to build the house of the Lord in Ierusalem in the second moneth and the second day in the fourth yeere of his reigne 2. Para. 3. verse 1. and 2. The fift age The fift age from the building of the temple to the captiuitie of the Iewes in Babylon containeth 432. yeres whereof this is the demonstration King Salomon raigned after that hee beganne to builde the temple 37. yeeres 1. King 11. verse 42.2 Para. 9. verse 30. but hereof we must abate one moneth and one day because hee beganne to build the temple in the second day of the second moneth of the fourth yeere as is already prooued Roboam or Rehoboam reigned 17. yeres 2. Par. 12. v. 13. Abias raigned 3. yeeres 1. King 15. verse 2. Asa raigned 41. yeeres 1. King 15. verse 9 and 10. this Asa was a vertuous and zealous prince he sought the Lord with a perfect heart he deposed Maachah his mother from her regencie because she had made an idoll in a groue hee brake downe the idoll and stamped it and burned it at the brooke Kidron He gathered all Iudah and Beniamin and the strangers and made them sweare vnto true religion vnder the paine of death 2. Par. 15. per totum Iehosaphat or Iosaphat raigned 25. yeres 2. Par. 20. ve 31 Iehoram raigned 8. yeres 2. Par. 21. v. 5. 2. Kin. 8. ve 26 Ochozias or Ahaziah raigned 1. yeere 2. Kin. 8. verse 26. Athaliah the mother of Ochozias raigned 7. yeeres 2. King 11. verse 1. and 21. for king Ioas or Iehoash was 7. yeres old when he beganne to raigne This Athaliah destroyed the kings blood and was sister to wicked Achab. Ioas or Iehoash raigned 40. yeeres 2. King 12. verse 1. Amaziah raigned 29. yeeres 2. King 14. verse 2 Azariah or Ozias raigned 52. yeeres 2. King 15. verse 2. Ioatham or Iotham raigned 16. yeeres 2. King 15. ver 33 Achas or Ahaz raigned 16. yeeres 2. King 16. verse 2. Ezechias reigned 29. yeeres 2. King 18. verse 2. Manasses reigned 55. yeeres 2. King 21. verse 1. Amon raigned two yeeres 2. King 21. verse 19. Iosias reigned 31. yeeres 2. King 22. verse 1. Ioachaz or Iehoahaz reigned three months 2. Ki. 23. v. 31. Ioachim or Iehoiachim or Eliachim reigned 11. yeeres 2. King 23. verse 36. This Eliachim was a very wicked man he was made king by Pharao Nechoh who turned his name to Eliachim 2. Ki. 23. verse 34. and 37. in the dayes of this Ioachim beganne the first captiuitie of the three whereof see more at large in the seuenth chapter next following Iehoiachim or Iechonias or Coniah the sonne of Iehoiachim raigned three moneths and tenne dayes 2. Par. 36. verse 9. 2. King 24. verse 8. Ierem. 37. verse 1. In the time of this Iechonias beganne the second captiuitie which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath simply the name of captiuitie and therefore do I followe the same in this my supputation of the first age See the second booke and first chapter in the fourth section Sedechias or Zedechias reigned 11. yeeres 2. King 24. ve 18. he rebelled against the king of Babel ibid. ver 20. wherfore after the siege of two yeeres Nebuchad-nezar carried him captiue to Babel in the eleuenth yeare of his reigne his owne eies were put out his sonnes were first slaine in his sight and then hee was bound in chaines and so led away to captiuity 2. King 25. ve 1 2 7. he was vncle to Iechonias and his name was Mattanias but the king of Babel changed it to Sedechias 2. Kin. 25. verse 17. The first addition We must first adde to this supputation for the complement of the first age eleuen yeeres of the inter-reigne which are found wanting betweene the death of Amaziah and the reigne of Azariah for so long was the kingdome of Iuda voide as holy Writ heareth record I proue it thus Amaziah reigned 29. yeares 2. King 14. verse 2. and he beganne his reigne in the second yeare of Ioash king of Israel and liued 15. yeares after him 2. King 14. verse 1. and 17. Ieroboam the sonne of Ioash was made king ouer Israel in the fifteenth yere of Amaziah and he reigned 41. yeres 2. Kin. 14. verse 23. Let vs adioyne hereunto that Azariah beganne his raigne in the seauen and twentieth yeare of Ieroboam 2. Ki. 15. verse 1. and then perforce shall we finde 11 yeres wanting from the death of Amaziah til the first yere of the raigne of Azariah These things I grant be very intricate yet if my wordes he well marked the Reader may conceiue the matter with al facilitie the cause of the inter-reigne was the traiterous conspiracie against Amaziah 2. King 14. verse 19. The second addition Although Iechonias in whome I beginne my supputation of the captiuitie be said in some place of the scripture to haue reigned but three moneths and ten dayes yet do I ascribe one whole yeare to his reigne my reason is this because he was not carried away to Babel vntill the whole yeere was expired 2. Par. 36. verse 10. these are the wordes and when the yeere was out king Nebuchad-nezzar sent and brought him to Babel with the pretious vessels of the house of the Lorde and hee made Zedechiah king ouer Iudah and Ierusalem The first obiection The scripture saith in one place that Iechonias reigned but three moneths 2. King 24. verse 8. in an other place that hee reigned three moneths and tenne dayes 2. Par. 36. verse 9. in another place that he was eighteene yeeres old when he began to reigne 2. King 24.8 in an other place that he beganne to raigne in the eight yeare of his age 2. Par. 36. ve 9. all which can neither agree with three moneths nor yet with one onelie yeare The answer I answere that hee beganne to reigne when hee was eight yeares old and reigned tenne yeares with his father and after the death of his father he raigned three moneths and ten daies which was in the nineteenth yeare of his age and so euery text of holy Writ is cleare This my answer is confirmed by the expresse wordes of holie scripture 2. King 25. verse 8. where it is saide that Nebuzaradan chiefe steward to the king of Babel came in the nineteenth yeare of the kings raigne to make hauocke of the citie and to carry Sedechias into captiuitie for Iechonias was carried away in the eight yeere of the king of Babel 2. King 24. verse 12. and Sedechias reigned eleuen yeeres 2. King 24.18 this case is so euident as euery childe may perceiue the same The replie The scripture telleth vs that the king of Babel caried Iehoiachim into captiuitie in the third yeere of his raigne and yet do you ascribe eleuen yeeres to his raigne The answer I answer that Iehoiakim was carried away in the eleuenth yere if we reckon from the time in which Pharao Necho made him king but in the third yeare if we reckon from that time in which
130. yeeres assigned to Thare before he begat Abraham which three score yeres the greater part euen of the best Chronographers haue hitherto omitted The answere I say first that we ought not to consider so much what others haue doone as what they should haue doone For as a prouerb saith aliquando bonus dormit Homerus to which this other is consonant Bernardus non vidit omnia I say secondly that as well the old Chronographers as other ancient Fathers haue shewed themselues to be men in many things I say thirdly that where I dissent from others I desire no more credit to be giuen to my words then manifest reason shall conuince I say fourthly that Thare was 130. yeres old when he begat Abraham and I prooue it because Abraham was but 75 yeeres olde at the death of his father Terah or Thare at which time he departed out of Haran Genes 12. verse 4. and yet was Thare 205. yeres old when he died in Haran Gene. 11. v. 32 so then if Thare had begotten Abraham when he was 70. yeres old as the obiection would haue it it would follow of necessitie that Abraham was at his fathers death 135. yeres old and not onely 75. yeres old which yet the text as I haue proued doth auouch See the 17. chapter following in the fourth difficultie of the fift Section The replie The text saith plainely Gen. 11. verse 26. that Terah was but 70. yeres old when he begat Abram Nahor and Haran The answer I answer with saint Austen that the scripture only auoucheth Thare to haue bin 70. yeeres olde before he begat his children Abram Nahor and Haran and that Abram was not first borne although he be first named For as saint Austen considered grauely he is the first named by reason of his excellencie and prerogatiue aboue the rest euen as Iacob was named before Esau and Iudah before his brethren though indeede hee were but the fourth in number This answer I make good by sundry reasons first because these are the wordes of the text Terah liued 70. yeres and begat Abram Nahor and Haran Now it is manifest that he begate them not all three in the 70. yeere of his age as saint Austen well obserued and consequently that he begate some of them in his riper yeres Abram therfore was not borne till Terah was 130. yeres olde For Terah was 205. yeeres old at his death in Charran Gen. 11. ve 32. at which time Abraham was 75. yeeres of age Genes 12. verse 4. which thing saint Steuen confirmeth in these wordes then came hee out of the land of the Chaldeans and dwelt in Charran and after that his father was dead God brought him from thence into this land wherein ye now dwell Lo by the testimonie of Moses in the booke of Genesis Abraham was but 75. yeeres old when he went out of Charran and by the report of saint Steuen in the acts of the apostles he came not out of Charran vntil his fathers death So then hee could not be more then 75. yeres old when his father was 205. yeres of age and consequently he was not the eldest sonne of Terah begotten in the 70. yeere of his age but his yonger sonne borne when hee was 130. yeres old and so we must haue 60. yeres more in this second age then the Chronographers commonly do allow But the truth must preuaile howsoeuer mans reason deeme A difficultie of the word Haran Since the name of Abrahams brother was Haran as wel as the place where he dwelt how shal we discerne the one from the other I answer to this that if wee will obserue the strict and precise maner of pronunciation we must call the brother Haran and the place Charran For in the originall the Hebrue tongue the brothers name is written with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the place of Abrahams abode with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so as Abrahams brothers name ought to be termed Haran and the place where Abraham dwelt Charran which varietie of writing some translations haue well obserued See the 17. chapter following in the third difficultie of the fift section The third age The third age from the birth of Abraham till the departure of the children of Israel out of Egypt containeth 505. yeeres whereof behold this plaine demonstration Abraham begate Isaac when he was an hundred yeeres old Genes 21. vers 5. Genes 17. vers 17. Isaac or Izhak begat Iacob when he was threescore yeeres of age Gene. 25. verse 20 and 26. Iacob went into Egypt when he was 130. yeres old Gen. 47. verse 9. The Iacobites or Israelites abode in Egypt 215. yeeres So write Eusebius Caesariensis and Marianus Scotus yea many later writers come short of that supputation by 5. yeeres The trueth of this important difficultie shall by the power of God be decided shortly The whole summe of yeeres is 505. 100 60 130 215 505 Make addition and this summe will appeare 505. An important obiection We reade in Genesis cha 15. ver 13. and in the Acts cha 7. ver 6 that the Israelites were in Egypt 400. yeres and Moses in Exod. cha 12. ver 40. auoucheth constantly that they were there 430. yeres so then to affirme their abode there to be no more but 215. yeres is farre different from the trueth The answere I say first that the varietie of supputation set downe in holy Writ may easily be accorded if we duely consider the varietie of time from which the same supputation is deriued For the 400. yeres must be reckoned from the birth of Isaac vntil the departure out of Egypt and the 430. yeeres from Abrahams going out of his countrie for the seede of Abraham was so long afflicted in a land not their owne I say secondly that it is not possible to proue out of the scriptures by particular and precise supputation that the Iacobites abode in Egypt either 400. yeeres as saint Steuen reporteth or 430. yeeres as saint Moses telleth vs and therefore we must reckon and begin the said supputations as is alredy said I proue this mine assertion in this maner Iacob was 130. yeeres old when he went into Egypt Ge. 47. verse 9. and he died at the age of 147. yeres so as he liued in Egypt no more but 17. yeres Gen. 47. verse 28. Iacobs third sonne Leui of his first wife Leah Gen. 29. ve 32. liued but 137. yeres Exodus 6. verse 16. Rohath or Caath the sonne of Leui liued but 133. yeeres Exodus 6. verse 18. Amram the son of Rohath liued but 137. yeres Exo. 6. v. 20 Moses the sonne of Amram was but 80. yeeres old when he brought the Israelites out of Egypt Exodus 7. verse 7. Now for perspicuous conceiuing of this so intricate a doubt I note first that Leui could not be aboue 95. yeres in Egypt I prooue it because Ioseph Iacobs yongest sonne was 40. yeeres olde before Iacob with Leui and the rest of his family came into
Egypt This age of Ioseph is thus made manifest he was 17. yeres of age when he was sold Gen. 37. verse 2. he was 30. yeeres olde when hee became gouernour of Egypt Genes 41. vers 40 41 46. to which adde the seuen yeeres of plentie and three yeeres of famine Genes 41.42 and 45. at which time Leui came into Egypt with his father and the number of 40. yeeres will be compleate I note secondly that if we graunt Leui to haue beene 100. yeeres olde before hee begate Caath and affirme the same of Caath and Amram which thing surpasseth the course of nature Ge. 17. v. 17. and therefore neede it not be granted we must for al that come short and neither find the abode of the Israelites in Egypt to be 430. neither yet 400. yeeres in all I note thirdly that if we grant Caath Amram and Moses to haue beene begotten in a competent age we shall easily finde the number of 215. yeres which Eusebius and Marianus Scotus haue put downe An other probation of this difficultie Iochebed was the owne daughter of Leui and the naturall mother of Moses for so we reade in the 26. chapter of the booke of Numbers and in the sixt chapter of the booke of Exodus and yet if we grant Leui to haue bin 120. yeres old when he begat Iochebed and Iochebed to haue bin 100. yeres old at the birth of Moses both which are impossible by the course of nature and if we adde thereunto eightie yeares the full age of Moses at the departure out of Egypt yet will all this be no more but bare 300. yeres so then we are short of the supputation mentioned in Genesis by one ful hundred yeres and of the reckoning specified in Exodus by an hundred and thirtie yeares Therefore the vndoubted meaning of those scriptures must needes be as I haue already shewed The corollarie First therefore since Moses brought the Israelites out of Egypt secondly since he was the sonne of Iochebed thirdly since Iochebed was the daughter of Leui fourthly since Leui was with Iacob at his going into Egypt we must perforce deduce the time of their abode from Leui Iochebed and Moses Let vs therefore assigne 85. yeeres to Leui when hee begate Iochebed 50. yeeres to Iochebed when she bare Moses and 80. yeres to Moses when he brought them out of Egypt which is as much as can be granted by the course of nature and wee shall find the iust number of 215. yeeres and so the supputation of this third age is consonant The obiection Eusebius and Marianus Scotus say plainely that the Israelites abode in Egypt no more but 144 yeeres The answer I grant that some otherwise very learned haue so written but I thinke their meaning is according to the wordes of the authors plainely vttered For albeit they both say that they abode but 144. yeres there yet do they affirme alitle after that that their whole abode was 215. yeeres So then when they terme their abode but 144. yeres they meane of their greuous seruitude after the death of Ioseph for Eusebius whom Scotus doth imitate hath these expresse words Postcuias interritum Hebraei Aegyptijs seruierunt annis 144. fiunt autem omnes anni quos Hebraei in Aegypto fecerunt 215. qui ab eodem tempore computantur quo Iacob cum filijs suis descendit in Aegyptum After the death of Ioseph the Hebrewes or Israelites were in bondage to the Egyptians 144. yeeres but all the yeeres that the Hebrewes were in Egypt make 215. which we must reckon from that time when Iacob with his children went into Egypt The fourth age The fourth age from the comming out of Egypt vntil king Salomon beganne to build the temple containeth 480. yeres hereof this is an euident demonstration Moses gouerned the Israelites in the wildernesse the space of 40. yeeres after they came out of Egypt Deute 1. verse 3. and Deut. 29. verse 5. Iosue and Othoniel iudged Israel 40. yeres Iud. 3. v. 11 for Iosue was ouer them 32. yeeres and Othoniel 8. some giue but 18. yeres to Ioshua and the rest to Othoniel but that skilleth not much because it is certaine that from the death of Moses till the death of Othoniel were 40. yeeres compleate which no writer doth or can deny for holy writ hath so reuealed Ehud or Shamgar the son of Anath iudged the Israelites fourescore yeres Iud. 3. verse 30 31. but of these 80. we must ascribe 18. to the inter-raigne in which time Israel was in bondage to Eglon king of Moab Iud. 3. verse 14. Deborah and Barak iudged Israel 40. yeres Iud. 5. v. 31 Gedeon iudged the Israelites 40. yeres Iud. 8. ve 28. but in this time the Midianites oppressed them 7. yeres Iud. 6. v. 1 for feare of which ennemies the Israelites made them dennes in the mountains and caues strong holds Iud. 6. ve 2. This Gedeon is termed also Ierubbal Iud. 7. vers 1. Iud. 8. ve 35 Abimelek iudged 3. yeeres Iud. 9. verse 22. Thola the sonne of Puah iudged 23. yeres Iud. 10. verse 2 Iair iudged 22. yeres Iud. 10. verse 3. from this time the Israelites were afflicted with the Ammonites and the Philistines for the space of 18. yeres together Iud. 10. verse 7 8. Iephtee iudged sixe yeeres Iud. 12. verse 7. Abesan or Ibzan iudged 7. yeeres Iud. 12. verse 8 9. Elon iudged Israel 10. yeeres Iud. 12. verse 11. Abdon iudged the Hebrewes 8. yeres iudg 12. vers 13 14 Samson iudged 20. yeres Iudg. 16. ver 31. his wife Delilah betrayed him and deliuered him into the hands of the Philistines who put out his eies bound him with fetters and made him to grinde in the prison house but in the end when they called him out to make them pastime and to be a laughing stocke to them he pulled downe the two pillers of the house and so with the fall of the house killed more Philistines at his death then he had slaine in all his life before Iudg. 16. ve 18 21 29 30 31. Eli the priest iudged Israel fortie yeares 1. Sam. 4. ve 18. Samuel and Saul reigned fortie yeeres Act. 13. verse 21. Dauid raigned ouer Israel fortie yeeres 1. King 2. ve 11. The whole summe of yeeres is 477. 40 40 80 40 40 3 23 22 18 6 7 10 8 20 40 40 40 477 Make addition and this will be the summe 477. To these we must adde three yeares of king Salomon because in the fourth yeere of his raigne hee beganne to build the temple and so the whole number will be 480. to which must be added one moneth and one day This summe is confirmed by the testimonie of holy Writ in thefe expresse termes in the 480. yeere after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt and in the fourth yeere of the raigne of Salomon ouer Israel he built the house of the Lord 1. King 6. ve 1. Againe it is thus written so Salomon began
the euerliuing God and not to blaspheme him as I did for which cause I made this miserable end being murthered by mine owne children Note heere that after Eusebius Senacherib was also called Salmanasar which I thinke consonant to the holy scriptures Assar-addon succeeded Senacherib his father but was not fortunate for the strength of the Assyrians began to decay euen while his father was yet liuing Besides this the mighty prince Merodach-baladan the Chaldee made wars both with him his father before him forthwith after the death of Senacherib hee wanne Babylon and enioyed it with other territories in Assyria vntill the death of Assar-addon from whose death hee possessed the whole Empire Hee raigned tenne yeares Merodach-baladan the first king of the Babylonians for the fame and memorie of the ancient kingdome of Assyria was called king of the Assyrians also as were likewise other kings that followed him He first transported the maiestie of the Assyrians to the Chaldees or Babylonians for the glorie of Niniue where the kings pallace was of olde was nowe translated to Babylon for which benefit Merodach after his death was honoured for a God of the Babylonians Ier. 50 ver 2. he raigned 40. yeares Ben-merodach the second king of the Babylonians was a milde and mightie Prince he raigned 21. yeares Nabuchodonosor the first or the old the third king of the BabyloniaÌ„s after Merodach was father to that Nabuchodonosor who subdued Hierusalem and erected the Babylonian monarchy he made two great battailes the one against Phaortes aliâs Arphaxad king of the Medes the other against Nechao the mightie king of the Egyptians Hee slew king Arphaxad in the mountaines of Ragau as the storie of Iudith maketh mention But Nechao ouercame him and enioyed all Syria he raigned 35. yeeres Nabuchodonosor the great sonne of Nabuchodonosor the first shortly after his fathers death wanne againe all Syria He was the mightiest king of all the kings of Babylon much spoken of in holy Writ Hee subdued the citie of Ierusalem and led away the inhabitants thereof captiues to Babylon This Nabuchodonosor as he was mightie in power so was he prowd in heart He made an image of golde and set it vp in the plaine of Dura in the prouince of Babylon Which done he commaunded all his princes nobles dukes iudges receiuers counsellers officers and all gouernors of his prouinces to come to the dedication of the image Hee appointed an herald to crie aloude that when they heard the sound of the cornet trumpet harpe sackebut psalterie dulcimer and other instruments of musicke then they should fall downe and worship the image And because the three holy Iewes Sidrach Misach and Abednego would not adore the image hee caused them to be cast into a very hote burning ouen from which fiery furnace God deliuered them myraculously In regarde whereof Nabuchodonosor magnified the liuing God made a decree that al people and nations which spake against the God of Sidrach Misach and Abednego shoulde bee drawen in peeces and their houses made a iakes Dan. 3.29 After this the king still swelled in pride so that he was cast out from his kingdome driuen from men ate grasse as oxen and his bodie was wet with the dew of heauen till his haires were growen as Eagles feathers and his nailes like birdes clawes Dan. 4. verse 30. After Nabuchodonosor magnus succeeded Euil-merodach after him Balthazar of which two see the first chapter in the fourth section CHAP. II. Of the destruction of Troy THe kingdome of Troy was of great antiquitie it began as sundrie Chronographers write a little before the death of Moses about the 32. yeare after the departure of Israel out of Egypt They write that Dardanus was the first king of the Troians and Priamus the last Alexander the sonne of Priamus surnamed Paris tooke away violently Helena wife to Menelaus king of the Lacedemonians which fact was the occasion of the most bitter and bloody battell of the Troyans This battel was fought of the most valiant people in Asia and Europe with mortall enmitie and inestimable losse on both sides with the bloud and destruction of many most flourishing regions Troy was taken burnt and vtterly destroyed 340. yeares before Rome was built in the age of the world 2935. From the captiuitie of Troy vntill the first Olimpias were complete 340. yeares albeit Liuiâ—s and some other haue their different supputations CHAP. III. Of the supputation of the Greeks THe olde Greekes did account as wee doe nowe by the yeres of our Lord the first Olimpias the second the third the fourth and so forth Some holde that Olimpias is the space of fiue yeeres but if thou wilt not be deceiued therin gentle reader reckon it but for the space of foure yeares The supputation of the Greeks by the Olimpiads is of all writers deemed true and therefore albeit before their Olympiads euerie one wrote as pleased himselfe yet after their Olympiads wee ought greatly to respect their account Africanus writeth that the first Olimpias was in the first yere of Ioatham king of Iuda and so it should be in the age of the world 3251. others dissent fro that computation affirme it to bee in the time of Ioas and then it chanced in the age of the world 3130. which supputation seemeth not so probable and therefore with Affricanus Eusebius and others I imitate the former but in reckoning the time of Iotham and Ioas I dissent from them both as is alreadie shewed CHAP. IIII. Of the citie of Rome ROme was builded in the end of the sixt Olympias in the age of the world 3218. after the destruction of Troy 340. before the incarnation of our sauior Iesus Christ about 729. yeares Romulus and Rhemus were brothers twinnes both of one age Contention and controuersie fell betweene them after whether of them the citie which they had newly built should be named The contention grew from words to tumults from tumults to strokes from strokes to bloudy battel insomuch as in the bickering Rhemus was slaine after his death Romulus enioyed the Empire alone of whome the City was called Rome Rome hath beene sundrie times sacked and ouerthrowne by the Gothes and Vandals first by Alaricus the Gothe in the yeare of our Lord God 412. This king besieged Rome and after burned it during which siege such famine was in the city that the mothers were constrained with hunger to eate their owne children It was besieged taken and sacked the second time by Gensericus the Vandal in the yeare of our Lord 456. It was besieged sacked and subuerted the third time by Totilas king of the Gothes in the yeare of our Lord 548. in the yeare after the citie was built 1300 in which siege as in the first the famine was exceeding great mothers were enforced contrarie to nature and kinde to kill and eate the flesh of their owne children Procopius Palmerius The same
difficultie In Ester the Prouinces are reckoned to be 127. but in Dan. cap. 6. verse 1. reckoning is made onely of sixe score seuen wanting of the number in Ester The answere I answere that the vsual maner and course of the holy scripture is this to recite the perfect number and to omit the odde and vnperfect Euen so Daniel expressing the perfect number was carelesse for the odde CHAP. IIII. Of the weekes mentioned in Daniel The first section The Monarchie of the Persians conteined the kingdomes of the Persians of the Medes of the Assyrians of the Chaldeans a great part of Asia and of other regions adiacent It began in the age of the world 3425. In the 20. yere of Darius Longhand aliâs Darius Artaxerxes beganne the seuentie weekes foreshewed by Daniel cap. 9. See the fourth section No place of holy scripture is more excellent more worthie or more necessarie to be vnderstood of euerie christian man then the 70. weekes reuealed by the angel to Daniel For no place in all the old testament doth more cleerely set Christ with al his glory and manifold giftes before our eies no place doth more firmely strengthen our faith no place doth more effectually conuince the Iewes no place doth more strongly confute all heresies all phantasticall opinions and all pestilent errors against our Sauiour Christ then this place of Daniel Worthily therfore ought we to employ our whole care studie and industrie for the exact vnderstanding of the same The second section All writers agree in these two points First that weeks in the ninth chapter of Daniel are not taken for common weekes but for weekes of yeares euen as we finde in Leuiticus cap. 25. verse 8. where it is thus written Thou shalt number seuen Sabbothes of yeeres vnto thee euen seuen times seuen yeare and the space of the seuen Sabbothes of yeares will be vnto thee nine and fortie yeares Secondly that the 70. weekes make seuentie times seuen according to the phrase of Leuiticus and so the iust number must be 49. yeares In this point the very Rabbins of the Iewes doe agree with our Christian interpreters and historiographers And necessitie without more adoe enforceth vs to admit this glosse and exposition of the weekes because otherwise the assertion of the angel of God notified to vs by the Prophet Daniel shoulde be absurd and vtterly swaruing from the trueth The third section Of the probation for the exposition of the seuentie weekes Dan. 9. verse 24. That 70. weekes doe neither signifie weekes as a weeke importeth seuen daies neither yet 70. weekes only as weekes be taken for yeares I prooue sundry waies First because an angel needed not to haue been sent from heauen to instruct Daniel if the 70. weekes had no mysticall nor secret meaning far aboue the common and literall signification of the wordes Secondly because the vision which Daniel had and which the angel came to expound conteined the duration of the second and third monarchies as appeareth in the eight of Daniel Which farre exceedeth both the number of 70. weekes and 70 yeares Thirdly because Gods mercie doth seuen fold exceed his iudgment which mercy he promiseth to his people who were 70. yeares in captiuitie and that it shalbe accomplished in the aduent of the true Messias Christ Iesus By whom and through whom wickednesse shall be finished sinnes sealed vp iniquitie reconciled and our righteousnesse purchased euerlastingly Fourthly because no other interpretation of the 70. weeks can possibly accord the wordes of Daniel Fiftly because albeit S. Hierome Clemens Alexandrinus Tertullianus Africanus and others doe muche dissent in determining the beginning of the 70. weekes that is in what yeare of what king we must beginne the supputation yet doe they all iumpe in the signification of the 70. weeks as who al do constantly write that they connotate 490. yeares Sixtly because the supputation of euerie writer bringeth vs to Christ which is the scope intended and plainly expressed in Daniel and consequently no other exposition can be true Obserue well the second section The fourth section Of the varietie in writers touching the time of the 70. weekes Some writers beginne the supputation of the 490. yeares in the second yere of the 80. Olympias which was in the 7. yeare of Darius Artaxerxes Longimanus Some beginne in the 32. yeare of Darius Histaspis Others begin in the first yeare of Cyrus Others sooner others later Some end their supputation in the birth of Christ some in his baptisme some in his preaching some in his death So that all agree in the substance of the thing though they dissent in the modification of the same Affricanus whose opinion I preferre beginneth the supputation in the twentieth yeare of Artaxerxes Longhand because then receiued Nehemias commandement to build vp the walles of the Citie of Hierusalem and to consummate the whole worke of the temple walles and cittie Nehe. 2.1.8 from which time if we reckon saieth he vntil Christ we shall find the 70. weekes But if we beginne out computation from anie other time neither the times wil be consonant and many absurdities wil insue thereupon And we must saith Affricanus reckon our yeares after the supputation of the Hebrewes who doe not reckon moneths after the course of the Sunne but of the Moone for from the 20. yere of the said Artaxerxes that is from the fourth yere of the 83. Olympias vnto the 202. Olympias and second yeere of the same Olympias and 18. yeare of Tyberius Cesar in which yeare Christ was crucified are gathered 475. yeares which doe make 490. yeares after the supputation of the Hebrewes and course of the Moone Whoso listeth may reade this matter handled at large in Saint Hierome in his excellent Commentaries vppon the ninth of Daniel where hee citeth the variaable opinions of Hippolitus Tertullianus Clemens Affricanus Eusebius and others and seeing the difficultie to bee great referreth the iudgement to the reader although hee seeme indeede to preferre the opinion of Affâ—icanus before the rest That this opinion of Affricanus is grounded in the true meaning of the prophecie of Daniel I will prooue by sundrie important reasons First because it agreeth verie fitlie with the supputation of the Persians and Romain monarchie Secondly because from the twentieth yere of Artaxerxes Longimanus vntill the passion of Christ be iust 490. yeares according to the course of the Moone or after the supputation of the Hebrewes Thirdly because no other opinion doth either iumpe with the death of Christ or with the computation of the monarchies Fourthly because the prophet speaketh expressely of the death and passion of Christ Iesus These are the words And after threescore and two weekes shall Messiah be slaine so then the true account of the weekes must so beginne as they may end iust with the death of Christ but so it is that no account saue onely this of Affricanus which I preferre doth or
first that howsoeuer sundry of you admire your Iesuites whom I willingly confesse to be learned wishing they would vse their learning to Gods glorie yet cannot wise men be carried away with ipse dixit as if they were become disciples of Pythagoras I say secoÌ„dly that S. Pauls own words confute your Iesuite sufficiently For first he saith that he deliuered euen that which he receiued Againe he reciteth the precept aswel after the cup as after the bread which must bee wel obserued For hereupon doth it follow that both kinds be of like force the one not more commanded then y e other Thirdly he applieth aswel the drinking of the cup as the eating of y e bread to al the faithful in generall Fourthly he applieth the examination to euery one of the faithful Fiftly he willeth the examination to be made aswel in drinking of the cup as in eating of the bread Sixtly he wrote spake aswel to the lay people as to the priests as the beginning of the epistle declareth And in this sense doth their owne Haymo so reputed expound S. Paul for these are his words Ego nâ— accepi à domino quod et tradidi vobis .i. mysterâ—uÌ„ corporis sanguinis Dom. quomodo debeatis sumere Sicut mihi reuelauit ita tradidi vobis For I haue receiued of the Lord that which I deliuered to you that is the mysterie of our Lords body and bloud in what manner ye ought to receiue it Euen as he reuealed it to me so haue I deliuered it to you The reply S. Marke maketh it plaine that it was onely spoken to the apostles Drinke ye all of it For he addeth And they all dranke of it For it is cleare that al they dranke thereof who were commaunded to drinke The answere I say first that it was spoken to al the faithfull aswell as to the apostles For Paul exhorted the whole church at Corinth to vse both the kinds saying that God had so appointed As if he had said not I but the Lord coÌ„mandeth you thus to do for he reuealed to me euen as I haue deliuered vnto you Therefore if ye do it not you transgresse his holy commaundement Yea S. Paul declared expressely in the very beginning of his epistle that commandement of receiuing the holy Eucharist in both kindes concerned all the faithfull in the world as well to come as theÌ„ liuing For these words Ye shal shew the Lords death till he come doe euidently prooue that the forme prescribed by the apostle must continue after the death of the Corinthians euen till the day of doome I say secondly that since Christ himselfe instituted both kinds since the apostle deliuered both kinds euen to the lay people since the church communicated to the faithful laycall people in both kinds euerie where for many hundred yeres together as the papists themselues cannot denie since they confesse that both kinds may lawfully be vsed since no scripture teacheth vs that one kind is sufficient since no father did euer exhort to vse one only kind since no councell till the late synode of Constance did euer commaund one only kind in fine since the church for more then a thousand yeeres together did euer vse both kinds how impudent howe vnchristian nay how tyrannicall and bloud-thirstie is the Pope of Rome and his Iesuits that incense and excite him thereunto who labor this day with fire and fagot to enforce the faithful to the contrary I say thirdly that this obiection maketh against the papists for in that they al dranke therof it cannot folow that none else may drinke thereof otherwise the practise of the church hitherto should haue beene wicked and the apostles themselues haue sinned grieuously but that all present ought to drinke thereof For which cause their owne canon-law commaundeth all to bee putte out of the church that will not communicate when the consecration is ended Yea their own Pope Iulius doth condemne their grosse illation as who vnderstoode Christes wordes of all the faithfull Thus doth he write Illud vero quod pro complemento communionis intinctam tradunt eucharistiam populis nec hoc prolatum ex euangelio testimonium receperunt vbi apostolis corpus suum commendauit sanguinem seorsum enim panis seorsum calicit coÌ„mendatio memoratur Nam intinctum panem alijs ChristuÌ„ praebuisse non legimus excepto illo discipulo tantuÌ„ queÌ„ intincta buccella magistri proditorem ostenderet But where they giue y e dipped eucharist to the people for the complement of the communion they found not this witnessed in the gospel where Christ coÌ„mended his bodie and blood to his disciples For the bread is commended apart and the cuppe also apart For we reade not that Christ gaue dipped bread to any others saue onelie to the disciple whom the dipped morsell declared to be the betrayer of his maister The replie The councill of Constance commaunded no new thing but onelie made a law for the continual performance of that which the church had practised long before The answer I say first that thogh it were so practised before in some places yet was that practise neither generall nor approued by anie setled lawe vntil the late councill of Constance I say secondly that the great pillar of the popish church Thomas Aquinas honestly confesseth so much in this behalf as is enough for the euerlasting confusion of all Romish hypocrites And because I couet to deale faithfully in this point as in al other I will alleage the expresse wordes of Aquinas as himselfe hath deliuered them thus doth he write Ex parte quidem ipsius sacramenti conuenit quòd vtrumque sumatur scilicet corpus sanguis quia in vtroque consistit perfectio sacramenti Et ideo quia ad sacerdotem pertinet hoc sacramentum consecrare perficere nullo modo debet corpus Christi sumere sine sanguine ex parte autem sumentium requiritur summa reuerentia cautela ne aliquid accidat quod vergat ad iniuriam tanti mysterij quod praecipuè posset accidere in sanguinis sumptione qui quidem si incautè sumeretur de facili posset effundi Et quia creuit multitudo populi christiani in quâ continentur senes iuuenes paruuli quorum quidâ—m non sunt tantae discretionis vt cautelam debitam circa vsum huius sacramenti adhibeant ideo prouidè in quibusdam ecclesiis obseruatur vt populo sanguis sumendus non detur sed solûm à sacerdote sumatur In the behalfe of the sacrament it is meete that both be receiued to wit both the bodie and the blood bicause in both consisteth the perfection of the sacrament and therefore because it belongeth to the priest to consecrate and to perfite this sacrament he may in no case receiue the bodie of Christ without the blood In the behalfe of the receiuers great reuerence and circumspection is required left any thing
he became seruant to the king of Babel 2. King 23. verse 34 and 36. 2. King 24. verse 1. The second obiection The scripture calleth Sedechias the brother of Iechonias therefore it is not consonant to the trueth to say hee was his vncle The answer I answer with saint Austen and saint Hierome that the custome of the scripture is to terme kinsemen by the name of brothers and therefore Sedechias is indifferently called vncle 2. King 24. verse 17. or brother 2. Par. 36. verse 10. 37 17 3 41 25 8 1 7 40 29 52 16 16 29 55 2 31 11 11 11 1 443 Make addition and the summe will be found 443. To the which adde three monethes for the raigne of Ioâ—chas The sixt age The sixt age from the beginning of the captiuitie till the sacred passion of Christ Iesus conteineth 660. yeares whereof let this be the demonstration The captiuitie in which are inuolued the eleuen yeares of Sedechias continued the space of 70. yeeres Ierem. 25. vers 11. and 29. Daniel 9. vers 2. Esdr. 1. verse 1. 2. Paralip 36 verse 22. This is confirmed by the raigne of the Monarchs for Nebuchad-nezzer from the beginning of whose eight yeare the second and chiefe captiuitie beganne reigned 45. yeeres Euilmerodach his sonne reigned 30. yeres And Balthazar reigned 3. yeares Al which put together make the 70. yeeres of the Iewish captiuitie For in the first yeare of king Cyrus who succeeded Balthazar the Iewes were set at libertie Esdr. 1 verse 1. S. Clement Eusebius and all approoued writers do constantly affirme the same The seuentie weekes in Daniel make iust 490. yeares as al writers do affirme Concerning which weeks because there is verie great varietie amongest historiographers I will here suppose that which by Gods grace I shal proue effectually when I come to the fourth chapter of the third booke of this first part whither I referre the Reader for his full resolution in this intricate and important controuersie In the meane season remember that the 490. yeares are but 475. yeares after the course of the Moone From the ende of the captiuitie vntill the twentieth yeare of Artaxerxes Longimanus inclusiuè where I hold that the 70. weekes doe beginne are iust 115. yeares and two moneths all which put together do make iust 660. yeres For the weeks make no more but 475. yeares after the course of the sunne which must be marked attentiuely and which shall be prooued hereafter accordingly 70 475 115 in al 660 Thus wee haue it perspicuously prooued euen by the testimonie of holy Writ that from the beginning of the world vntil the time that Christ suffered on the crosse for our sinnes be iust â—ure thousand foure score and seuenteene yeares three monethâ— and sixteene dayes The first age 1656 The second 353 The third 505 The fourth 480 The fift 428 The sixt 660 in all 4082. Now because the exact knowledge of the raigne of the kings of Iudah dependeth more then a little of the raigne of the kings of Israel I purpose in God to adioyne hereunto a manifest declaration of the same specially because without the knowledge thereof the bookes of the Kings and Chronicles can neuer be rightly vnderstoode The Kings of Israel Ieroboam raigned 21. yeares which I prooue thus Asa king of Iudah beganne to raigne in the twentieth yeere of Ieroboam 1. King chapter 15 verse 9. and Nadab the sonne of Ieroboam beganne to raigne ouer Israel in the second yere of Asa 1. King chapter 15 verse 25 therefore Ieroboam his father whom he succeeded in the kingdome raigned before his death 21. yeares Nadab raigned 2. yeares 1. King 15. verse 25. Baasha raigned 24. yeares 1. King 15. verse 33. Elah or Hela raigned 2. yeares 1. King 16.8 Zimri raigned 7. dayes 1. King 16. verses 15 and 16. daye 7 Amri or Omri raigned 12. yeares 1. King 16.23 Achab or Ahab reigned 22. yeeres 1. King 16.29 Ochozias or Ahaziah reigned 2. yeeres 1. King 22.51 Ioram or Iehoram raigned 12. yeeres 2. King 3. verse 1. both these two to wit Ochozias and Ioram were the sonnes of Achab. Iehu reigned 28. yeeres 2. King 10. verse 36. Ioachas or Iehoahaz reigned 17. yeeres 2. Kin. 13. ve 1. Ioas or Iehoash reigned 16. yeeres 2. King 13. verse 10. Ieroboam the sonne of Ioas or Ioash reigned 41. yeeres 4. King 14. verse 23. where we must note well by the way that the other Ieroboam was the sonne of Nebat 1. King 12.2 We must heere obserue as a necessarie rule that betweene Ieroboam and Zachariah was an inter-reigne of 23. yeeres I prooue it because we reade 2. Kin. 15.1 8. that Azariah king of Iudah beganne his raigne in the seuen and twentieth yeere of Ieroboam as also that Zacharias beganne his raigne in the eight and thirtieth yere of Azariah to which we must adde that Ieroboam raigned 41. yeeres and so the kingdome perforce was voide 23. yeres For if we make abstraction of 14. from 37. the remainder will be 23. yeres for the inter-reigne moneths 6 Zachariah reigned 6. moneths 2. King 15.8 moneth 1 Sellum or Shallum reigned 1 moneth 2. King 15.13 yeeres 10 Menahem or Manahen reigned 10. yeeres 2. King 15.17 Pekahiah or Phaceas reigned 2. yeeres 2. King 15.23 Pekah or Phasee raigned 20. yeeres 2. King 15.27 Osee or Hosheah reigned 9. yeeres 2. King 17. verse 1. In the dayes of this king about the yeare of the worlde 3304. beganne the captiuitie Of the ten Tribes whereof see more at large in the eight chapter next following in the sixt Section CHAP. III. Of the state of the Hebrewes The people of y e Iews the elect people of God liued vnder the protection and empire of Patriarkes Chiefetaines or Gouernours Iudges Kings againe Chiefetaines after the captiuitie Priests before the captiuity and Priests after the captiuity had to doe with the kings of the Persians Egyptians Syrians strangers and with the emperors of Rome The Israelites were gouerned 3. wayes by Iudges from Iosue to Saul Kings from Saul to the captiuitie Priests from the captiuitie to Christ. For exact vnderstanding of this chapter it is expedient to note well the fift booke of this first part from the second chapter to the end of the same booke CHAP. IIII. Of the Patriarkes â—he Patriâ—â—kes of the â—ebrewes were Abraham Isaac liued yeeres one hundred begat Isaac Ge. 21.5 threescore and begat Iacob Ge. 25.26 Iacob caled also Israel Ge. 35.10 he had 12 children with Lea Ruben Ge. 35.22 these were the heads of the twelue Tribes Simeon Ge. 35.22 these were the heads of the twelue Tribes Leui Ge. 35.22 these were the heads of the twelue Tribes Iudah Ge. 35.22 these were the heads of the twelue Tribes Isachar Ge. 35.22 these were the heads of the twelue Tribes Zabulon Ge. 35.22 these were the heads of the twelue Tribes Zilpha the handmaid of Lea Gad Ge. 35.22 these were the heads of the twelue Tribes Aser Ge. 35.22 these
Ioatham Amos prophesied against the nations adiacent to them in the time of Ozias Esaias prophesied against Iuda and Iurasalem in the time of Ioatham Ioel prophesied to Iuda and Ierusalem in the time of Ozias Michaeas prophesied against Ierusalem and Samaria in the time of Ioatham Nahum prophesied to the Assyrians and Niniuites in the time of Ioatham Abacuc prophesied against Babylon and Nabuchodonosor in the time of Manasses Ieremias prophesied to the citie of Ierusalem in the time of Iosias and Zedechias Sophonias prophesied against Iurusalem and Iuda in the time of Iosias Ezechiel prophesied to the captiues in Babylon in the time of Ioachim Daniel prophesied to his countrey men in Babylon in the time of Ioachim Haggaeus prophesied to all the people in Ierusalem and Iuda in the time of Zorobabel Zacharias prophesied to the people of Ierusalem and Iuda in the time of Zorobabel Malachias prophesied to the people of Ierusalem Iuda in the time of in the end of the captiuitie 〈…〉 CHAP. X. Containing a particular description of the time of the Prophets called the greater The first section of the Prophet Esay THe Prophet Esay was the sonne of Amos not of that Amos who was the third of the 12. lesser Prophetes but of another Amos hauing different characters with the Hebrews Aug de ciuit libr. 18. cap. 27. Hier. in 1. cap Esaiae Esay prophesied to Ierusalem and Iuda that is to the two tribes of Beniamin and Iuda Hier. in 1. cap Esaiae Esay who was also called Azarias Osee Ioel Amos prophesied at the selfe same time in the daies of Osias Ioatham Achas and Ezechias kings of Iuda Hier. in princ Esaiae The wicked king Manasses caused the prophet Esay to be sawed in peeces with a wodden saw Wherefore that which the Epistle to the Ebrewes saith of the tortures of Gods Saintes that they were hewen in sunder is very fitly referred to the prophet Esay Hier. lib. 15. cap. 57. in Esaiam The second section of the prophet Ieremie Ieremie prophesied to y e two tribes of Iuda Beniamin he foretold their captiuitie in Babylon hee began his prophesie in the daies of Iosias he continued the same in the daies of Ioachim and vntill the eleuenth yeare of Sedechias in the time of the captiuitie Orig. hom 1. in Hier. Aug. de ciu lib. 18. c. 33. Betweene the time of Ieremias and Esaias were one hundred and fiftie yeares Hier. lib. 9. cap. 30. in Esaiam He was the sonne of Helkias the priest cap. 1. Iere. v. 1. the tradition of the Hebrewes is that whensoeuer the father or graundfather of any prophet is put in the title such a one was also a prophet himselfe Gloss. ordinar Sophonias prophesied at the same time with Ieremias Athanas in synop Aug. de ciu lib. 18. cap. 33. Iehoiakim king of Iuda burnt the book which Baruc wrote wrote at the mouth of Ieremias in which booke the prophet shewed what punishment God had determined to bring vpon Iuda and Israel if they would not returne euery man from his euill way and bring forth worthy fruites of repentance But Ieremie at Gods appointment wrote another book which contained the afflictions of Iuda and Israel in a farre larger maner Ierem. cap. 36. Where we may note by the way that the wicked do euer kicke against the preachers of Gods word especially when their sinnes are reprooued But at length they tast of the cup of Gods wrath for their great contempt and disobedience And our papistes are now become Iehoiakims as who both burne the writers of all bookes that reprooue their superstitions and idolatry and also cast the bookes into the fire Yea euen the holy bibles if they be once translated into the vulgar tongue Ieremie began to prophesie when he was a childe in the 13. yeere of Iosias king of Iuda hee continued his prophesie during the reigne of Iosias the sonne of Amon. 19. yeares and after that vnder Ioachim 11. yeres and vnder Sedechias 11. yeares who was the last king of Iuda The three moneths of Ioachaz and Iechonias are reckoned in the yeares afore named So that from the beginning of his prophesie vntill the captiuitie of Ierusalem in which himselfe was taken he prophesied 41. yeres ouer and besides that time in which he was carried away into Egypt and prophesied in Taphins Hier. in cap. 2. Ierem. at which Taphins in Egypt as some write hee was stoned to death But before that time he was put in a deep dungeon of myre Iere. 38. The third section of the prophet Ezechiel Ezechiel followed Ieremie and began to prophesie in the fift yeare of the transmigration of Iechonias which was the same yeare of the reigne of Sedechias Hier. lib. 5. cap. 29. in Ieremiam in the 30. yere after some of his age Ezechias c. 1. but as S. Hierome writeth the 30. yeares whereof the Prophet speaketh are not the yeares of the age of Ezechiel himself but the yeares from the 18. of king Iosias at what time the booke of the law was found vntill the fift yeare of the captiuity of Iechonias Hier. in cap. 1. Exech 2. Ezechiel was carried away captiue into Babilon togither with Iechonias Daniel and the three children Hier. in princ Ezech. Aug. de ciu lib. 18. cap. 34. This holy prophet foretold the destruction of Hierusalem and the captiuitie of the Iewes for their manifold sinnes and wickednesse earnestly exhorting them to repentance For which cause the Iewes were so exasperated against him as the wicked are this day against the preachers of Gods word that they trailed him on the ground amongst the stones till his braines went out Author oper imperf in Matt. cap. 23. hom 46. prop. finem A golden obseruation In the dayes of Iosias king of Iuda Helkiah the Priest found the booke of the lawe of the Lord giuen by the hand of Moses Which when the good king vnderstood hee gathered togither all the inhabitantes of Ierusalem and of Iuda and the Priests and the Leuites and all the people from the greatest to the smallest and he read in their eares all the words of the booke of the couenant that was found in the house of the Lord and the king caused all that were found in Ierusalem and Beniamin to stand to it and hee compelled all the people of Israel to serue the Lord their God 2. Par. 34.4 Kin. 22. Thus saith the holy scripture By which we see euidently that the ouersight of all persons in all causes aswell ecclesiastical as ciuill pertaineth to the king and that the king hath the charge of religion committed into his handes and also that he may compel priests and Leuites to doe their dueties in that behalfe On the other side we may note the intollerable impietie of our disholy fathers the late bishops of Rome Who most irreligiously and very impudently excommunicate christian kings and monarches because they appoint the word of God to be preached in their
of the tribes and of the vse therof in reading the Prophets The first rule Whensoeuer the prophecie is directed to the ten tribes it is signified by one of these names Ephraim Samaria Israel Ioseph Iezrael Bethel Bethauen Iacob The second rule Whensoeuer the prophesie is directed to the two tribes it is signified by some one of these names Iuda Ierusalem Beniamin the house of Dauid and sometime Iacob The third rule The scripture sometime referreth Israel to all the twelue Tribes generally CHAP. XIII Of the destribution of the offices of the 12. lesser prophets These proâ—hets were â—ppointed â—ome of theÌ„ to threaten the captiuitie as Osee against both the kingdoms of Israel and Iuda Ioel against the two tribes onely Amos against the two tribes and the kingdomes adioyning Micheas against the kingdome of Israel especialy because it was y e cause of ruine to y e rest to comfort the Iewes as Abdias With threats against the kingdome of the Idumeans Ionas With threats against Niniue and the Assirians Nahum With threats against the Niniuites for their reuolt the second time Abacuc With threats against Nabuchodonosor and the Chaldeans who al wer enimies to the Iewes to call home from the captiuity as Sophonias who preached returne to come Aggeus who preached returne present Zacharias who preached returne present with aduise to build the temple Malachias who preached returne past with exhortation to pietie CHAP. XIIII Of the time when they prophecied Of the prophets some prophecied before the captiuitie as well of the ten tribes of Israel as of the two tribes Iuda and Beniamin as Esay Osee Ioel after the captiuitie as Daniel Aggeus Zacharias when the captiuitie was at hand as Ieremie in Iewrie Ezechiel in Babilon Ex Hier. in 1. cap. Ieremiae The finall scope of all the Prophets The prophets of God bicause they would neither discorage the Iewes with threatnings nor make them carelesse by the sweetnesse of Gods promises sought throughout their books to set before their eies the two principall partes of the law to wit the promise of saluation and the doctrine of good life For the first part they direct the Iewes and in them all the faithfull to the true Messias Christ Iesus by whome onely they shal haue true deliuerance for the second part they vse threatnings and menaces to bring them from their vices For this is the chiefe scope of all the prophets either by Gods promises to allure them to be godly or else by threatnings of his iudgements to feare them from sinne and wickednesse And albeit that the whole lawe containe these two points yet the prophets note particularly as well the time of Gods iudgements as the manner of the same CHAP. XV. Of the deuision of the Bookes of the Prophets The bookes of the prophets containe nine common places to wit Doctrines Ex Epiphanio de meÌ„s pond in initio Speculations Ex Epiphanio de meÌ„s pond in initio Exhortations Ex Epiphanio de meÌ„s pond in initio CoÌ„minations Ex Epiphanio de meÌ„s pond in initio LameÌ„tations Ex Epiphanio de meÌ„s pond in initio Consolations Ex Epiphanio de meÌ„s pond in initio Prayers Ex Epiphanio de meÌ„s pond in initio Histories Ex Epiphanio de meÌ„s pond in initio Predictions Ex Epiphanio de meÌ„s pond in initio CHAP. XVI Containeth the acts age time and death of famous men that were before the captiuitie of Babylon The first Section of Adam Adam was created vpon friday the day before the Iewish sabaoth Genes 1. verse 27. He was 130. yeares old when he begat Seth Genes 5.3 after Iosephus he was 230. yeares olde he liued 930. yeres and then died Genes 5. verse 5. He was buried as the Hebrewes write in the land of Israel Rabbi Isaac apud Genebr He had three sonnes Cain Abel and Seth. Cain murdered his brother Abel and for no other cause but euen for the true seruice of God Which when it is truely done the deuil can not abide it and for that end doth he alway stirre vp the wicked against the godly as hee did Cain against his brother Abel that the word of God and his doctrine may be extinguished and troden vnder foote Adam had many sons and daughters as Iosephus writeth The second Section of Seth. The posteritie of Cain was wholy extinct in Noahs floud but the stocke of Seth was multiplied vpon earth as of whom descended all the patriarkes prophets and holy men Gene. 5.6 7. The nephews of Seth made two pillers the one of brick the other of stone in which they ingraued the word of God and his prophecies for the perpetuall conseruation thereof They also diuided the yeere into twelue moneths and first obserued the course of the starres and taught astronomie Iosephus antiq libr. 1. ca 2. they are therefore grossely deceiued that either make the Egyptians or Mercurie or Atlas or Actinus the authors of Astronomie and other liberall sciences for as Iosephus saith the Egyptians were vtterly ignorant in such sciences before Abrahams comming vnto them which knowlege came first from the Chaldeans to the Egyptians from the Egyptians to the Greekes by the meanes of Abraham Iosephus libr. lib. 1. antiq ca. 6 7 8. Seth liued 912. yeeres and then died Genes 5. verse 8. Of the vngodly marriages betweene the posteritie of Seth in whose families God was truely worshipped and the posteritie of Cain who serued idolles came giants or men of huge magnitude By meanes of which wicked coniunction the knowledge of God was vtterly abolished in all but in Noah his three sonnes and their foure wiues so that God destroyed the remnant of mankind in the generall deluge Gene. 6. verse 2 7 verse 21. The third section of Noah When the earth after the floud returned to it former state againe Noah beganne to play the husbandman to till the ground to plant vines to gather the grapes and to finde out the vse of drinking wine Gen. 9. verse 20. Noah had three sonnes Sem Cham and Iaphet Sem with his children inhabited that part of the world which is towards the east For of his sonne Aram came the Syrians of Assur the Assyrians of Arphaxad the Chaldeans of Ela the Persians Cham inhabited that part of the world which is toward the south for of Canaan came the Cananites of Mizraim the Egyptians of Chus or Cush the Ethiopians of Saba the Arabians and Chanaan is now called Iewrie Iapheth inhabited the west and north parts and had manie sonnes to wit Gomer Magog Madai Iauan Tubal Mesech and Tyrus Of Iauan came the Greeks whom the Latines call Ianus and who are nowe tearmed Iones of Madai came the Medes of Gomer the Cimerians or Simbrians of Ascanes Gomers sonne the Germanes of Magog the Scythians of whome came the Turkes of Thyras the Thracians Gen. 10. Ioseph antiq lib. 1. cap. 6. Cari. pag 14. The tradition of the Hebrews is that
Iapheth was the eldest sonne of Noah borne in the 500. yeere of his age Cham or Ham his second sonne borne in the 501. yeere of his age Sem his third and yongest sonne borne in the 502. yeere of his age Which tradition is very probable though not altogether certaine and vndoubted for Sem is said to be but 100 yeares olde 2. yeeres after the floud Genes 11. verse 10. yet is Sem named first in the scripture because the historie of the church is continued in his line Noah liued after the floud 350. yeares and when he was 950. yeeres old he died Gen. 9. verse 28. in the yeere of the world 2006. From Adam to the birth of Noah are 1056. yeres Gen. 5.3 from Adam vntill the death of Noah are 2606. yeeres The fourth section of the tower of Babel The tower of Babel was built about 130. yeeres after the floud in the yeere of the world 1788. The place where the tower stoode is now called Babylon that is to say confusion because from thence came the confusion of tongues Ioseph antiq lib. 1. cap. 4. Nimrod was a mightie hunter and the beginning of his kingdome was Babel in the land of Shinar for there was an other citie in Egypt called also Babel Gen. 10. verse 10. Nimrod was a cruell oppressor of the people and a very tyrant so as his tyranny came into a Prouerbe as Nimrod the mightie hunter before the Lord. Gen. 10. verse 9. Before the building of Babel the whole earth was of one language but they were puffed vp with pride and sought to build a tower to reach vp to heauen that so their name might be magnified and their power vnited on earth Yet sodainely such diuision of their vniforme language was made as one of them vnderstoode not another they were scattered abroade and the tower left vnperfect Genes 11. verse 4 7 8. Nimrod was the nephew of Cham who was son to Chus or Cush who first affected empire and beganne the forme of a kingdone in Chaldea his pallace was Babel Hee was the first that exercised hunting after Noahs floud Gen. 10. verse 7.10 About this time beganne a new kingdome amongst the Assyrians by Ashur the sonne of Sem his chiefe citie was Niniueh but he builded also Rehoboth and Calah Genes 10. verse 11. Genebr The fift section of Abraham Abraham was borne 352. yeares after the floud in the yeare of the world 2008. the promise was made to Abraham 427. yeeres after the floud which was 75. yeares after his birth hee was commanded to goe out of his countrey 423. yeares after the floud Abrahams father Terah died when Abraham was but 75. yeares olde Terah was 205. yeares old when he died Genes 11 verse 32. Abraham died when hee was 175 yeares olde Genesis 25. verse 7. At the death of his father Terah he was but 75. yeeres old Genesis 12.4 Gen. 11. verse 26 32. In which age of 75. yeeres Abraham departed out of Haran Genesis 12. verse 4. The first difficultie It seemeth by the twelfth chapter of Genesis that GOD spake to Abraham after the death of his father Thare or Terah when he was in Haran And it is euident by Genes 11. that God spake vnto him when hee was in Chaldea I answere that God spake to Abraham when he was in Chaldea his natiue countrey from whence hee went with his father to Haran where he abode by reason of his fathers infirmitie vntill his death After the death of his father hee went from Haran with Sarai his wife to Canaan the land of promise accordingly as God had commanded him which resolution will be cleare if we ioyne the beginning of the 12. chapter with the latter end of the eleuenth The second difficultie Saint Steuen saith in the seauenth of the Actes that Mesopotamia was Abrahams natiue country from whence he went to Charran Therefore it cannot be that Chaldea was his countrey I answere that Chaldea was his country and that his countrey was indifferently called either Mesopotamia or Chaldea Which I prooue by two reasons First because Plinius lib. 6. cap 26. saith that Chaldea is a citie in Mesopotamia Secondly because S. Steuen Acts 7. verse 4. confirmeth the same neither doth any graue writer denie but that Mesopotamia ioyneth to Chaldea and so Chaldea being in the confines of Mesopotamia may not vnfitly bee taken for the same The third difficultie It is said in the 11. of Genesis that when Abraham went from Vr of the Chaldees he dwelt in Haran but in the 7. of the Acts it is said that when he went out of Chaldea he dwelt in Charran so it seemeth that either holy Moses or S. Steuen must vtter an vntruth I answere that that word which Moses in Genesis calleth Charran is also called Charran by S. Steuen in the Acts although the Latine vulgata editio and other vulgar translations tearme it Haran The reason hereof is this because the first letter of that worde in Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is of diuers pronounced diuersly See the second chapter aforegoing in the end of the second age The fourth difficultie This is a great difficultie and worthie to be well obserued The doubt standeth thus Moses saith Genes 11. verse 26. that Terah begat Abraham when he was 70. yeeres olde In the same place he saith that Terah died when he was 205. yeeres old in the twelfth of Genesis hee saith that Abraham was 75. yeeres old when he departed out of Haran or Charran for all is one as is already saide so that by this reckoning we must want 60. yeares of Terahs age for albeit the scripture say that Terah liued 205. yeeres yet by the computation already made we cannot finde more then 145. yeeres I answer first that this difficultie hath troubled many learned men Some thinke that God would conceale the 60. yeeres that so the end of the world might be kept secret from vs. Others thinke that Abraham stayed those 60. yeeres with his father at Charran I answere secondly that Terah was 105 yeeres olde when he begat Abraham Neither is holy writ repugnant to this my answere For although it say that Terah was 70. yeeres old when he begat Abraham Nachor and Haran yet doth it not deny him to haue beene more but doth connotate the lesse by the more by the vsuall figure synechdoche very frequent in the holy scriptures See the second chapter aforegoing and the obiection made in the second age The sixt section of Isaac When Izhak was borne Abraham was 100. yeeres old Gen. 21. verse 5. Isaac was circumcised when he was eight daies old Gene. 21. verse 4. in the age of the world 2108. Circumcision of euerie man childe was appointed by God Genes 17. verse 10. in the age of the world 2107. Sodome about this time was destroyed with brimstone and fire descending from heauen Genes 19. verse 24. The promise was made to Abraham in Izhak his sonne Genesis 17. verse 21.
alledged by Gratianus in the popes owne Decrees Solent plures qui se ieiunare putant in quadragesima mox vt signum audierint ad horam nonam comedere qui nullatenus ieiunare credendi sunt fi ante manducauerint quam vespertinum celebretur offâ—cium Many who thinke they fast in Lent vse to eate so soone as they heare the bell at the ninth houre who by no meanes can be thought to fast if they eate before the euening praier Out of which wordes of the auncient holy councill I note this constant decree to wit that whosoeuer eate before the ninth houre cannot truely fast And consequently that no papists fast in their holy Lent howsoeuer they bragge or boast thereof The reason hereof is euident because all papistes vsually dine at noone that is three houres at the least before the time appointed by the councill I say at the least because they vse to anticipate noone some more some lesse For better explication whereof wee must obserue two thinges the one concerning noone the other concerning the euening praier I say therefore that by the ninth houre the councell with all antiquitie vnderstandeth three of the clocke at afternoone for in the time of the Apostles and long after them the day was deuided into twelue houres which day was againe distributed into foure Vigils whereof euery Vigil contained three houres so that their ninth houre was with vs three of the clocke in the after noone Now for the obscuring of this euident confutation of the popish supposed fasting the papistes of latter dayes haue deuised this miserable shift a fit inuention of their newly hatched Romishe religion The Pope forsooth hath dispenced with his greedy religious godlesse people who will needes be thought deuout fathers albeit they fast not one day in the whole yeare that they may huddle vp their vespertine houres or euening praier at anie time before twelue of the clocke and then at their pleasures to eate drinke and make good cheere And if it please your worships this done with full panches to beginne their discontinued disholy fast againe The ninth proposition Of fastinges some are priuate and some publicke Priuate fastes may be vsed of ones owne accord when and so often as shall seeme conuenient so they be referred to the glory of God and true mortification of the bodie or bee vsed for the good of our neighbour Thus fasted king Dauid all the time his childe was sicke After the death whereof hee surceased from praier and fasting and ate meate 2. King 12. Thus fasted Nehemiah when he vnderstood the affliction of the Iewes he sate downe wept and mourned certaine dayes hee fasted and prayed before the Lord of heauen Nehem. 1.4 Thus fasted Daniel when hee perceiued the captiuitie of his countriemen spoken of by the prophet Ieremie He confessed his owne sinnes and the sinnes of the people and turned to the Lord in fasting heartie prayer Dan. 9. vers 2 3 4 5. Publique fasts are appointed either by God in his holy word or by the magistrate hauing his authoritie Thus did Samuel appoint the Israelites to fast at such time as the Philistims did greeuously afflict them 1. Kin. 7. ver 3 6. Thus king Iosaphat proclamed a fast throughout all Iuda when the Ammonites Moabites and Idumeans oppressed them 2. Par. 20.3 10 22. Thus did queene Hester appoint a publique fast to all the Iewes by the mouth of Mardocheus Hest. 4. v. 16. Thus did the king of Niniueh command a publike fast after he vnderstood Gods wrath by his prophet Ionas 3. verse 7. Here endeth the first Booke containing yeeres 3426. The second book containeth the description of the first Monarchie that is of the Assyrians or Babylonians The first chapter of the originall and continuance of the monarchie The first Section of the reason of the inscription ALbeit this first Monarchie was either wholy or in effect expired before the accomplishment of the captiuitie of the two tribes Iuda and Beniamin yet haue I thought good to had le it in a seuerall tract after the saide captiuitie so to auoide confusion and for perspicuitie sake The second section of the originall of the monarchie King Ninus the sonne of Belus was the first king of Asia except the Indians whome the Assyrians named their god he reigned 52. yeeres and in the 43. yeere of his raigne was Abraham borne He builded the citie Ninum in Assyria nowe called Niniueh Euseb. in chronico When Ninus was dead Semiramis his wife raigned she feared lest for the tender yeres of her sonne Nunas and for hir feminine sex the people should reuolt from their due loyaltie For which cause she clad her selfe in mans apparel and fained her selfe to be the kings sonne She excelled in heroicall feats and raigned 42. yeeres in great felicitie She fortified the citie of Babylon which Ninus had conquered from the Chaldeans with rampires ditches and walles After her death Zameis aliâs Ninias reigned 30. yeres in all peace and tranquilitie Euseb. Carion The kings of the Assyrians Ninus Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 52 Kings 36 Semiramis Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 42 Kings 36 Ninias Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 â—8 Kings 36 Arius Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 30 Kings 36 Arelius Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 40 Kings 36 Xerxes Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 30 Kings 36 Armametres Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 38 Kings 36 Belochus Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 35 Kings 36 Baleus Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 52 Kings 36 Altadas Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 32 Kings 36 Mamitus Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 30 Kings 36 Mancaleus Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 30 Kings 36 Ipheréus Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 20 Kings 36 Mamylas Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 30 Kings 36 Spaâ—êtus Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 40 Kings 36 Ascades Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 40 Kings 36 Amyntas Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 45 Kings 36 Belothus Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 25 Kings 36 Bellepares Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 30 Kings 36 Lamprides Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 32 Kings 36 Sosares Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 20 Kings 36 Lampares Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 30 Kings 36 Pannias Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 45 Kings 36 Sosarmus Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 19 Kings 36 Mitreus Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 27 Kings 36 Tantanes Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres
Anno mundi 3197 32 Kings 36 Tantens Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 40 Kings 36 Thineus Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 30 Kings 36 Dercilus Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 40 Kings 36 Eupales Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 38 Kings 36 Laosthenes Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 45 Kings 36 Piriciades Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 30 Kings 36 Ophrateus Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 20 Kings 36 Ophratanes Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 50 Kings 36 Ocrazapes Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 41 Kings 36 Sardanapalê° Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 20 Kings 36 Sardanapalus was the last king of the Assyrians that possessed the whole monarchie he was a man of very bad behauiour and being â—â—ercome in battell by Arbaces hee burnt himselfe to death by fire This monarchie indured 1240. yeeres after Eusebius but see the fourth section following and marke it attentiuely After that Sardanapalus the vicious and effeminate monarke had burnt himselfe together with his riches Phul Belochus the president of Babylon and Arbaces ruler of the Medes diuided the monarchie betweene them Phul Belochus had Babylon and Assyria Arbaces enioyed Media and Persia. The kings that took part with Arbaces were termed the Kings of the Medes Such as followed Belochus the Kings of the Assyrians Chaldeans or Babylonians The court lay first at Niniueh after at Babylon Arbaces the Mede subdued the Assyrians and translated the Empire to the Medes From hencefoorth many alterations chanced in the monarkie After Herodotus the Assyrians held the monarchie 500. yeeres from which time now the Assyrians now the Medes now the Chaldeans had the vpper hand At the length the Medes being more mightie then the rest subdued Babylon and quietly enioyed the whole empire The kings of y e Medes Arbaces Anno mundi 3195 raigned yeres Anno mundi 3456 28 Sosarnus Anno mundi 3195 raigned yeres Anno mundi 3456 30 Medidus Anno mundi 3195 raigned yeres Anno mundi 3456 40 Cardiceas Anno mundi 3195 raigned yeres Anno mundi 3456 15 Diôcles Anno mundi 3195 raigned yeres Anno mundi 3456 54 Phaortes Anno mundi 3195 raigned yeres Anno mundi 3456 24 Cyaraxes or Cyaxares Anno mundi 3195 raigned yeres Anno mundi 3456 32 Astyages Anno mundi 3195 raigned yeres Anno mundi 3456 38 The monarkie of the Assyrians which is also called the monarkie of the Chaldeans and of the Babylonians because they sometime inioyed it though with small felicitie beganne about the age of the world 2008. and continued about 1470. yeeres at what time Darius king of the Medes with Cyrus his sonne in law wanne Babylon and killed Balthazar Dan. 5. verses 30 31. The third section of Balthazar Balthazar king of Babylon when hee was drinking wine commanded the golden vesselâ—es which his father had brough from the temple in Hierusalem to be set before him that hee his princes his wiues and his concubines might drinke therein they drunke wine and praised the gods of gold siluer brassâ— and stone But what followed al this idololatricall ioy in the very same houre there appeared fingers of a mans hand writing vpon the wall of the kings pallace so that the kings countenance changed and his thoughts troubled him The ioynts of his loynes were loosed his knees smote one against the other and he cried mightily Dan. 5. verse 2 3 5 6 7. Behold here the end of idolatrie and superstition Balthazar foorthwith after he had adored his false gods was tormented as is said the same night he was staine and Darius the Mede inioyed the kingdome verse 30 31. A wonderful example for al kings and monarkes euer to serue the liuing God and to set foorth his pure religion The fourth section of the diuersitie in computation Eusebius and some others reckon the monarchie of the Assyrians from Ninus and so it continued 1240. yeeres as is saide in the second section Yet others who seeme to followe Philo and Metasthenes beginne the monarchie in the 8. yeere of Nabuchodonosors reigne and then it indured onely seuentie yeeres for Nabuchodonosor raigned 45. yeeres Euil-merodach his sonne 30. yeres and Balthazar his sonne 3. yeres Such as will in this maner make their supputation must reckon the first monarchie to be of the Babylonians not of the Assyrians Genebrardus reckoneth the monarchie to haue continued 78. yeares that is eight yeares before the captiuitie because the first yeare of Nabuchodnosor fell in the end of the third yeare of Ioachim Dan. 1. and was the fourth of Ioachim Iere. 25. but so the veritie of the historie be granted it skilleth not much to varie the name CHAP. II. Of the kings of the Assyrians and Babilonians after the death of Sardanapalus and the diuision of the monarchie PHul Belochus was the first king of the Assyrians after the diuision of the Empire and death of Sardanapalus hee was a magnificall and fortunate Prince and Niniue was his pallace he was president of Babilon in the time of Sardanapalus after whose miserable death he enioyed halfe of the monarchie as I haue shewed in the first chapter and second section he ruled 48. yeares in all Phull Assar surnamed Tiglath was the second king of the Assyrians he was a verie bad king he destroyed Galile and led some of the tribes into captiuitie he raigned 23. yeares Salmanasar was the third king of the Assyrians hee was a tyrannicall and cruell king this Salmanasar destroyed the kingdome of Israel besieged Samaria tooke it battered it downe slew the king and led away into Media the people that remained after the slaughter for hee was ruler in that countrey and he raigned eleuen yeares Sennacherib the fourth king of the Assyrians was an arrogant wicked godlesse man he bent himself against god with sacrilegious and blasphemous speeches he sent a great host against Hierusalem but Gods Angell smote in his armie an hundred foure score and fiue thousand insomuch that he was enforced to retire and to dwell againe in Niniue For his blasphemie against god an horrible death befel vpon him for as he was in the temple worshipping his God Nisroch Adramelech and Saresar his owne sonnes smat him with the sword and they escaped when they had slaine him into the land of Armenia 4. King 18 19 chap. so was he murdered euen before the idoll whom he adored for God and by them by whom he ought by nature to haue bin defended he raigned 15. yeares That the wickednes of this Senacherib might be noted of all posterities his image was set vp in Egypt with this inscription ouer it as writeth Herodotus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is to say Whosoeuer shall behold mee with his corporall eies let him learne by my calamitie to honour
prowesse and heroical vertues surnamed the Great began to reigne in Macedonia when Darius Arbelas was made king of the Persians He made warre with the said Darius he conquered and slew him in Asia and so translated the Monarchie from the Persians vnto the Greekes The monarchie of the Greekes began in the seuenth yeare of Alexanders reigne in the age of the world 3641. The histories of the Greekes are much more recent then the stories of the Iewes For all their histories are after the first monarchie of the Babylonians and Assyrians neither haue they any thing certaine which is more auncient then their Olimpiades Which Olimpiades had their beginning in the first or second yeare of Ioatham king of Iuda as Glareanus Paulus Phrigio Bibliandâ—r and others doe write though some writers otherwise of credite holde the contrary in the age of the world 3251. which was about 230. yeares before the monarchie of the Persians This Monarchie tooke the name of king Alexander and was termed indifferently the monarchie of the Greekes or of Alexander because he so excelled all others in power valure fortitude and other vertues as none in the world were deemed comparable to him He is highly commended by the prophets Iâ—remie and Daniel as a most valiant and happie emperour Daniel describeth a Goate which ouercame the Ramine and hee declareth manifestly that the goate was the king of the Greekes the Ram of the Persians His fathers name was Philip his mothers name Olympias Olympias was the mother of Alexander and was also taken for the space of 4. yeres as I haue already proued But Olympias is a mountaine in Greece between Thessalia and Macedonia aboue the which there appeareth no cloud In regard whereof it is vsurped of the Poets for heauen This hill as Plutarchus writeth is tenne furlonges in height The prophet Daniel speaking of the goate that is of Alexander foretold that his Empire shoulde be deuided into foure kingdomes and so it came to passe For Cassander had Macedonia Seleucus Syria Antigonus Asia the lesse and Ptolemeus Egypt For the exact vnderstaÌ„ding of Daniels prophesie it is necessarie to vnderstand the succession of the kings and their reignes especially of the kinges of Syria of whom the Scripture maketh precise mention King Alexander reigned sixe whole yeares and died in the seuenth after his death the nobles had mortall domesticall warres amongst themselues striuing for the space of thirteene yeares who should haue dominion This chaunced after that the Empire was deuided as is already said and shall appeare more at large in the third chapter following CHAP. II. Of the kinges of Syria succeeding Alexander The kings of Syria and Asia 1 Seleucus Nicanor Anno Mun. 3647 the reign of euerie king of Syria and Asia Anno Dom. 3877 31 yeares 2 Antiochus Soter Anno Mun. 3647 the reign of euerie king of Syria and Asia Anno Dom. 3877 19 3 Antiochus Theos Anno Mun. 3647 the reign of euerie king of Syria and Asia Anno Dom. 3877 15 4 Seleucus Gallinicus Anno Mun. 3647 the reign of euerie king of Syria and Asia Anno Dom. 3877 20 5 Seleucus Ceraunus Anno Mun. 3647 the reign of euerie king of Syria and Asia Anno Dom. 3877 3 yeares 6 Antiochus Magnus Anno Mun. 3647 the reign of euerie king of Syria and Asia Anno Dom. 3877 36 7 Seleucus Philopator Anno Mun. 3647 the reign of euerie king of Syria and Asia Anno Dom. 3877 12 8 Antiochus Epiphanes Anno Mun. 3647 the reign of euerie king of Syria and Asia Anno Dom. 3877 12 9 Antiochus Eupator Anno Mun. 3647 the reign of euerie king of Syria and Asia Anno Dom. 3877 2 yeares 10 Demetrius Soter Anno Mun. 3647 the reign of euerie king of Syria and Asia Anno Dom. 3877 10 11 Alexander filius Epiphan Anno Mun. 3647 the reign of euerie king of Syria and Asia Anno Dom. 3877 5 12 Demetrius Nicanor Anno Mun. 3647 the reign of euerie king of Syria and Asia Anno Dom. 3877 2 13 Antiochus Sedetes Anno Mun. 3647 the reign of euerie king of Syria and Asia Anno Dom. 3877 3 14 Tryphon Anno Mun. 3647 the reign of euerie king of Syria and Asia Anno Dom. 3877 3 15 Antiochus pius Anno Mun. 3647 the reign of euerie king of Syria and Asia Anno Dom. 3877 12 yeares 16 Demetrius Nicanor Anno Mun. 3647 the reign of euerie king of Syria and Asia Anno Dom. 3877 4 17 Alexander Anno Mun. 3647 the reign of euerie king of Syria and Asia Anno Dom. 3877 2 18 Antiochus Gryphus Anno Mun. 3647 the reign of euerie king of Syria and Asia Anno Dom. 3877 29 19 Seleucus sonne to Gryphus was at strife with his vncle and others of his kinred for the space of ten yeares Anno Mun. 3647 the reign of euerie king of Syria and Asia Anno Dom. 3877 10 yeares The first obseruation Seleucus the sonne of Gryphus king of Syria warred against Cyzicenus the sonne of Antiochus Sedetes whom after hee had taken him hee put to death By and by mortall wars arose between the brethren Wherwith the Syrians were so grieued and so annoyed with the ciuill warres that they knew no other fitter meanes to redeeme their vexation then to yeeld vp the kingdome to Tygranes the king of Armenia Which Tygranes enioyed Syria vntill such time as hee was ouercome of Pompeius who deliuered Syria vp to the Romaines This kingdome of Syria continued about 240. yeares and was deliuered into the handes of the Romaines 17. yeares after Iulius Cesar was first Emperour of Rome The second obseruation Seleucus Callimcus the sonne of Antiochus hadde two sonnes to wit Seleucus surnamed Ceraunus and Antiochus Magnus Seleucus Ceraunus liued but three yeres and then left y e kingdom to his brother Antiochus Magnus Which Antiochus made warre against Ptolemeus Philopator the king of Egypt and his sonne Epiphanes by meanes whereof the Iewes and church of God was in continuall affliction This Antiochus had the repulse in his first attempt yet after y e death of Ptolemeus who before his death commended his sonne to the protection of the Romaines he returned with a great armie into Egypt By this occasion long warres were betweene the Romaines and Antiochus Hanniball and many Regions in Greece ioyned themselues to Antiochus Neuerthelesse hee was so often discomfited in battaile that he was enforced to seek for conditions of peace And besides this hee was glad to send his sonne Epiphanes to Rome for an hostage In the end when he went about the sacking of the rich Temple of Belus in Syria the multitude of the Citizens slewe him and all his guard The Iewes saith Carion liued in great peace from the time of Alexander to Antiochus Magnus But when warres beganne betweene the Assyrians and Egytians then y e Iewes being seated in the middes were oppressed on both sides At length saith Iosephus Antiochus was victor and brought the Iewes vnder his
subiection But so soone as Philopator was dead his sonne Ptolomeus Epiphanes sent a mightie armie into Syria vnder the conduction of Scopa who recouered certaine Cities in Syria and a good part of Iudea Yet within a short space after Antiochus skirmishing with Scopa neere to Iordan had the vpper hand and tooke the cities againe from Scopa Then the Iewes yeelded them selues to Antiochus receiued his armie voluntarily within the walles and affoorded him large helpe against the garrisons of the said Scopa In respect of which fauour Antiochus dealt very fauourably with them gaue them rich giftes and graunted them libertie to call home againe all the Iewes that were in dispersion The third obseruation Antiochus Epiphanes was hostage at Rome where he learned by the Example of the Romaines flatterie deceite and other bad qualities to accommodate himselfe to the time and maners of men Hee was famous not for his vertues but for his naughtie dealing He was called as some write for his dissolute life not Epiphanes but Epimanes that is not noble but madde He beganne his reigne about 134. yeares after the death of Alexander at which time his brother Seleucus ceased by death to reigne in Syria At the same time Ptolemeus Epiphanes dyed in Egypt leauing behinde him to young sonnes Philometor and Physcon Ptolemeus hadde these sonnes with his wife the queene Cleopatra who was sister to Antiochus Vnder this pretence Antiochus went into Egypt and by faire speeches got the regiment during the nonage of Philometor the yong prince And when hee had contriued all thinges so as he might take the kingdome vpon him at his pleasure hee went to Hierusalem at the intreaty of Iason who sought ambitiouslie to be made the high priest by his procurement euen as popes of late yeares are made at Rome as hereafter shalbe prooued Where as writeth Iosephus so soone as hee came the gates were opened to him by men of his owne faction Which vsurped dominion hee exercised cruellie and sacrilegiously neither sparing the goods nor the liues of those that willingly opened the gates vnto him The fourth obseruation Demetrius Nicanor the twelfth king of Syria was driuen out of his kingdome by his brother Antiochus Sedetes by the aid and meanes of Tryphon Yet afterward hee was restored to his kingdome againe and ruled Syria peaceably vntil Alexander surnamed Sabineus of the house of Seleucus tooke him prisoner at Tyrus where he put him to death CHAP. III. Of the kings of Macedonia and of the diuision of the Empire after the sixt yeare of Alexander THe holy will of the liuing God was that foure mightie kings shoulde succeede Alexander the Great after the sixt yeare of his raigne whereof euerie one should possesse a part and no one be so mightie as himselfe which thing was euidently foretolde by the Prophet Daniel The foure kings that succeeded Alexander to wit Cassander who raigned in Macedonia and Grecia Seleucus who raigned in Syria Ptolomeus who raigned in Egypt and Antigonus who raigned in Asia did all descend of the house Petigree and bloud royall of Alexander that most puissant and valiant Emperour and for that cause surnamed the Great Cassander caused Olympias daughter of Neoptolemus and mother to Alexander a most chast and vertuous Queene to be beheaded cruelly that so hee might raigne more licentiouslie but God the iust iudge who for his wisedome seeth all things and for his iustice sake letteth no sinne passe vnpunished did so in his eternall prouidence dispose of Cassanders issue as it was a worthie spectacle to the world For Antipater and Alexander his sonnes had mutual mortal bloudie warres the one against the other as concerning the kindgome of Macedonia But what was the ende Antipater was slaine by Lysimachus his father in law and Alexander by Demetrius the sonne of Antigonus who both were their owne complices to whom they trusted and sought for helpe at their hands A worthie obseruation King Alexander the great was not onely full of valure and prowesse but throughly garnished with heroicall and morall vertues amongst which this was not the least that so often as he heard the complaint of one against another the accused partie being absent his continuall custome was to open one onely eare to the plaintife and to keepe the other closely shut by which ceremonie he liuely expressed vnto the world the office of euerie good Prince and righteous iudge to wit that they should neuer haue respect of persons as holy Writ beareth witnesse but heare all parties indifferently and iudge euer according to lawe and equitie Which indifferencie king Alexander fitly practised euen with the admiration of his auditory while as hee graunted to the accuser one eare so did hee to the accused reserue the other neuer condemning the one nor iustifying the other before hee vnderstood perfectly the truth of the matter But in our time wee may iustly exclaime with holy Polycarpe O God to what worlds hast thou reserued vs for nowadayes iudges lawyers are so corrupt with bribes that when a poore man crieth he can not be heard with neither eare because both are shut at once on the other side so soon as they grope the rich mans gold they open both the one eare the other there is no stay at al. Of such iudges magistrates and lawyers speaketh wise Salomon when he saith that many reuerence the person of the mightie and euerie one is friend to him that giueth gifts When a rich man commenceth any sute against the poore man euerie iudge euerie lawyer euerie iustice euerie bailife will for money be readie to further his cause for golde and money with a becke they come anone and with a winke they will bee gone though their matter were verie badde in the beginning yet wil it be right good in the ending money worketh so forcibly with them that it may bee saide to alter the case and to change the nature of the thing Gifts saith Saint Ambrose dazle the eyes of iudges and weakeneth the force of their authoritie Contrariewise when the poore man commeth to them either without money or but with a little they are dumbe deafe and sencelesse they can neither heare see nor vnderstand they will vse such dallying such demurring such shiftes and delayes vntill the poore man bee exhaust and spent so as perforce he must let the matter fall and sit downe with the losse For albeit his cause were right good in the beginning yet will it be starke naught in the ending Wherefore Innocentius his wordes are well verified in this kinde of people You respect saith he not the causes but the persons not lawes but bribes not what reason prescribeth but what will affecteth not what the minde thinketh but what it coueteth not what should be done but what yee list to haue done your eie is not single which should make your body bright but euer ye mingle a peece of leauen which corrupteth the whole dowe The
kings of Macedonia after the death of Alexander the Great Philippus Aridaeus Anno mun 3647 The raigne of the saide kings Anno mun 3805 7 yeeres Cassander Anno mun 3647 The raigne of the saide kings Anno mun 3805 19 yeeres Alexander and Antipater or after others Antigonus Anno mun 3647 The raigne of the saide kings Anno mun 3805 4 Demetrius Anno mun 3647 The raigne of the saide kings Anno mun 3805 6 Pirrhus Anno mun 3647 The raigne of the saide kings Anno mun 3805 6 moneths Lysimachus Anno mun 3647 The raigne of the saide kings Anno mun 3805 5 yeeres Ptolomeus Anno mun 3647 The raigne of the saide kings Anno mun 3805 1 Meleagres Anno mun 3647 The raigne of the saide kings Anno mun 3805 2 moneths Antipater Anno mun 3647 The raigne of the saide kings Anno mun 3805 1 yeere Sosthenes Anno mun 3647 The raigne of the saide kings Anno mun 3805 2 Antigonus Gonatas Anno mun 3647 The raigne of the saide kings Anno mun 3805 36 Demetrius Anno mun 3647 The raigne of the saide kings Anno mun 3805 10 Antigonus Anno mun 3647 The raigne of the saide kings Anno mun 3805 15 Philippus Anno mun 3647 The raigne of the saide kings Anno mun 3805 42 Perses Anno mun 3647 The raigne of the saide kings Anno mun 3805 10 Note here that some thinke Aridaeus to haue succeeded Alexander yet that Cassander was his immediate successour I repute more probable CHAP. IIII. Of the kings of Egypt PTolomeus the sonne of Lagus began his raigne in Egypt immediately after the death of Alexander though not without bloudshedding and great warres for sundry yeares as is areadie said He was one of Alexanders captaines as were also Antigonus Nicanor and Cassander The names of the kings of Egypt Ptolomeus Lagi Filius Anno Mun. 3647 the time of their reigns Anno mun 3921 40 yeares Ptolomeus Philadelphus Anno Mun. 3647 the time of their reigns Anno mun 3921 38 Ptolemeus Euergetes Anno Mun. 3647 the time of their reigns Anno mun 3921 26 Ptolomeus Philopator Anno Mun. 3647 the time of their reigns Anno mun 3921 17 Ptolemeus Epiphanes Anno Mun. 3647 the time of their reigns Anno mun 3921 24 Ptolomeus Philometor Anno Mun. 3647 the time of their reigns Anno mun 3921 35 yeares Ptolomeus Euergetes Anno Mun. 3647 the time of their reigns Anno mun 3921 29 Ptolomeus Soter aliàs Physcon filius Cleopatrae Anno Mun. 3647 the time of their reigns Anno mun 3921 17 yeares Ptolomeus Alexander Anno Mun. 3647 the time of their reigns Anno mun 3921 10 Ptolomeus Phiscon aliàs Lathurus Anno Mun. 3647 the time of their reigns Anno mun 3921 8 Ptolemeus Dionysius Anno Mun. 3647 the time of their reigns Anno mun 3921 30 Cleopatra Anno Mun. 3647 the time of their reigns Anno mun 3921 22 yeares The first obseruation It is to be obserued that as of Iulius Cesar euery Emperour of Rome was afterward called Cesar and of Octauius Augustus Augustus so was Artaxerxes the common name of all the kinges of Persia so was also euery king of Egypt called indifferently Ptolomeus or Pharao Which obseruation helpeth more then a little to vnderstand sundry textes of holy scripture The second obseruation We must obserue secondly that albeit a monarche haue the chiefest soueraigntie on earth yet is he not the sole and vniuersall gouernour so as there is no other king ouer anie other nation For though the highest and supreme power authoritie and dominion be in euerie monarchie so as no other power no not independent is able to ouerrule or preuaile against the same yet were there euer powers independent ouer and besides the said monarchies not subiect to the iurisdiction thereof In the time of the monarchie of the Babylonians or Assyrians worthie kings though of lesse might and authoritie raigned in Egypt in Israel in Greece and else where In the time of the Persian monarchie the Macedonians and the Romaines had their authoritie so likewise when the Greekes and Romaines hadde the monarchicall and imperiall seate with them other kings had their seueral dominions albeit very small in respect The third obseruation Cleopatra the Queene of Egypt expelled her sonne Lathurus from the kingdome by reason of his tyrannicall regiment and made his brother Alexander king of Egypt in his place Lathurus fled away into Cypres Alexander raigned not long for he was so afraide of his mothers crueltie that hee forsook the kingdom and fled away And so Cleopatra for the greater part of the 18 yeres ascribed to Lathurus Alexander had hir raigne alone But at length Alexander her son stew hir and possessed the kingdome againe Yet this Alexander was expulsed by the Egyptians for his crueltie and Lathurus againe restored who raigned a fewe yeares and then dyed This must bee diligently obserued for the clearing of many difficulties which otherwise will not easily be vnderstood touching the yeeres and raignes of the kings The fourth obseruation Cleopatra was the last Queene of Egypt succeding her brother Dionysius But after that she loued Antonius and rebelled against Augustus he ouercame both for which cause they murthered themselues and so Egypt became subiect to the Empire of the Romaines The fift obseruation Ptolomeus Phisco was a cruel filthie beast he married his owne sister lay with his owne daughter killed his children with his owne hands gaue them to be eaten of his own wife their mother This Ptolomeus some thinke to be all one with Euergetes some deeme him to be his successor otherwise called Soter which opinion I preferre as more probable CHAP. V. Of the Septuagints PTolomeus Philadelphus had a librarie so well furnished with al kind of good books as the like was not to be found in al the world this king was highly renowmed for his manifold vertues especially for his peaceable gouernment and for his forwardnesse in furthering of learning Hee was verie beneficiall and friendly to the Iewes Learned men of all nations had concourse vnto him whome he euer receiued honourably and rewarded them bountifully he sought diligently the originall of all nations arts and religions and he perceiued that the Iewes were most ancient and that no certaintie touching the creation of the worlde could be founde any where but in their histories and among them Wherefore hee desired of the Iewes that their scriptures might bee translated into the Greeke tongue and that they woulde sende him 72. of their best learned men for that end and purpose To which godly motion the Iewes did willingly condescend and sent vnto him 72. learned men verie expert in the Hebrew and Greeke language These learned men the king receiued honorably and by their helpe hadde the holy Bible translated into the Greek tongue Of this interpretation called the Septuagints diuers write diuersly some writers otherwise learned and of great account as Ireneus Chrysostomus Iustinus Augustinus and others doe
This state was by the Machabees in time of Antiochus and his successors the kings of Syria vntill Aristobulus the first king among the Iewes after their captiuitie They were gouerned thirdly by kings being partly of their owne bloud and partly strangers This state continued from Aristobulus vntil king Agrippa albeit the birth of our sauiour befell in the 32. yeare of king Herod which quadruple variety I will set down in foure seuerall sections for perspicuitie sake The first Section of the gouernours of the Iewes from the captiuitie to the Machabees The names of the gouernors or rulers of the Iewes Zorobabel Anno mun 3425 the time of their rule Anno mun 3610 67 yeeres Rhesa Miseolana alià s Mensonla Anno mun 3425 the time of their rule Anno mun 3610 66 Ioanna ben Resa Anno mun 3425 the time of their rule Anno mun 3610 52 Iudas Hircanus the first Anno mun 3425 the time of their rule Anno mun 3610 30 yeeres Note here that these foure gouernours were before the monarchy of Alexander the great whereof Zorobabel was he that conducted the Iewes from the captiuitie and encouraged them to build the temple These other eleuen were after Alexander The names of the gouernours or ruâ—ers of the Iews after King Alexâ—nder Ioseph the first An. mundi 3641 The time of their gouernment An. mundi 3788 7 yeeres Abner Semei An. mundi 3641 The time of their gouernment An. mundi 3788 11 Eli Matathia An. mundi 3641 The time of their gouernment An. mundi 3788 12 Asar Mahat An. mundi 3641 The time of their gouernment An. mundi 3788 9 yeres Nagid Artaxat An. mundi 3641 The time of their gouernment An. mundi 3788 10 Haggai Eli An. mundi 3641 The time of their gouernment An. mundi 3788 8 Maslot Nahum An. mundi 3641 The time of their gouernment An. mundi 3788 7 yeeres Amos Syrach An. mundi 3641 The time of their gouernment An. mundi 3788 13 Matathia Siloah An. mundi 3641 The time of their gouernment An. mundi 3788 10 Ioseph the second An. mundi 3641 The time of their gouernment An. mundi 3788 60 yeeres Ianna Hircanus the second An. mundi 3641 The time of their gouernment An. mundi 3788 16 yeeres This Hircanus was the last prince of the Iewes that descended of the blood royall and posteritie of king Dauid The catalogue of the priests who executed priestly function amongest the Iewes after the captiuitie shall be set downe in the chapter following The second Section of the Machabees The names of the Machabees Iudas Machabeus Anno mun 3805 the time of their rule Anno mun 3837 6 yeeres Ionathas Anno mun 3805 the time of their rule Anno mun 3837 18 Simon brother to Iudas Anno mun 3805 the time of their rule Anno mun 3837 8 yeeres Io. Hircanus the sonne of Simon Anno mun 3805 the time of their rule Anno mun 3837 31 yeeres These foure were priests of the tribe of Leui not of Iuda or the blood royall which ought euer to be kept in memorie as hereafter better shall appeare The third Section of the Kings of the Iewes that descended of the Leuiticall tribe The names of the kings who were Iewes Aristobulus the sonne of Hircanus An mundi 3868 The time they ruled An. mundi 3909 1 yeere Alexander the second son of Hircanus alias Ianneê° An mundi 3868 The time they ruled An. mundi 3909 27 yeeres Alexandra the wife of Alexander An mundi 3868 The time they ruled An. mundi 3909 9 yeeres Aristobulus An mundi 3868 The time they ruled An. mundi 3909 4 yeeres Hircanus An mundi 3868 The time they ruled An. mundi 3909 22 yeeres The fourth Section of the Kings that were strangers The names of the kings Herodes magnus An. mundi 3937 The time of their raigne An. mundi 4014 37 yeeres Archelaus dux An. mundi 3937 The time of their raigne An. mundi 4014 9 Herodes Tetrarcha qui Antipas An. mundi 3937 The time of their raigne An. mundi 4014 24 Agrippa Herodis filius An. mundi 3937 The time of their raigne An. mundi 4014 7 Agrippa rex Agrippae filius An. mundi 3937 The time of their raigne An. mundi 4014 26 yeeres As there is great varietie in Historiographers and Chronographers in other matters so is there no where more obscure difficulties to be found among them then about the contents of this present chapter The exact knowledge whereof is neuerthelesse so necessary as without which sundry places of the new testament can neuer be rightly vnderstoode which obscuritie together with the difficultie shall I hope be manifest by the obseruations annexed thereunto The first obseruation No gouernor amongst the Iewes would after the captiuitie weare the diademe and be called King vntill Aristobulus the son of Hircanus a vertuous priest did aduance himselfe to royall dignitie and put the crowne vpon his head But alas godly children do not alwayes succeede godly parents For not onely Hircanus his father but Symon also his grandfather were very vertuous priests gouernours of great fortitude and zealous fauorers of the common weale yet was this Aristobulus a wicked and cruell man hee made no account of religion he put his owne mother and brethren in prison and because hee feared that his vertuous brother Antigonus would take the kingdome from him hee slew him sodainely as Cain did his brother Abell The second obseruation Seleucus surnamed Nicanor the first king of Syria after the diuision of the Empire began his raigne that is the kingdome of the Greekes in the 14. yeare from the death of Alexander which was the second yeare of the 117. Olympiade and in the 3660. yeare of the age of the world Heere beginneth the authour of the first booke of the Machabees his supputation calling the kingdome of Syria the kingdome of the Greeks which must be well remembred or else many things will remaine both confuse and obscure The Empire of king Alexander was deuided as is already said into foure parts according to the prophesie of Daniel Ptolomeus had Egypt Antigonus Asia Seleucus Syria and Philippus Arideus had Macedonia and Grecia which is the cause that Chronographers begin these kingdomes in the first yeere of the 114. Olympiade immediatly after the death of Alexander Yet the trueth is that Antigonus and Seleucus began not so soone to raigne For mortal warres amongst the gouernours continued 12 or 13. yeares and then they began to beare rule indeede not before The third obseruation Hircanus had three sons Aristobulus Antigonus and Alexander Aristobulus would needes be called and crowned king and slew his brother Antigonus lest he shuld get the kingdome from him Alexander had two sonnes Hircanus and Aristobulus this Aristob was brother to Mariamne who was married to K. Herod for which cause Herod about two yeres after the death of Antigonus his vncle made him hie priest shortly after this Aristobulus was drowned and so the family
and nouices of whome all and their liuings they are to dispose at their pleasures Thirdly albeit cardinalles be next to the pope and aboue all but the pope and albeit also that our Allen was made cardinall by their procurement that so he might aduance them at the recouerie of England which they thought certaine by their politike intended inuasion yet were and are they so hie minded that such Iesuites as they odly send into this realme must haue greater priuileges then any that he can procure although there be neuer so great oddes in the persons yea the Iesuits do this day so rule in this realme among the papists as they may rather seeme Cardinalles or Popes then humble friers professing pouerty For they place and displace the rest of the Seminaries at their good pleasures They haue their intelligencers their spies their collectors their spare and fresh horses their fine lodgings their secret places their sanctuaries in euery shire good towne and citie They sease and tax the richer sort of papists to whom when and how much they shall contribute Of their cruell dealing and pride intollerable I haue spoken more at large in my Motiues The names of the Kings that continually afflicted the Iewes Antiochus Magnus Filius 2 Antiochus nobilis vol Epiphanes Antiochus filius Antiochi Eupator Alexander filius Eupatoris Antiochus adolesceus Alexandri filius Tryphon Filius 1 Seleueâ—s Philopator Demetrius filius Seleâ—â—s Demetrius secundus fâ—lius Dâ—mâ—trii Antiochus filius Demetrii Here endeth the first part containing the state of Gods Church from Adam vntill the monarchie of the Romanes THE SECOND PART Containing the state of the Church from the beginning of the Monarchie of the Romans vntil Christs ascension The first Booke of the Monarchie of the Romans being the fourth in number The first Chapter of the originall of the Roman Empire and fourth Monarchie ALexander by testament assigned the administration of the kingdom of the Iewes vnto Queene Alexandra his wife After whose death Aristobulus rose vp in armes against his brother Hircanus and dispossessed him aswel of the priesthood as of the kingdome Hircanus therefore by the perswasion of Antipater father to Herod the great a very factious and cruel man whom king Alexander had highly aduanced fled into Arabia there humbling himself to the king who through the faire speeches and large promises of Antipater prepared a strong army and by that meanes placed Hircanus againe in his kingdome But Areta king of Arabia was no sooner departed then Aristobulus came vppon Hircanus with a fresh mightâ—e supplie At that time Pompeius that worthy and valiant captaine being then Consull of Rome and hauing conquered Tigranes the king of Armenia thought the cruell warres betweene the two brethren to be a fit occasion to dispossesse them both of the kingdome Hee therefore came with a mightie power to Hierusalem where he slew 1200 Iewes restored the pristhood to Hircanus carried away Aristobulus prisoner to Rome for a triumph and made the Iewes subiects and tributaries to the Romanes This was done in the age of the world 3909. after Rome was built 691. yeares in the third yeare of the 179. Olympiade Pompeius surnamed the Great for his incomparable victories for he subdued Armenia Spaine Affrica Judea Colchis Albaina Syria Iberia Arabia did wonderfully enrich the Romaines bringing at one triumph into their common treasurie 2000. talents of gold and siluer It is written of him that hee excelled in martiall prowesse hee subdued the valiant captaine Sertorius and vanquished Mithridates the mightie king of Pontus This Pompeius tooke to wife Iulia the daughter of Iulius Cesar who liued not long after her death the amitie betweene Pompey and Cesar decreased and by reason of their insatiable ambition ciuill warre brast out in which Cesar vanquished Pompey and Pompey fleeing into Egypt was there slaine deceitfully After whose death Iulius Cesar enioyed Asia Affrica and all the Romaine empire in the yeare of the world three thousand nine hundred and foure and twentie which was fiue and fourtie yeares before the birth of Christ 706. yeares after the citie of Rome was built in the second yeare of the 183. Olmypiade Yet for the space of fiue yeares or more he was grieuously molested with warres and coulde not quietly enioy the Empire hee liued in peace little more then fiue moneths Iulius Cesar was a verie vertuous valiant and mercifull Prince When he came out of Egypt to Rome he brought an excellent and skilfull mathematician with him hee caused the yeares to be obserued after the course of the sunne and procured the mathematicall science to bee taught throughout all Italy After the death of Iulius Cesar Octauius Augustus succeeded and raigned as Emperour after him and was surnamed Cesar. From henceforth all Emperours of Rome were called Cesars of Iulius Cesar and Augusti of Octauius Augustus their two first Emperours CHAP. II. Of the Emperour Nero. NEro was the sixt Emperour or Cesar of the Romaines in whome ended al the family of Augustus In the beginning of his empire he liued for some yeares honestly afterward he became horribly vicious he exceeded in all naughtie dealing and tyrannie yet had his education vnder the graue reuerend and wise Seneca Nero was adopted into the empire by Claudius who married his mother Agrippina He was so blodthirstie and cruel that he caused his owne mother his wife his brother and his deare friend Seneca to be murthered cruelly In the dayes of Nero a comet appeared for the space of sixe moneths which was a rare and wonderfull thing Nero was the first Emperour of Rome that by publique edict caused the christians to be tormented about the tenth yere of his raigne saint Peter and saint Paul were put to death at Rome Saint Peter was crucified with his head downward and saint Paul was beheaded with the sword Nero besides all other his wicked actes burnt Rome and in the foureteenth yeere of his raigne which was the two and thirtieth yeare of his age hee receiued condigne punishment for his due deserts He cutte his owne throate with his owne knife and vttered these most execrable wordes Haec est fides This is my faith and beleefe CHAP. III. Of the ten persecutions of the christians made by the ten Emperours of Rome THe first persecution was made by Nero as is alredy said the second by Domitianus the third by Traianus the fourth by Antoninus the fift by Seuerus the sixt by Maximinus the seuenth by Decius the eight by Valerianus the ninth by Aurelianus the tenth by Dioclesianus The tenth and last persecution exceeded al the rest as ecclesiasticall histories make relation the persecution was furthered by Maximianus and continued by Maximinus Maximianus in the east and Dioclesianus in the west made such hauocke of the church as the christiaÌ„s could abide no where without most bloody persecution the temples were set on fire the bookes of holy scripture were burnt and many thousands slaine within the space
seculi consummationem futura est quis non intelligaâ— sicut eis iliud ait quod ad eos omnino non pertinet tamen sic dictum est tanquam ad solos etiam pertineret cum videritis haec omnia scitote quia propé est in ianuâ—â— ad quos enim hoc pertinet nisi ad eos qui in carne tunc erunt eum omnia complebuntur It is not therefore so said to the Apostles ye shalbe my witnesses in Hierusalem and in al Iurie and in Samaria euen to the vtmost parts of the world as if they onely to whom he then spoke should haue accomplished so great a matter but as he seemeth to haue said onely to them that which hee said in these words behold I am with you to the worlds end Which thing neuerthelesse euery one perceiueth that he spoke it to the vniuersal church which by the death of some and by the birth of other some shall continue to the worlds end euen as hee saith that to them which doth nothing at all pertaine to them and yet is it so spoken as if it onely pertained to them to wit when yâ—â— shall see these things come to passe knowe that it is neare 〈◊〉 the doores For to whome doth this pertaine but to those who shall then bee liuing when all thinges shall bee accomplished In these words Saint Austen proueth plainly that this obiection wherin the papists glory so greatly make th◠〈◊〉 for them for saith hee these words alreadie recited one spoken to the whole congregation of the faithfull which are or shall be to the worlds end and this Saint Austen sheweth by two reasons First because not onely the Apostles but others together with them should be his witnesses in Hierusalem and Samaria albeit Christ spoke that of them touching the bearing witnesse of him as he spoke this to them concerning his spiritual presence And therefore as hee spoke the other to all the faithful so did he also this that is promised his inuisible presence not onely to the Apostles or pastors of the church but euen to all the faithful in the world Secondly because Christ spoke that to his Apostles as pertaining onely to them which for al that did nothing at al concerne them as if he had saide it is not a good reason to denie Christs presence to the whole church because hee vttered the words onely to the Apostles For since hee spoke that to the Apostles which pertained nothing to them but onely to others much more might he speake that to them which belonged to them with others The eight replie Christ himselfe saith that the holy ghost shal teach the Apostles al trueth euen many things whereof they were not capable then and therefore did he be serue those things till the comming of the holy ghost The answere I answere that the holy ghost after Christs ascension taught the Apostles al truth euen such things as Christ had reserued and that by reason of their â—uditie and imperfection in conceiâ—â—â—g heauenly doctrine yet those things so reserued and the truth so taught was nothing else but a manifest explication of the selfe same veritie which they in briefe before had heard For the holy ghost did coyne no new doctrine nor reueale anie new articles of faith but onely taught the Apostles the true sâ—nse of Christs words which before for their dulnesse they were not able to perceiue which sense they being directed by the instinct of the holy ghost deliuered to the whole world first by word and afterward by writing Al this I proue by two euident demonstrations first because Christ himself doth so expouÌ„d himself in these words folowing He shal teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance which I haue told you which saying must bee wel noted because the latter words are a plaine declaration of the former as if Christ had said all things which the holy ghost shall teach the apostles after my departure are no newe doctrine but the very same things which they heard before of me and they differ onely in this that the Apostles doe more plainely vnderstand them by the assistance of the holy ghost Secondly because the best learned popish doctors do holde the same opinion For Melchior Canus hath these words Nec vllas in fide nouas reuelationes ecclesia habet for the church hath no new reuelations in matters of faith Thus saith Christ himselfe and thus teacheth their owne doctour and yet would the papists enforce vs daily to admit new doctrines from the church of Rome The ninth replie Peter is the rocke of the church against which hell-gates shall neuer preuaile therfore Saint Peters successors can neuer erre The answere I answere that not Saint Peter but the confession which he made is that rocke of the church against which hell gates shal not preuaile And this is not my opinion onely but Saint Beda Saint Austen Saint Chrysostome Saint Hylarie and sundrie verie learned papists doe teach the same doctrine constantly These are Saint Austens wordes Tu es Petrus super hanc petram quam confessus es super hanc petram quam cognouisti dicens tu es Christus filius Dei viui aedificabo ecclesiam meam Id est super meipsum filium Dei viui aedificabo ecclesiam meam super me edificabo te non me super te thou art Peter saith Christ and vppon this rocke which thou hast confessed vpon this rocke which thou hast acknowledged saying thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God will I build my church that is vpon my selfe the sonne of the liuing God will I build my church vppon my selfe will I build thee not my selfe vpon thee Saint Chrysostome writeth thus Columnae quidem quoniam virtute sua ecclesiae robur sunt fundamentum quòd in confessione insorum fundata est ecclesia dicente domino Tu es Petrus super hanc petram fundabo ecclesiam meam The Apostles are the pillers because by their vertue they are the strength of the Church they are the foundation because the Church is built in their confession when the Lorde saieth thou art Peter and vpon this rocke will I build my church Loe this text vpon which the Papists build their popish primacie is vnderstood of all the Apostles not of Peter alone neither is the church built vpon any of their persons but vpon the ioynt confession of them all for Peter made the confession in the name of them all as Saint Chrysostome truely saith which confoundeth the Papists vtterly S. Hylarie hath these words Haec fides ecclesiae fundamentum est per hanc fidem infirmae aduersus eam sunt portae inferorum haec fides regni caelestis habet claues this faith is the foundation of the church by this faith hell gates shall not preuaile against it this faith hath the keyes of heauen The receiued popish glosse vpon this text doth
Dei custodit non quia in illa verbum caro factum est habitauit in nobis sed quia custodit ipsum verbum Dei per quod facta est quod in illa caro factum est Our Lord magnified this in her for that she did the will of his father not because her flesh bare his flesh Therfore when our Lord seemed admirable to the people working signes and myracles and shewing what was hidde in the flesh the people maruelling saide happie is the bellie that bare thee and hee answered yea happie are they that heare the word of God and keepe it that is to say my mother whom ye cal happie is therefore happie because she keepeth the word of God not because the word was made flesh in her and dwelt in vs but because shee keepeth Gods worde by which she was made and which was made flesh in her Againe in another place he writeth thus Beatior ergo Maria percipiendo fidem Christi quam concipiendo carnem Christi Nam dicenti cuidam beatus venter qui te portauit ipse respondit imo beati quiaudiunt verbum Dei custodiunt denique fratribus eius id est secundum carneÌ„ cognatis qui non in eum credideruÌ„t quid profuit illa cognatio Sic materna propinquitas nihil Mariae pofuisset nisi foelicius Christum corde quam carne gestasset Therefore Marie was more blessed in receiuing the faith of Christ then in conceiuing y e flesh of Christ for he answered to one that said blessed is the wombe that bare thee yea blessed are they that heare the word of God and keepe it Finally his brethren that is his kinsmen in y e flesh that beleeued not in him what good had they by that kinred And euen so motherly kinred had doone Marie no good vnlesse shee had borne Christ more blessedly in her heart then she bare him in her flesh S. Chrysostome hath these expresse words Ea sententia dictum existima non quod matrem negligeret sed quod nihil vtilitatis ei matris nomeÌ„ allaturuÌ„ osteÌ„deret nisi bonitate fide praestaret Infra Nam si id profuturum erat per se Mariae profuisset etiam Iudaeis quorum consanguineus erat Christus secundum carnem profuisset ciuitati in qua natus est profuisset fraâ—ribus Atqui dum fratres verum suarum curam habuerunt nihil eis propinquitatis nomen profuit sed cum reliquo mundo damnati erant Thinke that Christ spoke that not because he had no care of his mother but because he woulde shew the name of a mother to profit her nothing vnlesse she were better in pietie and faith For if that could haue done Marie good of it selfe it would also haue profited the Iewes it would haue profited the citie in which he was borne it would haue profited his brethren but while our Lords brethren set their hearts vpon their owne worldly matters the name of kinred did them no good at all they were damned with others in the world The fift obiection Nathan the Prophet brought word to Dauid that God had forgiuen him his sinne and that he should not die neuerthelesse because Dauid caused Gods enimies to blaspheme by reason of that his sin God punished him by the death of his child So Dauid being penitent for his sinne in numbring the people obtained remission of the fault and yet suffered three daies pestilence in his people So God forgaue the Israelites their rebellious murmurings against him yet for that fault none of them coulde enter into the lande of promise so in baptisme also our sinnes are freely forgiuen vs and yet do we still suffer temporall paines for the same al the daies of our life Which texts of holy scripture and others of like sort do plainely insinuate that after God hath forgiuen vs our sins and remitted both the fault and the eternall paine there still remaineth some temporall satisfaction to bee done for the same either in this world or in purgatorie which satisfaction is accomplished in the popes pardons while he maketh application of the superaboundant passions of holy men and women locked vp in the treasure of the church of Rome The answere I say first that when God forgiueth vs any sin he freeth vs as wel from the pain as froÌ„ the fault which I proue by many reasons First because otherwise Gods works should be impefect though holy writ hold them most perfect when it saith Dei perfecta sunt opera Gods works are perfect which in the originall and Hebrew is vttered more significantly where God is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a stone or rocke noting vnto vs that his workes are done with power and might and therefore with all exact perfection And doubtles if his act in forgiuing sin be perfect as it is most perfect then after God hath remitted the fault there can remain no satisfactioÌ„ for the same Secondly if mans act should bee a partiall satisfaction for sinne then coulde not Christ be a perfect and absolute redeemer but as it were a ioynt redeemer together with man Thirdly the fault is neuer truly perfectly forgiuen where payment is still required for the same Fourthly God who is faithful in al his promises hath promised to forget all our iniquities when soeuer we truely become penitent for the same yet can be not possiblie forget that for which he requireth our satisfaction Fiftly the papists grant with vniform consent generally that in baptisme martyrdome god remits sins wholly and perfectly aswel in respect of the pain as of the fault and yet can they neuer yeeld any sufficient disparitie betweene the forgiuenes of our sins before after baptisme whereupon they may build their fondly forged satisfaction This is a mighty reason as which troubled me al the while I was a papist because I could neuer reade or inuent anie sufficient solution to the same though at that time I would most willingly haue done it it was one motiue to excite mee against their superstitious and idololatricall doctrine in regard hereof grauely learnedly and christianly saith S. Augustine Christus communicando nobiscum sine culpa poenam culpam soluit poenam Christ while hee tooke part with vs of our paine without sin purged vs both from the sin and from the paine due for sin I say secondly that the punishment which God layeth on vs after he hath remitted and forgiuen vs our sins are not satisfactions for our sins committed but they are fatherly correctious to teach vs our duties to minister to vs fit matter of spiritual exercises and to keep vs and others from sinne to come as also to ingraffe in our hearts how odious a thing sin is in Gods sight This to be so Chrysostome rightly surnamed Os aureum golden mouth vttereth very perspicuously in these golden words Nam ne peccantes inulti manentes nos efficeremur
damned in hell blaspheme Christ ergo there be some vnder the earth that is in purgatorie which worship and adore Christ. The answer I answere that the bowing of the knee whereof the apostle speaketh doth not signify worship or adoration but that subiection which shalbe shewed openlie in the last iudgement when and where the deuilles as well as men and the good angels shall yeeld homage and dominion vnto Christ. For so S. Paul expoundeth S. Paul in his epistle to the Romaines and S. Luke recordeth that the deuill falleth prostrate before Christ and acknowledgeth his power ouer him which is that bowing of the knee whereof S. Paul speaketh Other expositions whatsoeuer are repugnant to the text The replie S. Iohn saith that hee heard all the creatures which are in heauen and on earth and vnder the earth and in the sea and al that are in them saying in this maner praise and honor and glorie and power be vnto him that sitteth vpon the throne and vnto the Lambe for euermore Therefore they be vnder the earth which truely worship Christ and consequently since the deuils as yee grant do rather blaspheme then worship Christ they that worship Christ vnder the earth must needes bee the soules in purgatory The answere I answere that S. Iohn meaneth nothing els then that which S. Paul hath vttered he vseth the figure Prosopopeia after the vsuall course of the scriptures causeth things senselesse and voide of reason to sounde out the praise of God so saith the Psalmograph Dauid All thy workes praise thee O Lord and thy saints blesse thee and in another place thus The heauens declare the glorie of God and the firmament sheweth the worke of his hands yea as the prophet saith and as the three holy Hebrewes sang fire heate winter summer frost snow light darkenesse the starres the sunne the moone and creatures blesse the Lord. The tenth obiection S. Iohn saith that no vncleane thing shall enter into heauen but many depart out of this life which are not pure ergo such must be purged in purgatorie before they come in heauen The answere I say first that faith in Christ Iesus can as well purge a man in this life as the Popes pardons and yet as your selues teach vs a plenarie indulgence will salue this impuritie I say secondly that it is a needelesse thing to establish popish purgatorie because popish pardons supplie the want thereof This is proued copiously in my booke of Motiues I say thirdly that the faithfull and elect children of God haue their cleanenesse before him in Christ his sonne with which they may enter into heauen For as S. Iohn saith they haue washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lambe who as S. Paul saith when hee knew no sinne was yet made the sacrifice for sin that we might be the righteousnes of God in him And as S. Peter saith their hearts are purified by faith yea as Christ himself saith his sacred word hath made them cleane In fine holy Writ pronounceth them blessed that die in the Lord that they rest from their labors Which being so they neither haue any impurity nor suffer any purgatorie paine The replie You all confesse that your inherent iustice is vnperfect and impure and so your vncleanenes must be taken away after this life be fore yee come into heauen ergo there is a purgatorie The answere I answere that original concupiscence is an inseperable accidēt during this life aswel in you as in vs but as it is proper to this state so is it taken away in that very instant in which our state is altered The 11. obiection S. Peter saith that God raised vp Christ after he had loosed the sorrows of hel This place saith our Iesuite must needs be vnderstood of purgatory for first it cānot be meant of the damned because their paines shal neuer end Secondly it cannot be meant of the sorrowes of Christ because they were finished on the crosse Thirdly it cannot be meant of the fathers in Limbo because they had no paine at all it therefore remaineth that it be meant of the sorrowes which soules abide in purgatorie The answere I say first that if their Latin text were sound this obiection would solue it selfe for the originall and Greeke text is this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hauing loosed the sorrowes of death Out of which words nothing can be gathered that fauoreth purgatory any thing at al. I say secondly that if it were as y e papists do reade the sorrowes of hel being loosed their soules should alwayes feele paine but neuer haue an end Which cannot be truely verified of their purgatorie fire I say thirdly that the fathers whō the papists hold to haue bin in Limbo at that time did according to their owne doctrine suffer poenam damni because they were not as yet partakers of the cleare vision beatificall which Bellarmine granteth in another place and so is repugnant to himselfe But let that be deemed a small fault in a Iesuite which is thought a great crime in another man Adde hereunto that poena damni is a greater pain then poena sensus by their best popish diuinitie I say fourthly that by the sorrows of death is meant nothing els but the bitter paines which Christ suffered vpon the crosse to accomplish mans redemption For then did he properly perfectly triumph ouer death when he rose againe from death who was deliuered to death for our sins saith Saint Paul and is risen againe for our iustification And the verie words of the text next following in the Actes doe confirme this exposition for there it is thus written whome God raised vp and loosed the sorrowes of death because it was vnpossible that he should be holden of it as if S. Peter had said although the passion of Christ was so bitter exceeding great as implying the curse and malediction due for our sinnes insomuch that the remembrance therof caused him to sweate out drops of blood yet could not death possiblie preuaile against him but that he should rise againe and conquer both hel and it The replie Although the greek word in the 24. verse signifieth death yet in the 27 verse it signifieth hel and so the sense is against you The answere I answer that the hebrew word in the psalme from whence this sentence is taken is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and signifieth a sepulchre or graue and so doth your owne great linguiste Arias Montanus interpret it as if the Prophet hadde saide thou wilt not leaue my soule or life in the graue For the course of holy scripture doth comprehende our life vnder the name of the Soule so saith the Prophet Ionas therefore now O Lord take I beseech thee my soule from me for it is better for me to die then to liue So is it in the Hebrew and original and yet by
the Papists themselues and consequently that the papists ought not to make account of his iudgement herein For you doe see that he granteth the punishment of the damned to be mitigated in hell for the prayers of the liuing which thing no papist will or dare auouch And the like is to be saide of other of the Fathers when they folow opinions not grounded vpon the word of God Saint Austen therefore must be reiected by his owne rule as I haue prooued in my Motiues when he dissenteth from Gods word the true touchstone and triall of all trueth And saint Austens inconstancie is plainely vttered in an other place where he hath these wordes Quod quidem non ideo confirmo quoniam non resisâ—o Which verily I do not therefore approue because I do not impugne it Out of which wordes I note that though saint Austen could not approoue the opinion of the vulgar sort as which he knew to haue no ground but a meere naturall affection yet would hee not condemne it but leaue it as in suspense The foureteenth obiection Praier for the dead is proued by the scripture euen in y t new testament for when S. Iohn forbids to pray for them that die without repentance he doubtles exhorts to pray for them that die penitent The answer I say first that when cardinall Allen in his notes vpon this place auoucheth roundly that this text coÌ„uinceth praier for the dead he may tell that tale to wise men and repute himselfe a foole for his paines For first as S. Austen vpon whose authoritie he only buildeth affirmeth that the apostle speaketh of him that dieth impenitent so doth the same S. Austen auouch that he doth iniury to a martyr that praieth for a martyr which is a receiued axiome with the papists and consequently when he inferreth out of S. Austen that we must pray for them that die penitent he concludeth against S. Austen that wee must pray for most constant martyrs and so commit a manifest iniurie So then albeit S. Iohn dehorteth from praying for such as die without repentance yet doth he not exhort vs to pray for those that die penitent for otherwise doubtles wee must pray for martyrs which no papist wil allow I say secondly that S. Iohn exhorteth to pray for penitent sinners here on earth but not for the dead I prooue it because these are saint Iohns words If any shal see his brother sinning a sin not to death but he that sinneth is in this life for wee can not see a man sinning in the next life where no sinne is committed and therfore S. Iohn speaketh of prayer only in this life I say thirdly that saint Iohus purpose is this no other to exhort vs to repentance for our sins in this life because after this life there is neither repentance nor remission of sinnes to be had neither can any other sense be truely deduced out of S. Iohns words Yea their owne cardinall Caietane doth so expound this place to their vtter confusion CHAP. VII Of praying to Saints departed COncerning the inuocation of Saints great abuses and intollerable superstition haue crept into the church and dazeled the eies of the vulgar sort wherein I desire diligent attention and indifferent iudgement vntill the end of my discourse The first Conclusion Albeit a christian man neuer pray to the saints departed yet doth he not sinne therein I prooue it because euery sinne is a transgression of Gods law or commandement but God hath made no law nor giuen any commandement to pray to saints Ergo not to pray to them is no sin at all The proposition is a receiued maxime in the Romish church grounded on these wordes of saint Austen Peccatum est factum vel dictum vel concupitum aliquid contra legem aeternam Sinne is any deed word or thought against the eternall law which is the will of God Saint Ambrose confirmeth Saint Augustines description in these wordes Quid est peccatum nisi praeuaricatio legis diuinae caelestium inobedientia praeceptorum What is sinne but the transgression of Gods lawe and the disobedience of his holie precepts The assumption is secure vntil the papists can alleadge some precept out of the olde or new testament for the inuocation of saints which they will doe ad Calendas Graecas But the Papistes thinke they haue a mightie obiection against this Conclusion taken out of Genesis in these wordes Et innocetur super eos nomen meum nomina quaeque patrum meorum Abraham Isaac And let my name be called vpon them and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac To which I answere thus First this vocation or nomination was not any precept from God but the meere fact of Iacob or Israel who as hee was holy so was he a man and might haue erred herein as man Secondly the hebrew text is thus Let my name be named in them that is let them bee called my children by adoption or let them bee surnamed after me For it was the custome both of the Hebrewes and of the Greekes to expresse the surname of euery one by the name of the father as Aristoteles the sonne of Nicomachus Zenophon the sonne of Gryllus Cambyses the sonne of Cyrus Thirdly the whole course of holy scripture doth yeelde this interpretation of Iacobs wordes In the olde testament it was a great reproch for a woman to beare no children though nowe with the Papists they be reputed holy that will rashly vow neuer to marry for which respect the small remnant of men left after the execution of Gods iustice in the destruction of Ierusalem inforced women contrary to womanly shamefastnesse to seek vnto men and to offer themselues to very base conditions to the end they would be their husbands and so take away their reproch Which thing the prophet Ieremy vttereth in these wordes In that day seuen women shall take hold of one man saying We will eate our owne bread and weare our owne garments onely let vs be called by thy name and take away our reproch Thus writeth Gods holy prophet whose discourse with the due circumstances thereof if the christian Reader wil exactly ponder he shall behold as clearely as the glittering beames of the sunne the most impudent and sophisticall dealing of the papists For though the words aswell in the latine as in the Hebrew be all one and the very same yet are the papists ashamed I am well assured to inferre or proue inuocation of Saints by this latter place That which I say is euident because these women desired nothing else of the man but that he would be their husband and that they might be called his wiues and so put away their reproch This interpretation is plainely touched in the expresse wordes of the text when the women desired the man to take their reproch away by letting his name be called vppon them for which end they promised not only
Surplesse and the stole about his necke sang a collect of martyrs so after his maner canonising a rebellious subiect for a saint Such is the seditious impudencie of newly hatched Romish Iesuites And least any other Iesuite or papist shall denie that they ascribe their saluation to saintes for they vse to say that they make them but mediatours of intercession and not of saluation and redemption I will prooue it flatly out of their owne bookes and church seruice which I wish the reader to marke attentiuely In the praier which the church of Rome readeth publickly vpon Thomas Beckets day sometime the Bishop of Canturburie I finde these wordes Deus pro cuius ecclesia gloriosus poÌ„tifex Thomas gladiis impiorum occubuit praesia quaesumus vt omnes qui eius implorant auxilium petitionis suae salutarem consequantur effectum O God for whose church the glorious bishop Thomas was put to death by the swordes of the wicked graunt wee beseech thee that all which desire his helpe may attaine the effect of their petition to saluation Out of these wordes I note first that Thomas Becket is pronounced a glorious martyr albeit the disobedience of his lawfull prince was the cause of his death I note secondly that the Romish church seeketh for saluation euen through his merites I note thirdly that the papistes make him a Sauiour yea such a Sauiour as is equall with Christ and consequently that they make him another Christ. For as S. Paule truely recordeth Christ redeemed the church with his owne bloud And yet doth the Romish church teache as yee see that Thomas Becket shed his bloud for the church of God Since therefore the proper and onely badge of Christes mediatorship is giuen to Thomas Becket what remaineth for him to be if not another Christ And least we should not fully vnderstand how our redemption is wrought in the bloud of Thomas they deliuer this mysterie more cleerely in another place in these wordes Tuper Tho. sanguineÌ„ queÌ„ pro te impendit fac nos Christe scandere quò Thomas ascendit Thou O Christ cause vs to come thither where Thomas is euen by the bloud which hee shedde for thy sake Loe Thomas Becket died for vs and shed his bloud to bring vs to heaueÌ„ as the papists teach vs therfore by their doctrine hee is our redeemer and mediatour not only of intercession but also of redemption In their praier bookes deliuered to the vulgar people which God wote they vnderstoode not they teache the people thus to inuocate their proper Aungels Angele Dei quicustos es mei pietate superna me tibi commissum salua defende guberna O Aungell of God who art my keeper by supernall pietie defend mee gouerne mee and saue my soule To S. Paule they teache vs to pray in this maner O beate Paule apostole te deprecor vt ab angelo Sathanae me eripias à ventura ira liberes in coelum introducas O blessed Apostle Paul I pray thee that thou wilt take me from the angel of Satan and deliuer me from wrathe to come and bring me into heauen To Saint Iames in this maner O foelix Apostole magne martyr Iacobe te colentes adiuua peregrinos vndique tuos clemens protege ducens ad coelestia O happy Apostle and mightie martyr Iames helpe thy worshippers defend courteously thy pilgrimes on euery side and bring them to heauenly ioyes To Saint Martin thus Caecis das viam mutisque loquelam tu nos adiuua mundans immunda qui fugas daemâ—nia nos hic libera O Martin thou causest the blinde to see and the dumbe to speake Helpe vs and purge the vncleane thou that castest out diuels deliuer vs here But for breuitis sake I wil wittingly and willingly superseade many particular praiers made to meaner saintes and come to the blessed Virgine The Papistes teache vs to inuocate the holy virgine Mary thus O Maria gloriosa in delitiis delitiosa praepara nobis gloriam O Mary glorious in dainties delicious prepare thou glory for vs. Againe in another place thus Maria mater Domini aeterni patris filij fer opem nobis omnibus ad teconfugientibus O Mary the mother of our Lord the sonne of the eternall God helpe vs all that flie for helpe vnto thee Againe in another place thus Maria mater gratiae mater misericordiae tu nos ab hoste protege hora mortis suscipe O Mary the mother of grace the mother of mercie defend thou vs from our ghostly enemie and receiue vs at the houre of death Againe in another place thus Solue vincla reis profer lumen caecis mala nostra pelle bona cunctae posce Monstra te esse matrem sumat per te preces qui pro nobis natus tulit esse tuus Loose the bandes of the guiltie bring light to the blinde driue away our euils require all good thinges for vs shew thy selfe to be a mother let him receiue thy praiers that was borne for vs and suffered to be thine Againe in another place thus Veni regina gentium dele flammas reatuum dele quod cunque deuium da vitam innocentium Come O Queene of the Gentiles extinguishe the firie heate of our sinnes blot out whatsoeuer is amisse and cause vs to leade an innocent life Againe in their olde Latine primers the people are thus taught to pray In extremis diebus meis esto mihi auxiliatrix saluatrix animam meam animam patris mei matris meae fratrum sororum parentum amicorum benefactorum meorum omnium fidelium defunctorum ac viuorum ab aeterna mortis caligine libera ipso auxiliante quem portasti Domino nostro Iesu Christo filio tuo O glorious Virgine Mary bee thou my helper and Sauiour in my last dayes and deliuer from the mist of eternall death both mine owne soule and my fathers soule and the soules of my mother brethren sisters parents friends benefactors and of all the faithfull liuing and dead by his help whom thou didst beare our Lord Iesus Christ thy sonne Againe after two or three leaues in this maner Vt in tuo sancto tremendo ac terribili iudicio in conspectu vnigeniti filii tui cui pater dedit omne iudicium me liberes protegas a paenis inferni participem me facias coelestium gaudiorum I beseech thee most mercifull and chaste virgine Mary that in thine holy fearefull and terrible iudgement in the sight of thine only sonne thou wilt deliuer and defend me from the paines of hell and make me partaker of heauenly ioyes These praiers if they be well marked will prooue my conclusion effectually as which conteine euery iote of power right maiestie glorie and soueraignty whatsoeuer is or ought to be yeelded vnto our Lord Iesus Christ. Yea these two last praiers make the virgine Mary not onely equall with Christ but farre
the reward of eternal life I say fourthly that to inuocate saints departed beleeuing that they can do heare our praiers is to make them gods And euen so shuld we make the liuing gods if we did in that maner cal on thē in their absence I may therfore wel conclude that though the one kind of praying be godly and imitable yet is the other damnable and flat idololatricall for God is zealous and wil not giue his glorie to another The second obiection The soule of the rich man in hel knew where Abraham was as also the state of Lazarus and of his brethren then liuing therfore much more do the saints in heauen know our state on earth The answere I say first that parables and allegories are not sufficient to establish any new kind of doctrine for by this parable as Irenaeus recordeth Christ meant nothing els but to declare the cogitations torments state of the wicked after this life Iustinus is of the same opinion hereupon flatly denieth purgatory I say secondly that if this were granted to be a true history no parable yet would it not follow therupon that the saints in heauen knew our thoughts and praiers here on earth for as S. Austen grauely writeth though the dead knowe not what is done here on earth while wee doe it yet may they afterwarde know what is done either by the dead that go from hence or by the angels that are present when the things are done and this knowledge had Abraham by the relation of the dead and no otherwise as witnesseth the same S. Austen in the same booke The third obiection S. Austen Ambrose Gregory Cyprian and the ancient fathers generally vsed to inuocate and to pray vnto the saints and therfore it is neither any new thing nor any vnlawful act The answere Better answer cannot be giuen to the fathers then that which is truely gathered out of the works of the same fathers I therfore say first with Cyprian that we must heare attend what Christ alone saith in whom God is wel pleased We must not regard what others think shuld be done but what Christ who was before al wold haue to be done for we must not folow the custom of man but the truth of god so saith holy Cyprian To which I may adde with S. Ierome that y e multitude of them that erre bring no patronage to the error it self with Augustine that neither what I say nor what thou saiest but what Christ saith ought to be regarded with Tertullian that that is tru whatsoeuer was first that coūterfeit whatsoeuer came after I say secondly that thogh the papists glorie greatly of y e fathers in this point yet when their sayings are duly considered they wil make litle or nothing for their purpose And that the reader may with perspicuitie behold the force of their doctrine in this point which hath kept my selfe long in suspence I purpose in God to deliuer the sum thereof by these plaine and briefe canons The first Canon The visible Church as writeth Egesippus remained a virgin free from all heresies and corruptions during the life of the Apostles that is about one hundred yeeres after Christ to which time S. Iohn the euangelist was liuing But after the death of the apostles errors by litle and little crept into the church as into a voide and desart house Which assertion is doleful inough but yet profitable against the papists as who are not ashamed impudently to auouch that after so many hundred yeres from Christs ascension there hath been no errour at all in their whorish Babylon And a great cause of these errors is this for that many without due examination receiued the doctrine of him that went before them So writeth Eusebius that Papias a man of no sound iudgement was the Author of the Chiliastes as who first grossely inuented that there should be 1000. yeres after the resurrection To which error though most palpable Irenaeus and others otherwise wel learned gaue place onely for antiquitie sake This imitation without time or reason was is and wil bee the cause of many errors which sundrie of the learned papists haue profoundly considered For this cause did Canus oppose himselfe against al the Thomists Scotists the old and latter papists for this cause did Caietanus in his literall exposition of Genesis and other bookes condemne the multitude of former commentaries for this cause said their learned Victoria that he reputed nothing certaine albeit al writers agreed thereunto vnlesse he could finde it in the holy scriptures for this cause their sound canonist Nauarre did roundly reiect the common opinion when it seemed not grounded vpon right reason for this cause grauely said Saint Austen that he reputed no mans writings free from errours but onely the writers of the holy scriptures for this cause said their owne Roffensis that it is lawful to appeale from Austen Cyprian Hierome and al the rest because they are men and do not want their imperfections I saith S. Austen do not repute S. Cyprians writings as canonical but iudge them by the canonicall and whatsoeuer doth not agree with the scriptures that by his leaue do I refuse The second Canon Many of the ancient fathers haue not only many waies erred but withall committed to the view of the worlde in printed bookes that which this day is reputed and generally confessed of al as wel papists as good christians to be a notorious heresie The heresie is this to wit that the soules of the faithful departed out of this life doe not see God clearely till the day of doome This opinion held Iustinus Martyr Irenaeus Origenes Chrysost. Theodoritus Hilarius Ambrosius Augustinus Lactantius yea these latter writers were of the selfesame resolution Theophilactus Oecumenius Euthymius Arethas and others And to the great comfort of our Iesuits and other papists their owne sweete S. Barnard singeth the same song these are his words Aduertistis ni fallor tres esse sanctarum status animarum primum videlicet in corpore corruptibili secundum sine corpore tertium in beatitudine consummata primū in tabernaculis secundū inatriis tertium in domo dei Infra in illam beatissimam domum nec sine nobis intrabunt nec sine corporibus id est nec sancti fine plebe nec spiritus sine carne Ye vnderstand I weene that there be three states of holy soules to wit the first in the corruptible body the second without the body the third in perfect blisse the first in tabernacles the second in courts the third in the house of God Into that most blessed house they shall neither enter without vs nor yet without their bodies that is neither the saints without the common multitude nor the soules without the flesh Again in another place the same Bernard hath these words Interim sub Christi
answere I say first that in S. Chrysostomes time which was more then 400. yeres after Christ this superstitious inuocation had gotten deepe roote in the heartes of the vulgar sort For which cause S. Chrysostome did zealously in many sermons induce them wholly and solie to inuocate the liuing God One or two places I will alledge for the better satisfaction of the Reader thus therefore doth hee write Dic mihi mulier quemadinodum ausa es cum sis peccatrix iniqua accedere ad eum ego inquit noui quid agam Vide prudentiam mulieris non rogat Iacobum non obsecrat Ioannem neque pergit ad Petrum nec intendit Apostolorum chorum non quaesiuit mediatorem sed pro omnibus illis paenitentiam accepit comitem quae aduocati locum impleuit sic ad summum fontem perrexit Propterea inquit descendit propterea carnem assumpsit homo factus est vt ego ei audeâ—m loqui Tell mee O woman howe thou being a great sinner darest come vnto God I saieth she know what I haue to doe Behold the wisdome of the woman she desires not Iames she praies not Iohn shee goes not to Peter shee neither respected the companie of the Apostles nor sought for a mediatour but in steed of them all shee tooke true repentance for her fellowe which supplied the place of an aduocate and so she came to the chiefe fountaine For this end saith shee did Christ descend for this end did hee take our nature vpon him and was made man that I may boldly speak vnto him Againe in another place the same S. Chrysostome saith thus Sin vero sobrie agemus etiam per nosmetipsos istud valeamus efficere multo magis per nos quam per alios Nam Deus gratiam non tam aliis rogantibus pro nobis quam nobis vult donare quo fruamur libertate Deum compellandi emendemur dum ipsi studemus deum reconciliare sic Chananaeam illam aliquando miseratus est sic etiam meretrici donauit salutem sic latronem nullo patrono nullo mediatore intercedente But if we will deale soberly wee may dispatche that by our owne selues and a great deale better by our selues then by others For God will giue vs his grace not so muche for the praiers of others as for our owne sake that so wee may haue libertie to call vpon God and to amend our liues while wee seeke to bee reconciled to him So had hee mercie on the woman of Chanaan so gaue hee remission of sinnes to the adulteresse so did hee saue the theefe without any patrone without any mediatour Thus saith Saint Chrysostome Out of whose wordes I note first that hee greatly commendeth those who will immediately call vpon God and neither seeke to Peter nor to Paule nor to anie mediatour but Christ Iesus I note secondly that hee greatly reprooueth all such as are afraid to call vpon God by reason of their sins teâ—lâ—â—g theÌ„ that a penitent heart is the chief patron before God Thirdly that Christ Iesus tooke our nature vpon him for this end that sinners may boldly call vpon him I note fourthly that God wil sooner heare our selues theÌ„ other for vs. I note fiftly that wheÌ„ we cal vpon god immediatly we confirm our christian libertie I say secondly that the masse which goeth abroad vnder the name of S. Chrysostome is a meere counterfeit for first there be diuers copies and diuerse translations whereof neuer one agreeth with another Againe if S. Chrysostome had written any such masse he should be contrarie to himselfe in sundrie places of his works Thirdly because if S. Iames S. Basil S. Chrysostome shoulde euerie one of them haue made a masse as popish printed bookes tel vs it must needes follow which the papists will not wel like of that the bishop of Rome hadde in those dayes smal authoritie For now a dayes nothing may be done without the popes consent but then bishops made masses at their pleasure and the pope made none at all Fourthly because in this supposed S. Chrysost. masse there is often repeated this blasphemous prayer Saue vs by the prayers of thy saints Fiftly because prayer is there made for pope Nicholas and for the Empereur Alexius who both liued long after S. Chrysostomes death the one 500. yeares the other 800. yeares I say thirdly that the other places of S. Chrysostom are euen like to his masse and whosoeuer thinketh otherwise must say that he is contrarie to himselfe as is alreadie proued CHAP. VIII Of Popish Pilgrimage GOds people of late yeres haue beene wonderfully seduced and that by the sinister and false perswasion of the papists who taught them to merite their saluation by gadding on pilgrimage to visit stocks stones and dead mens bones The whole summe whereof for perspicuitie sake I shall reduce to certaine briefe conclusions The first conclusion The common people about the yeare of our Lord 420. were so addicted to sundry kinds of superstition partly by the instinct of Satan partly by the negligence of some Bishops and partly by the vndiscreet doctrine of othersome that S. Austen was at his wits end not knowing which way to turne him or what to do because he vtterly condemned many things in his heart which he durst not freely reprooue speake against This conclusion will seeme strange to many a one but S. Austen doth himselfe deliuer it to vs whose expresse words are these Quod autem instituitur praeter consuetudinem vt quasi obseruatto sacramenti sit approbare non possum etiamsi multa huiusmodi propter nonnullarum vel sanctarum vel turbulentarum personarum scandala vitanda liberius improbare non audeo Sed hoc nimis doleo quòd multa quae in diuinis libris saluberrima praecepta sunt minus curantur tam multis praesumptionibus sic plena sunt omnia vt grauius corripiatur qui per octauas suas terram nudo pede tetigerit quam qui mentem vinolentia sepelierit Omnia itaque talia quae neque sanctarum scripturarum authoritatibus contineÌ„tur nec in concilijs episcoporum statuta inueniuntur nec consuetudine vniuersae ecclesiae roborata sunt sed diuersorum locorum diuersis moribus innumerabiliter variantur ita vt vix aut omnino nunquam inueniri possint causae quas in eis instituendis homines secuti sunt vbi facultas tribuitur sine vlla dubitatione resecanda existimo Quamuis enim neque hoc inueniri possit quomodo contra fidem fint ipsam tamen religionem quam paucissimis manifestissimis celebrationum sacramentis misericordia dei esse liberam voluit seruilibus oneribus premunt vt tolerabilior sit conditio Iudaeorum qui etiamsi tempus libertatis non agnouerint legalibus tamen sarcinis non humanis praesumptionibus subijciuntur I can not approue that which beside custome is ordeyned to be obserued as an holy thing albeit
that whosoeuer will worship God truely must worship him neither in the mountaines neither in Hierusalem but in spirite and veritie I say thirdly y t as going on pilgrimage is commendable in some and tolerable in other some so is it necessary to saluation in none and very vnfit for many Which thing their own S. Bernard can tel them whose iudgment I am well assured no papist will refuse I say fourthly that popishe pilgrimage was not knowne in Christes church for the space of manie hundreth yeares after Christes sacred incarnation Neither shall the papistes euer be able to cite anie authenticall writer for the contrary The fift obiection S. Ambrose telleth great miracles done by the bodies of S. Geruasius and Protasius while they were touched lying on the coffin S Austen reciteth like miracles which were wrought by the reliques of S. Steuen S. Chrysostome Eusebius Palladius and diuers others make mention of the like miracles Yea the holy scripture it selfe telleth vs that myracles were done euen by touching the reliques of Elizaeus Why therefore may not the people this day resorte to suche places where such wonderfull miracles haue been done for to get helpe either of corporall diseases or spirituall is the cause of their going thither And for corporall helpes your selues this day go to S. Anne of Buxton and to other like places The answere I say first that the scripture telleth vs of the death of Saint Steuen of S. Ioseph of Moses and others as also of their funerals but not one word of inuocatioÌ„ or adoration done vnto their reliques I say secondly that y e fathers which tel vs of the miracles done by the reliques of saintes doe neither will vs to inuocate nor to adore them I say thirdly that miracles as S. Austen and S. Gregory doe truely write are for infidels and not for the faithfull For which respect they were frequent in the primitiue Church as rare as a white crowe or black swanne in latter daies I say fourthly that God wrought miracles by the reliques of his chosen seruantes aswel to prooue his owne diuine soueraigntie as their true faith in him But not that we should adore dumbe bones and dead ashes or seeke to merite by such pilgrimage I say fiftly that God confirmed the authoritie of Elizaeus by the myracle wrought at the contact of his dead bones that at the sight thereof the people might embrace his doctrine which they contemned in his life time or at least be thereby confounded to their greater condemnation And the same I say of other miracles done by other reliques I say sixtly y t if the good king Ezechias was highly coÌ„mended in the holy scripture because he pulled downe the brasen serpent set vp by Gods appointment so soone as the people committed idolatry by adoring the same worthily are those christian princes commended who prohibite their people from gadding on pilgrimage in popish idolatricall maner albeit y e originall therof was tolerable and a long time free from popish godles superstition I say seuenthly that waters haue natural curatiue qualities in sundrie places as haue also certain herbs stones and metals Which effects some ascribe to the water of Burton though my selfe haue long doubted thereof How soeuer that be to go thither for merite or in way of such satisfaction for our sinnes is flat idolatrie The sixt obiection S. Iustine who liued shortly after the apostles telleth of great honour done vnto reliques as that the bodies of martyrs defended men from the diuels cured many incurable diseases The answere I say first that Iustinus liued more then one hundreth and fiftie yeares after Christ and speaketh nothing at all of adoration Only this he saith that great myracles haue been done at the Sepulchres of martyrs which no learned man can or will denie I say secondly that the questions from whence your obiection came are counterfait and not S. Iustins indeed I prooue it because in the 82. and in the 86. questions I finde mention made of Origen who was borne long after the death of S. Iustinus So likewise in the 127. question mention is made of the Manichees who yet followed long after S. Iustines death CHAP. IX Of Christian righteousnesse or iustification THe Papistes doe not onely dishonour God while they seek to establish their owne righteousnesse but withall they slander good and true christians auouching them to be contemners of good workes but how blasphemous they be on the one side and howe malitious on the other shall sufficiently appeare by these briefe conclusions The first conclusion Man albeit hee was so created as hee might sinne and die which thing the euent it selfe declared yet was he so adorned and beautified with supernaturall giftes and graces aswel external as internal that he might haue liued eternally and haue eschewed all sinne world without end This conclusion I thus proue That man might haue liued euer if he had not sinned is euident by Gods owne wordes when he saith Thou shalt eate freely of euery tree of the garden but of the tree of knowledge of good and euill thou shalt not eate of it for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death And againe in another place after that he had pronounced the earth cursed for Adams sinne he vttered these words For out of it wast thou taken because thou art dust and to dust shalt thou returne By which wordes it appeareth that if hee had not transgressed he should not haue died S. Austen confirmeth the same in these wordes Quapropter fatendum est primos homines ita fuisse institutos vt si non peccassent nullum mortis experirentur genus Wherefore wee must confesse that our first parentes were so created that vnlesse they had sinned they shoulde haue felt no kinde of death neither of soule nor of body Death saith S. Bernard shoulde neuer haue followed if sinne had not gone before S. Chrysostome gathereth this conclusion out of the expresse text of Genesis These are his wordes Factus enim est mortalis propter praeuaricationem vt ex hoc mandato his quae sequuta sunt claret Sequitur itaque ante praeuaricationem immortales erant alioqui post cibum non hoc supâ—licij loco imposuisset For he became mortall by reason of transgression as is euident by this commandement and that which followeth after Therefore they were immortal before the transgression otherwise after the eating thereof this punishment should not haue been imposed vpon them He confirmeth the same in another place where he writeth thus Cum Adam peccasset corpus illius confestim mortale ac passibile factum est plurimosque recepit naturales defectus So soone as Adam had sinned his bodie forthwith became mortall and passible and receiued many natural defects That Adam might haue liued without al kind of sin is likewise manifest by y e scripture which saith that God made man
otherwise he should be contrarie to himselfe who affirmeth it to bee sinne in many places of his works as is alreadie prooued but hee onely laboureth to perswade the reader that it is neuer imputed to the faithfull that stoutly striue against it And that this is the true meaning of S. Austen I proue it by the iudgement of S. Ambrose concerning the selfe same matter Thus doth hee write Caro contra spiritum contra carnem spiritus concupiscit â—ec inuenitur in vllo hominum tanta concordia vt legi mentis lex quae membris est insita non repugnet Propter quod ex omnium sanctorum persona accipitur quod Ioannes apostolus ait si dixerimus quoniam peccatum non habemus nosipsos seducimus veritas in nobis non est cum tamen idem ipse dicat qui natus est ex Deo peccatum non facit qoniam semen ipsius in eo manet non potest peccare quoniaÌ„ ex Deo natus est Vtrumque ergo verum est quia nemo sine peccato est in eo quod nemo est fine lege peccati qui natus est ex Deo peccatum non facit quia per legem mentis id est per charitatem quae Dei semen est peccatum non facit Charitas enim operit multitudineÌ„ peccatoruÌ„ the flesh lusteth against the spirit the spirit against the flesh neither is there found in any man such concord but that the lawe of concupiscence which is ingrafted in the members fighteth against the law of the mind And for that cause Saint Iohns words are taken as spoken in the person of all saints If we say we haue no sin we deceiue our selues and the truth is not in vs when for al that the same apostle saith He that is borne of God sinneth not because his seed abideth in him and he cannot sinne because he is of God Therfore both are true because no man is without sinne for that no man is without the law of sinne that is concupiscence and he that is borne of God sinneth not bicause he sinneth not by the law of his mind that is by charitie which is Gods seede for charitie couereth the multitude of sinnes Out of these words I note first that concupiscence moueth rebellion against the spirit in the holyest man vpon earth I note secondly that this rebellion of concupiscence is sinne in euerie one because S. Iohn speaketh of sinne indeede whose words saint Ambrose applieth heere to concupiscence I note thirdly that hee speaketh of originall concupiscence because he speaketh of that concupiscence which is in the saints that is in those that are borne of God I note fourthly that the faithfull sinne not because charitie couereth their sins So then S. Austen meaneth as S. Ambrose doth that they are without sin to whom sinne is not imputed Yea Aquinas himselfe granteth which is to be admired that the inordinate motion of sensualitie euen which goeth before the deliberation of reason is sinne though in a lowe degree These are his expresse wordes Dicendum quòd illud quod homo facit sine deliberatione rationis non perfectè ipse facit quia nihil operatur ibi id quod est principale in homine vnde non est perfectè actus humanus per consequens non potestesse perfectè actus virtutis vel peccati sed aliquid imperfectum in genere horum Vnde talis motus sensualitatis rationem praeueniens est peccatum veniale quod est quiddam imperfectum in genere peccati I answere that that which man doth without the deliberation of reason he doth it not perfectly because that which is the chiefe in man worketh nothing there wherefore it is not perfectly mans act and consequently it cannot be perfectly the act of vertue or of sinne but some imperfect thing in this kinde Whereupon such a motion of sensuality preuenting reason is a venial sinne which is a certaine imperfect thing in the nature of sinne The fourth replie Concupiscence at the most is but a little venial sinne as S. Thomas Aquinas truely saith therefore it cannot bring a man to hell neither debarre him of heauen The answere I answere that euerie sin is mortall vndoubtedly as which is flatly against Gods holy commaundements For that the transgression of Gods commandements is a grieuous mortal sinne no man euer did or will denie Cursed is euery one saith the apostle that continueth not in all things which are written in the booke of the law to doe them Againe in another place The reward or wage of sinne is death And S. Iames saith Whosoeuer shall keepe the whole lawe and yet faileth in one point he is guiltie of all Nowe that euerie sinne aswel great as small is against Gods holy lawe I prooue sundrie waies First because the Apostle saith that al our thoughts words and works ought to be referred to the glorie of God for most certaine it is that no sinne at al is referred to Gods glorie For no sin no not the least of al is referrible to god but is of it own nature repugnant to his glorie Secondly because wee must yeelde an account to God for euerie idle word as Christ himselfe telleth vs and yet as euerie child can perceiue God most merciful and most iust wil neuer lay that to our charge which is not against his holy law Thirdly because the apostle saith of sin generally that the punishment thereof is death Fourthly because sinne in generall is defined by the fathers to bee the transgression of Gods law which definition could not bee true if anie little sinne could stand with his commaundement Fiftly because famous popish writers as Ioannes Gerson Michael Baius Almayn and our owne Bishop of Rochester doe all freely graunt that euerie sinne is mortall of it owne nature and deserueth eternall death their words I haue alleaged in my booke of Motiues Sixtly because Durandus and Iosephus Angles to whom the Schooles of the papistes this day accord doe sharpely impugne Aquinas his doctrine in that he teacheth Venials not to be against Gods law The 7. conclusion Although good works do not iustifie yet are they pretious in Gods sight and neuer want their reward Christ himselfe prooueth this conclusion when he promiseth that not so much as a cup of colde water giuen in his name shall passe without reward And in another place hee saith That whosoeuer shall leaue house parents brethren wife or children for his sake shal receiue much more in this world and in the world to come life euerlasting And in another place Christ telleth vs that when the sonne of man commeth in his glory and al his holy angels with him then will he pronounce them blessed that haue done the works of charitie to their poore neighbours God saith S. Paul will reward euery man according to his workes The Lord rewarded me saith holy
like worthie for that communion not as it was in the olde lawe where the priest ate one part and the people another neither coulde the people be permitted to take part of that that the priest ate For nowe it is not so but to all is proposed one bodie and one cuppe Out of these golden words I note first that the difference in communion is a Iudaicall ceremonie from which Christs death deliuered vs. I note secondly that in the christian communion the common people ought to be as free as the minister I note thirdly that it was so in Saint Chrysostomes time when the people receiued vnder both kinds I note fourthly that the pope hath brought vs into greater bondage then euer were the Iewes S. Ignatius hath these wordes Vna est caro domini Iesu vnus eius sanguis qui pro nobis effusus est vnus etiam panis pro omnibus confractus vnus calix totius ecclesiae There is one flesh of our Lord Iesus one blood which was shed for vs one bread also broken for all and one cuppe of the whole church Saint Iustine hath these wordes Praesidens vero postquam gratiarum actionem perfecit populus vniuersus apprecatione laeta eum comprobauit qui apud nos vocantur diaconi atquo ministri distribuunt vnicuique praesentium vt participet eum in quo gratiae actae sunt panem vinum aquam After the chiefe pastour hath finished the giuing of thankes and all the people haue with ioyfull prayer approoued the same they that we cal Deacons and Ministers do distribute to euery one that is present the sanctified bread wine and water to be partaker thereof Yea the said Iustinus a little after addeth these important wordes Nam apostoli in commentarijs à se scriptis quae euangelia vocantur ita tradiderunt praecepisse sibi Iesum For the apostles in their commentaries that is in the gospelles haue taught vs that Iesus so commaunded them to minister the holie communion Where note by the way that Christ did not onelie ordaine both kindes but he also gaue commaundement to retaine the same in the church For which cause saint Paul teaching the Corinthians to communicate vnder both kinds said that he receiued that form maner from the Lord. S. Austen hath these words Cum Dom. dicat nisi manducaueritis carnem meam biberitis meum sanguinem non habebitis vitam in vobis quid sibi vult quod à sanguine sacrificiorum quae pro peccatis offerebantur tantopere populus prohibetur si illis sacrificijs vnum hoc sacrificium significabatur in quo vera sit remissio peccatorum à cuius tamen sacrificij sanguine in alimentum sumendo noÌ„ solum nemo prohibetur sed ad bibendum potius omnes exhortaÌ„tur qui volunt habere vitam When our Lord saith vnles ye shal eate my flesh and drinke my blood ye shal haue no life in you what meaneth it that the people is so greatly forbidden the blood of sacrifices which was offered for sins if in those sacrifices this onely sacrifice was signified in which there is true remission of sins From y e blood of which sacrifice for al that to be takeÌ„ for nourishment not only none is prohibited but al rather are exhorted to drinke it that desire to haue life S. Ambrose at such time as the emperour Theodosius after his great slaughter of men at Thessalonica desired to enter into the church at Millan and there to be partaker of the holie eucharist spoke these words vnto him Quî quaeso manus iniusta caede sanguine respersas extendere audes eisdem sacrosanctum corpus domini accipere aut quomodo venerandum eius sanguinem ori admouebis qui furore irae iubente tantum sanguinis tam iniquè effudisti How I pray thee darest thou stretch out thy hands sprinckled with vniust slaughter and blood and to take the holie bodie of our Lord in the same Or how wilt thou touch thy mouth with his venerable blood who to satisfy thy fury hast shed so much bloud so vnworthily Gregorius magnus their owne bishop of Rome confirmeth this veritie in these words Eius quippe ibi corpus sumitur eius caro in populi salutem partitur eius sanguis non iam in manus infidelium sed in ora fidelium funditur For his bodie is there receiued his flesh is diuided for the saluation of the people his bloud is now powred not into the handes of infidels but into the mouthes of the faithfull What need many words Their owne Gelasius in their owne canon law condemneth their fact as flat sacrilege These be his words Aut integra sacramenta percipiant aut ab integris arceaÌ„tur quia diuisio vnius eiusdeÌ„que mysterij sine grandi sacrilegio non potest peruenire Either let them participate the whole sacraments or els let them abstain from the whole bicause the diuision of one and the same sacrament cannot be done without great sacrilege The first obiection The commaundement to receiue in both kinds was onelie giuen to the twelue apostles and in them to all priestes for they onely were present when Christ spâ—ke these wordes Drinke ye all of this The answer I say first that if the commaundement pertained onelie to the apostles then are priests aswell as clarkes free from the same I say secondly that the commandement was giuen of both kindes in one and the selfe same maner and therefore the lay people are as free from the one as the from the other I say thirdly that by the common opinion of the papists they were lay people that receiued the communion at Christs handes in his supper For the apostles were vnpriested vntil after his resurrection when hee saide Receiue ye the holy ghost I say fourthly with S. Bernard that the participation of both kinds was commaunded by Christ in the first institution thereof for thus doth he write Nam de sacramento quidem corporis sanguinis sui nemo est qui nesciat hanc quoque tantam tam singularem alimoniam eâ primùm die exhibitam eâ die commendatam mandatam deinceps frequentari For concerning the sacrament of his body and bloud euery one knoweth that this such and so singular nourishment was exhibited that day the first that day commended and commaunded afterward to be frequented This commandement S. Cyprian and saint Iustine vrge for both kindes their words already are set downe I say fiftly that S. Paul who knew Christs minde aswell as any papist did communicate the vnpriested Corinthians vnder both kinds and told them that Christ had so appointed The replie S. Paul only recited Christs institution saith our Iesuite Bellarmine but gaue no commaundement for both kindes but left it as he found it indifferent and in the free choise of the Corinthians to communicate in both or in one only kind The answere I say
body and bloud either the Lords supper or the Eucharist or the coÌ„munion or the liturgie or the blessed sacrament or the masse if we vnderstand rightly the thing signified by the same For all these words I know are rightly vsed by the ancient holy learned fathers Where I note this by the way that whether the word Masse be latin or hebrew or what it doth properly signifie the papists cannot yet agree among themselues I say secondly that the fathers indeede doe often call the Eucharist Christs body and bloud the sacrifice of the mediator the vnbloudy sacrifice and whatsoeuer else is due to the sacrifice of the crosse neuerthelesse they haue alwaies a godly sense and meaning in such kind of appollations that is to say they ascribe such names to the Eucharist not because it is properly the selfe same thing that the word importeth but for that it is y e sacrament the signe the memorial thereof or else bicause it is spiritually the sacrifice of laude and thanksgiuing for the proofe hereof it were enough to call to minde that sacraments in the scripture haue the names of those things whereof they â—e the sacraments For Moses saith of the paschal lamb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is the Lords passeouer yet most certain it is by the very text it selfe that the lambe was not the passeouer it selfe but only the signe and signification thereof like as al sacraments be signes of the things which they do represent but not the things which are signified by the same And this I hope to make so plaine euen by the expresse testimonies of the holy fathers wherein the papists vse to glory beyond al mesure as no papist in y t the christian world shal euer be able to answer me therein S Austen hath these expresse words Sacrificium ergo visibile inuisibilis sacrificij sacramentum i sacrum signum est Therfore the visible sacrifice is the sacrament of the inuisible sacrifice that is an holy signe And a little after hee addeth these words Illud quod ab hominibus appellatur sacrificium signum est veri sacrificij that which men cal a sacrifice is the signe of y e true sacrifice In another place he hath these words with many other to the like effect Cuius rei sacramentum quotidianum esse voluit ecclesiae sacrificium Wherof he would haue the sacrifice of the church to be a daily sacrament In another place he hath these words huius sacrificij caro et sanguis ante aduentuÌ„ Christi per victimas similitudinuÌ„ prrmittebatur in passione Christi per ipsam veritatem reddebatur post ascensum Christi per sacramentum memoriae celebratur Before the comming of Christ the flesh and bloud of this sacrifice was promised by the sacrifices of similitudes in the passion of Christ it was restored by the verity after the ascension of Christ it is celebrated by the sacrament of memorie In all these places S. Austen saith expressely that though the Eucharist be called a sacrifice yet is it not a sacrifice properly and indeede but onely a sacrament signe and representation of Christs sacrifice vpon the crosse For first he saith it is a signe of the true sacrifice as if he hadde said it is not the true sacrifice but a representation therof Secondly he saith it is a daily sacrament of the true sacrifice as if he had said it is not y e thing but a signe of the thing Thirdly he saith it is the sacrament of memory as if hee had saide it is but a commemoration of the true sacrifice indeede Fourthly he saith that that which men call a sacrifice is nothing els but a signe of the true sacrifice as if he had said though many vse to tearme the Eucharist a sacrifice yet is it but the signe of the true sacrifice indeede Greg. Nazianz. who was Hieromes schoolmaister for his singular knowledge in y e holy scriptures surnamed Theologus expresseth this matter very liuely in these brief pithy words Quo tandeÌ„ modo externuÌ„ illud sacrificiuÌ„ illud magnoruÌ„ mysteri oruÌ„ exeÌ„plar praefidenti animo ipsi offerrem How shuld I offer to him with a confident mind that externall sacrifice which is the example or signe of the great mystery Lo so soone as hee hath tearmed it a sacrifice by and by he interpreteth himselfe calleth it the signe and representation of the sacrifice as if hee had said we vse to tearme it by the name of sacrifice because it is the image signe sacrament and representation of the true and onely sacrifice S. Dionysius Areopagita S. Pauls disciple in his ecclesiastical Hierarchy which worke the Papists wil needs haue to be his hath these words Ad eorundem sacrificium quod signis continetur venit atque id quod à deo proditum sit facit The B. commeth to the sacrifice of those things which is contained in signes doth that which God hath appointed to be done Lo he calleth the eucharist a sacrifice as the other fathers do and yet for a plaine testimony of his right meaning he addeth that it only consisteth in signes As if he had said it is nothing else but a significatiue or commemoratiue sacrifice Saint Chrysostome hath these words Offerimus quidem sed ad recordationem facientes mortis eius Sequitur hoc autem quod facimus in commemorationem quidem fit eius quod factum est Hoc enim facite inquit in meam commemorationem NoÌ„ aliud sacrificiuÌ„ sicut pontifex sed idipsum semper facimus magis autem recordationem sacrificij operamur Wee offer I grant but we do it for the remembrance of Christs death And that which wee doe we doe it for the commemoration of that which is already done For hee saieth Doe yee this in the remembrance of me There is not another sacrifice as there is an other Bishop but we doe alwaies the same thing yea rather we worke the remembrance of the sacrifice Out of these wordes I note first that the Eucharist or christian masse if any list so to call it is nothing else but a commemoration of Christes death vppon the crosse I note secondly and it is a point of importance that the sacrifice is euer the same thogh the priest or bishoppe bee changed I note thirdly that where the priest is changed there can not bee that reall sacrifice which was offered vppon the crosse the reason is euident because wheresoeuer that sacrifice is there the priest is not chaunged but is one and the same euen with the sacrifice it selfe S. Basil hath these expresse wordes Fac nos idoneos vt tibi offeramus sacrificium laudis tu es enim operans omnia in omnibus Make vs meete to offer to thee the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiuing thou that workest all in all To these and the like testimonies the Papistes can not possibly frame any true answer The reply True it
For first the cup doth figuratiuely signifie the liquour in the cup. Again the cup is called the testament and yet it is but the figure or signe of the testament I say secondly that y e figure Metonymie is very frequent in the holy scripture aswell in the old as in the new testament In the old testament we haue these examples this is the passeouer That is this doth signifie the passeouer Againe this is my couenant that is to say this doth signifie my couenant or this is a signe of my couenant Againe the 7. good kine are 7. yeares and the seuen good eares are seuen yeares Againe the the seuen thinne and euill fauoured kine are seuen yeares Againe the seuen emptie eares blasted with the East-wind are seuen yeares of famine In all which places the figure Metonymia is vsed For neither the kine nor the eares were the seeuen yeares as euery childe knoweth but they did signifie the yeares to come they were a signe and figure thereof In the newe testament we haue these examples I am the vine Againe I am a doore Againe My father is an husbandman Againe The seed is the word of God Againe We that are manie are one bread Againe The rocke was Christ. Againe The lyon which is of the tribe of Iuda the root of Dauid hath obteined to open the booke In which places Christ neither was the vine nor the rocke nor the lyon neither was the seed the word of God neither was God the father an husbandman neither are the fathfull one bread but al these things are figuratiuely spoken by the vsuall custome of the holy Scripture I say thirdly that not only the ancient fathers but euen the papistes also haue acknowledged this figure their words and testimonies are alreadie cited I say fourthly that the verie wordes of institution are figuratiue which thing is so plaine as euerie child may perceiue the same For thus saith S. Luke This cup is the newe Testament in my bloud which is shed for you Where I am well assured euerie papist small and great will confesse with me that the cup by the figure metonymia is taken for the liquour in the cup. And so against their will they are enforced to acknowledge a figure euen there where they so obstinately denie a figure The fift obiection The Prophet Malachie hath such a plaine testimonie for the reall presence and sacrifice of the altar as it can neuer be aunswered till the worldes end These are the wordes In euery place incense shall be offered to my name and a pure offering These wordes of the Prophet being effectually applied will confound the respondent whatsoeuer hee shall answere For first the prophet speaketh of the oblatiō of the new testament as your selues cannot deny Secondly the prophet saith that this oblation must be in euery place and so it cannot be vnderstoode of Christs bodie offered vpon the crosse for that oblation was but in one place euen without the walles of Ierusalem Thirdly it cannot be vnderstood of the sacrifice of praise thanksgiuing bicause whatsoeuer proceedeth from vs is impure polluted Yea as an other prophet saith Al our righteousnes is as filthie clouts and so no oblation that is ours can be pure Therefore he speaketh of Christs body offered in the masse which is a pure oblation indeede The answere I answere to this insoluble so supposed argument that the prophet speaketh of the sacrifice of prayer and thankesgiuing And I prooue it by the flat testimonies of the holy Fathers Saint Irenaeus hath these wordes In omni loco incensum offertur nomini meo sacrificium purum Incensa autem Ioannes in Apocalypsi orationes esse ait sanctorum Incense is offered to my name in euery place and a pure sacrifice and Saint Iohn in the Reuelation saith that this incense is the prayers of the Saints Saint Theodoretus doeth expound this place after the same maner in his Commentaries vpon the same text Saint Hierome hath these wordes Sed thymiama hoc est sanctorum orationes Domino offerendas non in vna orbis prouincia Iudaeâ nec in vna Iudaeae vrbe Hierusalem sed in omni loco offerri oblationem But incense that is the prayers of saints must be offered to the Lord and that not in Iudea one onely prouince of the world neither in Ierusalem one onlie citie thereof but in euery place must an oblation be made Now where it is said that al our actions be impure and polluted I answere that that is true indeed when our actions be examined in rigour of iustice But not so when we are clad with the righteousnesse of Christ Iesus and haue washed our sins in his bloud for whose sake God doth not impute our pollutitions and filth vnto vs. Not so when God dealeth with vs according to mercie Not so when God accepteth our sinfull and imperfect acts as pure iust and innocent For our owne vnworthienesse the Prophet desired God not to enter into iudgement with his seruants but for Christs righteousnesse the Apostle pronounceth vs free from condemnation For though our sinnes be red as scarlet yet so soone as they be washed in the bloud of the immaculate Lambe they become by acceptation as white as snow This whole discourse Saint Augustine handleth finely in these golden wordes Vae etiam laudabili vitae hominum si remota misericordia discutias eam Woe euen to the laudable life of men if thou examine it thy mercie set a part And in this sense the obiection taketh place Neuertheles god of his great mercie doth accept our works as iust and pure through faith in Christ Iesus our sweet redeemer for whose sake he doth not impute our sins to vs. So saith the Apostle not by the workes of righteousnesse which wee haue done but according to his mercie hath he saued vs by the washing of the new birth the renewing of the holy Ghost So saith S. Iohn These are they which came out of great tribulation and haue washed their long robes haue made them white in the bloud of the lamb through the merits of which lambe our prayers and works are reputed pure Therefore saith Saint Paul I will therefore that the men pray euery where lifting vp pure hands without wrath or doubting The 6. obiection If the words of consecration be trophicall and figuratiue so as there is but a bare signe of Christs body and bloud then shall our sacraments of the newe Testament bee no better then the sacraments of the old The reason is euident because they did signifie Christs death and passion euen as ours do and yet is it cleare by the scriptures that we haue the verity wherof they had but the figure onely The answere I say first that our sacraments excell the olde sundry waies first because they are immutable and shall not bee altered till the worlds
say secondly that Gods ministers bind and loose sins by preaching his sacred word of which kind of binding and loosing Christ speaketh in Saint Matthew and in Saint Iohn For when the people of God beleeue in their hearts his word sincerely preached and in their conuersation shew the liuely fruits thereof then doubtlesse are their sinnes loosed on earth and then is that loosing also ratified in heauen then are the wordes of the Apostle verified who saith that the gospel of Christ is the power of God vnto saluation to euery one that beleeueth it then are Christs ministers as the Apostle saith become in them the sauour of life vnto life On the contrarie side when the people will not heare and beleeue Gods worde sincerely preached but contemne it and the ministers thereof then doubtlesse are their sinnes bound on earth and then is that binding also approued in heauen Then are the apostles words verified who saith that vengeance is readie against all disobedience Then are Christes ministers as y e apostle saith made vnto them the sauour of death vnto death What can be a more ioyfull loosing what can be a more terrible binding See the aunswere to the third obiection following and there marke S. Hieromes words I say thirdly that our people cōfesse their sins generally before the minister in the face of the whole congregation according to the holy scriptures Yea in the reformed churches abroad the people vse to confesse to the ministers such speciall sins as most greeue clog their consciences and for which they need graue aduise and godly councell Which christian libertie is graunted also in our churches of England For such as list may confesse their sinnes to the minister priuately and haue both his godly aduise and absolution if he deeme them penitent for their sinnes The replie Your confessions are nothing els but a meere mockery for ye confesse your selues generally to be sinners but ye name no sins at all Againe as in Germany they confesse some sinnes so do they leaue vnconfessed what pleaseth them And this is the scornful libertie which ye grant to your churches of England The answere I say first that we confesse our sinnes this day as the Israelites of olde confessed their sinnes before Ezra and the Leuites As the humble publican confessed his sins when he said O God be mercifull to me a sinner As the prophet Dauid confessed his sins when he said I know mine iniquities and my sin is euer before me Against thee against thee only haue I sinned and done euill in thy sight that thou maist be iust when thou speakest and pure when thou iudgest As the prodigal son confessed his sins when he said Father I haue sinned against heauen before thee am no more worthy to be called thy son And as your selues confesse your sins in the beginning of euery masse I say secondly that your selues graunt that Venials need no confession at al. And yet as I haue already proued the least sin of al deserueth eternall death For thus doth your own famous Canonist write Quibus consequens est posse quem si velit confesso vno peccato veniali alterum tacere Vpon which it followeth that one may if he list confesse one veniall sinne and conceale another Maior and other Schoole-doctors are of the same opinion I say thirdly that by the scriptures vpon which ye woulde gladly ground your confession we are no lesse bound to confesse one sin then another For your triuolous distinction of mortall and veniall sinnes can be found in no text of holy scripture And consequently since the scripture it selfe by your graunt freeth vs from confessing Venials it followeth directly that wee are bound to confesse none at all I say fourthly that your confession is ridiculous indeede as which vrgeth the penitent to confesse those sinnes to sinful men which God of his mercy hath forgiuen already I prooue it because your best approoued writers hold that contrition onely reconcileth sinners to God and taketh away both the fault and the paine But after that we are reconciled to God by only cōtrition and haue both our sinnes and the satisfaction remitted I weene it is a vain and a ridiculous thing to afflict our selues for popish absolution This that I say is witnessed by Martinus Nauarrus by your learned frier Ioan. Lud. Viualdus and diuers others I say fiftly that your confessions are neuer able to bring peace to any troubled conscience but to driue them headlong into desperation For first none liuing is able to make a true confession of all his sinnes which thing is so cleere by the Scriptures that your Cardinall Caietane cannot denie it Secondly thousandes are so turmoiled therewith that dayly they come to confesse the sinnes which they had forgotten condemning themselues of their former negligence Thirdly none of you all can prescribe howe much time or what diligence is inough y t ones confession may be perfit The consideratiō wherof bringeth many thousand souls to perplexitie For you beare thē in hand y t they must confesse all mortal sins and all specificall differences of the same And yet will I gage my life that ye haue ten thousand priestes in Europe yea perhaps in Italie that cannot perceiue the aforesaid differēce and much lesse can the lay people performe it See more hereof in my booke of Motiues The 2. obiection S. Iohn the baptist induced the people to the confession of their sinnes which doubtlesse was not to confesse themselues in generall to be sinners but to vtter euery man his sinnes So is it said in the actes of the apostles that many of them which beleeued came confessing and declaring their deeds And therfore saith S. Hierome that priestes binde and loose Auditâ peccatorum varietate hauing heard the varietie of sinnes The answere I say first that S. Iohn the baptist cannot meane of your sacramentall confession because it was not instituted before his decollatiō But you make smal accompt to wrest the holy scripture if by any meanes it could so serue your turne For as your graund doctor Pighius resembled it to a nose of waxe euen so in good sooth ye seeme to vse it The trueth is this S. Iohn exhorting the people to repentance and to amendment of their former liues euil spent found so good successe in his preaching that Hierusalem and all Iurie and all the countrey about Iordan were desirous to be baptized and in signe of their true repentance they publickly acknowledged their sinnes But that they this did in generall termes and not in popish maner I prooue it by two reasons First because popish auricular confession was not yet inuented but after Christes resurrection as all papistes graunt Againe because one man could not possibly heare seuerally the generall confessions of so manie multitudes speciallie in so short a time I say secondly that with
amongst the holy popes of Rome This was done in the yeare 900. Pope Sergius the 3. caused Formosus who now had bin dead almost ten yeares to be taken out of his tombe to be set in a chaire with pontifical attire vpon his backe that done he commāded his head to be cut off to be cast into Tyber And what offence trow ye had this Formosus done doubtlesse because Formosus had kept him from the Popedom This was done in the yeare of our Lord 907. Iohn the 10. the sonne of Sergius the third sometime bishop of Rauennas came to the popedome by violent meanes and for that respect the people shortly after deposed him Ann. 917. Pope Iohn the 12. was made pope by violent means for his father Albericus being a man of great power might enforced the nobles to take an oth that after the death of pope Agapitus they would promote his son Octauianus to the popedome Which othe was accomplished and he was named Iohn He was a great hunter and a man of licentious life He kept women openly to the notorious scandall of the church Insomuch that some of the cardinals wrote to Otto king of the Saxons to come and besiege Rome Which the pope perceiuing commāded that Cardinals nose to be cut off that gaue the counsell and his hand that wrote the letters This pope being often admonished by the Emperor and clergie and neuer giuing any signe of amendement was deposed in the presence of the Emperor and pope Leo chosen in his stead in the yere of our Lord 968. The Romains chose another pope in the time of this Leo who named himselfe Benedictus the fift for which cause when the Emperour Otto besieged Rome Benedictus was deliuered to him whom hee banished and restored Leo to the popedome This Benedictus died in Saxony the place of his exile and was buried in Hamburge But Pope Iohn delighted still with adulterie died without repentance sodainely Pope Iohn the 13. was apprehended by Peter the Prefect of the city imprisoned in Pont-Angelo and after that driuen into exile into Campania 10. monethes and eighteene dayes being expired he returned to Rome by the assistance of the emperour and auenged himself of his persecuters wherof he slew some hanged other some and banished the rest into the confines of Saxonie in the yeare of our Lord 970. Pope Benedictus the sixt after he had been pope one yere 6. monthes was strangled with wormwood in Pont-angelo in the yere of our Lord 978. Pope Bonifacius the 7. was made pope by the Romanes after they had thratled Benedictus the sixt Who afterward not able to tarry in the citie robbed S. Peters church of al the treasure in it and fled to Constantinople At length he returned to Rome with a great summe of money and when hee coulde not preuaile he pluckt out a Cardinal-deacons eies in the yeare of our Lord 980. And here note by the way that some Cardinals are deacons some priestes some bishops neuerthelesse he that is but a deacon is of greater authoritie then any bishop or archbishop whosoeuer in the popish sect Pope Syluester the second was first a monke a Frenchman borne Gilbertus by name He promised homage to the deuill so long as he did accomplish his desires Who being very ambitious did so often expresse his desire to the deuill as he made homage vnto him He was first made archbishop of Rhemes then at Rauennas at the last pope of Rome For the diuel knowing his ambitious minde brought him to honour by degrees Being made pope hee must needes know of the diuell howe long he should liue in his pontificall glory The diuell answered him so long as he did not say masse in Hierusalem The pope receiuing that answere was verie ioyfull within himself hoping to be so farre from dying as he was farre in mind from going to say masse in Hierusalem beyond the sea It chaunced that in Lent the pope said masse in the church Sanctae crucis which they call in Hierusalem my self know the place It seemeth that the pope infatuated with pride and honour had quite forgot the name While he was at masse O holy sacrifice he heard a great noise of diuels and so both remembred the place and his death to be at hand Wherefore he wept although before most wicked disclosing his offence to all the companie and nothing doubting of Gods mercie Withal he commanded to cut away from his bodie all the members with which he had done sacrifice to the diuell He was buried in Lateran church in the yeare of our Lord 1007. Pope Benedictus the 8. was seene after his death as it were corporally riding vpon a blacke horse The bishop that saw him spake thus vnto him Art not thou pope Benedict whom wee know to be lately dead I am saith hee that vnfortunate Benedict But how is it with thee father saith the bishop I am now in great torment saith the pope and therefore woulde I haue some money to be giuen to the poore because all that I gaue the poore aforetime was gotten by robbery and extortion This was done in the yeare of our Lord 1032. Pope Benedictus the 9. was depriued of his popedome one Syluester placed in his roome This Syluester was deposed and Benedictus recouered the popedome againe Yet this Benedict was cast out again and another put in his place Which other was so ignorant that he could not say masse but as one did instruct him For which cause he was put out and another placed in his roome in the yeare of our Lord 1042. Pope Clemens the second came to his popedome by violent meanes in the yeare of our Lord 1058. Pope Damasus the second inuaded the popedome and had a sodaine death in the yeare of our Lord 1060. About the yeare of our Lord 1072. one Mathildis a moste mightie and rich countesse gaue all her landes goods and possessions to S. Peter which is by interpretatiō to the pope and it is this day called S. Peters patrimonie Such oblations as these made the pope so mightie as he is Pope Anastasius the 4. made a new pallace in Sancta Maria rotunda and gaue to the Lateran church a chalice of curious works abbut the weight of twentie markes in the yeare 1162. Thus popes wickednesse mischiefe and tyrannie I finde euery where but that any one pope since Bonifacius claimed the primacie which is more then 900. yeares since made any one sermon in all his life I cannot reade I might here speake of the vanitie of Romish cardinals as that one cardinall bestoweth yerely 4000. crownes for the keeping and vpbolding of his most curious garden at Tyuola It is foureteene English miles from Rome my selfe haue seene the same Free accesse is granted to all sortes of people such is his glory to
my discoursâ—â— well obserueâ— â—â—sephus antiq 〈…〉 8. cap. 2. 〈◊〉 12. ve 40. 〈◊〉 15. ver 13. â—ctes 7. verse 6. Gen. cap. 5.32 cap. 6.3 c. 7.6 This appeareth to be so Ionas 3.10 Is. 38.5 Gen. 15. ver 13. Gal. 3. ve 16.17 Gen. 17. ver 19. A.m. 3292. 4. Reg. 17. v. 5. 4. Reg. 18. ver 9. Iosephus antiquit lib 9. ca. 14. Athanas. in synop The Israelites would neither obey their king nor Gods prophets A.M. 3307. A. M. 3380. â—he papistes are â—ecome Iehoiaâ—ims A.M. 3318. Kinges are supreme gouernors in causes ecclesiasticall A. M. 3397. Amos. 7.14 The floud came A. M. 1656 An. M. 2606 An. M. 1758 An. M. 2108 A. M. 2083 A. M. 2298 Exod. 12. ver 37 Iosephus lib. â— antiquit cap. 6. A. M. 2513 A M. 2434 A. M. 2474 A. M. 2513 A. M. 2554 A. M. 2574 A. M. 3373 Naturall fast Ciuill fast Christian fast Coactiue fast Religious fast 1. Tim. 4. verse 8. 2. Sam. 12. v. 5.17 Tit. 1. ver 15. 1. Tim. 4. verse 4. To make choice of meates for religion is the badge of an Infidell Sozomenus hist. lib. 1 cap. 11. trip hist. lib. 1. cap. 10. Nicephor lib. 8. cap. 42. Tit. 1. verse 15. Rom. 1â— ver 14. Rom. 14. ver 17. Gal. 1. ver 10 Gal. 2. ver 5. 1. Cor. 7. v. 2â— Math. 15. v. 3. 1. Tim. 4. v. 4. Deut. 4. v. 2. Tit. 1. ver â—5 One silly papist vrged by this reason said that the paschall lambe was a fish indeed Mat. 4. Marke 1. Luke 4. Trip. hist. lib. 9. cap. 38. Secundo principaliter Trip. hist. lib. 9. c. 18. Sozomen lib. 7. cap. 19. Euseb. â—ib 5. cap. 24. Primo principaliter At Rome they are more liberall in eating because the pope knowing their liberall collations and not reproouing them is deemed to dispense with the same This is sound popish doctrine I assure the reader See and note well Aquinas 22. â— 147. ar 6. ad 2. Secundo principaliter Rom. 10. ver 3. Mat. 15. v. 9. Rom. 14. v. 23. Tertio principaliter The art of phisick condemneth popish fast in Lent Calor natuâ—alâ— cibum digerit Winter Hippocrates Aphor. 15. sect Summer Autumne Spring time When their 〈◊〉 come 〈◊〉 Rhemes Popish moonk liued very delicately He yeeldeth a reason of his drinking of wiâ—â— Moonks proâ—e pouerty but 〈◊〉 feele none Hipocrisie gaineth soules to the diuell De consecr Disâ— 1. cap. Solent A great pollicie in a woman The kingdom of Assyria diuided A wonderful punishment for idolatrie See the first part first booke and second chapter in the fift and sixt age Phul Belochus Phul. Assar. Salmanasar Sennacherib Nabuchodonosor priscus Nabuchodonosor magnus Euil-marodaco Balthazar A. M. 2935 â—laricus Anno Dom. 412 Gensericus An. Dom. 456 â—otilas An. Dom. 548 Totilas built vp the city of Rome Iulius Caesar. A. M. 3924 〈◊〉 5.8 〈◊〉 7 2. An. mundi 3300 4. King 1â— The Hebrewes call Darius Assuerus Bergom lib 5. p. â—â—1 The custome of the Persians Esdras 6 vers 3. Esdras 6. ver 15. â—he Persian moâ—â—rchie endured â—49 yeares and â—â—ght monethes 〈◊〉 very magnifiâ—â—all feast and beâ—â—ming so mighâ—â—e a prince From the captiuitie to Christ. 490. yeares Accidentall varietie in fundamentall agreement â—ffr in 5. â—olum temp â—â—ntentia Affriâ—â—ni 〈◊〉 death of â—â—rist 〈◊〉 S. Hierome Dan. 9.26 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Intercalation euery third yere Let this be well noted Leuit. cap. 23. Leuit. 25. vers 11 â—1 13 14 15 16 c. The popish Iubilee An execrable plaine diabolical dispensation The principles of romish religion Fraudulent deeds of gift Dissembling magistrates â— Mat. 19.12 Genes 2. verse 3 Exod. 31. ver 17 Exod. 34. vers 4 Deut. 10. ver 1. Re exhibita â—esat figura Coloss. 2. ver 16. Gal. 4. vers 10 Rom. 14. vers 6 Hebr. 7. ver 12. Marke well this point Coloss. 2. ver 16 1. Cor. 16.2 Apoc. 1.10 1. Cor. 16.8 Exod. 12. ver 19. Act. 15. v. 6.20 Vide Socrat. 5. cap. 21. Coloss. 2. v. 16. Gal 4. vers 10. Histor. tripar libr. 9. cap. 38. Eusebius de laud. Constant. De vita Const. â—ib 3. cap. 13 â—â—â—inceps â—â—stor tripart â—ib 1. cap. 10. 〈◊〉 artic consâ—s â—â—gust The third 〈◊〉 Martir in 1. Coâ—â— cap. 16. Caluin libr. 2. cap. 8. § 34. Vrsinus in 4. prâ—cept p. 223. Vrsinus p. 23â— â—â—rsmus p. 226. â—â—ullingerus praecepto 4. â—oc 2. serm 4 An. mundi 3641 An. mundi 3251 Dan. 1. verse 5 20.21 Dan. 8. v. 8.22 Daniel cap. 8. ve 22. Cassander a cruel prince A worthie fact right seemely for a king Prouer. cap. 15. verse 6. Ambrosius â—nnocentius Anno mun 3608 â— beastly and â—ost cruel fact Anno Mun. 3643 The translation of the septuagints â—rer ad Chrom â—m 4. fol. 8. â—enebrarda â—eat papist conâ—â—steth no lesse Hier. praefat in libr. reg to 4. fol. 7. Euseb. in chroâ— 4â—4â— A. M. 3641. A. M. 3749. Dan. 11.21 Good parents haue not euer godly children A. M. 3660. Philippus or rather Caâ—lander see the beginning of the third chapter 30. yeares before Christ the family of the Iewes was at an end Anno mun 3937 Archelaus non rex sed dux Matth. 2.19 Luke 3.1 Matth. 2.19 Dan. 8. v. 12 13 c. The temple was prophaned sixe yeares three monethes and an halfe Hier. in cap. 8. Danielâ—â— Esd. 1. 3. vers â— Ioseph antiq lib. â—0 cap. 8. Iosephus lib. 20. antiquit cap. 8. Iosephus de Bello Iud. lib. 2. ca. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iosephus de bello Iudaico lib. 2. Cap. 7. Our Iesuits can temporize The doctrine 〈◊〉 the Iesuits to dissemble with God and man 〈◊〉 our Iesuites humble holie 〈◊〉 A. M. 3909. Apoc. 6.10 Iosephus de bello Iud lib. 7.6 18 Ioseph vbi sup ca. 11. An horrible fact and vglie to behold Sozom. lib. â— c. â— Victor in relect 1. de potest eccles Dist. 96. cap. Constantinus Poperie hath long bewitched vs. Euseb. de vit Constan. lib. c. 22 Exod. 35. â— 30 â— Reg. 7. Exod. 25. v. 22. Num. 21. ver 8. Basilius in quadrag martyres to â— p. 397. Eusebius hist. eccles libr. 7. c. 1â— Euseb. de vit Const. lib. 4. Math. 22. Mark 12. Luke 20. Exod. 20. v. 4 Math. 4. v 10 Apoc. 19. v. 10. Exod. 32. v 20. 2. Kin. 18. ver 4 Aug. de haeres haer 7. Epiphan in epist. ad Io. Hier. haer 79. Concill Elibert can 36. Lactant. libr. 2 cap. 19. Lactant. lib. 2. de origine erroris cap. 2. Aquin. pa. 3. q. 25. ar 2. and 3. Gregor ad Seren. epist. libr. 9. cap. 9. Philip. 2. vers 7. 1. Pet. 2. vers 2â— Luc. 1.31 Matth. 1.18 Philip. 2.7 Luc. â— 1 2. Luc. 2.9 16 17 Luc. 2.21 Epiphan haer 51 The Papists claime the wisemens bodies in diuers places Leuit. 12.6 â— Luc. 2. â—4 Amb. in Luc. Iustin. in tryph Num. 23. vers 7. A dromedaries iourney Math. 3. vers
of the Iews was at an end about 30. yeeres before Christs incarnation Herode the stranger was successor to this Aristobulus in the kingdom and priesthood of the Iewes In the third yeere of the 186. Olympiade and in the age of the world 3937. yeeres then in the 32. yeere of Herod was our Sauiour borne The fourth obseruation Herod the great had many children Aristobulus Alexander Antipater Antipas Philippus and Archelaus Of which Aristobulus and Alexander were his children by his beloued wife Mariamne which Mariamne he put to death causing his children Alexander and Aristobulus to be strangled in Samaria Archelaus Herodes called Antipas Antipater and Philip yet liued amongst whom the kingdome was diuided Herodes the Great designed his sonne Archelaus to be king by his last will and testament but the Emperour Augustus would not confirme Herodes will and so hee was not king at the first yet Augustus was content that he should be Tetrarke and vpon hope of his good regiment to be king afterward This Archelaus saith Rhegino did reigne in Iudea when our Sauiour was brought out of Egypt for feare of which king he returned into Nazareth a towne in Galile where hee abode till his baptisme This was done in the seuenth yere of Christ and in the 15. yeere of his birth Archelaus being accused of treason before Augustus was banished out of Iewrie the kingdome was diuided among his 4. brethren Herod Antipater Lysanias and Philip. Yet this Antipater after Carion was slaine long before The first obseruation Whether Antipater was slaine as writeth Carion or liuing stil with Philip and the rest as saith Eusebius certaine it is that foure only are mentioned in the holy scripture to wit Archelaus who raigned in Iurie after Herod the great Antipas whom S. Luke calleth Herod who was Tetrarke of Galilie Philip who was Tetrarke of Iturea and Trachonitis Lysanias who was the Tetrark of Abilene Pilate being then president in Iewry which Lysanias after Eusebius was one of the brethren albeit other writers affirme no such thing CHAP. III. Of the 2300. daies Daniel had a vision of great persecution that shoulde come vnto the church that the daily sacrifice should cease and Gods trueth be troden vnder foote And that the sinnes of the Iewes were the cause of such horrible afflictions Yet for the solace of Gods children whom he neuer forsaketh finally the time of the desolation is appointed and pronounced in these obscure words Vnto the euening and morning two thousand and three hundreth then shall the sanctuarie be cleansed Sundrie as S. Hierome witnesseth trouble themselues miserably about the exposition of this place Some for 2300 read 2200 least sixe yeares and three monethes abound Other some vnderstand the place of Antichrist and that this shalbe reallie complete in him which was spoken typically of Antiochus And this childish imagination doe our late Iesuites and other papistes imitate whose fantasticall interpretation was confuted by S. Hierome before they were borne But the meaning is plaine and easie that is vntill so many naturall daies be past which in all make sixe yeares three monethes and an halfe For so long was the temple prophaned vnder the wicked king Antiochus And that this is the true sence of the place I prooue by two reasons First because that vnto the morning and to the euening cannot possibly be vnderstood of either yeares or monethes and yet can the same be truely and simply verified in so many natural daies Secondly because the prophet of God doth expound the rest of the vision euen of the kinges of Syria And my reasons are confirmed by S. Hieromes testimonie whose expresse words are these Vespere autem manè successioneÌ„ diei noctÃsque significat The euening and the morning doth signifie the succession of the day and the night And in the very same place hee prooueth by Iosephus and the bookes of the Machabees that the setting vp of Iupiters Image in the Temple and the time of the desolation wrought by Antiochus is correspondent to the 2300. daies CHAP. IIII. Of the priestes of the Iewes after the captiuitie vnto Alexander the Great The names of the priests Iesus Filius Iosedech Anno mun 3427 the time that they liued Anno mun 3645 72 yeares Ioachim Anno mun 3427 the time that they liued Anno mun 3645 30 Eliasib alià s Nechasib Anno mun 3427 the time that they liued Anno mun 3645 40 Ioiada Anno mun 3427 the time that they liued Anno mun 3645 24 Ionathan alià s Ioannan Anno mun 3427 the time that they liued Anno mun 3645 52 Iaddo alià s Iaddua Anno mun 3427 the time that they liued Anno mun 3645 28 yeares Iesus or Ieshua was the high priest in the returne euen as Zorobabel or Zerubbabel was the ciuill gouernour Diuers thinke diuersly of this succession but I deliuer plainly what I iudge most probable CHAP. V. Of the priests of the Iewes from king Alexander vnto the Machabees The names of y e priests Onias Priscus A. M. 3643 the time that they liued A. M. 3805 25 yeares Simon Priscus A. M. 3643 the time that they liued A. M. 3805 13 Eleazar A. M. 3643 the time that they liued A. M. 3805 20 Manasses A. M. 3643 the time that they liued A. M. 3805 27 yeares Simon Iunior A. M. 3643 the time that they liued A. M. 3805 28 Onias Iunior A. M. 3643 the time that they liued A. M. 3805 39 Iason A. M. 3643 the time that they liued A. M. 3805 3 yeares Menelaus A. M. 3643 the time that they liued A. M. 3805 7 yeares This Menelaus was a very wicked priest whom Antiochus put to death at Berytus Antiochus moreouer inhibited Onias his sonne to succeed him and appointed Alcimus aliâs Iacimus the high priest which Alcimus was of the race and petigree of Aaron but not of the same familie Onias therefore sonne to Menelaus went into Egypt and insinuating himselfe into the amitie of Ptolomee Philometor and Cleopaâ—ra his wife perswaded them to build a temple in Heliopolis like to that of Hierusalem and to make him priest in the same place Iacimus after he had been high priest three yeares died leauing no successor behinde him and so the citie of Hierusalem was seuen whole yeares togither without a priest Afterward the gouernment of the Iewes was committed to the familie of the Assamoneans and then they rebelled against the Macedonians and made Ionathan the high priest These points and specially the case of Iacimus or Alcimus ought diligently to be marked against the mangled and fondly commended popish succession whereof by the power of God more shalbe said hereafter From about this time vntill Herod the great Iudas Machabeus and others of his race had the gouernment and priesthood among them From Herode vntill Christ our redeemer were yeares 32. plus minus During which time priests were not made of the line of the Assamoneans