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
of hys descendents offended God more greeuously theÌ„ euer did Saul who was put out before and albeit ten Trybes at once brake from Iuda and neuer returned to obedience agayne but conspired wyth the Gentiles and other enemies on euerie side to extinguish the said kingdome regimeÌ„t of Iuda yet for the fulfilling of this prophecie the gouernment of Iuda held out styll for more then a thousand two hundred yeeres together vntyll Herods tyme as I haue alreadie saide which is more then any one familie in the worlde besides can shew for his nobilitie or continuaunce in gouernment The prophecie for the greatnesse of Ephraim aboue Manasses THE same Iacob when he came to blesse hys little Nephewes Manasses Ephraim that were Iosephs children though himselfe were nowe dimme of sight and coulde not well discerne them yet did hee put hys right hande vpon the heade of the younger and hys left hande vppon the elder and that of purpose as it prooued afterwarde For when Ioseph theyr father misliked the placing of theyr Graund-fathers handes and woulde haue remooued the right hand from Ephraim haue placed it vpon the head of Manasses that was the elder brother Iacob woulde not suffer him but aunswered I knowe my sonne I knowe that Manasses is the elder he shal be multiplied into many people but yet his younger brother shall be greater then hee Which afterwarde was fulfilled for that Ephraim was alwaies the greater stronger Trybe and in fine became the heade of the kingdome of Israel or of the ten Tribes wherof there was no suspition or likelihood when Iacob spake thys or when Moses recorded it And howe then came Iacob to fore-see this so many hundred yeres before as also to fore-see and fore-tell the particuler places of his childrens habitations in the land of promise as Zabulon at the sea side Aser in the fertile pastures and other the lyke that fell out by casting lots after foure hundered yeeres and more Wherehence had he thys I say to fore-tell what lots so long after should appoint but onely from GOD who gouerned theyr lots The fore-sight of Moses THE like may be asked concerning Moses who before his death in the desert deuided out the Lande of Canaan to euerie Tribe euen as though he had beene in possession thereof and as afterward it fell out by casting of lottes as in the booke of Iosua it dooth appeare And could any humaine wit or science thinke you fore-see what eache Trybe shoulde attaine after his death by drawing of lottes Againe the same Moses fore-saw and fore-tolde in publique hearing of all the people howe in times to com long after hys death the Iewes shoulde forsake God and for theyr sinnes be cast into manie banishments and finally be forsaken and the Gentiles receiued in theyr 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 laid vpon the place where Iericho stood and vppon whatsoeuer person should goe about to rebuilde the same to wit That in his eldest sonne he should lay the foundations and in his youngest sonne should he build the gates therof which is to say that before the foundations were laide and gates builded he shold be punished with the death of all his chyldren Which thing was fulfilled almost fiue hundered yeeres after in one Hiel who presumed vnder wicked King Achab to rebuilde Iericho again and was terrified from the same by the suddaine death of Abiram and Segul his children as the booke of kings reporteth according to the words of the Lord which he had spoken in the hande of Iosua the sonne of Nun. And since that time to thys no man eyther Iewe or Gentile hath taken vpon him to rayse againe the saide Cittie albeit the situation be most pleasant as by relation of stories Geographers appeareth The prophecie for the byrth and acts of Iosias IN the thyrde Booke of Kings it is recorded that when Ieroboam had withdrawn tenne Trybes from the obedience of Roboam King of Iuda to the end they might neuer haue occasion to reunite themselues againe to Iuda by theyr going to sacrifice in Ierusalem as by the Law they were appointed he builded for them a goodly gorgious high Altar in Bethel and there commanded them to doe theyr deuotions And when he was one day there present himselfe and offering his incense vppon the said Altar and all the people looking on there came a man of God saith the scripture and stoode before the Altar cryed out aloude spake these wordes O Altar Altar this sayth the Lord behold a childe shall be borne of the house of Dauid whose name shall be Iosias and hee shall saâ—rifice vpon thee these idolatrous priestes that nowe burne francumsense vpon thee and he shall burne the bones of men vpon thee Thus spake that man of God in the presence hearing of all the people more then three hundred yeres before Iosias was borne and it was registred presently according to the manner of that tyme which I haue noted before wyth the same were registred also the miracles which happened about that fact as that the Altar cleft into vppon the mans words and Ieroboam extending out hys hand to apprehende him lost presentlie the vse and feeling therof vntill it was restored againe by the sayde holy mans prayers who notwithstanding for that he disobeyed Gods commaundement in hys returne and eate wyth a Prophet of Samaria which was forbidden him he was slaine in hys vvaie home-warde by a Lyon and hys bodie vvas brought backe againe and buried in Bethel nygh the said Altar amongst the sepulchers of those Idolatrous Priests of that place but yet with a superscription vpon hys Tombe contayning his name and what had happened There passed three hundred yeeres and Iosias was borne and came to raigne in Iuda and one day comming to Bethell to ouerthrowe the Altar and to destroy the sepulchers of those Idolatrous Priestes that had beene buried in that place when hee began to break theyr Tombes he found by chance the sepulcher of the sayd man of God wyth the superscription vpon it By which superscription and relation of the Cittizens of Bethell when he perceiued that it was the Sepulcher of him that had foretolde hys byrth his name and his dooings so many hundred yeeres before he was borne he let the same stande vntouched as the fourth Booke of Kings dooth declare Now consider whether among any people in the world but only among the Iewes there were euer any such prophecie so certaine so particuler so long fore-tolde before the time so exactly fulfilled But yet the holy scriptures are full of the like and tyme permitteth me onely to touch some fewe of the principall The prophecie for the destruction of
Baltasar King of Babylon in the mydst of hys tryumph and in the hearing of al his peeres the destruction which insued vpon hym the verie same night after I might heere alledge howe the same Daniell in the first yeere of Darius the Median in the beginning of that seconde Monarchie of Medians and Persians foretolde how many Kings should raigne after hym in Persia and howe the last who vvas the fourth after hym and hys name also Darius should fight against the Grecians and be ouercome by a Grecian King which was Alexander and howe that kingdome also of Greece should be deuided torne in peeces after Alexanders death and not passe to hys posterity as Iustine and other Heathen Wryters doe testifie that it was by Antigonus Perdiccas Seleuchus Antiochus Ptolomeus and other Captaynes of Alexander that deuided the same among themselues aboue a hundred yeres after Darius was dead I myght declare also howe the same Daniell fore-sawe and fore-told the four great Monarchies of the world and described the same as distinctly as if he had liued in them all and as by experience wee find since to be true I might alledge the particuler description of the fight betwixt Darius and Alexander set down by Daniell vnder the names of the great Ramme and the fierce Goate wyth one horne which Goate himselfe interpreteth it to be meant of a Grecian King that should conquer the Persians And therfore Alexander as Iosephê°9 reporteth comming to Ierusalem about a hundred yeeres after and hearing thys prophecie of Daniel interpreted vnto him by Iaddus the High Priest assured himselfe that he was the man therein signified and so aâ—â—er long sacrifice doone to the God of Israel of whom he affirmed that hee had appeared vnto him in Macedon had exhorted hym to take this warre in hand and after hee had bestowed much honour and many benefites vpon the high Priest Inhabitants of Ierusalem he went forwarde in hys warre against Darius with great alacritie had that famous victorie which all the world knoweth A hundred such prophecies more which are as plaine as euident and as distinct as thys I might alledge of Elias Elizeus Samuell Dauid Ezechiell the twelue lesser Prophets and of other which I haue not named And in very trueth the whole Scripture is nothing els but a diuine kinde of bodie replenished throughout wyth the vitall spirit of prophecie and euery day some prophecie or other is fulfilled though we mark it not and shall be vnto the worlds end And the myracle of thys matter is yet more increased if we consider what manner of people they were for the most parte by whom these prophecies of hydden thinges were vttered to wit not such men as coulde gather the fore-sight of thyngs by Astronomie or Astrologie that is by contemplation of the starres as some fond Gentiles did pretend though Ptolomie denie that any such things can be fore-told but onely by inspiration from God neyther yet were they so sharpe witted as to attaine to prophecie by strange imaginations as most vainely Auerroes and his followers holde that some men may nor finally were they so delicatly fedde as by exact diet and rules of Alchimye to com to prophecie as Alchimists dreame that a man may doe and that Appolonius Thyaneus dyd who by styllified meates as they speake came to be stillified hymselfe and so by helpe of hys glasse called Alchimufi to fore-tell some matters and affaires to come Our Prophets I say knewe none of these fantasticall deuises beeing for the most part poore simple and vnlearned men as in particuler was recorded that Dauid was a shepheard and Amos was a keeper of Oxen yea oftentimes they were women as Marie the sister of Aaron called in the Scripture by the name of Prophetesse Debora the wyfe of Lapidoth Hanna the mother of Samuel Elizabeth the mother of Iohn Baptist Anna the daughter of Panuel finally the most holy and blessed Virgine Marie with the daughters of Phillip and many such other both in the olde and newe Testament who prophecied strangely nor could possibly receiue such fore-knowledge of things to com but onely from the spirit of the liuing God and by inspiration of the holy Ghost which is a manifest demonstration of the excellencie of Holie writ and of the certaintie contained therein THE EYGHT PROOFE OF SCRIPTVRES AND nowe albeit thys might seeme sufficient in the iudgment conscience of euery reasonable man as the Iew supposeth to prooue that the Scriptures be onely from God and consequently by them that there is a God yet hath he one reason more to coÌ„firme theyr sinceritie which I will alledge in thys place and therewith make an end Hys reason is that although these holy writings which proceede of Gods spirite doe not take theyr testimonie or confirmation from man yet for more euidencie of the trueth GOD hath so prouided that al the principall most strange and wonderfull things recounted in scripture shold be reported also and confirmed by Infidels Pagans Gentiles and Heathen writers themselues albeit in some points they differ from the Scripture in the manner of theyr narration for that they adioyne superstitions therunto Which maketh the more for approbation of the things for that heereby it appeareth they tooke not their stories directlie from the Bible but by tradition and most auncient antiquities of theyr owne The creation of the worlde FIrst then he sheweth that the creation of the worlde which is the meruaile of all meruailes wyth the infusion of mans soule froÌ„ God is both graunted and agreed vpon by all those Heathen Phylosophers which I haue cited before albeit the particularities be not so sette downe by them as they are in Scriptures and by all other that doe see in reason that of necessitie there must be yeelded some Creator of these things The floude of Noe. NExt to thys the floude of Noe is mentioned by diuers most auncient heathen writers as by Baerosus Chaldeus Ieronimê° Egyptius Nicholaus Damascenus Abydenus and others according as both Iosephus and Eusebius doe prooue And in Bresile and other Countries dyscouered in our age wher neuer teachers were knowne to bee before they talk of a certain drowning of the world which in time past happened and doe saie that thys was left vnto theÌ„ by tradition from tyme out of minde by the first inhabitants of those places The long life of the first Fathers OF the long life of the first Patriarches according as the Scripture reporteth it not onelie the former Authors but also Manethus that gathered the Hystorie of the Egyptians Molus Hestiaeus that wrote the acts of the Phaenicians Hesiodus Hecateus Abderida Helanicus Acusilaus and Ephorus doe testifie that these first inhabitants of the worlde liued commonly a thousande yeeres a-peece and they alledge the reason thereof to be both for the multiplication of people
and for bringing all Sciences to perfection especiallie Astronomie and Astrologie which as they write coulde not be brought to sufficient perfection by any one man that had lyued lesse then sixe hundred yeres in which space the great yere as they call it returneth about Of the Tower of Babylon OF the Tower of Babilon and of the confusion of tongues at the same Eusebius citeth the testimonies at large both of Abydenus that lyued about King Alexanders tyme and of Sibylla as also the wordes of Hestiaeus concerning the Lande of Sennaar where it was builded And these Gentiles do shewe by reason that if there had not beene some such miracle in the diuision of tongues no doubt but that all tongues being deriued of one as all men are of one father the same tongues would haue retained the selfe same rootes and principles as in all dialects or deriuation of tongues wee see that it commeth to passe But now say they in many tongues at thys day we see that there is no likelihood or affinitie among them but all different the one from the other and thereby it appeareth that they were made diuers distinct euen from the beginning Of Abraham OF Abraham and hys affayres I haue alledged some Heathen wryters before as Berosus Hecataeus and Nicholaus Damascenus But of all other Alexander Polyhistor alledgeth Eupolemus most at large of Abrahams beeing in Egypt and of his teaching them Astronomie there of his fight and victorie in the behalfe of Lot of hys entertainment by King Melchisedech of his wyfe and sister Sara and of other his doings especially of the sacrifice of hys sonne Isaac To whom also agreeth Melo in his bookes written against the Iewes and Artabanus And of the strange Lake whereinto Sodom and Gomorra were turned by theyr destruction called Mare mortuum the deade Sea wherein nothing can liue Both Galen Paufanius Solinus Tacitus and Strabo doe testify shew the perticuler wonders therof Of Isaac Iacob Ioseph Iob c. FRom Abraham downe to Moses writeth very particulerly the forenamed Alexander albeit he mingle sometimes certaine fables whereby appeareth that he tooke hys storie not out of the Bible wholie And hee alledgeth one Leodemus who as he saith liued with Moses and wrote the selfe same thyngs that Moses dyd so that these writers agree almost in all thinges touching Isaac Iacob Ioseph and all theyr affaires euen vnto Moses and vvith these doe concur also Theodotus a most auncient Poet Artabanus Phylon Gentiles Aristaeus in like maner about Aristotles tyme wrote a booke of Iob. Of Moses OF Moses and hys actes not onely the forenamed especially Artabanus in his Booke of the Iewes doe make mention at large but many other also as namelie Eupolemus out of whom Polyhistor reciteth very long narrations of the wonderfull and stupendious thinges doone by Moses in Egypt for which he sayth that in hys time he was worshipped as a God in that Countrey and called by many Mercurius And that the Ethiopians learned circuÌ„cision of him which afterwarde alwaies they retained and so doe vnto this day And as for his miracles doone in Egipt his leading the people thence by the redde Sea hys liuing with them fortie yeeres in the wildernesse the Heathen writers agree in all thinges with the Scriptures sauing onely that they recount diuers things to the prayse of Moses which hee hath not written of hymselfe adding also his description to wyt that he was a long tale man with a yellow beard and long haire wherwith also accordeth Numenius Pythagoricus touching the acts of Moses whose life hee sayth that he had read in the auncientest recordes that were to be had The storie of Iosua the Iudges and the Kinges BVT the fore-named Eupolemus goeth yet forwarde and pursueth the storie of Iosua of the Iudges of Saul Dauid and of Salomon eueÌ„ vnto the building of the Temple which he describeth at large wyth the perticuler Letters written about that matter to the King of Tyrus which Iosephus sayth were in hys daies kept in the recordes of the Tyrians And with Eupolemus agree Polyhistor and Hecataeus Abderita that liued serued in warre with King Alexander the great and they make mention among other things of the inestimable riches of Salomon and of the treasures which he had hid buried according to the fashion of that tyme in the Sepulcher of his father Dauid which to be no fable though not mentioned by the scripture Iosephus well prooueth for that Hircanus the high Priest and King of Iurie beeing besieged in Ierusalem by Antiochus surnamed Pius not many yeeres before our Sauiour Christ his natiuitie to redeeme him selfe the Cittie and to pay for hys peace opened the said sepulcher of Dauid and fetcht out of one part thereof three thousand Talents in ready money which amount to sixe hundred thousand pounde English if we account the Talents but at the least size of talentum Haebraicum The things that ensued after King Salomons daies AND as for the things that ensued after Salomon as the diuision of the Trybes among themselues and theyr diuers warres afflictions and transmigrations into other Countries many Heathen writers do mention and recorde them among other Herodotê° Diodorê° Siculus And the foresayd Alexander Polyhistor talking of the captitie of Babylon saith that Ieremie the Prophet tolde Ioachim hys King what woulde befall him and that Nabuchodonoser hearing thereof was mooued thereby to besiege Ierusalem Of the flight of Senacherib froÌ„ the siege of Ierusalem and howe he was kylled at hys return home by his own sons in the temple according to the prophecie of Esay and storie of the booke of Kings for that hee had blasphemed the Lord God of Israell Herodotus witnesseth and that after his death he had a statue or Image of mettall erected in hys memorie with this inscription in Greek He that beholdeth me let him learne to be godly Confer Xenophon also in his seâ—enth booke De Cyropaedia you shal see him agree with Daniell in his narrations of Babylon And finallie I wyll conclude with Iosephus the learned Iewe that wrote immediatly after Christes ascention and protesteth that the publique writinges of the Syrians Chaldeans Phaenicians and innumerable histories of the Grecians are sufficient to testifie the antiquitie truth authoritie certaintie of the holie Scriptures if there were no other proofe in the world besides The conclusion of thys Chapter with the application SECT 4. THus farre haue I treated of the vvayes and meanes which haue beene left vnto the worlde from the beginning thereby to know and vnderstand theyr Maker In treating which poynt I haue stayed my selfe the longer for that it is the ground and foundation of all that is or may be saide heereafter It is the first finall and cheefest principle of all our eternall saluation or damnation and the
sanctifie such as are in most danger neerest to perdition Leane rather to the sincere counsaile of S. Paul who willeth thee to examine vprightly thyne owne works and waies and so to iudge of thy self without deceit If thou walk the way of Babylon most certaine it is that thou shalt neuer arriue at the gates of Ierusalem except thou change thy course Oh my brother what a greefe will it be vnto thee when after long labour and much toyle thou shalt finde thy selfe to haue gone awrie If a man had trauailed but one whole day and thereby made wearie shoulde vnderstand at night that all his labour were lost and that his whole iourney was out of the way it would be a meruailous affliction vnto him no doubt albeit no other inconuenience were therin but onely the losse of that dayes trauaile which might be recouered recōpenced in the next But if besides thys his busines were great if it lay vppon hys life to be at the place whether he goeth at a certaine houre if the losse of hys vvaie were irrecouerable if the punishment of his error must be death and confusion himselfe were so wearie that he coulde stirre no one foote further imagine then what a greeuous message thys woulde be vnto him to heare one say Syr you are amisse your labour is lost and you haue ridden wholy besides your way So then will it be vnto thee my soule at the day of death and seperation from my bodie if in thys life thou attende not to thy saluation for which thou wert created but shall passe ouer thy daies in following of vanities Thou shalt find thy selfe astray at the ende of thy iourney thou shalt finde thy selfe wearie and enforced to say with those myserable damned spirits I haue walked hard and craggie waies for that indeede the way of wickednes is ful of thornes stones though in shewe it be couered with faire grasse and many flowers Thou shalt finde at that daie that thou hast lost thy labour lost thy time lost all oportunitie of thyne owne commoditie Thou shalt then finde thy errour to be vnrecouerable thy danger vnauoidable thy punishment insupportable thy repentaunce vnprofitable and thy greefe sorrowe and calamitie inconsolable Oh he that coulde beholde and feele the the inwarde cogitations of a worldly mans hart at that instant after all his honours and pleasures were past no doubt but he should finde him of another iudgment and opinion in things then he was in the ruffe and heate of his ioylitie He dooth wel perceiue then the fondnes of those trifles which hee folowed in thys life albeit it were to make himselfe a Monarch If a man did know the cogitations that king Alexander the great had when of poyson he came to die after all hys victories and incredible prosperitie if wee knewe the thoughts of Iulius Caesar at the day of hys murther in the Senate house after the conquest of all hys enemies and subiection of the whole world to his own onlie obedience wee shoulde well perceiue that they tooke little pleasure in the waies they walked notwithstanding they were esteemed most prosperous and happie by men of thys world Iosephus the Iewe recounteth two verie rare examples of humaine felicitie in Herod the first and Agryppa his Cosine whereof the one by Anthonie the Triumuir and the other by Caligula the Emperour bothe of them beeing otherwise but priuate Gentlemen and in great pouertie and misery when they fled to Rome were exalted vppon the suddaine to vnexpected great fortune and made rich Monarches and glorious Potentates They were indued at seuerall tymes with the Kingdome and crowne of Iurie that in such ample sort as neuer anie of that Nation after them had the like For which cause they are called in the Hebrue story for distinction sake Herode the great and Agrippa the great They ruled and commaunded all in theyr daies they wanted neyther siluer nor Golde neither pleasures nor pastimes neither freendes nor flatterers And besides al these gifts of fortune they abounded also in ornaments and excellencie of bodie and wit And all thys was increased and made the more admirable by reason of their base low estate before in respect wherof their present fortune was esteemed for a perfect patterne of most absolute felicitie Thys they enioyed for a certaine space and to assure themselues of the continuance they bent all theyr cares cogitations studies to please the humours of the Romaine Emperours as theyr Gods and Authors of all their prosperitie and felicitie vppon earth In respect of whose fauours as Iosephus noteth they cared little to violate theyr owne Religion of the Iewes or any thing els that was most sacred And thys forsooth vvas esteemed of many a most wise politique prosperous happie course But what was the ende and consumation of thys their pleasant rase Fyrst Herode fell sicke of an incurable and lothsome disease and was tormented in the same with so manie terrors horrible accusations of his conscience as he pronoūced himselfe to be the most miserable afflicted creature that euer liued and so calling one day for a knyfe to pare an Apple wold needes haue murthered himselfe wyth the same if his arme had not beene stayed by thē that stoode by And for Agrippa Iosephus reporteth howe that vppon a certaine day which hee kept festiuall in Caesaria for the honour of Claudius the Romaine Emperor when he was in his most extreme pompe iolitie in the middest of all his Peeres Nobles and Damosels comming foorth at an houre appointed all glittering in Gold and Siluer to make an Oration vnto the people his voice gesture countenaunce and apparell so pleased as the people began to crie beeing solicited thereunto by some flatterers that it was the voice of GOD and not of man wherein Agrippa taking pleasure and delectation was stroken presently from heauen with a most horrible putrifaction of all hys bodie whereof he died repeating onlie to his freends these words in the midst of his torments Behold ye me that doe seeme to you a God howe miserablie I am enforced to depart from you all Nowe then woulde I demaunde of these two fortunate men who laying aside all care of God and Religion did followe the preferments of this world so freshly and obtayned the same so luckilie how they liked of thys their course and race in the ende Truelie I doubt not but if they were here to aunswere for themselues they would assure vs that one houre bestowed in the seruice of God of their saluation would more haue comforted them at the last instant then all their labours and trauailes which they tooke in theyr liues for pleasing of Emperours and gathering the grace and good lyking of mortall men Vse then ô Christian vse this experience to thy cōmoditie vse it to thy instruction vse it to thy forewarning
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 call Christ that is to say a person annoynted and sent from God to be a Sauiour a Redeemer a Pacifier of Gods wrath a Mediator betweene God and man a Satis-fier for the sins and offences of the whole world a Restorer of our innocencie lost in Paradise a Maister an Instructor a Law-giuer a Spirituall and eternall King that shoulde sitte and rule and raigne in our harts to conquer the power and tyrannie of Satan the enemie of man-kinde who ouer-came our first Parents and neuer ceaseth to assayle vs. THE FIRST COVENAVNT TO ADAM THIS is euident by the first couenaunt of al that euer God did make with 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 said Progenitor he receiued his iudgment but yet wyth a most benigne promise of redemption for the time to come for thus God sayde to the deuill or serpent that had deceiued him The seede of the vvoman shall crushe thy head and thou shalt lie in waite to hurt his heele That is one shall proceede in time of the seede of the woman who shal conquer Death and Sinne that are thy weapons and shal not care for thy temptations but shall tread them vnder his feete and this shall be Christ the Messias of the worlde Thus did not onely the eldest Iewes and Rabbines vnderstand this place what soeuer the latter haue dreamed that their Messias should be onely a temporall King but also the olde Chaldie Paraphrase named Thargum Hierosolymitanum expoundeth it plainely in these words applyed vnto the deuill that had deceiued Adam They haue a certaine and present remedie against thee O deuill for that the time shall come when they shall treade thee downe with theyr heeles by the helpe of Messias which shall be their King TO ABRAHAM AND ISAAC THE same thing is confirmed by the verie same promise seauen times repeated and established vnto Abraham that lyued very neere two thousand yeres after Adam and againe to Isaac hys 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 that neuer sawe their 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 beene a temporall and worldly Monarch to destroy and subdue them to the seruitude of Iurie as fondly these latter teachers of that Nation doe contend IACOBS PROPHECIE OF CHRIST THIS yet maketh the Patriarch Iacob more playne who prophecying at hys death of the comming of Christ hath these words The Scepter or gouernment shal not be taken from the house of Iuda vntill hee come that is to be sent and he shall be the expectation of Nations Which latter words the forenamed Chaldie Paraphrase as also great Onkelos both of singuler authoritie amongst the Iewes doe interpret thus Donec Christus seu Messias veniat c. Vntill Christ or the Messias come which is the hope expectation of all Nations as well Gentiles as of vs that are Iewes the gouernement shall not cease in the house or Trybe of Iuda By which sentence of Scripture and interpretation of the Iewes themselues wee come to learne besides the promise of the Messias two consequences in thys matter against the Iewes of later tymes First that if their Messias must be the hope and expectation as wel of Gentiles as of Iewes then can he not be a temporal King to destroy the Gentiles as the later Iewes would haue it but a spirituall King to raigne ouer them and to bring in subiection theyr spirituall enemies for them I meane the flesh the world and the deuil as all true Christians doe beleeue Secondly if the temporall kingdome of the house of Iuda wherof Christ must come shal cease and be destroyed at the comming of Messias as thys Scripture auoucheth how then can the Iewes expect yet a temporall King for theyr Messias as most fondly they doe But to leaue thys controuersie wyth the later Rabines and to goe forwarde in declaration of that which we tooke in hande that is to shewe howe Christ was fore-tolde and promised to the Iewes It is to be noted that after the death of Iacob last mentioned there is a lyttle recorded in scripture of the doings of hys people during the space of foure hundred yeeres beeing the tyme of theyr bondage in Egypt but yet the tradition of that Nation teacheth that as soone as they were deliuered out of Egypt and 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 and other places made diuers songs and Psalmes in the praise and expectation of the Messias to come that the holy men of that tyme did solace themselues with singing the same and that King Dauid afterward in the second part of hys Psalmes beginning from the fortie one vnto the eyghtie seauen gathered the most part of these olde songs together as yet they are to be seene in hys Psalter MOSES PROPHECIE OF CHRIST BVT Moses who lyued with that people and gouerned them in the wyldernesse had a cleere reuelation from God of thys Messias in these words I will raise vp a Prophet to this people from amongst their bretheren euen as thy selfe I will put my words in his mouth and he shall speake vnto them all things which I shall ordaine vnto him and hee that shal refuse to heare the words which he shal speake vnto them in my name I will be reuenged vppon that man Which wordes that they cannot be vnderstood of any other Prophet that euer liued after Moses among the Iewes but onely of Christ it appeareth very plainly by thys testimonie of the holy Ghost And there arose not any other Prophet in Israel like vnto Moses c. DAVIDS PROPHECIE OF CHRIST AFter Moses about foure hundred yeres ensued Dauid who for that he was a holy man and the first King of the house of Iuda out of whose linage the Messias was to come the perticulers of thys misterie were more aboundantly and manifestly reuealed vnto hym then vnto any other And first for assuraunce that Christ shoulde be borne of his stocke and linage these are the words of God vnto him I haue sworne to Dauid my seruaunt I will prepare thy seede for eternitie and will build vp thy seate to all generations Which words albeit the later Iewes wyll apply it to King
Salomon that was Dauids sonne and in some sense they may so be for that King Salomon was a figure of Christ to come yet properly these words and his kingdome shall stand for euer and for all eternitie which are so often repeated in this and other places of Scripture cannot be verified in Salomon whose earthly Kingdome was rent and torne in peeces straight way after his death by Ieroboam and not long after as it were extinguishedâ— but they must needes be vnderstoode of an â—ternall king which shold come of Dauids seede as must also these other words of God in the Psalmes Thou art my Sonne thys daie haue I begotten thee I wil giue vnto thee the Gentiles for thyne inheritaunce Which was neuer fulfilled in Salomon nor in any other temporall King in Iurie after hym And much lesse these wordes which follow He shall endure with the sunne and before the moone from generation to generation There shall rise vppe in his daies peace vntil the moone be taken awaie he shall raigne from Sea to Sea vnto the endes of the world All Kings shall adore him and all Nations shal serue him for that hee shall deliuer the poore man that had no helper he shall saue their soules and delyuer them from vsurie and from iniquitie all trybes of the earth shal be blâ—ssed in him and all Nations shall magnifie him These words of Chrisâ—es eternal kingdom of hys enduring to the worldes end of hys vniuersall raigne ouer Iewe and Gentile of hys adoration by all Nations of hys deliuery of soules from bondage of iniquitie and finally of hys making blessed all Trybes of the earth cannot possibly be applyed to any temporall King that euer was among the Iewes or euer shall be vnto the worldes end but onely Christ. IEREMIES PROPHECIE OF CHRIST THIS promise made vnto Dauid for Christ to come of hys seede is repeated after hys death by many Prophets and confirmed by God as in Ieremie vvhere God vseth these wordes Beholde the dayes come on and I will raise vppe to Dauid a iust seede and he shall raigne a King and shall be wise and shall doe iudgment and iustice vppon earth And in his daies shall Iuda be saued Israel shal dwel considently and this is the name that men shall call him OVR IVST GOD. All this was spokeÌ„ of Dauids seede aboue foure hundred yeeres after Dauid was dead Which proueth manifestly that the former promises speeches were not made to King Dauid for Salomon hys sonne or for any other temporall King of Dauids lyne but for Christ who was called so perticulerlie The sonne and seede of Dauid for that Dauid was the first King of the Trybe of Iuda and not onely was Christes Progenitour in the fleshe but also did beare his type and figure in many other things EZECHIELS PROPHECIE OF CHRIST FOR which cause likewise in the Prophet Ezechiell who liued about the same time that Ieremie did the Messias is called by the name of Dauid himselfe For thus God spake at that tyme vnto Ezechiell I will saue my flocke nor shall they be any longer left to the spoyle c. I wil raise ouer them ONE PASTOR which shall feede them my seruant DAVID he shall feede them and hee shall be theyr Sheepehearde and Prince and I will be their God and will make with them a couenaunt of peace c. In which words not onely we that are called Christians but the later Iewes also themselues doe confesse in their Thalmud that theyr Messias is called by the name of Dauid for that hee shall discend of the seede of Dauid as by reason also it must needes be so for that King Dauid beeing deade foure hundred yeeres before these wordes were spoken as hath beene noted coulde not now come againe to feede Gods people or gouerne them himselfe THE PROPHECIES OF ESAY TOVCHING CHRIST ESay the Prophet who liued about a hundred yeeres before Ieremie and Ezechiel had meruailous fore-knowledge of the Messias and hys affayres and describeth him verie perticulerly beginning in thys manner In the latter daies the HILL of Gods house shall be prepared vppon the toppe of mountaines and all Nations or Gentiles shall flowe vnto him And many people shall saie come and let vs ascende vnto the HILL of our Lorde and he shall teach vs his waies and we shall walk in his pathes he shall iudge Nations c. Which very words are also repeated in Micheas the Prophet are applyed there as also here vnto the Messias can haue no other meaning by the iudgment of the Iewes and Hebrues themselues And Esay doth prosecute the same matter afterwards in diuers Chapters As for example in the fourth talking of the same Messias which before he called the HIL of Gods house he addeth these words In that day shal the issue of the Lord be in magnificence and glorie and the fruite of the earth in sublimitie and exultation to all such as shall be saued of Israell In which words he calleth the Messias bothe the issue of God and the fruite of the earth for that he should be both God and man And in the ninth Chapter he calleth him by these termes Admirable Counsâ—llour God Strong Father of the future world and Prince of Peace In the eleuenth chapter he describeth him most wonderfully in these wordes There shall goe forth a braunche of the stocke of Iesse which Iesse was Dauids father and out of the roote of that braunch therâ— shall mount vppe a flower and the spirit of the Lord shall rest vppon him the spirit of wisedome and of vnderstanding the spirit of councell fortitude the spirit of knowledge and pietie he shall not iudge according to the sight of fleshly eyes nor yet condemne according to the hearing of fleshlie eares but hee shall iudge poore men in iustice and shall dispute in equitie for the mylde men of the earth He shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth and with the spirit of his lyps shall he sley the wicked man Iustice shal be the girdle of his loynes and faith shall be the bande of his reynes c. Hetherto are the wordes of the Prophet wherin truely nothing can be more plaine and euident then that by the rodde or branche of Iâ—sse is meant the Virgine Marie who directly discended of the linage of Iesse and by the flower ascending froÌ„ this branch must needes be vnderstood Christ that was borne of her and had all those excellencies and priuiledges aboue other men which Esay in thys place assigneth vnto him Whose further graces yet and speciall diuine properties the same Prophet expresseth more particulerly in the Chapters following where he sayth Hee shall for euer ouerthrowe and destroy death he shall open the eyes of the blynde and the eares of the deafe he shall not cry nor contâ—nde nor shall he accept the person of
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
testimonie and confirmation hereof they were most ready to spend their liues And could all thys trow you proceed onely of a dead bodie which they had gotten by stealth into their possession woulde not rather the presence and sight of such a bodie so torne mangled and deformed as Iesus bodie was both vpon the Crosse and before haue rather dismayed them more then haue giuen them comfort Yes truelie And therfore Pilate the Gouernor considering these circumstaunces and that it was vnlikelie that eyther the body shoulde be stolne awaie without priuitie of the Souldiours or if it had been that it should yeeld such life hart consolation courage to the stealers beganne to giue eare more diligentlie to the matter and calling to him the Souldiers that kept the watch vnderstood by theÌ„ the whole trueth of the accident to wit that in theyr sight and presence Iesus was risen out of his Sepulcher to life that at hys rysing there was so dreadfull an earthquake with trembling and opening of Sepulchers rounde about such skriches cries and commotion of all elements as they durst not abide longer but ran and told the Iewish Magistrates thereof who beeing greatly discontented as it seemed with the aduertisement gaue theÌ„ money to say that while they were sleeping the body was stolne away from them by his Disciples All thys wrote Pilate presently to hys Lorde Tyberius who was then Emperor of Rome And hee sent withall the particular examinations coÌ„fessions of diuers others that had seene and spoken with such as were rysen from death at that time had appeared to many of theyr acquaintance in Ierusalem assuring them also of the resurrection of Iesus Which informations when Tyberius the Emperor had coÌ„sidered he was greatly mooued therewith and proposed to the Senate that Iesus might be admitted among the rest of the Romaine Gods offering hys owne consent with the priuiledge of his supreame royall suffrage to that decree But the Senate in no wise woulde agree thereunto Whereupon Tyberius beeing offended gaue licence to all men to beleeue in Iesus that would and forbid vpon pain of death that any Officer or other shoulde molest or trouble such as bare good affection zeale or reuerence to that name Thus much testifieth Tertulian against the Gentiles of hys own knowledge who liuing in Rome a learned man and pleader of causes diuers yeeres before he was a Christian which was about one hundred and foure-score yeres after our Sauiour Christes ascention had great abilitie by reason of the honour of his familie learning and place wherein he liued to see and know the Records of the Romains And the same doth affirme also Egisippus an other auncient Wryter of no lesse authoritie then Tertulian before whom he liued Neither onely diuers Gentiles had thys opinion of Iesus Resurrection againe from death but also sundry Iewes of great credit and wisedome at that time were inforced to beleeue it notwithstanding it pleased not God to giue them so much grace as to become Christians Thys appeareth plainly by the learned Iosephus who writing his storie not aboue fortie yeres after Christes passion tooke occasion to speake of Iesus and of his Disciples And after he had shewed how he was Crucified by Pilate at the instance of the Iewes and that for all thys his disciples ceassed not to loue him styll hee adioyneth forthwith these words Idcirco illis tertio die vita resumpta denuo apparuit That is for this loue of his Disciples he appeared vnto theÌ„ againe the third day when hee had resumed life vnto him Which expresse plaine and resolute words we may in reason take not as the confession onely of Iosephus but as the common iudgement opinion and sentence of all the discreete sober men of that time layde downe and recorded by thys Historiographer In whose dayes there were yet manie Christians aliue that had seene spoken with Iesus after hys Resurrection and infinite Iewes that had hearde the same protested by their fathers bretheren Kins-folke and freendes who had beene themselues eye witnesses thereof And thus hauing declared and prooued the Resurrection of our Sauiour Iesus bothe howe it was fore-shewed as also fulfilled there remaineth nothing more of necessitie to be said in this Section For that who soeuer seeth and acknowledgeth that Iesus being dead could rayse himselfe againe to life will easily beleeue also that he was able likewise to ascende vppe to heauen Whereof notwithstanding Saint Luke alleageth one hundred and twentie witnesses at the least in whose presence he ascended from the top of the Mount Oliuet after fortie daies space which he had spent with them froÌ„ the time of hys Resurrection Hee alleageth also the appearing of two Angels among al the people for testimonie thereof He nameth the day and place when where it happened Hee recounteth the very wordes that Iesus spake at his ascention He telleth the manner how he ascended and howe a Clowde came downe and receiued him into it out of their â—ight He declareth what the multitude did whether they went and in what place they remained afer theyr departure thence And finally hee setteth downe so many perticulers as it had beene the easiest matter in the worlde for his enemies to haue refuted hys narration if all had not been true Neyther was there any to receiue more domage by the falshood thereof then himselfe those of hys profession if the matter had beene feigned Wherefore to conclude at length thys treatise of the Byrth Life Doctrine Actions Death Resurrection and Ascention of Iesus seeing nothing hath happened in the same which was not forâ—-told by the Prophets of God nor any thing foreshewed by the same Prophets coÌ„cerning the Messias which was not fulfilled most exactly within the compasse and course of Iesus abode vppon earth we may most certainly assure our selues that as God can neyther fore-tell an vntruth nor yeelde testimonie to the same so can it not be but that these thinges which wee haue shewed to haue been so manifestly foreprophecied so euidently accomplished must needes assure vs that Iesus was the true Messias Which thing shal yet more particularly appeare by that which ensued by his power and vertue after his ascention which shall be the argument of the next Section which followeth Howe Iesus prooued his Deitie after his departure to heauen SECT 3. AS by the deedes and actions of IESVS while he was vpon the earth compared with the predictions of Gods Prophets from time to time he hath beene declared in the former Sections to be the true Messias and Sauiour of the worlde so in thys that nowe we take in hande shall the same be shewed by such thinges as ensued after his ascention and departure from this world Wherein his power and Deitie appeared more manifestlie if it may be so spoken then in other his workes which hee wrought in his life In which kind albeit