the day the houre the place the Village the house the persons the men the women and other the like Which circumstaunces the more they are in number the more easie to be refuted if they were not true Neyther dyd they in Iurie write of things done in India but in the same Countrie if selfe in Townes and Cities that were publiquely knowne in Bethania and Bethsaida Villages harde by Ierusalem in the Suburbes and hyls about the Cittie in such a streete at such a gate in such a porch of the Temple at such a fish-poole which al people in Ierusalem did euery day behold They published theyr wryting in their owne life time and preached in worde so much as in wryting they had recorded They permitted the same to the iudgment and examination of all Christes Church especiallie of the Apostles who were able to discerne euery least thing therein contained So Saint Marke set foorth his Gospell by the instruction and approbation of S. Peter as also dyd S. Luke by the authoritie of S. Paule They altered not theyr wrytings afterwarde as other Authors are wont in theyr latter editions nor euer corrected they one iote of that which they had first sette downe And that which neuer happened in any other wrytings in the worlde besides nor euer Prince or Monarch was able to bring to passe for credite of hys Edicts or sanctions they gaue theyr liues for defence and iustifying of that which they had written Their manner of wryting is sincere and simple without all arte amplification or rethoricall exhortation They flatter none no not Iesus himselfe whō they most adore nor in confessing him to be theyr God and Creator doe they conceale his infirmities of flesh in that he was man as hys hunger and thyrst his beeing wearie how he wept his passions of feare and the like So likewise in the Apostles that were the Gouernours superiours and heades of the rest doe these Euangelists dissemble hyde or passe ouer no such things as were defects might seeme to worldly eyes to turne to theyr discredits As for example howe Christ rebuked them for theyr dulnes in vnderstanding howe after long instruction they proposed notwithstanding very rude and impertinent questions vnto hym howe Thomas woulde not beleeue the attestation of hys fellowes how S. Iohn and S. Iames the sonnes of Zebedee ambitiously solicited to haue the preheminence of sitting neerest to Christ in hys glorie which latter clause beeing sette downe cleerelie by Saint Marke whyle yet S. Iohn the Apostle was liuing the same was neuer denyed nor taken ill by the said Apostle neither was saint Marks Gospell any thing the lesse approoued by him albeit he liued longest and wrote last of all the rest Nay which is more and greatlie no doubt to bee obserued these Euangelists were so sincere and religious in theyr narrations as they noted especially the imperfections of themselues and of such other as they principally respected So Saint Mathew nameth himselfe Mathew the Publicane And so S. Marke beeing Peters dysciple recordeth particulerly how S. Peter thrise denied hys Lord and Maister Saint Luke that was scholler and dependent of S. Paule maketh mention alone of the differences betweene Paule and Barnabas and in the Storie of S. Stephens death after all hys narration ended he addeth a clause that in humane iudgment might haue beene left out to wit Saulus erat consentiens neci eius Saule was consenting and culpable of Stephens death Whereby wee may perceiue most perspicuously that as these men were plaine sincere and simple and farre from presuming to deuise any thing of themselues so were they religious and had scruple to passe ouer or leaue out any thing of the trueth in fauour of themselues or of any other whosoeuer These mens wrytings then were published and receiued for vndoubted trueth by all that liued in the verie same age and were priuie to the perticulers therein contayned They were copied and abroad into infinite mens hands and so conserued wyth all care reuerence as holy and diuine scripture They were read in Churches throughout al Coūtries and Nations expounded preached taught by all Pastours and commentaries made vppon them by holy Fathers frō tyme to tyme. So that no doubt can be made but that we haue the very same wrytings incorrupt as the Authours left them for that it was impossible for any enemie to corrupt so many copies ouer the world without discouerie and resistaunce And the same verie text words and sentences which from age to age the learned Fathers doe alleage out of these Scriptures we finde them now as they had them at that time As for example S. Iohn that liued longest of al the Apostles Euangelists had among other Schollers and auditours Papias Ignatius and Policarpus all which agree of the foure Gospels and other writings left vnto vs in the newe Testament affirming S. Iohn to haue approoued the same These men were Maisters againe to Iustinus Martyr Ireneus other whose writings remaine vnto vs. And if they dyd not yet their sayings and iudgments touching the Scriptures are recorded vnto vs by Eusebius and other Fathers of the next age after and so from hande to hande vntill our dayes So that of this there can be no more doubt then whether Rome Constantinople Ierusalem and other such renouned Citties knowne to all the world at thys daie be the very same wherof Authors haue treated so much in auncient times The fourth Consideration AND thus much of Christes Euangelists for whose more credite and for confirmation of things by them recorded hys diuine prouidence preordained that infinite witnesses whom we call Martyrs shoulde offer vppe theyr bloode in the Primatiue Church and after Wheras for no other doctrine profession or Religion in the worlde the like was euer heard of albeit among the Iewes in the tyme of the Machabees and at some other times also when that Nation for their sinnes were afflicted by Heathen Princes some fewe were tyrannized and iniuriously put to death yet commonly and for the most part thys was rather of barbarous crueltie in the Pagans for theyr resistaunce then directly for hatred of Iewish Religion And for the number there is no doubt but that more Christians were put to death with in two monethes for theyr beleefe throughout the worlde then were of Iewes for two thousand yeeres before Christes comming Which is vndoubtedly a matter very wonderfull considering that the Iewish Religion impugned no lesse the Pagan Idolatrie then dooth the doctrine of the Christians But this came to passe that Christes wordes might be fulfilled who saide I come not to bring peace but the sword And againe I sende you foorth as sheepe among wolues That is to say to be torne and harried and your blood to be deuoured In which extreame and most incredible sufferings of Christians three poynts are woorthy of great consideration
of the second Temple to the death of Christ sixtie-two 229 6. proofe The traditions and obseruations of the olde Iewes themselues page 230 Christ hydeth himselfe in the Sea 233 7. proofe That out of Iurie should ryse a generall Lord of the vniuersall world 233. 8. proofe The generall expectation of the people page 234 The seconde Consideration concerning the byrth of Christ c. page 237 Iesus lyne and stocke directly of the Trybe of Iuda and lineally by hys mother of the peculiar house of Dauid page 237 The manner of his conception and the message made by the Angell c. 238 Iesus natiuitie and in what manner page 239 The place appointed for the byrth of the Messias page 241 The singing of the Angels and of the name of Iesus page 243 The comming of the three Magi or wyse men of the East page 244 Prophecies of thinges that shoulde fall out in Bethleem 246. Heathen testimonies for the starre which guided the wyse men 247 The presentation of Iesus in Ierusalem 248 Christes flight into Egypt for feare of Herode page 249 The benefit that Egypt receiued by Christes flight vnto it page 250 The thyrd consideration shewing the lyfe conuersation doctrine and miracles of Iesus page 251. Saint Iohn Baptist the Messenger of the Testament page 252 The order of Iesus preaching doctrine 253 The comparison of Christes Lawe wyth that of Moses page 254 The meaning effect of Christes doctrine 255 The life conuersation of Iesus testified by his greatest aduersaries page 256 Of Iesus miracles and of the predictions of the Messias hys miracles 257 The confession of Iesus myracles by his verie enemies page 259 The calling of hys Apostles and other folowers page 260 Externall miracles done by Iesus aboue all power of humaine capacitie page 261 The fourth consideration deliuering the passion resurrection and ascention of Iesus page 264 Christes ascending to Ierusalem to reciue hys passion 265. Hys barbarous abusage fore-told by prophecie as also his death most plainely 266 The wonderfull prediction of hys passion sette downe by the Prophet Esay c. 267 The particulers of hys passion fore-tolde by Sibylla 268 Of the miracles that fell out in his death and passion page 269 Hys resurrection exactly fore-told both to Iewe and Gentile 271 The appearings which Iesus made after his resurrection page 273. Circumstaunces confirming the true resurrection of Iesus 275. The great chaunge in hys Disciples by his Resurrection 276 The examination of the matter by Pilate 277 Pilats Letters to Tyberius and hys proceeding thereupon 278. The opinion of the wiser sort of Iewes touching Iesus resurrection in that tyme. 279 Likeli-hoodes of trueth concerning Iesus ascention page 280. The thyrd Section How Iesus prooued his Deitie after his departure to heauen 282. The first consideration declaring the sustentation protection increase and continuation of Christes little Church kingdome that hymselfe first planted and left vpon earth page 283 The state of Christes first Church in persecution 284 The comming of the holy Ghost and what comforts he brought wyth hym 285 The wonderfull quicke increase of Christ hys Church 287. The increase of Christians against nature 288. The second consideration concerning the Apostles of Christ. 290. The miracles reported of the Apostles could not be feigned neither durst any impugne theyr myracles but by calumniation 292 293. The successe of the Apostles 295 The assuraunce and ioyfull ending of the Apostles 296. The thyrd consideration treating of the Euangelists 297. The dyfferent qualities and circumstaunces of the foure Euangelists 298. Circumstances of trueth in the Euangelists 299 The publishing of the Gospels and the manner of stile vsed by the Euangelists 300. A speciall poynt to be obserued in the Euangelists 301. No doubt but we haue the true writings of the Euangelists page 303. The fourth consideration of Martyrs that by theyr blood should confirme thys doctrine page 304 Three poynts to be considered in our Martyrs and the singuler alacritie of Christians in their sufferings page 305. Iesus assistance to hys Martyrs page 306 The fift consideration concerning the subiection of the infernall spyrits 307 Of the myraculous ceassing of Oracles at Christes appearing 309 The wonderfull authoritie of Christians ouer spyrits page 312 The sixt consideration of the punishment of Christes enemies here on earth 315 Herod Ascolonita Archelaus Herode Antipas Herodias daughter Herode Agrippa and the stocke of Herode soone extinguished 316,317 The punishment of the Romaines 318 The chastisement of Ierusalem of the Iewish people 320 Wyth what circumstaunces Christes death was punished vpon the Iewes 321 A meruailous prouidence of GOD for deliuering the Christians that were in Ierusalem at the tyme of the destruction thereof 323. The Iewish miserie after the destruction of Ierusalem page 324. The finall desolation of the Iewish Nation 325. The seauenth consideration the fulfilling of such speeches and prophecies as Iesus vttered on earth page 326. The circumstaunces of the tyme when Iesus spake hys words and when they were written 328. The testimonie of a Heathen for the fulfilling of Christes prophecies 329. Other prophecies of Iesus fulfilled to his Disciples 329 Prophecies fulfilled in the sight of Gentiles 331. The fourth Section The summe of the three former Sections wyth eyght demonstratiue reasons for better satis-factiō 332. 333. 334. 335. 336. 337. The conclusion of the Chapter with an admonishment 338. An illation vppon the premisses with an exhortation 340. The fift Chapter Howe a man may iudge or discerne of himselfe whether he be a true Christian or not with a declaration of the two parts belonging to that profession which are beleefe and life The matters handled in thys Chapter The first part concerning our beleefe howe to examine the trueth thereof page 345. The matters of fayth and beleefe easie among Christians page 346. The direct holie way of Christians vnder the Gospell page 347. No heresie finally preuailed against the Sciptures page 352. The spirituall sworde wherewith our Sauiour Christ preuailed against Sathan the head Lorde and master of all heretiques 353. What the diligent reading of the Scriptures leadeth vs vnto forsaking the by pathes of mens inuentions and traditions 355. A discription of the forme force and nature of fayth 356. The fulnes of fayth conteyneth in it three especiall thinges 358. That which is meat to the flesh that is faith to the soule 359. A conclusion of this first parte according to Saint Ierome 360. The second part of this Chapter concerning life and manners 362. Two causes of heresie according to the opinion of the holie Fathers of Christes primatiue Church 363. The doings of Precismatiques in handling the Scriptures 363. The obseruation of S. Cyprian concerning the originall causes of heretiques 364. Many causes of euil life as erring in beleefe 364. The effect of Christes most excellent Sermon on the Mountaine 365. A similitude touching faith and workes 367. The summe of faith and workes according to Iames. page
iam temporis aetas Magnus ab integro saeculorum nascitur ordo Iam redit virgo rediunt Saturnia regna That is nowe is come the last age prophecied by Sibylla called Cumaea now coÌ„meth to be fulfilled the great ordinance and prouidence of God appointed from the beginning of the worlde these were Sibylles words nowe commeth the Virgine and the first golden daies of Saturnus shal return againe Thus much translated Virgil out of Sibylla touching the eternall determination of God for Christes comming into this world as also of hys Mother the Virgine and of the infinite blessinges that shoulde appeare wyth him Nowe ensueth in the same Poet what Sibylla had sayde for Christes actuall natiuitie Iam noua progenies caelo dimittitur alto Chara Deum soboles c. Now a newe progenie or of-spring is sent downe from Heauen the dearely beloued issue or chylde of the Gods And note here that Sibylla sayd plainly Chara Dei soboles the deerely beloued sonne of God and not of Gods but that Virgill would follow the style of hys time And thirdly hee setteth downe out of Sibylla the effect and cause of thys sonne of Gods natiuitie in these words Te duce si qua manent sceleris vestigia nostri Irrita perpetua soluent formidine terras That is thou beeing our leader or Captaine the remnant of our sins shall be made voyde or taken away and shall deliuer the world for euer from feare for the same These are Virgils wordes translated as I sayd out of Sibylla And nowe consider you in reason whether these prophecies might be applyed as Virgil applyed theÌ„ to those poore chyldren in Rome or no who dyed soone after thys flattery of Virgill wythout dooing good eyther to themselues or to others Albeit perhaps in thys point the Poet be to be excused in that he beeing not able to imagine what the Sibyl should mean made hys aduantage thereof in applying the same to the best pleasing of Augustus These then are the proofes which Constantine vsed for the credite and authoritie of the Sibyll verses And of Sibylla Erithraea in perticuler that made the Accrostike verses before mentioned of Christes death passion he concludeth in these wordes These are the things which fell from heauen into the minde of this Virgine to fore-tell For which cause I am induced to account her for blessed whom our Sauiour did vouchsafe to chuse for a Prophet to denounce vnto the worlde his holie prouidence towardes vs. And we may consider in thys whole dyscourse of Constantine for authoritie of these verses Fyrst that he vseth onely the testimony of such wryters as lyued before Christ was borne or Christians once thought vppon Secondly that hee vseth these proofes to no meaner audience then to a Councell congregation of learned men Thyrdly that he was an Emperour which vseth them that is one that had meanes to see and examine the originall Copies in the Romaine Treasury Fourthly for that hee had great learned men about him who were skilfull and would be diligent in the searche of such an antiquitie of importaunce especially Lactantius that was Maister to his sonne Crispus and who most of any other Author reciteth and confirmeth the sayd Sibyls verses and Eusebius Caesariensis that wrote the Ecclesiasticall hystorie and recorded thys Oration of Constantine therein And finally we may consider that Constantine was the first publique Christian Emperour liued within three hundred yeeres after Christ when the Recordes of the Romans were yet whole to be seene He was a religious vvise and graue Emperour and therefore woulde neuer haue bestowed so much labor to confirme such a thing at such a time to such an audience had not the matter been of singuler importance And thus much of the second point touching Prophets among the Gentiles Of the confessyon of Oracles concerning Christes comming THere remaineth onely a word or two to be spoken of the thirde which is of the confession of deuils and Oracles concerning Christes comming especially when the time of hys appearance drew neere and that they beganne to fore-tell his power and vertue Wherin as I might alleage diuers examples recorded by the Gentiles themselues so for that I haue been some what long in the former points and shall haue occasion to saie more of this matter in another place heereafter I wyll touch onely heere two Oracles of Apollo concerning thys matter The one wherof was to a Priest of his owne that demaunded him of true Relgion and of God to whom he aunswered thus in Greeke O thou vnhappie Priest why doost thou aske mee of God that is the father of all thinges and of this most renoumed Kings deere onely sonne and of the spirit that containeth all c. Alas that spirit will enforce me shortly to leaue thys habitation and place of Oracles The other Oracle was to Augustus Caesar euen about the very time that Christ was ready to appeare in flesh For whereas the sayd Emperor now drawing into age would needes goe to Delphos and there learne of Apollo who should raigne after hym and what should become of things when he was dead to which demaund Apollo for a great space wold make no aunswere notwithstanding Augustus had beene very liberall in making the great sacrifice called Hecatombe But in the ende when the Emperour began to iterate hys sacrifice againe and to be instant for an aunswer Apollo as it were inforced vttered these strange words vnto him An Hebrue childe that ruleth ouer the blessed Gods commaundeth me to leaue this habitation and out of hand to gette me to hell But yet doe you depart in silence from our Aultars Thus much was Apollo inforced to vtter of hys owne miserie of the comming of the Hebrue boy that shold put him to banishment But yet the deceytfull spirit to holde stil hys credite would not haue the matter reuealed to many Whereupon Augustus falling into a great musing with himselfe what thys aunswere might import returned to Rome and builded there an Aultar in the Capitole wyth thys Latine inscription as Nicephorê° affirmeth Ara primogeniti Dei The Aultar of Gods first begotten Sonne Thus then haue I declared howe that the comming of Gods sonne into the world was fore-tolde both to Iewe and Gentile by all meanes that possibly in reason myght be deuised that is by prophecies signes figures ceremonies tradition and by the confession of the deuils themselues Not onelie that hys comming was fore-tolde but also why and for what cause he was for to come that is to be the onely Sauiour of the world to die for the sinnes of all men to ordayne a new Law more perfect Common-wealth Howe also he was to come to wit in mans flesh in likenes of sinne in pouertie humilitie The time likewyse of his appearance was prefigured together with the manner of hys byrth life actions death resurrection and ascention
reasons and perswasions which insue for hys more ample and aboundant satis-faction therein Fyrst that it was impossible that so manie things should be fore-tolde so preciselie wyth so many particularities in so manie ages by so different persons of all sanctitie wyth so great concorde consent and vnitie and that so long before hand but by the spirite of God alone that onely hath the fore-knowledge of future euents Secondly that it could not possibly be that so many things so difficult strange wyth all theyr particularities circumstances should be so exactly and precisely fulfilled but in hym alone of whom they were truely meant Thirdly that it can no waies be imagined that God woulde euer haue concurred with Iesus dooings or assisted him aboue all course of nature wyth so aboundant myracles as the Gentiles doe confesse that hee wrought if he had beene a Seducer or taken vppon him to sette foorth a false doctrine Fourthly if Iesus had intended to deceiue and seduce the worlde he would neuer haue proposed a doctrine so difficult repugnaunt to all sensualitie but rather would haue taught things pleasant gratefull to mans voluptuous delight as Mahomet did after hym Neyther coulde the nature of man haue euer affectuously embraced such austeritie wythout the assistance of some diuine and supernaturall power Fiftlie for that Iesus beeing poorelie borne and vnlettered as by hys aduersaries confession doth appeare and that in such an age and time when all worldly learning was in most flourishing estate he coulde neuer possibly but by diuine power haue attained to such exquisite knowledge in all kynde of learning as to be able to decide al the doubts controuersies of Philosophers before him as he did laying downe more plainelie distinctly and perspicuously the pythe of all humaine and diuine learning within the coÌ„passe of three yeeres teaching and that to auditours of so great simplicitie then dyd all the Sages of the world vnto that day insomuch that euen then the most vnlearned Christian at that time coulde say more in certaintie of trueth concerning the knowledge of God the Creation of the worlde the ende of man the reward of vertue the punishment of vice the immortalitie and rest of our soule after thys life and in other such high poynts and mysteries of true Phylosophy then coulde the most famous and learned of all the Gentiles that had for so many ages before beaten theyr braynes in contention about the same Sixtlie if Iesus had not meant plainelie and sincerely in all hys dooings according as he professed he would neuer haue taken so seuere a course of life to himselfe neyther would he haue refused all temporal dignities and aduauncements as he did he would neuer haue chosen to die so opprobriously in the sight of all men nor made election of Apostles and disciples so poore and contemptible in the world nor if he had would euer worldly men haue followed him in so great multitudes wyth so great feruour zeale constancie and perseueraunce vnto death Seuenthly wee see that the first begynners and founders of Christian Religion left by Iesus were a multitude of simple and vnskilfull persons vnapt to deceiue or deuise any thing of themselues They beganne against all probabilitie of mans reason they went forward against the stream strength of the worlde they continued and increased aboue humaine possibilitie they perseuered in torments afflictions insufferable they wrought miracles aboue the reach and compasse of mans abilitie they ouerthrew Idolatrie that then possessed the world and confounded all powers infernall by the onelie name and vertue of theyr Maister They saw the prophecies of Iesus fulfilled and all his diuine speeches and predictions come to passe They sawe the punishment of theyr enemies and cheefe impugners to fall vpon them in theyr dayes They sawe euerie daie whole Prouinces Countries and kingdoms conuerted to theyr fayth And finally the whole Romaine Empire and world besides to subiect it selfe to the Law obedience and Gospell of theyr Maister Lastlie among all other reasons and arguments this may be one most manifest vnto vs that wheras by many testimonies and expresse prophecies of the olde Testament it is affirmed that the people of Israel should abandon persecute and put to death the true Messias at hys comming as before hath beene shewed and for that facte shoulde it selfe be abandoned of God and brought to ruine and dispersion ouer all the worlde wherein according to the wordes of Ose They shall sitte for a long time without King without Prince without sacrifice without Aultar without Ephode or Images and after thys againe the children of Israell shall returneâ— and seeke their God in the last dayes Wee see in thys age the same particularities fulfilled in that Nation and so haue continued now for these â—ifteene hundred yeeres that is we see the Iewish people abandoned and afflicted aboue all Nations of the world dyspersed in seruilite throughout all corners of the earth without dignitie or reputation without King Prince or common-wealth of themselues prohibited by all Princes both Christian and other to make their sacrifice where they inhabite depriued of all meanes to attaine to good knowledge in good litterature whereby daily they fall into more grosse ignoraunce and absurdities against common reason in theyr later doctrine then did the most barbarous Infidels that euer were hauing lost all sence and feeling in spirituall affayres all knowledge and vnderstanding in celestiall things for the life to come hauing among them no Prophet no graue teacher no man directed by Gods holy spirite and finally as men forlorne and filled wyth all kinde of miserie doe both by theyr inwarde and externall calamities preach denounce and testifie to the worlde that Iesus whom they crucified was the onely true Messias Sauiour of man-kinde and that hys bloode as they themselues required lyeth heauily vppon theyr generation for euer Wherefore to conclude thys whole discourse and treatise of the proofes euidences of our Christian Religion seeing that by so manifold and inuincible demonstrations it hath beene declared and layde before our eyes that Iesus is the onely true sauiour and redeemer of the worlde and consequentlie that hys seruice and religion is the onelie way meane to please Almightie GOD and to attaine euerlasting happinesse there remaineth nowe to be considered that the same Iesus which by so many Prophets was promised to be a Sauiour was also foretolde by the selfe same Prophets that he shoulde be a Iudge and examiner of all our actions Which latter poynt no one Prophet that hath fore-shewed hys comming hath omitted seriously to inculcate vnto vs. No not the Sibyls themselues who in euery place where they describe the most gracious comming of the Virgins sonne doe also annexe therunto hys dreadfull appearaunce at the daie of iudgment especially in those famous Acrostick verses wherof there hath been so much mention before the
within the compasse of one hundred yeeres had foretolde to be imminent vpon the worlde not onely to Samaria and the ten Trybes of Israell which were now alreadie carried into banishment to the furthest parts of the East but also to the states Countries that most florished at that time as by name to Babilon Egipt Damasco Tyrus Sidon Moab and finallie to Ierusalem and Iudea it selfe which he foresawe should soone after most pittifully be destroyed when hee sawe also by long experience that neither his words nor the wordes and cryes of the other forenamed Prophets could any thing moue the harts of wicked men hee brake foorth into this most lamentable complaint Desolatione desolata est omnis terra quia nullus est qui recogitet corde The whole earth falleth into extreame ruine and desolation for that there is no man which considereth deeplie in his hart This complaint made good Ieremie in his daies for compassion of his people that ran miserablie to perdition for want of consideration And the same complaint with much more reason may euery good Christian make at this time for the infinit soules of such as perish dailie by inconsideration Whereby as by a generall and remedilesse enchauntment many thousande soules are brought a sleepe and doe finde themselues within the gates of hell before they mysdoubt any such inconuenience beeing ledde through the vale of this present life as it were blindfolded with the veile of carelesse negligence like beastes to the slaughter house neuer permitted to see theyr owne danger vntill it be too late to remedie the same Propterea captiuus ductus est populus meus quia non habuit scientiam saith GOD by the mouth of Esay Therefore and for thys cause is my people ledde away captiue in al bondage and slauerie to perdition for that they haue no knowledge no vnderstanding of their own estate no foresight of the times to come no consideration of their danger Heerehence floweth all the miserie of my people and yet this is a misterie that all men will not know Will you see what a misterie and sealed secret this is harken then howe one describeth the same and with what circumstaunces Furthermore saith he a certain hidden word was spoken vnto me and mine eare as it were by stealth receiued the veines of his whyspering it was in the horror of a vision by night when deade sleepe is wont to possesse men Feare came vppon me and trembling and all my bones were extremelie terrified At length a spirit past by in my presence whereat the hayres of my flesh stoode vppe in horrour There stood before me one whose face I knew not His image was before mine eyes and I hearde his voice as the sound of a soft ayre Hetherto is described in what manner and order this secrete was reuealed but nowe what said this vision or spirit thinke you at the last truelie he made a short discourse to proue by the fall of the Angels for their sin that much more qui habitant domos luteas et terrenum habent fundamentum consumeÌ„tur velut atinea et de mane vsque ad vesperam succidentur They who dwel in houses of morter as all men doe whose bodies are of flesh and they which haue their â—oundation of earth as most folke of this world haue that put their confidence in things of this life they must all consume by little and little as the cloth doth by the Mothe and at length they must vpon the suddaine within lesse space perhaps then is from morning to night be cut downe and dispatched when they think least of it And to shewe that herein standeth a point of high secrecie I meane to consider ponder well this discourse hee maketh his conclusion in these words immediatly folowing et quia nullus intelligit in aeternum peribunt And for that fewe or none of these men before mentioned who haue such earthly foundations doe vnderstande this point aright I meane of their suddaine death cutting off froÌ„ this world therfore must they perish eternally and this is a secret which fewe men will beleeue Vir insipiens non cognoscet saith Dauid et stultus non intelliget haec an vnaduised man will not learne these thinges nor will a foole vnderstande them but what things it ensueth in the same place howe wonderfull the works of God how deepe his cogitations are about sinners who spring vp as grasse and florish in this world vt intereant in seculum seculi to the ende they may perish for euer and euer The Prophet Daniell had many visions and strange reuelations of great high misteries but one amongst all other and this the least of the most dreadfull iudgments of God vpon sinners in the ende of the world The vision was by the great riuer Tygris where as diuers Angels were attending about the bankes so vpon the water it selfe stood one in the likenes of a man of exceeding dreadfull maiestie his apparrel beeing onelie lynnen through which his body shyned like precious stone his eyes like burning lamps his face like flashing lightning his armes legges like brasse inflamed and his voyce as the shoute of a whole multitude of people that should speake together This was Christ by all interpretation at whose terrible presence when Daniell fell downe deade hee was erected againe by an Angell and made strong to abide the vision and so hauing heard seene the most wonderfull things that in his booke hee recounteth he was bold to aske a question or two for better vnderstanding therof and his first question was howe long it shoulde be ere these wonderfull things tooke their ende whereunto the man vppon the water aunswered by stretching out both his brasen armes to heauen and swearing strangly by him that liued for euer and euer that it shoulde be a time and times and halfe a time Which aunswere Daniell not vnderstanding began to question further but he was cut of with this dyspatch Goe thy way Daniell for these speeches are shut vp sealed vntil the time preordained And yet for his further instruction it was added in the same place Impie agent impii nec intelligent wicked men will alwaies doe wickedlie and will not vnderstande these misteries albeit we shold neuer so much expound them Whereby as by all the rest that hetherto hath beene alledged is made apparent that inconsideration negligence carelesse ignoraunce and lacke of vnderstanding in our owne estates and in Gods iudgments proceedings with iniquitie and sinne hath been a bane a common perdition of retchlesse men from time to time And if we will turne our eyes to thys our age much more shall we see the same to be true For what is the cause thinke you why at this day we haue so many of those people whom holy Iob doth call abhominable that drinke vp iniquitie as
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
That which they are nowe thou shalt be shortly and of all follies it is the greatest not to profite or flee frō daungers by the example of others The difference betweene a wise man and a foole is that the one prouideth for a myscheefe while time serueth the other wold doe when it is too-late If thou mightest feele now the state case wherein thy poore hart shall be at the last day for neglecting the thing that of all other it should haue studied and thought vpon most thou wouldest take from thy meate and sleepe and other necessaries to repayre that is past Hetherto hast thou time to reform thy course of life if thou please which is no small benefite if all were knowne For in this sence no doubt it is most true which the wise man saith that better it is to be a liuing dogge then a dead Lyon For that while the day time of this life endureth all thinges amisse may easily be amended But the dreadfull night of death wil ouer-take thee shortly and then shall there be no more space of reformation Oh that men woulde be wise and foresee things to come sayth one prophet The greatest wisedome in the worlde deere brother is to looke and attend to our saluation for as the Scripture sayth most truelie Hee is a wise man indeede that is wise to hys ovvne soule And of this wisedome it is written in the verie same booke as spoken by herselfe In me is the grace of all life and truth and in me is the hope of all life and vertue In morral actions and humaine wisedome we see that the first and cheefest circumstaunce is to regard well and consider the ende And howe then doe we omitte the same in this great affaire of the Kingdome of heauen If our ende be heauen what meane wee so much to affect our selues to earth If our end be God why seeke we so greedilie the worldly fauour of men If our ende be the saluation and eternitie of our soule why doe we followe vanities and temporalities of thys life Why spend yee your mony and not in bread saith God by the mouth of Esay why bestow ye your labour in thinges that will not yeelde you saturitie If our inheritaunce be that wee should raigne as Kings why put we our selues in such slauerie of creatures If our byrth allowe vs to feede of breade in our fathers house why delight we in huskes prouided for the swyne But alas we may say with the wise man in the Scripture Fascinatio nugacitatis obscurat bona The bewitching of worldly trifles doe obscure and hide vs from the things that are good and behoouefull for our soules ô most dangerous enchauntment But what shall this excuse vs no truelie for the same spirite of God hath left recorded Populus non intelligens vapulabit The people that vnderstandeth not shall be beaten for it And another Prophet to the same effect pronounceth This people is not wise and therefore hee that made them shall not pardon them neyther shall he that created thē take mercie vpon thē It is written of fooles Ventum seminabunt turbinem metent They shall sowe and cast theyr seede vppon the windes and shall receiue for theyr haruest nothing els but a storme or tempest Wherby is signified that they shall not onely cast away and leese their labours but also be punished and chastened for the same Consider then I beseech thee my deere brother attentiuelie what thou wilt doe or say when thy Lord shall come at the last day and aske thee an account of all thy labours actions and time spent in thys lyfe when he shall require a reckoning of his talents lent vnto thee when he shal say as he said to the Farmour or Steward in the Gospell Redde rationem villicationis tuae giue account of thy stewardship charge committed vnto thee What wilt thou say when he shal examine and weigh and try thy doings as gold is examined tried in the fornace that is what ende they had whereto they were applyed to what glorie of God to what profit of thy soule what measure weight and substance they beare Baltasar King of Babylon sitting at his banquet merrie vppon a tyme espied suddainly certaine fingers without a hande that wrote on the wall right ouer against his Table these three Hebrue words Mane Thekel Phares Which words Daniel interpreted in three sentences vnto the King in thys manner Mane GOD hath numbred thee Baltasar and thy kingdome Thekel hee hath weighed thee in the Gold-smithes ballance and thou art founde too-light Phares for this cause hath he deuided thee from thy kingdome hath giuen the same to the Medes and Persians Oh that these three most golden and most significant words engrauen by the Angel vpon Baltasars wall were registred vpon euery doore and post in Christendome or rather imprinted in the hart of each Christian especially the two first that import the numbering and weighing of all our actions and that in the weights and ballance of the Gold-smith where euery graine is espyed that wanteth And if Baltasars actions that was a Gentile wer to be examined in so nise and delicate a paire of ballance for their tryall if he had so seuere a sentence pronoūced vpon him that hee shoulde be deuided from life and kingdome as he was the same night folowing Quia inuentus est minus habens for that hee was founde to haue lesse weight in him then hee shoulde haue what shall wee thinke of our selues that are Christians of whom it is written aboue al others I will search the sinnes of Ierusalem with a candle What shall wee expect that haue not onely lesse weight then we should haue but no weight at all in the most of our actions what may such men I say expect but onely that most terrible threat of diuision made vnto Baltasar or rather worse if worse may be that is to be deuided from God and hys Angels from participation of God and our Sauiour from communion of Saints from hope of our inheritaunce from our portion celestiall and life euerlasting according to the expresse declaration made heereof by Christ himselfe in these words to the negligent seruaunt The Lord of such a seruant shall com at a day when he hopeth not at an houre that he knoweth not and shall deuide him out and assigne his part with hypocrites where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Wherefore deere brother to conclude thys Chapter I can say nothing more in this dangerous case wherein the worlde so runneth a wrie but onely exhort thee as the Apostle doth not to conforme thy selfe to the common errour that leadeth to perdition Fall at length to some reckoning accounte with thy lyfe and see where thou standest and whether thou goest If hetherto thou haue wandered and gone astraie be sorie for
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
And finally nothing can be more desired for the fore-knowledge of any one thing to come then was deliuered and vttered concerning the Messias before that euer Christ or Christians were talked of in the world Nowe then remaineth it to consider examine whether these particularities fore-told so long agoe of the Messias to come doe agree in Christ whoÌ„ we acknowledge for the true Messias And thys shall be the subiect or argument of all the rest of our speech in thys Chapter How the former predictions were fulfilled in our Sauiour Christ at his being vpon earth SECT 2. ALbeit in the points before recited which are to be fulfilled in the Messias at hys comming wee haue some controuersie and dysagreement with the Iewe as hath beene shewed yet our principal contention in theÌ„ all is wyth the Gentiles and Heathen that beleeue no Scriptures For that in dyuers of the former Articles the Iewe standeth wyth vs and for vs and offereth hys life in defence thereof as farre forth as if he were a Christian In so much that the Gentile oftentimes is inforced to meruaile when he seeth a people so extreamely bent one against another as the Iewes are against Christians and yet doe stande so peremptorilie in defence of those verie principles which are the proper causes of theyr disagreement But hereunto the Iewe maketh aunswer that hys dysagreement from vs is in the application of those principles For that in no wise he will allowe that they were or may be verified in Iesus And heerein he standeth against vs much more obstinately then doth the Gentile For that the Gentile as soone as he commeth once to vnderstand and beleeue the prophecies of Scripture hee maketh no doubt or difficultie in the application thereof for that he seeth the same most euidently fulfilled in our Sauiour Christ. Which is the cause that few or no Gentiles since Christes appearaunce haue come to be Iewes but that presently also they passed ouer to bee Christians But the Iewe by no meanes will be mooued to yeelde albeit hee haue neither scripture nor reason or probabilitie for hys defence Which among other things is a verie greate argument to proue that Iesus was the true Messias indeede seeing that among the markes of the true Messias sette downe by Gods Prophets thys was one that he shold be refused of the Iewish Nation Heerehence aâ—e those wordes of the holy Ghost so long before vttered The stone which the builders refused is made the head stone of the corner this is doone by God and is meruailous in our eyes Heerehence is that great complaint of Esay touching the incredulitie and obstinacie of his people against their Messias at his comming which Moses also long before Esay expressed most effectually It maketh then not a little for our cause gentle Reader that the Iewish Nation is so wilfully bent against vs and that they refused Christ so peremptorily at hys beeing among them For whom soeuer that Nation should receiue and acknowledge it were a great argument by scripture that hee were not indeede the true Messias But yet to demonstrate to the worlde what little shewe of reason they haue in standing thus against theyr owne saluation and in refusing Christ as they doe I will in as great breuitie as I may runne ouer the cheefe poynts that passed at hys beeing vpon earth and therby examine by the testimonies of his greatest enemies whether the fore-sayd prophecies and all other signes which haue beene from the beginning to fore-tell vnto vs the true Messias were fulfilled in hym and his actions or no. And for that the matters are many and dyuers that will come hereiâ— to be handleâ—â— I wyl for order sake reduce all to foure considerations Whereof the first shal be touching the tyme fore-prophecied of the comming of Messias whether the same agreed with Christes natiuitie or no. The seconde shall be of diuers particulars that passed in Christes incarnation byrth circumcision other accidents vntill the time that he began to preach The third shall be of hys life conuersation myracles doctrine The fourth and last shall be of his passion death resurrection and ascention In all which as I said before I wyll vse no one Authour or testimonie of our owne side for approouing any thing that is in controuersie between vs but all shall passe by tryall eyther of theyr owne scriptures or of manifest force and consequence of reason or els by expresse recorde of our professed enemies The fyrst Consideration FOR the first then concerning the tyme which is the principall and head of al the rest it is to be noted that by consent of all Writers both Pagan Iewish and Christian IESVS whom we beleeue and confesse to be true CHRIST was borne the twentie-fiue day of December in the ende of the fortie-one yeere of the raigne of the Emperour Augustus Caesar which was fifteene yeeres before hys raigne ended Also in the beginning of the thirtie-three yeere of Herods raigne in Iurie which was foure yeeres and more before hys death And from the beginning of the worlde as some account foure thousand one hundred ninetie-nine And as others doe account it foure thousand foure-score and nyne for that in thys poynt betweene the Hebrues and the Graecians there is a difference of some litle more then a hundred yeeres concerning theyr reckoning The state of the worlde at Christes natiuitie was this The three Monarchies of the Assyrians Persians and Graecians were past ouer and ended the Romains were entered into the fourth that was greater then any of the rest according to the prophecie of Daniell fyue hundred yeeres before Octauius Caesar surnamed Augustus after fiue ciuil warres by himselfe waged and after infinite broyles and bloodshed in the worlde raigned peaceably alone for many yeeres together and in token of an vniuersall peace ouer all the earth hee caused the Temple gates of Ianus to be shut according to the custome of the Romans in such cases albeit thys had happened but twice before from the building of Rome vnto that tyme. And the very same day that Christ was borne in Iurie Augustus commaunded in Rome as afterward was obserued that no man shold call hym Lorde thereby to signifie the free libertie rest ioy and securitie wherein all men were after so long miseries which by continuall warres the worlde had suffered By thys we gather first that thys tyme of Christes birth agreed exactly with the prophecie so long before sette down in Daniell who lyued in the first Monarchie that after hys tyme there shoulde be three Monarchies more and the last biggest of all at whose appearing the Messias shoulde come and builde vppe Gods kingdome throughout all the world Secondly we see that fulfilled which Esay the Prophet aboue a hundred yeeres before Daniell fore-told that at the comming of Christ people shoulde sitte in
Arte-Magick Thus said the Iewes of the miracles of Iesus and so sayd Iulian the Apostata of the wonderfull strange things doone by S. Peter and Saint Paule affirming them to haue beene the most expert in Magick of any that euer lyued that Christ wrote a special booke of that profession and dedicated the same to Peter and Paule whereas notwithstanding it is most euident that Paule was a persecutor diuers yeeres after Christ departed One Hierocles also wrote a booke wherin he feigned Appolonius Tyanaeus to haue doone the lyke myracles by Magicke which Christ and hys Apostles did by diuine power And finally it is a generall opinion â—â—aâ— both Nero and Iulian gaue themselues so extreamely to the studie of that vaine Science as no men euer dyd the like vppon emulation only of the miracles done in Rome by Peter and Paule when Nero liued and by other Saints and Disciples in the tyme of Iulian But what was the end Plinie that was a Pagan writeth thus of Nero that as no man euer laboured more then he in that Science so no man euer left a more certaine testimonie of the meruailous exceeding vanitie thereof The like in effect wryteth Zosimus of Iulian albeit himselfe a malitious Heathen And if it were not written yet theyr seuerall extraordinarie calamities and most miserable deathes which by all their Magick they coulde not fore-see doth sufficientlie testifie the same vnto vs especially the last words of Iulian Uicisti Galilaee vicisti Thou hast wonne ô Galilaean thou hast gotten the victorie Acknowledging thereby as wel the trueth of Christes myracles and of his folowers as also the vanitie follie and madnes of hys owne endeuours Thus then went forward Christes Apostles preached him euery where throughout the world Domino cooperante sermonem confirmante sequentibus signis that is as S. Marke affirmeth the Lorde Iesus working with them and confirming theyr preaching by signes and myracles In respecte of which benigne assistance of Iesus in theyr actions Saint Luke sayth further they dealt most confidently in the Lord his word of grace giuing testimonie vnto their dooings and shevving foorth signes and most prodigious wonders by their hands No persecution no terrour no threates of enemies no difficultie or daunger that might occurre coulde stay theÌ„ from theyr course of setting foorth Christes name and glorie And they were so assured of the trueth by the inwarde illuminations which they had and by thys certaine testimonie of Gods fauour and assistance in dooing myracles â—s one of them wryteth thus That which wee haue hearde which wee haue seene with our eyes which we haue beheld which our hands haue handled of the word of life that we doe testifie announce vnto you And another who had beene a greeuous persecutor and was conuerted wythout any conference with any Christian in the world sayd of Iesus that was dead and risen againe that neither tribulation nor distresse nor famine nor beggerie nor danger nor persecution nor dint of sword could daunt him from the seruice of such a Mayster And in another place he sayth that hee esteemed all things of thys world wherein a man might glorie to be as very dounge and detriments in respect of the eminent knowledge that is hys worde of his Lorde Iesus Christ. In which very name he tooke so exceeding great delight as in a fewe Epistles which he left written he is obserued to haue vsed this sentence Dominus noster Iesus Christus aboue two hundred times Neyther endured thys in these Apostles for a tyme onely but all theyr liues which as they spent the same with alacritie in the seruice of Iesus so in the ende they gaue vp the same most cheerefully to what soeuer death presented it selfe for confirmation sealing of theyr former doctrine neuer so full of confidence courage and consolation as at that houre nor euer so boldly denouncing theyr Maister or talking so ioyfully of rewards Crownes and kingdomes as at the very last instant vpshotte of their worldly combat Thys then declareth most manifestly that the actions of these men proceeded not of humaine spirit nor could be performed by the power of man but by the diuine force supernaturall assistance of their Lord and God whom they confessed The thyrd Consideration AND thus much in breuitie of Christes Apostles There ensue next his Euangelists that is such men as haue left vnto vs written hys byrth life doctrine and death Wherein is to be noted that Iesus beeing God tooke a different way froÌ„ the custome of man in deliuering vnto vs his Lawes and precepts For that men who haue been law-makers vnto the world knewe no surer way of publishing theyr Lawe and procuring authoritie to the same then to write them with their owne handes and in theyr life time to establish theyr promulgation So Lycurgus Solon others among the Graecians Numa to the Romaines Mahomet to the Sarafins and diuers other in like manner But Iesus to shew hys diuine power in directing the penne and style of his Euangelists would not leaue any thing written by himselfe but passed from thys world in simplicitie and silence wythout any further shew or ostentation of hys owne doings meaning notwithstanding by hys eternall wisedome that the prophecie of Ezechiell shoulde be fulfilled which fore-signified the beeing of his foure irrefragable witnesses which day night without rest shold preach extoll magnifie theyr Lord Maister to the worlds end Foure then were fore-prophecied and foure as wee see by Gods prouidence were prouided to fulfill the same prophecie The first and last are two Apostles that wrote as they had seene The two middle are two disciples who registred things as they had vnderstoode by conference with the Apostles The first Gospell was written by an Apostle to giue light and open the way to al the rest And the last in like manner was written by an Apostle to giue authoritie and confirmation to all the former The first was written in the Hebrue or Iewish tongue for that Iesus actions were done in that Countrie to the ende that thereby eyther the whole Nation might beleeue them or the obstinate impugne them The other three were wrytten in the publique tongues of all other Nations that is in the Greeke Romaine languages if it be true which diuers holde that S. Markes Gospell was first written in Latine They wrote theyr stories in diuers Countries each one remaining farre distant from another and yet agreed they all as wee see most exactlie in the very same narration They wrote in diuers times the one after the other and yet the latter did neyther correct nor reprehend any thing in the former They published theyr stories when infinite were aliue that knewe the facts and manie more that desired to impugne them They sette downe in most of theyr particuler narrations the time
The first what infinite multitudes of all states conditions sexe qualities and age did suffer dailie for testimonie of this trueth The second what intollerable and vnaccustomed torments not hearde of in the worlde before were deuised by Tyrants for afflicting thys kinde of people The thyrde what inuincible courage and vnspeakable alacritie the Christians shewed in bearing out these afflictions which the enemies theÌ„selues could not attribute but to some diuine power and supernaturall assistance And for thys later poynt of comfort in theyr sufferings I wil alleage onely this testimonie of Tertulian against the Gentiles who obiected that wicked men suffered also as well as Christians whereto thys learned Doctor made aunswere in these words Truth it is that many men are prone to ill and do suffer for the same but yet dare they not defende theyr euill to be good as Christians doe theyr cause For that euerie euill thing by nature dooth bring wyth it eyther feare or shame and therefore wee see that malefactors albeit they loue euill yet would they not appeare so to the world but desire rather to lye in couert They tremble when they are taken and when they are accused they denie all and doe scarse oftentimes confesse their dooings vpon torments And finally wheÌ„ they are condemned they lament mone and doe impute their hard fortune to destinie or to the Planets But the Christian what doth hee like to this is there any man ashamed or doth any man repent him wheÌ„ he is taken except it be for that hee was not taken rather If hee be noted by the enemie for a Christian hee glorieth in the same yf he be accused he defendeth not himselfe if hee be asked the question hee confesseth it willingly if he be condemned hee yeeldeth thanks What euill is there then in the Christian cause which lacketh the naturall sequel of euill I meane feare shame tergiuersation repentaunce sorrowe and deploration What euil I say can this be deemed whose guiltines is ioy whose accusation is desire whose punishment is happines Hetherto are the words of learned Tertulian who was an eye witnesse of that hee wrote and had no small part in the cause of those that â—uffered beeing himselfe in that place and state as daily he might expect to taste of the same affliction To which combat howe readie he was may appeare by diuers places of this his Apologie wherein hee vttereth besides hys zeale and feruour a most confident securitie and certaine assuraunce of Iesus assistaunce by that which hee had seene performed to infinite other in their greatest distresses from the same Lord before So that nothing doth more acertaine vs of the diuine power and omnipotencie of Iesus then the fortitude inuinsible which aboue all humane reason force and nature he imparted to his Martyrs The fift Consideration AFter which consideration there commeth to be weighed the fift poynt before mentioned which is of the same power and omnipotencie of Iesus declared and exercised vpon the spirits infernall Which thing partly may appeare by the Oracles alleaged in the ende of the former Section wherein those spirits fore-told that an Hebrue childe should be borne to the vtter subuersion and ruine of theyr tyrannicall dominion and much more at large the same might bee declared by other aunswers and Oracles vttered after Christes natiuitie and registred in the monuments euen of the Heathens themselues Whereof he that desireth to see more ample mention especially out of Porphyrie who then was liuing let him read Eusebius sixt booke De preparatione Euangelica wher he shall finde store and namely that Apollo many times exclaimed Hei mihi congemiscite Hei mihi hei mihi Oraculorum defecit me claritas Woe vnto me lament yee wyth me woe vnto me woe vnto me for that the honour of Oracles hath nowe forsaken mee Which complaints and lamentations are nothing els but a plaine confession that Iesus was he of whom a Prophet saide diuers ages before Attenuabit omnes Deos terrae hee shall weare out and bring to beggerie al the Gods or Idols of the earth Thys confessed also the wicked spirits themselues when aâ— Christes appearing in Iurie they came vnto him diuers times and besought him not to afflict or torment them nor commaund theÌ„ presently to returne to hell but rather to permitte them some little time of entertainement in the Sea or Mountaines or among heards of Swyne or the like Which confession they made in the sight of all the world and declared the same afterwards by theyr facts and deedes For presently vppon Iesus death vppon the preaching of hys name and Gospell throughout the worlde the Oracles which before were aboundant in euerie Prouince and Countrey were put to silence Whereof I might alleage the testimonies of very many Gentiles themselues as that of Iuuenall Cessant Oracula Delphis All Oracles at Delphos do now cease c. That also of another Poet Excessere omnes adytis arisque relictis Dii quibus imperium hoc steterat c. That is the Gods by whom this Empire stood are all departed from theyr Temples and haue abandoned theyr Altars and place of habitation Strabo hath also these expresse words The Oracle of Delphos at this day is to be seene in extreame beggerie and mendicitie And finally Plutarch that liued within one hundred yeeres after Christ made a speciall booke to search out the causes why the Oracles of the Goddes were ceassed in hys tyme. And after much turning and winding many wayes resolued vppon two principall points as causes thereof The first for that in his tyme there was more store of wise men then before whose aunswers might stand in steede of Oracles and the other that peraduenture the spirits which were accustomed to yeelde Oracles were by length of tyme growne olde and dead Both which reasons in the very common sence of all men must needes be false and by Plutarch himself can not stand wyth probabilitie For first in his Bookes which he wrote of the liues of auncient famous men he confesseth that in such kind of wisedome as he most esteemed they had not theyr equals among their posterity Secondly in his Treatises of Phylosophy he passeth it for a ground that spyrits nor depending of materiall bodies cannot dye or wexe olde and therefore of necessitie hee must conclude that some other cause is to be yeelded of the ceassing of these Oracles which cannot be but the presence and commaundement of some higher power according to the saying of S. Iohn To this end appeared the sonne of GOD that hee might dyssolue or ouerthrow the workes of the deuil Neyther did Iesus thys alone in his own person but gaue also power and authoritie to his dysciples and followers to do the like according to theyr commission in Saint Mathewes Gospell Super omnia Demonia et spiritus immundos c. You shall haue authoritie ouer all
deuils vncleane spirits Which commission howe they afterwarde put it in execution the whole worlde yeeldeth sufficient testimonie And for examples sake onlie I will alleage in this place an offer or challenge made for proofe thereof by Tertulian to the Heathen Magistrates and persecutors of hys time his words are these Let there bee brought heere in presence before your tribunall seates some person who is certainly knowne to be possessed with a wicked spirit and let that spirit be cōmaunded by a Christian to speake he shal as truelie confesse himselfe to be a deuill as at other tymes to you he wyll falsely say he is a God Again at the same time let there be brought foorth one of these your Priestes or Prophets that will seeme to be possessed with a diuine spirite I meane of those that speake gasping c. in whom you imagine your Gods to talke and except that spyrite also commaunded by vs doe confesse himselfe to be a deuill beeing affrayd indeede to lie vnto a Christian doe you shedde the blood of the Christians in that verie place c. None wyll lye to theyr owne shame but rather for honour or aduantage yet those spirits wyll not say to vs that Christ was a Magitian as you doe nor that he was of the cōmon condition of men They wyll not say he was stolne out of the Sepulcher but they wyll confesse that hee was the vertue wisedome and word of God that he is in heauen and that he shall come againe to be our Iudge c. Neither will these deuils in our presence denie themselues to be vncleane spirits and damned for theyr wickednes and that they expect his most horrible iudgement professing also that they doe feare Christ in God and God in Christ and that they are made subiect vnto hys seruaunts Hetherto are the wordes of Tertulian contayning as I haue sayd a most confident challenge and that vppon the liues blood of all Christians to make triall of their power in controling those spirits which the Romaines and other Gentiles adored as theyr Gods Which offer seeing it was made and exhibited to the persecutors thēselues then liuing in Rome well may we be assured that the enemie wold neuer haue omitted so notorious an aduauntage if by former experience hee had not beene perswaded that the ioyning heerein would haue turned and redounded to hys owne confusion And this puissant authoritie of Iesus imparted to Christians extended it selfe so far foorth that not onely their words and commaundements but euen their very presence did shutte the mouthes and driue into feare the miserable spirits So Lactantius sheweth that in his dayes among many other examples of thys thing a seelie seruing-man that was a Christian following hys Maister into a certaine Temple of Idoles the Gods cryed out that nothing could be well done as long as that Christian was in presence The like recordeth Eusebius of Dioclesian the Emperour who going to Apollo for an Oracle receiued aunswere That the iust men were the cause that hee coulde say nothing Which iust men Apollos Priestes interpreted to bee meant ironically of Christians and theruppon Dioclesian began hys most fearce and cruell persecution in Eusebius daies Sozomenus also writeth that Iulian the Apostata endeuouring with many sacrifices and coniurations to drawe an aunswer from Apollo Daphnaeus in a famous place called Daphne in the suburbes of Antioche vnderstood at last by the Oracle that the bones of Saint Babylas the Martyr that lay neere to the place were the impediment why that God could not speake And thereuppon Iulian caused the same body presently to be remoued And finally heereof it proceeded that in all sacrifices coniurations and other mysteries of the Gentiles there was brought in that phrase recorded by scoffing Lucian Extant Christiani let Christians depart for that while they were present nothing coulde be well accomplished To conclude the Pagan Porphyrie that of all other most earnestly endeuoured to impugne and dysgrace vs Christians and to hold vppe the honor of his enfeebled Idoles yet discoursing of the great plague that raigned most furiously in the Cittie of Messina in Cicilie where he dwelt yeeldeth this reason why AEsculapius the God of Physicke much adored in that place was not able to helpe them It is no meruaile saith he if this Cittie so many yeeres be vexed with the plague seeing that both AEsculapius and all other Gods be nowe departed from it by the comming of Christians For since that men haue begunne to worship thys Iesus we could neuer obtaine anie profite by our Gods Thus much confessed thys Patrone of Paganisme concerning the maime that hys Gods had receiued by Iesus honour Which albeit he spake with a malicious minde to bring Christians in hatred and persecution thereby yet is the confession notable confirmeth that Storie which Plutarch in hys fore-named booke dooth report that in the later yeeres of the raigne of the Emperour Tyberius a strange voyce and exceeding horrible clamour wyth hydeous cryes skriches and howlings were heard by many in the Graecian sea complaining that the great God Pan was nowe departed And this Plutarch that was a Gentile affirmeth to haue beene alleaged and approoued before the Emperour Tyberius who meruailed greatlie thereat and could not by all his Diuiners and Southsayers whom he called to that consultation gather out any reasonable meaning of thys wonderfull accident But we Christians comparing the time wherein it happened vnto the tyme of Iesus death passion and finding the same fully to agree may more thē probably perswade 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 spirits and Idoles vpon earth The sixt Consideration AND thus hath the Deitie of Iesus beene declared and prooued by hys omnipotent power in subduing infernall enemies Nowe resteth it for vs to make manifest the same by hys like power and diuine iustice shewed vpon diuers of hys enemies here on earth whose greatest punishment albeit for the most parte hee reserueth for the life to com yet som-times for manifestation of his omnipotencie as specially it was behouefull in those first dayes of hys appearaunce in the world he chasteneth them also euen here on earth in the eye and sight of all men So wee reade of the most infamous and miserable death of Herod the first surnamed Ascolonita who after hys persecution of Christ in hys infancie and the slaughter of the infants in Bethleem for hys sake was wearied out by a lothsome life in feare and horrour of hys owne wyfe and chyldren whom after he had most cruelly murthered was enforced also by desperation through his inspeakable greefes vexations and torments to offer hys owne hand to his owne destruction if hee had not beene stayed by hys freendes that stoode about him After him Archelaus his eldest Sonne that
was a terror to Iesus at hys returne from Egipt fell also by Gods iustice into meruailous calamities For first beeing left as king by hys father Augustus woulde not allowe or ratifie that succession but of a king made hym a Tetrarch assigning vnto hym onelie the fourth part of that dominion which hys Father had before And then again after nine yeeres space tooke that away in like maner wyth the greatest dishonour hee coulde deuise seazing vpon all hys treasure and riches by way of confiscation and condemning hys person to perpetuall banishment wherein he died most miserably in Vienna in France Not long after thys the seconde sonne of Herod the first named Herod Antipas Tetrarch of Galilie who put S. Iohn Baptist to death and scorned Iesus before hys passion whereat bothe hymselfe and Herodias hys Concubine were present was deposed also by Caius the Emperour beeing accused by Agrippa hys neerest kinseman most conâ—umeliously sent in exile first to Lyons in Fraunce and after that to the most deserte and inhabitable places in Spayne where he wyth Herodias wandered vppe and downe in extreame calamitie so long as they liued and finally ended theyr dayes abandoned of all men In which miserie also it is recorded that the dauncing Daughter of Herodias who had in her iolitie demaunded Iohn Baptists heade beeing on a certaine time enforced to passe ouer a frozen Riuer suddainely the Ise brake and shee in her fall had her heade cut off by the same Ise without hurting the rest of her bodie to the great admiration of all the lookers on The like euent had another of Herods familie named Herod Agrippa the accuser of the fore-named Herod the Tetrarch who in hys great glory and tryumph hauing put to death S. Iames the brother of S. Iohn Euangelist imprisoned S. Peter was soone after in a publique assembly of Princes and Nobles at Caesaria striken from heauen with a most horrible disease whereby hys bodie putrified and was eaten wyth vermine as both S. Luke recordeth and Iosephus affirmeth And the same Iosephus with no small meruaile in himselfe declareth that at the very same time when hee wrote hys storie which was about three-score and ten yeeres after the death of Herod the first the whole progenie and of-spring kindred and familie of the sayd Herod which he sayth was exceeding great by reason he had many wiues together wyth many children brothers and sisters besides Nephewes and kinse-folke were al extinguished in most miserable sort and gaue a testimonie saith Iosephus to the world of the most vain confidence that men doe put in humaine felicitie And as the punishments lighted openly vppon Iesus professed enemies in Iurie so escaped not all the Romaines theyr chastisement I meane such as especially had theyr hands in persecution of him or of his folowers after him For first of Pontius Pilate that gaue sentence of death against him we read that after great disgrace receiued in Iurie he was sent home into Italie and there by manifest dis-fauours shewed vnto him by the Emperour his Maister fell into such desperation as he slew himselfe with his owne hands And secondly of the very Emperours themselues who liued from Tyberius vnder whoÌ„ Iesus suâ—fered vnto Constantine the great vnder whom Christian Religion tooke dominion ouer the world which contained the space of three hundred yeeres very fewe or none escaped the manifest scourges of Gods dreadfull iustice shewed vpon them at the knytting vppe of theyr dayes For examples sake Tyberius that permitted Christians to liue freely and made a Lawe against theyr molestation as before hath beene shewed died peaceably in his bedde But Caligula that followed him for his contempt shewed against all diuine power in making himselfe a God was soone after murdered by the coÌ„sent of hys deerest freendes Nero also who first of all other beganne persecution against the Christians wythin few moneths after he had put S. Peter S. Paul to death in Rome hauing murthered in like manner his owne Mother Brother Wife and Maister was vpon the suddaine from his glorious estate and maiestie throwne downe into such horrible distresse and confusion in the sight of all men as being condemned by the Senate to haue hys head thrust into a Pyllerie and there most ignominiously to be whypped to death was constrained for auoyding the execution of that terrible sentence to massacre hymselfe with hys owne handes by the assistance of such as were dearest vnto him The like may be shewed in the tragicall endes of Galba Otho Vitellius Domitian Commodus Pertinax Iulian Marcinus Antoninus Alexander Decius Gallê° Volutianus AEmilianus Valerianus Galienus Caius Carinus Maximianus Maxentius Lucinius and others Whose miserable deathes a Noble man Councellour well neere one thousande yeeres past did gather against Zosimus a Heathen writer to shewe thereby the power-full hand of Iesus vpon hys enemies adding furthermore that since the time of Constantine whiles Emperours haue beene Christians fewe or no such examples can be shewed except it bee vppon Iulian the Apostata Valens the Arrian heretique or some other of like detestable and notorious wickednesse And thus much of particular men chastised by Iesus But if we desire to haue a full example of hys iustice vppon a whole Nation together let vs consider what befell Ierusalem and the people of Iurie for theyr barbarous crueltie practised vpon him in hys death passion And truely if we beleeue Iosephus Philo the Iewish Historiographers who lyued eyther wyth Christ or immediatly after hym it can hardly be expressed by the tongue or penne of man what insufferable calamities and miseries were inflicted to that people presently vpon the ascention of Iesus by Pilate theyr Gouernor vnder Tyberius the Emperour and then againe by Petronius vnder Caligula and after that by Cumanus vnder Claudius and lastlie by Festus and Albinus vnder Nero. Through whose cruelties that Nation was enforced finally to rebell and take Armes against the Romaine Empire which was the cause of theyr vtter ruine and extirpation by Tytus and Vespasian At what time besides the ouerthrow of their Cittie burning of theyr Temple and other infinite distresses which Iosephus an eye-witnes protesteth that no speeche or discourse humaine can declare The same Authour likewise recordeth eleuen hundred thousand persons to haue been slaine and foure-score and seauenteen thousande taken aliue who were eyther put to death afterward in publique tryumphes or sold openly for bond-slaues into all parts of the world And in thys vniuersall calamitie of the Iewish Nation beeing the most notorious and greeuous that euer happened to people or nation before or after them for the Romaines neuer practised the like vpon others it is singulerly to be obserued that in the same tyme and place in which they had put Iesus to death before that is in the feast of the Paschal when theyr whole Nation
was assembled at Ierusalem from all parts Prouinces and Countries of the earth they receiued thys theyr most pittifull subuersion and that by the handes of the Romaine Caesar to whom by publique crie they had appealed from Iesus but a little before Yea further it is obserued and noted that as they apprehended Iesus and made the entrance to his passion vpoÌ„ the Mount Oliuet so Titus as Iosephê° wryteth vpon the same Mount planted his first siege for their final destruction And as they ledde Iesus from Caiphas to Pilate afflicting him in theyr presence so nowe were they themselues ledde vppe and downe from Iohn to Simon two Tyrants that had vsurped dominion within the Cittie and were scourged and tormented before the tribunall seates Againe as they had caused Iesus to be scoffed beaten and villainously intreated by the Souldiers in Pilats Pallace so were now theyr owne principall Rulers and Noble men as Iosephus wryteth most scornfully abused beaten and crucified by the same Souldiers Which latter poynt of crucifying or villainous putting to death vpon the Crosse was begunne to be practised by the Romaines vpon the Iewish Gentrie immediatly after Christes death not before And now at thys tyme of the war Iosephus affirmeth that in some one daie fiue hundred of hys Nation were taken and put to thys opprobrius kind of punishment in so much that for the great multitude hee sayth Nec locus sufficeret Crucibus nec Cruces corporibus that is neyther the place was sufficient to containe so many Crosses as the Romaines sette vppe nor the Crosses sufficieÌ„t to sustaine so many bodies as they murdered by that torment Thys dreadfull and vnspeakeable miserie fell vppon the Iewes about forty yeeres after Christes ascention wheÌ„ they had shewed themselues most obstinate and obdurate against hys doctrine deliuered vnto theÌ„ not onely by hymselfe but also by hys disciples of which disciples they had now slaine Saint Stephen and S. Iames and had driuen into banishment both S. Peter and S. Paule and other that had preached vnto them To which later two Apostles I meane Saint Peter and Saint Paule our Sauiour Christ appeared a little before their martyrdomes in Rome as Lactantius writeth and shewed that wythin three or foure yeres after their deathes he was to take reuenge vppon theyr Nation by the vtter destruction of Ierusalem and of that generation Which secret aduise the sayd Lactantius affirmethâ— that Peter Paule reuealed to other Christians in Iurie whereby it came to passe as Eusebius also and other Authors doe mention that all the Christians liuing in Ierusalem departed thence not long before the siege beganne to a certaine Towne named Pella beyond Iordan which was assigned them for that purpose by Iesus hymselfe for that it beeing in the dominion of Agryppa who stoode wyth the Romaines it remayned in peace and safetie whyle all Iurie besides was brought to desolation Thys then was the prouidence of God for the punishmeÌ„t of the Iewes at that time And euer after theyr estate declined from worse to worse and theyr myseries dailie multiplied throughout the world Whereof he that wyll see a very lamentable narration let hym reade but the last Booke onely of Iosephus historie De bello Iudaico wherein is reported besides other things that after the warre was ended all the publique slaughter ceassed Tytus sent three-score thousand Iewes as a present to hys Father to Rome there to be put to death in diuers sundrie manners Others hee applyed to be spectacles for pastime to the Romaines that were present wyth him whereof Iosephus sayth that he sawe wyth hys owne eyes two thousande and fiue hundred murthered and consumed in one day by fight combat among themselues and wyth wilde beastes at the Emperours appointment Others were assigned in Antioche and other great Citties to serue for fagottes in their famous bond-fires at tymes of tryumph Others were sold to be bond-slaues others condemned to dyg and hew stones for euer And thys was the ende of that warre and desolation After thys againe vnder Traiane the Emperour there was so infinite a number of Iewes slaine and made away by Marcus Turbo in Affrica Lucius Quintus in the East as all hystories agree that it is impossible to expresse the multitude But yet more wonderfull it is which the same Hystorians report that in the eyghteene yeere of Adrian the Emperour one Iulius Seuerus beeing sent to extinguish all the remnant of the Iewish generation destroyed in small â—yme nine-tie and eyght Townes and Villages wythin that Countrie and slew fiue hundred and four-score thousand of that bloode and Nation in one daie at which time also he beate downe the Cittie of Ierusalem in such sorte as hee left not one stone standing vpon another of theyr auncient buildings but caused some part thereof to be reedified againe and inhabited onely by Gentiles He chaunged the name of the Cittie and called it AELIA after the Emperours name He droue all the progenie and of-spring of the Iewes foorth of all those Countries with a perpetuall Lawe confirmed by the Emperour that they should neuer returne no nor so much as looke backe from any hygh or eminent place to that Countrey againe And thys was doone to the Iewish Nation by the Romaine Emperors for accomplishing that demaund which theyr principall elders had made not long before to Pilate the Romaine Magistrate concerning Iesus most iniurious death crying out wyth one consent and voyce to wit Let his blood be vpon vs and vpon our posteritie The seauenth Consideration AND heerein alfo I meane in the most wonderfull and notorious chastisement or rather reprobation of the Iewish people which of all the worlde was Gods peculier before is sette out vnto vs as it were in a glasse the seauenth and last poynt which we mentioned in the beginning of thys Section to wit the fulfilling of such speeches prophecies as Iesus vttered when he was vpon earth as namely at one time after a long and vehement commination made to the Scribes and Pharisies and principall men of that nation in which hee repeateth eyght seuerall tymes the dreadfull threat woe he concludeth finally that al the iust blood iniuriouslie shedde from the first Martyr Abel shold be reuenged very shortly vpon that generation And in the same place he menaceth the populus Cittie of Ierusalem that it shoulde be made desert And in another place hee assureth them that one stone should not be left standing thereof vpon another And yet further he pronounced vpon the same Cittie these words The daies shall come vppon thee and thyne enemies shall enuiron thee with a wal and shall besiege thee they shall straiten thee on euerie side and shall beat thee to the ground and thy children in thee And yet more particulerlie he fore-telleth the very signes whereby his disciples shoulde perceiue when the tyme indeede