as some say that in the eating what delicious meate soeuer the eater desired hee found the tast thereof in his mouth certaine it is that it was a most pleasant food and although it would not remaine aboue one day vncorrupted except onelie when they gathered to keepe for their Sabboath dayes victuall yet not without a speciall miracle it continued in this pot many hundred yeares Aaron his rod was here likewise kept which was set in the tabernacle with twelue other by the florishing of which his election to the Priesthood was manifested vnto the people and he preferred before the other twelue princes which stoode in contentiou with him In this Temple stoode also two other Cherubins of Oliue couered with gold 10. cubites high their winges spread in bredth euery one fiue cubits they looked both towarde the east on each side of the arke stoode one so that they filled the whole bredth of the Temple with their winges couered with them the toppe of the Arke The dores stoode alwaies open and before the entrance hong such a vaile as hung before the dores of the outmost Temple Foure hundred yeares and more continued this Temple in this glorie vntill Sedechias who was left king of the Iewes by Nabuchadonosor king of the Chaldees rebelled against him encouraged perchance by mistaking the Oracle that hee should neither be slain in fight nor see Babilon for which cause Nabuchadonoser pressing the Cittie with famine forced him his children with others to flie by night and vnderstanding so much afterward by his espials followed them and tooke them in the chase and when they were brought before him hee slew Sedechias his children in their Fathers sight then put out his eyes and led him captiue to Babilon whether before hee had carried Ioachim otherwise called Ieconias who was nephew to this Sedechias and king of the Iewes and had yeelded himselfe vnto Nabugodonosor The victorie obtained against Sedechias the Chaldees returned to Ierusalem and tooke the spoile of the Temple and afterward burned it down to the ground for which cause and other abuses offred by Nabuchodonosor and his childreÌ„ vnto those holy thinges which belonged vnto the Temple himselfe liued abroad seauen years amongst beasts eating nothing but what they eate nor hauing any other defence against hard weather then what they had and his grandchild in short time lost his life and left his kingdome to the Medes and Persians who setting the Iewes at libertie gaue them leaue to build their Temple againe but not in that ample maner as before it was being enformed by those who were bad neighbours to the Iewes that the maiesty and strength thereof would encourage them to reuolte from their obedience but neither had they been able to perform it if they might haue had licence hauing beene in captiuity seauenty yeares and spoiled of all their substance yet had they to helpe them vntil it was built thirty talentes yearely allowed them by king Darius whereof 20. were for the setting it vp and tenne for their sacrifice and all the vessels which were remaining of the spoile which Nabuchodonosor carried out of the first temple were restored vnto them Being this second time builte it continued aboue fiue hundred yeares but it was many times in danger of vtter ruine as by Alexander the greate king of Macedon who in his voiages in which he conquered all those east partes of the world came with a full resolution to spoile Ierusalem and the temple although at the sight of Iaddus the high Priest attired in his priestly ornaments he altered his purpose and allighted from his horse and worshipped him on his knees saying that in the same attire God appeared vnto him and encouraged him in his valourous enterprise It was also in daunger when Antiochus called Epiphanes did tyranize ouer them for they were oppressed sometime by one somtime by an other and in the end became subiect to the Romaines who were contented they shold obserue the rights of their law but appoynted Herod a stranger to bee their king yet was he much worse welcome then acquainted in the countrey for hee had borne office before in some part thereof vnder Antipâ—ter his father but hee was willing in what hee could to win them vnto him and for that cause hee circumcised himselfe and became a Iew in profession who was an Idumean by birth framed a new temple of square white stone some 25. cubits long some 4â— with breadth thicknes correspondent which appeared a farre off like vnto a mountain of snow where it was not couered with gold when it was al framed he pulled down the other set vp this for the Iewes would not suffer him to destroy the old temple vntill they see a new readie to bee erected in the place thereof which was so goodly a thing that it was reuerenced by the heauens for neuer fell any raine in the day time while men were at worke about it but onely in the night some small showres lest their worke should be hindered It was much bigger then was that which Salomon built for the people in time had enlarged the mountaine with earth which they raised 400. cubits high but Herod altogether obserued the same order in the temple the courts sauing that he enclosed one court round about the temple which was curiously paued with all manner of rich stone and compassed it with double walkes diuided with white marble pillars one stone in a pillar 25. cubits hie out of which were some gates opening toward euerie quarter In the east part hung such spoyles as the Iews had taken from barbarous nations dedicated vnto the temple where also Herod placed such as himselfe had taken from the Arabians but in the south side were the principall walkes for they were diuided with such pillars as the other were but where the other were double in this side they were triple and the middle much higher then the other two yet all made so stately as it was a wonder to behold them and into this court might any whosoeuer enter He made also the entrance out of one court into another with stayres for out of this court the Iewes did ascend fourteene steps round about the temple vnto a plaine which contained ten cubits in breadth from which they ascended againe fiue steps to come to the porch wherein were the gates by which they entred into their court which they called holy and into which no Gentiles might come vppon paine of death and because no man should pleade ignorance being deprehended past his limits this law was written both in Greeke and Latin and hung in a table at the foote of the lower stayres that all the Gentiles might reade it Euerie Alien which shall presume to enter into the holy place lette him die which lawe was so straightly obserued that the Romanes who were their rulers dared not to goe any farther then the first Court but neither could the Iewes enter into
of one by nature and of another by the law Hereof Ioseph is said in one petigree to bee the son of Iacob and in another petigree the son of Hely as being the naturall son of Iacob and called the son of Hely because Iacob had hâ—m by Helies wife whom Hely left a widow and without any children for Hely and Iacob were brethren of one wombe although of diuerse fathers that is to say of Mathaâ— who was father vnto Iacob and Mathat who was father vnto Hely But although it be most true that the yong prince did descend of the princes of the Iewes and that he was of the familie of Dauid yet these petigrees of Ioseph proue nothing but that the prince his mother was of the tribe of Iuda because Ioseph who in these petigrees is proued to be of that name did espouse her it being a thing vnlawful among the Iewes that any shuld match but in their own tribe but neither doth this proue that this prince was of the tribe of Iuda because notwithstanding diuerse tribes should not ioyne togither in mariage the tribe of Iuda and Leui might and therefore the the proofe that Ioseph was of the tribe of Iuda and of the family of Dauid sheweth notâ—â—ng for the yong prince but that hee did by his mother discend either of the tribe of Iuda or of the tribe of Leuy For this cause many take the seconde petigree for the petigree not of Ioseph but of the yong prince by his mothers auncesters Thus beginneth that petigree Iesus was entring into his 30. yeare who was thought to be the son of Iâ—seph who was the sonne of Hely that is to say Iesus was accounted the sonne of Ioseph but he was the sonne of Hely by Mary daughter to Hely otherwise called Heliachim or Ioacâ—im for all is one name among the Iewes and although by this account the Prince should haue but one King among his auncesters yet hee had manie absolute Princes and gouernours of the people descending from Zorobabel vnto Iamnes otherwise called Ioannes Hircanus who not brooking the miserie in which hee and his people lyued through the oppression of the Syrians at the beginning of Antiochus Epiphanes his raigne who forced them to doe manie thinges agaynst their lawes slewe himselfe for which fact all his wealth was confiâ—cate which was a cause that the familie of Dauid liued afterwarde somewhat obscurely But in these petigrees appeareth a verie intricate difficultie For if Salathiell and Zorobabel mencioned in the seconde petigree are the same which are mencioned in the first why doth not the seconde petigree name the princes auncestours from king Dauid by king Salomon as the first doth but by Nathan an other of Dauids sonnes by Bersabe king Salomon his mother Againe if Salathiel and Zorobabel mentioned in the second petigree are not the same which are mencioned in the first petigree how came they which are reckoned in the second petigree to be princes of the people and their posterity vntill Iamnes slue himselfe A sacred history affirmeth that Zorobabel who is saide to descend from Iechonias the last king of the Iewes by Salathiel did carrie the people home out of Babylon where they had beene captiues And other hystories of authoritie continue this gouernment by Mosullam or Misciola Zorobabels sonne and such as are reckoned in the seconde petigree to bee the prince his ancesters The difficultie will bee easilie solued if we may say that Salathiel and Zorobabel mencioned in the one petigree were the same which are mentioned in the other and that Salathiel was not sonne vnto Iechonias but vnto Neri And this is agreeable vnto the Oracle which said that Iechonias should be barren and one who should neither prosper nor haue anie ofspring which shoulde sit in the throne of Dauid or haue any authoritie euer after in Iudah Which shoulde not haue beene true if hee shoulde haue children to succede him and to say that a man is barren or that the sonne dooth not succeed his father when the sonne hath not that pompe and maiestie which his father had is to say that most men are barren and few sons succeed their fathers so we may say that neither Salomons sonne did succeed him from whom ten tribes fell and followed Ieroboam nor Ioachas succeed his father Iosias because that Pharaoh king of Egypt within three moneths after tooke him sent him into Egypt where he died prisoner nor Ioachim brother to Ioachas who after that he had for a space paide to Pharaoh a yeerly tâ—ibute of a 100. talents of siluer and one of gold paide tribute for the space of three yeeres to Nabuchodonosâ—r king of Chaldea and rebelling against him was taken and slaine and throwne out of Hierusalem and lay vnburied according to the Oracle which sayd that hee should haue no other then the buriall of an Asse Nor his sonne Iechonias who was within three moneths after caried prisoner into Chaldea least perchance he should by some meanes haue reuenged his fathers death yet notwithstanding is this Iechonias sayde to haue sitten in the throne of Dauid and Zorobabel and his children hauing authoritie in Iudah as Kinges although for some cause they woulde not bee called Kings it is euident the Oracle being of infallible truth that Salathiel father to Zorobabel was not naturall sonne to Ieconias but to Neri and accounted the sonne of Ieconias as descending of Ieconias his wife who was left to Neri the next of kinne to Ieconias and to raise seed to Ieconias who according to the Oracle was barren Some woulde seeme to solue this difficultie by saying that Salathiel was the naturall sonne of Ieconias and adopted by Neri after Ieconias his death but why then were the princes his auncestors reckoned from King Dauid by Nathan the other beeing both a more true and more honourable petigree By this pedigree also is shewed how the prince was high priest for Onias the high priest hauing one onely daughter and one sonne hee gaue his daughter in marriage vnto Tobias otherwise called Mathathias Siloa who was grandfather vnto Iamnes the last prince which the Iewes had immediately before the Machabees and one of the yong prince his anncestors but his sonne Onias some call him Ananias and say that hee was not his sonne but his brother fledde from Hierusalem into Egypt where by Philomater the King of Egypt his lycense hee built in Hieropolis a Temple like vnto the temple in Hierusalem and there ended his life in scisme Onias the Father hadde also twoo brethren who after they hadde brought him out of the high-priesthood were themselues as they bribed Antiochus Epiphanes the King of Siria nowe one of them high priest nowe another and in the ende both shutte out and slaine Some doe say that those three brethren were sonnes to Simon who was high Priest and sonne vnto that Onias which fled into Egypt but whosoeuer they were all perished and oue succeeded them in that dignitie whose name
Antipas who claimed the kingdom by his fathers will which was made when hee was in health and would haue disprooued his Fathers last will because it was made when hee was in great extremitie of sicknes and knew not what hee did but Nicholas of Damascus Archelaus his orator knowing before whom he pleaded answered that it was a sufficient argument that Herod knew what he did because he left his will in all things to Caesars wisedome and after he had laid the blame of al the murders and misdemeaners of Archelaus vppon them which aunswered him as being rebellious and sactious people against their prince Archelaus came to Caesar and vpon his knees offered himselfe vnto him whome Caesar took vp and promised that he would doe nothing against Herods last will onely he would haue him refraine the name of a king for a while which he doubted not but that hee would quicklie deserue The cause of this strife betwixt these two brethren for the kingdome was Herods their fathers rashnes who in his life time appointed now one then an other almost all his sonnes for kinges first hee ment that the kingdome should descend from him vnto his sonnes Alexander Aristobulus whome he had by Mariamnes grandchild to Hircanus ' the last king of the Iewes but his eldest son Antipater whom he had by Doris a base woman being prouoked oftentimes by the contemptuous speeches of the princes for whose mothers loue his mother was reiected deuised how he might both take reuenge vpon thē and aduance himselfe whereof first hee wrought meanes by the discredite of the princes to come a little into his Fathers fauour which when hee had gotten so farre as his Father put him before the two princes in the right of the kingdome hee vsed matters in that sort that Herod hauing by his sleight and his friends put Mariamnes to death now also by his false suggestions murdered his two sonnes which he had by her then was Antipater honoured as a king by all for Herod gaue ouer vnto him the gouernement of the countrie in such manner as he kept vnto himselfe little more then the bare title of a king which Antipater also thought was too much yet first he stirred vp his father what he coulde against Archelaus and Philip two other of his brethren thē sought meanes to poison his Father which being perceiued by Herod hee presently chaunged his former will by which hee had giuen the kingdome to Antipater and being offended with Archelaus and Philip by Antipaters meanes hee made Antipas his successor in this kingdom but before hee dyed hauing manifest proofe of Antipaters treasons against him he repented too late his cruelty which now he mistrusted was without cause against Mariamnes her children and accounting all which proceeded from Antipater to haue beene false accusations to further himselfe in the kingdome he chaunged his will and deuided the countrie into foure partes made foure Tetrarches ouer it but the chiefest part he left to Archclaus whome he set downe in his last wil for his successor if Caesar shold think him meet and not aboue fiue dayes before his death caused Antipater to be executed and buried obscurely for as he had many causes for which hee thought hee might worthily haue put him to death before so would he not vpon any of them execute him without Caesars consent to whome hee had signified by letters what Antipater had attempted and wrought against him and how that in his treasons he had vsed the helpe of Acme who attended vpon Iulia the Empresse to which letters Caesar aunswered that Acme being found guiltie at Rome was executed as she had deserued and that Antipater was now at his Fathers discretion to order him as hee would which was no small comfort vnto him in the extremitie of his sicknes wherefore hee determined that Antipater should die which intention vpon this occasion was put in execution When Herod beeing in an extreame fitte of his sicknesse would haue slaine himselfe and was hindered by Achiabus who was his nephew Achiabus notwithstanding hee had preuented the stroake gaue so great a skritch that all in the pallace thought Herod had beene dead And Antipater who was not farre off although a prisoner hearing those newes dealt with his keeper to lette him goe at libertie as not doubting to gette the kingbome within a shorte time and to the end he might perswade the more easily hee promised great gifts both then and for afterward But this keeper either for feare of Herod or for little loue to Antipater went presently to Herod and declared his sonnes attempt for which Herod in his rage commaunded him presently to bee slaine so that now remained the other twoo willes which Herod made to bee tryed which of them were of force but Caesar decided the controuersie and the two brerhren vppon this conclusion returned from Rome to Palestina where Archelaus as well before as after his voyage did so little degenerate from his father that gladde were they who were out of his dominion which was the cause why Ioseph auoyded his owne countrey and went directly to Nazareth with his charge from whence euerie yeare for deuotion sake they went to Hierusalem to the Temple especially at the feast of Easter for many feasts did the Iewes obserue and no one passed them without great solemnitie Some of them might not bee celebrated but in Hierusalem some againe might bee obserued els where wheresoeuer the Iewes dwelt Their Sabaoth they did celebrate euerie seuenth day a daye solemne from the beginning of the world sanctified by God himselfe and called the sabaoth because then hee ceased from creating the world and the complements thereof wherefore the Iewes alwayes except when they were in Egypt and all theyr auncestors kept the seuenth day holy in remembrance that after sixe dayes in which all things were created God rested the seuenth day which although perchance when they were in Egypt they minded not and in time forgot it being so long in bondage where they could not vse that honour vnto God vpon that day as theyr fathers had taught them yet were they assured that was the day when they were in the wildernesse by the myracle which chaunced so oft vnto them that in the end they did by theyr murmur seeme to contemne it for when they wanted victuall in the desart God sent down vnto them like raine a food which because they knewe not else what to call it they called it Manna which woord was in euerie mans mouth when they first saw it and signifieth what is this it fell sixe dayes and the seuenth nothing fell but vppon the sixt day it fell in greater aboundance then any other day that the people might gather sufficientlye to serue them the same day and the next Vpon this which they called sabaoth it was not lawfull for them to doe anye worke no not to prouide or dresse any meate for their sustenaunce for confirmation of which they did see
is a yeere of remission for in that yeere all slaues were set at libertie and such Iewes as would not part from their maister in the seuenth yeere either because they loued him or else if perchance the slaues had married in his seruice a woman who was no Iewe and therefore not to bee set at libertie before because they would not forsake their wiues and children which during that time they had by them and in this case a slaue was brought vnto the priests and being set against the post of the doore his care was bored through with an All and then he could not goe from his maister vntill the yeere of Iubile but in the yeere of Iubilie hee and his wife and children were al free Also in this yeere of Iubile al the possessions which were sold returned to their first owner lest in time should grow a confusion among the tribes which were distinguished by the partition of the land but with this caution that if the buyer had layde out more then was the commoditie hee hadde by it hee that solde it should giue him satisfaction for it but if any house except the Leuits house in a Citie were solde it could neuer bee redeemed againe if it were not redeemed within a yeere after it was solde which was to make the people haue care of the Cittie wherein they dwelled seeing their houses were after a yeere to passe cleane from them All loanes or lettinges of moueable goodes were ordered euerie seauenth yeare The trumpets which they vsed in this yeare of Iubilie were not of siluer as those were with which they called the people to the temple nor such as they vsed in the feast of their trumpetes the first day of their seauenth month for these were of Rams hornes but were of hotns of greater bests as Buffelars and were made of that fashion that the brasen trumpets were made The fourth solemnitie of the seauenth moneth was in remembrance of the finding holy fire which was hid by Ieremie the Prophet when the Iewes were carried prisoners into Babilon and their temple destroyed and it was found at their return again which when it was brought forth it appeared to be nothing but a congealed water but when it was laid vpon the sacrifice and the sunne did shine vpon it it flamed vp and consumed the sacrifice and continued so long as anie sacrifice continued in the temple for from the first time that the Iewes had this fire which came miraculously from heauen when Aaron offered as high priest first sacrifice it was neuer extinguished but night and day it was maintained by the priestes In the 9. month they kept their Encoenia which was in remembrance of the renouation of their teÌ„ple by Iudas the Machabee after the Gentiles had prophaned it this feast continued eight dayes and in their 12. moneth they had a holyday in remembrance of an ouerthrow which Iudas gaue vnto Nicanor whome Demetrius king of Sâ—ria sent to destroy the Iewes and in the same moneth they solemnized those dayes which being granted by Asseuerus who ruled 55. yeares from India to Ethiopia 127. prouinces to Aman for the massacre of all the Iewes within those dominions were afterwarde by Hester her meanes who was a Iew and wife to Asseuerus dayes for the Iewes to reuenge themselues vppon all their enemies and Aman before the rest was hanged vppon a gibbet which hee had prouided for Mardocheus who was vncle vnto Queene Hester Among thesâ— feasts were three in which â—ll the male kind were to shew themselues at the temple by their law to wit at the feastes of their Phase their Pentecost and their Scenopegia but male and female who could come were to appeare at their Phase because they were all bound to offer or eate of a lambe or a kid offered at that time and it was not lawfull for them to offer it but in Ierusalem and for this cause did the maideÌ„ mother Ioseph repaire vnto the temple euery yeare at this feast carried the young prince with theÌ„ who passed to fro the more securely because no shew mas made of any such personage yet did he once aboue al other times draw all to marke him giue them some cause to admire him The virgin carried him as she was wont vnto the temple where were so many glad of his company that presuming once that some of her kinsfolke had gotten him amongst them she her spouse departed from Ierusalem without him but when at night they found him not amongst their kinsfolke the virgins griefe was so great as it cannot be shewed although returning vnto Ierusalem and not finding him so soon as she would it was encreased but before she left seeking him she found him in the temple sitting among the Doctors hearing their discourses and demanding of theÌ„ some questions for such was the custome among the Iewes that it was not onely lawful but well accepted by al that any of what years or condition soeuer might reason with the learnedest Doctors who for that cause sate in their chayres at the entrance of the Iews court other places were prepared for others euery one according to their reputation and mats on the ground for the yonger sort to sit heare what was taught by the Doctors and it was as lawfull for them as any in these conferences to demaund of others and vsuall to declare their owne mindes but so soon as she saw him she went vnto him and full of ioy and reuerence she said Sonne why hast thou thus done vnto vs thy Father for so was Ioseph reputed in the worlde and I haue sought thee with no little griefe but hee replyed againe vnto her demaunding why they sought for him taking no exceptions against that word Father because it was in a publike assembly yet because hee would giue them somewhat to muâ—e vpon headded vnto his former speech knew yee not that I was to be aboute my Fathers businesse by which the staÌ„ders by might easily perceiue that Ioseph was not his Father both for that Ioseph was present and that kind of busines about which he was imploied could not belong to Ioseph after which aunswere made vnto them they were somewhat amased but the virgin let neither word nor deede slippe her without a deepe meditation conferring euery thing together which she heard him speake or see him do notwithstanding he returned to Nazareth with them and liued vnder them in most dutifull manner as who had before all worlde 's knowne what belonged to a sonne profiting euery day in wisedome and grace both in the sight of God and men which profit was not absolutely in either for hee had all wisedome essentiall vnto him being the eternall wisedome of his Father but he profited in that he practised what before he knew and ioyned to his speculatiue wisedome a wisedome gotten by experience and so likewise is hee saide to profite in grace not that hee was not from the very instant
mountain in the north part of this for this speciall cause a most sacred land 3. daies iourny from Ierusalem the chiefest citie in the country in a citie of the tribe of Zabulon called Nazareth for the beautie thereof pleasantnesse so called for Nazareth signifieth a flower yet hath it her principall worth in being a garde to her who was for that time the flower not onely of that country but of the whole world at the appearing of which vpon this mountaine the lillies of the vallyes were ashamed of their whitenes the roses in Hiericho blushed wheÌ„ they ordred their leaues to breath out their sweetnes the Cedars of Libanus woulde neuer haue mustred theÌ„selues to make knowne their starelines had not nature coÌ„manded them all to do this honor vnto theiâ— princesse that they also appearing in theâ—r richest beautifullest sweetest comliest attâ—re she might the more easily bee discerned to exceed them all hauing in one what perfection was in them all and what was not The seed of this sacred flower was Iudas sonne to Israel who was grandchilde to Abraham by Isaacke the roote was Iesse the stalke king Dauid and his ofspring the bud Anna wife to Ioachim otherwise called Hely or Eliachim who hauing together from their youth liued in plenty aswell of heauenly grace as worldly goodes onely felt this punishment of God and this reproch of the world they had no issue for which cause Ioachim comming according to his religious custome to offer in the Temple was vpbraided by the priests for his barennes and iudged vnworthy to encrease Gods offeringes whome God thought not worthy to encrease his people which strake so great a sorrow into his hart that forthwith he forsooke his house and friendes and liued as a man forlorne among his shepheatdes His wife also retyred her selfe vnto a priuate kind of life best fitting the humor which now had gotten the maistery in her yet shee frequented the Temple at Hierusalem where shee seasoned all her prayers with this solemne vow that if it would please God to take from her that reproach shee would consecrate her childe vnto him in the Temple and she was the more importunate in this kind of deuotion because shee had heard that one of like name and condition by feruent prayer and such like promise made vnto God obtained her sute she hoped she might if so also God would make her husband Ioachim as glad a Father as Anna the mother of Samuell made her Husbande Elcana How often did Ioachim also accompanie his wandering pensiue thoughts with a little and that scant-settled comfort when hee considered that Sara when shee was past child-bearing had a sonne by Abraham how often would hee increase this comfort with calling to minde that Rachel for whose loue Iocob serued her father Laban fourteene yeares was numbred among the barren vntill shee brought foorth Ioseph Sampson would also offer himselfe many times vnto his thoughts whome his father Manue neuer looked for nor any other because his wife was barren and Samuel the Prophet and last Iudge of Israel borne of a woman who was a long time barren comming to poore Ioachim his made made him thinkè it a thing possible vnto God to giue him also a child if it so pleased him and herewithall he refreshed sometime his spirits vntill his imagination recoyling backe vpon him gaue him to vnderstand that Isaac was promised to Abraham as one from whom should spring the blisse of the whole world Ioseph was ordained to saue the world from being destroyed with famine when the earth yeelded no corne for seuen yeeres together and therefore might it bee a great mystery that hee made a ioyfull mother who had beene barren before whilst Lya Iacobs other wife had brought foorth seuen children the last onely of which being a daughter imported a defect after plenty which Ioseph supplyed And although hee saw that the dissention betwixt the Asamones who were both priests and princes did threaten vtter ruine of their estate being alreadie in subiection to the Romans and vnder the gouernement of Herod an vsurper of the kingdome and therefore looked for a mightier then Samson to deliuer them as hee thought from that temporall bondage yet withall he thought his part to be least in this worke because that worthie which was to make this conquest was to be borne of a Virgin But neither conld he hope for an other Samuel because the Messias approaching neare by all accounts would speake no more so much by others as before hee had done but by himselfe vpon which discourses his sudden ioyes fayling him he fell into his former griefes and perswading himselfe that hee was vnworthie to father any great worthie hee could not thinke that God would extraordinarily open his wiues wombe after she had beene so long a time barren for a childe who should not extraordinarily excell other children wherefore hauing a conceit onely what God of his omnipotencie could doe and not so much as any little hope of that which God of his clemencie would doe he thought his miserie was so great as iustly he could complaine himselfe of it although he was so iust a man as he would not repine against God for it So liued Anna frequenting the temple among saints and Ioachim the fileds among sheep fit places for such as were ordained to bring foorth a Saint-like mother of a sacred Lambes vntill the young Prince who beganne to doe some honour to his mother before shee was his mother sent as solemne an Embassage to her parents to foreshewe her comming into the worlde as hee did afterwarde vnto her herselfe to further his owne For while Ioachim and his wife were at their woonted deuotions a Prince appeared suddainlie vnto them sent from him whose meanest subiect was no lesse then a Prince who tolde them that they shoulde haue a childe who shoulde bring them more ioy then the want of one had bredde them griefe and that the reproach they had sustayned by an infamous barrennesse should be most honourably recompensed with a gracious fruit and therewithall departed So straunge a message brought vnto them by a straunger might haue seemed incredible had it not beene pleasing vnto them but being so welcome newes they perswaded themselues that hee carryed as much truth in his mouth as comlinesse in his person and was so like one who woulde not deceyue them that with most ioyfull mindes they well accepted the message and expected what was promised vnto them meeting therefore at the Temple whither both repaired to giue GOD thankes for what they had heard and embracing each other in signe of great ioy likely to succeede an exceeding greate griefe they returned home to Nazareth where at her appointed tyme Anna was deliuered of a daughter whom her parents named Mary whose gracious priueledges were such as no man is able worthily to expresse them and her perfections so great as the most perfect Angelles did admire them for to which of the
king Dauids messenger when hee sent to demaund her consent vnto him in marriage shee sayde vnto this Prince Embassadour Behold the handmaid of my Lord bee it done to me according to thy word Her consent obtained the Embassadour gaue her a farewell mixed with such ioy and reuerence as if hee had beene loth to detract time to be gone with so great good newes and yet could not but stay a while to doe his dutie but being of that agility that hee could passe so much space in a moment as is betwixt heauen and earth dispatched himselfe wirh that speede that in a trice hee both encreased a ioy in the place where hee was began another in the place from whence hee came Whereupon Loue who is impatient of delaye caused him from whom as well as from his father proceed infinit loue with all his might to pursue this matter the wole Trinitie working miraculously in the wombe of the Virgin gathering of her most pure bloud together framed therof in one instant a perfect body no sooner could that body enioy the soule which was created for it then the emperor his son vnited the whole vnto him a work as worthy praise as wonder so wonderful as reason hauing tyeâ—d it selfe in discourse of this worke leaueth off beginneth to do nothing but wonder for which cause one among the rest being wearied with ouer much musing began to refresh himselfe a little with his Muses In this maner Whom earth the sea the heauens doe worship praise adore King of this threefolde frame the wombe of Marie bore To whom Moone sunne and all do seruice in their turnes Chast bowels be are with fall of grace which from heauen comes Blessed such a mother within whose wombe is closde Her heauenly maker holding from being losde With ease the world and blest for that she had receiude By angels mouth addrest a message she belieude That she conceiuing by the helpe of holy Ghost He should within her lie Whom Gentils wished most But although others lost themselues in the consideration of this diuine mysterie the Virgin no doubt was so perfectly instructed in it that shee sound as much knowledge as she had felt comfort and her comfort was the more because her knowledge was so great and remembring that the higher shee was in calling the more lowly best beseemed her to bee in her carriage shee did alwayes with most humble thoughts attend vpon high conceits neither thinking at any time too well of herselfe for that shee should mother so worthy a prince nor yet so vnwary as to giue any cause why from thence forth hee should disdaine her to bee his mother Among other her comforts she remembred what the Embassador had said vnto her of her cosen Elizabeth whome before shee loued but now she longed to see and if the wayes presented themselues in her imagination very long her desire looked to bee preferred which was in heart also very great and the time of the yeare being both fit and pleasant to trauel in enuited her ernestly to the iorney to a citie called Hebron in the mountaines of Iuda liing southward from Ierusalem 22. miles one of the most famous cities in Palestina for antiquitie and of greatest renown because it was sometime the kings seat The inhabitants of this place were sometime such men or rather monsters as neither eye coulde without horrour beholde nor eare without feare heare speake here was Dauid who slew Goliah the Giant in a single combat with his sling annointed king and ruled all Israell by the space of seauen yeares a place also for this cause had in reuerence by all the worlde for that Adam the first parent of all mankind here is said to haue forsooke the world here also was Iacob the great Patriarke buried his father Isaack who was miraculously in this place coÌ„ceiued by Sara when shee was by natures course past childbearing from hence Abraham issued with 318. of his men and ioyned with him the 3. brethreÌ„ maÌ„bre who gaue name to the valley ioyning vnto it Aner and Escoll pursuing 4. kings conquerors ouerthrew them neare vnto mount Libanus and broght back all the spoile which they had taken out of the richest part of the country and was here also afterward buried A place notoriously 〈◊〉 froÌ„ the beginning of the world with an oak which continued there 400. years after the incarnation of the young prince we spake of it was one of the 46. cities which were allotted vnto the priests to dwel in Hether hastened the virgin if not so well accompayned as noble welthie parents could send their only daughter aswel for her gard as theit own credite yet neither was it likely she wold caresly of her selfe haue strayed so far alone nor her parents suffer her to go without some company being so far froÌ„ the basest blood in Palestina as they were of the best none of the poorest who coulde spare vnto the temple one third part of what they had an other to relieue the poore but her chiefest gard was inuisible and therefore it was inuincible for if euer any princes with child trauelling was choisely attended on least any hurt should befal vnto her or vnto that shee wente with much more was shee and euery thing so well ordered as she neither felt any inconuenience in long vneasie wayes being a yong maiden nor found any 〈◊〉 in her iorney by her burden being lately become a mother for it is not to be thoght that he which came to bring ease for his enemies would breede any paine in his best friendes But no sooner had shee set fooâ—e into her cosens house and saluted her but the child within her cosens wombe be wrayed who shee was and Elizabeth by diuine instinct cried out with a loud voice beginning where the Prince Embassador had ended his salutation and saide vnto her Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy wombe whence is this to mee that the mother of my Lord doth come vnto mee for beholde as the voice of thy salutation sounded in myne eares the infant in my wombe did leape for ioy blessed art thou which didst belieue because those things shall be accomplished which were spoken vnto thee by our Lord. The sunne although it appeare vnto vs to bee in a cloude because there is a cloude betwixt it and vs is not altogether depriued of his power but giueth some light and by his light life where it lighteth and the sonne of iustice hauing builte his glorious throne in the wombe of a virgin where hee did as it were ascend vppon a thinne cloude shall he lease his vertue and not rather worke not of any necessitie as a natural cause of such like qualited effects but voluntarilie as a liberal and free agent of supernaturall graces How may wee thinke woulde hee draw vnto him if hee were once exalted who drewe so mightilie being imprisoned for
before to brooke the fault which he found he held it not without cause the gretest happines he could haue in this worlde to enioy the loue of her whose vertue surmounted all who were vertuous were not vertue it selfe She was a yong maiden but of graue dedemeanor able to haue prouoked the best mortified to loue but she reproued euen in her face all maner of lust for whom her modestie drew to admire her her maiestie draue from thought of sinning by her although her pouertie sought to conceale it her properties shewed her princely desent Wherefore he thanked the heauens for his good hap began to thinke how he should make her amends of whom he had conceiued so hardly But when he came againe vnto her he stood stone still as though either his soule had forsaken him or his sences forgotten her if only sorrow for his suspition past ioy of his present resolution had fought the combat the quarrell might haue beene quickly ended poore Ioseph wold with teares either haue confessed vnto her his fault or haue congratulated his owne good fortune bâ—t a reuerence entring into the lists preuailed against both which made him as backward in his paces as loue could make him forwarde in his lookes wherefore shee perceyuing his eyes fixed so vpon her as if he meant they shoulde not straye and his heeles so fastened to the ground as if he had beene minded they should neuer stirre she beganne to be abashed at this so sodaine an alteration and blushed to thinke whether she had giuen him any iust cause of so strange a salutation but her conscience assuring her that shee had beene alwaies as forwarde in shewing him all manner of curtesie as she was free from suffering any maner of corruption she encountred him with such sweet piercing lookes as she encouraged him to prosecute his former professed loues but in such sort as ioy griefe and reuerence were moderators in his wordes countenance and behauiour He confessed his iealousie and suspition he had of her humblie craued pardon therefore vowing himselfe for his pennance vntill his dying day in sight of the world a true and faithfull spouse and in all his actions a most diligent and obedient seruant he vttered his intention to dismisse her and being so fully satisfied in the misterie wrought in her he was now become a suter vnto her that she wold vouchsafe to accept of him And she perceiuing that this worke could not possiblie proceed without his knowledge recounted vnto him what had chanced vnto her but with such humilitie lowlines of mind as was sufficient to haue perswaded a truth disswaded him from his determined purpose if he had before discouered his iealousie vnto her Wherfore after humble thanks to her Lord who in such sort had supplied her bashfull backwardnes she embraced her spouse who trembled for reuerence to touch her and she did not onely pardon his offence past but dispensed also with that pennance which hee had enioyned himselfe so farre foorth as it concerned her owne person but craued most careful attendance on him whome shee had conceiued Many wordes passed not betwixt them at this meeting because they both were willing that this his fault as it was quietly forgiuen so it should also be quickly forgotten but they could not parte without many ioyes because they both had their wish that this sacred conception as it cleared her from all suspected faultes so it should clense him from all superfluons fancies and they liued euer after with such contentment happinesse that they neither enuied at the statelie port of earthly princes nor desired the highest estate of the heauenly spirites yet coulde they not but wish euery day her time were expired that not onely they but the whole world also might enioye whome they expected for although a speciall choice was made of the Iewes yet were not the geÌ„tiles abandoned being each as nobly born as other and both as one They both had their Prophetes which did forshew his birth that both might take like profite by his death Among the Gentiles were Trimegistus Hidaspes and the Sibilles and the Iewes were not without those which foretolde both the time and the circumstances most iustlie The Gentiles vnderstood that about that time a king should be born by whome onely as the most eloquent Orator that euer spake in Rome saide all people should be saued but they vnderstanding no more then hee did what this saying ment some of them which thought well of themselues beganne to cast how they might bee kinges hoping that the Prophetes spake of them for this cause did Lentulus ioyne himselfe in Catalines conspiracie and Anthony boldly set a crown vpon Iulius Caesar his head when they sported themselues at their Lupercals at which Caesar seemed to grieue and the Senate to grudge and Caesar refusing the crowne Anthony to the dislike of all the Romaines set it vppon Caesar his Image others thougâ—t that Augustus Caesar was the man and the rather because hee was borne aboute such a time as vppon a strange accident coniecture was made a mighty prince should arise for the Image of Iupiter which stoode in the Capitoll and the image of the Wolfe which nursed Romulus and Rhemus as also many other Idols were either broken or melted yet was Aâ—gustus a fauourer of Idols and by sacrificing vnto them acknowledged himselfe rather a bearer of them out then a breaker of them down but whosoeuer was born that yeare by the Senates decree was murdered because the very name of a king was hated amongst them All thought the appeariâ—g of the sunne in a rainebow when the skie was rounde aboute then cleare at Caesar his returne to Rome from Apollonia was a confirmation of this Empire so likewise did they enterprite the flowing of oile by the space of one whole daye out of a well on the foreside of Tiber a famous riuer that runneth thorough Rome in a place hetherto permitted to the Iewes to inhabite and to liue according vnto their lawes but the well stoode in a Tauerne sometime vsed by aged soldiers to soiourne in when they had serued in the warres in defence of the common wealth for after that a souldier came to his threescore yeare hee had his certaine allowance vntill his death which commonly was spent in that place And when they sawe the sunne in the middle of three circles vpon one of which was a crowne burning made as it were of eares of corn they applied it to their Triumâ—â—â—â— that is to signifie that three men shoulde sitte vppon capitall matters on which onely two satte before and were called â—â—â—umuiri But Augustus Caesar who had searched their olde southsayers saw hee was to waite for a greater then eyther they or himselfe was or the Gods whome hee worshipped and Apollo whose sonne hee was accounted confirmed the same insomuch as hee refused the title of a Lorde and hauing great treasure brought vnto him
long after it was blowne abroad that such a prince was borne and princes hastened to do their homage An old prophesie was in Arabia that a starre should rise in Iacob and a rod spring in Israel which should both strike the princes of Moab and destroy the sonnes of Seth with many other so great prerogatiues that the prophet sighed to thinke hee should not liue to see it and the king of Moab was frighted fearing that hee had liued to feele it for the Israelites comming out of the desart of Pharan towarde Palestina encamped themselues neere vnto the riuer Iordan so strongly in middle of the Moabites that Balaac the king of Moab had better courage to fight against them with shrewde wordes then with sharpe weapons and therefore vnderstanding that in Mesopotamia was one who did so forspeake people as they neuer after prospered sent speedily vnto him to come and curse the Israelites but Balaam so was the southâ—ayer called being taught before by diuine inspirations when he came to the top of the mountaine from whence Balaac shewed him the Israelites performed what God and the angell had enformed him and to the great preiudise of Balaac king of the Moabites hee pronounced many blessinges ouer the Israelites and prophesied of this yong prince as is before shewed Hereupon Makida the Queene of Sâ—ba Ethiopia Egâ—pt vnderstanding of Salomon his wisdome wealth worthines large dominions came with exceeding great pompe vnto Ierusalem to see him and presented him with 120. talents of gold many iewels and infinite store of frankencense being perswaded that he was the man who was meant by the prophesie in Arabia for Saba was a prouince in the south side of Arabia and tooke the name of Saba grand-child vnto Abraham by Iecsan whom Abraham had by Caethura as also Madian father vnto Epha and others whom he sent away out of Chanaan afterward called Palestina into the East countries as also he sent Ismael whom hee had by Agar southward not suffering any of them to haue part with Isaac in the lande promised vnto him yet did he not send them away emptie handed but bestowed vpon them great riches apparell and iewels which he had taken from the foure kings whom hee conquered in the rescue of his nephew Lot among which giftes some write that Abraham gaue vnto them mirrhe and frankencense not without some misterie then knowne vnto him and now openly shewed by three princes which came out of the East parts at this time vnto Bethleem of Iuda which iourney they did the more willingly take because probablie their ancestors were also Iewes for the Queene of Saba among other great fauours which she receiued of king Salomon was accepted for his wife and returned into her countrey with childe and carried with her twelue thousand Iewes of euerie tribe one thousand and did them that honor that after a while the chiefest in the countrey vaunted that their fathers were Iewes and â—he sonne which she had by Salomon she crowned king surrendering all her dominions vnto him and of that stocke vnto this day as some say remayneth the great monarch of those coastes commonly called Priest Iohn But the principall motiue of these three kinges their voyage was the sight of a starre which did penetrate so farre into their vnderstanding that by that extraordinarie light and what they had by the prophesie they resolued that the prince was now at the last borne of which had beene so great expectation for although they were men of great learning yet could not their skill attaine to the perfect meaning of the star which appeared vnto them without farther helpe then they could haue by Astronomie wonder they might to see so neere vnto them so bright a shining starre because it was much lower then where exhalations fiered doe appeare blasing like starres and comparable with the Sunne for brightnesse as it receyued no light from the Sunne as other starres doe so neyther did the brightnesse of the sunne drowne the clearnesse thereof as it doeth of other starres where it selfe doth shine and the greater might their wonder bee because that all such tokens as were commonly in all other extraordinarie starres or commets to signifie eyther diseases or death were so farre from this starre that it betokened nothing but health and life and that the authour of life had taken vpon him a new kind of life although perchance in some secondarie sort it might also pretend the death of the prince whose life it shewed as may appeare by some of the presentes which the kinges brought who were both warned by this starre to seeke him and warranted to finde him out yet was it no Angell as many haue thought but a starre as much superior to other starres in brightnesse as inferior in bignesse made of some former matter or created of nothing by him to whome all thinges are possible and afterward eyther resolued into that of which it was made or if created for this purpose the cause thereof ceasing the effect came againe to nothing but it kept such a course as the kinges following it were no more subiect to bee deceiued of their purpose then were the Israelites when trauelling from Egipt vnto the lande of promisse they were guided by a cloude which alway went before them in the daye time and a fierie pillar in the night for the starre neuer ceased to shine but to their greater light nor to conduct them but to their greater comfort wherefore not without the prouidence of the stars guide they entred Ierusalem where they were both confirmed in the truth of their former prophesie and comforted with the shortnes of their following iorney but not without the amasing both of Herod and all the cittie because the last thing which the Iewes had done was an oath sworne to accept Herod for their king which althougb hee had laboured both with curtesie and with crueltie for the space of thirty years little more or lesse hee neuer obtained it of the whole countrie vntill this time The three princes as soon as they came into the cittie demaunded boldely what they doubted not euery man knew a kinges seate fitting best a princes birth and such a birth being commonly celebrated with a publike triumph they demaunded for him by his title not knowing as yet his name where is hee who is borne king of the Iewes wee see his starre in the East and are come with presentes to adore him was it then any wonder that Herod was troubled who wrongfully entered into the soueraigntie and the Iewes touched deepelie who had rashly sworne themselues his subiectes the one hauing iust cause to feare that he should be put down as a tyrant and the others no hope but to bee punished as traytors and although Herod coulde haue beene very well contented neuer to haue heard any thing more concerning this matter yet feare in the ende first encreased a desire to know the rest then to deuise some mischiefe fot a
remedie wherefore calling the chiefe of the Priestes the Scribes of the people he asked them where Christ shoulde be borne for so was the prince called to shew that hee was annointed In Bethleem they answered of Iuda for in Galilie was an other cittie called Bethleem and was in the tribe of Zabulon according vnto the prophesie And thon Bethleem of Iuda art not the least among the chiefest cities of Iuda because out of thee shall come a guâ—de who shall gouerne my people Israell Herod being thus enstructed by the priestes of the prince he beganne to deuise the prince his destruction and hauing resolued how hee would preuent his misconstered fall he ranne into a greater follie he called the three kinges secretlie vnto him and learned of them what he could aswell concerning the starre as also their prophesies and whatsoeuer they coulde enforme him eyther by their owne skill or the traditions of their countrie which they coulde not want but rather haue in greate plentie where so many Iewes had liued and left a posterity and afterwarde sent them to enquire diligently where the prince was and requested them to bring him worde thereof that hee might also goe to adore him The princes set forward to finish a long iorneye for Ierusalem was at the least 1200. miles from Saba which was the seat of Iasper one of these three kings and no doubt Melchior and Balthasar for so were the other two named had their seates not far from thence for in those times within the compas of 20. miles dwelled commonly three or foure kings as in Palestina which for length or bredth seemed to little for one were 37. kinges so that they might without any great busines beginne this iorney together or without any great difficultie meet by chance in the way none knowing before of others intention and perchance this might bee the cause that all three brought of the same kind of presents which might haue been thought superfluous if they had in one companie begunne their iorney and the starre keeping his course toward the west might bee a guide vnto them all coÌ„ming from places in the east whiâ—h were not much distant one from the other but froÌ„ that part of Arabia as some say which was called Magodia whereupon these kinges were called Magi that is to say men of that country yet many think they were called Magi because they studied art Magicke and say that by their skill in this art they had vnderstanding of this prince his birth and who he was but it is not likelie that the prince of that arte had himselfe any such knowledge for there was as great reason to conceale the mysterie of this prince his birth as the mysterie of his conception others were also called Magi who liued in great abstinence and spent their liues in honest studies and of this sort perchance were these three kinges who knowing no naturall cause of the appearing of this starre remembred that extraordinarily a starre should appeare to shew the birth of a mighty prince in Iuda and when this starre appeared in so strange a sorte they perswaded themselues this was it which was foretold by Balaam in their countrie mounting vpon Dromedaries which are incomparaby swifâ—er then any horses in 13. dayes they came this long iorney guided by the same starre which now lastly shewing it selfe again vnto their no little ioy when they passed out of Ierusalem toward Bethleem it weÌ„t before them vntill it came to the place where the prince was and his mother and there it staide so low in the aire that the kinges neuer asked for the house in which they were and hauing ended his course which was no longer then the kinges ioruey for it went not round aboute the worlde as other starres planets or cometes vse to doe but kept his course in such order as when the kinges remoued the starre did also remoue and when they rested the starre did not stirre any further it was no longer seene eyther by them or by any other When these three kings entered into the caue they founde the childe and Mary his mother and falling downe they adored him and vnderstanding perchance of the custome among the Iewes that no man shold come empty handed in the presence of God each of them offered of their treasure thâ—â—e but the same presents golde mirrhe and frankensence acknowledging thereby that hee was a prince a mortall man yet a God or as some will a priest whose office it was to offer frankensence vnto God but being both God and man not onely a prince by defcent but also a Priest the frankensence could not without greate mystery bee offered vnto him whether it was in the one respect or the other yet it is more probable that it signâ—fied at that time that hee was God because his priesthood by which he offered sacrifice was not according vnto the order of Aaron who among other sacrifices offered also incense but according to the order of Melchisedech and was a farre more spirituall kind of priesthoode Beside that these three kings brought it to offer it themselues vnto him not that hee should offer it vnto an other That this infant was of the blood of the princes of Iudah is manifestly deducted by his pedegree from Dauid by the kings of Iudah vnto Ioseph the virgins husband for although the law permitted mariage betwixt the tribe of Iudah and Leui yet was it vnlawful for such as to whom their fathers inheritance did descend to marry with any other then the next of kinne in the same familie least that any confusion should grow in the possessions which were first giuen by portions vnto euery one of the 12. tribes and Ioachim the virgins father being knowne to bee of such substance as he liued onely vpon the thirde part of his yeerely reuenue and when he died to leaue his daughter Marie at the least a coheire with her sisters if she had any or sole heire if shee had none for Ioachim neuer had any male issue it is a good proofe according vnto the law mentioned that if Maries husband were of the familie of Dauid she was also of the same family Wherfore although that the yong prince tooke no flesh of Ioseph but only oâ— the virgin his petigree is sufficiently shewed by Iosephs for neuer was any petigree kept of women but of meâ— only Maidens prouing their petigrees by their fathers and wiues by their husbands But an other hystorie seeming to fetch Ioseph his petigree from king Dauid by other parents woulde make the former suspected were it not a law among the Iewes that the widow of the one brother should marry with the other or the next of kin if she had no children by the first and that the child of the second husband should bee accounted by the law the first husbaÌ„ds child although in nature it is the seconds for by this meanes a man might be said to be the son of two men
the Iewes had diuers kind of sacrifices one which was offered vnto God for the speciall reuerence and loue which men did beare vnto him and this sacrifice was all consumed vppon the altar An other kind of sacrifice was called a sacrifice for sinne and the one part of the oblation was consumed on the altar and the other was to the priestes vse and to be eaten presently by them in the same place vnlesse the offering were made for the sinne of all the people or for the high priest for then it was all consumed with fire no foule were offered in this kind of sacrifice because they could not be deuided except at the purification of women for then was a doue alwaies offered for sinne whatsoeuer was â—o offered to be wholly burnt but the doue offered at that time after it was killed according to the law was wholly vnto the priestes vse A third sacrifice was offered vp either in thanksgiuing vnto God for such his benefites as alreadie they had receiued or to obtaine at Gods hand something which they wanted and this host was diuided into three parts whereof one was consumed with fire vpon the altar another was to the priests vse and all their family and the third part was to theyr vse whose offering it was and none of all these sacrifices might be offered without salt The beasts which were offered in these sacrifices were such as might easily be had in Palestina and such as might bee driuen without any great difficultie as sheepe oxen goates and of theyr kind the foule were such as were in great plentie as turtles and other common doues fishes were altogether excluded from their offerings both in respect they could not be had at all times when men would nor conueniently be brought aliue vnto the Temple and it was not lawfull to offer any dead thing vnto God but neither any quicke thing which had any defect for to this end were the Priests exceeding cunning to feele euery ioynt from the head vnto the feete and to iudge whether any thing were otherwise then well in the beast or foule which was offered and thereupon to accept of it or reiect it after which ceremonie the people washed their handes and layd them vpon the beastes head which was offered and left the rest vnto the priests without medling any further in the sacrifice except that in the third kinde of sacrifice the priest deliuered all the suet and the breast of the beast vnto them whose offering it was who taking it of the Priest lifted it vp before God and deliuering it backe againe vnto the priest the breast was to the Priests vse and also the right shoulder all the rest was to them which made the offeringe but the suet was all consumed with fire for it was as vnlawfull for them to eate any suet of their offerings as of the bloud and therfore they were as curious in offering all the suet as they were in shedding all the bloud a ceremony vsed euen where they might not vse any ordinarie instrument of death for although it was not lawful for theÌ„ to vse any instrument made for the purpose in killing their turtles or doues yet might they not kill them but by shedding their bloud wherefore they wreathed the necke bowed the head backward vnto the winges and with the nayles of their fingers cut the throate of the foule letting it in that sort bleede to death But what mysteire so euer was in killing the turtle doues or pigions in this or in any other sacrifice it cannot bee without some great mysterie that the mayden mother made so poore an offering for a payre of turtles or pigeons were not to be offered in this ceremony but by such as were not able to prouide a Lambe for theyr sacrifice and a turtle beside or a pigeon for theyr sinne and how could shee bee in such want whose parents were of so great wealth that the third parte onely of that which they had was sufficient for them and shee was eyther her fathers sole heyre or at the least had a third part if it bee true that shee hadde other twoo sisters but put the case that shee reaped as yet no profite by her fathers substance as who might yet bee liuing yet some say hee was dead or her mother or that her father if hee were deceased gaue by will twoo thirds of that hee had one to the poore another to the Temple as hee did in his life time and that the maiden mother was then to haue the profits but of the third part of that other third and that not as yet because her mother was liuing yet howe can shee be accounted as poore who so lately receiued so great presents for who can imagine that three Kings would come so farre to present another king with a trifle whose byrth was talked of so magnificently that no one was either before or after iudged peerelesse for might and wisedome but was thought among the Iewes and Gentiles to bee this Prince beside the president which the Queene of Saba gaue vnto them when shee came vnto King Salomon and presented him with exceeding great gifts meant vnto this Prince and for this Prince his sake giuen vnto Salomon because shee thought â—ee had beene the Prince of whome was the prophesie in her countrey and although these three princes their Kingdomes all put together were not to bee accounted of in comparison of the Queen of Saba her dominions yet no doubt they were verie rich as absolute Lords may bee of most fertile rich countries all of theÌ„ bringing gold according to their calling as meÌ„ who knew by the star that they were to appeare before him before whome theyr predecessor could not no doubt they brought it in great aboundance which neither the virgin could refuse beeing an offering of Kings nor spend within the space of a moneth in so poore a cottage but neither could she dispose of it to the poore without great speech of the country and to haue sent it vnto the Temple had beene to certifie them that the three kings had not onely beene with her of which perchance they might haue some knowledge otherwise but also had acknowledged her sonne to be the king of the Iews which whatsoeuer else was to bee disclosed vnto them was as yet to bee kept most secret from them and perchance this was the cause why in her offering shee pretended that pouertie which the better shee thought shee might doe because shee was not bound to offer any thing but was most pure before and in place where shee did not onely touch that which was holy forbidden by the lawe to women before they were purified but handled in most sweete manner that holy one by whome all are made holy So that the question might haue more difficultie why shee offered any thing then why shee did not offer almes yet before that shee parted from the Temple she vnderstood verie well that
shee had offered almes at whose death a sword of griefe should pierce her owne soule For among others which expected the redemptioÌ„ of Israel one whose name was Simeon dwelling in Hierusalem father vnto Gamaliel as some write and sonne vnto Hillel who was one of the twoo chiefe maisters of the Scribes and Pharyses men of great learning and right vnderstanding vntill opposing themselues against the Sadduces who were accounted heretickes among the Iewes they fell by two much precisenesse into most absurd superstitions This Hillel liued 120. yeeres and flourished not long after the Machabees he was of the tribe of Iuda and no doubt instructed his sonne Simeon how neere hee was who was to come to redeeme Israel for which cause Simeon made alwayes his prayer vnto God that hee might see his Sauiour before hee dyed which was promised vnto him and this day of the virgins purification performed for comming according vnto his custome into the Temple and seeing the mayden mother and her sonne hee tooke the childe with exceeding great ioy in his armes and as one who after a long time had obtained his hearts desire hee beganne with a voyce which was no lesse then an 100 yeere old to sing this little Hâ—mme Now lettest thou thy seruant Lord depart According to thy word in peace Because mine eyes haue seene which ioyes my hart Thy sacred health my soules release Which thou prepared hast before all peoples face A light to light the rest renowne to Iacobs race Had this beene else where the mayden mother vsed vnto such matters would either haue beene very little or nothing mooued but her sonne being at that time and in that place descryed it made her greatly amazed much more did it astonish others who could not but knowe that the three Kings came to Hierusalem to seeke such a childe and poore Ioseph among the rest maruailed not a little who was accounted by the people father of the childe and for that cause is so called in the same sacred hystorie which before had shewed how that the Maiden mother conceyued this childe by the holie Ghost without the companie of man But old Simeon draue her out of that maze by drawing her into a farre deeper muse for afterwarde taking aduauntage of his owne gray haires and her greene yeeres hee blessed her and gaue her as much cause of griefe in prose as hee had giuen of ioy before in verse and tolde her that her sonne should bee the ruine although also the raysing of manie in Israel and that he shoulde be a signe which shoulde bee contradicted alluding perchaunce vnto that which the Oracle sayde vnto Achas king of Iudah The Lorde shall giue you a signe behold a virgin shall conceiue and bring forth a sonne But in that Simeon sayde that this signe shoulde bee contradicted hee woulde insinuate eyther a troublesome life or else a scandalous death as that eyther his doctrine woulde bee little esteemed of where hee preached or that his manner of death shoulde bee such as beeing suffered by him shoulde in malicious mynded men derogate from the worthinesse which others attribute vnto him For aptlie dooth the conclusion of Simeons speech vnto the virgin folâ—ow And a sworde of griefe shall pierce thy soule and manie secrete thoughts be reuealed And no sooner had Simeon done his deuotion but a religious widow of 84. yeares and aboue a hundred yeeres old daughter vnto Phanuel of the tribe of Aser came not vnto the Temple for she was neuer from thence spending there all her life in fasting and prayer but vnto the maiden mother and hauing done her dutie vnto the yong prince shee spake of him for she had before the spirit of prophecie vnto all such as looked for the redemption of Israel And after these things were finished they returned into Galile vnto their citie Nazareth from whence they parted when they came to Bethleem These ceremonys being finished which satisfied the Iewes law a new solemnitie was also begun which should abolish the Gentiles loosenesse for as by the princes his birth the sports made in December in honour of Saturne were afterwarde turned to celebrate his natiuitie who was to bring again vnto the worlde such tymes or rather better then in which Saturne raigned and as by the effusion of his moste precious bloud the first day of the yeare had a newe consecration which was before performed with vain pastimes in honour of Ianus so now in Februarie wherein they vsed their lupercals either to purge the vnclean spirits or to please themselues with vnseemly sports both the virgin was purified because she would not haue it knowne howe litle she needed it and the yong prince was offered who doubted not afterward to make himself a most gratefull sacrifice thereby to chaunge these senselesse superstitions into a moste sacred solemnitie likely to teach them also some newe kinde of tryumph in March in which Moneth theyr priestes which song and daunce marched vp and downe in the streetes in armour But before the virgin and her spouse had disgested these sodaine ioyes which hapned vnto them in the Temple new dangers were set before them insomuch as that their owne experience might sufficiently haue taught them if they could not haue told before that mourning is alwayes at one end of myrth Ioseph his iealousie swallowed vppe his first ioy hee had in his spouse their grieuous winter iourney made him bewayle her wombes groth their gladnesse at this childes birth was checked with an inconuenient abode the shepheards congratulation was soone choked with the childs circumcision the kings oblation of golde and frankensence was not perfected without mirrhe and now that they haue beene at the Temple and heard what ioy these made which did but see him who was theirs a message commeth which to shew the more hast commeth by night and vrgeth Ioseph to arise and take the childe and the childs mother and flye into Egypt for that Herod would make search after the childe to kill him The message being deliuered vnto Ioseph he lost little time but rose and tooke the childe and his mother by night and went into Egypt where they remained not onely vntill the massacre was ended but also vntill that Herod was dead Then were many Oracles vnderstood and one principall prophesie was fulfilled that the Lorde should ascend vppon a light cloude and should enter into Egypt and the Idols of Egypt should bee ouerthrowne and the heart of Egypt should languish in the middle thereof for when the sonne of God became a man he was in some sort hidden that his glorie was not seene and the flesh which hee tooke was likened vnto a light cloude either because flesh is of it selfe no more lasting then is a thin cloude which with euery little winde is dissolued or else because he was of no lesse power when he was in that cloude then he was before At his comming into Egypt some affirme that all the Idols in Egypt fell downe
that what feast they did celebrate in remembrance of that which chaunced but once or for one day they did keepe but one day solemne for it and for that which chanced many dayes they kept their Octaues and therefore they celebrated also their feast of Penticost in one day because the fifteth day after they were come into the wildernes God did appeare vnto them vpon the mount Sinai and gaue them the law so that this fifteth day was not accounted after the eating of the Lamb but after the offring of the first fruits in the Temple which was the thirde day after the eating of the Lambe in which day they entred into the wildernesse In the feast of Penticost they offered wheate corne euerie one two loaues but with leauen of foure pound weight a loafe at what time also they offered other sacrifices vnto God for his benefites but some of the cattell when the priestes had lifted them vp were to the priests vse and all the bread because it was not lawfull to sacrifice any leuen vnto God In their seuenth month of their yeere which they called their holy yeere they had 4 solemnities First they celebrated the first daye of the moneth as in all other moneths with the sound of Trumpets and other musicke with this onely difference that in remembrance of the sacrifice of the ramme which hung by the hornes in the brambies on the top of the mountaine Morea was offered in place of Isaac whom by Gods commandement Abraham had sacrificed had he not beene at that time countermanded the Iews did in this solemnitie sound their rammes hornes thanking God for Isaac his deliuerie and hoping of like fauour whensoeuer they should bee in like affliction The second feast in this moneth was the day of Expiation which was as strictly obserued as the sabaoth It was celebrated in remembrance of Gods mercie towarde them after they had fallen into Idolatrie at mounte Sinai where they adored the golden calfe of which mercye they had a manifest signe when Moses as that day brought vnto them the tables wherein the law was written the seconde time for when it was written Moyses offended with their Idolatrie brake the tables which he had receiued of God Vpon this day only did the high Priest no mā but hee enter into the holyest place of the Temple with the bloud of a calfe and a goat prayed for the people that their sins might be forgiuen thē x which he confessed before God laying his hand vpon the head of a quick goat afterward he caused it to bee carried away into the wildernes wherby he would signifie that al their sins were forgiuen them Then attiring himself in his rich ornaments for when he went into the holiest place hee wore no other then the ordinarie Priests did weare when they offered sacrifice he offred at the common Altar a great sacrifice and this feast was alwaies vpon the 10. of the 7. month but it began vpon the 9. day at night whē also al the people begā their fasting which they did continue all the next daye this fast began so soone in respect of the solemnitie thereof as far exceeding all other fasts of which they had in euery of the twelue moneths some beside their ordinarie feasts euery weeke which were vpon the second fift of their sabaoth that is to say vpon munday and Thursday Vpon the fifteenth of the same moneth they did celebrate the feast of the Tabernacles in remembrance that they dwelled in Tabernacles at theyr return from Egypt this feast continued 7. dayes of which the first onely was holy from work and not the last because the next day after the last of the feast they did celebrate another holyday which they caled the Meeting for a special worship of god thanksgiuing vnto him for his benefits on which it was not lawfull for them to do any worke except such as was necessarie for their foode and two such dayes they would not haue together because it seemed inconuenient for the poore who got their liuing by their handie labour by which custome it appeareth that the opinion of those was not improbable who thought that the first day of the feast of vnleuened bread was neuer kept vppon Friday but when it so fell it was put off vnto the sabaoth lest two dayes should come together in which the people might not worke and that accordingly the eating of the Lambe was transferred a day longer for that yeere which whether it were lawfull or no it is a verie great difficultie to define but not materiall in this place whether it were so or no because in some things they would do often as themselues listed but the like feast as that was of their meeting was also celebrated vpon the last day of their feast of vnleauened bread which nowe in this feast of the Tabernacles they could not so well doe because that the solemnitie of this feast of Tabernacles consisted in dwelling abroade in tabernacles where they could not conueniently meete for euerie houshold set vp a tabernacle not so large as they would but to serue their own cōpanie they set them vp in such order as tabernacles are nowe vsed the couering was of linnen perchance some skins ouer the linnen to keepe out the weather and the poorer sort who were not able to make such prouision made their Tabernacles with bowes Great sacrifice was offred in this feast of the Tabernacles all the time of the feast the people carried in their hands bows of mirtle willowes citron and palm-tree with their fruit hanging on them wherby they would shew how that they were brought out of a barren desart into a verie fruitfull country where was great plentie of all things this feast they called the feast of Scenopegia to signifie that they dwelled for this time in Tabernacles not that they might not goe forth at their pleasure but because there was their principall abode for that time At this feast was their seuenth yeere alwayes ended which they accounted frō seuenth to seuenth frō their time of their entrāce into Palestina In euery 7. yeere they did neither sow nor set nor gather any thing as their own in particular but al the fruits which the earth of it self did yeeld were cōmon for as well Gentiles as Iewes and for this cause God gaue them treble increase of all things in the sixth yeere also all those Iewes which were sold to any Iew were in this yeere sette at libertie and no debt dew to a Iew by a Iew could bee demaunded and yet they were forbidden to withdraw theyr loane from their poore neighbours when this yeere approached In this yeere the Booke of the lawe was read vnto the people and this was the solemnity of the seuenth yeere After the same manner they did account euery fiftie yeere which they did proclaim in the seuenth moneth of the 49 yeere with sound of Trumpet to bee a yeere of Iubile that
looketh backward is not iudged fitte for the kingdome of God as also hee afterward preached which sentences may haue a more fit place hereafter to bee discussed lette it nowe suffice that they shew howe that the young prince did not in vaine spend his time in making yoakes and ploughes whose principall arrant was for nothing else but that his spouse taking on her his yoake and going stil forward frō vertue to vertue might recouer with a sweet pain what she carelesly lost by a proude sin But Palestina labored all this while vnder a most grieuous yoake so much the more grieuous because they had no hope of any help The 72. seniors who were alwaies of the familie of Dauid and the chiefe princes of the people therfore could beare great sway among thē were al murdered by Herod for he could neuer brooke any of the ancient nobility and Proselithes as himselfe was were in their place The two brethren whose falling out for the Kingdome was Herods falling into it were both put to death first Aristobulus who gaue the first occasion of the ruine of the countrey was poysoned by Pompey afterwarde Hircanus in whome was all the right which was knowne both to the priesthood and to the kingdome was put to death by Herod Alexander eldest sonne to Aristobulus and husband to Alexandra daughter to Hircanus was beheaded at Antioch in Siria Antigonus his other sonne fled with his sisters to mount Libanus where hee bestowed one of them vppon a great Lorde without the mountaine but himselfe was afterwarde taken and after some grieuous torture beheaded by Antony Alexandra daughter to Hireanus Herod did put to death and her daughter Mariamnes who was his owne wife also his own sonnes Alexander and Aristobulus whome hee had by her but before those hee caused Aristobulus who was brother to Mariamnes to bee drowned for he was the onely man whome at that time hee feared as well for his towardlinesse as his title hee hadde to the kingdome Yet to colour his malice hee gaue him all the honour which hee could he displaced Ananelus whome before hee had exalted vnto the priesthood and restored Aristobulus to the high-priesthood by which fact all that stocke thought themselues bound to him he might at his pleasure make him away when he would for before Alexandra had procured Cleopatra the Queene of Egypt to make Antony the Emperour send for him fearing lest that at one time or other hee should be murdered by Herod but when that Herod perceiued that some did worke to get him out of his handes after the first excuse made to Antony that the people would not like well to haue their onely hope from them in a strange countrey by this exalting him hee contented them all and Alexandra ioyed so much to see her sonne made high priest as shee forgot that euer shee had any iust cause to thinke him in any perill Herod seeing all things to goe forward as hee would wish and that nowe hee was trusted with the youth for hee was not past sixteene or seuenteene yeeres of age which was vsed for a colour that he was not before placed in that dignity he practised the more securely what he intended against Aristobulus but as it is thought hee made the more haste because he saw an extraordinary ioy in all the people who were maruailously affected vnto the youth for that in all his actions especially at the Altar in his rich ornaments hee did most liuely represent vnto them his grandfather Aristobulus performed all things with exceeding great maiestie and reuerence Herod resolued to rid him and his owne feare playd with him as he was woont to doe for he cared not sometime if hee were seene to vse some youthfull games in his companie to make him and others thinke how much hee loued him and when they were both somewhat hote vnder pretence of some refreshing hee carryed Aristobulus to a verie pleasant place where were large pondes and men swimming in them amongst whome at Herods verie importunate intreatie Aristobulus went also to swimme and the swimmers hauing gotten him into the water pretended to make him some sport but Herod who was a looker on had all the pleasure for they diued so long and so often and ducked him with them so much that in the end striuing to small purpose hee was drowned by them Then was nothing heard in the country but weeping and lamenting and Herod himselfe although hee wept at the beginning was thought afterwarde to grieue somewhat when hee reflected vpon those commendable parts which were in the youth and hee repeated this fact when Antony by Cleopatra her procurement at Alexandra her suite sent for him to answere for it but before hee went to make his answere hee sent such effectually pleading presents as when hee came all which he swore and forswore was beleeued and contrary to the expectation of the whole world and his own was not only acquited of this cruell murder but also vsed in most friendly and familiar manner The children which Alexander and Aristobulus Herods sonnes by Mariamnes left behinde them were too yong at this time to lay clayme to the kingdome although afterward Agrippa who was sonne to Aristobulus enioyed it But Archelaus shewing himselfe to be Herods son in all things which might vexe the Iews brought them all into such humours as they cared not what King they had so that they might bee freed from Herods kinred and some of them without anye head opposed themselues at Hierusalem agaynst the Romanes as the cheefest authours of their miseries others seeing no possibilitie of withstanding the Romanes who were now become conquerours of all the worlde made suite at Rome to the Emperour Augustus that they might bee altogether vnder the Romanes gouernement Some followed one named Iudas whose father Ezechias had in Herods time troubled the whole countrey and they were the more encouraged to accept him for their King because at Sephoris the cheefest Citie of Galile hee tooke the Storehouse wherein was exceeding much armour with the which hee armed those who followed him Others about Hierico were contented to honour one named Simon with the title of a Kinge hee had serued Herod in his life time and nowe perswaded himselfe that hee had as much right vnto the kingdome as Herod his maister had before him whereupon to shewe some forwardenesse hee burned and spoyled many Pallaces therabout and gaue what was to bee gotten among his souldiours But these factions continued not so longe as that which a shephearde beganne of a huge stature and strengthe his name was Athronges hee had foure bretheren not much inferiour to himselfe whome hee made gouernours of those multitudes which flocked vnto him but in the end some of the brethren being taken the other vpon condition yeelded vnto Archelaus Others hearing a rumor that Alexander one of Herods sonnes whom he had by Mariamnes was yet liuing beleeued it because they much wished it and no honour