the whole is 490 yeares The same Angel for plainnesse deuides the same seuen weekes Dan. 9 25. into three parts after this manner The first part shall be seuen weeks that is to say forty and nine yeares from the going forth of the commaundemeÌ„t that the people of Israel should be freed in the first yeare of Darius vnto the building and finishing of the temple at Ierusalem the proofe wherof is thus The Iewes confesse fortie and six yeares Ioh. 2 20. Ezra .. 4 Nehc. 4 Ezra 6 Neh. 7 8.9.10 13. Dan. 10 1.2 in which the temple was a building in the other three yeares they were hindered from their worke in which three yeares of trouble Sirus raigned yet according to the Almighties former reckoning it was finished The kings and rulers that were in this age or deuision of time appeareth thus Armes and breasts of siluer being part of the image which Nabucadnezer saw Dan. 2 39. signifieth ten kings of the Medes and Persians who continued one hundred and thirtie yeares who are these 1 Cirus or Darius 2 Artaxerxes or Cambises 3 Assuerus or Darius 4 Histaspes 5 Xerxes These raigned twentie and nine yeares in the twentith yeare of Artaxerxes or Darius the Temple was built being full fortie and nine yeare These other kings were after the building who made vp the hundred and thirtie yeares 6 Ochus 7 Artaxerxes 8 Ochus 9 Arses 10 Darius the Persian These kings which seemed to the world to be glorious as the armes and breasts of siluer Daniel sees them like a sauage and a cruel beare with iij. ribs in his mouth saying Arise let vs deuoure much flesh so did they macerate the saints of God but at their death the armes and breasts of siluer is said to be cut off being kings of Madai and Paras The second part of the Angels deuision of time Dan 2 16. Sixtie and two yeares shall be a troublesome time for Gods people after the which the prince of peace the king of glorie shal be slaine euen he shall destroy the citie and the sanctuarie The bellie and thighs of brasse doth signifie king Alexanders power To this belongeth the vision of Daniel 8 3.4 a Goat buck with a horne which being broken off comes out in steed thereof foure heads signifying Alexanders foure captaines fighting two and two which two first is also the legges of yron and clay and their successours and the 4 beast with 10 hornes Alexander continued six yeares His legges of iron Dan. 7 7. Is the beast which Daniel saw verie fearefull and strong with yron teeth burst in pieces and stamped the residue vnder his feet who was the fourth kingdome in the earth subduing all to himselfe â—3 The tenne hornes are tenne king stronger than the Iewes that shall rise out of Siria and Aegypt whereof one is said to be a little horne boasting against the most highest 8 7.11 Iron like 1 Solennicus Nicator 2 Antiochus Soter 3 Antiochus Theos 4 Solenicus Callicus 5 Solenicus Serauius 6 Antiochus Megas 7 Solenicus Philopater 8 Antiochus Epimanes Iauan kings of Aegypt yron like to make vp the ten horns 9 Ptolomeus Lagi 10 Ptolomeus Philodelphus His feet part of yron and part of clay were Iauan kings of Babell clay like in number twelue These kings as beasts ruled most beastly and vnnaturally verie strong 294. yeares to Cleopatras death who presumptuously confirmed Herod king ouer Iudah The third part of the Angels deuision of time consisting in these wordes He shall confirme the couenant with many for one weeke and in the midst of the weeke he shall cause the sacrifice to cease Dan. 9 27. These wordes hath plaine relation to Iesus Christ his death resurrection c. for one weeke in the account of the Iubile yeare aforesaid standeth for seuen yeares a yeare for a day In the midst of the same weeke that is to say in the midst of this last seuen yeares Christ was baptized and did preach this last halfe seuen yeares confirming his authority with miracles signes and wonders vntill the same three yeres and halfe the end of Daniels weeke was ended In which he suffered his passion according as it was before determined manie thousand years in the councell of the euerlasting Trinitie ⧠To the elect Lady Florence Herberd late the wife of a worthie knight Sir William Herberd of S. Iulians in the Countie of Munmoth disceased AS a pretious * Cant. 1 2 1. Ioh. 2 20.27 ointment being poured foorth casteth out and spreadeth abroad a sweet a fragrant and an odiferous smell farre and near euen so good Christian Lady the name and fame of such as are annointed with the holy Ghost doth cast out and spread it selfe farre and near verie sweet to the nosthrils of the Almightie and verie delightfull to the members of Christ Though the distance of place and the conueniencie of time hath not ministred vnto me any acquaintance with you nor occasions to see you yet your b Act. 10 2. deuout behauiour your fulnesse of almes and your continuall praying with other your modest and chast conuersations being cast out and spread abroad farre and near makes me bold to write vnto you as to one perfectly knowne and wel acquainted and that with no lesse than three speciall and waightie occasions mouing and vrging me The first is to assure you and to protest vnto you that I haue truely sincerely and faithfully published this your husbands labour annexed with my owne as he desired by the fauour of a worshipfull gentleman who hath vndertaken to patronize the same with the rest The secoÌ„d is to desire pardon of your Ladiship for the long delaing thereof sithence my importunities are iust and my excuses reasonable The third is in the mercifulnesse of Christ Iesu to exhort you and to comfort you onward in the good way and right course which your Christian husband hath left you He hath broken the yse to his pains you may see the cleare water at your pleasure he hath crazed the shell to his verie death you may take the kernell all your life and he hath sauored of the sauce that was soure now you may assay and eate of the sweete His pains hath brought him at the last to drinke of Christ the water of life his continuall hungring after righteousnesse hath brought him to eate of spirituall Manna the food of his soule and his bitter annoy is changed into heauenly and eternall ioy c 1. Cor. 15 49. He that bare in the earth the image of the earthy now beares the image of the heauenly He once was subiect to sinne because he was subiect to the law and being subiect to the law he was subiect to death but thanks be to God who hath giuen him victorie in Iesus Christ. Death is now dead death is swallowed vp his death is dead and how 1. Cor. 15 57. Hos 13 14. Esa 25 8.9 1. Cor. 15 54.55.56 Sinne is
by S Luke at Rome and dedicated to one Theophilus This booke is an abridgment or a chronicle of all famous worthy acts of Christ of his disciples and Apostles herein is annexed the sermons of the Apostles touching faith maners the open persecution of the truth the victorie thereof in the end The Argument of the Romanes THe Romanes were Iews and Gentiles embracing Christ in Rome among whom were many false teachers which moued S. Paule to write this Epistle by his secretarie Tertius exhorting them to take heed therof and to encrease in the knowledge of Christ The dignitie of works of faith of grace and iustification of the law and the vse thereof from Corinth Acts 20. Rom. 16. some few daies before he went to Ierusalem The Argument of the first to the Corinthians THe Corinthians had their originall of Corinthus who built that citie in it was the temple dedicated to the Goddesse Venus There was that great notorius whore Lais spoken of ouer all the world and there was many other abhominatiōs yet in this city God had his church S. Paule staied there almost three yeares but when he departed into Siria manie false teachers entred in who taught that whoredome riot drunkennesse c. was lawfull they denied marriage and the resurrection vpon which occasion S. Paule wrote this Epistle to withdraw them from all those euils Act. 19. 1 Cor. 16. and with exhortations to remaine in the doctrine which he had taught From Ephesus 4 The Argument of the second to the Corinthians HEre he excuseth his long absence by diuerse troubles which hindered him he willeth to excōmunicate him that was taken in adulterie he cleareth himselfe of all blame towards them Acts 20. he sheweth a difference betwixt one spirite and another the agreement of the old testament with the new From Philippi 6 The Argument of the Gallathians THe Gallathians were a people of Asia after S. Paules departure thence many false teachers entred in and taught That the ceremonies of the law were to be kept and they taught euill things against the Apostles thereby to deface their doctrine which moued him to write vnto them discharging himselfe for the credit of his calling and confirming of his doctrine with the ouerthrow of the contrarie From Rome 13 The Argument of the Ephesians THis citie of Ephesus was famous by the sea side of Ionius where was a temple dedicated to the false Goddesse Diana S. Paule at his first comming staied little there but at the second time he continued three yeares perceauing that God had many soules there to be saued euen among witches sorcerers c. whereby the mercie of God appeared more aboundantly at his departure he left among them elders and Timothie as their Bishop This Argument agreeth neerly with the Romanes and Gallathians Sent from Rome 11. The Argument of the Philippians PHilip Macedon was the originall of the citie they had domesticall troubles and many lost for the trueths sake and therefore he exhorteth them to patience and watchfulnesse Sent from Rome 8. The Argument of the Colossians THe Colossians were a people of that great citie Collossa S. Paule was neuer with them they were taught by Epaphras Onesimus Tychichus S. Paule heard that they were troubled with the Iewes about ceremonies and with the gentils about subtill questions and wordes of philosophie wherefore he wrote vnto them to confirme them in that they had learned concerning Christ and to confute the contrarie Sent from Roome 9 The Argument of the first to the Thessalonians THessalonica was a famous citie of Macedonia whence the people had their names he was among them but three Sabaoths by reason of the Iews He sent Timothie vnto them by whom he vnderstood of their conscience and that they should consider well of the resurrection Acts 17 He sent it from Athens The Argument of the second to the Thessalonians HE excuseth his long absence shewing them the manner of the resurrection and the comming of Christ he dehorteth from curious questions Sent from Athens 2 The Argument of the first to Timothie HIs father was a Graecian his mother a Iew which was the cause he was not circūcised in his infancie according to the law His mother Eunice and his grandmother Loida were godly wherein they brought him vp S. Paule his maister sent him on the Lords busines to diuerse places in the end he was left at Ephesus as their bishop to whom he wrote this Epistle about the choise of Pastours in the church At Laodicea 3 The Argument of the second to Timothie HE mourned greatly after S. Paule therefore Paule did write to cōfort him and withall to shew him how he was held in prison which was the cause that he came not to Ephesus according to his promise Sent from Rome 12 The Argument of Titus HE was a Graecian borne Paule was his maister who left him at Creete to constitute ministers in euerie parish and to refourme their manners Titus was a yong man therefore his maister wrote this Epistle that he should do nothing rashlie What kinde of Pastours should be allowed and what not From Nicapolis in Macedonia Acts 20. 5 The Argument of Philemon HE was Collocentia a rich man and a godly liberall man he had a seruant named Onesimus who departed from him by stealth when he heard S. Paule preach he beleeued in Iesus Christ and confessed his fault wherevpon S. Paule wrote this Epistle to his maister exhorting him to forgiue his seruant Sent from Rome 10 The Argument of the Hebrues THe truth is by the opinion of the most and best learned that S. Paule wrote this Epistle the Grecians did so allow of it and the same was confirmed in the councell of Nicen. Nicephorus saith that it was written in Hebrue by S. Paule and translated into Greeke by S. Luke who altered S. Pauls stile and method of writing Iraeneus who was Policarpus scholler said the same the trueth being receiued from S. Iohn who was Policarpus maister such was the obstinacie of the Iewes resisting the doctrine of Christ which gaue occasion to S. Paule to write exhorting them from the hardnes of their hearts Herein he magnifieth Christ aboue the prophets Moses and Aaron Leui and all other offices and officers who fulfilled the prophesies accomplshed the law and offred a farre more perfect sacrifice than they all Sent by Timothie from Italie The Argument of Iames. IN the tenth of Mathew mention is made of two Iames one the sonne of Zebedeus the other the sonne of Alpheus which Iames was the Author of this Epistle he is called Lebbeus and Thaddeus and he is called the brother of Iude Gal. 1 19. and the brother of our Lord. Here he instructeth al men to liue wel and to beleeue well he sets out the conuersation of those that are regenerated the excellencie of faith of works of patience c. The Argument of the first of Peter THis Peter
The second seale being opened the bloudie persecutions of the Idolaters Romane Emperors and in Gods iustice these cruell warres and bloudie deaths are prefigured in these words And there went out another horse that was red and power was giuen vnto him that sate thereon to take peace from the earth 3. and there was giuen vnto him a great sword The third seale being opened the darkenesse ignorance and heresies the famine both spirituall and temporall was discouered that horrible persecutions and warres should bring into the world in these wordes I beheld and loe a blacke horse and he that sate thereon had a balance in his hand saying A measure of wheat for a penny and a measure of barlie for a penny and oyle and wine thou shalt not hurt 5.6 Notwithstanding all the persecutions heresies and scarsitie both of true teachers and of true doctrine in the church yet the spirituall wine and oyle being the old and new testament the law and the Gospell were preserued and vncorrupt as you heare this is the wine and oyle that the good Samaritane poured into the wound which he thereby both clensed and cured this wine of the law searcheth our infirmities and this oyle of the gospell is the oyle of gladnesse wherewith we be annointed that be the true members of Christ It is the oyle that in the lamp of our soules kindleth and continueth the light of our faith This oyle the fiue wise virgins were furnished with and the fiue foolish wanted and it is the oile and the vnction that supplies our vnderstanding 1. Ioh. 2.20 27. The fourth seale manifested the Romish Iesabel and the persecuting church of Rome by palenesse pretending whitenesse by hypocrisie pretending pietie spreading his authoritie ouer the earth and destroying many some with the sword others with spirituall hunger others with spirituall death c. expressed by these wordes And behold a pale horse and his name that sate thereon was death and hell followed after him and power was giuen vnto him ouer the fourth part of the earth to kill with the sword Reu. 6 8. with hunger and with death The fift seale being opened appeared the soules of them that were killed for the testimonie of the truth requiring iustice at the hands of God for their bloud but it was said vnto them that they should rest a little while vntill their fellow seruantes were also killed The sixt seale being opened the iudgement of God vpon the persecutors of his chuch the horror of their conscience and the anguish of their mindes was declared in these wordes And the kings of the earth and the great men hid themselues in dens and among the rocks saying Rocks fal on vs and hide vs from the presence of him that sitteth vpon the throne 12.13.14.15.16.17 The seuenth seale being opened prefigured the beginning of aeternall rest Now marke what the holy Ghost discouereth vpon the sound of the seuen trumpets Reu. 8 it makes plaine all that was betweene the birth of Christ and the end of the world THe first and second trumpet hath relation and sit cohaerence to the church of Ephesus and the church of Smirma and to the opening of the first and second seale that is to say to the first 300 yeares after Christ The euent demonstrated is first the persecution of the church by the Romane Emperours whose cruelties were so sharpe bloudie that they are represented by the tearmes of haile and fire mingled with bloud this storme of persecution fell vpon Christs husbandrie so that the third part of the trees that is to say the third part of the people and all the greene grasse meaning the ministers bedued with spirituall grace yeelding plentie of food vnto their flocke were burnt vp and consumed The iustice of God vpon these persecutors in afflicting them with horrible warres which like a great mountaine burning like fire was cast into the turbulent sea of their tumultuous estate so that the third part of their dominions was replenished with bloud-shead the third part of their subiects slaine and the third part of their prouinces cities and gouernments which are resembled to shippes sayling vpon the sea of that Empire was destroyed The third Trumpet is answerable to the church of Pergamus and to the opening of the third seale representing the time from 300 yeares after Christ till the yeares 640. Superstition and idolatrie the doctrine of Balaam and scandalous endeuours of Balac the blacke horse of darkenesse ignorance and famine of Gods word began then to take roote And before the end of those yeares as this trumpet declareth a great starre no lesse than the Bishop of Rome fel from heauen burning like a torch and it fell into the third part of the riuers that is into the third part of the doctrine of the church and into the fountaine of waters that is into the principall points of religion And the name of the starre is called Wormewood or Corruption and the third part of the waters became as wormewood that is corrupt and false doctrine The fourth trumpet according to the times of the church of Thiatira and the opening of the fourth seale that is from the yeare of our Lord 640 to the yeare 980. In this time the Romish Iesabel had taken heart and deceiued the children of God and made them commit spirituall fornication In these times the pale horse of the hypocritical church of Rome was farre onward on his race carrying Death vpon his back and haling hell after him hauing power ouer the fourth part of the earth and killing with the sword with famine and with death no maruell then if this trumpet telleth vs In those daies the third part of the sun that is the Euangelicall light and the third part of the moone that is of the church which receiueth all her light of Gods word and the third part of the starres that is of the pastours and ministers were darkned and the day was smitten that is the doctrine both of the gospel and of the law was so darkened and so corrupted that they wanted the light wherewith they should haue illuminated their mindes Reu. 9 1.2.3 The fift trumpet agreeth with the times and state of the church of Sardie and with the opening of the fift seale In the ending of the period of yeares of the church of Sardie at the which Antechrist was growne to his full greatnesse and had set vp by publicke order the adoration of the sacrament and thereby brought in an idoll to be worshipped as God which was decreed at the councell of Laterane the yeare of our Lord 1315 and within seuen or eight yeares after no doubt generally receiued in the churches of Christendome we see the wordes of Daniell perfourmed taking his daies for yeares and from the time that the daily sacrifice shal be taken away which was abolished at Christs passion the idoll or desolation set vp there shall be 1290 daies which pointeth to the
The Argument of the Prouerbs Ecclesiastes Canticles 1. King 4.32.11 SAlomon was the writer of these three bookes as appeares by their Titles and maner of writing after his conuersion In the first he teacheth all people the true wisdome in the vsing of Temporall things In the second he teacheth a contempt of all earthly glorie in regard of ioies in the Lord Iesus In the third he sets out the incomprehensible fauor of God towards all such by their marriage in Christ representing a spirituall and an inseperable coniunction vnder metaphors similitudes and comparisons The Argument of Esaie HE was Amos sonne taken of manie for an Euangelist he spake and taught vnder Vziah Ioatham Ahaz Ezechia and Manasses This booke was written by him a little before his death it contains the doctrine of reconciliation more clearely than the rest It is full of reprehensions and consolations the comming of the Messiah is prooued and the vniting of the Iewes and Gentiles The Argument of Ieremie HE was sonne to Helchia the Priest he wrot this booke and prophesied vnder Iosias Ioiachim and Zedechia at that time as Hierusalem was ransacked and the people captiuated whome Ieremie lamenteth Baruck was his secretarie This booke shewes the captiuitie of Hierusalem and hir people for hir manifold sinnes The Argument of Ezechiel HE was a priest in Babylon fiue yeres of Ichoiachims captiuity This booke doth shew the murmuring of the wicked against the Prophets because they yeelded to Nabuchadnezar Therefore in the first part of this booke he laboureth to confirme his former doctrine that they did well in yeelding for it was decreed by the mouth of God that they should be captiuated then he laboureth with doctrine to assure them of deliuerance againe from this their seruitude and captiuitie The Argument of Daniel HE was in Babilon with Ananias Misael Azarius in Iehoiachims time and he thus prophesied vnder Nabuchadnezer Euilmeredec Baltazar In this book is shewed what hapned to their king and the people during the 70 yeares captiuitie what kings raigned how the people were vsed what should be happen them after their captiuitie vntill Christ The Argument of Hosea IN the daies of Osiah Ioathan Ahas Ezechias kings of Iudah he wrote and prphesied This booke shewes the Idolatrie of the people vnder Ieroboam and their sins by many particulars This prophet was amōg them 70 yeres and they despised him and others The Argument of Ioel. HE prophesied in the daies of Osia and Ieroboam concerning Samaria and wrote the same Herin is shewed the famine and extreame misery that they of Iudah endured because of their idolatrie and obstinacie The Argument of Amos. IN the daies of Osiah and Ieroboam he wrote this he was a poore and a simple shepheard stirred vp of speciall purpose to set foorth Gods glorie by calling the people to repent The Argument of Obadiah HE spake against Edom at which time the pallace of the temple and the citie was set on fire this booke shewes how the Idumeans vexed Israel most cruelly and continually in the highest pitch of their pride God sends this Obadiah to denounce his vengeance against them and good successe vpon his owne inheritance The Argument of Ionah HE spake vnder Amaziah and Ieroboam he controled Phulbelocus of Niniuie who succeeded Sardanapalus This booke sheweth how little his preaching auailed in Israel and how much few words preuailed in Niniuie to the shame of all Israell here is the distruction first of the kingdome of Israel then of Iudah chiefly because they contemned the prophets The Argument of Nahum HE prophesied vnder Ezechia king of Iudah Hosea king of Israel and Salmanazer king of the Assyrians This booke shewes the reuolting of Niniuie from the true profession which they had taken from Ionah they became persecuters of all that professed godlinesse therefore their citie was destroied by Nabucadnezer among whom there was some godly whom God remembreth with his comforts sent by the prophets The Argument of Abacuk HE wrote this booke about the same time and he lamenteth the desolation of the godly and the prosperitie of the wicked who in the end should be captiuated by the Chaldeans The Argument of Sophoniah HE prophesied in the daies of Iosiah the sonne of Ammon king of Iudah The Moabits the Assirians and others who were enemies to Gods people shall come themselues to confusion but the godly by patience shall possesse their soules The Argument of Agge THis prophet Zacharie and Malachie were especially appointed after the captiuitie to cōfort the people to set them forward to the building of the temple at Ierusalem which was a sight of the spirituall Ierusalem This prophet shewes the cause of their captiuitie and exhorteth to repentance The Argument of Zacharie THis prophet wrote the second yeare of Darius in the eight moneth the same matter The Argument of Malachie THis prophet was the last and the next to Iohn Babtist He spake of the captiuitie of the building of Salomons temple and the storie of Esdras and Nehemias he reproues diuerse sinnes and speaks as the two former The Argument of Mathew HE wrote this Gospell in Hebrue eight yeares after the ascention of Christ All the foure Euangelists did write in efect one thing they al entitled their writing Gospell signifiing Good tidings or newes from heauen comprehending the incarnation death resurrection and ascention of Christ being the absolute summe of our redemption and adoption to eternall glorie This Title comprehends all the matter shadowed in the law and perfourmed in the gospell whatsoeuer one writes darkly the other more largely and plainly They varie not in any one thing though their writing be farre in distance for time and place which greatly argueth and augmenteth the trueth and dignitie thereof They entreat in some matters more exactly than in other Mathew laboreth to setfoorth an historicall narration of Christs body to weet of his incarnation his kinred how he was occupied in the time of his life teaching and working miracles to confirme the will of his father he spake of his death and resurrection with such circumstances as belong thereunto The Argument of Marke HE was the disciple and interpreter of Peter Vpō earnest request made to him at Roome he wrote this gospell in Greeke ten yeares after the Ascention of Christ He planted the faith at Alexandria where he died The Argument of Luke HE was a phisition at Antioch the follower of S. Paule who did write this gospell 15 yeares after Christs ascention he died at Constantinople This book most chiefly specifieth of ceremonies which were performed in Christ The Argument of Iohn HE was sonne to Zebedeus the brother of Iames whom Herod be headded at the request of some Bishops in Asia He chiefly handleth Christs diuinitie and wonderfull worke of our reconciliation He wrote this gospell 32 yeares after Christs ascention he died and was buried amongst the Ephesians The Argument of the Acts. THe same was written in Greeke