Lector scias faetum hunc nostrum in ipso partu prie dolore nimio sumptum putà immodicum expiraturuÌ„ fuisse si MaecenaluÌ„ aliquot inanus benevolae comÌ„ode conatibus nostris non obstetricas-sent A Pisgah-sight of PALESTINE and The CONFINES thereof with the HISTORIE of the old and new TESTAMENT acted thereon By Thomas Fuller B. D. Gen. 43. 11. Take of ye. best fruits in the land in your vessels and carry downe the man a present a little balm and a little honey spices and Myrrhe nuts and Almonds Ierem. 8. 7. Yea the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times and the turtle and the Crane and the Swallow observe the time of their coming but my people know not the iudgment of the Lord. Votum Authoris Terrestres Solymas mihi quiscrÃpsisse de disti Coelestes tandem dâ—s habitare Devs Printed by M. F for Williams at the Crowne inâ— St Paules Churchyard A PISGAH-SIGHT OF PALESTINE AND THE CONFINES THEREOF WITH The History of the Old and New TESTAMENT acted thereon BY THOMAS FVLLER B. D. GEN. 43. 11. Take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels and carry down the man a present a little balm and a little honey spices and Myrrhe nuts and Almonds JER 8. 7. Yea the Stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times and the Turtle and the Crane and the Swallow observe the time of their coming but my people know not the judgment of the Lord. LONDON Printed by I. F. for Iohn Williams at the signe of the Crown in Pauls Church-yard MDCL To the Right Honourable ESME STUART Earl of March and Darneley Lord Leighton c. Son and Heir to the Illustrious JAMES Duke of Richmond and Lennox MY LORD COnsulting with my self about a Patron for this Book I concluded to make choice of such a Person as should be both of most noble extraction and of spotless innocency So that in this captious Age none should presume to charge him with the least offence in thought word or deed For justly fearing too many faults might be found in the book it self I desired to make some amends by dedicating it to One free from all exception Your Honour is the first in our Nobility whom I finde qualified according to my desire descended from the best Houses in England Scotland and France And as it happeneth in a Constellation that the Lustre thereof amounting from many Stars together darkeneth the light of those particulars which produced it So in your Honours Pedegree the collective splendour obscureth the distinct brightness of those severall families whence the same resulteth Now that your Honour cannot be taxed with any actuall offence your tender Moneths not as yet compleating a Year do sufficiently evidence Whose innocence is the most entire Relique of our Primitive integrity and most perfect pattern of our future felicity Yea some admiring what motives to mirth Infants meet with in their silent and solitary smiles have resolved how truely I know not that then they converse with Angels as indeed such cannot amongst mortals finde any fitter Companions One or more of these three main Ends are aimed at by Authors in all ingenuous dedications Hope to receive protection Desire to derive instruction and Zeal to express affection For the first though you cannot by your Power yet you may by your Innocence be an excellent Patron to protect our ensuing Work In these civill wars some have saved themselves from the sword with no other shield then bearing a Babe in their armes which rebated their enemies fury into compassion So when some shall be ready to wound our Book with their censuring Darts they will be mollified into mercy finding your innocent Name prefixed in the Front thereof As for deriving instruction I confess your Honour as yet incapable thereof But seeing Infants clothes are providently made with the biggest to which they will grow up in process of time why may not books the clothes of the minde be proportioned above their present capacity in hope they will seasonably shoot up to the understanding thereof And untill such time as your Lordships judgment can reap profit from our Descriptions herein may your eyes but take pleasure in the Maps which here are presented unto you But the last not least consideration in my choice of your Honour is my ambition to tender my humble service thereunto The rather because ESME your auspicious Name promiseth in my apprehension some good success now at the third return as long since at the first imposing thereof on your Ancestour For Esme Lord Aulbigney a place of great priviledges in the Province of Berry first by the King of France bestowed on and still possessed by your Family in reward of their signal service to that Crown about two hundred years since proved the happy reviver of your family almost extinguished for want of a Heir and by his virtuous demeanour added much honour thereunto The same Name now returns on your Lordship who found your Fathers house in point of posterity in as low a Condition Indeed your Grandfather left a numerous off-spring whom I may fitly compare to the many strings of some musicall Instrument But amongst his male-issue for the rest I pass by as silent strings sending no sounds to posterity but losing their own Surnames in their matches One was soon fretted in pieces with sickness Three more cut off in these wars One absent beyond the Seas and not easily to be tuned to a married estate and the other single string remaining His Grace your Father left altogether issueless untill your Lordships welcome Nativity But O! what melody can Heavens hand make on a Monochord which since hath sent your Lordship on a good message I hope to the Honest house of LENNOX But I grow tedious in a long Letter to a little Lord and therefore turn my Pen into Prayers that Christ would be pleased to take you up into his Armes whose embraces are the best swadling-clothes as to streighten so to strengthen you in the growth of Grace to lay his hands upon you and bless you that you may grow in stature and favour with God and with Man The daily desire of YOUR LORDSHIPS humble Oratour Tho. Fuller Waltham Abbey Iuly 7. 1650. To the READER WHen Iacob had served Laban full seven years for his daughter Rachel and now promised himself the possession of what he had long looked and much laboured for his hopes were frustrated by the substituting of Leah in the room of her sister And although it may be pleaded that Leah was not well qualified and highly meriting in her self yet still Leah was not Rachel and Iacob remained both deceived and injured thereby Many have long patiently waited that I should now according to my promise set forth an Ecclesiasticall History who now may justly complain that their expectation is abused finding a Changeling in the place thereof a Book of a far different Nature tendered in stead thereof
the future Michal's daughter should never mock her husband on the like occasion punishing her with perpetuall barrenness § 29. Look on the prospect of this map especially the eastern parts thereof and behold it overspread with trees of all sorts Olive Pine Mulberry Firre c. Of the last saith the Psalmist and the fir-trees are a refuge for the Storkes breeding here in the greater abundance because forbidden by the Leviticall law to be fed upon A speckled bird therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greek from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 niger 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 albus black and white and is remarkable for their love to their parents feeding them in their old age Hence called Chesida in Hebrew that is the mercifull bird and in Dutch Oudevaer that is the carrier of the old one because every Stork is an Aeneas bearing his Anchises on his back carrying his Parent when for age it cannot fly of it self Some have confidently reported that Storks will not live save in a Republick who may with as much truth affirm that an Eagle the Soveraign of birds will not breed in a Common-wealth Not to say that Storks were named in the Monarchy of Adam preserved in the Arke in the Monarchy of Noah Ieremy who lived in the kingdome of Iudah upbraided the ignorance of the people therein Yea the Stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times Which birds had they known their times and the Iews not known the birds as frequent and familiar with them both the Prophets illustration had beed obscure and exprobration improper for his present purpose Finis Libri secundi To the Right Honourable JOHN LORD ROSSE Son to the Right Honourable JOHN EARL OF RVTLAND MY LORD IT hath been charged by Foreiners on our English Gentry that many of them very knowing beyond the seas have been strangers in their native Countrey as able to give a better account of the Spaw then our own Bath the diving of the Spanish Anas under ground then of our own Rivers Diverill in Wiltshire and Mole in Surrey wherein the same wonders of Nature are set forth in a lesser Edition How just this accusation is for the present I have no leasure to enquire but am afraid that too many of our nation are guilty of a greater Ignorance That being quic◠sighted in other kingdomes and Countreys they are altogether blinde as touching Judea and the land of Palestine the Home for their meditations who are conversant in all the historicall passages of Scripture Yet I would not have any wilfully to expose themselves as Saint Paul was against his will to perils of waters perils of Robbers perils by the Heathen c. personally to pace and trace the land of Canaan who rather conceive that precept to Abraham Arise walk through the land in the breadth thereof and in the length thereof may be performed by us even whilest we also follow the counsell of Joash to Amaziah Abide now at home This may be done by daily and diligent perusing of the Scriptures and comparing the same with it self Diamonds onely cut Diamonds as also by consulting with such as have written the description of that Countrey Amongst whom give me leave though the unworthiest of thousands to tender these my endevours to your Honours serious perusall and patronage hoping my pains herein may conduce to the better understanding of the History of the Bible I confess the doctrinall part of the Scripture is in it self most instructive to salvation But as the rare relation of the woman of Samaria first drew her neighbours to the sight of our Saviour which afterwards believed on him not for her words but his own worth so the delightfull stories in the Bible have allured many youth especially to the reading thereof the light the historicall part first inviting their eyes whose hearts were afterwards inflamed with the heat the holy fire in the doctrine of Gods word Give me leave therefore my Lord humbly to commend to your Honour the constant reading of that which eminently is termed The Scripture and the Bible or Book all other being but scribling and Pamphlets in comparison thereof They contain what will make you wise unto salvation and the study thereof will render your Lordship more truely honourable then your outward extraction Great indeed was the priviledge of Ruth for whom purposely some handfuls were let fall for her to gather up But greater the honour done to your Ancestors by our English Kings above an hundred years since who scattered some flowers and other ornaments out of their own Armes therewith to deck and adorn those of your family Yet know my Lord that the Bereans are pronounced more noble then those of Thessalonica in that they received the word with all readiness of minde searching the Scriptures daily whether those things were so And by the same proportion your exact skill industriously attained in Gods word shall make your soul increase with the increase of God far more honourable then that Augmentation in Heraldry which was conferred on your Ancestours Remember I pray what David writes I have seen an end of all perfection but thy commandement is exceeding broad Oh imperfect perfection which hath an end And indeed David lived in an Age wherein he saw Goliah the strongest overcome Asahel the swiftest overtaken Achitophel the wisest befooled and Absalom the fairest deformed with a violent death Yet still the immortall word out-lived all casualties and triumphed in defiance of opposition Wherefore as the Jews were to provide a chest by the side of the Ark wherein the Law was to be placed and kept so I wish your Honour a large heart to be a repository for this Broad commandement of God that therein you may carefully lay up and treasure the same which when all earthly perfections prove false and fading will furnish your soul with holiness here and happiness hereafter which is the daily prayer of Your Honours most humble servant THO. FULLER Here followeth the description of Jerusalem THE DESCRIPTION OF THE CITY OF IERVSALEM The third Book CHAP. I. Of the severall names and generall situation of Jerusalem § 1 WHen a woman often altereth her surname it is a signe she hath been many times married denominating of his wife from him being parcell of the maritall priviledge But when a City in diverse Ages hath different names this speaks her successive subjection to severall Lords new owners imposing on her new appellations as in our present subject plainly appears For the City which we are to describe was called 1 Salem in the days of Abraham when Melchisedec was King and probably first founder thereof Then it was but a small place the greatest Giant had once the cradle of his infancy when mount Moriah afterwards in the midst of the City and a forest of houses was as yet but a thicket of thornes wherein the Ram the
omit For never was Rebecca more weary of conversing with the daughters of Heth then we of describing these heathen Gods Enough therefore of nothing for so all Idols are termed by the Apostle The rather because that as the Psalmist observeth In the night all the beasts of the forest creep forth the Sun ariseth they gather themselves together and lay themselves down in their dens so when the Sun of the Gospell displayed his light all these herds of heathen Gods hasted to their homes their lurking in eternall obscurity Then was the Prophets prediction accomplished that all Idols should be cast to the Moles and to the Bats Excellent company it is pity to part them let the blind converse with the blind it being true of these that they have eyes and see not § 45. Yet to give the Iews their due in the days of our Saviour they were so free from Idolatry that the very name thereof or the word Idol is not to be found in the four Evangelists For having smarted seventy years in Babylon and sensible that their Idolatry principally caused their captivity after their return that sin was deâ—ested by them and shunning open profaneness they reeled into spirituall pride hypocrisie superstitious observing the Sabbath equalling Traditions with Scripture c. sins chiefly reproved in the Sermons of our Saviour § 46. As for Christians their principles presâ—rvâ— them from formall worshipping of Idols though too often guilty of what may be termed tralatitious Idolatry when any thing good and lawfull in its own nature is loved or honoured above or even with God himself Thus money may and must be loved and used as the Centurion did his servant Doe this and he doth it fetch me meat from the shambles and money fetcheth it bring me clothes from the shop and money bringeth them But when the man shall turn master and money command him Commit such a sin for my sake and he obeyeth such baâ—e Covetousness is by the Apostle termed Idolatry § 47. Indeed Idolatry is a subtill sin and seeing by nature we retain in our hearts the principles of all old Errors it is to be feared that this sin finding its usuall way obstructed will watch its own advantage to vent it self by some other conveyances Yea as Pride may grow out of humility so Idolatry may sprout out of the detestation thereof when men like Iehu rooting out Baal and erecting his own opinion of merit therein shall detest damn and destroy all images and worship their own imaginations Finish Libri quarti To the Right Honourable JOHN LORD BVRGHLEY Son to the Right Honourable JOHN EARL OF EXETER MY LORD IT is confidently reported of the Stork plenty of which build in the Low-Countreys being Inmates in most chimneys that she usually throâ—eth down one of her young ones out of the nest as a Rent to the Land-lord of the house for permitting thâ—re her quiet and unmolested habitation Now as our Saviour sends us to such Masters Behold the fowles of the aire c. of them all to learn the generall lesson of a contented dependence on divine providence and particularly Innocence from the Doves so may this practise of the Stork instruct us to be gratefull to such as have bestowed courtesies upon us Now the first light which I saw in this world was in a Benefice conferred on my Father by your most honourable great Grand-father and therefore I stand obliged in all thankfulness to your family Yea this my right hand which grasped the first free aire in a Manor to which your Lordship is Heir apparent hath since often been catching at a Pen to write something in expression of my thankfulness and now at last dedicates this Book to your Infant honour Thus as my Obligation bears date from my Birth my thankfulness makes speed to tender it self to your Cradle I know it will be objected that your Lordship is infraannuated to be the Patron of a Book in the strist acception thereof For a Patron properly is appealed to as Judge of the Merits of a Treatise Yea Authors anciently-craved their Patrons consent as dutifull children their Parents leave whether that he thought it fit their work should be matched to the Publick view or rather remain in the single estate of privacy This censure some will cavill at me that your tender Age is unable to pass and therefore incapable of being a Patron In answer hereunto first I am assured none of those who please to call themselves Roman Catholicks will lay this to my charge If they doe I return them with the story confessed by their Champian of a child not fully five years old consecrated Archbishop of Rhemes by Pope John the tenth sincâ— which time some children of small age but great birth have been made Cardinalls though long since their Church of Rome had been off the hooks had it had no stronger Hinges But generally I plead in my own defence that Custome Custome hath much mitigated the rigor of the word Patron which is not currant in common discourse at so high a rate whereat first it was coined insomuch that a Negative voâ—ce is denied to many Patrons now adays and they generally used not for Censurers but Countenancers of books dedicated unto them in which notion I humbly request your Lordships patronage of our present endevour Our London Gardiners doe not sow or set all their seeds though of the same kinde at the same time but so that they may ripen successively to last the longer in season Such is my design planting a Nursery of Patrons all Noble but of different years a Babe a Child two youths of severall date and a Man having as a Scale of miles in my Maps a Scale of Ages in my Honourable Patrons hoping so always to have one or more in full power to protect my endevours Thus in process of time your Lordship as yet but a Patron in reversion will be possessed with power effectually to discharge that place As for the present let not your tender age be slighted by any seeing such an one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a little child was chosen by our Saviour to be Doctor of the Chair to determine the controversie between the Disciples which he truly decided not by his speech but humble silence Till such time as your Honour shall be able to learn by my writing may I learn from your Honours living the necessary vertues of Meekness Humility Quietness Contentedness For the continuance of which in your Honour with the daily addition and increase of other Graces proportionable to your growth the hearty prayers shall never be wanting of Your Honours most bounden servant THO. FULLER OBJECTIONS ANSWERED Concerning this DESCRIPTION The fifth Book CHAP. 1. The intention of the Author in this Treatise PLATO being sick said to the Physician being about to prescribe Physick unto him Cure me not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as a Countrey-oxe-driver
to the value of eight thousand talents Indeed Eleazar keeper of the holy treasures gave or rather payed to Crassus a wedge of gold weighing three hundred pounds to ransome the rest from his rapine But the golden wedge did but widen the covet ousness of Crassus and like a break-fast did inable him to encounter a dinner with a greater appetite so that notwithstanding his oath to the contrary he added sacriledge to his perjury But seeing theeves give whatever they take not away we have rather cause to comend his bounty that the golden table candlesticks and other ornaments escaped his fingers except they were either hid from him by the carefull providence of others or left by him out of his own politick covetousnes like nest-egs to encourage others again to lay up more wealth in the same place And no doubt he hoped though now he had mowed down the Temples treasure to the bare roots shortly when grown up again to return to the after-share thereof but all in vain for marching with his Army into Parthia there his money perished with him losing the principle of his stoln wealth and paying his own life for interest Thus those who on a sudden grow rather foggy then fat by feeding on sacrilegious morsels do pinâ— away by degrees and die at last of incurable consumptions § 3. Here we cannot but take notice how profoundly shallow the Scribes and Pharisees were in that their superstitious Criticisme and leaden distinction how he that swore by the Temple was left at liberty whilest he that swore by the gold of the Temple was bound up and concluded in conscience to the performance of his oath Whereas our Saviour demonstrateth that the Temple was greater then the gold as the sanctifier thereof Besides in common sense he should seem faster tyed whose faith by oath was staked down to the Temple as to a fixt firme stable structure then he whose truth was tyed onely to the gold thereof a more fading flitting moveable matter as appears by Crassus and others carying so much of it away with him into forein countreys But indeed as our Saviour teacheth the main obliging power of those oaths consisted in the presence of God before whom they were made who alone is immoveable and immutable whereas in process of time the Temple it self as well as the gold thereof came to destruction § 4. For Vespasian and Titus his son Roman Emperours Anno Dom. 72. razed the Temple and utterly confounded all the Utensils thereof Indeed they were first carried in triumph to Rome but what afterward became of them is altogether unknown It is no sin to conceive that their property was altered and they either converted to coin or turned to plate for the use of the Emperour or his favorites Sure none are known to remain in specie at this day and one may wonder that no impudent Relickmonger hath produced a golden feather of a Cherubims wing or a knop flower bowle or almond of the seven-branched candle-stick having pretended since Christs time to improbabilities of as high a nature Strange that no Pope hath gotten a piece of Aarons Mitre or breast-plate to grace his wardrobe or a parcell of the manuscript-commandements written by Gods finger to adorn his Vatican But divine providence hath utterly razed all foundation for superstition to build upon in the totall abolition of these holy ornaments And if those reasonable Witnesses of Gods truth were by his permission overcome and killed by the Beast when they had finished their testimony no wonder if these sensless and inanimate types having served their generation the truth being come were finally extinguished Nor have I ought else to observe of those holy Utensils save that all were made of pure gold and yet the Apostle is bold to tearm them and all other legall ceremonies beggerly elements so debasing them in comparison of Christ the authour of grace and giver of eternall life Finis Libri Tertii To the Right Honourable FRANCIS LORD RVSSELL Son to the Right Honourable WILLIAM EARL OF BEDFORD MY LORD PErusing this passage in the beginning of Saint Lukes Gospell To write unto thee in order most excellent Theophilus that thou mightest know the certainty of those things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wherein thou hast been catechised or instructed it furnished me with some observables very conducible to my present purpose 1 Though God alone be good yet man in some sense may be most excellent 2 Even in that age wherein they had all things common Nobility remained severall as appropriated to some principall persons 3 No diminution to the dignity of a Noble man to be catâ—chised 〈…〉 in the Principles of Religion 4 Dedicating of Books of Noble persons is an ancient practise 〈…〉 Scripture precedents 5 〈…〉 not patronage for his book the Word of God being the sword of the 〈…〉 to defend it but intended the instruction of Theophilus therein The 〈…〉 the texâ— encourgâ—d me â—â—ing to put forth a Treatise to publick view to make choice of an honourable Patron and hope I have found a Theophilus in your Lordship whom I see to be young know to be Noble and beleeve to â—e religâ—ous The composure therefore of this ensuing boâ—â— the issue by Gods â—blessing of 〈◊〉 own industry this alone I humbly 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 Honour to protect the same As for the matter thereof being wholly Scripture I heartily dedicate your Honour thereto to be instructed therewith And now my Lord may I request you to tâ—ke a serious survey of your own extraction to be unto you a forcible motive unto vertue To instance onely in your deceased Ancestors as cut of the reach of flattery John your Atavus by his wisedome and valour the fortunate Generall against the Rebels in the West founded under God the Nobility of your family Francis your Abavus whose Hall seemed a Court Closet a Chappell and Gate-house an Hospitall shined as a light with his piety in those darker days William your Proavus to whom agreed the character of Sergius Paulus A prudent man and Deputy of the Countrey and that an Island too though not Cyprus yet Ireland of whose abilities Queen Elizabeth was well assured when choosing him Pilot of that leaking Land then toffed with the violent tempest of Rebellion Francis your 〈◊〉 whose death I would epithete Untimely not onely for the behoof of his own family but benefit of the whole nation did not the same authority which reproved Saint Peter for calling that common which he had cleansed forbid me to term any thing untimely which his Providence hath appointed Now my Lord upon a review of this your pedegree I will not be so Pedantick to minde you of a Grammar-instance to make it true construction in your Honours practise Magnorum haudquaquam indignus avorum but in Scripture-phrase I request you to Look to the rock whence you are hewn and the hole of the pit whence you are