is no barren among them †As the barke of a pomegranate so are thy cheekes beside thy hidden †There are threescore queenes fourescore concubines and of yongmaydes there is no number †My doue is one my perfect one she is the only to her mother elect to her that bare her The daughters haue seene her and declared her to be most blessed the queenes and concubines and haue praysed her †What is she that cometh forth as the morning rysing fayre as the moone elect as the sunne terrible as the armie of a campe set in aray †I came downe into the garden of nuttes to see the fruites of the valles and to looke if the vineyarde had florished and the pomegranats budded †I knew not my soule trubled me for the chariotes of Aminadab †Returne returne ô Sulamitesse returne returne that we may behold thee CHAP. VII VVHAT shalt thou see in the Sulamitesse but the companies of campes How beautiful are thy pases in shoes ô princes daughter b the ioyntes of thy thighes are as iewels that are made by the hand of the artificer †Thy nauel as à round bowle neuer wanting cuppes Thy bellie as an heape of wheate compassed about with lilies †Thy two breasts as two fawnes the twinnes of a roe †Thy necke as a towre of yuorie Thine eies as the fishpooles in Hesebon which are in the gate of the daughter of the multitude Thy nose as the towre of Libanus that looketh against Damascus †Thy head as Carmelus and the heares of thy head as a kings purple tyed to cundite pipes †How beautiful art thou and how comely my dearest in delightes †Thy stature is like to a palmetree thy breastes to clusters of grapes †I sayd I wil goe vp into the palmetree and wil take hold of the fruites therof and thy breasts shal be as the clusters of a vineyard and the odour of thy mouth as it were of apples †Thy throate as the best wine worthie for my beloued to drinke for his lippes and his teeth to ruminate †I to my beloued and his turning is toward me †Come my beloued let vs goeforth in to the filde let vs abide in the villages †Let vs rise earely to the vineyards let vs see if the vineyard florishe if the flowers be readie to bring forth fruites if the pomegranates florish there wil I giue thee my breasts †The Mandragoraes haue geuen a smel In our gates al fruites the new and the old my beloued I haue kept for thee CHAP. VIII VVHO shal giue to me thee my brother sucking the breasts of my mother that I may finde thee without and kisse thee and now no man despise me †I wil take hold of thee and wil bring thee into my mothers house there thou shalt teach me and I wil giue thee a cuppe of spiced wine and new wine of my pomegranats †His left hand vnder my head and his right hand shal embrace me †I adiure you ô daughters of Ierusalem that you rayse not vp nor make the beloued to awake til herselfe wil. †Who is this that cometh vp from the desert flowing with delightes leaning vpon her beloued Vnder the appletree I raysed thee vp d there thy mother was corrupted there she vas defloured that bare thee †Put me as a seale vpon thy hart as a seale vpon thyne arme because loue is strong as death ielousie is hard as hel the lampes thereof lampes of fyre and flames †Manie waters can not quench charitie neither shal floudes ouerwhelme it if a man shal giue al the substance of his house for loue as nothing he shal despise it †e Our sister is litle and hath no breasts What shal we doe to our sister in the day when she is to be spoken vnto †If she be a wal let vs build vpon it bulwarkes of siluer if she be a doore let vs ioyne it together with bordes of ceder †I am a wal and my breasts are as a towre since I was made before him as one finding peace †The peacemaker had a vinyard in that which hath peoples he deliuered the same to keepers a man bringeth for the fruite thereof a thousand peeces of siluer †My vineyard is before me A thousand are thy peacemakers and two hundreth for them that keepe the fruites thereof †Thou that dwellest in the gardens the frends doe harken make me heare thy voice †Flee ô my beloued and be like to the roe and to the fawne of harts vpon the mountaines of aromatical spices THE ARGVMENT OF THE BOOKE OF WISDOM AS wel of the auctor as of the auctoritie of this booke there haue bene diuers opinions among the lerned But in processe of time the first is probably discussed the other is clerly decided by the Church For concerning the former doubt Manie ancient Fathers alleage sentences of this Booke as the sayinges of Salomon Namely S. Ireneus apud Eusebium lib. 5. c. 8. Hist S. Clement of Alexandria li. 5. 6. Stromat Origen ho. 12. in Leuit. li. 8. in Epist ad Rom. S. Athanasius in Synopsi Orat. 2. cont Arrian S. Basil li. 5. cont Eunomianos S. Epiphanius heresi 67. S. Gregorie Nazianzen lib. de Fide S. Gregorie Nissen in Testimonijs ex vet Testam cap. de Natiuitate ex Virgine S. Chrisost hom 33. 34. in Mat. S. Cyril of Alexandria li. 10. c. 4. Also S. Cyprian li. de exhortat Martyrum c. 12. li. 3. c. 59. ad Quirin li. de Mortalitate S. Hilarie in Psal 127. S. Ambrose li. de Salomone c. 1. and diuers others suppose Salomon to be auctor of this booke To whom likewise some of them ascribe the booke of Ecclesiasticus But S. Ierom Praefatione in libros Salomonis testifieth that some ancient writers affirme this booke to be written by Philo a Iew and the other by Iesus the sonne of Sirach And S. Augustin very plainly li. 17. c. 20. de ciuit saith custom preuailed that the bookes of Wisdom Ecclesiasticus for some similitude of speach are called Salomons but the more lerned assuredly iudge that they are not his what then shal we say seing so manie other ancient lerned Doctors cite them as his The answer is easie And sufficiently insinuated by S. Augustin that these two bookes being like vnto the other three which are Salomons were also called his VVherto we may adde a like example in the two first bookes of Kinges which are called the bookes of Samuel though he writte not al the first nor anie part of the second Moreouer al these fiue are called by one general title Sapiential bookes In so much that the Church readeth in the sacred Office before al Epistles taken out of anie of these fiue bookes not Lectio Prouerbiorum
or Ecclesiastae c. but stil Lectio libri Sapientiae The solution therfore is very probable that this booke of wisdom was written by Philo Iudeus not he that liued after Christ but an other of the same name nere two hundred yeares before And Ecclesiasticus by Iesus the sonne of Sirach Who not only imitated Salomon but also compiled their bookes for most part of Salomons sentences conserued til their times by tradition or in separated scrolles of papers yea they so vtter some sentences in his person as if himself had written them As touching the auctoritie of these two bookes and some others it is euident that the Iewes refuse them And therfore manie ancient Fathers writing against them spared sometimes to vrge such bookes as they knew would be reiected Especially hauing abundant testimonies of other holie Scriptures for deciding matters of faith against them Euen as our Sauiour himself proued the Resurrection of the dead against the Sadduces out of the bookes of Moyses which they confessed for Canonical Scripture denying other partes where the same point might otherwise haue bene more euidently shewed And so S. Ierom in respect of the Iewes saide these bookes were not Canonical Neuertheles he did often alleage testimonies of them as of other diuine Scriptures sometimes with this parenthesis si cui tamen placet librum recipere in cap. 8. 12. Zachariae other times especially in his last writinges absolutly without such restriction as in cap. 1. 56. Isaiae in 18. Ieremiae Where he professeth to alleage none but Canonical Scripture As for al the other ancient fathers here aboue mentioned ascribing this booke to Salomon and manie others cited by Doctor Iodocus Coccius To. 1. Thesauri li. 6. art 9. they make no doubt at al but that it is Canonical Scripture as appeareth by their expresse termes Diuine Scripture Diuine word Sacred letters Prophetical saying the Holie Ghost saith the like Finally aswel ancient General counsels namely that of Charthage an D. 419. With others as the later of Florence and Trent haue declared this booke to be Canonical And that conformably to the most ancient and lerned Fathers as S. Augustin not only iudgeth himself but also plainly testifieth li. de Pradestinat Sanct. c. 14. saying The sentence of the booke of wisdom ought not to be reiected by certaine inclining to Pelagianisme Which hath bene so long publiquely read in the Church of Christ and receiued of al Christians Byshops and others euen to the last of the Laitie Penitents and Catecumes cum veneratione diuinae auctoritatis With veneration of diuine auctoritie Which also the excellent writers next to the Apostles times alleaging for witnes nihil se adâ—ibere nisi diuinum testimonium crediderunt thought they alleaged nothing but diuine testimonie The summe and contents of this booke is an Instruction and Exhortation to Kinges and al Magistrates to minister iustice in the comonwealth teaching al sortes of vertues vnder the general names of iustice Wisdom With frequent Prophecies of Christs Coming Passion Resurrection other Christian Mysteries Al may be commodiously diuided into three partes In the six first chapters the auctor admonisheth al Superiors to loue and exercise iustice and wisdom In the next three he teacheth that Wisdom procedeth only from God is procured by prayer good life In the other tenne chapters he sheweth the excellent effects and vtilitie of wisdom and Iustice THE BOOKE OF WISDOM CHAP. I. Superiors are admonished to do iustice sincerely seking God 7. Who being euery where seeth al thinges 11. Murmuration detraction and lying bring to perdition 13. God created men to liue but they brought death vpon themselues LOVE iustice you that iudge the earth Thincke of our Lord in goodnes and in simplicitie of hart seeke him †because he is found of them that tempt him not and he appeareth to them that haue saith in him †For peruerse cogitations seperate from God and proued powre chasteneth the vnwise †because wisdom wil not enter into a malicious soule nor dwel in a bodie subiect to sinnes †For the Holie Ghost of discipline wil flie from him that feyneth and wil withdraw himselfe from the cogitations that are without vnderstanding and he shal be chastened of iniquitie â—niâ— wing †For the spirite of wisdom is gentle and wil no 〈…〉 the â—â— for from his lippes because God is witnes of 〈…〉 is a true searcher of his hart and an hâ—arâ—r 〈…〉 cause the Spirite of our Lord â—ath 〈…〉 who le world and that which contayneth al 〈…〉 â—udge of voice †For this cause he that speaketh â—â—â—â—st thinges can not be hid neither shal the chastising iudgment passe him †For in the cogitations of the impâ—ouâ— there shal be examination and the hearing of his workes shal come to God to the chastising of his iniquities †Because the eare of ielousie heareth al thinges and the tumult of murmurings shal not be hid †Kepe your selues therfore from murmuring which profiteth nothing and refraine your tongue from detraction because an obscure speache shal not passe in vaine and the mouth that lyeth killeth the soule †Zeale not death in the errour of your life neither procure ye perdition by the workes of your handes †Because God made not death neither doth he reioyce in the perdition of the liuing †For he created al thinges to be and he made the nations of the earth to health and there is no medicine of destruction in them nor kingdome of hel in the earth †For iustice is pâ—rpetual and immortal †But the impious with handes wordes haue prouoked it and esteming it a freind haue fallen to decay and haue made couenances with it because they are worthie to be of the part therof CHAP. II. Such as hope not of life to come 6. addict themselues to 〈…〉 â—â— and persecute the iust especially our Sauioâ—◠〈…〉 their wickednes 23. Death came vpon man by the 〈…〉 FOR they haue said thinking with the 〈…〉 Little and with tediousnes is the time of 〈…〉 the end of a man there is no recouâ—â—â—â— and 〈…〉 knowne that hath returned from hel †because oe of 〈…〉 were we borne and after this we shal be as if 〈…〉 bene because the breath is a smoke in our nosthrels â—â—â—â—ch a sparke to moue our hart †Which being extinguished our bodie shal be ashes and the spirit shal be powred abrode as soft ayre and our life shal passe as the trace of a cloude and shal be dissolued as a mist which is driuen away by the beames of the sunne and oppressed with the heate therof †and our name in time shal be forgotten and no man shal haue remembrance of our workes †For our time is the passing of a shadow and there is no returne of our end because it is sealed and no man returneth †Come therfore
histories fables and so did not account them Canonical Scripture First we answer that he reporting the Iewes opinion vseth their termes not explicating his owne iudgement intending only to deliuer sincerely that which he found in the Hebrew Yet would he not omite to insert the rest aduertising withal that he had it in Theodotions translation Which answer is clerly iustified by his owne testimonie li. 2. c. 9. aduersus Ruffinum in these wordes Wheras I relate sayth he what the Hebrewes say against the historie of Susanna and the Hymne of the three children he that for this reputeth me a foole proueth himself a sycophant For I did not explicate what myself iudged but what they are wont to say against me Secondly we answer that if S. Ierom did not thinke these partes to be Canonical yet seing so manie other ancient Fathers and now the whole Church hold them for Canonical we so beleue them to be For albeit the ancient Councels and others that recite catalogues of holie Scriptures do not expresly say as the councel of Trent lastly doth Sess 4. that al the partes of bookes by them recited are Canonical yet they do not except anie partes of this Booke and therfore speaking indefinitly do in dede include al and not exclude anie parcels vsually read in the Church as these are Moreouer very manie ancient Fathers do expresly alleage these partes as Diuine Canonical Scriptures Of manie we shal cite some The prayer of Azarias is alleaged as diuine Scripture by S. Cyprian Ser. de lapsis by holie Ephrem li. de humilitate comparanda ca. 9. by S. Chrysostom ho. de tribus pueris Leontius Cyprius apud Eutym par 1. Panopliae tit 8. Patianus Parenesi in Poenitentiam S. Augustin Epist 122. li. de natura boni c. 16. S. Fulgentius ad Venatiam de poenitentia c. 16. Likewise the Hymne of the three children is alleaged by most of the same and by diuers others As by S. Ierom himself in c. 3. ad Galatas Epist. 49. de muliere septiesicta S. Ambrose Praefatan Psalmos li. 6. in Lucanum c. 2. Concilium Toletanum c. 13. In like maner the historie of Susanna is cited as holie Scripture by S. Ignatius Epist ad Magnesianos Tertullian li. de corona militis S. Cyprian li. 1. Epist. ep 8. 40. S. Chrysostom Ho. 1. in fine hath a whole sermon of Susanna as vpon holie Scripture S. Ambrose li. 1. de Officijs c. 18. li. 3. c. 14. li. 3. de Spiritu Sancto c. 7. S. Augustin Trast 36. in Ioan. Ser. 118. 242. Finally the histories of Bel and of the Dragon are iudged Diuine Scripture by S. Cyprian li. 1. Ep. ep 4. li. 3. ep 1. li. 4. ep 6. S. Basil ho. in diuites auaros S. Athanasius in Synopsi briefly explicating the argument of this whole booke maketh expresse mention of the Hymne of the three children and of the histories of Susanna and of Bel and the Dragon To conclude therfore with whom we begane S. Ierom speaking of this whole Booke saith Daniel temporum conscius totius mundi philoistor lapidem praecisum de monte sine manibus regna omnia subuertentem claro sermone pronuntiat Daniel skilful of times a studious historiographer in cleare speach sheweth the stone cut out of the mountaine without handes which ouerthroweth al kingdomes Signifying the principal contents of this booke to be that al other kingdomes namely for example sake the foure great Monarchies the fist of the Chaldees the second of the Medes and Persians the third of the Grecians and the fourth of the Romanes should be ouerthrowne one after an other and only the kingdom of Christ our Sauiour borne of a perpetual virgin shal be permanent for euer More particularly this Booke may be diuided into three partes In the first six chapters especially are declared for most part in maner of historie certaine actes of Daniel with the other three Hebrew children and of the kinges of Babylon In other six chapters is more directly prophecied of Christ and of Antichrist of the perpetual glorie of Christs kingdom and vtter destruction of the others with the end of world and general iudgement In the two last chapters are conteyned the histories of holie Susanna and of the idols Bel and the Dragon THE PROPHECIE OF DANIEL CHAP. I. The king of Babylon by force entring into Ierusalem spoyleth the temple 6. amongst others carieth captiue Daniel Ananias Misael and Azarias S. who abstayning from the kings meates 15. are fayrer then other children 17. and wiser Daniel also vnderstanding dreames then al the magicians of Chaldee IN THE third yeare of the kingdom of Ioakim king of Iuda came Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon into Ierusalem and besieged it †And our Lord deliuered into his hand Ioakim the king of Iuda and part of the vessels of the house of God and he caried them away into the land of Sennaar into the house of his god the vessels he brought into the house of the treasure of his god †And the king spake to Asphenez the gouernour of the Eunuches that he should bring in of the children of Israel and of the kings the tyrants seede †children in whom was no spot beautiful of forme and instructed in al wisedom cunning in knowlege and taught in discipline and that might stand in the kings palace that he might teach them the learning and the tongue of the Chaldees †And the king appoynted them a certaine prouision for euerie day of his meates of the wine wherof he dranke himself that being nourished three yeares afterward they might stand in the kings sight †There were therfore among them of the children of Iuda Daniel Ananias Misael and Azarias †And the gouernour of the enuches gaue them names to Daniel Baltassar to Ananias Sidrach to Misael Misach to Azarias Abdenago †But Daniel purposed in his hart that he would not be polluted of the kings table nor of the wine of his drinke he requested the gouernour of the eunuches that he might not be contaminated †And God gaue vnto Daniel grace and mercie in the sight of the prince of the eunuches †And the prince of the enuches said to Daniel I feare my Lord the king who hath appoynted for you meate and drinke who if he shal see your faces leaner then the other youthes your equals you shal condemne my head to the king †And Daniel sayd to Malasar whom the prince of the eunuches appoynted ouer Daniel Ananias Misael and Azarias †Proue I besech thee thy seruants for tenne dayes let pulse be geuen vs to eate water to drinke †and looke vpon our faces and the faces of the children that eate of the kings meate and as thou shalt see thou shalt doe with thy sernants †Who hearing that maner of speach
and serue him with a perfect and verie true hart and take away the goddes which your fathers serued in Mesopotamia and in Aegypt and serue our Lord. †But if it like you not to serue our Lord choise is geuen you choose this day that which pleaseth you whom you ought especially to serue whether the goddes which your fathers serued in Mesopotamia or the goddes of the Amorrheites in whose Land you dwel but I and my house wil serue our Lord. †And the people answered and said God forbid we should leaue our Lord and serue strange goddes †Our Lord God he brought vs and our fathers out of the Land of Aegypt out of the house of seruitude and did in our sight great signes and kept vs in al the way by the which we walked and among al the peoples through which we passed †And he hath cast out al the nations the Amorrheite inhabiter of the Land which we haue entred We therfore wil serue our Lord because he is our God †And Iosue said to the people You can not serue our Lord for God is holie and a mightie aemulator neither wil he pardon your wickednes and sinnes †If you leaue our Lord and serue strange goddes he wil turne him self and wil afflict you and ouerthrow you after he hath geuen you good thinges †And the people said to Iosue No it shal not be so as thou speakest but we wil serue our Lord. †And Iosue said to the people You are witnesses that your selues haue chosen to you our Lord for to serue him And they answered Witnesses †Now therfore quoth he take away strange goddes our of the middes of you and incline your hartes to our Lord the God of Israel †And the people said to Iosue We wil serue our Lord God and wil be obedient to his preceptes †Iosue therfore in that day made a couenant and proposed to the people preceptes and iudgementes in Sichem †He wrote also al these wordes in the volume of the law of our Lord and he tooke a very great stone and put it vnder the oke that was in the Sanctuarie of our Lord †and said to al the people Behold this stone shal be a testimonie for you that it hath heard al the wordes of our Lord which he hath spoken to you lest perhaps hereafter you wil denie and lye to our Lord your God †And he dismist the people euerie one into their possession †And after these thinges Iosue the sonne of Nun the seruant of our Lord died being a hundred and ten yeares old †and “ they buried him in the coastes of his possession in Thamnathsare which is situated in the mountaine of Ephraim on the North part of mount Gaas †And Israel serued our Lord al the daies of Iosue and of the ancientes that liued a long time after Iosue and that had knowen al the workes of our Lord which he had done in Israel †The bones also of Ioseph which the children of Israel had taken out of Aegypt they buried in Sichem in part of the field which Iacob had bought of the sonnes of Hemor the father of Sichem for a hundred yong ewes and it was in the possession of the sonnes of Ioseph †Eleazar also the sonne of Aaron died and they buried him in Gabaath of Phinees his sonne which was geuen him in mount Ephraim ANNOTATIONS CHAP. XXIIII 2. They serued false goddes It is euident by this place that Thare and some other progenitors of Israel sometimes serued false goddes from which they were reduced but Abraham was euer preserued in true religion and the whole familie of Thare was therfore persecuted in Chaldea as S. Augustin sheweth li. 16. c. 13. de ciuit Likwise Theodoret q. 18. in Iosue and other both ancient and late writers teach the same as is already noted pag. 203. 30. They buried In that no mention is made of mourning for Iosue S. Hierom noteth a mysterie and a special point of Chistian doctrin It semeth to me saieth he Epist de 42. Maus mans 33. that in Marie prophecie is dead in Moyses and Aaron an end is put to the law and priesthood of the Iewes For so much as they could neither passe into the land of promise nor bring the beleuing people out of the wildernes of this world And Mans 34. Aaron sayeth he was mourned and so was Moyses Iesus is not mourned that is in the law was descentinto hel called limbus in the Gospel is passage to paradise THE ARGVMENT OF THE BOOKE OF IVDGES SAINCT Hierom geuing this general rule Epist ad Eustoch virg that in reading historical bookes of holie Scripture the historie as fundation of veritie is to be loued but the spiritual vnderstanding rather to be folowed agreably therto teacheth Epist ad Paulin. that in this booke of Iudges there be as manie figures as princes of the people Neither doth he meane that there were no more but for example sake affirmeth that these Iudges raised vp after Iosue and sent of God to deliuer the people fallen for their sinnes into afflictions were types and figures of the Apostles and Apostolical men sent by Christ to propagate and defend his Church of the new Testament For albeit diuers of these Iudges were sometimes great offenders yet they were reclamed by Gods special grace and so amending their errors did great thinges to the singular honour of God and are renowmed among the holie Patriarces and Prophetes particularly praysed in bolie Scipture saying And the Iudges euerie one by his name whose hart was not corrupt Who were not auerted from our Lord that their memorie may be blessed and their bones spring out from their place and their name remaine for euer the glorie of holie men remaining to their children After Iosue therfore who it semeth guided and ruled the people 32. yeares this booke written as is most probable by Samuel shewing the famouse Actes of these Iudges of Israel prosecuteth the historie of the Church the space of 288. yeares more And may be diuided into three partes First is described in general the state of the people sometimes wel and sincerly seruing God other times falling to great sinnes in the two first chapters Secondly their offences afflictions repentance and deliuerie from their enemies are more particularly reported from the third chap. to the 17. Thirdly other special accidents which happened within the same time are recorded in the last fiue chapters THE BOOKE OF IVDGES IN HEBREW SOPHETIM CHAP. I. Vnder a general captaine of the tribe of Iuda assisted by the tribe of Simeon Israel subdueth diuers cities of the gentiles 12. Othoniel taking Cariath sepher possesseth it and marieth Calebs daughter obtainig also addition of her dowrie 21. Iebuseites yet dwel in Hierusalem with Beniamin 27. and the Chananeites with diuers of the tribes AFTER the death of Iosue the children of Israel consulted
therfore for this also remember me my God spare me according to the multitude of thy mercies †But in those daies also I saw the Iewes marying wiues wemen of Azotus and of Ammon and of Moab †And their children spake the halfe part the Azotian tongue and they could not speake the Iewes language and they spake according to the language of the people and people †And I rebuked them and cursed them And I beate of them some men and shaued them bald and adiured them by God that they should not geue their daughters to their sonnes nor take their daughters for their sonnes for themselues saying †Did not Salomon the king of Israel sinne in this kind of thing and surely in manie nations there was not a king like to him he was beloued of his God and God sette him king ouer al Israel him therfore also foren wemen brought to sinne †And shal we also being disobedient persons doe al this great euil to transgresse against our God and to marie foren wemen †And Sanaballat the Horonite was sonne in law to one of the sonnes of Ioiada the sonne of Eliasib the high Priest whom I draue from me †Remember o Lord my God against them that pollute the Priesthood and the right of Priestes and Leuites †Therfore I sepatared from them al strangers and I appoynted the courses of the Priestes and Leuites euerie man in his ministerie †and in the oblation of woode at times appoynted and in the first fruites Remember me my God vnto good Amen ANNOTATIONS Concerning the bookes of TOBIAS IVDITH WISDOM ECCLESIASTICVS and MACHABEES PROTESTANTES and other Sectaries of this time denie these bookes to be diuine Scripture because they are not in the Iewes Canon noâ— were accepted for canonical in the primitiue Church But in deede the chiefe cause is for that some thinges in these bookes are so manifest against their opinions that they haue no other answere but to reiect their authoritie An old shift noted and refuted by S Augustin touching the Booke of VVisdome which some refused pretending that it was not canonical but in deede because it conuinced their errors For otherwise who seeth not that the Canon of the Church of Christ is of more authority with al true Christians then the Canon of the Iewes And that the Church of Christ numbreth these Bookes amongst others of diuine and infallible authoritie is euident by the testimonie and diffinition not only of later general Councels of Trent Sess 4. and Florence Instructione Armenorum of Pope Innocentius Epist ad Exuperium and Gelasius Decreto delibris sacris but also the Councel of Carthage An. Dom. 419. S. Augustin lib. 2. Doct. Christ cap. 8. Isidorus lib. 6. Etymol cap. 1. Cassidorus lib. 1. Diuinarum Lectionum Rabanus lib. 2 de Institutione Clericorum and others testifie the same as we shal further note seuerally of euerie booke in their particular places And for so much as our aduersaries acknowlege these Bookes to be Holie and worthie to be read in the Church but not sufficient to proue and confirme pointes of faith the studious reader may consider that the Councel of Carthage calleth them Canonical and Diuine which sheweth that they are of infallible authoritie For a Canon is an assured rule and warrant of direction whereby sayth S. Augustin lib. 11. contra Faustum cap. 5. et lib. 2. contra Cresconium cap. 32. the infirmitie of our defect in knowlege is guided and by which rule other bookes are likewise knowne to be Gods word His reason is because we haue no other assurance that the bookes of Moyses the foure Gospels and other bookes are the true word of God but by the Canon of the Church VVherevpon the same great Doctor vttered that famous saying that he vvould not beleue the Gospel except the authoritie of the Catholique Church moued him thervnto contra Epist Fundamenti ca. 5. True it is that some Catholique Doctors doubted whether these bookes were Canonical or no because the Church had not then declared that they were but since the Churches declaration no Catholique doubteth So S. Ierom testifieth that the Booke of Iudith among the rest semed to him not canonical til the Councel of Nice declared it to be Likewise the Epistle to the Hebrewes the Epistle of S. Iames the second of S. Peter the second and third of S. Iohn S. Iudes Epistle and the Apocalyps were sometimes doubted of yet were afterwardes declared to be Canonical And most Protestantes namely English admitte them al as the assured word of God though they were not alwaies so reputed by al but as S. Ierome affirmeth of S. Iames Epistle Paulatim tempore procedente meruit authoritatem By litle and litle in processe of time merited authoritie THE ARGVMENT OF THE BOOKE OF TOBIE BESIDES the testimonies of Councels and Fathers before mentioned S. Cyprian de Oratione Dominica alleaging this booke cap. 12. saith Diuine Scripture instructeth vs that prayer is good with fasting and almes S. Ambrose li de Tobia â— 1. calleth this booke by the common name of Scripture saying he wil briefly gather the vertues of Tobie which the Scripture in historical maner layeth forth at large VVhere he also calleth this historie Prophetical and Tobie a Prophet And lib. 3. offic cap. 14. alleageth this booke as he doth other holie Scriptures to proue that the vertues of Gods seruants farre excel the Moral Philosophers S. Chrysostom ho. 15. ad Heb alleageth Tobias as Scripture denouncing curse to contemners S. Augustin made a special sermon of Tobias as he did of Iob which is the 226. sermon de tempore S. Gregorie parte 3. pastor curae admon 21. alleageth it as holie Scripture And vene able Beda expoundeth this whole booke mystically as he doth other holy Scriptures S. Ierom translated it out of the Chaldee language wherein it was written iudging it more â—eâ—e to displease the Phariâ—aical Iewes who reiect it then not to satisfie the wil of holie Bishops vrging to haue it Epist ad Chromat Heliodorum to 3. The author is vncertaine but S. Athanasius in Synopsi reporteth the contentes at large And S. Augustin li. quest ex vâ—roque testamento q. 119. deliuereth both the contentes and cause of writing it briefly thus The seruant of God holie Tobias is geuen to vs after the law for an example that we might know how to practise the thinges which we reade And if tentations come vpon vs not to depart from the feare of God nor expect helpe from anie other then from him It may be diuided into three partes The first foure chapeers shew the holie and sincere maner of life of old Tobias The eight folowing relate the iorney and affayres of yong Tobias accompained and directed by the Angel Raphael In the two last chapters they praise God And old Tobias prophecieth better state of the commonwealth THE BOOKE OF
And she abode in her husbands house an hundred fiue yeares and dismist her abra free and she died and was buried with her husband in Bethulia †And al the people mourned for her seuen dayes †And in al the space of her life there was not that trubled Israel and after her death manie yeares †But the day of the festiuitie of this victorie is receiued of the Hebrewes in the number of holie daies and is worshiped of the Iewes from that time vntil this present day ANNOTATIONS CHAP. XVI 26. After that her husband vvas dead As yong Toblas and Sara were notable patterns to maried persons so Iudith is a like good example to deuout widowes excelling most partin manie respectes For first she professed this holie state of life in the old Testament when it was most rare the law prouiding that the brother or next kinsman should marie the widow of him that died without children as it semeth she had none the Greke text affirming that she gaue al her goodes before her death to other kinred ch 16. v. 24. Secondly she was only once maried ch 15. v. 13. ch 16. v. 26. wheras it is also commendable after twise or oftenner mariage at last to abstaine Thirdly she was yong about 36. yeares for three yeares and a half after that her husband was dead she was called a yong maide ch 12. v. 12. Fourtly she was of excellent beautie ch 8 v. 7. Fiftly exceeding rich ibidem Sixtly very noble especially after the deliuerie of the people from such distresse ch 15. v. 10. Seuently for this renowmed fact and for her other great vertue ch 8. v. 8 manie principal men desired to marie her ch 16. v. 22 Eightly al the people wished much issue of so noble a stock ch 16. v. 25. Nintly she liued long in the state of widowhood about threescore and nine yeares from 36. to 105 ch 16. v. 28. Tently there was great and long peace in al Israel after that she had releeued Bethulia ch 16. v. 30. Al which might easely haue inuited an other to haue maried but her great deuotion and feruent desire to serue God in a retired austere life fasting praying ch 8. v. 6. cutte of al incitements to mariage and made her before the Gospel to embrace Euangelical counsel not commanded but for better attaining to perfecton counseled by our Sauior and S. Paul Mat. 19. 1. Cor. 7. THE ARGVMENT OF THE BOOKE OF ESTHER OF the authoritie of this booke only two or three ancient writers doubted before the councels of Laodicea and Carthage declared it to be Canonical Al the rest did euer esteme it as diuine Scripture For albeit S. Ierom in his time found not certaine partes therof in the Hebrew and therfore transposed the same to the end of the booke as now we haue them yet in the Greeke he found al these sixtenne chapters conteyned in tenne And it is not vnprobable that these parcels were sometimes in the Hebrew as were diuers whole bookes which are now lost But whether they were at anie time in the Hebrew or no the Church of Christ accounteth the whole Booke of infallible authoritie reading as wel these partes as the rest in her publique office And the councel of Trent sess 4. For more expresse declaration defiueth that al the bookes recited in the same Decree amongst which is Esther with al the partes therof as they are accustomed to be read in the Catholique Church and be conteyned in the old vulgare latin Edition are sacred and Canonical Scripture It conteyneth a particular great danger of the people of Israel hapening as is probable shortly after their general relaxation returne of some from the captiuitie of Babylon and their deliuere from it through the godlie Zele and other vertues of Quene Esther directed herein by Mardocheus who being also in imminent danger was deliuered aduanced and finally writ the historie which may be diuided into foure partes not by order of the chapters as hey are here transposed but in order of time first the author reporteth some thinges going before the peoples danger in the 11. 1. 2. 12. chapters and part of the 3. Secondly their danger and distresse in the rest of the 3. and part of 13. chapters Thirdly their deliuerie from the 4. chapter to the middes of the. 9. and rest of the 13. and in the 14. 15. and 16. Fourtly the thinges that ensued hereupon in the other half of the ninth chapter the 10. chapter and first verse of the eleuenth VVho soeuer vvil please to read this historie in order of the time as the thinges happened adioyning the latter chapters vvhich are in the Greke and not in the Hebrevv may folovve the letters of the Alphabet as here vve haue placed them in the margent beginning at the second verse of the 11. chapter vvhere he findeth the letter A. and vvhen he cometh to B. returne vvhere the same letter is noted ch 1. And so in the rest folovv the same direction THE BOOKE OF ESTHER CHAP. I. King Assuerus celebrateth a great banket to shew his glorie 10. calleth quene Vasthi therto who refusing to come is by aduise of his counsel deposed IN the daies of Assuerus who reigned from India vnto Aethiopia ouer an hundred twentie seuen prouinces †when he sate in the throne of his kingdō the citie Susá was in the begynning of his kingdom †In the third yeare therfore of his empyre he made a great feast to al the princes and to his seruantes to the most valiant of the Persians and the nobles of the Medes and the rulers of the prouinces in his sight †that he might shew the riches of the glorie of his kingdom and the greatnes vaunting of his might a great time to witte an hundred foure score dayes †And when the daies of the feast were accomplished he inuited al people that was found in Susan from the greatest to the least and commanded seuen daies a feast to be prepared in the entrance of the garden and of the wood which was planted with royal garnishing and with hand †And there hong on euerie side hangings of skie colour and grene and hyacinthine colour held vp with cordes of silke and of purple which were put into rings of yuorie and were held vp with marble pillers Beddes also of gold and siluer were placed in order vpon the floore paued with the emerauld and the touch stone which paynting adorned with meruelous varietie †And they that were inuited dranke in golden cuppes and the meates were brought in change of vessels Wine also plenteous and the best was set downe as was worthie of a kings magnificence †Neither was there that compelled them to drinke that would not but as the king had appointed making ech of his princes ouerseer of euerie table that euerie man might take what he would †Vasthi also the
tried by the losse of al his goodes children and was proued to be very patient He was then most greuously tormented in bodie being left without comforth albeit he lamentably bewa led so great extremitie wishing such dayes had bene preuented yet he neither spoke against God nor good man nor his owne soule according to truth auouched defended his owne innocencie And at last by Gods inspiration and swete consolation he reâ—reâ—eâ—ded himself of former imperfections vttered in some wordes and with ful resignation to Gods wil susteyned al his losses and paynes not only with contentment but also with ioy THE END OF THE FIRST TOME TO THE CVRTEOVS READER We haue already found some faultes escaped in printing but fearing there be more and the whole volume being ouerlong to be examined agayne we pray the curteous reader to pardon al and amend them as they occurre Two Tables one of the times of the old Testament an other of the principal matters in the Annotations therof shalfolow God willing with the other Tome which we desire and hope to send you shortly In the meane time the gentle reader may please to supplie the want therof as he may by the Recapitulations of the Historie and pointes of Religion in the fiue first ages already conteyned in this Volume in their proper places in the pages 29. 47 196. 701. and 934. You may please to amend the more especial errors happened in printing by reading thus Page 57. line 29. SALEM Pa. 305. in the margent much more in the Church of Christ Page 846 lin 39. reioyce that Pege 1064 line 39 line 40. how they escape many miseries which are neuer borne birth Page 1069 line 1. nor I gainsay If our selues or others shal finde more we wil gladly correct them THE SECOND TOME OF THE HOLIE BIBLE FAITHFVLLY TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH OVT OF THE AVTHENTICAL LATIN Diligently conferred with the Hebrew Greeke and other Editions in diuers languages With ARGVMENTS of the Bookes and Chapters ANNOTATIONS TABLES and other helpes for better vnderstanding of the text for discouerie of CORRVPTIONS in some late translations and for clearing CONTROVERSIES in Religion BY THE ENGLISH COLLEGE OF DOWAY Spiritu Sancto inspirati locuti sunt sancti Dei hemines 2. Pet. 1. The holie men of God spake inspired with the Holie Ghost Printed at Doway by LAVRENCE KELLAM at the signe of the holie Lambe M. DC X. APPROBATIO NOs infrascripti in alma Duacensi vniuersitate Sacrae Theologiae Doctores Professores hanc Anglicanam Veteris Testamenti translationem quam tres diuersieius nationis eruditissimi Theologi non solum fidelem sed propter diuersa quae ei sunt adiuncta valde vtilem fidei Catholicae propagandae ac tuendae bonis moribus promouendis sunt testati quorum testimonia ipsorum syngraphis munita vidimus Cuius item Translationis Annotationum Auctores nobis de fidei integtitate eruditionis praestantia probè sunt noti his rebus adducti nixi fructuose euulgari posse censuimus Duaci 8. Nouembris 1609. GVILIELMVS ESTIVS Sacrae Theologiae Doctor in Academia Duacensi Professor BARTHOLOMAEVS PETRVS Sacrae Theologiae Doctor in Vniuersitate Duacensi Professor GEORGIVS COLVENERIVS S. Theologiae Doctor eiusdem in Academia Duacena Professor PROEMIAL ANNOTATIONS vpon the Booke of Psalmes THE authoritie of this Booke was euer authentical and certaine as the assured word of God and Canonical Scripture But concerning the author there be diuers opinions For although it be manifest by the testimonie of Philo and Iosephus that in their time and alwaies before only King Dauid was by al Hebrew Doctors holden for Author of al the Psalmes yet after that lerned Origen and other Christian Doctors expounded manie Psalmes of Christ the Iewes being pressed therwith begane to denie that al were Dauids alleaging for their new opinion the titles of diuers Psalmes and some other difficulties ministring occasion of much needles dispute stil acknowledging the whole booke to be Canonical Wherupon S. Ierom and S. Augustin sometimes admitted those as authores of certaine Psalmes whose names are in the titles thereof S. Cyprian S. Cyril S. Athanasius and others agree in general that Dauid writte not al but differ much in particular touching other supposed authores In so much that Melchisedech Moyses Asaph Eman Idithun The sonnes of Core Salomon Ieremie Ezechiel Esdras Aggaeus and Zacharias are al with more or lesse probabilitie reputed authores of seueral Psalmes Neuertheles it semeth that S. Ierom rather related other mens iudgement then shewed his owne as we shal note by and by And S. Augustin li. 17. c. 14. de ciuit maturely discussing this doubt saith plainly that their Iudgement semed to him more credible vvho attribute al the hundred fiftie Psalmes to Dauid alone Further explicating that wheras some Psalmes haue Dauids owne name in their titles some haue other mens names some none at al this diuersitie importeth not diuers authores but signifieth other thinges either perteyning to the same persons or by interpretation of their names belonging to the present matter as our Lord inspired him Likewise S. Chrysostome resolutely iudgeth that only King Dauid was author of this whole Booke Moued especially by this argument for that Christ and the Apostles alleaging the Psalmes do oftentimes name Dauid as author and neuer anie other Also Origen S. Basil S. Ambrose S. Hilarie Theodoretus Cassiodorus Beda Eutimius and most part of ancient and late writers with the most common voice of Christians cal this booke the Psalmes of Dauid and the General Councels of Carthage Florence and Trent in the Cathologue of Canonical Scriptures recite this booke by the name of Dauids Psalter Moreouer it is clere Act. 2. that the second Psalme though it want his name is Dauids And other Scriptures 2. Paral. 7. v. 6. and 1. Esd 3. v. 10. say plainly that Dauid made the Psalmes 104. 105. 106. 117. 135. beginning Confesse to our Lord because he is good because his mercie is for euer VVhich he appointed the Leuites to sing or play on instruments 1 Paral. 15. 16. and yet they haue not his name in their titles Againe 2. Reg. 23. Dauid is only intitled the egregious or excellent Psalmist of Israel Neither were Asaph Eman and Idithun anie where called Prophetes as are al the writers of holie Scriptures but only masters of musike 1. Paral. 25. And the sonnes of Core were only porters 1. Paral. 26. Finally S. Ierom whose iudgement the whole Church singularly estemeth in al questions belonging to holie Scriptures semeth as much inclined that only the Royal Prophet Dauid was author of this whole booke as to the contrarie For in his Epistle to Paulinus prefixed before the Latin Bible comprehending the principal arguments of seueral bookes when he cometh to the Psalmes without mention of other authors saith Dauid our Simonides Pindarus and Alceus Flaccus also
intreating they had cast forth them they pursued as fugitiues †for worthie necessitie brought them to this end and they lost the remembrance of those thinges which had chanced that punishment might fulfil the thinges that wanted to the torments †and that thy people certes might passe through meruelously but they might finde a new death †For euerie creature according to his kind was fashioned agayne from the begyning seruing thy precepts that thy children might be kept without hurt †For a clowde ouer shadowed their campe and out of the water which was before there appeared drie land and in the redsea a way without impediment and of the great depth a springing filde †through the which al the nation passed which was protected with thy hand seing thy meruelous thinges and wonders †For euen as horses they fed on meate and as lambes they reioyced magnifying thee ô Lord which didst deliuer them †For they were mindful of those thinges which had bene done in their seiourning how for the nation of beasts the earth brought forth flies and for fishes the riuer yelded a multitude of frogges †And last of al they saw a new creature of birdes when allured by concupiscence they desired meates of deliciousnes †For in comfort of their desire there came vp to them the quaile from the sea and vexations came vpon the sinners not without those arguments which were made before by the force of lightninges for they suffered iustly occording to their wickednes †For they instituted a more detestable in hospitalitie some certes receiued not the vnknowen strangers and other some brought the good strangers into seruitude †And not onlie these thinges but in deede there was an other respect also of them for they against their wil receiued the strangers †But they that receiued them with gladnes did afflict them with most cruel sorowes that vsed the same rightes †but they were striken with blindnes as they in the dores of the iust when they were couered with sodaine darkenes euerie man sought the passage of his doore †For whiles the elements are turned in themselues as in an instrument the sound of the qualitie is changed and al keepe their sound wherfore it may be certainly iudged by the very sight †For the thinges of the fild were turned into thinges of the water and what soeuer were swimming thinges passed into the land †The fyre had force in water aboue his powre and the water forgot her quenching nature †On the contrarie the flames vexed not the flesh of corruptible beasts walking therewith neither did they melt that good meate which was easely dissolued euen as yce For in al thinges thou didst magnifie thy people ô Lord and didst honour them and didst not despise them at al time and in euerie place assisting them THE ARGVMENT OF ECCLESIASTICVS IN what sense this Booke is sometimes called Salomons we haue shewed in the argument before the Booke of wisdom As likewise that it is Canonical Scripture Wherto we might adde more testimonies of ancient Fathers as S. Clement of Alexandria li. 1. c. 8. Pedagogi Origen ho. 8. in Numer ho. 1. in Ezech. S. Cyprian de opere eleemos S. Athanasius in Synopsi li. de virginitate S. Basil in regul disput resp 104. S. Gregorie Nazianzen Orat. 2. aduers Iulian. S. Epiphanius haer 76. in Ancorato S. Hilarie in Psal 144. S. Ambrose de bono mortis c. 8. Ser. 22. in Psal 118. S. Chrysostom ho. 33. ad populum Antioch S. Augustin li. 2. ca. 8. Doct. Christ li. 17. c. 20. de Ciuit. S. Gregorie the great in Psal 50. and manie others expresly cite this booke as holie Scripture But chiefly we reâ—ie vpon the auctoritie of the Church defining that it is Canonical It was written by Iesus the sonne of Sirach in Hebrew about the time of Simon Iustus otherwise called Priscus and translated into Greke by the auctors Nephew as the same Translator testifieth in his Prologue but expresseth not his owne name It is called Ecclesiasticus which signifieth a Collector or Gatherer as a common title of euerie ordinarie preacher instructing and exhorting the multitude gathered to a sermon with difference from Ecclesiastes Which signifieth The Preacher as a greater title of the chief or principal Preacher of anie Church Citie or Prouince and agreeth most eminently to Christ our Sauiour Who preached and sendeth preachers to the whole world And for the excellent contents it may also rightly be called Panaretos that is a Receptacle or storehouse of al vertues for the instruction of al in general to cooperate with Gods grace in this life and so enherite eternal glorie In fourtie and three whole chapters are mixtly the commendations and precepts of al sortes of vertues sometimes in particular but more often vnder the general names of wisdom and Iustice In the other eight chapters are recited manie excellent examples of most renowmed holie men with praises and thankes to God THE PROLOGVE VPON ECCLESIASTICVS OF IESVS THE SONNE OF SIRACH THE knowlege of manie and great thinges hath bene shewed vs by the Law and the Prophetes and others that folowed them in which we ought to prayse Israel for doctrine wisdom because not onlie they in speaking must nedes be cunning but strangers also both lerning writing may become most lerned My grandfather Iesus after he gaue himselfe more amply to the diligence of reading the Law and the Prophetes and other Bookes that were deliuered vs from our fathers himself also would write some of those thinges which perteyne to doctrine and wisdom that such as are desirous to lerne and to be made counning in the same thinges may more and more be attent in minde and be confirmed to the life that is according to the law I exhort you therfore to come with beneuolence and to read with attent studie and to pardon vs for those thinges wherein we seming to folow the image of wisdom may fayle in the composition of wordes for the Hebrew wordes also fayle when they shal be translated to an other tongue And not onlie these but the Law also itself and the Prophetes and the rest of other bookes haue no smal difference when they are spoken within themselues For in the eight and thirteth yeare in the time of Prolomee Euergetes the king after I came into Aegypt and when I had bene there much time I found there bookes leaft of no smal nor contemptible doctrine Therfore myself also thought it good and necessarie to adde some diligence and labour to interprete this booke and with much watching I brought forth this doctrin in space of time that men may lerne those thinges which teach them that wil applie their minde how they ought to order their maners them that purpose to lead their life according to the Law of our Lord. ECCLESIASTICVS CHAP. I. Wisdom procedeth from God
Nazaraeos cont Ebionaeos S. Chrysostom Ser. de Trinit aduers Gentiles S. Augustin li. 18. c. 33. de Ciuit. Quest Vet. Noui Testat q. 102. S. Prosper par 2. c. 9. p. 3. c. 3. de promiss predict S. Theodoretus Dialogo 1. Eranistes who also writeth Comentaries vpon this booke as vpon diuine Scripture c. 2. v. 9. These and others alleage this Prophecie as Ieremies Some also vnder the name of Baruch As Origen li. 2. c. 3. Periarch S. Cyril of Alexandria li. 10. in Iulianum S. Gregorie Nyssen Orat. 1. de pauperibus amandis S. Athanasius Orat. 2. cont Arianos Though in his Synopsi he mentioneth not Baruch yet he as also S. Augustin l. 2. c. 8. Doct. Christ S. Gelacius dist 15. and others in their Catalogues of Canonical Scriptures comprehend this booke vnder the name of Ieremie But whether Baruch was the immediate Auctor vnder God or the writer therof as of an other mans Prophecie as the Euangelistes writte the wordes of Christ and others in the Gospels and in the Actes of the Apostles alwayes it is certaine the Holie Ghost directed him that he could not erre in writing it And the ancient Fathers and Councels euer accepted this booke as Diuine Scripture The Councel also of Laodicea in the last Canon expresly nameth Baruch Lamentations and Ieremies Epistle And lastly The Councels of Florence de Vnione Armenorum and of Trent Sess 4. expresly define that Baruch is Canonical Scripture In the Greke this booke is placed before the Lamentations which S. Ierom not finding in Hebrew nor in the Canon of the Iewes vrgeth it not against them Yet testifieth that he found it in the vulgate Latin Edition and that it conteineth manie thinges of Christ and the later times According to the historical sense the auctor in fiue chapters exhorteth the Iewes to repentance and patience prophecying that they should be brought into more distresse and captiuitie then as yet they were but should afterwards be released The sixt chapter is Ieremies Epistle THE PROPHECIE OF BARVCH CHAP. I. The Iewes in Babylon hauing heard Baruchs booke redde 6. send the same with money to Ierusalem 10. requesting their bretheren there to offer sacrifice and to pray for the king and prince of Babylon and for them 15. acknowleging their manifold sinnes AND these be the wordes of the booke that Baruch the sonne of Nerias the sonne of Maasias the sonne of Sedecias the sonne of Sedei the sonne of Helcias wrote in Babylon †in the fifth yeare in the seuenth day of the moneth at the time that the Chaldees tooke Ierusalem and burnt it with fyre †And Baruch redde the wordes of this booke vnto the eares of Iechonias the sonne of Ioakim king of Iuda and to the eares of al the people comming to the booke †and to the eares of the mightie the sonnes of the kinges and to the eares of the ancients and to the eares of the people from the least euen to the greatest of them that dwelt in Babylon by the riuer Sodi †Who hearing it wept and fasted and prayed in the sight of our Lord. †And they gathered money according as euerie mans hand was able †and they sent into Ierusalem to Ioakim the sonne of Helcias the sonne of Salom priest and to the priests and to al the people that were found with him in Ierusalem †When he tooke the vessels of the temple of our Lord which had bene taken away out of the temple to returne them into the Land of Iuda the tenth day of the moneth Siuan the siluer vessels which Sedecias the sonne of Iosias the king of Iuda made †after that Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon had taken Iechonias and the princes and al the mightie and the people of the land from Ierusalem and brought them bound into Babylon †And they said Behold we haue sent you money with the which bye ye holocausts and frankincense and make manna and offer for sinne at the altar of the Lord our God †and pray ye for the life of Nabuchodonosor the king of Babylon and for the life of Balthasar his sonne that their dayes may be as the dayes of heauen vpon the earth †and that our Lord geue vs strength and illuminate our eyes that we may liue vnder the shadow of Nabuchodonosor the king of Babylon and vnder the shadow of Balthasar his sonne and may serue them manie dayes and may find grace in their sight †And for our selues pray ye to the Lord our God because we haue sinned to the Lord our God and his furie is not turned away from vs euen to this day †And read ye this booke which we haue sent to you to be recited in the temple of our Lord in a solemne day and in a day couenient †And you shal say To the Lord our God iustice but to vs confusion of our face as is this day to al Iuda and them that dwel in Ierusalem †to our kinges and to our princes and to our priests and to our prophetes and to our fathers †We haue sinned before the Lord our God and beleued him not hauing diffidence in him †and we would not be made subiect to him and we haue not heard the voice of the Lord our God to walke in his commandments which he hath geuen vs. †From the day that he brought our fathers out of the Land of Aegypt euen to this day we would not be brought to beleue the Lord our God and * dissipated we reuolted that we might not heare his voice †And manie euils and maledictions haue clouen to vs which our Lord appoynted to Moyses his seruant who brought our fathers out of the Land of Aegypt to geue vs a land flowing with milke and honie as at this present day †And we haue not heard the voice of the Lord our God according to al the wordes of the prophets which he hath sent to vs †and we haue gone away euerie man into the sense of our malignant hart to serue strange goddes doing euils before the eyes of the Lord our God CHAP. II. The same captiues further confesse that their calamities are iustly comen vpon them for their iniquities 11. and therfore lamentably pray for Gods mercie as he promised by Moyses to penitents FOR the which thing the Lord our God hath established his word that he spake to vs and to our iudges that haue iudged Israel and to our kinges and to our princes and to al Israel and Iuda †that our Lord might bring vpon vs great euils which were not done vnder the heauen as haue bene done in Ierusalem according to the thinges that are written in the law of Moyses †that a man should eate the flesh of his sonne and the flesh of his daughter †And he hath geuen them vnder the hand of al the kinges that are round about vs into reproch and into
to obserue the predictions of the most excellent and perfect Sacrifice of the new Testament Malachie 1. v. 11. From the rising of the sunne sayth God by this Prophet euen to the going downe there is sacrificing and there is offered in my name a cleane oblation In the old testament they offered cattel birdes by powring out their bloud about the altar and drawing forth their bowels For purging and clensing wherof there was much washing and labour but now in the Church of Christ is the cleane Sacrifice of our Lords bodie and bloud in formes of bread and wine It is also in itself so pure that it can not be polluted as the old sacricrifices were v. 12. by vnworthie Priestes but is alwayes auaylable to some or other ex opere operato According to that the same Prophet testifieth ch 3. v. 4. The Sacrifice of Iuda and Ierusalem shal please our Lord. which is necessarily vnderstood of the Christian sacrifice for els this place were contrarie to that which God sayd to the Iewish priestes ch 1. v. 10. I haue no wil in you and I wil not receiue gift at your hand Daniel also prophecieth ch 9â— v. 27. that in the half of the weke the hoste and the sacrifice shal fayle Ch. 12. v. 11. The continual sacrifice shal be taken away therby signifying that not only after the figure the Sacrifice prefigured should succede for els there should be no daylie Sacrifice at al in the new Testament which Malachie sâ—yth plainly there shal be not in one or in fewe places but from the rising of the sunne euen to the going downe c. but also that both the old and new sacrifices should be taken away in their seueral times For so our Sauiour Mat. 24. v. 15. applieth the next wordes of this prophecie and abomination of desolation shal be set vp not only as a signe before the destruction of Ierusalem but also of the end of the world Verified in part as in the figure when the temple was destroyed diuers prophanations made in the same place but more especially shal be fulfilled by Antichrist abolishing the holie Sacrifice of Christs bodie and bloud so much as he shal be suffered as S. Hyppolitus writeth lib. de Antichristo in oratione de consummatione mundi Agreable to S. Ireneus li. 4. c. 32. li. 5. in â—ine S. Ierom. in Dan. 12. Theodoretus in eundâ—m locum and S. Chrisostom in opere imperfecto Yea some Hebrew Rabbins acknowlege Transsubstantion in the Eucharist as R. Dauid Kimhi witnesseth vpon these wordes of Osee 1â— v. 8. They shal liue with wheate and shal spring as a vine Manie of our Doctores sayth he expound this that there shal be mutation of nature in wheate in the times of our Redemer Christ This Rabbi Dauid also and the Chaldee Paraphrasis expound Ezechiels prophecie ch 36. v. 25. I wil powre out vpon you cleane water of the remission of sinne though they signifie not by what particular meanes Which Christian Doctors vndoubtedly explicate of the Sacrament of Baptisme And like wise his other prophecie ch 47. v. 1. waters issued forth vnder the threshold of the house towards the East can not be vnderstood of anie other waters then of Baptisme The purifications oblations and other workes of penance practised by the people after their returne from captiuitie written 2. Esd 9. 10. 13. testifie their obseruation of the law in this point by which the Sacrament of penance in the new testament was prefigured In like sorte the continuance of Priesthood and priestlie functions is manifest in the bookes of Esdras and of other Prophetes which prefigured the Sacrament of holie Orders in the Church of Christ In these times also the feastes instituted by the law were obserued with more or lesse solemnitie as time place and other opportunities serued As Esdras testifieth li. 1. c. 3. v. 2. Iosue the highpriest and Zorobabel the duke after their returne from captiuitie built an altar notwithstanding the threates of infidels and offered vpon it holocaust to our Lord morning and euening And they made the solemnitie of tabernacles and other feastes as wel in the Calendes as in al the solemnities of our Lord though the temple was not yet built againe v. 6. And afterwards upon new occasion Iudas Machabeus 1. Mach. 4. 2. Mach. 10. instituted a new feast which our sauiour obserued Ioan. 10. v. 12. The like obseruation was kept of fastes For amongst the feastes which were al duly performed 1. Esd 3. v. 5. one was of Expiation which consisted in fasting from euen to euen Leuit. 23. Num. 29. And besides the ordinarie Esdras appointed a peculiar fast for special purposes 1. Esd 8. v. 21. And I proclamed sayth he a fast beside the riuer Ahaua that we might be afflicted before the Lord our God and might desire of him a right way for vs and our children And v. 23. we fasted and besought our God hereby and it fel our prosperously vnto vs. Againe 2. Esd 9. v. 1. The children of Israel came together in fasting and sackclothes and earth vpon them see more of fasting Iudith 4. 9. Esther 5. 14. Zachar. 8. And of abstinence from certayne meates according to the laâ— Daniel â— 9. Iudith 10. 12.2 Mach. 6. 7. More generally the whole forme of good life is excellently prescribed in the bookes of wisdom and Ecclesiasticus Where vnder the general vertues of wisdom and Iustice al are admonished to seeke diligently to know God and to serue him As much as to say to haue fayth and good workes the two feete and legges on which the godlie walke vnto life euerlasting Let one shorte sentence here serue for example wishing al men to reade more in the bookes themselues Sap. 6. v. 18. 19. 20. is this gradation The beginning of wisdom is the true desire of discipline the care of discipline is loue loue is the keeping of her lawes and the keping of the lawes is the consummation of incorruption incorruption maketh to be next to God These are the steppes from earth to heauen from this vale of miseries to eternal happines first A true and sincere desire of discipline or of Gods true seruice 2. This desire or care of discipline bredeth loue of God 3. loue is the keping of lawes the commandments of God for he that sayth he â—oueth God and kepeth not his commandments is a liar 4. keping the lawes is the consummation of incorruption making the soule perfect in vertues and free from corruption of sinnes 5. and this incorruption maketh to be next to God ioyning man with God which is the perfect beatitude of eternal life And so he concludeth v. 22. Therfore from first to last by degrees desire of wisdom leadeth to the euerlasting kingdom Yet must we vnderstand that neither the first steppe of good
caried captiue into Assiria the two tribes into Babylon both vvhich are northward not into the east nor vveast And therfore this prophecie is of al nations Iewes Gentils to be called to Christ fromal partes Ephes 4. v. 25. :: Not only the fast of the fift and seuenth monethes vvherof the question vvas proposed ch 7. v. 3. but also of the fourth tenth were to be leaft of in the times of ioy and festinitie a Preaching of true doctrine is at first vngratful to some hearers and stil to the incredulous but this burden becometh light to the faithful * acitie of Syria Isa 62. Mat 21. v. 5. Ioan. 1. v. 15. b Christ came often into IerusaleÌ„ but this last coming excelled al the rest vvhen he came to dye for redemption of mankinde c S. Ierom S. Cyril other fathers vnderstand this lake to be Limbus patrum from whence Christ deliuered the Sainctes of the old testaments d Christ is the grane of vvheat vvhich dying bringeth much fruite Ioan. 12. And of this vvheat that bread is made that came from heauen Ioan. 6. â— Ierom in hunc locum a Latevvard time is vvhen fruite vvaxeth ripe and so is here taken for the time of grace vvhich S. Paul calleth the acceptable time therfore this prophet exhorteth to aske this grace and al spiritual benefites of God b Not only the tvvo tribes c but also the tenne shal be conuerted at last to Christ d Christians are svvetely dravvne by internal inspiration vvithout clamorus and violent persvvasion of vvordes S. Cyril Isa 11. e VVhen the faithful are multiplied confirmed in religion their enimies can not hurt them a Ierusalem is called Libanus Isa 10. v. 34. in other places for the great beautie therof likewise the temple because it vvas built of the trees of Libanus as S. Ierom here Ezech. 17. expoundeth And so by this metaphore the destruction of the citie and temple by Titus is here prophecied The ceders also signifie the principal men of the Iewes b God the cretor and gouernor of al men calleth his general gouernmeÌ„t beautie because it is most semelie that al be vnder his rod. And his peculiar gouernment of the Ievves he calleth a Cord because it is limited to one people Iere. 15. v. 2. d Christ bought and sold for 30. pence Mat. 2â— e The Ievves are reiected * vnapâ— instruments f Antichrist a destroyer g shal be destroyed a VVhen the Church of Christ beganne in Ierusalem proceeding to al Iurie and Samaria and to other nations the other Ievves most earnestly persecuted Christians Act. 4. 5. c. b Iuda besieged Ierusalem when Ievves remayning in Iudaisme persecuted other Ievves beleuing in Christ for then brother deliuered brother to death the father the sonne c. Mat. 10. v 21. Ioan. 19. v. 3. c A towne nere to Iezrahel in the countrie of Mageddon vvhere Iosas vvas slaine 2. Baral 35. and great lamentation vvas made for him vvhich vvas a figure of the miserable calamitie of the obstinate in the day of iudgement S. Ieroâ— 2. Par. 35. a In the time of the new testament Christ is made an open fountaine of grace by his Incarnation Ioa. 4. v. 13. S. Greg hâ— 20. in Ezec li. 6. epist 186. Ezec. 3â— b False doctrine as idolatrie and heresie are punishable by death in the law of Christ c By svvord is vnderstood al sortes of persecution that fel vpon our Sauiour Mat. 26. Mar. 14. d The Apostles fleiÌ„g God recalled them and streingthned them with fortitude e Neither Ievves nor Gentiles remayning in their proper professions can be saued but Christian Catholikes liuing iustly which are Gods proper people distinct from the rest by his grace a In the armie of the Romaines were souldiars of manie nations at the last destructioÌ„ of Ierusalem Eâ—â— 14. b Amos. ch 1. maketh also mention of this earthquake and Iosephus li. 9. c. 11 Antiq. though it be not in the bookes of the Kinges nor Paralipomenon Amos. â— v. 1. c Christian doctrine of the Catholique Church vniuersal in al d places and e al times f It partly appeared already as S. Ierom noteth in the persecuting Emperors since in other examples but specially these calamities vvil fal vpon the vvicked nere the day of Iudgement as Luc. 21 v. 26. g In the meane time such as before persecuted the Church shal be conuerted vvith great deuotion vvil celebrate the festiuities and exercise religious rites to Gods honour and shal merite great revvardes h And the obstinate incredulous shal remaine barren vvithout grace and voide of eternal glorie In ca. 2. v. 7. â— 3. v. 7. Much is conteyned in this briefe Prophecie a Gods peculiar loue was first shewed to the Israelits in preferriÌ„g their progenitor Iacob and them his issue befor Esau his of spring though in them there vvas no difference at al the one neither deseruing more nor lesse then the other but of his mere mercie electing the one and iustly reiecting the other vvherof see the Annot. Rom. 9. Rom. 9. v. 1â— b Againe lastly the same special vndeserued loue vvas shevved in that the Idumeans subdued by the Chaldees remained in captiuitie but the Israelites were novv reduced into their countrie c Those that offer baâ—â— and contemptible thinges to God shew that they esteme litle of God and so by their â—ct dispise and contemne him d If you dare not offer your worse thinges to your temporal prince hovv dare you offer them to God Psal 11â— e Tvvo defectes vvere in their sacrifices they offered that vvhich they gotte by robberie or extorsion f and not the best but vvorse part therof Reiection of the Ievves and vocation of the Gentils Al old sacrifices abolished and the sacrifice of Christs bodie bloud prophecied Gal. 4 v. 9. Proued by the fathers And reasons deduced from the scriptures Deut. 16. a Priestes coueting scraping riches do greatly dishonour God diminish the estimation of holie Sacraments other rites as though they were â—em â—â—ral to be â—ought sold for money so do scandalize the weake Leui. 2â— Deut. 28. b Such are happie if God by suffering them to be spoyled recal them to repentance For otherwise they wil be depriued of eternal revvard as being payed their vvages already in this vvorld These our Sauiour calleth Hyrelinges not true pastors Ioa. 10. c The proper office of priests besides the administration of Sacraments is also to teach the people true doctrine d as being the Angel that is to say the messenger from God e VVhich holie functions priests not performing are made contemptible in this world and miserable in eternal torments Ip. â—ud v. 11. Mat. 2â— v. 9. Eph. 4. v. 5. Amos 5. v. 22. Ephes 4. v. 39. a S. Iohn Baptist is called an Angel or messenger because he vvas to be sent vvith special commission from â—od and for his puritie in Angelical life
fiction of the author That is If anie error could be committed by the authores of Scriptures either through ignorance obliuion or anie other humane frailtie what soeuer were produced exception might be taken and question made whether the author had eâ—red or no True it is that some of these bookes as we shal particularly discusse in their places were sometimes doubted of by some Catholiques and called Apochrypal in that sense as the word properly signifieth hidden or not apparent So S. Ierom in his Prologue before the Latin Bible calleth diuers bookes Apochryphal being not so euident whether they were Diuine scripture because they were not in the lewes Canon nor at first in the Churches Canon but were neuer reiected as false or erronious In which sense the Prayer of Manasses the third booke of Esdras and third of Machabees are yet called Apochryphal As for the fourth of Esdras and fourth of Machabees there is more doubt But diuers others as the booke ascribed to Enoch the Gospels of S. Andrew S. Thomas S. Bartholmew and the like recited by S. Gelasius Decreto de libris Ecclesiasticis dist 15. Can. Sancta Romana S. Innocentius the first Epist. 3. S. Ierom Ep ad Laetam S. Augustin li. 15. cap. 23. de ciuit Dei Origen homis 2. in Cantica are in a worse sense called Apochryphal are reiected as conteyning manifest errors or fained by Heretikes Neither can a Christian Catholique he otherwise assured Which Bookes are Diuine and Canonical Scriptures but by declaration of the Catholique Church which without interruption succedeth the Apostles to whom our Sauiour promised and sent the Holie Ghost to teach al truth For if in anie thing more then others assuredly one chief and most necessarie point is to know and declare which Bookes are Gods holie Word being of most singular importance THE SVMME OF THE OLD TESTAment as it is distinguished from the new Not withstanding the subiect general argument of both Testaments is one the same in substance as is already said yet they differ in time in maner of vttering of Mysteries in varietie of precepts promises also in meanes to obserue the thinges exacted to attayne to the end proposed In regard wherof S. Ierome saith Lex Moysi omne vetus instrumentum elementa mundi intelliguntur quibus quasi elementis Religionis exordijs Deum discimus The law of Moyses and al the old Testament are vnderstood the elements of the world by which as by first rudiments beginnings we lerne to know God For that in it we haue first the Law of nature and asterwards a law written with promises of temporal rewardes as long life land flowiug with milke honie the like but it brought nothing to perfection as S. Paul saith when giftes hostes were offered which could not according to conscience make the obseruer perfect For the helpes of that time were but infirma egena elemeÌ„ta Weake poore elements Likewise in general touching the punishments that sometimes happened to the people of the old Testament when they transgressed the same Apostle affirmeth that al the same chanced to them in figure are written for our correption vpon whom the ends of the world are come so that the old Testament or Law was but our pedagogue in Christ Yet it setteth forth to vs the whole course of Gods Church for the space of foure thousand yeares that is from the beginning of the world vntil Christ our Redemer which Diuines diuide into six ages wherein was varietie change of her state three vnder the Law of nature and three others vnder the written Law The seuenth last age being this time of grace wherin we now are from Christ to the day of general Iudgement as the world was made in six dayes and in the seuenth God is said to haue rested and therfore sanctified it in other sort then the former six The eight wil be after the Resurrection during for al eternitie VVhich six ages of the ancient Church old Testament are thus distributed The first from the Creation to Noes floud conteyning the space of 1656. yeares The second from the floud to the going of Abraham out of his countrie 368. or counting Cainan Gen. 11. iuxta 72. Luc. 3. 398. yeares The third from Abraham his going forth of his countrie to the parting of the children of Israel out of Aegypt VVhich-some count to haue continued 720. yeares others whom we folow but 430. And thus farre in the law of nature before the written law The fourth age dured 480. yeares from the deliuerie of the children of Israel forth of Aegypt to the fundation of the Temple in Ierusalem The fifth age was from the fundation of the Temple to the captiuitie transmigration of the Iewes into Babylon about 430. yeares And the sixth age dured about 640. yeares from the Captiuitie of Babylon to Christ In al which times God was acknowledged and rightly serued by a continual visible Church with true Religion the same no other which now that Church holdeth that is called and knowen by she name of Catholique As we intend by Gods assistance to shew by briefe Annotations concerning diuers particular points now in Controuersie as the holie Text geueth occasion And especially by way of Recapitulation after euerie one of the six ages when we come to those passages in the Historie where the same are ended OF MOYSES THE AVTHOR OF THE fiue first bookes MOyses so called because he was taken from the water as the name signifieth was borne in Aegypt the sonne of Amram the sonne of Caath the sonne of Leui the Patriarch and so of Iacob Isaac and Abraham His maruelous deliuerie from drowning his education excellent forme singular wisdome heroical vertues rare dexteritie in al affayres whole life most admirable are gathered out of holie Scriptures by S. Gregorie Bishop of Nissen into a briefe Summe most worthie to be read but to large for this place He was borne about the yeare of the world two thousand foure hundred long before al prophane writers yea before manie of the Painimes false goddes as S. Augustin declareth in diuers places of his most excellent booke intituled of the Citie of God He liued in this world 120. yeares Of which 40. were in Pharaos court as the adopted sonne of Pharaos daughter fourtie in banishment from Aegypt in Madian and fourtie more he gouerned the people of Israel His singular prayses are also briefly touched in the last chapter of Deuteromie added by Iosue and in the booke of Ecclesiâ—sticus He died in the desert and was buried in the vaâ—le of Moab so secretly that no mortal man knew his sepulchre lest the Iewes who were very prone to Idolatrie should haue adored his bodie with diuine honour for the greatnes and multitude of his miracles and for the singular estimation they had of
men dying They fel and were ouerthrowen on the east side of the citie of Gabaa †And there were that were slaine in the same place eightene thousand men al most valiant warryers †Which when they had seene that were remayning of BeniamÃn they fled into the wildernes and went on to the rocke the name wherof is Remmon In that flight also stragling and going diuers waies they slew fiue thousand men And whereas they went farder they pursewed them and slew also other two thousand †And so it came to passe that al which were slaine of Beniamin in diuerse places were fiue and twentie thousand one hundred fighting men most prompt to warres †There remayned therfore of al the number of Beniamin that could escape and flee into the wildernes six hundred men and they abode in the Rocke Remmon foure monethes †But the children of Israel retyring stroke al the remaines of the citie with the sword from men euen to beastes and al the cities and villages of Beniamin the deuouring flame did consume CHAP. XXI The tribe of Beniamin is repayred 8. by foure hundred virgins reserued in the slaughter of Iabes Galaad 19. and by other virgins taken that come forth of Silo to daunce THE children of Israel sware also in Maspha and said None of vs shal geue of his daughters to the children of Beniamin to wife †And they came al to the house of God in Silo and sitting in his sight vntil euening lifted vp their voice and with great wayling beganne to weepe saying Wherfore ô Lord God of Israel is this euil done in thy people that this day one tribe should be taken away out of vs †And on the morrow rising early they built an altar and offered there holocaustes and pacifique victimes and said †Who hath not ascended in the hoste of our Lord of al the tribes of Israel For they had bound them selues with a great othe when they were in Maspha that they should be slayne which had beene wanting †And the children of Israel being moued with repentance vpon their brother Beniamin beganne to say One tribe is taken away out of Israel †whence shal they take wiues For we haue al sworne in common that we wil not geue our daughters to them †Therfore they said Who is there of al the tribes of Israel that went not vp to our Lord into Maspha And behold the inhabitantes of Iabes Galaad were found not to haue bene in that armie †At that time also when they were in Silo none of them was found there †They sent therfore ten thousand the strongest men and commanded them Goe and strike the inhabitantes of Iabes Galaad in the edge of the sword as wel their wiues as their litle ones †And this shal be it which you shal obserue Al of the male kinde and wemen that haue knowen men kil ye but the virgins reserue †And there were found of Iabes Galaad foure hundred virgins that knew not mans bedde and they brought them to the campe in Silo into the Land of Chanaan †And they sent messengers to the children of Beniamin that were in Rocke Remmon and commanded them that they should receiue them in peace †And the children of Beniamin came at that time and there were geuen vnto them wiues of the daughters of Iabes Galaad but others they found not which they might geue them in like maner †And al Israel was very sorie and repented for the killing of one tribe out of Israel †And the ancientes said What shal we doe to the rest that haue not taken wiues For al the wemen in Beniamin are dead †And we must very carefully and with great studie prouide that one tribe be not destroyed out of Israel †For our owne daughters we can not geue them being bound with an oath and a curse wherby we said Cursed be he that shal geue to Beniamin anie of his daughters to wife And they tooke counsail and said Behold there is an anniuersaire solemnitie of our Lord in Silo which is situate on the North of the citie of Bethel on the East side of the way that goeth from Bethel to Sichem and on the South of the towne of Lebona †And they commanded the children of Beniamin and said Goe and lie hidde in the vineyardes †And when you shal see the daughters of Silo come forth after the maner to lead daunses issue forth sodenly out of the vineyardes and catch of them euerie one his wife and goe into the Land of Beniamin †And when their fathers shal come and their brethren and shal beginne to complaine against you and to chide we wil say to them Haue pittie on them for they tooke them not away by the right of warryers and conquerours but when they desired to receiue them you gaue them not and on your part the fault was committed †And the children of Beniamin did as it had beene commanded them and according to their number they tooke away to them selues of those that ledde the daunses euerie one his wife and they went into their possession building cities and dwelling in them †The children of Israel also returned by their tribes and families into their tabernacles In those daies there was not a King in Israel but euerie one did that which semed right to him selfe THE ARGVMENT OF THE BOOKE OF RVTH AMONGST other thinges that happened to the people of Israel in the time of the Iudges this historie of Ruth to witt her coming from Moab her conuersion to true Religion godlie conuersation and mariage with Booz of the tribe of Iuda is recorded as a more principal matter For that not onlie king Dauid but consequently also our SAVIOVR the Redemer of mankind descended from her VVherby was fore signified that as saluation thus proceded from the Gentiles together with the Iewes so the Gentiles are made partakers of the same grace More clerly prophecied as S. Hierom noteth by Isai cap. 16. saying Send forth ô Lord the lambe the Ruler of the earth from the Rocke of the desert to the mount of the daughter of Sion That is from Ruth the gentile to Hierusalem or rather to the Church This mariage of Ruth came to passe about the time of Abesan Iudge The booke was written as is most probable by Samuel and is diuided into foure chapters whose contentes folow in their places THE BOOKE OF RVTH CHAP. I. By occasion of famine Elimelech of Bethleem going with his wife Noemi and two sonnes into the Land of Moab there dieth 4. His sonnes marrie wiues of that countrie and die without issue 6. Noemi returning homewardes hardly perswadeth one of her daughters in law to part from her 15. The other called Ruth wil needes goe with her professing the same God and Religion 19. So these two arriue in Betheleem IN the dayes of one Iudge when the Iudges ruled there came a famine in the Land And there went a
he destroyed her denne and brake the most filthie idol and burnt it in the torrent cedron †but the excelses he did not take away Otherwise the hart of Asa was parfect with our Lord al his daies †and he caried in those thinges which his father had sanctified and vowed into the house of our Lord siluer and gold and vessels †And there was warre betwen Asa and Baasa the king of Israel al their daies †Baasa also the king of Israel went vp into Iuda and built Rama that no man might go out or come in of Asaes side the king of Iuda †Asa therfore taking al the siluer and gold that remained in the treasures of the house of our Lord and in the treasures of the kinges house gaue it into the handes of his seruantes and he sent to Benadad the sonne of Tabremon the sonne of Hezion the king of Syria which dwelt in Damascus saying †There is a league betwen me and thee betwixt my father and thy father therfore I haue sent thee giftes siluer and gold and I desire thee that thou come and make void the league that thou hast with Baasa the king of Israel and he may retire from me †Benadad agreing to king Asa sent the princes of his armie into the citiees of Israel and they stroke Ahion and Dan and Abeldomum of Maacha and al Cenneroth to witte al the Land of Nephthali †Which when Baasa had heard he intermitted to build Rama and returned into Thersa †But king Asa sent word into al Iuda saying Let no man be excused and they tooke stones from Rama and the timber therof wherwith Baasa had built and Asa of it built Gabaa Beniamin and Maspha †But the rest of al the wordes of Asa and al his forces and al that he did the cities that he built are not these written in the Booke of the words of the dayes of the kinges of Iuda How beit in the time of his old age he was diseased in his feete †And he slept with his fathers was buried with them in the citie of Dauid his father And Iosaphat his sonne reigned for him †But Nadab the sonne of Ieroboam reigned ouer Israel the second yeare of Asa the king of Iuda and he reigned ouer Israel two yeares †And he did that which is euil in the sight of our Lord and walked in the waies of his father and in his sinnes wherwith he made Israel to sinne †And Baasa the sonne of Ahias of the house of Issachar lay in wayte against him and stroke him in Gebbethon which is a citie of the Philistimes for Nadab and al Israel besieged Gebbethon †Baasa therfore slew him in the third yeare of Asa the king of Iuda and reigned for him †And when he reigned he stroke al the house of Ieroboam he leaft not so much as one soule of his seede til he destroied him according to the word of our Lord which he had spoken in the hand of Ahias the Silonite †for the sinnes of Ieroboam which he had sinned and wherwith he had caused Israel to sinne and for the offence wherwith he prouoked our Lord the God of Israel †But the rest of the wordes of Nadab and al that he wrought are not these thinges written in the Booke of the wordes of the daies of the kinges of Israel †And there was warre betwen Asa and Baasa the king of Israel al their daies †In the third yeare of Asa the king of Iuda reigned Baasa the sonne of Ahias ouer al Israel in Thersa foure and twentie yeares †And he did euil before our Lord walked in the waies of Ieroboam and in his sinnes wherwith he made Israel to sinne CHAP. XVI Iehu for prophecying the destruction of Baasa and his house 7. is slaine 8. yet his sonne Ela reigneth tvvo yeares 9. Then Zambri rebelleth killeth Ela and reigneth 16. Part of the people choosing Amri prince of the armie their king 18. Zambri desperatly burneth himselfe and the kings palace 21. an other part folow Thebni as king til his death 23. Amri reigneth tvvelue yeares vvickedly 29. His sonne Achab succedeth marieth Iezabel and serueth Baal 34. In the meane time Hiel repairer◠Iericho AND the word of our Lord came to Iehu the sonne of Hanani agaynst Baasa saying †For so much as I haue exalted thee out of the dust sette thee duke ouer my people Israel but thou hast walked in the way of Ieroboam and hast made my people Israel to sinne that thou mightest anger me with their sinnes †behold I wil cut downe the posteritie of Baasa and the posteritie of his house and I wil make thy house as the house of Ieroboam the sonne of Nabat †Whosoeuer of Baasa shal die in the citie him shal the dogges eate and whosoeuer of his shal die in the countrie him shal the fowles of the ayre deuoure †But the rest of the wordes of Baasa and whatsoeuer he did and his battels are not these things written in the Booke of the wordes of the daies of the kinges of Israel †Baasa therfore slept with his fathers and was buried in Thersa and Ela his sonne reigned for him †And when the word of our Lord came in the hand of Iehu the sonne of Hanani the prophete agaynst Baasa and agaynst his house and agaynst al the euil that he had done before our Lord to anger him in the workes of his handes that it should be made as the house of Ieroboam for this cause he slew him that is to say Iehu the sonne of Hanani the prophete †In the sixe and twenteth yeare of Asa the king of Iuda reigned Ela the sonne of Baasa ouer Israel in Thersa two yeares †And his seruant Zambri rebelled agaynst him the captayne of the halfe part of the horsemen and Ela was in Thersa drinking and dronken in the house of Arsa the gouernour of Thersa †Zambri therfore rushing in stroke and slew him in the seuen and twenteth yeare of Asa the king of Iuda he reigned for him †And when he teigned and sate vpon his throne he stroke al the house of Baasa and he leaft not of it one that could pysse agaynst a wal his kinsfolke and frendes †And Zambri destroyed al the house of Baasa according to the word of our Lord that he had spoken to Baasa in the hand of Iehu the prophet †for al the sinnes of Baasa and the sinnes of Ela his sonne who sinned and made Israel to sinne prouoking our Lord the God of Israel in their vanities †But the rest of the wordes of Ela and al that he did are not these writen in the Booke of the wordes of the daies of the kinges of Israel †In the seuen and twenteth yeare of Asa the king of Iuda reigned Zambri seuen daies in Thersa moreouer the armie besieged Gebbethon a citie of the Philisthines †And
and Zauan and Iacan The sonnes of Disan Hus and Aran. †These be the kinges that reigned in the Land of Edom before there was a king ouer the chidren of Israel Bale the sonne of Beor and the name of his citie Deneba †And Bale died and Iobab the sonne of Zare of Bosra reigned for him †And when Iobab also was dead Husam of the Land of the Themanes reigned for him †And Husam also died and Adad the sonne of Badad reigned for him who stroke Madian in the Land of Moab and the name of his citie was Auith. †And when Adad also was dead Semla of Masreca reigned for him †But Semla also died and there reigned for him Saul of Rohoboth which is situate besides the riuer †Saul also being dead Balanan the sonne of Achobor reigned for him †But this also died and Adad reigned for him whose cities name was Phau and his wife was called Meetabel the daughter of Matred the daughter of Mezaab †And Adad being dead there began to be dukes in Edom for kinges duke Thamna duke Alua duke Ietheth †duke Oolibama duke Ela duke Phinon †duke Cenez duke Theman duke Mabsar †duke Magdiel duke Hiram these be the dukes of Edom. ANNOTATIONS BECAVSE in diuers holie Scriptures and especialy in these bookes of Paralipomenon manie difficulties occurre concerning diuers persons and places as also differences of numbers and times in reconciling wherof the holie Fathers and Doctors haue much laboured making sometimes large commentaries to satisfie them selues and other diligent searchers of the truth to remoue the obloquies of detractors from the authoritie of holie Scripture whose learned explications of such obscurities if we should cite it would be ouer long and contratie to our purpose of brief Annotations here once for often we wil present to the vulgar reader certaine cleare and ordinarie rules by which the learned Diuines do reconcile such apparent contradictions First it is euident by sundrie examples that manie persons places and some other thinges had diuers names so are sometimes called by one name sometimes by an other Secondly which is more common manie were called by the same names and so must be distinguished by the differences of times places qualities or other circumstances Thirdly in genealogies and other histories children are not alwaies called the sonnes or daughters of their natural parentes but sometimes of legal fathers and sometimes also of those that adopted them for their children and sometimes of their grandfathers or former progenitors Fourthly sometime for mysterie sake an other number is expressed being true in the mystical sense differing from the precise number according to the historie As in the genealogie of Christ the Euangelist counteth thrise fourtene generations from Abraham to our Sauiour differing from the historie of the old Testament Fiftly euen in the historie it self sometimes holie Scripture counteth only the greater numbers ommitting the lesser and in some other addeth also the odde numbers Sixtly the Scriptures speake often by tropes as mentioning part for the whole or the whole for the part so by the figure Synechdoche Christ is said to haue bene three dayes dead that is one whole day and part of other two And some king liuing or reigning so manie yeares and part of an other and his successour reigning the other part ech part is countend to each of them for a whole yeare and so a yeare is added more then is in the precise number Seuenthly sometimes the sonnes reigned together with their fathers as Ioathan reigned his father Ozias yet liuing 4. Reg. 15. so both their reignes are sometimes counted sometimes their seueral yeares as euerie one reigned alone Eightly the times of vacances in the gouernment of the Iudges reignes of kinges and the like are sometimes omitted in calculation sometimes adioyned to the predecessor or successor Ninthly sometimes the holy Scripture mentioneth the only time that one liued or reigned wel as it were blotting out the rest with obliuion So Saul is sayd to haue reigned two yeares 1. Reg 13. VVho wel and euil reigned much longer Tenthly by error in writing wordes names and especially numbers may easely be changed and can not easely be corrected By these or other like meanes al the holie Scriptures may be defended though none ought to presume by his priuate spirit to vnderstand and expound al Sciptures which are hard not only by reason of their profound sense surpassing mans natural capacitie but also for that in outward apparence sometimes there seeme to be contradictions but in dede neither are nor can be vttered by the Holie Ghost the Spirit of truth Inditer of the whole sacred Bible And therfore we must relie vpon Gods Spirit speaking in his spouse the Church commended vnto vs by those Scriptures wherof we are sufficiently assured CHAP II. The names of Israels twelue sonnes 3. The geneologie of Iuda first in the right line to Dauid the seuenth sonne of Isai 16. then other genealogies of the same Iuda AND the chidren of Israel Ruben Simeon Leui Iuda Issachar and Zabulon †Dan Ioseph Beniamin Nephthali Gad and Aser †The sonnes of Iuda Her Onan and Sela. these three were borne to him of the Chananite the daughter of Sue And Her the firstbegotten of Iuda was euil before our Lord and he slewe him †And Thamar his daughter in law bare him Phares and Zara. †Therfore al the sonnes of Iuda were fiue †And the sonnes of Phares Hesron and Hamul †The sonnes also of Zara Zamri and Ethan and Eman Chalcal also and Dara together fiue †And the sonnes of Charmi Achar who trubled Israel sinned in the theft of the anathema †The sonnes of Ethan Azarias †And the sonnes of Hesron that were borne to him Ierameel and Ram and Calubi †Moreouer Ram begat Aminadab and Aminadab begat Nahasson the prince of the children of Iuda †Nahasson also begat Salma of whom was borne Booz †But Booz begat Obed who also begat Isai †And Isai begat the firstbegotten Eliab the second Abinadab the third Simmaa †the fourth Nathanael the fifth Raddai †the sixt Asom the seuenth Dauid †Whose sisters were Saruia and Abigail The sonnes of Saruia Abisai Ioab and Asael three †And Abigail beare Amasa whose father was Iether the Ismaelite †But Caleb the sonne of Hesron tooke a wife named Azuba of whom he begat Ierioth and her sonnes were Iaser and Sobab and Ardon †And when Azuba was dead Caleb tooke to wife Ephratha who bare him Hur. †Moreouer Hur begat Vri and Vri begat Bezeleel †After these thinges Hesron went in to the daughter of Machir the father of Galaad and tooke her when he was three score yeares old who bare him Segub †But Segub also begat Iair possessed three and twentie cities in the Land of Galaad †And he tooke
his hand to day and offer what he wil to our Lord. †The princes therfore of the families promised and the nobles of the tribes of Israel the tribunes also and the centurions and the princes of the kinges possessions †And they gaue vnto the workes of the house of our Lord of gold fiue thousand talentes and ten thousand solidos of siluer ten thousand talentes and of brasse eightene thousand talentes of yron also an hundred thousand talentes †And with whomsoeuer were found stones they gaue them into the treasures of the house of our Lord by the hand of Iahiel the Gersonite †And the people reioysed when they promised vowes of their owne accord because they did offer them to our Lord with al their hart yea and Dauid the king reioysed with great ioy †And he blessed our Lord before al the multitude and he sayd Blessed art thou ô Lord the God of Israel our father from eternitie vnto eternitie †Thine ô Lord is the magnificence and might and glorie and victorie to thee is the prayse for al thinges that be in heauen and in the earth are thine thine ô Lord is the kingdom and thou art ouer al princes †Thine are riches and thine is glorie thou hast dominion ouer al in thy hand is power might in thy hand greatenesse and the empire of al thinges †Now therfore our God we confesse to thee and we prayse thy glorious name †Who am I and what is my people that we can promisse thee al these thinges al are thine and thinges that we receiued of thy hand we haue geuen thee †For we are pilgrimes before thee and strangers as al our fathers Our daies are as a shadow vpon the earth and there is noe abyding †Lord our God al this plentie which we haue prepared that a house might be built to thy holie name is of thy hand and al thinges are thine †I know my God that thou prouest the hartes and louest simplicitie wherfore I also in the simplicitie of my hart gladly haue offered al these thinges and thy people which is here found I haue sene with great ioy offer thee donaries †Lord God of Abraham and Isaac and Israel our fathers keepe for euer this wil of their hart and let this mind reinayne al waies to the honour of thee †To Salomon also my sonne geue a perfect hart that he keepe thy commandementes thy testimonies and thy ceremonies and doe al thinges and build the house the expenses whereof I haue prepared †And Dauid commanded the whole assemblie Blesse ye our Lord God And al the assemblie blessed our Lord the God of their fathers and they bowed themselues and adored God and then the king †And they immolated victime to our Lord and they offered holocaustes the day folowing oxen a thousand rammes a thousand lambes a thousand with their libamentes with al rite most abundantly for al Israel †And they did eate and drinke before our Lord in that day with great ioy And they anoynted the second time Salomon the sonne of Dauid And they anoynted him to our Lord for the prince and Sadoc for the high priest †And Salomon sate vpon the throne of our Lord as king for Dauid his father and he pleased al al Israel obeyed him †Yea and al the princes and men of might and al the sonnes of king Dauid gaue their hand and were subiect to Salomon the king †Our Lord therfore magnified Salomon ouer al Israel and gaue him the glorie of akingdom such as no king of Israel had before him †Dauid therfore the sonne of Isai reigned ouer al Israel †And the daies that he reigned ouer Israel were fourtie yeares in Hebron he reigned seuen yeares and in Ierusalem three and thirtie yeares †And he died in a good age ful of daies and riches and glorie And Salomon his sonne reigned for him †But the actes of king Dauid the first and the last are writen in the Booke of Samuel the Seer in the Booke of Nathan the prophete in the Volume of Gad the Seer †and of al his kingdom and strength and of the times that passed vnder him either in Israel or in al the kingdomes of the earth THE ARGVMENT OF THE SECOND BOOKE OF PARALIPOMENON AS the former booke sheweth how after manie generations from the beginning of the world God selecting one special nation for his peculiar people and the same being afterwardes made a kingdome the Scepter therof both by Gods and the peoples election came to Dauid and his sonne Salomon See this booke declareth that first Salomon reigned peaccably ouer the whole kingdom in the nine first chapters Then in the other twentie seuen chapters relateth how the same kingdom was diuided tenne tribes being taken away the historie wherof is but here briefly touched and two only with the title of the kingdom of Iuda were possessed by succession of ninetenne kinges al of Dauids and Salomons issue in royal estate til the captiuitie in Babylon THE SECOND BOOKE OF PARALIPOMENON IN HEBREW DIBRE HAIAMIM CHAP. I. Salomon establiâ—hed in the throne offereth a thousand hostes of sacrifice 7. asking wisdome 12. it is geuen him with richesse and temporal glorie which he asked not 14. He prouideth manie chariottes and horsemen SALOMON therfore the sonne of Dauid was strengthened in his kingdom and our Lord was with him and magnified him on high †And Salomon commanded al Israel the tribunes and the centurious and the dukes and iudges of al Israel and the princes of the families †and he went with al the multitude into the Excelse of Gabaon where was the tabernacle of the couenant of our Lord which Moyses the seruant of God made in the wildernesse †For Dauid had brought the Arke of God from Cariathiarim into the place which he had prepared for it and where he had pitcht a tabernacle for it that is in Ierusalem †The altar also of brasse which Beseleel the sonne of Vri the sonne of Hur had made was there before the tabernacle of our Lord which also Salomon sought and al the assemblie †And Salomon went vp to the altar of brasse before the tabernacle of the couenant of our Lord and offered on it a thousand hostes †And behold in that verie night God appeared to him saying Aske what thou wilt that I may geue it thee †And Salomon sayd to God Thou hast done great mercie with my father Dauid and hast made me king for him †Now therfore Lord God be thy word fulfilled which thou hast promised to Dauid my father for thou hast made me king ouer thy people great in number which is so innumerable as the dust of the earth †Geue me wisdom and intelligence that I may come in goe out before thy people for who can worthely iudge this thy people which is so great †And
consecrated and in al wherein there was offered voluntarily a gift to our Lord. †From the first day of the seuenth moneth they began to offer holocaust to our Lord moreouer the temple of God was not yet founded †And they gaue money to hewers of sâ—ones and to masons meate also and drinke and oyle to the Sidonians and Tyrians that they should bring ceder trees from Libanus to the sea vnto Ioppe according to that which Cyrus the king of the Persians had commanded them †And in the second yeare of their coming to the temple of God in Ierusalem the second moneth began Zorobabel the sonne of Salathiel and Iosue the sonne of Iosedec and the rest of their brethren the Priestes and the Leuites and al that were come from the captiuitie into Ierusalem and they appoynted Leuites from twentie yeares and vpward that they should hasten forward the worke of our Lord. †And Iosue stood and his sonnes and his brethren Cedmihel and his sonnes and the children of Iuda as it were one man that they might be instant vpon them that did the worke in the temple of God the sonnes of Henadad and their sonnes and their brethren Leuites †The temple therfore of our Lord being founded by the masons the Priestes stood in their attyro with trumpettes and the Leuites the children of Asaph in cymbals to prayse God by the handes of Dauid the king of Israel †And they sang together in hymnes and confession to our Lord Because he is good because his mercie is for euer vpon Israel Al the people also made a shoute with a lowde crie in praysing our Lord because the temple of our Lord was founded †Verie manie also of the Priestes and the Leuires and the princes of the fathers the ancients that had seene the former temple when they saw this temple founded they wept with a lowd voyce and manie shouting in ioy lifted vp their voyce †Neither could anie man discerne the voice of the crie of them that reioyced and the voice of the weeping of the people for one with an other the people â—howted with alowd crie and the voice was heard far of CHAP. IIII. The schismatical Samaritanes because they are not admitted to communicate With the lewes endeuour to hinder the building of the Temple 5. Which neuertheles procedeth al the dayes of king Cyrus 7. but is hundered by Artaxerxes til the second yeare of Darius BVT the enemies of Iuda and Beniamin heard that the children of the captiuitie built a temple to our Lord the God of Israel †And coming to Zorobabel and the princes of the fathers they sayd to them Let vs build with you because euen as you so do we seeke your God Behold we haue immolated victimes from the dayes of Asor Haddan the king of Assur which brought vs hither †And Zorobabel sayd to them and Iosue and the rest of the princes of the fathers of Israel It is not for you and vs to build a house to our God but we our selues alone wil build to the Lord our God as Cyrus the king of the Persians hath coÌ„manded vs. †It came to passe therfore that the people of the land hindred the handes of the people of Iuda and trubled them in building †And they hyred counselers agaynst them to destroy theyr counsel al the dayes of Cyrus the king of the Persians vntil the reigne of Darius theking of the Persians †And in the reigne of Assuerus in the begining of his reigne they wrote an accusation against the inhabitantes of Iuda and Ierusalem †And in the dayes of Artaxerxes Bâ—selam Mitridates Thabeel the rest that were in theyr counsel writ to Artaxcrxes king of the Persians and the epistle of the accusation was writen in Syriake and was read in the Sirian language †Reum Beelreem and Samsai scribe wrote one epistle from Ierusalem to Artaxerxes the king of this tenure †Reum Beelteem and Samsai scribe and the rest of their counselers the Dineites and the Apharsathaceites the Terphaleites the the Apharseiâ—es the Erchueites the Babylonians the Susanecheites the Dieuites and the Aelamites †and the rest of the Gentiles which Asenaphar the great and glorious transported and made them dwel in the cities of Samaria and in the rest of the countries beyond the Riuer in peace †this is the copie of the epistle which they sent to him To Artaxerxes the king thy seruantes the men that are beyond the Riuer send greeting †Be it knowen to the king that the lewes which came vp from thee to vs are come into Ierusalem a rebellious and naughtie citie which they build making the rampyres thereof and repayring the walles †Now therfore be it knowen to the king that if that citie shal be built and the walles therof repayred they will not geue tribute and tolle yearly rentes and this damage wil come euen to the kinges †But we mindful of the salt that we haue eaten in the palace and because we count it heynous to see the kings harmes therfore we haue sent and certified the king †that thou recount in the bookes of the histories of thy fathers and thou shalt finde writen in the commentaries and shalt know that that citie is a rebellious citie and hurtful to the kinges and prouinces and battels are raysed in it of old time for the which cause also the citie it selfe was destroyed †We certifie the king that if that citie shal be built and the walles therof repayred thou shalt haue no possession beyond the Riuer †The king sent word to Reum Beelteem and Samsai scribe and to the rest that were in their counsel inhabitantes of Samaria and to the rest beyond the Riuer sending greeting and peace †The accusation which you haue sent to vs was openly read before me †and I gaue commandment and they recounted and haue found that that citie of old time rebelleth agaynst the kinges and seditions and battels are raysed in it †For there haue beene also most valiant kinges in Ierusalem which also had dominion ouer al the countrie that is beyond the Riuer They tooke also tribute and rolle and rentes †Now therfore heare the sentence Prohibite ye those men that that citie be not built til it perhaps shal be commanded by me †See that you doe not negligently accomplish this thing and by litle there grow euil agaynst the kinges †Therfore the copie of the edict of Attaxerxes the king was read before Reum Beelteem and Samsai the scribe and their counselers and they went in hast into Ierusalem to the Iewes prohibited them with arme and strength †Then was the worke of the house of our Lord in Ierusalem intermitted and was not done vntil the second yeare of the reigne of Darius the king of the Persians CHAP. V. By the exhortation of Aggaeus and Zacharias the people procede in building the semple 3. VVhich their enimies
the children of Herem Eliezer Iosue Melchias Semeias Simeon †Beniamin Maloch Samarias †And of the children of Hasom Mathanai Mathatha Zabad Eliphelet Iermai Manasse Semei †Of the children of Bani Maaddi Amram and Vel †Baneas and Badaias Chelia◠†Vania Marimuth and Eliasib †Mathanias Mathanai and Iasi †and Bani and Bennui Semei †and Salmias and Nathan and Adaias †and Mechnedebai Sisai Sarai †Ezrel and Selemiau Semeria †Sellum Amaria Ioseph †Of the children of Nebo Iehiel Mathathias Zabad Zabina Ieddu and Ioel. and Banaia †Al these had taken strangers to wife and there were of them that had borne children THE ARGVMENT OF THE BOOKE OF NEHEMIAS THIS booke beareth Title both of the author Nehemias who writ it and of the second booke of Esdras who in the former writ the historie of the Israelites after theyr relaxation from captiuitie to the building againe of the Temple with other thinges done the same time VVhereunto Nehemias ioyneth thinges succeding especially the new erection of walles and towers about the citie of Ierusalem And it may be diuided into three partes In the two first chapters he sheweth his compassion of his countries misserie and his coÌ„ming to assist them In the tenne folowing he reciteth the good effectes in repayring and strengthning the citie with wallâ—s and people In the last chapter the correction of errors euil maners which he found amongst them THE BOOKE OF NEHEMIAS which also is called THE SECOND OF ESDRAS CHAP. I. Nehemias hearing the miserable state of his countrie men in Iurie 4. lamenteth fasteth and prayeth God for their relief THE wordes of Nehemias the sonne of Helchias And it came to passe in the moneth of Casleu the twenteth yeare and I was in Susis the castel †And Hanani one of my brethren came him selse and men of Iuda and I asked them of the Iewes that remayned and were left aliue of the captiuitie and of Ierusalem †And they sayd to me They that remayned and are left of the captiuitie there in the prouince are in great affliction and in reproche and the wal of Ierusalem is broken downe and the gates therof are burnt with fire †And when I had heard these maner of wordes I sate and wept and mourned many dayes and fasted and prayed before the face of the God of heauen †And I sayd I besech thee Lord God of heauen strong great and terrible which keepest couenant mercie with them that loue thee and keepe thy coÌ„mandmentes †let thine eares be harkning and thine eyes open to heare the prayer of thy seruant which I pray before thee this day night day for the children of Israel thy seruantes and I confesse for the sinnes of the children of Israel in which they haue sinned to thee I my fathers house haue sinned †we haue bene seduced with vanitie and haue not kept thy commandments and cerimonies and iudgement which thou hast commanded to Moyses thy seruant †Remember the word that thou didst command vnto Moyses thy seruant saying When you shal transgresse I will depresse you into peoples †and if you returne to me and keepe my precepts and doe them although you shal be led away to the vttermost partes of heauen thence wil I gather you and bring you backe into the place which I haue chosen that my name should dwel there †And they are thy seruantes and thy people whom thou hast redemed in thy great strength and in thy mighty hand †I besech thee Lord let thine eare be attent to the prayer of thy seruant and to the prayer of thy seruants which will feare thy name and direct thy seruant this day and giue him mercy before this man for I was the kings cupbearer CHAP. II. Nehemias obtaining commission from king Artaxerxes cometh to Ierusalem 11. secretty vieweth the broken walles and ruines of the citie 17. and exhorteth al the Iewes to the reedifying therof AND it came to passe in the moneth of Nisan the twentith yeare of Artaxerxes the king and there was wine before him and I lifted vp the wine and gaue to the king and I was as it were languishing before his face †And the king sayd to me Why is thy countenance sad whereas I doe not see thee sicke this is not without cause but some euil I know not what is in thy hart And I was very much and excedingly afrayd †and I sayd to the king O king for euer mayst thou liue why should not my countenance be heauie because the citie of the house of the sepulchres of my fathers is desolate and the gates therof are burnt with fire †And the king sayd to me For what thing makest thou request And I prayed the God of heauen †and I sayd to the king If it seme good to the king and if thy seruant do please before thy face thou send me into Iewrie to the citie of the sepulchre of my father and I wil build it †And the king sayd to me and the Queene that â—ate by him Vnto what time wil thy iourney be and when wilt thou returne And it pleased before the king and he sent me and I appoynted him a time †And I sayd to the king If it seme good to the king let him geue me letters to the gouernours of the country beyond the Riuer that they conduct me til I come into Iewrie †and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the kings forest to geue me timber that I may couer the gates of the towre of the house and the walles of the citie and the house that I shal enter into And the king gaue according to the good hand of my God with me †And I came to the dukes of the countrie beyond the Riuer and gaue them the kings letters And the king had sent with me captaynes of soldiers and horsemen †And Sanaballat an Horonite and Tobias a seruant an Ammonite heard it and were greiued with great affliction that a man was come which sought the prosperitie of the children of Israel †And I came to Ierusalem and was there three dayes †and I arose in the night I and a few men with me and I told not anie man what God had put in my hart to doe in Ierusalem and there was no beast with me but the beast wheron I sate †And I went out by the gate of the valley by night and before the fountayne of the dragon and to the gate of the dung and I viewed the wal of Ierusalem broken downe and the gates therof consumed with fire †And I passed to the gate of the fountayne and to the kinges conduite and there was no place for the beast where on I sat to passe †And I went vp by the torrent in the night and viewed the wal and going backe I came to the gate of the valley and returned †But the magistrastes knew
and cleane stone shal al the streates therof be paued and in the streates therof Alleluia shal be song †Blessed be our Lord which hath exalted it and his kingdom be for euer and euer ouer it Amen CHAP. XIIII Old Tobias dieth at the age of an hundred and two yeares 5. exhorteth his sonne and nephewes to pietie forshewing that Niniue shal be destroyed and Ierusalâ—m reedified 14. yonger Tobias returneth with his familie to Raguel and dieth happely as he had liued AND the wordes of Tobias were ended And after that Tobias was restored to his sight he liued two and fourtie yeares and saw the children of his nephewes †Therfore an hundred and two yeares being accomplished he was buried honorably in Niniue †For being six and fiftie yeares old he lost the sight of his eies and being threescore he receiued it agayne †And the rest of his life was in ioy and with great increase of the feare of God he went forward in peace †And at the houre of his death he called vnto him Tobias his sonne and his seuen yong sonnes his nephewes and sayd to them †The destruction of Niniue is neere for the word of our Lord fayleth not and our brethren which are dispersed from the land of Israel shal returne to it †And al the desert land therof shal be replenished and the house of God which is burnt in it shal agayne be reedefied and thither shal al returne that feare God †and the Gentiles shal forsake their idols and shal come into Ierusalem and shal inhabite in it †and al the kings of the earth shal reioyce in it adoring the king of Israel †Heare ye therfore my children your father serue our Lord in truth and seeke to doe the thinges that please him †and command your children that they doe iustices and almes deedes that they be mindeful of God and blesse him at al time in truth and in al their power †Now therfore children heare me and doe not tarie here but what day soeuer you shal burie your mother by me in one sepulchre from thenceforth directe your steppes to depart hence †for I see that the iniquitie therof wil giue it an end †And it came to passe after the death of his mother Tobias departed out of Niniue with his wife and children and childrens children and returned to his father and mother in law †And he found them in health in good old age and he tooke care of them and he closed their eies and al the inheritance of Raguels house he receiued he saw the fifth generation his childrens children †And nintie nine yeares being accomplished in the feare of our Lord with ioy they buried him †And al his kinred and al his generation continewed in good life and in holie conuersation so that they were acceptable both to God and to men and to al the inhabitantes in in the land THE ARGVMENT OF THE BOOKE OF IVDITH S. Ierom sometime supposed this booke not to be canonical but after warde finding that the Councel of Nice accounted it in the number of holie Scriptures he so estemed it and therupon not only translated it into Latin out of the Chaldeetongue wherin it was first written but also as occasion required alleaged the same as diuine Scripture and sufficient to conuince matters of faith in controuersie For otherwise his opposing the authoritie of the Nicen Councel should proue nothing at al against the Iewes seing they also acknowledge this booke amongst Agiographa or holie writtes but lesse fitte say they to streingthen those thinges which come into contention wherby is clere that S. Ierom thenceforth held it for diuine Scripture As further appeareth in his commentaries in Isai 14. more expresly Epist ad Principiam he counted it in ranke with other Scriptures wherof none doubteth saying Ruth Esther Iudith were of so great renoume that they gaue the names to sacred volumes And in this Preface doubted not to say that the rewarder of Iudithes chastitie God himself gaue her for imitation not only to wemen but also to men gaue her such vertue that she ouerthrew him whom none could ouercome and conquered the inuincible Also Before the Councel Origen in c. 14. Iudith Tertullian de Monogamia c. vlt. And diuers whom S. Hilarie citeth and dissenteth not from them Prologo in Psalmos held this booke for Canonical Manie more writes likwise about the time of the same Councel and after so account it Prudentius in Phychomachia prudicitiae libidinis Chromatius in c. 6. Mat. Paulinus in Natali 10. S. Chrysostom hom 10. in Math. S. Ambrose li. 3. Offic. c. 13. Epist. 82. et li. de viduis S. Augustin or some other good author written two sermons of Iudith 228. 229. Cassiodorus diuini lect c. 6. Fulgentius Epist 2. de statu viduarum Ferrandus Carthaginensis ad RegiuÌ„ de re militati Iumiâ—us Africanus li. 1. de partibus diuine lâ—gis Sulpitius in hisstoriâ— S. Beda de sex aetatibus Alredus writing the life of S. Edward our king More are not necessarie to reasonablâ—men Conâ—erning the time and author it sâ—mâ—th most probable thaâ— these thinges happened when Manasses king of Iuda was eâ—t er in prison in Babylon or newly restored to his kingdom who as it semeth permitted the gouerment to the high Priest Eliachim Chap 4 otherwise called â—oachim ch 15 〈◊〉 also writte this booke as â—hilos Chronologie li. 2. reporteth From which time they had no warâ—es â—ilth reigne of Ioachoz about 80 yeares conformable to the long peaâ—â— mentioned chap. 6. v 30. In summe we haue her not a poetical Comedie as Martin Luther shameth â—ot to cal it in Simposâ—acâ—s c. 29 and in his German Preface of Iudith but a sacred Historie as al â—forâ—mentione estemed it and the Iewes confesse of a most valiant Matrons fact deliuering the people of God from persecution of a cruel Tyranne The first three chapters shew the occasion of this danger the next foure describe the difâ—â—culties distresses therof other seuen with part of the 15. how Iudith deliuered them from it In the rest Iudith is much praysed and she with the whole people praise God THE BOOKE OF IVDITH CHAP. I. Nabuchodonosor king of Assyrians ouercometh Arphaxad king of the Medes 7. summoneth manie other nations to submitte themselues to his Empyre 11. which they refusing he threatneth reuenge ARPHAXAD therfore king of the Medes had subdued manie nations to his empire he built a most mightie citie which he called Ecbatanis †Of stone squared and hewed he made walles therof in height seuentie cubites and in breadth thirtie cubites and the towers therof he made in height an hundred cubites †But each side of them was in foure square twentie foote long and he made the gates therof according to the height of the towers †and he gloried as mightie in the force of his
extolled the Iewes for feare of Mardocheus †whom they knew to be prince of the palace and to be able to doe very much the fame also of his name increased dayly and flew abroad through al mens mouthes †Therfore the Iewes stroke their enemies with a great slaughter and slew them repaying them that which they had prepared to doe to them †in so much that in Susan also they killed fiue hundred men besides the tenne sonnes of Aman the Agagite the enemie of the Iewes whose names be these †Pharsandatha and Delphon and Esphatha †and Phoratha and Adalia and Aridatha †and Phormesta and Arisai and Aridai and Iezatha †Whom when they had slaine they would not take prayes of their goodes †And by and by the number of them that were killed in Susan was brought to the king †Who said to the queene In the citie of Susan the Iewes haue killed fiue hundred men besides the ten sonnes of Aman how great a slaughter thinkest thou doe they make in al the prouinces what askest thou more what wilt thou that I coÌ„mand to be done †To whom she answered If it please the king let there authoritie be geuen to the Iewes that as they haue done to day in Susan so also they may doe to morow and that the tenne sonnes of Aman be hanged on gibbettes †And the king commanded that it should be so done And forth with the edict hong in Susan and the tenne sonnes of Aman were hanged †The fourthtenth day of the moneth Adar the Iewes being gathered together there were killed in Susan three hundred men neither was their substance spoyled by them †Yea and through al prouinces which were subiect to the kings dominion the Iewes stood for their liues their enemies and persecutors being slayne in so much that there was fully seuentie fiue thousand of them that were killed and no man tooke any of their goodes †And the thirtenth day of the moneth Adar was the first day with them al of the slaughter the fourtenth day they ceased to kil Which they ordayned to be solemne so that in it at al times afterward they gaue them selues to good chere mirth bankets †But they that made the slaughter in the citie of Susan were occupied in the slaughter the thirtenth and fourtenth day of the same moneth and in the fiftenth day they ceased to kil And therfore they ordayned the same a solemne day of good cheere and ioyfulnes †But those Iewes that abode in townes not walled and villages ordayned the fourtenth day of the moneth Adar for bankettes and ioy so that they reioyse in it and send one an other portions of bankets and meates †Mardocheus therfore wrote al these things and being comprised in letters sent them to the Iewes that abode in al the kings prouinees as wel those that lay neere as far of †that they should take the fourtenth and fiftenth day of the moneth Adar for feastes and the yeare alwayes returning should celebrate them with solemne honour †because in the same dayes the Iewes reuenged them selues of their enemies and mourning and sorrow were turned into mirth and ioy and that these should be dayes of good cheere and gladnesse and they should send one to an other portions of meates and should geue giftes to the poore †And the Iewes receiued into a solemne rite al things which they had begune to doe at that time and which Mardocheus by letters had commanded to be done †For Aman the sonne of Amadathi of the stocke of Agag the enemie and aduersarie of the Iewes purposed euil against them to kil them and destroy them and he cast Phur which in our language is turned a lot †And afterward Esther went in to the king beseching that his endeuours might by the kings letters be made voyde the euil that he had intended against the Iewes might returne vpon his owne head Finally they hong both him and his sonnes vpon the gallowes †and since that time these dayes are called Phurim that is of Lottes because Phur that is a lot was cast into the pot And al things that were done are contayned in the volume of this epistle that is of this booke †and the thinges that they susteyned and that were afterward changed the Iewes tooke vpon them selues and their seede and vpon al that would be ioyned to theyr religion that it should be lawful for none to passe without solemnitie these dayes which the writing testifieth and certaine times require as yeares continually succede one an other †These are daies which no obliuion shal euer put out and al prouinces in al the world shal celebrate through out al generations neither is there any citie wherein the daies of Phurim that is of lottes must not be obserued of the Iewes and of their progenie which is bound to these ceremonies †And Esther the queene the daughter of Abihail and Mardocheus the Iew wrote also the second epistle that with al diligence this day should be established solemne for the time to come †and they sent to al the Iewes that were in the hundred and seuen and twentie prouinces of king Assuerus that they should haue peace and receiue truth †obseruing the Daies of lottes and in their time should celebrate them with ioy as Mardocheus and Esther had appoynted and they tooke vpon them to be obserued of them selues and of their seede fastes and cries and the daies of Lottes †and al thinges which are conteyned in the historie of this booke which is called Esther ANNOTATIONS CHAP. IX 1. The case being changed In this whole historie as in manie other passages of holie scripture we see the meruelous change of the right hand of the highest First in the verie instant of extreme danger the kinges face with burning eyes shewing the furie of his breast ch 15. v. 10. was turned into mildnes towardes Esther v. 11. Secondly proud Aman being aduanced in honour office aboue al princes of the kinges court ch 3. v. 1. was sodainly forced publikely to lead Mardocheus his horse whom he most hated ch 6 v. 10. Thirdly he was constrayned with loud voice to proclame his honour whom he most despised and threatned Fourtly the same Aman before called the father as it were the onlie gouernour of the king ch 1â— v. 6 ch 16. v. 11. was forthwith condemned for a traitor ch 7. v. 8. ch 16. v. 18. Fifthly He that could not abide to see Mardocheus ch 5. v. 13. afterward durst not looke vpon the king not could endure his countenance ch 7 v 6. Sixtly He was hanged on the same gallowes which he had prepared for Mardocheus ch 7. v. 9. Seuently VVheras he was not content with the death of Mardocheus alone but procuâ—ed the kings decree to destroy the whole nation ch 3. v 6 and so feasted with the king when the Iewes mourned v 15.
Catullus and Cerenus soundeth out Christ vvith harpe tenne stringed Psalter rising vp from hel so attributing the summe of this whole booke to the Royal Prophet Dauid as if he supposed no other author Touching therfore the argument or contentes of this diuine Psalter al Catholique Doctors vniformly agree that it is the abridgement summe and substance of al holie Scriptures both old and new Testament As may first be probably collected by that Christ himselfe often comprehending al the old Testament by the termes of the Law and Prophetes in one place Luc. 24. v. 44. semeth not onlie to reduce al to the Lavv and Prophetes iointly but also to the Psalmes alone or seuerally But whether this be our Sauiours diuine meaning or no in that place out of this and manie other places al the ancient Fathers teach expresly that the Psalmes are an Epitome of al other holie Scriptures For example S. Denys li de Eccles Hierar contemplat 2. after brief recital of the contents of other holie Scriptures saith This sacred booke of diuine Canticles doth exhibite both a general song and exposition of diuine thinges S. Basil calleth the Psalmodie of Dauid the common and most plentiful storehouse of al sacred doctrine the treasure of perfect Theologie S. Ambrose accounteth it the register of the vvhole Scripture Origen S. Cyprian S. Ierom S. Chrysostom S. Gregorie S. Beda S. Bernard Cassiodorus Eutimius and others vse the same or very like termes S. Augustin particularly distinguishing al the Scriptures into foure sortes of bookes sheweth that the Psalmes conteyne al The Lavv saith he teacheth somethinges the Historie somethinges the Prouerbes also and Prophetes teach somethinges but the Booke of Psalmes teacheth al. It proposeth the lavv recounteth thinges of old prescribeth the due ordering of mens actions and prophecieth thinges to come Briefly it is a common treasure of good doctrine aptly administring that is necessarie to euerie one And a litle after exemplifying in particular points Is not here saith he al greatnes of vertue and is not here the right square of iustice is not the comlines of chastitie the consummation of prudence is not vvhatsoeuer may be called good lerned in the Psalmes Here is the knovvlege of God the clere prenounciation of Christ to come in flesh the hope of general Resurrection feare of torments promise of glorie reuelation of mysteries Euen al good thinges are here as in a common great treasure laide vp and heaped together See then and obserue here Christian reader the admirable wisdom and goodnes of God The meanes of mans saluation being so disposed that his owne free consent and cooperation is therto necessarily required according to that most approued doctrin of the same S. Augustin Qui creauit te sine te non iustificat te sine te He that created thee vvithout thee doth not iustifie thee vvithout thee to helpe our weaknes and sweetly to draw our mindes otherwise auerse from trauel and paine the Holie Ghost hath ordained that in smal rowme and in pleasant maner we may attaine necessarie knowlege of God our selues easely kepe the same in memorie and dayly put in practise our chiefest dutie in seruing and praising God by singing reading or hearing these diuine Psalmes which one booke as euerie one shal be able to lerne it more or lesse perfectly openeth and sheweth the way to vnderstand al other Scriptures and so to finde enioy the hidden treasures of Gods word in like maner as a key openeth a lock For the whole sacred Bible is a sealed Booke and not rightly vnderstood til the seale or lock be opened by the key of Gods spirite geuing knowlege which the Holie Ghost amongst other wayes inspireth very often by sacred Musike or Psalmodie As S. Gregorie noteth in holie Scripture 4. Reg. 3. v. 15. where Eliseus not yet knowing Gods wil in a particular case called for a Psalmist or player on instruments and vvhen the Psalmist sang the hand of our Lord came vpon Eliseus and presently he prescribing what should be donne procured plentie of water without rayne where was none before and prophecied victorie against the enimies Reason also and experience teach that as men of cheerful hart are apt to sâ—â—g so the exercise of reading singing or playing Psalmes is a conuenient and a special meanes to attaine quietnes or cheerfulnes of mind But as this holie Psalter is the key of other Scriptures so it selfe is most especially a sealed and locked Booke requiring manie keyes Euerie Psalme saith S. Hilarie hath a peculiar key and oftentimes there be so manie lockes and keyes of one Psalme as there be diuers persons that speake to diuers endes and purposes For albeit diuers mysteries are sometimes connected and so require sundrie keyes yet there is but one principal proper key of ech Psalme otherwise it should be diuided into manie Psalmes Our first endeuour therfore must be to find the proper key of euery Psalme that is to know what is principally therein conteyned To this purpose the lerned Expositers of this booke haue obserued tenne general pointes or seueral matters to which al the contents may be reduced as it were so manie keyes and meanes of entrance into the sense and true vnderstanding of al the Psalmes And the same may likewise be called the tenne stringes of this diuine instrument Vpon one of which euery Psalme principally playeth touching the rest more or lesse as cause requireth for more melodious harmonie and perfect musike The first key or string is God himself One in Substance Three in Persons Almightie Alperfect Powre VVisdom Goodnes Maiestie Iustice Mercie other Diuine Attributes The second is Gods workes of Creation Conseruation and Gouerning of the whole world The third Gods Prouidence especially towards man in protecting and rewarding the iust in permitting and punishing the wicked The fourth is the peculiar calling of the Hebrew people their beginning in Abraham Isaac and Iacob their maruelous increase in Aegypt diuers estates manie admirable and miraculous thinges donne amongst them with their ingratitude reiection and reprobation The fifth principal key and string is Christ the promised Redemer of mankind prophecying his Incarnation Natiuitic Trauels Sufferings Death Resurrection Ascension and Glorie The sixt is the propagation of Christs name and Religion with Sacrifice and Sacramntes in the multitude of Gentiles beleeuing in him euen to the vttermost coastes of the earth the Catholique Church euer visible The seuenth is the true maner of seruing God with sincere faith and good workes The eight holie Dauid interposeth manie thinges concerning himselfe As Gods singular benefites towards him for which he rendereth thankes and diuine praises recounteth his enimies dangers and afflictions of mind bodie namely by Saul Absalon and others humbly beseeking and obtaining Gods protection He also expresseth in himselfe a perfect image
and patterne of a sincere and hartie penitent bewayling confessing and punishing his owne sinnes The ninth is the end and renouation of this world with the general Resurrection and Iudgement The tenth is eternal felicitie and punishment according as euerie one deserueth in this life These are the tenne keyes of this holie Booke and tenne stringes of this Diuine Psalter Moreouer to finde which of these is the proper key and principal string of euerie Psalme lerned Diuines vse foure especial wayes First by the title added by Esdras or the Seuentie two Interpreters for an introduction to the sense of the same Psalme So it appeareth that the third Psalme treateth literally of Dauids danger and deliuerie from his sonne Absalon which is the eight key though mystically it signifieth Christs Persecution Passion Resurrection which is the fifth key Secondly if there be no title or if it declare not sufficiently the key or principal matter conteyned it may some times be found by allegation and application of some special part thereof in the new Testament So it is euident Act. 4. v. 25. c. 13. v. 33. Heb. 1. v. 5. Heb. 5. v. 5. that the second Psalme perteyneth to Christ impugned and persecuted by diuers aduersaries VVhich is the fiftkey Thirdly when greater thinges are affirmed of anie person or people as of Dauid Salomon Iewish nation or the like then can be verified of them it must necessarily be vnderstood of Christ or his Church in the new Testament or in Heauen So the conclusion of the 14. Psalme He that doth these thinges shal not be moued for euer can not be verified of the tabernacle nor temple of the Iewes but of eternal Beatitude in heauen VVhich is the tenth key Though the greater part of the Psalme sheweth that iust and true dealing towards our neighboures is necessarie for attayning of eternal Glorie Fourtly when both the title and Psalme or part thereof seme hard and obscure some part being more cleare the true sense of al may be gethered by that which is more euident According to S. Augustins rule li. 2. c. 9. li. 3. c. 26. Doct. Christ So the title and former part of the fifth Psalme being more obscure are explaned by the last verses shewing plainly that God wil iustly iudge al men both iust and wicked in the end of this world VVhich is the ninth key By these and like meanes the principal key being found it wil more easily appeare what other keyes belong to the same and what other stringes are also touched At least the studious may by these helpes make some entrance and for more exact knowlege search the iudgement of ancient Fathers and other learned Doctours But besides this singular great commoditie of compendious handling much Diuine matter in smal rowme this booke hath an other special excellencie in the kind of stile and maner of vttering which is Meeter and Verse in the original Hebrew tongue And though in Greke Latin and other languages the same could not in like forme be exactly translated yet the number and distinction of verses is so obserued that it is apt for musike as wel voices as instruments and to al other vses of Gods seruants Neither is musical maner of vttering Gods word and praises lesse to be esteemed because profane Poetes haue in this kind of stile vttered light vaine and false thinges For the abuse of good thinges doth not derogate from the goodnes therof but rather commendeth the same which others desire to imitate And clere it is that this holie Psalmodie was before anie profane poetrie now extant For Homer the most ancient of that sorte writte his poeme at least two hundred and fourtie yeares after the destruction of Troy as Apolidorus witnesseth others namely Solinus Herodotus and Cornelius Nepos say longer VVheras kind Dauid our Diuine Psalmist reigned within one hundred years after the Troianes warres There were in dede Amphion Orpheus and Muscus before Dauid but their verses either were not written or shortly perished only a confuse memorie remaining of them recited altered and corrupted by word of mouth but before them were the sacred Historie of Iob almost al in verse and the two Canticles of Moyses Exodi 15. and Deut. 32. It is moreouer recorded that Iâ—bal long before Noes floud was the father of them that sang on harpe and organ Musike therfore is maruelous ancient But sacred Poetrie is in manie other respectes most excellent and most profitable This holie Psalmodie saith S. Augustin is a medecine to old spiritual sores it bringeth present remedie to nev vvvoundes it maketh the good to perseuere in vvel doing it cureth at once al predominating passions vvhich vexe mens soules A little after Psalmodie driueth avvay euil spirites iuuiteth good Angels to helpe vs it is a shield in night terrors a refreshing of day trauels a guard to children an ornament to yongmen a comforte to oldmen a most seemlie grace to vvemen Vnto beginners it is an introduction an augmentation to them that goe forvvard in vertue a stable firmament to the perfect It conioyneth the vvhole Church militant in one voice and is the spiritual eternal svvete perfume of the celestial Armies al Sainctes and Angels in heauen To al this we may adde other causes which moued the Royal Prophete to write this diuine poetrie First he had from his youth by Gods special prouidence a natural inclination to Musike wherin he shortly so excelled that before al the Musitians in Israel he was selected to recreate king Saul whom an euil spirite vexed And his skil together with his deuotion had such effect that vvhen he playde on the harpe Saul vvas refreshed and vvaxed better For the euil spirite departed from him saith the holie text VVherfore he made these Psalmes that him selfe and others might by singing them imploy this gift of God to his more honour Secondly verse being more easie to lerne more firmly kept in mind and more pleasant in practise for as wine so musike doth recreate the hart of man the Holie Ghost condescending to mans natural disposition inspired Dauid to write these Psalmes in meeter mixing the povvre of diuine doctrin vvith delectable melodie of song that vvhiles the eare is allured vvith svvete harmonie of musike the hart is indued vvith heauenlie knovvlege pleasant to the mind and profitable to the soule Thirdly Dauid singularly illuminated with knowlege of great and most diuine Mysteries indued also with most gracious disposition of mind the man chosen according to Gods ovvne hart 1. Reg. 13. would vtter the same Mysteries with godlie instructions and praises of God in the most exquisite kind of stile that is in verse For otherwise he was also very eloquent in prose as wel appeareth by sundrie his excellent and effectual discourses in the books of Kinges and Paralipomenon For which cause Moyses also described the
S. Ierom. VVhose discourse vve haue here cited at large for a taste of his profound exposition of this vvhole booke that such as haue apportunitie may read the rest in the auctor himself To. 7. CHAP. XI Workes of mercie are necessarie whiles we haue time 3. because after death none can merite 4. neither must we differ to beginne nor cease from good dedes 8. but stil be mindful of death and iudgement 10. auoiding wrath and malice CAST thy bread vpon the passing waters because after much time thou shalt finde it †Geue a portion to seuen and also to eight because thou knowest not what euil shal be vpon the earth †If the cloudes be ful they wil powre out raine vpon the earth If the tree shal fal to the South or to the North in what place soeuer it shal fal there shal it be †He that obserueth the winde soweth not and he that considereth the cloudes shal neuer reape †As thou art ignorant which is the way of the spirite how the bones are framed together in the wombe of her that conceiueth childe so thou knowest not the workes of God who is the maker of al. †In the morning sow thy seede and in the euening let not thy hand cease for thou knowest not which may rather spring this or that and if both together it shal be the better †The light is sweete and it is delectable for the eyes to see the sunne †If a man shal liue manie yeares and shal haue reioyced in them al he must remember the darkesome time and manie dayes which when they shal come the thinges past shal be reproued of vanitie †Reioyce therfore yongman in thy youth and let thy hart be in good in the dayes of thy youth and walke in the wayes of thy hart and in the sight of thyne eyes and know that for al these God wil bring thee into iudgement †Take away anger from thy hart and remoue malice from thy flesh For youth and pleasure are vaine CHAP. XII In youth is fittest time and most meritorious to serue God In age the same is more and more necessarie but harder then to beginne and lesse gratful 8. In this booke the preacher hath shewed that al worldlie thinges are vanitie 13. and that true felicitie is only procured by wisdom which consteth in the feare of God and obseruation of his commandments REMEMBER thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth before the time of affliction come the yeares approch of which thou maist say They please me not †before the sunne and light and moone and starres be darke and the cloudes returne after the raine †when the kepers of the house shal be moued and the strongest men shal stagger and the grinders shal be idle in a smal number and they shal waxe darke that looke through the holes †and they shal shut the doores in the streate at the basenes of the grinders voice and they shal rise vp at the voice of the birde and al the daughters of song shal be deafe †The high thinges also shal feare and they shal be afrayd in the way the almondtree shal florish the locust shal be fatted and the capertree shal be destroyed because man shal goe into the house of his eternitie and the mourners shal goe round about in the streate †Before the siluer coard be broken and the golden headband recurre and the water pot be broken vpon the fountaine and the wheele be broken vpon the cesterne †and the dust returne into his earth from whence it was and the spirite returne to God who gaue it †Vanitie of vanities sayd Ecclesiastes and al thinges vanitie †And wheras Ecclesiastes was most wise he taught the people and declared the thinges that he had done and searching forth made manie parables †He sought profitable wordes and wrote wordes most right and ful of truth †The wordes of wisemen are as prickes and as nailes deepely stricken in which by the counself of maisters are geuen of one pastour †More then these my sonne require not Of making manie bookes there is no end and often meditation is affliction of the flesh †Let vs al heare together the end of speaking Feare God and obserue his commandments for this is euerie man †and al thinges that are done God wil bring into iudgement for euerie errour whether it be good or euil THE ARGVMENT OF THE CANTICLE OF CANTICLES SALOMON called also Ecclesiastes and Idida according to these three names as S. Ierom noteth writte three bookes of three particular arguments directed to three degrees of people with three distinct titles al tending to one end the true seruice of God which bringeth to eternal felicitie In the first he teacheth the principles of good life to flee from vices and folow vertues belonging to such as beginne to obserue Gods law wherin true wisdom consisteth and this booke is called the Prouerbes or Parables that is to say Pithie brief sentencious precepts of Salomon which signifieth Pacificus Peaceable or Pacifier the sonne of Dauid King of Israel In the second he exhorteth to contemne this world shewing that true felicitie consisteth not in anie worldlie or temporal thinges but in the eternal fruition of God which is obtayned by keping his commandments And this booke he intitleth The wordes of Ecclesiastes which is Concionator Preacher Sonne of Dauid King of Ierusalem because he there exhorteth such as haue made some progresse in vertues called Proficientes signified by the inhabitants of the Metropolitan citie Ierusalem whereas in the former he stiled himself king of Israel proposing precepts mete for al the twelue tribes and al vulgar men desirous and beginning to serue God In both bookes for more auctoritie sake making mention of his godlie renowmed father the Royal Prophet Dauid with his owne title also of king But in this third booke he only expresseth his proper name Salomon whom God singularly loued wherof he was called Idida Because this alone without mention of father or king was most conuenient for the Perfect who not as seruants or yong scholars are moued by feare of auctoritie but as children are swetly drawne by loue And this he writte in verse intitling it not simply a Canticle but The Canticle of Canticles as preeminent aboue other Canticles The bridal songue for the Mariage to be solemnized betwen God himself and his glorious spouse For though al holie Scriptures are the spiritual bread and food of the faithful yet al are not meate for al at al seasons Some parts are not for sinners nor for beginners nor for such as are yet in the way towards perfection but only for the perfect According to the Apostles doctrine Milke is for children that are yet vnskilful of the word of iustice But strong meate is for the perfect them that by custom haue their senses
his time The end of the Sapiential Bookes THE FOVRT PART OF THE OLD TESTAMENT CONTEINING PROPHETICAL BOOKES The argument of Prophetical bookes in general AMongst manie great benefites which God bestowed vpon his peculiar people in the old Testament one principal and very excellent was that besides their ordinarie Pastors and gouerners in spiritual causes the Priestes of Aarons progenic and other clergie men of the same tribe of Leui in â—erarchical subordina ion of one chief with other superiors and subiectes disposed in sacred functions he also gaue them other extraordinarie Prophetes of sundrie tribes as admonitors and guides to reduce them from errors of sinne into the right way of vertue Which office the same Prophetes performed as wel by threatning the offenders with Gods wrath and punishment as by exhorting them to repentance and so to trust in Gods assured mercie that he would geue them better times and reliefe from their miseries But most especially these holie Prophetes did foresee and foretel the happie times of Grace in the New Testament The coming of Messias Christ our Redemer and Sauiour With the mysteries of his Incarnation Birth Passion Death Resurrection Ascension Coming of the Holie Ghost Fundation Propagation perpetual Stabilitie of his Church and finally the General Iudgement Eternal Glorie of the blessed and Euerlasting paine of the damned For albeit they preached and prophecied manie thinges properly and immediatly perteyning to the particular state and people of the Iewes and other nations Where they conuersed yet the principal summe of al the prophetical bookes is of Christ and his Church Yea al the old Testament is a general prophecie and forshewing of the New Which as we noted in the beginning is conteyned and lieth hid in the old Neuertheles speaking more distinctly of the proper arguments or contents of the foure partes of the old Testament the former three more peculiarly setforth the Law the Historie and Sapiential precepts and this last part chiefly conteyneth Prophecies of thinges to come Of which the greatest part is now come to passe or dayly fulfilled and the rest shal likewise be performed in due time So now in order after the Legal Historical and Sapiential bookes folow the Prophetical and are these according to the names of the Prophetes that writte them Isaie Ieremie with Baruch Ezechiel and Daniel commonly called the greatter Prophetes and the twelue lesser aâ—e Osee Ioel Amos Abdias Ionas Micheas Nahum Abacuc Sophonias Aggeus Zacharie and Malachie Who were al singularly inspired and gouerned in their preachings and writinges by the Holie Ghost that they could not erre Yea they were so illuminated in their vnderstanding that they clerly saw that which they vttered And therfore their Prophecies are called Visions for the assured infallibilitie of truth which they auouch For as nothing is more certaine in vulgar knowlege then that which we see with our corporal eyes and therfore of al witnesses the eye witnes is estemed the surest and as in al natural knowlege that is most certaine which is sene by discourse of reason so in supernatural knowlege nothing is more assured then that which is sene by supernatural light Whereof there be three sortes the light of Faith of Prophecie and of Glorie Al three certaine and vndoubted but most clere and manifest is the vision by light of glorie wherby God is sene in himself and al thinges in him that perteyne to the state of euerie glorious Sainct Next therto is the vision by light of prophecie wherwith God illuminateth the vnderstanding of the Prophet by a special extraordinarie and transitorie light of grace that either he clerly seeth the reueled truthes or at least perfectly knoweth that he is moued by the Holie Ghost though he vnderstand not al that the Holie Ghost intendeth and so when and where it is Gods wil he vttereth the same for instruction of others The last which is also certaine but more obscure is the supernatural knowlege which al Catholique Christians haue by light of faith assuredly beleuing al thinges which God reueleth by his Church Concerning therfore this excellent diuine gift of Prophecie granted to few for the benefite of al Gods seruants we are here to informe the vulgar reader that wheras these prophecies are for most part hard to be vnderstood and as S. Peter teacheth not knowen by priuate interpretation but must be interpreted by the same Spirite wherwith they were written our purpose is not to explicate them nor yet to produce large explications of the godlie lerned Fathers but rather fewer and briffer notes then hertofore and for the rest we remitte the more lerned and studious readers according to their capacities to search the same in the commentaries of ancient and late Expositers wishing others to content themselues with the more easie partes of holie Scriptures and other godlie bookes and daylie instructions of spiritual teachers And such as do also read these may obserue with vs these amongst other special causes of the hardnes of the Prophetes One cause is the frequent interruption of sentences with suddaine change from one person or matter to an other without apparent coherence Which S. Ierom noteth in sundrie places As I saie 7. after that the Prophet hath seuerely reprehended king Achab for his distrust of Gods assistance against his temporal enimies v. 13. in the next wordes he prophecieth that a Virgin shal conceiue and beare a sonne Christ our Sauiour and the like in other places An other cause is that the Prophetes speake thinges of some persons which are to be fulfilled in others either of their progenie or prefigured by them As the prophecie of the Iewes and Gentiles comprised in the historie of Esau Iacob Likewise that which Iacob prophecied Gen. 49. of Simeon an Leui not fulfilled in themselues but in the Scribes and Priestes descending of their stock Also much of that which Dauid semeth to speake of Salomon Psal 88. can only be vnderstod of Christ Other examples wil occurre in the Prophetes ensuing Briefly for we can not here expresse al the causes in few wordes prophecies are often times vttered in figuratiue speaches and often not in wordes but in factes other times so mixed with histories and temporal thinges with spiritual againe some thinges perteyning to the old Testament so ioyned with mysteries of the new and the like that most hard it is to discerne nay not possible without special reuelation or instruction of others to know to what purpose or thing euerie part perteyneth or is to be applied for some thinges are spoken only of the historie some thinges of misteries manie thinges of both And the reason why the Holie Ghost doth so vtter these prophecies is noted by S. Ierom in Nahum 3. that the proud and malicious enimies of Religion may not vnderstand them lest sayth he a holie thing should be geuen to dogges pearles cast to swine most sacred mysteries
a whirlewind to render his furie in indignation and his rebuking in flame of fyre †because our Lord shal iudge in fyre and in his sword to al flesh and the slaine of our Lord shal be multiplied †they that were sanctified and thought them selues cleane in the gardens behind the gate within they that did eate swines flesh and abomination and the mouse they shal be confounded sayth our Lord. †But I know their workes and their cogitations I come that I may gather together with al nations and tongues and they shal come and shal see my glorie †And I wil put a signe in them and I wil send of them that shal be saued to the Gentiles into the sea into Afrike and Lydia them that hold the arrow into Italie and Greece to the ilandes farre of to them that haue not heard of me and haue not sene my glorie And they shal shew forth my glorie to the Gentiles †and they shal bring al your brethren of al nations a gift to our Lord vpon horses and in chariotes in horse litters on mules and in coches to my holie mountaine Ierusalem sayth our Lord as if the children of Israel should bring in a gift in a cleane vessel into the house of our Lord. †And “ I wil take of them to be priestes and leuites sayth our Lord. †Because as new heauens and a new earth which I make to stand before me sayth our Lord so shal your sede stand and your name †And there shal be moneth after moneth and sabbath after sabbath al flesh shal come to adore before my face sayth our Lord. †And they shal goe out and see the carcasses of the men that haue transgressed against me their worme shal not die and their fyre shal not be quenched and they shal be euen vnto satietie of sight to al flesh ANNOTATIONS CHAP. LXVI 1. Heauen is my seate Lest anie should interprete these prophetical promises as the Ievves doe only of the restauration reedification of Ierusalem and the Temple the Prophet here shevveth that albeit God sanctified the temple and granted manie benefites to those that serued him therein yet his proper seate is not in anie material temple or terrestrial place but in heauen And therfore Temples and Churches are in deede ordayned for faithful people to serue him in to signifie that as these places are more holie then ordinarie houses so heauen is infinitely more glorious then anie earthlie palace yet God is not conteyned in anie place but exceedeth al. To which purpose S. Steuen Act. 7 alleageth and vrgeth this place and also S. Paul Act 17. that God dvvelleth not or is not concluded in temples neither needeth them for his ovvne vse but is rightly serued in them by those that lift vp their mindes to him as dwelling in heauen replenishing al places 21. I vvil take of them to be Priestes In the Lavv of Moyses Priestes and Leuites vvere al of one Tribe by succession of natural kinred nor by election but the lavv being changed necessarily also Priesthood is changed And Byshopes Priestes Deacons and other Clergie men are taken and ordained not by uerenes of bloud but by election according to their merites of vertues THE ARGVMENT OF THE BOOKES OF IEREMIE IEREMIE the sonne of Helcias Priest and Prophete being sanctified in his mothers wombe begane to prophecie as yet a childe in Iuda in the thirtenth yeare of the reigne of king Iosias continued the rest of his time which was nintene yeares more and the eleuen yeares of Ioakim wherin are counted the three monethes of Ioachaz and other three of Iechonias otherwise called Ioachin and eleuen yeares of Sedecias in al fourtie one yeares before he went into Aegypt Where he also prophecied and finally was stoned to death by the people in the citie of Taphnis His whole worke conteyneth two distinct Bookes besides an Epistle which foloweth after the Prophecie of Baruch The former booke is called his Prophecie the other his Lamentations S. Ierom comprehendeth the summe of al briefly saying Ieremie connecteth a nuttie or watching rodde and a potte boyling hote from the face of the north the leopard spoyled of his coloures and the fourefold Alphabet in diuers meeters Signifiing that God wil correct his people with a rodde in his hote furie from the north to witte by the king of Babylon for their pertinacitie in sundrie kindes of sinnes Al which the Prophet lamenteth with his doleful verse of diuers meeter The Prophecie may be diuided into fiue partes First he sheweth the conditions and qualities of himselfe with the maner of his mission then Gods great clemencie in recalling the people from sinne denouncing dangers imminent for their obstinacie in the twelue first chapters Secondly in the eight chapters folowing by diuers Metaphorical and other figuratiue descriptions he declareth the ingratitude other sinnes of the people threatning punishment for which they persecute him Thirdly in other eight chapters he reprehendeth the inhabitantes of Ierusalem especially the King euil Priestes and falseprophetes some being already caried into captiuitie for which free preaching he is againe persecuted Fourtly in the next eleuen chapters he mixteth consolations threates especially the destruction of Ierusalem captiuitie of king and people and their release after seuentie yeares Fiftly in the other thirtene chapters he prophecieth the destruction of the Iewes that goe into Aegypt and of sundrie nations for their idolatrie and for their crueltie against the Iewes In euerie part interposeth manie prophecies of Christ and his Church besides the mystycal sense included in the historical THE PROPHECIE OF IEREMIE CHAP. I. Ieremie prophecied in the times of Iosias Ioakim and Sedecias Kinges of Iuda 5. being sanctified in his mothers wombe is sent in his tender age to prophecie 11. the destruction of Ierusalem 17. God geuing him corege against his persecutors THE wordes of Ieremie the sonne of Helcias of the priestes that were in Anathoth in the land of Beniamin †The word of our Lord which was made to him in the daies of Iosias the sonne of Amon king of Iuda in the thirteenth yeare of his kingdome †And the word was made in the daies of Ioakim the sonne of Iosias king of Iuda vnto the end of the eleuenth yeare of Sedecias the sonne of Iosias king of Iuda euen vnto the transmigration of Ierusalem in the fifth moneth †And the word of our Lord was made to me saying †Before I formed thee in the wombe I knewe thee and before thou camest forth of the matrice I sanctified thee and a prophete in the Gentiles I gaue thee †And I sayd A a a ô Lord God Behold I can not speake because I am a childe †And our Lord said vnto me Say not I am a childe for to al thinges to which I shal send thee thou shalt goe
they had taken the king they brought him to the king of Babylon into Reblatha which is in the land of Emath and to him iudgements †And the king of Babylon killed the sonnes of Sedecias before his eies yea and al the princes of Iuda he slew in Reblatha †And he plucked out the eies of Sedecias and bound him with fetters and the king of Babylon brought him into Babylon and he put him in the prison house euen to the day of his death †And in the fifth moneth the tenth of the moneth the same is the ninetenth yeare of Nabuchodonosor the king of Babylon came Nabuzardan the prince of the warfare who stood before the king of Babylon in Ierusalem †And he burnt the house of our Lord and the kings house and al the houses of Ierusalem and euerie great house he burnt with fire †And al the host of the Chaldees that was with the prince of the warfare destroyed al the wall of Ierusalem round about †But of the poore of the people and of the rest of the vulgar sorte which remayned in the citie and of the fugitiues that were fled to the king of Babylon and the rest of the multitude Nabuzardan the prince of the warfare transported †But of the poore of the land Nabuzardan the prince of the warfare left some to be dressers of vineyards and husbandmen †The brasen pillers also that were in the house of our Lord and the feete and the sea of brasse that was in the house of our Lord the Chaldees brake and they tooke al the brasse of them into Babylon †And the kettles and the fleshhookes and the psalteries and the phials and the litle mortars and al the brasen vessels that had bene in the ministrie they tooke †and the water pottes and the censars and the pitchers and the basins and the candlestickes and the mortars the gobblets as manie as of gold of gold and as manie as of siluer of siluer did the prince of the warfare take †and two pillars and one sea twelue oxen of brasse that were vnder the feete which king Salomon had made in the house of our Lord there was no weight of the brasse of al these vessels †And concerning the pillars there were eightene cubits of height in one pillar and a corde of twelue cubits did compasse it about moreouer the thicknes thereof of foure fingers and within it was holow †And the litle heads of brasse vpon both the height of one litle head of fiue cubits and the litle nettes and the pomegranates vpon the crowne round about al of brasse Likewise of the second piller and the pomegranates †And there were nintie six pomegranates hanging downe and al the pomegranates an hundred were compassed with litle nettes †And the master of the warefare tooke Saraias the chiefe priest and Sophonias the second priest and the three kepers of the entrie †And of the citie he tooke one eunuch that was chiefe ouer the men of warre and seuen men of them that saw the kings face that were found in the citie and a scribe the captayne of the souldiars who tryed the yong souldiars and three score of the people of the land that were found in the middes of the citie †And Nabuzardan the prince of the warfare tooke them and he brought them to the king of Babylon into Reblatha †And the king of Babylon stroke them and he killed them in Reblatha in the land of Emath and Iuda was transported from his land †This is the people which Nabuchodonosor transported In the seuenth yeare Iewes three thousand and twentie three †In the eightenth yeare of Nabuchodonosor from Ierusalem soules eight hundred thirtie two †In the three and twentith yeare of Nabuchodonosor Nabuzardan the prince of the warefare transported of the Iewes seuen hundred fourtie fiue soules al the soules therfore were foure thousand six hundred †And it came to passe in the seuen and thirtith yeare of the transmigration of Ioachin the king of Iuda the twelfth moneth the fiue and twentith of the moneth Euilmerodach the king of Babylon lifted vp in the very yeare of his reigne the head of Ioachin the king of Iuda and he brought him out of the prison house †And he spake with him good thinges and he sette his throne aboue the thrones of the kinges that were after himself in Babylon †And he changed his prison garments and he did eate bread before him alwaies al the daies of his life †And his allowance of meate a continual prouision of meate was geuen him by the king of Babylon euerie day a certaine euen vnto the day of his death al the daies of his life THE ARGVMENT OF IEREMIES LAMENTATIONS THESE Lamentations in Greeke called Threni and by the Hebrew Rabhins intituled Cinoth were written by Ieremie before the greatest part of his oâ—her prophecies as semeth most probable to S. Ierom and were first songue at the death of Iosias king of Iuda Againe when king Sedecias with manie others were taken captiues manie also slaine and the Temple and citie of Ierusalem destroyed But most especially he prophecieth the Iewes miserable estate and iust cause of Lamentation after Christs coming and their reiecting him And therfore his Church singeth the same in the Aniuersarie or Commemoration of his Passion and Death and most piously inuiteth al sinners both Iewes and Gentiles to returne vnto Christ our Redemer saying Ierusalem IERVSALEM conuertere ad Dominum Deum tuum In this litle booke the diligent reader wil easely obserue manie doleful patheticalspeaches powred out from a pensiue hart as in great calamities it commonly happeneth with litle connexion of sentences but otherwise foure whole chapters are very artificially compiled in verse not by number of times with measure of long and short syllables as the Grekes and Latines vse but after the Hebrew maner obseruing number of syllables and beginning euerie verse with a distinct letter from the first to the last in order with some smal varietie of the Hebrew Alphabet Doubtles with great mysteries as S. Ierom iudgeth and therfore explicateth the significations and certains connexions of the two and twentie Hebrew letters as we haue noted vpon the 118. Psalme but aboue the capacitie of our vnderstanding In the last chapter the Prophet omitting the obseruation of Initial letters in twentie two verses prayeth lamentably as the whole people shal pray in captiuitie THE THRENES that is to say THE LAMENTATIONS OF IEREMIE THE PROPHET And it came to passe after that Israel was brought into captiuitie and Ierusalem was desolate Ieremie the prophete sate weeping and he mourned with this lamentation vpon Ierusalem and with a pensiue mind sighing and wayling he sayd CHAP. I. HOW doeth the citie ful of people sitte solitarie how is the ladie of the Gentiles become as a widow the princesse of prouinces is made tributarie Weeping she
and twentie thousand and toward the Sea of bredth ten thousand Yea and toward the East of bredth ten thousand and toward the South of length fiue and twentie thousand and the sanctuarie of our Lord shal be in the middes therof †The sanctuarie shal be for the priests of the sonnes of Sadoc which kept my ceremonies and erred not when the children of Israel erred as the Leuites also erred †And for them shal be the first fruits of the first fruits of the land holie of holies by the border of the Leuites †Yea and to the Leuites in like maner by the borders of the priests fiue and twentie thousand of length and of bredth tenne thousand Al the length of fiue and twentie thousand the bredth of tenne thousand †And they shal not â—el therof nor change neither shal the first fruits of the land be transported because they are sanctified to our Lord. †But the fiue thousand that remaine in the bredth against the fiue twentie thousand shal be the profane partes of the citie for habitation and for the suburbs and the citie shal be in the middes therof †And these are the measures therof to the North quarter fiue hundred and foure thousand and to the South quarter fiue hundred and foure thousand and to the East quarter fiue hundred and foure thousand and to the West quarter fiue hundred and foure thousand †And the suburbs of the citie shal be to the North two hundred fiftie and to the South two hundred fiftie and to the East two hundred fiftie and to the Sea two hundred fiftie †And that which shal be residue in length according to the first fruits of the sanctuarie ten thousand toward the East and ten thousand toward the West shal be as the first fruits of the sanctuarie and the fruits therof shal be for bread to them that serue the citie †And they that serue the citie shal worke of al the tribes of Israel †Al the first fruits of fiue and twentie thousand answering to fiue twentie thousand foure square shal be seperated according to the first fruits of the sanctuarie and to the possession of the citie †And that which shal be left shal be the princes of euerie part of the first fruits of the sanctuarie and of the possession of the citie ouer against the fiue and twentie thousand of the first fruits vnto the East border Yea and to the sea ouer against the fiue and twentie thousand vnto the border of the Sea likewise it shal be in the portions of the prince and the first fruits of the sanctuarie and the sanctuarie of the temple shal be in the middes therof †And of the possession of the Leuites and of the possession of the citie in the middes of the princes portions shal be to the border of Iuda and to the border of Beniamin shal also perteine to the prince †And to the rest of the tribes from the East quarter to the West quarter for Beniamin one †And against the border of Beniamin from the East quarter to the West quarter for Simeon one †And vpon the border of Simeon from the East quarter to the West quarter for Issachar one †And vpon the border of Issachar from the East quarter to the West quarter for Zabulon one †And vpon the border of Zabulon from the East quarter to the quarter of the Sea for Gad one †And vpon the border of Gad to the South quarter toward the South and the border shal be from Thamar euen to the waters of contradiction of Cades the inheritance against the great sea †This is the land which you shal diuide by lot to the tribes of Israel and these are the portions of them saith our Lord God †And these are the goings out of the citie from the North quarter thou shalt measure fiue hundred and foure thousand †And the gates of the citie according to the names of the tribes of Israel three gates on the North side the gate of Ruben one the gate of Iuda one the gate of Leui one †And to the East quarter fiue hundred and foure thousand and three gates the gate of Ioseph one the gate of Beniamin one the gate of Dan one †And to the South quarter thou shalt measure fiue hundred foure thousand and three gates the gate of Simeon one the gate of Issachar one the gate of Zabulon one †And to the West quarter fiue hundred and foure thousand and their gates three the gate of Gad one the gate of Aser one the gate of Nephthali one †Round about eightene thousand and the name of the citie from that day Our Lord there THE ARGVMENT OF DANIELS PROPHECIE DANIEL of the tribe of Iuda royal bloud about the age of tenne yeares was caried into Babylon with other children for hostage when Nabuchodonosor inuaded the kingdom of Iuda in the third yeare of king Ioakim His whole life in al about an hundred and tenne yeares was most pious with such zele of Gods honour and common good of his countrie that he was called by an Angel vir desiderioruÌ„ the man of godlie desires whom also Ezechiel elder in yeares prophecying part of the same time ioyned with Noe and Iob for example of holie men recounting him also the most renowmed of his time for wisdom VVhose loyal fidelitie towards the king of Babylon was so clere that his malignant enimies said expresly of him f We shal not find against this Daniel anie occasion vnles perhaps in the law of his God His booke as wel in respect of various important narrations of thinges done as of most hiegh diuine Mysteries is very excellent but withal very obscure for that manie thinges here inserted seme hardly to agree with other authentical histories some thinges also are intricate in themselues nor placed in order of time as they happened and manie thinges so briesly related that they can not be vnderstood without the knowledge of prophane histories As S. Ierom affirmeth Epist 103. But as for an other difficultie which some make denying the Prayer of Azarias with the Hymne folowing the histories of Susanna Bel and the Dragon to be Canonical Scripture it is partly solued already in the Annotations before the Booke of Tobie where is shewed that it is no iust exception against these and other partes of holie Scripture of the old Testament because they are not in the Hebrew Edition being otherwise accepted for Canonical by the Catholique Church And further it is very probable that these parcels were sometimes either in the Hebrew or Chaldee tongue in which two languages part in one part in the other the rest of this booke was written For from whence els could the Septuagint Interpreters Theodotion Symmachus and Aquila translate them In whose Editions S. Ierom found the same But S. Ierom some wil say calleth these
not susteyne and his chosen shal rise vp to resist there shal be no strength †And he shal doe coming vpon him according to his pleasure and there shal be none to stand agaynst his face and he shal stand in a noble land it shal be consumed in his hand †And he shal sette his face to come to possesse al his kingdom he shal doe right thinges with him and he shal geue vnto him a daughter of wemen to ouerthrow it and she shal not stand neither shal she be his †And he shal turne his face to the ilands shal take manie and he shal make the prince of his reproche to cease and his reproch shal be returned vpon him †And he shal turne his face to the empire of his owne land and he shal stumble and fal shal not be found †And there shal stand in his place one most vile vnworthy of kingly honour in few dayes he shal be destroyed not in furie nor in battel †And k there shal stand in his place one despised and kinglie honour shal not be geuen him and he shal come secretly and shal obteyne the kingdom by fraude †And the armes of him that fighteth shal be expugned from before his face and shal be broken moreouer also the prince l of the league †And after the amities he shal worke deceite with him and he shal goe vp and shal ouercome with few people †And he shal enter abundant and plentiful cities he shal doe thinges that his fathers neuer did his fathers fathers their robberies and pray riches he shal dissipate and shal deuise deuises against the best fensed and this vntil a time †And his strength his hart shal be stirred vp against the king of the South in a great armie and the king of the South shal be prouoked to battel with manie aydes and exceding strong they shal not stand because they shal take counsels against him †And they that eate bread with him shal destroy him and his armie shal be oppressed there shal fal slaine very manie †The hart also of the two kinges shal be to euil and at one table they shal speake lies and they shal not prosper because as yet the end vnto an other time †And he shal returne into his land with much riches and his hart against the holie testament and he shal prosper and shal returne into his owne land †At the time appointed he shal returne and he shal come to the South and the later end shal not be like to the former †And there shal come vpon him galleis and the Romanes and he shal be strooken and shal returne and shal fretâ—e against the testament of the sanctuarie and he shal spede and shal returne and shal deuise against them that haue forsaken the testament of the sanctuarie †And of him shal stand m armes and shal pollute the sanctuarie of strength and shal take away the continual sacrifice and they shal geue abomination into desolation †And the impious against the testament shal dissemble fraudulently but the people that knoweth their God shal obtayne and shal doe †And the learned in the people shal teach very manie and they shal fal by sword and by flame and by captiuitie and by spoyle of dayes †And when they are fallen they shal be releeued with a litle ayde and very manie shal be ioyned to them faynedly †And of the learned there shal fal that they may be tried and may be chosen and made white euen to the time prefixed because yet there shal be an other time †And the king shal doe according to his wil and shal be eleuated magnified against euerie god and against the God of goddes he shal speake magnifical thinges shal be directed til the wrath be accomplished for the determination is made †And the God of his fathers he shal not account of and he shal be in the concupiscences of wemen neither shal he care for anie of the goddes because he shal ryse vp against al thinges †But god Maozim he shal worshipe in his place and the God whom his fathers knewe not he shal worshipe with gold and siluer and precious stone and precious thinges †And he shal doe it to fense Maôzim with a strange god whom he acknowledged and he shal multiplie glorie and shal geue them powre in manie and shal diuide the land gratis †And in the time prefixed shal the king of the South make battel against him as a tempest shal the king of the North come against him in charets and in horsemen and in a great nauie and he shal enter the landes and shal destroy and passe through †And he shal enter into the glorious land and manie shal fal but these onlie shal be saued out of his hand Edom and Moab and the beginning of the children of Ammon †And he shal lay his hand vpon the landes and the Land of Aeygpt shal not escape †And he shal rule ouer the treasures of gold and of siluer and in al the precious thinges of Aegypt through Lybia also and Aethyopia he shal passe †And a bruite shal truble him from the East and from the North and he shal come in a great multitude to destroy and kil very manie †And he shal pitche his tabernacle Apadno betwen the seas vpon a mount glorious and holie and he shal come euen to the toppe therof and no man shal helpe him CHAP. XII The Angel describeth the persecution of Antiochus as the figure of Antichrist prefigured 6. the shortnes also of his reigne is clearly prophecied BVT in that time shal rise vp Michael the great prince who standeth for the children of thy people and a time shal come such as hath not beene from the time since nations begane euen vntil that time And in that time shal thy people be saued euerie one that shal be found writen in the booke †And manie of those that sleepe in the dust of the earth shal awake some vnto life euerlasting others vnto reproch to see it alwayes †But they that be learned shal shine as the brightnes of the firmament and they that instruct many to iustice as starres vnto perpetual eternities †But thou Daniel shut vp the wordes and seale the booke euen to the time appointed verie manie shal passe ouer and there shal be manifest knowlege †And I Daniel saw and behold there stood as it were two others one on this side vpon the banke of the riuer and an other on that side on the other banke of the riuer †And I sayd to the man that was clothed with linen garments that stood vpon the waters of the riuer How long the end of these meruels †And I heard the man that was clothed with the linen
already Praef. Tobiae that the Canon of the Christian Catholique Church is of souereigne auctoritie though the Iewes Canon haue them not Finally wheras these bookes were not canonized in the former General Councels it sufficeth that they are since declared to be Canonical Diuine Scripture as some other partes haue likewise bene which English Protestants do not denie As the Epistle of S. Iames the second of S. Peter the second and third of S. Iohn and S. Iudes epistle of al which Eusebius and S. Ierom testifie that some lerned Fathers doubled sometimes whether they were Apostolical or no. But afterwards the same with these two bookes of Machabees and others were expresly declared to be Diuine Scripture by the third Councel of Carthage can 47. By the Councel of seuentie Bishops vnder Gelasius though by the name of one booke as also Esdras and Nehemias as but one booke Last by the Councels of Florence and Trent If anie further require the iudgement of more ancient Fathers diuers doe alleage these bookes as Diuine Scriptures S. Dyonise c. 2. celest Hierar S. Clemens Alexan. li. 1. Stromat S. Cyprian li. 1. Epist ep 3. ad Cornelium li. 4. ep 1. de exhort ad Martyrium c. 11. Isidorus li. 16. c. 1. Etym. S. Gregorie Nazianzen hath a whole Oration of the seuen Machabees Martyrs and their mother S. Ambrose li. 1. c. 41. Offic. But to omite others albeit S. Ierom vrged not these bookes against the Iewes yet he much estemed them as appeareth in his commentaries vpon Daniel c. 1. 11. 12. S. Augustin most clerly auoucheth li. 2. c. 8. de doct christ li. 18. c. 36. de ciuit that notwithstanding the Iewes denie these bookes the Church holdeth them Canonical And wheras one Gaudentius an heretike alleaged for defense of his haeresie the example of Razias who slew him self 2. Mac. 14. S. Augustin denieth not the auctoritie of the booke but discusseth the fact and admonisheth that it is not vnprofitably receiued by the Church si sobrie legatur vel audiatur if it be read or heard soberly VVhich was a necessarie admonition to those Donatistes who not vnderstanding the holie Scriptures depraued them as S. Peter speaketh of like heretikes â—p 2. c. 3. to their owne perdition Now touching the contentes a great part of the same historie which is written in the former booke is repeted in the second with such varietie of some thinges added some omitted as in the bookes of Kinges and Paralipomenon and as the Gospel is written by the foure Euangelistes Ioyning therfore these two bookes together the Concordance therof conteyneth foure principal partes The Preface the Historie an Appendix the Conclusion But the three former partes are very extraordinarily disposed For the writer of the second booke who doubtles was a distinct person from him that writte the former first of al added an Appendix to the historie written before making mention of two Epistles and reciting the summe of one of them in the first chapter and part of the second as though he meant to haue writte no more of the same matter But then as it may seme vpon new resolution intending to abridge the historical bookes of Iason maketh a preface to his worke in the rest of that second chapter And so prosecuteth his purpose and finally maketh a briefe conclusion in the three last verses of the same second booke The mayne historie conteyneth two special partes The first sheweth the state of Gods peculiar people the Iewish nation from the beginning of the Grecian Monarchie parted after the death of Alexander amongst his folowers of which some did exceedingly persecute the Iewes by diuers both suttle and cruel meanes to the ruine of manie and euen to death and martyrdom of some most constant obseruers of Gods Lawes and true Religion til the warres of the Machabees in the first chapter of the first booke and in the 3. 4 5 6. and 7. chapters of the second booke In the other fiftene chapters of the former booke and other eight of the second are described the battles victories triumphes of the valient Machabees Of which holie warres Mathathias was the beginner and first captaine Iudas the second the third Ionathas and Simon the fourth after whose death his sonne Iohn Hyrcanus succeded Duke and Hieghpriest But because these bookes are intermixed the one with the other whâ—soeuer please to read them in order of the historie may folow the direction of the Alphabet letters set in the inner margen beginning with A. at the twentith verse of the second chapter of the second booke to the end of the same chapter Thence procede as the signe of a starre directeth to the next letter B. which is at the beginning of the first booke the first chapter first verse And so in the rest And when the capital letters are ended the smaller wil direct you THE FIRST BOOKE OF MACABEES CHAP. I. King Alexander conquering manie countries erecteth a new Monarchie 6. who dying his chief folowers succeede in seueral kingdomes of the same Monarchie 11. King Antiochus approueth that a prophane schole be setup in Ierusalem 17. subdueth Aegypt 21. inuadeth Iudea entreth by force into Ierusalem spoyleth the temple 25. and killeth manie 30. Two yeares after sendeth an other spoyler who killing manie robbeth and burneth lerusalem 35. fortisieth the towre of Dauid 38. prophaneth al holie thinges 4â— commandeth al to committe idolatrie 47. and to forsake the rites of Gods law 52. vpon paine of death 57. He setteth vp an abominable idol in the Temple 60. persecuteth and murdereth those that conforme not themselues to these innouations AND it came to passe after that Alexander Philips sonne the Macedonian that first reigned in Greece being gone out of the land of Cethim stroke Darius king of the Persians and the Medes †he made manie battels and obteyned the munition of al and slewe the kinges of the earth †and he passed through euen to the ends of the earth and tooke the spoiles of the multitude of the Gentils and the earth was silent in his sight †And he gathered powre and an armie exceding strong and his hart was exalted and eleuated †and he obtayned the regions of the Gentils and the tyrantes and they were made tributaries to him †And after these thinges he fel downe in his bed and he knew that he should dye †And he called his seruants the Nobles that were brought vp with him from his youth he diuided his kingdom to them when he yet liued †And Alexander reigned twelue yeares and he died †And his seruants possessed the kingdom euerie one in his place †and they did al put crownes on them after his death their sonnes after them manie yeares euils were multiplied in the earth †And there came forth of them a sinful roote Antiochus Illustre the sonne of king Antiochus
by place and place to conduct them into the land of Iuda with peace †And this is a copie of the epistles which Ionathas wrote to the Spartiats †IONATHAS the high priest and the ancients of the nation and the priests and the rest of the people of the Iewes to the Spartiats their bretheren greeting †Long agoe were epistles sent to Onias the high priest from Arius who reigned with you that you are our bretheren as the writing conteyneth that here beneath foloweth †And Onias receiued the man that was sent with honour and he receiued the epistles where in there was signification of the societie and amitie †We wheras we neded none of these hauing for our comfort the holie bookes that are in our handes †chose rather to send vnto you to renew the fraternitie lest perhaps we be made aliens from you for much time is passed since you sent to vs. †We therfore at al time without intermission in the solenne dayes and the rest where in we should are mindful of you in the sacrifices that we offer and in the obseruances as it is meete and becometh to remember bretheren †We reioyce therfore of your glorie †But manie tribulations haue compassed vs and manie battels and the kinges that are round about vs haue impugned vs. †We therfore would not be trublesome to you nor to the rest our felowes and freindes in these battels †For we haue had ayde from heauen and we are deliuered and our enemies are humbled †We haue chosen therfore Numenius the sonne of Antiochus and Autipater the sonne of Iason and haue sent to the Romanes to renew with them the old amitie and societie †We therfore haue commanded them that they come vnto you also salute you and deliuer you our epistles concerning the renewing of our fraternitie †And now you shal doe wel in answering vs to these thinges †And this is the rescript of the epistles which he had sent to Onias †ARIVS the king of the Spartians to Onias the grand priest greeting †It is found in scripture of the Spartians and the Iewes that they are bretheren that they are of the stocke of Abraham †And now since we vnderstood these thinges you doe wel in writing to vs of your peace †Yea and we haue writen agayne to you Our cattel our possessions are yours and yours ours We therfore haue commanded that these thinges be told you †And Ionathas heard that the princes of Demetrius were come agayne with a great armie more then before to fight against him †And he went out from Ierusalem aud mette them in the countrie of Amathis for he gaue them not space to enter into his countrie †And he sent spies into their campe they returning reported that they appointed to come vpon them in the night †And when the sunne was set Ionathas cammanded his men to watch and to be in armour readie to fight al night he set watchmen round about the campe †And the aduersaries heard that Ionathas with his companie was prepared to battel they feared and were afrayd in their hart and they kindled fyres in their campe †But Ionathas and they that were with him knew it not til the morning and they saw light burning †and Ionathas folowed them and ouertooke them not for they had passed the riuer Eleutherus †And Ionathas turned aside to the Arabians that were called Zabadeans and he stroke them and tooke the spoiles of them †And he ioyned and came to Damascus and walked through al that countrie †But Simon went forth and came euen to Ascalon and to the next holdes and he declined into Ioppe and tooke it †For he heard that they would deliuer the hold to Demetrius part and he put a garrison there to keepe it †And Ionathas returned called together the ancients of the people and he consulted with them to build fortresses in Iurie †and to build the walles in Ierusalem and to reate a mount of a great height betwen the castel and the citie to separate it from the citie that it might be alone and they might neither bye nor sel †And they came together to build the citie and the wal fel that was vpon the torrent toward the rising of the sunne and he repayred it which is called Caphetetha †and Simon built Adiada in Sephela and fortified it hanged on gates aud lockes †And when Tryphon had purposed to reigne ouer Asia and to take the crowne to extend his hand against Antiochus the king †fearing lest perhaps Ionathas would not permit him but would fight against him he sought to take him to kil him And rising vp he went into Bethsan †And Ionathas went forth to meete him with fourtie thousand chosen men into battel and came to Bethsam †And Tryphon saw that Ionathas came with a great armie to extend his handes vpon him and he feared †and receiued him with honour and commended him to al his freindes and gaue him gifts and he commanded his hosts to obey him as him self †And he sayd to sonathas Why hast thou trubled al the people wheras we haue no warre †And now send them backe to their houses but choose thee a few men that may be with thee and come with me to Prolemais and I wil deliuer it to thee and the other holdes and the armie and al the ouerseers of the affayres and returning I wil depart for therfore I came †And Ionathas beleued him and did as he sayd and dismissed his armie and they departed into the land of Iuda †but he reteyned with him three thousand men of whom he sent backe two thousand into Galilee and a thousand came with him †But as Ionathas entered into Prolemais they of Ptolemais shut the gates of the citie and they tooke him and al that had entered with him they slew with the sword †And Tryphon sent an armie and horsemen into Galilee and into the great playne to destroy al Ionathas felowes †But they when they vnderstood that Ionathas was taken and was perished and al that were with him they encouraged them selues went forth readie to battel †And these that had pursewed seing that the matter stood vpon their life they returned †But they came al with peace into the land of Iuda And they lamented Ionathas and them that were with him excedingly and Israel mourned with great mourning †And al the heathen that were round abour them sought to destroy them for they sayd †They haue no prince and helper now therfore let vs expugne them and take away from men the memorie of them CHAP. XIII Simon exhorteth the people to defend themselues and religion 7. is made general captaine 14. Tryphon demandeth an bundred talents of siluer and hostages for Ionathas 17. which are sent to satisfie the people Tryphon receiueth the rarsom 23.
magnificence in gold siluer and furniture abundant and he was astonied and told him the kings wordes †And Simon answered him and sayd to him Neither haue we taken other mens land neither do we hold that is other mens but the inheritance of our fathers which was a certaine season vniustly possessed of our enemies †But we hauing oportunitie challenge the inheritance of our fathers †For concerning Ioppe and Gazara that thou complaynest they made a great plague among the people and in our countrie for these we geue an hundred talents And Athenobius answered him not a word †But with anger returning to the king he reported vnto him these wordes and the glorie of Simon al thinges that he saw and the king was wrath with great anger †And Tryphon fled by shippe to Orthosias †And the king appointed Cendebaeus captaine by the sea cost and gaue him an armie of foote men and horsemen †And he commanded him to moue the campe against the face of Iurie and he commanded him to build Cedron and to fortifie the gates of the citie and to conquer the people But the king pursewed Tryphon †And Cendebaeus came to Iamnia and began to prouoke the people to conculcate Iurie and to take the people captiue and to kil and to build Cedron †And he placed there horsemen and an host that going forth they might walke by the way of Iurie as the king appointed him CHAP. XVI Simon sendeth two of his sonnes to fight against Cendebaeus 8. whom they ouerthrow 11. Ptolemee Simons sonne in law inuiting him to a feast treacherously killeth him and his sonnes Iudas and Mathathias 19. sendeth also men to kil Iohn but he being warned of the treason killeth them 23. and succeedeth to his father in the gouernment AND Iohn went vp from Gazara and told Simon his father what Cendebaeus did amongst their people †And Simon called his two elder sonnes Iudas Iohn and he sayd to them I and my bretheren and the house of my father haue expugned the enemies of Israel from our youth euen to this day and it hath prospered in our handes to deliuer Israel oftentimes †And now I am old but be you in place of me and my bretheren going forth fight for our nation the helpe from heauen be with you †And he chose out of the countrie twentie thousand fighting men and horsemen and they went forth to Cendebaeus and they slept in Modin †And they arose in the morning and went into the plaine filde and loe a mightie great armie coming to meete them of foote men and horsemen there was a running riuer betwen them †And he camped agaynst the face of them him self and his people and he saw the people fearful to passe through the torrent and he passed through first and the men saw him and they passed ouer after him †And he diuided the people and the horsemen in the middes of the footemen and the horsemen of the aduersaries were exceding manie †And they sounded with the holie trompets and Cendebaeus was put to flight and his campe and there fel manie of them wounded and the rest fled into the hold †Then was Iudas Iohns brother wounded But Iohn pursewed them til he came to Cedron which he built †and they fled euen to the towres that were in the fildes of Azotus and he burnt them with fyre And there fel of them two thousand men and he returned into Iurie in peace †And Ptolomee the sonne of Abobus was appointed captayne in the plaine of Iericho and he had much siluer and gold †For he was the sonne in law of the high priest †And his hart was exalted and he would gayne the countrie and he purposed treacherie against Simon and his sonnes to dispatch them †And Simon walking through the cities that were in in the countrie of Iurie and being careful of them went downe into Iericho he and Mathathias his sonne and Iudas the yeare an hundreth seuentie seuen the eleuenth moneth this is the moneth Sabath †And the sonne of Abobus receiued them with guile into a litle fortresse that is called Doch which he built and he made them a great feast and hid men there †And when Simon was inebriated and his sonnes Ptolomee arose with his companie and they tooke their weapons and entered into the feast and slew him and his two sonnes and certain of his seruants †And he did great deceite in Israel rendered euil for good †And Ptolomee wrote these thinges and sent to the king that he should send him an armie for ayde and he would deliuer him the countrie and their cities and tributes †And he sent others into Gazara to dispatch Iohn and to the tribunes he sent epistles that they should come to him he would geue them siluer gold and gifts †And he sent others to take Ierusalem the mount of the temple †And one running before told Iohn in Gazara that his father was perished and his bretheren that he hath sent that thou also mayst be slayne †But as he heard it he was excedingly afrayd and he apprehended the men that came to destroy him he slew them for he knew that they sought to destroy him †And the rest concerning the wordes of Iohn his battels and the valient actes which he did manfully and the building of the walles which he built the thinges that he did †loe these are writen in the booke of the dayes of his priesthood from the time that he was made prince of the priests after his father THE SECOND BOOKE OF MACHABEES CHAP. 1. The Iewes in Ierusalem write to the Iewes in Aegypt 7. signifying that they had wriâ—te before of manie afflictions past 9. and now write againe rendering thankes to God for their deliuerie from Antiochus 18. exhorting their bretheren to kepe the feast of Scenopegia recâ—â—ing the miracle of water returning into fire 24. when Nehemias prayed 33. and that the king built a temple in memorie therof TO THE bretheren the Iewes that are through out Aegypt the bretheren the Iewes that are in Ierusalem and that are in the countrie of Iurie send health and good peace †God doe good to you and remember his testament that he spake to Abraham and Isaac and Iacob his faithful seruantes †and geue he vnto you al an hart to worshippe him and to doe his wil with a great hart and a willing minde †Open he your hart in his law and in his precepts and make peace †Heare he your prayers and be he reconciled vnto you neither forsake he you in the euil time †And now here we are praying for you †When Demetrius reigned in the yeare one hundreth sixtie nine we Iewes wrote vnto you in the tribulation and violence that came vpon vs in these yeares since Iason reuolted from the
and the citizens flying together to the wal at the last the citie being taken Menelaus fled into the castel †But Iason spared not his citizens in murder nor considered that prosperitie against kinsmen is a verie great euil supposing that he should take the victorious spoiles of the enemies and not of his citizens †And the princedome verily he obteyned not but receiued confusion the end of his treacherie and went againe a fugitiue into the countrie of the Ammanites †At the last to his owne destruction being inclosed of Aretas the tyrant of the Arabians flying from citie to citie odious to al men as an apostata from the lawes and execrable as an enemie of his countrie and citizens he was thrust out into Egypt †and he that had expelled manie out of their countrie perished in a strange place going to the Lacedemonians as being like for kindred sake to haue refuge there †but he that cast away manie vnburyed himself both vnlamented and vnburyed is cast forth neither enioying forrein buryal nor partaker of the sepulcher of his fathers †These thinges therefore being done the king suspected that the Iewes would forsake the societie and for this departing out of Aegypt with a furious mind he tooke the citie by armes †And he bad the souldiars kil and not spare them that came in their way to murder them that went vp into the houses †Slaughters therfore were made of youngmen old and destructions of wemen and children and murders of virgins and litle ones †And there were in the whole three dayes foure score thousand slaine fourtie thousand prisoners and no lesse sold †But neither do these thinges suffice he presumed also to enter into the temple in al the earth the most holie Menelaus being his leader who was betrayer of the lawes and his countrie †And with wicked handes taking the holie vessels which by other kinges and cities were set for the ornament and the glorie of the place he vnworthily handled and contaminated them †So Antiochus being alienated in minde considered not that for the sinnes of them that inhabit the citie God had bene angrie a litle for the which also hapned the contempte about the place †otherwise vnles it had chanced them to haue bene wrapped in manie sinnes as Heliodorus who was sent of Seleucus the king to spoile the treasurie this man also immediately as he came had bene scourged and repelled verily from his boldnes †But not the nation for the place but the place for the nation hath God chosen †And therefore the place also it self is made partaker of the peoples euils but afterward it shal be partaker of the good thinges and it that was forsaken in the wrath of almightie God shal be exalted againe with great glorie in the reconciliation of the great Lord. †Therefore Antiochus hauing taken away out of the temple a thousand and eight hundred talents spedily went backe to Antioch thinking through pride that he might bring the land to sayle vpon the sea to goe vpon through haughtines of minde †And he left also rulers to afflict the nation at Ierusalem Philip a Phrygian borne more cruel of maners then he himself by whom he was appointed †and in Garizim Andronicus and Menelaus who lay more greiuously vpon the citizens then the rest †And wheras he was set against the Iewes he sent the odious prince Apollonius with an armie of two twentie thousand commanding him to kil al of perfect age to sel the wemen and the young ones †Who when he was come to Ierusalem feyning peace rested vntil the holie day of the Sabbath and then the Iewes keping holie day he commanded his men to take weapons †And he murdered al that were gone forth to behold the gammes running through the citie with armed men he slew a very greate multitude †But Iudas Machabeus who was the tenth was retyred into a desert place and there amongst wilde beastes he led his life in the mountaines with his companie and they abode eating meate of grasse that they might not be partakers of the contamination CHAP. VI. The law of God is abolished the temple prophaned and named of Iupiter Olympius 7. The feast of Bacchus is kept 10. wemen with their circumcised children are slaine 11. others for celebrating the sabbath 12. an admonition to the reader 18. old Eleazarus constantly obseruing the law suffereth glorious death BVT not long after the king sent a certaine ancient man of Antioch that should compel the Iewes to remoue them selues from the lawes of their fathers and of God †to contaminate also the temple that was in Ierusalem and to cal it by the name of Iupiter Olympius and in Garizim according as they were that inhabited the place of Iupiter Hospitalis †And the inuasion of the euiles was sore and grieucus to al †for the temple was ful of the lecherie and glottonie of the Gentiles of them that played the harlots with whoores And wemen thrusting themselues of their owne accord into the sacred houses bringing in thouse thinges which were not lawful †The altar also was ful of vnlawful thinges which were forbidden by the lawes †And neither were the Sabbaths kept not the soleme dayes of the fathers obserued neither plainely did anie man confesse him selfe to be a Iewe. †But they were led with bitter necessitie in the kings birth day to sacrifices and when the feast of Bacchus was kept they were compelled to goe about crowned with Iuie vnto Bacchus †And there went forth a decree into the next cities of the Gentiles the Ptolomeans geuing the aduise that they also in like manner should doe against the Iewes that they sacrifice †and them that would not paste to the ordinances of the heathen they should kil A man then might see the miserie †For two wemen were accused to haue circuncided their children whom the infantes hanging at their breasts when they had openly led them about through the citie they threwe downe headlong by the walles †And others coming together to the next caues secretely 2. keping the day of the Sabbath when they were discouered to Philip were burnt with fyre because they feared for religion and obseruance to helpe themselues with their hand †But I beseech them that shal read this booke that they abhorre not for the aduersities but that they account those thinges which haue happened not to be for the destruction but for the chastening of our stocke †For not to suffer sinners a long time to doe as they wil but forthwith to punish is a token of a great benefite †For not as in other nations our Lord patiently expecteth that when the day of iudgement shal come he may punish them in the fulnes of sinnes †so also doth he determine in vs that our sinnes being come to the end so at
celebrated the Phase and the festiual day of Azymes for seuen dayes †and there was not celebrated such a Phase in Israel from the times of Samuel the prophet †and al the kinges of Israel did not celebrate such a Phase as Iosias did and the Priestes and the Leuites and the Iewes and al Israel that were found in their abode at Ierusalem †In the eightenth yeare Iosias reigning was the Phase celebrated †And the workes of Iosias were directed in the sight of his Lord in a hart ful of feare †and the thinges concerning him are writen in the ancient times touching them that sinned and were irreligious against our Lord aboue al nations and that sought not the wordes of our Lord vpon Israel †And after al this fact of Iosias came vp Pharao the king of Aegypt comming in Charcamis from the way vpon Euphrates and Iosias went forth to meete him †And the king of Aegypt sent to Iosias saying What is there betwen me thee king of Iuda †I was not sent of the Lord to fight against thee for my battel is vpon Euphrates goe downe in hast †And Iosias did not returne vpon his chariote but endeuoured to ouerthrow him not attending the word of the prophet from the mouth of our Lord †but he made battel against him in the field of Mageddo And princes went downe to king Iosias †And the king said to his seruantes Remoue me from the battel for I am weakned excedingly And forth with his seruantes remoued him out of the battel †And he went vp into his second chariote comming to Ierusalem dyed and was buried in his fathers se pulchre †And in al Iurie they mourned for Iosias the rulers with their wiues lamented him vntil this day And this was geuen out to be done alwayes vnto al the stocke of Israel †But these thinges were writen before in the booke of the histories of the kinges of Iuda and al the actes of the doing of Iosias and his glorie and his vnderstanding in the law of our Lord and the thinges that were done by him and that are not writen in the booke of the kinges of Israel and Iuda †And they that were of the nation taking Iechonias the sonne of Iosias made him king for Iosias his father when he was three and twentie yeares old †And he reigned ouer Israel three monethes And the king of Aegypt remoued him that he should not reigne in Ierusalem †and he put a taxe vpon the nation of siluer an hundred talentes and of gold one talent †And the king of Aegypt made Ioacim his brother king of Iuda and Ierusalem †and he bound the magistrates of Ioacim and Zaracel his brother and taking them brought them backe into Aegypt †Ioacim was fiue and twentie yeares old when he began to reigne in the land of Iuda and Ierusalem and he did euil in the sight of our Lord. †And after this man came vp Nabuchodonosor the king of Babylon and binding him with a bande of brasse brought him into Babylon †And Nabuchodonosor tooke the sacred vessels of our Lord and carried away and consecrated them in his temple in Babylon †For his vncleanes and lacke of religion is written in the booke of the times of the kinges †And Ioachin his sonne reigned for him And when he was made king he was eightene yeares old †And reigned three monethes and ten dayes in Ierusalem and did euil in the sight of our Lord †and after a yeare Nabuchodonosor sending transported him into Babylon together with the sacred vessels of our Lord. †And he made Sedecias king of Iuda and Ierusalem when he was one and twentie yeares old and he reigned eleuen yeares †And he did euil in the sight of our Lord and was not afraid of the wordes which were spoken by Ieremie the prophet from the mouth of our Lord †and being sworne of king Nabuchodonosor forsworne he did reuolt and his necke being hardened his hart he transgressed the ordinances of our Lord the God of Israel †And the princes of the people of our Lord did manie thinges wickedly and they did impiously aboue al the vncleannes of the nations and they polluted the temple of our Lord that was holie in Ierusalem †And the God of their fathers sent by his messenger to reclame them for that he would spare them and his tabernacle †But they scorned at his messengers and in the day that our Lord spake to them they were mocking his prophetes †Who was moued euen vnto wrath vpon his nation for their impietie and commanded the kinges of the Chaldees to come vp †These slewe their yong men with the sword round about their holie temple and spared not yong man and old man and virgin and youth †but al were deliuered into their handes taking al the sacred vessels of our Lord and the kinges treasures they caried them into Babylon †and burnt the house of our Lord and threwe downe the walles of Ierusalem and the towres therof they burnt with fire †and consumed al their honorable thinges and brought them to naught and those that were left of the sword they led into Babylon †And they were his seruants vntil the Persians reigned in the fulfilling of the word of our Lord by the mouth of Ieremie †as long as the land quietly kept her sabbathes al the time of her desolation she sabbathized in the application of seuentie yeares CHAP. II. Cyrus king of Persia permitteth the Iewes to returne into their countrie 10. and deliuereth to them the holie vessels which Nabuchodonosor had taken from the temple 16. Certaine aduersaries writing to king Artaxerxes hinder those that would repayre the ruines of Ierusalem CYRVS king of the Persians reigning for the accomplishment of the word of our Lord by the mouth of Ieremie †our Lord raysed vp the spirit of Cyrus king of the Persians and he proclaymed in al his kingdomes and that by writing †saying Thus sayth Cyrus king of the Persians The Lord of Israel the high Lord hath made me king ouer the whole earth †and hath signified to me to build him a house in Ierusalem which is in Iurie †If there be any of your kinred his Lord goe vp with him into Ierusalem †Whosoeuer therefore dwel about the places let them helpe them that are in the same place in gold and siluer †in giftes with horses and beastes and with other thinges which by vowes are added into the temple of our Lord which is in Ierusalem †And the princes of the tribes of the villages and of Iurie of the tribe of Beniamin the Priestes and the Leuites standing vp whom our Lord moued to goe vp and to build the house of our Lord which is in Ierusalem and they that were round about them †did helpe them with al their gold and siluer and beastes and
manie whose minde was stirred vp with many vowes †And Cyrus the king brought forth the sacred vessels of our Lord which Nabuchodonosor the king of Babylon transported out of Ierusalem and consecrated them to his Idol †And Cyrus the king of Persians bringing them forth deliuered them to Mithridatus who was ouer his treasures †And by him they were deliuered to Salmanasar president of Iurie †And of these this was the number Cuppes for libamentes of siluer two thousand foure hundred basens of siluer thirtie phials of gold thirtie also of siluer two thousand foure hundred and other vessels a thousand †and al the vessels of gold and siluer were fiue thousand eight hundred sixtie †And they were numbered to Salmanasar together with them that came out of the captiuite of Babylon into Ierusalem †But in the times of Artaxerxes king of the Persians there wrote to him of them that dwelt in Iurie and Ierusalem Balsamus and Mithridatus and Sabellius and Rathimus Balthemus Sabellius scribe and the rest dweling in Samaria and other places the epistle folowing to king Artaxerxes †SIR thy seruantes Rathimus ouer occurrentes and Sabellius the scribe and the other iudges of thy court in Caelesyria and Phenice †And now be it knowen to our Lord the king that Iewes came vp from you to vs coming into Ierusalem a rebellious very naughty citie do build the fornaces thereof and set vp the walles and rayse the temple †And if this citie and the walles shal be finished they wil not onlie not abyde to pay tributes but also wil resist the kinges †And because that is in doing about the temple we thought it should doe wel not to neglect this same thing †but to make it knowen to our Lord the king that if it shal seme good ô king it may be sought in the bookes of thy fathers †and thou shalt find in the recordes thinges writen of these and thou shalt know that this citie hath bene rebellious and trubling kinges and cities †and the Iewes rebelles making battels in it from time out of mind for the which cause this citie was made desolate †Now therfore we doe thee to vnderstand Lord king that if this citie shal be built and the walles therof shal be erected there wil be no comming downe for thee into Caelesyria Phenice †Then wrote the king to Rathimus the writer of the occurrentes and to Balthemus and to Sabellius the scribe and to the rest ioyned with them and to the dwellers in Syria and Phenice as foloweth †I haue read the epistle that you sent me I commanded therfore search to be made it was found that the same citie is from the beginning rebellious to kinges †and the men rebelles and making battels in it there were most valient kinges ruling in Ierusalem and exacting tributes in Caelesyria Phenice †Now therfore I haue geuen commandment to forbid those men to build the citie and to stay them that nothing be done more then is †and that they proceede not farder wherof are euils so that there may be truble brought vpon the kinges †Then these things being read which were writen of king Artaxerxes Rathimus and Sabellius the scribe and they that were apointed with them ioyning together in hast came to Ierusalem with a troupe of horsemen and multitude companie †and they begane to forbid the builders and they ceased from building of the temple in Ierusalem til in the second yeare of the reigne of Darius king of the Persians CHAP. III. After a solemne supper made to al the court and chief princes king Darius sleeping 4. three esquires of the bodie keeping watch proposed the question 10. Whether wine or a King or wemen or the truth doth excel 17. The first prayseth wine KING Darius made a great supper to al his domestical seruantes and to al the magistrates of Media and Persia †and to al that were purple and to the praetors and consuls and liuetenantes vnder him from India vnto Aethiopia an hundred twentie seuen prouinces †And when they had eaten and drunken and returned ful then Darius went vp into his chamber and slept and awaked †Then those three youngmen kepers of his bodie which garded the kings bodie sayd one to an other †Let euerie one of vs say a word that may excel whose word soeuer shal appeare wiser then the others to him wil king Darius geue great giftes †to be couered with purple to drinke in gold and to sleepe vpon gold a chariote with a bridle of gold a bonet of silke and a cheyne about his necke †and he shal sit in the second place next Darius for his wisdome And he shal be called the cosin of Darius †Then euerie one writing his word signed it and they put it vnder the pillow of Darius the king †and they sayd When the king shal rise we wil geue him our writinges and which soeuer of the three the king shal iudge and the magistrates of Persia that his word is the wiser to him shal the victorie be geuen as is writen †One wrote Wine is strong †An other wrote a King is stronger †The third wrote Wemen are more strong but aboue al thinges truth ouercometh †And when the king was risen they tooke their writinges and gaue him and he read †And sending he called al the Magistrates of the Persians and the Medes and them that weare purple and the pretors and the ouerseers †and they sate in the councel and the writinges were read before them †And he sayd Cal the youngmen and they shal declare their owne wordes And they were called and went in †And he sayd to them Declare vnto vs concerning these thinges which are writen And the first began he that had spoken of the strength of wine †and sayd O ye men how doth wine preuaile ouer al men that drinke it seduceth the minde †And also the mind of king and orphane it maketh vaine Also of the bondman and the free of the rich man and the poore †and euerie mind it turneth into securitie and pleasantnes and it remembreth not any sorow and dewtie †and al hartes it maketh honest and it remembreth not king nor magistrate and it maketh a man speake al thinges by talentes †And when they haue drunke they remember not frendship nor brotherhood yea and not long after they take swordes †And when they are recouered and risen from the wine they remember not what they haue done †O ye men doth not wine excel who thinketh to doe so And hauing sayd this he held his peace CHAP. IIII. The second prayseth the excellencie of a king 13. The third which is Zorobabel commendeth wemen 33. but preferreth truth aboue al 41. which is so approued and he is rewarded 42. The king moreouer at his request restoreth the holie vessels of the
prophecied of al his twelue sonnes and in Iudas of Christ Gen. 49. v. 10. And then dyed  Iob either of the progenie of Nachor or as semeth more probable of Esau liued the same time in which the children of Israel were pressed with seruitude in Aegypt Himselfe writte the historie of his affliction in the Arabian tongue which Moyses translated into Hebrew m 2286. Amrā Esron n Ioseph buried his father in Chanaan and nourished his bretheren with their families as their patron superior Gen. 50. v. 18.   o 2340.   o He dyed at the age of 110. yeares Gen. 50. After his death the Superioritie of the children of Israel descended not to his sonnes but to his bretheren and rested in Leui the third brother liuing longest of al the twelue to the age of 137. yeares Exodi 6. v. 16. whose genealogie is there declared to shew the descent of Aaron and Moyses About this time was Atlas the great Astronomer brother of Prometheus grandfather to Mercurius the elder whose nephew Mercurius otherwise called Tris megistus the master of moral philosophie must nedes be a good while after Moyses S. Aug. li. 18. c. 39. de ciuit Also Cecrops the first king and builder of Athens was in Moyses time after him Cadmus built Thebes and the first that brought letters into Grece more ancient then manie Pammes goddes S. Aug. li. 18. c. 8. c. The booke of Exodus conteyneth the affliction and deliuerie of the children of Israel precepts of Gods law p 2401. Aaron borne Aram. r Moyses an infant of three monethes was put in a basket on the water taken thence by Pharaos daughter nurced by his owne mother and brought vp in Pharaos court Exod. 2.   q 2404. Moyses borne  s At the age of fourty yeares he went to his bretheren to comfort them Where killing an Aegyptian that oppressed an Israelite he was forced to flee into Madian Exod. 2.   s 2244.   t After other fourtie yeares God appeared to Moyses in a bush burning not wasting Sent him into Aegypt with powre to worke miracles to bring the children of Israel out of that bondage   t 2484.  Aminadab v Pharao and the Aegyptians resisting were plaged with tenne sundrie afflictions At last the Israelites were deliuered and Pharao with al his armie drowned Exo. 3. to 15.   THE END OF THE THIRD AGE THE BEGINNING OF THE FOVRTH AGE Anni mūdi High-priests The line of Iudas The sacred historie Schismes and infidelitie Scriptures    w The law was geuen in Mount Sina the fifteth day after their going out of Aegypt Exod. 19. 20. In the absence of Moyses the people forcing Aaron to consent made adored a golden calfe for God Exod. 32.   x 2485.   x The tabernacle with al thinges perteyning therto was prepared in the first yeare and erected the first day of the second yeare of their abode in the desert Exod. 40.     Aaron  y In the same second yeare Aaron was consecrated Highpriest and his sonnes Priestes for an ordinarie succession Moyses remayning Superior extraordinarie during his life Leuit. 8. Nadab Abiu offered strange fire in sacrifice and were burnt to death Leuit. 10. Leuiticus conteyneth the Rites of Sacrifices Priestes Feastes Fastes and Vowes Numeri so called because in it are numbered the men of twelue tribes able to beare armes also the Leuites deputed to Gods seruice about the tabernacle and the mansions of the people in the desert with other thinges happening in the 40. yeares of their abode there     z Balaam a sorcerer hyred by Balac king of Moab to curse the Israelites was forced by Gods powre to prophecy good things of them Num. 22. 23. 24. Chore Dathan Abiron with manie others murmuring rebellīg against Moyses Aaron were partly swalowed aliue into the earth others burnt with fire from heauen Num. 16.      a Moyses and Aaron doubting that God would not geue water out of a rock to the murmuring people were foretold that they should dye in the desert and not enter into the promised land Num. 20.    b 2523. Eleazar  b Aaron dyed in the mount Hor and his sonne Eleazar was made Highpriest Num. 20.    c 2524.   c Moyses repeted the law commending it earnestly to the people Then dyed and was secretly buried by Angels in the valley of Moab Deut. 34.      To whom Iosue succeded in temporal gouernment his spiritual remayning in the Highpriest Nu. 27. v 20. d Al the children of Israel that came forth of Aegypt aboue the age of twentie yeares dyed in the desert except two Iosue Caleb Num. 26. v. 64. 65. Al nations generally besides the Iewes seruing many false goddes those thought themselues most religious that were most supersticious studious of art Magike Nigromancy the like And euerie countrie yea almost euerie towne village had their peculiar imagined goddes as S. Athanasius discourseth Orat contra idola Deuteronomie is an abridgement and repetition of the law conteyned more largely in the former bookes    e Presently after Moyses death Iosue brought the people ouer Iordan into Chanaan Iosue ◠And in the space of seuen yeares conquered the land Iosue 6. c.   f 2531   f And diuided the same amongst the tribes Iosue 13.   g 2533.   g The tribes of Ruben Gad and half Manasses hauing receiued enheritance on the other side of Iordan Num. 32. v. 33. and now returning thither made an altar by the riuer side which the other tribes suspecting to be for sacrifice and so to make a schisme prepared to fight against them but they answering that it was only for a monument al were satisfied Iosue 22.  The booke of Iosue is the first of those which are properly called Historical declaring how the Israelits conquered possessed the land of Chanaan it conteyneth the historie of 32. yeares   Naasson  The Romanes otherwise most prudent accoūted al inuenters of artes conqueroures of countries al archiuers of great explores at least after their deathes to be goddes And not only men but also manie other thinges were held for goddes  h 2556. h Iosue at the age of 110. yeares dyed Iosue 24. v. 29. had no proper successor     i 2556.   i Eleazarus the Highpriest dyed the same yeare Iosue 24. v. 33. And his sonne Phinees succeded    Phinees  k After the death of Iosue the people were afflicted by forreine nations God so permitting for their sinnes but repenting he raised vp certaine captaines who were called Iudges of diuers tribes without ordinarie succession to deliuer defend the countrie from inuasions These were in al fourtenne
in the space of nere 300. yeares   l 2564.   l Othoniel the first Iudge of the tribe of Iuda deliuered the Israelites from molestation of the king of Syria He gouerned comprehending also the intermission fourtie yeares Iudic. 3. v. 11. Neither did it suffice their phancies to coÌ„mend themselues and their goodes to the protection of few goddes but diuers thinges yea and the same thinges according to diuers state to diuers goddes and goddesses As S. Augustin noteth li. 4. c. 8. de ciuit that they thought it not sufficient to coÌ„mend their landes possessions to one god or goddesse but the fieldes to one mouÌ„taines to an other little hilles to an other valleys or medowes to an other Likewise their corne not al to one but the sede newly sowne to one beginning to brewerd to an other when it riseth beginneth to haue knottes to an other when it bladeth to an other when the eare springeth to an other when it is ripe readie to be reaped to an other And so without end more and more vaine goddes were imagined by the diuels suggestion The booke of Iudges sheweth the state of the people of God the space of nere three hundred yeares after the death of Iosue when they had sometimes temporal gouerners of diuers tribes some times none m 2588.   m Aod of the tribe of Beniamin the second Iudge killed Eglon king of Moab and so deliuered Israel and slew tenne thousand Moabites Iud. 3. v. 20. 29.      n Samgar a husbandman the third Iudge killing six hundred Philisthimes with the culter of a plough defended Israel Iudic. 3. v. 31. He with Aod and the times wanting iudges gouerned seuentie fiue yeares   o 2663.   o Barach by direction of Debora a prophetesse fighting against Sisara chiefe captaine of Iabin king of Asor Iahil a stout woman slew the same captaine striking a naile in his head Iud. 4. They gouerned 38. yeares    Abisue Salmon p Gedeon confirmed by miracles that he was sent of God ouertherw the Madianites and deliuered Israel gouerning fourtie yeares Iudic. 6. 7. 8.   p 2701.   q Abimelech the base sonne of Gedeon vniustly vsurping auctoritie killed his seuenty bretheren one only escaping but within three yeares was hated of his folowers and slaine by a woman Iud 9.   q 2741.   r Thola defended the countrie from inuasion of enimies three yeares Iud. 10.   r 2744.   s Iair a potent noble man defended the people twentie two yeares Iud. 10. v. 3.   s 2767. Bocci  t Iepte first reiected but afterwards intreated by the ancientes of the people fought for them and ouerthrew the enemies And vpon an vndiscrete vow offered his daughter in sacrifice Iud. 11.   t 2789.  Booz   who so deluding men brought them to eternal ruine    v He killed in ciuil warre fourtie two thousand Ephraimites and gouerned six yeares Iud. 12.   w 2795.   w Abesan a fortunate good man ruled in peace seuen yeares Iudic. 12. v. 9. About this time Booz of the tribe of Iuda maried Ruth a Moabite by whom the right line of Iudas descended by Phares to Dauid Ruth 4. v. 18. c. The people in this time of peace fel againe to idolatrie For which God suffered the Philistimes to afflict them Iud. 13. The tribe of Dan set vp idolatrie Iud. 18.  x 2802.   x Ahialon gouerned likewise in peace tenne yeares Iud. 12. v. 11. A hainous crime being committed in the tribe of Beniamin and not punished the other Israelites made battle against them being themselues also great sinners lost manie men in two conflictes but in the third the tribe of Beniamin was almost destroyed Iud. 19. v. 20. The booke of Ruth amongst other mysteries sheweth the genealogie of Dauid of whose sede Christ was borne y 2812.  Obed. y Abdon an other nobleman gouerned eight yeares Iud. 12. v. 13.   z 2820. Ozi  z Samson from his birth a Nazareite of admirable streingth did manie heroical actes killed manie Philistimes in his life more by his owne death He gouerned twentie yeares Iud. 13. v. 5. c. ch 16. v. 31.   a 2840. Hei otherwise Zaraias  a Heli of the stocke of Aaron by the line of Ithamar was High priest and gouerned Israel fourtie yeares 1. Reg. 4. v. 18.     Isai or Iesse b Samuel whose mother being long barren had presented him an infant in the temple according to her vow was a Nazareire and a prophet from a child 1.  The foure bookes of kings shew the state of the Church from the b 2880.     first kinges of Gods people to their captiuitie And the two bookes of Paralipomenon do repete briefly some thinges written before partly adde thinges omitted in other bookes  Maraioth Dauid b. Reg. 1. 3. And after the death of Heli gouerned the people of Israel before Saul twentie yeares And with him twentie yeares more About the yeare of the world 2830. Troy was taken and destroyed by the Grecians In which battel were Agamemnon Vlisses Achilles Nestor many others not in dede so renowmed for anie vertues or factes of their owne as Homer Horace Viâ—gil Onid others by poetical libertie flatterie sette them forth But most follie appeareth in that the citie of Rome was afterwards commended to those goddes which were taken in Troy not able to defend them selues from inuasion and spoile S. Aug. li. 1. c. 3. ciuit The psalmes written by Dauid a summarie of al holie Scriptures c 2900. Achimelech or Amarias Dauid king c By the importunitie of the people to haue a king God appointed Samuel to annoint Saul 1. Reg. 10. who at first gouerned wel but afterwards declining from God was deposed Dauid annointed by the same prophet Samuel 1. Reg. 16. Yet Saul was not actually depriued of the scepter so long as he liued 1. Reg. 31.   d 2920. Abiathar or Achitob Salomon d Dauid king prophetâ—â— led his kingdom as a right parterne of al good kinges made the booke of Psalmes ful of al diuine knowlege prepared meanes for building the temple ordained diuers sortes of musitians and reigned fourtie yeares 2. Reg. totus 2. Par. 23 c.   e 2960. Sadoc  e Salomon excelling in wisdom prospered in this world 3. Reg. 3. c.   f 2964.   f He built the temple and adorned the same with al excellent furniture requisite for Gods seruice disposing al in order as Dauid had ordained   THE END OF THE FOVRTH AGE THE BEGINNING OF THE FIFTH AGE AnnimuÌ„di High-priests kinges of luda The sacred Historie Schismes and infidelitie Scriptures g 2972.   g The temple being finished in seuen yeares was
called Iechonias reigning but three monethes was caried into Aegypt where afterwards he dyed 4. Reg. 23. v. 34. and Eliakim otherwise called Ioakim his brother was made king Who in the third yeare of his reigne was caried into Babylon 4. Reg. 23. v. 34. 2. Par. 36. v. 4. 5. and with him Daniel and the other three children Dan. 1.  Daniel begane to prophecie also verie young in Babylon and continued after  Zaraias  Shortly after which time happened the historie of Susanna Dan. 13.  the relaxation from captiuitie    And the same Ioakim after his reigne of three yeares liued other eight yeares in captiuitie 4. Reg. 24. v. 1. 2. Par. 36. v. 4. 5. A certaine captaine picking a quarel apprehended Ieremie and by consent of principal men cast him into a dungeon the king not knowing therof 4. Reg. 25. Iere. 37. 38. Ezechiel prophecied also in the captiuitie in the countrie nere to Babylon a 3383.  Ioachin otherwise Iechonias a Ioachin called also Iechonias sonne of the former Iechonias or Ioachaz reigned but three monethes was caried into Babylon with him Ezechiel the Prophet and others And his vncle Matthanias otherwise named Sedecias was made king who reigned eleuen yeares 4. Reg. 24. 2. Paral. 36. Ismael killed Godolias the gouernour and others 4. Reg. 25. Iere. 41.  b 3394. Iosedech  b In the eleuenth yeare of Sedecias when king Iechonias the younger was prisoner in Babylon Ierusalem was taken the Temple destroyed and the people caried captiue into Babylon 4 Reg. 25. 2. Paral. 36. In the meane time Daniel was in singular great estimatiō both with the faithful people and Paganes and was aduanced to auctoritie as also by his meanes the other children for which they were enuied and persecuted but were miraculously protected Dan. 1. ad 7. 13. 14. Manie Iewes fled into Aegypt and fel to idolatrie resisting contemning Ieremies admonitions to the contrarie Iere. 42. 43. 44.  THE END OF THE FIFTH AGE THE BEGINNING OF THE SIXTH AGE Anni mūdi High-priests The line of Dauid The sacred historie Schismes and infidelitie Scriptures c 3418. Iesus sonne of Iosedech From the captiuitie the Iewes had no kinges but the line of Dauid continued in these persons from Iechonias to Christ c In the captiuitie by diligence of the prophetes manie Iewes had great zele in true religion And about the 24. yeare of the captiuitie Assuerus otherwise called Astiages made Esther Quene and wicked Aman seeking to destroy al the Iewes in those partes was himself hanged on the gallowes which he had prepared for Mardocheus Esther 7. c. When the Monarchie came to the Chaldees by the powre of Nabuchodo nosor king of Babylon there was greatest confusion of manie goddes and of al kindes of idolatrie The historie of Esther Mardocheus and Aman written in the booke of Esther in the captiuitie d3420  Salathiel d Euilmerodach deliuered Iechonias or Ioachin from prison and enterteyned him as a prince 4. Reg. 25. v. 27.   e3464   e Baltazar being slaine Darius king of Medes Persians possessed Babylon Cyrus succeding Darius released the Iewes from captiuitie and gaue licence to Zorobabel Iesus to reduce the people into Iurie     Zorobabel 2. Paral. 36. v. 22. 1. Esd 1. And great dissention among the more lerned Grecians For the Pithagorians put their chief happines or Summum bonum in the immortalitie of the soule The Stoiks in moral vertues The Achademikes cōceiued much of pure spirites as Angels but could affirme nothing The Peripatetikes placed the consummation of al in the aggregation of spiritual corporal and worldlie prosperitie  f3465   f The Iewes being returned into Ierusalem sette vp an altar and offered sacrifice 1. Esd 3. v. 2.  Esdras write the relaxation of the Iewes from captiuitie And Nehemias the reparation of Ierusalem g3466   g The next yeare they begane to build the temple 1. Esd 3. v. 8.   h3469 Ioachin  h Attaxerxes otherwise called Cambyses also Assuerus forbade to perfect the temple And Iesus the Highpriest returned into Babylon 1. Esd 4. v. 7.     Abiud    i3470   i Daniel vnderstood by vision that Christ should come within seuentie wekes which make 490. yeares from the perfecting of the temple the walles of Ierusalem Dan. 9. v. 25. The schismatical Samaritanes opposed against the building of the temple 1. Esd 4.  k3490 Eliasib  k Aggeus Zacharias the prophets exhorted to build the temple 1. Esd 5. The Saduces acknowleging only the fiue bookes of Moyses reiected al other Scriptures and denied the resurrection Aggeus Zacharias l3500   l Iudith killed Holofernes either about this time or in the dayes of Manasses before the captiuitie Praefat. Iudith The Scribes expounded holie Scriptures sophistically Iudith either here or before the captiuitie m3502  Eliacim m The temple being perfected Malachias who is supposed to be Esdras exhorted to offer sacrifice with sinceritie Mal. 1. 2. The Pharises were precise in the letter corrupting the sense making large hemmes of their garments often washing themselues and the like Malachias n3508   n And Nehemias brought the kings Edict for the reparation of Ierusalem 2. Esd 2.   o3509   o Esdras Nehemlas and others labored in repayring Ierusalem but were often interrupted 2. Esd 3.   p3530  Azor. p About this time the citie was wel repayred with three walles 2. Esd 3. 7. And so by the iudgemēt of some expositers the count of seuentie wekes begane according to the prophecie of Daniel ch 9. v. 26.    Ioiada     q 3504. Ionathan  q Nehemias returning from Persia or Chaldea into Iurie found thicke water for the fire which Ieremie had hid in a deepe caue 2. Mach. 1. v. 20. 23.    Iaddus Sadoc r Alexander the great honored Iaddus the Highpriest Ioseph li. 11. c. 8. Antiq.   r 3644.   s Onias a most zelous godlie Highpriest 2. Mach. 4. was persecuted by Simon a church warden slaine by Andronicus a courtly minion v. 34. And after his death prayed for al the people ch 15. v. 12.   s 3689. Onias Achim t Iesus the sonne of Sirach writte the booke of Ecclesiasticus in the time of this Simon Highpriest as semeth ch 50. v. 24. 25.    Simon Priscus  v The seuentie two Interpreters being sent by Eleazarus Highpriest to Ptolomeus Philadelphus king of Aegypt translated the Hebrew Scriptures into Greke Sanaballat a Grecian obtayned licence for his sonnein law Manasses the Apostata high-priest to build a temple in Garizim Ioseph li. 11. c. 8. Antiq.  t 3700.   w An other Iesus Nephew of the former translated Ecclesiasticus into Greke Prolog Eccli Ananias an other false
pretender built an other schismatical temple in Aegypt   Eleazarus  x Philo the elder writte the booke of wisdom in Greke S. Icrom in pref In the time of Onias the second his brother Iason obtayned for money to be high-priest  w 3720.     Ecclesiasticus conteyneth manie moral precepts and is a storehouse of vertues and holie mysteries  Manasses an Apostata Eliud    w 3750. Onias    The booke of wisdom is also replenished with much doctrine of vertue and of diuine mysteries  Simon     x 3810. Onias Eleazar    y 3825.   y Antiochus Epiphanes persecuted the Church most cruelly like as Antichrist wil doe nere the end of the world 1. Mach. 1. v. 11. 2. Mach. 5. 6 7. Antiochus set vp the abomination of desolation wherof Daniel prophecied ch 9.   Mathathias  z In defence of the Church Mathathias and his sonnes with others made warres killed and oueâ— threw al their enemies aduanced religion clensed the teÌ„ple deliuered the people from persecution 1. Mach. 2. c. 2. Mach. 8. seq  The bookes of Machabees conteine the historie of the Iewes from Alexander the great to the time of Ioannes Hyrcanus high-priest aboue two huÌ„dred yeares z 3846.  Mathan d After the warres the Iewes in Ierusalem writte to the Iewes in Aegypt exhorting them to kepe the feastes and other rites as they were obserued in Iurie 2. Mach. 1. 2. After Iason folowed more vsurpers of the Highpriesthood  a 3847. Iudas Machabeus  e Pompeius the great taking Ierusalem subdued the Iewes to the Romanes He entered into the holy place called Sancta Sanctorum there prophaned holie thinges caried away Aristobulus who had bene Highpriest prisoner confirmed Hyrcanus in his place After whom Cassius also spovled the temple S. Aug. li. 18. c. 4â— de ciuil Menelaus  b 3853. Ionathas  f S. Iohn Baptist was borne of Elizabeth who had bene long barren Lisimachus  c 3869. Simon   Alcimus  d 3878. IoaÌ„nes Hyrcanus Iacob     Aristobulus     e 3847.       Alexander       Ioseph the husband of the most B Virgin     Hyrcanus Marie    f 4000.       IESVS CHRIST  And six monethes after Christ our SAVIOVR was borne of the B. Virgin Marie in Bethleem circumcised adored by the Sages and presented in the Temple When king Herod reigned in Iudea Herodians held opinion that Herod was Christ the Messias whom the Iewes had long expected   Antigonus  g Ioseph fled with the child his mother into Aegypt and Herod murthered the innocent infantes But Christ the Sonne of God coming into this world cut of al these other old sectes And from time to time cutteth of al haresies that rise against his Church   Anaelus  h Returning from Aegypt they dwelt in Nazareth   g4001 Aristobulus  i Christ at the age of twelue yeares remayning in Ierusalem vnknowen to his parentes was found the third day in the temple amongst the Doctors   h4006 Iosue Simon Mathias  k S. Iohn Baptist preached and baptized in Iordan Of whom Christ amongst others was baptized and fasted in the desert fourtie dayes   i 4012. Iosephus Iozarus Eleazar Iosue  l Christ crucified redemed mankind arose from death ascended to heauen sending the Holie Ghost planted his perpetual visible Church   k 4030. Annas Ismael Eleazar Simon     l 4034. Caiphas    The first holie Scripture of the new Testament was S. Mathewes Gospel written about the yeare of Christ 41. And the last was S. Iohns Gospel the yeare 99. The end of the sixth age and of the old Testament A PARTICVLAR TABLE OF THE MOST PRINCIPAL THINGES CONteyned as wel in the holie text as in the Annotations of both the Tomes of the old Testament In vvhich the letter A. directeth to the former volume B. to the latter and the numbers to the pages AARON of the tribe of Leui designed to assist his brother Moyses a 163. called the prophet of Moyses a 169. He yelded to make an idol a 243. was consecrated Highpriest a 275. In him his seede the Priesthood of the written law was established a 206. 275. 278. b. 438. 610. He once murmured against Moyses a 348. He Moyses offended in doubting of Gods wil a 365. b. 196. He died in mount Hor a 366. And is particularly praised b 438. Abel offered sacrifice sincerely a 13. 15. 31. and was slaine by his brother ibidem Abdias prophecied the captiuitie and relaxation of the Iewes and the Incarnation of Christ the Redemer of mankind b 840. Abiathar the Highpriest was deposed a 692. Abimelech killed his brethren and vsurped gouernment a 534. Abram left his country Chaldea for religion a 45. 51. a principal Patriarch a 50. He and his seede were strangers in diuers countries foure hundred and thirtie yeares a 60. 187. His name changed to Abraham a. 63. 65. His faith and singular obedience a 75. His many vertues a 200. 203. He was neuer an idolater a 203. 515. He died at the age of 175. yeares a 83. His praises b 438. Absalom ambicious and sedicious a 663. He perished in rebellioÌ„ a 670. Abstinence a 9. 39. 47. 280. 545. 934. b 613. 772. 994. see Fasting Accaronites durst not keepe the Arke of God a 582. Accidents remaine without subiect in the holie Eucharist a 4. Achans secret sinne punished in the multitude a 481. Achitophel a wicked counseler a 667. hanged himselfe a 669. Adam created in grace and knowlege a 5. transgressing lost the same a 10. repented and is saued b 356. Adonai one of the names of God is also read in place of Tetragramaton the name of foure letters which the Iewes pronounce not a 168. Adoration ciuil due to men a 77. 133. 144. 152. 868. adoration religious of holy persons and other thinges a. Ssssss 746. 746 763. but diuine adoration is only due to God a. 218. 219. see Idolatrie Aegypt was diuersly plagued a 170. 177. cc Affinitie spiritual and carnal in certaine degrees hinder mariage a. 298. c. Agar lawfully maried to Abraham a 62. Aggeus prophecied after the relaxation from captiuitie exhorting to build the temple b. 865. 999. Ahias prophecied the diuision of Salomons kingdome a. 731. and afterwards the vtter ruine of Ieroâ—oams house a. 738. Alcimus an Apostata deceiued the Assidians b 915. did much wickednes and died miserably b 922. Alleluia a voice of praise to God a. 1009. b. 191. 217. Alexander the great brought the monarchie to the Grecians b. 8â—2 999. He honored Iaddus the high priest a. 2â—8 b. 999. His Empyre diuided into foure kingdomes b. 793. 〈…〉 s
and the new Testament shew the same God Christ Church and other Mysteries of Religion The old more obscurely with lesle helpes The new more expresly and yeldeth more grace In both Testaments are foure sortes of Bookes Legal Historical Sapiential Prophetical Al these books recited are Canonical and of infallible truth Cone Carth. An. Dni 419. Conc. Laodic cap. 59. Florent Instruct Armen decret 7. Trident Sess 4. S. Atha in Synop. S. Aug. li. 2. doct Christ c. 8 Isider li. 6. Elymol c. I. alibi Nicep li. li. 4. cap. 15. Euseb li. 5. c. 8. Apochryphal of two sortes 1. Not declared canonical 2. Reiected as erronious The Holie Ghost declareth by the Church which Bookes are Diuine Scriptures Mat. 28. Ioan. 14. 16. Act. 2. 20 1. Tim. 3. The old and new Testament differ in time In maner of vttering Varietie of Precepss Promises Meanes Temo 3. quest 10 Algasiae Heb. 7. 9. 10. Gal. 4. The old Testament conteyneth figures of the new A continual visible Church from the beginning of the world to Christ The same Mystical bodie but different in state Diuided into six ages The first age continued 1656. yeares 1. Cor. 10 Gal. 3 Gen. 1. The second 368. or 398. The third about 4â—0 Gen. 8. Gen 12. Genebrard Chronolog S. Aug. li. 15. c. 8. ciuit Gal. 3. Exo. 16. 3. Reg. 6. 3 Reg. 7. 1. Esdiae 1. The fourth 480. The fifth 4â—0 The sixth nere 640. Al the time from the creation to Christ aboue 4000. yeares MOYSES signifieth taken from the water Exod. 6. Nâ—m 26. 1. Par. 6. Ioseph li. 2 Antiq. cap. 9. S. Aug ser 88. de temp S. Greg. oratio in laudem Basilij magni S. Aug. li. 18. ciuit c. 39. The excellencie of Moyses Deut. 34. Eccli 45. Glos ord His sepulchre not knowen â—o anie man Genesis written by Moyses Alwayes authentical So knowen by Tradition confirmed by Christ Alleaged also by the Apostles Religion reueled to special persons and so obserued by Traditions Mat. 19. Heb. 11. Iacob 2. 1. Pet. 2. 2. Pet. 2. S. Aug. quest vet noui Testam cap. 3. VVhy Scripture was written VVhat Moyses specially sheweth in this booke Man most particularly described The right line from Adam to Noe. The principal Patriarches from Noe to the 12. sonnes of Iâ—cael Gen. 10. This booke diuided into eight partes 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. The first part Of the creatioÌ„ of al things The Church readeth this booke in her Office from Septuagesima til Passion Sunday Also this first chapter beginning of the second on Easter Eue before Masse Act. 14 15. 17 24. Psalm 32 6. 135 5. Eccli 10 1. â—eb 11 3. :: The firmament is al the space from the earth to the hieghest starres the lowest part diuideth betwene the waters on the earth and the waters in the ayer S. Aug. li. II. de Gen. ad lit c. 4 Iob. 38. Ier. 10 13. :: Likewise heaueÌ„ is al the space aboue the earth in whose lowest part are birdes and waters in the higher part starres the hieghest is the Empyrial heauen Esa 66. :: The lights made the first day are disposed the fourth day in their proper courses for more distinction of times S. Dionys ca. 4. de diuin nom S. Tho. p. 1. q. 67. a. 4. q. 70. a. 2. :: The SuÌ„ne Moone for though the moone be the least visible starre except Mercurie yet it geueth more light on the earth by reason it is nerer and so Moyses speaketh according to the vulgar capacitie and vse of things S. Aug. li. 2. de Gen. ad lit ca. 16. Col. 3 10. Mat. 19 4. :: Euerie creature in nature is good but al considered together make the whole world perfect most apt to mans vse and Gods glorie S. Aug. li. 1 de Gen. cont Manich. ca. 21. The Church had only Traditions no Scripture aboue 2400. yeares Traditionâ— necessarie for three causes 1 â—â—â— Epist â—und c. â—5 2 Scripture of most eminent authoritie Luc. 10 16. Act. 15 28. 2. Thess 2. Origen super Gen. c. 1. Aug. li. 2. de Gen. cont Manich. ca. 2. â— Scriptures hard lib. 1. c. 18. lib. 8. c. 2. Bas ho. 9. in Genes Chrisost epist 44. Amb. Beda in examen Ieron Epistol ad Eustoch Gen. 1. v. 3. 14. Exo. 20 5. 18 v. 20. Ioan. 8 25. Rom. â— why Scriptures are hard Three spiritual senses besides the Literal Allegorical Moral Anagogical â— Ieron Epistol 8â— ad Ocea Tert. dâ— Baptis A figure of Baptisme Christians called fishes Light being an accident remayned without subiect by the iudgement of some lerned Fathers The accidents of breade and wine can remaine by Gods power without their subiectes Tenne prerogatiues of man in his creation 1. made like to God 2. The Mysterie of the B. Trinitie insinuated in his creation 3. produced by God him selfe 4. placed in paradise 5. Lord of al earthlie creatures 6. innocencie 7. excellent knowlege 8. powre to liue euer 9. gift of prophecie 10. God conuersed familiarly with man Gods blessing alwayes effectual Especially in the holie Eucharist Not al men â—emen commanded to marie God createth not new kindes of creatures yet stil worketh Io. 5 17. conseruing gouerning al things and creatch soules grace and glorie of the same kind S. Aug. li 4 de Gen. adlit â— 12. Exod. 20 11. Deut. 5 14. Heb. 4 4. :: Mans soule is immediatly created by God not produced of other substance as the soules of beastes and plants are 1. Cor. 15 45 :: Vvhether this paradise be now extant is vncertayne though it be certaine that Enoch and Elias are yet liuing in earth S. Aug. li. 2. cont Pelagi c. 23. See Perereus li. 3. q. 5. li. 7. q. vltima Mat. 19 5. Mar. 10 7. 1. Cor. 6 16. Eph. 5 31. :: As we say brick is made of earth and a house is built of bricke so Adam was made of earth and Eue built of a ribbe of Adam And that of one ribbe as if God should build a house of one bricke or as in dede he fed 5000. men with fiue loaues Chris ho. 15. S. Aug. Tract 24. in Ioan. S. Tho. p. 1. q. 92. a. 3. :: Not three nor foure nor more for then two were chaÌ„ged to an other number S. Ier. li. 1. cont loui Obseruation of holie dayes by Gods institution â—â— Psal 6. 11. Act. 13 14. Leuit. 23. ObseruatioÌ„ of festiual dayes is religious not Iudaical nor heathnish Honour of Sainctes is to the greater honour of Christ Honâ—â— in 40. Martyrâ—s VVhy a particular positiue law besides the general lawes of God nature was geuen to man first reason lib. 8. de Gen. ad lit c. 11. Psal 15. â— reason The sinne of disobedience Ioyned with damage to him that disobeyeth Ioyned with damage of him that forbiddeth True obedience is blind and prompt Not meate but the diâ—obedience hurteth him that transgresseth the precept of abstinence Lawes in
Gen. 24. :: Iosue being a prophet saw some of their hartes inclined to idoles though exteriorly they then had none among them S. Aug. q. 29. in Iosue :: This renouation of the same couenaÌ„t presigured the law of the new Testament S. Aug. q. 30. in Iosue :: To the more confusion of reasonable creatures wilfully offending vnsensible things are made witnesses because they euer obey Gods wil which is the best maner of hearing Theod. q. 19. in Iosue :: If Iosue writ the rest of this booke then Samuel added these last verses Hist Sâ—hol :: Iosephs Mausoleum oâ— famous sepulchre remained in Sichem in S. Hieroms time as he wit nesseth Tradit Hebra in Gen. prope sinem Gen. 5â— â—xo 13. Thare sometime serued false goddes but Abraham neuer Before Christ none entered into heauen A rule for reading historical bookes The Iudges of Israel figures of Christs Apostles They were al finally holie men Eâ—â—li 4â— The Contents of this booke Diuided into three partes The first part A geneâ—al recapitulation of the peoples state :: The maner of consulting our Lord was by the High priest praying in the tabernacle Exo. 29. v. 42. :: The first general captaine after Iosue and diuers of the Iudges were of the tribe of Iuda but not al as appeareth in this booke :: Strong weapons crooked like sickles made fast to the chariottes which cut in peeces men horses and other chariottes that came in their way :: An Angel taking the forme of a man as before to Iosue ch 5. so now appearing to the people spake to them in the name of God whose messenger he was :: By special dispensation sacrifice was sometimes lawfully offered in other places though the Tabernacle and afterward the Temple was the onlie place commanded Deut. 12. Iosue 22. S. Aug. q. 36. in Iudic. :: These Iudges were extraordinarily raised vp to deliuer the people repenting when they were fallen into afflictioÌ„s for their sinnes The second part Of the common peoples often falling to idolatrie their repentance and deliuetie :: In manie places we see the worde sauiour and like titles geuen to men as the seruantes and officers of God who is the proper and principal Sauiour of al. S. Aug. q. 18. in Iudic. :: In these 40. yeares are included the eight yeares of their seruitude v. 8. so in the rest of this historie otherwise the number of yeres agreeth not with the count 3. Reg. 6. v. 1. :: Aod hauing special inspiration from God to do this fact as S. Augustin noteth vpon these wordes q 20. in Iudic. is not to be imitated by priuat men See Num. 25. v. 11. :: Being a prophetesse she resolued hard and obscure thinges but exercised no iurisdiction in anie causes for that belonged to the councel of Priestes and of seuentie ancientes where the high priest was the chief Iudge Num. 11. Deut. 17. Spiritually Debbora signified the Church Barac christian Princes who are directed in their warres and other actions by spiritual superiors as Origen and other ancient writers expouud this historie :: VVho is this woman ful of confidence piercing the temples of the enimies head with a naile but the faith of the Church destroying the diuels kingdomes with the crosse of christ S. Aug. li. 12. â— 32. cont Iaust Manich. Iabel also prefigured our B. Ladie who crushed the serpentes head :: The greater blesse the lesse by imparting spiritual benefites so God and superiors blesse their subiectes Men blesse God the lesse their betters by geuing thankes and prayses :: She inculcateth that she must so much more praise God for this victorie because he forshewed it by her by her directed the general captaine Barac lest it might be ascribed either to wisdome or valure of anie man :: Those that subdew their bodies to the spirite ride vpon fayre asses Origen hom 6. in c. 5. Iudic. :: Iahel the figure was blessed amongst wemen much more the most holie virgin mother of God is blessed aboue alwemen :: S. Augustin q 31. in Iudic. supposeth that this messenger sent from God called a man a prophete for the forme wherin he appeared was the same Angel which sate vnder the oke and sent Gedeon to deliuer Israel v. 11. 12. c. :: He meant not to offer sacrifice to the Angel but that either the Angel or himselfe in presence of the Angel should offer it to God and so in dede the Angel partly directed him what to do partly executed the office himselfe by touching the oblation with his rodde and miraculously bringing fire to consume the sacrifice :: An altar for a monument not for sacrifice :: The strength of Baal or stronger then Baal :: Dew first in the fleece and after on the ground signified grace and true religion first in one people after in al nations Sainct Amb. Ser. 13. de Natal Dom. Venr Beda qq in Iudic. c. 4. Also Christs Incarnation without detriment of his mothers virginitie of whose grace al are replenished S. Bernard ho. 2. in Missus est :: Obseruation of dreames is generally forbid Leuit. 19. v. 26. Deut. 18 v. 10. yet here and in other places it is euident God would haue some obserued See Annot. Gen. 40. :: These thinges were ridiculous saieth venerab Beda c. 5. qq in Iudic. if they had not bene terrible to the enemies :: It is no derogation to God that honour is also geuen to his seruantes :: Trumpetes signified preachers of Christ pitchers the bodies of Martyres lampes their vertues and miracles Vener Beda qq in Iudic. c. 5. :: A soft answer breaketh anger hard speach stirreth vp furie Prou. 15. :: Zebee and Salmana were not of anie of the seuen nations whom God commanded to destroy and therfore Gedeon might haue spared their liues if he would :: Kinges may do ante thing not contrarie to the law but Iudges Dukes may onlie do according to the law See 1. Reg. 8. :: His handmaide oâ— seruant not a harlotte to wit such a one as had not the priuiledge of a wife as Gen. 25. v. 6. :: This sonne of Gedeon by his seruant prefigured Antichrist who wil persecute the Church and reigne for a while but in the end shal be destroyed S. Beda c. 6. qq in Iudic. :: True pastores in the time of Antichrist wil still auouch the truth and the right of the Church :: Oyle spiritually signifieth the grace of the Holie Ghost making peace of conscience in mens soules towardes God :: The swetnes of Gods law producing good workes :: Contemtible in outward shew but bringing forth liquour of meruelous force which sorte of workes God is most delighted withal and men most admire Psal 85 :: The rhamnus signifieth base and ambicious men * brierre bramble â—rthistle :: God doth suggest only good cogitations as remoâ—â—e of conscience in the secheâ—â—tes for their ingratitude towardes Gedeon and for so wicked and cruel a murder of his sonnes
the people presumed more to do that semed to them selues right or good though it was nought which afterwardes the kinges more restrained and punished The historie of Ruth is regestred in holie Scripture for the genealogie of Dauid and especially of our Sauiour Christ Iudic. 12. :: Noemi perswaded not to idolatre but in sinuated that if Ruth would not returne to her countrie she must also leaue the false goddes And so she answered that she would serue the same true God of Israel :: She had a husband and two sonnes and sufficient prouision but now was bereued of them al. :: The Church vseth this salutation in the holie sacrifice and other diuine office :: Booz doubted not but reward was due to good workes :: Yea a ful reward answeâ—able to Ruâ—h pietie Vvhich must be spiritual and eternal :: The euent shewed that Noemi was inspired by God to geue such direction to Ruth to foretel what Booz would doe :: It was very coÌ„mendable that she loued her first husband and mother in law but more vertue infleing occasion of sinne with young men and seeking to marie according to the law of God with her former husbands kinsman Deut. 25. :: Booz calleth his kinsman brother as Abraham called Lot his brother Gen. 13. being his Nephevv :: See Deut. 25. noting here withal that the penaltie was lesse whch an other kinsman vndertaking the mariage the woman was preueÌ„ted from complayning before the iudge :: Here appeareth the final cause of writting this historie to shew the Genealogie of King Dauid from Iudas the Patriarch of whom Christ should descend so prophecied Gen. 49. and shewed to be performed Mat. 1. qqÌ„ in 1. Reg. c. 1. These histories are also expounded mystically by the ancient Fathers Prologâ— in 1. Reg. li. 17. c. 4. ciuit Ep. ad Paulin. The general contents of al the bookes of Kinges Para lippomenon Samuel writ the first part but vncertaine who writ the rest CoÌ„tents of the first booke diuided into foure partes These bookes are read at Mattins from the feast of the B Trinitie vntil the first sundaie of August The first part Of the gouernments of Heli and Samuel and of changing the state into a kingdome :: This childe being of the tribe of Leui though not of Aarons stock was lawfully vowed to the seruice of the tabernacle by his parentes during his childhood but coming to yeares of discretion he was at his owne electioÌ„ to continew or to depart If he had bene of anie other tribe he must haue bene redemed Leuit. 27. The Canticle at Laudes on wenesday :: Leaue of to praise idoles as ye haue accustomed to doe :: The Church of Gentiles :: The Synagogue of the Iewes S. Aug. li. 17. c. 4. ciniâ— :: Neither Dauid noâ— Salomon much lâ—ssâ— anâ—â— other King possened or â—udged the endes of the taâ—th but â—â—â—â—ts enheritance reacheth to the endes of the earth Psal 2. v. 18. :: Sinnes directly against God and that hinder his seruice are more hardly remitted but none at al aâ—e irremissible before death because during life euerie one may truly repent if he wil and to al true peniteÌ„tes God promisseth remission of sinnes Ezech. 33. :: Gods determination to punish tooke not away their freewil but for their obstinacie he leift them to themselues without his grace and so iustly punished them See S. Aug. li. 5. cont Iulian. c. 3. :: This was fulfilled as in the figure in Samuel not wholly for priesthood stil remained in the line of Aaron as appeareth in Achias Abiathar Sadoc ch 14. 22. 2 Reg. 8. but perfectly in Christ 1. Reg. c. 2. :: Rare thinges are called precious and so the gift of prophecie is here termed which was then granted to few :: This vision happened early in the morning before the time of dressing the lampes when some were put out and others light :: Their confidence of helpe from God by presence of the arke was good and commendable but their sinnes deserued to be punished :: This zele of religion in Heli towards the arke is a great signe that he died in good state though he was temporally punished for not correcting his sonnes :: So sowne as Christs Gospel or Testament came among the Gentiles al false goddes idolatry fel downe S. Beda qq in 1. Reg. c. 3. :: The arke being a holie thing as Reliques are was terrible to their false god the diuel so the Reliques of S. Babilas ouerthrew the false god Apollo as â— Chrysoâ—â— testifieth at large li. cont Gentiles 〈◊〉 5. :: Obstinate sinners doe harden their owne hartes not God but by suffering them so to do â—ee Aâ—not â—â—â—d 7. :: As the arke was terrible to the infideles chap. 5. so also to those that beleued right but vsed it not reuerently :: These men knowing that the presence of the arke was good for them though the Bethsamites had benne punished for their irreuerence towardes it feared not to receiue and kepe it :: That is 〈…〉 say the Phili 〈…〉 who were 〈…〉 oâ— the seuen nations of Chanaan which God commâ—nded his people to destroy 〈…〉 the Amorrheites :: Heli his sonnes gâ—ieuously offending in then office before chap 2. and now Samuels sonnes also peruerting iudgemâ—t gaue occasion to the people to demand a lâ—ng to iudge their temporal causes rightly not declining to wrong for bribes :: Misphat signifieth maner fashion or proceding :: God alwaies heareth those that truly repent for their sinnes but doth not alwayes deliuer them from afflictions which are due for offences or profitable for probation and merite of his children â—â—od 19. Deut. 17. Iudiâ— 2. v. 16. Vvhy the peoples demand to haue a king is disliked Kinges sometimes oppresse their subiectes by Gods sufferance but vniustly â— Cyp. li. 3. ep 9. siue 65. â— Hierâ— in Osee 8. â— Greg. li. 4. c. 2. in 1. Reg. 8. Kinges haue prerogatiues aboue but not contâ—aric to the lawes Euil princes may be deposed by God the Church but not by the people only Concil Lateran c. 3. de heret Pointes obserued in the constitution and deposition of King Saul 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. The second part The election annointing gouernement of King Saul :: One that by diuine inspiration foreseeth thinges too come :: Oppression of innocentes crieth to heaven :: â— Gregorie here noteth that such as are placed in height of gouernement are annointed with oyle which signifieth mercie light and cuâ—ing of others :: But the litle vessel foreshewed that Saul not perseuering in grace should be deposed from his kingdom li. 4 c. 5. in 1. Reg. 10. :: Samuel enioynetâ— obedience to Saul to trie his humilitie S. Greg. li. 4 c. 5. in 1 Reg 10. :: God gaue him peculiar grace for executing the office of a king :: By and by also the gift of prophecie :: Then superious :: By lotte the people were assured that the election was of God
Old Tobias prayseth God prophecieth better state of Gods people :: Temporal affliction for the spiritual good of others :: His bodie being in captiuitie yet his spirit was free to praise and thank God S. â—â—pr li. de mortaluate :: He prophecieth the reedifying of the temple and citie of â—eâ—usalem :: Onlie celestial Ierusalem shal be free from al tribulations :: No Christian in ignorant sayth S. Augustin Epist 86. that Alleluia is a voice of praise In English it is Praise ye the Lord vvith ioy :: This can not be vnderstood of the citie of Ierusalem but of the Church of Christ :: Gods seruantes must not only expect what shal be commanded but also seeke to know what they ought to do :: A notable coÌ„mendation of Tobias familie and posteritie And a plaine testimonie that true Religion neuer failed wholy in the tenne tribes much lesse in the kingdom of Iuda least of al in the Church of Christ new Testament S. Ierom for the authoritie of the councel of Nice held this booke to be canonical which before he did not Epist 111 115. Prefat in Iudith Others Doctors both before and after the councel of Nice accounted this booke canonical VVhen this hisâ—orie happened Anâ— by whom it was written 2. Para. 33. The coÌ„tentes Diuided into foure partes This booke is read at Mattins the fourth weeke of September The first part The occasion of the Iewes persecution at this time :: The author being resolued to write this historie ioyneth his narration to his internal purpose saying Arphaxad therfore c. S. Greg. ho. 2. in Ezech. :: Thou foole this night they shal take thy life from thee these things whose shal they be Luc. 12. ◠〈◊〉 * defenderet se :: This cruel coÌ„mandment was as cruelly put in execution by Holofernes ch 3. â— 11. :: An expresse figure of Antichrist 2. Thes 2. for whom al heretikes make way as precursers for the singular man of sinne wil confesse no God but himself The second part Gods people are in great feare and distresse :: The high priest managed also the temporal afsayres of the coÌ„mon welth at this time by consent commission of king Manasses as is most probable these thinges happening shortly after his repentaÌ„ce 2. Paral. 33. Exo. 17. :: Holofernes could not be altogether ignorant of so famous a people as the Iewes but in his rage marueling at their attempt demaÌ„deth more particularly of their habilitie to resist him See v. 27. Gen. 11. Gen. 12. Exod. 1. Exo. 7. c. * made solide or firme Exo. 14. Exod. 1â— 16. 17. Iudie 2. 3. 4. â— Nu. 21. Iâ—s 12. :: He semeth to speake of the captiuitie of king Manasees Paralâ— 33. See the argument of this booke pag. 1011. 4. Reg. 21. :: As Holofernes v. 3. demanded that which he in great part knew so his men knowing Achior wel ynough in rage demand vvho he is that dare say such thinges :: Nabucodonosors vassals would haue no other God but him And God almightie is also ielous and wil haue no God but him selfe :: God regardeth the pride of sinners :: the humiliation of penitentes :: the sanctitie of his Church in general as wel holie persons as holie thinges :: and true coÌ„fidence in him without presumiÌ„g of mens poure :: Gods seruantes first of al before they fight do workes of penaÌ„ce coÌ„mend their cause to God then take wea pons in hand expect opportunitie to encounter with the enimies :: A common frailtie of people in distresse to impute error to their Superiour though in deede Ozias erred rather in yelding at last to their suggestion v. 2â— then in withstanding thus long The third pare Iudith delinereth her whole nation from persecution :: In three special obseruances this holie widow led a most religions life In much priuate prayer in wearing hearecloth and in much fasting as it were a perpetual lent aldayes but Sabbathes feastes excepted * the first day of the moneth :: In this especially they offended that they prefixed a tiâ—â— meaning then to yeld the citie for they shold rather haue fought against the enemie then deliuer Gods people to a tyranne holie thinges into prophane handes by their example put Ierusalem and the temple in like danger Rabanus :: S. Paul 1. Cor. 10. v. 10. alleaging that happened to the people of Israel in the desert addeth this word destroyer which is only in this place and not Num 11. nor 14 nor els in the old TestameÌ„t which is an other argumeÌ„t that this boke is Canonical :: Some thinke Abra was a proper name but whether it was or no it signifieth an handmaide of more honour as we speake A maide of honour :: Of such priuate oratories as this our Sauiour semeth to speake Mat. 6. saying Fâ—ter into thy chamber c. Of like oratories among Christians read Card Baronius An. D 293. S. Cyp. ep 56. :: The zele of Simeon and Leui was commendable but for diuers ' euil circumstances the fact was re proued by Iacob Gen. 34. 49. Ixo. 14. :: She prayed that Holofernes should be moued with her beautie swete speach which he might be and not sinne but he by his free wil sinning God turned his sinne to the good of others See Annot Exod. 7. pag. 173. S. Aug. Ser. 228. :: See ch 8. â— 32. * â—â—nd◠〈◊〉 :: God by this testifie â— her holie intention in adorning herselfe :: Not only certaine meates were forbid by the law Leuis 11. but in maner al the meates of the Gentiles were vnlawful being offered to idoles for which cause Daniel and the three children would not eate of the kings meates in Babylon Dan 1. * Stiped barley :: She told manie thingâ— cuidently true other things conditionally as it was like to come to passe if God sent not better meaneâ— :: S. â—ulgentius probably iudgeth that Iudith was now about fourtie yeares old Epist 2. cap. 6. :: Al that Iudith sayth is true in her sense as she meant it but not in the vnderstanding of Holofernes and his souldiars yet was no lesse lawful then that Iosue did in deâ—euing the citezenes of Hay Iosue 8. S. Aug. q. 10. in Iosue :: See chap. 10 v. 5. :: This puritie confisted in abstaining from meates forbid by the Law or offered to Idoles * Pâ—ellâ— :: The sâ—sâ—ing of one woman ouer â—hâ—ew an innumerable host of drâ—â—kaâ—dâ— â— Amb. li. 〈◊〉 〈…〉 Elâ—â— c. 9. :: If Bethulia had benne taken Ierusalem also had bâ—uâ— in extreme danger sor 〈…〉 wherof God had made more special promise to Dauid and others Isaâ—â— 37 38. c :: Iudiths â—â—opeâ— Augâ—â—â—â— defended her as Iacobâ—â—â—gel deliuered him from all euiles 〈◊〉 48. :: Achior an Ammonite ch 5. v. 5. being truly conuerted and beleeuing in God was admitted into the Church notwithstanding that Ammonites and Moabites were excluded by name Deut. 23. v. 3. which is therfore
esteme that which their elders teach :: though the same doth not seme reasonable in their owne opinion Mat 5. v. 28. :: It is not lawful to reueale that which we iustly promise to conceale Leuit 19. Deu. 1 16 Prou. 24. Iacob â— :: There is lesse danger in conuersing familiarly with a wicked man then with a freindlie woman In which conuersarion much prudence is required as is before admonished chap. â— :: The excellencie of God which can not be sene with mortal eye Exo. 33. is proposed to our meditation in his workes The like in Iob. 38. 39. 40. 41. and in manie places of holie Scripture :: Of al sensles creatures yea of sensible also that haue not reason the sunne is most excellent Of which al corporal â—reatures receiue their light by whose influence al generation of creatures procedeth wherof is this Maxime in Philosophie that the sunne and man begette a man And Aristotel calleth the sunne the father of men and of goddes li. 2. de anima But the faithful know it is a creature inferior to man in respect of his reasonable soule and in them both in al other creatures acknowlege superexcellent infinite Maiestic in God VVhich also appeareth euen in the least creatures whose natural substances qualities with other accidents the more anie man considereth the more he shal admire God the onlie Creator of al. The 2. part Examples and praises of holie men with praise thankes to God :: Vertuous men are rightly called Lordes and Princes so the children of Heth sayde to Abraham My Lord theâ—â— art a prince of God among vâ— Gen. 23. :: Enoch shal preach penance in the time of Antichrist Gen 5. Gen. 6. :: Noe was perfect Gen. 9. Gen. 12. :: Abraham father of al the beleuers in Christ Gen. 22. Heb. 11. :: Isaac and Iacob were blessed in Abraham Exo. 3. Num. 12. :: Moyses saw Gods workes more clerely then other Prophets yet saw not his substances as is noted Exo. 33. :: Aarons priesthood continued so long as Moyses law that was til Christ And now the priesthood according to the order of Melchisedech continueth to the end of the world Exo. 28. Leuit. 8. Num. 16. :: The tribe of Leui had not a portion of inheritance separate from the iest but had tithes first fruites and oblations for their temporal prouision Num. 25. :: King Dauid gaue special assistance to the Priestes and greatly aduanced Gods seruice 1. Paral 23. â—â—â— :: Iosue succeded in the temporal gouernment for the spiritual perteyned to the successors of Aaron Num. 27. Iosu 10. Only Iosue and Caleb remained of those which came out of Aegypt al the rest dyed in the desert and their children entered into Chanaan Num. 14â— Iosu 14. :: Though some of the Iudges were sometimes great sinners yet they were finally iust for their good actes much renowmed 1. Reg 17 :: Samuel annointed Saul and Dauid kinges 1. Reg 7. â— Reg. 12 :: If Samuel himself had not appeared but some other spitite it could not haue bene noted in his praises See 1. Reg. 28. 1 Reg. 28 2. Reg 11 1. Reg. 17 Ibidem 1. Reg 18 :: Amongst al the renoumed actes of Dauid his pure and sincere hart most pleased God 1. Par. 25 2. Reg 12 :: For Dauids sake God gaue wisdom to Salomon and peace in his kingdom 3. Reg. 3. :: By Apostrophe the auctor turneth his speach to Salomon 3. Reg 4. 3. Reg. 10 :: Salomons sinnes were punished but Gods mercie continued in conseruing his posteritie Psal 88. 3 Reg. 11 Psal 88. v. 34. 3 Reg. 1â— 3. Reg 17 :: Elias procured fire from heauen to burne his sacrifice 3. Reg. 18 and â—wâ—e more to burne an hundred men which persecuted him 4. Reg. 1. 3. Reg. 19 4. Reg. 2. :: The miracle wrought by his dead bodie shewed that he was an holie prophet 4. Reg. 13. See the miracles of Elias and Eliseus To. 1. pag. 940. 4 Reg 13 4. Reg. 20 4. Reg. 18 :: Prayer preuailed when forces were not sufficient Sec 4. Reg. 19. 4 Reg. 19 Isa 37. 4. Reg 2â— Isa 38. Not only this booke but also other holie scriptures witnes that Elias shal returne and preach before the end of the world S. Chrysostom Aretas and other Doctors testifie the same See Annot. Gen. 5. Mal. 4. Mat. 17. In 2. Thes 2. Apoc. 11. 4. Reg. 22 2. Par 34 4. Reg. 23 :: Manie other kinges of Iuda refrained alwayes from committing idolatrie but these three destroyed al places of idolatrie in their kingdom which the others did not 4. Reg. 25 Iere. 1. Ezech. 1. Agge 2. 1. Esd 3. 3. Esd 5. Zach. 3. 2. Esd 2. Gen. 5. Gen. 39. 40. c. :: See the Annotation ch 38 v. 10. :: Ioseph prophecying that the people should depart from Aegypt willed them to carie his bones with them Gen. 50. So by carying his bones they professed that he had truly prophecied :: This Simon called Iustus and Priscus was high priest when this booke was written in the time of Ptolomie the first king of Aegypt a very holie man and dead before it was translated into Greke about the time of Ptolomie the third called Euergetes nere 300. yeares before Christ Iosephus li. 12. Antiqui * Libationâ— Three nations the Idumeans Philistijmes and Samaritanes did most persecute the Isralites the Samaritanes were not one pure nation but mixt of Assirians and Iewes and so here called no nation Num. 6. v. 23. :: They are also called a foolish people because they knowing true religion mixed idolatrie therwith according to diuers sectes as appeareth 4. Reg. 17. v. 29. :: VVhere we are not able to render recompence to benefactors especially to God we are the more bond to acknowlege his manie great benefites altogether vndeserued by vs. :: VVhen senses are most ripe and the soule most free from great sinnes is the aptest time to serue God to get al vertues and true knowlege Eccle. 12. :: In stead of riches labour to get wisdom for it is much better then al gold siluer :: Merite is in this life and reward in the next Gods special benefite of sending Prophetes to the people The function of Prophetes to exhorte to repentance with hope of Gods mercie by Christ Foure greatter Prophetes and welue lesseâ— were auctors of the prophetical bookes folowing Baruchs booke being inserted in Ieremies Prophecies are called visions for their certaintie Light of prophecie is next to the light of glorie and more clere then the light of faith Prophecies are hard to be vnderstood for diuers causes 2. Pet. 1 Suddaine transition from one thing to an other S. Ierom. iâ—c 2. 3 Nahum That which is spoken of certaine persons is ment of others S. Chrys â—o 8. iâ—â—â—ath 2. S. Aug. dâ—catech â—â—â—ibus c. 3. Prophecies are often vttered in figuratiue speaches Some consist in thinges done others are mixt with histories and temporal thinges with
after the birth of Christ The same doth S. Augustin ser 6. 18 dâ— temp S Amb. cp 81. S. Chrys ho. de â—â— Bapt. b This astonishment and reuerence of the prophet c and the great attention which he is admonished to haue import the great mysteries of Christ and his Church and not only the temple rites of the old law which vvere but figures of the new :: Holy thinges are ordinarily to be done in holie places and therfore sacred vestures by touching vvherof men vvere sanctified Exo. 29. v. 37. must not be vsed out of the temple Leuit. 10. v. 9. Deut. 18. :: The land that was assigned to holie vses vvas called sanctified and could not be alienated to priuate men nor other purposes * sanctificatum :: The princes portion of land vvas round about the clergies portion that he might defend them and the peoples part round about the princes that they might defend him :: These measures vvere of equal capacitie but the ephi serued for drie thinges the bat for liquid as appeareth v. 13. 14. :: As the people were bond to pay certaine first fruites to their temporal prince :: so he was mutually bond to pay the charges of publique sacrifices for al the people S. Ierom also expoundeth this mutual obligation to consist betwen the people and hiegh priest :: After the captiuitie albeit king Dauids progenie continued in Salathiel Zorobabel and others yet they had not the state of kinges or temporal princes and therfore not only Christian Doctors but also Rabbi Dauid other Hebrewes vnderstand this prophecie of Christ the true Messias and of the sacrifices rites of his Church the letter neuertheles alluding to the forme of the old lavv :: Al vvorkes done by the true children of God that is to say done in the state of grace do merite eternal reward :: But other moral good vvorkes done in state of mortal sinne are only revvarded temporally in this vvorld and not in life euerlasting See cha 36. v. 25. :: There is no historie nor probabilitie that vvaters issued out of the temple vvhich vvas reedified by Zorobabel Neither did al sortes of fishes liue in anie such vvater nere the temple as are mentioned v. 9. And therfore this prophecie hath an hiegher and truer sense of the Church of Christ and the vvater of Baptisme :: S. Iohn savv this riuer of liuing vvater as clere as chrystal proceding from the seat of God of the lambe And the tree of life yelding tvvelue fruites rendring his fruite euerie moneth c. Apoc. 22. :: Iosephs two sonnes had ech one a vvhole portion and so there vvere twelue tribes besides the Leuites who had other better meanes then the rest :: By the twelue tribes of Israel S. Ierom vnderstandeth the vniuersal multitude of al glorified Sainctes noting that no mention is here made of the cities of refuge as in the bookes of Numeri and Iosue because in the glorious habitation of Sainctes there can be no nede of refuge where al are perfect al secure :: As the first borne of liuing thinges first fruictes of al thinges springing so the first portion of land allâ—â—ed to Gods seruice is called the first fruites :: The North side of the citie being in length 4500. reedes of six sacred cubites euerie rede the vvest side also and consequently the other two sides east and south in al 18000. reedes which make 36. miâ—les of 1000. passes euerie mile it is certaine that this description agreeth not to the terrestrial citie of Ierusalem which was nothing nere so large And therfore the later Iewish Rabins hold opinion that when their Messias commeth the citie of Ierusalem shal be built so great But al Catholique Doctors vnderstand it mystically of the Church of Christ :: S. Iohn the Apostle had the same vision of this new Ierusalem Christs triumphant Church Apoc. 21. 22. :: The Synagog of the Ievves being left desert Mat. 23. v. 38. Christ is vvith his militant Church al dayes euen to the consummation of the world Mat. vlt. and vvith his Church triumphant illuminating and glorifying it for euer and euer Apoc. 22. v 5. a ch 1. v. 6. b ch 1. v. 3 4. Reg. 20. v. 18. Daniel of the royal bloud c ch 1. v. 1. He vvas most holie d ch 9. v 23. e Ezech. 14. 28. f ch 6. v. 5. most wise and most loyal His booke is excellent but hard to be vnderstood ch 3. v. 24. ch 13. ch 14. Certaine partes of this booke are denied by the Ievves and some others It is probable that these partes were some times in the Hebrew or the Chaldee Obiection out of S. Ierom. First solution Second solution They are proued to be Canonical by the Councels and other Fathers The prayer of Azarias The Hymne of the three children The histore of Susanna The histories of Bel and the Dragon The contents in general Epist ad Paulm In particular Diuided into three partes The first part Actes of Daniel with the other three Hebrevv children and of the kinges of Babylon 4. Reg. 24. v. 1. :: Part of the holie vessels some especial persons vvere caried away but the king was released at this time for he reigned in Ierusalem eight yeares more eleuen in al. 2 Par. 36. v 5. a Daniel as chief vvas an example to the other three children in their maner of life vvherby is also probable that they being al of the tribe of Iuda v. 6. he was nerer of the royal bloud of which some vvere taken into the kings court v. 3. b Three causes moued them to abstayne froÌ„ the kings meates left they might eate any thing offered to i dols or forbid by the lavv of Moyses because such delicare diet might prouok to glâ—tonie or in time when they should be elder to other sinnes Theod. * leanes p 〈…〉 c. c By mention of the first yeare of Cyrus is sufficiently signified that Daniel liued al the time of the captiuitie And â—â— 10. it is farther clere that he liued in the third yeare very like longer :: Nabuchodonosor had this dreame the second yeare after his great conquest of the Moabites Ammonites Syrians Aegyptians making his kingdom a great Monarchie so it vvas in the 25 yeare of his reigne vvhen Daniel vvas about the age of 35. yeares * prosessors of Astrologie :: It is in dede more easie to tel by the diuels helpe what one hath dreamed because dreames being past might either procede from the diuel or by some external signes be knovvne vnto him but to declare the signification which is to come and â—ncertaine iâ— aboue the diuels or mans povvre who can only coniecture what is probable doe often erre therin See the Annotations Gen. 40. :: By shevving the kings former cogitation before his dreame he gaue great assurance of the true spirite of prophecie that the king might securely beleue the interpretation
of the dreame :: The foure kingdoms of the Chaldees Persians Grecians and Romanes signified by the foure partes of this statua consisting of diuers metals or mater did succede in order of time :: not ech one meaner or baser then the former as gold is best yron earth the vvorst for the last rather excelled the former but vvhen this vision appeared the kingdom of the Chaldees vvas the greatest and most excellent that being destroyed the Mâ—des Persians became greater then it had bene againe the Grecians vnder Alexander became farre greater then anâ—e before and finally the Romane greatest of al til Christs kingdome his Church vvas spred ouer the vvhole world :: The Church of Christ is the only kingdom that can not be destroyed :: He thought Daniel to be a litle god subiect to the great God v. 47. :: Notwithstanding this confession shortly after he erected an idol to represent his ovvne greatnes and to be adored therin * mysterie :: This huge statua of ninty foot in height and nine in bredth conteined a great masse of gold VVhich the king made to shevv his riches to terrifie his enimies to represent himself that he might be adored therin as a god S. Ierem. :: Practise of this idolatrie consisted in falling prostrate on the ground before the statua some times it consisteth in offering incense to idols and the like Novv in England personal presence at heretical seruice or sermon is a distinctiue signe of conformitie to the protestants pretended religion because such presence is there exacted for this purpose :: By this most modest confident ansvver they professed their assured faith of Gods omnipotent powre not knowing whether it was his diuine wil to deliuer them from the fire or no resoluing to suffer vvith patience what soeuer he would permitte to fal vnto them * or cappes Though these parcels were not in the Hebrew in S. Ieroms time yet either had bene in the Hebrevv or Chalde or at least were Canonical scripture as we haue proued in the argument of this booke :: In the very same maner Moyses prayed pacified Gods wrath Exo. 32. :: Sedecias being dead and Ioachin kept in prison there vvas none in state of a king amongst the Ievves neither vvas there at this time anie prophet in al Ievvrie for Daniel himself and Ezechiel vvere in Babylon and Ieremie vvas either dead or in Aegypt * chalkie clay or lime :: Holy Angels do incessantly prayse God therfore nede not to be inuited therto sensible creatures do not properly prayse God because they haue not vnderstanding nor vvil but the meaning of this inuitation is to congratulate that Angels do alvvayes vvithout intermission praise God to exhorte al men in consideration of al Gods workes spiritual corporal to praise him as most worthie to be praysed by al men :: Priuations of thinges haue also their decent course in the vinuersal state of creatures Darknes prayseth God that is bringeth forth praise in the hartes of consideratiue men S. Aug. li. de natura boni c. 16. â— Ieroms â—â—ordes :: The fire burned their bandes but not their garments nor bodies so God vseth the seruice of his creatures to geue comforte to his seruantes and not torment S. Greg. li. 3. c. 18. dialo VVhere he vvriteth the like miracle when the Gothes vvould haue burned S. Benedict :: This fourth was the Angel that auerted the force of the fire from them v. 49. 95. :: They were not only restored to their former auctoritie as prefectes ouer the vvorkes ch 2. v 49. but were also more aduanced as this place insinuateth :: It semeth that Daniel inserted this particular historie as the king in his owne person and wordes reported it after his restauratioÌ„ It is also probable that the king had this dreame about the 34. yeare of his reigue For he reigning in al 43. yeares liued seuen yeares among beastes into vvhich state he fel one yeare after this dreame v. 26. and liued about a yeare more or lesse after his restauration :: Seuen times signifie seuen yeares because al ordinarie varieties of times are in one yeare :: No meruel that the prophet vvas trubled in mind being loath to declare the calamitie which should fal vnto the king and yet must nedes vtter the truth And therfore vvith milde wordes wishing the king might escape the euil which vvas decreed against him he maketh his entrance to the true interpretation of the dreame :: Gods threats being conditional that if sinners truly repent he vvil pardon al or part of the punishment the prophet proposeth the most soueraine remedie of almes dedes that by workes of mercie this sinful king or anie other sinner may procure the mercie of God As in dede this king found mercie after some punishment the prophet proposeth the soueraine remedie of almes dedes that by vvorkes of mercie he might procure Gods mercie :: Being restored to his wittes he went vp right cut his haire nailes so appeared to himself as returned to his former figure or shape Nabuchodonosor was not changed in substance but became madde and liued seuen yeares like a beast v. 13. It is probable that he died shortly after his restauration And most like that he is eternally saued a After Nabuchodonosor before Baltassar Euilmetodach reigned in Babylon who deliuered Ioachin king of Iuda out of prison and vsed him vvith great respect in the 37. yeare of the transmigration 4. Reg. 25. There reigned also before Balthassar other two of an other lineage called Niglissar and Labosardach as testifie Euse S. Ierom. S. Beda and others :: The ruine of this Baltassar happened in the 17. and last yeare of his reigne when Daniel was nere an hundred years old * the kings mother v. 11. :: Al progenitors are commonly called the fathers of their of spring so Nabuchodonosor is called the father of Baltassar being his grand father as may be gathered ler. 27. v. 27. where is prophecised that Nabuchodonosor and his sonne and sonnes sonne should reigne ouer manie nations * thing vvritten :: His imagination that he was a beast made him forsake the companie of men and to dwel amongst wilde beastes ch 4 :: The Medes being at this time in the siege of Babylon tooke their opportunitie to assault it this night vvhen the king and most part of the citie vvere drunke :: Darius king of medes now also of Chaldees othervvise called Astyages ch 13 v. 65. reigned but one yeare and so Cyrus succeeded :: An old and continual malignant practise to câ—l religion treason And for that purpose to procure lawes or statutes to be enacted :: It is not probable that Daniel opened the windowes of purpose that he might be senne to pray for so â—e should haue vndiscretly contemned the king and prouoked the infidels to persecute him but hauing accustomed to open the windovves of his vpper chamber vvhich gaue prospect towards
high priest but an vsurper nor that he liued after Iudas vvho vvas slaine a yeare before this time v. 3 18. VVherby and by manie other such errors vve see that Iosephus is rather to be corrected by this booke then to disalovv this booke because it differeth from Iosephus or other like auctors :: Euil counsel hovv soeuer it happeneth to them that folovv it is euer hurtful to them that geue it :: He falsely auovvched that he vvas the sonne of Antiochus Epiphanes for he was in dede of very meane birth Iustinus li. 35. :: It vvas not in the kinges povvre to make Ionathaâ— high priest but he being so before the â—ing from this time did so account him :: This king Demetrius to gette his desired purpose sticked not to vvrite a plainelye for he had heard that the Ievves had refused him and made league vvith his enimie Alexander v 22 23. :: Notwithstanding the great offers of euil disposed men Ionathas and al prudent men considering their former vvicked dedes do not geue credite to glorious vvordes ch 7. v. 11. :: This Ptolomeus Philometor decided a controuersie that the Iewes had the true temple in Ierusalem and that the Samaritanes temple in Garizim vvas schismatical vvhich he iudged because albeit both pleaded antiquitie yet only the Iewes proued by continual succession of high priestes from Aaron and shewed that the other departed from them first in the time of Ieroboam and aftervvardes built that temple in Garizim vvhen some were returned from captiuitie vvherof Iosephus vvriteth li. 13. c. 6. Antiquit Our Sauiour also iudged that the cause of the Ievves vvas better Ioan. 4. v. 22. :: VVhen caluminators see that the innocent is iustified and honored they faile in their hart to procede against him :: Ionathas set his armie in that maner as on euerie side his men stood in front readie to resist the force of the enemie coming towards them al their backes so turned vvithin their ovvne squadron that the enemie could no vvay enter without present resistance and so those of the embushment could only cast dartes but could not breake the aray of Ionathas campe not make anie entrance with out their owne present death :: By this hyperbolical description very frequent in holie scripture is signified that Ptolomeus armie vvas exceding great yea greater then can be easily conceiued therfore is described by excessiue termes :: VVhen pastors endeuour to extirpate siâ—ne out of the mindes of the people those that hate godlines suggest to temporal princes that such spiritual preaching is dangerous to their state :: But zelous men cease not from so necessarie a worke because Gods vvord is not â—yed 2. Tim. 2. :: And vvise kinges vvil most esteme of such men knovving that their fidelitie tovvards God is an assurance that they vvil also be faithful to princes :: The king had before adioyned principal places to Iudea vvhich were called â—opaâ—chiâ— that is places of principalitie or principal gouernments novv he granted also immunities to them as to al Iudea and Samaria :: Three thousand faithful encoâ—â—â—â—ing vvith an hundred twentie thousand infidels killed of them in one day an hundred thousand :: As to vveare purple and to bare a crowne so to drinke in gold cuppes and to vveare a gold cheyne vvas proper to kinges and to vvhom they gaue license :: It is an ancient ceremonie in al uations often mentioned in these bookes to confirme peace by geuing ech other the right hand :: Only tvvo captaines remained and vvith them some souldiars as Iosephus vvriteth about 50 for it is not to be thought that Ionathas vvould haue returned to battel v 72. being but three men in al to beginne a new assault :: Sparta the chief citie of Lacedemonia called also Lacedemon and Theramne :: Spartians otherwise called Lacedemonians by Iosephus and other vvriters descended from Abraham v. 21. and vvere in great league vvith the Ievves :: The Spartianes had written this epistle before Onias vvritte to theÌ„ though it be here placed after :: There remained vvith the Spartiates old vvrites of genealogies as Iosephus supposeth li. 12. c. 5. li. 13. c. 9. :: Morally in Tryphon is noted the practise of the diuel vvho intending to ouerthrovv a king or a kingdom first seeketh to deceiue the pastores and to destroy them especially by error or other sinne For as S. Gregorie teacheth ho. 38. if the pastors life be corrupted his doctrine vvil be contemned :: Simon the fourth general captaine of the Machabees high-priest excelled his bretheren in vvisdome by the restimonie of his father c. 2. v 65. :: He vndertooke by al his endeuour to defend and deliuer his nation from danger and to restore their former libertie :: Simon being vvise choise the lesse euil and lesse danger For if he had not sent that vvas demanded it was very like and almost cettaine that Ionathas should be slaine and it vvould haue bene imputed to Simon that he had not taken iust care of his brothers life vvherby the people vvould haue bene alienated from him and perhaps haue reuolted from him and also from religion S. Tho. in hunc locum :: This vvas not vaine glory but true glorie to kepe memorie of so great vertue therby to stur vp others to imitation He that loueth honour saith S. Augustin li. cont Secundin c. 17. imitateth God But humble soules desire houour in God proud men vvil be honoured more then God or vvithout God O hovv manie Epitaphes are of vvicked men nothing els but perpetual monuments of their ambition vanitie iniustice crucltie other vices but those that are of true vertues are to Gods more honour the auctor of al vertues * a precious chaine :: By hovv much more that mercie is admixed vvith iustice so that iustice be not destroyed and that religion be aduanced the better it pleaseth God and edifieth the vvel disposed :: This Iohn Hyreanus defended the countrie against inuaders ch 16. :: Simon had novv gouerned the people two yeares beginning with great difficulties but hence forth enioyed peace til Antiochus Sedetes brake the league inuaded Iurie ch 15. v. 27. 39. :: He reduced manie Ievves from captiuitie :: Sparta being the chief citie of Lacedemonia had manie cities subiect depending as vpon their Metropolitane :: Vvhen peace was estabished in al Iurie and friendshippe confirmed vvith the Romanes Lacedemonians the vvhole nation of the Ievves in gratitude tovvards Simon vvho onlie novv remained of Mathathias sonnes confirmed him in the office of high-priest perpetually or for euer v. 41 that is during his life to his progenie v. 49 :: The hieghpriesthood continevved in this familie of the Machabees vntil Herod tooke it from them selling it for money and then shortly came Christ the faith ful Prophet :: This Antiochus Sedetes sonne of Demetrius Soter vvas brother to Demetrius the second who was now captiue in Per â—â—a ch 14.