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
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
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
of hys descendents offended God more greeuously theÌ„ euer did Saul who was put out before and albeit ten Trybes at once brake from Iuda and neuer returned to obedience agayne but conspired wyth the Gentiles and other enemies on euerie side to extinguish the said kingdome regimeÌ„t of Iuda yet for the fulfilling of this prophecie the gouernment of Iuda held out styll for more then a thousand two hundred yeeres together vntyll Herods tyme as I haue alreadie saide which is more then any one familie in the worlde besides can shew for his nobilitie or continuaunce in gouernment The prophecie for the greatnesse of Ephraim aboue Manasses THE same Iacob when he came to blesse hys little Nephewes Manasses Ephraim that were Iosephs children though himselfe were nowe dimme of sight and coulde not well discerne them yet did hee put hys right hande vpon the heade of the younger and hys left hande vppon the elder and that of purpose as it prooued afterwarde For when Ioseph theyr father misliked the placing of theyr Graund-fathers handes and woulde haue remooued the right hand from Ephraim haue placed it vpon the head of Manasses that was the elder brother Iacob woulde not suffer him but aunswered I knowe my sonne I knowe that Manasses is the elder he shal be multiplied into many people but yet his younger brother shall be greater then hee Which afterwarde was fulfilled for that Ephraim was alwaies the greater stronger Trybe and in fine became the heade of the kingdome of Israel or of the ten Tribes wherof there was no suspition or likelihood when Iacob spake thys or when Moses recorded it And howe then came Iacob to fore-see this so many hundred yeres before as also to fore-see and fore-tell the particuler places of his childrens habitations in the land of promise as Zabulon at the sea side Aser in the fertile pastures and other the lyke that fell out by casting lots after foure hundered yeeres and more Wherehence had he thys I say to fore-tell what lots so long after should appoint but onely from GOD who gouerned theyr lots The fore-sight of Moses THE like may be asked concerning Moses who before his death in the desert deuided out the Lande of Canaan to euerie Tribe euen as though he had beene in possession thereof and as afterward it fell out by casting of lottes as in the booke of Iosua it dooth appeare And could any humaine wit or science thinke you fore-see what eache Trybe shoulde attaine after his death by drawing of lottes Againe the same Moses fore-saw and fore-tolde in publique hearing of all the people howe in times to com long after hys death the Iewes shoulde forsake God and for theyr sinnes be cast into manie banishments and finally be forsaken and the Gentiles receiued in theyr roome as indeede it came to passe And whence trowe you could he learne thys but from God alone The prophecie for the perpetuall desolation of Iericho IN the Booke of Iosua there is a curse laid vpon the place where Iericho stood and vppon whatsoeuer person should goe about to rebuilde the same to wit That in his eldest sonne he should lay the foundations and in his youngest sonne should he build the gates therof which is to say that before the foundations were laide and gates builded he shold be punished with the death of all his chyldren Which thing was fulfilled almost fiue hundered yeeres after in one Hiel who presumed vnder wicked King Achab to rebuilde Iericho again and was terrified from the same by the suddaine death of Abiram and Segul his children as the booke of kings reporteth according to the words of the Lord which he had spoken in the hande of Iosua the sonne of Nun. And since that time to thys no man eyther Iewe or Gentile hath taken vpon him to rayse againe the saide Cittie albeit the situation be most pleasant as by relation of stories Geographers appeareth The prophecie for the byrth and acts of Iosias IN the thyrde Booke of Kings it is recorded that when Ieroboam had withdrawn tenne Trybes from the obedience of Roboam King of Iuda to the end they might neuer haue occasion to reunite themselues againe to Iuda by theyr going to sacrifice in Ierusalem as by the Law they were appointed he builded for them a goodly gorgious high Altar in Bethel and there commanded them to doe theyr deuotions And when he was one day there present himselfe and offering his incense vppon the said Altar and all the people looking on there came a man of God saith the scripture and stoode before the Altar cryed out aloude spake these wordes O Altar Altar this sayth the Lord behold a childe shall be borne of the house of Dauid whose name shall be Iosias and hee shall saâ—rifice vpon thee these idolatrous priestes that nowe burne francumsense vpon thee and he shall burne the bones of men vpon thee Thus spake that man of God in the presence hearing of all the people more then three hundred yeres before Iosias was borne and it was registred presently according to the manner of that tyme which I haue noted before wyth the same were registred also the miracles which happened about that fact as that the Altar cleft into vppon the mans words and Ieroboam extending out hys hand to apprehende him lost presentlie the vse and feeling therof vntill it was restored againe by the sayde holy mans prayers who notwithstanding for that he disobeyed Gods commaundement in hys returne and eate wyth a Prophet of Samaria which was forbidden him he was slaine in hys vvaie home-warde by a Lyon and hys bodie vvas brought backe againe and buried in Bethel nygh the said Altar amongst the sepulchers of those Idolatrous Priests of that place but yet with a superscription vpon hys Tombe contayning his name and what had happened There passed three hundred yeeres and Iosias was borne and came to raigne in Iuda and one day comming to Bethell to ouerthrowe the Altar and to destroy the sepulchers of those Idolatrous Priestes that had beene buried in that place when hee began to break theyr Tombes he found by chance the sepulcher of the sayd man of God wyth the superscription vpon it By which superscription and relation of the Cittizens of Bethell when he perceiued that it was the Sepulcher of him that had foretolde hys byrth his name and his dooings so many hundred yeeres before he was borne he let the same stande vntouched as the fourth Booke of Kings dooth declare Now consider whether among any people in the world but only among the Iewes there were euer any such prophecie so certaine so particuler so long fore-tolde before the time so exactly fulfilled But yet the holy scriptures are full of the like and tyme permitteth me onely to touch some fewe of the principall The prophecie for the destruction of
Baltasar King of Babylon in the mydst of hys tryumph and in the hearing of al his peeres the destruction which insued vpon hym the verie same night after I might heere alledge howe the same Daniell in the first yeere of Darius the Median in the beginning of that seconde Monarchie of Medians and Persians foretolde how many Kings should raigne after hym in Persia and howe the last who vvas the fourth after hym and hys name also Darius should fight against the Grecians and be ouercome by a Grecian King which was Alexander and howe that kingdome also of Greece should be deuided torne in peeces after Alexanders death and not passe to hys posterity as Iustine and other Heathen Wryters doe testifie that it was by Antigonus Perdiccas Seleuchus Antiochus Ptolomeus and other Captaynes of Alexander that deuided the same among themselues aboue a hundred yeres after Darius was dead I myght declare also howe the same Daniell fore-sawe and fore-told the four great Monarchies of the world and described the same as distinctly as if he had liued in them all and as by experience wee find since to be true I might alledge the particuler description of the fight betwixt Darius and Alexander set down by Daniell vnder the names of the great Ramme and the fierce Goate wyth one horne which Goate himselfe interpreteth it to be meant of a Grecian King that should conquer the Persians And therfore Alexander as Iosephê°9 reporteth comming to Ierusalem about a hundred yeeres after and hearing thys prophecie of Daniel interpreted vnto him by Iaddus the High Priest assured himselfe that he was the man therein signified and so aâ—â—er long sacrifice doone to the God of Israel of whom he affirmed that hee had appeared vnto him in Macedon had exhorted hym to take this warre in hand and after hee had bestowed much honour and many benefites vpon the high Priest Inhabitants of Ierusalem he went forwarde in hys warre against Darius with great alacritie had that famous victorie which all the world knoweth A hundred such prophecies more which are as plaine as euident and as distinct as thys I might alledge of Elias Elizeus Samuell Dauid Ezechiell the twelue lesser Prophets and of other which I haue not named And in very trueth the whole Scripture is nothing els but a diuine kinde of bodie replenished throughout wyth the vitall spirit of prophecie and euery day some prophecie or other is fulfilled though we mark it not and shall be vnto the worlds end And the myracle of thys matter is yet more increased if we consider what manner of people they were for the most parte by whom these prophecies of hydden thinges were vttered to wit not such men as coulde gather the fore-sight of thyngs by Astronomie or Astrologie that is by contemplation of the starres as some fond Gentiles did pretend though Ptolomie denie that any such things can be fore-told but onely by inspiration from God neyther yet were they so sharpe witted as to attaine to prophecie by strange imaginations as most vainely Auerroes and his followers holde that some men may nor finally were they so delicatly fedde as by exact diet and rules of Alchimye to com to prophecie as Alchimists dreame that a man may doe and that Appolonius Thyaneus dyd who by styllified meates as they speake came to be stillified hymselfe and so by helpe of hys glasse called Alchimufi to fore-tell some matters and affaires to come Our Prophets I say knewe none of these fantasticall deuises beeing for the most part poore simple and vnlearned men as in particuler was recorded that Dauid was a shepheard and Amos was a keeper of Oxen yea oftentimes they were women as Marie the sister of Aaron called in the Scripture by the name of Prophetesse Debora the wyfe of Lapidoth Hanna the mother of Samuel Elizabeth the mother of Iohn Baptist Anna the daughter of Panuel finally the most holy and blessed Virgine Marie with the daughters of Phillip and many such other both in the olde and newe Testament who prophecied strangely nor could possibly receiue such fore-knowledge of things to com but onely from the spirit of the liuing God and by inspiration of the holy Ghost which is a manifest demonstration of the excellencie of Holie writ and of the certaintie contained therein THE EYGHT PROOFE OF SCRIPTVRES AND nowe albeit thys might seeme sufficient in the iudgment conscience of euery reasonable man as the Iew supposeth to prooue that the Scriptures be onely from God and consequently by them that there is a God yet hath he one reason more to coÌ„firme theyr sinceritie which I will alledge in thys place and therewith make an end Hys reason is that although these holy writings which proceede of Gods spirite doe not take theyr testimonie or confirmation from man yet for more euidencie of the trueth GOD hath so prouided that al the principall most strange and wonderfull things recounted in scripture shold be reported also and confirmed by Infidels Pagans Gentiles and Heathen writers themselues albeit in some points they differ from the Scripture in the manner of theyr narration for that they adioyne superstitions therunto Which maketh the more for approbation of the things for that heereby it appeareth they tooke not their stories directlie from the Bible but by tradition and most auncient antiquities of theyr owne The creation of the worlde FIrst then he sheweth that the creation of the worlde which is the meruaile of all meruailes wyth the infusion of mans soule froÌ„ God is both graunted and agreed vpon by all those Heathen Phylosophers which I haue cited before albeit the particularities be not so sette downe by them as they are in Scriptures and by all other that doe see in reason that of necessitie there must be yeelded some Creator of these things The floude of Noe. NExt to thys the floude of Noe is mentioned by diuers most auncient heathen writers as by Baerosus Chaldeus Ieronimê° Egyptius Nicholaus Damascenus Abydenus and others according as both Iosephus and Eusebius doe prooue And in Bresile and other Countries dyscouered in our age wher neuer teachers were knowne to bee before they talk of a certain drowning of the world which in time past happened and doe saie that thys was left vnto theÌ„ by tradition from tyme out of minde by the first inhabitants of those places The long life of the first Fathers OF the long life of the first Patriarches according as the Scripture reporteth it not onelie the former Authors but also Manethus that gathered the Hystorie of the Egyptians Molus Hestiaeus that wrote the acts of the Phaenicians Hesiodus Hecateus Abderida Helanicus Acusilaus and Ephorus doe testifie that these first inhabitants of the worlde liued commonly a thousande yeeres a-peece and they alledge the reason thereof to be both for the multiplication of people
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 much afflicted in respecte of theyr late banishment though much assisted to thys worke by the liberalitie and munificencie of Darius King of Babylon so was the building and workemanshyppe of thys seconde Temple nothing comparable for excellencie to the first which was builded by Salomon when the Iewes were in the flower of theyr glorie and riches Thys testifieth Aggeus the Prophet who was one of the builders and he testified the same to Zorobabel and to the rest of those that were with hym by Gods owne appointment in these words The word of God was made to Aggeus the Prophet Tell Zorobabel the sonne of Salathiel Captaine of Iuda and Iesus the sonne of Iosedec high Priest and the rest of the people Who is there left of you that sawe this Temple in his first glorie before our transmigration and what saie you to this which nowe we see is it not in our eyes as though it were not at all That is is it not as though it were a thing of nothing in comparison of the former Temple which Salomon builded Thus saide Aggeus by Gods commission of the materiall building of thys seconde Temple And yet to comfort the Iewes with all he was coÌ„maunded presently in the same Chapter to say thus Comfort thy selfe Zorobabel comfort thy self Iesu thou son of Iosedec high Priest and comfort your selues all ye people of the earth saith the Lorde God of hostes doe yee the thinges which I couenaunted with you when yee came forth of the Lande of Egipt and feare not for that my spirit shall be among you Thus saith the Lorde God of hostes a little time yet remaineth when I will moue both heauen and earth both sea and land with al Countries in the world And then shall come the DESIRED OF ALL NATIONS and I will fill his house or Temple with glory sayth the Lord God of hostes Siluer is mine and golde is myne saith the Lorde of hostes great shal be the glory of this last house or temple more then of the first saith the Lorde God of hostes Hetherto are the words of God by Aggeus and the often repetition of the Lorde God of hostes is to signifie the certaintie and great weight of the matter promised Nowe consider then that where as God had saide immediatly before that this second Temple was nothing in respect of the fyrst for pompe and riches of the materiall building which the olde men in the booke of Esdras do testifie by theyr weeping wheÌ„ they sawe thys second and remembred the fyrst yet nowe God sayth that Gold and Siluer is his owne as though he made no account of the aboundance thereof in the former Temple or of the want of the same in thys and that notwithstanding the pouertie of the seconde building yet shall it be fylled and replenished with glorie and that in such sort as it shall farre passe in glorie the former and that shall be as both heere is expressed other where most plainlie by the comming of our Sauiour Christ into the second Temple which shall be a greater dignitie then anie dignitie whatsoeuer was founde in the fyrst building of Salomons Temple Concerning which poynt it is to be considered that the learned Iewes besides the materiall difference of building before mentioned doe note fiue things of great importaunce to haue beene wanting in the second Temple which were in the first To wit the fire sent from heauen to burne to Holocaustes The glory of God or Angels appearing among the images of Cherubines that stood in the Temple The manifest inspiration of Gods spirit vpon Prophets for that prophecie fayled in the seconde Temple The presence of the Arke and last of all Urim Thumim All which great wants and differences notwithstanding God saith as you see that the glory of thys second temple shall be much greater then the first by the coÌ„ming of Christ into the same Which thing Malachie that liued at the same time when the seconde Temple was in building confirmeth more expresly in these wordes Beholde I send my Angel and he shal prepare the way before my face And straight after shal come to this Temple the Lorde or Ruler whom ye seeke and the MESSENGER OF THE TESTAMENT whom you desire Behold he coÌ„meth saith the Lord of hostes and who can imagine the day of his comming or who can stand or abide to see him for he shal be as a purging fire c. By all which is made euident that Christ must come and appeare in the second Temple before it be destroyed as Iesus did and therefore he cannot be nowe to come seeing the sayde Temple was destroyed aboue one thousand and fiue hundred yeeres past by the Romaines as hath beene saide Which destruction and finall desolation was prophecied by Daniel to insue soone after the byrth and passion of Christ in these wordes After sixtie and two hebdomades Christ shal be slaine and a people with their Captaine to com shall destroy the Cittie and the Sanctuarie and the ende thereof shall be vastitie or spoyle And after the warre ended there shall ensue the appointed desolation Which prophecie to haue fallen out lytterally about fortie yeeres after Iesus was put to death when Ierusalem was destroyed and the Temple ouerthrowne by Titus the storie of Iosephê° the learned Iew who was Captain against Titus in that war dooth manifestly and at large declare And for that we haue made mention here of Daniels prophecie coÌ„cerning the particuler tyme of Christes coÌ„ming of his death which confirmeth the purpose wee treate of so perspicuously as nothing can be said more euident it shall not be amisse to examine the same before we passe any further For better conceiuing whereof it is to be vnderstood that this Greeke worde Hebdomada signifieng seauen doth some-time import a weeke or seauen daies according to our coÌ„mon vse and then it is called in Scripture Hebdomada dierum a weeke of daies as in Daniel the tenth Chapter and the seconde verse where the Prophet sayth of himselfe that he did mourne three weekes of dayes But at other tymes it signifieth the space of seauen yeeres and is called in scripture Hebdomada annorum a weeke of yeeres As in Leuiticus where it is sayd Thou shalt number vnto thee seauen weekes of yeres that is seauen times seauen which make fortie and nyne yeeres Nowe then it is certaine that Daniell in the prophecie before alleaged where he assigneth sixtie-two weekes to the tyme of Christes death could not meane vveekes of daies for that hee appointeth onely seauen weekes to the rebuilding of the Cittie of Ierusalem of the Temple and of the walles about which were not ended but in fortie nine yeeres after as may be gathered by the bookes of Esdras which fortie-nine weekes doe make iust seauen weekes of yeeres And therefore it is certaine that such Hebdomades of yeeres are
great inconueniences losses dangers and dis-fauours as they did and should continue with him in all hys afflictions and be content to die loose their liues rather then forsake him or abandon his seruice this I say is such a miracle as neuer in the worlde fell out the like and must needes be graunted by the enemie to be supernaturall The second poynt is of externall things and facts doone by Iesus aboue all power of humaine abilitie in the sight and knowledge of all the Iewes which facts were published by our Euangelists and especially by Saint Matthew in the Hebrue tongue while yet the persons were aliue vpon whō they were wrought or infinite other that might be witnesses thereof As for example the raysing of Lazarus in Bethania that was a Vyllage but a mile or two distant from Ierusalem at whose death and buriall beeing a Gentleman many Scribes Pharisies must needes be present according to the Iewish custom at that time as is reported by Iosephus and they sawe him both deceassed interred and the funerall feast obserued for him as also raised againe from death by Iesus after foure dayes of hys buriall With whom they dyd both eate and drinke and conuerse after hys returne to life and euery day might behlode him walking vppe and downe openly in the streetes of Ierusalem This storie I say how coulde it be feigned So in like manner the raysing of the Archisinagogues daughter whose name is affirmed to be Iairus wyth diuers other circumstaunces that doe make the thing most notorious The raising of the widdowes son before the gate of the Cittie Naim in the presence of all the people that bare the saide corps stood about it The healing of the Cripple in Ierusalem that had layne thirtie and eyght yeeres lame at the Pooles side or Bath called Probatica which miracle was done also in the sight of infinite people The casting out of a Legion of deuils frō a man that for many yeeres together was known to liue possessed in the Mountaines which deuils by peculier lycence obtayned of Iesus to enter into a hearde of Swyne and so presently carried two thousande of them away into the Sea and drowned them Whereuppon the whole Countrey about of the people called Gerasines beeing striken with extreame feare vpon sight of the fact besought Iesus most humbly to depart frō their borders The feeding and filling of fiue thousand men besides women and children with fiue Barley loaues and two fishes onely The turning of water into wine at a marriage in Cana in the presence of all the Guestes The healing of hym by a worde onelie that had an incurable dropsie and thys at the table of a principall Pharisie and in the sight of all that sate at dynner wyth him These I say and diuers other such myracles which were done in the presence and sight of so infinite a number of people and recorded by our Euangelists at such tymes when many desired to discredite the same might haue doone easilie by many witnesses and authoritie if any one part thereof had been subiect to calumniation cannot in reason or probabilitie be doubted of And therfore I must conclude that seeing these things are aboue all power of humaine nature and coulde not be doone but by the finger and vertue of the liuing GOD himselfe considering also that it is impossible that God should assist or giue testimonie to any falsehoode it must needes ensue that al was true and sincere which Iesus affirmed and consequently seeing he affirmed himselfe to be the Sonne of God and the true and onelie Messias it must needes follow by these miracles that hee was so indeede which is the ground of that speech of hys to the faithlesse Pharisies If you will not beleeue my words beleeue my deedes And thus much of Iesus life doctrine conuersation and miracles The fourth Consideration THere remaineth nowe onely the fourth and last consideration of thys Section which is the passion resurrection ascention of Iesus And about his passion there is little or no controuersie for that all his enemies doe agree and graunt that hee was betrayed by his owne disciple apprehended afflicted and deliuered vppe by the Iewes and finally put to death vppon a Crosse by the Gentiles The testimonie of Iosephus may serue for all heerein whose wordes are these That the principall Iewes of his Country hauing accused and deliuered ouer Iesus to Pilate that was Gouernour of Iurie for the Romaine Emperor he adiudged him to the Crosse. The same doe other Iewes and Gentiles record and in thys they take great offence scandale that wee shoulde attibute diuinitie vnto a man that had suffered death vpon the Crosse. But if wee shewe that this was the eternall preordination and appointment of God for sauing of mankinde and that the same was fore-tolde both to Iewe and Gentile from the beginning and so vnderstood also by the Iewish Doctors thēselues of elder times then euery reasonable man I trowe will remaine satis-fied and preferre Gods diuine wysedome before mans follie First then consider that when Christ had ended hys preaching and wrought so many miracles as seemed sufficient to hys eternall wisedom and when the time was come pre-ordained for his passion whereof hee tolde publiquely his Disciples before hee went vppe to Ierusalem of purpose to receiue his death and made a solemne entrie into that Cittie vppon an Asse which was prophecied of him many yeres before Reioyce daughter of Sion Behold thy IVST KING and SAVIOVR shall come vnto thee vpon an Asse And after hys aboade some dayes in that place he was betrayed and sold by his owne Disciple as Dauid before hand in many places had fore-told shold come to passe Then followed his apprehension and most seruile abusage by the Iewes whereof it was fore-prophecied in hys person by Esay I gaue my bodie to them that beate it and my cheekes to them that buffeted the same I did not turne my selfe away from them that reproched mee nor yet from them that did spitte in my face After this barbarous intreatie by the Iewes they deliuered him ouer to Pilate a Gentile and neuer ceassed to solicite and pursue theyr vnquenchable hatred against him vntill they sawe him on the Crosse where also hee was vsed in the highest degree of spightfull dealing Wherof likewise the Prophet Dauid made mention long before in the person of the Messias when hee sayd They pearsed my handes and feete they deuided among them my apparrell and vppon my vpper garment they did cast lots And againe of another crueltie hee complaineth saying they gaue me Gaule to eate and in my thyrst they refreshed me with Vineger And finally that Christ shoulde die for the sinnes of mankinde is a common principle both prefigured and fore-tolde throughout all the olde Scripture Prefigured by the sacrifice of Isaac by the
raysing vppe of the brasen Serpent by all other sacrifices that were in the Lawe Fore-told not only by the Scriptures before alleaged but also most plainely by Daniel who was tolde by an Angel that after a certain time by him there appointed Ungetur Sanctus Sanctorum the Saint of Saints shall be annointed et occidetur Christus this annointed Saint or Christ shall be put to death Zacharie also about the same time doth not onely foretell his death but also the kind therof and from what people he should receiue the same for thus he saith in the person of Christ himselfe The inhabitants of Ierusalem at that day shall looke vpon me whom they haue Crucified But if ye will reade the whole storie of Christes passion sette downe at large sixe hundred yeeres before it fell out I refer you to a narration of Esay who to signifie the strangenes of the case beginneth with thys Praeface Who will giue credite to that we shall report c. And then a little after hee goeth on in these words He shal mount vp as a twig from a drie earth He hath no forme or beautie vppon him Wee behelde him and there was no countenance in him we saw him the most contemptible and dispised man in the worlde A man full of paines and experienced in infirmitie His countenaunce was obscure and despicable and wee made no account of him Truely hee tooke vppon himselfe our greefes and did beare our paines We accounted him as a Leaper and 〈…〉 man striken and punished by God But hee was wounded for our iniquities and crushed in peeces for our wickednes The discipline or correction of our peace lyeth vpon him and by his woundes we are made whole We haue all erred and gone astray like sheepe euery man after hys â—wne waies and God hath laide vpon him the iniquitie of vs all Hee was offered vppe for vs because he would so he shal be led to his slaughter as a Sheepe and as a Lambe he shal be silent befor his Shâ—arours For the sinnes of my people haue I striken him saith God He hath doone no iniquitie neither was there deceite founde in his mouth Yet would the Lord crush him in infirmitie But if he shall giue his life for sinne then shall hee see a long seede or generation and the will of the Lord shall be directed in his hand And for so much as his soule hath sustained labour it shall see and be filled And this MY IVST SERVAVNT in his knowledge shall iustifie manie and beare their iniquities And I will allotte vnto him verie many people and he shall deuide the spoyles of the stoute for that hee hath deliuered his soule vnto death and was accounted among the wicked and prayed for hiâ— transgressours Thus particularly as ye see was the death and passion of our Sauiour Christ fore-tolde by the Prophets of Israell to that Nation Nowe heare yee the prophecie of Sibylla◠〈◊〉 ye please wherein she fore-shewed the same to the Gentiles These are her owne words sette downe by Lactantius Hee shall appeare miserable ignominius and deformed to the ende he may giue hope vnto the miserable Afterward he shall come into the hands of most wicked and faithlâ—sse men they shall buffette him with their sacriligious fistes and shall spyt vpon him with their vncleane mouthes He shal yeeld his innocent backe to the whippe and shall saie nothing while he receiueth the stripes to the end he may speake to those that are dead Hee shall beare a Crowne of thornes and they shall giue him Gaule to eate and Vinegar to drinke And this shall be the hospitalitie he shall finde among them What thing can be more plainely described then this Neither doe the auncient Rabines and Teachers among the Iewes discent froÌ„ thys For that in theyr Thalmud that was gathered aboue one thousande and two hundred yeeres agone the plaine sentences of dyuers are sette downe that their Messias at hys comming shall be put to death And as for Rabbi Ionathan the Authour of the Chaldie Paraphrase who died a little before our Sauiour Christ was borne hee applyeth the whole narration of the Prophet Esay before recited as needes hee must to the murther of the Messias by the Iewes Whereuppon Rabbi Simeon that liued the next age after him wryteth these words following Woe be to the men of Israell for that they shall sley the Messias God shall send his sonne in mans fleshe to wash them and they shall murder him Whereto agreeth Rabbi Hadarsan and others and doe prooue further out of the fore-alleaged prophecie of Daniell Chapter 9. verse 27. that after Messias shal haue preached halfe seauen yeeres he shall be slayne For that Daniel saith In halfe of seauen yeeres the Hoste and Sacrifice shall cease Vpon which wordes they comment thus Three yeeres and a halfe shall the presence of God in flesh crie and preach vpon the Mount Oliuet and then shall he be slaine Which wordes the Iewes ordinarie Commentarie vppon the Psalmes doe interpret to be meant of Christes preaching three yeres an halfe before his passion Which disagreeth very little or nothing from the account of vs Christians and of our Euangelists And so wee see by all that hetherto hath beene said that the very particulers of Christes whole death and passion were foretolde most plainelie both to Iewe and Gentile and acknowledged also by the auncient Doctors of the Iewish Nation before the effectuation thereof came to passe And Sibylla addeth further two perticuler miracles that shold fall out in the sayd passion of the Messias to wit That the veile of the Iewes Temple should breake in two and that at middaie there should be darknes for three houres ouer all the world Which thing to haue beene fulfilled at the death of Iesus not only Saint Matthewe doth assure vs in his Gospell but also Eusebius affirmeth that hee had reade the same word for word recorded in diuers heathen wryters And amongst other he citeth one Phlegon an exact Chronicler that reporteth the same in the fourth yeere of the two hundred and two Olympiad which agreeth iuste with the eyghteene yeere of Tyberius his raigne which was the yeere wherein our Sauiour Christ suffered And he goeth so nigh as to name the very houres of the day as our Euangelists doe AEsculus an old Astronomer doth confirme the same and proouoth more-ouer by the scituation and constitution of the Sunne Moone at that time that no Eclipse coulde then be naturally Which thing in like manner Dyonisius Areopagita did obserue in the verie day of Christes passion beeing at that tyme but twentie and fiue yeeres olde and yet well studied in Astronomie as himselfe testifieth And finally Lucianus a Learned Prieste of Antioche was accustomed to prouoke the Gentiles to theyr owne Commentaries and Stories for recorde and testimonie of
those things There ensueth nowe for ending and confirmation of all that hath been sayd and prooued before to adde a worde or two of Iesus Resurrection Which point as of all other it is of most importance so was it exactly fore-tolde both to Iewe and Gentile and promised by Christ himselfe in all hys speeches whyle hee was vppon earth And among the Iewes it was assured by all the prophecies before recited which doe promise so great aboundance of glory ioy and tryumph to Christes Church after his passion Which neuer possibly could be fulfilled vnlesse he had risen from death againe And therfore the said resurrectiō was prefigured in Ionas together with the time of his abode in the Sepulcher It was also expresly fore-shewed by Dauid affirming That GOD woulde not suffer his holy one to see corruption And after him againe more plainelie by the Prophet Ose He shall quicken vs againe after two daies in the third day he shall rayse vs and we shall liue in his sight And to the Gentiles Sibylla left written not farre from the same time He shal end the necessitie of death by three daies sleepe and then returning from death to light againe hee shall be the first that shall shewe the beginning of Resurrection to his chosen for that by conquering death hee shall bring vs life Thus much was promised by Prophets before Christes appearaunce And Iesus to comfort his Disciples and followers reiterated this promise againe of himselfe in manie speeches albeit oftentimes his meaning was not perceiued Which promise of returne from death if it had beene made for some long time to come as Mahomet promised hys Sarasins after eyght hundred yeeres to reuisite them again albeit the performance were neuer meant yet might the falsehood lurke in the length of time But Iesus assuring all men that he would rise againe within three daies it cannot be imagined but that hee sincerely purposed to performe his promise for that otherwise the fraude must haue been discouered Now then let vs consider what manner of performaunce Iesus made heereof And first the persons most interessed in the matter as they whose totall hope stay refuge and felicitie depended heereof I mean his appaled dismayed and afflicted Disciples doe recount twelue sundry apparisions which Iesus made vnto them in flesh after hys Resurrection The first was to Mary Magdalen a part when she with Solome and other women went remained with oyntments about the Sepulcher The seconde was to all the women together as they returned homewardes who also were permitted to embrace his feete The thyrde was to Simon Peter alone The fourth to the two Disciples in their iourney to Emaus The fift was to all the Apostles and other Disciples together when the doores were shut The sixt was to the same companie againe after eyght dayes when Thomas was wyth them at what time also he did both eate and drink and suffered his body also to be handled among them The seauenth was to Saint Peter and S. Iohn with fiue other disciples when they were in fishing at what time also he vouchsafed to eate with them The eyght was to eleuen Disciples at one time vpon the Mount Thabor in Galiley The ninth was to more then fiue hundred bretheren at one tyme as Saint Paule testifieth The tenth was to S. Iames as the same Apostle recordeth The eleuenth was to all his Apostles Disciples and freendes together vppon the Mount Oliuet by Ierusalem when in theyr presence hee ascended vppe to heauen The twelfth and last was after his ascention vnto Saint Paule as himselfe beareth witnesse All these apparitions are recorded in Scripture as made by Iesus after his Resurrection to such as by his eternall wisedome were preordained to be witnesses of so glorious a spectacle To whom as S. Luke affirmeth He showed himselfe aliue by manie arguments for the space of fortie daies together and reasoned with them of the kingdome of his Father And why any man should mistrust the testimonie of those men which saw him cōuersed with him eate with him drank wyth him touched him and heard him speak and whose entire estate and wel-fare depended wholy of the certaintie heereof I see no reason For what comfort had it been or consolation to these men to haue deuised of them selues these former apparitions What encouragement might they haue taken in those dolefull times of desolation and affliction to haue had among thē the deade body of him on whose onely life theyr vniuersall hope and confidence depended The Scribes and Pharisies beeing astonished with the suddaine newes of his rysing againe confirmed vnto them by their owne Souldiers that saw it found no other way to resist the fame therof but onely by saying as all theyr posteritie do vnto thys day that his Disciples came by night and stole away his body whyle the Souldiours were a sleepe But what likelihood or possibilitie can there be in thys for first it is euident to all the worlde that hys Apostles themselues who were the heades of all the rest were so dismaied discomforted and deiected at that time as they durst not once goe out of the doore for which cause only those seelie women who for their sexe esteemed themselues more free from violence presumed alone to visite his Sepulcher which no one man durst doe for feare of the Souldiours vntill by those Women they were enformed that the fore-said band of Souldiours were terrified put to flight by Christes Resurrection And then howe was it likely that men so much amazed ouercome with feare shold aduenture to steale away a dead body from a Guard of Souldiers that kept it or if theyr harts had serued them to aduenture so great a daunger what hope or probabilitie had there beene of successe especially considering the sayde body lay in a newe Sepulcher of stone shutte vppe locked and fast sealed by the Magistrate Howe was it possible I say that his dysciples should come thether breake vp the Monument take out his bodie and carrie the same away neuer after to be seene or founde without espiall of some one amongst so many that attended there Or if this were possible as in reason it is not yet what profit what pleasure what comfort could they receiue hereby We see that these Apostles and Disciples of his who were so abandoned of lyfe and hart in his passion after two daies onely they were so chaunged as life death can be no more contrarie For whereas before they kept home in all feare and durst appeare no where except among theyr owne priuate freendes nowe they came forth into the streetes common places and auouched with all alacritie and irresistable constancie euen in the faces and hearing of theyr greatest enemies that Iesus was risen from death to life that they had seene him and enioyed his presence And that for
testimonie and confirmation hereof they were most ready to spend their liues And could all thys trow you proceed onely of a dead bodie which they had gotten by stealth into their possession woulde not rather the presence and sight of such a bodie so torne mangled and deformed as Iesus bodie was both vpon the Crosse and before haue rather dismayed them more then haue giuen them comfort Yes truelie And therfore Pilate the Gouernor considering these circumstaunces and that it was vnlikelie that eyther the body shoulde be stolne awaie without priuitie of the Souldiours or if it had been that it should yeeld such life hart consolation courage to the stealers beganne to giue eare more diligentlie to the matter and calling to him the Souldiers that kept the watch vnderstood by theÌ„ the whole trueth of the accident to wit that in theyr sight and presence Iesus was risen out of his Sepulcher to life that at hys rysing there was so dreadfull an earthquake with trembling and opening of Sepulchers rounde about such skriches cries and commotion of all elements as they durst not abide longer but ran and told the Iewish Magistrates thereof who beeing greatly discontented as it seemed with the aduertisement gaue theÌ„ money to say that while they were sleeping the body was stolne away from them by his Disciples All thys wrote Pilate presently to hys Lorde Tyberius who was then Emperor of Rome And hee sent withall the particular examinations coÌ„fessions of diuers others that had seene and spoken with such as were rysen from death at that time had appeared to many of theyr acquaintance in Ierusalem assuring them also of the resurrection of Iesus Which informations when Tyberius the Emperor had coÌ„sidered he was greatly mooued therewith and proposed to the Senate that Iesus might be admitted among the rest of the Romaine Gods offering hys owne consent with the priuiledge of his supreame royall suffrage to that decree But the Senate in no wise woulde agree thereunto Whereupon Tyberius beeing offended gaue licence to all men to beleeue in Iesus that would and forbid vpon pain of death that any Officer or other shoulde molest or trouble such as bare good affection zeale or reuerence to that name Thus much testifieth Tertulian against the Gentiles of hys own knowledge who liuing in Rome a learned man and pleader of causes diuers yeeres before he was a Christian which was about one hundred and foure-score yeres after our Sauiour Christes ascention had great abilitie by reason of the honour of his familie learning and place wherein he liued to see and know the Records of the Romains And the same doth affirme also Egisippus an other auncient Wryter of no lesse authoritie then Tertulian before whom he liued Neither onely diuers Gentiles had thys opinion of Iesus Resurrection againe from death but also sundry Iewes of great credit and wisedome at that time were inforced to beleeue it notwithstanding it pleased not God to giue them so much grace as to become Christians Thys appeareth plainly by the learned Iosephus who writing his storie not aboue fortie yeres after Christes passion tooke occasion to speake of Iesus and of his Disciples And after he had shewed how he was Crucified by Pilate at the instance of the Iewes and that for all thys his disciples ceassed not to loue him styll hee adioyneth forthwith these words Idcirco illis tertio die vita resumpta denuo apparuit That is for this loue of his Disciples he appeared vnto theÌ„ againe the third day when hee had resumed life vnto him Which expresse plaine and resolute words we may in reason take not as the confession onely of Iosephus but as the common iudgement opinion and sentence of all the discreete sober men of that time layde downe and recorded by thys Historiographer In whose dayes there were yet manie Christians aliue that had seene spoken with Iesus after hys Resurrection and infinite Iewes that had hearde the same protested by their fathers bretheren Kins-folke and freendes who had beene themselues eye witnesses thereof And thus hauing declared and prooued the Resurrection of our Sauiour Iesus bothe howe it was fore-shewed as also fulfilled there remaineth nothing more of necessitie to be said in this Section For that who soeuer seeth and acknowledgeth that Iesus being dead could rayse himselfe againe to life will easily beleeue also that he was able likewise to ascende vppe to heauen Whereof notwithstanding Saint Luke alleageth one hundred and twentie witnesses at the least in whose presence he ascended from the top of the Mount Oliuet after fortie daies space which he had spent with them froÌ„ the time of hys Resurrection Hee alleageth also the appearing of two Angels among al the people for testimonie thereof He nameth the day and place when where it happened Hee recounteth the very wordes that Iesus spake at his ascention He telleth the manner how he ascended and howe a Clowde came downe and receiued him into it out of their â—ight He declareth what the multitude did whether they went and in what place they remained afer theyr departure thence And finally hee setteth downe so many perticulers as it had beene the easiest matter in the worlde for his enemies to haue refuted hys narration if all had not been true Neyther was there any to receiue more domage by the falshood thereof then himselfe those of hys profession if the matter had beene feigned Wherefore to conclude at length thys treatise of the Byrth Life Doctrine Actions Death Resurrection and Ascention of Iesus seeing nothing hath happened in the same which was not forâ—-told by the Prophets of God nor any thing foreshewed by the same Prophets coÌ„cerning the Messias which was not fulfilled most exactly within the compasse and course of Iesus abode vppon earth we may most certainly assure our selues that as God can neyther fore-tell an vntruth nor yeelde testimonie to the same so can it not be but that these thinges which wee haue shewed to haue been so manifestly foreprophecied so euidently accomplished must needes assure vs that Iesus was the true Messias Which thing shal yet more particularly appeare by that which ensued by his power and vertue after his ascention which shall be the argument of the next Section which followeth Howe Iesus prooued his Deitie after his departure to heauen SECT 3. AS by the deedes and actions of IESVS while he was vpon the earth compared with the predictions of Gods Prophets from time to time he hath beene declared in the former Sections to be the true Messias and Sauiour of the worlde so in thys that nowe we take in hande shall the same be shewed by such thinges as ensued after his ascention and departure from this world Wherein his power and Deitie appeared more manifestlie if it may be so spoken then in other his workes which hee wrought in his life In which kind albeit
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