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
behold him whom they haue pierced and smite their brests prickâ—d in their hearts like those Iewes in the Acts and crye out Men and bretheren what shall we doe and returne to the Lord and be baptised everie one in the name of Iesus Christ for the remission of sinnes which God grant And the Lord powre upon them the spirit of grace and of compassion that in soul spirit they may look upon him whom they haue pierced and lament for him as it is in the prophet everie tribe and familie apart His Resurrection FOr his Resurrection it was also foretold by the prophets and prefigured in Ionas David sayth in the person of the Messiah of whom he prophecied in divers places and was a type I haue set the Lord alwaies before me c. Wherefore myne heart is gladde and my tongue rejoyceth my flesh also doth rest in hope for thou wilt not leaue my soule in the graue nor suffer thyne Holy one to see corruption Also Hosea sayth After two dayes will he revâ—ke us and in the third day he will rayse us up Vs in the plurall number poynting as it should seeme both at the Resurrection of our Saviour the third day as also the raysing of a number of the Saincts together with him at the same tyme prefigured in Ionas together vvith the tyme of his abode in the sepulchre foreshevved many tymes by our Saviour himself to his disciples such and such things shall be donne to the sonne of man He shall be apprehended evill intreated mocked scourged put to death but the third day he shall rise againe Also to the Ievves demanding a signe he ansvvered Destroy this temple and in three dayes I will rayse it up againe And at another tyme An evill and adulterous generation seâ—keth a signe but no signe shall be giuen them saue the signe of the prophet Ionas for as Ionas was three dayes and three nights in the whales bâ—llâ—e so shall the Sonne of man be three dayes and three nights in the heart of the earth Which prophecie of his they full vvell remembring and fearing the event immediatly upon his burial they vvent to Pilaâ— saying Sir we remember that deceiver sayd while he was living within three dayes I will rise againe commaund therefore the sepulchre to be made sure till the third day least his disciples steale him away by night say unto the people he is risen from the dead so the last error be worse then the first All which was done according to their desire a strong watch appointed the Sepulchre sealed up all things made so sure by the Iewes as might be for they had gotten from Pilate a speciall commission for that purpose to whom he was as forward to grant it as they to aske it and that in as large and ample maner as themselues knewe or could devise All which notwithstanding after a most miraculous maner The angel of the Lord discending from heauen with an earthquake and rolling back the stone from the doore of the sepulchre the keepers astonied and become as dead men Iesus our Saviour according to the former prophecies is risen againe and hath appeared to his Apostles and disciples his faithfull witnesses a number of them at divers severall times to whom he presented himself aliue as S. Luke writeth by manie infallible tokens being seene of them by the space of fortie dayes and speaking of those things which apperteyne to the kingdome of God how soever the Iewes suborned the soldiours giving them largely to say his disciples came by night and stole him away while they slept which saying is noysed among the Iewes to this day How probably the former circumstances considered let the world judge Therefore I will conclude this point also with that of Paul touching the Resurrection of our Lord and Saviour He hath declared himself mightily to be the sonne of God by the Resurrection from the dead and consequently that Messiah promised before by the Prophets in the holy Scriptures as the same Apostle urgeth His Ascention FOr his Ascention it was also foretold by the Prophets and necessarily followeth upon his Resurrection to be believed to wit that having finished the worke of our Redemption here on earth he ascended up into heauen and there sitteth at the right hand of God David sayth Thou art gone up on high thou hast ledde captivitie captiue and received gifts for men c. And in another place The Lord said to my Lord sitte thou at my right hand c. which is the place alledged by our Saviour wherewith he put the Iewes to silence both as touching the Dietie and the humanitie of the Messiah for sayth he if David call him Lord how is he then his sonne where we may see David acknowledgeth him his Lord and consequently his God euen the sonne of God sitting at the right hand of God for the present as touching his divinitie afterwards to be accomplished also in his humanitie which David believed as verely should come to passe and forsawe by the eye of fayth as did Thomas when it was come to passe putting his hand into his side and crying My Lord my God so sayth David here my Lord The Lord sayd unto my Lord c. I say this article of our fayth as touching his Ascention it followeth necessarily to be concluded upon his Resurrection it needeth no other proof For that whosoever seeth and acknowledgeth that Iesus being dead could raise himself to life againe will easily belieue also that he was able to ascend up to heauen at his pleasure And hereof we haue also all his Apostles and Disciples for witnesses eye-witnesses in whose presence and sight he ascended as it is in that place they looked stedfastly towards heauen as he went And in witnesse thereof gaue up their liues and sealed the same with their blood Therefore I conclude vpon all these premises so necessarily following and depending one apon an other to witt his birth life doctrin actions death resurrection and ascention seing nothing hath happened in the same which was not foretold by the Prophets of God nor any thing foretold by the same Prophets concerning the Messiah which was not fulfilled most exactly in the person of our Saviour We may most certainly assure our selves that as God is truth and therefore can neither foretell an vntruth nor yeeld testimonie to the same so it can not be but that these things which have beene shewed to be so manifestly foreprophecied and so evidently accomplished in the person of this our blessed Lord and Saviour must needs I say assure vs Christians that he was indeed the true Messiah quite confound the Iewes in theire vaine imagination and expectation of another The sending of the Holy Ghost with the first plantation wonderfull increase of the Church NOw for those things that followed after his ascention as argumeÌ„ts effects of
plaine confession that Iesus was he of whom a prophet sayd divers ages before He shall consume all the Gods of the earth and everie man shall worship him from his place euen all the yles of the Heathen This confessed also the wicked spirits themselues when at Christs appearing in Iewrie they came and did their homage to him and besought him not to afflict or torment them before the time nor command them presently to returne to hell but rather to permit them some litle time of entertainement in the sea or mountaines or among heards of swine or the like which confâ—ssion they made openly before all men and declared the same afterwards by their deeds For presently upon Christ his death upon the preaching of his name Gospel throughout the world the oracle in all places ceased whereof the Poets themselues beare witnes Cessant Oracula Delphis Whereupon Plutarch that lived within one hundreth yeeres after Christ made a speciall Treatise to sifte out the causes why the oracles of the Gods as they deemed them were ceased in his time And after much turning and winding manie waies at length resolved upon two principall points or causes thereof The first for that in his tyme there was more store of wisemen then before whose answers might stand in steede of Oracles and the other for that perhaps the Spirits accustumed to yeelde Oracles were by length of tyme growen old and dead Both which reasons in the common-sence of all men must needs be false by Plutarch himself cannot stand with probabilitie For first in his books which he wrote of the liues of auncient famous men he confesseth that in such kind of wisdome as he most esteemed they had not their equals among their posteritie Secondly in his Treatise of Phylosophie he passeth it for a ground that Spirits can not dye or waxe old And therefore of necessitie there must be some other cause yeelded of the ceasing of these Oracles which can not be but the presence and commandement of some higher power according to that saying of S. Iohn for to this end and purpose appeared the sonne of God to wit that he might destroy the works of the divel Neyther did Iesus this alone in his owne person but gaue also powre and authoritie to his disciples and followers to doe the like according to that their commission in the Gospel Then called he the twelue Disciples together and gaue them powre and authoritie over all divils c. And not only to these twelue did he giue this absolute powre and authoritie over uncleane Spirits but to the rest likewise as may appeare in the next chapter following upon the returne of their commission And the seauentie returned with joy saying Lord euen the Divils are subdued to us through thy name And he sayd unto them I sawe Sathan like lightning fall downe from heaven and so renueth their commission saying Behold I giue unto you powre to tread on Serpents scorpions and over all the power of the enemie that is to say the Divil neverthelesse sayth he in this rejoyce not that the spirits are subdued unto you but rather rejoyce because your names are are written in heauen And this authoritie over the spirits infernall given by Iesus to his Disciples in the primitive Church extended it selfe so far that not onely theire words and commaundements but even theire verâ—e presence did shut the mouthes and drive into feare the miserable spirits as both Lactantius and others doe witnesse whence it proceeded that in all sacrifices conjurations and other mysteries of the gentiles there was brought in that phraise recorded by scoffing Lucian exeant Christiaâ—i let Christians depart for that while they were present nothing could be well accomplished And that professed enemie of Christianitie Porphyrie who of all other most earnestly endeavoured to empugne vs Christians to hold vp the honour of his enfeebled Idols yet discoursing of the great plague that reigned most furiously in the citie of Messina in Cicilie where he dwelt yeeldeth this reason why Aesculapius the God of physick much adored in that place was not able to help them in that extremitie It is no merveile saith he if this citie so many yeares be vexed with the plague seeing that both Aesculapius and all other Gods be now departed from it by the comming of Christians for since that men have begun to worship this Iesus we could never obtaine any prophet by our Gods Thus much coÌ„fessed this patrone of paganisme concerning the mayme that his Gods had received by the power and comming of our Lord Iesus Christ which albeit he spake with a malicious minde to bring Christians in hatred yet is the confession notable confirmeth that storie which Plutarch in his forenamed book doth report that in the latter yeares of the reigne of the Emperour Tiberius a strange voice and exceeding horrible clamor with hideous cries skryches and howlings were heard by many in the Graecian sea complayning that the great God Pan was now departed And this afâ—irmeth Plutarch that was a gentile to have been alleadged and approved before the Emperour Tyberius who merveyled greatly thereat and could not by all his diviners and southsayers whom he called to that consultation gather out any reasonable meaning of this woÌ„derfull accident But we Christians comparing the time wherein it happened vnto the time of Christ his death and passion and finding the same fully to agree we may more then pabablie perswade our selves that by the death of their great God Pan which signifieth all was imported the vtter overthrow of all wicked spirits and Idols vpon earth according to that vision of our Lord saviour before mentioned I saw Sathan like lightning fall down froÌ„ heaven c. againe in an other place now is the judgment of this woâ—ld now shall the Prince of this world be cast out even this great God Pan who in an other place is called the God of this world the Prince that ruleth in the ayre therefore may well be said by our Saviour to fal down froÌ„ heaveÌ„ being before time worshiped in those Idols oracles and heathenish prophanations as a God in all the world and exalted as it were into the highest heavens But behold as Dagon that idol of the Philistims â—â—ll flat on his face and that twice his head and hands dismembred before the arke of God in Ashdod so did Sathan this great God Pan the God of this world the Prince of the ayre c let me give the Divil his due yea rather more then his due as doth the hoâ—y scripture so did Sathan I say immediately vpon the comming of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ into this world and preaching of his Gospel the ark of his everlasting covenant fall flat one his face to the ground his head and hands dismembred according to that first promise and covenant to our first parents which was this that
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
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