Nero sought the destruction of the Christians within all the Empire of Rome Achab was not so greedie to haue his wrath and anger satisfied vpon the Prophet Micheas nor Iezabel vpon the Prophet Elias as Nero was to haue Paul the Apostle and Peter slaine in Rome who fild all the streets of Rome with the blood of Christians as Manasses king of Iuda filled all the streets of Ierusalem with innocent blood so that Nero could not be satisfied vntill he had ended his tragedie killing his mother his wiues his sisters and after himself as Mithridates king of Pontus had done before him The second message of Moses was to command Pharao to let the Hebrues depart out of Egipt which being refused denied the Lord vsed a stratagem began to vexe them with a second plague with an vgly armie of Frogges which assaulted Pharao and his country so fiercely that all the Riuers and all the land of Egipt were couered ouer with loathsome Frogges Pharaos Court his priuie chamber his victuals vpon euery man these Frogges scrawled climbed vpon Pharao his Peeres his States and vpon all his people without respect of persons they spared none that all the force strength of Egipt could not resist the force violence of these simple creatures but were constrained to forsake their houses their beds and to seeke to escape these filthy Frogs who left no secret place vnsought but the Hebrews in the land of Gosen were free from these plagues Pharao being dismaied and fearefull to see such vgly sights terrible stratagems was forced to yeeld himselfe to Moses the Captaine and leader of this armie at what time Moses had his second tryumph in the midst of Egipt This was the second victorie and tryumph which the Hebrewes had in Egipt by an armie of Frogs weake souldiers of themselues but there is nothing so weak that the Lord cannot cause to ouercome the greatest power of man Yet Pharaos heart was so hardned that hee answered Moses message from the Lord Quis est dominus Who is the Lord saith Pharao most blasphemously much like to the blasphemy of Nicanor who doubted of the Lord being in heauen and demaunded of Iudas Machabaeus Is there a Lord in heauen that can commaund you to keepe the Sabboth day But I haue power on earth to execute the kings commaundement Nabuchodonozer besides him there is no Lord in heauen nor in earth that can defend you out of Nabuchodonozers hand but that tongue which blasphemed the Lord was cut off and cast to the sowles of the aire to be eaten the head and the hand that fought against the Lord were cut off he being slain in the battell by Iudas Machabeus and hangd vpon the Temple in Ierusalem This secōd plague may be well resembled to the second persecution vnder Domitianus the Emperor who with no lesse crueltie persecuted the Christians in Rome then Pharao did the Hebrewes in Egipt or as Nero his predecessor did in Italy but as in Egipt all men fled from their houses their beddes their tables to seeke some rest from the Frogges so in Rome and in Italy the poore Christians fled euery where frō place to place to hide themselues in secret caues and dennes to escape the cruell sword of this swelling toade Domitianus who excelled Pharao in tyrannie Pharao saide Quis est dominus Who is the Lord I know not the Lord. But Domitianus named himselfe Lord and god Domitianus and by a decree commanded so to be named of all mē in Rome and throughout the Empire of Rome and therwithall caused his Image to be set vp in the Temple at Ierusalem This cruell and blasphemous Emperour Domitianus so persecuted the Christians and so vexed the whole Empire that not only the Citizens of Rome but also all Italy sought other places in other countries as banished men to seeke to auoyd the sword of this bloodie Emperor who passed Pharao in blasphemy and Nero in tyrannie but his end was no better then Neroes for as Nero slue himself with his own hand so was Domitianus in his owne house murthered slain by his owne seruants for he that killeth many must of some be kild and so Domitianus was for blood is reuenged with blood and is one of those foure sinnes that crieth vp to heauen for vengeance but Rome was euer full of blood betweene their forrein warres abroad and their ciuill warres at home CHAP. IIII. Of the third and fourth plagues of the Egiptians compared with the third and fourth persecutions of the Christians MOyses againe after two denialls marcheth with his armie against Pharao to his third battell which was with more simple and weake souldiers then the second battell was for the Lord commaunded Moses to smite the dust of the earth with his rod that all the dust of the earth became Lice throughout all the land of Egipt and these were the armies of the Lord the which crept vpon euery man and vpon euery beast and went as in battell raie and well instructed souldiers vpon Pharao his Lords and his Courtiers and ouer all the land of Egipt this armie spared no place feared no man but the land of Gosen and the Hebrewes there dwelling To this were Iamnes and Iambres and all Soothsayers and Charmers of Egipt publikely forced to say that it was digitus dei the finger of God and Pharao after them was as afore twise now the third time constraited to yeeld to Moses but still without grace or repentance Thus euery victorie had his triumph and euerie triumph was solemnized without either a stroak giuen or a sword drawne but with a white rod in Moses hand so that it seemed rather a combat betweeene Moses and Pharao then a set battell betweene the Hebrewes and the Egiptians The third persecution vnder Traiane in Rome in all points is to be likened to the third plague vnder Pharao in Egipt for the bloud of the Christians in Rome and the plague of the Hebrewes in Egipt crie for equal vengeance and iustice vpon wicked Tyrants and murtherers vnto heauen Though Traiane was wrote vnto by Pliny the second to admonish him to mittigate the vehement persecutidus of the Christians certifying Traiane that the Christians liued soberly and quietly not offending the Romane lawes but by professing their religigion and the name of Christ. Notwithstanding Pliny could do litle good with his Letters to Traiane the Emperour in the behalfe of the Christians at Rome no more then Philo could do with his perswasions to Nero for the Iewes in Alexandria though Philo himselfe being learned and graue and of great authoritie with the Iewes spake in person to Nero and yet Appian the Egiptian being but a schoolemaister in Alexandria a man of no reputation had audience of Nero which was denied to Philo so much Rome hated the Christians Egipt the Hebrews that their plagues
God mightie in heauē that commands to keep the Sabboth day and I am mightie on earth that comcommaunds the contrary but his head his hands and his blasphemous tongue were cut off and hanged vpon the pinacles in the temple at Ierusalem And so the blasphemy of the Scribes and Pharisies saying that Christ the Lord did not cast out diuels by his owne vertue but by the power of Belzebab but the Lord left not them vnpunished The blasphemy of Benhadad saying that the Lord was the God of the mountaines onely not God of the valleys was not he strangled by Hazael his owne seruant in his owne house and in his owne bed Yet the Syrians prepared such a number for the second battel after they had escaped hardly from the first battell that they filled all the countrie and the children of Israel were like to little flockes of Kids in respect of their number but the Lord sent his Prophet to Achab saying Because the Syrians haue said that the Lord is the God of the mountaines and not God of the valleys behold this great multitude of men and Benhadad the King himselfe withal the two and thirtie Kings besides will I deliuer to thine hand and he shall know that I am the Lord as well of the valleys as the mountaines And so the Lorde brought it to passe that in that battell an hundred thousand footemen were slaine of the Syrians and seuen and twentie thousand that fled from the field to Aphec to saue themselues were killed by the fall of a wall that crushed them to death and Benhadad the King fled to the citie from chamber to chamber and hid himselfe according to the Prophets saying vntill many of his chiefe Princes that escaped hardly from the battell came with sackcloath about their loynes and ropes about their neckes in token of submission to entreate Achab king of Israel for the life of Benhadad which he graunted contrary to that which he was by the Lord commaunded for to do as Saul did by Agag king of the Amalekites so Achab did by Benhadad but it was told Achab by the Prophet that his life should goe for his life and his people for his people This Achab a wicked and Idolatrous King had such two great victories for that the Lord alwayes would haue Israel to forsake their calfe in Bethell and their Idolatry to Baall in Samaria but sinne was written in the table of their hearts and grauen vpon the edges of their Aultars with a penne of Iron and with an Adamant clawe said the Prophet that there was nothing among them more pretious then woods thicke trees groues mountaines hills and fields for altars to serue their Idolatrous woodden goddes so greatly they offended the Lord that he asked the Heathens if any heard such horrible things as his people had done yea the Priests to whom the lawe was committed the Prophets which wanted not the word of the Lorde and the graue wise Senators So that Israel would not be instructed neither take warning by the Prophets before the finall end and suddaine destruction of Ierusalem by Nabuchodonozer king of Babilon though the Lord commaunded the Prophet Amos to strike the lintell of the doore that the postes might shake signifying the threatning of the Lorde against Israel So was Ezechiel commaunded to take a bricke and to purtray the citie of Ierusalem vpon the bricke with a sharpe knife to signifie the destructiō of the people and of the citie and the ◅ame selfe Prophet sheweth the destruction of Ierusalem by Nabuchodonozer king of Babel by a parable of a seething potte and the day was commaunded to be written by the Prophet Ierusalem the the valley of vision so named because of the Prophets which were also called seers The Lorde said that hee would bring such a plague vpon Ierusalem that the eares of them that should heare it should glowe for I wil send many fishers to take them many hunters to hunt thē from all mountaines and hilles and out of the caues of stones saith the Lord. Yet though Ierusalem was so seuerely prophesied by Amos Ezechiel and other Prophets to be destroyed yet they were comforted by the Prophet Ieremy againe that they should returne frō their captiuitie after seuentie yeares and rebuild Ierusalem And as by Ieremy by hiding of his leather girdle by the riuer Perah as the Lord had cōmaunded him signifying that by the rottēnes of the girdle Ierusalē shuld be rebuilded after seuentie yeares And by the selfesame Prophet they were assured by his buying of the field Anothot and by the hiding of his writing of possession thereof in signes and tokens of their libertie againe and that Ierusatem should be builded againe and inhabited this was but the second ouerthrow of Ierusalem by Nabuchodonozer This was like Noah that preached the destruction of the world by a deluge before the deluge and yet married a wife much like to the Prophet Ieremy that preached the destruction of Ierusalem and yet bought lands The Prophets vsed many of these signes as eye-witnesses to confirme their memory better and to expect with more faith the words of the Prophets The Prophet Ieremy proceedeth forward to denounce the ouerthrow of those proud kingdomes that reioyced much at the destructiō of Ierusalem as Egipt and Babilon and all the euill that should come vpon Babilon Ieremy wrote it in a booke sent Sheraiah with his booke to read it and when he had done reading Ieremy commaunded him to binde a stone to the booke and to cast it into the midst of the riuer Euphrates and then to say thus shall Babilon be cōfounded thus the Prophets vsed besides their prophesies to adde some action to make the words the more to be remembred So also the Prophet Ezechiel prophesied against Egipt and against their great cities saying The sword of the Lord shall come to Memphis to Pellusium and to Alexandria I will ouerthrow Memphis saith the Lord I will destroy Pellusium the strength of Egipt and I will make a great slaughter of all the men in Alexandria For as Babilon was taken Maradach ouerthrowne and Bel cōfounded so was the strength of Egipt the arme of Pharao destroyed without any recouery of their Empires againe but so was not Ierusalem Nabuchodonozer in like sort as he ouerthrew Ierusalem and made a conquest of the countrey euen so his great citie of Babilon was caried by Cyrus away into Persia within seuentie yeares after he tooke Zedechiah the last king of Iudah captiue in Babilon so Egipt was taken by the Persians and last by the Romanes But Ierusalem as you heard by Ieremy should not bee so destroyed but should be defended against all her enemies and the Lord shall destroy all nations that come against Ierusalem for the Lord hath deliuered Israel out of the fierie furnace of Egipt and from all the stratagems of the Heathens I will
nothing These were superstitious orders of Franciscans and not the vowes of Nazarites The Ethnicks likewise suffered their haires to grow because they might dedicate it either to Iupiter to Appollo to Mars or to some of their gods So did Thesius dedicate his haire vnto Appollo vpon his father Aegaeus graue So Achilles dedicated his haire vpō the tombe of his deare friend Patroclus So did Orestes consecrate his haire vpon the tombe of his father in lawe Agamemnon after he had killed him with the consent of his wife Clytemnestra So Euripides was of Archelaus king of Macedonia so honoured that hee lamented Euripides death in mourning apparell and with a shauen head and beard After the vowes of Iacob of Dauid of Asa and such godly men after the vowes of the Nazarites and of the Rechabites which was commanded from Ionadab the father vnto his children and to their posteritie was kept vnuiolated three hundred yeares These vowes were of the Lord accepted but for Heathen vowes which wilfully offer sacrifice their seruants their childrē thēselues to Moloch to satisfie the oracles of diuels speaking in dumbe Idols as vnto Curtius that rode sacrificing of a quick man which made Curtius on horseback in armor to ride into an open wide gulfe in Rome and Codrus king of Athens likewise in beggers apparell to sacrifice themselues to satisfie the oracles Yet Heliodorus was better aduised and more to be commended being sent by Seleucus king of Syria to rob and spoile the Temple of Ierusalem after he was scourged on both sides with many stripes by some diuine power hauing recouered his life by the prayer of Onias the high Priest Heliodorus offered sacrifice vnto God and made his vowes vnto the Lord which had graunted to him his life and thanked Onias confessing the name of the Lord to be great in Ierusalem Antiochus after his flight frō Persepolis in Persia thought to reuenge his wrath vpon Ierusalem aduancing himself that he would make Ierusalem a graue of all the Iewes but he was striken of the Lord that hee promised and vowed that whereas hee had spoiled the holy temple before now to garnish it with gifts to encrease the holy ornaments to become a Iew himselfe and to preach the power of the Lord through euery place of the world So Artaxerxes king of Persia so fauoured the Iewes through the goodnesse of the Lord that hee called Esdras the Priest and reader of the lawe of the Lord and willed him with all the Iewes that would goe with him to goe to Ierusalem allowed them golde and siluer and cattell to sacrifice vnto the Lord and to performe the vowes which they vowed vnto the Lord. So Nabuchodonozer Cyrus and Darius were moued by the Lord to fauour his people Israell And therefore olde Homer said that the sacrifices and oblations with all their vowes and ceremonies which the Troians offered to Iupiter were nothing of him accepted for that Iupiter rather esteemed the vowes and sacrifice of Agamemnon and the oblations of the Greckes before king Priamus and his Troians So the oracle of Ammon answered the Athenians that the gods esteemed more the vowes and prayers of the Lacedemonians with the sacrifice of milke honey frankincense cakes and wine according to Pythagoras rule then the rich spoiles and great gifts of the Athenians with the great sacrifice of Haecatombae So the Prophet answered the Iewes from the mouth of the Lord I abhorre your incense I cannot away with your new moones your sabbothes and solemne dayes I detest your ceremonies and fastings I hate although you make many praiers and offer many oblations yet do I neither heare your prayers nor accept your oblations CHAP. VII Of Oracles and soothsayings as well of the Iewes as of the Gentiles THe Lord commaunded in the lawes of Moses that no soothsaying should be among the Israelites yet things conteining of necessary causes are not forbidden for signes were asked of the Israelites and giuen vnto them of victories by the Lord. Ionathas desired a signe of the Lord and he had by the spirit of the Lord a token that if the Philistins would say vnto Ionathas come ye hither vnto vs Ionathas by that signe knew he should haue victorie The like signe was giuen to Gedeon of his victorie by a fleece of wooll that should be so full with deawe that the deawe therof filled a bowle with water and drie vpon all the earth besides Elizeus bad Ioas shoote eastward in token of his good successe in Aphec And againe hee bad Ioas smite the ground and hee smote the ground thrise so many great victories against the Syrians he had Samuel caught the lap of Sauls coate and rent it saying Thus shall God rent the kingdome out of thy hand and giue it to an other So did Ahiah the Prophet take the garment of Ieroboam and rent it into twelue peeces saying So shall the Lord rent the kingdome out of Salomons hand and giue tenne of the twelue Tribes vnto thee These were signes giuen before hand by the Prophets from the Lord. A prophet of Iudah came to Bethel and cried against the Aultar of Bethel and gaue them a signe that Iosias which was borne three hundred yeares after should offer Priests of the hill altars and burne mens bones vpon the altar and this shall be a signe the altar presently shall rent and the ashes that are in it shall fall out The being of Ionas in the Whales belly three dayes was a signe as Christ himselfe saide that the sonne of man should be three dayes in the belly of the earth It was lawfull for the Israelites to call for the Arke which was the presence of God the figure of Christ they would call for the Ephod they would consult with Vrim and Thummim before they tooke any battell in hand The Iewes required a signe the Grecians sought after wisdome but Christ crucified vnto the Iewes was euen a stumbling blocke and vnto the Grecians foolishnesse For the Greekes Persians went for Oracles to Delphos the Egiptians and Affricans to Ammon but the Hebrewes were taught to come to the doore of the Tabernacle and after the vse of the Tabernacle to consult with Vrim and Thummim to come to the Temple of Salomon or to the Prophets and there to be instructed what to doo The Hebrues tooke no warres in hand vnlesse they ◅ame to the Priest first who would stand with his Ephod◅rment ◅rment before the Arke of the Lorde and there to be ◅ught what to do So Ioshuah Generall of the Israelites vsed to stand b◅re Eleazar the Priest to take his instruction by Vrim and Thummim So Iudah the successor of Ioshua was chosen by Vrim and Thummim to be a Generall of the Hebrue army So did Samuel stand before the high Priest to receiue he Oracle of Vrim and Thummim The Hebrewes