natioÌ„ or people under which you live not onely in Barbary but in al other parts of the world besides as a fatal effect of that heavie curse laid on you by your own forefathers long agoe vpon the death of Christ when Pilate the judge washed his hands saying I am innocent of the blood of this iust man looke yee to it they cried with one consent his blood be vpon vs on our children As also of that prophesie of our Saviour in his life time when he wept over Ierusalem saying ô if thou haddest even knowne at the least in this thy day those things which belong to thy peace but now are they hid froÌ„ thine eyes c. And more particularly to his Disciples he renueth it over againe when yee shall see Ierusalem besieged with soldiers then know yee that her desolation is at hand For these be the dayes of vengaâ—ce to fulfill all things that are written For there shall be great distresse in this land and wrath over this people And they shall fall one the cadge of the sword and shall be lead captive into all nations c. Which heavie curse of your owne forefathers and prophisie of his how truely they have been fulfilled both the one the other all the world seeth and yee your selves feele the effect as before The Lord in mercie take away the vayle from your hearts that at length ye may know those things which beloÌ„g to your peace which now are hid froÌ„ your eyes for why will ye dye ô ye house of Israel These considerations I say and reasons with some others have moved me and partly in recompence of those your definaes and dainties wherof I tasted so often while I was amongst you to send you here a smal banket of such dainties as Christendome can afford wishing you would but tast some part of mine as I did of yours being indeed Sabbath dayes dainties tast I say and see how sweet the Lord is And the rather doe I invite you to this banket yea rather provoke you therevnto even to your owne salvation which through your fall is come to us Gentiles to provoke you as it is that place for that now the time of your redemtion draweth neare with ours much nearer now theÌ„ wheÌ„ we beleeved foretold also both by Christ and his Apostles as was your desolation and shall one day as surely and certainely come to passe the one as the other For God that hath promised is of power to performe it he will doe it he is able to graffe you in againe into your owne olive tree Verely I tell you saith our Saviour to the Pharisies ye shall not see me vntill the time come that yee shall say blessed is he that commeth in the name of the Lord. Therefore such a time shall coÌ„e with out all doubt whearein ye shall so say that is to say most willingly obey the Heavenly calling without any more resisting the Holy Ghost as did your forefathers Also in an other place and Ierusalem shall be troden vnder foote of the Gentiles vntill the time of the Gentiles be fulfilled So long and no longer there is the period And Paul the Apostle in a most fervent manner both prayeth and prophesieth to this effect brethren my hearts desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved Then prophecieth at large in the chapter following and that most divinely as of their fall so of their generall call in due time with many arguments and reasons to that purpose Which praier and prophesie of his proceeding from a divine instinct and revelation no doubt shall one day take effect For it can not be but that the word of God should take effect For it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth to the Iew first and also to the Grecian To the Iew first thereis the promise there is the priviledge Lift up your heades now therefore ó ye Iewes sonnes of Abraham children of the promise to whom pertayneth the adoption and the glorie and the covenants and the giving of the law and the service of God and the promises of whom are the fâ—thers and of whom concerning the flesh Christ came I say lift up your heads and listen to the heavenly call of Christ and his Apostle Paul for your redemtion draweth nere This is the generation of them that seeke him of them that sâ—eke thy face Iaacob Silah Lift up your heads ye gates be ye liâ—t up ye everlasting doores and the King of glorie shall come in And let us Christians also upon whom the ends of the World are come lift up our heads and knowe remembring that parable of the figtree when wâ— sâ—e these things beginne to come to passe that the kingdome of God is near eueâ— at the doores Verely I say unto you this generation shall not passe till all these things be donne Heauen and earth shall pâ—sse away but my Words shall not passe away They are the words of our Saviour And now bretheren to returne to Paul I commend you to God and to the word of his grace which is able to buyld you up and to giue you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified Be favourable unto Sion for thy good pleasure build the walls of Ierusalem Then shalt thou accept the sacrifice of righteousnes euen the burnâ—offring and oblation then shall they offer calues upon thyne altar Oh giue salvation unto Israel out of Sion when God turneth the captivitie of his people then shall Iaakob rejoice and Israel shall be glad When the Lord brought againe the captivitie of Sion we were like them that dreame then was our mouth filled with laughter and our tongue with joye then sayd they among the Heathen The Lord hath dâ—ne great things for them The Lord hath done great things for us wherof we rejâ—ice O Lord bring againe our captivitie at the rivers in the south Saue us O Lord our God and gather us from among the Heathen that we may praise thyne holy name and glorie in thy praise Comfort us according to the dayes that thou hast afflicted us according to the yeeres that we haâ—e seene eâ—el Thou wilt arise and haue mercie upon Sion for the time to haue mercie thereon for the appointed time is come For thy servants delight in the stones thereof and hâ—ue pitie on the dust thereof Then the Heâ—then shall â—eare the name of the Lord and all the kings of the earth thy glorie when the Lord shall buyld up Siâ—n and shall appeare in his glorie and shall turne unto the prayer of the desolate not dispisâ— then pâ—ayer This shall be written for the generation to come and the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord for he hath looked downe from the height of his sanctuarie out of the heaven did the Lord behold the earth thâ—t he might
of the preaching of the Gospel which began at Ierusalem and from thence was spread over all the world Which the same Isay foresawe when talking of the Messiah he sayth In that daie shall five cities in the Land of Egypt speak the language of Canaan c. In that daie shall the alter of the Lord be in the middest of the Land of Egypt and a piller by the border thereof unto the Lord. And the Egyptians shall knowe the Lord in that daie and doe sacrifice and oblation and shall vowâ— vowes c. which could not be verified of the Law of Moses for by that Law the Egyptians could haue nether alter nor sacrifice but it was fulfilled upon the coÌ„ming of Christ when the Egyptians were made Christians Also in another place and the yles shall waite for his Law The same was likewise foretold by God in Malachie where he sayth to the Iewes and of the Iewish sacrifices I haue no pleasure in you neyther will I receiue an offring at your hands for from the rising of the sunne untâ—ll the going downe of the same my name iâ— great among the Gentiles and in everie place incense shal be offerâ—d 〈◊〉 my name and a pure offering for my name is great among the Gentiles sâ—â—th the Lord of Hosts Wherein we see first a reprobation of the Iewish Sacrifices consequently of the Law of Moses which dependeth principally thereupon Secondly that among the Gentiles there should be a pure maner of Sacrifice more gratefull unto God then the other not limited eyther in respect of tyme or place as the Mosaicall Law sacrifice was For so sayth God in Ezechiel I gaue them statutes which were not good and judgments wherein they shall not liue that is not good to continue perpetually nor shall they live in theÌ„ any longer but til the time by me appoynted Of which tyme he determineth more particularly by Ieremie in these words Behold the dayes come sayth the Lord that I will mak a newe covenant with the house of Israel and Iudah not according to that covenant which I made with their Fathers c. where you see a new covenant or Testament promised different from the old whereupon I conclude the old Law of Moses by the Messiah must be changed into a new The tyme of his manyfestation with all other circumstances NOw for the tyme of his manyfestation with all other circumstances of his birth lyfe death resurrection ascension and those things also that fell out afterwards if we shall consider how particulraly precisely they were all foretold by the Prophets and how long before some hundreths some thousands of yeares before they fell out as also how exactly they were all fulfilled in the person of our blessed Saviour all directed like so many lynes to one center we shall as it were in a mirrour see and behold both the truth of Christian religion setled vpon a most firme unmovable center as also the vanitie of all other religioÌ„s whatsoever especially this most vain expectatioÌ„ of the Iewes to this day of their Messiah yet for to come as vaine and fond altogither as was that opinion of one of the Phylosophers which the word center hath put me in mynd of that the earth forsooth did move and the heavens stand still how far they are degenerate not onely from all true light vnderstaÌ„ding in heavenly matters but also even from coÌ„mon sense and reason it selfe in things of that nature tending therevnto And first for the tyme. Daniell who lived in the first Monarchie foretold that there should be three monarchies more the last the greatest of all to witt the Romane Empire and then the eternall King or Messiah should come his 〈◊〉 are these In the dayes of these Kings shal the God of heaven set vp a kingdome which shall never be destroyed Dan. 2.44 And just according to this tyme was the Messiah born namely in the dayes of Augustus Caesar Luk. 2. as both we Christians account and the Iewes acknowledge even in those halcyon dayes of peace when the temple gates of Ianus were commannded to be shut and vpon that very day when Augustus commaunded that no man should call him Lord was this Prince of peace borne Therefore to him agreeth this circumstance of tyme very fitly most vainly therefore doe the Iewes after this tyme expect for another Secondly Iacob who lived many yeares before prophesied of this tyme very precisely as already hath bene aleadged that the Mesâ—iah whom he there calleth Shilo should come at that tyme when the scepter or goverment regall was departed from the house of Iudah which was in the dayes of Herod and never till then who first vsurped that government his father in law King Hircanus with all his ofâ—pring of the blood royall of Iuda togither with the Sanhedrim put to death The genealogies of the Kings and Princes burned A new pedegrie for himselfe divised In a word all authority regall whatsoever belonging to that tribe at that tyme quite extinguished And just according to this tyme was our Saviour borne namely in the dayes of Herod Math. 2.1 Therefore to him agreeth this circuÌ„stance of tyme very fitly most vainely therefore doe the Iewes after this tyme expect any longer Thirdly God himselfe saith by his Prophet Haggaâ— that the Messiah whome he there calleth the deâ—ired of all nations shall come in the tyme of the second temple which was then but new built farr inferior in statelynes and glory to the former built by Solomon which the old men in the book of Ezra testify by their weeping when they sawe this second temple and remembred the glory of the first The words of the Lord by his Prophet Haggai are these Speake vnto Zerubbabel who is left amonge you that saâ—e this housâ— in her first glory and how doe you see it now is it not in your eies in comparison of it as nothing yet now be of good cheere ô Zerubbubel for thus saith the Lord of hosts yet a litle while and I wil shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the drie land And I will move all nations and the desire of all nations shal come and I will fill this house with glory saith the Lord of hostes The glory of this last house shal be greater their the first c. which must needs be vnderstood of the coming of the Messiah to wit his personall presence in this second temple in whom is the fulnes of glory therefore could he and none other fill it with glory being himselfe indeed the King of glory Lifte vp your heads ô yee gates and be yee lift vp yee everlasting dores and the King of glory shall come in So doth Mallachie prophesy in these words The Lord whom yee seeke shall speedily come to his temple even the mâ—ssenger of the covenant whom yee desire behold he shall come sayth the Lord of hosts c.
albeit she were dead aboue two thousand yeeres before they were slayne aboue one thousand and fiue hundreth before Ieremie wrote this prophecie Among which Infants Herod also for more assurance slewe an infant of his owne for that he was descended by the mothers side of the line of Iuda Which crueltie comming to Augustus his eares he sayd he had rather be Hâ—rods swine then his sonne for that he being a Iewe was prohibited by his religion to kill his swine though not ashamed to kill his sonne Sixtly his flying into Aegypt herevpon as also to fulfill that prophecie out of Aegypt have I called my sonne which I say inlargeth further saying Behould the Lord rideth vpon a light cloud which is his flesh or humanity and shall come into Aegipt and all the Idols of Aegipt shall tremble at his presence which later pointe Eusebius sheweth was fulfilled most evidently in the sight of all the world for that no nation came to christian religion with so great celerity and fervour as did the Aegyptians who threwe downe theire Idols before any other nation And as they had beene the first in Idolatrie to other countries so were they the first by Christ his coÌ„ming vnto them that afterwards gave exaÌ„ple of true returne vnto their creator It followeth in Isay I will deliver the Egiptians into the hands of cruel Lords these were the Roman Lords and Princes Pompei Caesar Antonie c. a mightie King shall raigne over theÌ„ c. this must needs be Augustus the Emperor who after the death of Cleopatra the last of the blood of the Ptolimies tooke possession of all Egypt and subjected it as a province to the Romaine empire But after these temporall afflictions threatned against Egypt behold a most Euangelical promise of deliverance In that day shall fiue cities of the land of Egypt speake the language of Canaan c. In that day shall the altar of the Lord be in the middest of the Land of Egypt c. They shall crye unto the Lord because of their oppressors and he shall send them a Saviour and a great man and shall deliver them c. The Lord of Hosts shall blesse them saying Blessed be my people of Egypt c. This blessing I say the Egyptians obteyned by our Saviours being in Egypt whom here the Prophet calleth by his owne name Iesus a Saviour a great-man Finally the comming of Iohn Baptist his forerunner or Messenger as was propheciâ—d Behold I will send my Messenger and be shall prepare the way before me and the Lord whom ye seeke shall speedâ—ly come to his temple And againe I will send you Eliah the Prophet that is to say Iohn the Baptist in the spirit and power of Eliah as an angell from heauen expoundeth it appearing to Zacharias his father in the temple sent to foretell him both of his birth as also by what name he should call him euen Iohn saying thou shalt call his name Iohn he shal be great in the sight of the Lord c. he shall goe before him in the power and spirit of Eliah And therefore our Saviour in plaine termes he calleth him Eliah Mat. 11 14. And if you wilt receiue it this is that Eliah which was to come he that hath ears to heare let him heare And as our Sauiour gaue him his due before a multitude then assembled calling him Eliah So did this Eliah also giue our Saviour his due in acknowledging him for the Messiah not assuming unto himself that honour offered unto him by the Iewes but refusing it absolutely and laying it upon Iesus our Saviour the true owner Then this is the recorde of Iohn when the Iewes sent Priests and Levites from Ierusalem to aske him who art thou and he confessed and denyed not and sayd plainly I am not the Christ I am not the Messiah I baptise you with water but there is one among you whom ye knowe not he it is that commeth after me which is preferred before me whose shoe lâ—tchet I am not worthie to unlose These things were done in Bethabara beyond Iordan where Iohn did baptise The next day Iohn seeth Iesus câ—mming to him and sayth behold the Lambe of God which taketh away the sinne of the world This is he of whom I sayd after me coÌ„meth a man that is preferred before me for he was before me and I knew him not but becâ—usâ— he should be declared to Israel therefore am I come baptizing with water So Iohn bare record saying I sawe the spirit come downe from heauen lâ—kâ— a doue abiding upon him And I knewe him not but he that sent me to baptise with water he sayd unto me upon whom thou shalt see the spirit come downe and stay still upon him that is he which baptiseth with the Holy Ghost And I sawe and bare record that this is the sonne of God According as it is in the other three Euangelists more at large expressed how that Iesus when he was baptised came strait out of the water and loe the heauens were opened unto him And Iohn sawe the spirit of God discending lâ—ke a doue and lighting upon him And loe a voyce came from heaven saying This is my beloved sonne in whom I am well pleased The next dâ—y Iohn stood againe and two of his disciples and he beheld Iesus wâ—lking by and sayd Behold the Lambe of God and the two disciples heard him speak and followed Iesus All this was done at Bethabara beyond Iordan in the sight and hearing of a number of people there present as three of our Euangelists doe report which they would never haue presumed to haue done had not the matter beene most evident and without all compasse of denyall or contradiction And truely no one thing in all this storie of Iesus life doth more establish the certaintie of his being the true Messiah then that Iohn the Baptist whose wisedome learning vertue and rare sanctitie is confessâ—d and recorded by the writings of all our adversaries should refuse the honour of the Messiah offered unto himself and lay it upon Iesus and also should direct those disciples that depended upon him to the onely following and imbracing of Iesus doctrine which is most evidently proved that he did for that somany followers and Disciples as himselfe had not one appeared ever after that was not a Christian. These circuÌ„stances I say of the birth coÌ„ming of the Messiah into this world so loÌ„g before foretold by the Prophets fulfilled so exactly in the person of our blessed Lord Saviour wel considered I may at length conclude Heaven and earth concurring men and Angels with all other creatures applauding therevnto yea God himselfe from heaven pronouncing it this is my beloved sonne in whome I am well pleased That therefore as sure as God is God and cannot lye nor give testimony to any vntruth so sure is Iesus Christ the sonne of God the true Messiah and
the world Whereof he that will see a very lamentable narration let him read but the last book of Iosephus de bello Iudaico Wherein is reported besides other things that after the warre was ended and all the publique slaughter ceased Titus sent threescore thowsand Iewes as a present to his father to Rome there to be put to death in divers and sundry manners Others he applyed to be spectaclâ—s for pastime to the Romains that were present with him Wherâ— of Iosephus saith that he saw with his owne eyes two thowsand five hundred murthered and consumed in one day by fight and coÌ„bate among themselves and with wilde beasts at the Emperors appointment Others were assigned in Antioch and other great cities to serve for faggots in their famous bonefires at times of triumph Others were sold to be bondslaves Others condemned to dig and hew stones for ever And this was the end of that warr and desolation Quis talia fandò Myrmidonum Dolopumve aut duri miles Vlyssi Temperet a lachrymis After thâ—s againe under Trajane the Emperour there was so infinite numbers of Iewes slaine and made away by Marcus Turbo in Africa and Lucius Quintus in the East as vvas vvonderfull And in the eighteenth yeare of Adrian the Emperour one Iulius Severus being sent to extinguish all the remnant of the Ievvish generation destroyed in a very short time ninetie eight townes and villages within that countrie and slue five hundred fourescore thousand of them in one day At which time also he beat downe the citie of Ierusalem in such sort as he left not one stone standing upoÌ„ another of their ancient buildings but caused some part thereof to be reâ—dified and inhabited onely by Gentiles He changed the name of the citie called it Aelia after the Emperors name He droue out all the progenie and ofspring of the Iewes forth of all those countries with a perpetuall law confirmed by the Emperor that they should never returne no nor so much as looke back from any high or eminent place to that countrie againe And this was donne to the Iewish Nation by the Roman Emperors for accomplishing that demand which their principall Elders had made not long before to Pilate the Roman Magistrate after he had washed his hands before the multitude to cleare himself at leastwise in outward shewe from the blood of Iesus saying I am innocent of the blood of this just man looke you to it Then answered all the people and sayd His blood be upon us upon our children and so it came to passe accordingly euen in that verie age Then the which what greater argument of a true Prophet and consequently of the Deitie and Omnipotencie of our Lord and Saviour who from heaven was able in so short a time and that in so full measure to revenge himself upon his enemies here on earth Yea a whole Nation together brought to finall desolation And so much for the punishment of enemies The fulfilling of Prophecies THe last consideration followeth and so an end which is the fulfilling of prophecies all those prophecies uttered by our Lord and Saviour while hâ— was here upon earth Especially this one of the destruction and desolation of the Iewish nation already declared might suffice for all which over and over while he was conversant amongst them he denounced against them and foretold should shortly be accomplished upon them in most fearfull maner As namely at one tyme after a long and vehement commination made to the Scribes and Pharisees in which he repeateth eight severall times that dreadfull threat woe he concludeth that all the righteous blood injuriously shedde from the first martyr Abel and so successiuely should be revenged verie shortly upon that generation Verely I saye unto you all these things shall come upon this generation and in the next words threatneth that populous citie Ierusalem that it should be made utterly desolate Ierusalem Ierusalem which killest the Prophets and stonest them that are sent unto thee how often would I haue gathered thy children together as the henne gathereth her chickens under her wings andye would not â—ehold your habitation shall be left unto you desolate And at another tyme euen that solemne tyme of his entrie and tiding into Ierusalem before his passion it is sayd in the Gospel that when he was come neare he beheld the citie and wept over it saying O if thou haddest euen knowne at the least in this thy day those things which belong unto thy peace but now are they hidde from thyne eyes then denounceth that fearfull desolation following that not one stone should be left upon another but all throwne downe euen to the ground Executed upon them made good by Tytus the sonne of Vespatian and finally accomplished by Iulius Severus who in the daies of Adrian as before is rehearsed utterly defaced the verie ruines of that citie in such sort as he left not one stone standing upon another of all their auncient buildings but laid them euen with the ground Againe at another time as some spake of the teÌ„ple how it was garnished with goodly stones and consecrate things he sayd are these the things you looke upon the dayes will come wherein a stone shall not be left upâ—n a stone that shall not be throwne downe And yet more particularly in the same chapter he foretelleth the signes whereby his disciples should perceiue when the tyme indeede was come when ye shall see Ierusalem besieged with â—oldjâ—ars then knowe yee that her desolation is at hand This foretold Iesus of the miserie that was to fall upon Ierusalem and upon that people by the Romans when the Iâ—wes seemed to be in most securitie and greatest amitie with the Romans when they could awaie with no other government but that We haue no king but Caesar he that maketh himself a King speaketh against Caesar and consequently at that tyme they might seeme in all humane reason to haue lesse cause then ever to misdoubt such calamities And yet how certaine and assured foreknowledge and as it were most sensible feeling Iesus had of these miseries he declared by those pitifull teares he shedde upon sight and consideration of Ierusalem as before is mentioned when he wept over it as also by that tender speech he used to the women of that citie who wept for him as he was ledde to be crucified perswading them to weepe rather for themselues and for their children in respect of the miseries to followe then for him All which prophecies and predictions of Iesus with sundrie other his speeches foreshewing so particularly the imminent calamities of that Nation and that at such tyme when in humane reason there could be no probabilitie thereof when a certaine Heathen Chronicler named Phlegon about a hundreth yeeres after Christs departure had diligently considered having seene the same also in his dayes most exactly fulfilled for he was servant to Adrian the
Saviour be found true which hitherto they haue found but to true to their woe as I noted before I say unto you that many shall come from the east and from the west and shall sitte downe with Abraham and Isaack and Iaakob in the kingdome of heauen and the children of the kingdome shall be cast out into utter darknes there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Where are now the Iewes with their loftie pedegree Euen as Esau sould to Iaakob his birthrigh for a messe of pottage so haue the Iewes to us Gentiles their birthright to the kingdome of heauen for a messe of idle dreames add fantasies they imagine to themselues towres castles in the aire crownes kingdomes in expectance euen in this world another paradice here on earth But in the end they shall find themselues to haue been all this while in a fooles paradice and as it were in a dreame which when one awaketh vanisheth and so I leaue them to their dreames and profound sleep till it shall please God of his mercie to awake them Thus then it is manifest both by Scripture tradition and observation of the Iewes themselues that about the tyme before mentioned to witte in the dayes of Augustus Caesar the newe Roman Emperor and of Herod the vsurper King of Iury who was the first that tooke away the scepter from Iuda euen in the tyme of the seconde Temple the true Messiah was to be borne And hence it â—as that the whole nation of the Iewes remayned so attente at this tyme more then ever before or since in expecting the Mâ—ssiah Wherevpon so soone as ever they hearde of Iohn Baptist in the desart the Iewes sent Preists Levites from Ierusalem to ask if he were the Messiah and in another place it is saide as the people wayted all men mused in their harts of Iohn if he were the Messiah Iohn answered saide vnto them c. So that you see in those dayes the whole people of the Iewes wayted for his comming all men mused vppon their Messiah So did also Iohn himselfe being in prison send two of his Disciples to Iesus demanding art thou he that shall come or shall we looke for an other and againe at the feast of the dedication they came flocking to him from all parts they came round about him as it is in that place saying how longe dost thou holde vs in suspence if thou be that Christ tell vs plainly All which importeth the greate expectation wherein the people remayned in those dayes of which fame expectation greedy desire of the people divers deceivers tooke occasion to call themselves the Messiah Iudas Galilaeus Iudas the sonne of Hezechias Atonges a Shepharde Theudas and Egiptus all notable deceivers But aboue all one Barcozbam who as the Talmud affirmeth for thirty yeares together was received for the Messiah by the Rabbins themselves til at last they flew him because he was not able to deliver them from the Romains Which facility in the people when Herod sawe he caused one Nicolaus Damascenus to devise a pedegree for him from the Ancient Kings of Iuda and so he as well as the rest tooke vppon him the tytle of the Messiah whom divers carnall Iewes that expected the Messiah to be a magnificient King as Herod was would sâ—em to beleeve and publish abroade wherevpon they are thought to be called Herodians in the Gospell who came to tempte Christ But all these deceivers are vanished and gone their memoriall is perished with them wherevnto our Saviour seemeth to allude where he saith All that ever came before me are theeves robbers but the sheepe did not heare them I say all these false Messiahs with their followers they are vanished and gone onely Iesus Christ and his religion contrarie to all other religions in the worlde without either sworde speare or shield against all worldly strength and pollicy hath increased and multiplied and shall doe to the end of the world as Gamaliel longe agoe prophecied to the Iewes wilfully bent but all in vaine even in the verie first infancie therof to have destroyed it His words are these And now I say vnto you râ—fraine your selves from these men and let them alone for if this councell or this worke be of men it will câ—me to naught but if it be of God yee cannot distroy it least yeâ— be found even fighters against God Wherefore to conclude at length this maine pointe of the timâ— of Christs appearing which cutâ—eth the very â—hroat of the Iewes vaine expectation seeing at or about that time there concurred so many signes and arguments together as 1. the establishment of the Romane Empire newly erected for then by Daniels prophesie was the Gâ—d of Heaven to set vp his Kingdome 2. The departure of the rod or scepter from the howse of Iuda 3. The destruction of the seconde Temple foretolde by our Saviour and coÌ„ming to passe accordingly even in that age 4. The just calculation of Daniels hebdomades or weekes of yeares 5. The observation of Rabbines 6. The publike fame and expectation of all the Iewes together with the palpable experience of more then sixteene hundreth yeares past since Iesus appeared wherein we see the Iewish people in vaine doe eâ—pâ—ct an other Messiah they being dispersed over all the worlde without Temple Sacrifice Prophet or any other pledge at all of Gods favoure which never happened to them till after the death of our Saviour for that in all other their banishmentes captivities and afflictions they had some prophesie consolation or promise lefte vnto them for theire comforte but nowe they wander vp and downe God having set a marke vpon them as he did vpon Cain as a people forlorne and abandoned both of God and men His linage or pedegree Secondly the Messiah by the scripture was to be borne of the tribe of Iuda and to descend lineally from the house of David There shall come a rod forth â—f the flocke of Ishai c. So did our Saviour as appeareth by his genealogie set downe by his evangelists Math. 1. Luk. 3. as also by the Thalmud it selfe which sayth that Iâ—sus of Nazareth crucifyed was of the blood royal from Zerubbabell of the hâ—use of David confiâ—med by the going vp of Ioseph and Marie his mother to Bethelem to be taxed which was the city of David who was borne therâ— as also it is manifest for that the Scribes and the Pharâ—sies â—â—o objected many matters of much lesse importaunce against him as that he was a carpenters sonne c. yet never objâ—cted they against him that he was not of the house of David which could they haue proved would quickly haue ended the whole controversie His birth with the circumstances thereof THirdly the Messiah by the Scripture was to be borne of a virgin so sayth Isay. Behold a virgin shall conceiue and bring forth a sonne the Hebrewe is He emphatioum the
he to wit the Messiah should breake the serpents head c. which he hath done not onely in his owne person by subduing Sathan with all his whole legions of Divills and power infernall traÌ„pling them vnder his feet but also in his members to whom also he gave lyke authoritie as before he gave them power and authoritie over all Divills yea over all the power of the enemie which argueth againe the power and omnipotencie of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ who not onely in his owne person here on earth but also in his servants disciples and followers was able to conquer and subdue even the Devills themselves as they themselves acknowledge Iesus I acknowledge and Paul I knowe c. And thus much of the subjection of spirits The punishment of enemies NOw resteth this his divine power and omnipotencie yet further to be manifested by an other consideratioÌ„ of his justice severitie shewed from heaven upon divers his greatest enemies here on earth after his departure out of this world As we may read in Iosephus of Herod the first who persecuted Christ even in his cradle and slue all those infants in and about Bethlehem And that other Herod Tetrarch of Gililie who put Iohn Baptist to death and scorned Iesâ—â— before his passion himself scorned afterwards by the Emperour and disgracefully sent into exile first to Lions in France and after that to the most desert and inhâ—bitable places in Spaine where he with Herodias wandred up downe in extreaâ—e calamitie all their life time and finally ended their dayes as forlorne and abandoned of all men In which miserie also it is recorded that the dâ—uncing daughter of Herodias who demaunded Iohn Baptists hâ—ad being on a time to passe over a frosen river suddenly the yce brake and she in her fall had her head cut off by the same yce without hurting the rest of her bodie So likewise it is recorded in the Acts of Herod Agrippa who stretâ—hed forth his hand to vexe certaine of the Church killed Iames the brother of Iohn with the sword and imprisoned Peter howe immediately thereupon as it is in that chapter going downe to Cefarea he was there in a solemne assemblie striken froÌ„ heaven with a most horrible disease whereby his bodie putrified and was eaten of wormes as also Iosephus maketh mention Pilate that gave sentence of death against our Lord and Saviour we read that after great disgrace received in Iurie he was sent home into Italie and there slewe himself with his owne hands And of the very Emperours themselves who lived from Tiberius under whom Iesus suffered unto Constantine the great under wâ—om Christian Religion took dominion over the world which contayned the space of some three hundred yeares or there abouts very fewe or none escaped the manifest scourges of Gods dreadfull justice shewed upon them at the knitting up of their dayes Whereas since the tyme of Constantine whiles Emperours have bene Christians as one hath observed fewe or no such examples can be shewed except upon Iulian the Apostata Valens the Arian haeretique or some other of lâ—ke detestable and notorious wickednes And thus much of particular men chastised by Iesus But if we desire to have a fuâ—l exampâ—e of his justice upon a whole nation together let vs considâ—r what befel Ierusalem and the people of that place for their barbarous crueltie practised vpon him in his death and passion And if we beleeve Iâ—sephus Phylo the Iewish historiographers wâ—o lived in those times it caÌ„ hardly be exprâ—ssed by the toÌ„gue â—r pen of maÌ„ what insufferable calamities miseries were inflâ—cted upon that people presently after his assension First of all by Pilate their governour under Tibeâ—ius and then againe by Petronius under Caligula after that by Cumanus under Claudius and lastly by Festus and Albinus under Nero. Through whose cruelties that nation was inforced aâ— last to rebell and take armes against the Roman Empire which was the cause of their utter ruine and exterpation by Titus and Vespasian At what time besides the overthrowe of their citie burning of their temple and other infinite distresses which Iosephus an eye witnes protesteth that no speach or discourse humane can declare the same authour likewise recordeth xj C. M. persons to have beene slaine and fourescore and seventene thowsand taken alive who were either put to death afterward in publique triumphes or sold openly for bondslaves into all partes of the world And in this vniversall calamitie of the Iewish nation being the most notorious and greevous that ever happened to any people or nation eyther before or aftâ—r â—hem for the Romanes never practised the like upon others it is singularly to be observed that in the same time and place in which they put Iesus to death before that is in the feast of the Pascha when their whole nation was assembled at IerusaleÌ„ from all parts Provinces and contries they received this theire most pittifull subversion and overthrowe that by the hands of the Romane Caesar to whom by publique crie they had appealed from Iesus not long before Wee have no king but Caesar. c. Yea further it is observed that as they apprehended Iesus and made the entrance to his passion upon Mount Olivet where â—e vsed much to pray and meditate so Titus as Iosephus writeth upoÌ„ the same Mount planted his first siege for their finall destruction And as they led Iesus from Caiphas to Pilate afflicting him in their presence so now were they themselves led up and down from Iohn to Simon two seditious Captaines within the citie and were scourged and tormented before the tribunall seates Againe as they had caused Iesus to be scoffed beaten and villanously entreated by the soldiours in Pilates Pallace so were now their owne principall rulers as Iosephus writeth most scrornefully abused beaten and crucified that by the soldiers Which latter point of crucifying or villanous putting to death upon the crosse was begun to be practised by the Romanes upon the Iewish gentrie iâ—mediately after Christ his death and not before And now at this time of the warre Iosephus affirmeth that in some one day fâ—ve hundreth of his nation were taken and put to this opprobrious kind of punishmeÌ„t in so much that for the great mulltitude he saith nec locus suâ—ficeret crucibus nec cruces corporibus This dreadfull and unspeakeable miserie fell upon the Iewes about 40. yeares after Christs assention when they had shewed themselves most obstinate and obdurate against his doctrine delivered unto them not onely by himself but also by his disciples of which they had now slaine S. Steven and S. Iames and driven into baniment both Peter and Paul and others that had preached unto theÌ„ This theÌ„ was the providence of God for the punishmeÌ„t of the Iews at that time And ever after their estate declined froÌ„ worse to worse and their miseries daily multiplied throughout
that man of sinne the sonne of perdition that wicked one c. with all other adjuncts and circumstances so liuely described as if he had been then alreadie come for euen in these daiâ—s as the Apostle speaketh did this mysterie of iniquitie beginne to worke See then I say 2 Thes. 2. 1 Tim 3. 2 Tim. 4. 2 Pet. 2. 1 Iohn 2 18. chap. 4 1. 2 Ioh. ver 7. yea the whole Revelation is nothing els but a continued prophecie of all such things as should happen to thâ— church militant euen from the Apostles tymes to the ende of the world All which prophecies we see accomplished except bâ—fore excepted the finall destruction of Babylon and the calling of the Iewes whereof both our Saviour himself as also Paul hath prophecied Rom. 11. both which we dayly expect and then as it is in the Revelation Come Lord Iesus Of which second comming or generall doome with the maner of it and all other circumstances we haue also sundrie prophecies both of Christ his Apostles which here I will joyne in one as proceeding all from one and the same spirit for here all prophecies must come to a full period nil ultra I will onely quote them as formerly Mat. 16 27. chap. 19 28. chap. 20 1. chap. 24. chap. 25. chap. 26.64 Iohn 5 25. c. 1 Cor. 15. 1 Thes. 4 14. chap. 5 1. Iam. 5 8. 1 Pet. 4 7. 2 Pet. 3. Iude ver 6. 14. Rev. 21. where you shall see a new heaven and a new earth c. New Ierusalem descending from God out of heauen prepared as a bride trimmed for her husband Thus haue I brought you at length as after a long and tedious passage by sea to see land and as it were the sea-mark whereunto after so many variable winds and so often tacking to and againe we haue directed our course euen from the first prophecie made to Adam in Paradise Gen. 3 15. to the verie last period of all prophecies in the Revelation shutte up in the second Adam Iesus Christ who is the first and the last Alpha and Omega the beginning and the ending in whoÌ„ all prophecies kisse each other haue their consummation These are the words sayth he which I spake unto you while I was yet with you that all must be fulfillâ—d which are written of me in the Law of Moses and in the Prophets and in the Psalmes c. Thus it is written and thus it behoved Christ to suffer and to rise againe from the dead the third day and that repentance remission of sinnes should be preached in his name among all Nations beginning at Ierusalem I say from this Ierusalem which now lyeth desolate I haue brought you to the New Ierusâ—lem comming downe from heauen as a bride adorned for her husband from an earthly to a heauenly paradise and there I leaue you FINIS A COLLECTION DEMONSTRATIVE OR Summe of the former proofes The Messiah must be a spirituall King to conquer the Divill death and sinne both by scripture as also by the interpretation of the ancient Iewes themselves vpon that place of Genesis he shall break thine head Therefore not a temporall King as the later Iewes imagine The Messiah must be King over the Gentiles as well as the Iewes both by scripture as also by theire owne writers Therefore not a teÌ„porall King to reigne over theÌ„ onely much lesse to subdue the Gentiles to the servitude of Iurie as some of them imagine The Messiâ—h must be both God and man the sonne of God the Word of God incarnate The second person in Trinitie both by the scriptures as also by their owne writers Therefore no such earthly Monarch as they exspect The Messiah at his comming being to be King both of Iew and Gentile must change the lawe of Moses to wit the ceremoniall and provinciall proper to the Iewes onely and insteed thereof give a generall law to both absolute and perfect to serve for all persons times places to indure euen to the end of the world therfore no such temporall monarchie to be expected as they looke after For one and the same conclusion followeth vpon all the premisses beating vpon theire mayne ground to wit a temporall or earthly kingdome which being once shaken the rest falleth to the ground All prophesiâ—s whatsoever with everie particular circumstance foretold by the Prophets of the Messiah were both substancially circumstancially fulfilleâ— in the person of our blessâ—d Saviour both as touching his birâ—h life doctrine myracles death resurrection ascâ—ntion and oâ—her effects afterwards of his divinâ— power in sending of the Holy Ghost and the myraculous increase of his Church c. Therefore was he in deed the Messiah no other to be expected The Messiah by Daniels prophecie was to appeare immediatly vpon the establishment of the Roman Empire for saith he in the â—ayes of these Kings shall the God of heaven set vp a kingdom which shall not be destroyed Dan. 2.44 which must needs be vnderstood of the kingdome of Christ or the Messiah And in these dayes was our Saviour borne even in the dayes of Augustus Caesar Therefore in him is the circumstance of time verified The Messiah by Iacobs prophecie was to appeare imediately when the rod or scepter was departed from the house of Iuda Then appearred that state of Iacob our Lord and Saviour ergo The Messiah by the prophesie of Haggai as also by theirâ— owne Thalmud was to come during the second temple then came our Lord and Saviour ergo And consequently the Ievves after this time to wit the destruction of the second temple in vaine expect for another The Messiah by the true account and calculation of Daniels Hebdomades or weekes of yeares was to come just according to the times before mentioned So did our Saviour as is aforesaid therfore to him doth this circumstance of time beare witnes And consâ—quently the Iewes after these times by God himselfe appointed for the Messiah or rather one the same time for there is no other difference but onely in adjuncts and circumstances expecting yet for an other besides their vaine expectation make God himselfe a lyer The Messiah by the scriptures was to be borne of the tribe of Iudah of the house of David so vvas our Saviour Therefore he alone the legitimate and true borne Messiah by birth-right as I may say as also by praescriptioÌ„ â—fter so long time of peaceablâ— possession no other to be expected The Messiah by the scripture as also by theire ovvne Rabbins was to be borne of a Virgin so vvas our Saviour ergo All other particulars foretold of the Messiah see them fulfilled as followeth To wit That the place of his birth should be Bethlehem That at his birth all the infants thereabouts should be slayne That Kings or great personages should come adore him offer gold other gifts unto him That he should be presented in the
heare the mourning of the prisoner and deliver the children appointed unto death that they may declâ—re the name of the Lord in Sion and his praise in Ierusalâ—m For God will saue Sion and buiâ—d the cities of Iuda that men may dwell there and haue it in possâ—ssion the seed as of his servants shall iâ—â—erit it and they thaâ—â—â—ue his name shâ—ll â—wâ—lâ— therâ—in Surely the Lord wilâ— not sayle his pâ—ople neyther will he foâ—sake his inheritance He hath alway remembred his covenant and promise that he made to a thouâ—and generations Thou wilt thinke upon thy congregation which thou hast possessed of old on the rodde of thine inheritance which thou hast redeemed and on mount Sion wherein thou hast dwelt Yea when the Lord turneth againe the captivitie of hiâ— people which will be when they turne unto him by hartie repentance not before when they cryed to the Lord in their trouble he delivered them out of their distresse then will he make euen their verie enimies to become their friends giue them grace favour in the sight of all those kings and princes under whom now they liue and groane in most miserable slaverie and bondage as in their former captivities may be observed He sawe when thâ—y were in affliction and heard their crye He remeÌ„bred his covenant towards them and repented according to the multitude of his mercies and gaue them favour in the sight of all them that led them captiues for the hearts of Kings are in the hands of the Lord as the rivers of waters he turneth them which way soever it pleasâ—th him So the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus King of Persia after that their seauentie yeeres captivitie in Babylon as also Darius and others to write in their behalf sundrie most favourable edicts for their returne into their owne countrie again with large liberalitie for the reaâ—difying of the temple of God in Ierusalem for the Lord had made them glad and turned the heart of the King of Asshur unto them to incourage them in the work of the house of God euen the God of Israel Therefore Ezra blesseth the Lord â—or all these extraordinarie favours saying Blessed be the Lord God of our Fathers which so hath put in the Kings heart to beautifie the house of the Lord that is in Ierusalem c. Yea rather then fayle of his promised deliverance to his people when they crye unto him in their distresse he will rebuke euen kings for their sakes As he did Pharaoh king of Aegypt in the dayes of old with this peremptorie commaund by the hand of Moses over and over Let my people goe that they may serue me or if thou wilt not c. inflicting upon them one plague after another till at length they were forced to driue them away as it is in that place Rise up get you out from among my people and goe serue the Lord as ye haue sayd And the Egyptiaâ—s did force the people because they would send them out of the Land in hast for they sayd we dye all giving them favour in the meane tyme in the sight of the Egyptians also Moses was verie great in the Land of Egypt in the siâ—â—t â—f Pharoahs servants and in the sight of the people Behold I haue made thee Phâ—raohs God sayth the Lord so he brought out Israel from among them for his mercie endureth for evrr with a mightie hand and out stretched arme c. after four hundreth and thirtie yeeres captivitie in Aegypt And when the four hundreth and thirtie yeeres were expyred euen the self same day departed all the hosts of the Lord out of the Land of Aegypt And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud to lead them the way and by night in a pillar of fire to giue them light He divided the sea in two parts made Israel to passe through the mids of it and overthrewe Pharaoh and his host in the red sea for his mercie indureth for ever So leading them through the wildernes feeding them fortie yeeres with Manna froÌ„ heauen till at length he brought them safe sound as it were upon egles wings maugre all difficulties and oppositions of enimies what soever euen to the promised Land of Canaan the lot of their inheritance Where they continued in peace and prosperitie so long as they served him kept his commandements but when once they sinned against him or rather as often as they sinned for it was not once but often forgat the Lord their God which brought them out of the Land of Aegypt out of the house of bondage then he suffered their enemies to prevayle against them tyrannize over them sometymes one and sometimes another till at length they were caried captiues to Babylon Yet ever as the burdeÌ„ of that psalm is wheÌ„ they cryed to the Lord in their trouble he delivered them out of their distresse raysing up from tyme to tyme Iudges as he did Moses and Ioshua at the first which delivered them out of the hands of their oppressors Othoniâ—l who delivered theÌ„ out of the hands of the King of AraÌ„ as it is in that place where it is said that the children of Israel did wickedly in the sight of the Lord forgat the Lord their God served Baalim therfore the wrath of the Lord was kindled against Israel he sold theÌ„ into the hand oâ— Chushan-rishathaim king of Aram whoÌ„ they served eight yeeres But when they cryed unto the Lord the Lord stirred them up a Saviour euen Othoniel c. So the land had rest fortie yeeres Ehud who delivered theÌ„ out of the hand of Eglon king of Moab Then the childreÌ„ of Israel â—gain coÌ„mitted wickednes in the sight of the Lord the Lord strengthned Eglon king of Moab c. So they served Eglon king of Moab 18 yeeres But wheÌ„ they cryed unto the Lord the Lord stirred theÌ„ up a Saviour Ehud the sonne of Gera c. So the land had rest 80 yeres And after him was Shamgar the sonne of Anath which slew of the Philistims 600 men with an oxe goad he also delivered Israel Deborah Barack who delivered theÌ„ out of the hand of Iabin king of Canaan And the children of Israel began again to do wickedly in the sight of the Lord the Lord sold theÌ„ into the hand of Iabin king of Canaan whose chief Captain was Sisera Then the children of Israel cryed to the Lord c. And at that time Deborah a Prophetesse judged Israel then she sent called Barak c. And the Lord destroyed Sisera all his charets c. And the land had rest 40 yeares Gedeon who delivered them out of the hands of the Midianites Afterward the children of Israel committed wickednes in the sight of the Lord the Lord gaue them into