that made the stout souldiers to bow their heads in humility the fruitlesse and barren Publican to bear the fruit of Charity and all the common people to cry out with an unanimous consent What shall we doe This is the Angell of the Lord sent as a Messenger before his face to prepare his wayes he that was borne after a supernatural manner lived an austere angelicall life clad in course and rough habite fed with spare diet And after one yeare in his ministerial office for testifying the truth to fulfill the wicked desires of a lewd struÌ„pet prompt by her bloody mother when hee was little more than one and thirty yeares of age by the commandement of cruel Herod was beheaded in the Tower of Macherus which was a Towne of Peraea beyond Jordan twenty miles from Jerusalem towards the East scituated on a high Mountain which Townes name being derived from Machera signifies a sword and Iohn dyed by a sword Thus was this light withdrawne this lampe extinguished and this star clouded But all this is so excellently performed by Mr. Austin that the lustre of his bright Sun hath eclipsed this my star which inforceth me to conclude as hee doth in the Collect of the Church saying Almighty God by whose providence thy servant Iohn Baptist was wonderfully borne and sent to prepare the way of thy Son our Saviour by preaching of Penance make me so to follow his doctrine and holy life that I may truly repent according to his preaching and after his example constantly speake the truth boldly rebuke vice and patiently suffer for the truths sake through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen On the Feast of Saint Matthew THe next light after the Baptist in the Evangelical firmament I place the first of the Evangelists for which it may be some of the upholders of the universall Bishops Soveraignty will cavill with me because I doe not set the prime Apostle S. Peter in the first place For though Saint Matthew was the first Writer yet it may bee said Saint Peter was the first Preacher after the Ascension of our Lord as is evident in the first and second of the Acts. And there hath been as glorious lights Preachers as Writers But yet for that the History of the Gospell is the foundation of all writing and preaching I will begin with Saint Matthew who wrote his Gospel before the other three as is evident by Revel 6. 1. For when Christ which is the Lamb there mentioned had opened the sealed doctrine of our redemption in the first yeare of his ministeriall office to the six and thirtieth yeare after his birth one of the foure Beasts which by interpretours is Matthew writes his Gospell in the Hebrew tongue and in the mighty stile of Gods thundring Spirit set out the same willing all Nations to come and see viz. approach and consider it About which time in accomplishment of the second verse Christ and his Apostles passe out and preach to all the testimony of the Gospell shooting the arrowes of zeale to pierce all godly hearts which is prefigured in him that sate on the white horse crowned with victory and triumphantly conquering and overcomming the world And that S. Matthew is one of the four beasts is evident for both Ezekiel in his first chapter and S. Iohn in his fourth makes mention that one of the beasts had a face like a man which by all interpreters is applyed to Matthew because hee begins his first face or leafe with the genealogie of Christ as he is man of the seed of David by the Virgin Mary And the Prophet Ezekiel writing in Hebrew to the Hebrewes saith the first face of one of the foure beasts was as the face of a man meaning S. Matthew wrote first in Hebrew But the Prophet S. John writing in Greeke to the Grecians saith the first beast had the face of a Lion meaning S. Marke who wrote first in Greek S. Matthew was the third whose Gospell when S. Iohn wrote his was translated out of Hebrew into Greek Another reason why S. Matthews Gospell is set first is because he being an Apostle was to give light and open the way to the rest as S. Iohns Gospell is set last because being an Apostle he might give authority and confirme the former two which were Disciples and writ their Gospell Saint Marke by the instruction and approbation of S. Peter and S. Luke by the authority of S. Paul Saint Matthew setting downe his owne story is so farre from flattery that he cals himselfe Matthew the Publican and tels how he was called to be an Apostle as he was sitting at the receipt of custome which text is excellently expounded in M. Austins divine Meditations And as some report it was in Caesarea Philippi where likewise Christ cured the woman afflicted with the bloody issue 12 yeares by the touch of the hemme of his garment It is likewise related that S. Matthew having writ his Gospel delivered it to Iames the Lords brother then Bishop of Jerusalem preached the Gospell in Aethiopia now called the Kingdome of Presbyter-Iohn and was entertained by the Eunuch Chamberlaine to the Quâ—ene Candace whereof there is mention in the Acts. He prevailed so much that Aeglippus the King of Aethiopia and his people came to baptisme But there reigned after him one Hyrtacus which hated the Apostle and commanded him to be runne through with a sword But some say he was runne through with a speare at Hierapolis in Parthia where he was honourably buried so that he did not only write the Testament of his Lord but for confirmation of the truth thereof sealed it with his blood What may be further writ concerning this blessed Apostle I leave to the learned and conclude with the prayer for the day as the Church hath set it in her Liturgy saying Almighty God which by thy blessed Sonne didst call Matthew from the receipt of custome to be an Apostle and Evangelist grant me grace to forsake all covetous desires and inordinate love of riches and to follow thy said son Jesus Christ who liveth and reigneth with thee and thy holy Spirit three persons and one God now and for ever Amen On S. Markes-day THe next fundamentall light that appeared in the Evangelicall Sphere was S. Marke as appeares in the third and fourth verses of the sixth of the Revelation For when the second Beast or Gospell began to invite men to the perusall thereof then there went out another horse which was red and power was given to him that sate theron to take peace from the earth and that they should kill one another and there was given unto him a great sword which is thus paraphrased At that time proceeded tyrannous and bloody magistrates sitting in the seat of tyranny to whom power was given to persecute Gods Saints on earth and to deprive them of peace by causing all men to kill them abusing so the sword of Justice that God had given them And this was
of Christ that he was suffred to leane on Christs bosome when he was at Supper He his brother and Peter were permitted to see Christs Transfiguration on Mount Tabor and they three were taken from the rest to behold his Agony in the Garden Wherefore the Mother of John dreaming that Christ should bee a temporall King presuming so much upon the love which shee saw in Christ towards her children boldly asked That they might have the greatest honour viz. one to sit at the right hand and the other at the left in his Kingdome Yet though this is noted by Saint Matthew to be the Mothers desire Saint Marke relating the same story Chap. 10. 35. saith That it was the desire of Iames and Iohn for which the other Disciples disdained them two to shew that it was their ambition to solicite their Mother to make such a petition which Gospell though it touched Saint Iohn who then lived and had the perusall thereof never denyed it nor took it il but approved that the other two Evangelists to be true so sincere simple and without all art of flattery or rhetorical amplification was all their writings that they do not spare Christ himselfe whom they adore and acknowledge to bee their God and Saviour but shew the infirmities of his flesh as he was a man as his hunger and thirst his being weary and how hee wept his passions of feare anger love c. therefore much lesse would they favour the Apostles or themselves And last of all Christ upon the Crosse to expresse the great love that hee bare this Apostle called the blessed Virgin his Mother and him her sonne And from that day to her death she lived with him Presently after the feast of Pentecost when hee with the rest had received the holy Ghost he with Peter was cast into prison for healing the cripple Acts 4. And a while after he with Peter was sent by the Apostles to preach the Word of God in Samaria Act. 8. Foure yeares after the death of the Virgin Mary he was present at the Apostolicall Councell in Jerusalem Now Iames his brother who was called the elder was beheaded two yeares before for this Councell was celebrated in the presence of Iames the younger Peter Iohn Paul and Barnabas c. about sixteen yeares after the Resurrection of Christ and fourteen after the Conversion of Paul Gal. 2. Act. 15. After the death of Paul he governed the Churches of Asia minor where he wrote his Gospell And in the 86. year of his age being cast into a vessell of boyling oyle and comming out unhurt by the command of Domitian the Emperour he was banished into the I le of Pathmos where he wrote his Revelation to the seven Churches in Asia It is related of him that hee turned certain peeces of wood into gold and stones by the sea side into Margrits to satisfie the desire of two whom he perswaded to renounce their riches and after they repenting that for worldly treasure they had lost heaven changed them into the same substance againe That he raised up a widow and a young man from death to life That he drunke poyson and it hurt him not and raised up two to life which had drunk the same before and that he called a young man to repentance that was captaine of theeves After the death of Domitian he came to Ephesus whâ—re as Saint Austin relates he caused his grave to be made and in the presence of divers went in alive and being no sooner in and to their seeming dead they covered him which kind of Rest saith he was rather tearmed a sleepe than death for that the earth of the grave bubbleth or boyleth up after the manner of a Well by reason of John resting therein and breathing a signe of his slumbering therein And thus he dyed when hee was as some relate an hundred and twenty years old others say ninety nine and some ninetie one the truth of all which I leave to the diligâ—nt search of the learned and conclude with the prayer for the day saying Mercifull Lord I beseech thee to cast the bright beames of light upon thy Church that it being lightned by the doctrine of thy blessed Apostle and Evangelist Saint Iohn may attaine to thy everlasting Gifts through Jesus Christ my Lord Amen Saint Peters day HAving made a briefe relation of the lives and deaths of the foure Evangelists who writ the Gospell of our Lord and Saviour Now I should set forth the glorious lustre of those Stars which were equall and some before them in the order of Apostleship The first in order is Simon whose surname was Peter the son of Iona of Bethsaida in Galilee The order of his precedency is noted by three Evangelists in four places where all the Apostles are nominated viz. Matth. 10. Mark 3. Luke 6. and Act. 1. But whether he were the first that was called to be an Apostle or no I cannot certainly determine for though Saint Matthew and Marke make relation that hee with his brother Andrew were first called yet Saint Iohn affirmes that two of Iohn's disciples followed Christ of which one was Andrew who went and told his brother Simon that he had found the Messias But whether he were first or second that was called to the Apostleship I leave to the learned The Evangelists make more mention of him than of any one Apostle besides as first they shew that Christ comming to his house healed his wives mother of a fever Then they shew how ready he was to walke on the sea at the command of Christ and yet because of a little tempest his strong courage failed him and he ready to sincke Then againe his noble confession that hee made of Christ for which Christ so highly commended him but presently after they shew his carnall feare for which Christ checked him Then they shew Christs love to him in making choise of him and the two sonnes of Zebedeus to be spectators of his glorious transfiguration and bitter agony in the Garden and in the first they say hee spake hee knew not what being overcome with joy and in the second they shew his carelesnesse for which Christ checked him by name because hee could not watch one houre Then they shew how inquisitive he was to aske questions how oft shall I forgive my brother in one place dost thou wash my feet in another and what shall this man doe in a third c. And last of al before his PassioÌ„ they declare his strong resolution Though all men foâ—sake thee yet will not I. And yet presently after they shew how basely hee denied his Lord Christ All the particular relations that the Evangelists make of this Apostle are so many that it would make a little volume to make rehearâ—all of them And I have intended brevitâ— Therefore will I make a short story of his life after the Passion of Christ as it is related in the Acts and other Authors After the
sonne But what became of him after all these bloody Tragedies by him committed Eusebius out of Iosephus relates a most loathsome and shamefull disease of which hee most miserably dyed From which I observe that miserable and wretched is their condition that for obtaining of a little fading and transitory honour in this world which indeed is but the shadow of true honour trouble and perplex both their bodies and mindes while they live in this life loose the true substantiall and everlasting felicity in the world to come and sometimes receive double punishment both here on earth and hereafter in hell for ever as Herod and others But leaving him now I will once more take a view of these blessed innocents these Protomartyrs these first fruits of martyrdome these seeming Christs of the same age of Christ these that suffered for him while he was safe in his cradle or in his mothers armes The cause was his and these silent advocates make answer he was the agent and they the patient hee was sought for and they were found for his fact they were slaine he the Isaac that was intended for the sacrifice and these the innocent lambes that were sacrificed in his stead O Lord in what had these offended how had they broken thy statutes that could neither go nor speake their hearts had no knowledge to thinke their hands too feeble to work and their tongues unable to utter any thing that was ill Now they were bewailing the miseries that their originall sinne did expose them unto and thou by the hand of Herod sent the messenger of death to invite them to eternall joy Grant I beseech thee that as they were two yeares bewailing their miseries and thou thy selfe two dayes in the bed of the grave and in the third raisedst thy selfe and restoredst them to joy in the third yeare so I likewise having been in the bed of sin for the time past of my life bewailing my sin for the time to come may now live the life of grace and hereafter partake of eternall joyes in glory for ever Amen The Zodiake IN which Astrologers note 12. Constellations or houses for 280. Starres which they call the twelve signes And in the yeare we commemorate the lives and vertues of the twelve Apostles and with them the day Star Saint John the Baptist the evening Stars Saint Paul and Barnabas and three other Stars of like splendor Saint Marke Saint Luke and Saint Steven That the Saints and especially these spred the light of their heavenly doctrine over the whole world is evident by Dan. 12. 3. where the Prophet affirmes that they which be wise shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmament and they that turne many to righteousnesse shall shine as the stars And they are not only stars which enlighten the spiritual Jerusalem the Spouse of the Lambe Christs Church on earth which Iohn in a vision saw come downe from heaven but precious stones are rare jewels to adorne and beautifie her as is excellently paraphrased upon the twelve foundations of that City which were the twelve Apostles in these words The first Apostle from the Indies gathered in all these green Iaspers who abode ever greene and unwithered from the true faith to found with these the first foundation of this heavenly habitacle another Apostle to make up the second course of this foundation brought in those celestiall Saphires who indued with heavenly hewes and qualities respected no earthly showes The third Apostle for the third course of this foundation gathered in from among the Aegyptians the victorious and fiery Chalcedonies even the zealous Professors and victorious Teachers of the Truth Some fourth Apostle to build the fourth foundation even from the Scythians and Bactrians brought in the greene and glancing Smaragdes even the flourishing unwithered and sincere Christians of those Countries For the fifth course of this foundation some Apostles gathered in from among the Arabians their meeke lowly and chast people comparable to the simple and chast nature of the Sardonyx The sixth Apostle gathered in these mollified people in whose soft hearts are engraven the seales of salvation even the continuall memory of Christs Passion represented by the bloody and fleshly colour of the Sardius The seventh Apostle for the seventh ground and foundation the wise and constant Chrysolites The eighth Apostle for his course and foundation gathered in all diligent Christians and peace-makers comparable to the precious Berill The ninth Apostle to found his course with gathered in the patient people and restrainers of their affections represented by the nature of the Topaze The tenth Apostle brought into the tenth course of this foundation the golden greene Chrysoprasus even those Christians that renouncing avarice glory in that golden Treasure of heaven that never withereth nor decayeth The eleventh Apostle to found his eleventh course gathered in the golden purple and princely Hyacinths even those magnificent and princely professors who being richly decored with spiritual blessings overcame all temptations Finally for the twelfth course and to compleat the foundation of this holy worke the last Apostle brought in even from Armenia the pure and temperate Amethysts to wit those Christians who detesting gluttony and drunkennesse are endued with Sobriety and temperance O Lord grant that in the day thou makest up thy Jewels I may be found a precious stone in this building having in this life shined as a wandring Star in grace I may for ever rest a fixed Star in glory Amen A short Meditation of the Feast of Saint Iohn Baptist THis glorious Starre was the first that appeared in the Evangelicall Hemisphere At the lustre whereof the shadow of the Law began to withdraw and vanish that the spirituall sense might appeare through the literall He concluded the Law and the Prophets and prepared the way for the Sunne of Righteousnesse the day spring from on high And now the letter of the Law spiritually understood is turned into Gospell yet the owle-eyed Jewes that loved darknesse better than light when Iohn shone in the Pulpit like a taper on a candlesticke could scarse endure him burning longer than a farthing candle an houre was the utmost of their patience This is that Star that gave an heroicall rise of jubilation in the wombe of his blessed Mother At the first approach of this Sun or at the first dawning of the day of Salvation as the glorious Sunne entred into the blessed Aequator the Virgin Mother and began to shew forth his spirituall rayes by heavenly ejaculations in Hymnes Psalmes and spirituall Songs from Mary the Mother of our Lord from Zacharias the father of his Harbenger and old Simeon that wayted for his Salvation This is that Elias that was to come the Prophet of the Highest and more than a Prophet so much the more that a greater than hee was not borne of a woman in naturall generation The voyce of the Cryer in the wildernesse such a voice as David speakes of in the 29. Psalme
accomplished at that time when S. Steven suffered martyrdome and Iames the brother of Iohn was beheaded for Christs sake for even then and from thenceforth the Roman Magistrates and Synagogue of the Jewes never stinted from persecuting and putting to death all true Christians That Marke is the second Beast spoken by Ezekiel and the first by S. Iohn that had a face like a Lion is plaine because hee begins his first face or leafe at the voice like a roaring Lion in the wildernesse prepare the way of the Lord c. S. Marke is noted by Dorotheus to be one of the seventy Disciples and was very attentive unto the preaching of S. Peter from whom at the earnest perswasions of many zealous Christians he wrote his Gospell in Greek And S. Peter makes mention of him in the last Chapter of his first Epistle in these words the Church of Babylon elected together with you saluteth you and Marke my sonne and yet this Evangelist is most copious in setting downe particularly how S. Peter thrice denyed his Lord and Master He was the first Bishop of Alexandria and preached the Gospell in all the bordering Regions from Egypt unto Pentapolis and as some affirme in the reigne of Trajan the Emperour others and they more probably in the beginning of the reigne of Nero had a Cable rope tyed about his neck and by that drawne through the streets of Alexandria that his flesh was rent in pieces the stones coloured with his blood and in the end he burned to ashes by those furious Idolaters and was buried at Bucolus a place in the said City For what may be written more concerning Marke I leave to the learned and conclude with the prayer for the day saying Almighty God which haâ—t instructed thy holy Church with the heavenly doctrine of thy Evangelist S. Marke give me grace that I may not be like a little childe carried away with every blast of vain doctrine but be firmely established in the truth of thy Gospell through Jesus Christ my Lord Amen On S. Lukes day THe third fundamentall light that shewed the history of Christ is S. Luke And that he was the third is plaine by the 6 Revel 5. 6. For after the third sealed weeke which was the 43 after the birth of Christ S. Luke the third Beast wrote his Gospell and published it that all men might come and see At which time there fell a great universall famine of corne which Agabus prophesied and foretold should come to passe among the Apostles Disciples and the whole Church In this dearth the bushell of wheat was sold for five accustomed prices and the bushell of barley for three All which was prefigured by him that sate on the black horse with ballances in his hand and the voice that spake in the midst of the foure beasts saying A measure of wheat for a penny and three measures of barley for a penny So that this agrees with S. Luke in three respects First in that he is the third Beast in Ezekiel the second in S. Iohn with a face like a Bull because he beginneth his face or first leafe at Zacharias offering incense as it were a bullock at the Altar Secondly Because he wrote at this time And thirdly because he makes relation of the famine that then hapned 11 Acts 28 29 30. He was a follower of all the Apostles in their Peregrination but especially of S. Paul who makes mention of him in two of his Epistles once to the Col. 4. chap. and 14. verse Luke the beloved Physitian saluteth you and in 2 Tim. 4. 11. only Luke is with me By birth he was of Antioch but by profession a Physitian and he hath left us proofes of his skill in two volumes medicinable for our soules health one of the Gospell which he reporteth to have published according as he records it of them which from the beginning were beholders and ministers of this doctrine so that he searched all from the originall The other of the Acts of the Apostles where he compiled not only the things that he heard with his ears but also the things which he saw with his eyes And of Paul some say that he accustomed to mention the Gospell of S. Luke when he spake as of his owne saying according to my Gospel 2 Tim. 2. 8. And though S. Luke was scholer and dependant of S. Paul yet he alone of all others makes mention of the differences of Paul and Barnabas and in the story of Saint Stephens death after all his narration ended he added a clause which in humane judgement might have beene left out to wit Saul was consâ—nting and culpable of Stephens death whereby wee may perceive most perspicuously that as these Evangelists were plaine sincere and simple and fâ—rre from presuming to devise any thing of themselves so were they religious and had scruple to passe over or leave out any thing of the truth in favour of themselves or any other whatsoever Whether S. Luke dyed a naturall death or a violent I cannot finde only Dorotheus saith hee died at Ephesus and was there buried Therefore I leave the further lustre of him as of the rest of those glorious starres to the curious search of the learned and conclude with the prayer for the day saying Almighty God which calledst Luke the Physitian whose praise is in the Gospell to be a Physitian of the soule it may please thee by the wholesome medicine of his doctrine to heale all the diseases of my soule through thy sonne Jesus Christ my Lord and Saviour Amen On S. John the Evangelist SAint Iohn was the last fundamentall light that shined in the Evangelicall Hemisphere as is manifest by the forecited place of his Revelations For when he set forth his Gospell which was betweene the 50 yeares and 57 after Christs Nativity the pale Horse which by Interpreters signifies heresies among the people bringing therewith the death of the soule and procuring hell and eternall damnation began to arise who spake against the divinity of Christ Wherefore S. Iohn for the suppressing and conviction of the heresies of Cerinthus Nicholaus Ebion Elymas the Sorcerer and other certaine Pharisaicall Hereticks wrote his Gospell which beginneth at the description of Christs divinity But they not forsaking their hereticall opinions God sent his plagues against Judea and other parts of Asia the quarter of the earth where these heresies reigned That S. Iohn is the fourth beast that had a face like an Eagle is likewise evident because he beginneth his first face or lease at the high and divine essence of Christs God-head flying so high in his stile that hee is compared to an Eagle Saint Iohn was the brother of Iames who were both the sonnes of Zebedeus who was a Fisher-man and were called by Christ when they were in the ship with their Father mending their nets At which time as some relate Saint Iohn was but one and twenty years of age This Apostle was so beloved
Ascention of Christ he made the first Oration to the eleven for the choice of an Apostle in the place of Iudas And after the feast of Pentecost he made the first Sermon by which 3000 souls were added to the Church After that he healed the lame man at the Temple gate for which he and Iohn were brought before the Councell Then is shewed in the fifth of the Acts how God by him punished the hypocrisie of Ananias and Saphira After is declared how he was sent by the Apostles with Iohn to preach in Samaria where for ought I know he withstood Simon Magus and not at Rome as some affirme In the sixth yeare after the Resurrection of Christ he went to Lidda and cured Aeneas who had bin sick of the Palsey eight yeares From thence he went to Ioppa raised Tabitha from death And in the seventh yeare after the Resurrection he came to Cesarea Strato where he preached the Gospell to Cornelius the Centurion and baptized him and his whole family In the eleventh yeare after the Resurrection hee was cast into prison and set at liberty by an Angell About five yeares after he was at the councell of the Apostles in Jerusalem And the yeare following went into Antioch of which place he was the first Bishop and the Disciples there the first Christians and being at Babylon writ his first Epistle to the strangers that dwelt in Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Asia and Bithynia Yet it is reported in Ecclesiasticall histories that Peter came from Antioch to withstand Simon Magus at Rome and there kept the Chaire 25 yeares 12 under Claudius and 13 under Nero. He opposed Simon Magus once in restoring a Noble man to life and another time when hee was going to flye into the Aire Peter brought him down with his wings headlong to the ground by which fall his legs and joynts were broken and he thereupon dyed But there are divers of the learned that affirme that Peter never came to Rome at all as may be gathered out of those five Epistles which S. Paul writ from Rome being there a Prisoner and in the conclusion of them names all his friends but never makes mention of Peter in any one of them which were written about the fifth yeare of the reigne of Nero. And when he writes to the Romans which was the second yeare of Nero hee never makes mention of any salutation to Peter which if he had beene then Bishop of that place he would not have omitted And if ever Peter were at Rome at all he came thither after the last imprisonment of S. Paul and a few dayes before his martyrdome but whether it was that he was martyred at Rome by the command of Nero or at Ierusalem by the appointment of King Agrippa or as some say at Babylon it is not materiall But certaine it is that hee was crowned with the wreath of martyrdome and was crucified with his head downeward and his feet upward which death hee chose because he confessed himselfe to be unworthy to suffer in the same manner and forme as his Lord suffered And it is reported by some when his wife was led to suffer martyrdome as he hung upon the crosse others say as hee went out of doores he greatly rejoyced and encouraged her calling her by name saying Be of good comfort and remember the Lord Iesus The truth of all which stories I leave to the consideration of the learned and conclude with the prayer for the day Almighty God which by thy Sonne Iesus Christ hast given many excellent gifts to thy Apostle S. Peter and commandedst him earnestly to feed thy flock Make I beseech thee all Bishops and Pastors diligently to follow the same to preach thy holy word and the people obediently to follow the same that they may receive the crowne of everlasting glory through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen Saint Andrew SAint Matthew and Saint Luke place this Apostle next to his Brother S. Peter because as some affirme they were first called to the Apostleship Yet this blessed starre for many other rare graces related of him by the Evangelists and other authors may well have precedency before others First for his earnest desire to draw other men to the knowledge of Christ for when he heard it of Iohn the Baptist he presently called his Brother Simon Iohn 1 40. After when the Grecians desired to see Christ he with Philip made him acquainted therewith and last of all he spent much labour time in preaching Christ to the barbarous Scythians Saxons and other Aethiopians Secondly for his ready willingnesse to follow Christ and be his Disciple for as Iesus passed by the Sea of Galilee he saw him with his brother casting a net into the sea for they were fishers And he no sooner called them but they left their nets and presently followed him And lastly for his constant perseverance in the ministeriall office he deserved this priority of place for having a long time preached the Gospell to divers barbarous nations was threatned by Aegeas King of the Edessians that if he would not surcease preaching Christ he should be crucified as his Lord was on the crosse To whom hee gave this answer and boldly said That he would not have preached the honour and glory of the crosse if he had feared the crosse And seeing the crosse afarre off with a lively and cheerefull countenance said O crosse most welcome and long looked for with a willing minde joyfully and desirously I come to thee being the Scholler of him who did hang on thee because I have beene ever thy lover and coveted to imbrace thee so being crucified gave up the ghost fell a sleepe and was buried in Patris a City in Achaia And this is all the description that my search in Antiquity can make of this starre The further amplification thereof I leave to the learned and conclude with the prayer for the day saying Almighty God which didst give such grace unto thy Apostle Saint Andrew that he readily obeyed the calling of thy Son Jesus Christ and followed him without delay grant that I being called by thy holy word may forth with give over my selfe to follow thy holy Commandement through the same Iesus Christ my Lord. S. Philip and Iames. THe reason as I conceive why the lustre of these two starres are by the order of the Church conjoyned together on this day is because they and S. Peter only are not displaced in their order by all the Evangelists for Peter is the first Philip the fifth and Iames the ninth in the nomination of them together And as it is very plaine that Peter and Andrew Iames and Iohn the sonnes of Zebedeus were the foure Apostles that were first called so it is likewise conspicuous that Philip was the fift for the twice two brethren were called in one day as Matthew Mark note but Philip was called the day after as S. Iohn saith expresly the day following Iesus found Philip and
downe head-long saying let us stone Iames Iustus and they began to throw stones at him for after his fall he was not fully dead but remembring himselfe fell on his knees saying I beseech thee Lord God and Father forgive them for they wot not what they doe And as they were a stoning him one of the Priests the son of Rechab the son of Charabim whose testimony is in Ieremy the Prophet cryed out cease what doe you this Just man prayeth for you And one of them that were present taking a Fullers club with which they pounce and purge their cloathes struck Iustus on the head and brained him and so he suffered martyrdome whom they buried in that place His Pillar or Picture as yet remaineth hard by the Temple graven thus This man was a true witnesse both to the Jewes and Gentiles that Iesus was Christ And Vespasianus immediately having over-runne Judea subdued the Jews And these things saith Iosephus happened unto the Jewes in way of revenging the death of Iames the Iust which was the brother of Iesus whom they call Christ for the Jews slew him when he was a very just man With whom I conclude this dayes Meditation with the Prayer for the day saying Almighty God whom truely to know is everlasting life grant mee perfectly to know thy Son Jesus Christ to be the way the truth and the life as thou hast taught Saint Philip and other Apostles through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Saint Bartholomew THree Evangelists in their nomination of all the Apostles note S. Bâ—rtholomew the sixth only S. Luke in the Acts names him the seventh and Thomas the sixth Therefore I in this place will follow both and swimme with the streame and against it for with the Gospellers I set him on the sixth Apostolicall day but with S. Luke I remember him as the seventh Apostle By some he is thought to be Nathaneel because as I said before he is three times named with Philip who first called Nathaneel unto Christ others say that he was Nephew to the King of Syria and shew some reason for it But whether he was the one or the other or neither It is reported that hee suffred martyrdome as well as the rest of the Apostles and preached the Word of God to the barbarous Indians where he continued a long time and translated the Gospel of Saint Matthew into their language Where it was preserved many yeares yet having sincerely preached the Word of God and wrought many miraculous works among them was at the last as some relate beaten to death with cudgels others say that hee was crucified and flein alive and some affirme that hee was beheaded at the command of Polemus King of India But these differences are thus reconciled The first day of this Apostles martyrdome he was beaten with cudgels the next day he was crucified and fleine alive as hee was fastned to the crosse and last of all while breath remained he was beheaded But because the Spirit of God by the Evangelists doth only name him with the rest of the Apostles without any other addition or story And for that Mr. Austins sun hath so learnedly shined on this day I am inforced to conclude with the Collect for the day saying O Almighty and everlasting God which hast given grace to thy Apostle Bartholomew truely to beleeve and preach thy Word Grant I beseech thee unto thy Church both to love that hee beleeved and to preach that hee taught through Christ our Lord. Amen Saint THOMAS THe eighth Apostolicall Star by Marke and Luke so gloriously shines in Mr. Austins Meditations that I am perswaded my dim taper can give but little light Yet what I find by the Church Historians concerning him I wil adventure to set down here in this place for his immortall memory as I have done in the rest of the Apostles leaving the further consideration thereof unto others It is reported by Eusebius and others that this Apostle after the Ascension of Christ sent his Brother Thaddeus one of the seventy disciples unto Agbarus King of Edessa according as Christ by his letter had promised the said King Where the said Thaddeus cured the King of his disease and many of the people of their infirmities working many great signes and wonders and converting many from their Idolatry to the knowledge of Christ And this Apostle as Dorotheus witnesseth preached the Gospell of the Lord to the Parthians Medes and Persians Caramans Hircans Bactrians and Magicians And after much labour in his ministeriall office was slaine by an Idoll Priest with a dart which they call a speare or javelin But as others say at the Heathen Kings commandement foure souldiers run him thorow with darts at Callamina a City in India where hee was honourably buried Concerning his incredulity it is divinely commented on by Master Austin Therefore I conclude with the Prayer for the day saying Almighty and everlasting God which for more confirmation of the Faith didst suffer thy Apostle Thomas to be doubtfull in thy Sons Resurrection grant me so perfectly and without all doubt to beleeve in thy Son Jesus Christ that my faith in thy sight may never be reproved And that for Jesus Christ his sake to whom with thee and the holy Spirit be all honour c. Saint JAMES THe ninth Apostle is S. James Alpheus and because I will not alter the name I will fix Saint James the son of Zebedeus a fisherman and Brother of Iohn in this place Hee it was that with Peter and his Brother the beloved Disciple had the prerogative to see the glorious Transfiguration on Mount Tabor and the bitter agony of our blessed Saviour in the Garden of Gethsemani had not drowsinesse and sleep withheld them and under Claudius the Emperor an Dom. 36. as I receive it from the Ancient Herod Agrippa being then King of Iudaea who persecuting the Church of God beheaded James with the sword Of this Apostle I read this story That the man that accused him when hee saw that Iames would willingly suffer martyrdome was therwith so moved that he voluntarily confessed himselfe to bee a Christian for which hee was adjudged to be slaine with the Apostle and by the way going to receive the crowne of their martyrdome he requested the Apostle to pardon him who after hee had pawsed a little upon the matter turning unto him answered Peace be unto thee brother and kissed him So they were both beheaded together And this is all the description that I can finde of this Apostolicall Star Therefore I conclude with the Prayer for the day saying Grant O most mercifull God that as thine holy Apostle S. Iames leaving his father and all that hee had without delay was obedient to the calling of thy Sonne Jesus Christ and followed him so I forsaking all worldly and carnall affections may be evermore ready to follow thy Commandements S. Simon and Iude. THese are the holy brethren the Gemini in this Apostolicall Zodiak for as some