of one by nature and of another by the law Hereof Ioseph is said in one petigree to bee the son of Iacob and in another petigree the son of Hely as being the naturall son of Iacob and called the son of Hely because Iacob had hâ—m by Helies wife whom Hely left a widow and without any children for Hely and Iacob were brethren of one wombe although of diuerse fathers that is to say of Mathaâ— who was father vnto Iacob and Mathat who was father vnto Hely But although it be most true that the yong prince did descend of the princes of the Iewes and that he was of the familie of Dauid yet these petigrees of Ioseph proue nothing but that the prince his mother was of the tribe of Iuda because Ioseph who in these petigrees is proued to be of that name did espouse her it being a thing vnlawful among the Iewes that any shuld match but in their own tribe but neither doth this proue that this prince was of the tribe of Iuda because notwithstanding diuerse tribes should not ioyne togither in mariage the tribe of Iuda and Leui might and therefore the the proofe that Ioseph was of the tribe of Iuda and of the family of Dauid sheweth notâ—â—ng for the yong prince but that hee did by his mother discend either of the tribe of Iuda or of the tribe of Leuy For this cause many take the seconde petigree for the petigree not of Ioseph but of the yong prince by his mothers auncesters Thus beginneth that petigree Iesus was entring into his 30. yeare who was thought to be the son of Iâ—seph who was the sonne of Hely that is to say Iesus was accounted the sonne of Ioseph but he was the sonne of Hely by Mary daughter to Hely otherwise called Heliachim or Ioacâ—im for all is one name among the Iewes and although by this account the Prince should haue but one King among his auncesters yet hee had manie absolute Princes and gouernours of the people descending from Zorobabel vnto Iamnes otherwise called Ioannes Hircanus who not brooking the miserie in which hee and his people lyued through the oppression of the Syrians at the beginning of Antiochus Epiphanes his raigne who forced them to doe manie thinges agaynst their lawes slewe himselfe for which fact all his wealth was confiâ—cate which was a cause that the familie of Dauid liued afterwarde somewhat obscurely But in these petigrees appeareth a verie intricate difficultie For if Salathiell and Zorobabel mencioned in the seconde petigree are the same which are mencioned in the first why doth not the seconde petigree name the princes auncestours from king Dauid by king Salomon as the first doth but by Nathan an other of Dauids sonnes by Bersabe king Salomon his mother Againe if Salathiel and Zorobabel mentioned in the second petigree are not the same which are mencioned in the first petigree how came they which are reckoned in the second petigree to be princes of the people and their posterity vntill Iamnes slue himselfe A sacred history affirmeth that Zorobabel who is saide to descend from Iechonias the last king of the Iewes by Salathiel did carrie the people home out of Babylon where they had beene captiues And other hystories of authoritie continue this gouernment by Mosullam or Misciola Zorobabels sonne and such as are reckoned in the seconde petigree to bee the prince his ancesters The difficultie will bee easilie solued if we may say that Salathiel and Zorobabel mencioned in the one petigree were the same which are mentioned in the other and that Salathiel was not sonne vnto Iechonias but vnto Neri And this is agreeable vnto the Oracle which said that Iechonias should be barren and one who should neither prosper nor haue anie ofspring which shoulde sit in the throne of Dauid or haue any authoritie euer after in Iudah Which shoulde not haue beene true if hee shoulde haue children to succede him and to say that a man is barren or that the sonne dooth not succeed his father when the sonne hath not that pompe and maiestie which his father had is to say that most men are barren and few sons succeed their fathers so we may say that neither Salomons sonne did succeed him from whom ten tribes fell and followed Ieroboam nor Ioachas succeed his father Iosias because that Pharaoh king of Egypt within three moneths after tooke him sent him into Egypt where he died prisoner nor Ioachim brother to Ioachas who after that he had for a space paide to Pharaoh a yeerly tâ—ibute of a 100. talents of siluer and one of gold paide tribute for the space of three yeeres to Nabuchodonosâ—r king of Chaldea and rebelling against him was taken and slaine and throwne out of Hierusalem and lay vnburied according to the Oracle which sayd that hee should haue no other then the buriall of an Asse Nor his sonne Iechonias who was within three moneths after caried prisoner into Chaldea least perchance he should by some meanes haue reuenged his fathers death yet notwithstanding is this Iechonias sayde to haue sitten in the throne of Dauid and Zorobabel and his children hauing authoritie in Iudah as Kinges although for some cause they woulde not bee called Kings it is euident the Oracle being of infallible truth that Salathiel father to Zorobabel was not naturall sonne to Ieconias but to Neri and accounted the sonne of Ieconias as descending of Ieconias his wife who was left to Neri the next of kinne to Ieconias and to raise seed to Ieconias who according to the Oracle was barren Some woulde seeme to solue this difficultie by saying that Salathiel was the naturall sonne of Ieconias and adopted by Neri after Ieconias his death but why then were the princes his auncestors reckoned from King Dauid by Nathan the other beeing both a more true and more honourable petigree By this pedigree also is shewed how the prince was high priest for Onias the high priest hauing one onely daughter and one sonne hee gaue his daughter in marriage vnto Tobias otherwise called Mathathias Siloa who was grandfather vnto Iamnes the last prince which the Iewes had immediately before the Machabees and one of the yong prince his anncestors but his sonne Onias some call him Ananias and say that hee was not his sonne but his brother fledde from Hierusalem into Egypt where by Philomater the King of Egypt his lycense hee built in Hieropolis a Temple like vnto the temple in Hierusalem and there ended his life in scisme Onias the Father hadde also twoo brethren who after they hadde brought him out of the high-priesthood were themselues as they bribed Antiochus Epiphanes the King of Siria nowe one of them high priest nowe another and in the ende both shutte out and slaine Some doe say that those three brethren were sonnes to Simon who was high Priest and sonne vnto that Onias which fled into Egypt but whosoeuer they were all perished and oue succeeded them in that dignitie whose name
Antipas who claimed the kingdom by his fathers will which was made when hee was in health and would haue disprooued his Fathers last will because it was made when hee was in great extremitie of sicknes and knew not what hee did but Nicholas of Damascus Archelaus his orator knowing before whom he pleaded answered that it was a sufficient argument that Herod knew what he did because he left his will in all things to Caesars wisedome and after he had laid the blame of al the murders and misdemeaners of Archelaus vppon them which aunswered him as being rebellious and sactious people against their prince Archelaus came to Caesar and vpon his knees offered himselfe vnto him whome Caesar took vp and promised that he would doe nothing against Herods last will onely he would haue him refraine the name of a king for a while which he doubted not but that hee would quicklie deserue The cause of this strife betwixt these two brethren for the kingdome was Herods their fathers rashnes who in his life time appointed now one then an other almost all his sonnes for kinges first hee ment that the kingdome should descend from him vnto his sonnes Alexander Aristobulus whome he had by Mariamnes grandchild to Hircanus ' the last king of the Iewes but his eldest son Antipater whom he had by Doris a base woman being prouoked oftentimes by the contemptuous speeches of the princes for whose mothers loue his mother was reiected deuised how he might both take reuenge vpon thē and aduance himselfe whereof first hee wrought meanes by the discredite of the princes to come a little into his Fathers fauour which when hee had gotten so farre as his Father put him before the two princes in the right of the kingdome hee vsed matters in that sort that Herod hauing by his sleight and his friends put Mariamnes to death now also by his false suggestions murdered his two sonnes which he had by her then was Antipater honoured as a king by all for Herod gaue ouer vnto him the gouernement of the countrie in such manner as he kept vnto himselfe little more then the bare title of a king which Antipater also thought was too much yet first he stirred vp his father what he coulde against Archelaus and Philip two other of his brethren thē sought meanes to poison his Father which being perceiued by Herod hee presently chaunged his former will by which hee had giuen the kingdome to Antipater and being offended with Archelaus and Philip by Antipaters meanes hee made Antipas his successor in this kingdom but before hee dyed hauing manifest proofe of Antipaters treasons against him he repented too late his cruelty which now he mistrusted was without cause against Mariamnes her children and accounting all which proceeded from Antipater to haue beene false accusations to further himselfe in the kingdome he chaunged his will and deuided the countrie into foure partes made foure Tetrarches ouer it but the chiefest part he left to Archclaus whome he set downe in his last wil for his successor if Caesar shold think him meet and not aboue fiue dayes before his death caused Antipater to be executed and buried obscurely for as he had many causes for which hee thought hee might worthily haue put him to death before so would he not vpon any of them execute him without Caesars consent to whome hee had signified by letters what Antipater had attempted and wrought against him and how that in his treasons he had vsed the helpe of Acme who attended vpon Iulia the Empresse to which letters Caesar aunswered that Acme being found guiltie at Rome was executed as she had deserued and that Antipater was now at his Fathers discretion to order him as hee would which was no small comfort vnto him in the extremitie of his sicknes wherefore hee determined that Antipater should die which intention vpon this occasion was put in execution When Herod beeing in an extreame fitte of his sicknesse would haue slaine himselfe and was hindered by Achiabus who was his nephew Achiabus notwithstanding hee had preuented the stroake gaue so great a skritch that all in the pallace thought Herod had beene dead And Antipater who was not farre off although a prisoner hearing those newes dealt with his keeper to lette him goe at libertie as not doubting to gette the kingbome within a shorte time and to the end he might perswade the more easily hee promised great gifts both then and for afterward But this keeper either for feare of Herod or for little loue to Antipater went presently to Herod and declared his sonnes attempt for which Herod in his rage commaunded him presently to bee slaine so that now remained the other twoo willes which Herod made to bee tryed which of them were of force but Caesar decided the controuersie and the two brerhren vppon this conclusion returned from Rome to Palestina where Archelaus as well before as after his voyage did so little degenerate from his father that gladde were they who were out of his dominion which was the cause why Ioseph auoyded his owne countrey and went directly to Nazareth with his charge from whence euerie yeare for deuotion sake they went to Hierusalem to the Temple especially at the feast of Easter for many feasts did the Iewes obserue and no one passed them without great solemnitie Some of them might not bee celebrated but in Hierusalem some againe might bee obserued els where wheresoeuer the Iewes dwelt Their Sabaoth they did celebrate euerie seuenth day a daye solemne from the beginning of the world sanctified by God himselfe and called the sabaoth because then hee ceased from creating the world and the complements thereof wherefore the Iewes alwayes except when they were in Egypt and all theyr auncestors kept the seuenth day holy in remembrance that after sixe dayes in which all things were created God rested the seuenth day which although perchance when they were in Egypt they minded not and in time forgot it being so long in bondage where they could not vse that honour vnto God vpon that day as theyr fathers had taught them yet were they assured that was the day when they were in the wildernesse by the myracle which chaunced so oft vnto them that in the end they did by theyr murmur seeme to contemne it for when they wanted victuall in the desart God sent down vnto them like raine a food which because they knewe not else what to call it they called it Manna which woord was in euerie mans mouth when they first saw it and signifieth what is this it fell sixe dayes and the seuenth nothing fell but vppon the sixt day it fell in greater aboundance then any other day that the people might gather sufficientlye to serue them the same day and the next Vpon this which they called sabaoth it was not lawfull for them to doe anye worke no not to prouide or dresse any meate for their sustenaunce for confirmation of which they did see
looketh backward is not iudged fitte for the kingdome of God as also hee afterward preached which sentences may haue a more fit place hereafter to bee discussed lette it nowe suffice that they shew howe that the young prince did not in vaine spend his time in making yoakes and ploughes whose principall arrant was for nothing else but that his spouse taking on her his yoake and going stil forward frō vertue to vertue might recouer with a sweet pain what she carelesly lost by a proude sin But Palestina labored all this while vnder a most grieuous yoake so much the more grieuous because they had no hope of any help The 72. seniors who were alwaies of the familie of Dauid and the chiefe princes of the people therfore could beare great sway among thē were al murdered by Herod for he could neuer brooke any of the ancient nobility and Proselithes as himselfe was were in their place The two brethren whose falling out for the Kingdome was Herods falling into it were both put to death first Aristobulus who gaue the first occasion of the ruine of the countrey was poysoned by Pompey afterwarde Hircanus in whome was all the right which was knowne both to the priesthood and to the kingdome was put to death by Herod Alexander eldest sonne to Aristobulus and husband to Alexandra daughter to Hircanus was beheaded at Antioch in Siria Antigonus his other sonne fled with his sisters to mount Libanus where hee bestowed one of them vppon a great Lorde without the mountaine but himselfe was afterwarde taken and after some grieuous torture beheaded by Antony Alexandra daughter to Hireanus Herod did put to death and her daughter Mariamnes who was his owne wife also his own sonnes Alexander and Aristobulus whome hee had by her but before those hee caused Aristobulus who was brother to Mariamnes to bee drowned for he was the onely man whome at that time hee feared as well for his towardlinesse as his title hee hadde to the kingdome Yet to colour his malice hee gaue him all the honour which hee could he displaced Ananelus whome before hee had exalted vnto the priesthood and restored Aristobulus to the high-priesthood by which fact all that stocke thought themselues bound to him he might at his pleasure make him away when he would for before Alexandra had procured Cleopatra the Queene of Egypt to make Antony the Emperour send for him fearing lest that at one time or other hee should be murdered by Herod but when that Herod perceiued that some did worke to get him out of his handes after the first excuse made to Antony that the people would not like well to haue their onely hope from them in a strange countrey by this exalting him hee contented them all and Alexandra ioyed so much to see her sonne made high priest as shee forgot that euer shee had any iust cause to thinke him in any perill Herod seeing all things to goe forward as hee would wish and that nowe hee was trusted with the youth for hee was not past sixteene or seuenteene yeeres of age which was vsed for a colour that he was not before placed in that dignity he practised the more securely what he intended against Aristobulus but as it is thought hee made the more haste because he saw an extraordinary ioy in all the people who were maruailously affected vnto the youth for that in all his actions especially at the Altar in his rich ornaments hee did most liuely represent vnto them his grandfather Aristobulus performed all things with exceeding great maiestie and reuerence Herod resolued to rid him and his owne feare playd with him as he was woont to doe for he cared not sometime if hee were seene to vse some youthfull games in his companie to make him and others thinke how much hee loued him and when they were both somewhat hote vnder pretence of some refreshing hee carryed Aristobulus to a verie pleasant place where were large pondes and men swimming in them amongst whome at Herods verie importunate intreatie Aristobulus went also to swimme and the swimmers hauing gotten him into the water pretended to make him some sport but Herod who was a looker on had all the pleasure for they diued so long and so often and ducked him with them so much that in the end striuing to small purpose hee was drowned by them Then was nothing heard in the country but weeping and lamenting and Herod himselfe although hee wept at the beginning was thought afterwarde to grieue somewhat when hee reflected vpon those commendable parts which were in the youth and hee repeated this fact when Antony by Cleopatra her procurement at Alexandra her suite sent for him to answere for it but before hee went to make his answere hee sent such effectually pleading presents as when hee came all which he swore and forswore was beleeued and contrary to the expectation of the whole world and his own was not only acquited of this cruell murder but also vsed in most friendly and familiar manner The children which Alexander and Aristobulus Herods sonnes by Mariamnes left behinde them were too yong at this time to lay clayme to the kingdome although afterward Agrippa who was sonne to Aristobulus enioyed it But Archelaus shewing himselfe to be Herods son in all things which might vexe the Iews brought them all into such humours as they cared not what King they had so that they might bee freed from Herods kinred and some of them without anye head opposed themselues at Hierusalem agaynst the Romanes as the cheefest authours of their miseries others seeing no possibilitie of withstanding the Romanes who were now become conquerours of all the worlde made suite at Rome to the Emperour Augustus that they might bee altogether vnder the Romanes gouernement Some followed one named Iudas whose father Ezechias had in Herods time troubled the whole countrey and they were the more encouraged to accept him for their King because at Sephoris the cheefest Citie of Galile hee tooke the Storehouse wherein was exceeding much armour with the which hee armed those who followed him Others about Hierico were contented to honour one named Simon with the title of a Kinge hee had serued Herod in his life time and nowe perswaded himselfe that hee had as much right vnto the kingdome as Herod his maister had before him whereupon to shewe some forwardenesse hee burned and spoyled many Pallaces therabout and gaue what was to bee gotten among his souldiours But these factions continued not so longe as that which a shephearde beganne of a huge stature and strengthe his name was Athronges hee had foure bretheren not much inferiour to himselfe whome hee made gouernours of those multitudes which flocked vnto him but in the end some of the brethren being taken the other vpon condition yeelded vnto Archelaus Others hearing a rumor that Alexander one of Herods sonnes whom he had by Mariamnes was yet liuing beleeued it because they much wished it and no honour
by any art be described his glorious throne no eye is able to behold his profound wisedome no vnderstanding is able to comprehend his authoritie no power is able to resist hee liueth in light inaccessible hee ruleth with maiestie incomparable and because his verie name is ineffable too much presumption it were to attempt to set â—oorth the worthinesse of his nature In his workes hee hath shewed himselfe so prouident as all may iustly admire him so good as all may aboue all loue him so sweet as all may ioy sufficiently in him but for any inferiour vnto him selfe perfectly to know him wâ—ere to limit his perfections which are beyond all bounds because they are infinite With this Emperour liued the aboue mentioned Princes without any tediousnesse desire of change or any kinde of sorrow being incapable of any thing but happinesse vntill a maruailous rare and rigorous seeming accident befell them for their Emperour hauing one onely sonne equall vnâ—o his father in power might and authoritie and in no one poynt of perfection degenerating from him from both whome for the infinite likenesse betwixt them proceeded an infinite loue hee deputed him to a publike shamefull and a painefull death which did so amaze the Princes attendant whose loue was no lesse vnto him then vnto his father that might they haue beene suffered they would all haue sustained that punishment to haue saued their Prince but their offer was refused for the sentence was irreuocable The motiue of this vnnaturallâ—seeming iudgement was an exceeding great loue which hee bare vnto a Lady his adopted daughter who was so enchaunted by her owne folly as of a most comely and beautifull creature shee became so mishapen and so vgly that shee was loathsome euen vnto her selfe This enchauntment was by eating an apple of which her father before had giuen her warning shee should not taste vpon perill of that which should ensue thereof but her pride was so great that ingratefull to so good a Lord and disobedient to so carefull a father shee followed the motion which was made vnto her by a false though a fayre spoken enemie and eate thereof contrarie to her father his commaundement The Enchantment was so deuised that hauing taken effect it should not bee dissolued but by the death of the onely sonne of an Emperour who should exceede all the princes in the world in giftes both of bodie and minde he should bee peerelesse for his birth riches beautie wisedom and might whose father should neuer know any woman nor his mother any man and should in the very selfe same instant both haue and want both father and mother The liking by any such prince of such an vnlouely Lady being vnlike and the birth of anie such prince or other seeming impossible made the Enchanter secure that this his work should endure for euer The Enchanter himselfe was one of more malice then might but yet of more might then an vnrulie assailed could well resist Hee was sometime a prince of the Emperour his court among princes a prince being endewed with farre more excellent gifts then any his fellow princes and exalted vnto that honor as hee was reputed the chiefest vnder his Lord and Maister but bearing himselfe so proudly against his maker hee found by too late an experience that hee who bestowed those graces vpon him could also againe bereaue him of them and because hee had once abused them with intollerable pride hee should euer after be abridged of them to his eternal pain To reuenge which disgrace hee assayed the Ladye the Emperour his daughter and wonne her loue so farre foorth as shee gaue more credite vnto him then vnto her father and would do more at his request then at her fathers commaundement for although she seemed at the first to haue a small liking vnto his motion yet with faire promises and too farre aboue his power to performe in the ende hee made her giue a consent vnto her vtter ouerthrow had not the Emperour his sonne being deputed by his Father thereunto vndertaken to release her by the losse of his owne life The ransome being appointed to be disbursed infinitely exceeding that which was to bee redeemed too gracious for so vngracious a creature and too bountifull for her who wilfully made herselfe bondslaue by selling outright a royall and reall good for a proud imaginatiue Godhead a great difficultie arose in what manner it should be paid for the prince being of so excellent a nature that he was not capable of the smallest annoyance and in so strong a hold that hee could not sustaine the least harme much lesse the losse of his life it was needfull he should both take vppon him a nature and abide in such place as in which and where he might effect his desire Here loue which maketh euery one it possesseth to conforme themselues vnto their loue quicklie determined what was in doubt and make this conclusion that hee should take vppon him the same nature of which his sister was and her peruersenes onely excepted hee should in all thinges bee like vnto her which conceit loue made so conformable vnto his former counsell as the more hee thought vppon it the fitter the meanes seemed to bring his purpose to a good passe For first he thoght that hereby hee might in a most louelie manner enioy her companie whome hee so entirely loued without giuing any cause of ielousie to her ouerdiligent keeper Secondly hee thought that the keper taking him for his captiue might the more easily be ouertaken by his carelesnes Thirdly he thought this nature fittest for his purpose that shee whome hee loued being of the same nature might the better gesse at the torture hee should suffer for her sake because by the shedding of his blood hee was to worke her safety and fancy him the sooner who would aduenture so far to win her loue who was not worthy of a good looke Wisedome therefore guiding the sterne as carefully as loue seemed continually to fill the sayles the prince proceedeth with no lesse policy then speede and searching who of vnworthies was least vnworthy for no one was worthy to mother such a sonne hee founde a maiden so farre exceeding all the rest that he thought it both needles to seeke any further shee was so fitte for his purpose and impossible to finde her peere she was so pure a creature shee was descended of a princely race but liued very obscurely and although she were espoused to a mate yet meant she to remaine a maiden A princely ofspring was fittest to conceiue such a maiesty and a poore maiden meetest to cloake so high a mystery of her he determined to bee borne without a Father who before all beginnings was begotten without a mother This maide dwelt in Palestina the chiefest Prouince of Syria enuironed with Syria and Arabia on the east side on the south with the desart of Pharam and Egypt on the west with the Mediterranean sea and on the North with
pardon of thier deedes doone sinfully Through the bowels of our Lords mercie In which he came to vs rising from high To comfort those with light the which doe sit In darkenesse and in the shadow of death And that the waies of peace each one may hit Our feete from straying he also guideth His song being ended and his enduring without ende next vnto her sonne whome in this songe hee acknowledged the author of his ioy he thought the B. virgin was to haue her due wherefore comming vnto her he gaue her that honour which at that time hee thought meete although hee dared not to giue her in open shew so much as he meant her in his minde And by this time the companye finding theyr sences which they seemed to haue lost vpon this sodaine accident beganne to whisper among themselues what such straunge wonders should poâ—tend An old and barren couple to haue a childe was a thing full of ioye to theyr friendes and maruaile to straungers but Zacharias his speech restored vnto him after nine moneths dimnesse was to them both both ioy and wonder They remembred when hee was first dumbe which by their account was immediately before the conception of the child they did assure themselues that he had seene some vision in the Temple but when they heard him at the circumcision of his sonne not onely speake but fore-show also matters of such importance to be now at hand they could doe no lesse then coniecture that this child should beare some part in them and therefore demanded they ech of other â—ow think you will this childe proue which doubt one which was present would soon haue solued if he would haue bin seen but it was somwhat too soone therfore he deferred it vntil a fitter opportunitie should be offred for that purpose where we shall in part also vnderstand what thiâ— child proued for this time accoÌ„pany the blessed virgin who verie well vnderstanding the matter when she saw her time left her coosens with a friendly farewell although they were greatly sorie for her departure to comfort themselues in their little one and the rest to diuulge those strange wonders in the mountaines Her guard was quickly in a readinesse to safeconduct her to Nazareth where her parents reioyced not a little to see their daughter and Ioseph was exceeding glad to inioy his spouse who thought the time very long of her stay and therefore requyted her long absence with his often presence after her returne through which he perceyued the sooner that she was with childe which did not onely checke in some part his loue but also choaked all his ioy He loued her so intirely well that hee knew not howe to hate her and yet in his conceyte she had deserued such hatred that hee knewe not howe hereafter hee coulde loue her He meant truly and faythfully to haue kept his promise made vnto her when they were betrothed and hee could not but thinke it great disloyaltie in her towarde him by this supposed spousebreach For the loue he bare vnto her he would not openly defame her for then according to the lawe shee shoulde haue beene stoned to death yet could he not frame himselfe to detaine her because he conceiued an offence impardonable and if at any time her vertues ranne in his thoughts to bee such that it coulde not bee possible shee shoulde in so foule a matter fâ—ll from her faith giuen to God and him yet againe hee thought it impossible but that she should be faultie hauing such manifest proofe of a matter of which he could conceiue no reason but guiltines against reason Not brooking therefore what he mistrusted nor yet willing that she should be a by-word for the world hee bethought himselfe that it would bee best for them both if hee should dismisse her without defaming her for although he saw euident perill of his owne life as well by forsaking her whom he loued as his life as by liuing with her who had alreadie grieued him almost vnto the death yet hee thought it would be an easier death if he were altotogether from her then to die in the dayly sight of her whom he tooke to be his murderer But while hee was thus troubled in chusing by which torture he could best like to end his life and in a manner resolued to dismisse her crying out against heauen earth the one because he thought it had wrought him this wrong the other to reuenge it his eyes grew as heauie as his heart and by a mourneful fall bereaued him of all his sences And being now at some little rest not because he had no griefe but because he felt it not hee thought hee saw a man whose attire comelinesse and maiestie bewraied him to be no lesse then a prince although some kinde of his behauiour shewed him to bee no more then a messenger as bold to speake as he seemed able to perswade him he thought he heard vse these words vnto him Ioseph sonne of Dauid feare not to take Marie thy wife for that which is bred in her is of the holy ghost she shal be deliuered of a son whom thou shalt call Iesus for he shall saue his people from their sins Which message being done he departed Ioyfull tydinges to poore Ioseph but straight he feared that they wer too good to be true He knew her vertue was such as she might very wel be thought the least vnfit to mother such a child but againe he thought himselfe not worthy to husband such a wife with which conceit being somewhat troubled he awaked and calling to mind the vision which he had seene sleeping hee remembred also what he had often heard waking that a serpent was threatned by a diuine oracle a perpetuall enmity pronounced betwixt him on the one part a woman and her seed on the other part which he heard expounded of a maiden who should bring forth a son without the company of man expressed sufficiently in that it was called her seed and confirmed at another time by the same oracle to Achas K. of the Iewes when it was told him that a virgin shold conceiue in her womb bring forth a son afterward an other answer was giuen that a sprig shold spring from the root of Iesse who was K. Dauids father a flower from thence shold bud to shew that as a flower grew only froÌ„ one so likewise shold he of whoÌ„ was so great expectation And what strange or new thing this should be which the oracle did insinuate God wold make that a virgin shold conceiue a man he could not imagin vnles it shold be vnderstood to be done without the company of a man that the infant shold haue what perfection could be in man which agreed very wel with his visioÌ„ These such like as he recounted in his mind he recanted that which before he ment now hauing as great difficulty to beare the ioyes he felt as he had
shee had offered almes at whose death a sword of griefe should pierce her owne soule For among others which expected the redemptioÌ„ of Israel one whose name was Simeon dwelling in Hierusalem father vnto Gamaliel as some write and sonne vnto Hillel who was one of the twoo chiefe maisters of the Scribes and Pharyses men of great learning and right vnderstanding vntill opposing themselues against the Sadduces who were accounted heretickes among the Iewes they fell by two much precisenesse into most absurd superstitions This Hillel liued 120. yeeres and flourished not long after the Machabees he was of the tribe of Iuda and no doubt instructed his sonne Simeon how neere hee was who was to come to redeeme Israel for which cause Simeon made alwayes his prayer vnto God that hee might see his Sauiour before hee dyed which was promised vnto him and this day of the virgins purification performed for comming according vnto his custome into the Temple and seeing the mayden mother and her sonne hee tooke the childe with exceeding great ioy in his armes and as one who after a long time had obtained his hearts desire hee beganne with a voyce which was no lesse then an 100 yeere old to sing this little Hâ—mme Now lettest thou thy seruant Lord depart According to thy word in peace Because mine eyes haue seene which ioyes my hart Thy sacred health my soules release Which thou prepared hast before all peoples face A light to light the rest renowne to Iacobs race Had this beene else where the mayden mother vsed vnto such matters would either haue beene very little or nothing mooued but her sonne being at that time and in that place descryed it made her greatly amazed much more did it astonish others who could not but knowe that the three Kings came to Hierusalem to seeke such a childe and poore Ioseph among the rest maruailed not a little who was accounted by the people father of the childe and for that cause is so called in the same sacred hystorie which before had shewed how that the Maiden mother conceyued this childe by the holie Ghost without the companie of man But old Simeon draue her out of that maze by drawing her into a farre deeper muse for afterwarde taking aduauntage of his owne gray haires and her greene yeeres hee blessed her and gaue her as much cause of griefe in prose as hee had giuen of ioy before in verse and tolde her that her sonne should bee the ruine although also the raysing of manie in Israel and that he shoulde be a signe which shoulde bee contradicted alluding perchaunce vnto that which the Oracle sayde vnto Achas king of Iudah The Lorde shall giue you a signe behold a virgin shall conceiue and bring forth a sonne But in that Simeon sayde that this signe shoulde bee contradicted hee woulde insinuate eyther a troublesome life or else a scandalous death as that eyther his doctrine woulde bee little esteemed of where hee preached or that his manner of death shoulde bee such as beeing suffered by him shoulde in malicious mynded men derogate from the worthinesse which others attribute vnto him For aptlie dooth the conclusion of Simeons speech vnto the virgin folâ—ow And a sworde of griefe shall pierce thy soule and manie secrete thoughts be reuealed And no sooner had Simeon done his deuotion but a religious widow of 84. yeares and aboue a hundred yeeres old daughter vnto Phanuel of the tribe of Aser came not vnto the Temple for she was neuer from thence spending there all her life in fasting and prayer but vnto the maiden mother and hauing done her dutie vnto the yong prince shee spake of him for she had before the spirit of prophecie vnto all such as looked for the redemption of Israel And after these things were finished they returned into Galile vnto their citie Nazareth from whence they parted when they came to Bethleem These ceremonys being finished which satisfied the Iewes law a new solemnitie was also begun which should abolish the Gentiles loosenesse for as by the princes his birth the sports made in December in honour of Saturne were afterwarde turned to celebrate his natiuitie who was to bring again vnto the worlde such tymes or rather better then in which Saturne raigned and as by the effusion of his moste precious bloud the first day of the yeare had a newe consecration which was before performed with vain pastimes in honour of Ianus so now in Februarie wherein they vsed their lupercals either to purge the vnclean spirits or to please themselues with vnseemly sports both the virgin was purified because she would not haue it knowne howe litle she needed it and the yong prince was offered who doubted not afterward to make himself a most gratefull sacrifice thereby to chaunge these senselesse superstitions into a moste sacred solemnitie likely to teach them also some newe kinde of tryumph in March in which Moneth theyr priestes which song and daunce marched vp and downe in the streetes in armour But before the virgin and her spouse had disgested these sodaine ioyes which hapned vnto them in the Temple new dangers were set before them insomuch as that their owne experience might sufficiently haue taught them if they could not haue told before that mourning is alwayes at one end of myrth Ioseph his iealousie swallowed vppe his first ioy hee had in his spouse their grieuous winter iourney made him bewayle her wombes groth their gladnesse at this childes birth was checked with an inconuenient abode the shepheards congratulation was soone choked with the childs circumcision the kings oblation of golde and frankensence was not perfected without mirrhe and now that they haue beene at the Temple and heard what ioy these made which did but see him who was theirs a message commeth which to shew the more hast commeth by night and vrgeth Ioseph to arise and take the childe and the childs mother and flye into Egypt for that Herod would make search after the childe to kill him The message being deliuered vnto Ioseph he lost little time but rose and tooke the childe and his mother by night and went into Egypt where they remained not onely vntill the massacre was ended but also vntill that Herod was dead Then were many Oracles vnderstood and one principall prophesie was fulfilled that the Lorde should ascend vppon a light cloude and should enter into Egypt and the Idols of Egypt should bee ouerthrowne and the heart of Egypt should languish in the middle thereof for when the sonne of God became a man he was in some sort hidden that his glorie was not seene and the flesh which hee tooke was likened vnto a light cloude either because flesh is of it selfe no more lasting then is a thin cloude which with euery little winde is dissolued or else because he was of no lesse power when he was in that cloude then he was before At his comming into Egypt some affirme that all the Idols in Egypt fell downe