the beautie in peace And againe there shoulde be no ende of peace And yet further hee shall bee Prince of peace And King Dauid long before hym againe In his daies there shal rise iustice and aboundance of peace Which thing though especially it be to be vnderstood of the internall peace tranquilitie of our mindes and soules yet considering that externall peace also was necessary for a tyme for the quiet planting publishing of Christes Gospell seeing that the same was brought to passe most miraculously vpon the suddaine when in reason men might least expect the same for the infinite warres wherein the worlde a lyttle before had beene and by reason of the Romaine Monarchie so freshlie established which in theyr beginnings are wont to be troublesome thys peace I say can not be but a great argument that thys was the proper tyme of the Messias hys comming And thus much for the state of the worlde in generall And nowe for the perticuler state of Iurie at Iesus natiuitie thus it was according as Iosephus the Iew who was borne wythin fiue yeeres after Christes passion describeth the same One Herod a stranger whose Father called Antipater came out of Idumaea was risen to acquaintaunce and fauour wyth the Romans partly by hys said fathers meanes who was as Iosephus wordes are a well monied man industrious and factious and partly by hys owne dilligence and ambition beeing of himselfe both wittie beautifull and of excellent rare qualities By which commendations he came at length to marry the Daughter of Hyrcanus King of Iurie that was descended linially of the house of Dauid and Trybe of Iuda And by this mariage obtained of hys Father in Lawe to be Gouernour of the Prouince of Galilie vnder hym But Hyrcanus afterwardes falling into the hands of the Parthyans that caryed him into â—â—rthya Herode ranne awaie to Rome and there by the speciall helpe fauour of Anthony that ruled in coÌ„pany together with Octauiê° he obtained to be created King of Iurie without any tytle or interest in the world For that not onely his sayd Father in Law Hyrcanus was yet aliue in Parthia but also his younger brother Aristobulus and three of hys sonnes named Antigonus Alexander and Aristobulus dyuers others of the bloode royall in Iurie Herode then hauing procured by these meanes to be King of Iurie procured fyrst to haue in hys hands the fore-said King Hyrcanê° so put him to death he also brought to the same ende hys younger brother Aristobulus and hys three sonnes likewyse He put to death also hys owne Wife Mariamnes that was King Hyrcanus Daughter as also Alexandra her Mother and soone after two of hys owne sonnes which he had by the sayde Mariamnes for that they were of the blood royall of Iuda And a little after that againe he put to death hys thyrd sonne named Antipater He caused also to be slaine at one time fortie of the cheefest noble men of the Trybe of Iuda And as Phylo the Iewe wryteth that liued at the same time wyth hym he put to death all the Sanhedrin that is the seauentie and two Senatours of the tribe of Iuda that ruled the peoâ—â—â— He kylled the cheefe of the sect of the Pharisies He burned the Genealogies of all the Kings and Princes of the house of Iuda caused one Nicholaus Damascenus an Historiographer that was hys seruaunt to drawe out a petidegree for hym and his lyne as though he had descended from the auncient Kings of Iuda He translated the High priest-hood solde it to strangers And finally hee so rased dyspersed and mangled the house of Iuda as no one iote of gouernment dignitie or principalitie remained therin And when he had doone all thys theÌ„ was IESVS of the same house and line of Iuda borne in Bethleem the proper Cittie of Dauid which Dauid was the founder and first Authour of Regalitie in Iuda Nowe then consider the prophecie of Iacob concerning the perticuler tyme of Christes appearaunce almost two thousand yeeres before these things fell out Come hether my children said he that I may tell you the things which are to happeÌ„ in the later daies c. The Scepter shall not be taken from Iuda vntill he come who is to be sent and he shall be the expectation of Nations Which prophecie that it was fulfilled nowe at Christes natiuitie when Herode had extinguished all gouernment in Iuda no man can denie that wyll acknowledge the thinges sette downe before which are recorded by Writers both of that tyme and of the Iewish Nation and Religion themselues And that it neuer was fulfilled from Dauids daies who began the gouernment of the house of Iuda vntill thys tyme appeareth plainely by all Hystories Records both diuine prophane For that from Dauid who was the first King vnto Zedechias that was the last and died in the captiuitie of Babylon the Scripture sheweth howe all the Kinges descended of the house of Iuda And during the time of theyr captiuitie in Babylon which was seauenty yeres the Iewes were alwaies permitted to chuse themselues a Gouernour of the house of Iuda whom they called RESCHGALVTA And after theyr delyuerie from Babylon Zorobabel was theyr Captaine of the same Trybe and so others after him vntyll you come to the Macchabees who vvere both Captaines and Priestes for that they were by the mothers side of the Tribe of Iuda and by the fathers side of the Trybe of Leui as Rabbi Kimhi holdeth And from these men downe to Hyrcanê° Aristobulus whom Herod slew there continued stil the same lyne as Iosephus declareth So that by thys prophecie it is euident that Iesus was borne at the proper tyme appointed for the Messias when there was neither Kyng nor Captaine nor High Priest nor Counsellour nor any one Gouernour of the house tribe of Iuda left in Iurie An other prophecie there is no lesse euident then the former wherein it is affirmed that the Messias shold come before the second Temple of Ierusalem that was builded by Zorobabel after the Iewes were returned from theyr captiuitie in Babylon shoulde be destroyed by the Romaines For better vnderstanding whereof it is to be noted that the Temple of Ierusalem was builded twice fyrst by Salomon which lasted about foure hundred and fortie-two yeeres and then it was burned destroyed by Nabuchodonozor King of Babylon Wherefore about seauentie yeeres after it was builded again by Zorobabel who reduced the Iewes from Babylon and so it continued vntill it was destroyed the second time by Tytus son to Vespasian the Romaine Emperour about fortie and sixe yeres after our Sauiour Christ his ascention At what time it had lasted froÌ„ Zorobabel almost sixe hundred yeeres and from Salomon aboue a thousand And as in the time of the seconde building the people of Israell were poore
shall goe down into Egipt and all the Idols of Egipt shall shake at his presence Which later point Eusebius sheweth that it was fulfilled most euidentlie in the sight of all the world for that no Nation came to Christian religion with so great celeritie or feruour as did the Egyptians who threw downe theyr Idols before any other heathen Nations And as they had been the first in idolatry to other Countries so were they the first by Christes coÌ„ming vnto them that afterwarde gaue example of true returne to theyr Creator It followeth in Esay And I will giue vp Egipt into the hands of cruell Lords a Potent King shall take dominion ouer them Which was fulfilled about the very time wherein Christ was to come For that then after many spoyles cruelties excercised vppon Egypt by the Romaine Lords and Princes as Pompey Caesar Anthonie others in the end Cleopatra their Queene that was the last of all the bloode and lyne of the Ptolomiâ—s was inforced to sley her selfe and so Augustus the Emperor tooke possession of all Egypt and subiected it as a Prouince to the Romaines Empire But consider you howe Esay concludeth the matter after all these temporall afflictions threatned against Egipt confesse that such aduersitie is no signe of Gods dys-fauour to them who receiue it For thus sayth God after all hys cominations In that daie there shal be an Aultar of Iehoua in the middest of Egipt they shall cry to God in their tribulation and he shal send them a Sauiour c. Blessing shall be in the midst of that Land to whom the Lorde God of hostes hath giuen his benediction saying Blessed is my people of Egipt And heere we make an ende of our second consideration The thyrde consideration NOwe in the thyrd place there commeth to be considered according to our former dyuision the life conuersation doctrine and myracles of Iesus And first touching things doone by him after his coÌ„ming out of Egypt which might be about the sixt or seauenth yeere of hys age vntil hys baptisme by S. Iohn which was the thyrtith there is little recorded eyther in Prophane or Ecclesiasticall Wryters For that as Saint Iustine S. Chrisostome S. Augustine and others doe write hee bestowed that time in the common exercise and labours of mans life therby to shewe himselfe true man and gyue demonstration how much he hated and detested idlenes Of Saint Iohn Baptist all Hebrue wryters of that time doe make mention with exceeding prayse and admiration of hys holinesse especially Iosephus that liued immediatly after Christes daies sayth he was Vir optimus Iudaeos excitans ad virtutum studia A most excellent man stirring vp the Iewes to the exercise of vertue Hee addeth also that partly for feare of the great concourse of people which flocked vnto him and partlie by the solicitation of Herodias concubine and brothers wyfe to Herode Antipas the great Herods sonne for whose cause he had turned off hys owne Wife daughter to Areta King of the Arabians hee was apprehended and imprisoned in the Castle of Acherun and therein soone after put to death Which murder Iosephus esteemed to be the cause of al the misery which insued afterward to Herod and his whole familie Of thys man it was written by Malachie the Prophet Behold I send my messenger or Angel before me he shall prepare the way before my face presently shal com to his temple the RVLER whom ye seeke and the MESSENGER OF THE TESTAMENT whom you desire Which prophecie was fulfilled most euidently vppon the preaching of S. Iohn when Christ came vnto him and albeit S. Iohn had neuer seene him before yet he acknowledged him for the Messias in the presence of infinite people hys acknowledgment was confirmed by the visible descending of a Doue voice from heauen in the sight hearing of all the people present according as three of our Euangelists doe report Which they would neuer haue presumed to doe had not the matter been most euident and without al compasse of deniall or contradiction And truely no one thing in all this storie of Iesus life doth more establish the certaintie of hys beeing the true Messias then that S. Iohn Baptist whose wisedome learning vertue and rare sanctitie is confessed and recorded by the writings of all our aduersaries should refuse the honour of the Messias offered vnto himselfe and lay it vpon Iesus as also shoulde direct those Disciples that depended vpon him to the onely folowing and embracing of Iesus doctrine Which is most euidently prooued that hee did for that so many folowers and disciples as himselfe had not one appeared euer after that was not a Christian. When Iesus was baptised he began to preache and his whole doctrine was directed to the manifestation of hys Fathers will and amendment of mans life It tendeth all to thys one ground and principle Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy soule thy Neighbour as thy selfe It was plaine easie perspicuous and euident though it treated of most high misteries It had neither pompe nor pryde of rethoricall words nor flattering of mans wickednes as the doctrine of manie Phylosophers had Neyther consisted it of vnprofitable externall ceremonies as the later obseruations of the Iewish Lawe dyd nor was it fraught wyth carnalitie and spirit of thys world as the Turkish Alcoran and other sectaries doctrine is But all was simplicitie all was spirit all was trueth al was honestie all was humilitie all was charitie It tooke away or dysanulled no one perfect or spirituall poynt of Moses Lawe but rather reuiued interpreted fulfilled and made perfect the same For whereasâ— that coÌ„maunded externall obseruaunce this addeth also internall obedience Whereas that sayd loue your freendes thys adioyneth loue also your enemies Whereas that commaunded we should not kyll thys further commaundeth to speake no angry words Wheras that prohibited to commit actuall adulterie thys also forbiddeth to couet in minde Whereas that sayd take no interest or vsurie of a Iewe that is thy Countriman thys fayth take it of no man whatsoeuer Wheras that accounted euery Iewe onely to be thy neighbour thys teacheth euery person liuing to be thy brother Whereas that taught thee to offer vp a Calfe a Sheepe or an Oxe for thy sinnes thys instructeth thee to offer vp a contrite hart by fayth in the bloode of hym that died for all with a firme and resolute purpose of amendement of life And finally thys doctrine tendeth wholy to the true sincere and perfect seruice of GOD thy Lord that made and redeemed thee to the exaltation of hys onely name power goodnes and glorie to the depression of mans pryde by discouering his misery to the contempt of this world vaine pompe thereof to the mortification and subduing of our sensual appetite to the true loue vnfayned charitie of our neighbour to
great inconueniences losses dangers and dis-fauours as they did and should continue with him in all hys afflictions and be content to die loose their liues rather then forsake him or abandon his seruice this I say is such a miracle as neuer in the worlde fell out the like and must needes be graunted by the enemie to be supernaturall The second poynt is of externall things and facts doone by Iesus aboue all power of humaine abilitie in the sight and knowledge of all the Iewes which facts were published by our Euangelists and especially by Saint Matthew in the Hebrue tongue while yet the persons were aliue vpon whō they were wrought or infinite other that might be witnesses thereof As for example the raysing of Lazarus in Bethania that was a Vyllage but a mile or two distant from Ierusalem at whose death and buriall beeing a Gentleman many Scribes Pharisies must needes be present according to the Iewish custom at that time as is reported by Iosephus and they sawe him both deceassed interred and the funerall feast obserued for him as also raised againe from death by Iesus after foure dayes of hys buriall With whom they dyd both eate and drinke and conuerse after hys returne to life and euery day might behlode him walking vppe and downe openly in the streetes of Ierusalem This storie I say how coulde it be feigned So in like manner the raysing of the Archisinagogues daughter whose name is affirmed to be Iairus wyth diuers other circumstaunces that doe make the thing most notorious The raising of the widdowes son before the gate of the Cittie Naim in the presence of all the people that bare the saide corps stood about it The healing of the Cripple in Ierusalem that had layne thirtie and eyght yeeres lame at the Pooles side or Bath called Probatica which miracle was done also in the sight of infinite people The casting out of a Legion of deuils frō a man that for many yeeres together was known to liue possessed in the Mountaines which deuils by peculier lycence obtayned of Iesus to enter into a hearde of Swyne and so presently carried two thousande of them away into the Sea and drowned them Whereuppon the whole Countrey about of the people called Gerasines beeing striken with extreame feare vpon sight of the fact besought Iesus most humbly to depart frō their borders The feeding and filling of fiue thousand men besides women and children with fiue Barley loaues and two fishes onely The turning of water into wine at a marriage in Cana in the presence of all the Guestes The healing of hym by a worde onelie that had an incurable dropsie and thys at the table of a principall Pharisie and in the sight of all that sate at dynner wyth him These I say and diuers other such myracles which were done in the presence and sight of so infinite a number of people and recorded by our Euangelists at such tymes when many desired to discredite the same might haue doone easilie by many witnesses and authoritie if any one part thereof had been subiect to calumniation cannot in reason or probabilitie be doubted of And therfore I must conclude that seeing these things are aboue all power of humaine nature and coulde not be doone but by the finger and vertue of the liuing GOD himselfe considering also that it is impossible that God should assist or giue testimonie to any falsehoode it must needes ensue that al was true and sincere which Iesus affirmed and consequently seeing he affirmed himselfe to be the Sonne of God and the true and onelie Messias it must needes follow by these miracles that hee was so indeede which is the ground of that speech of hys to the faithlesse Pharisies If you will not beleeue my words beleeue my deedes And thus much of Iesus life doctrine conuersation and miracles The fourth Consideration THere remaineth nowe onely the fourth and last consideration of thys Section which is the passion resurrection ascention of Iesus And about his passion there is little or no controuersie for that all his enemies doe agree and graunt that hee was betrayed by his owne disciple apprehended afflicted and deliuered vppe by the Iewes and finally put to death vppon a Crosse by the Gentiles The testimonie of Iosephus may serue for all heerein whose wordes are these That the principall Iewes of his Country hauing accused and deliuered ouer Iesus to Pilate that was Gouernour of Iurie for the Romaine Emperor he adiudged him to the Crosse. The same doe other Iewes and Gentiles record and in thys they take great offence scandale that wee shoulde attibute diuinitie vnto a man that had suffered death vpon the Crosse. But if wee shewe that this was the eternall preordination and appointment of God for sauing of mankinde and that the same was fore-tolde both to Iewe and Gentile from the beginning and so vnderstood also by the Iewish Doctors thēselues of elder times then euery reasonable man I trowe will remaine satis-fied and preferre Gods diuine wysedome before mans follie First then consider that when Christ had ended hys preaching and wrought so many miracles as seemed sufficient to hys eternall wisedom and when the time was come pre-ordained for his passion whereof hee tolde publiquely his Disciples before hee went vppe to Ierusalem of purpose to receiue his death and made a solemne entrie into that Cittie vppon an Asse which was prophecied of him many yeres before Reioyce daughter of Sion Behold thy IVST KING and SAVIOVR shall come vnto thee vpon an Asse And after hys aboade some dayes in that place he was betrayed and sold by his owne Disciple as Dauid before hand in many places had fore-told shold come to passe Then followed his apprehension and most seruile abusage by the Iewes whereof it was fore-prophecied in hys person by Esay I gaue my bodie to them that beate it and my cheekes to them that buffeted the same I did not turne my selfe away from them that reproched mee nor yet from them that did spitte in my face After this barbarous intreatie by the Iewes they deliuered him ouer to Pilate a Gentile and neuer ceassed to solicite and pursue theyr vnquenchable hatred against him vntill they sawe him on the Crosse where also hee was vsed in the highest degree of spightfull dealing Wherof likewise the Prophet Dauid made mention long before in the person of the Messias when hee sayd They pearsed my handes and feete they deuided among them my apparrell and vppon my vpper garment they did cast lots And againe of another crueltie hee complaineth saying they gaue me Gaule to eate and in my thyrst they refreshed me with Vineger And finally that Christ shoulde die for the sinnes of mankinde is a common principle both prefigured and fore-tolde throughout all the olde Scripture Prefigured by the sacrifice of Isaac by the
was a terror to Iesus at hys returne from Egipt fell also by Gods iustice into meruailous calamities For first beeing left as king by hys father Augustus woulde not allowe or ratifie that succession but of a king made hym a Tetrarch assigning vnto hym onelie the fourth part of that dominion which hys Father had before And then again after nine yeeres space tooke that away in like maner wyth the greatest dishonour hee coulde deuise seazing vpon all hys treasure and riches by way of confiscation and condemning hys person to perpetuall banishment wherein he died most miserably in Vienna in France Not long after thys the seconde sonne of Herod the first named Herod Antipas Tetrarch of Galilie who put S. Iohn Baptist to death and scorned Iesus before hys passion whereat bothe hymselfe and Herodias hys Concubine were present was deposed also by Caius the Emperour beeing accused by Agrippa hys neerest kinseman most conâ—umeliously sent in exile first to Lyons in Fraunce and after that to the most deserte and inhabitable places in Spayne where he wyth Herodias wandered vppe and downe in extreame calamitie so long as they liued and finally ended theyr dayes abandoned of all men In which miserie also it is recorded that the dauncing Daughter of Herodias who had in her iolitie demaunded Iohn Baptists heade beeing on a certaine time enforced to passe ouer a frozen Riuer suddainely the Ise brake and shee in her fall had her heade cut off by the same Ise without hurting the rest of her bodie to the great admiration of all the lookers on The like euent had another of Herods familie named Herod Agrippa the accuser of the fore-named Herod the Tetrarch who in hys great glory and tryumph hauing put to death S. Iames the brother of S. Iohn Euangelist imprisoned S. Peter was soone after in a publique assembly of Princes and Nobles at Caesaria striken from heauen with a most horrible disease whereby hys bodie putrified and was eaten wyth vermine as both S. Luke recordeth and Iosephus affirmeth And the same Iosephus with no small meruaile in himselfe declareth that at the very same time when hee wrote hys storie which was about three-score and ten yeeres after the death of Herod the first the whole progenie and of-spring kindred and familie of the sayd Herod which he sayth was exceeding great by reason he had many wiues together wyth many children brothers and sisters besides Nephewes and kinse-folke were al extinguished in most miserable sort and gaue a testimonie saith Iosephus to the world of the most vain confidence that men doe put in humaine felicitie And as the punishments lighted openly vppon Iesus professed enemies in Iurie so escaped not all the Romaines theyr chastisement I meane such as especially had theyr hands in persecution of him or of his folowers after him For first of Pontius Pilate that gaue sentence of death against him we read that after great disgrace receiued in Iurie he was sent home into Italie and there by manifest dis-fauours shewed vnto him by the Emperour his Maister fell into such desperation as he slew himselfe with his owne hands And secondly of the very Emperours themselues who liued from Tyberius vnder whoÌ„ Iesus suâ—fered vnto Constantine the great vnder whom Christian Religion tooke dominion ouer the world which contained the space of three hundred yeeres very fewe or none escaped the manifest scourges of Gods dreadfull iustice shewed vpon them at the knytting vppe of theyr dayes For examples sake Tyberius that permitted Christians to liue freely and made a Lawe against theyr molestation as before hath beene shewed died peaceably in his bedde But Caligula that followed him for his contempt shewed against all diuine power in making himselfe a God was soone after murdered by the coÌ„sent of hys deerest freendes Nero also who first of all other beganne persecution against the Christians wythin few moneths after he had put S. Peter S. Paul to death in Rome hauing murthered in like manner his owne Mother Brother Wife and Maister was vpon the suddaine from his glorious estate and maiestie throwne downe into such horrible distresse and confusion in the sight of all men as being condemned by the Senate to haue hys head thrust into a Pyllerie and there most ignominiously to be whypped to death was constrained for auoyding the execution of that terrible sentence to massacre hymselfe with hys owne handes by the assistance of such as were dearest vnto him The like may be shewed in the tragicall endes of Galba Otho Vitellius Domitian Commodus Pertinax Iulian Marcinus Antoninus Alexander Decius Gallê° Volutianus AEmilianus Valerianus Galienus Caius Carinus Maximianus Maxentius Lucinius and others Whose miserable deathes a Noble man Councellour well neere one thousande yeeres past did gather against Zosimus a Heathen writer to shewe thereby the power-full hand of Iesus vpon hys enemies adding furthermore that since the time of Constantine whiles Emperours haue beene Christians fewe or no such examples can be shewed except it bee vppon Iulian the Apostata Valens the Arrian heretique or some other of like detestable and notorious wickednesse And thus much of particular men chastised by Iesus But if we desire to haue a full example of hys iustice vppon a whole Nation together let vs consider what befell Ierusalem and the people of Iurie for theyr barbarous crueltie practised vpon him in hys death passion And truely if we beleeue Iosephus Philo the Iewish Historiographers who lyued eyther wyth Christ or immediatly after hym it can hardly be expressed by the tongue or penne of man what insufferable calamities and miseries were inflicted to that people presently vpon the ascention of Iesus by Pilate theyr Gouernor vnder Tyberius the Emperour and then againe by Petronius vnder Caligula and after that by Cumanus vnder Claudius and lastlie by Festus and Albinus vnder Nero. Through whose cruelties that Nation was enforced finally to rebell and take Armes against the Romaine Empire which was the cause of theyr vtter ruine and extirpation by Tytus and Vespasian At what time besides the ouerthrow of their Cittie burning of theyr Temple and other infinite distresses which Iosephus an eye-witnes protesteth that no speeche or discourse humaine can declare The same Authour likewise recordeth eleuen hundred thousand persons to haue been slaine and foure-score and seauenteen thousande taken aliue who were eyther put to death afterward in publique tryumphes or sold openly for bond-slaues into all parts of the world And in thys vniuersall calamitie of the Iewish Nation beeing the most notorious and greeuous that euer happened to people or nation before or after them for the Romaines neuer practised the like vpon others it is singulerly to be obserued that in the same tyme and place in which they had put Iesus to death before that is in the feast of the Paschal when theyr whole Nation