so long For from the building thereof vntill the captiuitie be onely 432. yeares and eleuen yeares after that was it burnt as is prooued in the second doubt of this present chapter The captiuitie began the fourth yeare of Ioachim aliâs Eliachim Iere. 25. ver 1. Daniel with others of the Nobilitie were carried captiues Dan. 1. ver 3. yea Ioachim himself was bound with chaines and so carried to Babell 2. Paralip 36. ver 6. Nabuchodonozor carried away into Babell Ioachims mother his wiues his Eunuches and the mightie of the land carried he away into captiuitie from Ierusalem vnto Babell 4. King cap. 24. verse 15. The king of Babell made Matthanias his vncle king in his steed and changed his name to Sedechias verse 17. ibid. The first doubt The captiuitie beganne when Ieconias was carried away captiue to Babylon as it seemeth in S. Mathew cap. 1. v. 11. And yet was he eight yeares old when he was caried into Babylon 2. Par. 36. ver 9. before which time hee did not reigne ibid. Therefore the captiuitie could not beginne in the 11. yere of Sedechias as Iosephus and the Hebrews reckon neither at the birth of Ieconias as S. Mathew writeth The answere For the manifestation of this difficultie we must obserue that Ierusalem was thrise taken by the Babylonians to wit in the daies of Ioachim Iechonias and Sedechias 4. King ca. 24. 25. By reason whereof some reckon the beginning of the captiuitie from Ioachim some from Ieconias other some as the Hebrewes doe generally from the 11. yeare of king Sedechias See the answere of the third doubt heereof I haue spoken more at large in the second chapter in the handling of the fift age The second doubt The Prophet Ieremie writeth that the Citie of Ierusalem was burnt togither with the kinges pallace and the temple in the tenth day of the fift moneth in the 19. yeare of king Nebuchad-nezar Iere. 52. verse 12. but as the booke of Kings saith it was burnt in the seuenth day of the said moneth 2. Kin. 25. verse 8. The answere I answere that the citie was three daies in burning to wit from the seuenth day vntill the tenth Ieremie therefore speaking of the end is not contrarie to the booke of the kings speaking of the originall thereof The third doubt The prophet Daniel saith that the calamitie began in the third yeare of king Ioachim or Iehoiakim Dan. 1 ver 1. but the prophet Ieremie affirmeth that it was in the fourth yeare of Iehoiachim and in the first yeare of Nabuchad-nezar king of Babell Ier. cap. 25. verse 1. The answere We must here obserue that the captiuitie the first of the three was in the end of the third yeare of Ioachim as Daniel truely writeth in rigour of supputation yet may it be well said that it began in the fourth yeare as we reade in Ieremie because the remnant in the third yeare was in effect nothing at all The second Section Of the time of the siege The citie of Ierusalem was besieged the space of two yeres that is from the ninth yeare vntill the eleuenth of king Sedechias 4. Kin. 25. ver 1 2. during the time of which siege the famine was so sore and vrgent that the handes of pitifull mothers sod their own children to be their meate Lam. Ier. ca. 4. verse 10. which thing seemeth so repugnant to nature as it were ineredible to be tolde if holy writ had not first reported it The like horror was among mothers in murthering their children when Titus in the second yeare of Vespatianus his father besieged it and manie murthered themselues because the famine was so great The 3. Section Of Noe his floud The scripture recordeth that when God saw the wickednes of man to be great on earth and all the thoughtes of his heart to be naught continually it repented him that he had created man Wherefore his holy will was this to destroy from the face of the earth the man whom hee hadde made from man to beast to the creeping thinges and to the foules of the aire And this God purposed to doe by drowning of the world with a generall floud of water Yet Noah found fauour in Gods sight so that himselfe his wife his sonnes and their wiues eight persons in all with cattell foules and all liuing things two of euery sorte were saued in the arke Gen. 6.7 Noah was 600. yeares olde when the floud was vpon the earth Gen. chap. 7. ver 6. the floud preuailed on the earth 150. dayes Gen. 7. ver 24. The floud continued a whole yere Gen. 8. ver 13. It was in the yere of the world 1656. For from Adam to the birth of Noah are 1056. Gen. 5. And from the birth of Noah till the floud are 600. yeares The fourth Section Of the building of the temple King Salomon builded the temple in the fourth yeare of his raigne which was in the 480. yeare after the children of Israel were come out of Egypt 3. Kin. 6. ver 1. And in the yeare of the world after Iosephus 3102. after others 3149. but after the exact supputation 2994. as is already prooued While the temple was a building K. Salomon appointed seuentie thousand to beare burdens foure score thousand to hew stones in the mountaines and three thousand sixe hundreth ouerseers to cause the people to worke Par. cap. 2. ver 18. The fift Section Of the abode of the Israelites in Egypt There is a great controuersie and varietie not to be dissembled amongst Historiographers and learned writers concerning the time that the Israelites were in Egypt For Moses saith that the Israelites were in Egypt 430. yeares In Genesis it is said that they were there only 400. yeares S. Stephen saith that Abrahams seed should be a soiourner 400. yeares in a strange land And yet it is very certaine by authenticall supputation of the Scriptures that they were in Egypt only 215. yeares so that we want two hundreth yeares and odde of the accompt made in Genesis Exodus and the Actes S. Hierome confessed freely that he knew not howe to reconcile these places of the holy scripture S. Chrysostome reconcileth the places thus to wit that God appointed the Israelites to abide 400. yeares in Egypt yet for the heynous sinnes of the Egyptians he shortened the time euen as he abridged the 120 yeares which he graunted before the floud vnto men that they might repent and brought them to one hundreth Neither was Niniuie destroied after 40. daies Neither died Ezechias as God had said I answere therefore with Saint Austen and other learned writers that the 400. yeares mentioned in Genesis and in the Acts must be reckoned from the birth of Isaach vntill the departure out of Egypt and the 430. from Abrahams going out of his countrie For the seed of Abraham was so long afflicted in a land not their owne as the scripture speabeth Partly in Palestine partly in Mesopotamia and
Ioatham Amos prophesied against the nations adiacent to them in the time of Ozias Esaias prophesied against Iuda and Iurasalem in the time of Ioatham Ioel prophesied to Iuda and Ierusalem in the time of Ozias Michaeas prophesied against Ierusalem and Samaria in the time of Ioatham Nahum prophesied to the Assyrians and Niniuites in the time of Ioatham Abacuc prophesied against Babylon and Nabuchodonosor in the time of Manasses Ieremias prophesied to the citie of Ierusalem in the time of Iosias and Zedechias Sophonias prophesied against Iurusalem and Iuda in the time of Iosias Ezechiel prophesied to the captiues in Babylon in the time of Ioachim Daniel prophesied to his countrey men in Babylon in the time of Ioachim Haggaeus prophesied to all the people in Ierusalem and Iuda in the time of Zorobabel Zacharias prophesied to the people of Ierusalem and Iuda in the time of Zorobabel Malachias prophesied to the people of Ierusalem Iuda in the time of in the end of the captiuitie 〈…〉 CHAP. X. Containing a particular description of the time of the Prophets called the greater The first section of the Prophet Esay THe Prophet Esay was the sonne of Amos not of that Amos who was the third of the 12. lesser Prophetes but of another Amos hauing different characters with the Hebrews Aug de ciuit libr. 18. cap. 27. Hier. in 1. cap Esaiae Esay prophesied to Ierusalem and Iuda that is to the two tribes of Beniamin and Iuda Hier. in 1. cap Esaiae Esay who was also called Azarias Osee Ioel Amos prophesied at the selfe same time in the daies of Osias Ioatham Achas and Ezechias kings of Iuda Hier. in princ Esaiae The wicked king Manasses caused the prophet Esay to be sawed in peeces with a wodden saw Wherefore that which the Epistle to the Ebrewes saith of the tortures of Gods Saintes that they were hewen in sunder is very fitly referred to the prophet Esay Hier. lib. 15. cap. 57. in Esaiam The second section of the prophet Ieremie Ieremie prophesied to y e two tribes of Iuda Beniamin he foretold their captiuitie in Babylon hee began his prophesie in the daies of Iosias he continued the same in the daies of Ioachim and vntill the eleuenth yeare of Sedechias in the time of the captiuitie Orig. hom 1. in Hier. Aug. de ciu lib. 18. c. 33. Betweene the time of Ieremias and Esaias were one hundred and fiftie yeares Hier. lib. 9. cap. 30. in Esaiam He was the sonne of Helkias the priest cap. 1. Iere. v. 1. the tradition of the Hebrewes is that whensoeuer the father or graundfather of any prophet is put in the title such a one was also a prophet himselfe Gloss. ordinar Sophonias prophesied at the same time with Ieremias Athanas in synop Aug. de ciu lib. 18. cap. 33. Iehoiakim king of Iuda burnt the book which Baruc wrote wrote at the mouth of Ieremias in which booke the prophet shewed what punishment God had determined to bring vpon Iuda and Israel if they would not returne euery man from his euill way and bring forth worthy fruites of repentance But Ieremie at Gods appointment wrote another book which contained the afflictions of Iuda and Israel in a farre larger maner Ierem. cap. 36. Where we may note by the way that the wicked do euer kicke against the preachers of Gods word especially when their sinnes are reprooued But at length they tast of the cup of Gods wrath for their great contempt and disobedience And our papistes are now become Iehoiakims as who both burne the writers of all bookes that reprooue their superstitions and idolatry and also cast the bookes into the fire Yea euen the holy bibles if they be once translated into the vulgar tongue Ieremie began to prophesie when he was a childe in the 13. yeere of Iosias king of Iuda hee continued his prophesie during the reigne of Iosias the sonne of Amon. 19. yeares and after that vnder Ioachim 11. yeres and vnder Sedechias 11. yeares who was the last king of Iuda The three moneths of Ioachaz and Iechonias are reckoned in the yeares afore named So that from the beginning of his prophesie vntill the captiuitie of Ierusalem in which himselfe was taken he prophesied 41. yeres ouer and besides that time in which he was carried away into Egypt and prophesied in Taphins Hier. in cap. 2. Ierem. at which Taphins in Egypt as some write hee was stoned to death But before that time he was put in a deep dungeon of myre Iere. 38. The third section of the prophet Ezechiel Ezechiel followed Ieremie and began to prophesie in the fift yeare of the transmigration of Iechonias which was the same yeare of the reigne of Sedechias Hier. lib. 5. cap. 29. in Ieremiam in the 30. yere after some of his age Ezechias c. 1. but as S. Hierome writeth the 30. yeares whereof the Prophet speaketh are not the yeares of the age of Ezechiel himself but the yeares from the 18. of king Iosias at what time the booke of the law was found vntill the fift yeare of the captiuity of Iechonias Hier. in cap. 1. Exech 2. Ezechiel was carried away captiue into Babilon togither with Iechonias Daniel and the three children Hier. in princ Ezech. Aug. de ciu lib. 18. cap. 34. This holy prophet foretold the destruction of Hierusalem and the captiuitie of the Iewes for their manifold sinnes and wickednesse earnestly exhorting them to repentance For which cause the Iewes were so exasperated against him as the wicked are this day against the preachers of Gods word that they trailed him on the ground amongst the stones till his braines went out Author oper imperf in Matt. cap. 23. hom 46. prop. finem A golden obseruation In the dayes of Iosias king of Iuda Helkiah the Priest found the booke of the lawe of the Lord giuen by the hand of Moses Which when the good king vnderstood hee gathered togither all the inhabitantes of Ierusalem and of Iuda and the Priests and the Leuites and all the people from the greatest to the smallest and he read in their eares all the words of the booke of the couenant that was found in the house of the Lord and the king caused all that were found in Ierusalem and Beniamin to stand to it and hee compelled all the people of Israel to serue the Lord their God 2. Par. 34.4 Kin. 22. Thus saith the holy scripture By which we see euidently that the ouersight of all persons in all causes aswell ecclesiastical as ciuill pertaineth to the king and that the king hath the charge of religion committed into his handes and also that he may compel priests and Leuites to doe their dueties in that behalfe On the other side we may note the intollerable impietie of our disholy fathers the late bishops of Rome Who most irreligiously and very impudently excommunicate christian kings and monarches because they appoint the word of God to be preached in their
sucuus Anno Dom. 333 The raigne of the Caesars Anno Dom. 743 15 88 Fridericus 1. Anno Dom. 333 The raigne of the Caesars Anno Dom. 743 37 89 Henricus 5. aliâs 6. Anno Dom. 333 The raigne of the Caesars Anno. Dom. 743 10 yeares 90 Otho 5. aliâs 4. Anno Dom. 333 The raigne of the Caesars Anno. Dom. 743 13 91 Fridericus 2. Anno Dom. 333 The raigne of the Caesars Anno Dom. 743 33 92 Rodulphus Anno Dom. 333 The raigne of the Caesars Anno Dom. 743 19 93 Aldulphus Anno Dom. 333 The raigne of the Caesars Anno Dom. 743 1 yeare 3. monethes 94 Albertus Anno Dom. 333 The raigne of the Caesars Anno Dom. 743 9 yeares The names of the Caesars 95 Henricus 6. Anno Dom. 752 The raigne of the Caesars Anno Dom. 998 5 yeares 96 Ludouicus 4. Anno Dom. 752 The raigne of the Caesars Anno Dom. 998 33 97 Carolus 4. Anno Dom. 752 The raigne of the Caesars Anno Dom. 998 32 98 Venceslaus Anno Dom. 752 The raigne of the Caesars Anno Dom. 998 22 99 Robertus Bat. Anno Dom. 752 The raigne of the Caesars Anno Dom. 998 10 100 Sigismundus Anno Dom. 752 The raigne of the Caesars Anno Dom. 998 27 101 Albertus 2. Anno Dom. 752 The raigne of the Caesars Anno Dom. 998 2 102 Fridericus 3. Anno Dom. 752 The raigne of the Caesars Anno Dom. 998 53 103 Maximilianus Anno Dom. 752 The raigne of the Caesars Anno Dom. 998 26 104 Carolus 5. Flandr Anno Dom. 752 The raigne of the Caesars Anno Dom. 998 30 yeares 105 Ferdinandus Anno Dom. 752 The raigne of the Caesars Anno Dom. 998 6 yeres 4. 〈◊〉 106 Maximilianus Anno Dom. 752 The raigne of the Caesars Anno Dom. 998 11 yeares Of these Emperours more shalbe said in peculiar 〈◊〉 when I come to the second part and first booke thereof The third booke containeth the description of the second Monarchie that is of the Persians CHAP. I. Of the originall of the monarchie and succession in the same GOd most mightie and most faithfull for his power doth whatsoeuer pleaseth him and for his promise sake hee vndoubtedly accomplisheth whatsoeuer he hath said He suffered the Iews his peculiar people to be long afflicted by the Babilonians but after that 70. yeares were fully complete and expired according to his promise Isai. 45 1.48.20 He with great ioy wrought their deliuerance He appointed king Cyrus to set them at libertie whom for that purpose he called his annointed Es. 45.1 Which Cyrus hauing conquered the kingdome of the Medes against Astyages left the said kingdome to Darius his vncle by whose aide he tooke Babylon and so transported the Monarchie of Babylon to the Persians Cyrus deliuered the Iewes from captiuitie the very same yeare that he took Babylon He also gaue them great treasures to build the temple of Hierusalem and sent them home againe vnder the conduct of Zorobabel Esd. cap. 1. cap. 2. 2. Par. 36. ver 23. Esd. 7. v. 15. He commaunded to giue them of his own reuenewes day by day so much as should be necessary Esd. 6. verse 8.9 Cyrus king of Persia brought forth by the hand of Mithridates the treasurer all the vessels of the house of the Lord which Nabuchodonosor had taken out of Hierusalem and placed in the house of his false God Cyrus numbred them vnto Sesbazer the Prince of Iuda To wit 30. Chargers of gold a thousand chargers of siluer 29. kniues thirtie basons of gold 410. basons of siluer and of other vessels 1000. all which with other rich gifts the king bestowed on the Iewes to build vp againe their Temple Esd. 1. 2. Par. 36. The building of the Temple was hindered by the aduersaries of Iuda and Beniamin that is the inhabitants of Samaria whom the king of Assyria had placed in the stead of the ten tribes which ten tribes he had carried away vnto Ashur and put them in Halah and in Habor by the riuer of Gozan and in the citie of the Medes for at that time the Medes and Persians were subiect to the Assyrians which vexation hindering of the Iewes in building their Temple continued about the space of thirtie yeeres that is vntill the sixt yeare of Darius the sonne of Histaspis surnamed Assuerus and Artaxerxes indifferently Esdr. cap. 4. The difficultie The Prophet Daniel who liued euen in the time of the captiuitie of Babylon affirmeth constantlie that the same night in which Balthasar the king of the Chaldees was slain Darius King of the Medes tooke the kingdome being 62. yeares of age Dan. cap. 5. vers 31. and the said Daniel saith that he vnderstoode the time of the captiuitie by the bookes of Ieremy in the first yeare of Darius sonne of Assuerus who was of the seede of the Medes Dan. 9. vers 1. but Esdras writeth plainely that Cyrus was king of Babylon and gaue the Iewes leaue to build their temple to whom also he gaue great treasure as is alreadie saide Esdr. 1. Esdr. chap. 6. vers 3. The answere I say first with Saint Hierome vppon Daniel that Cyrus gaue the title of honour to Darius as well in respect of his olde age as for kinred sake I say secondly that Cyrus went about warres in other Countreyes and so had not the title though he were king indeed I say thirdly that Darius died the same yeare that he and Cyrus wan Babylon so as the Monarchie of the Medes Persians and Babylonians descended wholly vnto Cyrus The names of the kings of the Persian Monarchie Darius A. M. 3426 the time of their reigne A. M. 3655 9 monethes Cyrus A. M. 3426 the time of their reigne A. M. 3655 30 yeares Cambyses A. M. 3426 the time of their reigne A. M. 3655 8 yeares Smerdes magus A. M. 3426 the time of their reigne A. M. 3655 7 moneths Darius Histaspis aliàs Artaxerxes alias Assuerus A. M. 3426 the time of their reigne A. M. 3655 36 yeares Xerxes A. M. 3426 the time of their reigne A. M. 3655 20 yeares Artabanus A. M. 3426 the time of their reigne A. M. 3655 7 monethes Darius Artaxerxes Longimanus A. M. 3426 the time of their reigne A. M. 3655 40 yeares Zerxes A. M. 3426 the time of their reigne A. M. 3655 2 monethes Sogdianus A. M. 3426 the time of their reigne A. M. 3655 7 monethes Darius Nothus A. M. 3426 the time of their reigne A. M. 3655 19 yeares Artaxerxes Mnemon aliàs Memnon A. M. 3426 the time of their reigne A. M. 3655 40 yeares Darius Ochus aliàs vagosus A. M. 3426 the time of their reigne A. M. 3655 26 yeares Arsames sonne of Ochus A. M. 3426 the time of their reigne A. M. 3655 4 yeares Darius Arsami filius aliàs Arbelas or Melas A. M. 3426 the time of their reigne A. M. 3655 6 yeares The first obseruation It is to be obserued that Artaxerxes was the commō name of all
Egypt This age of Ioseph is thus made manifest he was 17. yeres of age when he was sold Gen. 37. verse 2. he was 30. yeeres olde when hee became gouernour of Egypt Genes 41. vers 40 41 46. to which adde the seuen yeeres of plentie and three yeeres of famine Genes 41.42 and 45. at which time Leui came into Egypt with his father and the number of 40. yeeres will be compleate I note secondly that if we graunt Leui to haue beene 100. yeeres olde before hee begate Caath and affirme the same of Caath and Amram which thing surpasseth the course of nature Ge. 17. v. 17. and therefore neede it not be granted we must for al that come short and neither find the abode of the Israelites in Egypt to be 430. neither yet 400. yeeres in all I note thirdly that if we grant Caath Amram and Moses to haue beene begotten in a competent age we shall easily finde the number of 215. yeres which Eusebius and Marianus Scotus haue put downe An other probation of this difficultie Iochebed was the owne daughter of Leui and the naturall mother of Moses for so we reade in the 26. chapter of the booke of Numbers and in the sixt chapter of the booke of Exodus and yet if we grant Leui to haue bin 120. yeres old when he begat Iochebed and Iochebed to haue bin 100. yeres old at the birth of Moses both which are impossible by the course of nature and if we adde thereunto eightie yeares the full age of Moses at the departure out of Egypt yet will all this be no more but bare 300. yeres so then we are short of the supputation mentioned in Genesis by one ful hundred yeres and of the reckoning specified in Exodus by an hundred and thirtie yeares Therefore the vndoubted meaning of those scriptures must needes be as I haue already shewed The corollarie First therefore since Moses brought the Israelites out of Egypt secondly since he was the sonne of Iochebed thirdly since Iochebed was the daughter of Leui fourthly since Leui was with Iacob at his going into Egypt we must perforce deduce the time of their abode from Leui Iochebed and Moses Let vs therefore assigne 85. yeeres to Leui when hee begate Iochebed 50. yeeres to Iochebed when she bare Moses and 80. yeres to Moses when he brought them out of Egypt which is as much as can be granted by the course of nature and wee shall find the iust number of 215. yeeres and so the supputation of this third age is consonant The obiection Eusebius and Marianus Scotus say plainely that the Israelites abode in Egypt no more but 144 yeeres The answer I grant that some otherwise very learned haue so written but I thinke their meaning is according to the wordes of the authors plainely vttered For albeit they both say that they abode but 144. yeres there yet do they affirme alitle after that that their whole abode was 215. yeeres So then when they terme their abode but 144. yeres they meane of their greuous seruitude after the death of Ioseph for Eusebius whom Scotus doth imitate hath these expresse words Postcuias interritum Hebraei Aegyptijs seruierunt annis 144. fiunt autem omnes anni quos Hebraei in Aegypto fecerunt 215. qui ab eodem tempore computantur quo Iacob cum filijs suis descendit in Aegyptum After the death of Ioseph the Hebrewes or Israelites were in bondage to the Egyptians 144. yeeres but all the yeeres that the Hebrewes were in Egypt make 215. which we must reckon from that time when Iacob with his children went into Egypt The fourth age The fourth age from the comming out of Egypt vntil king Salomon beganne to build the temple containeth 480. yeres hereof this is an euident demonstration Moses gouerned the Israelites in the wildernesse the space of 40. yeeres after they came out of Egypt Deute 1. verse 3. and Deut. 29. verse 5. Iosue and Othoniel iudged Israel 40. yeres Iud. 3. v. 11 for Iosue was ouer them 32. yeeres and Othoniel 8. some giue but 18. yeres to Ioshua and the rest to Othoniel but that skilleth not much because it is certaine that from the death of Moses till the death of Othoniel were 40. yeeres compleate which no writer doth or can deny for holy writ hath so reuealed Ehud or Shamgar the son of Anath iudged the Israelites fourescore yeres Iud. 3. verse 30 31. but of these 80. we must ascribe 18. to the inter-raigne in which time Israel was in bondage to Eglon king of Moab Iud. 3. verse 14. Deborah and Barak iudged Israel 40. yeres Iud. 5. v. 31 Gedeon iudged the Israelites 40. yeres Iud. 8. ve 28. but in this time the Midianites oppressed them 7. yeres Iud. 6. v. 1 for feare of which ennemies the Israelites made them dennes in the mountains and caues strong holds Iud. 6. ve 2. This Gedeon is termed also Ierubbal Iud. 7. vers 1. Iud. 8. ve 35 Abimelek iudged 3. yeeres Iud. 9. verse 22. Thola the sonne of Puah iudged 23. yeres Iud. 10. verse 2 Iair iudged 22. yeres Iud. 10. verse 3. from this time the Israelites were afflicted with the Ammonites and the Philistines for the space of 18. yeres together Iud. 10. verse 7 8. Iephtee iudged sixe yeeres Iud. 12. verse 7. Abesan or Ibzan iudged 7. yeeres Iud. 12. verse 8 9. Elon iudged Israel 10. yeeres Iud. 12. verse 11. Abdon iudged the Hebrewes 8. yeres iudg 12. vers 13 14 Samson iudged 20. yeres Iudg. 16. ver 31. his wife Delilah betrayed him and deliuered him into the hands of the Philistines who put out his eies bound him with fetters and made him to grinde in the prison house but in the end when they called him out to make them pastime and to be a laughing stocke to them he pulled downe the two pillers of the house and so with the fall of the house killed more Philistines at his death then he had slaine in all his life before Iudg. 16. ve 18 21 29 30 31. Eli the priest iudged Israel fortie yeares 1. Sam. 4. ve 18. Samuel and Saul reigned fortie yeeres Act. 13. verse 21. Dauid raigned ouer Israel fortie yeeres 1. King 2. ve 11. The whole summe of yeeres is 477. 40 40 80 40 40 3 23 22 18 6 7 10 8 20 40 40 40 477 Make addition and this will be the summe 477. To these we must adde three yeares of king Salomon because in the fourth yeere of his raigne hee beganne to build the temple and so the whole number will be 480. to which must be added one moneth and one day This summe is confirmed by the testimonie of holy Writ in thefe expresse termes in the 480. yeere after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt and in the fourth yeere of the raigne of Salomon ouer Israel he built the house of the Lord 1. King 6. ve 1. Againe it is thus written so Salomon began
to build the house of the Lord in Ierusalem in the second moneth and the second day in the fourth yeere of his reigne 2. Para. 3. verse 1. and 2. The fift age The fift age from the building of the temple to the captiuitie of the Iewes in Babylon containeth 432. yeres whereof this is the demonstration King Salomon raigned after that hee beganne to builde the temple 37. yeeres 1. King 11. verse 42.2 Para. 9. verse 30. but hereof we must abate one moneth and one day because hee beganne to build the temple in the second day of the second moneth of the fourth yeere as is already prooued Roboam or Rehoboam reigned 17. yeres 2. Par. 12. v. 13. Abias raigned 3. yeeres 1. King 15. verse 2. Asa raigned 41. yeeres 1. King 15. verse 9 and 10. this Asa was a vertuous and zealous prince he sought the Lord with a perfect heart he deposed Maachah his mother from her regencie because she had made an idoll in a groue hee brake downe the idoll and stamped it and burned it at the brooke Kidron He gathered all Iudah and Beniamin and the strangers and made them sweare vnto true religion vnder the paine of death 2. Par. 15. per totum Iehosaphat or Iosaphat raigned 25. yeres 2. Par. 20. ve 31 Iehoram raigned 8. yeres 2. Par. 21. v. 5. 2. Kin. 8. ve 26 Ochozias or Ahaziah raigned 1. yeere 2. Kin. 8. verse 26. Athaliah the mother of Ochozias raigned 7. yeeres 2. King 11. verse 1. and 21. for king Ioas or Iehoash was 7. yeres old when he beganne to raigne This Athaliah destroyed the kings blood and was sister to wicked Achab. Ioas or Iehoash raigned 40. yeeres 2. King 12. verse 1. Amaziah raigned 29. yeeres 2. King 14. verse 2 Azariah or Ozias raigned 52. yeeres 2. King 15. verse 2. Ioatham or Iotham raigned 16. yeeres 2. King 15. ver 33 Achas or Ahaz raigned 16. yeeres 2. King 16. verse 2. Ezechias reigned 29. yeeres 2. King 18. verse 2. Manasses reigned 55. yeeres 2. King 21. verse 1. Amon raigned two yeeres 2. King 21. verse 19. Iosias reigned 31. yeeres 2. King 22. verse 1. Ioachaz or Iehoahaz reigned three months 2. Ki. 23. v. 31. Ioachim or Iehoiachim or Eliachim reigned 11. yeeres 2. King 23. verse 36. This Eliachim was a very wicked man he was made king by Pharao Nechoh who turned his name to Eliachim 2. Ki. 23. verse 34. and 37. in the dayes of this Ioachim beganne the first captiuitie of the three whereof see more at large in the seuenth chapter next following Iehoiachim or Iechonias or Coniah the sonne of Iehoiachim raigned three moneths and tenne dayes 2. Par. 36. verse 9. 2. King 24. verse 8. Ierem. 37. verse 1. In the time of this Iechonias beganne the second captiuitie which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath simply the name of captiuitie and therefore do I followe the same in this my supputation of the first age See the second booke and first chapter in the fourth section Sedechias or Zedechias reigned 11. yeeres 2. King 24. ve 18. he rebelled against the king of Babel ibid. ver 20. wherfore after the siege of two yeeres Nebuchad-nezar carried him captiue to Babel in the eleuenth yeare of his reigne his owne eies were put out his sonnes were first slaine in his sight and then hee was bound in chaines and so led away to captiuity 2. King 25. ve 1 2 7. he was vncle to Iechonias and his name was Mattanias but the king of Babel changed it to Sedechias 2. Kin. 25. verse 17. The first addition We must first adde to this supputation for the complement of the first age eleuen yeeres of the inter-reigne which are found wanting betweene the death of Amaziah and the reigne of Azariah for so long was the kingdome of Iuda voide as holy Writ heareth record I proue it thus Amaziah reigned 29. yeares 2. King 14. verse 2. and he beganne his reigne in the second yeare of Ioash king of Israel and liued 15. yeares after him 2. King 14. verse 1. and 17. Ieroboam the sonne of Ioash was made king ouer Israel in the fifteenth yere of Amaziah and he reigned 41. yeres 2. Kin. 14. verse 23. Let vs adioyne hereunto that Azariah beganne his raigne in the seauen and twentieth yeare of Ieroboam 2. Ki. 15. verse 1. and then perforce shall we finde 11 yeres wanting from the death of Amaziah til the first yere of the raigne of Azariah These things I grant be very intricate yet if my wordes he well marked the Reader may conceiue the matter with al facilitie the cause of the inter-reigne was the traiterous conspiracie against Amaziah 2. King 14. verse 19. The second addition Although Iechonias in whome I beginne my supputation of the captiuitie be said in some place of the scripture to haue reigned but three moneths and ten dayes yet do I ascribe one whole yeare to his reigne my reason is this because he was not carried away to Babel vntill the whole yeere was expired 2. Par. 36. verse 10. these are the wordes and when the yeere was out king Nebuchad-nezzar sent and brought him to Babel with the pretious vessels of the house of the Lorde and hee made Zedechiah king ouer Iudah and Ierusalem The first obiection The scripture saith in one place that Iechonias reigned but three moneths 2. King 24. verse 8. in an other place that hee reigned three moneths and tenne dayes 2. Par. 36. verse 9. in another place that he was eighteene yeeres old when he began to reigne 2. King 24.8 in an other place that he beganne to raigne in the eight yeare of his age 2. Par. 36. ve 9. all which can neither agree with three moneths nor yet with one onelie yeare The answer I answere that hee beganne to reigne when hee was eight yeares old and reigned tenne yeares with his father and after the death of his father he raigned three moneths and ten daies which was in the nineteenth yeare of his age and so euery text of holy Writ is cleare This my answer is confirmed by the expresse wordes of holie scripture 2. King 25. verse 8. where it is saide that Nebuzaradan chiefe steward to the king of Babel came in the nineteenth yeare of the kings raigne to make hauocke of the citie and to carry Sedechias into captiuitie for Iechonias was carried away in the eight yeere of the king of Babel 2. King 24. verse 12. and Sedechias reigned eleuen yeeres 2. King 24.18 this case is so euident as euery childe may perceiue the same The replie The scripture telleth vs that the king of Babel caried Iehoiachim into captiuitie in the third yeere of his raigne and yet do you ascribe eleuen yeeres to his raigne The answer I answer that Iehoiakim was carried away in the eleuenth yere if we reckon from the time in which Pharao Necho made him king but in the third yeare if we reckon from that time in which
130. yeeres assigned to Thare before he begat Abraham which three score yeres the greater part euen of the best Chronographers haue hitherto omitted The answere I say first that we ought not to consider so much what others haue doone as what they should haue doone For as a prouerb saith aliquando bonus dormit Homerus to which this other is consonant Bernardus non vidit omnia I say secondly that as well the old Chronographers as other ancient Fathers haue shewed themselues to be men in many things I say thirdly that where I dissent from others I desire no more credit to be giuen to my words then manifest reason shall conuince I say fourthly that Thare was 130. yeres old when he begat Abraham and I prooue it because Abraham was but 75 yeeres olde at the death of his father Terah or Thare at which time he departed out of Haran Genes 12. verse 4. and yet was Thare 205. yeres old when he died in Haran Gene. 11. v. 32 so then if Thare had begotten Abraham when he was 70. yeres old as the obiection would haue it it would follow of necessitie that Abraham was at his fathers death 135. yeres old and not onely 75. yeres old which yet the text as I haue proued doth auouch See the 17. chapter following in the fourth difficultie of the fift Section The replie The text saith plainely Gen. 11. verse 26. that Terah was but 70. yeres old when he begat Abram Nahor and Haran The answer I answer with saint Austen that the scripture only auoucheth Thare to haue bin 70. yeeres olde before he begat his children Abram Nahor and Haran and that Abram was not first borne although he be first named For as saint Austen considered grauely he is the first named by reason of his excellencie and prerogatiue aboue the rest euen as Iacob was named before Esau and Iudah before his brethren though indeede hee were but the fourth in number This answer I make good by sundry reasons first because these are the wordes of the text Terah liued 70. yeres and begat Abram Nahor and Haran Now it is manifest that he begate them not all three in the 70. yeere of his age as saint Austen well obserued and consequently that he begate some of them in his riper yeres Abram therfore was not borne till Terah was 130. yeres olde For Terah was 205. yeeres old at his death in Charran Gen. 11. ve 32. at which time Abraham was 75. yeeres of age Genes 12. verse 4. which thing saint Steuen confirmeth in these wordes then came hee out of the land of the Chaldeans and dwelt in Charran and after that his father was dead God brought him from thence into this land wherein ye now dwell Lo by the testimonie of Moses in the booke of Genesis Abraham was but 75. yeeres old when he went out of Charran and by the report of saint Steuen in the acts of the apostles he came not out of Charran vntil his fathers death So then hee could not be more then 75. yeres old when his father was 205. yeres of age and consequently he was not the eldest sonne of Terah begotten in the 70. yeere of his age but his yonger sonne borne when hee was 130. yeres old and so we must haue 60. yeres more in this second age then the Chronographers commonly do allow But the truth must preuaile howsoeuer mans reason deeme A difficultie of the word Haran Since the name of Abrahams brother was Haran as wel as the place where he dwelt how shal we discerne the one from the other I answer to this that if wee will obserue the strict and precise maner of pronunciation we must call the brother Haran and the place Charran For in the originall the Hebrue tongue the brothers name is written with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the place of Abrahams abode with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so as Abrahams brothers name ought to be termed Haran and the place where Abraham dwelt Charran which varietie of writing some translations haue well obserued See the 17. chapter following in the third difficultie of the fift section The third age The third age from the birth of Abraham till the departure of the children of Israel out of Egypt containeth 505. yeeres whereof behold this plaine demonstration Abraham begate Isaac when he was an hundred yeeres old Genes 21. vers 5. Genes 17. vers 17. Isaac or Izhak begat Iacob when he was threescore yeeres of age Gene. 25. verse 20 and 26. Iacob went into Egypt when he was 130. yeres old Gen. 47. verse 9. The Iacobites or Israelites abode in Egypt 215. yeeres So write Eusebius Caesariensis and Marianus Scotus yea many later writers come short of that supputation by 5. yeeres The trueth of this important difficultie shall by the power of God be decided shortly The whole summe of yeeres is 505. 100 60 130 215 505 Make addition and this summe will appeare 505. An important obiection We reade in Genesis cha 15. ver 13. and in the Acts cha 7. ver 6 that the Israelites were in Egypt 400. yeres and Moses in Exod. cha 12. ver 40. auoucheth constantly that they were there 430. yeres so then to affirme their abode there to be no more but 215. yeres is farre different from the trueth The answere I say first that the varietie of supputation set downe in holy Writ may easily be accorded if we duely consider the varietie of time from which the same supputation is deriued For the 400. yeres must be reckoned from the birth of Isaac vntil the departure out of Egypt and the 430. yeeres from Abrahams going out of his countrie for the seede of Abraham was so long afflicted in a land not their owne I say secondly that it is not possible to proue out of the scriptures by particular and precise supputation that the Iacobites abode in Egypt either 400. yeeres as saint Steuen reporteth or 430. yeeres as saint Moses telleth vs and therefore we must reckon and begin the said supputations as is alredy said I proue this mine assertion in this maner Iacob was 130. yeeres old when he went into Egypt Ge. 47. verse 9. and he died at the age of 147. yeres so as he liued in Egypt no more but 17. yeres Gen. 47. verse 28. Iacobs third sonne Leui of his first wife Leah Gen. 29. ve 32. liued but 137. yeres Exodus 6. verse 16. Rohath or Caath the sonne of Leui liued but 133. yeeres Exodus 6. verse 18. Amram the son of Rohath liued but 137. yeres Exo. 6. v. 20 Moses the sonne of Amram was but 80. yeeres old when he brought the Israelites out of Egypt Exodus 7. verse 7. Now for perspicuous conceiuing of this so intricate a doubt I note first that Leui could not be aboue 95. yeres in Egypt I prooue it because Ioseph Iacobs yongest sonne was 40. yeeres olde before Iacob with Leui and the rest of his family came into
he became seruant to the king of Babel 2. King 23. verse 34 and 36. 2. King 24. verse 1. The second obiection The scripture calleth Sedechias the brother of Iechonias therefore it is not consonant to the trueth to say hee was his vncle The answer I answer with saint Austen and saint Hierome that the custome of the scripture is to terme kinsemen by the name of brothers and therefore Sedechias is indifferently called vncle 2. King 24. verse 17. or brother 2. Par. 36. verse 10. 37 17 3 41 25 8 1 7 40 29 52 16 16 29 55 2 31 11 11 11 1 443 Make addition and the summe will be found 443. To the which adde three monethes for the raigne of Ioâ—chas The sixt age The sixt age from the beginning of the captiuitie till the sacred passion of Christ Iesus conteineth 660. yeares whereof let this be the demonstration The captiuitie in which are inuolued the eleuen yeares of Sedechias continued the space of 70. yeeres Ierem. 25. vers 11. and 29. Daniel 9. vers 2. Esdr. 1. verse 1. 2. Paralip 36 verse 22. This is confirmed by the raigne of the Monarchs for Nebuchad-nezzer from the beginning of whose eight yeare the second and chiefe captiuitie beganne reigned 45. yeeres Euilmerodach his sonne reigned 30. yeres And Balthazar reigned 3. yeares Al which put together make the 70. yeeres of the Iewish captiuitie For in the first yeare of king Cyrus who succeeded Balthazar the Iewes were set at libertie Esdr. 1 verse 1. S. Clement Eusebius and all approoued writers do constantly affirme the same The seuentie weekes in Daniel make iust 490. yeares as al writers do affirme Concerning which weeks because there is verie great varietie amongest historiographers I will here suppose that which by Gods grace I shal proue effectually when I come to the fourth chapter of the third booke of this first part whither I referre the Reader for his full resolution in this intricate and important controuersie In the meane season remember that the 490. yeares are but 475. yeares after the course of the Moone From the ende of the captiuitie vntill the twentieth yeare of Artaxerxes Longimanus inclusiuè where I hold that the 70. weekes doe beginne are iust 115. yeares and two moneths all which put together do make iust 660. yeres For the weeks make no more but 475. yeares after the course of the sunne which must be marked attentiuely and which shall be prooued hereafter accordingly 70 475 115 in al 660 Thus wee haue it perspicuously prooued euen by the testimonie of holy Writ that from the beginning of the world vntil the time that Christ suffered on the crosse for our sinnes be iust â—ure thousand foure score and seuenteene yeares three monethâ— and sixteene dayes The first age 1656 The second 353 The third 505 The fourth 480 The fift 428 The sixt 660 in all 4082. Now because the exact knowledge of the raigne of the kings of Iudah dependeth more then a little of the raigne of the kings of Israel I purpose in God to adioyne hereunto a manifest declaration of the same specially because without the knowledge thereof the bookes of the Kings and Chronicles can neuer be rightly vnderstoode The Kings of Israel Ieroboam raigned 21. yeares which I prooue thus Asa king of Iudah beganne to raigne in the twentieth yeere of Ieroboam 1. King chapter 15 verse 9. and Nadab the sonne of Ieroboam beganne to raigne ouer Israel in the second yere of Asa 1. King chapter 15 verse 25 therefore Ieroboam his father whom he succeeded in the kingdome raigned before his death 21. yeares Nadab raigned 2. yeares 1. King 15. verse 25. Baasha raigned 24. yeares 1. King 15. verse 33. Elah or Hela raigned 2. yeares 1. King 16.8 Zimri raigned 7. dayes 1. King 16. verses 15 and 16. daye 7 Amri or Omri raigned 12. yeares 1. King 16.23 Achab or Ahab reigned 22. yeeres 1. King 16.29 Ochozias or Ahaziah reigned 2. yeeres 1. King 22.51 Ioram or Iehoram raigned 12. yeeres 2. King 3. verse 1. both these two to wit Ochozias and Ioram were the sonnes of Achab. Iehu reigned 28. yeeres 2. King 10. verse 36. Ioachas or Iehoahaz reigned 17. yeeres 2. Kin. 13. ve 1. Ioas or Iehoash reigned 16. yeeres 2. King 13. verse 10. Ieroboam the sonne of Ioas or Ioash reigned 41. yeeres 4. King 14. verse 23. where we must note well by the way that the other Ieroboam was the sonne of Nebat 1. King 12.2 We must heere obserue as a necessarie rule that betweene Ieroboam and Zachariah was an inter-reigne of 23. yeeres I prooue it because we reade 2. Kin. 15.1 8. that Azariah king of Iudah beganne his raigne in the seuen and twentieth yeere of Ieroboam as also that Zacharias beganne his raigne in the eight and thirtieth yere of Azariah to which we must adde that Ieroboam raigned 41. yeeres and so the kingdome perforce was voide 23. yeres For if we make abstraction of 14. from 37. the remainder will be 23. yeres for the inter-reigne moneths 6 Zachariah reigned 6. moneths 2. King 15.8 moneth 1 Sellum or Shallum reigned 1 moneth 2. King 15.13 yeeres 10 Menahem or Manahen reigned 10. yeeres 2. King 15.17 Pekahiah or Phaceas reigned 2. yeeres 2. King 15.23 Pekah or Phasee raigned 20. yeeres 2. King 15.27 Osee or Hosheah reigned 9. yeeres 2. King 17. verse 1. In the dayes of this king about the yeare of the worlde 3304. beganne the captiuitie Of the ten Tribes whereof see more at large in the eight chapter next following in the sixt Section CHAP. III. Of the state of the Hebrewes The people of y e Iews the elect people of God liued vnder the protection and empire of Patriarkes Chiefetaines or Gouernours Iudges Kings againe Chiefetaines after the captiuitie Priests before the captiuity and Priests after the captiuity had to doe with the kings of the Persians Egyptians Syrians strangers and with the emperors of Rome The Israelites were gouerned 3. wayes by Iudges from Iosue to Saul Kings from Saul to the captiuitie Priests from the captiuitie to Christ. For exact vnderstanding of this chapter it is expedient to note well the fift booke of this first part from the second chapter to the end of the same booke CHAP. IIII. Of the Patriarkes â—he Patriâ—â—kes of the â—ebrewes were Abraham Isaac liued yeeres one hundred begat Isaac Ge. 21.5 threescore and begat Iacob Ge. 25.26 Iacob caled also Israel Ge. 35.10 he had 12 children with Lea Ruben Ge. 35.22 these were the heads of the twelue Tribes Simeon Ge. 35.22 these were the heads of the twelue Tribes Leui Ge. 35.22 these were the heads of the twelue Tribes Iudah Ge. 35.22 these were the heads of the twelue Tribes Isachar Ge. 35.22 these were the heads of the twelue Tribes Zabulon Ge. 35.22 these were the heads of the twelue Tribes Zilpha the handmaid of Lea Gad Ge. 35.22 these were the heads of the twelue Tribes Aser Ge. 35.22 these
dominioÌ„s read the holy bibles in their vulgar tongues and cause their subiectes to doe the like a thing neuer heard of by any writers of approoued antiquitie A doubt S. Peter saith that certaine places of S. Paules epistles be hard to be vnderstood and S. Hierome in his Commentaries vpon Ezechiel saith that amongst the Iewes none could be permitted to reade the beginning of Genesis the Canticles the beginning and ending of Ezechiel vntill he were 36. yeres of age The answer I answere with S. Austen that whatsoeuer is necessary for mans saluation is plainly set downe in holy scripture and that which is obscure in one place is made manifest by another his words I haue alledged in my book of Motiues in the tenth chapter and second conclusion The fourth section of the Prophet Daniel Daniel was a prophet of the tribe of Iuda descended of noble parentage and being a childe was carried from Iurie to Babilon Epiphanius de vit interrit Prophet Of Daniel hee was called Balthazar Which name was giuen him either as Iosephus saith of king Nabuchodonozor or as Lud. Viues saith of the kinges Eunuche who had charge of the kinges children This is certaine that hee was called Balthasar in Babylon Orig. in Num. cap. 31. hom 25. Daniel preached in Babylon in the very time of the captiuitie Dan. 1. ver 7. Daniel departed out of this life in Babylon and was buried with great honour his sepulchre is this day to be seene in Babylon renowmed throughout the world Epiphanius vbi supra CHAP. XI Of the Prophets called the lesser The first section why some were called the greater and other some the lesser FOure to wit Esay Ieremie Ezechiel and Daniel were called the greater Prophets because they wrote greater and larger volumes Twelue to wit Osee Ioel Amos Abdias Ionas Micheas Nahum Abacuc Sophonias Aggeus Zacharias Malachias were called y e lesser because they wrote smaller lesser volumes Aug. de ciuit lib. 18. c. 29. in princ Of these Prophetes as the latter were neerer the time of Christ so had they clearer reuelations of Christ then the former Gloss. in 1. Reg. 3. The second Section of Osee. Asarias who was also called Ozias of the stocke of Dauid reigned in Ierusalem ouer the two tribes which were called Iuda 52. yeares After him Ioatham his sonne reigned 16. yeares after Ioatham Achab his sonne reigned in like maner 16. yeares in the eleuenth yeare of whose reigne the ten tribes which were called Israel were taken of Salmanasar the king of the Caldees and placed in the mountaines of the Medes After Achas reigned his sonne Ezechias 28 yeres whereby it is cleere that when Osee Esay Ioel Amos Abdias Ionas and Micheas prophesied who were all at one time then was the kingdome of the ten tribes ended Which continued from Ieroboam the first king vntill Osee the last the space of 250. yeares The same time that Osias began to reigne ouer Iuda Ieroboam king Iehu his Nephewes sonne reigned the 12. yeare ouer Israel because God had promised that his seede should reigne vntill the fourth generation for smiting two wicked kinges of Iuda and Israel this I write 〈◊〉 S. Hierome to shew that Osee wrote both before and 〈◊〉 the captiuitie of Israel Hier. in 1. cap Osee. see the eight â—â—â—pter and sixt section per tot sect Osee prophesied that the Iewes should be conuerted at the latter end of the worlde He preached against the tenne tribes of their fornication and of the destruction of Samaria he spake something also of the other two tribes Gloss in princ 1. ca. Osee. Osee foretolde the comming of the Messias and that this should be the signe of his comming To wit if that oake in Selom be clouen of it selfe into twelue partes and be made so many oake trees and it came so to passe Epiphan de Prophet vit eter The third section of Ioel. The Prophet Iohel the sonne of Phatuel was borne in the territorie of Bethor descended of the tribe of Ruben He prophesied much of Ierusalem and of the consummation of the Gentiles He died in peace and was buried with honour in his owne countrey Epiphan vbi supr Like as in Osee vnder the name of Ephraim the prophesie is extended to the tenne tribes who are often called Samaria or Israel euen so whatsoeuer Ioel saith pertaineth to Iuda and Ierusalem Hier. in 1 cap. Ioel. Ioel prophesied in the daies of king Ioatham who succeeded king Ozias Aug. de ciuit lib 18. cap 27. but S. Hierome extendeth the time further euen to the reignes of Ozias Ioatham Achas and Ezechias Hier. in Ioel. The fourth section of Amos. Amos was borne in Thecue descended of the tribe of Zabulon he was father to Esay the Prophet so saith Epiphan de prophet vit inter but saint Austen and saint Hierome think otherwise as I haue shewed Amos was of Thecue six miles South from holy Bethlehem where our Sauiour Christ was borne Hier. in comment Amos. S. Basill saith that Amos was a shepheard but God instructed him with his holy spirite and so aduaunced him to the dignitie of a prophet Basilius Epist. 55. Amos prophesied in the daies of Ozias when Esaias began his prophesie Hier. in Esaiam lib. 3 cap. 7. Aug. de ciuit lib. 18 cap. 27 He prophesied also in the time of Ieroboam the sonne of Ioas king of Israel Hier. in 1. cap. Amos. The fift section of Abdias Abdias or Obadiah was the steward of king Achabs house the king of Israel 3. King 18. verse 3. he hid Gods prophets in caues and fed them with bread and water ver 4. he gaue ouer the kings court ioyned himselfe to the prophet Elias and became his disciple Epiphanius Hieronymus Abdias is briefe in wordes but pithie in matter because he hid the 100. prophets in caues he was aduaunced to the dignitie of a prophet and where before hee was the captaine of an armie he now became the captaine of Gods Church then hee fed a little flocke in Samaria nowe he feedeth Christes churches in the whole world Hier. in Abdiam yet saint Hierome vpon Osee maketh Abdias 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to Esaias which seemeth verie probable The sixt section of the Prophet Ionas The prophet Ionas was appointed of God to preach to the Niniuites that the citie after three daies shoulde be destroied but he being afraid to preach to that great city of the Assyrians fled from the presence of the Lord and went downe into a ship that went to Tarshishe but when a great tempest arose the marriners cast Ionas into the Sea and hee was in the belly of a great fishe three daies and three nightes and after that he was deliuered out of the Whales bellie and brought to the dry land TheÌ„ the word of the Lord came to Ionas the second time he preached to the Niniuites and they by repentance appeased the wrath of God Ionas cap. 1. 3 Athanas.
alledged by Gratianus in the popes owne Decrees Solent plures qui se ieiunare putant in quadragesima mox vt signum audierint ad horam nonam comedere qui nullatenus ieiunare credendi sunt fi ante manducauerint quam vespertinum celebretur offâ—cium Many who thinke they fast in Lent vse to eate so soone as they heare the bell at the ninth houre who by no meanes can be thought to fast if they eate before the euening praier Out of which wordes of the auncient holy councill I note this constant decree to wit that whosoeuer eate before the ninth houre cannot truely fast And consequently that no papists fast in their holy Lent howsoeuer they bragge or boast thereof The reason hereof is euident because all papistes vsually dine at noone that is three houres at the least before the time appointed by the councill I say at the least because they vse to anticipate noone some more some lesse For better explication whereof wee must obserue two thinges the one concerning noone the other concerning the euening praier I say therefore that by the ninth houre the councell with all antiquitie vnderstandeth three of the clocke at afternoone for in the time of the Apostles and long after them the day was deuided into twelue houres which day was againe distributed into foure Vigils whereof euery Vigil contained three houres so that their ninth houre was with vs three of the clocke in the after noone Now for the obscuring of this euident confutation of the popish supposed fasting the papistes of latter dayes haue deuised this miserable shift a fit inuention of their newly hatched Romishe religion The Pope forsooth hath dispenced with his greedy religious godlesse people who will needes be thought deuout fathers albeit they fast not one day in the whole yeare that they may huddle vp their vespertine houres or euening praier at anie time before twelue of the clocke and then at their pleasures to eate drinke and make good cheere And if it please your worships this done with full panches to beginne their discontinued disholy fast againe The ninth proposition Of fastinges some are priuate and some publicke Priuate fastes may be vsed of ones owne accord when and so often as shall seeme conuenient so they be referred to the glory of God and true mortification of the bodie or bee vsed for the good of our neighbour Thus fasted king Dauid all the time his childe was sicke After the death whereof hee surceased from praier and fasting and ate meate 2. King 12. Thus fasted Nehemiah when he vnderstood the affliction of the Iewes he sate downe wept and mourned certaine dayes hee fasted and prayed before the Lord of heauen Nehem. 1.4 Thus fasted Daniel when hee perceiued the captiuitie of his countriemen spoken of by the prophet Ieremie He confessed his owne sinnes and the sinnes of the people and turned to the Lord in fasting heartie prayer Dan. 9. vers 2 3 4 5. Publique fasts are appointed either by God in his holy word or by the magistrate hauing his authoritie Thus did Samuel appoint the Israelites to fast at such time as the Philistims did greeuously afflict them 1. Kin. 7. ver 3 6. Thus king Iosaphat proclamed a fast throughout all Iuda when the Ammonites Moabites and Idumeans oppressed them 2. Par. 20.3 10 22. Thus did queene Hester appoint a publique fast to all the Iewes by the mouth of Mardocheus Hest. 4. v. 16. Thus did the king of Niniueh command a publike fast after he vnderstood Gods wrath by his prophet Ionas 3. verse 7. Here endeth the first Booke containing yeeres 3426. The second book containeth the description of the first Monarchie that is of the Assyrians or Babylonians The first chapter of the originall and continuance of the monarchie The first Section of the reason of the inscription ALbeit this first Monarchie was either wholy or in effect expired before the accomplishment of the captiuitie of the two tribes Iuda and Beniamin yet haue I thought good to had le it in a seuerall tract after the saide captiuitie so to auoide confusion and for perspicuitie sake The second section of the originall of the monarchie King Ninus the sonne of Belus was the first king of Asia except the Indians whome the Assyrians named their god he reigned 52. yeeres and in the 43. yeere of his raigne was Abraham borne He builded the citie Ninum in Assyria nowe called Niniueh Euseb. in chronico When Ninus was dead Semiramis his wife raigned she feared lest for the tender yeres of her sonne Nunas and for hir feminine sex the people should reuolt from their due loyaltie For which cause she clad her selfe in mans apparel and fained her selfe to be the kings sonne She excelled in heroicall feats and raigned 42. yeeres in great felicitie She fortified the citie of Babylon which Ninus had conquered from the Chaldeans with rampires ditches and walles After her death Zameis aliâs Ninias reigned 30. yeres in all peace and tranquilitie Euseb. Carion The kings of the Assyrians Ninus Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 52 Kings 36 Semiramis Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 42 Kings 36 Ninias Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 â—8 Kings 36 Arius Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 30 Kings 36 Arelius Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 40 Kings 36 Xerxes Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 30 Kings 36 Armametres Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 38 Kings 36 Belochus Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 35 Kings 36 Baleus Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 52 Kings 36 Altadas Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 32 Kings 36 Mamitus Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 30 Kings 36 Mancaleus Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 30 Kings 36 Ipheréus Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 20 Kings 36 Mamylas Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 30 Kings 36 Spaâ—êtus Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 40 Kings 36 Ascades Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 40 Kings 36 Amyntas Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 45 Kings 36 Belothus Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 25 Kings 36 Bellepares Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 30 Kings 36 Lamprides Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 32 Kings 36 Sosares Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 20 Kings 36 Lampares Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 30 Kings 36 Pannias Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 45 Kings 36 Sosarmus Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 19 Kings 36 Mitreus Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 27 Kings 36 Tantanes Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres
kinges of Persia as Pharaoh was the common name of all kinges of Egypt and as Caesar was the common name of all the Emperours of Rome The second obseruation The custome of the Persians was this that when anie king went to warre against any strange nation hee left his sonne or the next of the bloud royall to bee king in his place Cyrus therefore when hee had warre against the Scythians and marched towarde them appointed Cambyses his sonne king of the countrey in his absence according to the custome of the Persians Xerxes likewise the sonne of Histaspis succeeded his father but left his kingdome to his sonne Longimain when hee went to warre against the Greekes in regarde heereof sundrie writers doe not place Cambyses and Xerxes in the lineall order of succession which point must bee well obserued to auoide obscuritie and to reconcile the dissenting historiographers CHAP. II. Of the time of repairing the temple in Hierusalem KIng Cyrus in the first yeare of his raigne as hee was the Persian monarke set the Iewes at liberty and appointed them to build the Temple againe in Hierusalem I say as monarke because as learned men write hee had raigned certain yeres in Persia before he tooke Babylon became the monarke Cambyses and other aduersaries did a long time hinder the building of the Temple so as it had not the accomplishment vntill the sixt yeare of Darius Assuerus Esdr. 6. vers 15. Albeit Darius in his second yeare gaue commandement that the worke should go forward Esdr. chap. 4. ver 24. The first difficultie The Iewes obiected against our Sauiour Christ that their temple was 46. yeares a building Ioh. 2. vers 20. yet by the supputation already made in the fourth section of the first chapter and second booke it cannot be so much The answere I say first that concerning the supputation of yeeres there is great varietie amongst historiographers Eusebius reckoneth the time from the 55. Olympiade to the 64. Olympiade inclusiuè that is 40. yeres others reckon 21. yeres others 23. others 30. neither agreeing with the account of the Iews neither yet with the raign of the monarks I say secondly that the teÌ„ple was 46. yeres in building as the Iews affirmed who best knew the time and their assertion is not dissonant from the raigne of the monarks for Cyrus raigned 30. yeares Cambyses 8. yeares Smerdes 7. moneths Darius sixe yeares and Nehemias after that builded vp the walles The replie The temple was finished in the sixt yeare of Darius as recordeth Esdras and so wee want one whole yeare and fiue months of the 46. yeeres whereof the Iewes spake The answere I answer that the temple is said to be finished in the 6. yere of Darius because all the worke in effect was then accomplished neuerthelesse some part thereof was left vndone because Nehemias after that builded vp the walles as wee reade in the first second and third chapter of his booke The second difficulty Cambyses Esdras 4. verse 6.7 is called Assuerus and Artaâ—â—rxes so as the names seeme to be confounded The answere I say first that Cambyses successor to king Cyrus a louing and mercifull Prince who furthered in all respectes the godly desire of the Iewes was a naughtie wicked and tyrannicall regent one that wholly bent himselfe against God and against his peculiar flocke Wherein appeareth the vncertaintie of mans felicitie in this worlde while a godly father hath to his successor a wicked and vngodly sonne a sonne that reuoketh the priuiledges which his father gaue to the people of God But his life was short miserable and bloudy the proper reward of all brutish tyrannie For as hee mounted vppon his horse hee sodainly fell vpon his disâ—ased sword and so had a bloudie end I say secondly that Artaxerxes is a name common to all the kinges of Persia to which name Assuerus is equiualent with the Hebrewes and so Cambyses is indifferently called Artaxerxes or Assuerus as is saide in the first obseruation The third difficultie Esdras writeth that the Iewes were appointed by three seuerall kinges of Persia to reare vp againe their temple Esdras 6. verse 14. and therefore not only at the first by Cyrus and afterwardes by Darius but also by Artaxerxes the third The answere I aunswere as I said before that Artaxerxes is the common name to all the kinges of Persia which obseruation if it once be forgotten many difficulties will ensue thereupon When Esdras therefore saith by the commaundement of Cyrus and Darius and Artaxerxes it is all one as if hee had saide and Darius which is also called Artaxerxes for the particle and is there not copulatiue but expositiue as in other places also CHAP. III. Of the continuance of the monarchie Darius Ochus was a tyrannicall and bloudthirstie king he murdered his two brethren that so he might enioy the kingdome Hee made warre with the Egyptians and by that meanes cruelly vexed the Iewes By this prince and vntil the time of Alexander the great the church was euer in great miserie and affliction All the priuiledges graunted by Cyrus and Darius were vtterly taken away but God who neuer wil forsake his church though hee suffer it to be tossed and turmoiled for a time in the end brought solace and true ioy vnto the Iewes For shortly Darius Ochus was slaine of Bagoses by whom also Arsames was murdered and Darius Arbelas the last king of the Persians was ouercome and slaine of Alexander the Great So that the monarchie of the Persians endured 249. yeares and eight moneths after the supputation of others 191. whereof more at large hereafter The resistance was so great that the Iewes were enforced to builde with one hand and to holde their weapons in the other Nehe. 4. verse 17. The Monarchie of the Persians reached from India euen to Ethiopia ouer an hundred and seuen and twentie prouinces Est. cap. 1. verse 1. Darius Assuerus king of the Medes Persians and Chaldeans to shewe the riches and glorie of his kingdome and the honour of his maiestie made a feast to all his princes and seruauntes and to all captaines and gouernours of his prouinces for the space of an hundred and fourescore dayes And when these daies were expired the king made another feast to all the people of Susan the chiefe citie both vnto the great and small none excepted This he did for the space of seuen daies in the court of the kinges pallace vnder an hanging of white greene and blew clothes fastened with cordes of fine linnen and purple in siluer ringes and pillers of marble The beds were of golde and of siluer vppon a pauement of porphirie and marble and alabaster and blew colour They gaue them drink in vessels of gold and chaunged vessell after vessell and royall wine in aboundance according to the power of the king and none was compelled to drinke more then as best pleased him Est. cap. 1. v. 3 4 5 6 7 8. The
thinke that these 72. Iewish priests sent by Eleazarus the hie priest brother to Symon Priscus into Egypt to king Ptolomeus to translate the old testament out of their vulgar tongue that is the Hebrew into Greeke did translate the same seuerally being placed in 72. distinct celles so as no one coulde know what another did without diuine inspiration This notwithstanding they all agreed so perfectly when their interpretations were compared together as if they had beene all in one place and one acquainted with anothers act Which if it were true the decision whereof I leaue in suspence to the iudgement of the reader it coulde not but prâ—ceede of the holyghost Others as saint Ierome Aristeas Iosephus and all the Iewish Rabbins hold the flat contrarie opinion and auouch boldly that the report of the 72. celles and of the translation accomplished in so many seueral places is nothing else but a fable Which latter opinion seemeth more probable though not certaine because the Iewes could best tel the case of whom S. Hierome receiued his opinion Howsoeuer it was two things are certaine first that the Hebrew text is the foundation and originall and onely to be stoode vpon so often as any difficultie ariseth in the olde testament Secondly that howsoeuer they did translate yet was there such corruption of their translation euen in saint Hieromes time and before his dayes as it was found in very many places to swarue wholly from the Hebrew Which thing not only Saint Hieerome but Origen and other writers do witnesse for which cause Saint Hierome and Saint Augustine do verie wisely and grauely exhort to haue recourse to the Hebrew in the old Testament and to the Greeke in the new Testament so often as any varietie doth appeare And here wee must note two things first that those priests which Eleazar sent to Ptolomee were 72. in number as sundrie thinke albeit the two odde persons be omitted of others for breuitie sake Secondly that they translated onely the Pentateuche as writeth Iosephus in his first booke of antiquities Adde heereunto with the same Iosephus that they were sent to his librarie at Alexandria where if wee will beleeue Genebrardus were 54. thousand and 800. bookes CHAP. VI. Of Esdras Zorobabel and Nehemias God albeit hee doth often afflict and exercise his people with the crosse of temporall punishment for their good that so they may beholde their owne vnworthienesse and appeale to his mercie and wholly depend vppon his holy prouidence yet for his mercie sake hee doth in all ages and at all times excite worthie persons for their great commoditie and solace For after that he had visited the Iewes and kept them in bondage seauentie yeares in a strange countrey among infidels and idolaters hee raised vp diuers excellent men for their preseruation to wit Zorobabel Esdras and Nehemias Zorobabel was the captaine that brought them home and caused the temple to be builded Nehemias builded vp the walles of the citie deliuered the people from oppression and prouided that the law of God was put in execution among them This Nehemias was in great fauour and authoritie with king Artaxerxes and so obtained most honourable and ample letter patents for the accomplishment of whatsoeuer he did desire Esdras descended of the kinred of Aaron hee was a priest well learned in the law of Moses Hee was called Esdras the scribe that is one who had authoritie to write the lawe and to expound it Saint marke calleth such a one a Scribe Saint Mathew tearmeth such persons Lawyers and doctours of the lawe which is a point well worthie the obseruation This Esdras performed the office of a true priest indeed for he collected the bookes of holy scripture which were dispersed after the destruction of Hierusalem in time of the captiuitie without which bookes pure and sincere religion could not consist Yea so soone as the temple was builded againe vnder Zorobabell he is noted as Hierome recordeth to haue found out the Hebrew letters we now vse whereas vntil that time both the Samaritans and the Hebrewes had the selfe same characters Eusebius Caesariensis a man as well of great antiquitie as of learning calleth Esdras the most excellent diuine and skilfull doctour among the Iewes affirming that hee changed the Hebrew letters for this ende and purpose lest the Iewes should conuerse with the Samaritans He addeth further that his memorie was so great as he could recite the scriptures without the booke Some write that he inuented the prickes annexed to the text but others hold the contrarie The fift booke of the Monarchie of the Greekes from the Machabees vntill Christ. CHAP. I. Of the partition of the Monarchie and the reason of the same THe former part of the Monarchy of the Greekes which is from King Alexander the great vnto the Machabees conteineth 155. yeares and may be proued exactly by the chronographie of holy Writ The latter part of the Monarchie which is from the Machabees vnto Christ or if yee will from Antiochus Epiphanes to Herodes Magnus which is al one contayneth 173. yeares but cannot be proued out of the holy scriptures as the former part which is the cause of this my partition for perspicuitie sake yet may it bee gathered sufficiently out of the bookes of the Machabees Iosephus Iulius Africanus and Egesippus The obseruation As Alexander began this monarchie in the seuenth yeare of his raigne in the age of the world 3641. so did Antiochus Epiphanes sonne to Antiochus Magnus the sixt king of Syria beginne the time of this partition that is the second part of the Monarchie in the age of the world 3749. He was hostage at Rome from whence he fled and vsurped the kingdome of Syria from his brothers sonne he pretended to protect his sisters sonne Philometor the yong king of Egypt by that meanes sought craftily to get the kingdome of Egypt into his hands For better expedition of his wicked purpose he procured certain cities to be yeelded into his hands In his returne from Egypt he tooke Ierusalem and spoyled it The Agyptians peruing his craftie dealing receiued their cities againe in regard whereof hee entred Egypt with a strong armie but had the repulse by aide of the Romans after which repulse he retured in great rage and tyrannically bent his force against Hierusalem he constrained the Iewes for the space of two yeares vtterly to forsake the law Machabeus therefore and his sonnes being priests rose vp in armes against his brutish crueltie and deliuered the people CHAP. II. Of the gouernment of the Iewes after the captiuitie A triple gouernment was among the Iewes betweene the captiuitie the aduent of our sauior Christ Iesus for they were gouerned first by princes of the tribe of Iuda and royall stocke of Dauid from the captiuitie vntill Antiochus After that they were gouerned by priests who were not of the royal petegree of Iuda but of the tribe of Leui.
This state was by the Machabees in time of Antiochus and his successors the kings of Syria vntill Aristobulus the first king among the Iewes after their captiuitie They were gouerned thirdly by kings being partly of their owne bloud and partly strangers This state continued from Aristobulus vntil king Agrippa albeit the birth of our sauiour befell in the 32. yeare of king Herod which quadruple variety I will set down in foure seuerall sections for perspicuitie sake The first Section of the gouernours of the Iewes from the captiuitie to the Machabees The names of the gouernors or rulers of the Iewes Zorobabel Anno mun 3425 the time of their rule Anno mun 3610 67 yeeres Rhesa Miseolana alià s Mensonla Anno mun 3425 the time of their rule Anno mun 3610 66 Ioanna ben Resa Anno mun 3425 the time of their rule Anno mun 3610 52 Iudas Hircanus the first Anno mun 3425 the time of their rule Anno mun 3610 30 yeeres Note here that these foure gouernours were before the monarchy of Alexander the great whereof Zorobabel was he that conducted the Iewes from the captiuitie and encouraged them to build the temple These other eleuen were after Alexander The names of the gouernours or ruâ—ers of the Iews after King Alexâ—nder Ioseph the first An. mundi 3641 The time of their gouernment An. mundi 3788 7 yeeres Abner Semei An. mundi 3641 The time of their gouernment An. mundi 3788 11 Eli Matathia An. mundi 3641 The time of their gouernment An. mundi 3788 12 Asar Mahat An. mundi 3641 The time of their gouernment An. mundi 3788 9 yeres Nagid Artaxat An. mundi 3641 The time of their gouernment An. mundi 3788 10 Haggai Eli An. mundi 3641 The time of their gouernment An. mundi 3788 8 Maslot Nahum An. mundi 3641 The time of their gouernment An. mundi 3788 7 yeeres Amos Syrach An. mundi 3641 The time of their gouernment An. mundi 3788 13 Matathia Siloah An. mundi 3641 The time of their gouernment An. mundi 3788 10 Ioseph the second An. mundi 3641 The time of their gouernment An. mundi 3788 60 yeeres Ianna Hircanus the second An. mundi 3641 The time of their gouernment An. mundi 3788 16 yeeres This Hircanus was the last prince of the Iewes that descended of the blood royall and posteritie of king Dauid The catalogue of the priests who executed priestly function amongest the Iewes after the captiuitie shall be set downe in the chapter following The second Section of the Machabees The names of the Machabees Iudas Machabeus Anno mun 3805 the time of their rule Anno mun 3837 6 yeeres Ionathas Anno mun 3805 the time of their rule Anno mun 3837 18 Simon brother to Iudas Anno mun 3805 the time of their rule Anno mun 3837 8 yeeres Io. Hircanus the sonne of Simon Anno mun 3805 the time of their rule Anno mun 3837 31 yeeres These foure were priests of the tribe of Leui not of Iuda or the blood royall which ought euer to be kept in memorie as hereafter better shall appeare The third Section of the Kings of the Iewes that descended of the Leuiticall tribe The names of the kings who were Iewes Aristobulus the sonne of Hircanus An mundi 3868 The time they ruled An. mundi 3909 1 yeere Alexander the second son of Hircanus alias Ianneê° An mundi 3868 The time they ruled An. mundi 3909 27 yeeres Alexandra the wife of Alexander An mundi 3868 The time they ruled An. mundi 3909 9 yeeres Aristobulus An mundi 3868 The time they ruled An. mundi 3909 4 yeeres Hircanus An mundi 3868 The time they ruled An. mundi 3909 22 yeeres The fourth Section of the Kings that were strangers The names of the kings Herodes magnus An. mundi 3937 The time of their raigne An. mundi 4014 37 yeeres Archelaus dux An. mundi 3937 The time of their raigne An. mundi 4014 9 Herodes Tetrarcha qui Antipas An. mundi 3937 The time of their raigne An. mundi 4014 24 Agrippa Herodis filius An. mundi 3937 The time of their raigne An. mundi 4014 7 Agrippa rex Agrippae filius An. mundi 3937 The time of their raigne An. mundi 4014 26 yeeres As there is great varietie in Historiographers and Chronographers in other matters so is there no where more obscure difficulties to be found among them then about the contents of this present chapter The exact knowledge whereof is neuerthelesse so necessary as without which sundry places of the new testament can neuer be rightly vnderstoode which obscuritie together with the difficultie shall I hope be manifest by the obseruations annexed thereunto The first obseruation No gouernor amongst the Iewes would after the captiuitie weare the diademe and be called King vntill Aristobulus the son of Hircanus a vertuous priest did aduance himselfe to royall dignitie and put the crowne vpon his head But alas godly children do not alwayes succeede godly parents For not onely Hircanus his father but Symon also his grandfather were very vertuous priests gouernours of great fortitude and zealous fauorers of the common weale yet was this Aristobulus a wicked and cruell man hee made no account of religion he put his owne mother and brethren in prison and because hee feared that his vertuous brother Antigonus would take the kingdome from him hee slew him sodainely as Cain did his brother Abell The second obseruation Seleucus surnamed Nicanor the first king of Syria after the diuision of the Empire began his raigne that is the kingdome of the Greekes in the 14. yeare from the death of Alexander which was the second yeare of the 117. Olympiade and in the 3660. yeare of the age of the world Heere beginneth the authour of the first booke of the Machabees his supputation calling the kingdome of Syria the kingdome of the Greeks which must be well remembred or else many things will remaine both confuse and obscure The Empire of king Alexander was deuided as is already said into foure parts according to the prophesie of Daniel Ptolomeus had Egypt Antigonus Asia Seleucus Syria and Philippus Arideus had Macedonia and Grecia which is the cause that Chronographers begin these kingdomes in the first yeere of the 114. Olympiade immediatly after the death of Alexander Yet the trueth is that Antigonus and Seleucus began not so soone to raigne For mortal warres amongst the gouernours continued 12 or 13. yeares and then they began to beare rule indeede not before The third obseruation Hircanus had three sons Aristobulus Antigonus and Alexander Aristobulus would needes be called and crowned king and slew his brother Antigonus lest he shuld get the kingdome from him Alexander had two sonnes Hircanus and Aristobulus this Aristob was brother to Mariamne who was married to K. Herod for which cause Herod about two yeres after the death of Antigonus his vncle made him hie priest shortly after this Aristobulus was drowned and so the family
worship them And in Mathew Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely thou shalt serue For which cause S. Iohn could not be permitted to adore the Angel but was bidden to worship God For which cause Moses cast the Tables out of his hands brake them in peeces beneath the mountaine burned the calfe in the fire and grounded it vnto pouder For which cause the holy ghost commendeth Ezechias for breaking in peeces the brasen serpent For which cause Marcellina was condemned as an hereticke who worshipped as S. Augustine recordeth the Images of Iesus of Paul of Homere of Pythagoras For which cause S. Epiphanius seeing the image of a saint hanging in the Church tare the same in sunder and aduised the wardens to bury some poore body with the vaile and that no more any such vailes should be hanged vp in the Church Yea the same Epiphanius will not haue the blessed virgine Mary to be adored much lesse her image And if her image must be excluded what image I pray you can be approued for which cause the councill of Elibertine decreed grauely that nothing should be painted on the church walles which is adored of the people For which cause Lactantius pronounced freely that where images are there is no religion Neither will it help the papists to answer after their woonted manner that Lactantius speaketh of such images as are adored for gods For Lactantius maketh the selfe same obiection in the person of the Gentiles and inueyeth against it bitterly as a vaine friuolous and ridiculous thing And because I wil proceed sincerely in this point as in all other matters I thinke it conuenient heere to alleadge his expresse words which are these Non ipsa inquiunt timemus sed eos ad quorum imaginem ficta quorum nominibus consecrata sunt nempe ideo timetis quod eos in caelo esse arbitramini neque enim si dij sunt aliter fieri potest curigitur oculos in caelum non tollitis â—â—ur ad parietes ligna lapides potissimum quam illò spectatis vbi eos esse creditis We feare not say they the pictures or pourtraies but them after whose images they be made to whose names they are consecrated Doubtlesse ye therefore feare them because ye thinke they are in heauen For if they be gods it cannot otherwise come to passe Why therfore do ye not lift vp your eyes to heauen why doe ye rather looke vpon the walles vpon stockes and stonâ—s then thither where ye think they are In which words I note first that the Gentiles did not adore the images but the persons represented by the same for of fearing and adoring Lactan. speaketh indifferently throughout the whole chapter yet are they sharply reproued for their fact I note secondly that we must not adhere and fix our minds vpon stocks stones and the images of saints but lift vp our hearts to heauen where the saints now are Worthily therefore doe we condemne the Papists who do not only make images but also adore the same and that with the selfe same worship which is due and proper to God alone for so much auoucheth their owne deare doctor and canonized saint Aquinas of the image of our Sauiour Christ. For which respect Gregorie surnamed the Great who himself was a bishop of Rome sharply reproued the adoration worship of images albeit he admitted wel liked y e ciuil vse therof The second Booke of Christs birth baptisme preaching passion resurrection and ascension into Heauen with other things coincident CHAP. I. Of Christs birth ABout the time that Elias the Cabbalist foretolde in the age of the worlde 3969. the eight calends of Ianuary in the third yeere of the 194. Olympiade the 32. yeere of king Herode and the 42. yere of Augustus Cesar was our Lorde and Sauiour Christ Iesus borne into this world For albeit the 4000. yeres were not complete fully ended yet was his prediction true as some report it because he added that God would shorten the time for his elect Our Lord and Sauiour was conceiued by the holighost taking flesh blood bone of the blessed virgin Mary made like vnto vs in all things sinne onely excepted true man and true God hauing two perfect natures subsisting in one diuine person by reason of which hypostaticall vnion his holie mother was truely called deipara and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as well the mother of God as of man Christ assuming the perfect nature of man lost no part of his nature diuine and consequently he must haue two willes diuine and humane of God and of man Christ assuming the perfect nature of man must needs haue euery thing pertaining to the perfection thereof among which the sensitiue appetite is one which wee call sensualitie yet in Christ Iesus there was no motion of sensualitie which was not ordered by reason and wholy obedient to the same For the sensitiue appetite to be moued according to the course of it owne nature was nothing repugnant to the diuine and reasonable humane wil of Christ. The blessed virgin being 14 yeres of age conceiued Christ her son by the power of the holie ghost the 25. day of March He was before all worlds and by him al things were made yet was he incarnat in the end of the world borne after a new and miraculous maner of the virgin Marie who was Saint Iosephs lawfull wife Christ the sonne of the euerliuing God tooke vpon him the forme of a seruant was poorely borne in a stall and made him selfe of no reputation and all this he did for the loue of man to teach man humilitie and to abase himselfe as Christ his Lorde and master gaue him ensample In those dayes Cyrenius being gouernour of Syria Augustus Cesar sent out an edict to taxe all that were subiect to the Roman empire Then Ioseph being of the house and linage of Dauid went vp from Galile to be taxed in Bethlehem with Mary his wife being then big with childe where she brought forth Christ and wrapping him in swadling clothes laide him in a cratch bicause there was no roome for them in the Inne So soone as Christ was borne the angels of God nothing regarding the pride of mightie men declared to the poore shepheards the godhead and office of the childe lying in the cribbe how that he was borne to be the sauiour of the world After the departure of the angels the shepheards went to Bethlehem where they found Marie Ioseph and the sweete babe lying in the cribbe at their returne they published abroad that which was tolde them of that childe CHAP. II. Of the infancie of our Sauiour Christ. WHen Christ Iesus was but eight dayes olde he was circumcised euen then beginning to spend his blood for the loue of man for albeit he was the head of the church yet was he subiect to the law to
that that vow which for the obedieÌ„ce of mans law is preiudicial to Gods law is wicked and damnable but such is the vowe annexed in popish priests marke well my words therefore the vow imposed to popish priests is wicked and damnable I say first the vow annexed because the priests do not formally vow single life but the Pope hath annexed it to their orders by his wicked decree I say secondly the vowe imposed because the priestes indeede woulde willingly retaine their libertie stil. I say thirdly that gods law doth not onely graunt libertie to marrie but also chargeth euerie one that hath not the gift of continencie to take a wife to vse holy wedlocke for the auoiding of sinne I say fourthly that mans law onely hath prohibited the marriage of priests which being once proued this fourth assertion wilbe manifest Thus therfore writeth their deare Gratian in expresse words Copula namque sacerdotalis vel consanguineorum nec legali nec euangelica vel apostolica auctoritate prohibetur ecclesiastica tamen lege penitus interdicitur For the marriage of priests or kinsfolks is neither forbiddeÌ„ by the law of Moses nor by the lawe of the gospell nor by the law of the apostles yet is it vtterly interdicted by the lawe of the church of Rome Marke well these wordes for Christes sake gentle christian reader for they are able to confound al obstinate papists in the world Obserue therefore first that this Gratian who vttereth these words was a verie famous popish Canonist brother to Peter Lombard surnamed for his supposed deserts the Maister of Sentences who was sometime bishop of Paris and of such renowme in the popish church as his bookes are this day read publiquely in the diuinitie schooles Obserue secondly that this great learned papist Gratian liued with his brother Lombard about 400. yeeres agoe euen then when the pope was in his greatest pompe and tyrannie Obserue thirdly that this Gratian being so learned and so renowmed among the papists did euen in the altitude of popedome commit that to the publique view of the world which vtterly ouerthroweth al papistrie Obserue fourthly that the pope and his vassalles being iustly infatuated for their manifold sinnes had not power to hinder and keepe backe from the print such bookes as vtterly disclose their tyranny falshood and paltrie dealing Oh sweete Iesus great is thy mercy wonderfull is thy iustice infinite is thy wisedome vnsearchable are thy iudgements Truly saith the Psalmograph Vnles the Lord defend the citie in vaine do they labour that keepe the same Thou O God who causest the red sea to giue place to the Israelites thou who causest Balaams asse to speake thou who causest the fire to suspend it force in the burning furnace thou who causest yron to swimme vpon the water thou who causest lockes and brasen gates to open voluntarily thou thou O mightie God of Israel hast enforced Gratian that learned famous and zealous papist to confesse openly for the battering downe of al popery that the marriage of priests which the Pope enforceth vppon them vnder paine of damnation euerlasting is neither forbidden by the law of Moses nor by the lawe of thy holy gospel nor yet by the law of thine apostles Caietanus their owne deare Cardinall and learned schooleman confirmeth that which Gratian hath already said These are his wordes Nec ratione nec authoritate probari potest quod absolute loquendo sacerdos peccet contrahendo matrimonium Nam nec ordo in quantum ordo nec ordo in quantum sacer est impeditiuus matrimonij siquidem sacerâ—otium non dirimit matrimonium contractum siue ante siue post seclusis omnibus legibus ecclesiasticis stando tantum â—is quae habemus à Christo apostolis It can neither bee proued by reason nor yet by authoritie if we will speake absolutely that a Priest sinneth by marrying a wife For neither the order of priesthood in that it is order neither order in that it is holy is any hindrance vnto matrimonie for priesthood breaketh not marriage whether it be contracted before priesthood or afterward setting al ecclesiastical lawes aparte and standing onely to those things which wee haue of Christ and his Apostles Antoninus is consonant vnto Caietane and writeth in this manner Episcopatus ex natura sua non habet opponi ad matrimonium the office of a bishoppe of his owne nature is not opposite vnto marriage Saint Clement telleth it as a wonder that the Apostle giuing so many rules and precepts touching matrimonie should say nothing of the marriage of Priests if it had beene a thing necessarie these are his words Omnes Apostoli Epistolae quae moderationem docent continentiam cum de matrimonio de liberorum procreatione de domus administratione innumerabilia praecepta contineant nusquam honestum moderatumque matrimonium prohibuerunt All the Epistles of the Apostle which teach sobrietie and continent life whereas they containe innumerable precepts touching matrimonie bringing vp of children and gouernment of house yet did they no where forbidde honest and sober marriage I say fiftly that to take away the christian libertie from man which God hath granted to man is a wicked and damnable sinne and therefore doth the holy vessell of God bid vs to perseuer constantly therein For after that hee hath exhorted euerie one to continue as God hath appointed and withal hath shewed the freedome of marriage to bee granted to all hee forthwith addeth these words Ye are bought with a price be not the seruants of men as if he had said to marrie or not to marrie is in your owne election let therefore neither Iew nor Gentile ouerrule your libertie let none entangle your consciences let none bring you into faithlesse bondage let none impose that heauie yoke vpon your necks which yee are no way able to beare Nowe by due application heereof the vow of single life at the least the vow annexed to priesthood which by the law of man spoileth vs of our christian libertie must needs be a wicked and damnable vowe For as the learned papist Victoria hath wel obserued the gospell is called the law of libertie because christians after the promulgation of the gospel are onely bound to the law of nature And yet our late popes haue made our case more intollerable then euer was the heauie yoke of the Iewes For Saint Paul chargeth vs to stand fast in the libertie wherewith Christ hath made vs free and not to be intangled againe with the yoke of bondage I say sixtly that to abandon Gods holy ordinance is a wicked and damnable sinne and yet is this done as the Pope bluntishly auoucheth by his tyrannically extorted vowes for matrimonie contracted after priesthood is by Gods law true and perfect matrimonie as is alreadie proued by popish grant and yet is such matrimonie become no matrimonie by popish vow as the Pope would enforce vs
humanitate foeliciter sancti quiescunt in quam nimirum desiderant etiam sancti angeli prospicere donec veniat tempus quando iam non sub altare collocentur sed exaltentur super altare In the meane season the saints rest happily vnder Christs humanitie which doubtlesse the holy angels desire to behold vntil the time come wheÌ„ they shalbe no longer hid vnder the altar but exalted aboue the altar So then not only the ancient fathers but holy and deuout Bernard with others of late yeres were and continued in this grosse error to wit that y e souls of the faithful dying in the Lord shal not be admitted to the vision and fruition of God to the sight of his diuine essence clearely to behold his deity vntil the general resurrection of our bodies Further theÌ„ this which is a scourge to the papists Pope Iohn the 22. of that name professed this heretical doctrine and commanded al the diuines in Paris to teach the same His wordes with all the due circumstances thereof are cited at large in my booke of Motiues These two Canons well marked will serue for many good purposes and especially at this time to prooue that the opinion of the fathers are of no more force for the inuocation of saints theÌ„ for these other important matters already in these Canons named For as we ouerrule them in these pointes by Gods sacred word so must we still ouerrule them by the same word if at any time they swarue from it either for the inuocation of saints or for praying for the dead or for marriage of priestes or for whatsoeuer els And so to ouerrule them is consonant to their owne doctrine as is already prooued The third Canon The primitiue church for the space of two hundreth thirty yeares after Christ liued vtterly destitute and vnacquainted with the merites suffrages intercession and inuocation of the saintes in heauen after which time this cacozeale by degrees proceeded till it became perfect and consummate idolatry as this day is seene in the church of Rome For before this time the papistes cannot alledge any one authenticall writer for the inuocation of saintes in heauen The first obiection Irenaeus who liued within one hundreth and nintie yeares after Christ affirmeth expressely that the virgin Mary was the aduocate of the virgin Eue. The answere I answere that S. Irenaeus had a farre other meaning then such popish friuolous collection would enforce vpon him which I prooue first indirectly because the virgin Mary was not born or conceiued much lesse a saint in heauen for the space almost of foure thousand yeares after the virginitie of Eue and so doubtlesse Eue neither did nor possibly could inuocate the holy virgin Mary Neither will it helpe to say that though Eue could not then inuocate the holy virgin Mary yet did the holie virgin pray for her and so became her aduocate For besides that the virgin Marie is there said to be Eues aduocate when she was a virgin at which time Marie the virgin was not born the same Eue was either a Saint in heauen as soone as the virgin Mary or a damned soule in hell Againe I prooue it directly because Irenaeus compareth the virgin Mary with the virgin Eue to insinuate vnto vs that we receiue no lesse good by the virgin Mary in that she bare Christ then euill by the virgin Eue in that she transgressed Gods holy lawes For thus doth Irenaeus interpret himselfe in another place in these words Sicut Eua inobaudiens facta et sibi vniuerso generi humano causa facta est mortis sic Maria habens praedestinatum virum tameÌ„ virgo obaudiens sibi vniuerso generi humano causa facta est salutis As Eue being disobedient was the cause of deathed her selfe and to all mankinde so Mary hauing a predestinate husband and withal an obedient virgin was the cause of saluation both to her selfe and to all mankinde in that shee bare Christ the true and only sauiour of the world The second obiection S. Iames in his Masse which the sixt general councel holden at Constantinople admitteth teacheth vs to inuocate the virgin Mary and all Saintes and to hope for mercie by their praiers and intercessions The answere I say first that that councell of Constantinople saith indeed that S. Iames did deâ—iuer a certain form of the masse in which hee shewed the custome of mingling water with the wine but of praying to Peter or to Paule it hath not one worde at all I say secondly that pope Gregorie who liued well neere an hundred yeares before that councell either knewe no such masse deliuered by S. Iames or at least reputed it for a counterfait and forged thing For the same Gregory auoucheth as shalbe prooued when I come to speake of the Masse that the Apostles did celebrate the holy communion onely with the Lordes praier and their owne deere frier Carranza witnesseth the same while he confesseth that there is no such tradition extant as that whereof the councell speaketh Whereby it well appeareth with what intolerable burdens and counterfaite bookes the papistes doe this day oppresse and seduce the simple people For this disholy Masse is currant euery where and my selfe haue one of the bookes The fourth Canon In the daies of Origen who liued about the yeare of our Lord 233. the first seede of the inuocation of Saintes began to be sowen Which seed so sowen by Origen was but a step or degree to popish inuocation For besides that Origen onely taught this that saintes in heauen doe pray for vs and not that we on earth should pray to them this his doctrine was not definitiue and resolute but doubtfull opinatiue and disputable This Canon Origen himselfe hath deliuered to vs whose expresse words are these Sed requiris qui sunt isti qui pugnant quae est illa pugna quam illi gerunt Ego sic arbitror quod omnes illi qui dormierunt ante nos patres pugnent nobiscum adiuuent nos orationibus suis. Ita namque etiam quendam de senioribus magistris audiui dicentem But thou requirest who they are that fight and what that battaile is which they fight I am of this opinion that all the fathers which are before vs and are dead doe fight with vs and doe helpe vs with their praiers for so I heard one of our old maisters say Againe in another place thus Sed omnes sancti qui de hac vita decesserunt habentes adhuc charitatem erga eos qui in hoc mundo sunt si dicantur curaÌ„ gerere salutis eorum iuuare eos precibus suis atque interuentu suo apud deum non erit inconueniens But also all saints which are departed hence and haue still charitie towards them which are in this world if wee say they haue care of their saluation and help them with their praiers and
and nouices of whome all and their liuings they are to dispose at their pleasures Thirdly albeit cardinalles be next to the pope and aboue all but the pope and albeit also that our Allen was made cardinall by their procurement that so he might aduance them at the recouerie of England which they thought certaine by their politike intended inuasion yet were and are they so hie minded that such Iesuites as they odly send into this realme must haue greater priuileges then any that he can procure although there be neuer so great oddes in the persons yea the Iesuits do this day so rule in this realme among the papists as they may rather seeme Cardinalles or Popes then humble friers professing pouerty For they place and displace the rest of the Seminaries at their good pleasures They haue their intelligencers their spies their collectors their spare and fresh horses their fine lodgings their secret places their sanctuaries in euery shire good towne and citie They sease and tax the richer sort of papists to whom when and how much they shall contribute Of their cruell dealing and pride intollerable I haue spoken more at large in my Motiues The names of the Kings that continually afflicted the Iewes Antiochus Magnus Filius 2 Antiochus nobilis vol Epiphanes Antiochus filius Antiochi Eupator Alexander filius Eupatoris Antiochus adolesceus Alexandri filius Tryphon Filius 1 Seleueâ—s Philopator Demetrius filius Seleâ—â—s Demetrius secundus fâ—lius Dâ—mâ—trii Antiochus filius Demetrii Here endeth the first part containing the state of Gods Church from Adam vntill the monarchie of the Romanes THE SECOND PART Containing the state of the Church from the beginning of the Monarchie of the Romans vntil Christs ascension The first Booke of the Monarchie of the Romans being the fourth in number The first Chapter of the originall of the Roman Empire and fourth Monarchie ALexander by testament assigned the administration of the kingdom of the Iewes vnto Queene Alexandra his wife After whose death Aristobulus rose vp in armes against his brother Hircanus and dispossessed him aswel of the priesthood as of the kingdome Hircanus therefore by the perswasion of Antipater father to Herod the great a very factious and cruel man whom king Alexander had highly aduanced fled into Arabia there humbling himself to the king who through the faire speeches and large promises of Antipater prepared a strong army and by that meanes placed Hircanus againe in his kingdome But Areta king of Arabia was no sooner departed then Aristobulus came vppon Hircanus with a fresh mightâ—e supplie At that time Pompeius that worthy and valiant captaine being then Consull of Rome and hauing conquered Tigranes the king of Armenia thought the cruell warres betweene the two brethren to be a fit occasion to dispossesse them both of the kingdome Hee therefore came with a mightie power to Hierusalem where he slew 1200 Iewes restored the pristhood to Hircanus carried away Aristobulus prisoner to Rome for a triumph and made the Iewes subiects and tributaries to the Romanes This was done in the age of the world 3909. after Rome was built 691. yeares in the third yeare of the 179. Olympiade Pompeius surnamed the Great for his incomparable victories for he subdued Armenia Spaine Affrica Judea Colchis Albaina Syria Iberia Arabia did wonderfully enrich the Romaines bringing at one triumph into their common treasurie 2000. talents of gold and siluer It is written of him that hee excelled in martiall prowesse hee subdued the valiant captaine Sertorius and vanquished Mithridates the mightie king of Pontus This Pompeius tooke to wife Iulia the daughter of Iulius Cesar who liued not long after her death the amitie betweene Pompey and Cesar decreased and by reason of their insatiable ambition ciuill warre brast out in which Cesar vanquished Pompey and Pompey fleeing into Egypt was there slaine deceitfully After whose death Iulius Cesar enioyed Asia Affrica and all the Romaine empire in the yeare of the world three thousand nine hundred and foure and twentie which was fiue and fourtie yeares before the birth of Christ 706. yeares after the citie of Rome was built in the second yeare of the 183. Olmypiade Yet for the space of fiue yeares or more he was grieuously molested with warres and coulde not quietly enioy the Empire hee liued in peace little more then fiue moneths Iulius Cesar was a verie vertuous valiant and mercifull Prince When he came out of Egypt to Rome he brought an excellent and skilfull mathematician with him hee caused the yeares to be obserued after the course of the sunne and procured the mathematicall science to bee taught throughout all Italy After the death of Iulius Cesar Octauius Augustus succeeded and raigned as Emperour after him and was surnamed Cesar. From henceforth all Emperours of Rome were called Cesars of Iulius Cesar and Augusti of Octauius Augustus their two first Emperours CHAP. II. Of the Emperour Nero. NEro was the sixt Emperour or Cesar of the Romaines in whome ended al the family of Augustus In the beginning of his empire he liued for some yeares honestly afterward he became horribly vicious he exceeded in all naughtie dealing and tyrannie yet had his education vnder the graue reuerend and wise Seneca Nero was adopted into the empire by Claudius who married his mother Agrippina He was so blodthirstie and cruel that he caused his owne mother his wife his brother and his deare friend Seneca to be murthered cruelly In the dayes of Nero a comet appeared for the space of sixe moneths which was a rare and wonderfull thing Nero was the first Emperour of Rome that by publique edict caused the christians to be tormented about the tenth yere of his raigne saint Peter and saint Paul were put to death at Rome Saint Peter was crucified with his head downward and saint Paul was beheaded with the sword Nero besides all other his wicked actes burnt Rome and in the foureteenth yeere of his raigne which was the two and thirtieth yeare of his age hee receiued condigne punishment for his due deserts He cutte his owne throate with his owne knife and vttered these most execrable wordes Haec est fides This is my faith and beleefe CHAP. III. Of the ten persecutions of the christians made by the ten Emperours of Rome THe first persecution was made by Nero as is alredy said the second by Domitianus the third by Traianus the fourth by Antoninus the fift by Seuerus the sixt by Maximinus the seuenth by Decius the eight by Valerianus the ninth by Aurelianus the tenth by Dioclesianus The tenth and last persecution exceeded al the rest as ecclesiasticall histories make relation the persecution was furthered by Maximianus and continued by Maximinus Maximianus in the east and Dioclesianus in the west made such hauocke of the church as the christiaÌ„s could abide no where without most bloody persecution the temples were set on fire the bookes of holy scripture were burnt and many thousands slaine within the space
of 30. dais This persecution indured sundry yeres to which the faithful soules seemed to allude in the Reuelatiō when they desire God the iust iudge to auenge their innocent blood Dioclesianus restored Egypt to the empire and when hee perceiued his authoritie to be weakened by reason of tumults and dissentious he sought to strengthen himselfe by ioyning Maximianus vnto him whome he made equall to himselfe in imperiall regiment These two Dioclesianus and Maximianus being nowe equall in authoritie were called Augusti they both afterward gaue ouer the administration of the empire and betooke themselues to the quiet state of a priuate life Dioclesianus chose Galerius to supply his place and Maximianus appointed Constantius in his stead Galerius and Constantius were not equal in power and authoritie but as viceroyes and substitutes and therefore they were not called Augusti but onely Cesars Maximianus would afterward haue returned to the administration of the empire to the end that he might haue aduanced his sonne Maxentius to the imperial regiment for which cause Constantius his sonne in law caused him to be slaine Dioclesianus hauing liued many yeares as a priuate man at length slew himselfe so to auoid the displeasure of Constantius and Licinius to whom hee was suspected to take part with Maxentius their enemie Constantinus surnamed the Great succeeded his father Constantius when hee had reigned foure yeares after the death of Dioclesianus This Constantinus was the first christian Emperour a zealous fauourer of Christes gospel and the onely patrone of Christianitie CHAP. IIII. Of the siege of Hierusalem by Titus Titus the sonne of Vespasianus the Emperour of Rome was a man of such valure prudence and humanitie so beautified with all kinde of heroicall vertues that he was commonly named in the mouth of euery man Amor delitiae humani generis the onely delight of mankinde In the second yeare of Vespasianus in the moneth of Aprill when the Iewes did celebrate their Passeouer at which time great concourse of people was assembled from euery coast hee besieged the citie of Hierusalem and the eight day of September he conquered the same by force and assault Although the citie of Hierusalem was fiue times taken and destroied before by Nabuchodonozor Asocheus Antiochus Pompeius and Herodes yet was there in the siege made by Titus such famine sedition and domesticall desolation as the like hath not been knowne in any citie The mothers murthered their owne naturall children and that done boiled them so to saturate their insatiable hunger This seemeth incredible but holy writ reporteth no lesse as I haue prooued in the first book and the eight chapter of the former part The wiues snatched meate out of the mouthes of their husbandes the children from their parentes and the mothers plucked it out of the mouthes of their infantes When they killed their children and one another for want of foode they could not doe the fact so secretly but it was espied taken from thē by others of greater force for so soone as their doores were shut others suspecting that they were eating meate came violently vpon them and tooke from them the meat alreadie chewed in their mouth Yea it is incredible to be tolde saith Iosephus what tortures and afflictions many suffered to enforce them to disclose where they had hid but one loafe of bread Iosephus being a Iew himselfe and greatly fauouring his countrey men being taken prisoner of the Romaines long before and at that time in great credite both with Titus and Vespasianus his father laboured by all meanes possible to perswade the Iewes that they well considering their own distresse and the mightie force of the aduerse part woulde in time while there remained place for mercie yeeld themselues to Titus and giue vp their citie into his hands But in vain was his oration he had not eloquence to perswade them From king Dauid to the siege made by Titus were 1179 yeares from the building of the city to the destruction therof 2177. yeres Yet such was the deformity of their sins and their ingratitude in Gods sight as neither the antiquitie of their Citie neither their wōderful riches neither their renown throughout the world nor the glorie of their religion was able to defend it from vtter desolation A noble woman Marie by name daughter to Eleazer dwelling beyond Iordan and flying to Hierusalem for aide was there besieged with others In the time of the great famine she killed her own son and when she had eaten part she reserued the rest Others perceiuing that shee had gotten some meate did manace death vnto her vnlesse shee woulde tell where it was hidde Which shee doing for feare they were all astonied at the sight thereof It is my sonne saith the woman eate thereof for I haue eaten before you I woulde neither haue you more effeminate then a woman nor more pitifull then a mother O horrible monster of the worlde What can bee more vnnaturall then the fact What more cruell then the wordes Ouer and besides those that were slaine in the famine plague and the sworde sixteene thousand were sent by Titus to Alexandria there to doe seruile workes as bondmen Two thousand hee carried with him for a triumph whom in publicke spectacles hee proposed to be deuoured of wilde beastes CHAP. V. Of Constantinus surnamed the Great COnstantinus for his pietie and heroicall vertues surnamed the Great was the first Cesar that professed Christ and christianitie He was a right christian in deed as who for a manifest signe of his true zeale in religion had the gospel of Christ Iesus caried publickly before him He commanded the holy Bibles to be copied out of his owne priuate charges and to bee sent into all partes of Christendome He called togither the learned men from all partes of the world to consult and giue their opinions concerning controuersies in religion During which time of disputation as also for their iournies to and fro hee graunted them free allowance of all necessarie prouision He withstoode the tyrannie of Maxentius and restored peace vnto the Church He builded the citie of Constantinople terming it by his owne name where was before a goodly mart towne then called Bizantium Thither was the empire translated and the citie called new Rome For he enuironed it with large walles and added magnificall building thereunto The obseruation The papistes here babling after their woonted maner tell vs a tale of Robin hoode and little Iohn that forsooth Constantine was baptized in Rome of Siluester that the very font in which he was christened is this day to be seene there and many other fabulous illations grounded thereupon To which I answere first with their owne deare frier and learned schooleman Victoria that such doctrine was first inuented by their flattering and beggerly Canonistes I say secondly that their owne canon law in the 96. distinction termeth this kinde of doctrine false counterfeite and not worthy of any