wordes folowing VVee be to the men of Israel 〈◊〉 that they shal slea the Messias God shal send his sonne in mans fleshe to vvashe them and they shal murder hym Wherto agreeth Rabbi Hadarsan and others and doe proue further out of the forealleadged prophetie of Daniel Chap. 9. vers 27. that after Messias shal haue preached halfe seuen yeares he shal be slaine For that Daniel saith in halfe of seuen yeares the Hoste Sacrifice shal cease Vpon which wordes they comment thus three yeares and a halfe shal the presence of God in flesh crie and preach vpon the Mounte Oliuet and then shal he be slaine Which wordes the Iewes ordinarie commentarie vpon the Psalmes doth interpret to be meante of Christs preaching three years a halfe before his passion Which disagreeth verie litle or nothing from the accompte of vs Christians and of our Euangelistes And so we see by all that hitherto hath bene said that the verie particulers of Christes whole death and Passion were foretolde most plainlie both to Iewe and Gentile and acknowledged also by the auncient Doctours of the Iewish nation before th' effectuatiō therof came to passe And Sibylla addeth further two particuler miracles that should fall out in the said Passion of the Messias to witt that the veil of the Ievves Temple should breake in tvvo and that at middaye there should be darkenes for three houres ouer all the vvorld Which thing to haue bene fulfilled at the death of Iesus not onelie S. Mathew doth assure vs in his Gospell but also Eusebius affirmeth that he had reade the same worde for worde recorded in diuers heathē writers And amongest other he citeth one Phlegō an exacte Chronicler that reporteth the same in the 4. yeare of the 202. Olympias which agreeth iust with the 18. yeare of Tyberius reigne wherin our Saueour suffered And he goeth so nighe as to name the very houres of the daye which our Euangelistes doe AEsculus also an olde Astronomer doth confirme the same and prooueth moreouer by the situation and constitution of the Sunne and Moone at that tyme that no Eclipse could then be naturally Which thing in like manner Dionysius Areopagita did obserue in the verie daye of Christs Passion being at that tyme but 25. yeares olde and yet well studdied in Astronomie as hym self testifieth And finallie Lucianus a learned priest of Antioche was accustumed to prouoke the Gentiles to their owne comentaries and stories for recorde and testimony of those thinges Ther ensueth now for ending and confirmation of al that hath bene said and prooued before to adde a worde or two of Iesus Resurrection Which point as of al other it is of most importance so was it most exactly fortolde both to Iewe and Gentile and promised by Christ him self in al his speeches while he was vpon earth And among the Iewes it was assured by al the propheties before recited which do promisse so great aboundāce of glorye ioye and triumphe to Christes church after his passion Which neuer possibly could be fulfilled onles he had risen from dearh againe And therfore the said Resurrectiō was prefigured in Ionas together with the time of his abode in the Sepulcher It was also expressle forshewed by Dauid affirming that God vvould not permit his holy one to see corruption And after him againe more plainely by Osee he shal quicked vs againe after tvvo daies in the third day he shal raise vs and vve shal liue in his sight And to the Gentiles Sibyllaieft writen not farre from the same time he shal ende the necessitie of death by three daies sleepe and then returning from death to light againe he shal be the first that shal shevv the beginning of Resurrection to his chosen for that by conquering death he shal bring vs life Thus much was promissed by Prophets before Christs appearance And Iesus to comfort his Disciples and folowers reiterated this promisse againe of him self in many speeches albeit oftentimes his meaning was not perceaued Which promisse of returne from death if it had bene made for some long time to come as Mahomet promissed his Sarasins after 800. yeares to reuisite them againe albeit the performance were neuer meante yet might the salshode lurke in the length of time But Iesus assuring all men that he would rise againe within three daies it can not be imagined but that he sincerely purposed to performe his promisse for that otherwise the fraude must soone haue bene discouered Now then let vs cōsider what maner of performance Iesus made hereof And first the persōs most interessed in the matter as they whose total hope staye refuge and felicitie depended hereof I meane his appaled dismaied and afflicted disciples doe recount twelue sundrie apparitiōs which Iesus made vnto them in flesh after his resurrectiō The first was to Mary Magdalene aparte when she with Salome and other women went and remained with ointments about the Sepulcher The second was to all the forsaid women together as they returned homewards who also were permitted to embrase his feete The third was to Simon Peter alone The fourth to the two disciples in their iourney to Emaus The fifth was to all the Apostles and other disciples together whē the doores were shut The sixt was to the same company againe after eight daies when Thomas was with them at what time also he did both eate and drincke and suffred his bodie to be handled among them The seuenth was to S. Peter and S. Ihon with fiue other disciples when they were in fishing at what time also he vouchsafed to eate with them The eight was to eleuen disciples at one time vpon the mounte Thabor in Galiley The ninth was to more then fiue hundreth brethern at one time as S. Paule testifieth The tenth was to S. Iames as the same Apostle recordeth The eleuenth was to al his Apostles disciples friends together vpon the mount Oliuet by Ierusalem when in their presence he ascended vp to heauen The twelueth and last was after his Ascension vnto S. Paul as him self beareth witnes Al thes apparitions are recorded in Scripture as made by Iesus after his Resurrection to such as by his eternal wisdome were preordained to be witnesses of so glorious a spectacle To whom as S. Luke affirmeth he shevved him self aliue by many argumentes for the space of 40 dayes together and reasoned vvith them of the kingdome of his father And why any mā should mistrust the testimonie of thes men that sawe him conuersed with him eate with him touched him and heard him speake whos entire estate and welfare depēded wholy of the certaintie hereof I see no reason For what comfort had it bene or consolation to thes men to haue deuised of them selues thes former apparitions What encouragemēt might they haue takē in thos doleful times of
lyke or at least wise delyuer them selues from the plagues of Egipt whie did they crie oute the fingar of God is here where did you euer heare such workes donne by magicke as Moyses did when he deuided the redde sea when he called into his cāpe so many Quayles vpon the suddayne as sufficed to feede six hundred thousand men besides women and children When he made a rocke to yeld foorth a fountaine whē he caused a dewe to fall frō heauē that nourrished his whole campe for fortie yeares together when he caused the grounde to open and swalloe downe alyue three of the richest noble men of all his armie together with their tabernacles and all other bagges and baggage When he caused a siar to come from heauen and cōsume siftie gentlemen of the former Rebelles adherētes without hurting any one that stoode about them Thes thinges did Moyses and manie other in the sight of all his armie that is in the sight of so manie hundred thousand people amōg which there were diuers his emulators and sworne enimies as by the storie icripture it self appeareth Core Dathan and Abiron with their faction soughte in all thinges to disgrace hym to deminishe his credite and therfore if any one pointe of thes miracles had bene reprouable Moyses would neuer haue durst to putt the same in writinge nor would the people haue stode with hym much lesse haue receaued his writinges for diuine and for gods owne wordes beinge sollicited agaynst hym by so potent meanes had not they knowen all thinges to be most true therin conteined and had seene his straunge miracles and familiaritie with God But he dealt plainelie and simplie in this behalfe he wrote the thinges of his owne doinges which euerie man present did know to be true and of Gods speeches and communicatiōs to hym self he wrote so much as he was commaunded wherof both God and his consciēce did beare hym witnesse He caused the whole to be reade vnto the people and layed vp in their Sacred Arcke and Tabernacle as gods owne writing and couenaunt with that nation He caused all the whole armie to sweare and vowe th' obseruāce therof And thē drawing towards his death he made a most excellēt exhortation vnto them persuading them sincerlie to the seruice of their God and cōfessing his owne infirmities and how for his oftences he was to die before their enterance to the lande of promisse He cōcealed notth ' offēces of his brother Aarō of his Grand-father Leui of his sister Marie and other of his kinred as worldlie princes for their honours are wonte to doe nether did he goe aboute to bring in gouernment after his disceasse any one of his owne sonnes which is greatelie to be obserued notwithstandinge he lefte behynde hym goodlie gentlemen fitt for that roome hym self of power to place them if he had endeuored But he lefte the gouernment to a straūger named Iosue as God had commaunded hym All which thinges sayeth the Iewe doe proue suffiçientelie that Moises was no man of ambition or of worldlie spirit but a true Scruaunt of God and consequētlie that he wrought not by magicke or falshod but by the onlie power of his Lorde and Master and that his writinges are true and of the same authoritie that in his lyfe and death he affirmed them to be that is th' vndoubted worde of almightie God THIS HE confirmeth yet further by a fowerth reason which is the consent and approbatiō of all later writers of the Bible that insued after Moyses For as among prophane writers of worldlie spirite it is a common fashion for hym that followeth to reprehende the former and to hunte after praise by his ancetours disgrace so in thes writers of the Bible it is a most certaine argument that all were guyded by one spirite from God that in continuance of so manie ages thousand yeares no one yet euer impugned th' other but alwayes the later supposing and approuing the former for true doth build therupon as vpon a sure fondatiō So the writinges of Iosue doe confirme and approue the writinges of Moises and the recordes of the Iudges doe reuerence and allowe the booke of Iosue The Storie of kiges chronicles doth referre it self to the storie of iudges One Prophete cōfirmeth other And finallie Christ approueth thē all by the knowē diuisiō of law psalmes ad Prophetes which is a demonstratiō that all their spirites agreed i one And thus hytherto haue bene declared thes fower considerations that are external or without the Bible to witte th' antiquitie and continuāce of the scriptures the maner of their writing and preseruing from corruption The sinceritie vertue and simplicitie of their writers together with their agreement and coherēce in one spirit But now further sayeth the learned Iew if you will but open the booke it self and looke into the texte that which therin is conteined you shall see gods owne hande gods owne characters gods owne signe and seale and subscription to the paper You shall see Gods omnipotencie Gods spirite Gods prouidence no lesse in thes letters of his booke then you beheld the same before in the tables of his creatures Nay much more sayeth he for that thes letters were deuised for declaration of thos tables to th' ende that such as for their blyndnes could not see hym in his creatures might learne at least to reade hym in his scriptures CONSIDER thē first sayeth he the subiecte or argumēt which the scriptures doe handle together with the scope and ende wherto they doe leuell You shall finde that the first is nothing els but th' actes and gestes of one eternal God as before hath bene mentioned and the secōd nothing els but the onlie glorie exaltation of the same great God together with the saluatiō of mankynde vpō earth And shall you finde anie writinges in the world besides that haue so worthie an argument or so highe an Ende Reade all the volumes and Monumentes of the Pagans turne ouer all their authors of what kynde or name or profession soeuer and see what mention they make of thes two thinges I meane of the honour of God of the saluation of man Reade their Philosophers see whether euer they name or pretende thes thinges Reade their Historiographers and marke how manie battails and victories they attribute vnto God They will describe to you oftē the particuler cōmēdatiō of euerie Captaine they will defraude no one souldiar of his praise in the victorie they will attribute much to the wisdome of the general much to his courage much to his watchfulnes much to fortune They will attribute to the place to the wynde to the wether to the shining of the sunne to the raising of the dust in th' enimies eyes to the flying of some litle birde in the ayer and to a thowsand such petie obseruatiōs besides but to God
all others in those first tymes of simplicitie and sinceritie were in parte translated into diuers liguages before the Monarchie of the Persians that is before any storie of the Gentiles were writen as Eusebius out of manie heathen authours declareth NEXT TO the reason of antiquitie is alleaged the manner of wryting authorising cóseruing thes scriptures which is such as greatelie cōfirmeth the certaintie of thinges conteyned therin For first what soeuer is sett downe in these wrytinges was ether taken immediatelie frō the mouth of God as were the propheties and bookes of the law or els collected from tyme to tyme by general consent according as matters miracles sell out as were the booke of iudges the bookes of Kinges and Chronicles and some other that conteine recordes and histories of tymes Which bookes were not gathered by some one priuate man vpon hearsaye or by his owne imagination longe after thinges donne as heathen histories and other prophane recordes monumtes are but they were writen by general agreement in the self same dayes when thinges were in sight and knowledge of all men and so could not be seigned Secondlie when bookes were writen they were not admitted into the canon or authoritie of scriptures that is of gods worde or diuine writinges but vpon great deliberation and most euidēt proof of their vndoubted veritie For ether the whole cōgregatió or Synagoge who had th' approuing here of and among whom commonlie were diuers prophetes did know most certainlie the thinges and miracles to be true as did also the whole people that were recorded in thes writinges conteining histories or els they saw the same confirmed frō God by signes and wonders as in the bookes of their prophetes of their-law gyuer Moises it fell out Thirdlie when anie thing was writen and admitted for scripture the care of cōseruation therof was such and the reuerence of Iewes therunto so great as may easilie assure vs that no corruption or alteration could happen vnto it For first the thig was copied out into twelue Autentical Copies for all the twelue tribes and then againe in euerie tribe ther were so manie Copies made as were particuler synagoges within that tribe All was donne by special Notaries Scribes ouerseers and witnesses The Copies after diligent renewe taken were layde vp by the whole Cōgregatiō in the treasure-howse of the temple vnder diuers lockes and keyes not to be touched but by men appointed nor to be vsed but with singuler reuerence To adde diminish corrupt or alter was present death by the lawes of the Nation And how then was it possible sayeth the Iewe that among thes writinges ether falshode should creepe in or truth once receaued could afterwardes be corrupted It is not possible sayeth he in reason and therfore obserueth he an other thing in this case which ī truth is of verie great consideration to witt that no other Nation vnder heauē did euer so much esteeme their owne writīges that they would offer to die for the same as the Iewes were redieto doe for euerie sentēce and syllable of their scriptures Wherof also it did proceede that in all their miseries and afflictions wherin they were a spectacle to all the world in all their flightes and banishementes to Egipt Babylon Persia Media and other corners of the earth in all their spoiles assaults and deuastations at home they yet euer had special care to conserue these writinges more then their owne lyues and so haue kepte the same without may me or corruptiō more ages together then all Nations in the world haue donne any other monumentes THE THIRD persuasion which is vsed by the Iewe for the veritie of his scriptures is the consideration of the particuler men that wrote them who were such as in reason can not be suspected of decept or falshod For as I haue said the Stories of the Byble were writen from tyme to tyme by publique authoritie and by the testimony of all men that saw and knew the thinges that are rehersed The bookes of propheties were endited by the prophetes them selues who were plaine simple and sincere mē authorized from God by continual miracles and yet so scrupulous and timerous of their owne speeches as they durst say nothing but only our Lord saith this the God of Hostes commaundeth that c. And when they had preached and reade their writinges in the hearinge of all the people they protested that it was not mans worde but gods and that for such they left it in the publique treasurie of their Nation vntill by tracte of tyme th' euent and fulfilling of their propheties should proue thē true as alwayes it did and their owne both liues and deathes declare that they meant no falshode their liues being such as were not subiect to the corruption pride vanitie or ambitiō of this life as other prophane and heathen writers were and their deathes for the most parte offered vp in holie martirdome for defence of that truthe whiche they had preached writen as appeareth in Esay that was sawed in peeces by kīg Manasles in Ieremie that was stoned to death by the common people in Ezechiel that was slayne by the capitaine of the Iewes at Babylō in Amos whose braines were beaten oute by Amasias the wicked idolitrous priaest in Bethel in Micheas whose necke was broken by prince Ioam sonne to kinge Achab in Zacharie that was slaine at th' Aulter and the lyke And this for the Prophetes of later tymes amōg the Iewes But now if we cōsider the first Prophete of all that wrote among that people I meane Moyses that was not only a Prophet but also an Historiographer a Law giuer a Captaine and a Prieste the first that euer reduced that people to a common wealth and the first that putt their actes gestes in writing or rather th' actes and gestes of almightie God towardes them this man I say if we cōsider hym onlie I meane the circūstances of his person the Iewe thiketh this a sufficiēt motiue to make anie mā of reason beleeue what so euer he hath lefte writen in the Bible without further confirmatiō And first for his antiquitie I haue spokē before and the heathēs doe confesse it for miracles donne by hym the greatest ennemies that euer he had in the world that is Appiō in his fowerth booke agaīst Iewes and Porphirie in his fowerthe booke agaīst Christiās d ee acknowledge them and Porphirie adioyneth more for proofe therof that he fownde the same cōfirmed by the storie of one Saconiathō a Gentile who liued as he saith at the same tyme with Moyses But what all those miracles say they were donne by artemagicke not by the power of God as Moyses boasted But thē asketh thē the Iew wher Moises a shepheard could learne so much magick or why could not the Magitians of Pharao whose studie was in that profession from their infancie ether doe the
what eche tribe should attaine after his death by drawinge of lottes Againe the same Moyses forsawe and fortolde in publique hearing of all the people how in tymes to come longe after his death the Iewes should forsake God and for their synnes be cast into manie banishementes and finallie be forsaken and the Gentiles receaued in their roome as in deed it came to passe And whence trow you could he learne this but from God alone In the booke of Iosue there is a curse layed vpō the place where Iericho stoode and vpon what soeuer person should goe about to rebuild the same to wit that in his eldest sonne he should lay the foundations and in his yongest sonne should he builde the gates therof which is to saye that before the foundations were layed and gates builded he should be punished with the death of all his children Which thing was fulfilled almost fiue hundred yeares after in one Hiel who presumed vnder wicked kinge Achab to rebuild Iericho againe and was terrified from the same by the suddaine death of Abiram and Segub his children as the booke of kinges reportech according to the vvorde of our Lord vvhich he had spoken in the hande of Iosue the fonne of Nun And since that tyme to this no man ether Iewe or Gētile hath taken vpon hym to raise againe the said Citie albeit the situation be most pleasant as by relation of Stories and Geographers appeareth In the third booke of kinges it is recorded that when Ieroboam had withdrawen ten tribes from th' obedience of Roboam kinge of Iuda to th' ende they might neuer haue occasion to revnite thē selues againe to Iuda by their goinge to sacrifice in Ierusalem as by the law they were appointed he builded for them a goodlie gorgeous highe Aulter in Bethel and there cōmanded them to doe their deuotions And when he was one day thero present hymself and offering his incense vpon the said Aulter and all the people lookinge on there came a man of God sayeth the scripture and stoode before the Aulter and cried out aloude and spake thes wordes O Aulter Aulter this sayeth our Lorde behold a childe shal be borne of the hovvse of Dauid vvhose name shal be Iosias and he shal sacrifice vpon thee thes idolatrous priestes that novv burne francomsense vpon the and he shal burne the bones of men vpon thee Thus spake that man of God in the presence and hearinge of all the people more then three hundred yeares before Iosias was borne and it was registred prosentelie according to the manner of that tyme which I haue noted before and with the same were registred also the miracles which happened about that fact as that the Aulter clefte in two vpō the mans wordes and Ieroboam extendinge owt his hande to apprehend hym lost presentelie the vse and feeling therof vntill it was restored againe by the said holie mans prayers who notwithstanding for that he disobeyed Gods commandement in his returne and dyd eate with a prophet of Samar a which was forbidden hym he was slaine in his way homeward by a Lion and his bodie was brought backe againe buried in Bethel nigh the said Aulter amongest the sepulchers of those idolatrous preestes of that place but yet with a superscription vpon his tombe conteining his name and what had happened There passed three hundred yeares and Iosias was borne and came to reigne in Iuda And one daye cōming to Bethel to ouerthrow the Aulter and to destroye the sepulchers of those idolitrous priestes that had bene buried i that place whē he began to breake their tombes he fownde by chance the sepulcher of the said man of God with the superscription vpon it By which superscription and by relation of the citizēs of Bethel when he perceaued that it was the sepalcher of hym that had fortolde his byrth his name and his doinges so manie hundred years before he was borne he lett the same stande vntouched as the fowerth booke of kinges doth declare Now consider whether among anie people in the world but onlie amonge the Iewes ther were euer anie such prophetie so certaine so particuler so longe fortolde before the tyme and so exactelie fulfilled But yet the holie scriptures are full of the lyke and tyme permitteth me onlie to touch some few of the principal Esay the prophet is wonderful in fortelling the mysteries and actes of the Messias his natiuitie his life and all the particulers that happened in his passiō In so much that S. Ierome sayeth he may seeme rather to write a storie of deedes past then a prophetie of euentes to come But yet among other thinges it is to be noted that he liuing in a peaceable and prosperous tyme in Iuda when the Iewes were in amitie and greate securitie with the Babyloniās he forsawe and fortolde the destruction of Ierusalem by the said Babylonians and the greeuous captiuitie of Iewes vnder them as also the destruction of Babylon againe by Cyrus kinge of Persia whose expresse name and greatnes he published in writing almost two hundred yeares before he was borne saying in the person of God First to Ezechias king of Iuda that reioysed in the frindshippe he had with Babylon behold the dayes shall come vvhen all that thou and thye fathers haue layed up shall be caried avvay to Babylon and thy children shal be eunuches in the king of Babylons Palace And next to Babylō he said the destruction of Babylon vvhich Esay the sonne of Amos savve c. houle crie for that the day of our Lorde is at hande c. And thirdlie to Cyrus not yet borne who was preordained to destroye the same and to restore the people from banishemēt to rebuild the temple in Ierusalē he sayeth thus I say to Cyrus thou art my shepheard and thou shalt fulfill all my vvill I say to Ierusalem thou shalt be builded againe I say to the temple thou shalt be founded again This sayeth our Lord to my amointed Cyrus I vvill goe before thee vvill humble the glorious people of the earthe in thy presence I vvill breake their brasen gates crushe in peeces their yron barres for my seruant Iacobs sake haue I called thee by thie Name and haue armed the vvher as thou knovvest not me Can anie thing be more clearlie or miraculouslie spoken in the world then to name a heathé not yet borne that should conquerre so stronge a Monarchie as Babylon was at this tyme should builde againe the temple of Ierusalem which others of his owne religiō had destroyed before hym what cause what reason what lykeliehode could be of this yet Esay speaketh it so confidentelie as he sayeth that he savve it and he nameth two witnesses therof that is Vrias and Zacharias that were not borne in manie yeares after saying and I tooke vnto me tvvo faithful vvitnesses Vrias the prieste and Zacharias
the sonne of Barachias Wherof the first was a Prophet in Ieremies tyme a hundred years after Esay the secoÌ„d liued fowers kore years after that againe in the dayes of pari ' as by the beginig of his prophetie appeareth and yet both as you see were distinctely named by Esay so long before And whereas this booke of Esay was pronouÌ„ced opeÌ„lie to the people as other propheties also were and published into manie thousand handes before the captiuitie of Babylon fellowt and then carried also with the people and dispersed in Chaldea other partes of the world there can be no possible suspition of forgerie in this matter for that all the worlde both sawe it and redde it manie yeares before the thing came to passe yea when there was no opinioÌ„ of suche possibilitie The same captiuitie and destruction of Ierusalem by the Babyloniens was prophetied by Ieremie a hundred yeares after Esay and a litle before the matter came to passe Yea whiles the Babylonians were aboute the walles of Ierusalem and besieged the same for two yeares together Ieremie was within and tolde euerie man that it was but in vaine to defende the Citie sor that God had now deliuered it And albeit he were accompted a traitour for so speaking especiallie when by an armie of Egipt that came to th' ayde of Ierusalem froÌ„ Pharao the siege of Babylonians was raised for a certaine tyme yet Ieremie continued still his asseueration and said to Zedechias the king thou shalt be deliuered into the handes of the king of Babylon And to the people haec dicit Dominus tradendo tradetur haec ciuitas c. this sayeth our Lord this Citie most certainlie shal be deliuered into the handes of the Babylonians And so he continued notwithstanding he were putt in prison and whipt threatened daylie to be hanged vntil in deed the Citie was taken and Zedechias eyes puld out his children slaine before his face and all other thinges perfourmed which Ieremie had prophotied and fortolde them before And which is yet more maruelous Ieremie dyd not onelie fortell the particulers of this captiuitie but also the determinate tyme how longe it should indure sayinge And all this land of Jurie shal be into vvildernesse and astoniednesse and all this people shal serue the kinge of Babycon for threescore and ten yeares and vvhen three scare and ten yeares shal be complete I vvill visite vpon the kinge of Babylon and vpon that NatioÌ„ sayeth our Lordo and I vvill lay the same into aeternal desolation Eut vpon Iuda vvill I cast my pleasant eyes and vvil bringe them backe to this land againe c. In which prophetie is conteined first the particuler tyme how longe this captiuitie should indure Sechdlie the destruction of Babylon and of that Monarchie by the Persians and thirdlie the returning home of the Iewes againe which three thinges to haue bene after fulfilled not onelie Esdras that liued at that tyme and was an actor in perfourmaunce of the last but all other heathen writers besides doe recorde and testifie And this prophetie of Ieremie was so famous and certainlie beleeued amongest all the Iewes in the tyme of their captiuitie as when the daye of expiration drew neare Daniel writeth thus of hym selfe In the first yeare of Darius I Daniel vnderstoode in the scriptures the number of the seueÌ„tie yeares vvherof God spake to Ieremie that they should be fulfiled touching the desolation of Ierusalem and I turned my face to my Lord God and besoght hym in fasting and sakcloth c. Mother onelie the Iewes vnderstoode and beleeued this prophetie but euen Cyrus hym self that was a GeÌ„tile gaue full credit ther vnto therby was iuduced to restore the Iewes as appeareth both by his owne wordes and proclamation sett downe by Esdras that executed the same by his deedes also in restoring home the Iewes and rebuilding their temple at his owne great charges as all historiographers of the heathens doe confesse I might here alleage infinite other examples and make no ende if I would followe the multitude of propheties which are dispsed throughout the whole scripture I might shew how Daniel fortolde to Balsasar king of Babylon in the myddest of his triuÌ„phe and in the hearing of all his peeres the destruction which in sned vpon hym the verie same night after I might alleage how the same Daniel in the first yeare of Darius the Median in the beginning of that second Monarchie of Medians and Persians fortolde how manie kinges should regine after in Persia how the last who was the fowerth after hym his name also Dariê° should fight against the GraeciaÌ„s be ouercome by a GraeciaÌ„ king which was AlexaÌ„der and how that kingdome also of Greece should be deuided torne in peeces after Alexanders death and not passe to his posteritie as Iustine and other heathen writers doe testifie that it was by Antigonus Perdiccas Seleucus Antiochus Ptolomaeus and other Captaines of Alexander that deuided the same among them selues aboue a hundred yeares after Daniel was deade I might declare how the same Daniel forsawe and fortolde the fower greate Monarchies of the world and described the same as distinctelie as if he had liued in them all and as by experience we finde since to be true I might alleage the particuler descriptioÌ„ of the fight betwene Darius and Alexander sett downe by Daniel vnder the names of the greate Ramme the fearce Goate with one horne which Goate hymself interpreteth to be meant of a Graecian kinge that should conquer the Persians And therfore Alexander as Iosephus reporteth comming to Ierusalem about a huÌ„dred yeares after and reading this prophetie of Daniel interpreted vnto hym by Iaddus the highe priest assured hym self that he was the man therin signified and so after sacrifice doÌ„ne to the God of Israel of whom he affirmed that he had appeared vnto hym in Macedonie had exhorted hym to take this warre in hand and after he had bestowed much honour and manie benefits vpon the highe priest and inhabitans of Ierusalem he went forward in his warre against Darius with greate alacritie and had that famous victorie which all the world knoweth A hundreth such propheties more which are as plaine as euident and as distincte as this I might alleage of Elias Elizaeus Samuel Dauid Ezechiel the twelue lesser prophetes and of other which I haue not named And in verie truth the whole scripture is nothing els but a diuine kynde of bodie replenished throughout with the vital spirit of prophetie and euerie daye some prophetie or other is fulfilled though we marke it not and shal be to the worldes ende And the miracle of this matter is yet more increased if we consider what manner of people they were for the moste parte by whome thes propheties of hydden thiges were vttered to witt not such men as
finallie we may consider that Constantine was the first publique Christian Emperour and liued within 300. years after Christ whē the recordes of the Romās were yet whole to be seene He was a religious wise and graue Emperour and therfore would neuer haue bestowed so muche labour to confirme suche a thing at such a tyme to such an audiēce had not the matter bene of singuler importance And thus much of the second pointe touchinge prophetes among Gentiles There remaineth onlie a worde or two to be spokē of the thirde which is of the confession of deuils and Oracles concerning Christs comminge especiallie whē the tyme of his appearance drew neare and that they begā to forefeele his power and vertue Wherin as I might alleage diuers examples recorded by the Gentiles them selues so for that I haue bene somewhat longe in the former pointes and shall haue occasion to saye more of this matter in an other place hereafter I will touche onlie here two oracles of Apollo concerninge this matter Th' one wherof was to a priest of his owne that demaunded hym of true religion and of God to whom he answered thus in greeke ô thou unhappie priest vvhy doest thou aske me of God that is the father of all thinges and of this most renoumed kynges deare and onlie sonne and of the spirit that conteineth all c. Alas that spirit vvill inforce me shortelie to leaue this habitation and place of oracles Th' other oracle was to Augustus Gaesar euen about the verie tyme that Christ was redy to appeare in flesh For where as the said Emperour now drawinge into age would needes goe to Delphos and there learne of Apollo who should reigne after hym what should become of thinges whē he was dead Apollo would not answere for a greate space notwithstanding Augustus had bene verie liberal in making the greate sacrifice called Hecatombe But in th' ende when th' Emperour began to iterate his sacrifice againe and to be instant for an answer Apollo as it were inforced vttered thes straunge wordes vnto hym An Hebrue childe that ruleth ouer the blessed Gods commaundeth me to leaue this habitation and oute of hand to gett me to hel But yet doe you'departe in silence from our Aulters Thus much was Apollo inforced to vtter of his owne miserie and of the cōming of th' Ebrue boye that should putt hym to banishment But yet the deceptful spirit to holde still his credire would not haue the matter reueiled to many Wherupon Augustus falling into a greate musinge with hym self what this answer might importe returned to Rome and builded there an Aulter in the Capitole with this latine inscription as Nicephorus affirmeth Ara primogeniti Dei Th' Aulter of Godes first begotten sonne Thus then haue I declared how that the cōming of Gods sōne into the world was for tolde both to Iewe and Gentile by all meanes that possiblie in reason might be deuised that is by propheties signes figures ceremonies tradition and by the confession of deuils them selues Nor onlie that his comming was fortold but also why and for what cause he was to come that is to be a Saueour of the world to die for sinne to ordeine a new law and more perfect common wealth How also he was to come to witt in mans fleshe in likenes of sinne in pouertie humilitie The tyme likewise of his appearance was foresignified together with the maner of his birth life actions death resurrection and ascensiō And finallie nothing can be more desired for the fore knowledge of anie one thing to come then was deliuered vttered cōcernīg the Messias before Christ or Christians were talked of in the world Now thē remaineth it to consider examine whether thes particularities fortolde so lōg agoe of the Messias to come doe agree in Iesus whom we acknowledge for the true Messias And this shall be the subiect argument of all the rest of our speeche in this chapter Hovv the former predictions vvere fulfilled in Iesus at his being vpon earth Sect. 2. ALbeit in the pointes before recited which are to be fulfilled in the Messias at his comming we haue some controuersie and disagreemēt with the Iewe as hath bene shewed yet our principal contention in them all is with the Gentile and heathen that beleeueth no scriptures For that in diuers of the fornamed articles the Iewe standeth with vs and for vs offereth his life in defence therof as farre foorth as if he were a Christiā In so much that the Gētile oftē times is inforced to maruaile when he seeth a people so extremelie bent against an other as the Iewes are against Christiās and yet to stand so peremptorilie in defence of thos verie principles which are the proper causes of their disagreement But hereunto the Iew maketh answer that his disagreement from vs is in th' application of thos principles For that in no wise he will allowe that they were or may bee verified in Iesus And herein he standeth against vs much more obstinatelie then doth the Gentile For that the Gentile as soone as he commeth once to vnderstande and beleeue the propheties of scripture he maketh no doubt or difficultie in th' application thereof for that he seeth the same most euidentelie fulfilled in our Saueour Which is the cause that fewe or no Gentiles since Christs appearance haue come to be Iewes but that presentelie also they passed ouer to be Christians But the Iewe by no meanes wil be moued to yeeld albeit he haue neither scripture nor reason nor probabilitie for his defence Which among other thinges is a verie great argument to proue that Iesus was the true Messias in deed seing that among the markes of the true Messias set downe by Gods Prophetes this was one that he should be refused by the Iuishe Nation Herehence are those wordes of the Holie Ghost so longe before vttered The stone vvhich the builders refused is made the head stone of the corner this is donne by God and is maruailous in our eyes Hence is that great complainte of Esay touching th' incredulitie obstinacie of this people against their Messias at his comming which Moyses also longe before Esay expressed most effectuallie It maketh then not a litle for our cause gentle reader that the Iuishe Nation is so wilfullie bent against vs and that they refused Christ so peremptorilie at his being among them For whom so euer that Nation should receyue and acknowledge it were a great argument by scripture that he were not in deede the true Messias But yet to demonstrate 〈◊〉 worlde how litle shew of reason they haue in standing thus against their owne saluation and in refusing Iesus as they doe I will in as great breuitie as I may runne ouer the chief pointes that passed at his being vpon earth and therby examine by the testimonies of his greatest enimies whether the forsaid propheties and all other
of publishing their lawes and procuring authoritie to the same then to write them with their owne handes and in their life time to establishe their promulgation So Lycurgus Solon others among the Grecians Numa to the Romanes Mahomet to his Sarasins and diuers other in like maner But Iesus to shew his Diuine power in directing the penne and stile of his Euangelistes would not leaue any thing writing him self but passed from this world in simplicitie and filence whithout any further shewe or ostentatiō of his own doings meaning notwithstāding by his eternal wisdome that the prophetie of Ezechiel should be fulfilled which foresignified the being of his fowre irrefragable witnesses which daie and night without rest should preache extolle and magnifie their Lord and Maister to the worldes ende Foure then were fore-prophetied and foure as we see by Gods prouidence were prouided to fulfil the same prophetie The first and last are two Apostles that wrote as they had sene The two midle are two diseiples who registred thinges as they had vnderstoode by conference with the Apostles The first Ghospel was written by an Apostle to giue light open the waie to al the rest And the last in like maner was written by an Apostle to giue authoritie and confirmation to al the former The first was writtē in Hebrue or Iewish tongue for that Iesus actions were dóne in that countrie to th' ende that therby eyther the whole Nation might beleeue them or the obstinate impugne them The other three were written in the publique tongues of al other nations that is in the Greeke and Romane languages if it be true which diuers holde that S. Marcs Ghospel was first written in Latin They wrote their stories in diuers countries eche one remaning farre distant frō an other and yet agreed they al as we see most exactly in the verie same narration They wrote in diuers times the one after the other and yet the later did neither correct nor reprehend anie thing i the former They published their stories when infinite were aliue that knew the factes and many more that desired to impugne them They set doune in most of their particuler narrations the time the day the houre the place the village the house the persons the men the women and other the like Which circumstances the more they are in number the more easie to be refuted if they were not true Neither did they in Iurie write of thinges done in India but in the same countrie it self in Townes Cities that were publiquely knowen in Bethania and Bethsaida villages hard by Ierusalem in the Suburbes and hiles about the Citie in such a Streete at such a Gate in such a Porch of the Temple at such a fishpoole which al people in Ierusalem did euery daie beholde They published their writinges in their owne life time and preached in worde so much as in writing they had recorded They permitted the same to the iudgment and examination of al Christs church especially of the Apostles who were able to discerne euerie least thing therin contained So Marke set forth his Ghospel by the instruction and approbation of S. Peter as also did Luke by the authoritie of S. Paul They altered not their writinges afterward as other authours are wont in their later editions nor euer corrected they anie one iote of that which they had first set doune And that which neuer happened in any other writinges in the world besides nor euer Prince or Monarch was able to bring to passe for credite of his edictes or sanctions they gaue their liues for defence and iustefying of that they had written Their maner of writing is sincere and simple without al arte amplification or Rhetorical exornatiō They flatter none no not Iesus him self whom they most adore nor in confessing him to be their God and Creatour doe they conceale his infirmities of fleshe in that he was man as his hunger and thirst his being wearie how he wept his passions of feare and the like So lykewise in the Apostles that were the gouernours superiours and heads of al the rest doe thes Euangelistes dissemble hide or passe ouer no such thinges as were defects and might seeme to worldlie eies to turne to their discredites As for exāple how Christ rebuked them for their dulnes in vnderstanding how after long instruction they proposed notwithstanding verie rude and impertinent questions vnto him how Thomas would not beleeue the attestation of his fellowes how S. Ihon and S. Iames the sonnes of Zebedee ambitiouslie sollicited to haue the preheminence of sitting nearest to Christ ī his glorie Which later clause beīg set doune clearly by S. Marke while yet S. Ihon the Apostle was liuing the same was neuer denied nor taken yll by the said Apostle neither S. Markes Ghospel the lesse approued by him albeit he liued longest and wrote last of al the rest Nay which is more and greatly no doubt to be obserued thes Euangelistes were so sincere and religious in their narrations as they noted especiallie the impersections of them selues and of such other as they principally respected So S. Mathew nameth him self Mathevv the Publican And so S. Marke being Peters disciple recordeth particulerly how S. Peter thrise denied his maister S. Luke that was scholler and dependent of S. Paul maketh mention alone of the litle differences betwene Paul and Barnabas in the storie of S. Stephens death after al his narration ended he addeth a clause that in humane iudgement might haue bene left out to witt Saulus erat consentiës neci eius Saul was cōsenting culpable of Stephens death Wherby we may perceaue most perspicuouslie that as thes men were plaine sincere and simple and farre from presuming to deuise any thinge of them selues so were they religious and had scruple to passe ouer or leaue oute any thinge of the truth in fauour of them selues or of any other whosoeuer Thes mens writinges then were published receyued for vndoubted truth by all that liued in the verie same age and were pryuie to the particulers therin cōteined They were copied abrode into infinit mens handes and so conserued with all care reuerence as holie and diuine scripture They were read in churches throughout all countries and Nations expounded preached and taught by all pastours and commentaries made vpon them by holie fathers from tyme to tyme. So that no doubt can be made but that we haue the verie sa ne writinges incorrupt as th' authours left them for that it was impossible for anie enimie to corrupt so manie Copies ouer al the world without discoucrie and resiitance And the same very text wordes and sentences which from age to age the learned fathers doe alleage out of thes scriptures we fynde them now as they had them at that tyme. As for example S. Iohn that lyued longest of all th' Apostles and Euangelistes had amōge other
which Plutarch in his forenamed booke doth report that in the later yeares of Tyberius raigne a strange voice and exceeding horrible clamour with hideous cries skriches and houlinges were heard by many in the Greciāsea complaining that the great God PAN was now departed And this Plutarch that was a Gētile affirmeth to haue bene alleaged and proued before th' Emperour Tyberius who maruailed greatly could not by al his diuines and South sayers whom he called to that consultation gather out any reasonable meaning of this wonderful accident But we Christians comparing the time wherin it happened vnto the time of Iesus death and passion and finding the same fully to agree may more then probably persuade our selues that by the death of their great God PAN which signifieth all was imported the ruine and vtter ouerthrow of all the wicked spirites and Idoles vpon earth AND THVS HATH the Deitie of Iesus bene declared and proued by his omnipotent power in subduing infernal enimies Now resteth it for vs to make manifest the same by his like power and diuine iustice shewed vpon diuers of his enimies here on earth whos greatest punishment albeit for the most part he reserueth for the life to come yet sometimes for manifestation of his omnipotēcie as especially it was behoueful i thos first daics of his appearāce in the world he chasteneth thē also euen here on earth in the eye and sight of al men So we read of the most in famous and miserable death of Herode the first surnamed Ascolonita who after his persecution of Christ in his infancie and the slaughter of the infantes in Bethleem for his sake was wearied out by a lothsome life in feare and horrour of his owne wife and children whom after he had most cruelly murdered was enforced also by desperation thorough his inspeakable vexations grieues and torments to offer his owne hand to his owne destructiō if he had not bene staied by friends that stood about After him Archelaus his eldest sonne that was a terrour to Iesus at his returne from Egipt fel also by Gods Iustice into maruailous calamities For first being left as king by his father Augustus would not allow or ratefie that successiō but of a king made him a Tetrarch assigning to him onlie the fourth part of that dominion which his father had before And then againe after nine yeares space tooke that away in like maner with the greatest dishonour he could deuise seazing vpon al his treasure and riches by way of confiscation and condemning his person to perpetual banishment wherin he died most miserablie in Vienna in France Not long after this the second sonne of Herode the first named Herode Antipas Tetrarch of Galiley who put S. Ihon Baptist to death and scorned Iesus before his passion wherat both him self and Herodias his concubine were present was deposed also by Caius th' Emperour being accused by Agrippa his nearest kinseman and most contumeliously sent in exile first to Lions in France and after that to the most desert and inhabitable places of Spaine wher he with Herodias wandered vp and doune in extreme calamitie so long as they liued and finally ended their daies abandonned of al men In which miserie also it is recorded that the daunsing daughter of Herodias who had in her Iolitie demaunded Iohn Baptists Head being on a certaine time enforced to passe ouer a frosen riuer the yse brake and she in her fall had her head cut of by the same yse without hurting the rest of her body to the great admiration of al the lookers on The like euent had an other of Herode familie named Herod Agrippa th' acculer of the fornamed Herod the Tetrarch who in his great glorie and triumphe hauing yut to death S. Iames the brother of S. Ihon Euangelist and imprisoned S. Peter was soone after in a publique assemblie of Princes and Nobles at Caesarea striken from heauen with a most horrible disease wherby his bodie putrified and was eaten with vermine as both S. Luke reporteth and Iosephus confirmeth And the same Iosephus with no small maruaile in hym self declareth that at the verie time when he wrote his storie which was aboute 70 yeares after the death of Herod the first the whole progenie and ofspring kinred and familie of the said Herod which he sayeth was exceeding great by reason he had niene wiues together with many children brothers sisters nephews and kinsefolke were all extinguished in most miserable sorte and gaue a testimonie saith Iosephus to the world of the most vaine confidence that men doe put in humane felicitie And as thes punishements lighted openlie vpon Iesus professed enimies in Iurie So escaped not also the Romans their chastissement I meane such as especiallie had their handes in persecution of hym or of his followers after hym For first of Pontius Pilate that gaue sentence of death against hym we reade that after great disgrace receyued in Iurie he was sent home into Italie and ther by manifold disfauours shewed vnto him by the Emperour his maister sel into such desperation as he slewe him self with his owne handes And secondlie of the very Emperours them selues who liued from Tyberius vnder whom Iesus suffred vnto Constātine the great vnder whom Christian religion tooke dominion ouer the world which contained the space of three hūdreth yeares very few or none escaped the manifest scourges of Gods dreadful iustice shewed vpon them at the knitting vp of their daies For examples sake Tyberius that permitted Christians to liue freely and made a lawe against their molestation as before hath bene shewed died peaceably in his bedde But Caligula that folowed him for his contempt shewed against al diuine power in making him self a God was soone after murdered by the cōspiracie of his dearest friendes Nero also who first of al other beganne persecution against the Christians within fewe monethes after he had put S. Peter and S. Paul to death in Rome hauing murdered in like manner his owne mother brother wife maister was vpon the sudaine from his glorious estate and maiestie throwen doune into such horrible distresse and confusion in the sight of al men as being condemned by the Senate to haue his heade thrust into a pillorie and ther most ignominiously to be whipped to death was cōstrained for auoiding th' execution of that terrible sentence to massacre him self with his owne handes by the assistance of such as were dearest vnto him The like might be shewed in the tragical endes of Galba Otho Vitellius Domitian Commodus Pertinax Iulian Macrinus Antoninus Alexander Maximinus Gordianus Aurelianus Decius Gallus Volutianus Aemilianus Valerianus Galienus Caius Carinus Maximianus Maxentius Licinius and others whos miserable deathes a noble man Councellour wel neare a thousand yeares past did gather against Zosimus a heathen writer to shew therby the pouerful hand of
her wicked deedes shal beginne exceedingly to feare and tremble and would gladlie flie and leaue her deedes behinde her seekinge to entreate the Angels and to request but one hower space of delaye But that wil not be graunted and her euil workes crying out al together shal speake against her and save we wil not staye behinde or parte from the thou hast done vs and we are thy workes and therfore we wil follow the whether soeuer thou goest yea euen vnto the seate of iudgement This loe is the state of a sinners soule which partinge from his bodie with most horrible feare goeth onwardes to iudgemēt loden with sinnes and with infinite confusion Contrariwise the iust mans soule goeth out of his bodie with greate ioye and comforte the good Angels accompaininge her with exultation Wherefore brethren seinge these thinges are so doe you feare this terrible hower of death now to the ende you maye not feare when you come vnto it Foresee it now that then you maye be secure Thus farre S. Augustine And for that this holie father learned Doctour in Christes Church maketh mentiō in this place of good and euil Angels which are redie at the houre of death to receyue the soules of such as depart out of this life it shal not be from our purpose to note that oftentimes God doth permit the apparitions of Angels both good and euil as also of other saintes to some men lyinge on their death beddes for a tast ether of comforte or sorow touchinge that which shal ensue in the world to come And this is also one singuler priuiledge among other belonging to this passage And concerning the iust I haue shewed before an example out of S. Cyprian and S. Augustine touching one to whome Christ appeared at the hower of his death And S. Gregorie the greate hath diuers like narratiōs to that purpose i the fourth booke of his dialogues As for example sake of one Vrsinus to whom the blessed Apostles S. Peter and S. Paule appeared But as concerning euil spirites and wicked Angels which shewed thē selues vnto diuers sinners at the houre of death and denounced vnto them their eternal damnation and horrible tormentes appointed in hel we haue manie and most terrible exāples recorded in many graue aunciēt writers As among other that recorded by S. Gregorie of one Chrisorius a greate riche man but as ful of sinne as of wealth to whome lying on his death-bed the infernal fiendes in most vglie māner appeared shewing how now he was deliuered into their power and therfore would neuer depart from him vntil he dying left his soule vnto thē to be caried to eternal tormentes The like examples doth venerable Bede recount to haue happened in our countrie about his time And among other of a certaine wicked Courtier in great fauour with king Coenride to whom lying in the panges of death and being now a litle recouered both the good and euil Angels appeared visibly the one laying before him a verie smal booke of his good deedes the other a greate huge volume of his enormous crimes Which after they had caused him to reade by the permissiō of the good Angels they seazed vpō him assignig also vnto him the certaine houre of his departure according as both him selfe confessed openlie to al that came to visit him and as by his horrible desperate death ensuinge at the very hower by them appointed he manifestlie confirmed The like storie recordeth he in the chapter folowing of one whom he knew him self and as both he S. Gregorie and S. Cyprian also doe note al these such other visions were permitted for our sake which doe yet liue and maye take commoditie by the same and not for their good that died whom they nothing at al auailed Which being so deare Christian brother that is this passage of death being so terrible so daungerous yet so ineuitable as it is seing so manie mē doe perish and are ouer whelmed daylie in passing ouer this perilous gulfe as both holie scriptures and auncient fathers doe testifie by examples recordes vnto vs what man of discretion would not learne to be wise by other mens dangers or what reasonable creature would not take heede looke aboute him being warned so manifestlie and apparantlie of his owne peril if thou be a Christian and doest belieue in deede the thinges which Christiā faith doth teach the thē doest thou know an I most certainlic belieue also that of what state age strength dignitie or condition so euer thou be now yet must hy self which now in health mirth doest real this point and thinkest the same litle appertainig vnto thee one of these daies and that perhaps very shortlie after the readinge hereof come to proue al these thinge in thine owne person that is thou must with sorow and griefe beenforced to thy bed and there after al straggliges with the dartes of death thou must yelde thy bodie which thou louest now so dearly to be the baite of wormes and thy soule to the trial of iustice for her doinges in this life IMAGINE THEN my friend euē thou I saye which art so fresh and froelicke at this instant that the ten twentie or two yeres or perhaps two monethes or daies which thou hast yet to liue were now come to an ende and that thou were euen at this present stretched out vpon a bed wearied and worne with dolour and paine thy carnal frindes about the weepinge and howlinge and desiring thie goodes the phisitions departed with their fees as hauing gyuen the ouer and thou lyinge there alone mute and dumme in most pitiful agonie expecting from moment to momēt the last stroke of death to be gyuen vnto the. Tel me in this instāt what would al the pleasures and commodities of the whole earth auaile the what comfort or ease would it be vnto the now to haue bene of honour in this world to haue gathered wealth and purchassed much to haue borne office and enioyed the princes fauour to haue left thy children and kinred in aboundance to haue trodden donne thine enimies to haue stirred much and borne greate swaye in this life what pleasure I saye or benefite would it be to the to haue bene beautiful to haue bene gallant in apparel goodlie in personage glittering in golde would not al thes thinges rather afflict then profit thee at this instant No doubt but now thou shouldest wel see throughlie perceaue the vanitie of thes trifles thou shouldest proue true the saying of the wise man non proderūt diuitie in die vltionis riches wil profit nothing in the day of Gods reuēge That most excellent demaunde of holie Iob would oftentimes offer it self vnto thie remembrāce Quid ad cum pertinet de domo sua post se What hath a man to doe with his house familie or kinred after he is gone what good what comfort shal he take therby VVho vvil
who was chaffe Many lost their soules saith he in this combat many got them eternal crounes The edict was executed with al rigour and fury throughout al Prouinces at once and diuers were the issues of such as came into trial But the infinit glorie of such as conquered surpassed far the infamie of such as fel. And the ennemy in the end being vtterly confounded would gladly haue seemed to haue brought that to passe which he neither did nor could For whē by force he had drawen Christians vnto the tēples of the Idols he would haue had it seeme that they came voluntarily whē men would not sacrifice he was desirous at least-wise that they should permit him to say publish that they had sacrificed others being beaten doune with clubbes vpon their knees were reported to haue kneeled of their owne wils for adoring the Godes wherof some cried opēly notwithstanding that they neither had nor euer would doe so for any torment that could be laid vpon thē But the more resolute sorte they were dealt with in al most cruel and barbarous maner without measure reason or order Wherof you may reade both many and strange examples in the eight and ninth bookes of Eusebius who wrote the things as he saw them passe and when our Sauiour permitted al thes extremities to fal vpon his Church then was the time neerest that he had determined to beautifie her in earth with greatest peace rest riches and glorie euen as he did immediatly after by conuerting Constantine to be so zelous a Christian. AND HERE NOVV doth end the storie of Eusebius which conteinēth the conflictes of the first three hundred yeares after Christes departure But the ecclesiastical writers that doe ensue after him ech man in his age doe declare that after the times of Constantine the Catholique Church inioyed not longe her temporal peace but had her exercise from time to time albeit in an other sorte then before that is to saie not by Pagans but by such as some times had bene her owne childrē a far more lothesome odious cruel and dangerous afflictiō then the former For as soone as Constantine was deade and had left the Romane Empire diuided vnto his sonnes one of them which gouerned al the east being corrupted by his wife became an Arrian By whom and other Princes infected afterward with the same heresies the Church of God susteined incredible distresses for many yeares together And then againe after al the children of Costantine were dead one Iulian that had bene brought vp in Christian religiō came to haue the whole Empire to him self and falling from Christ became an Apostata of whom Ruffinus that liued at the same time writeth thus He was a more conning persecutour then the 〈◊〉 and consequently cruel proceeding not so much by force and tormentes a by rewardes honours flatteries 〈◊〉 and deceit By which meanes he ouerthrew more soules thē if he had proceeded altogether by violence The worthie father S. Gregorie Nazianzenus writeth two large 〈◊〉 this mans doings and sheweth that in his youth both he S. Basile were acquainted with Iulian in the grammer schole At what time he saith they wel fore saw great signes of wickednes in him notwithstánding at that time he seemed verie deuout and for deuotions sake though he were a great Prince he would needes take vpon him the office of lectorship in the Catholique Church and besides that saith S. Gregorie began to build Churches also to christian Martyrs But when he came to be Emperour he washed of his baptisme with bloud and profaned his hands of purpose saith S. Gregorie wher with before he had touched the most pure vnbloudy sacrifice of the aulter by vvhich vve are made partakers of the passion and diuinitie of our Saueour After this he made an edict for the spoiling and profaning saith this Sainct of al Church-stuffe mony sacred ornaments and holy vestements that were to be had for defiling of aulters for deshonoring preestes deacons and Virgins but principally for breaking downe of Martyrs sepulchres and for the distroying their Churches In respect wherof this holy father writeth vnto him thus Thou persecutour after Herod thou traitour after Iudas thou murderer of Christ after Pilat thou ennemy of God after the Iewes dost thou not reuerence those holie sacricrifices slaine for Christ Doest thou not feare those noble champions Iohn Peter Paul and others that past thorough fier sword beastes tyrantes and what other cruelties so euer might be denounced against them with a mery hart Doest thou not feare thē to whom now are assigned so great honours and to whom festiual daies are ordeined vpon earth by whom deuils ar driuen away and disseafes are cured and whose onely bodies ar able to doe the same miracles now which their holy soules did when they were vpon earth Their bodies I say when they are handled by vs honoured yea the only apparitions and predictions the onely dropes of bloud of thes bodies doe as great miracles as the bodies them selues Thes bodies therfore doest thou not worship c Thus far S. Gregorie Naziāzene But now after the death of wicked Iulian albeit some times good Emperors were sent by God yet indured they not long but the Arriā heretiques came in gouernmēt againe so did beare the swaie for diuers ages after afflicting persecuting most extremely the Catholiks as may appeare by al the ecclesiastical writers that are extāt of that time And for a better coniecture what was done and suffered in the whole world abrod I would wish thee gentle reader but to vew that which remaineth writé of one parte only and that for the space of few years I meane of the persecution of the Arrian Vandals in Africa which began not long before S. Augustins death and indured diuers years after and is recorded in three seueral bookes by the holy man Victor bishope of Vtica that was one of the sufferers The storie is strange and most worthie the reading for that it hath very many things which set foorth the perfect forme of times that haue insued since and yet doe indure Possidius that liued with S. Augustin after writ the storie of his life reporteth in the same that when the holy man saw but the beginninges of this persecution he was wonderfully afflicted with compassion in his minde For saieth he he saw now alredy Catholique Churches destitute of their priestes sacred Virgins and others that liued continent to be dissipated and cast out the Hymnes and praises of God to haue ceased in most Churches the buildings of Churches burned the solemne seruice due vnto almightie God to be no more vsed in their proper places the diuine sacrifices and sacramentes either not to be sought for any longer or els that ther were not easily found priestes to minister the same vnto such as sought them Hitherto are the wordes of
LucretiÌ„us made diuers bokes against the vvorkemanshipe of the vvorld Galen inforced to coÌ„fesse gods prouidence Galen I. 5. de vsu part Lib. 3. de vsu part A vvonderfull speech of a heathen Plotin li. de proui The 5. argument in Metaphysique Immortalitie of the soule Plat. l. 10. de repub VVhen the desyre of our soule shal be satisfied * The mid in lib. de anima Plut. de placit Philoso The meaning of olde philosophers touching Anima mundi Eccle. 12. THE Moral philosopher The first argumeÌ„t of Moral philosophie * Tertulian handlech this pointe excelleÌ„the in Apolog. Seneca li. 1. de ira Sueton. in Callig The saying of Zeno touching the deathes of Atheistes The reason vvhy there can be but one God Lact. lib. 2. diuin instit cap. 2. Deus non dij Plato ep ' 13. ad Dionys. Cyrillus lib. 2. coÌ„tra IuliaÌ„ Plotinus Ennea 1. L 8. 1. 2. Eu. 6. l. 4. c. 12. 3. 4. Porphy l. 2. de abst lib. de occa c. 21. Procl in theolog Platon l. de anima Daem 1. 31. 42. 53. Socrates Apuleius Agellius Laertius in vita Socratis Aristotle the Peripatetiquos Iustin. in Apolog. Arist. l. de mundo Theo. in metaph Alex. Aphrod l. de prouident Zeno and the stoikes Plat. de oracul defect de traÌ„quil de quaeâ—â— Plat. Seneca de vita beat de prouid in epist. Epist. apud Arrianum The Academikes * So in thi tyme of va rietie of Sectes Arnob. coÌ„tra geÌ„tes All olde Philosophers acknovvledged one God * Vide apud Plutarch de placitis Philos. Trismeg iÌ„ PaemaÌ„d in Asclep The recollectioÌ„ of the first argument in Moral Philosophie Trismeg in Paema ca. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. c. in Asclep cap. 1. 2. 6. c. Ciceros opinion of the multitude of Panime gods hovv they vvere made The. 2. argument of Moral philosophie Euerie thing in this vvorld hath a natural desire to his ende The felicitie of beastes Cic. li. de finib bonorum maloruÌ„ The coÌ„tention of Philosophers about the felicitie of man Aug. l. 19. de ciuit cap. 1. The senteÌ„ce of Plato in Phadon Hovv nothing in this lyfe can be our felicitie Hovvfarre Moral philosophie reacheth in determining mans felicitie Plato in Phaed. Plotinus Enu 1. llb. 4. cap. 1. The 3. argument in Moral philosophie touching revvard and punishment * See of this matter Socrates in apologia Plato in Cratyl in Gorgia in phaed. in I. 10. de legib Plut. de Sera numinis vindicta others The people of Israel Gods partage Diuers thinges vvherby the Ievves shevve God CoÌ„sortablà to heare the certaintie of scriptures declared THE. 1. proofe of scripturs Antiquity * Iosephus I. 10. cont AppioneÌ„ haÌ„dleth this at large * Eusebiua assigneth them 570. in Chron. Euphemerus Messen. in Genealo Deorum Cic. de natura Deorum Euse. li. 9. de praep EuaÌ„g 23. Hovv Scriptures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The care of coÌ„seruatioÌ„ Th' estimation that Ievves had of their scriptures THE 3. proofe of scripturs The sinceritie of the vvriters The lyues deathes of the prophetes * See Epiphan de vitis prophetarum A peculier coÌ„sideration of Moises first vvriter in the Bible Euseb. l. 9 10. de praep Euang. Ioseph l. 1. cont Appio L. 2. anti Exod. 3. 4. 8. The miraculous vvorkes of Moyses Exod. 14. Exod. 16. Num. 11. Iosue 5. Psal. 77. Num. 16. Ioseph li. 4. antiq cap. 2. 3 Num. 16. Deut. 11. Psal. 225. The plaine and sincere proceeding of Moyses Nu. 20. 27. Deut. 31. Exod. 32. Gen. 49. Nu. 12. Deut. 14. Num. 27. Deut. 3. THE. 4. proofe of scripturs Consent 4. Considerations external Considerations internal THE. 5. proof of scripture Their argumeÌ„t and Ende Philosophers Historiographers Heathen Lavvmakers Deut. 6. Prophetes and Southsayers Versifiers and Poetes Psal. 17. The vehement loue of Dauid Psal. 72. Prophane vvritinges treate onlie of men THE. 6. proof of scripturs Their stile See 3. Augustine of this at large lib. 12 de ciu Dei Simplicity Profundity Gen. 1. The grauitie and Maiestie of speech iÌ„ the scriptures Deut. 4. 16. 22. The force of the scriptures in mouing affections Faluins Iosephus de Antiq. Iudaic See S. Hiero n. lib. de script Eccl. Gen. 22. Iudic. 11. Tvvo miracles reported by Aristaeus Aristaeus libello de translat Bibliorum apud Euse. 1. 8. de praepeuaÌ„g ca ... TheopoÌ„pus Theodectes THE. 7. proofe of scripturs The Contentes Highe doctrines The propleties in scripture declare their authour Esa. 41. 23. Hovv the deuils and other creatures may fortell thiÌ„gs to come Th' opinion of a healtheÌ„ touching the propheties of his Godes Porphy li. de resp oracu Oenomaus de falsitate oraculoruÌ„ de artificibus maleficiis Deceptful Oracles Euseb. li. 〈◊〉 de praep euaÌ„ ca. 10. The circuÌ„stances of Propheties set dovvne in the scriptures 1. The prophetie to Abraham for his posteritie Gen. 12. 13. 15. 17. 18. c. Gen. 15. Exod. 12. Gal. 3. * Porphv li. 4. coÌ„t Chri. AppioÌ„ l. 4. coÌ„t Iudaeos 2. The prophetie for the gouernment of Iuda Gen. 49. Ioseph de antiq li. 14. Vnlikelihodes of this prophetie Exod. 2. Iosue 19. 1. Reg. 1. 8. 1. Reg. 9. * Dauid 1. Reg. 16. 3. Reg. 12. 2. Para. 11 The vvonderful prouidence of God tovvards the house of Iuda Euseb. in Chron. 3. The prophetie for the greatenes of Ephraim aboue Manasses Gen. 48. Iosue 16. 17. Eccle. 47. Esay 7. 28. Icrem 31. Ezec. 37. Oze 5. Gen. 49. Iosue 14. Exod. 12. Gal. 3. Act. 13. 4. The forsight of Moyses Nu. n. 34. 35. 36. Iosue 15. 16. 17. Deut. 31. 32. Deut. 32. v. 21. 5. The prophetie for the perpetuÌ„al desolation of Iericho Ios. 6. 3. Reg. 16 6. The prophetie for the birth and actes of Iosues 3. Reg. 12 3. Reg. 13 DisobedieÌ„ce punished greenouslie in Gods dearest 4. Reg. 23 Cap. 23. Micron in Prolog Galeat 7. The prophetie for the destruction of Hierusalem Babylon 4. Reg. 20 v. 16. Esay 5. 4. Reg. 20 Esay 13. Esay 24. 8. The vvonderful prophetie for Cyrus king of Persians Esay 25. * This he sayeth for that Cyrus vvas an infidel Esay 13. Esay 8. v. 2. Iere. 26. v. 20. Zac. 1. v. 1 CircumstaÌ„ces of certaine truth 9. The propheties and doinges of Ieremie in the siege of HierusaleÌ„ Ierem. 37. v. 16. Ierem. 38 v. 3. Ierem. 39. 4. Reg. 24 25. Ierem. 25. v. 11. The yeares fortolde of the captiuitie of Babylon Ierem. 24. v. 5. c. 29. v. 10. 1. Esd. 1. 2. 3. Esd. 2. Dan. 9. v. 1. Gentiles beleeued the scripture 1. Esd. 1. 3. Esd. 2. The propheties of Daniel Dan. 5. Dan. 11. * Beholde three kings shall yet staÌ„d in Persia and the fovverth shal be rich aboue all the rest Dan. 11. v. 2. Instin hist. l. 12. 13. The sovver Monarchies of Assyrians Persians Graecians and 〈◊〉 Romans Dan. 2.
Knovv thou before hande that thy issue shal be a straunger in a forraine lande and they shal subiect them to seruitude and shall asstict them for fovver hundred yeares but yet I vvill iudge the nation vnto vvhome they haue bene slaues and ester that they shal departe thence vvith greate riches This is the prophetie and how exactelie it was afterwarde fulfilled by the ruine of the Egytians and deliuerance of the Israelites euen at that tyme which is here appointed not onelie the booke of Exodus doth declare wher the whole storie is layed downe at large but also the cōsent of heathen wryters as before hath bene touched And it is speciallie to be noted that this prophetie was so cōmon and well knowen amōg all Iewes from Abrahams tyme downe vnto Moyses and so deliuered by tradition frō fathers to their children as it was the onelie comfort and staye not onlie of all that people in their seruitude of Egypt but also of Moyses and others that gouerned the people afterwardes for fortie yeares together in the deserte was the onelie meane in deede wherby to pacifie them in their distresses and miseries and therfore Moyses in euerie exhortation almost maketh mention of this promisse and prophetie as of a thing well knowen vnto them all and not deuised or inuēted by hym selfe or anie other Longe after this Iacob that was Abrahams nepheue being in Egipt making his testament said of his sowerth sonne Iuda Iuda thie brothers shal praise thee and the childrē of thie father shal bovve vnto the c. the Scepter shal not be taken from Iuda vntil he come that is to be sent and he shal be the expectation of nations Which later parte of the prophetie all Hebrewes doe expounde that it was meant of the comming of Messias which was fulfilled almost two thousand yeares after at the coming of Christ as shal be shewed in an other special chapter For at that tyme kinge Herod 2 straūger putt owt quite the line of Iuda from the gouernment of Iurie But for the first parte touching Iudas scepter it is wonderfull to consider the circumstances of this prophetie For first when it was spokē and vttered by Iacob there was no probabilitie of anie Scepter at all to be amōg the Iewes for that the Israelites or sōnes of Iacob at that daye were poore and few in nūber and neuer like to be a distincte nation of themselues or to depart foorth of Egypt againe And secondlie if anie such thinge should come to passe as they might be a people and haue a scepter or gouernmēt of their owne yet was it not lyklie that Iuda and his posteritie should possesse the same for that he had three elder brothers to witt Ruben Simeō and Leuie who in all likelihode were to goe before hym And thirdlie when Moyses recorded and putt in wryting this prophetie whiche was diuers hundreth yeares after Iacob had spoken it it was muche lesse likelie that euer it should be true for that Moyses then present in gouernmēt was of the tribe of Leuie Iosue designed by Godfor his successour was of the tribe of Ephrai and not of Iuda Which maketh greatelie for the certaintie of this record For that it is most apparent that Moyses would neuer haue putt suche a prophetie in writing to the disgrace of his owne tribe and to the preiudice and offence of Rubē Simeon Ephraim and other tribes nether would they euer haue suffred such a derogation but that it was euident to them by tradition that their Grandsire Iacob had spoken it albeit then presentelie there was no greate likelihode that euer after it should come to be fulfilled And this was for the tyme of Moyses but yet consider further that from Moyses to Samuel that was last of all the Iudges there passed fower hūdreth years more yet was there no apparēce of fulfillinge this prophetie in Israel for that the tribe of Iuda was not established in gouernmēt At lengthe they came to haue kinges to rule then was there chosen one Saul to that place not of the tribe of Iuda but of Beniamin he indued with diuers children to succede hym And who would then haue thought that this prophetie could euer haue bene fulfilled but yet for that it was gods worde it must needes take place and therfore when no man thought therof there was a poore shepheard chosen owt of the tribe of Iuda to be kinge the regiment scepter so established in his posteritie that albeit manie of his descendentes offended God more greeuouslie then euer Saul did who was putt out before and albeit ten tribes at once brake from Iuda and neuer returned to obedience againe but conspired with the Gentiles and other enimies of euerie syde to extinguishe the said kingdome and regiment of Iuda yet for the fulfilling of this prophetie the gouernmēt of Iuda held owt still for more then a thowsand and two hundred yeares together vntill Herodes tyme as I haue said Which is more then anie one familie in the world besides can shew for his nobilitie or continuance in gouernment The same Iacob when he came to blesse his litle nepheues Manasses and Ephraim that were Iosephs children though hym self were now dimme of sight and could not well discerne them yet dyd he putt his right hande vpon the head of the youger and his left hand vpon the elder and that of purpose as it proued afterwarde For when Ioseph their father misliked the placing of their Grād-fathers hādes would haue remoued the right hande fró Ephraim and haue placed it vpon the head of Manasses that was the elder Iacob would not suffer hym but answered I knovv my Jonne I knovv that Manasses is the elder be shall be multiplied into manie people but yet his yonger brother shal be greater then be Which afterward was fulfilled for that Ephraim was alwayes the greater and strōger tribe and in fine became the head of the kyngdome of Israel or of the ten tribes wherof there was no suspition or likelihode when Iacob spake this or when Moyses recorded it And how then came Iacob to forsee this so manie hundred yeares before as also to forsee and fortell the particuler places of his childrens habitations in the lande of promisse as Zabulon at the sea side Aser in the fertile pastures and other the like fower hundred yeares and more Wherhence had he this I say to fortell what lottes so longe after should appointe but onelie from God who gouerned their lottes The like might be asked concerninge Moyses who before his death in the desert deuided out the lande of Canaan to euerie tribe euē as though he had bene in possession therof as afterwarde it fell out by casting of lottes as in the booke of Iosue it doth appeare And could any humane witt or science thinke you forsee