thus being seuerally seperated that Christ from Iudah might bee certainely knowne his immediat parents are accordingly recorded from Dauid and Bethlehem the one of them in expresse words by the Euangelist and the other so acknowledged by the Iewes themselues and lastly the Apostle so confirmes it when hee saith that hee of whom these things are spoken appertained to another tribe whereof no man serued at the Altar Neither did the Pharisees who daily waited occasions against Christ euer cauill at his kindred or tribâ—… otherwise then calling him the sonne of a Carpenter a Seducer and a friend to publicans and sinners But to satisfie Suidas and such as think that by his grand-mothers line he might supply the office of a Leuite in the Temple let vs heare what Rambam writeth concerning their Customes who recordeth the Canons that the Iewes obserued in their Synagogues thus 1. Onely a Leuite must offer the Sacrifice 2. But any of Israel might expound the law 3. The expounder must be an eminent man and of great estimation 4. He that expounded might not leane vpon any pillar deske or board 5. Neither must any reade vntill the Master of the Sinagogue had commanded him 6. He that was to reade was to open the booke to reade the text and to roule vp the booke againe These obseruances done the people with silence attended the exposition vpon which customes doubtlesse Saint Iames spake when hee said that Moses of old time had in euery city them that preached him being read in the Sinagogue euery Sabbath day And according to that custome Saint Luke recordeth the actions of our Sauiour in these words And he came to Nazareth where he had been brought vp and as his custome was he went into the Sinagogue on the Sabbath day and stood vp for to reade And there was deliuered vnto him the booke of the Prophet Esaias and when he had opened the book he found the place where it was written The Spirit of the Lord is vpon me because hee hath annointed me to preach the Gospell to the poore he hath sent me to heale the broken hearted to preach deliuerance to the captiues and recouering of sight to the blind to set at liberty them that are brused To preach the acceptable yeere of the Lord. And he closed the booke and he gaue it againe to the Minister and sate downe and the â—…yes of all them that were in the Sinagogue were fastned on him And he began to say vnto them This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your eares And all bare him witnesse and wondred at the gracioâ—… words which proceeded out of his mouth And said is not this Iosephs sonne Note here how many things of the Hebrewes traditions our Lord then obserued he stood vp to reade the booke was deliuered to him he opened the booke and found the place hee closed the book and the eyes of all that were in the Sinagogue were fastned on him Thus wee see by many circumstances that our Lord read as any of Israel might as well as Leui. So Paul and Barnabas the one doubtlesse of Beniamin though the other were of Leui both at Antioch and neither of them knowne for Apostolike calling were desired by the Rulers of the Synagogue to speake words of exhortation after the reading of the Law If Suidas then had obserued this text or had knowne this practise in the Iewes Sinagogue he would neuer haue thought that a man by the line of his mother might bee accounted a Leuite or by that right vse the function on of a Priest And whether Hismeria the mother of Elisabet that bare the Baptist and Anna the mother of the blessed Uirgin that bare Christ were Sisters and both of them the daughters of Issachar a Leuite as some affirme is not canonicall and therfore I hold it no Article of faith For Christ that was to fulfill all righteousnesse so came and carried himselfe in his office and actions as in that searching age the Prince of the world could finde nothing amisse in him and the seuere punishments shewed vpon them that assaied to beare both the Scepter and Censer in one hand might haue staied their pennes that make this Prince of Iudah to be a sacrificer from Leui. For see we not the death of Uzzah only for touching the Arke and the leprosie of Vzziah for attempting to burne incense both of them of Iudah and not consecrated to minister before the Lord as they of Aaron were And contrariwise when the Leuites Machabees lastly vsurped the Scepter of Iudah and set his Crowne vpon their owne mitred heads they not onely made way by emulations and slaughters each of others vnto an Idumean Herod to obtaine the Kingdome but also became Saduces themselues in Religion which Sect 〈◊〉 â—…he Resurrectioâ—… of the bâ—…y 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the soules of men perished wâ—…h their bodies and that there was neither Angell nor Spirit But that Christ was a Priest wee denie not yea our great high Priest which made a reconciliation for the sinnes of the whole world we acknowledge him yet after another order then Aarons was and of another Tribe then that of Leui euen of the Tribe of Iudah and order of Melchisedeck for it is euident saith the Apostle to the Hebrewes that our Lord sprang out of Iudah concerning which Tribe Moses spake nothing touching the Priesthood In which his office hee continueth a Priest for euer and in whom likewise the gouernement of his peace was prefigured so as in his person alone is accomplished the attributes that Isaiah Dauid giue the one prophecying of his Priesthood and the other of his Kingdome thus Touching his Priest-hood saith Isaiah The Spirit of the Lord is vpon me because hee hath annointed mee to preach good tydings to the meeke he hath sent me to bind vp the broken hearted to proclaime liberty to the Captiues and the opening of the prison to them that are bound And of his Kingdome saith Dauid Thy throne O God is for euer and euer the Scepter of thy Kingdome is a right Scepter thou louest righteousnesse and hatest wickednesse Therefore God thy God hath anointed thee with the oyle of gladnesse aboue thy fellowes Lord seale them both by thy Spirit in our hearts that with thee wee may raigne Kings and Priests as himselfe the true witnesse hath promised CHAP. VIII That Salomons House was rent and all his posterity vtterly extinct long before the comming of Christ in his flesh and that neither from Salomon nor any of his successors the Kings of Iudah Christ Iesus tooke any part of his humanity WHen Dauid was fully established vpon his Throne had brought vp the Arke to the prepared Tabernacle and intended to haue built that more faire and conuenient this message was brought him by the Prophet Nathan from the Lotd Thou shalt not build a house for me to dwell in
as he wished himselfe separated from Christ and we the wilde Oliue graffed in and now made partaker of the same roote ought to feede their dead branches with our liuing sap by opening vnto them that Iesus whose side they pierced was the Lambe slaine for the sinnes of the world and the substance of the Sacrifices commanded in the Law Among many other things in the old Testament shewed in the Angel in Aaron the Scepter and brasen Serpent and in the new seene in his humanity Doctrine miracles and death both of them in euery line either speaking of or pointing vnto the Messiah the annointed of God and agreeing in his person parantage and place of birth meete each other as the wings of the Cherubins did vpon the Mercy seate in Salomons Temple the one affirming and the other confirming that he was the Sonne of a Virgin his birth in Beth-lehem his kindred of Dauid and Tribe Iudah Hls infancy answering the types of the old Testament was seene a Starre vnto the Gentile Prophet Balaam and was found by a Star of the Gentiles that sought him In Rama was weeping as Ieremy had heard out of Egypt he was called as Hosheah had said was brought vpin Nazaret to fulfill the Prophets and for wisedome at twelue yeeres of age as much admired among the Doctors as Salomon was in deciding the strife of the harlots His life was vnreproueable fulfilling all righteousnesse in whom the Prince of this world could finde nothing amisse His doctrine was as the dewe of Hermon preaching comfort to all that mourne in Zion and was a light of saluation giuen vnto the Gentiles vnto the end of the world His Miracles were so many and manifest as testified his Godhead by curing the blinde healing the diseased clensing of Lepers casting out Diuels and raising the dead In transfiguration he was more glorious then Moses in feeding the hungry with fewer loaues hee exceeded Elisha and had more power to command Angels then Elias had to shut heauen for raine or to open it for fier And the parts of his passion were as effectually acted as in the old Testament they had been predicted and all accomplished as had beene prescribed For Zachariah saw the Shepheard the Lords fellow smitten and the sheepe scattered sold for thirty peeces of siluer and them the purchase of the potters field Dauid told that his hands and feete should be pierced his garments diuided and lots cast for his vesture And Daniel saw him slaine to confirme the Couenant and to seale vp vision and Prophet His bones were not broken to answere the Law of the Lambe his side pierced to assure his death And his death done amongst Malefactors with such signes from Heauen in the earth in the renting of the vayle as his be holders smiting their breasts confessed he was the Sonne of God But to gather al in one and from thatone against whom the Iewes dare not speake euen Esay the Prophet and of their Bloud royall let vs lay downe his text as it lieth in his words whose preface vnto his speech beginneth thus Who will beleeue our report and to whom is the arme of the Lord reuealed 2. But he shall grow vp before him as a Branch and as a roote out of a drie ground he hath neither forme nor beautie when we shall see him there shall bee no forme that we should desire him 3. He is despised and reiected of men hee is a man full of sorrowes and hath experience of infirmities we hid as it were our faces from him he was despised and we esteemed him not 4. Surely hee hath borne our infirmities and carried our sorrowes yet wee did iudge him as plagued and smitten of God and humbled 5. But hee was wounded for our transgressions he was broken for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was vpon him and with his stripes we are healed 6. All we like sheepe haue gone astray wee haue turned euery one to his owne way and the Lord hath laid vpon him the iniquity of vs all 7. He was oppressed and hee was afflicted yet did he not open his mouth he is brought as a sheepe to the slaughter and as a sheepe before her shearer is dum so hee opeâ—…ed not his mouth 8. He was taken out from prison and from iudgement and who shall declare his age for he was cut out of the Land of the liuing for the transgression of my people was he plagued 9. And hee made his graue with the wicked and with the rich in his death though hee had done no wickednesse neither was any deceit in his mouth 10. Yet the Lord would breake him and make him subiect to infirmities when hee shall make his soule an offering for sinne he shall see his seed and shall prolong his daies and the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand 11. He shall see of the trauell of his soule and shall bee satisfied by his knowledge shall my righteous seruant iustifie many for he shall beare their iniquities Herein I appeale to your selues O yee children of the Prophets what haue our Euangelists written that this your Prophet did not write before for substance so much and for words so agreeing as they seeme to fall from his pen who saw the passion himselfe and beares record that his sayings are true or to what other person can his text be applied then vnto Iesus so borne so liuing so despised and so crucified that to fulfill all his death was done without the gate as the Bullock was burnt without the Campe. And that the times drawne the actions onely to that age heare how the Scriptures are loude Iacob told Iudah that the d Scepter should not depart from his Tribe vntill Shiloh came and how Iudahs gouernment ended by the cruelty of Herod in slaughtering their Sanhedrin Phylo a man of their owne doth declare And their Rabbins likewife in their Talmud Seder olam thus cry out Woe vnto vs for the Scepter is now taken away from Iudah and the Law-giuer from betweene his feete Which things happened immediately before the birth of Christ when that Idumean tyrant by the fauour of Antonius had first set and after by Agustus surer setled Iudahs crowne vpon his owne head whose faire lustre made him so to persecute the lawfull heire thereof as lest hee should escape hee slaughtered all the male Infants in those coasts of Iewry and among them his owne sonne as Macrobius reporteth The Iubile likewise for freedome the onely Feast in the yeere and that yeere appointed to bee euerie fiftieth must haue an end in the substance as all other Ceremonies had Which great yeere that the people did expect it our Luke declareth for in his time they thought that the
seuen times or as his that doth begin them fifty yeeres before Babels fall and ends them towards the dissolution of the world as Hierome citeth Hypolitus to haue done or if any certainty be in them yet such it is as may rather dazell the eye vnto dimmer darkenesse then illuminate the vnderstanding with brighter knowledge if we will lend our eares vnto Origen who vnderstandeth these weekes not to be weekes of seauen yeeres but of ten times seauen for euery yeere taking ten and doth beginne their reckoning from the beginning of the world so that seuenty weeks should make foure thousand nine hundred yeeres from the creation vnto Christ and some beginne them at the natiuity of Christ and continueth them vnto the end of the World as Apollianus hath done Others that allow their certainty and propriety of the Angels speech yet doe differ in assigning their beginnings and endings because three other edicts are mentioned in Ezra and Nehemiah besides that of Cyrus and yet wheresoeuer they beginne them they still bring their endings â—…ther at the birth of Christ in the â—…me of Herod or at the death of Christ in the raigne of Tiberius as Lord Plessie hath well obserued That they beganne when Babels Kingdome ended is most manifest â—…y Ieremiah the Prophet where hee â—…ith Thus saith the Lord after seaâ—…nty yeeres bee accomplished at Babel I â—…ill visit you and performe my good proâ—…ises towards you and cause you to reâ—…rne to this place And by the last Chapter of the second of Chronicles where it is said In the first yeere â—…f Cyrus King of Persia when the word â—…f the Lord spoken by the mouth of Ieremiah was finished the Lord stirred vp the â—…irit of Cyrus King of Persia and hee â—…ade a Proclamation through all his Kingdome and also by writing saying Thus saith Cyrus King of Persia all the Kingdomes of the Earth hath the Lord God of Heauen giuen mee and hee hath â—…mmanded mee to build him a house in Ierusalem that is in Iudah who is among you of all his people with whom the Lord his God is let him goe vp And the other Edicts made by Darius and Artaxerxes successours tâ—… Cyrus are but confirmations of thiâ—… his Edict and not new Edicts made from which these seuens might hauâ—… their beginnings for so the Record layed vp in the Library at Babel and searched at the command of Darius doth signifie where in a volume iâ—… was thus written as a memoriall In the first yeere of King Cyrus King Cyrus made a decree for the house of God in Ierusalem c. And that they ended at the death of Christ when sinnes were sealed vp and iniquity reconciled by the annointing of the holy of Holies is manifest both by a definite and certaine number in themselues assigned namely seuenty seuens as also by a definite number multiplied from other Seuens thus Ieremiah had shewed the seuenty yeeres captiuity wherein they were to serue the King of Babel his sonne and his sonnes sonne which exactly fell so and were expired at Daniels prayer and thence being multiplied ten times more do bring vs to the certaine time of Christs death and make foure hundred and Ninety yeeres Againe those multiplied yeeres â—…eing diuided into parts definite â—…pproue the whole certaine and the â—…rst and last falling accordingly â—…ake that time to point out his â—…ime for whom time was ordained For the first Seuen The Iewes obâ—…ction against Christ that forty sixe â—…eers the Temple was in building Ioh. 2. â—…0 and the three of hinderance since Syrus his Edict make that number â—…ertaine euen seuen Seuens or forty Nine yeers whereof more hereafter And that the last were as exactly â—…ccomplished from the baptisme of Christ vnto his death euen halfe a seâ—…en of yeeres by the foure Passeouersâ—…lebrated â—…lebrated by himselfe in the last whereof hee died is apparant by â—…e Euangelists records and by the â—…ncient affirmed to bee the three â—…eers and a halfe of Christ his preaâ—…ing to confirme the couenant vnâ—… the which time the Time Times â—…d halfe a Time in the Apocalips is alluded vnto by many Interpreteâ—… And had those seuenty seuens or yeeâ—… of the Angels predicted for Chrâ—… his preaching and death beene vâ—… certaine the Iewes had not beeâ—… so iustly taxed for more negligeâ—… obseruerâ—… of time then were tâ—… Oxe or the Asse the Storke tâ—… Turtle the Crane or the Swalloâ—… neither had beene so blame-worth of times ignorance for their owâ—… visitations Moreouer had these Seuenty Sâ—…uens beene vncertaine then the aâ—…ceptable yeere of Iubile had not bâ—… so certainely expected as in Luâ—… wee see it was neither had any ceâ—…taine Chronology continued from tâ—… old vnto the new Testament Aâ—… what should moue the holy Ghâ—… so carefully to keepe and continâ—… a true Chronology of â—…uery particâ—…lar story from the first creation vâ—… to the first yeere of Cyrus and theâ—… breake it off especially considerinâ—… that all times led vnto Christ whom through whom and for whoâ—… were all things writ that were writ whom bee glory for euer and euer Amen Thus much being spoken of their beginnings and endings let vs now come to the accounts therein contained and for the better vnderstanding follow the yeeres of the Kingdomes wherein they fell beginning at the last and ascending to the first in which and whose raignes the most doubts fall The Roman Writers set Christs death in the eighteenth of the Emperour Tiberius and his birth in the forty two of Augustus whose whole raigne was fiftie sixe yeeres so that by them Christ his age is made to be vpon thirty three yeeres And both Romans and Greekes reckon betwixt the first of Augustus and the last of Alexander two hundred and eightie yeeres namely seuenty Olympiads for Alexander died in the 114. Olympiad and Augustus began his raigne in the 184. But the Grecian Monarchy began sixe yeeres before the death of Alexander by the slaughter of Darius as all Authors acknowledge and ended with the death of Cleopatra Queene of Aegypt being the last of his successours in the fourteenth yeere of Augustus as by the raignes of the Ptolomies are generally gathered Which number sixe before Alexanders death and foureteene likewise after Augustus his beginning being added to 280. make the number to bee compleat three hundred yeeres the whole and exact time of the Grecian Monarchy And the Romans raigne from the fourteenth of Augustus vnto the death of Christ the Messiah where the last Seuen of the Seuenty ended by the remainder of Augustus his raigne which was forty two yeeres more and eighteene likewise expired vnder Tiberius is most apparant that sixty yeeres of the Roman gouernment were spent which being added to the three hundred of the Grecians both together make three hundred and sixty So that one hundred and thirty for the Persians time must
knowne to the contrary he might liue long after the worke was finished Another witnesse wee haue as aged if not more as Zerubbabel and a principall man also who with him returned from Babylon in the first yeere of Cyrus euen Ezra the Scribe the sonne of Seraiah the high Priest whose ancestors both in the seuenth chapter of his booke and in the first booke of the Chronicles are reckoned vp vnto Aaron Now the same Seraiah father to Ezra was carried to Riblah in the land of Hamah and there slaine by Nebuehadnezzar King of Babel in the nineteenth yeere of his raigne So that had Ezra been begot but the day of his fathers death which is not likely yet must he haue been fiftie yeeres aged at the returne from captiuitie in the first yeere of Cyrus since when had there been one hundred and sixe yeeres as some account to there building of the Temple then must Ezra haue been at that time one hundred fifty sixe yeeres old an age by much too long to retaine actiuenesse or to stand as hee did from morning till mid-day to reade and expound the Law to the people But to liue a long time after as it is said he did euen to the end of the Persians raigne which was eightie yeeres more his life must haue seene more yeeres then that shortned age of mans life could attaine vnto And therefore the vncertaine accounts of the Heathen must be measured by those men whom the scriptures haue made their measuring â—…eedes And seeing God hath ordained â—…hat by the mouth and testimonie of two â—…r three witnesses the truth shall bee established Let Mordecai an eminent man of Beniamin stand for another This Mordecai was carried away captiue into Babylon with Ieconiah King of Iudah in the eighth yeere of Nebuchadnezzar and nourished Ester in the dayes of Ahashuerosh King of Persia vnto the twelfth yeere of his raigne And that this Ahashuerosh was Darius Histaspis besides Lyra and others ancient the moderne Writers Beroaldus Broughten Willet More the Geneuian Annotation and many more affirme and Herodotus in his third booke nameth Atossa to bee the wife of Hystaspis sounding so neere to Adassa the other name of Ester as without preiudice we may call Ester his Queene And the rather for that the said Author reporteth she could preuaile in any thing with the King her husband which the Scripture confirmeth euen to the halfe of his Kingdome And likewise Hellanicus another Heathen Author reporteth that Atossa Queene of Persia was the first inuenter of Epistles which vndoubtedly was ministred vpon the Letters by her procured and sent vnto one hundred and twenty seuen Prouinces for the sauing of her people whom Ahashuerosh had condemned at the sute of wicked Haman But that this Ahashuerosh could be Xerxes and he eighty foure yeeres after Cyrus as he hath been set the age of Mordecai may not admit for had Mordecai been but eight yeeres of age when hee was carried away captiue with Ieconiah in the eight yeere of Nebuchadnezzar yet must he haue been seuenty at the returne from Babylon but to adde almost a hundred yeeres more neither humanitie could require his so aged knees to bow nor nature afford his body to bee of such agilitie as it was for State affaires mans terme of life as Solon told Croesus men of the same time to be onely threescore and tenne yeeres I am not ignorant that some will haue the relatiue which to be referred to the antecedent Kish which say they the text doth import in these words Mordecai the sonne of Iair the sonne of Shimei the sonne of Kish and this Kish they will haue the man that had been carried captiue vnto Babilon with Ieconiah But if the words of Esters Apocrypha may be herd it was not Kish but Mordecai for there Mordecai a Noble man that dwelt in Susis and bare office in the Kings Court was he that had the dreame and was the man which Nebuchadnezzar brought captiue from Ierusalem as Chap. 2. 4. Which booke though not Canonicall yet is it ancient and may well be a witnesse in a well knowne historie Besides we see that the intent of that story is not to relate of Kish his captiuitie if any such had been the miseries of those times now ouerblowne but rather the meanes that God then wrought to saue his Church by this his instrument Mordecai that had seene the deliuerance both of himself and others from that Captiuitie of Babylon and now was an acter to blunt the edge of wicked Hamans sword And that the time could extend to those yeeres thus inlarged betwixt Cyrus his Edict and the building of the Citie Nehemiah doth bring a whole Iury of witnesses against it who in his catalogue of twenty two men that returned with him and Zerubbabel from Chaldea vnto Iewrie â—…ameth twelue of them to be liuing â—…n the daies of his gouernment after that the walles of Ierusalem were finished which were Seraiah Amaziah Malluch Hattush Sebaniah Haâ—…im Merimoth Ginnethon Abbiiah Miiamin Bilgai and Shemaiah as in the tenth and twelfth Chapters of Nehemiah apparantly is seene But from these particulars let vs come to the generals That many of the same persons which had been caried captiue vnto Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar were returned and aliue at the building of the second Temple in the second yeere of Darius is manifest by this speech of Haggai who is left saith â—…e among you that saw this house in her first glory and how doe you see it now is it not in your eies in comparison of it as nothing Whereby it is apparant that many of the returned had seene the great beauty of Salomons Temple and were seated againe in Ierusalem according to the Vision of the gooâ—… figges seene by Ieremy concerninâ—… the captiuitie of Ieconiah whom thâ—… Lord had promised to bring again to Iudah to build them and not destroâ—… them to plant them and not to root theâ—… out And albeit that Zecariah told theâ—… that old men and old women shoulâ—… walke the streetes of Ierusalem vpon theâ—… staues through decrepit age yeâ—… such exceeding old age could not bâ—… retained in that age of the world foâ—… had an hundred and sixe yeeres beeâ—… expired from the first yeere of Cyrus to the rebuilding of Ierusalem anâ—… the Temple then should the returneâ—… each of them haue been at that timâ—… an hundred sixty seuen yeeres aged had they been but ten when Salomons Temple was destroyed anâ—… ten yeeres is the least age that caâ—… bee allowed to retaine memory oâ—… obseruation of the Temples curiouâ—… building and passing great beauty Wherefore those tentured timeâ—… of Daniels Seuens must bee again shrunke vnto the staple of the sacred accounts and the Persians raigne shortned vnto halfe the number almost that some ouer-lauishly haue giuen them For the chaine of Chronologie
Aaron the mouth to worke and denounce great plagues vnto Pharoah and were neuer turned and ioyned againe But the state standing in a setled pollicy in Dauids daies Daui◅ stood in state both of King an Priest from his fathers Abraham I saac and Iacob and was both a kingly Priest and a priestly King in the land for the Scepter of Iudah hee bare whereunto all were obedient and the Leuites of Aaron he ordered for their seruices in the Temple though the ministeriall still lay in Leui. So did Salomon in assembling the Priests to bring the things of the Tabernacle into the Temple and in praying for and blessing the people This kingly authority and priestly dealings to remooue the defects of Church and commonweale we see in Ezekiah by the reforming the land of their Groues and grauen Images and in breaking to peeces the Brasen Serpent that Moses had set vp when the people thereunto burned incense and committed Idolatry And by the yong king Iosiah in his care for the Temple and continuance of the Passeouer which hee commanded to be kept And this power of Scepter and Censer made the whole throne of Dauid wherein Christ the true substance was to sit for euer as had beene promised to Dauid of Iudah that he should not want one to sway the Scepter nor Leui a Sacri◅cer to stand and minister before the Lord for euer which none could doe but Iesus the sonne who liueth blessed for euer and euer And that Iesus in these things was heire to Abraham Isaac and Iacob to Dauid Salomon Ezekiah and Iosiah and in truth to all the Patriarkes Promises in the law is witnessed by the Apostle who calleth him the Heire of all things the Heire of the World And in the person of Melchizedek proueth his function both of King and Priest A King of Peace without beginning of daies or ende of time and a Priest not made after the Law but after the power of the endlesse life that continueth for euer Dauids Lord he is called by Dauid himselfe greater then Salomon in his wisdome and workes and for zeale to the Lords house exceeded both Ezekiah and Iosiah cleansing the Temple of prophane marchandizings and instituting for the Pasouer the Sacrament of the Lords Supper and for the Lambe of the Law the figure his owne body the substance The Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world and raigneth after death Dauids Lord for euer But the date of that earthly pollicy now neerely expired Christ came not to continue it further but as a better Ioshuah to bring the people into a better rest then that transitory Canaan was euen into that kingdom of glory which was appointed vnto him by his Father and which himselfe appointed to his Apostles where they shuld sit vpon twelue Thrones and iudge the twelue Tribes of Israell And therefore to draw their mindes from the one and to fix them on the other he vsed neither worldly pomp nor worldly power but refused al offers of magistracy yet to no preiudice of his right but rather as impedimēts to his functiō For surely had he executed any tēporall authority among them then temporal strength had bin imputed to his spirituall actions so forward were the people to outward things For preuention whereof wee see all outward meanes failing His father was a poore Catpenter of small esteeme read of among the people his mother noted by the pen of the Euangelist to bee of the meanest estate as appeareth by the offering for her purification which was but a paire of Turtle Doues or two yong Pigions the oblation enioyned for the poorest sort of weomen as the Law had said If shee bee not able to bring a Lambe shee shall bring two Turtle Doues or two yong pigions vnto the Priest which Mary did And in the person of Iesus himselfe all outward appearance were likewise preuented For his first entertainment was poore his birth Chamber a Stable and his Cradle a Crach for there was no roome for his Parents in the Inne The prouision for his liuely-hood were scanter then the world affoorded vnto vnreasonable Creatures for the Foxes had holes and the birds nests but the Sonne of man no place to lay his head And in the short passage of his kingly triumph when with concourse he was followed and with shouts of Hosanna saluted King of Israell his reioycing was teares with sighes for Ierusalem that knew not of that her visitation Neither after his death had hee the preheminence as most of them had to bee buried in the graues of their fathers but was laid in the Sepulchre of another man and at another mans charge intombed such fauours the world affoorded vnto this great king And therefore as it hath been of him prophesied that he should be a man despised without forme or beautie meeke lowly as a Sheep to the slaughter a iust and a poore King so was it expedient that all these parts in the person of Iesus should bee fulfilled And so himselfe taught in the way to Emaus when hee began at Moses and all the Prophets and by them proued that Christ ought so to haue liued so to haue suffered as he did And therefore the obiection made by Iulian and others that had Christ beene really king of the Iews than had he exercised the authority really of King of the Iewes deserueth no answeare For as he was called and verily was the Sonne of Man although he had no immediate father among men vpon the earth so was he called and verily was king of the Iewes though he vsed no kingly authority among men on the earth And why should that be obiected more against Iesus then against all his Ancestors the high Saints from Abiud to Ioseph who by birth were the vndoubted heires to that Crowne which notwithstanding was vsurped vpon by the Gentiles aboue the space of 400. yeeres Neither had they any promise that they should euer recouer that that terrestriall kingdome but rather that they should possesse the eternall which none could take from them And that Christ Iesus was King of that Kingdome promised and that Sonne that should sit vpon Dauids Throne for euer which none besides him could euer doe wee may further proue by his life after death For as hee assumed the flesh of Dauid and in the same flesh was the vndoubted heire of Dauid to the very instant of his death and in his death also had the same title devulged to the open view of all which hee caried with him to his graue so after his sleepe for his death was but a sleepe vnto him in his person onely it remained as before and in his person onely shall remaine for euer For the same humane body that was borne
yeer of King Cyrus the holy Scriptures plainely declare and that all that is writ was writ to and for Christ the Apostle doth affirme But how shall that fulnesse of time be knowen for the ending of the Ceremonies by the death of the Messiah which was then taught to the beloued Daniel and now much behooueth all men to know if from Cyrus downward the chaine of Chronologie in Daniels seuens be broken off for the space of 144. yeeres as Liuely doth them in his Olympicks table Where from the fiftie fiue to the eighty nine Olympiad in which and not before he beginneth to account Daniels weekes a Vacuety is left for so long a time Whereas contrariwise we see that Daniel beganne his prayer for their deliuerance immediately at the expiration of the seuenty yeeres captiuity and at the beginning of Daniels prayer the Angell Gabriel was sent from God to shew him that the Commandement for the deliuerance of the people was come forth and from that comming forth of the Commandement to the death of the Messiah seuenty seuens were determined for a full deliuery from the captiuity of sinne by the sacrifice of the Messiah Christ the Lamb figured in the Law And that this Commandement came forth in the first yeere of Cyrus the writers of the Chronicles and the booke of Ezra doe plainly declare both of them affirming and saying that in the first yeere of Cyrus when the Word of the Lord spoken by the mouth of Ieremiah was finished the Lord stirred vp the spirit of Cyrus King of Persia and hee made a proclamation through all his kingdome and also by writing saying Thus saith Cyrus King of Persia all the kingdoms of the earth hath the Lord God of heauen giuen mee and hee hath commanded mee to build him a house in Ierusalem that is in Iudah Who is among you of all his people with wbom the Lord his God is let him goe vp And of this commandement made by Cyrus for the returne of the Iewes to build their Citie and Temple the Prophet Isaiah foretould aboue an hundred yeeres before Cyrus was borne for saith he He saith to Cyrus thou art my Shepheard he shal performe all my desire saying to Ierusalem thou shalt be built and to the Temple thy foundation shal be surely laid By which words of the Prophets wee conclude That not a linke of the sacred chaine of Chronologie is either broken or opened betwixt the commandement giuen by Cyrus the Lords Shepheard and the death of Christ the great Shepheard when hee gaue his life for his Flock For as time is chained linke vnto linke from Adam to Cyrus so is it chained linke vnto linke from Cyrus to the death of Christ by the speech of an Angel without al helps of the disagreeing Olympicks who in this diuine Chronologie do but trouble the waters of Shiloh and can be no let for time but that the Messiah in Daniels text is Christ Iesus our Lord and Sauiour And therefore let vs measure vnto him the true Temple and Altar with the Reed of Gabriel as Iohn did the Temple and Altar with the Reed of the Angel and in this case cast out the accoūts of the heathenish Olympiads as Iohn did cast out and not measure the Court for that was giuen to the Gentiles And so come we to his other Assertion which is that the text of holy Scrip ture in Daniel will not permit the name Messiah to be referred vnto Christ Iesus our Sauiour That Christ Iesus saith hee could be the Messiah mentioned in Daniel the hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not proue it being an attribute giuen to King Priest and Prophet must there be so taken and not appropriated to any one particular person which the text will not beare So that the word Messiah in Daniels text he will haue not to be meāt of Christ as it is in Iohns Gospel and in the second Psalme but rather a succession of gouernors both Iewes and Romans that ruled in Ierusalem from the rebuilding thereof by Nehemiah vntill the finall destruction both of Citie and Temple by Titus the Emprour And those that referre the word Messiah in that place vnto Christ Iesus saith hee cannot so doe without straining or wresting of the text which they who so vnderstād it are driuen vnto For as the Chronologie here fitteth not for Messiah to be vnderstood of Christ our Lord so the very text it selfe is against it And therefore he pitieth that the Message of an holy Angell containing a most excellent prophecy from Gods owne mouth should be so peruerted and depraued as it hath beene by those that picke out that sense But is it not a greater pitie that learning should thus turne edge vpon Diuinity to depraue vs of one of the most pregnant prophecy for Christ his passion reuealed in the whole Scriptures of God or that this most holy message of the Angell should be appropriated onely vnto prophane Gouernours people and place whose period had beene prophecied and whose tennor was shortly to be determined rather then vnto him who by that his foreshewed death was to bring an estate of euerlasting life and whose Kingdom should neuer haue end Therefore to free the text from any such interpretation let vs take the consent of all almost those malicious Iewes excepted that either speake against their owne knowledge and conscience or haue the vaile of Moses as yet vndrawne from before their hearts But the best approued Docters among them as Rabbi Saadias Rabbi Nahman and Rabbi Hadarson expounding that text of Daniel agree rhat the Messiah there spoken of is Christ the very annointed of God so farre are they from attributing that name to any other besids him though God hath giuen them the spi rit of slumber not to insee what themselues say And of Christian expositers wee take the testimony euen of the aduersarie himselfe who saith that the most part and best learned of those who haue laboured for the vnderstanding of this Prophecy haue vnderstood the Messiah here spoken of to bee Iesus Christ. And how generally true that opinion is and hath beene the worthy instrument of Gods truth the learned Du. Plessie in his truenesse of Christian Religion doth testify where he saith That this text is meant of the Messiah Christ is so euident and absolute that it is a starke shame to deny it And Lyra our Countryman against the resisting Iewes from the adiunct giuen vnto the Messiah frameth this argument The Messiah in Daniel saith he is called Messiah Prince for so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth signifie but none is called Messiah the prince but only Christ therefore is Christ the very Messiah spoken of in Dvniel Neither doth that Prophet speake of many but of one and the same Messiah and he to bee slaine to
greater glory then the clowd did that of Salomons When in this Temple hee taught that his Body was the true Temple indeed and that the Father and he were all one vrging the search of Scriptures that testified so much of him their credit vnto Moses that wrote concerning him and the witnesse of that burning Candle the Baptist who pointed preached him to be the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world Hee then was the Branch that should build the Lords Temple the Crowne of glory and royall Diadem in the hand of his God More worthy of glory then Moses more excellent then Dauid and greater then Ionas or Salomon And that this his comming was the acceptable time and yeere of the Lord whereunto Salomon in his Song had the relation when hee alludeth vnto the time of the true Turtles sacrifice in his heauenly hymne wherein most sweetely hee singeth thus When the winter was past and the raine gone away the flowers appeared and the singing of birds was come then the voyce of this Turtle was heard in the land For when the frozen dregs of sinne lay both in the inward heart and outward action then hee that offered a Bullock was as if he had slaine a man and hee that sacrificed a sheepe as if he had cut off a dogges neck then were the oblations as the offerings of Swines bloud and the remembrance of incense as the blessing of an Idoll So that when sacrifice and offerings were not desired burnt offering and sinne offrings not required then said he Lo I come for in the rolle of the booke it is written of me I desired to do thy will O my God And as touching the abrogation of the old thus saith Ieremy They shall say no more the Arke of the Couenant of the Lord neither shall it come in minde neither shall they visit it neither shall it be magnified But I will plant saith the Lord by that Prophet my Law within them and in their hearts I will write it I will be their God and they shall be my people And by Ioel hee crieth In those dayes I will poure out my spirit vpon all flesh your sonnes and your daughters shall prophecy your old men shall dreame dreames your yong men shall see visions and vpon your seruants and handmaides I will poure out my Spirit They shall allknow the Lord from the least of them to the greatest of them and the Cities in Egypt shall speake the pure language of Canaan And of this knowledge it seemeth the woman of Samaria spake when to our Sauiour shee said I know well that Messiah shall come which is called Christ when he is come hee will tell vs all things These and infinit more speeches concerning Christs comming his Gospell and grace are so frequent in the Prophets as both Esay and Ieremy doe vrge the obseruation by the examples of the vnreasonable Creatures the Beasts Birds for the Oxe saith Esay knoweth his owner and the Asse his masters crib but Israel doth not know my people doth not consider Yea the Storke in the heauen saith Ieremy knowethher appointed times the Turtle the Crane and the Swallow abserue the times of their comming but my people know not the iudgement of the Lord. And the complaint in Hosea is My people perish for lacke of knowledge But for the close of all let vs vrge the same precept to these stamering Iewes that themselues vrge vnto their Disciples namely To giue eare to the Prophets so farre as they speake and where they cease to bow downe their â—…ares to the sayings of Wisemen whereof themselues tel vs of a ceâ—…ten succession which should not faile till the comming of the Messiah And from Hillel their holy Rabbâ—…n bring a continuation of Disciples vnto Simeon surnamed the Righteous in whom they say the spirit of the great Synagogue did vtterly cease Consider then well O yee lisping Iewes what yee haue said and read what our Luke writes concerning this Simeon There was a man saith he in Ierusalem whose name was Simeon this â—…an was iust and feared God and â—…ted for the consolation of Israell and the holy Ghost was vpon him 26. And 〈◊〉 was giuen him by the holy Ghost that he should not see death before he had seene the Lord Christ. 27. And he came by the motion of the spirit into the Temple and when the Parents brought in the childe Iesus to do for him after the custome of the Law 28. then 〈◊〉 tooke him in his armes and praised God and said 29. Lord â—…ow lettest thou thy seruant depart inpâ—… according to thy Word 20. For mine eyes haue seeâ—… thy saluation 21. which thou hast prepared before the face of all people 32. A Light to be 〈◊〉 to the Gentiles and the glory of thy people Israell Which was likewise witnessed by a Prophetesse of your owne euen Anna the daughter of Phanuel of the 〈◊〉 of Aâ—…r a widow of great yeeres who went not out of the Temple but serued God with fasting and prayâ—…rs 〈◊〉 and day Shee comming vpon them confessed likewise the Lord and spake of him to all that looked for the redemption of Ierusalem Doth not then our Euangelist confirme that which your Doctors haue told and Siâ—…on himselfe witnesse what they haue said namely that his eyes theÌ„ saw the Messiah the glorie of Israel the light of the Gentiles And Zachary your Priest of the course of Aâ—…ia when his tongue was loosed speake of the borne of saluation that should shortly be raised in the house of Dauid and that the babe his sonne then new borne should be his messenger to goe before him to prepare his waies Of which messenger heare Iosephus your owne Historian how with our Euangelist he agreeth Iohn surnamed the Baptist saith hee replenished with all vertue exhorted the Iewes to adict themselues to execute Iustice towards men and pitie towards God and to bee Baptised and to renounce since Vnto whom so many resorted that Herod fearing a reuolt for it seemed they would subscribe in all things to his aduice caused him to be put to death in the Castle Macheron for which deed saith he the Iewes were of opinion that in reuenge of this so grieuous a sinne Herods Army against whom God was displeased had been subiected to their vtter ruine and ouerthrow I wil not vrge the sayings of Esdras in naming my sonne Iesus and my sonne Christ foure hundred yeers before Christs death because the Booke is not Canonicall neither the testimonies of the Sybils whereof Erithraea more ancieÌ„t then Romulus composed verses whose first letters being onely taken make this sentence IESVS CHRIST SON OF GOD THE SAVIOVR These I say I will not vrge because they are Gentiles but this I note that in all her verses shee hath not one word