in his hands at his last supper that selfe same body that was borne of the virgine Mary and suffered the next day after And yet if the valure of the sacrifice of the mâ—sse be finite then doubtlesse that sacrifice can not be the sonne of God for he is of infinite power of infinite glorie of infinite maiestie of infinite valure Yea whosoeuer denieth Christes body bloud subsisting in the person of God by hypostaticall vnion to be of infinite valure hee is become a flat Arrian beleeuing Christ to bee pure man and not God And consequently howsoeuer the papistes thinke or speake of their masse yet in making it a sacrifice they are blasphemous and that must needs followe though it were freelie graunted them that Christes body were present really in the Sacrament I prooue it tenthly because our Iesuite cannot denie but that a reall destruction is necessarily required in euery true reall sacrifice Wherefore since Christ dieth not in the popish masse it cannot be that he is truly sacrificed in the same For as Bellarmine truely saith Abraham did not truely sacrifice his sonne Isaac because he was not really slain Now that this discourse may be made more manifest I will propound the strongest obiecâ—ions for the aduerse part and adde briefe solutions to the same The first obiection S. Paul saith that Christ is a priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech and Melchisedech offered bread and wine as he was Gods priest saith holy Moses To which we must adde that the thing figured is more excellent then the figure that Christ truely offered sacrifice in bread and wine otherwise hee shuld not haue exactly fulfilled y e figure of Melchisedech For al the fathers graunt that he was a true figure of Christ euen as he was a priest The answere I say first that Melchisedech did not sacrifice bread wine but as the Hebrew text saith brought forth bread wine that is sufficient victuals for the refection of Abraham and his souldiers after their returne from the slaughter of Chedor-laomer and the other kings For the whole course of y e scripture telleth vs that bread by Synecdoche signifieth meate So Moses saith that the Egyptians might not eate bread with the Hebrewes that is meate In Esay 7. women say we will eate our owne bread that is our owne meat King Dauid promised Mephibosheth that he should eate bread alwaies at his own table which had been a very small reward of a king if by bread were not signified all kinde of meat King Iehoiachim ate bread at the table of Euil-merodach the king of Babel that is al delicate fare So it is called bread that Iobs friendes ate in his house when it is certaine that they had right sumptuous cheere The like examples are in S. Mathew sundry other places of scripture This I note against the papistes who fondly vse to answere that bread was a slender refection for all Abrahams companie I say secondly that Christes priesthood is after the order of Melchisedech not in any sacrifice of bread and wine which Melchisedech can neuer be prooued to haue offered but in y t as man he was without father wonderfully coÌ„ceiued as God without beginning without ending without mother woonderfully begotten for which cause the prophet demaundeth who shall declare his generation in these points Christes priesthood differeth not from Melchisedech who as S. Paule saith was without father without mother without kinred without beginning of his daies without end of his life likened to the son of God and a priest for euer Yet in the oblation of bread and wine the priesthood of Melchisedech was not perfitly distinguished from the priesthood of Aaron as the scripture witnesseth S. Paul therfore describeth the priesthood of Melchisedech without the mention of bread and wine in such sort as it is perfitly distinguished from the priesthood of Aaron So Eusebius Caesariensis comparing the priesthoode of Christ with the priesthood of Melchisedech doth not say that it consisteth in the sacrifice of bread and wine but in the vnction the diuine similitude the eternitie and want of succession These are his expresse words Tu es sacerdos in aeternum secundum ordinem Melchisedech Hic auteÌ„ Melchisedech in diuinis voluminib sacerdos fuisse Dei summi refertur sed qui non oleo communi perunctus sit neque qui ex successione generis suscepit sacerdotium sicut apud Hebraeos fieri mos erat ideo secundum ordinem ipsius sacerdos futurus dicitur Christus qui non olei liquore sed virtute coelestis spiritus consecretur Thou art a priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech And this Melchisedech is called in the holy scriptures the priest of God most high but one which was not annointed with common oyle neither yet receiued his priesthood by the succession of kinred as the manner was among the Hebrews and therfore Christ is called a priest after his order who is consecrate not with the liquor of oyle but with the vertue of the holy ghost I say thirdly that Melchisedech in his action towards Abraham shewed himself both to be a priest and a king a priest in that he blessed Abraham a king in that he releeued Abraham and his souldiers with bread wine that is with al competent corporall sustenance I say fourthly that if there had bin any force in the oblation of Melchisedech touching Christs priesthoode S. Paul who handled euery least thing exactly in that comparison would neuer haue omitted his sacrifice in bread and wine and yet he passed it ouer as a thing of no importance I say fiftly that Christ offering himselfe vpon the crosse for the sinnes of the world was not a priest after the order of Aaron but properly and truely after the order of Melchisedech I proue the former part First because perfection could not come by the priesthood of the Leuites as the apostle beareth witnes Againe because our Lord Iesus was of the tribe of Iuda of which tribe Moses spake nothing at al touching the priesthood Thirdly because the sacrifice of the crosse was the most perfit sacrifice of all other as which did coÌ„summate them that are sanctified for euer I proue the latter part first because it must be after some order but not after the order of Aaron as is proued ergo after the order of Melchisedech Secondly because the apostle doth in expresse terms cal Christ a priest euen after the order of Melchisedech These are his words And being consummate was made the cause of eternall life to all them that obey him and is called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedech Lo Saint Paule ioyneth the order of Melchisedech with the sacrifice of the crosse offered for mans redemption as if he had said Christ is therefore called a priest after the order of Melchisedech because he
thinke that these 72. Iewish priests sent by Eleazarus the hie priest brother to Symon Priscus into Egypt to king Ptolomeus to translate the old testament out of their vulgar tongue that is the Hebrew into Greeke did translate the same seuerally being placed in 72. distinct celles so as no one coulde know what another did without diuine inspiration This notwithstanding they all agreed so perfectly when their interpretations were compared together as if they had beene all in one place and one acquainted with anothers act Which if it were true the decision whereof I leaue in suspence to the iudgement of the reader it coulde not but prâ—ceede of the holyghost Others as saint Ierome Aristeas Iosephus and all the Iewish Rabbins hold the flat contrarie opinion and auouch boldly that the report of the 72. celles and of the translation accomplished in so many seueral places is nothing else but a fable Which latter opinion seemeth more probable though not certaine because the Iewes could best tel the case of whom S. Hierome receiued his opinion Howsoeuer it was two things are certaine first that the Hebrew text is the foundation and originall and onely to be stoode vpon so often as any difficultie ariseth in the olde testament Secondly that howsoeuer they did translate yet was there such corruption of their translation euen in saint Hieromes time and before his dayes as it was found in very many places to swarue wholly from the Hebrew Which thing not only Saint Hieerome but Origen and other writers do witnesse for which cause Saint Hierome and Saint Augustine do verie wisely and grauely exhort to haue recourse to the Hebrew in the old Testament and to the Greeke in the new Testament so often as any varietie doth appeare And here wee must note two things first that those priests which Eleazar sent to Ptolomee were 72. in number as sundrie thinke albeit the two odde persons be omitted of others for breuitie sake Secondly that they translated onely the Pentateuche as writeth Iosephus in his first booke of antiquities Adde heereunto with the same Iosephus that they were sent to his librarie at Alexandria where if wee will beleeue Genebrardus were 54. thousand and 800. bookes CHAP. VI. Of Esdras Zorobabel and Nehemias God albeit hee doth often afflict and exercise his people with the crosse of temporall punishment for their good that so they may beholde their owne vnworthienesse and appeale to his mercie and wholly depend vppon his holy prouidence yet for his mercie sake hee doth in all ages and at all times excite worthie persons for their great commoditie and solace For after that he had visited the Iewes and kept them in bondage seauentie yeares in a strange countrey among infidels and idolaters hee raised vp diuers excellent men for their preseruation to wit Zorobabel Esdras and Nehemias Zorobabel was the captaine that brought them home and caused the temple to be builded Nehemias builded vp the walles of the citie deliuered the people from oppression and prouided that the law of God was put in execution among them This Nehemias was in great fauour and authoritie with king Artaxerxes and so obtained most honourable and ample letter patents for the accomplishment of whatsoeuer he did desire Esdras descended of the kinred of Aaron hee was a priest well learned in the law of Moses Hee was called Esdras the scribe that is one who had authoritie to write the lawe and to expound it Saint marke calleth such a one a Scribe Saint Mathew tearmeth such persons Lawyers and doctours of the lawe which is a point well worthie the obseruation This Esdras performed the office of a true priest indeed for he collected the bookes of holy scripture which were dispersed after the destruction of Hierusalem in time of the captiuitie without which bookes pure and sincere religion could not consist Yea so soone as the temple was builded againe vnder Zorobabell he is noted as Hierome recordeth to haue found out the Hebrew letters we now vse whereas vntil that time both the Samaritans and the Hebrewes had the selfe same characters Eusebius Caesariensis a man as well of great antiquitie as of learning calleth Esdras the most excellent diuine and skilfull doctour among the Iewes affirming that hee changed the Hebrew letters for this ende and purpose lest the Iewes should conuerse with the Samaritans He addeth further that his memorie was so great as he could recite the scriptures without the booke Some write that he inuented the prickes annexed to the text but others hold the contrarie The fift booke of the Monarchie of the Greekes from the Machabees vntill Christ. CHAP. I. Of the partition of the Monarchie and the reason of the same THe former part of the Monarchy of the Greekes which is from King Alexander the great vnto the Machabees conteineth 155. yeares and may be proued exactly by the chronographie of holy Writ The latter part of the Monarchie which is from the Machabees vnto Christ or if yee will from Antiochus Epiphanes to Herodes Magnus which is al one contayneth 173. yeares but cannot be proued out of the holy scriptures as the former part which is the cause of this my partition for perspicuitie sake yet may it bee gathered sufficiently out of the bookes of the Machabees Iosephus Iulius Africanus and Egesippus The obseruation As Alexander began this monarchie in the seuenth yeare of his raigne in the age of the world 3641. so did Antiochus Epiphanes sonne to Antiochus Magnus the sixt king of Syria beginne the time of this partition that is the second part of the Monarchie in the age of the world 3749. He was hostage at Rome from whence he fled and vsurped the kingdome of Syria from his brothers sonne he pretended to protect his sisters sonne Philometor the yong king of Egypt by that meanes sought craftily to get the kingdome of Egypt into his hands For better expedition of his wicked purpose he procured certain cities to be yeelded into his hands In his returne from Egypt he tooke Ierusalem and spoyled it The Agyptians peruing his craftie dealing receiued their cities againe in regard whereof hee entred Egypt with a strong armie but had the repulse by aide of the Romans after which repulse he retured in great rage and tyrannically bent his force against Hierusalem he constrained the Iewes for the space of two yeares vtterly to forsake the law Machabeus therefore and his sonnes being priests rose vp in armes against his brutish crueltie and deliuered the people CHAP. II. Of the gouernment of the Iewes after the captiuitie A triple gouernment was among the Iewes betweene the captiuitie the aduent of our sauior Christ Iesus for they were gouerned first by princes of the tribe of Iuda and royall stocke of Dauid from the captiuitie vntill Antiochus After that they were gouerned by priests who were not of the royal petegree of Iuda but of the tribe of Leui.
sea by the deuils He came to Hierusalem at the feast of Easter he entred into a ship to auoid the prease of the people and sent his apostles two by two to preach the gospel He went into the mountaine when the people would haue made him king he sayled into Magedan Dalmanutha he returnd to Bethsaida came into the coasts of Cesaria Philippi He was transfigured in the mount Thabor he returned to Capernaum and passed through the middes of Samaria hee sent his twelue disciples to Hierusalem to the feast of Tabernacles and secretly followed after them He sent his messengers to Samaria the Samaritaines would not receiue them he came to Hierusalem and taught openly in the temple He sent 72. disciples two by two into euerie place whither hee would come In Bethania Martha did intertaine him In the feast of the dedication hee walked in the temple in Salomons porch euen in the winter season Hee passed into the coasts of Iewrie beyond Iorden where Iohn did first baptize in Bethania he raised vp Lazarus from death to life thence he went to Ephraim beside the desert where hee fasted hee came to Bethphage beside the mount Oliuet he entred into Hierusalem riding on an asse-colt whereon neuer man sate before he went vp into the temple and did cast out them that bought and solde therein hee returned to Bethania and went againe to Hierusalem where hee ate the Paschal lambe After supper he went forth with his disciples ouer the brooke Cedron into the Garden of Geth-semani where he praied while drops of bloud trickled downe his cheekes after his praier he returned to his disciples was apprehended by Iudas and his complices was led away to Annas first then to Caiphas then to Pilate then to Herode then to Pilate againe after whipped and scourged crowned with a crowne of thorne condemned and crucified And all this long tedious paineful and bitter pilgrimage Christ Iesus the sonne of God suffered for the sinnes and loue of man Saint Paul likewise the chosen vessell of God had a long and painefull pilgrimage for the Gospel sake For being miraculously conuerted from a raging Wolfe to bee a meeke sheepe from a mortall foe to bee a deere friende from a cruell persecutour to become an holy Apostle hee foorthwith preached the gospel at Damascus From thence hee went to Arabia from Arabia hee turned againe to Damascus and after three yeres came to Ierusalem Before which time the Iewes at Damascus tooke counsell to kill S. Paul and for that end they watched the gates day and night But the disciples tooke him by night put him through the wal and let him downe by a rope in a basket The Iews laid hands on him while he was in the temple at Hierusalem They lay in waite to kill him but the chiefe captaine cōmanded to bind him with two chains to leade him into the castle he caused him also to be scourged and examined and sent him away to Felix the gouernour hee came to Antiochia by the meanes of Barnabas where they twaine taught the people a whole yere insomuch that the disciples were first called christians in that place From Antioche he went with Barnabas to carrie their charitable almes which the Antiochians sent to the faithfull in Iudea he passed from Antioche to Seleucus and from thence he sayled to Cyprus from Cyprus to Salamis and thence to Paphus where he found a Iewe named Bariesus who was with the deputie Sergius Paulus from Paphus he wēt to Perga from Perga to Antioche not in Syria but in Pisidia and afterwarde to Iconium But being stoned at Iconium hee fled to Lystra and Derbe the cities of Lycania and to the regions round about He returned to visite the brethren in euerie citie where hee had preached stablishing the churches of Syria and Cilicia And when he had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia he was forbidden of the holy ghost to preach in Asia And being admonished in a vision to go into Macedonia he went to Troas from Troas to Samothracia from Samothracia to Neapolis from Neapolis to Philippi the chife Citie in the parts of Macedonia After this he returned to Ierusalem and being cast in prison he pleaded his cause before Felix and Drusilla his wife before Agrippa Festus and Bernice and appealing to Cesar hee was sent to Rome where afterward hee was beheaded as approued histories make relation So Lycurgus as authenticall histories record profited much by his pilgrimage into forren countries So did also the Decemuiri of y e Romans while by their pilgrimage into Greece they learned their prudent politike lawes and trained vppe their owne people accordingly More commendable then all these was the pilgrimage of y e three wise men that came from farre to adore the sweete babe that was newly borne Christ the Sauior of the world Neither for all that was the pilgrimage of the queene of Saba to be reprooued when she came so many hundred miles to heare and trie King Salomons wisedome The fourth conclusion Popish inuocation adoration visitation translation eleuation asportation and reseruation is superstitious blasphemous and idololatrical This conclusion is euidently proued by that which is already said of the inuocation and adoration of saints For if no religious worship nor adoration can be giuen to the liuing saints as is already proued much lesse may that which is contained in this conclusion be yeelded to the dead bodies reliques of the same And doubtlesse the faithlesse Gentiles haue not committed more grosse and palpable idolatrie in adoring their idols then our late Papists in adoring their relikes For first when the relique which they terme Vultus sanctus is eleuated as solemnly as their bread-god in the masse though not ouer the priests head but publiquely in both his hands the people of Rome are taught to crie aloude misericordi misericordi mercie mercie for our sinnes Which as euerie child knoweth is the proper inuocation of God himselfe Againe they doe ascribe so much Religion in handling and in touching the tabernacles or coffers wherein the reliques are put that the lay people may scarcely touch them with their bare handes or yet the priestes eleuate the same vnlesse they first adore them vpon their knees and in their surplesses with stoles about their neckes Thirdly they thinke that if their beades do but once touch those coffers they receiue a great holinesse from thence Fourthly they think that to come on pilgrimage to Rome especially is a great parte of satisfaction for their sinnes Fiftly they thinke it a farre greater holines to pray in one place then in another greater at one altar then at another more blessed in one church then in an other and that it is the next step to heauen to say masse or cause masse to be said at the church of the blessed virgin in Lauretto Sixtly they repute such holines in externall rites and corruptible reliques that