iust blood By which words most wretched end hee more greeuously offendâ—d and iniured hys most louing and merciful Sauiour then by all hys former iniquities committed against hym Thys then most louing brother is the first and greatest Rock whereat a sinfull soule ouerburdened with the charge of her own iniquities tossed in the waues of dreadfull cogitations by the blastes stormes of Gods threates against sinners doth coÌ„monly make her shipwraâ—k That is that most horrible depth dungion wherof the holy scripture saith The impious man when hee is come into the bottom profundity of his sinnes conteÌ„neth all That is y â— remediles sore incurable wounde wherwith God himselfe charged Ierusalem when he sayde Insanabilis fractura tua thy rupture is irremediable And the Prophet Michaeas considering the same people thorow the multitude of their wickednes to encline nowe to dispaire of Gods goodnes towards them brake forth into this most pittiful coÌ„plaint For this will weepe lament extreamely I wil stryp off my clothes wander naked I wil rore like vnto Dragons and sound out my sorow at Struthious in the desert for that the wounde and malady of my people is desperate Thys is that great and maine impediment that stoppeth the conduits of Gods holy grace from flowing into the soule of a sinfull man This is the knyfe that cutteth in sunder all those heauenly and blessed cordes wherewith our sweet Lorde and Sauiour endeuoureth to drawe vnto repentance the harts of sinners saying by his Prophet I wil pul them vnto me with the chaines of loue and charitie For by thys meanes euerie sinful conscience commeth to aunswer almighty God as did IerusaleÌ„ wheÌ„ being admonished of her sins and exhorted by hys Prophet to amendement of lyfe she sayd Desperaui nequaquam faciam I am become desperate I will neuer thinke of any such thing To which lamentable estate when a sinfull man is once arriued the next step hee maketh is for auoyding al remorse trouble of coÌ„science to engulfe him selfe into the depth of all detestable enormities to abandon his soule to the very sinck of al filth abhominations according as S. Paul said of the Gentiles in lyke case That by dispaire they deliuered theÌ„selues ouer to a dissolute life thereby to commit all manner of vncleannes Which wicked resolution of the impious is the thing as I haue noted before that most of all other offences vpon earth dooth exasperate the ire of GOD depriuing his diuine Maiestie of that most excellent propertie wherin he chiefely delighteth glorieth which is hys infinite and vnspeakable mercy This might be declared by dyuers and sundry examples of holy writ how beit two onely shall suffise for thys present The first is of the people of Israel not long before their banishment into Babilon who being threatned from God by the Prophet Ieremie that manifolde punishments were imminent ouer their heads for their greeuous sinnes committed against his Maiestie began in sted of repentance to fall to desperation and coÌ„sequently resolued to take that impious course of all dissolute lyfe alledged before out of S. Paule for thus they aunswered God exhorting them by his threates to reforme their wicked liues We are now growne desperate and therefore we will heereafter follow our own cogitations and euery one fulfill the wickednesse of hys owne conceite Wherat God stormed infinitely and brake forth into thys vehement interrogatioÌ„ Interrogate Gentes quis audiuit talia horribilia Aske and enquire of the very Gentiles whether euer among theÌ„ were heard any such horible blasphemies And after thys for the more declaration of thys intollerable iniurie heerein offered to hys Maiestie hee commaunded the Prophet Ieremie to goe forth out of his owne house and to gette him to a Potters shopâ— which in y e Village was framing hys vessels vpon the wheele Which Ieremie hauing done he sawe before his face a pot crushed broken by the Potter al in peeces vpon the wheele and thinking thereby that the vessel had been vtterly vnprofitable to be cast away he sawe the same clay presently framed agaiâ—e by the Potter into a newe vessell more excellent then before Wherat he meruailing God sayd vnto him Dost not thou think Ieremy that I can doe with the house of Israel as this Potter hath doone with his Vessell or is not y e house of Israel in my hands as the clay in y e hands of this craftesman I wyll denounce vpon a suddaine against a Nation kingdom that I will roote it vp and destroy it and if that Nation or Kingdome do repent from theyr wickednes I also will repent mee of the punishment which I intended to lay vpon them And theÌ„ he proceedeth forward declaring vnto Ieremie the excâ—eding griefe indignation which he conceiueth that any sinner whatsoeuer should dyspaire of mercy and pardon at hys hands The second example is of y e same people of Israel during the tyme of their banishmeÌ„t in Babilon at what time being afflicted with many miseries for theyr sinnes threatned with many more to come for that they changed not the course of their former wicked conuersation they began to dispaire of Gods mercy to say to the Prophet Ezechiell that lyued banished among them exhorted them to amendement vppon assured hope of Gods fauor towards them Our iniquities and sins doe lye greeuously vpon vs and we languishe in them and what hope of life then may we haue At which cogitation and speech God being greatly mouedâ— appeared presently to Ezechiel and sayd vnto hym Tell this people I doe lyue saith the Lord God of hostes I wishe not the death of the impious but rather that he should turne from his wicked waâ—es and lyue Why will the house of Israel die in their sinnes rather then turn vnto me And then he maketh a large vehement protestation that how grieuously soeuer any person should offend hym and how great punishments soeuer he shall denounce against hym yea if he had giuen expresse sentence of death damnation vpon him yet Si egerit paenitentiam a peccato suo feceritque iudicium et iusticiam that is if he repent himselfe of hys sinnes exercise iudgement and iustice for the time to come all his sinnes that he hath committed shal be forgiuen him sayth almighty God for that he hath done iudgement and iustice And thys nowe might be sufficient albeit nothing els were spoken for remoouing thys first obstacle impedimeÌ„t of true resolution which is the despaire of Gods infinite goodnes and mercy Neuerthelesse for more euident cleering and demonstration of thys matter and for the greater comfort of such as feele theÌ„selues burdened with the heauie weight of their iniquities committed against his diuine Maiestie I haue thought expedient in thys place to declare more at large this aboundant subiect of endlesse mercie towards al
and theyr owne both liues deathes declare that they meant no falshood subiect to the corruption pride vanity or ambition of this life as other prophane and Heathen VVryters were and theyr deathes for the most part offered vp in holy martyrdom for defence of that truth which they had preached and written as appeareth in Esay that was sawed in peeces by King Manasses in Ieremie that was stoned to death by the common people in Ezechiell that was slaine by the Captaine of the Iewes at Babilon in Amos whose braines were beaten outâ— by Amasias the wicked and Idolatrous priest in Bethell in Michaeas whose neck was broken by Ioram sonne to King Achab in Zacharias that was slayne at the Altar and the like And this for the Prophets of the latter times among the Iewes But now if we consider the first Prophet of all that wrote among the people I meane Moses that was not onely a prophet but also an historiographer a Law-gyuer a Captaine a Priest the first that euer reduced that people to a Common-wealth and the first that put theyr acts and gestes in writing or rather the acts and gestes of the almighty God towards them thys man I say if we consider him onely I meane the circumstances of his person the Iâ—we thinketh this a sufficient motiue to make any man of reason beleeue what soeuer he hath left writen in the Bible without further confirmation And first for hys antiquitie I haue spoken before and the Heathens doe confesse and for myracles doone by him the greatest enemies that euer he had in the world that is Appion in his fourth booke against the Iewes and Porphyrie in hys fourth booke against Christians doe acknoweledge them and Porphyrie adioyneth more for proofe heereof that he found the same confirmed by the story of one Saconiathon a Gentile who liued as he affirmeth at the same time wyth Moses But what all those myracles say they were doone by Arte-magick and not by the power of God as Moses boasted But then asketh them the Iewe where Moses a sheepeheard could learne so much Magicke or why could not the Magitians of Pharao whose study vvas in that profession from theyr infancie eyther doe the lyke or at least wise delyuer themselues from the plagues of Egypt why did they cry out The finger of God is heere VVhere did you euer heare of such workes doone by Magick as Moses did when he deuided the Red-sea when he called into his Campe so many Quayles vppon the suddaine as sufficed to feede sixe hundred thousand men besides women and Children VVhen he made a Rocke to yeeld forth a Fountaine when he caused a dewe to fall from heauen that nourished hys whole Campe for forty yeeres together VVhen hee caused the ground to open and swallow down aliue three of the richest Noble men of all hys Army together with their Tabernacles and all other bagges baggage When he caused a fire to come from heauen and consume fiftie Gentlemen of the former Rebels and Adâ—â—rents without hurting any one that stood about them These things did Moses and maâ—y other in the sight of al his Army that is in the sight of manie hundred thousand people amoÌ„g which there were diuers his emulators sworne enemies as by the storie and Scripture it selfe appeareth Core Dathaâ— Abiron with their faction sought in all things to disgrace him and to diminish his credite and therefore if any one point of the miracles had been reproouable Moses would neuer haue durst to put the same in writing nor would the people haue stood with him and much lesse haue receiued his writings for diuine and for Gods own words being solicited against him by so potent means had not they knowne al things to be most true therein contained and had seene his strange myracles and familiaritie with God But he delt plainely and simply in thys behalfe he wrote the things of his owne doings which euery man present did know to be true and of Gods speeches communications to himselfe he wrote so much as hee was commaunded whereof both God and his conscience did beare hym witnesse Hee caused the whole to be read vnto the people and laide vp in the sacred Arke and Tabernacle as Gods owne writing couenant with that Nation He caused all the whole Armie to sweare and vow the obseruaunce thereof And then drawing towards his death he made a most exâ—ellent Exhortation vnto them perswading them sincerelie to the seruice of their God and confessing his owne infirmities and hovv for his offences he was to die before their entrance into the Land of promise Hee concealed not the offence of his brother Aaron of his grandfather Leui of his sister Marie and other of his kindred as worldlye princes for their honors are wont to doo neither did hee goe about to bring in gouernment after hys decease anie one of his owne sonnes which is greatly to bee obserued notwithstanding he left behind him goodly gentlemeÌ„ fit for the roome and himself of power to place them â—f hee had endeuoured but hee left â—he gouernment to a Straunger naâ—ed Iosua as God had commaunded him Al which things saith the Iew do â—rooue sufficiently that Moses was â—o man of ambition or of worldly â—pirit but a true seruant of God and consequently that he wrought not by Magicke or falshood but by the onely power of his Lord Master and that his writings are true and of the same authoritie that in his life death he affirmed them to be that is the vndoubted VVord of Almightie God The fourth proofe of Scriptures THis he confirmeth yet farther by a fourth reason which is the consent approbation of al later VVriters of the Bible that ensued after Moses For as among prophane writers of worldly spirit it is a common fashion for him that foloweth to reprehend the former and to hunt aftâ—r praise by his auncetors disgrace so in these VVriters of the Bible it is a most certaine argument that all wer guided by one Spirit from God that in continuance of so many Ages and thousand yeeres no one yet euer impugned the other but alwaies the latter supporting and approuing the former for true doth buiâ—d therupon as vpon a sure foundation Sâ— the writings of Iosua doo confirmâ— and approue the writings of Moses and the records of the Iudges do reuerence and allow the Booke of Iosâ—a The storie of the Kings Chronicles doth refer it selfe to the storie of Iudges One Prophet confirmeth another And finally Christ approâ—eth them all by the known diuision of the Law Psalmes and Prophets which is a demonstraâ—ion that all â—heir spirits agreed in one And thus hethertoo hath been declared the foure considerations that â—re externall or without the Bible to â—it the antiquitie an continuaunce of the Scriptures the maner of
to bee a King and the regiment scepter so established in his posteritie that albeit manie of his descendents offended God more greeuously then euer did Saul who was put out before And albeit ten Trybes at once brake from Iuda and neuer returned to obedience againe but conspired with the Gentiles and other enemies on euerie side to extinguish the said Kingdome and regiment of Iuda yet for the fulfilling of this prophecie the gouernment of Iuda held out â—â—ill for more then a thousand and two hundred yeeres together vntill Herods time as I haue alreadie said which is more then any one familie in the world besides can shew for hys nobilitie or continuance in gouernment The Prophecie for the greatnesse of Ephraim aboue Manasses THE same Iacob when he came to blesse his little Nephewes Manasses and Ephraim that were Iosephs Chyldren though himselfe were now dimme of sight could not well discerne them yet dyd he put his right hand vpon the head of the younger and his left hand vpon the elder and that of purpose as it prooued afterwarde For when Ioseph their Father misliked the placing of their Grand-fathers hands and would haue remoued the right hand from Ephraim and haue placed it vpon the heade of Manasses that was the elder Brother Iacob would not suffer him but answered I knâ—w my sonne I know that Manasses is the elder and hee shall be multiplied in many people but yet his younger brother shall bee greater then he Which afterwarde was fulfilled for that Ephraim was alwaies the greater and stronger Tribe and in fine became the head of the Kingdome of Israell or of the ten Trybes whereof there was no suspition or likelihood when Iacob spake this or when Moses recorded it And how then came Iacob to foresee this so many hundred yeeres before as also to foresee foretel the particuler places of his childreâ—s habitations in the land of Promise as Zabulon at the sea side Aser in the fertile pastures other the like that fel out by casting lotts after foure hundred yeeres and more Where-hence had he this I say to fore-tell what lots so long after should appoynt but onely from GOD who gouerned theyr lots The fore-sight of Moises THE like may be asked coÌ„cerning Moises who before his death in the Deserâ— deuided out the Land of Canaan to euery Trybe euen as though he had beene in possession thereof as afterward it fel out by â—â—â—ting of lots as in the booke of Iosua appeareth And coulde any humane wit or science think you fore see what each Tribe should attaine aâ—ter his death by drawing of lots Again the same Moises fore-saw and fore-told in publique hearing of al the people how in times to come long after his death the Iewes shold forsake GOD and for theyr sinnes be cast into many banishments and finally be forsaken and the Gentiles â—â—ceiued in their roome as indeede it came to passe And whence trowe you could he learne thys but from God alone The Prophecie for the perpetuall desolation of Iericho IN the booke of Iosua there is a curse layde vpon the place where Iericho stood vpon what-soeuer person should goe about to rebuild the same to wit That in his eldest sonne hee should lay the foundations and in his youngest Sonne should he build the gates thereof Which is to say that before the â—oundations were layd and the gates builded he shold be punisâ—â—â— with the death of al his chyldren Which thing was fulfilled almost fiue hundred yeeres after in one Hiel who presumed vnder wicked King Achab to rebuild Iericho againe and was terrified from the same by the suddaine death of Abiram and Segul his chyldren as the booke of Kings reporteth according to the words of the Lord which he had spoken in the hand of Iosua the Sonnâ— of Nun. And since that time to this no man eyther Iew or Gentile hath taken vpon him to rayse againe the said Citty albeit the situation be most pleasant as by relation of stories and Geographers appeareth The prophecie for the birth and acts of Iosâ—â—s THE thyrd booke of Kings maketh mention that when Ieroboam had with-drawne ten Trybes from the obedience of Roboam K. of Iuda to the end they might neuer haue occasion to reunite themselues again to Iuda by theyr going to sacrifice in Ierusalem as by the Law they were appointed he builded for theÌ„ a goodly gorgious high Altar in Bethel and there commanded them to doe theyr deuotions And wheÌ„ he was one day there present himselfe and offering hys incense vpon the sayd Altar and al the people looking on there came a man of God saith the scripture stood before the Altar and cried out â—loude and spake these wordes O â—ltar Altar this saith the Lord beâ—â—ld a child shall be borne of the house of Dauid whose name shall be Iosias and he shall sacrifice vpon thee these iâ—â—latrous Priestes that nowe burne â—â—â—ncumcense vppon thee and he shall â—â—â—ne the bones of men vpon thee Thus spake that man of God in the presence and hearing of all the people more theâ— three hundred yeeres before Iosias was borne and it was registred presently according to the manner of that time which I haue noted before with the same were registred also y e miracles which happened about that fact as that the Altar cleft in two vpon the mans words Ieroboam extending out his hand to apprehend him lost presently the vse and feeling therof vntill it was restored again by the sayd holy mans Prayers who notwithstanding for that he disobeied Gods commaundement in hys return and eate with a Prophet of Samaria which was forbidden him he was slaine in his way home-warde by a Lyon and his body was brought back again buried in Bethel nighâ— the saide Altar amongst the Sepulchers of those idolatrous Priestes of that place but yet with a superscription vpon hys Tombe contâ—yning his name and what had happened There passed three hundred yereâ— and Iosias was borne and came to raigne in Iuda one day comming to Bethel to ouerthrow the Altar to destroy the Sepulchers of those Idolatrous Priests that had been buried in y t place when he began to breake theyr Tombes he found by chaunce the Sepulcher of the sayd man of God with the superscription vpon it By which superscription and relation of the Cittizens of Bethel when he perceiued that it was the Tombe of him that had foretold hys byrth his name his doings so many hundred yeeres before he was borne he let the same stand vntouched as the fourth booke of Kings doth declare Nowe consider whether among any Nation in the worlde but onely among the Iewes there were euer any such prophecie so certaine so particuler so long fore-told before the tyme and so exactly fulfilled But yet the holy scriptures
had taught them The gospell he preached was not after man neyther receiued he it of man but by reuelation from Iesus Christ. Hee brought them no fancies visions dreames interpretations of Scripture hatched in his owne braine but the pure and sincere doctrine receyued by reuelation from GOD hymselfe and faythfully deliuered vnto them without hacke or mayme as he receiued it Therefore S. Ierome vppon that place considering how all Hereticks haue iugled with the Scriptures froÌ„ tyme to tyme sayth That Marcion and Basilides and other Heretiques the contagious botches and plague sores of the church haue not the Gospell of God because they haue not the Spyrite of GOD without which that which is taught groweth to be mans Gospell Thys maketh that learned Father to resolue vpon the matter that it is a dangerous thing peruersly to expound the holy Scriptures for by thys meanes that is by wrong and peruerse interpretation that which is Gods Gospell is made mans Gospell et quod peius est and that which is worse sayth thys holy Father it is made the deuils Gospell For discerning therefore of thys kynde of most pernicious people and theyr deuilish dealing and least we should be carried away with euery winde of docdrine by the wilinesse of men GOD hath ordained in hys Church Apostles Doctors Prophets Pastors Interpreters whom he hath so guyded and gouerned froÌ„ time to time with hys holy Spyrit that they haue beene able by the Scriptures to represse and beate downe whatsoeuer errours and heresies haue been raysed vp by the enemies of Gods truth contrary to the analogie of fayth rule of charitie that is to say beside the true sence and meaning of the Canonicall Scripture When there rose vp certaine seditious fellowes among the Iewes in the Primatiue Church making som contention about theyr ceremonies as did Simon Magus Nichâ—lasâ— Cerinthus Ebion and Meandâ—r that were Heretiques They were refelled and conuinced out of the scriptures by the Apostles and their Schollers Martialis Dyonisius Areopagita Ignatius Policarpus and other who were no doubt directed and guided by the Spyrit of GOD. Afterwarde when Basilides Cerdon Marcion ValeÌ„tinus Tatianus Apelles Montanus and diuers other troubled the Church wyth monstrous heresie they were coÌ„futed by Iustinus Martyr Dionisius Bishop of Corinth Iraeneus Clemens Alexandrinus Tertullian their equales who in all theyr controuersies had recourse vnto the Scriptures and beeing instructed and ledde by the spyrite of trueth preuailed mightilie against theyr aduersaries And so downward froÌ„ age to age vnto our dayes whatsoeuer heresie or different opynion hath sprung vp contrary to the doctrine of Christ and hys Apostles it hath beene checked and controlled by the Watchmen spiritual Pastors and Gouernors of the Church who alledged alway the coÌ„sent of y e scriptures for decyding of al doubts and were most graciously guided by the Spyrite of GOD in all theyr actions And heereof it is that the worde of God is called the sword of the spirit because as it was giuen by inspiration at the first so beeing expounded by the direction of the same Spirite it is most liuely and mighty in operation sharper then any two edged sword and entering through euen to the deuiding a sunder of the soule and the Spyrit of the ioynts and the marrowe and it is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the hart This is that spyriual sword wherwith our Sauior Christ preuailed against sathan the head Lord maister of all Heretiques who notwithstanding pretended scriptures for his deuillish purposes And the Apostle Paule beeing furnished with thys onely weapon dysputed against the peruerse and ouer-thwart Iewes which dwelt at Damascus and confounded them proouing by conference of Scriptures that thys was verie Christ. Now as it was expedient that the Gospels should be written that we learning the truth fooâ—th of them should not be deceyued by the lyes of herâ—sies so was it necessary that the same gospels shold be preached for the confirmation of fayth And heereof it is that the Apostle Saint Paule Rom. 10 sayth that fayth coÌ„meth by hearing the word of God because the word preached is the ordinary meanes to beget and increase faith in vs for the which cause also it is called the incorruptible seede whereby we are borne a newe and whereby the Church is sanctifyed vnto the Lord. Wherfore to conclude this point seeing that the holy Scriptures are that most infallible and secure way mentioned by Esay seeing they are the rule and leuell both of our faith and lyfe containing in them sufficient matter to confute errour confirme the truth able to make a man wise vnto saluation and perfectly instructed vnto euery good worke this ought to be the duty of y e faythful that I may vse the words of Basil to be thorowly perswaded in his mind that those things are true and effectuall which are vttered in the Scripture to reiect nothing thereof For if whatsoeuer is not of fayth be sinne as sayth the Apostle and if fayth commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God without doubt when any thing is without the holy Scripture which cannot be of fayth it must needes bee sinne And therefore to speake as S. Augustine speaketh if any I will not say if wee but which S. Paule addeth if an Angel from heauen shal preach eyther of Christ or of his church or of any other thing which pertaineth to faith or to the leading of our lyfe otherwise then we haue receiued in the holy scriptures of the Law and the Gospell let them bee accursed Now if forsaking al by-pathes of mens inuentions and traditions we wil search diligently in the scriptures wherein we thinke to haue eternall lyfe we shall see that they testifie of nothing so much as of the promises of God in Christ Iesus who as he is the ende of the law for righteousnes to euery one that beleeueth so doe they send vs directly and as it were lead vs by the hand like a carefull Schoole-maister vnto hym teaching vs to apprehend and lay hold on hym with the hand of fayth and to apply hym with hys gifts graces vnto our selues and our own saluation So that fayth is made the meanes and as it were the Conduit to conuay Christ himselfe his death buriall and resurrection and all the rest of his benefits vnto vs which the Apostle witnesseth Colos. 2.12 Yee are buried saith he with hym thorow Baptisme in whom ye are also raised vp together through the sayth of GOD effectually working who raised hym from the dead Whereof it ensueth that all the faythfull doe not only obtaine y e benefit of Christes death and buriall by theyr Baptisme whereby they die vnto sinne but also doe receiue and enioy the fruite effect of his resurrection by a liuely faith wherby they are quickned and raised vp vnto righteousnes in thys life
the Iewes no man can deny but that throughout the whole bodie and course of Scriptures that is from the very beginning to the last ende of theyr olde Testament they had promised vnto them a Messias which is the very same that we cal Christ that is to say a person annointed sent from God to be a Sauiour a Redeemer a Pacifier of Gods wrath a Mediator between God and man a Satisfier for the sinnes and offences of the whole worlde a Restorer of our innocencie lost in Paradise a Maister an Instructer a Law-giuer a Spirituall and eternall King that should sitte and rule and raigne in our harts to conquer the power and tyranny of satan y e enemy of mankinde who ouer-came our first Parents Adam and Eue and neuer ceaseth to assaile vs. The first couenaunt to Adam THIS is euident by the first couenant of all that euer GOD dyd make wyth man when he sayde to Adam our first Father in Paradise In what day soeuer thou shalt eate of the Tree that is forbidden thou shalt die Which couenaunt beeing after broken on the part of our sayd Progenitor he receiued hys iudgement but yet with a most benigne promise of redemption for the tyme to come for thus God said to y e deuill or Serpent that had deceiued hym The seede of the Woman shall crushe thy head and thou shalt lie in waite to hurt his heele That is one shall proceede in tyme of the seede of the Woman who shall conquer Death and Sinne that are thy weapons and shall not care for thy temptations but shall treade them vnder hiâ— feete and thys shall be Christ the Messias of the world Thus did not onely the eldest Iewes Rabbines vnderstand thys place what-soeuer the latter haue dreamed that their Messias should be onely a temporall King but also the olde Chaldie Paraphrase named Thargum Hierosolimitanum expouÌ„deth it plainly in these words applyed vnto the deuil that had dâ—ceiued Adam They haue a certain and present remedy against thee O deuill for that the time shall come when they shal tread thee downe with theyr heeles by the helpe of Messias which shall be theyr King To Abraham and Isaacke THE same thing is confirmed by the very same promise seauen times repeated and established vnto Abraham that liued very neere two thousand yeeres after Adam and again to Isaack his sonne after him In semine tuo benedicentur omnes gentes terrae All Nations of the earth shall be blessed in thy seede Which had beene indeede but a very small benediction to Abraham or to the Iewes after him y t neuer saw theyr Messias actually if hee had beene onely to be a temporall king And much lesse blessing had it beene to the Gentiles all other Nations if this Messias of the Iewes must haue been a teÌ„poral worldly Monarch to destroy subdue them to the seruitude of Iurie as fondly the latter teachers of that Nation do contend Iacobs prophecie of Christ. THIS yet maketh the Patriarch Iacob more plaine who prophecying at his death of the coÌ„ming oâ— Christ hath these words The scepter or gouernment shall not be taken from the house of Iuda vntill â—ecome that is to be sent and he shall bâ— the expectation of Nations Which latter words the fore-named Chaldie Paraphrase as also great Onkeâ—los both of singuler authoritie aâ—mong the Iewes do interpret thus Donec Christus â—eu Messias veniaâ— c. Vntil Christ or y e Messias comâ— which is the hope and expectatioâ— of all Nations as wel Gentiles as 〈◊〉 vs that are Iewes the gouernment shall not cease in the house or Tribe of Iuda By which sentence of scripture and interpretation of the Iewes themselues we come to learne besides the promise of the Messias two consequences in this matter against y e Iewes of latter tymes First that if their Messias must be y e hope and expectation as well of the Gentiles as of the Iewes then can hee not be a temporall King to destroy the Gentiles as y e latter Iewes wold haue it but a spyrituall King to raigne ouer them and to bring in subiection theyr spyrituall enemies for theÌ„ I mean the flesh the world and the deuil as all true Christians doe beleeue Secondly if the temporal kingdome of the house of Iuda whereof Christ must come shall cease and be destroyed at the comming of Messias as the Scripture auoucheth how then can the Iewes expect yet a temporal King for their Messias as most fondly they doe But to leaue this controuersie with the latter Rabbines and to goe forwarde in declaration of that which we tooke in hand that is to shewe how Christ was fore-tolde and promised to the Iewes It is to be noted that after the death of Iacob last mentioned there is little recorded in scripture of the doings of his people during the space of foure hundred yeres being y e time of their bondage in Egipt but yet y e tradition of that NatioÌ„ teacheth that as soone as they were deliuered out of Egypt were in the Desert towards the Land of Promise the three sonnes of Chore called Aser Eleana and Abiasaphe of whom mention is made in the sixt chapter of Exodus other places made diuers songs Psalmes in the praise expectation of the Messias to come and that the holy men of that time did solace themselues with singing the same that king Dauid afterward in the second part of his Psalmes beginning from the fortie and one vnto the eyghty and seauen gathered the most parte of these old songs together as yet they are to be seene in his Psalter Moises Prophecie of Christ. BVT Moises who liued with the people and gouerned theÌ„ in the wildernesse had a cleere reuelation from GOD of thys Messias in these words I will raise vp a Prophet to this people from amongst theyr bretheren euen as my selfe and I will put my words in his mouth he shall speake vnto them all things which I shall ordaine vnto him and he that shal refuse to heare the wordes which he shal speake vnto them in my name I will be reuenged vppon that man Which words that they cannot be vnderstoode of any other Prophet that euer lyued after Moises among the Iewes but onely of CHRIST it appeareth most manifestly and plainly by the testimony of the holie Ghost where he sayth And there arose not any other Prophet in Israell like vnto Moises c Dauids Prophecie of Christ. AFter Moises about four hundred yeeres ensued Dauid who for that he was a holy man the first King of the house of Iuda out of whose linage y e Messias was to com the particulers of thys misterie were more aboundantly and manifestlie reuealed vnto him then vnto any other And first for assuraunce that Christ should be borne of his stock and lynage these are the wordes of GOD vnto hym I
in many translations as for example where Esay saith Israell shall be saued in Iehoua with eternall saluation which Iehoua signifieth Christ as al men do coÌ„fesâ—e Ionathan turneth it thus Israell shall be saued by Gods word So againe where God sayth by Hosea I will saue the house of Iuda by Iehoua theyr God which is by Christ Ionathan translateth it thus I wyll saue Iuda by the word of theyr God In lyke manner where Dauid wryteth Iehoua sayd to my Lord sitte at my right hand c. Ionathan expresseth it thus Iehoua sayde vnto his worde sitte at my right hand So Rabbi Isaack Arama writing vpon Genesis expoundeth this verse of the Psalme he sent his word and healed them c. to be meant of Messias that shal be Gods word And Rabbi Simeon the chiefe of all the Cabalistes vpon these words of Iob I shall see GOD in my flesh gathereth that the word of God shal take flesh in a womans wombe So that thys doctrine was nothing strange among the auncient Rabbines For further confirmation whereof seeing the matter is of so great importance consider what is recorded in a Treatise called Zoar of high authoritie among the Iewes where Rabbi Simeon that was last before alledged citeth a place out of olde Rabbi Ibda vppon these wordes in Deuteronomie Iehoua our Lorde is one Iehoua which words the sayde auncient Rabbi Ibda interpreteth in thys manner by the first Iehoua in thys sentence being the incoÌ„munible name of God is signified sayth he GOD the Father Prince of all things By the next words our Lorde is signified GOD the sonne that iâ— fountaine of all Sciences And bâ— the second Iehoua in the same senâ—tence is signified GOD the holie Ghost proceeding of theÌ„ both To all which there is added the worde One to signify that these three are inuincible But this secrete shall not be reuealed vntill the comming of Messias Hetherto are the words of Rabbi Ibda reported in Zoar by Rabbi Simeon where also the said Rabbi Simeon interpreteth these words of Esay Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Sabaoth in this manner Esay by repeating three times holy sayth he doth as much as if he had sayd Holy Father holy Son holy Spirite which three Holies doe make but one only Lord God of Sabaoth Finally I will conclude thys controuersie betweene the latter Iewes and vs with the authoritie of learned Philo who lyued in the verie same time with Christ and was sent Embassadour twise to Rome in the behalfe of his Nation in Alexandria that is first in the 15. yeere of Tyberius the Emperour which was three yeeres before Christes passion and the very same yeere wherein he was baptised by S. Iohn and the second time about eyght yeres after to wit in the first yere of the raigne of Caligula Thys man that was the learnedest that euer wrote among the Iewes after y e writers of holy scriptures ceased made a speciall Booke of the banishment of hys Countrimen where hee hath thys discourse ensuing What tyme may be appointed saith he for the returne home of vs banished Iewes it is hard to determine For by tradition we haue that we must expect the death of an high Priest But of those some die quicklie and some liue longer But I am of opinion that this high Priest shal be the very word of GODâ— which shall be voyde of all sinne both voluntarie and inuoluntarie whose Father shall be GOD this word shall be that Fathers wisedome by which all things in thys world were created His head shal be annointed with oyle and hys kingdome shall florish and shyne for euer Thys wrote Phylo at that tyme when he little imagined y t the same high Priest whom he so much expected and the same word of God whose kingdome he describeth was now already come into the worlde And this shall suffise for our second consideration what maner of Messias the Iewes did expect The third Consideration NOw in the third place commeth to be considered what authoritie and power the Messias shoulde haue at hys appearance vpon earth and whether he should change and abrogate the Law of Moses or no Wherein there is no lesse controuersie between vs and the latter Iewes then in the former point of his diuinitie For we hold with Saint Paule that the Lawe of Moses was gyuen vnto the Iewes but for a time to entertaine the people withall and by the outward signes and ceremonies which it had whereof y e most paâ—t or aâ—l prefigured Christ to come to be their Schoole-maister and leader to the tyme of fayth wherein it should be abrogated a far more perfect law seâ—te downe by Christ in place thereof This we prooue first for that the Lawe of Moses was an imperfect Law bringing nothing to perfection as S. Paule well noteth It was as S. Peter saith a burdensome law which the Iewes theÌ„selues were not able to beare for the multitude of ceremonies therein contayned It was a carnall and seruile Law consisting most in the external It was a Law of terror and feare more then of loue and liberty of the spirite It was a Lawe as I sayd before of signes figures for things to come consequently to cease wheÌ„ those things which it prefigured shoulde come to be present It was a Lawe peculier and proper to the Iewes only without respect of all the rest of the world and the exercise thereof was allowed onely in the Countrey of Iurie and that which is more it was not permitted but in one place onely of that Countrey that is in Ierusalem whether euery man was bound to repayre three times a yere to wit at the Pasqua at the Pentecoste at the feast of Tabernacles in that place alone to make theyr sacrifices and in no other Countrey or place besides Now then reasoneth the learned Diuine if thys Lawe of Moses were for the Iewes and Iurie onely howe could it serue for y e tyme of the Messias who was to be King as well of the Gentiles as of the Iewes and to rule all people in the worlde that shoulde belieue in hym vnder one Law If the exercise of this law were allowable onely and lawâ—ull in Ierusalem how could it possiblie be fulfilled by Christians that are dyspersed ouer all the world as for example howe could they repayre to Ierusalem thrise euery yeere howe should euery woman that shoulde dwell in England or India repayre to Ierusalem for her purification after euery chyld-byrth as by the law of Moses she was commaunded Most euident is it then which we sayd before that thys Law was gyuen but to endure for a time And to vse S. Paules owne words it was but Introductio melioris spei an introduction to a better hope It was but an entertainement to that people which by theyr beeing among the Egiptians
it seemeth with a certaine spirit of prophecie did vtter from tyme to tyme though in such termes as most Gentiles vnderstoode them not most wonderful particularities of Christ to come agreeing as it were wholy with the Prophets of Israell or rather setting downe many thinges in more plaine euident speech then dyd the other the one of them beginning her Greeke meeter in these very words Knowe thy God which is the sonne of God c. An other of them maketh a whole discourse of Christ in Greeke verses called Accrostichi for that the beginning of euery verse is by some Letter appointed in order foorth of some one sentence that runneth thorow the whole As for example the sentence that passed through the beginning of those verses which nowe we talke of was this Iesus Christ Sonne of God Sauiour Crosse. And there were so many verses in y e whole discourse as there are Letters in this â—entence The totall argument being of the incarnation life death glory iudgement of the sonne of God And y e last two verses of al the meeter are thus He that hath beene heere described by our Accrostick verses is an immortall Sauiour and a King that must suffer for our sinnes And for that these Prophecies of the Sibyls are of meruailous importance to confirme the verity of our Christian Religion and are alledged often for that purpose by the most graue learned Fathers of the Primatiue Church as for example by Iustinus the Martyr in his Apologie for Christians by Origen against Celsus by Arnobius and his scholler Lactantius against the Gentiles by S. Cyrill against Iulian the Apostata by S. Augustine in his booke De ciuitate Deâ— by Eusebius and Constantine the Emperor other I wil say some-what in thys place for the authoritie credite of these verses least any man perhaps might imagine as some Gentiles in olde time would seeme to doe that they were deuised and inuented by Christians And the most of my proofes shall be out of a learned Oration written in Latine by the foresayde Emperour to a Counsel of Prelates in hys dayes wherein he endeuoureth to shew the vndoubted authoritie of these Sibyl prophecies which he esteemed so much after dilligent search made for theyr credite sincerity as they seeme to haue beene a great cause of his constant zeale and feruour in Christianity The first proofe for credite of the Sibyls verses FYrst then hee sheweth that these predictions of the Sibyls coulde not be deuised or fained by Christians or made after the time of Christes natiuity for that Marcus Varro a most learned Romaine who liued almost a hundred yeeres before Christ maketh mention at large of the Sibyls who in number he saith were tenne and of their writings Countries and ages as also of the writers Authors that before hys time had left memory of them And both hee and Fenestella an other Heathen doe affirme that the wrytings of these Sibyls were gathered by the Romaines from all partes of the worlde where they myght be heard of layd vp with diligence and great reuerence in the Capitole vnder the charge and custody of the High Priest and other Officers in such sorte as no man might see or reade them but onely certaine Magistrates called the Fiftine much lesse might any man come to falsifie or corrupt them The second proofe SEcondly he sheweth that Sibylla Erithraea who made the former Accrostike verses of Christ testifieth of herselfe that she liued about sixe hundred yeeres after the floode of Noe her Countriman Apollidorus Erithraeus and Varro doe report that she liued before y e war of Troy and prophecied to the Graecians that went to that war that Troy should be destroied Which was more theÌ„ a 1000. yeres before Christ was borne Cicero also that was slaine more forty yeeres before Christes natiuity translated into Latine the former Accrostike verses as Constantine affirmeth which translation was to be seene in his workes when Constantine wrote this Oration so that by no meanes they could be deuised or brought in by Christians The thyrd proofe THirdly he sheweth that the same Cicero in diuers places of hys works besides the mention of these Accrostike verses insinuateth also an other Prophecie of Sibylla touching a King that should ryse ouer all the world where-with himselfe and the Romans were greatly troubled and therefore in one place after a long inuectiue against hys enemie Anthonie that would seeme to giue credite to that Prophecie or rather as Cicero dooth vrge against him would haue had the same fulfilled in Iulius Caesar he concludeth thus Let vs deale with the Prelates of our Religion to alledge any one thing rather out of the booke of Sibilla then a King whom neither the Gods nor yet men can suffer hereafter to be in Rome The like prophecie of Sibylla touching a King is insinuated by the same Cicero in his first Booke of Epistles to Lentulus to wit that when the Romaines shoulde restore a King in Egypt by force then shoulde ensue the vniuersall King that should be Lord ouer Romaines and all other Which Prophecie beeing much vrged by Cato the Tribune against the restoring of Ptolomeus Aulates late King of Egypt that for his euill gouernment was expulsed by his subiects y e matter was thought of such weight by all the Romaine Senate I mean the sequel of this Prophecie that wheras otherwise for many respects they were greatly inclined to haue restored the said Ptolomie yet in regard of thys Religion as they called it they changed theyr mindes But what could they alter by thys the determination of God No truelie for soone after King Ptolomie perceiuing the Senators mindes to bee altered fled secretlie from Rome to one Gabinius that was Gouernour of Syria and for fiue Millions of Gold that he promised him he was by the force of Gabinius restored and not long after was Christ born according to the meaning of the Sibyll Prophecie ¶ The fourth proofe FOurthly the said Emperor Constantine prooueth the authoritie of these Sibyls verses for that Augustus Caesar before our Sauior Christ was borne had such regard of them that he laid them vp in more straighter order then before according as Suetonius a Heathen in his life reporteth vnder the Alter of Apollo in the hyll Palatine where no man might haue the sight of them but by speciall licence which licence Constantine prooueth that Virgill the Poet had for that hee was in high fauour with Augustus And therefore in a certaine Eglogue or composition of Verses that he made in praise of a yong child named Saloninus newlie borne to Asinius Pollio Augustus great friend or as other take it of Marcellus a little boy that was Nephew to Augustus by his sister Octauia or rather of them both for adulation of Augustus he applieth I say to one or both of
at that time Which thing Iosephus that lyued in the same age with our Sauiour Christ affirmeth to be fulfilled in the tyme of Herode in so much that if the Romaines had not destroyed theÌ„ without doubt sayth he eyther the earth would haue opened and swallowed them downe or els fire from heauen would haue consumed them All then runneth to this end both by Scripture tradition obseruation and instinct of God himselâ—e that about Herods time the true Messias should be borne And heereof came that common and publique fame that is recorded by Tacitus Suetonius and Iosephus which was also written in open sight vpon the chiefest Tower of the Citty of IerusaleÌ„ that out of Iurie should riseâ— A generall Lord of the vniuersall worlde Which Prophecie as the Romaines eyther contemned or turned another way applying the same afterward to the Emperour Vespasian so the Iewes vnderstood it of their Messiâ—s and Herode feared the matter greatly and for that was so watchfull to extinguish the line of Dauid as hath beene already shewed Heereof also it did proceede that the Magi or Wise men of the East attended so diligently about y t time to expect the starre that Balaam had promised at the comming of thys King Heere-hence also it was that the whole people of Iurie remained so attent at thys time more then euer beâ—ore or since in expecting the Messias Whereupon so soone as euer they hearde of I. Baptist in the Deserte they ran vnto him asking if he were Christ As afterward also they flocked to Iesus demaunding Art thou he which is to come or do we expect another Which wordes import the great expectation wherein that people remained in those dayes Neither wanted that expectation in the chiefe Gouernors themselues as may appeare by that spâ—ech of theirs to Iesus How long wilt thou kill vs with thys expectation if thou be Christ tell vs plainlie Of which fame expectation and greedie desire of the people diuers deceiuers tooke occasion to cal theÌ„selues the Messias in those daies and the people followed them presently which thing had not happened in any age before And among other there is named one Iudas Gaulonites or Galilaeus as S. Luke calleth hym and another Iudas the sonne of Ezechias both of them very wicked and licentious fellowes One also called A tonges a sheepheard and two other named Theudas Egiptus most notable deceiuers And aboue all there was one Barcozbam who as the Thalmud affirmeth for thirty yeeres together was receiued for the Messias by the Rabbines themselues vntill at last they slewe him for that he was not able to deliuer them from the Romaines Which facility in the people wheÌ„ Herod sawe hee caused Nicholaus Damascenus as I noted before to deuise a petidegree for him from the auncientest Kinges of Iuda and so he as well as other tooke vpon him to be the Messias whom diuers carnall Iewes that expected the Messias to be a magnificent King as Herod was would seeme to beleeue and divulgate abroade and thereof in the Gospell they are thought to haue beene called Herodiani that is Herodians or followers of Herod who came to tempt Christ with the Scribes and Pharisies Wherefore to conclude at length this weighty poynt of the tyme of Christes appearing seeing that about y e birth of Iesus vnder Herods raigne there concurred so manie signes and arguments together as the generall peace of the Romaine Empyre the defection of the lyne and regiment of Iuda the open decay of the second Temple the iust calculation of Daniels Hebdomades the attestation of Oracles the obseruation of Rabbines the publique fame expectation of all the Iewes together with the palpable experience of more then fifâ—eene hundred yeeres past since Iesus appeared wherein we see the Iewish people in vaine doe expect another Messias they being dispersed ouer all the world without Temple law Sacrifice Prophet or promise for their redemption which neuer happened vnto theÌ„ til after Iesus death for that in all other theyr banishments captiuities and afflictions they had some Prophecie consolation or promise for theyr deliuerie These things all I say considered and put together we may most vndoubtedly and assuredly conclude that Iesus was borne at the iust time appointed and fore-told by the spirite of GOD and consequentlie that he only was the true Messias Sauior of the world which yet shall better appeare by examination of other things that are to follow The second Consideration NOw in the second consideration there come to be weighed these poynts following the lyne stock of Iesus his manner of conception the place of hys byrth his circumcision name hys adoration by the Magi his presentation in the Temple and hys flight to Egypt For hys line and stock there was neuer man denied or doubted but â—hat Iesus was directly of the Trybe of Iuda and descended linially by hys Mother of the peculier house of Dauid according as it was foretolde that the Messias should doe which is prooued most cleerely by the two Genealogies petidegrees sette downe by S. Matthewe and S. Luke of the blessed Virgins whole discent from Dauid to Ioseph that was of the same Tribe and kindred with her And it is confirmed by theyr repayring to Bethleem when Proclamation was made by Câ—renius in Augustus name that euerie person should repaire to the heade Cittie of theyr Trybe and family to be cessed for theyr Tribute seeing that Bethleem was the proper Cittie onely of them that were of the house and line of Dauid for that K. Dauid was borne therein And finally it is euident by that the Scribes and Pharisies who obiected matters of much lesse importance then thys against Iesus as that he was a Carpenters sonne therby to debase him for hys pouerty yet neuer obiected they against him that he was not of the house of Dauid which they would neuer haue omitted if they might haue doone it with any colour for that it wold haue weighed more against him then all the rest and would in one word haue dyspatched the whole controuersie Nay I adde further that it remaineth registred in the Iewes Thalmud it self that Iesus of Nazareth Crucified was of the blood royal from Zorobabel of the hoâ—se of Dauid For the maner of his conception and of the Message or annunciation made vnto hys Mother by the Angel albeit it depend principally vppon the relation and credite of the Virgine herselfe who onely was priuie thereunto and â—ppon the testimonie of Ioseph to whom it was reâ—ealed by the same Angel afterward yet he that shall consider the circuÌ„stances of the thing it selfe as first the simplicity of both the reporters then howe that it is not vnlikeliâ— that Ioseph beeing iust as he is described woulde haue concealed a thing so much against himselfe against the Law if he
degree of spightfull dealing Whereof likewise the Prophet Dauid made mention long before in the person of the Messias when he sayd They pearsed my hands and feete they deuided among them my apparrell and vpon my vpper garment they did cast loâ—s And againe of another cruelty hee complaineth saying They gaue mee gaule to eate and in my thirst they refreshed me with Vineger Christes death plainly fore-tolde AND finally that Christ should die for the sinnes of mankind iâ— a common principle both prefigured and fore-told throughout all the old Scripture Prefigured by the Sacrifice of Isaack by the raysing vp of the brasen Serpent and by all other sacrifices that were in the Law Fore-tolde not onely by the Scriptures before alledged but also most plainly by Daniell who was told by an Angell that aâ—ter a certaine tyme by him there appointed Vngetur Sanctus SanctoruÌ„ the Saint of Saints shal be annointed et occidetur Christus and thys annointed Saint or Christ shal be put to death Zacharie also about the same tyme dooth not onely fore-tell his death but also the kind thereof and from what people he should receiue the same for thus hee saith in the person of Christ himselfe The inhabitants of Ierusalem at that day shal looke vpon me whom they haue crucified The wonderful predictions of Christes passion set down by Esay BVT if yee will reade the whole story of Christes passion sette down at large sixe hundred yeres before it fell out I refer you to a narration of Esay who to signifie the strangenesse of the case beginneth with the Praeface Who wil giue credite to that we shal report c. And theÌ„ a little after he goeth on in these words He shall mount vp as a twig froÌ„ a dry earth He hath no forme or beautie vpon him We beheld him there was no countâ—naunce in him we saw him the most contemptible despised man in the world A man full of paines and experienced in infirmitie His countenaunce was obscure dispicable and we made no account of him Truly he tooke vpon himselfe our greefes and did beare our paines We accounted him as a Leaper and as a man striken and punished by GOD. But he was wounded for our iniquities and crushed in peeces for our wickednes The discipline or correction of our peace lyeth vpon him and by his woundes we are made whole We haue all erred and gone astray lyke sheep euery man after his own waies and God hath layd vpon him the iniquity of vs al. He was offered vp for vâ—â— because he wold so he shal be led to hiâ— slaughter as a sheepe as a Lamb he shal be silent before his shearers For the sinnes of my people haue striken him saith God He hath doone no iniquitie neyther was there deceit found in his mouth Yet would the lord crush him in infirmitie But if he shall giue his lyfe for sin then shal he see a long seede or generation the wil of the Lord shal be directed in his hand And for so much as his soule hath sustained labour it shall see and be filled And this MY IVST SERVANT in his knowledge shall iuâ—tifie many and beare theyr iniquities And I will allot vnto him very many people and hee shall deuide the spoiles of the stoute for that he hath deliuered his soule vnto death and was accounted among the wicked prayed â—or his trespassours The particulers of Christes passion fore-told by Sibylla THus particulerly as we see was the death Passion of our Sauiour Christ fore-told by the Prophets of Israel to that Nation Now heare ye the Prophecie of Sibylla if ye please wherein she fore-shewed the same to the Gentiles These are her owne words set downe by Lactantius He shall appeare miserable ignominius and deformed to the ende he may giue hope vnto the miserable Afterwarde hee shall come into the handes of most wicked and faithlesse men they shal buffet him with their sacriligious fistes and shall spet vppon him with their vncleane mouthes He shall yeelde his innocent backe to the whyp and shal say nothing while hee receiueth the stripes to the end he may speake to those that are dead He shall beare a crowne of thornes and they shal giue him Gaule to eate Vineger to drinke And this shall be the hospitalitie he shall find among them What thing can be more plainly described then thys The consent of Rabbines NEyther doe the auncient Rabbines and Teachers among the Iewes discent from this For that in theyr Thalmud that was gathered aboue one thousand and two hundred yeres agone the plaine sentences of diuers are sette downe that theyr Messias at hys comming shall be put to death And as for Rabbi Ionathan the Author of the Chaldie Paraphrase who died a little before our Sauiour Christ was borne he applyeth the whole narration of the Prophet Esay before recited as needes he must to the murther of the Messias by the Iewes Whereuppon Rabbi Simeon that lyued the next age after hym wryteth these words folowing Woe be to the men of Israell for that they shall sley the Messias God shal send his son in mans flesh to wash them and they shal murder him Whereto agreeth Rabbi Hadarâ—an and others and doe prooue further out of the fore-alledged Prophecie of Daniell Chapter 9 verse 27. that after the Messias shall haue preached halfe seauen yeres he shall be slaine For that Daniel sayth In halfe of seauen yeres the Hoste and Sacrifice shall cease Vppon which wordes they comment thus Three yeeres and a halfe shall the presence of God in flesh cry and preach vpon the Mount Oliueâ— and then shall hee be slaine Which words the Iewes ordinary Commentarie vppon the Psalmes doe interprete to be meant of Christes preaching three yeres an halfe before his passion Which disagreeth very little or nothing froÌ„ the account of vs Christians and of our Euangelists Of the miracles that fell out in Christes death and passion THus see we by all that hetherto hath beene sayde that the verie particulers of Christes whole death and pâ—ssion were fore-tolde most plainly both to Iew Gentile and acknowledged also by the auncient Doctors of the Iewish Nation before the effectuation therof came to passe And Sibylla addeâ—h further two particulâ—r miracles that should fall out in the sayd Passion of the Messias to wit That the veile of the Iewes Temple should breake in two and that at midday there should be darknes for three houres ouer all the worlde Which thing to haue beene fulfilled at the death of Iesus not onely S. Matthew doth assure vs in hys Gospell but also Eusebius affirmeth that hee had read the same word for worde recorded in dyuers Heathen Wryters And amongst other he citeth one Phlegon an exact Chronicler that reporteth the same in the fourth yeere of the two hundred and two Olimpiad
seene or founde without espial of some one amongst so many that attended there Or if thys were possible as in reason it is not yet what profite what pleasure what comfort coulde they receyue heerby We see that the Apostles Disciples of his who were so abandoned of life hart in his passion after two dayes onely they were so changed as life and death can be no more contrary For whereas before they kept home in all feare and durst appeare no where except among theyr own priuate freendes nowe they came forth into the streetes and common places and auouched with al alacritie and irresistable constancie euen in the faces heaâ—ing of their greatest enemies that Iesus was risen froÌ„ death to lyfe that they had seene him and enioyed his presence And that for testimonie and confirmation heereof they were most readie to spend their liues And could all thys trow you proceed onely of a dead body which they had gotten by stealth into theyr possession wold not rather the presence and sight of such a body so torne mangled and deformed as Iesus body was both vpon the Crosâ—e and before haue rather dysmayed them more then haue gyuen him any comfort Yes truelyâ— And therefore Pilate the Gouernour considering these circumstaunces and that it was vnlikelie that eyther the body shold be stolne away without priuity of the Souldiours or if it had been that it should yeeld such life hart consolâ—tion and courage to the steâ—lers beganne to giue eare more diligently to y e matter and calling vnto him the Souldiers that kept y e watch vnderstood by them the whole truth of the accident to wit that in their sight presence Iesus was risen out of hys Sepulcher to lyfe and that at hys rysing there was so dreadful an earthquake with trembling and opening of Sepulchers rounde about such skryches cryes and commotion of all Elements as they durst not abide longer but ranne and tolde the Iewish Magistrates thereof who being greaâ—ly discontented as it seemed with the aduertisement gaue them money to say that whyle they were sleeping the body was stolne away from them by hys Disciplesâ— All thys wrote Pilate presently to hys Lord Tyberius who was then Emperour of Rome And he sent withall the particuler examinations confessions of diuers others that had seene and spoken wyth such as were rysen from death at that tyme and had appeared to many of their acquaintance in Ierusalem assuring them also of the Resurrection of Iesus Which information when Tyberius the Emperor had considered he was greatly moued therwith and proposed to the Senate that Iesus myght be admitted among the rest of the Romaine Gods offering hys owne consent with the priuiledge of hys supreame royall suffrage â—o that deâ—ree But y e Senate in no wiâ—e would agree thereunto Wherupon Tyberius beeing offended gaue lycence to all men to beleeue in â—esus that would and forbid vpon paine of death that any Officer or oâ—her should molest or trouble such as bare good affection zealeâ— or reuerence to that name Thus much testifieth Tertullian against the Gentiles of hys owne knowledge who lyuing in Rome a learned man and pleader of causes dyuers yeeres before he was a Christian which was about one hundred and foure-score yeeres after our Sauiour Chrâ—st hys ascention had great ability by reason of the honour of his familie learning and place wherein hee lyued to see and know the Recordes of the Romains And the same doth affirme also Egisippus another auncient Wâ—yter of no lesse authoritie then Tertullian before whom he liued Neither onely diuers Gentiles had thys opinion of Iesus Resurrection againe from death but also sundry Iewes of great credite and wisedom at that tyme were enforced to belieue it notwithstanding it pleased not God to gyue them so much grace as to become Christians Thys appeareth plainelie by the learned Iosephus who wryting his storie not aboue fortie yeeres after Christes passion tooke occasion to speake of Iesus and of his Disciples And after he had shewed howe hee was crucified by Pilate at y e instance of the Iewes and that for all thys his Disciples ceased not to loue him stiâ—l he adioyneth forâ—h-with these words Idâ—irco illis tertio die vita resumpta denuo apparuit That is for thys loue of hys Disciples he appeared vnto them againe the third day wheÌ„ he had resumed life vnto him Which expresse plaineâ— resolute words we may in reason take noâ— as the confession onely of Iosephus but as the common iudgement opinion and sentence of all the dyscreete and sober men of that tyme layde downe and recorded by thys Historiographer In whose dayes there were yet many Christians aliue that had seene spoken with Iesus after his Resurrection infinite Iewes that had heard the same protested by theyr Fathers bretheren kins-folkes and freendes who had beene themselues eye witnesses thereof Of Iesus ascention AND thus hauing declared and proued the Resurrection of our Sauiour Iesus both how it was foreshewed as also fulfilled there remaineth nothing more of necessitie to be sayd in thys Section For that whosoeuer seeth acknowledgeth that Iesus beeing dead could rayse himselfe againe to lyfe wil easily beleeue also that he was able likewise to ascend vp to heauen Whereof notwithstanding S. Luke alledgeth one hundred and twenty witnesses at the least in whose presence he ascended from the top of the Mount Oliuet after forty dayes space which hee had spent with them from the tyme of hys resurrection Hee alledgeth also the appearing of two Angels among al the people for testimonie thereof He nameth the day and place when and where it happened He recounteth the very words that Iesus spake at his ascention He telleth the manner howe hee ascended and how a Clowde came downe and receiued hym into it out of theyr sight He declareth what the multitude dyd whether they went and in what place they remained after theyr departure thence And finally he setteth downe so many particulers as it had been the easiest matter in the world for hys enemies to haue refuted his narration if all had not beene true Neyther was there anie to receiue more domage by the falsehoode thereof then himselfe and those of his profession if the matter had beene feigned Wherefore to conclude at length thys treatise of the byrth lyfe doctrine actions death resurrection and ascention of Iesus seeing nothing hath happened in the same which was not fore-tolde by y e Prophets of GOD nor any thing foreshewed by the same Prophets concerning the Messias which was not fulfilled most exactly within the compasse and course of Iesus abode vpon earth we may most certainly assure our selues that as GOD can neyther fore-tell an vntruth nor yeeld testimony to the same so can it not be but that these things which wee haue shewed to haue beene so manifestly fore-prophecied and so euidently accoÌ„plished must needes assure vs
At what tyme besides the ouerthrow of theyr Citty burning of theyr Temple and other infinite dysâ—resses which Iosephus an eye-witnes protesteth that no speech or discourse humane can declare The same Authâ—ur lykewise recordâ—th eleuen hundred thousande persons to haue been slaine fourscore and seâ—uen teene thousand taken alyue who were eyther put to death afterwarde in publique tryumphes or sold openly for bond-â—â—aues into all parts of the world And in thys vniuersall calamitie of the Iewish Nation bâ—â—â—â—g the most notorious and grieâ—ous 〈◊〉 euer happened to peoâ—lâ—â—r Naâ—â—on before or after â—he for the Romans neuer practised the like vpon others it is siâ—gularly to be obserued that in the same time and place in which they had put Iesus to death before that isâ— in the feast of the Paschall wheÌ„ theyr whole Nation was assembled at Ierusalem from all partes Prouinces and Countries of the earth they receyued this their most pittifull subuertion and that by the hands of the Romaine Caesar to whom by publique cry they had appealed from Iesus but a litle before Yea further it is obserued and noted that as they apprehended Ieâ—us and made the entrance to hys passion vppon the Mount Oliuet so Tytus as Iosephus wryteth vppon the same Mount planted hys first siege for their finall destruction And as they ledde Iesus from Caiphas to Pilate afflicting him in their presence so nowe were they themselues ledde vp downe from Iohn â—o Symon two Tyrants that had vâ—urped dominion within the Citty and were scourged and tormâ—nted before the trybunal seates Again as they had caused Iesus to be scoffed beaten and villainously intreated by the Souldiours in Pilats Pallace so were now theyr own principall Rulers and Noble men as Iosephus writeth most scornfully abused beaten and crucified by the same Souldiers Which latter poynt of crucifying or villainous putting to death vpon the Crosse was begun to be practised by the Romaines vpon the Iewish Gentrie immediatly after Christes death and not before And nowe atthys tyme of the war Iosephus affirmeth that in some one day â—yue hâ—ndred of hys Nation were taken and put to thys opprobrius kinde of punishment in so much that for the great multitude he sayth Nec locus sufficeret Crucibus nec Cruces corporibus that is neyther the place was sufficient to contayne so many crosses as the Romaines sette vp nor the crosses sufficient to sustaine so many bodies as they murthered by that torment Thys dreadfull and vnspeakable misery fel vpoÌ„ the Iewes about fortie yeeres after Christes ascention when they had shewed themselues most obstinate obdurate against hys doctrine deliuered vnto them not only by himselfe but also by hys Disciples of which Disciples they had now slayne S. Stephen Saint Iames and had driuen into banishment both S. Peter and S. Paul and other that had preached vnto them To which latter two Apostles I meane S. Peter S. Paule our Sauiour christ appeared a little before theyr martyrdoms in Rome as Lactantius wryteth and shewed that within three or foure yeeres after their deathes he was to take reuenge vpon theyr Nation by the vtter destruction of Ierusalem and of that generation Which secrete aduise the sayd Lactantius affirmeth that Peter and Paule reuealed to other christians in Iurie wherby it came to passe as Eusebius also and other Authors doe mention that all the Christians lyuing in Ierusalem departed thence not long before the siedge began to a certayne Towne named Pella beyond Iordan which was assigned them for that purpose by Iesus himselfe for that it beeing in the dominion of Agrippa who stood with the Romaines it remained in peace saâ—â—ty while all Iurie besides was brought to desolation Thys then waâ— the prouidence of God for y e puniâ—hment of the Iewes at that tyme. And euer after theyr estate declined from worse to worse and theyr miseries daily multiplyed throughout the world Whereof hee that wil see a very lamentable narration let him read but the last booke onely of Iosephus hystory De bello Iudaico wherein is reported besides other things that after the war was ended and all the publique slaughter ceassed Tytus sent three-score thousand Iewes as a present to hys Father to Rome there to be put to death in dyuers sundry manners Others hee applyed to be spectaâ—les for pastime to the Romaines y t were present with him wherof Iosephus sayth that he sawe with his owne eyes two thousande and fiue hundred murthered and consumed in one day by fight combat among themselues and with wilde beastes at the Emperours appointment Others were assigned in Antioche other great Citties to serue for fagots in theyr famous bond-fires at â—ymes of tryumph Others were sold to be bond-slaues others condemned to dyg and hewe stones â—or â—uer And thys was the end of thâ—t warre and desolation Aâ—ter thys againe vnder Traiane the Emperour there was so infiniâ—e a number of Iewes slaine and made away by Marcus Turbo in Affrica and Lucius Quintus in the East as all Histories agree that it is imposâ—ible to expresse the multitude But yet more wonderfull it is which the same Historians report that in the eyghteene yeere of Adrian the Emperour one Iulius Seuerus beeing sent to extinguish all the remnant of the Iewish generation destroyed in smal time nine-tie eyght Townes and Villages within that Countrey and slew fiue hundred four-score thousand of that blood and Nation in one day at which tyme also he beate downe the Cittie of Ierusalem in such sorte as he left not one stone standing vpon another of their auncient buildinges but caused some part thereof to be reedified againe and inhabited onely by Gentiles He changed the name of the Citty and called it AELIA after the Emperours name He droue all the progenie and of-spring of the Iewes foorth of all those Countries with a perpetual Law confirmed by y e Emperour y t they should neuer returne no nor so much as looke backe froÌ„ any high or eminent place to that Country againe And thys was done to the Iewish Nation by the Romaine Emperours for accomplishing that demaund which their principal Elders had made not long before to Pilate the Romaine Magistrate concerning Iesus most iniurious death crying out with one coÌ„sent voice to wit Let his blood be vppon vs and vpon our posteritie The seauenth Consideration AND heerein also I meane in the most wonderful and notorious chastisement or rather reprobation of the Iewish people which of all the worlde was Gods peculier before is sette out vnto vs as it were in a Glasse the seauenth and last poynt which wee mention in the beginning of this Section to wit the fulfilling of such speeches and prophecies as Iesus vttered when he was vppon the earth as namely at one tyme after a long vehement commination made to the Scribes and Pharisies and principall men of
God towardes vs that he sath sent hys onely begotten Sonne into the world to purchase life for vs. In this I say is made euident his exceeding charitie that we not louing him he loued vs first and gaue his own son to be a raunsome for our sins Wher vnto also the holy Apostle S. Paul agreeth admiring in like manner the excessiue loue of god in these words God doth meruailously commende and set forth hys great loue vnto vs in that we being yet sinners he gaue his son to the death for our redemption And in another place framing out as it were a measure of Gods mercy by y e aboundance of his loue sayth thus God who is rich in mercie through the exceeding loue which he bore vnto vs wee beeing dead in sin he reuiued vs in Christ and raysed vs vp euen vnto heauen making vs to sitte downe there with hym to the end he might declare to all ages worlds ensuing the most aboundant riches of hys grace and goodnes towards vs. Thys was the opinion of that noble Apostle S. Paule and of all hys coequals Apostles Euangelists Disciples and Saints that this work of our redemption proceeded only froÌ„ the inflamable fornace of Gods immeasurable loue And therefore to make no other conclusion heereof then that which S. Paule hymselfe doth make If God haue not spared his owne propper and onely begotten sonne but hath giueâ— him vp to death for gayning vs vnto hym how can it be that with him he hath not giuen vs al other things If when we were hys enemies and thought not vpon hym hee sent to seeke vs so diligently by such a messenger as hee loued so deerely allowing hym to lay downe a price for vs which he so infinitely esteemed what shall we thinke that he wil doe vnto vs now wee being made hys owne by our redemption if we return willingly vnto hym when our receiuing shal cost hym nothing els but onely a mercifull looke vppon vs which is not so much from the infinite bowels of hys bottomlesse mercie as is one droppe of water from the most huge gulfe of the maine Ocean sea And thys shall suffise for the fiâ—st poynt of Gods loue declared vnto vs by the three most sweet and comfortable names and respects of Creator Father and Redeemer The second part how God expresseth his loue towards sinners NExt after which we are to consider in what manner God is accustomed to expresse declare thys loue of hys in his dealings and proceedings towards sinners And first of al the wise man hauing had long experience of thys matter beginneth to describe and sette â—oorth in thys sort saying vnto God hymselfe Thou O Lorde doost dissemble the sinnes of men to giue vnto them tyme of repentance And then when they will not vse thys benefite of hys forbearing but wil needes enforce him to punish and correct them he sayth further of thys correction Such as wilfully doe runne astray O Lord and will not turne vnto thee thou dost correct them sweetly by little litle admonishing and exhorting them to leaue theyr sinnes and to beleeue in thee These two poynts then of exceeding clemencie by the testimonie of the wiseman are founde in Almighty God first to wincke at the wicked lyfe of men and to expect theyr conuersion with vnspeakeable patience and longanimitie according as also the Prophet Esay beaâ—eth witnesse adioyning the cause thereof in these words The Lorde doth attend your conuersion to the end he may take mercie on you and thereby be exalted And secondly for the same respect when he is enforced by reason of his iustice to chastise them yet doth he the same with such moderation and mildnes as alwaies in this life hee reserueth place of pardon And to these two we may adioyne yet a third property of his mercie more admirable perhaps then the formerâ— which is as Tertullian excelleÌ„â—ly noteth that he being the partie offended yet first and principally desireth reconsiliation he hauing receiued the wrong iniurie yet doth he most busily intreate for amitiâ— attonement And whereas in all ryght and equitie he might denie vs pardon and for hys power take reuenge of vs at hys pleasure yet doth he not onely offer vs peace of hys owne accorde but also sueth vnto vs by all meanes possible to accept thereof humbling in a certaine manner hys diuine Maiestie to our basenes and vilitie and behauing himselfe in thys respect as a Prince that were enamoured of hys bond-slaue and abiect seruaunt Thys might be declared by many of hys own speeches and doings in holy Scripture but one place out of the Prophet Esay shall serue for all where Almighty GOD so earnestly wooeth y e conuersion of Ierusalem as no louer in the world could vtter more signes testimonies of a hart inflamed sette on fire with loue then he dooth towards that Cittie which so highly had offended hym For first after many thrâ—ates poured out against her if she dyd not return least she might perhaps fall into despayre he maketh this protestation in the beginning of hys speech Indignatio non est mihi c. Angry I am not ô Ierusalem but whatsoeuer I haue spoken I haue spoken of good wil and loue Secondly hee entreth into this dyspute and doubt with hymselfe about punishing her for her sinnes what shal I do Shall I treade her vnder my feete and put her to the fire or els will she stay my puissaunt hand and make peace with me will she I say make attonement with me After which doubt and cunctation he resolueth himselfe to change hys manner of stile to â—al a lyttle to chyde with her and then he sayth Harken O ye deafe inhabitants of Ierusalem looke about ye yee blinde folke that will not see who is blind and deafe but my seruaunt that wil not regarde or listen to the Messengers which I sende O thou which hast open eares wilt thou not heare And then a lyttle after he beginnâ—th to smooth and speake faire againe saying Euer since thou hast beene gracions and glorious in mine eyes I haue loued thee and for thy soule wil I giue whole Nations Feare not for that I am with thee Wherwith shee beeing little or nothing mooued he returneth to a sweet maner of complaynt saying Thou hast enthrallâ—d me by thy sins and with thine iniquities thou hast greatly afflicted mee Which beeing sayde and she somewhat moued thereby to loue him as it seemeth he turneth vnto her with thys most comfortable and kynde speech I am he I am he which cancelleth thine iniquities for myne own sake wil neuer think any more vpon thy sins All which being done they now reconciled and made fast friends together his diuine Maiestie beginneth a very louing conference as it were and sweet expostulation wyth her sayiug in these words Call thou to