multitude saw it they marvelled and glorified God S. Mat. 9.8 which had given such power unto men Certainly Maldonats note upon the place is not amiss Observation That like as the divinity of Christ communicated to his humanity the power of doing miracles Even so the power is dirived from Christ the head unto the ministers of his Church to forgive sins Christ is the Lord he as God hath the key of authority to remit sins tum quod culpam tum quod poenam as well in respect of the fault and guiltiness of sin as also of the consequent punishment due unto the same as God and man he hath the key of excellency to remit sins upon his own merit His ministers have a ministeriall key to remit sins in the name and by the power of Christ For was this spoken by Christ and written by St. Matthew for our Instruction Hath God given such power unto men as to pronounce the pardon of sin to the sick man in his bed Is the doctrine of confession and absolution agreeable as well to the Scriptures as also to the practice of the Church both present and primitive then may every one who is a minister of the word and sacraments a priest in sacred orders rightly and duly ordained to his office and function upon good information of faith and repentance say to the sick sinner in his bed thy sins are forgiven thee Or by his authority committed unto me I absolve thee from all thy sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost For absolution as well private as publick belongeth principally yea properly and by vertue of his office to the minister as Christ his Ambassadour in his ministeriall function But of this we dispute no farther but return again to the matter Christs his miracles for the glory of God upon three respects Christ his miracles were wrought for the glory of God more particularly upon three respects 1st Because that Christ is thereby mightily declared to be the son of God and the promised Messiah Saint John the Baptist did no miracles therefore when he sent two of his disciples unto Christ to aske him this question saying S. Mat. 11.3 Art thou he that should come or do we look for another he pleadeth his miracles in evidence of his divinity The blind saith he receive their sight and the lame walk the lepers are clensed the deaf hear the dead are raised up and the poor have the Gospell preached unto them As if he should say I who do all these things and am preached to be him who else am I but the son of God and the promised Messiah 2ly Because the doctrine of the gospell is thereby confirmed Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me S. Joh. 14.11 or else believe me for the very works sake We read that when God offered a signe or miracle unto king Ahaz to the end that he might believe the words which were spoken unto him by the mouth of the prophet Isaias he refused saying I will not ask Isa 7.12 Judg. 6.17.37 39. S. Mat. 16.4 neither will I tempt the Lord. Gideon required a signe or miracle and he had it more then once or twice The Pharisees required a signe and are sharply reproved and the signe denyed Thus their actions agreed not unto their ends Ahaz out of pride 2 King 16. or peradventure out of that trust and confidence which he reposed in the strength and power of Tiglath Pileser king of Assyria refused the miracle and to contemn or refuse a signe or miracle when God shall offer it is a sin The Pharisees were a generation of proud hypocrites who had before hand set up a resolution not to believe on him whatsoever he should say or whatsoever he should do therefore when they require a miracle out of pride and curiosity they are condemned and rejected But Gideon in his humility did aske a signe for the confirmation of his faith in the promise of God It is no example for us now for the gospell is sufficiently confirmed by miracles we must believe and have recourse unto the ordinary signes the sacred and mysterious sacraments To refuse or contemn them is the sin of Ahaz Lastly they make for the glory of God because thereby he breaks the serpents head and destroyes his kingdom Sathan erecteth his kingdome among men by his works When the Jewes boasted that they were the seed of Abraham and the sons of God Christ told them that the devill was their father S. Joh. 8.48 1 Joh. 3.8 because they did their father's lusts The lusts of the devill are his works but Christ hath destroyed them He destroyed them by his miracles for he cast out devills he purified the minds of men he remitted sins he raised the dead nay he himselfe dyed and rose again Rom. 6.9 10 11. to the end that we also should die unto sin by vertue of his death and rise again unto newnesse of life by vertue of his most blessed and glorious resurrection So the glory of God was the primary and more principall end of his Divine miracles But the Secundary and lesse principall end was the utility and profit of men 1st and more specially of those men The secundary or lesse principall end who had the present benefit were healed and cured and were raised from the dead for sicknesse and death being the effects of sin they were hereby taught to believe and to hope for greater mercies The wages of sin is death the bodily death the spirituall death with all manner of sicknesses and diseases of the body tending to the bodily death and with all manner of sicknesses and diseases of the soule as griefe anger anguish horrour dread presumption desperation tending to the spirituall death Adde here all those evills in the city which the Lord hath done by war by pestilence by famine also all private crosses and losses in the particular goods and estates of men But the gift of God is eternall life through Jesus Christ our Lord. 2ly For the Church Rom. 6.23 and for all her members generally and that first to the end that if any man be sick or diseased he may look up unto Christ the true physician He that hath wrought all his Divine miracles immediately and mediately He that hath wrought his miracles in all the miseries and calamities of men He that hath wrought all his miracles by his own divine power and vertue He that wrought his miracles to destroy the kingdome of Sathan and did remit the sins of men He that wrought his miracles by his word only to them that were present to them that were absent He that wrought his miracles by his word together with a touch of his hand or by permitting the sick and diseased to touch him He that wrought his miracles sometimes by means and things naturall sometimes by means and things not naturall or
1.22 and almost over all nations This title read many of the Jews and among the rest the chiefe priests themselves who disliked it and therefore expostulated with Pilate saying Write not The king of the Iewes but that he said I am king of the Iewes The titles of malefactors crucified were according to the manner of the Romans set up to the end that the people might know the crimes for the which they were crucified that justice might receive its due commendations and to warn others to take heed of the like offences I shall not doubt therefore but that the two malefactors which were crucified with him had also their titles set up and affixed to their crosses in the same manner shewing the crimes which they had committed and for which they suffered But Pilate by this title doth justifie him from murther and sedition and such like crimes objecting against the Iewes malice and envy in crucifying of their king which thing he did to be avenged of them for that their importunity whereby they had with an unsatiable blood-thirstiness urged in some sort compelled him to condemn him But the title preached the Gospel upon the cross and therefore though the chiefe priests take offence yet Pilate who neverthelesse knew not the verity of what he had written would not S. Mat. 27.33 37 38. S. Mar. 15.22 23 26 27 28 S. Luc. 23.32 33 38. S. Joh. 19.17 18 19 20 21 22. could not must not alter it Quod scripsi scripsi What I have written I have written So hung he upon the cross naked and all bloody for the souldiers had stripped him of his garments and the two malefactors in the like manner who were crucified with him the one on his right hand the other on his left Wherein the scripture was fulfilled whereby it was prophesied that he should be numbred with the transgressors Isa 53.12 Now as he hung upon the cross in that manner the souldiers divided his garments among themselves The Soldiers divide his garments and they being in number four divided them into four parts to every souldier a part and cast lots which part every man should take As for his coat because it was without seam and woven from the top throughout could not commodiously be rent into four parts and divided therefore they cast lots for it which of them should have it whereby the scripture was fulfilled Psal 22.18 which foretold that so it should be In this the Fathers with great piety do also find much mystery Quadripartitae autem vestis Domini nostri Iesu Christi quadripartitam figuravit ejus Ecclesiam quatuor scilicet partibus in orbe diffusam in eisdem aequaliter id est concorditer distributam The apparell of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ of which foure parts were made figured his quadripartite Church which is diffused by four parts in the world and in the same four parts equally that is concordantly distributed Tunica vero illa sortita omnium partium significat unitatem quae charitatis vinculo continetur But that vesture for which the lots were cast signifieth the unity of all the parts which is contained in the bond of charity He is mocked of all sorts of people So Saint Augustine Then was he mocked of all sorts of people and railed upon by the chief priests the scribes and elders by the standers by by the passers by by the souldiers S. Mat. 27.35 38 39 40 41 42 43 44. S. Mar. 15.24 27 28 29 30 31 32. S. Luc. 23.32 33 c. S. Joh. 19.23 24. and by the malefactors themselves which were crucified with him But he prayed for them all saying Father forgive them for they know not what they do He prayed for them all but they were not all forgiven because by unbeliefe and hardness of heart they refused the pardon which they might have had This is cleared by the two thieves that were crucified with him for they both mocked and reviled him at the first but one of them was not pardoned because he did not desire it He was so far from desiring it that even then when he hung upon the cross he railed on him saying If thou be Christ save thy self and us But the other thiefe repented of his railing and by the grace of him that was crucified upon the cross obtained that forgiveness which he had prayed for History of the penitent thiefe His repentance was hearty his conversion true and unfeigned his faith fully testified by the fruits of repentance an example unparalleld in the whole scripture 1. He reproves the other malefactor Dost thou not fear God seeing thou art in the same condemnation 2ly He confesseth his sin acknowledging the sentence given against him to be just We indeed justly for we receive the due reward of our deeds 3ly He justifieth Christ in his cause and therefore condemneth that unjust sentence by which he was most unjustly and injuriously put to death Lastly he makes confession of his faith in a word acknowledging him to be the Lord that he had power to forgive sins and to dispose of heaven in full assurance of whose power and of whose goodness he made his supplications saying Lord remember me when thou commest into thy kingdome Faith is an immortall eye The mortall eye could see nothing in Christ at that time but ignominy contempt and reproach nakedness torment and the cursed death of the cross but the eye of faith seeth his kingdom beholds him crowned with glory and judging both quick and dead giving life and salvation as the onely true and proper Lord of life and of eternall glory No less to be admired was Christ his mercy whereby he granted him more then he desired for he should go with him from the Cross into Paradise as the first fruits of his triumph S. Luc. 23.39 40 21 42 43 so soon as he had merited to open the way into it by his death To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise That day was the way opened into Paradise the heavenly Paradise and by his conquest upon the cross So singeth the Church When thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death thou didst open the kingdom of heaven to all believers The next act of grace was towards his own most blessed Mother He commendeth his mother to Saint John and his beloved Apostle Saint John for they standing by his cross together with his mothers sister Mary the wife of Cleophas and Saint Mary Magdalen he bequeathed his mother as a legacy to St. John and he bequeathed St. John as a legacy to his mother She must take St. Iohn for her Son to love him as a son he must take her for his Mother to reverence love and succour her as his mother S. Joh. 19.25 26 27. According to which bequest they went together from the cross so soon as he had expired to Saint Iohns house upon mount Sion where she lived with him by the
down into the place of the damned really and by locall motion so that he descended not onely by effect and virtue but by actuall descent the divinity being also present therewith by the hypostaticall union Which thing is no less no otherwise nor by any other faith to be believed but in the same measure in the same manner and by the same faith by which we believe his death and buriall For saith the Church of England As Christ dyed for us and was buried so also is it to be believed that he went down into hell Art 3. It is to be believ'd because it was predicted and foretold by the spirit of prophecie in the old Testament Thou wilt not leave my soule in hell It is to be believed because it was typed by Sampson and by Jonah the prophet It is to be believed because it pertained to his triumph over principalities and powers Psal 16.10 Jud. 16.3 Jon. 1.17 to spoile them utterly of all that they had and to enter as a conqueror into their strong city there to triumph over them and to spoile them of that dominion which they had there seeing that he was made not in his divinity for that he was before but in his humanity wherein he was crucified and wherein he conquered Lord of hell and of all infernall things It is to be believed because Saint Peter saith expresly That he went and preached unto the spirits in prison which sometimes were disobedient 1 Pet. 3.19 when once the long sufferings of God waited in the dayes of Noah while the Ark was a preparing wherein few that is eight soules were saved by water 20. He sealed up their just condemnation for their incredulity by exhibiting himself there who would not believe in him the seed of the woman who should break the Serpents head whom Noah had preached unto them that they might be saved Finally it is to be believed because this Creed and all other creeds are to be understood onely in the literall sense and without tautalogies which while some have not observed they have been put to miserable shifts and have thereby fallen into divers errours while some by hell understand the grave others those sufferings wherewith his soul was afflicted upon the cross others his captivity in the grave whereby his body lay in bondage under death till the third day some have flatly denyed the article it self and have not spared to style it a fiction some think the Creed to be corrupted and that the words in time got in by negligence Some have translated hell to the garden of Gethsemane and to mount Calvary and said that there he descended into hell both in soule and body by his sufferings in both and that he suffered there the torments of hell rejection desperation the second death Some also do describe as perfectly as if they had been there and do say that in hell there be four receptacles the one where the souls of the righteous Fathers who departed this life before the comming of Christ in the flesh and before his death were kept and thither went the soul of Christ say they by actual reality and brought them out from thence and this they call limbus patrum Another receptacle they say there is where the soules of penitent Christians are kept which have not been perfectly cleansed from the blemish of sinne in this life and this they call Purgatory A third wherein are kept the soules of children departing this life before baptisme which they call limbus puerorum or infantium And the fourth into which the damned are sent to suffer eternally by a double penalty of the loss and of the sense And this they call the hell of the damned into which if we will believe them Christ descended not by actuall reality as neither did he into purgatory and the limbus puerorum but only by a virtuall and operative descent But the Creed having told us what became of his body after death and that he was buried doth likewise tell us what his soul did after it was departed from his body and that he descended into hell so that his descending into hell did not pertain to his humiliation but to his glorification inchoated and begun which was manifested by his glorious resurrection whereby he was declared to be the Son of God with power Rom. 1.4 as Saint Paul saith but was fully consummated by his ascension into heaven When the third day was come after that his soul had done all those things in the heavenly paradise The history of Christ his blessed resurrection and in hell which he in his soul by divine dispensation was first to do and after that his blessed body had rested in the grave about the space of thirty six or thirty eight hours from the friday at what time he was laid into his sepulchre by Joseph of Arimathea and Nichodemus before the sun went down to the morning of the first day of the week to the end that he might fulfill the types and prophecies of the scripture Gen. 22. Gen. 41. Jon. 2. 3. S. Mat. 16.21 and also his Evangelicall word whereby he had promised his resurrection upon that day And that his Church in all her members might know and believe that he had fully conquered and subdued death And that he might fully manifest himselfe to be the Son of God S. Joh. 10.17 18. and Lord of life and that he dyed not by compulsion but of his own free will And to the end that he might make a gracious and effectuall application of his obedience and of his sufferings and of his death to all true believers by ascending into heaven Heb. 9.24 Rom. 8.34 S. Joh. 2.1 2. to appear in the presence of God and to make intercession for them and to be their advocate with the Father Upon all these respects and for all these great waighty causes he delayed no time but early in the morning somewhat before day and to that end that he might with all speed comfort his sorrowfull Disciples who as yet believed not that he would rise againe by his own power and virtue S. Joh. 20.9 he arose from the dead and went out of the sepulchre leaving behind him the linnen clothes and the napkin wrapped together in a place by it selfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the stone which was rolled S. Jo. 20.6 7. yet remaining upon the door of the sepulchre Theoph. in Mat. 28. Then was there a great earthquake S. Mat. 28.2 for the Angell of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone from the door and sate upon it His countenance was like lightning 3 and his raiment white as snow And for feare of him the keepers did shake and became as dead men Such was the cause of the earthquake 4. and of the comming of the Angell It was not to role back the stone to the end that his body might come forth
Time that it belongs to God Their feasts or holy daies major holy daies they called Sabbaths that is to say daies of rest and every sabbath they kept by the space of a whole day to wit from sun-set to sun-set again the full space of twenty foure houres for so measured they their day and that is Gods measure of a day Gen. 1.5 Of these sabbaths some were of divine institution and some by positive human law those of divine institution were 1. the Sabbath of the seventh day 2. the feast of Easter 3. the feast of Penticost 4. the feast of Trumpets 5. the day of Attonement 6. the feast of Tabernacles 7. the sabbatary seventh year 8. the Jubile of the fiftieth year Observation Concerning all which sabbaths our Sacred History must observe that although the observation of them were morall yet the daies themselves were not morall by nature for had they so been the observation of them could never have ceased in the Church no more then of those spirituall and evangelicall duties which were prefigured in them and commended and commanded by them but they were made morall by divine positive law Those that were by positive human law were 1st The sabbaths of dedication for there were foure dedications which were kept at foure severall times of the year The first was the dedication of Solomon's temple in the month of September The second was the dedication of the temple of Zorobabel in the month of February The third was the dedication of the Altar by Judas Machabaeus in the month of November The fourth was the dedication of the temple re-edified by King Herod not without great solemnity as Josephus saith 2ly They had the feast of the lamentation of the daughter of Jeptha mentioned Judg. cap. 11. 3ly They had the feast called Naphthar or cleansing Josephus calleth it the feast of lights instituted by Nehemiah in memoriall of the holy fire found in the pit with which he purified the sacrifices and was celebrated upon the twentieth day of November 2 Mac. 1. 4ly They had the feast purim or lots instituted by Mordochaeus in memory of their deliverance from the bloody intentions of Haman which was kept yearly with great solemnity upon the fourteenth and fifteenth daies of the month of February Hest cap. 9. which fourteenth day of February is remembred to have been a double holy-day for then also they did commemorate a great victory obtained against Nicanor one of the Captains of Demetrius King of Syria But our sacred history must supersede all these festivalls as being of human institution Yet from the history it selfe Observation the reader hath to observe that the clause of the commandment Six daies shalt thou labour c. was no warrant to the Jewes to rest from labour onely upon the Sabbath of the seventh day for besides that day our history hath observed how many sabbaths God himselfe ordained and how many were ordained by their governours upon many of which they were not onely commanded to rest from labour but if any man had presumed to work it was ordained that he should be put to death How then shall that clause now warrant the observation of the Sunday or Lords day onely if other daies and times be set apart by lawfull authority Truly it will be somewhat too peremptory to tie up the Almighty God to the bare allowance of a seventh day for his publick external worship seeing that the morall equity of the commandement is that not a seventh day onely but that a sufficient quantity of time should be set apart and dedicated to his service The Sabbath of the seventh day The sabbath of the seventh day was commanded to the people and nation of the Jews to be kept holy in memory of the creation that day did forbid all manner of labour so that it was not lawfull so much as to kindle a fire upon that day Notwithstanding as was said before it had not its morality by nature Gen. 2.3 Exod. 35.3 for then it had been for ever indispensable but it was made morall by a divine positive law and was temporary and was commended only to the circumcision the Jewes and Proselytes untill the time of reformation And therefore upon urgent necessity might be omitted and the Jewes themselves might labour and war and fight in battle and carry burthens and perform laborious works upon the sabbath day Josh 6. Joshua besieged Hiericho and compassed it seven times upon the sabbath day They took the city on that day and slew all that were therein man woman young old oxe sheep and asse with the edge of the sword and burnt the city with fire on the sabbath day The Israelites fought with the Syrians on that day 1 King 20. and slew of them an hundred thousand footmen S. Joh. 5.10 And Christ himselfe commanded a certain man whom he had cured to carry his bed on the sabbath day which else by the law ought not to be don neither might he have commanded him so to do if the Sabbath had been morall by nature and indispensable The feast of Easter The feast of Easter called also the feast of unleavened bread was kept every year from the fourteenth day of the month of March at even till the one and twentieth day of the same moneth at even During all which time they were to eat no leavened bread neither were they to have any leaven found in their houses and if any man were found to eat leaven within that space he was to be put to death This feast was kept in memory of the deliverance of the people of Israel out of Egypt And at this feast Exod. 12.15 all the tribes were to appear in the place which the Lord should choose to put his name there that was first in Shiloh where the Tabernacle of Moses was afterwards in Jerusalem where Solomon built his most sumptuous and most magnificent Temple The feast of Pentecost The feast of Pentecost otherwise called the feast of Weeks or of the first fruits was celebrated on the sixth day of May in memory of the law given upon mount Sinai Upon the second day after the eating of the passeover which was the second day of sweet bread which was before harvest began and upon the sixteenth day of March the Law commanded that they should offer a Sheaf of new corne before the Lord Levit. 23.10 it was to crave his blessing upon their harvest But fifty dayes after which was seaven whole weeks and upon the fiftieth day at what time they had gathered in their harvest they were all to appear before the Lord againe and to offer new bread before him in thankfull acknowledgement of the harvest which they had received by his gift The feast of Trumpets The feast of Trumpets was solemnized upon the first day of the seaventh moneth that is to say upon the first day of September upon which day they were to
blow Trumpets But for what cause this feast was instituted whether in memory of that Trumpet which sounded upon mount Sinai when the Law was given or of the deliverance of Isaac when Abraham would have offered him up upon the mount Moriah and he was exchanged for a Ram caught by his hornes in a thicket the memory whereof was renewed by blowing up those Trumpets of Rams horns or rather in memory of those great and memorable Victories which the people of Israel valiantly atchieved before they were setled peaceably in the land of promise it is more then we can now determine It was a solemn feast and honorable mention is made of it in the book of Psalms Blow up the Trumpet in the new moon in the time appointed Psal 81.3 on our solemne feast day The day of attonement The day of Attonement was upon the tenth day of the same moneth so called because by such solemn ceremonies and sacrifices as are set forth Levit. cap. 16. 23 the Priest did make an attonement for the people did expiate their sins and reconcile them to God It was kept in memory of that reconciliation which was made betwixt God and the people after they had sinned against him in the matter of the golden Calfe Jer. 36.6 It was dies jejunii the fasting day For upon that day they were commanded to fast and to afflict their soules And Josephus saith that all the people did fast upon that day and that whosoever did not upon that day fast and afflict his soul he was to be put to death And that if any man should work upon that day he was to be put to death Such and so severe was the Law on that behalf For whatsoever soul it be said the Law that shall not be afflicted in that same day Levit. 23 29 30. he shall be cut off from among his people And whatsoever soule it be that doth any work in that same day the same soul will I destroy from among his people Upon the fifteenth day of the same moneth also began the feast of Tabernacles The feast of Tabernacles which was to put them in remembrance that they dwelt in Tents and Tabernacles in the wilderness by the space of forty years At which Feast all the tribes were to go up to that place where he should fix his worship and upon the first day of this feast they did rest from labour and did take the boughes of goodly trees the branches of Palm trees and the boughes of thick trees and Willows of the brook and they did go forth and dwell in Tabernacles seaven dayes with great joy and rejoycing They say that at this feast they did sing the eighty fourth Psalme How amiable are thy Tabernacles O Lord of hosts c. Concerning which feast they that will know more let them read Levit. cap. 23. Num. cap. 29. Nehem. cap. 8. and likewise Josephus in the third book of his Antiquities cap. 10. On the day following which was the eighth day and the two and twentieth day of the moneth there was another feast or solemn assembly an holy convocation on which they might do no work and then the tribes being at Jerusalem they brought in the revenue for repair of the Temple to defrey the charge of the sacrifices and for the maintenance of the Priests and Levites The Sabbatary seventh year The sabbath of the seventh year or sabbath of the seventh year was a Sabbath for the whole year And that year they dismissed all their bondmen and bondwomen which were Hebrews and the earth it selfe had rest for that year For they might neither ear nor sow nor reap nor mow nor carry any thing into their barns for that whole year And the fruits which the earth it self brought of its own accord Exod. 23. Levit. 25. Deut. 15. were common to all those that would make use thereof as well to those of the country as to strangers without forbidding or reservation The Jubile of the fiftieth year The Jubile of the fiftieth year was proclaimed by blowing up of Trumpets of Rams hornes and then the earth must rest for the space of a whole year even from the tenth day of September upon which day the Trumpet was to proclaim the Jubilee till the tenth day of September in the next year During all which time they might neither ear nor sow nor reap nor mow nor gather that which grew of it self It was a year of liberty for in that year all servants went forth perpetually free and every one that had sold his possession did in that year return unto it again Levit. 25. It was called Jubile from the Trumpets of Rams hornes wherewith it was proclaimed which the Hebrews call Jobelins But of all these things the Mysterie The Mysterie was most excellent for the quotidian profeast and daily sacrifice did as is said before in the Mysterie set forth S. Joh. 1.29 Christ that lambe of God which taketh away the sin of the world For he is the perpetuall sacrifice he was the sacrifice before the Law offered up in the mysterie by Abel Seth Noah Sem Abraham Isaac Jacob and by all the Fathers who by their sacrifices testified that they expected no other sacrifice but that promised seed who should be sacrificed for the sinnes of the whole world He was the sacrifice under the Law he is an eternall sacrifice Jesus Christ the same yesterday and to day and for ever Heb. 13.8 The new moons or monthly Sabbaths did set forth Christ the light of the World who being sent into the World hath enlightned it by his preaching by his miracles and by his most holy and most blessed spirit I am saith he the light of the world he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life Before he came in the flesh the faithfull S. Joh. 8.12 by the spirituall eyes of faith did look on him as on the light to come for so the Prophet Isaiah did look upon him and did fore-know and fore-tell of him by the spirit of prophesie The people said he that walked in darkness have seen a great light they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death upon them hath the light shined Jsai 9.2 Luc. 2.29.30 31 32. And when he was come then did they welcome that light Lord said old Simeon in his song now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word For mine eyes have seene thy salvation which thou hast prepared before the face of all people A light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of thy people Israel The sabbath of the seaventh day did signifie Jesus Christ who is the true rest in whom and upon whom all the faithfull do rest for he is that true sabbath who giveth true spirituall rest unto the world and without whom there is no true rest to be had Therefore when Christ the sabbath signified
That Christ therefore should have his name imposed in his circumcision it did not pertain to his legall obedience properly but because it became him to fulfill all righteousness therefore it became him in his own person to give approbation to such an ancient just and laudable custome His name was sent from heaven to the blessed Virgin his mother to Joseph his supposed father both of them commanded so to name him neither of them must fear to impose that name for in imposing of it they did both of them do the will of God Feare not Mary for thou hast found favour with God S Luc. 1.30 And behold thou shalt conceive in thy wombe and bring forth a sonne and shalt call his name Jesus saith the Angell to her 31. Joseph thou sonne of David feare not to take unto thee Mary thy wife for that which is conceived in her is of the holy Ghost And she shall bring forth a sonne S. Mat. 1.20.21 and thou shalt call his name Jesus saith the Angel to him It was Joseph and Mary who according to the good pleasure of the will of God Concerning the blessed name of Jesus signified unto them by his Angell imposed upon him the blessed name of Jesus in his circumcision A new name and that new name foretold by the Prophet Isaiah saying The Gentiles shall see thy righteousness and all kings thy glory and thou shalt be called by a new name which the mouth of the Lord shall name Isai 62.2 For although the name of Jesus be the same with Jehosuah and signifieth a Saviour for so the Angell himself expoundeth it S. Mat. 1.21 Thou shalt call his name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sinnes And although it cannot be denyed but that divers persons in the old Testament had that name also imposed on them in circumcision Hag. 2.2 or otherwise as Joshuah or Jesus the son of Josedec the high Priest And Joshuah or Jesus the son of Nun Moses's minister and successor yet was the name a new name Jos 1.1 1. In respect of him that was so named for never such a person was named by that name before they were men he was God and man the word made flesh novum in terris a new â—hing in the earth Emmanuel God with us by assuming the whole human nature into the unity of his own most sacred person 2ly A new name a name newly and most highly honoured the name of him whom God hath highly exalted a name above every name That at the name of Iesus every knee should bow Phil. 2.10 of things in heaven and things in earth and things under the earth thereby worshipping and acknowledging him that was named by that name not only to be called but to be indeed the sonne of God None of all those that were named with that name had it in that new manner and to that new end not Jesus the son of Josedec or Jesus the son of Nun howbeit most excellent persons and types of Christ 3ly A new name wherein is newly shewed to the believers that which never was shewed before even the great mysterie of godliness in him that is named with that name God manifested in the flesh justified by the spirit seen of Angels preached unto the Gentiles believed on in the world received up into glory 1 Tim. 3.16 And when the eight dayes were accomplished for the circumcising of the childe his name was called Jesus which was so named of the Angell S. Luc. 1.21 before he was conceived in the wombe Our blessed Lord being named in his circumcision and circumcised as hath been said the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the taxing description or inrolement being not then ended was himself taxed Christ taxed or inrolled described or enrolled had his name recorded in the censuall Tables For although there be no mention made of it in the Evangelicall History yet because it is sufficiently testified by the ancient Fathers and Ecclesiasticall Writers it must not be denyed Wherein the providence of God ought highly to be admired who by this means brought to pass that they who little regarded the authority of the Scriptures might receive satisfaction from the publique records of the Empire while they should find in records safely deposited into the Capitol that Sentius Saturninus being then Governour of Syria ordinarily sent for the government of that Province and for the administration of justice there Publius Sulpitius Quirinius called by the Evangelist Cyrenius was extraordinarily sent and by speciall commission to describe and inrolle the same Province whereunto Judea pertained as a part or member At that time were described at Bethlehem Joseph the son of Iacob Carpenter and Mary his wife the daughter of Eliachim and Hanna of Nazareth both of them of the house and family of David with Jesus their son born at Bethlehem upon the five and twentieth day of the month of December in the two and fortieth year of the raign of the Emperour Augustus And how apposite such a record was to stop the mouthes of those impious Heretiques who denyed the verity and truth of his Incarnation Tertullian who had to do with Marcion the Heretique and the Marcionites who denyed it very well knew lib. 4. cont Marcion cap. 9. But when the daies of her purification according to the law of Moses who ordained Christ presented in the Temple that the woman who had conceived seed and born a man childe should be unclean seven daies according to the daies of the separation for her infirmity her menstruous infirmity Levit. 15.19 And that she should continue in the blood of her purifying three and thirty daies more during all which time she should touch no hallowed thing nor come into the Sanctuary were accomplished Levit. 12.2 4 the blessed Virgin whom this law nothing at all concerned as neither having conceived human seed nor violenced her virginity by such a birth yet to the end that all righteousnesse might be fulfilled and that she might give example unto others of obedience and humility she with Joseph her husband brought the child Jesus to Hierusalem to present him to the Lord to whom the first-born did belong by speciall reservation Exod. 13.2 Levit. 12.6 to offer that sacrifice which was appointed by the law to be offered by women after child-birth This presentation of his in the temple did belong specially to that obedience whereby he became obedient to the law actively to fulfill all the righteousnesse of the same At what time old Simeon to whom it was revealed by the Holy Ghost that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ came by divine instinct into the temple took him up in his armes blessed God and then desired to be dissolved because his â—yes according to the divine revelation which he had received of the Holy Ghost had seen Christ the salvation of God a light to lighten the
Gentiles and the glory of Israel his people Finally having blessed them if not as a priest according to the set form of the sacerdotall benediction prescribed in the law Num. 6.24 25 26. for it is not said whether he were a priest or no and as well they who affirm it as they who deny it have no ground at all either for the affirmation or negation of it yet with a christian benediction he did pray to God to bless them by multiplying his blessings upon them in body in soul in goods and fortune blessings temporall eternall blessings Prophesying of Christ and foretelling to the Virgin her selfe that which Saint Bernard calleth her martyrdome a martyrdome by the sword that sword which should pierce through her soul a sword of bitter griefe and anguish when she should see him hanging upon the cross and hear him calling unto her and saying Woman behold thy son S. Joh. 19.26 Ser. de beaâ—a virg Maria. At the same time also Anna a prophetesse a woman of great piety and devotion who had lived a long and a vertuous life came into the temple into that place where it was permitted the women to be and she also gave thanks to God and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Hierusalem For so saith the history observing every circumstance according to the effect and substance of that which hath been related S Luc. 2.22 thus And when the daies of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished they brought him to Hierusalem to present him to the Lord As it is written in the law of the Lord Every male that openeth the wombe shall be called holy to the Lord. And to offer a sacrifice 23 according to that which is said in the law of the Lord a pair of turtle doves or two young pigeons And behold there was a man in Hierusalem 24 whose name was Simeon and the same man was just and devout waiting for the consolation of Israel and the holy Ghost was upon him 25 And it was revealed unto him by the holy Ghost that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ And he came by the spirit into the temple 26 and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him after the custome of the law Then took he him up in his armes 27 and blessed God and said Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace 28 29 30 31 32 33 according to thy word For mine eyes have seen thy salvation Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people A light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of thy people Israel And Joseph and his Mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him And Simeon blessed them and said unto Mary his mother Behold this childe is set for â—he fall and rising again of many in Israel and for a signe which shall be spoken against 34 yea a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed 35 And there was one Anna a Prophetesse the daughter of Phanuel of the tribe of Asser she was of a great age and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity 36 37 And she was a widow of about fourescore and foure years which deparâ—â—d not from the Temple but served God with fasting and prayer night and day And she comming in at that instant 38. gave thanks likewise unto the Lord and spake of him to all that looked for redemption in Hierusalem Such was the wonderfull birth of Christ his circumcision and presentation in the temple and so was the first year of his age transacted Whether his parents returned back immediately from Hierusalem to Bethlehem and there abode either in the Inne Hâ—story concerning the comming of the wise men where they had lodgings after the taxing ended and the great concourse of those of their tribe and family who came up to be inrolled was dissolved Or else in some house which they hired or otherwise obtained where they continued till the comming of the wise men Or whether they did not go presently so soon as they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord from Hierusalem into Galilee and to their own city Nazareth returning from thence to Hierusalem at the feast of the Passeover and then went when that feast was ended to Bethlehem again and there abode either in the Inne or in some other house where they made their habitation till the wisemen came our sacred history will not determine Certain it is that when they dwelt in Nazareth they went up yearly to Hierusalem as Saint Luke saith at the feast of the passeover S. Luc. 2.41 And certain it is that when the wise men came they went not to Nazareth but to Bethlehem came unto him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not into the cave where the stable and manger was but into the house where they saw the young childe with Mary his mother and fell down and worshipped him S. Mat. 2.11 as Saint Matthew saith Most likely it is that they dwelt not in Nazareth till after their return out of Egypt although Saint Luke who was a gentile by birth a proselyte of Antioch thought himselfe more specially concerned to make narration of those things which pertained to the law and to the Jewes omitteth the story wholly of the wise men and of his slight into Egypt and respecting only the time that they dwelt in Nazareth which was after their return out of Egypt saith not saying what passed in the mean time that when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord S. Luc. 2.39 they returned into Galilee to their own City Nazareth Yet Saint Matthew who was a Jew born thought himselfe more properly engaged to narrate those things which set forth in a more peculiar manner Gods great grace and mercy to the Gentiles and therefore declareth both the history of the wise men and Christ his flight into Egypt Much adoe there is concerning the time of the arrivall The time of their arrival of these wise men at Bethlehem Also concerning their persons what they were from whence they came how they came thither upon whose motion and finally as touching the star it self what it was It will be sufficient to our History omitting all disputes to set down the truth of our opinion as plainly and briefly as we can First therefore we cannot assent unto those who think the accesse of those wise men to be the twelfth day after the blessed nativity within six daies after the circumcision and therefore antecedaneus to his presentation in the temple this had been too great a festination they had need of wings to have fled especially if they came from the extreamest parts of the East as some have lightly believed and fabulously reported We cannot assent unto them
arise And he arose peradventure immediately and he took the young childe and his mother by night peradventure the same night not regarding to dispose of any thing which he had in Bethlehem but being amply provided enabled for such an expedition by those rich presents which the magi had presented he departed into Egypt It was the same night say some upon what grounds I know not that Herod caused the infants to be slain Most likely for it is Gods time to frustrate the mischievous imaginations of tyrants and other wicked persons when they have even almost reduced them into act and to reach forth a saving hand unto his servants at the pits brinck The place of his habitation and abode The place of his habitation or abode in the land of Egypt is said to be Hermopolis a city of Thebais which is a country in Egypt bounding upon Ethiopia distant from Bethlehem about two hundred ninety and six miles The report was that then when he was brought unto the gate of that city a certain great tree called Persis which stood there worshipped him by bending it selfe to the ground the fruites leaves and bark of which tree had vertue curative if applyed to the sick Sozom. Ec. hist lib. 5. cap. 20. His journey thither was not without great difficulty and danger for his way was through Arabia the stony a land for the most part barren and unfruitfull full of sands rocks and mountains destitute of water in many places frequented with thieves and wilde beasts Such a journey must Joseph an old man fourescore years old undertake in his old age together with the blessed virgin and the childe Jesus in the depth of winter in danger of thieves subject to be smoothered by the sands over high hills craggy rocks and desert mountains in perill every houre to be rent and torn in sunder by wilde beasts Thus did it stand with the meeknesse and clemency of Christ to give way unto Herods cruelty and not rather to destroy him which was in his power to do but by the providence of his divinity to preserve the humane nature and that among the idolaters of Egypt that it might afterwards be offered up upon the crosse a full perfect and sufficient sacrifice oblation S. Mat. 2.13 and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world And therefore when they were departed behold the Angell of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream saying Arise and take the young childe and his mother and flee into Egypt and be thou there untill I bring thee word for Herod will seek the young childe to destroy him 14 When he arose he took the young childe and his mother by night and departed into Egypt 15. and was there untill the death of Herod that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet saying Out of Egypt have I called my son There was no cause as Hilarius Arelatensis hath well observed why Herod should be jealous of his kingdome The infants sla n by Herod For Christ saith he came not to invade another mans glory but to bestow his owne freely not to take by violence an earthly kingdome but to confer an heavenly kingdome he came not by strong hand to acquire dignities but to suffer injuries not to prepare his head to a diademe embellished with Pearls but to a crowne of thornes not in pomp to sway the Scepter but in derision to be crucified upon the cross But this was more then Herod knew therefore when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men he was exceeding wroth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is excandescentia an affection as Philosophers do say mixed and compounded of sorrow and desire of revenge they do say that when a man is angry at the first his heart doth shrink together at the apprehension of some present evill and labouring to beat it away it doth dilate it self Now this motion stirreth up heat for the blood hath recourse from the heart into the exterior parts which heat being accompanied with a bilious or chollerick humour fumeth up into the braine whereby it comes to pass that in their excandescencie men have little wit or judgement and some are furious and mad beasts rather in condition then men In which excandescency Baalam smote his Ass with a staffe Num. 22.29 and wished that he had had a sword in his hand to kill him Xerxes threatned both Sea and Land Ajax drew his sword to fight with a flock of sheep And in such an excandescency Herod sent forth and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem and in all the coasts thereof from two years old and under according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men For when he perceived and had certain intelligence that the magi were indeed gone and that he was deluded by them in that they kept not promise with him nor returned to Jerusalem according to their words to give him a full relation and account of what they had seen heard and done concerning the new born king and because he knew not which way the magi were gone nor had hopes to recall them his heart shranck together at the apprehension of the present evill he made no delay nor stood to unty the knot he sent forth and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem it self and in all the Castles Villages and Hamlets of the circumjacent region from two years old and under according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men Concerning the number of the children slain and how they slew them there is no mention made by the Evangelist some say fourteen thousand Liturg. Aethiop Calend. Graecor But how many soever it is most likely that under some specious pretence or other to prevent the diligence of the mothers in hiding them they first gathered them altogether and then slew them at once Which horrid and most cruell murther being related with detestation in all places was in the end known at Rome and reported to the Emperour Augustus himself who hearing thereof and that among those children Herods own sonne a little child under the age of two years noursed it should seem in or nigh to Bethlehem was one of them that were killed he replyed saying It is better to be Herods hogge then his sonne Macrob lib. Saturnal 2. Cap. 4. reporteth the story which because he had it not from the Scripture and was himself an heathen it may easily be granted that either it came to his ear by tradition or else that he took it upon the authority of some Roman Author whose works are long since lost There be three sorts of Martyrs in the Church Three sorts of Martyrs in the Church Some are Martyrs both in Will and Act so was the blessed martyr St. Stephen a martyr in Will for he was willing to lay down his life and a martyr
brook which sprang out of an hill not far off upon the south and so passed through the east part of the city betwixt Jerusalem and the mount of Olives from whence it held its course through the cliffs of that mount till it fell into the dead sea It had its name and was called Cedron from the blackness of the waters which were made black by the fertility of the soil through which it ran the valley of Jehosaphat being a very rich and fertile soile This brook was not great upon any great rain it would be very full as they say but was commonly drie in the summer time Over this brook as Saint John saith S. Joh. 18.1 The mount of Olives they passed to go to the mount of Olives which mount stood about halfe a mile from the city very fruitfull and pleasant abounding with many precious fruits especially with Olives from whence it was called the mount of Olives S. Mat. 26.36 S. Mar. 14 32 Gethsemane At the foot of this hill there was a village called Gethsemane scituate in a very pleasant and fruitfull place where it is said they used to press their oyle from whence it obtained to be so called for Gath signifieth a press schaemen oyle Nigh thereunto was a spacious and delightfull garden supposed to have been first planted by David and Solomon and afterwards encreased enlarged by the kings of Iuda for their delight and recreation to walk and to enjoy themselves Into that garden Christ often went with his disciples and Iudas knew it and knew the place Having therefore passed over the brook Cedron he came thither according to his wont and being come into the garden he assigned a place to the other disciples to sit and to remain saying Sit ye here while I go and pray yonder but took with him Sainâ— Peter and the two sons of Zebedee Saint James and Saint John and began to be sorrowfull and very heavy S. Mat. 26.37 38.8 Mar. 14.33 34. saith Saint Matthew to be sore amazed saith Saint Mark He telleth them whence that sorrow heavinesse and amazement proceeded it was from his soul which was exceeding sorrowfull unto death as if it had then been even in the pangs and pains Christ sorrowfull in soul and torments of death immediately to depart out of his body and to die the spirituall or supernaturall death Such and so great was the sorrow of his soul having before his eyes the bitternesse of that cup which he was to drink which he was amazed to behold looking upon Adam and upon all his posterity damned to the eternall torments of hell by the sentence of the law and not otherwise to be redeemed but by the merit of his passion only seeing and considering all the sins of men from the first disobedience of Adam in paradise unto the worlds end and every sin deserving eternall death to be imputed unto him and to be satisfied for by him seeing and considering that he must now conflict with the devill and with all the powers of hell to break the serpents head and to overthrow them utterly by a shamefull and ignominious death upon the crosse seeing and considering that he must conflict with the law and with the malediction and curse of the law to take it away and to nail it unto the crosse Thus began he his passion not by necessity but by voluntary dispensation He beginneth his passion He could presently have commanded all the joyes of heaven but he would not for the works sake which he was to do Having therefore bidden them to tarry in that place and to watch with him he went a little further about a stones cast he kneeled down and prayed saying Father if thou be willing remove this cup from me neverthelesse not my will but thine be done Then was he in an agony and prayed more earnestly falling flat to the ground upon his face saying O my Father if it be possible let this cup passe from me neverthelesse not as I will but as thou wilt Abba Father all things are possible unto thee take this cup from me neverthelesse not that I will but what thou wilt In this agony he fell into a sweating passion and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood He sweateth blood falâ—ing down to the ground And in this agony there appeared an angell unto him strengthening him The Divinity therefore had respect to the human nature so overcharged with fear sorrow heaviness and amazement that all the pores of his body were opened by which the blood issued by drops trickling down to the ground whereunto must be added his vehemency and ardency in prayer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in that agony he prayed more earnestly Violent passions produce violent effects it was true naturall blood the pure blood of his blessed body which he did sweat but the manner of its emanation was marvellous and mysterious After he had prayed a while he ariseth from the ground goeth to his disciples and findeth them sleeping whom when he had gently reprehended but Saint Peter by name Simon sleepest thou couldst not thou waâ—ch one houre Watch ye and pray lest ye enter into temptation S. Mat. 26.39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46. the spirit is ready but the flesh is weak he goes away and prayeth again saying the same words and then commeth to them the second time and findeth them sleeping as before Wherefore he went away again and prayed and spake the same words S. Mar. 14.35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42. S. Luc. 22.41 42 43 44 45 46. and when he came the third time he told them that he was betrayed and that the traitour was at hand saying Rise let us be going not to flie from them but to meet them Behold he is at hand that doth betray me So went he forward to meet them marching as it were before his disciples as a Captain yet not to fight with the sword but to conquer by his death Judas also led up his company against him a band of men His apprehension and officers from the chiefe priests and pharisees accompanyed with some of the chiefe priests captains of the temple and Elders of the people armed with swords staves and other weapons against resistance and bringing lanthorns and torches lest he should hide himselfe from them in the garden and escape them by the darkness of the night Iudas also had given them a signe before to the end that they might not erre in the person and apprehend some other in stead of him which was his traiterous and perfidious kisse He thought by such a signe as Theophylact saith to delude him but Iesus knowing all things that should come upon him goes up close unto them and gives the onset saying Whom seek ye Thâ—y answered Iesus of Nazareth he replyeth I am he At which word they went backward and fell to the ground Tenere volentibus non valen ibus ostendit
it and bread And when he had bidden them to take up the fish which they had caught Saint Peter went and drew the net to land full of great fishes an hundred fifty and three and for all there were so many yet was not the net broken Afterwards he calls them to come and dine with him and gave them of the bread and of the fish which he had prepared for them This is now the third time that Jesus shewed himselfe to his disciples v. 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14. after that he was risen from the dead It was the third time in respect of the dayes though the seventh time in respect of his severall manifestations The first day was the day of his resurrection the second day was eight daies after and this was the third day After dinner followeth his conference with Saint Peter which was this His conference with Saint Peter Saint Peter had pretended greater love to Christ then had the rest of the Apostles Insomuch that when Christ had told them of their frailty the night before his passion All ye shall be offended because of me this night for it is written I will smite the shepheard and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad Saint Peter answered and said unto him S. Mat. 26.31 Though all men shall be offended because of thee yet will I never be offended Whereunto Christ replyed 33 34 35. Verily I say unto thee that this night before the cock crow thou shalt deny me thrice Saint Peter answered him again Though I should die with thee yet will I not deny thee Likewise also said all the disciples This promise as it was made by all the Apostles but chiefly by Saint Peter so was it broken by them all but chiefly by him For they did all forsake Christ Saint Peter did not only forsake him but forsweare him too Wherefore when our Saviour after his resurrection would gather them together to confirm them from their fear and give them power to preach the Gospell to all nations he that in comforting them all before his passion remembred Saint Peter chiefly as needing it most S. Luc. 22.32 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not did then in sending for them to meet him in Galilee remember Saint Peter namely by the voice of his Angell saying to the women S. Mar. 16.7 Go your way tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee there shall ye see him as he said unto you Saint Peter a disciple yet named beside the disciples as who might think himselfe not worthy of the name of a disciple that had denyed his Master thrice Now when they were come to him into Galilee and had received common comfort Christ admonisheth Saint Peter particularly of his duty and moved him specially to do it faithfully like as he before had specially betrayed it and had behaved himselfe most fearfully above the rest To encourage him therefore with assuring his conscience of the forgivenesse of his sin and strengthen him to constancy that he offend no more so he demandeth of him whether he doth love him which when Saint Peter had affirmed he chargeth him to feed his lambs and his sheep Two sorts of Christians the one younger and more tender fitly compared to lambs who are to be taught the first principles of religion and to be as it were Heb. 5.12 fed with milk as Saint Paul fed the Corinthians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have fed you with milk and not with meat 1 Cor. 3.7 The other elder stronger and more perfect fit to learn the profound mysteries and to be fed as it were with strong meat aptly compared to sheep In demanding of him Lovest thou me more then these First he toucheth his fault who had professed more then these but had performed less then these Then he assureth him that it is pardoned an assurance whereof was his great love In charging him to feed his lambs and his sheep he sharpeneth his care that he be faithfull for the future and firm in following him though he shall come to danger yea to death thereby Both which viz. the demand and charge are thrice repeated the demand that by his threefold answer he may countervail his threefold denyall the charge to the end that it might be the more strongly enforced for nails the oftner they are stricken the deeper do they pierce Dr. Rainolds conf cap. 3. Divis 1. So when they had dined Jesus saith to Simon Peter Simon son of Jonas lovest thou me more then these He saith unto him Yea Lord S. Joh. 20.15 thou knowest that I love thee He saith unto him Feed my Lambs He saith unto him again the second time Simon son of Jonas 16 lovest thou me He saith unto him Yea Lord thou knowest that I love thee He saith unto him Feed my sheep He said unto him the third time Simon son of Jonas lovest thou me Peter was grieved 17. because he said unto him the third time Lovest thou me And he said unto him Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee Jesus saith unto him Feed my sheep Such was the sermocination of Christ to Saint Peter in conclusion whereof he foretelleth his martyrdom which should be by crucifixion Martyrdom foretold to St. Peter bidding him to follow him as being his Martyr and by the same manner of death Saint Peter seeth Saint John following and enquireth also concerning him viz. how and in what manner he should die Lord and what shall this man do Christ reproveth his curiosity If I will that he tarry till I come what is that to thee Follow thou me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prepare thou thy selfe as it is appointed for thee to follow me to the death of the cross But concerning Iohn or any of the rest it shall not be thy care but mine Niceph. lib. 1. cap. 35. Yet the ambiguity of his words gave occasion of that report v. 18 19 c. which went for currant among the Christians in those dayes that S. Iohn should not die but live till the end of the world And though S. Iohn himself confuted the error yet the report went on and gave occasion of those fables which ensued some saying that he is not yet dead but sleepeth in his grave into which he layed himself being alive others that he went out of his sepulchre into which he entred being alive and shall live till the end of the world and then shall be slain of Antichrist together with Elias preaching the Gospel And Theodore Beza telleth of one that was burnt in his time at Tholouse who said that he was St. Iohn Annot. in Iohan. 21.23 His eighth apparition was upon a mountain in Galilee where he had appointed to appear unto them His eighth apparition upon a mountain in Galilee S. Mat. 28.16 17. S Mat. 26.32 S Mar.
168 Hermopolis 88 History Of the Tabernacle and Ark 22. of the holy city Hierusalem 44. 45. 46. of the temple 48. 49. 50. of the wise men 77. of Nathaniel 116. 117. of the Samaritan woman 138. 139. of Jairus and his daughter 146 147. 148. of the man that had the withered hand 154. 155. of Lazarus 204. 205. of Christ his triumphant riding into Jerusalem 206. 207. of his last passeover 212. of the penitent thief 249. of Christ his buriall 254. 255. Of his blessed resurrection 258. 259. Holy things Concerning those who were to administer in or to attend upon holy things 52. The Priests The pontifical order 53. Priests of the secod order 53. 54. Levites 55 Nethinims Singers Porters 55. Officers and Judges ib. Hony wild what it was 100. Hiericho and the hlind man cured 203 I. Jesus The blessed name 74. 75. Jesus goeth up to Hierusalem 128. visiteth the Temple 129. promiseth a sign 130. commeth from Hierusalem into Judea and baptizeth 131. 122. commeth into Galilee 139 healeth the Rulers son 139. known of the devils 140. healeth St. Peter wives mother 141 stilleth the Sea 142. cureth two demoniak men 143 144. cureth a paralytick man 145. calleth St Matthew 145. 146. cureth a woman of a bloody issue ib. raiseth up Iairus daughter 148. 149. restoreth two blind men to sighâ— 149. 150. dispossesseth a dumb man of a devill 150. goeth up to the passeover at Ierusalem 151. cureth the impotent man 152. avoucheth his authority 154. ordaineth his Apostles 156. his Sermon upon the mount 158. cureth the leper 159. 160. the Centurions servant 160. dispossesseth a dumb and deaf Spirit 186. 187. payeth the didrachma 187. 188. is denyed entertainment of the Samaritans 192. absolveth the woman taken in adultery 193. cureth a man born blind ib. preacheth repentance 195. his Disciples must bear their cross 197. leaveth the Priests and Pharisees to consult his death 206. commeth to Beâ—hany six dayes before the passeover where he is annointed to his burial the first time 206. avoideth the snare of the Pharisees 208. 209. confuteth the Sadduces 209. analyzeth the law ib. questioneth them concerning Christ ib. suppeth in the house of Simon the leper and is annointed to his buriall the second time 211. beginneth his passion 236. sweateth blood ib. is apprehended 237. bound and brought to Annas 238 sent to Caiaphas examined 239. false witnesses produced against him ib. adjured 240. brought before Pilate 241. accused examined answereth fully 242. condemned scourged the second time led away to be crucified 245. 246. beareth his cross 246. fastened to it 247. the form of it ib. the superscription annexed 248. He is mocked 249 commendeth his mother to St. John 250. cryeth out ib. complaineth of thirst 251. giveth up the ghost ib. the time of his abode upon the cross ib. confessed by the Centurion 253. his buriall 254. the state of his soul after death 256. See Christ Incense sacred 21. the mystery ib. Infants slain by Herod 88 89. Jubile of the 50th year 38 Iudges and officers 56 Judas Agreeth to betray Iesus for thirty pieces of silver 211. his impudency 232. he hangeth himselfe 241. K. Keyes Of the kingdom of heaven promised and given 180. By what power 181. what keyes Christ hath and what keyes he gave to the Apostles 182. Keyes of two sorts ib. how to be administred ib. To whom promised and given 183. the use of them 184. the keyes to be transferred from the legall to the Evangeliall Priesthood and when 184. the performance of the promise and the keyes transferred 265. L. BRazen Laver 22 Lazarus raised from the dead 204. legation of St. Iohn the Baptist to Christ 161 Leper cured 159 160. ten lepers cleansed 192 Linnen coat 27. linnen Ephod ib. Levitical offerings 32 Levites 55 Locusts eaten by St. Iohn the Baptist 110 Loves in Christ towards his Church 120 M. MAn made in the image of God 1 Martyrs three sorts 90 Martyrdom foretold to St. Peter 271. Magdala and Dalmanutha 174 St. Matthew called from the receipt of custome 145. 146 Miracles First miracle of Christ 120. what they are 120. True miracles and the causes of them 121. the efficient cause ib. the matter of Christ his miracles 122. the formal cause ib. the finall cause 123. Christs miracles for the glory of God 124 the secundary or less principall end of them 125 126 The Mitre 27 Mount Calvary 246 Mystery Of the garments of the high priest 29. of his consecration 30. of the leviticall offerings Of the quotidian profeast Of the new moons Of the sabbath Of the seventh day 39 of the feast of Easter Of the feast of Pentecost Of the feast of Trumpets Of the day of Attonement 40. Of the feast of tabernacles Of the sabbath of the seventh year Of the Iubilee of the 50th year 43 Of the holy city Hierusalem 47. Of the temple 51 52. Of the high Priests 57. Of the Priests of the second order ib. Of the Levites the Nethinims the Singers and the Portâ—rs 58. Of Officers and Iudges 58. Of the Prophets 62 63. Of the Pitcher of water 213. N. NAim 161 Narration concerning the rich man and Lazarus 198 Nathaniel 116 117 Nazareth 67 Nethinims 55 Nichodemus 131 New moons 35 O. Offerings THe whole burnt-offering the continuall burnt-offering the meat-offering the drink-offering the sin-offering the peace offering 32 33 Observations concerning Leviticall offerings 33 Officers and Judges 56 Opinion of the people concerning Christ 176 Mount of Olives 235. P. Primordiall law 1 Propagation of Adams sin 2 Periods of times to be observed 13 Paschall Lambe Concerning the paschall lambe 13. the time 14 the place ib. the persons 15. the ceremonies the meaning the mystery ib. the use 17. Priests The high Priest's garments 26. his consecration 30. Priests of the pontificall order 53. of the second order ib. Priests first consecrated 54 chiefe priests consult to suppresse the rumour of Christs resurrection 262. Porters 55. Paralytick man cured 145. Prophets whaâ— they were 58 59. Pharisâ—es what â—hey were 102. Pharisees reproâ—ed 174. Saint Peter His confession 177. his prerogative ib. a stone of the sâ—irituall building 178. his function ib. his denyall 239. runneth to the sepulchre 260. Period of time the second 66. St. Philip first called to be Christ's disciple 116. Publicans what they were 103 Parable Of the labourers 194. of the lost sheep and of the lost drachma 1â—â— of the prodigall son ib. of the unjust steward ib. of the imporâ—unate widow 199. of the phâ—â—see and the publican ib. of the pounds 204. parables signifying the reprobation of the Iewes and vocation of the Gentiles 208. The parasceue 254. The plate of gold 28. Pool of Bethesda 151. Poor man quarrelled by the Iewes 153. Pentecost a feast 37. Pilate Sendeth Christ to Herod 243. his second policy ib. his third policy 244. his wives dream ib. washeth his hands 245. condemneth Christ to be crucified ib. his punishment 246. Q. QUestion 's proposed by the disciples of St. Iohn the Baptist 146. By the pharisees 198. R. Recapitulation OF the first book of the Sacred and mysterious history 64 65. of the first two years oâ— Christ his age 90. from the expiration of the second year to the expiration of the thirtieth year of his age 111 112. of the one and thirtieth year of his age 150. of the two and thirtieth year of his age 175 176. of the three and thirâ—â—â—â—ar of his age 199 200. 〈…〉 expiration of the three 〈◊〉 â—rtieth year to his Ascenâ— in fine Remission of sins Remission of sins 224. the â—â—ice 225. the grace ib. remitted by God authoritatiâ—â—ly ib. by the Minister dâ—claratively 226. the means ib. the subject ib. How far God doth remit sins after what manner where remission of sins is whether any sin be irremissible 228. whether a sinner may despair 229. whether the force and effect of remission of sins be more to be discerned in the world to come ib. why God will forgive sins ib. Rhemists account of Christ's parables 165. Remission how often it is to be done 190. Robe of the Ephod 27. Rocks did rend 253 S. Sabbath of the seventh day 36. of the seventh year 38. Sabbath prophaned 256. Sadduces come to Saint John's baptisme 102. what they were 103. Sacrament of the Supper commanded 202. Scribe would follow Christ 141. so would two other 142. Sepulchre of Cyrus 80. Sea of Galilee 128. Samaritan woman 138 139. Singers 55. Simon the Pharisee inviteth Christ to his house 162. Salome her petition and her sons 202. Scribes and pharisees convinced of the irremissible sin 163. Sin irremissible what it is ib. Signe of the prophet Ionah 164. Simon of Cyrene compelled to bear the crosse 246. Soldiers divide Christs garments 249. Solomon's porch 195. Superscription of Christ's accucusation 248. T. TAbernacle the mystery of it 18. history of the Tabernacle and of the Ark 22. feast of Tabernacles 38. Temple history of the temple 48 49 c. Temptations of Christ in the wildernesse 106 107 c. Thabor mount 158. Thiefe penitent 249. Saint Thomas inaugurated to the priesthood 267. his incredulity ib. Times distinguished into two periods 6. Traditions of the pharisees reproved 172. Transfiguration of Christ 185. U. VRim and thummim 28. Virgin Saint Mary neither reprehended nor rejected 119. Vail of the temple rent 252. W. WIsemen Their comming to Christ 77. the time of their arrivall 78 what they were 79. probably kings 81 from whence it was that they came 82. They go into Iudea by divine impulsion 83. the star their guide ib. they come to Hierusalem 84. Herod troubled at their comming 84 85. are sent to Bethlehem 85 86. they were the first fruits of the Gentiles 86. Wilde honey what it was 100. Wildernesse of Arabia Petraea 106 107. Women Cured of a bloody issue 147. she erecteth a statue ib. a crooked woman cured 196. Withered hand the man cured who had a withered hand 154 155. Widowes son raised from death 161. Wine mingled with myrrhe 247. Y. ACceptable year of the Lord 97 98. Z. ZAccheus the story of him 203. FINIS