof be taken away for euer and al the cordes therof shal not be broken â because onlie there our Lord is magnifical a place of floudes riuers most brode and wide no shippe of rowers shal passe by it neither shal the great galley passe thereby â For the Lord is our iudge the Lord is our lawmaker the Lord is our king he wil saue vs â Thy cordes are loosed and they shal not preuaile thy mast shal be so that thou canst not spred the signe Then shal the spoiles of manie prayes be diuided the lame shal take the spoile â Neither shal the neighbour say I am feble The people that dwelleth therein iniquitie shal be taken away from them CHAP. XXXIIII A prophecie of the destruction of the whole world at the day of Iudgement 5. and in particular of I dumeâ 9. Ierusalem as figures therof COME neere ye Gentiles and heare and ye peoples attend let the earth heare the fulnes therof the round world and euerie spring therof â Because the indignation of our Lord is vpon al Gentiles and furie vpon al their hostes he hath killed them geuen them into slaughter â Their slaine shal be cast forth and out of their carcasâes shal rise a stinche the mountaines shal melt with their bloud â And al the host of the heauens shal melt away and the heauens shal be folded together as a booke and al their host shal fal away as the leafe falleth from the vine and from the figge tree â Because my sword is inebriated in heauen behold it shal descend vpon Idumaea and vpon the peoples of my slaughter to iudgement â The sword of
But I eremie againe prophecieth the contrarie 16. that Hananias shal dye the same yeare AND it came to passe in that yeare in the beginning of the kingdom of Sedecias king of Iuda in the fourth yeare in the fifth moneth Hananias the sonne of Azur the prophet of Gabaon spake to me in the house of our Lord before the priestes and al the people saying â Thus saith the Lord of hostes the God of Israel I haue broken the yoke of the king of Babylon â As yet two yeares of dayes and I wil make al the vessels of the house of our Lord to be brought backe into this place which Nabuchodonosor the king of Babylon tooke out of this place and transported them into Babylon â And Iechonias the sonne of Iaokim the king of Iuda and al the transmigration of Iuda that are entered into Babylon I wil make to returne to this place saith our Lord for I wil breake the yoke of the king of Babylon â And Ieremie the prophet said to Hananias the prophet in the presence of the priestes and in the presence of al the people that stoode in the house of our Lord â And Ieremie the prophet said Amen Our Lord so doe our Lord raise vp thy wordes which thou hast prophecied that the vessels may be brought againe into the house of our Lord and al the transmigration out of Babylon to this place â But yet heare this word that I speake in thine eares and in the eares of al the people â The prophets that haue bene before me and before thee from the beginning and haue prophecied concerning manie countries and concerning great kingedomes of warre and of affliction and of famine â The prophet that hath prophecied peace when his word shal come to passe the prophet shal be knowen whom our Lord hath sent in truth â And Hananias the prophet tooke the chaine from the necke of Ieremie the prophet and brake it â And Hananias spake in the sight of al the people saying Thus saith our Lord So wil I breake the yoke of Nabuchodonosor the king of Babylon after two yeares of dayes from the necke of al nations â And Ieremie the prophet went his way And the word of our Lord was made to Ieremie after that Hananias the prophet brake the chayne from the necke of Ieremie the prophet saying â Goe and thou shalt tel Hananias Thus saith our Lord Thou hast broken chaynes of wood and thou shalt make for them chaynes of yron â Because thus saith the Lord of hostes the God of Israel An yron yoke haue I put vpon the necke of al these Nations to serue Nabuchodonosor the king of Babylon and they shal serue him moreouer also the beastes of the earth I haue geuen him â And Ieremie the prophet said to Hananias the prophet Heare Hananias Our Lord sent thee not thou hast made this people to trust in a lie â Therefore thus saith our Lord Behold I wil send thee from of the face of the earth this yeare shalt thou dye for thou hast spoken against our Lord. â And Hananias the prophet died in that yeare the seuenth moneth CHAP. XXIX Ieremie writeth to the captiues in Babylon exhorting them to liue in peace 8. and not harking to falseprophetes 10. For they must remaine there seuentie yeares and then shal be deliuered 16. And those that remaine in Ierusalem shal suffer sword famine and pestilence 21. And Achab Sedecias 24. and Someias false prophetes shal dye miserably AND these are the wordes of the booke which Ieremie the prophet sent from Ierusalem to the remnant of the ancientes of the transmigration and to the priestes and to the prophetes and to al the people which Nabuchodonosor had transported from Ierusalem into Babylon â after that Iechonias the king was gone forth and the queene and the Eunuches and the princes of Iuda and of Ierusalem and the craftes man and the incloser our of Ierusalem â by the hand of Elasa the sonne of Saphan and Gamarias the sonne of Helcias whom Sedecias the king of Iuda sent to Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon into Babylon saying â Thus saith the Lord of hostes the God of Israel to al the transmigration which I haue transported from Ierusalem into Babylon â Build ye houses and inhabite them and plant orchardes and eate the fruite of them â Take wiues and beget sonnes and daughters geue wiues to your sonnes geue your daughters to husbands let them beare sonnes and daughters and be ye multiplied there and be not few in number â And seeke the peace of the citie to which I haue transported you pray for it to our Lord because in the peace thereof there shal be peace to you â For thus saith the Lord of hostes the God of Israel Let not your prophetes that are in the middes of you and your diuiners seduce you and attend not to your dreames which you dreame â because they doe falsely prophecie to you in my name and I sent them not saith our Lord. â Because thus saith our Lord When the seuentie yeares shal beginne to be expired in Babylon I wil visite you and I wil raise vp vpon you my good word to bring you againe to this place â For I know the cogitations that entend vpon you saith our Lord cogitations of peace and not of affliction to geue you an end and patience â And you shal inuocate me and goe and you shal pray me and I wil heare you â You shal seeke me and shal finde when you shal seeke me with al your hart â And I wil be found of you saith our Lord and I wil bring backe your captiuitie and I wil gather you out of al nations and from al places to the which I haue expelled you saith our Lord and I wil make you to returne from the place to the which I haue transported you â Because you haue said Our Lord hath raised vp prophetes to vs in Babylon â for thus saith our Lord to the king that sitteth vpon the throne of Dauid and to al the people the inhabiter of this citie to your bretheren that are not gone forth with vou into the transmigration â Thus saith the Lord of hostes Behold I wil send vpon them the sword and famine and the pestilence I wil make them as naughtie figges that can not be eaten because they are very naught â And I wil persecute them with the sword with famine with pestilence and I wil geue them into vexation to al the kingdomes of the earth into malediction into astonishment and into hyssing into reproch to al the Nations to which I haue cast them out â because they haue not heard my wordes saith our Lord which I sent to them by my seruantes the prophetes in the night rysing and sending and you heard not saith our Lord. â You therefore heare the word of our Lord al
ye the transmigration which I haue sent out from Ierusalem into Babylon â Thus saith the Lord of hostes the God of Israel to Achab the sonne of Colias and to Sedecias the sonne of Maasias which prophecie vnto you in my name falsely Behold I wil deliuer them into the handes of Nabuchodonosor the king of Babylon and he shal strike them in your eies â And of them a malediction shal be taken vp by al the transmigration of Iuda that is in Babylon saying Our Lord make thee as Sedecias and as Achab whom the king of Babylon fryed in the fire â for that they haue done follie in Israel and committed adulterie with their freindes wiues and haue spoken the word in my name falsely which I commanded them not I am the iudge and the witnes saith our Lord. â And to Semeias the Nehelamite thou shalt say â Thus saith the Lord of hostes the God of Israel For that thou hast sent in thy name bookes to al the people that is in Ierusalem and to Sophonias the sonne of Maasias the priest to al the priestes saying â Our Lord hath made thee priest for Ioiada the priest that thou shouldest be ruler in the house of our Lord vpon euerie man rauing and prophecying to put him into the stockes and into prison â And now why hast thou nor rebuked Ieremie the Anathothite which prophecieth vnto you â Because vpon this he hath sent into Babylon to vs saying It is long build ye houses and inhabite them and plant gardens and eate the fruities of them â Sophonias therefore the priest reade this booke in the eares of Ieremie the propher â And the word of our Lord was made to Ieremie saying â Send to al the transmigration saying Thus saith the Lord to Semeias the Nehelamite Because Semeias hath prophecied to you and I sent him not and hath made you to trust in a lie â Therefore thus saith our Lord Behold I wil visite vpon Semeias the Nehelamite and vpon his seede there shal not be vnto him a man sitting in the middes of this people and he shal not see the good that I wil doe to my people saith our Lord because he hath spoken preuarication against our Lord. CHAP. XXX The prophet is commanded to write the same which he preacheth 4. first pensiue thinges 8. Then ioyful 9. Especially in the new Testament when God wil raise Dauid towitte Christ 16. Who shal destroy al enemies 19 And whose Church shal be great glorious and perpetual THIS is the word that was made to Ieremie from our Lord saying â Thus saith our Lord the God of Israel saying Write vnto thee al the wordes that I haue spoken to thee in a booke â For behold the daies come saith our Lord and I wil conuert the conuersion of my people Israel and Iuda saith our Lord and I wil make them returne to the land which I gaue their fathers and they shal possesse it â And these are the wordes that our Lord hath spoken to Israel and to Iuda â Because thus saith our Lord We haue heard a voice of terrour there is feare and no peace â Demand and see if a man beare childe wherefore then haue I seene euerie mans hand vpon his loyne as a woman that is in trauel and al faces are turned into the iaundice â Alas because that is a great day neither is there the like to it and it is the time of tribulation to Iacob and he shal be saued out of it â And it shal be in that day saith the Lord of hostes I wil breake his yoke from of thy necke and wil breake his bandes and strangers shal no more rule ouer him â but they shal serue our Lord their God and Dauid their king whom I wil raise vp to them â Thou therefore my seruant Iacob feare not saith our Lord neither be thou afrayd Israel because loe I wil saue thee out of a farre countrie and thy seede out of the land of their captiuitie and Iacob shal returne and be at rest flow with al good thinges and there shal be none whom he may feare â because I am with thee saith our Lord to saue thee for I wil make a consumation in al the Nations in which I haue dispersed thee but thee I wil not make into consummation but I wil chastice thee in iudgement that thou maist not seme to thy selfe innocent â Because thus saith our Lord Thy wound is vncurable thy stripe is very sore â There is none to iudge thy iudgement to binde it vp there is no prosite of medicines for thee â Al thy louers haue forgoten thee and wil not seeke thee for with the stroke of an enemie I haue striken thee with cruel chastisment for the multitude of thine iniquitie thy sinnes are hardened â What criest thou vpon thine affliction thy sorow is vncurable for the multitude of thine iniquitie and for thine hardned sinnes I haue done these thinges to thee â Therefore al that eate thee shal be deuoured and al thine enemies shal be led into captiuitie and they that waste thee shal be wasted and al thy spoilers wil I geue to the spoile â For I wil close vp thy wound and wil heale thee of thy woundes saith our Lord. Because they haue called thee ô Sion an out cast This is she that had none to seeke after her â Thus saith our Lord Behold I wil conuert the conuersion of the tabernacles of Iacob and wil haue pitie on his houses and the citie shal be built in her high place and the temple shal be founded according to the order thereof â And out of them shal come forth praise and the voice of them that play and I wil multiplie them and they shal not be diminished and I wil glorifie them they shal not be lessened â And his children shal be as from the beginning and his assemblie shal be permanent before me and I wil visite against al that afflict him â And his duke shal be of himself and the prince shal be brought forth from the middes of him and I wil bring him nere and he shal come to me For who is this that applieth his hart to approch vnto me saith our Lord â And you shal be my people and I wil be your God â Behold the whirle wind of our Lord the furie going forth the storme violently falling it shal light vpon the head of the impious â Our Lord wil not turne away the wrath of indignation til he haue done and accomplished the cogitation of his hart in the latter daies you shal vnderstand these thinges CHAP. XXXI God wil reduce Israel from captiuitie 4. and geue them abundance of al thinges 9. after their tribulation 15. Rachel The afflicted Church shal cease from mourning 18. confessing that she is iustly chastised 20. Christ a perfect man shal be conteyned in his mothers wombe 26. He rising from slepe death wil build
Nazaraeos cont Ebionaeos S. Chrysostom Ser. de Trinit aduers Gentiles S. Augustin li. 18. c. 33. de Ciuit. Quest Vet. Noui Testat q. 102. S. Prosper par 2. c. 9. p. 3. c. 3. de promiss predict S. Theodoretus Dialogo 1. Eranistes who also writeth Comentaries vpon this booke as vpon diuine Scripture c. 2. v. 9. These and others alleage this Prophecie as Ieremies Some also vnder the name of Baruch As Origen li. 2. c. 3. Periarch S. Cyril of Alexandria li. 10. in Iulianum S. Gregorie Nyssen Orat. 1. de pauperibus amandis S. Athanasius Orat. 2. cont Arianos Though in his Synopsi he mentioneth not Baruch yet he as also S. Augustin l. 2. c. 8. Doct. Christ S. Gelacius dist 15. and others in their Catalogues of Canonical Scriptures comprehend this booke vnder the name of Ieremie But whether Baruch was the immediate Auctor vnder God or the writer therof as of an other mans Prophecie as the Euangelistes writte the wordes of Christ and others in the Gospels and in the Actes of the Apostles alwayes it is certaine the Holie Ghost directed him that he could not erre in writing it And the ancient Fathers and Councels euer accepted this booke as Diuine Scripture The Councel also of Laodicea in the last Canon expresly nameth Baruch Lamentations and Ieremies Epistle And lastly The Councels of Florence de Vnione Armenorum and of Trent Sess 4. expresly define that Baruch is Canonical Scripture In the Greke this booke is placed before the Lamentations which S. Ierom not finding in Hebrew nor in the Canon of the Iewes vrgeth it not against them Yet testifieth that he found it in the vulgate Latin Edition and that it conteineth manie thinges of Christ and the later times According to the historical sense the auctor in fiue chapters exhorteth the Iewes to repentance and patience prophecying that they should be brought into more distresse and captiuitie then as yet they were but should afterwards be released The sixt chapter is Ieremies Epistle THE PROPHECIE OF BARVCH CHAP. I. The Iewes in Babylon hauing heard Baruchs booke redde 6. send the same with money to Ierusalem 10. requesting their bretheren there to offer sacrifice and to pray for the king and prince of Babylon and for them 15. acknowleging their manifold sinnes AND these be the wordes of the booke that Baruch the sonne of Nerias the sonne of Maasias the sonne of Sedecias the sonne of Sedei the sonne of Helcias wrote in Babylon â in the fifth yeare in the seuenth day of the moneth at the time that the Chaldees tooke Ierusalem and burnt it with fyre â And Baruch redde the wordes of this booke vnto the eares of Iechonias the sonne of Ioakim king of Iuda and to the eares of al the people comming to the booke â and to the eares of the mightie the sonnes of the kinges and to the eares of the ancients and to the eares of the people from the least euen to the greatest of them that dwelt in Babylon by the riuer Sodi â Who hearing it wept and fasted and prayed in the sight of our Lord. â And they gathered money according as euerie mans hand was able â and they sent into Ierusalem to Ioakim the sonne of Helcias the sonne of Salom priest and to the priests and to al the people that were found with him in Ierusalem â When he tooke the vessels of the temple of our Lord which had bene taken away out of the temple to returne them into the Land of Iuda the tenth day of the moneth Siuan the siluer vessels which Sedecias the sonne of Iosias the king of Iuda made â after that Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon had taken Iechonias and the princes and al the mightie and the people of the land from Ierusalem and brought them bound into Babylon â And they said Behold we haue sent you money with the which bye ye holocausts and frankincense and make manna and offer for sinne at the altar of the Lord our God â and pray ye for the life of Nabuchodonosor the king of Babylon and for the life of Balthasar his sonne that their dayes may be as the dayes of heauen vpon the earth â and that our Lord geue vs strength and illuminate our eyes that we may liue vnder the shadow of Nabuchodonosor the king of Babylon and vnder the shadow of Balthasar his sonne and may serue them manie dayes and may find grace in their sight â And for our selues pray ye to the Lord our God because we haue sinned to the Lord our God and his furie is not turned away from vs euen to this day â And read ye this booke which we haue sent to you to be recited in the temple of our Lord in a solemne day and in a day couenient â And you shal say To the Lord our God iustice but to vs confusion of our face as is this day to al Iuda and them that dwel in Ierusalem â to our kinges and to our princes and to our priests and to our prophetes and to our fathers â We haue sinned before the Lord our God and beleued him not hauing diffidence in him â and we would not be made subiect to him and we haue not heard the voice of the Lord our God to walke in his commandments which he hath geuen vs. â From the day that he brought our fathers out of the Land of Aegypt euen to this day we would not be brought to beleue the Lord our God and * dissipated we reuolted that we might not heare his voice â And manie euils and maledictions haue clouen to vs which our Lord appoynted to Moyses his seruant who brought our fathers out of the Land of Aegypt to geue vs a land flowing with milke and honie as at this present day â And we haue not heard the voice of the Lord our God according to al the wordes of the prophets which he hath sent to vs â and we haue gone away euerie man into the sense of our malignant hart to serue strange goddes doing euils before the eyes of the Lord our God CHAP. II. The same captiues further confesse that their calamities are iustly comen vpon them for their iniquities 11. and therfore lamentably pray for Gods mercie as he promised by Moyses to penitents FOR the which thing the Lord our God hath established his word that he spake to vs and to our iudges that haue iudged Israel and to our kinges and to our princes and to al Israel and Iuda â that our Lord might bring vpon vs great euils which were not done vnder the heauen as haue bene done in Ierusalem according to the thinges that are written in the law of Moyses â that a man should eate the flesh of his sonne and the flesh of his daughter â And he hath geuen them vnder the hand of al the kinges that are round about vs into reproch and into
throne in the firmament AND IT came to passe in the thirtith yeare in the fourth in the fifth if the moneth when I was in the middes of the captiues beside the riuer Chobar the heauens were opened and I saw the visions of God â In the fifth of the moneth the same is the fifth yeare of the transmigration of king Ioachin â the word of our Lord was made to Ezechiel the sonne of Buzi priest in the land of the Chaldees by the riuer Chobar and there the hand of our Lord was made vpon him â And I saw and behold a whirlewinde came from the North and a great clowde a fire inuoluing and brightnes round about it out of the middes therof as it were the forme of amber that is out of the middes of the fire â and out of the middes therof the similitude of soure * liuing creatures and this was their look the similitude of a man in them â There were four faces to one and foure winges to one â Their feete streight feete and the sole of their foote as the sole of a calues foote and sparkes as the forme of glowing braâââ â And the handes of a man vnder their winges in foure partes ãâ¦ã ey had faces and winges by the foure partes â And the winges of them were ioyned one to an other They returned not when they went but euerie one went before his face â And the similitude of their countenance the face of a man and the face of a lyon on the right hand of them foure and the face of an oxe on the lefe hand of them foure and the face of an eagle ouer them foure â And their faces and their winges were streched out aboue two winges of euerie one were ioyned and two couered their bodies â and euerie one of them walked before his face where the force of the spirite was thither they went neither did they returne when they went neither did they returne when they walked â And the similitude of the liuing creatures their looke as it were of coales of burning fire as it were the resemblance of lampes This was the vision running in the middes of the liuing creatures brightnes of fire and from the fire lightening going forth â And the liuing creatures went and returned after the similitude of glistering lightning â And when I beheld the liuing creatures there appeared one wheele vpon the earth by the liuing creatures hauing foure faces â And the shape of the wheeles and the worke of them as it were apparence of the sea and one similitude of them foure and their apparence and worke as if it were a wheele in the middes of a wheele â By their foure partes going they went and they returned not when they walked â There was a stature also to the wheeles and height and a fearful forme and the whole ãâ¦ã was ful of eies round about them foure â And when the liuing creatures walked the wheeles also walked together by them and when the liuing creatures were lifted vp from the earth the wheeles also were lifted vp together â Whithersoeuer the spirit went thither the spirit going the wheeles also were lifted vp withal folowing it for the spirit of life was in the wheeles â With them going they went and with them standing they stood and with them lifted vp from the earth the wheeles also were lifted vp together folowing them because the spirit of life was in the wheeles â And a similitude ouer the heades of the liuing creatures of the firmament as it were the sight of christal dreadful and streched out ouer their heades aboue â And vnder the firmament the winges of them streight one toward an other euerie one with two winges couered his bodie and the other was couered in like maner â And I heard the sound of the winges as it were the sound of manie waters as it were the sound of the high God when they walked it was as the voice of multitude as the sound of a campe and when they stood their winges were let downe â For when a voice was made aboue the firmament that was ouer their head they stood and let downe their winges â And aboue the firmament that hung ouer their head as it were the forme of the sapphire stone the similitude of a throne and vpon the similitude of the throne a similitude as it were the shape of a man aboue â And I saw as it were the forme of amber as the resemblance of fire within it round about from his loines vpward and from his loines downward I saw as it were the resemblance of fire glistering round about â As the forme of the bow when it is in a clowde on a day of rayne this was the forme of the brightnes round about CHAP. II. The Prophet terrified with the vision is encoreged by Gods spirite 3. And is sent to preach 9. penance and the seruice of God THIS was the vision of the similitude of the glorie of our Lord. And I saw and I fel on my face and I heard the voice of one speaking And he said to mee Sonne of man stand vpon thy feete and I wil speake with thee â And the spirit entered into me after that he spake to me and he sette me vpon my feete and I heard him speaking to me â and saying Sonne of man I send thee to the children of Israel to nations apostates wich haue reuolted from me they and their fathers haue transgressed my couenant euen vnto this day â And they are children of an hard face and of an hart that can not be tamed to whom I send thee and this thou shalt say to them Thus saith our Lord God â If perhaps they at the least wil heare and if perhaps they wilcease because it is an exasperating house and they shal know that there was a prophet in the middes of them â Thou therfore ô sonne of man feare them not neither be afrayd of their wordes because the incredulous and subuerters are with thee and thou dwellest with scorpions Feare not their wordes and of their lookes be not afrayd because it is an exasperating house â Thou therefore shalt speake my wordes to them if perhaps they wil heare and be quiet because they are prouokers to anger â But thou sonne of man heare whatsoeuer I speake to thee be not exasperating as it is an exasperating house open thy mouth and eate whatsoeuer I geue thee â And I looked and behold an hand sent to me wherin was a rowled booke and he spred it before me which was writen within and without and there were writen in it lamentations and a song and woe CHAP. III. Against a stubborne people to whom he must preach 8. the prophet is streingthened 12. by increase of spirite 17. charged to execute his office 22. But first to be silent for a time AND he said to me Sonne of man whatsoeuer
to haue in length on the north quarter foure thousand fiue hundred reedes vvith the same length on the vvest quarter and consequently on the east and south that is nine thousand passes or nine myles on euerie side in al the circuite thirtie six myles Of vvhich greatnes it is certaine the temple and citie neuer were No not after the temple vvas augmented by Herod Ascoloâites vvherof Iosephus writeth li. 15. c. 14. Antiq. Iudâicarum Neither vvere there anie such waters issuing from the material temple nor such trees on the bankes therof bringing forth fruites euerie moneth as are described ch 47. v. 1. 12. Al vvhich vvith other like dissonances considered the later Iewes confessing that this prophecie is not hitherto fulfilled say that their Messias whom they expect shal builde such a terrestrial citie and temple with al the appertinances as are shewed in this vision Reiecting therfore these Iewish errors and ridiculous imaginations Richardus de Sancto Victore Hugo Cardinalis Nicolaus Lyranus and some other Christian Doctors suppose that God in dede conditionally according to his antecedent wil promised al these thinges euen as the letter soundeth to the Iewes if after their deliuerie from captiuitie they should sincerely serue him vvalke rightly in his wayes and perfectly kepe his commandmentes And that besides this supposed literal sense al the same should more excellently be performed in the mystical temple and citie of God our Sauiour Christ and his Church But for so much say these Doctors as the Iewes performed not that which vvas required of their part in perfect life and due seruice of God this vision was not fulfilled but only in some part according to the vertues and merites of the better sorte of that people by the restauration of the citie temple and other thinges as in the bookes of Esdras that lastly for their general reuolt from Christ persecuting him to death their temple and citie were againe destroyed the people slaine dispersed reiected except only the few reliques conuerted to Christ In vvhom with the multitude of Gentiles the vvhole vision hath ful effect This opinion albeit grounded in probabilitie yet semeth not so certaine nor in dede so probable as the iudgement of S. Ierom S. Theodoret in their commentaries as also of S. Gregorie in his homiles vpon Ezechiel and of manie others both ancient and late writers VVho not finding hovv to applie this vision in al partes to the state of the old testament neither that promise of such a huge great temple and citie with the rest vvere agreable to Gods vvisdome do only expound this vision to perteine in some partes to the Iewes reduced from temporal captiuitie as in figure of al mankind redemed by Christ and of his Church gathered of al nations enriched and adorned vvith al spiritual graces vertues and powre Neither yet expounding al of the militant Church but some part of the triumphant only as surpassing the perfectest state of this transitorie life Vve therfore out of their large discourses shal abridge a fevv and brief marginal notes for some light of vnderstanding the text and entrance into the spiritual sense principally intended by the Holie Ghost CHAP. XL. In a vision the prophet seeth the reedisication of Ierusalem 5. with the measures of diuers partes therof 47. and of the court and entrie of the temple IN the fiue and twentith yeare of our transmigration in the beginning of the yeare the tenth of the moneth the fourtenth yeare after the citie was strooken in this self same day the hand of our Lord was made vpon me and he brought me thither â In the visions of God he brought me into the Land of Israel and left me vpon a mountaine exceding high vpon which there was as it were the building of a citie bending toward the south â And he brought me in thither and behold a man whose forme was as the forme of brasse and a linen corde in his hand and a reede of measure in his hand he stood in the gate â And the same man spake to me Sonne of man see with thine eyes and heare with thine eares and set thy hart on al thinges which I wil shew thee for thou art brought hither that they may be shewed to thee declare al thinges that thou seest to the house of Israel â And behold a wal on the out side round about the house and in the mans hand a reede of measure of six cubits a palme he measured the breadth of the building with one reede the height also with one reede â And he came to the gate that looked to the way of the east he ascended by the steppes therof he measured the threshold of the gate with one reede the bredth that is one threshold with one reede in bredth â and a chamber with one reede in length and one reede in bredth and betwen the chambers fiue cubites â and the threshold of the gate by entrie of the gate within with one reede â And he measured the entrie of the gate of eight cubites and the front therof of two cubites and the entrie of the gate was within â Moreouer the chambers of the gate to the way of the East three on this side and three on that side one measure of the three and one measure of the fronts on both partes â And he measured the bredth of the threshold of the gate of tenne cubits and the length of the gate of thirtene cubits â and the border before the chambers of one cubite and one cubite the end on both sides and the chambers were of six cubites on this side and that side â And he measured the gate from the roofe of the chamber euen to the roofe therof the bredth of fiue and twentie cubits doore against doore â And he made fronts by sixtie cubits to the front the court of the gate on euerie side round about â And before the face of the gate which raught euen to the face of the entrie of the inner gate fiftie cubits â And oblique windowes in the chambers and in their fronts which were within the gate on euerie side round about and in like maner there were also in the entries windowes round about within and before the fronts the picture of palme trees grauen â And he brought me out to the vtter court and behold celles and the pauement paued with stone in the court round about thirtie celles in the compas of the pauement â And the pauement in the front of the gates according to the length of the gates was beneath â And he measured the bredth from the face of the lower gate euen to the front of the inner court without an hundred cubits to the East and to the North. â The gate also that looked to the way of the North of the vtter court he measured as wel in length as in bredth â
already Praef. Tobiae that the Canon of the Christian Catholique Church is of souereigne auctoritie though the Iewes Canon haue them not Finally wheras these bookes were not canonized in the former General Councels it sufficeth that they are since declared to be Canonical Diuine Scripture as some other partes haue likewise bene which English Protestants do not denie As the Epistle of S. Iames the second of S. Peter the second and third of S. Iohn and S. Iudes epistle of al which Eusebius and S. Ierom testifie that some lerned Fathers doubled sometimes whether they were Apostolical or no. But afterwards the same with these two bookes of Machabees and others were expresly declared to be Diuine Scripture by the third Councel of Carthage can 47. By the Councel of seuentie Bishops vnder Gelasius though by the name of one booke as also Esdras and Nehemias as but one booke Last by the Councels of Florence and Trent If anie further require the iudgement of more ancient Fathers diuers doe alleage these bookes as Diuine Scriptures S. Dyonise c. 2. celest Hierar S. Clemens Alexan. li. 1. Stromat S. Cyprian li. 1. Epist ep 3. ad Cornelium li. 4. ep 1. de exhort ad Martyrium c. 11. Isidorus li. 16. c. 1. Etym. S. Gregorie Nazianzen hath a whole Oration of the seuen Machabees Martyrs and their mother S. Ambrose li. 1. c. 41. Offic. But to omite others albeit S. Ierom vrged not these bookes against the Iewes yet he much estemed them as appeareth in his commentaries vpon Daniel c. 1. 11. 12. S. Augustin most clerly auoucheth li. 2. c. 8. de doct christ li. 18. c. 36. de ciuit that notwithstanding the Iewes denie these bookes the Church holdeth them Canonical And wheras one Gaudentius an heretike alleaged for defense of his haeresie the example of Razias who slew him self 2. Mac. 14. S. Augustin denieth not the auctoritie of the booke but discusseth the fact and admonisheth that it is not vnprofitably receiued by the Church si sobrie legatur vel audiatur if it be read or heard soberly VVhich was a necessarie admonition to those Donatistes who not vnderstanding the holie Scriptures depraued them as S. Peter speaketh of like heretikes âp 2. c. 3. to their owne perdition Now touching the contentes a great part of the same historie which is written in the former booke is repeted in the second with such varietie of some thinges added some omitted as in the bookes of Kinges and Paralipomenon and as the Gospel is written by the foure Euangelistes Ioyning therfore these two bookes together the Concordance therof conteyneth foure principal partes The Preface the Historie an Appendix the Conclusion But the three former partes are very extraordinarily disposed For the writer of the second booke who doubtles was a distinct person from him that writte the former first of al added an Appendix to the historie written before making mention of two Epistles and reciting the summe of one of them in the first chapter and part of the second as though he meant to haue writte no more of the same matter But then as it may seme vpon new resolution intending to abridge the historical bookes of Iason maketh a preface to his worke in the rest of that second chapter And so prosecuteth his purpose and finally maketh a briefe conclusion in the three last verses of the same second booke The mayne historie conteyneth two special partes The first sheweth the state of Gods peculiar people the Iewish nation from the beginning of the Grecian Monarchie parted after the death of Alexander amongst his folowers of which some did exceedingly persecute the Iewes by diuers both suttle and cruel meanes to the ruine of manie and euen to death and martyrdom of some most constant obseruers of Gods Lawes and true Religion til the warres of the Machabees in the first chapter of the first booke and in the 3. 4 5 6. and 7. chapters of the second booke In the other fiftene chapters of the former booke and other eight of the second are described the battles victories triumphes of the valient Machabees Of which holie warres Mathathias was the beginner and first captaine Iudas the second the third Ionathas and Simon the fourth after whose death his sonne Iohn Hyrcanus succeded Duke and Hieghpriest But because these bookes are intermixed the one with the other whâsoeuer please to read them in order of the historie may folow the direction of the Alphabet letters set in the inner margen beginning with A. at the twentith verse of the second chapter of the second booke to the end of the same chapter Thence procede as the signe of a starre directeth to the next letter B. which is at the beginning of the first booke the first chapter first verse And so in the rest And when the capital letters are ended the smaller wil direct you THE FIRST BOOKE OF MACABEES CHAP. I. King Alexander conquering manie countries erecteth a new Monarchie 6. who dying his chief folowers succeede in seueral kingdomes of the same Monarchie 11. King Antiochus approueth that a prophane schole be setup in Ierusalem 17. subdueth Aegypt 21. inuadeth Iudea entreth by force into Ierusalem spoyleth the temple 25. and killeth manie 30. Two yeares after sendeth an other spoyler who killing manie robbeth and burneth lerusalem 35. fortisieth the towre of Dauid 38. prophaneth al holie thinges 4â commandeth al to committe idolatrie 47. and to forsake the rites of Gods law 52. vpon paine of death 57. He setteth vp an abominable idol in the Temple 60. persecuteth and murdereth those that conforme not themselues to these innouations AND it came to passe after that Alexander Philips sonne the Macedonian that first reigned in Greece being gone out of the land of Cethim stroke Darius king of the Persians and the Medes â he made manie battels and obteyned the munition of al and slewe the kinges of the earth â and he passed through euen to the ends of the earth and tooke the spoiles of the multitude of the Gentils and the earth was silent in his sight â And he gathered powre and an armie exceding strong and his hart was exalted and eleuated â and he obtayned the regions of the Gentils and the tyrantes and they were made tributaries to him â And after these thinges he fel downe in his bed and he knew that he should dye â And he called his seruants the Nobles that were brought vp with him from his youth he diuided his kingdom to them when he yet liued â And Alexander reigned twelue yeares and he died â And his seruants possessed the kingdom euerie one in his place â and they did al put crownes on them after his death their sonnes after them manie yeares euils were multiplied in the earth â And there came forth of them a sinful roote Antiochus Illustre the sonne of king Antiochus
that had bene at Rome an hostage and he reigned in the hundreth and seuen and thirteth yeare of the kingdom of the Greekes â In those dayes there went forth of Israel wicked children perswaded manie saying Let vs goe and make a couenant with the Gentils that are about vs because since we departed from them manie euils haue found vs. â And the talke semed good in their eyes â And some of the people determined and went to the king and he gaue them leaue to doe the iustice of the Gentils â And they built a schoole in Ierusalem according to the lawes of the Nations â and they made to them selues prepuces and reuolted from the holie testament and were ioyned to the Nations and were solde to doe euil â And the kingdom was prepared in the sight of Antiochus he begane to reigne in the land of Egypt that he might reigne ouer two kingdoms â And he entered into Aegypt with great multitude with chariots and elephants and horsemen and a copious multitude of shippes â And he made warre agaynst Ptolomee the king of Egypt and Ptolomee was afrayd at his presence and fled and manie fel wounded â And he tooke the fensed cities in the land of Aegypt and he tooke the spoiles of the land of Aegypt â And Antiochus turned after he strooke Aegypt in the hundreth and three and fourtith yeare and he went vp to Israel â and went vp to Ierusalem with a great multitude â And he entered into the sanctification with pride tooke the golden altar and the candlesticke of light and al the vessels therof and the table of proposition and the libatories and the phials and the litle morrers of gold and the vele and the crownes and the golden ornament that was in the face of the temple and he brake al into pâeces â And he tooke the siluer and gold and the desiderable vessels and he tooke the hidden treasures which he found and carying away he departed into his owne land â And he made a slaughter of men and spake in great pride â And great lamentation was made in Israel and in euerie place of theirs â and the princes and the ancients mourned and the youngmen and the virgins were weakned and the beautifulnes of the wemen was changed â Euerie husband tooke lamentation and the wemen that sate in the mariage bed mourned â and the land was moued vpon the inhabitants therein al the house of Iacob did put on confusion â And after two yeares of dayes the king sent a prince of tributes into the cities of Iuda he came to Ierusalem with a great multitude â And he spake vnto them peaceable wordes in guile and they beleued him â And he fel vpon the citie sodenly and stroke it with a great plague and destroyed much people in Israel â And he tooke the spoiles of the citie and burnt it with fyre and destroyed the houses therof and the walles therof round about â and they led the wemen captiue and the children and the cattel they possessed â And they built the citie of Dauid with a great wal and a strong and with firme towers and it was made a castel for them â and they placed there a sinful nation wicked men and they waxed strong therein And they layd armour and victuals and gathered together the spoiles of Ierusalem â and layd them vp there and they became a great snare â And this was made for an embushment of the sanctification and to be an il deuil in Israel â And they shed innocent bloud round about the sanctification and contaminated the sanctification â And the inhabitants of Ierusalem fled by reason of them and it became the habitation of strangers and she became stranger to her owne seede and her children forsooke her â Her sanctification was desolate as a wildernes her festiual dayes were turned into mourning her sabbaths into reproche her honours into naught â According to her glorie was her ignominie multiplied and her highnes was turned into mourning â And king Antiochus wrote to al his kingdom that al the people should be one and euerie one should leaue his owne law â And al Nations consented according to the word of king Antiochus â and manie of Israel consented to his seruice and they sacrificed to idols and defiled the sabbath â And the king sent bookes by the handes of messengers into Ierusalem into al the cities of Iuda that they should folow the law of the Nations of the earth â and should prohibite holocausts and sacrifices placations to be made in the temple of God â and should prohibite the sabbath to be celebrated and the solemne dayes â And he commanded the holie places to be defiled and the holie people of Israel â And he commanded altars to be built and temples and idols and swines flesh to be immolated and common beasts â and to leaue their children vncircumcised and their soules to be contaminated in al vncleannesses and abominations so that they should forget the law and should change al the iustifications of God â And whosoeuer had not done acording to the word of king Antiochus they should dye â According to al these words wrote he to al his kingdom and he appoynted princes ouer the people that should force these thinges to be done â And they commanded the cities of Iuda to sacrifice â And manie of the people were gathered to them they that had forsaken the law of our Lord and they did euils vpon the land â and they chased forth the people of Israel in hidden corners and in the secret places of fugitiues â The fiftenth day of the moneth Casleu the hundreth fiue and fourtith yeare king Antiochus built the abominable idol of desolation vpon the altar of God and through out al the cities of Iuda round about they builded altars â and before the gates of houses and in the stretes they burnt frankincense sacrificed â and the bookes of the law of God they burnt with fyre cutting them â and with whomsoeuer were found the bookes of the testament of our Lord and whosoeuer obserued the law of our Lord they murdered him according to the edict of the king â In their powre did they these thinges to the people of Israel that was found in euerie moneth and moneth in the cities â And the fiue and twentith day of the moneth they sacrificed vpon the altar that was agaynst the altar â And the wemen that circumcided their children were murdered according to the commandment of king Antiochus â and they hang vp the children by the necks through out al their houses and those that had circumcided them they murdered â And manie of the people of Israel determined with themselues that they would not eate the vncleane thinges they chose rather to dye then to be defiled with vncleane meates â they would not breake the
receiue the right handes and he gaue it them and he cast them out from thence and clensed the castel from the contaminations â and they entered into it the three and twentith day of the second moneth the yeare an hundreth seuentie one with prayse and boughes of palme trees and harpes and cymbals nables and hymnes and canticles because the great enemie was destroyed out of Israel â And he ordayned that euerie yeare these dayes should be kept with gladnes â And he fortified the mount of the temple that was by the castel and he dwelt there him self and they that were with him â And Simon saw Iohn his sonne that he was a valient man of warre he made him captayne of al the hosts and he dwelt in Gazara CHAP. XIIII Demetrius inuading Media is taken captiue 4. and Iurie is in peace 14. Simon cherisheth the godlie and punisheth the wicked 16. receiueth freindlie letters from the Romanes and Spartiates 20. vvherof the copie is recited 24. sendeth a legate to Rome with a present 25. And is established highpriest and gouernour by publique consent IN THE yeare an hundreth seuentie two king Demetrius gathered his armie and went into Media to get him aydes to expugne Tryphon â And Arsaces the king of Persia and Media heard that Demetrius was entered his confines and he sent one of his princes to take him aliue â And he went and stroke the campe of Demetrius and tooke him and brought him to Arsaces and he put him into ward â And al the land of Iuda was at rest al the dayes of Simon and he sought good to his nation and his powre and his glorie pleased them al dayes â And with al his glorie he tooke Ioppe for an hauen and made it an entrance vnto the iles of the sea â And he enlarged the borders of his nation and obteyned the countrie â And he gathered a great captiuitie and had the dominion of Gazara and of Bethsura and of the castle and tooke away the vncleanes out of it and there was none that resisted him â And euerie man tilled his land with peace the land of Iuda yelded her fruites and the trees of the fildes their fruit â The ancients sate al in the streetes and treated of the good thinges of the land the yongmen did on them glorie and the stoles of warre â And he gaue victuals to the cities and he appointed them that they should be vessels of munition til the name of his glorie was renowmed euen to the end of the earth â He made peace vpon the land Israel reioyced with great ioy â And euerie man sate vnder his vine and vnder his fig-tree and there was none to make them asrayd â There was none left that impugned them vpon the earth kinges were discomfited in those dayes â And he confirmed al the humble of his people and sought the law and tooke away euerie wicked and euil man â he glorified the holies and multiplied the vessels of the holie places â And it was heard at Rome that Ionathas was dead and euen vnto the Spartiats and they were very sorie â But as they heard that Simon his brother was made the high priest in his place and he obteyned al the countrie and the cities therein â they wrote to him in brasen tables to renew the amities and societie which they had made with Iudas with Ionathas his bretheren â And they were read in the sight of the church in Ierusalem And this is a copie of the epistles that the Spartiates sent â THE PRINCES and the cities of the Spartians to Simon the grand priest and to the ancients and the priests and the rest of the people of the Iewes their bretheren greeting â The legates that were sent to our people haue told vs of your glorie and honour and ioy and we reioyced at their entrance â And we wrote that which was sayd of them in the counsels of the people thus Numenius the sonne of Antiochus and Antipater the sonne of Iason legates of the Iewes came to vs renewing with vs old amitie â And it pleased the people to receiue the men gloriously and to put a copie of their wordes in the seuered booke of the people to be for a memorie to the people of the Spartiats And a copie of these we haue writen to Simon the grand priest â And after these thinges Simon sent Numenius to Rome hauing a great buckler of gold of the weight of thousand poundes to establish amitie with them But when the people of Rome had heard â these wordes they sayd What thankes geuing shal we render to Simon and his children â For he hath restored his bretheren and hath expugned the enemies of Israel from them they decreed him libertie and registred it in tables of brasse and put it in titles in mount Sion â And this is a copie of the wriring THE EIGHTENTH day of the moneth Elul in the yeare an hundreth seuentie two the third yeare vnder Simon the grand priest in Asaramel â in a great assemblie of the priests of the people and the princes of the nation and the ancients of the countrie these thinges were notified that there haue often bene battels made in our countrie â But Simon the sonne of Mathathias of the children of Iarib and his bretheren put themselues in danger and resisted the aduersaries of their nation that their holies and law might stand with great glorie haue they glorified their nation â And Ionathas gathered together his nation and was made their grand priest and he was layd to his people â And their enemies would conculcate and destroy their countrie and extend their handes against the holies â Then Simon resisted and fought for his nation and bestowed much money and armed the valient men of his nation gaue them wages â and he fortified the cities of Iurie and Bethsura that was in the borders of Iurie where the armour of the enimies was before and he placed there Iewes for a garrison â And he fortified Ioppe which was by the sea and Gazara which is in the borders of Azotus wherin the enemies dwelt before and he placed Iewes there and whatsoeuer was fitte for their correption he put in them â And the people saw the fact of Simon and the glorie that he meant to doe to his nation they made him their duke and grand priest for that he had done al thesâ thinges and for the iustice and fayth which he kept to his nation for that he sought by al meanes to aduance his people â And in his dayes it prospered in his hands so that the heathen were taken away out of their countrie and they that were in the citie of of Dauid in Ierusalem in the castel out of which they came forth and contaminated al thinges that were round about the holies they brought great plague vpon chastitie â he placed in it
they resolued to fight and to encounter manfully that manhood might decide the matter because the holie citie and the temple were in danger â For there was lesse care for their wiues and children and also for their bretheren and kinsemen but the greatest and principal feare was for the holines of the temple â And they also that were in the citie tooke no litle care for them that were to ioyne battel â And when they did al hope that iudgement would be geuen and the enimies were present and the armie was set in aray the beastes horsemen disposed in conuenient place â Machabeus considering the coming of the multitude and the varietie of the prouision of armour and the fiercenes of the beastes stretching forth his handes vnto heauen he inuocated our Lord that worketh wonders who not according to the might of armes but according as it pleaseth him geueth victorie to the worthie â And he sayd inuocating in this maner Thou Lord which didst send thyne Angel in the time of Ezechias king of Iuda and didst kil an hundred eightie fiue thousand of the campe of Sennacharib â now ô Dominatour of the heauens send thy good Angel before vs in feare and trembling of the greatnes of thyne arme â that they may be afrayde which with blasphemie come against thyne holie people And he in dede ended his prayer thus â But Nicanor and they that were with him with trumpets songues came nere â But Iudas and they that were with him inuocating God by prayers ioyned battel â with the hand in dede fighting but in their hartes praying to our Lord they ouerthrew no lesse then fiue and thirtie thousand being greatly delighted with the presence of God â And when they had ceased and returned with ioy they vnderstood that Nicanor was slaine for al his armour â A shout therfore being made and a great crie they blessed the Almightie Lord in their countrie language â And Iudas who by al meanes was in bodie and mind readie to dye for his citizens commanded that Nicanors head and hand with the shoulder being cut of should be caried to Ierusalem â Whither when he was come hauing called his countrimen and the Priestes to the altar he sent also for them that were in the castel â And shewing them the head of Nicanor the wicked hand which he stretching forth against holie house of almightie God had mightely bragged â The tongue also of impious Nicanor being cut out he commanded to be geuen pecemeale to the birdes and the hand of the furious man to be hanged vp against the temple â Al therfore blessed the Lord of heauen saying Blessed be he that hath kept his place vndefiled â And he hung vp Nicanors head in the toppe of the castel that it might be an euident manifest signe of the helpe of God â Therfore al by common counsel decreed by no meanes to let passe this day without solemnitie â but to kepe the solemnitie the thirtenth day of the moneth Adar which is called in the Syrian language the day before Mardocheus day * These thinges therefore being done concerning Nicanor from that time the citie being possessed of the Hebrewes I also in these wil make an end of speaking â And if wel and as is competent for a storie that myself also would but â if not so worthely it resteth to be pardoned me â For as to drinke alwayes wine or alwayes water is hurtful but to vse now one now an other is delectable so to the readers if the speach be alwayes exact it wil not be gratful Here therefore it shal be ended ANNOTATIONS CHAP. XV. 12. Onias prayed for al the people And. v. 14. Ieremie prayeth for the people As against prayer of the faithful for the dead Ch 12. so against prayer of Saincts for the militant Church Protestants haue no better euasion vvhen they are pressed with these examples then by denying the auctoritie of the Bookes For seing the Prophet Ieremie and the Highpriest Onias being in Limbo patrum no holie soules ascending into heauen before Christ did pray for the vvhole people of the Ievves it is also certaine that they and other Sainctes in glorie do of their excellent charitie pray for those that are in this mortallife Yet neither do vve Catholiques vrge this place as though vve had no other to alleage for vve shevv the same doctrine by other holie Scriptures Gen. 48. Exo 32. Iere. 15. Luc. 16. 2 Petri 1. Apoc. 5. 6 8. and others neither must vve omite these bookes because our aduersaries denie them seing the lerned Doctores and holie Fathers confirme the same doctrine by those Scriptures Among others ancient Origen tomo 18 in Ioan. sayth it appeareth that Sainctes departed from this life haue care of the people as it is written sayth he in the Actes of the Machabees manie yeares after the death of Ieremie this is Ieremie the prophet of God vvo prayeth much for the people Likervvise S. Bernard Ser. 3. vigil Natiuit Domini Ser. 11. againe Ser. 76. in Cantica admonisheth that a good religious man is like to this Onias who prayeth to God for al the people 39. If not se vvorthely He demandeth not pardon as though he suspected any error in his doctrine or in the history but of his vnpolished stile in writing As S Paul sayth that himself vvas rude in speach yet not in knovvlege 2. Cor. 11. v. 6. But we who by Gods great goodnes haue passed now to the end of this English old Testament iustly fearing that we haue not worthely discharged so great a worke and in no wise presuming that we haue auoided al errors as wel of doctrine as historie much more we acknowlege that our stile is rude and vnpolished And therfore we necessarily and vvith al humilitie craue pardon of God and al his glorious Sainctes Likevvise of the Chruch militant and particularly of you right vvelbeloued English readers to vvhom as at the beginning vve directed and dedicated these our endeuoures so to you vve offer the rest of our laboures euen to the end of our liues in our B. Sauiour IESVS Christ to vvhom be al praise and glorie Amen THE CONTINVANCE OF THE CHVRCH AND RELIGION IN THE SIXTH AGE from the captiuitie in Babylon to the coming of our Sauiour nere the space of 640. yeares SVCH is the prouidence of Almightie God that not obscurely or at sometimes only but manifestly and without intermission his Diuine Maiestie is acknowleged his name glorified his Religion professed and his preceptes obserued by a visible knowne Church from the beginning of the world to the end therof as we haue already shewed in the other fiue ages and shal no lesse clerly declare the same in this sixth For albeit the peculiar people of God were for their sinnes caried forth of their countrie and held captiues in Babylon seuentie yeares and after their reduction
were subiect to strangers ruling ouer them and sometimes extremely afflicted with persecution yet they stil perseuered in the same fayth and religion had succession of Priestes and of one Highpriest with conseruation also of the royal line of Dauid euen to Christ our eternal King and Priest First therfore concerning Articles of fayth and religion the beleefe in one God was so generally confessed by the whole Iewish nation that their Priestes and Prophetes did vse it for a principle in confirmation of other pointes as wel doctrinal as moral So Malachie teaching that our neighbour is to be beloued God to be serued and his lawes to be kept Is there not one Father of vs al sayth he ch 2. v. 10. Hath not one God created vs Why then doth euerie one of vs despise his brother violating the couenant of our fathers More expresly Ieremie in his Epistle Baruc. 6. sheweth the vanitie and absurditie of manie goddes exhorting the people to serue the one omnipotent God saying to him sincerely in their bartes v. 5. Thou oughtest to be adored ô Lord. Likewise when the Magicians of Chaldea ascribed the knowlege of dreames to false goddes Daniel with the other three children ch 2. v. 18 prayed the God of heauen and the mystetie was reueled to Daniel and he declared and expounded the kings dreame Who therupon confessed to Daniel v. 47. In very dede your God is the God of goddes and Lord of kinges The same three children Daniel 3. were cast into the burning furnace and Daniel into the lions denne ch 6. 14. readie to dye for their fayth in one God For this fayth also Mardocheus as is written in the booke of Esther was persecuted and he with al the people were in extreme danger And the auctor of the booke of wisdome teacheth that one God is knowen by consideration of his creatures Al men are vaine sayth he ch 13. v. 1. that by thinges sene vnderstand not him that is neither attending to the workes agnise who was the workman So the auctor of Ecclesiasticus ch 1. v. 8. professeth There is one most high Creator omnipotent and mightie king and to be feared excedingly sitting vpon the throne the God of Dominion As for the high Mysterie of three Diuine Persons in one God not so commonly reueled in the old testament yet was it knowen and in some sorte vttered As Aggeus 2. v. 5. 6. I am with you fayth the Lord of hostes the word that I did couenant with you when you came out of the land of Aegypt and my Spirite shal be in the middes of yoa VVhere by the Lord of hosts u commonly vnderstood God the Father by his spirite God the Holie Ghost and the word may signifie God the Sonne of whose Incarnation the Prophete playnly speaketh in the next verses For in this consisteth the couenant betwen God and his people that they should kepe his word of precepts and commandments expressed in the law and he would send them the word his onlie Sonne the Second Diuine Person to redeme mankind Againe the same three Persons seme to be distinguished in diuers places God the Father is described according to mans smal capacitie Daniel 7. v. 9. thus Thrones were sette and THE ANCIENT OF DAYES sate his vesture white as snow and the heares of his head as cleane wool his throne flames of fire his wheeles fire kindled He is called Ancient of dayes not only because he is eternal for so are the other two Diuine Persons but this terme is attributed to the Father because in order he is the beginning from whom the other two Persons proceede The Sonne by generation the Holie Ghost from the Father and the Sonne by procession To God the sonne the same Prophet Daniel prayeth ch 9. v. 17. saying Now therfore heare ô our God the petition of thy seruant and his prayers and shew thy face vpon thy Sanctuarie which is desert for thyne owne sake that is for thyne owne merites which can only be vnderstood of that Diuine Person which is incarnate Zacharie 12. v. 10. God speaking by the prophet sayth I wil powre out vpon the house of Dauid and vpon the inhabitantes of Ierusalem the spirite of grace and of prayers which may easily be vnderstood to be the promise of the B. Trinitie but that which immediatly foloweth and they shal looke towards me whom they pearced can only be spoken by the Second Diuine Person who only is incarnate and was pearced in his Passion In the booke of wisdome is much written of wisdom increated a terme appropriated to God the Sonne especially ch 2. 7. 8. 9. and 10. The like in Ecclesiasticus ch 1. 4. 24. And ch 51. v. 14. is distinct mention of the Father the Sonne I haue inuocated sayth the auctor or anie faythful soule our Lord the Father of my Lord. There is likewise particular mention of the Holie Ghost in some places As 2. Esd 9. v. 20. Thou gauest them the good Spirite which should teach them for the office of internal teaching is appropriated to the Holie Ghost Ioan. 14. v. 17. and 16. v. 13. The Spirite of truth and he shal teach you al truth Ezec. 36. v. 27. I wil put my Spirite in the middes of you and wil make that you walke in my precepts Zach. 7. v. 12. The wordes which the Lord sent in HIS SPIRITE by the hand of the former Prophetes Sapient 1. v. 5. The Holie Ghost of discipline wil flye from him that feaneth Ecclesiasticus 1. v. 9. He created her in the Holie Ghost 24. v. 29. They that eate ME shal yet hunger and they that drinke ME shal yet thirst Where God calleth the Holie Ghost which is receiued by grace himselsef Because al three Diuine Persons are one God And that there be manie Dinine Persons in God who is one in substance is sufficiently signified by al those holie Scriptures where God is called by the name Elohim in the plural number especially seing this name hath also the singular number Eloha As Iob. 12. v. 4. 36. v. 2. Daniel 2. v. 28. Habacuc 1. v. 11. 3. v. 3. which last place semeth most painly to speake of the Sonne of God ELOHA MITHEMAN IAVO God wil come from Theman or from the South And therfore where this word Elohim is vsed in the plural number as in most places it is it signifieth pluralitie of Persons in God Christs Incarnation is more clerly foreshewed by Prophetes who aboue other consolations most especially comforted the people by their prophecies of Christ our Sauiour Ieremie 23. v. 5. I wil rayse vp to Dauid a iust branch and he shal reigne a king and shal be wise and he shal doe iudgement and iustice in the earth Ch. 31. v. 23. A woman shal compasse a man Christ though in bodie a litle infant yet in powre and wisedom was most perfect of al men euen when he was in his mothers
after this it happened that Manasses an Apostata highpriest by intercession of Sanaballar whose daughter he had vnlawfully maried obtayned licence to build a temple in Garizim which the Samaritanes afterwards pretended to be more ancient then the temple of Ierusalem against which our Sauiour gaue sentence loan 4. v. 22. It was also decided by king Ptolomeus in Alexandria as Iosephus witnesseth li. 13 c. 6. by way of arbitrament finding that the temple of Ierusalem and the Highpriestes therof had a perpetual succession from Salomons time and that their pretence of Iacobs adoring in Garizim was not to the purpose seing there was no succession that temple being lately built Neuertheles the same Ptolomeus to gratifie Onias an other Apostata sonne of good Onias Highpriest and Martyr 2. Macab 4. v. 34. gaue leaue to build an other temple in Aegypt which stood likewise in schisme against the true temple of Ierusalem wresting to their purpose the prophecie of Isaie ch 19. v. 19. In that day there shal be an altar of our Lord in the middes of Aegypt Which S. Ierom sheweth to be vnderstood of the Church of Christ. Before this last schismatical temple and after the former were the Seuentie two Interpreters or Translators of the Hebrew Bible into Greke of whom S. Ierom and al ancient Fathers speake much esteme of very great Canonical auctoritie In the time of the Grecians Monarchie prophane lerning florished more then before and Philosophers abunded but differed excedingly amongst themselues and al erred in the principles both of Natural Moral knowledge For wheras in dede God omnipotent was the only maker of the whole world and al thinges therein al these Philosophers supposed and taught that some material thing was coeternal with God and so they put the same thing to haue bene the beginning of al other thinges Which some say was the water some the Ayre some the Earth some the Fyre some al these foure Elements some the Atomos or indiuisible smal bodies some one thing some an other Wherof S. Epiphanius writeth in compendio contra hâreses And the like absurde conceiptes they had of the chiefe Good or Summum bonum Which the Pithagorians thought to be nothing els but a certayne immortalitie of the soule and so as it may stil be in a bodie And therfore seing both men and beastes do dye they held opinion that when a soule parteth out of one bodie it goeth into an other Yea and maketh transmigration from one species or kind to an other As from a mans bodie into the bodie of a horse or an oxe and contrariwise from a brute beast into a man againe and from one beast into an other The Stoikes put the chiefe good in vertues but could reach no further then to a certayne contentment of ioy in their minde not knowing the reward of vertues to consist in seeing God Platonikes or Achademikes conceiued more of God and pure spirites but thought both corporal and spiritual creatures were coeternal with God The Peripatetikes placed the chiefe good or felicitie in the aggregation of best spiritual corporal and worldlie thinges together The Epicures esteemed carnal and bodilie pleasures aboue al. And al these and their folowers iudged so diuersly of the right true felicitie contradicting and condemning ech others opinions that they were multiplied into innumerable Sectes As S. Augustin declareth out of Marcus Varro and opposeth against them al the one assured fayth and iudgement of Gods Church in his 19. booke de ciuit Dei c. 4. And concludeth with the Royal Prophet and S. Paul that their cogitations are vaine which wil haue happines to be in anie other thing but in seing God or to be obtained by anie other meanes without Gods grace And not only before since but also in the same times the auctors of The Bookes of wisdom Ecclesiasticus taught right doctrine against those erronious Philosophers For profession also of true fayth and religion the Machabees both suffered and labored most notably When king Antiochus Epiphanes 1. Mach. 1. v. 43. wrote to al his kingdom that al the people should be one and euerie one should leaue his owne law And whosoeuer should not doe according to the word of Antiochus they should dye Against which most wicked decree and cruel execution therof Gods grace so abunded that v. 65. manie of the people of Israel determined with themselues that they would not eate the vncleane thinges and they chose rather to dye then to be defiled with vncleane meates and that they would not breake the holy law of God so were murthered As is more particularly recorded 2. Mach. 5. v. 14. how there were in the space of three dayes fourescore thousand slayne fourtie thousand in prisoned no lesse sold After this with more pretence of iustice but with more malice endeuoring to terrifie others to draw them to yelde or make shew of conformitie to wicked lawes ch 6. v. 10. Two wemen were accused to haue circumcised their sonnes whom when they had led about through the citie with the infants hanging at their breastes they threw downe headlong by the walles And v. 11. other people were burnt with fire for secretly keping the day of the Sabbath Thirdly v. 18. Eleazarus being vrged to eate swines flesh and intreated by his familiar freindes to make shew of conformitie would neither eate nor feyne to âaâe it but dyed most constantly leauing an example of vertue fortitude Fourthly seuen bretheren and their mother 2 Mach. 7. yelded also their liues in most glorious Martyrdom because they would not yelde conformitie to wicked lawes After which heroical constancie in suffering it was also Gods prouidence that others should shew their fortitude in deliuering his Church from these calamities and dangers For Matthathias of the tribe of Leui and stocke of Aaron Priest and after the apostasie of Iason li. 2. c. 4. v. 10. High-priest lamenting the pitiful state of Gods people with resolute mind and inuinoible corege resisting wicked Antiochus 1. Mach. 2. of iust zele with his owne handes slew one who for feare of death was readie to offer sacrifice to idols withal killed the kings commissioner who came to compel men to committe idolatrie and then gathered troupes to defend so hohie a cause Against whom the enimies fighting on the sabbath dayes killed manie which of scruple would not resist But vpon further consideration the rest resolued to defend themselues also on the sabbath day if they were assaulted Next to him succeded his sonne Iudas Machabeus in both the offices of Highpriest General captaine who as good order required first pursued the wicked towitte amongst his owne subiectes inquiring them out and such as trubled his people them he burned with fire 1. Mach. 3. v. 5. and his enimies were repelled for feare of him al the workers of
expedient that one man dye for the people and the whole nation perish not vvhich the holie Euangelist ascribeth to his office being highpriest of that yeare he prophecied that IESVS should dye for the nation and not only for the nation but togather into one the children of God that were dispersed IESVS REDEMER correct in vs our errors gather the dispersed conserue them that are and shal be gathered make al one flocke in one fould vnder one Pastour thy selfe IESVS CHRIST To whom with the Father and the Holie Ghost be al thankes praise honour and glorie now and for euer and euer AMEN The prayer of Manasses vvith the second third Bookes of Esdras extant in most Latin and vulgare Bibles are here placed after al the Canonical bookes of the old Testament because they are not receiued into the Canon of Diuine Scriptures by the Catholique Church THE PRAYER OF MANASSES KING OF IVDA WHEN HE WAS HELD CAPTIVE IN BABYLON LORD omnipotent God of our fathers Abraham Isaac and Iacob and of their iust sede which didst make heauen and earth with al the ornamentes of them which hast bound the sea with the word of thy precept which hast shut vp the depth and sealed it with thy terrible and laudable name whom al thinges dread tremble at the countinance of thy powre because the magnificence of thy glorie is importable the wrath of thy threatning vpon sinners is intollerable but the mercie of thy promise is infinite and vnsearchable because thou art our Lord most high benigne long suffering and very merciful and penitent vpon the wickednes of men Thou Lord according to the multitude of thy goodnes hast promised penance and remission to them that haue sinned to thee and by the multitude of thy mercies thou hast decreed penance to sinners vnto saluation Thou therfore Lord God of the iust hast not appointed penance to the iust Abraham Isaac and Iacob them that haue not sinned to thee but hast appointed penance for me a sinner because I haue sinned aboue the number of the sand of the sea Myne iniquities Lord be multiplied mine iniquities be multiplied and I am not worthie to behold looke vpon the height of heauen for the multitude of mine iniquities I am made crooked with manie a band of yron that I can not lift vp my head and I haue not respiration because I haue stirred vp thy wrath and haue done euil before thee I haue not done thy wil and thy commandmentes I haue not kept I haue set vp abominations and multiplied offenses And now I bowe the knee of my hart beseeching goodnes of thee I haue sinned Lord I haue sinned I acknowlege myne iniquities Wherefore I beseech disiring thee forgeue me Lord forgeue me and destroy me not together with myne iniquities neither reserue thou for euer being angrie euils for me neither damme me into the lowest places of the earth because thou art God God I say of the penitent in me thou shalt shew al thy goodnes because thou shalt saue me vnworthie according to thy great mercie and I wil prayse thee alwayes al the dayes of my life because al the power of the heauens prayseth thee and to thee is glorie for euer and euer Amen THE THIRD BOOKE OF ESDRAS For helpe of the readers especially such as haue not leysure to read al vve haue gathered the contentes of the chapters but made no Annotations because the text it self is but as a Commentarie to the Canonical bookes and therfore we haue only added the concordance of other Scriptures in the margin CHAP. I. Iosias king of Iuda maketh a great Pasch 7. geuing manie hostes to such as wanted for sacrifice 14. the Priestes and Leuites performing their functions therin 22. in the eightenth yeare of his reigne 25. He is slayne in battel by the king of Aegypt 32. and much lamented by the Iewes 34. His sonne Ieconias succedeth 37. After him Ioacim 40. who is deposed by the king of Babylon 43. Ioachin reigneth three monethes and is caried into Babylon 46. Sedecias reigneth eleuen yeares wickedly 52. and he with his people is caried captiue into Babylon the citie and temple are destroyed 57. so remayned til the Monarchie of the Persians AND Iosias made a Pasch in Ierusalem to our Lord immolated the Phase the fourtenth moone of the moneth â appointing the Priestes by courses of dayes clothed with stoles in the temple of our Lord. â And he spake to the Leuites the sacred seruantes of Israel that they should sanctifie them selues to our Lord in the placing of the holie arke of our Lord in the house which king Salomon sonne of Dauid built â It shal not be for you to take it vpon your shoulders And now serue your Lord and take the care of that nation Israel in part according to your villages and tribes â according to the writing of Dauid king of Israel and according to the magnificence of Salomon his sonne al in the temple and according to your fathers portion of principalitie among them that stand in the sight of your brethren the children of Israel â Immolate the Pasch and prepare the sacrifices for your bretheren and doe according to the precept of our Lord which was geuen to Moyses â And Iosias gaue vnto the people that was found of sheepe lambes and kiddes and goates thirtie thousand calues three thousand â These thinges were geuen to the people of the kinges goodes according to promisse and to the priestes for the Phase sheepe in number two thousand and calues an hundred â And Iechonias and Semeias and Nathanael bretheren and Hasabias and Oziel and Coraba for the Phase sheepe fiue thousand calues fiue hundred â And when these thinges were done in good order the Priestes and the Leuites stood hauing azymes by tribes â And according to the portions of their fathers principalitie in the sight of the people they did offer to our Lord according to those thinges which were written in the booke of Moyses â and rosted the Phase with fire as it ought and the hostes they boyled in cauldrons and in pottes with beneuolence â and they brought to al that were of the people and afterward they prepared for them selues and the priestes â For the Priestes offered the fatte vntil the houre was ended and the Leuites prepared for them selues and their brethren the children of Aaron â And the sacred singing men the children of Asaph were by order according to the precept of Dauid and Asaph and Zacharias and Ieddimus which was from the king â And the porters at euerie gate so that none transgressed his owne for their brethren prepared for them â And the thinges were consummate that perteyned to the sacrifice of our Lord. â In that day they celebrated the Phase and offered hostes vpon the sacrifice of our Lord according to the precept of king Iosias â And the children of Israel that were found at that time
hand â and on the left Faldeus Misael Malachias Ambusthas Sabus Nabadias and Zacharias â And Esdras tooke the booke before al the multitude for he was chiefe in glorie in the sight of al. â And when he had ended the law they stood al vpright and Esdras blessed our Lord the most high God the God of Sabaoth omnipotent â And al the people answered Amen And lifting vp their handes falling on the ground they adored our Lord. â Iesus and Banaeus and Sarebias and Iaddimus and Accubus and Sabbathaeus and Calithes Azarias and Ioradus and Ananias and Philias Leuites â who taught the law of our Lord and read the same in the multitude euerie one preferred them that vnderstood the lesson â And Atharathes sayd to Esdras the high priest and the reader and to the Leuites that taught the multitude â saying This day is sanctified to our Lord. And they al wept when they had heard the law â And Esdras sayd departing therfore eate ye al the fattest thinges drinke al most swete things and send giftes to them that haue not â For this is the holy day of our Lord be not sad For our Lord wil glorifie you â And the Leuites denounced openly to al saying This day is holie be not sad â And they went al to eate and drinke and make merie and to geue giftes to them that had not that they might make merie for they were excedingly exalted with the wordes that they were taught â And they were al gathered in Ierusalem to celebrate the ioy according to the testament of our Lord the God of Israel THE FOVRTH BOOKE OF ESDRAS CHAP. I. Esdras is sent to expostulate with the vngratful Iewes for neglecting Gods manie great benefites THE second booke of Esdras the prophet the sonne of Sarei the sonne of Azarei the sonne of Helcias the sonne of Sadanias the sonne of Sadoch the sonne of Achitob â the sonne of Achias the sonne of Phinees the sonne of Heli the sonne of Amerias the sonne of Asiel the sonne of Marimoth the sonne of Arna the sonne of Ozias the sonne of Borith the sonne of Abisei the sonne of Phinees the sonne of Eleazar â the sonne of Aaron of the tribe of Leui who was captiue in the countrie of the Medes in the reigne of Artaxerxes king of the Persians â And the word of our Lord came to me saying â Goe and tel my people their wicked deedes and their children the iniquities that they haue done against me that they may tel their childrens children â because the sinnes of their parentes are increased in them for they being forgetful of me haue sacrified to strange goddes â Did not I bring them out of the land of Aegypt from the house of bondange But they haue prouoked me haue despised my counsels â But doe thou shake of the heare of thy head and throw al euils vpon them because they haue not obeyed my law And it is a people without discipline â How long shal I beare with them on whom I haue bestowed so great benefittes â I haue ouerthrowen manie kinges from them I haue stroke Pharao with his seruantes and al his hoste â Al nations did I destroy before their face in the East I dissipated the peoples of two prouinces Tyre and Sidon and I slew al their aduersaries â But speake thou to them saying Thus sayth our Lord â I made you passe through the sea and gaue you fensed streates from the beginning I gaue you Moyses for your gouernour and Aaron for the Priest â I gaue you light by the piller of fire did manie meruelous things among you but you haue forgotten me sayth our Lord. â Thus sayth our Lord omnipotent The quayle was a signe to you I gaue you a campe for defense and there you murmured â And you triumphed not in my name for the destruction of your enemies but yet vntil now you haue murmured â Where are the benefites that I haue geuen you Did you not crie out to me when you were hungrie in the desert â saying Why hast thou brought vs into this desert to kil vs it had bene better for vs to serue the Aegyptians then to dye in this desert â I was sorie for your mournings gaue you manna to eate You did eate bread of Angels â When you thirsted did not I cleaue the rocke waters flowed in abundance for the heates I couered you with the leaues of trees â I deliuered vnto you fatte landes The Chananeites and Pherezeites and Philistheans I threw out from your face what shal I yet doe to you sayth our Lord â Thus sayth our Lord omnipotent In the desert when you were thirstie in the riuer of the Amorrheites and blaspheming my name â I gaue you not fire for blasphemies but casting wood into the water I made the riuer swete â What shal I doe to thee Iacob Thou wouldest not obey ô Iuda I wil transferre my self to other nations and wil geue them my name that they may keepe my ordinances â Because you haue forsaken me I also forsake you when you aske mercie of me I wil not haue mercie â When you shal inuocate me I wil not heare you For you haue defiled your handes with bloud and your fete are quicke to commit murders â Not as though you haue forsaken me but yourselues sayth our Lord. â Thus saith our Lord omnipotent haue not I desired you as a father his sonnes and a mother her daughters and as a nurce her litle ones â that you would be my people and I your God and to me for children and I to you for a father â So haue I gathered you as the henne her chickenes vnder her winges But now what shal I doe to you I wil throw you from my face â When you shal bring me oblation I wil turne away my face from you For I haue refused your festiual dayes new moones and circumcisions â I sent my seruantes the prophetes to you whom being taken you slew and mangled their bodies whose bloud I wil require sayth our Lord. â Thus sayth our Lord omnipotent your house is made desolate I wil throw you away as the winde doth stubble â and your children shal not haue issue because they haue neglected my commandment and haue done that which is euil before me â I wil deliuer your houses to a people comming who not hearing me do beleue to whom I haue not shewed signes they wil do the thinges that I haue commanded â The prophetes they haue not sene and they wil be mindful of their iniquities â I cal to witnes the grace of the people comming whose litle ones reioyce with ioy not seing me with their carnal eyes but in spirit beleuing the thinges that I haue sayd â And now brother behold what glorie and see people comming from the cast â to whom I wil geue the conduction of Abraham
when the time therof shal beginne to approch to be ended yet two shal be kept to the end â And wheras thou sawest three heads resting â this is the interpretation in her last dayes the Highest wil rayse vp three kingdoms and wil cal backe manie thinges into them and they shal rule ouer the earth â and them that dwel in it with much labour aboue al them that vvere before them For this cause they are called the heads of the eagle â For these shal be they that shal recapitulate her impieties and that shal accomplish her last thinges â And wheras thou sawest a greater head not appearing this is the interpretation therof that one of them shal dye vpon his bed and yet with torments â For the two that shal remayne the sword shal eate them â For the sword of one shal deuoure him that is with him but yet this also at the last shal fal by the sword â And wheras thou sawest two vnderwings passing ouer the head that is on the right side â this is the interpretation these are they whom the Highest hath kept to their end this is a smal kingdom and ful of truble â As thou sawest the lyon also whom thou sawest awaking out of the wood and roaring and speaking to the eagle and rebuking her and her iniustices by al his wordes as thou hast heard â this is the wynde which the Highest hath kept vnto the end for them and their impieties and he shal rebuke them and shal cast in their spoyles before them â For he shal sette them in iudgment aliue and it shal be when he hath reproued them then shal he chastise them â For the rest of my people he shal deliuer with miserie them that are saued vpon my borders and he shal make them ioyful til the end shal come the day of iudgment wherof I haue spoken to thee from the beginning â This is the dreame which thou sawest and these be the interpretations â Thou therfore only hast bene worthie to know this secrete of the Highest â Write therfore in a booke al these thinges which thou hast sene and put them in a hidden place â and thou shalt teach them the wise men of thy people whose harts thou knowest able to take and to kepe these secretes â But doe thou stay here yet other seuen dayes that there may be shewed thee whatsoeuer shal seme good to the Highest to shew thee â And he departed from me And it came to passe when al the people had heard that the seuen dayes were past and I had not returned into the citie and al gathered them selues together from the least vnto the greatest came to me spake to me saving â What haue we sinned to thee or what haue we done vniustly against thee that leauing vs thou hast sitten in this place â For thou alone art remayning to vs of al peoples as a cluster of grapes of the vineyard and as a candle in a darke place and as an hauen and shippe saued from the tempest â Or are not the euiles that chance sufficient for vs â If then thou shalt forsake vs how much better had it ben to vs if we also had bene burnt with the burning of Sion â For we are not better then they that dyed there And they wept with a lowd voice And I answered them and sayd â Be of good chere Israel and be not sorowful thou house of Iacob â For there is remebrance of you before the Highest and the Strong hath not forgotten you in tentation â For I haue not forsaken you neither did I depart from you but I came into this place to pray for the desolation of Sion and to seeke mercie for the low estate of your sanctification â And now goe euery one of you into his house and I wil come to you after these dayes â And the people departed as I sayd to them into the citie â but I sate in the fielde seuen dayes as he commanded me and I did eate of the flowers of the field only of the herbes was my meate made in those dayes CHAP. XIII A vision of a winde as it first semed but in dede v. 3. of a man 5. strong against the enimies 21. with the interpretation AND it came to passe after seuen dayes and I dreamed a dreame in the night â And behold there rose a winde from the sea that trubled al the waues therof â And I saw and behold that man grew strong with thousandes of heauen and when he turned his countenance to consider al thinges trembled that were sene vnder him â and whersoeuer voyce proceded out of his mouth al that heard his voices be gaue to burne as the earth is quiet when it feeleth the fire â And I saw after these and behold a multitude of men was gathered together of whom there was no number from the foure windes of heauen to fight against the man that was come vp out of the sea â And I saw and behold he had grauen to himself a great mountaine he flew vpon it â And I sought to see the countrie or the place whence the mountaine was grauen I could not â And after these thinges I saw and behold al that were gathered to him to ouerthrowe him feared exceedingly yet they were bold to fieght â And behold as he sawe the violence of the multitude that came he lifted not vp his hand nor held sword nor anie warlyke instrument but only as I saw â that he sentforth out of his mouth as it were a blaste of fire and from his lâppes a spirit of flame from his tongue he sentforth sparkles tempests and al thinges were mingled together with this blast of fire spirit of flame multitude of tempests â And it fel with violence vpon the multitude that was prepared to fight and burned them al that suddenly there was nothing sene of an innumerable multitude but only dust the sauour of smoke and I saw and was afrayd â And after these thinges I saw the man himself descending from the mountaine and calling to him an other peaceable multitude â and there came to him the countenance of manie men some reioycing and some sorrowing and some bond some bringing of them that were offered And I was sicke for much feare and awaked and sayd â Thou from the beginning hast shewed thy seruant these meruelous thinges and hast counted me worthie that thou wouldest receiue my petition â And now shew me yet the interpretation of this dreame â For as I thinke in my iudgement woe to them that were leaft in those dayes much more woe to them that were not leaft â For they that were not leaft were sorrowful â I vnderstand now what thinges are layde vp in the later dayes and they shal happen to them yea and to them that are leaft â For therefore they came into great dangers and manie necessities as these dreames do
â for the euiles which thou hast sene to haue chanced now worse then these wil they doe againe â for looke how much the world shal become weake by age so much shal euiles be multiplied vpon the inhabitants â For truth hath remoued it self farther of and lying hath approched for now the vision which thou sawest hasteneth to come â And I answered and sayd before thee ô Lord â For behold I wil goe as thou hast commanded me wil rebuke the people that now is But them that shal yet be borne who shal admonish â The world therfore is set in darknes and they that dwel in it without light â Because thy law is burnt therefore no man knoweth the workes that haue bene done by thee or that shal begin â For if I haue found grace with thee send the Holie Ghost to me I wil write al that hath bene done in the world from the beginning the thinges that were written in thy law that men may finde the pathe and they that wil liue in the later times may liue â And he answered me and sayd Goe gather together the people and thou shalt say to them that they seeke thee not for fourtie dayes â And doe thou prepare thee manie tables of boxe take with thee Sarea Dabria Salemia Echanus and Asiel these fiue which are readie to write sweeâtly â And come hither I wil light in thy hart a candle of vnderstanding which shal not be put out til the things be finished which thou shalt begine to write â And then some thinges thou shalt open to the perfect some thou shalt deliuer secretly to the wyse For to morrow this houre thou shalt begine to write â And I went as he commanded me gathered togetheral the people and sayd â Heare Israel these wordes â Our fathers were pilgrimes from the beginning in Aegypt and were deliuered from thence â And they receiued the law of life which they kept not which you also after them haue transgressed â and the land was geuen you by lotte and the land of Sion and your fathers and you haue done iniquitie and haue not kept the wayes which the Highest commanded you â And wheras he is a iust iudge he hath taken from you in time that which he had geuen â And now you are here and your brethren are among you â If then you wil rule ouer your sense instruct your hart you shal be preserued aliue and after death shal obtaine mercie â For the iudgement shal come after death when we shal returne to lyfe againe and then the names of the iust shal appeare and the dedes of the impious shal be shewed â Let no man therfore come to me now nor aske for me vntil fourtie dâyes â And I tooke the siue men as he commanded me and we went forth into the field and taried there â And I was come to the morrow behold a voice called me saying Esdras open thy mouth and drinke that which I wil geue thee to drinke â And I opened my mouth behold a ful cuppe was brought me this was ful as it were with water but the colour therof like as fire â And I tooke it and dranke and when I had drunken of it my hart was tormented with vnderstanding and wisdome grewe into my brest For my spirit was kept by memorie â And my mouth was opened and was shut no more â The Highest gaue vnderstanding vnto the fiue men and they wrote excesses of the night which were spoken which they knewe not â And at night they did eate breade but I spake by day by night held not my peace â And there were written in the fourtie dayes two hundred foure bookes â And it came to passe when they had ended the fourtie daies the Highest spake saying â The former thinges which thou hast written set abrode and let the worthie and vnworthie reade but the last seuentie bookes thou shalt keepe that thou mayest deliuer them to the wyse of thy people â For in these is the vaine of vnderstanding and the fountaine of wisdome and the streame of knowledge and I did soe CHAP. XV. Esdras is bid to denounce that assuredly manie euiles wil come to the world 9. God wil protect his people the wicked shal be punished and lament their final miseries God reuenging for the good BEHOLD speake into the eares of my people the wordes of prophecie which I shal put into thy mouth sayth our Lord â and see that they be written in paper because they be faithful and true â Be not afrayd of the cogitations against thee neither let the incredulities truble thee of them that speake â Because euerie incredulous person shal dye in his incredulitie â Behold I bring in sayth our Lord vpon the whole earth euils sword and famine and death and destruction â Because iniquitie hath fully polluted ouer al the earth and their hurtful workes are accomplished â Therefore sayth our Lord â I wil not now kepe silence of their impieties which they doe irreligiously neither wil I beare with those thinges which they practise vniustly Behold the innocent iust bloud crieth to me the soules of the iust crie continually â Reuenging I wil reuenge them sayth our Lord and I wil take al innocent bloud out of them vnto me â Behold my people is led to staughter as a flocke I wil no more suffer it to dwel in the land of Aegypt â But I wil bring them forth in a mightie hand and valiant arme and wil strike with plague as before and wil corrupt al the land thereof â Aegypt shal mourne and the fundations thereof beaten with plague and with the chastisement which God wil bring vpon it â The husband men that til the ground shal mourne because their seedes shal perish by blasting and haile and by a terible starre â Woe to the world and them that dwel therein â Because the sword is at hand and the destruction of them and nation shal rise vp against nation to fight sword in their handes â For there shal be instabilitie to men growing one against an other they shal not care for their king the princes of the way of their doinges in their might â For a man shal desire to go into the citie can not â Because of their prides the cities shal be trubled the houses raised the men shal feare â Man shal not pitie his neighbour to make their houses nothingworth in the sword to spoyle their goodes for famine of bread much tribulation â Behold I cal together sayth God al the kinges of the earth to feare me that are from the Orient from the South from the East from Libanus to be turned vpon themselues and to render the thinges that they haue geuen them â As they doe vntil this day to myne elect so wil I doe and render in their bosome Thus sayth our Lord God
prophecied of al his twelue sonnes and in Iudas of Christ Gen. 49. v. 10. And then dyed  Iob either of the progenie of Nachor or as semeth more probable of Esau liued the same time in which the children of Israel were pressed with seruitude in Aegypt Himselfe writte the historie of his affliction in the Arabian tongue which Moyses translated into Hebrew m 2286. AmraÌ Esron n Ioseph buried his father in Chanaan and nourished his bretheren with their families as their patron superior Gen. 50. v. 18.   o 2340.   o He dyed at the age of 110. yeares Gen. 50. After his death the Superioritie of the children of Israel descended not to his sonnes but to his bretheren and rested in Leui the third brother liuing longest of al the twelue to the age of 137. yeares Exodi 6. v. 16. whose genealogie is there declared to shew the descent of Aaron and Moyses About this time was Atlas the great Astronomer brother of Prometheus grandfather to Mercurius the elder whose nephew Mercurius otherwise called Tris megistus the master of moral philosophie must nedes be a good while after Moyses S. Aug. li. 18. c. 39. de ciuit Also Cecrops the first king and builder of Athens was in Moyses time after him Cadmus built Thebes and the first that brought letters into Grece more ancient then manie Pammes goddes S. Aug. li. 18. c. 8. c. The booke of Exodus conteyneth the affliction and deliuerie of the children of Israel precepts of Gods law p 2401. Aaron borne Aram. r Moyses an infant of three monethes was put in a basket on the water taken thence by Pharaos daughter nurced by his owne mother and brought vp in Pharaos court Exod. 2.   q 2404. Moyses borne  s At the age of fourty yeares he went to his bretheren to comfort them Where killing an Aegyptian that oppressed an Israelite he was forced to flee into Madian Exod. 2.   s 2244.   t After other fourtie yeares God appeared to Moyses in a bush burning not wasting Sent him into Aegypt with powre to worke miracles to bring the children of Israel out of that bondage   t 2484.  Aminadab v Pharao and the Aegyptians resisting were plaged with tenne sundrie afflictions At last the Israelites were deliuered and Pharao with al his armie drowned Exo. 3. to 15.   THE END OF THE THIRD AGE THE BEGINNING OF THE FOVRTH AGE Anni muÌdi High-priests The line of Iudas The sacred historie Schismes and infidelitie Scriptures    w The law was geuen in Mount Sina the fifteth day after their going out of Aegypt Exod. 19. 20. In the absence of Moyses the people forcing Aaron to consent made adored a golden calfe for God Exod. 32.   x 2485.   x The tabernacle with al thinges perteyning therto was prepared in the first yeare and erected the first day of the second yeare of their abode in the desert Exod. 40.     Aaron  y In the same second yeare Aaron was consecrated Highpriest and his sonnes Priestes for an ordinarie succession Moyses remayning Superior extraordinarie during his life Leuit. 8. Nadab Abiu offered strange fire in sacrifice and were burnt to death Leuit. 10. Leuiticus conteyneth the Rites of Sacrifices Priestes Feastes Fastes and Vowes Numeri so called because in it are numbered the men of twelue tribes able to beare armes also the Leuites deputed to Gods seruice about the tabernacle and the mansions of the people in the desert with other thinges happening in the 40. yeares of their abode there     z Balaam a sorcerer hyred by Balac king of Moab to curse the Israelites was forced by Gods powre to prophecy good things of them Num. 22. 23. 24. Chore Dathan Abiron with manie others murmuring rebelliÌg against Moyses Aaron were partly swalowed aliue into the earth others burnt with fire from heauen Num. 16.      a Moyses and Aaron doubting that God would not geue water out of a rock to the murmuring people were foretold that they should dye in the desert and not enter into the promised land Num. 20.    b 2523. Eleazar  b Aaron dyed in the mount Hor and his sonne Eleazar was made Highpriest Num. 20.    c 2524.   c Moyses repeted the law commending it earnestly to the people Then dyed and was secretly buried by Angels in the valley of Moab Deut. 34.      To whom Iosue succeded in temporal gouernment his spiritual remayning in the Highpriest Nu. 27. v 20. d Al the children of Israel that came forth of Aegypt aboue the age of twentie yeares dyed in the desert except two Iosue Caleb Num. 26. v. 64. 65. Al nations generally besides the Iewes seruing many false goddes those thought themselues most religious that were most supersticious studious of art Magike Nigromancy the like And euerie countrie yea almost euerie towne village had their peculiar imagined goddes as S. Athanasius discourseth Orat contra idola Deuteronomie is an abridgement and repetition of the law conteyned more largely in the former bookes    e Presently after Moyses death Iosue brought the people ouer Iordan into Chanaan Iosue â And in the space of seuen yeares conquered the land Iosue 6. c.   f 2531   f And diuided the same amongst the tribes Iosue 13.   g 2533.   g The tribes of Ruben Gad and half Manasses hauing receiued enheritance on the other side of Iordan Num. 32. v. 33. and now returning thither made an altar by the riuer side which the other tribes suspecting to be for sacrifice and so to make a schisme prepared to fight against them but they answering that it was only for a monument al were satisfied Iosue 22.  The booke of Iosue is the first of those which are properly called Historical declaring how the Israelits conquered possessed the land of Chanaan it conteyneth the historie of 32. yeares   Naasson  The Romanes otherwise most prudent accouÌted al inuenters of artes conqueroures of countries al archiuers of great explores at least after their deathes to be goddes And not only men but also manie other thinges were held for goddes  h 2556. h Iosue at the age of 110. yeares dyed Iosue 24. v. 29. had no proper successor     i 2556.   i Eleazarus the Highpriest dyed the same yeare Iosue 24. v. 33. And his sonne Phinees succeded    Phinees  k After the death of Iosue the people were afflicted by forreine nations God so permitting for their sinnes but repenting he raised vp certaine captaines who were called Iudges of diuers tribes without ordinarie succession to deliuer defend the countrie from inuasions These were in al fourtenne
in the space of nere 300. yeares   l 2564.   l Othoniel the first Iudge of the tribe of Iuda deliuered the Israelites from molestation of the king of Syria He gouerned comprehending also the intermission fourtie yeares Iudic. 3. v. 11. Neither did it suffice their phancies to coÌmend themselues and their goodes to the protection of few goddes but diuers thinges yea and the same thinges according to diuers state to diuers goddes and goddesses As S. Augustin noteth li. 4. c. 8. de ciuit that they thought it not sufficient to coÌmend their landes possessions to one god or goddesse but the fieldes to one mouÌtaines to an other little hilles to an other valleys or medowes to an other Likewise their corne not al to one but the sede newly sowne to one beginning to brewerd to an other when it riseth beginneth to haue knottes to an other when it bladeth to an other when the eare springeth to an other when it is ripe readie to be reaped to an other And so without end more and more vaine goddes were imagined by the diuels suggestion The booke of Iudges sheweth the state of the people of God the space of nere three hundred yeares after the death of Iosue when they had sometimes temporal gouerners of diuers tribes some times none m 2588.   m Aod of the tribe of Beniamin the second Iudge killed Eglon king of Moab and so deliuered Israel and slew tenne thousand Moabites Iud. 3. v. 20. 29.      n Samgar a husbandman the third Iudge killing six hundred Philisthimes with the culter of a plough defended Israel Iudic. 3. v. 31. He with Aod and the times wanting iudges gouerned seuentie fiue yeares   o 2663.   o Barach by direction of Debora a prophetesse fighting against Sisara chiefe captaine of Iabin king of Asor Iahil a stout woman slew the same captaine striking a naile in his head Iud. 4. They gouerned 38. yeares    Abisue Salmon p Gedeon confirmed by miracles that he was sent of God ouertherw the Madianites and deliuered Israel gouerning fourtie yeares Iudic. 6. 7. 8.   p 2701.   q Abimelech the base sonne of Gedeon vniustly vsurping auctoritie killed his seuenty bretheren one only escaping but within three yeares was hated of his folowers and slaine by a woman Iud 9.   q 2741.   r Thola defended the countrie from inuasion of enimies three yeares Iud. 10.   r 2744.   s Iair a potent noble man defended the people twentie two yeares Iud. 10. v. 3.   s 2767. Bocci  t Iepte first reiected but afterwards intreated by the ancientes of the people fought for them and ouerthrew the enemies And vpon an vndiscrete vow offered his daughter in sacrifice Iud. 11.   t 2789.  Booz   who so deluding men brought them to eternal ruine    v He killed in ciuil warre fourtie two thousand Ephraimites and gouerned six yeares Iud. 12.   w 2795.   w Abesan a fortunate good man ruled in peace seuen yeares Iudic. 12. v. 9. About this time Booz of the tribe of Iuda maried Ruth a Moabite by whom the right line of Iudas descended by Phares to Dauid Ruth 4. v. 18. c. The people in this time of peace fel againe to idolatrie For which God suffered the Philistimes to afflict them Iud. 13. The tribe of Dan set vp idolatrie Iud. 18.  x 2802.   x Ahialon gouerned likewise in peace tenne yeares Iud. 12. v. 11. A hainous crime being committed in the tribe of Beniamin and not punished the other Israelites made battle against them being themselues also great sinners lost manie men in two conflictes but in the third the tribe of Beniamin was almost destroyed Iud. 19. v. 20. The booke of Ruth amongst other mysteries sheweth the genealogie of Dauid of whose sede Christ was borne y 2812.  Obed. y Abdon an other nobleman gouerned eight yeares Iud. 12. v. 13.   z 2820. Ozi  z Samson from his birth a Nazareite of admirable streingth did manie heroical actes killed manie Philistimes in his life more by his owne death He gouerned twentie yeares Iud. 13. v. 5. c. ch 16. v. 31.   a 2840. Hei otherwise Zaraias  a Heli of the stocke of Aaron by the line of Ithamar was High priest and gouerned Israel fourtie yeares 1. Reg. 4. v. 18.     Isai or Iesse b Samuel whose mother being long barren had presented him an infant in the temple according to her vow was a Nazareire and a prophet from a child 1.  The foure bookes of kings shew the state of the Church from the b 2880.     first kinges of Gods people to their captiuitie And the two bookes of Paralipomenon do repete briefly some thinges written before partly adde thinges omitted in other bookes  Maraioth Dauid b. Reg. 1. 3. And after the death of Heli gouerned the people of Israel before Saul twentie yeares And with him twentie yeares more About the yeare of the world 2830. Troy was taken and destroyed by the Grecians In which battel were Agamemnon Vlisses Achilles Nestor many others not in dede so renowmed for anie vertues or factes of their owne as Homer Horace Viâgil Onid others by poetical libertie flatterie sette them forth But most follie appeareth in that the citie of Rome was afterwards commended to those goddes which were taken in Troy not able to defend them selues from inuasion and spoile S. Aug. li. 1. c. 3. ciuit The psalmes written by Dauid a summarie of al holie Scriptures c 2900. Achimelech or Amarias Dauid king c By the importunitie of the people to haue a king God appointed Samuel to annoint Saul 1. Reg. 10. who at first gouerned wel but afterwards declining from God was deposed Dauid annointed by the same prophet Samuel 1. Reg. 16. Yet Saul was not actually depriued of the scepter so long as he liued 1. Reg. 31.   d 2920. Abiathar or Achitob Salomon d Dauid king prophetââ led his kingdom as a right parterne of al good kinges made the booke of Psalmes ful of al diuine knowlege prepared meanes for building the temple ordained diuers sortes of musitians and reigned fourtie yeares 2. Reg. totus 2. Par. 23 c.   e 2960. Sadoc  e Salomon excelling in wisdom prospered in this world 3. Reg. 3. c.   f 2964.   f He built the temple and adorned the same with al excellent furniture requisite for Gods seruice disposing al in order as Dauid had ordained   THE END OF THE FOVRTH AGE THE BEGINNING OF THE FIFTH AGE AnnimuÌdi High-priests kinges of luda The sacred Historie Schismes and infidelitie Scriptures g 2972.   g The temple being finished in seuen yeares was
deeds a. 429. 969. 100. ofâân commended in the sapiential bookes b 288. 296. 297. 300. 302. also 784. Alphabet ân Hebrewe is mystical and very hard b. 215. 650. Altares erected for sacrifice a. 47. 51. 94. 101. 227. 685. 720. 947. b. 905. Amân required diuine honour a. 1040. he fauoured traytors a. 1053. persecuted the Iewes a. 1041. and him selfe was hanged a. 1046. Ambition breedeth sedition a 663. it deceiueth and ouerthroweth a. 670. 1045. Ambition abundance and idlenes are the cause of much corruption b. 701. Amos a heardesman prophecied before the captiuitie of the tenne tribes b. 829. Amram nephew of Leui and father of Moyses and Aaron lawfully maried his aunt a. 168. 299. 3â8 Angels offer mens prayers to God a. 214 1006. resist the diuel a. 13. and wicked men a. 369. b. 9â3 especially Antichrist b 802. their ministerie in the Church a 47. 161. 242. 249. 545. 546. 935. 1061. 1072. b 781. they protect men and places a. 147. 193 478. 519. 527. 924. 995. 996. 1007. 1029. b. 323. 670 798. 973. 992. they are exceding many b. 792. 992. they learne secretes one of an other b. 794. Antichrist probably supposed to come of the tribe of Dan a. 150. the Iewes wil receiue him b. 801. He is prefigured a. 534. 538. 1014. b. 794. 801. 895. 970. He shal be strong and cruel for a short time b 792. to witte three yeares and a halfe b. 803. He shal then be ouerthrowne b 747. Antiochus his cruel edict b. 894. 1001. his repentance in sicknes was not sincere not fruictful b. 911 969. He died miserably b. 911. 968. 1002. he was a figure of Antichrist b 970. Antiquitie a note of true doctrine b. 331. Aod by especial inspiration killing Eglon is not to be imitated a. 522. Apostasie from faith first happened in Cain a. 16. after in Nemrod a. 45. 48. in Ieroboam a 734. and others Arke of Noe how great a 25. it was a figure of the Church a 28. Arke of the Testament much reuerenced a. 336. 360. 579. 583. 584. 647. 843. 876. 882 b. 147. 949. 996. It ouerthrewe Dagon a. 581. Arphaxad king of the Medes vainly boasted a 1012. Ashes a holy ceremonie a 12. 32. 1019. 1023. 1042. 1108. b 533. 559. 795. 844. 902. 904. Assidians professed a religious rule of life b 898. 915. 972. 977. 982. Threescore of them martyres b. 915. Auarice a detestable sinne especially in Clergie men a 576. 585. b 530. 558. 562. Aureola an especial accidental glorie of Martyres holy Doctors Virgins b 802. B Baal the false god of the Moabites Madianites Sidonians and other nations a 370. worshipped some times by Iewes was once ouerthrowne by Gedeon a 528. againe his prophetes destroyed by Elias a 747. Iehu also killed many worshippers of Baal a 783. and king Ioas destroyed his temple a 906. Babylon built a 45. was long potent and glorious but at last destroyed b 469. 518. 639. 642. c. 713. 8â3 Balaam the sorcerer first refused afterwardes attempted to curse Gods people a 389. His asse spake a 370. He prophecied true and good thinges of Israel a 371. c. he was slaine together with the Madianites a 386. Baptisme prefigured a 4. 32. 199. b. 197. 740. 994. It taketh away al sinnes a. 193. b. 197. S. Iohn Baptist precursor of Christ b. 887. Baruchs prophecie is Canonical Scripture b. 661. Beda most modest in expounding holie Scripture a 46. Behemoth an elephant or an other greater beast is subiect to Gods ordinance a 1106. Belus Iuppiter imagined by idolaters to be the greatest god a. 42. b. 1076. Beza corrupteth the Gospel a 46. sayth God created man to falle a 171. b 394. Blessing of creatures operatiue a. 5. 47. 90. 93. It belongeth to the greater to blesse the lesse a. 59. 48â 524. 721. Blessing by a sette forme of wordes a. 35. Blinde leaders excuse not their folowers a 572. Brasen serpent erected a. 336. was afterwardes broken in peeces a. 799. how it healed those that were hurt b 366. Brothers are foure maner of wayes a. 53. 570. Burden of Babylon the like sigsignifieth doleful coÌminatorie prophecie of ruine b 469 c. 854. C Caath the sonne of Leui. father of Amram and grandfather of Aaron and Moyses a 167. Caluin contemneth al the fathers a 59. maketh God the auctor of sinne a. 171. carpeth at Moyses a 245. chargeth the booke of Wisdome with error b. 364. Canon of the Church of Christ is an infallible rule declaring which are diuine Scriptures a 989. and of more auctoritie then the Iewes Canon ibidem Canticle of Canticles is a sacred Colloquium or Enterlude b 334. it perteyneth to three spouses b. 335. Captiuitie of the tenne tribes in Assyria a. 798. Captiuitie of the two tribes in Babylon had three beginninges a. 813. 932. b. 649 Ierem. 52. v. 28. 29. 30. and b. 77â Dan. 1. and the same captiuitie was released by degrees at diuers times a. 944. c. 1. Esd 1. 2. 6. 2. Esd â Catholique name designeth true Christians and the true Church a. 22. Catholiques are spiritual souldiars a. 10â0 Al Catholiques participate of the prayers and other good workes of al the iust b 223. Ceremonies in the law of nature a. 32. 211. obserued by Salomon not expressed in the writteÌ law a 877. Prescribed to Ezechiel to lye on one side a certaine time b 685. ceremonial lawes at large from the middes of Exodus and the greatest part of Leuiticus continually vsed in diuine seruice b 959. ordayned for three especial causes a. 264. 283. Children of the Church are the spiritual seede of Abraham a. 53. Choise to be made of desires wordes and deedes b 425. Christ our Redemer promised a. 10. 12 359. 364. 768. 963. b 244. He was prefigured by Abel a. 13. by Noe a. 28. by Abraham a. 51. by Melchisedech a. 55. and others innumerable and forshewed by al the Prophetes 449. His Incarnation other mysteries folowing especially in these places a. 31. 47. 197. 373. 703. 934. b. 16. 16. 45. 113. 158. 202. 203. 313. 325. 462. 463. 464. 494. 495. 506. 536. 542. 601. 603. 609. 667. 702. 790. 841. 850. 860. 871. 872. 874. 941. 990. 991. His genealogie from Phares the sonne of Iudas to Dauid a 571. from Dauid to the captiuitie a. 939. from the captiuitie to Ioseph and consequently to his B. mother of the same familie b. 1004. Christ being in Aegypt the idoles lost their power b 476. His Passion and Resurrection more particularly a. 13. 88. 362. 366. 553. 1060. b. 26. 46. 49 at large 70. 256. 540. 568. 580. 636. 877. His Resurrection the third day b. 816. He was sould for thirtie pence a. 117. b. 880. Christ a Priest and a King a. 56. 397. b. 36. 204. He came in humilitie b. 511. He wil come in Maiestie b. 888. Christians called fishes a. 4. and are of three states a 709. Church of Christ prefigured by the Arke of Noe
being caried by an Angel from Iurie into Babylon brought meate to Daniel in the lions denne b 809. 858. Happines in this life consisteth in fleeing sinne and seruing God b 15. 16. 267. 317. Happines eternal is in seeing God a 247. b 38. 317. Hardnes of hart a 164. 171. 201. Hayle did not extinguish the fire a 180. b 367. Head of the Church in the Law of nature was by sucession of Patriarches a 35. 50. 206. In the written Law by succession of Highpriestes a 277. 327. 713. 939. b 1004. See the historical table One head is necessarie of euerie communitie a 350. b 284. 920. Heauen not open to men before Christ a 31. 118. 202. 293. 396. 407. 515. 711. Heber consented not to build Babel a 45. Hebrew was the only tongue of al men before Babel ibidem Hebrew Bibles now extant are not more certaine then the Latin a Prefat b 260. Hel often signifieth the place of soules called Limbus not graue a 118. 130. 131. 1081. 1085. b 37. 39â 877. Heli was punished for not correcting his sonnes a 584. Heliodorus a sacrilegious commissioner was seuerely beaten by Angels b 952. 953. Heresie and idolatrie breede manie sectes a 49. 798. b 202. 421. It is described by the resemblance of a wicked woman b 410. Heretikes and false prophetes are knowen by going forth from the Church a 18. They are proud a 45. b 272. 588. They seke to destroy a 695. b 461. 955. They peruert the truth by wrangling b. 605. 691. 693. 694. 837. They teach manie absurdities a 1071. They foolishly compare their errors with Catholique Religion a 801. They allure most by temporal and carnal motiues a 374. 386. Heretical seruice sermons not to be heard a 356. 359. See Schisme Herod the first stranger king of the Iewes b 1003. Histories haue a mystical sense a 571. 943. 945. 956. 1000. 1002. 1005. The Holie Ghost was sent the fiftith day after Pasch a 219 b 828. The seuen giftes of the Holie Ghost are most eminent in Christ b 467. Holie thinges a 616. 706. 770. 874. See places Holofernes presuming in strength of his armie a 1019. was slaine by Iudith a 1029. Honour is due to Kinges though they be wicked a 1046. Hospitalitie is meritorious a 69. Houres of the Churches seruice b 231. disliked by Heretikes but defended by the Scriptures and holie Fathers b 232. Humilitie most necessarie in greatest auctoritie b 419. Hyperbola is a frequent figure in holie Scriptures a 53. 417. 871. 1069. b 582. 593. 629. 654. 732. 929. Hypochrisie is often ioyned with crueltie b. 624. I Iacob the Patriarch was a plaine sincere man a 84. replenished with manie vertues a 106. He lawfully bought the firstbirthright a 85. was content with meane estate a 94. His prophecies and blessinges a 149. He was blessed in Abraham b 438. Idoles and Images at large a 217. 314. 465. Diuers sortes of idoles b 209. 360. 361. 365. 565. 630. 671. They can not helpe themselues not others a 464. b 209. 514. 634. 639. 686. Iechonias king of Iuda was preserued in Babylon a 817. b 586. 997. Iehoua is none of the right names of God a 168. Iephte sinned in vowing rashly not in performing his vow a 542. Ieremie a Priest Prophet Virgin Martyr b. 548. 575. prophecied in Ierusalem and Aegypt b. 998. He hidde himselfe from his persecuters b. 615. which God approoued b. 616. He hidde holie fire the Arke and Altar of incense b. 949. Iericho walles fel miraculously a 480. Ieroboam rebelled against Salomon a 731. He lawfully possessed the kingdom of tenne tribes ibidem But most wickedly raised schisme and idolatrie a 734. Ierusalem hath foure significations a. 4. It was first called Iebus a. 497. 503. 557. Afterward Ierusalem ibid. and was the chosen Citie of God a. 609. 645. 730. c. b 101. 117. 124. c. Often impugned and protected a. 684. 787. 790. 802. c. b. 149. 236. 238. 249. At last destroyed by the Chaldees a. 815. 933. b. 563. 596. 599 647. 703. Yet not al the people destroyed a. 815. b. 565. 655. Reedified a. 965. c. It was most wicked in the time of Christ b. 454. Lastly destroyed by the Romaines b. 489. 545. Iesus the sonne of Sirach writte the booke of Ecclesiasticus An other Iesus his nephewe translated it into Greke b 343. 373. Iethro prefigured the wisdom of Christian Gentiles a. 213. Iewes the peculiar people of God a. 43. 161. 194. 462. b. 140. 142. 191. 699. 822. 884. They murmured tenne times more notoriously b. 148. 607. and very often b. 833. 888. Their reiection a. 146. 453. 575. b. 69. 119. 455. 489. 527. 543. 544. 560. Made contemptible b. 544. 627. 740. 836. 873. 880. 885. They persecuted Christ b. 346. and his Church b. 880. Their ruine described by a metaphor of proud wemen b. 457. They shal be conuerted in the end of the world a. 408. 540. b. 340. 702. 813. 834. 849. 878. 996. Iezabel most wicked a 754. perished miserably a 781. Ilandes among other nations shal be conuerted to Christ b 483. 508. 537. Images of false gods are Idoles a. 103. 245. 412. 553. 556. 906. b. 195. 364. 776. Image of a dead man honoured with diuine honour was the beginning of Idolatrie b. 364. Images of Cherubimes a. 229. 254. 711. b. 813. Image or statua of a man a. 612. Images of palmetrees and other thinges a. 700. 720. 935. Imprecations are oftentimes zelous and lawful desires b. 265. or prophecies b. 127. 823. Incense vsed amongst especial ceremonies a 239. 259. 294. 337. b 254. Indulgences a. 1070. Induration of hart a. 170. 171. c. 404. 582. Infidelitie or spiritual fornication obscureth the vnderstanding b. 814. Ingratitude aggrauateth other sinnes b. 819. it was great in the Iewes b. 851. Iniurie to be remitted with three conditions b. 414. Intention excuseth some errours b. 289. Iob probably of Esaus progenie a. 114. was a King or an absolute Prince a. 1059. His booke most part in verse a. 1060. He was an admirable example of patience a. 1059. 1062. 1114. His afflictions encreased by degrees a. 1111. He was a right plaine man a. 1063. His wife signified carnal cogitations a. 1064. His freindes erred a. 1064. 1108. He sinned not in complaining of his afflictions a. 1065. He prefigured Christ a. 1060. 1069. 1094. He had nine conflictes with his aduersaries a. 1066. c. 1111. He conuinced Eliu with silence a. 1103. In some thinges he sinned venially a. 1106. 1108. and did penance a. 1109. His cause was iustified against his aduersaries ibid. They were pardoned for his sake and himselfe rewarded a. 1109. Ioel prophecied before the captiuitie of the tenne Tribes b. 824. S. Iohn Baptist was foreshewed by Isaie b. 507. by Malachie b. 887. Iohn Hyrcanus sonne of Simon was Highpriest after the warres of the Machabees b. 946. 1003. 1004. Ioiada Highpriest caused Q. Athalia to be slaine and Ioas to be crowned King
of Iuda a 785. Ionas being sent to preach in Niniue fled from that function b. 842. in a tempest was cast into the sea and swallowed by a whale ibid. He prayed in the whalles bellie and was cast safe on the land b. 843. He preached the destruction of Niniue the comming of Christ conuersion of al Nations b. 841. He was a figure of Christs Resurrection b. 845. Ionathas Highpriest and general gouernour b. 920. 1003. Ioram slaine by Iehu a. 780. Iosaphat the place where probably shal be the General Iudgement b. 828. Ioseph endued with manie vertues a. 121. suddenly aduanced a. 127. called the Sauiour of the world a. 128. was a figure of Christ a. 151. a Prophet a. 152. b. 445. He had duble portion a. 499. 826. Iosias king of Iuda destroyed Idolatrie and made a great Pasche a. 810. was very deuout and liberal a. 812. Iosue gouernour of Israel a. 468. He conquered and diuided the land of Chanaan a 473. c. in al his booke b 440. He slew one and thirtie kinges a 493. exhorted and blessed the people a 509. Iron did swimme vpon the water a 773. Irregularities a 304. Isaac borne by promise a 72. prefigured Christ a 76. He and Iacob were blessed in Abraham b 438. He blessed Iacob in place of Esau a 89. Isaias an Euangelical Prophet b 452. also an Apostolical announcing Christ his Church b 460. 521. seq In the former part of his prophecie he admonisheth and threatneth the people for their sinnes in the latter part he comforteth them b 452. He went naked when God so commanded him b 477. He inueigheth against euil Pastors b 530. Israelites chosen not for their merite but by mere grace a â61 They encreased exceedingly a 323. were guided by a cloud and pillar of fire a 191. 345. Iubiley yeare a 312. Iudgement and Iustice what they signifie in holy scripture b 495. 529. Iudgement general a. 34. 48. 203. 576. 712. 936. 1095. b 22. 97. 138. 178. 498. 828. 888. 996. Iudgement beginneth at the house of God or with the Clergie b 687. Iudges of Israel were figures of Christ a 516. They were extraordinaryly raised to saue the people a 520. They were finally holiemen a 516. b 440. Iudges are called gods a 221. 223. they ought not to be partial a 437. Iudiths booke Canonical Scripture a 989. 1010. 1023. b 999. she was a figure of the Blessed Virgin and of the Church a 1032. she ledde a most holy life a 1021. 1025. 1033. and a special example of holy widowhood a 1034. Iurisdiction perteineth to the Ordinary Clergie a 433. to Prophets by extraordinarie commission a 692. b 449. Iust men alwayes some in the Church a 21. 24. 26. 35. 48. 201. 204. 465. b 453. 682. Iustice necessarie a 481. 559. 560. 754. Iustice and mercie must be mixed a 563. b 199. Iustice consisteth in declining from euil doing good b 76. 529. 550. Iustice may consist with venial sinnes a 1066. 1079. b 34. 35. Iustification by faith good woorkes a 472. b 43. K Kinges shal be conuerted to Christ a 72. b 17. 522. A King desired by the Iewes a 585. was disliked by God a 586. 594. Kinges haue priuileges aboue Dukes a 533. 587. They are annointed with oile a 590. 604. 639. 645. 779. They receiue spiritual grace therby a 591. Good Kinges are called the Kinges of God a 884. They are bound to destroy Idolatrie and infidelity a 810. 891. 901. 916. 927. 942 b 17. 344. and to aduaunce Religion a. 918. b 17. Kinges honoured wth glorious titles for their zele in religion a 475. They receiue the law at the Priests handes a. 433. and direction in principal actions a 620. 633. Badde Kinges b 17. Kinges of Iuda had continual succession a 939. Kinges of the tenne tribes with their families were destroyed a 937. Kinges ought to vse manie counselers not to relie much vpon one a 1054. 1058. Kingdomes are often changed b 478. 513. Kingdomes of great powre hardly agree b 574. Knowlege of al thinges in God taketh not away free wil a 604. 620. b 349. Knowlege of the truth in controuersies is a priuilege of the High-priest a 433. 715. Humaine knowlege is vnperfect a 1103. it can not comprehend Gods workes b 374. it is a good knowlege to knowe that we are ignorant b 755. Knowlege of God includeth the keeping of his precepts b 814. L Laban sinned in geuing Lia for Rachel to Iacob a 96. also in pursuing and threatning Iacob a 100. 448. and more greeuously in Idolatrie a 103. Lacedemonians descended from Abraham b 923. 958. Laiheads hippe of the Church is reiected by most Heretiques and by al Catholiques b 410. Lamentations of Ieremie are composed in verse in order of the Hebreu Alphabet and conteine manie Mysteries b 650. Lamentations a Song and Woe b. 677. Lampes in the Tabernacle a 233. in the Temple a 720. Last foure thinges to be remembred b 384. L%%ria is honour due to God only a 219. 411. Law of God is most excellent wisedom a 406. 463. It maketh his people most renowmed a 460. b 373. it is outwardly sharp but inwardly swete b 548. Lawes positiue doe bind in conscience a 8. Good lawes are the safety of the commonwealth wicked lawes the ruine b 465. Law of like paine a 311. 437. b 790. Law of Moyses ceased after Christ but the New Law is to the end of the world b 665. Leauen not offered in Sacrifice a 25. 265. 273. Lending is a worke of mercie b 415. Lents fast is in imitation of Moyses Elias and Christ a 249. 749. 9%4 Leprosie iudged by Priests a 285. Leui liued longest of al his brethren a 167 b 1080. Leuiathan a huge fish signifying the diuel a 1107. Light an accident made the first day a 2. Limbus or Abrahams bosome a 515. 711. See Hel. Loaues of proposition a 229. 310. Lot receiued Angels in his house a 69. his wife turned into a pillar of salt a 70. Of him proceded the two families of Moabites and Ammonites a 43. 71. Lotte in trial diuision or election is guided by God a 296. 482. 502. 591. Loue but beleeue not enemies b 390. M Machabees so called of Iudas Machabeus b 889. and Iudas had this title of his valiant strength b 899. Two bookes of Machabees Canonical b 890. the auctor asketh pardon for his stile not doubting of the truth b 987. Both the bookes in great part conteine the same historie b 891. Seuen brothers Machabees Martyres b 962. and their mother b 965. Magistrates a 213. 346. b 154. Malachias the Prophet is supposed by some to be Esdras b 883. He prophecied after the Temple was reedified b 883. 999. Man made to Gods image a 2. 5. 17. Man in his creation had tenne prerogatiues a 5. Manasses King of Iuda repented in captiuitie a 807. 926. Manna had twelue miracles a 209 al which are more eminent in the B. Sacrament none at al in the
from the prerogatiues of the first borne The zeale of Simeon Leui was coÌmendable but their maner of reuenge was manie wayes faultie Iudith â The Priests Scribes furie obstinacie hard harts against Christ Mat. 20. Ioan. 11. Ioan. 18. Taking away of the regal scepter from the Iewes a signe of Christs coming Our Lords real presence in the B. Sacrament prophecied li. 2. Ep. 3. Ancient Fathers suppose that Antichrist shal be of the tribe of Dan. Ioan. 5. Ioseph in manie things prefigured Christ :: Iacob digged a sepulcher for himselfe though it be not hertofore mentioned when he did it S. Aug. q. 170. in Geâ :: This word adoring often in holie Scripture signifieth ciuil honour as here it can haue no other sense Mans wil not God the cause of sinne Ioseph for his brethreÌs sake differred his desired burial in Chanaan The continuation of this booke with Genesis The increase of the Israelites was enuyed feared and their religion hated Gen. 50. Exod. 1. Their persecution Their greater multiplicatioÌ Exod. 2. Num. â Exod. 2. The persecutor admonished and punished Gods people mightely deliuered 3. 5. 7. 12. 14. Miraculously sustained in the desert 16. 17. 20. Instructed with Lawes Moral Ceremonial and Iudicial 26. 27. 30. seq The first part of this booke Of the Israelites seruile affliction in Aegypt and their deliuerie from thence :: Enuie vaine feare v. 10. hatred of true religioÌ v. 13. are the causes why Infidels persecute the faithful :: The first persecution was in temporal losses and bodilie paines by pressing them with workes :: The second was secrete murther :: The third was open murther God must be feared before Princes commanding contrarie things Mat 10. Luc. 12. Act. 4. 5. Princes must be obeyed in lawful things 1. Pet 2. Ro. 13. Allies are sinnes and vnlawful Psal 11â v. 142. Venial sinnes Feare of God meritorious Temporal rewardes promised in the old TestameÌt eternal in the new kind of ãâ¦ã lâvv so ãâ¦ã lled :: Mos in the Aegyptian tongue signifieth vvater and Ises saued Ioseph li. 2. Antiq Clemens Alexan. li. 1. Stromat :: The guiltie persoÌ reiected Moyses for lack of knoweÌ authoritie but God coÌfirmed his coÌmission Act. 7. So the Iewes reiected Christ Iudge of the world :: He feared to tempt God by staying but not the siercââes of the king Heb. 11. :: Oppression of innocents crieth to heauen for reuenge Moyses pareÌts did prudently expose him to some danger to auoide greater Reuelations and Gods determinations do not exclude but include mans endeuour Though Moyses iustly killed the Aegyptian yet others may not imitate his example li. 2. Antiq. li. 16. c. 19. deâiuit Act. 7. The three first lessons on the 4. sunday in Lent See what maner of reuerence and deuotion is prescribed to goe bare fooâe to holie places :: Of holie places and of christian deuotion in going to them S. Hierom writeth largely âpist 17. 18. 27. :: This is the most proper name but the most common is GOD deriued in manie languages of Good Mat. 19. v. 17. :: Al that anie man possessetâ in this world is but lent by God And therfore he iustly taketh away and lendeth to others disposing of al as pleaseth him Act. 7. Al appatitionâ to the Patriarches and Prophetes were made by Angels though sometimes attributed to God Proued by holie Scriptures and Fathers Heb. 2. Exod. 19. 20. Examples Psal 77. Exo. 3. God executeth his wil by Angels The most proper name of God is ãâã WHICH IS :: God designed a rodde for an instrument to work miracles :: See the Annotations cha 7. v. 3. :: Sephora cast the prepuce at Moyses feete and said I had lost thee my spouse except I had redeemed thee with the bloud of my child And the Angel let Moyses goe S. Aug. q. 11. in Exod. iuxta 70. :: Miracles a motiue to true beleefe Miracles necessarie and sufficient to proue extraordinary vocation of new preachers Ioan. 10. Ioan. 15. Mat. 9. Mat. 16. :: VVordlie men thinke Gods people encrease most by rest but indede they multiplie more when they are oppressed S. Cyprian de exhort Mart. c. 10. :: The craftie diuel knowiÌg that weake men afflicted are easely moued to murmur sturred this people against their owne leaders S. Greg. li. 29. c. 14. Moral :: Gods prouideÌce suffereth his children to be most afflicted when relife is nere at hand Theod. q. 13 in Exod. :: Adonai is not the name here vttered to Moyses but is redde in place of the vnknowen name :: Ioseph died first of the twelue bretheren Gen. 50. Leui liued loÌgest and so the yeares of their liues are recorded in holie Scriptures not of the rest Chronolog ãâã :: See Num. 26. v. 59. * patrâââ lem prâ patrua quae latinâ non d ãâ¦ã r. :: It perteined not to Moyses present purpose to prosecute the genealogies of Iacobs other sonnes being come to the origin of the Priestlie tribe in Leui the third soÌne â Aug. q. 15. in Exod. In place of the name of God counted ineffable is commonly redde Adonai Mat. 4. v. 7 10. Rom. 15. v. 11. Iehouah is not the right name of God S. Dionyse S. Hierom. Theodoret Damasâââ :: Aaron also was the prophet of God but subordinate vnder Moyses and ouer Pharao S. Aug. q. 17. in Exod. :: Iannes and Mambres 2. Tim. 3. knowen by tradition :: Induration of hart saith S. Bernard is neither cut with remorse nor softened with pittie nor moued with prayers nor yeldeth to threates yea is more hardned by punishments li. 1. de consid ad Eugen. :: The first plague in water in which the AegyptiaÌs drowned the Hebrewes infants Theodoret q. 19. in exod the like Ap. 16 Because the wicked spil the bloud of Gods Saintes he wil geue them bloud to drinke The name of God attributed to men Iudges called goddes Moyses the God of Pharao Priests called goddes Other titleâ of God geuen to men Moyses a Holie Prophete Priest and Prince * Psal 98. v. 6. Protestants hold God to be the cause that men do sinne yet not the cause of sinne Zuinglius doctrine Caluins doctrine Bezas doctrin By their doctrin it necessarily foloweth that God should he author of sinne The state of the controuersie S. Augustins doctrin ser 88 de temp God forsaketh not til he be forsaken Ezech ãâã Prâ 18. God by not punishing permitted Pharao to indurate him self And that for his former sinnes Heb 12. Apoc. 3. Prou. 8. In absence of grace sinne obdurateth Gods grace in the obstinate like the heate of the sunne in cold water As a father for not punishing is saied to spoile so God to indurate Al the wicked may iustly be damââd but some are iustified and saued Deut. 32. Psal 5. Rom. 9. God neuer willeth but only suffereth sine Pharao abusing Gods benefites hardned his owâe start And âââfully perished Other places of S. Augustin ââââ 1. Gods iustice ââde
âyp ââp 76. in fine S. Aug. Tract 12. 13. in Ioan. :: The same credite is geuen to God speaking by Moyses as if he had spoken immediatly by himself S. Hiero. in Epist ad Philem. :: The first of al Canticles sacred or prophane Origen ho. 6. in Exod. :: God only suffered them to goe into the sea For they went of their owne accord supposing they might folowe where the Israelites went before S. Aug. ser 89. de temp :: Musical instrumeÌts vsed before the law of Moyses in the seruice of God :: These things chanced to them in figure 1. Cor. 10. :: The wholsome wood of the Crosse made the bitter sea of gentiles swete Theodoret. q. 26. in Exod. The same Church Religion in this age as in the former Beleefe in one God Three diuine Persons Strength or power the Father vvisdome the Sonne Spirite the Holie Ghost Christ promised to Abraham Rom. 9. To Isaac And to Iacob Christ prefigured by Abraham By Melchisedech By Isaac Iacob Ioseph Iob. Moyses And manie other things Prophecie of Christ Iob. 19. Sacrifice Altares Churces dedicated Vowes Priesthood Priuilege of Priests VVhere is no sacrifice no priest is required Circumcision Penance Gen. 44 Mariage Degrees of coÌsanguinitie Pluralitie of wiues lawful sometimes neuer of husbands Blessings Signe of the Crosse Ceremonies Musical instruments Baptisme prefigured 1. Cor. 10. The B. Sacrament Priesthood of the new Testament Traditions Tythes Forme of iustice Precepts Raising seede to the brother Abstinence Freewil Mans industry necessarie God tempteth nor to euil Faith and good workes together iustifie and are meritorious but neither of them alone Iet 2. Heb. 11. Heb. 1â Perfection in this life Foure principal merites of Abraham 1. Prompt obedience 2. Faith without staggering 3. Propagation of faith and religion 4. Perfect obedience Other iust men Isaac Iacob He spake truth in mystical sense Ioseph Iob. Moyses Nu. 12. Exo. 32. Election is of Gods mercie Predestination excludeth not ordinary meanes Sinne is the cause of reprobation Pharao and other Aegyptians hardned their owne harts God did only permitte them to obdurate themselues Protection Inuocation of Angels and Patriarches S. Aug li 16 c. 36. ãâã Adoration of creatures Swearing by creatures Ominous speach Dreames Images Reliques Deuotion to holie places Figure of Christ crosse Iosue 24. Funeral offices 2. Reg. â Place dedicated for burial Mourning 40 dayes Exequies of seuen dayes Special place of burial rightely desired No soule before Christ entred into heauen Diuers places in hel Act. 7. v. 16. Luc. 16. Resurrection Mat. 22 General Iudgement â Pet. 2. âp Iud. Eternal punishment of the wicked and ioy of the blessed Heb. 11. Continuance of the Church notwithstanding breathes from it Abraham neuer contaminate in Religion Thare and Nachor reduced from idolatrie Abraham publikly professed his faith Sem. Sale Heber Melchisedech Manie professors of true Religion Breaches from the Church Moabites and Ammonites Nachors progenie Ismaelites Gal. 4. 2. Paral. 12 16. 28. Madianites Idumeans Heb. 12. Idolatrie stil increasing yet the Church continued yea also increased The Church of Christ in the new TestameÌt alwayes visible and great The same Scriptures forshew Christ and his Church Multitude of progenie promised to Abraham pertaineth to the Church of Christ Gen. 13. ãâã 17. 22. Apoc. 7. Very absurde to say the Church of Christ was at anie time obscure Succession of spiritual gouernets during the law of nature Iob. 19. Priesthood Moyses law established in Aarons seede Ex. 28. Nu. â Moyses chiefe in spiritual and temporal gouernment The beginning of the fourth age The second parte of this booke How the Israelites were sustained in the desert prepared to receiue the Law :: God least it in their wil to be content with ynough or to couere more yet suffered them not to haue more when it came to measurinâg v. 18. 2. Cor. 8. :: These birdes by Gods prouidence came from other places to the children of Israel Nu. 11. v. 31. :: By their woâdering at the duble quaÌtitie it appeareth they intended not to gather so much :: By anticipation Moyses writeth here the commadment geuen when the Tabernacle and Arck were finished Exo. ãâã :: This Relique was put in a golden vessel Heb 9. though it was infinitly inferior to Christs flesh ââ 6 yea inferior to the fleshââ anie glorified Sainct Manna so called of Man-hu It was a figure of the Eucharist li. 3. c 37. âo 45 Tâââ26 Ioan. 6. v. 25. 41. 49. 51. 55. Twelue miracles in Manna Psal 77. v 25 ãâã li. 1. c 12 cont Occolâmâ â ãâã li. â c 12 parââm 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. No miracle in Protestants Communion Al the said miracles are more eminent in the B. Sacrament 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. :: If this ceremonie of holding vp his handes was of such importance in the law of nature why do Heretikes deride the same and the like in the Catholique Church VVheras also our Sauiour lifting vp his hands blessed his disciples Luc. 24 S Damascen also teacheth li 4. c. 12 Oxthox that this extenâion of his handes prefigured the Crosse of Christ And now it representeth the same :: Cohen in Hebrew signifieth Priââe oâ Pâââst which offices in the law of nature were often ioyned in one person :: Manifold wisdome wherof Daniel prophecieth c. 12. v. 4 in Christian gentils was here prefigured in Iethio a gentil :: To whom Moyses willingly yelded Origen in hunc locum Morally Superiors are admonished by Moyses example to lerne of aââe man that which is good 5. Chrysostom âo de ferândâs reprehensioââbâ â :: To this place which was their 12 mansion they came the 47. day after they parted from Aegypt And the third day folowiÌg which was the âo the law was geuen in mount Sinay S. Hierom. Epist 1. ad Fabiolam :: God would haue their free consent els it were not a perfect couenant Theodoret. q 35 in Exod. :: In this couenant God promiseth particular loue Priestlie function wherby they might better serue him and effectual grace and sanctitie :: The people promise loyaltie to God and to keepe his commandements :: So Angels Saincts offer our prayers other good workes to God though he know al things before hand :: The people and al inferior clergie also are to kepe their limites and to lerne Gods wil of their superiors Agreement of old and new mysteries The third part of this booke ãâã Diuine Lawes M ãâ¦ã l and Iudicial :: In Hebrew ãâã in Greke ãâã in ãâã ãâã ãâã in English a ãâã ãâã ãâã This com ãâ¦ã and ãâ¦ã e one of the nine folowing Catech. Ro. p 3 q. 9. The Epistle on wenesday in the third weeke of Lent :: This and other ceremonial precepts are determinate lawes for obseruing the coÌmandments of the first table pertaining to God Protestants charge al Catholiques to be Idolaters They abuse their
Gen. 24. :: Iosue being a prophet saw some of their hartes inclined to idoles though exteriorly they then had none among them S. Aug. q. 29. in Iosue :: This renouation of the same couenaÌt presigured the law of the new Testament S. Aug. q. 30. in Iosue :: To the more confusion of reasonable creatures wilfully offending vnsensible things are made witnesses because they euer obey Gods wil which is the best maner of hearing Theod. q. 19. in Iosue :: If Iosue writ the rest of this booke then Samuel added these last verses Hist Sâhol :: Iosephs Mausoleum oâ famous sepulchre remained in Sichem in S. Hieroms time as he wit nesseth Tradit Hebra in Gen. prope sinem Gen. 5â âxo 13. Thare sometime serued false goddes but Abraham neuer Before Christ none entered into heauen A rule for reading historical bookes The Iudges of Israel figures of Christs Apostles They were al finally holie men Eââli 4â The Contents of this booke Diuided into three partes The first part A geneâal recapitulation of the peoples state :: The maner of consulting our Lord was by the High priest praying in the tabernacle Exo. 29. v. 42. :: The first general captaine after Iosue and diuers of the Iudges were of the tribe of Iuda but not al as appeareth in this booke :: Strong weapons crooked like sickles made fast to the chariottes which cut in peeces men horses and other chariottes that came in their way :: An Angel taking the forme of a man as before to Iosue ch 5. so now appearing to the people spake to them in the name of God whose messenger he was :: By special dispensation sacrifice was sometimes lawfully offered in other places though the Tabernacle and afterward the Temple was the onlie place commanded Deut. 12. Iosue 22. S. Aug. q. 36. in Iudic. :: These Iudges were extraordinarily raised vp to deliuer the people repenting when they were fallen into afflictioÌs for their sinnes The second part Of the common peoples often falling to idolatrie their repentance and deliuetie :: In manie places we see the worde sauiour and like titles geuen to men as the seruantes and officers of God who is the proper and principal Sauiour of al. S. Aug. q. 18. in Iudic. :: In these 40. yeares are included the eight yeares of their seruitude v. 8. so in the rest of this historie otherwise the number of yeres agreeth not with the count 3. Reg. 6. v. 1. :: Aod hauing special inspiration from God to do this fact as S. Augustin noteth vpon these wordes q 20. in Iudic. is not to be imitated by priuat men See Num. 25. v. 11. :: Being a prophetesse she resolued hard and obscure thinges but exercised no iurisdiction in anie causes for that belonged to the councel of Priestes and of seuentie ancientes where the high priest was the chief Iudge Num. 11. Deut. 17. Spiritually Debbora signified the Church Barac christian Princes who are directed in their warres and other actions by spiritual superiors as Origen and other ancient writers expouud this historie :: VVho is this woman ful of confidence piercing the temples of the enimies head with a naile but the faith of the Church destroying the diuels kingdomes with the crosse of christ S. Aug. li. 12. â 32. cont Iaust Manich. Iabel also prefigured our B. Ladie who crushed the serpentes head :: The greater blesse the lesse by imparting spiritual benefites so God and superiors blesse their subiectes Men blesse God the lesse their betters by geuing thankes and prayses :: She inculcateth that she must so much more praise God for this victorie because he forshewed it by her by her directed the general captaine Barac lest it might be ascribed either to wisdome or valure of anie man :: Those that subdew their bodies to the spirite ride vpon fayre asses Origen hom 6. in c. 5. Iudic. :: Iahel the figure was blessed amongst wemen much more the most holie virgin mother of God is blessed aboue alwemen :: S. Augustin q 31. in Iudic. supposeth that this messenger sent from God called a man a prophete for the forme wherin he appeared was the same Angel which sate vnder the oke and sent Gedeon to deliuer Israel v. 11. 12. c. :: He meant not to offer sacrifice to the Angel but that either the Angel or himselfe in presence of the Angel should offer it to God and so in dede the Angel partly directed him what to do partly executed the office himselfe by touching the oblation with his rodde and miraculously bringing fire to consume the sacrifice :: An altar for a monument not for sacrifice :: The strength of Baal or stronger then Baal :: Dew first in the fleece and after on the ground signified grace and true religion first in one people after in al nations Sainct Amb. Ser. 13. de Natal Dom. Venr Beda qq in Iudic. c. 4. Also Christs Incarnation without detriment of his mothers virginitie of whose grace al are replenished S. Bernard ho. 2. in Missus est :: Obseruation of dreames is generally forbid Leuit. 19. v. 26. Deut. 18 v. 10. yet here and in other places it is euident God would haue some obserued See Annot. Gen. 40. :: These thinges were ridiculous saieth venerab Beda c. 5. qq in Iudic. if they had not bene terrible to the enemies :: It is no derogation to God that honour is also geuen to his seruantes :: Trumpetes signified preachers of Christ pitchers the bodies of Martyres lampes their vertues and miracles Vener Beda qq in Iudic. c. 5. :: A soft answer breaketh anger hard speach stirreth vp furie Prou. 15. :: Zebee and Salmana were not of anie of the seuen nations whom God commanded to destroy and therfore Gedeon might haue spared their liues if he would :: Kinges may do ante thing not contrarie to the law but Iudges Dukes may onlie do according to the law See 1. Reg. 8. :: His handmaide oâ seruant not a harlotte to wit such a one as had not the priuiledge of a wife as Gen. 25. v. 6. :: This sonne of Gedeon by his seruant prefigured Antichrist who wil persecute the Church and reigne for a while but in the end shal be destroyed S. Beda c. 6. qq in Iudic. :: True pastores in the time of Antichrist wil still auouch the truth and the right of the Church :: Oyle spiritually signifieth the grace of the Holie Ghost making peace of conscience in mens soules towardes God :: The swetnes of Gods law producing good workes :: Contemtible in outward shew but bringing forth liquour of meruelous force which sorte of workes God is most delighted withal and men most admire Psal 85 :: The rhamnus signifieth base and ambicious men * brierre bramble ârthistle :: God doth suggest only good cogitations as remoââe of conscience in the secheââtes for their ingratitude towardes Gedeon and for so wicked and cruel a murder of his sonnes
to fight for them See Iosue 23. Psal 135. :: He destroyed the places where sacrifice was offered to idoles ch 17. v. 6. but tolerated other places where the people offered to God our Lord without the temple not being able to reduce al to perfection 4. Reg. 8. :: Elias was assumpted from ordinarie conuersation with mortal men the eighttenth yeare of king Iosaphat 4. Reg. 2. 3. who reigned twentie fiue yeares 3. Reg. 22. v. 42. So he shewed this special care of Ioram and his kingdom after his assumption seuen yeares 4. Reg. 8. v. 25. ch 9. :: To wit when he beganne to reigne alone for he reigned together with his father at the age of 22. 4. Reg. 8. v. 26. And after his fathers death but one yeare :: See 4. Reg. 8. v. 18. :: Human hope failed but Gods prouidence vsed meanes to conserue some of Dauids issue to sitte in his throne yea to continue the succession ãâã Christ Mat. 1. 4. Reg. 11. :: Gods promise being absolute and certayne yet humane meanes were neuertheles required * the vveâeliâ vvatch :: In case of right and necessitie we see here what the high Priest could do and did by his authoritie who otherwise intermedled not in the kings affayres ch 19 v 11. :: They are wilfully blind that wil not see difference betwen images of Baal of Christ or of Sainctes * simulââra :: By the law euerie one payed yearly halfe a sicle towards the repayring of the tabernacle and so afterwardes of the temple Ex. 30. Maâ ãâã :: He that killed his spiritual father was slaine by his owne seruantes 4. Reg. 14. Dâât 24 4. Reg. 8. :: Obduration of hart for former sinne :: So long as this king obserued the ordinance of God to be directed by the high priest Nâ 27. v 2â he prospered in his affayres :: For vsurping spiritual authority which pertayned not to him the high priest with his assistantes opposed themselues against the king and God confirmed their sentence by striking the same king with leprosie And so he was not only cast out of the temple but also out of his kingdom and common conuersation with other men forced to dwel in a separet house without the citie according to the law Leuit. 13. v. 46. :: Neither could he be buried in the propet sepulchres of the kinges 4. Reg. 15. 4. Reg. 16. VVicked policie auaileth nothing but hurteth much 4. Reg. 18. :: Being peniteÌt in haât for their sinnes Gods dispensation might be sappâsed foâ legal purification iâ case of ââce âine which otherwise was stâââly commaââââ Lââât 5. ãâã ãâã Deut. 27. c. :: Voluntarie workes of superetogation more then was commanded :: Besides consession of sinnes there is also coÌfession of Gods excellencie goodnes 4. Râg 18. Isaie 36. :: âore danger of pâââe in prosperitie then in aduersitie 4. Reg. 21. :: A pregnant example of the effect of harty repentance :: This prayer is not extant in the Hebrew but in Greke Latin as yet neither receiued for canonical by the Church noâ refused 4. Reg. 22. â Reg. 12. :: Geuen by the hand of Moyses :: It is a benefite to be taken out of this world before generaâ miseââe come vpon the people :: This Phase o ãâ¦ã h made by Ioââas is fanious partly for that this feast had bene omitted some yeares but specially for the great and extraordinarie solemnitie made at this umâ 4. Reg. 16. :: Iosias thought that the king of Aegypt intended to inuade his kingdome And it was Gods wil he should be slaine and not see the euiles that should happen to the people :: Solemne exequies with lamentations and musike :: Hitherto from K. Danids death the sonne had euer succeded to his father ââre 25. :: It is like that Esdras added this coÌclusion when he restored the holie Scriptures that were lost for he beginneth his owne booke with the same wordes The end of the fifth age The Church stil visible and the same faith as before One God Three Persons Christ Sacrifices Sacramentes to be changed by Christ Fruict of penance Abstinence Fastes Lent Feastes Place of the Temple designed long before Synagogues Sanctuarie Sette forme of prayers Ministerie of Angeles Honour and Intercession of Sainctes Reliques Images Good workes meâitorions Euangelical counselles pre figured Chastitie of clergie men religious orders Mat. 19 1 Cor. 7. Act. 5. 1. Tim. 5. Solemne Exequies for the dead Gen. 5. Resurrection Iudgement Eternal glorie or paine Church without interruption Ieraboams wicked policie Prophets inspired by God to resist Schisme and Heresie 4. Reg. 23. The often change of Kinges and euil successe in the kingdoÌ of Israel The first familie reigned but 24. yeares The second newe familie 26. The third but 7. daies The fourth 48. yeares The fifth 103. The sixth one moneth The seuenth 12. yeares The eight 20. yeares The ninthnine yeares Then ouerthrowen and the kingdom neuer restored The kingdom of Iuda for Dauids sake conserued in his sede Succession of Priestes continued Extraordinary mission of Prophetes Great effectes of their preaching and miracles Elias his miracles Eliseus his miracles Religion not wholly destroyed in the kingdom of Israel Heresies in the kingdom of Israel Ieroboamites Manie constant in true religion Iezabelites Samaritaniteâ diuided into manie Sectes Tobias neues yelded to Schisme The Kingdom of Iuda more free from herefie King Achaz Vrias high priest King Ioram and others committing idolatrie in fact manie others stil professed true Religion Authoritie depending vpon diuine ordinance is not changed by factes or practise Good kinges defended and promoted religion not as chiefe in spiritual causes but by way of execution dispensation oâ coÌmission Mat. 1â Priestes by their negligeÌce do sinne but lose not their authoritie Deut. 17. v. ãâã The Church of the old Testament conserued in truth Much more the Church of Christ ââ Psal 30. conc â li. 3. â 32. de doctrin christ â Tim. 3 4. Reg. 19. â Esâr 7 The two bookes of Esdras and Nehemias are but one in the Hebrew The third and fourth are not canonical Epist ad Paulin. This historie hath also a spiritual sense First booke diuided into two partes The first part The returne of gods people from Babylon Isaiae 44. 45 Ierem. 25. 29. :: Liberally gaue such thinges into their handes :: This enumeration of the Israelites which aseended into Ierusalem signifieth the Elect which ascend from the militant Chuch to the triumphant :: Such as say they are priestes and can not shew their vocatioÌ must not exercise that functon ... Al aboue numbred of the tribes of Iuda Beniamin Leui do not amouÌt to 30. thousand three hundred So in this general number are contained aboue twelue thousand of other tribes not recited among the rest as Rabbi Salomoa explicateth the difficultie :: Notwithstanding the terrour of infideles Gods seruantes too ãâã corage to offer sacrifice :: By the ordinance of Dauid
1. Paâ 25 :: By their weping they testified that the new temple was not so excellent as the former And therfore Aggâu prophetie c. 2. can not be vnderstood of this temple but of the Church of Christ â Aug li. 18. ciâit â 45. :: Schismatikes and Here-tikes may not be admitteâ to communicate in sacrifice with Catholiques :: God geuing corege to his seruantes stricke their enemies with terrour and so made them cease from hinderuig his worke as they before intended :: The hart of the king is in the hand of our Lord. Prouerb 21. The second part Esdras instructeth the people :: Esdras came with the fââââ from Babylon ãâã âsd 12 ââut returned thither and now ascended the second time âo Ierusalem :: This great number which by Esdras perswasion came from Babylon signified the greatfiuict of soules conuerted from sinne by the exhortation of holie preachers S. Beaa li. 2. in Esara c. 10. :: It suffice not to part from Babylon that is from sinne but we must also doe workes of satisfaction and therfore Esdras here proclamed an extraordinarie fast to those that were come from captiuitie :: Malachias the Prophet complaineth also of this fault c. 2. v. 11. threatning Gods punishment both to superiors and subiectes for not correcting it â ãâã :: In respect oâ their greatiniquities Esdias presumeth not to aske the conseruation of the whole people but some reliques or ââraÌ lest part as it were a little post or a naile of a whole house towards the reedifying therof âEsdras being extraordinarily sent by God to correct the people repayreth to the high Priests sonne by his authoritie calleth the people together and so procedeth to make reformation âo S. Paus conferred with other Apostles Gal. 2 :: Their âinne was punished by ouer much rayne v. 13. And so affliction gaue them more feeling of their faultes :: Amongst other inconueniences of vnlawful mariages one is that children are borne illegitimate Duble title of this booke The coÌtentes S. Ierom. Epist ad Paulin. Diuided into three partes The first part Nehemias his coÌmiseration of his countrie :: Nehemias by his legacie being sent from a king by his name which signifieth comforter from our Lord and by his building againe the walles of Ierusalem prefigured our Sauiour who was sent from God the Father himselfe being the comforter of mankind and the sendââ of an other comforter the Holie Ghost to remaine with his Church S. Beda prolog in Nehemiam :: Infideles Heretikes are greued that others endeuoure to repayre the ruines of the Church in any countrie :: Gods hand was clearly shewed in the effect of obtaining the kings fauourable letters The second part How the citie was repayred with walles people :: Finishing the gate they dedicated it to Gods seruice being for defence of his holie citie and so sanctified it :: It was Gods prouidence that the enemies mocking at the reparation of Ierusalem did not so furiously resist til the worke was performed so sometimes heretikes scoffe at the endeââââââ of poore priestes laboring to restore Catholique religion but whether they scoffe or rage Gods holie worke procedeth and prospereth :: S Beda in his time lamented that some spiritual Superiors neglected to feede their flock either spiritually or temporally and yet exacted temporal reuenewes and oppressed the poore people li 3. c. 21. in âsd How much more may we with him wish an other Nehemias that is a comforter from our Lord to correct this fault to releeue poore Catholiques distressed A right propertie of a true pastor to do that good which he preacheth to others S. Beda ibidem :: A good conscience hath great confidence in God and iustly hopeth for reward :: VVhen heretikes other aduersaries of the Church finde them selues not able to suppresse Catholiques they offer conditions of peace and libertie to al so when protestaÌtes beganne where they are weake they would haue none persecuted for anie opinions in religion but where they are stroÌg they hardly grant toleration to Catholiques :: Three special defences of a citie are the strength of walles shutâing and opening the gates in due time diligeÌt watchmen so to the custodie of faithful soules three thinges are necessarie the grace of God due regard of the outward âenses and continual watch against out inuisible enemies S. Ierom here noteth wheÌce he receiued eech part of this booke which is al Canonical Scripture being al alike so declared by the Church :: The people requested Esdras to bring the booke of the law and he brought it neither is there anie mention that he writte the whole law out of his memorie or by miracle which maketh it probable that al copies were not burned or lost but some reserued by Ieremias Eze chiel Daniel Aggeus Zacha rias or by him selfe or others out of which he collected one intire volume correcting faultes committed by scribes adding some thinges for explication sake supplement of the histories and that either by tradition oâ reuelation :: Athersatha priuââegââ by reason of his fauour with king Artaxerxes Chap. 2. 1. Esd 2. :: True repentance requireth wââkes of penance especially the renâouââg of occasions of sinne as seperation from euil con panie abandoning of euil cogitations and of much wordly pleasure :: Changing of names importeth âome beneficial mysterie Gen. â7 :: Free wil in sinners Num 14. :: In al leagues couenantes of peace those articles are specially mentioned wherin breach hath bene made in former times :: Because Ierusalem was most impugned by enimies fewe were willing to dwel there :: yet many valient men of the tribes of Iuda Beniamin and Leui offered them selues of other tribes the tenth part were chosen by lottes wherby is gathered that many of the tenne tribes returned also into Chanaan though the holie Scripture doth not so expresly record what became of them as of the other tenne tribes because Ierusalem pertained to the lote of Beniamin Iuda was the Kinglie tribe and Leui the Priestlie S. Beda lib. 3. cap. 31 in Esdr Esdras went againe to babylon and obtayning a fauorable commission of the King brought manie with him into Ierusalem â ââaâ 7. :: The genealogie oâââgn Pâââââs ãâã Iosue to leddoa otherwise called Iaddus :: As others gaue tithes to the Leuites so they gaue to Priestes Num. 18. â 21. 28. The third part Correction of faultes Deut. 23. Num. 22. :: This Tobias was an Ammo nite a persecuter c. 14. to whom Eliasib being akine by reason of vnlawful mariages ioyned felowshipe with him for wicked lucre which therfore Nehemias corrected prefiguring therin ouâ Sauiours zele who threw byers and sellers out of the temple Mat. 21. And these persecuters prefigured heretikes in their wordes and actes as venerable Beda expoundeth li ãâã Esd c. 19. :: A iust man that hath merited by good workes may pray with great confidence for reward THE THIRD AND FOVRTH BOOKES OF ESDRAS
WITH THE PRAYER OF MANASSES folow after the MACHABEES Heretikes denie some scriptures because they coÌuince their errors Lib. de Praedest Sanct. c. 14. The Churches canon of more authority theÌ the Iewes A canon is an infallible rule of direction The Gospel is knowne by the Church Bookes doubted of beiore the Churches definition are not doubtful after Praefat. in Iudith De viris illustrib verbo âacobus Other testimonies that this Booke is canonical chap. 1â Toma 4. ãâã in â Reg. 10. It was written in Chaldee The coÌtentes Diuided into three partes This booke is read at Mattins the third weke of September The first part Tobias his holie maner of life :: Not absolutly al but very manie for some of the same tribe and kinred did also feare God c. â v. 2. :: Al the people of the tenne tribes did not serue Ieroboams golden calues but some feared God consequently refrayned from euil Prou. 3. at least from idolatrie Amos. 8. v. 10. :: True zele is not hindred from workes of mercie by feare of death because perfect charitie casteth out feare I Ioan 4. :: Both elder and yonger sorte of his kinred derided him not his proper parentes for he was depriued of father and mother when he was a child as it semeth c. 1. v. 4. :: In a prouince of the Medes wherof Rages was the head citie for when they came where Raguel dwelt Tobias stayed there and the Angel went to the citie of Rages where Gabelus dwelt c. 9. As one may say such a one dwelleth in Rome that dwelleth in anie part of Romania in Yorck Lincolne or Mum moth that dwelleth in one of those shires :: Asmodâos signifying Destroyer is a captaine or king of those diuels which specially destroy soules by the sinnes of the flesh afterward tormenteth both soules and bodies for the same sinnes :: Act. 10. An Angel shewed Cornelius that his prayers were heard Apoc. 5. prayers of the faithful are offered to God by Angels other Sainctes :: As Moyses to the people Deut. 33. and Dauid to Salomon 3. Reg. 2. So Tobias gaue holie admonitions to his sonne in al fourtene noted in the inner margin 1 2 3 :: The same doctrine of good workes and reward is taught Daniel 4. v. 24. 4 5 6 7 :: A notable rule agreable to the law of nature 8 :: VVorkes of mercie exteÌd also to the dead 9 10. 11 12 :: It perteyneth to good men amongst other thinges to geue notice and to dispose of their temporal goodes by their last wil. 13 14 The second part The iourney and affayres of yong Tobias assisted by the Angel Raphael :: The Angel Raphael appearing in forme of a man prefigured our Sauiour who indede became a verie man S. Beda :: Raphael signifying medââinâ of God â Greg. ho. 34 calleth himselfe Azarias whose shape and viâa âe he tooke vpon him which name also signifieth the helpe of God :: S. Paul also calleth flesh of fish 1. Cor. 15. and Plinie lib. 9. c. 15. * and liuer v. 19. :: Diuels who exalted them selues as equal with God aâe iustly made subiect to corporal creatures God coÌcurring with natural causes whose good pleasure is sometimes to vse instrumeÌts naturally vnapt as when Christ gaue sight to the blinde by putting clay on his eyes Ioan. 9. sometimes more apt as when he fed manie with few loaues Ioan. 6. So the Angel by Gods appointment vsed this meanes to expel the diuel :: Into the place where good soules rested none then hauing accesse into heauen See Annotations âen 37. * and hart v. 8. :: The second night he asked and obtayned this grace for he knew not his wife vntil the fourth night v. 22. :: A iust man sayth S. Ambrose lib 3. Off. c. 14. feared other mens harmes and would rather his daughter should not be maried then others should be in danger preferring honestie before profite :: See chap. 6. v. â Mystically it signified Christs passion whereby the diuel was expelled out of mens hartes S. Aug ser 28. de Sanctis Prosper li. de promiss p. 2. c. 39. :: In the one familie there were no more children but one sonne in the other one onlie daughter :: The Angel went to the citie iâ selfe called Rages Tobias remaining in the ter âiâorie or prouince therof wââ Raââeâ which place is also called Rages c. v 7. :: Such of the Iewes as beleue in Christ hartely lament that he âaââeth so loÌg from their nation Some more assuredly with old Tobias others more doubtfully with his wife expect his returne S. Beda ân Tobiam Euen so the remnant of Catholiques in countries fallen to heresie haue great sadnes and continual sorovv in their hart Rom. 9. vvishing with what temporal losse soeuer the saluation of their brethren kinsmen and countriemen some hoping more confidently and comforting others that Christ wil againe illuminate our whole nation as sight was restored to old Tobias Instructions to maried persons out of the example of Tobias and Saras Mariage Ephes 5. Mat. 19. True Mariage alwayes a holie contract Now a Sacrament Proper instructions for man and wife part 2 de Matrim q. 22. 23. Three necessarie pointes in Matrimonie Exod. 34. Deu. 7. Leuit. 18. Nu. 36. v. 7. Tenne godly Rites obserued in the Mariage of Tobias and Sara 1. 2. 35 4. 5. * Apud Munstârum Gen. 29. v. 27. Iudic. 14. v. 17. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. :: It nothing disgraceth the sacred historie that a smal matter being also true is recorded with the rest As not one letter nor one title of the lavv may be omitted Mat. 5 S. Beââ also expoundeth it mystically of Gods preachers S. Ierom. doth the like in Isaiae 56 and S Augustin li 22. c 56. câât Faustum Manich. :: God vsed this gal of a fish in curing Tobias eyes in like sorte as the liuer in driuing away the diuel c. 6. v. 8. * 1 2. 3 4. 5 6 7 * 1 2. 3 4. 5 6 7 * 1 2. 3 4. 5 6 7 * 1 2. 3 4. 5 6 7 * 1 2. 3 4. 5 6 7 * 1 2. 3 4. 5 6 7 :: Gratful Tobias recounteth seuen benefites receiued by the companion of his iourney that they haue receiued not manie but al good things by him :: Fasting and almes are as two wingues with which prayer flyeth into heauen :: O how swete or excellent a thing is it saith S. Augustin ser 3. de Natiuit when Angeles guardianes of our life offer our vowes or resolution to flee vices and embrace vertues before the sight of Gods Maiesty Offices of Angels towardes men Readic to helpe al. Offer mens prayers and good workes Ayde the godlie Exhort to good Instruct Expel euil spirites Deliuer from euils and dangers Procure temporal commodities for the soules good Proue the good by tribâlations Comforte the patient and aâ vertuous Angeles guardians haue special care of soules committed to their charge The third part
ment only of those that persist impenitent and obstinate The fourt part The prayses of Iudith who with al the people praise God :: Iudith was a special figure of the B. Virgine Marie to whom these praises perteyne in more eminent sorte then to anic other creature S. ãâã bertâs Carneteâsis :: S. Ephreââ ser de 2. A ââontu citeth this place as holie scripture so testifying this booke to be canonicaâ :: Such giantes as were before Noes floud Gen. 6. :: Nor such as were after Num. 1â Deut. â :: Euerlasting torments of fire wormes perteyne to the damned bodies S. Aug. li. 21. c. 4. ets ââuit and greater paines to the damned soules especially the losse of Gods vision :: In the Greke â 11. Manie deâred her to mariage :: Liuing in al 105. yeares she was widow about sixtie nine for when she slew Holofernes she was about fourtie yeares old ch 10. v. 18 and her husband was then dead three yeares and a halfe before âh 8. v. 4. Iudith an example of holie widowhood Manie incitementes concurring to the contrarie made her widowhood more excellent Deu. 25. v 5. Ruth 3. v. 12. widowhood an Euangelical counsell Melite S. Atha S. Greg. Nazian Origen apud Euseb lib 6. c. 25. hist This whole booke is canonical The contentes VVritten by Mardocheus Diuided into ââure partes This booke is read at mattins the last weeke of September The first part beginneth in the 11. ch A B :: Modestie and temperance amongst heathen people condemneth Christianes that vrge men to drinke immoderatly and so cause them to be drunke S. Au. Ser. 231. â32 de tempore The end of immoderate feasting is commonly browling Here the king became furious and the queene was diuorsed from him :: Brentius approueth the sentence of this parasice but Iosephus li. 11 c 6. Macrobius li 7. c. 1. Saturn S. Ierom ad Rustic and S. Ambrose l. de ââhâ c. 14 iudge the queenes refusal lawful and agreable to the Persians lawes which prohibited maried weââ to come in sight of other men in great assemblies neither had the king iust cause to break that law for pleasing his phansie in his drunken humour v. 10. Luther also wresteth this example in fanoure of adulterie par 2. de diuortio folio 177. Editionis ââitenber ãâã 1553. 4 Reg. 24. :: Deut. â v. 3. Israelites are forbid to marie with Gentiles yet when there was no danger to be peruerted and great hope of good Esther by Mardocheus counsel consented to marie king Assuerus though otherwise she detested the bed of the incircumcised and of euerie stranger âh 14. v. 15. K. Dauid also maried the kings daughter of Gessuâ 2. Reg. 3. v. 3. :: Mardocheus hearing suspicious wordes and obseruing their actions sawe that they intended euel and informed the King wherby their ââeson was disouered Rab. âalom Iosep * C ch 12. v. 1. D :: Aman exacted such honour as heathen people gaue to their lesse goddes which was also idolatrie for Mardocheus was willing to giue him ciuiâ honour euen to kisse the steppes of his feete but feared and refused âo geue Godlie honour to him ch 13. v. 13. 14. S. Thâ 2. 2. q. 84. a. 1. :: Such is the preposterous ânrie of rancour to appoint the day of executing his malice before he had got the kings decree The second part The Iewes danger to be massacred * E ch 13. v. 1. :: The letter at large is in the seuen first verses of the 13 ch of which this is the summe F The third part The deliuerie of the Iewes from danger :: The first and best remedie in distresse is to do workes of penance for sinnes coÌmitted 1. Cor. 11. ãâ¦ã :: Great confidence in Gods helpe when mans helpe fayleth and in dede this meanes by mouing the kings haât to grant Esthers petition was Gods special worke * G ch 1. v. 1. H * I ch 15. v. 4. K :: This prudence in delaying to propose her petition increased the kings desire to know it moued him to promise more assuredly so bond him the more to accomplish it :: Gods eye which neuer slepeth saw whath Aman intended and for execution of his owne diuiue iustice vsed this meanes bây subtracting slepe that time from the king and inspiring his mind to heare the histories read and to reward good seruice donne Ioseph :: Ambicious men are most bâânde in conceite of their owne deserts and fortunes :: Either they had read Gods promise to the Iewes Gen 13 15. c. or coniectured this by humaine prudence :: After three-dayes fast of al the Iewes with prayers and other workes of penance Esther asked and obtained the saftie of the whole people more precious to her then halfe of the kingdom :: Horrour of a guiltie conscience is commonly the first torment of a sinner S. Chrissocons 4. de Lagaro :: VVhat litle trust in false freindshipe when bad men once fal into disgrace :: Such honour is due to kinges yea though they be Infideles because they haue terrestrial maiestie and authoritie from God And the contrarie opinion and behauiour of heretikes vvhich despice Dominion and blaspheme Maiestie is condemned by S. Iude in his Epistle v. 8. * Lch. 16. v. 1. M :: VVhere no more danger remaineth remission of iniuries is more commendable then reuenge but where malice continueth and new danger may probably ensue iustice is necessarie and afterwards peace may be made more securely S. Bernad ser 2. dâ verb. Apost :: In the âiâa slaughter Amans tenne sonnes were slayne and afterwards also hanged v. 14. The fourth parth Other thinges folowing their deliuerie from danger :: The Iewes in Susan kept the fiftenth day holie v. 18 those that dwelt in other places kept the fourtenth day :: A feast instituted by Mardocheus was accepted and obserued by al the Iewes as a constitution agreable and not contratie to the law Deut. 4. v. 2 12. v. 32. Psal 76. Great and maruelous changes by the power of God D. Tho. prologo in Epist Canonic Esther a figure of our B ladie And of the Church :: S. Ierome here aduertiseth the reader that he found al hitherto in the Hebrew And the parcels which folow only in the Septuaginta Greke Edition which either they translated out of the Hebrew or added by inspiration of the Holie Ghost * The Greke of the 72. Interpreters A :: Except the 72. The first part The presage and occasion of Esthers aduancement and Amans persecuting the Iewes :: Mardocheus had this dreame before Amans aduancement or his owne and the peoples danger 4. Reg. 24. :: Mardocheus was a good dragon and Aman a bad one :: Esther by her fountaine of teares and humble supplication quenched a great flame of Gentiles against the Iewes ch 10. * B chap. 1. v. 1. C :: Here it appeareth that Aman was a fauourer of traitors of perhaps of the same conspiracie * D ch 3.
Iewes See page 12. n Gods benefites bestowed vpon Dauid and vpon faithful Christians prefigured by him are for euer to be praised by al peoples and nations Gods prouidence in suffering euil the 3. key a This Psalme was made vpon the same occasion and to the same purpose as the former b to exhorte the iust and innocent to patience c by Dauids memorable example d Few are so wicked but they speake and pretend iust thinges e but neither thincke wel f nor do wel but both contrarie which feaned sanctitie is duble iniquitie g These wicked sinners that flatter and incite king Saul seme to haue spent al their life from their infancie in malice h Their furie is vnquiet til they may wound the innocent with their poisonful sting i neither wil they harken to good admonitions but stoppe their eares like an aspe that layeth one eare close to the ground and stoppeth the other with his taile k But God wil breake their cruel force l though it semeth most strong and in superable m Gods iust determination of punishing the wicked stil remaineth bent and readie though execution be some while differred n That force and powre which is now inuincible hard and strong like a lions strongest teeth shal then be as impotent and soft as waxe o Gods wrath like fire the most forcible element shal fil vpon them and they shal be cast into vtter darkenes depriued of the sunne and al comfortable light p Before their malice can bring to effect the great mischieffes which they plotte and purpose God suddainly cutteth them of before they fully vnderstand of either sicknes or death casteth them as it were aliue into hel q The iust reioyce in the punishment of the wicked for three causes first in zele of iustice conforming his wil and mind to Gods iudgement secondly for that himselfe through Gods mercie hath escaped that terrible damnation thirdly for that he is now deliuered from molestation and continual tribulation r The iust seing or by faith knowing what punishment remaineth for the wicked is therby assured that the good shal reape fruict for his wel doing and that in the meane time God ruleth and iudgeth on the earth though as yet it appeareth not so euidently An other prayer of Dauid in danger the 8. key a King Saul hauing thrise attempted in vaine to kil Dauid 1. Reg. 18 v 11. c. 19. v. 9. sene some of his guard to feâch him from his owne house that he might be slaine but God moued the mind of Michol to admonish him of the danger and to helpe him away in saftie though Saul thought she would haue bene a scandal vnto him or cause of ruine by the handes of the Philistians 1. Reg. 18. v. 21. Vpon which occasion Dauid made this Psalme As he also made others for perpetual memorie of Gods like benefites in deliuering him in iminent dangers VVhen Saul sent three troupes of serieants to kil him and solowed them himselfe 1. Reg. 19. v. 20 likevvise vvhen he vvas knovven and bevvrayed before Achis king of Geth 1. Reg. 21. also in Ceila in the deserts of Ziph and of Maon c. 23 in Engaddi c. 24. in Hachila c. 26. and againe amongst the Philistians c. 27. and 30. b They haue so straictly beseged me that it is now in their haudes to take away my life c Of my part I haue committed no sault against myn enimies for which they can haue aâie iust cause to persecute me d The prophet soreseing in spirite that the Catholique Church shal be vniustly persecuted prayeth and teacheth others to pray that God wil mercifully visite his faithful people of al nations e and not spare obstinate persecuters f Persecuters laboring how much or how long soeuer shal at night that is in the end of al their wicked endeuoures be vnsatisfied in their desires g as hungrie dogges that runne hunting al the day night also stil seeking not finding wherwith to fil their rauenous mouthes and deuouring bellies h They threaten and determine to vse al crueltie i as if there were no God that heareth and wil punish it k Through Gods grace the Church is stil strong and the vertuous do perseuere l God suffereth afflictions to fal vpon his seruants to kepe them exercised lest in prosperitie they forgete their duties to him m Depriue them of powre that they may not do so much euil as they desire n After that their iniquitie is complete o they shal be accused and punished for their blasphemies and lies p As. v. 7. q They shal in vaine seeke oyle for their lampes with the foolish virgins repent with Iudas and finding no helpe r shal continually blaspheme in hel Å¿ In the resurrection King Dauids thankes for victories the 8. key a The change of state from aduersitie to prosperitie in the people of Israel was a figure of the like change in the Church of Christ b worthie to be remembred c for the instruction d of Gods beloued e as the same are more largely recorded in the bookes of kinges f God suffereth his people to be afflicted as wel for their sinnes as for exercise in vertue g after sheweth his mercie in pardoning and fauour in aduancing them h by punishiÌg sinners i VVarning them to ameÌd k and then restoreth them to former good state l God also as he hath promised by his holie oracle m hath aduanced king Dauid in his temporal kingdom and doth much more aduance him and other elect in euerlasting life n As a vessel for meaner vses o Bring it vnder my dominion p As God doth sometimes punish q so he also rewardeth r strongly with fortitude A confident prayer for Christs Incarnation the 5. k. ây a In songues of praise and thankes to God b From al coastes of the earth faithful people pray to God c the Church builded vpon an assured fundation is exalted to great powre and dignitie d God conducteth defendeth and deliuereth those that confidently trust in him e in the Church a place of assured protection f Christâ kingdome the Church perpetual to the end of this world and eternal after the general Resurrection g Who is able to vnderstand or explicate how great Christs mercie is in redeming vs h and his truth in performing his promised rewardes i For so imestimable benefites I wil alwayes praise thee with Psalmes Canticles or other thankes in this life k and eternally in the life to come Exhortation to good life in respect of reward or punishment the 7. key a Directed to Idithun one of the masters of musike to sing it or to make tune for it b The wicked threating to ruinate others Dauid or anie iust man feareth them not because his soule is subiect to God c Therfore I firmely purpose neuer to be moued from God d In vaine do you myn aduersaries stil assault me e though ye be al confederate to kil me f
certaine that Salomon was sometime innocent and holie but was peruerted by wemen 3. Reg. 11. 3 Reg. 3. v 9. 12. :: Here againe it is euident that the Auctor reporteth Salomons speaches 1. Paral. 28. v. 5. 2. Par. 1. v. 9. :: VVisdom increated is with God yea is God him selfe Prou. 8. v. 22. :: VVisdom vvhich is geuen to men procedeth from God as a gift created :: Mans wisdom vvithout special wisdom from God is not sufficient to gouerne ourselues much lesse others The 3. part The excellent effectes of wisdom iustice :: Adam Gen. 1. v. 27. :: By this it is certaine that our first pareÌt Adam truly repented and had remission of his sinne Gen. 4. v. 8. Gen. 6. :: Noe. :: Abraham Gen. 19. :: Lot :: In al trees about Sodom there is only shew of fruite which when it is touched falleth into dust :: Lots wife an example of inconstancie :: Iacob Gen. 28. Gen. 37. :: Ioseph Gen. 41. :: Gods peculiar people Exo. 1. Exo. 3. Exo. 14. Exo. 12. Exo. 15. :: Moyses Exo. 16. Exo. 27. :: The Amalachites Exo. 17. Num 20. :: VVhen the Israelites wanted water God gaue them abundance out of rockes :: But turned the Aegyptians waters into blood :: After affliction the benefite of peace is more gratful :: Moyses was reiected when he iudged betwen his bretheren Exo. 2. :: 14. but was afterwards the deliuer of the whole people Act. 7. v. 45. Leuit. 26. v. 22. Iere. 8. v. 17. â Aegyptians seruing beasts for goddes were plaged by frogges stuiphes flees and locustes :: God made no creature euil as the Manichees foolishly imagined neither is there any God but one who alone created al thinges :: From the land of Iurie called sacred because God was there tightly serued in the old testament and mans redemption vvas wrought there by Christ Exo. 23. Deut. 7. :: By custom malice became as it were natural after that nature was corrupted :: Gods powre being almightie is only limited by his vvil Rom. 1. v. 23. :: Serpents battes moles like beastes which seme not only super fluous in the world but also hurtful yet were estemed as goddes :: Knowing him to be the only true God by vvhom they saw their false goddes destroyed yet they did not serue him as God :: Gods most proper name is HE WHICH 1â Exo. 3. v. 14. Rom. 1. Deut. 4. :: Seing no creature how excellent soeuer is or may be estemed a god it is more foolish to thinke an Image or statua or anie thing framed by mans handes can be God Isa 4. Iere. 10. God is the beginning of al thinges absolute and independing :: Great madnes to inuocate a wodden idol more base commonly more corruptible then the wood of a shippe :: As the Israelites went through the redsea :: The auctor prophetically alludeth to the wood of the Crosse on which our Sauiour redemed mankind :: From whole death procedeth mans iustification :: Inuention of Idols brought men to spiritual fornications corruption of maners :: This first idolatrie was only prâuâtly exercised by the father and his seruants at their masters coÌmandment by which occasion publique idolatrie came into the world wicked custom in time preuailing :: The name GOD in the proper signification can not be geuen to anie creature Manie enormious crimes procede from dolatrie :: Two sort es of periurie swearing by false goddes and swearing vntruthes Caluin falsly chargeth this booke vvith ârâor Gen. 31. Images of false goddes are rightly called idols Idolatrie begane by vvorshipping images of dead men vvith diuine honour Priuate idolatrie was before publique :: Of the diueâs sortes of idols and âdolaters see our brife Annotion vpon the 113. Psal :: Idolaters hauing forsaken and forgot the onlie true God become as Atheists making their temporal gaine of false goddes :: And so waxing insolent contemte and persecute the seruants of God :: Some idolaters worshipped brute beastes for goddes as being better then sensles images but al are abominable :: The Aegyptians were plagued for their idolatrie :: And that by beastes because they worshipped beastes for goddes and by death of their first begotten for their crueltie against Gods people :: God punished his owne people as a father for their amendment :: The brasen serpent not by anie vertue inherent but as a signe of Gods fauoure vvas the meanes of curing the people Num. 21. :: VVith the plague of haile there vvas also fire mixed Exo. 9. v. 24. VVhich destroyed the profitable cattle :: But burnt not other beastes that plagued the Aegyptians :: Haile did not extinguish the fire by Gods povvre aboue nature :: See the miracles of Manna Annoe Exod 16. :: He speaketh againe of Manna :: The vaine imagination of the vvicked that himself shal be saued vvil faile him Exo. â 10. :: Literally the ãâ¦ã s ââââa knes thâer dayes together Exo 10. v. 22. Morally they other gânâ les vvere in darknes vvithout faith in God til Christs Resurrection the third day :: A trubled conscience is a great torment :: This signified the conuersion of al nations to Christ :: The Church is called holie because it professeth holines and hath alwayes some holie men without the Church there is no sanctitie :: VVhen the Aegyptians drowned the Hebrews children Moyses was saued and reserued to guide the Israelites when the Aegyptians were drowned :: A prophecie of Christ comming into this world when there was temporal peace but extreme darkenes of âgnorance :: An other example of difference in Gods punishing his people for their âmendment and of the obstinate vnto their âuine Exo 14. â â8 Num. 16. â 46. Num 10 :: God foreseing the Aegyptians malice permitted them to persecute his people but was no way the cause nor auctor of their sinne Exo. 14. Exo. 16. :: The Amorrheites refused to grant them passage Num 21. v. 21. The Aegyptians brought them into seruitude Exo. 1. God changing the natural properties of elementes by them wrought iustice on sinners S. Greg. ââ 35. in Euang. Exo. 9. v. 24. Exo. 16. v. 2â Particular testimonies that this booke is holie Scripture It was written in Hebrew translated into Greke Difference betwen Ecclesiasticus and Ecclesiastes Panaretos The contents diuided into two partes By reason of a more perfect law the people of Israel were more renowmed then anie other nation in the world Deut. 4. :: Translations into other languages hardly expresse the seâse of the original tongue The 1. part Praises and preceptes of vvisdom :: Mans vvisdom is not able to comprehend the vvorkes of God :: Eternal glorie is the fruicte of the feare of our Lord not that this one vertue sufficeth but it is the beginning grounded in true faith and bringeth forth other vertues diuine giftes vvith the fruites of the Holie Ghost a ioyful crowne in the end Prou. 1. 9. :: Men drowned in
34. c Niniue exceeding glorious for antiquitie greatnes riches vvarlike prowese most large dominion vvas at last destroyed a Ierusalem vvithout proper merites preferred by Gods special grace before al other places sanctified adorned protected most singularly yet stil prouoked him to vvrath contemning his admonitions and persisting and multiplying sinnes can not but at last be seuerely punished Ezec ââ Mich. â * bring b About 40. yeares after Christs resurrection the most part of the Ievves persisting obstinate vvere brought to maruelous distresse and miseries vvhen Titus tooke destroyed Ierusalem which is also a figure of the destruction of this vvorld and of eternal punishment of the vvicked d Al nation shal inuocate one God in a chosen lippe or tongue in vnitie of fayth and vvith one shoulder of fortitude beare the yoke and burden of Christian life made svvete and light by Christs grace e Men of light conuersation contemners of Christ shal also be conuerted become graue greatly honour him Aggeus prophecied after the captiuitie of Christ and his Church S Ierom. Epist ad Paulin. a Zorobabel descending directly from the kinges of Iuda was now duke chiefe temporal gouerner of the Iewes by permission of Darius king of Persians c It behooueth without delay to set forward restauration of Gods seruice reductioÌ of soules from sinne amending of il maners because by foresâowing therof Gods honour is hindered and manie soules do eternally perish b In like sorte Iesus secceded in the office of high priest to Iosedec vvho vvas caried vvith others captiue into Babylon 1 Par. 6. v. 15. Deut. 28. Mich. â d To incite the people to iust estimation of his preaching the prophet auoucheth that he is a messenger not coming of him self but sent by God a They beganne the new vvorke the 24. day of the sixt moneth b and the 21 of the 7 moneth the prophet had an other reuelation Heb. 12. c Iacob the Patriarch Gen. 49. prophecied that Christ should be the expectation of the Gentiles VVho is called the desired of al Nations because he vvas hertofore vvanting and alvvayes necessarie to al nations d That vvhich touched a holie thing vvas sanctified Leui. 6. v 18 but the thing so touched did not sanctifie other thinges so the people by touching the sacrifices vvere legally sanctified but not really and therfore their sacrifices were not gratful to God so long as they did not endeuour to build the temple as they ought to haue done Amos. 4. * sprâng vp Al other kingdomes perishing the kingdom of Christ which is his Church is neuer destroyed Eccli ââ The temple restored after the captiuitie vvas not so glorious as that which Salomon built But Christs Church of the nevv Testament in which he dvvelleth spiritually farre excelleth the material temple Zacharie begane to prophecie but two monethes after Aggeus S. Ierom. Epist ad Paulin. Mal. 3. Isa 21. Iere. 3. Ezec. 18. 20. Ose 14. Ioel 2. a VVhen God in the holie Scriptures sayth Conuert to me and I vvil conuert to you VVe are admonished that vve haue freewil And when vve ansvver Conuert vs o Lord to thee and vve shal be conuerted we confesse that Gods grace preuenteth vs. Conc. Trid. sess 6. c. 5. b That this was an Angel in the shape of a man is manifest v 11. c Seuentie yeares from the transmigration of Ioachin vvere complet in the first of Cytus Dan 9. Seuentie yeares were also complet from the destructioÌ of the temple in the second of Darius Histaspis and therfore the prophet novv prayeth God to inspire such as vvere able that they would build the temple againe Zach. 8 d From foure partes of the world to wite the Moabites Ammonites on the east of Iurie The Idumeans and Aegyptians on the south the Philisthims on the vveast the Assirians Chaldees on the North side had much molested the Ievves al vvhich vvere therfore plaged punished for the same * fabros a According to S Augustins rule in Psal 71. vvhen greater thinges are sayd then can be verified as the letter soundeth the same is literally to be vnderstood of the thing presigured And so this prophecie perteyneth to the Church of Christ rather then to the citie of Ierusalem b O ye Gentiles that remaine in confused Babylon of this world flee from it into the Church c And ye Iewes that haue feloship vvith Babylon leaue it and serue God sincerely a Literally this vision perteyned to the hiegh priest of thaâ time b Vvhose fault is here taxed for that he admonished not the people to build the temple and to abstaine from marying vvemen of strange nations as 1. âsd 8 9 10. c Angels are promised to assist the Prelates of the Church d Christ according to his manhâod is the seruant of God Of vvhó S Luke expoundeth this prophecie Luc. 1. â 78. a Most Hebrevv Doctors some Christian expound this vision of the temple the old synagog but most others vnderstand it literally of Christ his Church b The candlesticke Metaphorically signifieth Christs Church c The lampe or light Christ d seuen lightes al the pastores of the Church e Tvvo oliues Enoch and Elias Apoc. 11. f VVhich vision vvas to be declared to Zorobabel for his consolation that he might knovv that God vvould protest his Church g Tvvo branches the diuine and humane natures of Christ a In this booke or roll of papers were writen the sinnes of the people and designed punishment b It appeared flying to signific that this decree of punishment came from heauen S. Chrysost ho. 27. ad popul c Excecation obduration fel vpon the Iewes for their auarice and periurie d Antichrist shal beginne his reigne vvhere Babylon vvas first built Gen. 11. a Foure Monarchies of the Chaldees the Medes and Persians the Grecians and the Romanes Dan. 2. b VVhen the prophet set the crovvne on the high priests head that he might withal signifie that it perteyned not him but as in figure of Christ he explicateth that God reueled this mysterie saying Behold a man vvho is also God called Orient that is Raising vp establishing the kingdom vvhich vvas promised to Dauid S. Iero. is bunc locum Luc. 1. r 78. a Because the temple vvas burned in the fift moneth Godolias slaine in the seuenth 4. Reg. 25. v. 8. 15 the Ievves fasted in those two monethes al the time of their captiuitie Isa 58. b VVhich fast vvas good but vnperfect wan ting vvorkes of mercie most especially required in fastes Isa 58 S. Greg. p. 3 past curae admonie 20. ho 16. in Euang. c And therfote the prophet admonisheth to fast from al sinnes Exo. 22. Isa 1. Iere. 5. a These benefites here prophecied are greater then euer vvere bestovved vpon the Ievves before Christ came therfore are rather to be vnderstood of the graces of the nevv testament Zach. 1. v. 14. b The tenne tribes vvere
Mat. 11. v. 20. Mar. 1. Luc. 1. 7. Psal 131. v. 17. b S. Iohn vvas first onceiued likevvise first bârne and he first preaâhed and shortly after him our Sauiour came c Christ is the Angel of the testament because he made the Pact of peace betvven God and man d In the meane time God threatneth to punish al euen secrete sinnes e knovven âo him though not to other vvitnesses Zach. 1. v. 3. f Paying of tithes is most strictly commanded Iob. ãâ¦ã v. 14. Isa 5â v. â g Sinne of murmuring against God is great blasphe mie and not to lerable For vvhen they were punished by famine for defrauding the Leuites of tithes they blasphemously imputed it to God as though he had not such care of his owne people as he had of other nations vvhich had abundance of temporal goodes a In the day of iudgement it shal plainly appeare vvhat difference is betvven the iust and the wicked Zach. 3. v 8. 6. v. 11. Luc. 1. v. 78. Exo. 20. Dâut 4. 5. 6. Mat 11 17. v 11. b The Septuagint for explication adde Thesbites And S. Ierom. in 17. Mat teacheth that Elias shal in dede come and restore al thinges c Christs first coming was in al mekenes not in terrour but his coming to iudge wil be dreadful And therfore the prophet here meaneth not S. Iohn Baptist but that Elias himself shal come before the great and dreadful day of our Lord. * vtter destructionâ Prooemial questioÌs touching these bookes They are called Machabees of Iudas Machabeus Iudas had this surname for his streingth and valââe li. 1. c. 2. v. 64 65 66. Others also called Machabees li. 2. c. 6. 7. There be foure bookes VVritten by vncertaine auctors The tvvo last are not Canonical v. 24. Ievves Protestantes denie also these two first Their arguments * li. 1. c. 1. v. 1. 7. 11. 57. ch 4. v. 52. ch 6. v. 16. ch 8. v. 16. li. 2. ch 1. v. 19. ch 2. v. 25. ch 12. v. 43. ch 14 v. 41. ch 15. v. 39. Euseb li. 3. c. 25. hist S. Ierom de viru illustrib Ansvvers Approued by Councels And by Ancient Fathers The same contentes of both the bookes Foure principal partes The occasion of so extraordinarie disposition ââ 2. c. 2. v. 24. The historie conteyneth tvvo partes An order how to reade these bookes Read first the preface li. 2. ch 2. v. 20. The first part of the historie The persecution of the Church by Antiochus B :: Other kings reigned before Alexander in Grece but he vvas the first that reigned in that great Monarchie erected by himselfe :: By deliuering his ring to Perdicca he gaue him auctoritie to distribute his kingdomes Iâsânuâ li. 12. ââurtius li. 10. * li. 2. c. 3. v. 1. :: Epiphanes Noble in reâowme D :: This Antiochus begane his reigne in the yeare 137. from Seleuchus the first king of Syria after Alexander otherwise this vvas the 156 yeare of the Grecian Monarchie Euseb in chroniâo * li. 2. c. 4. v. 7. F :: Being established in the kingdom of Syria he coueted also the kingdom of Aegypt * li. 2. c. 4. v. 21. H :: Iosephus li. 12. c. 6. vvriteth that Antiochus first killed such as vvould haue hindred his entrance into Ierusalem and aftervvards those that opened the gates vnto him but vvould haue hindered him from spoyling the temple :: This vvas Apollonius as appeareth li. 2. c. 5. v. 2â :: The tovvre of Sion fortified and kept :: by a garrison of Macedonians :: It sufficed not this cruel tyrant to spoile Gods people of their goodes and manie of their liues but he also peruerted manie in religion because his master the diuel seeketh to destroy mens soules :: Daniels prophecie ch 9. vvas here in part fulfilled as in a figure and our Sauiour confirmeth it âlaâ 24 of Antichrist setting vp abomination of desolation in the holie place * li. 2. c. 5. v. 11. The 2. part The warres of the Machabees begune by this Mathathias and prosecuted by his sonnes especially by Iudas as in the seuen chapters folovving and more largely in the second booke from 8. chapter to the end of the last K This smal helpe of great importance is that ayde wher of Daniel prophecied ch 11. v â4 :: Mathathias not of priuate spirite but being general capitaine of the people did this iustice according to the lavv vvhere it is commanded to kil the auctors of false pretended religion Deut. 13. S. Cyprian Exhort ad Martyrium c. 5. S. Beruar Epist 158. ad Innocent Num. 25. :: These are commended by S. Ambrose li. 1. Offic. c. 40. and other fathers dying in the simplicitie of doues though they had not the prudence of serpents which others obseruing are more commended especially in respect of the whole Church so dangerously impugned which God in dede wil euer defend and conserue from vtter ruine Yet he vseth also ordinarie meanes by lawful vvarres and the like :: Assideans othervvise called Esseni not hypochâyâically as the Pharises nor erroniously as the Sadduces but sincerely professed a peculiar holie rule of life Iosephus li. 2 c. â2 de bello Iudaico Gen. 22. Gen. 41. Num. 25. Iosue 1. Num. 14. 2. Reg 2. 4. Reg 2. Dan. 3. Dan. 6. :: In al affayres order is of singural importance that euerie office be designed to ââââest persons As here Mathathias appointed Simon the chiefe for determining matters in counsel Iudas the first for execution and that the rest should obey these two and ech of these the other in his office :: He did not arrogate to himself to be chief but being designed by his father vvas so accepted by his bretheren the good people ioyned vvith them in defence of the lavv of God Iudas had foure battles and victories against foure general captaines sent by king Antiochus Epiphanes The first against this Apollonius * li. 2. c. 8. v. 1. M :: The second against Seron :: The natural frailtie of man feareth to encounter vvith a strong enemie but true confidence in Gods helpe which is euer assured in a good cause geueth corege and getteth the victorie :: Not only the Ievves resisted Antiochus innouations in religion but also diuers other nations reuolted and rebelled because he commanded al âo leaue their for merrites and goddes and to accept of his goddes only ch 1. v. 43. persecuting al that did not therto conforme themselues :: Praying fasting other vvorkes of penance are the best armour in holie vvarres for religion :: Publique place of prayer vvas first in Silo. Iosue 18. after in Maspha 1. Reg. 7. lastly in Ierusalem a penta contarchos Deu. 20. :: This most godlie resolution encoreged themselues procured Gods merciful protection :: The third battle made by Iudas vvas against this Gorgias an other captaine of Antiochus Epiphanes :: Vigilancie in rulers and pastors preserueth from al the diuels stratagems ::