of 30. dais This persecution indured sundry yeres to which the faithful soules seemed to allude in the Reuelatiō when they desire God the iust iudge to auenge their innocent blood Dioclesianus restored Egypt to the empire and when hee perceiued his authoritie to be weakened by reason of tumults and dissentious he sought to strengthen himselfe by ioyning Maximianus vnto him whome he made equall to himselfe in imperiall regiment These two Dioclesianus and Maximianus being nowe equall in authoritie were called Augusti they both afterward gaue ouer the administration of the empire and betooke themselues to the quiet state of a priuate life Dioclesianus chose Galerius to supply his place and Maximianus appointed Constantius in his stead Galerius and Constantius were not equal in power and authoritie but as viceroyes and substitutes and therefore they were not called Augusti but onely Cesars Maximianus would afterward haue returned to the administration of the empire to the end that he might haue aduanced his sonne Maxentius to the imperial regiment for which cause Constantius his sonne in law caused him to be slaine Dioclesianus hauing liued many yeares as a priuate man at length slew himselfe so to auoid the displeasure of Constantius and Licinius to whom hee was suspected to take part with Maxentius their enemie Constantinus surnamed the Great succeeded his father Constantius when hee had reigned foure yeares after the death of Dioclesianus This Constantinus was the first christian Emperour a zealous fauourer of Christes gospel and the onely patrone of Christianitie CHAP. IIII. Of the siege of Hierusalem by Titus Titus the sonne of Vespasianus the Emperour of Rome was a man of such valure prudence and humanitie so beautified with all kinde of heroicall vertues that he was commonly named in the mouth of euery man Amor delitiae humani generis the onely delight of mankinde In the second yeare of Vespasianus in the moneth of Aprill when the Iewes did celebrate their Passeouer at which time great concourse of people was assembled from euery coast hee besieged the citie of Hierusalem and the eight day of September he conquered the same by force and assault Although the citie of Hierusalem was fiue times taken and destroied before by Nabuchodonozor Asocheus Antiochus Pompeius and Herodes yet was there in the siege made by Titus such famine sedition and domesticall desolation as the like hath not been knowne in any citie The mothers murthered their owne naturall children and that done boiled them so to saturate their insatiable hunger This seemeth incredible but holy writ reporteth no lesse as I haue prooued in the first book and the eight chapter of the former part The wiues snatched meate out of the mouthes of their husbandes the children from their parentes and the mothers plucked it out of the mouthes of their infantes When they killed their children and one another for want of foode they could not doe the fact so secretly but it was espied taken from thē by others of greater force for so soone as their doores were shut others suspecting that they were eating meate came violently vpon them and tooke from them the meat alreadie chewed in their mouth Yea it is incredible to be tolde saith Iosephus what tortures and afflictions many suffered to enforce them to disclose where they had hid but one loafe of bread Iosephus being a Iew himselfe and greatly fauouring his countrey men being taken prisoner of the Romaines long before and at that time in great credite both with Titus and Vespasianus his father laboured by all meanes possible to perswade the Iewes that they well considering their own distresse and the mightie force of the aduerse part woulde in time while there remained place for mercie yeeld themselues to Titus and giue vp their citie into his hands But in vain was his oration he had not eloquence to perswade them From king Dauid to the siege made by Titus were 1179 yeares from the building of the city to the destruction therof 2177. yeres Yet such was the deformity of their sins and their ingratitude in Gods sight as neither the antiquitie of their Citie neither their wōderful riches neither their renown throughout the world nor the glorie of their religion was able to defend it from vtter desolation A noble woman Marie by name daughter to Eleazer dwelling beyond Iordan and flying to Hierusalem for aide was there besieged with others In the time of the great famine she killed her own son and when she had eaten part she reserued the rest Others perceiuing that shee had gotten some meate did manace death vnto her vnlesse shee woulde tell where it was hidde Which shee doing for feare they were all astonied at the sight thereof It is my sonne saith the woman eate thereof for I haue eaten before you I woulde neither haue you more effeminate then a woman nor more pitifull then a mother O horrible monster of the worlde What can bee more vnnaturall then the fact What more cruell then the wordes Ouer and besides those that were slaine in the famine plague and the sworde sixteene thousand were sent by Titus to Alexandria there to doe seruile workes as bondmen Two thousand hee carried with him for a triumph whom in publicke spectacles hee proposed to be deuoured of wilde beastes CHAP. V. Of Constantinus surnamed the Great COnstantinus for his pietie and heroicall vertues surnamed the Great was the first Cesar that professed Christ and christianitie He was a right christian in deed as who for a manifest signe of his true zeale in religion had the gospel of Christ Iesus caried publickly before him He commanded the holy Bibles to be copied out of his owne priuate charges and to bee sent into all partes of Christendome He called togither the learned men from all partes of the world to consult and giue their opinions concerning controuersies in religion During which time of disputation as also for their iournies to and fro hee graunted them free allowance of all necessarie prouision He withstoode the tyrannie of Maxentius and restored peace vnto the Church He builded the citie of Constantinople terming it by his owne name where was before a goodly mart towne then called Bizantium Thither was the empire translated and the citie called new Rome For he enuironed it with large walles and added magnificall building thereunto The obseruation The papistes here babling after their woonted maner tell vs a tale of Robin hoode and little Iohn that forsooth Constantine was baptized in Rome of Siluester that the very font in which he was christened is this day to be seene there and many other fabulous illations grounded thereupon To which I answere first with their owne deare frier and learned schooleman Victoria that such doctrine was first inuented by their flattering and beggerly Canonistes I say secondly that their owne canon law in the 96. distinction termeth this kinde of doctrine false counterfeite and not worthy of any
dominioÌ„s read the holy bibles in their vulgar tongues and cause their subiectes to doe the like a thing neuer heard of by any writers of approoued antiquitie A doubt S. Peter saith that certaine places of S. Paules epistles be hard to be vnderstood and S. Hierome in his Commentaries vpon Ezechiel saith that amongst the Iewes none could be permitted to reade the beginning of Genesis the Canticles the beginning and ending of Ezechiel vntill he were 36. yeres of age The answer I answere with S. Austen that whatsoeuer is necessary for mans saluation is plainly set downe in holy scripture and that which is obscure in one place is made manifest by another his words I haue alledged in my book of Motiues in the tenth chapter and second conclusion The fourth section of the Prophet Daniel Daniel was a prophet of the tribe of Iuda descended of noble parentage and being a childe was carried from Iurie to Babilon Epiphanius de vit interrit Prophet Of Daniel hee was called Balthazar Which name was giuen him either as Iosephus saith of king Nabuchodonozor or as Lud. Viues saith of the kinges Eunuche who had charge of the kinges children This is certaine that hee was called Balthasar in Babylon Orig. in Num. cap. 31. hom 25. Daniel preached in Babylon in the very time of the captiuitie Dan. 1. ver 7. Daniel departed out of this life in Babylon and was buried with great honour his sepulchre is this day to be seene in Babylon renowmed throughout the world Epiphanius vbi supra CHAP. XI Of the Prophets called the lesser The first section why some were called the greater and other some the lesser FOure to wit Esay Ieremie Ezechiel and Daniel were called the greater Prophets because they wrote greater and larger volumes Twelue to wit Osee Ioel Amos Abdias Ionas Micheas Nahum Abacuc Sophonias Aggeus Zacharias Malachias were called y e lesser because they wrote smaller lesser volumes Aug. de ciuit lib. 18. c. 29. in princ Of these Prophetes as the latter were neerer the time of Christ so had they clearer reuelations of Christ then the former Gloss. in 1. Reg. 3. The second Section of Osee. Asarias who was also called Ozias of the stocke of Dauid reigned in Ierusalem ouer the two tribes which were called Iuda 52. yeares After him Ioatham his sonne reigned 16. yeares after Ioatham Achab his sonne reigned in like maner 16. yeares in the eleuenth yeare of whose reigne the ten tribes which were called Israel were taken of Salmanasar the king of the Caldees and placed in the mountaines of the Medes After Achas reigned his sonne Ezechias 28 yeres whereby it is cleere that when Osee Esay Ioel Amos Abdias Ionas and Micheas prophesied who were all at one time then was the kingdome of the ten tribes ended Which continued from Ieroboam the first king vntill Osee the last the space of 250. yeares The same time that Osias began to reigne ouer Iuda Ieroboam king Iehu his Nephewes sonne reigned the 12. yeare ouer Israel because God had promised that his seede should reigne vntill the fourth generation for smiting two wicked kinges of Iuda and Israel this I write 〈◊〉 S. Hierome to shew that Osee wrote both before and 〈◊〉 the captiuitie of Israel Hier. in 1. cap Osee. see the eight â—â—â—pter and sixt section per tot sect Osee prophesied that the Iewes should be conuerted at the latter end of the worlde He preached against the tenne tribes of their fornication and of the destruction of Samaria he spake something also of the other two tribes Gloss in princ 1. ca. Osee. Osee foretolde the comming of the Messias and that this should be the signe of his comming To wit if that oake in Selom be clouen of it selfe into twelue partes and be made so many oake trees and it came so to passe Epiphan de Prophet vit eter The third section of Ioel. The Prophet Iohel the sonne of Phatuel was borne in the territorie of Bethor descended of the tribe of Ruben He prophesied much of Ierusalem and of the consummation of the Gentiles He died in peace and was buried with honour in his owne countrey Epiphan vbi supr Like as in Osee vnder the name of Ephraim the prophesie is extended to the tenne tribes who are often called Samaria or Israel euen so whatsoeuer Ioel saith pertaineth to Iuda and Ierusalem Hier. in 1 cap. Ioel. Ioel prophesied in the daies of king Ioatham who succeeded king Ozias Aug. de ciuit lib 18. cap 27. but S. Hierome extendeth the time further euen to the reignes of Ozias Ioatham Achas and Ezechias Hier. in Ioel. The fourth section of Amos. Amos was borne in Thecue descended of the tribe of Zabulon he was father to Esay the Prophet so saith Epiphan de prophet vit inter but saint Austen and saint Hierome think otherwise as I haue shewed Amos was of Thecue six miles South from holy Bethlehem where our Sauiour Christ was borne Hier. in comment Amos. S. Basill saith that Amos was a shepheard but God instructed him with his holy spirite and so aduaunced him to the dignitie of a prophet Basilius Epist. 55. Amos prophesied in the daies of Ozias when Esaias began his prophesie Hier. in Esaiam lib. 3 cap. 7. Aug. de ciuit lib. 18 cap. 27 He prophesied also in the time of Ieroboam the sonne of Ioas king of Israel Hier. in 1. cap. Amos. The fift section of Abdias Abdias or Obadiah was the steward of king Achabs house the king of Israel 3. King 18. verse 3. he hid Gods prophets in caues and fed them with bread and water ver 4. he gaue ouer the kings court ioyned himselfe to the prophet Elias and became his disciple Epiphanius Hieronymus Abdias is briefe in wordes but pithie in matter because he hid the 100. prophets in caues he was aduaunced to the dignitie of a prophet and where before hee was the captaine of an armie he now became the captaine of Gods Church then hee fed a little flocke in Samaria nowe he feedeth Christes churches in the whole world Hier. in Abdiam yet saint Hierome vpon Osee maketh Abdias 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to Esaias which seemeth verie probable The sixt section of the Prophet Ionas The prophet Ionas was appointed of God to preach to the Niniuites that the citie after three daies shoulde be destroied but he being afraid to preach to that great city of the Assyrians fled from the presence of the Lord and went downe into a ship that went to Tarshishe but when a great tempest arose the marriners cast Ionas into the Sea and hee was in the belly of a great fishe three daies and three nightes and after that he was deliuered out of the Whales bellie and brought to the dry land TheÌ„ the word of the Lord came to Ionas the second time he preached to the Niniuites and they by repentance appeased the wrath of God Ionas cap. 1. 3 Athanas.
in synop Ionas liued in the daies of Elias who reprooued Achab the king of Samaria He was the sonne of the widow of Sarepta whom Elias restored to life for her hospitalitie towardes him So writeth Epiphanius but others thinke otherwise Let the Reader vse his owne iudgement herein Ionas did prophesie Christes death and resurrection more significantly by his passion then by his worde or preaching For to what end was he swallowed vp of the Whale and restored againe the third day but to signifie Christes rising from the dead the third day Aug. de ciuit lib. 18. cap. 30. Yea Christ himselfe interpreted the prophesie of Ionas euen as S. Austen doth For he obiected against the Iewes for their incredulitie Ionas his comming out of the Whales belly as a most vndoubted signe of his resurrection Mat. 12. ver 40. Luc. 11. verse 30. The Hebrewes say that Ionas was the sonne of the widow of Sarepta whom the prophet Elias restored from death They also write that Osee and Amos Esay and Ionas prophesied at the selfe same time Hier. hic in prooem The seuenth Section of the Prophet Micheas Micheas the Moralist which is by interpretation humble and fellow heire with Christ was a prophet of the tribe of Ephraim Epiphanius He was so charitably affectced towards the Israelites his brethren that he wished himselfe to haue bin destitute of the spirite of Prophesie to haue been reckoned amongst the false Prophets to haue preached an vntrueth and himselfe to haue perished alone so that such a multitude should beleeue in Christ and not be deliuered to captiuitie euerlasting Hier. in cap. 2. Mich. Albeit Micheas was of the same time with Osee Amos and Esay who prophesied in the time of Osias king of Iuda yet did not Micheas preach in the daies of Ozias but in the time of Ioatham his sonne after whom Achas reigned Ezechias succeeding in the empire of his father Achas in whose daies the ten tribes felt their captiuitie amongst the Assyrians Hier. hic in cap. 1. Aug. de ciu lib. 18. cap 27. Micheas prophesied against Ierusalem and Samaria and against Achab. Mich cap. 1.3 Reg. 22. Athanas in Synopsi The eight Section of Nahum Nahum euen as Ionas did directeth his prophesie to Niniuie the great citie of the Assyrians which is now called Ninus And because y e Niniuites after God had mercifully released the punishment foretold by Ionas committed greater offences then before this Prophet Nahum doth denounce vnto the said Niniuites to al y e persecuters of Israel Gods iudgment and euerlasting captiuitie And withall hee comforteth the faithfull shewing that the destruction of their enemies shall be for their consolation Nah. cap 1.2.3 Hier. in proaem Nahum was the sonne of Helkeseus who after the tradition of the Hebrewes was also himselfe a prophet He prophesied in the time of Ezechias Hier Gloss. After Iosephus he prophesied in the time of Ioatham king of Iuda Ioseph antiq lib 9 cap. 11. All thinges foretold of Niniuie were fulfilled in the hundred and fiteenth yeare Iosephus Ibidem The 9. Section of Abacuc Like as Nahum whome Abacuc followeth prophecieth against Niniue and the Assyrians who destroyed the ten tribes called Israel euen so Abacuc prophecieth against Babylon and king Nabuchedonosor by whom the two tribes called Iuda as also the temple were ouerthrowen Hier hic in proaemio Abacuc prophecied many things of the aduent of our Sauior 2. yeres before the Iews returned from Babylon he died and was honorably buried in his owne house Epiphanius The 10. Section of Sophonias Sophonie was of the tribe of Simeon borne in the mount Sarabatha Epiphanius Sophonias the prophet descended of noble progenitours Chusa was his father Godolias his grandfather Amarias his great grandfather Ezechias father to his great grandfather who all by the tradition of the Hebrewes were also prophets Hier. in 1. cap. Sophon Sophonias prophecied in Hierusalem and in all Iewrie he foretold the day in which all their idolles should be ouerthrowen and affliction come vpon them He also prophecied of our Sauiour and of his resurrection After that hee preached against Gaza Ascalon Azoto Accaron Moab Ammō Damascus Niniuie against the Aethiopians Athanas. in synopsi Sophonias prophecied in the dayes of Iosias the sonne of Amon the king of Iuda and so it is euident that he prophecied before the captiuitie of Babylon cap. 1. Sophon Lyranus ibidem The 11. Section of the prophet Aggaeus Aggeus directed his prophesie specially to Zorobabel and Iesus the sonne of Iosedech and then to all the people in Iuda and Hierusalem commaunding them to build vp againe the temple of the Lord. Lyranus in princ S. Austen saith that these three prophets Aggeus Zacharias and Malachias prophecied in the end of the captiuitie Aug. de ciuit lib. 18. cap. 35. which yet must be vnderstood after the returne from the captiuitie whereof saint Austen could not be ignorant since it is plainely said in the first of Haggai that in the sixt month of the second yeare of the raigne of king Darius he receiued the gift of prophecie This case shall appeare more clearely in the second booke in the discourse of the first monarchie In which place marke this point attentiuely Haggeus so soone as he saw the temple of Ierusalem builded with his corporall eies for he saw it before in vision so soone did hee sing praises to the Lorde and that doone ended his life in the same place where he was very honourably buried Epiphanius The 12. Section of the prophet Zacharias Zacharias sonne of Barachias the sonne of Addo the prophet beganne to prophesie two moneths after Aggeus that is in the eight moneth of the second yeere of Darius chap. 1. Zachar. There were sundry Zacharies one the sonne of Ioiada another the sonne of Barachias an other the father of saint Iohn the Baptist. Whereupon ariseth a great controuersie amongest the learned which of all these was that Zacharie whom the Iewes as Christ chargeth them in the 23. of Mathew murdered betweene the temple and the altar Hier. in Matt. lib. 4. cap. 23. prope finem Zacharias after hee had prophecied many things of Ierusalem and animated the people to builde the temple and had also reprooued the sluggishnesse of the prophets and priests hee died in his decrepite age and was buried with Aggeus Epiphanius The 13. Section of the prophet Malachie The prophet Malachie was of the tribe of Zabulon borne after the returne of the Iewes from Babylon in Sopha the land of Zabulon Epiphanius Malachias was the last of all the prophets who after the returne from the captiuitie and building againe of the temple foretold the desolation therof and the ceasing of their sacrifice Hier. apud Eder Malachie prophecied of the day of iudgement and of the incarnation of our Sauiour he foretold that Elias to wit Iohn the Baptist shoulde be sent before his aduent Athanas. in synopsi CHAP. XII Of the diuerse names
were the heads of the twelue Tribes Rachel Ioseph Ge. 35.22 these were the heads of the twelue Tribes Beniamin Ge. 35.22 these were the heads of the twelue Tribes Bala Dan Ge. 35.22 these were the heads of the twelue Tribes Nephtali Ge. 35.22 these were the heads of the twelue Tribes he liued 147. yeres Gen. 47. ve 28. hee was 70. yeeres in Egypt Ioseph was ruler of Egypt 80. yeeres he died when he was one hundred and tenne yeres old Gen. 50. verse 26. After these Patriarks the Hebrews liued in bondage to the Egyptians but 144. yeeres albeit as is already prooued their whole abode in Egypt was 215. yeares See the third age and the probation thereof CHAP. V. Containing a Table of the Princes and Iudges of the Hebrewes The princes of the Hebrewes were these two Moses he ruled 40. yeares Iosue he ruled 27. yeres or 40 together w t Othoniel Moses and Iosue are not reckoned among the Iudges because they did not onely iudge but also rule the people Lyranus There were 13. Iudges ouer the Hebrewes amoÌ„g whom Othoniel A. M. 2572 ruled yeres A. M. 2852 40 Aioth A. M. 2572 ruled yeres A. M. 2852 80 Barach A. M. 2572 ruled yeres A. M. 2852 40 Gedeon A. M. 2572 ruled yeres A. M. 2852 40 Abimelech A. M. 2572 ruled yeres A. M. 2852 3 Thola A. M. 2572 ruled yeres A. M. 2852 23 Iair A. M. 2572 ruled yeres A. M. 2852 22 Iephthe A. M. 2572 ruled yeres A. M. 2852 6 Abesan A. M. 2572 ruled yeres A. M. 2852 7 Ahialon A. M. 2572 ruled yeres A. M. 2852 10 Abdon A. M. 2572 ruled yeres A. M. 2852 8 Samson A. M. 2572 ruled yeres A. M. 2852 20 Heli y e priest A. M. 2572 ruled yeres A. M. 2852 40 All this is prooued in the second chapter aforegoing in the fourth age Here is to be obserued that from Iair to Iepthe there was no iudge which was for the space of eighteene yeeres together Iud. 10. verse 4 5 8 seq The prophet Elias was Gods messenger in Samaria in the dayes of Asa and Iosaphat the good kings of Iuda 3. Ki. 15.24 and in the time of Achab the bad king of Israel 3. Ki. 18. the heart of king Asa was perfit all his dayes 2. Paralip 15.17 and king Iosaphat sought the Lord and walked in the wayes of his father Dauid 2. Paral. 17. about the age of the world 3088. CHAP. VI. Containing a Table of the kings of Iuda and of Israel The kingdome of the Hebrewes vnited vnder king Saul with whom was Samuel Acts 13 Dauid Salomon deuided into the kingdom of Iuda or the two tribes of Iuda and Beniamin whose kings were Roboam Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3410 17 yeeres Abias Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3410 3 Asa Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3410 41 Iosaphat Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3410 25 Ioram Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3410 8 Ochozias Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3410 1 Athalia Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3410 7 Ioas Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3410 40 Amazias Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3410 29 Ozias Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3410 52 Ioathan Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3410 16 Achaz Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3410 16 Ezechias Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3410 29 Manasses Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3410 55 Amon Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3410 2 Iosias Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3410 31 Ioachas Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3410 3 moneths Eliachim or Ioachim Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3410 11 yeeres Iechonias or Ioachim or Coniah Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3410 3 moneths Sedechias Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3410 11 yeeres Israel or Samaria whose kings were Ieroboam Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3283 21 yeeres Nadab Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3283 2 Baasa Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3283 24 Hela Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3283 2 Amri or Omri Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3283 12 Achab Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3283 22 Ochozias Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3283 2â— Ioram Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3283 12 Iehu Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3283 28 Ioachas Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3283 17 Ioas Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3283 16 Hieroboam Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3283 41 Zacharias Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3283 6 moneths Sellum Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3283 1 moneth Manahen Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3283 10 yeeres Phacêas or Pekahiah Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3283 2 Phacêe or Pekah Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3283 20 Oseâ—or Hosheah Anno mundi 3030 and raigned Anno mundi 3283 9 yeeres Peruse the second chapter aforegoing where these things are prooued sufficiently CHAP. VII Of the captiuitie and circumstances thereto pertaining The first Section Of the time of the Captiuitie THe Babylonians besieged the citie of Hierusalem and tooke it in the eleuenth yeare of the raigne of Sedechias in the ninth day of the 4. month to whom Nabuchodonozor had giuen commission for the siege while himselfe was at Reblatha The city being taken king Sedechias with his wiues children nobles and friendes fled away by night into the wildernesse But the Babylonians pursued after them and Sedechias with his wiues children and friendes were brought before the king Nabuchodonozor whom after the king had sharply reprooued for the breach of promise he caused his children and friendes to be slaine before his eies That done he caused Sedechias to be bound in chaines his eies to be pulled out and so to be carried to Babylon In the first day of the first moneth he commanded to burne the citie to bring away all the vessels of gold and siluer out of the temple and to leade all the people captiue vnto Babylon Ioseph 10. lib. antiq cap. 11. The temple was burnt after the building thereof 470. yeares monethes sixe dayes ten after the departure out of Egypt 1062. yeares moneths sixe dayes ten after the deluge 1950. yeares moneths sixe dayes ten after the creation of Adam 3513. yeres monethes sixe daies ten so writeth Iosephus who was himselfe a Iew a Priest otherwise of good credite and wrote the thinges that were done in his time neuerthelesse I haue prooued in the second chapter where the fift age is handled that the temple could not stand
so long For from the building thereof vntill the captiuitie be onely 432. yeares and eleuen yeares after that was it burnt as is prooued in the second doubt of this present chapter The captiuitie began the fourth yeare of Ioachim aliâs Eliachim Iere. 25. ver 1. Daniel with others of the Nobilitie were carried captiues Dan. 1. ver 3. yea Ioachim himself was bound with chaines and so carried to Babell 2. Paralip 36. ver 6. Nabuchodonozor carried away into Babell Ioachims mother his wiues his Eunuches and the mightie of the land carried he away into captiuitie from Ierusalem vnto Babell 4. King cap. 24. verse 15. The king of Babell made Matthanias his vncle king in his steed and changed his name to Sedechias verse 17. ibid. The first doubt The captiuitie beganne when Ieconias was carried away captiue to Babylon as it seemeth in S. Mathew cap. 1. v. 11. And yet was he eight yeares old when he was caried into Babylon 2. Par. 36. ver 9. before which time hee did not reigne ibid. Therefore the captiuitie could not beginne in the 11. yere of Sedechias as Iosephus and the Hebrews reckon neither at the birth of Ieconias as S. Mathew writeth The answere For the manifestation of this difficultie we must obserue that Ierusalem was thrise taken by the Babylonians to wit in the daies of Ioachim Iechonias and Sedechias 4. King ca. 24. 25. By reason whereof some reckon the beginning of the captiuitie from Ioachim some from Ieconias other some as the Hebrewes doe generally from the 11. yeare of king Sedechias See the answere of the third doubt heereof I haue spoken more at large in the second chapter in the handling of the fift age The second doubt The Prophet Ieremie writeth that the Citie of Ierusalem was burnt togither with the kinges pallace and the temple in the tenth day of the fift moneth in the 19. yeare of king Nebuchad-nezar Iere. 52. verse 12. but as the booke of Kings saith it was burnt in the seuenth day of the said moneth 2. Kin. 25. verse 8. The answere I answere that the citie was three daies in burning to wit from the seuenth day vntill the tenth Ieremie therefore speaking of the end is not contrarie to the booke of the kings speaking of the originall thereof The third doubt The prophet Daniel saith that the calamitie began in the third yeare of king Ioachim or Iehoiakim Dan. 1 ver 1. but the prophet Ieremie affirmeth that it was in the fourth yeare of Iehoiachim and in the first yeare of Nabuchad-nezar king of Babell Ier. cap. 25. verse 1. The answere We must here obserue that the captiuitie the first of the three was in the end of the third yeare of Ioachim as Daniel truely writeth in rigour of supputation yet may it be well said that it began in the fourth yeare as we reade in Ieremie because the remnant in the third yeare was in effect nothing at all The second Section Of the time of the siege The citie of Ierusalem was besieged the space of two yeres that is from the ninth yeare vntill the eleuenth of king Sedechias 4. Kin. 25. ver 1 2. during the time of which siege the famine was so sore and vrgent that the handes of pitifull mothers sod their own children to be their meate Lam. Ier. ca. 4. verse 10. which thing seemeth so repugnant to nature as it were ineredible to be tolde if holy writ had not first reported it The like horror was among mothers in murthering their children when Titus in the second yeare of Vespatianus his father besieged it and manie murthered themselues because the famine was so great The 3. Section Of Noe his floud The scripture recordeth that when God saw the wickednes of man to be great on earth and all the thoughtes of his heart to be naught continually it repented him that he had created man Wherefore his holy will was this to destroy from the face of the earth the man whom hee hadde made from man to beast to the creeping thinges and to the foules of the aire And this God purposed to doe by drowning of the world with a generall floud of water Yet Noah found fauour in Gods sight so that himselfe his wife his sonnes and their wiues eight persons in all with cattell foules and all liuing things two of euery sorte were saued in the arke Gen. 6.7 Noah was 600. yeares olde when the floud was vpon the earth Gen. chap. 7. ver 6. the floud preuailed on the earth 150. dayes Gen. 7. ver 24. The floud continued a whole yere Gen. 8. ver 13. It was in the yere of the world 1656. For from Adam to the birth of Noah are 1056. Gen. 5. And from the birth of Noah till the floud are 600. yeares The fourth Section Of the building of the temple King Salomon builded the temple in the fourth yeare of his raigne which was in the 480. yeare after the children of Israel were come out of Egypt 3. Kin. 6. ver 1. And in the yeare of the world after Iosephus 3102. after others 3149. but after the exact supputation 2994. as is already prooued While the temple was a building K. Salomon appointed seuentie thousand to beare burdens foure score thousand to hew stones in the mountaines and three thousand sixe hundreth ouerseers to cause the people to worke Par. cap. 2. ver 18. The fift Section Of the abode of the Israelites in Egypt There is a great controuersie and varietie not to be dissembled amongst Historiographers and learned writers concerning the time that the Israelites were in Egypt For Moses saith that the Israelites were in Egypt 430. yeares In Genesis it is said that they were there only 400. yeares S. Stephen saith that Abrahams seed should be a soiourner 400. yeares in a strange land And yet it is very certaine by authenticall supputation of the Scriptures that they were in Egypt only 215. yeares so that we want two hundreth yeares and odde of the accompt made in Genesis Exodus and the Actes S. Hierome confessed freely that he knew not howe to reconcile these places of the holy scripture S. Chrysostome reconcileth the places thus to wit that God appointed the Israelites to abide 400. yeares in Egypt yet for the heynous sinnes of the Egyptians he shortened the time euen as he abridged the 120 yeares which he graunted before the floud vnto men that they might repent and brought them to one hundreth Neither was Niniuie destroied after 40. daies Neither died Ezechias as God had said I answere therefore with Saint Austen and other learned writers that the 400. yeares mentioned in Genesis and in the Acts must be reckoned from the birth of Isaach vntill the departure out of Egypt and the 430. from Abrahams going out of his countrie For the seed of Abraham was so long afflicted in a land not their owne as the scripture speabeth Partly in Palestine partly in Mesopotamia and
kinges of Persia as Pharaoh was the common name of all kinges of Egypt and as Caesar was the common name of all the Emperours of Rome The second obseruation The custome of the Persians was this that when anie king went to warre against any strange nation hee left his sonne or the next of the bloud royall to bee king in his place Cyrus therefore when hee had warre against the Scythians and marched towarde them appointed Cambyses his sonne king of the countrey in his absence according to the custome of the Persians Xerxes likewise the sonne of Histaspis succeeded his father but left his kingdome to his sonne Longimain when hee went to warre against the Greekes in regarde heereof sundrie writers doe not place Cambyses and Xerxes in the lineall order of succession which point must bee well obserued to auoide obscuritie and to reconcile the dissenting historiographers CHAP. II. Of the time of repairing the temple in Hierusalem KIng Cyrus in the first yeare of his raigne as hee was the Persian monarke set the Iewes at liberty and appointed them to build the Temple againe in Hierusalem I say as monarke because as learned men write hee had raigned certain yeres in Persia before he tooke Babylon became the monarke Cambyses and other aduersaries did a long time hinder the building of the Temple so as it had not the accomplishment vntill the sixt yeare of Darius Assuerus Esdr. 6. vers 15. Albeit Darius in his second yeare gaue commandement that the worke should go forward Esdr. chap. 4. ver 24. The first difficultie The Iewes obiected against our Sauiour Christ that their temple was 46. yeares a building Ioh. 2. vers 20. yet by the supputation already made in the fourth section of the first chapter and second booke it cannot be so much The answere I say first that concerning the supputation of yeeres there is great varietie amongst historiographers Eusebius reckoneth the time from the 55. Olympiade to the 64. Olympiade inclusiuè that is 40. yeres others reckon 21. yeres others 23. others 30. neither agreeing with the account of the Iews neither yet with the raign of the monarks I say secondly that the teÌ„ple was 46. yeres in building as the Iews affirmed who best knew the time and their assertion is not dissonant from the raigne of the monarks for Cyrus raigned 30. yeares Cambyses 8. yeares Smerdes 7. moneths Darius sixe yeares and Nehemias after that builded vp the walles The replie The temple was finished in the sixt yeare of Darius as recordeth Esdras and so wee want one whole yeare and fiue months of the 46. yeeres whereof the Iewes spake The answere I answer that the temple is said to be finished in the 6. yere of Darius because all the worke in effect was then accomplished neuerthelesse some part thereof was left vndone because Nehemias after that builded vp the walles as wee reade in the first second and third chapter of his booke The second difficulty Cambyses Esdras 4. verse 6.7 is called Assuerus and Artaâ—â—rxes so as the names seeme to be confounded The answere I say first that Cambyses successor to king Cyrus a louing and mercifull Prince who furthered in all respectes the godly desire of the Iewes was a naughtie wicked and tyrannicall regent one that wholly bent himselfe against God and against his peculiar flocke Wherein appeareth the vncertaintie of mans felicitie in this worlde while a godly father hath to his successor a wicked and vngodly sonne a sonne that reuoketh the priuiledges which his father gaue to the people of God But his life was short miserable and bloudy the proper reward of all brutish tyrannie For as hee mounted vppon his horse hee sodainly fell vpon his disâ—ased sword and so had a bloudie end I say secondly that Artaxerxes is a name common to all the kinges of Persia to which name Assuerus is equiualent with the Hebrewes and so Cambyses is indifferently called Artaxerxes or Assuerus as is saide in the first obseruation The third difficultie Esdras writeth that the Iewes were appointed by three seuerall kinges of Persia to reare vp againe their temple Esdras 6. verse 14. and therefore not only at the first by Cyrus and afterwardes by Darius but also by Artaxerxes the third The answere I aunswere as I said before that Artaxerxes is the common name to all the kinges of Persia which obseruation if it once be forgotten many difficulties will ensue thereupon When Esdras therefore saith by the commaundement of Cyrus and Darius and Artaxerxes it is all one as if hee had saide and Darius which is also called Artaxerxes for the particle and is there not copulatiue but expositiue as in other places also CHAP. III. Of the continuance of the monarchie Darius Ochus was a tyrannicall and bloudthirstie king he murdered his two brethren that so he might enioy the kingdome Hee made warre with the Egyptians and by that meanes cruelly vexed the Iewes By this prince and vntil the time of Alexander the great the church was euer in great miserie and affliction All the priuiledges graunted by Cyrus and Darius were vtterly taken away but God who neuer wil forsake his church though hee suffer it to be tossed and turmoiled for a time in the end brought solace and true ioy vnto the Iewes For shortly Darius Ochus was slaine of Bagoses by whom also Arsames was murdered and Darius Arbelas the last king of the Persians was ouercome and slaine of Alexander the Great So that the monarchie of the Persians endured 249. yeares and eight moneths after the supputation of others 191. whereof more at large hereafter The resistance was so great that the Iewes were enforced to builde with one hand and to holde their weapons in the other Nehe. 4. verse 17. The Monarchie of the Persians reached from India euen to Ethiopia ouer an hundred and seuen and twentie prouinces Est. cap. 1. verse 1. Darius Assuerus king of the Medes Persians and Chaldeans to shewe the riches and glorie of his kingdome and the honour of his maiestie made a feast to all his princes and seruauntes and to all captaines and gouernours of his prouinces for the space of an hundred and fourescore dayes And when these daies were expired the king made another feast to all the people of Susan the chiefe citie both vnto the great and small none excepted This he did for the space of seuen daies in the court of the kinges pallace vnder an hanging of white greene and blew clothes fastened with cordes of fine linnen and purple in siluer ringes and pillers of marble The beds were of golde and of siluer vppon a pauement of porphirie and marble and alabaster and blew colour They gaue them drink in vessels of gold and chaunged vessell after vessell and royall wine in aboundance according to the power of the king and none was compelled to drinke more then as best pleased him Est. cap. 1. v. 3 4 5 6 7 8. The
same day at Rome and S. Philip that blessed disciple of Christ was about the same time crucified at Hierapolis a citie in Asia Of Andrew and Bartholomew S. Andrew preached the gospel in Scythia Thracia Macedonia Thessalia and Achaia At the length the proconsul Aegaeas caused him to be crucified because he perswaded Maximilla his wife and Stantocles his brother to detest his vnchristian impietie and to embrace the faith of Christ Iesus Hee was buried in Achaia with his auncestors S. Bartholomew after he had preached the gospel to the Indians was at length rewarded with the cruell torture of the crosse and buried in Armenia the great Of Iames the sonne of Zebedee S. Iames the sonne of Zebedeus preached the gospel to the twelue tribes which were in dispersion and for his paines was at the length beheaded of Herod the Tetrarch who was also called Agrippa He was buried in the citie Marmarica and king Herod who beheaded him was eaten vp with wormes Of Iohn S. Iohn his brother preached the gospel in Asia and being driuen into exile in the Ile Pathmos by Domitian the emperour he there both wrote the gospel and had his reuelation He died at Ephesus in the time of Traianus the Emperour Where note by the way to auoid the varietie which seemeth in some of the auncient fathers and historiographers that albeit Domitian banished S. Iohn into Pathmos yet did S. Iohn suruiue Domitian and died in the daies and reigne of Traian Of Thomas S. Thomas called also Didymus after he had preached to the Parthians Medes Persians and Indians was wounded with dartes in his sides and so being buried in Calamina a citie in India came to him whose sides he before had felt Christ Iesus Of Mathew S. Mathew of a publican became an Apostle preached the gospel of Christ zealously and conuerted many to the christian faith Hee wrote the gospel in the Hebrew tongue and was buried in Hierapolis Where note by the way that although many of the old writers affirme S. Mathew to haue written in Hebrew yet some learned do think that he wrote in greeke which opinion I preferre as more probable but how soeuer that be it skilleth not much for the Greeke which now is only exstant is admitted of all as authenticall Yea as Theophilactus recordeth they that holde saint Mathew to haue written in hebrew do not denie but Saint Iohn translated it into greeke and consequently since S. Iohn was no lesse inspired with the holy ghost then Saint Mathew it must needes follow that the greeke copie is as authenticall as the Hebrew if any such could be found Of Iames the sonne of Alphee Saint Iames the son of Alpheus the brother of our Lord surnamed Iustus after he had preached at Gaza Eleutheropolis and other countreyes adiacent was made the Bishop of Hierusalem where he was stoned to death of the Iewes and buried in the temple Of Iudas Thaddaeus Saint Iudas Thaddeus called also Lebbeus preached in Iudea Galilea Samaria Idumea Arabia Syria and Mesopotamia at the length he came to Edessa where preaching the gospel of peace he died in peace Of Symon Zelotes Saint Symon surnamed Zelotes for his great zeale towards his master Christ Iesus called also Cananeus bicause he was borne in Cana Galilea after he had preached the gospell in Egypt Africa Mauritania Lybia and in the occidentall parts and had confirmed the same with many myracles he was crucified vnder Traianus being 120. yeares of age Of Matthias Saint Matthias one of the 70. disciples was reckoned with the eleuen in stead of Iudas Iscarioth He preached in Ethiopia where he suffered many tortures was almost stoned to death and then beheaded An addition for the complement of this chapter Saint Iames the Great and Saint Iohn the Euangelist were the sonnes of Zebedeus the husband of Salome Saint Iames the lesse surnamed Iustus and the brother of our Lord Saint Iudas Thaddeus and Symon Zelotes were the sons of Cleophas the husband of Mary who was sister to the blessed virgin Mary CHAP. IX Of the three sonnes of Constantine COnstantine when he had raigned 38. yeares appointed by his last will and testament that his three sonnes Constantinus Constantius and Constans should rule the Empire in seuerall parts seuerally to wit Constantinus in France Spaine and Germanie Constantius in the East Constans in Italie and Illyricum Constantinus was not content with partiall assigned gouernment but desired to haue the sole and onely administration of the Empire for which cause hauing too much confidence in the power of man specially in an euil cause he made warres against his brother Constans in Italie but by that occasion he was slaine and so his brother Constans possessed al the West Empire CHAP. X Of Iulianus apostata IVlianus Apostata was nephew to Constantius and brother to Gallus he was so excellent wel learned that in his youth he read the scriptures publikely in the church of Nicomedia afterwards he went to the famous vniuersitie of Athens and studied there but after the death of his brother Gallus Constantius sent him into France and Germanie Not farre from Argentoratum hee put to flight 30 thousand Almains for which cause by the fauour of the souldiers he was sodainely at Argentoratum designed Emperour At such time as great dissention arose among christians through diuersitie of opinions in Religion in so much that some dispaired and other some fell to Idolatrie then the new Emperour Iulianus preferring his owne sonne before the true worship of God and thinking that to abandon the christian religion was to aduance his royall and imperiall estate forsooke the Christian faith denied Christ openly and became an Apostata He inhibited christians to serue in warres amongst the Romaines he ouerthrew the schooles of learning and spoyled the churches of their treasures Which thing hee did in derision telling the Christians that hee fauoured them in so doing because through pouertie they might sooner come to heauen CHAP. XI Of the Manichees THe Manichees began their heresie in the dayes of Aurelianus Emperor of Rome whose grand-master was Manes a Persian borne This Manes dispersed his poyson in very large circuits First in Arabia after that in Africa This heresie increased so mightily as it coulde not be quenched by the space of two hundred yeares this was the fundamentall ground of their false and hereticall doctrine that there are two Gods the one good and the other bad and yet both to be eternall This doctrine seemed plausible to mans reason at the first publishing thereof for since God is good of his owne nature and yet euill aboundeth in the worlde it seemeth to followe necessarily that as there is a good God so there must also bee a peculiar euill God equall to the good God in power and eternitie The Manichees will neither eate flesh neither egges neither milke neither doe they drinke wine albeit they will
eate grapes they thinke that hearbes trees and plants haue life in such manner as they feele great paine when one cutteth or plucketh them vppe by the rootes or otherwise for this respect they deeme it an heynous offence to purge the field from thornes and thistles and so they condemne husbandrie the most innocent art of all as guiltie of many murders yet they thinke husbandrie or tillage of the grounde to bee pardonable in their auditors because by that their labor they bring foode to their elect in whose bellies the substance is purged and the offence taken away And consequently although themselues do no murders actually as they preteÌ„d yet do they liue of manifest murders practised by others really Where note by the way that the church of the Manichees consisted of two sortes of people their elect and their auditors They held this fantasticall opinion that whosoeuer did eate flesh should be made the same thing which he did eate As for example if a man did eate an hogge he should be made a hog if a bull he should become a bull if a bird he should be a bird if a fish a fish and so in the rest The Manichees held also that if any man marry a wife that same man so soone as he passeth out of this life is changed into another bodie and becommeth a woman Yea they say further that if a man kil a man an asse or other liuing thing that man straight after his death is changed into that liuing thing which he killed be it a mouse serpent or whatsoeuer else The Manichees vse to blesse their meates in this manner O bread neither did I reape thee neither did I grinde thee neither did I make thee neither did I bake thee but an other did al these things and brought thee to me my selfe therefore do eate thee without offence These and other like monstrous assertions did this heresie bring forth This is the grace that they vse CHAP. XII Of the Pelagians taken out of Saint Augustine PElagius sometime a monke and a Brytan borne extolled free-will so much that hee ascribed little or nothing vnto grace He affirmed that man may keepe all Gods holy commaundements without his diuine grace and being reprooued saith saint Austen for derogating so much from the grace of God he answered with vnchristian subtiltie that grace was therefore giuen to man that hee might keepe Gods lawes with more facilitie That grace saith Pelagius without which wee can doe nothing that good is is onely in our free-will which free-will God ingraffed in our nature without any our deserts so that God helpeth vs by his law and doctrine to this end onely saith Pelagius that wee may learne what to hope for and what to do but not to do what we know ought to be done The Pelagians hold saith S. Austin that infants in their carnall natiuitie are so pure and free from originall sinne that they neede not the second and spirituall regeneration of water and the holie ghost Now if any man would aske the Pelagians to what end infants are baptized They will answere forsooth saieth saint Austen that by this externall regeneration they may haue accesse into heauen and not thereby to be absolued from the guilt of sinne For if they die without Baptisme yet do they promise them eternall life but without the kingdome of heauen This is the heresie of Pelagius which I haue sincerely recited out of saint Augustine that excellent writer and immoueable pillar of Christs church because many talke thereof who seem not throughly to vnderstand the same With which heresie how the papists agree and how they dissent from the same shall God willing bee shewed when I come to the next Booke in the chapter of mans Iustification CHAP. XIII Of the Arrian heresie ARrius the heretike was the reader of diuinity in Alexandria a man of great learning and eloquence but withall prowd and ambitious He denied the diuinitie and godhead of Iesus Christ affirming him to be pure man and a meere creature Which his blasphemous doctrine was dispersed throughout Egypt Lybia Alexandria Thebais and many other prouinces Alexander a godly bishop laboured by all meanes possible to dissuade Arrius from his pestiferous and execrable heresie but all his trauell was in vaine because many other bishops and cleargie men embraced the opinion of Arrius and obstinately defended the same The most christian emperour Constantinus worthily surnamed the Great deepely lamenting the church of God to be diuided with schisme and dissention sent Hosius the Bishop of Corduba in Spaine to Alexander and Arrius with his owne hand-writing earnestly exhorting them to set all dissention aside and to agree in vnitie peace and trueth But when the blessed Emperour could not preuaile in his holy purpose hee commaunded al christian bishops to resort at a certaine day designed to Nice a citie in Bithynia where this great controuersie was decided before Constantine himselfe and Arrius with his complices driuen into exile The Emperour Constantinus sent for Arrius into his pallace so meaning fully to make trial of his opinion who when he asked Arrius if he were of the same opinion with the councill of Nice Arrius without all deliberation and stay subscribed in the presence of the Emperour to the decrees of the saide councill Then the emperour greatly admiring that fact willed Arrius to confirme his subscription with an othe to which Arrius yeelded deceitfully as he had done before insomuch that the Emperour being perâ—waded that Arrius was an orthodox and good christian charged Alexander the bishop of Alexandria seuerely to receiue Arrius againe into his woonted place and dignitie Yet Alexander knowing Arrius to be an enemy to God and his holy religion and suspecting his dissimulation with the Emperour his soueraigne fearing God on the one side and reuerencing his soueraigne on the other gaue himselfe to deuout and earnest prayer so commending the whole cause vnto God While Alexander was thus deuoutly occupied behold news came vnto him that as Arrius came from the emperours pallace the worme of conscience did wonderfully trouble him and solubilitie of body did so vehemently assault him that hee was inforced sodainely to withdraw himselfe to a common place where while he sought to haue the ordinary course of nature blood gushed but all his inwards fell from him and so he perished most miserably The secret subtiltie wherwith Arrius fought to deceiue the godly and most christian Emperor was this Arrius wrote his execrable opinion of Christ in a peece of paper kept closely vnder his arme holes that 〈◊〉 hee subscribed in the presence of the Emperour then the Emperour maruelling that he would so doe vrged him to confirme the same with an oath Arrius roundly tooke an oath that he thought as he had written meaning indeede of his first writing which hee kept secretly vnder his arme-hole Where euerie one may see how grieuous a sinne it is to dissemble with God