of Christ that he was suffred to leane on Christs bosome when he was at Supper He his brother and Peter were permitted to see Christs Transfiguration on Mount Tabor and they three were taken from the rest to behold his Agony in the Garden Wherefore the Mother of John dreaming that Christ should bee a temporall King presuming so much upon the love which shee saw in Christ towards her children boldly asked That they might have the greatest honour viz. one to sit at the right hand and the other at the left in his Kingdome Yet though this is noted by Saint Matthew to be the Mothers desire Saint Marke relating the same story Chap. 10. 35. saith That it was the desire of Iames and Iohn for which the other Disciples disdained them two to shew that it was their ambition to solicite their Mother to make such a petition which Gospell though it touched Saint Iohn who then lived and had the perusall thereof never denyed it nor took it il but approved that the other two Evangelists to be true so sincere simple and without all art of flattery or rhetorical amplification was all their writings that they do not spare Christ himselfe whom they adore and acknowledge to bee their God and Saviour but shew the infirmities of his flesh as he was a man as his hunger and thirst his being weary and how hee wept his passions of feare anger love c. therefore much lesse would they favour the Apostles or themselves And last of all Christ upon the Crosse to expresse the great love that hee bare this Apostle called the blessed Virgin his Mother and him her sonne And from that day to her death she lived with him Presently after the feast of Pentecost when hee with the rest had received the holy Ghost he with Peter was cast into prison for healing the cripple Acts 4. And a while after he with Peter was sent by the Apostles to preach the Word of God in Samaria Act. 8. Foure yeares after the death of the Virgin Mary he was present at the Apostolicall Councell in Jerusalem Now Iames his brother who was called the elder was beheaded two yeares before for this Councell was celebrated in the presence of Iames the younger Peter Iohn Paul and Barnabas c. about sixteen yeares after the Resurrection of Christ and fourteen after the Conversion of Paul Gal. 2. Act. 15. After the death of Paul he governed the Churches of Asia minor where he wrote his Gospell And in the 86. year of his age being cast into a vessell of boyling oyle and comming out unhurt by the command of Domitian the Emperour he was banished into the I le of Pathmos where he wrote his Revelation to the seven Churches in Asia It is related of him that hee turned certain peeces of wood into gold and stones by the sea side into Margrits to satisfie the desire of two whom he perswaded to renounce their riches and after they repenting that for worldly treasure they had lost heaven changed them into the same substance againe That he raised up a widow and a young man from death to life That he drunke poyson and it hurt him not and raised up two to life which had drunk the same before and that he called a young man to repentance that was captaine of theeves After the death of Domitian he came to Ephesus whâ—re as Saint Austin relates he caused his grave to be made and in the presence of divers went in alive and being no sooner in and to their seeming dead they covered him which kind of Rest saith he was rather tearmed a sleepe than death for that the earth of the grave bubbleth or boyleth up after the manner of a Well by reason of John resting therein and breathing a signe of his slumbering therein And thus he dyed when hee was as some relate an hundred and twenty years old others say ninety nine and some ninetie one the truth of all which I leave to the diligâ—nt search of the learned and conclude with the prayer for the day saying Mercifull Lord I beseech thee to cast the bright beames of light upon thy Church that it being lightned by the doctrine of thy blessed Apostle and Evangelist Saint Iohn may attaine to thy everlasting Gifts through Jesus Christ my Lord Amen Saint Peters day HAving made a briefe relation of the lives and deaths of the foure Evangelists who writ the Gospell of our Lord and Saviour Now I should set forth the glorious lustre of those Stars which were equall and some before them in the order of Apostleship The first in order is Simon whose surname was Peter the son of Iona of Bethsaida in Galilee The order of his precedency is noted by three Evangelists in four places where all the Apostles are nominated viz. Matth. 10. Mark 3. Luke 6. and Act. 1. But whether he were the first that was called to be an Apostle or no I cannot certainly determine for though Saint Matthew and Marke make relation that hee with his brother Andrew were first called yet Saint Iohn affirmes that two of Iohn's disciples followed Christ of which one was Andrew who went and told his brother Simon that he had found the Messias But whether he were first or second that was called to the Apostleship I leave to the learned The Evangelists make more mention of him than of any one Apostle besides as first they shew that Christ comming to his house healed his wives mother of a fever Then they shew how ready he was to walke on the sea at the command of Christ and yet because of a little tempest his strong courage failed him and he ready to sincke Then againe his noble confession that hee made of Christ for which Christ so highly commended him but presently after they shew his carnall feare for which Christ checked him Then they shew Christs love to him in making choise of him and the two sonnes of Zebedeus to be spectators of his glorious transfiguration and bitter agony in the Garden and in the first they say hee spake hee knew not what being overcome with joy and in the second they shew his carelesnesse for which Christ checked him by name because hee could not watch one houre Then they shew how inquisitive he was to aske questions how oft shall I forgive my brother in one place dost thou wash my feet in another and what shall this man doe in a third c. And last of al before his PassioÌ„ they declare his strong resolution Though all men foâ—sake thee yet will not I. And yet presently after they shew how basely hee denied his Lord Christ All the particular relations that the Evangelists make of this Apostle are so many that it would make a little volume to make rehearâ—all of them And I have intended brevitâ— Therefore will I make a short story of his life after the Passion of Christ as it is related in the Acts and other Authors After the
downe head-long saying let us stone Iames Iustus and they began to throw stones at him for after his fall he was not fully dead but remembring himselfe fell on his knees saying I beseech thee Lord God and Father forgive them for they wot not what they doe And as they were a stoning him one of the Priests the son of Rechab the son of Charabim whose testimony is in Ieremy the Prophet cryed out cease what doe you this Just man prayeth for you And one of them that were present taking a Fullers club with which they pounce and purge their cloathes struck Iustus on the head and brained him and so he suffered martyrdome whom they buried in that place His Pillar or Picture as yet remaineth hard by the Temple graven thus This man was a true witnesse both to the Jewes and Gentiles that Iesus was Christ And Vespasianus immediately having over-runne Judea subdued the Jews And these things saith Iosephus happened unto the Jewes in way of revenging the death of Iames the Iust which was the brother of Iesus whom they call Christ for the Jews slew him when he was a very just man With whom I conclude this dayes Meditation with the Prayer for the day saying Almighty God whom truely to know is everlasting life grant mee perfectly to know thy Son Jesus Christ to be the way the truth and the life as thou hast taught Saint Philip and other Apostles through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Saint Bartholomew THree Evangelists in their nomination of all the Apostles note S. Bâ—rtholomew the sixth only S. Luke in the Acts names him the seventh and Thomas the sixth Therefore I in this place will follow both and swimme with the streame and against it for with the Gospellers I set him on the sixth Apostolicall day but with S. Luke I remember him as the seventh Apostle By some he is thought to be Nathaneel because as I said before he is three times named with Philip who first called Nathaneel unto Christ others say that he was Nephew to the King of Syria and shew some reason for it But whether he was the one or the other or neither It is reported that hee suffred martyrdome as well as the rest of the Apostles and preached the Word of God to the barbarous Indians where he continued a long time and translated the Gospel of Saint Matthew into their language Where it was preserved many yeares yet having sincerely preached the Word of God and wrought many miraculous works among them was at the last as some relate beaten to death with cudgels others say that hee was crucified and flein alive and some affirme that hee was beheaded at the command of Polemus King of India But these differences are thus reconciled The first day of this Apostles martyrdome he was beaten with cudgels the next day he was crucified and fleine alive as hee was fastned to the crosse and last of all while breath remained he was beheaded But because the Spirit of God by the Evangelists doth only name him with the rest of the Apostles without any other addition or story And for that Mr. Austins sun hath so learnedly shined on this day I am inforced to conclude with the Collect for the day saying O Almighty and everlasting God which hast given grace to thy Apostle Bartholomew truely to beleeve and preach thy Word Grant I beseech thee unto thy Church both to love that hee beleeved and to preach that hee taught through Christ our Lord. Amen Saint THOMAS THe eighth Apostolicall Star by Marke and Luke so gloriously shines in Mr. Austins Meditations that I am perswaded my dim taper can give but little light Yet what I find by the Church Historians concerning him I wil adventure to set down here in this place for his immortall memory as I have done in the rest of the Apostles leaving the further consideration thereof unto others It is reported by Eusebius and others that this Apostle after the Ascension of Christ sent his Brother Thaddeus one of the seventy disciples unto Agbarus King of Edessa according as Christ by his letter had promised the said King Where the said Thaddeus cured the King of his disease and many of the people of their infirmities working many great signes and wonders and converting many from their Idolatry to the knowledge of Christ And this Apostle as Dorotheus witnesseth preached the Gospell of the Lord to the Parthians Medes and Persians Caramans Hircans Bactrians and Magicians And after much labour in his ministeriall office was slaine by an Idoll Priest with a dart which they call a speare or javelin But as others say at the Heathen Kings commandement foure souldiers run him thorow with darts at Callamina a City in India where hee was honourably buried Concerning his incredulity it is divinely commented on by Master Austin Therefore I conclude with the Prayer for the day saying Almighty and everlasting God which for more confirmation of the Faith didst suffer thy Apostle Thomas to be doubtfull in thy Sons Resurrection grant me so perfectly and without all doubt to beleeve in thy Son Jesus Christ that my faith in thy sight may never be reproved And that for Jesus Christ his sake to whom with thee and the holy Spirit be all honour c. Saint JAMES THe ninth Apostle is S. James Alpheus and because I will not alter the name I will fix Saint James the son of Zebedeus a fisherman and Brother of Iohn in this place Hee it was that with Peter and his Brother the beloved Disciple had the prerogative to see the glorious Transfiguration on Mount Tabor and the bitter agony of our blessed Saviour in the Garden of Gethsemani had not drowsinesse and sleep withheld them and under Claudius the Emperor an Dom. 36. as I receive it from the Ancient Herod Agrippa being then King of Iudaea who persecuting the Church of God beheaded James with the sword Of this Apostle I read this story That the man that accused him when hee saw that Iames would willingly suffer martyrdome was therwith so moved that he voluntarily confessed himselfe to bee a Christian for which hee was adjudged to be slaine with the Apostle and by the way going to receive the crowne of their martyrdome he requested the Apostle to pardon him who after hee had pawsed a little upon the matter turning unto him answered Peace be unto thee brother and kissed him So they were both beheaded together And this is all the description that I can finde of this Apostolicall Star Therefore I conclude with the Prayer for the day saying Grant O most mercifull God that as thine holy Apostle S. Iames leaving his father and all that hee had without delay was obedient to the calling of thy Sonne Jesus Christ and followed him so I forsaking all worldly and carnall affections may be evermore ready to follow thy Commandements S. Simon and Iude. THese are the holy brethren the Gemini in this Apostolicall Zodiak for as some
poison from the sweetest flowers But Bees draw Honey out of driest bowers I meane from bitterest things the honey flie Doth sucke much sweet Spiders in Roses lie Therefore though prying criticks prate their sill And thinke by envious words good deeds to spill And Momus-like to mocke to flout and jeere At me with envie ' cause I doe appeare In simple plainnesse yet I hope to be By wise Mecoenas lik't who out of me Though in my selfe I barren am and bare Will araw delicious and delightfull fare But what need I to feare detractors bent To none of those I hope I shall be sent Because my Authour will not have me prest In any print but what his Pen hath drest Except he be inforced thereunto Then what he would not that he must needs doe For he thinkes me unworthy to be showne To none but such as are ingenious knowne Cause as a Nosegay for his private use From famous Gardens he did me produce To give sweet sent and beautifie each part Of this rough worke and his affected heart And therefore if in Print you doe me see Blame not my Authour nor put fault in me The Pourtraiture of a Pious Man BEhold a Godly man that hath in heart True saving Faith Also in ev'ry part Of his affections is true and sincere Voide of hypocrisie and slavish feare From out his mouth doth gracious words proceed His eyes doe chiefly heav'nly objects heed His hands discharge his stewardships reckoning right His feet to walke in godly waies delight Heâ—'s mindfull of his death therefore his daies He takes account of how and in what waies He spends his time least that his godly light Should faintly blaze or be extinguisht quite And people doe delight to see his waies So full of good deeds to Gods glorious praise Yet is he humble for the good that he Doth doe he knowes to be a Gift most free Of Gods meere love and therefore doth despise The world the flesh and devill so the prize Of heav'nly blisse hâ— gaines that 's the Reward God gives the Saints for he doth most regard The pensive heart whose hope in Heav'n doth rest Thus is the man that 's truely Godly blest A preparatory prayer O Holy and everliving Lord God Infinite in Essence Glorious in Majesty terrible in Judgement and wonderfull in all thy waies how dare I a worme and no man of shallow judgment dull invention and brain-sick wit being as an Aery meteor in respect of those glorious starres men full-growne deepe judgements quicke inventions and ripe wits presume to write or speake of such holy mysteries in such unusuall tearmes as I here take in hand Certainely I must acknowledge it is thy onely worke in me and nothing in my unlearned selfe that hath induced me to undertake such a hard taske Therefore as thou hast thus graciously begun this worke in me so I hope and pray thou wilt magnifie thy power in my weakenesse and so strengthen and enable mee in the performance hereof that those who are more learned seeing and perusing this imperfect worke of mine may be induced to enforâ—e all their knowledge and skill to frame a more excellent worke to the praise of thy Name the â—difying of thy Church and salvation and consolation of thy chosen O Lord I pray Thee pardon and forgive aswell the errors and faults that I have committed in this Booke as all the grievous sinnes I have heretofore committed against thee from time to time in thought word and deed Give me I humbly beseech thee a true sight and feeling of them that the consideration therof may drive me to a serious hearty and timely Repentance for them O Lord increase my faith make it lively and operative in good workes for that purpose perfect thy love in me and my love to thy members make me now and ever thankefull for all blessings spirituall and temporall continually bestowed upon me and that for Jesus Christ his sake thy onely Sonne my alone Saviour to whome with Thee holy Father and thy blessed Spirit three Persons and one God be ascribed and given as most due is by me and all creatures all honour glory praise adoration obedience and thankesgiving from everlasting to everlasting Amen Let the words of my mouth and the Meditations of my heart be now and ever acceptable in thy sight O Lord my strength and my Redeemer Salomons Temple The figure of the Heauens and Elements 10 The first moveable Heavene 9 The Christaâ—ine Heaven 8 Leo * 4 ♋ Cancer * ♊ Gemini * 2 ♉ taurus * 1 ♈ Aries * 12 ♓ Pisâ—e * 11 â™’ Aqâ—*ar 10 ♑ Capri * 9 â™ Sagita * 8 â™ Scorp * 7 ♎ libra * 6 â™ virgo * 5 7 ♄ Saturne could and dry malevolent Lead 6 ♃ Iupiter hott and moyst Benevolent Tynne 5 ♂ Mars hott and dry Malevolent Iron 4 ☉ The sonne hott and dry Benevolent Gould 3 ♀ Venus Could and moist Benevolent copper 2 ☿ Mercury such as he is ioyned with Quick silver 1 ☾ The Moone could and moist Benevolent silver EARTH A generall Survey of this Annuall World THis insuing discourse may not unfitly bee compared unto the Temple of the Lord which King Solomon builded and would very well beseem the head and hand of such a workeman for finishing thereof for if he that was wisest that ever was or shall be did not disdaine to write of Trees from the Cedar in Lebanon to the Hisop on the wal would never have thought it any disparagement to and for ought I know did write of all the works of God from the base Centre of this earthly Tabernâ—cle to the highest Mansion of the heavenly Spheares For I doe ingenuously confesse and humbly acknowledge that this worke rather requires the skilfull Pensill of a rare Apelles to draw to the life or the learned quill of an eloquent Cicero to demonstrate to the full than my unworthy illiterate Pen or dul invention to describe Yet having by Gods enablement upon my weak endevours framed this rare structure in my minde I could not rest satisfied till I had writ what I had so rudely formed And so I have beene bold to compare it to King Solomons Temple for as in that rare Fabrick there were three courts the Outward Middle and Sanctum Sanctorum so likewise in this worke I doe observe three kindes or Species of Meditations The first as the outward Court are Meditations of the foure seasons of the Yeare the foure Elements and their effects The second as the middle Temple are Meditations of the seven Planets on those dayes that commemorate the meritorious workes of our Saviour Christ And the third as Sanctum Sanctorum are Meditations of the starry Christalline and first moving heaven on divers festivall dayes in the yeare Now as in Solomons Temple there was a porch or gate where being entred you might discerne the spaciousnesse of the outward court and the decent behaviour of the people attending upon the royall High Priest
according to Daniels Prophecy five hundred yeares before At this time there was a universall peace over the whole world for the said Emperour after five civill warres waged by himselfe and after infinite broyles and blood shed in the world raigned peaceably alone for many yeares together and in token of an universall peace over the whole earth he caused the Temple gates of Ianus to be shut according to the custome of the Romans in such cases albeit this happened but twice before from the building of Rome to that time And the very same day that Christ was borne in Jury Augustus commanded in Rome as afterward was observed that no man should call him Lord thereby to signifie the free liberty rest joy and security wherein all men were after so long miseries which by continuall warres the world had suffered to fulfill the Prophesie of Esay above an hundred yeares before Daniel that at the comming of Christ people should sit in the Tabernacle of peace in sure dwellings and safe resting places And againe he shall be called the Prince of peace and againe there shall be no end of peace and David long before him in his dayes shall arise Justice and abundance of peace Now for the particular state of Jewry at Christs Nativity thus it was according as Iosephus the Iew who was borne within five yeares after Christs Passion describeth the same One Herod a stranger whose Grandfather was sexton in Apollos Temple and his father called Antipater waâ— brought up among theeves in Idumea came out of Idumea was risen to acquaintance and favour with the Romans partly by his said fathers meanes who was as Iosephus words are a well monied man industrious and factious And partly by his owne diligence and ambition being of himselfe both witty beautifull and of excellent rare qualities By which commendations he came at length to marry the daughter of Hyrcanus King of Iewry that was descended lineally of the house of David and Tribe of Iuda and by his mariage obtained of his father in law to be Governour of the Province of Galily under him But Hircanus afterwards falling into the hands of the Parthians that carried him into Parthia Herod runne away to Rome and there by the especiall helpe and favour of Anthony that ruled together in company with Octavius he obtained to be created King of Iury without any title or interest in the world for that not only his said father in law Hyrcanus was yet alive in Parthia but also his younger brother Aristolulus and three of his sonnes named Antigonus Alexander and Aristobulus and divers others of the blood royall in Iewry Herod then by this means having obtained that Kingdome procured first to have in his hands the foresaid Hyrcanus and so put him to death he also brought to the same end his younger brother Aristobulus and his three sons likewise he put to death also his own wife Mariamnes that was King Hyrcanus daughter as also Alexandra her Mother and soon after two of his own sons which he had by the said Mariamnes for that they were of the blood royall of Iuda And a little after that againe he put to death his third son named Antipater He caused also to be slaine at one time forty of the chiefest Noble men of the Tribe of Juda and as Philo the Jew writeth that lived at the same time with him he put to death all the Sanhedrin that is the seventy two Senators of the Tribe of Juda that ruled the people He killed the chiefe of the sect of the Pharisees He burned the Genealogies of all the Kings and Princes of the house of Juda caused one Nicholaus Damascenus an Historiographer that was his servant to draw out a pedegree for him and his line as though he had descended from the ancient Kings of Juda. He translated the high Priesthood and sold it to strangers and finally he so raced dispersed and mangled the house of Juda as not one jot of government dignity or principality remained therein And when he had done all this then was Iesus of the same house and line of Iuda borne in Bethlehem the proper City of David which David was the founder and first author of regality in Juda. Now then consider the prophesie of Iacoh concerning the particular time of Christs appearance almost two thousand yeares before these things fell out Come hither my children said he that I may tell you the things which are to happen in the latter dayes c. The Scepter shall not depart from Iuda nor a Law-giver from betweene his feet untill he come who is to be sent The expectation of all Nations Which prophesie that it was fulfilled now at Christs Nativity when Herod had extinguished all Government in Iudah no man can deny that will acknowledge the things set downe before which are recorded by writers both of that time and of the Iewish Nation and Religion themselves And that it was never fulfilled from Davids dayes who began the governmeÌ„t of the house of Iuda untill this time appeareth plainely by all histories and records both divine and prophane For that from David who was the first King unto Zedechias that was the last and dyed in the captivity of Babylon the Scripture shewes how all the Kings descended of the house of Iuda And during the time of their captivity in Babylon which was seventy yeares the Iewes were alwayes permitted to chuse themselves a Governour of the house of Iuda whom they called Resch galuta and after their deliverance from Babylon Zorobabel was their captaine of the same Tribe and so others after him untill you come to the Macchabees who were both Captains and Priests for that they were by the mothers side of the Tribe of Iuda and by the fathers side of the Tribe of Levi as Rabbi Kimchi And from these men â—owne to Hyrcâ—nus and Aristobuâ—us whom Herod slew there continued still the same line as Tosephus declareth so that by this Prophesie it is evident that Iesus was borne at the proper time appointed for the Messias when there was neither King nor Captaine nor High Priest nor Counsellor nor any one Governour of the house and Tribe of Iuda left in Iury. For further proofe that Christ came incarnate into the world at the time appointed here might be shewed the destruction of the second Temple according to Daniels prophesie after sixty two weekes Christ shall be slaine The attestation of Oracles the observation of Rabbins and expectation of all the Jewes at that time but I intend brevity and this is else-where learnedly described by divers famous Writers Therefore I conclude as Saint Luke declares it in the second Chapter 1. It was saith he when Augustus Caesar caused the whole world to bee taxed by taking of every person in all places a penny wherby they might professe themselves subject to the Roman Emperour and he might know how many Townes Cities and persons were in the whole world under his dominion and
nay of immortalitie if otherwise it turneth into deadly poyson for hee that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himselfe not discerning thâ— Lords body Now the only reason why I do compare the meritorious action of our blessed Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus on this day to Jupiter who as the Poets feine him was Lord of Heaven and Earth is for that as he overcame the malicious and revengefull Titan and all those monstrous and cruell Giants his sonnes called the Titanes and victoriously triumphed over theÌ„ so likewise Christ the Lord of glory and King of Kings as on this day being then the fifth of Aprill and first day of the Jewish weeke having overcome the dreadfull and spitefull Serpent the old Dragon in the Revelation according as it was prophesied of him Gen. 3. 15. and all those fiends that follow him sinne death and hell according to another prophesie in Hosea and having by his divine power raised himself from death to life as David long agoe foretold that God would not leave his soule in hell nor suffer his holy one to see corruption but that according to another prophesie of Hosea in the person of the children of Israel After two dayes he will revive in the third day raise up that we may live in his sight which is the same with the Sybils in these words He shall end the necessity of death by three dayes sleepe and then returning from death to life againe he shall be the first that shall shew the beginning of the resurrection to his chosen for that by conquering death he shall bring us life And last of all having according to his own promise which he oft times made to his Disciples That as Ionas was three dayes and three nights in the whales belly so should he be three dayes and three nights in the heart of the earth destroy this Temple and in three dayes I will raise it up are his owne words in another place meaning the temple of his body And that the Sonne of man shall be delivered into the hands of men and they shall kill him but the third day he shall rise again in another place fast bound the Dragon in the bottomelesse pit and taking away the sting of death which is sinne gloriously triumphed over the enemies of mans salvation and rising out of the Sepulchre of death confounded the souldiers that were his guard with amazement caused the earth to quake and the Angels of God to descend from heaven to attend upon his triumphs did forty dayes walke upon the earth in this triumphant manner and made twelve apparitions to his Disciples and others The first was to Mary Magdalen alone Iohn 10. 14. The second to all the women together as they returned homewards Matth. 20. 9. The third was to Simon Peter alone about noone 1 Cor. 15. 5. Luke 24. 34. The fourth was in the afternoon to the two Disciples as they went to the Castle of Emaus which was some eight miles from Jerusalem the ones name was Cleophas and brother of Joseph who brought up our Saviour and the other as may be gathered by the circumstance of the story was Luke because he hath set it downe so exactly Luke 24. The fifth was after he returned invisibly from Emaus to Jerusalem where when the doores were all shut and his Disciples were assembled together for feare of the Jewes he came and stood in the midst of them Iohn 20 19. And all these apparitions were in one day which was called the first day of the weeke The sixth apparition was eight dayes after his resurrection being the twelth of Aprill to all his Disciples Thomas being then present and the doores shut That he might make evident that his omnipotency was not tyed to any secondary causes or hindred by the property of any naturall bodies which according to S. Austine was so much the more wonderfull because hee appeared unto them substantially and effectually not as a phantasma or shadow which vanisheth away and is without any corporâ—all substance but did eat and drink and suffered his body to be handled by his Disciples The seventh apparition was to Peter Thomas Nathaneel the sons of Zebedeus and other two Disciples as they were fishing upon the shore of Tiberias which stood 36 miles from Ierusalem Northward betweene Bethsaida and Capernaum Iohn 21. The eighth was to the eleven Apostles on Mount Tabor in Galilee The ninth was to more then five hundred brethren at one time as S. Paul witnesseth The tenth was to James the son of Alpheus for he had beene seene before by Iames the son of Zebedeus but the certaine time of these foure last apparitions is not set downe But on the fourteenth day of May which was forty dayes after his resurrection he appeared to all his Apostles Disciples and friends together on Mount Olivet And in their sight with great triumph and joy he ascended into Heaven And last of all after his ascension he appeared to S. Paul as himselfe relates Thus as Luke affirmeth he shewed himselfe alive by many arguments for the space of forty dayes together and reasoned with them of the kingdome of his father Why then should any man mistrust the testimony of these men which saw him ate with him dranke with him touched him and heard him speak and whose entire estate and welfare depended wholly of the certainety thereof For what comfort had it beene or consolation to those men to have devised of themselves those former apparitions what encouragement might they have taken in these dolefull times of desolation and affliction to have had among them the dead body of him on whose only life their universall hope and confidence depended The Scribes and Pharisees being astonished at the sudden news of his rising againe confirmed unto them by their owne souldiers that saw it found no other way to resist the fame thereof but only by saying as their posterity do at this day that his Disciples came by night and stole away his body while the souldiers slept But what likelyhood or possibility can there be in this for first it is evident to all the world that his Apostles themselves who were the heads of all the rest were so dismaied discomforted and dejected at that time as they durst not once goe out of the doore for which cause only those silly women who for their sex esteemed themselves more free from violence presumed alone to visit his Sepulchre which no one man durst doe for feare of the souldiers untill by those women they were informed that the foresaid band of souldiers were terrified and put to flight by Christs resurrection And then how was it likely that men so much amazed and overcome with feare should adventure to steale away a dead body from a guard of souldiers that kept it or if their hearts had served to adventure so great a danger what hope or probability had there beene of successe especially considering the said body lay in