nothing Where as cōtrarie wise in the scriptures it is in euerie battail recorded God deliuered them into their enimies handes God ouertbrevv them God gaue the victorie Againe consider the lawes and law makers among the Gentiles as Lycurgus Solon Draco Numa and the like and see whether you may finde any one such law or tending to such an ende as this is of the Iewes thou shalt loue thie God vvith all thie hart and vvith al thie soule and shalt loue thy neighbour as thie self Consider in all the Southesayers and Diuiners amōg the Gentiles whether they vsed to say ī their predictions as the prophetes of Israel did Dominus dixit our Lord hath spoken it or els Ego dico I doe speake it Compare their Versifiers and Poetes with those of the scripture and see whether they haue laboured in the praise of men or of God And where as heathen Poetes haue filled vp their bookes as also the most parte of ours at this day with matter of carnal loue marke whether anie of thē euer brake forth into such pangues of spiritual chaste loue as Holie Dauid did whē he said I will loue the my God my strēgth my firmament my refuge my deliuerer my helper my protector and the horne of my saluation And againe in an other verse What haue I desired vpon earth besides thee my flesh and harte haue fainted for thee thou God of my hart thou God that arte my parte and portion euerlasting By all which is euident that as prophane writinges and writers which doe treate of men extoll men seeke the grace of men referre all to the commoditie and good liking of men doe proceede of the spirite of mā are subiecte to those infirmities of falshode errour vanity wherwith man is intangeled in this life so the scriptures which handle matters aboue the compasse of flesh and blood that referre all to God and supernatural endes could not proceede of nature or of humane spirit For that by nature the Iewes were men as the Gentiles were and had their infirmities of flesh blood as th' other had And therfore it must needes be concluded that thes high and supernatural writinges amonge them proceeded from God that specially directed them gaue them lighte of vnderstanding aboue all other nations people in the world NEXT AFTER the argument and Ende of the scriptures the Iew willeth vs to consider the peculier stile and phrase which they vse for that sayeth he it being different from all other maner of writing in the world and vnimitable to man it doth discouer the fingar of God by which it was framed For where as humane writers doc labour much in adorninge their stile and in reducing their wordes to number weight measure and sounde with addition of manie figures and other ornamentes for allurement of the reader the scripture taketh quite an other course and vseth a most maruelous simplicitie therby to accommodate it self to the capacitie of the weakest but yet alwayes carying with it so greate profunditie as the best learned in searche therof shall confesse their owne ignorance For examples sake consider but the verie first wordes of the Bible In the beginning God created heauen and earth and the earth vvas emptie and voide and darkenes vvas vpon the face of the depth and the spirit of God vvas caried vpon the vvaters and God said lett light be made and light vvas made c. What can be more plaine and simple then this narration to instruct the most vnlearned aboute the beginning and creation of the world and yet when learned men come to examine euerie pointe therof how what and where and in what manner when thinges were donne it astonisheth them all to cōsider the difficulties which they finde and the depthe of so infinite inscrutable mysteries Besides this there goeth in the same simplicitie a straunge Maiestie and grauitie of speech declaring sufficientlie from how greate and potent a prince it proceedeth For as great Monarches in their edictes and proclamations are wonte to speake vnto their subiectes not in figures and rhetorical phrases but plainlie breeflie and peremptorilie to shew their authoritie so the scriptures to declare whose edictes they be doe vse the like maner of phrase and stile to all the world without alluring or flattering anie man and without respect of Monarche Emperour prince or potentate Fac hoc viues doe this and thou shalt liue Si peccaueris in me morieris in aeternum if thou sinne against me thou shalt die euerlastingly And albeit as I haue said the scripturs doe vse this simplicitie of speech and doe not admitte that kynde of painted and artificial stile which humane writers dos so much couet yet in persuading instructing mouing of affections and all other effectes whiche speech or writinge can worke there is no comparason a thing most wōderful betwene anie other writinges in the world and thes Wherof I. could alleage manie proofes and examples but that it were to longe Let anie man reade attentiuelie but the first chapter of the prophetie of Esay and cōpare it with anie one parte or parcel of Tullies or of Demostines oratiōs see whether the difference of wordes be as great as the difference of motions Let diuers hymnes and holie psalmes of the scriptures be cōferred with the most pathetical poemes that mans wit hath inuēted and see whether there be anie comparason in styrring and fiaring of affections or no This am I sure that Iosephus the Iew who for glorie of his eloquence had his image of mettal erected by Titus the Emperour ī the market place of Rome wrote the same storie which the scriptures conteine and bestowed much labour and humane cūning therin But yet euen in thos places when he endeuoured most to shew his arte as in the sacrifice of Isaac by his father and in the meeting of Iephte with his onely daughter which by vow he was cōstrained to put to death the scriptures are able to pearse the hart wring owt teares of the reader whom Iosephus will not greatelie moue with his rhetorical narration though otherwise verie learned and artificiallie penned Aristaeus that learned Gētile of whom we haue made mention before who was in special fauour with Ptolomie the second greate Monarche of Egipt aboute 300 yeares before Christes natiuitie and a chief doer in procuring the translation of the Hebrue Bible into the greeke language reported of his owne knowledge to that king two straunge accidentes which had happened in his time which he had vnderstoode of the parties themselues to whom they had happened The first was of Theopompus an eloquent Historiographer who hauing translated certaine thinges out of the Bible and endeuouring to adorne the same with vaine colours of eloquence could not perfourme his desire but was strokē with a suddain maze and gyddines
he was worshipped as a God in that countrie and called by many Mercurius And that the Ethiopians learned circuncisioÌ„ of him which afterward alwayes they retained and so doe vntill this day And as for his miracles donne in Egypt his leading the people thence by the reade sea his liuing with them fortie yeares in the desert the heathen writers agree in al things with the scriptures sauing onely that they recoÌ„pt diuers things to the praise of Moyses which he hath not writen of him self adding also his description to witt that he was a longe taule man with a yeolowe bearde and longe heare Wherwith also accordeth Numenius Pythagoricus touching the actes of Moyses whose life he sayeth that he had reade in the auncientest recordes that were to be had But the fornamed Eupolemus goeth yet forwarde pursueth the storie of Iosue of the Iudges of Saul Dauid of SalomoÌ„ eueÌ„ vnto the building of the temple which he describeth at large with the particuler letters writeÌ„ about thatmatter the king of Tyrus which Iosephus sayeth were in his dayes kepte in the recordes of the TyriÌ„aÌ„s And with Eupolemê° agree Polyhister Hecataeus Abderita that liued serued iÌ„ warre with king AlexaÌ„der the great and they make mention amongest other thiÌ„ges of the inestimable riches of SalomoÌ„ and of the treasures which he did hyde and burie according to the fascion of that tyme in the sepulcher of his father Dauid which to be no fable though not mentioned by the scripture Iosephê° well proueth for that Hircanus the highe Priest and kinge of Iurie being besieged in Ierusalem by Antiochus surnamed Pius not manie yeares before Christs natiuitie to redeeme hym self and the cittie and to pay for his peace opened the said sepulcher of Dauid and fecht out of one parte therof three thousand Talentes in redy monie which amounte to six hundred thousand powndes Englishe if we accompt the talentes but at the least size of talentum Haebraicum And as for the thinges which ensued after Salomon as the diuision of the tribes among them selues and their diuers warres afflictions and transmigrations into other coÌ„tries manie heathen writers doe mention and recorde them and among other Herodotus and Diodorus Sieulus And the fornamed Alexander Polyhistor talking of the captiuitie of Babylon sayeth that Ieremie a Prophet tolde Ioachim his kinge what would befall hym and that Nabuchodonosor hearinge therof was moued therby to besiege IerusaleÌ„ Of the flight of Senacharib from the siege of Ierusalem how he was killed at his returne home by his owne childreÌ„ in the temple according to the prophetie of Esay and storie of the booke of kinges for that he had blasphemed the Lord God of Israel Herodotus witnesseth and that after his death he had a Statua or image of metal erected in his memorie with this inscription in greeke He that beboldeth me lett hym learne to be godlie Conferre Xenophon also in his seuenth booke de Cyropaedia and you shall see hym agree with Daniel in his narrations of Babylon And finallie I will conclude with Iosephus the learned Iewe that wrote imediatelie after Christs ascension and protesteth that the publique writinges of the Syriaus Chaldaeans Phenicians and innumerable hystories of the Graecians are sufficieÌ„t to testifie the antiquitie truth authoritie and certaintie of holie scriptures if there were no other proofe in the world besides The coÌ„clusion of the chapter vvith th' applicatioÌ„ Sect. 4. THus farre haue I treatede of the wayes and meanes which haue bene left to the world from the beginninge therby to know vnderstande their Maker In treating which point I haue stayed my self the longer for that it is the grouÌ„d foundatioÌ„ of all that is or maye be said hereafter It is the first final chiefest principle of all our eternal saluation or damnatioÌ„ and of the total weale or woe that must befail vs possesse vs for euer Which grounde and veritie if it be so certaine and euident as before hath bene shewed by all reason and proofe both diuine and humane and that the matter be so testified and proclamed vnto vs by all the creatures of heauen and earth and by the mouth and writing of our Creator hymself as no ignorance or blindnes can excuse the same no slouthfulnes dissemble it no wickednes denie it what remaineth then but to consider with our selues what seruice this God requireth at our hádes what gratitude what duetie what honour for our creation to th' eÌ„de that as we haue proued hym a most bountiful Creator so we may fynde hym a propitious iudge munificent rewarder For it is not probable that his diuine maiestie which hath appointed euerie other creature to some action for his owne glorie as hathe bene declared at large before should leaue mankinde onelie whiche is the worthiest of all the rest without obligation to his seruice In which one pointe not withstanding though neuer so cleare such is the fondnesse of our corrupt nature without gods holie grace fayled thos auncient wise men of the world of whom S. Paul speaketh so much in his epistle to the Romans taking compassion of their case and callinge them fooles and all their great learniÌ„ge philosophie meere fondnesse for that vvheras by the meanes before mentioned they came to knovv God they did not seeke to glorifie hym as appertained vnto God not yet did render hym due thankes but vanished avvaye in their cogitations c. That is they tooke no profitt by this knowledge of theirs but applied their cogitations vpon the vanities of this worlde more then vpon the honour and seruice of this their God For whiche cause S. Paul adioyneth presentelie in the same place that forso much as they did thus did not shew foorthe by their lyfe and workes that they had the knowledge of God in deede God deliuered them ouer to a reprobate sense and suffered them to fall into horrible synnes which S. Paul doth name and detest in all that chapter and finallie concludeth that their euerlasting perdition ensued principallie vpon this one pointe that wheras they knevv the iustice of God by all the wayes and argumeÌ„tes that before haue bene declared yet would they not vnderstand saith he that death was due to all such which liued in wickednes as they did And the same Apostle vpon consideration of thes matters wherin he standeth long for th' importance therof pronounceth in sine this general sentence with great asseueration and vehemencie of spirit that the vvrath of God is reucaled from heaueÌ„ vpon al impietie and iniustice of thos men vvho holde the knovvledge of God in vnrighteousnes that is who beig indued with the knowledge of God doe liue notwithstanding vnrighteouslie or as he saidbefore doe consume their dayes in vanitie not makiÌ„g accompt of the seruice which they doe owe to that God for their Creation and
in all other thinges creatures and actions of this world that passe from the Creator we see proportion order iustice wisdome and prouidence obserued so much more must we assure our selues that the same is obserued in the same Creators actions and proceedinges towardes man that is the cheefe princiral of all his other creatures Now then we see and be hold that all other creatures are directed to their endes by nature and doe receyue cōforte and contentation as longe as they hold that course And losse disease gricfe as soone as they breake or swarue from the same Onlie man hath reason gyuen hym whereby to know and iudge of his Ende as also free will and election wherby he maye ether directe his way to the same by vertue or turne a straye by following of wickednes When upon it insueth that in all equitie and instice there must remaine rewaide for such as doe well and follow the right pathe assigred the to their ende and felicitie which is by good lyse and punist on ente forth ' other that abandone the same for pleasure and sensualitic But we see in this worlde saith the Thilosopher that moste wicked men doe receyue leaste punishement and manie there bee as princes and highe potentates whose liues and actions be they neuer so vitious yet are they aboue the correction of moitall men and manie poore men in the contiarie parte who for their vertue patience honestie receyue nothige in this lyfe but enuie malice cōtempte reptoche despite and oppression Wherefore sayeth he ether wanteth there prouidence equitie in the gouerment dispositió of thes great affaires which we see not to want in thinges of lesser moment or els must there be a place of punishement rewarde in the lyfe to come vpō the soules of such as passe from hence a iuste and powerful iudge to make recompence of thes inoqualites and iniustices permitted in this world Which iudge can be none but the Creator hym self And so hytherto haue I declared how euerie particuler science among the Gentiles had particuler meanes and wayes to demonstrate God by cōtemplation of his creatures and by force of reason which no man could denie Now remaineth it to shewe how the Iewe or faithful Israelite before Christs appearance was able to confirme this veritie to a heathen which shal be the subiect of the sectiō insueinge Hovv the Ievves vvere able to proue God Sect. 3. THe people of Israel that for manie yeares and ages were the peculier people and partage of God as they dwelt enuironed with Gentiles of ech side that impugned their religion and worshippe of one God an I had manie weakelinges amōg them selues that were oftē tempted to doubt of the same religiō by th' exáple of so manie nations and countries aboute them that made profession of a contrarie religion so had the diuines and learned mē of this people diuers forcible proofes and most reasonable argumentes peculier to themselues besides the gifte of faith or anie other demonstratiō that hy therto hath bene alleaged to cōfirme their brethren in the belief of one God and to cōuīce all atheistes or infidels in the world And albeit thes proofes which they vsed were manie as the Creation of the world by one God the deriuing of th' hebrue religiō frō the beginning the cōuersation of God withe Abraham of whome the Iewes descended the miraculous deliuering of that nation from Egipt the law receaued from gods owne mouth by Moyses the straunge enterance of Iewes into the lāde of promisse th' extinguishig of the Gentiles which before inhabited there th' erectiō of the Iuishe Monarchie and protection therof against all other natiōs the miraculous deedes sayinges of Prophetes and a thousand thinges and reasons besides which confirme most euidētelie that the Iewes God was the onlie true God yet for that all thes thinges sayinges with an infidel had no more credite then the writinges or scriptures wherin they were recorded hereby it came to passe that all which a Iew could say for profe of God more then a Gētile depended onlie vpon th' authoritie of his scriptures And for this cause he referred all his proofes and argumentes to make euident the truthe and certaintie of thes scriptures which thing once performed the being of one God can not be called in controuersie for that thes scriptures are nothing els but a narration of th' actes gestes of that onlie one God which the Iewes professe We are now to see then what the Iewe was able to saye for proofe of his scriptures and consequentelie for demōstration of God and of his iudgementes declared theri Which discourse as it was profitable in old tyme for staye and cōfirmation of all such as were or might be tempted with infidelitie So can it not be but verie comfortable to vs Christians of thes dayes to behold the certaitie of thes scriptures layed before vs vpon which the foundation of our whole faith dependeth FIRST THERFORE the Iewe for proofe of his scriptures alleagethe the greate and wonderful antiquitie therof For as God saith he was before idoles truth before falshod so was the scripture which is the storie of the true God longe before the wrytinges of Panymes or infidels Nay further he sheweth that the most parte of thinges recompted in the Bible were donne before most of the Panime Godes were exstante and that the verie last writers of the Hebrue Canon which are Esdras Aggaeus Zacharias Malachie almost six hundred yeares before the cōming of Christ when the secōd Monarchie of Persiās begā were before the most of heathen aunciēt historiographers to wit before Hellanic ' Herodot ' Pherecides Thucy dides and Xenophon And albeit the Gétils had some Poetes before as Orpheus Homer Hesiod Lycurgus the Lawmaker that liued a good while after yet th' eldest of thes arriued no higher then the dayes of king Salomó whiche was fyue hundred yeares after Moyses the first wryter of the Bible After whose tyme the most parte of heathen godes were longe vnborne as Ceres Vulcan Mercurie Apollo A Elculapiu Castor Pollux and Hercules as the Gentiles themselues in their Genealogies doe confesse And as for Abraham that liued fyue hundred yeares before Moyses he was not onlie elder thē thes lesser Gods which I haue named but also the Iupiter Neptune Plato and such other who for dignities sake and antiquitie are called by the Gētiles Dij maiorum gentium the Godes of greater Nations And yet before Abraham doe the scriptures conteine the storie of two thowsand years or there about So that by this it is euident that the wrytinges of heathés the multitude of their godes are but late fables īrespect of th' old venerable antiquitie of Hebrue scriptures consequételie th' authoritie of thes scriptures must in reason be greater then of all other writinges in the world besides seing they were exstant before
all others in those first tymes of simplicitie and sinceritie were in parte translated into diuers liguages before the Monarchie of the Persians that is before any storie of the Gentiles were writen as Eusebius out of manie heathen authours declareth NEXT TO the reason of antiquitie is alleaged the manner of wryting authorising cóseruing thes scriptures which is such as greatelie cōfirmeth the certaintie of thinges conteyned therin For first what soeuer is sett downe in these wrytinges was ether taken immediatelie frō the mouth of God as were the propheties and bookes of the law or els collected from tyme to tyme by general consent according as matters miracles sell out as were the booke of iudges the bookes of Kinges and Chronicles and some other that conteine recordes and histories of tymes Which bookes were not gathered by some one priuate man vpon hearsaye or by his owne imagination longe after thinges donne as heathen histories and other prophane recordes monumtes are but they were writen by general agreement in the self same dayes when thinges were in sight and knowledge of all men and so could not be seigned Secondlie when bookes were writen they were not admitted into the canon or authoritie of scriptures that is of gods worde or diuine writinges but vpon great deliberation and most euidēt proof of their vndoubted veritie For ether the whole cōgregatió or Synagoge who had th' approuing here of and among whom commonlie were diuers prophetes did know most certainlie the thinges and miracles to be true as did also the whole people that were recorded in thes writinges conteining histories or els they saw the same confirmed frō God by signes and wonders as in the bookes of their prophetes of their-law gyuer Moises it fell out Thirdlie when anie thing was writen and admitted for scripture the care of cōseruation therof was such and the reuerence of Iewes therunto so great as may easilie assure vs that no corruption or alteration could happen vnto it For first the thig was copied out into twelue Autentical Copies for all the twelue tribes and then againe in euerie tribe ther were so manie Copies made as were particuler synagoges within that tribe All was donne by special Notaries Scribes ouerseers and witnesses The Copies after diligent renewe taken were layde vp by the whole Cōgregatiō in the treasure-howse of the temple vnder diuers lockes and keyes not to be touched but by men appointed nor to be vsed but with singuler reuerence To adde diminish corrupt or alter was present death by the lawes of the Nation And how then was it possible sayeth the Iewe that among thes writinges ether falshode should creepe in or truth once receaued could afterwardes be corrupted It is not possible sayeth he in reason and therfore obserueth he an other thing in this case which ī truth is of verie great consideration to witt that no other Nation vnder heauē did euer so much esteeme their owne writīges that they would offer to die for the same as the Iewes were redieto doe for euerie sentēce and syllable of their scriptures Wherof also it did proceede that in all their miseries and afflictions wherin they were a spectacle to all the world in all their flightes and banishementes to Egipt Babylon Persia Media and other corners of the earth in all their spoiles assaults and deuastations at home they yet euer had special care to conserue these writinges more then their owne lyues and so haue kepte the same without may me or corruptiō more ages together then all Nations in the world haue donne any other monumentes THE THIRD persuasion which is vsed by the Iewe for the veritie of his scriptures is the consideration of the particuler men that wrote them who were such as in reason can not be suspected of decept or falshod For as I haue said the Stories of the Byble were writen from tyme to tyme by publique authoritie and by the testimony of all men that saw and knew the thinges that are rehersed The bookes of propheties were endited by the prophetes them selues who were plaine simple and sincere mē authorized from God by continual miracles and yet so scrupulous and timerous of their owne speeches as they durst say nothing but only our Lord saith this the God of Hostes commaundeth that c. And when they had preached and reade their writinges in the hearinge of all the people they protested that it was not mans worde but gods and that for such they left it in the publique treasurie of their Nation vntill by tracte of tyme th' euent and fulfilling of their propheties should proue thē true as alwayes it did and their owne both liues and deathes declare that they meant no falshode their liues being such as were not subiect to the corruption pride vanitie or ambitiō of this life as other prophane and heathen writers were and their deathes for the most parte offered vp in holie martirdome for defence of that truthe whiche they had preached writen as appeareth in Esay that was sawed in peeces by kīg Manasles in Ieremie that was stoned to death by the common people in Ezechiel that was slayne by the capitaine of the Iewes at Babylō in Amos whose braines were beaten oute by Amasias the wicked idolitrous priaest in Bethel in Micheas whose necke was broken by prince Ioam sonne to kinge Achab in Zacharie that was slaine at th' Aulter and the lyke And this for the Prophetes of later tymes amōg the Iewes But now if we cōsider the first Prophete of all that wrote among that people I meane Moyses that was not only a Prophet but also an Historiographer a Law giuer a Captaine and a Prieste the first that euer reduced that people to a common wealth and the first that putt their actes gestes in writing or rather th' actes and gestes of almightie God towardes them this man I say if we cōsider hym onlie I meane the circūstances of his person the Iewe thiketh this a sufficiēt motiue to make anie mā of reason beleeue what so euer he hath lefte writen in the Bible without further confirmatiō And first for his antiquitie I haue spokē before and the heathēs doe confesse it for miracles donne by hym the greatest ennemies that euer he had in the world that is Appiō in his fowerth booke agaīst Iewes and Porphirie in his fowerthe booke agaīst Christiās d ee acknowledge them and Porphirie adioyneth more for proofe therof that he fownde the same cōfirmed by the storie of one Saconiathō a Gentile who liued as he saith at the same tyme with Moyses But what all those miracles say they were donne by artemagicke not by the power of God as Moyses boasted But thē asketh thē the Iew wher Moises a shepheard could learne so much magick or why could not the Magitians of Pharao whose studie was in that profession from their infancie ether doe the
could gather their forsight of thinges by Astronomie or Astrologie that is by contemplation of the starres as some fond Gentiles did pretēde though Ptolomie denye that such thinges can be forrolde but only by inspiratiō frō God nether yet were they so sharpe witted as to attaine to prophetie by stronge imaginations as most vainlie Auerroes and his followers hold that some man may nor finallie were they so delicatelie fed as by exacte dyet and rules of Alchymie to come to prophetie as Alchymists dreame that a man may doe and that Apollonius Thyanaeus did who by Stellified meates as they speake came to be Stellified hym self and so by helpe of his glasse called Alchymusi to fortell some matters and affaires to come Our prophetes I say knew none of thes phantasticall deuises being for the most parte poore simple vnlearned men as in particuler is recorded that Dauid was a shepheard Amos was a keeper of Oxen yea often tymes they were women as Marie the sister of Aaron called in scripture by the name of Prophetesse Debora the wife of Lapidoth Anna the mother of Samuel Elizabeth the mother of Iohn Baptist Anna the daughter of Phanuel and finallie the most holy and blessed virgine Marie with the daughters of philippe and many such other both in the olde and new testamēt who prophetied stranglie nor could possiblie receyue suche forknowledge of thinges to come but only from the spirite of God and by inspiration of the Holie Ghost which is a manifest demonstratiō of th' excellencie of Holie write and of the certaintie conteined therin AND NOVV albeit this might seeme sufficient in the iudgement and consciēce of euerie reasonable man as the Iew supposeth to proue that the scriptures be onlie from God and cōsequentlie by thē that there is a God yet hath he one reason more to confirme their sinceritie which I will alleage in this place and therwith make an ende His reason is that although thes Holie writinges whiche proceede of Gods spirite doe not take their testimonie or confirmation from mā yet for more euidencie of the truth God hath so prouided that all the principall and most straunge and wonderful thinges recompted in scripture should be reported also and confirmed by insidels Pagās Gentiles and heathē writers them selues albeit in some poynctes they dyffer from the scripture in the manner of their narration for that they adioine superstitions therunto Which maketh the more for approbation of the thinges for that hereby it appeareth they tooke not their stories directelie from the Bible but by tradition and most auncient antiquities of their owne First then he sheweth that the creation of the world which is the maruaile of all maruailes with the infusiō of mans soule from God is both graunted and agreed vpon by all those heathen Philosophers whiche I haue cited before albeit the particularities be not so sett downe by them as they are in the scriptures by all other that doe sce in reason that of necessity their must be yelded some Creator of thes thinges Next to this the flud of Noe is mentioned by diuers most auncient heathē writers as by Berosus Chaldaeus Ieronymus Egyptius Nicolaus Damascenus Abydenus and others according as both Iosephus and Eusebius doe proue And in Bresile and other countries discouered in our age where neuer teachers were knowen to be before they talke of a certaine drownig of the world whiche in tymes past happened and doe say that this was left vnto them by tradition from tyme out of minde by the first inhabitantes of those places Of the longe life of the first Patriarches according as the scripture reporteth it not onlie the former authours but also Manethus that gathered the historie of the Egyptiās Molus Hestiaeus that wrote the actes of the Phaenicians Hesiedus Hecataeus Abderida Helanicus Acusilaus Ephorus doe testifie that thes first inhabitantes of the world liued commonly a thousand yeares a peece and they alleage the reason therof to be both for the multiplication of people and for bringing all sciences to perfectiō especially Astronomie and Astrologie which as they write could not be brought to sufficient perfection by anie one mā that had liued lesse then 600. yeares in which space the greate yeare as they call it returneth aboute Of the Tower of Babylon and of the confusion of tongues at the same Eusebius citeth the testimonies at large both of Abydenus that liued about king Alexanders time and of Sibylla as also the wordes of Hestiaeus concerning the lande of Sennaar where it was builded And thes Gentiles doe shew by reason that if there had not bene some such miracle in the diuision of tongues no doubt but that all tongues being deriued of one as all mē are of one father the same tongues would haue retained the self same rootes and principles as in all dialectes or deriuations of tongues we see that it cōmeth to passe But now saye they in manie tongues at this day we see that there is no likelihode or affinitie among them but all different th' one from th' other and therby it appeareth that they were made diuers and distincte euen from the beginning Of Abraham and his affaires I haue alleaged some heathen writers before as Berosus Hecataeus and Nicolaus Damascenus But of all other Alexander Polyhist or alleageth Eupolemus most at large of Abrahams being in Egypt and of his teaching them Astronomie there of his fight and victorie in the behalf of Lot of his entertainement by king Melchisadech of his wife sister Sara of other his doinges especiallie of the sacrifice of his sonne Isaac To whome agreeth Melo in his bookes writen against the Iewes and Artabanus And of the straunge lake wherinto Sodoma Gomorra were turned by their destruction called mare mortuum the dead sea wherin nothig can liue both Galen Pausanias Solinus Tacitus Strabo doe testifie and shew the particuler wonders therof From Abraham downe to Moyses writeth verie particulerly the fornamed Alexander albeit he mingle some tymes certaine fables wherby appeareth that he tooke his storie not owt of the Bible wholie And he alleageth one Leodemus who as he sayeth liued with Moyses and wrote the same self thinges that Moyses did so that thes writers agree almost in all thinges touching Isaac Iacob Ioseph and all their affaires euen vnto Moyses and with thes doe concurre also Theodotus a most auncient Poet Artabanus and Philon Gentiles Aristaeus in like maner aboute Aristotles time wrote a booke of Iob. Of Moyses and his actes not onelie the fornamed especiallie Artabanus in his booke of the Iewes doe make mention at large but manie other also as namelie Eupolemus out of whom Polyhistor reciteth verie longe narrations of the wonderful and stupēdious thinges donne by Moyses in Egipt for which he sayeth that in his time
LucretiÌ„us made diuers bokes against the vvorkemanshipe of the vvorld Galen inforced to coÌ„fesse gods prouidence Galen I. 5. de vsu part Lib. 3. de vsu part A vvonderfull speech of a heathen Plotin li. de proui The 5. argument in Metaphysique Immortalitie of the soule Plat. l. 10. de repub VVhen the desyre of our soule shal be satisfied * The mid in lib. de anima Plut. de placit Philoso The meaning of olde philosophers touching Anima mundi Eccle. 12. THE Moral philosopher The first argumeÌ„t of Moral philosophie * Tertulian handlech this pointe excelleÌ„the in Apolog. Seneca li. 1. de ira Sueton. in Callig The saying of Zeno touching the deathes of Atheistes The reason vvhy there can be but one God Lact. lib. 2. diuin instit cap. 2. Deus non dij Plato ep ' 13. ad Dionys. Cyrillus lib. 2. coÌ„tra IuliaÌ„ Plotinus Ennea 1. L 8. 1. 2. Eu. 6. l. 4. c. 12. 3. 4. Porphy l. 2. de abst lib. de occa c. 21. Procl in theolog Platon l. de anima Daem 1. 31. 42. 53. Socrates Apuleius Agellius Laertius in vita Socratis Aristotle the Peripatetiquos Iustin. in Apolog. Arist. l. de mundo Theo. in metaph Alex. Aphrod l. de prouident Zeno and the stoikes Plat. de oracul defect de traÌ„quil de quaeâ—â— Plat. Seneca de vita beat de prouid in epist. Epist. apud Arrianum The Academikes * So in thi tyme of va rietie of Sectes Arnob. coÌ„tra geÌ„tes All olde Philosophers acknovvledged one God * Vide apud Plutarch de placitis Philos. Trismeg iÌ„ PaemaÌ„d in Asclep The recollectioÌ„ of the first argument in Moral Philosophie Trismeg in Paema ca. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. c. in Asclep cap. 1. 2. 6. c. Ciceros opinion of the multitude of Panime gods hovv they vvere made The. 2. argument of Moral philosophie Euerie thing in this vvorld hath a natural desire to his ende The felicitie of beastes Cic. li. de finib bonorum maloruÌ„ The coÌ„tention of Philosophers about the felicitie of man Aug. l. 19. de ciuit cap. 1. The senteÌ„ce of Plato in Phadon Hovv nothing in this lyfe can be our felicitie Hovvfarre Moral philosophie reacheth in determining mans felicitie Plato in Phaed. Plotinus Enu 1. llb. 4. cap. 1. The 3. argument in Moral philosophie touching revvard and punishment * See of this matter Socrates in apologia Plato in Cratyl in Gorgia in phaed. in I. 10. de legib Plut. de Sera numinis vindicta others The people of Israel Gods partage Diuers thinges vvherby the Ievves shevve God CoÌ„sortablà to heare the certaintie of scriptures declared THE. 1. proofe of scripturs Antiquity * Iosephus I. 10. cont AppioneÌ„ haÌ„dleth this at large * Eusebiua assigneth them 570. in Chron. Euphemerus Messen. in Genealo Deorum Cic. de natura Deorum Euse. li. 9. de praep EuaÌ„g 23. Hovv Scriptures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The care of coÌ„seruatioÌ„ Th' estimation that Ievves had of their scriptures THE 3. proofe of scripturs The sinceritie of the vvriters The lyues deathes of the prophetes * See Epiphan de vitis prophetarum A peculier coÌ„sideration of Moises first vvriter in the Bible Euseb. l. 9 10. de praep Euang. Ioseph l. 1. cont Appio L. 2. anti Exod. 3. 4. 8. The miraculous vvorkes of Moyses Exod. 14. Exod. 16. Num. 11. Iosue 5. Psal. 77. Num. 16. Ioseph li. 4. antiq cap. 2. 3 Num. 16. Deut. 11. Psal. 225. The plaine and sincere proceeding of Moyses Nu. 20. 27. Deut. 31. Exod. 32. Gen. 49. Nu. 12. Deut. 14. Num. 27. Deut. 3. THE. 4. proofe of scripturs Consent 4. Considerations external Considerations internal THE. 5. proof of scripture Their argumeÌ„t and Ende Philosophers Historiographers Heathen Lavvmakers Deut. 6. Prophetes and Southsayers Versifiers and Poetes Psal. 17. The vehement loue of Dauid Psal. 72. Prophane vvritinges treate onlie of men THE. 6. proof of scripturs Their stile See 3. Augustine of this at large lib. 12 de ciu Dei Simplicity Profundity Gen. 1. The grauitie and Maiestie of speech iÌ„ the scriptures Deut. 4. 16. 22. The force of the scriptures in mouing affections Faluins Iosephus de Antiq. Iudaic See S. Hiero n. lib. de script Eccl. Gen. 22. Iudic. 11. Tvvo miracles reported by Aristaeus Aristaeus libello de translat Bibliorum apud Euse. 1. 8. de praepeuaÌ„g ca ... TheopoÌ„pus Theodectes THE. 7. proofe of scripturs The Contentes Highe doctrines The propleties in scripture declare their authour Esa. 41. 23. Hovv the deuils and other creatures may fortell thiÌ„gs to come Th' opinion of a healtheÌ„ touching the propheties of his Godes Porphy li. de resp oracu Oenomaus de falsitate oraculoruÌ„ de artificibus maleficiis Deceptful Oracles Euseb. li. 〈◊〉 de praep euaÌ„ ca. 10. The circuÌ„stances of Propheties set dovvne in the scriptures 1. The prophetie to Abraham for his posteritie Gen. 12. 13. 15. 17. 18. c. Gen. 15. Exod. 12. Gal. 3. * Porphv li. 4. coÌ„t Chri. AppioÌ„ l. 4. coÌ„t Iudaeos 2. The prophetie for the gouernment of Iuda Gen. 49. Ioseph de antiq li. 14. Vnlikelihodes of this prophetie Exod. 2. Iosue 19. 1. Reg. 1. 8. 1. Reg. 9. * Dauid 1. Reg. 16. 3. Reg. 12. 2. Para. 11 The vvonderful prouidence of God tovvards the house of Iuda Euseb. in Chron. 3. The prophetie for the greatenes of Ephraim aboue Manasses Gen. 48. Iosue 16. 17. Eccle. 47. Esay 7. 28. Icrem 31. Ezec. 37. Oze 5. Gen. 49. Iosue 14. Exod. 12. Gal. 3. Act. 13. 4. The forsight of Moyses Nu. n. 34. 35. 36. Iosue 15. 16. 17. Deut. 31. 32. Deut. 32. v. 21. 5. The prophetie for the perpetuÌ„al desolation of Iericho Ios. 6. 3. Reg. 16 6. The prophetie for the birth and actes of Iosues 3. Reg. 12 3. Reg. 13 DisobedieÌ„ce punished greenouslie in Gods dearest 4. Reg. 23 Cap. 23. Micron in Prolog Galeat 7. The prophetie for the destruction of Hierusalem Babylon 4. Reg. 20 v. 16. Esay 5. 4. Reg. 20 Esay 13. Esay 24. 8. The vvonderful prophetie for Cyrus king of Persians Esay 25. * This he sayeth for that Cyrus vvas an infidel Esay 13. Esay 8. v. 2. Iere. 26. v. 20. Zac. 1. v. 1 CircumstaÌ„ces of certaine truth 9. The propheties and doinges of Ieremie in the siege of HierusaleÌ„ Ierem. 37. v. 16. Ierem. 38 v. 3. Ierem. 39. 4. Reg. 24 25. Ierem. 25. v. 11. The yeares fortolde of the captiuitie of Babylon Ierem. 24. v. 5. c. 29. v. 10. 1. Esd. 1. 2. 3. Esd. 2. Dan. 9. v. 1. Gentiles beleeued the scripture 1. Esd. 1. 3. Esd. 2. The propheties of Daniel Dan. 5. Dan. 11. * Beholde three kings shall yet staÌ„d in Persia and the fovverth shal be rich aboue all the rest Dan. 11. v. 2. Instin hist. l. 12. 13. The sovver Monarchies of Assyrians Persians Graecians and 〈◊〉 Romans Dan. 2.
lyke or at least wise delyuer them selues from the plagues of Egipt whie did they crie oute the fingar of God is here where did you euer heare such workes donne by magicke as Moyses did when he deuided the redde sea when he called into his cāpe so many Quayles vpon the suddayne as sufficed to feede six hundred thousand men besides women and children When he made a rocke to yeld foorth a fountaine whē he caused a dewe to fall frō heauē that nourrished his whole campe for fortie yeares together when he caused the grounde to open and swalloe downe alyue three of the richest noble men of all his armie together with their tabernacles and all other bagges and baggage When he caused a siar to come from heauen and cōsume siftie gentlemen of the former Rebelles adherētes without hurting any one that stoode about them Thes thinges did Moyses and manie other in the sight of all his armie that is in the sight of so manie hundred thousand people amōg which there were diuers his emulators and sworne enimies as by the storie icripture it self appeareth Core Dathan and Abiron with their faction soughte in all thinges to disgrace hym to deminishe his credite and therfore if any one pointe of thes miracles had bene reprouable Moyses would neuer haue durst to putt the same in writinge nor would the people haue stode with hym much lesse haue receaued his writinges for diuine and for gods owne wordes beinge sollicited agaynst hym by so potent meanes had not they knowen all thinges to be most true therin conteined and had seene his straunge miracles and familiaritie with God But he dealt plainelie and simplie in this behalfe he wrote the thinges of his owne doinges which euerie man present did know to be true and of Gods speeches and communicatiōs to hym self he wrote so much as he was commaunded wherof both God and his consciēce did beare hym witnesse He caused the whole to be reade vnto the people and layed vp in their Sacred Arcke and Tabernacle as gods owne writing and couenaunt with that nation He caused all the whole armie to sweare and vowe th' obseruāce therof And thē drawing towards his death he made a most excellēt exhortation vnto them persuading them sincerlie to the seruice of their God and cōfessing his owne infirmities and how for his oftences he was to die before their enterance to the lande of promisse He cōcealed notth ' offēces of his brother Aarō of his Grand-father Leui of his sister Marie and other of his kinred as worldlie princes for their honours are wonte to doe nether did he goe aboute to bring in gouernment after his disceasse any one of his owne sonnes which is greatelie to be obserued notwithstandinge he lefte behynde hym goodlie gentlemen fitt for that roome hym self of power to place them if he had endeuored But he lefte the gouernment to a straūger named Iosue as God had commaunded hym All which thinges sayeth the Iewe doe proue suffiçientelie that Moises was no man of ambition or of worldlie spirit but a true Scruaunt of God and consequētlie that he wrought not by magicke or falshod but by the onlie power of his Lorde and Master and that his writinges are true and of the same authoritie that in his lyfe and death he affirmed them to be that is th' vndoubted worde of almightie God THIS HE confirmeth yet further by a fowerth reason which is the consent and approbatiō of all later writers of the Bible that insued after Moyses For as among prophane writers of worldlie spirite it is a common fashion for hym that followeth to reprehende the former and to hunte after praise by his ancetours disgrace so in thes writers of the Bible it is a most certaine argument that all were guyded by one spirite from God that in continuance of so manie ages thousand yeares no one yet euer impugned th' other but alwayes the later supposing and approuing the former for true doth build therupon as vpon a sure fondatiō So the writinges of Iosue doe confirme and approue the writinges of Moises and the recordes of the Iudges doe reuerence and allowe the booke of Iosue The Storie of kiges chronicles doth referre it self to the storie of iudges One Prophete cōfirmeth other And finallie Christ approueth thē all by the knowē diuisiō of law psalmes ad Prophetes which is a demonstratiō that all their spirites agreed i one And thus hytherto haue bene declared thes fower considerations that are external or without the Bible to witte th' antiquitie and continuāce of the scriptures the maner of their writing and preseruing from corruption The sinceritie vertue and simplicitie of their writers together with their agreement and coherēce in one spirit But now further sayeth the learned Iew if you will but open the booke it self and looke into the texte that which therin is conteined you shall see gods owne hande gods owne characters gods owne signe and seale and subscription to the paper You shall see Gods omnipotencie Gods spirite Gods prouidence no lesse in thes letters of his booke then you beheld the same before in the tables of his creatures Nay much more sayeth he for that thes letters were deuised for declaration of thos tables to th' ende that such as for their blyndnes could not see hym in his creatures might learne at least to reade hym in his scriptures CONSIDER thē first sayeth he the subiecte or argumēt which the scriptures doe handle together with the scope and ende wherto they doe leuell You shall finde that the first is nothing els but th' actes and gestes of one eternal God as before hath bene mentioned and the secōd nothing els but the onlie glorie exaltation of the same great God together with the saluatiō of mankynde vpō earth And shall you finde anie writinges in the world besides that haue so worthie an argument or so highe an Ende Reade all the volumes and Monumentes of the Pagans turne ouer all their authors of what kynde or name or profession soeuer and see what mention they make of thes two thinges I meane of the honour of God of the saluation of man Reade their Philosophers see whether euer they name or pretende thes thinges Reade their Historiographers and marke how manie battails and victories they attribute vnto God They will describe to you oftē the particuler cōmēdatiō of euerie Captaine they will defraude no one souldiar of his praise in the victorie they will attribute much to the wisdome of the general much to his courage much to his watchfulnes much to fortune They will attribute to the place to the wynde to the wether to the shining of the sunne to the raising of the dust in th' enimies eyes to the flying of some litle birde in the ayer and to a thowsand such petie obseruatiōs besides but to God
in the head and was warned in his sleepe not to proceede further in that worke after that sorte for that such manner of style was to base for so high matters as the scriptures conteined The other example was of one Theodectes a writer of tragaedies who tolde Aristaeus that once he attēpted to bring certaine matters out of the Iewes Bible into a pagan tragedie and that theruppō he was presentlie strikē blīd wherwith he being asto nished and falling to repentance for that he had donne and decisting from the enterprise as also Theopompus did they were both of them restored againe to their healthes And thus much did thes three Paganes confesse of the authoritie diuinitie and peculier sacred stile of our scriptures BVT NOVV further it insueth in order that after the subiect and phrase we should consider a litle the contentes of thes scriptures whiche will perhappes more clearlie direct vs to the vewe of their authour then any thing els that hytherto hath bene said And for our present purpose I will note onlie two special thinges conteined in the Bible The first st albe certaine high hiddē doctrines which are aboue the reach and capacitie of humane reason and consequētlie could neuer fall into mans braine to inuent thē As for example that all this wonderful frame of the world was created of nothing where as philosophie saith that of Nothing nothing can be made that Angels being created spirites were damned eternallie for their sinnes that Adam by disobedience in Paradise drew all his posteritie into th' obligation of that his synne and that the womas seed should deliuer vs from the same That God is one in substance and three in persons that the secōd of thes persons beig God should become man and die vpon a Crosse for mankinde that after hym the way to all felicitie honour should be by contempt suffering and dishonour Thes doctrines I say and many more conteined in the Bible being thinges aboue mans capacitie to deuise and nothing agreinge with humane reason most euidentlie doe declare that God was th' authour enditer of the scripturs for that by hym onlie and from no other thes highe and secret mysteries could be reueiled The second thing conteined in scriptures that could not proceede but from God alone are certaine propheties or fortellinges of thinges to come Wherin God hymself prouoketh th' Idoles of the Gentiles to make experience of their power in thes wordes Declare vnto vs vvhat shall insue hereafter thereby vve shall knovv that you are Godes in deed Which is to be vnderstoode if they could fortell particulerlie plainlie what was to come in thinges meerlie contingent or depending of mans will they should therby declare their power to be diuine For albeit thes Idoles of Gentiles as Apollo and other that gaue foorth Oracles which were nothing els in deed but certaine wicked spirites that tooke vpon them these names did some times happen vpon the truth and fortel thinges to come as also some Astrologers Southsayers and Magitians doe ether by forsight in the starres other elementes or by th' assistance of thes wicked spirites and deuils yet are the thinges which they pronosticate ether natural and not contingent so may be forseene fortolde in their causes as raine heate colde wīdes the like or els if they be meere accidental thes predictions of theirs are only coniectures and so most incertaine and subiecte to errours This testifieth Porphyrie the greate patron of Paganisme in a special booke of th' answers of his Godes wherin he sweareth that he hath gathered trulie without addition or detraction the Oracles that were most famous before his tyme with the false and vncertaine euent therof In consideration of which euent he setteth downe his iudgment of their power in predictions after this manner The Godes doe fortell some naturall thinges to come for that they doe obserue the order and coniunctiō of their natural causes But of thinges that are contingēt or doe depend of mans vvill they haue but coniectures only in that by their subtilitie and celeritic they preuent vs. But yet they often tymes doe lye and deceaue vs in both kyndes for that as natural thinges are variable so mans vvill is much more mutable Thus farre Porphyrie of the propheties of his Godes whereunto agreeth an other heathen of greate credit among the Graecians named Oenomaus who for that he had bene much delighted with Oracles more deceaued wrote a special booke in th' ende of their falshod and lies and yet sheweth that in manie thinges wherin they deceiued it was not easie to cōuince them of opē falshod for that they would inuolue their answers of purpose with such obscurities generalities equiuo cations and doubtefulnes as alwayes they would leaue them selues a corner wherin to saue their credites when th' euent should proue false As for example when Craesus that famous riche Monarche of Lidia cōsulted with Apollo whether he should make warre against the Persiās therby obtaine their Empire or no Apollo desirous of bloodshed as all wicked spirites are gaue his oracle in thes wordes for deceauing of Craesus If Craesus vvithout feare shal passe ouer Halys this was a riuer that laye betwene hym and Persia he shal bringe to confusion a greate riche kingdome Vpon whiche wordes Craesus passed ouer his armie in hope to get Persia but so one after he lost Lidia by euel vnderstanding of this doubteful prophetie This then is th' imbecilitie of both humane angelical power ī pronosticatig things to come which are mere cōtingēt In which kinde not withstanding seing that the scriptures haue manie and almost infinite propheties fort old manie yeares some tymes ages before they came to passe sett downe in plaine particuler and resolut speech at such tymes as there was nether cause to coniecture them nonprobabilitie that euer they should be true deliuered by simple and vnlearned persons that could forsee nothing by skill or arte and yet that all thes by their euentes haue proued most true and neuer anie one iote in the same haue fayled this I say alone doth conuince most apparentlie all proofes and reasons and other argumentes laid a syde that thes scriptures are of God and of his eternal and infallible spirite And therfore of thes propheties will I alleage in this place some few examples Abraham the first father and special Patriarche of the Iewes had manie propheties and predictions made vnto hym as of his issue when he had yet none nor euer lyke to haue of his inheritinge the land of Canaan and the lyke But this which followeth is wōderfull of his posterities discent into Egipt of their tyme of seruitude and manner of deliuerauce thēce the same being fortolde more thē fower hundreth yeares before it was fulfilled at that tyme whē no likelihode therof ī the world appeared The wordes are thes
second consideration of the qualitie of Christs person no lesse of importance then the former and wherin the later Iewes doe more dissent from vs and that is of the God hode of the Messias promissed I saye the later Iewes or Rabines are different herein from vs as also they are in manie other pointes and articles wherin their ancestours that were no Christians did fullie agree Euen as all Heretiques are wonte to doe that first breake in one pointe and then in an other from the Catholique faith and so doe runne on from one to one makinge them selues in all thinges as dislike as they can for hatred of that vnitie wher vnto their pride will not suffer them to returne So is it in the generation of this reprobate people who first agreed with vs in al or most pointes touching Christ to come denied onlie the fulfilling or application therof in Iesus our Saueour But afterward their vngratious ofspring being not able to stāde in that issue against vs deuised a new plea and be tooke them selues to a farre higher degree of impietie affirming that we attributed manie thinges vnto Iesus that were not fortolde of the Messias to come and among other that he should be God and the sonne of God and the second person in Trinitie c. But herein no doubt thes obstinate and graceles men doe shew them selues both ignorant of their owne scriptures disagreing from the writinges of their owne forefathers For as for scriptures it is euident by all or most of the propheties alleaged before that Christ or the Messias must be God and the sonne of God indued with mans nature that is both ma God So ī Genesis where he is called the seede of the vvoman it is apparent that he shal be man and in the same place when he is promissed to crushe the deuil and breake his heade who can doe this but onlie God Likewise when he is called Germen Iehouae the seede of our Lord God his Godhood is signified as is his manhoode also when in the same place he is named the fruite of the earth Who can interprete thes speeches that his kingedome shall be euerlasting That he shall endure vntill the Moone be taken avvaye after That God begate hym before Lucifer vvas created That no man can tell or recumpte his generation That all Nations and Angels must adore hym That he must sitt at the right hand of God and manie other such speeches pronounced directelie and expressie of the Messias who I say can vnderstand or interprete them but of God seing that in man they can not be verified And as for the last of thes testimonies concerning Christes sitting at his fathers right-hand three of our Euangelistes doe reporte that Iesus did blancke diuers of the learnedst pharisies with alleaging onlie thes wordes of Dauid The Lord said to my Lord sitt at my right-hande vntill I putt thie enimies as thy footest role For said Iesus if Christ be Dauids sonne how did Dauid call hym his Lord signifying hereby that albeit the Messias was to be Dauids sonne according to his manhode yet was he to be Dauids Lord according to his God head And so doe both Rabbi Ionathan and the publique commentaries of the hebrues interprete the place Micheas is plaine And thou Bethleem out of the shall proceede a RVLER in Israel his going foorth is from the beginning and from the dayes of eternitie This can not be vnderstood of any mortal man that euer was or shal be But yet Esay goeth further whē he saith A litle childe is borne vnto vs and a yonge sonne is gyuen vnto vs and his principalitie is vpon his ovvne shoulder and his name shal be GOD the father of the future vvorld or of eternitie the Prince of peace c. In which wordes we see that Christ is called God But if the Iew doe cauil here saye that El or Elohim the hebrue wordes which we interprete God i this place may some tyme be applied to a creature as in Exodus once El signifieth an Angel and Elohim at othertymes is applied to Iudges then marke and consider this discourse of Dauid touchinge the Meisias to whom he saith Thou art beautiful in forme aboue the children of men grace is spred in thie lippes and therfore hath God blessed thee for euer c. Thie seate ò God is for euer and euer the rodde or scepter of thie kingedome is the rodde of direction thou hast loued iustice and hated iniquitie therfore o God thie God hath annointed thee vvith oyle of ioye aboue thie partners Here the Messias is called God twice by the same worde Elohim as God his father is and therfore as the worde signifieth true God in th' one so must it also in th' other But to remoue all grounde of this refuge touching El Elohim that are names of God whiche may be communicated some tymes and vpon some occasions to Creatures most apparent it is that the name IEHOVA which is called Tetagrammation and which is so peculiar to God alone as neuer it maye be cōmunicated to other this name I saye which is of such reuerence among the Iewes as they daie not pronounce it but in place therof doe reade Adonai that signifieth Lorde is euerie where almost in scripture attributed to Christ namelie where the latine interpretour hath trāslated Lord as for exāple in two diuers places of Ieremie after the longe description of the Messias which before I haue recited he concludeth thus hoc est nomen quod vocabunt eum Iehoua iustus noster this is the name which they shall call hym OVR IVST IEHOVA or as the Hebrue hath word for word Iehoua our iustice And so do the auncient hebrue expositours confesse vpon thes places of Ieremie namly Rabbi Abba who asketh the question what Messias shal be called and then he answereth out of this last place he shal be called th' eternal Iehoua The like doth Misdrasche gathervpō the 20. Plasme and Rab. Moses Hadarsan expounding a place of the Prophet Sophonie cap. 3. v. 9. concludeth thus in this place Iehoua signifieth nothing els but the Messias Wherby appeareth that as well in scripture as also in th' opinion of olde hebrue expositours the Messias was to be true God and man And I might allea ge manie other testimonies of auncient Rabbines if it were not to long especiallie if I would enter among that kinde of expositours whom they call Cabalistes who are more auncient and lesse brutishe then are th' other sorte which are termed Thalmudistes I should finde many cleare and manifest declarations against the Iewes doctrine and errour of later tymes And among other for example onlie of Cabalistical expositions I referre the reader to the discourse of Rabbi Hacadosch which in Hebrue signifieth the holie Rabbine liued not longe after Christ
signes which haue bene frō the beginning to fortell vnto vs the true Meisias were fulfilled in hym and his actions or no. And for that the matters are manie and diuers that will come herein to be handled I will for order sake reduce all to fower considerations Wherof the first shal be touching the tyme foreprophetied of the comming of Meisias and whether the same agreed with Christes Natiuitie or no. The seconde shal be of diuers particulers that passed in Christes incarnation birth circumcision and other accidētes vntill the tyme that he began to preach The third shal be of his life conuersatiō miracles and doctrine The fowerth and last of his Passion death resurrection and Ascensiō In all which as I sayed before I will vse no one Authour or testimonie of our owne side for prouing anie thing that is in controuersie bytwene vs but all shall passe by trial either of their owne scriptures or of manifest force and consequence of reason or els by expresse recorde of our professed enimies FOR THE first then concerning the tyme which is the principal and head of all the rest it is to be noted that by consent of all writers both Pagan Iuishe Christian Iesus whom we beleeue and confesse to be true Christ was borne the 25. daye of December in th' ende of the 41. yeare of th' Emperour Augustus reigne which was 15. years before his reigne ended Also in the beginning of the 33. yeare of Herodes reigne in Iurie which was 4. yeares and more before his death And from the beginning of the world as some accompt 5199. And as other 4089. for that in this pointe betwene the Hebrues and Graecians there is a differēce of some litle more then a hundreth years concerninge their reconinge The state of the worlde at Iesus Natiuitie was this The three Monarchies of the Assyrians Persians and Graeciās were past ouer and ended the Romans were entered into the fowerth that was greater then anie of the rest according to the prophetie of Daniel 500 yeares before Octauius Caesar surnamed Augustus after fyue ciuil warres by hym self waged and after infinit broyles and bloodshed in the worlde reigned peaceablie alone for many yeares together in tokē of an vniuersal peace ouer all th' earth he caused the temple gates of IANVS to be shutt according to the custome of the Romans in such cases albeit this had happened but twise before from the buylding of Rome vnto that tyme. And the verie same daye that Christ was borne in Iurie Augustus commaūded in Rome as afterward was obserued that no man should call hym LORDE therby to signifie the free libertie rest ioye securitie wherin al mē were after so longe miseries which by continual warres the world had suffered By this we gather first that this tyme of Iesus birth agreed exactelie with the prophetie so longe before sett downe in Daniel who lyued in the first Monarchie that after his tyme there should be three Monarchies more and the last biggest of all at whose appearinge the Messias should come and build vp Gods kingdome throughout all the world Secondlie we see that fulfilled which Esay aboue a hundreth yeares before Daniel fortold that at the cōming of Christ people should sitt in the beautie in peace And againe there shal be no ende of peace And yet further he shall be Prince of peace And kinge Dauid longe before hym againe in his dayes there shal ryse iustice and abundance of peace Which thinge though especiallie it be to be vnderstoode of th' internal peace and tranquilitie of our myndes and soules yet considering that external peace also was necessarie for a tyme for the quiet plantinge publishinge of Christes Gospel and seinge that the same wās brought to passe most miraculouslie vpon the suddain when in reason men least might expect the same for th' infinite warres wherin the worlde a litle before had bene and by reason of the Roman Monarchie so freshelie established whiche in their begininges are wont to be troublesome this peace I saye can not be but a greate argument that this was the proper tyme of the Messias his comminge And this for the state of the world in general But now for the particuler state of Iurie at Iesus natiuitie thus it was according as Iosephus the Iew who was borne within fyue yeares after Christ his passion describeth the same One Herod a straunger whose father called Antipater came out of Idumaea was rysen to acquaintance and fauour with the Romans partelie by his said fathers meanes who was as Iosephus wordes are a vvell monicd man industrious and sactious and partelie also by his owne diligence and ambition being of hymself both wittie beautiful and of excellent rare qualities By which cōmendatiōs he came at length to marry the daughter of Hyrcanus kinge of Iurie that was descended liniallie of the house of Dauid and tribe of Iuda And by this mariage obteined of his father-in-law to be Gouernour of the prouince of Galilie vnder hym But Hyrcanus afterwardes fallinge into the handes of the Parthyians that caried hym into parthia Herod ranne away to Rome and there by the helpe and special fauour of Antonie that ruled in company together with Octauius he obteined to be created kinge of Iurie without all title or interest ī the world For that not onlie his said fatherinlaw Hyrcanus was yet a lyue in Parthia but also his yonger brother Aristobulus and three of his sonnes named Antigonus Alexander and Aristobulus and diuers other of the blood Royall in Iurie Herodthen hauing procured by thes meanes to be kinge of Iurie procured first to haue into his handes the forsaid kinge Hyrcanus and so put hym to death as also he brought to the same ende his yonger brother Aristobulus together with all his three sonnes He putt to death also his owne wife Mariamnes that was kinge Hyreanus daughter as also Alexandra her mother And soone after two of his owne sonnes by the said Mariamnes for that they were of the blood Royal of Iuda And a litle after that againe he put to death his third sonne named Antipater He caused to be slaine at one tyme 40. of the chiefest noble men of the tribe of Iuda And as Philo the Iewe writeth that liued at the same tyme with hym he putt to death all the Sanhedrin that is the seuentie and two Senatours of the tribe of Iuda that ruled the people He kylled the chief of the sect of Pharisies He burned the genealogies of all the kinges and princes of the house of Iuda and caused one Nicolaus Damascenus an Historiographer that was his seruant to draw out apetidegree for hym and his line as though he had descended from the auncient kinges of Iuda He translated the highe priesthode solde it to straungers And finallie he so rased dispersed and mangled the house of
of publishing their lawes and procuring authoritie to the same then to write them with their owne handes and in their life time to establishe their promulgation So Lycurgus Solon others among the Grecians Numa to the Romanes Mahomet to his Sarasins and diuers other in like maner But Iesus to shew his Diuine power in directing the penne and stile of his Euangelistes would not leaue any thing writing him self but passed from this world in simplicitie and filence whithout any further shewe or ostentatiō of his own doings meaning notwithstāding by his eternal wisdome that the prophetie of Ezechiel should be fulfilled which foresignified the being of his fowre irrefragable witnesses which daie and night without rest should preache extolle and magnifie their Lord and Maister to the worldes ende Foure then were fore-prophetied and foure as we see by Gods prouidence were prouided to fulfil the same prophetie The first and last are two Apostles that wrote as they had sene The two midle are two diseiples who registred thinges as they had vnderstoode by conference with the Apostles The first Ghospel was written by an Apostle to giue light open the waie to al the rest And the last in like maner was written by an Apostle to giue authoritie and confirmation to al the former The first was writtē in Hebrue or Iewish tongue for that Iesus actions were dóne in that countrie to th' ende that therby eyther the whole Nation might beleeue them or the obstinate impugne them The other three were written in the publique tongues of al other nations that is in the Greeke and Romane languages if it be true which diuers holde that S. Marcs Ghospel was first written in Latin They wrote their stories in diuers countries eche one remaning farre distant frō an other and yet agreed they al as we see most exactly in the verie same narration They wrote in diuers times the one after the other and yet the later did neither correct nor reprehend anie thing i the former They published their stories when infinite were aliue that knew the factes and many more that desired to impugne them They set doune in most of their particuler narrations the time the day the houre the place the village the house the persons the men the women and other the like Which circumstances the more they are in number the more easie to be refuted if they were not true Neither did they in Iurie write of thinges done in India but in the same countrie it self in Townes Cities that were publiquely knowen in Bethania and Bethsaida villages hard by Ierusalem in the Suburbes and hiles about the Citie in such a Streete at such a Gate in such a Porch of the Temple at such a fishpoole which al people in Ierusalem did euery daie beholde They published their writinges in their owne life time and preached in worde so much as in writing they had recorded They permitted the same to the iudgment and examination of al Christs church especially of the Apostles who were able to discerne euerie least thing therin contained So Marke set forth his Ghospel by the instruction and approbation of S. Peter as also did Luke by the authoritie of S. Paul They altered not their writinges afterward as other authours are wont in their later editions nor euer corrected they anie one iote of that which they had first set doune And that which neuer happened in any other writinges in the world besides nor euer Prince or Monarch was able to bring to passe for credite of his edictes or sanctions they gaue their liues for defence and iustefying of that they had written Their maner of writing is sincere and simple without al arte amplification or Rhetorical exornatiō They flatter none no not Iesus him self whom they most adore nor in confessing him to be their God and Creatour doe they conceale his infirmities of fleshe in that he was man as his hunger and thirst his being wearie how he wept his passions of feare and the like So lykewise in the Apostles that were the gouernours superiours and heads of al the rest doe thes Euangelistes dissemble hide or passe ouer no such thinges as were defects and might seeme to worldlie eies to turne to their discredites As for exāple how Christ rebuked them for their dulnes in vnderstanding how after long instruction they proposed notwithstanding verie rude and impertinent questions vnto him how Thomas would not beleeue the attestation of his fellowes how S. Ihon and S. Iames the sonnes of Zebedee ambitiouslie sollicited to haue the preheminence of sitting nearest to Christ ī his glorie Which later clause beīg set doune clearly by S. Marke while yet S. Ihon the Apostle was liuing the same was neuer denied nor taken yll by the said Apostle neither S. Markes Ghospel the lesse approued by him albeit he liued longest and wrote last of al the rest Nay which is more and greatly no doubt to be obserued thes Euangelistes were so sincere and religious in their narrations as they noted especiallie the impersections of them selues and of such other as they principally respected So S. Mathew nameth him self Mathevv the Publican And so S. Marke being Peters disciple recordeth particulerly how S. Peter thrise denied his maister S. Luke that was scholler and dependent of S. Paul maketh mention alone of the litle differences betwene Paul and Barnabas in the storie of S. Stephens death after al his narration ended he addeth a clause that in humane iudgement might haue bene left out to witt Saulus erat consentiës neci eius Saul was cōsenting culpable of Stephens death Wherby we may perceaue most perspicuouslie that as thes men were plaine sincere and simple and farre from presuming to deuise any thinge of them selues so were they religious and had scruple to passe ouer or leaue oute any thinge of the truth in fauour of them selues or of any other whosoeuer Thes mens writinges then were published receyued for vndoubted truth by all that liued in the verie same age and were pryuie to the particulers therin cōteined They were copied abrode into infinit mens handes and so conserued with all care reuerence as holie and diuine scripture They were read in churches throughout all countries and Nations expounded preached and taught by all pastours and commentaries made vpon them by holie fathers from tyme to tyme. So that no doubt can be made but that we haue the verie sa ne writinges incorrupt as th' authours left them for that it was impossible for anie enimie to corrupt so manie Copies ouer al the world without discoucrie and resiitance And the same very text wordes and sentences which from age to age the learned fathers doe alleage out of thes scriptures we fynde them now as they had them at that tyme. As for example S. Iohn that lyued longest of all th' Apostles and Euangelistes had amōge other
schollers and auditours Papias Ignatius Policarpus al which agree of the foure Ghospels and other writinges left vnto vs in the newe Testament affirming S. Iohn to haue approued the same These men were maisters againe to Iustinus Martyr Irenaeus and other whose writinges remaine vnto vs. And if they did not yet their sayinges and iudgementes touching the Scriptures are recorded vnto vs by Eusebius and other fathers of the next age after and so from hand to hand vntil our dayes So that of this ther can be no more doubt then whether Rome Constantinople Hierusalem and other such renoumed Cities knowen to al the world at this day be the very same wherof Authours haue treated so much in auncient times AND THVS MVCHE of Christs Euangelistes for whose more credit and for confirmation of thinges by them recorded his diuine prouidence preordained that infinite witnesses whom we cal Martyrs should offer vp their blood in the primatiue Churche and after Wheras for no other doctrine profession or religion in the world the like was euer heard of albeit among the Iewes in the tyme of the Machabies and at some other tymes also when that nation for their sinnes were affâ—icted by Heathen Princes some fewe were tyrannized and iniuriouslie put to death yet commonly and for the most parte this was rather of barbarous furie in the Paganes for their resistaÌ„ce theÌ„ directly for hatred of Iuishe religioÌ„ And for the number ther is no doubt but that more Christians were putt to death within two monethes for their beliefe throughout the world then were of Iewes in two thouland yeares before Christs comming Which is vndoubtedly a matter verie wounderful considering that the Iuishe religion impugned no lesse the Pagan Idolatrie then doth the doctrine of the Christians But this came to passe that Christes wordes might be fulfilled who said I come not to bring peace but the svvorde And againe I sende you forth as sheepe among vvolues That is to saye to be torne and harried and your bloud to be deuoured In which extreme and most incredible sufferinges of Christians thre pointes are worthie of great consideration The first what infinite multitudes of al states conditions sexe qualities and age did suffer dailie fortestimonie of this truth The second What intollerable and vnacustomed tormentes not hard of in the worlde before were deuised by Tyrantes for afflicting this kinde of people The third what inuincible courage and vnspeakable alacritie the ChristiaÌ„s shewed in bearing oute these afflictions which the enimies theselues could not attribute but to some diuine power and supernatural assistance And for this later point of comfort in their sufferings I will alleage onlie this testmonie of TertuliaÌ„ against the GeÌ„tiles who obiected that wicked men suffered also as wel as Christians Wherto this learned Doctour made answere in these wordes Truth it is that many men are prone to yl and do suffer for the same but yet dare they not defend their euil to be good as ChristiaÌ„s doe their cause For that euery euil thig by nature doth bring with it either feare or shame therfor we see that malefactours albeit they loue euill yet would they not appeare so to the world but desire rather to lie in couert They tremble when they are taken and when they are accused they deny all and do scarse oftentimes coÌ„fesse their doings vpon torments And finally when they are condemned they lament mone and do impute their il fortune to destinie or to the planets But the Christian what doth he like to this Is their any man ashamed or doth any man ' repent him when he is taken except it be for that he was not taken rather If he be noted by the enemy for a Christian he glorieth in the same if he be accused he defendeth not him self if he be asked the question he confesseth it willingly if he be coÌ„demned he veldeth thankes What euil theÌ„ is ther in this Christian cause which lacketh the natural sequele of euil I meane feare shame tergiuersatioÌ„ repentance sorowe and deploration what euil I say can this be deemed whose guiltines is ioye whose accusation is desire whose punishment is happines Hitherto are the wordes of learned Tertulian who was an eye-witnes of that he wrote had no smal part in the cause of thos that suffred being him self in that place and state as daily he might expect to taste of the same affliction To which combat how redie he was may appeare by diuers places of this his Apologie wherin he vttereth besides his zeale feruour a most confident securitie and certaine assurance of Iesus assistance by that which he had sene performed to infinite other in their greatest distresses from the same Lord before So that nothing doth more a-certaine vs of the diuine power and omnipotencie of Iesus then the fortitude inuincible which aboue al humane reason force and nature he imparted to his Martyrs AFTER VVHICH consideration there coÌ„meth to be weighed the fifte point before mentioned which is of the same power and omnipoteÌ„cie of Iesus declared and exercised vpon the spirites insernal Which thing partely may appeare by the Oracles alleaged in the ende of the former section wherin thos spirites foretolde that an Hebrew Childe should be borne to the vtter subuersion and ruine of their TyraÌ„nical dominion And much more at large the same might be declared by other answers Oracles vttered after Christes natiuitie and registred in the monumentes euen of the heathens them selues Wherof he that desireth to see more ample mention especially out of Porphyrie who then was liuing let him read Eusebius sixte booke de preparatione Euangelica where he shal finde store and namely that Apollo many times exclamed Hei mihi congemiscite Hei mihi hei mihi Oraculorum defecit me claritas Woe vnto me lament yee with me woe vnto me woe vnto me for that the honour of Oracles hath now foresakeÌ„ me Which coÌ„plaintes and lamentations are nothinge els but a plaine confession that Iesus was he of whom a prophet said diuers ages before Attenuabit omnes Deos terrae he shal weare-out bring to beggarie al the Godes or Idols of the earth This confessed also the wicked spirites them selues when at Christs appearing iÌ„ Iurie they came vnto him at diuers times and besought him not to afflict or torment them nor command them presently to returne to hel but rather to permit them some litle time of entertainment in the sea or mountaines or amoÌ„g heardes of swine or the like Which confession they made in the sight of all the world and declared the same afterwardes by their factes and deedes For presently vpon Iesus death vpon the preaching of his name and Ghospel throughout the worlde the Oracles which before were aboundant in euery prouince and countrie were put to sileÌ„ce Wherof I might alleage the testimonies of verie many GeÌ„tiles them selues as that of Iuuenal
that in sinceritie demandeth the same A prayer to be vsed in the ende of our meditation BEhold ô my God behold ô my most merciful and patient Lord how I haue passed ouer this time of meditation and contemplatiō with thee With how much negligence sloth coldnes and distraction and with how litle feeling of thy good motions within me But thou ô Lord art wel witting priuie to mine infirmities and manifold miseries therfore of thee I craue pardon for the same I thanke thee also most hartely and humbly for al the good thoughts cogitatiōs and suggestiōs which haue presented them selues vnto my minde in the time of this meditation as most holy Embassadours sent from thie heauenly throne to deale with me for the gaining of thy kingdome Who 's blessed voices and most profitable speeches I beseech thy deuine goodnes to geue me grace that I may imprint in my hart seeke to put in executiō in the course of my life to come to the ende that my iudgement and damnation be not the more greeuous in respect of thes thy benefites but rather that my life being amended therby and my soule stirred vp to more zele in thy seruice I may finally be made partaker with thy true children of that eternal blisse which thou hast prepared for such as doe loue feare and serue thee and doe yeeld obedience to such holy inspirations as thou doest send vnto them for their euerlasting weale FINIS AFter this he may say Pater Aue Credo and other such his deuotions as he liketh best And as he shal feele his mind affected at that instant either with feare of his sinnes or with ioye and comfort vpon hope of amendment or els indued with other motions so may he recite either the Psalmes Miserere or Domine ne in furore tuo Or one of the Canticles Benedicice omnia opera Domini Domino or Benedictus Dominus Deus Israel Or finally one of the hymnes Te Deum laudamus or Veni Creator Spiritus or any the like Argumentes to meditate vpon THe first sorte of meditations being 20. in number which appertaine more peculierly to speculation discourse knowledge then to stirre vp affections therfore are sometimes to be vsed for varietie and recreation of the mind when she is either weary or not willing to be pricked forward by the other that are more vehement in exhortation They are deuided for more facilities sake into the times of Morning and Euening for ten dayes together The 1. day LEt him meditate from the beginning of the 2. chapt pag. 25. vnto the 2. section pag. 35. Hov euident it is by al Creatures that ther is a God From pag. 35. vnto pag. 48. let him contemplate the argumentes of the natural and supernatural philosophers vvherby they proue God The 2. day From page 48. vnto the ende of the section pag. 61. consider the proofes of moral philosophers for the same purpose From the beginning of the 9. section pag. 61. examine the first argumentes for proof of holy scriptures ending pag. 80. The 3. day From pag. 80. vnto 100. see the seuenth argument for scriptures containing ten propheties From pag. 100. vnto the ende of the chapt consider the 8. and last argumēt for scriptures cōcerning the approbation of heathen vvriters together vvith the conclusion of the chapter pag. 110. The 4. day The beginning of the 4. chapt 132. together with the first consideration of the first section touching Christ promissed which endeth pag. 152. The 2. consideration of the same sectiō how Christ was promissed to be both God and man From pag. 〈◊〉 vnto 162. The 5. day From pag. 162. vnto 184. containing the third and fowerth considerations hovv Christ vvas promissed to change the lavv of Moyses together vvith the particulers foretold of Christs life The fift consideration hovv Christ vvas fortold to the Gentiles both by Philosophers Prophetes and Oracles From pag. 169. vnto 184. The 6. day From the beginning of the 2. section pag. 184. reade vnto 205. of the time vvherin Christ appeared vvhether it vvere the same that vvas fortold or not From 205. vnto 218. consider the second consideration of Christes birth and infancie vntil the time of his preaching The 7. day From 218. vnto 229. contemplate the 3. consideration of IESVS touching his life and actions From 229. vnto the ende of the section pag. 245. meditate the fowerth consideration of IESVS concerning his Passion Resurrection and Ascention The 8. day Beginne the 3. section pag. 245. with the first consideration therof ending 251. of Christes Church and her vvonderful increase presently after his departure From 251. vnto 258. followeth the 2. cōsideration of Christs Apostles and their vvonderful doinges The 9. day From 258. vnto 264. is the 3. consideratiō of Christes Euangelistes and hovv their vvritings must needes be true From 264. vnto 274. insue the 4. 5. cōsideratiōs of Christs Martyrs and of the subiection of spirits in the primatiue Church The 10. day From 274. vnto 284. reade the 6. cōsideration of the punishmentes that sel vpon Christs enimies both Ievves and Gentiles From 284. vnto the ende of the chapter 297. reade the 7. consideration of the fulfilling of IESVS propheties together vvith the conclusion of the vvhole chapter The second sorte of meditations being 28. in number containing matter more proper to stirre vp our affections to pietie and deuotiō are deuided into 14. dayes that is to say tvvo vveekes allovving to ech day tvvo seueral meditations THE FIRST VVEEKE MVNDAY COntemplate the whole chapter of Consideration pag. 1. The whole chapt of mās final end pa. 110. Tevvsday The first part of the 5. chapter vvho is a true Christian cōcerning faith 398. vnto 310. The second part of the same chapter cōcerning workes 310. vnto the end VVednesday The first part of the 6. chap. touching resisting of sinne 323. The second part of the said chapt concerning labouring in good workes 336. Thursday The first part of the 7. chap. of the preparatiō that shal goe before the last accompting day 349. The 2. and 3. partes of the same chap. and of the sentence that shal ensue 364. Friday The 8. chap. of the nature of sinne and sinners 378. The 9. chap. of Gods maiestie and benefits 400. Saturday The 10. chap. of the day of death 419. The 11. chap. of the punishments after this life 444. Sonday The 1. and 2. partes of the 12. chap. of the reward of this life in general and particuler 479. The 2. part of the same chap. of the circumstances encreasing the same ioye 503. The second vveeke Munday The 1. part of the 1. chap. part 2. Of the exceeding loue which God beareth vnto mankind against the dispaire of Gods mercy 523. vnto
Dan. 8. The fortelling of great Alexander Ioseph l. 1. de antiq Iudaic. 〈◊〉 VVhat maner of persons our prophetes vvere Ptolo. in l. de fructu Moses Narbon in lib. Abubacher 〈◊〉 Roger. Baco l. de sex sciēt experimentalib Amos 1. Exod. 15. Iudic. 5. 1. Reg. 2. Luc. 1. c 2. Act. 21. THE. 8. proofe of scripturs Approbatiō of heathen vvriters I. The creation of the vvorlde Gen. 1. 2. 2. The slud of Noe. Gen. 6 7. 8. Iosep. lib. 1. antiq Iudaie Euseb. li. 9. de prap Euāg ca. 4. 3. The longe life of the first fathers Gen. 5. 10. 11. 4. The Toure of Babylon Gen. 11. Enseb. li. 9. de praepar cap 4. Marke this reason 5. Of Abraham Gen. 11. 12. 13. 14. c. Alex. Polyhist lib. de Iudaica historia Melo li. de fraudibus Iudaeorum Artaban in Iudaeorumhist Gal. de simplic pausan in Eliae Solin in Poli. hist. Tacit. li. vlt. hist. 6. Of Isaac Iacob Iob Ioseph c. Gen. 15. 16. 17. 18. c. Aristaeus li de Iob. 7. Of Moyses Exo. 2. 3. 4. 5. c. The discription of Moyses person out of heathen vvriters 8. The storie of Iosue the Iudges and the kinges Iosep. lib. 8. de antiq cap. 2. The treasures hiddē in the sepulcher of Dauid Ioseph l. 13 de antiq cap. 16. * The same thing attempted Herode in his time as Iosephus saith l. 18. antiq 9. The things that ensued after Salomons dayes Iere. 37. 4. Reg. 4 Os Senacherib Esa. 31. 33. 36. 4. Reg. 9. Hero l. 2. Dan. 16. Ioseph l. 1. de Antiq. Iudaica No excuse of the ignorance of God The errour of the olde Philosophers Rom. 1. 2. Rom. 1. Rom. 1. v. 28. Rom. 1. E v. 32. A general sentēce pronounced by S. Paul Rom. I. V. 18. Th' application to our selues Rom. 1. v. 20. Luc. 12. A necessarie Consideration Prou. 16. Man made to serue God Iob. 11. Sap. 15. Pro. 15. Eccle. 11. 12. Mat. 12. Accompt to be rēdered Psal. 9. 43 141. Profitable 〈◊〉 and considerations Gen. 14 Deut. Luc. 1. The. 1. consequence upon due consideration of our ende The 2. consequēce Hovv eche 〈◊〉 may take a scāteling of his estate A right course Philip. 2. A vvrong and dangerous course The reason vvhie so fevv are saued Mat. 7. 20 22. Lut. 13. Iacob 4. Mat. 19. Marc. 10. Luc. 19. A perfect example of a good conuersion Mat. 19. Marc. 10. The vvrōg course of the vvorld A Cōparison expressing theranitie of our occupatiōs Math. 16. Psal. 4. Hiere 2. A Comparison 8. Cor. 9. Sap. 5. The complainte of vvorldlīgs in th' ende of their life The fondé iudgemēt off the vvorld Sap. 5. Psal. 10 Gal 6. A comparyson expressing our gryese in th' ende for our running a vvronge course The miserie of a soule that hath gone avvrie at the last day Sap. 5. Alexāders death Iul. Caesar death Tvvo rare examples Ioseph l. 14 15. 18 de antiq Iudaica de bell Iud. l. 2 * For enuie onlie of Agrippa his fortune Herodias did ruine her self and her husband as Ioseph saith l. 18. antiq cap. 8. 9. 15. Her husband vvas Herod An tipas that slevv S. Iohn Baptiste and vvas sonne to Herode the first Luc. 3. Mat. 14. Herodes death Iosep. l. 15. antiq * This Herod vvas called Ascolonita slevv th' infantes in Bethlem Matth 2. The death of Agrippa Iosep. l. 19. cap. 7. * S. Luke saith he vvas stroké by Gods Angel Act. 12. And cōsider hovv Ioseph'agreeth vvith that Narration Euseb. l. 2. hist. cap. 9. Sincere and profitable counsaile Eccle. 4. Ioh. 9. Deut. 32. Eccle. 37. Eccle. 24. Great follie and errous Esa. 55. Ephe. 1. 1. Thes. 2. 2. Pet. 1. Luc. 15. Sap 4. Errour in cur course of life is not pardoned Ose. 4. Esa. 28. A profitable forevvarning Math. 25. Luc. 16. A rare chance that happened to Balsasar K. of Babylon Dan. 5. If God examine straitlie th' actiōs of infidells much more of Christiās is they be careles Dan. 5. Sopho. 1. A dreadful diuision Math. 24. The cōclusion Rom. 12. Pro. 5. Eccle. 12. Of religion See S. Tho. 2. 22. quest 81. 82. 83. Pietie Obseruāce Malac. 1. The actis and operations of Religion Iacob 1. August lib. 10. de ciuit cap. 1. Hovv much it importeth to be religions The necessitie of Chri stiā religiō Act. 4. Hovv men vvere saued in olde time vvithout Christiā religiō Gal. 3. 4 Ephes. 3. Colos. 1. See S. Angust li. 19. cont Fanst. cap. 14. All olde Sainctes beleeued in Christ and vvere saued by Irym Gen. 3. v. 15. Apoc. 13. Act. 15. v. 11. Rom. 5. Ephe. 8. * Reade S. Thom in 1. 2. qu est 103. art 4. August l. 18. de ciu c. 47. ep 49. 157. tract 45. in Ioh. Cle. Alex. lib. 6. strom Hieron in cap. 3. ad Gal. The differences betvvene our beleefe and th' old fathers Esay 7. Gen. 49. * 〈…〉 The causes of this Chapter Heb. 11. Act. 14. The diuers testimonies from God of the thinges that vve belieue The vndoubted vvitnesses to be alleageà in this chapter The drifte of this chapter The principal heades The Ievve and Gētile Ephes. 1. 1. Tim. 2. Tit. 1. 1. Pet. 1. Esa. 2. 11. 19. Icrem 9. 12. 16. THE. 1. consideration THE Messias promissed 1. The first couenant to Adam Gen. 2. Gen. 3. * Rabbi Mose Ben maimon in hunc locū Tharg Hie. ros in Gen. 3. To Abraham and Isaac Gen. 12. 18. 22. 3. Jacobs prophetie of Christ. Gen. 49. Tharg Hie ros Onkelos in hunc locū The Messias must be a spiritual not a temporal king The tradition of the Ievves in Misdrasch Thehilim See the titles of thes psalmes 41. 44 45. 46. 47 48. 82. 84 86. 87. 5. Moyses prophetie of Christ. Deut. 13. Deut. 34 6. Dauids propheties of Christ. Psal. 88. 2. Reg. 7. 1. Para. 22 Psal. Reg. 5. 1. Para. 22 3. Reg. 12 Psal. 2. 45. 47. 67. 72. Psal. y 1. 7. Ieremies prophetie touching Christ. Ierem. 23 33. 8. Ezechiels prophetie of Christ. Ezec. 34. Christ is called Dauid Thalm. tract Sanh ca. helec The propheties of Esay touchīg Christ. Esa. 2. Mich. 4. Esay 4. v. 2. Esa. 9. v. 6. Esa. 11. v. 1. Psal. 71. Ecclc. 45. VVōnderful properties of Christ. Math. 1. Luc. 3. Act. 13. Rom. 15. Other properties of Christ. Esa. 25. v. 8. Esa. 35. v. 5. Esa. 42. v. 2. Esa. 49. v. 6. Act. 13. 47. The commission of Christ. 10. The prophetie of Daniel touchinge Christ. Dan. 9. v. 23. The Butt of all scripture THE. 2. Consideration THAT Christe should be God and man The custome of Heretikes That Christ must bee both God and man Gen. 3. r. 15. The. 1. proofe Esa. 4. v. 2. Esa. 9. Psal. 71. Psal. 109. Esa. 53. Psal. 96. Heb. 1. Psal. 110. Math. 2. Marc. 12. Luc. 20. * Iehoua in Hebrne