this was rather of barbarous cruelty 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 within two monethes for theyr beleefe thorow out the worlde then were of Iewes for two thousande yeres before Christes coÌ„ming which is vndoubtedly a matter very wonderfull considering that the Iewish Religion impugned no lesse the Pagan Idolatry then doth the doctrine of the Christians But this came to passe that Christes words might be fulfilled who sayde I come noâ—â—o bring peace but the sworde And aâ—gaine I send you â—oorth as sheepe among wolues That is to say to bee torne and harried and your bloode to be deuoured In which extreame and most incredible sufferings of christiaÌ„s three poynts are worthy of great consideration The first what infinite multitudes of al estates conditions sexe qualities and age dyd suffer dailie for testimony of thys truth The second what intollerable and vnaccustomed torments not hearde of in the world before were deuised by Tyrants for afflicting thys kinde of people The thyrd what inuincible courage and vnspeakeable alacritie the Christians shewed in bearing out these afflictions which the enemies themselues could not attribute but to some diuine power supernaturall assistance And for thys latter poynt of comfort in their sufferings I wil alledge onely thys Testimonie of Tertullian against the Gentiles who obiected that wicked men suffered also as wel as Christians whereto this learned Doctor made answer in these words Trueth it is y t many men are prone to ill and doe suffer for the same but yet dare they not defend their euill to be good as Christians doe theyr cause For that euery euil thing by nature dooth bring with it eyther feare or shame and therefore we see that malefactors albeit they loue euil yet wold they not appeare so to the worlde but desire rather to lye in couert They tremble when they are taken and when they are accused they denie all doe scarce often-times confesse theyr dooings vpon torments And finally when they are condemned they lament mone and doe impute theyr harde fortune to destiny or to the Planetsâ— But the Christian what dooth hee lyke to thys is there any man ashamed or doth any man repent him wheÌ„ he is taken except it be for that he was not takeÌ„ rather if he be noted by the enemy for a Christian he glorieth in the same if he be accused hee defendeth not himselfe if he be asked the question he confesseth it willingly if hee be condemned he yeeldeth thanks What euill is there then in the Christian cause which lacketh the natural sequell of euill I meane feare shame tergiuersation repentance sorrowe and deploration What euill I say can thys be deemed whose guiltinesse is ioy whose accusation is desire whose punishment is happinesse Hetherto are the words of learned Tertullian who was an eye witnesse of that he wrote and had no small part in the cause of those that suffered being himselfe in y t place and state as daily he might expect to tast of the same affliction To which combat how ready he wasâ— may appeare by diuers places of thys hys Apologie wherein he vttereth besides his zeale and feruour a most confident securitie and certaine assurance of Iesus assistance by that which he 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 IESVS then the fortitude inuisible which aboue all humaine reason force and nature hee imparted to hys 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 vppon the Spyrits infernall Which thing partly may appeare by the Oracles alledged in the end of the former Section wherein those spyrits fore-tolde that an Hebrew chylde shold be borne to the vtter subuersion and ruine of theyr tyrannicall dominion much more at large the same might be declared by other answers Oracles vttered after Christes natiuity registred in the Monuments euen of the Heathens themselues Wherof he that desireth to see more ample mention especially out of Porphyrie who then was lyuing let hym reade Eusebius sixt Booke De preparatione Euangelica where he shal finde store namely that Apollo many tymes exclaimedâ— Hei mihi congemiscite Hei mihi hei mihi Oraculorum defecit me claritas Woe vnto mâ—e lament ye with me woe vnto me woe vnto me for that the honour of Oracles hath now forsaken me Which coÌ„plaints lamentations are nothing els but a plaine confession that Iesus was he of whom a Prophet sayd diuers ages before Attenuabit omnes Deos terrae he shall weare out and bring to beggery all the Gods or Idols of the earth This confessed also the wicked Spyrits themselues wheÌ„ at Christes appearing in Iurie they came vnto hym dyuers tymes and besought hym not to afflict or torment them nor commaund theÌ„ presently to return vnto hell but rather to permit them some little time of entertainement in the Sea or Mountaines or among heardes of Swyne or the lyke Which confession they made in the sight of all the world and declared the same afterwards by theyr facts and deedes For presently vpon Iesus death vpon the preaching of his name Gospel throughout the worlde the Oracles which before were aboundant in euery Prouince and Countrey were put to silence Whereof I might alledge the testimony of very many Gentiles themselues as that of Iuuenall Cessant Oracula Delphis All Oracles at Delphos doe now cease c. That also of another Poet Excessere omnes adytis arisque relictis Dij quibus imperium hoc steterat c. That is the Gods by whom thys Empyre stood are all departed from theyr Temples haue abandoned theyr Altars and place of habitation Strabo hath also these expresse wordes The Oracle of Delphos at this day is to be seene in extreame beggery mendicitie And finally Plutarch that lyued within one hundred yeeres after Christ made a speciall Booke to search out the causes why the Oracles of the Gods were ceassed in hys tyme. And after much turning and winding many waies resolued vpon two principall points or causes therof The first for that in hys tyme there was more store of Wise-men then before whose aunswers might stand in steede of Oracles and the other that peraduenture the spyrites which were accustomed to yeeld Oracles were by length of tyme growne olde and dead Both which reasons in the verie common sence of all men must needes be false and by Plutarch himselfe cannot stande with probability For first in hys Bookes which he wrote of the lyues of auncient famous men he confesseth that in such kind of wisedome as he
and more perfect Common-wealth How also he was to come to wit in mans flâ—sh in likenes of sinne in pouertie and humilitie The time likewise of his appearance was prefigured together with the manner of his byrth lyfe actions death resurrection and ascention And finally nothing can be more desired for the foreknowledge of any one thing to come then was deliuered vttered concerning the Messias before that euer Christ or Christians vvere talked of in the world Now then remaineth it to consider and examine whether these particularities fore-told so long ago of the Messias to come do agree in Christ whom we acknowledge for the true Messias And this shall be the subiect or argument of all the rest of our speech in this Chapter ¶ How the former predictions were fulfilled in our Sauior Christ at his beeing vpon earth SECT 2. ALbeit in the points before recited which are to be fulfilled in the Messias at his comming we haue some controuersie disagreement with the Iewe as hath been shewed yet our principall contention in theÌ„ all is with the Gentiles Heathen that beleeue no Scriptures For that in diuers of the former Articles the Iew standeth with vs and for vs offereth his life in defence therof as far forth as if he were a Christian. In so much as the Gentile oftentimes is inforced to meruaile when he seeeth a people so extreamely bent one against another as the Iewes are against Christians and yet doest and so peremptorilie in defence of those verie principles which are the proper causes of their disagreement But heereunto the Iewe maketh aunswer that his disagreement from vs is in the application of those principles For that in no wise he wil allow that they were or may be verified in Iesus And heerein he stâ—ndeth against vs much more obstinatly then doth the Gentile For that the Gentile as soone as he commeth once to vnderstand and beleeue the Prophecies of Scripture he maketh no doubt or difficultie in the application thereof for that he seeth the same most euidentlie fulfilled in our Sauiour Christ. Which is the cause that few or no Gentiles since Christes appearance haue come to bee Iewes but that presentlie also they passed ouer to be Christians But the Iewe by no meanes wil be moued to yeeld albeit he haue neyther Scripture nor reason or probability for his deâ—ence Which among other things is a verie great argument to prooue that Iesus was the true Messias indeede seeing that among the markes of the true Messias set downe by Gods Prophets that was one that he should be refused of the Iewish Nation Heerehence are those wordes of the holie Ghost so long before vttered The stone which the builders refused is made the head stone of the corner this is done by God and it is maruailous in our eyes Heereâ—hence 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 his being among them For whom soeuer that Nation shold receiue and acknowledge it were a great argument by Scripture that he were not indeede the true Messias But yet to demonstrate to the world what little shew of reason they haue in standing thus against their owne saluation and in refusing Christ as they doe I will in as great breuitie as I may run ouer the chiefe points that passed at his beeing vpon earth and thereby examine by the testimonies of his greatest enemies whether the foresaid Prophecies and all other signes which haue beene from the beginning to fore-tell vnto vs the true Messias vvere fulfilled in him and his actions or no. And for that the matters are manie and diuers that will come heerin to be handled I will for order sake reduce all to fower considerations Whereof the first shal be touching the time fore-prophecied of y e comming of the Messias and whether the same agreed with Christes natiuitie or no. The second shall be of dyuers particulers that passed in Christes incarnation birth circumcision and other accidents vntil the time that he began to preach The third shall be of his life conuersation miracles and doctrine The fourth and last shal be of his passion death resurrection and ascention In all which as I said before I will vse no one Authour or testimonie of our owne side for approuing any thing that is in controuersie beetweene vs but all shal passe by trial either of their owne Scriptures or of manifest force and consequence of reason or els by expresse recorde of our professed enemies ¶ The first consideration FOR the first then concerning the time which is the principall and heade of all the rest it is to bee 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 and one yeere of the raigne of the Emperour Augustus Caesar vvhich was fifteene yeeres before his raigne ended Also in the beginning of the thirty-three yeere of Herods raigne in Iurie which was foure yeeres and more before his death And from the beginning of the world as some account foure thousand one hundred and ninetie-nine And as others doe account foure thousand foure-score and nine for that in this point betweene the Hebrues and the Graecians there is a difference of some little more then an hundred yeeres concerning their reckoning The state of the world at Christes natiuitie was this The three Monarchies of the Assirians Persians and Graecians were past ouer and ended and the Romaines were entered into the fourth that was greater then any of the rest according to the Prophecie of Daniell fiue hundred yeeres before Octauius Caesar surnamed Augustus after fiue ciuill warres by himselfe waged and after infinite broyles bloodshed in the world raigned peaceably alone for many yeeres together and in token of an vniuersall peace ouer all the earth he caused the Temple gates of Ianus to be shutte according to the custome of the Romans in such cases albeit this had happened but twice before from the building of Rome vnto that time And the verie same day that Christ vvas borne in Iurie Augustus commaunded in Rome as afterward was obserued that no man should call him Lord thereby to signifie the free libertie rest â—oy and securitie wherein all men were after so long miseries which by continuall warres the vvorld had sustained By this we gather first that thys time of Christes birth agreed exactlie vvith the Prophecie so long before set downe in Daniell who liued in the first Monarchie that after his time there should be three Monarchies
to bee a King and the regiment scepter so established in his posteritie that albeit manie of his descendents offended God more greeuously then euer did Saul who was put out before And albeit ten Trybes at once brake from Iuda and neuer returned to obedience againe but conspired with the Gentiles and other enemies on euerie side to extinguish the said Kingdome and regiment of Iuda yet for the fulfilling of this prophecie the gouernment of Iuda held out â—â—ill for more then a thousand and two hundred yeeres together vntill Herods time as I haue alreadie said which is more then any one familie in the world besides can shew for hys nobilitie or continuance in gouernment The Prophecie for the greatnesse of Ephraim aboue Manasses THE same Iacob when he came to blesse his little Nephewes Manasses and Ephraim that were Iosephs Chyldren though himselfe were now dimme of sight could not well discerne them yet dyd he put his right hand vpon the head of the younger and his left hand vpon the elder and that of purpose as it prooued afterwarde For when Ioseph their Father misliked the placing of their Grand-fathers hands and would haue remoued the right hand from Ephraim and haue placed it vpon the heade of Manasses that was the elder Brother Iacob would not suffer him but answered I knâ—w my sonne I know that Manasses is the elder and hee shall be multiplied in many people but yet his younger brother shall bee greater then he Which afterwarde was fulfilled for that Ephraim was alwaies the greater and stronger Tribe and in fine became the head of the Kingdome of Israell or of the ten Trybes whereof there was no suspition or likelihood when Iacob spake this or when Moses recorded it And how then came Iacob to foresee this so many hundred yeeres before as also to foresee foretel the particuler places of his childreâ—s habitations in the land of Promise as Zabulon at the sea side Aser in the fertile pastures other the like that fel out by casting lotts after foure hundred yeeres and more Where-hence had he this I say to fore-tell what lots so long after should appoynt but onely from GOD who gouerned theyr lots The fore-sight of Moises THE like may be asked coÌ„cerning Moises who before his death in the Deserâ— deuided out the Land of Canaan to euery Trybe euen as though he had beene in possession thereof as afterward it fel out by â—â—â—ting of lots as in the booke of Iosua appeareth And coulde any humane wit or science think you fore see what each Tribe should attaine aâ—ter his death by drawing of lots Again the same Moises fore-saw and fore-told in publique hearing of al the people how in times to come long after his death the Iewes shold forsake GOD and for theyr sinnes be cast into many banishments and finally be forsaken and the Gentiles â—â—ceiued in their 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 layde vpon the place where Iericho stood vpon what-soeuer person should goe about to rebuild the same to wit That in his eldest sonne hee should lay the foundations and in his youngest Sonne should he build the gates thereof Which is to say that before the â—oundations were layd and the gates builded he shold be punisâ—â—â— with the death of al his chyldren Which thing was fulfilled almost fiue hundred yeeres after in one Hiel who presumed vnder wicked King Achab to rebuild Iericho againe and was terrified from the same by the suddaine death of Abiram and Segul his chyldren as the booke of Kings reporteth according to the words of the Lord which he had spoken in the hand of Iosua the Sonnâ— of Nun. And since that time to this no man eyther Iew or Gentile hath taken vpon him to rayse againe the said Citty albeit the situation be most pleasant as by relation of stories and Geographers appeareth The prophecie for the birth and acts of Iosâ—â—s THE thyrd booke of Kings maketh mention that when Ieroboam had with-drawne ten Trybes from the obedience of Roboam K. of Iuda to the end they might neuer haue occasion to reunite themselues again to Iuda by theyr going to sacrifice in Ierusalem as by the Law they were appointed he builded for theÌ„ a goodly gorgious high Altar in Bethel and there commanded them to doe theyr deuotions And wheÌ„ he was one day there present himselfe and offering hys incense vpon the sayd Altar and al the people looking on there came a man of God saith the scripture stood before the Altar and cried out â—loude and spake these wordes O â—ltar Altar this saith the Lord beâ—â—ld a child shall be borne of the house of Dauid whose name shall be Iosias and he shall sacrifice vpon thee these iâ—â—latrous Priestes that nowe burne â—â—â—ncumcense vppon thee and he shall â—â—â—ne the bones of men vpon thee Thus spake that man of God in the presence and hearing of all the people more theâ— three hundred yeeres before Iosias was borne and it was registred presently according to the manner of that time which I haue noted before with the same were registred also y e miracles which happened about that fact as that the Altar cleft in two vpon the mans words Ieroboam extending out his hand to apprehend him lost presently the vse and feeling therof vntill it was restored again by the sayd holy mans Prayers who notwithstanding for that he disobeied Gods commaundement in hys return and eate with a Prophet of Samaria which was forbidden him he was slaine in his way home-warde by a Lyon and his body was brought back again buried in Bethel nighâ— the saide Altar amongst the Sepulchers of those idolatrous Priestes of that place but yet with a superscription vpon hys Tombe contâ—yning his name and what had happened There passed three hundred yereâ— and Iosias was borne and came to raigne in Iuda one day comming to Bethel to ouerthrow the Altar to destroy the Sepulchers of those Idolatrous Priests that had been buried in y t place when he began to breake theyr Tombes he found by chaunce the Sepulcher of the sayd man of God with the superscription vpon it By which superscription and relation of the Cittizens of Bethel when he perceiued that it was the Tombe of him that had foretold hys byrth his name his doings so many hundred yeeres before he was borne he let the same stand vntouched as the fourth booke of Kings doth declare Nowe consider whether among any Nation in the worlde but onely among the Iewes there were euer any such prophecie so certaine so particuler so long fore-told before the tyme and so exactly fulfilled But yet the holy scriptures
the multitude of Propheciâ—s which are dysâ—ersed thorowe out the whole Scripture I might shew how Daniell fore-tolde to Baltasar King of Babylon in the midst of hys tryumph as in the hearing of all hys Peeres the destruction which insued vpon him the verie same night after I myght heere alledge how the same Daniel in the first yere of Darius the Median in the beginning of that second Monarchie of Medians and Persians fore-told howe manie Kings should raigne after him in Persia and how the last who was the fourth after him and hys name also Darius should fight against the Grecians be ouercome by a Grecian King which was Alexander and how the Kingdome also of the Grecians should be deuided and torne in peeces after Alexanders death and not passe to his posteritie as Iustine other Heathen writers doe testifie that it was by Antigonus Perdiccas Sâ—leuchus Antiochus Ptolomaeus and other Captaines of Alexander that deuided the same among themselues aboue a hundred yeeres after Darius was dead I might declare also how the same Daniell fore-saw and fore-told the four great Monarchies of the world and described the same as distinctly as if he had lyued in them all and as by experience we finde since to be true I myght alledge the particuler description of the fight betwixt Darius and Alexander sette downe by Daniel vnder the names of the great Ramme the fierce Gote with one horne which Goate himselfe interpreteth it to be meant of a Grecian King that should conquer the Persians And therfore Alexander as Iosephus reporteth comming to Ierusalem about a hundred yeeres after and hearing the Prophecie of Daniell interpreted vnto him by Iaddus the high Priest assured himselfe that he was the man therein signified so after long sacrifice doone to the God of Israel of whom he affirmed that he had appeared vnto him in Macedon and had exhorted him to take thys war in hand and after he had bestowed much honor many benefits vpon the high Priest Inhabitants of Ierusalem he went forward in his war against Darius with great alacritie had y t 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 Samuel Dauid Ezechiel the twelue lesser Prophets and of other which I haue not named And in very truth the whole Scripture is nothing els but a diuine kind of body replenished throughout with the vital spirite of prophecie euery day some prophecie or other is fulfilled though we marke it not and shal be vnto the worlds end And the myracle of this matter is yet more increased if wee consider what manner of people they were for the most part by whom these Prophecies of hydden thinges werâ— vttered to wit not such men is could gather the fore-sight of things by Astronomie or Astrologie that is by contemplation of the starres as some fond Gentiles did pretende though Ptolomie denie that anie such thing can be fore-told but onelie by inspiration from God neyther yet were they so sharpe witted as to attaine to Prophecie by strange imaginations as most vainly Auerroes and his fellowes hold that some men may nor finally were they so delicatly fedde as by â—xact dyet and rules of Alchimie to come to Prophecieâ— as Alchimists dreame that a man may doe that Appolonius Thyanaeus dyd who by stillified meates as they speake came to be stillified himselfe and so by helpe of hys Glasse called Alchimusi to soretel some matters affaires to come Our Prophets I say knew none of these fantasticall deuises beeing for the most part poore simple and vnlearned men as in particuler was recorded that Dauid was a sheepeheard 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 wife of Lapidoth Hanna the Mother of Samuell Elizabeth the Mother of Iohn Baptist Anna the Daughter of Panuell and finally the most holy and blessed virgine Mary with the daughters of Phillip and manie such other both in the old and new TestameÌ„t who prophecied strangely nor could possibly receiue such fore-knowledge of things to come but onely from the Spirite of the lyuing GOD and by inspiration of the holy Ghost which is a manifest demonstration of the excellencie of Holy-writ and of the certainty contained therein The eyght proofe of Scriptures AND nowe albeit this myght seeme sufficient in the iudgment and conscience of euery reasonable man as the Iew supposeth to proue that the Scriptures be only â—roÌ„ God consequently by them that there is a GOD yet hath he one reason more to confirme theyr sinceriâ—ie which I will alledge in this place there-with make an ende His reason is that although these holy writings which proceede of Gods spirite doe not take theyr testimony or confirmation froÌ„ man yet â—or more euidence of the truth God hath so prouided that al the principall most strange and wonderfull things recounted in scripâ—ure should be reported also and confirmed by Infidels Pagans Gentiles and Heathen Writers themselues albeit in some poynts they dyffer from the Scriptures in the manner of theyr narrâ—tion for that they adioyne superstitions thereunto Which maketh the more for approbation of the things for that heereby it appeareth they tooke not theyr stories direcâ—ly â—rom the Bible but by tradition and most auncient antiquities of theyr owne The Creation of the world FIrst theÌ„ he sheweth that the creation of the World which is the meruaile of all meruailes with the infusion of mans soule from God is â—oth graunted and agreed vpon by all those Heathen Phylosophers that haue beene 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 som Creator of these things The floode of Noe. NExt to thys the flood of Noe is mencioned by diuers most auncient Heathen Wriâ—ers as by Baerosus Chaldaeus Ieronimus Egyptius Nicholaus Damascenus Abydenus and others according as both Iosephus and Eusebius doe proue And in Bresile and other Countries dyscouered in our age where neuer teachâ—rs were known to be beâ—ore they talke of a certaine drowâ—ing of the World which in tyme past happened and doe say that this was left vnto them 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 onely the former Authors but also Manethus that gathered the Historie of the Egiptians Molus Hestiaeus y t wrote the Acts of the Phaenicians Hesiodus Hecataeus Abderida Helanicus Acusilaus and Ephotus do testifie that those first inhabitants of the world
the Iewes no man can deny but that throughout the whole bodie and course of Scriptures that 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 cal Christ that is to say a person annointed sent from God to be a Sauiour a Redeemer a Pacifier of Gods wrath a Mediator between God and man a Satisfier for the sinnes and offences of the whole worlde a Restorer of our innocencie lost in Paradise a Maister an Instructer a Law-giuer a Spirituall and eternall King that should sitte and rule and raigne in our harts to conquer the power and tyranny of satan y e enemy of mankinde who ouer-came our first Parents Adam and Eue and neuer ceaseth to assaile vs. The first couenaunt to Adam THIS is euident by the first couenant of all that euer GOD dyd make wyth 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 sayd Progenitor he receiued hys iudgement but yet with a most benigne promise of redemption for the tyme to come for thus God said to y e deuill or Serpent that had deceiued hym The seede of the Woman shall crushe thy head and thou shalt lie in waite to hurt his heele That is one shall proceede in tyme of the seede of the Woman who shall conquer Death and Sinne that are thy weapons and shall not care for thy temptations but shall treade them vnder hiâ— feete and thys shall be Christ the Messias of the world Thus did not onely the eldest Iewes Rabbines vnderstand thys place what-soeuer the latter haue dreamed that their Messias should be onely a temporall King but also the olde Chaldie Paraphrase named Thargum Hierosolimitanum expouÌ„deth it plainly in these words applyed vnto the deuil that had dâ—ceiued Adam They haue a certain and present remedy against thee O deuill for that the time shall come when they shal tread thee downe with theyr heeles by the helpe of Messias which shall be theyr King To Abraham and Isaacke THE same thing is confirmed by the very same promise seauen times repeated and established vnto Abraham that liued very neere two thousand yeeres after Adam and again to Isaack his 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 y t neuer saw theyr 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 been a teÌ„poral worldly Monarch to destroy subdue them to the seruitude of Iurie as fondly the latter teachers of that Nation do contend Iacobs prophecie of Christ. THIS yet maketh the Patriarch Iacob more plaine who prophecying at his death of the coÌ„ming oâ— Christ hath these words The scepter or gouernment shall not be taken from the house of Iuda vntill â—ecome that is to be sent and he shall bâ— the expectation of Nations Which latter words the fore-named Chaldie Paraphrase as also great Onkeâ—los both of singuler authoritie aâ—mong the Iewes do interpret thus Donec Christus â—eu Messias veniaâ— c. Vntil Christ or y e Messias comâ— which is the hope and expectatioâ— of all Nations as wel Gentiles as 〈◊〉 vs that are Iewes the gouernment shall not cease in the house or Tribe of Iuda By which sentence of scripture and interpretation of the Iewes themselues we come to learne besides the promise of the Messias two consequences in this matter against y e Iewes of latter tymes First that if their Messias must be y e hope and expectation as well of the Gentiles as of the Iewes then can hee not be a temporall King to destroy the Gentiles as y e latter Iewes wold haue it but a spyrituall King to raigne ouer them and to bring in subiection theyr spyrituall enemies for theÌ„ I mean the flesh the world and the deuil as all true Christians doe beleeue Secondly if the temporal kingdome of the house of Iuda whereof Christ must come shall cease and be destroyed at the comming of Messias as the Scripture auoucheth how then can the Iewes expect yet a temporal King for their Messias as most fondly they doe But to leaue this controuersie with the latter Rabbines and to goe forwarde in declaration of that which we tooke in hand that is to shewe how Christ was fore-tolde and promised to the Iewes It is to be noted that after the death of Iacob last mentioned there is little recorded in scripture of the doings of his people during the space of foure hundred yeres being y e time of their bondage in Egipt but yet y e tradition of that NatioÌ„ teacheth that as soone as they were deliuered out of Egypt 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 other places made diuers songs Psalmes in the praise expectation of the Messias to come and that the holy men of that time did solace themselues with singing the same that king Dauid afterward in the second part of his Psalmes beginning from the fortie and one vnto the eyghty and seauen gathered the most parte of these old songs together as yet they are to be seene in his Psalter Moises Prophecie of Christ. BVT Moises who liued with the people and gouerned theÌ„ in the wildernesse had a cleere reuelation from GOD of thys Messias in these words I will raise vp a Prophet to this people from amongst theyr bretheren euen as my selfe and I will put my words in his mouth he shall speake vnto them all things which I shall ordaine vnto him and he that shal refuse to heare the wordes which he shal speake vnto them in my name I will be reuenged vppon that man Which words that they cannot be vnderstoode of any other Prophet that euer lyued after Moises among the Iewes but onely of CHRIST it appeareth most manifestly and plainly by the testimony of the holie Ghost where he sayth And there arose not any other Prophet in Israell like vnto Moises c Dauids Prophecie of Christ. AFter Moises about four hundred yeeres ensued Dauid who for that he was a holy man the first King of the house of Iuda out of whose linage y e Messias was to com the particulers of thys misterie were more aboundantly and manifestlie reuealed vnto him then vnto any other And first for assuraunce that Christ should be borne of his stock and lynage these are the wordes of GOD vnto hym I
and learned of that Countrey and especially dislyked by them that were in gouernmâ—nt as a dangerous and troublesome man to the state One that had neyther freendes in the worlde to beare hym out nor a house to put hys head in And yet notwithstanding all thys that worldly men and women and some such also as were great sinners loose lyuers before should leaue all their worldly hope stay and condition to follow such a man with so great inconueniences losses dangersâ— disfauours as they did and should continue with him in all his afflictions and be content to die loose their lyues rather then forsake him or abandon his seruice thys I say is such a miracle as neuer in the world fel out the like must needes be graunted by the enemie to be supernaturall The miraculous facts of Iesus THE second poynt is of externall things and facts done by Iesus aboue all power of humane abilitie in the sight and knowledge of all the Iewes which facts were published by our Euangelists and especially by S. Matthew in the Hebrue tongue while yet the persons were aliue vpon whoÌ„ they were wrought or infinite other that might be witnesses thereof As for example the raysing of Lazarus in Bethania that was a Village but a myle or two distant from Ierusalem at vvhose death and buriall beeing a Gentleman many Scribes and Pharisies must needes be present according to the Iewish custome at that tyme as is reported by Iosephus and they saw him both deceasâ—ed interred the funerall feast obserued for hym as also raised againe from death by Iesus after four dayes of his buriall With whom they did both eate and drink and conuerse after his returne to lyfe and euery day might behold him walking vp and downe openlie in the streetes of Ierusalem Thys storie I say how could it be feigned So in like manner the raysing of the Archisinagogues Daughter whose name is affirmed to be Iaiâ—us with dyuers other circumstances that doe make the thing most notorious The raysing of the widdowes sonne before the gate of the Cittie Naim in the presence of all the people that bare the sayde corpes and stoode about it The healing of the Cripple in Ierusalem that had lyen thirty and eyght yeeres lame at the Pooles side or Bath called Probatiâ—a which miracle was done also in â—he sight of infinite people The caâ—ting out of a Legion of deuils from â— man that for many yeres together was known to lyue possessed in the Mountaines which deuils by peculiar lycence obtained of Iesus to enter into a heard of swyne so presently carried two thousand of them away into the sea drowned theÌ„ Whereupon the whole Country about of the people called Gerasines beeing striken with extreame feare vpon sight of the fact besought Iesus most humbly to depart â—rom their borders The feeding filling of fiue thousand men besides women and chyldren wyth fiue Barley loues and two fishes only The turning of water into wine at a marriage at Cana in the presence of all the Guestes The healing of him by a word only that had an incurable dropsie and thys at the Table of a principall Pharisie and in the sight of all that sate at dynner with hym Thys I say diuers other such myracles which were doone in the presence and sight of so infinite a number of people and recorded by our Euangelists at such times when many desired to discredite the sameâ— and might haue done easily by many witnesses and authorities if any one part thereof had beene subiecâ— to calumniation cannot in reason or probability be doubted of And thereâ—ore I must conclude that seeing these things are aboue al power of humane nature and coulde not be done but by the finger and vertue of the liuing God himselfe considering also that it is impossible that God should assist or gyue testimonie vnto any falsehoode it must needes ensue that all was true and sincere which Iesus affirmed and consequently seeing he affirmed himselâ—e to be the sonne of God and the true and onely Messias it must needes folow by these miracles that he 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 lyfe doctrine conuersation miracles The fourth Consideration THere remaineth now onely the fourth and last consideration of thys Section which is the passion resurrection and ascention of Iesus And about hys passion there is little or no controuersie for that all hys enemies doe agree and graunt that he was betrayed by hys owne Disciple apprehended afflicted and deliuerâ—d vp by the Iewes and finallie put to death vppon a Crosse by the Gentiles The testimony of Iosephus may serue for all herein whose wordes are these That the principall Iewes of his Countrey 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 we should attribute diuinitie vnto a man that had suffered death vpon the Crosse. But if we shew that this was the eternall preordination and appointment of GOD for sauing of mankinde and that the same was foretold both to Iew and Gentile from the beginning and so vnderstoode also by the Iewish Doctors themselues of elder times then euery reasonable man I trow will remaine satisfied and preferre Gods diuine wisedome before mans follie Christes ascending to Ierusalem to receiue his passion FIrst then consider that when Christ had ended his preaching and wrought so many miracles as seemed sufficient to hys eternal wisdome and when the time was come preordained for his passion wherof he told publiquely his Disciples before hee went vp to Ierusalem of purpose to receiue hys death and made a solemne entry into that Cittie vpon an Asse which was prophecied of him many yeeres before Reioyce daughter of Sion Behold thy IVST KING and SAVIOVR shall come vnto thee vpon an Asse And after hys abode some dayes in that place hee was betrayed and sold by his owne Disciple as Dauid before hande in many places had fore-told shold come to passe Then folowed his apprehension most seruile abusage by the Iewes wherof it was fore-prophecied in his person by Esay I gaue my body to theÌ„ that beate it and my cheekes to them that buffeted the same I did not turne my selfe away from them that reproched me nor yet from them that dyd spet in my face The barbarus abusage of Iesus foretolde by prophecie AFter thys barbarous intreatie by the Iewes they deliuered hym ouer to Pilate a Gentile neuer ceased to solicite and pursue theyr vnquenchable hatred against him vntill they saw him on y e Crosse where also he was vsed in the highest
degree of spightfull dealing Whereof likewise the Prophet Dauid made mention long before in the person of the Messias when he sayd They pearsed my hands and feete they deuided among them my apparrell and vpon my vpper garment they did cast loâ—s And againe of another cruelty hee complaineth saying They gaue mee gaule to eate and in my thirst they refreshed me with Vineger Christes death plainly fore-tolde AND finally that Christ should die for the sinnes of mankind iâ— a common principle both prefigured and fore-told throughout all the old Scripture Prefigured by the Sacrifice of Isaack by the raysing vp of the brasen Serpent and by all other sacrifices that were in the Law Fore-tolde not onely by the Scriptures before alledged but also most plainly by Daniell who was told by an Angell that aâ—ter a certaine tyme by him there appointed Vngetur Sanctus SanctoruÌ„ the Saint of Saints shal be annointed et occidetur Christus and thys annointed Saint or Christ shal be put to death Zacharie also about the same tyme dooth not onely fore-tell his death but also the kind thereof and from what people he should receiue the same for thus hee saith in the person of Christ himselfe The inhabitants of Ierusalem at that day shal looke vpon me whom they haue crucified The wonderful predictions of Christes passion set down by Esay BVT if yee will reade the whole story of Christes passion sette down at large sixe hundred yeres before it fell out I refer you to a narration of Esay who to signifie the strangenesse of the case beginneth with the Praeface Who wil giue credite to that we shal report c. And theÌ„ a little after he goeth on in these words He shall mount vp as a twig froÌ„ a dry earth He hath no forme or beautie vpon him We beheld him there was no countâ—naunce in him we saw him the most contemptible despised man in the world A man full of paines and experienced in infirmitie His countenaunce was obscure dispicable and we made no account of him Truly he tooke vpon himselfe our greefes and did beare our paines We accounted him as a Leaper and as a man striken and punished by GOD. But he 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 lyke sheep euery man after his own waies and God hath layd vpon him the iniquity of vs al. He was offered vp for vâ—â— because he wold so he shal be led to hiâ— slaughter as a sheepe as a Lamb he shal be silent before his shearers For the sinnes of my people haue striken him saith God He hath doone no iniquitie neyther was there deceit found in his mouth Yet would the lord crush him in infirmitie But if he shall giue his lyfe for sin then shal he see a long seede or generation the wil of the Lord shal 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 SERVANT in his knowledge shall iuâ—tifie many and beare theyr iniquities And I will allot vnto him very many people and hee shall deuide the spoiles of the stoute for that he hath deliuered his soule vnto death and was accounted among the wicked prayed â—or his trespassours The particulers of Christes passion fore-told by Sibylla THus particulerly as we see was the death Passion of our Sauiour Christ fore-told by the Prophets of Israel to that Nation Now heare ye the Prophecie of Sibylla if ye please wherein she fore-shewed the same to the Gentiles These are her owne words set downe by Lactantius He shall appeare miserable ignominius and deformed to the ende he may giue hope vnto the miserable Afterwarde hee shall come into the handes of most wicked and faithlesse men they shal buffet him with their sacriligious fistes and shall spet vppon him with their vncleane mouthes He shall yeelde his innocent backe to the whyp and shal say nothing while hee receiueth the stripes to the end he may speake to those that are dead He shall beare a crowne of thornes and they shal giue him Gaule to eate Vineger to drinke And this shall be the hospitalitie he shall find among them What thing can be more plainly described then thys The consent of Rabbines NEyther doe the auncient Rabbines and Teachers among the Iewes discent from this For that in theyr Thalmud that was gathered aboue one thousand and two hundred yeres agone the plaine sentences of diuers are sette downe that theyr Messias at hys comming shall be put to death And as for Rabbi Ionathan the Author of the Chaldie Paraphrase who died a little before our Sauiour Christ was borne he applyeth the whole narration of the Prophet Esay before recited as needes he must to the murther of the Messias by the Iewes Whereuppon Rabbi Simeon that lyued the next age after hym wryteth these words folowing Woe be to the men of Israell for that they shall sley the Messias God shal send his son in mans flesh to wash them and they shal murder him Whereto agreeth Rabbi Hadarâ—an and others and doe prooue further out of the fore-alledged Prophecie of Daniell Chapter 9 verse 27. that after the Messias shall haue preached halfe seauen yeres he shall be slaine For that Daniel sayth In halfe of seauen yeres the Hoste and Sacrifice shall cease Vppon which wordes they comment thus Three yeeres and a halfe shall the presence of God in flesh cry and preach vpon the Mount Oliueâ— and then shall hee be slaine Which words the Iewes ordinary Commentarie vppon the Psalmes doe interprete to be meant of Christes preaching three yeres an halfe before his passion Which disagreeth very little or nothing froÌ„ the account of vs Christians and of our Euangelists Of the miracles that fell out in Christes death and passion THus see we by all that hetherto hath beene sayde that the verie particulers of Christes whole death and pâ—ssion were fore-tolde most plainly both to Iew Gentile and acknowledged also by the auncient Doctors of the Iewish Nation before the effectuation therof came to passe And Sibylla addeâ—h further two particulâ—r miracles that should 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 midday there should be darknes for three houres ouer all the worlde Which thing to haue beene fulfilled at the death of Iesus not onely S. Matthew doth assure vs in hys Gospell but also Eusebius affirmeth that hee had read the same word for worde recorded in dyuers 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 Olimpiad
which agreeth iust with the eyghteene yeere of Tyberius hys raigne which was the yeere wherein our Sauior 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 prooueth moreouer by the situation consâ—itution of the Sunne and Moone at that time that no Eclipse could then be naturallie Which thing in lyke manner Dyonisius Areopagita did obserue in the very day of Christes passion beeing at that time but twenty fiue yeres olde and yet well studied in Astronomie as himselfe testifieth And finally Lucianus a learned Priest of Antioche was accustomed to prouoke the Gentiles to theyr owne Commentaries stories for recorde and testimonie of those things Of Iesus Resurrection THere ensueth now fâ—r ending confirmation of all that hath beene sayd and prooued before to adde a word or two of Iesus Resurrection Which poynt as of all other it is of most importaunce so was it exactly fore-told both to Iew and Gentile and promised by Christ himselfe in all his speeches while he was vppon earth And among the Iewes it was assured by all the Prophecies before recited which do promise so great aboundance of glorie ioy tryumph to Christes Church after his Passion Which neuer possibly could be fulfilled vnlesse hee had risen from death againe And therefore the sayd Resurrection 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 would not suffer his holy one to see corruption And after him againe more plainly by the Prophet Oâ—e He shall quicken vs againe after two dayes in the thyrd day he shall rayse vs wee shal liue in his sight And to the Gentiles Sibylla left written not far froÌ„ the same time He shall ende the necessity of death by three dayes sleepe and then returning froÌ„ death to lyght againe he shall be the first that shall shew the beginning of Resurrection to his chosen for that by conquering death he shall bring vs lyfe Thus much was promised by prophets before christes appearance And Iesus to comfort his disciples followers reiterated hys promise againe of himselfe in many speeches albeit many times 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 his Sarasins after eyght hundred yeeres to reuisite them again albeit the performance were neuer meant yet might the falshood lurk in the length of tyme. But Iesus assuring all men that hee would rise again within three daies it cannot be imagined but that he sincerely purposed to fulfil hys promise for that otherwise the fraude must haue beene discouered Nowe then let vs consider what manner of performance Iesus made heereof The appearings which Iesus made after his Resurrection AND first the persons most interessed in the matter as they whose totall hope stay refuge and felicitie depended heereof I meane hys appalled dysmaied and afflicted Disciples do recount twelue sundry apparisions which Iesus made vnto them in flesh after his Resurrection The first was to Mary Magdalen apart when she with Solome and other women went and remained with oyntments about the Sepulcher The second was to all the women together as they returned home-wards who also were permitted to embrace his feete The thyrde was to Simon Peter alone The fourth to the two Disciples in theyr iourney to Emaus The fift was to all the Apostles and other Disciples together when the dores were shut The sixt was to the same companie againe after eight dayes when Thomas was with them at what tyme also he did both eate drinke and suffered his body also to be handled among them The seauenth was to S. Peter and Saint Iohn with fyue other disciples when they were a 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 theÌ„ 5. hundred bretheren at one time as Saint Paule testifieth The tenth was to S. Iames as the same Apostle recordeth The eleuenth was to al his Apostles disciples friends together vpon the Mount Oliuet by Ierusalem when in their presence he ascended vp to heauen The twelfth and last was after his ascention vnto S. Paule as himselfe beareth witnesse All these apparitions are recorded in Scripture as made by Iesus after hys Resurrection to such as by hys eternall wisedome were preordained to be witnesses of so glorious a spectacle To whom as S. Luke affirmeth He shewed himselfe aliue by many arguments for the space of fortie dayes 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 conuersed with him eate with hym dranke with him touched him and heard him speake whose entire estate and welfare depended wholy of the certainty heerof I see no reason For what comfort had it beene or consolation to these men to haue deuised of themselues these former apparitions What encouragement might they haue taken in those doleful tymes of desolation and affliction to haue had among them the dead bodie of him on whose onely lyfe theyr vniuersall hope and confidence depended The Scribes and Pharisies being astonished with the suddaine newes of hys rysing againe confirmed vnto them by their own Souldiours that saw it founde no other way to resist the fame thereof but onely by saying as all their posteritie doe vnto this day that hys Disciples came by night and stole away his body while the souldiours were a sleepe But what likeli-hoode or possibilitie can there be in thys for first it is eâ—ident to all the worlde that his Apostles themselues who were the heads 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 onely those seely women who for theyr sexe esteemed themselues more free from violence presumed alone to visite the Sepulcher which no one man durst doe for feare of the Souldiours vntill by those women they were enformed that the fore-sayd band of Souldiours were terrified put to flight by Christes Resurrection And then how was it likely that men so much amazed ouercome with feare shold aduenture to steale away a dead body from a Guard of Souldiours that kept it or if theyr hearts had serued them to aduenture so great a daunger what hope or probabilitie had there beene of successe especially considering the said body lay in a newe Sepulcher of stone shut vp locked and fast sealed by the Magistrate Howe was it possible I say that hys Disciples should come thether breake vp the Monument take ouâ— his body and carry the same away neuer after to be
seene or founde without espial of some one amongst so many that attended there Or if thys were possible as in reason it is not yet what profite what pleasure what comfort coulde they receyue heerby We see that the Apostles Disciples of his who were so abandoned of life hart in his passion after two dayes onely they were so changed as life and death can be no more contrary For whereas before they kept home in all feare and durst appeare no where except among theyr own priuate freendes nowe they came forth into the streetes and common places and auouched with al alacritie and irresistable constancie euen in the faces heaâ—ing of their greatest enemies that Iesus was risen froÌ„ death to lyfe that they had seene him and enioyed his presence And that for testimonie and confirmation heereof they were most readie to spend their liues And could all thys trow you proceed onely of a dead body which they had gotten by stealth into theyr possession wold not rather the presence and sight of such a body so torne mangled and deformed as Iesus body was both vpon the Crosâ—e and before haue rather dysmayed them more then haue gyuen him any comfort Yes truelyâ— And therefore Pilate the Gouernour considering these circumstaunces and that it was vnlikelie that eyther the body shold be stolne away without priuity of the Souldiours or if it had been that it should yeeld such life hart consolâ—tion and courage to the steâ—lers beganne to giue eare more diligently to y e matter and calling vnto him the Souldiers that kept y e watch vnderstood by them the whole truth of the accident to wit that in their sight presence Iesus was risen out of hys Sepulcher to lyfe and that at hys rysing there was so dreadful an earthquake with trembling and opening of Sepulchers rounde about such skryches cryes and commotion of all Elements as they durst not abide longer but ranne and tolde the Iewish Magistrates thereof who being greaâ—ly discontented as it seemed with the aduertisement gaue them money to say that whyle they were sleeping the body was stolne away from them by hys Disciplesâ— All thys wrote Pilate presently to hys Lord Tyberius who was then Emperour of Rome And he sent withall the particuler examinations confessions of diuers others that had seene and spoken wyth such as were rysen from death at that tyme and had appeared to many of their acquaintance in Ierusalem assuring them also of the Resurrection of Iesus Which information when Tyberius the Emperor had considered he was greatly moued therwith and proposed to the Senate that Iesus myght be admitted among the rest of the Romaine Gods offering hys owne consent with the priuiledge of hys supreame royall suffrage â—o that deâ—ree But y e Senate in no wiâ—e would agree thereunto Wherupon Tyberius beeing offended gaue lycence to all men to beleeue in â—esus that would and forbid vpon paine of death that any Officer or oâ—her should molest or trouble such as bare good affection zealeâ— or reuerence to that name Thus much testifieth Tertullian against the Gentiles of hys owne knowledge who lyuing in Rome a learned man and pleader of causes dyuers yeeres before he was a Christian which was about one hundred and foure-score yeeres after our Sauiour Chrâ—st hys ascention had great ability by reason of the honour of his familie learning and place wherein hee lyued to see and know the Recordes of the Romains And the same doth affirme also Egisippus another auncient Wâ—yter of no lesse authoritie then Tertullian before whom he liued Neither onely diuers Gentiles had thys opinion of Iesus Resurrection againe from death but also sundry Iewes of great credite and wisedom at that tyme were enforced to belieue it notwithstanding it pleased not God to gyue them so much grace as to become Christians Thys appeareth plainelie by the learned Iosephus who wryting his storie not aboue fortie yeeres after Christes passion tooke occasion to speake of Iesus and of his Disciples And after he had shewed howe hee was crucified by Pilate at y e instance of the Iewes and that for all thys his Disciples ceased not to loue him stiâ—l he adioyneth forâ—h-with these words Idâ—irco illis tertio die vita resumpta denuo apparuit That is for thys loue of hys Disciples he appeared vnto them againe the third day wheÌ„ he had resumed life vnto him Which expresse plaineâ— resolute words we may in reason take noâ— as the confession onely of Iosephus but as the common iudgement opinion and sentence of all the dyscreete and sober men of that tyme layde downe and recorded by thys Historiographer In whose dayes there were yet many Christians aliue that had seene spoken with Iesus after his Resurrection infinite Iewes that had heard the same protested by theyr Fathers bretheren kins-folkes and freendes who had beene themselues eye witnesses thereof Of Iesus ascention AND thus hauing declared and proued the Resurrection of our Sauiour Iesus both how it was foreshewed as also fulfilled there remaineth nothing more of necessitie to be sayd in thys Section For that whosoeuer seeth acknowledgeth that Iesus beeing dead could rayse himselfe againe to lyfe wil easily beleeue also that he was able likewise to ascend vp to heauen Whereof notwithstanding S. Luke alledgeth one hundred and twenty witnesses at the least in whose presence he ascended from the top of the Mount Oliuet after forty dayes space which hee had spent with them from the tyme of hys resurrection Hee alledgeth also the appearing of two Angels among al the people for testimonie thereof He nameth the day and place when and where it happened He recounteth the very words that Iesus spake at his ascention He telleth the manner howe hee ascended and how a Clowde came downe and receiued hym into it out of theyr sight He declareth what the multitude dyd whether they went and in what place they remained after theyr departure thence And finally he setteth downe so many particulers as it had been the easiest matter in the world for hys enemies to haue refuted his narration if all had not beene true Neyther was there anie to receiue more domage by the falsehoode thereof then himselfe and those of his profession if the matter had beene feigned Wherefore to conclude at length thys treatise of the byrth lyfe doctrine actions death resurrection and ascention of Iesus seeing nothing hath happened in the same which was not fore-tolde by y e Prophets of GOD nor any thing foreshewed by the same Prophets concerning the Messias which was not fulfilled most exactly within the compasse and course of Iesus abode vpon earth we may most certainly assure our selues that as GOD can neyther fore-tell an vntruth nor yeeld testimony to the same so can it not be but that these things which wee haue shewed to haue beene so manifestly fore-prophecied and so euidently accoÌ„plished must needes assure vs
most esteemed they had not their equals among their posteritie Secondly in hys Treatise of Phylosophy he passeth it for a grounde that spirits not depending of materiall bodies cannot die or wexe old and therefore of necessitie he 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 ende appeared the sonne of God that hee might dissolue or ouerthrowe the workes of the deuill Neyther dyd Iesus thys alone in hys own persâ—n but gaue also power and authority to his Disciples followers to doe the lyke according to their commission in S. Mathewes Gospell Super omnia Daemonia et spiritus immundos c. You shall haue authoritie ouer al deuils vncleane spyrits Which commission how they afterward put it in execution the whole worlde yeeldeth sufficent testimonie And for examples sake onely I wil alledge in this place an offer or challenge made for the tryall or proofe thereof by Tertullian to the Heathen Magistrates and persecutors of hys time his wordes are theseâ— Let there be brought heere in presence before your trybunall seates som person who is certainly known to bâ— possessed with a wicked spirit and let that spirit â—e commaâ—nâ—ed by a Christian to sâ—eak and he shall as truly conâ—esse himselfe to be a deâ—ilâ— as 〈◊〉 other tymes to you he will falselâ— say he is a God Agaâ—ne at 〈…〉 let there be broâ—ght foorth one of these your Priestes or Prophets that will seeme to be possessed with a diuine spirit I mean 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 being afraid indeede to lye vnto a Christian doe you shedde the bloode of the Christians in that very place c. None will lye to theyr owne shame but rather for honour or aduantage yet those spyrits will not say to vs that Christ was a Magitian as you doe nor that he was of the common coÌ„dition of men They wil not say he was stolne out of the Sepulcher but they will confesse that hee was the vertue wisedome word of God that he is in heauen that he shall come againe to be our Iudge c. Neither will these deuils in our presence deny theÌ„selues to be vncleane spyrits and damned for theyr wickednes 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 Seruants Hetherto are the words of Tertullian contayning as I haue sayde a most confident challenge and that vpon the lyues blood of al Christians to make tryall of theyr power in controling those spirits which the Romaines other Gentiles adored as theyr Gods Which offer seeing it was made and exhibited to the persecuters themselues then lyuing in Rome wel may we be assured that the enemy would neuer haue omitted so notorious an aduantage if by former experience he had not beene perswaded that the ioyning heerein would haue turned and redounded to hys owne confusion And this puissant authority of Iesus imparted to Christians extended it selfe so farre forth that not onely theyr words and commandements but euen their very presence did shut the mouthes and driue into feare the myserable Spyrites So Lactantius sheweth that in hys dayes among many other examples of thys thing a seely Seruing-man that was a christian following hys Maister into a certaine Temple of Idols the Gods cryed out that nothing coulde 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 aunswer That the iust men were the cause that he could say nothing Which iust men Apollos Priestes interpreted to be meant ironically of Christians and therevppon Dyoclesian began hys most fearce and cruell persecution in Eusebius dayes Sozomenus also wryteth that Iulian an Apostata endeuouring with many sacrifices coÌ„iurations to draw an aunswer from Apollo Daphnaeus in a famous place called Daphne in the suburbes of Antioch vnderstood at last by the Oracle that the bones of S. Babylas the Martyr that lay neere to the place were the impediment why that God coulde not speake And thereupon Iulian caused the same body presently to be remooued And finally heereof it proceeded that in all sacrifices coniurations other mysteries of the Gentiles there was brought in that phrase recorded by scoffing Lucian Exeant Christiani let Christians depart for that while they were present nothing could be well accomplished To conclude the Pagan Porphyrie that of all other most earnestlie endeuoured to impugne disgrace vs Christians and to holde vp the honour of hys enfeebled Idoles yet discoursing of the great plague that raigned most furiously in the Cittie of Messina in Cicilie wher he dwelt yeeldeth this reason why Aesculapius the God of Phisicke much adored in y t place was not able to helpe them It is no meruaile sayth he if this Citty so many yeeres bee 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 begun to worship this Iesus wee could neuer obtaine any profit by our Gods Thus much confessed this Patrone of Paganisme concerning the maine that hys Gods had receiued by Iesus hoâ—our Which albeit he spake with a mâ—liâ—ious minde to bring Christians in hatred and persecution thereby yet is the confession notable and confirmeth that story which Plutarch in his fore-named booke doth report that in the latter yeres of the raigne of the Emperour Tyberius a strange voyce and exceeding horrible clamor with hidious cryes skryches and howlings were hearde by many in the Graeâ—ian sea complaining that the great GOD Pan was nowe departed And thys Plutarch that was a Gentile affirmeth to haue beene alledged and approued before the Emperour Tyberius who meruailed greatly thereat and could not by all his Diuines and Soothsayers whom he called to that consultation gather out any reasonable meaning of this wonderful accideÌ„t But we Christians comparing the time wherin it happened vnto the time of Iesus death and passion and finding the same fully to agree may more then probably perswade our selues that by the death of theyr great God Pan which signifieth al was imported y e vtter ouerthrow of al wicked spirits Idols vpon earth The sixt Consideration AND thus hath the Deitie of Iesus beene declared and approoued by hys omnipotent power in subduing infernall enemies Nowe resteth it for vs to make manifest the same by hys lyke power and diuine iustice shewed vpon diuers of his enemies heere on earth whose greatest punishment albeit for the most part he reserueth for y e life to come
yet sometimes for manifestation of hys omnipotencie as especially it was behoueâ—ul in those first daies of hys appearaunce in the worlde hee chasteneth them also euen heere on earth in the eye and sight of al men So wee reade of the most infamous and myserable death of Herode the first surnamed Ascolonita who after hys persecution of Christ in hys infancie the slaughter of the infants in Bethleem for hys sake was wearied out by a lothsome lyfe in feare and horrour of hys owne wife and children whom after he had most cruelly murthered was enforced also by desperation through hys vnspeakeable griefes vexations and torments to offer his owne hande to hys owne destruction if he had not been staied by his friends that stood about hym After hym Archelaus his eldest Sonne that was a terrour to Iesus at hys returne from Egypt fell also by Gods iustice into meruailous calamities For first beeing left a King by hys Father Augustus would not allow or ratifie that succession but of a King made him a Tetrarch assigning vnto hym onely the fourth part of that dominion which his father had before And then againe after nine yeeres space tooke that away in lyke manner with the greatest dishonour he could deuise seazing vpon all hys treasure and riches by the way of confiscation and condemning hys person to perpetuall banishment wherein hee died most myserably in Vienna in Fraunce Not long after thys the seconde sonne of Herod the first named Herod Antipas Tetrarch of Galilie who put S. Iohn Baptist to death scorned Iesus before his passion whereat both himselfe and Herodias hys Concubine was present was deposed also by Caius the Emperor beeing accused by Agrippa his neerest kinseman and most contumeliously sent in exile first to Lyons in Fraunce and after that to the most deserte and inhabitable places in Spayne where hee with Herodias wandred vp and down in extreame calamity so long as they lyued and finally ended theyr daies abandoned of all men In which misery also it is recorded that the dauncing daughter of Herodias who had in her iolity demaunded Iohn Baptists head beeing on a certaine time enforced to passe ouer a frosen Riuer suddainly the Ise brake and she in her fall had her heade cutte off by the same Ise without hurting the rest of her body to the great admiration of all the lookers on The lyke euent had another of Herods family named Herod Agrippa the accuser of the fore-named Herode the Tetrarch who in hys great glory tryumph hauing put to death S. Iames the brother of S. Iohn Euangelist and 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 body putrified and was eaten with 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 story which was about threescore and ten yeeres after the death of Herod the first the whole progenie and of-spring kindred familie of the said Herod which he saith was exceeding great by reason hee had many wiues together with many chyldren brothers and sisters besides Nephewes kins-folke wâ—re all extinguished in most miserable sort and gaue a testimony sayth Iosephus to the worlde of the most vaine confidence that men doe put in humaine felicitie And as the punishments lighted openly vpon Iesus professed enemies in Iurie so escaped not all the Romaines their chastisement I meane such as especially had their hands in persecution of him or of his followers after hymâ— For first of Pontius Pilate that gaâ—e sentence of death against him we read that after great disgrace recâ—iâ—ed in â—urie hee was sent home into Italie anâ— there by maniâ—est dysfauours shewed vnto hym by the Emâ—erour hys Maister fell intâ— sâ—ch desâ—eraâ—ionâ— as he slew himselfâ— with hiâ—â—wne hâ—nds Aâ—â— secondly oâ— the very Emperouâ—s themselâ—es wâ—o liued â—rom Tyâ—â—â—iâ—s vâ—der whom â—esus sufferedâ— vnto Constantine the great vnder whom Christian Religion tooke dominion ouer the worlde which contayned the space of three hundred yeres very few or none escaped the manifest scourges of Gods dreadfull iustice shewed vpon theÌ„ at the knitting vp of their daies For examples sake Tyberius that permitted Christians to lyue freely and made a Lawe against theyr molestation as before hath beene shewed dyed peaceably in hys bed But Caligula that followed him for his contempt shewed against all diuine power in making hymselfe a God was soone after murthered by the consent of his deerest freendes Nero also who first of all other began persecution against the christians within fewe Monethes after he had put S. Peter and S. Paule to death in Rome hauing murthered in lyke manner hys owne Mother Brother Wyfe and Maister was vpon the suddaine from hys glorious estate and Maiestie throwne down into such horrible distresse confusion in the sight of all men as beeing condemned by the Senate to haue â—ys head thrust into a Pyllary and there most ignominiously to be whypped to death was constrayned for auoyding the execution of that terrible sentence to massacre hymselfe with hys own handes by the assistance of such as were deerest vnto hym The lyke may be shewed in the tragicall endes of Galba Otho Vitellius Domitian Commodus Pertinax Iulian Marcinus Antoninus Alexander Decius Gallus Volutianus Aemilianus Valerianus Galienus Caius Carinus Maximianus Maxentius Lucinius and others Whose miserable deathes a noble man Counseller wel neere one thousand yeeres past dyd gather against Zosimus a Heathen Wryter to shew thereby the powerful hand of Iesus vppon his enemies adding furthermore that since the tyme of Constantine whiles Emperors haue been christians few or no such examples can be shewed except it be vpon Iulian the Apostata Valens the Arian heretique or some other of lyke detestable notorious wickednes And thus much of particuler men chastised by Iesus But if we desire to haue a ful example of hys iustice vppon a whole Nation together let vs coÌ„sider what befell Ierusalem and the people of Iurie for theyr barbarous crueltie practised vpon hym in hys death passion And truly if we belieue Iosephus and Phylo the Iewish Historiographers who lyued either with Christ or immediatly after him it can hardly be expressed by y e tongue or penne of man what insufferable calamities and miseries were inflicted to that people presently vppon the ascention of IESVS by Pylate theyr Gouernour vnder Tyberius the Emperour and then againe by Petronius vnder Caligula and after that by Cumanus vnder Claudius and lastly by Festus and Albinus vnder Nero. Through whose cruelties that Nation was enforced finally to rebell and take Armes against the Romaine Empyre which was the cause of theyr vtter ruine and extirpation by Tytus and Vespasian
1. proofe The generall state of the worlde at Christes natiuitie page 449 2. proofe The peace of all the worlde at his comming page 250 3. proofe The Scepter of Iuda and most horrible murders coÌ„mitted by Herod 251 253 The prophecie of Iacob touching the Scepter of Iuda 254 That the Scepter neuer failed in Iuda vntill Herods tyme. eodem 4. proofe The destruction of the second Temple page 256 The building of the seconde Temple lesse gorgious then the first 257. Fiue speciall prerogatiues of the fyrst Temple page 259 The seconde Templâ— to be destroyed presently after Christes passion 261 5. proofe The seauentie-two Hebdomades prophecied by Daniell 261 Why the Angell named seauenty HebdoÌ„mades in thys place 263 The exact number of weekes from the building of the seconde temple to the death of Christ sixtie-two 264 6. proofe The traditions and obseruations of the old Iewes themselues 266 Christ hideth himselfe in the sea 268 7. proofe That out of Iurie shoulde rise a generall Lord of the vniuersall world 269 8â— proofe The generall expectation of the people page 270 The seconde consideration concerning the byrth of Christ c. 274 Iesus lyne and stocke directly of the Trybe of Iuda and lineally by hys Mother of the peculier house of Dauid page eodem The manner of hys conception and the message made by the Angell c. page 275 Iesus natiuitie and in what manner page 276 The place appointed for the birth of the Messias page 278 The singing of the Angels and of the Name of Iesus page 280 The comming of the three Magi or wise men of the East 282 Prophecies of thinges that shoulde fall out in Bethleem 284 Heathen testimonies for the starre which guyded the Wisemen page 285 The presentation of Iesus in Ierusalem 287 Christes flight into Egipt for feare of Herode page 288 The benefite that Egypt receiued by Christes flyght into it 289 The thyrd consideration shewing the life conuersation doctrine and myracles of Iesus page 290 Saint Iohn Baptist the Messenger of the Testament 291 The order of Iesus preaching and doctrine 293 The comparison of Christes Lawe with that of Moses page 294 The meaning and effect of Christes doctrine page 295 The lyfe and conuersation of Iesus testified by hys greatest aduersaries 296 Of Iesus myracles and of the predictions of the Messias hys myracles 298 The confession of Iesus myracles by hys verie enemies page 300 The calling of hys Apostles and other followers page 301 Externall myracles doone by Iesus aboue all power of humaine capacitie 302 The fourth consideration deliuering the passion resurrection and ascention of Iesus page 305. Christes ascending to Ierusalem to receiue hys passion page 307 His barbarous abusage foretold by prophecie as also his death most plainely 308 The wonderfull predictions of hys passion set downe by the Prophet Esay 309 The particulers of hys passion fore-tolde by Sibylla page 311 Of the myracles that fell out in hys death and passion page 314 Hys resurrection exactly fore-tolde both to Iew Gentile page 315. The appearings which Iesus made after his Resurrection page 317 Circumstances confirming the true Resurrection of Iesus page 320 The great change in his Disciples by hys Resurrection page 322 The examination of the matter by Pilate 322 Pylats Letters to Tyberius and hys proceeding thereupon page 323 The opinion of the wiser sorte of Iewes touching Iesus resurrection at that tyme 325 Likeli-hoodes of truth concerning Iesus ascention page 326 The third Section Howe Iesus prooued hys Deitie after his departure to heauen page 328 The first consideration declaring the sustentation protection increase continuation of Christes little Church and kingdome c. 330 The state of Christes first Church c 331 The comming of the holy Ghost and what comforts he brought with him c. 332 The wonderfull quicke increase of Christ hys Church 334 The increase of Christians against nature 335 The second consideration concerning the Apostles of Christâ— 337 The myracles reported of the Apostles coulde not be fained c. 339 340 The successe of the Apostles 342 The assurance and ioyâ—ull ending of the Apostles 344 The thyrd consideration treating of the Euangelists page 346 The different qualities and circumstaunces of the foure Euangelists 347 Circumstances of trueth in the Euangelists page 348 The publishing of the Gospels and the manner of stile vsed by the Euangelists 349 350 A speciall poynt to be obserued in the Euangelists page 351 No doubt but we haue the true writing of the Euangelists 353 The fourth consideration of Martyrs that by theyr bloode shoulde confirme â—hys doctrine 354 Three poynts to be considered in our Martyrs and the singuler alacrity of Christians in theyr sufferings page 355 Iesus assistance to his Martyrs 357 The fift consideration concerning the subiection of the infernall spirits 358 Of the myraculous ceasing of Oracles at Christes appearing 359 The wonderfâ—ll authoritie of Christians ouer Spyrits page 364 The sixt consideration of the punishment of Christes enemies here on earth page 367 Herod Ascolonita Archelaus Herod Antipas Herodias daughter Herod Agrippa and the stocke of Herode soone extinguished page 368 369 370. The punishment of the Romans 371 The chastisement of Ierusalem and of the Iewish people page 373 With what circumstaunces Christes death was punished vpon the Iewes page 375 A meruailous promise of God for deliuering the Christians that were in Ierusalem 377 The Iewish misery after the destruction of Ierusalem page 378 The finall desolâ—tion of the Iewish Nation page 379 The seauenth consideration the fulfilling of such speeches and prophecies as Iesus vttered on earth 380 The circumstaunces of the tyme when Iesus spake hys wordes and when they were written page 382 The testimonie of a Heathen for the fulfilling of Christes prophecies page 383 Other prophecies of Iesus fulfilled to his Disciples page 384 Prophecies fulfilled in the sight of Gentiles page 385 The fourth Section The summe of the three former Sections wyth eyght demonstratiue reasons for better satisfaction page 387 388 389 c The conclusion of the Chapter with an admonishment page 395 An illation vpon the premisses with an exhortation page 397 The fift Chapter How a man may iudge or discerne of himselfe whether hee be a true Christian or not with a declaration of the two parts belonging to that profession which are beleefe and lyfe The matters handled in this Chapter The first part concerning our beleefe howe to examine the trueth thereof page 402 The matters of fayth and beleefe easie among Christians page 403 The direct holy way of Christians vnder the Gospell page 404 No heresie finally preuailed against the Scriptures page 410 The spirituall sworde where-with our Sauior Christ preuailed against sathan the head Lorde and â—hiefe maister of all heretiques 414 What the diligent reading of the Scriptures leadeth vs vnto forsaking the by pathes of mens inuentions and traditions page 414 A discription of the forme force and nature of fayth 415.
the second time by Tytus son to Vespasian the Romaine Emperour about fortie sixe yeres after our Sauiour Christ his ascention At what time it had lasted from Zorobabel almost sixe hundred yeeres and from Salomon aboue a thousand And in the time of the seconde building the people of Israell were poore and much afflicted in respect of their late banishment though much assisted to this worke by the liberalitie and munificencie of Darius King of Babilon so was the building and workmanship of thys second Temple nothing comparable for excellencie to the first which was builded by Salomon when the Iewes were in the flower of their glorie and riches This testifieth Aggaeus the Prophet vvho was one of the builders and he testifieth the same to Zorobabel and to the rest of those that were with him by Gods owne appointment in these words The woord of God was made to Aggaeus 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 saw this Temple in his first glorie before our transmigration and what say you to this which now 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 y e former Temple which Salomon builded Thus saith Aggaeus by Gods commission of the materiall building of the seconde Temple And yet to comfort the Iewes with all he was commaunded presently in the same Chapter to say thus Comfort thy selfe Zorobabell and comfort thy selfe Iesu thou sonne of Iosedec high Priest and comfort your selues all yee people of the earth saith the Lord God of Hostes do yee the thinges which I couenanted with you when yee came foorth of the Land of Egipt and feare not for that my Spirit shall bee among you Thus saith the Lord God of Hostes a little time yet remaineth when I will mooue both heauen and earth both Sea and Land with all Countries in the world And then shall come the DESIRED OF AL NATIONS And I will fill his house or Temple with glorieâ— saith the Lord GOD of Hostes. Siluer is mine and Gold is myne sayth the Lord GOD of Hostes great shall bee the glorie of this last house or Temple more then of the first saith the Lord GOD of Hostes. Hetherto are the words of God by Aggaeus and the often repetition oâ— the Lord GOD of Hostes is to signifie the certaintie and great weight of the matter promised Now consider then that wheras God had said immediatly before that thys seconde Temple was nothing in respect of y e first for pompe and riches of the material building which the old men in the booke of Esdras doe testifie by their weepingâ— when they saw this second and remembred the first yet now GOD sayth that Gold 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 pouerty of the second building yet shall it be filled and replenished with glorie and that in such sorte as it shall far passe in glory the former and that shall be as both heere is expressed and other where most plainly by the comming of our Sauiour Christ into the second Temple which shall be a greater dignitie then any dignitie what soeuer was found in the first building of Salomons Temple Concerning which poynt it is to be considered y t the learned Iewes besides the materiall dyfference of building before mentioned doe note fiue things of great importance to haue been wanting in the second Temple which were in the first To wit The fire sent from Heauen to burne the Holocaustes The glorie of GOD or Angels appearing among the Images of Cherubines that stood in the Temple The manifest inspiration of Gods Spirit vppon Prophets for that Prophecie fayled in the second Temple The presence of the Arke and last of all Vrim and Thumim All which great wants and differences notwithstanding God sayth as you see that the glory of this second Temple shall be much greater then the first by the comming of Christ into the same Which thing Malachie that lyued at the same tyme when the seconde Temple was in building confirmeth more expresly in these words Behold I send my Angel he shall prepare the way before my face And straight after shall come to this Temple the Lord or Ruler whom ye seeke the MESSENGER OF THE TESTAMENT whom you desire Behold he commeth sayth the Lord of hostes and who can imagine the day of hys comming or who can stande or abide to see him for he shall be as a purging fire c. By all which is made euident thaâ— Christ must come appeare in the second Temple before it be destroyed as Iesus did and therefore hee cannot be now to come seeing the sayde Temple was destroyed aboue one thousande and fiue hundred yeeres past by the Romaines as hath beene sayd Which destruction and finall desolation was prophecied by Daniell to ensue soone after the byrth and passion of Christ in these words After sixtie and two hebdomades Christ shall be slaine and a people with their Captaine to come shall destroy the Cittie and the Sanctuary and the ende thereof shall be vastitie or spoyle And after the warre ended there shall ensue the appointed desolation Which prophecy to haue fallen out litterally about 40. yeres after Iesus was put to death wheÌ„ Ierusalem was destroied the Temple ouerthrowne by Titus the story of Iosephus y t learned Iew who was Captaine against Tytus in that war doth maniâ—estly and at large declare And for that we haue made mention heere of Daniels prophecy concerning the particuler time of Christes comming and of his death which confirmeth the purpose we treate of so perspicuously as nothing can be said more euident it shal not be amisse to examine the same before we passe any further For better conceiuing whereof it is to bee vnderstoode that thys Greeke word Hebdomada signifying seuen doth som-time import a weeke or seauen dayes according to our common vse and then it is called in scripture Hebdomada dieruÌ„ a weeke of daies as in Daniell the tenth chapter and the second verse where the Prophet saith of himselfe that he did mourne three weekes of dayes But at other times 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 yeeres that is seauen times seauen which make fortie and nine yeeres Now then it is certaine that Daniell in the Prophecie before alledged where hee assigneth sixty-two weekes to y e time of Christes death could not meane weekes of daies
foâ— that hee appoynteth onely seauen weekes to the rebuilding of the Citâ—tie of Ierusalem of the Temple anâ— of the wals about which were not ended but in forty and nine yeeres after as mâ—y be gathered by the Bookes of Esdrâ—s which forty nine weekes do make iust seauen weekes of yeeres And therâ—ore it is certaine that such Hebdomades of yeeres are meant heere by Daniell in all the prophecie First then wheÌ„ the Angel came to comfort him and to open vnto him secrets for the time to come he sayd these words Marke my speech and vnderstand the vision The seauentie Hebdomades or weekes are shortened or hastened vpon thy people vppon thy holy Citty to the end all preuarication and sinne may take an end and iniquity be blotted out euerlasting iustice be brought in place therof to the end that visions prophecies may be fulfilled and the HOLY OF HOLIES may be annointed In which words it seemeth that the Angel did allude by naming sâ—auentie vnto the seauentie yeeres of captiuitie prophecied by Ieremie after which ended the people should be deliuered â—rom their temporall bondage in Babylon And therfore Daniell nowe being in that place and perceiuing the same tyme to be expired prayed to God with great instance to fulfill his promise made by Ieremie Whereto the Angell aunswered that it should be done And as after the expiration of 70. yeeres God was now to deliuer them from the bodily captiuity of Babilon so was hee also aâ—ter seauentie Hebdomades more to deliuer them from bondage of sinne preâ—arication and that by the annointed MESSIAS which is indeed the Holy of all Holâ—es This I say may be the reason of naming seauentie Hebdomades thereby to allude to the number of the seâ—uentie yeeres of that Babilonicall seruitude For that immediâ—tly aâ—ter the Angell appoynteth the whole exact nuÌ„ber to be three-score and nyne Hebdomades that is seauen to the building of the Citâ—y and Temple and sixtie-two from that to y â— death of Christ in these words Know â—hou and marke that from the end oâ— this speech to the time that IerusaleÌ„ shal be builded and vnto Christ the Captaine there shal be Hebdomades seauen and Hebdomades sixtie-two and the streetes wals of Ierusalem shal be builded again though with much difficultie of the times after sixtie and two Hebdomadâ—s Christ shall be slaine And the people that shall denie him shall not be hisâ— c. And then vnto consumation and end shall perseuer desolâ—tion Now then if we put these yeeâ—es together which are here mencioned by Daniâ—ll that is fiâ—st the seauen Hebdomades whiâ—h make fortie and nine yeeres and then the threescore and two from the restauration of Ierusalem which make foure hundred thirty and foure more we shall finde the whole number to be foure hundred and eyghtie-three yeeres Which being begunne from the first yeere of Cyrus as some wil for y t he first determined the Iewes reduction or from the second yere of Darius as others will for that hee confirmed and put the same in execution or from the twenty yeâ—e of the said Darius for that then hee made a new Edict in the fauour of Nehemias and sent him into Iurie euery way they wil end in the raigne of Herod and Augustus vnder whoÌ„ Christ was borne or in the râ—igne of Tyberius Caesar vnder whom he suffered And by no interpretation in the world can it be auoided but that this time appointed by Daniel is now out aboue one thousand and fiue hundred yeeres past whyle yet the Temple stoode and was not put to desolation And therefore of necessity Christ must be come about that time and neuer more heerafter to be looked for The traditions and obseruations of the olde Iewes themselues doe meruailously confirme thys beleefe of ours for that they all dyd run to thys one poynt that about the tyme of Augustus his raigne wherein Iesus was borne the Messias shoulde appeare It is often repeated in the Thalmud that one Elyas left thys tradition that the world should endure sixe thousande yeeres that is two thousand before the Lawe of Moses two thousand vnder the same Lawe and two thousand after that vnder the Messias Which last two thousande yeeres by all computation could not begin much from the byrth of Iesus And the Rabbines a great while agone complained in theyr Thalmud that there seemed to them in those dayes seauen hundred and fourteene yeeres past since Christ by the Scriptures shold haue appeared and therefore they doe meruaile why God so long deferreth the same An other obseruation they haue vpon the words of Esay Paruulus natus est nobis a little chyld is borne vnto vs. In which wordes for that they finde the Hebrue Letter Mem to be shut in the midst of a worde which is strange in that tongue for that Mem is wont to be open in the midst of words and shut onely in the end they gather many secretes And among other that seeing Mem signifieth sixe hundred yeres so long it should be after Esay vntil the time of Christ. Which account of theirs falleth out so iust that if you reckon the yeeres from Achaz King of Iuda in whose tyme Esay spake these wordes vntil the time of King Herod vnder whom Christ was borne you shall perceiue the nuÌ„ber to fayle in little or nothing A much lyke obseruation hath Rabbi Moses the son of Maimon whom the Iewes doe holde in extreame great reuerence calling hym the Doctor of iustice in his Epistle to hys Countrimen of Affrica concerning the time of Christes appearaunce which hee thinketh to be past according to the Scriptures aboue a thousand yeeres in his daies he lyued about the yeere of Christ one thousand one hundred fortie but that God deferreth his manifestation for theyr sinnes To which purpose also appertaineth the Narration of one Elias as Rabbi Iosue reporteth it in y e Thalmud y t the Messias was to be borne indeede according to the Scripture before the destruction of the second Temple for that Esay saith of the Sinagogue Before she was with child shee brought foorth and before the griefe of trauaile came she was deliuered of a man child That is sayth hee before the Sinagogue was afflicted and put to desolation by the Romaines she brought foorth the Messias But yet sayth he this Messias for our sinnes dooth hyde himselfe for a time in the Sea and other desert places vntill we be worthy of his comming To the lyke effect is the obseruation of the Thalmud it selfe and of diuers Rabbines therin concerning the wicked manners of men that should be at Christes appearance vppon earth of whoÌ„ they doe pronounce these wordes The wise men in Israell shall be extinguished the learning of our Scribes and Pharisies shall be putrified the schooles of Diuinitie shal be stewes