in that he spake to the Elders of Ephesus c. Act. 20 30. Moreouer saith Paule of your owne selues shall men arise speaking peruerse things to draw disciples after them And 1. Cor. 11. 19. There must be heresies euen among you c. And here withal also Antichrist arose that is to say a succession of ambitious wackedmen affect◅ng superiority yea aspiring after a souereigne rule and dominion in the Church whom our Sauiour calleth false Chrisis euen the same which began in the Apostles time 2. Thes. 2. 7. The mystery of iniquity doth already w◅rke and 1. Ioh. 2. 18. 3. op ver 9. 10. This Antichrist that is this wicked sort of proud men frō time to time abusing all that peace prosperitie which God gaue to the Church by the fauour of the Christian Emperours it did growe apace and now hath attained long since to the height of that most abominable pride and presumption wherunto it cunningly climed So that thenceforth that is from the time that Pope Boniface gate the supremacy by the traiterous conspiracie of Phocas the murtherer so forth from the time of Gregorie the third that stout maintainer of images against Leo the Greeke Emperour yea against the expresse commandement of God himselfe they haue sacrilegiously vsurped and to this day for many hundreths of yeares haue and do wretchedly abuse both the seate of iustice and also the chaire of religion against all Christian kings and princes and against all the people of God yea against the verie throne of God himselfe according as the Apostle Paule foretold that they would 2. Thes. 2. vers 3. 4. And the holy Angel to the Apostle Iohn Reuel chap. 17. and in other chapters before that and namely chapter 13. from the 11. verse So that the wicked Popes as they haue bene more in number then the persecuting Emperours before them so haue they bene more cruell and noisome to all true Christians then they were euer since the time they haue intruded thēselues into their seates and chalenged a souereign◅ie aboue them But blessed be God who hath not only long ago foretold this rising ◅ea swelling of Antichrist as it were from the bottomlesse pit and likewise his fall but also of his infinite mercie le◅eth vs now liuing vnderstand of the beginnings◅ yea and see with our eyes some gratious proceedings of the s◅ his fall by the faithfull preaching of the Gospell by the which he shall su◅ly come to vtter ruine for euer from the almighty and most glorious arme of the Lord as it were from the highest heauen according to that which we read 2. Thes. chap. 2. 8. Reu◅ chapters 17. 18. 19. 20. For our Sauiour Christ shall to the same end at the last day appeare the second time from heauen in his diuine glorie maiestie to iudge the whole world Neuerthelesse so will the Lord proceede in the wasting and ouerthrowing of Antichrist of the spirituall mysterie of iniquitie that all true Christians must still euen to the end of the world prepare arme themselues to manifold afflictions and trials which will continually be incident to the Church of God partly by the importunitie of subtile and contentious ◅retikes the spitefull broode and frie of Antichrist and partly by the crueltie of malicious and violent aduersaries For as there haue bene in the Church false Prophets in former times so there will be false teachers still who will priuily bring in damnable here◅es 2. Pet. 2. 1. c. And the Apostle Paule telleth vs that in the last dayes there shall come perillous times 2. Tim. 3. 1. 2. 3. And our Sauiour himselfe affirmeth that it must of necessity be that many offences and stumbling blockes will be cast before vs by the diuell and his instruments to the end we might be hindred from making straight steppes in the way of the kingdome of God so long as the world shall continue Matth. 18. 7. and Iohn 14. 27. and Chap. 15. 18. c. and ch 16. 1. 2. 3. 33. But blessed is he saith the same our blessed Sauiour that shall not be offended in me Luke 7. 23. Let vs therefore in the name of our good God arme our selues with patience that we may endure all afflictions necessarie and ◅uerstride all needlesse offences after the example of all good and wise seruants of God and so constantly hold out without offence vnto the day of Christ Iesus who assureth vs in truth that he will come quickly Reuel chap. 22. 20. Read also Matt. 24. 42. 44. and Luke chap. 12. 40. and 1. Thes. 5. 2. c. Heb. 10. 37. and 2. Pet. 3. 8. 9. 10. and Reuel 3. 3. and chap. 16. 15. Wherefore let vs pray in comfortable hope and from a liuely faith with the holy Apostle Euen so come quickely Amen Come Lord Iesus in thy due time Amen Amen A Catalogue of the holy Prophetes of God as well of those so called whose Prophesies are not expressedly recorded as of the rest according to the order and course of the times wherein they prophesied by a distribution of them into certaine Classes or companies And first of the Prophets among the Patriarches or chiefe Fathers before the Flood WE may well perswade ourselues that Adam the father of al mankind is to be accoūted a Prophet seeing the Lord God from the beginning committed to him the publishing of the promise and prophesie of the Messiah the Prince of Prophets and the verie ground of all prophesie whatsoeuer was at any time to be reuealed to the Churches of God And so also are we iustly to account of many other of the Patriarches of the old world as namely of Sheth in whom the losse of faithful Abel was restored For God saith Euah hath appointed me another seed for Abel because Kain slew him Gen. 4. 25. and so we are to thinke of Enosh the sonne of Sheth in whose age men began in speciall maner to call vpon the name of the Lord that is to say to exercise the duties of Gods true worship more publikely and vnder some course of discipline for the preseruing of the children of God the posterity of Sheth from the children of men the profane and licentious off-spring of Kain according to that which we read Gen. chap. 4. 26. compared with chap. 6. vers 1. c. The same iudgement are we to conceiue of some other if not of all the rest of the Patriarches descended of Sheth Neuerthelesse seeing the present purpose is to gather together those only which more principally then the rest are expresly noted to be indued with a speciall gift of prophesie either for excellency of doctrine in opening the mystery of saluation or moreouer and beside that haue had the grace of foretelling such things to come which tend to the same scope and end We will therefore begin with Henoch who was the seuenth generation from Adam borne no longer then 622 yeares
after that the world was created This Henoch though so neare the beginning of the world yet he prophesied of the last iudgement which shall be at the time of the second appearance of our Sauiour Christ in glorie at the end of the world as we read Iude verses 14 15. Enoch also saith Iude the seuenth from Adam prophesied saying Behold the Lord commeth with thousands of his Saints to giue iudgement vpon all men and to rebuke all the vugodly among them of all their wicked deeds The second chiefe Prophete of the olde world I meane as touching those whose prophesies are expressed was Noah the ninth generation from Adam one yea the principall of those eight persons who were saued when the whole world beside for the wickednesse thereof was vtterly drowned This Noah the eighth person one of that small number which were saued a Preacher of righteousnesse as the Apostle Peter calleth him in his second epistle chap. 2. vers 5. he prophesied of this first destruction of the worlde by water an hundreth and twentie yeares before it came to passe Gen. chap. 6. vers 9. c. This huge and terrible iudgement of God fell vpon the world in the yeare which was after the creation therof 1656. Noah prophesied also that the posteritie of Shem his second sonne should be a people peculiar to God aboue anie other branch or line of his posteritie vntill the Messiah should come The accomplishment of which prophesie began about foure hundreth yeares after to be in singular gratious maner manifested to Abraham and so foorth in the generations from him succeeding He prophesied likewise of the calling of the Gentiles that is of the rest of the nations which were to descend from his other two sonnes after that Christ should appeare but more specially of those nations which should come of Iapheth his eldest sonne in so much as Ham his yongest sonne was by the spirit of Prophesie accursed of God according to that occasion which he himselfe by his vngratious fact gaue vnto his father to denounce the same Gen. chap. 9. 25. 26. 27. The posterity of Iapheth were the Persians and Grecians and the people of these parts of the world the which we our selues and the neighbour nations do inhabite Romanes Italians Germanes c. Gen. chap. 10. 2. c. The fulfilling of which prophesie hath continued from the time of the ascension of our Sauior Christ shortly after the which time euen within a few dayes the Gospell was preached to the foresaid posteritie of Iapheth for the most part as is euident Act. 2. 9. 10. 11. to Parthians and Medes and Elamites c. though some of Egypt c. who were of the posteritie of Ham be rehearsed there Reade Gen. 10. 6. c. And that of the posteritie of Ham some were to be called also to the faith of the Gospell reade Psal. 87. and Isai. chap. 19. verses 18. c. 23. 24. 25. and Zach. chap. 14. 16. Prophetes such as were Patriarches or chiefe Fathers of the people of God since the flood to the time of the Iudges which was the space of more then 700 yeares ABraham was in his time a Prophet of the Lord for so God himself testifieth of him Gen. 20. 7. where he speaketh thus to Abimelech king of Gerar Deliuer the man his wise againe for he is a Prophet and he shall pray for thee c. Isaak prophesied that Esau though he was his eldest sonne should serue Iaakob the yoonger brother to the end it might appeare that the interest and right of the spirituall blessing and inheritance commeth not by nature but of free mercie and grace Gen. chap. 27. 40. compared with Rom. 9. vers 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13. Iaakob prophesied of the seuerall blessings which he knew that God would a long time after his death bestowe vpon the twelue tribes or kindreds which were to be the posteritie of the twelue Patriarches his children He prophesied also that the Messiah should come of the tribe of Iudah Gen. 49. Ioseph foretold the dearth of seuen yeares which God would send vppon the world after seuen former yeares of plenty immediatly fore-running and therefore he may well stand among the Prophetes as one in that number whereof the Lord speaketh saying Touch not mine annointed and doe my Prophetes no harme Psal. 105. 15. Moses was a Prophet most famous mightie both in word and in deed all the time of his ministerie and seruice to God touching the deliuerance of his people out of the bondage of Egypt and also in respect of his gouernement afterward Deut. ch 18. vers 18. and chap. 34. 10 11 12. and Act. 7. 22. Read also for a proofe of the excellent spirit of prophesie which was in him the holy Songs and Psalmes which he hath left in writing Exod. chap. 15. and Deut. 31. 22 and ch 32. and Psal. 90. which according to the title thereof is a Psalme which Moses the man of God did indite Miriam also the sister of Moses was a Prophetesse in the same time that Moses liued Exo. 15. 20. Moreouer in his dayes God gaue the spirit of prophesie for a certaine season to seuenty Ancients of Israel al at one time of the which number Eldad and Medad had the same their extraordinary gift continued longer vnto them then had the rest Numb chap. 11. ver 24 25 26 27 28 29. Balaam though otherwise of a wicked mind euen such a one as loued the wages of vnrighteousnesse according to that marke whereby the Apostle Peter brandeth him 2. ep 2. 15. yet he was guided by the Spirit of God to vtter a true and holy prophesie concerning the happie estate of Israel aboue all other people vnder the most gratious protection and blessing of God and namely for that the Messiah as it were a most bright starre should arise from among them c. Numb chap. 23. and chap. 24. Wherefore albeit he was a wicked man yet in so much as God vsed him as his instrument inlightned for the time to giue forth this so holy a prophesie we may not altogether vnfitly rehearse him in this respect among the holy Prophets of God Consider here whether Heman and Ethan the Ezrahites who wrote the 88. and the 89. Psalmes were before Moses in time as their Psalmes stand in order of number before his in the booke of the Psalmes Verily if it may be affirmed as some learned men doe iudge and as it is very likâ—… that they were the same of whom mention is made both 1. King chap. 4. vers 30. and also 1. Chron. chap. 2. vers 6. that is to say if they were the sonnes of Zarah the neare posteritie of Iudah by Thamar of whom we reade Genes chap. 38. vers 30. then also it is very likely that they were before Moses or at least his equalles in time or shortly after him And so consequently their Psalmes specially that of Ethan which is the 89.
declare And these were the Prophetes which God of his great mercy and goodnesse sent more specially to Iudah and the kings thereof after that the ten tribes were departed from them Prophetes which the Lord sent to the tenne tribes of Israel and to the Kinges thereof after that they were departed from the tribe of Iudah VVE may not vnfitly begin this company of holy Prophetes with Ahijah the Shilonite of whom we read 1. King chap. 11. 29. c. He is that Prophet whom the Lord sent to prophesie vnto Ieroboam the son of Nebat that it was the purpose of God to rend the kingdome out of the handes of Salomon to make him king ouer ten tribes of Israell This was the iudgement of God against the sin of Salomon and of the people in his latter time for that they forsooke the Lord and worshipped the idols of the heathen as it followeth in the same eleuenth chapter vers 33. The accomplishment of which prophesie reade in the very next chapter euen shortly after the Prophesie was vttered to Ieroboam read chap. 12. ver 15. c. In the reigne of this Ieroboam in so much as he contrary to the will and commandement of God set vp idolattie to serue his owne wicked deuise and policie for the preuenting of the pebples reuolt which he suspitiously scared the Lord therefore sent a Prophere out of Iudah vnto Bethel in Israel the chiefe place of his new erected idolatrie euen at such time as he himselfe was dedicating the altar which he had made chap. 12. 26. c. 33. And the Prophete prophesying against his idolatrie telleth Ieroboam standing by his altar to offer incense that a child should be borne to the house of Dauid Iosiah by name who should breake down his altar and destroy the Priests of his high places ch 13. 1. c. The accomplishment whereof reade 2. King ch 23. 15 c. 20. This Prophesie did the Prophet giue forth about three hundreth and thirtie yeares before king Iosiah was borne This Prophet was he who harkening to the lye of that old Prophet of Bethel was for his transgressing of Gods commandement in that he eat and dranke in the place wherof God had said vnto him Thou shalt neither eat nor drink he was therefore killed in the way by a Lyon which met him Neuerthelesse as it may seeme for a monument of Gods mercie in forgiuing the sin of this Prophet he restrained the Lyon from deuouring his body as it is recorded in the same 13. chapter Reade also 2. King 23. 17. 18. In the reigne of the same Ieroboam the ancient Prophet Ahijah of Shilo who at the beginning told Ieroboam that he shold be king ouer the ten tribes of Israel he is now afterward toward the end of his wicked idolatrous reigne euen then when Ahijah could not see through the decay of his sight by reason of age the minister of God to prophesie against Ieroboam and his posteritie 1. King chap. 14. 2. 4. c. 18. This was fulfilled after that Nadab the sonne of Ieroboam had reigned two yeares For Baasha conspired against Nadab and slew him first thē also he smote all the house of Ieroboam according to the word of the Lord which he spake by his seruant Ahijah the Shilonite So we reade chap. 15. vers 27. 29. In the dayes of king Baasha who began his reigne ouer Israel in the third yeare of Asa king of Iuda Iehu the sonne of Hanani prophesied against Baasha like as the former two Prophetes had prophesied against Ieroboam 1. King 16. 1. c. In the dayes of Ahab who began his reigne ouer Israel in the 38. yeare of Asa king of Iuda prophesied Elijah that mightie Prophete of the Lord against Ahab his posteritie 1. King 17. c. He reduced the people of Israel to the acknowledgement of the true God of Israel He prophesied likewise by writing against Iehoram the son of Iehoshaphat who left the good waies wherin his father had walked followed the wicked wayes of the kings of Israel For as the holie Storie saith he had the daughter of Ahab to wife and he wrought euill in the eyes of the Lord and compelled Iudah so to do Wherfore the Lord by his Prophet Elijah sent a grieuous prophesie threatening fearefull diseases and a horrible death against him which also tooke effect as we read 2. Chron. 21. Michaiah also the sonne of Imlah prophesied against wicked king Ahab 1. King 22. And before him another Prophet whose name is not expressed chap. 20. 41 42. But verses 13. 14 22. and verses 28 29. God sent a Prophete to prophesie vnto him his double victorie ouer the great armie of the Aramites In the reigne of Iehoram the sonne of Ahab and so forth vnto the reigne of Ioash the sonne of Iehu prophesied Elisha the prophet who succeeded Elijah in Israel 2. King chap. 3. c. and ch 13. vers 14. c. But before Elisha had receiued of the Spirit of Elijah the children of the Prophetes both they of Bethel and other which were at Iericho prophesied that God would in extraordinarie maner take away Elishaes master that is Eljiah from him 2. King chap. 2. 3. 5. In the reigne of Ieroboam the sonne of Ioash prophesied Ionah the sonne of Amittai who was of Gath Hepher 2. King 14. 25. This was the same Ionah whom the Lord sent about the mid dle time of the reigne of Ieroboam to prophesie against Nineueh as we shal see further anon Prophetes vvhich prophesied more iointly both cōcerning Iuda also concerning Israel after their separation yea and some of thē euen after the captiuities of either of them HOsea prophesied in the reigne of the same kings of Iudah when Isaiah prophesied to wit in the dayes of Vzziah Iotham Ahaz and Hezekiah with whom also are mentioned the dayes of Ieroboam the sonne of Ioash king of Israell chap. 1. 1. of his prophesie to the end that Israel might the rather be admonished that his Prophesie belonged to them as ◅el as it did vnto Iudah for the reproofe of their sinnes for the comfort of either of them if they would repent and lay hold of the promises of the gospel which he by the spirit of prophesie published as belonging to them both In the reigne of the same Vzziah king of Iudah and in the the reigne of Ieroboam the son of Ioash king of Israel two yeares before the earthquake which was not long after the beginning of the reigne of Vzziah the Prophet Amos prophesied concerning Iudah and Israel though chiefly and for the most part concerning Israel chap. 1. 1. c. He prophesied particularly against Amaziah that malignant and proud priest of Bethel chap. 7. He prophesied also of the destruction of Ierusalem and of the captiuitie and restoring of the people of Iudah and Israel Finally he prophesied of the calling both of the Iewes and Gentiles
yeare when Othniel the sonne of Kenaz died From the death of this Othniel to the times wherein Ehud the second Iudge and Shamgar the third had iudged Israell there were 80 yeeres chap. 3. 30. 31. For in that account the time of Shamgar must be reckened with the time of Ehud or else comprehended in the former part of the 40 yeares next following because otherwise the time wherein he executed the iudgement of God should be altogether omited It is likely that his time was but short From those 80 yeares to the end of the gouernment of Deborah who was the fourth Iudge though a woman there passed 40 yeares chap. 5. 31. Frō this yeare to the end of Gideons iudgment who was the fift Iudge were also 40 yeares chap. 8. 28. After Gideon was Abimelech the sixt Iudge who iudged Israell 3 yeeres chap. 9. 22. Next Abimelech arose Tolah the seuenth Iudge who iudged Israell 23 yeares chap. 10. 1. 2. Then Iaire the eight Iudge hee iudged 22 yeares chap. 10. 3. Iphtah the ninth iudged 6 yeares chap. 12. 7. And after Iphtah Ipsan who was the tenth Iudge he iudged 7 yeares chap. 12. 9. Next Ibsan rose Elon the eleuenth he iudged 10 yeares chap. 12. 11. And in the same chapter verse 14. Abdon hath the place of the twelfth Iudge by the space of 8 yeares And last of all Samson the thirteenth who mightily iudged auenged Israell whole 20 yeares cha 16. 31. All these particular numbers 40 to the death of Othniel 80 to the death of Shamgar 40 to the end of Deborahs gouernment 40 to the death of Gideon 3 of Abimelech 23 of Tolah 22 of Iaire 6 of Iphtah 7 of Ibsan 10 of Elon 8 of Abdon 20 of Samson they make vp one whole summe of 299 yeares And so farre extendeth the booke of the Iudges As for that which is written in the beginning of the thirteenth chapter of this booke concerning that 40 years of Israels oppression vnder the hands of the Philistims as though it had bin betwixt the time of Abdon Samson it is not so to be vnderstood but we must reckē those yeares beginning so as they must end either at or with the gouernment of Samson In the which time of fortie yeares though Israell had Iudges yet we are thereby giuen to vnderstand that they were sundry times greatly molested by their aduersaries within the compasse of the same And concerning all that which followeth in the rest of the booke of the Iudges from the 17. chapter to the end of the booke as also touching that historie recorded in the booke of Ruth though the matters therein contained be placed after the time already accounted yet doe they belong to some of the former seasons And of the historie of Ruth it is expresly afirmed in the beginning therof that it fell out in the time that the Iudges ruled at such time as there was a dearth in the land of Israell c. 1. Booke of SAMVEL 80 yeares THis space of 80 years was partly the time of Elies gouernement which continued 40 yeares 1. Sam. chap. 4. vers 18. And partly it was the time both of Samuels gouernment and also of the reigne of Saul the which reckened together were likewise 40 yeers So is that to be vnderstood which we reade Act. 13. 20. 21. God gaue to Israell Iudges about 450 yeares vnto the time of Samuel the Prophet The Apostle in that number reckening the time of Elie his gouernment among the Iudges and also vulgarly reckeneth the times as they are dated as well for the oppressions of Israell by their aduersaries such as were Chusan by the space of eight yeares Eglon 18. Sisera 20. The Madianites 7 The Amonites 18. The Philistims 40 as for their deliuerances by their Iudges and Sauiours 299 besides the 40. yeares of Elie. And then it followeth in the former place of the Acts. So after that they desired a King God gaue vnto them Saul the sonne of Cis a man of the tribe of Beniamin by the space of forty yeares The Apostle here also reckoning the gouerument of Samuell with the reigne of Saule vnder the couert whereof it is as it were shadowed or concealed 2. Booke of SAMVEL 40 yeares THe reigne of king Dauid was also the space of 40 yeares 2. Sam. 5. 4. 5. In Hebron saith the Text he reigned 7 yeares and sixe moneths ouer Iuda and in Ierusalem he reigned 33 yeares ouer all Israell and Iuda Thus with the end of king Dauids reigne which was at the end of his life this second booke of Samuel endeth 1. Booke of KINGS 117 yeares THis 117 yeares is the time of the raigne of fiue Kings of Iuda First of Salomon who raigned 40 yeares 1. King chap. 11. 42. Then Rehoboam the sonne of Salomon 17 yeares chap. 14. 21. The third Abijam whose reigne was three yeares chap. 15. 2. but not compleate so that the third yeare of Abijam was also the first of Asa For Ieroboam beginning his reigne ouer Israel when Rehoboam began to reigne ouer Iuda it is expresly sayd that Abijam beganne his reigne in the eighteenth yeare of Ieroboam chap. 15. 1. And it is likewise said that Asa began his reigne in the twentith yeare of the same Ieroboam We haue therefore only two whole yeares betwixt Rehoboam and Asa. This Asa the fourth king of Iuda to wit of those mentioned in this first booke of Kings he reigned 41 yeares as we reade further in the 15. verse of the same 15. chap. In the fift place the reigne of Iehoshaphat is numbred to be 25 yeares and his death is chronicled in this booke Neuerthelesse the storie of this first booke of the Kings reacheth but to the 17 yeare of his reigne chap. 22. ver 51. 52. So that the historie of this booke is but 117 yeares For so many and no more are the particular summes 40 of Salomon 17 of Rehoboam 2 of Abijam 41 of Asa 17 of Iehoshaphat if we number them altogether 2. Booke of KINGS 345 yeares IN this second Booke of the Kings the holie Storie is continued from the 18. yeare of Iehoshaphat chap. 3. 1. to the last that is to say vnto the 25. yeare of his reigne Yet so as the storie runneth vnder the name of Iehoram his sonne because from the former seuenteenth yeare of Iehoshaphat Iehoram ruled as Viceroy in stead of his father chap. 1. 17. And again yet more specially from the 22 yeare of his fathers reigne chap. 8. 16. For Ioram the sonne of Ahab beginning his reigne in the eighteenth yeare of Iehoshapat the fift yeare of this Ioram must be the 22. yeare of Iehoshaphat And from this time that is from the fift yeare of Ioram doth Iehoram the sonne of Iehoshaphat euen foure yeares before the death of his father begin his reigne of that 8 yeares which is mentioned in the